rjwong

Full marks for those caterers, ehh? What was the favorite dish(es) of the evening? A round mirror for the cheese presentation? I've never seen that before. How many more events to go, Marlene?

Du fromage, de bleu d'Auvergne, mangeons! À la poète culinaire de Lyon! Let us eat some cheese, some bleu d'Auvergne! To the culinary poet of Lyon! Lucy, welcome back to blogging again. Thank you! Please pardon my indulgence. I wanted to say that at the end of your last blog but was not able to do so.

So, this little piggy eats its own, ehh? If it weren't for the cardiologist, I'd ... BTW, is any of your pork products peppered? And how do you like your non-Ronco knives?

I learned the recipe for Chinese sticky rice (Naw Mai Fon) over many years of watching my aunt making it for the holidays. There are many variations to this festive dish. NB This is in no way to compete with Ah Leung's most excellent Chinese cooking series. A few special ingredients: dried mushrooms and dried shrimp They first need to be soaked before use. I used about nine dried mushrooms and about half a bag (quarter of a pound) of dried shrimp. You can add a little more or a little less. Chinese sausage (lop cheung) and Chinese bacon (lop yook) I used the entire package of each for this recipe. lop cheung, lop yook, dried mushrooms, dried shrimp, celery, and green onions Each container holds about 2 cups. Dicing all these ingredients took the longest time. The lop cheung and the lop yook can be quite difficult. You might want to put them in the freezer for a little bit for easier handling. I found it easier for me to slice and dice the mushrooms one at a time. Again, easier handling. rice My National rice cooker makes about 8 cups of cooked rice. I used a combination of both long grain rice and short grain rice. I used a ratio of 3 parts long grain to 2 parts short grain. It's the short grain rice that makes things sticky. A 1:1 ratio (long grain to short grain) produces a stickier rice than a 2:1 ratio. As for how much water to put in, here's a basic ratio: 1 ½ parts water to 1 part long grain 1 part water to 1 part short grain cooking the meat mixture in small batches I cooked the different ingredients in a pot (See, no wok!). While cooking each batch, I add some soy sauce and a few drops of sesame oil. cooked rice and meat mixture before final mixing If my rice cooker was larger, I would add the mixture right into the rice pot. Chinese sticky rice (Naw Mai Fon)

Aaaaaggggghhhhhh!!!!!!!! ← That's how everybody felt when we tried to take a little walk there after my mother's birthday dinner on a Sat. night in July. It was so crowded!! Mea culpa! Mea culpa! I'll take care of it, JFL ... Victor, with a $3 day pass, you can take the Metro Red Line from Universal City up to NoHo (North Hollywood) or down to Hollywood or all the way down to downtown LA. The restaurant possibilities are endless. Please help us help you by letting us know what you want (dives, high-end, etc.) and where you're staying (because LA is so spread out).

ScorchedPalate, that must be a very long commute from Seattle==>San Francisco just to eat breakfast in LA. Victor, Ventura Blvd. has a lot of restaurants you can choose from. There are a number of chain restaurants that are pretty good, like the Daily Grill. Sushi places are all along Ventura Blvd., including Sushi Nozawa. From what I heard, chef Nozawa can be dictatorial. Cafe Bizou is really good. I've only ate at the one in Pasadena. The original one is on Ventura Blvd. One high-end restaurant that I haven't eaten at in years is The Bistro Garden at Coldwater. The decor is gorgeous, definitely appeals to the "ladies who lunch" crowd. And they make wonderful chocolate souffles. If you want to try a brand new place (just over a week), there's Boneyard Bistro. It just got a write-up (not a full review) by the LA Times food critic S. Irene Virbila. Here's the link to the article: Ribs worth waiting for There is a weekend Asian seafood buffet at Universal (?) called Cafe Sierra. We're talking lobster thermidore, shark fin soup, prime rib, sushi, pasta bar, etc. We took our mother there for her birthday. I hope this helps. Besides, you can always take your chances at Universal Citywalk.

Lutefisk? I heard stories about lutefisk. Riley looks so good. It's nice to see a dog for a change.

