Deryn

Nunavut (and all of the northern areas of Canada) have always had sky-high prices (compared to the rest of Canada, much less to the States), not to mention limited availability for everything, including food. Relative to the south, their prices are exorbitant but that is not a new phenomena. I lived in the Yukon for many years and also spent a winter on Baffin Island (Iqualuit, used to be called Frobisher Bay, in the Northwest Territories, now called Nunavut) and, aside from the expense for food (often 10 times the price of that in more southern cities even in those days because of shipping costs - in many places it must be flown in or only comes in during the summer on boats), the freshness of produce, eggs and milk for instance is not likely to be up to the standards most of us have down south. But, yes, food in general is often much more expensive in Canada, even if grown/raised/processed in Canada, and even when the $ is not so lousy. My spoiled pooch eats a chicken a day. In NC I pay about $5 for that per day. Here I pay almost $13 a day. I have considered getting chickens to keep in my back yard, but I am afraid, unless I buy black ones, I may never be able to find them in the snow. But, fear not, our 2 month growing season is only 6 months away now!

I can't use soy (soy anything but I particularly avoid soy sauce) any more but my favorite foods are at least reminiscent of Asian flavours, and even Thai foods often include soy sauce and/or fish sauce (which I can use but often forget to add when I am 'concocting' a dish in a hurry). What I like to use a fair bit of though is black vinegar. The current version that I have on hand is mild (acid-wise) but deep in flavour and I have found that when I use it I also often forget to add any salt at all. Liberal use of a roasted sesame oil, loads of ginger and hot elements like chilis, etc. also seem to help when making any Chinese dish. I usually don't miss the umami that I would get from salty soy if I get the combo right. Balsamic vinegar also helps reduce the need for salt in many dishes without adding too much acidic edge. Reduce it to a glaze and throw it on a steak or chicken breast with liberal amounts of pepper and see if it still needs extra salt ... it doesn't for me. The other trick I use is to not include any salt at all during cooking but when serving I add just a very few flakes of a good (flaky, not grainy) sea or maldon salt on top. Sea salt tastes 'saltier' (to me) than regular salt and just a touch of that stuff hitting your tongue every few bites is often sufficient to give the illusion that one is eating a fully salted dish with very little of the dreaded sodium content that we sometimes must seek to avoid. I love salt and if these tricks can satisfy me then I hazard a guess that they will work on many of the elderly (they did on my father and many of his friends at the retirement home where I used to do 'cooking classes' for the residents). I will never use no-salt 'salt' products or Mrs. Dash - they don't cut it with me at all. None of these strategies are earth-shatteringly different or new I know but they work for me and many others. In addition, since we eat with our eyes (and nose), I think the more colourful and aromatic a dish, the less we miss salt as a core ingredient. For that reason, I agree that aromatic ethnic foods like east Indian ones require much less salt in order to taste delicious.

3 weeks ago in this middle of nowhere place (far eastern Canada), rather sad looking heads of cauliflower were priced at $7.99. Last week I bought 2 (albeit slightly smaller, but fresh looking) heads for $5.00. When I enquired about why this sudden change in price when the news was still reporting that there was just no cauliflower to be had due to weather conditions in growing regions (presumably in California), I was told that cauliflower was growing fine now but that there had been a gap in supply till the new heads had matured enough to go to market. One can only hope there won't be too many more of those 'gaps' and the price will stay reasonable (at least as reasonable as it can be considering that the Can $ is now bottoming out against the US $ and that obviously WILL affect prices).

