TicTac

Good idea with the bone marrow, BK. I am not a fan of Costco's meat tenderizing process, so as you mentioned, on the rare occasions we do eat beef, I prefer to purchase unadulterated aged beef, preferably local - my go to spot is a place called Cumbrae's - awesome product much of it produced by themselves.

Thanks. Sadly up here in the Great White North (Ontario, specifically), while we may we have the largest liquor buying consortium in the world, the selection they offer; is the pits! I will look into Ed's suggestions as well as Oliver and Oliver, as mentioned.

An associate of mine is in DR for a month and is willing to be my liquor mule. I am somewhat uneducated as to the 'best' that this island has to offer, so suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Sante.

Love that idea for a website, Paul. Basically brings the concept of a 'pop-up' and combines it with accessible home cooking. I didn't look at the site, but I wonder if it is limited to France.

All you will get are guesses given the number of variables which could have caused this, such as: - The shape/type of burner you have - Excessive heat under the pot (I never crank my range above med/high when using my LC) - Lack of proper washing - Excessive scrubbing with an inappropriate tool/solution Take a couple shots and email them, that's what I would probably do....

I wouldn't eat the ones you posted, however....I recently learned from an elderly Italian gentleman how to identify 'Oak Oyster' mushrooms, which solely grow on Manitoba Maple trees. One of the most enjoyable activities/hobbies ever - it's like being a kid again and going on a massive scavenger hunt. Not to mention you get to eat the most amazing mushrooms as a reward (nothing like fresh picked mushrooms!) I also learned how to take some of the smaller less favorable specimens and 'inoculate' (mushing a piece into a 'groove/notch' in the wood or simply putting a cap on a step to shed its spores in the wind). Proof will be next fall.

No recipe, apologies - something I was taught at age 10 and have made since. It is sweet (though not overly) - typical souffle approach, for the pistachio, I get fresh pistachios, remove the 'husk' as it can sometimes be bitter, crush them, and cook in milk and a bit of cream (not too much liquid as you want a strong flavour), low simmer, then puree into a paste and season with a bit of honey. That is the flavour base. I also roast some, and lightly crush, which is folded into the souffle to add texture.

Few additions to the menu (or smorgasbord if you will): Parm Reg. Frico's w/ Thyme (saw these on a cooking show, thought they would be a great crunchy addition to the table) Pistachio Souffles

I don't think any fish *needs* SV (let alone any food for that matter), simply a want/desire.

The green pans (clearly IMO) are garbage...you get what you pay for, which is about 6 months of non stick cooking, then it all goes down the drain. First I've heard of Swiss Diamond, will look into these further, curious what others suggest as well for a high quality non stick pan that can deal with high temps (Wolf ranges get mighty feisty)

House cured gravlax Black Truffle / Foie Pate Selection of cheeses from Quebec/Italy/France 3-4 types of local Breads (blackbird baking co.) 5 Spice smoked duck breast toasts w/ green onion and soy reduction Roasted garlic white bean spread The most amazing fresh churned butter (recently found at Cumbrae's - a local butcher) Smoked oysters Puff Pastry Provencal tart Wild mushrooms (for the breads) Selection of chocolates And wine...lots of lovingly aged wine.

Those short ribs do look rather excellent. Curious to hear more about your method of execution.

Lube your knife with some Olive Oil

Boudin Noir. I searched and couldn't find any threads that discuss the best method to prepare this sausage (not the mixed with rice variety, this one is mostly blood with some extra fat added). I recently purchased some from my butcher and neglected to ask how he suggested to cook the beasts and though I have enjoyed it many times, this will be my first time preparing it. Initial thought was to cut them into discs and saute. Many thanks.

Sterling butter - great choice. Very limited good butter options here in Ontario....

On an expense account (or any account for that matter) I would suggest Scaramouche. Still the most reliably excellent restaurant in the city.

$0.20 Cents each here (Toronto, Canada) - big and juicy, straight from Mexico.

I have no fear of any kind of desserts or sweets, but a baby (15 month old in my case) surely has no need whatsoever (nor are outside influences going to impact any 'binge eating', at least for years to come) for desserts, aside from special occasions. I stick to my point that for kids under 2-3+ years of age who know no better (unless they were brought up with it) do not need desserts (it is only the parents perception, or desire to see their kids 'enjoy' sweets) on any sort of 'regular' basis. Fats I have no issue with, organic avocados are a big part in my sons diet (at least 2-3x per week it is apart of his meals), but useless fats, like cream, fried crap, etc, are totally unnecessary,

lbakermathews - you however are not the norm as most people do not make their own ice-cream. Much of what one makes at home (sweets in this case), unless it contains oodles of refined sugars/processed nonsense/butter in them, are OK - in limited (very) quantities. I simply prefer not to give my kids sugar laden desserts unless its a very special occasion; but prefer fruit instead (or a home made frozen fruit 'pop', ices, etc) I would suggest however that there are not a lot of 'good fats' in cream (research if you believe otherwise), and don't fool yourself, maple sugar is still sugar (yes , not refined, which is great), and sugar is not something that any kid NEEDS, per say (though I will be the first to admit some local maple syrup has made its way into the little fellas banana bran muffins).

It all depends how old your garlic scapes are. They can at times get very fibrous and tough, especially towards the bottom of the stem. You could blanch first if that is the case, however; I prefer to grill them on low-med heat (whoever said over a HOT fire was wrong) to ensure they are cooked within and still get a char. You could also peal the thicker outer layer, especially towards the bottom, though I have not tried that method.

Pre 4-5 years old, I don't understand why parents would give their kids things like ice cream, chips, chocolate bars, etc (even post that age, to be honest). In terms of introducing new foods, remember, often it is the texture that bothers kids, understanding kids eating habits, likes/dislikes would allow you to introduce flavours (broccoli soup vs. sauteed) as well as the benefits of said food (from a nutritional perspective) and eventually varying the method of preparation.

mm8 - those porcini's look quite nice. Where did you source them from? As well, what liquid did you use for your porcini risotto?

The key is starting from a young age. My son is now 15 months old. He has had 'dessert' once in his life, a small chocolate cake (home made, of course) for his 1st birthday whereby he got to embed his face into it, enjoy the thrill of sparkles and chocolate, which then led to 3 hours of absolute mayhem with a 3 hour marathon of trying to get to sleep that night. Why do people give their kids (excuse my french here) - shit to eat? Sugar should in fact be classified as a drug, so why would anyone give their kids pop, let alone processed crap? Often its the parents that feel they enjoy those things so they want to see their children get joy as well (clearly coming from a good place) they just forget the fact that children know no better. We have made a serious effort to only feed our children home made foods (locally sourced or 'organic') where we can, but absolutely to avoid the 'middle isles' and thus ensuring no processed 'shelf stable' crap makes its way into their mouths. If they grow up enjoying eating veggies (granted there will always be some that for whatever reason, texture in my sons distaste for broccoli - as when I blend it, he loves it) they will continue to enjoy them through life. Sure there may be some months/years where fussiness abides, but one must hold true to their beliefs and lead by example.