CharityCase

Oh yes, and I vote topic change as well! Factory Farming? Organic movement? Industry Oligopolies?

Well, DDT did help a lot in the fight against malaria, didn't it? ← The still use it in parts of Africa. ← Sorry, I wasn't totally clear in my analogy there. The "Dirty Dozen" - Persistent Organic Pollutants that include things such as DDT, Chlordane, PCBs and others I'm forgetting, all at one time or another served a valuable purpose. Lindane, expected to be next on the list, is still used as a fire retardant . At one time these were all considered safe, and now they're not. While pesticide regulators and scientists like to contend that it's merely a question of dosage, but it's the first P that is important. Every single human being now tests positive for some or all of these POPs, including those of us who were born after their production and use were banned in our country of birth. Coming back to GM foods, I would argue that we're now repeating the exact same stance taken in the 1940's and 50's, when pesticides and crop protection through chemical applications began to emerge as the new saviour of farming. I hoped that this time around we act with precaution and treat these products as piece of research, rather than shipping them off to market with little regard to future consequences. On a sidenote: If you find it amazing that Golden Rice (Jasmine Rice that's been modified to produce higher levels of Vitamin A) has not stirred as much controversy lately I think it may simply be because Monsanto didn't invent it: it was produced by Zeneca, now owned by Syngenta. All of the world's major crop companies are involved in GM research and distribution, and yet Monsanto is the only one people are talking about...Just a shitty PR department maybe?

Good tip there SushiCat, thanks. I tried the 12 little whirrs recommended above and it was just about right. I had been holding it down for 5 or 6 seconds and that's clearly too much.

Buffets: Piss Poor most of the time. Exceptional at the Banff Springs hotel. All sorts of Wild game, all sorts of smoked fish..delicious. Indian Buffet, from time to time, not bad. Many of them suck though. Strategy: I learned this from a server friend who catered to japanese tourists regularly. If there's at least a group of four, each person maximizes their value by picking up a plate of one item, and that itme had better be expensive because most of the starches and salads will have been compiled from meals earlier in the week. So one guy brings a plate of the hot roast beef, another a plate of rabbit, etc. Then you can take a small plate for yourself of whatever veggies or other items you desire. Not only will you be full in a reasonable amount of time (expensive = meat, fish and protein) but you'll eat in a much more friendly and communal fashion.

Interesting debate people, but isn't it strange that the discussion on "food politics" is so far limited only to GMOs. My stance on that particular issue, is that there is insufficent knowledge around human health effects, cross-pollination and long-term chronic environmental effects for some, not all, of the recent GM agricultural products. Arguing that GM Golden Rice will feed the world is akin to the original argument that DDT will cure Malaria by exterminating the mosquitos that carry it. There are a number of complex issues so I thought I'd share my own experience in the world of GM crops. Several years ago I was involved in a fairly high-profile study on GE Corn. I should preface this by saying this was a summer job, and I am not a Plant biologist. I should aslo tell you that this study was funded in large part by Monsanto and undertaken by my university, and is only one of many different studies undertaken across North America in 2002 We placed Monarch Butterfly larvae on cultured Milkweed plants, and after 1 week placed these plants in a number of GE and non-GE cornfields. Most, but not all of these fields contained a buffer zone of non-GM corn, which is supposed to be standard practice for growers to ensure that any cross-pollination that occurs is limited to their own farm, and to one season. Unfortunately we encountered operators who wanted to get the biggest bang for their buck, and decided they would plant nothing but high-yield corn in their crop...a practice that is detrimental to the success of the corn and definitely goes against Monsanto's own guidelines. Back to the study. So a Monarch larvae consumes the leaves of the Milkweed plant, and inadvertently consumes any pollen from nearby plants. This study was looking at whether pollen consumption from GE crops would have any effects on the larvae and impede in any way their growth rate, their ability to mate and their average lifecycle. The results, when averaged across the 25 or so farms on the area we studied, were that yes, consumption of pollen stagnated the growth rate of the larva, resulted in higher than natural death rates and lower than average reproductivity. I would say there were "marked" differences, neither negligible nor dramatic simply marked. That is something that begs further study. The study and methodology was repeated and a pattern did form. I did not continue the following summer due to other commitments. I left the project feeling somewhat encouraged that the scientific method was able to demonstrate a link that was being hypothesized by scientists and "neo-luddites" alike. At the same time I wondered what effect these results would have, because Agriculture is such an interconnected industry with stakeholders that I do genuinely care about. In the Percy Shmieser case, where Monsanto sued a farmer for possessing roundup-ready canola which apparently blew over to his field, the Supreme Court upheld Monsanto's patent but did not force Shmeiser to pay the $400,000 in damages because he didn't profit from the crop. You could call that a draw, or a victory for Percy depend on where you stand on the issue. I think that in more recent times were are seeing the downsides of the "risk assesment" approach with technologies that we know little about but place such high expectations on. Being ofr or against something new is perpetuated differently but equally irrationally on both sides. If we lack the hard science to prove in favour of or against GM foods what are we to do? All we can do is give people a choice. We can push as hard as we can for a level playing field, since we can not reverse the presence of GM foods in our production system. There is a fundamental disconnect between Farmer and consumer, something that is recognized by initiatives such as the Slow Food Movement, by heirloom seed saving intiatives in India and by non-profit initiatives all over the world. Once we see farming as an integral part of our lives and our health I think we'll shed some light on it's complexity and importance. Unfortunately, we are forced to look at it's importance in terms of GDP contribution, which is small. If you had trouble getting through all that, let me just say that I'm reserving my judgement on GE foods while trying to foster better communication between the producer and the consumer.

