Jinmyo

A verse, the Gokan-no-ke ( the Five Rememberances), recited in Zen Buddhist monasteries before meals says: This meal arises from the labour of all beings, may we remember their offering. Delusions are many, attention wanders, may we justify this offering. Greed arises from self-cherishing, may we be free in moderation. This offering sustains us, gives us strength, may we be grateful. We use this strength and attain the Way. Prajnaparamita! No life is a half-life. Is the plate half-empty, half-full, or a #### measly serving? But some ways of living can be fuller and richer than others. Vegetarian cooking can tend to default (amongst westerners) to broccoli with cheese sauce, ratatouille with cheese, or the dreaded Brown Gunk Chickpea Stew. Having been vegetarian for many years, now an omnivore, but cooking and presenting vegetarian meals to around twenty people several times a week I say this: The profundity and depth of a pot au feu or any braised meat dish will never be available in vegetarian cooking. The sublime and transcendent heights of sashimi are nowhere touched. Even the richness of a few ladles of chicken broth brought to deglazing a pan of caramelised onions are a loss. But vegetarian cuisines, when explored deeply, can open avenues that some or perhaps most meat eating people would never consider. I am thrilled, moved, weep openly over the beauty of roasted fennel and celery dressed with a few drops of balsamico. Or agedashi tofu. But I am continuously amazed by the range of flavours, textures, tastes, colours that come and nourish me by the complexity of a pig's flesh. I think the best of all bests is to appreciate how life eats life and use it with veneration and joyful care. But that's just my opinion aqnd I even like Marmite.

Hm. Although I prefer sake to wine, I am willing to admit that the best wines are better than the best sake. This has to do with many many factors, not the least of which is that sake does not age. But comparing wine to sake is not that fair as wine is fermented from fruit and sake brewed from grain. Is the best sake better than the best scotch? That would depend on what you want to do with it. But scotch is distilled from grain, not brwed. The process of making sake is most similiar to that of making beer. Is sake better than beer. Definitely. Even on the level of of a cool thirst-quenching drink. But I still like lime in a Mexican beer with my quesidillas. (Edited by Jinmyo at 7:52 am on Feb. 5, 2002) (Edited by Jinmyo at 7:54 am on Feb. 5, 2002)

The Peugot pepper mill. http://www.williams-sonoma.com/cat....PR%20p1 Shown here is also a salt grinder but I think that's pointless.

A bit of an aside, but I hope relevant. Calling the culinary arts an "art" makes me uneasy. Even at it's heights, I prefer to think of it as a craft. Any yet to me an art is this: A painting that makes you more aware of seeing and interested in what is seen; music that makes you more aware of hearing and willing to hear in new ways; a statue that makes dimensionality and the play of light and space around surfaces interesting and brings about a new recognition of the space and light around someone's face, an ashtray, an open door. Whenever chow can bring about a reorientation in how we perceive food, the world of colours, textures, tastes... is it art? To Steve Plotnicki: Eat and write, eat and write. Please. I had read this and that about Arpege and will almost certainly never eat there. But your description of how you experienced it was transparent enough so that I could at least smell if not taste the meal.

Cher Fat Guy, Oh, right. Crudo. Does anyone have any idea of how prevalent raw or marinated fish might be in Italian cuisine(s)? This does seem to me to be the perfect venue for a range of different salts. I'll often use different salts on scallop carpaccio or almost raw beef, things like that, and delude myself that they have vastly different flavours like smoky, briny, woodsy etc. etc. Oh. One place that I use ordinary Sifto's iodized table salt is in brining, like the one I have a picnic shoulder roast sitting in right now.

Katherine, it's not that much if you are trying to make a reasonable amount of saké . Or pickles (since the pickles keep well for about six months.) With the number of things I've listed that koji can be used for, I can't think of anything to add except to list vegetables you could pickle. But then just about anything would work (except mushrooms).

