prasantrin

thanks! Now to search for a copy of the book that costs less than $199, and isn't in German! I think I might be able to browse through one in Kyoto, so I'll have the perfect excuse to visit when i get back to Japan.

The closest I got to Agadir was Essaouira, and that wasn't very close, so I don't have any restaurant suggestions for you. I did have a co-worker from that area, and if I remember correctly, it's the best place to get argan oil. In Essaouira you could ask for argan oil instead of olive oil as a bread dip, and it was delicious! The prices for it aren't much different in Agadir as in, say, Rabat, but it's closer to the source, so it might be fresher. And if you can catch a picture of the goats eating the fruit in the trees, it's a wonderful sight! (I'm still kicking myself for not forcing the taxi driver to stop so we could take pictures!)

There's a guy on afa (alt.food.asian) who has been looking for mei gan tsai aka gan cai sun for about a month now. He has looked all over Oakland and Portland, OR, and will be in Vancouver for a bit on business so he's wondering if he can get some there. He says: I would think Richmond would be a good place to find some. Does anyone here know anything about where to get this stuff, so I can pass along the info to him? Even names of grocery stores that might specialize in Shanghai or Hangzhou foods would be of help, so he could at least call them.

Florentines are my absolute favourite bar cookie! Is this recipe from one of his books, and if so, which one?

So when do we get to see pictures of your apartment and your kitchen? I'm curious about ex-pat living conditions in Vietnam. My next teaching stop will probably be the UAE, but Turkey and Vietnam are high on my list, too! (Is public school certification required for teaching in Vietnam, or will an MA in TESOL be good enough?) I'm hoping you'll be blogging again in February--I want to see Tet!

I finally picked up this book yesterday! I'm very excited, but this book is heavy! Since I've been trying to pare down my stuff in Japan (I have just 15 months left there), I'm going to photocopy the recipes I most want to try and leave the book in Canada. I have 20-30 recipes marked, and I'm really looking forward to trying all of them! For any Canadians out there who still don't have it, Chapters has a sale on hard-cover books--30% off.

I'm going home to Winnipeg for Christmas--I'm leaving tomorrow! I actually prefer Christmas in Japan--as I once wrote to someone, you have all of the festivities with none of the sentiment. It's the perfect holiday!

That's what I do, but usually not for such a long period (ha ha) of time. I'll usually only go 2-3 months, and I only do that once or twice a year. I'm not looking forward to that! I'm nearing that peri-menopausal age, and I'm very afraid! Back to the topic at hand, I think the jalapeno sauce that comes with pizza hut pizza might have something to do with my inflamed taste buds, too. I slathered my pizza with it to help quench my cravings. I didn't get the sembei, but boy do I wish I had some potato chips right now. Maybe I'll just eat some croutons...

No sansho? I think sansho is standard for unagi--more so than shichimi togarashi (at least at all the unaju restaurants I've been to). I've always wanted to try Szechuan peppercorns with unagi, since sansho is more difficult to find in Canada (perhaps I should stock up while I'm still in Japan!).

Ever try just taking packs of pills back to back? Ah! so that's why my jaw is so tense and my tastebuds are inflamed! I had Pizza Hut (my pms salt-craving satisfier of choice), and now I'm experiencing all those symptoms, too! If I had any caramels left, I'd be dipping them in salt and munching away. As it is, I'm about to leave for the grocery store to get some of my favourite black bean salty sembei. Mmmmmmm....

Thanks for bringing a bit of Turkey to me. I'm thinking more seriously of visiting. I'll try for February, but it would be February 2009--is that too late for coffee? Or maybe Fall 2008. Decisions, decisions...

It's not necessarily Canadian syrup. And because it's "honey maple" syrup, I doubt there's much maple syrup in there, anyway. I've only seen it used for sweet things like cakes and cookies. I once suggested making a sauce for ham with it, or glazing carrots, and people looked at me as though I were crazy. "Sweeeeeeeeeet mouthful!" I'd try it if it came with better toppings. The top one is crab/shrimp/mayo (with corn, onion, and broccoli), the bottom one is demiglace beef (with demiglace sauce, onion, mushroom, beef, broccoli, and red peppers). I think it would be just as good with a simple pepperoni and pineapple combo (or even better!).

I've always liked eating the pith part of an orange, too. And the inside of the banana peel (is that still called pith?). But I've never admitted to either of them, for fear of being made fun of. Glad to know I'm not the only pith eater out there!

