Eat My Cake

The new store in town

2006-11-06T09:21:00.000-08:00

We've been hearing rumours of a new grocery store in town for weeks now: a brand-spanking-new, 24-hour A&P. I've been threatening to switch allegiances for some time since the store located a couple minutes away from my house has disappointed me time and again with their lack of fresh produce and general inventory. Finally last night, my husband and I decided to stop in on our way home from dinner at my folks' for the week's lunch stuff. We should have known it wouldn't have been a quick trip.

Aisles and aisles of perfectly-shelved items, rows and rows of gorgeously fresh and varied vegetables. A bakery to die for, with a self-serve bread slicer with which you can choose your desired thickness of slice! You get to pick between thin, medium, thick, thicker, and thickest!

The trip aside though, I started thinking how funny it is how accustomed you become to your regular store; I shop regularly at 1-2 stores and know the brands and layout like the back of my hand. In fact, I write my grocery list by aisle. So it was a bit like being in a foreign country where the labels and food are familiar, but it still takes you a while to absorb all the items you're not used to seeing.

I hope I'm not in the minority here, but surprisingly, expecting a well-stocked market with plenty of brands and qualities to choose from at a store that charges more than your average market, is too much to ask for in my neck of the woods. I'm afraid I've become infamous, bitching to neighbours and staff and customers in-store when I go to buy a basic item like jalapeno peppers and there are none in sight. I usually get an odd look, then maybe a half-hearted acknowledgement that perhaps they've had difficulty finding something themselves on occasion, yet I think my overzealousness on the topic startles some.

Oh well. I'm just happy I have a place to depend on when I need dried lobster mushrooms, kohlrabi, and more than one brand of soy sauce... and HAVE IT GUARANTEED TO BE IN STOCK!

Did I mention the A&P was in a new plaza that also houses my town's FIRST Starbucks? My Saturday afternoon shopping cycle is now complete!

What to Expect When You're Expecting Dinner

2006-09-13T13:31:00.000-07:00

I thought this was oh-so fitting and so very true!!
-b

From Sept 13 New York Times

What to Expect When You’re Expecting Dinner
By NORA EPHRON

WE would like a bottle of Pellegrino. The waiter brings the Pellegrino. There are four of us at the table. The waiter brings glasses for the Pellegrino. The glasses happen to be extremely tall. Tall glasses are not necessarily the best glasses for Pellegrino, but before I can say a word on this profound subject, the waiter pours the Pellegrino into the tall glasses.
When the waiter is done pouring, there’s a tiny amount of Pellegrino left in the bottle. My husband takes a sip of his Pellegrino, and the waiter is back, in a flash, with the last drops of our Pellegrino. He tops off my husband’s drink.
The first bottle of Pellegrino is now gone. We’ve been at the table for exactly three minutes and somehow we’ve managed to empty an entire bottle of Pellegrino.
“Would you like another bottle of Pellegrino?’’ the waiter says.
I haven’t even had any of this one!
I don’t actually say these words.
•
I love salt. I absolutely adore it. Occasionally I eat at a place where (in my opinion) the food doesn’t need more salt, but it’s rare.
Many years ago, they used to put salt and pepper on the table in a restaurant, and here’s how they did it: there was a salt shaker and there was a pepper shaker. The pepper shaker contained ground black pepper, which was outlawed in the 1960’s and replaced by the Permanent Floating Pepper Mill and the Permanent Floating Pepper Mill refrain: “Would you like some fresh ground black pepper on your salad?” I’ve noticed that almost no one wants some fresh ground black pepper on his salad. Why they even bother asking is a mystery to me.
But I wasn’t talking about pepper, I was talking about salt. And as I was saying, there always used to be salt on the table. Now, half the time, there’s none. The reason there’s no salt is that the chef is forcefully trying to convey that the food has already been properly seasoned and therefore doesn’t need more salt. I resent this deeply. I resent that asking for salt makes me seem aggressive toward the chef, when in fact it’s the other way around.
As for the other half of the time — when there is salt on the table — it’s not what I consider salt. It’s what’s known as sea salt. (Sea salt used to be known as kosher salt, but that’s not an upscale enough name for it any more.) Sea salt comes in an itty-bitty dish with an itty-bitty spoon. You always spill it trying to move it from the dish to the food on your plate, but that’s the least of it: it doesn’t really function as salt. It doesn’t dissolve and make your food taste saltier; instead, it sits like little hard pebbles on top of it. Also, it scratches your tongue.
•
“Is everything all right?”
The main course has been served, and the waiter has just asked us this question. I’ve had exactly one bite of my main course, which is just enough for me to remember that, as usual, the main course always disappoints. I am beginning to wonder whether this is a metaphor, and if so, whether it’s worth dwelling on. Now, suddenly the waiter has appeared, pepper mill in one hand, Pellegrino in the other, and interrupted an extremely good story right before the punch line to ask if everything is all right.
The answer is no, it’s not.
Actually the answer is No, it’s not! You ruined the punch line! Go away!
I don’t say this either.
•
We have ordered dessert. They are giving us dessert spoons. Dessert spoons are large, oval-shaped spoons. They are so large that you could go for a swim in them. I’m not one of those people who like to blame the French for things, especially now that the French turned out to be so very very right about Iraq, but there’s no question this trend began in France, where they’ve always had a weakness for dessert spoons.
One of the greatest things about this land of ours, as far as I’m concerned, is that we never fell into the dessert-spoon trap. If you needed a spoon for dessert, you were given a teaspoon. But those days are over, and it’s a shame.
Here’s the thing about dessert — you want it to last. You want to savor it. Dessert is so delicious. It’s so sweet. It’s so bad for you so much of the time. And as with all bad things, you want it to last as long as possible. But you can’t make it last if they give you a great big spoon to eat it with. You’ll gobble up your dessert in two big gulps. Then it will be gone. And the meal will be over.
Why don’t they get this? It’s so obvious. It’s so obvious.

Nora Ephron is the author, most recently, of “I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts About Being a Woman.’’

Pink is the new soup

2006-08-29T16:55:00.000-07:00

I feel horribly lame for not writing all summer when cooking is at its peak! I've been doing a lot of it in recent weeks, esp. with all the organic produce we've been getting in our weekly food box. Stuff I might have heard of but certainly never cooked before. My ultimate new obsession: beets! Who knew how spectacularly wonderful they can be when they're not all pickled and preserved (although I love those too)!

I've been mainly boiling them in a touch of vinegar (sans - gasp!- skin! I know! They lose their glorious colour! I've learned!), then tossing them with butter, red wine vinegar and salt. Simple! Delicious! I've also been lucky to get the beets with their leaves - a rarity if bought in the grocery store, and have been sauteeing those with some olive oil, garlic and soya sauce. The leaves have a wonderously green, ever-so-slightly bitter-ish taste - you can taste it, is what I'm saying. Normally I mix them with other greens I'm also getting, like kale, swiss chard and collard greens. Yum!

But I'm getting off track. As I mentioned in my last post, I decided to switch it up a bit and try out a lovely-looking Nigella recipe found in my favourite cookbook Forver Summer, something she calls "Spiced Pink Soup". And indeed with a shade like that, it makes one happy just looking at it, although I begrudgingly had to admit to my husband that even I could not eat too much of it and retain my happiness. Maybe because of mediocre chicken stock?

