mizducky

Yummy-looking falafel. Heh. I think I need to make some falafel real soon. Especially since I'm having trouble finding really good falafel around these parts. But about that zucchini: Somehow I have missed the existence of this dish. What a terrific thing to do to zuchini. I need to do this real soon too.

Hi Kathy--looks like your blog is off to a great start! While it would seem that few places can compete with the multi-cultural food riches of the LA area, my understanding is that Portland is no slouch in that regard either. I only visited that town a few times, but my Portland friends report that it's a real foodie haven. My fleeting impressions of Vancouver WA is that it's rather less cosmopolitan than Portland--but hey, it's only a short trip across the river. Meanwhile, as a transplant to SoCal from the Pacific Northwest, I find myself smiling at the irony of your household heading in the opposite direction. Nothing against the Northwest, though--in fact, I love that area dearly, and if it weren't for my lifelong 7-year-itch to move on, I would probably still be happily ensconced up there. So--enjoy!

The vast majority of the time when I cook with tofu, I stick to Chinese or Japanese-inspired cooking techniques for that ingredient. Trying to make tofu conform to western dishes and techniques doesn't tend to work very well for me. I do occasionally broil tofu (broiling/grilling is not unknown to traditional tofu cookery, see for instance the Japanese snack tofu dengaku), or mash some tofu up and season it as a salad/spread/dip/dressing, but I don't present or think of these as "just like" some other dish for which it is substituting--the dish as prepared has to stand or fall on its own merit. I do also frequently marinate tofu, because it's true that, like many other mild-flavored foods, the stuff is a great palette for other stronger flavors. But I no longer feel this compulsion to always dump tons of flavor on the stuff for fear of revealing some culinary void. For tofu isn't a void; especially when fresh and from a good source, it has a delicate, pleasing flavor all its own. Japanese cookery includes dishes like yudofu in which tofu is simply simmered in water and served with only simple seasonings such as a splash of shoyu and some slivered scallions. It's really quite soothing.

Hi, kalypso--Yes, I did try Troy's, and alas, the falafel they served me were total dried-out hockey pucks. I'm willing to give their other offerings another shot, but I'm afraid they lost me on the falafel. I will track down Athens Market sooner or later. And thanks for the lead on the other Pho Hoa Cali branch--I will definitely pay them a visit too.

I was down in San Diego visiting my family during the President's holiday weekend when my brother started raving all about this little Vietnamese sandwich shop...which turned out to be K Sandwiches! What a small world... Of course, my brother, aka "the Coupon King", also liked it because the sandwiches are so cheap ... By the way, if you've been there lately you may have noticed quite a line during meal times. Turns out that just down the street at Mesa College some enterprising credit card company has been offering a free K Sandwich if you filled out a credit card application! Brilliant marketing concept by the credit card company and by K Sandwiches. A nice way to bring in more business... ← Ah yes, great minds thinking alike. Glad to hear that K is taking advantage of the nearness of the college--I haven't been back up that way in a few weeks, due to moving and all, but I remember noticing a number of studenty-looking types in there on previous visits. Thanks, Ed! I only got a chance to skim the huge menu at Pho Pasteur, so I missed the game offerings, but did notice they had a bit more than the usual pho palace. I shall have to re-investigate at some point. Meanwhile, I have recently started on a whole pho kick, and so have branched out to a few other places. All of these are at least decent, and pho by definition is cheap eats, so here goes: --Convoy Noodle House -- I think this one has turned up on a number of local foodie lists. 4647 Convoy St. --Saigon -- on the edge of a nexus of Vietnamese businesses on El Cajon Blvd. that I've only just begun to explore. 4455 El Cajon Blvd --Pho Hoa Cali -- a couple of blocks west of the Convoy Street "strip" (there appears to be another restaurant of the same name up in Mira Mesa--I have no info as to whether they are under the same ownership or what). 7351 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. I am also on a quest to find decent falafel in San Diego--so far, I've had a number of dried out hockey-pucks, but I got some appropriately moist and tender, if somewhat crumbly, falafel at a little joint near SDSU called the Greek Corner. Their building and its interior furnishings look for all the world like this joint used to be an Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips or something, but now it's a typical gyros joint with all the fixings. They could be a tad more generous with the number of falafels they put in their sandwiches, but otherwise a fine offering. 5841 El Cajon Blvd As I gain further familiarity with the offerings out here on the eastern edges of San Diego, I'm sure I'll have more places to post about. El Cajon Blvd. alone is going to take me a looooooong time to explore!

