Emmmily's Profile
Stretching money with beans without stretching my pants with flatulence
The Indian spice ajwain is supposed to do the same, as is fenugreek (methi). Taste them both first though, ajwain in particular is pretty distinctive. The gas is caused by a few kinds of sugars that your body just can't digest, so breaking them down will lessen the fart factor. I'm told long cooking helps with that; it's possible your high-heat method may have the same effect.
Cambodian/Lao cookbooks?
Update: 'Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet' just came in the mail a few days ago. Gorgeous, gorgeous book. Last night some friends and I made the Khao Soi (Chaing Mai Curry Noodles, pg 134) and the Makeua Oop ('The Best Eggplant Dish Ever', pg 159), neither of which is Cambodian or Lao (Thai and Shan, respectively), but both of which got serious rave reviews. The khao soi were actually better than those I ate in Chiang Mai last month, and pretty easy to make, though the page is now splattered with oil from deep-frying the noodle garnish. So major win with this one. Thanks again to those who suggested it!
Cambodian/Lao cookbooks?
Thanks all for the ideas! I ate at Elephant Walk a few years ago, and 'Hot Sour Salty Sweet' is already high on my wishlist. I actually just made a Burmese chicken curry with tomato and lime (and young jackfruit, since we didn't have enough chicken) for dinner tonight. The recipe was from a book called Curry Cuisine - the 'Myanmar & Maritime SE Asia' section is by Sri Owen, better known for her Indonesian cookbooks. I can't speak for its authenticity, but it was really delicious, served with Thai sticky rice and a version of the cucumber salad I ate in Laos.
Cambodian/Lao cookbooks?
Add Burmese to that list - I was at a Burmese restaurant last night and had some great tea leaf salad that I'd love to replicate.
Cambodian/Lao cookbooks?
I'm just wrapping up a trip to SE Asia, and the food's been fantastic. I'm already pretty familiar with Thai and Indonesian, but Lao and Cambodian were both new to me - I was particularly blown away by the meals I had in Luang Prabang. Does anyone have any recommendations of Cambodian and/or Lao cookbooks so I can have a go at making it myself? I wanted to buy the Spiders to Water Lillies book from Friends International in Phnom Penh, but it was too heavy for my suitcase, and Amazon lists it at $125 (plus shipping).
ID this (Indonesian) fruit!
That's what I get for skimming. Makes sense, since my host father definitely said it was from Sulawesi. Thanks for the correction :-)
ID this (Indonesian) fruit!
Success! I emailed the picture to my host sister, and she says it's matoa. This website (www.vivaborneo.com/buah-matoa-buahnya-bumi-cendrawasih.htm/comment-page-1) says it's native to Papua, and tastes similar to rambutan or longan, which sounds about right. Thanks to all who chimed in!
Substitute ingredients that (unexpectedly?) worked better than the original?
Related to some of the above suggestions:
-Almond and coconut milk for regular milk in oatmeal. Usually I do 3/4 cup almond and 1/4 cup coconut for 1 cup milk. Makes it super rich and creamy, plus non of those pesky dairy allergies I'd otherwise have to deal with. Lovely with a little vanilla and cinnamon or cardamom.
-Avocado instead of tahini in hummus. Turns it green but it's so smooth and lovely. (I think Trader Joe's sells something like this? There's no TJ's in my neck of the woods, sadly.)
-Maple syrup for sugar in certain teas, like earl grey or chai. More complex flavor.
ID this (Indonesian) fruit!
Definitely not snakefruit/salak or mangosteen; I know those well (love mangosteen, hate salak). It might be sawo, but all the pictures I found online of that look much less shiny, sort of dull, dusty exterior. If I remember right the flesh is fairly soft and there's a big pit in the middle you have to eat around, sort of like a date. Gandaria looks promising, but these are much darker in color. Puzzling...
ID this (Indonesian) fruit!
I spent this past summer in Indonesia, and one of the best parts was getting to try all the wonderful tropical fruits. (I fell in love with mangosteens.) One night my host father brought home this fruit. He said it was rare to find in Java, but that his sister has a tree she brought back from Sulawesi, where it's pretty common. Problem is I can't for the life of me remember what he called it. Not sure if you can tell the scale from the picture, they're maybe a bit under 2 inches long. Anybody know what they are?
Cookbooks you shouldn't have purchased...which books just didn't work for you?
I've yet to find a cookbook that interests me on Bookmooch, but I've got a great lineup of Calvin Trillin and other non-cookbook food writing on my shelf from there. And maybe if enough hounds join that'll change :-) I think it's already been well shown that one person's 'meh' cookbook is often another's 'yes please!'
New Haven, CT Restaurants
Ibiza, L'Orcio, Caseus, and Rice Pot are four of my favorites. There's some good discussion (and a useful map) here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/642791?tag=post-box-content;4926009#4926009
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L'Orcio
806 State St, New Haven, CT 06511
Caseus
93 Whitney Ave, New Haven, CT 06510
Chicken Satay and...
