rubyred

Catherine Iino, your suggestion is absolutely adorable! I must admit that my overdeveloped ability to procrastinate has to date inhibited me from testing my extract, as previously promised. Unfortunately, it was exacerbated by the fact that the site I planned to order bottles from (mentioned upthread) wanted to charge me $20 for shipping to Canada on my order of $13 or so. So sad. I reckon I'll get my crap together this weekend (ish) and report back then. Cheers, Vanilla Warriors!

Thanks for the help! I was pretty sure I was doing fine, but it's good to know my friends are here for me!

So I'm making the chicken stock like I usually do, but for some reason today I have a lot of stuff (for lack of a better term) rising to the surface. My stock has been simmering for a little under 2 hours so I'm surprised by this. It seems to be congealing at the surface (due to the lower temp, I'm guessing). But since I keep noticing it, I'm wondering, am I flushing beautiful gelatine down the sink, or does my chicken simply have more impurities than usual? Any help would be very awesome!

Fatal Flaw. Laziness prevented me from stashing my, er, stash in a dark place. Procrastination too... bastards. After 6 months it has a definite vanilla-ey flavour (the famous couple of drops in a bit of cream test) tho not terribly powerful. Unfortunately I don't have any store-bought vanilla on hand for a side-by-side. Will report back soon with side-by-side results, but til then: does anyone have any scientific info about the effects of darkness? Also, my product is dark in colour, but nothing like store-bought extract. Is this down to artificial colouring? I'd been hoping to give batch #1 away as Xmas presents, so any help is appreciated! Edited to add: If potency is less than derisable, is there anything that can be done to improve my extract by Christmas? (FYI, my vanilla is now in the safe hands of the boogeyman!)

*THIS IS NOT A SALES PITCH* In a moment of weakness a few years ago, I briefly became a Pampered Chef rep. I quickly realized what a nightmare becoming a pariah to friends and family would be and quickly withdrew. The rep who I signed with worked the system and I got to keep all of the demo gear(!) The moral of the story? I have a pizza stone that I'm very happy with. Surely not as cheap as a tile, but if you know such a pariah, you can do them a solid and keep them in the money! Not much of a moral, I know, but there rarely is when it comes to cooking and baking! Oh, except for 'Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's cake; Thou shalt simply ask for the recipe', of course!

Hey Toronto eGers! My cousin just had a baby (yay!) so I'm headed down the 401 this weekend. I'd like to get a reservation at a great place, but I know it's short notice! Something upscale, but more casual would be perfect. Is it too late for a place like Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar? Or does anyone have any other suggestions for me? Thanks in advance! -Ruby From Montreal

Does anyone know where I can find Kosher gelatine in Montreal? Or failing that, vegetatian gelatine? Thanks!

Thanks for your input everyone! I just got back from Paris and the workshop was unbelievable! Pierre Herme is such a genius! In case anyone was wondering, I did get some proper shoes, although others in the group wore sneakers or even dress shoes. The guy in the dress shoes was such a #$%^ and I kept waiting for him to slip, but alas, even he was safe!

Julot, it's too bad you didn't enjoy APdC! Also, it's funny that you're in Montreal - I'm going to Paris this afternoon. We should have swapped apartments! Enjoy the rest of your visit!

I am *definitely* not trying to start something with WiscoNole here, but should I really be concerned with 'kitchen banishment' if I'm paying over $500 a day for the pleasure of a three day workshop? I appreciate the virtues of professionalism, and if I were attending a stage, or seeking employment I would have higher standards for my uniform requirements. Still, this is only a three day workshop, and the expense seems unnecessary to me. If anyone else cares to share their point of view, I would appreciate to hear more. Cheers!

I'm a personal chef, about to go to Paris for a workshop at Atelier Pierre Herme. My question is about my uniform: I usually wear Puma sneakers in the kitchen and yoga pants instead of chef pants, for the fit and comfort. Will these items be acceptable in a (French) professional kitchen? I am not keen on spending money on things I may never use again. On the other hand, I have my doubts about my Pumas from a safety standpoint; are they slip-resistant enough? Cheers for any advice!

I'm bringing back an old topic for you guys! I'm hoping that the participants on this forum will be able to answer my question. I have been curious to try green almonds for a while, but I've never noticed them at my market (in Canada). I am travelling to Paris in a few weeks, and it it my understanding that it will be the end of the green almond season. Does anyone know if it is possible to peel the fuzzy pods and preserve the meat by freezing it for transport back to Canada? Any ideas about this are appreciated! Cheers!

