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From Serious Eats

Video: How to Peel a Banana Like a Monkey

I have been since I first was shown in High School. It's way easier than the way people normally do and the peels look like cartoon banana peels. If you look at banana peels in cartoons it's true, that little handle thing is always at the center of the opened peel. I always bruise the fruit if I open the "traditional" way too.

From Talk

Describe your latest or greatest sandwich creation

The best sandwich I think I've ever made was on focaccia. I grilled thin slices of zucchini, put them on with tomatoes, roasted red peppers, marinated eggplant, provolone and fresh basil. Also made a basil vinaigrette to put on the bread then closed up the sandwich and grilled it between my cast iron pans.

Took them on a picnic to watch some fireworks, damn those were good.

From Talk

Restaurant recommendations in Japan?

MOS Burger. I know it's fast food burger but a Mos Burger and coffee shake are one of the foods I miss most about Japan. Eat there at least once, trust me, you'll wanna go back.

Other than that I can't really name restaurants that well, but if you can get someone who speaks Japanese to take you to an Izakaya place I highly recommend that as well as hitting up as much yakiniku and deep-fried deliciousness as possible.

Final note, if you want cheap awesome food, go to a grocery store or the basement or roof of a department store. Whenever I was stuck having trouble finding somewhere to eat, I just ate the stuff from there. Grocery stores always have good pre-made food.

Anyways, enjoy your trip and be open to try as much as you can.

Go to Himeji castle btw. It was one of my favourite places

From Talk

What would be your favorite items to find on a Brunch menu?

Ok, this kinda turned into a long post but I really am passionate about this stuff.

Starting with what's most important and it's been said but really, make sure you get coffee that is not only good but stands out. Ensure all your service staff understand how important coffee is to brunch, it often makes or breaks a tip for me. If you aren't on the ball with refilling the cup, it will usually cost you. Nothing dampers a meal more than repeatedly going to take a sip of coffee from an empty mug for half or even a quarter of your meal. This does apply to any meal but is especially important for brunch. For a type of coffee I'd recommend finding a unique local roaster to get your coffee from. Advertise the fact that you get it from them and it really doesn't hurt to have more than "regular" and "decaf". Some of you may scoff, but coffee is comparable to wine and should be treated in some regards similar. If you treat it with even a third of the regard you give wine, people will take notice. Noteworthy is that good decaf always costs more than good regular, if it doesn't you gotta hope your supplier is taking the hit because often the cost of extra processing results in using inferior beans and since the processing detracts flavor, decaf lovers will be left in the shadows. Although, seriously, I wouldn't bother with decaf but would offer decaf americanos for the same value. I might be underestimating how much decaf is served but it seems better to take the hit on giving free refills for the decaf americanos than having a decaf pot that gets stagnant and disgusting, souring the decaf drinker's entire meal because he keeps taking sips of bitter or burnt tasting decaf coffee. Of course, having a fine selection of espresso drinks will go a long way, people love those things. (Still a black coffee man)

Something else is make your own petite croissants fresh for people and serve them hot. Maybe with a little compound butter or preserves. A place by my house does that and I love it. It's such a great start to a nice brunch.

As for french toast, make it like no where else. People will tell you to gussy it up with flavorings and such but try this. Cut all your bread for the next day the day before and leave it out to go stale. Make the egg mixture the night before and let it sit overnight in the fridge too. Soak the bread for at least a half minute or so a side, let that sit, fry it till golden brown, bake in the over at like 350 or something for 10 to 15. Trust me, it beats the pants off of any fresh bread french toast I've ever had. I can't order french toasts in restaurants anymore because I started doing it this way. I started with the recipe from Good Eats and went from there. If you don't get what I mean, watch the episode Modern Toast and give it a whirl. You'll never go back, I guarantee.

Another thing I find is never done right, hollandaise. It's SUPPOSED to have lemon in it. Over 80% of eggs benedict I've had give me more a bechemel or bearnaise. Just having a nice lemony hollandaise with the traditional ham and English muffin goes a long way. I do like a lot of the fancy ones, especially if you incorporate the caviar mentioned earlier. Delicious.

Don't underestimate the importance of simple choices on stuff like breads and jams. Getting high quality jam or marmalade for your toast (preferably made by your restaurant both bread and preserves). Make sure you have sourdough at the very least. Brunch is a lot of getting all the little things right and innovation.

