snacky_cat

Magnifique! I'll try that out on my next batch. I had the mushy centre problem with my batch of zucchini-raisin muffins this week. Mr Cat keeps inquiring as to why I eat the edges of the muffin and leave the centre. I am too embarassed to admit the truth

I'm going to try that one next week and, since the aforementioned new job is a postdoctoral fellowship at UBC, I will stage a head-to-head muffin comparison one morning. Snacky_cat vs UBC food services! The battle of Point Grey. The week after will be bran muffin week (this week is bran muffins too and I don't want to clean out the old colon too much). Anybody have some general tips on what times/temps to use for that commerical crusty muffin top action?

Oh you KNOW Dad_of_snacky_cat is gonna try this one out I promise to report back when it happens, complete with photos. I'm sending this recipe along to him right now, and I'm also enclosing a link to James Lileks' Gallery of Regrettable Food - my favourite laugh-so-hard-stuff-comes-out-of-nose site. Anyway, keep 'em coming if you've got 'em, people. Maybe we can try the great witches brew bake-off if we collect enough recipes.

One of the great dividing lines in my family is the merits of a dish my Dad calls "Witches' Brew". Half the family loves it, half hates it (I, personally, love the stuff.) One thing that everyone can agree on, however, is that Dad isn't making is right. He claims it's an old recipe from a Campbells cookbook circa the 1940s that his Mom used to make regularly. He never got the recipe from her, and since she passed away in the 60s, he's been trying to recreate her version without success. ***Warning: low-brow food content ahead. Raise ghetto shield!*** His current attempt involves sautéing a whack of ground beef with a bit of diced onion. You then plop the beef in the bottom of a casserole dish. In a bowl, you combine dried chow mein noodles with a can of tomato sauce and stir to coat the noodles. This concoction is then spread atop of the beef, and the whole thing goes in the oven to bake for awhile. When it comes out, you've basically got a noodle pie atop a beef layer - the top crust of the noodles comes out crispy, the interior noodles get soft and tomato-y, and the beef is, well, beefy. He says this version is close to what his Mom made, but not quite right. Is anybody out there familiar with this dish and might have an idea as how to make it more traditionally? I would imagine that it requires some sort of Campbell's ingredient, since it does, apparently, come from one of their old cookbooks. Anybody?

After many years of buying my favourite apple-cinammon-oatmeal muffin from the bakery near my work, I've changed jobs and the muffins near the new place aren't nearly as satisfying. I've been trying to bake my own but haven't come up with anything I like yet, and could use some suggestions. Ideally, someone could figure out a good recipe for these apple-cinammon-oatmeal beasts. They were standard oatmeal muffin textire, heavy on the cinammon, and the apple was cut into large chunks and baked right in. They were baked straight in tins, no muffin paper, and had a great, almost crispy crust to them. Man, I miss them. It's only week two of the new job so I've only done two batches (I make a recipe's worth, fill up five jumbo muffin cups to near-overflowing, and eat them over the course of the week). The first was maple-oatmeal muffins from epicurious.com, and the second were zucchini raisin bran, also from epicurious. The first recipe tasted decent but I wasn't a big fan of the texture - a bit too dense for me. The second recipe isn't bad, but just not quite right (I think my zucchini muffin tastes have been spoiled by the divine zucchini-caramelzied walnut muffins at Vancouver's sen5es bakery). I'm looking for something healthy and brown - no cake-y, chocolate chip-y things. Not too dense, but not so light and crumbly that you can't tear a big hunk off. I like oats, bran, grain-y things, and love fruit - dried or fresh- baked in. Help me. I have to wake up an hour earlier now and I need something to look forward to so early in the morning

Toronto folks - Work is taking me to the University of Toronto for two weeks at the end of February. My breakfasts are taken care of by a catering place, but I (and a bunch of co-workers) need to find some places to forage for lunch and dinner. Lunch options should be fast and close to College @ University. Dinner options should be somewhere on our walk home or not far off the path (from the aforementioned intersection to Bloor @ St. George). We try not to spend too much (we have a $50 per diem but what you don't spend, you get to keep ), and we like to try all sorts of places. Dinner destinations should be late-friendly, since most nights we don't finish up until 9pm. Any good bars on the route too would be appreciated! Mr. Cat might come out for the weekend in the middle of my trip, so I wouldn't mind recommendations for a really awesome, fun, romantic, charming, delicious, etc... joint somewhere downtown (preferably metro-accessible). Thanks in advance!

