Lunch! What'd ya have? (2014)

[Shelby]

Huiray,

 

I'm definitely going to try your recipe for the Hatch chiles.  Sounds wonderful.  Were yours super spicy?  The ones that I've eaten so far out of the case that I bought are pretty darn hot.

[huiray]

Huiray,

 

I'm definitely going to try your recipe for the Hatch chiles.  Sounds wonderful.  Were yours super spicy?  The ones that I've eaten so far out of the case that I bought are pretty darn hot.

 

:-)

 

Mine were fairly hot.  Somewhere around (milder) Jalapeño-hot or less, definitely more than Anaheims (at least the ones I've tried).  These definitely retained a kick after the broiling & marinating.

Edited September 10, 2014 by huiray (log)

[huiray]

• Sort-of "hor fun" fresh rice noodles, as a stand-in for "chee cheong fun"; steamed; dressed w/ "tim cheong" (a savory-sweet sauce,^¶ similar to what is found/served in Malaysia & Singapore on CCF).  Further dressed w/ toasted sesame seeds.

• Remainder of the "Yong Tau Foo" from dinner the previous night.

 

^¶ Made from ~7-8 parts hoisin sauce, ~3-4 parts light soy sauce, ~1 part dark soy sauce, a small splash of sesame oil, some water, a decent splash of hon-mirin, juice of half a fresh lime.  Simmered gently and reduced down.

 

[Anna N]

Sichuanese wontons in chilli oil sauce from Dunlop's Every Grain of Rice

Still looking innocent

True nature revealed! Wonder how long before my taste buds regenerate.

[rotuts]

AnnaN:  did you make the wrappers ?

 

that looks soooooooo  good !

[Anna N]

AnnaN:  did you make the wrappers ?

 

that looks soooooooo  good !

Not the wrappers. They were store-bought. As was the chilli oil but only because I couldn't quickly put my hands on my home-made stuff which is way better. I was baking bread, caramelizing onions and juggling a couple of other tasks but also needed some lunch!

[huiray]

Sichuanese wontons in chilli oil sauce from Dunlop's Every Grain of Rice

image.jpg

Still looking innocent

image.jpg

True nature revealed! Wonder how long before my taste buds regenerate.

 

Just wondering - why would you willingly want to burn out your taste buds? 

 

I think of "conversations" I've read before of folks who desire/require Szechuanese food in the extreme chillie-hot manner, declaring that other food like Cantonese food is tasteless to them and useless for their purposes.  They also aver that "delicate" or "subtle" tastes are useless and unappreciated by them and that they need to be hit on the head with "taste" which they generally describe as very strong, hot, pronounced, etc tastes which they expect from "Chinese" food.  

 

Of course, present company is not included in those "discussions" I've read.  :-) 

 

ETA:  Just as I have always wondered about this phenomenon of "Chileheads" in North America, who seek hotter and HOTTER and yet EVEN HOTTER dishes and concoctions to eat - and brag about it.  Why???  What manifestation of machismo drives these people to think that eating such things are a badge of honor, over and above the ability of their tastebuds to distinguish between varied things that they willingly obliterate in their pursuit of their chile-eating prowess?

Edited September 14, 2014 by huiray (log)

[Anna N]

Just wondering - why would you willingly want to burn out your taste buds? 

 

I think of "conversations" I've read before of folks who desire/require Szechuanese food in the extreme chillie-hot manner, declaring that other food like Cantonese food is tasteless to them and useless for their purposes.  They also aver that "delicate" or "subtle" tastes are useless and unappreciated by them and that they need to be hit on the head with "taste" which they generally describe as very strong, hot, pronounced, etc tastes which they expect from "Chinese" food.  

 

Of course, present company is not included in those "discussions" I've read.  :-)

I did not make this dish with the intentions of burning out my taste buds. That is simply not my style. I wanted to make the recipe because it sounded intriguing. Using the store-bought chilli oil instead of my homemade oil pushed the heat level way higher than I like. I should have known better but I was not paying as much attention as required. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

[huiray]

Anna N, I'm glad you are hanging on to your taste buds. :-)  

 

[ Acclimatization to heat levels is a separate topic altogether. ;-)  ]

Edited September 14, 2014 by huiray (log)

[huiray]

Stir-fry:  peanut oil, garlic, beef, cauliflower, zucchini, sea salt. 

White rice.

 

[liuzhou]

It's been an emotional roller-coaster couple of days. I fretted all day Friday whether my country was going to commit suicide or not, but finally I was happy when the "No" result became clear.

 

But in the the back of my mind there was another sadness.

