chililala's Profile
lots of cranberries left--any healthy ideas?
There is no sugar in this recipe at all...Has anyone tried it? I'm very curious, but have been unsuccessful in the past with banana bread that doesn't have any sugar-I've ended up with a strange gummy texture...
Delhi Bombay on Jean-Talon?
Amazing news!!!!!!!!They're back! They have moved in next to Pushap on the north side of Jean Talon at Birnam. The sign up front says Curry and Naan and in small letters you see DBR. They are definitely the same owners. Apparently, they own the Salon Dee's that took over the space where the old resto was, and they have finally re-opened. The place is much smaller, but the food seems to be the same, and the prices are insanely cheap. Thalis are 6$ for veg and 7$ for meat, and both times we've been they've thrown in free dessert--gulab jamin. They also have a liquor license and sell beer on tap for 12$ a pitcher...Go check it out! Now!
Favourites in Little India (a.k.a southern parc-ex)
I love love the little India Beau Village on Jarry. It might be my favourite..although I really can't choose...
Best Health Food Store?
We really don't have anything that compares to Whole Foods, but I find I can get pretty much everything I need at the Jean Talon market. At the south-east end of the market there is a Merci and another health food store called Alfalfa directly across from it. Between those two, I can find just about everything I need. In the summer there are a few stalls that carry local, organic produce. In the winter the main source for organic produce and also bulk grains, beans, etc, is Michaca--inside the covered portion of the market, also on the east side...
For really good deals on "brand name" organics etc (like bob's red mill, Yves, Tofurkey, and other such stuff) try Segal's on St. Laurent and Duluth (but I would stay away from their produce as much as possible).
Also, Viva Granola just opened a new storefront up the road from there--they have all kinds of vegan products that I haven't seen anywhere else in the city. They're just south of Rachel on St. Laurent.
Raincoast Crisps
Here's the recipe a friend passed along to me, which I have slightly modified. It is as far as I can tell, a very accurate reproduction of the originals. Very addictive, enjoy:
2 cups flour (I use 1/2 whole wheat pastry)
2 tsp baking soda
1(generous) tsp salt
2 cups buttermilk (or just plain milk soured with vinegar--I successfully subbed used soymilk)
1/4 cup honey
Stir the above ingredients together until blended. Don't overmix!
Then add:
1 cup raisins (or dried cranberries)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (pecans/walnuts/almonds)
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup flax seeds (ground or whole)
1/4 cup Sesame seeds
1 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped (or more, or dry would also work, adjust proportion to taste)
Pour into two 4"X8" greased pans. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees F or until springy. Cool completely on rack and put in the freezer (I put them in the freezer while they were still pretty warm, no big deal). When the loaves are totally frozen, cut into very thin slices. Lay slices on cookie sheets and bake 15 minutes at 300 deg. F. Turn the slices over and bake another 10 or 15 minutes.
Vegetarian Chinese eats?
Can't say I've tasted the porc version, but really truly, it is good without. Like the best I've ever had, like green-beans-as-crack-good.
Mumbai Palace feedback?
It was farther west, I believe between Chomedey and Lambert Closse on St. Cath. Then it moved south of St. Cath on Bishop, and finally here, to the Lincoln location.
Vegetarian Chinese eats?
For Cantonese style--Beijing in Chinatown has an excellent selection of veggie choices, and the food is great! Try the szechuan style eggplant and the mushroom with "japanese style tofu" dishes...and their veggie chowmein, is the best. Don't go for the general tao tofu, though--not pretty.
For something a little more intense, but also great--try Cuisine Szechuan on Guy, just south of Sherbrooke--they have 2 fabuous eggplant dishes, the most incredible spicy green beans (be sure to specify no porc, though) and something akin to general tao but far superior, called hot spicy tofu with peanuts. The latter is also on their lunch specials menu--a really good deal for midday. Also try their fiery hot pot--tofu flower and mixed veggies floating in the pepperiest bath of deliousness .
Also in the concordia getto--on St. Mathew, above St. Catherine--Restaurant du Bonheur--the former "Manchuria" is very good. They also make an fabulous garlicky eggplant dish--served whole steamed with fresh black bean sauce, and their general tao tofu is actually good. They also make a veggie dumpling which sometimes has eggs and zucchini--pretty tasty.
I hope you like eggplant, as I just realized that I went a little heavy on the eggplant dish recommendations, but even if you don't these joints have true veggie variety.
Best local snacks
Pastry--Cannoli at Alati Caserta on Dante, just a short walk from the Jean Talon market--really the best I have had in any city, ever.
Bread--Zaatar--lebanese flatbread deliciousness, comes in many varieties at the Zaatar bakery on DeCastelnau just north of the JT market.
