Lunch! What'd ya have? (2012–2014)

[Panaderia Canadiense]

A Q-BLAT sandwich (Queso, bacon, lettuce, avocado, tomato). I don't do these often, but that just makes them tastier when I do get around to it....

CBLAT.jpg

(edited because for some reason the attachment entered twice)

Looks great! It reminds me of my life-long favorite--cream cheese, bacon, and tomato. (As I progressed into middle adulthood, goat cheese occasionally took the place of cream cheese.) What kind of bread did you use this time?

Looks like White put Brown at an early disadvantage (the backgammon game, not the bread).

Simple honey whole wheat this go round, which seems to be the perfect foil for the other ingredients. And I won that game, even though I was bumped early on....

[liuzhou]

This fellow is a type of red snapper. Or was. He is known in Chinese as 铁甲红鱼 (tiě jiǎ hóng yú) which means "Armoured Red Snapper' (literally 'armour red fish'. And I found out why he is so named.

Getting those scales off was a major battle. They are huge for the size of the beast and very firmly attached. In the end I had to use dynamite. Only a slight exaggeration. I did have to go and have a lie down!

Having finally got most of them off, I filleted him and made a broth from his head and skeleton, along with some shrimp shells I had in the freezer. Then I made a fishy ramen with Chinese/Vietnamese flavours - garlic, ginger, fish sauce, chilli, the snapper, baby bok choy, coriander/cilantro, spring onion and a splash of lemon - I can't find lime. It was OK. I went back for a second bowl.

I'm still finding scales all over the house. How did they end up in the bedroom at the other end of the house?

[huiray]

Probably some flew into your hair or onto your clothes and you redistributed them all over the house when they fell off gradually? Interesting fish and dish.

[liuzhou]

Probably some flew into your hair or onto your clothes and you redistributed them all over the house when they fell off gradually?

Yes, I know. It was a rhetorical question. Although I did find one in a room which, until today, I haven't been in since Chairman Mao died!

[huiray]

Various meals.

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Lunch

• New York Strip Steak, salt-n-pepper, pan-fried.

• Sautéed button mushrooms.

• Simply boiled Red Thumb & Austrian Crescent fingerling potatoes.

• Garlic-sautéed light green/dark green zucchini rounds & yellow zucchini strips.

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Lunch

• Lotus root & pork spare ribs soup, with various additions.

• Sliced de-boned chicken thighs stir-fried w/ garlic, poblano peppers, black bean - garlic paste, Shaohsing wine, etc.

• White rice (Basmati).

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Late dinner

• Pacific white shrimp sautéed w/ white onions, TOMATO KETCHUP ("Simply Heinz", the one w/ cane sugar in it, not HFCS), loads of chopped scallions, a bit of Gula Melaka, some rice vinegar, some rice wine (ryori-shu [MRT]).

• Fresh chopped kale (de-ribbed) poached in chicken stock.

• White rice (Basmati).

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Lunch

• Remainder of the shrimp & Poblano peppers dish from the previous day (yes, the shrimp became a somewhat "rubbery" when it was reheated) on white rice (Basmati). I had hesitated slightly when cooking the shrimp for dinner the previous day but then thought "what the heck" and dumped the full pound of it into the pan.

• Broccoli florets, Roma beans & white onions sautéed in vegetable oil.

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Lunch

• "Chow Yau Mak Choy". Romaine hearts stir-fried w/ really hot oil, julienned ginger, oyster sauce.

• Pan-fried Blue Marlin steaks, marinated similarly as was described here, for comparison's sake. On balance I think I prefer the swordfish.

• Sauce from deglazing of the pan w/ ryori-shu.

• Pan-toasted salted fresh whole shishito peppers.

• Boiled Austrian Crescent fingerling potatoes. (not pictured)

Edited September 8, 2013 by huiray (log)

[huiray]

Some meals from the past few days.

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• Sliced beef; sautéed w/ chopped smashed garlic, white onion wedges, “Bull-Dog” Worcestershire sauce, Shaohsing wine [Wei Yuan], fish sauce [Red Boat], sliced Roma beans, chopped green & purple Chinese long beans (Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis), sliced button mushrooms, wedges of Japanese Black Trifele tomatoes. Served over fresh spaghettini [Nicole-Taylor's].

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• Leftover top sirloin cap, reheated (and hence cooked a little more & "de-redded”).

• Leftover ginger, scallion, ryori-shu fried rice.

• Collard greens (hydroponic stuff) soup.

