Kit & Kaboodle

Tessalonika von Bonbon (nee Dog)

2010-05-01T08:50:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to thank everyone who called, dropped by or wrote after Tessa died - it really made/makes a difference to feel the love and support. THANK YOU.

It's been a really hard time since I found her gone, the grief comes and goes but when it hits, it hits like a storm. I don't think there's a moment where I'm not thinking about her or somehow missing her, but I know it will get easier to bear as time passes. And I worry about that a little, like it'll be disloyal not to grieve or feel such a loss. So I'm making a little list of the joys. Not the stories - I won't forget those (nor will you, I'm sure), but the wee things that helped make my time with her so wonderful. If I do someday forget these things, they'll exist somewhere and that's good enough.

Tessa, I miss asking if you want to go into a tent, and the way you burrowed into the covers then nestled into my side. I miss how you'd stand at the side of the bed and hope so strongly that it could change the universe. How you'd get into position so we could lift you up, and how very crazy happy you'd be when you were up there but trying not to show it in case we changed our minds. I miss hearing your breathing and feeling your weight and warmth on the bed with me. I can NOT say I miss your horrific farts but I'd take 10 a day if I could have you back.

I miss the way you'd eat your food like it was about to be taken away or would never ever happen again. Your idea that just coming in from outside warrants not only a treat, but treats. The way you begged without begging, or managed to watch every person that had food, has food or possibly one day could have food. I miss saying Uh Oh when I drop something, and I miss you patrolling the floors for any crumb, real or imaginary. I even miss the lake of water that you'd make when you drink.

I miss the way you smelled like corn chips, and how you'd just fall into a trance while licking. Man, you loved to lick. I miss the sound of you padding across the floor or going up the stairs. I miss having to watch in case you ate the flowers, or sticks, or rocks, or dirt. I miss your wigglebutt, I miss your giving a paw or lying down or lying down all the way. I miss your excitement for everything, seeing people, going out, walking into a new room - it didn't matter, you loved everything. I miss how soft your ears were, and the way you'd sort of bouncy walk, and the way you'd let us know it's time for bed. I miss how happy you were when we got the dog bed for downstairs so you'd be able to stay with us in the evenings, and I miss you not being on your dog bed, watching everything and joining in. I miss you sitting by me on the couch, tucking your feet in under you to be dainty and warm. I miss whistling for you and seeing you bound over from whatever dirteating adventure you were on.

I have never met a dog with such a gentle nature, or such a happy disposition. You were a half-full kinda dog, no matter what. When we watched Cesar or Dogtown, I loved how you wanted to climb in the screen to see the puppies and help them. I miss how gentle you were with Trixie when she was a puppy, and how understanding you were with her as a teen and adult. She is a handful, and you would just roll your eyes and keep on keeping on. I miss, I really really miss how you'd know when I was sad and would just be there beside me letting me know that things go on, and that things would get better.

The night before you died, I think you had a heart attack while we were sleeping. I woke up and knew something was wrong - you were going crazy like it was the worst nightmare ever. I just stroked you and talked to you and calmed you down and brought you out of it. It took a bit, but you settled back into place and slept, warm against me. In the morning, all was well and you wolfed down your breakfast and went out to sniff everything, and we said goodbye when I went to work. Then I came home, went downstairs and opened the door. Trixie barreled outside, and I went with her, thinking you'd be right behind us. There are some moments I will never forget - the one when I knew something was wrong, and the moment when I found you curled up and gone away.

Just remembering it is making it hard to breathe, and Trixie just came over to make sure I'm ok.

I'm sorry I wasn't there when you passed, it must have been frightening and horrible and I hope you weren't in pain. I'm sorry you were alone when it happened. I always told you that I'd always come back, but my timing was off and we missed each other. I'm sorry I didn't give you more cookies, and let you on the bed more, and I wish you were here with me again.

You should know that Trixie the Brat wandered the house for 2 days - every floor, every room. She'd start upstairs, checking and whining and then move her way through the place looking for you. She would end at your dog bed, smell it and then start all over again. When we were out, she'd check the yard, and when we went to the park she'd wait for you to come to the leash before we could go. The only room she didn't go in was the room you died in. I can't go in there either.

Thank you for everything - and I do mean everything. You were an amazing dog, and I feel self-indulgent and stupid even writing this but I can't talk about it at all. There were years and years of good times, and I am so glad that you shared them with me. I'm so sad you won't be here to share our new life when Patrick moves in with us. You would have loved that, I know it. You were always so afraid that you weren't good, but you always were. You were the best.

Good lord, CBC is playing Jane Siberry singing Calling All Angels now. I'm not making it up. Bleah. She also sang a song called Everything Reminds Me Of My Dog. It's true, everything does.

Pictures to come

January kick off

2010-01-31T09:12:00.013-05:00

What an interesting month!

The Russian Christmas party went well - lots of friends

and food, I looked down the stairs at one point and couldn't believe the number of people all in my home. Normally I rattle around in here like a dried pea but this was something else. It was wonderful. I had worried about not having enough food, about not getting to speak to everyone I wanted to, about some folks not getting along and about my dogs eating too many 'dropped' bits - all the normal things pre-party.

This is the shoe pile by the front door. Trixie was checking it out for potential treats or bricks of cheese.

Instead, I had Marnie, Jenn, Patrick, and Deena all helping me out in the kitchen. I can't tell you how much they helped.

Jenn has a touch for dough - the vereniki were perfect and I'm sure the legions of babushki were

satisfied and telling each other that Ukrainian

is good enough.

Marnie filled each round, a Chic assembly line as it were.

Deena took the reins for the borscht - she's had my Uncle's borscht years ago and knows what Doukoborscht tastes like. And Patrick was everywhere, mostly cleaning and tidying because he's afraid of me when I'm in the kitchen :)

Once again, Trixie is all about the cheese.

At some point, I realized that I had whatever food I had, and that the rest of it didn't matter.

We took a break, ate some vereniki fresh from the pot with melted butter like we did when I was little, we talked about everything and nothing while we cooked and it was beautiful.

In the kitchen, we talk about those times when it all just falls into place and everyone is just moving like a dance or a play, where it comes together like a song. We had flow that day, people. We had flow.

Then the guests started arriving. The out of towners first - which was perfect as I hadn't seen them all day. Family next - also perfect. I love my family, I'm sure you know that. I get as excited as a kid before Christmas when I'm going to see them, I kid you not. Then my friends.

Friends from every stage of my life in Toronto, people who have witnessed the best

and worst of me and seen me change and lose hair and gain pounds and helped me move and everything else. I must be doing something right.

I'll post the recipes shortly - they (mostly) worked, although we did get creative at a few points!

If you made it to the dinner - thank you for coming!!

If you couldn't, I hope to see you next year!

Thank you.

Back in the kitchen

2010-01-07T08:23:00.002-05:00

Over a year since I posted - Wow. Sorry!

