shelora

What time is dinner?

I think olive oil,lemon treatment would be fabulous. The first and only time I had fresh garbanzos was from a street vendor in Uruapan, Michoacan, Mexico. They were simply steamed with a healthy dose of salt. Delicious street food.

No open flames here either. My paellas are cooked on an ancient electric stove, made by Frigidaire. 1940's, I believe. One of the keys to paella, I read, was to have an even heat under the entire the pan's surface. This addresses any issues of one side cooking more than another. I think I'll make it again tonight.

For those with no immediate hope for scoring a paella pan, cast iron pans work wonderfully for making paella. I did a back to back paella test last night. One cast iron pan with arborio rice and the other with Bomba rice. Bomba rice is definitely the winner. The arborio produced a paella that tasted like a risotto, the Bomba produced plump individual grains. I've never seen or tasted any rice like this. I'm sold. s

Lard needs to be stored in the refrigerator. It won't last forever though. I suggest making small batches. In terms of equipment - cast iron will work just fine for heating tortillas or roasting and toasting chilies. A blender is indispensible in the Mexican kitchen along with lots of wooden spoons. And yes, don't even bother with dried epazote. Its got to be the easiest thing to grow besides dandelions! Hope you have as much fun as I do cooking one of the most fascinating cuisines of the world. s

CharlieR, I would like to point out that nowhere in my post did I say that Victoria specialty shops are mediocre. What I was referring to was the overwhelming amount of mediocre that pervades Victoria, on so many levels. Choux choux will be a shining example and welcome addition to the businesses that do take the time and effort to provide exceptional service and products.

Sprouts - ewww! With roast beef and blue? - just not right! Speaking of Subway, what is that smell that they produce? Its kinda of like fresh baked bread with an undertone of chemicals. I guess its supposed to entice customers, but I find the odour alarming.

I'm adding that the Bomba rice is $10.75 for a 1 kilo bag at Ottavio. Now, I'm too curious to let this go and will have to go buy a bag and do a tasting with arborio and med. grain rice. I had no idea that Spain grew rice. Amazing.

I enjoyed the writing - it was fast paced and entertaining. Great opening hook. I noticed he enjoyed a bottle of the Winchester Pinot Noir over on Mayne Island. Ken Winchester is a very very good wine maker over here on Vancouver Island at the Barking Dog winery. And I only found the one reference to maw, Jamie.

Wait a second, isn't lumiere a French word meaning white spot??? hmmmmm.... I wonder. And Keith, I think provocative is the only way to go.

Although I am sorely disappointed you are not planning on dining in Victoria, I will just swallow my pride and recommend other establishments. When you stay at the Long Beach Lodge in Tofino do dine in their Great Room whenever you get a chance, especially near the fireplace. I find this setting much cozier than their dining room. Other dining options (in no particular order) MUST INCLUDE: 1. Sobo - at the Botanical Gardens, lunch preferably, but dinner there is also an option. Choose a picnic table and start with the crispy shrimp cakes, fish tacos and polenta fries. Then go thru the menu from there. 2. Raincoast Cafe - contemporary setting with Asian influences to the menu. 3. Shelter - BIG PORTIONS, great flavours. Favs - crab cakes. 4. The Pointe Restaurant at the Wickanninish - An intelligent choice for dinner with an unsurpassed lofty view of Chesterman Beach. Everything on their menu is superb. Outside microphones provide ambient sounds in the restaurant - the sunset frog symphony was most impresssive. 5. Chocolate Tofino - be seduced by the chocolate truffles made by Gordon Austin. New place to check out will be Patisserie Conradi - for pastries, etc.

I know you asked for the lower mainland, but in Victoria, Ottavio sells Bomba rice. www.ottaviovictoria.com 2272 Oak Bay Ave., 250-592-4080 Why is it the choice for making paella?

I have had jalapenos with no heat - very disconcerting. I thought there was something wrong with my tastebuds or my chilie tolerance had advanced at a surprising rate. With eating experience, I have discovered that a chilie's heat changes a great deal. Whether its growing conditions, the weather or the introduction of GMO seeds, I'm not sure. I've had jalapenos that just ripped your face off -even without the seeds - and ones like you experienced. Don't give up. Try another. You're bound to get lucky.

Have you tried getting her really drunk first? Or high? I've noticed this tends to let down ones guard. On a more serious note, how about a jaunt to local farm for a u-pick experience. This bland palate of hers sounds like it belongs to someone very out of touch with where food comes from and very little experience cooking and no travel experience. Could I suggest organic chicken next, for a baby step toward full flavoured foods? You could perhaps do a back to back tasting - regular factory chicken vs free range organic.

Windows still papered up as of yesterday. A little peek-hole reveals that much activity is taking place. The elves seem to be making lots of sausages and the shelves and coolers are brimming with goodies. Patience, my sweet.

Someone on the Vancouver forum is jonesing for pho delivery. None seems to exist. Only relying on a few friend's photographs as clues, street food and food delivery is an everyday occurrence in Vietnam and always cleverly done. Surely someone has developed a way to deliver fresh, hot and tasty pho noodle soup to hungry customers stranded in an office somewhere. If you've experienced pho delivery in Vietnam, how is it done? Any photos?

