Ducky

Yup, any old hardware store will have these in the plumbing department. I have used mine for years. Before I discovered "spatchcocking" in this forum, I used to e.g., use the torch to brown the bits on the bottom of the roast chicken that never got quite brown enough in the oven. Any fresh fish, sliced into sashimi-sized pieces can be very nicely seared with a blowtorch - and then topped with, say, lemon & garlic butter or a soy & wasabi reduction. This is one of the most versatile tools in our kitchen. My wife always leaves the blow-torch to me, and on more than one occasion our dinner guests have been amazed to hear my wife yell from the kitchen "honey, it's time for the blow-job".

Many thanks for these replies.

In August my wife celebrates her tenth 29th birthday. We wanted to bring in some caterers for this - but our experience with the one or two "big guns" located at the entrance to Granville Island has been mixed. If you have personal experience with a smaller catering company or personal chef that would cook for 25 - 30 people - I would appreciate any recommendation.

Well I have also heard - second hand - that US laws effectively very much limit the Asian produce that can imported to the land of the free and the home of the brave. If that is correct, then you will find all manner of interesting Asian produce in the markets here. Just take a walk through Chinatown. It's all there. On the street. And "revasser": do you by chance you live east of the Burrard Street bridge?

Yukon Territory? And you have a view on Asian things in Hamburg? Give me your best shot!

Well I just have to ask: What do you do for a living and where do I send my application?

That's a start Behemoth. I still hope that someone will come out of the woodwork with specific recommendations. We spend a lot of time in Hamburg ourselves but are still always stumped with these items. The sushi we have tried at 3 or 4 different places has been inedible. Or perhaps we are just spoilt for quality in Vancouver. I have also not found a decent Pho stand in Hamburg - though there are many in Berlin - presumeably because of the large Vietnamese population. Anyone?

We have good friends who are relocating to Hamburg. They cannot live without fresh Sushi a good Vietnamese Pho Tai and access to a Japanese grocery store. I really fear the worst if they do not find these things within days of their arrival. Can you help with tips, hints etc. Our friends will be living on the west side - near Blankenese - so the closer west your suggestions are - the better. Many thanks in advance for your help.

Mrs Ducky is my witness that the title to this thread prompted a spontaneous quack of delight from me. 'Finally' I thought 'I shall discover why I should visit Winnipeg'. Imagine my disappointment then to read these tales of Costco lobster rolls, hot dogs, fat burgers and ho hum Chinese food. (I am deliberately not rising to the bait and commenting on the Philippino cuisine - save to say that having travelled in those lovely islands on more than one occasion there is a good reason why Philippino cuisine is not more regularly discussed in this forum ) I guess we won't be packing our bags for Winnepeg just yet. Or should we? Is there something I am missing? And please don't say pyrogies.

We regularly visit the bistro at the Domaine de Chaberton and it has a very solid and consistent kitchen. Last time it was the mussels with chorizo followed by a young duck braised with savoy cabbage. Both were superb. On a recent road trip to test the new wheels we ended at the Mission Hill winery near Kelowna on a gorgeous day for lunch and had a brilliant meal. A warm duck liver salad followed by a roast pork loin in an apple and white wine reduction. Both superb - and the setting outside is of course very difficult to beat.

I recommend Le Gros (formerly le Deux Gros). It fits your price range, and the things that Pascal does well (mussels, rack of lamb, salmon wellington) he does very well. Moreover you can play boules with him between courses - and if you win - which is unlikely - he'll pick up the tab. Pascal is a bit of an outsider in Whistler, spends no $$ on advertising and relies entirely on word of mouth for his trade. We have more consistently enjoyed our meals there over the past fifteen years than at any other Whistler restaurant.

I agree that Picnic is crap. It's quite convenient for us, so we regularly give them the benefit of the doubt - but are always disappointed. For Panini's we have recently taken to heading to the Parthenon on West Broadway - and these are always brilliant - particularly if you can get the old guy behind the counter to make them for you from scratch. Mortadella with manchego cheese is our current favourite. Four bucks.

A good smoked goldeye should not be mushy. It should be soft - but not mushy. We eat them with some good pumpernickel from the German "supermarket" on Prior Street, some very thinly sliced red onions, a bit of hot horseradish, and of course some very cold vodka shooters. We have also had it with boiled new potatoes, sour cream and chives - and of course very cold vodka shooters. In fact I think you can eat this fish with just about anything - as long as you have those very cold vodka shooters on the side. Oh yes, it helps if you have the Red Army Chorus on your stereo. After a few shooters you'll be calling your wife "Lara".

Loved your list mizducky! That and your name...were we separated at birth?

That's great Jamie...I look forward to this. Given the various threads that gave rise to the lunch, I was rather expecting a call to arms of some sort to follow. An EG boycott of shops selling seabass, or perhaps even a course in mild eco-terrorism. Or at the very least a Piscatory Manifesto of do's and dont's that addresses the various issues of sustainability (and political correctness about sustainability) that had previously been debated here. Sorry I had to miss this. It sounds like it was a brilliant lunch.

It would undoubtedly be very useful and interesting if someone would post just what the message or "takeaway" from this lunch was. Anyone?

Or better yet a serious plate of Nasi Lemak!

In Athens, the "full breakfast" at the cafe downstairs where we stay is coffee, a couple of eggs, toast and a glass of brandy. Very civilized. In hotels of course the universal breakfast buffet is much the same - whether you are in Cambodia or Chad.

How about caviar with mashed potatoes and prozac followed by a hash brownie? Great ideas Maggie!

I think it depends entirely on the quality of the product. At Fouchon in Paris you can find a great variety of perfect little vegetables is glass jars and tinned pate's etc - and while the fresh article is arguably always better - there are occasions when such substitutes are just fine. Not better or worse - just different.

3 years? 5 years? I also buy large 4 quart cans (usually from Greece or Italy) and these always have a use-by date stamped on them somewhere - and this is never more than a year away. The oil becomes progessively more acidic the longer it stands - although I do not understand the chemical reason for this - and from my experience 1 year would be the absolute max before a bitter, acidic taste begins to make itself known.

The Kedah House is a treasure when you are craving authentic Malay food. A mee mamak and a side of beef rendang and Azir's your uncle.

You know, I am not sure. It's a bit like me asking which music was playing in the elevator on your previous visits to the dentist. But I am quite sure that if they do change their menu - they do not change it very much. I am certain my old mom has had the stuffed mushrooms caps and the poached alaska black cod for the past twenty years running. It's worth mentioning that out-of-towners are invariably impressed when you show them the plaque commerating the Bill Clinton/Boris Yeltsin summit meeting dinner that was held there.

Shaw's Crab House in Chicago.....but locally Rodneys Oyster Bar does a damn fine CC.

Could be, but that injecting ouzo into lamb thing sounds intriguing! Doesn't get too sweet with the sugar content, Ducky? ← This may be a function of how much you inject. I inject no more than an ounce or two spread throughout the leg in little shots - and sugar is not a problem. As I said, this technique complements the marinade in that the alchohol you inject provides moisture and flavour to the center of the roast - though the alchohol evaporates away. I would encourage you to experiment with this.