Recent Comments

From Talk

Football-schmootball--What did you eat yesterday?

I wanted to take my food on the road to Lake Louise, where my husband works (I live 50km or so away) but my daughter came down with a nasty cold. So we had BBQed chicken wings (curry sauce for me) and nachos and a crudite platter. And we enjoyed the game and the outcome....

From Talk

The Vegetable Index: How Much Do They Cost?

I live in Canmore AB Canada - now Canadian food prices tend to be higher - for a number of reasons centered around climate, distance to market, marketing boards, etc. Canmore itself is an expensive little town...


Celery- $2.00
Carrots- 2.99 a pound bagged.
Mushrooms- I paid a buck for 10 loose mushrooms yesterday.
Tomatoes- 4.99 for a pint of cherry or grape tomatoes. 3.99 a pound for regular tomatoes, on sale this week at Safeway for 2.99 (and they are terrible looking).
BellPeppers- 2.00 a pound for green, 4-5 dollars a pound for red/orange or yellow.
Avocados- 2 bucks a piece minimum
Broccoli- Ah something reasonable - 2.00 a pound - Cauliflower about the same.

And for the asparagus crowd - after christmas it went to (wait for it) 7 bucks a pound. Before Christmas, 3.99 a pound.

I have become a big spinach, slaw, root, and frozen veggie eater in my first winter here!

From Talk

Next Iron Chef - Favorites??

Needless to say I agree about Chuck being swoon material.... I just wish I'd gone to his restaurant in Montreal when I lived in Central Canada!

From Talk

Next Iron Chef - Favorites??

As a Canadian I want Chuck Hughes to win but I have no idea if he is still in the running because I don't watch the show!

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Recent Posts

From Talk

Pork shoulder steaks ideas

From Talk

What's your favourite gluten free appetizer?

From Talk

Need a super no fail white cake/icing recipe

From Talk

What are your favourite restaurant appetizers?

See more posts by Maureen »

Recent Favorites

Maureen hasn't favorited a post yet.

Recent Polls

From Slice

Maureen answered "No" to Do you work — or have you ever worked — in a pizzeria or the pizza industry?

From Talk

Maureen answered "Other" to Paper or plastic?

From Slice

Maureen answered "A month" to What's the longest you've gone without eating pizza?

From Serious Eats: New York

Maureen answered "Call over the manager and ask that the item be taken off the bill. " to How Would You Deal With Restaurant Error?

Recent Quizzes

From Serious Eats

Maureen got 55% correct on How Much Do You Know About Peanut Butter?

From Serious Eats

Maureen got 40% correct on Quiz: How Much Do You Know About Sushi?

From Serious Eats

Maureen got 50% correct on How Much Do You Know About Food TV and Its Personalities?

From Sweets

Maureen got 60% correct on What's Your Ice Cream IQ?

See more polls and quizzes by Maureen »

Recent Comments

From Talk

Football-schmootball--What did you eat yesterday?

I wanted to take my food on the road to Lake Louise, where my husband works (I live 50km or so away) but my daughter came down with a nasty cold. So we had BBQed chicken wings (curry sauce for me) and nachos and a crudite platter. And we enjoyed the game and the outcome....

From Talk

The Vegetable Index: How Much Do They Cost?

I live in Canmore AB Canada - now Canadian food prices tend to be higher - for a number of reasons centered around climate, distance to market, marketing boards, etc. Canmore itself is an expensive little town...


Celery- $2.00
Carrots- 2.99 a pound bagged.
Mushrooms- I paid a buck for 10 loose mushrooms yesterday.
Tomatoes- 4.99 for a pint of cherry or grape tomatoes. 3.99 a pound for regular tomatoes, on sale this week at Safeway for 2.99 (and they are terrible looking).
BellPeppers- 2.00 a pound for green, 4-5 dollars a pound for red/orange or yellow.
Avocados- 2 bucks a piece minimum
Broccoli- Ah something reasonable - 2.00 a pound - Cauliflower about the same.

And for the asparagus crowd - after christmas it went to (wait for it) 7 bucks a pound. Before Christmas, 3.99 a pound.

I have become a big spinach, slaw, root, and frozen veggie eater in my first winter here!

From Talk

Next Iron Chef - Favorites??

Needless to say I agree about Chuck being swoon material.... I just wish I'd gone to his restaurant in Montreal when I lived in Central Canada!

From Talk

Next Iron Chef - Favorites??

As a Canadian I want Chuck Hughes to win but I have no idea if he is still in the running because I don't watch the show!

From Talk

Help with lamb roast!

I'm with the others - lamb leg roast can be successfully grilled, but shoulder is a different beast. Braise is the way to go. And personally, I remove the netting no matter what it is made of - when it comes to braising, the meat is going to fall apart pretty much anyway and cook thoroughly so I don't see the need to keep it in a tighter bunch.

From Talk

Pork broth?

I would think it would be great broth for steaming potstickers or dumplings in.....I often use pork broth when I make a bean soup, but that sounds kinda winter-y to me....

