Im planning a dinner for myself and a date in toronto this week - looking for a fun, hip place with some world-class food...prices are not a concern.

I like brewing some Kicking Horse Coffee when I'm at home. You can find it at Zehr's now i think.

so does that have a lotta paprika in it or what..gotta love chilled soups - what's the recipe?

Mmm, I like the idea of alcohol preservation. Drunken sour cherries with venison comes to mind not to mention the myriad of drink possibilities. Thanks!

The breadcrumbs are definitely the way to go on this one

After being quickly blanched, it is lovely wrapped thickly around a meat of some kind, could be fish, chicken or tenderloin of any kind, and then again wrapped in proscuitto,phyllo or puff pastry.

I agree with bitsubeats, but i like grilling the bread for that really crusty surface on which to scrape the garlic clove. To up the ante, after rubbing the garlic on the olive-oil grilled bread, cut a tomato in half & rub it on the bread - then top with preffered cheese & return to grill on upper rack to melt.

I have a massive wild cherry tree in my yard which is currently full of ripe sour cherries. I'm thinking maybe sundried and preserved... Any suggestions on what to do with all these cherries?

How about a salad...Strawberries are just coming into season. How about an arugula salad with strawberry-balsamic vinaigrette with some local green onions, strawberries & goat's cheese?

Most emulsions like this one as well as hollandaise can be re-homogenized by heating the sauce and whisking in a tsp. or two of water - beware, do this only a few minutes before you plan to serve your sauce as it is only a matter of time until your over-fattened sauce will break again.

Yeah, make the snake cakes! A little cayenne in the cakes might be nice with a cool cucumber-yogurt dip. Let us know what you end up doing.

One thing I might try is carefully grilling a section of it in foil & gently flaking meat from bones - like with whole-cooked fish. Then I'd take some breadcrumbs, herbs, egg and make snake cakes. Fry 'em 'till golden.

You guys are right of course, I should've cooked that goose. It was the end of the day & i'd just gotten home from work...wasn't sure how fishy Canada goose would be considering their diet and that's alot of work defeathering those big birds. I've done defeatherings of small partridge & grouse in the big stew pot but I don't have a pot at home big enough to fit a Canada goose.
Is it legal to eat/ shoot a Canada Goose?

Once my dog killed a Canada Goose & I was very tempted to try cooking & eating it but chickened out at the last minute. I often pass large frogs, leopard I believe on the way to the fishing hole and wonder if they are edible. Anybody know?

Wild leeks in southern Ontario can be found in large numbers in most deciduous woods beginning in april. They are getting quite fat at the base (bulb) now, and are currently peaking. You can pick 'em anywere you have permission from the landowner. I like them best fried in a little olive oil/ butter then seasoned with s&p They are also excellent cooked this way & added to mashed potatoes or blitzed & made into a flavored butter for meats.

Butter-fried croutons rock. melt some butter in the pan over med., toss in the croutons and sautee, add a little more butter to finish coating them and fry till golden. Season with herbs/spices, s&p and empty onto a paper towel to absorb excess butter. Also is great with olive oil instead.

I wrap lean cuts of meat (tenderloins, breasts of fowl, some roasts) with caul fat prior to roasting...people wonder how the meat stays so moist...

Sadly, Captain Jack's - the fish & chips place jayt was referring to is now gone.
Well, there is so much to do around this area. Bayfield had a great fishmarket where wild huron fish are available. Also the Little Inn in Bayfield has lots of local & well made food.
The goderich farmer's market happens on saturdays starting may 24. There is montefort dairy in the area as well with some nice cheeses.
Meeting-Place Organic Farm is not far from blythe & is a diverse & beautiful farm with organic meats & veggies, apple butter, maple syrup etc. for sale. They have horse-drawn wagon rides and fun events as well.
In kinkardine there is The Brasserie, as well as Victoria Park Restaurant (opening June 1st by me) In southampton there is Grovenor's - A nice restaurant.
Port Albert has one of the coolest beaches for kids.

Check out this website.
http://www.ontarioswestcoast.ca/PAGES...

Hope that helps

When do these things appear in southwestern ontario? I've only found them once myself a few years back...

first of all, have a party! Use up those perishables by getting together with some friends to chow. Secondly, try some bread, cheese,wine, a bit of cured meat and veggies that you will use in one day. Slice 'em up, a little olive oil & balsamic for dipping and you're happy as a Frenchman. Also, instead of spending money on an electric cooler, get out and enjoy some of the cheap delicious eats in to. It's only a few weeks.

Lamb Shanks, ox tails, duck legs (confit), brisket, shortribs, cabbage!

Everyone who likes steak loves a nicely marbled piece of meat. But what about grass fed beef... The flavor can be very different. Anyone who's tried grass-fed beef care to weigh-in?