prasantrin

Do people really need a pictorial to figure out how to use a scale? Other than the tare function (which wouldn't need much more than one demonstration), what else is there that would require demonstration?

FWIW, Kyocera now makes a sharpener for ceramic knives. It actually has double slots--one for regular knives and the other for ceramic. I don't have a dishwasher unless you count me, but if I did, I don't think I'd put knives in it even if I could. It takes so little time to wash them and put them away, anyway.

Could you elaborate on the type of food they were expected to recreate? I'm not sure I understand how "West Asia" (formerly known as the Middle East) fits in with the countries you mentioned (which are Southeast Asian--Thai and Vietnamese, and East Asian--Korean and Chinese).

Has anyone been to Makoto? I'm just curious about the level of cooking going on there.

I'd go with pastry (but not puff pastry) over bread dough. But if you want something really different, make your own Italian beef bao. If you're steaming them, you don't have to worry about breakage because they always break open at the top, anyway. It's still portable, and it still has a protein/carb combination in one package.

Another question, since it's still too humid to do anything. All the recipes I've seen using egg whites also call for sugar. But what if I want a strictly savoury nut with no sweetness at all? Can I still use egg whites? Another question, what purpose does boiling the nuts serve? I tried JAZ's recipe once, and I didn't really care for it--I thought because of the boiling water (but it may have been because I don't really like walnuts). They just didn't seem to have that nice toasted flavour, even after I baked them. Could a recipe like that still work if I just skipped the boiling water step?

You'd probably have had a better chance a week ago when the first replies were made, but you could still try. Thursday nights aren't the most popular reservations, or they may have had a last minute cancellation. You could also try tempura. There are a few high-end tempura places in the Ginza area. Ask your concierge to recommend one or do a search online (Chow has a very active community of high-end diners).

Could someone explain to me why Japanese chickens have such tough skin? To me, eating the crisp skin off a roast chicken is on the greatest pleasures. But every chicken I've roasted in Japan has has really thick tough skin. And that includes the very expensive chicken from Kyushu my landlord served us. Is there a particular type of chicken I should be looking for in order to get thin skin?

http://www.fzrm.com/plantextracts/Caoguo_extract.htm Often used for medicinal purposes, related to cardamom. I think it might be black cardamom, but you'd have to do further research on that.

Well, there's a picture of a pig on the front cover. That's not a terribly good sign. There are also shellfish recipes, etc. Whether you think it's "kosher friendly" or not will depend on how many non-pork non-shellfish non-meat+dairy recipes you think would still make the purchase worthwhile.

Did you ask your local Costco if they'll be carrying it again? The stores have that kind of info--if the product will be discontinued or if (and when) it will be restocked. No harm in asking, anyway.

Kita-akari make awesome baked potatoes. They're so creamy! I have two left that will get mashed.

You could use individual packets of strip nori that can be wrapped around the rice just before eating. You'd have to change the shape of the makizushi to match the shape of the strip (you wouldn't have to, but it's nicer when it fits). That might be too much work for a little one, though. You could also do filled onigiri rather than makizushi and use the individual strips of nori. A lot of my students' mothers make their onigiri that way. At stores in Japan, onigiri come in special packages that separate the nori from the rice and when you unwrap it, you just pull off the packaging from each side, and the nori wraps itself around the rice. I like that best, because the nori never gets soggy, so if I have to buy sushi-like things from the store, I stick with those. You can buy the plastic wrappers for homemade onigiri, too. amazon.jp

FWIW, most people don't apply enough sunscreen--suggested amount it 1-2 ounces (that's 1/8 to 1/4 of most bottles). Try using more of the goo and see what happens.

Are the nuts you use the ones that are already roasted and salted? (in the stubby plastic jar) I think I've got a tub of those somewhere. That would be a great way to use them up if they haven't already gone stale (they'd be a few years old by now).

Just the last one I think. Is it polite to ask a man the proportion of his nuts do you think? I probably should have made it clear I was asking about the tree nuts. Chris--I'd have gone easy on the allspice and cloves, too, but I don't particularly like those spices. I have noticed that in small quantities, however, they can unexpectedly enrich the flavours of a dish. I'm hoping for some nut experimenting tomorrow. It's rather humid now, though, and I don't want to end up with soft nuts!

And I was right. Osaka/Kyoto got a total of 189 stars, including 6 3-stars in Kyoto (all kaiseki places from what I can tell), and only 1 3-star in Osaka (a French place). FWIW, all the inspectors were Japanese. And a Kobe guide is tentatively scheduled for release in 2011 (or 2012?).

What about Dorie Greenspan's Cranberry Upside-downer? I'm thinking you could keep it in its pan, then unmould it after you arrive. It's best made the day it's made, but I've loved it just as much two or three days later. Any kind of pound cake is also good. You can unmould it, then once it's cooled, put it back in its pan (after you've cleaned it) to help protect it. I'd like this ancho chile chocolate cake http://rec.mailarchive.ca/food.cooking/2007-03/2048.html. You could do the glaze the day-of. I forgot to ask--are you driving or flying? Or both? You don't mention which. The Cranberry Upside-downer would probably be best if you're just driving, but if you're flying, the pound cake would be OK.

Those sure look like they've got egg white on them. I'm with Chris - go for the spicy - cut back the sugar by half I'd say - use the raw sugar if you can get it - it adds a nice crunch to the coating. Do you think all three look like they have egg whites, or just the last one? I kind of thought the first two would have egg whites, but when I checked the ingredients, no egg white was on either list. The third link didn't have any ingredient list at all. I'll try the recipe with the sugar cut in half plus some cayenne. I've had chocolate with cayenne that I really liked, but I once made pecan brittle with cinnamon and cayenne and I hated it. Luckily, my mother came to visit shortly after I made it, and she loved it. So I might hold off on making the sweet and spicy nuts until just before I leave for the Philippines. That way they won't go stale if I don't like them. Chris--have you posted proportions for your nuts before? Those sound interesting, too.

Would nuts with egg whites look different from nuts without egg whites? I like this type of nut http://www.nutsonline.com/nuts/cashews/bbq.html and this one http://www.nutsonline.com/nuts/cashews/honey-roasted.html. Neither ingredient list mentions egg whites, but I like this type of nut, too http://shop.merrielynns.com/product.sc?productId=20&categoryId=2 and I always imagined that type would use egg whites. Thanks for posting that recipe, Kerry! It's on my list of things to make. Question--could it be adapted somehow to make it spicy? Just add cayenne instead of cinnamon? Or would it be too weird with all that sugar?

You could skip the sodium nitrite. I don't even use it, and my bacon is good enough for me (but no, it's not quite the same, especially since it isn't smoked, either).

I've been browsing for recipes for spiced nuts (sweet or savoury). Some recipes call for egg whites, and some don't. What purpose do the egg whites serve? Do they help bind the flavourings to the nuts? Or do they make them crispier? Do the typical bqq peanuts you can get any grocery store or bulk foods place have egg whites or no egg whites?

Sausage rolls!! I love sausage rolls for breakfast--straight from the freezer to the oven to my mouth! Do you make your own or are they commonly purchased breakfast items in the Netherlands?

I've read similar reviews. It isn't a book I'm itching to buy (or even read), but still, it must be exciting to have a book published.

But what about Paella Mixta?