Fugu

The Chef's table, while I was Executive Chef, were run by well groomed cooks who made sure their uniforms are laundered, pressed and their shoes cleaned on a daily basis. They had a sense of pride. I don't even allow running shoes in the kitchen. Shoes do not normally get encrusted and putrid in one evening of service. I am not sure how filthy the cooks get in your father's restaurant but I would hope that at least they come in to work clean and not just their stations? Cooks who go out into the dining room change their aprons, brush off debris from their shoes and turn their jacket around, it is so that they look presentable to the public. Isn't this just common sense? Edited to explain my point clearly..

Ammonia does not smell like bleach. Bleach smells like chlorine, which is much different than ammonia. That is very bad chicken. Ray ← The chicken is decomposing and ammonia is one of the by products of decay. Nitirifying bacteria breaks down the ammonia further and turns it into nitrite and eventually to nitrates. The bleach functions as a disinfectant to retard decomposition. Yes, it is bad chicken especially when people resort to using bleach on food as an oxydizer. The only reason I mentioned bleach, is because Prasantrin mentioned it on her original post.

Putrid, food encrusted, old running/Birkies/leather shoes of cooks bother me, if they cannot keep their shoes clean, it makes me wonder about their personal hygiene. Then I do not to expect much out of their finished product. I do keep my opinnion to myself and do not walk out.

I am doing some research on my family roots and I managed to find some family connection to Ustica. Does anyone have any first hand information on Ustica and Usteci cuisine?

Wow Kerry Beal, thank you very much for this thread. I am going to visit Curry's art supply shop and McCalls bakeing supplies to see if I can source out some of these things.

Thanks Domestic Goddess. Some soya sauce brands, with smaller amounts of caramelized sugar(Burnt), do produce lighter coloured finished products. Tagalog adobo seems similar to my sisterinlaw's version, in terms of vinegar-soya sauce proportions, though she is Cebuana. She also uses a lot of garlic. I guess cocunut milk is a Bicolano style? Bicol loves their coconut and chilli peppers.

Agreed. Canada is under British soveriegnty and this is the written language I've learned from schools. Favour and favor, honor and honour are accepted forms of these words. Ther are many more discrepancies Like center and centre. Regarding "salt to flavour", the recipes I've encountered does as you've mentioned, "salt to taste", however I do encounter, from time to time, people writing that they add salt to give it flavour. Food network, understandably so, is the biggest culprit in the media. I would understand it if people say "season it" since seasoning includes both flavours and taste.

My mtoher and her sisters consider this place the Mecca of all cuisines, replete with lobster martyrs to provide them with spiritual fulfillment. Even my Jedi skills can't compel them not to go to the dark side but the farce is strong in those food chains. No Jedi mind tricks ever work. No matter how hard I try to convince them that they are paying an exorbitant amount of money to abuse their palates, I cannot convince them and my comments are just given a polite smile. I have cooked lobsters for them on many occasions, in styles and ways that should have dropped their nickers(didin't want to say panties) and worship me(allow me my conceit). In their defense, I can understand why they would want to eat there: The overcooked food seems to be what they've grown accustomed too eating. The texture, more than the taste, reminds them of their homeland. With the eldest sister's passing away and Red Lobster being their last place they've eaten togethere, the place has become nostalgic for them, the good ole days. I have learned not to spoil the experience for my mom, if she enjoys something with my aunts, then that's just fine with me. That is what food is all about. Ratatouille movie, spoiler alert!!! It reminds me of the movie Ratatouille and the food critic's reaction to that final dish. No, I have not tried the new and improved RL but I may take my mom out soon and build memories of that place with her, for nostalgia's sake.

Had you not mentioned Japan, I would have thought that your source has been washing the chicken in bleach. It was being done here in Toronto until the perpetrators were caught and levied hefty fines.

Alamoana, thanks for explanation, I appreciate it very much.

I've always made quenelles with 3 sides, not rounded. I've always thought that this was the industry standard? If my French Chef and Japanese Sous Chef saw imperfect quenelles, they made the apprentices re-do the whole tray and they are told to make up for the time that was wasted. It means you're working overtime without pay. If you're going to use one spoon to make the rounded variety, you might as well use a quenelle shaped icecream scoup. Are rounded quenelles accepted in pastry kitchens?

Domestic Goddess, hi. Is your adobo the version that's cooked in coconut cream and vinegar, without soya sauce, it seems pale? Another version I know is cooked in patis(fish sauce) and kalamansi lime(calamondin orange), with coconut cream. Edited: I finally figured out how to post pics.

IMO, filtered water is better than tap water. I've been using a 4 stage reverse osmosis(RO) filter for my drinking water for 3 years. It eliminates dissolved organic compounds (DOC)and some heavy metals. The UV light kills pathogens in the water. This is slightly off topic but I grow corals and raise marine fishes. In saltwater set ups you cannot use tap water because of the high levels of DOC. The renal clinic also suggested that I use RO filtered water because my kidneys are failing. Membrane is changed every 2-3 years, UV light is changed every 6 months, sediment and carbon filters changed every 6-8 months.