Pho - how I love thee. I have ordered pho on numerous occasions for take-out. The technique the restaurant used is to pack it all up separately - the broth with noodles at the bottom in one container - choppped chilies,basil and lime in another, and hoisin in yet another. Sticks and soup spoon wrapped around a napkin. While it sounds perfect, I burned my hand real bad from trying to manipulate the noodles and condiments with the hot broth. Most of it ending up all over the counter and my hand. The broth was also too hot to sit in styrofoam, it was practically melting. I think pho requires space to enjoy - take-out containers just aren't big enough for my pho rituals. If it was to be delivered, you'd have to have a big bowl ready to pour the noodles and broth into - and you're right about the noodles. They can't be sitting in the broth too long. Unless the delivery service was a pho-only service. An a-la-minute concept. Broth in a spigotted sistern, partially cooked rice noodles - just let them sit in the broth for two minutes before eating - chopped and ready to go basil, lime and chilies....that sort of thing. There is probably something like this in Vietnam.

Thanks, Daddy-A. You are a peach. According to the White Spot head office, there are several locations "off the island" that are solid drive-ins with no drive-thru options. Can anyone confirm? It's got to be either a turn your lights on for service or speaker-phone beside your parking spot. 1126 SE Marine, Vancouver 4126 Lougheed Hwy, Burnaby 4075 North Road, Burnaby 7207-120 Street, Delta 1100-333 Brooksbank Ave, North Vancouver 19651 Fraser Hwy, Langley 20855 Lougheed Hwy, Maple Ridge 45373 Luckakuck Way, Chilliwack 2190 Harvey Avenue, Kelowna 1-555 Notre Dame Drive, Kamloops 10181-152nd Street, Surrey

The texture should be firm, plump and moist. I eat it lke a ravenous animal with good mustard and maybe some bread - if its lucky. Never cold vodka shots though, must try it. Wasn't there a rumour a while back that true goldeye was over-fished/extinct and being substituted by trout?? I've probably gotten that misconstrued but I recall something was fishy in the goldeye business.

I am adding my vote for the La Pommerie at Merridale Ciderworks. We enjoyed a late lunch last Thursday after a stop in at True Grain organic bakery at Cowichan Bay. La Pommerie has a vast wrap around deck where you overlook the orchards and rolling hills. Chef John Waller provided a refreshing take on a Ploughman's lunch with local cheese from Hilary, fresh bread by his wife Tracy, alongside housemade chutney and five different salads - roasted beets with creme fraiche among them, and smoked meats from neighbouring Dutch Deli. My companion had the smoked ham (also from Dutch Deli) and tomato sandwich. This thing was a monster - sandwich not companion. Simple, fresh, hearty and delicious flavours. Chef Waller shops for daily ingredients from his local purveyors and farms and inspire his ever-changing menu. You can also partake in a tasting flight of Merridale's ciders at the adjoining tasting room or choose from their very smart B.C. only wine list - the Pinot Noir from Winchester Cellars, among them. Not to be missed during this summer's outings and possible inclusion for the Vancouver egullet challenge.

If I'm not making my own, I prefer the Don Pancho brand out of Oregon. I stock up when in Vancouver - especially the taco size - and stack the freezer or give to friends who are just as hooked as I am. And they do freeze wonderfully. s

In Canada, the prices are even higher. And the selection, on the west coast at least, is pathetic. We usually end up going to the U.S. to buy tequila - the prices there more in keeping with my budget - or going to Mexico. But I really don't think tequila should be that cheap, considering the process involved in making a quality product. It might not be aged that long as you say, but growing it, handharvesting and then the whole process of roasting, double distillation, sometimes triple distillation etc., is a huge process and the producers should be charging competitive prices. How cheap do you think it should be? There are a growing contingent of single estate producers out there now, that are making a great product. Why should they cheap-out in price? After all look at the prices of organic gins. In Canada, we are still a long way from appreciating the finer points of tequila. That hoser mentality of shooting back the bad stuff with a lick of salt and lime is a huge reality. And you do have to shoot it, that bad stuff available on most bar menus is so harsh. This is partially due to our liquor board, plus price and availability. If they could just lower the prices in Canada, we might be able to appreciate its finer points a lot easier. I guess.

Not knowing what you can or can't get in Providence, let's say you can't get anything. I suggest then the following: A brand of corn tortillas you have never seen before, taco size preferable and as much as you can physically carry. Better yet, get a box, so you can stack the freezer. A few fresh cheeses (please take a cooler) Fresh looking dried chilies: - chile arbol - chile ancho - chile guajillo - chile negro (pasilla) - anything rare (chilhuacle) Fresh chiles like chile manzano - canela - piloncillo - a good molcajete - annatto seeds - a big bag of dried corn husks, I prefer bigger over smaller - 100% agave tequila - a good comal - flor de jamaica - garden seeds to grow your own epazote or purchase any hoja santa plants you might see. - a few super duper mojo candles (I recommend the Indio Poderoso and the Run Devil Run variety - they have the corresponding graphic on the front). - Virgin of Guadalupe car ornament. - Mexican wrestlers mask or El Santo video - just because. You may have money left over, so treat yourself if the store also doubles up as a cafe. Check out their tamales, elotes or tacos. Have a great trip. Shelora

Bizarre. You know this guy must be frigging desperate to resort to cheesy tactics like this. We're talking pennies here, aren't we? God, couldn't he just as soon take the money gleaned from the latest charity box on his counter? He makes a damn good chorizo, and not knowing how he'll react when I bring this up - in a non-threatening, non-chalant way - maybe our relationship is coming to an end.