FoodZealot

I've been thinking about this one - I'm lucky in that Gardena/Torrance is about 25-35 minutes from me, and Chinatown/Little Tokyo is about 40 minutes, so I can get most things I crave. Occasionally, I've even seen fresh taro leaves to make lau lau. My dream care package would have: sweet, sticky char siu(bbq pork). Most of the stuff I see around here is dry and not marinated long enough pipi kaula (smoked meat) avocados from my grandfather's tree - buttery and not watery lychee - although sometimes available here Hayden mangoes - the Mexican and South American ones never seem as sweet ohelo berry jam sugarloaf pineapple apple bananas inamona (roasted, ground kukui nuts -used in poke) The first thing I'll usually have is either a big Hawaiian meal (lau lau, lomilomi salmon, kalua pig, poi, etc) or some small Hawaiian fish, like opakapaka (pink snapper), menpachi (squirrel fish), or whatever is fresh and can either be steamed and sizzled with oil or just floured and panfried.

yes, a goodly amount of toasted mochiko - Japanese glutinous rice flour. Next time I'll try the Thai sticky rice so I can get a little texture.

After reading this thread, I went out looking for larb laab larp in a couple of restaurants, and did not find a satisfactory version. I read many recipes, including those in RecipeGullet, made some slight adjustments and came up with this last Wednesday: Naturally, it's pork. [grin] I enjoyed it, but more importantly, my friends and one in particular who has spent a lot of time in Thailand and whose wife is Thai, also enjoyed it. I'll definitely be making this again. Thanks, all. ~Tad

Nice save! Well, it's your event - wanna suggest a new date? 6th or 7th is already out.

I just got myself a digitally controlled deep fryer, and those beignet pix are talking to me. I may have to christen it very soon. Thanks! BTW, does anyone have an opinion on the beignets at CDM v. Morning Call?

January 11th works well for me. Every other Sunday would work for me, depending on the particular Sunday, of course. Question: some folks might be traveling from a ways away - should we try to do more than one place in a day? Make an afternoon of it - lunch, Thai market exploring, then an early dinner? Of course, pacing oneself in the presence of great Thai food is not always easy. Too ambitious? Is it better to do a full meal at each place? mixmaster b, your menu suggestions are noted - and I had already anticipated your pad see ew request. [grin] grandcru, jschyun, tejon, and others - if there's someplace worth the drive, I'd at least like to hear about it... I'd like to improve my ThaiQ of outlying areas as well! BTW, don't forget that we still have Korean BBQ coming up in December. We need to choose a place for that one.

If you haven't yet read this one, there are many worthwhile cautionary tales and tips. Thanks to fifi for starting it. Wishing everyone a safe and delicious Thanksgiving.

For turkeys, the pan juices just run off the skin, so I don't think it does anything and I don't do it anymore. It would make more sense to me if the basting liquid was a bit thickened, like a glaze, but that would be glazing. Otherwise, the oven just loses heat, like beans and others have said. BTW, Chris Schlessinger appeared on Martha Stewart and his cheesecloth technique - but only covering the breasts, as a kind of buffer, so the legs get more exposure to heat. ~Tad

Trying to stay neutral, I'll just say Jitlada is definitely worth a visit. I did a little research, and here are some that have been mentioned on eG and elsewhere the most. If you know of one you think is at least as good as any of these, let's hear about it! I think this might occur over a few (or infinite!) weekends, so I think it's worth considering anything in greater LA, if someone will vouch for it or we have other indications that it's excellent. Jitlada Palms Thai Ruen Pair Kruang Tedd Renu Nakorn (Norwalk) Saladang (Pasadena) Yai Sanamluang Cafe Vim Wat Thai Temple(North Hollywood) For dishes, like jschyun suggests, let's pick a set of dishes that just about every Thai restaurant would have, plus we'll order a few specialties at each place. Here are a few to get us started - feel free to lobby for or against a dish - pad thai mee krob laab or yam (meat "salad") somtom (green papaya salad) tom kha kai/goong (lemongrass & coconut soup, chicken/shrimp) sate with peanut sauce thai bbq chicken pad see ew panaeng curry massamun curry sticky rice with mango I have no idea how authentic peanut sauce is thought to be, but dammit it's good. I'm sure mixmaster b will jump in here shortly...

ErinB, we'll be glad to have you with us! Beachfan, luckily Thai Town is West of downtown! Speaking of Jitlada, I had to check it out for myself. My first visit. We ordered quite a bit, but here's just a few: mee krob pad thai prawns flambee ~Tad

