FlavoursGal

Sea Urchin Ragout, I was sort of joshing when I wrote the reply above. Toronto has some great restaurants, and there's wonderful Chinese food to be had in the suburbs immediately north of the city. Are you looking for upscale, hole-in-the-wall, mid-range, or a combination of the three?

Oh well, I guess you can't have your cake and eat it, too. (Pun intended; I just checked out your website - interesting business!)

Montreal

And then there are those restaurants that give a 10% discount if you pay in cash. Since credit card companies charge way less than this I have to assume that, in order for the restaurant to benefit from this offer, the restaurant owner is pocketing the entire cash payment (including the taxes they'd added on to the bill, which in Ontario come to a whopping 14%). Not a bad deal for the restaurant.

I've googled this issue, to no avail. Most reports are written with regard to commercially smoked meats which contain nitrites. From what I have gathered is that, as long as there is no direct flame, it's okay.

← I, for one, was so happy to read this in the NYT today. As someone who purchased an electric smoker oven not too long ago, I was worried about possible carcinogens infiltrating my smoked foods. A query on cookshack.com led to some very humourous responses, but not what I was looking for. I guess I can go ahead and eat my smoked briskets, beef ribs, turkey, salmon and black cod to my gut's content from now on.

Thanks, Maeve. No luck there, either.

My fantasy book store already exists - The Cookbook Store in downtown Toronto. They stock culinary-related books only. www.cook-book.com

I am intrigued... What IS Jezebel sauce?

They don't, unfortunately. I just gave Milano a call, and they carry capers packed in brine or salt only. ← What about the Spanish shop on St. Laurent just down from Vieille Europe? I'm not sure that they have them, but I wouldn't be surprised. They have lots of canned and jarred olives and capers in various forms. ← Any idea of the name of the shop? I'm in Toronto.

Sounds interesting, jayt90. But growing them and getting them to table involves some work, does it not? Even the capers in olive oil that I am searching for appear to have been cured before bottling.

They don't, unfortunately. I just gave Milano a call, and they carry capers packed in brine or salt only.

I just did a little google search, and found them at amazon.com. No luck at amazon.ca, though. http://www.amazon.com/Capers-Extra-Virgin-...l/dp/B000BBCMHC

The Cheese Boutique does not have them, either.

Thanks, Muskoka kid. I'll check it out.

Thanks for the offer, Dave. However, I do have a sister living in the States who could probably get them to me. Although I know that Pennsylvania is a large state, where have you seen these? My sister lives in Pennsylvania, as well. You might be able to guide us to a source there. I would prefer to have a local source, though.

I discovered capers in olive oil (sold in small jars) a few years back, at Dean & De Luca in NYC. I've since replenished my supply in Italy and in Seattle. I'm starting to run low, and can't find them anywhere in Toronto or Montreal. It is possible that they are not mass-produced/marketed, as they were difficult to find even in Italy, where they're bottled. Has anyone seen them? I've tried Atwater and Jean-Talon markets, as well as a few specialty stores, to no avail. If you haven't tried these, they're great - much more flavourful and less acidic than the usual jarred capers, and with a crunchy, yet juicy, texture.

I discovered capers in olive oil (sold in small jars) a few years back, at Dean & De Luca in NYC. I've since replenished my supply in Italy and in Seattle. I'm starting to run low, and can't find them anywhere in Toronto. It is possible that they are not mass-produced/marketed, as they were difficult to find even in Italy, where they're bottled. Has anyone seen them? I've tried all the usual suspects - St. Lawrence Market, Pusateri's, Harvest Wagon, Italian grocers in Toronto and Woodbridge,... - to no avail. If you haven't tried these, they're great - much more flavourful and less acidic than the usual jarred capers, and with a crunchy, yet juicy, texture.

A beautiful, bone-in rib steak calls out for Montreal steak spices (the real deal - Schwartz's or Lester's) and minced fresh garlic.

I use my 12-inch, 5.6-quart covered saute pan more than any other pot/pan in my kitchen. I dumped all of my non-stick pans last year, and searched for good quality, heavy pots and pans with 3-ply (inner core of aluminum surrounded by stainless steel) throughout, sides and bottom. Most of the non-stick saute pans I came across were either too small or were 3-ply only on the bottom. In a restaurant supply store, I came across a cookware company called Cuisinox, which is Canadian-made. Their Elite line is an All-Clad look-alike at a fraction (in Canada, anyway) of the price. I've since bought the 5.6-quart covered saute pan, assorted frypans, and a large saucepan with optional steamer insert. I'm delighted with these pots and pans - heat is distributed extremely evenly, and clean-up is a breeze. A word of advice for someone who's used to non-stick pans (I assume you plan to purchase conventional pots and pans): make sure to heat your pots and pans before adding any fats or ingredients, to ensure greater non-stick capability. Check out Cuisinox at http://www.cuisinox.com/products.php?lang=en&product_id=27

"Book of Tarts: Form, Function, and Flavor at the City Bakery" by Maury Rubin is a great start. http://www.amazon.com/Book-Tarts-Form-Func...ie=UTF8&s=books

My sister was looking at granite in NYC recently (also for a kitchen re-do), and was shocked at the prices. She'd helped me with the design of my new kitchen here in Toronto, where the price of granite, including installation, averages about $50 per sq.ft. (Canadian dollars). One thing she did notice which makes a huge difference, however, is that the granite available in NYC is 1.25 inches thick. Here, in Canada, what's available is 0.75 inches thick, which is all we really need. The fabricator then creates an edging that makes the granite APPEAR thicker. Seems to me, this is a much more ecological and economical way to do things.

In the same vein, I've been wondering what happened (here in Toronto, anyway) to Tropicana's regular grapefruit juice. All that's available now is their Ruby Red option. I happen to have preferred the regular juice, which was less sweet than the ruby red. Could it be a matter of the growers'/marketers' perception that North Americans prefer everything sweeter than do their European/Asian counterparts? Is it akin to the inherent bitterness of Belgian endives having been bred out of those available on this continent?

I just remembered a place in Toronto where I have had really good, homemade donuts - at a Portuguese bakery, of all places! It's called Girassol ("sunflower") and it's located at 191 Geary St. (just northeast of Dufferin and Dupont). They carry good Portuguese breads, and sell decent cod cakes, sausage rolls, and pastries. The best donuts are the ones filled with custard. Go early - they tend to sell out quickly.

What makes black cod so exquisite IS its fatty, juicy succulence. My husband is not a fan, either (and he also can't stand Chilean sea bass). I'd tell you to purchase a very thin piece for him and cook it to death, but that would be like buying Kobe beef and grinding it for Bolognese sauce. What I do is buy what I like for myself, and a piece of tilapia or other firm-fleshed fish for him, pan-fry both in the same pan (or grill/roast, whatever) so there's no extra work involved other than timing two different-sized portions of fish. I then finish both off with whatever sauce (or none) that I've prepared.