mochihead

Artichokes? Did someone mention artichokes?!!! That's my all-time favorite vegetable (as is eggplant)!!! When I lived in California, I used to go to the local farms and pick artichokes. All those big beautiful globes, the sweet baby artichokes. The first time I saw an artichoke plant in person, I just about cracked up laughing! Swisskaese, please please please may I come visit you too? Olive oils, eggplants, all sorts of fresh produce and cheeses.... I'll bring my cat's weight in macadamias in trade! Pineapples are something that I can still only eat raw and fresh picked. Actually, I'm like that about most fruits. Your talk of fruit salad is making my mouth water and I want some now!

Bagelahs? Something new I'll have to try at some point! Unlike those Weight Watcher's puddings, which I'm not sure of. Not that I'd find them here in Hawai'i. Mmmm... Mediterranean food. Can you believe that I couldn't find eggplant anywhere this weekend? I didn't think anything went out of season here. How are you pickling your olives and sauerkraut?

I love how your shiro-an, tsubushian and koshian came out! My hands are blistering again just thinking about all the sieving and stirring, though. I'm looking forward to seeing how you'll be using all of the an fillings. I've never tried Tawari honey. How does it compare to other honeys? Is it more subtle, more robust? Flowery? Honeys, like cheeses, are another one of my weaknesses.

Wow! When you said in your blog that you had faboo produce, I didn't realize that you could get all of the tropical fruits that we have here, too! I would love to hear about that passion fruit sangria recipe. Oh, and macadamias - everyone can have my share. It's one of the few nuts that I really don't thoroughly enjoy eating, along with Brazil nuts. I think I'm jaded to them, because well, they grow in the backyard! Hmmm... I wonder what shipping costs to where you live would be.

Ahh! I knew that was familiar looking. I didn't realize that they sold them in packages, though, or that you could add them to takoyaki, etc. I've only had them as "garnish" in noodle dishes. And, spanning over from your post in Marlena's blog about mac and cheese... your husband eats it with rice?! That sounds like how people here eat there spaghetti - with 2 scoops of rice on the side. I'll ask the same question that I asked Marlena - do your husband and sons have any foods that they must have? Or that you make for them but that you cannot stand? Oh, and the rice cooker question. You made oatmeal in your rice cooker! Do you use your rice cooker for any other cooking purposes other than rice (and oatmeal)? ps - the next time I eat passion fruit, I shall also think of you!

Oh, d'oh. I always forget about passion fruit because they grow all over the place here. My neighbor has a HUGE vine that he just pruned back. It fruits like crazy. There's also mangosteen and dragonfruit, although both are not really my favorites. And guavas. Lots and lots of guavas! Oh, yes. The same neighbor with the passion fruit growing everywhere also has the most wonderful jaboticaba tree. It's such a funny tree to see fruiting - the fruits grow directly off the branches & trunk, so it looks like it has warts! I will have to live vicarously through your treacle sponge until I can find some treacle. Darn. Apples and beetroot? At least he stays healthy! Much healthier than, say, a fish & chips phase. Greek stuffed spleen? Bulgarian tripe soup? Do tell! The Chinese side of my heritage is intrigued by offal and innards and guts. Your cat eats beetroot? My cat loves corn, broccoli & bell peppers, but I've never heard of a cat eating beetroot. Maybe the cilantro is like catnip? Stinky! hee hee ps - please let me know if I'm being too annoying with all of my questions. I'm just so fascinated by all this.

If you ever come to Hawai'i, be sure to come visit the Big Island! I'll make sure that you have a wonderful supply of fresh sugar loaf white pineapples, macadamias, lychee and rambutan. My sister-in-law's family has a farm and more produce than they know what to do with. And the most lovely but ugly local Ka'u Gold oranges. Oh, and fresh fish caught by my brother, of course. I never really enjoyed spam, although it was always around while growing up. I have the same issues with macaroni salad. But only in Hawai'i can you find the plate lunch with the triple starch overload next to your teriyaki beef, kalbi and brown gravy over everything! Life here is pretty laidback. I miss living in California (while in college) and the chance to visit so many different restaurants and ethnic markets. I love traveling when I have the time and now have this great urge to visit Europe because of your blog! Aside from ice cream and puddings, does your husband have any particular tastes or idiosyncracies regarding food?

Yum! Your takoyaki looks wonderful! What are the light brown bits that you added to it? They're in the white package you have pictured, and look like puffed rice (at least to me).

Oh, my! Traveling to other countries for breads! Living on an island in the middle of the Pacific, it's such a foreign concept to me. We have enough trouble just traveling between islands and other states here. With all the breads and bagels that you bring back from your traveling, do you have a big walk in freezer for all of your acquisitions? I have yet to find really great breads here in Hilo - same as the cheeses. Ugh. Maybe I'll just have to make a trip abroad and go on a bread and cheese spree. Shall I make a stop and bring you anything from Hawai'i? Macadamias from the backyard? I'm having trouble finding golden syrup and treacle here for the puddings. I have a feeling I'm going to have to order them online. I wonder if I can add find and add it to my Amazon order that I just placed for your Grilled Cheese, Mac & Cheese, and Jewish Traditions pre-order!

