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Is this a novice pseudo-vegetarian problem?
Meat takes 1-3 days to be completely digested and eliminated from the body. Some people find that it takes a lot of energy. Your system's likely no longer used to it.
What do you use maple syrup for?
Maple-mustard glaze for salmon or chicken.
My brother lived abroad for many years. I remember one visit home when he opened the fridge and took a swig of maple syrup from the bottle.
Canada: Known for maple syrup, hockey and Tim Horton's.
(Resisting the urge to make a How I Met Your Mother reference.)
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
What Is Ice Cider?
Last month someone offered me a whiff of Prince Edward County ice cider. It smelled like baked apples. I tried some a few weeks later and it was delicious.
Is this a novice pseudo-vegetarian problem?
Meat takes 1-3 days to be completely digested and eliminated from the body. Some people find that it takes a lot of energy. Your system's likely no longer used to it.
What do you use maple syrup for?
Maple-mustard glaze for salmon or chicken.
My brother lived abroad for many years. I remember one visit home when he opened the fridge and took a swig of maple syrup from the bottle.
Canada: Known for maple syrup, hockey and Tim Horton's.
(Resisting the urge to make a How I Met Your Mother reference.)
Does one need a microwave?
This actually came up in conversation with friends yesterday. Two friends, a couple, recently moved and haven't yet used their microwave. They don't know if they will. They agreed that their gas stove often reheats things more quickly than a microwave. I've often found that my electric stove is pretty quick too. A microwave feels quicker, maybe because the stove element needs to heat up first.
Eggo Mini Muffin Tops Should Not Exist
And Eggo keeps making money while people buy this crap.
What's The Better Name: Muffy or Bogel?
They're both lame and sound like dog names.
Asian Pears
The other day I heard about pear-ginger jam. Someone also mentioned pear muffins, which I think would be good with ginger as well. You can sauce them for apple sauce. I bet that with cinnamon "pear sauce" would taste great on pancakes and in yogurt, maybe even on chicken with an ingredient that would give it some heat.
Taste Test: Mustard
Canada grows over 90% of the world's mustard. I'm a fan of Kozliks but I don't know if you can get it outside of Canada. Every time I'm at a market where their samples are out I can't resist. I FINALLY bought my first jar recently, their "Double C". It's a course Dijon. I don't know why I wasn't buying it before even though I knew that I liked it.
Beer Bread Pecan Rolls
I'd try making this. I like the pumpkin beer idea.
Can Pumpkin Beer Be Serious Beer?
Canadians will want to try the pumpkin ale from Great Lakes Brewery.
Jewish New year foods
Looking forward to it. I'm trying to decide what to take to a vegetarian potluck tomorrow. "Traditional" for the holiday or just a regular dish such as quinoa tabouli?
The Best Chocolate Chips for Cookies
I only like white chocolate when it's in cookies with dried fruit.
Jewish New year foods
Kosher haggis is called "kishka". :)
Jewish New year foods
Wow, I'd never heard that custom before, perhaps because I'm ashkenaz. I'll try to remember to ask my sephardic friends about this. Maybe they don't do it in these parts or it's sephardic tradition from a certain part of the world.
I'd like to check those sources. I won't remember to and don't know where I'd get a copy, but it would be interesting. Good thing I'm friends with a rabbi.
Back to topic, I wonder if those parts would taste good with potatoes and carrots with a hint of cinnamon.
L'shana tovah tikatevu.
Nice interview of Top Chef judge Gail Simmons
Well, she is Canadian and ergo "down to earth". :)
That's Gail.
In the interview she's well spoken and thinks well on her feet. On the show she doesn't get portrayed as having much personality, which is to bad. I find that reality shows in general seem to hide the personalities of female hosts and judges, which I hate saying because I'm not one of those people who goes around with accusations of sexism, misogyny or the like. The Top Chef Masters finale provided a glimpse into the personable side of Gail. She was funny.
I used to know Gail back in our youth, and it's still strange seeing her in this context. I'm glad that the CNN interview showed this other side of her.
Toronto cheap eats
Are you staying at the Intercontinental? Their vodka bar does good martinis. One block north on Prince Arthur between Avenue and Bedford there's some good pubs. The Bedford Academy is one. The other is a Rose and Crown or Heart and Crown or something like that.
Toronto cheap eats
Yorkville itself is pricey but there are tons of places in the Annex. I'd suggest grabbing coffee and a salad or sandwich - they're not your typical cafe type - at aroma espresso bar (Bloor and Bathurst) and then sitting on the patio. I recommend their "iced aroma" beverage, which is similar to an iced latte.
