dcarch

Thank you everyone for your excessive compliments. percyn, I got my salt blocks from eBay. I think I only paid $35.00 Panaderia Canadiense, For myself, cleaning the salt blocks is easy. I just wipe them with a wet paper towel. Salt prevents microbe growth. For inviting friends, I wash them well in the sink. I also use the heated blocks to cook food. Very nice. dcarch

I am in no position to agree or disagree with anyone. It seems to me that none of us has solid data for the statments made. I am merely pointing out that this is an international forum and there are many member from China as well, let's be fair to them. One thing that is interesting to me, to digress, Macau, Hong Kong, Singapore, have the the longest life span. These are the areas where they practically import 100% of their food from China. dcarch

Please understand that this is an international forum and be fair with statements you are presenting. It is a fact that many food products from China had problems, but I believe that is a very small percentage of the total scope of what they are supplying. On the other hand, based on another forum I also visit, food recalls here in the US happened practically everyday. Keeping in mind that agriculture exports to China is one area we are running a surplus. It is not a good idea to start bad feelings based on bias. dcarch

Slate is not very porous, but it is more absorbent than ceramics. I don’t know if it can accumulate food odor from a previous dish, like fish. How do restaurants wash a heavy slate plate? Slate can also flake, being a relatively soft stone. dcarch

I apologize to all in advance, but there is another great way to eat bagels (beigels). Bagels are made by going thru a boiling process. I enjoy (and I am not the only one) steamed bagels. Steaming bagels intensifies the bagel-ness and chewy-ness. IMHO, a crispy crusty bread-like exterior after toasting is not what a bagel is all about, but if that's what you like, go for it. dcarch

Here is one by a non-professional: dcarch

Shelby – Very interesting pizza pot pie. Looks very tasty. What a treat, your pawns with roes. Kim - I am with you. I like my ducks well-done also. Next time you make duck, don’t forget to invite me. I also like shrimp tacos, invite me for that too. LOL! Norm – nice looking tilapia plate. Genkinaonna – your roasted chicken looks as good as Kim’s duck. rarerollingobject – You are making life difficult for me after seeing your incredible scallop crudo. I went to the market to look for scallops. They were $30.00 a lb! and not very good looking as yours. gfweb – Lucky dog! Great cook out. SobaAddict70 – as usual, very beautiful plating for all your dishes. I like the gambas al ajillo very much. ScottyBoy – Everything looks good, especially the monkey bread, especially the scallop, especially the tomato soup, especially ----- robirdstx - Mapo Tofu may be too hot for you, but it looks mighty good to me. Very gorgeous lamb chops. C. sapidus – lovely Fish soup to look at, and I can tell, as many who have done some cooking can, it probably tastes better than it looks. Mjx – Very nice orchestration of seasonings for the rabbit dish. -------------------------- As in many parts of the country, it’s over 100 F here in NY. So I made ice cold sashimi for dinner. The sashimi was on a refrigerated Himalayan salt block, which kept the meal cold for the entire time. darch

quantity of food consumed = calories spent If you don't move around much because it's too hot, you eat less. dcarch

Again, other than the experiment I did as stated above, I don't have enough heirloom tomatoes yet from my garden to conduct more tests. I am not sure if there are chemicals in the tomato that are more active in a colder environment, causing the taste to deteriorate more rapidly. I think possibly if you eat a tomato right out from the refrigerator, the taste buds are less sensitive due to the cold, therefore the refrigerated tomato may be less tasty. Also, it is possible that tomatoes can ripe significantly in one or two days.(Sungold cherries can ripe in a few hours) If you have tomatoes that are not totally ripe and you keep them in a refrigerator, they will be less tasty than the ones kept at room temperature. dcarch

I had done a side-by-side test with serveral tasters. Tomatoes refrigerated 30 hours vs. same tomatoes not refrigerated (75F). The tomatoes were cut in halves. Half went in the refrigerator. No one could tell the difference. I only used one kind of home-grown tomatoes, so it might not be a conclusive scientific test. dcarch

There are geoduck farms. Expensive seafood. $30.00 a lb. dcarch

:-) dcarch

Large blueberries are sweet. They are for eating. Small blueberries are sour. They are for making muffins. A blueberry sieve. dcarch

Don't underestimate that lowly WEB Cam. With a little focusing, it can do amazing close ups and enlargements. dcarch Close up enlargement of a surgical blade Salt [ Seasme seeds