Gado-gado! Or rojak. Both are delicious (Indonesian rather than Thai though). I do my Indo cooking from Cradle of Flavor by James Oseland, which was a COTM (some discussion here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/616565?tag=post-box-content;4647084#4647084), but I'm sure a quick google would turn up recipes as well.
Getting My First Apartment, Total Foodie--What Is Absolutely Necessary to Buy?
There have been a few threads on this lately, with some good ideas and discussions:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/704184?tag=boards;topic-704184
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/622921?tag=boards;topic-622921
Restaurant.com places in the East Village
I used a gift certificate at Via Della Pace about a year ago and had a very enjoyable meal. Don't go in expecting culinary fireworks or anything, but I'd certainly go back.
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Via Della Pace
48 E 7th St, New York, NY 10003
Interesting Burger Ingredients?
What about some different meats? Ground lamb, pork, bison. I definitely second the bbq sauce idea (or tonkatsu instead). Spinach, feta cheese, pesto, guacamole or avocado slices, soy sauce, pickled ginger, caramelized onion, cajun spices... And how has nobody mentioned BACON?!
Resturant/food recs in Nice?
It's probably not the best or most authentic place out there, but I had a lovely ravioli dinner at La Tapenade in the old city. (Posted about it here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/694822?tag=boards;topic-694822). There was also a worthwhile place, also in the old city, which was just a counter with picnic tables in front, but I had some good lunches there. I wish I could remember what it's called; it was on the corner of two streets, with a big roof over the tables... If you're sightseeing anyway I'm sure you'll walk by.
Also try doing a search on the France board here. Not perfect, but it does a better job than google at getting Nice restaurants instead of just nice ones.
Have you had foods flown in to satisfy a craving?
I read recently that Prez Obama had such a craving for nasi goreng after his planned trip to Indonesia had to be canceled that he had some delivered from a restaurant in Bali. Man, the perks of being president...
www.thebalitimes.com/2010/04/01/obama-indonesian-homeland-fare/
ETA: Just noticed that this article was posted on April fools day, so take it with a grain of salt. Fun story in either case.
Minimal effect of NYC nutrition labels in restaurants
Agreed. I can't speak to the business owner side of things, but as a consumer - and an eater - I like to know what I'm eating, and if there's a sign in front of the banana bread saying 450 calories, I'm probably not going to eat it. But you're right, that's because I personally care about those things, and I've got bigger & better plans for those 450 calories. Someone else with other priorities/interests may well make a different decision (which they must be doing - NYC Starbucks still sell the baked goods, so enough someones must still be buying them), as may I under different circumstances - there are times when I want that bacon cheeseburger, calories be damned. But for those of us who do care, the labeling is much appreciated.
2 months in Malang, Indonesia
Thanks, that looks like a really useful website and a great restaurant. I'll have to pull out the dictionary and take some time to read it well. (Saya belajar bahasa Indonesia satu tahun, tapi saya belum pintar.)
Minimal effect of NYC nutrition labels in restaurants
It may not affect the choices of most consumers - this isn't the first article I've seen making that point - but it's sure affected me. I used to order the occasional pumpkin bread or cookie at Starbucks, but ever since they started posting the calorie counts - I'll stick to just the tea, thanks.
Barcelona in June: Tues, Wed and Thurs (and I don't eat fish or seafood!). Rec's please!
I don't eat any seafood either, but I was recently in Barcelona for a few days and ate wonderfully. I thin I had several pigs' worth of jamon ibirico, chorizo, and the like - fantastic stuff. I think the best lunch I had was in the Boqueria - instead of waiting on line at the crowded little tapas bars, I just wandered the market and ordered something small at each of the stalls I came across selling prepared food, of which there were quite a few. Ended with a carton of pieces of ham from one of the butchers for 2 euros. Fantastic way to spend an afternoon.
First Apartment Kitchen Necessities! I need help please!
I got some pretty good recommendations when I moved into my apartment last summer:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/622921?tag=boards;topic-622921
Amusing menu gaffes - what's yours? [moved from Boston board]
Drool... Though I might add a slice of cheddar.
Let's talk dan-dan noodles
What are gan dan niu ro mein? I tried googling and this thread was the only hit.
Let's talk dan-dan noodles
Thanks for the ideas! I'll try a few and report back. It's just so disappointing when an old favorite stops living up.
Let's talk dan-dan noodles
When I first went to Szechuan Gourmet on 39th St, I absolutely loved their dan-dan noodles. Recently, though, I've found them really uneven - a few months ago they had so much Szechuan peppercorn in them that my lips were tingling long after we left the restaurant; a few days ago they were barely spicy at all, and with not even a hint of peppercorns (the spicy cucumber salad, however, was fantastic). I'm about ready to give up on them there. So where else in Manhattan can I go to get my dan-dan noodle fix?
Help! What to do with ruined cheesecake?
Personally? I'd hand out spoons and have at it.
2 months in Malang, Indonesia
I just got accepted into a two-month-long language program in Malang, East Java (so excited!). I'll be staying with a family but definitely want to do some eating out as well. What's not to be missed?