 

Tomorrow my beautiful, best, dearest friend here in my adopted home city will leave to study abroad for a year and I'm going to miss her terribly. There is no romantic connection (although I wouldn't object). She is just good to be with, talk with and especially eat with! And she has helped me a lot in many ways. 

 

So today we had not the last supper, but the last lunch (for a while). Of all the possibilities in China she chose Japanese! So we`hit the nearest conveyor belt, but I also ordered a plate of sashimi.

 

 

 

At 12 o'clock we have raw Scallops, then moving clockwise, Surf Clam (Hokkigai), Herring*, Salmon, Octopus, and Shrimp. In the lower centre is Mackerel and above it Crab Roe served in a half lemon shell. All raw.

We also had small plates of raw tuna sashimi, baby squid in a gingery sauce, red snapper sushi, crab sushi, goose liver sushi and unidentified frying object sushi from the conveyor belt. And pickled ginger as a between item taste cleanser. Oh, and tea.

 

We then said a sad goodbye. Tears were shed.

But I've got a year to plan a welcome back meal! 

*The company website describes this as 'herring', but I'm far from sure. The Chinese (希鲮鱼 ) translates as 'rare dace', but I don't think it's that either. It was good whatever it was.

[huiray]

• Ibumie Penang Lad Mee Perisa Lada Pedas (Hot Pepper Flavour); augmented w/ chopped smashed garlic (Siberian Red), de-ribbed chopped Tuscan kale, sliced de-seeded sweet Italian red pepper, fish balls [Venus], and a couple of farm eggs poached in situ.

 

[Shelby]

It's been an emotional roller-coaster couple of days. I fretted all day Friday whether my country was going to commit suicide or not, but finally I was happy when the "No" result became clear.

 

But in the the back of my mind there was another sadness.

 

Tomorrow my beautiful, best, dearest friend here in my adopted home city will leave to study abroad for a year and I'm going to miss her terribly. There is no romantic connection (although I wouldn't object). She is just good to be with, talk with and especially eat with! And she has helped me a lot in many ways. 

 

So today we had not the last supper, but the last lunch (for a while). Of all the possibilities in China she chose Japanese! So we`hit the nearest conveyor belt, but I also ordered a plate of sashimi.

 

 

 

At 12 o'clock we have raw Scallops, then moving clockwise, Surf Clam (Hokkigai), Herring*, Salmon, Octopus, and Shrimp. In the lower centre is Mackerel and above it Crab Roe served in a half lemon shell. All raw.

We also had small plates of raw tuna sashimi, baby squid in a gingery sauce, red snapper sushi, crab sushi, goose liver sushi and unidentified frying object sushi from the conveyor belt. And pickled ginger as a between item taste cleanser. Oh, and tea.

 

We then said a sad goodbye. Tears were shed.

But I've got a year to plan a welcome back meal! 

*The company website describes this as 'herring', but I'm far from sure. The Chinese (希鲮鱼 ) translates as 'rare dace', but I don't think it's that either. It was good whatever it was.

I literally just wiped the drool from my lips.  That seafood looks so fresh.  And the crab roe. Oh the crab roe.

 

I'm so sorry your friend is leaving....I sense a deep connection, though and maybe she will want something more than friends when she returns. 

[huiray]

"Fresh" pork tonkotsu ramen [sun Noodles]; with Chinese char-siu (no Japanese chasu at hand), chopped Pull Mustard (雪裡紅), sliced "fish tofu" (a form of surimi, fried cubes) [CF Trading], chopped scallions, a couple of hard-boiled eggs (halved).  Note the milky broth (from the broth concentrate included in the package).

 

Edited September 22, 2014 by huiray (log)

[huiray]

• Fedelini w/ meat sauce.^¶

• Sautéed chopped Savoy cabbage. 

 

^¶  EV olive oil, diced yellow onion, chopped smashed garlic, medium heat; finely sliced de-stringed Western celery, grated red carrots, finely sliced Hatch chile; minced pork, stir/gentle sauté; chopped ripe Japanese Trifele tomatoes, break up, medium heat; sea salt, some light soy sauce (sang chau), "aged" rice vinegar, jozo-mirin, simmer; sliced standard mushrooms, simmer; thyme & oregano, seasoning adjusted, simmer till done.

 

 

p.s. The pasta was barely drained.  I don't mind it wet and runny.  I rather like it, actually.  Fork & spoon. ;-) 

 

ETA: Oh, some fresh bay leaves also went into the meat sauce.

