LB Howes

I agree about reading the Times and PI on line first before deciding which newspaper to subscribe to in print. When I moved here, we flipped a coin as to which newspaper we'd subscribe to, and it was the Seattle Times. However, I read the P-I on line right after reading the print version of the Times. Also, there's the Everett Herald and Tacoma News Tribune available on line. Both papers have pretty good food and gardening writers. I personally prefer the Times over the P-I for both as the Times has a section in their Thursday supplement with restaurant reviews, and a special Saturday home/gardening supplement. As far as editorial slant - well read both papers for a while - then decide for yourself! Another newspaper source to consider are the Vancouver newspapers. Just across the border from Bellingham lies a wonderful and vibrant culinary scene which often gets mentioned in the Seattle papers. And, don't forget to regularly check out the PNW section e-gullet. The on-line community of PNW eGulleteers are a thoughtful, always entertaining bunch of folks quite passionate and knowlegable about food in our region.

Yes Cadbury, I also noticed how many families had flavored bottled beverages of some sort - I wonder how much of the money each family spent per week went to cover their cost?

At some Japanese restaurants when you order ama ebi sushi you are served the shrimp bodies over rice as sushi and the heads are served seperately after being deep fried in tempura batter. If you wanted to cook shrimp heads at home, I imagine that any good tempura batter would work.

Where's "around here"? Around where I am, I doubt there's a single Asian restaurant (Chinese or otherwise) that has butter for the rice, but I'm in Japan...But I don't even know of a single Chinese restaurant back home (Winnipeg, Canada) that would give you butter for your rice. Butter on jasmine rice would definitely be a sin. ← I think most Chinese would tell you it's a sin. I cannot imagine both together. Actually, I can and it makes me feel a little sick. ← OK I'm a sinner but only with short grain sticky rice. But only under certain circumstances, and only in the privacy of my home! I put shoyu on leftover rice, and have done it since I was a kid. It was a perfect afterschool snack, and today my sons sometimes eat it as their afterschool snack. Lest you think I'm creating a dynasty of rice sinners, I have taught them that to arbitrarily drown your rice in shoyu during a meal is very bad manners, it insults the cook because it assumes that the food is improperly seasoned so must be made edible with copious quantities of shoyu.

I agree with Alanamoana about poly/cotton jacket stains being harder to remove. Another drawback to poly/cotton is that it retains odors - cooking and body. And, also teach him to wash his own jackets. (I'm a mom of 2 sons.) If budget allows, have him buy a jacket for every day so he won't be tempted to wear the same one two days in a row. Even if the jacket looks clean there's usually some spashes or splatters on it somewhere and wearing it another day on a hot line just cooks them right into the fabric. along with the previous days' food odors and sweat.

Agar has a different texture, and one needs to consider how that would affect the dish.

I've been to Vancouver Island, staying in small towns as well as Victoria and noticed that stores pack groceries more efficiently using as few bags as possible. And some stores charge for extra plastic bags. I thought this shopping bag thriftiness was because Vancouver is an Island and as everything must be brought on or off island so businesses want count every penny. But maggiethecat in Ottawa got me to pondering if this thrifty and conscientious bag use is done all over Canada?

One place that truly practices the 'Art of Packing' is the NYC Trader Joe's. No matter which cashier I am assigned, the items are compactly and sensibly arranged -- and they even out the weights of the bags, which is so helpful for us pedestrians! Currently, they are offering raffle tickets to those clients who bring their all their own bags (or buy the reasonably priced reusable TJ's bags). ← Here's what I've noticed about grocery bagging where I live out in the suburbs: Most grocery checkers carelessly put only a few items in each bag and double most all bags. Possible reasons? Both plastic and paper bags are weak and break, especially plastic bags that often have holes in their bottoms by the time they are carried from the cart into the car and from my garage into the kitchen - a total of less than 30 feet. Plastic bag handles cut into one's hands when being carried. Customers don't want to carry heavy bags for above reasons. I agree that most all TJs checkers are superb grocery packers. My only complaint is that they sometimes want to use too many bags. Perhaps because in the area where where I live over half of the customers at any given time are elderly and need for their bagged groceries to be extra light in weight? Although grocery baggers at other stores may know how to distribute groceries evenly by weight, at times they'll thoughtlessly pack something squishable in with something non-squishable every time. My all time favorite was tinned tomatoes and ripe peaches. I often use the self checking registers so I can bag my own groceries for this very reason. I re-use both paper and plastic bags in limited amounts. So, use re-usable cloth, woven or cold-keeper bags for most purchases. I have 3 large cloth promotional product tote bags that my husband has gotten at trade shows and two cold-keeper bags that I use. Even so, I often end up with too many of those darned plastic bags.

