annanstee

You know, I love Marquis, but I also really always have found the staff at liquor store quite helpful in making recommendations. Sure you have to ask, but the staff at 39th and Cambie, 8th and Cambie, Alberni and Thurlow, have all spent considerable time with me. I also went on a road trip to Alberta this summer, and absolutely did not see lower liquor prices. Most of them were higher, esp in the less competitive markets outside of Calgary. I still think there is a place for the LDB, but I would like to see wine and beer in grocery stores, and more opportunity for private vendors. Ann

The Kins at City Square also has the Organic produce. Energie is a small company that sells out of select Kin's stores, I understand. The prices are extremely reasonable- and they have great specials i.e. organic bananas for 29 cents a pound. Ann

How about Take the Cake. I think Buttercream Dreams is a bit cutesey- but I guess it depends on the culture of the city. I like Sugar too Ann

How about Take the Cake.

Let Them Eat Cake

Wow, Thank you so much, all of you. You have really gone above and beyond. Ann

I love using vermouth instead of white, simply because it does keep, and gives a less acid taste- a nice change. I actually prefer it now for steamed mussels. For the same reason, I will use marsala instead of red wine. In terms of cooking w/ wine, only if it is a less expensive bottle. I do believe that if you can't drink it, you shouldn't be putting it in your food. Luckily, I am quite happy drinking the cheap and cheerful options, as well as the more spectacular bottles. Ann

Sliced into "soldiers" and dipped in a softly boiled egg. Or with a quail on top, the juices tipped over the bread. Or, memories of childhood, with tinned beans and a fried egg on top (my family is from the Northeast of England, and that is my excuse.

Rover, The Cooks Illustrated method from the "best of Cooks" book is the super easy non roux method. Basically you boil the macaroni. Grate 2 plus 1/4 cups cheese-the recipe says American, but I use decent aged cheddar of a blend of whatever I feel like- many great combos on this thread. Mix about a cup of evap milk with an egg and a little tabasco, dry mustard, worcester. If you like it a little wetter, you can use the whole tin of milk. If you like breadcrumb topping, pan fry some bread crumbs in some butter till golden, remove from heat, and stir in 1/4 c of the cheese. Drain the macaroni, and add a decent knob of butter. Stir in 1 c of cheese and add the milk and egg mixture, stirring constantly. Add the remaining cup of cheese and stir till smooth. If it is not cheesy enough, add more or a little parm. If your are using bread crumbs, spread the crumby cheesy stuff on top. If not, just sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Run it under the grill to brown the top. Ann

Thanks for your thoughts everybody. The price was lower than one would expect for cake flour, so I got a little excited, but I guess it was too good to be true. Ann

Hmmm, I guess they just market it differently- it is just called processed cheese food. I don't know that I have ever seen it in brick form, but they may just call it something else, like America Online is always marketed as AOL here

Yes, like Brownie Baker, I use the Cooks Illustrated method, one of the main reasons being that even in the microwave, the sauce doesn't split the way a roux based sauce does. Plus it has a great texture. Unlike Cook's suggests thought, I don't use "American Cheese". Being a Canadian, I am not even sure what that actually is Ann

Hi there, I was wondering if any of you bakers out there could tell me if there is a difference between bakers flour and cake flour. I saw some flour with the former label, but wasn't sure if it was meant for cakes or bread, or what. Thanks a million, Ann

Yes, Appolonia, Thank you ! Great "family run" feel-lots of locals. I have been a few times for lunch with my three year old-he loves the calamari, I love the skordalia and tarmosalata. The only thing that wasn't top notch that I tried was the dolmathes.

I will second Kalamata and Marias. I would also recommend that little place on Fir and Second, near Granville Island, near the cycling place. Can't think of the name right this second, but it is very good.

Oh No! Didn't you try the food at Bin? It is worth the cramped quarters and loud music. Next time, try Cru as well, just a few blocks from West and Vijs, on Broadway off Granville. A favourite of local egulleters. Thanks for your hugely entertaining account. Can't wait to hear about the OK.

