hitchmeer

Hey all: Thanks for so many great ideas. I think the fried pies would be great for pumpkin and apple. I haven't tried the stove top cooked chicken but would like to try that too - there is a chance I might be swapping microwaves with a fellow teacher who never uses her convection ovens on hers. Yesterday, I did have a good opportunity to use just such an oven at my friend's house - we made pumpkin pies and they turned out splendidly: <a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/anskov/DSC00001.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a> <a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/anskov/DSC00008.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a> <a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/anskov/DSC00018.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a> I also learned a recipe for a type of miso sauce with yuzu to put on cooked daikon - it was amazing. Cheers! And again thanks for the ideas. Matthew

Hi all, I'm up in Utsunomiya teaching English and really enjoying living in Japan. That said, at this time of year I am getting a bit homesick for all the stuff I love to eat at Thanksgiving and Christmas. I really would like to make some sort of Thanksgiving dinner this year, but have no idea what to do as I am ovenless. I know I can do mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes, but not sure about the rest of it - I'm wondering if I can get a chicken breast and stuff it with dressing and tie it and then cook it in my roaster, but not sure how that will work. I am actually going to attempt to make pumpkin pie for our school's halloween party (my boss in bringing in her microwave/convection oven), but for myself, I think I will have to make maybe a pumpkin custard or some kind of dessert like that at my home. Have any of you tried a Thanksgiving meal? What did you do? Ideas would be most welcome. Cheers, Matthew, formerly of Minnesota

Tokaris and everyone: Thanks for all the advice on microwave/convection ovens. I'm excited to hear how the Mitsubishi works. I want to try baking bread and Danish pastry for my fellow teachers. I get paid this weekend, so perhaps I'll go shopping. On another note, I brought Suvir Saran's "Indian Home Cooking" cookbook with me to Japan and this weekend made Lahori style chicken curry, cumin scented rice, and a cucumber raita. I went to a shop in Ueno looking for fresh curry leaves but could only find dry. When I asked Suvir about this, he said fresh or frozen is always preferable. Has anyone had luck finding fresh curry leaves? Is this something Ambika might have? I haven't seen it listed on their site. I also mentioned that Suvir should open a restaurant in Tokyo after he opens his London restaurant. I think it would be extremely poplular here. Has anyone been to Devi in Manhattan? In a word, Amazing. On still another note, I'd love to get together to go out or cook with anyone in the Tokyo area who is interested. Cheers! Matt

Well, I am now in Japan and settled in Utsunomiya. I come to Tokyo on weekends and have had some great meals in both cities. I heard from people here that there are microwaves I can buy that double as ovens for cookie, cake, and even break baking. Has anyone tried this? If so, any reliable brands I should look for? Thanks everyone, for some great ideas on places to go. Torakris, I too packed Indian spices, but neglected to bring curry leaves. I saw your links to different places to order Indian ingredients online - hopefully I'll find some this way. Thanks again everyone!

I just picked up Kazuko and Fukuoka's Japanese Cooking and am excited to try the recipes - I think I'll try a few state side before I get over to Japan. I've been thinking of shipping my karahi to Japan with my cookbooks - then I can use it for both Indian and Japanese cooking. I am enjoying reading all of your posts and am grateful for the advice and ideas!

Small World: Thanks for this link. It turns out that this teacher is at the very school I'll be working at - his blog is going to prove an invaluable roadmap both for preparing to go and with settling in to my new surroundings. I've contacted him and he's been most helpful so far. Thanks again! Matthew in Minnesota

Lot's of good ideas here - thanks for the input and the helpful links! Torakris - I may take you up on the bread baking - when I'm away from it for too long I get to where I just have to bake something! It will make your kitchen smell wonderful - it has espresso, cardamom, cinnamon, and pecans in it, all giving it a heavenly aroma. It also makes excellent french toast and bread pudding. I had heard that having a toaster oven can be helpful, and will look into that. Suzy, thanks for the cookbook recommendations - the Japanese Cooking one I've seen before at Borders when I used to work there - if I remember right, it's relatively inexpensive. I also have Thai and Curry cookbooks in that series that I'll bring along. Torakris - do you pack your spices in boxes and ship them over, or simply make space in your suitcase? It would be fun to get to meet some eGullet members in Japan while I'm there and do some cooking and baking! Matthew

