hsdfdlskgfdk-deactivated2012030 asked: Thank you! They definitely seem to be getting the hang of it, I've noticed they have been peeing in there, so it's great!

You are welcome- I’ve had pigs for years so anything you are not sure about feel free to ask.

barefootnm:

Kimchi: a creation story.

Kimchi is a Korean spicy pickled cabbage that is super delicious and has awesome health benefits, too. It is packed with vitamins A, B, and C, immune system boosting phytochemicals, and lactobacilli (healthy bacteria) that help with digestion. And it is surprisingly easy to make once you get the hang of it.

I looked through a bunch of kimchi recipes before I decided how I was going to make mine. The basic concept of kimchi is soaking napa cabbage and other assorted vegetables in a brine (salt water), adding some spiciness and spices, and allowing it to ferment a bit. Some recipes suggest using some kind of sweetener (traditionally either sweet rice flour or asian pears, though some recipes suggest apples or white sugar as a substitute), in order to balance out the strong flavor. 

You can basically use this basic concept with any vegetables that you like. The one thing I decided to be very traditionalist about was the chile. As a New Mexican, I know that an enchilada with anything but New Mexico red or green chile is NOT an enchilada, and I can respect that the same is true for Koreans and kimchi. So I bought Korean Dried Red Pepper Powder (also called Gochugaru) at Talin, our local asian market. Make sure you get the course pepper, not the fine powdered kind.

Some of the more traditional recipes suggested using fish sauce, which I did, but many of the more American-adapted recipes left it out. Here is the recipe I ended up with.

SPICY DELICIOUS KIMCHI (MADE EASY)

Ingredients:

• sea salt
• 1 head napa cabbage, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 sm. cucumber, cut into 1 in. matchsticks
• 1 lg. grated carrot
• 1 cup of bean sprouts
• 2 small radishes, sliced
• 4 green onions (white & green parts), cut into 1 in. pieces
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 in. ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 asian pear
• 1 cup korean dried red pepper powder, course (gochugaru - can be found at asian supermarkets)
• 1/4 cup fish sauce

1. Mix a brine of 3-4 cups water and 1/2 cup salt (enough to cover the vegetables).
2. Slice vegetables and soak in brine for 2-4 hours, or overnight.
3. Cut asian pear into chunks and puree in a food processor with 1/2 cup water.
4. Prepare the spices: Chop the ginger, garlic and onion. Add spices and red pepper powder to pears and blend until combined well. Add more red pepper to taste if you like it on the spicier side (I used about 1 1/2 cups).
5. Drain brine off vegetables, reserving liquid. Taste vegetables for saltiness - you want them to taste decidedly salty, but not unpleasantly so. If they are too salty, rinse them. If you cannot taste salt, sprinkle with a couple of teaspoons of salt and mix.
6. Mix the vegetables with the spice paste. It works best to use your hands, but make sure you cover them with gloves or a plastic bag. Stuff kimchi into a clean quart jar and pack it tightly, pressing down until brine rises. If necessary, add a little of the reserved vegetable-soaking brine to submerge the vegetables. Be sure to allow at least 2 inches of space at the top for fermentation, and cover the jar to keep out dust and flies. I did end up with an exploded mason jar the 2nd day (yes! it’s aliiive!!), so I would recommend loosening the lids for the first few days at least while the kimchi does its thing. 
7. Ferment in your kitchen or other warm place. Taste the kimchi every day. After about a week of fermentation, when it tastes ripe, move it to the refrigerator.

ernuo:

Getting tired of steamed/boiled lobster served with melted butter? Ok, I never will be. Nor can anyone on the face of this planet… But I do like to spice things up once in a while in my life, especially with regard to food. So let me share with you this simple Thai Lobster dish that will blow your mind to Southeast Asia and make all your taste buds happy campers. And it’s just as easy to make!

Ingredients

• 2 live Lobsters, around 2 lb each
• 2 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 thumb-size piece of Ginger, julienned 
• 4 cloves of Garlic, thinly sliced
• 4 Scallions, cut into thirds lengthwise
• 4 Lemon Grass stalks, only the bottom half, bruised with the back of a knife
• 2 Tbsp Green Curry Paste
• 1 cup White Wine*
• 1 cup Water
• 1 can Coconut Milk, 14 oz/400 ml
• 1 Tbsp Honey
• 4 Key Limes, halved
• 1 bunch Thai Basil
• Salt n Pepper, to taste

Method

1. Cut lobsters into appropriate pieces. I usually half the claws, spit the animal lengthwise, cut the halves into three pieces, and discard the tips of the heads. Dust the pieces with flour.
2. In a large pot, saute ginger, garlic, scallion, and lemon grass in oil, for about 3 minutes. You should be able to smell all four beautiful aromas. 
3. Add green curry paste; stir around. Add white wine and water. Let simmer until reduced by half. 
4. Add coconut milk and honey. Season, then let simmer for about 10 minutes, until all the flavors are married. Turn up to high heat.
5. Dump in flour-dusted lobster pieces along with key limes and Thai basil. Stir. Cover with lid.
6. Steam on high heat for about 8-10 minutes, depending on the size of the lobster pieces. 
7. Serve IMMEDIATELY.

* Use 2 cups of water instead if you don’t have any white wine on hand. 

someduckfat:

Ah, the glories of bivalves. I thank both the vagaries of natural selection and a putative Creator (I’ll bet both ways - why not?) for clams, pipis, vongole, and the mussel. They are like the carnivore’s pistachio, nestled in their little shells. There are many who are squeamish about eating…

fattributes:

(via Lobster Tails Vermouth Recipe | Lobster Recipes | Seafood Recipes | Savory Sweet Life - Easy Recipes from an Everyday Home Cook)

Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall’s summer dip recipes

Nigel Slater’s chicken, tomato and spring onion recipes.

Nigel Slater’s garlic bread.

Warm butter and garlic. You don’t really need much more.

Not sure why I’m posting a suet pudding based recipe in summer but hey ho, I want steak and kidney pudding and the recipe is from Delia Smith so should be fool proof.