SobaAddict70

It is what it is. *shrug* Here in America, there are numerous examples of food being called one thing when the original is something else altogether. (e.g., marinara sauce, egg foo young, and what passes for balsamic vinegar) And that's perfectly fine. Not to derail this thread, but my point was and continues to be that a food that's markedly different from the original does not in any way invalidate the "evolved" food. For the people who care about this sort of thing, perhaps not. It is what it is. I suppose in one hundred years, some enterprising individual will find a way to reinvent quiche Lorraine.

As usual, people publish recipes on their website or in print without having the faintest idea of how the dish should taste like or its ingredients. In this case the recipe that is provided on the Lebanese website is simply laughable. It is not even a variant. Clearly from the name of the dish Masbahet which is Rosary, there is a reason to call it thus and the reason is the "rangement" lining of the dish which led kids to call it cops and robbers. Also note that this dish is not Lebanese but Syrian in origin and I do not even accept that the recipe on the Lebanese site is a variant because they stray too far from the original recipe which uses lamb and not beef to start with. To further discredit this web site, I had a look at typical Lebanese dishes: - Batata Har-rah (Spicy Potatoes) They have Ketchup as one of the ingredient?!??!?! for crying out loud....Ketchup in this famous dish? - Dawoud Basha. Oooops they forgot to add the Pine Kernels - Baked Kibbeh. With Parsley and Mint. Oh sacrilege - Halewit El Jibin. With Mozarella....terrible I think you understand what I am driving at. I don't mind people posting or publishing variations of a dish as long as they indicate that it is a variation of the dish. Someone might ask what constitute and establishes that a particular recipe is the original and authentic recipe? Very simply it is a recipe where a selection of at least three "culinary aware" people who could be Chefs, cooks, housewives or bon viveur originating from the area where the dish was born, to concur on the same recipe. ANd not a mishmash of Lebanese students who do not even live in the country and try to post erroneous recipes with total disregard to the consequences and to the protection of the culinary heritage of the nation. You know, what I would like to have would be a Repository of recipes where the authentic and variants are posted and corrected and updated continuously. This can be broken down by country or area and even the variants can be across countries like you have mentioned that you know of a similar Maghrebi dish. Oh well, God save us from the self appointed food experts and we will save ourselves from the would be Chefs. ← From what I've seen, nowhere on the site do they specifically make the proclamation that the dishes that appear on the site are "authentic". Hummus is still hummus regardless of whether it's roasted red pepper hummus, hummus with avocado and roasted garlic, or low-fat hummus. Just because a dish contains ketchup doesn't make it any less genuine fwiw to some people. Food, like language, evolves over time and across vast stretches of humanity. Far better to go along with the tide adapting as you will than to act as an immovable object against an irresistible force.

That's probably what I was referring to. Sorry for the confusion. Not disputing you but this is a recipe for rellenong manok. As you can see, it demonstrates part of the wonder that is Filipino cuisine. See this also: I forget what asado is.

Some of these I'm familiar with, but others like siopao I'm not. Could you provide a translation, please? I haven't had champorado in years!

Time for bumpage. I've been craving this for a while now, and this weekend is just the perfect excuse to make it. What Filipino dishes have you had lately?

Does Teresa's compare to Little Poland?

Mr. Bruni weighs in on Alto: Alto (Frank Bruni) Soba

Different in that it's one thread and not two.

We're leaving Julia's blog open until early tomorrow (Tuesday) morning, around 2 am EST or until she's able to post her activities from last night and today, whichever is later. Thanks to Julia for participating in the series. I'm almost tempted to ask if she'd be willing to do a Tag Team (in the far future) opposite therese. Soba

Why do I get the feeling that the cocktail is a "Sweet Georgia Brown"?

Curious how you made the corn froth, and how that dish came about. (The halibut's what I'm talking about.) Soba

Perhaps the point is less about dishes that strive to be spectacular than it is about food that strives to be true to its origins: respect for the earth from whence it came, and respect for the ingredients -- simple food prepared simply and well. I think that we've become so innured to trends of the moment that we heap expectations when we should approach things with an open eye and welcoming arms. Sometimes chicken is just chicken and not ortolan la chinoise.

I haven't been to Blue Ribbon Sushi in years. They take no reservations, and be prepared to wait upwards of 45 minutes for a table. I remember waiting over two hours for a seating, once. That could be part of the reason why I haven't returned. Their chawan-mushi is all right. Sushi is passable for a non-top tier sushi restaurant in New York. I prefer Jewel Bako and Tsuki over BRS. Soba

New York Times Weekend Update Friday, 1 July 2005 -- Monday, 4 July 2005 All articles in section A can be found by accessing the NYTimes' Dining In/Dining Out home page. A. Dining In/Dining Out Section and the Sunday Magazine Share (Eric Asimov) Click here to contribute your experiences at Share. Restaurants: Union Square, Out and About Wine Under $20 (Howard G. Goldberg) About Patrick Mikanowski (Christine Muhlke) Recipes: 1. Cucumber Spaghetti, Strawberry Purée and Crushed Olives 2. Scallop Passion, Salmon Passion 3. Fromage Blanc Sorbet B. Elsewhere in the Times.... Overheard.... Mad Cow? What Mad Cow? (Associated Press) Hamburger America (Virginia Heffernan) A Martini From The French Riviera (William L. Hamilton)