Hello: I have just accepted an offer to teach English in Japan for a year starting in January. I will be teaching near Nikko in a city called Utsunomiya in the Tochigi prefecture. I want a strong element of my experience to food related - both going to recommended restaurants and cooking in my apartment there. I have been told that my apartment will not have an oven, but will be equipped with two gas rings. The corporation I am working with suggested I buy a Japanese cookbook or some cookbook that contains recipes primarily focused around stovetop cooking. I have Suvir Saran's book (Indian Home Cooking), but am not sure how readily available Indian spices and ingredients will be in my city. Can anyone recommend a suitable cookbook for me to bring along? I would prefer Japanese cookbooks, so that I can more readily find the ingredients and get a better taste for the culture's foods. I would also appreciate any good restaurant recommendations for the area around Utsunomiya. I have read that gyoza, although Chinese, is popular in Utsunomiya. At any rate, any assistance people could give me would be greatly appreciated. If you come to Minnesota I'll bake you my Finnish Coffee bread - it smell amazing in the oven. A baker named Matt in Minnesota

Hello all: I just picked up my copy of Suvir Saran's Indian Home Cooking . It's quite simply, amazing. And apparantly USAToday agrees; they have chosen it as one of the top six cookbooks of the season. Here's the link: http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/20...cookbooks_x.htm Tonight I made Suvir's recipes for pineapple rasam and party cauliflower. Both recipes were easy to make, and wonderfully flavored. I cannot wait to try out more recipes. Has anyone else been using it? What are your favorite recipes so far? Matthew In Minnesota

Yes, Tana, do try the okra. I've always hated it, but this was excellent. Matthew in Minnesota P.S. Thanks SKChai for the report and the great pictures!

I wondered about this as well, but I had seen him mentioned in another review so I assumed that the wine pairings were based on Josh Wesson's recommendations. But yes, I wanted them to mention Bikky as well - he was such a memorable part of my evening at Amma. Matthew In Minnesota

Another nod to Amma on the web - and by the James Beard Foundation no less! Here's the link: http://www.jamesbeard.org/dateline/index.shtml Scroll down to the New York heading; you'll find it about three quarters of the way through the paragraph. The food at Amma is described as "a clever fusion of Indian flavors." Kudos once again to everyone at Amma - you all are the best! Save a table for me for my next visit to NYC (hopefully in the spring!). Matthew in Minnesota

from what i know of suvir--entirely through conversations on the india forum--i'd guess that nothing that is not meant to be robustly spicy would be robustly spicy. i am looking forward to whenever my next nyc trip will be. i've tried many a ballyhooed indian restaurant in the u.s and rarely found it to be up to the hype or it price points. i get the feeling amma will be the exception. Yes Mongo, Amma is definitely the exception. I'm still savoring the wonderful meal I had there in October. It will be great to get your impressions when you visit. Cheers. Matthew in Minnesota

Congratulations once again to Amma! Suvir, you and Hemant should be very proud of your accomplishments. Here's the link for those who haven't seen the review yet: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/03/dining/03REST.html Cheers! Matthew in Minnesota

True. I'm hoping to be back in New York over my spring break. I should make reservations now!

There is also mention of Suvir: It is a glowing review! Amma is going to be packed! Thanks for the link! Another great review! Matthew in (a state of envy because he's not in New York; he's stuck in) Minnesota

Congrats to Amma once again! In my relentless endorsement of this restaurant and its chefs, I continue to scour the web to find mention of Amma. I just found the New Yorker's review: http://www.newyorker.com/goingson/tables/ Since my visit to NYC in October, I've been visiting various Indian restaurants in the St. Paul/Minneapolis area, but none have slaked my appetite for the level of Indian cooking that I was served at Amma. Suvir, once again - amazing! Please offer my warmest regards and congratulations to Hemant, Bicky and the rest of the fine team at Amma. Matthew (feeling stuck) in Minnesota

