Lunch! What'd ya have? (2012–2014)

[liuzhou]

Busy, busy, busy. No time for shopping.So lunch was a simple two duck egg omelette with some rehydrated dried prawns which I brought back from Vietnam a couple of weeks ago, They are the business. I wish I'd bought more. (I'll be going back in a couple of weeks, so I can remedy that.)

There are a whole family of prawns hiding inside.

Edited June 23, 2013 by liuzhou (log)

[rotuts]

Its hot here. 95 out side. but only 45 % humidity

I was thinking cold soup with that sandwich. too hot to move. 83 inside.

so I thought about what i had and made this:

'hand made' paratha from the IndiaMart 1/2 bottom, 1/2 top

Bulgarian Feta

some Mayo

a touch of Penzy's Maharaja curry powder

thick sliced garden tomato ( it was actually ripe!)

thick sliced Ba-Tampte half sour pickle ( very cold )

fresh garden greens

green onions

S&P

Ice Cold Canadian Beer, eh? in a frosty mug = 1/2" 'beer slush' on the top

(not pictured) drank most of that before the pic!

sounds pretty wacky it was delicious

Its What's for Dinner too !

Edited June 25, 2013 by rotuts (log)

[rod rock]

Rotus! OMG what a nice idea for the sandwich and yessss why not with some nice cold beer! Yummylicious!

[rotuts]

you eat it with a knife and fork I forgot to add, as the paratha falls apart if you try to pick it up.

a little class for a hot hot day. the Maharaja makes this special

and if you are a Curry Head, even if you make your own should you get a chance to try the penzey's maharaja its well worth it:

http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeysmaharajah.html

its a 'few' bucks more as it has whole saffron in it. you only use a pinch, from time to time.

[BeeZee]

leftovers from weekend, jicama/romaine/mango salad...added 1/2 an avocado and some sunflower seeds

[huiray]

Some recent meals.

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• Cubes of soft tofu tossed w/ ground chuck/sirloin sautéed w/ sliced ginger, hoisin sauce [Lee Kum Kee], oyster sauce [Lee Kum Kee], laodouban [Youjia] (友加老豆瓣 ; Yale Cantonese: yau5 ga1 lou5 dou6 faan6) (Pixian fermented broad bean paste), fish sauce [Red Boat] and chopped scallions (lots).

• White rice (Thai Hom Mali).

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• Leftover stewed pork belly (a la Babi Chin), now nicely matured in taste, w/ skinny wonton noodles.

• Cauliflower florets & skinny asparagus tossed w/ caramelized sliced shallots & cippolini onions, salted to taste w/ a splash of mirin.

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• Salad of red frisee, green frisee, black plum tomato & sliced raw fat asparagus tossed w/ a vinaigrette of coarse Dijon mustard, sugar, rice vinegar [Marukan], olive oil [unio], ryori-shu [MRT], fresh ground black pepper, mirin [Honteri]. Yum. 2^nd & 3^rd helpings resulted in the big bowl of salad being demolished.

• Cantonese-style steamed pompano. Marinated in the usual manner w/ the usual stuff, steamed, then the fish alone dressed w/ more scallions & ginger w/ a soy sauce mixture using various stuff & hot oil. (Look it up, on this thread and elsewhere, for details)

• Rice. (Basmati)

Demolished fish:

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• Chioggia beets, simply boiled. De-skinned, sliced, dusted w/ black pepper & salt and drizzled w/ 8-year-old balsamic vinegar.

• Farm-fresh romaine lettuce blanched in oiled hot water, drained, dressed w/ ponzu sauce & black & white pepper.

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• Beef short ribs (browned) slow-stewed w/ onions, fresh baby carrots, older carrots, oregano, thyme, sage, miscellaneous other stuff.

Served w/ white rice (Basmati).

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• Asparagus & baby squash in chicken stock.

• Cauliflower & snow peas stir-fried w/ garlic.

• Cantonese-style steamed big-mouth bass.

• White rice (Thai Hom Mali).

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• “Kwun Tong” with chili leaves, beef balls w/ tendon, poached eggs, in a chicken stock. Eaten w/ white rice as a soupy dish.