Seems to me that the amount of milk/cream in one's coffee has increased over the years. Back when I first started sneaking coffee during coffee hour after church when I was a kid in 1960s, a coffee cup was about 6-8 oz. The standard amount of cream or milk consisted of about 1 T of cream/milk (one of those little plastic cream containers). Using these measurements, the coffee always stayed fairly hot. The popularization of large espresso drinks well in excess of 8 oz by Starbucks and the like has led to most folks being accustomed to larger cups of very milky diluted espresso coffee drinks. Back in the day a latte from a place in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood was about 6-7 oz total - a shot of espresso topped with steamed milk. Compare that with what is sold as a latte these days. No wonder your co-worker over-milked your coffee, they were accustomed to over-milked coffee and assumed that is simply the way coffee with milk/cream is served. It's what is sold everywhere and so everyone assumes that this is the norm. What do I like in my coffee? For brewed coffee, whole or 2% milk, about 1-2 oz per 8 oz of coffee; or 1 oz half 'n half. Sugar only if it's bitter coffee. This amount of milk/cream cools off the coffee a bit, but it's still hot. For espresso drinks - about 4 oz of steamed milk and a bit of foam per shot of espresso. I make most of my lattes at home. Needless to say if I order this drink from a coffee shop, I have to explain this drink which is not a a modern cappucino and certainly not a modern latte. If the shop is busy, for convenience sake I'll order an 8 oz latte with a double shot.

I took my sons out for pizza tonite and we had great New York style pizza at a fairly new place, Brooklyn Brothers Pizza in Everett. This is the tastiest NY style pizza I've ever had. The crust is thin, crispy/chewy and glistens around the edge like the best artisanal breads. There's just the right amount of tasty sauce and cheese. We had pepperoni on our pie and it was delicious. All you NY pizza lovers - check it out! It's located on Hewitt Ave in downtown Everett across the street from the Events Center.

Leave and look for another job immediately, unless you want to continue working for free. It might sound hard-nosed, but you have to look our for yourself.

As judgemental as it may sound, most American consumers are so ill informed that they think that if they are eating something Organic it can't be bad for you. Of course the corporate food manufacturers are going to take advantage of this ignorance by making organic junk food. I agree that if you are going to eat junk food it's probably better that it's organic junk food because it's made with higher quality ingredients and no arficial flavors, preservatives, and high fructose corn syrup - but it's still junk food.

I learned to do the horizontal cuts, and they work fine for me. Of course I have to have a really sharp french knife when doing this. Sometimes I'll cheat if I need less than half of an onion by cutting a few slices, neatly laying them flat and then dicing them up as described by someone else.

. . . I have only been in areas where one species of salmon exisited, but I wonder if in North America, some of the preferences for certain types of salmon are based on the basic light to dark muscle ratio of individual species? ← The muscle type is the same in the species of wild Pacific Salmon. What makes each species taste a bit different, leading to preferences for milder flavored or for stronger flavored salmon is the amount of fat, which varies from species to species. In descending order of levels of fat and intensity of flavor are: Sockeye/red Chinook/king Coho/silver Chum/keta/dog Pink/humpy Sockeye are my favorite species of salmon, as I adore rich, full flavored fish. I believe I'm in the minority as it seems that most Americans prefer milder flavored fish, even though more flavorful species of fish are now available.

I've heard that SCCC is is about to - or has just begun a bachelors program. Also, that in the works is a CWU bachelors degree at the Edmonds CC campus.

Another MSG discussion? Several months back there was a discussion on MSG hidden in another eGullet thread. . . perhaps there is someone else who remembers and can post the link to the thread? Regardless - Is MSG safe? Yes - for most everyone. Even those of us who are truly sensitive to MSG don't die - we just wish we could die when our glutamate caused migraines strike us. Luckily most everyone in the world is not sensitive to MSG and so high glutamate foods and foods containing added MSG don't affect them at all. I'd venture to guess that most people who claim MSG sensitivity aren't really sensitive to it. However, bear in mind that there are some folks who suffer from migraine headaches and high glutamate foods and MSG are some our migraine triggers.

KUOW did a talk show in the past month about Taco Trucks, and if you search their archives on line you might be able to listen to the show and get names of some of the better Taco Trucks in the Seattle region. Good Luck!

When I was a child, adults would often say to me "I can't believe you don't like________, everyone likes________. Stop being so fussy and just eat." So this is the perfect thread for me! I do not like and will not eat: Raw onions - It's the squeaky texture and the biting sulfurous sharpness even found in sweet onions. However, cook them until they lose their crunch and begin to caramelize and they transform into a delicious foodstuff. Raw tomatoes - It's their slimy texture that gags me, along with the raw taste. And as with onions, cooking creates this magical transformation, the sliminess dissapears, the taste deepens, and I find them delicious. Avocadoes - Another food I always get grief about not liking. To me they taste like a puree of oily green leaves blended with crisco. In guacamole where they are diluted with lots of other ingredients, they are tolerable. Melons of all kinds - I used to be able to eat them but now they make me gag and give me a horrible upset stomach if I eat a bite of fruit salad that has melon pieces in it. Boiled cabbage - Another poster mentioned the squeak it emits as one eats it. Not only is it awful, but chewing it makes me shudder like scratching nails on a blackboard makes me shudder. However, cabbage prepared in other ways it can be pretty darned good. Uni - ack! It's just so "uni". Someone wrote earlier that they cracked open a fresh urchin on the Maine coast, and it was awful. I agree. I've had fresh from the sea uni as a child in Hawaii. There is nothing one can do to make this creature taste good. Chamomile tea - Another ack! It's just so "chamomile" Unique and uniquely awful. Even the smell of it puts me off. McDonald's, Burger King and most all fast food hamburgers and fries - The overpowering taste of salt, grease and whatever mystery ingredients are added to these food turns my stomach. Here's something I do like: Everyone who doesn't like foods I don't like. Everyone who likes foods I don't like. E-gullet is the perfect website for all of us passionately picky/discerning eaters and you are all my pals in the truest sense of the word!

