prasantrin

Pictures of the caramels I made a week or so ago. Not pretty, but very tasty! I used a square non-stick pan, but I greased it and the aluminium foil I lined it with. Luckily, there was barely any sticking of the aluminium foil to the caramel--just a wee bit in the corners. You can see dark streaks running through the caramel. I was a bit worried about them, and thought they might become hard. I cut into it, and now you can see the dark bits more clearly. They weren't hard at all, though. Just dark. I didn't have any fleur de sel, so I sprinkled some coarse sea salt on them. Yum! I still have about 15 left. I've been keeping them at room temperature (for my part of Japan, that's about 15C right now) and they're still hard. They got a bit soft for a couple of days when it rained, but they hardened right up again with no ill-effects. I'm addicted! I've only shared about 16 or 20 of the 64 caramels I made...I just can't part with them!

Anything garlic-pepper is not usually spicy hot (a little black peppery hot), things like yum pla dook foo (puffy catfish salad??) which have identifiable peppers which can be avoided...I can't remember anything else right now, and I'm late for work! But have no fear. You can do fairly well even if you can't eat very spicy food.

I'm a purist. I like my nachos with cheese, and maybe some jalapeno, but nothing else actually on the nachos. Pico de gallo is fine, but a nice cooked salsa is even better, and sour cream is optional. Not actually to be placed on the nachos, but as a dip (I spoon them on individual bites).

I should clarify that I don't have a problem with giving money as a gift, but I do have a problem with being told on the invitation that I can only give money. I wouldn't even mind it if someone in the wedding party or a close relative said, "They would prefer money, but whatever you decide to give is fine," or something like that. But on the invitation? That's even tackier than demanding payment for the reception, in my opinion, of course.

I don't know if it would suit your needs, but Egullet's own Pam Reiss has a cookbook called, appropriately, Soup--A Kosher Collection. I hope that link works--I tried to build an eGullet amazon link, but I can't remember if we can still do that.

Come to think about it, the one couple I mentioned who had both sets of parents pay for their own guests was from Winnipeg. I think it should be noted that Winnipeg is also known for couples who try to get others (many of whom won't even be invited to the wedding) to pay for their weddings through selling tickets to that quaint tradition called a "social". From wiki It's also the place where people will actually print "Presentation Only" on the wedding invitations. For those not in the know, that means "We only want money as gifts, so don't give us anything else." Lest anyone dis me for this, I am from Winnipeg and I do like it there. LaurieB, however inappropriate your in-laws may be, just be thankful they are not resorting to "Presentation Only". (Do they do that in other parts of the world?)

You might have looked it up by now, but in case you haven't, a potlach is a big First Nations/Native American (depending on if you're from Canada or the US) feast. Traditionally, there were food and gifts involved, and entertainment. And I think the host family gave away a lot of their things, but I'm a bit hazy on that (it's been a long time since 4th grade social studies). The word "potluck" comes from "potlatch", I think. You can read a little about it on wiki.

You can make choo chee pla with tilapia, but it might be a bit too spicy for some.

I've heard so much about the beauty of Yemen, and I'm quite excited to see it myself. Do you remember where you were, exactly? We're still planning our trip, and we only have 3 full days (and 4 nights) there, and at least one day will be in Sana'a. We're thinking of staying close by (just going to Shihara, Barquish, and Ma'rib), but I'd also love to see Wadi Hadhramat or Al-Hudaydah. It's so hard to fit everything in when we only have a short time. I'd love to see Mokha, too, but I heard it might be rainy in that area around that time. Sounds similar to our dessert trek in Morocco, though we didn't face any guns! It sounds great, though. If you have any other info about it (tour agency, guide's name, etc.) please pm me! I'm always looking for more info! I've read much about Qat, but am not sure i want to try it! But when in Yemen... I will definitely write up my trip when I get back. It's a long way away, but it will be the most exciting trip of my year!

Mmm...Salta sounds good, but the grilled lamb sounds even better! I'll put Ali's on my list, and I hope I can find it. I'll look for the book, too, while I'm home. Or order it from Amazon.co.jp. I suspect food in Yemen is much like food was in Morocco--the only good stuff is at people's homes. We probably won't get to dine in anyone's home, though, so I'll take what I can get! I don't actually drink a lot of alcohol, so I probably won't get that craving. But I'll keep the Korean restaurant in mind just in case we do get tired of eating Yemeni food. I could probalby just eat bread the entire time I'm there and I'd be pretty happy! If you feel like sharing any exciting or must-see places to visit, please feel free to pm me! I'd love to hear about your trip!

I agree with Robyn. I'm a 30-something female, and though I don't wear Manolos or Choos (or heels, for that matter), if it's a special dinner for a special occasion, my man had better get me to the restaurant some way other than a subway. And unless the restaurant is less than a 10-minute walk from the hotel, it's not going to be on foot. I'm not at all pampered, but I do like being pampered. If I deem my 30th birtday to be an important occasion, then it calls for pampering. From the sounds of it, this is supposed to be a special trip and the OP isn't hurting--he can spring for car service, a cab, or car rental. And yes, I do live in a place where subways, trains, etc. are commonplace (urban Japan), so I am very aware of their convenience and even their necessity.

