huiray

Beef shins slow-braised (stove-top) w/ bamboo shoots, lily buds, beancurd skin rolls, fresh thick-cap Chinese mushrooms. Ladled over and onto "mei fun" (thin rice noodles, softened in simmering water/stand in hot water) and red-green lettuce leaves. Whole beef shins, trimmed then cut into thick-ish rounds. Crushed garlic (lots) sautéed in rice bran oil, the shin rounds added & browned, a slurry in water of a generous number of cubes of fermented wet bean curd ("fu yee") [Liu Ma Kee] plus some of the liquid added, sautéeing continued. Sufficent water added, simmered for a bit. Trimmed winter bamboo cut into chunks added, simmered for a while. Cut-up fresh Chinese flower-pattern thick-cap mushrooms [from a CFM vendor, his first time growing it], pre-soaked dried lily buds & oiled dried beancurd skin rolls ("fu chook") added in, simmering continued, seasoning adjusted. On the way there.

Another example of "Dry Ramen". "Ibumie Penang Har Mee, Mi Perisa Udang". One cooks the ramen block in boiling water, place the condiments on a plate/bowl/whatever, then retrieve/drain the noodles and mix it with the condiments. No "soup". I did splash some of the cooking water on the ramen and tossing (after mixing in with the condiments) to maintain "easy-tossability" with chopsticks. The stuff; the condiments in a bowl-plate-dish. The noodles mixed w/ the condiments; accompanied by marbled scrambled eggs & sliced scallions. Decent. Nothing too complex, but entirely edible IMO. :-) Yes, I'll readily eat this again. Some folks might object to the distinct sweet note in the overall dish for this one.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Bezos Oh. THAT Jeff. I had no idea WHICH Jeff you were referring to when you simply said "Jeff lied". :-)

Who's Jeff?

Soup. Fresh chicken stock, unpeeled straw mushrooms [Asian Taste], simmer; trimmed Thai basil (used as a vegetable) wilted in & simmered less than a minute more. Steamed halibut. Steamed w/ ginger, scallions, white pepper, Shaohsing wine, hon-mirin, kosher salt. The halibut piece was retrieved (discarding everything else), plated, dressed w/ fresh scallions, ginger, Higeta Honzen choutokusen koikuchi, oil. Eaten w/ several bowls of white rice.

Chicken broth (fresh batch) w/ both Chinese celery & Western celery simmered in (a portion of) it. Picked-out dark meat & skin from selected pieces of the chopped-up stewing chickens used for the stock were added in. One of the nicest and most satisfying bowls of chicken soup I've had in a while. Cantonese roast duck [Asia Mart] w/ rice; the bean sauce accompanying the duck was poured over the rice. Baby kai-lan blanched in oiled simmering water, dressed with a nice sauce mix & ground white pepper.

A brand put out by Shirakiku, Japan – Goku-Uma, miso flavor. (There are others) Not bad. But also not remarkable. I liked the noodles (this would fall into the characterization of "song hou" in Cantonese) reasonably well. The miso flavor was a bit muddy, although it was distinguishable as "miso" and was pleasant enough. No augmentation with other stuff was done here.

JoNorvelleWalker, Shin Black is fine. Just remember that it is just one of the options. It is very hard to recommend a single one to someone as "The One". So much depends on one's personal taste, what one is looking for, the mood one is in, what one is going to do with it, whether one is using just the noodle block (as btbyrd mentioned) or prepared with all ingredients or augmented and with what, whether one is in the mood for a "clean-tasting" one or a "complex-multiple-(muddled)-flavor one. You will just have to try various brands for yourself, from various countries, and so on. There *are* several brands that are superior in one way or another, but it also depends on whether one wants a "Japanese-taste" or whether it does not matter. The "chewiness" of the ramen is also sometimes intensely personal and there is no single ultimate and absolute standard for it. FWIW I have a multi-pack of Shin Black still in my larder (the spicy pot-au-feu one, which I suspect you ordered from Amazon, as that is the one that pops up when one searches simply for "Shin Black" there). I haven't used it after the initial pack or two - because I can't say I particularly cared for it, although it was fine and all that --- I just tended towards other brands and flavors and whatnot. I've exemplified in the many posts here what brands I tend to use - look at them again if you wish. None of them I would call "The One". I included an example of the Sun fresh ramen pack w/ tonkotsu flavoring, as well as a (good) Japanese brand Myojo Chukazanmai. Then again, do you care if the noodle is "fried" or "non-fried"? That again leads to different choices. Sorry if this is not the answer to your request for one or two "bestest ones" to try. There isn't such a thing. ETA: I just took a quick look at what I have on hand in terms of "instant ramen". There is something like close to a dozen brands, with multiple tastes/flavors in most brands. Maybe 2+ dozen individual ones on hand, with multiple packages of each one (unless I am on the last one). ETA2: In a way it is like asking for the one, single, best recipe for "Fried Rice" or "Pad Woon Sen" or others like them. ETA3: As an example of personal taste - I've sometimes found the pronouncements of folks like The Ramen Rater to be ...ODD...and wondered if he was tasting the same package as I was. And so on. He has also been faulted on some occasions by folks who posted that he was doing it wrong; he does usually then post a follow-up, yes. Keep in mind too that he expresses a somewhat "Western" (or at least his own) taste profile - but that may be what you want.

