Where do you find xxx

[Marlene]

Well there are several on eBay Canada.

Cast iron Tortilla Presses

[Bernaise]

I heard a rumour that Mark Thuet was opening a specialty cheese shop in Toronto...anyone know what I'm talking about?

[rgruby]

This one at Golda's is cast aluminum not cast iron.  But it might serve your needs.

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Thanks, Marlene. After doing a bit of research I shied away from the cast aluminum ones. Not that I know anything for sure! If no source of cast iron comes up in the GTA then I will certainly be making a visit to Golda's. Many thanks.

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Check the Latin places in Kensington market too. I've seen the aluminum ones there in the past. Next time I go I'll try and remember to have a look.

Cheers,

Geoff Ruby

[Dianne]

Anna, you don't need a press for flour tortillas. They get rolled out with a short dowel in the southwest, but I just use my regular rolling pin. They are really easy and much better than store bought.

Dianne Ross

[Anna N]

Anna, you don't need a press for flour tortillas. They get rolled out with a short dowel in the southwest, but I just use my regular rolling pin. They are really easy and much better than store bought.

Dianne Ross

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Hmmmmmm... my rolling skills are not the greatest so I thought a press might give me something that at least resembled a circle! Care to share your recipe?

I just can't believe the difference between home-made and store-bought pita bread so I am hoping for the same epiphany for store-bought flour tortillas - which taste like damp cardboard to me.

[Dianne]

I will share the recipe, but any book on southwestern food will have one. The press is used for corn tortillas made from masa harina (or fresh masa, but I don't know of a source here). You can't really role out masa; you sort of pat it into rounds and it is a skill I think you have to aquire from your grandmother while you are a child. That's where the press comes in, since unskilled sorts like me can work with a press. And the aluminum kind are fine. That's all I saw in the Mexican markets when I was there a couple of years ago.

Send me a PM if you want my recipe, as I use the one from Rick Bayless and I believe that we can't post such recipes here

Dianne.

[Anna N]

Send me a PM if you want my recipe, as I use the one from Rick Bayless and I believe that we can't post such recipes here

Dianne.

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Many thanks, Dianne - I thought that a press was necessary for all tortillas so I have learned something very useful from you! Somewhere I have at least one book by Rick Bayless - I will go on a search and if I am not successful then will PM you. Again, many thanks!

[jayt90]

As supermarkets go, Highland Farms is a good resource.

I went in today for a Cornish hen, (could get that anywhere), and came out with some vegs, a small tin of Russian salmon eggs for $9. (says it is a U.S. product but the printing is Cyrillic.), a jar of taramasalata,

and a 10 lb. pork leg roast for $10. which went right into the pickle, to be hot-smoked before Xmas.

If I went into Loblaws, I wouldn't find these extras!

[Jake]

I agree, Jay. I don't have a Highland Farms near me, but was in one recently while visiting a friend in North York and was truly impressed, especially by the vast quantity of different ethnic ingredients. The store was very neat and clean as well.

[rgruby]

Since learning to make my own pita bread (FoodMan's recipe in RecipeGullet) and finding it so much better than anything I can buy, I have a hankering to try making my own flour tortillas.  Anyone seen a cast iron tortilla press in Toronto?  Preferably not at Williams-Sonoma prices. 

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Was in Perolas in Kensington today. They had aluminum presses for $15 and another, much heavier press for $20. Not sure what the heavier press was made of, but it did recommend that you always use plastic or wax paper between the presses and warns not to have food contact the presses.

My impression though, was that the presses are for the relatively thicker corn tortillas rather than flour ones - but I could be wrong.

Cheers,

Geoff Ruby

[Anna N]

Since learning to make my own pita bread (FoodMan's recipe in RecipeGullet) and finding it so much better than anything I can buy, I have a hankering to try making my own flour tortillas.  Anyone seen a cast iron tortilla press in Toronto?  Preferably not at Williams-Sonoma prices.  

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Was in Perolas in Kensington today. They had aluminum presses for $15 and another, much heavier press for $20. Not sure what the heavier press was made of, but it did recommend that you always use plastic or wax paper between the presses and warns not to have food contact the presses.

My impression though, was that the presses are for the relatively thicker corn tortillas rather than flour ones - but I could be wrong.

Cheers,

Geoff Ruby

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Thanks, Geoff. After talking with Dianne it appears that I really don't need one to make flour tortillas - in fact I have made them very successfully now! But if I ever graduate to corn tortillas I will will know where to find a press thanks to you.

