Ruth

We have used Gevalia coffee on and off over the years. They have excellent coffee, but "shipping and handling" make it more expensive than it is worth. There are so many excellent coffees on the market now at reasonable prices. I think that the secret with coffee is to find the best brand/roast/grind for the brewing method you use. Several years ago when we were using a drip coffee maker we tried the Mauro beans that come from Italy in one kilo bags and found the coffee pretty blah. When we tired of the drip method and switched to making americanos we tried the same coffee again and it was, and remains, perfect. Recently we tried the Gevalia again and found it equally good, but with the Mauro at $13.00 per kilo there is no contest. I have never bought coffee ready ground but to grind it properly you must have a burr grinder. They are not cheap but our Saeco model has been going strong for 20 years or so.

Talking about woks - have you seen the induction wok that Ming Tsai uses on his cooking shows? I went green with envy the first time I saw it and checked with Garland - $3000.00! The burner is made so that the wok (included) fits into it and can be heated to a tremendously high temperature at the sides as well as the bottom.

I have five or six woks of different sizes but for all practical purposes I prefer the flat-bottomed heavy steel woks with wooden handles, a 12" and a 14", I bought in San Francisco's Chinatown about fifteen years ago. They were made in the US and some time ago I saw the identical pans at the Broadway Panhandler but I do not know if they are still being produced. I also have a very cheap 16" that I use exclusively for deep frying ducks and whole fish. The metal is much thinner. It was the only flat-bottomed 16" I could find at the time but it seems to do the job. AllClad has a pan which is totally wok-shaped (I've forgotten how they name it) but with a wider flat surface at the bottom. It is a wonderful sauté pan but I would be reluctant to subject is to the kind of abuse I give my steel woks.

I'm beginning to get an inferiority complex. Last night I made halibut in wone rice sauce with cloud ears and Chinese shiitake. With it we had a stir-fry of asparagus and broccoli. Persimmons for dessert. By the way, David Thompson did a dinner at the James Beard House last week. The flavors were strange and not really Thai. WE had expected so much and it was quite diappointing. I did not buy his book and am stilcking with my tried and true Nancie McDermott ("Real Thai)

I used my 16 quart stock pot to make a huge poultry/ham stock over the past two days - probably a three month supply. It's very heavy when full of meat, bones and liquid but what else are husbands for? Cleaning? Not much of a problem with Barkeeper's Friend. The shine is still there. That aluminum base is really important to stop any of the solids at the bottom from burning. Making stock is such a messy, time-consuming business I was delighted to be able to make so much in a single pot. This was one of the best tips ever. I always go for quality cookware but an AllClad or similar of this size would break the bank. Now the problem is finding room in the freezer!

...set a sauce to reduce in the microwave and turn my back for two minutes Ruth Friedman

Yesterday I decided to make room in the freezer by converting some bags of lobster shells and shrimp heads into a saffron perfumed seafood stock. I added potatoes, leeks and fennel and finished with pieces of halibut, monkfish and salmon. Topped with sour dough croutons and a quickly made rouille it made a great dinner. Ruth Friedman

I had totally forgotten that the peppercorns (shouldn't it be Sichuan?) are not available here. Fortunately I brought some very fresh ones back with me. I like to shake them through a sieve after toasting and grinding them to get rid of all the bits of gritty black seeds which have no flavor.When I make the peppercorn-salt mixture I prefer three to one instead of the traditional one to one which I find much too salty. Add them to soups, stocks and sauces for a little extra zip. We are all very prone to using typical Chinese ingredients only when we prepare Chinese dishes. Star anise can give a new layer of flavor to sauces for duck and squab a does a little Chinkiang vinegar in a sauce or vinaigrette for fish. Ruth Friedman

In case anyone is interested I finally found the 16 qt stockpot at Target in Elmhurst, Queens. It is important to get the professional version; they have an even cheaper pot the same size which seems pretty flimsy. It's a big relief that I won't have to start off my next batch of demi-glace in two pots. I had my eye on the $90 Allclad so I've saved $60! Ruth Friedman

I am all a-quiver at the thought of that 16 quart stockpot and have been trying to call the Target stores in Brooklyn and Queens to see if they have it in stock. Keep getting cut off. Has anyone actually seen this pot? Ruth Friedman

That does sound wonderful and will give it a try. I like Thomas Keller's cake flour/cornstarch combo for the tempura batter. What goes into a kochujan aioli?

A big order Ed. I promise a full account in a couple of days when the jet lag is behind me. The markets, the restaurants and the attitude towards food have all changed so radically since we were last in Shanghai and Beijing twelve years ago that I kept rubbing my eyes and wondering if I was just dreaming. The one amusing change was that no-one is ordering rice in a restaurant. The apparent explanation is that rice is a filler and implies poverty; therefore eating it in public would be embarrassing. On the other hand an automatic rice cooker is standard equipment in an upscale rental apartment and this was also a hot item in shoppers' pre New Year baskets.

