Ling

One more thing...I believe abalone is something we should be avoiding right now, due to sustainability concerns. I didn't really a choice at dinner, since my parents wanted to take my grandma out for abalone one more time (she's in her last stages of cancer). But anyway, something to consider before I send you rushing out to Grand Honour in search of abalone...

^ I have some fleur de sel that I'm going to try on some chocolate tomorrow. Thanks for the idea, spaghetttti! I read that Hawaiian pink sea salt does not have a distinctly different flavour, and the colour is just a novelty. What do you think, spaghetttti?

^The scallop and onion tart caught my eye when I was perusing the menu a few weeks ago. I've always associated onions that have been cooked down with heartier meats like beef cheeks, and short ribs for example. But that's something I would order, because I haven't thought of scallops on a fall tart before. I love duck with fruit. The duck at Parkside is also very good and tender. Guess I know what I'll be getting once I make it down to Mistral. Thanks.

I told my friend about Mistral, and he went a few weeks ago and ordered pretty much the same things as you did--the Duck Platter (which he enjoyed very much), the cassoulet, and the steak. He also had another appetizer, the "Mediterranean black olive spread with croutons, Puree of creamed Cod, Anchovy and garlic dipping sauce with crisp celery". Interestingly, he did not enjoy the cassoulet as much as he thought he would have, but thought his gf's steak was "one of the best" steaks he's had in a long time. I also told him to check out La Regalade and he went the following week...he liked the food overall at Mistral a little better, but he enjoyed his meal at La Regalade too.

^Oohh! How was that? Have you tried RLB's Chocolate Oblivion, and if so, how does the Cook's Illustrated cake compare? (If you don't have the RLB recipe, I'll swap you!) ETA: dessert was a high-end chocolate (Michel Cluizel, my last few precious squares!)meets low-end croissant (Costco)...voila, pain au chocolat

I've never been to Japan, but a guy I dated is there now for work, and sends me pictures of the pastries he's eaten. They look delicious (and he says they taste as good as they look. )

I don't know about the Shun knives, but I use a ceramic sharpener for my Global.

It's called "Slim'z" now.

^The aforementioned desserts were actually breakfast, and then the brownie was dessert after lunch. Dessert after dinner turned out to be a raspberry turnover from the fine folks at the Costco bakery.

I fried up a huge platter of pork schnitzel, made gravy and mashed potatoes, and creamed peas. Also had a raspberry turnover courtesy of the Costco bakery.

Probably this one: Fortune House Seafood Restaurant Ltd 6960 WALTHAM AVE, BURNABY, BC V5J 4V5 Phone: 604-438-5138

Thanks for the photos! Quady Winery hosts a pastry competition every year, I believe. A top local restaurant (Lumiere) won it a few years ago...I can't find my Lumiere cookbook at the moment, so I can't tell you the winning recipe. Sorry! Gold leaf is edible. I'd eat the sardines from Michel Cluizel. I love that brand of chocolate.

Yesterday it was glutinous rice balls filled with black sesame paste and red bean soup at a Chinese dinner. Then when I got home, I ate some chocolate cake. Today I had more of the chocolate cake, and a frozen peanut butter swirl brownie from the freezer.

^The best abalone I've had was at Grand Honour at 41st and Granville about two years ago; they are supposed to be famous for their abalone. It's the Grand Honour on the east side of Granville (the one on the west side is a hot pot restaurant which I haven't been to yet.) Grand Honour had this pea-shoot dish that was carpeted with dried scallops...OMG...was that ever delicious--I ate almost the entire plate! The restaurant in Burnaby is called "Fook Luen"...I think it's Fortune restaurant in Burnaby. My mom says it's where the old Eaton's center used to be. The visiting chef represented Canada in a cooking competition in Guangzhou.

Using up some of the less popular cocoa powders I bought for my taste-off a few weeks ago...I made a chocolate cake last night with the Bernard Callebaut cocoa. No frosting. Ate it for breakfast.

For the next few weeks, there is a visiting chef from Toronto (who has apparently won some huge awards in HK or China) who is preparing mini "Emperor-style" feast dishes (the feast is supposed to last three days and three nights) at a Chinese restaurant in Burnaby. I'll post the name of the restaurant in a few hours when my mom gets home...I just remember that the set menu was around $600, and the meal lasts for 2 hours, if anyone is interested in trying it. My parents were considering that restaurant for dinner, but they really wanted abalone for some reason, so we ended up at Empire.

^Of the desserts, which was your favourite? I still haven't made it to Cru...I tried to make a reservation a few weeks ago, but they were all booked up! Last Saturday: Lunch--take-out items from Northern Delicacy in Aberdeen. Apparently, my parents told me they don't use MSG (or maybe I'm confusing this with another dim sum place in the food court...) Last Sunday: Bi-monthly take-out of curry beef brisket and Hainan chicken at Deer Garden. Yesterday: Dinner with my family at Empire Seafood in Richmond. Here are some pictures. My favourite dish was the crispy chicken, which was surprising since I usually find it rather dry at other restaurants. Last night's chicken was the stand-out for me--very moist, wonderfully crisp skin, fresh "chicken" flavour to the meat. Everything else was fine...but perhaps not as good as the dinners I've had at Kirin or SSW. Have read that SSW has gone down in terms of quality, but I haven't been there in at least 6 months, so I can't comment. Last night's dinner: -cold appetizer plate (jellyfish, sliced pork, smoked salmon, etc.) -abalone with pea shoots -shark fin soup -lobster -crispy chicken -ling cod with Chinese ham and shiitake -Fukien fried rice -deep-fried crab claws -scallops and shrimp, green beans -glutinous rice balls with black sesame filling, red bean soup

^I like Yang Chow fried rice much better, and I especially like salted fish with egg whites in the fried rice! Mmmm....delicious. I guess the salted fish is an acquired taste though. So I gather Sea Harbour is open again? I love pomelos, but I don't think I've ever had pomelo skin! My parents tend to stick with the set menus, with the typical items like the cold appetizer platter, squab (none yesterday, though, unfortunately), lobster, fresh fish, etc. I hope you organize a dinner though, so I can have the more interesting offerings!

