James Silverton wrote:
> Andy wrote on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:59:11 -0500:
>
>>> Andy wrote on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:48:09 -0500:
>>>
>>>>> Some Chinese, a long time ago, thought that China was the
>>>>> geographic & theological center "Middle" of the earth.
>>>>>
>>>>> And of course the Japanese creation myths are even more
>>>>> regionally chauvinistic than the Chinese.
>>>>>
>>>>> Not only is there a tendency of the human animal to think
>>>>> its place is the center of the universe, but, according to
>>>>> one theory, in an infinite and eternal universe, the center
>>>>> is everywhere and there is no circumference.
>>>
>>>> But on any given day, there are more important people in New
>>>> York City than anywhere else on earth.
>>>
>>>> That includes all the cabbies and Sabrett street hot dog
>>>> vendors.
>>>
>>>> I suggest the "center" of the earth to be moved to "...New
>>>> York City???"
>>>
>>> Have you ever looked at the Chinese character for China?
>
>> James,
>
>> No I haven't.
>
> It's an interesting exercise to track it down. Try
> http://chineseculture.about.com/libr...characters.htm
>
> The rather simple character expresses the "center of the world" rather
> well.

Another website defines the two characters that make up the Chinese name
for their country as "Central Kingdom." Derived from Qin, the original
Chinese kingdom and later Emperor.

Doug Freyburger wrote:
> mkr5000 > wrote:
>> I like to hit my local Oriental grocery about once a month ...
>>
>> Cuttlefish?
>
> It's a mollusc so if you like clams, oysters, scallops, calimari
> you'll love it. It's a close relative to calimari. Wonderful
> sauteed.

Cuttlefish is a cephalopod corss between a squid and octopus. Mollusks
have shells.

They absorb salt and magnify it, so go easy on salt when you cook it.
Make sure to get baby cuttlefish - about 2"-3".

-sw

cshenk wrote:

> Check the Philippene sausage types. They are different but will taste
> translate well.

I forgot about the Filipino longanisas and red marinated pork and beef.
Definitely try some of that. I don't think they have them here in Austin,
come to think of it.

-sw

mkr5000 wrote:
> Well, except for a few jerks with NOTHING to contribute, so far --

What an asshole.

> AND -- when I mentioned tofu, I was actually talking about the "stinky
> tofu" as made famous
> on bizzare foods.

Famous? I don't think so. It was publicized and that is it. I eat it.

Ironically, it goes bad very quickly after you open it so eat it quickly.

-sw

> I was taught that it was a derogatory reference back in my teens. I never
> used the term again.

I'm sure you were taught a lot of other things that you don't abide by
today, so why make a stink about this little non-issue?

-sw

mkr5000 wrote:
> FYI --
>
> The store I GO TO is called
>
> A1 ORIENTAL mart
>
> I'll give you their number so you can raise hell with them.

All of the the nip and gook stores in Austin have "Oriental" in their
name. I don't see a problem with it.

-sw

Andy wrote:

> You needn't bother, obnoxious jerk.

Can I use that as my sig? With full attributions, of course.

-sw

Dan Abel wrote:

> USAGE The term Oriental, denoting a person from the Far East, is
> regarded as offensive by many Asians, esp. Asian Americans. It has many
> associations with European imperialism in Asia. Therefore, it has an
> out-of-date feel and tends to be associated with a rather offensive
> stereotype of the people and their customs as inscrutable and exotic.
> Asian and more specific terms such as East Asian, Chinese, and Japanese
> are preferred.

Then why do they name their businesses (in Austin):

New Oriental Market
K&S Oriental Food Market
Oriental Grocery and Bakery
My Thanh Oriental Market
Academy of Oriental Medicine
Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
Orietental Express

And my Favorite:

Midnight Cowboy Oriental Massage and Lingerie Modeling

All these places are owned and staffed by Orientals; Asian Americans in
almost all cases) If they're supposed to consider it offensive, then
maybe they missed the memo.

-sw

Nancy Young wrote:

> I guess if they were selling people, it might be an Asian market.
> Asians are people.

A lot of stores are advertising White Sales this time of year.

I bet they're really expensive.

-sw

On Jun 4, 6:02*pm, "Bob Terwilliger" >
wrote:
> blake wrote:
> > if you insist that the way people refer to themselves is wrong, that's
> > offensive.
>
> Seriously? So if I refer to myself as "Priapus, Beast-God of Libido," it
> would be offensive to tell me I was wrong?
>
> Bob

Can we call you "Puss" for short?

Although, since this is Usenet it would be simple enough to cut and
paste
your entire monicker.

Cindy Hamilton

Andy wrote:
> zxcvbob said...
>
>> Not according to the sign out front. Most of them say "Oriental Market"
>
> In your small corner of the world, maybe.

