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	<title>Oyster Food and Culture</title>
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	<link>http://oysterfoodandculture.com</link>
	<description>a place to exchange ideas and learn about culture through food</description>
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		<title>Special Ingredients: Ajwain</title>
		<link>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/09/05/special-ingredients-ajwain/</link>
		<comments>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/09/05/special-ingredients-ajwain/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 05 Sep 2010 23:54:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[India]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Middle East]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Ingredients]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spices]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[berbere]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Middle East food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pavlosk Station]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Russia]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://oysterculture.wordpress.com/?p=3175</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I think I fessed up that I have a habit of buying spices first and asking questions later.  Sometimes the purchases were duds, although I believe the argument could be made for &#8221; user error&#8221;, one or two chance encounters caused strong feelings of repulsion, but sometimes they led to those wonderful &#8220;Eureka&#8221; moments.  Such was the case with Ajwain.  Chances are that while this spice may not sound familiar; you have tried it, and I&#8217;m guessing probably liked it, that is if you like eating Indian and Pakistani food. Flavor and Scent The raw seeds smell like thyme because they contain the same ingredient thymol.  However the ajwain are more aromatic and a bit less subtle in announcing its presence in food.  It also has a pungent slightly bitter taste.  If using this spice in its raw form, be judicious in the quantities or it will not only announce its presence it will prevent any other contributor from announcing theirs. Ajwain is part of the vast family of Umbelliferae, which claims 2,700 members including dill, caraway and cumin. How It is Used I follow the Indian method of cooking with this spice, which is to not use it raw. [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Pesto Change-o: It&#8217;s All About the Basil</title>
		<link>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/08/25/pesto-change-o-its-all-about-the-basil/</link>
		<comments>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/08/25/pesto-change-o-its-all-about-the-basil/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 26 Aug 2010 01:48:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[California]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Farmer's Market Finds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Greece]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Italy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Ingredients]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thailand]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dessert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[region]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[basil]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pesto]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://oysterfoodandculture.com/?p=9474</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Hands down, one of my favorite herbs is basil, there is just something about it that adds a bit of zing or flavor that I never get tired of, and I am a firm believer that just about anything you add basil to is better as a result.  Having only married into a family of Italian heritage, and not having any myself, I feel I have missed out on some significant basil eating opportunities, because while I may not be Italian by blood, I seem to share their love of this wonderful herb; Caprese salad, anyone?  Or pesto which I have to say is something really phenomenal in my mind?  Along with artichokes, my husband introduced me to pesto and can I just say that was a deciding factor in my decision to marry him. Given the history and lore of basil, its only appropriate that its a herb I feel strongly about.  The early Greeks and Romans thought basil was awful, in fact they associated the herb with hatred.  Sandra Bowens, in About Basil tells of the medieval superstition that basil and scorpions were connected; if you grew a pot of basil, the scorpions would thrive beneath it.  In fact, if [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/08/25/pesto-change-o-its-all-about-the-basil/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>33</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Padrón Peppers, the delightful Spanish version of Russian roulette</title>
		<link>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/08/21/padron-peppers-the-delightful-spanish-version-of-russian-roulette/</link>
		<comments>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/08/21/padron-peppers-the-delightful-spanish-version-of-russian-roulette/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 22 Aug 2010 03:25:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[California]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Farmer's Market Finds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[padron peppers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[peppers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://oysterfoodandculture.com/?p=9439</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Every year about this time in San Francisco, pepper lovers in the know eagerly check their CSA&#8217;s with the same anticipation as a child peeking into their Christmas stocking, &#8220;Is it there?&#8221;  &#8221;Have my wishes been answered&#8221;?  What are they looking for?  In my case, it was a nondescript small paper bag almost hidden among my other vegetable bounty, which I gingerly opened, hoping for a cluster of small green peppers, ranging from the size of my pinky to the first part of my thumb.  These little guys hail from Padrón Spain, and are thankfully showing up with increasing frequency in restaurants, farmers markets, and (lucky for me) CSA boxes around the Bay Area.  I&#8217;m not sure about other parts of the United States, or the world for that matter, but these little fellas are worth seeking out.  Originally from Mexico, the good padres brought these tasty peppers back to Spain when they returned from the New World. Padrón Peppers &#8211; Playing with Fire Padrón peppers (Spanish pimientos de Padrón) are probably the most famous export from this region of Spain.  These small green peppers hail from the Capsicum annuum family, so their closest kin are bell peppers, cayenne, jalapenos and [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/08/21/padron-peppers-the-delightful-spanish-version-of-russian-roulette/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>28</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Now That&#8217;s Using Your Noodle</title>
		<link>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/08/15/now-thats-using-your-noodle/</link>
