Ditto on the hot air popper. I recently tried topping it with a mixture of melted butter with a few drops of truffle oil, and grated parmesan. Yum! Very umami :)

After a few recent trips down to the states where I had fantastic grits, I'd like to try making them at home. Has anyone seen them in stores here in YEG? I'd like to find the good stone-ground variety...

I use biodegradable J-cloths (noticed them on the market about 9 months ago or so), so I feel less guilty about the fact that they're disposable. And I use a home-made, natural, all purpose cleaner that has tea tree oil in it (to disinfect).

What about trying honey or agave nectar? I think the complex sweetness would be lovely. And even if it were swirled in as opposed to dissolved, that might be nice too!

You might also want to try labneh (basically a strained, high fat content yogurt). I have gotten it from middle eastern grocery stores like Elsafadi brothers, and the one (name escapes me) on 163 St. and approx. 95 Ave. It's really nice and creamy, with a thick texture. I'm not sure exactly what the fat content is though.

The stems (not leaves) on my tomato plants are covered with small black bugs. The bugs are very small but almost look as though they have small wings on them. They don't seem to be doing any damage (that I can see) but it still cant' be good. Any idea what they might be or how I can get rid of them? Does soapy water work to kill all bugs?

Does anyone know if Pampa is open, or when it will be opening?

I think I saw some at Paddy's cheese shop awhile back...can't be completely sure...but might be worth giving them a call.

I've been meaning to try Bistecca for awhile now, but it's not a convenient location for me unfortunately! I had an OK experience at Il Pasticcio and agree with cleopatra999 about lots of people liking SPK (I don't care for it myself).

Edmonton is definitely lacking great authentic Italian restaurants. But for friends visiting from Fort Mac, anything we have would beat Fort Mac hands down!!

If proximity is key, you might consider Packrat Louie, which is just off Whyte. It's been around forever and is quite good (albeit not Italian)

http://www.packratlouie.com/

If you're willing to cross the river downtown, Sorrentino's would be a nice Italian choice.

http://www.sorrentinos.com/sorrentino...

Other non-Italian downtown restos that the girls might enjoy would be Wildflower Grill, Hardware Grill, Moriarty's (more casual but beautiful interior), MRKT (also more casual but a cool spot), and I know I've been meaning to try The Marc as well.

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Packrat Louie
10335 - 83rd Ave, Edmonton, AB T6E 2C6, CA

Wildflower Grill
10009 - 107 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T5J 1J1, CA

Sorrentinos
4208 Calgary Trail South, Edmonton, AB T6J 6Y8, CA

Couple ideas: homemade grilled pizzas (the pieces will be tasty hot or at room temp). I love making the roasted red pepper feta dip on this site (I also add a clove of garlic)...sooo good...everyone always loves it. If you have the time/desire, vietnamese salad rolls are always a hit (with peanut sauce).

We celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving this past weekend, and made pumpkin parfaits for dessert...sooo delish! Basically a standard pumpkin pie filling (with the addition of some dissolved gelatin to help it hold) with whipped cream folded in, layered in parfait glasses with crushed gingersnaps and whipped cream as well.

I see that Oodle Noodle is opening a new location on Jasper Ave and 109 Street in October...will be a welcome addition to the take-out scene in the area.

Salted cod is pretty popular in some Caribbean cuisines. A friend's mom (from Trinidad) makes a delicious salted cod recipe that consists of rehydrated salted cod (shredded) mixed with fresh tomatoes, hot pepper sauce, cilantro, onion, olive oil, salt & pepper, and lemon, served on bakes (or toast) with sliced avocado and sliced hard boiled eggs. Yum!!

I'd suggest trying steel cut oats instead of traditional rolled oats. I've always had the same texture issues with reheating traditional oatmeal, but the steel cut oats reheat wonderfully in the microwave and retain their original slightly-chewy texture (in a good way).

I bought some dried hominy kernels recently at Paraiso Tropical. I think it was about $4 for a bag.

Paraiso Tropical
118 Avenue Northwest, Edmonton, AB T5B 0V1
(780) 479-6000

There is another location on the north siiiiiide as well. Roughly 42 Street and just north of 137 Avenue (a few blocks away from the Superstore).

