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AM Floor Sanding have 15 years experience in professional floor sanding and wood flooring restoration. We always provide the highest standard of service in Hertfordshire & London, using the best wood flooring products there are on the market. We aim to provide a floor sanding and wood flooring service like no other by giving a grade A finish to your floor with minimum dust and disruption. We are so confident with the finished project, that we will not ask for a deposit and if you're not 100% happy at the end of the project then we will work with you and your project until you are 100% happy.
We always have to same response when completing any work to do with wood flooring. The response we get is professional, clean, polite, friendly, hard working and amazement of how the wooden floor has turned out.
Why Choose Floor Sanding & Wood Flooring
If you have wooden flooring in your house in Hertfordshire or London then you will at some point need our floor sanding service. If your wooden floor is looking dull, damaged or has scratches then we can sand the top layer of wood off leaving a smooth, level surface ready to be lacquered. If you have no damage or scratches in your wooden floor then you can just lightly abraid the wood floor and apply 2 or 3 more coats of lacquer. Looking after your wood flooring is a must as it is the key feature to any room in your house. We are the number 1 company you need to floor sand, restore and maintain your solid or engineered wood flooring. So if your wood flooring is in need of any sort of maintenance, restoration or floor sanding then give us a call or drop us an email for a beautiful looking wood floor.
What Can Be Expected From Our Floor Sanding Services
- We come to your home or premises to inspect the wood flooring giving you free honest information on what is best for your budget and needs for your wood flooring project.
- We will then give you a free quote on all work that is going to be completed with no hidden extra costs.(We do lots of free work when sanding).
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Things To Consider Before Floor Restoration
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After every floor sanding contract that we complete we will leave cleaing instructions on how to look after your newly sanded floor and how to keep it looking its best as long as possible. With regular cleaning your new wood floor will last a long time.
To keep up to date with news and in contact with us why not follow us on Twitter or like our Facebook page. We also have a blog, forums and tips and advice pages on our website for you to be able to find out information and to discuss your home DIY projects.
We are always looking at ways of improving our services, so if you have any positive or negative feedback please feel free to let us know.
We are now taking on staff, so if you are a floor sander then get in touch with us. Or even if you fancy a career change, we can train you to be a professional master craftsmen.


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As well as a vegtable, Potatoe is a code name word for alchohol. If you are talking about alchohol and dont want people such as parents or anyone to hear what you are talking about you can use this word.
Tony did you bring the potatoe for tonight?
AmandaD tarafından 25 Nisan 2008, Cuma
a fat asss who is ugly and stupid
Potatoe is a fat ass
voicesisbetterthanpotatoe tarafından 10 Kasım 2005, Perşembe
a code word for "alcohol"
If you don't want people to know what your talking about alcohol,
use the word Potatoe.
If you don't want people to know what your talking about alcohol,
use the word Potatoe.
omg, i got sooo much Potatoe for this party tonight !
Amanda2345 tarafından 23 Ocak 2009, Cuma
domestic versions of ricers, or domestic automobiles that try to emulate imports
Look at that fuckin potatoe mustang with those gay altezzas.
mustangsaregay tarafından 22 Şubat 2003, Cumartesi

subset: commoncrawl


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The Latino Threat
Constructing Immigrants, Citizens, and the Nation
Leo R. Chavez
272 pp.
13 tables, 15 figures, 32 illustrations.
Paper $22.95
Author Info
"The Latino Threat represents cultural studies at its best . . . [T]he topic is timely, the synthetic approach is masterfully executed and the writing is lucid and accessible. I would recommend the book for undergraduate or postgraduate courses on the politics of immigration, ethnicity or media."—David Scott FitzGerald, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies
"Chavez accomplishes a thorough, complex, wide-ranging, sophisticated and truly interdisciplinary read of this narrative, which balances the best of race and gender scholarship."—Arturo J. Aldama, Camino Real
"This books offers the reader a deep and compelling assessment of what 21st century geopolitics has in store for a country with an immigrant past, present a and future by addressing the issue of the Latino experience in the United States the author uncovers and carefully dissects the past immigrant narrative that produced the myth of the America Dream and American ingenuity while assessing what the current state of Latino immigration means for America."—Barbara Robles, Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare
"Through a careful analysis of media spectacles and public discourse, Chavez interrogates and challenges the Latino Threat Narrative—the idea that Latinos are incapable of integration and are taking over and changing America. Chavez equally offers us a thoughtful analysis of conflicts over the meaning of citizenship in an increasingly globalized world. In an era of debate over immigration reform, this book is essential reading for scholars, policy makers, and a thoughtful public alike." —Caroline B. Brettell, Southern Methodist University
"In this tour de force volume, Leo Chavez offers a penetrating analysis of how Latinos have been socially constructed as a threat to the American nation by bigoted political actors for their own cynical purposes and draws expertly on logic, facts, and reason to expose the mythical threat for the intellectual fraud and moral travesty that it truly is."—Douglas S. Massey, Princeton University
"This is the most systematic examination available of the whys and whats behind the representation of Latinos as a threat. Chavez digs deeply into the history, politics, economics, and social psychology of this false representation frequently activated by the media. A key issue for Chavez is the connection between the "threat" and the crisis in the meaning of citizenship, at a time when cross-border mobilities multiply and rich foreign firms and professionals receive better economic protections than many poorer national firms and workers." —Saskia Sassen, Columbia University, author of Territory, Authority, Rights
"Leo R. Chavez makes a forceful case for the proposition that Latino immigration to the United States is everything its supporters and opponents say it is—and much more. His title, The Latino Threat, sets the target for a multifaceted examination of the phenomenon. He points out that there is no secret reconquest conspiracy among Mexican immigrants—but he also highlights the more subtle effect: Latino immigrants are changing the culture of the United States in much the same way as did every previous surge of new residents. This is a book with rich rewards for the serious student of the entire phenomenon of Latino immigration into the United States."—Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico
"The Latino Threat is a well-written and clearly argued book that offers a window of optimism for the demographic and political changes associated with Latino immigration as well as new and creative ways for thinking about citizenship now and in the future." —Journal of International Migration and Integration
"Leo Chavez has produced a superb, well-argued, and thought provoking book. Tackling subjects such as the Minutemen in Arizona, immigrant marches, Latino reproduction, and organ transplants, the book not only sheds a critical light on how, through the mass media, Latinos have been constructed as illegitimate members of society, it also provides powerful evidence to undermine the taken-for-granted truths marshaled to marginalize this population." —American Ethnologist
"The Latino Threat is a well-written and clearly argued book that offers a window of optimism for the demographic and political changes associated with Latino immigration, as well as new and creative ways for thinking about citizenship now and in the future." —Journal of International Migration and Integration
"...provide[s] important insights into the stunning contradictions surrounding immigration discourse today... fascinating interpretations of recent immigration debates help illuminate an issue that will surely continue to perplex us for many years to come."—Lilia Fernández, Ohio State University, Journal of American Ethnic History
From volunteers ready to patrol the U.S.-Mexico border to the hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children who have marched in support of immigrant rights, the United States has witnessed a surge of involvement in immigration activism. In The Latino Threat, Leo R. Chavez critically investigates the media stories about and recent experiences of immigrants to show how prejudices and stereotypes have been used to malign an entire immigrant population—and to define what it means to be an American.
Pundits—and the media at large—nurture and perpetuate the notion that Latinos, particularly Mexicans, are an invading force bent on reconquering land once considered their own. Through a perceived refusal to learn English and an "out of control" birthrate, many say that Latinos are destroying the American way of life. But Chavez questions these assumptions and offers facts to counter the myth that Latinos are a threat to the security and prosperity of our nation.
His breakdown of the "Latino threat" contests this myth's basic tenets, challenging such well-known authors as Samuel Huntington, Pat Buchanan, and Peter Brimelow. Chavez concludes that citizenship is not just about legal definitions, but about participation in society. Deeply resonant in today's atmosphere of exclusion, Chavez's insights offer an alternative and optimistic view of the vitality and future of our country.
Anthropology — Immigration and Migration Studies
Sociology — Race, Class, and Gender
Anthropology — Political and Legal Anthropology
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(Photo courtesy of BetaNews)
Don't you just love it when fashion meets smart technology? A really cool and innovative California-based company called WIMM has teamed up Foxconn to come up with a set of wearable Android devices with small screens designed for everyday use. The Wearable platform technology isn't just a piece of eyecandy, but rather a serious piece of technology that could take your Android experience to a whole different level.


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Try our Advanced Book Search
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Search books by title, genre, publication month, publication year, and rating or search by any combination of these options (i.e. all Mysteries published in January 2001 with 4.5 rating).
If you want to search for a name or phase, include quotation marks around your search term (example: "Deborah Smith")
Visitor login is required to post a review and comment on the blog and other interactive features on the site. Use your same username and password to register for the RT Forums.
Genre: Series
A police officer has wanted a mobsters conviction since he killed her partner over a year ago. Now, she has to track down the one witness who can secure a conviction, a man she shares a past with who is on the run. Margan Hayes gives an enjoyable read in TALL, DARK AND WANTED (3).
