CharityCase

Our gravlax (for a New Years party) got started today. One cup of salt, one of sugar, dill and cracked white peppercorns. I used a side of salmon (about 3.5 pounds) and even after 5 hours or so it's already started to let off lots of liquid. I wil probably remove it from the curing mixture on Friday and hold it for Saturday.

The "Gospel according to Lodge" posted up a ways seems like a good overall guide for the average pan. I just re-seasoned a pan the other day that my gf had been washing too much with soap and water. Scour out rusty spots, coat with lard and bake @ 350 for an hour. With stubborn pots it's worth repeating this step a few times and wiping/re-coating with lard between steps to get all of the carbon out. Our skillet was a $7 purchase from Value Village, and gets used at least once a week for all manner of things: caramelized onions, fish, bacon, searing steak (we live in an apt. so no BBQ). Great tool fr the kitchen Is it true what they say about keeping acids out of cast iron? I've made baked beans in it and a tomato sauce once in a while...does the advice have some merit?

Sapporo Ichiban too. Sometimes I don't mind the packet from that either

Good topic choice WolfChef. I like to crumble dried chinese mushrooms into the bowl, a dollop of Sriracha, green onions and maybe a bit of tom yum soup base. I usually toss the packet that's included. I also swirl a scrambled egg into it.

If I'd grown up in Thailand I don't think I could shed the bias of such a difference in cost of living. that said even when you balance those differences I'd think food(as a % of disposable income) is higher in North america than elsewhere...except for Europe and extremely remote areas where you're basically eating transportation costs in your florida orange.

Well, not much new to report from my area of town. I've enjoyed the Whalesbone, and the Manx remains a trusty standby even though we lost Tanya Skeates earlier in the year. Of course since it's UrBock season, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that the Manx and the Corner Bar &Grill (formerly Globe) on Bank in the glebe are selling this fantastic beer on tap. It looks as if the Poor Elgin St. Freehouse has started to dip into true Ottawa/Royal Oak fashion with a menu board that decrees "Lamb Shank! Appy Platter! Duck Confit Poutine!" and makes me wonder "Why is everyone yelling at me! Exclamation point not required!" Another look at their menu and a trip inside was still decent, but not at that price. Before too long I'm afriad it will become Royal Oak #677 or maybe the Hound & Roach or the Earwig & Dust Mite. This has already happened with Globe and probably many other places that started with nobler and more inspiring visions. Has anything new or exciting happened in O-Town worth mentioning?

Well I'm still agonizing over this, with the exception of the gravlax (either mustard sauce or cornbread muffin+creme fraiche+roe+chive) Please everyone, feel free to continue to hijack and pop up some more ideas since at this stage I'm grasping.

I also had a few "years in Purgatory" when I worked for the one of the world's largest food conglomerates. I cycled through three different roles there: international business, Ice Cream Marketing and Confectionery marketing. The latter two each had youth marketing components which I took part in planning and developing. I'm now in the not-for-profit sector but I will say that my experience at "rhymes with Presley" was valuable for me at the time, despite later sentiment that I'd done something creepy. Marketing to young children is all about the "nag factor" as marketing folks like to call it. Since those under 11 have no money of their own they have to beg mom or pop for what they want. TV and Print ads and especially in-store promotions are driven entirely on this principle. And believe me when I say that the line about "parents should teach their kids about responsible eating habits" has been heard loud and clear by MNCs who target children. They've rolled out all sorts of "feel-good" programs and literature with the understanding that this builds loyalty with parents, the "keepers" of the under-11s, who will start to see their company as: Responsible Thoughtful Interested in children's health and nutrition. In these cases certainly this is better than status quo, but I doubt any reasonable person would believe that a McDonald's sports campaign is truly interested in encouraging health and activity if they thought it would divert customers from eating there. What's been interesting in the last couple of years has been the changes to actual products (and not just marketing campaigns) that consumers have brought about. I believe all of..General Mills?..kid's cereals are now made with whole wheat. Chip companies have moved away from Trans-Fat oils. So whether negative press is founded in fact or not, it has the power to force change in product offerings. Ultimately I think that can be more powerful and more influential than changing campaigns or the quantity of ad messages since...as many have already mentioned...there's no denying a kid's desire for fat and sugar and there's no way to supplant yourself as a parent between your child and the hundreds of marketing messages they are subjected to on an average day: walking to the bus stop past a billboard, walking in the hallway at school past a coke machine, eating lunch in a cafeteria, etc.

