• 395 what we had yeste

    From MICHAEL LOO@1:123/140 to NANCY BACKUS on Thursday, May 16, 2019 11:22:14
    something in common. "It's amazing how good jockeys can be," said
    a dead-serious Ed Oldfield of Merit Club. "Eddie Arcaro and Bill Shoemaker were excellent players. They had such strong hands and
    wrists from handling those big horses and could hit a ball 240
    yards. Their weight transfer was amazing."
    That actually makes a lot of sense... I know my hands and fingers are stronger than they would otherwise be, due to my years of playing organ
    and piano... Transfers over into being able to do deep tissue massage
    well... :)

    People of all genders, persuasions, and professions
    used to come to me to open their jars and bottles
    because of my "violin hands." I'm not so good at it
    as once, though, and if you ask me nowadays you'll
    likely be disappointed.

    In roti canai, it can be just about any protein minced up,
    so it doesn't matter; in the shrimp cakes, the chicken was
    a surprise, no doubt caused by cost-cutting.
    Oh, well...
    In fact, in roti canai I've rarely seen any other protein
    than white chicken (got to use the stuff up somewhere);
    At CocoGarden, it probably is white meat chicken in the roti canai, but
    the sauce makes it palatable... ;)

    For sure. Especially if they use the good parts
    in their other dishes.

    in the shrimp cakes it might have been an advantage in some ways, because there are several roundeye objections I've heard to the
    dish - too fishy, too greasy, and too spongy. Using nice dry
    white chicken would alleviate all these three as well as allowing
    the restaurant to laugh all the way to the bank.
    So win-win, at least for some.... ;) I'd rather the shrimp cakes
    without the chicken.... but then I'm not so much a roundeye as I
    appear.... ;)

    The first time I had the dish I reflected on how
    greasy and spongy it was and that it could so
    easily be improved, but later the realization hit
    that the texture was intentional.

    It's still white meat, though... Agreed that the velveting should help some, though....
    Changes the flavor (not for the better) as well as
    the texture (for the better).
    And the flavor can be covered up....? (G)

    There are many things one can do to white meat to
    improve it. The more obvious are lilies (onions,
    garlic, shallots), wine (sherry, madeira, marsala),
    and mushrooms, wild or donestic. Oh, and butter.

    I usually try to get a dish that, even if not authentic, is
    something that the cooks will know how to make without relying
    on too many sauces from a 55-gallon drum (as Nicholas used to
    call them). I am suspicious of orange chicken/beef/scallops/
    whatever unless I make it myself.
    Dunno about this place.... might be worth one try.... don't have to
    repeat the mistake if it turns out so to be... ;)
    And bear in mind that Chinese Chinese stir-fries are fairly
    scantily sauced unless the kitchen is trying to correct for
    (i.e. hide) something.
    I'll do so.... :) As a matter of fact, plans are to go there for
    lunch tomorrow with another friend of mine... She's had takeout from
    there, never actually eaten sit-down... she lives nearby...

    Report back.

    You know how they use florets of head broccoli arranged in a
    circle around your main dish? Chinese broccoli, which is
    like broccoli rabe only weedier, just plain would not do for
    that. One could lay the stems in a line parallel to the
    protein, though.
    Yup... I can picture that... :)
    One could arrange the meat or fish down the center
    of the platter and do the stems on both sides.
    That could work, too... :)

    Or a circular platter with the vegetable stems
    arranged starlike pointing inward and the main
    event piled in the middle. Lots of things one
    can do, though I seldom bother with such.

    Might be... especially in years of bad growing seasons and harvests...
    It looks like we're going to have better and more
    frequent harvests now.
    We shall see... So far this year I think the rain's been a deterrant to getting the planting started...

    One looks in the long term, though this guy Jared
    Diamond predicts global collapse by 2050; MIT's
    World One project is said to have predicted a
    tipping point of 2020 and world disaster around
    2040 if vigorous steps aren't taken to reverse
    the trend (the study came out in 1973.

    There's a science-fiction-horror story the details of
    which I forget but that ends with the last surviving
    human seeing the landing of a spacecraft, out of which
    comes not an explorer but a real-estate agent (how he
    knows that isn't told). I'm wondering of Messrs. Orban,
    Erdogan, Putin, Maduro, Berlusconi, Modi, Khameini, and
    so on aren't the scouts for the real estate agents of
    the cosmos. That would explain some things.