		<comments>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/08/15/now-thats-using-your-noodle/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 15 Aug 2010 14:41:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Italy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pasta]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://oysterfoodandculture.com/?p=9349</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I grew up eating spaghetti and macaroni and rigatoni, and well that&#8217;s about it.  It was not until I started cooking for myself that I discovered that 1. those names were not the names of the dishes but the names of the noodles used in the dishes, and 2. those shapes were only the tip of the proverbial iceberg.  Even after all these years, and just like the internet, I do not believe I&#8217;ve reached the outer limits of what is included in the Italian noodle family. Initially, I was confounded with all the various shapes and sizes, and looking back I know my family had not served them as the original cook or chef had intended.  But unless pasta was in your blood, how would you know.  I was stumped, I mean really, how many ribbon shaped pastas does a country need?  Why?  What is the purpose?  You have lagane &#8220;wide noodles&#8221; and then you have lasagne &#8220;very wide noodles&#8221; You have spaghetti &#8220;little twines&#8221; and then you have spaghettini &#8220;thin spaghetti&#8221; or &#8220;small, little twines&#8221;, vermicelli &#8220;little worms&#8221;,  and vermicelloni &#8220;large little worms&#8221; which for some reason makes me think of jumbo shrimp.  One source claims there are over [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/08/15/now-thats-using-your-noodle/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>32</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Miso &#8211; A Tasty Treat Meant to be Shared</title>
		<link>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/08/07/miso-a-tasty-treat-meant-to-be-shared/</link>
		<comments>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/08/07/miso-a-tasty-treat-meant-to-be-shared/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 07 Aug 2010 20:45:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[China]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Japan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[condiments]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jiang]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[miso]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[soybean]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://oysterfoodandculture.com/?p=9104</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Can I just say it took all of my self control (of which there is lamentably little), not to title this post something corny like &#8220;Miso Thankful.&#8221;  Why do I feel this way?  The longer I write this blog the more amazed I am at the incredible people I encounter from writing this blog.  A few, I have only met virtually, and I&#8217;ve been lamentably tardy in thanking them for recognizing me:  Sophie of Sophies Foodfiles, Sarah of Food Bridge, and Ruth of ILoveFlavorMe.  All incredible food writers, and all living in different locations around the globe: Belgium, Israel, and Italy respectively.  I&#8217;ve been lucky to go beyond the virtual introductions and meet some fellow bloggers, Aoife of The Daily Spud, not only in San Francisco, but also Dublin, Ireland, Christine of Fresh Local Best, and Greg at SippitySup to name a few. Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting Emiko of Kitchen Em, who generously (bravely) agreed to attend an event with someone she had never met before (me).  You see, I had a pair of tickets to a Gastronomica sponsored Harold McGee Q&#38;A and wanted to attend this Q&#38;A with someone who would appreciate it as much as [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/08/07/miso-a-tasty-treat-meant-to-be-shared/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>35</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Bananas from Risque to Passe</title>
		<link>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/07/31/bananas-from-risque-to-passe/</link>
		<comments>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/07/31/bananas-from-risque-to-passe/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 31 Jul 2010 20:39:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Caribbean]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[India]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Phillipines]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Portugal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thailand]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vietnam]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dessert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[edible flowers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[banana]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Philippines]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://oysterfoodandculture.com/?p=8315</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I recently had a revelation &#8211; We&#8217;ve been robbed!  Robbed of some incredibly tasty opportunities, I know I am not alone in that for most of my life I ate one kind of dessert banana.  Oh yeah, I&#8217;d sampled other bananas when I traveled, and was blown away by how sweet and tasty it was in comparison.  Those tastings only confirmed what I suspected. No one knows for sure, but the consensus is that there are at least 1,000 varieties of bananas out there, and I can count on one hand the number I&#8217;ve sampled.  Are you as outraged as me?  Expanding beyond the most common variety, the Cavendish left me unprepared for the diversity that exists.  Their textures in no way compares to those common bananas we find in our grocers (sorry Cavendish).  So I implore you, take back control, if you are able to seek out some of the different varieties &#8211; you will be amazed. From Papua New Guinea Bananas are native to tropical Southeast Asia, and probably first domesticated in Papua New Guinea.  During medieval times, bananas from Granada were considered among the best in the Arab world, and the expansion of Islam spread the demand [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/07/31/bananas-from-risque-to-passe/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>28</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Rome, Italy &#8211; Marking a Special Milestone</title>
		<link>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/07/24/rome-italy-marking-a-special-milestone/</link>
		<comments>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/07/24/rome-italy-marking-a-special-milestone/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 25 Jul 2010 02:11:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Italy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[celebrations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rome]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://oysterfoodandculture.com/?p=9213</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;ve had Italy on the brain lately, so much so that I&#8217;ve really struggled with finishing my other posts.  So to work it out of my system, I decided this post must be written.    My hubby and I relized we&#8217;d be celebrating our 10th anniversay this year, and it literally stopped us in our tracks &#8211; 2 years, I&#8217;d believe with no problem, 4 years &#8211; ok, but 10 &#8211; where the heck did all that time fly!  Then we stopped to consider all that we had packed in those years, and unless we were in some alternate universe that allowed for more than 24 hours in a day, than yeah, we really needed those ten years to accomplish everything we did.  That being said, the conversation went something like this: Me:  &#8221;Can you believe its our anniversary soon and it will be 10 years?&#8221; Hubby:  &#8221;We need to celebrate, what should we do?&#8221; Me:  &#8221;Paris?&#8221; Hubby: &#8220;Paris is nice, but how about Rome?&#8221; Me:  &#8221;Woohoo!&#8221; So there you have it, in October we&#8217;re off to Italy to do a bit of exploring, eating and celebrating.  I have my mental images of Rome: ancient &#8211; definitely, crowded &#8211; oh [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/07/24/rome-italy-marking-a-special-milestone/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>38</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Jerking Me Around</title>
