Mooshmouse

Absolutely hilarious! It's even funnier when read aloud as I just did with Ian. His reply? "My sentiments exactly." These presents now supercede the anaphylaxis-causing party platters as the most lethal gifts this Christmas. Oh, sure. Send or regift the carcinogenic kitchenware and try to kill someone else with it. Hmmmm. You could use it to... to... chill your sugar-cookie dough until it's ready to roll out, thus avoiding a 2006 repeat of the Great Cookie Clusterfuck.

That decanter set sounds, uhmmm, remarkable. But I firmly believe that my glasses would be a wonderful compliment to your burgeoning new collection of glassware. Instead of sending them to Badiane, I'll just give them to you as a housewarming present... that'd save me the mailing costs. Ding, ding, ding... we have a winner! I can bring these over to your house as a hostess gift! They'd look great on your shelf beside your antique tea set. Oooh, J. would just love me for that.

Yeah. Kinda like no-run pantyhose. And you know you want summa dat. No such luck. Solid as a rock. I could use them for crushing peppercorns or nuts, perhaps even tenderizing meat, and they still wouldn't break. I'll take the latter! Cassandra, I would've phoned, but the brand-new hand-crank cordless phone that we got from Great-Great-Aunt-twice-removed-Louise wasn't working properly on Christmas morning. The glasses, not so much. The plastic chandelier, however, is an entirely different story... the birds love it. We spread it with peanut butter, sprinkled it with sunflower seeds and hung it from the tree in our back yard as a bird feeder. But word on the shoes... likewise. Joie Brilliant! Nothing short of brilliant! Ooooh, are you the proud owner of The 100 Best Ways to Use Cream Cheese and Miracle Whip In The Same Dish? See above two comments. I think I'm rewrapping these glasses and shipping them to your house for a New Year's present!

Swisskaese, I hop in and out of your blog every day. As half of the token Gentile couple at many shabbos dinners with an Israeli family that we once knew, I'm thoroughly enjoying your colourful food journal. Milk in Ontario( maybe all of canada???) comes in plastic bags. There are 3 individual plastic bags in one larger bag( 4L total). You insert one bag into a special milk pitcher and cut a slit in the top. I have Michigan milk in my fridge at the moment or I'd take a picture. Maybe another Canadian will oblidge ← Lo and behold, a website devoted entirely to milk in plastic bags! It even has a step-by-step pictorial on how to properly use these wonders of modern packaging. Just when you thought you'd seen everything on the internet... I haven't seen bagged milk in British Columbia for a number of years now. Come to think of it, I can't even remember when stores stopped selling it that way.

No way! Didn't you read the X'mas loot thread where I said "cute" ice blue sushi dishes? Gotta say, though, those would be some damn big Jell-O shooters. They'd make for one killer hangover. Three comments. (1) She's right. Her gifts are absolutely horrendous. (2) Obscenely weighty for what they are. Not just crap, but a heavy piece of crap. (3) A single glass of wine? Not a hope. For you, that'd last for 3 minutes. Maybe. Measuring marks yes... pour lines that are directly proportionate to each guest's behavior and level of drunkenness at a party. Ah, I could only wish that the stem-thingies were hollow. Actually, they're more like trunk-thingies because they're so damn heavy. If they were hollow, I could more easily justify a breakage excuse ("Oh darn, they all just happened to tip over without warning..."). As for bad clothing gifts? That's when you spill something on yourself before you leave the house so that you're forced to change before going out. And the spilled substance should be something that leaves horrible stains: beet juice and blueberry puree are two things that immediately leap to mind.

Not even relatives... friends that we see regularly. Apparently, they don't know us nearly well enough. But, now that our kitchen display shelves are fully stocked with our real glassware, the evidence against using these beauties should speakly loudly enough on its own the next time that they visit. It's for this very reason that I always thought they should be called church "bizarres" instead! Oh, how I wish you had taken a photo of said ice bucket. Just think of the pure comedic value it would have today! I suppose you could have used it as a trash can... in your storage shed where you'd be sure that no one else would see it.

You're bang-on with that last statement. They're actually rather good friends of ours. Maybe we could use them once. And once only. Then I'd relegate them to the kids for their "special" glasses. Really, Daniel, would your conscience let you re-gift that guilt-free?!

