Desktop Gourmet

New year and new inspiration

2012-02-08T15:16:00.001-03:30

It's been a while since I've last posted on the blog and life has been busy. We welcomed a lovely baby girl into our world in early January. Charlotte has changed everything and I've come to appreciate food in a different way. I feel a re-commitment to this blog and hope to contribute to it more regularly now that life with a newborn is getting a bit more normal for me.

I plan on writing about family dinners, quick fixes, life as a new mom, special events and experimenting with new food for baby as she transitions into eating solids. Welcome Charlotte and my new inspiration!

Fall into this cake

2011-10-18T19:10:00.001-02:30

I've had a lack of posting lately...mostly due to a squirmy baby inside my tummy which has taken over my natural appetite and desire to stand in a hot kitchen. Expect posts to be sparse in the coming weeks and months. When I do have time (and energy), though, I promise to post what I've been up to with cooking and/or baking. This time, I have something just sinful to share: pumpkin rum raisin cake. It's a dense dessert that's full of flavour and spirit. Here's how it goes:

1 cup raisins

1/4 cup amber or dark rum, or apple juice (I used dark rum)

1/4 cup warm water

4 eggs

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 cup canola oil

2 cups pumpkin purée

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Glaze
Raisin-soaking liquid

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups icing sugar

First, soak the raisins in the rum and warm water and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350C and grease a bunt pan.

Beat the eggs, sugar and oil until frothy and then add the pumpkin purée and blend until smooth. Set aside.

In another bowel, sift together flour, baking powder, spices and salt (ie. all the dry ingredients).

Then mix the dry into the wet ingredients until just combined. Drain the raisins (save the liquid) and add those and the nuts. Mix to coat. This would also be delicious with chocolate chips!!

Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the center of the oven for about 55 mins (until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out with a few crumbs).

When baked, allow to cook for about 10 mins before inverting the pan and turning the cake out onto a cooking rack. Cool the cake completely.

For the icing glaze, mix together 3 tbs (or slightly more, who's counting?) of the raisin/rum liquid with the icing sugar and vanilla. Drizzle a small amount over the cake and let cool and harden. Then drizzle some more and let that cool and harden. Repeat this a few more times until the glaze builds up on the cake.

Serve and enjoy. It's a great fall treat and a little boozy so it feels special and very grown-up. The original recipe is from an unexpected place: Our Compliments. Happy fall everyone!

Pizza...plain and simple

2011-09-11T17:54:00.000-02:30

Often the simplest foods are the best foods. This couldn't be more true of pizza. It often does take much less effort and definitely less cost to make a pizza from scratch than to buy or order one. And it's always healthier when you know what goes into your food. This time around, I made a whole wheat flour pizza dough (because that's all I had in my cupboard) with fresh ingredients.

For the dough, here's a good recipe which makes quite a bit of dough:
6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used a slightly less amount of whole wheat flour)
3 cups warm water (77° to 81°F)
4 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1/4 tsp salt

Let the yeast dissolve in the warm water for about 5 minutes.

Combine the flour and salt and dump the mixture onto a flat surface. Make a depression in the middle, pour the yeast and water into it, and combine the dry and wet ingredients until the dough starts to come together. Keep working the dough with the palms of your hands for 7 to 8 minutes, and then let it rest at room temperature for about 2 hours, or until it doubles in size. You can cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and leave it somewhere warm. Once risen, punch it down, squeezing out all the air bubbles. Cut the dough into four equal pieces and shape them into balls. Place them in the fridge for another 2 hours.

You can cut the rising time but your dough will make a thinner crust for your pizza. Once its ready, shape out your pizza crust with your hands and put it on a pizza stone or pan. Then top with whatever ingredients you like.

I used some olive oil, tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella cheese. Bake the pizza at 400 C for about 20 minutes or until the crust is browned and firm, and the toppings are baked through. Plain and simple. And Delicious!

Fruit by the muffin

2011-08-30T21:48:00.000-02:30

Last Sunday, I got up and got baking. Just like old times. I made pancakes for breakfast, started on an all-day pasta sauce from scratch, and made these mini muffins. I got the recipe from a handy Company's Coming recipe book on Christmas recipes which always inspires me to host huge brunches and cocktail parties. This time, I took a baby step and just made the muffins. They were bite-sized and handy for a snack or as a brunch or breakfast item. The fruit and yogurt in them made them moist and the brown sugar kept them sweet. I followed the recipe closely...except I added some raisins along with the recommended fruit. You could also add nuts.

You'll need:

1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt

3/4 cup quick rolled oats
2/3 cup finely chopped apple
1/3 cup finely chopped dried apricot

1 Large egg
2/3 cup yogurt (recipe suggested peach, I used strawberry)
3 tbs cooking oil
2 tbs milk

Measure first 5 ingredients into a large bowl and stir together.

Add the next 3 ingredients and stir until the fruit is coated. Make a well in the center of the mixture.

Combine remaining 4 ingredients in a small bowl and beat lightly. Add this wet mixture to the dry mixture (the well) and stir until just moistened. The recipe says this will fill 24 mini muffin cups but I found it filled about 18. You need to fill up the cups until they're full and the batter is slightly mounded. The muffins won't rise much in the oven so filling up the cups to the brim will give you a good muffin shape.

Bake in a 350 F oven for about 17 minutes or until the muffins are golden. If you insert a wooden pic in the center of one it should come out clean. These will keep for most of the week or you can freeze them for up to 3 months in an airtight container.

This is a great recipe that's quick to put together and packs a nutritional punch. And with September rolling around, it's great to make a few batches and keep some muffins in the freezer for last-minute school or work snacks.

Half-homemade berry tarts

2011-08-22T20:36:00.000-02:30

For a recent potluck I made these mini berry tarts. I hadn't cooked in forever and was rushing from work to prepare something before the party. And my stomach and heightened sense of smell wasn't letting me be very creative in what to make. So I used frozen pastry shells, jam I had in the house already, and fresh berries (in and on top of the jam mixture). Presto! Decent looking, bite-size desserts fit for sharing at a party. Sometimes a girl's gotta suck it up and just go with the flow. At least I didn't resort to just picking up ice this time.

M.I.A.

2011-08-17T21:40:00.003-02:30

I've been missing in action for the whole summer. BUT I have a good excuse. I'm announcing on the blog some big news: I'm pregnant! Right now, I'm about half way through to my due date of early in the new year. Since finding out I'm with child, there have been so many ups and downs...and surprisingly many of those bumps in the road were food related. I have been more tired than I thought humanly possible. Then there was the nausea and general loss of appetite. And, of course, the weird cravings.

It's been a whole new experience for me. At first I was fine and nothing seemed that different. Then the tiredness kicked in and the food aversions. I was left unable to think about what was for dinner let alone have the energy to actually cook something. And my poor boyfriend hasn't been able to have a fried egg in the house for months. I went from eating mostly healthy, lower-carb foods to high-fat and starchy treats. And I found I couldn't eat many flavour combinations at once or it made me wretch. I remember getting a lovely sandwich as Manna Bakery one Saturday and eating about a quarter of it before having to lie down for the rest of the afternoon. It wasn't the sandwich. It was awesome: turkey, cheese, pretzel bread, mustard and lots of olives on the side. Then there was another time at International Flavours with a friend where I barely got through my curry plate. Barely. And then also had to lay down on the couch for the rest of the afternoon. At times like those, I wished I could talk to my food: "Listen, you're awesome. It's not you, it's me. Really."

Fast food was not what I needed but I ate it more than I'd like to admit. There were times I felt so tired and stomach sick, it was like being hungover. And we all know the cure for hangovers: grease. I also had a whole phase (ahm, more like month) where I wanted ice cream every day. How stereotypical! To be fair, more often than not I opted for a popsicle or frozen yogurt.

And for about a three or four week stretch I routinely woke up at four in the morning craving chocolate milk. I ended up buying my own supply of 1 % so I could trot out to the kitchen at all hours and guzzle it right from the carton. In my second month, I traveled to a national conference and I insisted that the hotel give me a mini fridge room so I could keep some fruit and my precious chocolate milk for when I needed it. I've always liked soy milk so I tried substituting that to curb my cravings. Until, about fifteen minutes into drinking a cup of the stuff, I got sick and it all came back up again. I'm officially off the chocolate milk, soy or otherwise.

Then I found the Babyfit website and have been tracking my food ever since, the good, bad and ugly. The website allows me to see where I've been strong in my nutritional intake and where I'm lacking on a daily basis. It sound tedious but it's worth it to have a healthy me and a healthy baby!

Thankfully, I'm feeling much better these days. My appetite has come back, I'm getting cravings (which is a whole other blog post!), and I'm eating pretty well...and eating a lot! So I'm looking forward to sharing my new cooking and eating adventures here as I go through the second half of my pregnancy and journey towards parenthood.

Blog!

2011-05-19T15:57:00.001-02:30

I was traveling, and then got sick, but I finally have a moment to brag about my NL Blog Roll Blog of the Week announcement! Thanks!!

Check out the post here.

More food on the run

2011-05-05T18:31:00.000-02:30

With offerings like this how can anyone say no? If anyone needs me, I'll be over here dieting hardcore until next week when I travel again!

Jiggs dinner with salt beef, pease pudding, potato, carrot, cabbage, turnip and mustard pickles on the side.On the plate is also some raisin pudding as pre-dessert dessert.

This is a partridge berry cake with a traditional caramel sauce smothering it. I also had amazing seafood chowder and a homemade roll...but literally ate it too quickly to even think of taking a photo. An I've had that chowder two days in a row!

Eating on the run

2011-05-05T10:32:00.001-02:30

Pies made with local berries, white homemade bread (with globs of butter), meat and potatoes...and gravy. Lots of french fries, snack foods and sugary Pepsi. This are the ingredients for a poor diet and weight gain. But, this has been my diet for the past three days because I'm on the road in some remote places with great hospitality. The places where I'm eating are the kinds of places where they give you more than enough and then feel insulted if you don't have seconds or dessert. And every meeting and activity is just another excuse to eat or drink a cup of tea.

I'm loving it, don't get me wrong, because the food is rich and tasty. Last night, for example, we had the choice of caribou roulaud (in a rich juniper-laced gravy) or locally caught cod (battered and deep fried)...I chose the cod. Delish...but I'm not getting many fruits or veggies, or much exercise for that matter, so I'm looking forward to returning to my routine soon. This place is beautiful and the people are generous but I'm worried I soon won't be able to fit into the plane to take me back home! At least I'm getting lots of fresh air and healthy tea!

Mary's Harbour, Southeastern Labrador

Use what you've got

2011-04-22T15:23:00.001-02:30

Some nights you just want supper plain and simple...and quick. Here's another go-to pasta dish that's mostly impromptu or experimental because it allows you to use what you have in your fridge or pantry. It's one part veggies, one part pasta base, and one part sauce. Saute the veggies (and garlic - always!), add tomatoes or pre-made tomato sauce, and throw it on some pasta. Done.

This time around, I had onion, garlic, mushrooms and some nice multi-coloured tomatoes. I started with the onion and cooked them in a small pan until translucent. Then I added garlic and some salt and pepper until aromatic. Then the mushrooms went in until they were cooked and soft. Finally, I added the tomatoes and let their moisture draw out and coat everything. I had some canned plain tomato sauce which I added until it was all heated through. If you want something extra, add meatballs, ground meat or some beans or chickpeas. And the whole point of this dish is you can use whatever veggies or items you have like fresh herbs, peppers, zucchini and different kinds of pasta. Don't be afraid!

I had olives for the sauce but forgot to add them in. They made a nice after-dinner snack though! I'm still trying to enjoy olives more because I'm not a huge fan of them normally. But with rich food like tomato sauce and some wine, I'm coming around to them a little more every time I have them. Beautiful!

Best laid plans...

2011-04-18T11:25:00.000-02:30

Last week I wrote about trying to stay on track with my meal plan and eat well during a particularly hectic week. I did OK, but my healthy eating plans didn't pan out nearly as well as I'd hoped. I have gained a pound or so back from my original loss due to not going to the gym once this week, and consuming some on-the-go fast food, delish pizza, and lots of coffee. I did manage to have a good amount of fruit and vegetables each day and not snack too much during my exam study period. I had forgotten how much snacking used to get me through the studying! The most important lesson I've learned is to accept bumps in the road, don't beat myself up about them, and move on from them.

The week capped off with Saturday's FEASt Fest where I helped the volunteer kitchen crew prep, prepare and feed just over 100 people for lunch. I even did dishes! It was a great experience and a very appropriate reminder of my love of simple food (plus a gentle nudge to get get back at it). Monday morning brought a renewed desire to watch what I eat, pack my lunch (a salad made with locally-grown lettuce), curb cravings and limit portions with Spark. I have gym plans for later and relaxation to center myself again before gearing up for the next rush. One day at a time!

Our FEASt signature salad: millet (last year we used quinoa), chickpeas, beet, carrot, onion, raisins, lots of garlic, lime juice, coriander, and olive oil. All in my mother's huge bread-baking bowl!

See, I do dishes. Especially when there's an awesome industrial washer and sink!

Busy work

2011-04-11T13:57:00.000-02:30

This is a busy time for me - work, volunteering, event planning, finishing a course, buying a house, planning renovations to that house, and still trying to stick to my meal plan/diet. And my cat puked in my purse this morning. But that's another headache.

One more thing that's on my list of to-dos is to feed myself. In the past, when I've been stressed or under pressure the first thing to go is my diet. Health and nutrition goes right out the window. And I admit to having some McGrossnss this weekend while studying. But I really want to try and not pig out too much this week while I'm busy. Planning my meals and cooking at home won't be easy so I've stocked up on some convenience food that's still semi-healthy like fruit, yogurts, pre-sliced veggies and pre-cooked meats for added protein to salads, and lots of cans of low-sodium soda water. I want some comfort and lots of ease...but I don't want to fall down from lack of nutrition at the same time.

I don't want to waste all my hard work over the past few months. I'll let you know how the food and meal planning translates to execution after I put my head up for air at the end of the week. Until then...

Chilly weather chili

2011-03-25T16:08:00.002-02:30

In anticipation of a snow day, I decided to make chili to have for supper and keep leftovers for a treat in case I got snowed in. Well, today ended up being a snow day so am I ever glad I had this tasty treat to tide me over! The chili was delish last night and even better today for lunch. Here's what I did (and why it's healthy):

Ingredients:
1 can crushed tomatoes (as low sodium as you can find)
1 can kidney beans (I used a can of Hunts chili style beans which had kidney and pinto beans)
1 can mushrooms
A whole lot of garlic (I mean at least 5 cloves)
.25-.5 lbs of ground meat (I used lean ground beef but you could use turkey, chicken, pork or veggie ground round....or leave it out all together, in which case I'd substitute chickpeas)
5tbs chli powder (ie. a good hand full)
1tbs dried chili flakes
1 tbs dried basil
salt & pepper to taste

What to do:
- Brown you meat in a skillet first until cooked through; add the chili powder and chili flakes to the meat and stir;
- In a large pot on medium, saute garlic until aromatic and browned. you can add chopped onions here if you'd like and/or chili;
- Then add your other ingredients in one at a time starting with the mushrooms, then the beans, and finally the tomatoes. You want to let each ingredient cook for a few minutes before adding the next one so you layer the flavours. Once the mixture is saucy from the tomatoes, you can add in the meat mixture;
- Once everything is simmering together, take a taste of the chili to see if it needs anything like salt, pepper, more chili powder or chili flakes.

I served this chili with very lightly warmed asparagus and some organic corn chips (Que Pasa brand) for dipping. For a treat, I put some shredded mozza on top but it's a President's Choice light cheese so not terrible for my diet.

This whole meal comes in at approximately 650 calories, 27g fat, and 32g protein (made with the lean ground beef) and is a welcomed and filling meal on a stormy day!