In the Philadelphia area we have (for starters)

First Oriental Market Inc
Sen Hong Oriental Market Inc
Ko Ba Wo Oriental Food Market
Oriental LL Food Market
Sae Han Oriental Food Market€Ž
Young San Oriental Herb
Fiesta Oriental Food Store
Win's Oriental Foods
EUGENE'S ORIENTAL FOOD MARKET€Ž (Oh-OH! Eugene sounds WHITE!!!!!)

So in your face, Andy.

-sw

On Jun 4, 6:59*pm, Andy > wrote:
> James Silverton said...
>
>
>
>
>
> > *Andy *wrote *on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:48:09 -0500:
>
> >>> Some Chinese, a long time ago, thought that China was the
> >>> geographic & theological center "Middle" of the earth.
>
> >>> And of course the Japanese creation myths are even more
> >>> regionally chauvinistic than the Chinese.
>
> >>> Not only is there a tendency of the human animal to think its
> >>> place is the center of the universe, but, according to one
> >>> theory, in an infinite and eternal universe, the center is
> >>> everywhere and there is no circumference.
>
> >> But on any given day, there are more important people in New
> >> York City than anywhere else on earth.
>
> >> That includes all the cabbies and Sabrett street hot dog
> >> vendors.
>
> >> I suggest the "center" of the earth to be moved to "...New
> >> York City???"
>
> > Have you ever looked at the Chinese character for China?
>
> James,
>
> No I haven't.
>
> Aren't there about 4,000 Chinese written symbols in their alphabet?

I think that's the basic number a reasonably litterate person needs
to know. I believe there are many more.

John Kane Kingston ON Canada

In article >,
Sqwertz > wrote:

> Dan Abel wrote:
>
> > USAGE The term Oriental, denoting a person from the Far East, is
> > regarded as offensive by many Asians, esp. Asian Americans. It has many
> > associations with European imperialism in Asia. Therefore, it has an
> > out-of-date feel and tends to be associated with a rather offensive
> > stereotype of the people and their customs as inscrutable and exotic.
> > Asian and more specific terms such as East Asian, Chinese, and Japanese
> > are preferred.
>
> Then why do they name their businesses (in Austin):
>
> New Oriental Market
> K&S Oriental Food Market
> Oriental Grocery and Bakery
> My Thanh Oriental Market
> Academy of Oriental Medicine
> Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
> Orietental Express
>
> And my Favorite:
>
> Midnight Cowboy Oriental Massage and Lingerie Modeling
>
> All these places are owned and staffed by Orientals; Asian Americans in
> almost all cases) If they're supposed to consider it offensive, then
> maybe they missed the memo.

Or, as is the case for many derogatory words used for race, they used to
be perfectly acceptable, and the businesses were named back then. It's
not easy to change the name of a business, people tend to assume it's a
new business.

Also, and maybe even more importantly, the part of the definition you
left in above refers to "a person from the Far East", a noun. The part
you cut says the noun is dated and may be offensive, but the adjective
is merely dated.

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

In article >,
Sqwertz > wrote:

[wine for cooking]

> I confess that I use the salted stuff. Keeps me from drinking it
> recreationaly.

I used to think that salt was used for a couple of reasons in cooking
wine. Turns out that it is actually a preservative. Most cooking wine
is used over a long time period, and the alcohol tends to turn to
vinegar and the color changes. Salt helps keep both of those from
happening.

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

Joseph Littleshoes wrote:
>
>
> Jean B. wrote:
>> blake murphy wrote:
>>
>>> On Wed, 3 Jun 2009 09:02:39 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
>>>
>>>> ShaoXing rice wine (not cooking wine, no salt added, likely only
>>>> available if your Asian market can sell wine)
>>>
>>>
>>> shaoxing without the salt added has been damn hard to find in the d.c.
>>> area. but as you say, it may be because the don't want to fool with
>>> getting a beer/wine license.
>>>
>>> your pal,
>>> blake
>>
>>
>> Virtually impossible in the Boston area too. I confess that I now
>> just use sake.
>>
>
>
> I can get a 25.5 ounce bottle of the red labeled, Chinese Shao Xing rice
> wine for $1.50. square or round bottle, salt or no salt. Not that i
> would, but i could, did so once, awful stuff, Sake is so much better for
> cooking than the Shao Xing 'rice wine'.
>
> I am very fond of equal parts, sake, soy sauce & sesame oil as a sauce,
> marinade & etc.
> --
> Mr. Joseph Littleshoes Esq.
>
> Domine, dirige nos.
> Let the games begin!
> http://www.dancingmice.net/Karn%20Evil%209.mp3
>
In what sort of store do you get it, Joseph? I haven't looked for
a long time, but did try all the places in Boston's Chinatown
and that general area at one point. It is easy enough to get the
salted ((cooking) version, but I never saw the unsalted version.

How different is it from sake? Of course, older books would just
say one should use sherry, but IMO, that has its own distinctive
flavor.

--
Jean B.