So after roasting the beets in the oven for, like 200 hours (OK, 2.5) IN THE SKIN, came the fun part of peeling off the skin. Don't do this without gloves if you don't feel like explaing to everyone you meet for the next day or so why your fingers are tinged a deep burgundy. (I, personally, do not mind).

I post the recipe here, although I do warn you that edits might need to be made. #1 of which, if you're stock-fussy like I am, don't use the tinned stuff! I have a perfectly good homemade batch in my freezer that for some reason I didn't utilize.

And although it sounds complicated, it's really not. Roasting beets takes hardly any effort, and the rest you blitz in the food processor. Then you cool and serve it in a lovely clear pitcher so everyone can admire your handiwork!

Spiced Pink Soup

Ingredients

3 medium raw beets
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
7 cups heated chicekn or vegetable stock
Salt & pepper, to taste
2 scallions, halved lengthwise
1 cup + 2 tbsp sour cream

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400F. Wrap each beet in foil and bake for 1.5 to 2 hours. Unwrap and peel once cool to touch. The skins come off easily at this point. Cut into chunks, if needed, and put them in the food processor with the juice of the lime, the cumin and coriander. Blitz to a pulp while adding stock down the funnel. Careful - this will probably splash and stain.

Taste for salt and pepper and pour into a large pitcher. Add halved scallions, cover with plastic wrap, and put in fridge to cool. (Can stay in fridge for up to 3 days).

Just before serving, remove the scallions, and, for a creamy base, blitz again while adding the sour cream, 3/4 cup first, then to taste. Pour back into the pitcher, then serve in teacups or bowls.

Serves 6-8.

Eating like a single person

2006-08-29T16:29:00.000-07:00

So tonight's my night to cook without worrying abut the husband's persnickety palette... usually happens once a week when he works late, but normally I stick with left-overs. When I got home tonight, I didn't particularly feel like the mediocre beet (pink!) soup I made the day before, and we'd grilled burgers two night in a row, thanks to the over-sized pack of hamburger buns we felt we should use up. I was feeling something meat-free.

I looked around my kitchen...and saw tomatoes everywhere! My 8 tomato plants out back are certainly keeping me in stock, plus I'm getting the most delicious heirlooms from the CSA box. I had some just-picked organic garlic and decided to go with my favorite "me" meal...spagetti with olive oil, chili flakes and garlic (tomatoes are only occasionally thrown into the mix). My basil and parsley plants got some use here too, as did some feta and pecorino romano cheeses I had in the fridge. Thus I present! A fabulous, late summer meal, made with the simplest of ingredients that let each flavour shine through in all their delicious glory!

Spagetti flecked with garlic, chili flakes & cherry tomatoes

Ingredients

Handful of spagetti

3 tbsp EVOO
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp (or to taste) dried chile flakes
24 cherry tomatoes, halved
Fresh basil, chopped
Fresh parsley, chopped
3 tbsp feta, crushed
Romano pecorino cheese (to taste)

Some direction

Salt and boil the water - cook spagetti.

When spagetti is a few minutes away from being done, heat olive oil, garlic and chile in small pan, stirring to prevent garlic from burning, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, stir to coat.

Reserve 1 tbsp spagetti water; drain the rest. Put cooked spagetti back in pot.

Toss with oil and tomato mixture; stir in reserved water, feta and herbs. Top with percorino romano and pepper, if desired, and serve!

I've made this in the dead of winter without tomatoes, when nary a decent-tasting tomato can be found. You could use canned, diced tomatoes, but it's tasty without them too!

Serves 2 (or 1 gluttonous single person)

Inspired by a recipe by my favorite cookbook author Nigella Lawson

My Summer of Organic Bounty

2006-06-22T20:05:00.000-07:00

Fresh, seasonal fruits and veggies at the grocery store and farmers' stands is a sure sign that Ontario's growing season is offically here. Yesterday marked the summer solstice, also known as the longest day of the year, and today I picked up my first box of locally-grown, organic produce from a local CSA that we're supporting throughout this year's growing season.

In addition to encouraging people to buy local, CSA, or Community Shared Agriculture, is a fantastic way to get back to basics with your food. Consumers essentially buy shares in local farms that ensure they receive a regular bounty of fresh crops on par with the growing season. It ensures you a direct connection with the farmer and the food source; you know exactly where your food is coming from.

I signed up for a partial share, which is enough to last a family of two for the week. I'll be posting my weekly food box contents and recipes on a regular basis. I'm told the box gets fuller as the season progresses!

Here's what was in my box this week.

Mixed lettuce
Mizuna
Mibuna (what is this??)
Burgundy mustard greens
Swiss chard
Beet greens
Pak choi
Peas
Radish
Dill
Nettle (stinging)!
Garlic scapes
Lovage
Tarragon
Italian parsley
Mint

Of course if it's a particularly bad season, you also share the downfall, a risk we were willing to take if it meant a pretty good chance of fresh produce all season long! Lately I've been having some major issues with my grocery store's wilted, exported produce...sometimes I wonder if it's where I shop.

I must admit, Brian and I had to get out the old trusty laptop to tell us what some of this stuff was. Lovage, mizuna/mibuna, etc. We finally identified everything, read about the best ways to cook them, and got to work. I decided to steam some of the greens with a bit of garlic, tamari and a spritz of lemon; the salad consisted of mixed greens, mizuna/mibuna (common in mesclun mix), and my new favorite - garlic scapes, which definitely took some time identifying - long, curly and crunchy - the taste was unlike anything I'd ever had.. like a cross between the freshest garlic and chives. Finally I decided to boil the beet greens by themselves when I read about how tasty they were on their own, then sauted them with olive oil, garlic and lemon. A pretty spectaculour summer meal, from ingredients picked no more than 5 km of my house and no less than the day before.

Mixed greens

You can use any kind of greens; I've made this with kale and bok choi with tasty results.

Mixed Greens with Tamari and Lemon

1/2 lb greens, such as:
Mustard greens
Swiss chard
Pak choi
Radish greens

1 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp chicken broth (or more to taste)
1 tsp tamari or soya sauce
Lemon juice to taste

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in wok over medium heat. Add crushed garlic, saute for 1 minute. Add greens, cover and saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken broth, cook, covered, for 4 minutes or until broth is absorbed. Add tamari and lemon and stir over heat until evenly distributed. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper before serving.

Bon appetit!

Garlic scapes

Starbucks, you pain my heart!

2006-04-06T09:55:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: 1:22 p.m.
So after writing this, I made the trek across the street to see what was up. Apparently the girl who was supposed to open up had slept in. Like 3 hours?! When I mentioned the sheer pandemonium that had gone on outside the locked doors, the cashier/guy/barista shrugged and added that she was in love; what else could they do. In my zombie state, what can I do but be amused? I am sipping my very hot, very black Americano, and slowly I feel the life-blood coming back to my veins.
P.S. After re-reading my earlier post, I realize that there are parts of is that may be misconstrued and sound perverted. This was not my intention; it was written in sheer innocence. But I cannot help but wonder what my subconscious was thinking of as I wrote it. You'll see.