I *knew* there was avocado in that jalapeno sauce. It explains why I, too, have developed a fondness for eating it by the spoonful. The piri-piri is probably my favourite, though. We keep a bottle of it at home now and I've had a few dinners in the last week which involved thawing half a bag of frozen prawns, coating them in piri-piri, and transferring them to my mouth in heaping spoonfulls. I decided after our last visit that I was going to bake Daniel some treats - I found a great Portugese custard tart recipe that I want to try out. Man, I bet he loves all the business the internet is bringing him. First a steady stream of eGulleters, and now it's going to be pretty girls bringing him pastries. Lucky, lucky Daniel.

If there's no rack of lamb, just ask him for an assortment of meat things or the seafood platter. And please eat all the desserts! We've always been so full after dinner that we can never order even a single one, so we need your help to find out what's good. If there's anybody that can do it, it's you. Help us, Lorna, you're our only hope!

The cap on seating times is pretty standard for many DOV restaurants, especially on Fridays/Saturdays, so over the years I've learned that it's best to go with as late a seating as your stomach and your dining companions will let you get away with. I find the allotted seating times reasonably generous, but occasionally you want to stay for coffee/port/more dessert etc... When I left a message for Parkside, I asked for an 8-ish seating and Michel called back to say he put me down for 8:30 - final seating of the night - so we could stay and relax. We ended up having a nice long chat over the phone about some of the customer service atrocities he's seen during DOV (the two-tops of tap water ten-percent tippers). When it comes down to it, I'd rather have the restaurant mention the seating caps to all who call and make a reservation so that the people who wouldn't have a clue otherwise (and believe me, DOV attracts them like trailer parks attract tornadoes) know what the protocol is. That way, when DOV actually arrives and you're enjoying your meal, the staff is in a good mood because nobody's camping and the evening is going relatively smoothy. Happy staff = good service, whether it be DOV or any other night.

Mmm. Butirmoth. With two patio light shake-fuls of moth in every creamy jar. Their blog makes for an interesting read, especially the post about the building's tenants. I also liked the "I feel like I need to head out into the woods and do some acid or something…" quote. I would definitely eat at a restaurant whose owners espouse this philosophy, and I'd order the mushrooms.

Oh, I'll believe it! You'd be amazed at the number of people who pounce on DOV tables as soon as the preview menu goes out (before it goes "officially" live). My co-worker was telling me that he called and successfully made 2 resos on preview day as soon as he could get the TV.com up. I think some people have also floated the theory that some participants let a few tables go before this date, mostly as a favour to regular customers. Regardless, I do know that when I called Lumiere last year as earrrrrrrly as possible, I ended up with one of the very last tables they had (all that and Mr Cat hated the sablefish!).

I was sittingly forlornly in front of the computer yesterday morning, clicking away hoping the TV.com site wouldn't time out. I finally made it on later that evening but it was still dreadfully slow. I perservered however, and decided that this year we're visiting Brix (a Mr. Cat favourite) and Parkside. I left a message at Parkside, who are evidently closed until Wednesday, and spoke to a real person at Brix. We're there on Friday the 27th and many of the prime dining times had filled up already.

Butter-moth? Boo-TEER-moth? BOO-ter-moth? Boo-TAIR-moth? Help! At least when you Google it, it's the only thing that comes up! I'm surprised how few business owners think of Google-rarity when deciding upon a name.

I was perusing this recently-bumped thread today and now, a mere half year or so after this question was asked, I can answer it. I was reading an interesting article on Saigon in Bon Appetit and the author mentions that banh mi are traditionally a BREAKFAST food! Evidently the south Asian heat and humidity cause the bread to go all soggy by mid-day, so most Vietnamese eat them as early as possible. I took Dad-of-SnackyCat for his first Duffin's torta experience, and now he wants to try banh mi too. I think we might hit Pho Ty on one of our next lunch outings...

Just the regular menu ribs. Mind you, there's nothing "regular" about the usual menu. It's all so good! And I like the starch lottery - you're never quite sure whether you'll end up with spicy potatoes, fried, a mashed potato animal or yummy saffron rice.

Finally had a chance to go back (I like how I use "finally" to describe an interval of a whopping eight days) the other night - Mr. Cat's visiting Mom took us out for dinner. We all had the half side rack of pork ribs, which were delicious and were picked completely clean. Daniel brought out extra BBQ sauce which we slathered on with relish - I gather that some of the sweetness of the BBQ sauce is lost over the flame grill, so adding the extra fresh sauce at the table really expands the flavour of the dish. We also stuffed ourselves silly with an order of the bbqed mushrooms, and the several Portugese rolls we used to mop up all that sauce (we do our part to help with the dishwashing ). Daniel brought by some shrimp rolls as an aumse, and showed off his flambé skills with a little treat at the end of the meal!

