FaustianBargain

I agree, Ellen..in principle...dont get me wrong..i love my D60...i too use aperture-priority regularly, but one takes the auto feature for granted...d60 lets one done...as a canon loyalist, i feel let down...the biggest ever letdown for me was that the sensor doesnt allow infra red images to be recorded digitally...the D60 is only as good as your fastest lens...my $69 50mm prime PLASTIC lens is my best choice at f1.8...having said that...the d60 is like a first born to me...my first ever dslr..i expect many wonderful things in the future..but it will always be my first...20 years from now...hmmmmmm i had to resort to layering the camera with fleece and hand warmers during our climbing trips to mt.washington...with wind chill and falling temperatures, it soon became a dead weight...very dangerous when you are counting every ounce you carry on your back.....good times on single use cameras...i am not complaining... ..it never ceases to amaze me how those cheapo plastic throw away contraptions you get from the neighbourhood drugstore almost always deliver beautiful results...its all in the eyes of the beholder etc, i suppose... thanks! later..

Ellen, the auto feature is a joke with the D60...if it werent for the price we have to shell out for canon dslrs, it would be hilarious...lets just say that shooting auto is just pathetic.. thread irrelevant question..how do you manage to keep your batteries 'alive' during your trips with digital? esp where its cold..nepal/himalayas/high alt...dont know where i read about it..but climbers are becoming amateur inventors trying to use solar power to keep their gadgets alive above the dead zone, it seems...

if you send your d60 back to canon, they might recaliberate your meter..free if you still carry the canon warranty.... i like that image...was it RAW?

today(friday), we set aside duck legs with its dry marinade for duck confit that will be prepared next wednesday(thats five days away)...we were told to reduce the amount of salt drastically(well..first of all, the recipe called for way too much salt..100 gms for 4 duck legs) because it will be soaked in all that salt for over 100 hours instead of the usual 24-48. if confit=brining(is it still brining when there is no liquid involved)+cooking in fat...does it really matter if the duck legs were soaking in 100 gms of salt or 20 gms of salt... unlike marinating using a brining solution, there is no osmosis taking place because of the lack of liquid...what exactly happens when you smear salt + spices over meat and let the salt do its 'work'?

welcome to the world of L-series lens, tana.. its beautiful in here...

A.A.A.A.A is Association Amicale des Amateurs d'Andouillettes Authentiques(Friendly Association of Authentic Andouillettes Amateurs). Simon and Bertrand Duval from La Maison de l'Andouillette (The House of Andouillettes) use the A.A.A.A.A signature and their product is based on the traditional Troyes Andouillettes recipe.

I am not sure that chilli peppers are a cure for ulcers, but now we know that 'spicy' food is not really the major cause of stomach (peptic) ulcers(neither is stress). Peptic ulcers are caused by a fairly common type of bacterium called Helicobacter pylori which infects the inner mucous lining of the stomach leading to gastris infections and ulcers. Not all infections show symptoms. Now that we know this, there is no reason not to love hot foods...SO THERE! hug your chillis... Fascinating thread, but work beckons. I have to more to say, but that has to wait.

http://www.usefilm.com/browse.php?project_id=11&mode=project > i have been a member here since its inception..it has helped me a lot with its photo critiques..i just remembered their egg project...take a looksie..

egg: too much dead space in the background..see the little strip of white whatever at the top of the image..the one that is not the tablecover(or whatever uponwhich the egg is placed) shouldnt be there...not enough light...at least on my screen..open aperture..use a tripod..you used a brown egg..try using a white egg on a white egg holder with a white background..underexpose because your camera meter will overexpose for compensating all the whites...make sure you get all the shades of white...yes, there are different shades of white and well captured,its sublime...place your tripod exactly in a straight line from the egg...you have placed the subject in the centre...use the rule of thirds....composition wise,its never a good idea to place the subject slam bang in the centre...because of how the eye draws it in..the egg image has potential..try again.. the second one is really beyond redemption...dont be offended i said so...the composition is whacked...half a candle light...cant see the label..doesnt convey anything..i see no glasses...a winebottle/candlescene should be 'warm'...place a couple of glasses(photographing glass is always tricky becauseit will reflect the light of the candle..use light reflectors..or foil over books)...place a cheese board and sliced apples..make sure all the lines are straight...your depth of field should be such that everthing is in focus..(for me, at least..there is no point in an elaborate tabletop setup if you are not going tohighlight the subjects)...however..remember that if the subject is 'wine'...it should stand out ...if the glasses or the candle or the apples or the cheese is not the subject..its the wine...makesure there is enough light and sharp focus to read the label...make sure your reflection with the camera in hand doesnt appear on the wine bottle or glasses

veggie flavoured sugar? what an interesting idea.. after using cardamom, i usually drop the empty pods into the sugar jar...for lavender sugar, i leave the dried lavender sugar in the sugar for a few weeks and then powder it ...to be sifted later...i vaguely recall ginger flavoured sugar...no idea how that goes..you can use pretty much any dried spice for flavouring sugars..i think..anyways, ..i am not sure veggie flavoured sugars are as exciting as spice flavoured sugars..

