Fugu

I've actually come across sweet habaneros but I thought it was just an anomally? I enjoy the flavour of Habanero, so that genetic strain was a bit of a surprise. I was expecting heat! Thanks for that info.

Aren't tin cans coated with some sort of polymer to prevent interacting with the food? It is the main reason I do not buy dented tins, the protective coating may have been breached or compromised. Some tomato juice, in particular, sometimes tastes(flavour) like tin cans. Although, this may only be because of long term exposure to acidic ingredients?

At the opposite end of the spectrum, "Researchers in Texas have recently created a mild version of the habanero pepper which retains the aroma and flavor of the traditional habanero pepper. The milder version was obtained by crossing the Yucatan habanero pepper with a heatless habanero from Bolivia over several generations. These mild habaneros are expected to be widely available to consumers in the near future. " Source

This thread reminds me of that BBC series, Chef. One episode, Chef Gareth Blackstock was in search of illegal, unpasteurized Stilton cheese. "Gone off milk and bugs, living in perfect harmony"

Look through their files and try to find as much documents, complied by the last team, as possible. Look for the following: Order sheets, listing the companies the camp deals with and take note of the quantities. Schedules of delivery. Follow their parstock sheets. They should have invoices from the previous purchase orders. Look at functuon sheets. Look for forecast sheets. Notes on VIPs, returning guests and their preferences and allergies. One week is a breeze.

Like an immersion circulator? Thanks to everyone for the interresting posts.

Make a game out of the situation, play alternating Chef and Sous Chef days. One day you're the Chef in charge of everything and he's the Sous Chef and the next day, change positions. Golden rule of the game: 1. Chef is always right. 2. If the Chef is wrong, refer to rule number 1. Simple enough and if both stick to the rules. it should be fun. Cultivate his interrest in cooking, lead by example. Seems like an over-simplified solution but it all boils down to give and take. Just my 2 centimos.

Xiaolongbao dumplings filled with coloured aspic and pork! It is time consuming to make, perhaps just make enough as a garnish, 1 or 2 per per person. When they cut into it, the coloured soup runs out of the dumpling. Colours would pop out if served on a plain white sauce. Like painting on a white canvas. Interactive and unexpected. I have never tried this.

Actually, for those of us with weak and or achy hands (I have pretty severe rheumatoid arthritis, and my knuckles and wrists are among my most affected joints) those things are a Godsend....there are some jars/bottles that I would not be able to get into without one of these guys. ← I agree! Even those angled dudads with large handles were created for arthritic people. I know how you feel.

I think fresh eggs are harder to peel because it does not have that air sac found on older eggs? Boiling the eggs produces more pressure, pushes the egg whites against the walls of the egg and no air sac to use as a buffer zone? Just conjectures...I do crack the eggs immediately after cooking, however, it does not work for fresh eggs.

Immediately after the rice is cooked, I add the seasoned vinegar and then I use an electric fan to remove excess moisture from the rice, until room temperature. I find that the seaweed gets tough if there is too much moisture in the rice. The rice breaks and gets gummy when over worked. A cutting motion, instead of mixing, is the recommended technique. Unless I've been doing it wrong as well?

If your husband likes Worcestershire Sauce, buy him a jar of Branston Pickle. It's sort of a like a relish or best discribed as a chunky Worcestershire Pauce. I prefer soya sauce, garlic, pepper and basil on grilled steaks. XO sauce and garlic was good on sauteed pen shells. I am sure it will work on scallops since the sauce is supposed to be made with dried scallops.

I am always asked how to boil eggs that are easy to peel and I have tried a lot of different techniques with varied success. Fresh eggs are more difficult to peel after it is cooked. Cooking a few eggs is easy enough but larger batches seem to compound this problem. Even leaving the eggs to cool off in the fridge affects the peeling ease of the eggs. I have cooked eggs by the hundreds so I have encountered different results at different times. I'd like to hear some secrets out there. Have you tried steaming? Do you bring the eggs to room temperature? Do you puncture the eggs first? Do you start with the eggs in cold water? Do you add the eggs after the water boils? How long do you cook it? How do you shock the eggs or not?