Reviewed By: Debbie Richardson
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: December 2000


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Put QR Codes To Work: http://bit.ly/eo1R2x Here are a few ways that you can use QR codes to spruce up your small business marketing strategies. 1) On business cards: A fast and simple way to use QR codes for your own professional purposes is to place them on business cards. Generate a barcode that directs scanners to your online resume, small business Facebook Page or your website to help new contacts find you or your business faster. 2) On marketing materials: Youâve got fliers, brochures, programs, handouts, whitepapers and a myriad of other materials in your media kit. Add QR codes to direct viewers to a particular how-to video, send them to a Flickr photo set, get them to follow you on Twitter, or point them to a mobile-friendly landing page that promotes a new campaign. For inspiration, check out what the Detroid Red Wings did with QR codes in their arena programs. 3) In storefront windows: Google is sending out QR code window decals to top local businesses with Google Place Pages. If they donât send you one, steal the idea and generate your own QR code to place in your window. You can use this code to encourage Fousquare checkins, point scanners to your Yelp profile, or simply invite customers to share memories in photo, video or text form via Stickybits. 4) For freebies: If you really want people to pay attention to your QR codes, make them good for something fun. Say youâve placed a QR code decal in your storefront window, why not reward those who scan it with 10% off their purchase or a free pastry? Give them something small to thank them for their patronage. Simply create a custom QR code for the freebie you want to offer. You could even get creative and hide the QR code offers online, like on your Facebook page or website, or somewhere inside your store. To learn more, visit http://bit.ly/eo1R2x


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To make reservations by phone, dial freephone 0800 221 222 in the UK, 1 800 409 929 in Ireland, or view our regional telephone reservation numbers.
Located in the Minneapolis Marriott Northwest, Wadsworth is a local favorite serving signature cocktails hearty American cuisine with a Minnesota twist. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, enjoy lively conversation and complimentary Wi-Fi at Wadsworth.
Located in the Minneapolis Marriott Northwest, Boundary Waters proudly brews a local favorite, Caribou Coffee. A perfect location to grab a quick breakfast, plug-in and check emails, or enjoy great conversation over a flavorful cup of coffee.


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How to start a savings plan for the holidays
Putting away a little extra now will keep your bank account merry come December.
D.C. Jewish Community Center volunteers lend a hand for the holidays
Volunteers of all faiths lend their time and talents for the holidays.
Tags: Christmas, volunteering, Makela, Paula WolfsonListen
Local stores offer after-Christmas deals
If you have gift cards, items to return or just a hankering to shop on this day after Christmas, retailers are ready for you.
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Worst Christmas gifts ever?
We want to know on the day after Christmas: What were the best and worst gifts you received this year?
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You don't have to rush to the store to redeem your gift cards, but some banks might carry inactivity fees.
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During the holiday season, remember these safety tips to avoid unexpected accidents in your home.
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Md. family adopts 'Pet of the Week' just in time for Christmas
Two boys from Columbia, Md., woke up to a surprise under the tree Christmas morning.
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Whether you're traveling to grandma's for Christmas dinner or just in search of a last minute ingredient, here's a list of what's open and closed on Christmas Day.
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This powerful, heavy-duty magnet-mount antenna locks onto a trunk lid or any flat, metal surface.
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Open Wide!
by Olechka
Art Print
Collect your choice of gallery quality Giclée, or fine art prints custom trimmed by hand in a variety of sizes with a white border for framing.
Naughty toothpaste and toothbrush.
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In the long run
A team of highly trained athletes from the AJ sacrificed their precious weekend lie-ins for the good of architecture last Sunday morning (24 June), by taking part in the Architects Benevolent Society charity fun run. AJ staffers Tom Peardon, Angus Montgomery, James Pallister and Terry Roll (shown here, from left to right) all slogged their way around the 6km central London course to raise money for the organisation, ...
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So recently I had an idea. In about a year (after planning and and raising the funds) I want to start a trip that brings me to as many craft breweries in the US as I possibly can. I want to document the travel and photograph the owners and record their stories in attempts to compile a book of this beer adventure.
I would love to hear people's input and suggestions about this trip.
- allmankkind reblogged this from dbrachophoto
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- peasforeveryone said: Can I come? and how much money do I need?
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FRIDAY, Nov. 22, 2013 (HealthDay News) -- Simple compression bandages are as effective as complicated massage treatments in treating the swollen arms of breast cancer patients, according to a new study.
This swelling of the arms -- called lymphedema -- is a complication of breast cancer treatment that can last a long time. It affects between 6 percent and 30 percent of patients, and can cause discomfort, reduced arm function, infection and emotional distress.
The six-week study included about 100 Canadian breast cancer patients with arm swelling.
The patients were divided into two groups. One group wore elastic compression sleeves and gloves for 12 hours a day. The other group received an hour of lymphatic drainage massage from trained therapists each weekday for four weeks, along with exercise and skin care.
The women in the massage group also wore compression bandages on their arms and hands the rest of the day and night. After the month of massage treatment, they wore elastic compression sleeves and gloves during the day, the same as the other group.
Regular assessments of the women's arm size and function, as well as quality of life, showed no significant difference in the effectiveness of the two treatment methods, according to the researchers from McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada.
The study was published in a recent issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
"In the future, patients who receive or can only afford elastic sleeves and gloves should be comforted knowing that their care has not been compromised," lead author Dr. Ian Dayes, an associate professor of oncology, said in a university news release.
More information
The American Cancer Society has more about lymphedema after breast cancer treatment.
SOURCE: McMaster University, news release, Nov. 13, 2013
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Justin Bieber toxicology report released, McDonald's employee sold heroin in Happy Meals, Minnesota to toughen synthetic drug laws, and cops bust high-end hookers with coke before Super Bowl. MORE


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I'm currently adding to this new website, so you may not be able to get to some content yet. But I'm here and ready to work for you. Contact me about online marketing for your business, including a new or upgraded website, email marketing, social media marketing, graphics for online or print advertising, or online marketing consultation by phone or in person.
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Here we are again, with Bluephone Studios second July release!
Meet Geoffrey and Geraldine, the magnificent and plump giraffes! I'm super pumped with how these guys turned out, and I hope they bring y'all even half the joy they've brought me.
Tune in next week for the final July release!
Soooo cute!


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Cherif KamalFashion, art, culture, beauty, inspirations and living life to the fullest.
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seattle theme by parker ehret
no idea if these...mens boots or not, but regardless…i want them.
For Benji
these are so awesome. why is it again that they don't make men's shoes in a women's 5 1/2?
Totally @zapan @crownsocial
these boots, verses those boots, verses these boots. all comes back...another form at...
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What is THE dish to judge a cuisine by?
- viperlush Jun 26, 2008 04:47 PM
I've found myself judging new (to me) restaurants based on certain dishes and if they don't pass muster I am disappointed even if everything else is okay. Thai it's mango with sticky rice, french it's pate, sushi it's tuna, italian tiramisu, etc. Really there is no rhyme or reason to the dishes that I pick, just those that I enjoy from that particular cuisine.
But is this fair to the restaurant or is there a better way to a restaurant? Are there certain dishes that restaurants SHOULD do well if they are going to focus on a specific cuisine?
Just one of those questions that comes up when I move to a new area and haven't found my go to take out places.
I judge the restaurant by what my favorite dish for that cuisine might happen to be.
For me, Mexican food is judged by the tacos. Must be shredded beef in a crunchy freshly fried corn tortilla. My husband judges by the enchiladas and our friend by the chile rellenos.
Vietnamese is judged of course by the Pho and Italian the linguine with clam sauce or stuffed shells.
If they make my favorite dishes great, it's o.k. with me.
re: starkoch
I'll try and nip this in the bud before the "Mexican Experts" get at this... how many regions in Mexico serve tacos with crunchy tortillas and shredded beef?
re: Blueicus
it exists
re: kare_raisu
There is a new Taco Bell in Mexico City.
If I had to boil it down . . .
An Italian restaurant must not ever overcook pasta or use low quality pasta.
A French restaurant must not have boring sauces.
re: mrbozo
Mrbozo, do you know how rare it is to find a perfectly cooked plain omelette in restos? The art of the omelette is one which is nearly lost...
that being said, I have found one place in Montreal that understands the art of the omelette, although there are currently moving and rental issues, and we are waiting to se when the resto returns... If you come into Montreal soon, I can update you on where to find this lovely omelette, though they usually put some cheese and fresh herbs in it.
re: moh
Moh, even though I was being a bit snooty in my original post I do believe in the importance of having a solid foundation of the fundamentals of whatever cuisine you are offering to the public at a price (it shouldn't be a cost).
Your example below of the preparation of broth is a more universal yardstick than the omelette. Unfortunately too many cooks do spoil the broth.
Once one has mastered the basics, then go ahead and create multicoloured, multitextured, multiflavoured food-based sculptures if you really must. At that stage the "creations" should be at least palatable if not affordable.
re: mrbozo
I'm in agreement that quality cooking emanates from mastering the basics. Any good Indian restaurant should be able to make a delicious rogan josh. Italians should be able to make an exciting gnocchi or comforting veal parm. The money you drop at a sushi restaurant that can't even deliver a crowd-pleasing tuna roll is probably better spent at a diner that has mastered the elusive art of the burger and onion rings. Unless you've got the foundations, your house of cards of fancy cooking is going to fall down.
What's in the bread basket weighs heavily. If it's crappy bread, I have good reason to suspect that they don't care much about the rest of my meal.
re: HSBSteveM
Another basic food worthy of measuring by.
re: mrbozo
I agree with the bread and rolls. I do not mind paying for the bread, but it should be from a artisan bakery or premise baked if the restaurant is not a chain.