Dan Abel > wrote in news:dabel-8C4051.08574905062009@c-61-
68-245-199.per.connect.net.au:

> Also, and maybe even more importantly, the part of the definition you
> left in above refers to "a person from the Far East", a noun. The part
> you cut says the noun is dated and may be offensive, but the adjective
> is merely dated.

It can still be used as a geographic term: Occidental / Oriental, much like
we also use Septentrional / Meridional.

--

Capitalism is the astounding belief that the most wickedest
of men will do the most wickedest of things for the greatest
good of everyone. - John Maynard Keynes

On Thu, 4 Jun 2009 15:02:06 -0700, Bob Terwilliger wrote:

> blake wrote:
>
>> if you insist that the way people refer to themselves is wrong, that's
>> offensive.
>
> Seriously? So if I refer to myself as "Priapus, Beast-God of Libido," it
> would be offensive to tell me I was wrong?
>
> Bob

we wouldn't tell you you were wrong. we'd just snicker behind your back.

your pal,
blake

On Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:13:04 -0400, Jean B. wrote:

> blake murphy wrote:
>> On Wed, 3 Jun 2009 09:02:39 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
>>
>>> ShaoXing rice wine (not cooking wine, no salt added, likely only
>>> available if your Asian market can sell wine)
>>
>> shaoxing without the salt added has been damn hard to find in the d.c.
>> area. but as you say, it may be because the don't want to fool with
>> getting a beer/wine license.
>>
>> your pal,
>> blake
>
> Virtually impossible in the Boston area too. I confess that I now
> just use sake.

i've been using the salted stuff, but i'm tempted to go back to dry sherry.
is there enough alcohol in sake that it keeps well?

your pal,
blake

On Fri, 05 Jun 2009 07:09:14 -0500, Sqwertz wrote:

> Jean B. wrote:
>
>> Virtually impossible in the Boston area too. I confess that I now just
>> use sake.
>
> I confess that I use the salted stuff. Keeps me from drinking it
> recreationaly.
>
> -sw

i am curious, though. i know it's just to avoid the tax, would the salted
stuff make you sick, or is it just so that it wouldn't be pleasant to
drink?

your pal,
blake

On Thu, 4 Jun 2009 10:21:50 -0700 (PDT), Lynn from Fargo Ografmorffig
wrote:

> On Jun 3, 1:11*pm, "Nancy Young" > wrote:
>
> The Orient refers to the area of
>> the world.
>>
>> nancy
> ===========================
> Nancy, :-)
>
> Where in the world is "The Orient"? My "Asian-American" AKA: A&A
> Market is owned by a Cambodian and sells non-perishable foods & fresh
> produce & meats for cooking: Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Maylasian,
> Indonesian, Laotian, Korean, Philippine, and Indian, Pakistani,
> Bosnian, Turkish, Arabian, Lebanese, Syrian, Israeli, Palestinian,
> Tunisian, Somali, Sudanese, Moroccan, Egyptian, Mexican, Cuban,
> Caribbian and just plain "African" foods. I have never found an
> ingredient in a recipe (in hundreds of cookbooks) that I couldn't find
> in one of the ethnic markets in Fargo . . . except Moroccan preserved
> lemons, but I googled a recipe and make my own.
>
> Lynn in Fargo
> hasn't been to the new "Korean" market named Lotus Blossom (they have
> prepared Chinese meats like duck and char siu (spelling?)

if it's all in one store, you're doing better than d.c. i had no idea
fargo was so cosmopolitan.

your pal,
blake

On Fri, 05 Jun 2009 07:41:57 -0500, Sqwertz wrote:

> Dan Abel wrote:
>
>> USAGE The term Oriental, denoting a person from the Far East, is
>> regarded as offensive by many Asians, esp. Asian Americans. It has many
>> associations with European imperialism in Asia. Therefore, it has an
>> out-of-date feel and tends to be associated with a rather offensive
>> stereotype of the people and their customs as inscrutable and exotic.
>> Asian and more specific terms such as East Asian, Chinese, and Japanese
>> are preferred.
>
> Then why do they name their businesses (in Austin):
>
> New Oriental Market
> K&S Oriental Food Market
> Oriental Grocery and Bakery
> My Thanh Oriental Market
> Academy of Oriental Medicine
> Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
> Orietental Express
>
> And my Favorite:
>
> Midnight Cowboy Oriental Massage and Lingerie Modeling
>
> All these places are owned and staffed by Orientals; Asian Americans in
> almost all cases) If they're supposed to consider it offensive, then
> maybe they missed the memo.
>
> -sw

....or maybe they think it's effective marketing to the round-eyes (or
whatever ethnic slur is favored by gooks).

your pal,
blake

On Fri, 05 Jun 2009 07:45:27 -0500, Sqwertz wrote:

> Nancy Young wrote:
>
>> I guess if they were selling people, it might be an Asian market.
>> Asians are people.
>
> A lot of stores are advertising White Sales this time of year.
>
> I bet they're really expensive.
>
> -sw

but they don't stand up well to hard use.