Well, 2009 was a busy year, and a good one. I'll probably do a year in review post later, but for now I'm more focussed on the upcoming Russian Christmas party!

VERY EXCITED. And a little stressed. Will people come? Will there be enough food? Will Trixie freak out on my amazing brother and his amazing girlfriend? Will I be a maniac and make Patrick stomp his feet? Will I ever get the smell of butter and onions out of the floorboards/walls/clothes? Hosting a party can be hard.

But I kinda love it. I'll be making many traditional Doukhobor dishes again this year - lapshevnik, borscht, vereniki, nalyesniki, pyrahi, ploh, etc. But this year I'm going to try something old but new, if that makes any sense.

Among the things I received when my father passed away were some recipes. His, my fabulous stepmother's, my grandmother's. I've got a little metal box filled with weathered and smudgy recipe cards, almost all in my Grandmother's careful hand, covering a whole range of things to eat and drink. There are some recipes she snipped out of the paper or from a package, there are recipes she got from friends and family, and there are many many many of hers.

All of them talk to me. I can hear her voice and that of my Auntie, I can smell the dough rising and picture the faces of the people she references in the recipes. I can also hear my Dad, Grandpa and Uncle - three men who sure knew a good meal when it was put in front of them. It hurts a little, there is so much I wish that I would have said or done. But it's wonderful at the same time, and I wouldn't trade it.

Anyhow, I'm going to use some of the recipes in the box instead of my own ones this year. Ann Rilkoff, Dorothy Popoff, Ann Lebedoff and Anne Plotnikoff will all be showcased. I'm loving Grandma's little notes "Delicious!" or "Peter likes this" - that's my grandfather. The only problem is that she assumes a level of knowledge that isn't necessarily there. One recipe for lapshai lists the ingredients and then says "Mix in the usual way". I'm sure when she jotted it down that she didn't even think that anyone could NOT know how to make lapshai from scratch.

Argh.

But somehow I'll forge on and do my best, and on Saturday I'll be celebrating life with my friends, my partner and my family - living and departed. I hope to do them all proud.

More as it happens, and I'll put up some pictures when I have them.

Week One!

2008-11-03T17:00:00.004-05:00

OK, I didn't make three :( But I did make two - crammed into the same day! Sunday was a cooking day for me, and I loved it.

I made Portuguese Green Soup (p86) - also known as Caldo Verde. I liked it - I thought it was simple and delicious. I would suggest that you not add spicy chorizo and chili flakes unless you REALLY like it hot - mine might be unbearable for many but I like it. Being me, I can't leave well enough alone - I used kale instead of collards and added some spinach when it wasn't quite green enough for me...

But it was good, and that is what counts! I'd make it again. Recipe at the end of the post, btw

I also made a mushroom risotto with some mushrooms I got at the Brickworks on the weekend - morels. So delicious. I ate it all. What can I say? I'm a goner for shrooms.

I was going to make stuffed chicken breasts as well, but I felt more like Grilled chicken with salsa verde - sort of a green theme! You can find it on p253, for those so inclined.

It was good - and yes, I did use the anchovies! Very simple and easy; grill, slather in sauce, devour. I can handle that.

Bought a ton of ingredients for more recipes this week - I'll let you know! Oaxacan chicken mole, pork tenderloin something or other and some more soup :) I love soup, especially this time of year!

OK, here's the recipes - enjoy!

Grilled Chicken w/ Salsa Verde

(makes 4 servings)

1 1/2 cups italian parsley

2 green onions, sliced

1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

2 garlic cloves

1 anchovy filet

1/2 tbsp capers

1/2 tbsp dijon mustard

1 tsp finely grated lemon peel

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 boneless chicken breasts

1. Get that grill nice and hot!

2. Combine the first 8 ingredients with 1/4 cup oil, process until coarse paste forms. season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Brush the chicken breasts lightly with oil, season with salt and pepper. grill until cooked through about 7 minutes/side).

4. Plate it up, and slather in sauce. Devour.

Caldo Verde (Portuguese Green Soup)

(makes 4 entree servings)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped finely

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 bunch collard greens, cut away ribs and chiffonade

1 lb cooked chorizo (sliced into 1/2 inch thick rounds)

5 3/4 cups chicken stock

1 3/4 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced

1/2 tsp crushed chili peppers

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot, add onion and garlic and saute until the onion is getting golden.

2. Add the greens, saute until wilted. Add chorizo and saute for another 5 minutes.

3. Add the potatoes and the broth. Simmer uncovered until the potatoes are tender (about 20 minutes)

4. Transfer about half of the soup to a blender (remove the chorizo chunks) and blend until smooth. Return to pot and simmer.

5. Add chilis, season to taste and serve!

News!

2008-10-26T07:40:00.003-05:00

All right, I've been slacking. You're right to chastise me. Mea culpa!

But I'll reform, and here's how.

I've got a new cookbook. Well, a couple of them, really. No big shocker there. But the one I meant is called Fast, Easy, Fresh. Now you all know I'm a food porn ho, I've never tried to dodge that. When I get the latest issue of Bon Appetit or Saveur I hide away with a coffee and devour it cover to cover. You like that, devour it? Heh heh heh. One of my favourite parts in B.A is the section on making healthy (or very nearly so) meals quickly - quick and tasty. Since one of my regular excuses for NOT cooking during the week is lack of time and irregular hours, I get some great ideas from it and actually eat better!

So I bought the book. And I love it. At least on paper. So we'll see how this love affair turns out when we move it into reality.

I'm going to make 3 of the recipes a week for one month, and blog about them. At the end of the month I'll let you know what I think of the book. And throughout the blogging I'll let you know what I think of the recipes.

Maybe I'll even use my new KitchenAid stand mixer. It's big and shiny.

More as it happens, I'll be buying ingredients today - off to a group DimSum and then to Kensington for the last Pedestrian Sunday in 2008!

NYC Part II

2008-09-09T23:02:00.012-04:00

OK, so here we go, we're in the home stretch now!

Woke up to another bootiful sunny morning and grabbed Ed for a walkabout, aiming in the general direction of some more recommendations from friends. Took a subway down to the East Village (OK, let me say something here. I love NY subways. I do. Despite them being hotter than freaking Hell down there. And even despite a 45 minute trapped in a car ride up to Park Avenue early in our trip.)

I know, this isn't anywhere NEAR the East Village, but we liked it. So there.

Because none of us can function without the Elixir of the Gods, we hit Joe: The Art of Coffee on Waverly. Recommendations from one of P's contacts as well as a Food and Wine Mag write-up prompted us to try it.