With the addition of the orange peel, cinnamon stick and star anise, you could have used 5 spice powder. The Chinese use this on their roast pork and some duck recipes. A peanut stew popular in Philippines, called Kare-Kare, is particularly good with these cuts of meat. The dish has a West African origin and may be more suitable to western palates. The Philippine version is served with sauteed, fermented krill as an added flavouring/seasoning. Your picture looks yummy!

As a child, we've always cooked clams from the ocean without purging, just as hummingbirdkiss does but when the clams come from mud ponds used in aquaculture, we clean out the guts. Clams feed on phytoplankton and phytoplankton from the ocean has a grassy flavour but freshwater phytoplankton has a muddy flavour. As an apprentice, I was told by the French Chef to put the clams and mussels in the water and use a wooden paddle and roughly stir around. This is supposed to irritate the clams and expell the sand? I've eaten raw Cherrystones and cooked Manila clams without going through these steps.

Whenever I watch or read about food, I always come across people refer to "add salt for flavour". I often thought that flavour is, more or less, associated with our olfactory senses and not the tongue. Now, from what I remember in science class, our taste buds tastes salty, sweet, sour and bitter, on different areas of our tongue. In cooking school, I learned about flavour builders such as a bouquet or herb faggots but no mention of salt was ever included as a "flavour builder". I guess I am just knit picking but do watch cooking shows and listen to the host/hostess refer to salt as "to add flavour." Just curious. edited to add letter "k"

Just got back from St. Lawrence Market. I found some 20gm. pkg. of dried morels for $14.99, none were fresh. Prices are comparable to Longo's, Dominion and Loblaws. It was nice to see SLM again, after 8 years. I usually do my shopping at Asian markets in Mississagua. Didn't find fresh lobes of foie gras either, only canned stuff. It was not a total disappoinntment since I managed to get a back bacon sandwich for breakfast.

Thank you, Toweringpine, I am also in Etobicoke, aka Toronto West. That location you provided is near my house, by Centennial Park. There is a Dominion at Kipling and Eglington, I will have a look after I do some grocery shopping. Thanks.

Add XO sauce to your list of stir fry sauces. I also feel that oyster sauce should be a standard in your pantry. These two sauces alone will add dimension to your recipes. Hosin, though considered a bbq sauce, also needs to be in your pantry. Sesame seed oil and chilli oil or sambal olek.

It's almost 6am and I am laughing my head off at your comment! This whole thread and its "double entendre" is killing me. One of us has their brains in the gutter.

This brought back wonderful personal memories! Most of what you have posted are similar to what I've experienced on my trip to Peru in 2001. Food wise, my month long trip felt like I was "slumming it". My girlfriend and I were frequently at Norkis and enjoyed the ala parilla items served with chimichuri. Street food like Anticuchos and tamales were excellent snacks. Chifa owned by my girl was nice. Restaurants in a town near Pisac, along the Urambamba river, serves truchas, freshly caught on the river. I had cuy and rocotto relyenos under a tree that bears this fruit. That was a big surprise, I have never seen a large tree bearing spicy red bell peppers(rocotto). The trunk of the tree must have been around 8"? My girlfriend had a passion fruit vine at her house and she calls it "Maracuya." A brief train stop, on the way to aguas caliente, allowed food vendors inside the train and I enjoyed the choclo with the salty queso fresco. My girlfriends family took me to the Andean highlands on a 4x4 and was invited to one of those houses with the cuy running around. We were treated to a style of cooking called pachamanca. I was watching them dig a hole and put hot rocks in with lamb, cuy, corn and potatoes. My hosts also treated me to a lamb's head soup and fried dough called kachanga. I never did make it to Lake Titicaca. I learned about this lake from watching Jacques Custeau. I am not sure but based on his show, at one point, all this lake had were frogs, no fish. The trout and kingfish are not indigenous species. Thank you very much for posting this visually entertaining and engrossing tour of Peru. edited for mistakes. Sleepy!

I was fortunate enough to be able to buy the lobster shells by the sack from the docks. I crush the shells by running them through the hobart mixer using the paddle attachement, rinse, then roast with the mirepoix. Crushing the shells makes it easier to squeeze every last drop of the lobster stock. Save the stock for bisques or Sauce Americaine or reduce to a glaze to flavour fish terrines and seafood mousselines. If you want to be get fancy with the bisque presentation, cover the cup with puff pastry and bake. What I have not tried is poaching lobster tail in butter ala Charlie Trotter.

Thank you for that information Shel_B, unfortunately, I live in Toronto. I should have specified the geographic location. I will keep that in mind next time I visit San Francisco again. Love Golden Gate Park! I used to live in Daly city.

Can anyone recommend a restaurant that serves authentic Hakka Cusine ?

Morimoto and Batali always blow me away with their plate presentations! I watched Morimoto lose the beets battle tonight but I was surprised that he was working with liquid nitrogen to make golden beet icecream. He also dabbled with sodium alginate and calcium chloride. He made spheres using beets and presented it as ikura topping for his sushi, cool stuff.