cnspriggs

Has anyone had Stonecroft and if so how was it?

Hi waaza! Thanks for this and your blog was great! I had a feeling the time couldn't possibly be right. I will try for a 20+min fry of the onions without the spices in the pan and report back.

I'm currently in Duncan but I move around the island regularly so anywhere is really an option. I guess I don't get north of Parksville as much as I am anywhere there and south.

Sorry for the multiple posts!! Kept saying there was an error and it hadn't been posted. My sincere apologies!

Can anyone recommend some great New Zealand Syrah? My background is from a Northern Rhone perspective but I'm open to anything as long as it's very good quality and no worry about where it is available as I'll source directly.

Hello! I'm working my way through a local cookbook (Vancouver restaurant called Vij's book) and keep having the same thing when starting out the curry recipes with his 'wet cooked masala' and hoping someone can help. As per the directions I start my spices (usually cumin seeds) for the 30sec or 1 min on med-high heat as suggested. It strictly says to make sure the spices do not burn. Then I put in the chopped onions which are instructed to take about 5-8 min at the same heat and turn a dark brown colour. I end up having to turn the heat down so the cumin in the pan doesn't burn but then the onions take way longer to brown than the suggested times. I can tell for sure something isn't working as when I use black mustard seeds in the spices the instructions say if they start to pop they are burning-well I get the onions in and the seeds stop popping initially but then if I do not adjust the heat they start popping again. Can I leave the heat high and somehow stop the cumin from burning? Is it possible I'm not using enough fat (I use either canola oil or ghee)? Is it the pan I'm using (I have a nonstick good quality fry pan)? I really want to get this right as I think the big difference between my version of the food and restaurants in how much deeper brown they get the onions compared to what I can before my spices burn. After this the instructions read that the chopped tomato goes in after until the 'oil glistens on top' I haven't quite figured out if I've got oil on the top or not but again the recommended time seems too short. Any help is appreciated!

I was wondering if anyone can tell me where to get black chickpeas, asafoetida and other indian ingredients on both Vancouver island and in Vancouver? Thanks!

How is everyone making out with these recipes? I've found a few things I'm struggling with. First, his liquid measures sometimes seem too much to me. For example I was making 'Beef Short ribs in cinnamon and red wine curry' and it calls for 5 cups of stock. By the time the 4 hours simmering was over I had soup that looked nothing like a curry and was very thin (there is a picture of this curry on the foodtv website from when Vij was on christine cushing). I wondered if perhaps his instruction to simmer the ribs covered was a mistake and should read uncovered? A similar experience happened in he Yam stock for the 'Seared Pacific Halibut with black chickpea and yam curry'. Also when I make the 'masala' part of many of his recipes I must be doing something wrong. I start my spices (usually cumin seeds) for the 30sec or 1 min on med-high heat as suggested. Then I put in the onions. I end up having t turn the heat down so the cumin in the pan doesn't burn but then the onions take way longer to brown than the suggested times. Can I leave the heat high and somehow stop the cumin from burning? Then if there is tomato going in after until the 'oil glistens on top' I haven't quite figured out if I've got oil on the top or not but again the recommended time seems too short. Further, I'm on Vancouver island and can not find Black chickpeas, or asafoetida-any suggestions? Even if you know where to get these in Vancouver let me know and on my next trip I'll stock up. Overall I'm loving the book and have heaps of fun trying the recipes and nothing has been a disaster-just doesn't quite taste like when Vij makes it....Not that I mind still having to go to dinner at Vijs!

Thanks for the suggestions. That's too bad. What about the other direction-people wanted to sell wine (any wine). Do people use the American sites?

Hi there! I was curious if there are any sources for wine auctions in BC-particularly for older vintages of BC wines? My guess is our province is still too archaic but I've been away for some time now and wondered if any new options had opened up... Cheers!

Has anyone here tried the Pizza recipe from Cook's Illustrated that we designed for the BBQ (in the Summer Grilling 2006 issue)? The dough for it is quite different from what has been discussed here. 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 cup water, room temp 2 cups bread flour, plus more for work surface 1 tbsp whole wheat flour (optional) 2 tsp sugar 1 1/4 tsp table salt 1 tsp instant yeast

Thanks for the response! I know some of the ones listed are likely the "usual suspects" but since I have not visited the area before I'm trying to get a feel for each region. However I am finding it difficult to figure out whether the cellars I'm interested in have tasting rooms/cellar doors etc. I would be interested to hear which of the smaller producers you suggest visiting.

