jayt90

It's unquestionable that it's not 100% Blue Mountain at that price. They may well be other Jamaican beans in the blend or quite possibly some cheaper but fairly neutral beans. Some crop years are better than others for JMB - it's my understanding that this has not been one of the best years overall but there may still be some good JMB available (but not at such a crazy low price). ← Thanks for your input. It is certainly the best inexpensive coffee I have purchased, but it is not earth shattering, nor did I expect that. The graphics on the bag (Valved, and apparently nitrogen filled) are somewhat scattered. I have just found another grade indication: " certified 100% high mountain arabica". If anyone is near a Costco in the midwest or eastern Canada, it is worth checking out before it is gone.

I have taken a close look at the bag: It is from Magnum Coffee, a jobber in Nuncia, MI. The bag has 2 lb. of 100% Arabica, Jamaican Blue Mountain Blend. There is no information about the blend, but the beans are uniform, fairly small, and a medium brown. The label does not indicate beans from any other country, so it may be a blend of Blue Mouintain and other Jamaican coffees. I went to magnumcoffee.com but there was no further information. I still think it is a superb coffee for the price. Apicio, let us know what you think about it.

I don't think you have to make a purchase. Just walk in and take one, and the LCBO will be grateful that all those high priced glossy ads are going out once more! Canadian food mag writers and publishers are not so happy about 'Food and Drink' as it takes valuable ads away from other publications. Without ads, any new magazine is doomed. The major wine and liquor concerns have to adverstise in 'Food and Drink'. If they refuse, they may lose out on shelf space at the LCBO. It's a vicious circle, and a byproduct of our monopoly alcohol control board.

About ten days ago I spotted 2 lb bags of Jamaican Blue Mountain beans at my local Costco. It was a new item, packed in Michigan. I bought a bag, at $12.79 Can., and have used it every morning since in a Cuisinart grinder/dripper. Tomorrow, I'll use the Boda, even though I'm usually too groggy in the morning to bother. The reason for taking more care, is that the supply is going to end soon. The coffee is mellow, aromatic, fresh, with good length. I can't find any fault, and I trust the buyers at Costco to provide an authentic non-blended product. It appears as though they have made an exceptional one-time purchase, and when I went back today for more, it was still there, but with an asterisk on the price sign. A product coming to the end of sale period in the warehouse. I bought two more bags, but I will have to freeze or refrigerate them. Any suggestions for best keeping?

Thin sliced potatoes fried in duck fat until crisp are great.

Where is Pancers'? And Zuppa's?

I haven't tried this, and it is OT, but Elizabeth David wrote about preserving some fresh herbs in layers of coarse salt. Just put down a layer of salt, followed by layers of herbs and salt, in a jar. Cover and store in a cool dark place. It apparently works for thyme, basil, and rosemary. If anyone has tried this, I'd like to know how good it is. I'll have to remember to try it next summer.

Pancer's (Bathurst & Sheppard) was always a great deli. I heard that they were moving and don't know where the new spot is located, or if the transition was good. If they still have oven baked carp from Manitoba, I'm going!

Progress report: My ham is still under the salt rub. After I took it out of the brine, I put a pork loin rib end, and let it brine for 2 weeks. I smoke it yesterday, for 4.5 hrs. Turned out good but salty. I'll give you a taste test tomorow

Jake, if you hate Shopsy's, you may very well love Freybe's. This is a traditional German dog, long, thin, crispy links (natural casings, and fairly strong smoking) similar to wieners in old time butcher shops. I get them at Costco, but they come from B.C. and should be available in some small shops.

With several types of salt cod available, it is tempting to try them all. I have settled on the softish, refrigerated type because it works best for me. The others may have a stronger smell/taste, and more bones or salt to get rid of. But you need some of this off-flavour to get the real salt cod taste. I think it would be much more difficult to get authentic flavour by salting fresh cod; this sounds like a bourgeois effort to me. Rob Feenie made a brandade with fresh cod on his show, once. Once is enough for me. One other note: Two low priced versions of salt fish are available. Salt cod pieces, and salted pollack, which is possibly the same as west coast cod. I have given up on both, as lacking in the real cod flavour and scent.

