Duvel

Saturday night is family pizza night: Today a variation of the popular mushroom and salami theme with Alaskan hunter sticks with reindeer meat filling in for the cured meat role (not pictured, because family was starving). Then the equally popular (at least with out four year old) pizza Hawaii with lardons and pineapple. Plus the usual crumb shot ...

A glitch in the matrix ?

No bisquick here, but I'll give the Ersatz version a go - thank you, TftC !!

No worries. I never had "biscuits" like this and won't probably be able to find a ready-made mix for that, but understand that they are popular on your side of the world. I do like the idea, so I'll check for a recipe and give it a try...

Garlic cheese biscuits for beef stew sound marvellous. Care to share the recipe ?

For the flight I would have grabbed two bottles of Duvel ...

The crab or the yellow wine ?

Pretty much, yes. Normally the ears are boiled for some time in water with ginger and scallion until "pliable", then stacked (here only two layers) and rolled up. Finish is a two to three hour braise in master sauce ("lu"), made from soy sauce, sugar, yellow wine and assorted spices (star anise, cassia, various pepper corns, black cardamom, fennel, licorice - pretty much a house mix). Coll, slice, serve. This rendition was sweeter than usual, with a pronounced peppery touch. The dipping sauce was sweetened vinegar (almost like balsamic). I love that stuff ...

I hope you still have a chance... seriously!

'Tis the season ... For hairy crabs, of course. And they coincide with a board meeting I have to attend to in Shanghai, so tonight ... All things Crab ... Look at those little beauties ... Of course with some sides ... Soy-milk soup of crab: Pastries with crab: Tofu with crab roe: Xiaolongbao with ... eehm ... crab: And pig's ear (as per request of the German guy): Plus a couple of other things to complete a Chinese table. All washed down with yellow wine (because crab!): Happy !

Told you I hope you turned 180 degrees and went into the Delirium village ..!

It's a mayonnaise-based sauce with pineapple, mustard, bit of curry and something acidic (lemon, tamarind or vinegar). I believe there is a dash of soy sauce in it, but I could be wrong.

Bit of Japanese food - from the left, clockwise: Buta no kakuni, Calbee crisps, potato salada, cucumber with gome-dare, abura age with shoyu-shoga and yuzu-dare for the center piece: Masu furai (fried cherry salmon trout). All with a nice sake. Happy evening ...

I think the trick for accompanying américain préparé is to leave it uncooked and discard the egg white ...

Aah ... "américain préparé" Without fries ?? Usually the put Worcestershire sauce, bit of mayo or egg yolk, brine from a jar of capers and a bit of tabasco. You should receive all these fixings on the side as well, together with minced raw onion and capers / pickles for mixing yourself. The "salad in a glass" thing was big a couple of years ago, followed by the "soup in a glass". Haven't seen that in a while ...

In the little side street where the main entrance to the Delirium village is found. If you walk from the Groote Markt through the Rue de Bouchers, turn at the end to the left and walk maybe 30 m, there is the pub with all the monastery beers (can't miss it). Turn right, that's the street.

Of course it's small - it's a little boy, so all appendices are to scale ... Have you been to the Jaenneke Pis as well ?

Aldi in Germany sells the same ones ... I wish they'd open a store in Hong Kong!

If you are not set on the shape, but just happy with the taste you can make some at home. Couple of spices needed and depending on your taste ground veal & fatback, either minced or run half-frozen through a food processor ... Can be cooked in screw-top glasses to internal temperature of about 75 oC ...

You need to have Brazil sauce. It's sweet, tart and fruity. And strangely works exceptionally well with fries. You can buy most of the sauces in squeeze bottles in the supermarket (you know the way to Delhaize already). And next time in the friterie, please ask for a Bicky burger - a burger with a deep fried pattie made partially from horse meat and of course with Bicky sauce. Best enjoyed after a couple of Duvel beers in Delirium village

I second that: "Maison Dandoy" is fantastic, not only for their speculoos, but in general for fine cookies. When Inwas living in Waterloo it was on my way to work - go figure who occasionally had to skip dinner There is a store just next to the Groote Markt ...

After a long and tiring hike across Ko Phi Phi to reach the closest ATM (5.5 miles through the jungle and across slippery costal rocks) I was up for some comfort food: Pad Thai, Squid Wun Sen and Yellow Curry Crab. All for about 12 bucks with a soda water ... (sorry for the dark picture - really need a better phone)

I found this one in a small convenience store on Phi Phi island, Thailand. I am looking very much forward to try them tomorrow night

Fig rennet ... that's interesting.

Old Fashioned.