mkayahara

Have any of the authors/advocates of this diet indicated why "100 miles" is the distance chosen, as opposed to 50 or even 150 miles? Is there some scientific basis for it, or is it just arbitrarily chosen because it's a nice round number?

Is there a particular cocktail where you find the 40 Creek really shines? I've quite enjoyed drinking it on its own, but I find that it doesn't have quite enough of a presence in the mixed drinks I've made.

Well, if you're making it to spread on sandwiches, you might not want a whole avocado's worth of guacamole on one sandwich! Though it should be easy to eat enough guacamole-laced sandwiches over two days, before the worst of the discoloration sets in. I have a couple of thoughts here... First, is that you can easily make half an avacado's worth of guacamole, wrap the half with the pit tightly in cling wrap and have minimal discoloration for a day or two. Even if there is light discoloration, you can simply cut that part off before you use the rest of the avodcado. Even the tightest-wrapped guacamole will discolor and deteriorate because of all the oxygen and inevitable bacteria, etc. that were introduced when the avodado was cut up and mixed with a bunch of other stuff. Second, if you're making a sandwich, why not simply cut a few slices of avocado, add a few thin slices of onion, a few sprigs of cilantro, whatever instead of making up guacamole? It's a lot less likely to come squirting out the sides of the sandwich when you bite into it. ← Both good points! Actually, I was just speculating as to why the OP might be asking for tips on preventing guacamole from discolouring, in light of her (I'm assuming KARENR65 is a "she") comment about trying it in place of mayo on sandwiches. Turns out I was wrong anyway...

Well, if you're making it to spread on sandwiches, you might not want a whole avocado's worth of guacamole on one sandwich! Though it should be easy to eat enough guacamole-laced sandwiches over two days, before the worst of the discoloration sets in. Of course, if you're putting it on sandwiches, it probably doesn't matter what colour it is, either. I've never found the discoloration to affect the flavour, though I don't have very much experience with guacamole that's past its prime.

I definitely don't have a "one in, one out" policy. The only time I ever get rid of a cookbook is if it has no value to me whatsoever - aesthetic, practical or sentimental. (I do have one or two cookbooks that are next to useless to cook out of, but are so beautifully designed that I can't part with them.) I think I've gotten rid of a grand total of one cookbook in my life! Fortunately, compared to the other sections of our home library, the cookbook collection is pretty small, so that's not where we're feeling the pressure to prune. I consider this an unalloyed blessing.

Brilliant! I had no idea, and neither did the search engines I tried. I wonder what the origin of the word is . . . anybody? ← Ask and ye shall receive! According to my Dictionnaire des canadianismes, the word "poutine" comes from the English "pudding". This doesn't seem to make sense at first, until you consider that there are three food-related definitions given, and the first is "Generic term applied to a wide variety of desserts". And if you look in Anita Stewart's A Taste of Canada, there is indeed a recipe for an apple-based dessert called poutines à trou. (The other two definitions given in the dictionary are for poutines râpées, which are the Acadian dish we've been discussing, and which can be bought canned around here, and the well-known Quebecois French fry-based... uh... delicacy.) I'd just like to add that I look forward to following your blog. I've been living in New Brunswick for a couple of years now, and Halifax has been something of an oasis of food for me during that time. I'm moving back to Ontario in a couple of weeks, but I'll be intrigued nonetheless to see your perspective on the Nova Scotia food scene.

I definitely wear an apron when I'm cooking - as long as I remember to put it on! Unfortunately, I forget far too often, so I end up with a lot of grease-spattered shirts. In fact, I'm probably more likely to make a point of changing into an old T-shirt that I don't mind getting messy. Sort of the culinary equivalent of "painting clothes." Of course, some of those "old" T-shirts were once new T-shirts that I ruined by cooking... I also have one particular pair of jeans that has suffered - and recovered from - many different kitchen stains, to the point that I'm now convinced they're unstainable. I can't imagine it'd be worth investing in those houndstooth pants you see so many professionals wearing, but I might change my mind the next time I ruin a pair of jeans with sputtering tomato sauce.

Per Harold McGee, the melting point of gelatin is around 100F/40C, so you should be fine at room temperature. In theory, the stability of your terrine will also depend in part on the gelatin concentration and how you cooled it (i.e., it's more stable if you let it set slowly at room temperature and then put it in the fridge, rather than chilling it rapidly in the fridge). In any case, there's only one way to find out! And it's probably worth it, if you're not happy with the flavour of it cold. I'm curious to know from others, though: are there any food safety issues with storing gelatin at room temperature? It strikes me as the sort of thing bacteria would love!

Well, you could build a light box, like Darcy did!

