Pan

Thanks for your interesting answer, Mr. MacGuire. Followup question: How does high-speed mixing destroy carotenoid pigments?

Shochu seems to be the Japanese pronunciation of Korean soju, or vice versa. Are there any notable differences between Japanese shochu and Korean soju?

Well said!

Beautiful pictures once again, Nessa! I was under the impression that confit has to be cooked in duck fat. Not according to a general dictionary, Merriam-Webster: I just Googled for "dictionnaire culinaire" to get a more authoritative definition. And what do you know? It's the same definition: (Piece of red meat or poultry preserved in its cooking fat. • Example: confit of goose, of duck.) There is also a definition of the verb confire: (1. To preserve a piece of red meat or poultry in its cooking fat, especially goose, duck, turkey, pork. 2. To preserve fruits by enrobing them with sugar or soaking them in alcohol. 3. To preserve vegetables in vinegar: cornichons, capers, etc.) For those of you who read French, enjoy this culinary dictionary (Click the underlined text dictionnaire culinaire complet!)

We are essentially in agreement, certainly in theory. I have yet to visit any of Batali's restaurants, so I can't comment on them.

I think perhaps the mold was just let to rest for a week. I don't think they broke it. I'm surprised by how upset or angry some of you are at her "non-rating," which is actually a very clear rating.

Steven, you always write really well and I generally agree with your remarks, but there are times when one person's "personal authenticity" is another person's gimmickry or watering-down. I doubt you'd find anyone posting to eGullet who would argue that fusion cannot be a success; it's just that the "East-West" fusion I've had in more or less upscale places in the U.S. has so seldom worked for me that I tend to avoid it whenever possible. Side point on tomatoes: Is it an urban legend that Europeans originally thought they were poisonous?

Interesting you should say that. I got the vague feeling that the review was negative, but I wasn't absolutely sure - it seemed to be more an implication than anything definite:

I would say that sambal belacan is Malaysian, but it's quite difficult to draw a hard line between Malaysia and Indonesia, given the amount of shared history and movement of people and goods throughout the region. But that's ultimately my point: Malaysia and Malaysian cuisine are a product of the meeting of diverse influences. Malaysian cuisine is an example of a spectacularly successful fusion of cuisines. And that's why Roti Canai, Hainanese Chicken Rice, and Kangkung Belacan are all Malaysian. I know a Singaporean who would argue with you over that claim... or is Singapore just getting lumped into Malaysia (hee hee)? Which of those dishes are not Malaysian, as far as a Singaporean is concerned? And since you brought it up, are there any Singaporean dishes which are uniquely Singaporean and not served in Johor?

Taiwanese, really? That's my impression. There are a few Taiwanese restaurants in Flushing, and I've also met a fair number of Taiwanese people who live in the area and had Taiwanese students.

xyz123, did you send back the lobster dish with the dirty morels? Also, I can't remember what ris de veau is.

In this case, I'd probably feel the same way, but only if the TAs are in fact inferior to the professors. There are many examples of famous musicians who have charged a lot of money for lessons but couldn't or didn't teach well, whereas their less famous proteges were in many cases excellent and far superior teachers. I would assume that there are similar instances in every field. And of course, there's another level here: Studying under a big-name professor is more prestigious, and that could perhaps help in job applications and so forth - which is, of course, irrelevant here (except perhaps for the perceived prestige of having your food cooked while the Chef is in the kitchen). What I'm getting from you is that this is about your expectation (which seems somewhat unrealistic) and the mere fame of the Chef as opposed to the lesser-known people who work for him. But perhaps you'll clarify that it's really something else?

There's fresh coconut milk, Nessa. But you have to have a fresh coconut in order to make it.

I would guess it is!

kew: I would say that sambal belacan is Malaysian, but it's quite difficult to draw a hard line between Malaysia and Indonesia, given the amount of shared history and movement of people and goods throughout the region. But that's ultimately my point: Malaysia and Malaysian cuisine are a product of the meeting of diverse influences. Malaysian cuisine is an example of a spectacularly successful fusion of cuisines. And that's why Roti Canai, Hainanese Chicken Rice, and Kangkung Belacan are all Malaysian.

There's a significant Taiwanese population in New York, too. And a lot of people left Hong Kong.

Thanks for a great report, Sam! We should definitely do a Pizza Survey outing at Franny's. Fat Guy's remarks give me pause, but I'll certainly go once, even if it does cost me.

Vikram doesn't agree. Here's part of what she wrote in a review of Madhur Jaffrey's The Ultimate Curry Bible: Tom Yam Soup is definitely Thai in origin, but at what point does something qualify as Malaysian? If almost every Malaysian restaurant in and outside of Malaysia serves something, isn't it Malaysian?

Interesting. Sura is not cooked during Ramadan on the East Coast.

No, but if you showed up as a stand-in for an Emmanuel Pahud recital, people would be pissed. That begs the question of whose conception is at issue. Though oddly enough (?), Pahud is one of the flutists whose conceptions are most similar in spirit to mine or vice versa.

So we're back to me being nonplussed. I have never worked in a kitchen, but I'm a musician, and I don't see why the composer's presence is necessary. Am I unable to transmit Bach's genius because he's dead?

Do ask her. Asyura does seem like it could be pronounced "sura" in Terengganu and Kelantan. I don't know what a talam is, but from what I remember, these are spooned with huge ladles from vats. They are about as solid as some Indian carrot halwas, if you're familiar with those. Sura was sweet, fragrant, and rich, truly one of the most memorable and unique things I've ever tasted. And during its season, there was loads of it.

It isn't? Is Tom Yam Soup a true Malaysian dish? There used to be a Restoran Biryani in Kuala Terengganu in the 70s, when Tom Yam Soup wasn't to be found in Malaysian restaurants. I daresay, Indian influence has been deeper and more widespread for a longer time in the Malay Peninsula than Thai influence, and I need only cite Roti Canai as an example. I would say that Biryani (however you spell it) is an Indian dish that is part of the amalgam that constitutes Malaysian food.

Is that the crux of it? OK, so in that case, how would you determine whether he's stretching himself too thin? By tasting the food, right? I hope you don't find this post also to be condescending. For my part, I certainly don't mean to condescend. I think that perhaps up to this point, we haven't understood what your bottom-line complaint or concern is. Perhaps you could try to restate it simply?

I loved the kueh bakar I used to get every day in Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan at recess, along with keropok lekor and hot sauce and some teh o. Try as I might, I have yet to find their like again. They had coconut milk in the batter and were baked over a wood fire, so they had a delicious wood-smoke taste. My other favorite Malaysian sweet was Sura, an East Coast specialty that my mother has a recipe for somewhere. The recipe is extremely complicated and it includes numerous ingredients (you might say "ada belaka") including some surprising ones (like chicken), but it was truly delicious and was made in big vats and brought around to every household in the village. It was seasonal and made close to the time of Thaipusam, though of course no association was made by our Muslim neighbors (we noticed the coincidence). I don't know if it qualifies as a kueh. It's a rich, dense sweet, redolent of cardamom among many other things. Last August, I spent a few days in Kota Bharu and enjoyed some of the sweets at the Pasar Malam. For example, there was a good kueh made with beans, I forget which kind.