tasty things

• finally found pixian (broad bean) doubanjiang (郫县豆瓣酱) for even better mapo liver & tofu!
• pad grapao and grilled eggplant salad yam makreua yao, “attractively smoky… hot, and equally sour and salty” (David Thomson’s Thai Food is full of such descriptions attempting to capture the unique balance of sweet-hot-salty-sour that characterizes each dish.)
• pizze: bacon+date+besciamella, merguez+spinach+feta, pear+gorgonzola+honey
• kashmiri dum aloo slow-cooked baby potatoes in yogurt-fennel sauce
• kale saag paneer, saffron rice
• rice (either tossed or maybe full on fried rice) with shanghai bok choy, garlic, and dried shrimp