The food at Pauper's Pub is decent.
I find the Annex sushi joints overrated. One of my favourite sushi places is Sushi Island on College Street/Little Italy and they have an all-you-can-eat. Little Italy is also a mecca for cheap ($5) martinis and good patios.
I second Greg's Ice Cream. One of my other favourite ice cream places in the city is Summer's at 101 Yorkville. Next door to Summer's you can get a good and inexpensive mani/pedi. It doesn't look like an upscale place but there's autographed photos of celebrities on the wall. It was one of my regular places when I lived nearby, and I'm picky about my nail salons.
From Yorkville you can wander over to Church Street. My favourite thai place near there is Just Thai.
Kensington Market (a neighbourhood) has some great places to eat. Jumbo Empanada comes to mind, as does Big Fat Burrito. If you want to splurge on French food there's La Palette on the same street. They're all on Augusta Ave.
Butter Tarts?
I'm always amazed that Americans don't know butter tarts. SqueezeBottle covered it. It's often filled with raisins and sometimes nuts. I've always loved these things. I remember once as a child I walked into a bakery with my mother, pointed to the display case with wide eyes and exclaimed, "Look, a giant butter tart!" She explained to me that it was actually a pecan pie.
Do You Eat or Email First?
Email, but I take my breakfast to work. I rarely check email before work. I'm too busy puttering around and also making my breakfast smoothie that goes to work in a jar. I could be up and out within a half hour if I didn't putter. Instead it takes at least twice as long.
Taste Test: Milks Not From a Cow
@redfish: Because people like to put milk in their coffee and on cereal.
@trialbyfood: Homemade nut milk is ridiculously easy too. Step 1: Soak nuts in water overnight. Step 2: Drain. Step 3: Put nuts in blender with more water. Step 4: Blend. Step 5: Strain.
Not all hemp milks are created equal. Most of bad but some are good (see @alicemeichi's comment). My favourite rice milk is Ryza, which I see that @judie thought was terrible. Unlike other rice milks, it doesn't contain oil. I like that in concept and I like the taste.
Most people seem to favour Silk soy milk but I've never liked it. When Starbucks switched to that brand I stopped liking the soy chai lattes.
Coconut milk is tasty and really good for you but people still think of it as an ingredient to cook with rather than drink. Coconut water is rising in popularity as a beverage (the milk, I believe, has some of the nut blended in rather than simply being the contents of the nut).
I think that it all comes down to individual taste and while these taste test posts offer good guidance, one should try for themselves.
Study finds: Organic food is no healthier than conventional
Fooducate picked it up too.
I think that organic is better for the soil and for other reasons.
I'll continue buying organic where I can, prioritizing what I buy organic and what I buy conventional. (Generally if it's got a skin that gets peeled, such as bananas, I'm less likely to find organic necessary. Ditto for nuts that are shelled anyhow.)
Ideally I like to buy organic and local to support the farmers and local agriculture.
Help!: Long on Greens
Kale chips. Roast pieces of kale at 200F for 40 minutes or so after sprinkling with olive oil and good salt.
Omitting Soda Pop
I've never liked it. As a kid the carbonation hurt my tongue so I didn't drink it nor develop a taste for it. We rarely had pop at home. If we were traveling my mom would sometimes get C-Plus/Orange Crush and let it go flat before giving it to me. In those days options were limited while on road trips.
To me cola tastes like sugar water with a bit of caramel flavouring. In the past when I HAD to get a soft drink (part of a combo or whatever) I'd stick to ginger ale or lemon lime flavoured beverage. I cannot fathom how some people find pop thirst quenching.
On Monday I had one of those "kick myself" moments: I ordered a "sparkling green tea lemonade" at a coffee shop not realizing that "sparkling" meant carbonated in this instance. I know that "sparkling" often does but I expected the drink to be like the one at Starbucks. I took one sip and could not drink it. I handed it back and asked the guy to spill it out because "I didn't realize that it was carbonated and I can't drink carbonated drinks." I hoped that he'd offer a refund without me asking. He didn't, I didn't. I felt bad about losing $3.
What's irritating is that I wouldn't have gone in there but was looking for free WiFi.
The Best Chocolate Chips for Cookies
Chew on that, I'm happy to share with you the site for Jacques Torres's chocolate disks (or feves): http://www.mrchocolate.com/detail.aspx?id=58
Also, here's his recipe for the NY Times chocolate chip cookies: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/09/dining/091crex.html?_r=1
After reading all these delicious comments, chocolate chunk, chocolate chip, Valrhona, Ghirardelli, Guittard,.... I WANT A WARM CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RIGHT NOW!!!