Abra by all means hijack away. We're all in this together Since first posting on this subject we've considered and subsequently nixed Beef Wellington. Great main course but too expensive for our crowd. Looking down the list a few things pop out for me: Daniel's Gravlax, duck confit with risotto, and the shrimp with champagne beurre blanc. We're working with very limited space so it's conceivable that buffet will end up happening. And the desserts and hors d'oeuvres are being delegated while the dinner itself is up to two of us. Which is fine. Thought I'd point out also that Epicurious has a couple of set menu ideas for various occasions including New Year's. You may like certain courses from certain menus 1. Italian Style: http://www.epicurious.com/bonappetit/menus...iday2004comfort 2. Duck as the main course: http://www.epicurious.com/bonappetit/menus...iday2004sparkle

More media coverage: Yahoo! Article

I think the point is not that Fair Trade is a better standard than anything else, it's essentially the ONLY standard that ensures growers and producers a better quality of life on a sustainable basis. Any other aspect of self-reporting and congratulatory backslapping veiled as Corporate Social Responsibility in my mind isn't worth the paper its printed on in this scenario. From Transfair's website: You could compare the debatable aspects of FT to the Organic movement....which at least in Canada is structured similiarly as a voluntary certification that carries with it some marketing advantages as well as concrete advantages for people within the production system. Unlike the organic movement though, there is one system and one system only that guarantees stringent monitoring and evaluation, and that is the Transfair logo...or its country-specific counterpart that also falls under the FLO. So it's in the best interest of the producer to be Fair Trade certified and raise the value of his export. It's in the consumer's best interest to purchase fair trade certified coffee and be assured on both the origins, quality and important social achievements being made in its name.

Knives, yes. I love my Global 8" but only because I get it professionally sharpened for free (it needs alot of sharpening I find) I'd probably go with either a kitchenaid stand mixer or food processor if you don't have one already. You could also get a sweet barbecue for that money..and maybe get a good deal now that we're in the off-season.

Great tips mooshmouse. Must've been a full moon but I made pizza recently too. I've relied on a recipe from an italian cookbook that specifies 3.5C flour, 1.25C water, packet of yeast and 1/2 tsp of sugar. I found by letting the first rise go for two hours, and letting the dough spend several hours more in the fridge, the bread took on a better complexity and shape even with the usual kneading of 5 minutes or so. My challenge though has always been getting that same soft yet chewy texture of a takeout pizza...and giving the dough a good flavour too. Here's a question about flavour: So salt kills yeast, but my recipe says that once the yeast has foamed you can add 1/2tsp of salt. Does that seem ok? Would adding more salt later in the process give more flavour to the dough?

I am a fan of the sear/in-oven technique using cast iron. While originally I used to say BBQ is the only way but since I've been without one (I'm in an apartment) and opted for this method I've come to really like the flavourful crust and even cooking when using cast iron. Alton Brown's method of putting a cast iron into a 500 degree oven until the oven reaches temp, then placing on a high heat stovetop to then sear 2 minutes/side and oven-finish works quite well. With something like a ribeye you probably won't notice the difference though if you just seared it 2-3 minutes per side over med-high, then finished for 5 minutes in a 400 degree oven. With the bone in, your cooking times may be a little longer. A thermometer would be handy.

Murky I'm afraid your tirade is heavily discounted when it seems you're neither familiar with Second Cup nor this particular promotion. As per your earlier comments Yes, buying coffee from Rwanda is a positive step but if that sole act is being used in a cause marketing campaign that supplies baristas, managers (the "deelio" girl in my mini-dialogue) and customer care reps with no information about the brand, am I wrong in wondering whether this is ill-conceived and a bit of a sham marketing ploy? What if Wal-Mart started carrying signs promoting a "soccer ball of hope", announcing that they'd recently begun sourcing soccer balls from rural pakistan, and in so doing helped people in that village out of poverty. Would you be suspicious and want to know more? That said I emailed Second Cup to ask for some more information about the Cup of Hope and received this reponse: It's a satisfactory answer and confirms that this is just a new product introduction. I do believe this is a positive step but what irks me is the amount of self-governing and self-reporting that a chain like this relies on when trumpteing their social causes. For instance, their earlier form email talks about supporting a "fair trade for farmers by often paying a higher price than other chains". As they are not fair trade certified by either the Canadian certifying body (Transfair) or the FLO, what price are they paying? Who sets the price they pay? What percentage of their premium is re-invested in their community? And ultimately who monitors and makes accountable the buyer? Fair Trade certification answers these questions, ensures in more than words that farmers receive a fair price and sets out real standards for investment in coffee and neighbouring communities. I know, no politics on eGullet

Guinness does seem to vary greatly but if you're getting it where plenty of others are getting it, it's fine. I'm not a can fan but chances are I wouldn't notice much difference between that and a draught pint. the pints I've had in London vs. Canada were much much better and cleaner in taste. And yet the Guiness Extra Cold that I guess Mayhaw man is talking about w.r.t cold plates apparently sells like wildfire in the city? Weird trends. The St.Ambroise Oatmeal Stout is a delicious beer but I find it too thin and watery to enjoy more than one of.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Creemore re-releases their seasonal UrBock in the next little while. It may be available in bottles already actually but I'm holdng out for the draught version that's available at a pub nearby and goes so quickly that it's always fresh.

