Jake

I spent years eating crepes en salade for lunch when visiting friends in Quebec. Chopped green salad with mayo/dressing in a fresh hot crepe. Haven't thought of that in ages. Of course dessert was crepes with fresh maple syrup.

I swear by cast iron for tuna, on any grill top, even the bbq!

Try Scheffler's (east side, halfway down), they have a small selection of imported chocolate. Haven't noticed it anywhere else, but I haven't really looked either. If they don't have what you're looking for, perhaps they can point you in the right direction.

chefzadi, these sound very intriguing.....can't wait to hear about sauces! The fresh semolina pasta looks like something simple and easy to put together for dinner one evening.

I often do a salsa with tuna of mango, chili, lime, red onion and cilantro that is really nice.

St. Lawrence Market is open Tuesday thru Saturday.

Hi Tammy, thanks for blogging! Liam is adorable. With regard to your big meal this weekend, perhaps you could incorporate ham into it as it is shortly after Easter you may be able to get a good deal from your butcher. Just a thought cost-wise. Looking forward to your blog!

First time I ever made osso bucco was for a bf and I had personally never eaten it so I had no idea what to look for in a recipe. Anyway, the recipe I used called for 1/3 cup of orange peel in the braise, not just peel for the gremolata. So I put it in, cooked as supposed to, tasted it and screamed!!! It was vile. bf thought if was vile. If I recall correctly dog thought it was vile. Didn't actually try osso bucco for a few years after that.....

My hot cross buns are in their first rise as we speak -- with lots of currants and lemon zest.

They are correct the way they are.I have made the Reinhart English muffin recipe many times and yours look perfect. The photo seems fine, too. They do come out on the tall side, which is why I think Reinhart has you bake them in the oven at the end. How did you like the taste? Congratulations on a good baking job! ← Linda, thank you so much for your response, it really helps when you're not sure what you should be ending up with. I loved the taste, much, much better than the storebought version (which I don't like). The SO was really pleased too as they are one of his favourites and I buy them rarely. Such a good little girl am I. I have plans to make hot cross buns for Easter tomorrow, but that will all depend on timing as I have to get everything in order for Easter dinner for 30 on Sunday.

I highly recommend the gentleman selling elk in the North Market. I have purchased elk tenderloin and rib steak from him, the quality is wonderful. I do most of my weekly shopping at the market and visit Kensington frequently for variety or other ethnic ingredients esp. crema and other latin ingredients.

Monoprix is a market and cheval -- well, think Mr. Ed. Seriously, cheval is horse.....but don't knock it until you try it!

Well, in the interest of true comparison, tonight I did fried chicken using the buttermilk/crisco method. Chicken was brined in buttermilk, salt and Crystal Hot Sauce for 24 hours, drenched in seasoned flour and cooked in crisco at 325 degrees. The pictures below are perhaps not the best, but I didn't want Marlene to hunt me down and beat me with a chicken back!! Personally, we've decided we prefer Brooks method as it gives a crispier crust and we felt juicier, tastier meat. But I'm sure I'll have to do it again soon, just to be sure!

I got the BBA today, and experimented with the English Muffins. They taste great, could maybe have gone an extra minute in the oven, my only concern/question is they seemed much taller than what I expected. (I'm fairly new to bread baking, but not cooking). They are about 1 3/4 inches tall. Has anyone else tried this recipe, or does anyone have any suggestions? Or perhaps, they're correct the way they are?? Edited to add really bad photo.

Chefzadi, just came across this thread and wanted to say thank you for taking the time to do this. I'm really excited to read more about the food and common flavours -- almost as excited as I would be to read your cookbook when published. I love middle eastern and medditeranean food and have been lucky enough that most of what I've tried has been in the homes of expats rather than North American restaurant imitations. Can't wait for the next installment.

Lucy, merci en avance for blogging again, the first one was so wonderful. I freeze duck fat all the time with no problem as it is sometimes hard to find at a reasonable price. I have kept it frozen for maybe as long as 3 months in the past with good results.

Thanks for the review, Gord. I have heard this a couple times lately, from people who were there for the 5, 6 or 10 visits. We had been contemplating going back soon, but I think I'll hold off for awhile and see what transpires....

Damn, I knew I shouldn't have revisited this thread again......off to the store for supplies, will be trying the buttermilk method for fried chicken today/tomorrow. 24hrs is too long to wait!!!!

I attempted biscuits with my chicken at the beginning of the week, but they go a bit too crispy while I was busy perusing eG. Okay, truthfully, I burned the c%$p out of them!!!

Guppymo, the Be Thui looks absolutely fantastic. Would you be so kind as to post a recipe for it? Your photos and explanations are wonderful, so wonderful that I think I hall begin to try and add some of these dishes to my repretoire. I haven't had a lot of Vietnamese food, but I've really loved everything I've tried....time to expand.

Can't wait! Perhaps you should send samples!!

Lucy, to answer your initial question I think that's one of the things I love most about french cooking is the regional differences. For those outside of France there are the known "classics", which, of course, have all come from some region of France, but the different regional dishes are what really intrigue me today. The differences between say, Provence, Alsace and Normandy are extensive and with so many specialty books being published these days I think it is easier for anyone outside the country to learn about and enjoy the differences. The first time I had tatiflette was the most amazing experience. Truly, a simple dish, but the sum of the ingredients,

Okay, after reading everyones posts I am convinced I need to do this again, using the buttermilk marinade and Crisco for comparison. Seriously, it is probably just an excuse to have more fried chicken this weekend. I shall endeavour to get the camera back before the second experiment, as well as making sure we're not having company the next day. The whole house smelled like oil!

Love the raincoats!! I wish I could get my 3 to wear them when it's wet but as there are 2 golden retrievers and 1 german sheppard they either don't make them that large, or the boys tear them off immediately so as not to look too sissy-like. Males, hmph!

Looking forward to your blog, Daddy-A. I haven't been to Vancouver for about 5 years now, unfortunately as it is a great place to visit. I'm sure your blog will be great, I confess to popping over to read the Vancouver forum frequently just to see what's going on. Thanks for taking on the challenge.