piperdown

So are people only concerned about gas stoves? I have an electric stove that I leave on over night all the time when making stock, and I've never really worried about it. If I forgot something and have to leave the house for a short time I also tend to leave it on, but in my mind I'm worried. I'm not sure if there is actual concern, or if it's just the years of being told not to leave the oven on that has me paranoid.

I find that stirring plays a big role in how a fondue turns out. I agree with everyone that you should only add the shredded cheese a handful at a time. When stirring make sure you stir deep, and in the same direction (my family always stirs clock-wise for some reason). A friend and I were making a pot each side-by-side, and his turned out clumpy and ugly. The reason was his stirring...I was ready to kill him. There is no no better way to piss of a Swiss then to fuck up a fondue. I mean seriously all the guy had to due was stir. My family's recipe for fondue includes Gruyère, Emmentaler, and Appenzeller cheese. We also add vacherin fribourgeois if we can get it, and Tilset if we can't.

I got this book a week or so ago, and can't wait to start cooking. So far the only think I've tried, is making stock. The way Bourdain went on about making your own stock, I figured it was time to get off my ass, and make my own for the first time. I made the demi-glace (which I think turned out well...honestly I've never made it so how would I know), and a beef stock which smells awesome, but I still need to reduce it a bit. I'm hoping to use the beef stock to make his Onion soup, (even though he recommends a brown chicken stock...I'm just stocked out right now). My father just brought back some salty, amazing, Gruyere from Switzerland last week, and I can't wait to use it in this recipe. I'm also looking forward to trying the Beef Bourguinon recipe.

I just wanted to thank everyone for suggesting this place. I just got back from a few days in NYC, and other then visiting friends this was the place I was dying to go to (Hey, I'm a student on a budget..I can't quite afford per se yet). It didn't disappoint. The weather was beautiful so if nice to just sit outside and people watch while eating one tasty burger and shake. I wish I could have had the custard, but the deep-fried Mars bar I had an hour earlier meant that a double-burger, fries and a caramel shake was all I could take.

Good Luck on your new Adventure. Five years ago, a few years after my parent's Divorce, my Mom quit her job and bought a B&B. it was the best decision she ever made. It was definitely a gut wrenching one, but it was the right thing to do. I'm sure you made the right one as well. It' definitely a different way of life (having worked there on and off on holiday's), but it's an amazingly rewarding one as well. Good luck, and have fun.

For creativity, I don't think Edo can be beat. Plus their Green Tea Creme Brulee is insanely good. However, one of the best sushi joints in Toronto has the be Hiro Sushi it's super fresh, and seems more traditional (yet still inventive) then Edo. Both of those places however are pretty pricey on my student budget. If I want good sushi, for a reasonable price I go to either Sushi Man or Sushi on Bloor.

Well that's not what the doctor said. And I've seen more then a few cases of food poisoning that have happened pretty quick. Plus I wasn't looking to get comped in all truthfulness, I just felt that all things considered (he knew us, we didn't eat the main course...), the guy could have been nicer. I don't know where you came to the conclusion that I was trying to make the restaurant a victim, considering I never even asked for any special consideration, and paid the bill and left a tip without any fuss. It wasn't until the next day, when we were at my girlfriends place that I told him that it could have been the mussels.

It's the Pearl Restaurant at Queen's Quay. I Think it might also be served at the Pink Pearl (in yorkville?), but as my Dad lives 5 minutes from the other one, we haven't been in years. It's been on the menu for years (over 17 years anyway), but I've never seen it anywhere else. Thanks for the suggestion everyone. None of them sound exactly like what I'm used to, but they do sound good, so I think I'll give them a shot.

I don't get it either. That one comped meal, probably led to most of your guests wanting to go back. While if it had just been a normal experience maybe only a few would. The big picture escapes people sometimes.

