shelora

The upper arms on some of the women I've watched grinding chocolate or chilies on a metate is awe-inspiring. Don't ever mess with those women!

I never thought of it like that, but yeah. Silky, not too thick and not too thin. The comal would be used to toast the items, the metate would be used to grind the ingredients to a smooth paste. It's has a bigger surface to grind on than a molcajete with is bowl-shaped. I don't think adding spice at the last minute is a good idea. But you did add salt though, right? And I don't think that a chicken stock with carrots and celery would make such a huge difference to the final outcome. I think it's great you have taken up the challenge of making moles from scratch. I love making mole. Best of luck in the future.

Hi Adam, From what I can see from the photo of the pastes, I think you have too much texture. Mole sauce or in the paste form, should be smooth as silk and the ground ingredients should really be passed through a strainer before frying in lard. My experience has taught me not to add the chocolate right away but once the sauce has been seasoned through frying, adding stock and reducing, mellowing the flavours like you say. It sounds like you added the chicken stock all at once at the end. This could greatly affect the end result. I've always found that the addition of chocolate does indeed add another flavour note, making it richer and like you say, earthy. Perhaps the use of regular chocolate over Mexican chocolate - most of which has the addition of almonds, sugar and cinnamon - had something to do with your findings of no distinct flavour. For stock, I use the light broth obtained from poaching the chicken first with nothing more than a piece of white onion. Strained of course. The chicken pieces are then finished in the mole sauce, when pools of oil form on the surface. Does any of this help?

Can you describe it? Thanks.

No, it's just goes right through them.

Being a lady who lunches, I think you need a soup, sandwich and a salad on that lunch menu. Perhaps a grilled sandwich of some sort with an accompanying salad. And I'm sure you will be offering some sort of soup du jour. Now that spring has sprung I'm avoiding confits, braises and foie gras. I'm craving the fresh green flavours of spring. Take advantage of what's in season. Yes to asparagus and the first sprouts of damn near everything. Yes to fresh tuna - salade nicoise with a free range egg is one of my favourites. A wonderful bowl of steamed clams or mussels done lightly with a white wine or make it heartier accompanied by chorizo. A dish that is popping up around the island is the Ploughman's Platter. Perhaps a better name is needed but the concept is great and wonderful for sharing over lunch with a bottle of wine and a few small plates. Island cheeses, chutney, charcuterie, great bread and wonderful olives does a great platter make. Good luck with your menu.

I have only used the quick cooking grits which are smaller than you have described. Unless you get other advice, I'd experiment with my usual ratio of 1/2 cup grits to 2 cups boiling water and see what happens. I love grits and I hope it becomes a staple on your menu.

Where are you thinking of importing it from?

That and how she assumes to know how the judge make their choices. Yeah, we all get together at Jamie's house and kibitz around and then vote. Sorry you weren't invited. It's a ridiculous notion and makes me think she deliberately stir things up because that is her M.O. for her column. Admitting that I'm riled up because of it is embarrasing so I'm going out for oxygen. Adios.

I think her cranky food critic persona is just a character she assumes to write her weekly column. How unfortunate she did not see Tojo at the pre-awards nosh, because he was there but constantly surrounded by people a whole lot taller than himself. Too bad she also missed what else the general manager for Tojo said when he accepted the award, it was hilarious.

Best acceptance speech was by chef Rob Belcham of C, who thanked the fish.

I'd like to know what sells to begin with and why the Parks Board thinks the menu has to change. I suspect the biggest sellers are ice cream, chips and hot dogs, as they are on any hot summer day at any concession stand across B.C. I'd also like to know why they feel they must change the menu. Short of offering perhaps a veggie burger and some healthier drink choices, the grand triad of fast food - ice cream, hot dogs and chips - can't be beat. Money maker? Totally.

Hot off the press. New issue of EAT magazine. Wonderful article on chef Neil Wyles' celebrity pud - photo of chef holdiing said pud, very calender worthy.