The LA Times Food Section Digest (16 November 2005) is titled "The Essential Thanksgiving: Part 1." There are over 30 links to various articles, recipes, preparation tips, wine suggestions, and needed kitchen tools. Even fellow eGulleteer and LA Times food writer Russ Parsons answers readers' Thanksgiving questions and basically talks turkey. With a few days away from Thanksgiving, I hope this provided link is helpful to you in your culinary preparations for this holiday.

LA Times Food Section -- November 16, 2005 THE ESSENTIAL THANKSGIVING: PART 1 by Regina Schrambling From turkey to perfectly baked pies, easy and elegant versions of the classics. Next week: Video turkey carving class with chef Josiah Citrin. Viewing the LA Times website, www.latimes.com, requires registration. If that is unacceptable, try clicking this link here, enter the URL address of the LA Times and proceed accordingly. Some content is in the premium section called www.calendarlive.com, which requires an additional fee. Near the bottom of this week's digest are some discussion threads about Thanksgiving. Fit for a Pilgrim / by Regina Schrambling Rich and pure in flavor, heritage birds are taking a place at the table. Recipe: Steam-roasted heritage or free-range turkey Tool: Turkey roaster / by Regina Schrambling Whether you want to capture the full flavor of a heritage turkey or keep a free-range turkey moist without brining, a Granite Ware roasting pan with a lid is essential. Stuffing: It's an invitation to tinker / by Russ Parsons Most of our Thanksgiving menus are so bound by family ritual they could be carved in stone. That's why cooks are so thankful for stuffing, the one dish we can really play around with. Recipe: Chestnut-sage stuffing Potatoes: Choosing sides? Why not have both? / by Regina Schrambling Traditions are traditions, and potatoes are not just an essential ingredient. You have to have them twice in the same meal. Recipe: Creamy mashed potatoes Recipe: Sweet potato gratin The tool: masher / by Regina Schrambling Potatoes are done when they almost mash themselves: You poke one with a fork and it softens to a paste. But to get the maximum smoothness with a whole potful, you need the right tool. Cranberries: The ultimate relish is fresh, fast, flavorful / by Barbara Hansen For real cranberry zing, nothing beats this irresistibly easy and delicious recipe. Recipe: Cranberry-tangerine relish Gravy: And the rest is ... / by Russ Parsons THERE are few foods on the holiday table that carry the mystique of gravy. Includes a recipe for giblet gravy The tool: fat separator / by Donna Deane It all starts with the dessert / by Donna Deane It's the day serious cooks have been waiting for all year. What better way to begin it than with the aromas of apple and pumpkin pie? Pie recipe: Classic pumpkin Pie recipe: Classic apple The tool: rolling pin / by Donna Deane Wine: You really can't go wrong / by Patrick Comiskey There are great wines for every Thanksgiving dinner, potlucks included. Match the mood, and guests will forgive the driest of turkeys. A wine for every holiday mood Culinary SOS: The turkey talk starts up Russ Parsons answers your important questions about holiday cooking and preparation. *********************************************************** More Thanksgiving preparation tips With holidays nearing, get ready to talk turkey / by Cindy Dorn IT'S time to order heritage turkeys before they're all gone. Pound per pound, which turkey tastes best? / by Leslie Brenner Those 'heritage' birds promise better flavor than free-range and supermarket varieties. We put them all to the test. Roasting pans: Stick with these / by Cindy Dorn Get them shallow, strong and able to take the heat. Here are our tested best. Meal planning guide Here it is: your basic Thanksgiving game plan. Brining the bird / by Russ Parsons Go soak your bird. It's the best holiday advice you'll get. The cranberries With just a little extra effort, you can create a really special sauce. Thawing a frozen turkey The refrigerator, quick-thaw and microwave methods. Congeniality by the bottle / by Leslie Brenner A tasting finds easygoing wines for the meal's crazy array of flavors. The feast's perfect match: Beaujolais crus / by Corie Brown Go ahead, slather on the butter and heavy cream; Burgundy's "other" wine can handle the heavy lifting. Roasting times Cooking charts are not the best way to judge a turkey's doneness. Always use a thermometer. The Tools Here's a rundown on what's essential and what's just cool to have. Hotlines galore Toll-free telephone services and Web sites offer answers to cooking and food-safety questions during holiday preparation times. *********************************************************** Here are a few Thanksgiving discussion threads listed below. Other Thanksgiving discussion threads can be found in the Special Occasions forum. Thanksgiving: What's on the menu? Thanksgiving Pies, Cakes, etc: What's on the menu? My House Smells Like Thanksgiving: The prep has started! Thompson's Turkey: I will baste for science *********************************************************** You won't know what's missing / by S. Irene Virbila M Café de Chaya is given a 1½* rating. Don't be afraid when you see the term “macrobiotic.” Chef Shigefumi Tachibe has brought a sophistication to this lifestyle championed by Japan's Michio Kushi. He recruited two other like-minded cooks: chef de cuisine Lee Gross and pastry chef Eric Lechasseur. Forget brown. The food at the new M Café de Chaya is nothing of the sort. It's so full of color and flavor that the adjective that comes to mind is vivid. WINES OF THE WEEK / by S. Irene Virbila 2003 Domaine Saint-Amant 'La Tabardonne' Beaumes de Venise: Rhône Valley; about $17; smooth and lush; goes with: Drink it as an aperitif, with Asian seafood dishes, roast birds — and Thanksgiving dinner. Ours is not to wonder why, but to drink and enjoy. 2002 Stoller Vineyards Pinot Noir: Willamette Valley; about $40; rich and velvety; goes with roast birds, braised and roasted meats, pretty much everything. This Pinot should make beautiful music with the Thanksgiving turkey. For the record Mexican chocolate cake — The recipe last Wednesday for Mexican chocolate layer cake left out a step in the instructions. The melted chocolates should be added after beating in the egg yolks and vanilla. For a complete version of the corrected recipe, go to www.latimes.com/mexicanchocolatecake or this alternate link. *********************************************************** *********************************************************** Calendarlive Stories on Thursday Ribs worth waiting for / by S. Irene Virbila Critic's notebook on Boneyard Bistro on Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks. Since it had been open only just over a week, I didn't bother to make a reservation. How busy could it be after 8 on a weeknight? Twenty minutes. This father-and-son team of Preston & Aaron Robins is serving up “barbecue & beyond.” Aaron's culinary experience includes working at Charlie Trotter in Chicago and Flying Saucer in San Francisco, but this is his first restaurant on his own. Turkey and trimmings, by the slice / by Leslie Komaiko A new pizza at Taste on Melrose Avenue flaunts its turkey-and-trimmings appeal to anyone who just can't wait for the big day. On 'cue / by Leslie Komaiko Barbecue is the ultimate finger food. Includes five restaurants: Zeke's Smokehouse on Honolulu Ave., Montrose; The Pig on N. La Brea Ave., L.A.; Santa Maria Barbecue Co. on Culver Blvd., Culver City; My Brother's Bar-B-Q on Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills; Outdoor Grill on Washington Place, Culver City.

