shelora

The buck stops there does it??

For your anniversary?! You must be dating yourself!! Demitasse? John's Place? Mo:le? Come on you guys, is romance really dead?

I agree with the linty white napkin issue. Nice pair of black pants and I get up to leave and I'm covered with lint. Thanks. Perhaps the hostess could have a link remover brush at the ready. I would be happy to see some sort of polyester blend napkins replacing the standard ones. The other thing - have you noticed the small plates concept going a little too far? Small plates, big flavour, great idea. A way to try or share numerous things on a menu and not breaking the budget. I think that was the idea at the beginning. Now hefty price tags for the main event are getting mixed up with the appetizer/small plate portions and the small plate menu prices are getting out of hand.

Brasserie is different from the three. Think Le Pichet on a smaller scale. All dark wood, intimate setting, excellent service. Food focus is big on local, seasonal with a French flavour. Braised dishes a highlight - mains $18. across the board. Small plates $4.00. It would be shame for you not just to go for drink at the bar with perhaps some kushi oysters or a plate of mussels. You'll love it. s

I would suggest you find yourself a copy of the Eating & Drinking Guide, put out by Vancouver Magazine. The 2006 edition should be out this fall, but even the 2005 edition would be most helpful for you for website info. The magazine lists Vancouver and its suburbs, Victoria, a good portion of Vancouver Island, Whistler and the Okanagan. *** By the way, so glad you have come out of the darkness and admitted to being a lurker. Do you feel like a great weight is off your shoulders? ***

Not knowing if you have access to cooking facilities, I'll pretend you do. Head on down to your favourite noodle joint and stock up on frozen dumplings/dim sum. Steam in bamboo steamers, serve in the steamer or individually on oriental soup spoons with a drizzle of sauce. Boom. Catering.

Lunch in Victoria? Capitol idea!! 1.Zambris' would be great for a casual locale with fresh flavours, Italian inspired fare. 250-360-1171, 110-911 Yates St. Reservations not needed. 2. Il Terrazzo for big rich plates of food. Wonderful room and if it's sunny, chose an outdoor table, reserve if you can. 555 Johsson St., 250-361-0028 3. Daidoco for Japanese small plates, lots of organics, casual atmosphere, good for take out if you need a quick bite before or after whale watching - and I don't mean the other tourists! 633 Courtney, (behind the bug zoo), 250-388-7383 4.Canoe, sit outdoors if you can. Great brew pub, generous portions, 450 Swift St., 250-361-1940 5.Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub, 308 Catherine St., 250-384-6613 On the water, great views and brews and food. 6. J & J Wonton Noodle House, for homemade dumplings and exquisite Chinese food, 1012 Fort St, 250-383-0680 What else do you want to do? Do you have wheels? There are some fabulous boutique wineries that could get worked into your itinerary. Since Brasserie L'ecole is not on your list, perhaps you could consider a seat at their bar at their 5:30 p.m. opening for a small plate and glass of wine before you go for dinner. You won't regret it. 1715 Government, 250-475-6260. Have fun.

George. Went for a quickie. Is that a Dale Chihuly chandelier? That is tasty. Wonderful cocktail list, expert bartenders, but alas, the joint is too loud for me. Not a place to try and have a conversation. I can't stand having to yell when I just want to relax and unwind. And I do worry about the low backs of those bartenders, observe next time you are there, how they have to stand. Man, that looks killer after an eight hour shift.

It's a beautiful thing.

Don't most farmed ducks come from the Fraser Valley? And B.C. ducks are still available throughout Mexico.

Lark sounds perfect. Thanks Malarky. Are most eateries closed on Monday? s

Any details on Union?

Hoping to glean a few tips on any new dining establishments in the Seattle belltown area. Taking the clipper over next week, so we shall be on foot, although a cab ride is not out of the question. Our usual haunts of Le Pichet, Salumi and Harvest Vine are on the agenda but we're hoping for a few more highlights. What's new Seattle?

One thing never to ask for when applying for a kitchen job: a challenging position. Or, " Do you have any positions that need filled?" Sorry, couldn't help it when I read, "what are the various positions." - Something in a prone position, perhaps? Seriously though, if you check a copy of Larousse, they will have all those positions aptly defined.

Is the child a celiac? Some people say they are gluten intolerant but it's associated with wheat only. These folks can usually tolerate spelt. You should be able to get spelt flour at your local health food store or I might suggest contacting that very cool bakery in Winnipeg - I can't for the life of me find the article about it that appeared in the National Post two weeks ago - the name escapes me. They bake organic with many alternative grains - organic, spelt, kamut ,etc. These folks will definitely know what to use for gluten free pizza. S

The soup dumpling thread provided by Laksa shows an excellent photo by Tepee. Could we safely say that the soup dumpling has that ridge around the bottom exactly like the ones I polished off the other day? Thanks HZrt8w for the blog on Hong Kong dim sum - indeed the Har gow are exquisite. Is this dumpling porn at its finest?

Sobo at the botanical gardens. Outdoor dining near the truck or inside with garden views.

Thanks to Laksa for the informative threads on the soup dumplings and Dejah for more confirmation of what I've been eating. Damn, they are good. Packed fresh frozen in a 94 count bag (if I recall correctly), two of us devoured the entire bag over a couple of hours. So easy when they taste that good, plus curiousity also kept us eating so we could gauge how much soup was in each one. Will be going back for more. S

I have just been reading about those referred to as "soup dumplings". The book claims that these are soup contained within the dumpling , rather than dumplings to be cooked in a bowl of soup. Any thoughts from the group on this? s

Definitely not a bun. The amazing thing about these dumplings was once I steamed them, they had a ridge at the bottom of them that contained the juice - some more than others. I was told by the maker that I was to make a little hole in the side, let it cool off a bit and drink the juice before eating the dumpling. Dumplings. One of life's little miracles. Thanks everybody for all your insights. s

Finally... tried the much-raved-about Hangar Steak (and the Gingerbread Pudding) at Hamilton Street Grill. Both items lived up to their reputation - the steak was juicy-tender-chewy with great flavor intensity, and the pudding was juicy-tender-cuddly with WOW sauce and ice cream duo. Great to finally meet chef Neil - had the mini tour of the new rooms - very swank. Thanks Neil and see you in the fall. S

I need the definitive book on the world of dumplings, wontons and noodles. Can anyone recommend one that might have the addition of photographs?How do you tell which ones are for steaming, frying, or for soup? Are the different shapes an indication of what they are used for? Example; soup dumplings, pan frying or steaming? Some are pleated, some are just pressed together at the top. I am currently eating something called juicy pork bun. Not really a bun, but a little bigger than a normal dumpling encountered at dim sum. A round shape pressed together at the top with a little hole in the middle. The dough is firm, the flavour delicious. I understand this is a typical dish of Northern China. Any other insights into this? Shelora

When I studied voice, one of my teachers was adamant about not drinking cold liquids - very bad for the throat. It is now engrained, I always ask for water, no ice. And as an aside, I've always found it interesting in Mexico, that they will not go for a swim if it is even slightly cool outside. They say it is very bad for the health. We've booked hotels solely for the advantage of a pool. For us, December is balmy most places in Mexico. We dive right into the empty pool with many of the service staff watching the crazy foreigners.

Where and what have you been eating?

I would start by phoning a local food supplier like Gourmet Warehouse or cheese diva Allison Spurell at Les Amis du Fromage. The majority of cheesemakers use a vegetarian rennet known as Mucor Miehi in tablet form. If the two contacts don't help, perhaps try a local cheesemaker. If you are a true aficionado try to score some real animal rennet.