Many thanks for a terrific blog, Megan. Whenever I'm next in New York City, I'll see if we can get together and do some damage to our waistlines and credit cards. P.S. -- As another 5'3" type, I am definite proof that short people can put away a whole lot more than their height-proportional share of food. In fact, my entire family runs to short-and-stocky. I have been known to joke that our ancestors' genes must have been selected for optimum survival on the Russian steppes--low-slung and close to the ground, the better to dig potatoes and not be blown away by winter storms.

Okay, the visual this conjures up would definitely make me unsafe on the road--due to uncontrolable chortling.

Hey, like they used to say in the Almond Joy commercials, "Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't." (sez she who could be accused of frequent nuttiness)

My solution for long drives: driver-friendly finger foods... plus some paper towels and handi-wipes. Nuts, trail mix, dried fruit, crackers, celery sticks. Water in one of those sport bottles with the valve that clicks open and closed. In a pinch, I have also been known to do french fries and chicken fingers--but *not* with any kind of sauce--and pop in a lidded cup with a straw. But no squishy drippy foods, no hot liquids. And rule number 1: if something spills, I ignore it. Yeah, my car sometimes looks a bit like I'm trying to start a compost pile in the back seat. But having provisions on hand is the only way to endure freeway travel in SoCal--especially when (not if) you get caught in a traffic jam.

Heh. This is going to be a challenge coming up with stuff that hasn't already been said. I guess the most important thing for me is to have fun with the party. That can mean different things for different events. Some parties, I've wanted to be totally present at my party and not fussing in the kitchen, so I've done those as mainly make-ahead buffet-style affairs. Other times I've really had a wild hair on to do something over-the-top--those dinners I've basically treated as the culinary equivalent of running a marathon, so I allow myself sufficient time, resources, planning, and above all prior rest and physical readiness to handle both the cooking and the hostessing. It's all in the advance planning--I make all kinds of lists, notes about how I want to set up the dining space, even try a few things in advance if I'm not sure if the logistics will work properly. And that goes for the food too. I do sometimes cook dishes I've never done for a dinner party before, but I try to at least try them out beforehand to sanity-check any potential screwups. For me, this is actually part of the fun--it's like playing house when you were a kid. Another thing: I have a few beloved items I like to bring out for dinner parties that make the party feel like it's mine. One example: I have a lovely folklore-ishly embroidered tablecloth and matching napkins from Central America that I won in a church raffle some 20 years ago (one of the few times I actually won something cool in a raffle). When I put them out for guests, I feel generations of ancestral matriarchs nodding their heads in approval--even if I didn't inherit these table linens from them, I did inherit this classic gesture of home hospitality, and it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

Hi, Chris-- I'm afraid I'm no help whatsoever on either Coronado or lobster as such (both great good things but I don't do either often enough to be offering advice ). I can, however, offer you some random opinions about good cheap eats ... here and here. Actually, a local champ of good cheap dining, especially ethnic of all sorts, is mmm-yoso. If this kind of stuff interests you, I'd be happy to offer more random opinions as they occur to me. One place that I know is not in either of my links is Sushi Ota on the outskirts of Pacific Beach. Luscious sushi.

Oh dear. I just thought of several different responses to this that would *not* be suitable for eGullet. So ... let's just say that I, and a significant segment of my friends, would find this cheese to have a special attraction ...

I have used daikon radish in stir-fries a number of times. Daikon is a relatively mild-flavored radish to start with; cooked, its flavor gets even more mellow, and a little sweet, but still with a hint of its original radish-ness. It's actually quite nice, and I could well imagine it making a yummy soup. Because I associate it with stirfries, I'd be tempted to flavor such a soup with some Asian flavors--touches of soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, cilantro, etc.

