ojisan

The first health food store that I shopped at was in the Mar Vista area of W. Los Angeles. The tiny store was called Mrs. Gooch's, which later became Whole Foods.

Re: Sigg Are we talking about the old red Sigg bottles meant for backpacking stove gas? Are they not made of aluminum? They're OK for drinking water?

When eating pomegranates, do people spit out the hard seeds, or do they eat them?

Vitamix. It comes out slightly gritty - strain it if that's bothersome. I assume that the hard seeds have some nutritional value.

Japanese traditional "Turtle" tawashi vegetable scrubber: http://korin.com/Tawashi-Brush http://www.simply-natural.biz/Veggie-Brush-Large.php

+1

I also would be tempted to smoke them. Red beans & rice? Split pea soup?

"The Art of Cuisine" by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Maurice Joyant. Illustrated by Toulouse-Lautrec.

I position the prongs on the outside of the chicken without piercing the bird. Push the entire prong assembly tight up against the bird. The Weber rotisserie came with an adjustable counterweight, but I've never had to use it. Also, when doing two chickens, turn one upside down.

Kitcho - Japan's Ultimate Dining Experience. The only "recipe" is an in-depth description for making dashi. Worth owning if you're into kaiseki cuisine, and a fine companion to Kansha by Elizabeth Andoh.

It wouldn't occur to me to want to make my own. At $2.19 for 600 gr., and includes the folksy crock, and how much of this stuff can you eat? As far as which kind of veg, the label on mine says "Tiensin Cabbage". The brand I used to buy was Great Wall, but I think they just changed the name because the crock and the preserved veg looks just the same, but without the "Great Wall" name molded onto the crock.

ChefKnivesToGo carries several EdgePro Apex kits - ask them about shipping to Oz. The Apex is not large or heavy.

A honesuki sure does make the job easier.

I smoke mine in a Luhr Jensen Big Chief, which smokes at 175°-195°, depending on the weather and if the smoker is insulated. Brine for up to 11 lbs. hocks: 12 C. water 220 gr. salt 140 gr. brown sugar 30 gr. pink salt Brine for 3-4 nights refrigerated in an 8 qt. container. Drain and air dry hocks (or in fridge overnight). Smoke using 3 pans of hickory chips for 5 hrs., or until hocks reach 140° The proportion of salt to water is not overly salty, and the use of pink salt is minimal.

Elizabeth Andoh's new vegan/vegetarian Kansha is impressive in its clarity. As a companion, I've ordered Kitcho, which is not technically a recipe cookbook - but more for inspiration.

Butcher & Packer is an xlnt source for charcuterie supplies. Located in Michigan, I believe.

The angle on the EdgePro Pro is 7° when pivot is dropped all the way down. Don't know about Apex.

Supreme: 20 x 6 oz. = 120 oz. Demi: 12 x 4 oz. = 48 oz. So, the cooking capacity of the Demi is 40% of the Supreme. Other than the cooking capacities and the teflon-coated aluminum water container vs. stainless steel, what other differences are there between the Supreme and the Demi?

Thanks Pete - I was wondering about all the coagulated meat proteins. Confirms my thoughts.

What does one do with the accumulated juices from, say, a steak? Are they usable as a sauce, au jus etc.?

Looks like French boudin blanc, not Cajun boudin blanc. No?

I had an amazing vegan kaiseki meal at Kajitsu. Located in the lower eastside.

Following Chris Hennes's wonderful tour of Rick Bayless's "Fiesta At Rick's" - under his "Camarónes a la Diabla" post, he notes: "... though Bayless suggests Tamazula hot sauce, and I used Valentina. The hot sauce makes up a very large percentage of the final sauce, so choose... wisely". Bayless also suggests Tamazula hot sauce for the shrimp/octopus cocktail as well. I just bought a 34 oz. bottle of Valentina for 98¢ (on sale) at my local Mex market. Although they also carry Tamazula, it's only in a small size, which indicates that Valentina is much more popular. Both are made by the same company (Tamazula), and the ingredient lists are the same. Does anyone know what their difference is? And while we're at it, how do the other popular hot sauces compare, such as Cholula and Tapatío?

Would that be Maesri brand? Comes in a cat-food-size can?

Why not a Kamagata usuba?