[Jake]

Hi all, hope everyone's enjoying the lovely weather.....the army should be in soon!

Here's my problem. I'm almost out of dark Karo syrup, and I can't seem to find it here. I usually have a family member bring it up from the south on the Xmas trip, but of course, I forgot. I have to make a number of pecan pies over the next couple weeks, and although I can get cane syrup up here, the recipients of said pies prefer the Karo syrup ones. Can anyone help?? tia.

[Marlene]

Could you use Lyles? I saw that in Brunos recently.

[Jake]

Umm, maybe. I've never used it, but if they're essentially the same I'm sure I could. Off to google them.....thanks.

[jayt90]

If you see Lyles check the ingredients. I think it is cane syrup and Karo's is corn syrup.. There used to be Crown corn syrup on the shelves, and St. Lawrence from eastern Ont. but many brands have disappeared.

[Jake]

Agreed, there used to be choice. Karo is dark corn syrup, much different than the stuff we get up here, even their light syrup is superior imo. Cane syrup has a completely different taste. Lyles calls itself golden syrup made during the sugar refining process. Pretty sure it will taste wrong. All I've seen in the stores lately is beehive. yuk.

[jayt90]

While shopping yesterday I looked at syrups in two stores, Highland Farms and Price Chomp.

It appears as if a holding company in Memphis controls Crown, Beehive, and Karo. In that order, they are successively thicker and darker; problem is, Karo isn't sent here.

Price Chopper and Sobeys have a reasonably priced 'Equate' store brand golden syrup, in a 1 l. bottle much like the old St. Lawrence brand. I don't know what is inside, however.

I had no idea corn syrup could be so complicated!

[KevV]

...they are successively thicker and darker...I had no idea corn syrup could be so complicated!

Absolutely! Anyone up for holding a blind tasting?

[jayt90]

I found two good bargains on my weekend shopping.

Price Chopper has $1/lb. leg of pork or N.Y. pork shoulder, in cryovac, They are about 20 lb.

I got one of each for hand rubbing and smoking in about a month.

Costco reduced a stale- dated St. Agur blue cheese (Auvergne) to $16/kg. They are dated Jan. 14 so they'll be withdrawn soon, but I got several to shrink wrap and freeze.

[sadistick]

I dont know if anyone ventured to Grande Cheese on my last rec.'s however, I was there gathering some items for making risotto and found these fantastic italian canned cherry tomatoes on sale for $.89 each...really sweet, very nice for a quick sauce, or as I used 3 or 4 cames, for a tomatoe risotto

[CaliPoutine]

I dont know if anyone ventured to Grande Cheese on my last rec.'s however, I was there gathering some items for making risotto and found these fantastic italian canned cherry tomatoes on sale for $.89 each...really sweet, very nice for a quick sauce, or as I used 3 or 4 cames, for a tomatoe risotto

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What size are the can's?

Btw, Loblaw's has Pork shoulders( aka boston Butt's in the US) on sale for 99cents a lb, bone in and 1.49 boneless. Chicken thighs are also on sale for 99lb.

Randi

[sadistick]

they are the small(ish) sized cans...not sure the exact weight...but enough for a pasta sauce for 2. They are on display right when you walk in the door, to your right.

[jayt90]

I dont know if anyone ventured to Grande Cheese on my last rec.'s however, I was there gathering some items for making risotto and found these fantastic italian canned cherry tomatoes on sale for $.89 each...really sweet, very nice for a quick sauce, or as I used 3 or 4 cames, for a tomatoe risotto

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What size are the can's?

Btw, Loblaw's has Pork shoulders( aka boston Butt's in the US) on sale for 99cents a lb, bone in and 1.49 boneless. Chicken thighs are also on sale for 99lb.

Randi

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That's the best price I've seen recently for chicken legs or thighs. The combined unit,back attached, used to go for 70-80 cents/lb. but I haven't seen that recently. Many stores are sellng Halal chicken and parts at the same price as regular chicken. I wonder if the additional religious practice produces a better bird, with more guaranteed quality.

[Jake]

Bump.

Best place I've found to buy pure (100%) pommegranite juice is the St. Lawrence market, downstairs grocery at the back $4.99/litre.

[Marlene]

I actually found "sundried tomato paste" in a tube at Whole Foods today. Of course that's not exactly regular tomato paste in a tube, but hey, it's a start!