MikeHartnett

I'd say Jerusalem is more accessible for sure. It's not entirely traditional, but the traditional base means more common ingredients. That said, Plenty is one of my all time favorite cookbooks, and while the ingredient lists can be a bit crazy, they're worth it.

It's delicious, if nothing else.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airline_chicken

Dude.

If it makes you feel any better, I apparently can't count to 3 - which is how many dishes you listed, not 2 as I said. But Korean is delicious too! Unfortunately I don't have any cookbook recommendations for this one.

A few points: -I'm confused because you said you really enjoyed 2 Korean-influenced dishes and then asked for a Thai cookbook. -Most Thai food uses a lot of ingredients. They aren't complicated; it's just how they are. Often, many ingredients are combined in a paste or dressing, which doesn't create more work - just more flavor. I'd suggest trying recipes even if they have a "boatload" of ingredients before avoiding them for that reason. -As far as cookbooks, David Thompson's Thai Food is the bible. Incredibly detailed and incredibly comprehensive. A fantastic, huge book. Andy Ricker's Pok Pok is also fantastic, and might be a better place to start.

Miso mixed with honey makes a great ice cream topping.

Ho-ly crap.

I made the leeks and cut the bacon significantly, too. I used 2 medium-thick slices for the vinaigrette and 1 for crumbling on top. I didn't miss the extra.

And illiterate means unable to read or write. Not unable speak or pronounce. Most people in the world are illiterate. It doesn't mean they can't speak their own languages or create cultural artefacts. Oral culture tends to drift.....my people speak a Cajun french understood in Paris, but absolutely frowned upon. The pronunciation is suspect, we use the "wrong" words for certain things, the accent is awful to a Parisian ear. So what? It's an oral language--most native speakers of this dialect do not read or write in French; they're completely ignorant of French spelling. Many older speakers have limited English literacy as well. Do I correct an 80 year old native French speaking Houma Indian who says "plarine" instead of "praline"? She makes damn good pralines, whatever she calls them. That's clearly not what's being discussed in this thread, though. Someone who's on TV as an "expert" on food has the means to know better and continues to mispronounce words that they presumably hear others pronounce correctly on a regular basis, it displays something different than cultural drift.

Completely agree (in large part because we live in more or less the same place, and disagreeing would force me never to say "earl" again). The thing that bugs me is not regional variation, but incorrectness due to ignorance. If you want to say "mask-are-poan" instead of mascarpone, be my guest. Just don't say "marsk-a-poan", because then you sound illiterate.

Of course it's not "kung po". It's kung POW!

Omelettes, Thai-style, with caramelized turnips and soy.

I like Pederson's a lot. The right amount of smoke vs. sweetness, and my ideal texture - i.e., I can get it crispy while retaining some chew.

Emily_R: Still waiting on sahmd to give some more specifics. These were really directed at Robirdstx.