Behemoth

We celebrated the recharging of freon in our air-conditioner with the making of chili. Sourdough bread on the side. We were going to make some greens on the side but the chili was so good most of it was "tasted" before we got around to anything else. This version was exceptional, I have to say...I used some mole paste in it since I had it on hand. It really added an interesting dimension. Plus tomatoes, beer, chipotles, cumin, coriander, oregano, paprika & chiles. And vinegar to brighten...well, you know the drill. This was my favorite version yet...and my spouse declared it a member of "the list", so I guess he liked it too. Next time I just need ot make a bigger batch.

I feel so old school. I use a giant clay pot I got from relatives in lebanon. It holds its warmth for a long time, so I can just leave it in a corner for 24 hours, swaddled in dishtowels. I guess there's some risk when I don't use a machine for these things, but the "seat-of-the-pants" element of possible failure makes cooking so much more fun for me. I bring the milk just to a boil, the let it cool for about 30 minutes (approx 115 degrees), then mix the starter with a little of the milk in a seperate bowl, then incorporate into the pot. I usually use stonyfield full cream as a starter...It is what I buy at the supermarket anyway, so I can just use the leftover for a new batch so long as I remember to save some. Oh, I also use buttermilk when I remember to get it! (Some for the yoghurt, the rest for irish soda bread ) Plain Brown Cow is harder to find around here so I've never used it as a starter -- I like that it is more sour than stonyfield, but that's interesting about the pectin. Huh. Why would they use Pectin in the first place? How annoying...does stonyfield do pectin? If I want my yoghurt thicker I just drain it.

As far as popsicle molds -- I just got a nice set from IKEA last week -- holds 7 pops and cost $1.99, seems sturdy. Why oh why did I only buy one?? Now all I need is a box o' pudding... In the meantime I am being all healthy: orange juice, frozen banana and yoghurt slush made in blender then frozen in molds to set. The pre-frozen banana takes away the large ice crystal problem. I am currently considering exchanging the yoghurt for coconut milk and some form of alcohol. Any thoughts?

Just wanted to add -- looking at www.tour2korea.com, there seems to be a program where you can get a volunteer guide to show you around the city, for free except to pay their expenses. It seems to get lots of good comments, so for future readers of this thread, that might be something to look into. You need to reserve at least two weeks in advance. I think I will do that. Much nicer than trying to pick people up at bars...

Ack, that last photo...what is that? That's a plant??? The first one looks like some form of sea urchin...is that right? I love sea urchin, havn't had it since I was a kid. I will definitely keep an eye out. I actually managed to teach myself Hangul so it would be easier to get around, but I need to learn more vocabulary. Most non-Koreans I've met don't seem to realize it only has 24 letters, and is so easy to learn. This thread is great, I can't believe I have so much information. The Noryangjin Fish Market sounds like a must. With a camera. And I definitely want to try temple food...is Sanchon my best bet? Or how would one arrange for a meal at an actual temple? And Jim, your suggestions on dishes to try is fantastic. I have been wanting to try the rice cake soup ever since I read about it. Oh, and is the Lotte center anywhere near the Lotte hotel? That is where we will be staying. Now I just need to figure out how to snare myself a young Korean guide without coming off too creepy... I might pack a small french press & coffee with me to avoid a caffeine headache. I've read that coffee is expensive but that you are meant to nurse a cup for a few hours if you want. I've also read there are a couple of "women only" cafes, some just "feminist" as opposed to gay -- I am straight but it is a culture I am comfortable with (4-year women's college, among other things...) so it might be a good way to meet friendly people...any idea if people might be offended? I gather the gay culture is not very well integrated into society there. Is it a generational thing there as it is here?

Wow, I am hanging out in the wrong places... I will try the fake Pimm's recipe tonight, I think. I love Campari -- actually I keep a bottle on hand and drink it with orange juice & ice in the summer...very refreshing and won't get me in trouble. I bet it would be good with orangina, too. I don't know why I never thought of that before.

In White Dog's favor, they do have a political agenda -- sometimes it gets a little silly, but mentioning where their produce & meats come from is a part of that agenda. Also, the cluttered & quirky menu kind of matches the decor. I have some ceramic white poodle bookends I've been meaning to donate to them...

Pimm's Cup! Great stuff, never see it in the bars I go to. Maybe I go to the wrong bars. Or maybe it is a pain to keep fresh cucmber slices around.

