SobaAddict70

Just a brief update: Binkyboots will need to take some time off from her Foodblog due to illness. Look for an installment from her later this year. Soba

And they had those fat sausages, you know, reddish-brown, a little garlicky and sweet. Speaking of sausage, I've got a hankering for Filipino chorizo, steamed in a rice cooker. The chorizo cooks as the rice cooks and flavors the rice. *sigh*

Chicken?! Is that just so that non-dinuguan eaters, when asked what it was like, can tell their friends, "Meh. It tasted just like chicken." ← It was definitely not pork and definitely not liver, kidney, heart or any other offal I am familiar with. Oh, it had all of those things, but this definitely had the texture of shredded chicken. The pakbet was as good as ever though.

I'm glad things are alive and well back home, as well as here in America. Just the other day I had dinuguan for the first time in ages, except that this version had chicken in it. It was ok as far as dinuguan goes; I just don't remember having had one with shredded chicken when I was growing up. Soba

If you assume that Bruni stands by his three-star rating of the upscale Bouley across the street, it's hard to see how Upstairs could be three stars. ← Perhaps, perhaps not, but wouldn't it have been nice if it were three stars across the board?

Mr. Bruni reviews David Bouley's restaurant Upstairs in today's New York Times: Reads like a three star restaurant, but for the incident mentioned in the first paragraph along with service and design issues. More's the pity. Soba

Upstairs (Frank Bruni) Related discussion regarding Mr. Bruni's style of restaurant reviewing and the New York Times star system can be found here. For a thread regarding discussion about Bouley, click here. A thread on Danube can be found here. An archived discussion of Bouley (prior to Mr. Bruni's tenure as the main NYTimes restaurant critic) can be found by clicking here. Soba

*takes microphone from Joie for a moment* This isn't the last you've seen of Vancouver, oh no. In mid-October.... Where have we seen this before? All this and more when a certain food celebrity joins us for a week in Vancouver's food life, in one short month. *hands back microphone* Soba

All About Mrs. Dash

And can someone explain to me why people like Hellman's? As opposed to say, Best Foods or Kewpie?

You know, I was going to start a thread on Shake and Bake when I thought of this one. I *love* Shake and Bake. It was one of the first convenience ingredients we were introduced to when we moved to this country back in the mid-1970s. I haven't had Shake-and-Bake pork chops in years. Do they still make it? Soba

Yes. Yes, I use it, and it's one of my favorite condiments -- right up there with sambal oelek and homemade mayonnaise. To me, food is food and it doesn't matter most of the time as long as it tastes good. In the end, that's really what matters the most right? That it tastes good. This thread is for your favorite shortcut/convenience product/ingredient. There's a lot to be said about fresh herbs and spices....however, nothing quite beats an onigiri rolled in furikake and Mrs. Dash (with a little sesame oil) from time to time. Marshmallow fluff. Durkee's crispy French fried onions. Rice Krispies. Nestle's Toll-House chocolate chips. Cool Whip. Heinz ketchup. Bird's Eye frozen peas. Yes, I've lost my foodie card (for the moment) and I'm proud of it. Have at it. Soba

Oh yes, sinigang. One of my childhood favorites, right up there with paksiw (boiled pickled meat or fish and vegetables). There are many varieties of paksiw, from paksiw na isda (fish with vegetables) to paksiw na pata (pig's knuckles) to paksiw na lechon (roast pork butt). Trust me, it tastes better than it sounds. Click here for a recipe. Was this made with milkfish? Soba

That's interesting. Pinakbet is also called pakbet, at least where I come from in the Philippines. (I was born in Mandaluyong, my family comes from Manila, and I have an uncle in Bagiuo.) Mom makes her version with garlic, and leaves the okra pods whole. I think she also uses patis (fish sauce), but I have to ask her. Soba

It reads like what you would expect from a two star restaurant (albeit a high end two star). (from the online audio presentation)Three stars isn't too ambitious? Shades of Spice Market syndrome!

Perry Street (Frank Bruni) Click on the box entitled "Jean-Georges' Empire" on the article's web page to hear an online audio presentation by Frank Bruni on Chef Vongerichten's career. Related discussion regarding Mr. Bruni's style of reviewing and the star system can be found here. Soba

I'll shed some light in Joie's absence. The Philippines was a Spanish colony for close to four centuries so some of their eating habits rubbed off on us. Traditionally, we have something like five to six meals a day: breakfast, second breakfast (almuerzo segundo), lunch, merienda (mid-afternoon snack or tea), dinner and a late-night snack, although this varies from household to household, and among social classes. More information can be found here, for instance. (you may have to scroll down a ways to get to the food content)

Vanilla, chocolate and strawberry all the way for me. Sometimes simple is best. I really believe that these are the standards by which an ice cream brand or maker should be judged.

Elvie's Turo Turo has a decent version. They serve theirs with a little flan and yuba ice cream.

Compass (Frank Bruni) Related discussion regarding Mr. Bruni's reviewing style and the star system can be found here. Soba

But if you try it with Pepsi, I'll bet that you'd end up with something extraordinary. (And not in a good way.) I don't know if it's me, but Pepsi has a weird aftertaste that reminds me of soap. Carry on... Soba

So that's where all the cool air's been hiding! It's been nothing but 90+ degree weather here for quite some time, up until last weekend that is.

Bette (Frank Bruni) Related discussion regarding Mr. Bruni's style of reviewing and the star system can be found here. Soba

Unfortunately this is by necessity one of our shorter installments. Akwa's installment will remain open until early Thursday morning, for those of you who would like to post farewells. Tune in later this evening (Wednesday) when we head to Duluth, Minnesota, as the Foodblog showcases reminders of the glories that summer can bring. Soba

Reading this blog, I am reminded of T.S. Eliot and in more than one instance, Ezra Pound. Like fine wine and ideas, it's meant to be savored slowly. Soba