prasantrin

Even cooked meat? We've never had problems bringing smoked or cooked meats across the border going either way except beef (more recently). Dairy has never been a problem for us--and we have brought cheese, butter, labneh, etc. (almost every conceivable dairy item except milk). I know fruits and vegetables can be more problematic, but peeled fruits have been OK (we brought peeled papaya from the US to Canada during our last trip which was just a couple of weeks ago). Interesting...

This is probably too late, but don't expect crispy skin. It will be firmer, but it won't be crispy as in regular fried chicken crispy (though the soy sauce caramelizes and so the flavour of the skin becomes oh so good!)

My mother's from Negros (Talisay, specifically) but because my father was Thai, he liked Bicol food the best . Actually, laing was one of the few Filipino foods he appreciated. I think my mother's family also had a very good cook when she was growing up, so she was able to experience a variety of Filipino and Western foods (and she also went to boarding school away from Negros so that may have influenced her eating habits). I only spent a year in the Philippines, when I was 10, but merienda was the best part! Lola Ding (very distant relative of an in-law, but everyone in the Phil. is Lola/Lolo, Tita/Tito, or Manang/Manong ) made the best ensaimada. I've yet to have one that compares. Can I also mention, my favourite filipino foods are tocino (that's what I usually have when we go out for Filipino breakfast) and empanada. I think Filipino empanadas are much tastier than empanadas from any of the South American countries! And for desserts/breads, ensaimada and mamon. And Filipino chiffon cakes are the best around! Oh, Sans Rival! I forgot about Sans Rival! I think I was about 7 the first time I had it and I still love it!

This is the way my mother said it should be done. She's Visayan, though, so it could be more a regional thing. tommy: I'm not sure I follow your overnight plans, but if you cook the chicken, leave it overnight, then fry it the next day you should be fine. I think the frying step is more to add flavour than to crisp the chicken (especially since you put it back in the sauce after). The one time my mother did the frying step, we ate it the next day and it was fine in terms of texture.

You forgot merienda food--we usually had cakes, puto, bibingka, ensaimada or pan de sal . Peanuts fried in garlic were common snacks for us, as well. I think it should be mentioned that the pan de sal popular now is quite different from the pan de sal of the past. It used to be be saltier and be more like hard Portuguese rolls--just flour, yeast, salt, and water though sometimes just a touch of shortening or oil is added. Now what most people associate with pan de sal is much richer and sweeter, being made with sugar and sometimes eggs and/or milk. I like both, but I consider them to be different breads. I would disagree--many of the above are also used in Thai cuisine, for example. I think it's also important to mention that the food of Southern Luzon (Bicol region) is more similar to the food people would associate with South-East Asia, with its use of coconut milk and chile peppers. An example of a typical Bicol dish is laing which is, to me, unlike most other Filipino food. Also, because of the strong Malaysian influence in Mindanao, the foods there also tend to be spicier than in other areas. Living in Winnipeg, a city with a very large Filipino population (there are even areas built specifically with Filipinos in mind with Philippines-related street names), I have access to no fewer than 8 Filipino restaurants and several Filipino grocery stores. Many non-Filipinos are also well-versed in Filipino food and culture--in part because of Filipino friends, acquaintances, and in-laws, but also because of Folklorama.

Skin on. Definitely. I don't know anyone who makes it with skin off. With leftover adobe, make adobo sandwiches. They were my mother's favourite sandwich way back when she was a college student at Maryknoll in Manila. And don't forget the frying step. My mother, who never really learned to cook Filipino food, always skipped that step when she made it so our (my siblings and me) conception of adobo was not quite right. It's much better after it has been fried.

I'm bringing this back up since I don't think it would be appreciated if I started a new thread for my question (I read the warning earlier in this thread). I'm flying to Japan and I want to take some chocolate with me--not bar chocolate, but chocolate-covered graham cracker-pieces (Clodhoppers, for those wondering). I remember reading that chocolate should not be placed in check-in luggage because it is sometimes mistaken for explosives when viewed on x-ray machines. However, would my Clodhoppers be OK? And how about maple cookies in check-in baggage? And stuff in bottles like maple syrup and jams (well-wrapped in bubble wrap, placed in Ziplock bags, and wrapped again in clothing)? My carry-on luggage will likely be full with ice wine so I won't have room for the other gifts in there. Putting them in my check-in luggage is my only hope (I supposed I could mail them, but that would take a month to get there!). Any advice or voices of experience?

