trillium

I like to use potato starch or tapioca starch over cornstarch in somethings. They're a little softer and harder in texture, respectively. regards, trillium

Don't forget SE Asian desserts. Coconut custard, kaya jam, chendol (mung bean "noodles", palm sugar syrup and salty coconut milk on shaved ice), ice kecang, steamed rice cake wrapped in pandan or lotus at the lunar new year, pineapple pastries, all the nonya kueh, but especially kueh lapis, sago, etc. My favorite doufu fa is with ginger syrup instead of honey. As someone with a butter and chocolate or fruits handicap when it comes to desserts the more subtle approach doesn't always win with me, but there are some Asian desserts I crave as much as a nice chocolate torte or apple pie. I think to enjoy them you have to appreciate subtlety and texture as much as richness. regards, trillium

hi there, I'm not Ed, but one of my all time favorite Usenet posts is from Timothy Ng, a cooking teacher, on the very subject of soups. My partner is Hokkien by way of Singapore, and in the last few years I've become fascinated with the tonic soups drunk in southern provinces. I think the best-written descriptions I've found have been in Grace Young's The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen. She has 3 different sections on soups/tonics. Armed with her info and a few conversations with our favorite Cantonese granny, we had a very successful visit to a medicine shop in SF's Chinatown and have been happily making snack and tonic soups since. For what it's worth, many of the herbs and roots used in the various concoctions (like ching bo leung) end up to contain quantifiable amounts of some pharmacologically active ingredient that matches up with some of the health claims made for the particular concoction. Also, I think it's interesting that there is some overlap between western and eastern medicinal herbs like angelica vs. don quai. regards, trillium

These showed up at our local grocery store with lots of roe attached a month or so ago in the seafood case. There's a guy who cooks behind the counter and he said they're best seared in the shell over high heat. I think most shrimp is better cooked in the shell. He likes grilling them the best but what we did was sear them in a cast iron skillet in a mixture of olive oil and clarified butter. They were good, but I'm not sure I'd go to the trouble of cooking them again. I thought they were too sweet. regards, trillium

It's nice with a dash of orange bitters (Fee Brothers, not Collins) too. And you can call it something else if you'd like, I won't mind. regards, trillium

It was nice to see you too...most of the veggies were pretty sad anyway, so you didn't miss that much. We bought some potatoes, leeks, spinach and kale and that was it. When we left at 10 things already looked pretty stripped. The big score was finding someone selling organic dried beans that they'd grown this summer. I really moan about the quality of dried beans, good ones make such a difference, so we were pretty stoked. We bought borlottis, cranberries, sophie, coco blan, flagolet and good ol' pinto. The black beans sold out while we were standing there waiting. They were also selling all sorts of pumpkins I'd never seen before, jade colored ones and red ones growing what looked like barnacles. I have trouble with squash so I was only tempted for a moment. I thought the planning that went into that market was very poor. I hate being pushed around at 9 o'clock in the morning by monster baby carriages with no where to run. I don't understand why the city would advertise something so heavily and then hold it in such a small area. Quentin was guessing that the market doesn't make as much money as I think it does because not everyone goes as crazy as we do, which is basically to haul off nearly more than we can carry onto the bus. regards, trillium

I like citrus cocktails during the winter. I made something up last winter while we were still in Chicago that I called er, witches' tit. Sorry, but it's the perfect name because the drink is kinda grey/silvery looking and it was that cold outside. It's basically a delilah but made with the juice from 1/2 of a grapefruit. You can use your lemon squisher if you cut it into pieces small enough to fit. I think I did 3 jiggers gin, 1 jigger Cointrou and juice from 1/2 a grapefruit with a twist of grapefruit peel. Wouldn't be the same with not fresh grapefruit juice. We drank aviations last night while I was making 5x chocolate (cocoa, semi-sweet, choco extract, choco chips and cocoa nibs) cookies and dinner at the same time. Tried it with Junipero gin, a new one from Fritz Maytag. Very nice. I find it's harder to over imbibe with those than delilahs. I like single barrel bourbons or bitters neat regards, trillium

I'm not sure I would say anyone, but certainly many, could cook a better meal at home then almost any restaurant. In fact, I'd go so far as to include the very high-end ones. I think if someone with some experience has access to decent tools, similar ingredients and a willing workforce (someone has got to help with all that prep!) they can totally make a better meal. Of course, my belief is colored by a few prejudices about what I consider a good meal to be. It drives me crazy when people surround food with celebrity, and all the exclusivity and mystique that involves. Yes, it can be a work of art, but when a work of art involves food, it's still going to be sewage in 24 hrs. While I'm ranting, it also bugs me when people dismiss certain restaurants by saying the chef isn't a chef they just shop well. I don't think squiggling techno-color oils and sauces onto a plate and designing a room with hip colors really defines a great cook either. As for needing to back something up, it all depends on how you phrase things...for instance, you could talk about what you think a good bowl of pho entails without needing a set of references to back yourself up. I agree that it's probably better not to bring something up if you're just going to say you don't feel like sharing the recipe, that's no fun for anyone. regards, trillium

