prasantrin

I think the only reason I could find it was because I had participated in it. And my answer still stands--just cheese (a mix of monterey jack and medium or sharp cheddar is best) with some jalapeno peppers, served with a side of cooked salsa. Sour cream is optional. For me, nachos are just a good way to mix two of my favourite things--melted cheese and fried things (must be fried tortilla chips--nothing baked)--so nothing else is necessary.

More options and opinions can be found in this earlier topic.

How about fresh spring rolls (sometimes called salad rolls) for Vietnam? It uses a lot of fresh vegetables, but is easy to eat.

Ummmm...like a chisel....I'm a girl! I don't know what a chisel looks like! (and I just set back the women's movement several years with that comment...) My Kyocera looks to me like a regular US-type knife where the blade is angled on both sides. Is that like a chisel?

Thanks for the recipe! I found this recipe through google--I think Hiroyuki posted a link to it once, too. And I wish I could use the book you mentioned, but I'd have to be able to read Japanese, first! (I can usually read enough to get through most recipes, but sometimes I miss out on very important information!)

From the New York Times article, it seems that the remaining Food Network hosts may have lost as much as they have gained. The "old-timers" may have done so because they have better business advisors than the current crop.

Kind of like the "entertainment" segments on his new show? Or his Christmas special?

My mother is Filipino and my father Thai, so we have been exposed to both Filipino and Thai fish sauces. My dad didn't like using patis at all. It was too salty, and didn't have much flavour. Thai fish sauce added another nuance to food, while Filipino fish sauce just added salt, and a lot of it. His first choice was always Golden Boy, and his second choice was the one with the squid on it. In Winnipeg, however, we didn't have a huge variety to choose from, so it doesn't mean those are the best available.

Something from Sandra Lee or Rachel Ray. Some kind of cheese tortilla soup made with velveeta? (if I'm going to guess, I may as well have fun with it!)

Thanks! The WP article was very useful--why didn't I find it? (And I searched for a loooooong time!) In my research, I found that most recipes calling for essence were from the UK, while most extract ones were US, so I suspected they might be interchangeable. Last night I made some hot chocolate and added exactly three drops of the essence--barely any peppermint flavour at all, so it's definitely not as strong as oil. I guess Japanese don't like peppermint too much, though, because my peppermint essence bottle only has a teeny hole and must be administered in drops rather than spoonfuls. Thanks again, and I'm making caramels tonight!

I thought I had asked this question before, but despite several searches, I have yet to find the answer. I wanted to make peppermint-flavoured sweets. I'm starting with peppermint caramels, then moving onto chocolate peppermint cookies or brownies or similar. Most recipes I've found call for peppermint extract, but I cannot find any--online or in stores--in Japan. However, I can find peppermint essence. If I substitute an essence for an extract, would I just do a 1:1 substitution, or is there a big difference between the two? For example, a cookie recipe I found calls for 3/4 tsp peppermint extract, so I thought I'd just use 3/4 tsp. peppermint essence. The only problem is, my bottle is terribly small (27mL) and fairly expensive given its size (about US$5), so I'm hoping to cut down on the quantity. In my imagination, when I previously asked this question, Wendy DeBord mentioned something about alcohol content or flavour concentration or something like that. I don't know any of the numbers for a standard peppermint extract, but my bottle of peppermint essence says 0.5% flavouring (I think--it's in Japanese) and 55% ethanol. It was the only bottle of peppermint anything (other than creme de menthe) I could find after much searching. And how do oils fit in? I would imagine an oil would be more concentrated, so I would use less of it. Does that sound right? If a recipe called for 1 tsp. of extract, or 1 tsp. of essence, how much oil would I use? If I can ever find any, that is.

I've only made brioche once, and I overbaked it, so it was dry. But I see your point. I wasn't thinking about the use of the microwave affecting the keep-ability, but the quick rise. I took baking classes that relied on somewhat quick rises, and I found the bread I made in class tended to harden more quickly than other bread I've made at home. That didn't just apply to the flour/yeast/salt/water breads we made, but also to the breads that used milk and butter in the dough. Usually, the day after baking, the breads would be a bit harder, but two days after, I wouldn't want to eat them because they were hard beyond my liking (they probably would have made good bread pudding, though). It could have just been the recipes we were using, but the recipes weren't much different from other Japanese bread recipes I've made at home, so I've always attributed it to the quick rises (we usually made the dough, let it rise in a 40C proofing box for 30-40 minutes, shaped, then put it back in the box for another 15-20 minutes).

