chromedome

The "7-bone" is often sold up here as a pork "shoulder steak." Not as tender as the sirloin but fattier, and both are good when grilled. I'd lean toward the sirloin if I was doing a stir-fry or something like that. Bear in mind that pork is usually the "cheap meat" up here, the way chicken is Stateside, so that's probably why these are cuts you don't see much south of the border.

It's not about those, at least not in the fashion they've been imposed on other products/countries. It's more about differing approaches to the dairy market. Canada limits dairy production, which means our homegrown dairy industry provides an actual living to those who engage in it. The downside is that a) imported dairy products are sharply restricted, and b) costs for consumers are relatively high. In the US, dairy is part of a large system of interlocking subsidies. Dairy farmers' cattle provide an outlet for some of the vast US overproduction of grain, which in turn leads to a huge surplus of dairy products (Google how much US cheese consumption has increased over the last four decades...go on, do it...). Much of the acrimony around the recent trade negotiations between Canada and the US revolved around the question of dairy, with the US seeking greater access to the Canadian market for some of its below-cost overproduction while the Canadian industry, for its part, argued that it would be the death of domestic production. I don't think the scenario is quite as linear as the homegrown dairymen would like us to believe, but certainly there's a case to be made. We also adhere to different standards up here. It's been a while since I've written about it (and therefore since I've researched the variance in our respective production criteria) but IIRC recombinant bovine growth hormone is permitted in the US but banned in Canada, and there are some differences in allowable husbandry practices as well. Not necessarily better/worse, you understand, but different. It's a complicated topic, which (like so many others) tends to get shortened down to opinions that can be expressed in a tweet (or perhaps a bumper sticker).

Over the course of the month, despite the aftermath of moving, I've managed to catch enough windows of passable weather to finally get my garden in. The last things went in just yesterday, which is very late indeed even by local standards. I went with store-bought transplants for the longer-season items (tomatoes, cukes, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, etc) and direct-seeded my usual overload of greens (kale, collards, chard, beets - I count those as greens, primarily - spinach, lettuces, etc).

For a balanced look from the other side of the table, here's a recent article from a high-profile industry publication: https://www.qsrmagazine.com/reports/delivery-dilemma-rages-restaurants

He's generous of his time, in that way. I split my training between NSCC in Halifax and NAIT in Edmonton, after moving for family reasons, and he came to both schools during my time there (to speak to the students, and also to judge student competitions).

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-island-chef-order-of-canada-2019-1.5192773

NP. https://spicetrekkers.com/news/gaspé-spices-pourquoi-pas

Son of a gun. I've certainly hacked down my fair share of alder over the years, without knowing the catkins were edible. Mind you, Spicetrekkers' own page explains that there was no established tradition of using them culinarily, so I suppose I could be excused for not knowing this.

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/06/27/735429939/couscous-a-symbol-of-harmony-in-northwest-africa-a-region-of-clashes

That's more or less how it works in my neck of the woods as well, though the taxonomy is always tricky.

Sounds like my kind of book.

The late 50s were an interesting time in the UK, as the gaudy butterfly of "Cool Britannia" began to emerge from its grey cocoon of postwar austerity. The popular series "Call the Midwife" is set during that interval, and is fascinating to watch (not having been there, I can't answer for how well they captured the feel of the era). There's an unconventional film musical from 1986 called "Absolute Beginners" that's set a bit later, in the early 60s, and is well worth seeing. "A Private Function," set a bit earlier during the postwar rationing, is a minor classic (it stars Michael Palin and the always-wonderful Maggie Smith, and brings us back more or less on topic because it revolves largely around pork).

I will point out that British Columbia, where Okanagancook lives, has a large Indo-Canadian population (even by Canadian standards, and Canadians with roots in the subcontinent make up a substantial part of our population). Finding these cool things in secondhand stores is probably a bit more likely in BC than elsewhere, but you never know your luck. I have one in much the same style as Sartoric, but the handle of mine was cast as part of the pan (ie, all in one piece rather than attached separately). I found it in a second-hand shop in a semi-rural area of Nova Scotia, where such things are decidedly less common.

