trillium

The book I was referring to earlier was Born to Eat by Devagi Sanmugam. Crab and drumstick rasam... yum. regards, trillium

Yes, good work. My favorite though, was the second to the last sentance in the commentary by RW Olsen. regards, trillium

And this response - what difference does it make whether the piece was social criticism or a restaurant review? Because one you can do if you're a member or observer of said society and one you can do if you've eaten at the restaurant? Just a guess. Me, I'm wondering if once all of the taste receptors get cloned he'll just go around spritzing agonists and antagonists in people's mouths and call it "dinner"? Personally, I don't much like performance art to overtly interfere with my eats...they'll be sewage soon enough. regards, trillium

Well, I hate admitting this but we don't really have a favorite because we have to go to a lot of places to get our favorite products. We go to two different places for fish sauce because I can only find Tra Chang, which I'm convinced is the best brand for cooking in the US at one little shop on Sandy Blvd (Nam Phuong Market). I also really like using uh-oh, blanking on the name, but it's a yellow label with silver fish on it and a Vietnamese name even though it's made in Thailand. Anyway, it's my prefered fish sauce for dipping sauces and dressings. Lighter then Tra Chang and more aromatic and almost winey, if wine could be made from fish. That one you can find almost everywhere here in Portland. We go to An Dong on Powell for Chinese stuff because they carry the widest variety and are the only spot that sells Amoy Gold Label light soya and toban djan sauce (Sichuan style stuff with fermented broad beans and chillies, a must for ma po doufu at our house). They also have nice produce on the weekend and sell what we call chendol in big bags in the refrigerated section (a must for summer!). We go to Om Seafood (the shop not the restaurant) because they have a salted fish from Malaysia we like and they also are the only place we've found that carries 50 lb bags of Phoenix jasmine rice. We go to Gold Garden (the restaurant) for the best bbq duck you can get in Pdx, they have a BBQ take out counter at the front of the restaurant. We go to Pacific Supermarket (67 and Halsey) to find SE Asian ingredients that aren't at An Dong or the quality isn't very good like pandan, kaffir lime and banana leaves, good frozen galangal from Thailand, and also for the Asian skincare lines. Whew. There is also an herbal store on 82nd that we'll go to when our stash from SF runs out. I think there is another big grocery store (Dong Fang) on Powell past 82nd Ave that the grapevine says is pretty decent. This is probably way too much information, right? regards, trillium

The banquet is likely to be mostly meat and seafood, even the vegetables will probably not be vegetarian, this is a feast, so they'll probably be served in combo with some meat or seafood. There are periods of time (from a year to a lifetime) when Chinese Buddhists practise vegetarianism, so this isn't an unheard of concept. If it were me, I'd have a quiet word with the manager before the banquet starts and arrange to have a few vegetarian options cooked for you at your expense. The only thing that worries me is that you say you're allergic to seafood. Will you die if you come in contact with seafood? If so, then I would be very wary about eating anything there! good luck, trillium

We have a Singaporean South Indian cookbook, I'll check the name when I'm at home. It has more than one seafood rasam and the like, and the recipes are very tasty. Your comment on Tamil Brahmin vs. not Brahmin Tamil cooking made me smile. I was very excited to get my hands on this book and told a dear friend (who is Brahmin Tamil). He was offended that I'd go out searching for other Tamil books when he'd already gifted me with the indomitable _Cook and See_ (which I'll confess to never having cooked out of, but perused...I'm working up my courage). _The Graduate Student's Guide to Indian Cooking_ surfaced in the late 80s, I think there are still some ftp sites around for it. It was basically a collection of recipes for hungry grad students away from home trying to cook in the US. regards, trillium

