zeitoun

This is the kind of material I am looking for. Thanks

This method of cooking and serving is a pretty drastic departure from the Lebanese version of molokhiah. As noted upthread by Foodman, I've had many Lebanese molokhiah(s) in the past, I've never noticed its soporific effects.

Are these added ingredients? Is this coming from the molokhiah leaf itself?

I fully agree with you, I also regard stocks as infusions or essences as you say. This brings another question to my mind. I wonder what is your take on salting stocks, I have seen many recipes call for it but I think it is unecessary. You achieve better control over the salt content of your final dish if an unsalted stock is used to begin with. From my own experience, a stock base that was salted at the stock making stage will always give a residual taste of sodium (even small) in the back of the palate.

My wife and I did close to three weeks of camping in northern California last summer. We hit about four to five Parks and wilderness areas. Our cooking needs differed drastically according to the type of camping we did (with drive in campsites vs. hike in ones). In the case of drive in campsite, we pretty much cooked and ate whatever pleased us. We had no real restrictions in terms of choices of food since we didn't have to carry everything on our backs. We went food shopping before each trip and simply packed everything in the back trunk of the car. We used a portable stove, one deep pot, one frying pan. In the case of backcountry camping where we were self-sufficient for a couple of days, it was trickier. If we were out for 3-4 days, we obviously could not bring anything perishable, so our list of food items was cut short significantly, however this did not prevent us from eating good food. We still think we ate better food camping than when we were making quick stops in little towns (to clean up and enjoy the luxury of a mattress for a night) where food served in restaurants/diners was close to abominable. Here is an example of what we lived on (from what I still can remember): Root veggies such as carrots for salads (salads served with drizzles of lemon/ olive oil) Avocados (we served this with soy sauce and wasabi) Oranges Apples Corn (boiled in water) All sorts of dried or cured meats (saucisson, bresaola etc…) Cheese!!! (which we had purchased at nearby farms) Bread Pasta with packaged quick sauces (sea urchin, pickled plums etc…) we bought at Japanese markets Japanese "rice packs" which you dip in boiling water, open and serve. We served these with canned japanese bbq eel, sardines etc… Wine

My experience at Craft was very similar to yours. I was coming out of an extraordinary meal at Gramercy Tavern and went to Craft with very high expectations a few months after that. I was utterly disappointed. Close to everything you said echoed the immediate feelings I had of my meal and I have to say, the “thanksgiving effect” is a perfect way of putting it, didn’t think of that one!! The only fond memory I have of Craft is the wine I had which they used to serve by the glass (we had a bottle), it was a 1996 Valduero from the Ribera del Duero. I meant to ask you if it was still on the wine list, didn't get a chance to. I would personally go back to Craft just for a sip of that extraordinary wine.

Whenever I make a stew that contains beef or pork for instance, I would use a darker stock such as brown beef or veal stock. I may use lighter (clear) stocks when I am braising duck legs for instance or poaching any kind of poultry, and I feel that a brown rich stock is not suitable for that kind of use. I more frequently use clear stocks for soups or in some cases to poach a vegetable. I have tried many different methods for stocks and the ones offered by Thomas Keller in his French Laundry cookbook seem to work best for me. White veal stock is one of the stock recipes he offers. I feel that the other stock recipes (from other sources) in general make stocks that are too strong because they are simmered for too long of a period. If I want a richer stock as in for a sauce base, I would reduce my light stock until I get the flavor I want. I achieve better control on flavor this way. A rich and strong stock is certainly not always desirable, it can overwhelm a dish rather than carry the flavors thereof. This mistake is very common in soups or risottos where stock should be a vehicle for the flavors/garnishes you are introducing. In this case, a strong stock can be detrimental to your overall dish if used improperly. Also, I prefer blanching my bones first because it is impossible to get rid of blood traces that may be contained in tissues and bones by simply skimming. I would agree with you that making a quality brown veal stock is not possible in 40 minutes but on the other hand I strongly disagree with you that using unbrowned veal bones is a waste of time. A vegetable stock will be light in flavor but with unbrowned veal bones added I get a texture (coming from the gelatin in the bones) that I would not get with vegetables only. I get the same texture I would get if I used chicken bones without the strong chicken aroma. So coming back to your original statement, if you think that compared to veal stock, chicken stock is stronger and can become the main flavor component of a dish, what do you mostly use it for? Most recipes call for chicken stock in close to everything that requires stock (especially in vegetable soups, potage etc…) It is precisely the problem I seem to have. When making carrot soup for instance I will taste the carrot but also the chicken. Personally, the only possible use I can see for chicken stock is with dishes that involve poultry only.

It is interesting to also note the different schools of thought with risotto. Some may prefer reaching a certain level of creaminess by using the actual starch of the rice, some not. In this case, the type of rice used as you are suggesting will make a tremendous difference. I have seen people use a different approach by washing the rice thoroughly in cold water before cooking it and not stirring it often so that the rice grains release less starch. Creaminess in this case can be introduced with cream, butter and/or grated cheese (as in the Ducasse method I spoke about earlier). This method was also adopted by Thomas Keller. His risottos are just as extraordinary, they do retain some bite but the "cream" actually connecting the rice together is as light as air and not starchy at all. I also generally tend to use vialone nano or carnaloni as opposed to arborio for those reasons.

I almost worship Alain Ducasse's risotto recipes. One trick he commonly uses in all of them is, in addition to grated parmiggiano and butter, to add whipped cream as a finishing touch to create a light and airy risotto. The best recipe i have come across so far is Ducasse's tomato risotto which calls for a heavy ladle of "tomato compote" to be added just before the rice is cooked. Zucchini slices sauteed in butter with roasted tomato quarters or "petals" are also folded in the rice as garnish.