Soups tend to be another goalpost for a ethnic restaurant. If a restaurant can make their own soups and stock you usually have a winner.
re: HSBSteveM
(In America) is the bread free or do you have to pay for it. I know you shouldn't expect free stuff at restaurants, but I've come to expect the free bread basket.
And don't forget the butter. Temp., how served, is there enough for all the bread?
re: viperlush
bread is free.
only place i remember paying for bread is germany
re: viperlush
I recently paid $3.50 for 6 small wedges of flatbread at a tapas resto in Charlotte NC. I thought that was a bit gouging.
re: viperlush
I agree about the butter. Sometimes places that might be promising bring out those little foil wrapped butter patties, and as bad as that is, worse is that they're frozen solid.
re: Judith
The cold foil wrapped butter bespeaks lack of concern for quality.
I always put some under my right thigh for a couple of minutes to warm it up, just don't forget it's there.
re: HSBSteveM
fyi, there are a ton of great restos in Italy with pretty lousy bread.
We've paid enough copertos to figure out that not ordering bread is often the wise choice. So the bread rule doesn't apply everywhere.
I tend to make heavy judgements on their soup..
I find a delicious homemade soup shows alot!
re: burlgurl
Burlgurl, I agree completely with your assessment, and take it one step closer to basic elements. A Resto that makes an excellent broth says a lot to me about the quality of the resto. A fabulous home-made stock, made with real meat and bones, rich with flavour from gelatin - whew! So much better than powders and canned broth! Such a luxury.
re: SiksElement
" that stock that you think is a luxury is made mostly from scraps"
Sikselement, you are of course right that stock is a sign of a cost-conscious kitchen. That is why it is discouraging to have stocks that are obviously not made from scratch. There are also a lot of places with substandard stock and sauces. when I find a place where the stock is delicious, it is a real luxury - because it is harder than it looks to do it well, and because many places seem to take shortcuts.
re: SiksElement
It's not just about the stuff that goes into the stock, but also how they tend to it. Is the consomme properly clarified? Does the tonkotsu broth show that beautiful milky flavour from long simmering of bones? Or on the extreme side, the depth of the broth in a Buddha Jump Over the Wall (which is definitely not made from scraps).
re: burlgurl
it shows that someone can clean out the walk-in and use the stuff thats about to go bad.
re: SiksElement
uh, no. if you try to make stock or soup out of garbage, you end up with garbage flavored stock or soup. soups can, and historically have been, made out of (fresh) leftovers, but certainly not every soup is, and it's a mistake to think that restaurant soups are not carefully composed. soups are often foundation pieces of whole cuisines, there is a world of difference between a crafted soup and something you get out of a can. well-wrought soup is amazing food: accessible, intricate and straight-forward at the same time, as well as adaptable to local and seasonal ingredients. as far as stock goes (as the foundation for sauces and stewed/braised dishes), with most cuisines, if you start with a shoddy stock, you might as well quit right there.
re: soupkitten
soupkitten, I'm having one of my "cranky" days, and getting a bit miffed that I keep having to agree with EVERY WORD YOU WRITE. Seriously, are you bugging my brain somehow? :0
Soup is the ultimate peasant food and sometimes it's the ultimate fusion food. It challenges a cook to combine available resources with ingenuity. Sometimes you've got fresh fish, perfect stock and lemongrass to work with and sometimes all you've got is some dried beans, a bone and some water. Grab a handful of herbs from somewhere and maybe a splash of sherry and you'll figure something out.
GIGO (garbage in, garbage out) is a valuable lesson to keep in mind while making soup. Soups and stews are my favorite things to cook. Once you have a firm grasp of soup-making principles, recipes are almost unnecessary. I usually just pull all of the leftovers out of my fridge or freezer, arrange them on the counter top and try to figure out how to balance them in a soup recipe. The idea is not to use everything, just to figure out how to combine what will work. Sometimes everyone in the kitchen pitches in with ideas. We argue, we cajole, we bargain, and then come up with a plan. It's the high point of my day, when it works. Last week my cooks came up with an improbable mushroom-chile-chicken-hominy soup that was unforgettably delicious and probably impossible to re-create.
And when it doesn't work? Well, they were only leftovers, after all. I'd rather pitch it and learn from the experience than serve a soup that's less than wonderful.
Life is too short to eat bad soup.
re: chefbeth
"Last week my cooks came up with an improbable mushroom-chile-chicken-hominy soup that was unforgettably delicious and probably impossible to re-create."
Your cooks have good taste... Mushroom Pozole (sans Chicken) is one of the more popular dishes at the Pozolcalli chain during the Central Mexican mushroom season (late April through early October)
re: Eat_Nopal
Another thing I love about soup is that it's all derivative. No shame in that. If it's delicious, chances are some one some where has come up with it before. It keeps us all connected on a basic level.
Great soup isn't competitive. It's the oposite of that.
re: chefbeth
LOL! thanks for the smile today, ChefB. i've been hauling frozen organic chickens around all morning & just found out i need to make soup for tomorrow! (weather is cooling down up here in msp-- time for good soup) no garbage around, wonder what i'll make! :)
re: soupkitten
"(weather is cooling down up here in msp-- time for good soup)"
Whoa... whoa... I am of the philosophy that soup has NO seasons...its always good and helps cool you down on a very hot day. From the dry, hot, sunny days in the Puuc Hills of the Yucatan to the steamy jungles along the Mekong... hot soups are a year round staple in very hot places throughout the Tropics & Sub-Tropics!
re: Eat_Nopal
We are of the same school of thought, E_N, but you would be surprised at how many customers are not.
That said, a that first frosty day fills my heart with fantasies of "winter" food -- heary soups and stew are the first things I think of.
re: chefbeth
E_N, For me winter is for soups and stews just because the oven roasting the bones, then making the broth, then the soup itself simmering just gets my apartment too hot in the summer. When fall comes around I go nuts on soups and stews.
A good broth is the first of the many good things you need to make an outstanding soup. After that, anything goes. I'll bet that the mushroom pozole would be good with pork (what I usually use in my pozole) too.
In the summer I make good cold soups and noodle dishes.
re: KailuaGirl
KG... I just got back from Kailua in fact. Coincidentally, we just made an offer on a house there. If we get the place there is plenty of garden space to make soup outdoors... I had not thought about it... until you just brought it up... but I think my first priority might be to set up a Mex style outdoor cooking area.
Now with that said... nothing wrong with Cold soups either... I whip up a mean Uruapan style Avocado soup. Slightly different... but I also like me some versions of Sopa de Frutas... the Gazpacho Moreliano (truly a misnomer)... being fairly high up there.
Regarding the Mushroom Pozole... the point of Pozolcalli's version is to offer up Vegan options... if done right... its not lacking of much... although some nice shreds of roasted pork cachetes wouldn't be so tortorous.
I judge against some of the dishes that I know and make:
Japanese: tsukemeno, simple stuff like niku jyaga/simmered beef and vegetables w/ hot gohan; or musubi and teriyaki; or oyakudonburi; or cold soba; and makizushi
Mexican: Tamales or chiles rellenos or turkey mole in their infinite variety and goodness w/ green rice, salsas, and simple sides; also mondongo, refried beans
"Chinese": (again, my indicators!) Steamed fish w/ ginger, scallions, black beans; sesame duck and noodle salad; rice noodles and fresh spring rolls.
Lao: laab, greens, khao niyao, spicy diced water buffalo cooked in blood
Italian: carpaccio, home made ravioli, and fruit ice creams replaced in natural peels or forms
American: Kansas City style BBQ, fish cioppino, burgers
French: (no way!) salad nicoise, pamesan souffle, pate, potage cressonnier, anguille a la creme or raie au beurre noir or medaillones ou noisettes de veau or a simple ragout de mouton printanier, rognons in any of many forms, and rissoto de caille, charlotte....
Filipino: bulalo, sinigang ng kanduli, panikbet, sisig, fresh lumpia, dinaguan, embutido
Viet: pho, stuffed bitter gourd, fish baked in little hammered dishes from Hue
Peru: ceviche Amazonica, antecuchos,
Colombia: sancocho, patacones
Bhutan: emadashi
Nepal: momos
India and Burma: tandoori naan/roti (and my curries against those of India)
Bolivia: saise, fresh pan campesino, goat cheese from the altiplano
Brasil: manisoba & pichana
German: wurst, kartoffelsalat, sauerkraut, und bread
UK: yorkies, roast beef
Mozambique: chicken piri piri
Kenya: m'chuzi wa kuku and ugalli
re: Sam Fujisaka
Sam: dang. you are the hound.
re: Sam Fujisaka
What's a yorkie?
re: Sharuf
it can be
(a) a yorkshire pudding, or (b) a chocolate bar
re: Sam Fujisaka
If you are judging Filipino restaurants particularly on their dinaguan and sisig, it's no wonder you are not a bigger fan of the cuisine! Like many of their vinegary dishes, they are foods best enjoyed in the home of a hospitable and excited cook. I should hope, also, that you're a little generous in judging the Mexicans' preparation of mondongo since that is more of a Caribbean thing. However even if you're judging by their menudo, I don't know how many Mexican cooks can hold up!
As an aside, wenn man "bread" in Deutschland will, sagt man "Brot."
re: JungMann
Jungmann, don't know if you'll see this, but I ate filipino foods in the extended family home of a woman I was with for many years, not in restaurants.