You are a very advanced cook with a good sense of presentation, Abra! I really like your plates. You must like blue, ehh? Where did you get them? In the duck confit salad, could you describe the combination of flavors and textures, please? To me, watercress is an acquired taste. How prominent was its flavor in the salad?

Hello, Paula! Thank you for letting us have this conversation with you! As a native Californian, born and raised in the San Joaquin Valley and now living in Southern California, I remember hearing how similiar California and the Mediterranean are, in terms of the climate yielding such wonderful produce. Now that you live in Sonoma, near the birthplace of "California Cuisine," do you think that California has certain qualities that remind you of the Mediterranean, culinary and/or otherwise? If so, to what extent? If not, why not? Thank you. edited for spelling

Sure, I can help you. I'm a professional librarian as well. suzilightning, you do half and I do half, if Probono agrees. Probono, when do we start? Back to topic, please add one more, Maggie: Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook.

Thank God you didn't get those Ronco knives!! I would have been really concern about you if you did. What would happen next? Semi-homemade cooking? As you go window shopping, check out various knives until you find one that you feel comfortable with, check the price and wait for a sale. Boy, was I sweating on this one ...

Wonderful blog, Abra! The photos are great. It brings nice memories when I was traveling around the Puget Sound, the Olympic Mountains, Leavenworth, Cashmere ... Personally, I vote for French, unless you want to tell your friends, "Tonight, we're going Dutch!" What is your coffee preference: Starbucks? SBC? Or something else? And finally, a dog in a blog. Woof!