It was good. Not steal coins from under your neighbour's sofa great, but good. I liked it better than Starbucks, that's for sure. Apparently Amy Sedaris (who we love and adore) occasionally sells cupcakes there, but we didn't see any. I want one of her cheeseballs, btw. And from there to find Patisserie Claude (187 W.4th St), rumoured home of kickass croissants and grumpy Claudes. Can't comment on the grumpfactor, but I got some croissants and a brioche (I lurv brioche, bigtime). Delicious. Let's face it, most bread products make me inordinately happy. And buttery ones move to the top of the list. And buttery sweet ones? Well, they're like little happy clouds angels sit on and chat.

From there through to Gay St and Stonewall, and then off to Ground Zero, aka Near Century 21.

Yes Virginia, there IS a bear uniform.

Couldn't see even a dirt clod of the WTC site, all boarded up. The church across the way was lovely though.

And then the shopping began. Let me begin by saying this blog is mainly about the food and friends, and shopping usually won't get much space. Contrary to popular belief, I don't much like it. I like SPENDING, and there's a difference, people. But I do like pretty new shiny things. P is not a big shopper either, nor is Edward. I think they might hate it more than I. Which makes it especially funny that I barely got a thing in marathon of shopping that followed. Others were luckier than I ;)

Those are some damn happy post-shopping faces, I tell you what!

Shopping makes one hungry, so we had crappy sushi and udon at a Bento nearby. Bleah. Life is short, folks - avoid it. And the loos were horrid. Tons of stairs, through a broom closet and a drippy basement and voila! Stink!

From there it was off to the Staten Island Ferry for the CheapBastard's view of the Statue of Liberty. Long waits for the ferry (thank goodness for good company) and then a nice sunny view.

I think next time I go I'll do a boat tour around the island. Funny local moment when a mendicant was asking tourists for change - she went right up to a guy on a bench (who was completely ignoring her despite her smelly proximity) and said "You're a hairy motherfucker aren't you". Just about PISSED. Off the ferry, run to the next loading bay for more waiting and then back to Manhattan. Then we headed to Wall St.

I made him do that.

And the Stock Exchange

and then it was time for the big guns. The Bridge.

We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge as the sun set. I liked it. I'd do it again. Although maybe NOT while dragging the 400 shopping bags with us. There's a video on the bottom of the blog for those who like that kinda thing.

We were aiming for Grimaldi's pizza on the Brooklyn side, under the bridge. STARVING. TIRED. NEEDING ZA. And instead of a charming little boite with pizza pies, we found this...

That's right, that's the line up.

Needless to say, we piled our sweaty famished asses back on the subway, headed uptown to a Mexican spot Ed knew called El Centro.

If you know me, you know how much I love Mexico. The food, the weather, the people, the language. The whole thing. And I liked this place a lot. Go there, give them your business. Drink their caipirinhas. We ordered so many things here it was like tapas galore, and we ate it all. It got some booze in us and helped get our blood sugar up to a healthy level, and that's a good thing.

From there we headed home, got changed, hit a bar for a drink and then walked around a little. We wanted to go to Papaya King to check it out (another reco) but it sadly it was closed so all you get is the URL. So we went to bed.

On our last full day, we rose chipper as chipmunks and hungry AGAIN! But on our way to breakfast, we hit the Barney's Warehouse Sale. Once again, I found nothing and P lucked out. Not bad for someone who hates to shop! So we hit a Starbucks again and walked a little bit to find a place that we'd heard of (I can't recall how, actually) called the Cookshop on 10th. We liked it - I had the rancheros and was stuffed. Coffee was good, company was good once the caffeine hit ;) and reasonable prices. And good bread. The loos were nice here, I recommend them.

And then off to the MoMA. Which. I. Loved.

Although we were too late for gelato in the garden from Laboratorio del Gelato, which was on our list to try :(

Then more walking around, back to the Strand (I love it) for more books, a bit of walking and talking and generally having fun, ending up in Chinatown/Little Italy at the (wait for it, Ron!) NONYA!

This place came highly highly highly recommended by some good friends, so I was pretty excited! The ice tea was perfect, but the rest of the meal wasn't 5 star for me. It was good - I love Malay food, it just wasn't excellent. But I'd check it out again, no question. Ed joined us for dinner and then a gelato,

then P and I walked around Canal St a bit (by the way, it's pronounced Cah-NAL street, not the other way), then back up to Chelsea and our comfy bed. Well, Ed's comfy bed to tell the truth. On the way home we passed the gryphon that lives under the stairs.

That's it for New York - the next morning saw us slam a yoghurt back and head for Penn Stn., then off to Newark to fly home. No biscotti on this side, just Sausage McMuffins and more Starbucks.

All in all a delicious trip.

New York, Part I

2008-09-09T11:23:00.012-04:00

Ok, it's time for an update!

Went to NY with the beau, stayed with a good friend in Chelsea and basically walked/ate our way around Manhattan! No complaints though - it was a great trip and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. The only drawback was a hernia the whole time (still have it!), but despite the pain we had some good eats.

And some not so good eats...

Here's the low down!

Started on the Friday afternoon with a stop at Pommes Frites, as recommended by our friends R & J. For those who don't know French, the name means Fried Potatoes and gives away the entire menu. What it DOESN'T say is that the good stuff is the five bazillion sauces that you can dip the fries in. I went for Mexican Ketchup, chipotle and a rosemary parmesan - I can't recall what Ed and P. ate but we agreed across the board - delicious but way way too much. No one needs that many fries!

And a note to you, gentle reader - you should have more edibles going in ya than just a few biscotti from Porter (although they ARE freakin good biscotti) and some fries for a whole day of walking. Learn from my errors, grasshopper.

Anyhoo, we walked all over - Union Square, went to Strand bookstore (first of many visits there), walked more, bought some pants and generally sightseed. Sightsaw. Sightsawed. Dinner resos for Park Avenue Summer. I did feel a little bad here - it's a terrific looking place with a top notch serving staff, so when the waiter asked if I wanted a cocktail and said they had everything, I didn't expect him to be floored when I asked for a caipirinha. Oh well. I ended up with a mojito. Ordered the Dr. Pepper baby back ribs. Delicious sauce, but not hot from the oven/grill. I wish they were :( I recommend the loos here, just fantastic.

Walked around a while on the way home and passed the busiest freakin hot dog stand I've ever seen, made only stranger by the nearly empty stand less than 40 metres away. No insight for you there, gentle readers, other than people know what they like. And people will stand in line for anything.

We ended up at ColdStone for ice cream, and sadly I could not finish my delicious Peanut Butter Concoction.

Morning saw us at a place around the corner from Ed's - Cafeteria. A spot made famous by Sex in the City. Now I'm not a huge fan of the show and basically don't know it from Adam, but it was another nice looking spot with great matchboxes and crappy coffee. Adequate service and a good green eggs and ham, although I did have Plate Envy over P's meal of huevos rancheros. Avoid the loos here.

From there, we hit Central Park. LOVE LOVE LOVE that place.

