Steamboat craze

This is the 6th steamboat dinner in 3 weeks! Assembled in 15 mins or less with the stock (as per "quick and dirty steamboat stock") boiled in rice cooker via timer.

This is Ume sake sparking wine. Mw likes it. I find it tastes ok, but somewhat too sweet for me.

Orange Liqueur - Limoncello Style

I'm making a Orange Liqueur, using a Limoncello recipe (i.e. Orange zest instead of Lemons). I'm hoping to use it in another chocolate cake.

I'm using a canning jar. Put in about 250ml of vodka.

Was supposed to zest without the white pith. Unfortunately I used mandarin oranges with very thin skin.

Finally did it with some large oranges with thicker skins. I still had to run my knife over the remaining pith on the zest though.

Now to wait one week. To be continued.

Slightly more than 1 week later. Boiled a cup of water with 3/4 cup sugar for 15 mins then added to the vodka (strained) after cooling. 

Now to wait another 2 weeks.

Vietnamese beef dish - Bo Tai Chanh

Nice. Will try it some time. I think it is worthwhile to use good beef.

A recipe that seems suitable: Bo Tai Chanh

Quick and dirty steamboat stock

Makes decent tasting stock quickly (such as for a weekday meal).

1.5 to 2 times water to 1 volume of good chicken stock (in this case 500ml of stock).
1 tomato sliced.
small handful of dried mushrooms
1 aromatic such as a stalk of spring onion bruised.
4-5 slices of ginger.
1 small piece of dried cuttlefish or something similar.
A little salt.

Boil the whole lot together at high heat for 20 to 30 mins. Decant through a sieve to remove the solids. Voila steamboat stock.