Almass

Richard Johnson - a member of the eGullet Society who is yet to post but who was reading this thread yesterday. Good rule of thumb for this forum - never post anything here you wouldn't be prepared to say to someone's face. ← Alternatively, you could say, never visit a forum if not ready to have the truth hit you in the face.

OK. eere it goes: Digital Thermometer One unused FLUKE 52 II Digital Thermometer for sale in original pack. Accessories: - INFRARED THERMOCOUPLE PROBE (TYPE-K) (whatever dat is) - TYPE T PIERCING PROBE, THERMOCOUPLE ASSEMBLY, 3 METER, BULK. (yeah - yeah - yeah luv da piercing bit) - One SureGrip PROBE, THERMOCOUPLE, RUGGEDIZED, K-TYPE. (well you would need the SureGrip, wouldnt ya) - And one carrying case free. Woohoo All at only UKP ****. Well ya cant afford it anyway. (Remortgage on your kitchen accepted as collateral) Potatoe sieves and plastic thingies will be available in Sept 05. Reserve here now. "Plasma oven" and "Whizzy Hob" out of stock. We also stock refined Lavender essence and special Designer Ice Cubes. Check back here again soon: culinarygizmo@gastronomicmignons.com

Chef Ramzi is referenced in this forum often. I know he has a website, I can't find it at the moment. ← - The website is simply: cheframzi.com.lb Please understand that Chef Ramzi's name is bigger than his hat. The man is a TV Chef selected on pure TV grounds of presentation and articulation. He is not the equivalent of Gordon Ramsey or Delia Smith. All recipes have been researched by different teams for the TV program owned by Future Television. Similarly, the books and magazine are the result of a large team of people and not his alone. So, let's keep feet on the ground and give credit where credit is due. He is a TV Chef and not a culinary gastronomic reference.

I'll take these fantastic ribs and marrow any time with this wicked blueberry pie with rum ice cream. I need to wipe my keyboard now and next time you wana post pics like that, could you please put a warning so we can place the bibs on.

Reading this thread, I see that you certainly did have a laugh between the lavender scallops and the NASA hob. You know those magic mushrooms are illegal now, right?I think this programme is OK and, for me, Blumenthal's and Corrigan's contribution make it must see TV. Obviously, Heston is at the cutting edge - making scallops taste like urinal cake, what a wheeze - but what about your man, Corrigan, with his varieties of seaweed, his raw mackerel and his horseradish ice cream? Bejasus! Love his approach to Armagnac, too: so long as its over two years old it's OK and for under £15, you can't go wrong. Shame I just have to inhale the stuff to get a hangover. That scruffy presenter bloke isn't nearly as drole as he thinks he is. I do think that if you're going to appear on mainstream TV you might at least shave and iron your shirt first. I mean, Heston is no fashion plate but, as Almass noted, his t.shirt was pretty cool. ← Oh s**t, I almost forgot the Horseradish Ice Cream. Muahahahaha. Do you think this progarm will top the Goonies? And this beats the hell out of Magic Mushrooms but I am working on it. Lavender Scallops and Horseradish Ice Cream. What ever next? Marmite Cassoulet? Poor poor Escoffier...

Deadpan and cynicism? I thought it was disinterest! Is there anybody that does like it? Please join in, we won't bite (typed with fingers crossed behind back). ← Ohhh, I luv it with the lack of good slapstick comdey on the box at least we have an opportunity to laugh. Lavender Scallops!!! This is enough to carry me through the weekend...

OK, all is good, nothing to see here, move along the platform...

Can you please alaborate as to the relationship of Tamarind juice and Pomegrenate syrup??!?! Did you use both as surely you don't mean Tamarind is from Pomegrenate?

Very nice "Ambience" picture. Puts the viewer right where you are! Kep it coming Ol'boy

Marlena: Are you saying that Claudia Roden stated that Falafel is an Israeli dish?

Sorry but you cannot get the "Whizzy Hob" because this was specially developed with ceramic tiles of the Columbia shuttle and is powered with Naquadac on a Plasma burner which after firing, the plasma packet retains its coherence from a residual magnetic field surrounding it. Upon impact, the magnetic field is broken and the plasma energy is released and the scallops are browned. Voila! And you cannot and will not have it. Na!

Woohoo, or how to bugger up nice scallops in one easy lesson by heston blueindaface. Thats it, I am sold, tomorrow I eat only scallops fume(e) a l'huile or should I say a l'essence de Lavende. Hey I might also wash meself with da stuff and save on soap. Thanks Heston and anyone knows where I can get the same T-shirt?