I love what you've both offered as ideas. I had somehow forgotten caviar so that will make an appearance. And Daniel, I hate prunes so I'm nixing that but since I wanted a fish/seafood cold app the gravlax is perfect! To Meaghan's point about New Year's being fuelled by booze, do you think aquavit or a vodka infusion could make an appearance with the salmon?

Hi, Last night in an ale-induced grinning haze my friend and I, both avid and somewhat obsessive cooks decided to do a multi-course new Year's eve dinner for 10. We'll charge around $40 per person and match a wine with each course. And we're not doing this to make money just break even. Now, as I take more tylenol and gatorade for my raging hangover, I'm trying to come up with some solid options and course ideas. And many of you are more experienced with these dinner party things than I am. If we did soup/cold app/hot app/main/dessert & coffee, and did wine throughout, what suggestions could you make? There are no particular food allergies or aversions but the following would be helpful: 1. It's winter. We all like braising so the main could fall under that category 2. We're dealing with a small kitchen. Equipment-wise we're fine but as far as stagin is concerned we're short on counters and surfaces 3. About half this group are foodies, the other half show up to dinner parties with jackson triggs and lucky lager most of the team. Thanks! I hope I'm not being too demanding. I've just hit a bit of a brick wall and would like to start planning some of this out ahead of the busyness and consumptive habits of Christmastime. Thanks.

Ketchup is one thing, but my Ismaili Muslim co-worker insists that Potato chips are a traditional topping for veg. curries in Tanzania, Kenya and other parts of Africa where her family hails from. Wha?

Yes, there are a number of them. I can't be sure that it's a national campaign as there's no information on their website. I left a message with their cutomer relations dept. to get some information on it. And I'm really not taking this out on the baristas who answered me because if they've been given no information then that's not a surprise.

I have a longstanding beef with Second Cup for their unwillingness to step forward as a non-fair trade but still canadian coffee chain. For a long time I've felt that by opting to support Foster Parent's Plan and ignoring the fair trade debate altogether they were doing themselves a disservice, and undersestimating the knowledge their customers had on the subject. Not that Foster Parent's Plan is a bad thing, just that it's an apples and oranges thing. That said I walked past the local second cup the other day and noticed a poster for something called the Rwanda Cup of Hope. This is a new coffee that they've begun to source from Rwanda and sell in whole bean and ground form. My first instincts told me this was a marketing ploy and that was backed up on three visitsd to three stores seeking information on the bean and promotion itself. [i wish I was making this up] Visit 1: Me: "Hi. I saw your poster and was wondering if you have any information on the Rwanda Cup of Hope?" Barista: "Sarah, do you know anything about that? No? Well all I know is that it's a medium Roast" Visit 2: Me: "Hi. I saw your poster and was wondering if you have any information on the Rwanda Cup of Hope?" Barista: "Well, no. All we have are the big posters that are on the wall. Do you want one of those?" Visit 3: Me: "Hi. I saw your poster and was wondering if you have any information on the Rwanda Cup of Hope?" Barista: "No, but all of the money goes to Rwanda" Me: "You mean all of the profits? What for?" Barista [puzzled look on her face, looking at other staff for confirmation]: "To...help the genocide?" Visit 4: Me:"Hi. I saw your poster and was wondering if you have any information on the Rwanda Cup of Hope?" Barista: "Ok, here's the deelio. Second Cup's finally found a coffee in Rwanda that matches our flavour profile. By sourcing it directly from the country we're helping to support the local economy" Yes, she really said deelio. Now I'm wondering what to make of this whole thing? There's a big part of me that is thinking of rallying Oxfam and other fair trade activist groups to send a resounding letter of shame to Second Cup's Management, asking for either a re-investment of these funds in their communities (which I doubt is the case as that's the sort of thing they'd explicitly state" or better clarification about their simple and essentially meaningless act of buying Rwandan coffee. Several fair trade purveyors have been offering Rwandan Coffee for years, under FT restrictions and with assurance that their sourcing of it is sustainable and long-term. Have these assurances been made by Second Cup? What if this time next year the "flavour profile" changes and SC starts selling the Nicaraguan cup of hope? This seems like the appropriate forum for this so let's open it up and talk about whether I'm unnecessarily flying off the handle about this, or whether there are some concrete actions that could be taken to get this into the public spotilight a bit more. I know there are fair trade supporters and negators here, but let's look at whether this is shameless marketing or just a lightly unclear promotion

Yes, yes, yes and yes to this. I hate this almost as much as the upthread-mentioned "Asian-flavoured" this and "Asian spiced" that. The active use of the word "Fusion" on a menu or marquee or elsewhere with restaurants drives me nuts. It reminds me of a terrible dish I had at a local "fusion bistro" called Shanghai Noodles. Ramen+curry powder+blanched vegetables+sauteed unseasoned chicken breast, retailing for $14.95.

That was incredible adam. Thank you so much for all of the photos and descriptions of your trip.

Interesting Lard idea..I may have to try that. So did you heat the skillet dry and baste with lard?