I know what''s "lacking" in those popovers: QUANTITY, Marlene. QUANTITY! The only thing I could think of is bacon bits. Wait! You did put bacon bits in there, ehh? Or some more seasoning: parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme ...

When I was shopping at Costco about last week, I saw in the cookbook section "Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook." I glanced through it (a long glance, mind you), and it looked pretty good. Has anybody bought it and tried it out yet?

Daniel ... Did you get those Ronco knives? ... Did you?

Apparently, that question was asked last month in this discussion thread. Basically, someone called the restaurant and the answer was "no." So, Bastide has not have a website, at this time ...

JFL, do you mean Palermo's in the Los Feliz area (LOS feh-LEEZ, as in feh-LEEZ NAH-vih-DAHD)? Neal, I should have thought of this sooner. Here's link I did back in Mar. 2005 on a Los Angeles Discussion Thread Index. And there's always the LA Times Food Section Digest, updated weekly by some eG Specialist ... Go ahead and see if you find it useful.

i wouldn't mind if you could detail your dining experience at triumphal palace. personally, i was amazed that irene gave that place three stars, and for a chinese restaurant!! was the service that phenomenal? how would you compare it with new concept? what kind of changes, russ? are they due to finances? competition? gosh, not using capital letters makes me feel like e.e. cummings...

Sounds great, Marlene. Of course, the important question is "How does it taste?" I say go with the asparagus, roasted, or if you wish, chilled with a mayonnaise dressing. I find the combination of differents cheeses on your menu, the word "nibbles" and your "cat" avatar to be rather peculiar to me. BTW, I wouldn't mind if you change your mind and make the creme brulee instead. How are your torching skills?

sgschef, here are some addresses, phone nos. and website links to the various restaurants in Long Beach: Daily Grill; One World Trade Center; Long Beach, CA 90831; Phone: 562-753-2170 Uncle Al's; 400 East First Street; Long Beach, CA 90802; Phone: 562-436-2553 Papadakis Taverna; 301 West 6th Street; San Pedro, CA 90731; Phone: 310-548-1186 The Sky Room; 40 S. Locust Avenue; Long Beach, CA 90802; Phone: 562-983-2703 King's Fish House; 100 W. Broadway Ave.; Long Beach, CA 90802; Phone: 562-432-7463 555 East; 555 East Ocean Blvd.; Long Beach, CA 90802; Phone: 562-437-0626 Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles; 730 E. Broadway; Long Beach, CA 90802; Phone: 562-437-8355 Open Sesame; 5215 East 2nd Street; Long Beach, CA 90803; Phone: 562-621-1698 Babette's Feast; 4621 E 2nd Street; Long Beach, CA 90803; Phone: 562-987-4536 Shenandoah Cafe; 4722 E. 2nd Street; Long Beach, CA 90803; Phone: 562-434-3469 Few of my thoughts: All of the Daily Grills are pretty good and predictable. I haven't eaten at the one in LB. King's Fish House has good seafood. I like to sit outdoors, if it's not raining. I've eaten at some of the other Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles, but not the one in LB. Trust me, chicken & waffles, it works! I usually go for "Scoe's #1" The one in Hollywood has all the action. It's been a while since I've eaten there, but Shenandoah Cafe has a menu that comes right out of the ladies' auxiliary cookbook. Southern cookin' with a California decor & flavor. They know how to do chicken fried steak. Enjoy your time this weekend!

Okay Daniel, you asked for it: SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! I have a 6-piece set of Mundial knives that I bought at Costco several years ago. I think I paid under $100 for the set. They're not bad. As for Ronco knives, are they even NSF standard??

There are many Trader Joe's in Southern California, Neal. You're gonna have to show some more proof. It looks like you've been doing your research. I've only been to La Terza twice on Tuesday nights when Nancy Silverton does her Italian Tavola. Which South American countries are you referring to? Argentina? Brazil? Peru? Others? As for other suggestions, please narrow down your interests. Southern California is really spread out.

Congratulations, PCL and Shinboners! What? No shrimp on the barbie? Then bring out the Vegemite! Your fellow eG Specialist, rjwong