Big Bunny

True. There are so many kind of rice and pasta, yet rice and pasta are uniquely different beasts. My Grandmother served cacciatore over polenta, yet another variable in the equation. Of course, I love it just that way because Grandma did it that way! BB

I thank you, too, Peppertrail. Yes, the best pasta is Durham wheat. I have tasted an Indian snack made of noodles which were very thin, less than one-sixteenth inch. The noodles were dry, but soft enough to eat, and coated with spices. Might these have been sevian? What fascinates me is that some things don't interchange well. It would seem that a good curry or pasta sauce would be just as tasty over good pasta or good rice. Yet, somehow it rarely "works." I often try off-the-wall combinations in a hurry, and these impromptu "fusions" are generally not bad, but somehow not right. I wonder how much of this is just culture, and how much is due to actual diferrences in the tastes and textures of the foods involved. BB

Thank you, mongo_jones. BB

Under General Topics, in a discussion of endangered and extinct dishes, mongo_jones says: "--pasta has greater cultural cache than say an old-school bengali vegetable and fish dish." I only know Indian cuisine from books and restaurants. This forum has, obviously, opened my eyes to a zillion things I don't find there. Being from a partly Italian background - I was reared in an Italian neighborhood - pasta is one of my life's treasures. How is pasta used in India? Do you just borrow Italian, and other, dishes? Or is pasta actually integrated into the cuisine? Please forgive me, mongo_jones, if I quote you miles out of context. BB

I am an Early Radio fan. I can spend hours in the kitchen listening to "Suspense" or "Dimension X", or a good old-fashioned radio detective. If that doesn't fit my mood, there's Burns and Allen, or Milton Berle. BB

Decanting works fine, especially if you use a pan with a pour-out. You may leave a few drops behind, but probably less than cheese cloth will soak up. BB

Clafoutis is always good. BB

I know of three 1000-recipe Chinese cookbooks: Gloria Bley Miller: The 1000 Recipe Chinese Cookbook Chang & Kutscher: An Encyclopedia of Chinese Food and Cooking: 1000 Recipes Adapted to the American Kitchen Wendy Hobson: The Classic 1000 Chinese Recipes Each is a gem, in its own way. The Miller book was especially valuable 25 years ago, when substitutions were the rule and Chinese groceries seemed more intimidating. The "Encyclopedia" packs a lot of information into the form of an abbreviated mise-en-place. Hobson has just collected all kinds of recipes - it is a great source of ideas, and most of the recipes are easy. It is not always clear which book someone means when they mention a 1000-recipe Chinese cookbook. Are there any others? BB

Potentially, this could be made into the Mother of Woks! I wonder who decides merchandising questions like that? BB

If you really want to know a cuisine, but don't have the opportunity to study "over there" or with an excellent teacher, a collection of books is the only answer. Ms. Tropp's two books are a good example. In the first she establishes her credibility, in the second she "takes off and flies" - in her own way, based on the traditional way plus what she brings to it. Each cook/author - many of them cited on this thread - brings insights, ideas, prejudices, personal history and a zillion other things to the table. I spend more time reading about Asian (and other) cuisine than cooking and eating combined. There is so much to learn, and so many people have said so much. BB

Dr. Demento. BB

From Baltimore, a local pronunciation and a misspelled sign from long ago: Oyster is often pronounced to rhyme with "moisture" - sometimes just to be cute, sometimes in earnest. Once there was a restaurant that had a hand-made sign saying, "REST ROOMS FOR COSTUMERS ONLY." Oddly, there was a theatrical supply company down the street. Maybe the rest-rooms were for them. BB

My mother's family were Kentucky coal miners who moved to Northen Illinois. Her step-father worked as a carpenter, so my grandmother fixed him a hearty traditional breakfast of eggs and bacon with biscuits and milk gravy (using the drippings.) I couldn't eat a breakfast like that now, but still remember the smell and taste of it. BB

Isn't vodka usually served OVER a sorbet? BB Oops! iriee already mentioned this. Sorry!

The Gooey Duck Song: http://sniff.numachi.com/~rickheit/dtrad/p...ttGOOEYDUK.html BB

Try Hanssen's Gueuze. BB

Thank you, Ben! BB

I see this as two simple dishes: 1) Braise dark-meat chicken with all of the savory stuff. 2) Stir-fry the green beans with just a bit of garlic, salt and wine. Then make some good rice and open a cold beer. BB

Dry Sherry is great. I've had good results with Lustau Fino or Amontillado. BB

Any citrus fruit. BB

Lemongrass is basically tough, but if it is reasonably fresh, the inner layers will be noticeably moist and fragrant. As JennotJenn says, lemongrass is one of the ingredients which responds better to a mortar than to a blender. BB

I enjoy almost every phase of cooking. I study history and geography while doing "armchair travel" from my kitchen. I love books - especially pretty books. Ethnic groceries are always exciting. I love good food, and it is especially satisfying to be able to make your own. Economical, too! I like being an amateur scientist in my laboratory. A good conversation about food can be (almost) as satisfying as food itself. The more you can cook, the better the conversation. I don't even mind doing dishes. Now if I could just find someone to keep my kitchen floor clean ... BB

In "Land of Plenty", Fuchsia Dunlop mentions a sort of 20-dish(?) sampler of regional goodies that is popular in Sichuan. I don't have the book handy for details. BB

Yes! Absolutely! Bi-lingual if necessary.

Well!! BB