CharityCase

Bryan and I are in agreement. I really did like the layout and presentation with #2 but the curried caramel tartlet is interesting and beautiful.

Heh. I should also put another caveat on my pickle rant--as a child of New York, I already have demonstrated prejudices about the New York versions of certain food items--pizza, bagels, etc. My prejudices about pickles should probably be read in that context. (Plus there are certain pickle styles, like sweet mixed pickles and hot giardiniara, where I consider all bets regarding the "brine" ingredients to be decidedly *off*. ) ← I think I'm finally ready to try making my own. Thanks for posting the recipe. For a good stand-in though there's a brand available up here called Bubbe's Pickles that I enjoy. They are vinegar-less and available (around here anyway) at health and natural food stores.

This photo was taken at a street festival outside of Avignon last Spring. I'm not remembering all of the varieties but they were most certainly fantastic (and some had the same sort of rind as Dave's last posted cheeses do):

Thanks all for your replies...the broiler's in the drawer and my girlfriend is laughing her face off at my ineptitude.

Stephen is leaving Beckta to work as Executive chef with Caroline and the rest of the team at Par-Fyum in Hull. I'm suprised that he's not venturing off on his own but he's still young and maybe doesn't have the funds for it just yet. I'll be interested to see who fills his shoes.

Ok, I really need help understanding something here. We just moved into our first house complete with gas stove/oven. I of course love the gas stove and its precision but I cannot for the life of me...umm..."understand" how one broils with this thing. It's an entry-level GE range, there is indeed a broil setting but when I use it I don't see anything at all in the upper broiling area...no flames that is. And te heat from that area isn't all that impressive but maybe I need to give it more time to heat up? Now I'm also being told crazy things like "the broiler is in the drawer at the bottom" but I don't know what to believe... So could someone answer this question for me, orgive a few tips on broiling in a gas oven? Thanks.

This is quite a good and comprehensive list. I agree with most everything but haven't tried Genji so can't say one way or another what it's like (I'd have thought Suisha Gardens would be on the list). I wish the Manx wasnt on it though because it will send too many people there and make it even harder for me to get a table on a weeknight!

Also in the "great frozen, average fresh" camp with Lick's I used to go when I was younger to the one in T.Dot but the one here in Ottawa is so-so. The Works chain in Ottawa is ok but expensive...interesting topping options anyway.

Bay outfitters = home outfitters? There is also C.A. Paradis which is alot of fun to visit but expensive to shop at.

Washing with hot soapy water seems to work for me. When it gets a bit messy I'll leave a layer of club soda and salt on a wet board for a few hours and that seems to pull up odours and help get out some stains. This summer I gave mine a sand with 100 and then 120 grit, and oiled it with mineral left super saturated over night and rubbed off the next day. It's back to new.

Thanks y'all. I have no iea who makes the grainder under license to PC but I'd take a swipe at Salton or DeLonghi...whose appliances range from "sucky" to "disastrous" in my own kitchen. I'll keep an eye out for those kitchen aid units...or if there's something better that's under $100. Had a look through CoffeeGeek and there's a few possibilities.

Salsa Verde. On Huevos Rancheros get outta town!

Umm, ok back on track then for a minute: This thread was meant to be about a low-priced Burr Grinder available at Loblaw's so I'd appreciate hearing from those who have actually purchased this bad boy: http://www.presidentschoice.ca/HouseAndHom...rinder/catid/65 Or, if you have a burr grinder in the 30-50 CDN range that's acceptable. If you veer this topic off track may you suffer a folgers and skim-milk induced nightmare

There is even less "food" subject matter in this season vs. last. For instance with all of that market produce in the last episode why did we gloss over all of the prep and skip to the final products? I cast my vote for Heather too, although K-Grease has been doing alright. Either way this season is pretty sucky and I don't think we'll see another go at this next year.

