dcarch

"-----Please tell; how in the WORLD did you get those gorgeous "grill marks" on that steak? Do you have a branding iron, or did you do it freehand or what? Inquiring minds want to know! ---" Judiu, I was able to find a cast iron grill with that design. I can't understand why grills have to be so boring. It is not expensive to make grills different. dcarch

"-----What do you mean by pre-made cold cooked rice? Cooked rice and then stored in fridge overnight?---" Except in a restaurant, I think fried rice use mostly leftover rice. That's what I do. dcarch

Interestingly, if you turn a Chinese soup spoon over, you will notice the bottom has three small pebbles, those are to act as a spoon rest. Then you will notice two more pebbles on the back of the handle, those are there so that your hold of the spoon is more secure. dcarch http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.239847017.jpg

There is science in that. According to thermodynamic law of "black body" theory, Heat tends to go from light color to darker color; therefore your body will give up heat to the black clothing. Then, the law also states the best heat absorber is also the best radiator, the black clothing will radiate energy from your body to the environment. Of course, if you are in the sun wearing black clothing, you will become a solar collector. dcarch

I use stock for fried rice, but for an entirely different reason. Mostly you use pre-made cold cooked rice from the refrigerator. The rice can get burnt or get tough on a very hot wok when you try to heat up a lot batch of rice. If you add a 1/4 cup of stock to the wok and cover the rice, you can heat up all the rice in a few seconds without burning the rice and without making the rice mushy. dcarch

Now I remember! Medical people always tell you that do not drink alcohol to keep warm in the winter. It is a big myth of that husky rescue dog with the wine barrel. Alcohol increases blood circulation to your skin and cools your whole body down. Cold beer!!!! dcarch

If you suck on and drink one pound of ice at 24 degrees F it will remove 215 BTUs from your body. dcarch

Thanks Blether. Your kitchen was a mess after the quake. dcarch

djyee100, Thank you for the asparagus bread inspiration. Genkinaonna, Fascinating food blog. Thank you for taking the time. Kim, missed your cooking. Nice steak with that fancy topping. C. sapidus, What a nice combination for your shrimp curry. rarerollingobject, Chinese-Japanese fusion of chicken breast, Veryimaginative and I know it tasted super. I Have duck liver in my freezer. I thinkl I may try your creation out. Dakki, WoW! That is one super Machito! (Nice knife, BTW). kayb, A classic surf and turf is made memorable by that balsamic truffle cream potatos. SobaAddict70, I always look forward to your wonderful plating skills. I was not disappointed. David Ross, You are making me angry. My order of morel mushrooms arrived yesterday completely rotten because of the warm weather. Blether, I am trying to picture how you were able to make those nice tandoori chickens in you kitchen. ---------------- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - My Memorial Day meal: Razor clam beet salad Kabocha squash, potatoes & mushrooms Grilled sous vide strip steak with roasted elephant garlic dcarch

There is a thread on how to make ribs moist. It got me thinking. What are we talking about? We all have heard plenty times, do this and do that, dip the meat in marinate, spray water on the meat, brush oil on the meat ------- and you can help made the meat moist and juicy. What in fact is going on? It seems to me that unless you burn the hell out of meat to evaporate the water in meat, there is not much you can do to change the water and protein composition. Of course, I am not talking about brining, pickling, or using tenderizer type of cooking methods. Aren’t we really talking about textural changes mostly? If you weight the meat before and after, can you actually increase the water in meat to make it more moist and juicier? If that’s in fact what we are talking about, wouldn’t it be true that it is mostly about temperature control and not what you put on the meat that would make the biggest difference? dcarch

While having a converation with your friends, "I am sorry to interupt you, but how's everything?" I automatically take off 2% from the tip. dcarch

Possible. Depending on the manufacturer. I don't have a brand in mind. I believe some restaurants use them and many hospitals use them. dcarch

All forms of filter impose restriction to air flow, all except electrostatic filters. It traps particle by electric charge. The only consideration is capacity. You need to find one with good enough CFM volume. BTW, once you have trapped lots of dust, grease, etc, you just take the filter out and put it in the dishwasher. Nothing new to buy. dcarch

There is a way. Use an electrostatic air cleaner nearby. An electrostatic cleaner will trap over 95% of air borne (smoke) particles. An electrostatic air cleaner with an activated charcoal filter can trap smell ( cigar) in the air as well. dcarch

My sous-vide setup Bread maker Pasta maker dcarch

Here is how I take the whole duck apart: Two more way to render duck fat: 1. Same a cooking bacon in a microwave. 2. After you pressure cook duck parts to make stock, all the fat goes to the surface. You get all the fat after you refrigerate the stock. dcarch

OK, I got this from a friend: 菱粉 = WATER CALTROP starch. 馬蹄粉 = Water chestnut flour dcarch

I did this long time ago (Yes, long time ago there was a thing called Whiteout) Whiteout bottle for the body, little brush inside the bottle for the tail, and #2 pencil for the legs. water caltrops can be enjoyed cooked or raw. dcarch

I don't know how indigenous corn is to China, I know corn silk has been in use in Chinese herbal medicine for many centuries. dcarch

Is that similar to the arrowroot mentioned earlier? I have used it and it is a much more delicate starch No, It has nothing to do with arrowroot. It is a very strange looking fruit. http://amylamsg.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/1271189917_e32f06054d.jpg I think you can still buy the flour in a large Chinese store. dcarch

Water chestnut (WATER CALTROP, not typical water chestnut) flour I believe was more traditional. dcarch

"---What are the drawbacks of installing such a system at home? Increased gas bills? " I think they are all electric, not gas. "---Much prefer the Zojirushi water boilers but hubby has an issue with leaving them plugged in overnight. " Touch the outside of the container, if it is warm, then the unit is not insulated well. If it is cool, then plugging in overnight will not use much power. They will not start a fire. There are safety thermostats built-in. dcarch

"You have almost got me thinking of poaching from the neighbor who has masses of the day lilies. At what stage are they best?" They need to be very young. I cover them with fallen leaves from last fall before spring to kind of blanch them. What vegetables you can grow in the shade that is so delicious? dcarch

Harvest of Daylily stems from my garden. dcarch

Jenni, yes, very delicious Kerala meal. rarerollingobject, thanks for posting the recipe for the Crispy Thai pork belly. That is a dish I will have to make soon, after looking at your picture. ChrisTaylor, that roast, rolled lamb shoulder sure looks well roasted. SobaAddict70, That Bento box lunch makes lunch something to look forward to, and the dinner is not so boring as you indicated. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I still have some duck in the freezer. Sous vide duck breast medium, on beet green with wild rice stuffed pepper. Duck goes well with wild rice, and wild rice goes well with bell peppers. dcarch