your pal,
blake

Jean wrote on Fri, 05 Jun 2009 12:07:52 -0400:

> Joseph Littleshoes wrote:
>>
>> Jean B. wrote:
>>> blake murphy wrote:
>>>
>>>> On Wed, 3 Jun 2009 09:02:39 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> ShaoXing rice wine (not cooking wine, no salt added,
>>>>> likely only available if your Asian market can sell wine)
>>>>
>>>> shaoxing without the salt added has been damn hard to find in the
>>>> d.c. area. but as you say, it may be because the
>>>> don't want to fool with getting a beer/wine license.
>>>>
>>>> your pal,
>>>> blake
>>>
>>> Virtually impossible in the Boston area too. I confess that
>>> I now just use sake.
>>>
>> I can get a 25.5 ounce bottle of the red labeled, Chinese
>> Shao Xing rice wine for $1.50. square or round bottle, salt
>> or no salt. Not that i would, but i could, did so once, awful
>> stuff, Sake is so much better for cooking than the Shao Xing 'rice
>> wine'.
>>
>> I am very fond of equal parts, sake, soy sauce & sesame oil
>> as a sauce, marinade & etc. -- Mr. Joseph Littleshoes Esq.
>>
>> Domine, dirige nos.
>> Let the games begin!
>> http://www.dancingmice.net/Karn%20Evil%209.mp3
>>
> In what sort of store do you get it, Joseph? I haven't looked
> for a long time, but did try all the places in Boston's
> Chinatown and that general area at one point. It is easy
> enough to get the salted ((cooking) version, but I never saw
> the unsalted version.

> How different is it from sake? Of course, older books would
> just say one should use sherry, but IMO, that has its own
> distinctive flavor.

There are many types of sherry from extremely light colored and dry Fino
to sweet brown Cream Sherry. I've used the very driest in Chinese and
Japanese cooking for a long time and haven't noticed much difference
from rice "wine". Cream sherry would be much more likely to add an extra
flavor.

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

Joseph Littleshoes wrote:

> Some Chinese, a long time ago, thought that China was the geographic &
> theological center "Middle" of the earth.

The Chinese do think themselves to have the superior culture and it just
might be that in the long run, they do.

>
> And of course the Japanese creation myths are even more regionally
> chauvinistic than the Chinese.

The Japanese will consider themselves to be superior to the Chinese and
by implication, superior to all Asians. The reality is that they only
feel this way to hide the fact that they have deep rooted feelings of
inferiority. Near as I can figure, this is because they've been living
in the shadow of this big dog China for so many centuries.

>
> Not only is there a tendency of the human animal to think its place is
> the center of the universe, but, according to one theory, in an infinite
> and eternal universe, the center is everywhere and there is no
> circumference.
>
> --
> Mr. Joseph Littleshoes Esq.
>
> Domine, dirige nos.
> Let the games begin!
> http://www.dancingmice.net/Karn%20Evil%209.mp3
>

"Bob Terwilliger" wrote
> cshenk wrote:

>> I also oddly just flat don't like mustard, collard, or turnip greens
>> (except there's an asian 'mustard green' we like well enough). I also
>> avoid cilantro as I'm one of the unfortunates where it tastes like soap.
>
> A local farmer sells a green he calls "broccoli leaves." I gather that
> it's
> a variety of broccoli raised to have large leaves. Although they very
> closely resemble collard greens, they have an underlying sweetness and
> broccoli flavor. It's just possible that you might like them if you ran
> across them.

I'm sure I would! I love Broccoli! Asian types as well. Stem is the best
part to me!

"Sqwertz" wrote
> Doug Freyburger wrote:

>>> Cuttlefish?
> Cuttlefish is a cephalopod corss between a squid and octopus. Mollusks
> have shells.
> Make sure to get baby cuttlefish - about 2"-3".

Naw, get the big ones and stuff them!

"Sqwertz" wrote
> cshenk wrote:
>
>> Check the Philippene sausage types. They are different but will taste
>> translate well.

> I forgot about the Filipino longanisas and red marinated pork and beef.
> Definitely try some of that. I don't think they have them here in Austin,
> come to think of it.

Check the frozen section? I can also get local fresh 'made Philippene
style' ones that are just as good as in Manila.

