oceanfish

I met a beautiful woman named Marjolaine. It sounds so much better in French. Marjoram is so much more clinical.

Fruitcake has certainly been around that long.

I have sometimes made a "ranch" dressing with buttermilk (low-fat to boot). Martha Stewart is one source for this.

By sources do you mean restaurants or butchers or farms? Cocagne on St-Denis Street buys and serves good quality lamb from a Quebec farmer. Sorry, the name and town I do not recall. I have bought Quebec lamb and even pre-sale lamb from Kamouraska at Slovenia on St. Lawrence Street. I am lucky to buy lamb from a small family farm that does not sell publicly because there is simply not enough to go around.

But what kind of peanut butter? I have restricted myself to all natural, which I still enjoy for the flavour, texture, and protein fix, yet occasionally I long for "junky" peanut butter, smooth from Kraft. The new Kraft label boasts "no trans fats!" and yet lists hydrogenated vegetable oil as an ingredient. How can this be so???

In response to both posts: first, I know in the past Au Pied de Cochon has served the lamb you are looking for. Second, I tend to agree that although this lamb can have a delicate flavour, advertising for it can elevate it to be esteemed a more worthy choice than other lamb. I tend to agree with the last e-gulleter in that good quality lamb can be found locally (elsewhere in the province) for less money and, often, comparable flavour and texture.

I am planning to make some sour cherry jam. Does anyone have experience with this? I've made lots of jam before, but tend to pick fruits high in natural pectin. I have read that cherries are not. Any advice/recipe for a pectinless sour cherry jam?

"The steak frites at L'Express when really late is ok." why ok only when really late? as a last resort, you mean?

Dined at Uyghur on St. Laurent tonight, I was encouraged by the postings here. Sadly, our meal did not live up to my expectations, nor did it wholly reflect the positive words of egulleters. The wonton soup was by far the best thing i tasted--fresh and firm wontons, spicy broth and a generous bowlful. I ordered a small bowl to start but I am certain it must have been the larger size. The noodles themselves were fresh and had a pleasing texture, but the accompanying meaty sauce was gristly and not very saucy--chunks of bell peppers which did not envelope the noodles in the "ghoulash" way that I had hoped. Our orders seemed to have been mixed up, as we had ordered lamb for the house noodle dish and beef for our dumplings, but it came the other way around. the dumplings, similar to pork buns, at least by description and appearance in the photos, were chewy, greasy, and gristly as opposed to soft and savoury. The winter salad was a disappointment as well. It could have been marinating on the street for a couple of days--soggy and composed mainly of inedible pieces of carrot and cabbage, saved only by a fair bit of hot pepper. Not what it was described as being. Two neighbouring tables were indulging in some sort of fondue. As we were leaving I noticed a Hot Pot menu at the cash, and wondered why this had not been presented to us. It may provide more satisfaction.

If you are willing to make your own, there is an excellent recipe complete with beautiful photos in an older December issue of Waitrose Food Illustrated, circa 2000. I haven't tried searching their website for the recipe, but if it is not to be found and you would like it, I will post it. I have made these as gifts and they are always well received.

i might try making a ginger syrup with fresh ginger in simple syrup, and mixing equal parts cherry concentrate/ginger syrup into a gin and tonic? maybe too sweet?

If there is an IKEA location where you live, they usually carry a few Icelandic products. I like the anchovies because they are not too salty and so versatile. The jars of pickled herring are quite good if you enjoy that sort of thing.

I would like to try your christmas cake recipe using some sour cherries which i pitted and preserved in brandy last summer. Since these cherries are already full of moisture, do you think I would need to reduce the amount of applesauce in the recipe?

I meant to ask what else goes into the savoury aperatif cake. It sounds intriguing.

I had some sachets which I purchased in New York awhile back. On the packet it said levure, but yes it was levure chimique. I've always wondered if this contains a secret ingredient other than baking powder. It seems to produce a different result than the "magic" baking powder I normally use. I don't recall the brand name, but I took note of the weight: 16 grams.

i'm sorry i do not have any suggestions as to what the mystery dessert could have been. i am replying simply because your original posting made me howl with laughter, and i wonder if your host had inklings of your shock and dismay? and if so, is it okay to talk openly and honestly about the food? i recently did so with a host i didn't know well, fear i may have offended but explained truthfully and hopefully did not appear ungrateful.

what exactly is passover wine? i have looked for this but haven't been able to find it, labelled as such, in any case.

Is there any chance of finding some of this year's oil from Italy by the 12th of november? If so, where? I am planning a degustation of sorts which I would like to treat with new oil if I can. I specify Italian oil simply because the cuisine will be italian.

Would you care to share your methods for making pumpkin semifreddo...please?

I like Reservoir on Duluth close to St-Laurent, Montee de Lait on Vlleneuve next to St-Denis (better for a glass of wine as reservoir is for a glass of beer), and both have good eats, and on thursdays only for a special treat, Olive et Gourmando in Old Montreal. i have yet to try the new wine bar on pine ave. but the atmosphere at Bu doesn't pull me in and the food at Pullman I don't find worthwhile.

setting out to make a condiment with wild cranberries, i ended up using a puree of crabapples as a base, roasted with skins on to preserve the redness in the final product, with the small berries cooked into it. Then I added some freshly grated horseradish from the garden (this may sound harsh, 3x puckering ingredients), but i tied it all together with maple syrup and it turned out better than i could have hoped for, with a beautiful colour, texture and subtle bite.

I have found these at Latina, but that was at least two years ago, so I don't know if they are currently in stock. They certainly are good, but I no longer eat an Italian style breakfast, cookie dipped in coffee.

Do I detect a similarity between this response and Tom's negative assessment of Toque? At least he ate there first.

Can anyone tell me what the price range is like at Joe Beef? I am planning to go but want to be prepared...thanks.

thanks for the suggestions, and assurance that buttercream can be left at room temperature. i know it is cooked by the syrup, but i guess i am a bit over cautious when dairy is involved. i'll write again when i have results...