#you sweet little Sou' Westerner

[thesudrianchronicles]

Got a new book, got inspired by @mean-scarlet-deceiver doing this with the G&SWR books.

The Author thinks about L&NW exiles on the Sou' West:

"Curiously enough, it was of the L&NW that I thought in our extermity. The L&NW - hardly a railway publication could you open without accounts of the prowess of their engines - George the Fifths, Prince of Wales, Claughtons. And they had hunderds of them! Surely they could spare a few to run our trains more efficiently. I pictured a Claughton on the Pullman, a George the Fifth on the 5.10p. Glasgow to Ayr, a Prince of Wales on the Stranraer Road. A wilder flight of fancy glimpsed a Claughton tearing down fron Dalnaspidal with a 2-4-0 Jumbo as pilot. I did not know, or had forgotten that such locomotives would require a somewhat severe haircut and shave before they could have gone under some of our Scottish bridges."

- Legends of the Glasgow & South Western Railway in LMS days by David L. Smith

#real true railway stuff #the glasgow and south western #I dare not think how much they would need to trim off on a Claughton! #You think he (the author) was just hoping for anything not from the Caledonian? #Oh David #you sweet little Sou' Westerner #David l. smith #Scottish Railways

[makeitmingi]

The Cat and Dog Game [Chapter 18]

Genre: Romance, Fluff, Comedy

Pairing: Yunho x Reader (y/n)

Characters: Chef!Reader, RestaurantOwner!Yunho, MaitreD!Hongjoong, Waiter!Yeosang, Waiter!San, Waiter!Mingi, SousChef!Seonghwa, SousChef!Wooyoung, PrepChef!Jongho

Summary: Yunho's dream was to open and run his own restaurant. But he doesn't know anything when it comes to cooking. Until you came along and accepted the job, bringing with you a small crew. How will the black cat tame the energetic golden retriever?

Word count: 3.3K

"Hwa hwa, you know I love you the most, right?" You threw your arms around the male, hugging him with a sweetest grin that you could muster. Seonghwa raised an eyebrow as he stared at you, more like glared at you.

"Yeah right. The only time (y/n) tells Seonghwa hyung she loves him is to get out of trouble." Jongho snorted.

"Shut up, Jongho." You hissed.

"Be nice." Seonghwa hit the back of your head, making you sulk. Seeing this as the perfect opportunity, Wooyoung wrapped his arms around your waist to back hug you.

"Woo~" You squirmed. Seonghwa sighed, stroking your head. He knew that you already knew what he was going to say.

"Are you tired?" He asked.

"Not at all. It was nice and relaxing. I needed this, to keep myelf busy." You looked up at him. Seonghwa, Wooyoung and Jongho knew what you meant.

"Plus, Yunho is good company." You added. All 3 boys looked up at Yunho, who was just standing there, trying to eavesdrop and watch what was happening without being noticed. He blinked when he realised that all the stared were at him. Embarrassed that they knew he was there, he cleared his throat.

"He made sure I sat down to rest after. And you! You're interfering with my coffee drinking! Even made sweet innocent Yunho turn against me." You raised a hand to hit Seonghwa.

"I-I made her a h-hot chocolate." Yunho confirmed, a little flustered to hear you call him 'sweet' and 'innocent'.

"Good. Now let's get to work." Seonghwa said, patting your head and completely ignoring you.

"I only need to fill my pasta. I'm letting my galbi and broth simmer for as long as I can let it. My garnishes and toppings are prepared." You told them.

"I'll start on apps with you?" Jongho offered. You nodded, about to walk when you noticed Wooyoung still latched to your waist.

"Wooyoung! Let me go." You patted his back. He puckered his lips in a pout before he unwillingly let you go.

You wore your apron again and went to wash your knife. This night was slightly different. With everyone working on their own dish, there wasn't a clear sous, prep or head chef. All of you just split the shared tasks while working on your own.

"Oh, wait. Let me check on the ice cream." You put your knife down and went to churners to check the consistency of the ice cream. Once they were done, you put them in the freezer.

"What's for dessert?" Yunho asked.

"That was smoked milk and vanilla ice cream. We're serving that with red bean jelly cubes, pieces of injeolmi rice cake and an almond tuile."

"Like flavours of patbingsoo but elevated." Seonghwa informed. You nodded in confirmation.

"For Western dessert, we're doing a burnt white chocolate panna cotta with raspberry swirl meringues, a passionfruit coolis and fresh mango cubes over." Jongho added.

"That sounds really nice. But burnt white chocolate?" Yunho leaned forward on his hands.

"Well, not burnt. More caramelised. White chocolate on its own is very sweet. But cook it until it becomes brown and caramelised, the flavour is a lot better and easier to balance." Wooyoung explained. Yunho nodded in interest. You continued working on the appetisers with Jongho.

"Hweh crudo. Take the marinated fish slices and roll it up with pea shoots, scallions and shredded perilla leaf. Minari (Water dropwort) jeon." You listed.

"We need to prep gujeolpan (plate with small wraps and 9 delicacy toppings)." Jongho reminded.

"Right. Then the confit tomatoes with pickles." You checked.

"I'll do the roasted eggplant with black olive doenjang and ponzu. Almost done here." Wooyoung voiced out as he worked on his dish at his bench. The door opened, the others entering.

"We're here early to help!" San declared loudly with his arms raised. Hongjoong and Yeosang shushed him.

"You can help us with the appetisers. Get aprons and wash your hands." You said.

The 4 main kitchen crew took turns. After Seonghwa and Wooyoung stepped in to guide those that didn't know their way around the kitchen, you and Jongho could work on your mains.

"Yunho, want to help me with my pasta?" You asked. Yunho's head shot up, looking for where you were in the kitchen before leaving Mingi and his task to go to you. He smiled excitedly as he bounded over like a puppy.

"So we need to shred the meat for the pasta. This is the galbi. Take two forks and pull them apart." You demonstrated.

"I can do that! And that smells so good." He pointed to the galbi. Grabbing a tasting spoon, you let him indulge in a bite. But soon, you had others around.

"Hey!" Yunho protested as you fed San, Mingi, Yeosang and Hongjoong too.

"Alright, get back to work." He scolded them. You stayed beside Yunho, rolling out the pasta dough.

"You don't need to shred every single piece entirely. You can leave them in different size pieces." You told Yunho. He nodded with a hum, sneaking a bite before continuing.

"Stop stealing the food." You scolded him with a laugh. Yunho grinned cheekily.

"I want to do Yunho's job too." Hongjoong whined.

"No! It's my job." Yunho barked back. He liked working with you, like your personal sous chef. Yunho watched you measured the dough with a ruler and cut it. You took bites of meat that Yunho had already shredded and placed it in the middle before closing it, joining the ends together.

"Ooh, can I try?" Yunho asked with sparkling eyes. You nodded and Yunho put the forks down temporarily for you to slowly demonstrate how to fold the pasta dough.

"Not too much filling or it'll burst." You advised.

"Yeah, just like that. Press the two ends." You leaned over to see Yunho's one.

"I'll finish up here and continue that." He smiled proudly, putting it aside before finishing his previous job of shredding the meat. Once he was done, he helped you fold the pasta.

"I'm not as fast as you." He pouted.

"You just started. I would already say you're already doing a great job." You smiled.

"Thank you." Yunho blushed from your compliment. He continued to make the pasta with you. You momentarily stepped away to check the seolleongtang broth that was bubbling away on the stove, giving it a taste to make sure it was getting there.

"How is it?" Yunho asked when you stepped back into your original spot. You looked up at him and nodded, telling him how the progress of the stock has been.

Unbeknownst to the two of you, there were a few sets of eyes staring at the two of you chat in your little corner. It was like you were in your own bubble, smiling as you chatted and made the pasta together.

"That's cute." Wooyoung noted. Yeosang nodded in agreement. Hongjoong let out an affectionate chuckle.

"They're in their own world over there." San chuckled.

"They're just talking, how is that cute?" Mingi blinked, completely missing what everyone was talking about. Hongjoong patted Mingi's shoulder sympathetically.

"It's okay not to get it, Mingi ah." Hongjoong chuckled. Seonghwa stared for a second, unknowingly clenching his jaw.

"Seonghwa hyung?" Jongho called out, breaking his brain fog. The look Jongho cast him, Seonghwa knew he had been caught spiralling in his brain. He was reminding the elder that he wasn't alone in the room. Clearing his throat, Seonghwa focussed on the cutting baord in the front of him.

"We're done here. Anyone need help on anything?" You came back to the center of the kitchen where everyone was still working.

"Appetisers are almost done. Do you want to start the dessert components with me?" Seonghwa asked you in a gentle voice. You nodded your head.

"Let's get the panna cottas in the fridge to set." You both went to get the ingredients from the walk in and pantry.

"Thanks for all the help, guys. But if you need to go prepare the front for tonight. Just go ahead, we've got it handled." You said to the 5.

"We should bring in the washed plates for tonight." Yeosang said. He and San went out to bring the plates in for the kitchen crew to use to plate the food on.

"Who is working the pass tonight?" You asked.

"I can be the main. But we'll have to rotate from time to time." Wooyoung volunteered.

"Sure. Just tap out when you need someone to take over." Seonghwa and Jongho agreed. With a small crew, this was how you had to make things work. You couldn't afford to have one person just at one station the whole night.

Soon, the crew that works the front of the restaurant all were busy trying to set up for the night, leaving only a few in the ktichen to work with your kitchen crew.

"Actually, Mingi. I would love to speak with your mother about cooking eels, preparing and procuring them." You said.

"I'm sure she'll be happy to share that knowledge with you, (y/n). She loves talking about food." He chuckled.

"Maybe she can give me her eel supplier. I would love to explore it as an ingredient more. Surprisingly, I have not been that exposed to working with it." You sighed.

"My mum's the right person to go to then. I should bring you to the restaurant one day." He replied.

"I'd love that." You had a small smile on your face.

"Let's cook the staff meal first. I have feeling we might end later than we usually do and we'll be too tired to cook for ourselves then." Seonghwa suggested. You checked the clock, about to decide what to whip up quickly for everyone but San and Mingi came over, volunteering to cook.

"You guys are busy enough. We'll take over and cook something up." San smiled.

"Thanks, guys." You, Seonghwa, Wooyoung and Jongho were very grateful that they stepped up and volunteered. San and Mingi were the best cooks out of the 5 so you weren't too worried.

"Shall we make curry rice?" Mingi suggested, holding the cubes of Korean curry up.

"I know how to make that." San laughed. The two began chopping vegetables, adding whatever meat they could find.

"Is anyone using these?" San came out of the walk in with a few packs of chicken thighs and sliced pork belly in his hands. You all shook your heads.

"I'll cook the rice. You start slicing the meat." Mingi instructed and went to get the rice cooker. The 4 of you made sure to be around them in case the two needed help. But San and Mingi were confident, they didn't want to ask for help.

"Mingi, sorry. Just a few minutes. Yunho needs another tall person to help." Hongjoong poked his head into the kitchen.

"Coming." Mingi went out.

"Hi, (y/n)ie." San smiled when you moved opposite him to check on the pasta that you made with Yunho earlier. You chuckled at the casual way he called you.

"Hi, Sannie." You returned the greeting. San looked up in surprise but smiled nonetheless, his dimple popping through.

"So are you excited for your parents to come tonight?" You asked him. He nodded.

"My parents live rather far in the countryside but when they visit, it is always a treat. I hope my older sister comes too. I miss all of them." San said.

"They must be really nice."

"They are. They treat everyone like their family." He laughed. You wondered what it must be like to have such a warm, welcoming family. Maybe your family would have been like that if your mother was still around. But even then, your father was someone that never liked you and your mother to be too friendly to others.

"(y/n)." Seonghwa called you. You looked up to see Seonghwa nodding over to where he was. Shooting San a small smile, you went over to him.

"Okay?" He whispered as you stood beside him. You let out a small hum, helping him with the dessert.

-

After a quick dinner, the kitchen was bustling for dinner service. You knew the parents came when the boys were all greeting them loudly and excitedly in the dining room.

"Hey." Yunho came in with all the parents behind him. You all stood up, bowing respectfully. He introduced whose parents were whose and the family members. Yunho's younger brother looked like him.

"Please, don't let us bother you. Or interrupt your flow." Mrs Song chuckled, waving a hand. She knew what it was like working in the kitchen, owning her own restaurant. You all returend to your food prep tasks.

"I'm Wooyoung. That's Seonghwa hyung, Jongho and (y/n)." Wooyoung, who was the closest, introduced all of you.

"(y/n). The head." Even if you were not looking at them, you felt all eyes fall on you. Jongho nodded at you, assuring that he could handle it. You straightened up and walked over.

"Nice to meet you." You bowed to them.

"Omo. You're so pretty." All the mothers flocked to you, cooing at you affectionately. You grew flustered, unsure of what to do or how to react.

"Okay, ommas. Let's give her some space." Yunho cut in, separating them from you. The fathers merely chuckled, shaking their heads while the mothers scolded Yunho.

"How talented you are. I heard you've been in many reputable kitchens at your age." Mrs Jeong said sweetly, holding your hand.

"Ah, no... It's all just for experience. I'm thankful for all the opportunities given to me." You gave an awkward smile. Yunho cleared his throat and his mother pulled away, shooting her son a look. You bowed your head and went back to help, not wanting to leave the others on their own for long.

"Alright, we shall let them get back to work. Let's go back out." Yunho ushered all of them out of the kitchen. He let a sigh, hoping his mother didn't scare you too much.

"What happened?" Mingi asked.

"Our mothers were smothering (y/n)." Yunho rolled his eyes as the parents took their seats.

"Hyung, (y/n) and those guys are so talented. Why would they want to work for you?" Gunho asked. Yunho shot his younger brother a flat look while Mr Jeong nudged his youngest son.

"Because I am an amazing boss, okay?" Yunho scoffed.

"Mmm, sure." Yeosang coughed. Hongjoong handed out the menus to the parents for them to see what they would like to order.

"Omma, order (y/n)'s dish. I helped make it." Yunho leaned over, pointing to which dish you made on the menu. Mrs Jeong nodded with a hum.

"Hyung helped make it? I'm so not going to order it." Gunho shook his head. Mingi snickered, reaching over to hi-five him. Yunho threatened to hit them. But in the presence of other customers, he wasn't going to.

"Order coming in for the VIP tables." Wooyoung warned as he started to read off the order slips that were coming through.

"Let's go." You all began to work on the appetisers together that would be served first. Wooyoung, at the pass, would finish up with sauces and garnishes before sending the plate out to be served.

"Service." Wooyoung put the plates out for the other boys to bring out to the table.

"Let's start getting ready for mains so we can fire once they are done with apps. In case we need to float." You said to everyone.

"How is it going in here?" Yunho came into the kitchen. You were straining your seolleongtang stock, getting it ready to plate the mains later.

"How are the appetisers?" Seonghwa asked, setting up his oven smoker with the tea leaves for his duck.

"Oh, they love it. Every single dish, I had to stop them from ordering seconds before the mains. But at least they're all excited for the mains now." Yunho grinned proudly. When you were done, you helped Jongho with setting up his binchotan grill for the cod fillets. Yunho came over to you.

"Need help?"

"No, we're good here. You should go out and be with your parents. In case they need anything." You put a hand on his arm. Yunho pouted but nodded, obediently leaving the kitchen.

"We can start firing the mains." Wooyoung said, having observed the dining room from his position at the pass.

"Gunho looks like Yunho. A younger version." You chuckled as you took the pasta out of the boiling water. You missed the odd look that your friends shot you.

"Cuter?" Jongho asked, wanting to add fuel to the fire.

"Maybe." You shrugged.

"What?!" The door burst open and Yunho yelled in disbelief, making you all jump in shock. Hongjoong, who was outside, bowed in apology to the surprised customers before hurriedly pushing Yunho in the kitchen.

"Geez, Yunho! There are customers! You can't just suddenly yell like that." He scolded in a hiss before exiting to return to the dining room.

"Yunho, don't do that. You're disrupting customers and it's not safe where we're working with knives here." You frowned.

"Wait, do you seriously think Gunho is cuter than me?" Yunho planted his hand on the counter, blocking your way with his body. Seonghwa, Wooyoung and Jongho snickered.

"Does it matter? Now, I need to plate my dish." You said, walking around him to go to the plates.

"Yes, it matters to me!" Yunho threw a tantrum, stomping his food as he whined.

"(y/n)~" He whined when he realised that you were ignoring him. You plated each pasta on each plate, making sure the positions of each pasta was accurate and similar. He leaned down in front of you.

"(y/n), tell me I'm cuter than Gunho." He said. You rolled your eyes, patting his head to pacify him then walking to get the seolleongtang into a jug so you could pour it over the pasta. Yunho sulked, following you around like a puppy with separation anxiety. You poured the broth over, garnishing with two oils.