I'm getting ready to leave for Paris on the 30th. Thanks to everyone for helping me make a list of all the stuff I want to to bring back - I know I'll be kicking myself extra hard if I forget anything! If anybody can think of things not already mentioned here, please let us know; I bruise easily! I'm definitely planning to bring some butters (yes, plural!) home with me. Does anyone know if butter on the list of legal foods to bring into Canada? Or the US? (I'd guess the regulations are similar). I'm curious if I can declare it, otherwise I have no qualms about poker-facing the customs officers! When I get back I'll report back on any new finds. I'm taking a class at the Atelier Pierre Herme - I'm hoping to learn some amazing secrets! Cheers!

It's a very McDonald's day! I logged on to report on 3 (international!) McD's related things, and was surprised to find the McD's thread at the top of the page! 1) From US TV: McD's selling Southern-style Sweet Tea. $1 a cup! I actually have high hopes for this one. So, my American friends, what's the verdict? 2) From US radio: Biscuit Sandwich. I have to say I'm curious, but I'm chalking it up to being a Northerner enamoured with Southern cuisine. Plus after getting all excited by the McRib thread, then getting let down, I have my concerns! 3) From Canadian TV: The Angus Burger. Has anyone seen this ad? Dunno if it's just in Canada or what, but it's so tragic. To paraphrase the ad, "It's just like you'd make, so why not pass it off as your own". (The guy in the ad pretends he cooked the Angus burger for his friends). The title of the thread makes reference to the new 'quality' of McD's food. I think the 2 new items above are a nice effort. I definitely get the concept they're going for, but does anyone else think that this ad takes it a bit far? Tell me the burger is premium, no problem. But comparing them to homemade? Especially just as BBQ season starts in Canada?

After a massive delay caused by some nasty fraud to my paypal account, I am finally in posession of more vanilla beans than one girl should have! I was too lazy to read the whole thread over, and also excited to get started, so I just jumped in. Given the quantity of my beans, I wasn't stingy when adding them to the bottle! I'm now pretty certain I used WAY more beans than I'll need to produce a quality extract; I chopped up (but didn't split - see above comment re: my laziness) the beans and added them to a 1.14L bottle of cheap vodka. I now have a few questions / observations: (I'm pretty sure most / all of these are addressed above in the thread, so feel free to tell me to just reread!) 1) I know that several purveyors offer double strength vanilla. Is this produced simply by infusing double the number of beans for the same amount of time? 2) My original thinking was more beans = more flavour. Is there a maximum amount of flavour that vodka can absorb? Also, if I did indeed use too many beans, should I add more vodka to the infusion once it is useable? I would assume that adding more beans may be in order too... I realize that I should have some time ahead of me before worrying about such things, however 3) I do recall several other 'extract engineers' saying that their mixture took a while to colour and to begin smelling, for lack of a better word, vanilla-ey. Mine has been infusing for almost 2 weeks, and is already a dark brown (darker than dark beer, with lots of seeds floating around) and smells very vanilla-ey. I'm pretty sure that my jacked up bean count, as well as cutting the beans is responsible for this. I appreciate any info more experieced infusers have to offer here. Special thanks to Steven for starting all this, and for the great source! Cheers!

Hi everyone, I was talking to a friend and she mentioned a place doing upscale brunch dishes - not the usual greasy spoon fare - in Old Montreal. I think she said it was called Le Cartez. My friend definitely pronounced the 'z' sound. This bears mentioning because although she speaks perfect English, she is a Francophone, who probably wouldn't have added the 'z' sound to a name ending with an 's'. Is anyone familiar with this spot? Thanks in advance!

Hey kids! I just realized that I forgot to reply after we ate at APdC recently. Probably because I thought that everything was fantastic as ever! My boyfriend got a ridiculously ironic twist of fate tho! He has an inexplicable aversion to eggs, and ordered the Duck Carpaccio, which came with a perfectly poached egg on the corner of the plate. Not so bad, if he hadn't also ordered the Salmon Pot Pie, which was served alongside a giant bowl of egg sauce! Happy birthday baby, right?! Our server was gracious enough to replace it for him, so the day was saved! That'll learn him to ask more questions when faced with minimal menu descriptions! lol! Overall we had an amazing dinner. We did pre-aps and aperatifs through desserts with digestifs and loved every moment. The Cromesquis were, as always, a highlight for me. I had the Duck In A Can for the first time; I couldn't possibly say enough about it! My friend had the Fois Gras burger, which to me would have been too much of a good thing! I forget what everyone else had, but I finished the night with the Churros and Cafe Robidoux. I definitely remember it was delicious, but I blame the Cafe for forgetting what everyone else had! I am very happy to say that the passage of time has by no means diminished the APdC experience! Also, I recall reading a lot of posts about the unkepmt appearance of the cooks. Those who found that troubling may be pleased to hear that the cooks now wear uniforms - albeit gas station-style work shirts(!) The cooks' uniforms never particularly bothered me, but I must say I think these uniforms are apt! I now await lobster roll season...