Bit of breakie

2011-03-19T11:36:00.000-02:30

There's nothing quite as lovely as a weekend breakfast of Newfoundland eggs, low-sodium/low-fat (but still yummy) bacon, and lots of fresh fruit. And a big cup of coffee, of course.

Raw

2011-03-17T10:10:00.000-02:30

I'm a member and volunteer of FEASt (Food Education Action St. John's) and we're gearing up for a big event/fundraiser next month. There will be local food, gardening and kids activities, and lots of like-minded people. We'll be cooking up lunch for the masses in a church kitchen with industrial ovens and dishwashers. It'll be tons of fun! Last year, I helped prepare more roasted carrots, potatoes and parsnips than I had ever seen before! And I learned a great quinoa beet salad recipe.

In preparation of the event and all that cooking and food, I've been thinking about simple food and recipes which incorporate lots of veggies and/or raw ingredients. I'll post about the event for sure. In the meantime, here are some resources:

Gone Raw has lots of delicious food pictures with recipes to boot.

Kristen's Raw site is a personal blog of foodie and cookbook author Kristen Suzanne. It contains a huge supply of recipes, tips and tricks for cooking organic, vegan, and raw.

My Real Food Life is a blog from a fellow Canadian who aims to cook gluten free, soy free, corn free and egg free.Plus the food pictures are stunning.

FSN is the site for the Food Security Network of Newfoundland and Labrador.

If you live on the Northeast Avalon of Newfoundland and Labrador (like I do), the Northeast Avalon Regional Economic Development Board will be soon launching a guide to local food producers complete with a Buy Local! Buy Fresh! map.

Dessert for dinner

2011-03-08T10:41:00.002-03:30

Pancake day is today and it's tradition to have pancakes for dinner around these parts. It's the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday and the last day before the 40-day lent period. Traditionally, this was the last day to have fat, eggs (meat) or anything bad for you before the long lent stretch. Hence, pancakes for dinner was a treat and a way to use up all that stuff around the house. I'm not giving up anything for lent but I am on a diet and will continue with it after this Shrove Tuesday treat (and extra trip to the gym).

Pancake day for me is about another tradition: the fortune-telling trinkets found inside the pancakes. Growing up, my mother would put coins in our pancakes and that was supposed to symbolize prosperity or the promise of wealth. It often just turned into a way to get some extra money and a competition over who got the most coins.I remember going to a friend's house one year for pancake day, though, and I ended up with her mother's wedding ring in my pancake! Here are some common pancake trinket:

-a penny, to symbolize poverty
-a nickel, to symbolize wealth; We often received quarters :)
-a string, to symbolize a fisherman (if a boy got the string, he would be a fisherman, if a girl did, she would marry one)
-a wedding ring, to symbolize that you would marry soon; I've also heard it means you won't die an "old maid"
-a button, to symbolize that you would never marry
-a nail, to symbolize that you would soon pass away
-a thimble, to symbolize that you would be a seamstress (a girl) or a tailor (a boy); I've heard that a thimble could also mean you will have a lovely house/household when you grow up.

And here is a great recipe for those who are not trying to use up all the butter, sugar and eggs in the house for this one meal (from SparkPeople):

100 Calorie cinnamon pancakes
Whole Wheat Flour, 1.25 cup
Baking Soda, 1 tsp
Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, 2 tbsp
Skim Milk, 1 cup
Eggbeaters, .5 cup
Vanilla extract, 1 tbs
Cinnamon, 2 tbsp

Mix flour, baking soda, and splenda in bowl. Mix milk, eggs, and vanilla in another bowl. Beat into dry mix roughly, so as to add more air to mix. Stir in cinnamon last. Serving size is 1/3 cup mix. Use a cooking spray on the skillet when cooking.

Serving size is one pancake. If you use less than 1/3 of a cup batter (like 1/4, or 1/6) you can have two for 100 calories. You can also add smooshed bananas to the batter, blueberries,peanut butter, use real eggs instead of egg beaters, or add a touch of brown sugar instead of the splenda. I also generally add a tsp of baking powder to pancakes to make them extra fluffy.
Number of Servings: 8

To cook before it's too late...

2011-03-06T19:22:00.002-03:30

At a friend's birthday part the other night, I was asked what I would like to do before I die. One thing and one thing only. So there, with wine in one hand and a sharpie in another I made my choice quickly and soundly. Make crème brûlée from scratch. This is not a difficult dish and I do have the required cooking accessories (including a mini-blow torch). It's cream, sugar, vanilla and all things delicious and simple. So what is it about this dish that has illuded me? I have no idea. I had said a while ago that it was my cooking Mount Everest. Since then I've put it off and put it off.

So here I am, realizing it's something I want to do and have all the ability in the world to do. I just need an occasion, right. Because after all this talk, I can't just make this for a regular Tuesday night or something. So I resolve to make this dish for my housewarming party...whenever I do find a suitable and affordable house to buy. I'm in the process of house searching now and resolve that once I move in and have friends over, crème brûlée is the first thing I'm making!

Then I'll have to get another "thing to do before I die"...challenge accepted.

Stir fry: kinda like a warm salad

2011-02-28T19:53:00.001-03:30

I'm not a huge fan of stir fry, to tell the truth, but it's a good option when you need something quick and healthy for dinner. All you need is a big fry pan (or wok), some garlic, ginger, salt and pepper -- and whatever veggies and base you'd like. The main thing to remember is to cook everything in order. Start with your aromatics (eg. onion or garlic) and saute them for a little bit until they sweat. Then add meat and/or veggies starting with whatever will take the longest to cook first.

For this particular stir fry, for example, I added broccoli first and cooked that for a little bit. When it started to get darker green and softer, I added mushrooms and stirred everything around. Then I added green beans because they take the least amount of time to cook (especially if you like them a little crunchy like I do!).

Then you add a dash of salt and pepper and serve on top of your base. You can use noodles, rice, add some beans or chickpeas, or have just the mixture on its own. I added some nuts on top and threw in some pre-cooked chicken and served the whole thing on top of rice.

So try this quick and easy dish next time you're in a rush. It's also way to make use of leftovers or odds and ends in your fridge you need to use up soon. Try experimenting with sauces, herbs and other flavouring...just be careful of sugar-heavy pre-made sauces out there. Add raisins, nuts, or sprouts. And if you keep your ingredients to real food you can adapt this recipe for many diets like low carb, diabetic, gluten free, vegan, etc. Essentially it's a warm salad that you can adapt however you'd like.

Throw it all together (in order of course!) and enjoy!

Protein-packed pasta

2011-02-22T18:24:00.000-03:30

I'm a girl who loves her pasta. But too much of a good thing can sometimes be boring...and a bit indulgent. So to strike a balance, I sometimes use a vegetarian option of a basic tomato sauce. This pasta dish is something I whip up when I want my pasta but I want to have my veggies too.

Start by simmering some chopped onions in a large pan with a little olive oil. Add loads of garlic and some finely chopped chilies. Then add whatever vegetables you have and/or like. This time around, I added red pepper and mushrooms. I also had some dried basil (though I'll admit fresh is always better). Add harder vegetables first and let them cook and soften before adding ones that don't take as long. Also make sure you sizzle each ingredient before adding the next. That way everything marries together and forms a more complex taste. I call this the "layering" technique of sauce-making.

Then I add the secret ingredient: Yves veggie ground round. It's a meat-textured wheat and soy protein product that works like ground beef in your sauce. It ups the meaty texture and ups your satisfaction because in 1/3 cup portion it has 10g of protein. But unlike regular meat, it only has 0.5g of fat (and no saturated fat) and just 60 calories.

Throw in the veggie ground round with your already-sizzling mixture. Add a dash of salt and a ton of pepper (well, that's what I do) and let it cook through until hot and fully mixed together. Add some canned tomatoes or tomato sauce and simmer everything for about 10 more minutes. Serve the chunky sauce over pasta or as "sloppy joes". It's an easy meal and very easy to experiment with or change out one or two ingredients for others you may have on hand or prefer. You could even substitute the veggie ground round for any ground meat, lentils, chickpeas or marinated, mashed-up tofu.

The veggie products come in a few other varieties and can be used in other pasta dishes, tacos, nachos, sheppards pie...you name it. And it's easy to prepare because it's as fast-food as you can get. With the protein, veggies, cooked tomatoes and garlic, this dish ends up being pretty healthy while remaining easy and warming you up on a cold day. Add some grated parm and enjoy!

Chic-chic-chicken

2011-02-16T18:41:00.004-03:30

Roasted whole chicken is food as simple as it gets. All you have to do is wash and dry the bird, rub it with some herbs and spices and roast in a 350 C degree oven until the meat in the thigh reaches 170-175 degrees. Then remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for about 20 minutes before carving.
Rubs can include tarragon, garlic, parsley, sage, savory, and/or chili flakes. For a 2 1/2 lb bird, cook it for about 1 1/2 hours (depending on oven) but the meat thermometer always works! Have chicken for dinner and use the rest for chicken salad or curry the next day. Remember not to waste leftovers and consider using the very last bits of the chicken to make chicken soup...just perfect for cold winter nights.

Back to basics

2011-02-16T18:19:00.002-03:30

I went a little off the rails there. I'm not too proud to admit it. The online food tracking of my meal plan was well-intentioned but I became obsessive. I lost what I love most about food and cooking: experimentation and creativity. And, though I may have been eating healthier, I didn't loose what I wanted to loose: weight. The system is a good one but it's not for me. I missed eating good food, experimenting with cooking, and blogging about it.

So, it's time for a new plan. I'm going back to basics and back to my cooking. No more tracking everything I eat and trying to figure out if I have had enough protein or too much fat. Instead, I'm going to try to eat a variety of food, be smart about my meals, and cut down (or cut out wherever possible) processed food by eating real food.

Most importantly, I'm going to use my cooking to help me eat healthier because it will allow me to eat real food and prepare it in a healthy way. It makes it a lot easier to know what's in my food when I'm the one who put it there. My interest in cooking has always been in trying new things and substituting ingredients for ones that make more sense for me. Combining that with an honest workout and exercise program should do the trick. Being healthy doesn't have to be complicated.

Here we go again...

Saucy slow-cooked pork

2011-02-06T12:51:00.003-03:30

I was gifted a large pork shoulder and had it hidden in the freezer for a while. Finally, I decided what to do with it: pulled pork! To make it easy on myself, I decided to combine the ingredients and pork into the slow cooker and let 'er rip. I threw it all in the in morning, turned it on 'low' and then 8 hours later, when I came home from work,I had a fulled cooked piece of meat.

The ingredients I put in with the pork shoulder were:
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
-2 tbs yellow mustard
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbs maple syrup
- salt and pepper

When the cover is lifted at the end of the slow-cooking process, the meat will be cooked and sauce simmering. What I did is to take the roast out of the pot and onto a cutting board to cool slightly. Then I poured the sauce into a pan on the stove. Once cool enough to touch, I shredded the meat with two forks and put all the meat into the sauce. I added a bit of store-bought BBQ sauce because I felt I needed more liquid to my homemade sweet & sour concoction. I then let the shredded pulled pork simmer on the stove for about 1/2 hour until I was ready for supper.

You can serve the pork on top of buns or alongside potatoes or other veggies. I had pulled pork sandwiches, with sweet potato fries and corn on the side. And there's lots left over for lunch the next day and even more for the freezer for a rainy day!

Spark it up

2011-01-10T20:04:00.004-03:30

I started a meal plan and exercise routine three weeks before Christmas and lost 5lbs. I gained some back over the holidays but am back at the plan once again. The plan is from Spark People and it's a lower fat, higher protein, higher calcium version of my usual way of eating. Believe me, I'm very much a rookie when it comes to dieting and planning meals. But I'm responding well to tracking my food and following the meal plans prescribed by Spark. It's a free website and so far so good!

A typical meal plan for a day for me will be:
Breakfast: glass of milk (1%), oatmeal, blueberries, coffee/tea, and egg or egg substitute
Lunch: Tuna melt sandwich, grapes, a tea and/or water
Dinner: Pork tenderloin, peppers, sweet potato, applesauce, dinner roll and milk with decaf coffee
Snack: Cauliflower or carrots with hummus dip

Essentially, I have learned to make sure there's a veggie or fruit (or more than one) with every meal, up my intake of dairy and other calcium-rich foods, watch my fat intake and have realized carbohydrates aren't that bad after all. AND I've learned not to mindlessly pour cream into my coffee, snack junk food at my desk, or steal fries from a friend's plate without thinking about it first. At the end of the day, whether my food is on my meal plan or I enter it manually, I see the total amount of calories, fat, carbohydrates and protein that I've consumed. It's a way to keep me on track and doesn't take that much out of my day.

The site encourage at least 8 glasses of water a day and discourages additional snacking...especially the kind of snacking that is mindless. By tracking my food, I am aware of what I am putting into my body even if I stray from the plan.

I don't necessarily intended for this to be an endorsement for Spark but it's helped me discover a new way of planning my meals in a healthy and mindful way. There are other online sites and weight watching programs out there they do very much the same thing. In short, there's a program out there for everyone. I don't know if I'll stick to this for a long time or just try it short-term but for now I like it.

One of the most fascinating things I've learned is how much food I can eat to stay full and fuel my body if I'm aware of what I'm consuming. For example, for the same amount of carbs, calories, fat and protein, I can eat 1.5 tbs peanut butter and 2 stalks of celery...or I can eat a whole veggie burger (without bun) and a small sweet potato. And there are plan options for different preferences such as heart-smart, vegetarian, low-carb, etc.

It may sound cliche, but here's to a new year and a new start. I'll still be found in the junk-food isle every now and then but at least now I'm educating myself on what's in all that food (good and bad) before I consume it.

Now we're there/we only just begun

2010-12-23T15:16:00.006-03:30

A year is a good, neat and tidy way to measure time and distance in your life. And in the spirit of 'best of' countdown shows I have started thinking about my life this past year. I didn't swim with sharks in the Philippines or dance in the streets of Madrid this year. I didn't even skydive. Heck, I didn't even get married or have a baby. But I did do some things that I'm proud of and thought it would be an interesting exercise to recount some of them (food-related and otherwise). It'll set me up for the end of 2010 and ring in 2011 with a positive note.

I encourage you to make a similar list of your accomplishments, big and small, to help propel you into the new year.

So, this year I:

- bellydanced in a crowded park
- learned the basics of driving a stick shift car
- moved me and the cat (3 times in the past 14mos.)
- got back into Toastmasters and became a better public speaker
- was a vegetarian for a month a (Aug.)
- volunteered with five groups
- helped cook brunch for 50 people as a volunteer
- became a member of a board/executive, twice
- lived on my own
- dated
- celebrated one year of blogging with DesktopGourmet
- embraced social media, especially after getting a Blackberry phone
- had a red bedroom (and red phone and red netbook computer)
- had my Facebook and email hacked and everything deleted, incl. photos
- also had my hard drive crash on my personal laptop
- lived without cable
- reached over 1,400 tweets
- drove across the Confederation Bridge myself
- shopped in Montreal's Chinatown
- made Guinness chocolate cupcakes 4 times
- perfected my punch recipe
- mastered cooking a full turkey dinner from scratch (at least I think so!)
- lost and replaced 3 pairs of earbuds
- read 15 novels
- did my job without a manager for 8 months
- traveled to Nain, Labrador (the most North I've ever been)
- traveled to NS, NB and PEI on a camping vacation
- bought and wore heels higher than 2 1/2 inches (bringing me to over 6 feet tall)
- went to a personal trainer (thanks Erin!)
- did basic swimming lessons to conquer my fear of drowning
- turned 28
- got a new car
- lost some friends, but re-connected with others...and made new ones too!
- made pedicures a regular thing
- gained perspective
- (almost) kicked my finger nail-biting habit
- had bronchitis, a chest infection, and a sinus infection, all at the same time
- mastered pretzel-making (though not pretzel-shaping)
- played the tin whistle (even if only in my friend's living room...there was an audience!)
- purged my belongings and had a yard sale
- drank a lot of wine
- remembered all the words to all the songs on Counting Crows' Across the Wires CD
- sang along with the entire CD mentioned above while driving from Gander to St. John's, twice
- got bangs again
- found out I like the following foods I used to dislike: shrimp, chai tea, ginger, ginger ale, dill pickle chips, omelets, seaweed (sushi), cranberry sauce, mussels (in sauce only), and olives
- drive over 20,000 kms...and that's without owning a car for 8 months
- took a photo of my food every day for a month (Oct.) and posted them on my blog
- helped organize a major fundraiser diner for a charity
- went to a hockey game
- got a clean bill of health at my annual check-up
- took the Halifax harbour ferry 10 times
- made some big financial strides (like paying off my student loans)
- got pre-approved for a mortgage and have started looking for a new house!