With all due respect, it is perhaps because they have to meet expectations of people like yourself that South Asians restaurants can never claw themselves out of the Ninth Circle of Hell they find themselves in. Momos and Nepal? Curries and India? Tandoori naan and roti for Indian nd Burmese restaurants?
I am an Indian, from Bengal, descended from a family settled for generationsin Burma on one side, raised and fed by by Gurungs from the mountains north of Pokhara.
Lets start with the latter: I hae eaten extensively of the Mid-Hills and High country repertoire, and where there iare no Tibetan infuences or tourists, in all the decades until 1980, this momo was not something commonly eatedby the Gurkhas or the peoples [plural] of the Terai, i.e. 90% of the Nepalese. So whose Nepal are we talking about? The Kathmandu of the corrupt adminisrtion and drug addicts that created the terrible resentment which fomented decades of bloodshed that show little respite even now? Hae you tated Nimbu ka chook? Shilam, roasted perilla seed? Would you eat boiled potato dessd in paste of garlc, paste of shilam and nimbu ka chook? That iswhat I woul order frt from a Gorkha restaurant, if run by a group comprising Gurung, Tamang, Limbu. I would ask. Not so if they were Newari or Madhesi, or brahmans rom Kathmandu Valley. These are sme ofthe ways to go about evauating the cuisines of Nepal thus allowing local cooks to shine forth with their respective masterpieces.
Similaly, Do you walk into a restaurant and ask for "European food? Tha'swhat you ae ding when you talk aout "indian" food! If you rely kow enough, you woul be able to walk into a bangladeshi restaurant, now the region of bangladesh that person came from, and get a first class meal o the dshesthat the cooks know how to prepare like a dream. Instead, by pretending to know more than you do, you will walk out with a tenth rate experience. o with all pakistani ad Inian restaurants. Either really earn about Sbcontinenta foo, or don't confuse weird restaurant cooking fr Indian food In that cae, always check that the cook are from pakistan or Punjab, and you will get excellent naan and rotis.
I got really weired out by some reviewers from Chowhound re:Mina of Angon, who knowing nothing about Bengai food how it should be ordered how it should be eaten, the dfferences between Eas ad West Bengal etc. pild up some incongruous mixture o dishes and pronounced themselves well pleased. This harks back also to the absurd reviews churned out by Jay Jacobs in 1985 Gourmet re Mitali,Manhattan.
The bd resl istht genuinely excellent ethnic cooks and restaurants fail to survive, because those who eat have no idea of what is excellent. Sagat w adisma restaurant next to Pongal on Lex & 29th c.1993 but had a genuinely excellent Bangladeshi cook ofhomestyl cooking, whom none ladd. That restuarant is gone! Similarly, there may be such cookson McDonl Ae, but I don't know know about them.
Sam, you need to thoroughly undersandthe forte ofthe indigenouscuiine before pronouncing jdgement. Fr exampe, the Bay rea has may Suth Inian retaurants tha hve nothing to do with naas. Saravana Bhavan etc. there serve Suth Indan pecilties. There are others that serve Gujaati speciaties, others that serve chaat. Paisai places that specialize many in Nihari. Go to Aladin [one D] in LA:it speciaizesin paatha an cerain types of chicken curries that are THE STANDARD for those types whether or not you understand that. The worldof Indian food & foodways is larger than your universe, and it seems a bit too presumptuous to keep it confined within your limited comprehension.
re: mousey
Namaskar! mousey, I understand what you're saying. Be reminded that I do not live in the US and am only talking about eating in the respective countries.
My opening statement was that I enjoy comparing dishes I eat in different countries to what I prepare at home. I did not include ALL of the many different foods and dishes that I've eaten in the different countries--only what I commonly prepare.
I've worked a lot in the Terai of Nepal, in the rice-wheat areas of India, and throughout Bhutan over many years. I enjoy all of the foods that you mentioned, but do not cook them all.
My dishes for Japan are what I normally prepare--not the things that most people might know and think of as Japanese food.
I enjoy all of the foods I eat in Mexico, Pakistan, Mozambique, Laos, Vietnam, and elsewhere, but do not prepare them all. In other countries, I only prepare the dishes I like--because I don't like them all (e..g, I really don't like sun dried pork fat and yak butter tea in Bhutan; or arepas in Colombia, or mashed potatoes in the country that you appear to live in).
re: mousey
Also, I do not know about the Indian/Burmese/Ghorka food in restaurants in the US. I've eaten in Ghorka areas of Nepal, in Pokhara, all over India for more than a combined pair of years. As to momos, for example, I learned to make them from one of my ex-PhD students from Nepal who was attending the University of the Philippines at Los Banos. Similarly, I learned to make almost all of the other dishes mentioned from local cooks in each of the respective countries over amany, many years (I am, as you can conclude, an old fart--and as to being a tourist: because of my work, I never travel if not for work. Never!).
re: mousey
"Sam, you need to thoroughly undersandthe forte ofthe indigenouscuiine before pronouncing jdgement."
Mousey, your post is very informative, and I greatly appreciate your points. For what it is worth, I would say that Sam was not presuming to judge or minimize the indigenous cuisine of Nepal or India in any negative way. I can vouch for the fact that Sam is one of the least judgmental and also one of the most open-minded hounds on the board. His palate is broad, as is his breadth of knowledge. But all of us, including Sam have limitations in our experience. As much as I would like to be an expert in every cuisine under the sun, there is only so much time and money and eating space in our stomach!
The vast expanse that is the sub-continent of India continues to amaze and fascinate me. I am always amazed by the variety of cuisines, ingredients dishes, etc. that are available. My husband had the chance to visit India once, and marvelled at the number of different provinces and the different cultures throughout India. It was then he realized how simplified our Western notions of this grand country were. I have never had a chance to visit, but would love to go some day.
The level of knowledge and appreciation of the cultures of India is improving in North America. We have greater access to authentic ingredients, vegetables, spices. There are many more well-written English-language cookbooks that explain various regional differences. The Web has been a great resource for understanding these regional variations as well.
Every cuisine needs their proponents. Look at the influence of Julia Child on the level of understanding of French cuisine in North America. just to name one important example. A passion for education can go a long way in expanding our palates and our experiences.
You clearly have a depth of understanding of Indian cuisine that many of us on this board do not have. I strongly encourage you to continue to post, and to share your great knowledge with us so that we can all embark on this exciting journey of discovery. We need and welcome your expertise. Start some threads on different regions in India, for example, "what is your favorite Bengali dish?" Get us talking! Tell us about how you approach each cuisine, what are its unique qualities. Help us expand our culinary universe, be our expert on the regional cuisines of India. This board can only be as useful as its participants. There are many wonderful posters already present on this board who are very generous with their expertise in certain cuisines (Hannaone and his Korean recipes, Eat nopal and his insights into Mexican cuisine, and Silverjay with his thoughtful posts on Japanese cuisine and culture pop into mind, but they are only 3 of many such regional experts). They and other experts posters are key in expanding us regular posters, both in knowledge and in pant size!
One last thing: I am going to warn you now, that some of us are going to post some stupid statements out of sheer ignorance. We just don't know that much! But we are willing to be corrected! Please please please, try to be patient with us. We aren't necessarily trying to be presumptuous or judgmental, we just may not know better. So teach us gently. And then maybe more of those excellent ethnic restaurants will survive and even thrive.
Mousey, I really hope to see more of your posts on the board soon! Perhaps you'd consider commenting on this recent thread of mine, of some vegetables I was trying to identify and cook with:
re: mousey
Mousey, your argument that you wouldn't ask for European food can go down to every cuisine. Italy has its' different regions, as does just about every other country. Look right here in the USA, is a hamburger what we should judge American food by? There are so many specialties from each state/region that it's impossible to know of them all.
My problem is I can't count the years since I've found a restaurant that is consistent, let alone has more than one or two dishes to use to judge their overall quality. Then there is the added variable of which cook is in the kitchen today?
I've been thinking of writing a revue of a local sushi restaurant on the Texas boards for over a month now, but... I've eaten there five times now, and reliable consistency of getting the great flavor I fell in love with the first time just isn't there. There's one dish I have had three time and it has tasted three different ways.
But that's not something that happens with just this particular restaurant. It has been a problem for me for years now. To the point that I'm beginning to think the only place to find consistent and unchanging flavor is in a box... Like Kraft Mac'n'Cheese!
re: limster
I prefer the laksa lemak to the assam laksa although somewhat more hedonistic!
I absolutely have a list of go-to dishes by which to judge a place. Usually they're familiar/popular dishes a kitchen may feel it "has" to have on the menu but then executes them half-heartedly. If, on the other hand, it gives them its all, I feel I can trust its integrity.
I agree with others re the bread basket—it can be simple, but it's got to be quality. Good, fresh bread made by a human and served with good olive oil or butter (which must be room-temperature).
Other litmus tests (as I've taken to calling them):
Caesar salad
French onion soup
fried calamari
re: tatamagouche
Mexican- Chips and Salsa
Indian- Naan
Chinese- Won Ton Soup
Italian- Calamari
French- Lardon Salad w/ Poached Egg
All very simple things but if they are not good I don't hold out much hope for the rest of the meal.
re: bubbles4me
just throwing this out there, but italy isnt the only place with calamari and im starting to get annoyed that a calamari frito misto is now the "must have" on every red sauce slinging italian american restaurant.
re: SiksElement
hmmmm... I think I could be a lot happier with "Italian" restaurants tossing calimari into everything instead of basil. I quit going to Italian restaurants a couple of years ago when my polenta AND garlic bread were loaded with basil.
re: tatamagouche
I should emphasize the Caesar. Above all, if the dressing's eggless and/or anchovyless, the place is probably not for me.