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Hainanese Chicken Rice.

Round 1: Lunch. Chicken poaching stock w/ chopped scallions & coriander leaves. Chicken liver sauce. Rice w/ chicken fat, chicken stock, garlic, ginger, seasonings. Poached chicken chopped & drizzled w/ light soy sauce.

Round 2: Dinner. Chicken poaching stock w/ asparagus, baby squash & coriander leaves. Chicken, liver sauce, rice as from lunch. Plus fresh maitake mushrooms sautéed w/ a little sliced ginger.

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• Spaghetti w/ liver sauce simmered w/ coriander roots & coriander stems.

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• Chopped Red Russian Kale in gingered chicken poaching stock.

• Black plum tomatoes, a ripe hoophouse tomato & generous chopped fresh Genovese basil stewed w/ a soffrito of carrots, celery & shallots, seasoned to taste. Served w/ Cipriani tagliarelle.

• Sockeye salmon marinated w/ Dijon mustard, olive oil, a little salt, a little sugar, freah black pepper; poached in Sauvignon Blanc w/ fresh thyme leaves. The poaching liquid was reduced w/ a good knob of butter added in to give a dressing sauce.

• Baby zucchini sautéed in olive oil.

• Maitake mushrooms sautéed in veggie oil.

[huiray]

Some meals from the past week or two.

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Lunch

• Chicken & shrimp wontons [Prime Food] in chicken stock w/ skinny wonton noodles & “King Chung” (large variety of scallion, similar to Japanese “Negi”).

• “Kai Lan” stir-fried w/ garlic in veggie oil, quenched w/ a mixture of oyster sauce [LKK], Hokkaido kelp flavor soy sauce [Wei Chuan], drunken chicken marinade [LKK], sesame oil [Dragonfly], lime ponzu sauce [Kikkoman] & ground white pepper.

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Late dinner

• “Tai Yee Ma Kar Lui” (大姨媽嫁女).

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Dinner

• Pickled sour mustard soup (“Harm Choy Tong”) w/ short-cut pork spare ribs, sliced Red Zebra tomatoes, sliced ginger, garlic, sliced firm tofu, some rice vinegar [Marukan], rock sugar, and sea salt.

• White rice (Basmati).

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Lunch

• A riff on borscht. Sliced Chioggia beets, shredded carrots, shredded cabbage, tomato paste, water, salt, bay leaves, olive & veggie oils.

• Roma beans (halved lengthwise) sautéed w/ olive oil, ripe hothouse tomato, sliced shallot. Sea salt.

• Pan-fried T-bone steak w/ salt & pepper; sliced boiled Chioggia beets; Cipriani tagliarelle aglio e olio.

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Late lunch

• Young romaine, green leaf lettuces, and fresh snow peas blanched in oiled hot water; drained, drizzled w/ oyster sauce & dusted w/ white pepper.

• Thai-style steamed fresh (never frozen) barramundi (pla ka pong) fillets skin-on; w/ lime juice, lime slices, chopped Thai chillies, sliced fresh thick-cap shiitake mushrooms (“tung koo”), grated fresh ginger, finely chopped garlic, sesame oil, a bit of light soy sauce & some fish sauce, a bit of sugar, scallions & coriander leaves.

• White rice (Thai Hom Mali).

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Dinner

• A riff on Tom Som Pla Ka Pong. Minced shallots, shrimp paste in soybean oil, crushed & minced coriander roots, freshly ground white pepper, sautéed in peanut oil; then finely chopped coriander stems and julienned & coarsely chopped ginger; then fish sauce, tamarind concentrate, palm sugar; then slices of barramundi (pla ka pong) (skin on), “fried” a bit on each side; then just sufficient water and pieces of scallions (~2 inch lengths) added, brought to a simmer for a few minutes, then served immediately w/ white rice.

Lunch

• Sort-of Tom Som Pla Ka Pong Round 2. The leftover sauce (still quite a bit, with broken-up fish in it as well) was augmented w/ fresh [finely diced shallots, ginger & garlic sautéed in peanut oil w/ shrimp paste in soybean oil & fish sauce & palm sugar & tamarind concentrate & fresh lime juice], simmered for a bit to blend, then fresh thicker slices of de-skinned barramundi (pla ka pong) added plus generous fresh sliced scallions and coriander leaves & stems. Salting adjusted.

