Ling

I'm interested in taking a beginner-level wine course for fun, and so far I only know of two: one at Dubrulle (Level 1: An Introduction to wine and wine service) and the International Sommelier Guild (ISG) program (Wine Fundamentals, Level 1). The one at Dubrulle, judging from the description, is more geared towards people who are seeking a job in a restaurant, but I could be wrong. Does anyone know how much these programs cost, approximately? I've left messages and sent emails but I haven't received a reply yet. Are there other, more basic, wine courses I should be considering?

He's my kind of guy. The risotto looks good. I could use a big bowl of that right now. I'm curious about the type of rice you all used. I use arborio rice for risotto, but I remember reading that Carnaroli and Vialone nano (I had to Google the last one ) can also be used, and that Vialone nano is actually better than arborio. Did Chef Tony talk about the other types of rice used? (And can we get Carnaroli and Vialone nano in Vancouver?) Also, is there a difference between the brands of arborio rice? The one I buy comes in a green plastic bag. (I tried looking for it in the cupboard to find out the name, but it looks like I'm out.)

^Coffee Crisp is one of my favourites! Guess what I had for breakfast this morning? Starts with a "R", ends with "I-B-S".

Are our cycles synchronized or something? Seems like this thread pops up around the same time every month. I don't want to know how many pounds of short ribs I ate today. I ate them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And then after dinner, I re-braised them (is that a word?) and reduced the sauce some more and now I'm eating them as my late-night snack. Damn those ribs for being so tasty.

I've posted this before, but this is my favourite peanut butter cookie recipe. Lots of peanut butter here...I like to bake from frozen, so there's less spreading. 1 1/4 cup peanut butter 1/2 cup butter 3/4 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup brown sugar 2 eggs 2 tsp vanilla 1 cup flour 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking soda Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 min. until centers are still soft.

^Wow, those are beautiful! Did you make them yourself?

braised short ribs

There is a dried-goods store in the GI market that sells nuts. They look better (larger on the whole, not many broken pieces) than the stuff from Superstore or Safeway. But it's pretty pricey, if I remember correctly. I haven't tried another brand of cream cheese besides Philly. Philly isn't a bad product, is it? I don't know how much of a difference a more upscale cream cheese would make in a cheesecake. I buy Lactancia if it's on sale...I've never noticed a difference in my cheesecakes though. I don't know how Winnipeg cream cheese fares in a cheesecake, sorry. I also don't know if the quality of raisins varies to such a degree where one would be able to discern a difference. You can plump them by steaming them, or soaking them in a liqueur.

^Also, Buddhist temples offer free vegetarian meals.

Salade des Fruits...Granville and W. 7th, I believe. (Not sure if this is what you're looking for, but it's in a French cultural center.)

^Oh man. I kind of wish my table was delayed too!

^Cacao Berry cocoa too?

Pizza...with a slight char on the tomato sauce?

Judging from your pics in the Dinner thead, there's no chance of that happening.

Here's the cake I made a few days ago. Unfortunately, this has go to be the ugliest slice--look how unevenly I spread the buttercream.

Wednesday lunch Lunch mafia @ Diner I had the chicken schnitzel with spaetzel and swiss chard (I admit, I'm guessing at the vegetable here. I don't eat vegetables very often, but it looked like swiss chard to me!), the lemon meringue tart, and the highly-touted Mexican chocolate souffle (definitely deserves the praise on this forum). Friday dinner with best friend @ Feenie's Amuse: crab ravioli on seared scallop with truffle beurre blanc That's some seriously rich and luscious ravioli right there. Nice crust on the scallop. (sorry you can't see it in the photo). I started with a glass of the Dirty Laundry blush wine--one of my favourites at the moment. Appetizers: Shephard's pie with duck confit and truffle oil Yup, that's right. My friend had a main course as his starter. Filling was moist with the tender shreds of duck. Wild mushroom tart This is one of the best things I've tried on the menu so far--the crust is incredibly buttery (and maybe there's just a wee bit of butter in the mushrooms too ) I had a glass of wine from Blasted Church...I forget the name, but it was a blend and the dominant grape was pinot noir. Mains: Beef short rib with celeriac puree Mission trout with lemon and cauliflower puree, wild rice, browned butter, raisins, and capers This is my favourite dish at Feenie's. The combination is just amazing. Desserts: Concord Grape tart with pinenut filling and browned butter ice-cream Unfortunately, this treat is off the menu now, as the grapes are proving difficult to source. Of all the desserts I've had thus far at Feenie's, this was my favourite. ETA: this is an old pic from my dinner 2 weeks ago. But same thing. "If You've Been Good" Here's a whimsical take on childhood treats--hot chocolate with homemade marshmallow, rice krispie, and a peanut butter mousse on a chocolate base. Friday...later on... Aurora Bistro One more glass of wine for me--the Dirty Laundry Gewurtztraminer and The Canuck for my hockey-obsessed friend.

I would do the Pichet Ong pate choux recipe (they can be baked, then frozen until needed) with some sort of smoked fish/cream cheese filling. Or turn them into gourgeres and stuff with any number of items. At a recent party, a local Egulleter made his own brioche, then wrapped it around really nice sausages (from Oyama in Vancouver) as an upscale take on sausage rolls. It was delicious! You can serve those with a variety of chutneys and mustards.

^Copper heats up and cools down really fast, so it's easier to whip cream (or egg whites?) by hand with a copper bowl. (I think I read this somewhere...)

^It was much thicker than a churro, and the batter was more like fried choux pastry than fried donut. I love churros though--especially dipped in hot chocolate!

Everything looks wonderful!

I had an "Egg Twist" from a Chinese bakery--an eggy dough piped and twisted, fried, then covered in a light syrup. It was HUGE! (about 10" by 4". Impressive stats. )

^I'm just guessing here, but if the butter coats the flour, and the interior "ball" is just pure flour, you'd get the odd little white, hard lump in your cake.

I SHOULD HAVE SOLD THAT BREAD PUDDING ON EBAY!!!!!!!!!

Yes, you're right--an anecdote is a story. A story is not evidence.

That menu looks fantastic. I'm especially interested in these dishes: *Scallop Ceviche with Guava Vinaigrette *Marinated grilled Quail with Sherry and Espresso Sauce *Braised Rabbit with Pipperade and Madeira sauce I love braised rabbit but I don't see it on the menu very often so I have to do it myself if I want it. All the tapas look great! What's included in the set dinners?