Ling

The rissotto balls caught my eye. Mmm...

I've never had the corned beef!

An apple turnover. Or the cookie I'm dipping in warm, melted chocolate right now. *crunch*

Sticky Toffee Pudding is one of my favourite recipes ever! The recipe I use is based from an Epicurious recipe, but I've made a few minor changes. I guess the caramel sauce isn't a "true" caramel, since I only use brown sugar. However, I've made real caramel with white sugar before, and I can't really tell the difference, and the brown sugar sauce comes together so much easier. 10 oz. pitted dates 2 cups water 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 3 large eggs *sometimes I add a bit of ground ginger as well (if I have any on hand) Caramel sauce: 1 cup unsalted butter 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar 1 cup whipping cream 1 tbsp. vanilla 1/4 tsp. salt 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, butter and flour bundt pan. 2. Chop up the dates and add it to 2 cups water, simmer for about 5 minutes, then add the baking soda (off the heat). The dates will start foaming; stir the mixture around with a spoon. Let the mixture stand off the heat for about 15 minutes. 3. Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt together in a big bowl. In another bowl, cream the 1/2 cup of butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs one by one, beat well after each addition. 4. Add the flour in thirds, and beat well after each addition. Then stir in the date mixture (doesn't look too pretty or smell too good, does it? Don't worry though. ) 5. Pour the batter into the bundt pan, and place the bundt pan in another larger pan of water. Put the pans in the oven and bake the cake for 35-40 minutes. Cool the cake on a rack for a bit. (I like to eat the cake quite hot, with plenty of warm caramel sauce over the top!) Sauce: 1. Melt the butter, add the sugar and salt, stir until boiling. 2. Lower heat until the butter and sugar mixture is simmering. Add whipping cream and vanilla, and then reduce it to a consistency that you like (probably a little over 5 minutes). edit: I use the same caramel sauce on my cheesecakes. Actually, the caramel sauce is so good, I sometimes just eat it with a big spoon.

Tartine looks really affordable.

^peppyre's exaggerating And anyway, joining Egullet has packed quite a few pounds on my frame.

You don't know my stomach-expanding abilities.

Chinese New Year dinner: -about 5 lbs. of Chinese roast pork (mmm....cracklings!) -bbq pork -Buddhist feast (vegetarian dish that contains different types of mushrooms, red fermented tofu, black sea moss, and other ingredients) -a dish that's called "Fried Gluten" in English--pieces of fried, chewy dough that's covered in different sauces. My favourite is the curry one; there were 5 different types in all. -a type of free-range chicken with very yellow skin (Long Gong Gai) served with minced scallion, ginger, hot oil, salt -braised shiitake, 2 kinds of vegetable -scrambled, the fried egg circles (each about 3" in diameter) filled with seasoned meat (they're like mini omelettes) -rice -this type of Shanghainese soup with beancurd sheets wrapped around meat -"Smiling Mouth" cookies (siew hao jo) balls of dough that are fried and then rolled in sesame seeds I think that's it.

I just finished my Chinese New Year dinner. I am s-t-u-f-f-e-d!! The most delicious thing was the "Smiling Mouth" cookies; they are deep-fried until they absorb a ton of oil, then rolled in sesame seeds. I ate about a dozen of them after a hefty dinner.

Oh...I really like durian, but as long as the flavour of the jackfruit is similar, I'd still like to give it a try.

Mike, I think jackfruit is another name for durian, is that correct? If so, I must try Chi's durian martini!

I agree wholeheartedly. Parkside's DOV menu was by far the best of the three DOV dinners I had last year. I couldn't believe I paid only $25 for the food I was getting!

3 tea eggs and a bowl of Harvest Crunch granola (my current favourite cereal)

^I've never had 100 year old eggs with tofu, but my favourite dish containing the them is a shallow dish of steamed custardy (chicken) eggs with diced 100 year old eggs and diced salted duck eggs.

Thanks for the review, Deborah. I started making sticky toffee puddings after eating the dessert at Parkside. It's one of my favourite desserts, and that cinnamon ice-cream (made in-house, I believe) just takes it over the top.

I got a copy of Pierre Herme's Chocolate Desserts today and I think I will make the Tarte Grenobloise--chocolate crust, ganache, pecans and caramel. *shudder* Thanks, JSkilling, for the cookie recipe! I want to make those too. (I always seek out cookie recipes with a high butter to flour ratio!) chiantiglace: What is chocolate port? Is it chocolate liqueur added to a port wine? Please enlighten me.

Doesn't it separate if put into hot liquids? ← I have no idea. I've never eaten Cool Whip before.

I had an omelette stuffed with ham and avocado.

Thanks, Eric--that's the place!

I found the book at the library tonight and will spend hours reading the book tonight--can't wait! Of all the desserts, I'm most interested in making the Nutella tart and the Tart Grenobloise.

^My most delicious thing a few days ago was also from the Elysian Room--the oatmeal raisin bar! I find them even better than the cookies.

My friend has eaten there and complained that the portions were very small. He ordered the spaghetti and said there was perhaps 3/4 cup of food on his plate. I heard that they're under new management though, so maybe this has changed? My friend ate there last year. edit: hey dodger, you edited your post. Did you ask something about the food in your original post?

In Yaletown it is ! I know, who would have thunk it. I can only speak for that one. I should have been clearer. Neil ← Our friend is visiting from Australia soon (she moved there last year) and guess where her "Welcome" dinner will be held? And no, I didn't pick the restaurant! over-rated: All-you-can-eat sushi. I admit, it was the late night hangout of choice back in high school, but these restaurants are still thriving by serving poor-to-mediocre sushi and sashimi. I can stuff myself at a place like Samurai Restaurant for about the same price, and the quality is better. under-rated: There's a Szechuan restaurant on Park Road (I think...it is in the complex with the Dairy Queen across from the dentist office) in Richmond with the best "juicy buns" (siew loong bao) ever. There's literally a spoon of flavourful porky juice in each little dumpling! So delicious....

spaghettti: I just bought a bag of the White Rabbit candy a few days ago. I haven't eaten it in years!

This might be a little late, but I like the Caesar salad at Hy's.