Pan

I've seen a lot of cheeses I like mentioned in this thread, so one thing I'll add is, if you like anything smoked or barbecued or tandoori (etc.), try some smoked cheeses. I've liked smoked ementhaler ("Swiss") and cheddar since I was a little kid and my father carved them into different shapes for me and my brother. I still like smoked cheeses from time to time (gouda and mozzarella can also be good, for example). And then there's also Armenian string cheese, which you can have with nigella seeds only or with those plus hot pepper and some green leaf (I forget which) -- a non-smoked cheese but one that has some non-cheese flavors in it. We've had some previous threads on cheese, which you might want to look through.

Suzy, this is Malaysia you're talking about, not someplace where it's hard to find decent food in the middle of nowhere!

That's cicak (gecko). I've seen it written as "cacak" on menus sometimes. Besides, my pronunciation is Terengganu-style, though I have to say that I can't remember people distinguishing between different kinds of bubur there. Most every time I had bubur there, it was what others call "cacak," "caca," whatever. (Hmmm...If the real spelling is "cacar" that would end up being "chachaa" or "chaCHO" in Terengganu/Kelantan Malay. I'll have to tell you sometime about my pronunciation of "lokan.") Yeah, but feel free to elaborate when you have time. I love gula melaka! One dessert I really enjoyed during my last trip to Malaysia was Sago Gula Melaka. I don't think I ever had a chance to have it when I was living in Malaysia in the mid 70s, because they didn't make it in the coffee house that had a block of ice in the bin in the village(no 24-hour electricity, so no refrigeration in those days) and I didn't come across such a dessert during my time in KL or other places. One question: You mentioned that you are a busy chef and don't get to go back to your home town much. What town did you grow up in?

Where's the bakery located?

I really think that helping people find great places to eat when they're away from home is one of the things that eGullet is all about. In the days before good food-discussion sites existed, it used to be a lot harder to know where to go. But you and the others really came through in recommending a place that was not merely excellent but, at least at that meal, extraordinary.

Welcome home, Krista! I can't help asking why you'd go to a KFC with all that great hawker food all around and cheap restaurants to boot. I can't imagine going to a KFC in Penang, which is so famous for its Chinese food, its Indian food, etc., etc.

Wow, all that great food!

Great photos once again, Joie! Looks like an excellent feast! I've never had deboned goose feet. Considering the work that went into that, I'd consider that a deluxe banquet item. I think I'd like them. Yummy, why didn't you eat the head? Dissection for entertainment only? Just what is it about chicken heads that causes people not to eat them? [Grrrrr... ]

Thanks for the suggestion, Andrea. Buckwheat honey -- now we're talking (even before the alcohol was mentioned)!

I got a great dish for delivery from Grand Sichuan St. Marks that I'm eating now: Diced Chicken w. Red & Green Pepper (No. 114 on the menu, in the "Traditional Hunan Sauteed" section). Aside from chicken, this dish includes sliced fresh long somewhat spicy green peppers, dried red chili peppers, large slices of garlic, small branches of celery, ginger, and scallions, and it was fried until nicely crisp around the edges in hot oil. Unusually tasty dish! It will be part of my rotation from now on.

Those salads at Hamilton Street Grill look good, not to mention the gingerbread pudding and ice cream! And I'm really looking forward to seeing the rest of the Cantonese dishes. I know how famous the Vancouver area is for great Cantonese food. Now, if only the National Flute Association had conferences in Canadian cities some of the time (it doesn't)...I have to find some reason to schedule a trip to a city where I don't have any relatives or friends to stay with...anyone need a flute teacher?

I agree with you on teiglach, Pam; I've never had much love for them. I'll eat some on Rosh Hashanah, but I don't have nearly the affection for them that I have for hamantashen. The usual store-bought honeycake is just OK, but I believe a well-spiced home-made honey cake could be very good.