Very nice. You might be interested in reading our thread on Daniel as a measure of comparison. Soba

Dean's installment will remain open all day today (4 July 2005) until late evening. We'll close it down sometime around 11 pm. Tune in tomorrow when we get acquainted with the "man behind the curtain", in Atlanta, Georgia. Soba

I would, as would many others (I'm sure) appreciate it, JY. I'm curious about this and Korean food in general. You'll have to forgive me. I can count the number of times I've had Korean food on one hand (liked them all though!), not to mention my lack of knowledge and experience. These were at places in Little Korea, in New York, mostly bulgogi and bbq/cook it yourself places. I've seen as few as four banchan and as many as nine or ten. I think one of them once or twice was a plate of dried, salted fish. Come to think of it, a thread on banchan might be a good idea (if there isn't one already). Soba

So getting back to the topic, I'm a little curious as to banchan -- is this common only during dinner, or does it appear at other times, as in for instance lunch or brunch? And is it banchan or panchan? I've seen both but more recently banchan. Are there other measures of respect that have been codified, you know, like in Chinese cuisine (when fish is served, the head or cheeks are usually given to the elders or head of household)? Soba

I'm sure we've discussed this elsewhere, but how do you make your lemonade? Not the powdered kind I bet.

Wednesday Update (continued) Wednesday, 29 June 2005 B. Elsewhere in today's Times... Sugar Prices Are Barrier To Securing Trade Pact (Edmund L. Andrews) Judge In Italy Sentences 11 In Collapse of Parmalat (Eric Sylvers) Paper Describes Potential Poisoning of Milk (Scott Shane) Crabs Beckon, But Danger Lurks In The Mud (Corey Kilgannon) For Overweight Children, Are Fat Camps A Solution? (Abby Ellin) Note: This article was published on Tuesday, 28 June 2005. Mexico Confronts Sudden Surge In Obesity (Elisabeth Malkin) Medtronic To Acquire A Treatment For Obesity (Barnaby J. Feder) Vital Signs (Nicholas Bakalar) A Prix-Fixe For One-Acts, Sandwiches and Thoughts On Theater (Felicia R. Lee)

New York Times Wednesday Update Wednesday, 29 June 2005 I've been rather lax in updating the Update for quite a bit now, but things should be better in the immediate future. Those of you who read this DIGEST (no names necessary ) will be seeing this thread updated on a more frequent basis. As usual, today's Update will be broken into two sections, the Dining In/Dining Out section and the rest of the Times. (Weekend Updates are usually broken into three or more sections: Dining In/Dining Out; Travel and the Sunday Magazine; and Elsewhere in the Times.) Due to the quote tag limit per post, you may see today's update divided into two or more posts. All articles in section A can be found via the New York Times Dining In/Dining Out home page. Articles referenced in section B can be found in Wednesday's edition of the Times. Soba ============================== A. Dining In/Dining Out Section Burgers Without Borders (Julia Moskin) No Longer A Wet Noodle (Matt Lee and Ted Lee) The Red Cat (Frank Bruni) Click here to contribute your experiences. Related discussion regarding Mr. Bruni's style as the New York Times restaurant critic and the star system can be found here. $25 and Under: 202 (Dana Bowen) Dressing The Bun: Why Stop At Yellow? (Marian Burros) Bits and Pieces (Florence Fabricant) Ales of the Times (Eric Asimov) Sidebar: Click here to listen to an online audio presentation given by Eric Asimov, Florence Fabricant, Joe Carroll, the owner of the bar Spuyten Duyvil in Brooklyn, and Paul Sullivan, a writer and home brewer on a selection of pale ales. The Minimalist (Mark Bittman) A Little Guidance, A Lot of Nostalgia (Florence Fabricant) Pairings (Florence Fabricant) Letters Recipes in today's section: 1. Syrian Beef Kebabs 2. Lemony Cucumber Salad 3. Vietnamese Pork Kebabs 4. Nuoc Cham 5. Pakistani Seekh Kebabs 6. Cilantro Mint Chutney 7. Adana Kebabs 8. Cucumber Yogurt Mint Salad 9. Rice Noodle Salad with Tuna and Snow Peas 10. Orecchiette Salad 11. Orzo Salad

What's kimbap? It's like bibimbap but with kimchi?

For me, it's a tie between the McRib sandwich (tasty for a non BBQ product) and the now-defunct Big-N-Tasty (also by McDonald's). Say what you will about McDonald's and fast food in general...sometimes all you want to do is revel in the unhealthfulness of it all. I'm perfectly serious. Soba (who hasn't touched a Big Mac in over three months although he lapses on occasion)

Preferably with butter and a sprinkle of Mrs. Dash. (or furikake if there isn't any Mrs. Dash) Soba

Taco Bell is one of my favorites, right up there with the almighty McDonald's and the slightly less almighty Burger King. There. I'm sure that most of you will think less of me for having said that. Soba