People, you have not let me down!!! I'm laughing so hard that I've got tears in my eyes!!! Perfect! Vessels for yukkaflux/yuccaflux/however it's spelled. Bombs away! Hmmm... Manischewicz... doesn't that taste especially good when paired with long-life noodles? Unfortunately, no. A claim of breakage might be the best way to go in this situation. We both have kids, so that's a valid excuse. But breaking all four simultaneously might require a pretty tall tale. I don't have the courage to tell them I don't like the glasses; however, Ian might, especially after a few glasses of scotch! The irony is that these friends of ours have relatively good taste in wine. Sadly, they don't seem to have the same taste in glassware. Ghastly. That's a great word for them. I laughed pretty darn hard when I read about your Jovan Musk perfume... I thought that fragrance (and I use that word loosely) died a slow and painful death in the seventies. But 'brie in a can' and 'UBrew Ice Wine'?! Seriously? A truly extraordinary piece. Words fail me. Perhaps because a strong wave of nausea has overtaken my ability to speak. You're a strong, strong woman... Depression glass is a rather appropriate reference to my particular set of glasses... I'm rather depressed with the knowledge that I'm forced to have them in my house! That's terrific. Nothing more that I want for Christmas than a good old case of anaphylactic shock. Do they at least give out EpiPens as stocking stuffers? Food crime against humanity. What a horrible waste! Sadly, Fresser, that was one of the first uses that popped into my head: dessert glasses for some sort of gelatinous or ice-cream creation... for the kids. Maybe I could just package them up and ship them directly to Rachel Ray. They'd be a nice match for the colour scheme of her kitchen!

'Fess up. I can't be the only victim of this. Birthdays, anniversaries, Hanukkah, Christmas, whenever. You open up a beautiful package only to find... absolutely useless, ugly crap that's been camouflaged by lovely gift wrap! Tasteless swill disguised as wine, hideous dinner plates, cookbooks from which you'd never cook a dish. Case in point: Christmas morning. Sitting around opening presents when, to our abject horror, we discover that we're the proud recipients of these babies. Tell me. What exactly am I supposed to do with these? Can't re-gift them in good conscience. Certainly can't display them with the rest of our glassware. And what do we say when our friends come back from vacation and ask us how we like the new wine glasses? So, come on. Share your stories of gift-opening nightmares from special occasions past. Consider it part of the cathartic healing process in your recovery from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.

The Georgia Straight Thursday, December 29 edition Rice cakes ring in the new year – Craig Takeuchi sheds some light on the lesser-known celebrations of Japanese New Year. Best Eating: Little local eateries highlight of edible year – Angela Murrills takes inventory of some smaller restaurants that have stolen our stomachs and hearts in 2005. Uncorked: Thirteen toasts to the finest wines of 2005 – Jurgen Gothe provides "a case-lot list of the best of the year, imports division." Food of the Week: Parmigiano Reggiano – Buy yourself a late Christmas present at A. Bosa Foods & Co. Straight Goods: Last suppers – Last-minute bookers might still be in luck for New Year's Eve meals at Aurora, Shiru-Bay and Tomato Fresh Food Café. Straight Goods: Cafe art – Citröen Coffee House is a popular newcomer in lower Lonsdale. Straight Goods: Carb card does good – Proceeds from purchases on a Cobs Dough Card benefit Canuck Place Children's Hospice. Straight Goods: Staying close to home – "Hundred-Mile Diet devotees Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon explore what’s out there at the moment in terms of B.C.–grown grains. Learn their finds on-line [sic] at www.thetyee.ca/." Straight Goods: Booze in bondage – 2005 French Touch Limited Edition Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge is all tarted up "in sexy stripes with leather and red lacing..." Straight Goods: Cherry picking – Blue Curaçao-flavoured Garnish Girls Infused Cherries are available at Gourmet Warehouse. The Westender Thursday, December 29 edition (Lifestyles section) Where to nosh on New Year's Eve – Andrew Morrison finds a few spots still available for the festivities at Nu, Central Bistro, La Terrazza and Yaggers.

This has now officially replaced Ting and Jarritos as my favourite ethnic soda pop: Zesto Calamansi Soda. It's the ultimate combination of lemon and lime, not too sweet, just the right amount of fizz. And it's ridiculously cheap. You can probably find it at any Asian market that also carries Filipino food. Definitely worth tracking it down.

I find your comments rather timely as I've also recently asked a few questions about All Clad and their newer MC2 (Master Chef 2) line versus their earlier Master Chef and regular Stainless lines here in the eGCI Q&A on Understanding Cookware. Replies to your query and mine in the Q&A will factor in rather heavily when I finally choose a new fry or sauté pan.

