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emmalish

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Everything posted by emmalish

  1. My mom is the queen of poor food handling practices like this. Christmas turkey was regularly left out all day for snacking. Soups and stews that we had for lunch were left on the counter all day if we were going to have them again for dinner. I got sick all the time when I was a kid. I thought I was just really susceptible to the flu until I got out on my own and found out how food should be handled. Suddenly it all made sense. That said, I let foods cool down a bit, but not fully, before I put them in the fridge. So they're not so hot that they're affecting foods around them, but they also haven't been sitting out for hours. I've never given myself food poisoning yet (knock wood).
  2. Oh, sorry. I misunderstood. I can only assume they were dealt with. I was much younger when this happened and it didn't even occur to me to report them to the health department. I contacted the restaurants and spoke to the managers though. For minor cases of food poisoning (where I'm just feeling a bit "off" after a meal) I don't even bother with that much. Does everyone else report these instances?
  3. When you contacted the health department about your illness, surely they dealt appropriately with the restaurant in question? ← It doesn't matter whether it's been dealt with, I still can't do it. It's not a conscious decision, it's like a self-defence mechanism gone out-of-control. Is it just me?
  4. It's amazing how your body knows where the food poisoning came from too. I've had a couple of run-ins with violent food poisoning -- once I ended up on a special diet for a month and a half (basically plain white rice, red-skinned apples, and lots of water), and once I ended up passed out my bathroom floor (I'll spare you the nasty details). Both times, even though I had eaten several things that day, the mere thought of one of the items would make me queasy. There are a couple restaurants I can simply not go back to because I feel ill at the thought. Because of the month and a half long illness, I can't bring myself to eat sushi anymore (except vegetarian), regardless of what restaurant I go to.
  5. I've gone to the Cannery a few times for work-related special occasions, and I have a few friends (early 30s-ish) who go there regularly for birthdays, etc. -- wonderful food. I didn't know that it wasn't popular with the young folks.
  6. I had always been told that hot foods needed to cool down before going in the fridge. But then several years ago I read an article that said that the cool-down process provides a perfect breeding ground for bacteria (they apparently love and thrive in that warm stage). The article said that the rapid cool-down in the fridge discourages bacterial growth. Seems to make sense. Whoops. See dodger's post above...
  7. Ohhhh, La Bodega. Best sangria ever. Especially after 10 pitchers or so. I haven't forgotten about it, I just never get around to it anymore. I always forget about Notte's Bon Ton since they moved to Broadway. Once in awhile I'll drive by and go "oh yeah!"
  8. I had pretty much the same experience. A co-worker was raving about them one day and went out and bought one for each of us in the department. I'm a complete chocoholic as well, and while the chocolatey-ness was great, I started to feel ill after a couple sips. It was just too much for me. It was like drinking chocolate syrup. Delicious chocolate syrup, but too sweet for a drink. I couldn't drink more than about 1/4 of it.
  9. emmalish

    Best Kettle

    I always look at the OXO uplift kettles in the store, but I can't justify getting rid of mine since I still like the way it looks and, really, there's nothing wrong with it (had it forever, can't remember what kind it is). But the design of the OXO kettles is very nice. How does the tipping mechanism work with a full kettle? Well-balanced? I've only played with the empty ones in-store.
  10. As I mentioned above, I cook the root vegetables first, covered, to avoid having undercooked potatoes. When I add the balance of the (faster cooking) veggies, I'll cook at high temp (usually about 400°).
  11. This is why I'm always wary of ordering them in restaurants. I've had the dry stringy vegetables too. Trust us, it's worth giving it a try at home sometime.
  12. I can check out Siegel's and see what they have. You're right that it would probably be best from a wood-burning oven like bagels, but it might be worth trying them out at home once. If nothing else, it'll keep me out of trouble for a day and I can take them in to work. They'll never know the difference! The recipe I found has instructions for baking in a regular oven (not saying this is the recipe I'd try, it's just the first one I found). Back on topic, ummm, yay Solly's! edited to say thanks peppyre, I'll ask at Solly's next time I'm in
  13. emmalish