It was neither very chewy, nor did it melt in your mouth. It was tender--cut without much resistance. It would be awkward to eat it without cutting it as each abalone was the size of a small filet mignon. Yes..."velveted" was the word I was looking for--I was thinking "oil-blanched"; my description of the preparation was probably wrong. It was tasty, but the subtle sweetness of the fish was kind of lost with the saltier ham in the same bite. I preferred eating the fish on its own, with the smokiness from the ham being merely an accent.

Wow, 2 days in advance? That would help me out a lot. I've decided to go with the "Cauliflower Panna Cotta with Osetra caviar" as a first course (but probably going to buy sevrugra instead to lower costs...still a student, you know ), as someone told me that the "Oysters and Pearls" is quite tricky to do (exact timing, etc.) so I will save that dish when I've had more experience in the kitchen. I've also decided on the squab as a main course, since the parm-crisps and the cauliflower panna cotta should be quite easy to do.

Bob's Red Mill makes graham flour. They carry that brand at Safeway, Save-on-Foods, and a bunch of other higher end grocery stores.

At Empire Seafood (in Richmond, next to London Drugs on No. 3 Rd.) for ten people, set menu, $499 Cold platter (jellyfish, smoked salmon, cold marinaded pork and beef, surf clam) Everything on the platter was fresh and moist, and the surf clam was marinaded underneath so it was tasty, yet looked clean on the plate. Abalone (one per person) with pea shoots Very tender, but not unlike what my parents do at home...so it didn't stand out as being anything particularly special to me. Crab claws My parents got this mainly for my little cousins. I've never been a fan of this dish--it's basically processed shrimp paste and maybe some crab. It tastes like there's quite a bit of filler, and the texture is "springy". Shark fin soup This is "teen gao" (translated = "sky nine"?) shark fin, which is supposedly quite good quality. It was good...I add Chinese red vinegar to mine, always. Scallops and shrimp, green beans I've never liked blanched scallops very much--I do like them seared with a crust. But this dish was not bad for what it is. Lobster (2) Very fresh...though I am partial to the cream sauce preparation (especially with yee mein underneath! Or the other sauce that's a bit spicy...) Mandatory starch filler--fried rice with shrimp and vegetables and lots of goopy sauce Ehh...not my favourite. Ling cod and Chinese ham, gai lan The restaurant called my parents during the week, apologizing that rock cod was not available. Steamed rock cod with the hot oil/scallion/soy/ginger is usually one of my favourite dishes at these dinners...ah well. Anyway, this is a "classier" preparation, fillets of cod alternating with Chinese ham and shiitake. I do love fish cooked on the bone, so this didn't really do it for me. (Fish was very fresh, though. No doubt it had been swimming earlier in the day.) WINNER OF THE EVENING--Crispy chicken!!!! Ever since I was a kid, I always picked listlessly at my crispy chicken because it sometimes tasted "funny" (upon reflection, I think this is because sometimes the oil was old and dirty, and imparted a funny taste to the chicken. When I was a kid, I told my parents I didn't like crispy chicken because "it smells like McDonald's".) But this chicken was delicious--so moist, with fresh globs of yellow fat (I know this sounds unappetizing, but my eyes lit up when I saw that). The chicken tasted so fresh and..well, "chickeny". Delicious skin. I managed to stuff a few pieces down even though I was so full at this point. Dessert: glutinous rice balls with black sesame paste, and red bean soup I love black sesame paste--too bad these were mostly glutinous rice. The red bean soup had a very strong taste of dried orange peel (a good thing if you like red bean soup. I don't, but my grandma drinks like five bowls whenever we have dinner.) I have a pic of the soup, but I think we all know what red bean soup looks like already, so... ETA: the price I had listed yesterday was the total amount of the meal, with tip. Also, the chicken dish we were supposed to get was "yeem gok gai" (salted roast chicken?) but they were sold out of those, and they offered us the option of the crispy chicken or steamed chicken instead.

^That's where I've been getting a lot of take-out lunches from lately. Good stuff, reasonably priced. I'm going to Empire Seafood with my family tonight (in the old Fishermen's Terrace spot by London Drugs on No. 3 Rd.) My parents like to have dim sum there, but we haven't had dinner there yet. I'll report back on the abalone/shark fin fest in the Chinese in Vancouver thread. (I apologize in advance--there won't be any pictures because I can't find the battery charger for my digital camera.) ETA: oops there will be some pictures after all...I thought digital cameras were recharged like cell phones so I've been running around looking for a charger, but my mom told me I just had to change the battery.

^I've always assumed that the photos were taken after the reviewer has dined at the restaurant and written the review, but before the review is actually published.

This is what I do--I don't know if it's "correct" or not. I kind of use a bain marie, but it's a pan of water that I put next to my springform in the oven (instead of putting the springform directly into the pan of water). I figure there's still steam, but the water never gets a chance to seep into the cheesecake.