This morning I was looking at the website for MPR's "Splendid Table" (www.splendidtable.org) to see what I'd missed from last week's broadcast. As I scanned the show description, I found that Lynne Rossetto Kasper (the show's host) mentioned Amma. Here's a link to what was written under Lynne's finds: http://www.splendidtable.org/whereweeat/st...tern_amma.shtml Then I decided to listen to the broadcast online (November 8). About 45 minutes into the show, Lynne mentions her experience eating at Amma last month. What stuck me most was her description of the food Amma serves. Lynne describes her meal (if you've never heard Lynne before, check out her show - her enthusiasm for fine food is unparalleled) as contemporary Indian cuisine. I thought the description apt in light of this thread. Cheers! Matthew in Minnesota

I remember first tasting Chai at an Afghani restaurant - Khyber Pass - in St. Paul, MN. When I asked the owner for the recipe, he smiled and walked away from me, so I decided to experiment with it myself. I only can give approximate amounts, as I generally eyeball it. The charm of this recipe, I think is in it's simplicity. I'd started by adding all sorts of spices to the tea, then gradually removed them one by one until I had the flavor I wanted. I begin by boiling some water in a saucepan (maybe 2 cups) into which I put several slices of fresh ginger that I've cut from a 1 to 1 1/2 inch knob as well as the seeds of seven or eight green cardamom pods (I may very lightly bruise or crush the seeds in a mortar and pestle). When the water boils, I add four tea bags of a stong black tea (although I've used Assam as well) or 4-5 heaping teaspoons of loose tea. I turn down the heat and let the tea steep (I generally try to add enough tea to basically make a very strong concentrate). Once the tea has fully steeped and the liquid is rich and dark, I add whole milk (enough to color the liquid a creamy caramel color, or to taste) and turn up the heat slightly to heat the now luke-warm liquid. I generally heat it to a light simmer, making sure not to let it boil. Then I add sugar to taste. The total lack of cinnamon is what I enjoy most about this recipe, and I find that it's just like the chai I'd tasted at Khyber Pass. Matthew in Minnesota

Did anyone hear mention of Amma on MPR's "The Splendid Table" this weekend? Toward the end of the show, Lynne Rossetto Kasper describes the delightful meal she enjoyed at the restaurant. There is a small write-up about the restaurant on the site: http://www.splendidtable.org/whereweeat/st...tern_amma.shtml You can also listen to the broadcast to hear Lynne's description on: www.splendidtable.org Congratulations once again to Hemant and Suvir! Matthew in Minnesota

Sounds wonderful. I cannot wait for more details. Sorry I couldn't make lunch at Vincents. I hope you and Snowangel had a good time. Matthew

Thanks! I'll look into it. I left a message with her associate producer about inviting Suvir Saran of Amma (See New York and Indian cuisine threads) to be a guest on her show. As serendipity would have it, Lynn was in New York this past weekend and ate at Amma with a food writer friend of hers. Suvir met her and told her about my message, which she'd gotten. I hope she gets in touch with me - I'd love to take a class from her. Thanks again for the lead! Matthew

My schedule is looking a little tighter than at first I thought. You had better go ahead with your plans for lunch for two. However, I'd love to dine with y'all another time if I may. Have a great day! Matthew

Everyone at Amma should be very proud of their accomplishments in working together to make this restaurant such a uniquely warm experience. William Grimes of the New York Times has written a sparkling review this morning of his meal at Amma. I was so excited when I came across this article. Here's the link: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/24/dining/24JOUR.html And here's an excerpt: "Hemant Manthur, the tandoori master at Tamarind, has packed his tools and found a new oven at Amma. He's also found a new partner, Suvir Saran, a highly respected caterer, teacher and consultant, and a new mission, to make some serious southern Indian food." My only concern is that now when I visit New York, I'll never be able to get a reservation at Amma! It will be packed to the gills with people clamoring for this flavorful experience. Hemant and Suvir - Congratulations on your fine work, your attention to detail, and your sure and absolute fidelity to flavor. Matthew in Minnesota

Hey all: There's a slight chance I might be able to make it to lunch tomorrow (if it's okay if I join you). The only think that might keep me is if my 10 am meeting goes too long. I'm hoping to be on the road by 11:00 to head up to Minneapolis. What's the restaurant again? Incidentally, has any one tried Fhima (Sp?) in Downtown St. Paul yet? Is it good? Matt