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Crispy Chinese Chicken Salad at Ming’s of Palo Alto

I remember Ming's when it was on El Camino, in an area with no sidewalks, in the early 60's.

May 14, 2013
Alan408 in San Francisco Bay Area

Fresh herring?

I live in California (SF Bay Area), our herring season is ~Dec - Feb.

May 14, 2013
Alan408 in Greater Boston Area

In Search of a chicken enchilada-ish dippy thingie

Google: Bonnies Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip

No Beans.

May 11, 2013
Alan408 in Home Cooking

beef jerky places?

Lockeford Smokehouse, Lockeford

Corralitos Market, Corralitos

Swengils, Jackson

I don't remember the name, but there is a vendor at the Ferry Building Marketplace

Apr 11, 2013
Alan408 in San Francisco Bay Area

Behold.... the mantis shrimp!

I have seen them caught on fishing trips. They get snagged on a hook, accidentally.

Someone always thinks they are faster or doesn't believe it will hurt gets hit.

Apr 09, 2013
Alan408 in Food Media & News

Boiling maple sap debate

I have managed to get tomato sauce on the ceiling.

Perhaps the IL had the same experience.

Apr 06, 2013
Alan408 in General Topics

Canning using a lit match thrown in the jar to seal lids

Yes, you are correct, ice box, not fridge. I do this when "off the grid".

Apr 04, 2013
Alan408 in Home Cooking

Canning using a lit match thrown in the jar to seal lids

I have done it, leave ~2 inches of head space, put down a layer of foil. I don't use a match, but instead light a small piece of wax paper, maybe ~2" square, then twisted.

I learned this in the early 80's, have occasionally used it to prevent mold. There is a partial container of commercial tomato salsa in the fridge now that has been "preserved" using this method. For acid items, I put wax paper under the foil.

Apr 01, 2013
Alan408 in Home Cooking

What's the difference?

Prime is a USDA grade of beef.

Mar 31, 2013
Alan408 in General Topics

On rinsing rice

My method of rinsing. Put rice in a large bowl (~2-3 qt), add water to almost cover, using fingers of right hand, swirl the rice in the water for 15-20 seconds, or swirl ~20-30 times, change water repeat, change water repeat. After the third time the water is clear, if the water wasn't clear, I would increase the number of swirls. I would guess that I use a quart of water to wash 2 cups of rice.

FWIW, my brother does not rinse (my family calls it "washing"), my father does.

edit: in the olden days, rice used to come in cloth bags, the bags were labeled: "contains talc" or something similar, I don't see the on the bags of rice I buy now. Looking at a bag of rice, there are no instructions to wash/rinse, and the ingredients are: milled rice, no mention of talc.

Mar 31, 2013
Alan408 in Home Cooking

Simple, generic marnade for chicken?

Teriyaki.

Mar 23, 2013
Alan408 in Home Cooking

Good brand of miso paste?

SF Bay Area, I used to purchase plastics tub of miso, all of my local Asian markets carried it, went to a new upscale Japanese market, they carried many more varieties than my usual tub. I asked a clerk for a recommendation, he recommended a $12 brand vs the $3 brand I used to buy.

My uses are soup, salad dressings, fish seasonings . I noticed a difference, mild vs sharp for a year or so. I think miso changes as it ages, I think I can adjust things to my taste.

The expensive brand was mild compared to the inexpensive brand.

Mar 21, 2013
Alan408 in General Topics

Where to buy live fish (to steam at home)?

Maxim on De Anza, close to 85

Mar 19, 2013
Alan408 in San Francisco Bay Area

Sake help in South Bay

Imahara on Stevens Creek

Han Kook on Lawrence

A dry sake recommendation, Karatamba.

Mar 18, 2013
Alan408 in San Francisco Bay Area

How would you adapt this recipe so it doesn't have raw egg?

Sub for "raw egg" ?

Mar 09, 2013
Alan408 in Home Cooking

How would you adapt this recipe so it doesn't have raw egg?

Replace with mayonnaise, start w/ about 1T mayo per yolk.

Mar 09, 2013
Alan408 in Home Cooking

When did chowder in a bread bowl get to SF?

I think it was at Candlestick in the late 80's, chili in a bread bowl may have been first, mid 80's.

Mar 05, 2013
Alan408 in San Francisco Bay Area

What vegetables are good in pulled pork sandwhiches

Cabbage slaw is common, I like sautéed kale or spinach, carmalized onions

Mar 05, 2013
Alan408 in Home Cooking

How to reduce marinade to a sauce?

