Tough Cookie

I agree - the "Reverse" is definitely my favorite. Bonus - if you accidently leave a box lying around in the summer, you won't find a sticky mess later!

I did a google and couldn't find a thread on this so here is my question to you - what is the right amount of water to the length of cooking time and/or amount of ingredients? I always seem to not have enough soup by the time the soup tastes right (I like the soup to be very rich or yoong) or I add too much water and it takes too long to make the soup. Ultimately, I would like to have four large bowls of soup. Doing this by trial and error is not fun! Thanks for your help.

Thanks for the suggestion - will give it a try next time I'm in the neighborhood.

Reporting back... The bagels were a hit at the brunch! I went in early Sunday morning and bought a selection from both Siegel's and Solly's (plain, sesame, whole wheat, cinnamon raison and blueberry). Given that there were other goodies besides the bagels, I only compared the plain bagels. The Siegel's was a bit thinner, the Solly's thicker and slightly heavier. The insides of both bagels were chewy but I found the Siegel's bagel to be sweeter (too sweet for my preference but once toasted and with cream cheese, not much of a difference). I have not been to Montreal so I can't say how they would compare but do prefer Solly's over Siegel's. However, there are more varieties at Siegel's and their Kits location is open 24 hours so next time I have a craving for bagels at 2 am, you know where to find me! I wonder if it is the bagel I crave or the creamcheese?! Thanks for everyone's suggestions.

I've been there once for dinner. The Smoking Dog is in Kits (1889 W.1st Avenue), not on South Granville. The dinner menu is somewhat expensive, although we found the house special (roast of the day or salmon or grilled chicken breast served with Mimosa salad and pommes frites) to be a good value. The atmosphere is warm and cozy and the host is extremely friendly.

No fryer + cornflakes = dynamite roll Aji-sai style! I'm not big on dynamite rolls so this is not an issue for me.

I second Aji-sai. The sushi is extremely fresh - the only downside is that they do not serve "hot" food, only edamame and miso soup (I don't think they have a proper kitchen). But the quality of the sushi and sashimi more than makes up for the smaller menu.

Actually, that is a great idea. Will report back next week! Benny's is not bad, the convenience factor for me is big.

Kris Great blog! I know you have heard this a million times but your kids are absolutely adorable! I also have two kids and am always amazed at parents who are brave enough to consider having a third... Back on topic - in your blog, you mentioned spaghetti with tomatoes and butter - just to clarify, you mean diced tomatoes and not tomato sauce or tomato paste? And no parmesean? I'm always in search of quick and easy recipes... Thanks!

I am having a brunch get together at my place this Sunday for my friends and was planning to serve bagels and cream cheese (along with other breakfast items). I usually get my bagels at Benny's Bagels but was wondering if there are other bagel places that people would recommend? Would consider venturing into the 'burbs if necessary. Many thanks!

This is the one time where smaller is DEFINITELY better!!! I like them straight up, sometimes with a squeeze of lemon and with ponzu sauce. The taste of raw oysters are so sweet, they are absolutely addictive.

Nemoto Cafe - Had their breakfast special (includes two eggs, hash browns, 5 sausages, 2 slices of whole wheat toast and coffee) and was barely able to walk out the door! Good deal for $6.99, which really fed two people (as I split it with my toddler). And the Japanese couple that owns the place (husband is the cook, wife runs the front end) is so sweet. Sushi Bar Wabi Sabi - First time to this restaurant. We started with fresh oysters, three with wasabi sake sauce and three with ponzu sauce. The wasabi sake sauce was really light, the wasabi taste was not strong, surprisingly enough. The ponzu sauce was good, nothing extraordinary. Next came one of the specials of the evening, amaebi sushi with the prawn heads deep fried. The prawn was extremely large (guess they are in season) and the meat was very sweet. The chicken kara-age came out dry and overcooked. The Hawaiian tuna tartare, consisting of marinated red tuna, mango and avocado stacked on a bed of sushi rice, was good, but again nothing extraordinary. The other various sushi ordered were fresh and what I would have expected given the price level. Overall, I was satisfied with the meal but would not come back for the western infused style sushi/sashimi (would go to En instead). McDonald's - Had a craving for their fries today (and yes, I have to admit I also like their quarter pounder with cheese).

Sorry to hear that you had a bad experience at Shanghai River - it may have been an off-day. We have been there several times and have not had that problem. Their xiao long bao is very good - given their smaller size, they are able to make the skin less thick that those at Shanghai Wind. If you ever do try Shanghai River again, try their salty soy milk with a Chinese donut (ja yiau tieu). It's one of the best that I have tried in Vancouver.

I couldn't agree more! I am coming to NYC in July and would love to read more of Justin's reviews, especially that of Balthazar.

