forever_young_ca

For a good "family style" pot roast I often make Jaques Pepin's - from the Jacque and Julia Cookbook. Very tasty! I cook it in my round LC. Have often add dumplings for the last bit and cook them in the broth on top of the stove for the last 20 minutes. A great winter time dish.

I just want to report on my preserved lemons. I started this thread a few weeks ago saying that I was using PW's 30 day preserved lemons recipe. I used the first one - on impulse - tonight. I know this sounds very strange, but was doing a quick after work dish comprised of moroccan sausages, potatoes, red pepper, tomatoes (to add sauce), spices, onions and garlic. While this was braising in a bit of the tomato liquid I threw in a diced up rind of half a preserved lemon. It was absolutely wonderful. Every once in a while while chewing, the dish had this fabulous bit of silken lemon taste and feel in the mouth. It is hard to describe, but was very, very good. I know sausages and preserved lemons sound a bit odd, but really the whole effect was out of this world. I will forever have some preserved lemons on the go in my kitchen.

Just to add my 2 cents worth on the dinner at West. The food was wonderful and certainly the best $35 I ever spent on a dinner. West has always been one of my favourite restaurants in Vancouver and it remains so after Sunday night. Thanks to Chef H and his staff for the faboulous food and hospitality. It was above and beyond for DOV. The risotto was to die for! I could have had a huge bowl of just risotto Thanks also to Mrs and Mr Sushi Cat. It was the first egullet event we attended and not knowing anyone they made us feel welcome and were great dinner companions. Thanks also to the organizing group. I know things like this are always time consuming. Your efforts are appreciated. My bed was calling to me after dinner so regretably I did not get to meet everyone I would have liked, but hopefully next time.

I too have eaten this bread and thought it was fantastic. Please keep up posted on the results of your experiemnt as my spanish is non existant.

Forgive my igorance - but does this mean that reheating a third time improves the dish even more? I am assuming that this method of separating the sauce and the meat and then combining to "replump" will work with Moroccan tagines?

I think you are right - I probably won't bother. I will have a taste test about a week before the dinner and if I think that all will be well I won't bother. Thanks so much everyone for all your help. It is very much appreciated.

I am actually having a Moroccan dinner then end of this month - 26 days from start of preserved lemons to dinner - are they going to be soft enough or should I do a batch of 7 day ones as well?

There seems to be lots of juice in the jar. The problem is the lemons seem to "float in the lemon juice". There is not that much exposed, and there seems to be less and less as time goes on. (Maybe the lemons are getting "water logged" in their own juice ) I think that I am worrying about nothing, and that I will simply leave them alone and shake the jar a couple of times a day. I can hardly wait until they are done. Ms Wolfert - I have ordered your Moroccan cookbook so that I have some great things to make with my preserved lemons. Thanks for your help

That looks delicious - would you mind sharing the recipe?

FYI - if you love Mont D'or as we do - Les Amis takes orders in the late fall every year to make sure that you get what you want once it comes in. Mont D'or is The Cheese Of The Gods

I had dinner at Le Meurice about a month ago and loved it. We started off with drinks in the bar and then moved to the dining room. The entire night was wonderful - the food was fabulous and the dining room is stunning. I can definately recomend the cauliflower/caviar starter. The ambience is superb - I was expecting a very "stuffy" atmosphere. While the decor is very formal the room was buzzy and people were generally relaxed and having a good time. The service was impecible without being stilted. Le Meurice was a recommendation on this board when I had asked for a special place to have dinner in Paris. The bill was about 450 euros (I think) for the two of us.

Ms. Wolfert, I see that you are reading this thread. Since it is your recipe that I am using out of the "Slow Mediterranean Kitchen", I hope you don't mind if I direct this question to you - does it matter that some of the top of a couple of the lemons is exposed - or am I worrying about nothing? I shake the jar once or twice a day so the top lemons get a bit of juice over them. By the way - I love this cookbook, every receipe I have tried has been wonderful. Thanks in advance

Thanks Suzanne - an easy, very smart solution - why didn't I think of that Thanks

I am doing Paula Wolfert's 30 day preserved lemons. I have them in a jar - 6 lemons plus the juice of 4 more with salt. After 5 days the lemons have juiced up nicely. The lemons however seem to float leaving the top lemon exposed a bit. Is this normal? Will that exposed bit of lemon on the top get enough juice to preserve (I am turning the jar once a day) or will they finally soften enough not to float any more? This is my first try at preserved lemons and just looking at them in the jar makes my mouth water

Here is the link: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=55282&st=120. Pictures at post #130, 149 and recipe at post #188. My first batch of curry oil I burned because the oil was too hot. The second batch I infused the curry in slightly warmed oil.

I made Sam Kinsey's cauliflower soup minus the spinach bottom over the holidays. It was wonderful - creamy, soothing and very very cauliflowery. Just what you want in the cold winter. This was my first attempt at the curry drizzle so it looks a bit odd, but next time I will have a more artistic touch.

We ate hot cereals growing up as kids in cold, cold Canadian winters. I love the stuff and to me it is very soul satisfying. To this day I often make porridge of some sort in the winter - my choices are Red River Cereal, oatmeal and Cream of Wheat - always from scratch. It is easy and doesn't take long. That stuff in pouches tastes like wall paper paste

Thanks Mangoe - here is the link http://www.tourismvancouver.com/dining/dineout.cfm I looked for the Wedgewood/Bacchus and could not see them. Are they not participating this year?

I had posted Thomas's Sparkle Cookie on the recipes.egullet many months ago. Hopefully you can click on this http://recipes.egullet.com/recipes/r459.ht...955fddac827dc0c and get the recipe. I am firmly in the camp of loving thesee little cookies. I often make them fairly small to serve after a fancy dinner with coffee or port.

I think butter would burn given the fact that the pan must be smoking hot when you put in the batter. I have always loved yorkies, but mine had about a 50% chance of success until I finally realized that one essential trick was not to open the oven door until they were done. I am now the official family yorkie maker!

I have tried this cheese and have found it wonderful. Yes it is not from Italy, but it is a very acceptable cheese that I have currently in my fridge and use regularily. I know this is off topic, but I thought I would put in my 2 cents worth as I have never seen this cheese mentioned on egullet before.

Les Amis is a slam dunk - the best selection and very helpful staff. Can't be beat!

Agreed - especially since you have the luxury of a 36" oven as well

This looks so good - I am insanely jealous of anyone with the luxury of two ovens. Such an improvement over the original! Just a couple of questions: Does a half sheet pan fit into a 27" oven? I have half sheet pans that just fit into a 30" oven, but I know ovens vary considerable depending upon self cleaning insulation widths etc. What is the cleanability of stained concrete? I have seen stampcrete floors in some restaurants that are uneven surfaces and they always seem to have bits of food stuck in the dips and angles. However, I am assuming that stained concrete is a smoother surface and therefore very easy to clean. What is the stain factor of concrete? If you or the kids drop mustard on it and it doesn't get cleaned right away will you end up with a permanent stain? Perhaps this adds to the character of the floor?

I made "Moroccan Eggplant Jam with Tomatoes and Lemon" - p.17 from The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen by Paula Wolfert. It is a great recipe. I loved it as did everyone that I served it to. As an aside - this is a great cookbook. It makes me drool just to read it