trillium

I'm guessing this is pie gwat (um, that's an attempt at a phonetic spelling). Spare ribs get cut accross the bone in 2 inch strips and then cut between the bone to cube them. Marinate in white pepper, light soya, shaosing wine, sesame oil and tapioca flour. Crush up some fermented black beans (dau see) and garlic (about 1 T beans to 1 clove garlic), mix in a little oil so it will stick to the ribs, toss with the ribs. Spread them out on a plate (I like to use pyrex pie plates), sprinkle with a little sliced red chilli and steam on high for around 20 minutes or until you think they're done. regards, trillium

Don't know if these are too late, but if you're looking at downtown Southpark -- mediterranean inspired seafood Higgins or Heathman -- "northwest" food Typhoon -- fusion Thai (disclaimer: I can't stand the food, but I'm a purist) Murata -- old school Japanese food (where the Japanese business men eat) Canita -- sister restaurant to Pambiche, on Burnside so technically not downtown, but close enough (and picture an ~ above that n) regards, trillium

A nice easy place to start reading about natural coconut fats (vs hydrogenated, which the studies used) is on Kasma's website. I've decided I'm an all butter crust person myself. Whatever you do, don't try palm oil (also solid at room temp), I tried it when searching for a Crisco substitute. It made the most vile crust I've ever had the misfortune to make. regards, trillium

Hi Suvir, Like snowangel, I use the minute tapioca for pudding when I'm feeling greedy and impatient, and regular slow cooking larger ones from Bob's Red Mill when I'm not. All this to say, I suggest checking out Kozy Shack's tapioca pudding if you want to try some store bought that is actually good (and so is the chocolate pudding). I usually don't buy any pre-made food, but I make an exception for Kozy Shack pudding. Maybe get someone to smuggle some in when your dad has to be checked in. I've always found it really strange that hospital food in the US is so bad...good luck. regards, trillium

His recipe as published in the NY Times, March 13, 2002, was merely descriptive and did not specify quantities. However, I tend to be conservative with the olive oil, reducing the amount in many recipes that I do regularly, and I've not had the slightest bit of trouble. But the bronze-extruded pasta is essential; otherwise you'd have a soggy mess no matter how much olive oil you used. This sounds a lot like what you do with fregola sarda ("crumb" pasta from Sardinia), at least according to the instructions on the bag I received as a christmas present. Have you (or anyone else) ever cooked with it? regards, trillium

Steak tartare is great, plus you get extra macho points for raw egg and raw beef, but I could never eat it again after reading Mona Simpson's _Anywhere But Here_. Beef sashimi at Ebisu in SF... Yummmmm....what's not to like about raw beef, yuzu and shiso? Basically it's Japanese carpaccio. I've seen people eating natto/raw beef rolls but I'm afraid I find that just too revolting, due mainly to the natto. regards, trillium

_Mythologies_ was exactly what I was thinking about when I read _Outlaw Cook_. I'm very aware that you've written just as stingingly about male food writers, I in no way meant to imply otherwise. I guess what I felt was so interesting was that the essays on Paula Wolfert and Martha Stewart, both female, seemed to garner a lot more attention (both negative and positive) from readers and "the press" then your other work... just look at your bio that was posted here at eGullet! regards, trillium

Hi there, Thanks for taking time to hang out here. When I've read your books they reminded me of Roland Barthes and the whole "denunciation of the self proclaimed petit-bourgeois myths", truth vs. rhetoric, writerly vs. readerly text thing, except you write about food instead of Greta Garbo. Why do you think you get the most attention when you skewer female food writers? regards, trillium

Yeah, those are the ones I meant. To tell you the truth, I've never tried 'em, but I have a friend who loves hers. 7 damn heads is a lot...when we had to peel a couple kgs of shallots and 1 kg of garlic for a year's supply of rempah for the freezer it wasn't very fun, so I feel your pain. Usually we do it together and hang out, drinking alcoholic bevereges helps too, but you probably already know that. Have you tried the chop the root off and then smash the clove with your knife method? Since you're using a FP to mince it anyways, it shouldn't affect the taste too much. regards, trillium

You might not want to resort to peeled garlic. It leaves a metallic taste in foods that could be disappointing in your sausage. What about using a silicone garlic peeler instead? regards, trillium

