KrisTor's Profile

Butcher's paper is great for storing meat since it can usually go in the green bin.

I absolutely love duck! I've found that you can usually buy a whole frozen duck for roughly the same price as a couple of duck breasts. It's great to buy the whole duck because then you can break it down, cook the breasts and the legs, and then you have the legs for seconds or for leftovers. Then you can use the carcass to make a lovely rich stock which makes for the most delicious soups.

I recently roasted a duck with a raspberry and red wine vinegar glaze and it was to die for! A nice sweet glaze pairs so well with the crispy skin and succulent meat.

I use plain whey protein from the Bulk Barn. It's 93% protein as opposed to the 60-70% you find in branded powders from the health stores or grocery stores.

Thank you Mary, I'll contact them too!

If I were rich I'd buy the Staub. But alas I am not, so I've got this steel non-stick version that does the job perfectly well.

http://www.amazon.com/Chicago-Metallic-Fusion-Roaster-2-Inch/dp/B0028RY0W2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335487011&sr=8-1

The base is quite wide so you can fit a lot of veggies in there to roast. I found this at HomeSense for about $13, and it's only $20 on Amazon. When purchasing, I did debate buying a bundt pan instead for the multi-purpose aspect, but then I asked myself "when have I ever, or when will I ever, find myself needing or wanting to use a bundt pan?" So happy with this roaster.

I tried to feed a vegan friend one time and I was so surprised at how many things are actually made using animal products or by-products.

I think a lot of the negate aspects are born from increasing pressure from consumers for lower prices. Despite increasing disposable incomes, despite spending on mortgages, cars, gadgets, and non-essential consumables, people are reluctant to pay fair prices for good food.

I'm lucky enough to live close to a farmers' market--the service you get at markets is unsurpassed, I feel that I'm paying fair prices, and I'm supporting my local economy.

As for supermarkets, I do shop there but I wish the stores had higher priorities on the food rather than low prices and deep discounts. I find especially butchers and fishmongers in supermarkets are not really knowledgable about the products, like where they come from and how they're raised.

I realize not everyone has the same level of spending power, but I wish it weren't so difficult to find a good grocery shopping experience.

I just did an experiment wherein I weighed 1 measured cup of flour using the fluff and scoop method a few times, and then I did the same but I sifted the flour into the measuring cup and levelled it off. The average weights were:

Fluff and scoop method, 1 cup: 129 grams
Sifting method, 1 cup: 126 grams

So I'm now convinced that whichever way you do it, it doesn't really matter. If I were using a measuring cup, I'd fluff and scoop and then whisk it. That said, I'm still a proponent of weighing the flour, and the concensus I've found is that 1 cup of AP flour=128 grams. Now I know that I can use the same weight whether the recipe says sifted or not.

Is the butter on the top just for the sheen? Wondering if I could substitute standard Canadian butter for Irish butter.

I think this is a great tip. People who haven't cooked risotto don't usually get what I mean when I talk about that white opaque spot in the middle of the grain.

Another tip I found useful for risotto: use a large heavy-bottom pan instead of a pot to get the most consistent doneness in the risotto.