tuesday TEADAY 5/20/08

[auggy]

Thankyou auggy for helping me out

Hehe, I couldn't help myself - I have to defend my love of sushi a lot living in Texas, especially where I work. The pastors here are not big on trying new things. I think they think sushi is a minnow on rice.

I don't eat red sweets either since the red colours come from lice.

Seriously? That's just... wrong!

Of course maybe that explains why I have never liked the red M&Ms. [/i]

[Pentox]

Personally I would have marked Sushi and Wine. I marked sushi since it's the greater of the two. I'm moderately professional when it comes to making sushi, I used to be a sushi chef for a few years before graduating college. I tend to like to critique other people's sushi a lot. My standards for a California Roll are pretty rigid. As far as wine goes, I live in central California which is another one of California's major wine regions. I'm not sure where we rank though, but there are wineries aplenty here and all the more reason to go tasting.

[Chip]

Okay, I'll join you. Except mine is a glass of sweet tea made w/pom oolong.


I enjoy cooking & entertaining. So far, this glass is my only tea today.

A few of my favorite things!!! Maybe not all together, but...I would say I will try anything once, but I know I will be reminded by several members that I still have not tried the Orange Blossom Oolong. Well, looks delicious, Henley!

Really enjoying a very grassy and sweet and lightly astringent Shincha Fukamushi. This is soooo remarkable. Chilled it would be sweet tea w/o any added sugar.

[olivierco]

Matcha kaoru supreme after dinner and in a few minutes some Darjeeling (Namring or Phuguri: I haven't decided yet)

[Chip]

I had to vote "Other," because I really need an "All of the above" answer. I'm a gourmet cook and teach cooking classes, mainly in ethnic food. My kids' friends think they're *weird* because they eat hot curries, sushi, Thai food, etc. at ages 4 and 7. Don't get me wrong, they love a good Happy Meal as much as the next swine swilling tot, but they would eat sushi over it on any day (depending on the toy, of course). I love excellent microbrews and good red wine. Don't get me started on chocolate, esp. this week (sorry, guys). I could go on ....

Irish Breakfast on yet another rainy morning. Ugh.

Yep...rainy chilly day here as well. Strange Spring, or is this a normal one and we just have not had one for so long I forgot.

I see a sushi topic coming to a forum near you.

I love to cook and although I belonged to a gourmet club for several years, I would not claim to be a gourmet cook. Using minimal and premium ingredients is my MO. A favorite of mine is sea scallops (dry)MMMMM.

Although I personally do not drink alcohol, I do EAT it, I enjoy using wine, bourbon, dry sherry and even occasionally some beer when I cook. I recently went through a cajun stage. This gets away from my prefered method of cooking...throw everything you can find in a pot and cook, but sooo good. There are a lot of hunters in my extended family, so venison is always available which is great in cajun.

My favorite all time cooking show was the original Iron Chef. That show was more about entertainment than instruction, but it was certainly inspiring!

Dark Chocolate...again simple. I prefer it plain or with a simple nut. Almonds are my fav combo with dark chocolate. I have a small piece or two almost every day. Moderation is key for almost everything but tea for me.

Sushi...love it, could eat it everyday. I dabble in making my own, but I am not there yet. Ethnic cuisine is so appealing, but never seem to get this one done.

An intense piece of fruit...ok, I this poll is tooooo much.

If you read my profile...it says I love to eat. I should weigh about the same as a filled fridge, but I am quite active and get to eat A LOT. I will try almost anything once.

[olivierco]

A favorite of mine is sea scallops (dry)MMMMM.

Scallop (Pecten Maximus of course), perhaps my favorite food.

[Chip]

A favorite of mine is sea scallops (dry)MMMMM.

Scallop (Pecten Maximus of course), perhaps my favorite food.

You have good taste in more than just your choices of tea, my friend!

In the USA, it is not well known that sea scallops are offered either "wet" or "dry."