Jean B. wrote:
> Joseph Littleshoes wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> Jean B. wrote:
>>
>>> blake murphy wrote:
>>>
>>>> On Wed, 3 Jun 2009 09:02:39 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> ShaoXing rice wine (not cooking wine, no salt added, likely only
>>>>> available if your Asian market can sell wine)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> shaoxing without the salt added has been damn hard to find in the d.c.
>>>> area. but as you say, it may be because the don't want to fool with
>>>> getting a beer/wine license.
>>>>
>>>> your pal,
>>>> blake
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Virtually impossible in the Boston area too. I confess that I now
>>> just use sake.
>>>
>>
>>
>> I can get a 25.5 ounce bottle of the red labeled, Chinese Shao Xing
>> rice wine for $1.50. square or round bottle, salt or no salt. Not that
>> i would, but i could, did so once, awful stuff, Sake is so much better
>> for cooking than the Shao Xing 'rice wine'.
>>
>> I am very fond of equal parts, sake, soy sauce & sesame oil as a
>> sauce, marinade & etc.
>> --
>> Mr. Joseph Littleshoes Esq.
>>
>>
> In what sort of store do you get it, Joseph? I haven't looked for a
> long time, but did try all the places in Boston's Chinatown and that
> general area at one point. It is easy enough to get the salted
> ((cooking) version, but I never saw the unsalted version.
>
> How different is it from sake? Of course, older books would just say
> one should use sherry, but IMO, that has its own distinctive flavor.
>


Just about any larger store (and quite a few small ones) in our local
(SF bay area) "Chinatown" or Asian shopping areas carry it. Some stores
have both the square bottle salted version and the round bottle unsalted.

I bought it on a whim, just to try and was severely disappointed.
The elderly relative though, when she found out how little i paid for it
tried it as a cheap tipple and found the unsalted stuff pleasant enough.

However if i were to compare it at this late date to sake i would have
to say that the sake is a sort of lighter version of the taste of the
Chinese rice wine. It seems to me that the Chinese version has a
overpowering 'woody' taste, i don't know if the wine is aged in wood or
not, i rather doubt it, but it has a taste i can only describe as 'woody'.

A very dense, solid taste where generally i find sake to be a lighter
more ephemeral taste, sort of a Japanese pastel to the Chinese primary
color.

THe stores around here sell a lot of it so people must like it.

I have no idea what shipping costs or legalities would be or i would be
happy to volunteer to send off a few bottles to interested parties, as i
wrote its very inexpensive around here. However i can provide name and
addresses of several stores that might be willing to ship.

I just did a google search and apparently Amazon.com sometimes sells it
with 'free shipping'. And it looks like there lots of places to purchase
it through mail order. I just looked at several sites on the web
offering it. Least expensive i found, without shipping, was $10. some
places as high as $16.

And i want to say, i assume we are talking about the "Zhe Jaing Cereals,
Oils & Foodstuffs I/E Co., Ltd. Shaoxing Rice Wine Branch, Zhejiang
China." "Pagoda Brand" union of Rabbi's approved, red & gold label?

China does produce other traditional & European grape wines that are
much more expensive when they are available.

I don't know if its true or not but i have been told there is such a
small market for Japanese Sake in this country that only the good stuff
is imported from Japan. Just about any Japanese, imported Sake you will
find in the States is going to be a decent beverage, not counting Hawaii
or so im told

Unlike the Chinese Shao Xing which is, so im told, the Chinese
equivalent of a mass produced and cheaply sold to the masses wine, im
not saying its a Chinese "Ripple" or even that it has a reputation for
only being drank by drunks, it has been made by the same recipe for over
a thousand years and in China is as often as not used as a Medicine as
for cooking or drinking.

Often the herbs of Chinese medicine are soaked in this Shao Xing rice
wine and then that wine drank as a medicine.

I just don't like the flavor of it, even when added to traditional
Chinese recipes that call for it. I prefer to use a Japanese sake if
the rice wine is called for and then that only if i have not already
decided on a different wine for the particular dish.

The original recipe i had for a chicken and shrimp dish called for a
Korean wine that i use a good american white wine with.

--
Mr. Joseph Littleshoes Esq.

Domine, dirige nos.
Let the games begin!
http://www.dancingmice.net/Karn%20Evil%209.mp3

"blake murphy" > wrote in message
...
> On Fri, 05 Jun 2009 07:09:14 -0500, Sqwertz wrote:
>
>> Jean B. wrote:
>>
>>> Virtually impossible in the Boston area too. I confess that I now just
>>> use sake.
>>
>> I confess that I use the salted stuff. Keeps me from drinking it
>> recreationaly.
>>
>> -sw
>
> i am curious, though. i know it's just to avoid the tax, would the salted
> stuff make you sick, or is it just so that it wouldn't be pleasant to
> drink?
>
> your pal,
> blake

Oh yeah, the salted stuff will make you sick. I used to drive a taxi in a
fairly small town. I took a customer on sunday to the local grocery store
where he purchased at least two bottles of cooking wine. About five days
later I picked him up from the hospital in pretty sorry shape. The
discharge nurse actually brought out one of those bed cover pads and covered
the seat in the car. Gross.

