prasantrin

It is more common than you might think, though perhaps not "common" (although if you read my original post, nowhere did I say it was "common"). I have seen it twice in the last year and a half. And a retired co-worker's dog was abandoned in such a way (and rescued by him). I also spend some time with some Animal Refuge Kansai animals. Nowhere did I say the maltreatment of animals happened "more" often than anywhere else, but culturally, Japanese (Chinese, Korean, Thai, Filipino, etc.) have different ideas about animals and the way they should be treated. Therefore, it's not at all surprising that Japanese people are not making a fuss about foie gras, or whale meat, or shark's fin whatever, or birds nest whatever.

Thanks! I went to their website. Shipping to Japan is probably a bit pricy, but I'll be in the US for a few weeks this summer so I can have some shipped to wherever I'll be. I'll also be in San Francisco during that time, so if you have any ideas about good decaf blends in SF, I'd love to try them, too!

Thanks! I just bought another pack of puff pastry today, so hopefully tomorrow will be quiche-making day! I'm making spinach and feta quiche (with maybe a bit of aspargus thrown in, since i have some).

I wasn't sure if I should ask this here or in the stupid questions thread, but... Would it be such a bad idea to use puff pastry as a quiche crust? It's much too hot and humid in Japan to be making pastry, but puff pastry is readily available in my neighbourhood grocery stores. I'm going to use the filling recipe from the Bouchon book. I was going to poke the crust with a fork a few times (but not all the way through to the bottom), then line with pie weights and par-bake, then fill and bake. Sound OK?

How about some fine quality ingredients? Like good quality extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, a selection of sea salts he might not buy for himself, etc.

Good news about the pistachio paste and cocoa butter! But now that I'll have to wait till the fall, I guess I'll have more time to look for them! I guess it'll just have to be a Christmas project.

I have a handy dandy Mukka, which I love dearly. I don't drink coffee on a regular basis, but I do love the milk coffee I get with my Mukka. Unfortunately, I have found that drinking it a) gives me something similar to heart palpitations and b) keeps me up at night. I've been experimenting, and so far I've found that finishing my coffee by 12 pm still keeps me awake for a few hours past my regular bedtime. So....I thought I'd ask...what say you all about decaffeinated espresso? I know it exists, because I did a search on it. But is it worth drinking? Or shall I just try to suffer through the palpitations and late nights? edited some bad typing...

I was going to ask for the recipe, too! My mother loves nougat, but it's so expensive that I was thinking of trying to make some for her. I checked out your recipe, and have three questions: 1) Is pistachio or almond paste really necessary? It's difficult for me to get even almond paste in Japan, so would there be some kind of substitution available, or could I just leave it out? 2) Cocoa butter is even more difficult to find. Any ideas what to use instead? Or again, can I just leave it out? 3) Rainy season has officially started and it's hot and humid! (and rainy!). Is it better to wait until I have a less hot and humid day (maybe in October...), or would the humidity really be a problem?

If cats and lobsters had the same nervous systems, and felt pain in the same way, then I would go ahead and boil a cat alive. But I somehow doubt they do... I don't particularly care for lobster, so I'm not one of those who would boil either of the two (and I'm sure my cat would appreciate me all the more for not boiling her).

I keep coming back to this topic--I love the pictures! Anyone know if Simpatica has long line-ups at 9am for their Sunday brunch? I only have 1 Sunday in Portland, and I think it involves an extended-family brunch, but I want to eat at Simpatica!! I could do breakfast at 9, then brunch with family later....

So true! But also keep in mind that if you have diarrhea combined with other symptoms, such as fever, Imodium is the last thing you should be taking. It can do you more harm than good.

The lack of debate in Japan regarding cruelty to animals can be seen as a good thing, but it also definitely has its negative points. If you've ever been to Japan and seen an abandoned dog tied to tree by a road in the middle of nowhere (basically left to die from starvation and/or thirst), you'd know what I mean.

Get her to bring you back some Chester's Fried Chicken as a souvenir. That's some seriously good fried chicken! (But don't let the fact that it's available at gas stations scare you... )

Many Vietnamese are ethnic-Chinese, and many retained links (language, customs, etc.) of their ethnicity.

Any more sneak peaks of where you went in Vegas? I might be there for a few days this summer, and would love some great not-in-a-hotel/casino food! Congratulations on your gig. How did you get chosen for the show? Did you pitch it to your insider friends, who then rallied for you? Or did you have to audition? Or was it through your Iron Chefs judging? Like Pam, I'm hoping you make it up to Canada, but not to the big cities. Everyone goes to Toronto and Vancouver. Come to Winnipeg, and Pam and I will show you where to eat!

There is an Israeli restaurant somewhere in Tokyo that was recently reviewed in the Daily Yomiuri ("recently" is relative--is was probably sometime in the last month). It received a very good review. I clipped it out, but will have to search for it, and I will post the information once I have found it.

What's the cotton content of your socks? The higher the cotton content, the greater the friction. I learned that years ago from an aerobics instructor who suggested wearing micro-fiber socks, or socks with lower cotton content (I was having similar problems during aerobics classes). Something like these light hiking socks might be good. If you are wearing cotton socks, make sure you dry them in the dryer, rather than air-dry them. Air-drying makes them even rougher.

The only think I can think of is Rogan Josh, even though it's usually made with mutton, I would think goat would be OK. It would only help use your onions, though, and you would need yoghurt.

Fried cherry pies. McD's (at least in Canada) used to have cherry pies, and I'm quite certain they were made with sour cherries. I miss those pies!

You might already have done this, but if you go to the Bialetti Shop Espresso Makers page, just click on any of the stainless steel machines. At the far right, under the picture, is the "Description", under which you'll find a link for "Available Parts". I kind of like the Mia...I wonder if I need one... Edited to ask: How do you know when you need replacement parts? Obviously when the handle breaks off, you'll definitley need one. But for the gaskets, filters, and baskets, how do you know? Does something go wrong wtih the machine? Or are they parts you should just change periodically? I'm a relatively new Bialetti owner, and have already been worried about the gaskets. (Actually, I bought my first Bialetti in 1996, but I never used it.)

Most Ys (if not all) in the world also offer reduced-cost membership based on income. In my hometown, the cheapest membership was $5/month for very low-income people, but generally it was about $15/month for most reduced-cost memberships. You have to make an appointment, and let them go over your expenses (rent, utility and phone bills) and income, but it's often worth the hassle. It's not something that is advertised, you'd have to ask about it.

For future smoking experiments, you can download the manual from the Brinkmann website.

You use a tortilla press, too? (just to make the round shape, then I use my rolling pin)

Have you ever tried the Bubble Tea at Asia City (Sargent and Young)? Get the fruit-based ones (young coconut is to die for) only, and you can ask for no bubbles if you want. Seriously, if you want a scrumptious frozen drink, you must try one.

I make almost perfectly round chappati. But then, I sort of cheat...