JoNorvelleWalker

Spoken as a true Roomba whisperer.

Dinner was grilled lamb, asparagus Hollandaise, baguette. Each individually OK. Not a satisfying whole. Not sure why. Last night's dry fried green beans blew me away. Maybe I am spoiled? Fortunately fifteen year old rum covers a multitude of sins.

Steam.

I have eleven poly boards. At least eight are NSF. They get used a lot. Probably great for spanking if you are into that. Though I confess my walnut end grain block is employed mainly for taking photographs. Or for butchering a cabbage.

Indeed, as you wish... The design in the upper right is exposed cherry. Though there is actually cherry inlay in each corner for stability.

I shall never again gloat at the great price I got on a large bottle of peanut oil -- only to notice when I went to use it that the label says "corn oil".

From umamimart one may buy Danish designed matcha bowls from Copenhagen: https://umamimart.com/collections/gifts-studio-arhoj-collection/products/cherry-blossom-tea-bowl I gave one to my son. Not non-stick however.

Those are they. Here is a link to a US dealer: https://shop.nalatanalata.com/collections/vendors?q=Koizumi Studio I have several (about ten) Koizumi designed culinary pieces but not a non-stick pan. I don't have any non-stick pots or pans other than the insert for my Zojirushi. Which I should get up and go wash.

Hsiao-Ching Chou's dry-fried green beans from Chinese Soul Food (p147). Wonderful, just wonderful. Rice not shown. Green beans not shown either. Followed by what a friend has christened Jogurt (TM) and walnuts.

Sitraram Cybernox non-stick is my go-to egg pan. Not perfectly non-stick, mind you, but still close. Unobtanium and NSF. Funny just now I was looking at Makoto Koizumi non-stick pans. They call to me.

Yesterday I took delivery of a new hinoki board and just used it lovingly to slice a scallion. My last hinoki board eventually warped. This one is a very thin Makoto Koizumi designer board reinforced with cherry: https://shop.nalatanalata.com/products/tosaita-cutting-board-medium Whether it holds up as a cutting board or not, it is truly beautiful. I try never to let my Watanabe nakkiri touch any surface but hinoki or walnut. Now I need better information on storing hinoki so that it doesn't warp. My last one I always stored on edge, but with the grain parallel* to the surface of the earth. This one, so far, I am storing with the grain perpendicular. *OK I guess technically tangential.

@kayb I have not been straining mine.

My second batch -- cultured with yogurt reserved from the previous Natural Probiotic Selection batch: I found I could fit two one quart Rubbermaid Take Along screw cap jars in the PHMB. After heating the milk and cream at 70 degrees C. as in my previous post, I allowed the mix to cool to 45 degrees and stirred in the reserved yogurt from the first batch. I homogenized the mixture and poured it into the prepared jars. Here I tried something new and possibly controversial. I'd been reading the Brod & Taylor site about their proofing box which can be used as a slow cooker and as yogurt maker. Brod & Taylor advocate a "high-low" method that involves finishing the yogurt at 30 degrees for greater smoothness and reduced whey separation. I adapted this method. Instead of culturing at 49 degrees for one hour, I cultured at 45 degrees for two hours. I then reset the PHMB for 30 degrees and went to bed. Total culturing time 12 hours. Comparing the two batches the current batch was indeed smoother with no apparent whey separation. Taste was about the same. With some trepidation I turned the jar upside down and am pleased to report nothing fell out.

Awkward situation but I'd bring wine.

Brings back memories.

Helps with the arthritis.

A blueberry bird evaporator?

I cheated. Not because I needed to. Tonight was my second try at steamed dumplings. The other night my dumpling skins were far too thick and leaden. I am still learning. Not only did I use Andrea Nguyen's cheat of a tortilla press, this time I rolled the dumplings with the KitchenAid pasta attachment. So easy. My Chinese rolling pin was not sullied nor soiled with flour. Further I learned that Napa cabbage used for dumpling steaming is delectable in its own right. To complement the color of the cabbage, dessert is a goblet of Chartreuse green V.E.P.

Thought of that. But when I use my Anova in the bathroom the lights flicker. I suppose I could run an extension cord from the bedroom.

If only I had a bigger bedroom.

I thought freezer tape was for keeping packages from tumbling to the floor when the door was opened.

Yesterday I read a most uninformative explanation in the paper. What we know: an armed, army ex-ranger was in the restaurant for several hours. Much of the downtown was on lockdown -- no one was permitted to leave the public library for example. The man served in Vietnam and stood accused of Social Security fraud. The authorities decline to reveal what weapon the gunman had and why the police resorted to deadly force. No information about hostages or not. There was no speculation about what connection the person might have had to Panera Bread. Why he chose that restaurant, or any restaurant for that matter.

Dinner was supposed to have been a stir fry. But I got home late and very tired. Yesterday I made dough, and pizza called to me. Used up the last of some still fragrant basil. You do know what pizza looks like, right? The wine held out to the end. How wonderful is that? Had more wine anyhow. Dessert was fresh made yogurt: Plated with Georgian preserved walnut. Seconds not shown.

With ubiquitous Georgian preserved walnut. Just like ice cream except it doesn't melt. If I am dead in the morning you know it is E. coli or the KGB that got me.

Some of us like fat.