This might be boring but...I love leftover BBQ sandwiches with sauteed greens (such as broccoli rabe) or with arugula & swiss or provolone cheese. (Which one depends on the BBQ).

Wouldn't they get into trouble if they advertised Nieman Ranch and instead used Tyson? I'm assuming that's what you mean by that(?) My understanding was that organic certification has some pretty stringent requirements these days. Maybe I am really naive. One does what one can, I guess.

Actually, I wish we had one of these so called Chipotle places nearby. We do have a Qdoba which I don't care for at all. The food is just not that good, period. Bland and yet somehow oversalted at the same time, just plain blah. As for the former being owned by McDonalds, hell I'd eat at McD if they started featuring Nieman Ranch & other organics, even if I didn't care for the food so much, just out of principle.

I haven't tried agar in marshmallows, but I have heard people complain that it doesn't set up well. Also, I find that agar sometimes contributes an off flavor unless the other ingredients are strong enough to hide it. (I wasn't so happy with Agar panacotta, but stronger flavored fruit-based jellys were fine). Kojel or other vegetable-based gelatin seems to be more popular. Here's a recipe I bookmarked a while ago...most recipes I've seen seem to be a variation on this. vegan marshmallows Note, some Kosher gelatins are not vegetarian, but you probably already knew that.

I googled various things and couldn't come up with a good match, so here goes: I will be in Seoul for a conference for 10 days in July. I could use some advice on places to go (mainly eating & drinking, though other advice is also very welcome). My experience with Korean food so far has been in american restaurants that cater to Korean students near my university. I love the greatest hits (kimchi stews, chapchae, bibimbap, those giant pancakes...not to mention the ubiquitous bbq) but I am assuming there is much more out there. I would especially be interested in the following: - good street food to watch out for, stands if you know any good ones - good bbq place, to take colleague who might not be the adventurous sort. - good place for dumplings - traditional korean restuatants in general, what should I try? - very curious to try a traditional vegetarian restaurant - would like to try summer specialities, cold dishes - maybe a decent non-fancy western place (eg italian, say) to placate travel companion if he start to rebel - a couple of good bars, student-y vibe sort of thing, nice but laid back - good places to get coffee, snacks while running around town - I've heard there is good indian food to be had? I am curious about that also, but only if it is really different from what you'd get in a typical US place. - good Sushi place worth seeking out? - Any good junk food to keep an eye out for? Recommendations about foods to try would also be very much appreciated. (Especially seasonal stuff, I am guessing it will be really hot & humid). Thanks!

Cool, I'll try that. (Or, should I say, room temp, I'll try that). Part of it was, if the bowl was cold I wouldn't sweat so much while whipping. Let me please reiterate the request for a fish tutorial. Or any de-boning tutorial, actually. I was the cook for a vegetarian group-household & myself veg for a long time and while I can do pretty much anything I want with a vegetable, complicated boning procedures I'm not so good at. Butchering/where different cuts come from/how to get them, that kind of thing would be really helpful. A charcuterie class might also be interesting...(when in the midwest, figure out what to do with the meat, I say).

- salad sandwich: basically a BLT with cucumber instead of the B. - cucumber & yoghurt salad - labneh and olive sandwiches - watermelon & feta - tomato sandwiches - get up early and fry up some eggplant slices while it's still cool out. Later, eat at room temp with cold yoghurt, drizzle of olive oil and toasted pine nuts. - frozen blueberries -mushed up avocado on a bagel, with salt and lots of cracked black pepper. - tabbouleh (the real kind, parsley salad with a little bulgar.) - elbow or shell macaroni with sauce of cold yoghurt, a little mashed garlic & dried mint - I crave, and need to learn how to make, that japanese dish with cold soba noodles that you dip into broth. Yum. I used to live in an un-airconditioned attic apartment, so I got tons. For me its not just the temperature, it has to be easy on the stomach when it's that hot out.

Sorta related: apart from the raw kibbee, which people here are familiar with, there is another Lebanese raw meat item that is much less common outside the country -- raw lamb liver that you dip in salt and the pepper spice mix. Basically, lamb liver sashimi, and really really good. (Cooked liver gets that mushy texture, raw it is much nicer, IMO.) But I would never, ever eat it unless I had met the lamb in person that morning and knew the person preparing the liver. People also like to eat cubes of raw meat from the lamb when it is freshly killed, also quite good, IMO. Chicken just seems especially risky, especially if you have no control of the animal while it is alive. The only way I'd be willing to try that is if the people had raised the animal themselves, were really careful types, and the animal was only given vegetarian feed. Even then, though, I have to admit it looks pretty unappatizing. I guess it comes down to what one is accustomed to. (Deep, I know.)