At least there are only four of the little monstrosities. Just invite the gifters over in sextets from now on and if they ask about the glasses, tell them you only had six stems in another pattern. Of course, this runs the terrible risk that they'll give you two more of the ghastly things as a hostess gift sometime. Okay, so yeah, scratch that idea. Give 'em away as gag gifts at the next Burger Club or other dinner. I will add my contribution to the pile - a similarly coloured small liquor decanter and matching glasses from Mr. Cat's brother in law. The decanter and 3 of the glasses in shades of blue aren't *too* bad, but the eggplant, orange and green glasses are something else. I doubt there is a liquor out there - even vodka for heaven's sake - that would look remotely appetizing in one of these.

My hero! Looks like snacky_cat is hittin the Aquabus today! Many, many thanks.

Anybody know of any stores close to downtown that would carry pre-made duck confit? I have a recipe and don't really mind making it, but frankly it would be far easier to march over to Urban Fare or Gourmet Warehouse or something and just buy it. If you could pipe up with your expert knowledge by Friday at noon, it would be terribly helpful indeed

Heh heh - next time we cross paths chez Daniel we must say hello to each other! That seafood platter looked extraordinary (perhaps you noticed me making google eyes at it when it arrived!). And the crab bisque was fantastic. Mr Cat claims not to be a big fan of crab, but he LOVED it. I've discovered over the years that when I trick him into eating something he claims not to like, he invariably ends up enjoying it. Seriously people, you must venture into the wilds of Rupert St. to check this place out. We had the bisque, two big entrees, refreshments, and bought a bottle of piri-piri to take home and our bill was $30 after tax. $30! It's worth is just to see the mashed potato artistry. Daniel turns the humble tuber into a menagerie of animal shapes. I, on the other hand, could probably only ever hpe to put together a potato amoeba, or perhaps a potato Jabba the Hut. Next time I go I'm going to see if he can make a cat.

I couldn't stay away! Mr. Cat picked me up from work today and I convinced him to swing by Senhor Roosters for my second dinner there in three days. I popped Mr Cat's piri-piri cherry - needless to say, we now have another devout worshipper in the church of Daniel's sauces and spices. This time I went for the pork medallions in garlic sauce (fantastic, but Mr. Cat doesn't want to come within a few feet of my mouth), and Mr. Cat had the half Cornish game hen. Both were outstanding - the garlic sauce was so good I could lick it off the plate, and the game hen was extarordinary - crisp outside, tender and rich inside, with wonderful flavours. We had to jet pretty quickly and get some shopping out of the way so we couldn't stay for dessert, but we did by a bottle of their awesome piri-piri suace for takeaway. $5 for about 200ml or so. I can't wait to cook with it at home! Yum! Doubtless we shall return there shortly. A coworker of mine stopped by on Tuesday night and in chatting with Daniel, heard that they're doing a roast pig next week. Mmmm, pig!

Heh heh, here I am! Pan-o-Pan is like manna from heaven to the busy person who has to churn out mounds and mounds of hors d'ouvres fast and on a budget. You can choose an hors d'ouevres base - they generally have at least two or three of the following in stock: inch diameter small cups made from either torilla rounds or wonton wrappers, small puff pastry rounds, or crostini of various sorts. You then choose the filling you want, which comes in disposable icing bags - snip the tip and squeeze into the cup. Flavours included roasted beet/goat cheese/orange oil, sundried tomato,wild mushroom truffle, port and stilton, tuna and caper, and probably a couple more that escape me. They're all delicious. One bag of base and one tube of filling will set you back $10, and make about 2 dozen gorgeous little bites. Props to Pan-o-Pan for getting the proportions right - one bag of filling fills generously fills one bag of bases. How a litter catering joitn on Broadway managed to figure out a mystery that has eluded the hot dog industry for years is beyond me.

LOVE the perogy photos, Zuke! It reminds me to get off my lazy half-Ukranian bottom and make my biennial batch. The antepenultimate perogy pile I crafted was back in 2000, when I lived in a funny little place in the Plateau in Montreal. It had zero counter space, so I had to line up the hundred or so little plumpers on the kitchen table and then, when space ran out there, on a wax papered and floured swath of kitchen floor. Ohhh, Vancouver eGullet perogy exchange.... A carb-laden idea is forming in my head....

