Bryant Simon, Professor of History and Director of the American Studies Program at Temple University with his study of how the desires of daily life are revealed from the comfy couches of Starbucks. Via Taste3.

Ben Roche also gives an interesting demo of some cool modern cooking techniques at the same annual gathering.

I pity the fool who fucks with the mouse.

Director's notes
Shot 2
4 am (yes 4 am)

Action : The guy is now seated where girl number one was, he is chatting to girl two.........The waitress serves soup to the guy. The intoxicating smell of the spinach soup wafts from the dish and the guy's interest turns towards the food. (ahem well of course it was steaming hot water mixed with green food colouring, what's not to like)

Anyone who has been on a set, knows that the area around the camera is a holy sanctuary, not in Thailand. At 7 am I was witness to a plastic bag full of assorted 7-11 sandwiches (high end catering) swinging from the dolly, where the D.O.P. casually moved the bag once he realised that it was screwing with his panning shot.

By 8 am I had had enough, I left them to it and headed to the "The Federal" for hot cakes.

youtube in Thailand is back!!! yay

so now we can post our fav starbucks ad

I'm a geek and I subscribe to Wordsmith's Word A Day

Today's word:

malacia (mu-LA-shuh, -shee-uh) noun

1. An abnormal craving for spiced food.

When we lived in Cambodia, I remember it being a pet idea for a while that we should register the name KFC....Khmer Fried Chicken....before KFC entered the market....which I knew they would because....who doesn't love fried chicken?


Well....the Colonel is coming.....And no, I don't see it as a bad thing. I used to hate it when bleeding heart liberals would praise the fact that there was no McDonalds in Cambodia. And no that doesn't mean to say I'm all for cultural imperialism of America. If you sit and think for a while what it means for a country to not have McDonalds or KFC it means some pretty specific things. It means, that the company does not think it has a viable market, meaning people are too poor to afford a happy meal, or whatever. It may also mean that the food supply chains are not developed enough to support a fast food chain, it may mean that the quality of the local produce is not up to standard to prodduce a consistent product. Overall these are not good things.




And my answer would be a resounding "hell yes!"

Source: The Star (Malaysia) Thursday August 30, 2007


"KUALA LUMPUR: QSR Brands Bhd is expanding its restaurant business under the KFC brand to Cambodia.

The first outlet is expected to be operational in Phnom Penh by year-end, said chairman Tan Sri Muhammad Ali Hashim during a press conference to announce the new venture Thursday.

The group plans to open four outlets initially in the capital as well as in major towns. This would be followed by two new restaurants every year.

The expansion to Cambodia involves setting up a joint venture company with two local partners, Royal Group of Companies Ltd and Rightlink Corp Ltd. QSR will hold 55% while Royal Group and Rightlink have 35% and 10% respectively.

QSR's initial investment is about US$3mil (RM10.5mil), which will be funded internally.

The group is hopeful that Cambodia would contribute profitably in the first year. "Everyone likes to eat chicken," Muhammad Ali said, adding that the country has a population of more than 14 million.

Presently, overseas operations, namely Singapore and Brunei, contribute about 15% of revenue.

If this latest venture proves to be successful, the group will consider expanding the Pizza Hut and Ayamas brands to Cambodia as well, Muhammad Ali said.

He noted that besides Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos also did not have the KFC presence."

This is the Kitchen Julia Child used for nearly 50 years. This is it as it appears on display at the American History Museum in Washington D.C.

Original Source

Kelis - Milkshake

Posted Dec 18, 2003

She shakes her mighty milk jugs and all the boys come to her yard. Drink it up.

Another food song......yes I'm procrastinating

Is right in the heart of Bangkok's Japanese expat residential area.

Bangkok has one of the highest Japanese expat populations on account of the car manufacturing industry here

The Japanese have also had undue influence over the bakery sector

Pretty much all Thai bakeries and bread preferences fall into the Japanese category

There's no crumbling crust here, it's all sweetness and light, puffy and cakey

I personally don't mind Japanese style bread, but it is necessary to throw out all your preconceived notions of what good bread is before you go and sample Japanese bakery delights.....I feel that this may be harder for some nationalities than others (especially the French)

There are a few notable exceptions however. The Japanese custard caramel is one.



