Rhea_S

Salad of baby greens, shaved apple and fennel Dilled potato and salmon cakes Whole wheat honey cake with yogurt cream

Ever try well-done ostrich? It's terrible. It becomes leather. I'm going with the overprocessing of chicken explanation in combination with the unappetizing appearance and smell of raw chicken. Where's Soiree?

I had a dog once, who sometimes (much to my shame) eats poop, won't eat Ball Park Franks. He would take it from my hand then spit it out. I had to hide his medicine in Hebrew National (almost $4 a pack here). I guess I'll have to vote with Mr. Plotnicki.

Baking with Julia - Julia Childs and Dorie Greenspan: foolproof and delicious recipes Desserts - Pierre Herme and Dorie Greenspan: beautiful and inspiring Blue Ginger - Ming Tsai: tasty fusion cuisine Complete Asian Cookbook - Charmaine Solomon: not always authentic but covers most Asian cuisines Bread Baker's Apprentice - Peter Reinhart: highly informative How To Eat - Nigella Lawson: fun read and recipes that fit a busy lifestyle I also like Louisiana Kitchen, but I always feel guilty serving food with all that butter. I have no problems eating fat-laden foods myself, but serving it to other people is something else.

Tommy, when you flatten the dough, is the dough cold or at room temperature? I made a batch of pizza dough last week from a recipe in March '02 Fine Cooking. If the dough was in the refrigerator all night, I let it sit out for 15-30 minutes depending on the temperature of the room. When the dough is properly proofed, it's very soft and easy to flatten and shape. The recipe I used is excellent. It makes a very nice crisp crust if stretched or rolled very thin. It takes only 15 minutes or less to make the dough and, if you plan to make the pizza on the same day, you let the dough rise for 30 minutes, flatten, top and bake -- completely homemade pizza in less than one hour.

Thanks for the Spicy Bread Salad recipe Suvir. I made it for dinner and it was very tasty. It was a pleasant change from my usual bread salads. I was a little skeptical of the lime juice, but it really pulled the flavours together. I wish I had put more jalapeno or maybe used a hotter pepper. The jalapeno I put in there turned out to be too mild for my taste.

I vote for Tallen's story as most unique and entertaining. No major eating injuries myself but my mom once had to be brought to emergency due to a fish bone. A large, hooked fish bone lodged into her throat and it wouldn't free itself. She waited in emergency for 2 hours while spitting blood. Doctor finally comes after my dad gets a little angry, he sticks a tongue depressor in Mom's mouth, gag reflex kicks in, she coughs, out flies the fish bone and blood squirts on the doctor's nice white coat.

I know what I'm having for dinner tomorrow night. I have to get a couple more tomatoes and a cucumber at the local farmer's market and I'm all set. I just had a bread baking marathon this weekend and one happens to be whole wheat. I'm making panzanella with the ciabatta for lunch tomorrow. I've been getting delicious heirloom tomatoes (I prefer yellow) the last two weeks.

My brothers aren't teens anymore, but they still eat like (Canadian) teenage boys. Fajitas, quesadillas, burritos and other tex-mex food are very popular. Pasta is usually a big hit, but nothing too creative. Something like the uninspired (Tommy's adjective) Penne with Sausage from Food & Wine would be quickly devoured.

I tried a starter that uses milk (from a Bernard Clayton book), but the smell became unbearable. It also didn't seem to do much except develop a stronger odour each day. I flushed the stuff down the toilet.

I have one that I also started from organic grapes. I used the Silverton method a year ago and my starter is still doing very well. It's a bit dormant at the moment since I've either been too busy trying non-sourdough recipes or not in the mood for bread. However, I'd have to say that the breads I made using my sourdough starter have generally had more flavour than ones that are direct yeast-risen or even from a biga. I bought a wild yeast loaf from a local bakery recently when I didn't have time to bake and I'd have to say that my sourdough loaf has a better flavour. There's definitely something lacking with the loaf I bought. I don't know what type of starter they are using, so I don't know if it's the starter or something else. Or maybe I just had high expectations from a bakery named Incredibly Delicious. Caped Chef: Do you remember the URL for Kyle's website? He might be a good one to answer the Fat Guy's question.

That article did not make me want to drive the few blocks to go to the fair. I've been having cravings for corn dogs since the fair started, but the craving will pass or I'll make some at home. I've only gone to the Illinois State Fair once in the 4 years I've lived in Springfield and that was enough. I went with some friends who just wanted to go there to eat -- smoked turkey leg (dry), onion blossoms (blah), alligator on a stick (chewy chicken) and expensive lemon shake-ups to wash it all down. The Ethnic Village is rather laughable. One good thing to be said about adventurous fair food: we may not have had ice cream served in a cone if it wasn't for a fair vendor. As for fair food in general, didn't most of them evolve to meet some perceived demand or need for portable food while viewing the events or displays?