I know I just keep going but I'm really passionate about brunch and can never find a place that really fills my needs or expectations.
Having set dishes that are unique is great when they are things people won't think of putting together themselves but if you are flexible in your more basic breakfast like the hashbrowns, eggs, bacon, sausage and toast collection of breakfasts it will make a lot of people happy. Being able to add, exchange or take away things for a sensible cost goes a long way. I mean a really long way, most places charge about 4 bucks just for a few more sausages, or to add bacon. Some places won't let you interchange the two, or mix and match.

Lastly, I agree on not going with any kind of dim sum fusion thing. If people want dim sum, they will go out for dim sum. You want to bring in the brunch crowd. A topper on all this, I love a good not overpriced mimosa. One place that forevers tops my list for brunch did the croissant thing I mentioned, does dishes a'la carte and has $2 mimosas. Classy atmosphere to boot. It's the closest to what I've always wanted in a brunch place except they don't have great sausages.

These are just the suggestions of a man that loves food and is especially fond of brunch, the meal and the concept. A meal that should be spent in leisure and good company.
Again, I apologize for the length, I hope things go awesome and I'd love to hear how things turn out.

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Recent Comments | Response to Comments

From Serious Eats

Video: How to Peel a Banana Like a Monkey

I have been since I first was shown in High School. It's way easier than the way people normally do and the peels look like cartoon banana peels. If you look at banana peels in cartoons it's true, that little handle thing is always at the center of the opened peel. I always bruise the fruit if I open the "traditional" way too.

From Talk

Describe your latest or greatest sandwich creation

The best sandwich I think I've ever made was on focaccia. I grilled thin slices of zucchini, put them on with tomatoes, roasted red peppers, marinated eggplant, provolone and fresh basil. Also made a basil vinaigrette to put on the bread then closed up the sandwich and grilled it between my cast iron pans.

Took them on a picnic to watch some fireworks, damn those were good.

From Talk

Restaurant recommendations in Japan?

MOS Burger. I know it's fast food burger but a Mos Burger and coffee shake are one of the foods I miss most about Japan. Eat there at least once, trust me, you'll wanna go back.

Other than that I can't really name restaurants that well, but if you can get someone who speaks Japanese to take you to an Izakaya place I highly recommend that as well as hitting up as much yakiniku and deep-fried deliciousness as possible.

Final note, if you want cheap awesome food, go to a grocery store or the basement or roof of a department store. Whenever I was stuck having trouble finding somewhere to eat, I just ate the stuff from there. Grocery stores always have good pre-made food.

Anyways, enjoy your trip and be open to try as much as you can.

Go to Himeji castle btw. It was one of my favourite places

From Talk

What would be your favorite items to find on a Brunch menu?

Ok, this kinda turned into a long post but I really am passionate about this stuff.

Starting with what's most important and it's been said but really, make sure you get coffee that is not only good but stands out. Ensure all your service staff understand how important coffee is to brunch, it often makes or breaks a tip for me. If you aren't on the ball with refilling the cup, it will usually cost you. Nothing dampers a meal more than repeatedly going to take a sip of coffee from an empty mug for half or even a quarter of your meal. This does apply to any meal but is especially important for brunch. For a type of coffee I'd recommend finding a unique local roaster to get your coffee from. Advertise the fact that you get it from them and it really doesn't hurt to have more than "regular" and "decaf". Some of you may scoff, but coffee is comparable to wine and should be treated in some regards similar. If you treat it with even a third of the regard you give wine, people will take notice. Noteworthy is that good decaf always costs more than good regular, if it doesn't you gotta hope your supplier is taking the hit because often the cost of extra processing results in using inferior beans and since the processing detracts flavor, decaf lovers will be left in the shadows. Although, seriously, I wouldn't bother with decaf but would offer decaf americanos for the same value. I might be underestimating how much decaf is served but it seems better to take the hit on giving free refills for the decaf americanos than having a decaf pot that gets stagnant and disgusting, souring the decaf drinker's entire meal because he keeps taking sips of bitter or burnt tasting decaf coffee. Of course, having a fine selection of espresso drinks will go a long way, people love those things. (Still a black coffee man)

Something else is make your own petite croissants fresh for people and serve them hot. Maybe with a little compound butter or preserves. A place by my house does that and I love it. It's such a great start to a nice brunch.

As for french toast, make it like no where else. People will tell you to gussy it up with flavorings and such but try this. Cut all your bread for the next day the day before and leave it out to go stale. Make the egg mixture the night before and let it sit overnight in the fridge too. Soak the bread for at least a half minute or so a side, let that sit, fry it till golden brown, bake in the over at like 350 or something for 10 to 15. Trust me, it beats the pants off of any fresh bread french toast I've ever had. I can't order french toasts in restaurants anymore because I started doing it this way. I started with the recipe from Good Eats and went from there. If you don't get what I mean, watch the episode Modern Toast and give it a whirl. You'll never go back, I guarantee.