My take on this is a little different, I think. Theoretically, everything at a restaurant should be fabulous, but, of course, that's not the case. I think too many restaurants have items on the menu because they think they'll appeal to customers, not because they do them well - i.e., pasta in a French restaurant (usually a give away for me not to go there).
So, when I go to a new restaurant, I simply order based on what appeals to me at the time. In some cases, I may have read on CH or elsewhere about a specialty, and will try that. If my meal is good, I'll go back. If not, I may not. If for some reason my first meal wasn't great, and I wanted to try it again for whatever reason, I might do more research about dishes that others have enjoyed there, in case I "ordered incorrectly" (a concept that I don't love, though).
Last year we went to an Italian restaurant in Manhattan chosen by someone else, and while the food was generally just "ok", the deep fried prosciutto wrapped figs were amazing - I still think of them every time I see the word "fig". But, it was a special, and I probably won't be going back to the place any time soon.
On the other hand, a short lived delivery Thai place had what I thought was a really good shrimp fried rice (smoky, with tomatoes) that I kept ordering, dropping other dishes as the weeks went by because they were just plain bad. Then it closed!
re: MMRuth
I agree with you. I'll try to research a place first and find out what they're known for. For example, I was at a Burmese restaurant in Philly and it was known for their tea salad. That is probably not something I would order at a Burmese place, especially since I've had it before and not enjoyed it too much. But as this place was known for it, I tried it. It was really good, and I was so happy that I got over my prejudice and tried it. Problem was this salad totally ruined me for other tea salads for life, including the one from the much-lauded Burmese place on these boards in Queens.
And I recognize that a restaurant may have its strengths and weaknesses. For example, while I'd like to think that a Korean restaurant should be judged on the quality of their banchan, I find that it is not always the case. So I don't think I have any hard and fast rules about how to judge a place.
re: Miss Needle
If I judged Korean restaurants by their banchan, I would probably never step into another one. Simply because most places do not match up to dishes my wife makes.
With Korean restaurants I look at the size of the menu first, then the size of each section. If there is a huge selection of dishes and each section has roughly the same number of dishes, chances are most of the dishes are going to be only average. If a menu is smaller (fewer selections) one section (the grilled meats, stir fry, or soup section) is usually larger than the others, and that's probably what they do best.
But it's not a hard and fast rule as there are always exceptions. Some places can actually pull off a very large menu, and some places with specialty menus can't even bring off their "special" dish.
re: hannaone
You are indeed lucky to have such a wife!
You make a good point about the size of a menu. Generally, I've found that the greater the selection a restaurant has, the worse the food is. Probably has something to do with quality control of ingredients, or that it's trying to please everybody, and there's a greater chance of ordering a dish that's a miss. One of the top Korean restaurants in Manhattan has just about 10 dishes, and it's really known for their sul long tang. Always really crowded and they are very successful. btw, their banchan offerings are pretty paltry as they only serve kimchi. But their kimchi is the best out of all the Korean restaurants. I generally ask for seconds, and I'm not the hugest kimchi fan. Probably because I've been eating pretty crappy kimchi.
re: Miss Needle
Good points. As a general rule in Korean restaurants, I've found that the larger the menu, the worse the food, but of course there are exceptions, though I can't think of any right now. This is true in my experience in Korea too. If I go to a resto, I try to go to one that is known for one thing only. This usually means that one thing is at least okay, and also, you don't run into as many service problems.
I totally agree with moh too that if the kimchi is good, that is a good sign that I am in for a decent meal...but not always. But at least if the meal sucks then I have good kimchi to eat.
I don't know how anyone can judge all cuisines of the Indian subcontinent by one dish. That's just crazy and well, let's be honest, stupid. I'm not even Indian. Rogan Josh. Damn.
re: choctastic
That's true with many other countries as well. In Japan, an izakaya might have a bit of everything, but otherwise, you're looking at restaurants that tend to have a specialty. I'm certainly not going to go into a ramen restaurant expecting good sushi, nor would i go into a sushi restaurant expecting good ramen.
I've also had the same experience as everyone else with the Korean restaurants. If it doesn't have a specialty, the food seems to be a bit disappointing. Not all of the Korean restaurants I've visited really seem to specialize in kimchi so I don't use that as a starting point.
re: queencru
Okay I'll admit, kimchi is not really a guide for me, it's more of a reassurance that if the meal sucks at least I have the kimchi. Sad I know, but sometimes you gotta roll with the punches.
I think the specialization thing is esp true in Korean cuisine for some reason. I mean, as in, a menu with more than 50 things on it never seems to have good food, or in the alternative, most people end up ordering only the house specialty anyway and God Help You if you make the mistake of ordering something else, because either the order is mixed up or the food sucks (or both).
re: hannaone
Re: Korean restaurants:
I put a lot of emphasis on the quality of the kimchi. This, I think, is a basic requirement. If they don't have good kimchi, then what is the point? Second thing I put emphasis on: Quality of stock/soup broths and of kochuchang seasoning.
That being said, it has been very hard to find good kimchi in restos in my city (sigh). And despite this, I have found some excellent dishes in these restos. So clearly this is not a hard and fast rule with me...
Does anybody else think this is a useless exercise? How can any one judge a restaurant representing a national cuisine (particular the more important / diverse national cuisines mentioned) by a single dish?
At best - in Mexico's case - I could probably break it down to one dish per culinary region... that is least 125 dishes... and I am sure this is the exact case for China, France, Italy, India etc., There is no single dish that represents the country... there isn't even 10, 20 or 30.
re: Eat_Nopal
I don't think it's a matter of a given dish representing the national cuisine; it's a matter of the dish representing the restaurant and its treatment of the national cuisine.
re: tatamagouche
Still... what if I want around Mexican restaurants wanting to try their Al Pastor, Chips & Agua de Tamarindo... maybe its a crappy Al Pastor because the family is from Michoacan and they had never even seen a Vertical Spit growing up, or ever fried up a chip... but hey their Caldo Michi is the best I would have ever eaten in my life.
I have had similar experiences in restaurants of all ethnicities... I go to a Thai place and the Pad Thai is horrible... only to find the family is from the Mekong Valley area... and guess what they really don't give a crap about Pad Thai there... but their Green Curry... ah that is where its at etc.,
re: Eat_Nopal
One of the best Thai restaurants in NYC actually has a reputation for having very bad pad thai. But most of the other stuff is outstanding. So that's why I'd rather not have benchmark dishes to judge a restaurant, let alone, a cuisine.
re: Miss Needle
Right - and I think a lot of Thai/Chinese/Indian/Mexican restaurants think that they need to serve what Americans typically think of as a typical dish from their country, even if it's not a specialty in the region they are from, etc.
re: Eat_Nopal
OK, I hear what you're saying...note that I'm in the US, and my own personal list sidesteps the issue entirely by focusing on dishes that have lost all trace of ethnicity they ever had. I'm referring specifically to contemporary American, not "ethnic," restaurants, where I probably don't have similar benchmark dishes. :)
Benchmark techniques may be more to the point.
re: Eat_Nopal
I sympathize with the OP's dilemma but I'm also hearing what Eat_Nopal is saying. I do have my "benchmark" dishes but if a place doesn't do them well and succeeds on other fronts, I'll still put it on the list, just not for that item. For example, I frequent a couple of Thai places in Vancouver who couldn't do a pad thai or a tom yam koong to my standards to save their lives, but they have other dishes that are excellent. There is a taqueria here that has the most egregious tortilla chips that they serve as "testers" for their many salsas -- if I'd let that put me off I'd have missed great salsas and tacos.
From traveling in Mexico I'm aware of the extreme diversity of regional cooking there that E_N is talking about, and it obviously applies to India in spades per Mousey's post above, and to France and Italy and many others. So I say use the benchmarks to build your list of places that do them well but don't count out a joint just because it can't churn out your favourite the way you like it :-).
Like everyone else I have my benchmark dishes. I went with some friends for Italian one night and they over cooked the noodles in my pasta dish. Past aldente, past soft.. one step short of mush. Literally broke apart and fell off my fork in pieces.
On the other side of the coin, as an American, am I really qualified to determine what a good thai curry should taste like? I would never presume to know if a Haggis was good (and doubt I would order one), yet it is one of the national dishes of Scotland. Even something as simple as say an enchilada - I have certain expectations being raised with Old California mexican. Certainly different than what I might find in Mexico city or the Yucatan.
Yes countries like Mexico, India, and China have hugely variable cuisines across peoples and regions. That certainly does make having single indicators a tougher task or even impossible in those countries. On the other hand, there are selected foods in these coountries whose very variability allow them to be indicators--of good and bad. Take the morning tamales or fresh hand made tortillas across all of Mexico and Guatemala, the mondongos from Mexico though parts of the northern Andean countries, the tandoori naans--where tandoor style food is made, very different vegetable curries throughout India, the momos all over Nepal from the Hymalayas down through the Terai, different versions of pho up and down Vietnam, different types of ugali in much of east Africa, and so on. Uncommon common threads can be used as indicators.
there have been absolutely beautiful replies here and i don't pretend to be an expert, but
A Japanese Sushi restaurant - I will alway order a sashumi plate first to check the freshness of the fish and the presentation - a bad plate will not get me to try anything else.