I gather most TMXs are sold via a 'party' system (and that is certainly a 'popular' way to go in Australia and I am sure other places) but I bought mine by calling the Canadian office in Quebec City and ordering it directly. I had already done a lot of online research (including watching videos of demos). The eastern Canada dealer didn't seem to mind me ordering directly - although I am sure I would have been welcome at a party if I had wanted to go that route. I was told I was welcome to call other local customers and ask them (or the main office) any questions, etc. should I want to - and to drop into their Montreal showroom for a demo or other related info any time, but they didn't press me to attend any party. It would not surprise me if dealers would allow direct ordering in the US as well if you ask. Perhaps these days a gadget that fills a whole roster of kitchen needs is not as surprising a thing as it was even just a few years ago so maybe 'parties' are not as necessary now, even for a machine with a substantial price point. The company has though traditionally felt that the machine sells itself much better if all its main features are demonstrated live especially when most people have never heard of anything like it and it isn't a cheap machine. They also offer layaway type financing plans I believe if you attend a party down under. Not sure if they do the same elsewhere. I think the price point for the US market sounds pretty darned reasonable to be honest (I paid $1600 CAD plus tax and shipping for my TMX31 way back when), especially if the temp hold is upgraded in this newer version. It is, as far as I know, still a very well built 'system' and should hold up for decades of daily use. I still love mine and use it pretty regularly despite all the other gadgets I have these days with some functions that do overlap a bit. For me, the TMX still has its place on my counter. It gets a LOT more use than my Vitamix for instance.

Perhaps there is a market for freeze-dried raw chicken livers - light enough to ship, no smell.

So, you are NOT a partner in the business (even though it sounds as though you had planned, at some time, on going into business with this friend of yours - but this time he went ahead and has pursued it on his own and left you out)? Seems, hate to say it, as though you perhaps have more of an employee mentality than business savvy since you have been aiding him without any official status or even promises. The LLC has been formed and they didn't include you in the stock/share plan at that time? Perhaps though, you might discuss some kind of 'finder's fee' with your friend - you found his investor for him after all. Probably should have done that before telling him who the investor might be but perhaps he will be 'nice' to you if he is depending on you at all to be his chef! I would play (carefully) on that need he has for you to operate the kitchen or at least be a major part there - since that could have a lot to do with whether the restaurant will succeed or fail. As far as what you will earn when/if you are chef at the restaurant when it opens some day, that will probably just be negotiated as any salary would if you are just to be an employee, though since you had a lot to do with the 'idea' and the 'investing' etc. you could include 'more status' (good for your resume), better salary/benefits, and perhaps some sort of future considerations/bonus in those negotiations. If he wants you to 'care' enough to work your butt off, it would be in his interest to make you feel a 'part' of the operation somehow. But, I bet he won't part with shares and I agree with gfweb - you should be cautious about taking them too since it could leave you liable if the restaurant fails. And I would be careful now too to be friendly with your uncle (but arm's length in terms of the restaurant 'business' part) as well if you want to have a good future relationship with him and/or hope to open your own restaurant in future and may want to tap him yourself. Presumably your uncle is a good business man if he is wealthy, and he went into all this with his eyes and ears open and not just because you are who you are (his relative) but, if the restaurant doesn't work out, you don't want him blaming you somehow either. Good luck with that - I do hope your 'friend' is a true friend and not a 'fair weather' one. The good thing is that if you find out now that he is not the good friend you had hoped, there is time for you to figure out how else you might want your culinary career to go - and it will be a lesson learned for the future.

I hate to ask but is the 'festive' part for you or for them? Christmas is not something that most Jewish people, Orthodox or not, celebrate I believe (but I am not Jewish so of course I could be wrong). If that is the case though, perhaps meals during that period are just like any others, except perhaps if they are on a vacation (which often does warrant a 'celebratory' meal of some kind but not because it is a 'traditional holiday' for them). In North America, I have heard that many Jews like Chinese food on Christmas Day. Could you do some kind of Asian dish with or without a bit of seafood (in the form of fish, not crustaceans) but with lots of vegetables? Or if you are just looking for a 'starter', what about some fresh rolls (Thai style, uncooked) with only vegetables (no shrimp). Or perhaps just a lovely whole snapper presentation on a bed of julienned vegetables?

I think Cameron is adorable. I am not sure how you can bear to devour her, bit by bit. I would probably just encase her in plexiglass (to contain her scent) and hang her on the wall if I were her 'owner'.

I am sure that whatever you want to serve will be delicious and sufficient but, since it is Christmas Eve, what about a 'seafood' roll or salad or a shrimp with cocktail sauce platter perhaps?

Just ran across this article/recipe on pbs.org - Citrus Dry-Brined Turkey. http://www.pbs.org/food/fresh-tastes/citrus-dry-brined-turkey/ Haven't tried it but it sounds delicious. The author doesn't mention removing all the brine but does talk about patting it dry. And she only brined it overnight I gather. Good luck with yours. Please let us know how it turns out.

