Kent Wang

Although I hate US liquor laws and find Texas' laws especially aggravating, I don't think the situation as described in the article is as dire as you make it out to be. To me, it sounds like a bunch of cops are going to bars and just busting some very drunk individuals.

My mom said that they don't have an oven so that rules out all baking. What desserts can be made without an oven or other complex equipment?

Would it be fair to stay that almost all restaurants do this? I've never been to one where the risotto has been promoted as being made from scratch.

A few months ago I went to Enoteca Vespaio for brunch. It was awesome, one of the best brunches in town. I wish I could remember more about the meal but I recall that the crepes and eclair were highlights. Taverna is the newest player on the map. Dale Rice just gave it a good review but I am always skeptical of his opinions. From the review I take it that it would be most similar to Enoteca: casual, simple dishes. Anyone who goes, please report.

March 23, 2006 Austin Chronicle Veggie Heaven. A visit to Angel Valley Organic Farm. by MM Pack The nitty-gritty of running a local farm. "Just about the last place you might expect to see a lush, self-sufficient, certified organic farm would be among the scrubby hills and limestone cliffs of Jonestown, Texas. But you will: Angel Valley Organic Farm lies in an honest-to-goodness little valley nestled in the arid, hardscrabble slopes just west of Austin, not far from the shores of Lake Travis." Austin-American Statesman Taverna Pizzeria and Risotteria by Dale Rice Review of new downtown Italian bistro. "Taverna, the first dining spot in the new Second Street district, is now ensconced on a prominent corner of that quarter. If this upscale Italian eatery is any indication, the future looks rosy for the classy retail zone clustered around City Hall." This thread is for food media DIGEST entries. If you want to discuss one of these news items, please start a separate discussion thread.

Do most restaurants that serve risotto do some degree of pre-prep? How is it done? Does it compromise the final product?

Went to China Palace last week. I highly recommend the pork intestines in the house special sauce. It is a thick brown sauce that is slightly sweet, very Shanghai. The sea cucumber and pork tendon was also good. The sea cucumber slices were the biggest I've ever had while being totally tender. I do think the dish is too mildly flavored; both sea cucumber and pork tendon are nearly tasteless so I think a strong sauce is essential. Next time, I will ask them to use a different sauce.

Austin Chronicle is always your best resource for this kind of question: http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Gu...ation?oid=45854

I used to have a file cabinet where I kept a small bottle of liquor. I filed it under the 'B' folder, you know, B for booze.

I think you guys are right, so I'm whittling my entree choices down to crab cakes. I'll have to reconsider if I should make another entree. I'd like to make risotto but when I made it for my parents they disliked the large amount of olive oil and cheese used. I suppose I could cut down on the oil and remove the parm cheese entirely. For additional flavor, I can add in Chinese sausage. I'm sure Grandma's eaten a lot of rice porridge but risotto would be very different, much more flavorful. As for dessert, I think I'll make a pecan pie. It is very Texas. All of these dishes, I'm going to try on my parents first before attempting them in China.

Thanks for the input. I'm emailing my mom for more information. I think I'll cook her a Chinese meal too. I'll have lots of time in Shanghai to do both.

My parents and I will be going to visit the rest of our family in Shanghai in early April. During that time, my grandmother will be celebrating her 80th birthday. She was the one who taught my mother how to cook, who in turn was the one that taught me so I'd like to cook her some western dishes to show what I have learned in America. What dishes do you think would be a good idea? A few limitations I must consider are what ingredients will be available in Shanghai, whether I need to bring some ingredients with me from the States and what Western dishes would appeal to her Chinese tastes. My mom also tells me that Grandma has high tryglyceride levels and so should not limit her fat intake. She recommends seafood and dessert. A few dishes I am considering are: Blackened fish. Most Chinese fish is steamed so this would be quite different. I'd only need to bring some Old Bay Seasoning. Crab cakes. All Chinese love crab but I don't think she will have ever had crab cakes before. Hamburger. She may have had McDonald's burgers before but not a real homemade burger. Are hamburger buns, Worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke available in China? I rarely bake so I only know a few dessert recipes. Pumpkin pie. Very American. I'd only need to bring a can of pumpkin puree. Can one buy pre-made pie shells in Shanghai?

