jcr1's Profile
Japanese Aluminium teapot
Thanks will... sorry joan... and yup, the museum's pot is 1 litre. It must have been past my bedtime...
Japanese Aluminium teapot
gold tone aluminum teapots/kettles
Here's a 4 qt size from the Japanese National Museum store in LA,
http://janmstore.com/111554.html or 369 E 1st St Los Angeles, California 90012 (213) 625-0414.
It's also available in different sizes from Soko hardware,
1698 Post Street, San Francisco , CA 415-931-5510
Finding kitchen stuff made in the usa
http://www.bestmfrs.com/
whips, mashers, turners, etc. from a great company in Portland, OR.
weird result on staub lid
so just christened staub dutch oven. pot roast. 4 hrs at 300. came out pretty darn good. before using, followed booklet that came with it - took about a teaspoon of oil (grapeseed in this case) on a cloth and wiped inside and top of lid. no residue. barely enough to put a few molecules here and there. Then warmed in gentle oven for 10-15. No sign of anything unusual - in either the pot or lid. However, instead of using the lid for self-baste, I used a sheet of aluminum foil as a sealer between pot and lid (decided to follow an ATK recipe exactly).
result - you know that sticky mess that happens when there's too much oil and too little heat when seasoning bare cast iron? yup! So half the underside of the lid has this, the other half (after washing with dawn and sponge) - is clean as the proverbial whistle. How's the pot you ask - just as clean...
Anyone else have this experience? I thought about the relatively low temp (cf traditional seasoning)... but there was literally no oil on the lid. And the aluminum foil kept it sealed away from the roast and veggies in the pot. No indication of anything through the foil - it was nicely intact.
Any thoughts?
Fox's-U-Bet
yup... iirc, that's supposed to be the best syrup to use. if it's not available around here, any suggestions? TY.
Fox's-U-Bet
Draeger's used to stock this but apparently no more. Tried Mollie Stone's. No luck there either. Any suggestions? Mid-Peninsula location preferred. Thanks!
inexpensive restaurants near civic center plaza?
a few students on a tight budget going into sf for a day and looking for an inexpensive (around $10-12 including tax and tip) restaurant to get a quick lunch around civic center plaza. style of food not critical. going to museum nearby so something within a few blocks would be great. one of us isn't that excited by sandwiches or soups so it would be nice if there were other possibilities too. thanks.
Northern Indian mkts & restaurants peninsula or south bay?
It seems like the Indian markets I've visited in the peninsula or south bay stock mostly southern Indian products. Suggestions are appreciated for markets (pen or sb) that focus on northern Indian products. This is for a friend from Delhi visiting for the year.
Also, any recommendations for restaurants (northern style cooking)? Thanks!
Friend is making lobster at our place for NY Eve, what sides should I have?
I hope you consider steaming the critters - boiling all to often gets them waterlogged. I love lobster with drawn or melted butter - and it's a classic for NYeve. However, for guests who might prefer something a bit lighter - you might also wish to offer a great Maine alternative - malt vinegar. A few drops are sufficient to bring out the sweetness of the lobster meat. There's another option for slightly more festive and formal dining (no bibs) - also a classic - lobster newburg. It's an elegant and rich dish. Total time including cooking, shelling and making the easy-to-do sauce is less than an hour. Make sure you use fresh herbs if you go this route. ATK Family Cookbook has a pretty good recipe.
I must repsectfully disagree with the suggestions for asian slaws, brussels sprouts or broccoli. I've always felt they were far too strong for steamed or boiled lobster. The colors might be nice but the flavor combinations never tasted right to me (well, it's to individual taste of course). I'd skip these particular veggies for a New Year's eve dinner.
Roasted asparagus should work OK though - the only concern might be a butter overdose. Cabbage, in the form of traditional cole slaw, works because it's pretty neutral to begin with and because of the moderating influence of the mayonnaise - but you may feel it's really for more casual meals or summer time.
Recommend a cookbook for a VERY novice cook?
oh-oh... this is a great question. the flip side is that you may get too many suggestions as everyone throws in 2.5ยข (me too)... anyway, America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook would be a great gift. FC has over a thousand basic (read this as traditional/classic) American recipes (or good mods to other cooking styles) with easy to read text and color photos. This is an ideal book for someone starting to cook or for someone who's been cooking since the... well, a long time.
List price is about $35 but it's often on sale at Amazon, the ATK/Cook's Illustrated website, or other booksellers.
It's a ring bound book so you can take out a page if you wish. Most recipes are very straightforward and do not require any special skills or exotic or unusual ingredients. FC recipes include cooking (from apps to desserts) and baking (breads, cookies, cakes, pies). There's also an excellent menu planning section with suggested menus for full up meals as well as a real index.
If someone follows the recipes exactly (sounds like your friend), the dishes will come out as advertised. If you've seen the ATK shows on PBS, you know how they test each recipe a times. Now, people may agree or not whether something turns out awesomely good or just so-so (or not even that) but that's a separate issue. As noted, the focus is pretty American classic/traditional.