We walked, did the carousel,

Which apparently is scarier for some than others! ;) Although there WERE a lot of scary clown faces all around it. We walked plenty and generally took all of the same photos. All that Ansel Adamsing made us hungry so we hit Bouchon Bakery.

A bit of a wait for a table but it was made ok by the best hostess in scads. She was terrific. Both the beau and I had very high hopes for Bouchon, and we weren't disappointed. I had a turkey sandwich. Sounds plebian but it wasn't. P had a lobster roll. Also delicious. And we couldn't resist dessert - I had a raspberry meringue thingy and P had a chocolate profiterole thingy. The names escape me (I know, I should write them down!) but the tastes linger on in happy memory... Suffice it to say that I recommend it . The loos here were ok, but far from the tables.

This is what you look like after you lick your plate clean of lobster.

Mine!

The Schmear is supposed to be there.

Sitting in a lake of chocolate. Yes, please.

After P got some treats for the hounds back home (who were in J & J's capable hands) as well as some treats for later from the bakery, we started wandering again. Hit the Apple store. FAO Schwartz. Walked Broadway and Times Square. Meandered. And found ourselves in the Meat Packing District for our next dinner reso - at Son Cubano.

Son Cubano was a reco from one of P's colleagues at work and we didn't really know what to expect. But it turned out to be a highlight. We got a table inside, ordered some drinks and a round of tapas. Albondigas, yuca, pasteles, chorizo and croquetas.

Scrumptious. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. And good drinks. And a fine, fine cup of cafe cubano to close it down.

Didn't check the loos here, so can't report.

Ok, off to bed now, but I'll fill in Part II tomorrow! Have a great night, and dream big.

OK, I'm in love

2008-08-14T20:58:00.001-04:00

Julia Child - could I love her more?

It's Catch-Up time!

2008-08-14T10:31:00.014-04:00

Ok, it's been busy!

I've got houseguests - family, in fact. My mom and my cousin Deborah are in for two weeks :) It's a good thing, I've been having a great time and am so glad they're here! And of course, as you know, family means food...

August started slowly enough - quiet shopping for furniture (driving P crazy...) and looking for an iPal. We were doing REALLY well with eating sensibly, so we know we can do it. Salads with all kinds of things on top. I've kind of fallen off of the wagon again with the family visit, but at least I know I can do it... BBQ at my cousin Dars' place - as always a terrific spread and tons of fun. A friend of hers had made these little phylo thingies with stuff in them (I'm kidding, it was sundried tomatoes, leeks, etc. Delicious!) that went really well with our family shooter... Some folks have tartans, family crests or islands - we have shooters.

The main course was a kick ass salmon on the grill with a maple glaze. I'm not a maple fan, but this was incredible.

A great dinner, followed by some chocolate covered baklava from Select Bakery on Donlands. Love that place.

A nice day in the market on the Sunday, the guy and I went to the Hair Place (which shall remain nameless) for a sandwich - it was all right but the company was great :)

And an impromptu picnic in Kew Gardens with some friends and the dogs! Sake in the park,

with psycho lawn bowlers trying to take us out. When you're fabulous, sometimes people get weird around you. There were banh mi,

timbits

some vegetarian spreads, and of course - great people.

The next weekend, my guests arrived! Deb knows her wines, and both she and Mom brought some great vintages from BC to try - it's really hard to get good BC wines by the bottle here in Ontario because of the LCBO, you have to order by the case and for most people it's just crazy to do so. Some great grape on my back deck.

The weather SUCKS, but we haven't let that stop us. Brickworks farmers market in the morning for some organic greens and those amazing burritos

Taste of the Danforth in the rain where I introduced everyone to the wonder that is a Melona bar, then a family BBQ here - made 11 billion kinds of sausages and we ate like kings. Trixie grabbed them right off of the plate. Anyone want a dog? Anyhoo... Celebrating Sandy and Deb's birthday, so of course there was a cake.

Dars is an amazing baker, so needless to say (but I will) it was scrumptious.

A trip to Kensington Market meant coffee and cookies at Wanda's Pie in the Sky, and then home for buffalo burgers and salad,

more wine, courvoisier and coconut cake (somehow it all worked!) The cookies were chocolate almond, and really soft and rich - I loved them.

And a day on Centre Island,

walking around and enjoying the sunshine. A great lunch at the Rectory Cafe,

where we tried to share desserts :)

We'd run into a new Ethiopian restaurant near my place so we tried it and I'm happy to report GOODNESS! Go there and order. It was really tasty, and very reasonable. When I say reasonable, I mean cheap in a good way. The Flamingo, it's called.

And yesterday was another visit to Kensington to check out Sandy's studio. We wound up having amazing gelato on College St. at Dolce. Well worth a trip, that's for sure.

The Pistachio Siliciano is great, and the maracuya and pink grapefruit makes me swoon. Then home, where Mom cooked a great Thai green curry with prawns!

Today is the ROM, tonight is Avenue Q, and we're off to the old Movenpick Marche (now Richtree) first. Tomorrow is the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art and the Textile Museum with assorted eating - more as it happens!

Waaaay overdue!

2008-08-13T07:55:00.001-04:00

Fret not, dear reader - I'll be back! Out of town guests have driven me from the computer screen. But the good news (or the bad news) is that I've been eating a lot and want to tell you about it :)

Talk to you soon, promise!

The Rain in Toronto falls mainly on my laundry...

2008-07-21T16:49:00.008-04:00

What a great weekend. All around.

The last of the summerliciousness happened Friday - met Patrick and three of his bosom buddies (Mary, Tim & Jay) for Mexican goodness at Milagro. I must admit, I wasn't expecting much (of the dinner, his friends are terrific) - when it comes to Mexican in Toronto I really haven't been impressed at all. You're welcome to refer a great place if you like, in fact I wish you would! Or better still, take me there and let's eat! But back to the subject at hand...
Not only Mexican in Toronto, but just south of the theatre district in TO - usually restaurants there are expensive with a focus on getting you in and out fast, not on the quality of either the service or the food. The location was good, the decor nice overall - what can I say? I like Mexican wrestling. The prix fixe menu covered the country from Yucatan to Puebla, and coast to coast. I like that. The drinks were pricey - I don't like having to pay 13$ for a marg, esp when I've got primo tequila at home. It was scrumptious, though.

Had the Sopa de tortilla azteca (pasilla infused tomato broth), then the cochinita pibil (pulled pork yucateco style) with refritos and tortillas and then a rice pudding (mexican style) for dessert. We also opted for extra appys, ordering some guacamole with tortillas and some ceviche (P LOVES ceviche. If you want to bribe him, that's your ticket!). A Mojito Macho (with jalapeno pepper!), a guanabana boozy drink and a bigass marg were ordered as well.