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

"For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning.”
-T.S. Eliot

We've only just begun...

2010-12-21T09:24:00.004-03:30

You don't have to worry
All your worried days are gone
And this will be our year
Took a long time to come...
- The Zombies

I'm thinking about 2010 and all that happened in life, and in some respects with food and cooking. It's been a large year and it's quickly coming to a close. So in its dwindling days, I'll be thinking about the ups and downs, the successes and lop-sided moments. Sounds like as good a way as any to mark the end of the year.

And for one day in the new year, DesktopGourmet will list some personal accomplishments (both food and otherwise) as I enter 2011 with some (hopefully) new found perspective.

Merry Christmas and best wishes for the new year!

So so so sweet potato crisp

2010-12-16T19:34:00.006-03:30

It's holiday pot luck season and I've found a new go-to dish to cart along to parties. It's a crowd pleaser, gluten free, vegetarian (though not vegan) and easy to whip together. It's part dessert and part side-dish so it's perfect for any type of get-together. And there's seasonal ingredients so it'll put you and the guests in the right mood for some holiday cheer.

What you'll need:
8 oz cream cheese
1 can sweet potato (or about 2 medium cooked sweet potatoes)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 apple (I used Granny Smith), cut into small cubes
2/3 cups cranberries
1/2 cup flour (I used rice flour to make this gluten free)
1/2 cup oats (old fashioned, not cooked)
1/3 cup butter/margarine (softened)
1/4 cup pecans (optional)

What to do:
1) Heat oven to 350 F

2) Beat cream cheese, potato, 1/4 cup brown sugar and the cinnamon in a blender or food processor until combined and smooth. Pout into a casserole dish (1 1/2 qt) and top with cranberries and apple pieces.

3) Mix together the flour, oats and remaining sugar with the butter. Use your fingers to mix it all up until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in nuts and sprinkle the crumbs over the dish.

4) Bake, covered, for 30-35 mins until heated through and golden brown.

I would suggest experimenting with this too because pears or pomegranate seeds sound awfully good too! And I didn't have pecans so I used peanuts and it worked out well.

If you're making this ahead of time for a party, you can bake it and cool it down before refrigerating. When you're at the party, put the dish in the oven again to re-heat and away you go!

Cookie Me Christmas

2010-12-09T18:20:00.005-03:30

To kick off the holiday baking season, I decided to start with a fool-proof stand-by recipe: the Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie. This recipe makes a bunch of cookies (as in 40 or so) and is easy to make and bake. It's not diet, or gluten free or even dairy free but it is an old stand-by and I'm sure many of you out there are going to be looking for a great cookie recipe this season.

What you'll need:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (I did sub half of the white flour with whole wheat and it worked out fine)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter (softened)
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
34 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups chocolate chips + 1 cup nuts (optional)

Preheat oven 375 degrees F

Like many cookie recipes, you make this one in two stages: wet and dry. First combine the flour, baking soda and salt together in one bowl and stir with a whisk to get any lumps out. Second, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat together the soft butter, sugars and vanilla. Combining butter and sugar is called "creaming" and you'll know it's done combing when the mixture is lump-free and fluffy. Then you add one egg at a time, combining after each addition, to the wet mixture. Finally, combine the dry into the wet (in batches and slowly so you don't end up with a snow-storm of flour in your kitchen). Stir in the chocolate and nuts by hand with a spatula.

You then drop the cookie batter onto non-greased cookie sheets with a spoon. I use two spoons, one to drop and the other to pry off the dough hanging on to the original spoon. It's a technique that's good if you don't want to get your hands in a mess

Bake each cookie sheet 9-11 minutes until the cookies are just set in the middle and brown on the edges. You may have to rotate and/or turn your sheet in the oven depending on how hot your oven is, if it's convection, if it's old, etc. I recommend not putting more cookie dough on a hot, out-of-the-oven, sheet because it causes the dough to melt a little and screws up the baking time.

Let baked cookies cool on the sheets on top of the stove for a few minutes before transferring them to wire racks to complete cooling. Pour up a glass of milk and enjoy! Merry (early) Christmas!

Blog catch-up

2010-12-03T10:24:00.002-03:30

It's been a while. As in a month has gone by since I last posted! Life has been busy with work, volunteering, events and, thankfully, cooking. After tonight though, extra-curricular activities wind down and the Christmas spirit comes barging in. I've already made cookies and plan on doing more baking and holiday cooking over the next few weeks. And (in direct conflict with the holiday baking!) I've decided to take a two-week challenge to follow a low-fat, high-protein meal plan and exercise routine from Spark People. I'm also tracking what I eat and learning that I'm eating a lot of stuff I didn't realize or didn't think about first. Conscious eating is key!

I'll be updating DesktopGourmet more with holiday experiments and my diet progress...promise!

Jamaican me hungry! For burgers!

2010-11-08T18:22:00.007-03:30

This post has been a long time coming. I made these Jamaican bean and rice burgers with a friend last month and they turned out deliciously wonderful. I took photos and recorded the whole process...and it took me a month to post it all up here. But hey, better late than never. And re-hashing the recipe has made me jones for these tasty, and vegan, burgers again.

The recipe was found by my friend who has been on the look-out for alternative and healthy recipes to try. And if you want to try new food, cooking and eating, I'm your gal!

There seems to be a lot of ingredients at first but they're simple enough and there's not much fuss to assembling the patties. And warning: the amounts called for in this recipe makes a lot of burgers...more than the 6 noted (unless you make jumbo ones).

You'll need:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/4 cups chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 hot pepper (the original recipe recommends habanero pepper!), chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger root
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 1/4 cups cooked black beans, rinsed and drained
2 1/4 cups cooked long-grain white rice (this can be left-over or made just before)
2 1/2 cups dry bread crumbs
6 hamburger buns, split

We followed most of the recipe to the letter except for one thing. My friend's father happens to have a connection to a local gardener who just harvested a pile of various hot peppers. And he's a hot pepper freak so we used a whole bunch (more than the one which the recipe recommends) and it made the burger a little spicy but mostly tasty and flavourful.

What you do with all the ingredients is add them to a frying pan in layers according to how long they take to cook through. First, saute the onions and garlic. Then add the peppers and you can add the seasonings too just to they don't taste so raw (this is called 'blooming').

Then you transfer all the ingredients to a big bowl and add everything else; toss together and then mix with your hands once the mixture is cool enough to handle. Smooshing the beans and everything else together with your fingers is not only a satisfying feeling, but it serves as a great way to bind everything together. The mixture can be a bit loose so be gentle...you can add a bit of water or an egg if you feel it's too loose.

You can form patties now and return each to the frying pan (or BBQ) to fry for a few minutes on each side. Then put the finished patties on your buns and top with whatever burger toppings you'd like!

This recipe surprised me because I expected the rice and breadcrumbs to make the burgers mealy or grainy. Instead, the burgers are soft and were very tasty. And filling!! The Jamaican flavourings were not overwhelming and I'd be tempted to increase the amounts of all the flavourings next time I prepare this dish.

We ate our big burgers with sweet potato fries and asparagus.

Food photo challenge: Oct. 21-31, 2010

2010-10-31T17:48:00.006-02:30

The final week of the DesktopGourmet October food photo challenge!

Thursday, Oct. 21: Perogies with a spicy sour cream sauce.

Friday, Oct. 22: Oatt and blueberry muffin (for breakfast...ate too quick to take a picture!)
Saturday, Oct. 23: Beef quesadillas with salsa

Sunday, Oct. 24: Fiesta eggs (scrambled eggs with yellow and orange peppers)

Monday, Oct. 25: Mini samosas
Tuesday, Oct. 26: Italian wedding soup

Wednesday, Oct. 27: Bone chips (served with blood dip...aka salsa) that I made for my Toastmasters Halloween meeting
Thursday, Oct. 28: Mid-afternoon hot chocolate at my desk at work.

Friday, Oct. 29: Roasted fingerling potatoes.

Saturday, Oct. 30: mmmm....cold pilsner.Sunday, Oct. 31: Salad with mixed greens, dried cranberries, onion, almonds and orange slices.

Halloween, Oct. 31 bonus: CANDY!

Food photo challenge: Oct. 11-20, 2010

2010-10-21T18:46:00.005-02:30

The second week of the DesktopGourmet food photo challenge:

Monday, Oct. 11: Traditional veggies for Thanksgiving Monday supper with the family.

Tuesday, Oct. 12: Frozen grapes.

Wednesday, Oct. 13: Hump day coffee.

Thursday, Oct. 14: Bean, rice and veggie burgers with sweet potato fries and asparagus. Thanks Kristian (recipe post to follow)!

Friday, Oct. 15: Eggplant hummus (Summer Fresh from Dominion) bought for a friend/co-worker's shower)

Saturday, Oct. 16: Salad and olive bread (as a side to yummy pasta)

Sunday, Oct. 17: Re-heated (ie. from frozen) chicken fingers with broccoli, cauliflower and potatoes in a cheese sauce.

Monday, Oct. 18: Halloween gummi worms

Tuesday, Oct. 19: OJ for the cold

Food photo challenge: Oct.1-10, 2010

2010-10-11T12:35:00.008-02:30

The first week of the DesktopGourmet food photo challenge...stay tuned for more food!

Friday, Oct. 1: Ham and cheese pressed sandwich
Saturday, Oct. 2: Salad with dinner
Sunday, Oct. 3: Surprise flax pancakes for breakfast

Monday, Oct. 4: Pork tenderloin, sweet potato and green salad

Tuesday, Oct. 5: Strawberry frozen yogurt with lots of cherries

Wednesday, Oct. 6: Onion pakoras

Thursday, Oct. 7: Popcorn snack with a scotch and ginger in front of the tv

Friday, Oct. 8: Coconut shrimp

Saturday, Oct. 9: Sanity-saving Diet Coke

Sunday, Oct. 10: Brined turkey for Canadian Thanksgiving!

The Desktop_Gourmet food photography project

2010-10-04T16:25:00.005-02:30

Has anyone else notice I've been lazy in my blogging efforts lately? I sure haven't felt unmotivated but still I've been lax with the postings. So in an effort to be pro-active I've created a new challenge for myself. For the entire month of October I'll be taking a photo of what I eat each day and will post it to my blog here. It might not be exciting all the time but it'll keep me on track (I hope)...and I may not post every day but I'll post every photo. Promise.

My goal for this project is to take a photograph of one thing I consume each day for a month. The project should a)keep me busy and blog-minded; b)keep me honest about what I'm consuming; c)re-ignite my passion for food, cooking and, most importantly, eating.

So it's already October and I've already started! Stay tuned for the first post from the first few days of food photography.

Flexitarianism

2010-09-14T18:06:00.003-02:30

I happened to thumb through an old Chatelaine magazine from last December (the one with Nigella on the cover) and read an article on flexitarianism. What?

Well, apparently this is a new movement in eating that's kinda like being a vegetarian...except you get to cheat. Those who are "flexitarians" choose to eat healthy diets with a variety of vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains but can consume meat every now and then. They're the vegetarians who eat meat. Even Oprah and Mark Bittman are part-time veggies.

Though it may seem like cheating, if you don't resolve to strictly veggie and then you eat meat are you really cheating. You didn't promise anything to anyone. Then it hit me...without knowing it I have become a flexitarian. There's a word for me!

Some choose their eating habits due to ethics, some for finances, tastes, thoughts of local foods/producers, etc. To be honest, I think often think of food in terms of health and tastes. I don't eat a lot of meat and can go without it entirely for the most part. I just finished up a month where I didn't eat any meat products (except for fish, eggs and dairy) and I have been a stricter vegetarian in the past. But could I do it exclusively and forever? Could I turn down Christmas turkey dinner, my dad's meat chili, fish and chips and gravy, or fresh bacon as part of a breakfast in bed? Hell, no. Maybe that makes me weak or less pure than devout vegans. But it's my diet and my choice.

I know I will still eat meat. But I will also choose to eat healthy, consume a variety of fruits and vegetables and other non-meat options. I'm constantly learning new things and educating myself about food and cooking. I choose to see 'flexitarianism' as a positive thing and a step in the right direction.

Easy quiche x 2

2010-09-13T18:42:00.004-02:30

Looking for an easy anytime-meal? The answer is quiche. You can have it for dinner, lunch, brunch, you name it! And you can add whatever you'd like to it for endless possibilities. This weekend, I made a ham, cheddar and green onion quiche. And the dish can be as complicated or simple as you want it.

This weekend's attempt was made with a pre-made frozen pie shell, six eggs (I find that a good ratio for a 12" pie dish), about 1/4 cup milk and your chopped up ingredients. You can up the ante by making your pie shell from scratch. Leave out the pie shell altogether and you'll reduce calories plus get to call your quiche a frittata.

If the ingredients are soft (like cheese, deli meat, tomato) you can add them right into the egg mixture. If they're harder (like leeks, onion, broccoli) you should cook them, and let them cool, before adding to the mixture. Pour the mixture into the pie shell and bake about 20 minutes until the egg is cooked in the middle and the top of the quiche is golden brown.

I had quiche and a salad for dinner with a salad; leftover quiche and sweet potato wedges for brunch the next day.

Did it!

2010-09-13T18:29:00.004-02:30

So I did it...one whole month being a vegetarian. I've been a veggie before and for a lot longer, so it wasn't a big deal. But it was something. It was a challenge and I finished it. I learned new recipes, tried a variety of foods, and I had to really think about my food consumption.

The whole thing got me thinking about challenges, trying new things, and not backing down. It's such a small task to deprive yourself of something familiar but it feels great to come out the other side triumphant. It doesn't matter if you're leaving meat out of your diet, cutting out coffee, quiting smoking, or biking to work instead of driving a car. Setting goals and accomplishing them feels awesome.

This past New Years Eve I declared it would be 'my year' and with fall, and eventually winter, approaching I'm thinking about that declaration. I have three and a half months to finish those things on my life 'to do' list for the year. And there are some food goals on there too! I'll be in touch.

Awesome thing

2010-08-20T09:27:00.002-02:30

The 1000 Awesome Things blog has just published a Food Ogling entry. Yes.

There have been many times when I have forgotten my surroundings, neglected my responsibilities, or not heard anything my dining companion is saying all because I'm food ogling.

From the entry:
"A smoking babe struts by and all you notice are her enchiladas. A hot guy cruises over and all you see is his taco salad. Just then someone runs over your foot with their wheelchair but you’re too hypnotized by their thai curry to feel any pain."

So there you have it, re-blogged for your enjoyment. Happy Friday!

Veggie (for now)

2010-08-18T15:42:00.005-02:30

I'm half way through an experiment and wanted to let you in on it. For the month of August I've been trying to be a vegetarian. Well, a sort-of vegetarian, because I'm allowing myself to eat fish and dairy. So technically I'm trying to be a lacto-ovo pescatarian. The idea was born from the realization that I was in a cooking/recipe rut and that I wanted healthier (and cheaper) meal options. So far, the month has been pretty good and I'm already past the mid-way hump. It's all downhill from here, right?