-------------------------------

I'm really tired today. I had a hard time sleeping last night for some reason. I tried napping on the train, but even that was difficult! And to top it off, the Starbucks I go to every morning was CLOSED when I got there. It was 9 a.m. and the doors were locked! I have never seen such a thing in all my life! I was stunned; me and another decaffeinated patron waiting for me to open the door could do nothing but stare at one another in stupified bewilderment for about 10 seconds, before I walked off in search of a decent brew.

I sadly cannot function without a Grande Americano in the morning, even though I have finished my Breakfast Blend, brewed at home, an hour before. I think the BB just lubricates my throat for something real. Something black, and strong, and so perfectly exquisite. And so I was forced to get my Americano at the crappily-run Second Cup in my building, made by students who haven't the foggiest idea of what to do with an espresso machine.

Last week, I had a "Black Apron" Coffee Master expertly preparing my Americano (she is nowhere to be seen this week -I think they just brought her in to show current average Green Apron basistas a thing or two... Not that I'm dissing the green aprons!); this week, it seems, they have gone to shit.

Parsnip thief alert

2006-04-06T07:48:00.000-07:00

What the...?? I am speechless and saddened.

From wasted blog

Parsnips Dug Up And Stolen From Concord Farm
(CBS4) CONCORD Concord police are investigating the theft of two hundred pounds of parsnips from a non-profit farm.

Farmers from Gaining Ground, a nonprofit organic farming group, told the Concord Journal the vegetables were dug up and hauled off their property.

The quantity and the methodic way in which the carrot-like vegetables were dug up, led farmers to believe this was not the work of any creatures.

"To take every one of them and without asking, we were more than a little heartbroken," farm coordinator Verena Wieloch told the Journal.

Concord police Lt. Paul Macone said no arrests had been made, but that the matter was still under investigation.

Grow your own meat!

2006-02-15T11:57:00.000-08:00

How sick does this sound?
-b

Scientists forecast meat grown on kitchen counter
Last Updated Mon, 27 Mar 2006 14:06:12 EST
CBC News

Scientists are trying to develop an industrial process that grows meat tissue from a few cells in a lab – or even at home, in a device like a bread maker.

Instead of being cut from a farm animal, the beef, pork or chicken would be grown in incubators from a few starter cells, a growth medium and some hormones to get the cells to divide.
The first attempts by scientists who grow animal muscle tissue in the lab have been small in scale. But researchers are looking forward to the day when meat could be cultivated in industrial bioreactors or even in a device sitting on a kitchen counter.

"Right now, the scale that's being used in the research is about one-half of a litre for ... the incubator the muscle is grown in," said University of Maryland researcher Jason Matheny.

Lab-grown meat could have less fat, diseases
He said a device similar to a bread maker could one day be used to manufacture meat in the home.

Matheny said muscle produced in an incubator could have reduced fat content, and the process would do away with problems such as bacterial contamination and mad cow disease.

While he hasn't tasted engineered meat himself, Matheny said others have.

"It has the taste and texture resembling the ground meat products that are already available," such as hamburger or chicken nuggets, he said.

"Producing a steak or ... a whole chicken breast is a much more difficult task, technically," said Matheny.

Grown frog muscle tasted like jelly, scientists say.

Researchers in the Netherlands have grown mouse meat and are now working on pork. Australian scientists served grown frog muscle tissue with apple brandy sauce at an exhibition in France in 2003. They said the meat tasted like jelly on cloth.

American researchers, funded by NASA, grew goldfish meat in 2001 as part of an experiment to see if fish could be grown to feed astronauts on long space missions.

While the idea of growing meat for space travel is fairly common in science fiction novels, NASA has since pulled funding for lab-grown meat.

Vladimir Mironov, a tissue engineer at the Medical University of South Carolina, said NASA's decision cut off an important source of funding for his work.

Mironov said producing cultivated meat could be difficult to achieve and expensive in the short term. People would have to pay more for cultured meat than for the genuine article.

Finger-Licking Disturbing

2006-02-08T09:24:00.000-08:00

Weird news from the U.K., and disturbing on so many levels. How entrepreneurial of him to write a cookbook! Will definitely be on the lookout for it at my local bookstore.

It's Finger-Licking Good!
Sky News
Tuesday January 31, 2006

Hedgehog carbonara, badger sandwiches and even labrador are meat and drink for Arthur Boyt.

The retired civil servant from Cornwall has spent a lifetime eating roadkill animals.

He is so keen to share his enthusiam for the delights of weasel, fox, sparrow and - more conventionally - pigeon and deer, that he has written a cookbook.

Mr Boyt, 66, says his recipes are perfectly safe as long as the creatures are skinned and cooked properly and he has never been ill.

"It's good meat for free and I know nobody has been messing with it and feeding it hormones," he insists.

"It adds to the pleasure of a meal to know I haven't paid for it."

Mr Boyt says he can use virtually all of any whole animal he finds in the countryside near his Davidstow home.

Most go into casseroles which cook for a long time and tenderises the meat.

As for the labrador - it was said to taste like lamb.

The dog had no collar or identification so Mr Boyt could not trace the owners.

So he ate it.

Happy New Year!

2006-01-06T11:41:00.000-08:00

To commemorate the first New Years spent together with Brian in New Orleans (2001), I decided that Red Beans & Rice would be our supper for the first day of 2006. We still remember the smokey-delicious smell of it cooking, coming from every house, as we toured through the Garden District the afternoon of an unexpectedly cool NYE in NOLA.

This year, before we left for the night, I got the crockpot simmering with the majority of ingredients, including a nice, meaty piece of ham hock (I must admit I had some issues with this strange-looking "ingredient" at first, as I'd never seen -much less cooked- with it before). We spent the night touring through my old hometown, something I hadn't done since before 2001! We visited with some friends who were spending a quiet night in, then headed out to a small party that my cousin and her husband were hosting. There we rang in the new year with a nice bottle of Veuve Cliquot, a bottle we'd received as a wedding gift that we'd somehow never gotten to, along with some fabulous appetizers that covered their dining table. When we got home that night, we could smell our dinner as we approached the door. I peeked in, gave it a quick stir, then let it continue to cook as we went off to bed.

Brian decided to make bread in the breadmaker the next day, a sweet loaf of Honey Wheat bread, to go along with dinner, that came out somewhat lumpy but tasted delish! We still haven't quite got the hang of that machine yet! Are we or are we not supposed to open and smooth the dough down before baking? Somehow it always comes out looking like a doughy deformity! I guess as long as it continues to taste good, I won't complain. We spent the day on the couch watching movies after that, until my parents came by and we celebrated with our first meal of the year.

Here's to a prosperous, delectable 2006!

Enjoy this meal anytime of the year! I adapted this recipe for the crockpot and reduced the amount of liquid as it won't evaporate, cooking for almost 24 hours. The version below is adapted from a Food Network recipe.

Red Beans and Rice
Yield: 6 servings

1 lb. dried small red beans, picked over and rinsed
1 or 2 large smoked ham hocks
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 tsp cayenne
1/4 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme
3 bay leaves
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 green onions, green part only, chopped, plus more for garnish
Red pepper sauce
2 andouille (or any type) sausages, cut into 3" chunks
4 cups cooked white rice

Place the dried beans in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Soak the beans overnight.

