How to Make Japanese Curry Rice From Scratch
The food blog, Serious Eats, consistently impresses me with their recipes and food reviews, probably because they tend to cover the types of food I actually like to cook and eat. They do a particularly great job with Asian food, and even Korean food, striking a good balance between tradition and creativity, and I even look forward to their weekly email newsletters.
They actually seem like they're written by Asian people who know a thing or two about Asian food before they go all fusion-crazy. I mean, have you seen Bobby Flay's so-called "kimchee salad" recipe featuring soy sauce and vinegar? Yes. Soy sauce and vinegar. (As one outraged commenter rightly put it, "Calling this Kimchee salad is like calling a tortilla a cookie.")
Photo from Serious Eats
This post on How to Make Japanese Curry Rice From Scratch is a perfect example. I usually make curry with S&B or Vermont curry blocks, but I've grown unhappy with them -- possibly because these days, I now actually care about things like cage-free eggs and organic natto? The store-bought curry blocks usually have lard in them, too, if I remember correctly. This is such a simple idea -- and just shot to the top of my must-try-making list. Yum.
Popularity: 6% [?]
Tags: curry, Food, recipefood photography tips
I randomly came across this blog (in Korean) and appreciated the tips. As it turns out, it's a translation of this article from Photojojo. I agree wholeheartedly with all the points.
The Ten Tastiest Food Photography Tips:
1. Setting
2. Light
3. Color balance
4. Don't move
5. Shoot a lot
6. Zoom in
7. Preparation
8. Be quick
9. Details
10. Don't shoot
Popularity: unranked [?]
Tags: FoodH Mart article on Washington Post
A World of Bargains
Asian Supermarkets Attract Chefs and the Budget-MindedBy Melissa McCart
Special to The Washington Post
Wednesday, January 7, 2009; Page F01It's a busy Saturday morning at the Super H Mart in Fairfax City, where scores of people navigate carts down aisles, stocking up on the week's groceries. In the center of the seafood section, Yoon-Hee Heather Choi, a native of Seoul and a Fairfax resident since 1993, holds court as she leans over ice-filled bins showcasing the day's catch: silver mackerel, shimmery saury and whole squid, eyes aligned like dominoes.
More here.
One thing I can't get myself to buy at non-Korean markets: green onions. They're like 4 bunches for a dollar at Korean markets, and $1.50 for a bunch at Whole Foods. No joke.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Tags: Food, Korea/Diaspora, Korean American, marketfeeding North Korean Christians
Radio Free Asia reports that so far this year, nearly 60,000 North Korean Christians have secretly received food aid usch as rice and "high-protein beans." This number of food-receiving Christians in North Korea is three times higher than last year, as Christians in North Korea are said to experience increasing difficulty in securing food.
Carl Moeller of Open Doors International is quoted for saying:
In fact, I had another report from someone who had gone to one of the elite tourist hotels while they were in North Korea and they actually witnessed their food plates being scraped and eaten by workers in the hotel. That is an indication of just how desperate the situation is.
Due to security concerns, Moeller can't disclose the regions or routes, but he assures us that North Korean Christians are being provided with a regular supply of food -- and the Bible.
This could be a translation issue, but did they really provide food aid only to North Korean Christians? Moeller certainly makes it sound like Christians have residentially segregated themselves from others in North Korea. Which is highly improbable -- which makes the figure of "60,000 North Korean Christians who receive international food aid" also a dubious claim. It's more likely that 60,000 North Koreans have received aid from Christian missionaries. Or that 60,000 bibles have been smuggled into North Korea. Or...
Popularity: 1% [?]
Tags: Christianity, Food, North KoreaGood eats from Costco
Lots of recommendations and kudos for food and other stuff from Costco. I guess the people on this food site aren't as snobby as I thought. 
Popularity: 1% [?]
Tags: costco, Food, foodiesBarcelona
It feels weird to travel like this in the middle of pressing deadlines and other worries, but I'm not really complaining. I am on a 2-week Barcelona-Amsterdam trip, eating tapas and taking siestas religiously every day. I must say, I've raised siestas onto a whole another level -- the last couple of days, I sleep pretty much continuously (waking up occasionally only to upload photos to Flickr and Facebook) from 6 pm to 6 am, skipping dinner entirely. It's maybe 20% cuz I'm relaxing on vacation. The rest 80% of my exhaustion is because I'm pathetically ill-equipped to cope with this kind of heat (80 F and above) and humidity (80% and above). I simply pass out.
Nonetheless, I am very grateful that I'm a terrific sleeper. All you insomniacs out there: I apologize. I'm not gloating, really. I just feel very... fortunate.
Check out these lovely tapas dishes I devoured at El Xampanyet (more photos here). I'm an incorrigible creature of habit -- this place certainly offers the best tapas I've ever had (and probably will ever have) in my life, so I'm compelled to just go back to this same place over and over again until: 1) I've tried everything on the menu; 2) I've spent every penny I have; or 3) it's time to leave Spain. Whichever may come first.
The most special clams in the world. I suspect the secret is in the paprika-vinegar-oil seasoning.
Is it fishy, you ask? No way -- I could eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner...
So far, we've seen the Cathedral, Gothic Quarters and the immigrant El Raval, visited the Picasso Museum, and stumbled (cuz I was about to pass out from the heat and humidity) down the crowded La Rambla. JC and others were mostly busy with the ISA (International Sociological Association) meetings yesterday and today (Sat and Sun), so tomorow and the day after (Mon and Tue) are our big tourist days in Barcelona -- plan includes La Sagrada Família, Park Guëll, and Casa Milà. Then we're off to Amsterdam.
Check out my regularly updated photo albums here and here.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Tags: Barcelona, Food, TravelToronto photo selected, another Vancouver photo shortlisted
More randomness. The Toronto photo that was shortlisted just got selected for inclusion in the newly released fifth edition of the Schmap Toronto Guide. And another photo of mine got shortlisted, this time for inclusion in the fifth edition of the Schmap Vancouver Guide, to be published late September 2008. This is the photo, taken at Ajisai, our favorite sushi restaurant in Vancouver.
I'm not sure I like this Schmap business (slow-loading and buggy), but hey, they seem to like my Flickr photos. And clever of them to "shortlist" and "select" amateur photos (like woohoo! I won something!) without having to pay for them. Anywah, this is apparently what my photo on the Schmap Guide looks like on an iPhone.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Tags: Food, photography, vancouverToronto photo shortlisted
Pretty random. This is the 4th or 5th time someone contacted me about a photo I uploaded to Flickr. I even sold one to a progressive magazine for $20 -- though I took the magazine subscription instead of cash. And that was a terrible photo!
While we offer no payment for publication, many photographers are pleased to submit their photos, as Schmap Guides give their work recognition and wide exposure, and are free of charge to readers. Photos are published at a maximum width of 150 pixels, are clearly attributed, and link to high-resolution originals at Flickr.
This is the photo -- I don't even think it's that good, but hey.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Tags: Food, photo, torontoCategories
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