My understanding is that rock shrimp have now become widely available since the invention of a commercial "shelling machine". Even if one could find them shell-on I doubt that it could be removed in the kitchen (let alone the dining room!) I love to make potstickers with them.With the extra thin dumpling skins from Chinatown making the potstickers is quick and easy. In my view the rock shrimp can be used in any recipe that calls for small shrimp.

Nice recipe. I shall cook them your way this weekend. Actually I find that the Chinese shiitake can be a great substitute for "wild" mushrooms as they have a much stronger flavor than most of the so-called wild mushrooms we see in the markets and the price can't be beat! Have you seen the other Chinese mushroom that has appeared sporadically in some of the NYC Chinese markets? It has a long thick stem, similar to that of a porcini, but a tiny cap. The flavor is mild but the texture of the stem is very similar to that of a porcini. They are widely available in the markets in Shanghai. I liked to cook them with the shiitake. No idea whether or not they have an English name. Elizabeth Schneider does not mention them in her mushroom chapter.

Ed I did not notice your post before I postedby own not on the Chinese shiiitake on the Chinese ingredients thread. But, one more point: thse mushrooms will disappear from the markets in early summer. They freeze beautifully. Last winter I froze a good supply for the summer - best vacuum packed either raw or partially cooked

The best source for your pantry in NYC is the Hong Kong Supermarket on East Broadway. They have virtually everything. The place is huge. Give yourself half a day. There are also branches on 8th Avenue in Brooklyn and in Flushing - not as large, but still with all the staples. By the way, has anyone tried the new fresh shiitake which I think actually come from China? They are the fresh version of the familiar dried shiitake, complete with the striations, much meatier and more flavorful than the domestic variety and a bargain at $3-$5 per pound. I buy them on 8th Avenue in Brooklyn and have not seen them outside the Chinese markets.

No, I do not think you will find any mention of msg in books by Barbara Tropp, Eileen Yin Fei-Lo or Ken Hom but that does not mean that many of these chefs do not sneak in a pinch when they cook for themselves

Years ago I took cooking classes at the China Institute with Florence Lin. She used to insist that a pinch of msg was de rigeur in most Chinese dishes. But, at that time, fresh Chinese ingredients were very difficult to find. Although I have no strong feelings against it I just don't feel the need for a pinch of msg iin a stir fry of fresh bamboo shoots, fresh water chestnuts, fresh shiitake from China etc. etc. I do freely admit to using ample quantities of soy, fish sauce, oyster sauce, seaweed and other ingredients that contain msg so perhaps I'm hooked after all.

I think that washing the rice to remove exterior starch before steaming prevents the grains fronm sticking together. Of course rice is easy to cook but I love my little fuzzy. It soaks the grains for a half hour before starting to cook. Meantime I can give all my attention to the stir fries while the fuzzy cooks my rice to perfection and keeps it hot if I get slow with the other dishes.

Practically all white truffle oils are made with artificial aromas. they have a chemic al taste because they are just that. I always buy black truffle oil which can be pretty decent, or even summer truffle oil. The summer truffles are cheap and they actually put the peelings from the truffle into olive oil. I find these oils great on mashed potatoes, polenta and any type of mushroom risotto (preferably porcini)

Dog is an expensive delicacy in some parts of China. It is considered a male aphrodisiac by some and is eaten almost exclusively by men and in winter. In Shanghai there are restaurants that include it in their hotpots. What we eat is part of our culture and our revulsion at the thought eating certain meats as opposed to others is obviously cultural. I cannot explain why I would not knowingly eat dog, cat or horse or, for that matter, any carnivorous animal. However, I am off to Shanghai for the month of January and, whilst I plan to eat plenty of soup dumplings, I shall try to report on the latest developments in canine gastronomy on my return.

Loved it Tony. Keep up the good work!

I have had great results with Chef Thomas Keller's tempura batter ("French Laundry", p.211) - 3/4 cup cornstarch; 3 cups cake flour; 2 tsps baking soda; 1 tsp kosher salt. 3 parts of this mix to 2 parts sparkling water.

I would recommend Aureole. There is a new chef (since June) and I have had three perfect meals there. The cuisine is lighter than it used to be and full of flavor and intriguing little "special touches". The ambience, especially at the back of the room, is romantic enough and the service friendly and professional.

I would recommend Aureole. There is a new chef (since June) and I have had three perfect meals there. The cuisine is lighter than it used to be and full of flavor and intriguing little "special touches". The ambience, especially at the back of the room, is romantic enough and the service friendly and professional.