A couple of weeks ago I ate at Mediterranean Cruise Cafe in Minneapolis. The highlight of the evening was a garlic spread. At first we thought it was butter--that's how creamy the stuff was. We didn't realize there was garlic in it until much later--the garlic flavour was very subtle but after an hour or two, it hit us like a brick! The waiter said it was just garlic and lemon juice but I think there may have been more to it than that. He called it tomi or tomeh (I can't remember now). He also said the owners were Palestinian--is this garlic spread specific to Palestine or is it served elsewhere in the region? We did buy some garlic spread from Holy Land Deli, thinking it was the same, but it's a bit different. The garlic flavour is much more pronounced (much more!) and the consistency is more sauce-like than butter-like. The ingredients list garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice. So, my questions: 1) How do you make this spread from heaven? 2) What to you serve it with? I just eat it with some Ryvita crackers, but is it usually used with meat? Fish? I did do a google search but found nothing close. My search parameters might not be so good, though.

I would not suggest using just any salmon fillet for sashimi. I think it's very important to buy sashimi-grade fish which would probably be fresher and possibly more carefully inspected (though I don't know that for a fact). You might want to post to the UK&Ireland forum. People there might have a better idea as to where you might buy sashimi-grade salmon--you might not have to go to a Japanese market to get it.

What was your family food culture when you were growing up? My mother is Filipina and my father Thai and both were raised in privileged households that were very well fed. Both were also exposed to a variety of foods from different countries at young ages. Both also moved away from their countries of birth (my father at 16, my mother in her early-mid 20's) to Western countries (my father went to Wales and then onto various US states, my mother to Texas and New Mexico). After marrying and having three children, they moved to the Canadian Prairies which was, at least in the late '60s, not a very good place for food lovers. As a result of these multi-cultural influences the food I ate and was exposed to while growing up was eclectic to say the least. Was meal time important? In terms of eating together as a family, no. But food and meals were always, and still are, very important. Was cooking important? Yes. Very. What were the penalties for putting elbows on the table? There were never any penalties because we never did things like that. I think my mother must have taught us proper table manners from the time we could hold our own utensils because we never had problems with poor table manners. My mother often tells a story of when I was 3 and my sister 4 we ate ice cream at a department store restaurant. We didn't get any food on our faces and we lightly wiped our mouths with our napkins after we finished. Two ladies sitting nearby commented that they had never seen children who behaved so well in restaurants. Who cooked in the family? My father did most of the cooking though my mother was his sous chef. My sister and I started cooking fairly young, though my brother did not really start cooking (unless you count Pizza Pops and Kraft Dinner) until he was in his 20's. Were restaurant meals common, or for special occassions? Most of what we ate was made at home, though that was in part because during the late '60s early '70s, there were few restaurants at which my parents were interested in dining. There was one Chinese restaurant we would go to occasionally, though my father would make special requests from the owner/cook rather than order off the menu. When an Indian restaurant opened up, we would go there sometimes, too. Once our city started opening many more ethnic restaurants, we would eat out more frequently, though home cooked meals were still far more frequent than restaurant meals. We often went out to restaurants for special occassions, but they were never reserved just for those. Did children have a "kiddy table" when guests were over? When I was very young, I think yes, but once I turned 8 I don't remember ever having guests over for meals. When did you get that first sip of wine? Does vermouth count? I remember being as young as 8 and having tastes of alcohol--mostly Kahlua. I wouldn't be surprised if I were allowed sips at an even earlier age. We rarely had alcohol in the house but it was never considered a 'bad' thing. Was there a pre-meal prayer? Nope. Was there a rotating menu (e.g., meatloaf every Thursday)? Nope. What we ate usually depended on what my father felt like eating. How much of your family culture is being replicated in your present-day family life? A lot. I'm single, but I find my tastes is food to be much more varied than that of my friends. I still don't eat at the table and I still eat whenever I'm hungry, rather than at set meal times. I love to search out new restaurants and new foods, just as we did when I was young.

