Jensen

I'm inspired... "Avenotto" is in the making right now. Okay, I'm still eating it for breakfast but then I'll eat rice for breakfast too! Will report back when it's all done.

Have your mother-in-law come for a visit. That will drive your blood pressure up and you'll be a prime candidate for induction. Worked for me!

I think porridge is really just a "mush" made from some sort of grain. To me, porridge is made with oats. But I also acknowledge that congee (another favourite of mine) is "rice porridge". And, I have a friend here in CA who is of Portuguese extraction who claims that porridge is Cream of Wheat cereal. So, I've settled just on "mush" when discussing it publicly and "oatmeal mush" in my own world.

Okay. I'm relieved. Now I don't feel like I'm missing anything outstanding. Perhaps this is the right forum to bring up this though... The Spouse likes porridge made from rolled oats and claims that my porridge made from steel-cut oats smells/tastes like kerosene. He had an <ahem> interesting youth so I don't question his ability to distinguish the flavour of kerosene but has anyone else noticed this?

I've been eating the steel-cut oats (McCann's and McCann's wannabees) so I can't really comment on the pinhead oats. In fact, I had porridge for lunch today I like that the steel cut oats are chewy when I eat them. I tried cooking them overnight in the slow cooker but they ended up tasting just like rolled and/or instant oats...all mushy and icky. yech. (It has occurred to me that perhaps I undercook them but what do I care? That's how I like 'em!) Now I'm worried...should I be trying pinhead oats for my porridge?

Okay. I'm now officially homesick. Even without seeing where you went (but is Granville Island Brewery selling their hefeweizen yet? Wait. Don't tell me. I don't want to know!)...

There used to be a place on Austin in Coquitlam called Lucky Gate. It was different from other "great Chinese food places" in that they had northern Chinese (Shanghai) food. They made their own "cutting noodles" and "dragging noodles" right on site (and you could watch the chef make them!). The Spouse had a chat with the owner one night and offered to come in and wash dishes if they'd show him how to make the noodles. She was amenable but, unfortunately, we ended up moving to California shortly thereafter.

I bet he's been drinking it though. You know, most Canadians would rather do something rather than talk about it. (And on that note, I think I'll have a beer!)

I'm really looking forward to this, Daddy-A. Try not to make me too homesick, eh...

I have found bread! I just got home from book club, which was held in Midtown. After we left, my friend took me to The Bread Store on J (can't recall the cross street but it was next to The Beat). Marge bought a loaf of their asiago bread. She must have been planning this because she had a cutting board and a bread knife in the car. She sliced it right there in the parking lot and we each ate a piece. Wonderful. Their other breads looked good too.

I second what Snowangel says. Once labour starts, not only is eating discouraged, it's not even remotely desired. I'm sure the woman's body just shuts down certain functions to focus all on the number one priority. That being said, I was also STARVING once I'd spawned. I will suggest something with a fairly good fiber content. Once things are "shut down", they can take a bit to get going again.

I'm dying to ask...where did you put the bathroom?

I bought three bunches of asparagus at the market this past weekend. One of them is destined for asparagus soup...

*bump* My digital Salter which was "good enough for how I use it" has decided to pack in half of its display. Not the left half or the right half or even the top half or the bottom half. No, it's decided to pack in the upper left half of the display. I sent an email to Salter which has been completely ignored. Has anyone else come across this sort of problem? (And no, it's not the battery...I checked that.)

Thanks! I'll make it tomorrow morning then.

I plan on making Bourdain's Les Halles mushroom soup as part of dinner tomorrow night. Does it improve over night or should I make it tomorrow morning or even right before serving?

This is one of my grandmother-in-law's recipes for perogie dough. It makes a soft dough which is very nice with the sweet fillings as well. 2 cups flour 2 eggs 2 cups mashed potatoes 1/2 tsp salt The only instructions are "Roll out 1/4" thick". We've always spelled it "perogies" but I've seen many other spellings as well. I don't think there is one correct English spelling for it.

Well, yes, it's all relative, isn't it? If you're living on the shores of the Styx (AKA Sacramento), then a trip to the river's source (Hwy 49) seems like quite the respite...

It's not too bad up there in the summer. El Dorado Hills or Cameron Park, neither of which are at close to the same elevation as Hwy. 49, are both at least 10 degrees cooler than Sacramento in the summer. Nevada City is at 2000 feet, I think.

Nahh. I think the Aussies love it too.

1. HP 2. soy sauce 3. sriracha (although I'd settle for sambal olek) Devilkitty, check your UPC symbol for your Crosse and Blackwell. There's been a recall, in Canada at least.

They cite their criteria for consideration as a "country" here.

I'm not sure about further south on 49 but there are plenty of apple orchards around Placerville. In November, there's also a mandarin festival in Auburn. Further north on 49 is Nevada City -- a funky place to visit, although I can't say anything about the food there. Between Placerville and Auburn, you'll find Venezio Winery. They have a really nice port and a good, full-bodied Zinfandel too. If you want funkiness, try exploring the Delta for a day. There's Al the Wop's in Locke for food and drink. The last time I went Delta exploring, we ate at a Chinese-Italian-Mexican-American <!!!> place in Isleton. Just because it was on the menu, we ordered the carnitas chow mein to try. Not fine dining by any stretch of the imagination but honest food nonetheless.

Yes, but unfortunately for those of us who crave Chinese foods, it's heavy on the Vietnamese groceries. We still get out there for a food run now and again though, always making sure to time it around lunch so we can have a bowl of soup at the Noodle House.

I slightly modified a recipe that I found on the Cooking Light website (current password is LIVEWELL). The basic ingredients are below but the directions are mine. 1 pound firm tofu, cut into 6 slices (or, 4 slices for me, due to the shape of the tofu I buy) 1/2 cup chicken broth 1 tablespoon cornstarch 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon oyster sauce 1 to 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee) 4 ounces ground pork (I used a boneless, skinless chicken thigh, minced) 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger 3 garlic cloves, minced Press the tofu for about 30 minutes and then cut into smallish cubes. Combine the broth, cornstarch, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and chili garlic sauce, stirring until well combined. Cook the meat (pork or chicken, whichever you use) until done, breaking it up so that it's crumbly. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for a minute or so. Add the tofu cubes and cook until they're lightly browned. Pour in the broth mixture and cook just long enough for it to thicken. I served it over steamed rice. I also prefer mine a little hotter than what this makes so I spiced it up a bit. For a real cheat, you can just buy the Lee Kum Kee ma po tofu sauce in a little foil packet.