I'm afraid I don't although the fresh stuff can be found quite easily in Asian and ethnic food markets here in Canada and probably metropolitan areas of the States. I've yet to use it though. The whole dried turmeric, when grated with a microplane or similiar, gives off a very pungent odor...smells like a pickle or vinegar or somewhere in between. In terms of taste (i.e. dab your finger into the fresh powder) the difference is subtle but there. I suspect Turmeric is one of those things that loses it's kick very quickly.

One more press fan here. Is four minutes the accepted standard? I drink a fair trade coffee, and I find even 4 minutes to be a bit too long...it tastes so bitter and acidic at that point that's no fun at all. With a simple cuisinart blade grinder, what's a decent grinding time for Bodum? I lost the manual :(

I am here, standing before you, to confess my love of Turmeric. A couple of years ago I came back from India with Dried whole turmeric, and after grating some for what seemed like hours finally understood why it makes its way into so many dishes. And whereas I had only ever pulled a bland tasteless spoon of it out of a McCormick's jar I could now smell taste and see on my stained hands why it is reported ot have magical properties. So do you have any uses for Turmeric that are unique and different? Were you a late bloomer or did you grow up with Turmeric in everything? Or, dare I ask, are there still some of you who scratch their head when confronted with a recipe calling for the mysterious yellow powder you've had in your pantry since 1982?

Off the top of my head, Kofta making could be somewhat romantic. Somewthing sugary (Payasam?) is a requisite and to rush the blood to the lips something spicy....something with Brinjals is my choice.

A drinkable dessert with more fat than a McChicken sandwich from McDonald's? Creepy. And again I must say Starbucks = creepy.

Well, I have had several reports all saying the same thing: 1. Food: Unique, interesting, limited selection but it changes frequently 2. Menu: Sparse on detail 3. Decor: Strange, but nice. A running TV featuring old shows? 4. Service: Lousy. Confused staff of three couldn't handle 12 tables. White wine was room temperature. Friendly, just not all that good :) 5. Overall: A once in a while sort of place. If they grow out of the service woes, a once in a shorter while type of place depending on your budget

Wha? I just stick cloves in the toaster oven and take them out when they look done. score the skin and take the cooked clove out and do what you need with/to it. Must be those crazy Sous Vide people who put so much science into it :)

Gosh I agree with so much that's been said here, it would be impossible to recount it all. 1. Crappy seafood, and imagined "Seafoon Festivals" out of season. 2. Iceberg lettuce, other than in a sandwhich, has no place at a restaurant meal. 3. A dish that uses "Asian" as a prefix. We've all progressed in our knowledge, I think we could stand hearing the name of the country! 4. Shitty fusion restaurants. Gosh, there are just so many I know of and it makes me want to cry. There's creative, and then there's fruit pastas with seafood sauces. Blech 5. restaurants with picures of their entrees in the menu 6. Asking a waiter what he's tried, and being told "everything's good". Betcha it's not...well, I guess I'll just stop asking this. 7. Restaurants still modelled on "big portion, low quality". I can see that they've diminished in popularity somewhat, but the all-you-can-eat buffet is still a sad affair. 8. Sushi with far too much rice in it. 9. Stuffed tomatoes! Blech blech and double-blech to this creation 10. Pizzas made with canned mushrooms

Hi All, Thanks for the many ideas. As luck would have it my local fish guy was out of whole salmon (The chefs were in there at 7:30 on Saturday morning and cleaned him out). But I took home a beautiful four pound filet and adapted foodie's recipe...resting the fish on a base of fennel bulbs, lemons, garlic, white wine and parsley, and covering with some of the same and olive oil. I adpated the cooking time a bit to account for no bones, although based on the weight of the filet it was only about a 5 minute difference. The fish was perfect, moist and tender. Wouldn't really describe that recipe as roasted per se, with the amount of wet ingredients and white wine it really came out baked. Delicious all the same...the anise flavour was very subtle, and although I hesitated to serve it "naked" (no sauce) my guests raved about it.

