Tim Challenger

On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 20:54:47 +0100, B Vaughan wrote:

    > My Italian cookbook has a recipe for plain rice. It calls for boiling
    > it in abundant water, then draining it, like pasta.

That's how I like to cook the normal long grain rice, what is it? Patna?
Absorbtion is how to cook basmati, of course.

    >That would remove most of the taste and nutrients.
It doesn't though. It does help stop it becoming sticky because it washes
away a lot of the starch. If that's what you want.


--
Tim C.

Tim Challenger

On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 20:24:52 -0800, Stephen Dailey wrote:

    > I thought plain rice was supposed to be sticky? Or am I just too used to
    > Asian cuisines?

A matter of taste, and yes.
--
Tim C.

Tim Challenger

On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 20:19:05 -0800, Stephen Dailey wrote:

    > On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 08:29:44 +0100, Tim Challenger <[email protected]>
    > wrote:
    >
    >> On Tue, 16 Nov 2004 21:12:49 GMT, Frank F. Matthews wrote:
    >>>> * Similarly, if they offer dishes from multiple cuisine styles, run.
    >>>> See
    >>>> note above.
    >>> I have seen exceptions to your last point. Usually family places where
    >>> the couple come from different cultures.
    >> There's a really good Korean/Thai restaurant near me like that. But the
    >> menu is short, so they don't overstretch themselves.
    >
    > Withing walking distance of my office are
    >
    > - a Vietnamese restaurant that also serves teriyaki*
    > - a sandwich shop that also serves Korean food (and teriyaki*)
    >
    > * "Teriyaki" around here (Seattle area) means some chicken or beef grilled
    > in a glaze, a salad, and white rice. It's descended from Japanese
    > cuisine, but I've been told that the local version doesn't much resemble
    > what's currently popular in Japan. Back on topic, does this sound like
    > anything that's common in Europe?

Austria has a pretty appalling selection of foreign restaurants, unless you
like the ubiquitous pizzeria and the average Chinese, and the occasional
Greek. There are few Indians and even fewer Thai. Anything else is like
hen's teeth. I suppose reflecting the places people tend to go on holiday.

    > However, I've learned to be wary of restaurants advertising "Chinese and
    > American" cuisine. IME most of them don't do either particularly well.

There is an Indian/Italian in Linz. It's crap.

--
Tim C.

B Vaughan

On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 21:41:52 +0100, Earl Evleth <[email protected]>
wrote:

    >in article [email protected], B Vaughan at
    >[email protected] wrote on 17/11/04 20:54:
    >> The taste buds on the tongue contribute very little to taste, since
    >> they distinguish only between sweet, sour, bitter and salty. It is the
    >> nasal cavity that evaluates taste, and I suggest you don't introduce
    >> any sauces there!
    >I have heard this
    >BUT---
    >I had a strange flu years ago which destroyed my sense of smell.
    >I don`t perceive a major problem with taste however.

Maybe enough receptors were left in the part of your nasal cavity that
adjoins your throat.

Or maybe you're just remembering how things taste. Maybe that's why
you can't find any decent food in Arizona, because you have no
memories of food from there.
--
Barbara Vaughan
My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero dot it
I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup

B Vaughan

On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 09:08:56 +0100, Tim Challenger
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 20:54:47 +0100, B Vaughan wrote:
    >> My Italian cookbook has a recipe for plain rice. It calls for boiling
    >> it in abundant water, then draining it, like pasta.
    >That's how I like to cook the normal long grain rice, what is it? Patna?
    >Absorbtion is how to cook basmati, of course.
    >>That would remove most of the taste and nutrients.
    >It doesn't though.

It may not harm the taste much, although I doubt it, but it would
certainly remove the nutrients, which are mostly on the surface of the
grain. This would be less of a problem if you use converted rice,
which uses steam under pressure to drive the nutrients into the grain.
However, the recommendation even with converted rice is not to rinse
it and not to drain it.

    > It does help stop it becoming sticky because it washes
    >away a lot of the starch. If that's what you want.

There I agree.
--
Barbara Vaughan
My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero dot it
I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup

Tim Challenger

On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 15:00:45 +0100, B Vaughan wrote:

    > Or maybe you're just remembering how things taste. Maybe that's why
    > you can't find any decent food in Arizona, because you have no
    > memories of food from there.

Maybe there isn't any. ;-)

You make a good point. Don't underestimate the power of memory.
--
Tim C.

Tim Challenger

On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 15:00:47 +0100, B Vaughan wrote:

    >>>That would remove most of the taste and nutrients.
    >>It doesn't though.
    >
    > It may not harm the taste much, although I doubt it, but it would
    > certainly remove the nutrients, which are mostly on the surface of the
    > grain.

I don't eat most foods because they're good for me, I eat them because I
like them. I cook the food to my taste, I give hardly a thought to the way
that keeps as much goodness in the food.
I'm pretty sure most of us here eat enough (at least those of us on this
thread now, with the possible exception of Mixi) to get enough "goodness"
in our diet. Too much, probably. The loss of "goodness" from washed,
bleached, de-husked and processed rice is surely pretty irrelevant.