No, she wasn't. We had eaten them before. Also she was feeling fine all day, and we had eaten the same thing for lunch. I think it was just one bad mussel. I mean I'm willing to concede that it may not have been the mussells, but that's the only thing that makes sense.

It was at Clark's on King, which unfortunately shut down, although I hear that Clark is now cooking somewhere else in town. See, now this is awesome, because I had the exact opposite experience at a local restaurant. My girlfriend and I had been given a gift certificate to a pretty nice bistro in town , as a token of thanks from a friend. Being poor students we were pretty happy to be getting a good meal for a change. So we went out, and had mussels as a first course. All was well until the main course came and two bites in my girlfriend starts feeling ill. I rushed her to the bathroom, where she proceeded to be violently ill. After awhile the waitress came to check on us, and a fellow patron who was a nurse was also looking after her, as I felt a little weird standing outside the toilet in the women's washroom. We decided that she should go to the emergency room, so I went to settle up and get the car. Plus we hadn't even touched our main course. I go up and the manager asks how my girlfriend is, I tell him we're going to the hospital. He also asks how she got sick, and I said it was probably the mussels. He keeps on talking, and I finally had to just tell him to get my bill, as I really needed to go get the car and go to the hospital. The waitresses wrapped up the food, and the manageer gave me the bill. He charged us for everything! Even the Mussels! I was a little shocked but didn't argue, as I needed to get to the damn hospital. The really stupid thing is that the manager was really good friends with my girlfriends housemate, and knew who we were, as the housemate had mad the reservations for us. The other crazy thing is that he was coming over to their place for a dinner party the NEXT NIGHT. At the party, he asked how she was, and asked if the doctor knew what made her ill, he said "probably the mussels", and he sheepishly apologized. Then never came near us the entire night. We were a little pissed off, so we kept repeating the story the entire night. Petty I know, but a little deserved.

A few years ago for my Birthday my father took me out for dinner at one of the best restaurants in Kingston and had an awesome meal and a great conversation with the owner and Chef. Fast forward a year, and I got into a bad car accident, and ended up in the hospital for a few weeks. My Father drove from Toronto to Kingston to stay with me. One of the evenings he went back to the restaurant, and when the owner found out I as in the hospital, he sent my dad home with a bunch of food for free, including an insanely good chocolate cake. After eating disgusting hospital food for a few weeks that was one of the best meals of my life.

The two thai cookbooks I use are Real Thai, which was already mentioned, and Simply Thai byWandee Young. The last one is great, and is by the owner of Young Thailand in Toronto (one of the first Thai restaurants in North America supposedly)

One of my favourite Chinese resturants in Toronto makes a dish called "Rainbow Chopped in Crystal fold", and I'm dying for some. However, I no longer live in Toronto, and I can't find a recipe anywhere. The best I can describe it is minced pork, stir-fried with vegatables (celery, carrorts, waterchestnuts), Chinese sausage, in some kind of sauce. Then Fried rice noodles (or mung bean) are added, and this mixture is then wrapped at the table in lettuce leaves that have been smeared with Hoisin sauce. Does anyone have any idea on how to make this? I have also heard that it can be made as part of a peking Duck dish, but I've never had it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Yeah, Tempura batter is very simple. It's the consistency that sometimes gives me a problem. I use Cake flour, and the cold water is important. I usually use an ice bath to keep the batter cold. I've occasionally added some beer to the batter instead of water, but I like both ways. The bubbles of the beer keep the batter light, but cold mineral water can do the same. Sweet potatoes are still my favourite tempura veggie, but I also realy like Asparagus. You need really thin shoots though. Red Peppers and Cauliflower is really good too.

I've always just cut the tops off, hollowed the center, and poured balsamic vinegar in the hole. Add a little salt and pepper, wrap in foil, then place on a grill till done. Easy, yet tasty. Some of the others sound good though, so maybe I'll try them out soon too.