i dont have a pantry atm...but the usual suspects are: tender mango(vadumangai), mango(avakkai), mango(thokku), lime, magali(obscure..but south indians might recognise this root veggie pickle), salt narthangai(dont have a clue what its called in english..it looks ugly..but its wonderful), gooseberry(nellikai - hot version), 'ma-inji'(havent a clue what it is called in english) and mmmmmmm..garlic pickles

Mangoes belong to the same plant family as the poison oak, poison ivy and sumac(i think..i'll get back to you on that)...so...no surprise there, huh? its not the fruit! its the skin and the oils there..unfortunately, if you are sensitised to it, you'll get a very violent reaction the second time around..(the first time will be mild or nonexistent) on a side note: i have always wondered if indians(like myself who have spent most of their childhood playing under mango groves and climbing mango trees) are less sensitive to poison oak, ivy or sumac..not that i'd like to test my theory..during my numerous appalachian trail hikes(almost all of it start as a thru-hike and i always ended up coming back home because i am a weakling), i almost always seem to miss the ugly rashes most white folks acquired in a hurry...the leaves probably contain the same oil as the skins...i dont recall how many times i have threaded the mango leaves for thoranams and for the thousands of important and sundry festivals...and growing up on vadumangai and mushy curd rice, ...ripe mango probably has the least amount of the 'oil' by proportion...

unfortunately for you, north america gets its mangoes from mexico..alphanso can be spotted in most american-indian grocery store for a *very* short window of time...a whole carton for under $15!...most of the alphonso variety goes to the middle east where they are quite crazy about it...they export most of it there from india..there is very few left for the indians is what i hear....fond memories are triggered by constant mango references from india...its the season, it seems..i was the youngest..i always got the fat, fleshy seeds...i dont recall the distant echoes of my youth, but i'll always remember coming home to the golden fruit...and digging teeth into the succulent flesh as the juices flow right down the elbows..and if i was *really* good(translate that as pitching in for extra duty after the afternoon meals), my grandmother would set aside an extra slice of mango...that was a good incentive..

HOT green chillis + mint + cilantro into a fine paste ..add to yogurt(or thick buttermilk..less sour the better)..soak *hot* vadas in it for an hour or two..:) i have never been able to stop eating just one of these...this is pretty much the only dish i can prepare well and am proud of...

rushina, i prefer the soft version too...i am too lazy to chew...and those blasted sesame seeds get into every nook and cranny, dont they...the soft version is only made twice a year...and other times, its made in the chewy, full seeded version...and only during death anniversaries...so they absolutely refuse to make it whenever i feel the urge....denying a hungry child...there ought to be a law against it....the first thing i did when i moved to live on my own is to buy lots of jaggery and sesame seeds..i can never manage to shape them as balls..but who cares...

i'd like to introduce you to my mom...when my mother was a blushing bride, my paternal grandmother, may she rest in peace, wouldnt let my mother into her kitchen until she had the whole sambhar/rasam thing 'tanjavur style' right.....she was totally corrupted by the 'palaghat' style of adding goddamn coconuts to everything, you see...i cant tell you how much i have been affected by the childhood trauma of hearing DAY IN AND DAY OUT about sambhar/rasam powders..it inevitably graduates to gossip or bitchiness when some hapless new female enters the family....eventually, they all kiss and make up...the hypocrisy is cutting...some two years later, the ex-victim of a bloodless coup will be ripping another new bride to shreds about her obviously inaccurate manner of roasting and grinding the sambhar powder...when you usually attend a wedding, you congratulate the couple..mingle a bit and come back straight home..right..not so in the chaotic unit called my family...the first thing they'd do is find out who the caterer is...and then they will divide themselves into factions...professional debate teams have to stand back IN AWE to watch these two groups go at it ...dissecting EVERY single $£%^& ingredient and style of cooking...god save the bride's parents if he isnt upto scratch..the stigma of hiring a mediocre caterer for their daughter's wedding feast will haunt them for the rest of their lives and beyond...gordon ramsay's hell's kitchen? not bloody likely...to this day, i cant stand coconut OR the smell of sambhar powder...its a tragic affliction, i am telling you...every year, for new years day..no matter which part of the world i may be in..i'll get a new rupee coin, a new set of threads and ........a carefully triple wrapped plastic(original plastic cover of some raw sambhar ingredient...dutifully washed..and dried) packet of sambhar powder(family recipe, i am told..i prefer cold hard cash)...i never had the heart to tell any of my female relatives that all of them went straight to the dustbin...unopened......

But (to return to food and restaurants). is this only an issue for Chinese restaurants, or do we see this organised behaviour in other parts of the catering industry? i dont understand what you mean by 'organised behaviour'...by whom...the immigration authorities cracking down on illegal labour?

andy, if *I* were to think like a regular(i.e. i drop neat little bundles of cash with unflinching regularity) at any of Ramsey's restaurants and he has this kind of publicity, I wouldnt frequent his place....i dont know what kind of customer he attracts..the nouveau riche....people who want to be 'seen' or people who appreciate the food as well as the ambience...not to mention the privacy and discretion all high end 'hang out joints' provide...but the last kind of animal can be rather moody...just a thought...