Thanks for all the feedback! My poor wild rice will be relegated to non-omiyage status. I'm sure I'll have at least one dinner party within the next month or two, so perhaps I'll make a side dish with it so people can take as much or as little as they want. Then at least I can eat the leftovers! And some just may find its way into my bag as gifts to certain ex-pats . The allergy tea is a great idea--so many Japanese people suffer from pollen allergies so I'm sure it would be appreciated. I see if I can find some. I've never noticed it amongst the supermarket teas (like Stash or Celestial Seasonings) so I'll try some of the health food stores. Most of my co-workers are busy teachers so they probably won't have much time to use the maple syrup for much else than pancakes. It's quite good with yoghurt, btw, and a couple of yoghurt companies even make maple-flavoured yoghurt! Japanese yoghurt is quite a bit more tart, though, so one would have to add that little packet of sugar and the maple syrup. That would make it very sweet. Oh, one very hot summer in Japan I used maple syrup as a topping for silken tofu! While not anything I would ever crave, it wasn't bad! I'll pick up some maple cookies, too, and some packs of smoked salmon for special omiyage. And I'll definitely find a pamphlet for the ice wine. I'd hate to think of them adding water to it!

Do you know anything about the etymology of the word 'tekka maki'? I'm just wondering why the 'ka' is the kanji for fire. Also, for sushi, I know the 'su' is 'kotobuki' but what is the 'shi'? And how did it come to mean vinegared rice with toppings? My kanji-reading abilities are not so great but I can usually figure out meanings of Japanese words but some of the food-kanji is really strange to me!

I'm the opposite--the food is the only thing in my hometown (Winnipeg) that I will defend to the end! That and the awesome summertime events--Folklorama, the Fringe Festival, and the Folk Festival make up for the 8 months of snow and nothingness we endure.

I'm trying to finish packing (it's not going well) but I need to buy some omiyage for co-workers and friends in Japan. Right now I'm thinking: Ice Wine--Japanese who visit Canada love to buy ice wine. I can buy little individual-serving bottles of it so I can give each person at least a taste of it. Ice fruit wine--umeshu is popular--how about ice pear wine or ice peach wine? Wild Rice--I'm in the Canadian prairies and wild rice is, to me, very Canadian (though I know it's grown in parts of the US, as well). I was thinking of buying some bulk wild rice and dried cranberries. After arriving in Japan I was going to package up a little wild rice kit--probably wild rice, dried cranberries, pecans, and a recipe for wild rice dressing. Some of my former students hated wild rice, so I'm not sure how well it will go over, but I figure if I give them a recipe maybe they'll at least try it. Clodhoppers--Winnipeg doesn't have much, but it does have Clodhoppers! They're white chocolate-covered graham cracker and cashew treats. My Japanese friends find most North American sweets to be too sweet, but they all liked Clodhoppers so I think this one is relatively safe. I was thinking of giving it along with the Wild Rice kit. Maple syrup--many of my former co-workers would get a lot of maple syrup as gifts but they had no idea what to do with it aside from using it for pancakes. I thought if I got maple syrup I would have to include some recipes--perhaps glazed carrots or something with kabocha if I can find a recipe? What are some other ideas for gifts for Japanese people? If possible, it's best if it is light and not too large. When you think of Canada, is there any particular food that you think of?

Congratulations! I was going to buy a huge box of kosher salt and send you some (what good is a shipping allowance if you can't use it ) but now I won't have to. Do you want some sriracha, instead? Assorted dried beans and legumes? (I've been toying with the idea of bringing some but quite honestly, I don't really like beans--but I may bring some chickpeas. Just say the word and I'll bring extra!)