Kangkong belacan. Hot pan hot oil, garlic, har mai (dried shrimp) pre-softened in water, a chunk of toasted belacan semi-crumbled in, sliced hot long finger chillies, trimmed washed kangkong, bit of this-and-that sauces/seasonings. Shrimp wonton noodle soup bowl. Small brown shrimp (from Florida) (bought live) [Viet Hua Supermarket]. Killed, deheaded & peeled, marinated w/ scallions & garlic & stuff. Wontons made using Hong Kong style square wrappers. Shrimp stock made w/ the shells + heads + ginger + stuff + some chicken stock. Skinny wonton noodles [Twin Marquis] cooked as usual, "King vegetable" (a form of pak choy wong nga pak) blanched in the noodle-cooking water (slightly alkaline). Wontons cooked in the pot of water after the veggies. All bowled w/ some of the shrimp stock/soup. Some scallions & coriander leaves. Marinating shrimp. Munchies – deep-fried wonton wrappers cut into strips.

@CantCookStillTry, Looks nice.

A very satisfying meal from a day or two ago: The rest of the top sirloin cap & wild rice from here (eaten from the "holding plate" and straight from the pot with zero formality :-D but, then, plus a nice salad eaten with great relish. ETA: Stuff that went in included: Romaine, red-green, green leaf lettuces; bunching broccoli; baby spinach; fresh tarragon (from my garden); sliced scallions, shallots; Salina salted capers [Mongetto]; sliced hard-boiled local eggs; AgroDolce Bianco Delizia Estense, Arbequina EV olive oil, ground black pepper, Maldon salt

Let's bump this up again. Another ramen bowl using "Ibumie Penang Lad Mee Perisa Lada Pedas" as the ramen base. Water, sliced Andouille sausage [Smoking Goose], sliced shallots, rice bran oil, simmer; the stuff from the ramen pack (including "washing out and into the soup" of the kecap manis & fish sauce packets), simmer; halved tau pok, bunching broccoli, simmer briefly; inner romaine, red-green, green leaf lettuces; sliced scallions. Bowled. Dressed w/ more sliced scallions & ground black pepper (lots) and a halved hard-boiled egg.

A simple but OK meal at Pho Tasty in Indy. Gỏi cuốn (soft spring rolls) w/ a peanut sauce. Hot green tea. Yes, there were lots of shrimp on the other side of the rolls. Yes, it was about 85+ ºF outside, air-conditioned inside, but hot tea is still my desired drink. The "House Special Pho" (a.k.a. phở đặc biệt). The broth was tasty yet light - I drank every drop. Needs more basil & other side fixin's – I mentioned to the waitress that next time I *would* be asking for more. The on-site menu differs slightly from the online menu descriptions. On the physical menu at the restaurant this item lists brisket as well - and I got a mixture of beef meatballs, brisket, tendons, tripe; and barely any non-rare "steak" beef (hardly any) but I didn't mind. Condiments and utensils on the table. I asked and was told they get special bread for their bánh mì. Next time. Out-of-focus shot of the interior. The outside. Location on Google Maps.

I don't know how many McDonald's are in Paris (and don't seem to be able to readily find out...) but France has QUITE a number of them, and it seems the French love them. Some articles, a couple from quite a few years ago so the effect may be even greater now? DianaB, comments? http://www.businessinsider.com/how-mcdonalds-conquered-france-2014-8 http://www.slate.com/articles/life/food/2009/06/how_mcdonalds_conquered_france.html http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2012/01/24/145698222/why-mcdonalds-in-france-doesnt-feel-like-fast-food ETA: P.s.: I would also murmur that France isn't the only place where good food and the desire for it is part of the national consciousness. Many are the cultures and countries where this is a strong part of the fabric of life. By no means is this limited to France.

Top sirloin cap, wild rice, green beans. Half of a cap [from Kincaid's], rubbed w/ salt & pepper, pan-seared, finished in oven. Wild rice [Bineshii] cooked in the usual way in plain lightly salted water. Green beans sautéed w/ sliced young garlic heads.

