Length: < 1 minI wrote this short story about an obsession. With food and rice. I like it. You might like it as well…

Length: < 1 min“I had dropped out of the improv troupe after the organizers refused to let me skip a rehearsal to go home for Lunar New Year. I pointed out that we had taken breaks for the major Christian and Jewish holidays,… Read More »Food IS a religion; non-denominational, of course.

Length: 3 minsThe simplicity of the approach tends — to eyes brought up, like mine, on the English country-side where seeing acres of water under which are submerged the important green ‘stuff’ is sub-optimal and usually (although increasingly more frequently) seen when… Read More »A synergy of rice, fish and ducks

Length: < 1 minI never really got behind the very Septic idea of brunch, except possibly in timing terms, so slightly late to breakfast today, almost at ‘brunch’-time: sprout bubble ‘n squeak, and sautéed King Edward potatoes, both from last night’s meal and… Read More »Hey, I say, is it time for lunch yet?

Length: 5 minsOne can certainly run out, especially if one was a rather stupid, ancient Emperor of China (or it may have been an Indian or Persian king, who knows?). He, apocryphally, lost his throne, gambling with a (very smart) peasant, because… Read More »Can one ever have too much rice? Well, can you?

Length: 3 minsAs I mentioned in an earlier STP post, the idea that January 1st is THE one and only New Year, everywhere, is a strange (& strangely newly minted) concept. Wikipedia tells me that there are 168 countries that solely use… Read More »Next month’s celebrations: Chinese New Year, 2026

Length: < 1 minOnce upon a time, not that long ago, there was a writer. He cast around for further 2026 inspiration. His muse responded. “Look for something that you can spend the rest of your life researching and creating about” she suggested.… Read More »The genesis of rice

Length: 2 minsI read this footer on another blog (TW Lim’s “Let Them Eat Cake”), from earlier today: This publication is and always will be written by an actual person,* and 99.99% free of clickbait, hot takes, recipes, reviews, and consumerist bullshit.… Read More »Ain’t no LLM here, dear. No fear.

Length: 3 minsOn the front of my left calf, there’s a thin scar that’s very obvious to the touch — and in the right lighting, remains just visible to this day, probably 55 years since it was given me. It was inflicted… Read More »Boar scars live on but the boar is long gone…

Length: < 1 minI can’t recall who pointed me at a range of little books coming out of Eire, but I’m grateful to them for the heads-up. Blasta books produce (in their own words)… Little books, big voicesblasta (blastə) adj From the Irish… Read More »Blasta books big up dumplings

Length: 3 minsAs Val can confirm. Tempted. By food. By books. By more food, more books. And the fall? The expenditure, yes. You get the idea. I just saw a quote from a great looking example of the latter (books) from Dublin… Read More »I’m always tempted & often fall

Length: < 1 minA long shot, I know, but do any of you have these delightful plates, from Bouillon Pigalle in Paris and, most importantly, would be willing to sell them to me?

Length: < 1 minA glut of green tomatoes from plants in the garden and the allotment and aware that — this late in the season — we knew they were unlikely ever to ripen, along with our usual frugality (well, nearly always) and… Read More »Green Eggs and Ham? Nope; Green Tomatoes

Length: < 1 minThis one caught my eye recently; it’s a recipe from “Aftertaste” (at least that’s the only reference I can now find to any book with that title that fits this description). And in the spirit of Grete Grumme’s generosity, for,… Read More »Spicy lard

Length: < 1 minAn unexpected birthday gift from Val, arrived today; this miniature trig pillar. It’s a lovely thing. And is now suitably stamped with the STP chop as well. And remember, “like an iceberg, there is more of a trig pillar below… Read More »Pig marks the spot

Length: 3 minsIt’s difficult at the moment to write anything that doesn’t taste tainted — like battery acid on the tongue — by the state of the world. I don’t think I need to tell you what a shit-show it is (still)… Read More »A calm, oasis in Yunnan. Pigs & pork.

Length: 3 minsThere’s an app called by this name; it’s not about the app, useful though it can be. No, this is about three particular words in the English language of food that go together so very well. In this case Toasted.… Read More »What three words?

Length: 4 minsFor no reason that I can see, the need to post another Australian recipe for a sausage sandwich came to me earlier today. So, here’s one via Ester, a Sydney restaurant described thus: Beloved by off-duty chefs, Ester gets back… Read More »The 800th post: Another sanga says “hi”

Length: 3 minsI’ve written before about bitter melons (a couple of links here and here) about how they are so much part of Chinese (and others) cooking. I wrote about the Chinese concept of “eating bitter” via Lydia Pang, whose mission statement… Read More »There’s no need to be bitter