I'm back from my short but sweet trip! Here's what I ate: Breakfast: I went to Silk Hat, of course! It was very close to where my appointment was so it just seemed natural. I had the breakfast sandwich with homemade sausage patties. The sandwich, itself, was good but it did not really thrill me. I did like the hash browns even though they were not, in my opinion, really hash browns. They were more like cubed potatoes that were par-boiled and pan-fried with onions. I prefer shredded hash browns that are crisp. But Silk Hat's version, if one doesn't think of them as hash browns, are pretty tasty. The sausage patties could have used more seasoning and the bun was Wonderbread-ish. Despite that, I would probably eat there again. I liked the atmosphere (even though it smelled a bit like cigarette smoke). Lunch: I had planned to go to the Dining Room at NAIT because I liked their menu and I have always wanted to eat at a culinary school's/program's dining room. However, I think the long drive to, from, and around Minneapolis during the weekend tuckered me out from wanting to travel anywhere. I didn't even want to leave the ManuLife building with its comfortable chairs! Luckily, the day before I left I found the website of Chance. I liked what I saw and had made note of it as an option. Imagine my surprise when I discovered, as I was getting lost in and around the ManuLife building, that Chance was right there! I had for my main course. It was wonderful! The tenderloin was cooked to a perfect medium and the red wine demi glace was oh so good. With my first bite of the galette, I was a bit disappointed. It seemed strangely sweet. However, by the second, third, etc. bites, I had fallen in love with it. The Bermuda onion and field mushroom confit, however, seemed to be less a confit and more of a button mushroom saute. And there were bermuda onions in that? Oh, I liked their bread. I used it to sop up some of the sauce. But the butter served with the bread was a tad too warm leaving a greasy taste. Cold butter may be difficult to spread, but butter that is too warm borders on disgusting. For dessert I had . I liked it. The cheesecake was slightly tart and though I don't like white chocolate, it matched the cheesecake perfectly. The pomegranate coulis was merely swirled into the white chocolate so there was very little chance to taste it. The durum sugar garnish was, I think, spaghetti dipped into sugar. I ate one, just to see if it was edible. It was, but it was odd. As a whole, though, I liked the dessert very much.Contrary to my previous Edmonton dining experiences, I discovered there is good food to be had in Edmonton. From my meal at Chance, and comparing it with other meals I've had in Edmonton, I would guess that most of the good food can be found at the higher end restaurants (in Winnipeg, where high end restaurants are few in number, the good food is found at the cheap ethnic places). I'd have to spend more time there to test my hypothesis, so I think I may have to go back again soon . It's a good think I have a many other places still on my list! Thanks to y'all for your suggestions!

When will you be there? I don't know much about Nagoya but I might be able to find some information for you. I'll be landing in Kobe March 26th if you want some company in Kyoto or Osaka. I used to live in Kyoto and visited Osaka once a month or so, so I know some places in those areas.

I used to like those as a child until I almost choked on one. Then they were off my eating list. I almost choked on a real chicken bone, too, but those are just too good to pass up .

Martha Stewart did an American Flag Tartusing rectangular-shaped tarts. She did another variation called, "Red White and Blue Tarts". The former would probably be more suitable for the client, but I prefer the latter (I hate raspberries, and with the latter tart I can just have blueberries if I want).

It's called "Crunchie". It's my second or third favourite chocolate bar (and no, Coffee Crisp isn't first or second).

I love tonkatsu, but I actually prefer chicken katsu. Did you go to the place where you grind your own sesame for the dipping sauce? And they have barley in their rice? I loved that place, and it's on my list of restaurants for when I return. zuru zuru!

Add acupuncture and deep tissue massage, and it will vanish (or nearly vanish) in no time! rona (I speak from experience--had it in both elbows, as well as carpal tunnel in my left wrist)

I wipe the plate up with my finger and suck the sauce off from it . Even without pictures, I'm already enjoying your blog just as much as I enjoyed Pim's.

Thank you so much for your blog! It was wonderful reading of your food adventures, and the pictures just made me chartreuse with envy! Except, perhaps, the scary wurst. That I could have done without . I read your Bangkok blog earlier in the week and to my surprise, I've eaten at some of the same places! I've eaten at Klang Soi on Soi Klang many times with family. I was there last spring and I agree, it was much better several years ago. Their pla dook foo was suitably puffy, however . And the sports club...my father was asked to join many many years ago but he declined . He would have been the only Yuthasatrkosol to be a member so it would have been great fun if he had joined--they're so competitive!

Ain't that the truth! That's how I found out that a prestigious restaurant in Winnipeg was using ready-made commercial salad dressings, soups, etc. And they wanted me to pay $10 for a Caesar salad made with Kraft dressing?!?!?!? That was 10 years ago, though, and I've heard thing have changed since the original chef returned from NYC (he left the restaurant for a few years in the 1990s).