rlinnington's Profile
cooking dried beans
i read that the water you soak beans in, instead of dumping it down the drain, to use it on plants. Now presumably they meant unsalted soaking water (as per some discussion back and forth about this above.) Read this on side of a box of Eden Organic Beans. Anyone else heard this before?
Lizano Salsa? (Costa Rican Sauce)
Update -- as of summer 2011, you can get Lizano Salsa at the Mexican store in Kensington market, downtown Toronto.
8.95 for a HUUUUGE bottle.
write up here for those that don't know it:
http://www.cooksinfo.com/lizano-sauce
Best Instant Coffee
There are some surprisingly good instants out there, despite what "foodie" consumers in North America think. Here's a piece that talks about that: http://www.cooksinfo.com/instant-coffee
cooking dried beans
Hey Hamster, can I ask for your backup on the statement that "don't cook beans in salted water" is a myth that has been debunked? Do you have any sources for that statement?
Help identifying this fruit and this gourd / squash, please?
I've compared that "yellow fruit" No 1. picture to coconut, and yep that would indeed appear to be it.
Now to identify the squash / gourd picture!
Coffee Bowls in Toronto
Oh, see the secret with this exact shape of bowl is that (a) the ridges help diffuse the heat; and (b) your hand doesn't actually touch the bowl, per se. Instead, your thumb goes on the top ridge, which is not hot, and a few of your fingertips go on the bottom footed ridge of the bowl, which is not hot either, and then to sip you raise it to your mouth and just kinda tilt your wrist towards you a bit... it's hard to explain, I'd have to have the equipment to make a video lol. But anyway, though the coffee is nice and piping hot, there are lots of "cool" spots on the bowl, and those are the ones you handle -- you never hold it by its sides.
Help identifying this fruit and this gourd / squash, please?
Both pictures taken recently in Costa Rica by a friend.
1. Unknown fruit:
http://picasaweb.google.com/sue.schenk/2010DecCostaRica?authkey=Gv1sRgCP_osJnjocvgdw#5559054352405921282
2. Unknown gourd / squash :
http://picasaweb.google.com/sue.schenk/2010DecCostaRica?authkey=Gv1sRgCP_osJnjocvgdw#5559053742018852082
http://picasaweb.google.com/sue.schenk/2010DecCostaRica?authkey=Gv1sRgCP_osJnjocvgdw#5559053896459785602
Many thanks!!!
Coffee Bowls in Toronto
I'm looking for (what I think of) as a classic French coffee bowl -- ridged sides to help hold the bowl with the heat, and trimmed around the top in dark red, or blue....
Such as pictured here:
http://fotobank.ru/image/SF14-3837.html
The ones I have are on their last legs, all chipped etc, and it's time to replace.
Has anyone spotted these exact bowls at any store in Toronto?
cast iron skillet in toronto
Just found Lodge Cast Iron in downtown Toronto! In the kitchen store that is in the centre of St Lawrence market. If you've come by TTC, be prepared to spring for a cab home -- a few purchases of these babies makes for a heavy trip home otherwise :}
cast iron skillet in toronto
Hey everybody. Found this thread through Google. Hope it's okay for me to jump in.
wow lagatta. you're right. Canadian Tire sells a Lodge Skillet. Kewl. Who knew? (Betcha never in stock tho, hehe.)
My family has used cast iron for 3 generations. I tried some overseas made cast iron a while back and kinda gave up on it.
My interest in it was revived by reading this on Practically Edible.
http://www.practicallyedible.com/edible.nsf/pages/castiron
I learnt from it that Lodge is the last North American cast iron cookware maker.
I went to Lodge's site, and found that they make cast iron griddles.
https://secure.lodgemfg.com/storefront/product1.asp?menu=logic&idProduct=3942
My life is now incomplete.
(I don't think I'd use the ribbed side; would just rather throw food on grill for that effect.)
Question pls: has anyone seen these cast iron griddles in Toronto, preferably downtown Toronto, preferably Lodge? I know I could mail order, but the customs brokers these days charge an arm and a leg, and plus, I can imagine what the postage would be on a hunk of cast iron, lol.
What's Your Favorite Bottled Water?
maybe an old joke, but what's evian spellt backwards?
Best Instant Coffee
Excellent instant coffees, though sadly to my knowledge not available in North America, only in Europe are:
Alta Rica (nescafe)
Cap Columbie (nescafe)
Kenjara (nescafe)
Alta Rica is very strong, dark roasted. Also just as excellent is Carte Noire, a brand popular in France (though it's made in Germany). Don't try serving these to your auntie from the farm in Iowa, she'll think you're trying to kill her.
Kenco in the UK also makes some excellent freeze-dried instants.
But all of these are pricey -- they're not your average North American's instant coffee -- they are premium, gourmet makes, often from single beans, and so you'll pay accordingly. These instants are so good that even though I enjoy coffee from my Delonghi, and my good old-fashioned flip-over caffeteria neapolitana that I bought while going to school in Italy, I also really enjoy these instants. But do you think I can even get another person here to even try a sip? Nope, their minds are closed based on what we have here. Might as well offer them a cup of boiled tripe (grin).
I know where they're coming from, though: I'm unable to drink unfortunately any instant I can find here in North America, even Taster's Choice. Just can't do it. North American instants are to European instants what white vinegar is to certified modena balsamic.
p.s. not trying to convert anyone to instant; I jealously guard mine as I have to reimburse friends the cost and postage to get these shipped over regularly. Just wanting to say, there's a whole different world of instant out there that we don't know about.