Paul Bacino, great idea, baking outside. You have shown that it is possible to bake stuffed Egg plant and basil potato Gnudi in a Weber. C. sapidus, I have not made Beef rendang for years. Yours look wonderful. I will have to remember star anise for wings the next time I make mine. Kayb, yellow squash is in season now, it goes so well grilled with steak. I highly recommend GWR green tomatoes. Panaderia Canadiense, Nice place setting with the placemat matching the dishes. I agree, the burger looks great. SobaAddict70, thanks for the step-by-step photos of ricotta gnocchi and Pasta with sardines, fava beans and tomatoes both are beautifully photographed. Norm Matthews, Nice corned beef. I am not sure why I have corned beef only once every year. Scottyboy, that’s a very fancy pork chop dish. Truffle flavored polenta and garden squash blossoms and beans. rarerollingobject, “non-artistically drizzled with worcestershire sauce and olive oil.”? It’s in the eye of the beholder. This beholder disagrees with you. I also think your tuna tartare and octopus sausage artistically plated. FrogPrincesse, a dish does not have to be photogenic to be delicious. Kim, sandwiches, salad and corn can be very satisfying for a quick meal. Genkinaonna , nicely shaped and baked ricotta calzones. -------------------------------------------- I made sous vide 7-bonme steak with Isreali couscous on pickled napa cabbage. Dcarch

Yes, I have 10 food-grade Stretch-to-Fit Food Covers made by CoverMate. Very useful in the refrigerator and to keep bugs away outside. dcarch

A good large sharpening stone can break your piggy bank. Slate tiles can make acceptable sharpening stones. If you have a friend or if you have a diamond cutting saw, it is very quick and easy to cut a few blocks and sand paper the surfaces flat. Before you do, use a magnifying glass to examine the grain structure first. There are many different types of slate tiles. dcarch

I made my silicone mold. dcarch

Try this also: Fry green green tomatoes. There are many GWR (Green When Ripe) tomatoes. There are green even after they have ripen. They are delicious. Green ketchup, green pizza. Some green tomatoes: Lime Green Salad Aunt Ruby's German Green Green Giant Cheroke Green Green Pineapple Green Zebra dcarch

Drunken chicken is served cold. In the old days, Spam is considered classy and served cold. dcarch

And perhaps Irene Kuo, from The Key to Chinese Cooking: We probably are talking about the same thing. Yes, cold cut appetizers (including smoked fish) are very acceptable. I often precook dumplings, then fry them for pot stickers and serve hot. Same with eggrolls. I sous vide pork first in advance, and make roasted pork (char siu) and serve hot from the grill. dcarch

Washing rice is also to wash away talc. Talc in rice is banned in many countries. dcarch

Somehow I think the entire concept of Chinese cooking is to have food served fresh made. Anything pre-made and reheat will always be just eating leftovers. However, having all ingredients prepared ahead of time is different. Or having the food partially cooked. Maybe cold sesame noodles is an exception, and cold cut appetizer platter? dcarch.

mgaretz, A vert interesting ratatouille with all those different circles. C. sapidus, I saw that show on how the slipper burgers were made. Yours is just as good. Norm Matthews, what a perfect pizza. Looks like you used a compass to make it, and your seafood dinner is quite a feast. ScottyBoy, is that mongo on your fish tacos? Nice plating on your dishes. I can’t add anymore to what has been said about the pig! David A. Goldfarb, I wish we have shrimps that fresh here. harrysnapperorgans, your wife looks happy not because of what you made is tasty. Any wife would be happy if the husband cooks. (Just kidding!) rarerollingobject, I visit this thread mostly to see what you are up to and I am not disappointed. Wonderful tuna sashimi. Kayb, bunless burger is a great meal to wash down with a cold ginger mojito. --------------------------------------------------------------- I made Chinese roasted pork sous vide then grilled. Very interest eating experience, TENDER and moist char siu! While I was marinating BBQ chicken wings, a couple of friends called to join the day. I had to go back to the supermarket for two more packs of wings. I was very surprised. Wings bought two weeks ago and two more packs of wings, all had only left wings! Whatever happened to the right wings! Anyway, BBQ wings on grilled pineapple turned out well. dcarch

Posted by Florida:" ----Actually, I think the Chinese take-out box is quite flawed. First of all there is the metal “holder” which prevents the use of the box in the microwave. Second, it is paper and the contents cannot be seen without opening the box. Third, they are neither recyclable nor reusable. Fourth, they cannot hold liquids (such as soup) well so the restaurant needs to have another type of container on hand anyway. ------" First, I am not aware of many food containers which ended up in a museum. Yes, it can be microwaved with that metal strap. Yes, it can hold soup, just don't turn them over. No, you cannot see what is inside, but why is that a problem? Yes, they are not reusable. That is true for 99% of food container. Yes, Many are made recycleable. No, they are not perfect fo all other uses, just for Chinese take outs. dcarch