Okay, now I'm getting hit with a king-hell wave of New York nostalgia too.

Oooooh ... I could really get behind a super-decadent pistachio ice cream like this. Wow, I'm bummed that I totally missed this flavor--I would have grooved on it too. (I don't get ice cream very often, and when I do it's usually from the supermarket, so I miss a lot of the B&J flavors you can usually only find in their stores). A flavor I'd like to see: many moons ago in Boston, my friends and I happened to discover this one joint in Chinatown that made ginger ice cream studded with a bazillion chunks of very fresh candied ginger. The flavor and texture of this stuff was *awesome*. I'd like to see B&J replicate that, with maybe a couple of additional gild-the-lily touches--maybe some citrus and almond flavors, as in Jason's creation; or how about a little lemongrass? (They'd have to use the more tender bits of lemongrass in the middle of the stalk, or perhaps just go with a lemongrass essence).

I didn't realize dogs' feet had an odor. I mean, I've encountered dogs with really bad all-over BO, but I never noticed any smell coming specifically from a dog's feet. Maybe that has to do with how few dogs are in my life. Have we had this conversation before, Ms. Diva? About that being one of my all-time favorite sandwiches too? My nickname for it is the Stinkbomb Special. Another food that could be said to smell like stinky feet: fermented bean curd. I confess I found the smell a little daunting when I opened my first jar of the stuff, but now I associate that odor with serious yummy-ness. And while we're at it ... I've known many people to comment negatively about the characteristic funky smell associated with the seafood departments of many Asian groceries. However, again I've grown to associate that funk with some mighty fine eating, so it don't scare me none.

Totally okay. I've done that many times. The only reason IMO to keep them separate would be the flavor issue--for instance, if you wanted to reserve one really neutral-flavored batch of schmaltz for more light-flavored cooking.

Myself, I would totally save the fat from browning those chicken thighs. Once it had cooled down, I would taste it (fat rendered from cooking some other dish can sometimes get too overly salty or seasoned), and then decide from there whether to store it separately or add it to any already-existing stashes of schmaltz. You can also save any fat that's congealed on top of containers of soup, stews, etc., again tasting to see how the original dish's seasoning has affected it. But in terms of wholesomeness, it's just fine. In fact I think fat from browning meat gets a nice nutty flavor that's not a drawback but an asset. I haven't done a whole lot with beef fat, but I believe that's fair game for saving and rendering too. And my understanding is that fat from around kidneys is supposed to be really choice. Dunno anything about reusing confit fat. Hopefully somebody a whole lot more knowledgeable about that will weigh in on all of this...

Heh. Now see, I think this is part of why all these aspects of Chinese culture so resonate with me--you could have just as easily been describing the gender roles in the older generations of my Jewish family there, Ben. Right down to the possible breaks in passing on traditions due to assimilation issues. This is not the first time I've noticed intriguing parallels between Jewish and Chinese culture ... although I will admit that Jewish matriarchal admonitions about food, while no less passionate, are a good bit simpler (the proverbial chicken soup therapy, etc.). Plus somehow in Jewish-American culture mah-jongg has pretty much exclusively become a women's game... but I digress. Dragging this comment back on topic ... on a practical level, I do want to hear more about yang-ifying a diet that's running pretty heavily to yin foods, as I find myself eating a lot more fruits and vegetables than formerly. Interestingly, my personal food preferences seem to be trying to correct this almost unconsciously, in terms of sometimes preferring cooked vegetables to raw ones, and dried fruit to fresh. (My understanding is that cooking and dehydrating are yang-ifying processes.) Any further grandmother/auntie-type advice on this? (Already making a note to replenish my stock of ginger root...)