SK, I take it you are talking about "real Hawaiian" as in associated with Polynesians, ethnic Hawaiians and luaus, rather than the modern melange of cuisines. I suppose it all depends on what era we're talking about. Before there were Polynesians on the Hawaiian Islands, there were just ingredients going about their nature, waiting to be cooked. [grin] As a lay person, here's how I see it: the Polynesians have a cuisine and aesthetic that has developed over time, then split off. They interacted with the Hawaiian locale and the cuisine evolved some. Then as each wave of immigrants arrives or "discovers" Hawai`i, there is some level of exchange - the now Hawaiian aesthetic collectively receives an influence or rejects it. Salted salmon, beer, longrice - yes. Wine, vinegar, garlic, spices - no. Non-Polynesian influences has only been known to Hawai`i since the late 1770's - relatively short - shorter than new world foods have been in Europe and Asia. I'm sure others have thought this, but I think at some point, the aesthetic becomes more important than the snapshot of the actual ingredients, recipes and dishes. Yes, it's valuable to know what changes have occurred through the years, but modern Italian cuisine has embraced and integrated tomatoes, potatoes and corn - all ingredients from North America - without much discussion of their validity. All that being said, we each also have our prejudices and associations. IMHO shoyu does not belong at a luau - teriyaki, shoyu poke, etc. My bias is to think of Hawaiian food as the Polynesian based food from the early 1900's. ~Tad

From the Where to eat in LA thread: mixmaster b is full of great ideas! Okay, I know we talked about doing this after the new year, so I probably could have waited to start this thread, but I got so fired up from reading the Larb Laab Larp thread that I think we should just start the process now. I think this thread should include all related issues for organizing the tour: the mission of the tour, restaurants, dishes, mechanics, geography, etc. Discuss.

Ouch. I guess I can cross that one off my list of places to check out. Thanks for the report!

Actually, Thai food smells like something else... [grin] Sorry, back on topic. I usually like my own food, but often experience the letdown that people have mentioned when its finally time to eat. Especially long cooked items. Mostly it is from having smelled it for several hours - I'm just tired of it. Even barbeque. Zoinks! I usually experiment further afield when cooking for myself, and only make things that I'm quite confident about for other people - hopefullly preserving my reputation for "everything he makes comes out great". I love eating other people's food, and I usually am not as critical of it as I would be of my own cooking. Sometimes they really have to drag it out of me if they want to hear how I would change something or how I would make it better. Sometimes at a potluck or whatever, someone makes something and they're not happy with it, then start to point out all its flaws or apologize for it. I know it's a cultural thing or a self-esteem thing for some folks. I certainly have done it and regretted it because I also think that that can interfere with the enjoyment of it for cooks and non-cooks alike. Now I try to take Julia's advice - no apologies, smile and say thank you.

DavidJS, I haven't been to Malibu Seafood, but I understand it to be really informal. Only thing I can think of that's as low key as that is Reel Inn, but IMHO the food is pretty lackluster. The Lobster has a great view and good food, but quite a bit more formal and fussy. One place that I like a lot is Library Ale House on Main Street. Not exactly in the same vein as Malibu Seafood - I'd characterize it as California pub food - really good fish and chips, and various contemporary sandwiches like seared tuna with Asian cole slaw. Great beers on tap. No view, away from the beach, but a nice patio in the back that would be good for a meeting. Marix is a decent setting, but the food is not as good as might be expected, IMHO. Possibly Chez Jay, Enterprise Fish Co., or the Galley, but a little more expensive and I haven't been to any of them. Good luck!

[mouth watering] thanks, jschyun! I might have to do some reconaissance... ~Tad

A few scattered thoughts, FWTW: I'm going to guess that robyn may be referring to VIP Harbor Seafood, at Barrington & Wilshire, upstairs, about a mile and a half from the Getty entrance. I've only been there once, but it was very enjoyable and I think they recently started serving dim sum for dinner. Coincidentally, there's an El Pollo Inka in that mini-mall also, it's good, but IMHO I would not place it high on the list since you only have a few meals in town. hollywood mentioned Father's Office for a contemporary burger. I've had it many times, and IMHO it's damn good for a frou-frou, yuppie burger - aged beef, carmelized onions, blue cheese, and I think arugula. Matchstick frites or sweet potato fries (extra) with aioli. They also offer a few small tapas. The after work scene makes it hard to get a table and eat, the room is small and noisy, etc. But they have a great beer selection, and decent selection of wines by the glass. For a more normal type burger, Fatburger is my personal favorite. (Kingburger, chargrilled - 8 oz - everything except relish - onion rings on the side). In-&-Out and Apple Pan are nice for a bit of LA atmosphere. Just to clarify, I think mixmaster b linked to the right thread but the restaurant is named Din Tai Fung. Soup dumplings! Pasadena is pretty close to Arcadia/SGV/Monterey Park, etc. so if you want Chinese food, there are several good, regional restaurants in those areas, some are arguably of the best in the US. Also, I've not been yet, but I've been wanting to try Nonya in Pasadena - Malaysian "grandmother" cuisine. Perhaps your hosts may have more info on it. I know you have a tight schedule, but if you happen to be in town and available, we're currently discussing an eGullet Korean BBQ meal around that time. If you end up on Olvera Street, Mr. Churro is a tiny shop that has sticks of deep fried simplicity, rolled in cinnamon sugar and I also recommend getting them filled with cajeta (milk caramel). For a cheap hit of Matsuhisa food in a casual setting, Ubon on the ground level of the Beverly Center is a worthwhile stop, IMHO. ~Tad