Speaking of cookbooks, are there any English-language Turkish cookbooks that you would recommend? And what would be the best low-season time to visit Turkey? (Best meaning not too expensive, or too rainy. Chilly is OK, but rainy is a downer.) If I ever make it to Turkey, I'd be happy to bring you a suitcase of coffee (a little carry-on suitcase, but a suitcase nonetheless).

Caramels. I've only made them once, but they've ruined me forever. I can never eat a store-bought caramel again (except for premium British-made ones--maybe).

I didn't actually go, but I think it was ordered from the one at Bridgeport Village and it traveled to Beaverton (plus we waited another half hour or so before we could actually eat. My mother did eat at the Bridgeport Village branch once, and she also thought the food was tasteless. It really did seem like Olive Garden with slightly more ambition. The food was pretty popular with the rest of the crowd, though.

The only place I mananged to get to in Portland last summer was Simpatica. I enjoyed it, and would go again. I also ate somewhere in the Pearl District called Daily News or Daily Cafe. It was not very interesting food, but for what it was (sandwiches, salads, soups) it was quite good. I did have take-out from Pastini, and personally did not care for it. It was overcooked and tasteless--all 4 types that we had (something with bolognese, seafood, mac & cheese, and I think an alfredo). And it was, in my opinion, really not so much better than Olive Garden. That being said, it was ordered for a large party, and I do realize that food often suffers when cooked in large quantities and transported some distance. There are so many other intersting places in Portland, though, I wouldn't even bother trying it in house were I to visit Portland again.

I have a similar one that I brought all the way from Canada! I ruined the pot part, though, and haven't been able to use it since. Which online place did you get it from? I was going to get another one when I'm home at Christmas, but if the price is right, maybe I can just the same one you have!

We did that, too! Glad to know we weren't the only heathens out there. (I actually once snuck a host from church, just to see what it was like, and my pain-in-the-ass sister snitched on me, resulting in the worst scolding of my life. I don't think I ever used a haw flake as a host again...And my sister is still a pain in the ass!)

I have a relative large block of butter cheese, purchased in Canada, in my fridge. I'd like to do something with it (other than eat it straight), but I don't even know what it is. I thought it might be similar to Muenster, but it doesn't have that telltale orange rind. Might someone here know what kind of cheese it is, or what would be the best use of it? Sharp? Mild? Good melting cheese? I haven't opened it, yet, as the block is quite large for me to consume in a short period of time. Any helpful hints would be appreciated!

How do you say "WOW"??? ← And how do you say, "Please please please tell us how you did it!" I actually have a slow cooker I can use!! I can't get a bone-in pork shoulder, but I can get pork shoulder (without skin--does that matter?). I want to make this as soon as I get back from my trip!

I'm very excited about this, too! Turkey is in the top three of countries I most want to visit, so this is like a travel planner for me.

As I understand it, there's some debate as to how much a cup of flour weighs. Some people get 4oz/cup, some get 5oz/cup. Sounds like he's getting (or using) 5oz/cup, but you're getting 4 oz/cup. For anyone who hasn't seen the video, it can still be accessed on the NYTimes website if you go to the Multimedia section, which can be found here. From the video, you can also still access the original article and from there, the recipe (without paying the archive fee). You may need to register or logon to their website before you can access it.

I knew you could do it! With all those beautiful chocolates you've been doing, it would have been impossible for you not to have success with caramel, too (especially since if I could it, then you definitely could!). Congratulations on your perfect caramel. You don't even have dark streaks like I did!

Kerry--yes, the salt just makes them all the more addictive! I've been eating them even more quickly than before (I only have 8 left now, compared to the 15 I had left yesterday...). I'm thinking I might need to make another batch for the holidays--this one was supposed to last until January! Alanamoana--gomashio? What an excellent idea! When I made the caramels, I scraped the leftovers out of the pot and smeared them on some sesame snaps (sesame candy) and I thought they were awesome! Gomashio will be on my next shopping list! (Thanks for calling my caramels beautiful, btw. I thought they were kinda funky looking compared to some of the stuff that gets posted here, but they were good!) Trishiad--I've always been afraid of caramel and other candies. Working with boiling sugar is so scary! But seeing Kerry's course made me realize how easy it just might be, and it is! I'm never buying caramels again! These were so much better than the French sel de g..(I can't remember) caramels I bought that were about Y300 for 10 small pieces! And thanks for the tip about the milk solids. I wasn't sure if I should stir a lot or a little, so I erred on the little side. I'll stir more next time (which may be sooner than later!).