torakris

I usually cut it into slices before freezing then I can take out how many I want and just throw them into the pot. I have some slices of galangal in the freezer as well, but next time I get my hands on it I am going to try planting it.

I love to eat with my hands! It really depends on what I am eating though. Long veggies like green beans, asparagus, etc just scream for the hands, unless they are in a very creamy/oily sauce. I love to use breads to pick up foods. Or wrapping foods in rice paper. lettuces, cabbage leaves, etc I will never touch chopsticks to a piece of sushi!

That is gorgeous! Claudia Roden's book has been on my wish list for long time and this picture has just pushed it to the top!

So I'm not the only one... Cool! Something else to look for. Do they sell these at most supermarkets?

I just checked out this Imperia model and popped it into my shopping cart (for a later purchase of course) and saw that is is offering a pasta rack as well. You can by both together for the same price as the pasta machine. Is this rack necessary?

They are that cheap? I couldn't find one for under $100 here in Japan and it was tiny, much smaller than the one my brother uses. Another thing to add to my wish list!

Thanks for the link!! I am pretty sure ther is one of those stores close to my parent's house in Cleveland. Although those supermarkets seem to change names every year or so.

NO!

I am not a stock maker. 1. It is almost impossible to find any kind of meat on any kind of bone in Japan.They don't sell whole chickens almost anywhere outside of Christmas time (when every one eats roast chicken). 2.My freezer is probably smaller than your microwave. No place to store bones and/or stock. 3. I use dashi as a base for most things and therefore don't use stock that frequently. I use (gasp!) Maggi boullion cubes and am pretty happy with them (since I know no different). However since I am going to the US for a month long visit in 2 weeks, I would like to know if there are any decent concentrates/ cubes out there. I am not about to take home a bunch of cans in my suitcase and don't have too much money to spend. Anything you guys like?

nightscotsman, I am not familiar with krazy kake. Is it perhaps the same as "dump cake," in which you dump a box of cake mix, a can of pineapple, a can of cherry pie filling, and a few other things in a pan, and bake them? I have never dared to try this, but many people claim it's delicious. It would probably win first place at a church bake-off. You have just described one of my favorite cakes in the world!! A box of chocolate cake mix and a can of cherries= HEAVEN!

You steamed all of the ingredients together? Interesting! Not exactly bibimbap in the traditional sense, but sounds good. I had bibimbap for lunch this week at my Korean friend's house, complete with a side of homemade kimchi. Wonderful!

Last night was one of those walk in the house at 6:00 and try to get dinner on the table by 6:30. All my meats and fish were frozen and the only veggies I had were daikon, garlic chives, celery, onions, and 2 avocados. so: baked orzo with gruyere (using celery and onions in the sauce) antipasto plate of marinated artichoke hearts, black and green olives and a nice wedge of blue cheese with some crackers avocado salad I am saving the daikon for pickle making today and what to do with those garlic chives.............?

Torakris, is this the sesame dressing sometimes served on green beans? Could you give your recipe when it's convenient? This dressing works on almost any veggies especially green ones. In Japan spinach is the most popular followed by green beans and broccoli. I especially like it on broccoli rabe. This is really all to taste, so taste as you go along, I don't really use a recipe so these are approximates. for about 1 lb of veggies 4 tablespoons white sesame seeds 1 teaspoon sugar 2 teaspoons soy sauce 3 tablespoons dashi ( I just put hot water in a small cup and sprinkle in some dashi powder) Toast the sesame seeds, then place the hot seeds into a suribachi and crush until about 75% are spretty well smashed. Add the sugar and mix again. Then add the soy and dashi and mix wit the pestle with a fast almost whipping action to blend it. Taste and add more sugar or soy if needed. Add the vegetable, if using a leafy vegetable mix with the pestle very gently bruising it to allow the flavors to penetrate. When using chunkier veggies I mix with a rubber spatula. I vary the taste depending on the veggie, for broccoli rabe I like it sweeter to offset the bitterness, where I prefer a little more soy in the spinach version.