Excellent recipe foodie. I'm going to give that a try. As for the Wild and farmed thing, the difference is taste, texture and not to mention environmental impact makes me want wild salmon wherever possible. As I'm in Ontario though my particular fish connection only has it from time to time. I'll see what he's got tomorrow and find something that can hold its own.

Keep it coming guys, this is really helpful. little miss foodie, We're talking a bulb of fennel right? Herb-wise what would you use? I am always a Dill fan but I know others are dead-set against it. I do like the sound of that recipe though. Any ideas on roasting times or do you just do it by sight and touch?

Sadistick, I am limited in Pan Size and an electric stovetop, hence the likelihood of baking. As for deep frying an entire fish, love to if I ever happen upon a trough of hot oil!: ) The sear and deglaze idea might work if I cut it into steaks...although I have never cooked a whole fish other than with a barbecue...a little out of my element here but I'm dead set on fish instead of red meat this time around.

Hey Serly, Thanks for the Freehouse review...I've been waiting for someone with a little more financial security than me to go and report back. I think I'll wait for a speecial occasion and give that place a bit of time to breathe. I'm very interested in the menu though.

Hi All, I had a look through Recipe Gullet and our own forums but I'm stuck. I'm looking for a good recipe for a whole fish, baked, broiled or anything really tasty...just not grilled as I have no BBQ access. I am tempted to try baking a fish in salt but am unsure whether there's a certain species that's preferred for that. I will de doing dinner for 4, anyone have any ideas to share? Thanks in advance.

Has anyone seen this website before? It's a mix of reviews of Ottawa restaurants. Wouldn't be surprised if the reviewer is an egulleter too :) http://www.restaurantthing.com/default.aspx

Oh Monica! Such wonderful pictures and such a great variety of them too. I couldn't agree more with your sentiment about media protrayals of "poor, depressed India" because nothing seemed further from the truth. Most people were twice as happy with half as much, economically anyway. You've motivated me to scan and post some of my pictures too. I think I have a picture of the diesel-powered cane juice extractor that would make a great "then vs. now" shot! You've also left me clamouring for a return trip.

might it not be better to add them in two stages, at the start for flavor and towards the end for aroma ← My South Indian friends never added anything at the end except a bit of ghee, and perhaps a few curry leaves. Perhaps in the North it's more acceptable to add your masala just before serving? Couldn't agree more strongly with the idea of grinding a little at a time though.

I've heard some good things about the recently opened Elgin St. Freehouse (Where Eurostar Café used to be). Apparently one of Social's former chefs opened it in the style of Rob Feenie's style of upscale fast food. On New Year's Eve they were doing a 12-course tasting menu of everything on the menu that supposedly was quite good. Duck Confit Poutine among other things. I'll try and get there soon and post a review.

Umm..yikes! Surely the launch of the Monster Thickburger was preceded by market research to suggest that a hungry demographic existed for this sort of thing, and that profits would come initially either from the guaranteed media hype or curiosity of the select few who think a burger like that is a nice treat sometimes. DOn't think it's the sort of thing they will keep on the board forever. In any and all business decisions taken by a Multinational (regardless of who we're talking about) the primary motivator will be profit. Any "lightening" of their menu, or reduction in fat content, is motivated by profit. Any Social Responsibility is a brand awareness move, and also motivated primarily by profit. To expect otherwise of them would be futile. To show them there's profit in promoting a healthy lifestyle is more likely to succeed.

That is what I was saying. There will always be a sustainable shrimp industry, it just might change who is providing the shrimp, and how well they are being compensated for it. There will always be a demand for shrimp, there will always be shrimp, so there will always be someone willing to accept the price people are willing to pay for those shrimp to pull them out of the water and serve them up. Let the industry evolve as the market lets it. ← And how do you figure? How do you figure that our ocean's ecosystem can keep up with the billion pounds+ that we consume every year? How do you figure that the oceans can absorb the impacts that the shrimp harvest is having on fresh and saltwater alike? Do you figure that because shrimp is being "farmed" this is somehow much bette than trawling? Can you produce anything from the scientific world rather than the economic to support this theory? Not sure why this argument keeps circling around Adam Smith and the great unknown powers of supply and demand. Isn't it clear at this point that they don't take anything external into account in their predictions?