TicTac

No debate - I have just yet to see $8 USD pasta! That is like $50 CDN!! 😛 (ok, more like $10...)

It is far creamier than Greek and to my tastes, preferable. Curious to hear your thoughts.

Great call on the Bulgarian Feta - great texture, far more enjoyable than Greek!

$8 for a pack of pasta!? Only in NY!

Has anyone seen any deals on nice balsamics or interesting vinegar? Need to re-stock my Spanish vinegars!

Would you get a bigger table next time please!? The one glass of white is feeling quite left out!

Almonds masquerading as peanuts?

Those are some fine looking ribs, Capt! What's the BBQ sauce?

I am clearly hanging out with the wrong friends!

I like your idea of putting the meat/cheese in the shells and toasting them (vs. how we currently do it and toast them empty) to melt the cheese then adding the 'perishables' afterwards. We are eating a lot more Mexican these days with my little guys Celiac diagnosis, so this is great. Might just have to steal it!

Agreed. Calves liver is a favourite here as well. As well, chicken livers fried with balsamic reduction, onions and rosemary is pretty awesome too.

So you found your Shiso leaves! Excellent!! If you want to try your hand at growing them (they grow and spread like weeds) happy to share some seeds.

That is quite the detailed post. Kudos. You will fit in quite nicely with the lot here! Take some shots of the process next time, would love to see it (sadly, we do not consume, nor will I ever attempt this recipe as my wife is allergic to shellfish).

Very happy to see you doing well, Kerry. A very wise business decision to donate your EZ Temper's to the contestants, some fantastic exposure/marketing; no doubt. Though I will say, I was concerned by the Chinese food selection in the city of Love, coming from; arguably, the best Chinese food metropolitan, outside of Asia (The GTA). I can only hope that it was not your choice! Now, let's see the cheese and foie!

LOL. Most people outside of Canada are not familiar with The Trailer Park Boys. You have to have a pretty whacked sense of humor to get them. Luckily, I do. Too funny.

I would always roast on a rack if possible, and place root veggies (the longer the roast, the bigger the cut) below to soak up those drippings. Makes for fantastic soup, gravy, etc.

Many curries use nuts as thickening agents and a way to add more richness. At a client of mine works a lovely Indian couple. The wife and I have talked about food many times and about a year ago she so thoughtfully brought me all the ingredients needed to make one of their favourite paneer curries. Interestingly it included a little jar of ground cashews. This was to be added towards the end, after the cream, to thicken the dish. The garam masala and chili powder she uses were also killer so I had to barter some Ramp oil for a larger batch, which she happily swapped. As an aside, I wrote a 2 page manual teaching hubby to make Risotto (he has cooked only a handful of times in his life) for a special occasion for his wife!

I am officially going on a paw-paw patrol! Tropical'eque fruit....growing in....Ontario!? This I must find!

Interesting! I will keep an eye out next time I am at my local Chinese market. Thank you.

Single headed garlic? Aka Young garlic??

These are Elm Oyster mushrooms. Think of a oyster mushroom with 5x the flavour and far 'meatier'. Be cautious as they only grow on one specific type of tree, the Manitoba Maple. You will never find these guys growing on the ground. I also saw what I believe to be honey mushrooms , but again, all it takes is 1% uncertainty for something to go horribly wrong! @Anna N - Very interesting re: the paw paw's - I remember reading/hearing about them years ago, but certainly with no local context...I must now start a new search, it seems!

Mushroom season is upon us. Today's haul - about 30 minutes in the forest - approx 5-6 lbs. Toonie for scale.

My parents neighbors (lovely Italian couple) have a prune tree/bush beside their house. Every year they share the bounty. A plum is far more round and often red fleshed - whereas a prune is blue'ish/purple in the skin, and very light interior color. The pit also easily comes away from the flesh, contrary to a plum. I have also seen them (recently in fact) at local markets.

Again - limited research, however, a notable quote: When dried, plums are called prunes, but the prune fruit comes from a different type of plant than plums. Although of the same genus (Prunus) as plums, which makes it a type or variety of plum, prunes have pits that are easier to remove from the flesh unlike all other types of plum. They are oval-shaped and are blue or purple in color when ripe. They are used in cooking. While most plums are consumed fresh, prunes are mostly dried or made into prune juice. Dried prunes and prune juice are known for their laxative effects. Read more: Difference Between Prune and Plum | Difference Between http://www.differencebetween.net/object/comparisons-of-food-items/vegetables-fruits/difference-between-prune-and-plum/#ixzz5SyzHDFat" I suppose, ultimately the same Genus, however, I have not seen dried prunes which are actually from PLUMS - I have however seen 'dried plums' - but typically prunes (the dried form) are sourced from actual Prunes (not plums) - based on my experience.

Interesting. I have eaten fresh prunes many times. Upon initial research however; apparently plums can be dried into prunes...but prunes dried remain....prunes! Logic!?