You're welcome, nonblonde007. I have more stories than the above post. My cousin was a regular jungle boy and lived off the land. A skill he learned from a mountain tribe(Ita). Some of the things he ate were just way out there for me. He ate beetles, frogs, leaves even fruits that I have never ever see anywhere else.

I still measure out the potassium nitrate and sodium nitrates for my pates, terrines and galantines. I do not bother measuring the meat/fat proportions. Most chefs and home cooks do not measure ingredients, this only comes with experience. With practice, cooking becomes intuitive.

Fishes that are past their prime also has this ammonia smell. I've encountered this on skate wings on more than a few occasions. Sometimes you can't tell just by smelling the outside or touching the skate wings; the ammonia smell only comes out while it is being cooked.

Someone asked if I like spicy, the answer is yes. I have Hoisin, oyster sauce, garlic black bean, fish sauce and siracha-type sauces. Do you mix them with anything or are they sufficient by themselves? I've used siracha-type sauces just as a condiment but haven't made a sauce incorporating it. ← Fish sauce would be the only one that I would personally NOT mix with the other soy based sauces. I like fish sauce on stir fried noodles and vegetables, along with lemon juice and cilantro leaves. Instead of salt, use fish sauce for seasoning soups and salads. Experiment. Hoisin is good with braised whole pork shoulder and then briefly smoke it with maple, grape or apple wood.

I enjoyed that, thanks for posting. Eat, drink, man, woman and Ratatouille are my favorites as well. I am off to watch my copy of Ang Lee's movie. Thanks again.

I make rock like towers out of mashed potatoes....oh wait....Oops, never mind!

They ARE the be-all-end-all of cutlery. It's been said that you're either in the Santoku camp or the Gyuto camp. It's clear the you're in the Gyuto camp. The Santoku is not the only basis for judging western style Japanese cutlery. The gyuto has the same profile as a French chefs knife and is much more versatile than a Santoku. You can push cut or rock with it, it comes in lengths the santoku doesn't, it has more heft than a santoku and takes very little time to get used to its shape if you're used to Euro chef knives. I say take advantage of Korin's sale which ends on 8/1 and get a Tojiro DP gyuto (best cheapest option). You will notice the differences right away and might even carry you to the land of enlightenment. After years of Henckels, I was enlightened Aug 2005. Matter of fact, my new birthdate is Aug 2005. I'm with kathy...grok? ← I always enjoy reading your informative posts on Japanese steel. I've been curious about santokus as well but I want a Hattori FH 270mm Gyuto!

I used to serve a lobster ravioli with a vanilla beure blanc but I suspect that your vanilla salt would be best utilized as a finishing salt. Foie gras is another good candidate, use your vanilla salt as a finish. Sauternes and foie gras pair well together; sauternes are fermented in oak barrels which infuses vanilla flavours into the sauterne wines. Chocolates and salt work well together, why not use the salt as a garnish on souffles?

Let your butcher work his craft but ask him to set aside any part that he might want to discard. When you pick up your packages, you decide what parts you want to keep or throw away. $.02

Are there any other gourmet boutiques/deli besides Santis in the Metro Manila Area?

I ate at a Greek restaurant called, Cyma in Makati, at Greenbelt 4(?) while I was visiting family. I am just wondering what makes this restaurant popular? Both restaurants near Shangrila, EDSA and in Makati, both are always packed. I've had their salad that with a balsamic vinegar dressing, can't say they did anything wrong or bad. Their Osso Bucco, an Italian dish, is served with a hint of licorice/anise. My guess is that they use Sambuca. Has anyone eaten there? Could you please share your opinnion of their food and what you've ordered there?

Ustica is just a small volcanic island, north, off the coast of Sicily. Perhaps the cuisine there is something similar to Sicilian cuisine? Thanks