Hey, "quacky" knowledge is my favorite kind! Seriously ... I am pretty fascinated by this stuff. Like I said in the other topic, my only major exposure to the whole yin/yang food philosophy is filtered through macrobiotics, which I experimented with briefly a couple of different times in my life. But I'm not at all certain how much the macrobiotic version of yin/yang philosophy may have been changed from the Chinese version. (Besides the obvious difference that macrobiotic practice focuses on Japanese ingredients and cooking techniques.) But even beyond that, this exposure was all either just book-learning, or study with, frankly, a bunch of mainly Caucasians who did not grow up eating that way. What I miss, and really want to hear, is exactly the kind of knowledge you have, Tepee, garnered from the proverbial old wives (after all, a lot of those old wives really knew their stuff. ). I do want to hear how this tradition is applied in everyday life in its original culture, including what your senior relatives noodge you about in terms of "now, eat your [insert food item here], it's good for you" trips. Because I really relate to that, and besides, I think it's cool.

Hi Megan--lovely blog already! I enjoyed the shots of Eli's--partly because I always got a kick out of the often-idiosyncratic layout of Manhattan grocery stores. Myself, I wouldn't mind more explorations of typical New York "joints"--coffee shops, bagelries, some of the bazillion little ethnic places. And I'd really love it if you were inspired to fight your way through the line into Barney Greengrass with camera in hand.

As a citizen of what may arguably be the most offal-avoiding nation on the planet, I deeply sympathize. For what it's worth, I too hail from an ethnic group that has a more positive attitude about offal--at least, those bits of offal that do not violate the laws of kashrut. I have since gone on to explore and savor all sorts of offal that probably would have blown my Eastern European Jewish ancestors' minds. And I too have found myself wondering why the majority of my fellow Americans are so put off by offal. (Actually, it's part of my general wonderment at the large number of Americans who are suspicious of any bit of animal protein that hasn't been sufficiently processed as to hide its origin as part of a living breathing critter...but I'm already bending the topicality of this thread...) I even recall nearly coming to blows with a housemate's houseguest, who objected to the odor of the stewed kidneys I was cooking. And I wasn't even cooking them for the consumption of anyone except myself! (Said guest was a slimeball, so it was no loss.) If I ever make it over to London, I am making a beeline to St. John. And if I should ever find myself in Melbourne, I'll be sure to ring you up to go on an offal expedition somewhere.

I didn't watch the Galloping Gourmet very often in my youth, but when I did it sure made an impression. I vividly recall one episode in which he verbally evoked the impact of a certain type of wine grape (I think it was Gewurztraminer) in the most hysterical way. If memory serves he instructed his audience to imagine standing barefoot in a vineyard clutching huge bunches of the grapes in either hand, digging one's feet deep into the dirt, mashing the grapes into one's gaping mouth, and letting out a primal roar of gratification. All of this demostrated with the appropriate gestures, facial expressions, and vocalizations. I recall being really impressed by his willingness to act so totally *unhinged* on a daytime TV show, let alone a cooking show. I must confess that I too, don't find his new cleaned-up health-conscious incarnation anywhere near as entertaining than his old crazed booze-fueled self. Even now that I'm doing a semi-regimented healthy-eating thing myself. But then, I have that problem with a lot of other healthy-eating TV shows I've sampled. (And besides, that's sidling off into a whole other topic...) I think Kerr's entrance routine always included vaulting over a chair. I'm not recalling whether he always had a glass of wine in his hand as he jumped. I do recall identifying it in my mind, not with the serenely placid Misterrogers, but with Dick Van Dyke's entrance on his old sitcom show--only whereas Dick would always do a pratfall, Graham was too debonair to be caught falling down on the job, so to speak. (Ironically, they also shared that ol' booze problem at the time, at least from what I understand ... )

Oooooooh, kitties! Many thanks for such a terrific blog, and Mazel Tov in advance on Colin.

I am by no means an expert in this, but from what little I've studied of it by way of macrobiotics: just because yang is sometimes identified with "masculine" qualities doesn't mean that only males can eat yang foods. The idea, as I understand it, is to eat a diet in which the yin and yang qualities are in balance, and also to avoid yoyoing wildly back and forth between extremes of yin and yang. In other words, everything in moderation, regardless of your gender. So--enjoy those lychees, boys and girls, but you probably do want to avoid inhaling a whole pound of 'em at one go. Actually, you probably want to avoid eating a whole pound of *anything* in one sitting.