TicTac

If you want to 'splurge' on yourself, make some fresh mayo with some really good (preferably fresh/free run and/or Organic) egg yolks. Nothing beats a nice steamed choke dipped in home made mayo. You can also kick the mayo up a notch and make an aioli - also delicious!

From first glance it seems you are somewhat pigeonholing yourself into a very niche market. Your audience must like hot sauces and unique/funky snacks? What about separating the two and offering either or? Or for those who prefer - both?

Burnt food is indeed unhealthy, *IF* carbon is being created - however, Wok Hei is the searing / slight browning of anything (I suppose?), thus creating a smokey/toasted aroma. Pre-carbon creation, no doubt. Take for example Beef Ho Fun - the noodles especially are to be toasted to create a bit of browning, as are any veg, thus the Wok Hei technique is accomplished. Same concept for the aforementioned cabbage example, browning/blistering the veg not only caramelizes the sugars, but will also create a smokey note - which is the essence of Wok Hei.

Something I have been doing at home for many years and a lot easier than most would think. Just get your pan searing hot (2-3x longer than perhaps you typically would) and only add the oil once heated, I coat the pan and remove the excess (you do not want burning oil, even if using a high smoke temp one like Rice bran oil or grape seed) - then get your veg in there and SEAR it! The browning is what you are looking for. Cabbage for example takes on fantastic nuances when prepared this way. Mushrooms, even more so! The article is a bit much, no blowtorches required - trust me.

You are more in tune with the authenticity of the dishes than I, given you have visited the source. When it comes to Thai and Viet food, my position on Rau Ram (and coriander for that matter) is similar to the Franks Red Hot Sauce lady....I put that sh!t on everything!

Welcome to the club - my excuse tends to fall back on the 3 underage rug-rats running around! I would think that Enoki mushrooms would also work really nice in that dish, as would seared shiitake. Surprised to see none of your (beautiful) Rau Ram make an appearance either!

Thanks @chromedome & @heidih What did you top the cardboard with? That is what I am most puzzled by at the moment...as I do not want to introduce weeds on top of the cardboard!

Back when MicDicks used to cook their fries in animal fat, they reigned supreme - I would always ask for them extra crispy.

Burnt fries!? They look IDEAL! Send them over my way, you can have the limp/flaccid ones! 😛

Curious to hear all you dirt guru's opinions... What I did not plan for nor really deal with this year were the 'weeds' (various grasses, unwanted/inedible weeds, etc) growing in between my fruits/veg. I have been reading about this method of addressing that, but was curious as to the best timing to implement - I have heard various approaches.. Basically the concept is that once you pull the harvest, you till the soil, and then lay down a thick sheet of heavy duty cardboard over the entire plot - water it, and then put mulch (or dirt?) on top of that, and let it sit over the winter and melt into the ground. Basically from that point onward next season you just cut openings where you want to plant and add more mulch (or dirt?). This needs to be done every couple years as eventually the cardboard will decompose and break down into the earth. Curious whether this is the right approach, the time of year to do it - and if anyone has done it before and if so, what medium did you top the cardboard with? Appreciate y'alls help (I am drawing my slang from my EG friends down south!) 😛

Whatever fits! 😛

Seems like a weekly occurrence (no complaints here!) - wild ocean trout sushi/sashimi - broiled hamachi collar / seared ocean trout belly (home made ponzu not pictured) blistered beans and enoki mushrooms from the farmers market alongside sushi rice and lots of tobiko

WOW that is cheap! Even at $6.65 CDN, I have never seen lobsters at that rate. Any idea of the source? Lowest I have seen here is $8.50/lb (CDN) Stock up, par cook them, freeze in some fat - enjoy!

Too funny. I agree, orchids would certainly add an extra wow factor. Especially some of the more exotic 'dangley' varieties. I too had heard good things about Richters. Unfortunately I think they were quite overwhelmed with the order volume due to the pandemic and were foolishly sending out sub-par specimens. After a painful back and forth with multiple CS agents, I finally tracked down someone who was able to help me (and ended up refunding half the order - which was less than ideal as I still had to resource some items, but better than nothing).

You just can't wait to start your living wall garden, eh!? My lemon grass this year was fucked from the get go (excuse my french). The nursery I ordered from (first - and last time, ever) - Richter's - sent me what literally appeared to be a lemon grass stalk purchased at a grocery store, stuck into a tiny pot. Now months later it has 'fanned' out and basically looks to be about 6-7 stalked all growing in a very straight fan type shape. Never seen anything like it. I have always been used to clumps of lemon grass stalks (like 30+ stalks in a large plant 'clump') so I find this beast quite odd. On the flip side, the little shit (literally, a single twig of curry leaf plant) has flourished, as pictured above.

Thank you sir. I did not grow these fine specimens, but rather my local organic farmer (whom I have purchase from for the last 10 years). He knows his shit. Indeed. That is probably the most popular Chinese style to finish steamed fish. Green onions and cilantro placed on steamed fish; heat oil, ginger added, then more green onions, mix of soys, sugar, pepper bit of stock - little oil at the end, heated to blistering temps and poured on. I also like a little bit of lime in there to create a better balance. Not typical.

Fresh steamed sea bass finished Chinese style. Baby bok Choi. Haiga rice not shown (cuz who wants to look at rice!?)

It is a novel idea! I did not infer nor suspect you disproved whatsoever - who in their right mind would!? Perhaps those same ghastly people who only eat the muffin tops!!!

I actually really like @Anna N's method of consuming the pie upside down (the pie, not Anna N!) I have one beef pot pie from Maid's Cottage in the freezer which I might bring out one of these days, so I can play in this sandbox too! Only thing is, it is larger than 1 serving (serves about me and a kid)...but I really want to flip it!

Besides the one at the forefront who got a little burnt! 😠 It was a combination of a little too much rub (perhaps a pinch that had extra sugar) and some especially hot grill real estate (even though I did them on the upper rack!). Having grilled wings a bunch of times now this summer, I might just prefer them to my crispy oven baked wings (which come out very nice, but these seem to be a bit more juicy!)

Really like the idea of sausages simmered in kraut and mustard....doubtful it will make a pie appearance here (gluten free house), but I can see how it might be very good baked with a cornbread crust of sorts....

Somewhat pedestrian following shrimps and scallops - but hey, sometimes the simple things in life bring the most joy! Grilled wings w dry rub Served with dill sauce, fries and veggie sticks. When you can’t go to the bistro pub, you bring the bistro to you!

While I cannot comment on the science behind it, I can tell you that I recall my contractor commenting on how large the ducts and exhaust holes were. I can also tell you that on the highest setting, this thing roars like a jet engine and no smoke is going anywhere but OUTSIDE! The only downside of this setup is that believe it or not, these fans are so strong they are pulling the oil/fat onto the fans themselves and past the industrial grade grates. Kind of scares me, eventually the build-up will be too much, no idea where to begin with cleaning those beasts....

If you have a strong range, do not skimp on the hood! Though I am not sure the brand (the logo is a cool looking 'S') ours has 2 fans (I believe they are either 6" or 8") and it is an absolute BEAST. If you can, find one with more than one fan and as big as you can fit/afford!

Must have been a bad batch or not properly ripened. Usually the Kesar's are so fragrant and delicious. Certainly in my top 10. And yes, you are spoiled from having them at the source...so it might be tougher (only source of mangoes I have been lucky enough to have was in Hawaii - those Hayden mangoes, the size of your head - and at around $6 a piece! were unreal). Their passion fruit at $.25 were a bargooon!