Another thing I find is never done right, hollandaise. It's SUPPOSED to have lemon in it. Over 80% of eggs benedict I've had give me more a bechemel or bearnaise. Just having a nice lemony hollandaise with the traditional ham and English muffin goes a long way. I do like a lot of the fancy ones, especially if you incorporate the caviar mentioned earlier. Delicious.

Don't underestimate the importance of simple choices on stuff like breads and jams. Getting high quality jam or marmalade for your toast (preferably made by your restaurant both bread and preserves). Make sure you have sourdough at the very least. Brunch is a lot of getting all the little things right and innovation.

I know I just keep going but I'm really passionate about brunch and can never find a place that really fills my needs or expectations.
Having set dishes that are unique is great when they are things people won't think of putting together themselves but if you are flexible in your more basic breakfast like the hashbrowns, eggs, bacon, sausage and toast collection of breakfasts it will make a lot of people happy. Being able to add, exchange or take away things for a sensible cost goes a long way. I mean a really long way, most places charge about 4 bucks just for a few more sausages, or to add bacon. Some places won't let you interchange the two, or mix and match.

Lastly, I agree on not going with any kind of dim sum fusion thing. If people want dim sum, they will go out for dim sum. You want to bring in the brunch crowd. A topper on all this, I love a good not overpriced mimosa. One place that forevers tops my list for brunch did the croissant thing I mentioned, does dishes a'la carte and has $2 mimosas. Classy atmosphere to boot. It's the closest to what I've always wanted in a brunch place except they don't have great sausages.

These are just the suggestions of a man that loves food and is especially fond of brunch, the meal and the concept. A meal that should be spent in leisure and good company.
Again, I apologize for the length, I hope things go awesome and I'd love to hear how things turn out.

From Talk

Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?

The AB! I love to see how many fans he has. I've been a devoted Good Eats watcher since the first episode I saw. FoodTV canada doesn't show enough good eats, barely comes on it seems. Heh, I see I'm not the only one who's had a crush on Giada.

Also see that I'm not the only one who can't stand Bobby Flay. I always disliked the guy but man, that Iron Chef America where he beat Sakai. Complete bs, so biased. They tied on everything but presentation?! Sakai's had super awesome detailed french style presentation and Flay's big thing was "I poured soup into this bowl until it over-flowed. It's like in japanese culture where they fill a sake cup till it over flows". How does that win out? he was just being sloppy and lazy.

I gotta say that I have always rather liked Michael Smith and the License to Grill guy was awesome. I haven't seen his show for a long time so I forget his name, but all his grilling rocks. Oh, the Food Jammers rock too, love that show.

From Talk

Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?

I used to watch a lot of FN back in the early days. I enjoyed Jack McDavid, Mario Batali, Sara Moulton. Now, I never watch FN. The turning point, for me, was when Rachel Ray became a "star" (gag).
Now if I want to learn something about cooking, I tune in PBS, and watch Jacques Pepin, Lidia, or the two ladies on America's Test Kitchen.

From Talk

Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?

Least: Ina Garten; from her voice to her food, personality, friends, etc. . .she drives me insane.

Most: Giada Di Laurentiis, I have a girl crush on her.

From Talk

Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?

I have to agree with many comments here.I have studied culinary arts for years and these housewife cook wannabees do not know the difference between a good Veloute and a bowl of gravy.
Where does the food netwok find these people?
Sandra Lee gets so excited over her booze,you would think she was an alcoholic! Rachael Ray acts like the host of Sesame Street with her ignorant, goofy, childish sayings. Paula Dean serves so much fat in her food, it is more rich than her fake,overpronounced accent which is comparable to fingernails on a chalkboard.Giada dresses like a street walker and tries to sound italian with her fancy pronouncing og food.What happened to credible culinarians? are all we are left with are women's day readers like these four women who think they are teaching cooking? please!!!

From Talk

Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?

My faves: Alton Brown, Anne Burrell, Ina Garten
Likes: Jaime O., Tyler F. Micheal Chirello (sp?)
My not so faves: Ray Ray, Sunny Anderson and the Neeleys...I started out liking Ray but her overexposure did me in...I haven't seen a thing on Sunny's show that I would make, and I can't stand her delivery, and the Neeleys...I like things they make but that lovey dovey crap really turns me off...and of course Sandra goes without saying...

