SuzySushi

Kristin, On the surface, it sounds like the proportions in my haupia recipe (see above in thread) but if you used all-coconut-milk and not half-coconut-milk/half-water, it might be the richness/fat in the coconut milk is interfering with setting and making the pudding softer. That would also account for the skin on the top. 5 hours should be long enough for it to set in the refrigerator.

Don't be afraid of the turkey!!! I just treat it like a big chicken! Rinse the turkey inside & out, pat dry, season inside & out with salt & pepper. I don't stuff my turkeys (I bake the stuffing separately -- it's food-safer that way), but I do stick aromatics (such as a cut-up onion, a few celery sprigs, a cut-up orange or lemon) into the cavity. Tie the legs loosely together so they won't splay, and tuck the wing tips under the wings (or cover with foil) so they won't burn. Rub the skin with your choice of oil or butter and roast (I like to put mine on a roasting rack so the skin won't stick to the bottom of the pan) in a moderate oven, basting occasionally with water, broth, wine, and/or pan juices. I don't use a meat thermometer!!! -- I test doneness the way my grandma taught me, by sticking a fork between the leg and body and checking to see that the juices run clear (not bloody). If the top is browned to your liking before the turkey is done, you can cover it loosely with foil and continue roasting. Take the turkey out of the oven, transfer to a serving platter, and tent loosely with foil to keep warm while you prepare the gravy and heat the stuffing in the oven. Every family has their own favorite side dishes. Suggestions include: Mashed potatoes Sweet potatoes (either candied yams cut in chunks, or mashed sweet potatoes) Green beans with almonds or green bean casserole (the Campbell's cream of mushroom soup recipe) Brussels sprouts Corn on the cob or a dish with corn kernels Glazed carrots Creamed pearl onions A mixture of roasted root vegetables Dessert is usually pie, pumpkin or apple being the most traditional. P.S. Daniel Rogov's recipes look delicious!

My personal preference for everyday is Japanese bamboo chopsticks, although we use lacquer chopsticks for fancier meals. I hate plastic chopsticks!!! I've used metal chopsticks in Korean restaurants, but they don't especially appeal to me; it seems that they transfer a metallic taste to the food, much like a metal spoon does. We have one pair of ivory chopsticks that was a gift, but never use them as we don't have other pairs for other members of the family. I also like Japanese fragrant wood (such as cedar) chopsticks for summer cold noodle dishes.

My Serbian Grandma, as a good Orthodox Christian, never passed up the chance to get in a shot disparaging the Catholic branch of the Church. She refered to the tail as the Bishcoup (sp?), or Bishop's Hat, because of it's shape. Implied, of course, is what part of the bird's anatomy is found directly under the tail. SB (Oddly, as I now recall, Grandma usually ate that part herself?) ← I don't have a Serbian grandmother, but I've also heard that part of a turkey or chicken referred to as the "Pope's nose."

As a matter of fact we did. After walking around for what seemed like hours, we ended up asking a local where she would eat for lunch. She recommended a restaurant where we feasted on a magnificent plateau de fruits de mer (we saw one at another table and couldn't resist) -- which is rather incongruous because Auxerre is landlocked and not famous for its seafood.

Speaking of fresh herbs.... I've also found it interesting that I can buy a potted herb plant at Wal-Mart for about half the price a bunch of the same fresh herbs costs at the supermarket! I've had bad luck growing them, but that's not to say I won't pick up a plant to snip fresh herbs from for a couple of weeks.

John, you're a hoot!!!

You mean bodegas? ← Yes, that's it. Thank you. I kept thinking "albondigas" (which of course means "meatballs") and could not get past that. Obviously I have eaten too much Halloween candy over the past several days. ← LOL! I actually had to look it up in something I wrote a while back... I kept thinking "bolillos," which of course means "rolls" (bread). Yep, it must be the Halloween candy. That's what it is.

Andrea, Your book arrived in the mail yesterday from Amazon.com and it looks lucious!!! I perused it last night and will have a hard time deciding which recipe to try first -- surely something I can't easily find in one of the many Vietnamese restaurants in Hawaii. I'm curious though, as to why you didn't include a recipe for making the bread that's used for Bahn Mi. Do Vietnamese not bake it at home?

Damn. Because of the way the lines break on my screen, I read the phrase as "ostrich meat."

You mean bodegas?

Do you mean Lebenkuchen? Love them. My favourites aren't the chocolate covered ones, though - the hazelnut stars with white icing do it for me. Oh yum. ← I'm not sure what they're called in German -- haven't seen them out yet this year!

Mei, I am just catching up with this blog now, but it is hilarious (in a good sense)! What fun! Tell me, have you had any "culture shock" since moving to Holland?