Drain the beans and put them in a large heavy pot with the ham hocks, adding just enough cold water to cover (about 2 quarts). Add the onion, celery, green pepper, cayenne, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, garlic, green onions, and several shakes of red pepper sauce; give everything a good stir to combine. Simmer, uncovered, until the beans are tender and starting to thicken, about 21/2 hours. You want the beans to be almost overcooked, like they are getting ready to burst. Stir the beans occasionally to prevent scorching on the bottom of the pot. Add about 1 cup of water toward the end of cooking if the mixture appears too thick or dry.

Mash about 1 cup of the cooked beans against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon, this makes the broth thick and creamy. Toss in the sausages and cook for another 30 minutes to heat them through. Adjust the seasoning, if needed. Serve the red beans in a wide bowl over some steamed white rice and garnished with chopped green onion.

Holiday brie

2005-12-19T13:43:00.000-08:00

(as seen on Ep. 27 of command-n, 12.20.05)

The colours of this brie appetizer make for a gorgeous, festive presentation.

5" wheel brie
1 mango, chopped
1 red pepper, seeded & chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded & chopped
1 lime

Preheat oven to 350.

Put the brie in an ovenproof dish. Using a paring knife, cut a circle, leaving 1" around edges, into brie. Scoop out the middle. Allow brie to come to room temperature.

Mix mango, red pepper, jalapeno together in bowl; squeeze the juice of a lime over top. Set aside.

Scoop mixture into brie centre. Heat in oven until warm and slightly soft.

Remove from oven; sprinkle with chopped roasted almonds, if desired. Serve with crackers or crostini toasts.

Popcorn Pie

2005-11-23T14:19:00.000-08:00

I've discovered a great Canadia site where you can buy farmers market goods www.canadianfarmersmarket.com direct from the farm. Whilst perusing the delectable Jones Popcorn site, I came across some rather unusual recipes.

My favourite:
Chocolate Popcorn Pie
2 quarts popcorn
Light glaze recipe (see below)
1 - 6-oz package of chocolate pie filling
Whipped cream (for garnish)

Drizzle glaze over popcorn and stir until uniformly coated. Press into 9 inch pie plate, building edges higher than pie plate edge and allow to cool. Prepare pie filling according to package directions. Spoon into popcorn pie shell. Garnish with whipped cream.

Light Popcorn Glaze
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup water
½ cup butter

Cook to 260 degrees (hard ball stage). Pour over popcorn and mix thoroughly.

Unusual...but strangely appealing
Chocolate Popcorn Squares
1 7-oz jar marshmallow crème
12 oz chocolate pieces
½ cup light corn syrup
6 cups unsalted popcorn

Combine marshmallow crème, chocolate pieces and corn syrup in a saucepan. Cook over low heat until mixture is well blended. Pour over popcorn, and mix well. Press into well buttered 9X9X2 inch pan. Cut into 1 inch squares

Something everyone likes!
Caramel Popcorn
½-lb package dairy fresh caramels (about 28)
2 Tbsp water
2 quarts popcorn (salted)

Add water to caramels and melt in top of double boiler or in the microwave. Toss mixture with popcorn until every kernel is coated. Spread and dry on greased surface. Break apart.

Popcorn Balls
2 cups sugar
¾ cup frozen fruit juice concentrate (orange, lemonade, limeade, grape)
¾ cup water
½ cup light corn syrup
1 tsp vinegar
½ tsp salt
5 quarts unsalted popcorn

Combine all ingredients, except popcorn in a heavy sauce pan. Bring to a boil, lower heat and cook to 250 degrees on a candy thermometer. Mixture will bubble up in pan; so watch it to keep it from boiling over. Pour slowly over hot popcorn and mix until well coated. Let stand 5 minutes or until mixture can be easily formed into balls. Butter hands and form 3 inch balls.

Good food, nuked

2005-11-23T11:48:00.000-08:00

I spent the morning IM'ing with my friend Kristen, who's teaching English in Taiwan for a year. She's vegetarian, and that's not it. She's, mind-bogglingly, the pickiest eater I've ever (well, almost ever) met. She doesn't really like vegetables. Or rice. Or tofu. Or anything that's supposedly good for you. She shuns Chinese food in general. Give her a block of cheese and some white bagels, and she'll eat it for days. Nachos, no problem. Bean burritos? Her favourite! At least she's alright with beans! We wondered how she would ever survive.

Well it seems she's adjusted her eating habits a bit. She'll now eat yogurt and rice; however, she's still subsiding on meals from 7-11. Today she mentioned she only had a microwave to cook with (no ovens! barely any stoves!), and so, for her benefit, I am posting some easy, tasty microwave recipes that I am sure she'll love! I've always personally taken offense to any meal being entirely cooked in the microwave, but alas, for her benefit, I will give these recipes a try!

Here goes:

Basic Microwave Risotto

Yields: 4 servings
Time: 20 mins.

This received some great reviews on allrecipes.com. Ingredients (mushrooms, herbs, etc.) can be added, as desired.

INGREDIENTS:
3 Tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1.5 cups vegetable broth
1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
3/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a 3 quart, microwave-safe casserole dish combine butter, garlic and onion. Place dish in microwave and cook on high for 3 minutes.

2. Place vegetable broth in a microwave safe dish. Heat on microwave until the broth is hot but not boiling (approximately 2 minutes).

3. Stir the rice and broth into the casserole dish with the onion, butter and garlic mixture. Cover the dish tightly and cook on high for 6 minutes.

4. Stir wine into the rice (I know you got plenty!!). Cook on high for 10 minutes more. Most of the liquid should boil off. Stir the cheese into the rice and serve.

Microwave Cake
Rated: 5 out of 5 by 13 members
Yields: 12 servings

"Easy fast cake that can be made in the microwave in approximately 12 minutes. My favorite combinations are: chocolate cake mix with cherry pie filling or yellow cake mix with apple pie filling ( I add a bit of cinnamon for flavor to this one.)"

INGREDIENTS:
1 (18.25 ounce) pkg yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1 (21 oz) can apple pie filling
1/2 cup applesauce

DIRECTIONS:
1.
Mix the box of cake mix, eggs, pie filling and applesauce till moist. Use a microwave safe bundt pan or substitute a microwave safe bowl that has a microwave safe cup or cone placed in the middle of it (to mimic a bundt pan). Pour mixture into the bowl around the cup.
2.
Bake on high for 6 minutes 30 seconds, turn and bake for another 6 minutes 30 seconds on high. Remove from oven and cover bowl with a dish and let stand for 5 minutes (this finishes the cooking process).
3.
Turn cake over onto dish and remove cone (cup) for a delicious quick dessert. Good hot with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping.

Tis the season to get your crap together

2005-11-14T15:17:00.000-08:00

Photo: Urban Outfitters Web site
Ahh, Christmas! Is it time for you already? I can't believe how fast the year can fly! Everywhere I've been in the last week spouts more Christmas. I don't mind it now, but November 1 is way too early to stomach that crap.