From Talk

Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?

My favorite is Ina and my very least favorite is Giada. Can Giada's tops get any lower without this show being rated as porn? I have nothing at all against showing some cleavage, but please...this is a cooking show, and if her cooking isn't good enough to stand on its own, they should take her off the air. Actually, I tried several of her recipes and thought they we just "okay". Her books are loaded with photos of her rather than of the food, and she is way too full of herself. She should stop the annoying Italian accent when she pronounces Italian food items. She was born and raised in California for goodness sakes!

From Serious Eats

Video: How to Peel a Banana Like a Monkey

I have been peeling my bananas like this for just the last few years. I saw my department director open a banana like that one day and I asked why. He just told me it was a lot easier. I tried it on my next banana and havn't struggled to open it from the stem end again since. I even have my dad converted to the monkey method too! I have to take the little black bit off too though, it isn't good.

From Serious Eats

Video: How to Peel a Banana Like a Monkey

I peel it like this. I initially tired peeling like this because I read it pulls off all of the little stringy things on the fruit. It doesn't work, but I then realized how much easier it is to peel the bananas this way. Plus you get the handle!

From Serious Eats

Video: How to Peel a Banana Like a Monkey

I always peel stem side, my mom peels the way monkeys do. After hearing that this is how monkeys peel their bananas I started asking a few people how they peel their bananas. They think it's hilarious once I explain why I asked. There always seems to be one in the group who peels like the monkeys.

From Serious Eats

Video: How to Peel a Banana Like a Monkey

For several years I took care of a large group of monkeys (baboons and rhesus mostly but many species). Part of my job was daily feedings. I never, ever saw a monkey peel a banana. They eat the whole thing as is. Same with oranges, lemons, and any other fruit that humans would normally peel.

From Serious Eats

Video: How to Peel a Banana Like a Monkey

I've always opened my bananas from the end-end (vs. the stem-end) and have had arguments about this with my friends from high school. I never knew the pinch trick though... would just sort of dig my nails in the black part and that end nubbin will come off with it! Glad to see people are embracing this as the "correct" way to open a banana now.

From Serious Eats

Video: How to Peel a Banana Like a Monkey

All I do is stick a needle and thread in the banana at various spots so it comes out in chunks. Just kidding. I've always wanted to try that though.

My husband saw the video with me and said, "of course." Apparently, he peels his bananas that way. I just yank on the stem. If it gets squashed at the top, so be it. I don't eat the pointy ends (top and bottom) anyway.

From Serious Eats

Video: How to Peel a Banana Like a Monkey

@mandarin: This (points to screen) is a video embedded into a page with an explanatory sentence; this is an article.

From Serious Eats

Video: How to Peel a Banana Like a Monkey

I actually do peal banana's like this, especially when i can't get the other end and don't want a mushy mess.

From Serious Eats

Video: How to Peel a Banana Like a Monkey

I remember on some email that made the rounds at work a couple of years ago that if you peel a banana this way it eliminates the strings. I tried it and it doesn't completely eliminate the strings but it does reduce the number of strings.

From Serious Eats

Video: How to Peel a Banana Like a Monkey

Best banana-opening trick: take banana in both hands by each end. SNAP. Doesn't sound like it'll work, but it does. The first time I tried it, skeptical, I was so shocked by the banana giving way that both halves flew out of my hands.

From Serious Eats

Video: How to Peel a Banana Like a Monkey

I've opened my bananas that way for years now - I find I get less of the 'strings' that way, too!

From Serious Eats

Video: How to Peel a Banana Like a Monkey

love thats he is wearing monkey PJ's too clearly feeling the monkey theme

From Serious Eats

Video: How to Peel a Banana Like a Monkey

I like to split my bananas in half. I puncture the peel in the middle with my thumb nail and break in half. It's easy and quick. And also a lot of times I only want half a banana. I've always had problems opening them at the ends but this method looks incredibly easy. I'll have to go buy some bananas.

From Serious Eats

Video: How to Peel a Banana Like a Monkey

@Lorenzo: lolz!

I've never had any problem opening at the stem. Sometimes it might get squashed at the opening, but that's the first part one would eat so it doesn't have any time to bruise. In any case, I might have to try this new approach next time I get bananas. Hey, look, I've just found an excuse to go out later today and pick up some fresh fruit. WIN!

From Serious Eats

Video: How to Peel a Banana Like a Monkey

and @omymai...i also hate that black thing! and remove that as soon as the banana is peeled.

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