HKDave

I've used this recipe http://www.premiersystems.com/recipes/mexican/chorizo.html with success. Since I don't always have access to Mexican chilies, I start by underseasoning with whatever dried chilies I can get (usually a mix of Thai and crushed food-service style American), and test-fry a small patty after mixing, then adjust the heat level accordingly.

I'm in, too... in the last 3 weeks I've done burgers at Feenie's (2x) and Fresgo (2x - I live two blocks away so I have a feeling there will be more - also they have the best fries I've had in a long time) and was impressed with both. Feenies goes the quality route, very good meat, and Fresgo is, well, big. I notice Feenie's didn't get a great review on the last WCBC visit, so either they've changed or my taste differs...

It isn't. Most Vietnamese restaurants in HK don't come up to the standards of a basic Vietnamese restaurant in the US, and aren't remotely in the same league as Saigon. There's one new Maxim's outlet called Rice Paper in Gateway Mall that's sort of modern/fusionish Vietnamese. It's at least stylish and not too expensive, but as is too often the case, the food is blanded down to suit Cantonese tastes. Things to buy: Kowloon Soy Sauce (mentioned in earlier threads) - I think it's safe to import to USA. For tools and kitchen equipment, head to Shanghai St., where there's a cluster of kitchen equipment shops that cater to the trade but will sell to anyone. A good place to start is Chan Chi Kee http://www.chanchikee.com/ , and then just walk one block north or south for several more shops. Also more on parallel Reclamation St, 1 blk west. Anything from a Chinese style knife for $10 to a char siu roaster that will fit a whole pig is available. Try getting that into your carry-on....

Third vote for Victorinox / Forschner. I bought a bunch of these (10" chefs, 4" paring, 2x 6" boning, 9" offset slicer) because I didn't want to show up at school with my heavy, expensive old-skool German knives. Since I bought them, I haven't touched my old knives. Plus , Forschner are about 1/3 the price. Ming Wo's got them (I think on sale?), plus they're available all over the 'net. Beware of buying Globals on eBay. Buddy of mine bought some and got fakes (yes, there are fake Globals out there). But in the end, buy what feels good in your hand. That's what counts.

Shelora, Ask, and ye shal receive: Clickety clickety. A. ← There's controversy about the pronunciation... at least in Colorado. Story here: http://www.springshomeandgarden.com/fullStory.jsp?id=2473 But they do come down on the side of Czech origin.

OK, this is serious. How am I ever going to try a kolachy? I'm in school Mon-Fri, and I'm on the bus before the kolachy shop opens, and back downtown after they close. No days off for next 4 months, and then I go back to Hong Kong. How long do kolachys survive outside their natural environment? Can they be reheated - assuming I can trust one of you to buy one and not eat it for a few hours?

If you are talking about a regular (not fresh) mozza, Scardillo brand is pretty good. They're the same people that locally make excellent fresh mozza,which you can get at Scardillo's Deli on Hastings and several other places.

First weekend out from culinary school... yeah. Feels good. Immediately after school Friday a few of us hit the nearest licensed establishment, as you do. After which I headed home but somehow instead found myself at the bar at HSG. Hanger steak. Of course I had to try it after all the hype! And the gingerbread pudding is damn good. Chef Neil, please just get some better vermouth to go with that great Plymouth gin, and I'll be at your bar every Friday. Saturday lunch, Pho Hoang, not what it used to be. Or else I'm jaded from spending several months over the last 2 years in Vietnam. No, this place has definitely lost the plot somewhere, the soup was just bland and the service even more offhand than it used to be. I need a new Vancouver pho place (I know where you're thinking of suggesting - but it has to be closer to the West End than Victoria Drive, pls. HKDave lacks wheels). Saturday late dinner, alcohol-absorbtion burger at Earl's on Robson. Hey, I like Earl's. Not that I had many options, this was at 11pm or so.... I guess Fresgo was still open. That would have been more eGulletish. And better. And only 2 blocks from my hovel. Have to remember that for next weekend. Sunday morning, Pink Pearl for dim sum. Still my fave. Sandy, the woman who runs the fry cart, remembered me from the days when I was a regular... more than a decade ago. Wandering back toward the West End, I noticed in Chinatown that Foo's has re-opened where the Ho Ho used to be. Hmmm, I feel a craving for some old skool '60 style Vancouver Chinatown food... have to check out that place sometime soon. And that T+T Supermarket is quite something, isn't it? Reminds me of home. Then it was off to Park Royal to hit the fleischmeister at the ever-reliable Black Forest Deli in the mall there. Then back home to do homework, sharpen my knives and get my uniforms ready. No partying for another week.

