johnnyd

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...

I nominate GGMora! Spring Fling in the Green Mountains, wooohoooo!!! (Actually, I just want to see more crazy marzipan critters. How about a catamount? ...or "champ", the elusive monster of Lake Champlain? There's an idea... it would have to be huge!)

Some French friends of my family came to visit while I was in the midst of my Urchin Diving tenure and to their surprise, I brought a little tote of urchins I had harvested that day. We were in a little bistro with funky sofas and the hostess gladly provided some espresso spoons. I sliced the top off of les oursins and presented them to these stupified guests who went crazy. Apparently, Maine urchins are up to standards, but my french is below average so I can't be sure. They insisted on buying another bottle of wine so I assume they were a hit.

Those little guys have been part of my Caipirinhas and Mojitos lately, nevermind the hassle of de-seeding, the flavour is worth it.

Hey,Hey,HEY!!! You knockin' eel innards, mang? Dude, they are deeeeeLISH!!! ThankYouThankYouThankYou

Actually, NYT had an article containing tips for the troops from iraqi residents about dealing with the hot weather, one of which was to drink lots of hot tea. Would you like to borrow my hat? It was 5 below zero when that pic was taken.

oh, absolutely!!!

I am all too familiar with this feeling, but I was paid to do it!

Ahem, I had to step in to provide a little inside perspective that might help all the UNI haters. Indeed a challenging top-shelf sushi item, especially since it is highly perishable, and since people like Stone don't order it UNI doesn't move nearly as much as the usual suspects. So UNI gets on the gamey side as it sits in those little pine boxes all weekend, but owing to it's high perishability it probably got that way before it arrived at the restaurant. As a commercial diver on the Maine coast, I harvested urchins by the quarter-ton or so on a seasonal basis for seven years. 90% were destined for Tsujiki Market in Japan while the other 10% went to Stateside sushi brokers. I became aware of many aspects of this fishery (another story, another time) including being witness to colossal blunders of organization that yielded much spoiled product. There are few things more delicious than sea urchin roe right out of the shell, right off the rocks from a depth of three meters, where the sunlight still penetrates deep enough to allow forests of kelp, urchins' favourite food, to flourish. I made sure I had at least one every day I jumped in the water for good luck. Did the urchins I harvested make it into the mouths of sushi-lovers in Manhatten during the mid '90s? I'd bet on it. But how long were they out of the water? Some shippers were better than others. When I visited a pal in NYC and went out for sushi, we ordered UNI of course and my friend made a big deal about my occupation, but the staff didn't care much. The UNI was pretty awful, downright rank I thought. It occured to me that sushi fans might not ever really get the good fortune of knowing what fresh UNI tastes like. It's a challenging flavour, week-or-more-old uni! That explains the macho postering among diners who swear by it, and the common sense of those who don't: it's just not fresh, people! Since I had to give up diving, I've settled for whatever uni that's available. My local sushi bar chef who knows my past sometimes gives me the most imperceptible nod when he catches me peering into the sushi case at his uni. If he looks away or ignores me, I know to get a quail egg on top if I order it that day, or avoid it all-together.

Oren, I did a little digging and found the China Pearl in Boston's Chinatown. Never been but epinion reviews seem favorable. Let us know how it turns out.

That is probably Piri Piri Sauce, an afro-portuguese hot sauce that seriously rocks.