Text 1222, 106 rader
Skriven 2006-05-08 13:48:00 av JIM WELLER (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av DAVE SACERDOTE
Ärende: In a parallel universe
==============================
 -=> Quoting Dave Sacerdote to Jim Weller <=-

 DS> quantum branching must be the result of a decision, rather like a
 DS> flow chart, and I do not ever recall taking vegetarianism or 
 DS> political correctness seriously enough to "decide" to try them out.

Ah, but the decision could have been to date or not date a girl who
subsequently influenced you. A young lady once turned me into a
vegetarian. The relationship lasted 21 days. And I was a vegetarian for
21.5 days.

 JW> (Vegans are vegetarians who eschew pork in case you didn't know.) [G]

 DS> But you are implying that I do not chew pork, and that is incorrect.
 DS> Proper mastication is important for efficient digestion.

 [g]

MMMMM-----Meal-Master - formatted by MMCONV  2.10

     Title: When In Doubt, Add An Egg, Japanese Style
Categories: Japanese, Eggs, Info
  Servings: 1 info file

           eggs

When in Doubt, Add an Egg, Japanese Style By MARK BITTMAN NY Times

DAVID CHANG'S classic training as a chef, in cooking schools and at some
of New York's more prestigious restaurants, seems to have done little
more than turn him off to fine dining. But at Momofuku Noodle Bar in the
East Village, he and his equally anti-snobbish co-chef, Joaquin Baca, do
some amazing things with techniques and ideas Mr. Chang brought back
from his two stints in Japan.

One item that's been on the menu in one form or another for months is
bath-cooked egg, or onsen tamago, as it's called in Japan. This is an
egg poached in a water bath for a long time at low temperature (about
140 degrees). Though the process is undeniably a hassle for the home
cook, the results, when the whole thing is properly executed, are
superb: the white is tender, the yolk supersoft, and the egg can be
refrigerated in its shell for a day or more, then warmed and cracked to
reveal an egg still perfectly poached. (Home cooks who don't wish to
mess around with this process can substitute a regular poached egg in
these recipes.)

"We use this thing everywhere," Mr. Chang said, exaggerating only
slightly when he noted that "in Korean cooking there's an egg yolk in
almost everything you make." But this egg is different because it makes
a gorgeous and substantial garnish for many dishes. It's an incredible
way to add creaminess to almost any dish," he said. "And for us it's
even more important, because we don't do that much in the way of sauces,
so we're always looking for that little extra."

The Momofuku kitchen cooks a few dozen eggs this way each day, and Mr.
Chang and Mr. Baca feature them in a wide rotation of creations that
appear on the menu: soups (especially ramen, of course), salads and a
variety of vegetable and other dishes. Mr. Baca, who is from Texas,
tends to use them in slightly more "American" ways that are reminiscent
of breakfast, as in a plate of soft masa cakes with hot thin-sliced
country ham and red-eye gravy, or in a bowl of grits and bacon, topped
with shrimp, scallions and the egg. Both dishes have the kind of
luxurious flavor and feel that usually come only with far more expensive
ingredients, or at least loads of cream.

In the grits dish, it's important, say both men, to use top-quality
grits rather than ordinary cornmeal or polenta. "We use Anson Mills
grits," Mr. Chang said, "because they're whole, stone-ground, fresh, and
taste like corn." (The grits are available at www.ansonmills.com.)

The preparation here might tempt you to invoke the word fusion. "The
dish looks like a French dish, like asparagus with hollandaise," Mr.
Chang said, and he's right. It also reminds me of a northern European
springtime classic of asparagus served with fried eggs and ham.
But it is neither. Rather, pan-cooked asparagus (cooked, as will
surprise no one who is following these columns, in rendered pork fat,
although you can use oil or butter) is served on a bed of miso butter
and topped with an egg or two.

"I don't know how miso butter came about," Mr. Chang said, "but the best
miso, as it's made by craftsmen in Japan, is quite buttery to begin
with; and you see miso and butter together in lots of ramen dishes,
especially in northern Japan. So to me, a compound butter of the two
makes a lot of sense." It seems a natural combination, and it's a
delicious one. It looks a little like cake frosting and is just as easy
to lick off the fingers. With the egg yolk dripping onto it and the
asparagus spears dipped into the mixture of the two, you're looking at a
four-star dish at a neighborhood restaurant — or at home.

From: Simon Bao
 
MMMMM-------------------------------------------------

(Recipes to follow)

Cheers

Jim, in Yellowknife




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