I use polycarbonate gastronorm size tubs, 1/9 and 1/6 sizes. Almost impossible to break, takes boiling or oily liquids without melting or staining (and minimal taste transfer), dishwasherable, microwavable, freezable, easy to clean, cheap. Get them from big restaurant supply places. Can be hard to find snap-on lids. What I'm talking about (not recommending this as a source one way or the other, just using it for photo): http://www.restaurantequipment.com/CAMBROPANS.html

Finally back in Vancouver... for a few months, anyway. First 3 places hit: Provence on Tenth. Brunch with Mum and Dad. Reliable eggs benny. Feenie's. At the bar. Many, many Martinis, and an onion soup. This place is totally pro. Ginger and Chili. Cheap and cheerful 'Szechuan'. Giant bowl of not very hot (in temp or spice) dan dan mein, with the noodles still somehow manging to be overcooked. Not salvaged by the addition of chili oil. Probably the best Szechuan on 4400 block West Tenth.

Thanks for the tip, Keyes. I'm equipping my culinary student micro-apartment this week. Just picked up at SPCA a beautiful Japanese 10" cast iron fry pan that someone has thoughtfully spent 30 years seasoning for me. 2 bucks.

Relax. Hong Kong is cleaner and safer than many big American cities. We still do apply some of the usual 3rd world hygiene practices, but the fact is that these days you can drink tap water if you want to. I've been brushing my teeth with it for 15 years now... Bottled water is available everywhere. You can eat salads or sushi with impunity, and you can assume that restaurant or supermarket food isn't much riskier than the same food would be in the West. Hong Kong is most certainly not 3rd world. Shanghai isn't at the same level. Tap water is not drinkable anywhere on the mainland, (again, bottled water is everywhere) and you do need to be cautious about eating uncooked food outside the better hotels and restaurants. But that still leaves you with many excellent options. You can travel and eat very well in Shanghai and Hong Kong, without things getting 'adventurous'. I like the idea of coming by boat. I've flown across the Pacific so many times that I lost count years ago, but always wanted to cross by freighter.

Do it old skool style: Salisbury Steak, w/ mushroom sauce and mashed potatoes. Eat in front of the TV.

West. You pay for it, and they deliver. I've never had a hostess come out to greet me at the taxi before. Waitstaff and sommelier know their stuff. Tojos. But I'm a very old customer of his, so I don't know if everyone gets the same. And only I'm taking about the sushi bar. Earls. Please don't laugh. I wish all chain restaurants had as consistantly dialed-in staff as Earls. Keg has also done well in this regard but I haven't been there in a long time (they just opened one in Hong Kong, so I guess I could go here, but I'll be back in Van. in 1 week anyway...) Re editor's (get a name, dude! We're all friends here. Most of the time, anyway) scenario "...you then are forced to wait 20 minutes at the bar for your reserved table..." etc: If I'm forced to wait 20 min for a reserved table, I walk. I'll walk after 10 minutes, unless someone with decent people skills intervenes with a tall cool freebie and/or a good story. I'm on time, I don't no-show without calling well in advance, I drink like a fish, I eat like a hungry eGulletter and tip like a rich dumb American tourist (even though I'm not. Rich or American, that is). And if the place is any good I'll probably be back. Don't park me at the bar.

What's missing? Southern, Creole, Cajun.... are there any options? Even bad ones? Real BBQ. OK, there's that place on Broadway. But more. Ideally located near auto body shops, for authenticity. BBQ tastes better in industrial neighbourhoods. Don't ask me why. Deli, as found in Montreal or NYC. However (dating myself), the bagel situation is a hell of a lot better than 30 years ago. And poutine at least exists now. Progress is being made. Mexican. Remember Hombre's, in Gastown and later on East Hastings? That was as good as we ever got. What happened to Les and Ruby, anyway? Sichuan. We have enough big Cantonese seafood restaurants, thanks. That said, I'd rather have Cantonese food in Vancouver than in Hong Kong. The quality of both ingredients and cooking in Van. is fantastic. Really. (Sneaking this in, even though it's not food) NHL hockey. Do you know how frustrating it is to have been living overseas for 15 years, and to be coming back to live in an apartment walking distance from GM Place in winter for 4 months, only to find that the NHL's on strike this season? I could kill for tickets to see the Habs. Well, not really. But I would have been willing to pay a lot of money for them.