I'd use long-grain rice, but not Uncle Ben's (isn't Uncle Ben's converted rice?). Thais use jasmine, I think, when they make the potcrusts for khao tang na tang (fried potcrusts with dip--recipe at Chubby Hubby looks good).

It's also very tasty when used as the herb mixture for croutons, or as the flavouring for pita chips! I bought my zaatar (the mix rather than the herb on its own) in the UAE from the bulk bins at Carrefour. I wonder what else is in it...

It looks a bit dry--was it, or does it just look that way because of the lighting? Does the bread keep as well as non-microwave bread? I'm not comparing it to artisinal loaves, but just your average white bread recipe, or even store-bought white bread (of a slightly higher quaility than Wonder Bread). If I weren't too lazy to stand by the microwave (or go back and forth to the microwave), I'd try it.

Most prepared snacks were made with saturated fats (hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils), so I don't think Bugles were any more or less healthful because of the use of coconut oil. And if they used unrefined coconut oil (which I doubt, but it's nice to dream!) then they'd be almost good for you.

I was going to try! I've become addicted to karinto, and the recipe I found seems to be quite easy to make. I was going to try making it before my mother leaves, but I'm not sure I'm up for more deep frying after all the deep frying of my dim sum extravaganza. Thanks for the glaze recipes. I might do a test with my first batch--dip a few when hot, then a few after they've cooled, and see which I like better. Have you ever made karinto? My mother said my Filipino grandmother used to make something similar to karinto called lubid lubid. When my mother was at boarding school, my grandmother would send them to her and at night, my mother and her friends would crawl under her bed and snack on them. If I do make it, I'll post about it!

I found a recipe for karinto which calls for sugar--can I just substitute kurozato for the regular sugar on a 1:1 basis? Also, the recipe doesn't have the glaze. Any suggestions for a kurozato based glaze? And how and when do I glaze them? While they're still hot, or do I wait for the cookies to cool? Then dip and drain?

At a restaurant in Rabat, I was served a little munchie plate of anchovies and Bugles (or the Moroccan version of Bugles). Bugles wrapped in anchovies are quite delicious. I love Bugles, but I can't eat too many because the grease does horrible things to my stomach. And you can't buy a bag of Bugles without eating too many, so I just don't buy them.

rocket=English arugula=Italian

I think first, you have to make the decision about what kind of low-carb diet you're going to follow. Atkins, South Beach, etc. or do-it-yourself. If you haven't already done so (and it sounds like you haven't), get some books on the topic and read up a bit. Even if you don't want to follow a particular diet (like Atkins) strictly, you should at least read about them to understand the basics. Then decide for yourself what should or shouldn't be allowed in your own low-carb diet. FWIW, most low-carb diets I've read have you eliminate all sugars and white starches (also most fruits, etc.) at the beginning, which would mean no sugar, not even a teaspoonful, in your coffee. Then you can slowly add in different foods at different stages (which foods will depend on which plan you're following).

The one I linked to has two slots--one for ceramic knives and one for steel knives, but the one for steel knives is made specifically for Japanese knives, it says. I'm not sure if there's a fail-safe against using too much pressure. It's one of those sharpeners where you just run your knife through--like sharpening for dummies (which admittedly, I am). I remember reading that these types of sharpeners can take too much steel off a blade, but I'm not sure how that applies to ceramic knives. I found a few other diamond sharperners, too, including one made by Kyocera, but only one or two mention that they can be used with ceramic knives. It will probably be cheaper in the end just to send my knives in to be sharpened, since they don't need sharpening very often. I was just curious if sharpeners made for ceramic knives actually do the job well.

Vermints? I think I need some Red Chile Pistachio Bark. I'm going to have to make my own, though, since chile hasn't quite found its way into chocolate in Japan (although I did find some chile infused chocolate-covered almonds once, and they were excellent, but they appear to be off the market ) And when my mother and I finally make it to NM, we're eating at that Rio place!

I found that Kasumi makes a diamond knife sharpener that will sharpen ceramic knives. I can only find sites in the UK that sell it, though I imagine it must be sold in Japan. Has anyone had any experience with using this sharpener on ceramic knives? Is it worth the price?

Do they use real cream, or is it an edible oil product?