Don't Be Shy, I Don't Bite . . .
I've noticed from many of the searches that are directed to this site, that people are not necessarily finding the answers they're searching for when they are directed to here by Google or Yahoo or whatever engine they're using. The frustrating thing for me is that I usually know the answer to their question, but have no way to contact them.
Can I help you find an answer? If I don't know or can't find an answer, I will help you find it.
Can't identify that strange fruit or vegetable? What do you do with it now that you know what it is? (This is sea asparagus)
How do you use that spice? (Annatto seeds make a wonderful and unique rice dish)
Need some suggestions for your first try at cooking Japanese? Persian? Indian? Chinese? German? Vietnamese? French? British? MIddle Eastern?
Can you substitute something for an ingredient you don't have?
What if you don't have the right size pan?
What is this fruit/vegetable/spice called in another language?
What does this recipe term mean? (ex. "fold" "julienne" "mince vs. dice")
Is there a topic you would like to learn more about that we could explore in detail in a future post?
Why would you you ask me anything?
- I love sharing food knowledge! My husband doesn't call me a "food evangelist" for no reason — I love to talk, read and learn about, and cook all kinds of food.
- I was born and raised in an Asian Pacific culture and understand many foods of the area intuitively. I've lived in Germany for 7 years, and trolled every supermarket, farmers' market and food specialty shop I could find in every place I've lived or vacationed in Europe.
- I've studied the professional culinary arts at the Leith School of Food and Wine, London.
- I've been known to hunt down a spice or tool with scary fervency (obsession? who said that?), and also to buy a food or spice I've never seen or heard of before and patiently bide my time until a recipe comes my way (most recent success: Aleppo pepper — it took 2 years to find and 10 months to find a recipe I wanted to try with it).
- I'm often stopped in grocery stores and in markets and asked about whatever I'm holding in my hand — this experience spurred the idea for ThreeTastes.
- I read food reference books like novels: The Oxford Companion to Food, On Food and Cooking (McGee), Escoffier, Larousse Gastronomique, The Cheese Primer, Ingredients, Asian Grocery Stores Demystified . . . the reference books are on the bottom shelf of the Library
- I like to collect non-electric kitchen tools. I'm particularly fond of my Lao rice pot, cast-iron tortilla press and Thai julienne-parer. At the moment, I'm looking for a Tibetan butter tea churn (chandong). Can I help you identify a strange tool?
If you have any question related to food or cooking, you are welcomed and encouraged to contact me. I check my mail daily unless we're traveling.
