jayt90

I know, I took a cheap shot (irresistable) at the LCBO, but the truth is 90% of their clerks never bother to upgrade their wine knowledge, and provide poor service, protected by a powerful union. Is it any different at SAQ?

Thanks for the link. As I read the site, it looks like it is a solera vinegar made in Canada, and selling for $35./100ml, shipped by Canada Post. Verjus is also available, but they call it 8 Brix. This is pricey stuff for at home cooks, but it may come down if there is competition.

There is a new thread in Cooking about an Ontario Ice Wine Vinegar called ' -8 '. Apparently very good for deglazing, and sauces. Is it available here? It is pretty costly in the U.S. and the U.K., but so far everyone raves over it. (Sorry, I don't know how to put the link-to-thread here.)

Thanks for this info: I looked at the site and ended up subscribing to 2 wine oriented newsletters. So far it looks like none of the free newsletters taste all of the Vintages release. Lawrason et al does this, but you have to buy the magazine.

You are lucky to have good help available, strike or no strike. In Ontario, the best I can expect is to have someone re-arrange the bottles in front of me while I am pondering what to buy...

Some years ago, say 25, the was a small ad in the back pages of Gourmet, every month, offering a re-tinning kit for not much money (about $20.) Does anyone remember this, or know the technique? I intended to send away for the kit, but never did...

'Plain old' would be winter savoury, so named because it is perennial in northern climates. It is stronger in flavour than the subtle (and presumably fresh) summer savoury mentioned here.

Like any good knife, your Wusthof is tapered from spine to edge, as well as choyle (beginning of handle) to tip. With heavy use, the knife may be wearing further into the up/down taper (spine to edge), and the stone has to sharpen a thicker blade than before. You may benefit from a more aggressive stone, and steel, such as the DMT diamond stones and steel available at Lee Valley. The DMT stone helped me with my aging Sabatiers, but I have not yet had to use the DMT steel. DMT states that 3-5 strokes on the 1000x stone are equal to 16-20 strokes on a traditional 1000x stone.

We have tackled a lot of issues here, but there is one nagging question in my mind: the sweetness level. It would be foolish to start with Vidalia, or any obviously sweet variety, but it is also possible that using large onions is a mistake. Perhaps the root (sorry, corm) stores more sugar as it grows larger. When I start my next confit, on the weekend, it will be with small sharp-scented onions, and I'll spot test their sweetness when raw, compared to the large onions in the cellar.

I wanted to use the pressure cooker to get the cooking time down. It did help, as I was able to finish it in a wok for about an hour. Still too soft, like carmelised onion jam. So the next try will be 4 min. in the pressure cooker as you have suggested. This may provide a firm/soft texture, and keep the initial onion smell down, while yielding a good base for finishing in the oven.

I managed to get a small selection of the Bordeaux 2000 offering on Saturday, after coping with Xmas traffic to get to the Bayview megastore. I opened one yesterday, Ch. Canteloup 2000, Cotes de Blaye, $22., and it was a revelation of how good a small property on the right bank can get. Very rich flavour, good length, and spicy aromas. I'll be back for more if it is still available.

I think I'll try the mustard paste on a chicken, before making a decision to use the Morton recipe for Xmas.

I didn't see that, but I'm old enough to remember his finger slicing incident on the Gzowski show when he was trying to tell everyone how good the Cuisinart was!

Natalie McLean's survey of the December Vintages releases is out, and there is an interesting choice , 'best red wine' : Syrah Reserva 2002 limited edition Maipo Valley, from Vina Perez Cruz, $23. Natalie says she hesitates to recommend it because it may be hard to get. ( And Nat. wants some!) Not to worry, if you prepare for the release: It will be available December 18, but shipped to the stores a few days early. A wine consultant can offer it as soon as it is in. Not all stores will get it, so check. My local store (Pickering) is getting 10 cases, so I can reserve 6 bottles. There should be lots of it on release day, but it will go fast.

The recipe is in toaday's Globe and Mail (Style Section) Dec. 4, and looks like it's worth trying. Apart from the elaborate stuffings, which would be good for large dinners, the main secret is a spicy mustard paste basted on the bird after it is browned. This will keep flavours, juices, and aromas inside the bird, until it is peeled off at the table. I'll bet a lot of Canadian kitchens will give Pierre"s recipe a shot this year. Another part of a great legacy.

Well, I tried the pressure cooker today, and it doesn't help much. Iput in 6 large onion, 1 butter stick, 1/4c. demi glace, s&p, and cooked under pressure 30 min. The result was soft, sweet, and not carmelised. I'll have to finish it over a low burner, or in the oven, but I'm not sure it will come around. The texture is so soft now, and I think I'll end up with onion porridge.

Maybe no news is good news. Thanks for all your effort in this, Malcom.

Pressure cooking a slightly sweet food without adding liquid sounds risky, but I think I'll give it a try, as I need a new supply of onion confit. I use a fairly moderate pressure (Lagostina) and I think I'll release pressure after 25 min., or a deepening smell. Let you know here in a couple of days...

The new Vintages release, Dec. 4, has a lot of interesting items in my price range (Under $30). But the release of 14 Bordeaux 2000 is right up my alley, as I missed out on their Futures offering three years ago. There are three that I'll be looking out for: Chateau Canteloup (422) a Cotes de Balye; Chateau Moul;in de Soubeyran (Haut Medoc, $30); andVieux Chateau Valentin (anotheere Cotes de Blaye) at $18. The selection of 14 is not well known, but at least we are getting something.

The Sandhills may not be endangered, but they are useful in bringing back the extremely endangered whooping cranes, by taking care of transplanted eggs. However, if the extra bird is bagged and given to you, is it unethical to accept it? Some of us would pass on the opportunity, others would accept the already dead bird greedily...

While there have been Le Creuset look alikes over the years (remember Andre de Cousances?) I am now starting to see copies from China. In my area, I can find La Campagne, at the Bay, for 1/3 the price of LC. It is not as well finished, but it will certainly do the same job.

Mussels with barnacles, beards, and variable sized interiors, reminds me of wild mussels I used to buy, until the farmed P.E.I. product took over the market in eastern Canada quite a few years ago. The farmed product is cleaner, more uniform, and plumper, but not any better tasting than wild. I think I could put up with wild mussels in Reims.

I've seen the first two episodes, and I suspect a sitcom, with lots of writing, set ups, and coaching. There are too many similarities, not to have been tweaked by a writer and director. And the chefs under fire don't really fall apart, they stay whole in front of the camera. Pretty good for amateurs. If the following shows are like the first two, then we'll know that FNC has latched onto another sure thing, same every week, like Opening Soon or Chef at Large.

The Lopez 1987 Vina Tondonia Reserva was a classic, old oak Rioja with a cuban scent, mouth filling flavour and a long rich aftertaste. The colour is looking a little pale, due to the grape varieties. It did not taste nearly as well five years ago. It should go on for another ten years, when my small stash will be gone. Purchased for $25 from LCBO Classics catalogue in '94. 18/20 Chateau de Nerthe '95 is a classic old style Chateauneuf de Pape, using most of the allowed grapes, but dominated by Syrah, Mouvedre, Cinsault, and Grenache. It had a deep woods floral nose, full flavoured astringency, and good aftertaste. Excllent with Provencal cuisine. Purchased for $29 from LCBO Vintages in 1998. 18/20

My mom always swore by Northern Spy apples for baking. They are not so easy to find, and I doubt if ED Smith uses them.