About the Atlantic article: I had read it but skimmed it again from the link. The effusive language about Parker as a "straight-talking" American with "no formal training in wine" (heh), married to his "highschool sweetheart" and yada yada I find repellant. Here's a brief quote: "In his baggy shirts and summer shorts, with his heavy arms hanging wide, he looks as if he could wrestle down a cow." Uh... But is this any indication of Parker;s appeal in America? (Edited by Jinmyo at 8:26 pm on Feb. 1, 2002)

Warning: Unsubstantiated Vague Memory FollowsJust a note on GR from an ill-remembered article in a Canadian newspaper from last year or so. The Lad was in Toronto for some reason. Big preface about what a prick he is. Interview happened at a well-regarded restaurant. GR was asked what he thought about the chef. "Not bloody much," or some such, pushing the plate away untouched. (Edited by Jinmyo at 8:12 pm on Feb. 1, 2002)

I really enjoy all sushi. But I have to admit that I will always have several orders of saba-zushi (marinated mackerel) which is of course the least subtle and cheapest. But I just love it.

Agedashi tofu. It's so simple: fresh fresh silken tofu rolled in corn starch or rice flour, deep-fried until crispy; served with a dashi with shoyu and mirin; garnished with grated daikon, slivered scallions, grated ginger. When I make it, I double-fry the tofu and serve it separately from the dashi, using it as a dipping sauce. Something about the contrasts in texture and temperatures and the creaminess of the tofu. I've actually wept with joy eating this. My next favourite is simply miso shiru. But I love just about everything else except natto which I merely like.

I can attest to that. I received one as a gift last week. It's just great. Does exactly what a peeler should with no sense of having to make it do that.

Not to me, personally, but on Food Network. And quite often too. But then he's never claimed to be above a scam. I remember him saying about a soup, "It's amazing anyone would charge for this. But we do!" ;) Are the salts used during the cooking or on the table? (Edited by Jinmyo at 6:02 pm on Feb. 1, 2002)

Pot stickers? What's wrong with pot stickers? As for fried bologna, in Canada these are known as Newfie steaks after their prominent role in the basic Newfoundland meal of boiled potatoes, boiled green cabbage, and fried bologna. Can't say I've indulged.

What is it that Mario Batali says? He uses sea salt and sometimes kosher salt. "All that other stuff is just a scam."

I use kosher salt for cooking because I can feel how much salt I am using. When cooking something very delicate like scrambled eggs, I might use a "fancy" salt. Amongst fancy salts I use fleur de sel and a grey Brittany sea salt. Crunch. The Brittany salt actually has a somewhat "sulfurous" quality.

Gah. I'm so petty. I'll do it.

The Elements of Taste by Gray Kunz The French Laundry Cookbook by Thomas Keller Escoffier Larousse Essentials of Cooking by James Peterson Jacque Pepin's Complete Techniques Any one of Trotter's books except the dessert book Professional Cooking, 5th edition by Wayne Gisslen (Cordon Bleu textbook) Southwest the Beautiful, Cookbook Any of Julia Child's books I have several dozen other favourites out of 700 or so books. I've never tried a recipe from any of them but of course have applied the techniques. Oh. Trotter's Gourmet Cooking for Dummies is quite a bit of fun.

Whether showing off at the table or just amusing yourself in the kitchen safety has it's place but... You know, jeez... What's the point if it isn't just a bit scary?

[Are you a lawyer? "No. But I'm playing one on eGullet." Oh. All right then.] Then the Chewbacca Defense. (Edited by Jinmyo at 9:00 pm on Jan. 25, 2002)

It's called "Cinghiale In Agrodolce" but the site doesn't have the recipe.

I seem to remember Mario Battali doing this on the Molto show. A quick search on the Food Network site would turn it up.

On Food Network Canada, the 2001 shows no longer feature the pointless Ms. Malouf. If she shows up again, I'd more than be pleased to see Flay backhand her. I could never last more than a braying chortle and idiotic comment from her before turning it off. Of course, even without her on, I hardly ever watch a full episode.

On another note, and more in line with the Lay's potato chip thing: I've found that instant "mashed potato" flakes can work well in some breadings.

Hm. When done with clarified butter, I think this is Pomme Maxim.

I don't actually read print newspapers anymore. Just online versions. And with so many great sites to choose from, months go by before I look at the Citizen's site. I guess I don't take any of the local publications seriously.