Jaymes

More info on Koi Palace: Koi Palace 365 Gellert Blvd., Daily city, CA 94015 Phone: 650-992-9000 Website: www.koipalace.com

raisin sauce for ham Waldorf Salad plumped with brandy or rum carrot salad apple salad peanut butter & raisin sandwiches ants on a log rice pudding

R&G Lounge is right in Chinatown. Very very good. Very authentic. When I go to SFO, I stay in a little Chinese hotel in Chinatown. I happened onto R&G quite a few years back - found it by canvassing the neighborhood. The only thing is, they are not really set up for single Occidental diners, I can tell you. Several times, I've been unable to find a server that spoke English. And, have given up on ever getting a single order of soup. It comes in one size: tureen. But still, go there everytime I'm in town. If you notice above, Malik recommended it as well. And there are several mentions in the "Top Chinese Restaurants" thread. The last time we went we ordered some of the "usual" dishes that we can get pretty-much everywhere. We decided to do that in order to judge R&G by dishes with which we are very familiar. So, we got a tureen of Hot & Sour Soup (and we had a big table that time, so I didn't have to eat the whole thing by myself), steamed dumplings, green beans, mushu pork, something really hot and spicy that I can't remember the name of, Honey Walnut Prawns (huge hit), and some sort of chicken - "house special chicken" or "chicken with special house sauce." Also a clay pot of some kind. Everything was really wonderful. The soup was excellent, although not as good as I've ever had. But most of the dishes were as good as I've ever had, and some were better. I'm no expert, but I have lived in Hong Kong and traveled fairly extensively throughout Asia. And two of my companions that evening are people I'd call pretty knowledgeable - one the son of a Chinese master chef - and another the Chinese woman I mentioned above - who has only been in the U.S. a short time. I doubt you'll be disappointed if you try it.

Just emailed my Chinese friend that lives in SFO. She's been in the States about three years. She and another Chinese friend were with our group when we went last to R&G. They said that R&G (which I love) is the "best in Chinatown" but that her very favorite in the bay area was another place. So, I asked her exactly to which restaurant she was referring: This is what she said: "Koi Palace. It is in south SFO. I can get telephone number and address for you if you want. "It is Cantonese restaurant also like R&G. I really think that you should visit it when you get a chance. It is kinda pricey, but I think that it is worth it. My family love that place. :) [she means her family that visits her from China - she has no relatives that live in the States.] "My favorite dish there... Hmm.... mainly go there for dim sum. I have only been there for few times for dinner......cannot really remember the names but I can describe them. Their fresh water shrimp imported from HK. They are small, but taste very very sweet/fresh.... Their steam fish is good. One of the Tofu dish. The steam tofu with shrimp in it. "Their dim sum is very very good. I will say it is the best dim sum that I have in bay area. My Chinese friends agree with me too. :) They open at 10:00am. It is worth of trying... "Everything is good there. ;)" So - I'd suggest that you give it a try. Goodness knows I'm going to on MY next trip to bay area.

We had a fairly extensive thread a while back about fast-food burgers. And I believe that while everyone agreed that homemade, or small individually-owned "mom & pop" places are better, when it's a choice of the best of the fast-food chains, In 'n' Out was the consensus favorite. They're my favorite, for sure.

Well, hey - you asked. Remember? "Creepy and disgusting"? YOUR words? What's that they say about "if you can't stand the answer...."? Oh yeah.... "don't ask the question."

I LOVE that term... Reminds me so of my granny. Although, when we visited her it was often (like many farm families) "meat 'n' five" - or more!

Perhaps, but that's not been my experience. In fact, I believe that most of Mexico refers to the tomato/onion/chile thing as "salsa cruda." And it's primarily in Northern Mexico, along the U.S. border, and in the U.S. where the tomato recipe with which most of us are familiar is called "Pico de Gallo." Elsewhere in Mexico, Pico de Gallo more typically refers to something with jicama, or cucumbers, etc., red onions, orange or pineapple slices, salt, chiles of some sort, maybe even mint, marinated in citrus juices. This is served as a garnish/relish - particularly good over fish - or as a snack, or even dessert, with toothpicks. You "pick" or "peck" at the dish with your toothpick - hence the name "'peck' or 'beak' of the rooster."

Have been asked by several people to post my favorite Mexican Pico de Gallo recipe in the archives - So have done. Thanks for asking!

Was he there the next night? You silly Bigbear, is that YOU???