"Pass me the egg garnish." You instructed. Yunho sighed but handed the containers for you to put the garnishes over.

"Bring these out for service, will you?" You told him and went to prepare the other portions. Seonghwa, Wooyoung and Jongho called the others for service too.

"Yah. Don't just stand there. Keep moving." Mingi clicked his tongue as he carried the dishes in his hands.

"We might have a little lull time before dessets." Wooyoung said.

"(y/n). Tell me I'm better than Gunho." Yunho came in again, still pushing his agenda. You raised an eyebrow at him. He was seriously a pouty puppy.

"I don't know Gunho well enough to know if you're truly better than him. That's biased." You pointed out.

"True." San, who overheard, voiced in agreement. Yunho whipped around, glaring at San.

"Get out." He pointed at the door. San scoffed and rolled his eyes before going out. Turning back around, Yunho saw that you had slipped away. You were still doing the few orders for mains and appetisers that came in.

"Service." You handed the plates to Wooyoung. Yeosang came in to take them out to the dining room. Seonghwa and Jongho also served what they finished working on. Yunho brought them out.

"Let's take 5." Seonghwa suggested. You stepped out the back door for a breather. Yunho came back to find you missing.

"I'm just taking a breather, Yunho." You said when he stepped out of the back door.

"I know." He said, taking a seat beside you on the stoop. With his body practically brushing against yours, you didn't move away uncomfortably. You sat there in silence.

"Why were you so adament on me thinking you're better than Gunho? It doesn't matter what I think." You asked with a chuckle.

"No, it matters to me." Yunho said firmly.

"Why?"

"Because you can't like Gunho. I want to be the only one that you like." He frowned.

~

Series masterlist

#kpop #kpop scenarios #kpop series #ateez #ateez scenarios #ateez series #ateez x reader #ateez imagines #ateez yunho #yunho ateez #yunho #yunho scenarios #yunho series #yunho x y/n #yunho x you #yunho x reader #jeong yunho #jeong yunho scenarios #jeong yunho series #jeong yunho x reader

[jamesworrell007]

Best Restaurant to Eat in with Family in Bangkok

Bangkok has consistently been a foodie heaven, with knockout dinners on pretty much every square. While the road food here is still best in class, the city has likewise rethought itself as of late with an extraordinary cluster of top notch food alternatives and incredible connoisseur choices from around the world. Indian Chef Garima Arora will astonish your sense of taste with lovely takes on Asian charge utilizing the freshest privately sourced fixings at the honor winning Gaa, while Thai cook Bee Satongun has won culinary expert of the year respects just as being granted a Michelin star for her brilliant real Thai manifestations at Paste. Mezzaluna, set 65 stories up at the Lebua, has Bangkok's best view, however it additionally has 2 Michelin stars and the honor winning food of Japanese cook Ryuki Kawasaki. Other really great Thai-impacted spots incorporate the interesting manifestations at Canvas and the extraordinary Thai tasting menu at Saawaan. For valid elusive Thai dishes at exceptionally reasonable costs, both Supanniga and The Local are the best places around, and on the off chance that you need Isaan northeastern flavor, head to consistently packed Baan Som Tam.

It's not just Thai food that guests are coming to Bangkok for the time being however. Notwithstanding Gaa, Japanese highlights profoundly on the Bangkok menu. For innovative sushi, Isao will take your breath away and is most likely the lone eatery in Bangkok that has a line out the entryway 365 days per year. There are a large number of Italian spots to look over, however for a genuine trattoria, head to Appia. For French, Le Normandie not just serves the best haute food French for a significant distance, yet it additionally has two Michelin stars. You most unquestionably will not be going hungry in this city.

Also Check out Bangkok Pet Friendly Apartments for Rent

Canvas - THONGLOR

Material, granted a Michelin star in the most recent (second) release of the Michelin Bangkok Guide, features privately sourced Thai fixings, a considerable lot of which coffee shops may not be comfortable with, presenting great six and nine-course tasting menus of nearby top choices that have been given a global contort utilizing reformist cooking techniques. The eatery additionally features the incredible culinary abilities of Chef Riley Sanders, who along with a heavenly and efficient group, runs an amazing open kitchen, getting burger joints one of Bangkok's best gastronomic encounters.

Sanders hails from Texas, and after a stretch at the famous Uchiko Japanese combination café in Austin, went to work with 3-star Michelin Chef Laurent Gras at the eminent L20 in Chicago. Be that as it may, following this he shunned ascending the conventional stepping stool and rather got a position cooking on a personal ship, where he was given free imaginative reach in the kitchen, permitting him to sharpen his specialty considerably more. All the more significantly, the work gave Sanders both the time and cash to travel, his other energy, and he left out traveling all throughout the planet, tasting his way through business sectors, road food, and fancy foundations everywhere on the globe.

Material is the result of Sanders being attracted to Bangkok and its astounding culinary culture, and he's raised neighborhood and regularly exceptional fixings higher than ever. Take the soy-smoked ruler mackerel arranged sous vide and presented with an orgasmic glue made of subterranean insect eggs, dill, and horseradish. Sanders says that this was enlivened by Western "shrimp and steak" menus, just here transforming the mackerel into the "surf" joined with one of Thailand's most unordinary inland fixings, the subterranean insect eggs.

Sitting at the open counter here is a delight, as you will watch Sanders and his group in real life, just as being given the story behind each dish and its fixings as they are served. You discover that the heavenly frog comes from a homestead in Khao Yai and that the palatable blossoms presented with it are from Samut Prakhan (a territory adjoining Bangkok), and that the most delicious nectar you've at any point tasted (served on new gooseberries in season over sorbet) comes from stingless honey bees that are from Chantaburi, and produce an exceptionally thought sweet nectar.

Supper here is an otherworldly occasion where no one can tell what's coming straightaway. Take the "rice bread." Served as a modest canapé, this is really one of the menu knockouts and will leave you wishing you had a portion to bring home. Produced using natural rice from Surin Province, it's presented with earthy colored margarine and yellow stew emulsion, and finished off with salted egg yolk and toasted tacky rice. Light and delightful, Sanders says the thought behind it was to serve the Thai staple of rice as a variant of the Western staple of bread.

Most suitably named, Canvas includes a cook whose craftsman's range is a melange of tones, ensured to leave your sense of taste asking for additional, and is a most meriting passage into the Bangkok Michelin guide and foodie feasting scene that has cleared the city.

Suggested for Best Restaurants since: Canvas highlights Thai-impacted imaginative food made by a rising star youthful American gourmet specialist and is genuinely one of Bangkok's ideal.

Dave's master tip: Take the BTS Skytrain to Thonglor and afterward either stroll up Thonglor (Sukhumvit Soi 55) ten minutes to arrive or probably snatch a taxi. The café is soon after Thonglor Soi 5 on your lefthand side.

Glue BANGKOK - PATHUMWAN

Exemplary Thai food is eminent world over, yet once in a while does one discover it introduced in a particularly imaginative manner as at Paste. Glue Bangkok is the brainchild of Australian honor winning cook Jason Bailey and his Thai accomplice Bongkoch "Honey bee" Satongun, who got approval for their Thai cafés in Australia and afterward migrated to Bangkok, carrying innovative and quality food with them. Bailey presently centers around the business end and undertakings for Paste, while Satongun runs the kitchen, zeroing in on unique Thai flavors and surfaces, with fixings sourced straight from the producer and best business sectors in the country. The eatery got a Michelin star and Satongun has won gourmet specialist of the year praises to go with a large group of different honors. Customary Thai food is done here with lovely inventive turns and an absolute regard for taste blends enough to wow the most insightful coffee shop. Attempt the impeccable Andaman lobster with fresh fish skin or the watermelon and ground salmon with betel leaves and shallots, both are sublime. The café used to have a branch over on Sukhumvit 49, yet has moved to the luxurious Gaysorn Plaza, carrying some refined genuinely refined feasting to Bangkok's most exquisite mall.

Suggested for Best Restaurants on the grounds that: For genuinely creative and legitimate high end food Thai cooking, Paste sticks out.

Dave's master tip: Paste is situated on the third floor of the Gaysorn Plaza. Bring the immediate passage into Gaysorn from the Chidlom BTS skytrain station. Reservations are fundamental.

MEZZALUNA - BANGRAK

Mezzaluna is Bangkok's most chic eatery, and eating up here 65 stories over the Chao Phraya River and the Bangkok horizon is one of the top encounters one can have while around, particularly as the café has been granted two stars by the Bangkok Michelin guide, and highlights the sense of taste boggling cooking of gourmet expert Ryuki Kawasaki, who has monitored Michelin kitchens in France, the U.S., and his local Japan, and was named Chef of the Year by the Escoffier Society while working at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire in Las Vegas.

Assuming control over the rudder at Mezzaluna in 2015, Kawasaki has joined his standout French cooking procedures with the absolute most only sourced fixings to be found in Asia. Take the Niigata Murakami Wagyu meat for instance, which Kawasaki brings only to Thailand from Japan. The hamburger comes from a little variety of painstakingly chose, top notch calves from Niigata Prefecture, which are raised on rice straw, roughage, and premium compound feed, giving the meat a smooth surface and totally soften in the mouth taste. It is served here at Mezzaluna with dark truffles and barbecued over binchotan charcoal, and is the mark dish featuring an extraordinary seven-course tasting menu

Everything about the feasting experience at Mezzaluna is done to most extreme flawlessness. A flock of staff drifts around your table, never neglecting to see whether you need more bread or water, continually bringing sense of taste boosts before dishes, and giving itemized clarifications of the multitude of enamoring manifestations. A specialist sommelier comes out to clarify each wine matching presented with the food, giving the causes of each container, however praising its features and flavor profiles, and the basement here is one of the best taking all things together Bangkok, with a few of the wines served being select to Mezzaluna.

The menu at Mezzaluna is occasional, changing like clockwork, despite the fact that dishes like the Wagyu meat are constantly highlighted. Gourmet specialist Kawasaki says, "My enthusiasm is to make encounters that rouse and leave enduring recollections for individuals I share them with, and our culinary excursion at Mezzaluna comprises of different surfaces, flavors, artisinal occasional items, and cooking procedures."

This is a whole eating experience at its best, from gourmet expert to worker to table to the mood. Now, the sky (and potentially even a pined for third star) is the breaking point for Mezzaluna and its elite player culinary expert.

Suggested for Best Restaurants in light of the fact that: For Bangkok's most exquisite high as can be Michelin-granted greatness, you can't top Mezzaluna

Dave's master tip: Reservations are fundamental here, and it merits coming right on time for a nightfall drink at the Distil Bar, found just beneath the Mezzaluna.

[dratinimartini]

Ok so in regards to that last post I reblogged, here are some resources if you’re a follower and you don’t know a THING about cooking: 

Basic knife safety and skills 

Cast iron cookware: how to use it (srsly cast iron is the best, 25 bucks will get you a skillet that will follow you to the grave if you take care of it)

How to save money by deboning whole chickens yourself + chicken karaage recipe (You can save money on MOST meat by buying large quantities and doing a little bit of butchering yourself! It’s very easy)

How to sear meat

How to roast various vegetables 

And some cooking channels that will teach you even more: 

Foodwishes (my FAVORITE with 1300+ recipes, mostly american ones but there’s some foreign-inspired food. There’s a pun in every recipe, too!)

Laura Vitale (Lots of american, italian, and “pinterest” food lol.)

Tasty (yknow those recipes your mom shares on facebook? They all come from here. But damn if these aren’t the easiest, fastest recipes, and they ALWAYS come out amazing for me)

Maangchi (A sweet korean lady who makes authentic korean food)

Cooking with dog (japanese and japanese-style western food. Doesn’t update often since Francis the dog passed away last november :( )

Hiroyuki Terada (More japanese food, mostly sushi. He has some videos of kitchen skills as well though! He holds a world record for his chopping skills.)

Chefsteps (these guys have recipes that are a little bit more difficult/fancy, and they’re constantly trying to sell their sous vide machine, but their recipes and tips are good :)

bbq pit boys (if you like meat and have a barbecue or smoker, this is the channel for you!)

That’s all of the channels I use, but there’s a dedicated channel for any kind of food from cakes to caribbean. Now go cook, there’s so much more to eat out there than fast food!! 

#cooking #dratinispeakini #sorry I'm sick and I'm pissed that ppl don't know how to cook #go forth and learn children....

[shorilicious]

Sexy Zone as sweets🍰 Fuma→Nakajima: White chocolate I thought he’d be chocolate since he’s sweet but I feel like he’s white rather than dark chocolate. Doesn’t Nakajima have a „white“ image? Maybe because he’s sparkly. With an elegant sweetness, he will bring you happiness when you eat him, that’s his image.

Kento→Kikuchi: Mont Blanc Because in the past he kept saying a pun with Mont Blanc (laughing). That has been a hit. Isn’t the shape of a Mont Blanc unique? And there’s sweetness in it too, it’s just like Kikuchi.

Marius→Shori-kun: Chocolate with chilli inside His character is a little bit spicy so he’s chocolate with chilli inside! Recently I got a little suntanned and he told me „Where have you been? You’re lacking professionalism!“ and questioned me many times about it (laughing).

Shori→Marius: Chocolate fondue Because he’s a family person who interacts with many people, he resembles the feeling of chocolate that meets many fruits and marshmallows. Recently he seems to have attended international meetings abroad where many people gathered in groups.

Sou→Shori: Strawberry shortcake Because he gives off this royal feeling of being loved by everyone. Everyone likes the cake, right? Well, I’m not good at eating it though... since it makes my stomach feel heavy (laughing). Ah, of course I love Shori! Shori doesn’t give me any heavy feeling in my stomach (laughing)!!

Shori→Sou: Mackerel cooked in miso For me that’s something sweet (laughing). Hey, isn’t miso sweet? Sou kinda has a very Japanese image and follows his own imagination but he’s like a blueback fish who still has opportunities to grow more. Also miso is very versatile for cooking.

Marius→Kento-kun: Strawberry chocolate The sweet Kenty world is exactly like strawberry chocolate. Although he’s the eldest one he also has cute sides, like that one time when he was breathing right next to my ear and I got so surprised I shrieked “Hyaa!” like a girl.

Kento→Marius: Strawberry shortcake Because he’s like a princess. It’s sweet and it has a white dress made out of fresh cream like a princess. Ah well, if the fresh cream is the princess part, then Marius is the beautiful princess who is surrounded by the strawberry prince!

Fuma→Shori: Cookie Because he has a royal aura. I think he’d be something that everyone likes, so like a cookie with something inside? It is slightly sweet but not too much and you don’t get bored of it. I feel like I would love that taste for a long time.

Shori→Fuma-kun: Fruit cream daifuku Because he has a soft image with a sticky texture. Surprisingly he’s fair-skinned. But because daifuku is a Japanese sweet, I want to give it a trendy Western feel to it by adding fruits and cream (laughing).

Sou→Kento-kun: Parfait Eating it anywhere will be delicious because its presence has a huge impact! I wonder which parfait would be good for Kenty~ A chocolate parfait with ice cream to give it a special feeling? You can absorb a lot of things and it’s shiny.  

Kento→Macchan: Matcha ice cream Since he’s from Shizuoka. Also because his nickname is „Macchan“ after all, I tried to make it match nicely~ (laughing). Matcha is a little bitter and has an adult-ish taste but matcha ice cream is sweet and makes everyone happy♪

Sou→Marius: Pudding Pudding is constantly moving, right? Marius also always goes like „Ne, Sou-chan“ and fidgets around (laughing). It’s sweet but there is also a bitter taste in the caramel, so it’s perfect for Marius who occasionally has a wicked tongue!

Marius→Sou-chan: Banana Sou-chan is the only member who isn’t like chocolate (laughing). But there is a good reason behind that, Sou-chan’s inside is very soft and gentle. But like when a banana turns dark and rottens, Sou-chan will also feel lonely if you leave him alone.

Fuma→Marius: Cherry Leaving a sweet taste afterwards, Marius also turned a little adult-ish recently. That sweet and sour feeling, it reminds me of cherries. Both of them leave a cute first impression.

Marius→Fuma-kun: Bitter chocolate Because suddenly he has a little dark and mature image. But bitter chocolate is actually delicious when eating it, so I think there are many people who like it. With Fuma-kun as well, I think everyone will be addicted to his charm once they get to know him.

Shori→Kento-kun: Fruit tart You can’t start without its sweetness! For me, that is the sweetest dessert. Kento-kun is able to do various things and has many sides to his character as well, and there’s a glistening surface just like a fruits tart!

Kento→Shori: Tart The first bite is a little hard but when you befriend him, he will show you a very sweet side. Shori also has many delicate parts about him. You can also try various tastes like strawberry and eggs, I like it!

Fuma→Matsushima: Watermelon I thought of it in a second. It gives you full energy, it’s refreshing and has a certain familiarity to it. However, there are also seeds so it becomes troublesome to eat it... (laughing). Maybe from now on he will be burgeoning?