My experience has been consistently positive. I've had more than a few requests for a "how'dja make that".
This is also a good book for someone on a budget since the authors seem alert to good outcomes at modest costs.
Shiitake mushrooms $2/lb... what's a girl to do?
Lucky you! Mushrooms freeze very well - raw, steamed, sauteed, etc. I freeze shiitakes all the time and with excellent results.
You might try a web search for "freezing + mushrooms". I believe there are lots of sites with suggestions for preparation (tray pack, dry pack, par boiling, etc.) and recommended storage times.
Malted Milk Question for Old Timers
You might consider Horlick's. It may be a bit less sweet for you. Horlick's makes great chocoIate malts - it's the standard for malteds at my nearby ice cream place. They get it from a local British store. I believe Horlick's has specific versions for worldwide markets (UK, India, etc.) so it may be worth sourcing online.
Best Peanut Butter - need help
For traditional peanut butter (no emulsifiers, added sugar, etc.) - Arrowhead Mills makes an outstanding product. Superb peanuts from Deaf Smith County, Texas (and no, I'm not from there and don't work for the company)... perfectly roasted... done right. Classic stuff for a jarred product.
The only problem is that it may be tough to find. Try a natural foods market or their website.
Arrowhead Mills also makes an spectacular almond butter... deep roasted with intense flavor... other products too - www.arrowheadmills.com
I have often found a problem with some peanut butters that are "freshly made" in a store or some farmer's markets. The problem is the peanuts... for example, everytime I've tried Whole Foods market PB, it tastes a bit stale and rancid... the quality of the peanuts doesn't seem very good either. Of course, it's best to try sample and check it out for yourself. Also, the machines or the settings on the machines often produce a somewhat coarse grind - on the other hand, having said all that, a farmer at my local farmer's market produces an intense, spectacular almond butter... so you never know...
For regular commercial peanut butter... if JIF is still like what i remember as a kid, you will find it very smooth with good flavor, color, and intensity...
videos stopped running
Videos (chow tips, the perfect, etc.) stopped running about 2 weeks ago. Before that, they were fine. Please note - there were no system changes. I run Adblock and Noscript over Firefox 3.5.3. Even when both of these are disabled, I still can't run the videos. All I get is text in the video window that says endlessly - "loading". Tried IE. Same thing. No video. Any suggestions re: settings? other? p.s., no problem displaying video from other sources or websites.
Purchasing Vietnamese coffee filters (phin) in south bay stores?
Any suggestions for peninsula or SJ markets or stores that stock them appreciated. I haven't seen them. Also, any recommendations for Vietnamese markets (could be the same place to get phin)?
My apologies if this is supposed to go elsewhere. This spot seemed logical since it's bay area specific.
JK Adams take two cutting boards
Any thoughts on the JK Adams take two cutting boards? Have you found any problems with warping or splitting? The boards are only 3/4 inch thick.
They look interesting - relatively low cost and light weight.
Peninsula detours for unique food shopping
Hi Robert, if feel like a snack or two... sushi monster has done a great job of checking out and reviewing all 62 sushiyas from Burlingame to Cupertino as well as the 49 tacquerias in RWC. His website http://www.emeraldlake.com has detailed reviews of both. The short stretch on Middlefield in RWC just south of Rt. 84 / Woodside Road is pretty amazing... definitely lots of great choices for a taco fix, certainly worth a detour and you are only 5 minutes on Middlefield from downtown PA.
Peninsula detours for unique food shopping
About the milk pail - reasonable selection and good prices - however, perhaps it's just me, but I find the entrance area and parking area near the store smells of ah'hm, an overdose of (NH2)2CO and other stale nitrogen compounds. phew! It's pretty gross - especially on warm days. This may be the responsibility of the strip mall but a serious wash down is long overdue.
Peninsula detours for unique food shopping
Shane has a pretty good list. Definitely agree about Beltramo's. Weimax in Burlingame is smaller but has some interesting stock. I'm really surprised no one mentioned K&L (3005 El Camino in Redwood City near Atherton line). Sure, it's in SF but the RWC store is much larger and is their base. Big on Bordeaux. Tasting room. Call first.
NB, Beltramo's usually has tastings Sat. afternoons. Worth checking out. VinVino on California Ave in PA has followers (tastings too) but some people (me for one) may not like their style - I've found the counter folks a bit, well, haughty. It's a small shop with some careful selections.
Dittmer's is interesting - not many old time butcher shops around - though all the smoked items seem to have the same kind and degree of smokiness... housemade brats, swedish sausages, etc.
For Japanese goods and markets - One more for Nak's in Menlo Park (Chestnut St is 2 blocks in from EC off Santa Cruz) - tiny market that's packed to the gills with Japanese, Indonesian, and Dutch items. Family has run this for 40 years. Marukai (from LA) recently opened a big Japanese supermarket at 19750 Stevens Creek in Cupertino (x-times bigger than Nijiya, about the same size as Mitsuwa at 280/Saratoga) - but no hot food (deal with the city) but there is a Beard Papa next door for cream puffs... Nijiya market in Mountain View (143 E. El Camino at Grant) has pretty good prepared food - nikujaga, broiled fish, okonomiyaki, and croquettes as well as sushi and rolls.