From what I know of Hakka food (and it's from my partner, an ethnic Hokkien Chinese guy from Singapore) it isn't supposed to be very spicy, but simple and pure which requires very fresh, good quality ingredients. The Hakka were migratory, so dishes changed depending on where you lived. I think of the dishes as down home country cooking, Chinese style. The dishes are accented with things like yellow bean sauce (the soy bean equivalent of fermented black beans used in a lot of Cantonese dishes) and preserved turnip and salted fish. Famous dishes are things like the salt-baked chicken or any sa-po (clay pot) dish that blue heron mentions. The most famous sa-po dish is probably yung tau fa, or stuffed tofu, which is huge in SE Asia. Salted fish fried rice is a pretty wonderful hakka dish, so is a stewed tripe. Hope this helps. regards, trillium

I've been guilty of writing those very same words (maybe I should check this guy's site and see if anything else sounds familiar). But it's mostly my Portland chauvinism talking, since I've never eaten any dim sum in Seattle ever. For real? You think Fong Chong has better dim sum than SF and Vancouver? I haven't gone because the word on the street is don't bother. I have trouble believing it really is better than Vancouver, but if you are convinced it's really that good, it's worth trying. I think I've been to a few places in Seattle over the years, and thought all the ones we tried in the ID sucked, but I hear there are some ok ones. There was a pretty good one in Redmond for a while, East Ocean, I think they must have had a hakka chef for a while. The dim sum was terrific, but the last time I went, the chef was gone and it had slipped to mediocre. It's closed now. I think the owner has a restaurant in the ID still. Condolences on your kitchen floor. I want Ranch 99 to move to Portland (but not for the dim sum). regards, trillium

Don't worry about it, I didn't see it that way. eGullet is easy compared to years on Usenet! And I'm looking forward to hearing the results of your sugar tests. regards, trillium

Right I'm in the lusting stage, but I've been eying them for a couple of years. Some people think we should be buying furniture instead of more stuff to cook food in and on. Feh. I'll be sure to let you know if I ever get my hands on one of them. I'd really like to be able to make my own tasso and andouillie. Double blind studies are a lot easier with more than 3 people and I hate to tell you this, but to statisfy the staunchest critics, your methodology will need to be peer-reviewed and repeated with similiar results in other laboratories...oh wait...I forgot, this isn't work, it's just sugar! Whenever I can I like to use golden syrup or a less refined sugar in my baked goods, with those I can taste a difference. I'm all for science in the kitchen or out, it's what pays the bills at our house...but I probably fall in the smug scientific bastard catagory, so what do I know? And you're right, cooking is easier with a few known constants, but the variables are usually best addressed with experience and your senses. regards, trillium

Hmmm. In a weber kettle, I take it? We have the smallest of the small, because I've really got my heart set on one of these babies. The spouse argues against immediate purchase because of a silly thing like needing 6 grown men to move one and the fact that we want to move soon. Yes, I remember that thread on brining, that's where you got one of the lines in your sig, no? I'm not sure one can really be "scientific" about food, since it's even more subjective then science, BUT CI did go through hundreds of turkeys and blind tasting (though not double-blind, I think) before they decided brining was better. regards, trillium

Hi Dave, I hate stuffing cooked outside the bird too. I use the technique in Cook's Illustrated to avoid the danger zone for stuffing inside the bird. I usually hate their savory recipes and just use the sweet ones, but their turkey method is right on. You brine the turkey and let it dry overnight in the fridge (if you want crispy skin). When it comes time to stuff the bird, you heat the stuffing in the microwave to 120 -130 F. At this point it's too hot to handle with your bare hands, but they have you put it in a cheesecloth bag before heating. I don't do that, I just use my silicone spatula spoon to get it in while someone else holds the turkey. This give the stuffing headstart so it reaches the proper temp and the turkey doesn't overcook. You roast it breast side down for 1 hr at 400, turn it down to 250 for 2 hrs, flip it breast side up and roast it at 400 until the breast registers about 165 degrees, thickest part of thigh registers 170 to 175 degrees, and stuffing registers 165 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 1 to 1 1/2 hours longer (this is for a 14 lb turkey). I actually pull it out when the breast registers 160 because it climbs up at least 5 degrees while it sits. regards, trillium

I like E&R a lot better, in terms of selection and expertise. They have a really great selection of Italian wines, every region and price range is well represented and the people that work there are very enthusiatic and helpful. Great newsletter, too. For what it's worth, they were written up in Food & Wine recently and got some sort of award...I'm fuzzy on the details. I was underwhelmed with Pastaworks both times I checked it out. Same for Zupans, I'd rather go to Whole Foods if I'm going to drop that kinda cash. regards, trillium

