EmJayC's Profile
New Five Guys Burgers Location coming soon!
I have to agree with you there, callitasicit. I had a very nice hamburger at a pub . Organic beef, nice and jucy, bacon, sauteed mushrooms, cheese and good looking tomatoes with hand cut Canadian fries. Could have used more cheese on it, but at least it wasn't that fakey cheese food stuff that was on the 5 Guys burger. A little over $10.00. And I was full and satisfied. It was in a nice place with a waitress that came to the table, no peanuts, no crowded, loud atmosphere. Sure, we had to tip the waitress, but in comparing that to 5 Guys, I'd take it in a minute!
New Five Guys Burgers Location coming soon!
I am not at all impressed with Five Guys. I agree with many posters on here who say the french fries are the best thing there. The only thing I can taste on the burger is the grilled onions. If they are better than In 'n Out I have no desire to eat there.
I never eat _______ out because nobody makes it right but me.
I don't care to eat just about anything out anymore. I am very experimental at home in my cooking and love to try different dishes from different cultures. The two exceptions are steaks and sushi. Some restaurants just can get a better grade of meat than I can. I will not make sushi at home because I am afraid I won't be able to get the proper fresh sushi grade fish. And the local sushi place does such a nice job and it is all you can eat! I have been on a quest for the perfect hamburger, but so far I am totally disappointed.
Food Network: Canada vs US?
What I want to know is what's up with this Cupcake Wars program?? I so don't care. I have been losing interest in FN since they started doing all these competitions and continualy airing programs about junk food and cake decorating. Is this going on in the US as well? The one program I do get some enjoyment out of is Dinner Party Wars and that is Canadian. It's a cute witty program. I hope they make more!
METRO Eglinton Square - Do they butcher their steaks with a Lawn-Boy?
Well, at least if the steak looks like a ragged mess, you know they didn't use meat glue to hold it together!
Spaghetti with ketchup - does anyone else eat this?
My mother in law used to do this, when she would reheat her spaghetti. But then again, her cooking was very bland. Not being critical, that's just the way they liked things. I would not put it in my spaghetti, although I did try it a couple of times under her influence.
Who uses ketchup on home-made Mac & Cheese?
No, I love ketchup in certain applications, that some might think a little odd. But the thing is, those are foods that can stand up to ketchup. The point was, I carefully made a from scratch tuna casserole with the flavor balanced and just right (as far as I was concerned) and without even tasting it, he blobbed ketchup all over it. He used to put ketchup on eggs as well! But it's true, ketchup gets no respect!
Who uses ketchup on home-made Mac & Cheese?
No, no, no, no! In a related incident, I almost killed my ex husband when he put ketchup on my home made tuna casserole!
What's the best thing to put ketchup on?
Always and forever - on steak!!! Fine on hot dogs as far as I am concerned.
what do you prefer that most foodies would scoff at?
tasty tots (otherwise knowns as tater tots in the states), Knor Sidekicks noodle dishes in an envelope (subject to endless variation of protein and vegetables to make main dishes), Popeye Chicken's red beans and rice and I don't know if they sell them anymore, but the tiny appetizer type tacos that came in a box, frozen and were sort of chewy crisp and filled with a gloppy beef(?) filling.
Something I am going to try, that I think is in this line, is an Indian dish call Pav Bhaji. Basically its various vegetables mashed together with too much butter and served in a toasted white bun. Mmmm, the fast food of India.
steel cut oatmeal help
Now that the weather is getting cold, I'm getting the steel cut oats out again. I make my oatmeal the overnight way in a pan on the stove, but I wonder if anybody knows why my oatmeal is green on the the top when I open it up in the morning. I use one cup of oats, 4 cups of water and a little salt combined together in a saucepan. I bring it to a boil, cover and leave overnight. This one time I added some raisins, but I won't do that again, because they were overcooked and tasteless the next morning. Then I reheat in the microwave. The greeness was just on the top where water and gelatinous material had collected. It was fine all the rest of the way through. It surprised me, but I just scraped the greeness off the top and ate the oatmeal. It tasted fine. I use stainless steel pans, so I don't think it could be any kind of tarnish.