And so! It is time to start planning for all the holiday parties! We've been invited to four in the last couple of weeks. Again, we are too slow, and thus our preferred dates for our X-mas party is a bit limited. But hey! At least we are promised parties at other peoples' houses, which is just as good by me!!

Brian and I have been slowly getting over all the wedding hoopla. We ended up getting mainly cash so we've begun the process of going from store to store looking for the stuff we registered for way back in August/September. We went to two stores so we could complete a new set of every-day dishes, as well as some fun serving trays and a great big soup tureen. I'm still on the lookout for all the barware we registered for, but figure we'll have to drive out to the big store in the city for that. I guess we're just not ready for nice barware out in our neck of the woods quite yet! I also (finally) got some new knives. I've been struggling to not break the handle off the last remaining knives from my W--- set while waiting to buy these beauts from Kitchenaid. A complete set of stainless knives in a black wood block, and six steak knives. When you remove a knife from the block, it makes that clean whooshing sound a sword makes. Freaking fantastic! I'm glad I held out for this set.

A huge cooking tragedy happened last Sunday, after slow-cooking gumbo for about 6 hours. I went back for a second helping, balanced the lid over the side whilst picking up my plate, and heard a loud smash. The lid just obliterated into a million little pieces, some of it falling into our dinner, all over the countertop and floor. My freakish little cat ran to see what was up (he is the only cat I know that run TOWARD loud noises, not AWAY) and then I started to panic that he would step on the glass, as Brian ran from the dining room to see what the heck all the fuss was about.

I must confess, I shed a tear or two. My favourite new appliance, rendered useless, for reasons I'm still unclear about. Is there a reason why the lid would smash so violently and suddenly? What, oh what, did I do wrong?

Anyway, the prospect of spending Christmas without it, after waiting so patiently for one, was too much. I had visions of apple cider and holiday meatballs gently simmering (separately, of course) as friends dropped in for some Christmas cheer. Brian sent an email to Crockpot HQ re. a replacement lid. A week and a half later, we had still heard nothing. I won't say how we acquired a new lid, but desperate times call for desperate measures, and everything is OK again. I can use my nice new crockpot cookbook and start planning my holiday slow-cooking once again.

Cool weather, short days

2005-11-01T12:25:00.000-08:00

I'm in the process of updating the look of Eat My Cake, to go alongside an exciting new show prospect! I'm pretty excited about it, and it promises to be mighty good (and tasty too!)

This weekend I got to test out the new crockpot I received as a shower gift a couple months ago. With cool weather approaching, everyone is in the mood for some slow-cooked comfort food. I made a pot of my turkey chili and let it cook Saturday evening while we enjoyed some spooky Halloween movies with friends (Dead & Breakfast w. yummy Jeremy Sisto -I'll rate it a 6.5-) and the new Amityville Horror (I couldn't get through it; I didn't enjoy the first one either).

We finally got to dig in at midnight, along with a hot crusty grain baguette, and also ate it for lunch and dinner on Sunday. Whew! That's a lot of chili!

I'm in the process of discovering what else I can cook up in the crockpot! I need to sort through some recipes (the book it came with isn't overly great).

The coffee gives a richness to the meat that beef-eating chili lovers might otherwise miss. I doubt anyone would notice the difference -the results are truly delish!

Turkey Chili
Yield: 6 servings

1 Tbsp olive oil
2.5 cups chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. ground turkey
1.5 cups water
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1-16 oz. can kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1-15.5 oz. mixed bean medley, drained & rinsed
1-15 oz. can tomato sauce
1-14.5 oz. can whole tomatoes, undrained & coarsely chopped
3/4 cup light beer
1/3 cup hot brewed coffee

Heat oil in large saucepot over med.-high heat. Add chopped onion & garlic, saute 3 mins.
Add ground turkey; cook 6 mins., stirring to crumble.
Stir in water & next 6 ingredients (water through tomatoes), & bring to boil.
Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered, 45 mins., stirring occasionally.
Stir in beer & coffee; simmer 10 mins., stirring occasionally.

Enjoy the beany, meaty, hot goodness with a heated baguette.

Cali food bliss

2005-10-08T22:33:00.000-07:00

Ahh California. How I love thine food. Aside from a nameless Mexican joint in Napa, I haven't had one bad meal here. Unfortunately an infrequent internet connection and the hustle-bustle of weddings and traveling have kept me away from my food log for too long. I'll try and recap the most memorable spots.

At present, we are in L.A. for four days. We arrived yesterday aft. We're spending a couple evenings at the Standard, an ultra hip hotel with rooftop lounge that is reportedly the it spot in L.A. Of course they were filming a movie up there last night (Adam Sandler and David -yes- that David Hasselhoff), so it was closed to the general folk. Buggers. We are about to head up now, as soon as I finish my Bloody Mary, generously poured from our well-stocked mini-bar. Last night we ate here too; at the restaurant downstairs. Started with the edamame with parm, which came with a nice tamari- and miso-tasting dip. Brian had the chicken caesar, which, interstingly came with full romaine hearts and chicken slices laid on top (he claimed it was great), and I the miso black cod. Scrumptious! Had many cocktails (apple martinis, french martinis, white cran cosmos).

We ate a late breakfast this afternoon at the same place and both ordered the Alternate Standard breakfast - OJ, carrot juice, coffee, bacon, eggs, homefries and toast - a steal at $12 a piece. Tummies filled, we headed off for the drive up to Hollywood Hills for a photo with the renowned sign. We did the touristy things we're suuposed to round these parts, then headed for dinner at Wolfgang Puck's Vert at Hollywood-Highland. The bread basket (free!) was a fabulous starter. Flatbread, focaccia, bread stick and baguette with a nice round of goat cheese covered with black olive tapenade. We both ordered the pan-grilled chicken, whihc came with pureed mashed potatoes and green veggies. A hearty taste of a good mom-cooked meal. We split the tangerine granita for dessert but envioulsy eyed our neighbours' pistachio-gelato-filled profiteroles.

At last we are ready to go!

Will write more later, hopefully tonight while it's still fresh, if I'm not too under the influence.

San Francisco=foodie central

2005-09-27T08:16:00.000-07:00

We've started the first leg of our (pre-wedding) trip to California, and I must say, the food has been divine! We have five days in San Francisco, a mecca for foodies and food snobs. So far, everything has been grand.

Satuday: Dinner
Pan Arabian Cuisine Restaurant - Mission District

Never mind that we finally settled on dinner here after a couple hours of deliberation, trying to hail a cab, having a 1.5 hour wait at our first pick at a nearby Mexican joint, etc. We were dining with a group of people, and that's difficult enough. Brian and I had tix to that evening's performance of the Empire Plush Room Cabaret. This place is definitely not a spot if you're ravished and time-pressed, although we did have some Becks and an amazing bellydancer entertain us throughout our wait. Brian and I ended up missing the show, and the food (and company) was probably worth it (I say probably b/c I don't know how good it might have been - and don't care to find out anytime soon!).

Le menu:
(Me): Morrocan filo- warm chicken mixed with cinnamon and almonds, and topped with powdered sugar.
(Brian): Chicken kebobs with what tasted like spicy tzatki over rice. Obviously the favourite; well over half our group of 7 ordered this; seemed to be the case of most patrons in the restaurant.

