In article >,
"Giusi" > wrote:

snips
> Maybe a really dedicated learner could do better than I did, but the less
> kitchen bafìggage they went in with the better the chances, I believe.

Giusi, you bring up a good point. All of us have "kitchen baggage" that
color the way we may see or cook different cuisines. Some have fat- or
lard-phobias. My next door neighbor is not much for fish other than
salmon. Several years ago I was helping her daughter make a recipe as a
Japanese class project. This required making dashi (Japanese broth).
When we opened the package of bonito flakes, they flew all over the
kitchen and settled like snow on the counter and floor. This did not
set well with the mom. I'm not quite as pescophobic as my next door
neighbor, but I can't bring myself to buy some of the dried/fermented
fish products that are used in Southeast Asian dishes, even though I've
undoubtedly eaten said dishes in restaurants many times. I have tried
"blood cube" (exactly what it sounds like) before, but it's not
something I would buy for my version of bun bo Hue (Vietnamese noodle
soup).

Cindy

--
C.J. Fuller

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