mtigges

If I were doing my kitchen now, I'd use this: icestone (no I don't work for the company). Either that, or pour a concrete slab as previously mentioned.

BAD! ← Don't worry he uses an electric knife sharpener, it doesn't really matter. Sorry FG, I really couldn't resist.

Buy whole chickens, freeze parts, make stock. Buy leeks and arborio rice. Use stock for leek risotto. We grow our own leeks, so this is especially cheap for us, and it's quite filling too. I'm pretty lax about making stock ... throw the carcass in the slow cooker all day, not the best possible stock, but very easy.

have you tried firefly?

It's probably too late but you if paint the ends it helps. Go to lee valley and get the red paint for turners in the future.

If you're coming to north van to visit a butcher, go to jolly foods instead. (Don't judge a shop by its name.) Unless you want the english butchers sausages.

Um, why are you scared of taking your shun to the edge pro? You are talking about this edgepro right? As for alternatives, see japanese-knife or japanesechefsknife. Both of those sites have a large selection of knifes across a wide budget. Have you thought about mac? I have small hands, so I can't comment on that. I have a shun santoku and have no qualms using my edgepro apex to sharpen it. I use a ceramic hone to keep it in shape.

Have you tried leaving a CI pan in the oven during pre-heating ... then tossing in few ice cubes a minute before adding the bread?

who said quality isnt as good as wild?? the quality is actually better.... since its diet is controlled, almost every single aspect of the tuna's life is controlled.... so they make the fish exactly what they want it to be... ← I looked but I couldn't find any info online. Anyone aware of the feed that is being used?

I always dress with evoo and salt instead of butter. Cook in rape oil. Am I alone in dressing with OO?

Doh, i should refresh my windows before replying!! Anyways, back on point, i love goose. Just coming back from Hong Kong on holiday i really miss the roast goose there. Just can't get roast goose here in the UK, not the Cantonese style anyway. I suppose it must be the breed, do you have the Cantonese style in the US Chinatowns? ← We do in Vancouver, though in Richmond not Chinatown.

I read the topic shortly after you posted on Monday. I have two words, "thank you." I went to the best butcher near me, got a 1.5 ribeye and followed this method. Fantastic. Thank you. Best Monday meal I've ever cooked myself.

I worked in Courtney for a summer in my 20's and found Leung's on my first week, thanks to a couple of mill workers who took me. Indeed a sad day. Thanks for the update.

The only problem I've had with mine is that the attachment with the tines has loosened to the point where it falls off quite easily. I have to be careful when pureeing or I will have to fish it out. But o/w if you try to pry it from my fingers before I'm dead I'll beat you with it. And since it is so sturdy and well constructed it will hurt you and not the bamix

I have no knowledge about these creatures at all. Except that which I just gleaned from perusing their bio at wikipedia. I think I might know why they didn't taste so good ... might want to read for yourself. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantis_shrimp

We just made about 2 pints on the weekend after harvesting most of our basil. I wouldn't dream of not doing it in a food processor.

Just adding, there is no Chinese food in North Vancouver. Lot's of crap lemon chicken and sweet and sour pork. But, no Chinese food. At least not that I've found.

Chances are they're humulus japonicus. My neighbour grows them. They're considerably lighter and little yellower in colour with cones similar in size to fuggles and golding. I've heard that they're just ornamental. I've never tried, but my first experiment would be as dry hopping. edited to add: I should have done this first ... http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1153/ They are humulus lupulus. Meaning they produce lupulin which is what you're really after in brewing. It's the yellow dust that appears among the petals of the bractioles. I'd definitely try brewing with them if you're willing to go through the effort of harvesting and drying. Mark.

Last xmas I was lucky enough to collect the fat from three roast geese. I cooked one for friends, and my mom cooked two for xmas dinner. I used it to make confit a couple of times of course, but also just as my everyday cooking fat replacing OO. I loved it. My wife started to dislike everything having a goosey undertone to it though. The best by far was roast veggies. Inch sized cubes of beets, parsnips, yams, potatoes ... whatever, they are way better with goose fat than with veggie oils. I'm thinking of hosting some friends for a big goose feast, just so that I have the fat again. It was glorious.

I have one of these: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000MSUP7...6S1RC4809PPF1KA It can also go on the stove-top. However, it's performance in browning is not as good as a decent pan. After deglazing, the extra pan is not hard to clean, so even though it was a major point in my decision, I would not consider ability to brown in the same vessel to be important. However, being able to put it on the stove top is still very important to me. Reason being is that I can quickly bring the contents to temperature before placing in the cooker. This means the lag time from room temp to cooking temp is nil. It removes the need to be able to program the thing for one hour of high, and then low. I highly doubt the extra cost of the all-clad is worth it. Plus, with it's computer, I would be concerned about repeatedly cycling the power through an external pid. I would have no such concern with the rival. The vessel that the rival has holds heat extremely well. It's really a tremendous pot. And the reputation that rivals have for being too hot on the low setting is not applicable to this model. I find the low setting appropriate, a touch on the high side, but not too much. For example, if I use it on low to make a stock all day the contents barely simmer. That's filling it right to the top. If I braise some beef and it's 2/3 full, it's at a decent simmer. Too hot (in my opinion) for a nice braise. I use it mainly for making stews, stock and oatmeal. I definitely recommend it. Mark.

Metro is a good bet. http://www.metrodining.ca/index.cfm

I'm with Chris ... use water, or homemade chicken stock.

Well, go back to my first post. If you spend $100 on a shun you will get a knife whose edge is made from harder steel than a knife from most other $100 knives. Chad Ward suggests it's perfectly feasible to sharpen to 15 degrees with the harder steel, whereas he recommends 20 for the softer steel. Seems pretty clear they CAN be sharper and maintainable. However, Paul might be right. My Shuns factory edge lost its sharpness much faster than I've experienced with a Wusthof or similar knife. Though that might have been because I was honing it with an inappropriate steel. You shouldn't use a regular grooved steel on a knife with the harder steel. Supposedly it causes the edge to chip. But, as I also said above, I love the sexy look and it makes me feel good just picking it up.

But this has nothing to do with the damascus pattern. There are lots of clad knives that use regular soft/resilient stainless steel on the outside of a hard knife steel core. The real comparison should be with knives of a similar quality, either clad or solid. ← But the point is to answer the question of the O.P. She (he?) asked if there is any difference between a "damascus style" knife and a "plain old metal" one. I wanted to point out that the steel the edge uses in the commonly available Shun or Hattori knives is in general harder than what is used in other knives. My apologies that you weren't able to understand me.

The common damascus clad knives use a steel for the core which is harder than what is used in most kitchen knives. So in that respect it's likely better than average. But I doubt there is any practical difference with a good knife made all from the same steel. But ... I smile every time I pick mine up and look at it before working. And that definitely counts for something.