Grilled red snapper, stuffed with shallots, garlic, thyme, lemon I had some leftover boiled potatoes, which I sliced up & grilled, so: Salad of grilled new potatoes, grilled scallions & grilled romaine lettuce, with dressing of olive oil, grain mustard, white wine vinegar, cracked black pepper and sea salt.

There's a lebanese-owned sandwich shop near me called "the rock". I know it refers to a geologic feature off the coast of beirut (as I happen to be from there) but around here people think it was named for the wrestler.

I used to get scrambled egg all the time until I started using Marcella Hazan's recipe... since then it has come out great every time. You beat the eggs with cheese, in a big serving bowl. As soon as pasta is cooked, drain it quickly, dump it in the bowl with the cheese & egg mixture and toss until pasta is coated... the heat from the pasta cooks the eggs just enough, but the lack of direct heat keeps the eggs from getting solid. Then the hot bacon gets dumped on top of that, and everything is tossed again. I would post the recipe but I am assuming there are copyright issues. (Anyway, that book is totally worth the price).

I am a total idiot when it comes to most technique-related cooking, but I have mastered the eggwhites. By hand, since I didn't have a mixer, and in the worst philly humid summer weather in top floor (hot!) apartment. This was largely based on info culled from science/food type books... My low-tech system: - Wash bowl with a little vinegar, until it's squeaky clean, then rinse thoroughly - Put bowl in the fridge while I get my other stuff together - cold eggs - pinch of "Cream of Tartar" - It takes just a couple of minutes to get stiff peaks. I'm sure it would be less exercise with a hand mixer. I wonder if the meringue powder contains cream of tartar? I've also read that whipping the whites in a copper bowl has the same effect.

Would Diana care to hold a master class in gutting and scaling? I'd pay money for that. Yes please do! While I have no problem filleting a cooked fish, I have in the past always asked my fishmonger to gut & scale the beast. But now I am in the midwest and the options seem to be "pre-seasoned fillet o' catfish" or "you are a weirdo, that was just for decoration". Suffice it to say, I came home with an otherwise lovely whole red snapper that had been gutted but not scaled, even though the guy at the counter said it had been I did my best, but it was kind of a mess. By the time I leave this freakin' place, I am going to be SUCH a good cook.

The image of erect sausages is just... As for the other stuff, it might be an age thing. My grandmother, bless every one of her 95 years, was an awesome cook back in her day (we'll generously overlook the molded jello salad with cottage cheese & pineapple...) but lately, she doesn't cook at all and doesn't eat all that much. So, she freezes EVERYTHING that she can't finish. I have been offered the following frozen items in the past year: Rigatoni w/ sausage that I made 1 year ago Lobster Ravioli that I made 2 years ago Leftover piece of lamb from dinner 2 weeks ago leftover chicken from 3 months ago Cookies from 2 months ago (these not frozen) Whenever i visit I go through the fridge and exterminate all science projects, and last raid of the pantry uncovered a bottle of tabasco from 1972. And then I promptly head to the supermarket. Having said that, my mom used to be a very good cook but lately not so much. Either I am a lot more picky or else a sad genetic destiny awaits me...

Lord, girl, you needs to drink more. Friends got me into Martini Bianco (not the light-colored dry vermouth, and definitely not the red kind!) when I was in Germany last summer but the only place I have been able to find it here is when I visit my grandmother in Florida. How does that compare wiz zee leelay blanc? re: accents -- I find myself mispronouncing (americanizing) foreign words often to a) not draw attention to myself b) be understood but lately I have been feeling like a total pussy for doing so. From now on I say, if you can say it right, damnit, say it right.

I would trade a pioneering free jazz trumpeter for a block of cheese any day of the week. Sorry, I am a dork.

That is just too freakin' cool. I am on my own today and it's too damned hot to cook inside and I just finished making limocello, so... pita bread (homemade) labneh with olive oil za'tar (mixed by my awesome uncle), with olive oil olives (also from awesome uncle, last fall's batch from the family farm.) If I were to fry an egg in my clay pan and open a bottle of beer, this would be my childhood "dinner with dad when mom's away", circa 20 years ago. Sigh. I really feel spoiled.