My new wok!

Our old wok died. We got it as a wedding present, 10 years ago, so I figure that's a decent lifetime for something used several times a week. So I went and got the BMW of woks, thanks to a recent sale: a Danish-made Scanpan. It's big, it's heavy, and it's so non-stick that when I put the vegies in it they almost flew across to the other side of the room!

I'm reasonably happy with my new rice cooker. In particular I'm glad I got the more expensive kind that has the lid that seals tightly. But reading about the BMW of rice cookers -- Zojirushis -- I do wish mine had a brown rice setting because mine doesn't do it as perfectly as I like, i.e. distinct, chewy but non-mushy grains without starchiness on the outside. This batch was better because I followed the instructions in the Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook for extra water and an hour soaking time.

The tofu was braised with mushrooms, soy sauce, mirin, garlic and ginger. My kids prefer it braised to baked -- I like both, but sometimes crave the crispy outside of the baked.