Kent Wang

Can you use this to lure them into a trap? This is just toying with squirrels, not real fishing!

This is the biggest sell for me. That's why I'm using plastic right now.

Quality Seafood has now added steamed clams in a garlic broth and steamed mussels in a cumin-heavy broth. Both broths are expertly Cajun-seasoned. $7.99 for 24 of either the clams or mussels. 12-clam plates are available too. Seafood tacos have also been added to the menu though I have not had a chance to try those yet. Next time I'm going for the bivalve grand slam: steamed clams, steamed mussels, raw oysters and fried scallops!

I had lunch at Gaido's this past Saturday for Mardi Gras. Ordered the half-dozen oysters, baked in six different ways. These hand-picked oysters were monsters, two inches long and the shell the size of your fist. Each preparation was well done though none truly impressive but, frankly, I just like my oysters raw. Also had the blackened red snapper which I chose as a compromise with my dining companion. Good, but $30 for red snapper, rice and some mediocre vegetables seems steep to me. One pleasant surprise, especially considering that Gaido's seems like the place that might be in the business of selling "fanciness" to the tourists and underserved locals, low markup on wines. I had a bottle of Llano Estacado Signature White for a meer $15. Overall, I still really enjoyed the restaurant. Certainly, the Gaido's family of restaurants (Pelican Club, Gaido's, Casey's) are the best places to eat on the island. For the oysters, red snapper and bottle of wine the grand total came out to $75, a good value that'd I be willing to pay any day of the week. The dishes I had were very good but did not impress, though I think their extensive menu warrants more testing before I feel comfortable forming a solid opinion about it.

Does Costco even sell decent wine? Serious question, I didn't look too closely last time I went but it just seems unlikely to my prejudiced mind. Thanks for mentioning this as I was just in Lakeway today and stopped by. It's actually called Vino 100. Their slogan is "100 wines under $25". Very nice and small shop, daily tastings. As much as I love Grapevine Market, I think I would prefer to go to a small shop like this one as I was always able to get a lot more personal attention, and as a total wine novice that's very important to me. http://vino100.com/

Everclear is definitely dangerous! I burned my hand in a stupid fire-breathing trick with it, needless to say while under its influence. Also, more fun names for Everclear drinks: Gatorade + Everclear = Faderade ('getting faded' being an expression for getting drunk).

I only buy the 1.75L bottles and cannot find much of a use for the extra large bags. Smaller bags, I would prefer.

At Gaido's, a very old (founded 1911), conservative, high-end seafood restaurant in my hometown of Galveston, Texas, all waitstaff are required to rely only on their memory for orders, even with large parties. Is this stipulation common at other restaurants? Being able to memorize orders is somewhat impressive but surely it is not worth the hassle that the inevitable mistakes, however few, will occur.

I forgot Piller's (Ontario) which makes a tasty Gypsy Salami. Tasting notes Pancetta: Zerto vs Molinari. Zerto is the clear winner here. The Molinari is packed with a layer of herbs on the outside which gives the meat an off, chemical taste. I'm not sure whether this is actually due to the herbs or the use of preservatives but my suspicion is that the herbs are at fault. The Zerto pancetta does not have any herbs and does not have an off flavor.

Is this the same as (Mandarin) lou2 si1? How expensive are they shelled? I had a dish of at least 1lb for about $6 at a Taiwan-style restaurant in Houston, so I'm guessing retail price is probably around $2-3/lb? That seems really cheap for any kind of seafood. Also, why boil the periwinkles first and then combine? Why not just cook them together with everything else?

Are there Chinese therapeutic beliefs that are not connected with yin-yang or the elements? My mother always told me to eat lots of garlic if I have a cold but never justified that in terms of yin/yang.

I usually exercise at night, before I go to sleep. How does eating dinner a few hours before affect one's workout? Should I have another nibble of carbs right before I exercise or will the dinner carry me through?

Of course there are the regional juggernauts Shiner, Ziegenbock and Lone Star but Texas also has its fair share of microbreweries. My favorites are St. Arnold (Houston) Lawnmower and Real Ale (Blanco) Rio Blanco Pale Ale. Austin Chronicle recently ran a article on Austin-based Independence Ale, which I haven't tried. What Texas beers do you like?

How good is it? I'd love to have 'cue at 3am.

Closes at: 11 pm Friday-Saturday only. Asti. Italian fine dining, Hyde Park area. Absolute best desserts in town. Don't feel guilty about asking for the dessert menu as soon as you sit down, I do that regularly. Midnight Hyde Park Bar & Grill. Centrally located in Hyde Park, excellent fries, large portions, good value. Cheapest restaurant in which you will find waiters in uniforms. La Dolce Vita is right next door. La Dolce Vita. Bar, gelato, espresso. Dimly lit, very small (inside seats 12 max). 1 am T&S Seafood. Excellent traditional Cantonese Chinese food. Like the Chronicle says, Salt & Pepper (fried and mixed with salt and a chile oil) anything is good. 2 am Wednesday-Sunday only. Marco Polo. South Austin, pretty good traditional Chinese food, not as good as T&S. 24 hour Star Seeds. Campus area, greasy spoon diner. Magnolia. Two locations in South Austin, eclectic diner with breakfast foods, Tex-mex, pasta. Kat'z Deli. New York deli chain, not too shabby. Kerbey Lane. Where UT students without cars or good taste go to eat. Avoid. Any others? I'm a bit of a night owl.

Tablecloth: yes or no?

I find tables with glass tops uncomfortable because you can see the other diners' legs.

Next time they're back in season -- when is that anyway? -- I'm going to try eating two pounds and see what happens. Correct. More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_food_therapy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lychee My family has always warned me to not eat too many lychees but I've never experienced any ill effects. Is this just pure superstition?

Reconstitute a sample and try it first. The dried shitakes I buy at the Chinese market taste very different from fresh ones. Many Chinese prefer dried ones as they supposedly concentrate the flavor. I'm not really sure how that works scientifically, but that has definitely been true in my experience. Fresh whole shitakes are very edible whole and have a nice soft, oyster-like texture. The dried shitakes that I've tried have a much tougher texture and are much more powerful in flavor and are more suitable for a brine or chopped into small bits. If you take a bite out of a whole reconstituted dried shitake the taste will be rather bitter and medicinal. I prefer to chop a fresh shitake into about three or four pieces, but a dried one must be chopped into at least 10 pieces and cooked with other ingredients to make it palatable. It's possible that the difference is not due to the drying process but rather the Chinese shitakes are stronger to begin with. I'm not certain, but I would definitely recommend trying a sample first.

Wow, your memory is impeccable! Anne was the one that got accidentally drunk on cordial, right? Or was that Pollyanna?

What? You guys don't have something like Austin's Alamo Drafthouse, where you can order beer and pub grub from your movie seat?

Salmon used to be very expensive but is now fairly affordable thanks to aquaculture. It is one of my favorite fish and, if circumstance dictated, would be willing to pay up to $20-30/lb. Salmon roe is also delicious, even better than any of the caviar I've tried. If salmon roe and caviar switched prices I'd still rather pay for the salmon roe.

I wonder. . .but no. I'd rather deep-fry a pig's foot (previously braised in some luscious bath of spices and aromatics natch) than a tail. ← The book described it as being crispy and juicy. Anne and her friend (can't remember) both enjoyed it. Has anyone else ever eaten pig's tail?

I remember reading that Anne ate pig's tail.