Pam R

But where can I get one of those, for the price you paid?

Thanks for the comments. I'm completely torn. I'm leaning toward the DeLonghi or Cuisinart, but the KA sure are pretty. On the other hand, has anybody used the Hamilton Beach 'All Metal' stand mixer? I called my restaurant supply store, and was told that the Kenwoods that I have at work have been replaced by a Hamilton Beach version (for $788). I'm sure the one they're selling isn't the same one selling for under $200 in the stores in the US, but they look interesting.

It's been a couple of months -- has anybody tried the Cuisinart? I'm trying to decide which mixer to buy this week, and I'm a little confused. I like the Kenwoods we have at work - so I'm interested in reports/opinions on the Cuisinart or the DeLonghi 5 quart. I've never been all that fond of the KAs, and some of the reports in this topic scare me, though I wouldn't rule them out completely, if I could figure out which one to get.

Yes, definitely. Though I haven't tried the new Crisco, but I bet it would work well. And again, the margarine I link to above has proved to be an excellent product.

I don't bake dessert at home very often. This wasn't an after dinner dessert, but it was dinner on Saturday night. Family tradition is fresh-baked sweet breads to break the Yom Kippur fast. I didn't use a recipe (unfortunately) and at the last minute added allspice and orange zest to the dough.

Ken's! I haven't been there in years and years. When I was but a child, we would pop into Ken's on occasion when we were in the neighbourhood (it was down the street from the YMHA). I never knew they had dim sum. Then again, back then I don't think I knew much about dim dum. There was also a place on Henderson -- I have no idea what it is/was called, nor do I know if it's still open. Again, haven't been there in at least 10 years. It's interesting that we find a restaurant we like and stick with that one most of the time. Must try more places.

I use Earth Balance in most of my baking (kosher, non-dairy, trans-fat free, non-hydrogenated) and I supply it to several large kitchens, including a major hotel that is now trans-fat free. I use the margarine, but see that they now have 'shortening'. It may be cost-prohibitive, but it's an excellent product. Most of my customers have made the switch.

I heard the same thing - that the old Marigold had good dim sum. I won't be able to get down there for a while, but I'll put it on the list.

Anne, what's the reason for the cheesecloth? I'm assuming it's to keep the marrow in the bone . . I'm up for this. I'll take a look at Monsieur Bordain's book. I'm thinking I want a recipe that includes a hen.

I'm enjoying your blog tremendously. I always love to see soups in blogs, and of course, this line about a kosher restaurant caught my attention. Is there a demand for one?

The Canadian dollar is approaching parity with the greenback, and now those lower prices in the US are even lower. It's always nice to find a food product for a dollar or two less -- heck, even saving 50 cents isn't so bad. But here's where I can't understand the disparity in the price of a product on the two sides of the border -- and I'm hoping to take advantage of it. I've been working on a cookbook and realize that it's time to purchase a stand mixer for my home kitchen. I've been busy and haven't had a lot of time to do my research, but a simple comparison between a few websites was all it took to see that the price gap is huge. For example, if you look at the KitchenAid Pro 600 (6 qt) mixer, it's listed on many US sites (Target, Sears, etc.) for $399 US. The same mixer in Canada is listed for $699 CDN (or $729 at sears.ca). So, the dollar is almost par with the greenback, I only have to pay 5% sales tax in North Dakota vs. 13% up here - I know where I'm buying my mixer. Another good example is cookbooks. You see the price differences all the time. A book will sell for $24.95 CND or $19.95 US. So it's time to revisit this topic. Anybody else taking advantage of the value of the dollar to shop for food, books or appliances in the US?

Our local stores don't have pastrami but 'hot Montreal smoked meat' sandwiches. After trying it once, I'd take a pass now.

I've had the opposite experience. At GG we always had great, friendly service. But once I moved from Garden City to the south end, I started going to Victoria (when it was owned by friend of a friend). Victoria is one restaurant that didn't suffer from a change in ownership and some of the dished improved. A couple of years ago I went to KKG for a weekday lunch -- I doubt the place was even 1/4 full. The service was so unfriendly and terrible - it took a couple of years to go back. My friend recently moved within walking distance of KKG, so we thought we'd give it another try. The experience was the polar opposite of the last one. The carts came by so fast and frequently, we couldn't keep up. We were there on a Saturday, around noon. The place was packed, and the carts were full. Stuff was still cold. But friendly.

Rona - great report. I went to Kum Koon recently and while I thought everything tasted good, almost every thing we had was cold. Did you find the same thing? This is one of the reasons why I prefer Victoria - I like to order off the menu and get things hot. If I could have hot cart service, that would be great. What was the place across from Kum Koon? They managed to do hot/cart.

Rye is great in Honey Cake.

Is it that time of year again? Great pictures, great traditions. I won't be doing any cooking for the family this year, but will be going to family. They take pity on us at the holidays, because we're in the kosher food business, by the time the holidays finally arrive, my immediate family can hardly stay awake at the table. I tried making Taiglach last year. . . needless to say, my results weren't worth posting. Please let us know if it works for you -- and what you do!

Dip sliced bananas in acidulated water (use lemon juice, not vinegar).

Old Dutch Ketchup Chips. When I lived in the US, my dorm-mates would request them when I went home for the weekend. The best.

The problem is that all the local berries are gone. I'll have to wait until next summer to get something that tastes like this. . .

My first batches of preserves ever. The mixed berries were wonderful - all local. Strawberry, raspberry & blueberry. For the spiced peach I simmer the fruit with cinnamon sticks and slices of fresh ginger. And there was nothing wring with the blueberry nectarine - though once cooked, it was mostly blueberry. I can't wait for next summer!

Hmm. Maybe it depends on the oven? We had a deck oven for about 15 years and baked most things right on the floor (in or on a pan) with no problems. I'd say you won't know until you try it yourself with the oven you have. Please let us know.

I think brain is kosher . . .but either way, eating parts of a head (lamb, beef, fish, etc.) are a tradition at Rosh Hashana, which is a few weeks off. I'd check with another kosher butcher to see if they can get their hands on one.

We're pleased to announce the addition of two new members to our hosting team. Mitch Weinstein ("weinoo") will be hosting in the New York, Kitchen Consumer and Cooking forums. Michelle Byston ("Kouign Aman") will be joining the teams in the Cooking, California and Food Traditions & Culture forums. Society volunteers donate their time to create topics, support members and help make the eG Forums the vibrant place it is. Please join us in welcoming and thanking the new hosts by clicking on the forum names above and posting in their welcome topics.

Welcome, Mitch! You're a great addition to the Cooking team. Thanks.

Chicken livers is what we use for Chopped Liver.