Pam R

This is the 2nd year of the show up here (now an hour). I watch it occasionally... and I don't get the sense that the restaurant owner actually gets any say in the design. It seems more like a "we'll show you what you should do with your restaurant because we know we're right" situation.

I just made a batch with agar. I used 1 oz. I have absolutely no experience with agar or gelatin, so I wasn't really sure of what to do. It thickened up a bit, but didn't get stiff and voluminous. My agar is flaked, not powdered. Am I supposed to bring the agar to a boil and simmer it? I know that Neil's recipe calls for sprinkling the gelatin into the strawberry/water mix - but I don't think this works with the agar. I did heat up 1/2 cup of water and added the agar but it immediately soaked up the water and did nothing. And can I then let the agar sit or does it need to hit the water just before the hot sugar mixture is added? Will the whole thing work if I add the simmered agar to the hot sugar mix once it's already beating in the mixer? Any thoughts?

I've been experimenting recently with my new slow-cooker and have cooked chicken, lamb and beef. I didn't think that anything tasted like the others, but the other flavourings in the recipes were radically different. I'm in favour of browning the meats (and some veg) before placing in the crock - and I find that the recipes take a little more seasoning than they would using a different cooking method. So far I like it - for fall and winter it makes very 'homey' meals. Must try a brisket in it.

If a fresh bagel is good, it almost doen't need any cc on it. If a bagel is not good, or has been hanging around for a couple of days, it's better toasted. I like when the cream cheese melts.. starts oozing everywhere.

Bakemark has a location in the Vancouver area. I'm not sure if they sell to individuals, but they do carry a roll of 2" high acetate for collars.

I was going to suggest novacart.. They have a canadian rep - out of Calgary who we can order from. I should be meeting with him in the next week or so to get some more info. Hopefully somebody else will have a local source for you though.

8 pies later ... I think the problem was that I was being overly-cautious and rather than over-mixing I was under mixing. So while there were lovely pea-sized chunks of fat in my dough, there wasn't enough fat actually mixed into the flour. Final pie tonight was perfectly flaky. Thought it was made with 100% Crisco (kashrut restrictions) I was told that I had achieved 'a lard-like crust). I'm assuming that's a good thing?

Sorry.. I was referring to posts upthread - London's lack of good kosher meat. I don't really know of any restaurant or food-service estab. not under hashgacha promoting the fact that they are using kosher ingredients (other than my own). I am very aware of the fact that there is a perception that kosher food is better and healthier. I've been asked several times in interviews why kosher food was healthier. I'm not sure where this idea came from.

I think a pinch is ... literally a pinch. Less than an 1/8th tsp. My grandma cooked with a bisel or biselah (which really just means a little... but how little?) or a shtikel (a bit)

another option may be Novacart - and here's the link for Qualita

I'm not sure about the partial cases - but they are very good about replying to emails - just fill out the form on their site and they'll get back to you.

Not all of us my friend! I have some books in my bedroom, sharing space with many other things that I love. There are stacks throughout the house - a few in the living room, a few in the kitchen, some in the basement. Then I have two bookcases in my office at work. The only books I am usually on top of are my baking books - they are on a shelf in my kitchen at work. I would say that 90% of the time I have a couple of cookbooks in my computer bag that I shlep back and forth between work and home hoping that I will get a chance to look through them. And I always forget which location I have left them in. I have a few really well-abused books that I actually take into the kitchen (the baking ones), but I usually write out ingredients from recipes with a few notes onto scraps of paper so that I don't mess up the rest of the books. Generally speaking though, I never know where any cookbook is.

I've had non-Jews order a parve cake due to a milk allergy - and I've sold meats and meals to muslims but I think that the non-Jews who generally came to our restaurant weren't coming because they felt things were healthier. They wanted the 'Jewish' food.. It's unfortunate that there are places where all the kosher options are low quality. We try to bring in only high quality stuff - luckily we can get very good meats in Canada. If only I could get better dairy, but that's another thread.