Wet has extra liquid along with preservatives and/or flavorings. Bleh! When sauteed in a pan, this releases a large amount of liquid making searing virtually impossible. They also shrink when cooked.

Dry on the other hand are pure sea scallop, having a far better and more natural taste...and preservative free.

I obviously will only buy dry for cooking. Most restuarants do not even know the difference, and I rarely order them when dining out unless they know their scallops.

[PolyhymnianMuse]

...sea scallops are offered either "wet" or "dry."

Just like Pu

[Chip]

...sea scallops are offered either "wet" or "dry."

Just like Pu

Tea is such a metaphor for life...

[Pentox]

Sushi...love it, could eat it everyday.

I've tried that for a while. It's really not as appealing as it sounds. The taste starts to change on you. Also eating mostly raw foods didn't really agree with me much. I don't suggest trying it.

[chamekke]

I'm another "Other". I like virtually everything on the list!

Favourite foods tend to be Asian - esp. Japanese (another sushi fan here, incidentally), Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese. What I've tried of Korean food, I really loved too. Indian food = also good

My husband is mostly vegetarian, and a bit wary of raw fish, so he's tried most of the non-fish sushi going. The ones incorporating yam tempura, avocado, mushrooms and so forth tend to be the biggest hits. I've yet to meet anyone who didn't love yam tempura rolls (once they were persuaded to try).

[xine]

hello all! I just got back from vacation...it's nice to be back, but I am desperately missing the sun and sand in Puerto Rico.

I've been drinking a lot of coffee the past couple of days- they love their coffee down there, so it's nice to settled down with a cup of Long Ching, brought over by michael from china last week. the leaves are so crisp and green!


As for other passions, I love, love, love to cook. I really wish I had more time for it. I cook a pretty mean chana masala, and I'm going to master filipno cuisine by the end of this year! I also like dining out- fine and lowbrow, more importantly just always on the serach for good food wherever I go. I ate at an excellent Criollo restaurants while in San Juan. Mofongo is my new friend. I keep a restaurant journal that need some urgent updating. Along with cooking, I love to bake. I enjoy making cupcakes the most, and cookies a close second. I'm starting to delve into making madelines and French macaroons as well, since you can't find those at most bakeries.

[tenuki]

Everything on that list. I love to cook, I love to eat, I love to drink. I do everything passionately and to excess. Is there any other way?

[Chip]

In my cup this morning, the second infusion of Hashiri Shincha. I must have done something right, because it's subtle, sweet, astringent, and faintly asparagus tasting. MMMMMmmm.

Hashiri is shincha number 2 of the day...like yesterday. I am right with you on this today Witches Brew...on all points I would say. If I had this side by side with the Fukamushi I had this AM that was sooo sweet*, this might make me pucker a little. But these 2 are terrific compliments to each other since they share virtually no characteristics whatsoever.

I have finally caved in and also voted other. It is just too hard to pick one. As I was listing the poll options last night, it was just like a list of all my faves.

Regarding once again the sushi...I can go so many different ways with sushi. But it comes down to the rice and the nori. I can just have rice rolled in nori and be happy as a clam. I can add veggies, or fish/meats, or both. But it has to have good rice and nori.

*I had to add this, as you may know, I virtually always go 5 steeps for sencha. The 5th steep of the Shincha Fukamushi from earlier was soooo sweet, I had to smile. All the other layers of flavors were peeled away by the first 4 steeps and revealed a steep that was such a sweet nectar. This stuff is amazing.

[Eastree]

I do enjoy most of the things on the list, but I won't call most of them a hobby. Some I might, except I rarely indulge more than for basic purposes.

Today for me is aged Bei Dou, a wonderful Wuyi Oolong I picked up last year.

The dry leaves smell so much like dark chocolate, it's difficult not to salivate upon opening the tin. But the brewed tea does not smell like chocolate. It is, however, a wonderful and rich brew.