Hmm...I couldn't say about recipes, but I'm going to a dinner on the 2nd night of Rosh Hashanah at my godmother's again, and a tradition has developed of my walking down to Chinatown to get the most unusual fruits I can find for a shehechianu (blessing of celebration) over the first fruits. (Further explanation: The 2nd night of Rosh Hashanah is actually after the real holiday is over but is celebrated in the Diaspora [outside of Israel] as a tradition. Since the shehechianu can no longer be said over the holiday, which started the previous night and ended at sundown, before the dinner on the 2nd night, it has to be said with the thought in mind of celebrating a different special occasion, and the eating of a type of fruit you haven't had for the previous year is such an occasion, under Jewish law. If I've gotten anything wrong here, I know someone more knowledgeable than I will correct me.) I've gotten the huge Chinese pears (crunchy but kind of bland and watery) little striped melons (taste like either cantaloupe or honeydew, I can't remember, but I wasn't too impressed), and longan (which I've never liked). I wish Rosh Hashanah fell around lychee season, but I'll try to get something good, even if I have to buy some mangos at my local Bangladeshi store in addition to whatever I get in Chinatown. But maybe I can find some good kumquats down there... I just realized this is off the topic of what my bubbe might have served. Frankly, I don't know. My father's father [edit: mother, too] was an atheist, and I don't remember seeing my maternal grandmother except for during the summer. The thing I really remember from my childhood is the apples dipped in honey. My godmother serves gefilte fish, but my mother has always hated fish, so never in my parents' house. I'm trying to remember if we used to make tzimmes for Rosh Hashanah as well as Pesach. I think I'll ask my mother what she used to make.

mflo, how do your parents communicate? In Malay? Bubur cacak is a favorite of mine from my days in a Malay village in Terengganu, where most every woman cooked it. I'd love to hear more about Peranakan food-related pantang. You might want to post about those in either this thread or this one, with a link here. Parenthetically, my mother, an anthropologist, wrote about and did research on Terengganu Malay pantang, especially those related to pregnancy, childbirth, and the period 40 days and 40 nights after childbirth.

I look forward to more posts on this thread. There have been at least two other relevant threads: Typical Nyonya altar food, with great pictures by yunnermeier. "Nyonya cuisine, a traditional fusion food"

I can't resist saying that he's a lempeng pisang. Tepee will know what I mean. After you're done laughing, let 'em in on what that means.

I think most everyone uses some prepared foods. Sambal Oelek is one of my favorites. Then, there's soy sauce. And my father has often used those fried shallots in a plastic jar to very good effect. I don't know; are any of these analogous to Mrs. Dash? Actually, the concept of Mrs. Dash is that it's an American masala. My father has often used store-bought Garam Masala and Rai Masala, and I have also gladly used those on occasion, though I have to say that home-made masalas are better for most gastronomes, who love the more expensive fragrant spices like cloves. My brother hates to taste cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg, so when my father is cooking for him, store-bought Garam Masala is really better.

Whoops. One ingredient that I inadvertently omitted is the bilo bilo: dumplings made from glutinous rice flour. Right you are Laksa. I believe they're virtually identical dishes. It's one of my favourite merienda foods on a chilly winter afternoon.[...] ← Bubur is true comfort food. When I eat some good bubur cacak, it warms not only my body but my soul, as I remember the good times I spent in Merchang, Malaysia. Thanks for all the great pictures of Filipino food and the explanations!

I would have thought a "bar chef" was making bar food (which shows that I'm thinking of the American rather than original French sense of "chef"). I thought that people skilled at making mixed drinks were called mixologists, no?

Thanks for the review and the pictures! Since you said it had an air of upscale, I checked their menu on menupages.com. The place really isn't too expensive, especially for the area and especially if the food is good. Given the name, I'm wondering if the chef or/and owner (same person?) are actually from Karachi or somewhere else in Pakistan. Since that's my parents' hood, I'll ask them if this is a place they've been to.

From one insomniac to another, this is a really cute blog so far. I'll try to check in tomorrow (um, later today? that sounds so wrong) after my first day of teaching in the new semester.

The post this is excerpted from is very well stated. I'll just focus on this part. When I ask questions, it's because as an analytical thinker, I'm interested in the answers. I do know that a genuine interest in and appreciation of the food will be likely to make my experience better, not necessarily because the food will be better but because my meal will be more intellectually satisfying.

Joie, you say: Is a move in the works? To where?

Joie, I've really enjoyed your posts, so I'm very happy to see you blogging! In between all the craziness, I hope you have a great time!

Hmm...I like eel but don't think of it as wacky. I probably would like the intestine tacos. Were they filled with pig intestines?