CharlotteM

Hiroyuki, I wanted to add my thanks for doing this wonderful blog; I looked forward to reading it everyday. I know very little about Japanese cooking, and learnt a lot from your home cooking. I was very excited about buying shiro miso and some dashi (in a teabag)...I have yet to make something of them though. My best for your wife's speedy recovery.

Thanks for the window into your life, Doddie. It has been a great introduction to Korean and Filipino cooking!! I love arm chair travelling

Growing up, almost every Lenten Friday was fried fish, dal (lentils) or a tomato soup/stew and rice; still a meal I crave. We're Catholic Indians, and my parents grew up near coastal areas, so fish was featured often, especially fried. Too bad, my husband isn't a big fish or dal eater, and winter tomatoes are terrible But fried fish is always welcome

Green garbanzos! I've never seen these before. They're so pretty...I thought they were large peas till I read your description. Are they fresh garbanzos? or a green variety? Where do you purchase such things? Inquiring minds want to know, please... Thanks!

The empanadas look great. I can't wait to try your recipe...the dough seems very versatile. Thanks for the explanation about the crab texture, SheenaGreena.

Doddie, this a wonderful blog; I'm learning a lot. I'm fairly new to Korean food/cooking. Only eaten it a couple of times, but loved whatever I ate. I'm very curious about the raw crab, so... ignorant question coming up...what was the texture like? like (raw) fish? Thanks!

I have another question about liquor shelf life, cream liquors specifically... I have 4 bottles of unopened cream liquors (we're not big drinkers of the cream-based stuff), and they've been around for a couple of years. How long do these liquors last? We have Amarula, Rose Tequila, Sheridan, and something else I now forget. Are any of these liquors especially prone to spoilage/clotting? Are they ready to be tossed? They're stored in a cool/dark cupboard, the temperature around 18-20 degrees Celsius. Thanks

I've tackled frozen vegetables (broccoli, carrot, cauliflower mixes) by stir-frying them with olive oil/butter and garlic. Med-high heat works best...low heat and they're soggier than I like.

Alton Brown (in the vanilla bean episode) says that Tahitian vanilla is fragrant, and he describes them as very "vanilla"; he prefers the Mexican vanilla, but most of the vanilla comes from Madagascar. The tahitian bean is a different variety from the Mexican bean, more commonly grown.

Fried Zucchini with Pomegranate Molasses (Toronto Star article). Basically, pan fry the sliced zucchini in olive oil, set aside. Make up a "dressing" with the molasses, salt, paprika, cayenne, b. pepper, minced garlic (recipe called for garlic salt), chopped cilantro, and some hot water to dilute. You get about a 1/4 cup of dressing. Pour over zucchini and let it sit for about an hour. I think it would be great with grilled or roasted zucchini. Very, very tasty!!

sazji, what an exciting blog! I visited Istanbul (and parts of central and western Turkey) just over 2 years ago and I LOVED it, especially the food. It's hard to replicate the dishes I ate there because the ingredients were so good and fresh. Is yoghurt in Turkey the same as 'greek' yoghurt? Looking forward to the rest of the week.

Thanks to all for the tips; I made the pita yesterday using Foodman's recipe and Anna's hints, and the bread turned out beautifully for the most part. I had two pitas that just didn't seem to want to puff up. Anyone have an idea why this happened? Was it my rolling out? The initial bubble (which starts the puff) never appeared. Thanks!

Lorna, your (inebriated) posts cracked me up ...must have been a very good night, indeed. Sleep well.

Very, very pretty pictures, and great blogging! I love the Iron Chef competition. IC#1 - 8 IC#2 - 7.5

I recommend Tap Phong, in Chinatown On Spadina (360 Spadina Ave), between St. Andrew's St. and Baldwin St. I know they sell a lot of woks/wok rings, and other cooking utensils (not just Asian/Chinese), appliances, earthenware. I've purchased many kitchen items there, and they're quite inexpensive.