Was hoping you could bring some more hope to the Shanghainese food scene in Toronto. It may sound snobbish, but I agree that the AL chain reminds me of more of Mandarin Buffet.

Does anyone remember Lao Jing Xing on Highway 7? That used to be my gold standard for Shanghainese in the GTA, until the owner returned to Hong Kong. That restaurant shone in many traditional dishes in that cuisine.

And in addition, you lovingly tuck all the unmentionable loots of your travels into the layers of clothes in your luggage, or the nooks inside the socks or pockets. Knowing that you shouldn't but you must, because you are a foodie.

Plus, there is much more perceived possibility that a chef will become a long-term customer, than than the average joe.

That is also pretty much why I almost never order the cheese plate on its own too ;-)

I do exactly the same quick analysis when deciding what items to pick. This probably explains why I generally save the consumption of those big name cheeses, charcuterie and produce for at-home events.

It might not be what you have in mind but I consider snails a delicious aspect of foraging too.

Interesting phenomenon that people talk about consuming a certain large amount of oysters, as a celebratory action. I know a few people around me who often do (and talk about) that. I myself happily do too. It's always a celebration in itself, when you are presented with a platter of freshly-opened oysters, nicely arranged and set on ice (or salt).

Okay, I'll just use ISO (in search of) from now on!

I do not know if I am being overly reactive. Seeing them no longer carrying some of my favourites (that they have been carrying in the last couple of years), while including more non-Asian groceries, makes it so much less appealing to shop there.

I wonder if it is only the T&T's in the GTA that are being affected.

Loblaws did not in the past, but I have recently noticed they are doing it now. The price for 1 is specifically mentioned in smaller print, right below the multi-buy sale price.

Me too! It seems that T&T no longer carry as many Japanese imports as before, so J-Town is becoming again my go-to place for these things.

Oh. I myself used have the same reaction about this acronym. That is, until I saw it being used often enough, even on CH, to refer to "where to find", and thought it has become the norm. Maybe this board is more old school than others?

I will still be posting a lot of where to find's in the future, but with all this reaction, will revert to avoiding this provocative acronym from now on ;-)

Yes, I realized that right after posting, when background checking to see if I got all the facts right ;-) It always baffles me that cinnamon is an ingredient in traditional Japanese cuisine.

You are welcome! You probably know of other sweet, chewy snacks made with rice flour but this is one of the more delicate ones in texture and taste. Not over-the-top sweet like most others.

The cafeteria at your own campus? They sell (or used to sell) student-cooked meals there at around lunch time, and the value and quality were quite good. Not sure if they still do that now.

I recently had a craving for this and voila, I found it at JTown last weekend! Except that they only had them with cinnamon, almost the only flavour I am not too keen about. They typically come in plain, or with green tea or black sesame.

They are called Namayatsu Hashi or just Yatsu Hashi, originally from Kyoto, Japan (and so I am happy to see them here). Does anyone happen to spot other flavours recently elsewhere in Toronto?

Thanks in advance.

It breaks my heart to see so many around me going through this, but at least it sounds like she is in good hands.

As someone who just came out from a long spell of illnesses that included severe weight loss and nausea, loss of appetite, aversion to many, many foods and smells, dehydration and sores, I can share some ideas that might work for your friend.

Broth-type soups made with the meat, bones, skin and ligaments etc. The collagen (and maybe the fat too?) seems to help hydrate the whole body (even the organs) and help heal the sores better. Chicken has a more neutral taste than pork or beef, and chicken feet works very well if she does not mind that kind of thing.

Adding ginger to the soup helps with nausea, and adding lemon juice worked for me to help whet the appetite.

I was also recently sent a gift of chicken soup made with coconut milk. It was not spicy and seemed to work well. It should be good for nutrition too.

How about rice congee, Chinese style? Very basic seasonings such as sea salt, nori or (a tiny bit of) pickled plum. Those are what I could eat during the worst of the conditions. The texture is gentle and comforting.

Also, club soda with a tiny bit of juice added. That seemed to help with nausea and the appetite. You can experient with adding a splash of ginger juice, lemon juice or other juice of your choice.

Sadly I notice those changes about T&T too.

That is what I have been suspecting those signs mean anyway! And together with the eye-catching labels offering miniscule discounts such as 30 cents off, they are an insult to a shopper's intelligence ("Ha ha, made you look!"). I am shopping at a Loblaws only because it is the closest big-box grocer nearby.

Good for you to find the time to call CCB -- you are doing us a favour.

I have to use freezer bags a lot because it helps with saving space, and I find that the more durable ones from name brands are better if I want to rinse and reuse.

Agree that an event like a wine tasting/release party should be a strictly adults-only occasion.

On the other hand, I myself have not too long ago done my fair share of winery tours with a little one. We were made to feel very welcome, including at the tasting rooms, but that was in BDX which can be quite different. It worked out pretty well and the experience was enjoyable for all.

I would suggest to focus on the visits to the "other wineries" and go easy on the party itself, but still go. When junior gets to be one or two years old, you will be faced with other new challenges bringing him to places.

Given everything, it sounds pretty good. One more important factor that makes the puffs good is freshness, which all this increased publicity might just help with.

Interesting that my honey personality is just opposite to this. I like to pair the honey with something, and found it hard to find a match for pine honey. Its flavour is intriguing but is not something I crave. Just wondering what you usually have it with, if not on its own?

On the other hand, orange blossom is lovely, with vanilla ice-cream, custards, bread, cheese etc.

OMG the chain finally made it to Toronto (and I didn't even know about it until now)! Thanks for posting this. I love the ones with vanilla custard.

Also, if you knew about the origin of the chain, have you tried it at the other locations abroad, and if so, how do these compare?

On the other hand, the day may arrive soon, when you can bring your own, preferred duck to your favourite, befriended BBQ location, and have them prepare it for you.

I loathe the typical duck breast mushiness the exact same way too (well, but will still eat it eventually if no one else wants it). In my books, a mushy breast for eating medium rare, which makes it somewhat more palatable.

It was not too long ago that I approached the idea as a joke. Now, I just need to find a scratch-resistant, break-resistant model that attaches to my key chain!

EDIT: grammatical

Lovely one-of-its-kind location. I didn't realize they are open for breakfast.

Enthusiastically seconded. Almost :-)

I recall having used wine bottles for many things, from crushing nuts, garlic and peppercorns, to rolling dough!

On a whim, I got a big hunk of this bright orange stuff, and now wondering what to do with it. Searched this board and the 'Net, and came up with not much, except references to the dried/cured/salted versions. Or suggestions of making it into taramosalata, which I wish to avoid doing.

Has anyone ever used this to make something similar to a bottarga with pasta dish? Having it look so succulent, I am even tempted to cut the roe into big chunks, dredge and pan fry. I hope someone writes and stops me soon enough if this is not a good idea at all..

Again, I am talking about the uncured, unsalted, un-dried version. TIA.