prasantrin

Mmmm...care to share the coffee cake recipe? I don't think I can get tvorog in Japan, but I'm sure I can find something to substitute. And I join the chorus of "welcome back, Alinka!" though I'm somewhat belated. I hope all has been well with you and your family in Moscow! My breakfast might belong in the taboo for breakfast topic, but I quite liked it. I've been on a hamburger kick all week, and have been eating them for breakfast, lunch, dinner...sometimes more than once a day! This one was a wee bit overdone (still juicy, but not as juicy as I like them), but it was probably better that way because my bread was a wee bit stale (hamburger buns in Japan are horrible, so I use bread--this one was a few days old).

I remember the first free scoop night I saw. I was on my way to the gym, and there was a HUGE line in front of the B&R, and it hadn't even started, yet. My reading is limited, but is it a free ice cream cone, or do you pay for one scoop and get one free? And it says it's for two hours in the evening, but not which two hours. Do you just go any time and take your chances? I've got a teachers meeting that evening, and those don't usually end till 6 or later, but just in case I can get out early...!

I've seen similar projects, where people try to live off the budget of a welfare recipient, etc. It's an interesting idea, but I have some issues with it. People involved with the short-term projects are generally middle to upper class in the socioeconomic spectrum. That usually means they have had access to things that would make living on a tiny food budget easier--general knowledge about healthful diets, health and cooking classes cooking classes when they were in school, parents who reinforced healthful eating, etc. People who really have to live on food stamps usually come from backgrounds which do not often have access to any of these things. They don't even have the general knowledge of what a healthful diet might contain, nor do they have the cooking skills to make low-cost but healthful food. I actually think $21 is not so difficult to achieve if you break it down the way the governor of Oregon did (he did a cost per serving kind of budget, rather than how much he actually spent buying the item). Ground beef and chicken backs for protein, mixed frozen vegetables (which I hate, but I'd eat), pasta, beans, and rice. If we could adjust the weekly budget for different countries, I'd give it a try. (What would the equivalent weekly food budget be in Japan? I'm assuming it would be more than what it would be in the US, since food generally costs more here.)

I would use full-fat evaporated milk, but if I could get it, I'd use some Nestle/Carnation thick cream--the kind in a can. (Looks like this) You can often find it at Filipino or Mexican/South American grocery stores. (or is that what you meant by "thick, yellow cream"?) That stuff is outrageously good on everything sweet.

I was only there for a couple of weeks, but from what I sampled, I think most of the food, particularly at middle to high-end restaurants, in Dubai is mediocre, even the food at places frequented by "locals" (the Boardwalk was highly recommended by Dubai residents, but the food there wasn't very good, at all). I think the best Dubai has to offer is in the little schwarma stands, hole-in-the-wall Indian places, etc. If you stick to those, you'll have a good meal. That being said, I really liked the food at XVA in the Arts District. The eggplant burger was quite good, and the mint lemonade was the best I had (and I had it a lot while I was there!).

Do you remember where in Kyoto it was? Or the name of the shop? I'm not so far from Kyoto, and I'm curious about what's actually in the cake and why it's so expensive (other than because it's so pretty). The picture I was wondering about was this one. It's now labelled "Tempura" and "Tokyo", and since it's amongst Gonpachi photos, can I assume it was from there? What was tempura was it? I like anything fried, and it kinda looks like it might have cheese in it... One more thing....is this picture of chicken skin, and if it is, where was the restaurant? I LOVE chicken skin!

Just to make sure, it was Y12 000??? That's about US$100. I had a question about one of the pictures, but can't remember the number now. I'll have to go back and find it, but it looked like a little fried ravioli.

I made my very first bagels last night. I used the recipe from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything. They're very, very chewy. Tough chewy. I feel like I'm going to pull out a tooth whenever I try to gnaw off a chunk. They were OK last night, fresh out of the oven, but now, 12-ish hours later, they're not quite as good. From what I've read, I probably boiled them too long (true, as I was trying to make pita bread at the same time so I was often distracted). I think I may also have baked them for too long. Any other hints for making chewy yet edible bagels?

What kind of party is it? Sit down? Buffet? I think I would prefer one layer rather than two because it would be easier to eat, depending on the kind of party it is.

Tonight I was supposed to have leftover spareibs, but instead I made hummus and pita. I was also supposed to cut up some tomatoes and cucumber so I could make a sandwich with my hummus and pita, but I ended up using one of the pita to scrape out all the leftover hummus from the food processor while standing by the sink. For dessert--strawberries and salted caramel pudding. Yum!

Tonight I made pita bread and bagels from the book. I really like the pita bread--I was a bit worried because my dough didn't look like it had risen much, but I went ahead. It's very tasty pita bread. My bagels are a touch overcooked, and I need to work on my bagel shaping technique, but I quite like them. They're far better than what Costco in Japan tries to pass off as bagels (or other Japanese bagel shops, for that matter). I also made some no-knead bread--not from the book, and from Jim Lahey, but Mark Bittman helped bring it to the world's attention.

