huiray

Naftal, if you can't find gur/jaggery I imagine gula melaka or other forms of palm sugar would do nicely too.

Just curious - are you using sour tamarind or sweet tamarind? What garam masala formulation do you use? (there are any number of them with the compositions varying even from household to household let alone regions of the Indian subcontinent)

Good to read in more detail about your reasons for liking the Lekue microwave steamer, Jaymes. Thanks for the background info too. I can imagine your grandkids tire you out somewhat but I'm sure you get much pleasure from being with them. As for those fish fillets you commonly cook in that steamer, do you do it with or without that little tray? If not, then would it be more of a poaching than a steaming? BTW, Anna N, I wasn't really replying to you when I posted about my own experiences upthread. It was a response to Jaymes' urging of *anyone* who cooks for one to try it in her initial post. So, I took the bait and related my experience with a microwave steamer not dissimilar in nature, why I put it aside and what I did instead and what I used. So, in effect, I wasn't too sure I'd try this Lekue product - but nevertheless mentioned that the one I used might work with other things - and by extension the Lekue product too. In that sense also I wasn't dissing you, Jaymes. I merely responded to your urging and don't believe I said anything about what you yourself should or should not do or suggesting that you did not steam things in other ways. Peace.

• Rice congee w/ pork spare ribs, pork belly, chillied bamboo shoots, Chinese mushrooms, & tofu. Peanut oil, well-smashed garlic (Siberian Red, a whole head) chopped up, short-cut pork spare ribs (cut into individual riblets), pork belly w/ skin on (sliced up), shredded bamboo shoots packed/pickled in a salty sesame-oil chillied marinade, briefly-soaked small flower-pattern Chinese mushrooms (“far koo”) broken into halves, salt, water, simmer. Raw rice (hom mali), simmer. Firm tofu cut into chunks, simmer. Eaten w/ chopped scallions. • Sautéed cauliflower & broccoli.

Anna_N, let's do lunch some day. :-) Thanks. (Who knows when that may be, though)

:-)

OK OK... :-) Yes, yes I "got it". :-D

The Ramenrrito. http://www.eater.com/2014/10/14/6974101/the-ramenritto-is-delicious-whether-youre-stoned-or-not

What about chopping your chicken thighs across the bone (cleaver) into several pieces then cooking those, such as in a braise, stir-fry, etc? (I do that all the time) And no, if there are chicken bone fragments they don't bother me. (Try chopping them when they are still slightly "frozen"/hard if one is afraid of fragments)

I can't believe this aspect of his expectations did not come out during the courtship. Not even a hint???

See here.

Dining in the dark: http://travel.spotcoolstuff.com/unusual-restaurants-eating-in-the-dark I don't know how many of these places are still extant. However, Dans le Noir in NYC is closed but the ones elsewhere appear to be active. :-) Cue dcarch's post above... Opaque is active in various US cities. An old review of the now-closed Dans le Noir in NYC here. But one can still do this in NYC, sort of - Camaje Bistro's next one is tomorrow night... then Oct 29, Nov 8. :-)

I've had this microwave steamer shown below for more than a decade, I think. (just hauled it out from the back of a cupboard to take the pictures) From an "Asian"/Chinese grocery store years ago. I don't believe I've used it more than a couple times. If I remember correctly, the stuff I "steamed" got a sort of "pellicle"/"skin" on it - seemingly from the microwaving process before (or even in spite of) the steaming process fully kicked in, even if I started off with boiling water from the kettle in the bottom of the steamer tray. This "slightly hardened skin" never went away and was just...unpleasant. Thinking about it more I seem to recall that the bottoms of the stuff also just got soggy. I believe I was steaming dim-sum items - siu mai and stuff - or dumplings like shui kow...and it was simply inferior to doing it properly under wet steam on the stovetop. Maybe some kinds of stuff are nicely done with this thing (after all, one is also microwaving the stuff, not simply "steaming" it ... and the "steaming" doesn't really start until after the microwaving has gone on for a short while - 20-30 seconds, maybe?) but I just set this aside and returned to the method I describe below. I don't have issues with steaming things - I don't even need to use the bamboo/metal steaming baskets/trays. I use one of those enameled metal dishes I've shown in many of my posts on the lunch & dinner threads, plop whatever I am steaming into it (that includes those siu mai & shui kow; as well as any "raw" stuff like fish, shrimp - with the marinade and/or whatnot, often done right in the dish), prop the dish on top of a tuna can with both ends removed** sitting in one of my deep skillets/pans with water bubbling in it, cover it, and I get my stuff steamed. The metal dish comes out and is also the "serving dish" itself, perhaps rested on another plate; the tuna can goes back into the drawer, the skillet/pan gets swished out under the tap, maybe with a quick rub with a soapy sponge plus rinse and...that's it. ** I've used this same tuna can ring for years and years. It sits in a corner of a drawer. :-) :-D Just before posting I thought about the "retriever" for those enameled metal plates I talked about above, which have a curled/tightly-scrolled rim. This is what I use, a common implement in some Chinese kitchens. :-) I've had this for, I dunno, 20++ years?