Article in C&EN. http://cen.acs.org/articles/94/web/2016/05/Parmesan-test-detect-cheesy-imposters.html

Article in C&EN. http://cen.acs.org/articles/94/i22/Pathogen-uses-promiscuous-molecule-scavenge.html ETA: S. aureus is one of the organisms commonly responsible for food poisoning. I thought this would be of interest to those interested in the newest details of how it empowers itself in its toxicity (including grabbing metals from you, whether in your gut or in your nose or on animals that you will be eating). The commentary about possible new treatments attacking the proteins needed to generate the compound used for the metal-scavenging by S. aureus, where the beneficient bacteria in our gut would not be affected (by and large), might also be interesting to some.

Thanks, @Smithy. I like Ortiz tuna. The one I usually use is "Ortiz El Velero Bonito del Norte" packed in olive oil in oval tins.

Thanks Smithy I'm not sure of the origin off the name but I think it's never folded since it,s topped with horseraddish and eggyolk. I believe it's more has to do with betting. I will try to look ut up Interestingly, a quick google search for just "bookmakers toast" turns up answers entirely from Swedish sites on the first page, at least. How interesting! I imagine that is part of the background as to why Sparren is familiar with it? Here's one tid-bit regarding something called "bookmaker sandwiches": http://www.foodsofengland.co.uk/BookmakerSandwiches.htm

Salad. Before tossing, after tossing. Red-green leaf lettuce, asparagus, parsley, celery hearts, Alziari EV olive oil, 10-year balsamic, Maldon salt, black pepper. Pasta w/ tuna & capers. Medium-hot pan, the oil from a can of white tuna in olive oil [Ortiz], sliced garlic, the tuna, break up a bit (spatula), Salinas salted capers [Mongetto] (pre-soaked), hot red chilli flakes, grated lemon zest, lemon juice, dripping-wet just-cooked spaghetti [Rustichella d'Abruzzo], chopped parsley, pasta cooking water. Toss/fold in on heat. Serve w/ a generous grind of black pepper & parsley florets.

Looks like Big Sky country in the Mid West in the USA. Y'know, those places outside of Washington DC abut 700-1200 miles from there, where the horizon stretches from end to end.

Very nice. Well done!

Pad woon sen. The night's version, chez huiray. Plus a beer. :-)

Oh, hush, IndyRob. For myself, the sprawling size of the pork piece has become part of the charm of the "sandwich" (note the double quotes, HEH). It's part of what it is. As for whether it is a loin or a tenderloin piece pounded out - eh, I suppose it might depend on the place and how thick a slice of tenderloin one starts out with? :-) I embedded a video on this "sandwich" back in this post here on this thread. ;-) I've not infrequently eaten it entirely deconstructed - meaning I chomp away at the pork piece, picking up bits of the fixin's as I go along, with bites of the two halves of the bun as well, without ever actually "putting them together into a stacked sandwich". :-) Fine dining it is not - everything is done using my hands, with dips into ketchup and mayo and whatever else as desired, plus the fries and this and that - all eaten by hand. Fork & knife? Heaven forbid. Only certain politicians (and a certain billionaire) do such outrageous things. Anyway, here's a really blurry pic of this pork tenderloin sandwich I had mid-way through when I *did* put the pieces together after chomping around the edges. :-) I didn't post it before because it WAS so blurry - but maybe it might be entertaining in the context of the discussion... :-) Yes, that's my left thumb at bottom left.

Fish & Shrimp Soup. Fish stock (see below), baby carrots [Silverthorn Farm], sliced de-stringed celery, chunks of halibut [from Caplinger's], trimmed baby sprouting broccoli [Earthly Delights], wild Gulf shrimp [also Caplinger's] halved lengthwise. Parsley leaflets. Cipriani tagliarelle w/ olive oil & black pepper. The tagliarelle was cooked in salted water as usual, bowled directly from the pot & tossed w/ a nice olive oil [Moulin Cornille (Fruité Noir), Maussane-les-Alpilles] & fresh ground black pepper. Fish stock – cleaned trimmed bones in water; stuff that went in. Two meaty large red snapper frames w/ heads from Caplinger's (they were filleting the fish - I asked for the frames, got them cheap) – backbones snapped off from heads, fins trimmed, snapped in half; heads trimmed of gills & stuff then chopped in half. All soaked in salted cool water for a while then rinsed off, removing as much blood & blood clots as possible; then back into the rinsed-out large stock pot in cool water. Brought to a simmer, skimming off scum. The aromatics & veggies went in (thinly sliced onion, young carrots [Silverthorn Farm], destringed celery, young leek [Norman Mullet Farm], parsley, thyme sprigs, crushed black peppercorns, dried bay leaves) plus some salt. Simmered for somewhere around 40-50 minutes (IIRC) then decanted off (sieve w/ paper towels). Cooled down. Clarified w/ egg whites mixed in w/ another finely chopped young leek & final filtration through Melitta coffee filters. Had several bowls of the stuff just by itself w/ some parsley. Very enjoyable, lips glued together by the gelatin. :-)