Rethinking bird day
I like the idea of cooking a special dish on Thanksgiving that has an affinity to your cultural background (whether by birth or adoption). Simple ideas: Italian - lasgna; South Asian: Tandoori or a fancy biryani; Mexican- enchiladas or a wonderful soup or stew, etc, etc, etc. I think Thanksgiving could be much more meaningful and exciting to the taste buds that way.
what do you prefer that most foodies would scoff at?
I have to agree with this one. Unless I want just a bit of onion in the dish chopped very finely and frankly I could just use a small onion or half of a larger one. There is no big flavor difference that I can discern like that between onion and garlic. And I have been told that I have a discerning tounge. The big difference between onion and shallot is the price difference. Don't get me started about ginger beer, though. I'm very picky about that! Only Reeds will do!
what do you prefer that most foodies would scoff at?
canned Parmesan cheese,
hard boiled eggs with dabs of Diane sauce (the western sweet/smoky kind) put on the egg each time I bite it,
stove top mac and cheese with Velveeta,
Macdonald's breakfast burrito,
poufy cheese puffs (any brand will do),
A&W poutine and Bacon Cheddar Uncle Burgers and
pickle sandwiches (one dill pickle, whole with white buttered toast wrapped around it.
That's as low-brow as I get. :-)
What are you making right now?
Papoosa de Queso (basically a simple stuffed corn tortilla), slaw with oregano and cayenne pepper and tomato and onion chutney.
I never eat _______ out because nobody makes it right but me.
Eggs are not good out. I am spoiled by my creamy scrambled eggs and poached eggs with liquid yolks. And I'm getting better at a French omelet. I never knew eggs could taste so good! And grits. Always runny and bland when eaten out. I like my cooked cereals dense and with butter or even cheese on them.
I never eat _______ out because nobody makes it right but me.
I don't understand why restaurants think they have to put butter or heavy seasonings or cheese, fer god's sake, on a steak. I enjoy a steak, potato and salad dinner at home much more than most restaurants. I get a steak cooked just the way I like it, I taste the meat and if I want to put ketchup on it, no ones stares. It seem to be very hard to find a decent hamburger out anymore either.
What simple cooking mistake inspires disproportionate rage?
Here is the absolute worst! I often put plates on the unused burners of my stove so I can turn food right from the pans into the plate, especially things like scramble eggs, where I want to preserver their exact doneness. Sometimes they are plasstic. My electric stove vents out the back left burner. Sometimes I accidently leave a plate on it and don't realize it is melting until I smell it. Sometimes I set one down on a burner that is cooling down, but still pretty hot. Nothing is worse than that smell unless it is trying to clean the plastic off the burner. What is the only thing worse than burning a hole in a plastic bag with a hot pan? Having said bag melt and adhere to the bottom of the pan!
OK.... ok .. i'm giving it up, my secret way to cook polenta that is so easy you will do it again and again
I tried thew's oven method the other night. I had my doubts that it would be done in 40 min, but it was perfect. I put in 4 cups of water and it was just the right consistency to serve as a moist, but not too runny side dish. I did stop to stir it briefly twice during the cooking. But it hardly needed it! No more standing and stirring! I can have polenta or mush whenever I wish! Thank you thew!
OATMEAL-O-RAMA – The best oatmeal
Thanks for the hints here on cooking oatmeal. I have recently tried steel cut oats and I must say I like them so much better than the rolled. The slimyness factor seems overwhelming in rolled oats. I think because of the chewiness of the unflattened grains I don't feel that slippery, but good for you fiber texture so much. I am a big fan of most whole grains and this seems like more of the real article in the oats department. The cooking time is the problem, but I may try the overnight method, once I get my slow cooker back.
Haggis (at a Scottish festival)?
I'd love to have a good recipe for haggis. Part of my deeply buried heritage is Scottish. And I mean, what's the problem? It's a sausage. Ordinary sausage or a hot dog is various body parts of food animals and filler stuffed in intestines. When you describe it like that, it sounds awful, but it turns out to be one of the most delicious dishes. It is all in what you are used to.
November Chowmeet
Yeah, I'm sorry I won't be making it to an outing any time soon. I will have to console myself with a trip to Kathmandu or Sushi Star. :-)
Kathmandu restaurant: best tandoori chicken in Toronto?
I will have to check both Kathmandu and Jaipur as soon as I get over this lousy flu. I haven't had good tandoori (or a good Indian buffet) for too long. Most restaurant tandoori is bland and uninteresting.