--
Tim C.

Earl Evleth

in article [email protected], B Vaughan at
[email protected] wrote on 18/11/04 15:00:

    > Or maybe you're just remembering how things taste. Maybe that's why
    > you can't find any decent food in Arizona, because you have no
    > memories of food from there.


We found a good Mexican place recommended by somebody on the web.

The problem is not having advanced advice. A blind hit situation
is a bit harder. Of course, in France one can use guides, or one
knows the region.

This summer we had two good meals Bourg en Bresse, which is known
for its great chickens. Also my wife has a talent, she can look
at a menu and tell whether the place is good or not, in France.

But finding a menu posted outside a restaurant is not a typical
practice in the USA.

Earl

Earl Evleth

in article 1100787266.nZygsxd7AcgAb4tfOLZVWw@teranews, Tim Challenger at
[email protected] wrote on 18/11/04 15:16:

    > On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 15:00:45 +0100, B Vaughan wrote:
    >
    >> Or maybe you're just remembering how things taste. Maybe that's why
    >> you can't find any decent food in Arizona, because you have no
    >> memories of food from there.
    >
    > Maybe there isn't any. ;-)
    >
    > You make a good point. Don't underestimate the power of memory.


Actually my wife reported back that our experiences in Florida are
fairly good. But there we had advice from our daughter who lives
there now. Of the list of places she suggested, one of the best
was the least expensive (sea food). The fancier places are
not always the best.

I have not bought an American restaurant guide in years. Here in
France, any journaux will have Guide Michelins and other guides.
These gives some indication of what the town, city or area has
to offer.

In Paris, not all the better than average restaurants are in
guides and this is true throughout the country. But with the
menus posted outside one gets a good idea. If the meal time
crowds are good, that is an indication of local support.
In France one can often see into the restaurant and see
if the place is frequented. Balancing a number of observations
one can make a good guess of what the place it like. But having
the menu posted outside is a great aid in seeing what is
being offered, besides the practical aspect of how expensive
it is.

Earl

B Vaughan

On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 15:23:02 +0100, Tim Challenger
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 15:00:47 +0100, B Vaughan wrote:
    > I don't eat most foods because they're good for me, I eat them because I
    >like them. I cook the food to my taste, I give hardly a thought to the way
    >that keeps as much goodness in the food.

I also eat food because I like it, and I generally don't eat anything
that I don't like just because it's good for me. However, whatever I
eat, I try to preserve its nutritional qualities because I know I do
need to get some nutrition unless I want to take multivitamins. So I
don't buy overprocessed foods, I don't peel things whose skins can be
eaten, I don't throw away the water in which I cooked the vegetables,
and I don't overcook things.

Also, in the case of rice, I'm pretty sure it would taste better if
you didn't cook it in abundant water and drain it. I don't think I
want to try cooking it your way to find out, though.

    >The loss of "goodness" from washed,
    >bleached, de-husked and processed rice is surely pretty irrelevant.

Actually, I prefer brown rice for most dishes, although it's not much
good for making risotto.
--
Barbara Vaughan
My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero dot it
I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup

Frank F. Matthews

Tim Challenger wrote:
    > On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 20:19:05 -0800, Stephen Dailey wrote:
    >
    >
    >>On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 08:29:44 +0100, Tim Challenger <[email protected]>
    >>wrote:
    >>>On Tue, 16 Nov 2004 21:12:49 GMT, Frank F. Matthews wrote:
    >>>>>* Similarly, if they offer dishes from multiple cuisine styles, run.
    >>>>>See
    >>>>>note above.
    >>>>I have seen exceptions to your last point. Usually family places where
    >>>>the couple come from different cultures.
    >>>There's a really good Korean/Thai restaurant near me like that. But the
    >>>menu is short, so they don't overstretch themselves.
    >>Withing walking distance of my office are
    >>- a Vietnamese restaurant that also serves teriyaki*
    >>- a sandwich shop that also serves Korean food (and teriyaki*)
    >>* "Teriyaki" around here (Seattle area) means some chicken or beef grilled
    >>in a glaze, a salad, and white rice. It's descended from Japanese
    >>cuisine, but I've been told that the local version doesn't much resemble
    >>what's currently popular in Japan. Back on topic, does this sound like
    >>anything that's common in Europe?
    >
    >
    > Austria has a pretty appalling selection of foreign restaurants, unless you
    > like the ubiquitous pizzeria and the average Chinese, and the occasional
    > Greek. There are few Indians and even fewer Thai. Anything else is like
    > hen's teeth. I suppose reflecting the places people tend to go on holiday.
    >
    >
    >>However, I've learned to be wary of restaurants advertising "Chinese and
    >>American" cuisine. IME most of them don't do either particularly well.
    >
    >
    > There is an Indian/Italian in Linz. It's crap.
    >


There are some major culinary advantages to significant immigration.

