prasantrin

This may have already been asked, but my search turned up nothing. Can mapodofu be frozen? Even just half a recipe will make much too much for me, so I was thinking of freezing leftovers in lunch-sized portions. But if that won't work, I'll have to quarter the recipe.

In my experience, it's a mild Edam.

Yes, it's very toxic. In Bohol last year, 27+ children died from improperly prepared cassava. The woman who sold the sweets is still under house arrest (more as a protection than as a punishment, so our driver told us). One can sometimes find frozen cassava in Chinese or Filipino grocery stores. I think it has already been cooked/treated to remove the toxins.

I just flew back to Japan from the Philippines on Thai Airways and had what was one of the best airline dishes I have ever had. Actually, I would say it was one of the best versions of that particular dish I've ever had. It was Thai--they called it Pork Stir Fry but it was only pork, and I think it was what I know as Garlic Pepper Pork. Not the dry kind, but the kind with a sauce. Seriously, it was even better than the one my dad used to make (he was born and raised in Thailand, and learned to cook at the heels of his royal-cuisine-educated mother while she directed the maids in the kitchen). The rest of the meal was good, too--the bread especially was nice--soft and warm nori bread, I think, and the dessert was flan--much tastier than most airline dinner desserts. The only negatives were the noodle salad (overcooked, tasteless noodles) and the rice (crappy quality rice).

I returned to Japan on the 3rd. I actually spent very little quality time in Bacolod--three full days plus a few partial days/nights here and there. We went to Bohol and Cebu, and those commutes took more than a bit of time (Cebu wasn't bad, Bohol was a pita, but the scenery made up for it!). I think Filipino regulations are either less strict or they just don't care. It is the Philippines, after all--easy-going to a fault! Where did you go in Bacolod? We mostly ate at home, but I had some of the best cakes I've ever had at Calea. Mmmmm.... Will post a report soon--I have to organize my pictures--more than 600!!

I was just about to post that one! Great minds think alike, fools seldom...nevermind, that part doesn't apply to us, of course! ExtraMSG--if you do a search on Sumeet on eGullet, you'll find many mentions of it. The few I read from people who own one give positive reviews. ymmv, of course.

What about the Sumeet Grinders? http://www.sumeet.net/

To answer my own question, it seems you can bring almost any kind of food into the Philippines! I declared everything I had--cooked ham, cream cheese, lemons, etc. and I got through without any problems at all! I think raw meat is iffy, depending on where it's from and what kind of meat it is (I know people who bring frozen beef steaks from the US), but pretty much everything else is A-OK. That's the Philippines for you!

I just polished of three French cruller doughnuts. They're so light and airy, I feel like three barely even counts as one regular doughnut, but I could polish off a whole box--or two. My other vice is potato chips. Especially Old Dutch BBQ. I could eat several large bags in one sitting, and still not tire of them. Not that I've tried, of course!

Could you expand a bit more on that? Are there certain traits that would mark a place as a "French-style" shop vs. say, a British-style shop? In design and atmosphere, I mean. The Mariage Freres tea shops in Japan are all very posh, yet not. I love the atmosphere, and the waiters (though I used to love the waiters more when they wore linen suits as opposed to the current cotton/cotton-blend suits they currently wear ). In the past, the waitstaff were all male at the Japanese shops--is that a French tradition? (Currently, though, you'll sometimes see a female manager help out with service.) They also use white cloth tablecloths and napkins, and the straws for iced teas are made of paper, not plastic. They use heavy flatware and very simply designed, classic-looking tableware. But for all the formality of appearance, I find it to be a very casual place. As Ms. Pilgrim mentioned, they are so very helpful and solicitous there. And they have no problem with letting you sit about with your single pot of tea, even if the line is getting longer out the door. I do love their flavoured teas, especially Bolero. I'm making my way down the list of flavoured teas. I've noticed they only offer you milk if they feel milk is suited to that particular tea (they even note which teas go well with milk in their books). I rarely use milk with my tea, so it's not a problem for me. What traits mark "French style" tea? Is it that they are usually served without milk? Does "confidential tea shop" mean one of those shops that only a few people knew about and appreciated?

I can't say that all Canadian women like garlic, but I think many probably do, especially young-ish Canadian women. Love of garlic depends largely on ethnicity and food experiences, I think. My father was Thai, my mother Filipino, so I grew up eating foods with a lot of garlic. Fried garlic is a particular favourite of mine, especially in certain noodle soups. I do have friends whose parents don't care for garlic so much (they're of ethnicities which don't use a lot of garlic in their food), but because my friends grew up with more diverse food offerings, they quite like it. Interestingly, though I do love garlic, I've never had the garlic fried rice at Lapin (the teppanyaki place in the pictures above). If one orders steamed rice, it comes at roughly the same time as the meat dishes. But the fried rice isn't prepared till one has almost finished the meal. There's no way I'd be able to wait that long for rice (I need it with my meat!), and I'd be too full to eat it by then. One day, I really must try it, though. It looks and smells delicious!

