Gul_Dekar

Wow thanks for all the responses. Will definitely have a look at what you guys recommended. I'm not a culinary school student, just a college student (tho wish I could one day go to one to learn). Again, thanks guys!

I'm a bit clueless when it comes to buying knives, but just wanted to get a decent one for a relatively low price...btw 30-40 dollars. I'm just a student, so can't really afford the higher end knives on the market (although I wish I could). So was wondering if you guys have any tips for a knife newbie, on what to buy and what to look for in a knife in general if you're not planning to spend too much. Like would a Henckels International Classic be good or something? Thanks!

Myoglobin is the protein found in muscle cells that acts to carry & provide oxygen to muscle cells when a lot of oxygen is needed. Cells need oxygen to produce energy for movement & stuff. The reason why beef & lamb are more red than, say pork or chicken, is because their muscles contain more myoglobin since they eat grass. Grass contains iron which is an essential building block for myoglobin & hemoglobin (myoglobin is actually quite similary to hemoglobin, found in blood). The iron within the myoglobin (and hemoglobin) is what gives rise to the red colouration. Although not entirely relevant, certain creatures (such as insects) use other metal ions such as copper in place of iron in their 'hemoglobin'...which is why when you squash cockroaches, their bodily fluids look green and not red like ours!

Thanks for the tips! I'll check out those places mentioned.

I was wondering where would be a good place to go in Toronto to find good quality skillets & saute pans? Any restaurant supply stores that sell them real cheap (or relatively so)?

He said he didnt know what foie gras was in Battle 1, but the funny thing is I watched an episode of his Thirsty Traveler show where he actually COOKED THE DAMNED THING (Ice Wine episode)! So how could it be that he seemed like he's never seen foie gras before?

I guess Sakai lost points for taste mostly because of the trout ice cream. From their body language, it seemed like the judges didnt really like it all that much but probably finished it anyway so as to not seem rude to Sakai. Personally I preferred Sakai's presentation over Flay's for most dishes, 'cept maybe just wrapping up the pot as a gift part. I mean if it was a gift, the gift wrapping wasnt done very nicely then. So basically it just seemed like a quick way for Sakai to plate one of his dishes. What I think is that Sakai was mostly having fun on the show. On the ICJ, he was one of the permanent Iron Chefs, so losing was not an option. But on ICA, he seemed to take it a bit easier since he didnt have a reputation at stake (most people who watch the original know he's a great chef already!). That's just what I think.

Sweet! Thanks Shiewie!!! & Thanks Solo Banana too!!

Well it's quite expensive here, they dont give u a lot, and most places arent really that good. Probably couldnt even beat the satay stalls at the nearest food court back home where I live...and those were just typical satay stalls. Thanks for the help btw!!!

Hi, was wondering if there's anyone out there who knows a real good authentic Malaysian satay recipe that would taste almost as close to satay you would find from those Malay street vendors. Miss them over here in Toronto. I've tried a few online ones, and they just dont taste quite right.

My friend used my microwave oven to reheat his garlic bread. With the aluminum foil still on it! It was AWESOME!!! Flashing white sparks inside, almost like a science experiment that I used to do in high school... at least nothing was damaged or exploded. Friend didnt want to eat the bread anymore though.

LCBO stands for the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. We can only get liquor from LCBOs here.

Spanish Asiago on white bread. Mmm...

Cool, thanx for the advice guyz. I just wanted to try cachaca cuz I haven't had it before, and caipirinha looks like a damned fine drink. Thanks again! :)

I was wondering if anyone has seen cachaca being sold at any LCBO in Toronto. Thanks.

I've noticed that some Chinatown grocery stores in Toronto actually sell non-cooking chinese rice wines. Not sure how they get away with it tho. But I've tried using sake instead of Shao Hsing...and it works ok. Sake is a lot sweeter tho, I think.

I guess having spent most of my life growing up in Malaysia, I don't find durians smelly at all. They smell pretty darned good, in fact, albeit very pungently so. They have a very rich taste, with a very creamy texture (the ripe ones anyway) and some leave a slightly bitter aftertaste. I do prefer Malaysian durians to Thai durians, but I guess it's a matter of personal preference. The wild variety are the best because they have a more complex flavour, and you can probably get them on the way up to a hill resort in Malaysia known as Cameron Highlands from roadside dealers. Though sometimes it's a pain buying wild ones, since if you don't choose the right ones, they could be filled with nasty worms inside...but it's well worth the effort. And well, most people consider eating durian with alcohol as taboo. It's supposed to make you ill, and it's even been said that some people actually died from consuming durian together with alcohol. I tried looking up websites for scientific fact about this, but a lot of sites didn't offer very convincing explanations. I guess no one really cared to find out the real reason behind this.

I suppose those Chinese trucks on St. George are really just catering to busy students who don't have the time or luxury to go to Chinatown restaurants for food. And besides, I've tried a few of them, and the one in front of Robart's now has very good fried tofu with black bean sauce. And the one further down is also pretty decent considering the price you pay and has good variety as well. Don't like Ken Ho's tho, they don't give you enough for the price you pay and the food's not that good either.