March 17, 2006 Austin-American Statesman Málaga. Sit, sip wine and linger awhile by Moira Muldoon Review of downtown tapas bar. "Smack-dab in the middle of the Warehouse District, Málaga is a wine and tapas bar. Not that it stints on a full bar ... But with 50 wines by the glass (many priced at $5 and $6) and 300 wines by the bottle, the issue of the grape tends to be the more interesting choice. During happy hour, select wines can be paired with select tapas for $6 (happy hour runs from 5 to 7 p.m., Mondays-Saturdays)." This thread is for food media DIGEST entries. If you want to discuss one of these news items, please start a separate discussion thread.

When my family moved to America from Shanghai when I was six, my mom made me eat a lot of western food so that I would become accustomed to it. Although she cooks great Chinese cuisine, she was completely out of her element with American food. One thing she made me eat was cheese -- not good cheese but Kraft American cheese singles. And I would eat them cold, unmelted in a cold sandwich! I love cheese now but that childhood experience nearly ruined all cheeses for me. When I was twelve, I decided that I liked the traditional Chinese breakfast serving of rice porridge. But my mom refused to serve it to me unless I also had a full serving of milk and cereal lest I become unaccustomed to the traditional American breakfast. For about a week, I was downing about 800 calories just for breakfast and feeling so full on the bus ride to school that I would nearly vomit. I caved in and gave up the porridge for just the cereal. I suppose that experience did ruin cereal for me; I never eat it any more though I still love the other traditional western breakfast foods like egg and bacon. Do you have any similar experiences as an immigrant child being forced to eat the local cuisine?

I love cheese but I left China at age six. My parents don't like cheese too much, they say it's too greasy. I wonder if they would like sharp, hard cheeses. When we first moved to America my mom wanted me to get accustomed to American food so she made me eat that disgusting Kraft pre-sliced cheese. I'm surprised that experience did not totally ruin all cheeses for me.

I have never heard of this. Please explain.

Beware, Marco Polo has changed its hours. On certain days, it's only open until midnight. I can't remember the exact details but definitely call before going there. I just tried Sam's the other week. It's not just good que if you're sauced, it's good que period. They use wood and according to the server, run the pits all day to satisfy demand. I'm a little skeptical about the "all day" bit and wouldn't doubt the meat you get at 3am has probably been sitting around since the afternoon, but it's still fine 'Q. The highlights for me are the ribs and mutton. On another note, Sam's is located in a scary part of town. Not that I can't handle myself, but it is definitely scarier than any other restaurant that I've been to in Austin. Much scarier than Juan in a Million, Arandinas or Tony's Southern Comfort.

I just tried Sam's in East Austin the other week. It's not just good late night que, it's good que period. They use wood and according to the server, run the pits all day to satisfy demand. I'm a little skeptical about the "all day" bit and wouldn't doubt the meat you get at 3am has probably been sitting around since the afternoon, but it's still fine 'Q. The highlights for me are the ribs and mutton. On another note, Sam's is located in a scary part of town. Not that I can't handle myself, but it is definitely scarier than any other restaurant that I've been to in Austin. Much scarier than Juan in a Million, Arandinas or Tony's Southern Comfort.

Nat joins Beluga in Round Rock. From Rob Balon. If he's right about placing him up there with Musashino and Uchi, Beluga sounds like a must.

If I am making a chicken or beef stock, should I save the fat that I skim off the top after it's been refrigerated? Is this fat any different than if I were to take a big chunk of solid fat and render it on the stove?

Fish skin? Japanese fry up salmon skin. Pig blood and chicken blood! There is blood pie and blood sausage from England and Germany. Vietnamese also make blood soup like the Chinese.

Is there a specific variety of jellyfish that is eaten? Are they farmed or wild caught? What is its nutritional content?

Duck tongue, fish eyes, beef tendon, swallow's nest? So as to not keep this thread focused, please also take a look at How else do you eat jellyfish?

From the Only a Chinese would eat it thread, I learned that the Chinese aren't the only ones that eat jellyfish. The Chinese usually prepare it by chopping up the jellyfish head into small strips and serving cold, sometimes mixed with radish(?) which also has a crispy texture. How do other cultures prepare it?

We are notorious for our willingness to eat nearly every exotic animal, fruit and vegetable in the world. What items are available in many different countries but are eaten only by the Chinese? Two immediately come to mind: jellyfish and sea cucumber. As far as I know, not even the other Asian food cultures eat those sea creatures even though they are widespread throughout the planet.