jayt90

Buying salt cod is never easy, but frankly more difficult now that the Grand Banks are dead, and there are so many different ethnic groups looking for the product. Some packers will sell salted pollack labelled as such, while others will sell pollack as salt cod. I have always liked Sable Island (Nova Scotia) cod packed in bags and refrigerated. It has a rank but enticing smell, and it reconstitutes with a sticky texture. The Sable Island bags with boneless pieces are not as good. I'm going to get some fillets today, and maybe do the ackee dish, to use up a can in the cupboard. One comment I haven't seen here is about over re-freshing: each piece of salt cod is different, some refreshing in a day some in three days. If you go too far, the flesh starts to decay, not noticeably, but definitely starting in that direction. To find the optimal time for ending the soak, I taste a piece from the thickest part, or close to the bone if present. It should be very mildly salty, but not bland and flavorless. I have always wondered how home salting of cod could possibly resemble the real thing, and I scoffed at Keller's notion about salting Pacific cod in the restarant. But maybe there is something to it, so I may try that with a tray of Costco fresh cod.

Linda, the pc gives me hot, even steaming and heat penetration for large shrimp, mollusks, thick fillets, or whole fish, much like an expensive restaurant broiler. The seafood retains heat well, and isn't soggy as poached can be. The lobster is a no brainer, as I don't have to boil several liters of water in a stock pot, and it comes out hot and evenly cooked in minutes. I wouldn't do scallops or thin sole fillets, but most seafood is fair game. The photo shows salmon, kale, and cream pc'd together for 7 minutes.

My Fagor Duo has a damaged flange so I stopped using it until I find another pot for the lid. Meantime I have used my Lagostina but it is lower pressure and my times are longer, especially for beans and potatoes. Recently I did a salmon fillet over kale, 7 minutes and perfect. Today I made beef spare ribs in brown stock. About 50 minutes, and wonderfully tender and moist. Next on the list will be B.C. spot prawns, shipped only in May and June. I will revisit lobster in the pc soon, as it will do two or three in about seven minutes and I never hear them squeal.

I bought one two years ago ($160 at the time) and while it does grow the initial pack of herbs well, there is a lot of maintenance to get a second or third batch. The unit has to be drained and cleaned up (there will be some scum or algae in the reservoir). The seed pods have to be replaced (expensive). New fertilizer packs have to be acquired (expensive). New light bulbs (the originals are good for 6 months before the color temp. changes.) Once you have all that, you have to re-program the device, so it will turn off late at night. I think potted herb plants, under a fluorescent grow light or in a south window, are the way to go.

For what it's worth, although I've never had smoked peameal bacon, the entry for "pea meal back bacon" in Kate Aitken's Canadian Cook Book defines it as "loin of pork cured, smoked and finished with the pea meal," so presumably it is an authentic option. Perhaps an extinct one? I have often seen smoked peameal bacon with a cornmeal coating at Costco. and other stores. From memory, it was Freybe's from B.C. I'll have to try it, but it should be similar to smoked pork loin from Ireland or the south of England, except rolled in corn meal. Too bad peameal is no longer used

There are two Costco's in Australia, Melbourne and Sydney. You could buy one good knife here (Shun, Global, Wusthof etc. and an edge-pro (I think Global has a different angle on each side, so harder to sharpen)), then shop for more knives or a set in your new home.

I went to a Christmas dinner with a slab of very slow cooked peameal bacon as an alternate to the roast turkey. It was superb, tender and juicy, and I haven't had it at home as good, because I cook the commercial slabs too quickly. You are right to eschew smoked peameal bacon. This is similar to Irish bacon, and a product called Canadian bacon in the U.S. There is nothing wrong in using curing products with sodium nitrate, according to package directions. The nitrate will convert to nitrite during the cure. True Canadian bacon uses the strip loin, not the tenderloin. Look for a slightly marbled slab. Roll in corn meal when cured, but peameal flour can also be used, from a bulk store.

There are local bylaws that can be used, such as 'keeping a common bawdy house', but the police will not intervene as there is a long history of 'hands off' in this domain. The worst that can happen is a complaint from the public; the police will make their presence known, then leave. It seems that the restaurant has backed away from this.

I get general Caribbean supplies at Soon Lee, Markham and Lawrence. I would really like to find a source of pimento wood chips, for jerk smoking. Anyone?