I just burned off 300 calories rolling on the floor laughing at your stories, Arey. The new miniscule-y thinner me says thank you! Now I can go eat that super-sized, calorie and fat reduced, frozen meal I have been saving for a special 'banquet' occasion. Just about every ad ticks me off these days it seems. Marketing has hit a new low.

I can't watch it because I don't have Safari, Chrome or Firefox. Did you watch it yourself? You must have. Was/is there sound? What was it focussed on? Single camera? Trying to 'picture' this. Some of us in Canada recently 'experienced' on a Canadian TV station (GustoTV) several weekend evenings of horrendous 'live video' being shot in a couple of restaurant kitchens for several hours each with NO sound. Supposedly 'busy nights' but it was dead, dead, dead unfortunately. I trust yours is not like theirs.

My vote is for comments, no ratings - for all the reasons stated by everyone above, as well or better than I could.

Perhaps the IP manufacturer discourages deep frying in the IP because most deep fryers these days have lids on them to contain the grease and they are afraid people would misinterpret (even if there were explicit instructions) and try to 'pressure fry' by putting the lid on. Could be a liability issue for them - and dare I say it ... not ALL people are as smart as our eGullet members. I haven't tried 'deep frying' in the IP but if I were to do it, I would use a thermometer to see how hot the oil (at the depth I needed) could get when put on 'saute' and I would never put on the lid. Host's note: in order to reduce load on our servers, large topics are split into multiple parts. This intriguing topic continues here: Instant Pot. Multi-function cooker (Part 2).

Gulfporter - I am sure whatever is in the tip jar is split in most establishments - though I am not sure it is always split between ALL of the employees. But, then again, for me a 'take-out' place often only has one or two employees, and, in my experience, I rarely see 'dedicated' cashiers take my order or hand it back to me. Usually a server (or the owner/chief cook and bottle washer) comes up to the cash to take my order, etc. The Thai place I like is in a small corner gas station and has 2 tables but I have never seen anyone sit there other than to wait for their order to go. As to what they are paid, I think that varies from place to place although I guess in some states there may be a 'minimum wage' - one that may or may not apply to the people we deal with directly I suppose. I think if your order is $10-12 that $2 for takeout is fine (but, even that is probably more than many would 'donate'). I probably tend to be generous because I worked, many many years ago, in just about every capacity a restaurant (large and small) has need of. Tips are NOT mandatory - but, if you feel the service and food are good, just as you might tip in a sit down situation, I think it is nice to acknowledge that in some way.

I always tip everywhere (except maybe at places like MickeyD's or if there is no jar) ... bad habit of mine. At my favorite Thai take-out place, I tip generously (could be up to 50% depending on what I order and how much that comes to - it is usually a smaller percentage probably if the order is larger) because I have known the lady who owns it for years. When I get take-out from the Korean or Indian joints, it is usually a couple of dollar bills and whatever silver comes back to me when I pay for the order no matter what the size of the order. So there is no set amount - it is what I feel like or have in my hand but I am probably stupidly generous at times.

Unless you have a very rough winter (which does happen and you cannot really predict it unfortunately), your thyme and rosemary SHOULD survive. I planted a tiny rosemary bush in western NC one year (late in the fall) and figured it was not long for this world. I didn't do a thing but stick it in the ground and walk away. 4 years later its 'trunk' was 3 inches diameter. And it just got bigger from there on - till last winter when it died (though, at that size, it still left me with wonderfully fragrant stick branches to use for BBQ'ing chicken on). The thyme planted the same way and at the same time didn't ever get that large but it came back year after year as well. I plant rosemary up north as well and it is more hit or miss to whether it will survive and prosper, but, even when the temperatures get to minus 20 quite often for long periods, sometimes they do. These are very hardy plants. The other plant you have I doubt would do as well so I would bring it in the house too as others have suggested.