Pico de Gallo con Aguacate Pico de Gallo ('peeko day guy-yo') means 'beak of the rooster,' for some reason. Been told it's because it's chopped up, like chicken feed and you pick at it - but who knows. It is an excellent and very typical Mexican relish/condiment. In the U.S. and in Mexico along the U.S. border, the name "Pico de Gallo" connotes a relish with the main ingredients of tomatoes, onions, chiles, salt, lemon juice and oil, cilantro, etc., that kind of thing - but in most of Mexico, that particular combination is more commonly called "Salsa Cruda." Elsewhere in Mexico, "Pico de Gallo" can mean any combination of fresh, crunchy, primarily raw (sometimes chipotle peppers are used, which are smoked) garnish or snack. As a guest in Mexican homes, I've had some wonderful and very interesting picos that were made with various types of chiles, jicama, onions, pineapple, citrus juices, mint leaves, cucumber, crushed red pepper, etc., among many other things. A typical snack "Pico de Gallo" is cubed jicama, orange sections (fresh or canned), fresh lime juice, minced chiles (or dash of chile powder), chopped red onions, and salt. Allow to macerate in the fridge for 3-4 hours. This is served with toothpicks, with which you "peck" or pick out your choices, much like a rooster might. Do this a time or two and the name suddenly makes more sense. The following recipe more closely resembles what you find in Northern Mexico, along the U.S. border -- and in fact, I got it from a favorite restaurant in a small border town. It's wonderful on top of a bowl of beans, or with your fajitas, hamburgers, carnitas, tacos, grilled meats - pretty-much anything. Tear off a little bit of meat, put it in a warm tortilla, add some pico and there you go. 1 large flavorful tomato (or 2 or 3 Romas), water removed, chopped 1 small to medium yellow onion, chopped 2 or more - to taste - jalepenos, or serranos, or other favorite peppers, seeded and minced 1 avocado, not mushy, very coarsely chopped 1 medium-sized lemon, rolled, or zapped in microwave to release juices generous handful cilantro, chopped 1 T olive oil 1 tsp vinegar celery salt to taste dash garlic salt In glass bowl, combine chopped tomatoes, onions, chile peppers, avocados, cilantro. Squeeze juice of 1 lemon over, and add a pretty-good splash of olive oil. Add 1 tsp vinegar. Season to taste with celery salt. Sprinkle a little garlic salt. Toss to blend. Allow to sit in fridge a half/hour or so for flavors to meld, stirring occasionally. Keywords: Appetizer, Condiment, Vegetarian, Dip, Easy, Mexican, Snack ( RG253 )

You want "creepy and disgusting"? How's this: When I was younger (and therefore cuter) I hung out occasionally with a sometime boyfriend at a genuinely creepy and disgusting dive bar. He was president of his fraternity, but for some reason, he liked it - feeling, I guess, that this place would rub off his (admittedly annoying) preppy edges. Frequently we'd go there and order a "schooner" or "pitcher" or some other container-specific amount of draft beer, and be told that "we're all out of pitchers (or whatever) because they all got broken in the fight last night." And at least twice a year, you'd read in the newspaper about a stabbing in the parking lot at 3am. And then there was the time that this big fat hairy gross biker guy came over to me (choosing me for no particular reason that I could discern), lifted up his black Harley T-shirt (with the sleeves ripped out) to expose his large tummy, took his two hands and rolled his navel into a hairy slit, and asked me, "Do you have one of these?" That was plenty "creepy and disgusting," I'll tell you. Not to mention the worst "pick-up line" THIS girl had ever heard.

I think the best source for good U.S. Southern cooking and information about same is in the many civic organization-type cookbooks (junior league, women's club, churches, etc.) that are so very popular in the South. More than just recipe collections, they often have chapter introductions and other words of wisdom from the local food mavens. Here's an excerpt from Charleston Receipts: HOMINY Never call it 'Hominy Grits' Or you will give Charlestonians fits! When it comes from the mill, it's 'grist'; After you cook it well, I wist You serve 'hominy'! Do not skimp; Serve butter with it and lots of shrimp. Hominy has long been a favorite in the Carolina Low-Country. This corn preparation, boiled with water and salt, was served in almost every household for breakfast -- not as a cereal with sugar and cream, but mixed with butter and eaten with a relish such as bacon, eggs or fish cakes. It was not frequently used for dinner, but was often on the supper table, either cooked in the same manner or, more often, in the form of fried hominy, baked hominy or 'Awendaw.' These concoctions were usually made from the hominy 'left in the pot' after breakfast and were served for the evening meal with ham, shrimp, crab or the like. Hominy is still used a great deal in Charleston and its vicinity, and may be prepared in any of the following ways. Another: RICE Charleston was the birthplace of rice in America. The first seed was brought to the province of Carolina about 1685. This rice had been raised in Madagascar, and a ship sailing from that island put into the port of Charles Town when in distress. The captain of the ship, John Thurber, made the acquaintance of Dr. Henry Woodward, one of the leading citizens. He gave Dr. Woodward a small quantity of rice, less than a bushel. This started the rice industry, which flourished for over two centuries. These seeds were cultivated, due to soil and climate, to the highest perfection, and became world famous as Carolina Gold Rice. Some of the following receipts have been in constant use for over a century and a half, passing from generation to generation. And this, from River Roads Recipes: SEAFOOD Seafoods par excellence -- a superabundance is ours in 'River Roads' country -- the perfection and variety of which is unsurpassed! From the waters of the Gulf of Mexico come the famous salt-water varieties -- red fish and red snapper, the flounder and the pompano, the speckled trout and the Spanish mackerel. The rivers and bayous of Louisiana offer fresh water varieties such as the bass and the sac-a-lait. To enhance our culinary advantage from a seafood standpoint there are such delicacies as the lake and river shrimp, the hard-shell and the soft-shell crabs, the oysters, the crayfish and the famous green turtle! These can be had for the fishing. Anyone who'd like to get really familiar with U.S. Southern-style cooking would do well to begin a collection of these treasures.