Wendy, I think Reesek has pinned exactly the way I like to read a food description-evocative, simple, and descriptive. You could try spinning some of the descriptions into something your clientele will understand or relate to, like the vanilla parfait could become a sundae souffle, or is that too cheesy? It is just the idea of making something unfamiliar to them into something easy to recognize? I find too many adjectives irritating- I would stick to one or two along with the ingredients, like frozen vanilla parfait, caramel and chocolate sauces, crisp almond tuile. Also, I certainly would try to use the different types of cake to distinguish between desserts using similar ingredients, like tort, mousse cake, sponge, dacquoise, cheesecake or whatever, than use one simple descriptor to help the client along - light sponge, rich torte, or whatever. They will then know that these are variable creations with similar ingredients and won't feel like idiots if they don't know exactly what it is, because you have given them a little hint. Also, if something is a big hit I wouldn't hesitate to repeat it exactly as it is... there is nothing wrong with having a trademark dessert! By the way, whatever you call them, your desserts do sound delicious!

Looks like someone already posted a recipe for you from Epicurious.com, but FYI, they have just about every recipe from Gourmet and Bon Appetit archived on their website. If you ever lose the magazine again, you know where to go!

In my city (Vancouver, BC), there are guys who come up to you in bars (particularly slightly downmarket bars) and try to sell you food they have lifted. It is pretty disconcerting to have a guy come up to you and flash you a HUGE block of cheese! Recently, several pizza shops were busted for having walk-ins completely stuffed with stolen cheese...

Nessa, I use the hand trick to check steaks, taught to me by the cooks when I used to work in restaurants. Put your index finger and thumb together to form a circle, like the "OK" sign. Now poke your hand below the V formed by the two fingers- That is what rare feels like. If you move your thumb tip to the first joint of your index finger, that is med-rare, second joint is med, knuckle joint is well. In terms of salting pasta, I alwas heard it should be as salty as the Mediterreean too, though I never go quite this far. I NEVER use oil in the cooking water, though I might add it afterward if the pasta is to be cooled for a salad. If you use enough water, you shouldn't need the oil.

Maxmillian, I was very sorry to hear about the bad service at the Bon Ton. I haven't been too many times since they have moved, but I always loved the people there. My mother used to take us to tea there at the old Granville location, where the uniformed ladies would bring around the pastry cart and we would ogle the marzipan animals. My brother and I have always had our birthday cakes from there- a diplomat for me and a black forest for him. Has anyone mentioned Le Patisserie Lebeau on 2nd? I love the Savoury Island Pie company, and I love pie! I actually got flown in a Cessna to the Chilliwack airport on a date once to sample the pie-this was years ago. I remember it being very good road trip pie- the kind of pie you seek out in diners off the Highway as you follow the Yukon Gold Trail or whatever excuse you have for getting out of the city.

I got the feeling you might be asking about the ferry crossing between Victoria and Vancouver, which is, I think, 45 mins? I would go to "C". Robert Clark emphasizes carefully sourced,local ingredients, and unbelievable and innovative seafood. The room is right on the water and very contemporary. It is a five minute ferry ride from there to Granville Island, which, in my opinion, way better than Pike Place, excepting those fish guys. I would definitely do Granville Island on the Friday, as Sunday will be an absolute zoo, esp. if it is sunny. You could go to lunch there and then ferry over to Granville Island.

I don't know if you are still checking this thread, but the Kin's Farm Market at City Square has some pretty good prices on Organic stuff. It seems to be only at this particular location for some reason. I find that the prices are comparable to regular, imported produce from say, Safeway.

Oh, and I do tip for take out, albiet a little less. Why? because the server who rings it in has to tip out on that amount to his support staff.

I agree with you Jeff Boy: the server does the same amount of work at breakfast, or more with all those coffee refills. I am aghast overall with some of the comments here. Firstly, like it or not, we have a system where we are supplementing the servers wage. If you don't approve, move to France Secondly, I have never ever heard of deducting the wine or liquor total when calculating a tip. Why not just deduct the mark up on the food as well? Restaurants do sometimes have outrageous markups on wine, but the profit margin is still tight in most places after overhead. The server does not set the prices.AND, keep in mind that your server has to tip out on his total sales, with wine, sometimes up to 5% or more, to bussers, hosts, bartenders etc. I always tip out on the after tax amount, but I will cede the deduction of taxes if you insist. But why? Trust me, that extra buck or two will go a long way the next time you are in that servers section. And believe me, word spreads if you get a rep for bening cheap. I used to work in the business, so admittedly I am biased. But I think that 20% is an acceptable minimum for good service. 15% is for OK service.