Sou→Fuma-kun: Mont Blanc I feel like his hairstyle and the shape are similar (laughing). Also, there’s not only chestnut, there can be various fruits in it, right? I guess it’s like Fuma-kun trying out various hairstyles.

Keep in mind I am not a native speaker therefore there might be mistakes in my translations. Also I’m not exactly translating word for word. Feel free to correct me in my ask box any time you want, I’d appreciate it! I apologize if someone already translated something before me and I didn’t notice, I hope you don’t mind.

Credit goes to __sz_1116_ @ Twitter for the scans, thank you!

If you’d like to show me a bit of support, leave a nice message through my tumblr ask or a small donation by clicking on the link down below ♡   → Click here to buy me a mango!

#translation #sexy zone #nakajima kento #kikuchi fuma #sato shori #matsushima sou #marius yo #fumaken #shorisou #qlap 201709 #翻訳 #セクゾ #中島健人 #菊池風磨 #佐藤勝利 #松島聡 #マリウス葉 #ふまけん #しょりそう

[newsnigeria]

Check out New Post published on Ọmọ Oòduà

New Post has been published on http://ooduarere.com/news-from-nigeria/world-news/president-macrons-amazing-admission/

President Macron’s amazing admission

[this column was written for the Unz Review]

I don’t know whether the supposedly Chinese curse really comes from China, but whether it does or not, we most certainly are cursed with living in some truly interesting times: Iran won the first phase of the “tanker battle” against the AngloZionists, Putin offered to sell Russian hypersonic missiles to Trump (Putin has been trolling western leaders a lot lately) while Alexander Lukashenko took the extreme measure of completely shutting down the border between the Ukraine and Belarus due to the huge influx of weapons and nationalist extremists from the Ukraine. As he put it himself “if weapons fall into the hands of ordinary people and especially nationalist-minded people, wait for terrorism“. He is quite right, of course. Still, there is a sweet irony here, or call it karma if you prefer, but for the Ukronazis who promised their people a visa-free entrance into the EU (for tourism only, and if you have money to spend, but still…), and yet 5 years into that obscene experiment of creating a rabidly russophobic Ukraine and 100 days (or so) into Zelenskii’s presidency, we have the Ukraine’s closest and most supportive neighbor forced to totally shut down its border due to the truly phenomenal toxicity of the Ukrainian society! But, then again, the Ukraine is such a basket-case that we can count on “most interesting” things (in the sense of the Chinese curse, of course) happening there too.

[Sidebar: interestingly, one of the people the Ukrainians gave up in this exchange was Vladimir Tsemakh, a native of the Donbass who was kidnapped by the Ukie SBU in Novorussia (our noble “Europeans” did not object to such methods!) and declared the “star witness” against Russia in the MH-17 (pseudo-)investigation. Even more pathetic is that the Dutch apparently fully endorsed this load of crapola. Finally, and just for a good laugh, check out how the infamous’ Bellincat presented Tsemakh. And then, suddenly, everybody seem to “forget” that “star witness” and now the Ukies have sent him to Russia. Amazing how fast stuff gets lost in the collective western memory hole…]

Right now there seems to be a tug of war taking place between the more mentally sane elements of the Zelenskii administration and the various nationalist extremists in the SBU, deathsquads and even regular armed forces. Thus we see these apparently contradictory developments taking place: on on hand, the Ukraine finally agreed to a prisoner swap with Russia (a painful one for Russia as Russia mostly traded real criminals, including a least two bona fide Ukie terrorist, against what are mostly civilian hostages, but Putin decided – correctly I think – that freeing Russian nationalists from Ukie jails was more important in this case) while on the other hand, the Ukronazi armed forces increased their shelling, even with 152mm howitzers which fire 50kg high explosive fragmentation shells, against the Donbass. Whatever may be the case, this prisoner swap, no matter how one-sided and unfair, is a positive development which might mark the beginning of a pragmatic and less ideological attitude in Kiev.

Urkoterrorists Sentsov and Kol’chenko

Some very cautious beginnings of a little hint of optimism might be in order following that exchange, but the big stuff seems to be scheduled for the meeting of the Normandy Group (NG), probably in France. So far, the Russians have made it very clear that they will not meet just for the hell of meeting, and that the only circumstance in which the Russians will agree to a NG meeting would be if it has good chances of yielding meaningful results which, translated from Russian diplomatic language simply means “if/when Kiev stops stonewalling and sabotaging everything”. Specifically, the Russians are demanding that Zelenskii commit in writing to the so-called “Steinmeier formula” and that the Ukrainian forces withdraw from the line of contact. Will that happen? Maybe. We shall soon find out.

But the single most amazing event of the past couple of weeks was the absolutely astonishing speech French President Emmanuel Macron made in front of an assembly of ambassadors. I could not find the full speech translated into English (I may have missed it somewhere), so I will post the crucial excerpts in French and translate them myself. If I find a full, official, translation I will post it under this column ASAP. For the time being, this is the link to the full speech transcript in French:

https://www.elysee.fr/emmanuel-macron/2019/08/27/discours-du-president-de-la-republique-a-la-conference-des-ambassadeurs-1

Let’s immediately begin with some of the most incredible excerpts, emphasis added by me: (sorry for the long quote but, truly, each word counts!)

L’ordre international est bousculé de manière inédite mais surtout avec, si je puis dire, un grand bouleversement qui se fait sans doute pour la première fois dans notre histoire à peu près dans tous les domaines, avec une magnitude profondément historique. C’est d’abord une transformation, une recomposition géopolitique et stratégique. Nous sommes sans doute en train de vivre la fin de l’hégémonie occidentale sur le monde. Nous nous étions habitués à un ordre international qui depuis le 18ème siècle reposait sur une hégémonie occidentale, vraisemblablement française au 18ème siècle, par l’inspiration des Lumières ; sans doute britannique au 19ème grâce à la révolution industrielle et raisonnablement américaine au 20ème grâce aux 2 grands conflits et à la domination économique et politique de cette puissance. Les choses changent. Et elles sont profondément bousculées par les erreurs des Occidentaux dans certaines crises, par les choix aussi américains depuis plusieurs années et qui n’ont pas commencé avec cette administration mais qui conduisent à revisiter certaines implications dans des conflits au Proche et Moyen-Orient et ailleurs, et à repenser une stratégie profonde, diplomatique et militaire, et parfois des éléments de solidarité dont nous pensions qu’ils étaient des intangibles pour l’éternité même si nous avions constitué ensemble dans des moments géopolitiques qui pourtant aujourd’hui ont changé. Et puis c’est aussi l’émergence de nouvelles puissances dont nous avons sans doute longtemps sous-estimé l’impact. La Chine au premier rang mais également la stratégie russe menée, il faut bien le dire, depuis quelques années avec plus de succès. J’y reviendrai. L’Inde qui émerge, ces nouvelles économies qui deviennent aussi des puissances pas seulement économiques mais politiques et qui se pensent comme certains ont pu l’écrire, comme de véritables États civilisations et qui viennent non seulement bousculer notre ordre international, qui viennent peser dans l’ordre économique mais qui viennent aussi repenser l’ordre politique et l’imaginaire politique qui va avec, avec beaucoup de force et beaucoup plus d’inspiration que nous n’en avons. Regardons l’Inde, la Russie et la Chine. Elles ont une inspiration politique beaucoup plus forte que les Européens aujourd’hui. Elles pensent le monde avec une vraie logique, une vraie philosophie, un imaginaire que nous avons un peu perdu

Here is my informal translation of these words:

The international order is being shaken in an unprecedented manner, above all with, if I may say so, by the great upheaval that is undoubtedly taking place for the first time in our history, in almost every field and with a profoundly historic magnitude. The first thing we observe is a major transformation, a geopolitical and strategic re-composition. We are undoubtedly experiencing the end of Western hegemony over the world. We were accustomed to an international order which, since the 18th century, rested on a Western hegemony, mostly French in the 18th century, by the inspiration of the Enlightenment; then mostly British in the 19th century thanks to the Industrial Revolution and, finally, mostly American in the 20th century thanks to the 2 great conflicts and the economic and political domination of this power. Things change. And they are now deeply shaken by the mistakes of Westerners in certain crises, by the choices that have been made by Americans for several years which did not start with this administration, but which lead to revisiting certain implications in conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to rethinking a deep, diplomatic and military strategy, and sometimes elements of solidarity that we thought were intangible for eternity, even if we had constituted together in geopolitical moments that have changed. And then there is the emergence of new powers whose impact we have probably underestimated for a long time. China is at the forefront, but also the Russian strategy, which has, it must be said, been pursued more successfully in recent years. I will come back to that. India that is emerging, these new economies that are also becoming powers not only economic but political and that think themselves, as some have written, as real “civilizational states” which now come not only to shake up our international order but who also come to weigh in on the economic order and to rethink the political order and the political imagination that goes with it, with much dynamism and much more inspiration than we have. Look at India, Russia and China. They have a much stronger political inspiration than Europeans today. They think about our planet with a true logic, a true philosophy, an imagination that we’ve lost a little bit.

Now let’s unpack these key statements one by one:

1) “ great upheaval that is undoubtedly taking place for the first time in our history in almost every field and with a profoundly historic magnitude”

Here Macron sets the stage for some truly momentous observations: what will be discussed next is not only a major event, but one without precedent in history (whether French or European). Furthermore, what will be discussed next, affects “almost every field” and with huge historical implications.

2) “We are undoubtedly experiencing the end of Western hegemony over the world”

When I read that, my first and rather infantile reaction was to exclaim “really?! No kiddin’?! Who would have thought!?” After all, some of us have been saying that for a long, long while, but never-mind that. What is important is that even a Rothschild-puppet like Macron had to finally speak these words. Oh sure, he probably felt as happy as the Captain of the Titanic when he had to (finally!) order a general evacuation of this putatively unsinkable ship, but nonetheless – he did do it. From now on, the notion of the end of the western hegemony on the planet is no more relegated to what the leaders of the Empire and their propaganda machine like to call “fringe extremists” and has now fully entered the (supposedly) “respectable” and “mainstream” public discourse. This is a huge victory for all of us who have been saying the same things for years already.

3) “by the mistakes of Westerners in certain crises, by the choices that have been made by Americans for several years”

Here, again, I feel like engaging in some petty self-congratulation and want to say “I told you that too!”, but that would really be infantile, would it not? But yeah, while the internal contradictions of western materialism in general, and of AngloZionist Capitalism specifically, have been catching up with the Western World and while an eventual catastrophic crisis was inevitable, it also sure is true that western leaders mostly did it to themselves; at the very least, they dramatically accelerated these processes. In this context, I would single out the following politicians for a nomination to a medal for exceptional service in the destruction of the western hegemony over our long-suffering planet: Donald Trump and Barak Obama, of course, but also François Hollande and Emmanuel Macron (yes, he too even if he now changes his tune!), Angela Merkel, of course, and then last but not least, every single British Prime Minister since Margaret Thatcher (maybe with special commendation for Teresa May). Who knows, maybe they were all KGB/GRU/SVR agents after all? (just kiddin’!)

4) “ the emergence of new powers whose impact we have probably underestimated for a long time. China is at the forefront, but also the Russian strategy, which has, it must be said, been pursued more successfully in recent years”

Next, it’s not only China. Russia too is a major competitor, and a very successful one at that, hence the admission that in spite of all the efforts of the AngloZionist elites not only did the Empire not succeed in breaking Russia, but Russia has been very successful in defeating the western efforts. To those interested, I highly recommend this article by Jon Hellevig on the true state of the Russian economy. Finally, in military terms, Russia has achieved more than parity. In fact, I would argue that at least in terms of quality the Russian armed forces are ahead in several crucial technologies (hypersonic missiles, air defenses, electronic warfare etc.) even while she still lags behind in other technologies (mostly truly obsolete things like aircraft carriers). But most crucial is the political victory of Russia: five years after the Euromaidan and the liberation of Crimea from the Nazi yoke, the USA is far more isolated than Russia. It’s comical, really!

5) “real “civilizational states” which now come not only to shake up our international order”

I have been speaking about a unique, and very distinct, “Russian civilizational realm” in many of my writings and I am quite happy to see Macron using almost the same words. Of course, Macron did not only mean Russia here, but also India and China. Still, and although the Russian nation is much younger than the one of China or, even more so India, 1000 years of Russian civilization does deserve to be listed next to these two other giants of world history. And what is absolutely certain is that China and India could never build the new international order they want without Russia, at least for the foreseeable future. In spite of all the very real progress made recently by the Chinese armed forces (and, to a lesser degree, also the Indian ones), Russia still remains a much stronger military power than China. What Russia, China and India are, is that they are all former empires which have given up on imperialism and who know only aspire to be powerful, but nevertheless “normal” nations. Just by their size and geography, these are “un-invadable” countries who all present a distinct model of development and who want a multi-polar international order which would allow them to safely achieve their goals. In other words, Macron understands that the future international order will be dictated by China, Russia and India and not by any combination of western powers. Quite an admission indeed!

6) “ Look at India, Russia and China. They have a much stronger political inspiration than Europeans today. They think about our planet with a true logic, a true philosophy, an imagination that we’ve lost a little bit.”

This is the “core BRICS” challenge to the Empire: China and Russia have already established what the Chinese call a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination for the New Era”. If they can now extend this kind of informal but extremely profound partnership (I think of it as “symbiotic”) to India next, then the BRICS will have a formidable future (especially after the Brazilian people give the boot to Bolsonaro and his US patrons). Should that fail and should India chose to remain outside this unique relationship, then the SCO will become the main game in town. And yes, Macron is spot on: China and, especially, Russia have a fundamentally different worldview and, unlike the western one, theirs does have “much stronger political” goals (Macron used the word “aspirations”), “a real philosophy and imagination” which the West has lost, and not just a “little bit” but, I would argue, completely. But one way or the other, and for the first time in 1000 years, the future of our planet will not be decided anywhere in the West, not in Europe (old or “new”), but in Asia, primarily by the Russian-Chinese alliance. As I explained here, the AngloZionist Empire is probably the last one in history, definitely the last western one.

Now we should not be naïve here, Macron did not suddenly find religion, grow a conscience or suddenly become an expert on international relations. There is, of course, a cynical reason why he is changing his tune. In fact, there are several such reasons. First, it appears that the on and off bromance between Macron and Trump is over. Second, all of Europe is in free fall socially, economically and, of course, politically. And with a total nutcase in power in London dealing with Brexit and with Angela Merkel’s apparently never-ending political agony, it is only logical for a French head of state to try to step in. Furthermore, while I have always said that Russia is not part of Europe culturally and spiritually, Russia is very much part of Europe geographically, economically and politically and there is simply no way for any imaginable alliance of European states to save Europe from its current predicament without Russian help. Like it or not, that is a fact, irrespective of whether politician or commentator X, Y or Z realizes this or not. Macron probably figured out that the so-called “East Europeans” are nothing but cheap prostitutes doing whatever Uncle Shmuel wants them to do, Germany is collapsing under the weight of Merkel’s “brilliant” emigration policy while the UK under BoJo is busy trying to self-destruct at least as fast as the USA under Trump. Macron is right. If united, Russia and France could build a much safer Europe than the one we see slowly and painfully dying before our eyes today. But he is also wrong if he thinks that Russia can be “re-invited” back into the AngloZionist sphere of influence. In that context, Putin’s reply to the question of whether Russia was willing to return to the G8 is very telling: first he said that if the G7 wants to come back to Russia, Putin would welcome that, but then he also added that the G7/8 is useless without, yes, you guessed it, China and India.

It will be interesting to see if the current G7 will ever agree to mutate into a new G10 which would make Russia, China and India the most powerful block (or voting group) of this new forum. I personally doubt it very much, but then they are becoming desperate and Macron’s words seem to be indicating that this option is at least being discussed behind closed doors. Frankly, considering how quickly the G7 is becoming utterly irrelevant, I expect it to be gradually phased out and replaced by the (objectively much more relevant) G20.

Finally, there are Trump’s efforts into getting Russia back into the G8 which are very transparently linked to the current trade war and geostrategic competition between the US and China. The offer is useless to Russia, just like the return to PACE, but Russia does not want to needlessly offend anybody and that is why Putin did not publicly rebuff Trump or directly refuse to come to Miami: instead, he approved of the general concept, but offered a better way to go about it. Typical Putin.