I'm a first generation Canadian born Chinese. My parents are both from Hong Kong. My dad's family is from Jeet Quon (which I think is near Shanghai) and my mom's family is from Jong San (in Guangzhou province). I grew up eating mainly Cantonese food, although I do prefer Shanghainese style cooking. Unfortunately, I'm not big on cooking so I tend to make really simple dishes (eg. tomatoes and beef, stir fried vegetables, ching yook beng) and eat out half the time. Our monthly food bill is expensive but my kids are now so well behaved in restaurants!

Ditto for me, except I omit the ginger and add beef and egg strips, as discussed above. The tomatoes are cut into large wedges and simmered so that they are soft and pulpy, not too mushy. I would think the giner would overpower the taste of the tomatoes. I make this at least twice a week for my family. My kids gobble it up!

Friday lunch - Go Fish Loved the grilled salmon sandwich. Moist and utmost delicious. I don't know if others have the same problem as I do but I find that most places overcook the salmon, so it was a pleasant surprise taking my first bite. Also tried the cod and chips - really enjoyed the fries and homemade tartar sauce. Will have to try the soup next time. Sunday dinner - Kiyo Sushi Good value for the money. Really liked the wild salmon sashimi but have had better/fresher uni. The grilled black cod was also a highlight of the evening. Monday dinner - Giraffe Restaurant Nice atmosphere with great views of the water. Shared the Torta Basilica (layers of cream cheese, pesto, pinenuts and sundried tomatoes, served with garlic crostini) as an appetizer. Very rich and would recommend sharing this dish among three or four people. My main course was the angel hair with smoked salmon, scallops, spinach and capers in a tomato saffron cream sauce. The sauce had a good kick to it with the saffron. Both of my friends ordered the salmon filet with a toasted pinenut crust - didn't get to try but the salmon did not look dry. Finished the meal with a rich chocolate cake served with a sour bing cherry sauce - the cake was very dense and pate like. Liked the combination of the chocolate and bing cherries. The dessert was not too sweet which was refreshing (I'm more of a bittersweet/dark chocolate type).

Definitely fits the description of a hole in the wall (there isn't even a sign outside the cafe) but the food is good. We had breakfast a couple of weeks ago and the hash browns was perfect IMO, pan fried to a nice golden brown. But their opening hours is somewhat limited - 9 am to 4 pm and closed either Tuesday or Wednesday. And be prepared for your clothes to soak up the grease coming from the grills. Their ventilation system seems to be opening the front door!

There are a lot of Chinese bakeries in the GVA that make the chestnut cakes. I myself do not care for the texture of the chestnut paste in the cake, but my mom loves it and we always order it for her birthday. She likes the bakery in Richmond that is situated across from Richmond Centre (in the same strip mall as Staples). Hope that helps!

A honey glazed doughnut from Lee's Donuts - picked it up after seeing the picture from Daddy-A's foodblog.

I 've gotta know, what's the name of the book? ← Don't laugh but it is one of the Company's Company series - Breakfasts & Brunches. I have "A Year in Provence" by Peter Mayle - that must count for half a cookbook, no?

Great pictures! I now have a HUGE craving for a doughnut, and I'm not usually one for sweets. The halibut looks awesome. Could you tell us the recipe for the marinade?

I hate to lower the average number of cook books per person, I have but just one (and it was given to me as a joke). I am a 100% food lover, as long as I don't have to cook! Please don't take away my membership!

This also bothers me to no end. First off, it bothers me that whenever I eat out with any man - client, coworker, boss, husband, friend, whatever - 9 times out of 10, when the check comes the waiter puts it next to my male dining companion instead of in the middle of the table where either of us could easily grab it. I went to lunch last week with my boss (male), our ad agency rep (female) and a graphic designer from her firm (male). The two men sat next to each other at the table, and when the check came, even though our agency rep motioned for the check to be given to her, the waiter set it down between the two men. Grrrrr. It also bothers me that whenever I attempt to pay for a meal my husband and I have shared, 9 times out of 10 even though my debit card has my picture on it, when the waiter brings the check back they set the folder next to my husband. I also deduct 5-10 percent off the tip for this. And whenever a server does it correctly (hands the folder to me), I add 5-10 percent and try to give them glowing compliments. This is one of those things that I realize is not that big of a deal in the larger scheme of things, but it really burns me up when it happens. I'm a professional, I'm an adult, I have money of my own. Servers shouldn't make assumptions about who is paying based solely on gender. ← Bingo! I couldn't agree with you more. How difficult can it be to check the name of the credit card before giving the folder back? Other annoying items: - order medium rare and 9 out of 10 times, the steak comes back medium or well done. If you only cook it well done, why bother asking me my preference? - wait staff hanging around to take the credit card before I have finished reviewing the bill

How does the xiao long bao compare to those at Ba Guo Bu Yi or any other places that you have tried? Would like to hear your comparisons.