Sunday: Lunch
Fisherman's Wharf AKA "Tourist Trap"
Grabbed a clam chowder cup and crab salad sandwich from a random streetside vendor; Brian had pizza on sourdough crust, and we ate overlooking Alcatraz. Had a kahlua truffle from the Chocolate Factory for dessert. Everything was delish!

Dinner:
L'Osteria del forno - Columbus Ave, North Beach
Shared a tomato and french feta salad, tomato slices encircling the plate, sprinkled with feta, basil, oil and balsamic. It's simplicity made it delectable. I had the pasta special: homemeade ravioli with basil-essenced ricotta, in sauce, covered with parmesan. Absolute heaven! Waited 15 mins. for a table - there's only about 10 in there, which makes for a very intimate, warm experience; walls lined with olive oil bottles and B&W photographs.

Monday:
Brian and I had an appointment at City Hall to get our marriage license. We had granola bars in the car. I will eat a decent breakfast in this town before I leave! We decided to go down to the Ferry Building Marketplace for lunch, which was featured in Bon Appetit's Sept. issue. This is a food fan 's absolute paradise! A long sparkling hallway leads one past stands of organic fruit and homemade chocolate and olive oil. Restaurants are in full glory. We decided to go to the Slanted Door, but as we had a slight issue finding parking, we got to the restaurant slightly after 12, along with throngs of other hungry patrons. We were told we'd have to wait 1.5 hours without a reservation, unless we sat at the bar, which featured a full menu. We looked at the unappealingly crowded bar and decided to venture forth. While deciding our next strategy, we paid a pit stop to Sur le Table, a store featuring gadgets and gizmos and cookie cutters randomly shaped like Texas and dragonflies. I looked for a California one, but alas they had none. Settled on an extra-wide orange Mario Batali flipper and happily filed out of there, in search of food once more.

Lunch:
Perhaps the biggest problem there is that there are so many options! We decided to catch the ferry to Sausalito while we were there, and so settled on the take-out counters where we first entered. I went to Out the Door and ordered the lemongrass pork noodles, with peanuts sprinkled on top. Delicious! I also ordered the tropical juice, which had large chunks of fruit settled at the bottom that would come up through the straw. Brian went to Taylor's and ordered a burger with onion rings, that provided him will all the pick-up they promised. We hurriedly went through the building to pick up items for our planned picnic in Sausalito. We chose a 2002 Napa cabernet-?, picked up the Cowgirl Creamery chese sampler package (complete with Cowgirl spreader!) with St. Pat organic cheese and --- goat cheese; then headed over to Acme Bread, where we bought one simple, glorious baguette. Lulu Petite provivded our dessert - one deliciously glistening brownie. We boarded the ferry, sat back, and enjoyed the view on the 15 minute voyage.

Sausalito: Snack
Enjoyed a lovely stroll and ice cream in this chaming little town.
Ice cream-chocolate macadamia nut in chocolate-dipped waffle cone

Dinner:
When we returned to the dock in SF at 6:30, we decided on dinner at Mijita, a Mexican place we considered earlier when deciding on lunch options. For once we got the same thing: tacos with marinaded chunks of beef, loaded with salsa and cilantro, in homemade shells, and a side of pepitas roasted with cumin, corainder and jalapeno. The best tacos ever, ever, EVER.

Today we have tix to Alcatraz and afterwards we'll do the cable car from Hyde-Powell. Will post more tonight!

Wedding food. Wedding CAKE! Wedding registry.

2005-08-23T10:53:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is one month until Brian and I leave for California to get hitched! It's been a crazy hectic time for me/us. My head reels from all the things we need to get done, and the whole point of us going away was to keep it low-key! Huh! However I've surprisingly enjoyed most of it and get a bit nostalgic when I think it will soon be over.

Although we're going away for the actual wedding, we're planning a reception back at home for family/friends. We've booked a local country club and had our tasting recently. We decided to have a sit-down dinner for 80, served country-style (chicken breast and prime beef on platters), with some delectable potatoes and steamed veggies, and soup and salad to start. Plain and simple! But everyone balked at my plan of an Asian-fusion menu (which I doubt the country club location would have excelled at anyhow!). I am beginning to be convinced that, sadly, most people really do prefer a simple, yet delicious, meat and potato dish. Dessert includes a chocolate mousse tart and a white chocolate/raspberry tart. The visual contrast between the two is striking (and a main reason why we went with those selections).

Then, of course, we have the piece de resistance - our wedding cake! The funky and talented Yvonne at Cakebox in Kitchener is truly one to watch! The only place in the area that would do anything out of the ordinary, and who painstakingly worked with us to design our dream cake, from design and decoration to flavour! We've come up with a gorgeous square three-tier pink and brown design with geometrical patterns. It will include, of course, chocolate (rather a flavour Yvonne calls "chocolate diablo"), and a lovely pink tier of vanilla-flavoured decadence that she came up with to go with the pink/brown theme. It will be hard to cut into it, to be honest, but more than worth it!

This weekend Brian and I finally started (and for the most part completed) our registry. This is perhaps the most unbelievable component of all! The fact that you can choose what you want from an entire store and place it on said list still continues to baffle and mesmerize us.

Coincidentally, the bulk of things we need are kitchen-themed. We registered for a casual, Asian-inspired dinnerware set, proper serving dishes and cookware, some small appliances (espresso machine! bread maker! ice cream maker!), and some kitchen gadgets like a meat tenderizer and pastry cutter. We plan to finish up tomorrow evening with formal glasses and barware. Brian says my need for so much kitchen-themed paraphenelia is greedy on my part. But who wants to buy towels and bed sheets for other people! Kitchenware is the coolest ware! I myself always try to get in on the glasses and barware listed on my friends' registries. It's something that's often used and its origins normally (hopefully) remembered!

Until next time!

"There are two types of onions, the big white Spanish and the little red Italian. The Spanish has more food value and is therefore chosen to make soup for huntsmen and drunkards, two classes of people who require fast recuperation."
--Alexandre Dumas

Starbucks is my God

2005-08-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

My week seems remarkably much like this ad about grumpy Starbucks-deprived people.

At least it made me laugh! A lot...

Video: Grumpy Starbucks spec ad

Seen at http://waxy.org/links/

Happy Canada Day!

2005-07-04T11:05:00.000-07:00

Two mondo grocery shopping trips complemented by two rather large grocery bills began the kick-off to the first official long weekend of the summer -Canada Day! Really it was partly a re-stocking trip, so I can't account for the whole thing as weekend food. I needed some basics, such as olive oil, veggies, etc.

The weather cooled off surprisingly fast, as it is often prone to do on a long weekend in Canada, but it was actually a bit of a relief after a string of 30+ days. We decided to go strawberry picking on Friday at a farm near our house. We ended up with 4 brimming baskets of small but delectably sweet berries, and I spent the next two hours cleaning and bagging most for freezing. I guess I'll make some jam with them, once I learn how! And I'm sure they'll come in rather handy throughout the summer and cooler months for desserts, etc.