I read about a new restaurant called Noodle Maker in the latest issue of The Tomato (old City Palate) and stopped by tonight after work for a quick bite. They have several different types of ramen on their menu, including teriyaki chicken, braised pork tenderloin with onions, and others that escape me right now. You can choose between light miso or butter soy broth with your ramen. They also have many kinds of chinese ramen bowls as well.

They have a facebook page (and twitter feed) with menu specials:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Edmonton-AB/Noodle-Maker/118925564802055?ref=search. I also found this blog which had a very favourable review: http://beyondumami.blogspot.com/2010/...

I had the teriyaki chicken ramen with butter soy broth. Very tasty and quite a complex flavoured broth (the broth came out perfectly seasoned once the teriyaki chicken was added into it...it comes separately on a plate). I would definitely go back to try a few other flavours :)

I hate when I let a frying pan get a bit too hot and my butter browns/burns. Don't get me wrong, brown butter can be great...but not with everything :s

Now I usually mix a bit of olive oil in with the butter to prevent this from happening, because it drives me nutso.

Has anyone tried this new shop? Evidently it just opened a week or so ago. What did you think? Good selection? How were the prices?

The Journal had a brief write-up about it and evidently they carry certified organic eggs, poultry and turkey as well as a selection of all-natural beef, celiac-safe sausage and award-winning cheeses (including Sylvan Star products).

Read more: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/life/D...

I actually haven't eaten at the Kyoto across the street (I usually go to the downtown one), so I can't really compare.

Yes, I tried it last week. It's quite small inside but very cozy. There's a giant fake cherry tree in the middle, with small tables around it - quite a unique setting. It was quite busy when I went, but I was able to get a table right away. There were a number of japanese university students there when I went, which I considered to be a good sign.

The menu is pretty extensive - many different kinds of maki, including a section of deep fried maki (not really my "thing", but interesting no less). They also have a pretty decent selection of sake, including premium cold sakes. As I recall, the cold sakes were only available by the bottle, but of course the hot sake could be ordered in various sizes.

I was on my own, so just had their "Hot Night" maki (tempura shrimp, salmon, spicy tuna, avocado) and a couple pieces of salmon nigiri. Both were fresh and tasty (nice presentation on the maki). Prices seem pretty standard for any sushi place in E-town. I still consider Wasabi, Mikado, Matsuya, and Kobe to be my favourites in the city, but Kabuki was pretty decent and conveniently located, so worth checking out.

I always used to be afraid about over-moistening pie/tart dough when making it in a food processor. The result was dough that was very difficult to roll out . I recently learned to add a touch more water than I thought I should, and it makes a world of difference when it comes time to roll out the dough.

First thing I made in 2010 was a huge batch of bolognese sauce, which will go into the freezer in batches to feed us well into the spring. Yum.

Thanks again everyone! I didn't have a lot of free time, but I did get a chance to try SMOKE and it really was fantastic! I had the ribs, which the super friendly lady behind the bar promised me would "change my life", and they really were delish. Served with four different types of BBQ sauces, which I really enjoyed. I had the coleslaw and hominy casserole with green chili and cheddar, which was deadly. Would love to go back someday!

Thanks for the suggestions! Can't wait to try some of them.

Oh, and Google Maps calls the area "historic district" - I just assumed that was accurate! :)

I'm a Canadian gal who will be in Dallas on business later this month (first time in Dallas, or Texas for that matter), and I've always wanted to try authentic American barbecue. Any recommendations? I'm staying in the historic district (Commerce Street), but don't mind a short taxi ride somewhere. Thanks in advance!

To me, sundried tomatoes are totally overrated and overdone these days. I find them overly chewy and sadly lacking in flavour. Why bother?

Also, balsamic vinegar. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a lovely aged balsamic on a nice fresh tomato salad, but it seems to be in everything these days...even when its flavour overwhelms the other ingredients.

Lastly, steak sauce (is it A1?) If a steak is so flavourless or overdone that it needs that disgusting goop, I'll just skip the steak.

I've bought frozen duck breasts at the Save-On Foods downtown (109 and Jasper) as well as at the Sobey's Urban Market downtown (104 and Jasper).

I couldn't agree more! :)
The akawie cheese I bought was made in Canada, but I actually don't know what the origin is. Very nice though...would be great in salad or maybe crumbled on pizza or something as well! Yum :)