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• Stirfried-then-stewed mélange of hot peanut oil plus chicken fat + skin,^§ dried shrimp (“har mai”, pre-softened in warm water), sliced de-boned chicken thigh meat, chilli paste with holy basil leaves [JHL = Jack Hua Co.], trimmed black wood-ear fungus (“muk yee”, dried stuff pre-softened in water), water, aged “gourmet” rice vinegar [Kong Yen Foods] & sweet mirin [Honteri]; then trimmed, de-ribbed, sliced Chinese angled loofah (Luffa acutangula) towards the end and finally mung bean cellophane noodles (pre-softened in water) and cooking continued for a minute or two more till the noodles turned transparent and most of the liquid was absorbed/reduced. Salting adjusted.

^§The fat and skin was removed from one large chicken thigh, chopped up, and added to the hot oil at the beginning.

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• Pork, scallop & shrimp dumplings (“sui kow”) [Wei Chuan] with skinny wonton noodles in chicken stock plus watercress (whole branches, a fistful/whole bunch) wilted in the stock.

(A "tired, cranky, don't-really-feel-like-cooking" meal. :-) )

[Anna N]

Chinese rose wine shrimp soup.

Shredded baby napa cabbage tossed with sliced scallions and topped with canned salmon and sriracha mayo.

[Dejah]

Had some over-ripe heirloom tomatoes, part of a zuchinni, and still a bag of kale in the fridge (they keep SO well!), so for brunch, it was this from the fry pan:

Threw on some Thai basil on the tomatoes...

Lots of different textures and flavours!

[huiray]

Anna_N, could you describe your rose wine shrimp soup a little more, please? (Also identify exactly which "rose wine" you used)

[Anna N]

Anna_N, could you describe your rose wine shrimp soup a little more, please? (Also identify exactly which "rose wine" you used)

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/chinese-rose-wine-shrimp-soup.aspx

I used Er guo tou Chinese famous liquor from the LCBO here in Ontario which research via Mr. Google suggest is the appropriate spirit.

[Anna N]

Salad of shredded napa cabbage, leftover tri tip and grilled red onions dressed with Worcestershire sauce, olive oil and 35% cream.

[huiray]

Anna_N, could you describe your rose wine shrimp soup a little more, please? (Also identify exactly which "rose wine" you used)

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/chinese-rose-wine-shrimp-soup.aspx

I used Er guo tou Chinese famous liquor from the LCBO here in Ontario which research via Mr. Google suggest is the appropriate spirit.

Anna, thanks.

Just a comment - "rose wine" usually is mei kwei lu chiew (as mentioned in the recipe), literally "rose dew wine/spirit" or "玫瑰露酒" (Yale Cantonese: mui4 gwai3 lou6 jau2) whereas er guo tou (pinyin) ("二鍋頭") is a double-distilled sorghum-based wine/spirit (literally "head of the second pot") Regardless, your dish looks delicious! I've never made this, I should try it.

[Anna N]

Anna_N, could you describe your rose wine shrimp soup a little more, please? (Also identify exactly which "rose wine" you used)

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/chinese-rose-wine-shrimp-soup.aspx

I used Er guo tou Chinese famous liquor from the LCBO here in Ontario which research via Mr. Google suggest is the appropriate spirit.

Anna, thanks.

Just a comment - "rose wine" usually is mei kwei lu chiew (as mentioned in the recipe), literally "rose dew wine/spirit" or "玫瑰露酒" (Yale Cantonese: mui4 gwai3 lou6 jau2) whereas er guo tou (pinyin) ("二鍋頭") is a double-distilled sorghum-based wine/spirit (literally "head of the second pot") Regardless, your dish looks delicious! I've never made this, I should try it.

Thanks very much. I find Asian ingredients often hard to pin down. Somewhere in my googling I concluded that I had the correct spirit. Apparently not. What is your opinion of the suggestion of Hendrick's gin as an appropriate substitute? (The soup was quite delicious but I confess to using "Cheater's Asian Broth" as the base!

[liuzhou]

Certainly 二锅头 (èr guō tóu) and 玫瑰露酒 (méi guī lù jiǔ) are two different beasts. Are you able to source culinary grade dried rose petals? Chinese tea shops or traditional Chinese medicine shops often have them, I think. Well, they do here in China. I'm not sure about the situation where you are. If you can, then steep them in the èr guō tóu for a while.

I'm sceptical about the gin alternative. but I"ve never tried it.

Edited September 15, 2013 by liuzhou (log)

[huiray]

Anna, I think using "Cheater's Asian Broth" is fine. :-)

As for using Hendrick's gin as a substitute - just as in what Liuzhou said, I've never tried it; in any cooking let alone this dish. Besides, as a gin by itself, I HATE HENDRICK'S GIN. Just my personal taste. Hmm, did I mention I hate Hendrick's gin? ;-)

[Anna N]

Certainly 二锅头 (èr guō tóu) and 玫瑰露酒 (méi guī lù jiǔ) are two different beasts. Are you able to source culinary grade dried rose petals? Chinese tea shops or traditional Chinese medicine shops often have them, I think. Well, they do here in China. I'm not sure about the situation where you are. If you can, then steep them in the èr guō tóu for a while.

