Ginger beef

Tonight's entrée was the "Ginger Beef" recipe from The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Three Ancient Cuisines. I julienned ginger for the first time (surprisingly easy to get those matchsticks; my new sharpening stone is paying off) and decided that the green onions called for in the recipe had better be scallions. They were added later in the recipe, like scallions usually are; most of the stir-fry recipes I have ask you to fry regular onions in the oil when you begin cooking, like garlic and ginger. It wasn't bad, but adding beaten eggs on top of an oyster sauce-chicken stock combination seemed a little odd; the result was like a variant of scrambled eggs. It was pretty gingery, as advertised; I may have gone a little too heavy on the garlic, however. One of those cloves was rather big.

On looking in the fridge, I realized that I have a lot of eggs to use up before the November 11 expiration date; I'd better get cracking (sorry) on some frittatas or something.

Tonight's music to cook by: Unusual Weather by Michael Manring (1986). The first solo album by one of my favorite bass players. I'm finding myself listening to a lot of records (yes, on vinyl) while cooking. 80s music reminds me of a time when my life was very different. Windham Hill instrumental albums are probably safer to listen to than Thomas Dolby; listening to the latter while chopping ingredients leads to the occupational hazard of brandishing one's knife and yelling, "Science!" Windham Hill tends to induce quiet nostalgia instead.