FoodZealot

For me, using various salts is part of getting closer to the taste of food as it would be cooked in it's native environment - contributing to a sense of place. My thinking is that the ocean has different mineral content in different places, and certainly mined salts have different mineral content. Of course, not all of them are so distinct from one another, but many are different enough from table or kosher salt to be worth seeking out, IMHO.

There are so many places I need to go to, but the ones that I'm most likely to visit soon (for the first time) are: Sona Bastide AOC Maple Drive (since Chef Klein took over) Places I'd like to revisit soon are: Gary Danko Mori Sushi Sea Harbour dim sum

Chris Schlessinger calls them hobo packs, and has quite a few recipes. If you're interested, I could get you more info tomorrow. ~Tad

I had no idea that the Oki in Oki-Dog derives from Okinawan. That's a mind blowing tidbit of info...

I'll have to check the name of the pho place because they hadn't reprinted new menus yet (maybe Pho 99?). But it's near Wilshire and Westgate, in that mini-mall with the Kinko's, California Roll & Sushi Fish, Subway and the ex-Denny's/Mishima/Nishima now to be Buffet City.

All in West LA - Pho place on Wilshire - new management, less Americanized menu than before. Worth more visits. Don Antonio's on Pico - basic "hot plate" Mexican food. Nice patio. Javan on SM Blvd - Persian restaurant with the hilarious cheesy commercial where the pianist gives a "blue steel" look and some food appears in front of a blond woman. Nice environment, food is good, but I wish it was a tiny bit better.

Hey, just more proof that Asians can think "outside the box".

Do you mean http://www.pegasusshoes.com/?

FWIW, I have one of these, and I use it for brisket, to improve the penetration of the rub (unscientific), and when I'm cooking a marginal steak cut like chuck steak. I think of it as the DIY method to get a cube steak or minute steak that's been put through the mechanical tenderizer. On the unit I have, they're not so much needles as very narrow (less than 1/8th inch) knives. It's probably most effective when the fibers can be cut shorter (against the grain), as opposed to going into the end grain of a steak. The trade show demos usually use cubes of meat that are attacked from many random angles. Kabobs might be a good test. As far as juices, I think it's less of an issue when pierced raw, rather than during cooking, when the juices are excited and would flow out. I don't use it for NY steaks, rib eyes, etc, because I figure I'm paying for the meat to be naturally tender, and I'm already going to be cutting the meat against the grain to eat it. ~Tad

As much as I love Surfas, that's quite a drive from Anaheim for a molcajete. There should be someplace much closer if that's the only thing you're looking for. I'll try to get a name of a store that's closer for you. Internet might be a good option also, but the shipping would probably cost as much or more than the item. However, if you are going for the overall food/equipment shopping, Surfas would probably be worth it. I can easily spend an hour or two there, and I'm there 2 or 3 times a month.

Wow, that sounds awesome, andiesenji. Should we do a general theme or wide open free for all?

Currently airing on PBS - Dabbawallas. You may be able to catch it in the LA area or on satellite. Truly fascinating!

Great minds think alike! I made this last year, and it was delicious. I used a recipe that called for condensed milk as a template. I brewed the tea from prebagged a Thai tea blend, and it tasted great, but some of the spice came through the bag, and it interupted the texture of the ice cream. I suggest being extra careful about straining and/or taking only the tea w/o any of the grit.

Sounds like a great adventure, Monica! I agree with the many good suggestions above. I re-read your Indian Food Photography thread, and I gleaned several suggestions of books to get. However, the Indian cookbooks I usually see are recipe driven, with less emphasis on photography. But I would bet that a good photographer working with your styling could find/create some amazing shots while letting the food retain it's traditional look, with just a few flourishes or a special bowl or something along those lines that make good sense. I guess the closest to what I would like to see is the Beautiful Cookbook series - China the Beautiful, Italy the Beautiful, etc. The studio shots of dishes are fairly perfunctory, but overall, I think they do a good job of conveying more than just the final dish. ~Tad

I'll throw out a few half-baked possibilities: 1. Bugs 2. Wind 3. Too hot, or too much sun - sweating and eating don't go together 4. Too cold - believe it or not, some people reach for a sweater when the tempertature plunges below 72° F at night... 5. If I want to eat outside, I'll grill or picnic rather than going to a restaurant. I know, I know - bugs in Hawaii aren't nearly as as bad as _____, or it's not as windy as _____, or I wear shorts down to 50° F in _____, but even if you live in paradise, you still have to have something to complain about, right? [grin] ~Tad

cyclox, welcome to eGullet! Unfortunately, I think Fishland is now defunct. I'm not that familiar with that neighborhood, but I agree with Mongo about SM Seafood and Korean supermarkets. I'm stopping in the old 3rd & Fairfax Farmer's Market today, I'll see if anything looks good there.

Just for easy reference, there have been some other good threads on eG about sandwiches - lots of good ideas to borrow throughout. the Fantasy Sandwich thread the Toast-N-Serve bag thread the Sandwich Project thread

Keith, thanks for the report. I'm genuinely sorry you had a bad interaction with the police officer, and I hope it won't mar your overall impressions of your visit terribly much. It's unfortunate when someone with misplaced priorities in a position of influence represents the state poorly. ~Tad

I had some Vietnamese food last week that was such a disappointment, and now this review! That looks like some seriously tasty food. I had something at a different place recently similar to those rolls on the left, but the menu said the lá lôt was a Hawaiian leaf - seemed like it might have been taro leaf, but I've never had taro leaf that wasn't either steamed or stewed, so I can't really say. And big props to you for using the diacritical marks.

Wow. Sorry I'm late to this thread. Looks onolicious!

Pie is good. I have a horrible sweet tooth, so I love most pies. Particular favorites are lemon, chess, sweet potato/pecan and apple. I do believe that it's one of those items that somehow really suffers from mass production. I'm not sure if it's the methods, the recipes themselves or the lack of personality. Love, maybe. Homemade wins almost every time, IMHO. For non-homemade, it seems to me that it's easier to find good cobbler or crisp than to find good pie. How about Potluck and Pie? edit to add: I'm in either way.

I did have one rather embarassing incident with an Epoisses... [grin]

Thank you for your reply! Regarding your point about trying to stun yourself with umami, some theorize that we crave umami so that we are drawn to eat nutrient rich proteins and ripe fruits. It might be a deeply ingrained biological incentive that draws us to eat cheese... At least to my humble tastebuds and nose, there seem to be some shared qualities amongst food items which turn out to have substantial umami - prosciutto, aged cheeses (especially Parmigiano-Reggiano), truffles, fish sauce, miso paste, etc. I don't know if that is umami itself that I am perceiving, but they are wonderful things to taste and smell. I also find it fascinating that many have a savory usage as well as a sweet pairing or balancer in the context of their native cuisine, e.g. prosciutto and melon, grana and Balsamico, miso and sugar, etc.

There was some good discussion here on this Fish Sauce thread.

Steve, Thank you for participating in this Q&A. I was lucky enough to attend one of your smaller classes last year at the F&W Classic at Aspen, where your passion for all aspects of making and appreciating cheese was so poetic and compelling. In particular, I remember your lyrical description of a cheese made from sheep who graze on wild herbs. You are a cheese evangelist, and while I always had liked cheese before, I had a cheese epiphany that day. I am grateful to you for opening my mind and palate. A subject of interest to me and many others here is umami. Would you please share any thoughts you have about umami and if or how it relates to enjoying fine cheese? Thank you. ~Tad