Well THAT was fun.

Boy, does that bring back memories. We often used to make our own fruit liqueurs by cramming various dried fruits into gallon jars and then pouring in vodka or Everclear and some lemon peels and sugar. Dried apricots were a favorite. It was wonderful. You'd drain the liquid into a jar, and then eat the fruit separately - over ice cream or pound cake or something. Haven't done that in a long time, but if anyone is interested, am certain I could dig up the exact instructions. Also, in Alaska we made what we called "Northern Comfort" with "highbush cranberries" (also called lingonberries) and Everclear. It was fabulous. And warmed you up pretty quickly. Even on really cold nights. Of course, it also put you under the table pretty quickly as well.

Xanath - "All-natural Xanath contains vanilla made from real vanilla beans. First produced in 1949 by the Gaya Capellini, the Gaya family still grow their own vanilla beans. Xanath (pronounced "SHA-nath") is made in the very region of Veracruz, Mexico where vanilla beans were discovered by the Totonac Indians and first used as a flavoring centuries ago." It comes in a beautiful dark brown bottle shaped like a vanilla bean. I first fell in love with it during a trip to Mexico (of course), but now my local booze purveyor orders it for me.

Jaymes, where??!? Do you think it's possible to find such a revelatory product here?? First saw this in Mexico. Couldn't believe we didn't have them here. Cajeta is so messy to dig out. So, I zap the bottle in the microwave, but still. So anyway, in a grocery store in Mexico and there it was, Coronado cajeta in squeeze bottles! Our largest grocery stores here in Austin carry it - especially in the Hispanic areas. You just turn it upside down over your ice cream, pound cake, whatever, and squeeze. Heaven awaits.

Would have to know: How do you make your nachos? What do you put on/in them? How "substantial" are they? If they are "traditional" nachos there are quite a few things you could serve with them. If, on the other hand, they are of the "everything pero el sumidero de la cocina" variety, you'd not want to serve much with them. So.....?

Cornbread Salad From the cornbread thread. The next morning after making cornbread, people in the South often have corn bread cereal (crumbled corn bread with or without sweetener like sugar or honey or molasses and milk poured over) or cornbread salad, which is delicious. 1 pan (8x8) cornbread, baked, cooled & crumbled (for ease, just use 1 box Jiffy or other favorite cornbread mix) 1 c chopped fresh tomatoes 1 c chopped celery 1/2 c chopped green bell pepper 1 bunch green onions with tops, chopped 1 c mayo or Miracle Whip salt and pepper to taste Combine all ingredients thoroughly, cover and chill overnight There's a southwestern version where you use Mexican-style cornbread mix, and you can add some canned (drained) kidney, pinto, chili or Ranch Style beans. Many people add a can of corn, also drained. Some use 1 pkg Hidden Valley Original Dressing mix (prepared) instead of the mayo or Miracle Whip. A friend always puts in 1/2 C chopped sweet pickles, or some sweet pickle relish, and 1/4 cup sweet pickle juice. Lots of the "church potluck" women top this with some grated cheese, either Cheddar or Parmesan. I've also seen crisp bacon pieces, and pimentos, and pecans. This is very versatile - and you can add pretty-much whatever you want. It is really, really good though - and a nice substitute for potato salad at BBQs and hotdog/hamburger cookouts. Keywords: American, Salad, Kosher ( RG239 )

Cajeta in squeeze bottles. A revelation.

Yeah - that really is grating. I usually ignore it. But last month, I was in a particularly bad mood - had HORRIBLE day - been caught in a rainstorm - same hairdo as coaches have after they get the Gatorade poured over them - just wanted to be left alone and eat before I had to go back out into the rain and fight rush hour traffic and get home. So, my insufferably perky waiter trots over and he says, "Well, how are we this evening?" To which I replied, "How the hell should I know? I just met you." Gag. How on earth do WE think that got started?

How about Tommy Toy's in SFO? I know for sure that THEY think they're in the top five.

It sounds as though your evening, while it may have been bereft of bread crumbs, was nonetheless chock full of something far more valuable... A grand generosity of spirit. Which you yourself have also displayed - by so kindly, and thoughtfully, and unselfishly recreating in such detail your wonderful and educational experience for us here at eGullet. There was obviously nothing in it for you. So, I appreciate your taking the time. Thank you.

Perhaps the problem stems from someone telling them that in the U.S. "putting out" is very popular.