Conclusion: Macron reads the writing on the wall

Whatever his political motives to say what he said, Macron is no idiot and neither are his advisors. Neither is this a “one off” thing. The French meant every word Macron spoke and they are putting everybody on notice (including the Ukrainians, the US, the EU and the Russians, of course). In fact, Macron has already invited Putin to participate in a Normandy Format meeting in Paris in the very near future. If that meeting eventually does take place, this will mean that the organizers gave Putin guarantees that this will not just be the usual kaffeeklatsch and that some serious results will finally be obtained. That, in turn, means that somebody – probably the French – will have the unpleasant task of telling the Ukrainians that the party is over and that they now need to get their act together and start implementing the Minsk Agreements, something which Zelenskii might or might not try to do, but which the real gun-toting Ukronazis will never accept. Thus, if the West is really serious about forcing Kiev to abide by the Mink Agreements, then the West has to finally give-up its self-defeating russophobic hysteria and substantially change their tone about the Ukraine. To invite Putin to Paris just to tell him again that Russia (which is not even a party to the Minsk Agreements) “must do more” makes zero sense. Therefore, all the other parties will have to come to terms with reality before inviting Putin. Apparently, this might be happening in Paris. As for Trump, he just offered to mediate (if asked to do so) between Russia and the Ukraine.

It shall be extremely interesting to see if this Normandy Format meeting does actually take place and what role, if any, Trump and the USA will play behind the scenes. We shall then know if Macron’s epiphany was just a one-time fluke or not.

The Saker

PS: the latest rumor from the Ukraine: Zelenskii supporters are saying that Poroshenko is preparing a coup against Zelenskii and that he is preparing a special force of Ukronazi deathsquads to execute that coup. Dunno about a real coup, but they have already blocked the Rada. Never a dull moment indeed… 🙂

#France #russia #U.S.A

[wikitopx]

If you’re planning a visit to Hershey and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the many excellent restaurants in the area.

Here are a few of my favorites restaurants in Harrisbug and Hershey, Pennsylvania. And if you’re looking for lodging suggestions, read on to the end!

1. Cafe 1500

I had an amazing brunch with friends at Cafe 1500, located in midtown Harrisburg. The delicious food was punctuated by a bright, bustling atmosphere, fantastic cocktails and excellent service.

We stared with mimosas – because how else would you begin brunch? – until a server passed with a tray of Bloody Marys. I’m not a Bloody Mary drinker, but I loved looking at it and my friends told me it was perfectly spicy and savory. When the food was served, we had a lot of variety at our table. I ordered the Egg BLAT: bacon, lettuce, avocado and tomato with a fried egg and jalapeno aioli. It was fresh and tasty with a side of crispy hand-cut fries. I also sampled the Cafe 1500 Benedict, the creamy cheddar grits, the huevos rancheros, and the incredible french toast bread pudding bites with a bourbon-maple glaze. With tons of window light and an industrial-chic décor, Cafe 1500 is open for brunch, lunch and dinner. And I hear they have a great happy hour with some unique cocktails.

2. Tröegs Independent Brewing

Tröegs Independent Brewing is an experience, not just a restaurant. It’s a full production brewery where you can tour, taste, eat, and then shop at their General Store. There’s even a small art gallery to enjoy. Its large, open-industrial eating area is known as the “Tasting Room / Snack Bar.” At first glance, it seems like there’s low emphasis on the food. When you are seated, a server will come for your beer order, but you have to walk back to the snack bar to order your food. You’ll get a beeper so you can pick it up when it’s ready.

But “Snack Bar” is an understatement because the food here is rich and delicious. I had a crispy grilled cheese with a side of luscious tomato soup. Our table of friends ordered several snacks to share and I loved the Spicy Tempura Cauliflower. Their french fries with spicy ketchup were also outstanding. Tröegs offers several in-depth, guided tours of the brewery, or you can follow a self-guided tour path. I found the self-guided tour to be excellent and informative, with details painted playfully on the windows looking into the brewery. While this is a restaurant review, I do need to mention the beer at Tröegs is fantastic. They have so many unique offerings. Their “Scratch Beer” series offers a constantly changing variety of small-batch brews – their way of testing out some of their wildest dreams. If you like beer (even a little), don’t miss Tröegs Independent Brewing.

3. Harvest at The Hotel Hershey

Harvest is a beautiful restaurant with sweeping views and food inspired by local and regional ingredients. Family-friendly, but still perfect for a romantic evening, Harvest offers American cuisine kicked up a notch.

Take, for example, the potato skins. Not your average skins, but treated with braised beef short ribs, monterey jack cheese, and pickled onions. Combine those skins with a blackberry lemon mule cocktail, and I died and went to heaven. For my entree, I had the Pittsburgh Salad. This mesclun mix salad is topped with thin strips of skirt steak and shoestring french fries, and it’s an absolutely perfect meal. I have only seen this salad once before – in Pittsburgh – and I was happy to find it again at Harvest!

4. The Bears Den

Located in the Hershey Lodge, the Bears Den is a sports bar with a hockey-rink atmosphere in honor of the local Hershey Bears team. Sports fans will love the 28 HD TVs and one enormous 7′ x 12′ TV. The night we visited, my son parked himself right in front of that big screen so he could keep an eye on his fantasy football players. He was in heaven.

I was in heaven testing out some of the delicious chocolate martini recipes. It was hard to choose between options like the Frozen Chocolate Buzz Martini and the Hershey’s Special Dark Martini. Ultimately, the Peppermint Patty won out. It was fantastic.

The Bears Den offers classic American fare. Burgers, sandwiches, and salads dominate the menu. We gobbled down nachos for an appetizer and savored juicy burgers for dinner.

5. The Millworks

Located in midtown Harrisburg, The Millworks is a restaurant, brewery, and art space. Much of the interior has been built from reclaimed wood and brick, giving it a warm, historic vibe. Their menu changes seasonally and is largely based on what local farmers have to offer. I enjoyed my chicken sandwich lunch, but the real highlight was walking through the art galleries where local artists can be found creating and selling their work. You’ll find paintings, jewelry, soap and more.

The Millworks has a rooftop beirgarten, a great bar, and an outdoor courtyard when the weather is nice. I’m not a huge beer fan, but I loved their Cherry Berry Gose and bought some to take home.

6. Greystone Public House

The original stone building at Greystone Public House was built in 1798 by Godfrey Fritchey, one of Harrisburg’s earliest settlers. Fritchey designed the house to resemble his former home in Bavaria. In 1805, Fritchey obtained a liquor license to operate Fritchey Tavern.

While some of the smaller rooms characteristic of this type of tavern have been opened up to provide large spaces, the restaurant still keeps much of its history and feels like a “house.” My friends and I ate upstairs in a small room that gave us privacy and a very intimate feel.

The food at Greystone is excellent. My group shared raw oysters and a unique vegetable platter. My entree was a rich, tender braised short rib. For dessert I savored the Double Fudge Cast Iron Brownie with white chocolate peppermint ice cream.

Greystone Public House is open for lunch and dinner and also offer a Sunday brunch.

One thing I’ve noticed about eating in the Hershey-Harrisburg area is that almost every restaurant looks to local sources for their food. With such rich farming land all around, it’s so nice to know the chefs take advantage of it.

7. Char’s at Tracy Mansion

If you are looking for a cozy, intimate, incredible meal with your significant other or group of friends, Char’s Restaurant at Tracy Mansion is the place. For ambiance, Char’s gets 100% in my book. Tracy Mansion was built in 1913 and has been a home, a hospital, a mental health facility, and now a fine dining establishment. It is located on North Front Street in Harrisburg with beautiful views of the Susquehanna River. It’s many rooms – the bar, the gallery, the library, and the dining room – showcase the mansion’s beauty along with murals, sculpture art and Char’s handmade jewelry.

Again, my friends and I shared a variety of appetizers before our main entrees. Char’s General Tso Cauliflower with fried rice was one of my favorite bites of the weekend. I also enjoyed their pomme frites with truffle oil and roasted garlic aioli. For my entree, I had a bacon-wrapped beef entree that was so delicious, I didn’t even photograph it. And I don’t remember an exact description of what it was. Though that might have something to do with the two very strong lemon drop martinis I drank…

8. Bricco

My experience at Bricco in Harrisburg was out of the ordinary. Thanks to Visit Hershey & Harrisburg, my friends and I were treated to a chef’s table experience with six courses and wine pairings. Seated directly in front of the kitchen, we watched Chef Jared Upperman prepare and present six courses:

Madhouse oysters with smoked serrano butter

Boston Bibb lettuce with candied walnuts, apples, and gorgonzola cheese

Spinach, red pepper, and parmesan ravioli

Antarctic salmon with fennel, leek, and potato brodie

Sous vide lamb rack with cherry glaze, broccoli rabe and delicata squash

Candied walnuts, quince paste, and local cheese

Bricco was probably my favorite meal in Harrisburg. The food was exquisite. The spinach, red pepper and parmesan ravioli was one of the best things I’ve ever tasted and I wanted a huge bowl of it! My only disappointment was the final course. I really wanted to top that meal off with a sweet dessert that included chocolate.

You can reserve your Table at Bricco experience here. But if you’re just looking for a nice night out with fantastic Mediterranean-Italian cuisine (and I hear they make a mean pizza!), check out Bricco.

8. Hershey Lodge

The Hershey Lodge goes all-on on its chocolate theme. We were greeted with Hershey Kisses on our pillows and bedside table. In the bathroom, we found more Kisses on the wallpaper and imprinted in the soap. And the cocoa-infused shampoo, conditioner, and lotion made me feel like I was bathing in fudge – in a good way.

The lobby and huge fireplace provide a warm, rustic, lodge feeling. And there are several restaurants in the hotel, as well as activities for the kids Hershey Lodge is just minutes from Hershey attractions. We could see the Hersheypark roller coasters from our room! They also offer a free shuttle to help you get around town if you don’t want to drive.

9. Best Western Premier – The Central Hotel & Conference Center

The Best Western Premier Central is a good location if you’ll be visiting Hershey and Harrisburg. We had a suite with two queen beds, a king bed in a separate room, and a large bathroom/dressing area. It was a great size for my family of four and gave my two teenagers space to themselves.

The large lobby is nicely decorated and accented with Hershey Kisses. My family also enjoyed dinner and a great buffet breakfast at the attached restaurant, O’Reilly’s.

I do suggest requesting an outside room, though. Our suite overlooked the indoor pool and our room had a pretty strong chlorine smell.

10. Crowne Plaza Harrisburg

The Crowne Plaza Harrisburg is in a great downtown location. It’s within walking distance of the Susquehanna River, the State Capitol Complex and restaurants Bricco and Char’s. The hotel is also just a few minutes drive to The Millworks, Cafe 1500, Riverfront Park, and more.

I had a comfortable, quiet room and enjoyed the Starbucks in the lobby.

These restaurant and hotel suggestions should help you get started on planning your own visit to Hershey-Harrisburg.

Here are a few more ideas for what to do in the area: Top 10 things to do in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

  From : https://wikitopx.com/food/top-10-best-restaurants-in-harrisburg-pa-and-hershey-pa-700720.html

#Wikitopx #Wikitopx - Feed

[its-lifestyle]

The open kitchen at Jing Ze Contemporary Asian Restaurant bustles with activity as a swarm of people man the grills, blenders and stove tops in the space. There is a sizzle of optimism in the air, fuelled by the collective youth of the team and the wily, acrobatic way they work companionably together without stepping on each other’s toes.

In a corner, chef-owner Nicholas Scorpion Jing Ze is in deep discussion with one of his sous chefs, concentration etched all over their faces. An unassuming observer might intuit that they are talking about heavyweight stuff like global warming or world politics, when in actual fact, the two are debating the merits of adding onions and mustard seeds to a dish. But such is the attention Jing and his team devote to the food they serve day after day.

If you haven’t already guessed, Jing is the man behind the eponymous restaurant. A Singaporean national, he has worked in restaurants since he was 15 years old, starting out as a humble waiter before climbing his way to the top, cutting his teeth at restaurants like Singapore’s famed 2am Dessert Bar and Tippling Club and staging (doing work experience) at famed eateries around the world like the one-Michelin starred El Coq in Italy.

Jing was also at the helm of restaurants like Singapore’s Oxwell & Co and the highly-rated Kiln in Bali.

With the inception of Jing Ze, the talented young chef finally has a place to call his own.

“The concept is a celebration of South-East Asian flavours. Jing Ze is actually my Mandarin name and the reason why I chose it is because I used to be in a lot more Western kitchens so no one said my Chinese name and neither did I tell people my Chinese name.

“So I thought now that I am opening my own restaurant it’s kind of apt to use it, to be proud of my name and my Asian heritage,” he says.

Nearly everything at Jing Ze is carefully curated from scratch, from the sauces to the pickles and the pastries and there is a strong focus on local produce, gleaned from organic farmers like A Little Farm on the Hill.

The crispy corn with peanut sauce features a fritter just bursting with corn kernels.

There is plenty to whet the interest and appetite at Jing Ze, but you would do well to start with the crispy corn with traditional peanut sauce (RM12 for four pieces), a dish that began its life as a staff meal fashioned out of leftovers.

“I was frying up some leftover corn kernels at Oxwell and my director tasted it as he walked by and he was like, ‘That tastes really good!’ We put it on the menu and it did really well. We sold so many of it that when we opened Kiln, I brought it over. So this has been on the menu wherever I’ve gone since and at Jing Ze, I’ve given it a bit of an Indonesian twist, so it has evolved,” he says.

The corn fritters are really yummy – a crisp outer layer yields to an interior bursting with corn kernels, shallots and mint. This textural odyssey is accentuated by the realisation that the concoction bears a strong kinship with Indian delights like bhaji and pakora.

The stuffed wings are pretty good, but the flavours are not as pronounced here.

Up next, try the stuffed wings with basa genap, palm caramel and roasted spices (RM12 for two pieces). In Bali, basa genap is a revered spice mix used in literally everything. According to Jing, it can be made with up to 27 different herbs and spices but often includes ingredients like ginger, turmeric and galangal.

In this iteration, a mix of chicken off-cuts like liver and mince are seasoned with basa genap and stuffed into deboned chicken wings. The wings are then grilled before being served.

Perhaps because the surface area of the chicken wing (only the mid-wing is used) is relatively small, you only get a glimmer of the potency of the basa genap – it lurks in the shadows rather than in the spotlight. So while the chicken itself is pretty good, you’re left with a distinct feeling of wanting more.

Fresh, zesty flavours are at the heart of the Indonesian-inspired tuna gohu.

Next, try the tuna gohu with citrus kosho, kemangi (lemon basil), snake beans, mustard sorbet and peanuts (RM35) – a wonderful display of confident mastery. Incidentally, gohu is an Indonesian version of ceviche, the raw fish dish cured with citrus elements.

In this configuration, the flavours are lively, fresh and underscored by an assertively fiery underbelly. It’s the sort of meal that is akin to watching the members of a rock band come together to perform a raucous, energetic new rendition of a well-loved song.

The beef tartare features the clever addition of mustard seeds, which give the dish a different depth and dimension.

The beef tartare with chilli oil, caviar, pickled mustard and egg cream on sourdough (RM40) is another delicate thing of beauty. The beef is velvety soft and very, very fresh but it is the pickled mustard that adds an inspired nose-tickling, tongue-tingling element to the meal.

If you’re after a purely vegetarian offering, definitely look at ordering the charred leeks with rendang curry, brown butter and fermented chilli (RM35). The leeks have been done extraordinarily well here – still crunchy but pliant in the mouth. Pair the leeks with the fabulously creamy (yet suprisingly light) rendang curry that layers the bottom of the plate and submit yourself to the waves of nirvanic bliss that will ensue.

The beef is supple, tender and very delicious.

The wagyu rump cap with green sauce, burnt onion broth, grilled leeks and crispy garlic (RM120) shows off the restaurant’s devotion to more unusual cuts of meat. The beef is cooked very well here and still retains a florid pink middle. Texturally, it is silken soft, tender and very easy to polish off. Perhaps the only question mark in this equation is the crispy garlic which seems a little lost in this amalgamation.

The smoked black grouper with sambal kecombrang, pickled shallots and okra (RM70) is pure, unadulterated goodness. “This is actually derived from a traditional Indonesian dish called pindang kecombrang – which is smoked mackarel with ginger torch bud. So we smoke the fish and then make a beautiful sauce out of the kecombrang (ginger torch). So it’s just a modern interpretation of a dish that isn’t traditionally very pretty to look at,” says Jing.

The smoked black grouper features a plump slice of fish that is incredibly fresh and flavourful.

And what a fabulous job they have done with this little piece of fish, which is plump, very fresh and packed with flavour. In fact, it’s so incredibly easy to eat that you are highly likely to be swatting off the hands of trespassing dinner companions angling for a taste, having seen the giveaway smile of pleasure adorning your face.

To end your meal here on a sweet euphoria-laced note, indulge in the dessert of pineapple, coconut sago, yogurt sorbet, milk meringue and wood sorrel (RM25). This gentle concoction is light and delicate with tropical nuances and a whimsical quality to it.

If you want to keep the party going, order up a nightcap in the form of the unapologetically bold coconut espresso martini (RM35). Made with coconut rum and kahlua, this black beauty is a caffeine-laced offering that will seduce from the very first sip.