Well, not as scientific as when we are in lab, but yeah we do the whole hydrometer, alpha acids thing. But we don't do whole mashes, just extracts with a partial mash...don't have that kinda time! We've never bought a kit in our lives, it's more fun to try to figure things out yourself. I think at this point he doesn't even follow a recipe, but makes up his own. My ex-boss, a Brit, loved them. I have to confess I'm not a huge beer drinker, but I like to help make them. I like your basic wussy lager finished with Saaz hops on hot days in summer, and a nice mellow stout or ESB in the winter. The Imperial stouts, brandywines, IPAs etc., get drunk by him and grateful friends. regards, trillium

I've mentioned how much I love Ken's bread here before (I think it beats Pearl...heresy I know) so I have to point out this cool article on Ken by Jim in the Willamette Weekly. (hmmm...had to look up how to spell Willamette and I've been here nearly a year). Ken is fun to talk geek bread with, he didn't even mind when I told him the country brown was too sour one week, but proceeded to fill me in on why it had happened and what he was doing about it. regards, trillium

Here's an interesting article on distillation that ran in the Portland Mercury, which has got to be one of my all time favorite independent freebie papers. That's a great idea about the Grolsch bottles, I hear you on the bottling being a pain. I bought my partner a starter kit a few years ago for xmas and 4 carboys later he's still going strong. Sometimes, to be nice, I help out with the bottling. Champagne bottles do not work, domestic (to the US) sparkling wine bottles do. We call 'em beer magnums at our house. The bad thing about leaving Chicago is we can't do lagers (unless we cough it up for another fridge) but the cool thing is that we now have one of the greatest homebrew shops. They even made Saveurs 100 list this year. We have a bitter made in the style of Twist of Fate bottled. A stout with a few extra spices and honey in secondary and a Porter in the pipeline... When I was shopping for books I really didn't care for Charlie's as much as the one by Dave Miller. It could be due to the fact we tend more towards the smug scientific bastard camp and appreciated the extra details. Someone has since given him the Homebrewing book for dummies which I think he finds useful when you have to look something up really quick but doesn't like as well as the "Homebrewing Guide: Everything You Need to Know to Make Great-Tasting Beer" by Dave. regards, trillium

You can buy grains of paradise at most shops catering to homebrewers (and wormwood and other old herbs/seasonings). regards, trillium

I totally believe you. It's just not the classic way. Chinese cooking is famous for its adaptations. I look for and relish them and catalogue them (in my mind). This sounds like another chapter. Doesn't this recipe pre-date the introduction of new world foods to the old world? It's like classic/old Thai and Malay recipes where all the spiciness comes from white pepper and green peppercorns. regards, trillium

Can we have a thread about these? Ever since I read the article in "Simple Cooking" (Mamster's?), I have been salivating for these. I even moved to SF to find them and have been unsuccessful. I'll definitely cook them but I'd like to try them first. Any suggestions? (Sorry, a little off-topic but that article made me crazy to try these.) Yangtze River in Berkeley has 'em. Ok example. regards, trillium

Hmmm. I grew up in Sultan and Gold Bar (and according to some that's the boonies) and never tipped a cow in my life...but then I wasn't one of the cool kids; in part because my mum didn't let me go to the kegger in the woods parties where these things usually get started...by the time I could do what I wanted keggers weren't high on the priority list. I wonder why? The cows around us were mostly Holstien, Angus and Herefords. Nickn is right, Jerseys and Gurnsey are nicer cows their milk is richer too. If you can find Jersey heavy cream it's a thing of beauty. regards, trillium

Thank you! I knew it was because I didn't know the real name...in all of the Chicago all-night cabbie restaurants it just goes by "frontier" but I've never seen it on a traditional northern Indian menu. Do you think dried methi leaves would work here? I have not found fresh ones in Portland yet, but there is another place to check before I give up. Last night we tried our best to make it from memory, but it wasn't quite there. We tossed boneless skinless chunks of chicken thigh with salt, black pepper, cayenne powder and a Panjabi garam masala and then after an hour or so (had to make the chapatis) we partially stir-fried it over really high heat. Stir-fried onions, tomatoes and bell pepper, then added back the partially cooked chicken and let everything get hot together then sprinkled it with cilantro. It was good but I think with your help we can make it better. We ate it with toor dal with a ginger/cumin/chilli tarka and fresh chapatis. The Le Creuset griddle for crepes (not the crep pan) worked really well for the chapatis and I have high hopes of mastering dosai on it. regards, trillium