Recently I had the opportunity to visually (no micrometer!) compare the MC2 and the SS lines in a store. To my eyes, the same exact pan in the MC2 definitely had noticably thicker walls than the SS. I have two All Clad MC2 pans and like them, FWIW (even though they may be overkill according to Sam, but they were gifts so I didn't mind!) Also, FWIW, I have never used anything from the SS line so I have no direct experience with them. ← What, you don't carry a micrometer in your back pocket for just such an occasion?! Thanks for the input, cake. Greatly appreciated. May I ask how long you've had them? Jamie Valvo is asking questions about the durability of the newer MC2 line in the Cooking forum, so I'm curious about how they're holding up for you.

Wow... that was fast! Thanks, Sam. To answer your question, no, I'm not locked into choosing All-Clad. My husband did some bartering with a friend of ours who owns a cookware shop, so my choice is limited by the lines that he carries. That, plus I'm sure that All-Clad was the first well-known name that popped into his head when it came to stainless clad. Though I do already have the two Circulon skillets, I was considering a stainless-clad fry pay versus a sauté pan since I'm concerned about damaging the non-stick finishes on the Circulons when I turn the heat up high enough to achieve a good seared crust. And, yes, I am cooking on a professional-grade gas cooktop. Simmer burner is 4,000 Btus, regular burners are 7,500 Btus and high-heat burner is 11,000 Btus. I'm certainly with you on the listing of sauté pans by quarts; heck, I'm Canadian, so my spatial reckoning of a quart is pretty piss poor! I'll check and see if Sitram is part of our friend's inventory, but I won't be disappointed if All Clad ends up being the pan of choice.

Sam and the rest of you infinitely knowledgeable kitchen folk, My husband (God bless his little cotton socks) bought me an All Clad Stainless 14" open stir fry pan for Christmas. He knew I was looking for an aluminum core pan with a stainless-steel interior and exterior but wasn't quite sure what I'd be using it for. To offer some background, I do a fair bit of cooking in my Calphalon Professional 12" everyday pan. It's been a trusty helpmate in the kitchen for a number of years; however, the surface has started to degrade over the last little while and I'm looking to replace it. The rest of my cookware arsenal includes a Calphalon Professional 1.0 qt. saucier, Calphalon Professional 2.5 and 4.5 qt. sauce pans, Circulon 8" and 12" non-stick skillets, both a conventional and a non-stick wok, a Le Creuset 5.5 qt. round oven and Calphalon Professional 3.5 and 8.0 qt. stock pot. No, I never intended to have that many Calphalon Pro pieces. We have relatives who have a thing for anodized Calphalon and got a little overzealous in the gift-giving department over the course of a few birthdays and Christmases. I've been reading both this course and the accompanying Q&A until my eyes have turned square and am now looking for a bit of input as I talk my way through figuring out which pan I should get in exchange for the open stir fry. From comments that Sam made in the early pages of the Q&A, I gather that the best multipurpose pan for a sear/quick deglaze and braise/monter avec beurre to create sauce would be a sauté pan versus a frying pan. Though the sauté pan might not create quite as much of a crust on a relatively dry/low-fat sear, it will create a more hospitable environment for a braise. Fair enough. I also noted Sam's comments that the All Clad Master Chef line is higher in aluminum content than the Stainless line. Here are my primary questions: Does All Clad's newer MC2 (Master Chef 2) line still have a higher aluminum content than the Stainless line? Have I reached the correct conclusion in choosing a sauté pan over a fry pan (both with lids)? If so, would I be best served by a 3.0 qt. (10-1/2" x 2-9/16"), a 4.0 qt. (10-1/2" x 3-1/4") or a 6.0 qt. (12 7/8" x 2 3/4") sauté pan? Thanks for suffering through my OCD-longwindedness. Any and all comments would be greatly appreciated. Cheers!

Rangoli's menu offerings have been the same for all my visits there, be they lunch or dinner. However, unlike what's shown on their website, their menu is actually double-sided and does feature additional à-la-carte curries for eat-in service. I've yet to sample a dish that isn't an absolute winner, and their lassis are incredibly creamy and rich.