Now, I wasn't a big meat eater to start with. Don't get me wrong, I will admit to loving a BBQed hamburger or dish of spaghetti and meatballs. And I don't know if I could turn down a good 'ol turkey dinner. But I don't eat pork much and don't remember the last time I had a steak. My weekly meals usually panned out to include at least two days without meat at all anyway. So by putting parameters on myself, such as not eating meat (except fish) I am forced to break habits, shop differently, and try out all sorts of new recipes.

For example, when some friends invited me over for dinner two weeks into my challenge, I had to confess my new dietary restriction. They were troopers, though, and I gorged on homemade Thai food including my first taste of ceviche (it was sole marinated in rice wine vinegar), and my first taste of shrimp in about 10 years (pad thai, yum!). In fact, I had always been iffy on shrimp but I've since had it a few times and figured out how to cook it well. Now I think it's going to appear in my cooking repertoire more often.

I've also experimented more with beans and lentils, made yummy falafel wraps, cooked up a tofu-based stirfry, encouraged my boyfriend to make veggie ground-round chili (which was awesome)...and the month isn't over yet!

I'm learning more about alternative sources of protein, and more about what food (and food combos) out there that I may not have even realized I would enjoy. I've realized that being a vegetarian isn't all about salads and carbs. It's a small thing to cut out meat, but it's turning into an interesting and worthwhile experiment.

My next challenge may be to cut out dairy, gluten, refined sugar, or who knows. I'm going to get through the rest of this month first and I'll let you know how it goes. Now, what's for supper tonight? Salmon, or veggie pizza, or spinach lasagna, or tofu scramble, or.....

Mega Muffins

2010-08-03T14:49:00.008-02:30

I'm trying a healthy kick and part of that is figuring out a good way to start my day with a healthy breakfast. There's only so much cereal, fruit and yogurt a girl can eat. Plus I want something that I can eat on the run. Something I can eat on the run without resorting to fast food or pre-packaged treats. There is one snack that is the answer to all these conundrums: muffins! I found this recipe from Canadian Living which I love because their recipes are 'tested until perfect.' The recipe seemed to have all the major items I need to start my day (aside from coffee). These muffins have hearty oats, fruit, protein, and fiber.
The recipe starts like those for many baked goods: combining wet and dry ingredients separately. Then you combine them gently into the same bowl. Though these muffins have lots of grains and oats, they stay moist with the help of grated apples and milk. Without a lot of butter or margarine, they are pretty heart-healthy and I've added some ground flax for an extra healthy kick.
The recipe makes just about 12 muffins, if you fill each muffin tin up to the very top to allow for a yummy outter crust.
Bake the muffins in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with just a few crumbs. Let them cool in the pan 5 minutes then transfer them to a rack to cool. Your kitchen will smell fabulous and you'll benefit from having tons of goodness baked into a tiny package. They also freeze well; wrap the muffins individually in plastic wrap before sealing in an airtight container or freezer bag. To thaw, microwave for 20 seconds, or let thaw overnight in the fridge.

You could substitute other items such as grated carrot or banana for the fruit for a different tasting muffin. And feel free to experiment with substitutions for the currents such as raisins, chocolate chips, or other nuts or dried fruit. All yummy!

Birthday happiness

2010-07-29T23:12:00.006-02:30

My birthday party table with candy buffet, watermelon shark and huge themed birthday cake courtesy of my wonderful boyfriend. We ate and ate and ate ourselves into a birthday tropical paradise!

Whew it's been a while since I uploaded anything or did a blog entry. I haven't even told you how my birthday party went! It was a few weeks ago and the luau theme was smashing! The weather cooperated and, though extremely windy, it was a hot and lovely night.

My luau-themed food went over well too. I started with the idea to roast a pig but that didn't fly. Then I dumbed the idea down to pulled pork sandwiches. That would have been more work and messiness than it was worth though. So in the end I did a bunch of finger foods, some on sticks, that guests could pick up and eat while mingling with a drink in one hand. For that drink, I made huge batches of sangria. One batch was my regular birthday (or any special occasion) alcoholic sangria. The other was a non-alcoholic sangria punch for anyone who wanted something refreshing but didn't want the buzz. The recipe is from Kraft Foods and it's served me well for a few parties. Seriously, it tastes just like the real thing!

For the food I made:
- fruit kabobs (self-explanatory enough)
- pigs in a blanket (get it??)
- candy buffet with tropical-themed candy like Swedish fish, gummy sharks, sour fruit, etc.
- Hawaiian pizza on a stick (this was a kabob of ham, pineapple and cheese with pizza dipping sauce)

And finally the main event:

My watermelon shark! I saw a picture of this online and knew I had to make it as the centerpiece of my party. I got directions here and enlisted my sister to help carve the shape of the shark mouth and teeth. Using blueberries for eyes and more Swedish fish as the shark's food, the whole thing was a big hit!

Add in some twinkle lights on the patio, a few leis for guests to wear, some beach balls and you've got yourself a party. So there it is, a long-awaited update and a recount of my birthday luau party. With a little imagination, Internet researching and some food I was able to create a tropical paradise birthday party.

And I whopped it up a bit with some sparklers at midnight!

Mulligatawny Heaven

2010-07-06T21:35:00.006-02:30

I've started a new hobby with a friend of mine who wants to start leaning how to cook better, healthier food for himself. We've begun getting together every so often and, while we catch up with each other, we try a new recipe together. It's socializing and cooking and eating...all of my favorite things! This time we tried mulligatawny soup which is a curry-flavoured soup with a lentil base. You can add chicken or shrimp if you'd like but we left it plain 'ol vegetarian. Here's what we used:

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons garam masala
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
2 cups (or one can) lentils
4 cups low-salt vegetable broth
1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

First, take your onions and start them frying in the oil until translucent. Then add the garlic and start that going too. Then take each spice and add it one at a time to your onion/garlic mixture. Just wait a few minutes in between each addition. This will allow the spices to "bloom" and you'll layer the flavours while letting them build and intermingle with each other.

Then add your lentils and mix them into the mixture. Let them heat up with the spices and onions and garlic. Your kitchen will smell amazing! Then add in the stock and let the whole thing simmer 20 minutes. Then add the coconut milk and lemon juice. Here comes the fun part...then you blitz the whole thing with an hand-held blender or in batches in a regular blender.

And now you have soup! It's a hearty soup, even though it's blended smooth, and all those spices make it extremely aromatic and yummy. This should make enough for a couple meals and it can be frozen for lunches and future meals.

Sugar, (maple) sugar

2010-07-01T11:30:00.004-02:30

In the spirit of Canada Day (and summer pot lucks) I present to you a different and creative offering: maple shortbread.

You 'll need:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup maple suyrup (the real stuff, not pancake syrup!)
2 cups all-purpose flour

Line a 9x13 inch metal pan with parchment paper or foil (or a large springform pan like I used) and preheat the oven to 350F.

Cream together the sugar, butter and syrup until fluffy.

Add in the flour, 1/2 cups at a time by hand. Stir together until everything is just combined.
Press the soft dough into yiour prepared pan. Prick the top of the shortbread all over with a fork. Bake at 350 degress 25 minutes until golden. Let it cool on a wire rack.
You can leave the shortbread just like this, or you can gild the lilly a tad with a maple candy glaze (!) by combining in a saucepan on the stove on medium heat:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tbs whipping cream
2 cups peanuts (optional).

Pour the melted mixture over the prepared shortbread and smooth to cover. Put the whole thing back into the oven for 20 minutes more until the topping is caramalized and golden. Cut into wedgest (or squares/bars depending on the size pan you use). This should make about 40 decent-sized bars if you use a 9x13 inch pan. They're rich cookies with a hint of maple flavour. Just enough to

A thought on themes

2010-06-28T08:48:00.003-02:30

My birthday is approaching and I've begun thinking about parties and themes. Now I'm not one to turn down a good party of any kind. And I fully believe with the right mix of people, you don't need a themed party to have a good time. Most of my party past has consisted of good friends, good wine, good food and laughs. That all being said though, I really wanted to do something a little different for my birthday. It's smack dab in the middle of July and I'm hoping for good weather. I was thinking a wine and cheese dress-up party. But the reconsidered, thinking that with (hopefully) hot temps and celebration, no one will want to be confined to a fancy dress or suit. So I'm going to go with an old stand-by: Hawaiian luau.

This type of party theme can get a bit out of hand quite easily. I'm aware of the tackiness that comes along with this party meme. It's fine to go out and get a bunch of decorations from the dollar or party-supply store. But that can become over-done and lack-luster. I'm going minimalist on the decorations and trying to get creative on the food and drink. I hope I'll meet this party theme half-way and succeed in throwing a fun bash that lets everyone relax and enjoy themselves.

So in the next few weeks I'll be thinking up fun food ideas, researching tropical cocktails, stringing up twinkle lights, and scanning stores for leis. I hope it to be low-stress and fun. Stay tuned for pictures and feel free to submit ideas or recipes!

Spaghetti rules

2010-06-19T18:06:00.004-02:30

Simple spaghetti with a tomato meat sauce.

when I'm feeling sooky or sad or just tired there's nothing better than a plain old fashioned meal of spaghetti. I don't really have a recipe for this dish because I've been making it as long as I can remember cooking.

I vary it a little each time depending on what I have on hand. But there are some characteristics that HAVE to stay the same each time:
1) The dish must have a lot of garlic
2) The sauce must be made from scratch. By that I mean that the tomato sauce should start as actual tomatoes. Canned or fresh...it doesn't matter but they have to be real tomatoes that I can cook down, simmer, and turn into a sauce.
3) The pasta has to be cooked al dente (or "to the tooth"). I'm not one to make pasta from scratch (though I'd love to have some if you're offering) but I will not compromise on the "doneness" of my pasta. I like it to have a little bite and it cannot be mushy.
4) Sorry veggies but for a truly comforting spaghetti dish, I need some kind of meat for me to really enjoy it. I'll blame my upbringing for this one. I grew up eating lots of meat-based dishes and, though I really love veggies and a lot of meat-substitute products, there's no substitute for the heartiness or texture ground beef, turkey, chicken or pork gives to a dish of homemade spaghetti.
5) Give it time. The sauce should be simmered for a little while to let all the flavours mingle and marry. Ever notice how lots of chilis or pasta dishes taste better as leftovers the next day? That's because the sauce has had time to develop and settle. I'm not one of those people who will say you should simmer your spaghetti sauce all day. But you will notice a huge difference if you let it simmer for about an hour before digging in.

So if you need some comfort food put on a pot of pasta and start throwing some fresh ingredients into a pan for simmering. Before you know it you'll have a warming dish that's good for your belly and soul.

Don't you want me, Biscotti?

2010-05-28T18:12:00.003-02:30

This recipe is adapted from an old Company's Coming cookbook recipe for cranberry-pepper biscotti (but doesn't that sound awesome?!). I didn't have cranberries but I did have chocolate chips. And a few hours one Sunday morning. I've made biscotti before and remember it being a little labour-intensive. This recipe, however, wasn't bad and the results were just great. Here's the recipe:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1/4 cup butter (or margarine) softened
1/2 cup sugar (but you can use less)
2 eggs

Put first 6 items in a large bowl and mix well.

Cream the butter and sugar in a separate bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add all this to the first bowl's mixture. Slightly mix it all together until it's barely holding together. It'll be lumpy and bumpy and crumbly.

Turn the mixture onto a floured surface and get your (clean) hands into it. Knead the dough a few times. You can make small or large biscotti cookies. For large ones, use the whole mixture and form it into a long log. To make small ones, divide it in half and make two logs (about 8 inches long).

Place the log(s) on a greased baking sheet and flatten them slightly. Bake at 350F for 20-25 mins until the edges are golden. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes.

Biscotti means "twice baked" so when it's cool enough to handle, cut each log into 1/2 inch slices with a serrated knife. Arrange the cut-side down cookies on a baking sheet and bake for another 20 minutes at a reduced heat of 275F. Let stand in oven about 20 minutes after that with the oven turned off.

Biscotti are supposed to be dry and crispy. They're great for dunking into coffee or tea (or wine). This should yield about 2 dozen smaller biscotti...less if you like 'em big!

You can use this basic recipe and substitute the chocolate for anything you'd like, including dried fruit (like apricots, cranberries, raisins) and nuts (almonds are pretty traditional in biscotti). Enjoy!

Put a pot on the stove

2010-05-15T13:44:00.005-02:30

It's time to get cooking! And I'm using that phrase literally and metaphorically. My blog reached the one-year mark (93 posts) last month and I have been doing crap-all with it since. I've cooked a couple times and been to a few parties. But there's been no writing, no photo-taking or posting, and no push to make this bigger and better. That all changes now. I'm a list-making kind of girl. So to get myself out of this cooking and blogging rut I'm going to make myself a good, old-fashioned list to keep me motivated and on track.

1) Perfect my dough recipe.
Dough is such a basic staple of our food culture. I eat bread in so many forms all the time and it's so satisfying to bring together the ingredients and make dough from scratch. I've been making pizza dough for years with the same basic recipe of yeast, a sprinkle of sugar, 1 cup warm water, pinch of salt and 3 cups white flour. You can do anything with that from pizza to rolls to breadsticks. Usually it works out but sometimes I get sloppy and it crumbles. I also want to figure out how to adapt it to make it healthier.

2) Get back to basics.
I'll be going on a camping trip this summer so I'm hoping that's going to force me to learn about food basics and really get back to simple, easy recipes. Beans in a can over the fire? Maybe but I'm going to aim for something a bit more sophisticated while keeping it to five ingredients or less and just one pot or pan. The second part of this will be to learn more about food in general. Where does it come from, how does it grow, and how far did it travel to get to me? I've always been interested in food security and food quality so it's high time I get educated and involved.

3) Organize my kitchen.
I've moved my kitchen stuff (pots, pans, utensils, food processor, etc.) a couple times this year and I plan on doing it once more at the end of summer. I want to have a system in place where ever I land that allows me to best use my space and stuff. Plus I'm going to be on the lookout for some kitchen purchases in the next little while, such as a new coffee grinder and pepper grinder. I'll have to factor in these new gadgets into my overall plan.

4) Organize my blogging.
Desktop Gourmet has really been good for me, my cooking and writing. But it's so easy to get caught up in life and get too busy to blog. I want to go back to writing regularly, upgrading my food photo-taking skills, reconnect with the foodie sites I used to visit so often, and generally become a better food blogger. Blogging is work but there's no sense doing this if I'm not going to try and do it well.

5) Attempt something big.
I feel I need some adventure in my cooking life. So I'm going to start attempting more experiments, more recipes I've never made before, and more cooking Mount Everests. Two words: for that Crème Brulée. I've never made it but always wanted to try. Who knows, if I get through it without lighting myself on fire I just may have a new outlook on things. When I feel uninspired or lethargic about cooking or baking, I'm going to suck it up and try something completely out of my comfort zone.

So that's my 5-point plan on getting out my lazy rut and becoming a better food blogger...and hopefully a better food-maker along the way.

1st Blogaversary!

2010-04-15T09:08:00.003-02:30

I've made it one full year as a blogger. It's been a big and interesting year, and I feel a little like Julie Powell in my accomplishments. Not that I cooked a whole book or mastered any recipes (except Guinness chocolate cake), but I didn't give up on cooking and writing. And compulsively taking photos of my food. My dining partners are probably used to me by now, but it's not everyone that would whip out a camera and adjust the lighting in the room just to get a clear shot of a dish before anyone can eat it. "Wait, don't eat, I have to take a photo first!"

