Safran

Oh!! Sam, Marlene, nice outings! Amazing how you've both sacrificed yourselves for the benefit of this blog!! Very much looking forward to tonight's menu. Marlene, are you shopping at the new Whole Foods today? Your goodies' bag will indeed be interesting!!

Prayers on the way! BTW, this food blog is so much fun!!! Good luck on Saturday!

Splendid idea!!! And for dessert, something with apples.

Hum...that asparagus isn't cheap either...!!

Oh Sam!!! I LOVE asparagus, but $8 US for a bunch!?!! Yikes! The steaks look absolutely divine!

Hum...Marlene, we know about Sam's ferrets....time to get your felines in the ring....!!!

Thanks CaliPoutine and Bennett! And one mustn't forget the canine friends!! This was a fun, fun blog!

Hi hi hi...had one couple in our circle who did that... so I simply gave them a list of things I knew I was not cooking.... The look on their faces when they sat down to dinner...never happened again. A good dinner guest, in my opinion, is not one who reciprocates, but one who takes his role as guest to heart: chats, has fun at the table, doesn't hesitate to tell me BEFOREHAND if there's something he's allergic to or doesn't like, and doesn't mind hanging around my kitchen and chatting with me when I'm cooking. I also LOVE when guests are in no hurry to get up from the table. These "long into the evening" chats when the Larousse Gastronomique or the "On Food and Cooking" have to be brought down from the bookcase because of some heated discussion...the dishes ALWAYS stay where they are until the guests have gone. It's a rule in our house. What gets me is when they're late, always late and sometimes very late...but this was addressed in another thread.

Cali, the only reason we're not all posting like mad is because we're too busy salivating!! The pictures of the little food boutiques are too cute!! Isn't Stratford interesting??? And then, different places prepare boxed lunches so people can picnic by the water, with the swans. The birthday cakes looked wonderful, and downright healthy! Looking forward to today's goodies!

Good morning Cali! Have you been buying asparagus from the vendors by the side of the road around London? I gather you've also been foraging at the Menonite markets in Waterloo and St-Jacobs. I remember packing coolers with icepacks and heading out from London at 5 am to be there an hour later, munching on some sausage bun for breakfast and then bringing home the most extraordinarily fresh produce and dairy products. Looking forward to your blog! Cute, cute canines! What sweeties!

I, too, love looking at what other people are buying at the grocery store or at the market. I especially like to start a conversation with seniors waiting in line. We talk specials, or where the best sales are, or simply of a better way to prepare a dish.

One more for me!! *Cartwheels* Mario Batali's Molto Italiano... Five copies had just arrived at Chapters "and were in the arrival pile in the basement" I was told... He was really sweet: off he went and got me a copy. Now, that's service! Oh! The photography!!!!!! Ohhhhhh!!!!

This is one amazing kitchen. Oh Wow!!! Snowangel's request is a good one. I too would like to know how the flow works, etc.... We're just not letting you close this thread, are we??

This comment puzzles me, Charity Case. We were regulars at the East India Company in Winnipeg while we lived there and were delighted to find out they had also opened a restaurant here in Ottawa. We eat there once in a while and have always found the reception and service to be friendly. Yes, the food does vary. Some times, especially Friday nights it seems, it can be quite wonderful, and other times perhaps less so.

Ouf...I'm relieved!! After reading your comment about cooking on your reno thread, I was getting worried!!!

Hum...this is partly Marlene's fault... Thank you, Marlene! On her last count, she mentionned The Frog Commissary Cookbook, which I love and do (or rather, did) not own.... so off to Amazon I went! Add three for me, Maggie... The Frog..., The White Dog Café Cookbook, and another I always wanted, Mustards Grill Napa Valley Cookbook.... Going to bed with cookbooks tonight.

So how is the island?? And how did those ribs turn out? Are you finding the flow of your new kitchen comfortable? Are you thinking of other changes or adjustments?

Good morning Pam R! Am looking forward to your blog very much. I lived four years in Winnipeg, and worked at the Collège...that must have been a challenging period of your business. I think you're very brave to blog during this wildly busy week! Hang in there!

Awww...fifi, you can't just say 8...Which ones are they??? An Amazon orgy needs to be defined!!!!

Ohhhhh! Absolutely gorgeous!!! (Sigh.....)

I'm a mise person BUT without the little bowls. I roll out a piece of waxed paper and everything gets put in a row according to when it goes in the pan. The liquid stuff gets measured in cups (have lots of those) and also place "en rang"... Easy cleanup. I'm organized because I have a very short memory span.... That way I KNOW I've put in the spices etc. Plus, my counter space is restricted and needs to be used efficiently.

Good morning Wendy! Oh!!! Pastries!!! This will be such a cool blog!!! As for the orientation of this blog...hey! It's pastries, so it's perfect... Techniques, road trips of bakeries, your work station and work habits, your favorites baking tricks and tools...we want it all! BTW, cute cute felines!

This is the model I have (around 25 years old...)...and it still works wonderfully well. I think that motor could be used to propel a boat... I LOVE my Cuisinart and of course have had to really hunt to get another bowl for it. By now, guests who come in my kitchen are intrigued by this "food processor" most of them never having seen this model. My friends and their daughters all have the newer, bigger models but I hope mine will serve me another 20 years!!

One more for me: Starters, by Shane Osborn. Just the pictures make you want to run to the kitchen and cook!!

Marlene, I LOVE the SIlver Palate. And the other two books are also on my shelf and get lots of use! Good choices!!!