HKDave

Good 'identify that chile' website, scroll down and click on the names to see photos: http://www.fronterakitchens.com/cooking/pantry/chiles.html Includes many regional names (most chilies have several) and some info on uses.

I love fattoush. Never really followed a recipe, just chopped cuke, tomato, mint, parsley, green pepper and green onion. Fresh mint and parsley are key. No red onion or radish, that's just my personal taste, I've seen them in this salad many places. Lemon/evoo/vinegar/sumac/garlic/salt dressing. Must have sumac. I don't usually chop lettuce with the above but sometimes serve it on a bed of lettuce. Rather than deep fry the pita, just split the pockets and brown in the oven (watch closely - they go from brown to burnt very quickly). Nice and crispy but not greasy. Agree, no basil leaves. Weird. Never seen that.

For a 'chef-instructor' perspective, the 2003 edition of Labensky's excellent 'On Cooking' - a textbook used by many culinary schools in the USA, written by a chef-instructor - specifies the Espagnole-thickened recipe for demi. It does say that a straight reduction can usually be substituted, but calls that reduction a jus lie, not a demi. I don't have a copy of the CIA textbook here, but if I recall correctly it says much the same thing (can someone check?). I agree that demi is on the way out in favour straight reductions, and I welcome that - and use reductions rather than demi myself. But there are already names for reductions (jus lie, or if reduced further, glace de viande), so it seems logical to use those names rather than calling them demi-glace. There are still many old-skool restaurants in the world using roux...

Demi-glace and jus lie seem to be used interchangably these days..... Demi is a 50/50 mix of brown sauce (sauce Espagnole) and stock, reduced 2:1. Jus lie is straight brown stock, reduced down to about the same consistancy. If what you've got is reduced stock, no problem to water it down to stock. But if you've got classic demi-glace, remember the Espagnole is roux-thickened and it may not water down with the same result. Look at the label - if it's got flour, it's not simply concentrated stock, it's also roux-thickened. It sounds like the frozen version you have would be fine. Best (as always) is to make your own.... Fat Guy's eGCI class is a good one. That recipe is good, I do a similar presentation using spiced cherries. Just make sure you crisscross and cook the heck out of the fatty side so it crisps up nicely. You may want to finish the second side in the oven so you can do the sauce in the pan while the duck stays warm.

Re the Prime Rib vs Prime grade issue (I'll avoid re-quoting the whole thing here, just look above) - in Canada there's a further complication. There is a Prime grade, similar to the US. But when describing the roast, the 'prime' ribs are the 5 ribs at the smaller end of the rib primal section. These are usually a little better marbled and more tender. The remaining bigger ribs are described as 'standing' ribs, and retail at a slightly lower price. Canadian supermarkets and butchers follow this nonclemanture (it's a gov't requirement, see the bottom of this page http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/l...a/chatabe.shtml ) , but restaurants usually sell the whole thing in slices as 'prime rib'. I don't know if this is the same in the US or not. Agreed that it would be fine to use US Choice grade (=Canada AAA). If you cook it right there is very little difference between Prime and Choice in a rib roast. If you don't have access to dry-aged, Alton Brown's 'quick dry age in your home fridge' method works surprisingly well. Method here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/re...6_17372,00.html

I'm not a big fan of frozen dim sum. There are several restaurants serving dim sum in my building (I live on top of a giant shopping mall in Hong Kong), including a private club whose Chef does the best har gao in the world, so I'm totally spoiled. That said, we usually have a couple of packages in the freezer so that the delectable Ms. A, who is a non-cook, has something quick and easy to heat up when I'm not in town. The supermarkets here have a huge range of frozen dim sum and dumplings, mostly made in China from big brands like Amoy (now part of the Danone megacorp).

What about Feenie's? I got very good fries (in poutine) there last time I was in town, and someone at my table ordered a side of fries which came with some dips or relishes (or were the dips with their burger? anyway, they were good and you could probably ask for them).