If you're wondering where the meat went, here it is! I can't remember what cut of beef he used for this. Inside the roll are sprouts and fried garlic. One can never have too much fried garlic! Here we have some vegetables (nagaimo, carrot, broccoli), sirloin on the right and fillet on the left (I think), and of course, more fried garlic. Also included are bean sprouts, but I forgot to wait until they were on my plate. The sirloin was great--it tasted as beef should taste, but the fillet was wonderfully tender. If you get rice with your meal (you have a choice of bread, steamed rice, or garlic fried rice) you also get some miso soup and housemade pickles. I don't like tsukemono, but these are quite good--very lightly salted and vinegered. A not-very-good-picture of dessert--champagne jelly. It's a great way to end the meal--very light and refreshing. And the chef--there are two who work but this one is the owner/head chef. You know because he wears a red hat, which is also where he flips in scrapings from the grill. He's a sweetheart of a guy, and now that I'm a sort of regular, I get little gifts (half pours of wine, some little natural oysters because he knows I love them so much, etc.). I love the holster in which he keeps his knives! (Sorry about the picture, I can't figure out how to rotate pics in image gullet.) I think to many, especially North Americans, this may seem to be a very small meal, but in all, it's quite filling. With their regular courses, you can choose how much meat you want (80g or 100g)--price varies accordingly, and you can also order a la carte if it's still not enough. The oysters a la carte were Y680.

Kitcho has a branch at Granvia Hotel in Kyoto which has western-style seating (at least the pictures have western seatingin them). Because it's located in the hotel, I'm fairly certain they take credit cards. (The restaurant website link on that page takes you to their Japanese website, best to click on the Arashiyama link below for English). Their main branch in Arashiyama also takes credit cards, but I'm not sure they have western-style seating. They do have an English inquiry form on their Arashiyama branch website, so there would be no harm in asking. I would much prefer to go to their Arashiyama Branch--the setting looks beautiful (plus you could make a day out of it--sightseeing around Arashiyama, and lunch or dinner at Kitcho).

Hyotei? I've never been there, but I've heard good things about it from my co-workers. Lunch prices start at Y22 500 (about US$200), and dinner prices start at Y25 000. But if they want a great kaiseki experience, Kitcho is the place I most want to visit. Lunch starts at around Y37 000, while dinner starts at Y42 000. I've been trying to get someone to go with me, but no one I know wants to spend that much on lunch or dinner! So if they need company, I'd be happy to join them!

Tourist-only kind of place? Well, if I ever get to Paris, I shall also be a tourist, so will sit and sip with the rest of them!

The Japanese link works too, but the English link, though it has been there for as long as the site has, has never worked. Sometimes I get e-mails from them with English links, but alas, they only want me to buy their tea on-line in French or Japanese. Is Mariage Freres a popular tea shop in France. I've read that they are the oldest tea purveyors in France, but since they don't get mentioned as often as other places, I've wondered about them. One day, I will make my way to Paris and have tea at Mariage Freres. I'm sure the Japanese ones are good replicas, but Paris and Mariage Freres? What could be better? Teawise, that is.

And I even gave all those hints about who you were! Humph! Does Andy Ritchie read eGullet?

Where oh where is Mariage Freres? I've only been to the ones in Japan, but it's my favourite place for tea, especially flavoured ones--to drink and to buy.

I finally managed to connect with the official organizers, and my Kennedy School plan is out!!! They don't think my aunt will like the bar atmosphere too much (she's in her 60's, very proper). She said she'd look into Red Star, and I suggested Hurley's. I also mentioned Salvador Molly's ballroom, but it seems (from their website) that renting their ballroom entails more work than we planned (choosing flowers, decorations, etc.). She's going to check it out, though. If all those fail, she said we may end up at Governor's Hotel, which is where the other event (her sister's wedding) of that weekend will be held. She said we'd be able to have a catered affair there for less than our $30/person budget. Any more ideas, keep them coming! I appreciate every single one!

I was going to suggest potato salad, too! My usual schnitzel place serves it with potato salad (not warmed) at lunch, but roast potatoes at dinner. (The above is really a chicken version...

I was actually thinking of you and your family recently, and was wondering how y'all were doing. Congratulations on all of your (plural your) successes! You have a wonderful family to be able to work together to change your eating habits and attitudes towards exercise. I'm glad to read that you also recognize the importance of your achievements, and take pride in them. It really is important to pat yourself on the back when you've done something good...so few people take the time to do that and never really enjoy their successes. I hope give us more updates, as you and your family's experiences have been inspirational (to me, at least).

I think it would help if you posted the recipe you used, and something about your ingredients--what kind of flour, leavening did you use, etc? It's difficult to diagnose a problem without knowing more details about your recipe and ingredients, and it's difficult to predict what recipe might be better, without knowing about the ingredients you have available to you.

bumping this up... I've been doing more research, and based on some pm-ed recommendations, and given the day of the party (it's on a Sunday), and the time (probably brunch), I've narrowed the choices down to Kennedy School (which is owned by McMenamins??) or Red Star Tavern. Both have private rooms which can accommodate parties of 50-100 (we still haven't narrowed down the guest list), and both have reasonably-priced menus. Does anyone have any opinions of one vs the other in terms of food, location, atmosphere...anything? I haven't contacted either place, yet, as the official organizers haven't confirmed the party will be happening...but I like to plan ahead. I'm a bit anal that way...

Hmmm. Maybe I'll try just a few whole along with the juice. I did e-mail the consulate and the tourist agency, but no reply. Which doesn't really surprise me... I was thinking, aside from fruit, I'm going to pig out on cakes and sweets--both Filipino and Western ones! I'm hoping to get some Sans Rival, which I haven't had in years! Yum! Edited to ask: Did you declare the food items you brought in or did you just bring them in without mention? I've been reading horrible things about Customs, right now, about how they check almost everyone's luggage at the airport, so I'm a little worried about that.

Caramel?!?!?!?!? They have caramel!?!? I'm getting ripped off out here, with just regular, matcha, and cocoa (even though the cocoa one is amazing)!