I've been away from home for just over a week. Nothing interesting to report food-wise other than I had one evening meal with a couple of young Chinese associates at a roadside grilled oyster stand. I asked the woman in charge of the place to serve me some shucked, uncooked oysters. She looked highly suspicious but complied. Unfortunately she ditched all the liquid from them, though!
I had been talking with my companions explaining that raw is my (and many others') preferred way of eating oysters. They didn't believe me. Most Chinese people are hugely nervous of eating anything raw. Rare beef? Forget it. Salad? Rarely.
Anyway, raw oysters arrived and I scoffed the first plate of 10, then ordered another, to the amazement of my companions and the vendor. When the second plate arrived, each of my two companions decided they would risk trying one, on condition that I promised they wouldn't die. I explained that I had no ability to render them immortal and that one day they will pop off, but probably not any time soon.
To my delight, they tried one each; proclaimed them surprisingly OK, but preferred the grilled ones (grilled with a little chilli, garlic and topped with vermicelli). Brave young women.
But this all just a prelude to my saying that I arrived back home this evening about 7:30 and threw together a quick store cupboard dish of linguine with duck meat slivers (from the freezer), rehydrated dried shiitake, green chilli (from my balcony plants), pimiento-stuffed olives (from a bottle), and tomato. Lots of black pepper.
Tomorrow, I'll go shopping and get back into cooking.