There is a chain of bakeries in Montreal (Au Pain Dore) that sells amazing biscuits called Confidences. They're sort of like a giant macaron (about 2 1/2 inches diameter). The cookie is vanilla(?) flavoured, and is flaky and soft, with chocolate ganache filling. The whole thing is dusted with confectioners' sugar. They have recently started offering a second one with lemon curd. Does anyone know a recipe for this biscuit? A preliminary google search was unhelpful - I thought it might be best to ask egulleters before digging deeper! Cheers for your help! -R

I'm in the pre-preliminary stage of organizing a new resto, so price is a MAJOR factor here! I want to cost out some things for my business plan. I've seen Now Youre Cooking 5.83 on download.com. I think it's meant for home use, but if anyone knows anything about this or any other software, I'd really appreciate! Cheers!

Has anybody had the pleasure of dining at APdC recently? I haven't been in at least a year and I just hoping that it's still the hedonistic delight I remember! I want to take my boyfriend for his birthday. He's never been and he deserves something extra special! Also, I was reviewing the thread and several people mentioned the lobster rolls served in the summertime. Does anyone know if they're on the menu every summer? If they do, I have yet another reason to pray for melting snow! Thanks!

I think you're all onto something. Totally makes sense. In a very Dr. Freud meets Captain Obvious kind of way. Like my girl Diane says, 'Common sense is not too common'. This makes me wonder even more about the treats that DO make the cut. Jelly Bellys can't possibly be it! Especially since they're a so-called "gourmet" product in the first place - says so right on the bag, dontcha know? My immaturity disease implores you! I need something to hold on to! Do you think my corn syrup-pickled brain has altered my memory?

To me, being a grown up means I can do things I was told not to do as a child. Like eating a bag of Jelly Bellys for dinner. And especially buying things my parents forbade / rarely gave into when I was young. This probably explains how a girl raised in a Kosher home developed such a passion for bacon, but that's between me and my therapist! I read the McRib thread and was compelled to buy one. It was, in a word, McDonalds. I surmised there that the draw for the McRibbers is nostalgia. Which got me to thinking about stuff I bought based on my childhood palate (cuz I could!) that I later regretted. Or, conversely, that was positively delightful! Off the top of my head, here's what I came up with: Cap'n Crunch. The stuff of childhood dreams. So delicious out of the box! My sister and I were lactose intolerant (before it was fashionable - how avant-garde of us!) so cereal was almost always eaten 'raw' (we were ahead of the raw craze too!) But now? Dear god, Cap'n you are nasty! Mae West. I think it's only available in Canada. This is a snack cake, kind of like a Hostess Cupcake, but with white cake and a more buttery filling. I had high hopes for this cuz my Mom liked them too when I was a kid. But the experience was not to be matched. The cake tasted stale, and the filling was grainy. Another horrible waste of money! Story of my life... Rice Krispie Squares. Sheer perfection. Yesterday and today. Need I say more? Jelly Bellys. My aforementioned dinner delight! Again, perfection! Notable childhood story: My favourite flavour was Strawberry Daiquiri. At my neighbourhood candy shop the clerk scooped the candy for you. So a 9 year old me, not knowing anything about alcoholic bevvies, or how to pronounce them (just that the flavour rocked!) asked for 100 grams of Strawberry Day-Queery. I remember being SO embarrassed being corrected by the pretty teenaged clerk! lol! Day-Queery is still awesome, for the record. I even tried to work in a trip to the Jelly Belly factory on my honeymoon! Alas, it didn't pan out. Then again, neither did my marriage. Coincidence? Do you think maybe the formulas have changed and some things just aren't the same? Or is my gourmet palate simply far too evolved to tolerate such chemically-enhanced crap? What about the rest of you? Dish!

I'm afraid I have to agree with Sherry B, McRibbers! I'm not sure why I thought this fast food enigma would make my heart skip a beat, but curiosity got the best of me, regardless! I think the nostalgia factor must kick it up a notch for the rest of you. Although nostalgia can be deceiving. A while back I got a box of Cap'n Crunch, remembering it to be the most delicious cereal on the planet, even if my parents rarely let us get it. The result? Some damn disappointing cereal. Me thinks a new topic is in order...

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I just saw a McRib ad and the first thing I thought of was this thread! I've never had a McRib - maybe this was my lucky day? - but I can definitely appreciate the plight of the McRib lover! By the way, I saw the ad in Montreal.