Kent Wang

Some more soppresattas today. Molinari (left), Citterio (right). The Molinari I have already reviewed above. The Citterio is much wetter, has a much coarser grind, seemingly richer fat content and less spice. It is currently my favorite soppresatta though Molinari would be my favorite for the drier style. I also tasted soppresattas from Volpi and Columbus. The Volpi (I only tried the regular and not the hot soppresatta) is nearly devoid of spice and clearly my least favorite. The Columbus is very unusual with a strong fennel, medicinal (not in a bad way) element. Columbus makes quality products so check it out if you're looking for an unorthodox soppresatta. Also picked up the Karl Ehmer chicken bologna. I had low expectations for this as I expected it to be bland and dry but it's quite the opposite. It has a serious amount of seasoning, a lot of garlic with a mild mix of herbs, a mild amount of chicken flavor and is quite moist.

Two days is the borderline between when it's worthwhile to freeze. If you're thinking 3-4, I'd freeze it. Here's mine from last week. Broiled in my electric oven with some EVOO, pepper and Fleur de Sel.

It would be nice if you could go for a stroll during the meal to help you to digest, but I think that would be unusual, perhaps even inappropriate, to do so at a restaurant. What has your experience been? Do you, um, ask for permission? I suppose it depends on the facility: leaving the grounds of a small restaurant may be worse than if the establishment was located in a large hotel and you asked to just stroll around the building.

What a great resource! Thanks for the link. Actually, what I am interested in is not the 'quad' designation but the high amount of candy sugars.

Has anyone had Avery Brewery's (Boulder, CO) The Reverend? It is a Belgian quadrupel ale and has a very unusual sweet flavor and a bit of fruitiness, totally unlike any other Belgian style ale I've ever tasted. The website indicates that they use a lot of added Belgian candy sugar. I wonder if this style is a New World invention or if there are breweries in Belgium that make a similar style?

Do the prices seem higher by, say $3/lb, this season?

I'd love to see more vintage glasses. I like a lot of pieces from Art Deco. Vintage pieces tend to be of superior construction, not to mention it's just cool having something with history. I like those Marie Antoinette glasses a lot, seems like a much better alternative to margarita glasses. Really, it seems unnecessary to purchase special glasses just for margaritas. The Marie Antoinette would be able to pull double duty for both cocktails and margaritas.

I'm not sure what the terminology is but there is an entire category of very finely ground meat balls, so fine that it's impossible to identify each chunk of meat, pressed into balls a bit smaller than a golf ball. They're totally different from Western meat balls, which would be more analagous to the Chinese "lion's head". Gòng wán is my favorite, made of pork and flavored with garlic. Shrimp and fish balls are pretty good but a little bland. My least favorite is beef. What uses are there for these meat balls? The only thing that comes to mind is soup, but it seems like they would be very versatile. I once chopped up gòng wán in place of sausage for a spaghetti sauce. It turned out nicely. The mild flavor seems compatible with many dishes, and not just Chinese cuisine. I think chopped up and placed in a omelette would be good.

Here are mine. By Mikasa, nothing too special or exclusive, but I like the square shape, a reasonable size.

I just clocked in a four hour brunch. It was served buffet format. We got there as they opened and left an hour after the end of service. Brunch is really ideal for long meals as it is leisurely paced and one can have a number of drinks. I wonder if it's possible to segue from brunch to afternoon tea and then to dinner.

June 8, 2006 Austin Chronicle It's Noon. Do You Know What Your Children Are Eating? by Claudia Alarcon "Fernando Saralegui is in 'Papi's Kitchen' trying to help kids with healthy habits." This thread is for food media DIGEST entries. If you want to discuss one of these news items, please start a separate discussion thread. ←

Someone on Chowhound is saying that it will be Jonathan Wright, who has worked in Indianapolis and New Orleans. An old bio.

Dale Rice at the Statesman has an article about the barbecue joints in Lockhart and Taylor. No real analysis and criticism, just quotes from local customers. Not the most reliable source of objective information but an interesting look at how the locals feel about barbecue.

Green Pastures, an old Southern restaurant here in Austin, does a version of milk punch with vanilla ice cream instead of -- or in addition to -- the milk. It's pretty darn good.

I have been enjoying the blood orange soda lately with vodka. I also buy the Central Market brand butter.

May I ask what kind of police officer you are, a detective, beat cop, etc.? I am also looking forward to your appearance on Iron Chef America.

Is this the difference between the red label and blue label? I didn't realize the red label was fried, though it does seem greasier.

I didn't know you were a police officer. I hope you don't have to put away bad guys that serve foie gras.

How are the spheres for the olives and mussels made? Are they just puffed up gelatin?

Both by Groezinger (USA). Kielbasa (left): garlicky, smooth texture, light salt. Moldavska stick: darker color, drier, smoky, greasy finish. I like the kielbasa a bit more. If you've never had Polish sausages before, they are quite different from Italian salami. The flavor is much more mild, in all respects, less salt, less spice, less herbs. The texture is also very soft and smooth, almost like a bologna.

I think it can keep for years, though it may dry out a bit.

Hzrt8w, I'm surprised kaofu falls outside your expansive range of knowledge of Chinese cuisine. It must highly localized then, and not well-known outside of Shanghai. Kaofu uses a very specific kind of wheat gluten that has a lot of holes in it, much like a sponge, and therefore absorbs a great deal of sauce. Google Image Search turns up a lot of hits but I think this one is the most representative of Shanghai kaofu.

I'd like to learn more about rou song. It's usually added to rice porridge for breakfast though I usually eat it straight out the jar. Are there are other uses for rou song? Rou song can be easily found overseas in Chinese supermarkets, usually in two kinds: red label or blue label. The red label is drier and crispier, easier to chew and has an effervescent mouthfeel. The blue label, by nature of being not as dry, is chewier. Oddly enough, every time I go to my Chinese supermarket the brand of the rou song changes but the container and red and blue labels remain identical. Maybe the rou song industry is in a state of constant flux while a single container and packing company monopolizes the export market. Is rou song favored in certain regions more than others? Are there non-pork versions?

Yes, but Shanghai cooking involves a lot more than just a pinch. I'm thinking something like 3-5 parts soy sauce to 1 part sugar. I've actually gone to different parts of China and when I tell people I am from Shanghai the first thing they tell me is that we use to much sugar in our cooking! How is kao fu usually served, cold, room temperature or warm? My mom usually makes a big batch, refrigerates it and serves it cold in the morning. I'm not sure what the common practice in China is.

I just did a side-by-side with Boissiere Dry and Noilly Prat Dry. Noilly has a clean, sharp, somewhat citrus-like taste while Boissiere has a full-on herbal body with a peppery finish. I prefer Boissiere, especially for martinis. Too bad I have to go to Houston to buy it. In a pinch, one can substitute dry vermouth with white wine and bitters, right? Someone left a huge bottle of Monkey Bay (or some other macro brand) chardonnay at my house and I've been experimenting with using that with Angostura.