Jinmyo

You bet.

You bet.

Mashed and then roasted parsnips with sage. English bangers (pork sausage). Layers of scalloped turnips, apples, green daikon, and onion with cream. Romaine and watercress salad with crumbled Stilton. Crostini with brandade.

Very nice, tommy. What's the sauce squeezed on the plate? Are those dabs of wasabi?

Gee, Stone, I'm sorry that minimal gag reflex seems to be as good an uni experience as you've had. Do you like raw oysters and such? edit: Reading back, I see that I have asked g. johnson the same question when he said he didn't like uni. Not liking uni puzzles me.

I keep a cast iron Japanese tetsubin on the stove these days. It looks great and works well. The handle does get screaming hot but hands without towels are for tourists. I've checked on the web and it looks much like this: Except mine is turned to the left.

I've read that Morihiro Onodera, the chef, actually has his rice hulled at the restaurant daily. Wow.

Thanks, JD. This sounds quite interesting to me. I'm going to look around and see what I can find out.

Scallion and soinach congee with mussels (three) atop. Chinese bacon (cured pork belly, steamed, then fried) and sea scallops. (Scallops sliced in half, square of bacon in between.) Dai gai choy soup with mustard. Tong choy (crysanthemum greens) with Chinese duck liver sausage cut into one inch pieces on the bias. Spring rolls filled with shrimp and shitake mushrooms. Chilled silken tofu on reduced pomegranite juice sauce, topped with minced chiles. ediot: "silken".

An excellent report, JD. The "thousand layers" sounds wonderful. Do you remember the actual name of the dish? Qian chong or something? Is it steamed? edit: I mean the dish itself sounds wonderful, not this particular tasting of it.

Mmmm. Troutfat.

KimWB, you can in most cases use sweet potato rather than squash and the other way round. It depends upon the starchiness desired.

Rachel, again, thanks. You do so well with this.

I wasn't there so I've no one to thank. Except Rachel for posting the photographs of some truly amazing looking food. Suvir. Wow. tommy, I knew Steve P would be a good hugger.

Broke out the tabletop grills: Slices of lamb loin marinated in sake, crushed mint, much minced garlic, grapeseed oil, s&p. Thick slices of white mushrooms about as big as my fist, marinated in shoyu and dashi. Trimmed scallions. Baby bok choy halves. Slices of monkfish marinated in dashi and mirin and minced lemongrass. Tsukemono: Mustard green pickles, takuan, cabbage kimchee, daikon kimchee. Stacks of scallion pancakes. Hiyayako (cold silken tofu) with flyingfish roe on top.

Thanks, lizziee. I'll have to read Food&Wine after all.

Lime (or other citrus) is wonderful in any style of chicken soup. I'll often use a bit, perhaps just some zest, even in a chicken consomme.

Nick, yes one can brown first for a darker stock.

Dashi!

Always and always: Bones. Bits. Dozens of shrimp shells. Scraps of peppers. Too many carrots. etc etcetcetcetcetc What to do? Stocks. Hm. Lots of stock. What to do? Freeze. Hm. Need some stock. Go to freezer. Always some there because there is always: Bones. Bits. Dozens of shrimp shells. Scraps of peppers. Too many carrots. etc etcetcetcetcetc

Much snow on the weekend. Weighing down branches still heavy with leaves. Individual lamb and mushroom lasagnas. (Ramekins. Layers of noodles cut to fit, layers of ground lamb with mushroom, shallots, garlic. Some rosemary infused cream. Crumbled chevre and bread crumbs.) Romaine and radicchio salad with lupini beans on concave parmesan crisps. Potage of pureed turnip with crispy lardons cut from double-smoked local slab bacon. Range of cheeses: Stilton, edam, 10 year old Canadian cheddar, camembert.

I think the green stuff is just where the dye's been rubbed off.

Wonderful, oraklet.

Does it? Change means change. Whether it is presented as a challenge (by the "cuisiner") or met as one (by a patron) depends upon many factors. Change can be presented invintingly or in many other ways. It can be met with wonder or beetled brow.

Merde?