The cooler weather also meant I could use the stove/oven again after days of inactivity. I made some fresh salsa to try and use up some vine tomatoes, and, sadly, that, along with some plain nachos, was our dinner on Friday night, before we jetted off to to catch the late showing of Batman Begins. Popcorn supplemented dinner rather nicely.

On Saturday, we bb-q'ed chicken breasts using a great new Wasabi Maple marinade recipe I came across online. Sides included corn on the cob and salad. On Sunday, I decided to try a new gazpacho recipe, as my old recipe just wasn't doing it for me. I found one online, and damn was it good! It included corn and a bit more balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and I really think this made the difference. It wasn't like eating tomato juice with veggies at all - there were many layers of flavour, and now I know what gazpacho is all about! We had been invited to my parents for dinner and I decided to use up the remaining, unfrozen berries for some beautiful-looking Strawberry Cheesecake Tarts. :) Look how pretty they are!! Watch for my recipe, coming soon!

Well, that's all for the weekend. Back to another week of late, hurried dinners. Soon we will be on holidays, and cooking will hopefully come back into play to try and take advantage of this fabulous season of plentiful! Cheers!

Cake, cake, everywhere!

2005-06-24T13:21:00.000-07:00

Image from www.disgruntledhousewife.com

Browsing through www.disgruntledhousewife.com, I came across this very lovely recipe devoted to the wonder we know and (gleefully) shun: the Pink Cake. I've yet to make this, but oh! I will! The DH author suggests that even if you don't normally like Pink Cake, this one is a force to be reckoned with! Although you might have to force the maraschino cherry-haters to try this one.

2 cups sifted cake flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp lemon extract
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
3 egg whites, unbeaten
18 maraschino cherries, drained and diced very finely

Save the juice for the frosting!

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into mixing bowl. Add shortening, milk, and extracts and beat 2 minutes, scraping bowl often. Add the egg whites and beat 3 minutes. Add cherries and blend. Pour into two greased and flowered baking pans and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Test it with a toothpick to check for doneness; if any sticks, throw it back in the oven real quick.

Frost with Cherry Fluff Frosting (as follows):

Cherry Fluff Frosting
2 egg whites, beaten
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 tablespoons cold maraschino cherry juice
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 marshmallows, cut into eighths
1 tsp light corn syrup (or 1/4 tsp cream of tartar)

Put egg whites, sugar, cherry juice, corn syrup, and salt in the top of a double boiler and mix thoroughly. Place over rapidly boiling water and beat constantly with electric beater until mixture will hold a peak. Remove from hot water, add extracts and marshmallows and beat until cool and thick enough to spread.

Author also suggests mixing cherry juice with cream chesse as an alternate frosting, if the above gets too complicated!

Originally published in Cakes Men Like (out-of-print unfortunately)

Holy anchovies!

2005-06-22T14:23:00.000-07:00

It's been a while! It's not that I haven't been cooking... or eating! I guess things get a bit crazy in the fall/winter. We get more days off in the summer, which allows for more time to think about menus and prepare!

Father's Day was this past Sunday. BF -or FI now- and I went to my parents' place for a bbq. There's been a lot of wonderful, spectacular recipes coming out in the summer issues of Cooking Light, Bon Appetit & Cdn. Living that I've been itching to try! Bought some organic cherries at the store on the weekend and decided to use them in a fabulous upside-down cake from CLs latest issue. I sweet-talked BF into pitting 3 lbs. of them - after that it was a breeze! And what fantastic results! A decadent-looking, just-sweet-enough dessert after a somewhat big meal of grilled meat.

I also made a faulously delish orzo mediteranean salad that included sun-dried tomato, kalamata, artichoke hearts and feta. Lovely. Everything fit perfectly!

Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Feta Vinaigrette
Total time: 45 mins.

1 cup uncooked orzo (about 8 oz)
2 cups bagged, prewashed baby spinach, chopped
1/2 cup chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomoato halves
3 Tbsp chopped red onion
3 Tbsp chopped pitted kalamata olives
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 (6 oz) jar marinated artichoke hearts, undrained
3/4 cup (3 oz) feta, crumbled & divided

1. Cook orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; rinse with cold water. Combine orzo, spinach, and next 5 ingredients (to salt) in a large bowl.

2. Drain artichokes, reserving marinade. Coarsely chop artichokes, and add artichokes, reserved marinade, and feta to orzo mixture, tossing gently to coat.

Yield: 4 servings

From Cooking Light, June/05

Camp Food!

2004-08-29T20:39:00.000-07:00

We're getting ready to go camping this weekend for our traditional Labour Day in Algonquin Park. We were quite worried about the cold weather, but this week has been so warm (although quite rainy) so we're slightly more optimistic. I am purchasing a heater for our tent tomorrow though. I don't want to push it! It's going to be just the two of us, which I'm really looking forward to. We can do our own thing and spend some 'away' time. As much as I love being in this house, it sometimes seems like it is overtaking our lives. Most of it is stuff we want to do, but it's all we think about! We need to get away, for a couple of days at least.

I have the menu all planned out. We are going to be dining like kings! We arrive Saturday and probably will stick to a light lunch and have homemade burgers for dinner. I'm making potato salad, and a carrot and peanut salad that sounds gross but I am in love with! B.F. is not too crazy about it, nor were his not-very-food-adventerous friends I tried to serve it to last year, but I think it is simply divine and I make it just for me! :). I'm doing quite a bit of baking as well, so we don't get stuck buying the $6 bag of Chips Ahoy at the camping supply store at 10:00 at night.

So here's the menu:

SATURDAY
Lunch
No definite plans. Sausages, maybe?

Dinner
Hamburgers over an open fire
Potato salad w. bacon and celery
Carrot and Peanut salad

Snack
Homemade chocolate chunk banana bread
Nachos and cheese, wrapped in foil and placed near fire to heat through

SUNDAY
Breakfast
Bacon, eggs, hash browns, OJ

Lunch
? Chicken and veggie kebobs
Leftover salads

Dinner
Steak grilled over an open fire
Veggie packs
Baked potato

Dessert
Gooey banana boats (mini marshmallows, chocolate chips and caramel sauce spread over banana and wrapped with peel, then placed by the fire to melt.)

Snack
Homemade chewy granola bars w. coconut, chocolate and raisins

MONDAY

Breakfast
French toast
then
Get the hell outta Dodge, and back to civilization!

I did quite a few of the meals lat year, and found it to be excellently mobile. I love camping probably most for the food! When else do you get to eat like a pig and not feel guilty? Plenty of food and drink, all worked off from miles of hiking, canoeing and swimming. I can't wait!

No recipe with this post, but I'll see if I can pull something together in my review! For now, my menu will have to do.

Weekend Food

2004-08-29T20:16:00.000-07:00

I've been off work, or rather "working from home" this last week, and had a chance to get a lot of stuff done that I've been putting off. Firstly, it was a week of getting together with friends, some of whom I haven't seen in -I'm ashamed to say- 8 months or so. It's great to be close by, and I always vow to try and slow my shit down and make more time for just getting together and having fun.