You should. Since you've been there you know that as well as having wonderful food it happens to be one of the most beautiful settings in the city as well. Come by our place for dessert though - we're a good stop on the way to the park Re: treatment at Gluttons - I haven't eaten in the restaurant, but I had an interesting conversation with the guy behind the meat/take-out counter who was only too happy to help. I haven't been back, but I'll give the restaurant a shot at some point. The desserts- they do look like the Fort Garry desserts... but I thought the ones I've had at FG were better. Again.. have lunch at Gluttons then take a long stroll down the street for dessert . I'm almost done self-promoting for the night...

They received a 5 star review today. It's always been one of my favorite restaurants - time to return.

Tell her to give us 3 weeks! My mother keeps telling people we'll be ready in 2 weeks... I keep adding 'or 3'. The plumber is coming next week to finish up, so we're getting there. at the moment I'm not doing a baba au rhum, but that doesn't mean I won't be. hopefully I'll be able to get into the kitchen by Monday and start doing some prep work and experimenting.

I second the idea of freezing then slicing. You may find that semi-frozen is the best time to cut it for clean lines. Dip your favorite knife in hot water before slicing. Do you have a really long knife (or a two handled long knife) that allows you to slice the cake from side to side in one go? That helps with keeping things neat and equal. I love my cake-dividing gadgets. The ones I have for sheet pans are adjustable and allow me to choose the size. The other option is to buy a new, plastic, washable yard-stick. I also like the idea mentioned by somebody upthread - cut the cake into pieces and then pipe a dollup of icing on each piece and top with a strawberry.

I think they are trying to imply 'tastier' not healthier

Last night I made a butternut/pear soup with ginger and garnished with toasted, sugared pecans. I'm on a squash kick.

For what it's worth - if anybody happens to have a copy of MasterCook Deluxe #8 it includes the American Lamb Boards Cookbook. The book has not 1, not 10, not even 50 recipes - but 171 lamb recipes. I haven't tried any of them (didn't even know I had them until just now) but there's bound to be some ideas within.

It's illegal to use the term 'kosher-style' here. Either you're under supervision/hashgacha or you're not. Our company was certified for about 20 years but the politics involved in such matters had us give up our certification a couple of years ago. Having said that, we use only kosher ingredients and follow all the laws of kashrut. But if somebody phones me up and asks if my food is kosher I have to explain all of this rather than just say yes. Around these parts, the only thing I ever really notice is 'kosher pickles' in many many many restaurants and of course, Costco USED to sell kosher hot dogs (until mad cow put an end to Sinai hot dogs tihs side of the border). No one seemed to mind that they were serving them in hotdog buns with dairy products in them, but there you go. With the cost of kosher poultry are completely treif restaurants actually using it?

I always used AP flour. I just mixed up 4 batches that are resting now - 2 with AP and 2 with pastry flour. 2 with vinegar, 2 without. I realize the one difference with what I'm doing now was that I added 1 T. of sugar. Would this toughen the dough? I know many others use some sugar with no problems. I'll bake these doughs off in a couple of hours and see how they turn out.

I never use an apron at home.... and I should. I bought a few 'nice' aprons for cooking demos and a few tv appearences that I thought I'd use at home, but never do. At work, I'm now into 'kitchen scrubs' with a bib apron. They're awesome and I may have get some to keep at home to wear while cooking.

I actually placed an order with Qualita Paper today - just to get me started (their minimum order is $50 - much betteR). I also got a phone call from the Novacart sales rep in Canada who will be in Winnipeg in a week or so and will come in to see me. Thanks so much for the help everybody. In addition to my 4" boards I ordered all sorts of other things that I'm oddly excited about. My new store is finally shaping up.

i'm having problems. I've made pies for years and been very happy with my crusts. In the last week the 2 crusts I've made have been very tough. The first I made in the Food processor, the second using a pastry cutter. Both doughs had chunks of fat in them when they were done, and both had streaks of fat once they were rolled. I worked the dough as little as possible. Are there any other reasons why the dough may be tough? There was some vinegar in it as well. Any thoughts?