Saw it in Loblaw's for $29.95 and wondered if any has had experience with it yet. It has multiple grind settings and a small hopper on the top for beans. The price is competitive but how does it hold up vs. similiar machines in that range (the small KithenAids for instance)?

By that topic line I mean that I've gone all the way through sorbet, verbena syrup and fresh lemonade and tea. I still have tons of it growing in my garden. I've tried the syrup in a mojito in place of conventional simple syrup and it was good, but barely detectable. Does anyone have ideas for cocktails with this lovely herb? My forum search came up with Mojitos and caipirinhas but what else have you done with it?

I had some delicious bones at a restaurant in Dublin..can't remember the name but they were served in the traditional fashion with a spoon, some fresh brioche, sea salt and a small salad. As god as they were I think I might like them in bordelaise more. The "beefy butter" description is about right which is why it pairs so nicely with beef in the first place.

I grew up on Miracle Whip and graduated to Hellman's in my late teens. So much tastier but even it doesn't hold a candle to tube mayonnaise from Holland. One squeeze per french fry! This sandwich done with turkey, bacon, avocado, obnoxious amounts of black pepper and a bit of homemade cranberry sauce AND an overeasy egg would be just about right. And thick turkey particularly if it comes from a "beer can turkey" made using a giant can of budweiser.

This is an interesting topic to have stumbled on and one I've been thinking about since coming back from France. While in Avignon we purchased a Cotes du Rhone (2001 Le Sang des Cailloux from Vacqueyras) and the seller recommended decanting for 1-2 hours which is longer than we were used to. Sure enough the beautiful dense flavours and almost mineral flavours were popping out of the glass after close to an hour and a half. I've started now as a general rule to leave wines open in the bottle (no decanter at home) for 30 minutes or so and it is quite different than drinking straight from the bottle. Not sure yet if it's better or worse in all cases but it IS different.

After a short two-month work stint in Dublin, here are things that have no equal in Canada: Tayto crisps Clonakilty Black Pudding Bewley's hot chocolate (unless you make it yourself) Carrots, which for some reason were fantastic and one more "here here" on the delicious cheeses and the soda bread.

Well La Machonnerie was a star where table service was concerned. Endless water refills, prompt but pleasant server and help with a very exhaustive but equally exciting wine list. Some of the dishes were absolutely perfect - a rich chocolate cake towards the end, homemade yogurt with pear/ginger marmelade to break up the richness in the middle of the meal. I'm not sure how I feel about the main courses and entrees as some were simply too rich for me to enjoy, such as the leek gratin . I found the pig's trotter and fried tripe too similiar to put together on a prix fixe.

My girlfriend and I are in Lyon and found a very reasonable hotel called Hotel St.Paul, which we booked using ratestogo.com....which we've used successfully in France, Spain and elsewhere. We have reservations for La Machonnerie (thanks to you folks) for tonight and are lookinbg forward to a better bouchon experience than last night at Le Vieux Lyonnais...which fit the description given earlier of a tourist trap with overly rich but weak flavours, and snobby uncaring service. La Machonnerie was very hqppily full at 8pm last night so hopefully that's a good sign.

The only dry spice that's ever made me dry-heave is Asafoetida. Horrible smell yet seemingly indispensible in Indian food. An odour not unlike bottled fart. I find distilled white vinegar awful too.

You guys are crazy. If you grew up in Etobicoke you'd know that either Apache or Red Cabin (both near Kipling Station) serve the best burgers. I prefer Red Cabin I think.

Thanks for the photos legourmet. My fish has been curing for just over 24 hours, and I was dying for a sample so I tasted a bit of flesh from the more-cooked tail end. After a good rinse it was very tasty but because the flesh is so thin at that end it had almost taken on the texture of fish jerky (or was well on its way to becoming that. I hope that the meatier sections will keep some of their softness but I suppose I could soak it in milk as legourmet has done to soften it a bit. As it is an entire side I plan to leave it curing for just shy of 36 hours. How long did it sit in the milk?