And please, don't forget to snap some pictures !!!!

I seem to have a problem making chicken stock. Recipes that call for white stock as one of the ingredients commonly favor the use of chicken base stocks over (white) veal base stocks because the former is supposedly milder than the latter. I usually like my stocks to be light so I do not cook them for more than 30 to 45 minutes. Depending on its use of course, I like my stock to be closer to an aromatic “infusion”. I never add salt and, along with the bones, rely simply on the aromas of mirepoix and bouquet garnie as additional flavoring agents. Despite the widespread use of chicken stock, I have come to utilize veal stock as my main stock of choice to make stews, as a poaching liquid or as a base for some sauces because I find it to be less pungent than chicken stock. In both veal and chicken stock preparations, I would "quick blanch" my bones 5-8 minutes to get as much impurities out first and trim some of the fat and/or organs (found in chicken backs) away before I plunge everything back in a clean pot filled with clean cold water. I would use chicken backs, necks and feet (one or two) only. Despite that, I am more often than not quite displeased with the result. The smell and aroma of chicken bones (even in small quantity) seem to overwhelm all the other ingredients. Even if I use it as a liquid base for a stew, it retains a distinct and residual smell that I do not like. I have purchased my chicken scraps from various good sources, I still get the same results. For some reason, I must be doing something wrong... So now when a recipe calls for chicken stock, I always use white veal stock instead. I wonder if any of you have experienced similar effects, what differences you may have noticed between both stocks, and for what purpose you might prefer one over the other.

I grew up in Paris until I came here for college. One of the fondest memories I have of winter in Paris, is the smell of roasted "chataignes" (chestnuts) that vendors roast and sell on the streets in newspaper "cornets". This was my favorite snack on my way back from school, I used to burn my fingers trying to open them up, a great way of warming up your frozen fingers!!

This must have been discussed in this or another forum (I apologize if this is redundant), but I was wondering if any of you had particular recommendations for Japanese cookbooks written in English. I know this might sound vague, but I am looking for books that go beyond just covering the basics of traditional home cooking, something a little more comprehensive (and accurate!!) that would also explain some of the regional differences. All of my wife’s cookbooks are in Japanese and I unfortunately do not speak the language - I know, shame on me, but it’s in the works - We have both been to several bookstores here in the US (Kinokuniya probably being the best source), but even there once you set aside the “make your own sushi kits/books” and the Nobu type cookbooks, the choice dwindles down significantly. Thanks in advance for your input!

I checked it out - I was first surprised to see that they now have a real functionning website, but then even more surprised to find out that you were right. Is this an indication that not enough cash is coming in to cover their operating costs? I wonder if they also jacked up the prices on wines...

Incidentally, the people of the island next door (Malta) speak a langague that is very close to Arabic. The similarity in grammar and vocabulary is quite striking.

Now, I am a little confused . If I understand you correctly, the tajine dishes you see on menus in the US or even in France are not traditionally served this way in North Africa? Take for instance a dish like a "tajine au poulet et citron confit", you are suggesting that traditionally, this kind of tajine would always be served with couscous and not alone?

I can hardly wait.. Now that means someone will have to make the north african version and post it on this thread. A vos couscoussiers...

Tuller on Court and Bergen streets in the Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn (take the F line to Bergen street). They have a wide array of imported and US "artisanal" cheeses and unlike Murray's where you will feel rushed sometimes, they will take the time to engage in lenghty and informative talks/explanations on cheese. I once spent 1/2 hour talking to one guy about Epoisses.

Guys, I have to say, this is great reading material. Chefzadi, you rock!! I don't mean to badger you with questions, but one of your earlier posts brought another question to light. You refer to tajine as a thick stew or soup which is traditionally served as an “accompaniment” to couscous. Is the preparation process of a tajine when it is served individually any different from when it is prepared to be served with a couscous? My Moroccan friends have told me that traditionally, home made tajines (comme au bled ) are brought to hammams where they are very slowly cooked in steam. Were they pulling my leg or is this correct? Moghrabbiyeh is indeed the Lebanese (or Israeli too? Wolfert?) version of couscous and in addition to the use of a bigger grain, it involves as Wolfert suggested a much different preparation than with North African couscous. Along those lines, I would be curious to know if there is a difference between the Israeli and Lebanese version of it. Foodman might be able to help on this one. I would note though that ineterstingly the word "moghrabbiyeh" duly attributes the origin of this dish to North Africa, even though the "Lebanized" version of the dish is very different from its North African cousin.

Not sure if this is conventional but I usually soak my serving of o-Nabe with aji-pon, then when the rice and egg is mixed at the end with the remaining broth, I add more aji-pon. I just love this stuff.

Well, it could very well be that Alfanoose beats them all!! So much rave, the guy has to be good!? I will try it as soon as I get the chance

A couple of things i found in the drawer with the following instructions from my wife: do not use, do not touch. I did a big booboo the day I used the wooden spatula looking thing (forgot the name) to pass a puree through a tamis. She made me regret this dearly.

Thanks. Free is good, but once it is published, please let us know. You have a buyer here. I have not come across any decent north african cookbook even in France...

Man, I knew you would fire back with a great answer!! I know the basics, it is that dissertation of yours that intrigues me!! Please share more with us! How about the use of meats (merguez, chicken, lamb), chickpeas or not, dried raisins?

Is Ponzu always a combination of citrus (yuzu, lemon or other), soy sauce and mirin? If you do not want to use the bottled stuff, what are the different ways one could make it?