From Talk

Fresh strawberries, what to do with them?

This week I bought two four litre baskets of strawberries. Thus far we've had strawberries in hand, strawberries mixed with blueberries and raspberries for breakfast, strawberry rhubarb pie, strawberry rhubarb crisp, strawberry sauce on ice cream, strawberry salsa, and strawberry trifle. I'm just getting started!

From Talk

Avocados at Subway

No avocados at Subway in Ontario that I am aware of - maybe some of my fellow Canucks from larger centers can chime in....

From Talk

Old stuff in your pantry/fridge/freezer?

I am in the process of packing for a crosscountry move, so man am I discovering just how much my "bunker mentality" has been kicked in the last five years that I lived here. I have managed to use up all the tomatoes and pumpkin in the freezer and I'm working through the meat in there now. I discovered four (!) packages of panko breadcrumbs in my pantry. I think I'll just move those. Menus have been fairly interesting around here the last couple of months as I use stuff up!

From Talk

Need a super no fail white cake/icing recipe

For those of you still searching for the cake recipe, I made the one above recommended by Dancing Cat and it is great. My daughter and I lopped off a corner (one that will not be involved in the final product) and pronounced it wonderful. It is carefully wrapped up and hidden away for decorating Sunday morning. Thanks!

From Talk

Leftover lamb help- storing leftovers without freezer burn!

If you are looking to use up some of the leftovers, I made a fantastic lamb byrani (sp?) this weekend with left overs - http://recipesbymissy.wordpress.com/2009/09/28/leftover-lamb-biryani/

It is great!

From Talk

Whatcha cookin' today ??

I am making chicken wings and perogies - an odd combination I know, but it is my daughter's 12th birthday and she gets to choose her meal. And those were her choices, along with an absolutely horrific store bought cake.

From Talk

Easter Dinner: Traditional or Something Different?

Greek food - lamb chops, chicken souvlaki, pearl couscous with roasted garlic and asparagus, fried okra (ok that's not greek!), hummus, tzaziki, babaganoush, pita three ways, greek salad. And strawberry short cake for dessert!

From Talk

The Begings of a food Journalist

I don't mean to rain on your parade, but as a writer myself, I agree that if a blog is not proofread, I won't trust the recipes. I figure if someone doesn't take the time to check their grammar and spelling, the recipe may not be checked either. A personal beef...

Re magazines, I've gone away from hard copy mags as a general rule, and read online stuff. I'm partial to Smitten Kitchen.

From Talk

Dinner Party with a Vegetarian

Baked potato bar! Bake up some potatoes and offer toppings galore, meat included and not - bacon, green onions, cheese, chili (veggies and not), sour cream, butter, the like. Served with a green salad or asian slaw, this makes a fine meal and easily managed sitting down on the floor or the sofa.

From Talk

New Year's Eve Dessert for a group

The buche de noel is actually not as hard as it might look - and much of it can be done a day or so in advance, so you might want to stick with that. I am making one for Christmas this year (still figuring out the recipe) and I've done it before - I am not a huge dessert maker, so if I can do it, you can too!

From Talk

ham sides?

we always make pineapple souffle with ham - a simple, kinda hokey dish made with white bread and canned pineapple. I was completely averse when I first heard of it, but hey, I like the stuff! And it is made in a large casserole so folks can take appropriate portions too.

From Serious Eats

Served: Corporate Restaurantland

Welcome back - I am so glad to see you are doing another column for SE - I've missed your writing!

From Talk

What's your Christmas main dish?

Always did turkey and most years I follow suit. One year I balked and did Beef Wellington - medium rare. My mother nuked hers until it was well done. I freaked.

From Recipes

Bake the Book: Grasshopper Bars

Do you think there is a really decent way to do these (or grasshopper pie for that matter) subbing for the alcohol? I am recently off the stuff and want to make a grasshopper style pie for a dinner party I am hosting next week (which features a pregnant woman, another reason to refrain). Anyone got any good recipes sans the good stuff (grin)? Or am I dreaming and should be thinking of another option for dessert?

From Talk

Fall Back:Don't forget to check the batteries on the smoke alarm

My smoke detectors are wired in, but I check them anyway - and like others, I thank you for reminding us to keep our families safe!

From Talk

Techniques for making pie crust by hand?

@ebell - I believe my pastry cutter came from Zellers approximately 25 years ago and cost about a buck and a half. Very inexpensive. If you want to see the grated butter action, check out the Canadian food network website (foodtv.ca) and look up Michael Smith - Chef at Home - that's where I saw it.

From Recipes

Healthy & Delicious: Pioneer Woman's Cranberry Sauce

I use the Ocean Spray bag recipe, but cut the sugar in half - takes 15 minutes, no work and damn, the stuff is good!

See more comments by Maureen »

Recent Posts

From Talk

Pork shoulder steaks ideas

From Talk

What's your favourite gluten free appetizer?

From Talk

Need a super no fail white cake/icing recipe

From Talk

What are your favourite restaurant appetizers?

From Talk

Looking for a Tex-Mex style appetizer that is not a dip....