• Fresh broccoli florets, baby zucchini & green and yellow baby pattypan squash – stir-fried w/ garlic in peanut oil.

• White rice (Thai Hom Mali).

[Dejah]

I had 18 egg whites in the fridge from making creme brulee for a dinner party. Made an omelet with some of the whites, fresh curry leaves, bacon for hubby's and my brunch, topped it with homemade spicy chili on a toasted "everything" bagel...

[rod rock]

I am feeling deezy after all these fantastic food people... This is crazy!!! Congratulations to all of you!

[Paul Bacino]

Did " Salmon Piccata served on Brown Lentils "

[rotuts]

PB: that looks soooooooo good.

but ..............

'where's the beef?'

[Paul Bacino]

but ..............

'where's the beef?'

" Aging " my dear grasshopper Aging

[heidih]

Salsa was on deck yesterday as I had flavorful gifted homegrown tomatoes, the limes on my tree are at that super juicy almost turning yellow stage, and the hot peppers in the garden are happy in the heat. I managed to graze my way through the day on the salsa, thin crispy tortilla chips, a handful of shrimp, and some pinto beans simmered with a few oregano flower heads and a smoky ancho chile.

While the food processor was out yesterday, and because I wanted to use the rest of the cilantro while it was fragrant and perky, I made a rough "pesto" from: cilantro, green onions, garlic, olive oil, hot pepper, touch of kumquat marmalade, fish sauce, lime juice, and roasted peanuts. Fresh ginger would have been nice, but I was out. Today I chunked some sprouty Yukon gold potatoes and set them, covered, in a hot oven. When they were almost tender I added bite-size pieces of lean pork shoulder (had just a bit in the freezer), leftover shrimp, and the pesto. I set that back in the oven and when tender, shoved it under the broiler for just a minute or two to finish. I should have just elected to use the broiler once the meat and pesto was in- to add that grilled flavor without overcooking the meat. Despite that is was excellent accompanied by the two cucumber salads I made here. I think some mint would be nice scissored in when I have another serving.

[huiray]

Various recent meals.

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Lunch

• Vegetable soup. Fresh baby carrots, celery, shallots, new potatoes, scallions, fresh oregano & thyme; chicken stock.

• Pork stir-fried w/ young hydroponic collard greens [Eden Farms], with Shaohsing wine, luscious soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper.

• White rice (Basmati).

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Lunch

• Chicken & shrimp wontons w/ “Wong Nga Pak” (Napa cabbage) and skinny wonton noodles in a soup made from simmering chicken stock w/ dried thick-cap shiitake mushrooms & stems, some veggie oil, and generous dried wakame.

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Dinner

• Fried rice. Two-day-old basmati (kept at RT); w/ garlic, peanut oil, chopped young kale, green beans, farm eggs, salt.

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Lunch

• Pork belly & vegetable soup.

Sliced pork belly was browned & sautéed w/ lightly crushed whole garlic cloves and vegetable oil, salted lightly, quenched w/ water and the mixture simmered for about 1½ hours or so. Roll-cut scrubbed fresh young carrots and small new red-skin potatoes were then added, followed by halved young new red-skinned onions about ¼ hour later. A mixture of baby zucchini, baby mottled green squash and baby dark green patty pans followed about ¼ hour later, the mix just brought to a simmer again and the heat shut off.

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Lunch

• Sliced “Kitchen Sink” (this one) sausages [Smoking Goose, via Goose the Market] sautéed and slightly browned w/ olive oil; then w/ sliced shallots, broccoli florets, bâtonnet of carrots, fresh oregano (from my deck), dash of powdered sage, sea salt & ground black pepper. Tossed in the pan w/ whole-grain spaghetti cooked in the normal manner.

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Dinner & late supper

• Chicken, celery, carrot & onion broth (see here: http://forums.egullet.org/topic/144211-breakfast-2013/page-8#entry1925162)

• Leftover spaghetti w/ Kitchen Sink sausage & etc.

