Saturday Stuffs: Gifts from a fellow blogger, we needed a new cleaver, almost impulse buys from Thuan Phat, and recently consumed......

Gifts from a fellow food blogger:

During our lunch at Moby Dick (insert punch line), fellow food blogger Canine Cologne, "CC" to me, generously gave us a goody bag of swag......

I gotta say....this was some really yummy stuff. The Missus really loved the smoked mussels and the tuna!

Thanks as always for your generosity CC, it's always a pleasure seeing you!

We said we needed a new cleaver......

Actually, the Missus mentioned this to my MIL. So when the D's visited, guess what we got? Well, not one...but three cleavers from China! Thanks to MrD Sr.

One daily use, lighter weight...a medium weight, and one that's super heavy and perfect for chopping up bones among other things. We really appreciate the gifts!

The brand is Wang Ma Zi which is one of those "time honored brands". Really good knives, the Missus loves the everyday cleaver, which I got good and sharp.

Someone asked me how I keep my knives sharp....so sharp that PeterL was kind of afraid to use them. A sharp knife cuts cleanly and is safer to use than a dull one that slips around. I have a Smith Abrasives Tri Hone that I really like along with a steel and a whetstone I've had for decades.

Recently seen at Thuan Phat:

The Missus has taken to shopping at Thuan Phat.....well, at least every once in a while. She likes thevariety; the place is much less "pungent" then Vien Dong was, and we do find items that catch our interest once in a while, helping to make the sometimes mundane task of shopping a bit more fun. I recently used up the last of the palm sugar we brought back from Cambodia, so I needed to restock. It had been so long since I last shopped for the stuff that I was surprised to find jars with tablespoon sized disks of palm sugar available. For those that have wrestled with the large blocks/discs of hard as rock palm sugar, this stuff is great. A drop of water and 10-15 seconds in the microwave and it becomes very soft.

There were a couple of items that caught my eye during shopping. Even though I have no use for it, this was almost irresistible.

First, I wondered if it really smelled like durian.....of course I'm not going to be dumb enough to open it in the store! Can you imagine....or worse, what if I spilled it? Gives new meaning to "clean-up in aisle five". Still, if your coffee smells kind of odd next time.....

Recently Consumed:

I saw some nice watercress at the Linda Vista Farmer's Market and thought it had been a while since I made Luang Prabang Salad (Nyam Salat). That's basically why I needed the palm sugar.

Even though I hadn't made it in a while, it turned out well....the Missus got a kick out of the presentation. It's kind of an inside joke with us.

We' ve found that taking sometime to make your meal look a little more....well, pretty enhances the meal...even Sun Brand Cold Noodles......

The lemongrass chicken at Yum Cha Cafe is $3.99 for a half chicken and it's probably the best BBQ item they have. It does tend to dry out, so buy it intact and cut it up at home.

Funny thing is...the Missus is starting to text me photos of Her breakfasts when I'm at work......

 

Comments

[caninecologne]

Glad you enjoyed the stuff from Canada! They do love their ketchup chips there!

I was at Marukai Living recently and saw some palm sugar disks in the "Hawaiian" section. The disks looked a darker brown than the ones pictured in your post though. I

[kat]

cool swag! I agree that the prettier the meal the more appetizing it is :)

[KT]

I got the pandan flavoring from that manufacturer, and it smells accurate. I can't say I'm dying to try the durian though. I love durian; to me it smells creamy like vanilla, but I know others find it absolutely disgusting. I'd rather not find out that it's their version of stinky durian that's been bottled.

[Ed]

Wang Ma Zi - I'll have to remember that brand.

[Dennis]

Hi Kirk, those set of Wang Ma Zi looks pretty legit! I've been thinking of getting a cleaver for a while and was narrowing down to one from Dexter. A light and medium should do for my use. But anyway I enjoyed my bag of goodies from CC too.

[stacy]

is that the lemongrass chicken in the noodle photo? yum. looks like duck and I was thinking maybe you'd finally found hawaii quality roast duck in sd? (im still searching for that!)

[Kirk]

Hi CC - Thanks so much for the goodies, that was so thoughtful of you. You know, I've always bought palm sugar that was a lot darker too....but these were very light. Tasted ok though.

Hi Kat - I tend to think so as well.

LOL KT! You've got a good point.....

Hi Ed - Wang Ma Zi is supposed to be one of the best brands....at least in Northern China everyone knows the brand.

Hi Dennis - The cleavers are great...especially when razor sharp.

Hi Stacy - Yes, that's lemongrass chicken. I've been disappointed in the roast duck 'round these parts. You can try Lien Hoa in Westminster....that duck was good. Thanks for commenting.....

[The Food Detective]

The pandan flavor is divine! I was going to make coconut pandan sticky rice for you guys on our cancelled BBQ.

[Kirk]

Hi TFD - Well we'll have to reschedule!

[Carol]

Hi Kirk! Thanks for the tip on the smaller sized palm sugar. I'll have to pick some up when I go through my current batch.

[Kirk]

Hi Carol - I hadn't bought palm sugar in so long, I don't remember seeing these before.