Pam R

Just out of curiosity, what's the perfect texture? Completely dry but not hard? My standard dry meringue cookie is 1/4 cup of sugar for each large egg white and a pinch of salt. Some vanilla or other extract. Bake at 200 degrees for at least 2 hours.

I don't know if your answers are in them, but there are two great latke topics. The first is Latkes - The Topic (natch) and the second is the eGullet Potato Pancake Recipe Cook-Off. I've never put the shredded potatoes in ice water. Grate onions, grate potatoes and mix together (onion juice keeps the potatoes from oxidizing), squeeze excess moisture out, add starch/flour, eggs, salt and pepper and fry. Tonight I made latkes, roasted cauliflower and rack of lamb for a small family dinner. Really good. We're all relaxing (and digesting) and will have sufganiot and gelt in a while. The latkes were fantastic tonight. There is something to be said for frying a small batch vs. 50 lbs.

And? We are northerners, after all.

Soup, soup, soup. You're all catching up to us - it's been cold here for a few weeks now. This weekend I made a big pot of whatever was in the fridge soup. Just a couple of bowls left. I think a stew or potroast will happen soon. But, tonight I'll brush the snow off the BBQ and grill some lamb chops to go with potato latkes. Yes, it's cold. I'll just wear a parka and mitts.

Thanks, Toliver. Looks like they're limited to Ontario (southern) in Canada, and the closest one to me is in Minneapolis. Not likely to be trying it anytime soon. I think I'm stuck with the not-so-wonderful Chicken Delight, or KFC. Or, I could make a good batch at home.

No doubt the bread put it over the top! Looks fantastic, Arne. Personally, the last time I tried to smoke something in cold weather (I mean cold weather - like -20 C) I couldn't control the heat at all. Any tricks you can share? My smoker looks so lonely in the corner of the garage . . .

I don't know about Christmas, but I do know that a new Costco opening in the neighbourhood last week means that I have 2 new cookbooks. Another 1 because I got the new Norene Gilletz when she was in town last week. Add another 6 that I've received in the last month.

That's what I've been doing since the beginning. Very easy, less mess.

Chicken Delight (and the jingle) are still alive and well here, but I wouldn't plan any trips up here just to check them out. (A&W is still going strong here, as well. They brought fried 'chubby' chicken back several years ago but I don't know if they still have it.) I've never been nor seen a Popeye's. In what regions can you find them?

I made a loaf last week. I haven't made it in months and wanted to give it another go. This time I mixed it, left it on the counter for about 6 hours, then tossed it in the fridge for about 20. Onto the counter for another 20 or so. I think it had more flavour than the other loaves, but next time I'll leave it in the fridge for a couple of days. I'm a fan of the bread but am happy to play with it.

If you search for 'ayelach' you might get more results. (Different regions, slightly different word.) In Hebrew, egg is baytzah - and the Hebrew/English dictionary on my desk doesn't have an entry for 'unhatched eggs'. The eggs were taken out of their . .sac? and boiled in the soup, whole. Back in the day, I remember thinking that they were 'gross' (I was very young when they were available here), as were the chicken feet that my uncle always nibbled on at the other end of the table. There was an article in the NYT earlier this year on them. Clicky.

Other than it being dry, how did you like it? Is fresh and hot better then out of the box? I would imagine it is .. but at the same time, I'm not sure it matters when you're talking about matzoh.

Not 'kosher' matzah, but a big square cracker, yes.

In Yiddish, the unborn chicken eggs are called 'ayerlach' (means little eggs). Baba used to add them to her chicken soup. You can't get them here (at least not kosher), but my sister thought she hit gold when she lived in Australia for a year and her kosher butcher had them.

What Canadian shows are on these days? Checking the FTVC website we've got: The Heat (I enjoy it when I see it. I grew up in a catering company, so I can relate.) Food Jammers Chef at Home Chef at Large (he's done some interesting episodes) Eat Shrink and Be Merry Ricardo and Friends French Food at Home The Main Restaurant Makeover Thirsty Traveller Surreal Gourmet & Glutton for Punishment - do we could these as Canadian? Sugar Opening Soon Kitchen Equipped Just One Bite I do, Let's Eat! Fixing Dinner Fink I haven't watched a lot of these. There are a few that I can't bring myself to watch - and a couple that I enjoy. Am I missing any? What happened to Christine Cushing?

Dejah - I don't keep the back issues unless there's something in them that I want to keep. Sorry! Rona - I haven't had anything at Cafe Kohler that I really loved. But, I'll go back -- in June, when I can sit out front. I will read the reviews (since they switched from the Friday paper to the Saturday paper, I always forget to read them). Fresh Cafe sounds very interesting -- and a good location for me. Thanks!

Strangely, a lot of people like the shmura. It's got more of a burnt . . I mean toasted flavour. Streit's spelt is my favourite. Mitch, great story. All you needed was a glass of Manischewitz to wash it down and you would have been set. Do they always offer people pieces of matzoh or were you just lucky?

Yup. The no-knead bread is all about the crust. Have you tried baking it?

Yes. This is crucial. ← Thanks. That's what I assumed but the quote above says to put the mushrooms in the pan then fry on high.

Do you heat the pan up before adding the mushrooms?

The work on this topic is truly amazing. I can't believe all of the details that go into the houses. How long does it take to put one together, on average?

What about a baking supply place, or even Sysco?

I haven't been to the Fairmont for brunch in years. We used to take our catering staff (most of them were war brides) there every Christmas for brunch. I've been there for a couple of special dinners this year (kosher events) that were outstanding, but that's a different thing. Yes, mostly I'm looking for places where you aren't rushed out. I love the Falafel Place, but if it's busy (and it usually is), it's not conducive to visiting. Nobody ever wants to go to the Forks, unless they've never been here before. Though I just remembered that I was at the new hotel this summer for a birthday lunch (private room, set meal) and it wasn't bad. I wonder how the restaurant does. I'll keep an eye out for the next Ciao. I don't think it's been delivered yet.

Here are a few of the pictures I have on my computer of flanken. This is just a few of them. It's amazing how many I had - but it's so good in soup. The pictures aren't great, because I didn't take them to show off the flanken, but it'll give you an idea. Raw, as the base of a bean and barley soup (in the middle, with marrow bones on either side): And in the soup: And just cooked on their own: The ones in the pictures are about 1/4" thick - they're three or four rib bones (and meat) cut into thinner strips. This thickness is called a 'Miami Rib' up here, and a thicker cut - about 1" is called, simply, a shortrib. I'm not sure which bones these are. I do know that there's also a 'white bone' shortrib that some of my customers look for (the whole, oval bone is white).

What Toliver said. I find that if I've pricked the dough before baking, and it still puffs up, another couple of pricks during baking will deflate it.