Ultimately, Jing says he hopes that people who come to his restaurant just end up having a good time. “The message people should get is about a fun, relaxed, vibrant atmosphere that’s not a million percent food-focused. Like you wouldn’t go to a place and just focus on the food. If the service and ambience is crap, that’s a lot to consider. I think it’s about ticking all these boxes and making sure everything is on an even playing field,” he says.

Jing Ze Contemporary Asian Restaurant 22A, Ground Floor and Mezzanine Floor Jalan 17/54, Section 17 46400 Petaling Jaya Tel: [phone] Open Tuesday to Sunday: 12pm to 3pm; 6pm to 10pm; 10pm to 1am (supperclub, except for Sunday)

from Food – Star2.com https://ift.tt/30IHQqH

#Blogger

[tripstations]

tripstations’s Top Global Restaurant Picks

our clothes, our money, and especially our appetites. Navigating restaurants when abroad can be an expensive thrill at best and downright cheap and frightening at worst. Followsummer was recently asked to name our top dining experiences as one of the world’s Expert Travelers. So here, in no particular order, are tripstations’s Top Best Global Restaurant picks – straight from the source.

Daniel Boulud’s  Café Boulud at the Four Seasons Toronto

In June of last year, Café Boulud closed its doors for a major design and menu retrofit. Reviews and the general word on the street had been positive but frankly they just did not seem to be pulling a loyal crowd. I must admit being disappointed with both of my visits to Café Boulud. The food was beautiful, the service stellar but I never felt entirely comfortable in the room. Those out of date, stark, pop art posters stealing focus from that admirable food and worthy service. The room itself did not live up to the crisp, classic, clean lines made famous by the Four Seasons brand. And the food didn’t seem that French to me either. Fancy foams and risottos? Mon Dieu! After a whirlwind seven-week, 2 million dollar renovation, Café Boulud was reborn and rejuvenated with a fresh new look and brand new and very French menu.

Edulis, Toronto, Ontario

Visited by the venerable Ruth Reichl (“So many restaurants insist that the experience is about them: their food, their ambiance, their wine.  At Edulis, it’s all about you. They feed you wonderful food – but they understand that a great meal transcends what’s on the table.”), Edulis’s eclectic pairing of French and Spanish cuisines make Tobey Nemeth and Michael Caballo’s small room a delight. Difficult to get to on a cold, white February evening, but so worth the snowy effort. Go.

Llangoed Hall, Brecon Beacons, Wales

Chef Nick Brodie has built his name on a cooking career that has taken him from Hong Kong to London to Bath, ensuring that many of the ingredients in his imaginative yet sensible food come from his burgeoning kitchen garden, harvesting his foraged ingredients when they bloom and adapting his beautifully presented seasonal dishes accordingly. His pre-dinner canapés with a cocktail are amongst the most unusual and delicious tripstations has eaten. Our dinner tonight is an extended and  extravagant 13-course vegetarian dégustation:  a beautifully presented ribbed bowl of Torched Leek, Duck Egg Mimosa, and Jerusalem Artichoke begins our tasting and finish with Smoked Ice cream, Cocoa Nib and Caramel Sauce, all accompanied by individual wine pairings. Incredible.  Many of the ingredients in his imaginative yet sensible food come from his burgeoning kitchen garden, harvesting his foraged ingredients when they bloom and adapting his beautifully presented seasonal dishes accordingly.

Saint John Ale House, Saint John, New Brunswick

We readily admit our skepticism when the Saint John Tourism Rep sent us a list of potential dining spots; frankly The Saint John Ale House did not jump out at us as a desirable Saturday-night-in-Saint John, fine ‘pub(ish)’ dining option. However, we dig in, do our research and discover the praiseworthy and progressive pub food offerings of Chef Jesse Vergen.

 Vij’s, Vancouver, British Columbia

Whether for work or play, we always make the effort to wait in line (no reservations) often to be greeted by the great Vikram Vij himself (tripstations has personally been welcomed twice by Chef, not so much so of late that he has become somewhat of a national celebrity) to his family style restaurant. Chef serves simple yet outstanding sophisticated flavours and house-made spices, turning up the volume and giving us Vij’s take on classical Indian cuisine. Call ahead for take-away as well.

Les Trois Domes, Sofitel Lyon Bellecour, Lyon, France

My 50th birthday celebration included a trip to Lyon to sample and savour all things Classic Lyonnais food. Les Lyonnais take their food very seriously with delicacies like Andouillette, Tête à Veaux and Veal Foot Salad a must on their must-eat collective dining tables.  Not for the faint of heart and perhaps one of the odder food experiences we’ve had in our travels. The saving grace of the trip was our dinner at Les Trois Domes: let’s just say come for the Foie Gras Tasting, stay for the Foie Gras Tasting.

Rob Gentile’s Buca

is like Italian heaven to us, a heaven where there is incredible food, wonderful wine, and superb service. Heaven was certainly on our minds last week as four friends gathered at Buca for a Thursday evening catch up dinner and to continue month-long celebrations of my husbands 60th birthday. Recently listed at  number 17 on Canada’s Best 100 Restaurants, we are greeted by a handsome front of house staff: all smiling, all attractive in a heavenly Italian kind of way, who gather our last-of-winter coats and usher us through the bustling, beautiful main dining room with soaring high ceilings, past exposed raw brick, and iron beams to our waiting table, nestled and tucked into the corner beside the hustling, open kitchen.

 Workshop Kitchen + Bar. Palm Springs, California

A surprising new entry into the Palm Springs dining scene, Workshop Kitchen + Bar pushes the foodie envelope with their Farm to Table approach. Owners Michael Beckman and Joseph Mourani have realized a contemporary, somewhat austere Modernist industrial design in a beautiful Colonial building which offers a compelling staging point for their ‘Americana’ style of food, offering everything from wood-fired pizza, sous-vide offerings, duck rillette, pan-roasted scallops, black truffle risotto, to Large Format Plates that are great for a ‘family service’ style evening of shared food and conversation. We left feeling well fed with plenty left on the wooden groaning board if we chose to doggy-bag it.

 Spencer’s Restaurant at the Mountain. Palm Springs, California

Booking a table at such a traditional, ‘clubby’, Palm Springs restaurant is not usually our style but the name Spencer’s is synonymous with Palm Springs’ classic style and its historically significant mid-century charm offers a stylish elegance and comfortable informality that apparently was not to be missed. Located in Old Palm Springs and situated at the foot of Mt. San Jacinto, the summer air-cooled, and winter propane-heated patio is legendary with the stunning surroundings matched only by great food and unobtrusive yet attentive service. This was, perhaps our best meal in Palm Springs.

 The Whole Earth. Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Just up the street from our hotel and near the very busy Night Market Street  in Chiang Mai is a beautiful looking restaurant, The Whole Earth.  The restaurant is situated in a traditional Lanna Thai pavilion and appears to float slightly above ground and we sit on a long open-air veranda with beautiful views of the gardens. Our meal is delicious – I have Tom Yum Soup, and the tastes of lemongrass, ginger and chili are divine on my tongue and Greg’s sweet and sour vegetables are lovely – not too sweet. We returned several times to indulge in their yummy variety of Thai, Indian and Vegetarian food, blissfully combining two cultures of traditional Thai and Ayurvedic Indian cuisines.

Fat Pasha. Toronto, Ontario.

Ahhh Fat Pasha. Difficult to secure a place at one of their communal tables but when you do…you’ll be feted with a ton of Middle-Eastern-Meets-Your-Jewish-Bubby food with a focus on the Veg side. Did I mention a ton of food? The Fat Pashas also owns Rose & Sons and Big Crow as well so if you can’t get grab a table at the popular FP, try their other eats. But try to taste the Fat P.

We breeze into DaiLo for our 6:30 reservation and are promptly seated at the choice, beautiful mother of pearl inlay table for 6, appropriate for a rendezvous dinner with good friends in from Boston. I have wanted to eat at DaiLo since it’s opening but like Bar Raval, have just not been able to get to Little Italy to sample Chef Nick Liu’s Chinese meets French ‘New Asian Cuisine’ appropriately hashtagged, #sickasianfood. Heavily influenced by Hakka Canadian parents and ancient ancestral menus, Chef Liu updates his creations with local and sustainable fare while wisely playing to our western palates.

Cochon. New Orleans, Louisiana

Dinner at Cochon in the city’s up and coming Warehouse/Arts district,   is a must. The room is warm and bustling with warehouse-themed brick predominating the theme. We have an early reservation (did I mention how busy the New Orleans eating scene is?) and once seated, we immediately acknowledge some more New Orleans lagniappe: as with dinner last evening at Lüke, we find ourselves engaged in animated and unreserved conversations with our fellow diners. Typical NOLA behaviour. Delicious starters of arugula & watermelon salad and a mushroom salad with beef jerky and lemon dressing are followed with oven-roasted red fish “Fisherman Style” with pickled fennel for me, and a delicious soft-shell crab for John.

 Atchafalaya. New Orleans Louisiana

A Jazzy-Honky-tonk trio welcomes our rain-soaked feet and damp spirits to a highly anticipated brunch at Atchafalaya. When seated, we indulge in their popular make it yourself Bloody Mary bar, featuring numerous types of home-pickled garnish options (including green beans, asparagus tips, peppers and cauliflower) to top off our choice of green tomato or traditional homemade tomato juices. John opts for the Oysters Rockefeller Eggs Benedict garnished with Apple Smoked Bacon and I nosh on The Boudreaux – sunny side eggs, alligator sausage, jalapeño corn bread, crystal potatoes and creole hollandaise – rainy day wonderful.

  The post tripstations’s Top Global Restaurant Picks appeared first on Tripstations.

from Tripstations https://ift.tt/2LJUJgy via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Tripstations

[tipsntravel4u]

Review – The WEIL Hotel At Ipoh, Perak

Penang Malaysia news and views.

Yet again another material from Ken Hunts Food. Very likely among the most helpful creators of material online.

An elegant-lofty building next to the central shopping mall of Ipoh- Ipoh Parade; apart from its strategic location in the heartland of Ipoh town, The WEIL Hotel is fully equipped with everything you need for a seriously comfortable stay. Opened in early December of 2014, WEIL Hotel has been upholding its status as the town’s most glamorous hotel and to live up to its standard as a 4-star hotel. The city hotel is also the de-facto hotel choice for many corporate events or special occasions… or merely a time for celebration over good food.

Many Thanks to WEIL Hotel for hosting us.

  WEIL Hotel houses more than 300 rooms and suites… which include the usual Superior, Deluxe, Premier Rooms as well as Suites and Concept Rooms. Though all rooms and suites would come with comfy beds, handpicked Italian amenities, standalone bath tubs, rain showers; the Concept Rooms are especially worth-mentioning. Overlooking Ipoh’s beautiful skyline, the Concept rooms rest at the top floor of WEIL Hotel…. meant to be distinguished as a Boutique Hotel within a business hotel. Designed in 4 exclusive room types- Brewster (prepare for the Royal treatment with a touch of British colonial elegance), Summer Bliss (stylish urban retreat with relaxing charm), Miners (Oriental-inspired design features with old-fashioned charm and wood furnishings) and Telegraph (eclecticism of 1920s Soho when Art meets Jazz).

The Room- Concept Premier

  In-Room Snacks and Drinking Water

  Handy Smartphone

  Wardrobe

  Bathroom Amenities

  The Bathroom

Our Concept Room was under the category of Brewster. The room is artfully decorated in shades of dark wood, with terrazzo flooring and sophisticated furniture… which sets a cut above the rest. Like most hotel rooms, the room comes with a huge bed with silky soft sheets, a working desk, LCD TV and in-house snacks. Adding a warm touch, WEIL Hotel provides PAGODA Nuts aside from the customary Coffee/ Tea. In addition to that, the bath tub and rain showers at the bathroom would definitely add some joy to your stay.

  Infinity Pool

Gym

Gym-goers or fitness fanatics would be glad to know that there is an infinity pool at the rooftop of WEIL Hotel and a Gym for hotel guests. The pool at the rooftop offers breath-taking panoramic view of Ipoh city while you soak and relax in the waters. It is also one of the popular spots for taking attractive Instagrammable photos. The Gym on the other side, may be a little small in size but the gym equipment and fitness machines are all in almost-new conditions, and you get to find all necessary equipment there too.

The Entrance to the Hotel/ Hotel Lobby

WEIL Hotel can be easily accessible from the main road of Jalan Sultan Idris Shah, a short walk from SMK Sam Tet and Ipoh’s famous Tong Sui street; and of course, a short drive from the city center of Ipoh town. There is also a linkway at the hotel’s lobby to Ipoh Parade Shopping Mall.

On Food and Beverages, WEIL Hotel houses 4 restaurants that would pamper all guests with ample dining choices. The 4 restaurants are Tiffin (All Day Dining Restaurant), Yuk Sou Hin (fine Chinese food), The Deck Gastrobar (rooftop dining bar) and Tea Lounge (Tea-riffic place known for its Afternoon Tea packages).

Concept Business Lounge and Canapes

Exclusively for Concept room guests, guests can indulge complimentary evening Canapes and beverages from 6 pm to 8 pm daily at the Concept Lounge.

Yogurt and Oats

  Bread and Jam

  Cold Platter

  Nasi Lemak

  Grilled Chicken

  Beef Bacon and Baked Potatoes

Concept room guests can opt to have their breakfast at the Concept Lounge. Though slightly limited, the breakfast choices are of premium quality as compared to the usual options. The Premium Breakfast at the Concept Lounge starts from 7 am to 10:30 am. Perfect for guests who prefer quieter and more relaxing atmosphere.

Conglomeration of dishes from the buffet spread

  Waffles and Pancakes

  Clear Soup Noodles

  Nasi Lemak

Tiffin, right next to the hotel lobby would be the restaurant offering hotel guests their buffet breakfast. More choices are available as compared to the Concept Lounge, with live cooking stations around. One of the highlights of the buffet spread would be their Nasi Lemak, Tiffin’s rendition would make any Malaysian proud. The creaminess and fragrance of the Rice completes the delicacy, even more irresistible with its boldly spiced Chili paste. Daily Buffet Breakfast starts from 6:30 am to 10:30 am.

Tiffin’s Buffet Breakfast

  The Deck Gastrobar @ Weil Hotel Ipoh

Pork-Free

Service Charge: No

Government Tax: Yes 6%

Address: Rooftop (13th Floor) of Weil Hotel Ipoh, 292, Jalan Sultan Idris Shah, 30000, Ipoh, Perak.

Business Hours: 5 pm to 12 am on every Sunday to Thursday, 5 pm to 2 am on Fridays, Saturdays and Public Holidays. Contact Number: 605- 208 2228

  Escargot Ala Bouruignonne (Rm 35)

  Bakso French Onion Soup (Rm 16)

  Grilled 6 Secret Spice of Ipoh Chicken Tikka (Rm 20)

  Perak Snapper (Rm 38)

  Fresh House-made Bread (open food)

One of the tallest restaurants in town, The Deck Gastrobar can be found at the top of Weil Hotel Ipoh… on the roof top to be precise. The height offers amazing view… overlooking the bustling Ipoh town. Guests get to choose if they would prefer to be seated outside for a more outdoorsy ambiance or the fully air-conditioned inside… equipped with comfortable seating and cozy atmosphere. The menu features a great range of Western-European choices, alongside with some Malaysian-influenced international dishes. The Chef’s specials are good options for those who are new to the place. The budget-watchers would be glad to know that the price range is definitely affordable, with reasonable prices and generous serving portion.

Warm your tummy with Bakso French Onion Soup…. thick Onion soup with Bakso, meat balls served over a Cheese-topped Toast. The Onion soup is beautifully cooked with a generous amount Onions, so the outcome is a sweet, thick concoction while the meat balls offer a meaty, satisfying bite and complete the dish. A more exquisite choice for starter- the Escargot is cooked using its house-made Butter, served over a piece of Garlic Bread.

A show stopper (also a signature dish), the Grilled 6 Secret Spice of Ipoh Chicken Tikka is basically a deconstructed Chicken Tikka Briyani… save that the Rice is being replaced with mashed Potatoes. The in-depth flavor of the Chicken Tikka is beyond amazing and the mashed Potatoes is a lovely complement to the rich, thick and flavorful curry. The Chef uses Chicken Thigh in lieu of breast… and thus, offering a plump yet meaty bite. A perfect item for sharing, in case you are worried that it may be a little too heavy. Equally delicious is Perak Snapper…. skillfully cooked Snapper topped with a winning Nyonya-together with the firm-fresh Snapper, the combo is most lovely and delectable. On a side note, guests will be served with their in-house baked Bread… an outside-crisp and inside-fluffy Bread, to be enjoyed with their home-made Herb Butter.