    You have to go to one of the countries in question
    to see the full depth of the animosity.
    Oh, I do understand...
    Locally, too, there's the common enemy mindset. Not that whites
    are the enemy, exactly, but they're something to resist against.
    Perhaps....

    People band together in affinity groups defined
    by those with whom the groups have less affinity.
    It can be the Hatfields vs. the McCoys, but then
    it becomes in another context West Virginians vs.
    the world, then southerners vs, the world, then
    Americans vs. the world, and so on.

    No idea. Lots of other places to choose from, often ones we are heading to as we pass by... ;)
    Plus you have to go to Taste of Japan several
    times for each one visit to the other places.
    Not quite that bad... but can be close... ;) Taste of Japan does tend
    to be a default when one isn't up to making decisions... ;)
    It's good to have cultivated a relationship with the chef.
    That helps, too... We do have a rather long list of favored restaurants though... and like to get to them relatively frequently... ;)

    I'm handicapped by being more of a cook than an
    Eat, but still I have dozens of favored restaurants,
    so that's not a big stretch.

    I don't think I saw that so not likely Wegmans... unless they put
    apple in it, which would have been an instant nope...
    How about malic acid (an apple derivative)?
    Not sure about that... possibly it isn't an issue, along with the apple cider vinegar as an ingredient... High on the list, or too frequently,
    I'd probably be particularly careful....
    Probably harmless, as it turns out because it
    apparently occurs in almost all acid fruits.
    OK, then, probably is harmless... :)
    Title: Peach Ambrosia
    I don't think this is quite so harmless, though.... particularly with
    skim milk, and low-cal vanilla shake mix (probably some artificial
    sweetener in that)... ;)

    Heh. Malic acid itself, though.

    Petite marmite
    categories: California, celebrity, soups
    servings: 4

    3 c chicken broth
    1 c beef broth
    1 c leeks, cleaned, sliced diagonally
    1 c carrots, sliced diagonally
    1 c celery, sliced diagonally

    Combine in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
    Reduce heat and simmer 15 min until vegetables
    are tender.

    after Chasen's
    --- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5
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  • From NANCY BACKUS@1:123/140 to MICHAEL LOO on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 12:41:00
    Quoting Michael Loo to Nancy Backus on 05-16-19 11:22 <=-

    something in common. "It's amazing how good jockeys can be," said
    a dead-serious Ed Oldfield of Merit Club. "Eddie Arcaro and Bill Shoemaker were excellent players. They had such strong hands and
    wrists from handling those big horses and could hit a ball 240
    yards. Their weight transfer was amazing."
    That actually makes a lot of sense... I know my hands and fingers are stronger than they would otherwise be, due to my years of playing organ
    and piano... Transfers over into being able to do deep tissue massage well... :)
    People of all genders, persuasions, and professions
    used to come to me to open their jars and bottles
    because of my "violin hands." I'm not so good at it
    as once, though, and if you ask me nowadays you'll
    likely be disappointed.

    Yeah, my hands/fingers aren't as strong as they used to be, either....

    In roti canai, it can be just about any protein minced up,
    so it doesn't matter; in the shrimp cakes, the chicken was
    a surprise, no doubt caused by cost-cutting.
    Oh, well...
    In fact, in roti canai I've rarely seen any other protein
    than white chicken (got to use the stuff up somewhere);
    At CocoGarden, it probably is white meat chicken in the roti canai, but
    the sauce makes it palatable... ;)
    For sure. Especially if they use the good parts
    in their other dishes.

    Possible... :)

    in the shrimp cakes it might have been an advantage in some ways, because there are several roundeye objections I've heard to the
    dish - too fishy, too greasy, and too spongy. Using nice dry
    white chicken would alleviate all these three as well as allowing
    the restaurant to laugh all the way to the bank.
    So win-win, at least for some.... ;) I'd rather the shrimp cakes
    without the chicken.... but then I'm not so much a roundeye as I
    appear.... ;)
    The first time I had the dish I reflected on how
    greasy and spongy it was and that it could so
    easily be improved, but later the realization hit
    that the texture was intentional.

