jmajor's Profile
Shelf-life of fresh Shitakes
One the best dishes that I've ever made with Shiitake in particular is when you quarter them and cut big squares (slightly larger than mushroom pieces) of napa or savoy cabbage. Simmer the lot with soy sauce, a little mirin (sweet sake), a little daishi (made from the mushrooms if they were dried or perhaps a little konbu or katsuo dashi), and bam...you have Yasai no Fukumeni! Which goes really well with a whole host of Japanese type foodstuffs. Yumm...for risotto I'd add some dried porcini and/or crimini mushrooms to balance the flavor of the Shiitake...but that's me.
Shelf-life of fresh Shitakes
My experience with them is that they have the potential to "last a long time"...the real issue is to check the gills underneath the caps for any evidence of sliming/decay. Since a fridge essentially is a dehumidifier you can dehydrate them to the point of them being of nearly the same quality that you would get if you purchased them dried. The trick is to put them in a space where there is good circulation. On the downside drying them in this fashion can also garner some unwanted flavors from other items that you have in your fridge.
Izakaya & Vancouver
Wow dogfish fish and chips...now that's different, at least to me, who serves that in town?
Unique Dining Opportunities in Vancouver
Thank you all for the suggestions, these sound like good place to start...I'll still have to dig deeper though especially with regards to places like of ZEN...my brother fishes for both whelks and lobster...lobster is WAY overrated compared to crab in my opinion the ease of access to the lobster flesh is what makes the price so freaking high really. Unique.....I heard that you guys get Neon Flying Squid up there, Sablefish, Caribou, Muskox??? Things that are really not accessible done here in Sunny San Diego.
Another example of foodstuffs...last summer we traveled up past San Francisco so we could have the opportunity to snorkel in frigid waters for Abalone!!! They make awesome sushi if you know how to prep it!
Izakaya & Vancouver
Ok now you guys have really assured that I will try this dish!! Dogfish still doesn't make much sense in terms of the amount of waste of material, but then again I've heard of worse abuses in the kitchen...I wonder if it might be skate instead? Skate is popular with Korean dishes and sometimes is used, if you know how to prepare it, to pass off as a "poor man's" scallop.
Unique Dining Opportunities in Vancouver
Coming up soon to visit for a week and my buddies and I are really looking forward to some unique culinary opportunities in your fair city... In particular we're looking for experiences that reflect and resonate with what Vancouver has to offer. Case in point, as I had my first experience to Montreal last year, I was very happy to have visited Schwartz's to sample the smoked meat as well as visit another restaurant to try poutine. Does Vancouver have such culinary gems? The recommendations do not necessarily have to be different as long as the foodstuffs in question are ridiculously good.
Cases in point..
If you want to try a truly authentic Mexican Style Taco, in San Diego, with a non traditional filling, you have to visit Tacos El Gordo and get the Suadero which is similiar in texture to Carnitas. Suadero is ultra tender, slow roasted shoulder of beef, which ends up crisping in it's own rendered fat...it's like Mexican taco style - duck confit!!!
There is a ultra tiny little noodle shop on the outskirts of Tsukiji Japan that has some of THEE best shrimp on the planet in their Ebi Tempura Soba. The shrimp we're plucked still kicking from a small tank and transformed into shrimp tempura in a matter of 2 minutes and placed atop a steaming hot bowl of Soba noodles with broth. From that day on, I have been essentially ruined for life in any attempts to eat a fresher shrimp! I was ruined for life eating Soba in the prefecture of Akita...but that's another story...
Izakaya & Vancouver
Thank you gentleman, and/or ladies if the case may be. I think I'll definitely go with the GUU rec. As someone who has been fortunate to sample all manner of foodstuffs, particularly seafood, I would be hard pressed to discover that "- Tako wasabi" can actually contain shark's fin, which is typically ridiculously expensive...seems more plausible if it is simply dried/reconstituted jellyfish but I'll give it a go. nankotsu karaage...takes me way back..they really do love this stuff ...nowadays one can argue that it's nature's glucosamine! Thank you both for the links.
Izakaya & Vancouver
3 buddies and myself are traveling to your lovely city at the end of this month for a bit of fun and having lived in Japan I've forgotten what it's like to be in a Japanese Izakaya....so what are your thoughts as to what is the best Izakaya that Vancouver has to offer? I'm also partial to tatami mats. Honti ni doomo arigatoo in advance.