Makes sense. Sriracha mayo's been around for a while now, I guess they're looking for something more novel.

My ex-wife, well into adulthood, was miffed that the dog's name often came out before hers in similar circumstances (despite her being the eldest child).

Some places sell bag openers like this, but with a sharper point (I couldn't find the right image): A former co-worker of mine (a prep cook) used that to "unzip" them quickly.

The recall on this mysterious treat has just been extended to Alberta as well. http://inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/newsroom/food-recall-warnings/complete-listing/2019-06-21/eng/1561158555168/1561158555414

I agree. Perhaps because of a misspent youth, when I hear "chunks" in my mind's ear it is always preceded by the word "blowing."

?? Mayo with peri-peri?

Unless you're on really, REALLY good terms with a local fisherman or fishmonger, you buy the fish heads and cut them off for yourself. At least, that's how it works anywhere I've lived.

Costco here in Canada was selling pickled pork tongues last year. I really, really want to meet the salesman who closed that particular deal. Conversely, I felt very sorry for the listless and discouraged-looking young man who was working the sample table. It made his day when I took two.

Like the seaweed that produces carageenan (ie, "Irish moss"), dulse is widely gathered and used around the UK and other locations. On this side of the pond, because that particular bit of lore didn't seem to translate to the 13 colonies, it's largely identified with Atlantic Canada (and Grand Manan in particular...the gold standard is Dark Harbour dulse, and many here in NB will eat no other). It's salty, and savory, and you can do a number of interesting things with it. I toast it lightly and crumble it over salads and chowders, when I'm not in the mood to just eat it straight from the bag (I *have* seen the odd handful with barnacles or other impedimenta, and make a firm mental note to never buy from that vendor). Somewhere in the PNW, a university is selectively breeding a strain of dulse that tastes especially like bacon for the meat abstaining/reducing/and-or vegan crowd. Many stores now sell dulse flakes in a shaker, as a sort of salt substitute/seasoning you can simply shake onto dishes for a bit of brininess. There are several plants of slightly different taxonomy that share the colloquial "Labrador tea" moniker. Some have more medicinal properties than others, and therefore (they're opposite sides of the same coin) also more potential toxicity. In modest amounts it's not thought to be an issue. The "true" version, recently reclassified as part of the rhododentron family (I had occasion to look this up recently, so it's fresh in my mind) has an interesting if subtle flavor, with minor undertones reminiscent of vanilla. A couple of my older Newfoundland relatives keep some on hand for when the mood strikes. No idea about the other two, though a book of Eastern Canadian wild edibles is sitting currently in my "should I or shouldn't I?" list for Amazon and/or Indigo. One or the other might turn up there.

They *are* sweet, unquestionably, so for me it all comes down to the ratio of crust to filling (I like a little more crust than most, and more raisins). That being said, a cup of strong coffee will correct for any excess of sweetness.

Triscuits are a weakness of mine. I like the roasted garlic, but favor the black pepper variety even more. Usually have the original on hand, too. Bought a box of the cinnamon variety out of morbid curiosity, and the box (minus those first two crackers) remains in my cupboard. I theorized that they might work with a suitable cheese melted onto them and a thin slice of pear (or something like that) but haven't yet bothered to make the experiment.

As do I. One of my proudest moments as a culinary student was walking up to a group of my instructors at school, and hearing one of them say "Hey, there's Fred...Maybe he'll know!" As it turned out, I didn't. It was a question about an obscure Middle Eastern ingredient, so of course I posted about it here and was thrilled beyond measure to get a response from Paula Wolfert, writing from an internet cafe in Istanbul. She didn't know either, but theorized it had to be some sort of local, non-standard name for whatever ingredient it was. So the whole inquiry went nowhere, but it was still quite a memorable moment opening the site and reading "Wolfert quoted you..."