Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I specifically went to the French Market to try this when visiting Chicago in August, and it was delicious! I love the experience of standing in line too, the guy working the counter (maybe the owner?) is really nice.

European hot chocolate!

Chinese people love chestnuts! I love getting the pre cooked, pre peeled packaged chestnuts at the asian market. My mom makes a delicious chinese chicken stew with fresh chestnuts- the balance of the savory and sweet is to die for!

did hambone get some lobster too?

You really need to make the oil on a stove top (heat the oil, then put in the chilis), to get the right pungent taste. My grandma (from Sichuan), my mom, and now me, all have bottles of chili oil lying around waiting to be put on everything from noodles, to chicken, to boiled meaty bones, to chinese salads, and even baked potatoes. It lasts forever on the counter, but the oil can start to get rancid after awhile so watch out for that. You can make a really delicious oil (called shou you) by cooking sichuan peppercorns in hot oil before you cook veggies, or you can pour it over noodles to give it that mmm mmm good taste!

where does the pecorino romano come in? I don't see it used in the recipe.

any recommendations for LA?

My grandparents were from Sichuan, and when I was little and living in northeastern China, my grandmother would cook the most amazing Sichuan food. When we moved to America, my mom continued to cook a lot of those dishes. My mom makes the best dry-fried beef and rabbit, and twice cooked pork. Just spent a week in Chengdu this summer and I still have to say, Sichuan food can't be topped!

Will SE have a LA section anytime soon? After moving to LA from NY, i just don't feel as close to SE anymore, which was my favorite site! A hamburger today just doesn't cut it...

Sanuki No Sato, serving up amazing Soba and Udon noodles in Torrance, CA. Lots of pictures of various Japanese celebrities line the walls, a testament to how good it all is!

as a panini with cheese

When I was younger (5-7) and living in China in the same household as my grandparents, I used to help my grandmother with preparing live chickens. We would buy one at the market, she would cut its throat and let the blood drain out under the sink while it ran around for a bit headless( we had a 2 level sink), and i would help her pluck the feathers. It was so much fun. After the chicken was done, she would always let me eat the head because she said it made me smarter.