Yay!!! Two more just arrived from Amazon.com: Into the Vietnamese Kitchen by Andrea Nguyen, and The Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart. I'll be drooling reading them in bed tonight...

I don't know if it counts, since we never checked whether it was rated in Michelin or another guidebook, but a few years ago, on our last trip to France, we drove to Auxerre specifically to dine again at a restaurant where we'd had a memorable dish of oeufs en meurette several years earlier. We arrived there and the restaurant was out-of-business, with a hand-lettered sign on the door. It had closed only a few days before.

I'm a big fan of the winter holidays and haven't come across too many holiday treats I don't like. My very favorite treats, however, have to be these baked goods: Stollen (homemade and filled with marzipan) Basel Leckerli (one of these years, I'll get around to making them myself) and Bahlsen's chocolate-coated soft gingerbread cookies (which I haven't been able to replicate).

We buy instant ramen/other Asian instant noodles by the case and always have several kinds in the house. My 10 year old and her friends inhale the stuff, and it's good for a quick meal, especially breakfast! My favorites are: Myojo Duck Noodles, from Thailand. Thinner than regular ramen, and a smaller portion. The broth is heady with star anise. I always add fresh cilantro and usually add shredded cooked chicken (or duck, when I have it). I buy mine by the case at a local Southeast Asian market. Nissin Top Ramen, Shrimp Flavor. My favorite way of preparing it is to drain off most of the liquid after cooking, then add a dash of Japanese ponzu sauce and a spoonful of peanut butter. Makes it taste like Chinese sesame noodles! I also add cooked shrimp and cilantro, as above. Mama Tom Yum (Shrimp Flavor). A bit spicy for me, but a wonderful balanced flavor. I add shrimp and cilantro (can you tell I love cilantro?).

These look incredible! Thanks for the recipe!! (My other Jamaican beef patty recipe calls for deep-fying, which I don't like to do -- this sounds so much healthier.)

You are not alone. That's why I don't buy take-out coffee.

Probably because house guests often eat lunch and dinner out, particularly if they're out sightseeing.

Hmmm... I like the idea of requesting a list. My house is almost always well-stocked with coffee, tea, juice, various types of bread, a couple of types of cereal, eggs, and other typical breakfast items, and I always make sure to have tropical fruit on hand for guests. I also ask guests what they like for breakfast and whether they have any special requests in the way of food. BUT, when we're houseguests, we don't expect anything of our hosts! After a quick perusal of the refrigerator and storage availability, our first stop is usually a grocery store or supermarket so we can buy what we want/need: milk, cereal, bread, cheese, fruit, chocolate(!), coffee or tea if the host doesn't have a type we like.

Okay, I'll play! Do you go to several different grocery stores? Absolutely. I've never found one market that has everything I want. There are 4 different supermarket chains within a 10-minute drive of here; I shop at 3 of them regularly. We also go to Costco about once a month, Sam's Club about once every two months, and to a Japanese supermarket (further away) once or twice a month. The Wal-Mart here has only a small grocery department, but I'm there about once a week, too. I also shop greenmarkets, Chinatown, and specialty stores (like the Indian market) when I'm in those neighborhoods. Do you clip coupons? Yes, for the few items I buy for which coupons are available. I also have "loyalty cards" for two supermarket chains. What do you usually buy at the grocery store? Everything I need in small quantities. What I need in large quantities I get at Costco or Sam's Club. Do you tend to buy more meat or more produce? More produce. Also, I usually buy meat/poultry in quantity at Costco and repackage it; I buy most of my fish at the Japanese market because it's fresher. Are you too ashamed to make purchases from the "reject bin?" Not ashamed, but I rarely find anything there I want/need. Do you make a list? Oh, yes. But I don't stick to it. unless I'm really in a hurry and need just an item or two, grocery-shopping is a family excursion and we go aisle-by-aisle. How many refridgerators and pantries do you have for food storage? One refrigerator with a freezer on top. One pantry. We use the top of the fridge for food storage, too. Do you enjoy grocery shopping as much as I do? Absolutely!

Megan, a wonderful blog about several wonderful areas of France. Your recount of Reims and Epernay brings back many happy memories! Next time (and there will be a next time for you, I'm sure), you'll have to spend some time exploring the Route du Vin in Alsace.

Reddish tinge, slime, or white mold means it's off. (Trust me on this one.)

Yum!!! Yatsuhashi senbei (the dried ones) and nama yatsuhashi (the fresh ones) have a delicate cinnamon flavor. THIS is one maker, and you can see photos of some of the many varieties. The dried ones look like curved roof tiles. Another famous Kyoto product is shichimi togarashi, a spice powder containing chiles, especially from Shichimi-ya, the 350-year-old spice shop on the way to Kiyomizu-dera.