sadistick

Hey Creative...So glad you liked the Coconut tart! I'll just keep that secret between you and me.......annnd the hundreds of other people who read eG Low cal...sure! Whatever you say! Regarding uploading pictures - go to the top of eG where it says "Image Gullet" then there will be a drop down menu on the right hand side, click the down arrow then click upload - title the picture - then click browse, you will have to locate the picture on your hard drive, double click, then click OK - To view them, go to the same location - but on the drop down menu select 'view' - then you can click on the picture - along the bottom will be a link that says "Click for actual URL" or something to that extent, copy that link (ctrl+C) - then when you go to make a post, you simply click the "IMG" button on the top section of the post/reply and input that link which you copied (paste - ctrl+v) Hope that helps, glad to hear you enjoyed the tart. Let me know how you like the rest! All the best, -Justin

How about a split pea soup with a lot of double smoked bacon in the process of making, then some really nice fried bacon as 'croutons'

hmmm, maybe a seared duck breast with a chantrelle ragou... Interesting what you mentioned regarding the cheeses, John, I guess I will save them for some fonseca to be opened later this year. Anything else I am missing which you believe is a must have pairing with a nice bordeaux? Would you decant the Lynch? Cheers.

Thanks for the responses guys - I am planning on opening this one, and another (a client just dropped off a '82 Lynch Bages over the weekend) during a special dinner party. I was wondering, I am planning on serving a variety of food pairings to see which go well, 2 decided upon, a NY Strip steak seared and sliced thin, duck breast (should I make a sauce? If so, what type...I was told no sweet sauces) and maybe some cheese...However that is where I am stuck, what type of cheeses would go well with Bordeaux's? For Veg, I was thinking some roasted fingerling potatoes and maybe some root veggies. Cheers.

Hey Endy! It was a pleasure meeting you the other night, I am so pleased you enjoyed the tart! Yes, many people think its a joke when I tell them my name and the company name, but alas, it is not, just a great coincidence! Looking forward to hearing more feedback. Nondoc - I think I'll leave that one alone

Rochelle - I just made a b-day dinner for my mom and uncle a week ago, and one of things I did was seared duck breast, in this case it was on a fingerling potatoe/garlic chive mash... I wouldnt be too concerned with the sauce overpowering the risotto, as it will soak up the sauce and make it reallly good. You want a sauce that pairs well with the duck first and foremost. That being said, after I trimmed the breasts, i took all the trimmings and fried them up, rendering off the fat and getting all those great little golden bits on the bottom of the pan - then removed them, added good handfull of shallots, sauteed them off in the fat while scraping the bottom, then deglazed with 3 cups of decent port, and about 1.5 cups or so of a good beef stock (you can use chicken or whatnot as well) then reduced that. I strained the sauce, seasoned it, reduced a bit more, then drizzled over the sliced duck breast before serving. Everyone really liked it. Hope this helps. -Justin

Thanks DT! I am always hesitant whether to decant wines or not, I know that most younger reds benefit from it, but am clueless when it comes to older vintages. Did you decant the '82s you had? I was thinking the typical red meat, but was just curious what would go BEST, I guess that comes down to personal preference though. Cheers.

I was recently given a bottle of 1982 Domaine de chevalier grand cru. I dont know much about wine, but enjoy it tremendously. I have a few questions. When should this wine be drank? Does it need more cellaring time? If it is indeed time to drink it now, does it need to be decanted? Should it be opened before drinking? What food would best pair with this wine? If theres anything else I am missing, please let me know. Thanks. -Justin

Nope, it would be...a butter tart!

That's not a butter tart .... that's a pecan tart. (also good - but different ) ← Well...according to your logic then, a butter tart cannot contain anything else, so no raisins like you asked for either! Or else thats a butter raisin tart!

Ginger - Thanks for the kind words, and welcome home! Although I must say, I always wanted to visit BC...definetly high up there on my list! Marlene - I will have to figure out the mileage from here to Oakville, and the time it would take me to get out there, then crunch some numbers. However, if those are 5 'slab' tarts, then I dont see a problem in taking a drive out your way. Also, dont forget, they last up to 8 months in the freezer and many people seem to be ordering larger quantities to get the free delivery. Drop me a PM or email (info@justbaked.ca) if you wish to discuss this further.

I loooove butter tarts! I like mine with a thin tart shell, nice and crumbley...with a somewhat firm but moist and still gooey center...raisins are a must, and....dont shoot me...but i do like pecans in mine as well! At least on top, I pick them off them bite the pastry around the edge then eat the center! hehehe.