I've discovered a lot about myself this year, made some good attempts at cooking and baking (and failed in some of those attempts), entertained friends and family, and had a lot of fun. And I always thought for my first blogaversary I would tackle something big and scary just to say I could. Crème brulée maybe? Sounds a little daunting but fun and hopefully yummy. Stay tuned!

What's your Mt. Everest of cooking?

Simple salmon supper

2010-04-07T21:21:00.007-02:30

It seems life has been increasingly hectic lately. And when you're in a rush or swamped it's easy to forget your diet and health...and trust me that's the last thing you need! So here is a simple and easy meal idea you can whip up on a weeknight in between work, the gym, more work, volunteering, friends, the Internet and feeding the cat. Oh yea, and sleep. It's a basic salad and pan-seared salmon. Good food need not be intimidating!

Salmon is packed with good-for-you stuff and it's one of the fastest meats to prepare. What I tend to do the most is take a salmon fillet (I like tail pieces but you can use a steak), season it, and put it in a hot pan for a couple minutes a side. this time around I used my fail safe salt, pepper, and chicken spice rub. You can also use fresh herbs like dill or coriander, lemon pepper, or some maple syrup for some sweetness. For a 1 1/2 inch piece, cook the fish for about 6-8 minutes a side.

While the salmon is cooking, throw together a side salad with whatever you have on hand. Literally. Use anything! Lettuce, tomato and carrot are pretty common but feel free to throw in corn, raisins, spinach, almonds or fruit. It's all good for you and will probably marry pretty well on your plate.

Another thing I really love to do is make my own salad dressing. My basic recipe is two parts oil (usually olive) to one part vinegar (usually balsamic). Add in salt, pepper, whatever herbs you want and a little mustard to help it bind together. It's a tangy dressing that can be customized depending on what herbs, spices or type of mustard you have on hand.

The whole meal takes just over 15 minutes to put together and you have the peace of mind that it's good for you. So even if you're still stressed out from work, kids, or life you can rest assured you're body is well fueled. Of course a healthy glass of vino may help the situation too!

In food and in life, remember Plato's words: Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.

Carb-alicious

2010-04-05T20:20:00.004-02:30

Living next to a bakery can be harmful for one's health. But it's awesome for one's snacking. Here is a quick, but decadent, snack I love to whip up when I'm in the mood for a carbalicious treat.
Take one awesome baguette.

Pour out some quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Pictures are worth so much more than words!

(not so) Basic pork tenderloin

2010-04-05T19:59:00.004-02:30

Pork tenderloin is one of the easiest things to prepare...and it presents excellently for company. All you have to do is get a regular, boneless loin of pork. These are usually featured at grocery stores on special every few weeks. Or if you get your meat from a butcher just ask for a portion of loin (depending on how much you need) and ask that the fat cap be left on the meat. When you get the pork home, all you have to do rub with salt, pepper and whatever spices you like. This time around, I used Spice Barn For the Birds rub. Then put the meat on a baking sheet with the fat cap on top. While the meat cooks, the fat will melt and self-baste the meat. It sounds odd but trust me it works! To avoid overcooking your pork, cook until it's internal temperature reaches 160F (that's about 25 mins for 1lb). A cooking thermometer is an excellent cooking gadget. When the pork comes out of the oven you need to let it rest for 10 minutes to let the juices re-distribute and the muscle to relax. Then you're ready to carve and enjoy!

A great side to pork tenderloin is sweet potatoes and roasted peppers. They're just as easy to prepare as the meat and the grilled taste matches the pork so well. For the potatoes, slice them up and par-boil or microwave for a few minutes to lesson the oven time. Then put the potatoes and peppers (sliced in large chunks and de-seeded) on an oiled cooking sheet. It can all go in the oven at the same time. Roast the veggies for about 20 minutes, checking to make sure they're not blackening too much. You can do this roasting technique with lost of veggies or try the same thing on the BBQ.

In about 30 minutes you have prepared, cooked and served a healthy meal that is as tasty as it is presentable. If you want to go overboard, make a quick applesauce or a mustard-mayo.

Meat Thermometer

Switch it up: cookie edition

2010-03-22T20:22:00.002-02:30

So remember the thrill I got when I discovered Skor toffee bits? I had a similar feeling when I re-discovered white chocolate chips in the supermarket this weekend. I just had to have them...and make something with them. I decided on a fail safe recipe: reverse chocolate chip cookies. They're chocolate cookies (thanks to cocoa powder) with white chips. There isn't much butter and only one egg so it makes a stiff batter that's easy to handle. Bonus? They're also easy to freeze. I have a feeling my co-workers are starting to get wary of all the baked goods I'm bringing them. Hey, I like baking...but I also don't like gaining weight, hence why I offer goodies to other people. So I baked half this recipe and then froze the rest in a log for easy baking in a pinch.

Here's the easy peasy recipe:

1/2 cup butter (softened)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 pk (226 g) white chocolate chips

Cream together the butter and sugar until blended and smooth. Whisk the egg and vanilla in a small bowl and then add to the butter mixture and blend in. Gently incorporate the four and baking soda. Then mix in the cocoa powder and finally the chips. The batter will be tight and easy to mold. To bake, drop onto a ungreased cookie sheet (about 1tbs cookies) and bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes. I found 9 minutes fine but ovens differ. Just be sure to watch the cookies because it's difficult to tell if they're too dark or burning! Once they're done, let them cool on the cookie sheet about 2 minutes before removing. The cookies will be cracked but if you don't over-bake them they'll still be chewy. These will store well baked, or free unused dough sealed tight in plastic wrap. Wouldn't your co-workers love some of these?

Cookie Sheet

Lasagna ? I hardly know ya!

2010-03-17T22:32:00.006-02:30

Lasagna is something most people enjoy or make on a regular basis. The basics are layers of pasta, sauce and fillers. There are a million different types: white sauce, traditional with tomato sauce, meat, spinach, veggie, fancy or simple, you name it. I made one recently with no-bake noodles (a time and sanity saver), plain old tomato sauce, mushrooms, spinach, beef and green peppers. It was simple and delsih. I did use cheese (because I'm a cheese addict) and alternated between mozza and ricotta. I love ricotta in lasagna and tend to use it whenever I make the dish.

The thing I really love about lasagna, no matter the variety, is that it's great for so many occasions. You can bring it to a pot-luck, have it at a dinner party, leftovers are great, and you can make a big batch and freeze portions for use at another time. I made two lasagnas this time around: one for now and one for freezing for work lunches. It's an easy and economical solution to the morning rush! Just grab a container out of the fridge and away you go.
ps. I just want to mention I love the lighting in my new kitchen. It's helping me make great strides in my food photography!

2010-03-16T10:59:00.000-02:30

Just loved this so had to post it!

Pasta: when nothing else will do

2010-03-14T12:44:00.006-02:30

There are times in life when you crave simple foods. Tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. Pure and simple pot roast doused in Worcestershire sauce. A great poached egg and buttered toast for dipping. And plain pasta with a simple sauce. The last one has been elusive to me for a while until I saw an episode of a Nigella Lawson show where she made the most dreamy and simple pasta dish. As a bonus, it's a great meal to make when you're alone, rushed for time, or have very little in your fridge (or all of the above). Here is my take on that recipe:

You'll need a handful of thin pasta like angel hair or capellini. I say handful here because I mean to take some (as much as you want) and prepare it as you would any pasta, in boiling salted water.

For the sauce:
1/4 cup olive oil (or butter if you're adventurous)
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 tsp basil
salt & pepper (lots of pepper)

In a small saucepan, add a few drops of oil and put it over a low heat. Then add the yolks and whisk like crazy. The yolks will change colour a little and become creamy. Whisking continuously, drizzle in the remaining oil until it all becomes emulsified and cohesive. Add the seasonings and cheese, whisk and toss with your still-warm pasta immediately. If you wish (or have some on hand) squeeze some lemon into the sauce before mixing it with the pasta. This will make you dish just like Nigella's lemon linguine.

By keep the temperature of your pan low and whisking constantly, you'll keep the eggs from scrambling. At the same time, the heat you do give the pan, as well as the heat from the pasta, will be enough to coddle the eggs enough so they're not raw.

This is a creamy pasta sauce that is soothing and satisfying. It doesn't keep well so make just enough to eat at the time of preparation.

As with the lemon juice trick, you may experiment with this basic sauce to your heart's desire. Add cream for an extra decadent treat, sun dried tomatoes, chilies, more herbs, scallops or shrimp, etc.

For some tips on separating your eggs, see this. You can also freeze your egg whites if you have nothing to do with them right away. And for more on whisking:
Whisking

Follow Friday

2010-03-05T13:57:00.004-03:30

So it's Friday lunchtime and the weather here is end-of-days-ish. Seriously, it's blowing wind and raining sideways. So I'm staying in and letting you know of some awesome foodie spots you can visit online next time you have lunch at your desk.

Serious Eats is my favorite foodie site by far. It offers up consistent material from the US (and sometimes elsewhere) and provides a multi-media smorgasbord of food blog delights. There are several regular features and every now and then some random awesomeness thrown in for good measure. You're also able to post to online forums and discussions so you can feel connected with those just as food-obsessed as yourself.

If you're into browsing or joining a food community, Foodbuzz is the spot for you. This site features thousands of foodies who link together and communicate what they're cooking. blogging, photographing and eating. You can create your own profile, hook it up to twitter, add friends and share information and opinions. The best part of this site by far is their Top 9 feature which is a daily list of the top food photos posted by members. It'll have you drooling with every click.

Cake Wrecks is a blog for those who just want a good laugh at the expense of others. It features cakes that have gone horribly wrong. It's true that our society features cakes as symbols of our most celebrates times and milestones: birthdays, weddings, new babies, etc. And though I'm sure a lot of these disastrous cakes were heartbreaking for those who had to endure them - they are just hilarious for the rest of us. Please enjoy!

For those Tumblr fans, there are great tumbleblogs out there devoted to food that you should check out:

Fancy Fast Food takes everyday fast food and turns it into the finest cuisine. You won't believe your eyes when you see before and after pictures!

Pretty Foods & Pretty Drink is just that; this is a blog of pretty things that just happen to be edible and it's a lovely visual experience. Plus you'll get lots of ideas for your own food photography.

F**K Yeah Cheeseburgers is a blog about cheeseburgers and cheeseburger photos. Plain and simple. There are similar blogs for pancakes, cilantro, and Korean food, to name a few.

Antsy

2010-03-02T15:39:00.003-03:30

I have a hunch my recent lack of inspiration and/or motivation is coming to and end. As I figured would inevitably happen. But I've been thinking a lot about my last [rambling] post and the ebb and flow of food, cooking, baking and being in the kitchen. I go through phases of having the kitchen be my solace. You just try kneading dough and tell me its not therapeutic. But it's work and requires imagination and creativity. So it becomes a balancing act. And I was thinking about this when I remembered a Nigella Lawson episode where she said something which I just had to leave here:

You need a balance in life between dealing with what's going on inside and not being so absorbed in yourself that it takes over ... And cooking is about balance and harmony.

Artificially fake

2010-02-28T11:32:00.007-03:30

Photo: Samantha

I've been enamoured lately by artificial food. Well, it's not really food. It's colours and sugar and salt and chemicals. I was always in the "make it yourself" camp. If I wanted a cookie I would whip up a batch. Have some browned and smooshy bananas? Banana bread! Craving pizza? In about an hour I could make a pie or two, crust and all, from scratch. Lately, however, I don't know what it is...maybe I'm too busy, or lazy, or disinterested. Whatever it is, I'm just not into making food this week. Now I know from documentation my food experiments and moods here that I tend to go in and out of food-loving phases. So in all likelihood this is just one of those low-production troughs. So don't panic.

I just am getting tired of the hoop-la. It's lovely every now and then to embark on a culinary adventure, experiment with new ingredients, and attempt to prepare something new and exciting. And it's downright euphoric to present dinner guests with a homemade meal for which they rave and sing your praises. It's just that lately I'm more in a me-mode. The other week I made mac and cheese. Like Kraft Dinner from a box. And I have been going through poached eggs and toast like they're going out of style. I went out this weekend to a restaurant and ordered a hamburger and fries for christsakes. I'm craving the simple things. Low production value. High comfort quality.

I recently read an article about a columnist who tried to make Turkish delight and failed miserablyy. I can relate. It is discouraging to have something you put time and effort into come out horribly wrong. Maybe that's my problem. With everything else going on in my life it's difficult to put the time into something that threatens to be a disaster. It's depressing. Then again maybe I'm a little manic-depressive in the food department.

I found a book this weekend I'd been searching after for a while. The Year of Eating Dangerously might just be the thing to inspire me to get back in there and try something new. In it, author Tom Parker Bowles (I know, great name right?) attempts to reach new heights of food consumption without a gastronomical safety net. He tries so-called dangerous food from different cultures around the world. At the very least I hope reading it will inspire me to ward off the temptation to buy frozen TV dinners for a while.

In the meantime, I plan on cozying up with my book, some Tootsie Pops, Doritos and Diet Coke to enjoy a good read. So what if I'm living on non-food items lately. I know soon my inspiration will return (it always does) so I might as well enjoy the chemicals while I still can. Inspiration is just a moment away after all.

Chocolate coconut cookies

2010-02-17T19:37:00.004-03:30

This is an adaptation from the Canadian Living Mud Pie cookie recipe. I was on a roll last week in the kitchen and took out my trusted Canadian Living Cooks cookbook. Their recipes are tested until perfect and this one promised to be a cookie version of a brownie. Yum. I had the basic ingredients but not the add-ins so I used what I had: chocolate and shredded coconut. Here is the recipe and what I did:

6 oz chocolate (bittersweet and chopped)
1/2 cup butter (I used a little less)
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup shredded coconut

Line baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350F.

In a large heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water melt together chocolate and butter. Remove from heat when almost melted and stir until fully combined.

Then whisk in sugar, eggs one at a time, and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Pour over chocolate mixture and stir until just combined. Add in coconut and combine. Drop by tablespoonfuls, about 2 inches apart, onto prepared pan(s). These cookies tend to spread while baking so take that into account. You can also make them smaller if you wish.

Bake one sheet at a time in the centre of the oven until firm around edges but still soft in the centre. This should take about 10-12 minutes. Let stand on the pan until firm (about 5 mins) before transferring them to racks to completely cool.

The recipe book also says you can make these ahead by layering them between wax paper in an airtight container to be stored at room temp for up to 5 days or freeze up to 2 weeks. This recipe makes a lot of cookies (about 3 dozen) so it's great you can store some if needed! Happy chocolate fix!

Good morning sunshine

2010-02-14T13:41:00.002-03:30

I didn't make this but it's just lovely, isn't it?

KISS (keep it simple stupid) Onion Soup

2010-02-09T18:19:00.006-03:30

Problem: limited supplies, cold night, laziness. Solution: Onion soup!

All you need to do is chop up a bunch of onions. Careful this will cause tears...take off your glasses if you wear 'em, light a candle and bear through it. If none of this works, stick your head in the freezer. Seriously. I didn't believe it work work but it does. I hate that it works. But it does!

Then put the onion slices into a frying pan with a little butter, slat, pepper and whatever else you have on hand that you'd like in your soup. This time around, I threw in a dash of the beer I was drinking, some balsamic vinegar and a little cumin. You need to wilt the onions down a lot. This is called caramelizing your onions. It will seem impossible at first but then, after 15 minutes or so your big batch of onions will caramelize and wilt down into yumminess.
In a pot on the stove, simmer some stock, traditionally beef stock. Add the onions and simmer some more. That's your soup. Simple as can be. Not necessarily the best, fanciest or refined recipe but it works. If you want to French it up, add some bread and cheese on top. Broil for a couple seconds and enjoy. Seriously. It will be tasty. And careful not to get too close to anyone afterwards - it may be KISS soup but its still onion soup!

