tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10864993.post112984519971423398..comments2024-01-06T02:22:10.855-08:00Comments on My Epicurean Debauchery: Confessions of a Sushi PrincessAlicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12326111001085784932noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10864993.post-1130355584518149892005-10-26T12:39:00.000-07:002005-10-26T12:39:00.000-07:00Arik,You swore on my PG blog... Anyway, yes, I to...Arik,<BR/><BR/>You swore on my PG blog... <BR/><BR/>Anyway, yes, I totally know what you mean!!! It's a fine line. I know how some people start in Sushido with non-fish rolls and eventually move up into more advanced things. In that sense, the non-fish rolls are playing an important part in the whole scheme of introducing otherwise-put-off audiences to the world of sushi. But then, if that'sAlicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12326111001085784932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10864993.post-1130174127246109472005-10-24T10:15:00.000-07:002005-10-24T10:15:00.000-07:00Alice...you should know by now that Americans will...Alice...you should know by now that Americans will never accept that other country is number one, even though it maybe with their own food. <BR/><BR/>Either way, in my opinion, with enough money, you can have authentic experience anywhere in the world for whatever food.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10864993.post-1130021897869235202005-10-22T15:58:00.000-07:002005-10-22T15:58:00.000-07:00Ooooh, I love this interaction! I think this is t...Ooooh, I love this interaction! I think this is the best conversation I've had on the comments section - I guess it pays to have a little controversy here and there! These conversations have been very informative and fun, guys!<BR/><BR/>Ilva,<BR/><BR/>I'm so glad! I was a little bit worried for a bit there! Upon further reflection and from the comments I've gotten, I think my conclusion is Alicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12326111001085784932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10864993.post-1129936191998513832005-10-21T16:09:00.000-07:002005-10-21T16:09:00.000-07:00One of my friends in Wakayama, who really never se...One of my friends in Wakayama, who really never seems to stop eating, eats very small portions of everything. For her, after 6 bites, anything starts to get boring.<BR/><BR/>For me, "sappari" doesn't translate well to English; I think "refreshing" is closer than "light flavor", which I think of as "usuguchi". But even heavier or stronger-tasting dishes are usually seasoned in a much more Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10864993.post-1129923617139197582005-10-21T12:40:00.000-07:002005-10-21T12:40:00.000-07:00I believe non-natives (like myself) could learn ho...I believe non-natives (like myself) could learn how to make Japanese food properly. It's mostly a cultural barrier that prevents the majority of folk from getting things right. I've talked to some itamae who said it took them at least three years to learn how to make rice properly. Most nihonjin I've met don't see anything wrong with that, but the majority of non-japanese think that's insane.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10864993.post-1129918191995012982005-10-21T11:09:00.000-07:002005-10-21T11:09:00.000-07:00De gustis non est disputandum.As others have point...De gustis non est disputandum.<BR/><BR/>As others have pointed out, even "native" chefs are often bad. And on top of that, there is a huge variety of what might be considered "authentic". It is impossible to define what is an "authentic" miso soup for example.<BR/><BR/>Food, like language, changes and adapts over time. Sushi is a good example of this. How much of how it is defined, prepared and Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10864993.post-1129914645288976752005-10-21T10:10:00.000-07:002005-10-21T10:10:00.000-07:00Of course you didn't offend me!! How could you?! I...Of course you didn't offend me!! How could you?! I do understand what you mean but as I said, I think it's possible to cook as good as a native if you try to think and taste at the same time! I am actually much better at cooking Italian traditional dishes thatn Swedish ones...sad but true!Ilvahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06917489033091463791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10864993.post-1129905033765391202005-10-21T07:30:00.000-07:002005-10-21T07:30:00.000-07:00Jason,I totally agree with you that thhe number of...Jason,<BR/><BR/>I totally agree with you that thhe number of mediocre chefs in Japan is astronomical. You can't count on any old restaurant to give you good food, and many places that are worth dining at require some sort of recommendation or referral from a long time customer to get served appropriately. <BR/><BR/>And there is so much more to Japanese food than the appreciation for the 'Alicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12326111001085784932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10864993.post-1129898944201102652005-10-21T05:49:00.000-07:002005-10-21T05:49:00.000-07:00So what am I to say? Swedish living in Italy with ...So what am I to say? Swedish living in Italy with a food blog dealing with Italian cuisine? Where does that leave me?? I honestly don't think that I cook worse Italian food than any Italian. I respect the culinary tradition a lot and I am quite horrified by the so called Italian dishes I often find for example in Sweden. I have a quite orthodox view on how to cook, it's not that i'm against Ilvahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06917489033091463791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10864993.post-1129873859582695502005-10-20T22:50:00.000-07:002005-10-20T22:50:00.000-07:00I tend to agree with you, especially if authentic ...I tend to agree with you, especially if authentic tasting food is what you're after.<BR/><BR/>People who haven't been trained or been exposed what is considered to be authentic for long periods of time often allow their background to change the flavor. The result is often "exotic" and surprisingly frequently good, but not at all authentic - I think they don't quite understand the spirit of the Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10864993.post-1129846503357555062005-10-20T15:15:00.000-07:002005-10-20T15:15:00.000-07:00I actually think there's a fair amount of mediocre...I actually think there's a fair amount of mediocre dishes being made by Japanese chefs, even in Japan. But this has several causes: lowered expectations because of the omnipresence of convenience foods, cost pressures, the fact that not every chef is equally talented, and so on.<BR/><BR/>Personally, I tend to skip Japanese restaurants in the US because the Japanese chefs who come here to make "Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com