What Is Ice Cider?
Love this stuff instead of dessert. Last year, I tasted an ice cider/brandy blend that packed a real punch, both in flavour and alcohol content. Wish I could find it again.
What Is Ice Cider?
I am even more excited to try the ice cider a visiting couchsurfer brought us from montréal!
Can Pumpkin Beer Be Serious Beer?
I agree with judochop, Pumking is spectacular! I liken the taste to ground up ginger snaps in cream. I loved it so much last year that this year when it came out I drove an hour just to get a case of it. I hope to try some other beers from Southern Tier eventually, some of them sound great.
I love sweet beers, flavored beers, wheat beers, malty beers and sour Flemish beers. Beers with a lot of hops though, not my favorites. Pumpkin beers are some of my favorites, but then I happen to love everything made with pumpkin.
Asian Pears
I have a couple of Asian pear recipes.
Ginger Pear sauce for latkes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxquscg6Wcw
Korean Potato Salad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHkFPJnSvV8
Is this a novice pseudo-vegetarian problem?
the same happened to me when I ate red meat after a long period of not eating it. Your body just got used to a more natural, less difficult way of digesting food. red meat is very tough for your body to digest... and you only find out about it when your body takes a break from it.
my reco... delete red meat from your diet alltogether now. your body evidently does not need it and does not agrees with it anymore.
What do you use maple syrup for?
Ciao. Thought I'd report back after 2 experiments:
1) A Sazerac with maple syrup instead of simple syrup. Oh yeah!!! Gave the drink more complexity and a more subtle roundness. Could be a new favorite. We cut the maple syrup back by 1/2 and then brought it up to the full measure (same qty as you would use of simple syrup) because the maple was not that cloyingly sweet as we had expected. Truly excellent.
2) A maple/bourbon glazed roasted quail. The glaze was the syrup, a shot of bourbon, a chili pepper, Viet Namese cinnamon (very fragrant), cloves, nutmeg and grains of paradise. Outstanding! Finger licking divine.
And yes, we sipped some straight. It is like a cordial.
AND I got a whole lesson on the Grade A/B thing and they agree with everything you've said Lemonfair.
Thanks!
P.S. No pancakes or waffles in Italy...it's against the breakfast code which states that breakfast can be no more than a cappucino and a cornetto (cigarettes used to be required, they are now optional)
What do you use maple syrup for?
I do a lot with maple syrup - most recently crinkly, crunchy, chewy cookies.http://therunawayspoon.com/blog/2009/11/maple-spice-crinkles/
Is this a novice pseudo-vegetarian problem?
All this discussion about vegetarian definitions yet you are all missing the dead rat on the table.
Bearnaise! Lets just say that semi raw egg yolks that are held at room temp for any length of time are going to make a weak stomach turn.
What do you use maple syrup for?
I make my own vanilla yogurt and sweeten it with maple syrup - 1/3 cup of maple syrup plus 1 tsp. vanilla extract per quart of yogurt.
I also use it as a glaze/sauce for a pork tenderloin - 1 cup maple syrup, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, a generous pinch cayenne pepper, and a tiny pinch ground cloves. I heat that to a simmer, pour it over the top of the tenderloin, cover with foil, and bake at 325 to an internal temperature of 170. Several times, I turn the tenderloin to keep coating it with the syrup.
What do you use maple syrup for?
@Judith - just read the comment about grade B. I know it has a stronger flavor, but most of us Vermonters consider the "good stuff" to be grade A medium amber or grade A fancy, and the cost reflects the fact that there is less of the A grades, which come from the very earliest runs of sap.
But to be sure, if you have grade B you can use it in cooking and still have more of the maple flavor shine through.
What do you use maple syrup for?
If I only had a small amount I wouldn't use it in any way that disguised it's taste, which happens most of the time when it's used as an ingredient, instead of as a topping. I speak from experience since I usually have plenty around and do use it as an ingredient. I even make a little of my own, from a backyard maple tree. (Though this year I mostly froze the sap, which is what I like best and isn't available commercially).
Besides the pancakes, waffles, French toast, I agree with using as a topping on oatmeal.
Maple syrup has an incredible affinity for sausage, and for peanut butter. I put a thin layer of pb on my french toast before adding maple syrup.
If your friend brought you fancy, then sipping a couple of tablespoons as a cordial is the best way to savor the delicate flavor.
