Hest88

I love chestnuts, but I think it's a waste to eat them any way other than freshly roasted or boiled. That way, even if they don't peel easily you can just scrape off the meat with your teeth. I don't even bother making a pretty score on the flat side. I've found that if I take a Chinese cleaver and just whack an X into the round side of a chestnut it makes the scoring process really quick.

I like mine super fluffy, so I use a ricer. When I do mashed potatoes I've noticed that no one seems to notice if they're a bit overcooked, so I cut them into halves or quarter and boil them until the skins start coming off. Then I just stick a bag over an oven mitt to hold the potatoes and peel the skins off with my other hand. The skins practically come off by themselves. Then I mix with butter and usually wasabi powder. No one in my family likes them with milk, so the butter gives it just enough fat.

Tejava's standard brew is unsweetened. I *wish* it were easier to find their sweetened version, but around where I live you can't go into any drinks section and not stumble over the Tejava unsweetened. http://www.tejava.com/ I'm also pretty sure Lipton makes an unsweetened version, but it just may be harder to find where you are.

I miss it still. I don't remember the food at all; I don't think we ever ate a meal there. However, I remember always stopping by on our way back from Tahoe and having my parents let us ride the train and buy a toy or a polished rock from the gift shop.

Oh, if the origination is from "Pirate's Booty" then it's clear. The word "booty" in this case means plundered treasure. --------------------------- From The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. 1. Plunder taken from an enemy in time of war. 2. Goods or property seized by force or piracy. 3. A valuable prize, award, or gain.

A friend of mine who's a huge workout fanatic and chronic dieter managed to lose quite a few pounds just by not eating anything after 7pm.

I also hated brussel sprouts since I'd only had them steamed. However, I've always felt that American kids would eat their vegetables if their parents prepared them the way mine did--stir-fried. So, a few years ago, I sliced new brussel sprouts really thinly, and stir-fried them in the wok with olive oil and some kosher salt. I basically toss them to coat, then put the wok cover on for 30 seconds or so, then just before removing them I let them sit a few seconds to get a nice charring. I've also deleafed them, but I'm usually too lazy.

The economy's so bad that I wouldn't mind seeing anything that would bring more people to Oakland. Plus, the thought of a world-class food court (asssuming that's what it actually turns out to be as opposed to another place full of chain shops) is enticing. However, I must admit that I'll really miss the old-fashioned working warehouse feel of the area.

Suvir, you may say you're not a wordsmith, but you have the soul of a poet. Good luck in your new restaurant!

Well, the main way I've been doing it is eliminating processed foods as much as possible and "empty calories." That means white rice and French bread, except during the occasional meal out. I haven't been eliminating fats that much, but they have to be "natural" fats, so I've been ruthlessly reading labels when I do eat processed foods to make sure I'm not ingesting trans-fatty acids. I still eat my fill of meat and veggies (stir-fried, never steamed), but when I snack I also try to make sure I'm packing as much nutritional value into the snacks as possible. And, I try not to eat just because I'm bored--which I used to do quite often.

I usually drink Raspberry Iced Tea and Kiwi Strawberry, mainly because they're the easiest to find. Every so often, though, I get a craving for Grapeade--which tastes exactly like grape candy. I also miss Maui Madness, which tasted like Otter Pops.

The cooking is nice (fresh brussel sprouts stir-fried, then left alone for half a minute to char nicely at the bottom of the wok...yum), but what I'll really welcome are the persimmons, pomegranates, and chestnuts.

Suvir, there were so many lovely pieces from your post I could have chosen, but I will confine myself to this one. Thank you for the eloquent and thought-provoking piece.

Thanks Trill! I'll stick it in the freezer, then.

If we must again talk about what individual human beings might do instead of just using common sense, I might as well mention that I have a number of Jewish friends who have no qualms about eating pork or following other strictures only when it's convenient.

Okay, this isn't combining food per se, but sort of. I used to breakfast at the office on lemon yogurt and Slim Jims. And it had to be Berkeley Farms lemon yogurt which is fairly sweet. And it had to be the Tabasco Slim Jims.

I think precisely because we're food people that we're getting all caught up in the minutia of what is "actually" vegetarian. "Meat-free" shouldn't need to be spelled out because it's implied in the word "vegetarian" as it is commonly understood. For most people, if you take them to a vegetarian restaurant, they will assume it will be meatless. No cows, no chicken, no floppy fish. No beef stock, no chicken stock, no fish stock. If you take them to a vegan restaurant, then we eliminate the eggs, cheese, etc. The whole reason you have the lacto, ovo, etc. terminology is because people have felt the need to qualify what is a very basic concept. I'm not going to argue whether or not the mother is correct or not, but I do think it's a little facetious to say anyone walking into a vegetarian restaurant wouldn't understand what they were getting into without a long laundry-list definition.

Oh that sounds really good. How long does an oil like that keep?

No idea. As I said, I'm more familiar with Cantonese cuisine. This was definitely a Shanghainese restaurant, though, in an Asian complex meant to cater to Chinese expats. It was not upscale and it had no pretensions toward any type of Asian fusion, so I doubt it was at all meant to be SEA.

Thanks Eddie! I'm gonna be making me some clams this weekend!

Not Gary, but if you're looking for fusion-y dim sum, go to Yank Sing. If you want more authentic dim sum, go to Mayflower.

Jordan Almonds. Though now I wish I had wasabi peas in the office.

I finally read the article as well, and am also baffled by the hostility. From my interpretation it looked like a group of people were invited to cook for a major fundraiser, and forced to make-do with whatever foods and conditions they were supplied with by their hosts. By the end, I was actually surprised they pulled it off as well as they did. (Cooking in the dark?!?) The fact that it was the Chez Panisse team was almost incidental to the story.

Personally, I'd pay no more--or maybe a smidgen more--than I'd pay for the same amount of drip coffee at any other comparable cafe. I like French Press coffee, but I think of it as the same as drip coffee only made in a superior manner. When I think of espresso, I think of it as almost a different drink altogether so I'm willing to pay the extra premium.

A few months ago we went to a Shanghai-nese restaurant and had a staggeringly good dish of clams stir-fried with basil. It had a brown sauce as well (oyster sauce?), but was otherwise your typical, very simple clam dish. I've Googled for similar recipes, but haven't found one easily. (I just may be using the wrong search terms.) I know it's rather a common dish, but since I'm used to Cantonese-style clams with black bean sauce, it's rather new to me. Any recipes you'd care to share?