If you're talking 200 Farenheit, it should be fine. But I think some knife steels would be affected at 200 Celcius. Probably wouldn't be too good for most knife handles, either.

Ditto - love that store, but the guy can be a whack job. Some of the stuff there is great, some is just OK. But the Grana Padano is great, nicely aged and crumbly. Instead, go to Scardillo's on Hastings, they carry that same Grana Padano (they get it from Tosi) and are very nice people, too. And while you're there you can get some of their fresh bocconcini. And they usually stock some of Columbus Meat's great Italian sausage, so it saves making a trip over to Renfrew. Just down the block from Scardillo is a Polish sausage place that's also very good. That was my last stop in Vancouver on my way to the airport last time I was in town.

The wider-bladed slicers with slightly angled handles (like the Wustof in your link above) are functionally very similar to offset slicers. If you put the two styles side by side, you'll see the handles and cutting edges are in very close to the same positions in relation to each other. But the offset ones remove that extra width, which IMHO makes slicing easier.

I've got 3 bread knives: - a 12" 'SuperCamel' (obscure Japanese brand) that was the only bread knife I could find in Thailand 15 years ago. - an 8" Ikea cheapie that I got for free. - a 9.5" Forschner offset I got because it looks cool, and because everyone else at the school I'm going to has Sanellis. The 9.5" seems to be the most useful length, and I like the offset. Plus it's the coolest, by far. You said you wanted a more curved blade. I'm not sure that's a good idea for bread. Most bread knives are fairly flat so you get a clean cut all across the bottom crust. You're slicing back and forth, not rocking. I agree on 'don't spend a lot of money'. Both the Ikea and the Japanese knife stayed sharp for years, and it would be cheaper to buy another Forschener than to get them sharpened. I recommend a scalloped rather than a serrated edge. Less tearing, esp if you're using the same knife for slicing hams etc. And if you do want to ever get it sharpened, it's possible with scalloped but usually not with serrated.

It's on Lock Road. That's the road behind the Hyatt, parallel to and one block west of Nathan Road. Macau Restaurant is near the Haiphong Road end of Lock Road. Tsimshatsui MTR Exit A1 is very close.

Sichuan, very authentic, not expensive by HK standards, reservations essential: Man Jiang Hong, 1/f 482 Hennessy, Causeway Bay, entrance is around the corner on Percival St. tel 2838 8811 'Modern Chinese'... hmmm, this sounds like a question for aprilmei.

There are still some options for real 'street food' near the Peninsula in TsimShaTsui. Ask the concierge for directions to the Haiphong Road Temporary Market, just say 'the wet market nearest here, the one that's under the bridge' if he doesn't know what you're talking about. It's 3 blocks from your hotel. The cooked food stalls are hidden in the back of the abandoned-looking market. There's a famous beef ball noodle vendor there (look for the shop with the deep orange bowls, all they serve is beef ball noodles, say 'faan' if you want rice noodles or 'meen' if you want egg noodles) and a few other places. Looks dirty but don't worry, you'll be fine. No English spoken or written so bring your sense of adventure. Very busy at lunch, but quiet in the afternoon. HKDave lives one block away, so if you see a gweilo (westerner) eating beef ball noodles, come over and say Hi. If you're more adventurous, there are the various 'Indian' (some actually Pakistani) restaurants in the upper floors of the notorious Chunking Mansions, across Nathan Road from the Peninsula. My fave is Khyber Pass, on the 7th floor of E Block. Your conciegre will probably try to talk you out of going, and it's maybe not a comfortable place for women to be on their own, but if you like curry it's a very good deal. Your best bet is to go to the front entrance of the building, look like a tourist, and you'll be attacked by guys with menus. Hang onto your purse and locate the guy with the real Khyber Pass menu and get him to guide you in (or phone them and they'll send someone out to find you). Info on Chunking Mansions, incl Khyber Pass contact info, here: http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/...gking%20Mansion Other 'street' options in TST - tiny Hau Fook St (off Carnarvon Rd, between Granville and Cameron, 10 min walk from your hotel) has outdoor hot pot restaurants at night. I haven't tried them yet.