Need Amazing Lobster Roll Recipe Please!!
If it's practical - the bun is part of a "traditional" lobster roll. If you search for new england style hot dog buns or similar on chow.com or google, you may find a retail spot close to you - and that will also get you back in time for prep and dinner...
The buns' cross-section is square. They don't taste like typical hot dog buns either. Butter the sides then grill 'em or put in fry pan until toasted. Then fill 'em up. And if you don't have 'em... that's ok too... it's still gonna be great.
ps, whatever recipe you use - you want just enough mayo to hold the salad together - lobster is the deal here.
Matcha Green Tea Powder---what brand? where to buy? what to do with it?
Just a reminder - after opening, matcha should be refrigerated and stored in an air tight container. Hope you enjoy it.
your favorite mandoline?
For an efficient, easy to clean "mandoline", it's hard to beat the simple, fixed blade, fixed height (fraction of an inch) hand-held plastic slicers (various widths) you would find at an asian market (esp. Japanese markets). The US equivalent of a 100 yen store (Daiso or IchibanKan, if you are on the west coast) would carry this for about $1.50.
For something a bit more sophisticated, the Benriner mandoline (several models available from asian stores or by mailorder) is a great choice - it is inexpensive (as low as $20-25 on supersale for standard width), comes with several blades for various cuts, blade height is adjustable, is easy to clean, and is distinctly compact (about 1" high).
Wood Framed "Strainer" - what's it called!
If you are near a Japanese dollar store in the US (Daiso or Ichibankan), you may find small ones (6-7 inches dia., metal frame) for $1.50. I doubt they are strong enough for serious work but are probably fine for sifting flour and light tasks. Occasionally, you might also find better quality but still reasonably priced ones (say $10) in the housewares sections of some Japanese supermarkets. And of course, it's worth trying other asian supermarkets too.
Cornbread [split from Boston board]
Barmy... looks great! what size skillet for best results?
Mirin and Sake for cooking. Suggestions?
You might like Takara Masamune mirin (takarasake.com, Berkeley, CA). It's an excellent product - perhaps a bit on the sweet side (even for mirins). It has no added salt so it may be a good flexible all-around ingredient. Takara regular mirin (the main brand) is an great option too.
Of note - often imported mirin may have salt added to it - not always a good thing. I understand it's a way to avoid certain duties (since it's no longer considered an "alcoholic" beverage). Perhaps someone else might know for sure.
rendered duck fat -- what do you use it for?
The suggestions re: duck fat and potatoes are great. An old classic: cook hash browns very slowly (it's key for this dish) - perhaps 25 to 30 minutes. Let them cook mostly undisturbed. The goal is to get a really good crust.
Finish (last 30-45 seconds or so) with some minced garlic and a handful of chopped Italian parsley. Salt to taste.
Ask Sushi Man
I'd heard that only a few companies control much of the import/catch of sashimi/sushi grade fish in the US market. Does anyone know whether this is true? Or is the market perhaps more regionally based?
Separately, how much leeway might a local sushi-ya have in purchasing fish? How wide is the quality range of fish from local suppliers or importers? Are there things we might be interested in learning about the distribution process?
where to buy a butane portable in NH?
You might consider an Iwatani butane stove. This type stove is very common for tabletop cooking in Japan, for example, is safe to use indoors, and is inexpensive. In the SF Bay area, you can find the stoves for as little as $25-26 at local Asian supermarkets. I don't recall that many Asian markets in NH but perhaps you can seek one out on your next trip to Boston or find a good source and price online (there are many onine vendors so try google. also - you will probably see prices much higher online - perhaps $45-50).
Butane canisters cost less than $1.5-2 hereabouts (more online) and last for a couple of hours or more at moderate flame levels. The ZA-3 model puts out 10K BTU, the 35-FW will generate 15K BTU. Turn the dial and auto-ignition fires it right up. The cooking surface is large and stable. The stove is ideal for picnics. Try iwatani.com for more information.
I have the ZA-3 and use it frequently. It is reliable, efficient, and very well made. Both units have a patented safety valve (see the website for info). I found the 10K output provided plenty of heat for cooking. I suspect the 15K unit is a real blowtorch.
I've seen a couple of other brands (one foreign for about the same price, one domestic for much more) but don't believe they are made to this quality level.
otoshibuta (wooden drop lid) in Bay area?
Does anyone know whether any of the local SF bay area stores stock a traditional otoshibuta made in Japan? These are a circular wooden drop lid, cedar traditionally but sometimes made with other woods? Especially one made with just 2 pieces of cedar. base plus handle. no glue if I recall. I'm currently using a substitute made of metal (sort of ok). Can also substitute with parchment / aluminum foil cut-out but would like to get a traditional drop lid.
Everything I've seen so far has been made elsewhere and always with strips of wood glued together, cut into a circle, and then pegged together with some kind of glue holding the pegs... Thanks!