Another can of worms! Baba Ghanouj and Mutabal. Baba Ghanouj Baba is Father Ghanouj is from Ghanaja and means to pamper/coddle/cosset/spoil So it is a pampered father dish. Having said that, the name of the dish itself is Syrian Lebanese and to my knowledge it is exactly the same dish with Pomegrenate variant for the Syrian version but both use Tehineh. The name Baba Ghanouj is used all over from Egypt to Saudi Arabia. Mutabal Mutabal means seasoned or dressed with a sauce and spices. If you wish to order Baba Ghanouj in Lebanon, you will ask for Mutabal Bazinjan bel Tehineh which is Eggplant dressed with Tahineh. Which is is exactly the same as Baba Ghanouj. Should you order Mutabal or Mutabal Bazinjan you might get the Lebanese variant of Eggplant salad minus the Tahineh. In Syria, you will get the same as Lebanon with the proviso that the Eggplant is not mashed but separated into strips with a fork. As far as the rest of the Arab world is concerned they call it similar to the above definitions and depends on either the restaurant owner or the Chef background.

Interesting thread. Here is a purist method. To the best of my recollection, Kaymak in original unaldurated form does not have the benefit of heat and hence no boiling or simmering. We are simply talking about fresh milk which is still warm from the milking of cows and is transposed continuously from one shallow container to the other while still warm and then skimming the milk skin that is being formed in each transposing action into a separate container covered with a cotton cloth to allow draining of any excess liquid and you end up with thick creamy/yellow Kaymak which goes to 3 or 4 inches thick. In today's health and safety world, such method cannot fit in any regulation and would have the food inspectors blow a fuse or two. I must admit that it has been few moons since I had this delicacy which we use to eat either with Honey or Katayef (fried) or Mamounieh...etc. The heating element is a rather newer development to duplicate a rather antiquated method. The new method or the easier method would be to have the milk skin lifted from simmering milk but I have my doubts whether this can be duplicated with cream for obvious reasons. So should you be near a farm or have few cows in your backgarden ready for milking, you could make Kaymak the good old fashioned way. Failing to do that, simply bring full fat milk to a simmer and skim the skin and re-bring to a simmer and continue doing so in a loop untill you get the quantity you want. Caution: Kaymak is most definetly not part of a healthy diet and all responsibility will be denied for addiction to and addiction from the preparation and enjoyment of Kaymak. Dixit

Daniel. It is always a pleasure reading you. Now as you said it is time for bed. Just before doing that, I settle down with a Bolivar Belicosos Finos and an Armagnac Tenareze domaine d'Amblat and tomorow is another day. Good Night

We seem to have overlooked India! Now is there not a true Indian cuisine? Or would this fall under the kitchen classification? I think not and there is truly an Indian cuisine. Having reshufled the cards, we shoud talk of the following cuisines: French - Chinese - Indian and runner up Persian or Ottoman (depending where and when in time you are standing).

I had a quick look/see at the link you so kindly provided and although I could not possibly view all the clips and pics but here is my 2ct. 1- I am a bit disappointed with the presentation level of the dishes pictures? I assume they taste the part but I still think that we have a very long way to go on single dish on a plate presentation where such food is concerned. Pictures of the cooked recipes seem to be OK but falls down when served on a plate. 2- As for the clips which I viewed. Your participation was quite entertaining and I liked your angle of eating for pleasure and I agree with you that the food pyramid thingy is a load of bull. By and large, I agree with what you outlined. However I would like to raise two separate issues: A- You state that you recognise three cuisines in the world which are French - Italian and Chinese. I would narrow it down to only two: French and Chinese. Could you dwelve a little more as to why you think Italian is a cuisine which put it's mark next to French and Chinese. I went back to the Medicis and I still cant see how they fare up to the French and Chinese raffinement. B- When you talk about a "cuisine" are you strictly embracing the cooking part or englobing the eating part as well? What I am trying to say is whether it is not true that what makes French cuisine is not only the recipes and the preparation/presentation part of it but the whole ceremonium of the family sitting down with a properly set dinning table with all the ensuing echelons of proper seating, the clean hands and clothes, the benediction (don't laugh), the wine, the hors d'oeuvres and entree, plats principales, dessert et pousse cafee. Is it not the whole ceremonium which is embeded in the children as to how to enjoy and respect the pleasures of the table which was later translated to the fine restaurant decorum? It still ring in my ears "de ne pas garder les coudes a table et de fermer la bouche en mangeant et ne pas parler la bouche pleine". Is it not all the addition of such small details which make the French cuisine what it is and not only the mere recipe? Is it not le savoir vivre et les plaisires de la table and the delectable food which makes you call a "cuisine" a "cuisine" and not a "kitchen"? I will always remember a famous Advertising commercial aired on TV for Christofle which shows some elaborate Chinese Mandarins sitting in front of foreign dishes with Christofle cutlery and turning the knifes and forks upside down to use them as chopsticks to eat the food!!>!?!??!

I will take anytime a large cup of cafe au lait with a croissant or two.

Very, very nice pictures. I am not a big fan of ramsey but sure like your pictures and especially this one where you have lost the plate. Nice!: Can you advise camera details? I assume no flash and digital camera. Any aperture/speed/ISO? Any reaction from the MaitreD'?

