mudbug

zucchini, Did it look like regular okra? Or did it look more like a green bean?

The following recipe is is about as easy as it gets and utilizes the "low and slow" method of cooking in the oven resulting in the most succulent chicken meat I've ever had, and I'm accustomed to velveted chicken which is incredibly tender (I call it melt in your mouth meat). Every time we've made this for guests, it's a fabulous hit and the recipe has to be distributed. The recipe is all over the net as well because of it's popularity. Enjoy!

Pineapple mint is a good one. Good in just plain water. Any mint steeped in plain water constitutes a "tea" in and of itself.

Jason, I was going to post that this morning but wanted to do further research from a botanical standpoint as a gardener... to further provide some answers for the previous questions in the thread. What others may find interesting from the same web page for culinary purposes is the following information (links are included for each spice at the page):

Ah yes, the sun! Natural bleaching...

alanamoana, I've always thought that about artichokes too, good description. That's pretty cool. I love hearing about "grandma's" cooking, especially Chinese grandmas...

It would be difficult by any other method short of not using it at all. How about using different colored cutting boards instead?

jsolomon, I strongly suggest you eat them as soon as possible since you are fortunate enough to have fresh ones. They are highly perishable which is why you don't see them in that form in the groceries. As mentioned above, yes you can purchase them frozen but nothing compares to fresh soybeans in the pod. Also, if I were blessed enough to have some fresh, I'd definitely be eating them in their most simple form which is the method I described above. Use the frozen versions to mix and puree with other foods. Really? I have a hard time believing that. Do you have a Wal-Mart Supercenter near you? They've always had Morton's Kosher Salt in every Wal-Mart Food Center I've ever been to... Let us know what you think of them!!!

OMG! That's fabulous! I assume they're still in the pods...? The most common method of eating fresh soybean is to blanch them. Rinse the pods. Fill a medium/large pot with water about half way, and bring to a boil. Immerse fresh pods in the boiling water for 4-5 minutes. In the meantime, get a large bowl of ice and fill about half way with water. As soon as 4-5 minutes are up, strain the pods and put them in the ice water to stop the cooking and cool them off a bit. Then immediately strain and sprinkle the pods with salt and toss. Then take a pod and suck the beans out so you'll get a bit of the salty juice. Don't eat the pod. These are fabulous with beer... and you can't feel any healthier when all you hear about is how good soy is for you. What could be better than the fresh soybean? They also have extremely high if not the highest amount of protein of any bean. Enjoy!

My pleasure Wena, I forgot to post the link to the photos and comments on the Mooncake Festival you attended. Great pics! I get hungry every time I visit the blog. ;)

This site might help you, lots of reviews and opinions: Digital Scale Opinions I have this one and I love it. I like that it can weigh up to 11 pounds and has the tear feature (a must have for a scale). Also that it weighs grams and ounces in case I want to do some serious baking.

Couldn't resist! From a blog called ::mum-mum::est-eat::in Malaysia about Chinese and Malaysian Food, fantastic pics (be sure to eat first before viewing!

Hi skchai, Convolvulus Mauritanicus appears to have originated in Northwestern Africa. As for edibility... I don't know. It's funny though. I was just talking with a gardener acquaintance about heirloom tomatoes. (Heirloom vegetables are those whose lineage can be traced back 50 years or more and have not been genetically modified or hybridized for mass production purposes which means flavor has not been sacrificed.) And she was saying how she'd planted a couple of heirloom tomato plants but her husband wouldn't have anything to do with eating them because he was afraid of them. And here you are thinking... if the rabbits can eat it, maybe I can too...!

From: Adventures in Thai Cooking & Travel

Here's Alton Brown's recipe: Yellow Cake

These might help.

The Origin of the Moon Cake: Two Legends Watching How Moon Cakes are Made at KeeHua Bakery Bakers Prepare Cantonese-style Mooncakes Mooncake FAQ/Interview with Baker Starbuck's Coffee-flavoured Mooncake The Wok Shop Mooncake Molds Mooncake Recipes (scroll down) Lotus Seed Paste Mooncake By Yan Can Cook, Inc GourmAsia Recipe Mooncake Recipe MOONCAKES AND HUNGRY GHOSTS: FESTIVALS OF CHINA Written by Carol Stepanchuk and Charles Wang, this book provides teachers with an introduction to the many celebrations of the Chinese calendar year, including the Mid-Autumn, the Double Fifth (Dragon Boat), the Hungry Ghost and others. It tells of food, costumes, religious significance, song-and-dance performances, and symbolism. The book also provides an introduction to the traditional Chinese wedding. Illustrated with black and white and color photos. Grades 3-9. (176 pgs.) Available From: China Books & Periodicals 2929 Twenty-Fourth Street San Francisco, CA 94110 Tel. 415-282-2994/Fax 415-282-0994 Price: $14.95 plus shipping * A set of two handcarved mooncake molds, with recipe included, are also available through China Books & Periodicals at the cost of $5.95 a set.

eh? Sounds fabulous, did a search for it and can't find any reference... could you post the recipe please? TIA

stellarWOK, If you check the post again, you'll notice the first was a response for margaret. ;) As for experimentation, I don't see that it would be difficult as velveting is the prep for the rest of the dish. Just prepare everything you need, divide the meat in half, velvet with each method and continue with the rest of the recipe for each. It's the only way you're going to know for sure for yourself.

Can anyone provide a recipe for the moon cake with the winter melon filling?

KatieLoeb, How do you like your crosnes prepared?

bilrus, It's pretty much one cup of well sifted (3-4 times) rice flour to one cup water. You can sift in a teaspoon of salt if you like. Mix well and that's your dough. Of course there are variations but this would be the most basic. Just try it and let us know how it goes.

margaret, Why would you want to do that to tofu? Unless it's the hard tofu, the others already have a velvety surface. stellarWOK, Even in the water method, there should be a bit of oil (one quart water/one tablespoon oil). Just try it both methods at the same time from the same meat and see if you can tell a difference... Some will say certain meats are better with one method versus another.

Titus, Yes, they're available. We may never know the exact variety/cultivar but can get close. There are several mail order garden catalogs which sell shallots and multiplier onions which are closely related. They are usually sold by the pound or half pound so you could plant some and save some to use for cooking. They will keep for six to eight months under good storage conditions (cool and dry). Nichols Garden Nursery Le Jardin du Gourmet Territorial Seed Company The Cook's Garden Richters Vermont Bean Seed Has a spicy Holland Red variety. Kings Seed Red Sun variety.

skchai, My pleasure. I have an avid interest in Asian vegetables and sleuthing from common names to the scientific names so the rest of us can enjoy them too. It's fascinating to find out how different countries prepare the same plant. Good. Get your kids involved in the food prep. They'll be occupied for a few minutes, appreciate the food more, and carry on their knowledge into adulthood. It's terrible to think of "grandma's cooking" as lost forever because the children never learned for whatever reasons. "Maruticum"? Are you sure? Here is a link to the Convolvulus Species. I don't see the Maruticum or anything similar in that or a google search.