    Some things just tend to grow on you....? :)

    It's still white meat, though... Agreed that the velveting should help some, though....
    Changes the flavor (not for the better) as well as
    the texture (for the better).
    And the flavor can be covered up....? (G)
    There are many things one can do to white meat to
    improve it. The more obvious are lilies (onions,
    garlic, shallots), wine (sherry, madeira, marsala),
    and mushrooms, wild or donestic. Oh, and butter.

    Those all would help lots of things... ;)

    I usually try to get a dish that, even if not authentic, is something that the cooks will know how to make without relying
    on too many sauces from a 55-gallon drum (as Nicholas used to
    call them). I am suspicious of orange chicken/beef/scallops/ whatever unless I make it myself.
    Dunno about this place.... might be worth one try.... don't have to repeat the mistake if it turns out so to be... ;)
    And bear in mind that Chinese Chinese stir-fries are fairly
    scantily sauced unless the kitchen is trying to correct for
    (i.e. hide) something.
    I'll do so.... :) As a matter of fact, plans are to go there for
    lunch tomorrow with another friend of mine... She's had takeout from
    there, never actually eaten sit-down... she lives nearby...
    Report back.

    I did. (G)

    You know how they use florets of head broccoli arranged in a
    circle around your main dish? Chinese broccoli, which is
    like broccoli rabe only weedier, just plain would not do for
    that. One could lay the stems in a line parallel to the
    protein, though.
    Yup... I can picture that... :)
    One could arrange the meat or fish down the center
    of the platter and do the stems on both sides.
    That could work, too... :)
    Or a circular platter with the vegetable stems
    arranged starlike pointing inward and the main
    event piled in the middle. Lots of things one
    can do, though I seldom bother with such.

    If you were to be working in a restaurant, you might pay more attention
    to that sort of presentation thing... ;)

    Might be... especially in years of bad growing seasons and harvests...
    It looks like we're going to have better and more
    frequent harvests now.
    We shall see... So far this year I think the rain's been a deterrant to getting the planting started...
    One looks in the long term, though this guy Jared
    Diamond predicts global collapse by 2050; MIT's
    World One project is said to have predicted a
    tipping point of 2020 and world disaster around
    2040 if vigorous steps aren't taken to reverse
    the trend (the study came out in 1973.

    We might be around still to see if that happens.... although both are a
    bit stretching it for me even...

    There's a science-fiction-horror story the details of
    which I forget but that ends with the last surviving
    human seeing the landing of a spacecraft, out of which
    comes not an explorer but a real-estate agent (how he
    knows that isn't told). I'm wondering of Messrs. Orban,
    Erdogan, Putin, Maduro, Berlusconi, Modi, Khameini, and
    so on aren't the scouts for the real estate agents of
    the cosmos. That would explain some things.

    It could indeed.... but they probably wouldn't be aware of it, I'd
    think....

    No idea. Lots of other places to choose from, often ones we are heading to as we pass by... ;)
    Plus you have to go to Taste of Japan several
    times for each one visit to the other places.
    Not quite that bad... but can be close... ;) Taste of Japan does tend
    to be a default when one isn't up to making decisions... ;)
    It's good to have cultivated a relationship with the chef.
    That helps, too... We do have a rather long list of favored restaurants though... and like to get to them relatively frequently... ;)
    I'm handicapped by being more of a cook than an
    Eat, but still I have dozens of favored restaurants,
    so that's not a big stretch.

    We just had lunch at another Japanese restaurant locally (close to where
    my little sister works so that she could join us on her lunch break)...
    it was ok, but nothing great... probably be on our B list... the egg was machine made, the rice was decent enough though...

    How about malic acid (an apple derivative)?
    Not sure about that... possibly it isn't an issue, along with the apple cider vinegar as an ingredient... High on the list, or too frequently, I'd probably be particularly careful....
    Probably harmless, as it turns out because it
    apparently occurs in almost all acid fruits.
    OK, then, probably is harmless... :)
    Title: Peach Ambrosia
    I don't think this is quite so harmless, though.... particularly with
    skim milk, and low-cal vanilla shake mix (probably some artificial
    sweetener in that)... ;)
    Heh. Malic acid itself, though.

    Oh, that's probably ok... ;)

    ttyl neb

    ... When a clock is hungry, it goes back four seconds.

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