SusieQ

Your seared black cod dish looks especially interesting to me. My favorite black cod is the Japanese kasuzuke preparation -- love that crispy skin and the unctuousness of the fish! Was your black cod skin crispy? I can't tell from the photo. Thanks for answering. Also congratulations -- that's quite an achievement!

You don't have to have OCD to notice every single one of these. Really shocking that such a super-professional would demonstrate TO THE PUBLIC such poor practices.

I didn't like it for a long long time (decades). I think it had to do with, as a kid, almost being force-fed ice cream after getting my tonsils removed. But recently someone offered me a milkshake, it was delicious, and I've liked them ever since.

Aha! I remember reading about this concept in Fuschia Dunlop's book and thinking, oh, that's why I get these unchewable unknowns in Chinese soups! It's a concept lost on me, I'm afraid. My teeth have never been that strong. LOL

It's beautiful. Looks like it would have a delicate taste.

I was looking at cans of tuna just the other day at my local Safeway, and even the oil-packed tuna listed soy as an ingredient. I thought that was kind of weird. And when did they start packing it in vegetable broth even though it says water on the label? Someone else talked about fresh albacore from the West Coast. Yes, that raw albacore tuna is *most* delicious. I've had some of that pressure-canned albacore from locals in Oregon, too, and yes, it was also very delicious.

Wow, thanks for posting all of those photos. Unfortunately, I have no idea of what to do with any of these dried flowers. But what a world of possibility!

Me, too. But let's put it this way. A salad bar -- no matter how bountiful, fresh, and stocked with everything little thing I could ever imagine for the salad bar of my dreams -- a salad bar is not what I want to see when I get to go to some very expensive place to have a meal. Very expensive meal? I want sumptuousness, elegant ambiance, I want stuff I could never afford, I want the kitchen to be serious and ambitious about the food -- a salad bar does not fit into that equation!

Not to mention that there's a salad bar (found that out by speed-watching part of the video). A restaurant with a $25,000 fee to join and then you have to get your own salad from the salad bar? I don't think so.

I'd love to try the fried tofu puffs and the spicy fermented tofu. The stuffed tofu looks intriguing, too. What is it usually stuffed with? Oh yeah, I"ll take some smoked tofu, too. What about the stinky tofu? Is it an acquired taste? Is it really all that stinky? That 100-layer tofu cake is really beautiful.

My grandparents said that, too, although it was "not worth a plugged nickel." I can imagine that you are plenty pooped (as they also used to say) after your gardening/canning/cooking, etc. I can't imagine doing half of what you do.

Wow, thanks for posting these -- I had no idea there was such a diversity of preparations for tofu!

Member Since 05 Mar 2003, says my account. I don't post often, but I read a lot. It's a wonderful association of people, projects, ideas, and of course writing about food, cooking, and eating. Right now I am enjoying Shelby's foodblog and wishing that the foodblogs would appear more often again.

Shelby, I just read through your older foodblog and now this one. Wow, it's amazing. You have a wonderful way of describing what you're doing -- whether it involves deer, quail, tomatoes, corn bread or whatever. You also have an amazing garden, which I know takes a LOT of work. (You should see my two really pitiful tomato plants.) So, just wanted to thank you for doing this foodblog -- I am really enjoying it.

Here's a recipe of walnuts, rose water, and sugar. Would that be it? http://www.food.com/recipe/persian-sugar-with-walnuts-rose-water-topping-filling-480674

Hi Lindag, I just went to Amazon's site to check out this product, and here's the thing that stopped me cold: "Once in use, FreshPaper sheets last for about 3 weeks (or when its delicious maple scent starts to fade)." I don't think I want maple-scented produce. That seems so bizarre. Does this bother you at all? Or maybe it's not that strong. But it has to be strong enough to be able to "start to fade," right?

Wow. Beautiful. I've got to try this. Thanks for taking all these photos. (I meant to reply to the potato-anchovy dish. That's the one I'm going to try.)

Thank you!

Absolutely (to your last sentence). Weasel PR people will say anything. I had an argument the other day with my partner about this very thing. He thinks I am being elitist in not wanting to buy this (yes) "slaved-produced" shrimp. I just don't eat shrimp any more, even though I love it. I don't live in an area that has inexpensive wild shrimp at the grocery store. This story needs to be publicized more widely than in just one newspaper, though. This fishing practice using slave labor has been going on for a long time.

I can't begin to guess who, but I surely am looking forward to seeing another eGullet food blog!

Hi, you eat good! LOL I'm interested in the fried salmon skin “chip.” Do you just fry it in its own oil? Thanks in advance!

My, what an amazing photo -- beautiful!

Hi, I just read through all five pages of your foodblog, SobaAddict70, and I must say, how wonderful! Your beautiful photos along with your clear writing style is something else, and that's before I even say how everything you present looks so yummy! Just wanted to say thanks! for doing this foodblog. You have given me lots of ideas.

It's definitely not the best way! But it seems it's the system we're stuck with.