Dear Feedbag, Little Vienna Bakery on the way to Sooke H.H. and Point No Point. , #6 - 6726 West Coast Rd., 250-642-6833m www.littlevienna.com Father's Fi and Chi is located just before downtown Sooke in a trailer on the right hand side. I'd like to recommend a copy of the Eating & Drinking Guide a stellar magazine format guide book, published annually by Vancouver Magazine. Included in the book are the best establishments on Vancouver Island (including Tofino), Vancouver and the burbs, Whistler and the Okanagan. Oh so handy.

Don't forget to pull into Little Vienna Bakery for your morning baked good. Unforgettable butter croissants and apple struedel and caffeine fuel provided by Victoria's little darlings, Caffe Fantastico. And if the thought of yet another gourmet meal has you sighing, how about a dose of Vitamin G (grease)with Father's Fish and Chips. Right on the highway.

Does the threat of mad cow disease ever shimmer across your mind while eating a juicy burger made to your specifications?

Perhaps it was a French Fly. I couldn't resist. But to get back on the topic bandwagon, have you considered Bacchus at the Wedgewood Hotel? It's got that old school element - dark, cozy, quiet. Great place for hiding out, sinking into a chair and getting drunk in the lounge, a romantic dinner in the dining room or dinner with DAD. A very respectable joint. Excellent food. Just the ticket, I think. Bacchus

We also eat too much, especially wheat and dairy. Having struggled for years with these food sensitivities, I know the difficulties involved with finding foods to eat. When you start reading labels, wheat is in practically everything. Looking for a quick snack? Trying finding something besides a salad, that doesn't have a base of wheat in it. The North American diet is also heavy on dairy. I can only speak from experience, but going through a period of abstaining may be just the thing for clearing up any health issues you may have. It worked for me. May I also suggest exploring cuisines from other cultures. The world of rice is damn interesting. For a thought provoking read on the human diet, try the book Eat Right for Your Type. The author(I've forgotten his name at the moment) bases his theory on blood types.

Honey, I don't think you need a headhunter. See thread titled, labour shortage in the hospitality industry. The doors are pretty much wide open.

Beautifully said.

I doubt that this is a possibility, but has the property considered on-site housing for employees? How far away you are from Nanaimo? Having just returned from Tofino and listening to their labour difficulties, the bigger properties have made a bigger commitment to keeping employees by offering very affordable on-site lodging. Tofino has always had a lodging issue, but this year might be their most difficult in finding workers. Not knowing how big of a team you have out there Colin, would it be too great of an expensive for your employer to consider offering some sort of transportation for employees? Like a shuttle service. Do you have one to ferry your customers in from the Nanaimo airport? And James, I do recall the Aerie having a shuttle service at one time. What happened to that? Perhaps the remoter properities on the island could start a dialogue about finding and keeping good employees. A previous poster waxed passionately about learning with little pay as incentive enough to work in the industry. That is all well and fine, but for how long? Another poster upstream said they were moving to Calgary for work, but wasn't it in Calgary recently that a new restaurant was providing a trip to Mexico as incentive for finding employees?

There is one server in particular who works at the Rosemeade, Temple, and Cafe Brio (I think that's right - Shelora?) in order to get by. I had to do the same during my adolescent angst years, washing dishes and doing prep in the day while bussing tables at night. The seasonality of work is the real killer. The city rocks tourists from May to September, but then it must rely largely on locals in the winter. I think the doldrums are getting better, but then again it's been a few years since I took a paycheck across the Strait, and most of the staff I knew growing up have moved to Vancouver. ← I think I know who and what you mean, but those places you've mentioned aren't particularly seasonal, nor are the ones claiming a labour shortage. This adds to the mystery.

Thanks for your perspective Colin. Personally, I would like to know what places in Vancouver could possibly be paying those kinds of wages. Andrew? Should we be packing our bags?

you keep interesting company

Quien sabe! It's minimum wage in the retail sector as well. What contributes to the strangeness here is that a few of these restaurants are actually putting a message that are closed due to a labour shortage on their answering machines.