My partner and I had dinner at fid last Thursday night, and it was certainly the best meal we've ever eaten east of Quebec City. For whatever reason, we were the only ones in the dining room for most of the meal, so we got a lot of personal attention from chef Dennis Johnston: he took us into the kitchen to show us around, encouraged us to order off-menu and spent a lot of time just chatting with us, telling us lots of stories of other restaurants he's cooked at and other people in the business. For the food, we started with some local oysters with cacao oil and black pepper, followed by appetizers of yellowfin tuna two ways (seared with Japanese seven-spice powder, and tartare) and caramelized sea scallops with mango-yuzu and olive purées. Main courses were ocean perch with jacob's cattle beans and Asian greens, and duo of beef (olive oil-poached striploin and espresso-braised short ribs) with spinach, roasted carrots, and garlic mashed potatoes. And, for dessert, we had a raspberry chiboust and tarte tatin with vanilla bean ice cream and a parmesan tuile. All in all, a fantastic meal and a tremendously enjoyable evening, and at a very reasonable price for high-end dining. Next time I'm in Halifax, I'm planning to call ahead to order a tasting menu.

What about the Monkey Gland? I tried one for the first time the other night using the Benedictine variation, but could totally see how the pastis version would work just as well. And, of course, pastis is a key component in the Dreamy Dorini Smoking Martini. Then you get into the more pastis-intensive drinks, like the Mauresque.

I can't speak to "locally," because I don't know where you live, but someone upthread mentioned that you can order pink salt through Stuffers Supply Company. Just do a search for Prague powder and it should come up. Of course, I haven't had any luck ordering using the form on their website, so it might be best just to call them. Edit: That should read, "Go to their website and use the search box they provide to search for Prague powder. Just to be clear.

In On Food and Cooking, Harold McGee says that this kind of skin is caused by water evaporating from the surface and the "progressive concentration of proteins there." He adds that you can minimize it by covering the pot or whipping up some foam, to minimize evaporation. I haven't tried it myself, so I can't vouch for this approach!

Can anyone tell me what kind of shelf life maraschino will have after I open the bottle? I picked up some Luxardo back in December, and have been itching to try it. I'd love to know whether I should barrel through it once it's open, or whether I can take the time to savor it. Thanks!

I think my favourite laugh-out-loud line must have been:

Well, if you'd used full-fat yogurt, then there would have been milk fat in the recipe as well as oil! With low-fat yogurt, the cake ended up with a bunch of thickening agents in it instead, which may account for the unpleasant texture. (Of course, I suppose that could also have come from overmixing.) Looks tasty, though!

I've only ever used it in one dish, but I wouldn't give up that dish for anything: roast acorn squash stuffed with a mixture of cinnamon, diced pears, honey and "FCOJ." Perfect on a crisp autumn day!

For what it's worth, I've gotten the impression while browsing through these forums that the default preferences for "everyday" vermouth were Noilly Prat for white and Cinzano for red. There are lots who prefer the more top-shelf products like Vya or Antica Formula, although these may require you to adjust your recipes. There are also a couple of defenders of M&R. When I was running low on M&R Rosso, I did a taste test of it against the Cinzano (blind; I had my partner pour the glasses). I preferred the Cinzano, which seemed to be more complex and less cloying. For dry vermouth, I skipped the taste test, because I couldn't even bring myself to drink the M&R straight. In both cases, I'm willing to accept that the M&R may have been oxidized, as the open bottles had been around for a while. Hope that helps!

The above comment was made last month in the "All About Rye Whiskey" thread. Then, the other day, I noticed a post by Eric Asimov on his blog The Pour pointing out that there is no 79% cap on bourbon either; bourbon can be anything between 51% and 100% corn. He goes on to explain: Any thoughts on this?

Maybe now's a good time to capitalize on the popularity of pomegranates?

I like this one, too: So they've spun a drink made with gin, vermouth and aperitif bitters by turning it into a drink made with... gin, vermouth and aperitif bitters. I accept that they're using top-shelf gin and vermouth, and that Aperol is sweeter by far than Campari, but still. The creativity seems lacking somehow. And isn't the spin on the Manhattan (adding a dash of curacao) just a historical variation of same? Edit: Nope, I was thinking of the Old Fashioned, and losing all my cocktailian street cred in the process!

I was just on the Northern Tool website looking at their stuffer, and there's a big banner on the side with the words "Northern ships to Canada" in big letters at the top. It says that if you place the order online, someone will call you to complete the order, though there is a note that certain items can't be shipped up here. Has anyone tried this? Is the stuffer one of those items that can't be shipped?

Ack! You didn't like it!? This has become one of my favourite cocktails lately, and all the friends I've made it for love it, too. I will say, though, that you probably have to be inclined toward the smoky, peaty Scotches first. I love my Lagavulin and Laphroaig, and the Dreamy Dorini does a great job of broadening them. For those nights where you want something smoky but aren't looking for the intensity of the Scotch on its own. Also, I think it's important to have enough pastis in it that you can taste it. As one friend remarked, "Whatever you focus on - the Scotch or the pastis - that's what you taste."

Only if they're being carried by swallows! (As to African or European, I'll let you be the judge.)

But surely that rule of thumb only applies to materials with the same density as water? I think the answer to the OP's question lies in the fact that fewer home cooks use scales in the US than other parts of the world.