rgruby

How about key limes and Meyer lemons? Cheers, Geoff Ruby

Around here (Toronto) you'll see the Persian limes for 2 or 3 for a dollar most places, but if you know where to look (Kensington market or one of the Chinatowns) you often find them 4 or 5 for a dollar and occasionally 8 for a buck. As mentioned by several, skin thickness varies markedly even in the same bin. We almost never see key limes here. I've seen them in the upscale markets (Whole Foods and the like) and maybe once or twice in little ethnic grocers. They are certainly not commonplace here. And, to slightly hijack the thread, does anybody know if dried limes are just that - dried, presumably Persian, limes? One use of limes that I don't believe has been mentioned yet is the Mexican beer "cocktail" known as a michelada. Wipe rim of glass with lime and coat with salt. Add ice (I prefer crushed), juice of a lime, a shot of hot sauce (Valentina works well) and beer (Dos Equis is fine). Cheers, Geoff Ruby

Is that the former El Palenque maybe? I heard somewhere that Maria, the owner of El Palenque, had changed the name of her restaurant and that El Palenque was reborn under different ownership a few blocks west. Is that confusing enough? A few more Mexican places that I don't believe have been mentioned. Margaritas on Baldwin (and they used to have another on Gerard near Parliament - they may still). There's Plaza Garibaldi on the Danforth in Greektown. And on Yonge just north of Bloor, with another location run by the same folks on Bathurst way up around the 401 in an area that is largely Jewish. I can't for the life of me remember what they're called at the moment, but I believe they have the same name at both locations. There's also a place on Isabella just east of Yonge. So, there's actually quite a few out there. I've eaten at almost all of them at one time or another. Can't say I have a favourite though. There's also a fish and chips/ Mexican place on Dufferin between Eg & Lawrence. That place I do not recomend. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

Let's be honest - they're not all "winners". That being said, I just moved and I winnowed three, maybe four, cookbooks out of my collection.We were going to try and get a used bookstore to buy them, but time and effort led my lovely wife to donate them. Had I known that, I probably would have kept them all. Yeah, it's tough to part with cookbooks. Even ones that suck. I really don't know why that is. Books in other categories that I don't want I can part with no problem. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

Just to add to my question above - where can you get beef cheeks in TO? And, a small oddity - why is pork tenderloin just about never available in Kensington market? Maxwell & Sons is Jewish - no pork products at all there. I thought this may apply to some of the other places as well. But European has pork, just not tenderloin. I've bought it at St. Andrews poultry before, but I only see it there rarely. I'm not a regular shopper at the other butchers, so I may be missing an obvious source. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

We used non-stick pans. When the cheese was ready, we quickly stuck the pan in a bucket, sink, whatever, of ice water, for a second or less, then quickly took a spatula or bare hands and draped them over a ramekin. I'm guessing using the ice water is not real good for the pans, but it may help if your having trouble getting the cheese to release. We kept them, stacked a few high, for two or three days. I've never tried the Silpat method. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

Dried ancho, chipotle and possibly other chiles are also available in some of the latin places in Kensington. Available in bulk, so you can buy as much or as little as you want/ need. Dried limes anyone? Avland in Kensington had them, but they have, sadly, closed. I'm guessing Nasr on Lawrence would be a good bet, but I haven't managed to get out there to find out. Meat. Well, cow meat. I've often wondered why all the butchers seem to have all the same cuts - yet there's a good third of the cow that seems to go missing - I only occassionaly see cuts from the chuck, and I've never seen hangar steak. And I've asked butchers where does it go? The chuck ends up in hamburger, but hangar steak? One butcher told me it goes to Japan. I dunno 'bout that. How about the tritip from the sirloin. Our butchers don't cut the sirloin that way. (The Healthy Butcher on Queen W. told me they could get hangar steak, and that they sometimes even have it on display) So, any tips on butchers that carry cuts from a cow other than the usual loin steaks and roasts, flank steak, sirloin and shank. (As an aside, does anyone have any preferences between the butchers at SLM for beef? They seem to all have the same cuts at the same prices, so I don't really know how one chooses one over the others. I was actually thinking of starting a thread on this very topic.) Also, good places for offal, cow or otherwise? I have seen kidneys & tongue, for example, at SLM. Oh, veal bones - have tried a few times at SLM. I've been told if you call ahead a few days, they can save some up, get them etc. I'm guessing they get sold to the restaurant trade. So, anywhere for veal bones? Fresh kimchee? I'd try the KOrean supermarket at Bloor and Manning. Sanko, the Japanese place on Queen W. also has kimchee I think. Also, Tai Kong (I think it's called) on the west side of Spadina north of Dundas is an Asian supermarket that has all kinds of Asian goods, produce, fish and poultry (I think meat as well?). I think I've seen kimchee there as well. While I'm on the topic of Tai Kong, they also have a fish counter at the back that has weird and wonderful fish I haven't seen elsewhere, such as beltfish (looks like, well, a belt). They also have black chickens, which I've been tempted to try. Cheese Magic, in Kensington, might have the Bulgarian sheeps feta. I'll try and remember to have a look next time I'm in. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