Ms P

On Fri, 05 Jun 2009 07:15:16 -0500, George Shirley
> wrote:

>James Silverton wrote:
>> Andy wrote on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:59:11 -0500:
>>
>>>> Andy wrote on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:48:09 -0500:
>>>>
>>>>>> Some Chinese, a long time ago, thought that China was the
>>>>>> geographic & theological center "Middle" of the earth.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> And of course the Japanese creation myths are even more
>>>>>> regionally chauvinistic than the Chinese.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Not only is there a tendency of the human animal to think
>>>>>> its place is the center of the universe, but, according to
>>>>>> one theory, in an infinite and eternal universe, the center
>>>>>> is everywhere and there is no circumference.
>>>>
>>>>> But on any given day, there are more important people in New
>>>>> York City than anywhere else on earth.
>>>>
>>>>> That includes all the cabbies and Sabrett street hot dog
>>>>> vendors.
>>>>
>>>>> I suggest the "center" of the earth to be moved to "...New
>>>>> York City???"
>>>>
>>>> Have you ever looked at the Chinese character for China?
>>
>>> James,
>>
>>> No I haven't.
>>
>> It's an interesting exercise to track it down. Try
>> http://chineseculture.about.com/libr...characters.htm
>>
>> The rather simple character expresses the "center of the world" rather
>> well.
>
>Another website defines the two characters that make up the Chinese name
>for their country as "Central Kingdom." Derived from Qin, the original
>Chinese kingdom and later Emperor.

When you look at old maps, the area it was created in is the center of
the world. I don't fault the concept. When I go to google maps (or
any other type of map for that matter), I automatically make my area
the center of the world.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On Fri, 05 Jun 2009 23:14:24 -0700, sf > wrote:

> On Fri, 05 Jun 2009 07:15:16 -0500, George Shirley
> > wrote:
>
> >James Silverton wrote:
> >> Andy wrote on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:59:11 -0500:
> >>
> >>>> Andy wrote on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:48:09 -0500:
> >>>>
> >>>>> But on any given day, there are more important people in New
> >>>>> York City than anywhere else on earth.
> >>>>
> >>>>> That includes all the cabbies and Sabrett street hot dog
> >>>>> vendors.
> >>>>
> >>>>> I suggest the "center" of the earth to be moved to "...New
> >>>>> York City???"
> >>>>
> >>>> Have you ever looked at the Chinese character for China?
> >>
> >> It's an interesting exercise to track it down. Try
> >> http://chineseculture.about.com/libr...characters.htm
> >>
> >> The rather simple character expresses the "center of the world" rather
> >> well.
> >
> >Another website defines the two characters that make up the Chinese name
> >for their country as "Central Kingdom." Derived from Qin, the original
> >Chinese kingdom and later Emperor.
>
> When you look at old maps, the area it was created in is the center of
> the world. I don't fault the concept. When I go to google maps (or
> any other type of map for that matter), I automatically make my area
> the center of the world.

So too with Mediaeval European maps such as the Hereford Mappa Mundi
where Jerusalem is the centre of the world.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...appa_Mundi.jpg


Matthew

--
Mail to this account goes to the bit bucket.
In the unlikely event you want to mail me replace usenet with my name

sf said...

> When you look at old maps, the area it was created in is the center of
> the world. I don't fault the concept. When I go to google maps (or
> any other type of map for that matter), I automatically make my area
> the center of the world.


On my knees!

A mere Andy

On Fri, 5 Jun 2009 19:32:42 -0500, Ms P wrote:

> "blake murphy" > wrote in message
> ...
>> On Fri, 05 Jun 2009 07:09:14 -0500, Sqwertz wrote:
>>
>>> Jean B. wrote:
>>>
>>>> Virtually impossible in the Boston area too. I confess that I now just
>>>> use sake.
>>>
>>> I confess that I use the salted stuff. Keeps me from drinking it
>>> recreationaly.
>>>
>>> -sw
>>
>> i am curious, though. i know it's just to avoid the tax, would the salted
>> stuff make you sick, or is it just so that it wouldn't be pleasant to
>> drink?
>>
>> your pal,
>> blake
>
> Oh yeah, the salted stuff will make you sick. I used to drive a taxi in a
> fairly small town. I took a customer on sunday to the local grocery store
> where he purchased at least two bottles of cooking wine. About five days
> later I picked him up from the hospital in pretty sorry shape. The
> discharge nurse actually brought out one of those bed cover pads and covered
> the seat in the car. Gross.
>
> Ms P

then i guess it's back to sterno filtered through bread for me.

your pal,
blake

> What is beef pizzle?

Sounds like something Snoop Dogg would make.

blake murphy wrote:
> On Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:13:04 -0400, Jean B. wrote:
>
>> blake murphy wrote:
>>> On Wed, 3 Jun 2009 09:02:39 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
>>>
>>>> ShaoXing rice wine (not cooking wine, no salt added, likely only
>>>> available if your Asian market can sell wine)
>>> shaoxing without the salt added has been damn hard to find in the d.c.
>>> area. but as you say, it may be because the don't want to fool with
>>> getting a beer/wine license.
>>>
>>> your pal,
>>> blake
>> Virtually impossible in the Boston area too. I confess that I now
>> just use sake.
>
> i've been using the salted stuff, but i'm tempted to go back to dry sherry.
> is there enough alcohol in sake that it keeps well?
>
> your pal,
> blake

I haven't had a problem with my sake not keeping well.

