Gruzia

So i finally got some black bean paste to make jajeng noodles and it turned out pretty well, but when shopping for it, i noticed that some of the bottles were labeled "Black bean paste, fermented" and others were labeled "Black bean paste, roasted". Does anyone know what the difference in taste and/or use is between the two kinds?

i thought that adding an acid would help balance out the salt - like adding vinegar or lemon jiuce, etc. Is this true?

So Jag lied - did that scene between him and the execs seem a little fake to anyone? And the question remains - why did he feel compelled to lie? OK, so the culinary school thing I can understand but the Afghanistan service???

WHAT?! Why?! I love that place! This is awful.

you must try the Sri Lankan Eggplant curry - so yummy........

wow...so i guess she should also be stressed about not being stressed in the right order, on egullet. damn, med school blows!

I go to those stores all the time for random cookbook finds but have never bought any of the gourmet food products - is it generally safe - ie hasn't gone bad, stale, etc? what kind of stuff would you stay away from buying?

America's Test Kitchen has a recipe for New York style plain cheesecake that has never let me down. Creamy and delicious.

Of course if you are in the OR and pass out and break the field, the surgeons might throw things at you. I'd carry a protein bar - as long as you're not eating it in front of the patients (especially if they're NPO) you'll be OK.

Oh! I should not have watched that late at night - all the sushi places are closed!

I highly recommend the chocolate flavored South Beach Protein Bars - they fit in the pocket, you don't need access to water to wash hands (just carefully peel back the wrapper - Purell is all good, but what about places where C. dif runs rampant?) and they don't have that typical this-is-going-to-sit-in-my-stomach-for-days feel that protein bars typically do (at least for me). I feel your pain - I've tried to come up with more creative solutions but ultimately, this is the easiest and most portable. Don't count on easy access to a locker or a microwave.

I don't drink coffee often - I'm a tea with sugar and lemon fan - but when I do it has to be 2% milk, skim milk is like colored water but anything higher than 2% is too unctious for me. I like to pour in a couple of cm worth per cup of coffee and absolutely no sugar! I like there to be a bit of residual bitterness.

Indian Cookbooks: Cooking at Home with Pedatha by Jigyasa Giri and Pratibha Jain - mentioned this in another post - really great recipes and layout, a nice change from the typical Northern Indian cookbooks A second vote for Mrs Balbir Singh's Indian Cookery Maya Kaimal's Savoring the Spice Coast of India and Curried Flavors Ajanta by Lachu Moorjani Dakshin by Chandra Padmanabhan for vegetarian South Indian Food of India from Foods of the World Time Life series

Ah, pizza and burgers and knives and forks: Well, speaking for all the messy eaters - sometimes it's just easier, especially if you're on a date...or in polite society...

But a lot of times there are no forks and the fried rice is served on a big plate to be put on your individual big plate. What's a girl to do?

I once had an awfull, awfull dream: I was in Chinatown, in a grocery story, standing in an isle full of huge bags of different brands and varieties of rice and I couldn't make up my mind as to which one to buy! I kept going back and forth on my choices - the dream was seriously painful.

I highly recommend Cooking at Home with Pedatha by Jigyasa Giri and Pratibha Jain. The dal recipes are fantastic!

i was also thinking about doing a tour of breweries and wineries down through the state of California - but the only time I have is in February - do you think that would be an OK time to do it?

When I was little, my Mom would feed me a porridge of buckwheat with milk and sugar for breakfast. Nowadays, I like to boil some up and then saute it with soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, garlic, onions, sometimes a bit of pineapple, sometimes capers and sesame oil. Makes a good lunch to take to work.

Ah! What a beatiful photo!

Did you recognize the actor who plays the gangster? Have you seen Shall We Dance? ← The original version? I think so, but a long time ago - I'm going to have to rewatch Tampopo and pay attention

That's so funny, I just saw that show yesterday! Yeah, I'm not sure what the deal with the potatoes was - neither recipe was anything inspiring. Also, the whole mother-Daughter thing seemed really contrived - was definately strange to watch it. This is not the only episode I've seen and i have to say that I am not that crazy about it. She comes off really brash and it seems as though she's trying to ham it up for the cameras too much. The food is OK but her style really grates on me.

cooked animal fat and sinews - the fat around the edges of beef, lamb, etc. I know there are whole legions of people that love the stuff (all you pork belly lovers) but I just _cannot_ stand the texture. Same thing with poultry skin - unless it is cooked to a very very crisp result. Funny, cause i inhaled soft chicken skin when i was a kid.

my local West Philly PathMark underwent a renovation three months ago and now has one whole isle of natural/organic foodstuff - Terra Chips, organic juices, cereals, soups, etc. Of course, the downside to this renovation is that now the crazy array of dried chilis are nowhere to be found

I was not introduced to the concept untill about a year or two after I came to America. It was, needless to say, a welcome revelation my mouth would start to water the moment I stepped off the schoolbus. My snacks of choice were the Little Debbie, or some similar brand, of chocolate macaroons or fudge brownies. Went great with Animaniacs and DarkwingDuck!