Pan

Yeah, the Cantonese Chow Mein is what I get at Congee Village here in Manhattan. So what style of Chow Mein did you present here?

That really looks great! How crispy do the noodles end up?

Nice report! I've never had a latke at Katz's; I don't think I'd have the room! If you want your pastrami less fatty, just ask the counterman.

I don't disagree with your point, but throwing out nutritious, edible food is a big luxury. We never got sick from fish that was a little off, because it was cooked through and through with the water of a cold well that nevertheless had worms in it, like all other uncooked fresh non-tap water in the region (no tap water except in cities in those days). Our neighbors were scandalized when we fed the cat we were taking care of some dried fish -- that's people food! And speaking of dried fish, we deliberately let that rot, yet we eat it without getting sick. Bacalao, baccala', dried anchovies -- not to mention fish sauce and shrimp paste. So we really aren't in disagreement, but there are different ways of looking at things.

I'm sure he can speak for himself, but it looks to me like hzrt8w would be proud of you! (For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, look at this list of links to hzrt8w's Chinese Food Pictorials in the China forum.)

One snap reaction is that if rice and pasta show loneliness, that information doesn't seem to have made it to Asia.

We didn't have that luxury in rural Malaysia in the 1970s, without 24-hour electricity and, therefore, without refrigeration. The procedure was to buy fish that had been caught that day, make a curry (or some other dish with sauce) out of it that evening and thoroughly reheat and eat leftovers for a few days. Or fry it up that evening. But considering how hot the weather was and how bio-active equatorial ecosystems are, even something caught that morning might be a bit fishy that evening. "Why didn't they pack it in ice?", you're probably wondering. Well, ice had to be trucked in from the capital as a big block and packed in an unrefrigerated wooden bin. Only one place in the township did that: The coffee shop at the crossroads. So no ice for the fishermen or the guy who vended the fish from his bicycle. Back to the topic of this thread: Lime juice wasn't a necessary ingredient for fish or seafood there. Fresh tamarind (asam gelugor) was frequently used, but the most common thing was to use plenty of spices.

I suppose rent is cheaper there. And though it's definitely considered classy for a dim sum eating hall to be sumptuous and beautiful, the thing patrons care about most is the food, so if they get a reputation for excellence among the Chinese community in the area, it doesn't matter much if the place is in an ugly, out of the way part of town; they will still pack the place. I'm getting a favorite dish -- Fish and Sour Cabbage in a Little Hot Wok -- from my local branch of Grand Sichuan (delivery will arrive soon), so I don't feel deprived. Great stuff from both the eating hall and the bakery, Chris. Did you check whether the Lebanese bakery carries Iranian pistachios? I like Turkish ones, too, but to my palate, the Iranian ones have the most delicious, complex flavor, and they're certainly a revelation to anyone who's never had anything but average-quality California pistachios. There were a few years when relations between the US and Iran, though unofficial, were better after US sanctions were relaxed under the Clinton Administration, and at that time, I was able to get Iranian pistachios at Dowel, my local Bangladeshi spices and sundries store, as well as the famous Kalustyan's in "Curry Hill." Now, they're rare again. The folks at Dowel explained that, since Iranian airliners and ships are not permitted entry to the US, foodstuffs have to be imported to Canada and reimported to the US, adding to the hassle and expense (as a result, they haven't had them for some years now). But if you can get them and don't have personal moral or political reasons not to buy them, they are truly a great nut!

Not so novel for many eGullet Society members!

Yetty, I have enjoyed mango achar on some occasions. For example, my ex-girlfriend's mother, a Guyanese-Canadian of Indian ancestry, made a terrific one. I could also see how pickled papaya (perhaps especially pickled unripe papaya?) could be good.

Traces of copper are toxic? Copper is an essential nutrient. Is it really the copper that's toxic, or is it the other part of the copper compound?

I'm confused, gaf. I think I get your review, but I don't really get the relationship between it and the philosophical discourse that preceded it (and which you might want to touch on in a different thread in the General forum -- I'm not sure which -- though some of these are issues that some people might not want to revisit here). It seems to me that the differences between your reactions and your friend's clearly demonstrate that taste is subjective, not objective. Also, Salieri wasn't so much a pedestrian composer as an inconsistent one, who ranged from rather laughable to truly great. Nor do I find Mozart generally harder to listen to than Salieri; most of his music is very accessible and easily enjoyable, not only to a professional musician like me but to almost all of the college students I've taught, regardless of major or whether they had any previous background in music. We could talk more about problems relating to the canon in music -- which I both uphold and undermine, in different ways, as befits a musician of today who loves great music of the past with his eyes open -- but to go too far in that direction would get us off-topic for this website. On the other hand, the influence of received opinion about food and restaurants is definitely on-topic, though a general or food media forum topic.

Great stuff, Chris! You really went out of your way for us today. Granted, I'm sure you enjoyed it all, but anyone who's blogged before knows how much time it takes to upload and edit photos. Thanks, I enjoyed it!

I'm so glad you got back to us with your reactions. Would you be able to pick a single favorite out of all the places you went to, or better yet, a single favorite dessert from the trip, or were there just too many delicious things to choose from?

It looks like Al Forno changes their menu seasonally, what with the pizza with pumpkin on it. How much do they in fact change menu items with the seasons?

Here you go: Harissa vs. Harisa

Good point. But there's a lightheaded "I need carbs" feeling you can get without hunger pangs.

Jingshan park is the one which has the big hill overlooking the Forbidden City. It's separated from the FC by the moat and a rather large road. The hill was made from all the dirt dug up to make the moat - it's a pretty big hill!! Ahh! I know the little park, I think! It's a sort of 'strip park' right next to the road, isn't it? In that case, Bei Heyan road is the one that runs parallel to Wangfujing and Bei Chizi Lu and it is slap bang between them.... ← That's the one. But I didn't think it was that close to Jingshan Park. Not that part of the road, anyway.

They're not a pain to prep if you just wash them and put them in your dish whole. Of course, for fancy dining, you don't want your guests to have to spit out a bunch of seeds, but en famille, no problem.

I can't remember the last time I saw Moo Goo Gai Pan on a New York Chinese menu, though I'm sure it's for sale at the places that are so old, they're retro now. Is that actually a Toisanese dish, in some other version or something? (P.S. Irwin meant that Schmulka Bernstein's was the first kosher Chinese restaurant in New York, not the first Chinese restaurant.)

I never thought about it, but I don't know what makes dark soy sauce dark, though I can see and taste the difference. Excellent pictorial again!

Doesn't longan (Chinese) translate to "dragon's eye"? Wonder how they got "cat's tears" in Malaysia! ← No, it's "cat's eye." The name of the fruit is "mata kucing" and "air" means water or juice and is not part of the name of the fruit. Look at Tepee's explanation above.

My mother used to make chicken with soy sauce and kumquats. I can't remember the rest of the ingredients, but I liked it when I was a kid. Whether I'd still like it now, I don't know.

You're talking about the small park on the side of the road? Nope, didn't go there.

Chris, there's a diner right around the corner from me -- a Polish diner -- but it isn't an actual diner car. Anyway, it's called Teresa's, and I covered it in my foodblog.