This one bought at Custard Nakamura, was about as true to form as any French made cream caramel could be, the custard was creamy and not too sweet, the caramel was slighly bitter and coated the custard with the perfect consistency



We sampled some other stricly Japanese bakery items too including sakura choux pastry, japanese curry steamed bun and a weird teriayaki pork burger sandwich

we bought the piggy cup at a 50 baht shop selling all manner of useless and useful Japanese household items, also on Soi 33 1/2

For about 3 years my father has been promising to take me to his favourite duck noodle stall in St Louis, Bangkok.

So he finally came around and picked me up. We drove there only to find the shop closed.

St Louis is very much a Thai neighbourhood around the back of Sathorn area and is worth checking out, especially at lunch time

We missed the duck noodles but we did find some mighty fine fish ball noodles, much better than your average Thai fish ball noodles found well, pretty much everywhere...




Cute lane and chinese temple in St Louis


anyway, Hock and I have decided that Bangkok needs a TV show reveiwing the best street food the city has to offer, where people can call in and offer up their recommendations....Singapore hs such a show, I think it's time that Bangkok celebrates its humble cuisine too

Finally a new food song

It's the B52's again...with some serious lip sinking



Idaho potato facts from idaho potato.com

How do I know I'm buying Idaho potatoes?
To be sure you're getting genuine, top-quality Idaho Potatoes, look for the "Grown In Idaho" seal, which features a silhouette of the state of Idaho, and for the registered certification mark, "Idaho Potatoes." Genuine Idaho potatoes have a rounded, somewhat elongated shape, few and shallow eyes, net-textured skin and a deep brown color. Look for clean, smooth, firm-textured potatoes that have no cuts, bruises or discoloration.

Are there two grades of Idaho potatoes, or two varieties?
There are two grades of potatoes typically sold in food service, a #1 potato from Idaho comes packed in cartons and has less defects, a nice oval shape with few eyes. The #2 is commonly used in situations where the overall appearance is not as important such as freshly made French fries, mashed potatoes or hash browns. The #2 is packed in burlap bags, plastic or paper bags or can also be sourced in a one-piece box.

What is the scientific name of an Idaho potato?
The terminology Idaho potato refers to any potato grown in Idaho. There are several varieties, the most common traditionally is the Idaho Russet Burbank which is named after the famed scientist Luther Burbank. Another variety gaining in popularity in grocery stores is the Idaho Russet Norkotah. Look for the certification mark on the bag or box with the “Grown in Idaho” seal to be sure you are getting genuine Idaho Potatoes when you buy.

What makes Idaho Potatos so good?
Idaho grown potatoes have a high solids content, so there's more potato and less water. The high quantity of starch grains cook to a light, fluffy texture and full, firm appearance when properly prepared.

Wiki says that McDonald's french fries are made exclusively from Idaho potatos, but I'm not sure about wiki these days

Yummier than he looks

Hock's mum told me that when he was a little boy he would run home from school to watch Julia Child.....Bless!



Anyway, last night during an extremely late night surfing session I found some great quotes from Julia. Not just about food but about life, love and pancakes.

"Drama is very important in life: You have to come on with a bang. You never want to go out with a whimper. Everything can have drama if it's done right. Even a pancake."

"You must have discipline to have fun."

"I'm awfully sorry for people who are taken in by all of today's dietary mumbo jumbo. They are not getting any enjoyment out of their food."

"Moderation. Small helpings. Sample a little bit of everything. These are the secrets of happiness and good health."

"The secret of a happy marriage is finding the right person. You know they're right if you love to be with them all the time."

"Fat gives things flavor."

"I don't think about whether people will remember me or not. I've been an okay person. I've learned a lot. I've taught people a thing or two. That's what's important."

"I think the inner person is the most important.... I would like to see an invention that keeps the mind alert. That's what is important."

"It's fun to get together and have something good to eat at least once a day. That's what human life is all about -- enjoying thing"

"If you're in a good profession, it's hard to get bored, because you're never finished -- there will always be work you haven't done."

"Tears mess up your makeup."

"The measure of achievement is not winning awards. It's doing something that you appreciate, something you believe is worthwhile. I think of my strawberry souffle. I did that at least twenty-eight times before I finally conquered it."

"The problem with the world right now is that we don't have any politicians like Roosevelt or Churchill to give us meaning and depth. We don't have anyone who's speaking for the great and the true and the noble. What we need now is a heroic type, someone who could rally the people to higher deeds. I don't know what's to become of us."