Post #621458 by Professor G on Wed, Jan 18, 2012 4:09 PM

Thanks for posting these, Tom. One of the things that makes me very grateful to Messrs. Bergeron and Beach is that by introducing a large segment of the population to foods of Asian background, they rescued us from the French. I am trained in Continental cooking and I love it, but it's a big old world and there's a lot of great stuff to eat in it. Those two and, more to the point for me, their highly skilled chefs opened doors for American cooks.

I also appreciate the creative re-packaging jobs they did. I've read Trader Vic's story of the Bongo-Bongo Soup and, while I'd never, ever, ever want to question his dedication to authenticity, the ingredients in that soup are almost identical in flavor profile to the Oyster Stew of the Gulf Coast, which is not pureed. It's a great dish, regardless of technique or nomenclature.