Mexican - I know there are many variations, but I have to like the enchiladas.
Italian - I have to love the Raviolli's
Indian - the spicy hot food - must be and same with Thai food.
a Hamburger joint must have good fries
a deli must have a black forest ham sandwich
BBQ places - the brisket must be able to be cut with a fork and full of the rich smokiness of hours in the smoker.
Columbian food - the bandeja paisa must pass my taste test.
I think those are the main ones
re: PaulaT
Okay.... but what if there is a place that makes inspired Moles but put no heart into the Enchiladas... you try the Enchiladas... they suck.. you leave... never come back & miss out on what could have been one of your favorite dishes ever.
Some times the Chowteam / Moderators aren't too happy when I do my essays on the roots of restaurant owners / cooks and go into ethnohistory etc., but I think its key. While I have learned not a benchmark any broadly defined cuisine by a single dish... I do love to know what the restauranteurs are all about... their regional specialties... and then benchmark them on that... I am certainly guilty of benchmarking Atlanta diners based on their fried chicken... but that is partly because I know that is a highly probably special. Benchmarking them on a Sonoma or Cobb Salad (both some of my favorite dishes in the world) would probably not be a good idea.
re: Eat_Nopal
E N, how about I adopt this as a rule in Mexico: rate the restaurant by one of the following from a short list: enchiladas, mole, tamales, chile rellenos (or red snapper in Vera Cruz) depending on what is regionally appropriate or restaurant specific? Could do similar lists for Japan, China, and India.
Of course, I might have to start going to real restaurants instead of eating street and market foods.
re: Eat_Nopal
This time I wholeheartedly agree with you... I myself don't have any benchmark foods whenever I go for a cuisine of any particular type. I just order dishes that look interesting or they say are specialties and judge from there.
re: Eat_Nopal
I accept your criticism - but I love good enchiladas and If a place can't make them good, I am likely not to go back - and I am not a stickler for 'authentic', just that they taste good. If they don't offer and there are place that don't, that's ok, just don't serve me a bad tasting enchilada.
The issue about hamburger is simple - most places won't serve me my rare hamburger that I love, so I go to the next thing that I think of as 'American' the fries. On the other hand, when I am in Mexico, there is no way I am eating a Hamburger, but I might have to try the place you mentioned, just for the chips!
re: PaulaT
You would be well advised to try at least one burger in Mexico... its a very different style... but the beef is so tasty.... and when there is chorizo & bacon in the patty... it gets even more interesting. Plus, the top burger street vendors make their own condiments (the economy is still such that it is cheaper to make than buy the institutional crap).
re: Eat_Nopal
okay okay you convinced me - I still think of the 'Hamburger" as 'American" - tho ground meat dishes are international
re: PaulaT
In spirit they are very American burgers... they were introduced into Mexico by Americans.. and their variations are not any greater than regional variations you find throughout the U.S. In some respects... they are "more American" than contempary U.S. burgers... because they still respect the proportions of 1940's America, they use use plain old American style buns & American style Real cheese.
What makes them worthwhile is the quality of ingredients & cooking techniques. They usually feature free range, grass fed / grain finished, recently slaughtered beef which in Mexico is just so flavorful, the buns are baked daily by Bimbo and sourced from the Distribution Center and then the condiments at the best vendors approach true greatness... home made Mayo, Ketchup, Jalapenos with a snap, flavorful tomatoes etc.,
re: Eat_Nopal
Oooh, Pan Bimbo, blast from the past. Although I take it from your post that the product has improved...
re: Eat_Nopal
now your talkin'. vanilla frappe and grilled cheese sandwich, good job on those and ill be back...
re: PaulaT
"a Hamburger joint must have good fries"
I don't think its that easy... of my top 5 burger experiences ever... one of it is absolutely without a doubt from the Wednessday night farmers market in La Loma Tlanemex (adjacent to the Tyco Electronics factory in Tlanepantla, Mexico City)... not a french fry in sight... however the next vendor over makes the absolute best Potato Chips... straight out of the lard, with a coarse salt... awesome Arbol chile sauce (with some kind of fruit puree in it), squeeze of lime... one could forget French Fries even exist.
In Japan, it is a kind of adage that a wife's cooking talent is judged by how well she cooks niku jaga. There's also the adage that a sushi chef's skill can be judged soley on the quality of his tamago-yaki. But, I agree with E.N. While Japan doesn't have the vast regional differences of Mexico, true Japanese dining is very compartmentalized. There are ramen shops, there are soba shops, there are sushi shops, etc. Each little sub-cuisine would need to have its' own representative dish. For izakaya or small dish places though, I think sashimi is often a gauge of a chef's ability as it demonstrates freshness, selection, plating, and knife skills.
Count me as anti-benchmark.
I'd rather determine what dish the kitchen is proudest of and try that.
To be fair, occasionally I'll have a craving for a particular favorite dish. If in a new city, I might not know where to find a good version, and if a new restaurant disappoints, I might feel less than happy -- but that's my problem.
The biggest problem with using popular dishes as benchmarks is that they might be on the menu only because management realizes that "gringos" will recognize and order them. They may not reflect the nationality or the strengths of the kitchen staff.
I use different strategies, depending on whether I have a passing familiarity with a cuisine vs. more in-depth knowledge.
If I have had limited exposure to a cuisine and I am unable to specifically name dishes from different regions of the country, I tend to look for the most unusual dishes on the menu - it's sort of a subtractive method - if I've never seen it before, I order it. I tend to use this for Thai, Mexican, Vietnamese, and Korean. Although, if I see banh khot on a Vietnamese menu, I'll definitely order it. No go-to dishes for the others for me.
If I'm familiar with specific regional cuisines, I look for specific dishes:
Chinese (Szechuan): water-boiled beef/fish/chicken, Chongqing chicken wings, 1000-chili fish soup, "twice-cooked" pork
Chinese (Shanghai): xiao long bao, lion's head meatballs, red-cooked pork, rice cakes with preserved veg and pork
Chinese (Shandong): knife-cut noodles
Chinese (Cantonese) - oddly, I don't have a go-to dish. Partly because I find "Cantonese" cooking so vast - I'll go to one place for duck noodle soup, another for congee, another for dim sum, and another for a seafood banquet.
Chinese Muslim - I'm actually not sure if this is primarily representative of one region or of Muslims across Northern China - anyway, I always get lamb with green onions and the big sesame bread
Lao: larb, papaya salad, sour sausage
Burmese: tea leaf salad, ginger salad
Cambodian: amok, stuffed chicken wings (which may actually be Lao in origin, but they're at all of the Cambodian street fairs), prahok khtiss
Italian (Rome): semolina gnocchi, amatriciana and carbonara pastas
Italian (Emilia-Romagna) - piadine, bolognese sauces, lasagne
Italian (Liguria) - focaccia, potato gnocchi, farinata, pesto
Italian (Piedmont) - agnolotti, anything with rabbit or truffles
Italian (Lombardy) - polenta, risotto
Italian (Umbria) - anything with wild boar, truffles, farro, or chickpeas
Indian (Tamil Nadu) - dosa, uttapam, vadai, pongal, uppma. And the rasams and sambars of course. In other words - I want it all.
Indian (Kerala) - ha! I'd kill just for a restaurant that serves Keralan food, period.
re: daveena
Good list! But really, how much variation do you see between the dosas/vadas/uttapam at most South Indian restaurants? If the restaurant flubs those, it obviously sucks, but that rarely happens. I've been to plenty of mediocre restaurants that served decent dosas, etc. Hence why I always order dosas and other simple dishes when I go to an unfamiliar Indian restaurant. You can't go wrong with them. The quality really doesn't vary all that much based on the overall quality of the restaurant.
If you really want to tell if a restaurant is good at preparing South Indian food, you should pick something more variable. Upma is a good choice for that. Manchurian dishes are my dish of choice. If they have ketchup in their manchurian sauce, or they don't serve enough of it per order, I know I'll be disappointed by their curries and other dishes.
If we're not going to single out a specific dish, I'd say go with the thali at an Indian restaurant or the tasting menu at any other restaurant. That way you can sample a little of everything and see if the restaurant represents the cuisine well!
re: fallingup
Actually - I've had a lot of subpar vadai and uttapam. Dosa, on the other hand, are kind of like mac and cheese for me... they have to be pretty bad for me not to enjoy them. But I can still differentiate between one that's great, and one that's merely enjoyable. You're right though - there seem to be a lot of restaurants where dosas are the only good item... good sensitivity, poor specificity :P I think that coconut chutney and sambars vary widely enough that they could be used as a more specific marker of quality.
re: daveena
your post reminded me of a quote i once heard, and the author has slipped my mind, but "in italy, if you ask a thousand people to make bolognese, you'll get a thousand different bolognese sauces. if you as a thousand french cooks to make a hollandaise, you'll get one sauce. and i dont think there is anything wrong with either of those statements. i think its a testament to different thought processes.
re: SiksElement
Great quote, SE! I've been saying the same thing about Italian cooks for years, but in a much more long-winded and less succint way. I hadn't given much thought to the French side of the quote, but you're pretty much dead right on the Hollandaise thing. Doesn't hold up for cassoulet, though.