Thanks... Your post was amazing. I heard the many names through Singaporeans, Malaysian and Thai friends, chefs and vendors.. and yes through its many subtle and not so subtle variations, it is used quite similarly.. and for similar result I think... But have you had a Molten Hae Ko High Chocolate Curry Cake? Made with the very finest Valrhona, brown sugar and sweet butter, it is just amazing. What wonders one can do with curry and its many ingredients....A savory meal first using Hae Ko.. and then a dessert using it again. Well, I wouldn't want to use hae ko in place of belecan, that would be like using kecap manis in place of light soya, but yeah lots of fermented shrimp stuff going on in SE Asia that makes fish sauce look pretty tame. As for "curry" in sweets, blech. I fall in the "experiment as much as you want but don't call it "curry", "chili" or pasta bolognese" camp, but I'm a pedantic old fogey when it comes to words we use to describe a certain dish. As for arguments over what "curry" really means, there are some really great meta-threads in the rec.food.cooking archives. Check out this or even better, this and you might not feel so much like the lone voice in the wilderness. For more fun in the same vein, you could look up stuff on chili too. regards, trillium

Trassi is a paste made out of rotten shrimp. It is used for its meaty flavor and pungency. Excuse me, that's fermented shrimp to you buster. That's the black shrimp paste you're referring to, right? I think I know it as hae ko, it's Hokkien name (I think). It gets used in other SE Asian cuisines as well. For Thai cooking there's gkapi too, which is lighter and softer. I see something similar to it coming out of Hong Kong, but I haven't found any good stuff from Thailand. Something similar goes by belecan (blachan, belachan etc) in Malaysian and Singaporean cooking, it's dryer and grayer than gkapi. Since we cook more Nonya food than Thai food, we use it as a substitute for gkapi. Almost all applications require that you grill it, or fry the paste it's ground into. The high heat changes the flavors quite a bit and gets rid of the ammonia smell. There are many, many fermented shrimp products that some occidentals have trouble getting their mouths around, chin chalok (tiny pink fermented shrimp in a saucy style) for example, a favorite of mine. regards, trillium

You can find a nice selection at AG Ferrari's website. They're my favorite mailorder source for Italian groceries. regards, trillium

poached leeks (celery and parsley and thyme in the water) with mustard vinagerette made with shallots and topped with sieved hard-cooked egg...it's what's for dinner tonight. regards, trillium

here's mine 30 cm le creuset fry pan-- this pan has the matte enamel finish inside so it means it cooks just like cast iron but without the acid reactivity. Used to double as a roasting pan before I had roasting pans and still stir-fries better than a wok on our cheap apartment stove. Bought it for $6 at a junk store. 6 quart all-clad mc2 sauté pan-- I really waffled on buying this pan (vs. the 3 qt) and have never been sorry...the frond that develops on this sucker is amazing. Bought it at Will&Son with a friend's employee discount. 8 qt belgique sauteuse pan-- not fond of my other belgique pans, I bought them before I knew any better, but this pan fits my giant bamboo steamers perfectly and has a nice large surface area for cooking gnocchi and dumplings, it's over 12 inches wide. I suppose in a pinch you could boil pasta in it as well. 7 liter le creuset marmite pan-- again, this pan has the matte enamel finish, so not only is it a nice shape for making soups, but it also doubles as a wok when dinner won't fit into the frying pan. Bought it at the le creuset outlet store bi-annual sale. 4.5 qt le creuset french oven-- could double as a saucepan in a pinch and is a really nice versatile size. Bought the bottom at a garage sale for $2 and the lid at Goodwill for $1.99. the last one is a tough choice, but I think I'd go with the 8 qt generic stainless steel stock pot with pasta and steamer inserts... regards, trillium

Fresh tomato sauce for pasta. Everybody has a slightly different way to do it, since I always buy vine ripened paste tomatoes at the height of the season, I never saute any of the ingredients. I think it blunts the tomato taste. I also fall into the camp that seasons it with the holy trinity of Italian cooking: onions, celery and carrots. Here's our rough recipe, we did a batch last weekend and will do another this week: 15 lb romas or other paste tomatoes 2 large stalks of celery including the leaves (this is the farm grown kind that has a very strong taste, if you can't get it you could substitute Chinese celery which has more flavor) 1 or 2 large carrots (depends on the tart to sweet ratio you like) 1/2 of a large white or yellow onion 4 -5 cloves garlic 1/2 of a large bunch of parsley 1 or 2 dried cayanne peppers Cut every thing up into pieces except the peppers and parsley. The smaller you cut them now, the easier it is to put them throught the food mill. Simmer in a large pot until everything is very soft (the carrots should smush against the side of the pot very easily). Fish out the parsley and pepper and discard. Put everything else through food mill and return to the fire. Simmer at a very low heat until the volume reduces by 50 - 75% (depending on how watery the tomatoes were). It's hard to be patient but if you turn up the fire it will burn. Our giagantic le creuset pot makes things much easier (and is great for applesauce too). Once it's reached a consistancy you like you can can it, a pint is usually good for a lb of pasta. If you eat it fresh, stir in some torn basil leaves, a little evo oil and/or butter and toss with cooked pasta and a little pasta cooking water. Top with parmigiano. regards, trillium