--
Jean B.

blake murphy wrote:
> On Fri, 05 Jun 2009 07:09:14 -0500, Sqwertz wrote:
>
>> Jean B. wrote:
>>
>>> Virtually impossible in the Boston area too. I confess that I now just
>>> use sake.
>> I confess that I use the salted stuff. Keeps me from drinking it
>> recreationaly.
>>
>> -sw
>
> i am curious, though. i know it's just to avoid the tax, would the salted
> stuff make you sick, or is it just so that it wouldn't be pleasant to
> drink?
>
> your pal,
> blake

Here, anyway, it is not a matter of a tax; rather, it was so the
wine could be sold in places that don't have a license to sell
alcohol.

--
Jean B.

James Silverton wrote:
> Jean wrote on Fri, 05 Jun 2009 12:07:52 -0400:
>
>> Joseph Littleshoes wrote:
>>>
>>> Jean B. wrote:
>>>> blake murphy wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> On Wed, 3 Jun 2009 09:02:39 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> ShaoXing rice wine (not cooking wine, no salt added,
>>>>>> likely only available if your Asian market can sell wine)
>>>>>
>>>>> shaoxing without the salt added has been damn hard to find in the
>>>>> d.c. area. but as you say, it may be because the
>>>>> don't want to fool with getting a beer/wine license.
>>>>>
>>>>> your pal,
>>>>> blake
>>>>
>>>> Virtually impossible in the Boston area too. I confess that
>>>> I now just use sake.
>>>>
>>> I can get a 25.5 ounce bottle of the red labeled, Chinese
>>> Shao Xing rice wine for $1.50. square or round bottle, salt
>>> or no salt. Not that i would, but i could, did so once, awful
>>> stuff, Sake is so much better for cooking than the Shao Xing 'rice
>>> wine'.
>>>
>>> I am very fond of equal parts, sake, soy sauce & sesame oil
>>> as a sauce, marinade & etc. -- Mr. Joseph Littleshoes Esq.
>>>
>>> Domine, dirige nos.
>>> Let the games begin!
>>> http://www.dancingmice.net/Karn%20Evil%209.mp3
>>>
>> In what sort of store do you get it, Joseph? I haven't looked
>> for a long time, but did try all the places in Boston's
>> Chinatown and that general area at one point. It is easy
>> enough to get the salted ((cooking) version, but I never saw
>> the unsalted version.
>
>> How different is it from sake? Of course, older books would
>> just say one should use sherry, but IMO, that has its own
>> distinctive flavor.
>
> There are many types of sherry from extremely light colored and dry Fino
> to sweet brown Cream Sherry. I've used the very driest in Chinese and
> Japanese cooking for a long time and haven't noticed much difference
> from rice "wine". Cream sherry would be much more likely to add an extra
> flavor.
>
I used dry--maybe not the driest. Using cream sherry sounds ugsome!

--
Jean B.

