FaustianBargain

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....

the resin chunks dont smell much actually..using asofetida powder is like..well..using powdered saffron...not truly great...and the trick is to use it with extreme caution...very very very little...and always in hot oil(altho' my favourite drink is diluted buttermilk(cool) with asofetida, salt, curry leaves and other lubly things that slips my memory)..and did i mention that it has to be used sparingly?..much like edible camphor...something that is unknown in most parts of the world except south east asia....a very small pinch will do..more than what is sufficient will completely ruin the flavours and overwhelm everything..including your appetite...brand...LG...how can i forget....always LG...its been around for ages.....LG is available in both solid and powdered forms...i know this because i was made to walk back to the grocery store...because i got the wrong brand...at the tender age of 12 even!...

To Jack Lang: re mailing list: mailer-daemon rejects recipient address...failure delivery...help?

My mother buys them in the chunky resin form. apparently, its more pure than the powdered version...you soak them in water or powder it just before adding it to hot oil etc...call me crazy but, i actually like asofetida... ...seriously, it can dramatically change the blandest of tastes...its worth the 'stink'

i remember reading a new scientist article about how the net is going to introduce scents and smells to the browsing consumer. our sense of smell is very closely related to our emotions and often to our spending sprees(when was the last time *you* passed a bakery letting out aromas of fresh baked bread?)...basically, this is how it works..just like colors, 'primary odours' can be combined to form 'secondary odours'...catridges with about 128 'primary odours' can be fitted into your puter just like ink catridges for printing. a georgia based company (its US based..will google the name of the company later...i see that my dear friend, googlebot is present..how do we make him participate? is there a chat applet or an irc server?) will allow the download of various 'odours'...these can also be printed out..high tech scratch and sniff...but on taste based odours..smells are printed onto paper and you can basically lick it to sample the flavors..i have NO idea how this really works..but it seems quite plausible..of course, the logistics of bringing it from business to customer is mind boggling...a decade ago, only a fraction of the world used the internet...times have changed...we are always willing to accomodate frivolous joys, arent we?..maybe we can take sensory based internet marketing strategies for granted...seeing how technology gallops, the internet WILL become an important factor for food based industries to market and sell their wares...it is inevitable..resistance is futile..as slaves to our senses, how can we resist?...i'll bet my bottom dollar that Micro$oft will jump at this chance providing they can take a nice cut..just like how we are burdened with windows in every computer we buy now..of course, we have a choice, of course..but its limited choice...but 'choice' is overrated, no...

ahh..yes...the infamous sevai..i remember building biceps on friday mornings in the kitchen as my grandmother, the slavedriver, gave us the job of churning out the sevai... how about sesame/red chilli sevai...sesame rice was usually assigned for saturdays..(to please some mighty planetary god, i remember)...since rice and sevai can usually be substituted, sesame sevai is a must try...do you remember the recipe for sesame rice?

but in return we've got tobacco, turkey and potatoes (not to mention freedom from wmd's) Obviously, you are not grateful for TWAT*. *The War Against Terrorism. I dont know about Ramsay, but profanities in media is a relatively new trend. The first time a swear word was uttered on the silver screen was in Gone with the Wind. 'Damn'. Caused a damn uproar, it did.(btw, the f word is one of the 7 unspeakables on american public television..maybe HBO/cable..definitely not for the Fnetwork either...syndication might be a problem with the f word...have you heard george carlin's 'filthy words'?..it would be VERY difficult to air the show in the states if most of it is bleeped out..i mean) I demure to admit this, but in another life and in a different place, I have uttered such profanities that grown men have almost been reduced to tears. Well, you know what they say...karma is a bitch. Now, its like I am wandering through a karmic hall of echoes. I think swearing reduces tension in the air. It dilutes the intensity of the situation. Remember when some idiot(or not) accidentally(oops?) leaked bits of Micro$oft's sourcecode on Kaaza? A sizable chunk of it was profanities. If someone doesnt care enough, they arent going to be reckless enough to throw the four letter words at you.As I was watching the show, I couldnt help but wonder about the person/persons who trained Ramsay...good pedigree. Re Tourette Syndrome, it does occur more in men than in women (doh). As with most disorders that makes men more vulnerable than women, it is genetic. It is often associated with OCD and ADHD...and mostly involuntary motor and vocal tics. I doubt if its TS. However excessive lack of verbal hygiene can be related to the brain's left/right imbalance...could be left hemisphere brain damage..as its impairment draws responses from the emotional right hemisphere. ex-footballer, wasnt he? re Gordon Ramsay's balls, dude, I am not going there. I watched the show yesterday. Come now! Its good entertainment. Maybe its the continual two week screening thats the problem. Its not a true 'live' show. Its obviously edited. That makes it quite blah.

no-one, that's why viewing figures are going through the floor (despite all the well worn "shock" developments that are engineered by the programme makers). does anyone seriously think that there is any prospect of genuine "conflict or drama" with that crowd (no matter how often Gordon says "fuck")? oh! i know! i know! this will become a hit show in america...syndication is the magic word...really, think about it..what has really gone there from across the pond...

good grief..this show is being shown EVERYDAY? i saw it on sunday..dozed off sometime around halftime..but if you look at it from a logical pov(as much logic as reality shows that 'vote off' players can have), the 'worst' ones/best actors will stick around until the very end...afterall, who wants to see a boring show where there is no conflict or drama?

actually..to make myself clear..i didnt want to see THE accounts ledger....just wondering about about how they price dishes etc...$ going into a dish vs cost of dish...how much percentage does it actually cost..plus of course..the overheads...labour/wages...TAX...rent etc...i have been speaking to a couple of people and it seems that real estate is one of the major roadblock that determines survivability...fat duck in bray probably doesnt have the burden of rent as would a fat duck in..lets say..london...at the same time, fat duck in london probably would attract more customers..i remember someone mentioning(at one of blanc's manoir debates, i think) that most resturants have to do something else other than the business of serving people food in order to stay alive in the business....like running a manoir'esque kinda joint, i suppose..now...is that such a bad thing?

I'd love to see Fat Duck's purchase ledgers. Do you think they'll show'em if I ask nicely.. Seriously though, I have been wondering about how I can take a peek at a restaurant's accounts. What a shopping list it would be!