dcarch

Thanks. Perhaps this will add to your eating enjoyment. Lotus is a highly respected plant in the Chinese culture because it has great symbolic meanings. The plant can arise from muddy bottom dirt and remain pure, clean and elegantly beautiful. Not only the flowers, but the leaves as well. No dirt, not even dust, can stick on lotus leaves. The purity of lotus is recognized. So you see Buddha always sitting on lotus, in a lotus position. Today, the interesting dirt and water repellant property of lotus has been studied by scientists. They call this the “Lotus effect”. By duplicating the surface microstructure of the lotus leaf, they have been able to make water and dirt repellant paint and metal. Possibly making truly no chemical non-stick cookware dcarch

This is a nice tool to have in the kitchen: http://redcook.net/2008/04/04/plate-lifter/ dcarch

This? http://www.becauseyum.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/wmliftingramekins.png dcarch

Try the pressure cooker method. dcarch

No BBQ Guru, and no sous vide either. Yes, that's what I won, a vacuum electric marinating tumbler. If they were to have one category, anything goes category. It would be so much more fun. Imagine, Ribs! Free-form cooking. Present it, cook it, season it, boil it, steam it, BBQ it, plate it, garish it any way you want --- If it taste good, looks good, you win that category. dcarch

Can you still get fresh lotus seeds? I remember when I was traveling in China, I was able to get lotus flower pots and eat delicious fresh lotus seeds. dcarch

Check out youtube. I think you can find videos on how they operate. dcarch

Franci, Very nice. Look up recipes for Golden Sand fried shrimps, and try out that recipe. dcarch

Canned ones are white. Uncooked ones are somewhat white. Otherwise they look like Huiray's. dcarch

For Norm: http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/cmo-harley-davidson-lifestyle-transportation/242952/ and also do a search on youtube on major BBQ competition events. I am not talking about backyard type. dcarch

"---------Rules are made to set boundaries, to keep some kind of focus, otherwise someone might think it is OK to submit smoked pies.----------" I understand you need some boundaries, but why you must use Styrofoam boxes? only 4 kinds of garnishes and only six sticks of ribs cut in stipulated ways? Why, the judges can't tell true tastes if someone uses a different garnish to look pretty? I much prefer seeing some freedom, like the Masterchef, Ironchef kind of competitions. dcarch

It is interesting also that in those big major competition events, creativity is very much discouraged by all kinds of "rules". Same ribs every year, everywhere, by everyone. dcarch

I seem to think that people who has Harley Davidsons are not actually interested in transportation to get from one place to another. Likewise people who are into BBQ competitions are not really into food. It is a life style (obsession?). They spend many thousands of $, thousands of hours for those huge trailer smokers --------------, which takes up 1/2 of their properties, dcarch

I understand that for Chinese New Year, all food should have symbolic good luck meanings. dcarch

It was mad! mad! mad! at Trader Joe's. I am not even talking about inside TJ's. There was no way you could find parking. dcarch

Thanks guys!

What are the rules regarding the use of MSG? dcarch

You can tunnel bone a chicken. Taking out all the bones, including wing bones, without opening up the chicken. It makes a great stuffed chicken. dcarch

There is nothing sophisticated about a dehydrator. The fan is typically an induction or shaded pole motor fan, which will last forever. The thermostat is a bi-metal mechanical switch, a low tech device. The heating coil, typically nickel/chromium wire element running at low temperature. dcarch

Win a Nobel price. Find a magnet with only one pole, either north or south. dcarch

No pictures because it was a big surprise. I had a few lousy tasting oranges in the refrigerator. Didn't want to throw them out, and couldn't eat them fresh. I decided to cook with them. I peeled them, removed seeds, and cut them up in small chunks. Added some oyster sauce, and a few spoons of mayonnaise and a little white wine. Using a hand blender to turn everything into a sauce. Cooked the sauce on low heat. Poured on some leftover chicken. It was very good. Yes, I will make that again. Next time may be some garlic. dcarch

Not in cooking. HaHA! dcarch