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Sweetie

Dining out in Toronto; esp dim sum recommendations?

There are a lot of different pockets of fantastic Chinese food. The only problem is they are very spread out. Toronto is not a huge city but some the chinatowns are just outside of the city. Recommendations could depend on where you are based and what type of transportation you have available. In the general downtown area there are a few good places, yummy dumpling, mothers dumpling to name a few. For dim sum there is crown prince.
I recommend you do research on chowhound, the ontario board. There is a wealth of info there.

Chip-Faced: We Try All the Flavors of Larry the Cable Guy's Tater Chips

@toad3000
You and I must have the same computer. The pictures are all stretched out, fun house style.

Jamaica: Learning the Secrets of Authentic Jerk Chicken

@Ken G
I am sorry Ken but jalapenos are no substitue for scotch bonnets. Scotch bonnet peppers have a more complex flavour, fruity, floral, intoxicating. Without scotch bonnets it is not a jerk, just spicy grilled chicken.

Slurped: Of Bad Dates and Good Rice Noodles at New Hon Won

I would have done the same thing. You have to go with your gut. I once made a snap decision like that about a guy and then regretted it later thinking "I should have been less nit picky, there is nothing wrong with Wild Vines". I happen to reconnect with this gent about half a year later and he asked me out again and I thought here is my chance. Alas the second time around just re enforced my original assessment.
Some things are not meant to be.

We Taste Every Kind of Spam

When I was little my mom made macaroni in a some kind of broth (I assume it was chicken). In it was cubes of spam and mixed vegtables. The kind you get frozen like peas, carrots, and corn all in one bag. It was comfort food. I discovered later in life that I was weird and none of my friends had ever heard of such nonsense.

10 Must-Eat Bites in Havana, Or That Week I Spent in Cuba

Ed I don't think that is coconut milk you are drinking. The water inside a young coconut is often called coconut water, to distinguish it from coconut milk. Which is slighty different

Chichi's Chinese: An Ode to Chinese Cold Noodles

I love this line!!!!!
"so that they coated the strands of noodles the way grains of sand stick to your thighs at the beach"
I just wish I didn't picture nut particles clinging to my thighs when I read it.

Five Great Cheap Indian Desserts In Jackson Heights

Are they tapiocas or basil seeds?

Toronto: Flameout at Big Smoke Burger

Next time try Holy Chuck. Pink in the middle is the default, they will cook it through upon request though.
I was very impressed with my first visit to Holy Chuck and look forward to going back.

Why do the raisins in my wife's cornbread sink to the bottom?

Maybe you should sprinkle them on top. That way when they sink, they might not make it all the way to the bottom. Funny...I mix corn into my batter and I don't remember if they all sink to the bottom.

Appetizers: 2 days ahead/last in a cooler for a 400 mile drive?

Would it be horrible if you bought something? or is this out of your budget? In my circle of friends there is no shame in purchasing a potluck item, some people just don't like to cook or have no time.

So You Miss Deep Fried McDonald's Apple Pies?

I miss Micky D's fried pies. Apparently Popeyes chicken has fried pies on the menu, but i have never tried them.

Traditional Sukiyaki (Japanese Beef Hot Pot)

This recipe sounds like a hybrid of shabu shabu and sukiyaki. Do you proofread your recipes? In step 4 you talk about puting the rice noodles in hot water. Your list of ingredients makes no mention of rice noodles only udon or shirataki neither of which are made with rice.

Foods that get you "goin"...

hahaha Sharona Zamboni!
When I read "goin" I thought of something else too (probably not the same thing you were though) and was going to suggest oatmeal or prunes. Sorry if this comment put anyone out of the "mood"

Let Them Eat: Fresh Persimmon Cake

Nisperos? Sounds like a neesberry to me. Although now that I know they are called nisperos the name neesberrys makes more sense to me.

Serious Salads: Vietnamese Shrimp and Quinoa Salad

Had to try this but I didn't have any fresh veggies, so I made it with corn. So glad I did. It tastes great with just corn. Can't wait to try it with fresh veggies.

I can't believe they don't like...!

I have a friend who doesn't like mushrooms. She also doesn't like cilantro, fresh tomatoes, the ist goes on...... But back to the mushrooms, it's not even that she doesn't like the taste, she said that the idea of eating mushrooms is repulsive. She even claims to be allregic to them in restaurants to make sure they do not come anywhere near her food. Sometimes I wish someone would call her on that.

Missing out for a lifetime thanks to one innocent mistake.

I know this is the opposite of the theme here but is my story.
When I was three I "accidentally " drank half a glass a beer when my dad wasn't looking (he was concentrating on mah jong). According to my parents I wobbled around the room for a bit and then promptly fell asleep.
I still love beer and I still promptly fall asleep after too much of it.

Silicone Coated Mixers? Help!

Completely unrelated but a ricer/food mill can also produce swoon worthy mash potatoes.

SE Staff Picks: Least Favorite Halloween Candy

@toad3000...yes I am Canadian!

SE Staff Picks: Least Favorite Halloween Candy

Is this some kind of sick halloween joke? Those are not smarties, those are rockets. Smarties are delicious candy coated chocolate buttons of which you must eat the red ones last.

Video: 'A Slice of Life,' a PB&J Love Story

A couple things:
I love that the peanutbutter bread has a segway, awesome
Love the peep birds
Just as the peanutbutter bread sat down on the bench, I thought to myself why don't the birds eat the bread? and then he started feeding himself to the birds.....very amusing.