I would put the pickles in mylar bags. They are shiny and could be festive/classy looking (and you can get some of them in nice colours). You can use larger ones and cut them down or you can find mini-ones that may be the right size already - or you can get ones with ziplock type tops (seal above the zip part) which means they can be easily reclosed. Check out Sorbent Systems for ideas (http://www.sorbentsystems.com/minipouches.html). Stick a label on the outside and you are done. (Note: since these are not heat processed in the bags - i.e. not retort sealed, etc. - be sure to tell your friends to refrigerate them as soon as possible and probably don't delay too long in eating them either). Perhaps you can find some kind of filler to set all your goodies on in the box - like that rough wood shavings stuff, plain or coloured - to add some cohesiveness and padding? Or perhaps even old newspapers cut up or crumpled would do? Are you mailing these 'tasting boxes' or delivering them by hand? I just wonder whether the addition of a fresh loaf of bread could be problematic and/or is necessary - since it won't keep anywhere as long as the rest of the box contents. Will all your recipients realize that they need to open the box as soon as it arrives?

hummingbirdkiss - For the nocino, since you probably want to do smallish bottles (?), what about using tall skinny bottles similar to this? https://www.ebottles.com/showbottles-bottle-1442-kw-OIL_BOTTLE_(DORICA)_GLASS.htm I think they hold 10 ounces each. As for a label, if you have good printing or writing skills, you could just use a stick-on white label and a marker, or you could buy plain brown mailing tags (and write on them) to tie around the neck with twine (think like Martha Stewart). If you want to be more festive, use some skinny red ribbon maybe (or even candy-stripe a bit of twine with a red marker). Or you can easily design and print up sticky sheets of labels on your computer/printer, peel them off and stick on the front of the bottle, whatever it contains. You could even get the kids to design the labels, scan their drawings (perhaps only give them festive colours and say go to it!) into your printer and reduce them to size, etc. and print them out on anything you want (even if not sticky) and tie them on. The bottles should be fairly easy to wrap with bubble wrap (for mailing), especially if tucked into the very middle of a package surrounded by other things to support them.

Thank you, Takadi. I don't think I am in a position to make my own due to where I live, not to mention that while it is obviously a very interesting process, it is probably above my pay grade. But, I am fascinated with what you and Daniel are doing. I can only hope that eventually Momofuku might sell the bonji - currently I see they do but on a 'wholesale only' basis. I would love to try it. I have to avoid soy as much as possible but Asian type dishes are my favorite foods it seems so I wish that a reasonable 'sauce' similar in taste, etc. made from other common beans was also readily available. When a recipe only calls for a bit it is easy to just leave it out but some require a fair amount of soysauce and that is trickier.

I don't know but there are mid-eastern and Martha Stewart stuffing recipes out on the web that include pomegranate seeds so whatever the result (I suspect softer and therefore more luscious and spurt-y when you bite into them) I think it is definitely worth a try. http://mideastfood.about.com/od/sidedishes/r/ http://www.marthastewart.com/318665/pom-cornbread-stuffing