    Yuk Sou Hin 玉壽轩 @ Weil Hotel Ipoh

Pork-Free

Service Charge: No

Government Tax: Yes 6%

Address: 1st Floor of Weil Hotel Ipoh, 292, Jalan Sultan Idris Shah, 30000, Ipoh, Perak.

Business Hours: 7 am to 11 am for Breakfast, 11 am to 2:30 pm for Lunch, 6 pm to 10 pm for Dinner. Opens Daily. Contact Number: 605- 208 2103

  Signature Smoked Duck with Lychee Wood 招牌茶叶荔枝木烤熏鸭 (Rm 45/ half bird)

  Steamed Cod Fish Deluxe Dumplings 鳕鱼帝皇饺 (Rm 12/ 3 pieces)

  Steamed Crab Meat Dumplings 蟹肉水晶饺 (Rm 12/ 3 pieces)

  Steamed Vegetarian Dumplings 香斋八宝袋 (Rm 7/ 3 pieces)

  Deep Fried Chives Dumplings with Prawns 鲜虾韭菜角 (Rm 10/ 3 pieces)

  Signature Baked BBQ Honey Glazed Chicken Bun 招牌雪山包 (Rm 12/ 3 pieces)

  Steamed Rice Rolls with Prawns and Asparagus 芦笋鲜虾肠粉 (Rm 12)

  Pan Fried Chinese Pancake with Red Bean Paste 酥皮豆沙锅饼 (Rm 12/ pax)

  Chilled Avocado Puree with Sago 牛油果西米冻 (Rm 12/ pax)

  While Ipoh is blessed with many Dim Sum outlets and Chinese restaurants but this particular restaurant housed in Weil Hotel Ipoh is top of the notch. Yuk Sou Hin 玉壽轩 is a restaurant that deserves a Michelin Star! Being one of the most popular Chinese restaurants in town, Yuk Sou Hin has a bible-thick menu that has something to satisfy everyone- it serves Dim Sum dishes in the morning and classic Cantonese dishes the rest of the day.

Start with the various beautifully cooked Dumplings, there are plenty of options to choose from (in terms of fillings), even some for vegetarian diet. Another worth-trying item would be their Signature Baked BBQ Honey Glazed Chicken Bun… almost similar to famous Michelin-starred Dim Sum restaurant- Tim Ho Wan’s but unique in its own way (cheaper too!). 

But the must try item would be their (at least for me) Signature Smoked Duck with Lychee Wood… a dish that cannot easily be found elsewhere (non-existence in Penang). The Smoked Duck comes with crisp skin and juicy meat. The flesh is cleverly imbued with a unique, second to none smokiness. The Duck is more than good enough on its own but if you would prefer a little sour-sweet touch, the Plum sauce would be a nice addition. Before you end the meal, complete it with a sweet ending by having the Pan Fried Chinese Pancake with Red Bean Paste and Chilled Avocado Puree with Sago; the former one comes with crisp-flaky pastry skin sandwiching lightly sweetened Red Bean paste while the latter choice satisfies the palate with its refreshing but alluring flavor.

  Originally posted here: Tastiest, Ken Hunts Food

Trust you found that useful information that they shared. Yow will discover similar content on our website: https://whatsonpenang.com

Leave me your views down below, share a comment and let me know which subjects you would like covered in future posts.

[foodgemsg]

https://ift.tt/2U520I6 Read on our visit to Baba Chews | Asian-Inspired Cuisine Elevate to Another Level That Please Your Eyes And Tummy by FoodGem

Media Tasting at Baba Chews

Situated in Katong and also in the heart Singapore’s first Heritage Town, Baba Chews does not constrain the feasting experience to simply Asian-propelled cooking. Executive Chef Alvin Leong is constantly innovating and adding fun factors into his food twist with a familiar touch. Devour a luscious choice of Western classics. In the new culinary menu, you get to enjoy the best of both worlds, Asian flavours with western gastronomy. Think of Otah Yu Tiao, Peranakan Pulled Pork Burger, Chicken Rendang Lasagne, Laksa Salmon, X.O. Pork Belly Char Siew Rice Bowl and many more! The new culinary menu embraces all the best parts of the Singapore staple.

A satisfying salad needs more than just greens. This quinoa salad is a mix of colours, crunch and ingredients including feta cheese crumble, cucumber, beetroot, pomegranate, avocado, sunflower seeds, almond flakes, micro cress in refreshing lemon dressing. Simple and refreshing quinoa salad is perfect for the hot weather in Singapore.

Quinoa salad at S$17.

When we see fragrance Hainanese ‘oil’ rice, we think of chicken rice! Here, we have thinly sliced luscious tender homemade pork belly char siew topped with sunny side up egg and premium X.O. sauce that imparts an incredible burst of flavour to the bowl.

X.O. Pork Belly Char Siew Rice Bowl at S$19.

Thick slabs of chunks of homemade otah all sandwiched between two giant charcoal dough fritter smeared with sambal sabayon sauce. The otah paste was soft and not very spicy while the charcoal yu tiao still remained crispy over time.

Otah Yu Tiao at S$12.

The light laksa sauce gave a lot of flavour with a hint of heat that makes this simple salmon unique. Salmon was firm to the bite in the thick slice with crispy skin. Perfect the laksa experience with crispy beancurd puff!

Laksa Salmon at S$26.

The smooth tagliatelle fully marries to Singapore’s Signature chilli crab sauce topped with crunchy tempura soft shell crab, sous vide egg and fragrance from the fresh cilantro.

Chilli Crab Tagliatelle at S$20.

Chicken rendang or lasagne? You can now visualise two flavours in one! Think of Peranakan twist with minced chicken rendang in a sticky sweet, savoury and thick gravy of aromatic spices. Rest assured, it’s not so spicy! The baked cheese quickly add savoury depth to the chicken rendang lasagne.

Chicken Rendang Lasagne at S$18.

Peranakan pulled pork burger is filling up with loads of pulled Iberico pork and topped with caramelised onions, cucumber, tomato, giving an extra crunch. Iberico pork is nicely flavoured in pongteh style. Pongteh is one of the most famous Nyonya dishes in a Peranakan household, braised in fermented soybean sauce. This burger dish also comes with a side of crispy fries and chilli sauce.

Peranakan Pulled Pork Burger at S$20.

The homemade barbecue sauce is tasty and great for fall off the bone decently tender pork ribs! This dish is also served with fries and coleslaw.

Barbecued US Pork Ribs at S$30.

Instead of the thick green jelly, we see thin and slurping good homemade pandan jello in Baba’s Chendol. It is also served with red bean mousse, gula melaka, popcorn, fresh coconut milk, gula melaka syrup and shaved ice. What?! Did I see popcorn? The popcorns are popped in-house and adds a nice crunch instead of the usual sweet corn. The gula melaka syrup is so good and we can’t help but ask Chef Alvin the secret behind this. It is a blend of gula melaka syrup from two countries, one of which is from Melaka.

Baba’s Chendol at S$10.

Being a durian lover, my eyes stick to Kueh Durian. The unconventional kueh dadar with homemade smooth durian mousse and shredded coconut cooked in gula melaka wrapped in soft pandan crepes. And finally topped with a scoop of homemade gula melaka ice cream. Kueh durian makes a delightful balance of sweet and savoury dessert to end off any meal!

Kueh durian at S$15.

Some of the hot dishes like Chilli Crab Tagliatelle, Laksa Salmon and Otah Yu Tiao bring a little heat but not the pain for foodies who love hot sauce but not heat. Prices are reasonable with a decent portion. Both desserts were decently sweet, not overly sweet.

*Service charge(10%) and GST(7%) applicable.

Share this post with your friends and loved ones.

You have a chance to vote for this food article. Simply leave your vote/s and comment below.

Budget Per Pax

S$20-S$35

How to go Baba Chews

var map_fusion_map_5c7625bfd801a; var markers = []; var counter = 0; function fusion_run_map_fusion_map_5c7625bfd801a() { jQuery('#fusion_map_5c7625bfd801a').fusion_maps({ addresses: [{"address":"86 E Coast Rd, Katong Square, Singapore 428788","infobox_content":"86 E Coast Rd, Katong Square, Singapore 428788","coordinates":false,"cache":false}], animations: true, infobox_background_color: '', infobox_styling: 'default', infobox_text_color: '', map_style: 'default', map_type: 'roadmap', marker_icon: '', overlay_color: '', overlay_color_hsl: {"hue":0,"sat":0,"lum":6}, pan_control: true, show_address: true, scale_control: true, scrollwheel: true, zoom: 14, zoom_control: true, }); } if ( typeof google !== 'undefined' ) { google.maps.event.addDomListener(window, 'load', fusion_run_map_fusion_map_5c7625bfd801a); }

Operating Hours

Sunday to Thursday 6:30AM to 11PM

Friday & Saturday 6:30AM to 12AM Midnight

Address and Contact

86 E Coast Rd, Katong Square, Singapore 428788

Contact: [phone]

Email: [email protected]

Reservation allowed.

Travel and Parking

Parking available Katong Square.

Travel via public transport.

From Bugis Mrt Station (East-West Line)

Exit B; Walk 197 m to the bus stop at Landmark Village Hotel, Ophir Road. Board Bus 48 at Landmark Village Hotel (01559), Ophir Road. Alight at Opposite Parkway Parade, Marine Parade Road, 4 stops later. Walk 267 m to Katong Square.

The post Baba Chews | Asian-Inspired Cuisine Elevate to Another Level That Please Your Eyes And Tummy appeared first on foodgem: Food & Travel.

#Baba Chews | Asian-Inspired Cuisine Elevate to Another Level That Please Your Eyes And Tummy #Food #Fo

[myqualitycollectioncrown]

Chef’s Knives Tested and Rated

THE CHEF’S Knife is the essential multi tool of the kitchen. It slices, it dices. It minces juliennes and de-bones. But additionally, it goes well beyond its intended uses. Need to open a bag of spinach? Break the seal on your sous vide salmon? Pop the cap off a beer? You are covered.

We tested eight knives over 3 weeks, selecting the most popular designs and pinging chef friends for their personal recommendations. We stuck mostly with 8-inch blades, the sweet spot for the traditional chef’s knife. Testing involved the stuff you’d do in your own kitchen — peeling, filleting, dicing, chopping, cubing, slicing and all another standard prep work for meats and vegetables.

Like just about all great models, the chef’s knife is not difficult, and its wide ranging utility might account for the basic shape of its remaining relatively unchanged over the years. We have witnessed little innovations: new metals, better handle design, a few blades move a tad more, a few are thicker, others thinner. But the regular prevails: a slim, 8 inch triangular blade with a curved cutting edge along with a heel high enough to pinch tightly.

There’s probably no best knife for everyone. The size of your hands, the way you keep the knife, and whatever you tend to do many in the kitchen determine such things as that tackle type is better, and what weight you will need. The less-obvious traits, like upkeep needs and exactly how well the knife has an edge over time, set the great knives beyond the sub-par, and needs to be considered by every buyer.

GYUTOU

HIGH CARBON STEEL

Let us start with probably the best: the Korin Gyutou , a high carbon steel Japanese style chef’s knife.

This’s the Bugatti Veyron of knives. It can feel as an extension of the hands, something which sprang from your skin à la Wolverine, slicing through a half frozen, inch thick round steak like it is a kappa maki. The carbon steel blade makes accuracy slicing feel so healthy, you need to make each piece an absolutely best slice. The Korin commands respect — it not merely cries out for the greatest knife skills of yours, nevertheless it shames you into stepping up the game of yours. A number of minutes with this particular knife, and you will feel as you have to go practice the fundamentals of yours. Initially suggested to me by my old chef Hugh Acheson (who likes the 6 inch Petty model), the most awful thing I am able to say about the Korin is it is a fiddly item to take care of. My review knife basically delivered with the own driver of its, requiring that I kindly clean it down with a cream rag (provided) after carefully cleaning it with water and soap. Oh, and absolutely no eco-friendly M&Ms, please.

That is par for the program with carbon steel blades, which are usually sharper, much more exact knives, but — there is generally a trade off — demand a lot more upkeep compared to the stainless cousins of theirs.

The majority of the knives here will not blink a watch at foods that are acidic as tomatoes, and they will not protest being left to sit down in water. However the Korin is going to discolor — as well as corrode as well as pit — if not correctly cared for. Having said that, when Top Chef contestants as Acheson is able to wash down the knives of theirs while whipping up advanced foods on a deadline, you are able to also. The sole question is, would you wish to bother?

WIRED Undoubtedly the best and sharpest knife of the group. The Korin tends to make everything in the kitchen appear as a thing that has be finely minced instantly.

Exhausted The awesomeness includes a catch: In case you do not maintain it correctly, the gleaming advantage is going to tarnish as well as wither with each sliced tomato.

Rating: nine out of ten

  MIYABI ARTISAN SG2

The Miyabi sequence of knives from Zwilling J.A. Henckels is an effort to hybridize Japanese design as well as blade types with western style utility. You will find many knives underneath the Miyabi brand; I tried the Artisan SG2 ($140), a stainless chef’s knife that is hammered as well as honed to look as a katana blade.

The Miyabi knives are created for cooks who would like the good edge, slim profile as well as accuracy experience of the Korin, but without the fuss of a carbon steel blade. The resulting knife is very great in the own right of its, though it does not outperform the Korin.

At minimum the Miyabi is a looker, with Damascus style markings, a handsome rosewood handle, brass spacers, along with any other decorative components. It’s a gentle, delicate feel to it, and also the frilly looks succeed seem a bit of dainty. Though the test blade of mine come with a ridiculously sharp edge, and also it’d hardly any issue splitting apart a chicken for Sunday grilling. Furthermore, the textured covering closer to the spine maintained any & just food from sticking. A quibble: The very long, somewhat bulbous rosewood pakkawood handle is comfy, but, similar to many others, gets slick when wet and oily.

WIRED A good compromise knife: Most — although not every — of the great parts of a carbon steel blade without the tiresome upkeep demands. Weight that is good at 11 ounces. Micro-carbide steel SG2 center is exceptionally difficult & remains sharp.

Exhausted Pricey. The handle is comfortable, but gets slippery when wet. The fancily textured, hammered steel mower’s blade is not for everybody.

Rating: seven out of ten

GINZU HANAITA DAMASCUS

“How a great deal of might you spend on a blade this way? Wait, before you answer…”

The well-known karate chopping, can slicing Ginzu is going to be familiar to anybody who grew up watching tv in the late 1970s. Although the title still brings to mind all those inexpensive novelty knives, present day Ginzu is a major cutlery business. There was no promises that the Hanaita 8 inch Damascus knife (hundred dolars) could slice cans, though it did show up razor sharp and also held the edge of its effectively throughout tests.

The Ginzu is weighty at 13.6 ounces, but moderately well balanced. The blade — forged from thirty three levels of steel — is somewhat heavier than the deal with, although not sufficient to actually observe in daily use. The additional pounds means the Hanaita is a tad much better at deboning than good mincing. The blade is additionally wider than nearly all, which makes it much more hard to make it through larger, denser ingredients — like slicing sweet potatoes into fries.

The handle will be the only person in the roundup of ours with a rubberized grip, and also it retains the grippiness of its even if the fingers of yours get greasy or wet.

WIRED Solid performer with an extremely comfy rubber handle. Strong carbon steel blade is sharp, and remains in that way.

Exhausted On the large side. Thick blade is not ideal for very long, deep cuts.

Rating: six out of ten

  WÜSTHOF GRAND PRIX II

The Grand Prix II is exemplary of traditional German blade layout — a long, constantly tapered cutter which has significantly less rocking activity compared to the much more sharply curved French style knives such as the Zwilling Pro or maybe the Global G 2. The Grand Prix II is not a fine portion of cutlery including the Miyabi or Korin, though it can make a pleasant companion to both, since it is better-suited to deboning along with other industrial kitchen work which transmits finer knives scurrying for cover.

The Wüsthof’s plastic handle is fairly light-weight, cause it to be one the least balanced knives I tested. The knife’s 9.8 ounces is quite blade forward, although not a lot so it was hard to work with.

In reality, the Grand Prix II is a delight to utilize and might have been a favorite were it not for one little quirk which stored biting me: The bolster, the place that the blade concludes the handle starts, is sharpened. Even with being almost a quarter inch wide, the tapered end is clear — significantly less clear as the particular cutter, but clear adequate to keep paper-cut-like injuries on the finger tips of mine. Frequently. It might only be how I work with a blade, though it is some thing to look out for if you test it on your own in a shop.

WIRED Weighty, longer blade discusses industrial kitchen responsibilities some other knives may balk (or maybe chip) at. An excellent knife for hundred dolars.

Exhausted Sharp butt on the blade is annoying. Not healthy.

Rating: six out of ten

  MESSERMEISTER SAN MORITZ ELITE

The San Moritz Elite may be the Platonic ideal of a chef’s knife. The balanced, gently curved blade and comfy manage look and feel as if everything you see in the mind of yours when someone states “chef’s knife.”