Naeng myeon, cold noodle soup. An amazing summer dish. A recipe here: http://fooddownunder.com/cgi-bin/recipe.cgi?r=71684

If it's a fillet, it shouldn't have bones (except maybe some small pin bones, which you can feel by running your hands across the surface. Remove these with fish tweezers if you have them, pliers if you don't). Not sure how big a piece you have or how many guests you are dealing with. If it's a small number, maybe slice the fillet into 1/2 steaks, that is strips about 35mm wide or so. Flour skin side only. Saute skin side down, lid on. The skin will crisp up and the top will steam. Serve over a bed of arugula, or maybe with an Italian salsa verde (parsley, garlic, anchovy etc). Green looks good on the red fish, and flavours of either the arugula or the salsa verde cut the richness of salmon. Thanks to fellow eGer aprilmei for this method. For a family-style serving, could do the whole fillet in foil, something like this: http://www.cooksrecipes.com/seafood/baked-...rde-recipe.html

Oeufs en Cocotte, aka shirred eggs, aka baked eggs - simple, classy. Butter a ramekin. Line it with ham, or bacon, or spinach, or smoked salmon, or nothing. Add 1 or 2 eggs (depending on size of ramekin). Don't break yolks. Bake 325F/160C for 8-10 min., until just begins to set. Remove, top with a spoonful of warm cream/milk and a sprinkle of cheese (and/or crumbled bacon, or fresh herbs, or...). Back in oven until cheese melts and egg is done, 3-5 min. You want yolks soft but the whites set. Serve in the ramekin. Some recipes say to bake the ramekins in a water bath. It works if you don't. A different idea, this time spicier: Heuvos Rancheros - the poached-in-the-sauce variation, which has its own Spanish name but I can't remember it. Fry chopped onion, garlic, chilies. Add a can of chopped tomatoes, simmer. Adjust seasoning (S+P, oregano, chili powder) to taste - you want some spice. Slip in eggs (make a little 'crater' in the tomatoes for each egg), cover, and poach. Serve w/tortillas, chopped cilantro, sour cream, jack cheese, chorizo.

Now that I have sumac, I want to try all kinds of recipes using this spice. But the link posted by Suvir didn't work. Any other links to try? ← "What to do with sumac" page: http://www.cuisine.co.nz/index.cfm?pageID=17077&r=0 Another one: http://www.stratsplace.com/rogov/israel/sumac_on_table.html Basic fattoush recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/re...936_192,00.html Googling "fattoush" (or "fatoush") and "recipe" will find you a zillion more.

Most of the world has crappy dull knives, too. But really this is not a valid argument -- especially for a place like the eGS. It's like saying, "most of the world manages to cook food without a fancy sauté pan." ← slkinsey, sorry if I caused offense there. The point I was trying to make (not very well) was that it's possible to get a functional cutting board for less money. There's nothing about eG that precludes recommending inexpensive solutions. For the record, I'm not recommending crappy dull knives or fancy saute pans.

I think the opposite way - there's less to cooking Wagyu than any normal steak. I would do as little to this fine meat as possible. I've even eaten Wagyu ribeye like sashimi, in very thin slices completely raw. Just sear (hot pan, very short time), slice and serve. I don't think it's necessary or advisable to char the outside. I'd stick with good Aussie Angus for a charred steak. The longer Wagyu is on the heat, the more fat renders out (as you've observed), and that defeats the purpose. Another nice prep is to roll very thin slices of Wagyu around enoki mushrooms and give it a very quick sear. This is a classic Japanese teppanyaki dish.

Jackel10 speaks the truth. Most of the world somehow manages to chop veg without $65 boards. For home use, almost any of the boards suggested in this thread will work fine and last for years.

I don't like salt shakers except for the salt I use for baking. My grinders match on my table. *shrug* ← Same here, I know the freshly-ground salt doesn't taste any different, but I think most regular salt shakers are ugly, so I bought a matching set of s&p grinders. ← There's one place where a salt grinder can be very functional. If you use large-crystal sea salt - like, say, a cheap but tasty sel gris de Guerande, which won't pass through the holes on any salt shaker I've ever seen - and you want to put a light dusting of it on something - say, on a plate of tomatoes - a grinder is the way to do it. Gets rid of the big crunchy bits, and saves money over buying vastly more expensive flaked sea salts. I'm still trying to figure out why my bag of sea salt has an expiry date on it...

I've had no problem freezing ginger for months in a ziploc. I don't ever thaw it, just shave what I need off the frozen root with a stout cleaver, then chop it. Works for me. It wouldn't work if you needed a lot of ginger at one time - but in that case I'll buy fresh. I like Behemoth's idea, but I live on the 28 floor of sealed building. No root cellar. No smoker, no BBQ, no garden. Oh well.

The reason fattoush benefits from chopping the veg into fine dice is so you can get the full combination of flavours in every mouthful. If you chop the veg coarsely, one veg dominates on the fork and that's not what you want - it ends up tasting more like a Greek salad (sans feta). But I don't like to chop the lettuce and pita as small, otherwise there's no contast and it doesn't plate up as nice. I usually tear the lettuce just a little smaller than usual salad size, and roughly break the pita. Both the lettuce and pita are more about texture than flavour in this dish, and that texture comes through better if they're a little bigger than the chopped veg. If you're deep frying, the pita works well (and looks good as a garnish) in strips.