What kind of bakeries and markets are great where you live? Are there any specialties to the area? I'm guessing not bagels, since you feed your need with ones from New York. Mmmm, bagels. Now I need to make smoked salmon again. Or gravlax.

No, Marlena, not the sheep! Everyone should have all of their own sheep and goats, otherwise where would we get all the yummy cheeses from?! I hope they're not experiencing some kind of disease or pollution problem. Or maybe they're not watering the sheep enough like the do here, so that they grow up nice and green? Oh, Marlena, you had me in love until the fresh handfuls of cilantro... DEATH HERB! It's the one food that I can't stand eating, but I will cook sparingly with it if the dish needs it. I shall go daydream more about your grilled cheese sandwiches now.

All microwave cooking?!!! We have one that was given to us, and the only thing I've used it for in the last umpteen years was to melt chocolate. It somehow takes all the bad aspects of cooking and puts it into one radioactive box. Puddings, cheese, grilled cheese, breads.... I'm gaining so much virtual weight! And then once I get to try out the puddings, it will be real weight. UGH!

Sheep! Sheep's milk, sheep's cheese... ok, I'm a bit one-track minded when it comes to your blog. By the way, do your sheep have the same problem as the ones here in Hilo? It rains all the time here, so the "white" sheep's wool start turning green from alga/moss growing on them. What's the difference between toffee pudding and treacle pudding? I'm starting to get confused with all of the different puddings, and am wondering if I'm going to have a pudding fest in the next week with all the different recipes!

Cans of white sauce?! Wow... they'll package almost everything in Japan! I guess in the U.S., too, but... wow! And that's fat lips from the hot sticky mochi! It was cold - relatively speaking to our normal nights - but not cold enough to get cool looking steam clouds. I'm so thoroughly enjoying all of your pictures and descriptions of the area in which you live.

They sell cans of demiglace? Wow! Are they really expensive there? Have you seen that in the stores, helenjp?

We just had zenzai tonite with some of the leftover mochi & azuki! <3<3<3

What fabulous foods! (Although, I have to admit, I'm not a kamaboko fan myself, despite all the years of having to eat it.) Are there any foods from your home country that you still make? Anything that your family enjoys?

Are your fruits actually tasting like fruits? Or is it just a textural thing?

Kamaboko is basically a pureed fish paste. You can read more about it on this thread. helenjp, please get some rest and speedy migraine recovery!

Jackal10, I will have to do a taste comparison of the puddings! But I think I may have to scale yours back... 4 pounds of fruits and 1 pound each of eggs, sugar, fats & breadcrumbs! Wow! What is mixed spice? Is that a specific namebrand sort of spice or a standard combination of spices? I'm imagining allspice or Chinese 5 spice in my head. Marlena, that's such a great story about milking goats! I wouldn't even know where to begin milking a goat, although I love petting them - the kids are so cute. I hope your husband wears his name with honor now. Gidas the Great! meh meeeehhhhhhh

I never thought about adding taro to ozoni. I'll have to add some to our leftovers - we have a whole pile of it in the fridge yet. Like Hiroyuki, I would love to hear more about your New Years foods and also any traditions that you keep for the New Years, aside from the cleaning, of course. Fantastic looking gyoza!

You know, you have me eyeballing the goats in the pasture behind our house, thinking, "Hmmmm.... I wonder if I can milk you and hang your cheese from our tangerine tree...." I think I will try that xmas pudding recipe later this week. What kind of candied fruits would you recommend using in it? I still have an aversion to the neon red & green stuff, but love citron and candied orange peel. Would that work?

I can't wait to see your pudding recipe! I've never actually encountered one, and am curious about the whole thing. I remember growing up thinking that figgy pudding of We Wish You A Merry Xmas song fame was like those chocolate milk puddings. More about the cheeses and yogurts! Yum!

Like Marlene, I'm not much of a desserts or sweets fan - gimme the stinky cheese! That said, I'm constantly baking and making desserts of all sorts. Chalk it up to my former life as a caterer. There's something inherently satisfying about making desserts, even if I don't eat them. I especially don't really enjoy cookies or cakes, but I seem to make a ton of them. And jello desserts, but we won't go there. Edit: Not to mention, since I don't eat land animals, I can almost always taste my end (and beginnings, but nowhere near the dedication of Ling's dough & batter eating!) products. Whenever I cook something with meats in it, I have to rely on the tastes of my family & friends.

Between you and helenjp, I think I'm going to be in a virtual food coma for the next week! Do you ever make your own yogurts? Were there any problems with customs when you brought back your foods from Greece? I'm so in envy right now, because like with the cheeses, there is no great Greek food here. RAWR!