    Bad Home Cookin'

    "Hamburger gravy" just reminded me of my mom's meatballs in mushroom gravy (actually just canned cream of mushroom soup), served over mashed potatoes. Actually, this was one of my favourites when I was a kid...
  14. Hee! I doubt I'll be trying them that quickly. I'll be looking up recipes and doing some research first. Are there any places in Vancouver that have decent bialys? From what I saw from a quick google, they look tasty.
  15. I just had to google bialys because I had no idea what it was. And now I think you need to contact Solly's & see if they'd be kind enough to start making them for us. (now I'm just going to have to find a recipe and make some!)
  16. Thanks zeitoun. That would have been my first choice too. Although I'm tempted to try it with the grained mustard.
  17. zeitoun that sounds fabulous. I'm going to have to try that one. What kind of mustard?
  18. Oh yeah, this is my favourite winter food. And it's so simple to prepare and so satisfying. I usually do a mix of new potatoes, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, leeks, beets and mushrooms (of course this mix varies depending on availability and what else looks good), with just salt & pepper & balsamic for seasoning. I'll cook the root vegetables covered for a little while to give them a head-start, then add the rest of the veggies and roast them. This with a pan-fried or baked halibut filet, and some roasted spaghetti squash. Mmmmmm.
  19. Good points, adeguilio. You're right in that there is bound to be cross-contamination regardless, but I'd still feel more comfortable knowing that they were doing everything possible to minimize it. I especially have a problem with their placing the skate directly on the scale (unclean!), even if they do clean the scale "several times a day". Maybe it's just a knee-jerk reaction on my part, maybe the gloves & paper are just for show, but I'd still feel more comfortable. That said, I'm not sure how I would've reacted in the same situation. I definitely would have thought twice, but depending on the overall cleanliness of the place, and the smell of the fish itself, I may have bought it anyway.
  20. emmalish

    Avocadoes

    I've never even seen avocado oil. Too bad it's not as tasty as it sounds. I love adding tomato, avocado and a bit of parmesan to my scrambled eggs (all added at the very end, just as the eggs are finishing cooking). And avocado spread on toast is great -- I'll have to try it with lime next time. I also like adding it to burgers (not added to the burger itself, but layered with the lettuce, tomatoes, etc.). Mmmm, now I'm craving something avocado-ey.
  21. I don't know whether they've changed their recipe or whether I've just totally lucked out, but every time I've bought their brownies they've been dense and chocolately, not cakey at all. I haven't tried any of their other sweet offerings -- glad to hear I'm not missing anything. I love their foccacias too. I get one or two every time I'm down at Granville Island.
  22. I'm adding my vote for Terra. I have to be careful about buying their Italian cheese bread tho, because I'll easily eat it all in one sitting. But it's great to have with a nice hearty winter soup. Whenever I'm down at Granville Island and pick up some soup at the Stock Market, I have to get some Terra bread to go with it. I also love their olive breads. And a little o/t, but their brownies are delicious too -- loaded with chocolate chunks and a variety of nuts, including macadamias.
  23. Mmmmm, yes, the cottage cheese muffins are fantastic. I can't believe I forgot to mention them. I've only ever had the babka loaf, not the buns, so I can't compare the two. Good to know I've been getting the right one tho. I've never tried it toasted. Doesn't the chocolate drip all over the place? Now I'm just going to have to head over there this week...
  24. Does anyone have any experience with the Cuisinart Chef's Classic Non-Stick Hard Anodized cookware? I just found it today at one of my local stores, and it's pretty nice-looking cookware. According to the package, it's a hard-anodized exterior with "Quantanium" non-stick interior (titanium reinforced). I picked up an 8" skillet for $24 Cdn (which is probably about $2 US, so how can you go wrong?). Amazon (sorry, not a proper eGullet link) has the 7-piece set listed as 62% off, and I don't see this line listed on the Cuisinart site at all. The store I bought it at just got it in and it's already marked clearance. Is it an old line that's being discontinued? Is it any good and should I be snatching up a few more pieces?
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