Kent Wang

So did you ever find out about those bones? If they were thin, it would pretty much have to be fish.

I baked a pumpkin pie, made from a fresh pumpkin.

Beer, wine and spirits. I'm quite easily tricked by Lady Liquor.

I was too smart of a kid to be tricked!

I've been to Dallas nearly a dozen times, and each time I always forget to look up which restaurants I need to try, so I keep going back to Shanghai (the restaurant). They serve some good Xiao Long Bao there, including a crab meat variety. The buns are a bit thick but a beggar from Xiao Long Bao-less Austin cannot be a chooser! I'm also from Shanghai and grew up on that food, so their brand of cuisine particularly appeals to me. What other traditional Chinese restaurants are good in the DFW, next time I drop by?

Only recently (1960 or so) did Chinese start drinking milk. We've still yet to incorporate it into cuisine though.

Thanks all for the tip that CM carries honeycrips. I guess I just never noticed before, even though I go two or three times a week. I picked up a half dozen today and damn they are crisp! My only complaint is that they're a bit too sweet but I guess I just have to eat them slower. I think I have a new favorite apple. Thanks!

Fettucine alfredo with porcini mushrooms To be honest, it did not turn out all that well. After many tries, I still do not like sauteed porcinis. The distinct flavor of the porcinis is too concentrated. I prefer to cook it in a risotto.

I'm usually in my boxers when at home, so that's how I cook.

This is what I've read as well. Also, you have to compare a seafood diet to an equivalent diet of land animals. I'm sure beef, pork and chicken all have their fair share of speculative carcinogens, etc.

Well I'm 20 now, so can I get away with things like high cholestrol foods for a decade or two?

Since the summer, I think I've been eating at least as much seafood as landfood. As far as meat, the ratio is like 4:1 in favor of fish. This is mostly sashimi-grade farmed Atlantic salmon, fresh oysters and Gulf of Mexico shrimp. For vegetables, I eat mostly seaweed salad (kombu kelp, wakame, agar agar, some others) though I still eat a good amount of land veggies like asparagus. Are there any health concerns with an all seafood diet? I do try to avoid the high mercury content fish like shark, swordfish and tuna but I love swordfish and tuna and will have them a few times a month.

These honeycrips sound intriguing. I wish I could find them in Austin. Crispins are my favorite. Very crisp, a bit tart. I, too, prize crispness.

Dunno. Haven't heard the same buzz you have I guess. I might check it out some time. Or anyone that does, they should report back.

I only like the osso bucco and rack of rib cuts. Chops tend be too tough. Are there any other cuts worth noting? I don't mind the lamb-y taste, but I buy supermarket lamb so it's probably not too gamey to begin with.

Nice! The pics really make it easy to understand. What is the purpose of the light and dark soy sauce mixture? Why not just only one or the other? How hot does your burner get? Mine is regrettably weak and it is not really possible to do true stir fry on it. I noticed that there is not much browning on your chicken. Perhaps you suffer from the same problem? Alas, we make do.

I grew up in Jing1 San1, a suburb of Shanghai. My uncle, who has travelled the country extensively on business, declares that one of the restaurants in Jing San serves the best xiao long bao. Is this true? Do you know what restaurant I'm talking about? My memory is not so fresh but it seemed like all that restaurant served was xiao long bao, or at least that's all we'd ever order. Even in parties of a dozen or more we'd just get long2 after long2 of xiao long bao. In your opinion what restaurant serves the best xiao long bao?

I once tricked my roommate into thinking that tiramisu was Japanese. Hey, the name does sound pretty Japanese! What tricks have you played on non-foodies?

After Chinese food, Italian is my second favorite. I haven't done much reading on the subject or visited Italy, so I can't speak with much authority, but I do know what I like to eat. Vespaio - Best overall. Contemporary, some experimental dishes like risotto with Wagyu beef, but nothing fusion-y at all. Varied and changing antipasti selection, highlight of the meal. Wood-fired pizzas big enough for two, priced at ~$14. Desserts are so-so. Ideal meal for two is three or four antipasti and a pizza. Crowded but very nice bar. Brick interiors, wooden chairs, dark, a bit noisy. Siena - Second best overall. Tuscan cuisine, very "safe" traditional dishes, upscale. Gigantic and spacious restaurant, one of the most romantic in town. Brick interiors, heavy linen and silverwear. The drive over 2222 is always breathtaking, try going around sunset. Asti - Third best overall. Best desserts in town. Contemporary fare, similar to Vespaio, but not as varied or as well executed. Excellent desserts, all very Italian. Chocolate cannoli and tiramisu both the best I've ever had. Gelato from La Dolce Vita next door. I've gone several times and skipped straight to dessert. Contemporary, reasonably lit interior. Best graphic design work in town with their logo and menus. La Traviata - Memory is vague, but food was pretty good. Tiny, very dark interior. Carmelo's - Upscale, gigantic, expensive. Lackluster food. Large dessert selection, but not very Italian -- i.e. indistinguishable from a dessert menu at an upscale steakhouse.

In Chinese cuisine, vinegar is indeed used as a dipping sauce when eating dumplings. Chinese cuisine rarely uses citrus outside of desserts and pastries.

It seems to a be a Western tradition to drizzle some lemon on seafood. I can't stand it myself, and I don't believe it is practiced at all in China or even all of Asia. Do all Western cuisines combine citrus with seafood? Why? Was it done originally to mask the "fishy" taste?

That was actually my friend's plate. I eat my brisket plain, no sauce, but his plate was more photogenic. Louie Mueller's BBQ in Taylor is the classic. John is his grandson and he opened his restaurant about five years ago. They had a family feud of some kind -- barbecue feud, how Texas! -- but after Louie passed away a few years ago they patched things up. John Meuller's is located at 1917 Manor Rd. Right next to Hoover's Cooking and El Chile.

John Mueller's BBQ The money shot. Pork ribs and brisket.

People should take pics of the brisket wherever you go. Then we'll be able to see the depth of the smoke ring, marbling, char and rub used. I'll do this when I go to John Mueller's BBQ next. I believe I'll have a chance to go to Louie Mueller's next weekend as well.

I eat them straight. No peeling. I also like the limequat, though it's a bit too sour.