kurtisk

For me, I think this is what it all boils down to. k.

I'm personally curious as to Jamie's (twice mentioned) remark about what "sharp-eyed readers" may have noticed. Both cryptic and intriguing... k. PS- Also fascinating is the bottom of this page, not only are eGulleters flocking to this thread, but the lurkers seem to multiplying in spades. I don't think this is the last we've heard of this...

And, btw, I look forward to droppin' spaghetti in my mouth... k

And how! I do think, though, that they're in on the joke that it's quite the head-turning, laughable picture. Maybe best to not judge a book by its cover. (Or judge anything before it exists...) k.

After working with her at Beach Side years ago, I'd wholeheartedly recommend Carol Chow's food at any price... k

No, but anyone can feel free... k.

Got my samples today from Middle Mountain: ~ Green Tea / Ginger / Honey ~ Salal / Oregon Grape/ Blackberry / Honey ~ Lavender / Cranberry / Honey ~ Plum / Rhubarb / Honey ~ Cyser: Apple / Honey ~ Cranberry / Honey Now that we know what we're working with, Jeff will put together some food pairings and some time in the next week/week-and-a-half we'll invite y'all down for an early evening 'Mead Jamboree' and we'll see what everyone likes best. Stay tuned... k.

The usual place we have Thanksgiving at won't be happening this year, as our usual hostess has just come back from a whirlwind trip through Europe and has no time to set up. To another friend's place we go... Generally we have the same group of people for holiday meals, us all being transplants from other Canadian cities. What used to be an "Orphans' Dinner" over a decade ago is now simply Thanksgiving Dinner, being fortunate enough to have a solid group of friends who are now pretty much family, except without all the bullshit. We're now sprouting grey hairs here and there, babies are now in our circle and unfortunately some long-term relationships have come to a close, resulting in glaring omissions at the table. Once the wine is poured and the table is set, it's all about the food. We eat ham for Thanksgiving. This is a result of a few vegetarians in our group, and the simplicity and ease of preparation. A nice lashing of a fresh dill mustard or the like makes it all-out scrumptious. Traditional seasonal accompaniments are always present, including lightly-seared pine mushrooms, done with garlic, white wine, salt & pepper. This makes the vegetarians happy because it's practically meat. For dessert, my wife always makes Pavlova. Her Aussie background gives her the DNA to execute it perfectly, and it's a light, bright way of finishing a heavy meal. Pomegranate and kiwi generally top it, keeping a fresh aspect of things present as we slide deeper into October.

It's probably still allowed on the (beautiful) terrace at Cin Cin ( "The Double-Chin", as we called it back in the day) and the spirit/cognac list is mighty impressive. Happy puffin'! k.

I'm SO smacking my head right now... Of COURSE! k. PS- And 'Carlos'?

I love that line.

Benny's Bagels has it. Pints are $2.75, the food's better than you'd think (big ups to the Reuben, hearty soups & the Benny's Benedict), and there are plenty of nooks and crannies where you can park yourself and type away.

Not a kangaroo fan? Yes, Australia is overpopulated with them and they do end up here and there as (stinky) roadkill, but anyone who's had it will tell you how delicious it is, nice and lean, and quite versatile to many types of cuisine. I don't see it as pawning off roadkill, as you'll find it on the finest menus in any country who allows its import. I think this is a good thing, and opens the door for Hill's to import other proteins we can't currently get. Their diligence has paid off and I don't think that it should be slagged. I'm sure many other things are in the works... k.

I'm gonna work on some sort of Mead launch thingy-do here with Jeff, small plate pairing, what have you. More info to come... k

The 3rd thing on my To Do list when I got to work today was to call Middle Mountain Mead. While finishing my 2nd task, Middle Mountain Mead phoned me! I guess the word is out. I have a half dozen samples coming next week, we'll go from there. Chris, thanks for all the tips. k

Well well well... Who'd have thought that the Mead thread would be so coveted? Chris, you bring up some valid points and I know that I could get staff behind it, but how much effort to put behind such a thing? It's like the Garry Oaks Blanc de Noir, which we all loved and sold cases and cases of, until that little hussy Joie Pinot Noir Rose sauntered in, and poor Garry Oaks was left sobbing in the corner. And Lori, I knew you'd chime in with something quite relevant sooner or later. Great thoughts, we can always count on you for excellent ideas and feedback. Our cheese & dessert program is fairly extensive and it looks like we could have some fun with Mead. So there we go, look for it to appear here at Aurora Bistro in the next week or so. As an aside, this is a great example of how eGullet has, and will continue to, be a part of shaping our local food scene. k.

No worries, it provides great food for thought... k

I seem to remember that C has quite the stellar tea program, but that's back a couple years. You may want to follow that up. We've just switched over from "T" (whose teas we love and have no complaints about) to Biofilia/UrbanSpice ( http://www.biofilia.ca/teas.html ) who are a bit more local-oriented and quite the good fit with us. If it's of any relevance, we charge $2.75 a pop. Peanuts! k. PS- We don't serve peanuts.

Hi! Tim Pawsey wrote an article in the Courier (click here!) recently that covered local Mead quite well. In fact, he said he'd be interested on seeing it in some local spots, particularly Aurora Bistro. Personally, it's not my thing and Jeff isn't exactly hankerin' for it either. Yes, it would be nice (a great claim) to have it in the restaurant, but I envision opening a bottle around here once every year or so, and watching the remaining 80% of the bottle just sittin' in the fridge getting darker, darker, and undrinkable. What does everyone think? If you were dining here, would you ever (really) order it?

I've always liked the quick Donna Hay tip of getting a fry pan really hot, and placing a sugar-covered donut (not powdered, just the regular cheap ol' Safeway lightly sugar-glazed works) in the centre of the pan. Flatten hard with a spatula, the bottom of a plate, whatever. Once the edges carmelize and the bottom's crispy, flip it over and repeat. A crispy, carmelized taste sensation in less than a minute! Mmm-boy! k.

Well, The UBC Apple Festival is just a couple weeks away, so they're probably in high gear and will have plenty of suggestions for you. Give 'em a shout! Follow them up @ http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/events/applefest.php k.

I could write volumes about Cin Cin in the '90s... k.

The Bins, Chambar & if it's after 3a.m, the drive-thru at Wendy's. I'm hoping the Tangerine crew keep Habit open late. It'd be nice to have more late-night options on our end of Main Street. k.

I will never go to Nu and not have the Crispy Fried Oyster/Beer Valve jamboree. Just love it... k.

I've always like JF's lemon tarts at Provence (either one)... k.