I'm sceptical about the gin alternative. but I"ve never tried it.

Thanks. I have been offered some food grade rose petals so I might just give this a try. When you say "for a while" do you mean hours, days, weeks? I suspect you mean a relatively short time. I can't imagine that rose petals keep giving.

[Anna N]

Thai-inspired carrot soup and mini ciabatta buns topped with a Spanish blue cheese (Confusion Cuisine).

[jvalentino]

Kale and chickpeas w grilled bread.

[huiray]

Some recent meals.

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• Fresh de-skinned walleye fillets - steamed w/ julienned fresh young ginger, trimmed sliced scallions, baby button mushrooms, Shaohsing wine [Wei Chuan], fresh-squeezed lime juice, bit of sweet mirin, bit of vegetable oil & sesame oil, a couple grinds of black pepper.

• Parboiled trimmed “Kai Lan”, tossed in the pan w/ chopped smashed garlic sautéed in vegetable oil then quenched w/ a mixture of oyster sauce [LKK], rice wine [MRT ryori-shu], Hokkaido Kelp Flavor Soy Sauce [WeiChuan], some water, dash of fish sauce [Red Boat], ground black & white pepper.

• White rice (Basmati).

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• Fried rice. Done w/ chopped garlic, lap cheong (Chinese sausages - pork, wine-flavored; & liver; pre-steamed then cut into rounds), chopped Chinese celery, 2-day old Basmati rice. NB: No soy sauce was used, the color comes from the lap cheong being fried.

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• Beef shin stewed w/ bamboo shoots, fresh tung koo & fresh muk yee.^¶

• Cauliflower florets stir-fried w/ garlic and a dash of “luscious soy sauce” [Kim Lan].

• Young Tuscan kale (hydroponic stuff) soup.

• White rice (Basmati).

^¶ Whole beef shins cut into rounds were browned in vegetable oil then tossed in the pot w/ fermented bean curd w/ chilli [Chan Moon Kee, Hong Kong; 陳滿記辣椒腐乳] (this one), smashing & mushing up the blocks of bean curd with the beef and “browning” the tofu mush slightly; water & three whole heads of fresh garlic (Music; trimmed but entire heads) added, the whole brought to a boil, heat reduced and simmered for about ½ hour. Spring bamboo shoots [Yes! Produce] were blanched in boiling water, drained and halved then added to the beef shins together w/ smashed whole cloves of garlic (½ a head) sautéed/lightly browned in peanut oil (everything added in) and simmering continued. Some “aged gourmet rice vinegar” [Kong Yen Food, Inc.] and some rock sugar were also added. Trimmed, halved fresh tung koo (Chinese thick-cap shiitake-type mushrooms) & trimmed fresh muk yee (wood-ear fungus) then went in, plus a small handful of whole white peppercorns. Seasoning was adjusted and simmering continued till it was judged done. Total time around 2 hours.

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• Fried rice – with garlic, cubed char-siu (Cantonese BBQ pork), chopped (Western-type) celery leaves (leafy thin-ish stalks, not the “usual” supermarket-type fat heads), scallions cut into 2 inch lengths, day-old Basmati rice, petite frozen peas, chopped simple egg omelette, a bit of salt. (No soy sauce)

Eaten w/ Lingham’s Hot Sauce.

[rod rock]

Huiray, that fried rice looks wonderful and delicious. yumm

[liuzhou]

Thanks. I have been offered some food grade rose petals so I might just give this a try. When you say "for a while" do you mean hours, days, weeks? I suspect you mean a relatively short time. I can't imagine that rose petals keep giving.

I've never actually tried myself, but agree they are unlikely to keep giving. I'd try a few hours or maybe overnight and see how it goes.

[Shel_B]

Wednesday I received a few pounds of GREAT tomatoes, and for lunch today I whipped up a nice, quick, fresh tomato sauce and dumped some al dente spaghetti into it. My, oh my ... simple, quick (about 20 minutes) and delicious.

[Wapi]

I had some endives left in the fridge so made myself a quick endive soup.

[Anna N]

A refreshing BLT salad. All the taste, none of the carbs.

[Shel_B]

A refreshing BLT salad. All the taste, none of the carbs.

Did you add, perhaps, a light coating of mayo? Couldn't tell from the pic.