......but when i think of one of the best meals of my life, it is this: a friend in tel aviv says: I'm taking you to my favourite place, and we trundle down to jaffa, and she says here is where jew and arab eat together, and its a crumbling shack of a place quite close to the sea, a crowded crumbling shack, and there are two big copper pots cooking: one for chickpeas and one for ful. and we sit outside and eat the BEST HUMMUS....... what i wouldn't give for a hummus breakfast. and to be surrounded by a crowd, in the throes of equal appreciation! Marlena ← Nice post Marlena. You should try Fatteh Shamiyeh or the correct name is Tess'ieh. Which is yoghurt/garlic/lamb/rice/bread...etc and chickpeas. As for Hummus. A very simple technique which is by the way the same technique used in Egypt for Fuul, is SLOW COOKING method. Let it boil and simmer overnight on very low heat. I don't know whether the famous "Tabbakh Yahoudi" is still used but maybe Daniel Rogov can advise. I know that this is now banned as it was running on fuel or coal. Is there an electric version in use? What tend to happen now is either using canned chickpeas or pressure cooker which does not make justice to the cooking. Irrespective of the type of olive oil - lemon - tahina...etc used, it is the amalgamation of the ingredients which counts the most. And here again is the old adage which proves that the only right recipe is the right recipe. Do you know that in Cairo where Falafel is king and where it all started, btw it is not called Falafel but Ta'amia, you should eat it in the street of Cairo from the small stalls and not in the more elaborate restaurants. There seems to be something, a palate mystique of some kind to eat Ta'amia cooked in oil that has been used one million times with barely washed ingredients. I would not eat (again) in the streets of Cairo and would not advise you to but should you wish to go to the core of Falafel, then thats the way to do it. And uhhh, forget about good Hummos in Egypt.

Look forward to try his food very shortly. What's his name and profile? I enjoyed both food and service at Vu and most importantly is the fact that I can smoke my cigars in peace as the restaurant is geared for cigar smoking with both special ashtray and matches. In fact I enjoy more Vu than Verre as at least the view is so much better. I am not too enthusiastic about the bar at Vu as it tend to be overcrowded and over boisterous to my taste. ← James Viles Just left http://www.mintbaranddining.com.au/html/ (Intercontinental Sydney) Very personable, look for a menu that is a little more contemporary. Comes from a good background around the Sydney scene. Nancy Kinchela was the previous chef (in my eyes, she is absolutely awesome) and has left to Shanghai ← Just read his profile and the menu at Mint. This all sounds very interesting and thank you for the info. I am looking forward to try his food.

Look forward to try his food very shortly. What's his name and profile? I enjoyed both food and service at Vu and most importantly is the fact that I can smoke my cigars in peace as the restaurant is geared for cigar smoking with both special ashtray and matches. In fact I enjoy more Vu than Verre as at least the view is so much better. I am not too enthusiastic about the bar at Vu as it tend to be overcrowded and over boisterous to my taste.

You are right, call the item any way you want and change the recipe any which way you want. After all , it does not make any difference to scorch a language and distort the vocabulary. It also really does not matter to claim whether a recipe is or is not, might or might not belong to the culinary tradition of a country. We simply adopt the dish as part of the repertoire and expropriate it. Nevermind that the natives are not even aware of it. Hey I ate in Irkutsk a dish called Chicroute Alsasione. It definitley is the correct spelling and authentic Siberian!!!

It is not the point of having a difference in Lebanese or Tunisian cacti or cactuses. It is the mere fact that you could not have eaten cacti or cactuses paddles in the Lebanon as you are stating for the simple fact that, to the best of my knowledge, it is not a Lebanese dish and there is no Lebanese recipe for it.

Almass, my memory may be playing tricks on me about the paddles (I'll ask my dad tomorrow), though I really do remember eating them blanched, with the standard lemon and olive oil dressing. Maybe a different variety? Anyway, I went back and looked in Chef Ramzi's book (Min Tourath Lubnan, Arabic edition, page 544) and he says that they are called "Sabbar" or "Sabbair" which as far as I'm concerned is just a minor difference in pronounciation (though you may disagree.) The term "teen" referring to cactus fruit might be a regional thing, as I have never heard of it and Chef Ramzi fails to mention it. Finally, he is quite emphatic that the fruit needs to be carefully cleaned, as it is covered in thorns. As for a la Huitres, whatever floats your boat, dude ← - Sabbar or Sabbair is acceptable but it is not Sabr or Sabra as you have stated. - Was there any recipe in Chef Ramzi's Book for the paddles? Whether Chef Ramzi's failed to mention or not the word "teen" or "Tin" is really up to him and he should have. And of course the fruit "skin" is covered with thorns but not the inside pulp and seed! - I look forward to read whether you have been able to locate a recipe in Lebanon for the "paddles" cause I sure never heard or tried any. But then again I have also never been called a dude before. Not even with a smily and I not have no boat but I know how to float.