Ling

^It's too late...I already know what's in it. And I'd still try it! Percy: I always cook fried eggs in the beef fat/juices after steak. The eggs are always extra tasty! Today for breakfast I had sausages and yogurt. I also drank something that would probably make a tea purist shudder--it was toffee-flavoured tea from Celestial Seasonings.

^Both desserts look great! Have you tried Grade B maple syrup for your pecan pies? I like using maple syrup a lot more than corn syrup.

^Wow, those pictures are incredible! Are those dishes from the same dinner? A set menu, or a la carte? I had dinner at The Bearfoot Bistro back in 2003 (I don't go up to Whistler often). I remember having a Saltspring Island goat cheese tart, a venison dish, and an incredibly simple dessert of wild, hand-picked mixed berries (some of the berries were so tiny you could spear them with 1 fork tine!) with a custard sauce and a tuile basket. When I told our server that I liked the tuile very much, she gave me a box of them to take home (which meant I ate them in the car on the way back to the hotel. )

I can't edit my post anymore, but the directions in the brownie recipe I posted above is written in my own words, so there's no copyright infringement.

^Hue Cafe had (has?) a big banner up last week--4 banh mi sandwiches for $10.

^Yes, in this case, the pastry chef invited me into her kitchen and I worked there for 6 hours (until I had to leave for my "real" job ). It was a great experience and she said I could come in again whenever I'm free. I learned a lot today.

^Yippee! I can get my lemon tart there after all! Thanks for posting!

This sounds so final. I agree, if she intended to eat the pie, then her action would've been just rude and inconsiderate. If she didn't intend to eat the pie--then...well, I don't see why she did what she did.

I think it was really rude of the lady to impose her "diet" on everyone else at the table...especially without consulting with the lady who made the crust, or even telling the eaters that the pie contained no sugar! I would have no problem having people bring certain dishes to family dinners if they were on a special diet, and couldn't eat all the fat-laden goodies that I make. I understand that they might like an alternative to what I'm providing, and I take no offense.

I had the tremendous opportunity to see what it's like to work in a professional kitchen today. I helped out the pastry chef at Feenie's in Vancouver! This is what I got to sample: -a bundt cake (eggnog? cinnamon?) and the accompanying eggnog cream -caramel/fleur de sel ice-cream -chocolate and stout ice-cream -the best vanilla ice-cream ever! -chocolate chip and espresso biscotti -Weiss chocolate (57% and 70%) -an Irish whiskey and Bailey's creme brulee Oh...and I got some Shropshire from the pastry chef too, because I told her it was one of my favourites. Dessert after dinner was some pecan shortbread.

^What are double-boiled eggs? Your breakfast looks good! Three special things about today: 1. I woke up early. 2. I ate a relatively nutritious breakfast (for me) 3. I have the privilege of staging at a well-known Vancouver restaurant today. I am helping the pastry chef. Breakfast: leftovers from last night (stir-fried meat and chives, steamed eggs with shrimp, rice), some yogurt, and a mug of hot chocolate. I am soooo nervous (and excited!)

If every thumbprint recipe is cracking on you, I'm guessing it's not the recipe. I use the end of a woodel dowel (well, a very slender rolling pin) and make as deep an indentation as possible. I lower the dowel into the center of the cookie very slowly, and make sure there are no cracks. Then I bake the cookies halfway, take them out of the oven, re-do the indentations, and THEN fill them with jam. Here's a picture of the thumbprints I did several years ago...they are kind of uneven is size b/c I was just doing eyeballing the amount of dough and didn't use cookie cutters. (Some are filled with blueberry jam, some with Nutella, and some with Nutella AND chopped nuts.) I use this recipe: Almond thumbprints

Shared a number of appetizers and desserts at Mistral a few days ago. Mistral

^Or maybe just add some schmaltz or duck fat to the dressing mixture.

Fresh ones are actually really easy to peel once you roast them! I peeled a whole bunch and ground it to use as chestnut flour for a cake...I was amazed by how easy it was. I haven't seen bottled chestnuts, but you can get packaged chestnuts (already peeled) at Asian grocery stores like T&T. ETA: I posted after Badiane. I'm probably talking about the same brand--the Dan-d-pak ones.

Do we have something like THIS in Vancouver? And when are we hitting up Diva for that super-luxe burger? Is it still on the menu?

Anyone interested in trying this recipe? (I haven't used it.) Makes quite a few brownies! Here's a recipe from Michael Recchiuti in this month's "Food and Wine": Quadruple chocolate brownies 2 1/2 cups unsalted butter 1 lb unsweetened chocolate 5 1/2 cups sugar 16 large eggs 2 tbsp vanilla extract 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt 3 3/4 cups AP flour 1/2 lb bittersweet chocolate, chopped 1/2 lb white chocolate, chopped 1/2 lb milk chocolate, chopped Preheat oven to 300F. Prepare two 9x13" pans. Melt unsweetened chocolate. In a large bowl, whisk eggs with sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add the melted chocolate to the egg mixture. Add the flour. Add 5 oz of each of the chopped chocolates. Spread batter in prepared pans. Melt remaining chopped chocolate, put in separate bowls. Drizzle the chocolate on top of the batter, use a knife to create marble effect. Bake 35 minutes.

I stir-fried some pork shoulder with sliced "pressed" tofu in a Taiwanese hot sauce (it's kind of sweet too), soy sauce, fermented black beans... It was salty, spicy, and a bit sweet. Delicious.

ME TOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

Best appetizers: -maple seared scallops with black trumpet vinaigrette and grilled tuna with smoked aubergine at Chambar -English pea soup with BC spot prawns, pickled ramps at C Restaurant -foie gras terrine with brioche at The Pear Tree Best "small plates" and sides: -Honey mussels with curry-saffron sauce at Mistral -the crispy polenta that accompanied the veal breast at West -the sweetbread stuffing in my quail at Le Crocodile Best mains: -seared Kagan Bay scallop with a slow-cooked, shredded, then pan-fried pork shoulder and morels at C Restaurant -Mission trout with lemon and cauliflower puree, wild rice, browned butter, raisins and capers at Feenie's -the Cowichan duck confit with roasted peach at Aurora Bistro Best protein: -the ribeye at Morton's -the hangar steak at HSG -the venison with chantrelle hash at Aurora Bistro Best desserts: -Valrhona chocolate tart at Parkside -Concord grape tart with pinenut filling and browned butter ice-cream at Feenie's -lemon tart with Italian meringue at Dahlia's (in Seattle) Best dishes made by an Egulleter: -Daddy-A's pulled pork -Deborah's Chocolate Oblivion cake -lemoncurd's Faubourg Pave (and the gelee!) (I will be making the Pierre Herme's Tarte Grenobloise for you all in two weeks!)

I'd splurge on a bottle too. One of my favourite "after-dinner cocktails" (who am I kidding--I can drink these anytime!!) is made with the Godiva liqueur, Bailey's, half and half, and Kaluha. Dessert in a glass. You can serve them to your guests during the holidays too!

Patrick, do you use collars for your souffles? (Everything looks cookbook-worthy, btw. )

Oh my god...I'd eat there in a heartbeat.

There's a southern snack called a "ham biscuit"...she could try playing around with cheddar biscuit recipes, sandwich some ham in there, slather with mustard, or serve with chutney.

quiche or savoury tarts?