Bad photo technique, good food... The soup rocked. I loved it. The cochinita (above)? Excellent, although some sauces to make the tortillas a little more exciting would have been good. The rice pudding? Plebian and a bit runny, but a nice flavour. Overall a good value for the $$. The marg? I can't argue with tequila, I just can't. But I think it was too frakken expensive.

I'm not sure of the advisability of muddling a jalapeno IN a mojito, however, but each to his own.

About Summerlicious - I think I came out ahead this year, first time in ages - I didn't feel rooked by any of the places, and I'd go back to each of them. In fact, I'm still craving Czehoski.

Saturday morning was an early rise to meet Sarah for a trip to the Brickworks market. Caught the shuttlebus from Broadwat at 7:45 and headed down - scouted out the market and decided what we'd be canning. Ended up with some beautiful plums and sour cherries :) Met Liz there for a coffee and a breakfast enchilada, then home to start the preserving!
Gentle readers, we're now the proud owners of some of the most gorgeous fruit you've ever seen. I want to open it now and eat it all. And we learned a little, too. You can get more in those damn jars than you might think, and when it's canned it all floats up to the top 2/3 of the friggin jar.

Inhale butterflies, exhale bees.

Then I went downtown to meet P, we wandered and laughed for a while, came home for a pizza and relaxed. Ran into a neighbour the next morning on the way to the Diner and ended up laughing our way through breakfast!

A great way to spend part of the morning. I'm on the lookout now for ricotta salata, if you know where some is let me know!

Home after a walk in the rain, movies, made some cookies (peanut butter chocolate volcanos!) and thai food for dinner. Just a perfect day. All it needed was chips, and I was just too lazy to get up and get some Old Dutch. Must buy some and store them for emergencies.

Hope you had a great one as well, amigos - ttys!

Wait for the pics!

Take that, heart!

2008-07-18T18:20:00.003-04:00

Ok, there's nothing like a challenge...

Going through an old cookbook, photocopied from my grandmother's stash and passed on to me by my Dad and Jan - it's Doukhobor cooking (Called Symbols of Faith: Bread, Water and Salt).

I've found a recipe for Impossible Pie. And one for Vareniki Casserole. The boyfriend and I will be eating well this coming week, I tell you what. If you'd like a place at the table, let me know and I'll plan ahead :)

Beyond a preponderance on the old Doukhobor women to use Name Brand yeasts, Kraft cheeses and more Crisco than God, there's another theme in this book, other than which Baba can get more airtime. There are the old traditional versions, and then the Lazy/Man's version of them. Maybe I'll do both side by side to compare...

OK, here's Lazy Vareniki Casserole. Vareniki, for those who don't know, are what Russians call perogies.

Vareniki Casserole

9 lasagna noodles 2 cups cottage cheese

1 egg 1/2 tsp salt

2 cups mashed potatoes 1 cup cheddar, shredded

1 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup (or more) butter

Cook noodles according to package directions. Mix cottage cheese with egg and salt. Place 3 noodles in the bottom of a pan, spoon the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles. Cover this with 3 more noodles, and then mashed potatoes and shredded cheddar. Salt and Pepper. Cover with the last of the noodles. Saute the onions in some butter until soft and clear. Pour over noodles. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350.

Serve with sour cream. All credit goes to Mrs. Anne P. Dergousoff for this gem.

Ok, for those of you who have not yet been to my house for a Russian Christmas Party, you might not know what you're in for. My friend Joel came away from one year smelling of fried onions and butter for a week, and I swear to God I could smell sour cream on him for that whole time as well. The Holy Trio of Doukhobor food, no doubt of it.

On to Impossible Pie!

Impossible Pie (Makes its own crust!!) <----- (sic)

1/2 cup melted butter 4 eggs

1 cup sugar 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut

1/2 cup flour 1 tsp vanilla

2 cups milk 1 tsp ground nutmeg

Put all ingredients into a blender. Mix well. Pour into an ungreased large pie pan. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Thank you, Mrs. Pearl Lazaroff of Canora - I'm looking forward to trying it!

And one more, just because I love you all so!

Bachelor Cake

Filling

3 eggs, well beaten 1 cup icing sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter 3 tbsp cocoa

1 tsp vanilla 1 cup soft butter

3 tbsp strong hot coffee

Beat until fluffy. Line a 9x13 with graham wafers. Spread a layer of filling on the wafers, then more wafers on top. Make three layers of filling and then graham wafers.

Topping

1 egg 1 tsp butter

1 tsp vanilla dash of baking powder

1 cup icing sugar 1.5 oz. melted chocolate

1/4 cup canned milk

Mix, and spread thinly enough over the graham crackers. Top with walnuts.

Needless to say I won't, but I may try almonds!

Enjoy - I'll be back with more goodness anon.

The Joy of Porn

2008-07-17T10:42:00.004-04:00

OK, I'm not afraid to admit it. I like it. I like the feeling of a nice new mag in my hands, the way the photo is set up, the colours, I can practically smell it all as I check out each spread. But I'm a bad, bad man. I rip shit right out of the magazine, I sometimes fold pages back and I bend, crease and mutilate with abandon. Not to mention the stains and sticky pages. But the recipes, the articles and little tidbits just MAKE me do it.

You got me! I'm addicted to food porn.

It's a bit of a joke among my friends, and definitely a default gift. My love of cookbooks and cooking magazines is really out of hand. They have taken over my kitchen, that's for sure. And there are boxes and boxes out in the garage just waiting/hoping I'll remember them and use them again. It could happen.

I have YEARS worth of recipes in shoeboxes and envelopes. I come by this honestly, my grandmother was the same and I have all of hers too. At one point, years ago when I had spare time, I tried organizing them into easily findable categories. That bold and valiant effort died on the vine - I don't think it even lasted a month before I just clipped out things and put the on a shelf, then in a box when the shelf started shedding recipes. I like to bring them out sometimes and get caught up in it all again. I can picture myself kneeling on the floor, tending a sourdough starter like a cat with dropsy (Can cats even GET dropsy? What IS dropsy?) or examining striations on a heirloom vegetable to see if it'll make the perfect Summertime Strata. There's a lot to be said for picturing this kind of thing, especially if you have a great imagination (like me!). Not least of which is that one needn't actually DO it.

When it comes to magazines, I'm of two minds. Make that several minds. It's part of being a Libra, I swear. I love the down- home goodness of some magazines like Home Cooking. They helped me make Twinkies and icing into little sweet dill pickles, and that's a good thing. Sorry Martha, but it really is. And I like showy ones like Food & Wine, telling me that I need to go to Kerala to learn how to make a masala blend with some nice lady in the comfort (relative) of her home. And I like the travelogues, pictorials, foodnerdiness of Saveur, telling me that Pawbucket Maine has a strawberry festival right now followed by a four page spread on blue potatoes. I subscribe to 4 magazines, and I read them all. Food & Wine, although I don't find the wine parts either interesting or useful. Gourmet. Bon Appetit. And Saveur. My buddy Alexa started me on that, I owe her one. LoveloveLOVE it.

