johnnyd

Dude! I throw on some good cheddar every now and then, but when forming burgers, I include minced red onion, dash or two of Worceshire, couple good grinds of each of my pepper mills, chopped fresh thyme and oregano and Janes Krazy Mixed up salt to the ground beef and mix well. They come out grand.

My sushi rice is room temperature when I spread it on nori, no ditch. Doesn't have to be thicker than a half inch. Leave an inch and a half at the top for "gluing". My Seasoning is a small heap of superfine sugar in Rice Vinegar and mirin. Sprinkle it around the rice when it's just off the stove in a wide bowl. slash the rice with a small wooden paddle so it mixes in well, let cool to room temp. Have a bowl of water or leftover seasoned vinegar nearby to dip your fingers in, it keeps 'em from getting too sticky. When you roll, pull the side closest to you over your filling with authority. Think of the page of nori as quarters. Aim for the middle with your closest edge, grasp the bamboo and squeeze. Hold while you sight-up your next "quarter" roll. The last quarter (far edge) is wetted so you have a glue (allow for nori to absorb but don't over wet)(also, leftover seasoned vinegar is really good for this step). Squeeze and hold before unfurling bamboo mat. You end up with a squarish cylinder but trust me it's easier! Next time you go to a sushi place, sit at the bar and watch those guys churn out rolls, you'll see what I mean. You might also want to cut the nori in half, spread rice on one side, add filling, then roll into a cone (this is a "hand roll"). These are much easier and look great AND fun to serve/eat. Edit to add: Gee Whiz! I should type faster! Nice pics above! You'll get more personal methods than you can shake a stick at so pick the most comfortable, but practice makes perfect.

putrid shellfish. If you're going to make dishes with clams and mussels, store them properly in the walk-in and check them before you add. I don't care how busy you are - this can cost the restaurant a fortune on many levels if not addressed.

BRAVOOOOO! Hip, hip....

Okay, my name is johnnyd and I am hopelessly consumed with good food... I have noticed a real problem concentrating at work and fret about my ability to hold a job. I find I make excuses to go to fresh markets the day of delivery instead of seeing a client, same with fish markets. I lie awake imagining new ways to combine ingredients, getting up exhausted that morning. My wife is threatening to start an "eGullet Widows" thread just to get me to pay more attention to her. Sometimes I start a PM to jlhurie asking him to limit my log-in to specific hours so I can get some work done, then in a fit, back off and chicken out. There. I feel better. Now let's see who's posted in the last minute and a half...

Hmmm... I thought that lots of foods are kept in oil as a preservative, a trick used before refrigeration, but when I put my roasted red pepper in olive oil it gets all funky after a few days. Are we talking the same deal here? Am I missing a step or getting it all wrong entirely?

Ask him/her about dairy digestion. I've read and am in agreement that Western European type people are the only ones who drink milk after the age of seven. Cheese too, I think. People of Asian descent don't do dairy very well, I hear.

Hey, your english not too bad.... Something up-thread began to make sense of this threads original question but takes it further: What food from our upbringing continues to haunt us as we get older??? Rice is a winner, clearly. The blackbean maelstrom that is "Feijoada" from Brazil is served with med grain white rice. I make a mess of Feijoada one day a month (it takes two days) and freeze several pints to use at will. I don't think I could function without it every so often. Sushi is another for me. I could eat it every day if, A) I could afford it; B) I could make it faster, but I'll die if I don't get it once a month at least. What else, Folks?

Sadly, I don't think such a thing exists anymore! When I was a kid, we used to get littlenecks with our toes out of Katama Bay off Edgartown and Chappy. There was a clam bar right next to the yacht club where I'd eat my weight of 'em but last I was there, it had morphed into a cheap burger joint. Find the clams. You might hit bluefish season at that time which, when fresh as possible, could be made into a masterpiece by some of those island chefs.

Hoo boy. We had papayas everywhere when we lived in Brasil, I was 12yrs old and I hated 'em. These days, I buy a big maridol papaya and have a little for breakfast everyday. I also broke out in hives when I had lobster at 13yrs old, now I live in Maine and... well, um... do the math! Go figure. I'd say I had to be in College before I started opening my palate to new horizons, but that's me.