Unfortunately the San Moritz Elite does not completely meet the excessive expectations. The tester knife of mine arrived under razor sharp, and also it lost what small edge it’d rather quick. The San Moritz recovered after a while on the stone, but in case you are not intending to hone the blade of yours often, it might not be the right option.

Having said that, the San Moritz was the best comfy knife of the evaluation. The 13.6-ounce mass is simply about perfectly balanced. By the conclusion of the 3 days, I discovered myself reaching for doing it practically almost as the Korin (especially for tasks which may have violated the Korin’s rider).

WIRED Very cozy. In case you are stuck dicing potatoes for any battleship filled with hungry sailors, this’s the knife you would want.

TIRED Arrived less sharp compared to some other knives, and can demand more long-term maintenance.

Rating: six out of ten

GLOBAL G-2

The Global G 2 is just about the most popular chef’s knives on the planet. Poke the mind of yours in your foodie friends’ kitchens and there is a pretty good possibility you will observe the distinct all metal G 2 affixed on the magnet on the wall.

The reputation of its has constantly been a thing of a mystery to me. The blade is lightweight (5.5 ounces), beautifully healthy, along with really simple to handle, though the steel handle is turns, uncomfortable, and thin into a greased pig in case you will look at a coconut oil bottle. Having said that, a lot of individuals rave about the G-2’s distinctive handle in internet reviews. The tip of mine is head to the local kitchen shop of yours and check it out for yourself.

From the testing of mine, the G 2 was a lot sharp right away and held the advantage of its for some time. But by the conclusion of 2 days of everyday use, I ended up taking out the stone to take the advantage returned. It is a flawlessly capable device, but when gauged against the greater high performance specimens right here, the G 2 came across including the Mazda Miata of knives: little and enjoyable, but missing a specific solidity.

WIRED Affordable. Easy and lightweight to deal with, particularly for smaller hands.

Exhausted The ergonomic handle isn’t ergonomic for everyone. Worse, it gets slick in probably the slightest hint of moisture. Power of the blade is questionable.

Rating: five out of ten

The post Chef’s Knives Tested and Rated appeared first on Buy Best Knife.

from Buy Best Knife http://ift.tt/2FvOjPg via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Buy Best Knife

[caj-wind]

Tara Country

His tickets:

Coalby to Watertown

DN&SF       Denver, Nebraska and Sioux Falls

Watertown to Minneapolis

CMSP&P   Chicago Milwaukee St. Paul & Pacific

Minneapolis to Chicago

C&NW        Chicago and North Western

Chicago to Cincinnati

C&O           Chesapeake and Ohio

Cincinnati to Knoxville

L&N Louisville and Nashville

Knoxville to Sommersville

SOU            Southern

On the DN&SF - Denver, Nebraska and Sioux Falls

 He had been restless in Coalby and was uncomfortable leaving.  What had gone wrong?  Or had it gone wrong?

On the CMSP&P - Chicago, Milwaukie, St. Paul & Pacific

The mainliner was more like it:  Pullmans, a dining car, a club car and observation car.  And he had a reservation.  He tossed his bag under his assigned seat and looked around.  There wasn't going to be any action in this car.  The action, if there was any action on this train, was going to be back in the club car and he worked his way through the swaying Pullmans.  A floating game of boysandgirls was in the preliminaries. Who is who?  Who was who?  Who has who?

Who is who?  Names had to be applied to faces.  Who was who?  There was an unpublished pecking order and without published credentials the individual players where stuck with establishing a personal identity.  Who has who?  There may have been a couple of false starts but for the moment there were no obvious commitments, no someone possessed another someone.

There was a vacant seat beside a girl, he waited for her to look up at him and smile.

"Rose Ann."  Rose Ann.  Rose is a rose is a rose, her name described her.

"Donald."  She appraised him more carefully than she had before.

"Donald, Donny?  Which do they call you, Donald or Donny?"

"Donald?"

"Why, why Donald?"

"I don't know, it was one day, it was a long time ago.  I decided I wanted to be Donald, it was my name, Donny wasn't."

"I don't know which I like best.  Donny is sort of sing-song, musical, like a wavy line. Donald seems to have sharp, square corners.  What does your mother call you?"

"Donald."

"She has always called you Donald?"

"No, she used to call me Donny."

"But, she doesn't now?"

"No."

"How did you get along with her when you were home?"

How did this girl, Rose Ann?, how did she know he had been back home, back to Coalby, back to see his mother?

"Now, just now?"

"Yes."

"Fine, I guess, well, things were sort of strained."  She looked at him, them beyond him, then back at him.

"Do you ever think she might worry about you?"

"I can take care of myself.  I don't know why she should worry."

"But, you worry about her?"

"Hell, yes, she has it pretty rough."

Rose Ann heard his answer, but was again looking past him and he turned to see what had caught her attention.  The window tossed back their reflections, his looking out the window, hers looking over his shoulder.  There were, he had never seen them before, fire flies, real fire flies, millions of them and they were flying in the ditch beside the railroad tracks.

"But, you don't see the difference?"

"What difference, what is the difference?"

"She has no control over your life."

"I think she has.  I don't do anything she can't accept."

"I don't mean that, I mean something could happen to you."

"Something could happen to her."

"Its not the same.  You know all the things that could happen to her.  You know that in a little town there would be someone who could help her or take care of her. "

"Well, yes, I guess."

"But, you say, you say you tell her you can take care of yourself."

"I can."

"She isn't sure of that.  Oh, you can buy a car, get drunk, chase girls, send out the laundry, you can do all of that.  But when a mother's son leaves a little town the worry in her mind is, who is going to take care of him?"

"But it is not just me, we all have to leave."

"Yes, and all mothers have to sit home and wait and worry."

"You sound annoyed."

"I am, it’s so damned selfish.  Really, you can run around and have a good time.  You can pretend you feel sorry for yourself. You can think your part is tough. Your mother has it tough.  Do you pray for her?"

Another religious freak?  "No."

"Do you pray for yourself?"

An acolyte looking for a convert? "No."

"Why not?"

"All this praying.  Someone goes out and does something stupid, does something dumb, gets into a situation and then prays to get out.  When I get into something I only blame me.  It is up to me to get me out."

"You are self centered.  Do you pray for anyone, anything, ever?"

"Down on my knees?  No, not that way.  Not like you. In my own way I do. Yes."  He could feel some of the tension between them, some of her annoyance with him, was beginning to ease."

"What is your way?"

"You have a book, a whole book of instructions, a book you believe, a book you understand, a book I don't understand."

"But, it is the Book."

"For you, yes.  For me, no, it is a myth that was written fifteen hundred years ago. four hundred years after the fact."

"Then you don't believe?"

"Verbatim?  No, but, take a myth back far enough and there is a hint that the myth was based on a fact."

"What do you believe in?"

"What I don't understand."

"What do you don't understand?"

"See those fire flies?  How do they blink?  Why do they blink?"

"They blink, it’s got something to do with phosphorous.  They blink to attract a mate."

"O.K., but why?  Why?  This is my point.  Why? Why does phosphorous make them blink? Why?  Why does the blinking make them sexy?  You get into a round of why?, because.  Why?, because.  You can't get out of that round and round.  You see, you believe, but you don't understand the big why."

"I guess I don't understand."

"That is the point."

On the C&NW

The boysandgirls game made the change in St. Paul from the CMSP&P club car to the C&NW club car almost intact. While the game had been for 'fun' on the CMSP&P it was turning into a game of for 'keeps' on the C&NW. It was shaping up, like these games always did, with the campus queen and the big man on campus pairing off and leaving the cortege to work out a pecking order and a pairing off to the lesser endowed. Her name was Kay, probably Catherine and his was Vince, probably Vincent and the game was changed to Kay's and Vince's party.

"I know someone at the Palmer House."

Maybe Vince did.  It was in Chicago and it was big and the Palmer House had a big name and there was an afternoon to kill between trains.  Chicago was big.  So was Los Angeles, but Chicago's downtown seemed to be a series of steam-heated, traffic-jammed, concrete canyons.  The desk clerk in the Palmer House looked at him, framed half an unasked question and spun the Cardex.

"Nine sixteen, the elevators are to your right, to your right."

He would have gone the wrong way if the clerk hadn't pointed.

"Floor?"

"What?"

"Which floor, please."

"Nine sixteen, nine I guess."

He knew about elevators, move to the back and face the door."

"This is nine."

"Thank you."

Which way?  An arrow pointed that way, nine sixteen was that way.  There was no clamor, there were no party noises coming from behind the door.

"Its open."

She turned away from the window and looked at him. He thought her name was Madge, but he wasn't sure.  She studied him.

"Donny?"  There was no point in making a point of that.

She studied him for another moment and turned back to the window.  "Where is the party?  Where are Vince and Kay?"

"They will be back."  She tossed her answer over her shoulder.

The boysandgirls game died when the C&NW pulled into the station.  The Vince and Kay party was busy falling on it face.  If Madge and Donald were castaways on the same desert island they might, it was remotely possible, they might work out something in common.

"I'll be back."

MacArthur had said,"I shall return." with greater conviction.

Madge, or whatever her name was, did not turn around. So much for Chicago and the game and the party and Madge.  He wasn't sore at her and she probably didn't think enough about him to be sore at him.  There were the Madges of this world and there were the Rose Anns.

Would there be a club car and a boysandgirls game and a Rose Ann on the L&N to Cincinnati?  There wasn't.  He was hungry and he was tired and he would be in Cincinnati in the morning.  When in Rome... .  When in Cincinnati?  When in Cincinnati, if there is nothing else to do, be a tourist.  There was nothing else to do.  What did tourists do?  Tourists checked their bags into the L&N baggage room, went to the news stand and bought a city map, went to Woolworth's and bought a cup of coffee and spread out the map on the counter.  For the rest of the morning and for the afternoon he would be a tourist.

Rome has seven hills.  Rome has fountains.  Rome has history.  Rome has baths.  Cincinnati was a city when most of the cities west of the Mississippi were army posts or indian villages.  Cincinnati had three hills and on one of them was the University of Cincinnati.  A street car grinding past the L&N station was going to go up one of the hills to the university.  The conductor waved him aboard.  

He sat at a table in the courtyard of the Student Union and let a wave of sensations wash over him.  The noise from downtown was remote and mixed with campus noises.  It was cooler here.  Sprinklers splashed up the sweet smell of wet grass, a smell like fresh cut hay.  Bees sang one note bee songs in the flowers. A single sparrow was scolding about the few crumbs left from the sandwich.  A soft wind teased the campus flag.  A second wave washed his mind clear of the last of the past year's clutter. For that moment he wasn't 2nd Lt. Craft, Donald Elgin.  It was as though he didn't have a name.  The noises from the cafeteria seemed to grow louder.  He felt as though he was a part of that sound, a part of the campus sounds. When and if.  It was the bittersweet game of 'when and if'.  When it was over, if it was ever over.  When his uniforms were packed in the bottom of the foot locker.  When. When the collar brass and the ornament and the wings were tossed into a cigar box.  If.  If he was was not too old, he would like to go to UCLA, or come back to a college like this university, the University of Cincinnati.  Back to college, he would be older and wiser.  Maybe.  But, there wouldn't be the rush and the pressure.  There would be a time to read, to think, to live.  There would come a time when he would be out from under the shadow of tomorrow.  There would be men he could like.  Even now he thought of Dave and missed Dave.  There would be girls, or a girl, a Virginia, or a Lillian, or a Beth, even a Rose Ann.  There would be a time when they could walk together, hold hands, talk together, sing together and feel that they were alive, oh, so, very much alive together.

2nd. Lt Craft, Donald Elgin left Donald Elgin Craft sitting at a table in the courtyard of the student cafeteria at the University of Cincinnati and caught the same street car back down the hill to the L&N station.

On the L&N

Tonight in the dining car on the L&N, tomorrow on the Southern and tomorrow night he would be in Sommersville.  Back to, like they sang in Stage Door Canteen, 'back to the Army routine'.  

"That is twice you have done that."  A man seated across from him was wearing a wilted seersucker suit and a limp white shirt.  Two attempts at conversation had ended mid-word and a wall of calculated indifference grew between them until the man cleared his throat and said something.

"What?  I'm sorry, I didn't understand."

"That is twice you have done that, said, 'please and thanks' to that boy."  That boy was their waiter and he looked like the picture of the man on a package of Cream of Wheat, without a chef's hat.  His waiter’s jacket could have been an advertisement for Stayley's, his smile was an ad for Pepsodent.  The seersucker suit attempted a withering glance and his words notched a notch deeper into the land of sorghum and grits.  He pronounced twice with a 't' on the end, twicet.

"You Yankees come down here and 'please and thank you' these colored folks and they get uppity."

This was the South?  A southern gentleman was giving a damnyankee, down here damnyankee is one word, a crash course in southern courtesies?  The wall between them doubled itself and the eyes of the Yankee and the Rebel met over the wall.  The Rebel blinked.  To hell with the southern gentleman, to hell with southern courtesy, and to hell with the southern hospitality in the dining car or in the club car on the L&M.  

He made it a point of replacing his quarter with a half dollar.

It was raining, not much of a rain, just a morning shower when the L&N pulled into Knoxville and and abandoned him to the Southern.

"The Southern to Sommersville?"

"Its on the track on the other side of the station."

On the SOU.

He had ridden trains, locals and mainliners, the diesel dinky, day coaches, Pullmans, troop trains.  The Southern day coach was not the, "Dinner in the diner, nothing could be finer", Chattanooga choo choo.  A seat?  The interior of the car was a sardine can full of of sweating, swearing, bawling, brawling humanity.  If he shuffled around he might find a place to stand.  

His bag?   He tossed his bag on the top of a dozen others.

Craft, you shut up. You have got eight hours in this coach and things aren't going to get any better.  The little engine that could was doing its best to inch the Southern up into the Great Smokies.  Its click-clack became a click-pause-clack until it crossed the Applachain Trail. The shower that met him in Knoxville followed the string of ancient cars.  With the windows opened to the hint of the shower washed air, with his mind set in numb detent, and by riding in the vestibule with the upper half door open, the trip was almost pleasant.

After the little engine that could, finally did, and crossed the Trail it belched a few clouds of black smoke, kicked up dust and cinders and ran down into the cotton fields.  This was Gone With The Wind country with dirt roads, with one and two mule wagons, with hemp tow sacks heavy with picked cotton being dragged between the rows of stark white plants standing in the rich, black earth.  

A farm wagon, pulled by a pair of tired mules, waited at the crossing.  The faded mansion at the end of the dirt road, was that Tara?

"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn" Wasn't that what Rhett said at the end of Gone with the Wind?  Donald Craft didn't give a damn either.

By the time the Southern reached Sommersville the intermittent showers had turned into a soft rain.  He felt cruddy and beat.  The trip and the days from Apache Wells to Sommersville had been one hell of an experience.

[booksplease]

  Has the study of literature made me lose the ability to enjoy an ordinary film? Has it? Has it?

I went to watch “The Hundred Foot Journey”. The film promised the agreeable mingling of food and diaspora. Purab laughed, “Are you watching the diaspakoda?”

I wanted the movie to move me. It had Om Puri. Helen Mirren. But, I returned so deeply disappointed.  For days, I mulled over what to write, what to not write, in the shower I constructed sentences: “I had hopes.” On my walk back from work I deconstructed them: “I had hopes.” I hemmed the subject. I produced analogies, “It was like a collapsed soufflé.” That did not work. “It was a thick mousse.” And, that too did not work. Then I gave up. I gave up on trying to come up with something stupendously smart. This is my last resort: Honesty.

I think that over the years of studying characters, scenes, speakers, stereo types, paradoxes, irony, sarcasm, wit, and other such devices, I have lost the ability to enjoy an ordinary film. This applies with the assumption that ordinary film can offer some form of enjoyment, which I did not experience.

This is an ordinary film that I did not like.

The Kadam family owns restaurants in India. With escalating communal tensions they find themselves caught in a frightening evening of riots that leads to the death of Mama Kadam (Juhi Chawla). Little Hassan’s (Rohan Chand) love and aptitude for food lies deeply entrenched in his love for his mother. Uprooted, dislocated and depressed as refugees in UK they find it difficult – weather wise, the open grills are shown to be a disaster.

Eventually seeking a better fate they relocate to a small village in France with Papa Kadam (Om Puri) dictating every move and open an Indian restaurant called Maison Mumbai. Helping them along the way is Marguerite (Charlotte Le Bon) – a sweet French girl who offers them food, hospitality, openness, warmth – she is maternal and safe – an indulgence the Kadams miss. Clearly, French girls ride cycles with baguettes in their baskets, and are hopeless romantics with Juliette-esque balconies, picnic spreads and …other such contrived contraptions – a rant I shall not embark on today.