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Lunch

• Spicy chicken noodles [Nong Shim] w/ sliced fish cake (w/ carrots & peas), “wong nga pak” (Napa cabbage), chopped scallions & a fried egg.

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Lunch

• “Pak Cham Kai” (白切雞) [Asiamart] w/ garlic-ginger sauce [Asiamart] and chilli sauce (Sambal Bangkok + fresh lime juice + rice vinegar + sweet mirin + etc).

• Basmati rice tossed w/ chopped julienned ginger sautéed in chicken fat, chicken stock paste w/ soybean oil, salt, sugar, galangal and then cooked in the usual manner.

• Roma beans stir-fried w/ garlic.

• Taiwan AA-choy in chicken broth.

• “Lou Por Pang” (“Sweetheart cake”; 老婆餅) [Asiamart; made by K.W. (光華) Inc., NYC].

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Nibbles & munchies off-and-on

• Pieces of a “Wheat Branch Loaf” [Brotgarten] w/ and w/out butter.

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Dinner

• Soup. Lotus root, dried red jujubes, dried “tung koo” (冬菇), dried cuttlefish (小墨魚乾) (this one), sea salt, oil, water.

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Lunch

• Lotus root soup (leftovers).

• Baby “Pull Mustard” (雪裡紅) (young plants of this type) stir-fried w/ garlic & a splash of sweet mirin [Honteri].

• Sweet-Spicy-Sour fresh shrimp,^¶ shell-on head-on.^§

• White rice (Basmati).

^¶I used this recipe as a jumping-off point. Modified it quite a bit. Used tomato ketchup [Heinz; “Simply Heinz”], fresh lime juice, rice vinegar, “gula melaka”, light soy sauce [Pearl River Superior], some fish sauce [Red Boat], ryori-shu [MRT] for the “sauce”. Chopped de-seeded semi-ripe “green” long hot chillies instead. Quite a lot more finely chopped fresh ginger. Generous chopped scallions, ditto ground white & black pepper. Some sea salt.

^§Fresh Pacific white shrimp from Bedrock Springs Seafood Farm.

[hongda]

I'm always salivating at the end of your posts huiray.

[jvalentino]

I made a calabrian chili glaze for some grilled wings. The agrodolce and spice was a nice combo with the crispy wings.

[huiray]

Thanks for the nice compliment, hongda.

[IAte]

I'm always salivating at the end of your posts huiray.

the same here!! And I'm vegetarian for more than 3 years)))

[huiray]

@IAte, Aw Shucks.

[huiray]

Some recent meals.

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• Broccoli blanched in oiled hot water, dressed w/ oyster sauce & ground white pepper.

• Fresh radiatore [Nicole-Taylor’s] tossed in the pan with sliced Merguez sausage [smoking Goose, via Goose the Market] (this one) sautéed w/ chopped shallots & sliced Roma beans in olive oil & garlic.

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• Fresh chanterelles sautéed w/ butter, lightly salted, tossed w/ chopped parsley.

• Capellini [Ferrara] cooked in the usual manner, tossed in the pan w/ the chanterelles at the end. Salted to taste.

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• Leftover radiatore-Merguez-etc plus leftover chanterelles-parsley-etc; combined and tossed w/ fresh olive oil.

• “Kai Lan” stir-fried w/ smashed garlic & various sauces.

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• Long, slow-simmered chicken broth (Bell & Evans chicken thighs & legs w/ celery, carrots, parsley, onions, sea salt).

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• A version of “dung1 po1 yuk6” (東坡肉) (Dongpo pork).

Sliced pork belly blanched in boiling/simmering water for ~5 minutes, drained, patted dry, sliced into “chunks”. Sliced ginger & scallions sautéed in veggie oil; “luscious soy sauce” [Kim Lan], light soy sauce [Pearl River Superior], Shaohsing wine [Wei Chuan], “sang chow” [Kim Lan] and “gula melaka” added and the mix allowed to bubble lightly for a minute or two. The blanched pork belly “blocks” were added, arranged skin-side-down as far as possible and water added to cover. Simmered for ~ ½ hr; the pork belly “blocks” turned over and simmering continued for about 3 hrs. Water added as needed.

