Wayne

There is a chinese BBQ restaurant in the Gerrard Broadview area of Toronto called "Ka Ka Lucky".... Made me do a double take.

Thanks for all the suggestions. We ended up going with a Pinot Noir which worked out very well. I'll keep the other suggestions in mind as this is a dish we make at least once a month.

I've just finished roasting red peppers for the year and would like some advice on a wine pairing. I'm planning on preparing gnocchi with roasted red pepper sauce (garlic and tarragon) with grilled shrimp. Any suggestions on a wine to complement the sweet smokey flavors of the red pepper sauce? Thanks in advance.

I have some suggestions: Segovia in Kensigton Market (Augusta west side just north of Baldwin) has quite a few types of chorizo. We like them. Vendor in north St. Lawrence market (southeast corner) has a large selection of sausages. Some are a little too salty for my taste but that's me. Highland Farms on Dufferin has a very nice Barese sausage I'd go out of my way for. Their others are okay but nothing special. Cheers.

Braised lamb shanks...braised anything for that matter. Baked pork and beans. Tourtiere. Squash soup. Onion soup. Bean soups with sausage or hocks or ham. Potato gratins. Any game we're fortunate to be given. Fall is indeed my favorite season.

My wife doesn't like stews or braised dishes so when she was away on a field study for 5 weeks this summer I made large batches of osso bucco, braised lamb shanks and braised beef short ribs. Not summer dishes but I enjoyed them.

We also like the Bench for winetouring. In addition to Cave Springs and East Dell I would also reccomend Thomas Vaughn (very small with some interesting wines) and Thirty Bench (reislings).

Poor quality pasta.....overcooked pasta....oversauced pasta....pasta with big chewy chunks of sundried tomato.....inappropriate use of cheese..... Restaurants that commit one or a combination of the above mentioned sins against pasta. When I order a pasta dish I expect good quality pasta, properly cooked and with a sauce that compliments the pasta but doesn't mask it. Unfortunately it a rare combination.

Comfort food.... My Mom's cooking when I was young. Pate Chinois (French Canadian version of shepherd's pie) and tourtiere. My 70 year old mother still makes tourtiere for me and my four siblings every christmas. They make their way from Ontario to Seattle and Vancouver Island. I've made it myself with my Mom's recipe but it's just not the same.

I agree with previous posts concerning blue crabs. The fun is having a large pot of crabs, a table of good friends and beverage of choice. A friend, born in northern China, introduced us to eating the crab with dark vinegar and grated ginger. A nice combination.

I do not pierce the wings but do find air drying necessary to get good crispy skin. Frank's lime and cilantro sauce works very well.

I don't like deep frying so this is my way of making wings. Separate wing into 3 parts (save tips for stock) then wash and brine the wings for 30 minutes. After brining rinse and pat wings dry, lay them out on a rack over a cookie sheet and allow to air dry in the fridge overnight. Coat wings with sauce of choice (mine is Frank's and some cayenne or a chopped scotch bonnet and some melted butter) then bake at 450-475 until skin is nice and crispy (30-40min. depending on size). What I'm looking for in a wing is a crispy skin with the sauce glazed on with the flesh cooked but still moist. Do not like wings swimming in sauce.This method works for me. I'll certainly try some of the other suggested coatings.

We have and use ziplock bags, microplane graters, a vacumm sealer and these are all great tools/gadgets. My personal favorite, and one I can't imagine doing without, is the simple salad spinner. Saves so much labor (not to mention paper towels) and can be used for much more than salad greens and herbs.

I no longer buy PC prepared dinner items. What looked good in the "insider's report" usually was a disapointment at home. I'm still a big fan of their Reverse Decadent Chocolate Chip and Raisins First cookies, especially on canoe trips. Haven't tried the Lassy Mogs yet but will give them a try.

Worst: Recieved a mortar and pestle set that disipated rather than concentrated force. The mortar was about 5 inches diameter and the pestle was as wide as the bowl of pestle and had a tiny grip (large enough for thumb and forefinger). Useless.