About Spam. . . I'm not a big fan except for the occasional piece of Spam musubi. What is that? A "local" food popular in Hawaii where Spam is very popular. Aside from minor variations, Spam musubi is a slice of spam fried in butter and soy sauce, then laid upon a squared off mound of seasoned sushi rice, finished with a wrapping band of nori.

Hey - I'm a product of the Edmonds Community College Culinary Arts program and I can tell you it definitely exists! Many students and graduates are working all over the greater Seattle region as as cooks, chefs, or own their own restaurants. A graduate of the program made it to the finals of that PBS cooking show competition a year or so back. The Edmonds program is definately worth it for your daughter to check out. Has your daughter been to the different culinary school's student run restaurants? Senior students write the menus and manage the restaurants, all other students cook and serve the food. A visit to these restaurants - aside from being a wonderful deal - give an idea of the "feel" of the school, which is really important. Final note - you get out of culinary school what you put into it.

Yeah, I've also noticed not many folks post here either. I live in the Pacific Northwest and there's usually numerous postings daily in the PNW board. Fresh poi is flown here from Hawai'i and available at a couple of restaurants and 3 stores on a regular basis so there are lots of other poi eaters around here. You guys think I should post "What's your favorite thing to eat with poi?" on that post?

It's been in soups since I've been reading labels back in the 80s. Naturally occuring glutamates add flavor to foods - think umami flavors. However the amount of MSG added to many processed foods is much higher than could ever occurr naturally. Added MSG is most definately "from the lab"! This may be merely my opinion but to me it seems that manufacturers of processed foods add MSG to make up for using less rich stocks, fewer real spices, etc. in order to save money. Used to be that Progresso brand soups used to be made without MSG, but when Campbells bought the company a few years ago they added in the MSG - now almost all their soups contain MSG. If I want tinned soup I now buy Wolfgang Puck soups which have no added MSG.

A friend here on the mainland came up with the best description I've ever heard for poi - Hawai'ian soul food. It must be genetic or something because it really does satisfy my Hawai'ian soul. I love poi with just about anything and can't choose just one thing - it's all soo good Here's a list of "anything": Lau-Lau Kalua Pig Kalua Pig & Cabbage Beef Stew Deer Stew Buffalo Stew Fresh Salmon Smoked Salmon Teriyaki Chicken Steamed Carrots Steamed Luau Steamed Spinach Roast Turkey Beef Chuck & Onions After writing this I am having a major poi attack!

I was just composing a long reply on this topic and I think I posted it mid-composition. If so - now everyone can see how much I edit my posts! So if that post appears well here's everything put more succinctly: Corn syrup is not inherantly bad for you. But it's not good because: It's hidden in processed foods that from a nutritional and taste viewpoint don't require it. It's un-fairly cheap because of federal subsidies to mostly large corporate farmers who farm un-sustainably. Federal farm subsidies are a perfect example of a good idea gone awry for all sorts of crops - not just corn. It affects a good portion of American public's palate so they don't appreciate good tasting food made with purer ingredients. It affects the health of lower income people negatively - in many lower neighborhoods only cheap processed foods are what is affordable - so you have a segment of the population eating food with lots of hidden sugar (corn syrup) and this leads to a host of health issues related to eating high levels of sugar. I could go on about farm subsidies, American eating habits, and the like but that's about it for what I don't like about corn syrup.

I was just wondering, do you (and LindseyAnn/and others) also get headaches/etc when eating products with high glutamic acid values? See list @ http://www.umamiinfo.com/umami-rich_food/ ← Thank you for your thoughtful question. I can only speak about my own migraine food triggers as they vary from person to person. To answer your question, yes some of these foods will trigger a migraine headache, but only if eaten in excess, or if I'm eating several servings of these foods in one meal or over the course of the day. I've got other food migraine triggers that aren't umami foods. Some always give me a headache no matter what (chocolate )and others I can eat a bite or two of every now and then. So if I'm having some miso soup (made with dashi) for lunch I don't have avocado (one of my other triggers) in a salad for dinner that night. But you know - added MSG whether it's processed into the food or added in the form of Ajinomoto or Accent always gives me a migraine.