If I'm boiling the corn, then I remove the husks an cook until the colour of the kernels become a little yellower (maybe only a few minutes) in salted water. I like my corn crunchy though, so maybe I'm undercooking it. However my favourite way to cook corn is to grill it. When I do this I remove all but the last layer of husk, and I never soak the husks in water. Then I just throw the corn on the grill or embers and wait for the husk to char (turning occassionaly). When the husk is burnt, it's ready. The corn will be nicely carmelized (some will say burnt, but what do they know), and it will be some of the sweetest corn you'll ever have. It's just like grilling Asparagus to bring out the natural sweetness.

My favourite thing to do with nutella is spread it on toast with peanut butter It tastes exactly like a Recese's Peanut Butter Cup, and it's just melty goodness.

FUCK!!!! How did I miss that? Oh well, I guess this just means I'll have to go back

Look's like the Toronto Star hasn't been reading our discussion on the 'new' Poutine Trend or not trend though, the new Poutine's are yummy. I had one at Bouchon that was awesome, but somehow I don't think it would compare to one with foie gras.

I think it is possible to do good quality frozen food. And I think PC does this quite well, or at least they try. Their new Indian dinners are great, and their Lasagna is really good as well. True you can tell they skimp on a few things (such as the sausage in their Jambalaya), but over all I think they do a much better then average job. You also have to commend them for trying different things. Would Stouffer's or Swanson come out with a frozen cassoulet? Not a chance. I think Loblaws realizes that people want quick and easy alternative, that isn't the normal frozen fare, and they try to play with this. The only Pc product that I found inedible was the Thai frozen meals. The other thing that I hope is a by-product of this is that people won't be afraid to try new recipes out. I mean, let's say a family tries the frozen cassoulet, something they might never have even considered eating before, and they like it. Hopefully the next step, once the dish is demystified to them, is trying to make it themselves, and realizing just how quick and easy some dishes are to prepare. I don't think this would happen if PC didn't step outside the norm, and market new products.

Chein Noir is good, dispite the fact that my friend got food poisoning from the mussels (nothing like ending a nice meal in the emergency room...without ever getting to eat your main course). I'd still give it a try though. One of the best resturants is Casa Dominico (if you feel like Italian). Unfortunately Clark's on King closed down, but Clark is now cooking at Aqua (or Upstream, I forget which), and he's probably the best chef in Kingston. I haven't been to the new restaurant yet though, so I'm hesitant to recommend it, especially since it's not technically his restaurant, so I don't know how much of an influence he's had there. As for informal lunch, I swear by Luke's they make just about the best chicken ever. It's owned by a couple, and they do everything themselves. They smoke there own bacon and Smoked meat, and l'm pretty sure they were going to try to start growing their own organic produce. Their bread and chicken soup is awesome as well. If you like Thai and vietnamese food, there are a buch of great places to go. If you feel like pizza Atomica (right next to Chein Noir) is great, and I like it better then Wooden Head's, but the menu is simpler. The other poster was right though, there is no resturant in Kingston that is pretentious.

I totally agree, and that's why I drive 15-20 minutes to shop there as opposed to shopping at the A&P that's across the street. I do agree that Loblaw's and President's Choice has changed the way Canadian's eat. Sure maybe some of the Thai frozen dinners aren't great, but because they're PC I think most people have tied them. I think for every product that I don't care for there are at least 5 that I wouldn't want to live without. They market the latest trends to the masses, and demystify the ingredients so that Mr. & Mrs. Meat and Potatoes will go out and try something new. Sure they might never try it again, but they tried it, and that's the kind of brand power that I think any company would kill for. Plus those new PC frozen Croissants, are better then any croissants I can get in Kingston, be it bakery or store

Yeah I agree, the Thai dinners are pretty bad. Their Thai sauces though, are really good. The new Indian frozen dinners, however, are great. Even if you microwave them they turn out good. I always try to keep a few in the freezer for when I need a quick Indian fix and don't have the time to cook it myself