Does anyone know a source for Gulden's Brown Mustard? It was widely available in New York when I lived there, and ideal for deli meat. A few years ago Loblaws introduced it when Dave Nichol discovered it, but it has been long gone from their shelves.

I would like to find out what is the difference between Pastrami, and Smoked Meat? Both are smoked, but is the Montreal product a different cut?

Ummm, like those ones too, jayt90. If you like pistachio's I love the roasted nut store on the south side of Lawrence in the strip plaza just east of Arz. Sorry cannot recall the name. The lemon pistachios a really good, and different. They also have some sweets, spices and a variety of coffee. The gentleman there is very friendly and helpful. ← I think I know the nut shop, too. Their coffee is good quality and spiced with cardamom. Lawrence Av E. is truly amazing in its transformation to an ethnic destination. Plus, Diana's Seafood, and Doc's Lobsters worth a visit.

Costco replaced it with an all beef quarter pound hot dog from Olympic (Mississauga). It tastes much the same as Sinai at their food court, but both products were simmered, and held for awhile. The Olympic is also for sale in 2 kg. packs, but I have not taken it home for grilling. I think Nathan's grilled their dogs, but they are smaller. I have bought Shopsy's quarter pounder, and found it to be smooth and bland. Not suprisingly, as the Shopsowitz family sold out to a large non-Jewish food packer 20 years ago.

Oliver is taking the purist approach but most versions use potatoes, garlic, evoo, and many finish with cream. The purists would mash indredients with mortar and pestle, then put it through a sieve. That's a lot of work, and can be speeded up by using a food processor briefly, and forcing the mixture through a food mill. That's what I do, and it always works well. I wish I had seen Jacques' take on it, but maybe I can find it in one of his books, or wait for a re-run. I prefer the Canadian (Sable Island, N.S.) product, sold in a refridgerated package, as it comes around with 3 or 4 changes of water in 12-24 hrs. The skateboard product takes a lot more soaking, and whenever I have ordered it in Portuguese or Caribbean restaurants, it seemed too salty for my tatse.

Nassr, north side of Lawrence, east of Warden, is a large store with foods from all over the middle east and Mediterranean, on up to the Balkans. Just across the road, on the south side of Lawrence, is a good Korean grocer (I forget the name, but the red and white sign is easy to find.)

It appears to be too tall for stove top cooking. I have something similar but more clam shaped, with a small hole in the lid (sorry no photo). It works well on a flame, and Inever bothered to season it. When I derscribed it on another post, someone said it might be a kimchi picle dish.

I have had great shopping experiences in a number of large asian stores. Plus Mid-Eastern. If you drive on any major thoroughfare away from downtown, there is likely to be one, whether, East Indian, West Indian, Chinese, Phillipine, Korean, Egyptian, etc. Many of them are very enterprising, with private imports from the old country, and clever use of abandoned A&P sites. Perhaps we could start a list of these valuable resources...

I had problems getting a wok hot enough with domestic ranges, until I discovered the three burner patio stove, designed for camping, fuelled by propane. It works well on my patio, providing three 30,000 BTU cast iron burners. In winter I use it in the lean-to greenhouse, but I have tested in the kitchen with a CO detector (it's safe, but insurance requires the tank to be outside.) Many gas ranges put out 12-15000 BTU per burner, and some do not hold a wok very well.

Where ( or what) is Little Tokyo?

Chinese restaurants use woks over a gas flame at a higher heat level than most amateurs (like me) would attempt. But I get better resuts when I use thin strips of beef tossed into a smoking hot wok...

I have to agree, but if a chicken was sold without inspection of the internal parts, there would always be someone complaining, or worse yet, sueing after a co-incidental upset stomach.

I will always buy deep, dark, intensely flavoured buckwheat honey when I see it. And I'll always remember watching honeybees attack a field of buckwheat in June: truly an amazing site. The beekeepers call it a honeyflow.

I don't know what this is all about. Maybe the birds are uneviscerated and the local public health officers object. Or perhaps not inspected at all. A few years ago there was a fuss raised in Kensington mkt. and Chinatown over live chickens being sold for food. I think the city got rid of the live birds then.