Jin come on , you could ahve been a little more helpful! Brown rice is rice that hasn't been milled and polished and still has the outer coating of bran, therefore it takes longer for the water to completely penetrate and soften it.

Thai curries are some of the easiest things in the world to make, all you need is a pack of paste and a can of coconut milk. I stirfry some meat/fish/tofu and veggies (almost anything goes) in some oil then add about a tablespoon of paste, give it a good mix then pour in a can of coconut milk, sprinkle in some salt ( this is a must!), simmer for about 5 minutes and you're done. Start off with a small amount of paste and taste it as it cooks, adding more if you want, the heat can vary among brands, I also prefer Mae Ploy. This will not be a thick curry. To add a little more depth throw in some fresh lemon grasss and/or kaffir lime leaf if you have them. It can also be garnished with basil or cilantro, or Thai basil if you can get it. Indian curries are a little more difficult, I find they take a lot more time and the spices are often layered, some added in the beginning, others added in the middle, and then some at the very end. Definitely check out some of the curry threads or get a good indian cookbook and just practice, practice, practice. Don't forget a little salt or acid (lemon, lime, vinegar, etc), they always help to perk up bland foods.

One of my favorite "poor day" foods is a hard boiled egg and potato curry (Unday aur aloo) from Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking book. It is prepared all with pantry ingredients, is fast and tastes great! And the kids absolutely love it, an added bonus! I agree as well, once you have the spices Indian food is one of the most economical cuisines. Weds dinner: Squid stuffed with mint, scallions, garlic chives, and chiles and stemed on a bed of baby bok choy that had been sprinkles with ginger and salted black beans. The finished dish was dreesed with a black bean-sweet chilli sauce dressing. The dish took only about 15 minutes from start to finish! Another great recipe from Jamie Oliver (Jamie's Kitchen). Ban Ban Ji (this is what it is called in Japan, not sure of its real name) A Chinese dish of steamed chicken on a bed of lettuce and tomatoes topped with a sesame sauce, served cold as a salad. Renkon kinpira (lotus root stir fry?) lotus root very briefly stirfried with dried red pepper, soy, sake and mirin.

I posted it on the dinner thread, but...... I took some atsuage (thick deep fried tofu) and toasted it until it was crispy, then sliced it and topped it with red onions and garlic chives (no herbs in the house) and poured over a dressing of nampla, lime and sugar mixed with a little sweet chilli sauce. I guess it would ahve been more larb like if I crumbled it but I wanted to make the most of the crispy exterior and the silky smooth insides. It was really good!

Occasionally for Saturday lunches (the only day of the week all 10 of us ate lunch together) my mother would make sloppy joes. They were always served with a bowl of potato chips and pepsi. I used to put the potato chips in the sandwich because I liked the crunch. I rarely eat sloppy joes now, but when I do I can't leave the potato chips out.

Tuesday's dinner ahd me jumping all over the Asian continent, but it all came together well: ground beef and pork mix stirfried with a bulgoki type sauce and garlic chives served with lettuce leaves for wrapping and kochujang atsuage (thick deep fried tofu) toasted til crispy then sliced and topped with red onion, garlic chives and a Thai like sauce of nampla, lime, sugar, and a splash of sweet chilli sauce broccoli with goma-ae, sesame paste pounded together in the suribachi Japanese rice Ice cream for dessert