Sanrensho - Thanks very much, one of my goals was to start off focusing strictly on a few tarts, but be consistant...then branch out from there, yet still not spread myself too thin. The name works quite well, especially since my name is Justin Baker! Haaah! (you would be amazed at some of the comments of disbelief I have got) Creative - I actually inquired about becoming kosher certified a few months ago, but the price (about $500+ as well as annual renewal) was a bit steep at this time. Definetly something to consider down the road, especially since like you said, all the ingredients are kosher. I'll be dropping the tarts off at your place just after 12! If you cant hold off till the weekend, you can pre-slice them, then people wont know how much or how little you have 'tested' Marlene - No 'official' delivery to Oakville at this time, unless of course you are throwing one massive party! I look forward to meeting you if/when you decide to mosey on in to T.O. again! Pam - Thanks so much, I appreciate the word of mouth referral! I agree, the kosher market is huge...not to mention my grandmother has some passover cake recipies that use apple sauce instead of flour that are amazing! Definetly will be doing the kosher certification down the road. Cheers, -Justin

Endy, thanks for the kind wishes...I was going to email you, but was waiting for a reply from my jam supplier (which I only recieved today). He was all out of Apricot, however, I went to buy a jar just so I could make you a small apricot linzer Give me a shout by phone or email, and we can set up a time for you to pick it up. Madge - Thanks...There is definetly a lot of hard work required in order to succeed in a new venture, but if you believe strongly in your product, then it all comes down to perseverance, dedication...and a little bit of luck doesn't hurt either! I am located at Bathurst and Lawrence, however as noted on the site, there is free delivery within the Toronto area for orders over $100. Thank you all for the kind wishes, and messages! I can't tell you how much it means to me to see people appreciating all the hard work. All the best, -Justin PS - Please pass along the website to friends and family, as word of mouth is by far the best form of advertising!

Thank you Luna!

Ed, Do you know if you can get Zacapa through these channels?

Hi again, Jake - Thanks! The idea came after working in the IT and Intl. VAR Sales industries for a few years and finally deciding I didn't want to work for anyone else. Knowing what is available in Toronto (I too am not a fan of most of the dessert places here...too sweet!), I felt there were only a few pastry shops out there who offered the quality of pastries which we have. The kicker for us, is the convenience factor; being able to offer a product that is frozen (Or fresh upon request), but also does not deteriorate whatsoever, is a big advantage. That is what I was thinking regarding the duo slab, being able to offer people a variety for a party or catering event, I do believe we will have to update the website with this! Regarding the hazelnuts, since our kitchen does have hazelnuts in it, there is no way to offer a 100% guarantee (due to liability reasons) that the others don’t, even though they don’t actually contain any in the ingredients. Just as we don’t have any peanuts in the desserts, we do however use Lindt chocolate, which 'may contain traces of peanuts' so on all our packaging we must state "May contain traces of nuts and/or peanuts" Hope this helps. Ludja - My Grandmother is from Vienna, and she is the source for our recipes. To be honest, because we use high quality, all natural ingredients, the recipes did not really require much tweaking, other than one minor adjustment on the Coconut Choc tart; they are all her original recipes! Glad you like some of our offerings. We are planning on offering some seasonal tarts as well come summer, such as a Plum/Peach tart with a hazelnut or almond cream underneath. Should be interesting. Ling - Thank you very much! I do enjoy the marzipan tart, although I must confess, the Swiss Chocolate Fudge Tart was the one I always asked for on my B-Day

Ed, Is Ron Zacapa ever going to hit shelves in Canada (Ontario)???

Betts - Thank you for the kind wishes, no butter tarts.. hehe, although I do love a good butter tart, the market is too flooded with them! We're looking at various methods of long distance shipping, as some canadian companies with locations in the US have expressed interest in supplying their US stores, so who knows, maybe you will be able to order some from Minni soon! Creative - Thank you very much for the kind wishes, I will pass the website compliment on to my web master (aka my GF) One of the important factors to me when going through the testing phase was to keep the ingredients all natural, and only the highest quality, and yes, you hit the nail on the head, rapid freezing them allows for us to not have to use any of those icky preservatives. I will be sure to set aside a Coconut and Marzipan tart for you. Csaville - Thanks a lot for the kind wishes. All the best, -Justin PS - Just as an afterthought, what do you folks think of the idea of offering a Duo-Slab, allowing people to combine for example, Half a Swiss Chocolate Fudge slab, and half a Coconut slab?

Hey Folks, For the past 8 months I have been working long and hard on my new company, Just Baked. Ever since I could remember, my grandmother has been making the most amazing desserts. She would always ask everyone in the family every year on their birthday which one they wanted, sometimes inventing new ones, or just staying true to one's favourites. Every now and then someone would joke that it's a shame we don't try to share her amazing pastries with 'the world' and try to make a business of it. Well, not too long ago I decided to take it upon myself to try and make her, and our dreams a reality. I present to you, Just Baked (www.JustBaked.ca) a truely unique way to enjoy gourmet European desserts, from the convenience of your own freezer. Please visit the site, look around, and see what we have to offer (for the time being!). We plan on bringing out new and exciting desserts as we grow, but decided to focus on Tarts (as the market lacks high quality ones) for the time being. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns, and don't forget to place your order and tell your friends! All the best, -Justin Baker

Open window is on bathurst north of lawrence on the east side.

What is a NY style bagel?! I love Open Window Bakery, they have these roundish chocolate buns that I pop in the micro for 15 seconds, mmmm melty gooey chocolatey goodness.

wait for the summer, then do ceviche... oh so many types of AMAZING ceviche...how I love thee.

Marty, Very interesting about the splash of water...will have to try that next time.

Living in Canada...I would gladly 'trade' anyone a bottle of Havana Club for some Ron Zacapa Centrino