Edited September 23, 2014 by huiray (log)

[coderebellion]

"Fresh" pork tonkotsu ramen [sun Noodles]; with Chinese char-siu (no Japanese chasu at hand), chopped Pull Mustard (雪裡紅), sliced "fish tofu" (a form of surimi, fried cubes) [CF Trading], chopped scallions, a couple of hard-boiled eggs (halved).  Note the milky broth (from the broth concentrate included in the package).

 

DSCN2733b_800.jpg

Man... that dish looks so good! I wish there were restaurants in Canada that served that.

[Kerry Beal]

Man... that dish looks so good! I wish there were restaurants in Canada that served that.

Found the Sun Noodles Ramen in the freezer compartment at the grocery store in J-town if you happen to live in the GTA.  You could pick some up and make the same yourself.

 

And welcome coderebellion.

[huiray]

Man... that dish looks so good! I wish there were restaurants in Canada that served that.

 

:-)  Thanks for the kind compliment.

 

Depending on where you are in Canada, I know there are various ramen-ya (ramen stalls/shops) (although "Ramen-Ya" is also the name of a chain of ramen shops in both the US and Canada) in the larger cities at the least - Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver for sure, etc.  I just checked the menus of two of them in Toronto - they have pork tonkotsu ramen.  ;-)

 

Or, as Kerry Beal suggests, make your own building on a package of the Sun noodle stuff - if you can get it.  :-)

Edited September 24, 2014 by huiray (log)

[coderebellion]

Found the Sun Noodles Ramen in the freezer compartment at the grocery store in J-town if you happen to live in the GTA.  You could pick some up and make the same yourself.

 

And welcome coderebellion.

 

Thank you for the warm welcome. I will definitely go and find some ingredients at my local T&T Store and try to recreate that magnificent dish.

 

 

:-)  Thanks for the kind compliment.

 

Depending on where you are in Canada, I know there are various ramen-ya (ramen stalls/shops) (although "Ramen-Ya" is also the name of a chain of ramen shops in both the US and Canada) in the larger cities at the least - Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver for sure, etc.  I just checked the menus of two of them in Toronto - they have pork tonkotsu ramen.  ;-)

 

Or, as Kerry Beal suggests, make your own building on a package of the Sun noodle stuff - if you can get it.  :-)

 

I actually live in Alberta. I'll try and spot some ramen shops in Edmonton and see if I can find something similar to the Pork Tonkatsu Ramen. If I can't, I'll just have to try and recreate that dish myself.

[rotuts]

I used up the last of he biryani rice i made w what was also left of the Chicken Tikka from Maya Kaimal as

 

mentioned

 

in another thread . added fresh red and green onion and some cashews :

 

 

 

 

still delicious .

[huiray]

 

I actually live in Alberta. I'll try and spot some ramen shops in Edmonton and see if I can find something similar to the Pork Tonkatsu Ramen. If I can't, I'll just have to try and recreate that dish myself.

 

Check these places out...they seem to have pork tonkotsu ramen, at least at one time:

http://www.nomiyarestaurant.com/menu.html (see this, from their website)

http://www.urbanspoon.com/cities/131/restaurants/1618359/menu_photos/422488 (I don't see a website for Yuzen itself...)

 

I looked at a few other Japanese restaurants in Edmonton but tonkotsu ramen did not seem to be on their menus - from what I saw - although they had other kinds of ramen.  But nothing like actually going to the restaurants or calling them up to ask.  :-) 

[huiray]

Fresh tagliatelle w/ gorgonzola & walnuts.

 

Butter, lightly crushed walnut pieces, gorgonzola dolce, heavy cream, tagliatelle.  Just for the hell of it I dressed it w/ chopped scallions.  Interesting taste pairing.  :-) 

 

[coderebellion]

Check these places out...they seem to have pork tonkotsu ramen, at least at one time:

http://www.nomiyarestaurant.com/menu.html (see this, from their website)

http://www.urbanspoon.com/cities/131/restaurants/1618359/menu_photos/422488 (I don't see a website for Yuzen itself...)

 

I looked at a few other Japanese restaurants in Edmonton but tonkotsu ramen did not seem to be on their menus - from what I saw - although they had other kinds of ramen.  But nothing like actually going to the restaurants or calling them up to ask.  :-) 

 

Thank you very much!

[huiray]

• Sliced beef stir-fried w/ sliced young just-harvested ginger & scallions.

• White rice.

 

 

 

• Short-cut pork spareribs, garlic, snow fungus and wong nga pak soup.

 

[caroled]

Huiray,

Is young freshly harvested ginger different in flavor to the regular tan skinned type I would get at a regular market?? Is it milder or stronger in flavor and does it have a more tender texture? Do you cook with the green shoots as well?

Edited September 29, 2014 by caroled (log)