The hundred-foot journey in the title is the distance between Maison Mumbai and the French restaurant opposite them the Michelin-starred Le Saule Pleureur where Marguerite is a sous chef. And, in a Cruella de Ville avatar we have Helen Mirren as Madame Mallory the owner of the French restaurant. She and Om Puri share a special chemistry. As much as I enjoyed watching these two amazing actors what kept being a constant niggle was the gender bits (I will come to that eventually). So while Papa Kadam enjoys his kitschy glittery over-the-top flavors, Madam Mallory basks in subtle nuances, discreet manners, and a disdain for the grotesquely garish neighbors. It is also a clash of class. Somehow, being across the road, in a manner of speaking highlights differences, let me here assert that this isn’t India and France. Though the movie seems to allude to that, not all of India is the Kadams and not all of France is like the Mallorys. However, the gravel road between is rather accurate and poetic. As people come and go, visitors, evening walkers and vehicles the serpentine path becomes a living thriving being.

Some sub-plots are cute – the Mayor’s getting caught in the middle, the shopping strategies, the removal of wall scars (paint). Mirren’s comic timing is impeccable. But, the movie fails. The beautiful panoramic shots of France, the haunting sounds of the kitchen do not manage to grab. What bothers me the most is the gender depiction. It is the men who cross-over. Hassan (Manish Dayal) now all grown up gets involved with Marguerite. He moves to the next door kitchen. He masters both crafts – Eastern and Western cuisine. He is the hero — the guy who understands what it is like to come from a culture and integrate into another, without losing himself and displaying an appreciation for both. It is Hassan. Not Mahira (Farzana Dua Elahe) (the daughter, Hassan’s sister). What would have happened if Mahira was the one crossing over? Would Papa Kadam be as generous? Would he have given his blessings if Mahira was the one having an affair with the French chef? What if it was Papa Kadam who had died and not Mama Kadam? And, what about Madam Mallory – the restaurant becomes her life after her husband’s death – the narrative demands our sympathy for her hard-heart – she has lost her husband.

What I write is not the story. It is my reading of what I watched. And, I admit critical thinking has become a deep seated boil in the middle of my forehead. I love movies with food in them: “Ratatouille”, “Julie & Julia”, “No Reservations”, I even enjoyed “Chef”, which most my friends debunked. But, this one, I will have to pass. Because it’s problematic. Hassan’s success has baggage, Marguerite’s acceptance of him has issues, and I can’t look past the gender trouble (thank you Judith Butler) within the script.

I watched “Happy New Year” last week and enjoyed it — the song, dance, humor and massive scale were impressive. I accepted the genre with all its follies, some of which I have come to expect and enjoy. What troubles me is that while I could accept that a bunch of nit-wits from nowhere could win the world dance finale in Dubai in “Happy New Year” I could not digest that a bunch of Indians chefs could land up in the middle of France, start a kitschy Indian kitchen in front of a renowned French restaurant and make a success out of that story in “The Hundred Foot Journey”. My only explanation I can offer as of now (I am still dissecting this within my limited head space leisure time) – is that while “Happy New Year” only pressed my gender switch in one scene in the song “Manwa Laage” where Deepika is shown serving tea to the men who chat, “The Hundred Foot Journey” riled up the entire dashboard.

The question I want answered is – what happens to Mahira? Till then it remains a kebab that went too dry. Dammit still does not work!!!

When I went to watch "The Hundred Foot Journey" Has the study of literature made me lose the ability to enjoy an ordinary film? Has it?

#academia #Apoorva #diaspora #film #gender #happy new year #helen mirren #movie #om puri #review #the hundred foot journey

[albertcaldwellne]

5 Chefs’ Tricks to Make Vegetables Irresistible

I’m lucky enough to eat out quite a lot. I love dining in great restaurants not just because the meals are amazing: They also teach me how to be a better cook, especially when it comes to vegetables. Here are a handful of those “a-ha” moments that have changed my vegetable cooking game forever. With chef’s tricks like these, getting more veggies into my diet has been a delicious breeze.

A-HA LESSON NUMBER 1: QUALITY VINEGAR IS AN IMPORTANT FLAVOR TOOL

It started with a carrot salad at Ava Gene’s in Portland, Oregon. Diners flock to the popular spot for the handmade pasta dishes, but chef Joshua McFadden is also something of a vegetable whisperer. The former farmer recently released his stunning ode to veggies, “Six Seasons, A New Way With Vegetables,” (Artisan, 2017).

One early summer evening I ordered his crisp-tender sautéed carrots, tossed with sweet dates and briny Niçoise olives and scattered with shards of salty Parmesan crisps. The carrots had a fruity, sharp flavor without being too tart, and they were cleverly set atop a some tangy crème frâiche. How did he make carrots that interesting? The chef divulged the secret was a judicious amount of KATZ vinegar from Napa, California. He uses the slightly sweet, mellow vinegars in his vegetable dishes to add what he calls “brightness and delicious tension.”

Take Away: Before that dish of carrots, I focused solely on purchasing quality oils and didn’t think much about what vinegars I was using. Now I’ve added an arsenal of artisan vinegars to my pantry and use them frequently to add oomph to veggie dishes.

READ MORE > 5 WAYS TO EAT MORE VEGGIES

A-HA LESSON NUMBER 2: ADD A POP OF PICKLED PEPPERS

The new Danny Meyer restaurant, Untitled, in the Whitney Museum was the perfect place to meet my vegetarian friend for lunch in Manhattan. The founding chef, Michael Anthony (of Gramercy Tavern fame), won a James Beard award for his book “V is for Vegetables,” (Little, Brown and Company, 2015). The restaurant is tied to the “farm-to-table” ethos and even though the pickings are slimmer in the depths of winter when I visited, I was surprised at how flavorful the dishes were.

In particular, a dish of caramelized butternut squash stood out. It featured impossibly creamy wedges of squash, earthy pumpkin seeds, currants and micro greens. But what really made the dish sing was a little piquant pop of pickled sweet-hot peppers. When I asked one of the cooks about the dish, he explained that they use house-pickled red peppers. “They give a bit of summer heat, because in winter, we all need a little glimpse of the sun.” Indeed.

Take away: I’ve been adding a little chopped Mama Lil’s peppers to roasted root vegetables and other cool-weather salads since that day. They don’t add measurable heat, but they do contribute a fresh pop of flavor that elevates the other elements on my plate.

A-HA LESSON NUMBER 3: CRISPY BITS MAKE VEGETABLE DISHES MORE EXCITING

I was expecting to get the famous challah toast with ricotta and house-made hipster jam at Sqirl in L.A. and perhaps not really “get” it. Unlike most of La-La-Land, I don’t consider carbs a rare treat and the $7 price tag had me skeptical. The toast was good, but what made standing in a long line for breakfast tenable were the savory vegetable-centric dishes.

Immediately upon digging in, I noticed how much care was paid to the textures in the dishes. My grain bowl included thin disks of crunchy-sweet eggplant chips that were so good, I wanted to dive into a swimming pool full of them. My pal’s congee was sprinkled with frizzled onions that set off the creaminess of the rice porridge perfectly. And the “kabbouleh” — crunchy deep-fried brown rice mixed with cauliflower rice, kale and currants was so fascinating texturally, it stopped all conversation.

Take away: Just like croutons in old-school lettuce salads, crunchy vegetable bits add texture and highlight other flavors. I now make eggplant chips, kale chips, garlic chips and frizzled leeks a part of every salad I eat.  

A-HA LESSON NUMBER 4: HARNESS THE POWER OF KIMCHI

Star Noodle on the island of Maui, Hawaii, doesn’t look like a game changer from the outside. It’s in a utilitarian building nowhere near the ritzy beachfront resorts that dot the island. Though famous for its house-made noodle dishes, as you’ve probably already guessed, I gravitated (and fell in love with) the vegetable side dishes.

The most memorable dish was a golden brown mound of caramelized Brussels sprouts tossed with smoky lardons of house-made bacon with an alarming-looking red goop smeared on one side of the plate. That goop turned out to be kimchi puree and it changed my life. The spicy, garlicky, funky sauce boosted the Brussels sprouts in a way that made me close my eyes and moan ever so softly. It was so good, I had them bring me a bowl of un-pureed kimchi mid-meal. They make their own kimchi and ferment it for just a few days, so it’s still crunchy, with more garlic and ginger than your typical store-bought stuff. I asked for the recipe, and after conferring with the kitchen through the pass, the bartender informed me “it has like a hundred ingredients and it’s a secret, so I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.” Ha ha.

Take Away: Kimchi puree is now a staple at my table and I’ve been inspired to make my own. I still haven’t nailed Star Noodle’s incredible flavor combo, but I’m working on it. Even a purée of the store-bought stuff is like magic with a wide range of vegetable dishes.

READ MORE > ARE FERMENTED VEGETABLES THE KEY TO BETTER HEALTH?

A-HA LESSON NUMBER 5: SEAWEED, IT’S NOT JUST FOR SUSHI

It might sound strange, but I had an epiphany about seaweed in a basement restaurant in Dublin, Ireland. The restaurant in question was Chapter One and it just so happens to be a Michelin-starred bastion of elegance housed in the stylish ground floor of the Dublin Writer’s Museum. I was served a stunning dish of sous-vide oysters with smoked dulse jelly and thin ribbons of briny pickled kelp that tasted something like leaping into ocean spray on a warm spring day. Another course of sweet creamy crab and spring peas was served with crunchy pickled dulse and umami-rich sea palm strands instead of lettuce. Now that’s a salad!

Chef Ross Lewis explained that sea vegetables are a traditional Irish food collected by hand in the western part of the island and that the Irish were enjoying sea vegetables thousands of years before sushi ever made its way to the now-cosmopolitan capital.

Take away: I stock my pantry with every kind of sea vegetable I can get my hands on and only use the stash occasionally for Japanese dishes. Instead, I add it to paella for a colorful garnish, stir it to vegetable soups for an umami hit and blend it with butter to dress steamed vegetables. Added bonus: Sea vegetables are packed with nutrients and trace minerals and they’re surprisingly low in sodium.

The post 5 Chefs’ Tricks to Make Vegetables Irresistible appeared first on Under Armour.

http://ift.tt/2rBKNeW

#5 Chefs’ Tricks to Make Vegetables Irresistible

[neilmillerne]

5 Chefs’ Tricks to Make Vegetables Irresistible

I’m lucky enough to eat out quite a lot. I love dining in great restaurants not just because the meals are amazing: They also teach me how to be a better cook, especially when it comes to vegetables. Here are a handful of those “a-ha” moments that have changed my vegetable cooking game forever. With chef’s tricks like these, getting more veggies into my diet has been a delicious breeze.

A-HA LESSON NUMBER 1: QUALITY VINEGAR IS AN IMPORTANT FLAVOR TOOL

It started with a carrot salad at Ava Gene’s in Portland, Oregon. Diners flock to the popular spot for the handmade pasta dishes, but chef Joshua McFadden is also something of a vegetable whisperer. The former farmer recently released his stunning ode to veggies, “Six Seasons, A New Way With Vegetables,” (Artisan, 2017).

One early summer evening I ordered his crisp-tender sautéed carrots, tossed with sweet dates and briny Niçoise olives and scattered with shards of salty Parmesan crisps. The carrots had a fruity, sharp flavor without being too tart, and they were cleverly set atop a some tangy crème frâiche. How did he make carrots that interesting? The chef divulged the secret was a judicious amount of KATZ vinegar from Napa, California. He uses the slightly sweet, mellow vinegars in his vegetable dishes to add what he calls “brightness and delicious tension.”

Take Away: Before that dish of carrots, I focused solely on purchasing quality oils and didn’t think much about what vinegars I was using. Now I’ve added an arsenal of artisan vinegars to my pantry and use them frequently to add oomph to veggie dishes.

READ MORE > 5 WAYS TO EAT MORE VEGGIES

A-HA LESSON NUMBER 2: ADD A POP OF PICKLED PEPPERS

The new Danny Meyer restaurant, Untitled, in the Whitney Museum was the perfect place to meet my vegetarian friend for lunch in Manhattan. The founding chef, Michael Anthony (of Gramercy Tavern fame), won a James Beard award for his book “V is for Vegetables,” (Little, Brown and Company, 2015). The restaurant is tied to the “farm-to-table” ethos and even though the pickings are slimmer in the depths of winter when I visited, I was surprised at how flavorful the dishes were.

In particular, a dish of caramelized butternut squash stood out. It featured impossibly creamy wedges of squash, earthy pumpkin seeds, currants and micro greens. But what really made the dish sing was a little piquant pop of pickled sweet-hot peppers. When I asked one of the cooks about the dish, he explained that they use house-pickled red peppers. “They give a bit of summer heat, because in winter, we all need a little glimpse of the sun.” Indeed.

Take away: I’ve been adding a little chopped Mama Lil’s peppers to roasted root vegetables and other cool-weather salads since that day. They don’t add measurable heat, but they do contribute a fresh pop of flavor that elevates the other elements on my plate.

A-HA LESSON NUMBER 3: CRISPY BITS MAKE VEGETABLE DISHES MORE EXCITING

I was expecting to get the famous challah toast with ricotta and house-made hipster jam at Sqirl in L.A. and perhaps not really “get” it. Unlike most of La-La-Land, I don’t consider carbs a rare treat and the $7 price tag had me skeptical. The toast was good, but what made standing in a long line for breakfast tenable were the savory vegetable-centric dishes.

Immediately upon digging in, I noticed how much care was paid to the textures in the dishes. My grain bowl included thin disks of crunchy-sweet eggplant chips that were so good, I wanted to dive into a swimming pool full of them. My pal’s congee was sprinkled with frizzled onions that set off the creaminess of the rice porridge perfectly. And the “kabbouleh” — crunchy deep-fried brown rice mixed with cauliflower rice, kale and currants was so fascinating texturally, it stopped all conversation.

Take away: Just like croutons in old-school lettuce salads, crunchy vegetable bits add texture and highlight other flavors. I now make eggplant chips, kale chips, garlic chips and frizzled leeks a part of every salad I eat.  

A-HA LESSON NUMBER 4: HARNESS THE POWER OF KIMCHI

Star Noodle on the island of Maui, Hawaii, doesn’t look like a game changer from the outside. It’s in a utilitarian building nowhere near the ritzy beachfront resorts that dot the island. Though famous for its house-made noodle dishes, as you’ve probably already guessed, I gravitated (and fell in love with) the vegetable side dishes.

The most memorable dish was a golden brown mound of caramelized Brussels sprouts tossed with smoky lardons of house-made bacon with an alarming-looking red goop smeared on one side of the plate. That goop turned out to be kimchi puree and it changed my life. The spicy, garlicky, funky sauce boosted the Brussels sprouts in a way that made me close my eyes and moan ever so softly. It was so good, I had them bring me a bowl of un-pureed kimchi mid-meal. They make their own kimchi and ferment it for just a few days, so it’s still crunchy, with more garlic and ginger than your typical store-bought stuff. I asked for the recipe, and after conferring with the kitchen through the pass, the bartender informed me “it has like a hundred ingredients and it’s a secret, so I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.” Ha ha.

Take Away: Kimchi puree is now a staple at my table and I’ve been inspired to make my own. I still haven’t nailed Star Noodle’s incredible flavor combo, but I’m working on it. Even a purée of the store-bought stuff is like magic with a wide range of vegetable dishes.

READ MORE > ARE FERMENTED VEGETABLES THE KEY TO BETTER HEALTH?

A-HA LESSON NUMBER 5: SEAWEED, IT’S NOT JUST FOR SUSHI

It might sound strange, but I had an epiphany about seaweed in a basement restaurant in Dublin, Ireland. The restaurant in question was Chapter One and it just so happens to be a Michelin-starred bastion of elegance housed in the stylish ground floor of the Dublin Writer’s Museum. I was served a stunning dish of sous-vide oysters with smoked dulse jelly and thin ribbons of briny pickled kelp that tasted something like leaping into ocean spray on a warm spring day. Another course of sweet creamy crab and spring peas was served with crunchy pickled dulse and umami-rich sea palm strands instead of lettuce. Now that’s a salad!

Chef Ross Lewis explained that sea vegetables are a traditional Irish food collected by hand in the western part of the island and that the Irish were enjoying sea vegetables thousands of years before sushi ever made its way to the now-cosmopolitan capital.

Take away: I stock my pantry with every kind of sea vegetable I can get my hands on and only use the stash occasionally for Japanese dishes. Instead, I add it to paella for a colorful garnish, stir it to vegetable soups for an umami hit and blend it with butter to dress steamed vegetables. Added bonus: Sea vegetables are packed with nutrients and trace minerals and they’re surprisingly low in sodium.

The post 5 Chefs’ Tricks to Make Vegetables Irresistible appeared first on Under Armour.

http://ift.tt/2rBKNeW

#5 Chefs’ Tricks to Make Vegetables Irresistible