I had been dying to try this place for weeks and finally managed to coerce mamacat into going. Oh, was it ever worth it! What a treasure of a restaurant! Incredibly delicious food for an insanely low price, and wonderful, warm service. Chef began by bringing out some Portugese rolls and the array of sauces. Previous Senhor Rooster clients will be delighted to know that you don't just get 3 now... we were served SIX! Each one came in a small labelled jar with a little spoon to dole them out. We tried: - Piri-piri - Extra Hot - BBQ - Jalapeno - Mango Ginger - Tangi fruit Vancouver mentioned upthread how simple yet complex and nuanced in their flavours these sauces are. They really must be tried to be understood - each one is a wonderful surprise. The latter two were incredible, with a piquant sweetness that I couldn't get enough of. I cannot do these things justice with words, beyond stating that there are hot sauces, and then there are these. After sampling each sauce many times over on bread, Chef brought by a little amuse of the mushrooms in the BBQ sauce (which can be seen in Cancuklehead's photos). Outstanding! We only had a little scrap of bread left by that point but mamacat and I seized upon it and coaxed every last molecule of sauce off that plate. For mains, we both tried specials of the day. I went for lamb shanks in a sauce whose official description escapes me, but which wasdark, rich, and had some mustard seed in it. Mamacat had the pork loin in the BBQ sauce. Both of these were ridiculously good - we shared them back and forth and would be hard pressed to declare a favourite. The meat was grilled to proverbial perfection, the sauces were expertly flavoured and bold, yet rich and warm. The sides of potato would be enough to turn even the most lacanophobic of kids into an avowed tuber-lover. All in all, it was a wonderful culinary experience. Honest, unpretentious food served by a warm host in a friendly atmosphere, and affordable. Chef told us about all the different dishes he had been serving to folks when he saw how into our meals we were, and he even took us over to show off one of the dishes he had made for a customer - a grilled chicken breast stuffed with scallops served with mashed potatoes piped into a rooster shape. I needs me one dem fancy camera phones. Go, eat, enjoy. We will certainly be heading back again, and again, and again. PS-Cancuklehead is right - the sauces are so good you could eat 'em off a hubcap and still be in heaven.

Our recent move killed a number of brain cells so what follows are mere capsules of reviews. They're not impressions and not even sketches. They're more like poorly-rendered crayon drawings. Sorry In no particular order: Nick's. I wanted to go to Senhor Rooster but Mr Cat wanted Nick's, so Nick's he got. Nick's is like the Disneyland of food for me: a magical retro-fabulous otherworld (we never had wood panelling!) where everyone is happy. I ate veal and ravioli like I always do, and it was simple but yummy, like it always is. Everybody sang Happy Birthday to someone in the corner, and they decorated the sprinklers for Christmas with dangly ornaments. The Hippie Vegan Place in the SFU Student Union Building. Everyone in our lab is a raging carnivore but we will occasionally make a visit to this place (probably because it's the closest food establishment to our building, as the crow flies) for soup. They have one soup - Mental Lentil - that is actually ridiculously good, full of curry and coconut milk. Don't touch the desserts, though. The day I find a tasty vegan baked good is the day when pigs fly. Fiction Five in North Van. Cute place (kinda Yaletown goes North Shore) with a good -looking menu for cheap. A nearby table ordered a bunch of appetizers, all of which looked good. Our table went, en masse, for the maple truffle chicken. It was okay - it was a bit smaller than I was expecting (I was hungry afterwards. When all 105lbs of me is still hungry after a meal, you know it was freakin' small), and the chicken came with the skin on. Barf. Unless it's roasted and golden brown, I don't do chicken skin. The maple glaze was good, but I couldn't taste the truffle. Came with a sweet potatoe puree (yum!), carrots and asparagus. Mr Cat's sides were cold but mine were hot and tasty. Kaide Sushi in the 1300 block of Richards. FINALLY I live within spitting distance of a decent sushi takeout joint. Nothing special on the menu here, just a bunch of good rolls, but their fish is very fresh and the rice is perfectly cooked and nicely seasoned. We've picked up takeout from there a bunch of times and it's been great. Sha Lin Noodle House for noodles of various types and dumplings. Skip the non-noodle dishes here and just order noodles, noodles and more noodles. Their gently firm consistency is awesome - no mushy carbs here. We also tried the pan fried dumplings which have a great presentation - they put 12 dumplings in a pan smushed next to each other and fry 'em up somehow so that when they turn them out onto the serving platter, you see them all interconnected with this golden brown bird's nest sort of thing. Like soup dumplings, these are best eaten by nipping off the top with you teeth and letting them cool for awhile, a lesson consistently lost on my Uncle. HSG Oh Hammie, I love you so. I think that's about it - all this moving has scrambled my brains.