Wow. I spent my upbringing on three continents, USA, S.America and Europe, but I was born as WASP as they come in Connecticut. Because I traveled so much, I feel much distance from most Americans, and their palate. I could wax prodigiously about how each country influenced my culinary tableau, picking out my favourites, but the real reason my cooking is the way it is is because of my Mom. Regardless of where we were, my Mom went to great lengths to find the freshest ingredients. I was dragged to the market every morning when I was home from school. Someone had to carry the bundles of fish and fruit and vegetables. When she or my Dad found something new and interesting at a restaurant, they chatted their way into the kitchen, poured some wine for the cook, and by week's end that dish was on the table at home, it's secret devined. I grew up in a family that lived for food. I didn't realize how useful those trips to the market would be until I started cooking for myself. Shit out of a can? A box? Hey, my college roomates can knock themselves out. I'm going to the market to find the good stuff, then I'm going to find an interesting recipe... Couple that with a growing realization that processed foods give people a host of mysterious conditions, reactions and gawd knows what else, so I am a strictly-fresh product evangelist. This can be a pain when dating... What I guess I'm trying to illustrate is it really an issue of international exposure to food, or exposure to international food, or just a little pluck and imagination that influences one's style of cooking? My Mom taught me to accept nothing less than the freshest product available and to treat it with respect and reverence. Did she learn that in Brazil where she was born? But her parents were English/Australian/Bostonian! Those who grow up in traditional cultures of one kind or another grow attached to the local customary cuisine. Some will tire early of it and seek out new tastes from other countries thanks to modern trade distribution of foreign food, others won't and be just as happy, thank you. IOW, maybe you don't have to travel, but just have a sense of adventure?

Whenever this happened I started going back to the gym: you feel better, more oxygen gets to the brain to allow clearer thinking, you sleep at night, appetite comes back... you generally get rid of the mopes. Up until I finally got off my ass to do it though, I went on a hardcore sushi binge... right up until I went practically broke!

Rosti, bitte! I went to school in the '70s just over the ridge from Col des Mosses in Chesieres/Villars. I never knew that about the cheese of L'Etivaz... probably too busy being an adolescent. It sounds like it would make a great expedition for the students so I will email them about it. Thanks Boris!

FYI: The Canadian link was last modified over two years ago. I respect the Canadian findings but since I just bought a bag of it I guess I'll limit consumption but not elliminate it altogether, it's too delicious. Looking forward to those recipes. I usually add red pepper, sliced in my mandoline, sesame oil w/mirin and rice vinegar, but I'm eager for variations.

That was an eye-opener, T and your daughter and her friends look very sharp indeed. This particular meal was vegetarian. What frequency during the week does this happen and how often does fish/beef/chicken get served?

okay, okay, okay-ya! China Doll it is, or... whatever!

It seems I am the only one goofing off and every one else is working... hmmm I did see that Mongo but I didn't know if one would be better paired with your other remaining ingredients, flavour-wise. Does it matter? So little knowledge...

I think FG, Ellen and the team deserve a gigantuous round of applause for covering this event in such a comprehensive manner. I know I speak for all who happened on the blog from the start. From Neds midnight bikeride to the morning-after comments, it was very exciting to follow in real-time from afar. Thank you Steven, et-al, for teaching me what real barbeque is all about - hey, I know what deckle is! - and Ellen, Jason, et-al, for the incredible pictures. News about crowds and hassles cemented the feeling of "being there". Thanks for all your hard work and effort to make egullet.com a truly unique experience. JohnnyD

This blog is awesome. I see another week shot to hell. *sigh* Hey Mongo, I've had my share of American version Indian food but I have no idea how it's supposed to be made. So your pics of preperation were helpful. It might be old news to those more knowledgable in the cuisine than I, but I hope you'll throw in a few more pics, unless it's too big a pain. Your mackeral looks delicious. Carry on...

We moved to the Algarve when my Dad retired in the 70s. He built a little house and planted a vineyard. There were fig trees everywhere, one just outside the kitchen that was so huge we put a hammock in it. I slept there on warm nights and when figs were in season, I'd wake up with a few in my lap.

...another use for the fabulous microplane!

That's nice that you lot will have somewhere to go after Jason pulls the plug... Sorry guys, but the most Outstanding American Desert is the award-winning VIRGILS microbrewed Root Beer with a couple scoops of Ben&Jerrys extra-vanilla, vanilla ice cream, in a classic 50's diner-style 16oz shake glass. Spoon and straw too, please!

One bottle of Smirnoff = $9.95 Dude, you're all set... But seriously folks, one thing not mentioned is how active our friend is. I had to recover from an accident and surgery for a few weeks. I noticed I didn't need so much food while I laid flat all day and night. I made it on $11/week: a whole roast chicken and asian noodle/veg combos, using the chicken stock. Rice and Lentils often. Splurged on tofu and eggs. I also stretched one bottle of sake by the thimble-full for one month. I did find the less understood foods were generally cheaper, ie turnips, kale.

...hmm. now that's a signature...

Curses! So you did... It certainly does count. Well, I have been mulling it over ever since I followed Lucy around Lyon but it's not appropriate right now. Give me another couple of weeks or so, so I can get comfortable in my new job, get a camera, and summer arrives for real. Oh, and I need to dry-clean my hat...