Jinmyo

Here's an online article on how to speedeat at a Chinese buffet: Clickety click.

You win. :wow:

I knew a 50 times chewer. This lad would hold yogurt in his mouth without actually swallowing it. Sensitive type. :wow:

So. I ground the black mustard seeds by hand in a suribachi because I didn't want the oil to get into my spice grinder thing. Grind, grind, grind. Whisked with some white wine and a bit of champagne vinegar. Hm. Touch of salt. Hm. Touch more salt. Better. Not at all like the same seeds toasted in clarified butter. The richness (nuttiness) wasn't there. Kind of awful looking. Very sharp, very pungent. High-pitched. Tried it on a slice of warmed pork tenderloin. Not friendly to the pork. Too assertive. Tied it with a piece of rare roast beef at room temp. Eh. I might joggle it around a bit and see what happens. Methinks though it would be best with sauerkraut on a fried hot dog. But a slap of Maille would do as well. Not as fragrant as other mustard seeds. But black mustard seeds are great toasted in clarified butter and poured over grilled red snapper or deep-fried crusty fish with a bit of cumin and turmeric in the batter.

T-t-t-tapioca? (shudder)

Wrapping in banana leaves is extensive in Southeast Asia. I've done lontong (a Javanese rice dish involving rolling up cooked rice, boiling it until it sets, cooling, and slicing it) with banana leaves but didn't find it tasted much differently from when I used tin foil.

Oh, thanks. I'll be back then.

Oh my. This is going to be a thread. stellabella, deplorable. Yes, it's rude. But I believe quite common in these kinds of places. I think many customers are cowed by the overt signs from the waitstaff and just leave because, well, it's just not any fun to sit where someone really doesn't want you to be sitting.

lizziee, thank you for a very interesting report. If you could trouble to answer at least some of Steve's questions, I'd be grateful.

Actually, I have some black mustard seeds. I've never made a "mustard" with them, just cracked and toasted them in clarified butter. Hm. Once I can think of what I'd use it with I'll make some and get back to you on it.

Today, farfalle in a basic fresh tomato sauce with slab bacon, panchetta, Italian sausage, wilted spinach. Garnished with ricotta. Cumin crusted pork tenderloin.

:wow: I usually buy cornichons at an Egyptian store. Mainly just use them to chop up. I haven't seen the kawai (cute) Maille cornichons about but will look. Sorry, Jon. Um. So howzabout that there mustard?

Get well, Wilfrid. Throw a twist of lemon peel into appropriate drinks as a nod to vitamin C. I'm in the process of making lunch. Grilled ribeye (resting, soon to be sliced sashimi thin) tossed with grilled white onion. Garnished with red chile threads (Korean chiles roasted, pressed into a dry mass, cut thread thin, very hot). Frites (chips, fries, whatever) with what will soon become mayonnaise. Lots and lots of frites. Lots and lots of salt.

Jon, I certainly agree with you about "highly capsicized foods"... or at least those done skilfully. The heat lifts and highlights other flavours. Even habanero (although on the whole the taste reminds me of a smell I associate with poverty). Back to mustards.

I've seen photographs of some of Goldsworthy's works. The earlier ones were beautiful and often of a small scale. Then they starting getting bigger and bigger. I think he wound up doing things that look like burial mounds. Do you know anything about that, John?

Well put, John. Yes, yes, yes. And this is true for all vile things such as bottled salad dressings. I use Maille when I want Dijon. I use Colman's or Keene's powder when I want to make a particular mustard, say with ginger. I use mustard seeds (I have jars of three different kinds) that I either toast or warm in clarified butter or olive oil when I want just a mustardish component. Still, I can see a specialist mustard like jalapeno flavoured for something like a hot dog or a pastrami sandwich.

Nice post, Jeff. Have you tried their grilled cheese sandwiches?

I vote for Maille as well.

Well, lunch is my dinner. Yesterday I finished some braised short ribs. I added some whacks of celery to it as I reheated it in the oven. Caramelized some onion, then mixed in some mashed potaoes and roasted garlic. Ladled a bit of sauce in the bottom of large bowls, mounded the potaoes in the centre, crumbled a bit of Stilton on top. Arranged bits of meat and celery around that. Leftovers. Today it was thick rice noodles with dried shrimp with shoyu and ponzu, garnished with garlic chives; mounds of wilted baby spinach with minced shallots and a bit of sesame oil, garnished with gomasio; centre cut pork loin chops grilled after a dry rub of ancho and pasilla chiles, togarashi, cracked pepper then finished in the oven; kimchee.

It's the stuff he doesn't disclose that worries me That's for the protection of our delicate sensibilities, Andy.

How could it be wrong? Both are great on their own, great together. While white asparagus is relatively uncommon here in the New World, the green do have a more robust flavour. I think the white are best raw with a bit of porcini oil, nice salt and crushed pepper, and lemon zest. Or with a nice buttery sauce and a few shavings of truffle. But the green are more versatile. For example, white asparagus just get lost in a Thai fish curry but the green guys are good little soldiers who do their part. Heh heh heh. Asparagus season. Heh heh heh.

Hm. If you're eating them raw then you don't have to peel them. If you cook them, the difference between the skin and the stalk inside becomes a problem. That's why they looked solid for an hour and then collapsed. Just peel them, season, roast for about 15 to 20 minutes.

One question, Liza. Did you peel the white asparagus?

For an excellent example of discloure in a review, read Steve Shaw's current log Days 3-5, April 5-7:, Seagrove Beach, FL.

Another great job, Hat Guy. Remind us to give you a raise next quarter.