In payment for your very kind answer of my nosy questions, you can find contact information here for Celec (not that you really wanted to contact them, but just in case!), but they don't have a website. They appear to be based in Gifu! I had another question, but now I can't remember it! I guess you're off the hook this time!

Interesting! I've always read about people using starters, but I've been afraid of trying it. Would you add a little more yeast (I've been using SAF, and I only used 1/8 teaspoon for 215g flour/170g water for half a no-knead recipe) once you've added more water and flour? Would that make my bread something like a sourdough? Sourdough is hard to find in Japan, so I'd be happy if I could make some (even if it's the result of an accident!).

I started making no-knead bread a week ago, but got a bit too busy so I put it in the fridge for a slower second rise. Well, that was a week ago. I'm assuming I shouldn't bake it anymore, but what should I do with it? My options are: 1) Throw it away as is 2) Bake it, then throw it away 3) Bake it, and maybe try to eat it What do you suggest? I'm afraid that if I throw it away as is, it will continue to grow and eventually explode--kind of like what happens with that "friendship" bread or cake or whatever that never really dies.

Wow!!!! Those prices for the okonomiyaki are about twice or more what they would be in Japan!! Were they good?

Cripes! That looks good! Now I'll just have to wait until it shows up on the American's Test Kitchen show/site, so I can make it. Hopefully strawberry season won't be over by then! (I think we're at the tail end of it here in Japan.)

More of a personal question, but I really want to know... Since you are clearly bilingual with native-like proficiency in your second language, are your children also bilingual? How about your wife? Do you ever use English as the means of communication in your family? How did you come to learn English and specialize in translation (do you do interpretation, as well, or solely translation?). Just wondering...but feel free not to answer if it's too personal!

Oh my....that is beautiful!!! Darn! I knew there was a reason I wanted to buy thinly-cut ham! Instead, I bought the ham steaks! Now I must wait to get the other kind so I can make myself a croque madame. I wonder what that would have looked like with the yolk broken.. Ah. I wonder where I got the croque madame=chicken idea from. I think Jacques Pepin makes a chicken croque madame, maybe that's why I thought that. It does look quite delicious with the egg on top. That may be my new favourite sandwich!

You are lucky! I was able to get chicken breast for similar prices up until two years ago (when they were on sale), but no more. ← And in the Kansai area, I don't think I've ever seen chicken breast for that price! We usually pay at least Y78/100g when they're on sale. I hate chicken breast, though, so I buy thigh/leg meat, and at Costco, it's Y78/100g. Haven't seen it for much cheaper than that, though. Hiroyuki, do you know why Kansai prices are more expensive than Kanto prices? Kristin mentioned getting 1.5L of Pepsi at a discount drugstore for something like Y138(??), but in my area, even at the discount stores, it's Y178. What's up with that?

I eat anything, anytime, but I'm Asian. I grew up with the idea of what breakfast foods "should" be (cereal, toast, eggs), and what we ate (stuff with rice). I think most Asian cultures eat a lot of savoury foods for breakfast, but nothing too heavy, at least not traditionally, and always some protein. Western cultures seem to have more of a tradition of lighter fare for breakfast, heavy on the carbs (bread, cereal). I remember Little House on the Prairie episodes when Pa had steak and eggs for breakfast, so "light" fare hasn't always been the tradition in the US, has it? Or was that kind of breakfast restricted to the hardworking folks on farms? I'll eat anything, though--fried, heavy, light. I don't have any food rules, in general, other than "fried food is good" and "mushy things with chunks are too vomit-like to eat."

Do you mean Butter? ← Oops! I think I was channeling docsconz who did the same thing! (I had just finished reading the entire topic when I posted my question.) Now I'm off to do some editing...

Any more information about Butter since the change in chefs? Edited because I'm a dork.

Percyn, oh Percyn, where for art thou.... I came upon this while doing research for a trip this summer, and I need to read about the rest of your trip! (Avenues is on my shortlist for dinner, as are Schwa and Butter).

How sweet of you to wish that on us! You're a darling. I know Abra is perfectly capable of defending herslef, but you need to read her post again. NOWHERE did she wish any of that upon you or anyone else. She merely pointed out that none of us could possibly know what the future has in store for us. Who knows when we or our loved ones will get sick? Do you know you and your dearest will be in perfect health forever? Actually, it means exactly that. People who are sick aren't sick to annoy people, or because they think it's a fun thing to be, or because they want to make the rest of the world revolve around themselves. No, you don't have to enjoy the effects of someone's illness--NO ONE has said that you do. But you don't have to complain about them, either, nor do you have to think of the person as an "annoyance". By doing either of those things, yes, it does indicate that you lack compassion.

Finally, Miss Manners speaks! If the link doesn't work, it's her latest reply in the Washington Post. You might have to register (free) to read. (Not that she's the end-all-be-all, but it applied to this topic, nonetheless.)