• Tuscan kale, chopped into strips, stir-fried w/ smashed sliced garlic.

• White rice (Basmati).

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• Leftover dongpo pork w/ white rice.

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• Fresh Pacific White shrimp [Bedrock Springs Seafood Farm; via Goose the Market] steamed w/ ginger, garlic, sea salt, ryori-shu [MRT], mirin [Honteri], vegetable oil; dressed w/ sliced scallions.

• Fresh baby carrot, kale, and fennel bulb soup.

• White rice (Basmati).

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• “Pull Mustard” (雪裡紅) stir-fried w/ garlic in veggie oil.

• Fresh oyster mushrooms (wild foraged, Northern Indiana) sautéed w/ thinly sliced ginger, Shaohsing wine [Wei Chuan], sea salt & veggie oil.

• Ruby Red Trout, de-skinned; briefly poached in wakame stock.^¶

• Trout skin “chips”.

• White rice (Basmati).

^¶Sliced garlic briefly sautéed in veggie oil, quenched w/ water; then dried wakame, sea salt, generous ryori-shu [MRT] plus a splash of rice vinegar and a touch of sweet mirin added and the mix simmered for a while.

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• Leftover poached ruby red trout, with capellini [Racconto] tossed in the pan w/ some of the slightly -simmered-down poaching stock plus a dressing of reserved (simmered) wakame.

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• Cucumber soup.

Fat, somewhat maturing cucumber (but not quite what would be called “old cucumber”, “老黃瓜”), skin-on, de-seeded, sliced into big chunks. “Yook Chook” (玉竹; Yale: yuk6 juk1; Polygonatum odoratum (Mill.) Druce), “Tai Nam Chou” (大南棗) (large sort-of-smoked large Chinese jujubes), pre-soaked “Kau Kei Chee” (wolfberry fruits; 枸杞子), honey jujubes, pork spare ribs, sliced pork, unsmashed garlic cloves, salt, dash of Hokkaido Kelp Flavor Soy Sauce [Wei Chuan], water.

• Spaghetti [Garofalo] with pesto.

Pesto: Basil [from Steffen Quiet Spring Farm], pine nuts, EV olive oil [California Olive Ranch], garlic, sea salt, Pecorino Romano; mortar & pestle.

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• Hairy gourd (“Mou Kwa”; ) skinned & sliced into fat sticks; simmered w/ smashed chopped garlic flash-sautéed in HOT veggie oil w/ softened medium-sized dried de-shelled shrimp (“Har Mai”; ) & scallions cut into 2-3 inch lengths, water, dried shrimp soaking water, a bit of chicken stock, sea salt; then softened bean vermicelli (粉絲) [Long Kow Food Enterprises (Taiwan); “World Treasure” brand; “寶純粉絲”] and the mixture gently stirred in and simmered till done. (2^nd & 3^rd helpings greedily devoured as well. I like this simple dish – “大姨媽嫁女” – with its clean, clear taste: “ching mei tou”; 清味道)

[pastameshugana]

There's a new food truck in town. Actually, it's really the only one besides a few verifiable 'roach coaches' (two friends are county health inspectors), so we took a stab today.

Seemed promising as they are actually from Louisiana and leave regularly to pick up supplies. However, I've never had genuine 'Cajun' food so I'd be a bad judge.

Ordered alligator legs, gumbo (chicken and sausage) and jambalaya. They were already out of crawfish everything.

It was all very nice, well cooked and prepared, but nothing really grabbed me. The alligator was what I wanted to try, and it was pleasantly spiced and tasty, and all the kids loved it all.

For some reason I was expecting it all to be hotter...

[rotuts]

send that Truck my way and I will let you know what think

perhaps they might have SV the alligator

Id love to try it. as I understand it the tail you might look for.

[heidih]

For some reason I was expecting it all to be hotter...

I have not found Cajun food to be particularly "hot spicy" though pepper sauces are always on the table for individual adjustment and add-ins. Here is a snippet from an interview with Chef John Folse giving a a good explanation:

"Cajun food is always seasoned, but not always hot and spicy. Spicy insinuates that the food is highly flavored with peppers such as cayenne, Tabasco, etc. However, highly seasoned, which Cajun cooking certainly is, refers to flavor in our food: onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic, green onions, parsley and even herbs, such as basil, thyme, tarragon and rosemary. "

[huiray]

Various recent meals.

