hayasaka.k

katiecakes

"Dinner" at 1 in the morning: simmered then tossed some beets in a blueberry vinaigrette until it glazed, served with a left-over piece of spring salmon filet poached super-quick in nage. I slept well.

Early celebratory birthday dinner cooked by dear boyfriend: Mixed greens with pear, roasted pecans, breaded+fried herbed goat cheese and honey pepper vinaigrette. Pan-roasted Spring salmon with red peppercorn + rum cream sauce, wheat rotini to clean off the plate. Too tired to post pics. Hopefully my following year will bring more posting diligence!

Oi... As a happily-addicted "baby" to the pastry life, all you seasoned eGulleters provide an amazing window of inspiration for me to oogle through. Although at times (such as this one), I am overwhelmed by how much I have yet to experience! My days (and nights) are quickly becoming more well-scheduled than when in university, and now I am tempted to take out the more-naptime-than-bedtime between "bread class" and "religious studies" to add a chocolate study as well. Have I over-specifically-divided my interests? Do I still make sense outside of my own head? Back to the topic... sort of. I have been hand-picking a small group to conduct tasting parties with me but haven't found any reasonbly-sized "tasting sets" available; is it more viable to suggest I simply buy individual bars and chop those up? Would it be more helpful (re: less confusing) if I limit tastings by region (several brands of dark, all from Ecuador), or brand (different regions offered by the same brand)? And would the same approach apply if sampling by cocoa %? Edited to add: (My apologies for hijacking this thread!) I tried searching more info on eG and online as well but have only found tips for eating chocolate tastings. Aside from workability, is there more to look at from a baking perspective?

**Warning: whinefest below. Read at own risk.** Ugh, I've had meals ranging in toothsomeness from kumquat "tea" (mm..flavoured water) to plain congee. Guess I left a little more blood at the donor clinic than my noggin approved of. I feel starved, but about as hungry as one can be while concurrently queasy. I fear I make no good food or sense of late. I lay blame on the "mail-order steaks" thread. *Eyes credit card* Someone feed me!!! No don't. Ack!

... <== me drooling over liverwurst sandwiches. I don't know why I never thought of having it for brekkie before! Today was a gorgeous fall day! Bright, but not too bright. So carefree, in fact, that indecisiveness called things even with a half roasted tomato, half smoked salmon omelette. Toppings and fillings in no order: gruyere, parmesan, thyme, dill, parsley, and capers. The parental units arrived home from a friend's garden with the baby tomatoes the night before. I gave them (the tomatoes, not the p.u.'s) overnight neutrality before tossing them up in evoo and sopping up the remains with fresh (buttered) parmasan toasts while contemplating the greater aspirations of the goodies before me.

Nostalgia served up piping hot can and will invoke sleep, so no pics. Sweet corn, carrot, pork, dried fig (a few other chinese "herbal" things) broth. Steamed tilapia in ginger, scallion, oil + soy sauce. Scrambled eggs in quick-stewed tomatoes (simply "tomato egg" in Chinese). Steaming hot medium grain white rice. I can still feel the "wok hay", mmm.... Yummy for my tummy.

I have been rather intimidated to post here (eunny--I am convinced you're a food mag photographer!); but your efforts are so marvelous to see! Welcome the n00b--I have yet to catch up on all 243 pages but I'm earnestly working my way backwards! Here are some clips of the past few nights... One very late night that turned into a morning...does this count? My eggs beenie (fresh croissants, roasted tomatoes, soft-poached eggs, aioli + basil) along with some crunchy unripe cantelope. Our actual dinner that night: Makings of roasted lamb shoulder with red wine reduction, miso-glazed carrots and rice. Tonight's mish-mash of fridge+freezer delinquents: My boyfriend's happy salute to eGulleters. Ginger shiitake-stuffed pork something or another with pear&parsnip puree, stir-fried napa(?) cabbage and apple cider jus. Dessert! Concord grapeman sorbet. (Yes, that's an ice cream tub lid you spy in the background but the sorbet was home-made; I swear! ) Edited: to fix links.

My mummy always spoiled us buying fresh groceries daily from Chinatown + later the larger chain supermarkets when they opened. She always steamed fresh rock/black cod (like sablefish?) and topped it with the ginger/scallion/soy sauce + hot oil "sauce". I can't go very long without this dish, no other fish compares. Edited to add: there are never any leftovers. I pace myself to let others eat their fill, then clear it down to the bones. *tummy rumbles*

I'm a no-yolk lotus paste girl, and I agree with the others that it's something to be shared by the family in slices with a hot cup of tea.

I was looking for a photo or reference to a Vietnamese noodle house (Pho Bich Nga) somewhere in Eastside Vancouver and surprisingly found this: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=pho+bich+nga The guys never get tired of suggesting this place. Edited to remove tags.

Asparagus, carrot, watercress + lettuce roll, smoked salmon + bbq eel roll, tuna tataki and (the best kind) someone else's french fries!

I never knew there were different kinds of "bubble sugar", are there specific names for each or are they just known by their respective methods? The one I was taught at school resembled the "alcohol" one in the rose piece, but we made it by pouring the same sugar used for pulling onto selamin (sp.?)paper. [i'm a Chinese-Canadian student with limited French taught by a French chef with limited English, so I'm approximating his pronounciation.] It looks *just* like regular parchment, except as you tilt the molten sugar back and forth over itself it forms bubbles. Then you drape it over various objects for shape as it cools. As for the paper itself, I tried Googling various spellings but came up empty. The sugar always peeled off effortlessly and the paper is reusable. I recall chef remarking that it was more costly here than parchment, but in France it was what everybody used because it was cheaper. Side: I apologize for any grammar/spelling atrocities, it's 06:10 into the next day and I can't stop reading!

In reverse order: Thurs Lunch - Lunch Box Soup I had French onion soup + bocconcini sandwich, SO had a cinnamon-y butternut squash soup + spicy meat sandwich. Hearty soup portions but I expected richer, homier goodness than that. I'd go there if I worked nearby for "I don't really feel like anything in particular" light fare. Still hankering for a good soup fix place, any suggestions? Wed late night - #9 (Richmond) Shared plates of BBQ duck on rice, foo yuu steamed lettuce and surprisingly satisfyingly spicy szechuan-style wontons. Mmm...quick fix. I'm sure I'm missing something in between, but: Sat late night - Bluewater Cafe Tsunami (hamachi with jalapeno, ginger & sesame oil), veggie roll (asparagus, baby carrot, baby lettuce + cukes), Stamina (crab, bbq eel, smoked salmon & sweet glaze), rum raisin creme caramel. Edit: almost forgot the Bluewater roll (their dynamite roll).

I had a one-time craving for a pb-smothered oshinko-topped filet-o-fish earlier in the summer. Otherwise I just get immobilizing cramps and spend the day rolled in an electric heating pad and trying not to breathe. I zone out for about 2-3 hrs before weariness catches up to painfulness and drift to sleep. Sometimes sounds from the "outside" will filter in and make for funky hallucinogenic dreams. Then I emerge limp and sweaty, soft-spoken and generally dehydrated. Come day 2 the only thing on my mind is hothotsex. Of which I get none. Which makes me itch oh-so-much more. Any other time of the year my appetite impresses the big boys.

You got meh. After finally finding an industry that embraces my manic-AR-information-lusting-insomniacal tendencies I have been happily drawn to eG and your blog. I'm a noob to the industry, currently babied by my lovely pastry chef, but education-wise am now on my own (booYah!). Am much inspired to hone Mel-worthy balls of my own. In time.