Mr. Joseph Littleshoes Esq. wrote:
>
>
> Jean B. wrote:
>> Joseph Littleshoes wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Jean B. wrote:
>>>
>>>> blake murphy wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> On Wed, 3 Jun 2009 09:02:39 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> ShaoXing rice wine (not cooking wine, no salt added, likely only
>>>>>> available if your Asian market can sell wine)
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> shaoxing without the salt added has been damn hard to find in the d.c.
>>>>> area. but as you say, it may be because the don't want to fool with
>>>>> getting a beer/wine license.
>>>>>
>>>>> your pal,
>>>>> blake
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Virtually impossible in the Boston area too. I confess that I now
>>>> just use sake.
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I can get a 25.5 ounce bottle of the red labeled, Chinese Shao Xing
>>> rice wine for $1.50. square or round bottle, salt or no salt. Not
>>> that i would, but i could, did so once, awful stuff, Sake is so much
>>> better for cooking than the Shao Xing 'rice wine'.
>>>
>>> I am very fond of equal parts, sake, soy sauce & sesame oil as a
>>> sauce, marinade & etc.
>>> --
>>> Mr. Joseph Littleshoes Esq.
>>>
>>>
>> In what sort of store do you get it, Joseph? I haven't looked for a
>> long time, but did try all the places in Boston's Chinatown and that
>> general area at one point. It is easy enough to get the salted
>> ((cooking) version, but I never saw the unsalted version.
>>
>> How different is it from sake? Of course, older books would just say
>> one should use sherry, but IMO, that has its own distinctive flavor.
>>
>
>
> Just about any larger store (and quite a few small ones) in our local
> (SF bay area) "Chinatown" or Asian shopping areas carry it. Some stores
> have both the square bottle salted version and the round bottle unsalted.
>
> I bought it on a whim, just to try and was severely disappointed.
> The elderly relative though, when she found out how little i paid for it
> tried it as a cheap tipple and found the unsalted stuff pleasant enough.
>
> However if i were to compare it at this late date to sake i would have
> to say that the sake is a sort of lighter version of the taste of the
> Chinese rice wine. It seems to me that the Chinese version has a
> overpowering 'woody' taste, i don't know if the wine is aged in wood or
> not, i rather doubt it, but it has a taste i can only describe as 'woody'.
>
> A very dense, solid taste where generally i find sake to be a lighter
> more ephemeral taste, sort of a Japanese pastel to the Chinese primary
> color.
>
> THe stores around here sell a lot of it so people must like it.
>
> I have no idea what shipping costs or legalities would be or i would be
> happy to volunteer to send off a few bottles to interested parties, as i
> wrote its very inexpensive around here. However i can provide name and
> addresses of several stores that might be willing to ship.
>
> I just did a google search and apparently Amazon.com sometimes sells it
> with 'free shipping'. And it looks like there lots of places to purchase
> it through mail order. I just looked at several sites on the web
> offering it. Least expensive i found, without shipping, was $10. some
> places as high as $16.
>
> And i want to say, i assume we are talking about the "Zhe Jaing Cereals,
> Oils & Foodstuffs I/E Co., Ltd. Shaoxing Rice Wine Branch, Zhejiang
> China." "Pagoda Brand" union of Rabbi's approved, red & gold label?
>
> China does produce other traditional & European grape wines that are
> much more expensive when they are available.
>
> I don't know if its true or not but i have been told there is such a
> small market for Japanese Sake in this country that only the good stuff
> is imported from Japan. Just about any Japanese, imported Sake you will
> find in the States is going to be a decent beverage, not counting Hawaii
> or so im told
>
> Unlike the Chinese Shao Xing which is, so im told, the Chinese
> equivalent of a mass produced and cheaply sold to the masses wine, im
> not saying its a Chinese "Ripple" or even that it has a reputation for
> only being drank by drunks, it has been made by the same recipe for over
> a thousand years and in China is as often as not used as a Medicine as
> for cooking or drinking.
>
> Often the herbs of Chinese medicine are soaked in this Shao Xing rice
> wine and then that wine drank as a medicine.
>
> I just don't like the flavor of it, even when added to traditional
> Chinese recipes that call for it. I prefer to use a Japanese sake if
> the rice wine is called for and then that only if i have not already
> decided on a different wine for the particular dish.
>
> The original recipe i had for a chicken and shrimp dish called for a
> Korean wine that i use a good american white wine with.
>
> --
> Mr. Joseph Littleshoes Esq.
>
> Domine, dirige nos.
> Let the games begin!
> http://www.dancingmice.net/Karn%20Evil%209.mp3
>
Oh good! You have tried and prefer sake. It does sound like the
Shao Xing has a possibly unique flavor, so maybe I am missing
something, but I am not desperate to find out. I will, however,
try to remember that one can order such things online though.

Thanks for this most-informative post!

--
Jean B.

On Mon, 08 Jun 2009 09:46:26 -0400, Jean B. wrote:

> blake murphy wrote:
>> On Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:13:04 -0400, Jean B. wrote:
>>
>>> blake murphy wrote:
>>>> On Wed, 3 Jun 2009 09:02:39 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> ShaoXing rice wine (not cooking wine, no salt added, likely only
>>>>> available if your Asian market can sell wine)
>>>> shaoxing without the salt added has been damn hard to find in the d.c.
>>>> area. but as you say, it may be because the don't want to fool with
>>>> getting a beer/wine license.
>>>>
>>>> your pal,
>>>> blake
>>> Virtually impossible in the Boston area too. I confess that I now
>>> just use sake.
>>
>> i've been using the salted stuff, but i'm tempted to go back to dry sherry.
>> is there enough alcohol in sake that it keeps well?
>>
>> your pal,
>> blake
>
> I haven't had a problem with my sake not keeping well.

o.k., thanks.

your pal,
blake

On Mon, 08 Jun 2009 09:47:23 -0400, Jean B. wrote:

> blake murphy wrote:
>> On Fri, 05 Jun 2009 07:09:14 -0500, Sqwertz wrote:
>>
>>> Jean B. wrote:
>>>
>>>> Virtually impossible in the Boston area too. I confess that I now just
>>>> use sake.
>>> I confess that I use the salted stuff. Keeps me from drinking it
>>> recreationaly.
>>>
>>> -sw
>>
>> i am curious, though. i know it's just to avoid the tax, would the salted
>> stuff make you sick, or is it just so that it wouldn't be pleasant to
>> drink?
>>
>> your pal,
>> blake
>
> Here, anyway, it is not a matter of a tax; rather, it was so the
> wine could be sold in places that don't have a license to sell
> alcohol.

six of one, half a dozen of the other. you would need to get a special
license and follow the regs in order to keep the tax people happy. but
you're mostly right.

your pal,
blake