Snow Day Pizza

2010-02-05T14:26:00.004-03:30

So it's a snow day here where I live. Blizzard conditions outside with blowing snow and cold temps. I'm off work for the day and had little else to do but conjure up something in the kitchen. I also don't have much in my fridge. But I seem to always have the necessities for baking: flour, yeast, salt, sugar, etc. So after scouring my pantry I decided to make pizza. From scratch.

It's not that difficult and here's my go-to pizza dough recipe:

1 1/2 tsb dry yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

Mix these together gently and let sit 10 mins until it starts to bubble.

Then, in a large bowl, mix together
3 1/2 cups flour (all purpose)
1 1/2 tsp salt

Pour the yeast mixture into the centre of the flour mixture. Start pulling in flour into the centre with a fork gently mixing as you go. Then add 1 egg, beaten, and continue to combine the mixture into a loose dough.
Once the mixture starts to just come together, dump it out onto a floured surface and knead it.

Kneading is simple enough and the best way is to press the dough, pull one side towards you and then double that onto the middle mass of dough. Turn the whole thing a 1/4 turn and repeat. Keep doing this for a couple minutes until the dough becomes smooth and can form a ball.

Put the ball of dough into a lightly oiled bowl and turn it around until it is lightly coated with oil. Cover with a dish towel or plastic wrap. You need to let this rise for about 45 minutes in a warm place. Once that's done, unwrap it, punch the dough down, knead it once more for a few minutes and it's ready to go.

You can stretch this dough with your hands or knuckles, flavour it with herbs, shape it into bread sticks or whatever you'd like. On this snowy day, I opted for one basic tomato sauce/peperoni/cheese pizza and one smaller basil pesto and tomato flat bread.

Making your own pizza dough is a little time consuming but you can take pride in it. It's relaxing and helps you take out your frustrations. Plus you can experiment with it: use whole wheat flour, flavour it, make it into different shapes, choose whatever toppings you like or have on hand, etc.

Not a bad way to spend time, or eat, on a snowy day.

Lazy weekend junk food

2010-01-31T21:12:00.004-03:30

Ah, the joys of junk food.

I had an incredibly lazy but truly satisfying weekend. And I didn't cook once. Well, I pieced together a salad yesterday to make myself feel better about all the junk I had and was about to consume. Yes, this weekend was full of eating out at other people's places. Restaurants, take-out, the lovely bakery in my neighbourhood, and the the corner store.

As I write this, I am having one last hurrah of a snack: Cheetos. Aside from it being the weekend, I am rewarding myself for a couple feats and was dealing with a couple stresses. Though I love to cook, sometimes it's just nice to be treated to someone else's work - and let them clean the dishes too while they're at it. And it's ok to eat when you're stressed as long as you don't go overboard. Food should be comfort in (and hey - I did my time at the gym this weekend too).

You've got to let go and stop over-thinking every calorie and every morsel of food every now and then. And as for the Cheetos...I'm not feeling one bit guilty.

Momma needs a drink...

2010-01-27T09:08:00.004-03:30

Sometimes in life, a girl just needs a drink to get her through to the next hurdle. And it is in these times when knowing a little about tastes and having no fear of experimentation comes in handy. Give me a poorly stocked bar and martini shaker, and some ice, and I'll come up with something. Like a MacGyver in the kitchen. Yesterday, given I had not one bottle of wine left (at least not one that I was willing to open for such a grand occasion as a Tuesday night) all I had was peach schnapps (don't ask why), lemonade, grenadine and vodka. Believe it or not but it worked well enough. Recipes and kitchen experimentation doesn't have to be all about food. No sirree. You can extend your enjoyment to the liquid variety (either alcoholic or non if you wish). If you're in the mood to have a little fun with liquid libations yourself, here are some resources I've found useful throughout the years:

Epicurious

What to Drink

The Webtender

Cocktail Times

Banana muffins (sanity-saving baked goods)

2010-01-21T19:28:00.004-03:30

So as I was saying, making food can be oddly calming and sanity-saving. This week, it was banana muffins that eased my mind and reminded me there was at least one area of my life I can control. The recipe, I realized today, I have already posted here. This time around, I used two bananas and no chocolate though. It's an easy recipe which goes great for breakfast, breaks at work or when you want to earn brownie points with anyone.

Here are the results, which were gobbled up at work faster than I could say "there's banana muffins in the break room."

Baking for the mind and soul

2010-01-20T09:58:00.003-03:30

Everything kept going wrong last night. Nothing horrible but just enough crap to get under my skin and annoy me. So what did I do? After a nice healthy glass of pinot grigio I set to baking. That's right. Baking. It soothes me. It makes me calmer. I get to take little nothings like four, sugar and eggs and make them into something worthwhile. This time, the something was banana muffins. I'll post the pictures and recipe soon. But for now, I can revel in feeling like I've meditated, and feeling like I've created something good. And those are pretty good feelings.

A carnivore's dream

2010-01-19T09:53:00.003-03:30

I'm notoriously not a steak person, and could leave red meat alone most times, but every now and then I crave meat. Pure, beefy goodness. All jokes aside, the other night I found some lovely grilling steak at my local supermarket and decided to have a go at it to see what I could create. No recipe. Just a girl, her knife and a frying pan. The result? Spicy beef with peppers, onions and rice. Yum.

A carnivore's dream complete with Worcestershire sauce, spicy chili, ginger and simple rice.

And yea, you've got to have this with a Guinness!

Adventures in entertaining

2010-01-19T09:15:00.005-03:30

Everyone has the need (or want) to entertain once in a while. Holidays, birthdays, housewarmings, congratulations, etc. They're all excuses for celebrations complete with food, drink and good company. While I have been known to go a little out of control with my food and drink preparation, I have learned some useful tricks and techniques over the years that have made entertaining enjoyable and easier than ever. First, I try to have one or two signature dishes. Then the rest of the spread can be easy cheese/fruit/meat platters, veggie or fruit trays, ready-made frozen apps or even chips and dip. Have one drink you can offer guests (and make sure there's a non-alcoholic option) but more often than not people will bring their own libations so don't sweat it. Focus your energy on taking pride in your work, setting a nice grouping of finger foods and then forget about it. When guests stat arriving you need to relax and enjoy their company. The middle of your party is no time to be worrying over un-made dishes, stuff in the oven or if a pot is boiling over on the stove!

I threw a bash this past weekend and here are some things I threw together for the occasion. Complete with my recipe for my go-to party dish: guacamole!

There are a million different ways to make guacamole and I've been known to just throw together some avocados, tomato and lime juice and call it a day. But if I'm really serious, here's how I do it:

3 avocados
1 tomato
1/2 lime (juiced)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1/4 onion (minced)
1/4 cup cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper (minced)
pinch salt & pepper

Combine everything in a medium/large bowl and mash avocados with a fork until the mixture is still slightly chunky but well combined. Then transfer the mixture into your serving dish. To save the guacamole for the party, put plastic wrap over the mixture and press it into the top of the guacamole so it touches all the surface. This will prevent the mixture from browning. Refrigerate until it's time to party. Serve with chips or veggies. Yumm-0!

Cheese and crackers is easy peasy but pleases lots of people. This was simple brie and pepper goat's cheese. Below: a spread on a table makes it easy for people to mingle and dash back and forth for treats. Besides what I talked about here, I also made bacon-wrapped asparagus (yes, it is an excellent idea!) and did a couple veggie platters and candy bowls in strategic places around the apartment.

One of my signature dishes and an essential sweet treat in a sea of salty, savory appetizers. Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes get easier to make every time and are are a great conversations starter! Happy entertaining!

Eating out of the apartment

2010-01-11T15:01:00.002-03:30

This past weekend has been just lovely. Filled with drinks and food and good company...so much so I've barely cooked a thing myself. What's more, I haven't had much inclination to cook because the temptations just outside my door and down the street have been so strong. Instead I've gone out a fair bit and enjoyed every moment (however wallet-draining) while indulging in a bit too much good food prepared by others more skilled than I.

This week, though, I will be returning to the kitchen. It's been much anticipated - even if just by me - and somewhat spurred on by the lack of funds in my bank account. I have also been inspired by indulging in a new kitchen with new purpose. Stay tuned, kids, because this week's gonna be interesting!

New year...yadda yadda

2010-01-04T20:05:00.003-03:30

Happy new year to you all - readers, foodies, eaters, bakers, and everyone else. I have resolved a few things this year and one of the big ones is to get back into cooking/baking. A large part of this is to get back into blogging! I will aim for regular blog enteries, better food photos and more experimental food experiences. With a new place and new motivations, there is no reason for me to shy away from what I love.

I resolve to cook up a storm. Bake cakes for birthdays. Host cocktail parties. Make huge piles of food to freeze for lunches. And make good use of my new mini torch (for crème brulée of course!). It will take focus, hard work and guts...but it'll be good. At least I'll eat well!

Stay tuned!

Holiday baking

2009-12-20T10:37:00.003-03:30

I've posted on the Signal Blog about my holiday shortbread baking-fest. Happy holidays all!

The kitchen grinch mindset

2009-12-07T14:33:00.005-03:30

What better season is there for cooking and baking then the holidays? The weather is cold, houses are warm and filled with friends and family, guests keep you on your hosting toes...except all that is a bunch of crap. Right? Well not really but it feels like it lately and I swore to myself this year to take a break and not over-exert myself into the food frenzies. Last year I did two brunches back to back weekends, made homemade treats as gifts for everyone I knew (tied with a bow), had at least three different cookie doughs in the freezer "just in case", made my own mulled cider, and did Christmas day breakfast for family before heading out the door for at least two other meals that day. Not this year. Not me. I just don't have the mindset or energy.

But a gathering of old friends who are home for some holidays made me realize I don't have to settle on doing absolutely nothing. There is a happy medium ground between all that baking and cooking activity and being a kitchen grinch. I came to the realization when I tasted this friend's sticky toffee pudding. Now, I'm not from the UK nor do I have an emotional attachment to the stuff. But it was deadly! And it reminded me of a couple cooking shows and specials I've seen over the years where this sticky toffee pudding is featured every time. It's like the Brit's version of fruit cake - only amazingly better. Plus I've always wanted to try making it from scratch. I've even done the caramel sauce before but never the cake.

So I'm going to try my hand at it finally, Rachel Allen's recipe to be exact because it just looked so good in her Bake! cooking school segment. And hopefully, just maybe, it'll get me back into the baking spirit. Then I'll try really hard, I promise, to not get out of control. No biscotti, no sugar cookies, no blueberry jam done up with my own to/from tags and ribbons, no Guinness chocolate cake that takes a whole day to make...just sticky toffee pudding.

One step at a time.

photo: photobucket

Shepherd's Pie

2009-11-30T21:07:00.003-03:30

Given a copious amount of ground beef and some cold weather, a girl needs to think quick to make use of the situation. There are only has so many options for a filling, cozy, easy, tasty dinner. Shepherd's Pie is one of my go-to recipes for such an occasion. It even gets bonus points because it tastes awesome as leftovers and freezes well. It's not so much a recipe as it is a process. You can adjust amounts to your hearts desire, to fit your serving dish, or to fit your appetite or palate. Here's what to do:

Chop up an onion, two carrots and throw in some frozen peas and corn. Sweat all that in a frying pan until the onions are translucent. Then take add some salt and pepper, some chili flakes and whatever other seasonings you want really. This time around I added turmeric and some parsley.

Take your ground beef (or a mix of beef and/or pork and/or turkey works well too) and cook it with the veggies until the meat is browned.

You will also need boiled potatoes, either leftover or newly made. Mash up the potatoes with some butter and milk until they're creamy. Then it's time to assemble. Take a pan like a casserole dish or a lasagna pan and spread the meat mixture on the bottom.

Then spread the potatoes on top. You cover all that with a bit of shredded cheese.

Bake in the oven about 15 mins (everything is cooked already) and then broil for about 10 more until the top of the pie is golden.Voila! You have a hearty and delsih meal that will feed many and keep for a while. The above technique is my way of doing it but please experiment with your own variations. A layer of corn is a great thing - as is more cheese. More cheese is always good!

Awesome chocolatey brownies

2009-11-16T14:15:00.007-03:30

Photo: Guilty Kitchen

What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon (and celebrate my dad's birthday) than make a batch of easy but choco-gooey brownies? I have a go-to Toblerone brownie recipe but wanted to try something new. Then I remembered a brownie recipe had come through the pipes on FoodBuzz recently. It's the Guilty Kitchen's recipe for The Perfect Brownie.

I followed it to the letter - except I also added chocolate chips - and the end result was indulged, decadent and, well, awesome. Prepare all the ingredients on your counter, and pre-heat the oven while you're mixing everything together. The recipe goes by in a snap. This wonderful treat is so easy and quick to make. It's a sweet brownie that's heavy on chocolate. Here is a the recipe and I highly recommend you try this out! Thanks fellow food buzzer!

3/4 cup all purpose flour, sifted
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp cocoa
6 oz dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids or more)
1/2 cup butter, cut into small pieces
1 tsp instant coffee
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3 eggs, well beaten
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8x8 brownie pan. In a bowl, whisk together or sift the flour, salt and coca powder. In a double boiler (metal bowl resting on top of a saucepan of water), melt together the chocolate, butter and coffee. Add sugars and remove from heat.
Add in eggs and vanilla, but do not over beat. Sprinkle flour over chocolate mixture, folding gentle with a spatula. Again, to not over mix. Pour into baking pan, bake 30 minutes (rotating halfway) or until edges are completely cooked and center is slightly underdone. Let cool in the pan, cut into squares and enjoy!

I found 30 mins to be the perfect timing but all ovens vary. Just keep an eye on it towards the end of cooking time. Leaving the brownies underdone is, in my opinion, the best method because they'll be more ooey gooey. This recipe would also be good with some add-ins like marshmallow, nuts or or dried fruit (though all those things would take away space from the coveted chocolate) and the perfect pairing is a big glass of milk!

Food therapy

2009-11-10T08:42:00.007-03:30

So I haven't been cooking much lately and have been living on dining out, mac and cheese and other junk food. And on top of it I haven't been watching my normal arsenal of cooking shows or patrolling the usual foodie websites. I guess it's a bonafide food funk. But I already notice things turning around. On a recent plane ride, the in-flight magazine was all about food. It kept me very entertained during the bumps and dips of that turbulent flight. Then I came across this article last night. It's about how cooking can be therapy and cites the Julie & Julia story as proof of this theory.

In the article, a psychiatrist says cooking is a great distraction and a way to get attention when you need to nurture and to be nurtured. Come to think of it, I think I was using cooking and baking for these very reasons for a long time now. It was a grand distraction and a protector because no one could say I wasn't busy or didn't care as long as there were leftovers in the fridge. But now it's different. Now I can cook for myself what I want. I can choose to do it for therapy or just because I want, say, a chickpea curry or found a great recipe online for brownies. It doesn't matter.

The article quotes cookbook author Lucy Saunders,"You can start from scratch and have something fresh and new. It's creativity with some measure of pleasure, and you can enjoy the results right away. And it's a wonderful way to engage the senses, even without a spark of romance."

So it's time to pick up my knife and whisk again and use them as tools to battle not only anger, sadness or anxiety, but also hunger! Food plain and simple.

Monkey bread

2009-10-29T10:59:00.007-02:30

Halloween is upon us and usually I go all out testing my creativity and dishing out all sorts of spooky-themed food. This year though, things are a little different and I won't be having my usual table of horror. But I will need a great dish for a pot luck so I'm making monkey bread. This one has been a favorite of my group of friends for a while and a couple of us make it regularly. It's so gooey and sinfully good it's also known as orgasm cake! Here's how to do it (the recipe that is):

2 cans (340 g each) refrigerated cinnamon roll biscuits

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, melted

125 g (1/2 of 250-g pkg.) brick cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup icing sugar

1 Tbsp. milk

Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a fluted or tube cake pan.