From Talk

two different cuts of beef - one meal - HELP!

From Talk

South American cuisine - kid friendly and portable.....

From Talk

Can you freeze and reuse pickle brine?

From Talk

An American "South" meal in the Great White North

From Talk

non-alcoholic summer drinks

From Talk

More Girl Guide help - making pizzas at camp

From Talk

Your B and B faves!

From Talk

no bake recipe from "another culture"

From Talk

Sugar free jam - is it possible? If so, is it any good?

From Talk

Two chicken breast, two hours, two people......what do I make?

From Talk

Stove top stuffing - that isn't......

From Talk

Ukrainian food for Girl Guides

From Talk

baked boneless chicken dish

From Talk

Need turkey ideas for new cook/single busy mom

From Talk

test

From Talk

A plethora of red peppers - help!

From Talk

what can you do with not-so-fresh corn on the cob?

From Talk

have oodles of heirloom variety small tomatoes .....

From Talk

a slightly different jam-making question

From Talk

I got a job at a B&B and the boss thinks I can do this!

See more posts by Maureen »

Recent Favorites

Maureen hasn't favorited a post yet.

Polls

From Slice

Maureen answered "No" to Do you work — or have you ever worked — in a pizzeria or the pizza industry?

From Talk

Maureen answered "Other" to Paper or plastic?

From Slice

Maureen answered "A month" to What's the longest you've gone without eating pizza?

From Serious Eats: New York

Maureen answered "Call over the manager and ask that the item be taken off the bill. " to How Would You Deal With Restaurant Error?

From Serious Eats: New York

Maureen answered "No, but I would. " to Did You Watch the Nathan's Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest?

From Slice

Maureen answered "Yes, it's the only way I can get anyone to agree on what we order" to Do you order half-and-half pizzas?

From Serious Eats

Maureen answered "Crisp" to Do You Like Crisp or Chewy Bacon?

From Serious Eats: New York

Maureen answered "Garden seating, yes; sidewalks, no. " to What's Your Stance on Outdoor Seating?

From Slice

Maureen answered "Yes! They have their place" to Do you eat pizza-flavored snacks?

From Serious Eats

Maureen answered "I don't eat Pop-Tarts" to Do you toast your Pop-Tarts?

From Slice

Maureen answered "During childhood" to When did you start loving pizza?

From Serious Eats: New York

Maureen answered "Grumble about sit-down places, but for casual places, it's understandable. " to How Do You Feel About Cash-Only Restaurants?

From Serious Eats

Maureen answered "I don't drink soda" to Do You Prefer Regular or Diet Soda?

From A Hamburger Today

Maureen answered "No, because I will force them to love burgers." to Your Sweetheart Doesn't Like Burgers—Dealbreaker?

From Serious Eats

Maureen answered "Medium-brown " to How do you like your toast done?

From Serious Eats

Maureen answered "Sprinkles" to Do You Call Them Jimmies or Sprinkles?

From Slice

Maureen answered "No ... Love is thicker than sauce." to Your sweetheart doesn't like pizza: dealbreaker?

From Serious Eats

Maureen answered "Sausage" to What's Your Favorite Meat on a Breakfast Sandwich?

From Serious Eats

Maureen answered "Fried Egg" to What's Your Favorite Egg Style on a Breakfast Sandwich?

From Serious Eats

Maureen answered "Bagel" to What's Your Favorite Bread for a Breakfast Sandwich?

From Slice

Maureen answered "Given the right pizza, I might be convinced." to Pineapple Pizza: Way or No Way?

From Serious Eats

Maureen answered "Never" to Do You Eat Chicken for Breakfast?

From Serious Eats

Maureen answered "Medium" to Which Salsa Spicyness Level Do You Prefer?

From Serious Eats

Maureen answered "Never" to Do You Take Photos of Your Food Before Eating?

From Serious Eats

Maureen answered "Nope" to Would You Eat the KFC Double Down Sandwich?

See more polls by Maureen »

Quizzes

From Serious Eats

Maureen got 55% correct on How Much Do You Know About Peanut Butter?

From Serious Eats

Maureen got 40% correct on Quiz: How Much Do You Know About Sushi?

From Serious Eats

Maureen got 50% correct on How Much Do You Know About Food TV and Its Personalities?

From Sweets

Maureen got 60% correct on What's Your Ice Cream IQ?

From Serious Eats

Maureen got 62% correct on How Much Do You Know About Passover Foods?

From Serious Eats

Maureen got 75% correct on How Much Do You Know About Breakfast Foods?

From Serious Eats

Maureen got 75% correct on How Much Do You Know About Cheese?

From Serious Eats

Maureen got 50% correct on How Much Do You Know About Food Preservation?

From Serious Eats

Maureen got 33% correct on How Much Do You Know About Condiments?

From Serious Eats

Maureen got 87% correct on How Much Do You Know About Vegan Substitutes?

From Serious Eats

Maureen got 50% correct on Winter Vegetables Quiz

See more quizzes by Maureen »

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