Walking into an Asian supermarket for the first time can be an overwhelming experience. Who knew that there were so many varieties of soy sauce? What am I supposed to do with some of these herbs? And what is natto? Relax. Take a deep breath. Here is a guide to help newcomers to Asian cuisines …
December 2017 archive
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/12/31/asian-groceries-for-the-newbie/
Dec 30
The Christmas Cookbook Haul
I got three cookbooks this year. One is a memoir with recipes, the other two are conventional cookbooks. Unforgettable: The Bold Flavors of Paula Wolfert’s Renegade Life, by Emily Kaiser Thelin. This is the memoir with recipes, and has a poignant story behind it. Thelin (along with Andrea Nguyen) decided that Wolfert’s story needed to …
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/12/30/the-christmas-cookbook-haul/
Dec 25
Bothell’s Newest Park
While we were in France, the Bothell City Council finalized purchase of the former Wayne Golf Course. The vote was unanimous to purchase the back 9, mostly because the no votes for the front 9 vote were not in attendance. The park is already in use. Some folks have pick-up disk golf games on the …
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/12/25/bothells-newest-park/
Dec 25
White Christmas at Casa Sammamish
The Seattle area has not seen a white Christmas since the weeklong snowstorm of 2008. This was when our neighbors turned our street into a sled run for the annual Candy Cane Lane festivities.You can see pictures on Julian’s Zenfolio site. The then-Seattle mayor graded his handling of snow removal on the streets as a …
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/12/25/white-christmas-at-casa-sammamish/
Dec 25
Bad Taxidermy
This critter was seen in a store in one of the passages in Paris last week. For some reason, Paris has several shops that specialize in taxidermy. One of these shops is on the chichi Boulevard de Saint-Germain. I may not have made it to veterinary school, but I think this animal is along the …
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/12/25/bad-taxidermy/
Dec 23
Quintessential Cookbooks
I was looking at the cookbook shelves this morning and thought about what I’d deem as the seminal cookbooks of each decade. Each choice had to sum up the food zeitgeist. Some decades were easier than others. Discussion is welcome. 1950’s: The Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook. My mother’s copy of this cookbook is in tatters, …
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/12/23/quintessential-cookbooks/
Dec 23
Lessons Learned on This Vacation
As always, travel gives us a chance to try new things and see new places. As with last year’s vacation, we also learn new lessons. Keep the claustrophobia at bay. We were in the midst of huge crowds at every stop on the trip, not to mention long lines to catch the flight home at …
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/12/23/lessons-learned-on-this-vacation/
Dec 19
Dressing for Paris
This is a guest post from Julian. Here in Paris, women generally choose modest but stylish outfits for their appearances in public. Black is the preferred color, although pastels and earth-tones are acceptable. Bright splashes are reserved for accessories. But when it’s time to party down, they may choose bizarre and outrageous creations with sequins, …
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/12/19/dressing-for-paris/
Dec 19
Bistro Mode
The bistro (sometimes spelled bistrot) is a standard French restaurant term. According to Wikipedia (article in French), the bistro occupies a space in the restaurant hierarchy between brasserie and fine-dining restaurant in terms of food and price point. As you’ll see below, those definitions are quite fluid. The origin of the word may be Russian, …
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/12/19/bistro-mode/
Dec 18
Wandering in Paris
Julian observed that our travels follow a predictable pattern. We (actually he) are obsessive-compulsive about plane and accommodation reservations. Witness that, for this trip, he had all of these in place by early March. But once we get to our destinations, we tend to wander about, often without premeditated objectives. In old European cities and …
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/12/18/wandering-in-paris/
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