Earl Evleth

in article [email protected], B Vaughan at
[email protected] wrote on 18/11/04 18:06:

    > On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 15:23:02 +0100, Tim Challenger
    > <[email protected]> wrote:
    >
    >> On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 15:00:47 +0100, B Vaughan wrote:
    >>
    >> I don't eat most foods because they're good for me, I eat them because I
    >> like them. I cook the food to my taste, I give hardly a thought to the way
    >> that keeps as much goodness in the food.
    >
    > I also eat food because I like it, and I generally don't eat anything
    > that I don't like just because it's good for me. However, whatever I
    > eat, I try to preserve its nutritional qualities because I know I do
    > need to get some nutrition unless I want to take multivitamins. So I
    > don't buy overprocessed foods, I don't peel things whose skins can be
    > eaten, I don't throw away the water in which I cooked the vegetables,
    > and I don't overcook things.
    >

When eating at a restaurant, one orders individually what items one likes.

However at home, there may be a number of people involved and the person
who prepares meals has to compromise and individuals have to also.
Usually what happens is a rotation of plates some of which some of the
family members don't like, others do. Sometimes this does not work out
well. My mother cooked for my father's taste, not for the kids'.
So I had to consume so God-awful food, my mother, a midwesterner, was
not a great cook. Fortunately so, since this got me oriented to eating
a broad spectrum of food in search for anything by American mid-western
cooking (some of which seemed based on curdled milk). To me, I started
out life with yucky food, anything else was better.

Last night we went out to the local "Sud-Quest" place on the Blvd
Montparnasse. The plat du jour was calf's liver, a filet about two inches
thick cooked "rosé". With sliced friend potatoes and a sort of stewed
vegie concoction of Brussel sprouts. My wife, who has a weight problem
(too low) had nice fatty confit de canard which hopefully will put a
few grams of fat on her. Gaston, our dachshund, was at our feet
enjoyed a few table treats at the same time. That and a bottle of
harsh Bergerac red warmed us up for the walk back home.

Tonight I grilled up some bodin blanc and that was jointly shared, with
pleasure. The vegie was broccoli with some aioli to brighten it up.

Enough, or I will get hungry again.

Earl

Chancellor Of The Duchy Of Besses O' Th' Barn

Tim Challenger <[email protected]> wrote:

[]
    > I don't eat most foods because they're good for me, I eat them because I
    > like them. I cook the food to my taste, I give hardly a thought to the way
    > that keeps as much goodness in the food.
    > I'm pretty sure most of us here eat enough (at least those of us on this
    > thread now, with the possible exception of Mixi) to get enough "goodness"
    > in our diet. Too much, probably. The loss of "goodness" from washed,
    > bleached, de-husked and processed rice is surely pretty irrelevant.

It's not that that bothers me. Boiled and drained rice just doesn't
taste as good IMO.

--
David Horne- www.davidhorne.net
usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk

Deep Frayed Morgues

On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 21:41:52 +0100, Earl Evleth <[email protected]>
wrote:

    >in article [email protected], B Vaughan at
    >[email protected] wrote on 17/11/04 20:54:
    >> The taste buds on the tongue contribute very little to taste, since
    >> they distinguish only between sweet, sour, bitter and salty. It is the
    >> nasal cavity that evaluates taste, and I suggest you don't introduce
    >> any sauces there!
    >I have heard this
    >BUT---
    >I had a strange flu years ago which destroyed my sense of smell.
    >I don`t perceive a major problem with taste however.

Up until 4 years ago I suffered from huge pollops in my nose (plus a
few other things), which got to the point where I could never get any
air into my nose. After a drastic operation, where they remove a large
number of these things, I could suddenly breath through my nose for
the first time.

I could also taste properly. The difference is absolute enormous, and
now there is no doubt whatsoever for me that the majority of taste
occurs within the nose. I suspect that anyone else who has experienced
this would agree. Prior to that, all the eating I did was for salt,
sweet etc, and also texture.

When it comes to the sense of smell, I know exactly what it is like to
go from 0 to maybe 80% in the space of about a week, and it is a world
of a difference.
---
DFM

Calif Bill

"chancellor of the duchy of besses o' th' barn"
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:1gngqyn.1aayego1g5gq2oN%this_address_is_for_s [email protected]...
    > Tim Challenger <[email protected]> wrote:
    > []
    > > I don't eat most foods because they're good for me, I eat them
because I
    > > like them. I cook the food to my taste, I give hardly a thought to the
way
    > > that keeps as much goodness in the food.
    > > I'm pretty sure most of us here eat enough (at least those of us
on this
    > > thread now, with the possible exception of Mixi) to get enough
"goodness"
    > > in our diet. Too much, probably. The loss of "goodness" from washed,
    > > bleached, de-husked and processed rice is surely pretty irrelevant.
    > It's not that that bothers me. Boiled and drained rice just doesn't
    > taste as good IMO.
    > --
    > David Horne- www.davidhorne.net
    > usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk

Sticky (Asian) and non sticky rice are different verities. Short grain and
long grain.