• Fresh maitake & white button mushroom soup. EV olive oil, butter, a clove of well-smashed garlic, sliced shallots, maitake (Hen of the Woods) broken into pieces, "normal" white mushrooms sliced up, chicken stock, simmer. Chopped young parsley. • Merguez sausage meat mixture, artichoke hearts (canned), chopped turnip greens (plus EV olive oil). Seasoning adjusted. Tossed w/ angel hair pasta.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/10/13/cooka%C2%80%C2%99s-tale A Chinese restaurant worker's tale as recorded by the author. A glimpse of the Chinese restaurant and takeout joints - and comments about what Joe Blow eats too, from the other side of the kitchen counter.

...into Space. :-) http://www.eater.com/2014/10/10/6960155/the-best-video-of-a-burger-launching-into-space-youll-ever-see I'm still smiling after seeing the video. A light-hearted but entertaining diversion.

• Oil, ginger, red cayenne chilli, tomato, shrimp w/ marinade (Shaohsing wine, oil, sesame oil, white pepper, lime juice, hon mirin, salt). • Oil, garlic, broccoli, salt. • White rice.

Yes and yes. The red color is concentrated in the skin/surface layers. It's a great pity about the color fading/bleaching. (It also leaches a little into soup/stock - and then fades)

This is perhaps a silly question - but what is it about apples that attracts you? (And much of the NA/Western population) I mean this as a sincere question. I myself have little attraction to apples although I do eat then on occasion, of course. I like apple pies, and apple tarts - but can't remember the last time I had either, for that matter. (Probably when I bought an apple pie last from one of the Farmers' Markets) I also don't remember the last time I drank cider. Apple juice - ditto. I've bought apples from vendors at the Farmers' Market before, ate one or two, and eventually thew away the others which sat on the counter or window sill for, um... a while. So, personal preferences aside (or maybe not?) - what is it about apples that you find attractive?

Skinny wonton noodles w/ vegetable broth and some of the vegetables. Plus fresh baby spinach & Dodge City salami (see here).

Regarding the financial arrangements...(I imagine *some* might be passingly interested)...the second article from the post above has this tid-bit in it: (From here)

Couple of articles in The Boston Globe today. Some behind-the-scenes details (plus a wee, wee bit of vaguely spoiler-y stuff about the first episode and etc). Info about the Top Chef kitchen. http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/10/11/showcase-for-excess-and-for-city-chefs/lugbQ3LwbuIpy59KotrKaK/story.html http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/10/11/bring-boston-leave-baked-beans-bravo-new-season-shows-off-city/7zPKXt60u3VZQjkaGL8uiL/story.html

Oh. I don't know. I make pesto with basil leaves that has only been (cold water) washed and more-or-less dried. p.s. I edited my previous post to correct "basil" to "pesto".

Including some asafoetida, I presume. ;-)

Shelby, I've frozen a lot of pesto before (in Bell wide-mouth jars). IMO they were not as good as freshly-made but still fine and I dug into them all throughout winter. The taste does deteriorate over time in the non-vacuum-sealed jars I kept it in, especially when there are many jars of it. I didn't make any this year. (Somehow I never planted any basil this year and it has been barely available and at great cost at the Farmers' Markets this year - it has been a miserable growing season for it around here) The surface of the basil pesto will oxidize/turn brown when it sits, even in a closed jar. I expect it would not if you vacuum-sealed it. It's not as nice (the brown layer) but still OK to eat - or just scrape off the brown layer. Or, pour a little olive oil on top *right away* after scooping out what one wants. With the frozen stuff that actually is "digging it out" (some pressure needs to be applied :-) ) with a metal knife or spoon or whatever is handy. :-D p.s. I like my pesto with a lot more basil in it than what I see in your picture. :-D ;-) Edited to change "basil" to "pesto"