maggiethecat

Toronto is notorious for its mingey drinks. Better to get a bottle of wine. Or drive the five hours to Montreal.

Suzanne is, as always, right. The beloved ten dollar cast iron pan does not need any cleaning coddling. Soak it and scrub it. Nor does it need fancy seasoning. Cook a couple of hamburgers one day. Bacon and eggs the next. It's seasoned. Fry, bake, braise. Bob's your uncle. A big cast iron skillet is the pan we use most...way more than the All Clad or Mauviel copper.

Thanks Gourmando, I will. The colors should be lovely now "up the Gatineau." In Chicago we are all still green.

I am about to blush with shame... you are Angelino foodies with class and bucks, and I am not. But when visiting my daughter in June we had dins at Vert, the Puck bistro in the Hollywood/Highland mall. Great service and the best moules I have ever had. I was just a tourist. The veal shanks and orange tart creme brulee were also solid good food. I have never seen so many restaurants anywhere as I saw in LA. Noone cooks at home?

For ages we acted on the Received Wisdom that Flat was better. And it is great. But we happened on some crispy fresh curly and now I'm not so sure. If it's fresh and bouncy the taste is great. And chiffonaded the texture adds something the flat can't do. Both are wonderful.

We {the greater eGullet community) want snaps!

Good grief! We are talking about mayo, not male posturing. Dope slap, Maggie! It's always about male posturing! Love 'ya, guys!

A thousand thanks, you guys! I grew up in Quebec myself, so I am pretty darn picky. Especially since I now live in Charlie Trotter land. But... do you remember how really dank and dismal the dining scene in Ottawa was even ten years ago? A mad trip to Madame Berger's (sp?) in Hull or a "Thank God I an drive to Montreal for dinner thing?" Kemals...fab. And you don't get a frite wagon in Chicago. Thanks all. And check out Le Baccarat. Serious value.

I was going to say: Bacon and eggs, grilled tomatoes baked beans and toast. But Jaybee has completely the correct menu. Yeah...let's bankrupt the State of Texas so the electricity is cut off, and they can't find the juice to fry me. I want a cigarette with my coffee. Hey, Jaybee, I'll eat with you.

Suvir: I add my entreaties to Fish's. Could you please share Susan Auntie's recipe? Wilfred: You are sharing the magic. Perfect fruitcake service. I like an 8 year old Balderson's cheddar, if I can get it. No Madiera on the sideboard? Port's almost as good. Daytime? Nothing like a nice cuppa'. I will get my mother's recipe when I am in Canada next week and post it. Heavy on the pecans.

gknl: I don't have a jar of Miracle Whip in the house, but I think that the "flavor" depends on upping the sugar content enormously. It always tastes sweet. Heavy Duty mayo? LOL

Gourmando: Thanks for the suggestions. Could you tell me a little bit more about the Urban Pear? My parents live in the Glebe and I noticed it this summer. Where the pay laundry/bar used to be, right? It promises to be a stressful trip, and it would be nice to take my mother to a restaurant within walking distance. Olliie: I'll try to get to The Black Cat.

I had dinner with my parents at Le Baccarat and it blew me away. The 25 buck prix fixe was one of the best meals I have ever had....ever! Service, wine, atmosphere,just absolutley remarkable. My mother admired the flowers to our waiter and she left with an armful of orchids.

If here was ever a thread to totally make my discipline slip, this is it. I have actively tried to avoid it, trying to think about my feline mentor, Charlotte Rampling. No. I'm not evem close to being so beautiful, but a couple of (very dear) friends have drawn comparisons, So my raison d'etre is not being maggiethesow. I could eat an entire pan right here, right now! Brownies are the work of the devil.

The only bad fruitcake is a bad fruitcake! I have never understood why it is the butt of so many jokes. One odd thing I noticed when I moved to the States is that wedding cake is not fruitcake. Seems to be a cake mix sheet cake. In Canada, it was ALWAYS a fruitcake enclosed in marzipan. No wedding reception is large enough to wipe out a three layer fruitcake, so the leftovers got us through some very thin times in our early married life!

For me, it tastes just like Salade Nicoise but better....simply because I love pototoes in salad.

Bottled on shelf, just like the Kraft or Hellman's.

With all the excellent variations (thanks guys...I'm on a potato salad jag and it's fun) I remembered one that I don't think we've mentioned: Salade Nicoise. I know, Escoffier doesn't call for potatoes, but Julia asks for three cups.

Bux: I checked the jar of TJ's mayo for the date. We bought it a couple of weeks ago and the sell by date is January 25th, 2003. Don't know how the shelf life compares with Hellman's. Heck we always have a jar of mayonnaise in the fridge. Sorry, when I'm making tuna salad at one a.m. for lunchbox sandwiches, I don't have the energy to make homemade. But, come to think of it, I do have the energy to root around the fridge for that small bottle of cornichons that always disappears when I need it. Thanks for all the input.

Jeff: I too gave up on the lima bean thing, and because I am a woman who lacks the Chocolate gene, in times of stress I have been known to cook up a package of frozen limas, apply butter, salt and pepper, and eat them on my front porch. I too like liver if it's a part of something else, like sausage or pate. Otherwise, the texture gags me. Remember that old Second City song "I Hate liver?" A classic, The line I love best says something like: the liver lies over the pancreas like a whore on a pillow of fat." That's about it.

After all this very informed info by the eGullet folks I admire the tops, I agree with Dave. Still don't know. And Suvir, amazing you brought up lemon curd. That too has been a real puzzlement to us. What do these food processors do with eggs, oil and acid?

Fat Guy..this is your chance to show that you are a Real Man and say you're wrong. Barron's is right. We'll still respect you. Canucks all over....is this the time to educate our gringo friends about Butter tarts, or is that a major thread of its own?

Homemade mayo does not have a great shelf life...or fridge life. We checked the ingredients on the jar in the fridge (Trader Joe's) and it was oil, eggs, egg yolks, spice, vinegar and lemon juice. They make a point of pride in saying there are no preservatives, sugar, etc. So, why is our homemade mayo not going to be appealing, let alone safe, for a month in the fridge? Do they irradiate this stuff? Please, Sir, I want to know.

More please! I will be in Ottawa for two weeks starting this coming Sunday.

As Cathyl says, maybe it's a regional thing. Growing up in Canada, a blondie was also called a "Butterscotch Brownie", had no chocolate of any kind in the recipe. Blend and pat into 8" greased pan : 1/2 c Brown sugar 1/3 c. butter 1 c. flour Mix together: 2 eggs 1 c. brown sugar 2 T. flour 1/2 t. baking powder 3 T. cream 1 t. vanilla 1/2 c. chopped walnuts and/or coconut Pour into pan. Bake at 350 1/2 hour,,,or slightly less Killer. A Canadian Blondie,