tissue

I love mochi but I am very picky about the kind of mochi I eat. My favorite type is actually savory, not sweet... the kind that is grilled/baked, wrapped in seaweed and dipped in a soy/sugar sauce. Any one else care to share their favorites? In Japan I've had mochi with black sesame in it. It wasn't the filling, the whole large chunk was sesame. It dried out a quicker than the regular stuff. The texture was very different. One thing I don't like about mochi is that it spoils, or should I specify, it MOLDS rather quickly.

meltykiss is a brand of chocolate that comes in little squares individually wrapped and then is dusted with cocoa powder. There are other variations like white chocolate and with almonds... I like the original one just fine. It melts in your mouth.

-Mirin -dried seaweed -sesame oil -bottled soba sauce (no it's not vile, just a little salty so I add water) -tamari -somen, soba -instant noodles/ramen -dried mushroom -melty kiss -calpis -S & B curry -ajipon

I thought white tuna was albacore. Am I wrong?

Hey! I thought that my husband coined that phrase! Oh well, we harridans can be cute and cuddly on occasion. The softer side of harridanhood. What's a harridan?

If you are using napa cabbage, you might need to drain out some of the liquid it gives. If you can find shau shin wine instead of cooking sherry... it would be better.

yamakake

I've never eaten mooshoo pork before. But the pancake for wrapping the roast duck is to absorb any oil/fat underneath the layer of duck skin that drips. The scallions are to provide a contrast to the richness of the fat. In Chinese food when something rich and fatty is eaten, there is usually a counterpart cutting the richness to provide balance. I like the wrap, it's supposed to be thin, and so good when it's fresh and hot.

I've had a small piece of this top off my salmon sushi, with sesame seeds sprinkled on top. I was pleasantly surprised.

fried eggplant

If you serve it Japanese style, don't forget to top it off with some grated daikon mixed with tobasco sauce and scallions.

If you have a fresh fish head, you can make fish head soup with it. Slice the daikon thinly into strips or half moons. Add some julienned ginger, salt, and small cubes of tofu.

It is quite bitter and frothy.

Really? I've only seen it deep fried in cubes, triangles or the other version like in Jinmyo's picture. I prefer the steamed. It is spicier and smellier. Some places garnish with lima beans for color contrast.

There are two versions. One type is fried, the other type is steamed with this red chili sauce.

You haven't lived until you've seen a big Chinese group get into a really good check-fight in a Chinese restaurant. A few weeks ago we saw a prolonged classic match that involved chasing, wrestling, screaming, and martial arts. And just to be clear, this was to pay the check -- not to avoid it. I see it all the time.

Chinese people very rarely split the check.

I like soba with mountain potato (yamaimo) in the broth. Gives it a swishy consistency... makes the flavors of the broth milder too.

I prefer mine braised... instead of fried (Cantonese style).

hehe

I like their steamed fish wrapped in pandan leaf and the fried praws in coconut oil.

If you freeze them in a sealed glass jar, they keep for a long time.

Hakkas were nomadic people and unfortunately their culture and language is diminishing as they inter marry with other cultures. Hakka cuisine is actually really delicious, and there are differences between the cantonese Hakkas and the Taiwanese hakkas. The cuisine has changes somewhat due to the geographical influences. For example a lot of hakka cuisine in Taiwan has blended with southern Taiwanese cuisine. Heavy on garlic and ground pork. Certain suburbs with a predominant hakka population like Chong-li in Taiwan have specialized restaurants which serve more traditional hakka food like this soup with sliced pork and pickled mustard greens.

Ciros in East L.A. for beef taquitos/flautas. I forgot what street they were on. It's near El Tepeyac, which is another good place.

I like mangos too!