Pam R

I'm confused... is the stuff in Israel water buffalo? I've had kosher buffalo (bison) a few times now - and I'm trying to import it for resale. It's a nice alternative. The prices *seem* like they'll be better than beef and it's leaner. can you imagine the size of a bison brisket?

I can't believe I've never looked in this thread before. It's taken me two days to get through all 41 pages and I'm (almost) speechless. There is so much talent on display here - and some very lucky recipients out there. It's amazing. Thanks for sharing all your beautiful work here - I can't wait to see what else comes out of your kitchens in the future.

Is tea different from 'high-tea'? Or is high-tea something that only sad foreigners do?

Does this mean that if you don't eat anything after dinner, then it's supper? Yes... it's all about the 'special' camps. What is pikey?

eh... though I live in the commonwealth - I don't understand the tea thing. It makes less sense to me than the supper thing. shouldn't tea be ... well.. a cuppa tea? It wasn't and isn't just a New Jersey thing. My father grew up on a farm in Saskatchewan and to them, lunch= dinner and dinner=supper. I went to university in rural Minnesota with many farming kids. They still use the dinner and supper terms. From some of the explanations upthread, I understand a late evening bite may be referred to as tea or supper? That's what we call a snack around here.

<host> This thread is for discussing A. Gill's reviews, so let's get back to that please. I also think that Mr. Barber is worthy of some discussions ... perhaps in his own thread. Thanks, Pam </host>

I've exceeded the limits on certain things more than once - usually you just have to pay duty. Occasionally they'll confiscate it. I'm very careful these days. I remember a story that a friend of ours once told us. He was crossing the MB/ND border and had a whole cooler of food (he was driving to Chicago and kept kosher, so he had supplies to last him the whole drive). The border guard went through his car, checking everything. He got to the cooler full of food for the day and refused to let him take much of it into the country. So at about 10 AM, rather than leaving his food behind him, he sat at the border and ate his sandwich (containing meat) and his oranges and had an early lunch! It actually really annoys me. I sell a lot of Kedem grape juice. When I was strolling through Sam's Club last time I was down, they had a 3-pack of juices for just a little more than I pay wholesale for one! I'm not sure where the price is going up - but it doesn't seem right.

I've never thought about what Americans could bring back with them. Are there lots of restrictions? Do you ever have problems at the border? Most grocery items are duty/tax free, but there are exceptions - specifically dairy, eggs, meats. I once had to pay a few dollars per litre of whipping cream. Now, I'm quite careful about what I bring back.

Dinner tonight: there really are noodles in there .... you just can't see them come to think of it... you can't really see the broth either

Sugarella asks some really good questions. And she's right - your product isn't the problem. Your desserts are gorgeous and from all the reviews, taste just as good. What else are you offering?

A couple of weeks ago I spent a few days in Minnesota and North Dakota. I generally do this once every few months. The main purpose of the weekend away (other than rest) was to go grocery shopping. Two reasons for my frequent border-crossing shopping trips are: Kosher products are in abundance in the US and scarce in Canada. Many (but not all) things are less expensive on the other side. With the value of the Canadian $ on the rise, apparently Manitobans are flocking to the US in numbers that haven't been seen in years. In fact, there were several articles about this issue in the local paper this morning. Eggs cost more than $1/dozen less in the US. Aluminium pans, made in Canada, cost almost double north of the border. I bought some dried cherries for about half of what I pay here. In the article a store manager from Grand Forks, ND said that they check the calendar for Canadian long weekends to make sure they stock up on certain items (like Bush's baked beans). Who else is crossing over to the other side? What great food deals have you found?

it's great that they turned out and you enjoyed.... but pictures next time (10 hours does seem oddly long though)

their story has been all over the place the last few days - even on the weather network this morning! I'm really intrigued by it - and imagine that there are some regions where it could work. But can you imagine doing it around here? What would dinner look like in the dead of winter? I won't even get into the issues of dietary restrictions. Living in Vancouver or the vicinity it might be viable - but do you think the rest of the region could do it?

hmm... how thick/big are these? I cook short ribs a few times a week - mine are about 1" thick strips of 3. I season them up, wrap them in foil and into a 350 oven for under two hours (or over an hour). Over 2 hours and they fall off the bone. Thicker cut will take longer.

That's not what I was hoping you'd say! I'm sorry to hear things aren't going well. Any plans to re-work the place?

Brian - are you open yet?

Mine as well. I've never used the plastic cups that come with the blenders. But I've used glass and metal bowls, glasses and pots. Without the plastic protector I might hesitate - but since all of the blenders I've owned had the protector I've never thought twice about it.

Hope you found something It is snowing today. I am making some good old-fashioned, thick, bean and barley soup.

It's schmaltz (fat) - fry some onions!

I agree with Chris .. .as long as there's a good alphabetical index in the back, it doesn't matter how the writer/editor has organized it. But I don't think this is a new thing. I have cookbooks that are decades old and are organized in... different ways. "the Harvest Table" "Springs Splendor' "Late-night Nibbles"

First - I think it's wonderful that you're trying to accommodate everybody who attends your wedding. I don't think it's something that should make you crazy - you should be able to enjoy the day! If your kosher guests are terribly religious, going to a town for a wedding where they know there are no kosher sources - I'm sure that they'd mention this issue to you. And if they ARE strictly kosher, believe me they'll research the food sources before travelling. They may just travel with their own food. It would be nice if you could have some kosher wine - but if it's not something that's available, don't worry about it. There will be beer. Or ... heaven forbid, water (soft drinks and juice are also options). Other suggestions have been given for fish - salmon, halibut, sole, haddock, tuna, walleye, seabass etc. If any of this fit into your plans, great. Hopefully your guests will eat up and enjoy. The only additional suggestion I have is to have some raw fruits and vegetables. I've known some rabbis who wouldn't eat cooked foods in restaurants but would have a salad. At the end of the day, I hope you are able to have a relaxed, enjoyable wedding. Mazel Tov!

we're 2 birthdays in to a 7 birthday stretch (in just over 2 weeks). cakes for both so far. though I like pie - there better not be a pie over the next two weeks.

gelatin, generally, is not kosher.

How kosher are these guests? Make sure they'll eat what you prepare, even if the ingredients ARE kosher. Otherwise you're going to a lot of trouble for nothing. Some people who keep kosher will eat food as long as the ingredients are kosher, others will only eat out of a 'kosher kitchen'.

I sell kosher chicken. But it all comes from Ontario, and for some reason they can't send chicken feet across provincial lines. I still manage a pretty decent soup with what I can get .