Unroll the biscuits and cut them into small pieces. Place the pieces into a bowl and toss with the sugar and cinnamon. You can do this recipe with plain biscuits but you might as well go whole hog on this one!

Start layering the biscuit pieces into the cake pan and sprinkle with the leftover sugar mixture from the bottom of the bowl. Drizzle the whole thing with the butter (hello yumminess). Bake 30-45 mins until puffed up and golden brown. Let cool in pan 5 mins and then invert onto cake plate (one with sides is good to catch any oozy sugary goodness).

To make the dipping icing, mix the cream cheese, sugar and milt together. Put in a small bowl or glass and you can insert the dip right in to the hole in the middle of the cake. This dessert works well for parties because it's interactive and decadent. Caramel-y goodness!

And if you don't have a sweet tooth I just found this idea for a savory monkey bread from Serious Eats.

Happy Halloween!

photo: bakingbites.com

Perfect poached eggs

2009-10-24T10:17:00.007-02:30

I've been going through some changes in my personal life and with that comes distractions, headaches, and the somewhat fun task of relocating a cat. Through this whole time I have either lost my appetite or been eating complete crap-for-you food to make myself feel better. Slowly though, I'm coming around to old habits. My ideal Saturday morning breakfast has always been the perfect poached egg, slightly runny, with buttered toast for dipping. And that's just what I made myself this morning

To poach an egg you need a shallow pan (ie. not a tall pasta pot) and even a large frying pan works. Fill it with water and put it on to boil. When it boils, turn it down to simmer and add a sprinkle of salt and a couple dashes of vinegar. Some egg poachers out there debate over the vinegar thing - but I say as long as it's not boiled in a vat of the stuff (or enough to make your eggs taste vinegary) why not use the help? The vinegar will help keep the proteins in the egg together while it cooks so you're less likely to chase a runny mess around your pan with a slotted spoon.

Once the water is going, break an egg into a shallow dish or mug. This will help avoid shells, breaking the yolk, and make pouring the egg into the water easier. Then take your spoon and swirl it around the middle of the simmering water until you get a cyclone effect. Then slide your egg into the middle of this little cyclone/tornado. The egg should swirl around and collect itself. Any loose bits can be spooned back onto the egg and re-shaped. Simmer like this until you can see the white is firm around the edges. I love a runny yolk so usually only keep it in there 4 minutes tops.

Carefully remove the egg with a slotted spoon and put on a plate. I have heard the trick of using the heal of a loaf of bread to rest the egg on so it's not soggy but that's up to yourself. Poached eggs are yummy and probably one of the healthiest ways to make an egg. Make some toast and start dipping! Now, don't you feel better?

Toblerone cheesecake

2009-10-13T12:47:00.005-02:30

Yes, you read that right. Toblerone cheesecake. There's Toblerone bar in the cake and also on top of it. Sweet indulgences! As if Thanksgiving turkey dinner wasn't enough, this is what I made for dessert. It was good but almost too rich if there's such a thing. Here's the recipe and some suggestions I'm going to take for the next time I make this.

1 1/4 cups Oreo cookie crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 (250 g) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup sugar
2 (100 g) Toblerone chocolate bars, divided
1 1/2 cups thawed Cool Whip, divided (or other whipped topping)

Mix the butter and cookie crumbs together and pat into a 9" springform pan. Put in the refrigerator to chill while you make the cake.

Mush together the cream cheese, sugar and peanut butter until smooth. As I mentioned, this was a very rich cake and I think next time I'm going to use less cream cheese and more peanut butter. I also used less sugar than the recipe called for (about 3/4 cup) and I think I could have gotten away with using even less. I also used the "low fat" versions of cream cheese and whipped topping. You could go with whatever version you want and some may say why not go whole hog full fat, but hey why not save where you can?

Then chop up one Toblerone bar and fold that into the cake mixture. Also fold in 1 cup of the whipped topping until it's just combined. Spoon the mixture onto the prepared cookie base and smooth until even. Place the cake into the fridge to cool about 3 hours.

For the topping/glaze, melt the other Toblerone bar (it helps if you chop it up first) in the microwave. Stir in 1/2 cup whipped topping and smear over the top of the chilled cake. There you have it!

Success!

2009-10-11T16:45:00.003-02:30

The turkey brining the night before the big day. I didn't have any receptacle big enough for it so I brined it in the fridge's veggie crisper!

All the sides (well, most of them). The new stove makes for a great server!

The main star! The finished turkey and my dad's carving skills.

The verdict on the turkey? Awesome! I was scared right up until my dad carved the thing but the meat turned out moist, juicy and tasty. All the other meal components went over well too. So there, I did it and it went over well. Our guests had a good time and that's the main thing. Now to relax a bit, have some drink, watch some tv (football apparently) and dream about leftovers. Happy Thanksgiving!

Turkey crazy

2009-10-11T10:58:00.006-02:30

It's Thanksgiving dinner at my house today. I have been brining the turkey since last night. This morning I got up, rinsed the thing off, patted it dry and prepared it for the oven. So far so good. I didn't drop it, spill the brining liquid all over my kitchen, cut myself or anything equally as horrible yet. One thing may have gone wrong, though. All my research and experience told me it was going to take a long time to cook a turkey. I have 1 1/2 hours 'till dinner though and I think it's done! The meat thermometer I'm using says it's at the right temperature. What to do now? I'm going to tent it with foil and let it rest. Then I'm going to wing it, so to speak, and rely on the premise that leftover turkey is always better. It looks great though so hopefully it'll taste OK too.

Root vegetables are boiling and stuffing, cranberry sauce and dessert is made.

If you want to know the method I'm using, check out my guest blog account of the details on Signal Blog. I'll keep you posted!

Rice, veggies & pork easy weeknight meal

2009-10-08T18:39:00.003-02:30

How do you jazz up store bought skewers? Make some rice (easy) and cook up some veggies with a little sauce. I used brown rice cooked in some stock. Then I took some broccoli and cauliflower, added some spinach, and cooked them in a wok with a little soy sauce, toasted sesame oil and chili. Easy peasy and it took no time to make. Fast, great weeknight supper!

What to be afraid of this week

2009-10-07T09:37:00.004-02:30

There's a report on CBC's health page this week about salt in our food. It's hidden everywhere apparently and it can kill you. What can't these days? There's also a report on there about BPA found in plastics, like in some water bottles, can make girls aggressive. I find it difficult to keep all the reports and scary stories straight. We're all supposed to be eating organic foods, from less than 100 miles from where we live, no dyes, no preservatives and then there's the low fat, no fat, low carb, high fibre, low sodium diets. It's way too much stress. Over food no less. We need food to live. Thankfully the mundane task of eating for sustenance has been created for us with pleasure - otherwise we'd be pretty bored. I fully believe one can enjoy a healthy balanced food lifestyle and still indulge in the joys of food and culture. The secret is to not give in to fads or new products and learn to cook for oneself.

For example, some friends have heard me ramble on about all the choices in certain foods out there now. For example, there's orange juice. Plain and simple right? Well, there's juice you squeeze yourself but it's time consuming, and you need to consider is it organic or grown close to home? Then there's packaged juice but we're all thinking twice now in the grocery store isle. Should we get pulp or no pulp, low acid, added calcium, added omega 3, how many preservatives are in there, how much sugar? You can now get diet orange juice! Plus you have to make the decision on whether you should go with a carton of juice or a can of concentrate - one is "fresher" but the other contains less environmentally-damaging packaging and transportation costs. It's juice for cryin' out loud!

Don't get me started on yoghurt.

It's food. Plain and simple. Or at least it should be. Sure there's pre-packaged convenience food out there and everyone indulges every now and then. Heck, my hangover cure is a greasy McChicken sandwich and a diet coke tried and true. But balance is key. I take comfort in cooking for myself often and learning new techniques and recipes. What I'm having for supper tonight may have salt or some other bad-for-you ingredient but at least I know it's in there and how much. There's always something out there to be afraid of in your food. I feel much better about those things if I know about them and have control over how much goes in to my cooking and baking - and ultimately my body. Variety is the spice of life they say and cooking allows me to sample lots of different things in a (hopefully) healthy manner. Well, most of the time.

The secret is...turkey!

2009-10-05T20:17:00.004-02:30

So I have a confession. I've never cooked a turkey before. Our thanksgiving is coming up and though we usually go to my parent's house I've decoded to do the whole turkey shing dig at our place this year. We have new appliances and it's well past the time I've learned to conquer this meal myself. I've done the research and have experience with enough poultry and vegetables to give me the confidence to go into the kitchen guns blazing (or baster blazing?). I'm going to try the America's Test Kitchen method of brining since I'm a food science nerd plus it just sounds fun.

Writing it down here makes it real. So stay tuned because I'll be blogging about my attempts with one of the most important meals of the year. There may be a few surprises!

Light cheesecake

2009-10-02T18:45:00.006-02:30

For a recent get-together I decided to make cheesecake. There were two problems with that idea though: most recipes for cheesecake require multiple blocks of cream cheese and I'm trying to eat and cook lighter. So I found this recipe for a lighter cheesecake and spiked it with some vanilla extract and orange zest for extra flavour. It was a tangy cake that wasn't rich but tasty all the same.

First you make the base with graham cracker crumbs and/or shortcake biscuit crumbs and butter. This isn't terribly light but you can pick and choose the kinds of biscuit you use and the butter or margarine you mix it with. Use as much as you like because everyone has their own preference on consistency or thickness of cake bases. Whiz it in the food processor until it becomes a little crumbly and then pat and press it into the bottom of a 10" springform pan.

Alternatively you could not use a crumb base. Just grease the springform pan and pour the cheesecake batter directly into the pan to bake.

The cheesecake part is done like this:

4 cups Ricotta cheese
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange rind (zest)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
Cooking spray (for non-crust option)

Preheat oven to 350°.
Place first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 2 minutes or until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and beat well after each addition. Pour the batter into the pan on top of the cooled crust or on its own. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until cheesecake center barely moves when pan is touched. Remove cheesecake from oven; run a knife around the outside edge of cheesecake. Cool slightly; remove outer ring from pan. I decorated this cheesecake with orange and starfruit slices to make it pretty.

Pretzels!

2009-10-01T20:26:00.006-02:30

Flipping through a few cookbooks one day I found a picture of homemade pretzels and a pint of beer. The recipe for soft pretzels just seemed intriguing and promised to be yummy. It takes some time to make but a lot of that time is waiting, rising and baking. And the process of forming the dough is fantastic. Here it is:

2 1/4 tsp dry yeast (1 package)

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1 cup warm water

3 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp salt

6 cups water

cooking spray

2 tbs baking soda

1 large egg

2 tsp salt (kosher or sea - or replace this with sesame seeds)

Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water in a large bowl and let stand 5 mins.

Spoon 3 cups flour and 1 tsp salt into yeast mixture. Stir together until soft dough forms. This is the beginning of your basic bread mixture. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface (counter top) and knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 mins). Kneading involves working with the dough in a push and pull method. You'll find the dough changing under your fingers and the feel of the dough is wonderfully tactile. Add some flour (about 1tbs at a time) if the dough starts sticking to your hands but it should feel slightly sticky.

Place the dough into a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning the ball of dough to coat it. Cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 40mins. The dough should double in size in this time.

Preheat oven to 425 F and divide dough into 12 equal portions. Working with one portion at a time, roll each into a long rope (about 18"). Cross one end of rope over the other to form a circle, leaving about 4" at end of each rope. Twist the rope at the base of the circle and fold the ends over and into the traditional pretzel shape. Alternatively, you can make smaller pretzel sticks or whatever other shape you would like!

Place your pretzels on a greased baking sheet and let rise again for about 10mins.

Combine 6 cups water and the baking soda in a pan or dutch oven (not aluminum). Bring this to a boil, reduce heat and simmer. Gently lower one pretzel at a time into the simmering water for 15 seconds, turn and simmer for 15 more seconds. Do this to all the pretzels returning each one to the creased pan. When they are all finished with the boiling process, beat the egg with 1tsp water and brush this over the pretzels. Sprinkle the salt or seeds on top of the pretzels. Bake at 425F for 12 mins until they are deep golden brown. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool and enjoy! These are great for a party or a nice light snack.

They will last about a day but then they'll get chewy and stale so keep this in mind. They're impressive for guests but do them the day of your event or party to keep freshness. And they're excellent with mustard!

Though they're satisfying in their doughiness, the pretzels only cost you 140 calories and about 2 grams of fat each.

Out with the old...

2009-09-29T17:26:00.007-02:30

So I finally got a new range! The one that came with our house was a 24" apartment-sized model with coils and a tiny one-rack oven that frequently set off the smoke detectors. I'm not cooking with gas yet but the new model is just fine. Well, more than fine! It's a normal size, stainless steel, smooth top, heats up quickly and, best of all, it's nice and clean. So as a send-off to my faithful, yet small and old, stove, I made one last meal on it. I tried to think of a few small dishes that didn't take too much time, heat or effort from the ailing and aged appliance (plus I think I'd already given up on ever using the oven again). The answer came in the form of some of our easy favorites and required all the small burners so I could say a proper farewell to the appliance.

First up there was brussel sprouts in bacon and garlic. This is an adapted Nigella recipe but has worked well for me forever and takes little time or effort. Basically you cut up some bacon and fry it until crispy. Peel some brussel sprouts or finely chop them into slivers and add them to the bacon in the pan along with a clove of finely minced garlic. Let the sprouts wilt and get covered in bacon fat. Take the whole lot out and keep warm in a pan to the side. Don't wipe out or wash the pan because the risidual bacon fat will be put to good use soon. Admittedly this isn't as healthy as eating just brussel sprouts but then again its not as unhealthy as just eating bacon - and we were celebrating after all.

The second dish was even simpler. Take some mushrooms (I used cremini) and slice them up. Heat some butter, onion slivers and a sprig of rosemary in a pan. Fry the mushrooms in the butter mixture until tender and slightly shrunken.

The third dish is the main attraction and the easiest of all: scallops. Heat up the pan in which you fried the bacon and sprouts. Then gently salt and pepper the scallops and sear them on one side for one or two minutes. Turn them over and sear on the other side. Scallops are quick to cook and taste great with very little seasoning. Then plate all three dishes up and you've got a great meal. Easy peasy and worthy of a last meal for a dying stove.

Stay tuned for the new adventures from my newest toy!

Okey Gnocchi

2009-09-26T16:33:00.007-02:30

I've been uninspired lately. My last few blogs were about sandwiches and junk food. I felt I needed to get back into the kitchen with a mission, a new outlook and a real recipe. I wanted to make gnocchi. The word gnocchi means "lumps" in Italian and I have fond memories of the fabulous comfort food being ordered in many restaurants. I, however, have never attempted to make the dish before. It seems simple enough: flour, eggs, potato. Basically gnocchi is little potato pasta dumplings.

The problem is there's a million recipes for gnocchi. Even when you rule out all the non-regular potato varieties (like ones made with sweet potato, corn, squash, cheese, etc.) I couldn't find much consistency in my recipe search. Should I use eggs or not? How many? How many potatoes - should I weigh them or count them? Ricotta or Parmesan, or both? One recipe said to use cake flour, one all purpose, one no flour whatsoever. One website said that once the gnocchi are boiling I'll know if i used too much flour if they sink and too little if they flake apart. Thanks, that helps lots.

Yet, as I sit here and write this I am eating a nice plate of gnocchi. It's not the tastiest lumps of potato and flour I've ever had but I made them and they're decent.

I finally went with a recipe which included one egg, ricotta, Parmesan and regular flour. I started out with the ingredients prepped and put the four in the middle of my counter with a well in it for the wet ingredients - like making pasta. I put the egg in. So far so good. I put the ricotta in. Splush. The four walls broke open and a mutiny of egg oozed onto the floor. I quickly put my hands in there to re-form the four around the wet stuff and stop the oozing. This caked my hands in slop and made it very impossible for me to continue on without much scrapping and washing. The recipe continued on in the same doomed fashion, including a yelling match between me and the food processor which I used because I did not have a potato ricer.