I make and freeze dinners all the time, amazingly without any preservatives in them. It is very rare to find frozen 'dinners' without a very long list of 'beyond the basic ingredients it takes to make this exact same dinner at home' - meaning that those extras have some preservative function. Frozen foods don't keep for 10 years without those preservatives. Freshly prepared meals mean that there is essentially no longevity (unless of course we add 'preservatives' back and fool the customer into thinking the dinner was made today when it was made last week. Costs rise either way to compensate these companies for losing volume and longevity. In theory if you remove the sugar and preservatives and process Cheerios less .. you have .. oatmeal! Not sure that 'less processing' is going to get many of these companies much of a sales bump. This said, I found this article somehow rather strange. I think it was just the fault of the writers but I didn't feel they started with the right premise (as stated by the headline anyway) nor followed through on that very well. I am not quite sure what this article was really about in other words. A few semi-relevant random observations: a) The middle aisles at the grocery stores I frequent are definitely not empty yet - by a long shot. And I see a lot of junk food piled high in carts. And there is a LONG freezer aisle filled with nothing but different kinds/brands of pizzas, with overflow at the ends of the aisles. The next aisle is 'prepared frozen dinners' - 1/4 allocated to 'lean' meals and the rest 'caloric comfort' meals - with a teensy tiny area devoted to 'natural' (not necessarily organic) dinners at 3 times the price of the rest. Instant ramen packages disappear quickly. Canned vegetables and fruit don't seem very popular and it is still hard to find organic frozen veg except for a few basic kinds. I have noticed the 'premium ice cream' section has gotten smaller, the bagged ice section larger, and the crappy ice cream section even larger in my local NC grocery store. b) The salad bar has grown in size (granted) and they have added olive/condiment/pickle bars and soup bars (filled with soups with no ingredient list but if you ask they will read them to you and these are not prepared on site believe me nor are they full of healthy ingredients in particular). People may be buying these things - but they pay a hefty price for them too compared to making them at home - and they are not as healthy or fresh as they may seem from the display. In many cases they are 'lunch convenience foods' for workers who don't pack their own and don't have time or money to go out for a full meal. It saves time - if you buy hot soup, you don't even need a microwave (or a thermos). But they are not necessarily 'better for you'. c) I prefer to eat organic foods as much as possible but I have to say I am rather unimpressed with many 'organic' fresh and frozen 'meals' in that I find them often very bland/tasteless. d) I do think people are reading labels more and companies seem to have responded by making the type smaller and smaller (perhaps in the hope people won't read too much and assume since the label takes up less space that fewer ingredients are used.) e) I personally cannot fathom why so many packaged (and supposedly fresh) foods/breads need to have soybean oil (current cheapest oil but in the past it was corn oil - neither is good stuff!) in them when no recipe for a similar dish at home requires same. Yes, the same goes for sugars. New labelling will show 'added' vs 'natural' sugars so that may help get companies to reduce the extra sugar but consumers will take quite a while to habituate their palates to 'reduced sugar' foods. f) Soda - hmmm are people using Soda Streams and the like to make their own? Perhaps some are drinking more water but I would question a 25% drop - though you are talking about a long time period there (almost 20 years) so possibly. I wonder how much of a drop happened in the past 5 years when there has been a heavier bombardment with Jamie Oliver, food shows, and constant news about what foods will kill you today (according to sponsored scientific studies for the most part). f) Companies generally pay for store shelf space and product placement - and I still see a relatively small shift in placement of (truly) 'healthy' foods (as opposed to those just marked 'healthy') at eye level in my grocery stores. g) It is the standard that a large percentage of 20-30something people will 'distrust' - particularly large companies - and particularly if asked to actually think about their viewpoint on that score. It is schooled into them from kindergarten onward - and they are in a rebellious period anyway. I think most of those, if unmarried and even if married, if living in larger urban centers, working and without small children, eat out or get take out 5-7 days a week. Many don't know their way TO the grocery store much less around it - in my experience. And are we talking 'the volume of sugar laden cereals' is down 25% vs the number of boxes sold? .. which I again might question because I know people didn't even realize for a long time that there was less and less cereal in a box that stayed the same price and most didn't bother to buy more to compensate - they may have just eaten a bit less without even realizing it. I apologize .. I am always a cynic, always a skeptic. I just don't quite buy a lot of what that article was trying to say (or honestly even what or why it was trying to say it).

The Skype portions were cheap to make (and could really have been filmed anywhere) and took up time that would have had to be filled with more food at greater expense I am sure. Phil is a Jewish comedian and using family as fodder is a great part of his shtick I think.

I can't say for sure but had you not added the (fresh) garlic I would bet that mixture would keep indefinitely. However, with the garlic and oil, despite those being small amounts, I am not sure I would keep it much more than a few days - maybe 4 or 5. Potential botulin toxins are probably the issue, even refrigerated (and you can't smell those anyway). I am sure others may have a more accurate estimate however.

What is it about soybeans in particular that seem to make it the only bean one can use to make a sauce with the taste, etc. we associate with 'soy sauce'? I know one can make soy sauce substitutes from things like mushrooms, but why does there seem to be no information about making it with any other bean? Adzuki beans may produce a much sweeter sauce - I can understand that since they are made into 'sweet red bean paste' so something in them must be 'sweeter' - but is there another fairly commonly available bean which would ferment and produce a sauce that is similar to soy? It is much harder to find but one can now buy miso which is made with chickpeas and other beans so why not a 'chickpea' or 'black eyed pea' sauce that tastes very much like a 'soy sauce'? edited because I thought that I was resurrecting an old thread - but apparently didn't read to the end of that thread (since I found the thread through an outside search).