You didn't. I was too lazy to reply to two separate posts. Mea culpa. If I were the betting sort, my money would be on bourbon or gin or vodka not having enough of anything in it to get you drunk differently then just drinking ethanol, but I wouldn't be so sure with red wine. As soon as NIH is willing to fund that sort of study, I'll write a grant! Until then, alas, I'm sticking with what pays the bills. I think for some things it will end up being a combination of the two (perception and physiology), but when it comes to human brains, as fresco alludes, sometimes it's bloody hard to differentiate the two. Also, damn hard to ask the rat if the they feel the same sort of drunk with bourbon and red wine. Ok, if you're wrong, you're buying, right? If you're not wrong but not entirely right, we both buy. Deal? regards, trillium

Yeah, that's it, that's where it is. Right across from the Krispy Kreme. We drive out that direction more often then some, I suppose, our favorite Asian groceries are out there. Depending on how much you like tortas, I'd say they were worth a drive just for themselves. regards, trillium

I thought I'd respond to both sam and mickblueeyes in the same post. I'm not arguing the main effect of absinthe is alcohol. I am also not arguing that it should be outlawed based on the small amount of thujone it contains (in fact, in the previous thread that mickblueeyes has directed me to read, I've posted my assertion that I would guess a Burger King burger will do you as much harm then a glass or two of absinthe). What I am arguing is that true absinthe is a distillation of more than one thing, including wormwood, and that taken together, along with the ethanol, I wouldn't dismiss out of hand a drinkers assertion that they have experienced a different sort of inebriation. I said nothing about hallucination or "absinthism", which I certainly agree would be more likely due to consumption of too much alcohol than anything else. I'd appreciate it if my initial statement was read a little more carefully before I'm to be lectured on whether or not something is absurd. I will also argue is that while ethanol does indeed have a powerful physiological effect (I'm staying away from the term psychological purposely) it does not immediately follow that because it has such a powerful effect it will mask the effects of other agents present. In fact, one could also make the opposite argument that the presence of ethanol would magnify the effect of another agent. Some studies this may be true with nicotine, for instance (note the "may be true"). While consciousness may be entirely understood from a psychological standpoint (I wouldn't know, I'm not an expert) it most certainly is not understood from a physiological standpoint. Further, the effects of ethanol on the nervous system are multiple and we don't even know which of these physiological effects make you "drunk". Therefore, I wouldn't personally dismiss someone's claim that the inebriation they experience from red wine is different from that from bourbon. I'm withholding judgement until I think there are enough data to decide if this is a reasonable assertion or not. It's my opinion there are not enough facts, hence, my suggestion that such strong statements in the post I was replying to are better served when qualified a little as in the examples I'd given. Of course, I would hold no blame if someone decides to chalk my comments up to unnecessary scientific pedantry and ass-covering and carry on exactly as they wished. regards, trillium

As someone in the pharm/tox brain business, I'd like to gently discourage such all-encompassing blanket statements. I'd like it better if it read "it's unlikely that you can get enough thujone from drinking absinthe to experience any of its mind-altering effects" and "any such perceived effects are more likely to be purely psychological". The nervous system is a complicated organic machine and one doesn't always respond the same way to the same doses of stuff as another. Also, by itself that much thujone may have no effect, but in combination with ethanol and the other bioactive substances that may be in absinthe, some may indeed experience a slightly different sort of inebriation. As for the differences in wine vs. bourbon buzzes, I'm not so willing to wave it all away...we already know that wine has other pharmacologically active agents in it besides ethanol, right? Of course, I'm not talking about the 15-year-old smoking banana peels or oregano and thinking he/she is as high as if he/she had smoked a bowl of Humbolt county's finest. regards, trillium

In addition to his makantime site, you might also check out Thian's cookbook to start getting familiar with some of the names of some popular dishes. regards, trillium