Dortmunder

FG: Word. If I may, part of the discussion in that thread seemed to be around whether it is even possible to have a top notch experience outside the country of its origin. Terms like "real _country_ cuisine", and phrases like "like I've had in _country_" were sometimes used. How 'bout it? French food outside of France? Sushi outside of Japan? Vietnamese food outside of Vietnam? I mean conceptually, not specific cuisines. FWIW, I think it is reasonable to use "ethnic profiling" (sorry, I dislike the term) as a proxy for authenticity, as long as one leaves room for the possibility that it may suck. [grin]

There's lots of good advice here, including the external link. I would just throw in that there are some slightly increased risks associated with eating certain kinds of raw seafood, so that is another reason (in addition to enjoyment) to opt for a greater degree of selectivity in choosing sushi restaurants and sources of raw fish. I have not and would not take offense to anything posted here so far, but just to play devil's advocate on the ethnicity issue, I would humbly point out that not all people who look Japanese are sushi experts - including myself. In my own case, I introduced to nigiri-zushi at about age 19, and I'm still learning. So choosing by ethnicity of the clientele or of the chef may not always mean a great experience. I agree that the best training is in Japan, but I don't believe that knowledge is passed on genetically - it's passed on via training, immersion in a culture, understanding the aesthetic , etc. all of which could be done by a properly motivated person of another ethnicity, under the right circumstances. Another thing to consider is that sushi is popular enough (at least in LA) that there are many levels of sushi restaurants - some value oriented, some striving for the absolute highest quality, some adding modern interpretations - which may or may not have mostly Japanese clientele and mostly Japanese staff. i.e. there are tendencies, likelihoods and probabilities, but it still depends ... With regard to inventiveness, IMHO that would mean inventiveness within a context. ~Tad

Thanks!

I realize that the $7 toaster is a minor purchase, but I happen to already have a toaster oven, and I'm trying to be selective in adding clutter to my kitchen (mostly unsuccessfully). I'm curious about these - the bags seem to have a nice effect on the sandwiches. I'm sorry if I missed this question earlier in the thread - does anyone have an opinion on how they'd work sideways - i.e. is the vertical orientation/gravity a part of the magic? ~Tad

You are most welcome. I see that many people do the same. Funny how some people tire quickly of leftovers, but it seems that people around here appreciate them - even making an extra bird intentionally! Stating the obvious, depending on your cold storage space, you could do whatever portion sizes or white/dark combinations make the most sense. Maybe half a bird for a mini-Thanksgiving at the end of Spring, and break down the rest in small combos, or all white together, all dark together, etc. donk79, the deep fried turkey is good because ... it's deep fried. [grin] It's not quite as juicy as fried chicken since the bird is just leaner, needs to cook longer, and there's usually no additional crust. But between the brining and injecting that most people do, plus the efficiency of the deep frying method itself - the white meat stays very moist. IMHO, if you brine, inject and roast in a bag, you can get similarly delicious white meat, with a more traditional flavor. I'm sure a more committed frying advocate can make a better case. ~Tad

tommy, congrats on your bird! Although the following anecdote is not about turkey specifically, it is about the turkey fryer rig, and I suppose about frying in general. One safety item that will probably be plenty obvious to everyone (except me at the time), is NOT to add additional oil once you have established a safe oil level. One year, we were using it for some Natchitoches meat pies [drool] and other random fryables. I filled the pot about halfway (a 20 quart pot instead of the 26q that came with it), and the oil overshot the cooking temp much faster than I had expected - that burner has real power. The oil did not cool off even after I had turned the heat waaaay down, then off and waited a while. So I added some cold oil to "cool it down." My error was, since we were frying small items, rather than one big turkey, I wasn't thinking about the oil expanding. The temperature came down to about 375°, so we put in a few items, and it proceeded to boil over. Of course, the burner is exposed flame, and we were incredibly lucky that it did not ignite. It could have been a very, very bad day. In terms of turkey frying advice, I'd just recommend that people avoid or rinse off any sugar on the surface (including fruit juice and brine) because it can get too dark and give it a burnt taste. Pat very dry. I like Toliver's technique of using water the day before to measure the oil because if you use the actual cooking oil and the bird just before heating, the bird is coated with cold oil and the skin doesn't get as crispy. Trust that the bird really can be done that fast - giving it an extra 5 or 10 minutes for good measure can push it into the overcooked range. Doublecheck with a thermometer to quell any fears. Lastly, I also feel if you're going through the trouble, you may as well buy an extra bird since they're cheap that time of year. Just takes another 35 minutes. Offer to fry birds for friends and neighbors as well, since storing the oil for another time is quite a hassle - so some might be inclined dispose of 20+ quarts of nearly pristine peanut oil. At least get a few birds out of it. All that being said, I think I prefer to smoke my turkey.

A few things that I thought of that might be of interest. apple bananas - smaller and much tastier than those Ecuadorean ones. waiwee - a small fruit related to guava, but more fragile. There are several varieties. breadfruit - a starchy fruit from the South Pacific. Usually roasted, but makes interesting chips, too. mountain apples - soft skinned fruit, white with a pinkish blush. ~Tad