You know, I think that's insulting to rats. Worst beer that I can remember drinking was a local Indian brand whose name happily escapes me that I was served in the 'Permit Room' - aka bar - of a lousy hotel in Tirrupur, Tamil Nadu, after I had consumed all of the (very good) Kingfisher in the house. The waiter assured me it was just as good as Kingfisher. He lied.

My friendly meat importer used to bring in bags of frozen kangaroo tenderloin. I bought it a few times and found it to be very easy to cook and quite tasty - oh yeah, and cheap! Freezing doesn't seem to affect it as much as, say, beef. Sadly he's discontinued it. Seems even Hong Kongers don't want to eat Skippy.

hzrt8w, according to their website and my imperfect memory, Yung Kee has been in the same existing building (the colour picture) since the '70s, so I'm sure we are talking about the same restaurant. It's not far from the 'X' on your map, actually a little closer to Lan Kwai Fong on that same street. If you've been on the ground floor you might think it was small, but it has 4 floors of tables and is, by HK standards, quite a big operation. AmyKNYC, you still can still get suits made here although the quality and price varies widely. Custom shirts are a better buy. Hong Kong is definitely not the shopping mecca it once was, that ended decades ago. This is a non-food topic and the eGullet Enforcers frown on that, so I'll PM you with some info.

Are people living in Hong Kong post-1997 considered already 'in China' for the purposes of this question? People here still talk about 'going to China'. I started visiting China about 20 years ago. HK is now my home, and for the last 8+ years I've been going to the mainland every week or two. I live near the China Ferry Terminal in Hong Kong so it's very easy.... I can be at my favorite Sichuan restaurant in HouJie in about 2 hours. Yum.

The 'Regency'? I think you mean the hotel that used to be the Regent, which is across the street from the Peninsula. The Regent's name changed to the Intercontinental a couple years ago. The convention centre restaurants are not worth eating at. Even thinking about them is scary. There are a few top-of-building restaurants in HK. I can only think of 6 offhand: Felix at Peninsula - trendy but very good fusion cooking, from chef Dee Ann Tsurumaki (ex Roy Yamaguchi's in Honolulu). Aqua - haven't tried new location yet but heard good things Round Dragon (I think) at Hopewell Centre - decent standard Cantonese Napa - California style at Kowloon Shangri-La, sadly not what it used to be. Vong at Mandarin Oriental - part of the Vong empire. Yung Kee is not tiny, it's a big place, 4 stories, 2 elevators. It is cramped. Welcome to Hong Kong. Everything's cramped.... Go there anyway, and order roast goose if they have it. amyknyc, your list looks good. M at the Fringe is similar (the 'M' in both is Michelle Garnaut) to the one in Shanghai. Aqua is 1 block from your hotel. It is actually 3 restaurants: Italian, Japanese, and a hyper-cool bar, so make sure you know where your reservations are. Details: http://www.aqua.com.hk/ Or if you wanted more fusion-ish food, try Felix.

Tap water is safe in Hong Kong, although most people (like me) still boil it just because we've been in Asia too long to trust what any government says. But seriously, it is safe, unless you're in an old building (suspect pipes) or one of the few villages in the New Territories that uses well water. An American couple living in my building drank tap water for the several years they lived here without any problem. Unboiled tap water is not advisable anywhere in China, or most of the world for that matter. Just drink tea (puerh/poleh tea masks funky water nicely), or bottled water. Don't eat uncooked/unpeeled produce outside 5 star hotels or restaurants in China - and even there I wouldn't recommend it for a casual visitor. Stick to cooked food. There's great eating in Guangzhou. There's no need to be freaked out just because of the water. Hygiene standards in most of world are not the same as those of the USA or Western Europe. If you can't handle that, best to stay home.

