Jinmyo

Bacon wrapped in bacon and grilled is yummy too.

I store nori with one of those packages of silicone stuff, in the cupboard. I suppose you could try toasting it in the oven but you'd have to watch very carefully.

Use a mandoline, Kiku.

Blessed be St. Jacques Pepin, who delivered the tablets of La Methode and La Technique unto the multitudes: tommy, if Maloub were grilled I could understand her being there. Otherwise, no.

As was "shown" by many studies conducted by the Japanese in the 1980s, non-Japanese use the wrong areas of the brain when speaking and so can never really learn to speak Japanese. Although those who can approximate it receive endless compliments on their efforts. In the same way, perhaps Kikkoman feels that Western taste buds are arranged in the wrong order.

All mushrooms are wonderful. The ones I use most ubitously are shitake (or Chinese huagu, flower mushrooms, which are similar). Enkoi are great for noodle-like impressions in a dish. Eryengi are okay but look like porcini but don't deliver the flavour. They're just a form of oyster mushroom.

Single essential favourite: shoyu. Then of course gojuchang, ngoc mam, siracha, etc etc. I buy those bottled. All other sauces such as tonkatsu, mayo etc I make.

If I don't like something I am curious as to why and so will often try something several times (whether a piece of music, a weird part of a fish, or conversation with someone). If that dislike does not change and begins to seem well-founded and reasonable then I feel I can say it sucks. Like konnyaku.

I didn't know that other people preferred Korean nori as well. I often find Korean kombu to be of better quality as well.

smallworld, that's actually quite charming in a way.

Very interesting. I'd love to hear more. I've always thought disputes between nations should be settled by a cook-off.

I beg to differ. As this is the first post of yours I've seen, Trish: Wecome to eGullet.

And Jinmyo, I need to stop reading your posts to this thread during lunch! Drool. If you don't mind, could you elaborate a bit for me on the onion gratin? Sure, NeroW. Very roughly chopped white and red onions. Toss with melted butter and olive oil, salt and pepper, a bit of balsamico, slide into shallow casseroles. Add about three knobs of butter for each casserole, cover with fresh large breadcrumbs. Roast in a convection oven at 350 for an hour and forty-five minutes. If you want to, remove, add some shavings of gruyere, under salamander or broiler to brown the cheese. Some fresh tarragon is nice. Leftovers are nice layered into roast beef sandwiches with Dijon and diced tomatoes.

Roasted Yukon gold potatoes with ancho, rosemary, and other seasonings. Slow roasted plum tomatoes with chevré. Lime sauerkraut with chopped Chinese celery. Roasted white and red onion gratin with grilled lamb chops. Frittata with asparagus, poblano, cubanelle, and red peppers.

Soba, I like mushroom soy (I get Y&Y, a Canadian importer). Especially for marinades.

Oh dear.

Fergus, given that Still, surely your approach to offal (squirrel guts on toast) might cause some to pause and I'm certain you must have noticed this on occasion, no matter how straightforward it might seem to you. Have you always been interested in offal?

Yeah, it's no to hijiki for me. Stick in between my teeth. Strings of pod-things. Chew chew chew. Like plastic twist-ties that have been knotted. Nope.

That's a good point so I thought I'd highlight it.

"Carne" means "meat".

De Cecco and Rustichella D'Abruzzo are what I tend to use here in Canada.

Gah.

I'm saddened by hearing of poor performance by the steak and kidney pud. But glad to hear of the rest of the meal and that you all had such a good time.

Broad noodles with a thin miso/ginger sauce and toasted sesame. Soup of Asian leeks (cut into one inch lengths) and Chinese celery with grilled salmon filets atop (the heads and bones contributed to the stock). Roasted asparagus with lemon slices. Roasted meinjin (seitan, pulled gluten stuff), age (deep-fried) tofu, and pillow tofu with a smoky chile sauce (chipotle, hoisin, mushroom soy etc) in iceberg lettuce cups. Green-lipped mussels in small cups with a pool of warm sake and garnished with Hawaiian red salt. Small temaki (cone-shaped rolls) of toasted salmon skin filled with sushi rice and salmon roe. White kimchee, daikon kimchee, white daikon kimchee, mustard green kimchee.

Ellen, great photos. Not only here but throughout the articles.