Banditos?

High Tech on Front. I'm not sure they carry anything other than Cuisinart in cookware. Maybe I'll get a new coffee maker. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

I haven't gone and revisited the older thread. There's at least one, and possibly two or three Mexican places on Dundas around Keele. I haven't been in a while (like 3 or 4 years) and a couple have come and gone and come again (as of last weekend although I was just driving by) so I can't tell you how they are. Is the place on Royal York that Now gave a 5N review still around? Can't remember what it was called. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

Hi. I have a gift certificate at a place that sells some cookware. I see that they carry Cuisinart. I don't need a food processor, but I could use a saute pan. The Cuisinart stuff looks nice - in the shiny All-Clad stainless/aluminum/stainless mode. [Edited to add- I just looked their website, and it looks like they do the aluminum disk on the bottom rather than the tri-ply metal sandwich, and which I don't like as much] Does anybody out there use these and recommend them? I thought this place carried All-Clad (and would have bought one had they done so), but they don't. So, does Cuisinart make a reasonable substitute, or am I better off buying something else. Thanks, Geoff Ruby

I'll chip in with a me too to the original poster's query. I visited an appliance store here, and the salesman was pushing the Bosch. I'd like to know a bit more about them from somebody who's actually taken the plunge and put one through its paces. Especially interested in opinions about the cooktop. Thanks, Geoff Ruby

It sounded to me as if the review was written after only one visit. Is that the usual protocol for Star reviewers? ← I don't know if there is a particular protocol at the Star, but my impression is that there is usually at least a couple of visits. But, I don't know for certain. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

Reviewed in today's Star. It was not favourable - although some good things were said about the servers and the meat dishes. Haven't been there myself, don't know anybody who has. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

I've never been to Splendido. It has had an increasingly good buzz on egullet lately. A bit of a splurge, but apparently worth it. If you do try it, let us know what you think. Bar Italia and Supermarket, as mentioned, are also solid choices within a five or ten minute walk or so of College and Bathurst. They're both really close. La Palette, on Augusta at the northern tip of Kensington market (very close to Supermarket) is popular for quack & track - duck and horse. I've eaten there, but can't recall what else is on the menu. I did enjoy the quack & track. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

Going west from Bathurst along College, there must be 40 or 50 restaurants in the next few blocks. There are lots of options where you're staying. Utopia has decent bugers and a friendly family-oriented crowd. CAfe Margaux was mentioned. I've been meaning to try it, but haven't yet. I believe Pony also has a relatively inexpensive prix fixe, almost at the corner of College and Bathurst. Both are French inspired. But, there's tons of options just on the College strip, many, but not all, having Italian fare of one sort or another and a range of budgets. Heading east a few blocks to Spadina brings you to Chinatown (although I see you're from VAn - so this may not hold as much interest to you). Heading a big block south brings you to Dundas, which doesn't have many options, but Saving Grace at Claremont is a popular brunch/lunch spot and Musa (at Euclid) is a popular local hang. Another big block south brings you to Queen, and more options. There, Terroni has fantastic Italian style pizzas, but is often packed for dinner. Could be good for lunch though. A couple large blocks north of College takes you to Koreatown on Bloor. All these areas are within a fifteen minute walk (or thereabouts) of College and Bathurst. It's all generally safe to walk at night. Baldwin St., mentioned earlier, might be a little further. Just the other side of Chinatown. Also, within a $10 cab ride, there's a bazillion options. Anything specific you're looking for? Oh, besides checking here, have a peek at Now magazine (our alternative weekly a la the Georgia Strait) for what's on in the city (they also have resto reviews if you're interested, but you're already here). Cheers, Geoff Ruby