Re your Hong Kong list... those are well known restaurants but in many cases expensive and/or touristy (which doesn't mean they're bad). Some quick comments: Fook Lam Moon - high quality, expensive w/attitude Maxim (city hall) - OK dim sum, not great. Maxims is a big chain with central kitchens. I never could understand why this location is supposed to be any better than any other in the group. They're all similar for yum cha. Luk Yu Teahouse - rude service, but good dim sum. Seafood in Cheung Chau island or Sai Kung - been a while since I've been to either. Avoid the well known Lamma Island seafood restuarants - especially Rainbow - like the plague. Very mediocre these days. Da Ping Huo - haven't tried it, but I should... Yu - expensive, high class, 'modern western' seafood Aqua - expensive, haven't tried it. Here are a few more down to Earth suggestions, the kind of places we go to again and again. All below can handle English speakers to some extent. Affordable authentic Sichuan: Man Jiang Hong, 1/f 482 Hennessy, Causeway Bay, entrance is around the corner on Percival St. tel 2838 8811. You can buy Sichuan spices in their shop. Roast goose and very reliable all around Cantonese cooking, less expense and less attitude than Fook Lam Moon. This may be the roast goose place Yuki said was next to Luk Yu - it's not, but it is on a street nearby. Yung Kee, 32-40 Wellington St. tel 2522 1624 For dim sum, I suggest Metropole in United Centre, Admiralty. Big noisy restaurant, not in all the guidebooks, better dim sum. If hubby still wants Italian, there several very good choices, the best of which is probably Toscana in the Ritz Carlton (expensive). Many Cantonese restaurants here have hairy crabs in season.

GM is allowed in Hong Kong, but Amoy claims they don't use GM here either. Here's a list of brands that are GM-free in Hong Kong: http://www.greenpeace.org.hk/truefood/index1.html Re detecting counterfeit PRB, for a while they had a hologram sticker on some bottles here in HK, not sure if that happened everywhere or if they're still doing it. Again, I would just stick to reliable retailers, this isn't a huge problem (and PRB soy isn't the only sauce being faked...).

Pearl River Bridge is a slightly upscale brand in China. It's a trademark of the unromantically named state-owned "Guangdong Foodstuffs Import & Export (Group) Corporation", a who also supply much of the pork and veggies to Hong Kong. Like most of the big soy sauce brands (Lee Kum Kee, Amoy), they now have a wide range of qualities. The best is their Gold Label Light Soy - 'light' being the most commonly used kind of soy sauce in Guangdong/Hong Kong. The Gold Label is supposed to be naturally fermented. They don't use genetically modified soy (neither do Lee Kum Kee or Amoy - GM soy is banned in China, and all these brands make in China). There are out-and-out fake bottles of the stuff around, and some of the fakes surfaced in the UK in 2001, complete with cancer-causing ingedients. Best to buy from reliable stores. In HK the fakes usually show up at wet markets. I doubt it's a big problem in the US. I used to use PRB, but switched to the last remaining small Hong Kong brand, who still brew all their own soy sauce locally and naturally. It's a great product but I don't think you can find it outside HK. They are Kowloon Soy Co. Ltd. at 9 Graham St, Central, HK.

Don't worry, this just means you pay a few bucks for a temporary membership to 'join' when you arrive. It's one of Utah's many silly liquor licensing rules. The New Yorker membership is good at all of the Gastronomy Group restaurants (Baci, Oyster Bar etc). There's an explanation of the nonsense here: http://utah.citysearch.com/feature/33004/private_clubs.html Basically, all you need to know is that the hostess will deal with it and it will cost you about $6.

Cooktek has 'drop in' as well as tabletop induction units, so you could do a built-in setup. But if you can talk him into tabletop, I used an earlier version of this Sunpentown model: http://shop.store.yahoo.com/kitchenhome/suincoblsr.html (not endorsing this store, just using the photo) for about a year and had zero problems - and depending on the model, it's 1/5 to 1/10 the cost of a Cooktek.