At this point, I just feel bad for him...a man of considerable experience and talent...and it all comes down to being called a '37 year old COOK' by Currie..that was just mean...class consciousness never did disappear from britain, it seems....but then again...he is the producer of the show, no? the COOK will have the last laugh..all the way to the bank...

oh! from what i have read..china will happily take back the illegal immigrants...not that its much comfort knowing its poor record of human rights....(and why do they get rid of their passports when they land in britain??) remember when russia was red and 'i defect' were the two most liberating words one could utter...or so it was thought...most first world countries dont have any provision to take in economic refugees...UTism is hardy and political ideology will die a quick death when one perceives the threat of one's resources shared by 'aliens'...having said that and having read the article...some questions...is chinese food so cheap that the illegal labour subsidises the cost of food to the consumer...whats in it for the chinese restaurant owner...volume sales? doesnt make sense...is it a question of one exploiting one's own?

question...jen's accent..where is it from?...

fascinating ...no questions..just views to be shared..i have been thinking about textures and flavours a lot lately...raised a vegetarian and a hesitant meat taster, i am completely floored by my inability to 'taste' meat..meat tastes like..well..'meat'...i cannot, to save my life, describe the texture of any kind of meat...interestingly, the only flavour that overwhelms me is the salt...i figured that that is the only recognisable flavour that registers inside my head...as my mind chants apologies to my dear departed grandmother ...my taste buds simply REFUSE to register the texture or taste of any kind of meat... chicken- does absolutely nothing to me veal-tastes like 'meat' lamb-'meat'..none of the 'succulent explosions' that i keep hearing from my lamb loving friends beef-it felt 'metallic'...and i have to say that it appealed to me pork-salty foie gras-it simply melted in my mouth...still salty fish-salty shellfish-dont care to remember...my food pipe swelled up on the other hand, meat that has been 'hidden' subtly...like meats in soups...goes down well..but still doesnt register as a distinct taste or texture...sampling indian meat dishes has been an absolutely horrific experience for me..i cannot taste any of the meat, but am overwhelmed by the cacophony of spices that 'hide' the meat...the beef filet, on the other hand, was straight foward...there was nothing to obscure the 'flavour' or 'texture'...i have to say that it was the most honest meal i have ever had...and whats the deal with chicken anyways..i'll never understand.. re chemosensory irritants..here is something i read: the 'heat' in certain foods releases endorphins..the body's natural painkillers...the poor man's morphine...its opiate like nature gets us 'hooked' on to what is really pain...people get high on hot chilli peppers just like they get high on exercise or even BDSM...watch out for the pleasure junkies! thank you, the article is truly appreciated

thanks for the links. i think they merit a discussion. i'll skip on the wine and the illegal chinese labor for now re polly toynbee.. I completely agree. obesity is definitely a 'class' problem. times have changed since mr.creosote* exploded after a 'wafer-thin mint'...food was a status symbol..when food was scarce and dear, status was reflected by one's girth...as food becomes plentiful(meaning that even the poorest man neednt go hungry), what distinguishes the rich from the poor is the *quality* of food rather than the quanitity a sweeping statement...toynbee pushes it a tad here..disagree somewhat.. ridiculous...that would be a police state..and the crippling of free enterprise...many a healthy child has fallen into bad eating habits upon reaching adulthood...education is the one and only solution to all of social ills...put a person on a cocaine diet and the pounds will come off...starve someone for 3 weeks and inequalities be damned, the ribs are ready for the counting... *meaning of life - monty python andrew anthony's article was much better..but same vein..

its 110% safe to use it..it blends so well that its usually the mystery ingredient....you cant detect that foul smell in a cooked dish....if you drop a tsp or something of the stuff, the dish will be 1.ruined 2. smell 3.taste VERY bad...remember..just a pinch..and a tiny one at that...acc to quantity...the smell not only mellows out..it doesnt smell anything like the raw stuff..i think thats why its key that you sprinkle it over hot oil..the heat probably breaks stuff down and gets the flavour evenly to the ingredients that will be added later on...e.g. for potatoes..add it before the potatoes go into the hot oil..for liquid items..like 'rasam' or 'sambhar'(i have NO idea how it is used in north indian kitchens..these are typically south indian versions)...just add it to the tamarind water...

Thanks for all that info, peppertrail. Interesting stuff. Though to be honest I've never noticed asafetida helping at all in the flatulence department, especially for channa dal. But I keep adding it with a heart full of hope! Among other things. Plus it tastes good anyway. whippy: The brand I've got right now is powdered L.G. as well. The one before this batch was Laxmi brand, and wasn't as nice. Pat i think ginger helps in the flatulence dept too..wrt channa dhal..do you mean the pulse or the bean...aka garbanzo/ceci...channa dhal isnt any diff or worse from the other dhals..the worst offender, imo, is urad dhal...i prefer asofetida..but then again..i like being a smelly bum....