My test for a Chinese restaurant is what type of broccoli they serve. If it's what I call "Western" broccoli (florets,etc.) I know I'm in for a probable highly Westernized taste experience. If they serve Chinese broccoli (Gai Lan I think is the name) I can relax most of the time as I'm in for a more true-to-the-cuisine experience. Not 100% effective but works much of the time.
re: Midlife
Some Chinese dishes employ the use of western broccoli as opposed to Chinese broccoli, it all depends on the context.
re: Blueicus
I traveled to Hong Kong and Taiwan on business several times a year from around 1975 through the early 90's and can't recall ever seeing "western broccoli" in a Chinese dish. I'd be interested in more opinions as to how prevalent it's use is in Asian countries.
re: Midlife
It is quite common in Korea.
re: hannaone
Do you know if that's as true in North Korea as it is in South? I'm curous whether it may have to do with the large presence of U.S. military and Korean hospitality in trying to make them feel comfortable?
But recipe content also evolves with time. Fifty years ago you NEVER found brocolli or baby corn in Cantonese dishes in the U.S., for example. But there was a lot more use of celery than you find today. I love "grown up" corn, both on and off the cob, but find baby corn a royal pain, and brocolli overwhelms all the subtle flavors of everything else. Ah well, take a clue from the Boy Souts and crush a few Tums and carry it in a salt shaker.
re: Caroline1
LoL Caroline - Fell victim to your problem of old posts that no longer show on "My Chow" ----
I can't personally say about North Korea, but I believe that in S. Korea the use of western broccoli may have started with American GI's.
A lot of Koreans were in famine conditions during and just after the Korean war, and a lot of "American" food was taken from military store to help the people. While this was mostly canned goods like Spam, some of it was fresh (or not quite so fresh) produce. Some of the aid to help rebuild Korea also included seed stock for a lot of "western" vegetables.
I think a salient question beyond the soggy/oily/overcooked/dry question (fairly universal criteria, no?) is: what dish did I have that made me fall in love with this particular cuisine in the first place?
and avoid it all costs, 'cause nothing will ever live up to that moment.
well maybe not never...but that initial burst, giving off the look the cat gives when it gets canned food for the first time, can never be truly duplicated even if what you had was only passable in hindsight.
Ask, "How good is your cream of water soup?". If the the reaction is either that it's wondwerful or one of stunned silence, leave, immediately. Should the response be quick-witted ask to see the menu. But do not not judge the restaurant by the soup.
Italian, Viet, Japanese by their noodles. A great noodle is not so easy to find. Japanese also by the sashimi and the cold ramen dish...and by how much crappy mayo sauce is over the rolls. Mexican by the tortillas and the pasole. Laos by the green papaya salad and the sausage. Indian by the naan. Chinese by the broth. Greek by the "greek salad" and quality of the feta.
Good bread (and warm) in the breadbasket.
Cool but not cold butter - not in foil
Recently washed and well dried greens in a salad that has not been refrigerated - or over dressed.
A simple syrup to sweeten my iced tea shows me that they sweat the small things.
A menu that is small enough for the dishes to be individually cared about
A restaurant like that could serve any cuisine and be one of my favorite places.
re: Billow Fair
Simple syrup is such a treat and is so rare to find. Friends and I have actually given stars regarding whether to go back to a place on such simple things as simple syrup, adequate butter at a reasonable temperature for the bread, and whether they have artisan bread over store bought and it's brought to us warm in a basket vs. cold and flopped on our plates. Trying to stir regular sugar into iced tea or iced coffee is something that you shouldn't have to do in a decent restaurant, much less a good one. The same goes for cold or near frozen butter (forget the foil wrapped pats).
What a great discussion!
For Cantonese Chinese food, it's all about the "wok breath" and whether a chef can master this. Everyone will have their own measuring stick dishes, but there are some tried and true classics.
The idea is that "the simpler the food, the harder it is to nail it down", and those who have watched Hong Kong movie "God of Cookery" (Stephen Chow) will know the origin of the phrase.
Scrambled egg with shrimp - there are some restaurants in Hong Kong that still use this dish to test the skills of a chef who is interviewing. It's simple comfort cook at home food. Sounds easy, but getting the egg to be perfect smooth and runny yet cooked, and the shrimp still comes out juicy, is a lot more challenging than it seems.
Dry fried beef chow fun - bean sprouts, ho fun rice noodles, soy sauce, garlic, scallions, beef slices, and of course oil. Every dim sum restaurant can make this, but can it be done perfectly? It started off as street food, and you can spend upwards of $20 for a plate of this in Hong Kong, where the best renditions use high quality beef, and after you finish it, there's no drop of oil on the plate, whereas the lesser skilled chefs will leave grease on the plate.
For really good authentic and/or high end Japanese, the most simple and basic little things have to be done right. A perfect bowl of white rice, excellent green tea, and even the bowl of miso soup. That is the fine detail and difference between an average place and a really really really good place.
re: K K
K K, what a great post!
I have only recently begun to enjoy the art that is wok hai, and I would agree that it is the sign of a true master.
Your discussion of scrambled egg with shrimp reminds me of all the stories of French chefs and mastering the art of the omelette. Seems there are certain themes that are common across cultural divides.
As for your comment about fine details in fine restaurants, I would also agree heartily. It is the little touches that really distinguish a restaurant, such as the quality of the side vegetables, the bread, the salad dressing, and indeed, the perfect bowl of white rice.
re: K K
I disagree on Japanese. White rice and green tea provide little or no demonstration of seasonality or aesthetics, which are essential elements to Japanese cuisine. Beyond that, they do not take much skill to prepare. Both are done by assistants or front staff. The quality of what particular rice or tea is being prepared is important and judged, but hardly a deal maker. And neither really are consumed with restaurant meals as much as Westerners seem to think. It seems common here in the U.S. for people to philosophically weigh heavily on rice and green tea with regards to Japanese cuisine, but I think that is taking the sense of simplicity and refinement too far. Ultimately, as I noted above, I think sashimi is a common gauge of a chef's (restaurant) ability to demonstrates freshness, selection, plating, seasonality, and knife skills. Crappy Japanese restaurants in the U.S. often serve poorly cut and plated sashimi. And often with an odd combination of fish that betrays the sense of balance that is also part of Japanese cuisine. It's my experience that sashimi is the standard gauge for authenticity AND quality with respect to Japanese restaurants...especially in the U.S.


text:
If you HAVE bought a next gen console, obviously this thread doesn't apply to you. If you haven't bought a next gen console (yet), I'm curious to know what your reasons are. My reasons, in no particular order are, price (I can wait a few years for a massive price drop), lack of money, I already have plenty of games that I haven't finished or even started yet, and I'm just really not interested because I don't like the direction that gaming is heading (for instance, I don't like how the majority of games are trying to be like interactive movies rather than games).
Why haven't you bought a next gen console (yet)?
- psx2514
- Member Since: December 1, 2008
- Posts: 213
- Namgis
- Member Since: August 11, 2009
- Posts: 3575
Still waiting to get a next gen machine. Reason? Too many games left to play on my PS3. There really is no reason to buy a console within it's first 1-2 years after launch anyways. I don't need the latest and greatest tech the minute it hits shelves. When I do enter next gen, I'll be able to pick up all the notable titles on the cheap.
- jun_aka_pekto
- Member Since: February 4, 2010
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As a PC gamer, I buy consoles mainly for exclusives. Those that I like usually amount to several handfuls. So, I wait until there's enough exclusives before pouncing.
- SlyRoxas97
- Member Since: February 28, 2014
- Posts: 59
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I want a PS4 so much, but I don't have the money.
- yngsten
- Member Since: October 11, 2011
- Posts: 204
I don't need a console right now I have a high end gaming rig and all my friends play on PC too, might get a ps4 late in the cycle if there are enough console exclusives to die for, like TLOU or RDR. Other than that I still have a backlog on my PS3 and just ordered a new dualshock 2 for my PS2, gonna play SOCOM I, II and III.
- Rtzon
- Member Since: October 29, 2012
- Posts: 10
- Aquat1cF1sh
- Member Since: May 13, 2006
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My backlog is huge, especially for my Gamecube. Just played Resident Evil 4 for the first time. Plus the 3DS has a TON of great games out for it that I have yet to play. And also I'm probably buying a PS3 in the near future so that'll entertain me for a while too.
None of the main consoles out right now have any games out now that are absolute must-haves.
- Ariabed
- Member Since: February 6, 2014
- Posts: 1103
- gpuFX16
- Member Since: April 11, 2006
- Posts: 1296
- Jacanuk
- Member Since: June 8, 2011
- Posts: 4328
If you HAVE bought a next gen console, obviously this thread doesn't apply to you. If you haven't bought a next gen console (yet), I'm curious to know what your reasons are. My reasons, in no particular order are, price (I can wait a few years for a massive price drop), lack of money, I already have plenty of games that I haven't finished or even started yet, and I'm just really not interested because I don't like the direction that gaming is heading (for instance, I don't like how the majority of games are trying to be like interactive movies rather than games).
I decided against buying and saved the cash and the reason is simple, X1 and PS4 doesnt have any reason at all to buy either of them, no games, no features and nothing that would convince me i need to have one right now, my PC is still running great with its titan and the X360 and Ps3 still have plenty of games for it.
- SoNin360
- Member Since: December 3, 2008
- Posts: 5438
- david61983
- Member Since: June 12, 2013
- Posts: 156
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- Followed by: 0
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No good games yet, and I'm still on the fence about which console to get although leaning towards the PS4. However, you could get an Xbone with Fozra for $400 shipped yesterday at Amazon and that was tempting. If MS can get it close to the $300 mark by Black Friday that just might push me to the Xbone.
