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What Farm Animal Are You? - What animal would you be on the farm?

http://www.accidentalhedonist.com/index.php?title=dim_sum_shaomai_pork_and_shrimp_dumpling&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

Name: Shaomai
Primary Ingredient(s): Pork, Shrimp
Type of Dish: Dumpling
Method of Preparation: Steam

I imagine that those of us who were raised in a Western culture have different approaches to each kind of dish available at dim sum. Some dishes are the rock stars, those dishes that are seen as ultra-exotic by those recently acquainting themselves to the dishes. Included in these are any thing made with chicken feet, squid, or fish balls.

On the other extreme, we have the "accountant" type dishes. There is very little risk in eating these dishes, as they are instantly recognizable. Much like marrying an accountant, choosing these dishes are seen as "safe". Dishes in this group include pot stickers, roasted duck, or even spring rolls.

Somewhere between these two extremes are the reliable stand by's. These are the dishes that, at first glance, seem exotic, but upon inspection reveal themselves to be nothing more than a variation of an accountant-type dish.

Shaomai fits squarely in this latter category. It is a dumpling, but only barely, as there is a thin dumpling wrapper that surrounds only 3/4 of the filling. The filling is made with ground pork wrapped around either whole or chopped shrimp, depending upon your restaurant of choice. It is then topped with a garnish of carrot, yam, or a single pea, again, depending upon your restaurant of choice.

From a Dim Sum restaurant point of view, this is a relatively standard dish, one that should be available at most places. Much like it's difficult to take a Sports Bar seriously if they don't have Buffalo Wings on the menu, it's similarly difficult to take a dim sum restaurant seriously if they don't have some version of this dish on their carts.

Tea Palace - Renton, WA - 11/7/2009

http://www.accidentalhedonist.com/index.php?title=dear_united_press_international_about_ra&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

From the UPI:

WILMINGTON, Ohio, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- Celebrity TV chef Rachael Ray said she paired with singer Nick Lachey to refit a soup kitchen in the struggling city of Wilmington, Ohio, a makeover.

Look, I do think it's great that Rachael Ray are doing their part to help a town of which I have some familiarity. So it makes my criticism here seem all that more shallow. But it's a criticism that must be stated.

Unless Rachael Ray has worked in the back of a kitchen at a restaurant, she is not, nor never has been, a chef. Such careless wording of titles is a tad bit of an insult to those who actually have put in eighteen-hour days overseeing the operation of a restaurant's kitchen.

I realize this is a small point, but it is one that needs to be made, apparently repeatedly.

http://www.accidentalhedonist.com/index.php?title=seattle_food_blogger_writer_meetup_1&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

Every month, a group of food writers/bloggers in Seattle have been getting together to get to know one another, to exchange tips and hints, and to socialize with one another. It is typically a fairly laid back affair, but one filled with good coffee and good talk.

This month's meetup is to take place on Thursday, November 12th, at the Wayward Cafe in Greenwood. Start time is roughly 7pm, and lasts until it breaks up, usually no longer than 90 minutes to two hours later.

If you want to hang out and see what others are up to, or if you want to meet a fresh face or two of people involved in the Seattle Food Scene, feel free to stop by this Thursday!

Wayward Cafe
8570 Greenwood Ave N,
Seattle, WA‎ -
(206) 706-3240‎

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What Do People Love About You? - What makes you a good person?

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How Do You Tell the Truth? - Do you tell it like it is or sugar coat things?

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mood

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curious

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Have a look at this alternate viewer which uses a web cam to figure out what emotion you're expressing, and copies it to your AV! Don't know if it works or not. I have a web cam of sorts, but haven't tested it yet.

Anyone else getting this today?

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http://www.accidentalhedonist.com/index.php?title=dim_sum_siu_ngap_roast_duck&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

Name:Siu Ngap
Primary Ingredient(s): Duck
Type of Dish: Meat
Method of Preparation: Roasting

Let's be honest here: There are people from the Western cultures out there who simply will not eat anything that their eyes cannot identify. Simply put, if they don't recognize it, they ain't going to eat it.

This dim sum dish is the perfect selection for them, because it is readily identifiable. It's roast duck fer crissakes! I know this by simply looking at it! If you're dipping your toes into the dim sum pond, dishes such as these are the sanctuaries to turn to.

That's not to say that these dishes are any less important than other more exotic options. Much like any foods that have some measure of marination, secret recipes abound, and different flavors and different approaches will occur from from restaurant to restaurant. And as with any roast dish, the quality of the meat depends on both the quality of the meat and the skill of the chef. A great roast duck is, quite frankly, sublime.

So if you're new to dim sum, feel free to look up this dish. It's akin to a movie starting with a thrilling action sequence, a la James Bond.

Sun-Ya Restaurant, Seattle, 11/1/2009

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The Wedding Cake Test - What does your favorite wedding cake say about you?

http://www.accidentalhedonist.com/index.php?title=one_reason_guiness_tastes_different_in_i&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

Wellll...."Tastes" may be the wrong word to use here. Let me explain a bit.

Fans of Guinness, of which I am one, are an odd lot, almost to the point of obnoxiousness. Those who've had a pint of it in Ireland even more-so. These folks will claim, with little thought to the accuracy of the statement, that a pint of Guinness in Ireland tastes different from the pints had here in the States(and presumably other places other than Ireland).

"Sure, this is tasty", one might say at a bar will slowly working on a pint. "But you never have had a true Guinness until you've had one in Ireland."

As I've noted before, these people should be mocked. A round trip ticket to Dublin will cost me roughly $900. I like beer, but I have yet to come across one worth nearly a grand.

But, is there something to their claim? Does Guinness in Ireland taste different from one served in the States?

The answer is possibly yes, but it may have to do more with mouth-feel than with actual flavor. Guinness, for those of you who are not fans, do not only have Carbon Dioxide added to the taps. Guinness promotes using a gas mixture containing both Carbon Dioxide and Nitrogen, a process called nitrogenization. This is used as a gas to the taps with a mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide. The ratio may vary from beer to beer, bar to bar, or even from country to country. We here in the States typically run a mixture of Guinness around 70% nitrogen to 30% CO2. In Ireland, that ratio goes up to 80/20.

So, that difference in taste? It may be nothing more than a change in how the texture of the beer is perceived on the palate.