Gelato---I very strongly second Havre aux Glaces in the JT market--amazing, and it, unlike many Montreal ice cream joints, is open through the winter. Note-you can always have 3 flavours in one, even in the smallest portion size.
Kam Fung, Red Ruby, or Dobe & Andy?
If you are not opting for dim sum, I strongly recommend Beijing for excellent, classic Cantonese style food. The prices are very reasonable and it is really better for dinner than Kam Fung and Ruby Rouge, although if I had to pick between those 2 for non dim sum, I would go with KF.
Mumbai Palace feedback?
If it's the one on Lincoln and Guy, that was briefly called Buffet Oregano, it is not bad. They have a pretty good selection, and the food is nicely spiced. I found the veg options to be a bit better than the meat--which tasted like it had been sitting there for a while (which it obviously had been). This place has moved around a lot in the past few years. It used to be next to the Forum on St. Catherine, but I believe that building burned down. It was substantially fancier at that location, as it now looks a little like a space in transition. Also not bad for indian downtown is Thali which I believe is on the corner of St. Marc and St. Catherine--not buffet, but the portions are huge and very reasonably priced.
Garlic in oil vs. Food safety
Agreed!!! This tip is offering super dangerous advice. Botulism is a serious neurotoxin and can kill you. We're not talking about simple food poisoning. I strongly suggest removing this video and making an editorial comment explaining why, so as not to endanger Chow's visitors.
commenting on videos???
Is it no longer possible to post comments on videos, such as chow tips? If so, why not? This was an excellent feature.
On that note, I would like to contest some of the info included in a recent chow tips video on preserving garlic. Where can I comment upon this???
Delhi Bombay on Jean-Talon?
I am still grieving!!! Soo. so sad. Anybody have a recommendation for second-best butter chicken?
Montreal Tipping Question
It is my understanding that unless the service is terrible, you should really tip a minimum of 15% on the pre-tax amount, and if the service is good, you should lean closer to 20%. Servers in Montreal, unlike most (all?) other Canadian cities, are personally taxed on a percentage of their total sales, regardless of how much they are actually tipped, so they take home less than whatever it is that you give them, and when tipped poorly, often end up having to pay out of pocket.
Passover '09 ideas
could you post the epicurious link. I just did a bunch of searches, but I couldn't find the torte.
best monday resto (<20$ entree), plateau/downtown
I'm too late for tonight, but in Chinatown most restaurants are open on Mondays...
baby-friendly restaurant for weekend brunch/lunch/tea
Cafe Deux Soleil on Commercial and 5th is very baby friendly and the brunch is decent. I think it's mostly or all vegetarian...I'm not sure how they are about accommodating such a large group, but you could call them and ask. They have a play area and lots of toys. Definitely more of a hippie vibe though...
Vietnamese Subs
Sriracha is good, but they do offer to put in little slices of bird chilies, which certainly spice it up...
Delhi Bombay on Jean-Talon?
So I actually tried Delhi to Bombay the other day and it was fantastic! We had a veg thali and a butter chicken thali, and the curries were spicy, complex and perfectly seasoned. Even the rice was a particularly nice basmati with toasted cumin seeds...and it was very cheap. I stand corrected. I think this might be the best thali I've had!
Opinions on best Thai food?
I've been to the Laurier restaurant and it's great! They used to have an amazing lunch special for under 10$ that was delicious... Excellent panang--better than Restaurant Thailande, in my opinion, and the atmosphere is very nice.
SOUR SALT
Agreed, it's the same thing and you can buy it at Merci in the Jean Talon Market, I've also seen it in thicker granules in Indian grocery stores farther west on Jean Talon.
Vietnamese Subs
The veggie one is my favourite, the seitan is super-tasty. The veggie sub at Baile is also quite good, but it's not fake meat, I think it's more of a blend of veggies and tofu...
Vietnamese Subs
I agree, their subs are great, and they have a nice variety of options including grilled chicken and vegetarian with their own homemade fake meat (seitan).
Best Gnocchi recipe?
Mine's very similar, but I use olive oil instead of butter, no breadcrumbs, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and grated pecorino. Delicious--also great with cubes of steamed or roasted orange fleshed squash. The lemon sage combination is so good!
Israeli couscous source?
They sell it in pre-packaged bulk form at Merci in the Jean Talon Market.
Costco EVOO?
For a while they were selling first cold pressed, organic olive oil, and I haven't been able to find it lately. It was great, and super cheap...Has anybody seen it?
Beer Spots in Montreal
Vices et Versa on St. Laurent at St. Zotique in Little Italy. They have over 20 local beers on tap at any given time, and you can get this cool sampler deal with a choice of 6 beers, for like 11 bucks.
