On Jul 31, 5:53*pm, dsi1 > wrote:
>
> Anyway, you are right - the Chinese use baking soda to get a texture
> that is characteristic of their cooking. Any non-use of baking soda
> would probably be in response to some bad press on baking soda. However,
> as far as I know, there is no bad press on baking soda.

jYou're an idiot. You write as though the use of baking soda were
accepted in good Chinese food. It isn't. Your equally ignorant
friend should go back and ask the cooks he claims to have met whether
they would use it if instead they bought good meat.

> It must really
> hurt the Chinese cooks in the US to have to refrain from using MSG.

And there you go again. What in the world makes you thing they don't
use msg? If you don't see a disclaimer on the menu, which occurs
infrequently in the cheap restaurants you like, you can bet they're
still using it. As they should, afaic.
>
> >> BTW, are the negative effects of the alkaline treatment of animal
> >> muscle tissue?
>
I assume you omitted "what" : You haven't tasted it? You haven't
noticed the difference between mushiness and nicely seared firm
texture? You haven't seen that slimy flourescence? If you can't
perceive the difference, and don't care about it, then it doesn't
matter. Use baking soda to your heart's content. -aem