Have you ever read Marcella Hazan on refrigeration? She thinks USians are nutty for sticking so much in the fridge and "ruining" it. She actually has recipes where she implores you not to go near the fridge (marinated sardines, and storing gorgonzola come to mind). In August in Italy I saw big jars of pomarola sitting on counters with a layer of olive oil over the top to keep it "sterile". They sat there until they got used up. I confess I can mine, but I like eating it in feb. When I was in Sweden and Denmark I was surprised to see that eggs weren't refrigerated...they aren't in Mexico either. Soyas, oyster sauce, and all that jazz stay in the cupboard. Olive oil is the same, unless it's a big tin, then I used to store the extra in the fridge, but it was 100 F in the summer in Chicago, here in Portland, I doubt I'd do it. Eggs, yes, my mum brings me about 5 doz at a time from her chickens so they're around for a few months. Anchovies, yes...it bugs me that they don't refrigerate them here (they do in Canada!) because sometimes the turn over on a nice jar isn't very fast. Nuts go in the freezer because I hate rancid nuts. I take a lunch to work every day and never refrigerate it, unless it's something I want to eat cold. I know it might gross some people out, but hey, if my food is going to go bad in 4 hours at room temp, I don't want to eat it in the first place. regards, trillium

BSE/Jacobs Kruzhowever's are caused by a proto viral strand of DNA called a Prion. These prions appear to affect people who have some sort of genetic predisposition to them, causing normal DNA in the nervous system to start to convert to more prions. They behave like a self replicating catalyst, and are not actually considered alive. I can't help it; I know this isn't exactly food related, but still. A prion is proteinaceous, not nucleic acid based. It's not a proto viral strand of DNA. Proving that is how Stanley Prusiner received his Nobel. As for chicken vs. duck, there isn't anything that much different about their biology or how they are processed (kill, bleed, remove feathers and guts, etc). Except of course, that we expect to pay 0.69/lb for chicken and we don't for duck. Get it? Market forces drive people to do stuff while processing chickens that should (and is for other stuff besides domestic poultry) be illegal. If you look at statistics from the CDC re salmonella poisoning, it's interesting to note the majority of reported cases come from eating in restaurants that had raw egg batters lying about. Chickens with salmonella (mostly in the NE of the US) have it in their ovaries. Things could have changed, these were the statistics I looked up a couple of years ago, but I somehow doubt it. Us? We eat raw eggs and what some would call raw chicken with impunity (lots of Asian steamed chicken dishes)...but we buy chickens from people who grow and slaughter them themselves and the eggs are from my mum's back yard. Ground meat? Don't trust it from a shop, so we grind it ourselves. I hate it that the CDC and FDA harps on about cooking your ground meat 'till it's sawdust and handling raw chicken like it's a contaminant in the kitchen (should you really want to be eating something that will supposedly crawl away when your back is turned??) but does nothing to improve regulations for food processing...hell, I'd settle for them enforcing the ones already on the books. Instead they want to start irradiating meats to make them safer. Talk about locking the barn after the horses have left....ok, I'll stop ranting now. regards, trillium

Candle wax!!!!! On Rosh Hashannah eve I lit a few pillar candles on a tray on the sideboard. Toward the end of the evening we noticed that an additional pillar candle had been lit by my daughter. I started to say that I had purposely left it out because of a huge "hole" in the wax when I realized that it had dripped copiously all over the mahogany sideboard (it had been on a glass coaster). We got most of it up right away but there are a few drips and smudges left and I can't remember the Martha Stewart or Heloise tips for removing wax. Can anyone help? Goo Gone works on candle drippings (and those annoying bits of adhesive left on things from the price tag). I've used it successfully on some hand done batik that got red candle dripped all over them. Do check for color-fastness, however. And in spite of the lack of warnings on the label, it chew up my fingernails when I use it without gloves on so you might want to keep that in mind. regards, trillium

A spice rub consisting of equal parts pan roasted corriander and brown mustard seed (toast until the mustard seeds pop in a dry pan on med to med-high heat) ground with black pepper, salt and cayanne to taste is good too. Just dry the legs, rub on the spices and bake as usual. regards, trillium