I don't want to misrepresent B.R.'s pulled pork, but on this day it was very good, just not as superb as the previous time, when I took the take out to the nearby lakefront conservation area for a tailgate lunch. It was big, juicy and voluptuous, and I had it with sauce, not slaw as in the photo. At the tasting, everyone remarked that the brisket was superb, right on its game.

The pulled pork was not quite as good as the brisket on this day. I would ask for juicy and fatty rather than lean. The slaw and sauce were excellent, as always.

I met with a group of BBQ lovers at Buster Rhino's, Thickson and Wentworth, Whitby today (Dec. 5) for a tasting of his wares. There were about 25 of us, filling the small dining area. By sheer co-incidence, a rave review of B.R. appeared in the National Post on the morning of our event. http://www.nationalpost.com/todays-paper/story.html?id=2305826 The tasting began with candied bacon, cheese stuffed jalepeno's and bacon wrapped sausage, double smoked Skewered Smoked Pork Pulled Pork, fresh slaw atop Slow Smoked Brisket (Wow!) Double Smoked Brisket Lasagna Proprietor and Chef, Darryl and Scott The finale to this amazing event was succulent slow smoked ribs, as in the top photo. Everyone agreed it was an awesome feed, and the review in the Post was confirmed.

Sorry, the double pack they have was a local product. My mistake. However they have fresh vanilla beans, and whipping cream at $5/liter, so making your own is an easy project.

Another small grocery chain similar to Longo's, with less hype, is Highland Farms. Best for fresh produce , meat counter, and Mediterranean items. If I am going to Pacific Mall, or T&T at Steeles and Middlefield, I swing down to Highland Farms at Kennedy and Ellesmere, and also Diana's Seafood at Crockford and Lawrence.

It's back, in a double pack for 8 or 9 dollars. I used my previous can 6 months after the expiry date and it was still great. You are close to their head office, so they should be able to direct you to it.

Because boxed/processed means less work. Somehow they've got it in their minds that convenience = superior quality (not to mention all the chemicals helps them win their argument in their eye). They're not really reacting to the taste difference between fresh and processed. There are other factors in the mix. That's my theory anyway. I grew up in that area (Lambton) and saw the decline of the family farm years ago, when these people were in their prime. Many sold or consolidated their farms, took nearby town jobs, and gave up the old fashioned farm fresh ways. Despite their age, these are modernized rural people, similar to much of the midwest.

Centre St. Deli carries it, I heard (haven't been there). If I was in the area I would check stores with Jewish foods, such as Sobey's or No Frills.

And I think you should at least try the recipe, Leslie, before dismissing it a priori.

This book deserved better editing and publishing. A little more time, better word scrutiny by the editor, and color photos from the accomplished photographer; all would have helped. It is disappointing when corrections have to put forth on the internet, but not unusual. The no knead bread book had a series of corrections, online. Both books are groundbreaking, and welcome additions to my library.

There is an excellent loose tea at Lee Valley, an unlikely spot, but Mr. Lee found a high grown source of tips and buds in Sri Lanka and has been selling it for years. They have a store in Burlington, ON. They also have a good infuser for about $4.

There seems to be a preconceived bias here, especially when a few sentences are lifted from Amazon excerpts and dissed. I find the excerpts read well and get the idea through to me, even if the sentences are overly compounded. The entire book is available now, and perhaps a better basis for a critique.

Do you get the full power and torque of the 1000watt motor when kneading dough at a low speed? This has been a criticism of some other machines.

The low light levels in most restaurants will require a no flash setting with ISO 1600 or even 3200. Most point and shoots will not perform well, but SLR's can breeze through easily. Unfortunately they are larger, and have a pro stigma that attracts attention when you don't want it.

In addition, you can expect to find sausages, soups, stews, mousselines, custards, brines and rubs, and some other things like fritters. It's an interesting take on American cuisine. Dumplings can be fitted to a ratio, as well as the brine for a chicken, and the stock for pot roast or or roast pork gravy.

Back Ribs course at Buster Rhino's, March 21/'09 This one day course is given in Whitby, Ontario by pit master Darryl Koster. 15 of us assembled and prepared to enter a clean production facility. We learned how to remove the back skin in a matter of seconds And then apply mustard and a rub Then into the cherrywood smoker, 4 hrs@225F We learned a quick snap test for doneness And out they came for tasting and wrapping up Here is a rib with good smoke flavor, succulence without falling off the bone, and nicely pink throughout. Best of all, we learned how to do this in several devices, from gas grills to WSM. A pleasant 1 day course.