November Chowmeet
I am from the Chicago area, so I am pretty picky about foods claiming to be "Chicago style" Nevertheless, I was pretty satisfied with Chicago Pizza Kitchen. Food was ready soon after we arrived and was hot and delicious. I would say their crust is not quite the same as the buttery crisp (Reggios) or oily and crisp (Piper's Alley) pan pizza that I enjoy from chicago and I am sure my significant other would have appreciated more thin crust pizza (which was quite good) but over all it was tasty. The Italian beef was nothing like the sandwiches I know and love. The beef was dry, although it tasted good and there was plenty of juice to sop up with the bread. It only needed some steamed sweet pepper and ketchup along with more tender beef to make it perfect imho.
I was not impressed at all with Southern RUB. The food was not hot, my cornbread was stale, the mac and cheese was tasteless. The owner seemed reluctant to give with the BBQ sauce and had it packaged in little tubs. Have some bottles on the table, for cryin' out loud, this was not to go! The BBQ itself was okay, nothing special. But I'm not an expert on this. Okra was delish, but I ordered that special, I think he had the other items holding too long.
I had a wonderful time, though, being my first outing with the group, and I'm glad I went. Kudos to the organizer!
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Chicago Pizza Kitchen
2338 Major MacKenzie Dr, Maple, ON L6A3Y7, CA
Thanksgiving Plans
I love Thanksgiving! I love tackling the challenge of putting together a complex multi course dinner (There are only two in my family, so it's mostly one-dish meals for us) and of trying to stay true to the tradtions and yet be creative. Is anyone on here responsible for cooking for Thanksgiving? If so, what are you planning to make? I'd like to hear all about it. - the frustrations, the satisfactions, the innovations, the things you dare not change.
Kitchener/Waterloo stores
Thanks for all the hints. I am slowly checking them out. I did find a small Mexican store in Elmira. Not much in the way of groceries, but they did have a tortilla press. She must stock them regularly, but that was the last one. It's called Elaine's Mexican. Now I can have some decent corn tortillas! I've been to the New City Market twice, but I am just overwhelmed by it all. It's like a little slice of a real Chinese market. When I get more into real ethnic Asian cooking I will go back for sure! I did get some five spice powder there and some nice Oolong tea. Vincenzo's looks like the Italian deli to die for, deffo going for a trip there. Haven't been to the farmer's markets yet, that will have to wait for the day when I have transportation issues sorted out. Thanks so much for all the suggestions, I am a busy and happy lady, now!
Best and Worst Cooking Shows
Favorites:
Iron Chef America, although I have gotten tired of the Bobby Flay, Cat Cora thing. You would think they are the only Iron Chefs on that program. I wish I had been able to see more of the original Japanese series. The ones I saw were a hoot
Good Eats: Educational and a dose of quirky humour, unless it is about some thing I could care less about, like popovers or when it is a simple subject that doesn't deserve that much detail, like the show about french toast, fer god's sake
Rick Bayless. He goes into wonderful detail about Mexican food and his shows have been like travel shows that dig deep into the culture and reality of the country.
Mario Batali. The man knows what he is doing. Loved the rivalry between Jacques Pepin's daughter and him on one show.
Jacques Pepin. I am in awe of him. His technique is great
Anthony Bourdain: Wish I could get him in Canada. Yes he is a snarky arrogant New Yorker, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Another show that digs deep into culture.
Andrew Zimmern: I love to be grossed out by wierd food. Another show I wish I could get here
Okay: Bobby Flay, Dinner Impossible
Waste of Time: Emeril Live. He is inarticulate and there is too much distraction,
Unwrapped: Its one ad after another
Sandra Lee: Belongs in a women's magazine "Three new uses for refigerator dough!"
Guy Fieri: Unlikable. I'm so tired of watching him stuff his face
I could go on, but I think I will stop there!
Kitchener/Waterloo stores
I am relatively new to the area and I am an enthusiastic home cook, looking all the time to improve my skills and the quality of the food I make. I am really happy to have found this board. Getting to Toronto on a regular basis is not a good option for me at the moment.
My question is: Where in the K/W area are the best places to purchase quality food products? Gourmet items, decent loose-leaf tea, ethnic grocery stores? Anything along those lines. I have managed to find a couple of half way decent Indian stores, but so far nothing in the way of Chinese/Japanese or Mexican. Help?