What was your family food culture when you were growing up? I GREW UP AS ONE OF 8 CHILDREN OF A FIRST GENERATION ITALIAN AMERICAN MOTHER AND AND A SECOND GENERATION GERMAN AMERICAN FATHER. FOOD IN THE HOUSE WAS MOSTLY AMERICAN WITH A LOT OF ITALIAN AND SOME GERMAN THROWN IN. Was meal time important? VERY! WE ATE DINNER TOGETHER EVERY NIGHT, ALL 10 OF US! Was cooking important? MY MOTHER LOVES TO COOK, HOWEVER SHE WAS QUITE LIMITED BY FINANCES, AND FAMILY SIZE, NOT TO MENTION A COUPLE VERY PICKY KIDS! What were the penalties for putting elbows on the table? MY PARENTS WERE PRETTY EASY ON THE RULES, BUT THINGS LIKE SITTING WITH YOUR KNEES UP, OR LICKING KNIVES, DISHES, ETC WERE BIG NO-NO'S Who cooked in the family? MOSTLY MOM, DAD DID A LOT OF PICKLING/CANNING AND ON WEEKENDS WOULD MAKE CHILLIS, SOUPS, ETC. THE KIDS WERE PRETTY MUCH KEPT OUT OF THE KITCHEN EXCEPT FOR DESSERT MAKING TIME, OR MAKING OTHER THINGS LIKE PIZZA AND RAVIOLI. THE OLDER KIDS (ME) WERE OFTEN CALLED IN TO RIP UP LETTUCE FOR THE SALAD, CUT THE BREAD, AND OTHER SIMPLE PREP THINGS. Were restaurant meals common, or for special occassions? WITH 10 PEOPLE THEY WERE SPECIAL OCCASION ONLY! USUALLY FOR THINGS LIKE FIRST COMMUNION, CONFIRMATION, AND GRADUATION. Did children have a "kiddy table" when guests were over? YES! AND I WAS STILL SITTING AT IT WHEN I WAS 18! When did you get that first sip of wine? PROBABLY AROUND 11 OR 12, I WASN'T INTERESTED IN THE WINE THOUGH IT WAS THE COFFEEE THAT I WANTED! WE WEREN'T ALLOWED COFFEE UNTIL THE AGE OF 18. Was there a pre-meal prayer? NO Was there a rotating menu (e.g., meatloaf every Thursday)? FRIDAY NIGHT IS PIZZA NIGHT, MY MOTHER BUYS THE DOUGH FROM AN ITALIAN DELI NOW, BUT WE USED TO MAKE IT WHEN I WAS A KID. WE WOULD MAKE ABOUT 8 PIZZAS, MOM WOULD SET OUT ALL THE TOPPINGS AND WE COULD EACH MAKE OUR OWN. How much of your family culture is being replicated in your present-day family life? I COOK QUITE DIFFERENTLY, BUT I AM VERY INSISTENT ON EVERYONE EATING TOGETHER. SORRY FOR THE CAPS BUT I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT THE ITALICS, I AM NOT ACTUALLY SREAMING OUT MY LIFE AT YOU.

Monday Dinner: Chicken thighs sauteed with onions and carrots baked potatoes stuffed with goat cheese and smoked salmon fava bean salad dessert: chocolate caramel ice cream with hot fudge and a siroopwafelen on the side

Seductions of Rice (Alford and Duguid) has a Risotta alla Birra that my husband has been wanting to try. I am not a beer drinker and actually even hate the smell of the stuff! Stupid question but does it taste like beer?

Peanut Butter sandwiches with strange things added: American cheese slice bananas lettuce (my cousins all time favorite!) I have to admit that I hated peanut butter so anything with it was gross. She also never actully made me eat the sandwiches, it was usually for her or one of my many siblings. Nothing was as bad as my dad's sandwiches (that he only made for himself), goose liver topped with miracle whip and bread and butter pickles (my father's home made ones usually) or sweet pickles, all on pumpernickel bread.

And how was your Saturday? very, very busy! Too busy reading to write anything!

Not sure how I have done it but I have actually found some time to read. I just finished Nancy Taylor Rosenberg's Trial by Fire (an old hand me down from a friend) and although no different than any other suspense/law books it was enjoyable Now I have picked from my bookshelf, The Tears of My Soul by Kim Hyun Hee (1993). I read this ever couple years as it is a fascinating account of the woman (a North Korean agent) who placed a bomb on Korean Air 858 in 1987 causing an explosion that killed all 115 on board. Orginally given a death sentence by the South Korean Government, she was later given a full pardon. This book is part of her atonement to those who lost their lives and it descibes in detail the life of the military/elite in North Korea.