Pam R

Has anybody used glass? Not in window form (but I liked that) or tiles, but sheets of glass applied over a painted wall?

Any good food at the birthday?

Somebody mentioned that they had duck-fat fried fries last night and I asked if they were crispy or limp. I was told they were very crisp - it could be the temp, time or maybe even the type of potato used. I think you should experiment.

What was your technique before using the bowls? Cracking them right into the pot of water?

What a fun morning for PJ! He looks like he knows what he's doing -- do you just bake with him or is he involved in other cooking as well?

Remember the eG Foodblogs? For five years they were a popular feature in our forums. The last eG Foodblog was over two years ago, so if you weren't around much before then, you might not know about them. The basic premise was that each week a different member from somewhere around the globe would share their week with us. Their culinary week, that is. One member might spend their week cooking every meal for themselves - or for a family of six. Another member might share a week of eating out, either at home or while on vacation. Whatever their food life was, they shared it with us and we were able to get a glimpse into the eating lives of people in the USA, Japan, South Africa, Israel and many other locations around the word -- places many of us will never be able to visit. Other eG Foodblogs had themes or were tag-team productions. Whatever form they took, the eG Foodblogs were topics that encouraged a lot of discussion and posts -- and we think it's time to bring them back. Since he did the first eG Foodblog all those years ago, we think it's only fitting that Fat Guy kick them off again. Sometime next week Fat Guy will start sharing his week with us and I encourage everybody to participate. Ask him questions, comment or make suggestions -- help make these topics into the great discussions we all enjoyed. I'll be doing the scheduling and general running of the eG Foodblogs but if you'd like to participate don't hesitate to get in touch. If you'd like to nominate a member you think is a great candidate let me know -- and if you want to do one yourself let's talk. Finally, the eG Foodblogs are still, by definition, forum topics. That means they are held to the same standards of topicality and decorum as any other topics in the forums.

I've always sprayed mine before using, but they also sell crockpot liners. Once you're done cooking you just pull the liner out and toss it.

There the only thing to make a cholent in. (OK, not the only way to make it, but it's safe to say the most popular way.) Not something I make often, but I know many, many households that rely on them and use them every week. During the winter I'll make crockpot soups a few times. Perfect for barley soups and good for borscht.

Real Mexican cheeses? I have no idea. For a while Les Petite Fermieres had Asadero available -- and "Quesadilla". They're still on a wholesale list I have, but I don't see them on their website. As for turkey bacon, I'd like to know too. It's so strange that something that's so available in the treif market but could be made kosher isn't. We get some decent beef bacon / beef fry, but turkey would be great.

(Finally coming out from under Rosh Hashana here . .) Thanks for the idea! I just sent them a tweet and asked if they have any in stock. I stock a lot of Asian ingredients here - I want them myself and we also do "Asian Take-Out" once a month or so in the store. Any idea what the brand is? Me too! It would be nice to have some more vinegar options. My supply chain is sporadic, but I've been able to get wide rice noodles (wide=for Pad Thai wide). I'm not sure which brand, but it might have been Taste of Asia. Will re-order next week and see if they arrive.

Generally, can't stand them. Hate the flavour of green. Red are not bad but I wouldn't search them out in a salad bowl. I like orange and yellow. If they're cooked really well, in small pieces I can handle it, but I don't love it. The one exception is in tempura. I have no idea why, but I don't mind them . . . could be the deep frying.

Just so happens we have a topic on taiglachright here in the forums. It even has a recipe -- maybe you want to try making them?

It's easier to find in the US - I've even had samples from South Dakota. But it's impossible to find in Canada. No meat at the SNFM is kosher -- there's no kosher local slaughter or any animal. My gratitude? Now to see if I can actually get it . . . Thank you!

Some kosher items are hard to find, others are hard to know if they even exist. Let's use this topic to help find kosher ingredients (or find out if they're even out there). I'll start. Fish sauce Bison (anybody ever see it in Canada?)

You sure you can't just shape the dough with your hands? I make my pizza dough quite moist, stick it in a ziplock bag that's been oiled and keep it in the fridge for a few days. It's soft to form the crust with my hands -- never use a pin to roll it out. If not, then par-bake them.

My favorites: mushroom and wild rice pancakes (sometimes topped with smoked salmon), turkey/vegetable/wild rice soup, pilaf and a salad that I do with wild rice, celery, dried cranberries, orange segments, toasted almonds and an orange/balsamic dressing.

I would love to replicate Nando's grilled chicken at home. Without buying the sauces (can't get them here), anybody have any hints? I'm thinking Peri-Peri or lemon & herb.

No, you're not misunderstanding and yes, that's a concern I have. It's a financial decision - my 1st floor will be my kitchen (and a half-bath) and the developer is providing polished concrete on the first floor. The other floors come with plywood and I have to do the flooring myself (which will probably be hard wood). So to start off, I'm sticking with the polished concrete in the kitchen and will get some good, thick, cushiony floor-mats for the work areas. I can always put something over it in a year or two if I don't like it.

I've been looking at flooring for every room but the kitchen over the last few months. Nevertheless, at every flooring store I've been to, I've been told not to put wood floors in the kitchen (I will have polished concrete in the kitchen -- something I'll either love or cover up with something else down the road). y'all seem really positive about the wood floors -- no problems with water (other than tme4tls) and warping? Likewise, they all warned me away from bamboo -- a product I was considering. I have heard great things about Cork and a cousin put it in his kitchen -- looks great and things bounce off of it.

Anybody try the new Artichoke and Spinach version? Not bad, though it doesn't taste like either to me.

I'd like to send some cupcakes or cookies or some other treat to a friend living in Toronto. Something that can be enjoyed by her, her husband and their little girls. Preferably the items will be kosher, but official supervision is not a must. Any suggestions? They need to deliver to the Thornhill area. Thanks.

Carrots. I cook with both, often together, but I'd rather snack on a carrot than a stick of celery. And I hate celery in salads -- either cook with them or eat them on their own.

Be thankful they're not showing the BBQ show that's hosted by a retired CFL player (football). At least the host of this one has a food background. Don't like his show, and they're really stretching with the 'exotic' theme.

No, hosers and hipsters are not the same. I think the term became popular with Bob and Doug McKenzie, decidedly non-hipsters. (Closer to a loser, really.) I'm obviously not their target audience because I can't believe one network put them on, never mind two. Are there any new shows on the channel that are really great?

I picked up a copy of The Food of Asia, published by Murdoch books a few weeks ago. It includes recipes from China, India, Japan and Thailand, so nothing is too in depth but it has a bunch of recipes I'd like to try. Also got a copy of The Food of the Mediterranean - same style of book, fewer recipes I actually want to try. I'm not buying this type of book to learn everything there is to know about a certain cuisine, but some of them have some good recipes and they get me thinking about adapting recipes and trying different things.