- Ballroompirate
- Member Since: August 26, 2005
- Posts: 22754
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Waiting for a price drop and a few more games to be released.
- tobiaskarlsson
- Member Since: June 3, 2009
- Posts: 3
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i havent bought (PS4) yet because: There doesnt seem to be much game value as of yet. I am getting it though in May. When Wolfenstein, Watch Dogs comes out. Also will be buying BF4, InFamous.
Xbox era is over for me. Time to headover to the best gaming platform
- HipHopBeats
- Member Since: October 20, 2011
- Posts: 2892
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A couple of reasons for me.
One, I'm waiting for the next few waves of PS4 consoles to pass, maybe even a PS4 Slim before buying. I refuse to be a Day One guinea pig like last gen's PS3 Fat owners who fell victim to the Light Of Death error.
Also, I'm waiting for a collection of worthwhile games to play on PS4, mainly good exclusives. Second Son is a start, but not enough to convince me to buy a PS4. I'm also not a fan of all this multiplayer, social gaming bullshit. Don't get me wrong, I love a good multiplayer, but this new gen seems to be geared towards more multiplayer with micro transactions and less single player games.
Last but not least, I am still enjoying my PS3 backlog and plan to pick up a few more 7th gen games I missed out on.
- GiantAssPanda
- Member Since: November 21, 2011
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Will most likely buy mine (PS4) before summer. No hurry though. I still have a backlog of games on PC & PS3..
- Black_Knight_00
- Member Since: August 22, 2007
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They both fucked up the launch = no games.
- moleman388
- Member Since: August 20, 2006
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A few reasons.
1.All my best friends haven't done the jump to new gen.
2.Not enough titles to entice me.
3.I'm not willing to pay the price it is now (waiting for a little price drop, i know it won't drop much from now).
4.I'm away for the summer and won't be back till October.
- sam-jay
- Member Since: September 15, 2013
- Posts: 46
- udUbdaWgz1
- Member Since: February 14, 2014
- Posts: 631
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first, I despise the trends of console gaming and will not support anti-consumerism and mediocre games. I am done with console gaming and will be returning to the superior form called pc gaming. with pc's I can install mods that fix and eliminate and improve upon the shoddy work of the devs/pubs. screw em.
second, I have enough games to play and buy for my 360 that will last me, literally, until the day I die.
- Bigboi500
- Member Since: October 29, 2007
- Posts: 29597
I bought a PS4 three months after launch, and the only game so far to take advantage of the new gen power is Infamous: Second Son. ACIV looked much better on PS4 than last gen systems and a few PS+ titles have been fun, but I can easily see why people would want to wait for better libraries.
- RimacBugatti
- Member Since: May 23, 2013
- Posts: 1249
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I'm sorry that you don't have the money. I hope something works out really soon for you! :)
- shellcase86
- Member Since: November 24, 2012
- Posts: 1934
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I was personally waiting for the PS4 to become more "capable," however, I was gifted with a PS4 recently. Still had plenty to play on PS3.
- spaceninja818
- Member Since: August 1, 2009
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Current selection of games is still limited. By the time the library improves, the current version of consoles will start crapping out and there will probably be better and more reliable version of each console available.
- hellangel_boy
- Member Since: January 11, 2007
- Posts: 180
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my reasons:
1-I still need to buy some things first before I buy a PS4.
2-Still have A LOT of games to play on my PS3. I've just bought Dark Souls 2, and I still want to buy many great games on the PS3 that I still haven't play, and I have got a lot of game from PS+ that I really want to play first.
I have heard about reasonable bundle for PS4 here, though. So if I find a really good deal, I just might buy it.
- Danyawesomsauce
- Member Since: January 7, 2013
- Posts: 105
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The main reason I haven't bought one yet is cause I'm currently saving up to build my own PC. That, and I'd have to buy an HD-TV so I could play it, and I'm not getting a new TV just for that.
- tjsmoke63
- Member Since: November 15, 2008
- Posts: 42
- kingcrimson24
- Member Since: July 25, 2012
- Posts: 458
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- Followed by: 16
- Reviews: 20 Stacks: 2
1. I'm too busy with collage until summer so not much time to game anyway . (well that's a personal reason )
2. None of my favorite Next gen games are released ( like Halo , Witcher 3 , Destiny ...)
3. only a few of my friends have bought next gen
4. Still many Amazing big games that i missed on xbox 360 ( Including Gears of war series , Alan wake , Dark souls , Portal 2 )
- 1PMrFister
- Member Since: October 3, 2010
- Posts: 3134
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Too pricey, not enough games I want, and I have too much to play at the moment. I also want to invest in a gaming PC soon.
- MasterTankallex
- Member Since: December 11, 2007
- Posts: 94
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Waiting for more games. What's the point of having a next-gen system if you have nothing to play on it?
- Pffrbt
- Member Since: December 2, 2010
- Posts: 6553
- Cloud_imperium
- Member Since: March 5, 2013
- Posts: 2936
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Not a single interesting game for me .
- Floppy_Jim
- Member Since: December 27, 2007
- Posts: 25644
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I'm sitting on about 15 unfinished/unplayed games and that's without Dark Souls II. I usually wait until a console is at least a year old anyways.
- psx2514
- Member Since: December 1, 2008
- Posts: 213
- cfisher2833
- Member Since: October 2, 2011
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I have a PC that performs better, and none of the console exclusives interest me enough to justify spending $400-500 on them.
- LoG-Sacrament
- Member Since: October 3, 2006
- Posts: 20397
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well, i haven't bought an XB1 because i don't have any interest in microsoft consoles. their vision for gaming doesn't match what i want and the price of the XB1 in particular is unjustifiably high.
i'll get a PS4 fairly soon though. i haven't been in a big hurry so far because i've been working temporary jobs on and off so it didn't seem prudent to drop $400 for the sake of being an early adopter when my income was inconsistent. my employment situation has changed though so that won't be a factor anymore. still, it has been nice to let the library fill out a bit and to see that there does not appear to be any major defects with the console design. even more than that, we're still in that limbo period of publishers not quite wanting to let go of the big user bases of the previous generation.
- Member Since: June 10, 2007
- Posts: 7034
- 187umKILLAH
- Member Since: April 2, 2010
- Posts: 1337
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The main reason is lots of games still to play and no decent next gen games I want, secondary reason is affordability as I'm saving up to buy another PS3 console after my old one stopped playing discs. If PS4 had B/C I would have had bought it sooner but now I'll happily wait a year or two, I still think it kind of sucks having to pay just to play online too.
- mjorh
- Member Since: September 5, 2011
- Posts: 739
- Master_Of_Fools
- Member Since: August 27, 2009
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You mean CURRENT GEN. And I have a Wii U.
- BattleSpectre
- Member Since: December 4, 2009
- Posts: 5982
- Forum Posts: 5982
- Followed by: 56
- Reviews: 0 Stacks: 0
Well I have both an Xbox One and PlayStation 4 and I can tell you all right now you're not missing out on much, wait a bit. To be perfectly honest I'm gaming much more on my PS3 compared to everything else, in fact I could probably get rid of my XB1/PS4 tomorrow and not miss them, there's so many great games I haven't played or missed on my PS3.
You guys are smart by waiting for more games to be released, if I could go back I would have done the same thing.
- Pikminmaniac
- Member Since: December 20, 2006
- Posts: 8849
- Forum Posts: 8849
- Followed by: 82
- Reviews: 4 Stacks: 0
I intend to get a PS4, but haven't due to a lack of content. When Batman Arkham Knight comes out this year, it'll pretty much single handedly push me to pick one up though. I'll also pick up inFAMOUS SS at that point.
I already have a Wii U because it has some extremely strong content right now, interesting features, and a promising library in the near future.
- Gr0wl
- Member Since: June 19, 2009
- Posts: 311
- Ballroompirate
- Member Since: August 26, 2005
- Posts: 22754
- Forum Posts: 22754
- Followed by: 139
- Reviews: 10 Stacks: 0
Waiting for more games for the PS4, waiting on X, LoZ and Bayonetta 2 for the Wii-U along with a price drop. I also just spent $991 on a new computer so I don't have the money for a next gen console.
- BlackGenjii
- Member Since: October 1, 2013
- Posts: 231
- Forum Posts: 231
- Followed by: 7
- Reviews: 39 Stacks: 12
I already have plenty of games that I haven't finished or even started yet, and I'm just really not interested because I don't like the direction that gaming is heading (for instance, I don't like how the majority of games are trying to be like interactive movies rather than games).
I too don't like the direction games are going or how they're trying to be like interactive movies. Let movies be movies and let games be games.
It's nice to see someone else in this high-tec crazy world who isn't quick to jump ahead like everyone else is.
- huerito323
- Member Since: March 15, 2009
- Posts: 1374
- Forum Posts: 1374
- Followed by: 21
- Reviews: 1 Stacks: 1
The simple answer is Dark Souls 2.
- Qixote
- Member Since: June 4, 2002
- Posts: 10694


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Solution to error | 64 comments | Create New Account
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Solution to error
Thanks for the hints. I can finally print to my shared HP LaserJet 4000 on a Win2000 box. Our Win2000 workgroup name is 2 words with a space between: this must be entered as: name1%20name2 (maybe everyone on this site already knows this). My 1st test print page was this site displayed in iCab: all formatting etc was OK, and print job was very fast.... done before I finished walking down the hall.
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