But a special place in my heart goes to Cook's Illustrated. God how I love that magazine. So much so that I refuse to buy it on stands - I'll wait for the annual compendium and then take a weekend to pore over it all. Reminds me, must get the latest one. Articles, recipes, consumer comparisons and great illustrations, hence the name I guess. Not cheap, but oh so very worth it.

Plus if you subscribe to some of these, there's additional content Just! For! You! on their websites. And that's always fun, because none of us spend enough time online as it is! But still.

There are a TON of foodie sites I like to look at and get inspired by, and so many more I don't even know about yet! And don't even get me started on cookbooks, that's a whole nuther post for DAMN sure.

I'll see about scanning in some of those recipes that follow me around, or some of the pics that accompany them! I'm not tech savvy for much more than that at this point but I'm willing to learn!

Upcoming posts: Cookbooks, canning, the last of the Summerlicious gorgings and some tried and true recipes!

Food, Glorious Food

2008-07-16T09:55:00.010-04:00

OK, apologies for not posting in the past week - it's not that there hasn't been food present, because Lord Knows There Has! Blame it on carb coma, I was digesting...

So what exactly HAS been happening? Let me tell you! Picnics, Summerlicious, Farmer's Markets, the Night Market, cheeses and brunches and dinners Oh My! I'd say the Summer of Salads has died a painful death here, folks. RIP, buddy - you were a great idea while you lasted but it looks like lipo is the answer now.

Anyhoo...

Picnics. It's amazing the great stuff you can have on a picnic. Like wine. Cheeses, boar pate, crazy cakes, and friends. Took the ferry to the islands with some friends and the Beau a while ago for a bike ride and a picnic. I know, I was on a bike. A sign of impending Armayouknowwhat. Get your affairs in order, because it will happen again. But I digress. The hosts, the ever enchanting Madame Sarah and her hubby Robert, made a killer spread for us - friend chicken, asparagus, baby potatoes, etc. Our friend Andrea brought some wonderful cheeses, and Patrick & I brought some Chimay and a cake from St. Lawrence market which apparently wasn't going to let itself be taken alive and threw itself around in the box on the way there. Sunshine, larfs, good tunes good food and good friends. I have a great life.

And then we have Summerlicious Happenings. For those who aren't familiar with it, it's a couple of weeks in the summer where various restaurants open their doors to the hordes, creating prix fixe menus that give folks who might not consider a place an opportunity to try their food at a lower price point. Great idea in theory, but I've had some crap-ass experiences in the past that make me a wee bit hesitant. Teensy-tiny portions, snotty service from waiters who have calculated the 15% on a 25$ prix fixe in advance and are going to make you pay for it and desserts made two weeks before so the chef can go to Muskoka for a week. But the Beau and I were good to give it a go, and due to his amazing organizational skills it all fell into place.

A mini-gang went to Caju on Queen - Jayne and David, Patrick and I. Only four, but hey, we count as a gang. I LOVE Brazilian food, so I was really looking forward to it. Plus, a Brazilian place would undoubtedly make a kick-ass caipirinha.

So, being me, I didn't order one. I had a caipimorango instead. Hadn't had one of those since, well, I lived there! And it was delicious. We all had gazpacho to open (yummy), then I had the pork and beef skewer with farofa and cassava fries, and a passion fruit mousse for dessert. Gazpacho = great, skewer = delicious, dessert, quite nice. Smaller portions generally make big people cranky, but the company was good and the cocktails scrumptious - no complaints. I'd go back for the regular menu (which is why chefs opt in for Summerlicious, it's the positive exposure and possibility of repeats) and try the feijoada mineira. Man o man, it's been a while since I've had that, and I WANT SOME.

Up early the next morning to meet Liz and head to the Farmer's Market at the Brickworks. Let me say that I'm now addicted to it. Liz, anytime you need a burrito buddy for the Brickworks, you let me know. My neighbour and friend Vickie had gone the weekend before and brought me back Saskatoon berries (and if you know me, you know what a terrific gift that is!) so I had to check it out. I forgot my camera, but suffice it to say that I came home laden with goodness. Lots of great veg, some elk steaks (P & I grilled them that night with some asparagus and an heirloom tomato caprese salad using the bajillion dollar balsamic vinegar Eric gave me), some boar bacon to try, bread, a Saskatoon berry pie and a wonderful quilt. All in all a success. Plus, Liz bought a Loon Painting, which is always a good thing.

And I went to the Night Market in Markham! Started with Patrick (Hunkalicious), Liz (Superduper) and Alexa (Cheapeats Goddess) coming to my place for cocktails and cheese before we left. Gerry (Man of Quality) joined us as we piled into the Lizmobile and made the trek to Northern Ontario to check it out.

Gentle Reader - they did NOT mislabel Stinky Tofu. There was a big booth called "Mama Bear's Stinky Tofu" and although I did not actually see Mama Bear I have no reason to doubt her existance. Especially since the Stinky Tofu part was so very very VERY factual. Undoubtedly she was there, prob deep in the back holding a gas mask to her face. It was like rotting durian. Swear to God. Picture that.

I am guessing that that's a Stinky Tofu behind the rapper guy onstage. Underneath the Stinky Tofu Man are his victims, all passed out from the fumes and wishing they were dead.

Basically, we ate our way through the market. Like the one under the bridge in Richmond, it had a ton of food to try, and we made a valiant effort. Highlights? The lamb shashlik and the watermelon juice. The squid skewers were a bit boingy for me though. Apparently they haunt milkshake people though, as evidenced by the picture below.

That pig has no idea.

And another Summerlicious event! Jay, Jess, Yolaine, the Beau and I went to Czehoski on Monday. I've had good food there, and OK food there. But on Monday I had excellent food there. You got a starter, a main and a dessert for the prix fixe - regular menu. Which meant regular portions. Unheard of.

Figs wrapped in double smoked bacon, then a roasted little chicken, then a spiced creme brulee. And because I love it so, I had some grilled rapini with the chicken. Other foods on the table - cauliflower soup, truffled brie perogies, a sous-vide flatiron steak, chicken liver pate, chocolate terrine and many kinds of boozy goodness.

All in all, a success. I'd go back in a heartbeat. The chicken was delicious and perfectly done (not to mention a huge freakin portion!), the brulee was nicely spiced, and I can't stop thinking of the perogies.

But don't get the sangria at La Hacienda - ERROR! Cheap red plonk with cheap orange juice on the bottom.

Missed last night's Trevor experience for Summerlicious, but P says I really didn't. WHEW!

More as it's eaten, JP

Traditional cooking

2008-07-03T22:00:00.003-04:00

Talking about home cooking the other day got me to thinking about the kinds of food I grew up with. What do you get when you cross Russian (Doukhobor) with Scottish?