Cook the Book: 'The Homesick Texan Cookbook'

I must follow dozens of food blogs, My favorite could be David Lebovitz or it might be A passion for food or Jin loves to eat. To hungry to decide......

Toronto: VPN Pie at Pizzeria Libretto

@ Torontoeatseverything
I think you are wrong about Enoteca, I made a reservation just a few weeks ago.

What's your secret kitchen "cheat" tool?

My corn on the cob shaped corn zipper. At first I tried to tell people about it because I was so excited. But when I explained what it did and that it only did one thing, they were like "can't you just use a knife?". Now I use my zipper quietly and privately.

Best Deli in New York

I know this is a loaded question. But I am going to be in New York for 2 days only and DO NOT want to waste my time or calories on a mediocre deli. I want to stay close to Soho, but have no idea if there is even one deli in that area. It doesn't have to be the best but a good one would be awesome.
I am thinking like pastrami, corn beef, pickles kind of deli.
TIA

Do you think about what you are going to eat later when you get dressed?

I am going to a birthday dinner on Sat and the host said "don't dress too fancy, the teppanyaki will stink up your clothes". Last week I went to pot luck and over heard one of the other guest admitting to someone that she wore that dres so she could "pig out" in comfort. I some times where looser fitting pants if I know I am going to eat at a buffet.
Do you think about what you are going to eat later when you get dressed?

Greasy roasted veggies????

I love roasting veggies! Cauliflower, carrots, potatoes, onions....I could go on. One thing that has always baffled me though was how those chefs on TV can "drizzle" oil over the veggies and shove them in the oven and voila!
When ever I try to use a some oil on my roasted veggies the come out slicked with oil, so I stopped roasting them with oil even though every recipe I have ever seen says drizzle with oil.
Does any one else leave out the oil?
BTW when I saute brussel sprouts in bacon fat they do not seem overly greasy to me....very curious.

Henry's Cheese Spread from 'The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen'

The ingredient list for Matt and Ted Lee's cheese spread reads almost like a 2nd grader's cafeteria prank. Cheese, ketchup, worcestershire, horseradish, Tabasco, and beer—how could that taste good? Yet this recipe, from their new cookbook The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen, is one of those magical recipes that just works. The balance of tart, spicy, sweet, and malty is totally on point, making for a dip so multilayered that it's impossible to stop eating. More

Homemade Mallomar Bars

[Photograph: Yvonne Ruperti] Bite through the crunchy buttery graham cracker, the silky vanilla marshmallow, and the deep dark chocolate, and you just might find yourself muttering "Nabisco who?" Notes: Avoid overwhipping the marshmallow or it will cool down and... More

Video: Making Udon Miso and Cheese

I came across this Udon Miso 'n' Cheese concept while experimenting for an event last fall in which a few non-Japanese chefs got together to make Japanese food. While messing around with the idea of udon risotto, I discovered that miso, butter, parmesan and wheat starch taste just like Kraft Macaroni and Cheese (in a good way). More

The Food Lab: Homemade Mayo In 2 Minutes Or Less (Video)

If you've only ever known mayonnaise in the form of the quivering jellyish stuff that comes in the jars with the blue lid, you're doing yourself a disservice. Like switching from briefs to boxers or walking to Mordor, trying homemade mayonnaise is the kind of thing that will forever change your life (or at the very least, your sandwiches). Today, we do it in 2 minutes or less, with a 100% success rate. More

Dinner Tonight: Roasted Rice Cake

I've been infatuated with Korean cuisine for years now but never really understood rice cakes. They always seemed so mushy, bland, and covered in sweet sauce. But a recent midnight snack at a Korean bar changed everything. Instead of boiled, these were grilled, so they had that crackly outer layer, which gave way to a tender and succulent inside. They were also tossed with this fiery red sauce, which forced you to keep a drink close at hand. More

Food52's Short Rib Ragu

Short rib ragu may not be the first thing you think of when planning your holiday cooking; humble braises often take a backseat to large elegant roasts. But not much can beat the decadent richness of a properly braised pot of short ribs. Add a thick, mushroomy sauce as Minimally Invasive's winning recipe in the new Food52 Cookbook suggests, and you'll be on your way to making holiday meal history. More

Tripe Chili

[Photograph: Chichi Wang] Adapted from The Best Chili Ever by J. Kenji Alt-Lopez. About the author: Chichi Wang took her degree in philosophy, but decided that writing about food would be much more fun than writing about Plato. She firmly... More

Spicy Crab Dip

For my rendition of a traditional Maryland crab dip, I was actually inspired by the fiery Southeast Asian dish of Chili Crab, wherein fresh whole crabs are bathed and cooked in a spicy sauce of chiles and aromatics. The final dip is a Baltimore by way of Singapore concoction that is spicy and creamy with that "of the sea" flavor provided by the crab meat—a combination of flavors that will surely benefit any carrot stick, cracker, or chip. More

Andy Ricker's 'Carrot Cake'

I ate at Andy Ricker's Ping a couple of times right when they opened in 2009. The food was a little hit and miss, but one dish was spot-on every time: the carrot cake. Not to be confused with the American dessert, Ricker's carrot cake is actually made from daikon and rice flour, and is sort of like Southeast Asian gnocchi. The dumpling-like cakes come stir-fried in a slightly sweet soy and garlic sauce, scrambled with eggs, bean sprouts, and cilantro. More