TicTac

Splurge on a high end gas range. My preference is Wolf. Bluestar, Garland, Thermador are all good options as well. An equally high end hood with multiple extractor fans (no sense in being able to sear the crap out of stuff if your house constantly turns into one big hotbox!) Perhaps an in counter wine fridge. No need to go crazy on the fridge, IMO - I have had Sub-Zero's in the past and they quite frankly have issues as they age and are expensive to repair. Our current Kitchen Aid (french door) is very good. If I was doing it all over again, I would try to incorporate a wood burning oven into the kitchen - so many fun things one can do with that, plus it looks damn cool! On our next move, for sure. Pullout cupboards with built in racking systems are also a great storage tool.

Garden tomato and cheese risotto Nice Gavi Some of my favourite truffle cheeses (available on this continent) Salad not shown. You don’t make friends with salad!

Works well with radicchio too.

$13/lb seems awfully steep for mangosteens...does that include delivery? I see them range from $5-8/lb ($CDN) at the local Asian grocery store. Fresh not frozen. I find it very hit and miss with them, unless I am able to feel them (soft equator) and not see any yellowing (a sign they are going rotten) I tend to avoid as they just become expensive compost. Perhaps I should start exporting....!?

Strange that the chef does not toast their whole spices in the ghee before adding onions/ginger/garlic/tomato An employee of mine years back gave me her recipe for a paneer curry (which I almost always add peas to!) which involved toasting cloves, green cardamon and cumin prior to adding the ginger/onion paste - then the crushed spices (ground coriander, red kashmir chili powder - later on garam masala) and after that tomatoes. Cream goes in towards the end, she also insisted you put cashew paste - last week I used almond butter instead, still came out great. Fenugreek goes in at the very end.

It pays to make friends with people in the food industry! I called my local Japanese fish monger yesterday to place an order for pickup today (as I have come to trust his ability to select prime pieces) When I arrived today he came out with two packages of fish collars (my favourite). I had requested kampachi and while he offered the requested variety he also brought out a pack of huge beautiful hamachi collars which he was very proud of the fact they had received a large whole fish and wanted to save them for me. What a guy! I tried a new dish today. Grilled them and then picked the meat off the bones. I macerated ginger and green onions in Yuzu the strained. Also macerated bonito flakes in a soy/sugar sauce then strained and combined. Tossed in the pulled fish and served on California gold rice and tobiko. My wife better be careful, this guy clearly knows how to make me happy! Lol.

The skin is not fully intact, I will slice down 'inner' side of the leg along the bone, and carefully using a little pairing or boning knife slide along the bone, get under it, cut around the cartilage ends and usually end up with a large boneless leg, skin attached to one side. That, or I just get lazy and ask my butcher to do it and pay an extra $1/lb..lol

After the Steve Young 49'ers Era (my team!) I briefly rotated between Ellway and the Broncos and later The BUS and the Steelers. However I just have had no time these past years to watch any football. I do however make a point to watch the superbowl (if just as an excuse to eat in front of the TV and have junk food with the kids). This year we will do chicken fingers (boneless chicken legs skin on cut into strips, tossed in corn starch and spices and baked till crisp), nachos and salsa/guac and dipping sauces. I will be cheering for KC, as I cannot stand that cheater, er, I mean, Tom Brady.

Love the look of that shelf system. In your kitchen too - very cool. Could you take a wider shot to see the whole thing? Looks great. A few unique plants I am considering this year - Toscano, Prospera and Green Pepper Basil, Elder Berries, Lemon Bottlebrush, Confetti Cilantro, Fenugreek - just to name a few. I will start everything under a 80w KIND LED strip light in a 2x4 tent. No till organic living soil.

Awesome @jimb0 - My buddy used to grow those tiny wild strawberries indoors, so good. What type of light are you using? About to pull the order on some fun new seeds from Richter's ... now to start reverse engineering timelines of germination and creating planting schedules!

Great idea. The Japanese Izakaya's near me do some fantastic grilled chicken odds n ends. I particularly like the fried cartilage. For gizzards you would need to boil or pressure cook them first else they would be texturally challenging. Hearts are also a good option to skewer and grill without any need for prior prep.

I was pondering earlier as I wrote my previous reply whether it was a Canada / US difference, which it appears it might be. Clearly the climactic variable is important as any place with snow will expect visitors to remove shoes (and if not, give your head a shake!). Though I am sure there are other variables at play.... Maybe its part of our overly-polite culture...as I do see it as a respectful thing to do when entering someones home (last thing I want to do is muck up someones clean floors/carpets).

Thanks for chiming in Anna. Perhaps it is a cultural thing...I was going to say prior to reading your and Chrome's response that 95% of friends/family that we visit, everyone takes their shoes off. Kind of disgusting to consider what people have stepped on outside and then them walking through your house tracking that around. I purchased booties (the disposable slip on/off type that go over your shoes) when we were having contractors in our house doing some bathroom reno's and gave all them a pair. I still have some on hand for 'unique' situations....(ahem; stubborn uncles who are painful to argue with, so I play dress up with them instead!)

Fair - however, odds are you will be far more mindful of handle placements and being more conscious (whether you realize it or not, your subconscious is a powerful tool!) around that area given the trauma you went through.

Absolutely. Either way, shoes or no shoes - I doubt you will do that again. It's like when I was younger and cut a bagel with the global bread (razor sharp) knife going INTO my palm - now, bagels (not that I eat them anymore) are only sliced outwards!

Nice! Let's see the rest of the cave! No Hakushu 12 on the LCBO site (why would the worlds largest booze buying power have a decent selection!?) - any other Japanese whiskey recommendations? That square bottle looks familiar....

Not sure how I missed this one...but yikes! @KennethT - glad to hear you are on the mend. Rest assured you will never do that again! Unless you are planning on some high strap boots, even crocks or those birks are not going to totally protect you...I narrowly avoided a heavy Black Carbon Steel pan falling on my foot last week - left a nice ding in the maple hardwood, but better than then my foot. And let's face it, wearing shoes in the house!? Ugh - big pet peeve of mine (people are not allowed in my house with shoes, minus my 96 year old grandmother whom it would take as long as her visit to get them off and into slippers).

@Duvel - Can you share more about those large maki rolls? My kids would go ape-shit over them...

Condolences to her loved ones. She was always fun to engage with here.

Too bad they don't deliver North of the 49th parallel!

Asian cold rolls marinated chicken (hiding underneath) julienned cucumber, pickled carrots, glass noodles, cilantro, lettuce & hoisin/lime/green onion sauce. peanut sauce on side for further dippage

Congrats on the inaugural snow, you could have helped yourself to some of ours far earlier in the season! Oh, and if you can still see the green, that ain't really snow! More like the threat of, a tease....if you will! Curious as to what the white sauce the sweetbreads and morels are in is? Love sweetbreads, one of the most underappreciated 'cuts' available.

Pulled pork shoulder braised for 8 hours in fresh orange - lime juice, coke, spices and ramps. Tacos Toppings Happy taste buds (the salsa came out smoking hot - never know how hot these Morita peppers will be!)

Ventured out in 30km/h winds and -5 temps to fire up the Webber...I don’t use thermometers but somehow things tend to work out... Today the bbq gods favoured me - one of my best efforts!

If you want to splurge, I would highly recommend the Asahi rubber cutting board. https://www.korin.com/TK-203-03-120 After seeing my local Japanese restaurant's remodel and sourcing of these huge boards, I inquired about them and was enlightened on the quality of said beast. Purchased a few years ago, it has served me very well - though admittedly I only use it when making Sushi.