My siblings and me.

We grew up, for the most part, in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia in a small town called Westbank. Actually, a smaller suburb of Westbank called Glenrosa. Not much in the way of fine dining, or ethnic cuisines. A real treat was heading into Kelowna to Carmel's Crepery for a seafood crepe. Or to the Golden Panda for Canadian Chinese.

My mother grew up on the coast and was pretty adventurous in her cooking - I recall Cherries Jubilee, lots of Open Houses with cheese balls (well before Amy Sedaris), Stroganoff, crazy amounts of holiday baking - the kitchen was always busy. To this day, I get a happy feeling ordering curried prawns... Her father, my Grandpa McCallum, was a wizard at making fritters and I can picture him at the stove flipping them in the oil until they were perfect. The love of fritters got me into a great deal of trouble in high school, with a bakery not too far from the school, but that's for another time.

My father's side of the family was in Grand Forks in Kootenay country, and if you're familiar at all with the Doukhobors from anything other than an academic POV you know that means food. In large quantities. With Butter. LOTS of butter. Vereniki. Pirohi. Borscht. Haloushki. Halouptse. Lapshevnik. Ploh. I get hungry as hell just thinking of them.

My grandmother was a brilliant cook. And not just because I thought the sun shone out of her smile. Flour up to her elbows, rolling dough, slipping us treats. We loved visiting them - we'd get sugar cereals (we only got them at Christmas at home) and Velveeta cheese. Fresh raspberries from the massive garden. Peas in the shell. The smell of dill, and the chikchikchik of the field sprinklers. She tried so hard to get my little brother to like Russian food (he was a hamburger, no sauce, no butter, no eggs, plain hot dog kinda kid) that she made PBJ vereniki in an attempt to woo him. Didn't work, he's tough.

I know, get to the recipes... And I will. In a minute.

3 things:

The Doukhobors tend to be remembered for the Sons of Freedom, the naked protests and the burnings. It happened, and it's true. Don't piss us off. The horror of New Denver is rarely if ever mentioned, despite the govt's willingness to apologize once a month to someone. But instead of getting mad, I suggest you cook some of the food. You won't regret it. Unless you fear carbs...
Once a year, I throw open the doors of wherever I'm living and cook my ASS off. I call it Russian Christmas because I hold it on the Saturday closest to the Orthodox Christmas, when some of the holiday fatigue has abated. As the guest list has grown, I've had to open the floor to potluck style buffet, but I still make all of the traditional dishes in quantities large enough to feed an army. My little sister claims bragging rights for eating over 100 vereniki at my uncle Jim's one Christmas - she's welcome to come by and prove it if she's in town, or if you'd like to bust the record just let me know!
Food is for sharing. When I think of my family - Russian and Scots alike, I think of the massive meals in Grand Forks, with relatives and ten thousand "Aunts" and "Uncles", or roasting hot dogs at the Lake, or how to cook kokanee or make wacky cake, or Mom's baking powder biscuits. I think of a family trip to LA where Mom let us get room service and I had lobster for the first time. My sister ordered a BLT and my brother a PBJ. Seriously.

So go forth and cook for your friends and family. Treat them to something new, or make something you know they love. Spend time at the table, maybe a nice bottle of wine. If you're able, get some of the recipes from your Mom or Dad or grandparents, learn your culture's cuisine and specialties. And share them around.

Recipes and pics tomorrow, promise.

Home cooking

2008-07-01T16:33:00.004-04:00

Right off the bat, let me admit to something - I LOVE home cooking. Don't misunderstand, restaurant food is terrific. I enjoy gastronomical splendour just as much as the next foodie. But I'd rather eat a Jamie Kennedy burger than an Adria waft of norwegian blue parrot. And for that matter, I'd rather eat a burger from a backyard BBQ... That goes for entrees (pork chops in mushroom sauce, chicken a la king, beef stroganoff), desserts (wacky cake, nanaimo bars, pineapple upside down cake or fruit crumble), or appetizers (friends of mine brought homemade chili poppers to a potluck - jalapenos filled with Philly cream cheese wrapped in a bacon slice and baked. They FLEW off the platter, and rightly so!)

Why do I bring it up? A couple of reasons: two people in the past two weeks have felt bad about having a fondness for the less adventurous foods out there, and I just had another friend get all hoity about "Leave Mac & Cheese to those who can't spell Chateaubriand". And no, he's never had chateaubriand...

People - there's nothing in the world wrong with Mac and Cheese. I like it. Even KD, although I prefer the PC white cheddar variety. I lived with a superwoman named Joanne, and she would always cringe at what I did to it, mind you. I add tuna, broccoli, garlic, green onions, etc - brussel sprouts if they were handy. It would be a lazy man's casserole in a pot. DELICIOUS!

Back to the train of thought... Pork chops with a can of Campbell's mushroom over em make me salivate, I've been thinking of making chicken a la king this week, and I'm feeling for peanut butter cookies with a forkprint on top. This is good food, mes amis, if not GREAT food. Food does follow phases - we saw a brief stint of home cooking brought to the restaurant a few years ago but then it's faded. No one wants to pay $30 for a plate of Mac. At least I don't.

We've got Summerlicious coming this week, that's what started it. Where should we go for sampling goodness? So many great places to try - I'll keep you posted on where we went and how it was, don't fret! I'm as happy in a little Mexican hole in the wall like El Rey de Popo (RIP) as I am with Auberge or Colborne Lane, and I don't judge if we make dinner plans and you suggest Tacos el Asador (in fact, please suggest it!). No harm, no foul. Eat what you want, and I'll support you.

Amazing how long one can go on, eh? Eat drink and be merry, folks! And if you've got some good home cooking recipes to share, I'm all ears...

Happy Canada Day - btw! 141 and looking H O T

As promised!

2008-06-26T19:37:00.003-04:00

There are several things about this recipe that I love.

It's not that hard!
It makes quite an impact
It uses a big cast iron pan, and that's just fun
It's highly adaptable to other ingreediments
You can eat the dough. Not too much or you'll be ill.

But there are a lot of people out there with a fear of yeasty dough. To them I say Get Over It. Quicker than two shakes of a lamb's tail you'll be whipping up cinnamon buns and brioche and hot cross buns - just try it! I'll add a simple no-knead dough soon, my friend Erin passed it on to me and it's really good. But for now, give this a try and wing it for the fillings - it's all good!