Well, I'm thinking chairs will get pushed into it, it's a tight space so there will be some contact (even if it is mainly my belly, which admittedly is somewhat soft) but also my kid will be throwing stuff on it, banging toys into it, and doing the kind of things bratty young kids do. So, chairs and kids more than bellies, are my main concerns. I might go granite (or silestone) for the penninsula bit and soapstone for the main "work surface" bit. I dunno. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

OK, I started this whole shebang and I'm still not decided. I can live with some minor wear and tear. By which I think I mean scratches. If through normal use the counters are getting large divots and the edges are eroding, I'm a bit more concerned! I'm thinking about putting a penninsula type thingey (large overhang with seating for 3 or 4) and using soapstone. That's a lot of surface, but perhaps more to the point, a lot of edge that's getting rubbed against etc. I'm not sure I'm asking a question here - more looking for reassurance or someone to dissuade me. Perhaps the best advice is get a sample from your supplier first and put it through its paces before you decide. And I intend to do just that. Thanks all, Geoff Ruby

Thanks for the link. I'd forgotten about that place. However, I still didn't find out all that much about how the oven in the Bluestar performs - although I did read good things about the infrared broiler. So, anyone else have thoughts about the oven in the Bluestar, stability at temp, cleaning etc.? Cheers, Geoff Ruby

Hi, There's been scant discussion of Bluestar ranges here. Just looking for some more feedback on how these perform. Do you find yourself needing/ using all that power on the cooktop? What do you think of the oven? Is it reasonably accurate, and stable when it comes to temp? They also call it "constant cleaning" or some such thing. Can you tell me if this actually works? Thanks, Geoff Ruby

I don't think anybody has mentioned James Peterson's the Essentials of Cooking yet. I also owned a book from the UK, possibly by Prue Leith (?) that dealt with fundamentals. It had a grid-like design on the cover. I hope it has found a good home. I guess I'd also consider the science-related books by McGee, Corriher, Parsons, Wolk and Herve This. Not good for basic knife skills or how to truss a turkey perhaps, but invaluable for trying to figure out the whys of cooking. In my view, the kind of knowledge contained in these books should be considered, uh, fundamental to a solid understanding of the basic techniques of cooking. I don't know how often they are referenced in our culinary academies or even restaurant kitchens, but I hope their use becomes more widespread in the future. I'm not sure these meet your criteria for a basic fundamentals cookbook. Perhaps there's room for one that addresses the practical hands on stuff (knife skills etc.) along with cooking techniques and the science of why that technique is the best. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

My first post in this thread had a number of typos or outright errors. Serves me right for trying to do this off the top of my head. Ms. Mallett's book is actually titled Last Chance to Eat. Bonnie Stearn is actually Bonnie Stern. Madelein Greey is TO or area based I think. ... Another typo - Madeleine. And, I believe Ted Reader of the bbq books is also TO based, so let's add him as well. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

The thing that I've learned from this is that nobody outside of Ont gives a flying leap about Ont wines. I expected folks from other jurisdictions to jump in and castigate us(and in my opinion they rightly should) , but no one seems to even think its worth bothering. Outside of ice wine do Ontario wines have any (and I mean any) penetration into foreign markets - the Us, UK etc? Cheers, Geoff Ruby

I thought they looked pretty good. Pretty much across the board. They mostly sounded appetizing too! (Shouldn't look at egullet on an empty stomach). What did you think was sloppy/ terrible looking? Thanks Cap'n for the report. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

Ok, I had exactly one shift in an Italian pizzeria (in Emilia), so take this with a big large pinch of salt. I don't think the dough matters all that much. I think it's (mostly) the oven. Those ovens ( this was a wood fired one) are massively hot and retain their heat like nobodies business. It's no wonder they and tandoori ovens (which, while a different shape, are not dissimilar) both get that slightly charred crisp on the bottom but chewy texture that I cannot for the life of me get with a convection oven at its highest heat (with the thickest pizza stone I could find) with hour long preheats and the same dough recipe I used in Italy (ish - different flour, scaling down etc could account for some differences). The pizzas we were cooking in Italy took a minute or two. Max. In my oven, they're about double that. Still pretty quick. And they're damned tasty if I do say so myself. But the crust just ain't quite there. So, do you really need a pizza oven? It depends. I think you can get 90% there - certainly a really good pizza. But to get that pizzeria quality pie - Italian style - I honestly think you need something that will give you that (huge) heat from the bottom. A stone helps, but is not even close to what those clay tiled ovens in Italy are producing. And, yeah, it matters. Sorry. Cheers, Geoff Ruby