		<link>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/07/16/jerking-me-around/</link>
		<comments>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/07/16/jerking-me-around/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 16 Jul 2010 13:15:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[China]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Italy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Middle East]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Phillipines]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Singapore]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Turkey]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[United States]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[recipe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beef jerky]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[biltong]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jerky]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pastirma]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pemmican]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rousong]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://oysterfoodandculture.com/?p=9157</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Growing up, a favorite treat for me was the beef jerky my parents made.  I loved that delicious, salty snack, but after I moved away I questioned my memory of those meaty treats.  My subsequent encounters, left me cold, they were not so much dried as desiccated, tough as nails, so stringy that I required an immediate session with the dental floss upon choking down the last bit.  In a word, blegh!   I&#8217;d given up on jerky, believing I could not find anything that replicated the chewy goodness that my parents made &#8211; theirs was but a yummy memory; that is until recently.  A few years ago, while in Singapore, my friend who lived there was showing us their Chinatown.  She wanted to share a favorite snack of her daughter, and took us into a store that sold only one thing &#8211; jerky, or more specifically bakkwa.  It was delicious in its uniform square shape, and sweet-savory taste.  While the spices differed, it brought back memories of those tasty nibbles my parents had made; maybe it wasn&#8217;t an illusion after all. Since then, I&#8217;ve noticed that jerky appears to be making a stealthy comeback, no grand marketing campaign, but [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>38</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Seeking the Hidden Treasures &#8211; Sushi Gems in San Francisco</title>
		<link>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/07/11/seeking-the-hidden-treasures-sushi-gems-in-san-francisco/</link>
		<comments>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/07/11/seeking-the-hidden-treasures-sushi-gems-in-san-francisco/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 11 Jul 2010 14:49:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Japan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[San Francisco]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sushi]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://oysterfoodandculture.com/?p=7899</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[These is a certain kind of sushi restaurant that delights in hiding in plain sight.  In San Francisco, they seem to compete on blandness for the most bland exteriors, only to show their true colors to the luck few who&#8217;s patience in out waiting their rivals is rewarded with a tasty repast.  They are typically tiny  with a handful of tables, at most, and the store front is so nondescript that they are almost a speak easy, but I have not heard of any passwords required to seek entry. They&#8217;ve been a topic of conversation on ChowHound and other food sites. Practically every sushi lover that I talk to has their own favorite, a nondescript place that in the light of day, you would walk by and never know that this was a delights of sushi.  But at night, its another story, with the lights on and the lanterns out and lit and the banners hung &#8211; all sushi restaurant accruement telling the diner to be ready for action.  These owners prefer to let their work speak for itself, as clamoring crowds gather up and down the sidewalk resigned to wait their turn.  They seem to pride themselves on making [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/07/11/seeking-the-hidden-treasures-sushi-gems-in-san-francisco/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>27</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Filipino Favorites &#8211; Kinilaw</title>
		<link>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/07/04/filipino-favorites-kinilaw/</link>
		<comments>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/07/04/filipino-favorites-kinilaw/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 04 Jul 2010 22:14:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Phillipines]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[traditions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Filipino]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kinilaw]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seafood]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://oysterfoodandculture.com/?p=9077</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Did I tell you the down side to attending that wonderful cooking class I attended that was put on by the Asian Culinary Institute?  The adobo has now become a staple in our house (I&#8217;m not complaining about this part), and now my husband walks around muttering how he has missed out on years of adobo (this is the problem).  In an effort to distract him from his anxious state I made another dish from that class: kinilaw.  Unfortunately that only exacerbated the problem, because now he complains of having missed out on kinilaw too. I can only say, if you are willing the risk similar consequences, the results are so worth it.  Oh, so worth it.  This dish is truly sublime. So what is kinilaw?  Most people seeking a comparison liken it to cerviche.  Kinilaw is primarily raw fish or seafood prepared with a citrus marinade.  According to Amy, the biggest difference is that with cerviche, the seafood is &#8220;cooked&#8221; by the vinegars and citrus added.  The kinilaw is truly raw seafood, the marinade is intended only to impart taste, and not to change the textures or flavors.  Timing is critical, the seafood must not sit in the marinade. [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>32</slash:comments>
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