MY PET GOLDFISH PHOTO JOURNAL

 It has been quite busy on a weekly basis ever since last winter when I brought in three gold fish out of my Lotus Ponds to keep them from freezing to death.  They thrive and gotten pretty big.  It was not intention to keep them indoor, but it became a house pet along with three fan tail gold fish.  And to my surprise, the fantail gold fish have been laying eggs every 2 to 3 weeks!.  The first group had 40 some frys.  But unfortunately after several weeks of trying to grow them, because of my lack of knowledge, one by one, they disappeared.

And I also understand now why the aquarium section's staff always asks how large is the tank for the goldfish that I am buying.  Thus far, knock on woods, these fancy tail goldfish have been quite lively since last spring.  The comet orange goldfish keeps on growing and they need to go back out this late spring to do their job.... eat mosquitos... I think... but maybe not.  The Calico short fancy goldfish is really strange.  I found out that it is blind or it got blind.  It even got so fat in the belly that it lop sided up side down and so forth.  Then, I found out that it is "pregnant" and other fish were chasing it so aggressively that it injured it??  That's when I transferred all the fancy tail to a different tank.  Then, it laid eggs.

This one is the jail.  It was snapping at other fish during feeding so bad.  I gave it a solitary for a few days.

These two are females.

The golden black long fancy tail is the male.  He chases after the female to cause them to drop eggs. 

The clear balls with black dots are the fertiled eggs.  The white balls of fuzzy stuff didn't get fertilized and is growing fungus on them.

About after 3 or 4 days, you see movements in the cells.

They hatched. They are like 1-1/2 mm long

After 3 seeks, it's about 1 cm long.  But they started to die.  I must be giving them the wrong food and starved them to death or I just don't know how to take care of them.  I see fungus growing on them when they die, even when after I carefully change the water.  Each week, less and less of them survived.

Enlarged pic.

After several weeks, this one begin to grow front fins.  But after a few days later, it died, too.  Sad.

Well, I am not trying to raise goldfish, but every 2 to 3 week, I see the Calico goldfish enlarged abdomen, then, the gold black goldfish doing the chase.  I see the eggs attached to the rock.  But they ate them.  That's okay with me.  Let it be.

RESULT of AIR FRYER TESTING

 This is merely my personal opinion after trying three different types of Air Fryer.  I was hoping to get one that would be part of my daily appliance to use.  But after all I decided that Instant Pot 6 qt with air fryer is even an over kill.  If the Sur La Table brand Air Fryer came with the stainless steel or aluminum bottom tray, it would have been a winner.  I had to return it just because it emitted nasty teflon fume during air frying.  I could have easily replaced my counter-top (mini) Oster toaster convection oven or the double door Oster convection - both has not live up to the standard of "convection" baking that it claimed. 

Option of using a rotating basket or non-stick basket.  and the bottom tray is non-stick also.

Too bad, I couldn't eat the French fries regardless because the bottom tray emitted the terrible odor and transferred the smell to the food.

The Instant Pot Air Fryer is bulky.  The inner baskets should have been Teflon on Non-Stick Free.  I just don't use them, and use the Instant Pot for other cooking - Pressure cooker. 

 

The Sweet Potato fries turned out with the nasty non-stick plastic smell also. 

 When I try other methods of Air Frying, I lay the cut French Fries on a sheet pan drizzled with some oil and place them on parchment paper over copper air fryer pan, the results has been very satisfactory than the "Air Fryer" oven.  Even in a gas Oven, baking the French fries over the oiled parchment paper on a baking sheet have been satisfactory.  At this point I kept the Instant Pot for other features - Pressure cooking, even though I dislike it's non-stick coated air fry basket.

2022 BEST SIMPLE BAGUETTE FORMULA PHOTO JOURNAL

There are many baguette formulas that we come across on the web or in YouTube.  Many claims that they had a great success.  I only know that it maybe true for them in their well temped kitchen or with tools they have.  I've had a few good results in making the baguettes, and I am sure when others try the my formula or method, it might ends with a different result.  But that's the fun adventure of it all.   I like the ones that I make my own preferment and the baguette turns out great.  There are times, even a careful followings would not turn out the same.  I only know that this formula and methods of proofing and kneading turn out great.  It will be nice if I can consistently produce it, but that the FUN Adventure in my RockDaVinci kitchen.

The YouTube website I followed is from "How to make Amazing French Baguettes at home" by Ethan Chlebowski.  https://youtu.be/efqe9Umxopc 

Please visit the video for the ingredients and enjoy!

Here is my photo journal of it:  

 

His Stretch and Folds every 30 minutes or so is a technique to mature the dough. 

4 folds per set, 4 sets total; 25 to 30 minutes rest between sets.

The stretching and folding is an important technique to allow open crumb, and it is fun to stretch and fold them.

 

I find it challenging to score each baguette at 45 degree angle without tearing the dough.

The crust is bubbly and light.  I had a great time enjoying the handy work.  Delicious!

Air Fryer Testing - Gourmia - the Canary Killer

 I bought this air fryer at COSTCO for $39.  I thought it's time to give the Air Fryer a try.  I have been satisfied with the countertop electric convection oven frying my French Fries, but with so many advertisement proudly displaying a nice crispy French Fries on the boxes, I thought it must be different and superior.  Well, the Gourmia I bought was nothing but a terrible hazard to health air fryer.

I was so happy to get one, and I tried making French fries and air fry vegetables.   The box has a big message stating that there will be Odors during the heating.  I thought it will be a minor odor just for the 1st few minutes, if longer - maybe 10 minutes the most.  But this appliance emitted Teflon fume in the house that I could not breath, and if I had a Canary in the house, it would surely had killed it.   I had my kitchen window, patio door, three fans and exhaust fans all going to get rid of the toxic fume.  The odor lingered on curtains and each every room for 2 days even with full house air cleaner going and even after spraying with the Lysol.  So, Sadly, I returned it.

Oh dear, the basket is Teflon coated.  Not Stainless Steel. 

Cooked too long.  Can't see without opening it each time.

Test Air Frying cabages.

Test air frying French fries.

Kept on looking for the Air Fryer with Stainless Steel interior, but apparently it is some kind of Teflon conspiracy to sell Teflon till out of stock.  But this Gourmia's Teflon fume was  just horrible.

2022 Summer Cooking (Continued)

 Test making Pumpkin pie.  Not impressed with the taste.

Pan Fried Teriyaki Chicken

 

Found a big KABOCHA.  That's what I thought it is, but it's more like a cross between the regular pumpkin and KABOCHA.

Slice and cut into chunk to freeze.

 

More great Green Onions

So throughout the summer months, I can crop the green onions 3 times.  

Hope everyone else had a great healthy summer eats.