Wimpy

Can't be bothered with bento. Usually pig out on all the japanese junk food sold at the temple stalls (Yasukuni jinja is walking distance from my parent's place). Foods include Okonomiyaki, strange corn-dogs, yakitori, cotton candy, yaki-imo, yaki-soba, kaki-fry, corn on the cob, etc, etc. We then walk it off walking around the imperial palace moat (Chidorigafuchi).

How about Corningware? Can it be used on top of a gas burner?

Ajitsuke nori. Healthier than potato chips when in need of something savory.

As a kid who grew up in Vienna, allow me to suggest a MUST EAT that is far from sophisticated: go to the Naschmarkt, Vienna's largest open air market and after you've had a good look at the variety of produce, have a bit at the local sausage stand. One of the country's best is in the Naschmarkt. It offers a variety of sausages (frankfurter, kaesekrainer, bratwurst, etc.). It comes with a dollop of tarragon mustard and a slab of dark and moist ryebread. My two cents.

Overattentive/talkative waiters. I subscribe to the discrete/efficient school of food service. My impression is that US restaurants are particularly susceptible to this malaise. It's like every waiter wants to be recognized as a unique individual and almost demands attention.

Moutarde. Not the English stuff- Dijon (fine ground) or German Estragon Senf.

Hi Ellen- greetings from S'pore. Uhh, I don't think it's Char Siew (roast pork). I suspect it's sliced roast duck with gravy.

I just had a thought- what would be a list of what we would consider gourmet food that also meets shelf stability requirements of a FEMA type situation? Eg: 1) foie gras 2) bottled pickled artichokes 3) confit of goose 4) dry salamis, chorizos 5) various fruit preserves Any others? Big problem would be bread I think. Perhaps that pumpernickel/roggen brot stuff from Germany.... Cheeses may be difficult except for processed cheeses which would NOT count as gourmet.

This makes perfect sense Awbrig. Salt brings out the sweetness of the pineapple even more. It's done in the Philippines all the time (pineapple country). You should try it sometime. Anybody care to explain the science?

The only solution to not having enough filling is to make the darn things yourself. Steamed "paos" are much easier to do than baked. Use Ming Tsai's recipe for the dough and you won't go far wrong. As for filling, it can be anything. I typically saute pork belly cubes with black bean sauce and waterchestnuts for the crunch. Oh and btw, the little wax paper squares on the bottom is a must, else your pao will stick to the steamer. Not quite char siew pao, but pao nevertheless.

Ive made about 6 batches of ratatouille in the past two months, ea enough to feed 12 (what can I say, it's extremely versatile and good for you). The recipe I follow is Joel Robuchon's in that book written by Patricia Wells. Skirting around the sophistry of how to cook the damn thing for a moment, the addition of saffron as recommended by Robuchon really makes a difference! Back to the issue of cooking, it is indeed laborious, but unavoidable. This is one time a mandoline will stand you in good stead (got my Bron at Dehillerin in Paris last year). The freshness of the veggies is key, especially the quality of the tomatoes used. Ratatouille improves with age, i.e. it always tastes better after a night spent in the fridge. It's great eaten at room temperature as well as warm, and tastes great simply slapped on good crusty bread. If you have some left over roast chicken handy, you've got yourself a picnic!

Apropos corned beef. Saw this article in the SF Examiner: Corned Beef

I remember as a kid in Vienna, Austria, we used to go to a restaurant called the Marchfelderhof just outside the city which is famous for its white asparagus dishes. I remember white asparagus with melted butter and toasted breadcrumbs... but it was many, many years ago so am not so sure. Btw, my understanding is that white asparagus is just the green variety but grown with loose dirt covering it entirely (hence the lack of chlorophyll due to lack of photosynthesis). Perhaps someone can confirm this?

If the above is related to coriolis accelaration, it would depend whether on a) what direction you are stirring in and b) whether you are located north or south of the equator....

aka Char Siew Pao? Plenty of it here in Singapore. Steamed or baked is good, though I prefer the latter. Hate it when they go cheap on the pork filling, but inevitable unless you make it yourself. Agree that it shouldn't be too goopy. Should be seasoned aggressively enough to make up for bland bun portion with every bite.

Yes, bacon would be great with them tartlets, but I would use anchovies. Btw, there is a world of difference between salt packed and oil packed anchovies, with the former being a clear winner.

I remember an apple poptart with maple syrup frosting on the outside. What can I say? I didn't know better then...

I'd get the Le Creuset, unless you're compulsive about trying to complete your All Clad line. Mine is an oval 5 qt. or so that I picked up at the Gilroy outlets for $80 a few years ago. It's pretty heavy even empty, but I like that solid kinda feel. My only regret is the oval shape. On second thought, I'd get a round one. It's easier to stir in a steady rhythmic fashion with a round one. I use it to make risotto since it has the right kinda thickness to ensure even heating without burning. I also leave it simmering for hours for meat based stews/pasta sauces.

88 food related books. Lop off about 12 as food essays rather than cookbooks.

Liver-maki (chicken liver wrapped with bacon and basted with yakitori sauce)! Liver must still be pinkish inside!

Hi Suvir- I did some research on the Filipino ginger tea called Salabhat or Salabat on the internet. The following links has one which seems about right: http://www.duyan.com/recipes/dessert/salabat.shtml Althought they categorize it as a dessert, it is really a tonic used for treating congestion and sore throats.

One way to get real buttermilk is to whip heavy cream until it becomes butter. The remaining fluid is buttermilk! I don't suppose that's very helpful, is it?

Hi Suvir, Hope your Dad's doing better btw. Sorry, but I'll have to ask my grandmother and check how its' made. I've had it before but I've never made it myself.

In the Philippines, there is a strong ginger tea made to relieve coughs and sore throats which is sweetened with honey or sugar. It is called salabhat. I'm sure there's something similar in other Asian countries.

Ok Torakris-san! Sorry for misnomer. Denen-chofu eh? Seems you bagged yourself a silver-spooned one! That's where my maternal grandma grew up. My mom grew up in Jiyugaoka, just a few stations down on the Toyoko-sen. You must whiz by my grandma's place all the time, if you travel to Shibuya-station from Yokahama. Yes, back to food...