If you are happy with the taste but want a thicker sauce, bring to boil, reduce to simmer, add a mixture of cornstarch and water.

Making chicken teriyaki on the weber, I often boil the used teriyaki marinade until it coats a spoon and use it as a glaze.

Mar 05, 2013
Alan408 in Home Cooking

Bar staff practice: yea or nay?

I have seen servers "taste", I thought it was to "ID" the drink.

Mar 04, 2013
Alan408 in General Topics

Iodized salt for brining?

When I was young brining/salting/pickling things with my parents, aunts, uncles, grandmothers I was told to use non-iodized salt, the iodine made things taste bitter. When I started to make those foods by myself, I used iodized salt. Either iodized salt doesn't affect the taste , or I was able to compensate.

Mar 02, 2013
Alan408 in Home Cooking

Strange smelling chicken - what's up??

Sometimes I detect a slightly sour with dry hay overtones aroma, vs the rich "chickeny" scent of chicken soup.

Mar 02, 2013
Alan408 in Home Cooking

Roasting pan moat

It may be a moat or a ridge, it is to prevent the pan from warping or twisting.

If you want a flat roasting pan, they are available; they are thicker, heavier, and are more expensive.

Mar 01, 2013
Alan408 in Cookware

First Hong Kong Style Seafood?

Ocean Palace in San Jose opened in the late 70's. I first went there in 1982 and was told they had been open for 5 years. They were featured in the SJ newspaper in the mid-80's, at the time they also owned a diner in the Los Gatos area and another Chinese restaurant in SJ. Ownership changed in the 90s.

Chef Chu's in Los Altos was serving "Hong Kong inspired" dishes in the mid-70s.

Sep 20, 2012
Alan408 in San Francisco Bay Area

Help! Crockpot Criss for Tonite's Dinner!

The jarred spaghetti kind of sauce is often sweet, that will throw off the taste. Jarred salsa would be better, but don't double up on the spice, e.g., salsa has chili, your recipe includes chili.

Don't add water, use the salsa and back fill (qs) with chicken stock to have enough liquid for your venison.

Sep 19, 2012
Alan408 in Home Cooking

Whole Foods Insulated Reusable Bag - opinions?

I keep an ice chest in my vehicle for extended and hot weather shopping. In hot weather, I will also use "blue ice" and/or ice in "recycled" water bottles.

I don't know which version of the WF bag you have. Years ago, WF was using a foil lined bag. Based on my experience foil bags do not work as well as insulated bags, and even insulated bags require ice. My insulated bags were designed for transporting whole fish. The bag has ~1" of insulation on each side and is covered with vinyl.

If you want to keep you food cold, use ice.

Sep 18, 2012
Alan408 in Chains

All-Fruit Bars Recipes?

I don't know about fruit bars, but in the 70's, a neighbor used to make fruit leather.

Google fruit leather.

Sep 13, 2012
Alan408 in Home Cooking

what is bone notch for on kitchen shears? also shears for lefties?

Bone notch: I used it when making lillipop chicken. Take a chicken wing, remove largest part; looks like a small drumstick. Hold chicken part at the top (small end) scrape flesh down off of the bone towards the bottom (large end). I have seen it used to crack nut shells.

Sep 12, 2012
Alan408 in Cookware

How to Remove Aluminum from Bottom of Oven

I use aluminum foil as an oven liner, both regular and heavy duty foil, and disposable foil pans designed (made large and flat) for oven liners and have not had any sticking problems. I am doing this in both electric and gas ovens.

I am guessing that "food" got between the oven and foil and cooked/polymerized/burnt and this is acting as an adhesive.

I was thinking about something mechanical: scraping off the foil......oven is probably enamel over steel, what type of brush or 3M sponge product would remove the foil without scratching the enamel......Then I read NVJims suggestion, and I agree with him.

I would first research (read the manual) regarding cleaning the oven, e.g. some ovens have a self cleaning cycle, others require cleanser and elbow grease. If your oven can use oven cleanser, try that. A putty knife might come in handy.

Aug 24, 2012
Alan408 in Cookware

Timing for Pork Tenderloin on the Grill

Based on the size; I think you have boneless pork loin, not pork tenderloin. Different parts of the pig.

Indirect, over a foil pan (not in the foil pan) with some liquid (water, wine, combo), 350-375 until ~140 (turn and check temp ~30 min), remove, tent, and let rest. Taste the liquid in the pan, it may be useable in a sauce.

If you want to cook it in the pan, direct heat to brown all sides, then add some root veggies, then go indirect.

Aug 11, 2012
Alan408 in Home Cooking