Ate at a new tortas truck (well new to me) on 82nd Ave and Otto (?Otter...can't remember exactly). Due to a Flexcar SNAFU we were about 3 hours behind schedule, which is a big deal when it comes to lunch or lack thereof, following a longish bikeride and a smallish breakfast. We needed food and we needed it fast. I was about to give up and go to Dairy Queen on the way to Costco when we spotted the truck. The name is no joke, these suckers really are gigantic. The guy was irritated the partner didn't speak Spanish, while I did, and was pretty dubious when I explained he was chino and not mexicano, but we got past that. They had a huge variety of tortas that were divided into torata with egg+ingredient or melted cheese+ingredient or cold ones. Plus, a section on tortas cubanas, which I'd never seen before, but are supposidly pretty popular in Mexico City. I had the fresh cheese (not sure about the distinction, except to differentiate it from cheddar I suppose, it was white and mild, maybe mozzarella) and pork sausage which I picked because in spanish the name was close to Linguica. I think it was the Mexican version of Linguica, it certainly tasted like it. The partner went with the "sausage" in the cold section of the menu, which turned out to be hotdogs. He says it was the best hogdog sandwich he's ever had, 3 dogs split and deep fried, grilled torta bun (great quality, some taste like hamburger buns, this one didn't), mayo, generous amounts of avacado, good tomatoes, onion and pickled jalepeños. My sandwich was sublime as well and thank god it didn't come with mayo. Next time I'm picking something with a little less grease though, I could only eat 1/2. The ham and egg looks mighty tasty. They had a little side menu with tacos, burritos and tostadas, but I only saw gringos ordering those. Everybody else was getting tortas. Check them out. regards, trillium

Yep. They make the best dan tats ever. I've made myself ill eating them. I think most of the better dim sum is actually found outside of Chinatown proper, in places where you find the more affluent Chinese neighborhoods. What place is good usually depends on who the chef is, and that changes. Ton Kiang on a good day beats most places but it can be inconsistant. You've made me very hungry for mooncakes with your descriptions! regards, trillium

They're next on the list. I wish we had gone there for lunch instead of Banh Mi 88. I remember what you said from a chowhound post, but I wanted to check out the smaller place first. I have a weak spot of restaurants that look like dives. I thought it was really strange that Lo Sichuan had Hokkien/Fujian cooks cooking Chuan food, but hey, whatever works. The food was great, and you didn't have to be with the son of the former Governer of Harbin! I know, it's probably good even if you aren't, but that kind of guanxi never hurts a meal. regards, trillium

Another Marcella fan here. For regional cooking, I really like La Cucina Siciliana di Gangivecchio and Cooking the Roman Way : Authentic Recipes from the Home Cooks and Trattorias of Rome. I'm really, really infatuated with Cooking the Roman Way right now. I really love the enthusiasm and care he's brought to the book. I remembered him from an article he did on roasting suckling lamb at Easter in Rome for Saveur and I was delighted that he'd written a cookbook. regards, trillium

I didn't get the chau siu one, I don't really like chau siu. I shoulda got one for my mum, though, she loves the stuff. Ooops. regards, trillium

It's funny you should mention fig newtons. When I try to describe mooncakes to someone who hadn't had them, I say the lotus pastes ones are like a Chinese fig newton. Hmmm. Maybe not such a good descriptor afterall. A dear friend has also described them as a very gooey peanut butter cookie (she likes them). regards, trillium

The sandwich gods are working in your favor. As a banh mi eater of the last 10 years (Coast to Coast, LA to Chicago...wait, that's Sade) I can tell you you're not missing much. Plus their stinking bubble tea didn't contain any tea, just flavored powders. That's wrong and a sin against humanity, I tell you. My mum was getting really pissed in the parking lot, and I didn't help by telling her that I TOLD her not to pull in there (think 3 lexus gas guzzlers and a delivery truck). We parked up the street. She didn't think they were that great either, but then she worked with someone who brought her sandwiches because their family owns one of the banh mi shops in the ID, of course she couldn't remember the name! We'll check out Saigon Deli next time. To be fair, I have this impossible standard when it comes to chicken ones, I want them to taste like the ones we bought at 4 in the morning from a grannie in an apartment in the heart of the Tenderloin when I was in college and had spent the whole night drinking and playing pool at Jack's. Sigh. regards, trillium