Some eGulleters and I once had foie gras yakitori at a place in Tokyo. It was divine!

Or longer.... My brother was married in 2002, and my mother still makes little comments on how his wife (and her family) handled the wedding (my brother bore almost all the costs himself, but his wife made all the decisions).

I'm not sure, but I think some sylvanas recipes use cake crumbs. It could be a little taste from home!

Somewhat related, here's what Miss Manners has to say about the cost of a wedding. Last year around this time, she also wrote an interesting piece about people who have quicky weddings, then have a formal ceremony and reception later on. I'd repeat my remembrance of what she wrote, but I'm sure some people might get offended.

I've heard of that happening. I think one of my friends did that for her wedding a few years ago. I thought it was....odd. As for the rehearsal dinner, have you and your husband just assumed you would be paying for it, or have you already offered (and had your offer accepted)? Same with the bar tab? If you're going to be responsible for paying for your guests at the reception, I would think it is being assumed each party would pay for each party's own guests for all the food-related events. But you might want to clarify that (and the rest of your financial responsibilities) with the bride and groom-to-be. (Why would relatives be your guests and not the groom's guests? I would think they would be his relatives, too....)

Sigh! These caramels are going to be the death of me! I already have high triglycerides! The foil didn't stick at all! Well, just a teeny bit in one of the corners, but even that came off easily when I picked at it for a bit. I ate one of the pieces that had a dark bit, but it was fine--no crunchiness or hardness in there, and no odd flavour, either. Perfect! I think I just lucked out this time. There was a bit of hard stuff stuck to my pot, but just along the outskirts of the bottom, not in the middle, so I think I managed to avoid scraping it into my pan. Question: It's quite cool right now in japan (it's 15 C in my apartment), and the caramels are keeping their shape so far. Since it's probably going to stay cool (or perhaps get even cooler), would it be OK if I didn't wrap them? They're perfect right now, but I'm wondering if they'll start spreading eventually.

This has been such a beautiful blog--visually and spiritually. Thank you for sharing your Thanksgiving with us (what a spread!), and the rest of your week, too! And if you ever publish Fairy Tea with those beautiful pictures, please please let me know. I'd buy it in a heartbeat!

Holy smackeroonies! I made my very first batch of soft caramel. This stuff is good!! I just finished pouring into the pan (I had to use a metal non-stick pan, as it was all I had. I oiled it for extra protection, but then I also lined it with aluminium foil (also oiled)--was this a mistake?). I'm now licking (chewing?) the extra bits off my spatula and will move onto the pot next. This stuff is GOOD!! (Did I say that already? ) I hope there aren't too many calories in these, because I ain't sharing!! I also got some brown streaks in mine, but they don't appear to be hard bits. We shall see what happens tomorrow when I cut into them. I might not actually cut them up, but I may just eat them from the pan with a fork and knife.

It was a beautiful fall day in the Kansai area yesterday, and also a national holiday! I took it upon myself to visit a chocolatier in Kobe by the name of La Pierre Branche. I had the cake set, complete with chocolat chaud. The inside of my cake thing . It was the perfect treat for a cool autumn day!

That's foytong!! I always knew that the Thai foytong ("Golden Threads", I think is the translation) was Portuguese in origin, but had never seen the original. Can you tell me more about it--name, origin, etc.?

If you do a search on the site (little boxes in the upper right-hand corner), you'll find that the Mukka has been mentioned a few times, including here and here (starting around page 3).

Yup! At least I could a month ago--the last time I bought them. They also had the berry mix, a mango mix, and just blueberries. I have noticed that the frozen fruit section keeps getting smaller, though, so it wouldn't surprise me if they phased out the strawberries eventually. Which flour were you getting? At my costco, they only had some kind of mixed flour for the last few years. I think it was called Flour friend or something like that. Just recently (a few months ago), they started carrying bread flour or cake flour, each in 3 kg boxes. They aren't any cheaper than what you can get in the grocery store on sale, though. They also have sugar, but again, not any cheaper than supermarket prices.

Even at Costco? That's where I get my frozen strawberries (and cranberries, too!). But it's more expensive than Y88 for 500g! Why can't we get prices like that in Kansai?

Thanks Michelle! It all sounds so good...except maybe the tonsils and bull balls (which, if they taste anything like chicken balls, aren't all that tasty), and the fried locusts (which I would actually try if assured they weren't killed with pesticides). I wonder if we'll be able to find the kubana. We're arriving on Monday and leaving on Thursday, so we'll be missing their Sabbath. I'm a little disappointed about that, since I have recently discovered the little markets are often only on Fridays. Oh well.