Thomas Keller’s Vegetable Spoonbread in Brioche Crust

Time: 4 hours advance prep
Serves: 6 – 8

Brioche dough
3 sticks cold unsalted butter (3/4 pound) cut into tablespoons
¼ oz envelope of active dry yeast
½ cup whole milk, warmed
4 whole eggs plus 2 egg yolks, room temperature
4 cups all purpose flour, sifted
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt

Vegetable filling
3 tbsp olive oil
1 fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced
1 small Savoy cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
2 zucchini, cut into ¼ inch rounds
3 carrots, peeled and finely diced
1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, peeled and finely diced
1 leek, sliced into ¼ inch rounds, soaked in water and thoroughly rinsed
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 red peppers, seeded and finely diced
1 cup chicken stock
½ cup dry white wine
1 bouquet garni (1 bay leaf, 4 sprigs parsley, 2 sprigs thyme tied in a cheesecloth)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 cups assorted mushrooms, cleaned and finely chopped

Topping
½ cup grated ricotta salata cheese
¼ cup finely chopped fresh herbs (sage, rosemary, oregano & thyme)

Make the Brioche dough
1. Place the butter in between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and gently tap with a rolling pin to make pliable. Reserve at room temperature
2. Stir the yeast into the warm milk until thoroughly dissolved. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and the yolks and then mix into the yeast mixture
3. Using an electric mixer, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add the egg mix to the dry ingredients and combine thoroughly on low speed. Add the butter 2 tablespoons at a time mixing well after each addition until all the butter is incorporated. The dough should be fairly stiff with no crumbs present – if there are any, add a few drops of milk to absorb them. Do not over beat
4. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Knead a few times by hand to make sure the butter is thoroughly incorporated. Put the dough in a large buttered bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm spot for 3 hours or until doubled in bulk. Punch down the dough and refrigerate until ready for use

Make the Vegetable filling
1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the fennel, cabbage, celery, zucchini, carrots, onion, leek and garlic and cook over medium-high heat until soft – about 5 minutes. Add the red peppers, stock and wine and bring to a simmer. Add the bouquet garni, salt and pepper and simmer until the vegetables are soft and the liquid has almost evaporated, 15 – 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool
2. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and a little salt and cooked until nicely browned. Add the mushrooms to the other vegetables and mix – season with a little salt and pepper

Assemble the Spoonbread
1. Preheat the oven to 325. Remove the dough from the fridge and punch down. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the brioche dough into a 13 inch round using as little flour as possible. Refrigerate the round for ½ hour
2. Coat a 9 inch skillet with vegetable oil or cooking spray. Remove the dough from the fridge and press it firmly into the bottom and sides of the pan. Add the filling. The dough should peek over the top of the filling. Fold the edges of dough over the vegetables
3. Place the spoonbread into the preheated oven and bake until golden brown, 30 – 35 minutes. Sprinkle the ricotta evenly over the surface and then layer with the fresh herbs and serve

Regional, Seasonal & Organic

2008-06-25T07:53:00.006-04:00

One of the things that I've always loved about food is regionalism. Food local to the area, grown in season. On my (infrequent) visits home to the Okanagan, I seek out the fruit in season, grab some saskatoon berries, eat sour cherries and drink Okanagan wines. In the Kootenays (Christina Lake) I go for Doukhobor food and kokanee (the fish, I'm not a fan of the beer). And here in Ontario I'm finally getting in tune to the rhythms of the growing cycle, looking forward to things as they hit the markets. I can still list the order of ripening fruits from my childhood, oddly enough. Perhaps because I would eat myself sick on them...

There are some great books out right now talking about living with a 100 mile diet (I'll list them later), only consuming that which was grown/raised/made within a 100 mile radius of the home. That philosophy takes us back a few centuries to a time where so much more of what we consumed was in our control. Not to mention that the distance between the consumed and consumer was much smaller - there are kids out there that don't equate cattle and beef, and lose their gourd if you were to point out that Charlotte (of Web fame) is actually BACON. Never mind how few people would be willing to hunt/kill/dress their meat, even if they had to. We'd see a LOT more vegetarians, that's for sure. But I digress - back to regional consumption!

I've worked with food a long time, and have been eating it even longer. I'm pretty aware of what I'm shoving into the bod, I've been in a slaughterhouse and had (very) fresh meat, I've chopped off a chicken head, gutted a fish and had plenty of game (I got game! Sorry, bad pun). I think I'm pretty up to speed on the current food chain in terms of health risks, environmental/social/global impact and sustainability. But reading An Omnivore's Dilemma (among others) scared the pants off of me. I think parents today must be freaking the heck out about what they're feeding their kids. Or at least I kindasorta hope they are.

The city of Toronto has a ton of local farmer's markets - there's one in my hood Thursdays in the evening. There are carbon credits, local organics, free-range hormone-free animal husbandry farms where you can buy into a side of beef with some friends, lists of non-endangered fish you can order instead of sea bass, etc. Wired magazine has a great article out right now on environmentalism and how much of what we think is saving the earth is actually creating a larger footprint.

There are benefits galore to eating locally raised foods in season. No diatribe/polemic here - do what you like and eat what you want, I'm not trying to convert anyone. I'm a crappy eater who defaults to cake and bacon, often together! But I'm trying (hard) to eat more sensibly whenever possible, and there's lots of ways to make changes. Do what you like, but be conscious of your choices.

Long story short, this all started in my head because I was telling the Beau about Thomas Keller's incredible spoonbread. The first time I made it was for my friends Andrea and Sarah, we couldn't stop eating it. The base is a brioche dough, it was like Butter Bubblegum. Deliciously horrific. And thinking of the spoonbread led me to thinking about Thomas Keller and Alice Waters, and their philosophy of food. Alice Waters recently co-wrote a great book called Slow Food Nation with one of the gurus of Slow Food (Carlo Petrini) - I'll post a review when I'm done.

And back to the spoonbread recipe - I'll post that later as well when I figure out how! All credit for it goes to Keller, all I did was make it and eat it.

Some references:
Slow Food Nation: A Blueprint for Changing the Way We Eat - Alice Waters/Carlo Petrini
100 Mile Diet: A Year of Local Eating - Alisa Smith and JB Mackinnon
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life - Barbara Kingsolver
The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals - Michael Pollan
In Defense of Food - Michael Pollan
The End of Food: How the Food Industry is Killing Our Food Supply and What You Can Do About It - Thomas Pawlick
Ecoholic: Your Guide to the Most Environmentally Friendly Information, Products and Services in Canada - Adria Vasil

Testing, testing...

2008-06-24T09:31:00.002-04:00

All right, tabula rasa! Count me in...

OK, here's the deal. I eat, therefore I am. I like to eat. I like to talk about food, read about food, cook food for people, hear about food, share my food (sometimes) - what can I say, food makes me happy. Combine it with friends and I'm all over it. I've been lucky enough to make some amazing friendships, and when I think of my friends I think of them eating. I'm just built like that.

So this will be about my adventures in Foodland and the chums I meet, make, and feed along the way. There will be random scatterings of other incidental ramblings as well - music, politics, craziness and goodstuff. Feel free to share and point me in the right direction, I like that!

Recipes, reviews, opinions, pics and assorted miscellany - you're in for the whole Kit & Kaboodle...