-----------------------

Basil-y Lunch

• Basil, fish balls [Venus] & beef balls [Venus] soup.

Two cloves of fresh new season garlic (from one head of Purple Glazer garlic), deskinned, sliced longitudinally; stirred in veggie oil at moderate/low heat, water and salt added and simmered for a few minutes. Fish balls and beef balls were added and simmering continued for about 10 minutes. Fistfulls of trimmed basil (Genovese) leaves added, the mixture brought back to a simmer for a minute and the heat shut off.

• Tomato, basil & minced pork sauce with “Mei Fun”.

Sliced shallots & smashed chopped garlic were sautéed in EV olive oil till beginning to brown. A mixture of minced pork and sweet Italian-type sausage meat was added and tossed w/ the shallots for a few minutes then chopped ripe Black Plum tomatoes added. Salted, simmered for about ½ hour. Very generous trimmed basil was then added and stirred/folded in and simmering continued for about 5-10 minutes or so. The mei fun (skinny rice sticks) [Tiger brand (Taiwan)] were simply softened in a bowl by pouring boiling water over it and steeping for about 5 minutes.

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Dinner

• Leftover basil, beef balls, fish balls soup w/ soft tofu slices added in.

• Rosemary & olive oil flatbread [The Whole Market].

• Pan-fried pork & cabbage potstickers.

• Tuscan kale, normal curly kale; chiffonaded, sautéed & simmered in water + stock + Shaohsing wine + olive oil + salt.

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Dinner

• Spaghetti Carbonara. With guanciale, pecorino romano, 3 egg yolks, black pepper. Topped w/ a few parsley leaflets.

• Chicken broth (from 6-hour slow-simmered stock) w/ fresh purple-skinned carrots & celery & normal carrots.

• Stir-fried green beans.

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Lunch

• Skinny noodles in wonton soup w/ purple-skinned carrots, poached eggs, parsley & scallions.

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Late dinner

• Cod fillets steamed w/ black bean - garlic sauce [Lee Kum Kee], finely sliced ginger, smashed garlic, rehydrated thick-cap "tung koo" (Chinese shiitakes), veggie oil.

• Chicken broth (slow-simmered stock) w/ celery, carrots, shallots, some of the chicken meat.

• White rice (Basmati).

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Lunch

• Fried rice.

Julienned ginger sautéed in veggie oil, chopped scallions (LOTS), egg whites, 2-day-old Basmati rice, deep-fried shallots, some fish sauce [Red Boat]. Basically in that order.

• Beef & green onion dumplings (“Shui Kow”), blanched “Kai Lan” and smallish fresh thick-cap “Tung Koo” (Chinese shiitake mushrooms) in broth.

The broth was made by sautéeing chopped garlic, quenching w/ chicken stock then simmering bw/ the mushrooms and a small handfull of “Ikan Bilis” (semi-dried anchovies) (heads-on). The mushrooms were transferred to the serving bowl and the broth decanted into the bowl.

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Lunch

• Sautéed yellow & green zucchini and “wong nga pak”.

• Spaghetti [Garofalo] with pesto.^§

^§Basil, garlic (Purple Glazer), pine nuts, Pecorino Romano, sea salt, EV olive oil; food processor.

[pastameshugana]

For some reason I was expecting it all to be hotter...

I have not found Cajun food to be particularly "hot spicy" though pepper sauces are always on the table for individual adjustment and add-ins. Here is a snippet from an interview with Chef John Folse giving a a good explanation:

"Cajun food is always seasoned, but not always hot and spicy. Spicy insinuates that the food is highly flavored with peppers such as cayenne, Tabasco, etc. However, highly seasoned, which Cajun cooking certainly is, refers to flavor in our food: onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic, green onions, parsley and even herbs, such as basil, thyme, tarragon and rosemary. "

Heidi - that is certainly helpful for a cajun-virgin (sounds like a band name). By that description, I'd say my meal above hit all the high points quite well!