In any case though, my dough probably had too much flour and not enough light-ness. But as I watched my little lumps boil away, sure they would be a complete failure, I saw one rise to the surface. Then another popped up. And soon they were all coming up to say hi. I was shocked. I drained them and took a taste. Not bad. Not flavourful or light but hey, it wasn't a complete disaster. I'll take it. And if you smother anything in olive oil and accompany it with a big glass of red wine, your meal is pretty much fit for a queen.

I don't think I'll be making gnocchi my signature dish anytime soon. But I do know I tried and have some ideas on how to make it better next time around. Though that next time will be very far into the future and I'm bringing backup with me.

What not to eat

2009-09-24T19:44:00.003-02:30

Being busy and energy-zapped leads to interesting meal choices. During this past week, I've had a leftover meeting sandwich (eww), leftover fish and rice from home (not so eww), basically skipped lunch once in favour of more coffee and went to the pub near my work for a lunch study session. Not all smart or healthy choices during a busy work week. Aside from making a batch of cookies on Sunday night I haven't really cooked much of anything this whole week. I need inspiration, time and some get-up-and-go. Hopefully this weekend will bring me a little more food luck!

Monte Cristo Sandwich

2009-09-19T12:22:00.005-02:30

So it's Saturday and you're up a little late and craving something a bit more special and substantial than cereal or toast. Do I have the sandwich for you. A Monte Cristo sandwich is a cross between a grilled cheese, ham sandwich and french toast. It's a wonderful combo of some of my favorite things. The Monte Cristo is a variation of the French croque-monsieur.

To make one on a lazy weekend morning what you do is put some cheese (good old-fashioned cheese slices are the way I go) and ham between two pieces of sandwich bread. Then dredge the whole thing in slightly beaten egg. Fry it up in some butter until crispy on both sides. You can serve it with maple syrup, fruit or whipped cream. Enjoy and happy weekend!

Sunday roast on Monday

2009-09-14T21:12:00.005-02:30

The weather was crap today and I had just digested the America's Test Kitchen's Cook's Country episode on roast and gravy. Cool weather always brings out the carnivore in me. After a long day at work I went straight out and bought beef top sirloin roast. It was relaxing to methodically peel potatoes, boil vegetables, sear the roast and thicken gravy with a flour slurry. I cooked by ear, by feel, and without a recipe. Large cuts of beef are easier than roasting a chicken or turkey. No matter if it ends up medium-rare, medium-well, or well done you can pretend you meant it to come out that way. And the more I cook cuts of meat like this the better I'm getting at knowing what stage the meat is at by touch and feel alone. A meat thermometer would make the process even easier.

And I've finished the large process of cooking a Sunday dinner, no matter the actual day, without the reward of compliments and rave reviews. I just know everyone likes a home cooked meal. And besides, my friend went back for seconds which was the best compliment of all.

Junk food

2009-09-13T19:41:00.006-02:30

Every now and then I crave something simple and not-so-good-for-you. Some people love chocolate, some love salty snacks, while I love stinky stuff. That's right. Curry, Doritos, garlic, whatever will make my breath stick is what I love. Thankfully, I have a partner who loves stinky stuff as much as me and can take raw onions and hot peppers like the best of 'em. Though I did not have this today, I often make nachos to satisfy my stinky junk-food craving. And if you want to make nachos less heart attack-inducing you can make some sneaky substitutions for a semi-healthy meal.

I think the secrets to a good plate of nachoes is layering ingredients and lightly broiling them for extra crispiness. For the nachos above, I added roasted chicken and lots of veggies like green and red peppers, tomatoes, onions and lots of jalapeno peppers. Use homemade or low-sodium store bought salsa, keep a light hand with the cheese and use organic and/or multi-grain tortilla chips (or there's even flax and baked seed ones out there now) and there's not too much bad stuff on there. Now, it won't be as satifying as a oozy, cheesy, sour-cream laden pile of fried chips. But there's enough stinky flavour on there to keep me happy!

So I lied...

2009-09-08T22:51:00.003-02:30

Remember the other day when I said I didn't want to cook? Well it turns out I fibbed a little. After eating simple food, going for a lovely walk in the sunshine, and indulging in an awesome John Hughs marathon on Diva I found myself wandering over to my cookbooks and taking a look-see. It was a holiday so stores weren't open. What did I have in my house? What could I make with what I had on hand?

Then it hit me. I had the stuff to make another crust like the quiche one I made over the weekend. And I had lemons and sugar and eggs. I could make lemon pie! Yum.

So I went to my go-to lemon pie recipe from Canadian Living. The process of making lemon pie from scratch is a great lesson in cookery chemistry. Once the pie shell is made, here's the recipe for the filling:

1 1/4 cups (300 mL) sugar
6 tbsp (100 mL) cornstarch
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
2 cups (500 mL) water
4 egg yolks, beaten
1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon rind, grated
1/2 cup (125 mL) lemon juice
3 tbsp (50 mL) butter

In heavy saucepan, mix sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in the water and bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low and keep stirring for 3 more minutes.

During this time a wonderful and curious chemical reaction will happen between the sugar, cornstarch and water. It will thicken and become this grey sludge that looks more like thin grout than something you'd like to eat.

But then, you remove the mixture from the heat. Whisk one-quarter of it into the egg yolks (to prevent the eggs from scrambling), then whisk back into pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon rind, lemon juice and butter.

Then taste it. Go ahead. It's not the same grey sludge you had a few moments before. In less than 10 minutes you have turned a few ingredients into yummy tart yet sweet lemon pie filling. Yes, you. It was easy and it worked!

Now take this filling and pour it into the baked pie shell. Put the whole lot into the fridge and cool it off to set. Enjoy!

Note: if you want to turn this into a lemon meringue pie just beat the egg whites with some sugar until stiff peaks form and top the pie with this. Otherwise, you can freeze your whites and save them for an omelet or another use.

Blog updates

2009-09-08T09:25:00.000-02:30

I'm going to experiment with a few new layouts and colours here so stay tuned for improvements!

Keep following!

Lazy day...

2009-09-07T09:14:00.004-02:30

I have a day off and don't want to cook. Don't get me wrong, I love cooking but sometimes having to think up a project, track down the ingredients, scour the fridge and pantry, and actually cook the thing is more work than I'm prepared to do. On a day off no less. These lazy cookery moments are few and far between. But today I'm enjoying simple tea and toast and a nice long walk to soak up some late-summer sunshine.

Do you have any simple foods you crave to have/make when you're just not feeling up to the challenge of cooking? Anybody out there? I'm having a Julie/Julia moment and am wondering if anyone actually reads this thing...

Feel free to add a comment, "follow" the blog or just take some time to read it!

Quiche!

2009-09-05T15:38:00.008-02:30

I'm so happy with the way the quiche turned out. The crust was a little time consuming but actually pretty easy for a hand-made crust. The filling took no time and it all tasted great. I did some substitutions including: using some local leek I got at the farmer's market, using ham instead of bacon, and plain milk instead of cream. Using the original recipe would result in a richer quiche but my version was a bit healthier and tasted great to me!

Crust from scratch, rolled out and then put into pie dish. The silver thingies are crust protectors I scored for my birthday. Kitchen gadgets rule!
Leeks! You've got to really wash them out well and then sweat them with some onions. Fry up some ham (or bacon) and add that to the egg mixture before baking

The finished product! Quiche Lorraine...yum! And I have enough leeks leftover to try leek and potato soup tomorrow.

Sidenote: food tattoos

2009-09-03T12:25:00.002-02:30

I was seriously thinking about getting a whisk or knife tattoo somewhere but am reconsidering after seeing the 25 ugliest food tattoos!

Real men DO eat quiche!

2009-09-03T11:52:00.006-02:30

I've had a request for quiche and I'm going to make it this weekend come hell or high water. I've had the ingredients and recipe at the ready for over a week now. It needs to get done! I'm using a Rachel Allen recipe for the dish though it's pretty basic and similar to what I've done in previous quiche-making forays. Here's what you (and I) will need:

For the shortcrust pastry:
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 cup butter, chilled and cubed
1 pinch salt 1 egg, beaten

For the filling:
1 Tbs olive oil
3/4 cup bacon, cut into 1 cm cubes
1/2 cup onions, chopped 4 eggs (2 whole, 2 yolks)
1 cup cream
1 Tbs chopped parsley
1 Tbs chopped chives
1/4 cup cheddar and/or Gruyère cheese, grated

For the pastry:
Put the flour, butter and a pinch of salt in a food processor and process briefly.

Add half the beaten egg and continue to process, adding a little more egg if needed until mixture just comes together. If making the pastry by hand, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs then, using your hands, add just enough egg to bring it together.

With your hands, flatten out the ball of dough until it is about 2cm thick, then wrap it in cling film (plastic wrap for us Westerners) or place it in a plastic bag and leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or, if you are pushed for time, in the freezer for 10–15 minutes, before using.

Preheat the oven to 180C

Line a 19cm high-sided tart tin with the shortcrust pastry and cover the base with baking parchment. Fill the tin with baking beans and bake blind for 10-15 minutes. Remove the beans and parchment for the last five minutes of baking for a golden crust.

For the filling:
Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the bacon for 5-6 minutes, or until crisp. Remove and drain on kitchen paper (paper towel). Sweat the onions gently in the same oil for a further ten minutes, or until softened.

Meanwhile, whisk the two whole eggs and two egg yolks in a medium-sized bowl, add the cream, herbs, cheeses and bacon and onions. Mix well and season with salt and black pepper.

Pour the filling into the pastry base and return to the oven to bake for 30–40 minutes, or until the center has set.

Sounds good right? Yum. I'll let you know how it goes!

P.S. for anyone trying to convert British recipes to our Canadian measurements, try the Gourmet Sleuth website.

Pancake how-to

2009-08-31T20:47:00.008-02:30

Nothing says weekend like pancakes! Here's how to get great results from your weekend breakfast fixings. There are two steps: recipe and technique. First, you need a great recipe. You can go with a mix from a box and I recommend the ones where you add milk and/or eggs instead of just water because you'll get fluffier pancakes. But if you want to go from scratch, here's one that works great:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup shortening or butter, melted
1/4 cup ground flax and/or berries and/or chocolate chips (optional)

Mix together the dry ingredients in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, mix wet ingredients together and then add the dry stuff and mix until just combined. You can cut back on the shortening/butter or substitute some of it with apple sauce. This will make about 4 average sized pancakes so you'll want to double or tripple the recipe if you are cooking for a crowd.

Once the batter is mixed it's best to let it rest so it can thicken a bit. Some people leave their batter in the fridge overnight but I don't think it's necessary. Just make it and then put on your coffee and do other prep for breakfast. The pancake grilling can be done last minute.

Next you grease (butter) a griddle or frying pan. I don't have a griddle so I use my cast iron pan I got for my birthday! The pan has to be pretty hot for the pancakes to work so wait until the butter starts to bubble and when the bubbling subsides, your pan is ready.

Now comes the techniqe part of making pancakes. Using a large spoon, ladle or 1/4 cup measure, pour some batter onto the pan. Now you wait. Wait.....and wait some more. You'll know to turn the pancake when there are bubbles on top and the edges are rounded a little.

Now you flip the pancake with a spatula and cook on the other side for another minute or so. The first one is often a "test" pancake but after that you should be flipping up a storm.

And you have a perfect pancake. Just repeat a whole bunch of times until you have enough pancakes to feed your crowd! Add maple syrup, berries, bananas or whatever you want!

A thought on eating local

2009-08-26T14:16:00.002-02:30

CBC's food blog FoodBytes has a new post about the troubles with trying to eat local. The author discusses recent closures of hog farms and processors in Prince Edward Island. He writes: "P.E.I. pork travels close 850 km from the farm to my plate." That's in the Maritimes. I'm even farther East in Newfoundland and don't want to think about how far my food has to travel to get to my plate. I love avocados and bananas but just think of the fuel it takes, for example, to transport fresh produce like that all the way to the communities in this province! The idea of a 100-mile diet seems lovely in theory. But the reality of it is I don't think I could give up long-distance food"cold turkey" without suffering culinary depravity.

Though I'm not willing to give up my avocados just yet, maybe I'll try eating just canned tomatoes in the off-season and extend my puny herb garden to include more veggies. Baby steps people, baby steps.

Stuffed pork tenderloin

2009-08-19T22:38:00.000-02:30

Finally, back to recipes and cooking! I have used this recipe four or five times now and, though the prep is a bit lengthy, it comes out perfect and a showstopper each try. It's a pork loin stuffed with apples and dried fruit.

Sidenote on pork tenderloin:
You can get tenderloin on sale every now and then so when you see it next, grab it! I've had a couple interesting life lessons while trying to buy non-sale pork tenderloin from a butcher. First time I tried this, the butcher asked me what I was doing with the tenderloin. I proceeded to tell him (quite matter-of-factly) that I was going to cut a hole in the middle and stuff it - so the meat had to be thick enough to stuff. Blank stares all around. Then he took pity on me and said he could cut the hole for me. I was offended that he thought I wasn't capable, or didn't have superior knife skills, so didn't let him. I had just sharpened my knives after all! Lesson learned? If a nice butcher offers to prepare your meat please take him up on the offer because no matter how good you think you are, the butcher is better and has sharper knives than you will ever own!

Next was the time I asked a butcher if there was any pork tenderloin "out back" and he proceeded to get out the beef tenderloin and cut that up. I only realized he'd made a mistake after it was cut and said "honey, this is going to be some expensive. Sixty dollars worth of meat, must be some special occasion." Then there's the time I couldn't find pork tenderloin but really wanted to cook this. So I decided to stuff a pork shoulder. NOT a good idea!

The recipe is a Foodies one and but I have found ways to tweak it here and there to make it my own. You'll need:

1.5kg (about 3.5 lbs) Pork loin, boneless, best end, trimmed, trimmings reserved
1/2 cup Pork trimmings
1/2 cup Dried apricots, sliced
1/2 cup Dried cranberries, whole
1/2 cup Fresh apples, finely diced
1/4 Bread, white, diced
Salt and pepper (dash each)
2 tbs Vegetable oil
1 egg white
1/4 cup heavy cream

Sharpen your big knife for this one!
Skewer the eye of the pork through both sides creating a pocket. Slice 2 thin pieces off the end of the loin and reserve. If the "pocket" thing is proving too difficult or you're scared of big knife work like this, you can also just slice the loin almost in half (not quite all the way through). Then put the stuffing into the middle, close it back up and tie before cooking. This is the easy way but doesn't look nearly as good as the pocket/hole technique. The picture above is pork cooked using the slice technique, below is the hole/pocket in the center technique.

To make the stuffing, place the pork trimmings in the food processor, add cream, egg white and salt and pepper, purée until smooth.

In a mixing bowl, thoroughly mix the stuffing with the bread, apricots, cranberries and apples. Season to taste.

Place the stuffing into a piping bag (or plastic bag with a hole cut in one corner) and pipe into the pocket in the pork. (if you've done the slice instead of pocket prep for the pork, you don't have to use a piping bag).

Place the 2 reserved thin slices of pork over each end, and tie the roast with butcher’s twine. Covering the ends will help to keep the stuffing in when tying the roast, as well as during cooking.

Rub the pork loin with vegetable oil, season with salt and pepper.

Place in the oven at 150ºC (300ºF), and cook to an internal temperature of 68ºC (155ºF), approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes. Inserting a cooking thermometer into the pork meat helps greatly with getting the perfer "doneness").

Take the pork out and let rest for 30 minutes. This is very important! Then you can carve and serve. Apple sauce would be an excellent match with this!

foodies.ca