I guess it's nice to know that the cafe fad can be good and my friends' tongues hadn't gone completely numb. I was taken to I-Cafe at the lower level and back of Fairchild Mall (Broadway). It was very busy, noisy and definitely focused on style. The food was edible and inexpensive, but I just couldn't understand how that type of food could be so popular. But then again, there are lots of "Chinese" restaurants where I currently live and the food at all of them is much worse than at I-Cafe yet these restaurants stay in business. Isn't Aberdeen the mall that just got torn down recently? Or has it already been re-built?

Please excuse my ignorance but what's quince rataifa? Actually, I know what quince is but curious about the rataifa. I'm thinking of a filo-related dessert, but I couldn't find anything online to verify.

I think the peanut butter in a tube is a great idea. I could easily carry it around in my pocket whenever I have my dogs with me. It's a good way to keep them in tow and much neater than baggies of doggie treats.

La Casa Gelato is definitely a must-visit while in Vancouver. My main problem there is that there are too many flavours and I'm too undecisive. On a side note, gelato appears to be biggest fad in Vancouver at the moment. Gelato shops seem to have suddenly popped up all over the place in the 8 months since my last trip home. The biggest draw (aside from LCG) are the Mondo Gelato stores on Denman and Robson -- lines out the door. I was recently a bridesmaid at a wedding and we had to stop for gelati after photos at Stanley Park. Quite good but I still like the "No Air" gelato stand at the PNE better. Another fad in Vancouver: Hongkong "cafes." They serve the opposite of Americanized Chinese food; it's the Hongkong version of quick western food. There's lots of goofy sauces and everything seemed to be on the sweet side (actually, that sounds like Americanized Chinese food!). It was worth the experience, but not something I would choose to try again.

I first heard about the Sichuan peppercorn import ban about a year ago. There was an article in cnn.com or other news source. The peppercorns are carriers of some plant disease (a kind of canker?). I tried to find the original article I read, but I had no luck. I can still find the peppercorns at my local Asian food store, but I think they're at least over a year old.

My mother taught me how to bone a whole chicken and make a galantine type dish this weekend. The uncooked,boned and stuffed chicken was a little scary. It looked like a headless, footless and handless baby. It was a big hit at a party on Saturday although I didn't eat much after seeing it in its raw state. I'll have to get over my aversion soon because I got requests to make two for the next party.

Pierre Franey? I never watched the show, but a friend's university roommate used to tape his shows regularly and watch the shows over and over.

It's too easy to get burned out on FoodTV. There are too many reruns. I think I've seen every episode at least once except for the Rachel Ray(?) shows and Sara's Secrets. Neither one has held my interest. I don't think I've watched a full half hour on FoodTV in over two months. The last time I got hooked on any of the shows was the Jacques Torres Chocolate series. I like the Caprial shows. She's still doing new shows for the Discovery network although they also play her old stuff. There are some with her husband, but they're almost too lovey-dovey and it detracts from the cooking. Her/Their recipes are easy, flavourful and work for me.

Chicken livers are also good in a Thai green or red curry or braised in soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaf and S&P. They actually sell fried chicken livers at the local KFC. SobaAddict: I only eat the bopis once a year because it's not something I want to cook at home. It's one thing to eat offal; it's quite another to touch, clean and chop raw offal (except chicken livers). I've only eaten it at small Filipino takeout places in Vancouver. I found a recipe online that looks about right: Bopis recipe

My mom also makes menudo, but no raisins. She has a serious raisin bias except in raisin bread. Mom never made embutido because she thought it was too common and not that interesting. I've only ever tasted it at other Filipino homes. Cooking projects for this weekend: Chicken, Shiitake Mushroom and Garlic Scapes Steamed Buns. Strawberry and Rhubarb Tarts. Pain à L'Ancienne. A recipe to use up some poppy seeds (probably more bread). I don't cook proper meals because I usually get invited to other people's homes for most of my meals ("Oh the poor single girl").

SobaAddict: If you like dinuguan, you might like bopis. It's minced pig hearts and lungs cooked in a spicy, vinegar sauce. It's one of my favourite Filipino dishes although I only eat it once a year with lots of rice.

SobaAddict's meatloaf sounds like "embutido." There's also a rolled beef dish (very much like negamaki) that's called "morcon." The difference between embutido and morcon is that the former uses ground meat while the latter uses flattened slices of beef. I prefer morcon because I used to hate raisins in savoury dishes plus morcon is a little more "dressy."

-- from Fat Guy Eats MontrealHurray for Montreal bagels! I have had countless arguments with New Yorkers and other supposed bagel afficionados because I have always believed that Montreal bagels are the best. I may never win an argument since I'm such a wimp, but, at least, I know I'm right and it's in print.