Food-related presents I gave to my husband that are, in essence, gifts for me too: A set of 8 Ravenscroft Sommelier bordeaux glasses A Ravenscroft Sommelier Visual decanter A bottle of 2003 Osoyoos Larose A Green & Blacks Organic Hazelnut and Currant dark chocolate bar One Romeo chocolate pyramid from Chocolate Arts Two jars of artisanal jam from Vista d'Oro Farms (Pear & Pinot Noir and Kumquat & Vanilla Vodka) And my own food-related gift take: A zester A Torre & Tagus wine stopper A set of 4 cute ice-blue sushi dishes Great Chefs Cook at Barbara-Jo's which includes excerpts from Mark Bittman, Rob Feenie, Donna Hay, François Payard and our own Jamie Maw among others A 14" All-Clad Stainless Stir Fry Pan that I'll likely exchange for either a 14" Fry Pan or a 4.0 qt./6.0 qt. Sauté Pan Still to come (I hope) is a Wusthof Grand Prix II or Culinar Diamond Steel.

Keith's already made a Nutella kolachy. However, with the price of Nutella being what it is, it wasn't exactly cost-effective and didn't make it as a regular offering.

The Globe and Mail Friday, December 23 edition Alexandra Gill lists a few themed dinner parties on New Year's Eve that really run the gamut: "From Russia With Love" at La Terrazza to "Hipster Baroque" at Chambar.

Vancouver Magazine December 2005 edition Diner: Rainy-day friends – Triumphs of substance over style at Diner, The Hamilton Street Grill, The Smoking Dog and Senova. (Jamie Maw) Capital Dining – Andrew Morrison uncovers "fine new eating behind the Tweed Curtain" at Temple, Rosemeade and Mo:LÉ. The Vancouver Courier Wednesday, December 21 edition Food that's good to go – Tim Pawsey discovers a variety of upscale takeout fare at Quince, Allô Provence, Les Amis de Fromage and Sweet Obsessions. The Georgia Straight Thursday, December 22 edition Best Eating: Goods in the 'hoods – Angela Murrills does some culinary travelling in Vancouver's ethnic neighbourhood centres. Best Eating: Union Gospel chef takes on big bird dinner – Each year, the Union Gospel Mission provides Christmas dinner with all the trimmings to roughly 2,500 people "classified as 'the hungry, the hurting, and the homeless'." (John Lekich) Uncorked: Argentina is home to the Malbec revolution – Jurgen Gothe surmises that this "black grape... once was widely grown in Bordeaux and is still the predominant variety for red wines in the southwest of France—is about to become a new darling of the wine set." Food of the Week: Presto Panini – Angela Murrills finds "an oasis of calm [on Hornby Street] just steps from the Robson Street chaos." Drink of the Week: Gunn Oak Aged Beer (Jurgen Gothe) Straight Goods: Cut and paste – Down To Earth is a new collaborative cookbook by Farmer Susan Davidson and Chef David Alsop that focuses on "regional, seasonal, and organic recipes to kick-start your New Year’s good-eating resolutions." (Judith Lane and Angela Murrills) Straight Goods: Talking turkey – Order your "Oriental-style" turkey or duck from T&T and Osaka Supermarkets until January 2. (Judith Lane and Angela Murrills) Straight Goods: Raise the curtain – On show nights, Ouisi Bistro offers a three-course prix fixe "pre-theatre" dinner for a song at $25. (Judith Lane and Angela Murrills) Straight Goods: Christmas scramble – Check out Dockside Restaurant, Vera's Burger Shack and Viva Fine Foods for last-second dining options on the 25th. (Judith Lane and Angela Murrills) Straight Goods: Eat for charity – Find recipes and bargains in the West Coast Recipe Calendar with proceeds benefiting the C.H.I.L.D. Foundation. (Judith Lane and Angela Murrills) Straight Goods: Shell out – Now in its 12th year, tickets for the annual Liberty Wine Cellars' BC Wine and Oyster Festival will soon be sold out. Proceeds will be donated to the BC Children’s Hospital’s Oak Tree Clinic. (Judith Lane and Angela Murrills)

A little over a month ago, I made this post in the Mexican food thread about a place called Olé Olé. It's located at 831 12th Street in New Westminster.

Both Noah and I can heartily vouch for this week's feature: Beef Stew. And the Curried Smoked Salmon Chowder is extraordinarily good!

Grandma's Latin Deli 3826 Sunset Street Burnaby, BC 604-434-4545

Judith Lane neatly summarizes the openings and closings of 2005 in her Restaurant Tracker article for CityFood's Urban Eater section.

Scroll down through the December 14 edition of Dine & Dash to find The Four Seasons Hotel's recipe for Stollen.