Irishgirl

I am making a red mole with anchos, pasillas and guajillos....some with chicken, and some vegetarian. Don't worry about ingredients...i already scoped that out and have most of them. My Mexican dishwashers love this recipe and think it very authentic...although they all have their preferences depending on the region they come from. They want me to make Mole Negro next time. I personally like the Green Mole as well. What I want to know....is, if Masa is made from corn, what is the difference between Masa tortillas and corn tortillas? Is it that the masa is suppossed to be white? I am thoroughly confused.....but I think that I am going to pick up a bag of Masa Cal until I can get my Molcajete from Granville Island. P.S. Also interested in where the corn and lime were bought.

It said "Masa Cal" and it's ingredients were basically corn and lime. It was a dry mix that you just add water to to make the dough. English was hard to find on the packaging. The spanish and French were more predominant. It certainly made me interested though....I am going to have a Mexican Theme Party soon....maybe something else to try.

I am Wishing you luck!!!! So weird the things that you notice when they are brought to your attention..... .....I saw Masa mix at Superstore of all places today.....non-lard kind.

I am very upset...I loaned my copy to my boss so that he could check it out....and now he's had it for over 6 months!!!!! I haven't even had a chance to cook anything out of it! It was a gift.....GGGRRRR! He did buy me a Careme book for christmas though.... Time to bring it up again...

Try Here: http://www.fabulousfoods.com/recipes/misc/freshmasa.html http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/masa.htm http://www.fabulousfoods.com/recipes/misc/millermasa.html http://www.happycookers.com/wc.dll/recipes/divulge/1174.html http://www.epicurious.com/bonappetit/cooki...s/masa_recipes1 PS : Went to Il Sureno.....The smoked chipotles smell great....but I was there for ingredients for Mole. Thanks for asking these questions, as Mexican cooking is my obsession right now. Irishgirl

Try South China Seas in Granville Island Market....not cheap....but not hugely expensive either. And they have a lot af specialty Mexican (as well as Asian) ingredients. Like achiote or Annatto seeds The owners are fabulous and have lots of suggestions as well.

Terra just invested in a new Place to bake their bread from....which means new ovens....new proofers....new bakers.... I have had various amounts of trouble with consistency in the past 6 weeks or so (as i buy wholesale from them) ...but things are getting better as they get used to their new equipment and employees. I for one, am a huge fan of their Olive Oil rolls and the Pecan Fruit and Nut bread....just toast and enjoy!!!! These products have not wavered in their consistency. Just my two cents.

Am I mistaken...or did no one respond to this question? Just wondering about the perspective of this whole thread. I for one, know how hard it is to put out a three course meal for $15. I have never been to the Heather as it is not convienient for me...but this thread definitely got out of hand....and I agree with Sean that people were "Feeding" off each others reviews, and being downright malicious. So people, when you read Sean's response...remember, if you can't take the heat...stay out of the kitchen. In other words... if you are going to dish it out...be prepared to have some slung back at you. Irishgirl

So how did she enjoy the onion-garlic-celery-cucumber-bell pepper-black pepper salad? ← Ah...but you see, I had already put out her food when the manager came back and told me about the non-reservation. Personally my favourite part was "sometimes garlic"! How can you be allergic to garlic sometimes? I also had someone tell me this week that they were allergic to wheat, but that they could eat soy sauce. 99% of soy sauces out there are made with wheat....And anybody who is truly allergic to wheat knows that. Most chefs out there take the time to know their stuff about food. We are happy to prepare something for people who have legitimate allergies.....or even for people who phone ahead and let us know that they have diet "restrictions"...no problem. But for those that don't know: Stocks are always made with onions, garlic and celery....so if you have a true allergy to any of these items....phone ahead, and then we can make your risotto without....and your sauce etc..... Sorry to sound preachy....

On Friday night the FOH Manager comes into the Kitchen and says to me: "I've got a list of allergies for the woman on table 46. What can we do for her?" These "allergies" included onions, sometimes garlic, celery, cucumbers, bell peppers and Black pepper. I said to him...."Do these people ever THINK about phoning ahead? I'd love to do something nice for her...but now I'm limited by her own thoughtlessness. All we're offering is the dine out menu...that's all the prep we have!" He says: "Apparently she did phone ahead." So I proceed to make this woman something that she CAN eat, meanwhile giving the manager SHIT for not informing the kitchen earlier. Obviously he took his chastisement to heart, because he tried to track down the person who took the reservation and give them shit......only to tell me that the woman never had a reservation in the first place and didn't phone ahead at all. THIS IS WHEN I GET REALLY ANNOYED WITH VANCOUVER DINERS! I know that there are many of you that are considerate etc....but how come it's these freaks that I seem to encounter every 3 days! Sorry....venting isn't my thing....but I started reading this thread and got annoyed all over again.

I used to run them as a special at Cafe de Paris. It was formerly a standard menu item, but too few people would order them and they would rot in my fridge before they were sold. As a special, they seemed to sell better. We always did them with a grainy mustard sauce. The owner LOVES them however, and he has probably persuaded Scott to serve them now and again. The Cafe de Paris menu on line is not up to date by the way. Scott has changed a lot of things and I know that he does like offal meat. Good luck in your search!

Gourmet Warehouse usually has a pretty good selection. ← As does Meinhardt at 14th and Granville.

As i have never bought Callebeaut at Superstore I wouldn't know the grade. The other thing is that they sell it in bulk...and the grade is on the packaging...usually a 5 kg block. If you really want to know what you are getting, I would suggest asking the manager at wherever you buy. Daniel's would know for sure what they have. Superstore probably wouldn't. Gourmet Warehouse would most likely know....and as i said before....Greg at Chocolate Arts is very knowledgeable. He is also a great guy, and uses some Callebeaut in his store. And I will say it again. Valrhona over Callebeaut any day. Guanaja, Caribe and Tana Riva.

The K811 is what most restaurants receive from general suppliers. It is of a quality that is agreeable to the general public. If you want a better quality or a better flavour, you should talk to someone like Greg Hook at Chocolate Arts. He may be able to steer you in the right direction. I personally prefer Valrhona to Callebeaut.

""What is veal"????? How do you keep a straight face when someone asks you that?"---- What is even worse...when the waiter asks the Kitchen the same question! I had one last week say to me..."Oh! You can make mayonnaise! I thought that was just something that you bought in the grocery store!" But with all due respect for good waitstaff out there...So far dine out is a breeze where I work. Although i can relate to the opinion that was expressed that it can be monotonous for staff. I plated the same food all night long.........it's up to the individual to make it interesting. I also agree that going to a restaurant during dine out is not the best time to catch its "Essence"....because owners have a hard time saying no to people in January. We were told that we were booked solid two weeks ago....Now all of a sudden we can fit in another 50 people.... Bis Moreno I have never been to...but I will always give a place a chance.

I always get mine at La Grotta on Commercial (Between 1st and 2nd). They are tasty, and the owner (Fortunato) is a great guy. I like to support local small businesses.