What do you use maple syrup for?
Trick question?
Pancakes, Waffles, French Toast.
What do you use maple syrup for?
In the summer when I make corn fritters, my family loves it as a topping. We also drizzle it in a puddle of corn grits.
On Banning Photography from Restaurants
I just got back from Corton. The website asks guests to refrain from using flash photography and cell phones. I accept that gladly. You quote Drew here as saying,
"No, we're not going to stop people from taking photos," Nieporent said. "We'd just like people to be considerate of the other people in the restaurant.""
So why, when I entered, was I told that no photography was permitted. I asked nicely and was told, "no". The host asked the chef and reiterated that it was not permissible. I explained that I would not use a flash. I explained that I would not use the photos online nor for any commercial purposes. Still, my request was refused. I feel lied to based on the website only saying that "flash photography" was not permitted and also the quote here from Drew. So Drew, why is this?
The food at Corton was good but, just like Momofuku Ko, I won't be back. I see no reason to reward restaurants who don't consider my desire for a permanent memory, valid. They can make any policies they like but I still get to chose where I dine. I also chose to deal with people who advertise honestly. Drew said that, "we're not going to stop people" but that is just what they did. That to me is deceptive.
In the interest of full disclosure, the host did comp a round of drinks for us because of this. Still, it, (please, please, pardon the pun, leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
What do you use maple syrup for?
sweet potatoes baked in a glaze of bourbon, reduced maple syrup, and butter. heaven.
What do you use maple syrup for?
I second the maple-mustard glaze, but I have used it on pork and turkey with fantastic results. I used very coarse mustard and added a bit of minced garlic for added flavour. Spread heavily over a tenderloin, roast, and the meat comes out very juicy and tasty.
What do you use maple syrup for?
I use it to offset garlic in vinaigrette salad dressings. But my favorite (sweet) application is to toast some pecans or walnuts in the oven, then put some maple syrup in a skillet and heat it until it begins to boil. Add the toasted nuts and heat until the syrup crystallizes on the nuts. Every time I make these I'm finding that I need to use less and less syrup. It's been an experiment.
What do you use maple syrup for?
Wow. I asked for inspiration, and got it in spades! Grazie mille!!
Squeezebottle: I would have given my left pied to go to that brunch. It sounded like a once-in-a-lifetime event. (If you had it more than once, it just might be too tros...) I have the Au Pied de Cochon cookbook, but sadly no mention of the quail, so I"ll have to wing it based on everyone's suggestion. And I happen to have some quail in the fridge.
Lobsterfest: Oh yeah. Love the sound of maple syrup instead of simple syrup in a bourbon cocktail.
TheGourmetGal: butter, syrup, chili flakes on scallop... you get fat, sweet, spice....I love that sort of combinaiton.
And I do believe this is Grade B... he's a local Vermont boy, so he's knows the good stuff.
Very inspired...and now very hungry.
Ciao!
What do you use maple syrup for?
I use it to finish ribs off as part of the sauce at the end, or if doing long braises of sweet and spicy ribs, short ribs, brisket etc, I use it as part of the braising liquid.
Always as part of a glaze for everything from squab to salmon.
I put it on granola, ice cream, hot cereal, snow...
Being from New England however, probably does make me a bit of a maple syrup swilling squirrel worshiper...
What do you use maple syrup for?
I hope it's the "B" grade, which is dark, complex, much more interesting, and generally spurned by tourists who go for the golden "A" stuff. I drizzle it on Greek yogurt in the morning. Thin it with Balsamic or wine vinegar to deglaze the pan after porkchops or chicken thighs. Mix with mustard for a glaze on a pork roast. Bake sweet potatoes or squash laced with it, not too much. Living in New England I always find a place for maple somewhere in our Thanksgiving menu.
What do you use maple syrup for?
A little on a peanut butter sandwich is fantastic!
What do you use maple syrup for?
Stir a spoonful into your coffee (and maybe a wee drop of whiskey or bourbon too.)
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About CanadianFoodieGirl
Website: http://www.canadianfoodiegirl.com
Location: Toronto, Canada
About: I comment on a lot of blogs and keep my own my own. I blog unpretentiously & infrequently. I like to eat. It doesn't show because I was blessed with good genetics and was raised in a family that encouraged healthy eating and exercise.
Favorite foods:
Last bite on earth:
Last month someone offered me a whiff of Prince Edward County ice cider. It smelled like baked apples. I tried some a few weeks later and it was delicious.