Not a lot of cooking, again. I guess I was just too busy! Pretty ironic, with all that time! I did manage to take advantage of my hardy basil stock, and made some fresh pesto, which B.F. and I devoured with some fresh (purchased) spaghetti noodles and a green salad with lots of fresh veggies. Pork chops and rice and mixed vegetables the next night. Sometimes I can't get enough of my George Foreman. It really is the simplest and fastest way to grill, and the weather's been so lousy lately that the BBQ hasn't been fired up in quite some time. This will be a priority for next week. Finally did some grocery shopping and cooked a fabulous Chinese dinner on Friday. Fried rice with egg, peas and carrot and a beef & broccoli/ mixed vegetable stir-fry. Fantastic! And who can tell it from take out?

Here's the beef & broccoli stir-fry recipe. I wrote it for an article I wrote for a local Asian magazine.

This recipe is simple, and tastes better than take-out! Try it and you’ll be convinced how easy it is to make popular restaurant items in your own kitchen.

Freeze the beef for 15 minutes or so to make it easier to cut.

You can substitute some or all of the broccoli with the same quantity of mixed vegetables. Try baby corn, onions, carrots, mushrooms, pea pods, bean sprouts, etc. The options are endless, and you get a nutritious, full-flavoured, hearty meal in no time.

Serve with rice or noodles for a natural, complementary side dish.

Chinese Beef and Broccoli

1 lb beef tenderloin or thinly sliced sirloin
1 Tbsp mushroom or other heavy soy sauce
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp shaoxing wine (rice wine)
2 tsp dark sesame oil
1 ½ lb broccoli (or 1 ½ lb mixed vegetables)
3 Tbsp peanut oil

SEASONINGS
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 Tbsp fresh ginger, finely minced
2 Tbsp fermented black beans, drained (optional)

SAUCE
1/4 cup chicken stock
2 Tbsp shaoxing wine (rice wine)
1 Tbsp thin soy sauce
1 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 Tbsp dark sesame oil
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Cut beef in 1/4" thick slices, then cut each slice crosswise into 2" pieces. Combine mushroom soy sauce, rice wine and sesame oil in bowl, then mix the beef into it, marinating for at least 15 minutes in the refrigerator.

Cut broccoli into spears, carrots into 1/4" thick rounds, mushrooms into quarters, onions into thin wedges. Mix vegetables together in a bowl or zip-lock bag and refrigerate until needed.

Place wok over high heat. Once very hot, add 2 Tbsp of the peanut oil and swirl around until it starts to give off some smoke, then add the beef. Stir-fry beef until no longer pink; slide onto a platter.

Return the wok to high heat and add remaining 1 Tbsp peanut oil, garlic, ginger, and fermented black beans, if using.

Stir-fry for about 5 seconds, then add all the vegetables at once, stir-frying until crisp-tender, about 5-7 minutes. Don’t overcook or vegetables will be too soft. If needed, add a bit of rice wine to help steam the vegetables.

In the meantime, combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl. Mix well and add it to the wok, along with the beef. Toss until everything is glazed with the sauce. Place all on a heated platter.

Yield: 2-4 servings

Welcome

2004-08-16T19:36:00.000-07:00

This weekend my boyfriend and I hosted a 'family' housewarming party. We moved into our house about two months ago and have been so busy unpacking and renovating and commuting (we moved an hour west of Toronto and continue to work there) that I haven't had a lot of time to cook or bake or even read the cooking magazines I subscribe to. It's sort of ironic, really. My old kitchen in the small one-bedroom bungalow my boyfriend and I shared in the city always had plenty of action. I had the tiniest 1950's gas stove & oven that barely fit the smallest sized cookie sheet I owned. I had about one foot of prep space, two if I moved my canisters and coffee maker off the counter. The fridge was apartment sized and condiments and tupperware full of goodies were constantly spilling out whenever the door was opened. A year or so before we had gotten rid of the kitchen table and chairs to make room for an oversized freezer (a Catch-22, to be sure. It allowed me to store all my baking supplies and frozen goods, and also doubled fantastically as additional prep space. However, we were designated to dinners on the coffee table in the living room - a huge pet peeve of mine).

So now I have all this room in our new kitchen and I've barely managed to plug in the microwave to pop some popcorn. The housewarming party was our first official welcome and showing to family members as we moved (back for me after 5 years) to the area I grew up in and where the majority of my family and friends still reside. I wanted this to be memorable for sure. I was never actually able to have my family over in Toronto because there wasn't a whole lot of room to entertain, so it was also my first time hosting a dinner to them, period. To most, I was still the dependant only child who had moved away on her own to go to college and who had her mom cook her meals on the weekends to last throughout the week. Yes, I'm embarrased to admit it, but this was often the case. When I ran out of that food, I started buying frozen meals at the grocery store. I shopped at Goodwill a lot and soon had a small collection of cookbooks that I pored through religiously. Eventually I started experimenting and very soon I was hooked! But I'm off track again.

I borrowed an ugly brown table from my parents and had the boy-toy set it on the grass by the garden. I threw a yellow tablecloth over it, arranged a bouquet of gladioli I had just bought off the side of the road (2 for $1!) in an oversized glass hurricane vase and set out small green glass candle holders. We arranged white iron chairs around and I must say, it looked really quite nice (Martha would've been proud;).

But I'm missing the most important part: The Food.

I had bought a black forest ham that I was readying to stud with cloves and glaze with a honey-dijon sauce. Then at the last minute, my cousin's family cancelled. 5 people eliminated instantly. Since my mother was already cooking the pork roast, I reluctantantly nixed the ham idea for fear of having WAY too much over an already overstocked menu. I proceeded with my other selections: thinly-sliced scalloped potatoes with a cheddar sauce and broiled in the oven; rice boiled in orange juice and mixed with pea pods and dried cranberries; and a mozzarella, parmesan & basil pizza with tomato sauce--divine. I had already made a parmesan and salami-prosciutto pasta salad with cherry tomatoes and black olives the night before, and as it was my boyfriend's birthday two days prior, a buttermilk bithday cake with Nigella's all-purpose chocolate frosting, and pecan-studded brownies. Yum. We had bought a box of a nice Cabarnet Sauvignon (10 bottles for $60; not bad), so I didn't feel too guilty whipping up a batch of sassy sangria. The recipe I have only requires it to sit for three hours, so that I prepared the day of. It was my first time making sangria; I am a devout lover of the pre-bottled version. Perhaps I had a couple of glasses of wine because I forgot about adding the soda when serving. It was way too strong (obviously!) so I quickly put it back in the fridge, where it sat until it dawned on me the day after that I had forgotten to add the soda. Mishaps are what I am all about!

So anyway, the party went perfectly and everyone was impressed with my hosting and cooking skills! As anticipated, there was way too much food and drink but it's better to be safe than sorry, in my book. Luckily, the day after, my cousin called to say they wanted to come see the new place and so we managed to eat up most of the leftovers. I didn't even have to cook a thing!

All-Purpose Chocolate Frosting
5 oz dark chocolate
3 oz unsalted butter
2 large eggs, beaten
20 oz (2.5 cups) icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp dark rum or brandy

Melt the chocolate and butter in a medium pan. Beat in eggs, then sugar. Add vanilla and rum; leave to cool slightly before using.
Qty: Enough to cover a 20 cm cake and then some.

Source: Slightly varied from Nigella Lawson, How to be a Domestic Goddess