Hi glauer, Yes we likely will leave the city so suggestions are more than welcome! Cheers!

Hello! I will be travelling in the Rheingau, and Mosel-Saar-Ruwer and need some help trying to figure out who (and if it's possible) to visit. As it stands I'm interested in the following but there is more here than I have time for and would love to hear comments. In the Rheingau: 1) Leitz 2) Peter Jakob Kuhn 3) Weil In the Mittelmosel (help! there are too many!) 1) Daniel Vollenweider 2) Christoffel 3) Selbach 4) Markus Molitor 5) Joh Jos Prum 6) Loosen 7) Fritz Haag 8) Sankt Urbanshof In Ruwer (unsure): 1) Reichsgraf v. Kesselstatt?? In Saar: 1) Egon Muller 2) von Volxem 3) von Hovel Cheers!

I am travelling to Germany and would love to hear some thoughts on the stores that people buy food and special treats at. Where are you going for German chocolate, good coffee, great cheese, wine etc (especially for German made products)? Also any bakery, farmers market or other non-restaurant related options in the following cities would be great to know. Nuremburg Stuttgart Berlin Rhineland area Cologne Cheers!

Sending a thanks to those that responded and also a note about what else I have found. I had found www.sabato.co.nz which has Valrhona but couldn't find anything higher than 70%. I did find www.chocolateboutique.co.nz which has two Italian chocolates Domori (has 70-100%) and Venchi and a better shipping price too! Cheers!

Hello! Living on the south island for a while (Cromwell) and missing dark chocolate (70%+). Are there good sites for ordering food items here? Cheers, Cherie

Hi all This conversation is a very slippery slope. We must remember that we are not producing beer. Putting a 'required pH' in your list of criteria for choosing a wine can be dangerous. First, pH is only part of the story. There is still TA to consider which will influence the acid taste of the wine in some respects more than pH. Additionally the pH's quoted below while common in warmer climate wines are still high compared to many wines made in Europe or in cool climates. Further an often difficult problem that many tasters have when say tasting Australian wines is that they are too acidic. The producers in search of a 'good pH' have been forced to add a large amount of the quite harsh tartaric acid. The subject of acidity in wines is quite complex and trying to simplify it into one range of pH's is dangerous. All that said - I agree that wine should have good acidity and not be like fruit punch regardless of whether you will cellar it or not. Lets just try to decide whether the acidity is good based on what we taste rather than one number associated with the wine. Cheers!

The strange thing to me is that I find the Aussy/NZ lamb I get in Canada is far superior to the stuff that I can buy when in Australia (have yet to buy NZ lamb in NZ but that is on the to do list for this weekend). With the exception of a few select hard to get to butchers in Australia I think they send most of the good stuff away. We have also had a hard time finding any red meat with much marbling in it whereas in Canada even Safeway can carry some decent meat.

Hi! I'm curious if anyone else has previously had trouble finding websites for cellars in Burgundy? If so, where or how do you get contact information for the wineries there? Cheers!

I'm reviving this thread in hopes of getting recommendations on good places to eat (may or may not be fancy) dinner in the Blue mountains. Ideas? cheers!

It's called Kanta. An Adelaide Hills Riesling that is made by Egon Muller and I'm curious to try it. But since I'm in Cessnock NSW I haven't found a way to get my hands on it. Won't be able to get to Sydney any time soon and I'm not sure if any shop there would have it anyway. The only place online that seems to sell it was www.winezy.com.au but I didn't really want a whole case.... Wouldn't mind getting my hands on Kreglinger sparkling wine too.

I know every year is different but I'd like to get an idea on when the harvest typically starts in each of the major regions of Spain. Can anyone help? Cheers

Has anyone used www.winezy.com.au? They have a wine that I can't find through any other delivery service.

I was wondering if anyone could relay there experiences with ordering wine from internet sites in Australia? How was the service? Is there any worry about them delivering the wine in the heat of summer or is there a way around getting your wine baked? Any particular companies recommended or not recommended?