itch22

futronic, Thanks for the info! I will be sure to check it out.

If anyone knows of a good Italian grocer in Toronto, or there abouts, I'd love to know. Porcini, in Ontario - dried or otherwise - has eluded me for a very long time. The only place in Toronto I make the trip to is a bulk food store and a butcher both in the Humber Valley Village. The bulk food store is mainly Asian, great prices on mung beans and a good selection of seaweeds.

In regards to the gin, can you recommend any good online resources or books for further elaboration of the variations with other fruits and/or alcohols?

And to think, I still have a hard time killing lobsters.

Me too. Could anyone elaborate a bit more on "field dressing". (Edited for grammer.)

Thanks for the link. I just quickly looked over their site and a few sites of the suppliers. It's like turning a light on in what was a very dark room.

After reading Craig Camp's latest Wine Camp article, I did a quick search for the producers he recommended in the LCBO's wine imports and none are to be found. Is the LCBO the only answer for buying imported wine in Ontario? I am an entry level novice to wine buying.

Call me a black sheep, but I have a Proctor-Silex that works awesome for me.

Czech cooking has many excellent recipes for pork roast. I married into a Czeh family so it was manditory I learn to cook Czech. From a rubbing of salt, pepper, and caraway to being braised and topped with a carrot, celery, parsnip and sour cream gravey; it can be dangerously unhealthy but very delicious.

My fiancee's best friend, despite her clumsy nature and tendency to point at whatever (or whom ever) she is referring to, I would just appreciate it if we could get through one public eaten meal where she got all the food (or at least more than half) into her mouth. (When she does miss, and it lands on the table, she'll either pick it up and eat it or put it on her plate and eat it later.)

I have managed to make due in my kitchen, which is about 15' by 10' (at most). I have 3' of counter space (after sink) and almost all of my cooking gear is stored on 2 very tall Metro shelves that devide the kitchen from the living room. Another problem is that the entry hall, bathroom, and guest bedroom doors are part of the kitchen. I prepair several course meals, and have learned the secret is using the fewest dishes possible and being exceptionally neat and organized.

This may belong in a different thread, but I host a lot of dinner parties because I feel bad about making big meals for just my fiancee and I. However, the one thing I dislike about entertainning is having to sit down and eat. I find nothing more distracting than having to take of the apron off and sit down and make conversation. I wish I could just cook and then do dishes while others eat.

I always use fresh, unless there is no other option. I start off making them in a food processor, and then finish them by rubbing them through a fine drum sieve.