And if you make it out to Snohomish you can just hop back onto Hiway 2 and drive on up to Sultan for the chili cookoff. regards, trillium

So I'm not sure if it's appropriate to post this here or if I should post in the "elsewhere in Asia" section, since what I'm searching for is a Pakistani dish. I apologize in advance and would like to note for the record that I'm aware that India and Pakistan are two different countries. We're missing the cabbie restaurants we used to go to in Chicago and would like to start recreating some of the food we ate there here in Portland. I've been told that the style of food at those restaurants most closely resembled truck stop restaurants in Pakistan. I've had a lot of trouble finding a recipe for the "frontier" style gosht or chicken (I believe the frontier refers to the northwestern area). I remember that it had tomatoes, bell peppers, aka capsicum, and onions but I can't remember the seasoning, just that it tasted really, really good in the wee hours of the morning (yes, our inebriated state while eating it might be why I can't remember enough to recreate it). It did not have yogurt or bananas. Any help? regards, trillium

Hey guys, I'm a big fan of grass fed animals, in Chicago I was lucky enough to buy the best pork ever from Greg Gunthorp, whose pork products really were the Platonic ideal. Here in Portland I buy pastured lamb and beef, many times at a lower or equal price to meats sold at New Seasons or Whole Foods. If you buy the whole hog, so to speak, it's even cheaper. One of the best resources I've found is the eatwild website, which lists farmers by state with contact information. I can personally vouch for River Run Farms, I've been buying their grass finished, dry aged, organic beef since I moved here. If I could find people around here to go in on animals with me, I'd be all for it. Many of the "heirloom" varieties of farm animals are disappearing, and eating them, perversely enough, is a really good way to keep them around. The slowfood website also has good resources on tracking down farmers that grow heritage varieties of turkeys (there is turkey beyond the Large White!!), I'm not sure what other animals they might have info about. regards, trillium

I thought the finish had a really strong cinnimon-y note. I liked it a lot. It made a really good Aviation, but I didn't like it in my Martini as well, I'll stick to Sapphire for that. regards, trillium

You'd get better service, sure. But the prices in Chicago and Seattle are within a few dollars of each other. As opposed to . . . ? Are you thinking exclusively of wine? No, I wasn't thinking of wine. I was just saying that I didn't notice much of a price difference between the price of booze in Seattle (government run) and Chicago (private). I think my mum and I compared prices on some single malts, single barrel bourbons and rum. The only time there was a difference was when one of the big liquor warehouses in Chicago had a sale. Just to confuse things further, the prices in Oregon are more expensive. We chalked it up to the fact the state has no sales tax and needs to generate more revenue from alcohol sales then Washington does. regards, trillium

You'd get better service, sure. But the prices in Chicago and Seattle are within a few dollars of each other. regards, trillium

Uh, nope. That sounds like a description of all the ones I've been to. Which are only 3, mind you, but still. Except the bottles aren't always behind the counter. Our neighborhood one has shelves, but they really stare at you while you stare at the shelves in disbelief that there are so many off brands (ok, really, how many different brands of vodka cheaper than Smirnoff do we need, people???) and so few bottles of what you're looking for. I've been in naughty shops that were much less sleazy then a Portland liquor store. And you always get carded. Always. I like that part because I enjoy being mistaken for a 18 year old trying to buy a bottle of Barbencourt 15 year...ha ha. When my partner shows his green card (we're talking really really high tech here...microwriting, fingerprints, holograms up the wazoo) for an ID, he was told it had to be a US issued ID to be accepted. I swear I started laughing hysterically and couldn't stop. Q was much better mannered and suggested the guy look up the green card in the book of IDs he was sure they had behind the counter. But honestly, I've had bad experiences everywhere in the US buying booze except CA and IL and it's always when I'm with some one who isn't from the US who gets a big laugh about it. But Utah really does have the worst laws and their beer is weaker by law. In Michigan, or wait was it Wisconsin? Anyway, we were at an Italian deli buying stuff for lunch and we bought a liter of beer and some mineral water (there were 4 of us). Because we had out of state IDs we had to have our photographs taken with our IDs and sign a piece of paper stating that the ID wasn't fake. The Czech in the crowd went off on a rant about how Americans think they're so free and they can't buy a liter of beer for lunch...we hustled him right out of there. Another time when I was out with my former boss, they told him they couldn't accept his UK passport as ID because it had expired. Think about the logic for that one. Sigh. Puritans. regards, trillium