It takes educating. I love pai dan (preserved duck eggs) and hum dan (salted duck eggs) but I admit the first time I had either I found the yolks very rich and overpowering. regards, trillium

I thought I'd bring this old thread up to say that I stopped by Lo Sichuan (the 12th and Jackson location) last Friday and it was great. I took the train up to help my mum out for the weekend and we didn't want to drive back to what you all refer to as the sticks in rush hour traffic. So...we drove up Jackson and hopped out to eat. We ordered off of the posted specials, which was no small feat. First of all, I don't read Chinese characters and second of all, I pronounce everything in Cantonese or Hokkien which is a problem when you're conversing with Mandarin speakers. I had a great time convincing the waitress that we really did want to order off the wall, and I wanted her help to pick. The 2 cooks had to come over and join the conversation, especially when one of them found out my partner's grandmother and grandfather were from the same region as him. The waitress was worried that the food wasn't "for English people" but we promised we would be able to eat it. The cooks were worried it would be too spicy but I said we were used to eating Singaporean food which was very hot. The owner brought the cold dish out and said she was worried we wouldn't like it because "Americans don't like the cold dishes". We had a lovely, lovely dinner. The cold dish was honeycomb tripe and beef shin (meat +tendon) dressed with copious amounts a dressing that had chilli and sesame oil, green onions, garlic and crushed peanuts. It's better then I'm describing it, a lovely combination of textures, tang and spice, the tendon was fried or something, because it was crispy. Really good. Go get it. It's the only dish that is 4.95 on the board on the wall. For the veggie we had what she pointed to on the menu as Chinese vegetable "only grows in summer". I asked what kind and they told me in Mandarin which meant I didn't have a clue. I asked if I could see it. She brought some out, it was what I call ong choy or kangkung. When I said ong choy she said yes, and it turned out she knew Cantonese because she was from Macao (hmmm....the cooks were Hokkien cookinh Chuan food). We also had a lamb rib stew. We didn't eat much of it that day because the cold dish and ong choy were enough for lunch. We ate it the next day for lunch. It was scented with star anise and wasn't as spicy. More delicate, but good too. You guys are lucky to have good Sichuan food, I noticed it seems to be the trend, with a competing place across the street. On the way to the train station yesterday we stopped at Bahn Mi 88 and I have to say I was pretty damn disappointed, I've had lots better. The partner says I'm biased because the guy we bought them from was a rude jackass and he pissed me off. Also, I have very little appreciation for chicken floss. The combo one was ok. regards, trillium

I'm guessing they're talking about Jackson between oh, 6th and 12th Ave and the surrounding area for the ID. regards, trillium

I'm just using Cantonese to specify the type of noodle I'm trying to make. There are endless regional variations in texture, I'm not claiming they're the only region that use egg noodles, just that that type of style is what we're shooting for. What brand of soup noodles do you buy in SF? If it's the wonton mien from New Hong Kong Noodle Co., then it does contain egg, unless they've changed their recipe drastically since I last lived there. Usually, the yellow noodles are supposed to contain egg, even if they use FD&C yellow and potassium carbonate along with egg "product" instead. regards, trillium

I don't think you're supposed to have mold, but it probably won't hurt you all that much either. Next time you might try making it with more yeast, so you have a bigger population to start with. regards, trillium

We've made lotus and pandan paste ones. They tasted great but looked ugly. I love the red bean ones, my mum and partner love those teow chiu type with pork fat and a bunch of seeds and nuts. The nicest way to eat them is with a strong ti kuan yin and just a 1/4 at a time. I actually like just one egg yolk/mooncake, I can't handle more then that. Good mooncakes are delicious, bad ones are worse then a bad fruitcake! regards, trillium

That would be the one, I'm guessing. Cabrito means little goat. The one made by the same people with the stag on it is good too! I've never tried the moose version. And you can buy them at some CA Costcos. I know because that's where I bought the bottle that's sitting in our kitchen as I type. regards, trillium