Kent Wang

I called my mom today and here is her version of the story. A long time ago, the rice farmers in an area were plagued by freshwater crabs, as the crabs were eating the rice crops. General 霍去病 (huo4 qu4 bing4) decided to take matters into his own hands and eat one of them, being the first one to ever do so. Afterwards, he commanded his soldiers to hunt and eat the crabs and the pest problem was resolved. Does the name, 霍去病, ring any bells for anyone? My mom claims that it is a widely known legend, having heard it from her dad. Our family is from Shanghai. She thinks it's an old legend and it's possible that the younger generations may not be familiar with it.

We tried to go to World Tong on Sunday but got lost. It was very tragic and frustrating and we were practically at each other's throats. Next time, I'm buying a GPS thiny.

The one restaurant I've been to in SA is Silo. I liked it. Rather contemporary and innovative cuisine. Interesting building, very hip. What do other SA residents think about it?

Well, that's why it's a legend. I'll have to ask my parents about the details next time I call them.

I heard this legend from parents. In the old days, know one ate crab because they were scared of it -- either because it was quite fearsome or they thought it was inedible or poisonous. One day, some famous Chinese general decided to eat one because he was such a brave guy. Can anyone else corroborate this legend and possibly fill in the details?

Last week, I checked out Vespaio Enoteca, their more casual lunch spot that opened next door. Prices are slightly lower, more homestyle fare like pork shoulder stew and haricots verts "salad" tossed with soppressata and cheese. The number of wood-fired pizza varieties has doubled. They also sell some salamis and other cold cuts, but nothing that you can't get at Central Market. Overall, the Enoteca does not add much value to Vespaio other than an expanded menu and being open for lunch instead of just dinner.

I got this one while baking a pumpkin pie. Forearm touched the side of the oven. Ouch. I like it though, it's a good story to tell and it adds character.

I generally find large onion rings to be difficult to eat. One bite and the batter seperates and pulls away from the onion. So now you're left with eating a big hunk of onion and a big hunk of batter. I haven't been to Tookie's, but this has always been the case wherever else I go.

What is backfin? I have half a pound of claw meat in the frige now. Can you give me a good stuffing recipe? The stuffed mushrooms sound intriguing, what mushrooms do you use?

I have a small apartment where I don't pay for gas. I have the oven on right now just to heat up the place.

I personally think claw is better. It has much more flavor. It's also less than half the price at my fishmonger ($12/lb vs a $25/lb for white). What do you think? I guess it's kind of like the debate about white or dark meat for poultry. For the record, I prefer chicken breasts and turkey legs.

I have been to Ruby's and to be honest, everything they do ends up way too dry. Next time you're in Austin, please check out John Mueller's. I introduced one friend of mine that was an ardent Ruby's fan to Mueller's and he was blown away. Ruby's does make a decent crawfish etouffee, but still not as good -- or as cheap -- as Quality Seafood.

Those results are pretty much in line with everyone's opinions in this thread. I've decided that it is nearly impossible to crown a number one as so much can vary from one cut of brisket to another. Does a restaurant deserve the crown because the cut they served to the judge that day happened to be the most moist? It's reasonable to form a top five, but any less than that and you're just counting on the luck of the draw.

The MC2 line is lower than the Stainless line, which is the top non-copper line, right? I have three of those, muahaha! All I need now is a Le Creuset dutch oven and I'll be set!

Rack of lamb, garlic rub with miso glaze.

I just tried Dean Fearing's recipe, but substituting both sugars with Billington's dark molasses sugar. I baked it for 45 minutes as per the recipe, didn't do a proper toothpick test, let it cool and it turned out fine except it oozes. Looking at a cross-section of the pie, the top half has changed color but the bottom is still a dark brown and not solid. What did I do wrong? I'm guessing I didn't bake it long enough. Was the substitution of more brown sugar for granulated sugar at fault? What is the purpose of the granulated sugar? Does the nature of the Billington's molasses have anything to do with it?

Awesome. I've heard great things about the Mansion, though I have never been. I'll definitely try out his recipe soon, but am interested in experimenting with adding bourbon. Can anyone recommend how much to add or any other adjustments that will be necessary?

So this "brandy" is otherwise not very drinkable and so Messina Hof's practice is actually quite common? BTW, have you guys tried the Messina Hof Papa Paulo Port? It is certainly my favorite Texas wine.

The last pumpkin pie I made I had stored the fresh pumpkin puree and cream in the fridge before blending with Billington's molasses sugar, unaware of this potential "weeping" issue. I then refridgerated the filling overnight -- I didn't want to bake the pie right away -- and baked the next day. It turned out fine, just like previous batches. The color of the pie ends up a rich mahogany, not at all the bright orange that is color of the pies on the cover of this month's Saveur, but I think it looks better this way.

I'm a wine newbie, so please excuse my ignorance. Do all ports have to be fortified with brandy, or is it a requirement of the good ones at least? The Messina Hof Papa Paulo Port, made in Texas, has received numerous positive reviews on eG and won a number of awards and it is certainly the best port I've ever had in my limited experience. However, my friend who is a chef at the Messina Hof restaurant tells me that the port is fortified not with brandy but with an "Everclear-like" liquor. I still love the taste of the wine nevertheless, but is this a common or accepted practice of fortifying port?

Billington's make some really excellent brown sugars. I don't know if their claim that "some [brands' sugars] are simply white refined sugar with molasses syrup added in to give the appearance and colour of brown sugar" is true or not, but Billington's definitely looks and tastes much better than Imperial or Domino. I've tried the Light Muscovado and Molasses sugars in my pumpkin pies and I must say it makes a world of difference. Considering that you put 1 to 1.5 cups of brown sugar in pie, using a quality sugar is essential. However, because the texture, density and moistness of the Billington's sugars are entirely different from standard supermarket sugars, how does that impact my recipes?

The pecan tree is the state tree of Texas, so pecan pies are a Lone Star State classic. Does anyone know if any version is particularly prevalent in or native to Texas?

Haha, you're right, it looks really cool. Louie's sauce is much thinner than John's. It's really difficult to use. I like to mix it with the sides like potato salad or coleslaw. John's sauce was better. Aside from being a bit chewier and not being as fatty, I think it has more flavor than brisket. Neither Mueller seems to do pork ribs right, or at least it's tough and dry to me. Not sure if there really is a "right" way to do it. The salt and pepper rub and deep smoke rings make it quite flavorful, but I prefer pork ribs to be cooked with a sauce so that the meat becomes very tender. RO's Outpost in Spicewood makes an excellent sauced-up rib end platter. As requested: Texas Mushroom Festival 2005, Report.

For Austin, I submit The Driskill Grill. Well worth it though.

I stopped by Louie Mueller's BBQ in Taylor on the way to the Texas Mushroom Festival. I wonder if that sign advertising the availability of wi-fi is a joke, to trick city-slickers. Beef ribs, brisket, sausage, potato salad. Overall, just a tab better than John Mueller's. It's the best barbecue I've ever had, though my experience is still limited. We were lucky and got an excellent, very moist cut of brisket. Beef ribs are one of my favorites. They're so huge, like brontosaurus ribs!