TicTac

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!?

What about 'em?

Great looking mangoes. It almost looks like the Hayden mangoes we had in Kauai - which were the most unreal (superior to the very fragrant Indian varieties) I have ever had - huge, 2-3lbs, not fibrous at all - but oddly enough, pricey as hell, especially since they were local! (bought at both road side stands and a local farmers market) - ranging between $4-6 each! The flip side, local passion fruit were but $0.25 each (though I know these grow in abundance, but still, that is 1/4 of what we pay here - whereas the mangoes are double - if not triple!) Interesting....! Dried logan fruit. New to me. Food for thought....why is it Grapes are the only fruits lucky enough to have their own designated term for their dried counterpart - raisins!?

Properly cooked calves liver (seared, med-med/rare in the middle) is a fantastic thing. De-glazed with good balsamic and onions, a bit of rosemary or thyme. Mmmm.

Now that's a loot bag I would go Trick'o'Treatin for!!!

Thank you all for your contributions. It really means a lot to me (and my wife, who is lurking in the shadows and taking notes - hi honey!! 💗) Some very interesting thoughts. One thing I want to further investigate is how far does the 'GF' governing body investigate the production of anything labeled as such, to ensure no cross contact. I can envision the value of a 'CS' (Celiac Safe) labeling as well. From what I gather thus far, something can be labeled 'GF' even if there are traces, so long as traces are noted. An additional designation might be helpful for those with this disease....

Interesting. Makes sense. It is also notable that my son, ever since changing over (apparently it only takes 3-4 days for the gut to begin to heal and be able to re-absorb nutrients) he has had a huge appetite. One of the things to watch for is weight gain in kids especially who have Celiac and change to GF, as their bodies want to almost make up for lost nutrients, thus the increased hunger.

@Anna N - You are absolutely correct, just because a restaurant has a menu item labeled as 'GF' does not mean it is Celiac safe! Though from what the dietician has told us, in Canada, if it labeled GF, it is safe to eat and there is no cross contamination. @Shelby - So sorry to hear your friend is suffering. Hope she finds some answers so she can make the necessary adjustments to feel better (soon)! Thanks for the link. @Wolf- Very interesting that they eliminated proteins as well, I don't quite understand that, but at least she is feeling better! The Canadian gov offers tax rebates for GF purchases for someone with Celiac and we just learned there is a disability fund available (around $250/month) to offset the increased costs and medical expenses. @kayb - At least she is aware of what she has to now deal with and no more befuddlement as to her symptoms. I believe with smart choices, one can lead a relatively 'normal' life with this disease. @Okanagancook - That is quite strange, especially given the associated long term health effects of overexposure (lymphoma, low bone density, etc) Interestingly enough I also learned that they are now starting trials of a drug 'NexVax2' to treat the disease. Hopefully in his lifetime advancements are made to counteract the effects of gluten on a Celiac patient.

When the elusive pork and celery cross paths and mate once a year under the harvest moon and produce their spawn..... Pork Stalk!!! (sorry, couldn't help myself!)

@Lisa Shock - Totally agree with you. So many restaurants offering 'GF' options have no clue the impacts trace amounts of gluten can have on an individual with Celiac. A local pizza place delivery place (though I have never been a fan) 'Pizza Pizza' has GF Cauliflower crusts, but again, those are made and baked right next to the gluten laden flower and in the same ovens. We did find an awesome place in Newmarket recently called 'The Maids Cottage' that has a totally separate kitchen area for GF - they are known for their GF offerings, and in fact, have the BEST butter tart I have EVER had, and it comes in a GF package, and I must say, the pastry was fantastic! There is hope (least for the sweet tooth!). @Okanagancook - Thank you - so kind, and yes, we are very fortunate to have access to Sick Kids. Mexican has always been a favourite in my house, so I can absolutely see myself learning to craft fresh tortillas!

I can't sufficiently express the gratitude to you all for taking the time to post and share your experiences. It means a lot. @heidih - Thank you for the link, I will certainly be taking some time to go through her FB posts! @Okanagancook - Lucky for us we are in Toronto and have access to one of the best kids hospitals in the world, Sick Kids. Last week he had his scope and biopsy, the GI suggested she could essentially see the effects, interestingly enough (and luckily) the results came back, and while positive, it does not appear to have done as much damage as it might have. We have an appointment with a Sick Kids Dietician next month. @suzilightning - Has Jonny had a endoscopy with biopsy? I have read a number of cases whereby people test negatively on the blood but a biopsy will show positive for Celiac. Either way, you have already adjusted the diet so it would most likely not show up anyways. We did not evolve eating gluten, only recently in the past few hundred years did it become a staple in diets. No surprise that he (and I - and others!) have seen positive effects from eliminating it, Celiac or not. @kayb - Thank you for sharing. It must have been a rough 20 years growing up not knowing why she felt the way she did, until one day, such a significant change...one thing that I am curious about, which is hard to find concrete data on, is how people react to cross contamination or even minute amounts (if a mistake is made) - I have heard everything from very minor tummy aches, all the way to 2-4 day hospitalizations. Certainly lots of learning and experimentation to do. My recent purchase which has been quite well received was Sweet Potato noodles. Made a nice Korean dish with them, and a noodle soup as well.