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2009-08-07T09:20:00.000-07:00

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raw challenge - day 67 - almond milk

2009-08-05T23:59:00.000-07:00

Raw Almond Milk

This week I promise to keep it simple. Way back in early June, nut milk was one of the very first items I mastered and incorporated into my raw repertoire. Not only is it quick, easy and inexpensive to prepare, it’s actually downright delicious. I now prefer it to cow’s, soy or rice milk.

In recent years, many consumers have been turning away from cow’s milk. With lactose intolerance a reality for 75% of the world's population, alternatives are becoming more and more popular. Since the 1990's, the dairy industry has been promoting the consumption of its products as an essential, calcium rich way to ward off the evils of osteoporosis. Yet today North America has one of the highest consumptions of dairy products, and also the highest incidence of osteoporosis. The pasteurizing process (where milk heated to 162* F for about 15 seconds to kill off harmful bacteria and enzymes) also removes up to 66% of the milk’s vitamins (A, C, D, E, B6 AND B12). Personally, I think that unpasteurized milk is a very exciting option, as its maximum nutritional value remains intact. Just one little problemo- it is illegal to sell raw milk in Canada. The only way around this regulation is to purchase shares in a real live cow, from a dairy farmer who is committed to offering such a unique product. It is possible to access, though certainly not easy.

As for soy milk, that’s a whole other can of worms. Soy beans have been fermented and extremely processed by the time they have been transformed into actual milk. Soy also contains a chemical that mimics estrogen, which is concerning to some. Rice milk seems less controversial, as it requires less processing. With soy, rice and nut milks, there is a possibility that they may contain sweeteners and even polyunsaturated vegetable oil. As always, it’s easy to avoid unwanted ingredients by checking your labels.

And last but not least, my new favourite….. the almighty (raw) almond milk. Almonds are rich in magnesium, potassium, manganese, copper, the antioxidants vitamin E and selenium, and calcium. Making your own nut milk means you control what goes in it. It provides an opportunity not only to be in control of what you put in your body, but also to be creative with ingredients. And did I mention that it’s delicious?

Raw Almond Milk
(Makes 1.25 litres)

1 c. raw almonds, soaked for 8 hours
4 dates, soaked in warm water for 2 hours
5 c. water (divided into 2 equal parts)
2 T extra virgin coconut oil
1 t vanilla
Good pinch of sea salt

In blender add half the water plus all other remaining ingredients. Blend on high for 2 minutes. Strain all but 1 cup of this mixture through a cheesecloth bag, squeezing it by hand to quicken the flow of liquid into a juice jug (as if you were milking a cow!). Return blender to its base, with the 1 cup of milk mixture still in the bottom. Add the remaining water and blend for another 30 seconds on high. Add liquid to the mesh bag and squeeze into the juice jug. Add a tight fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

*Tip- Dehydrate left over nut mixture to make ‘nut flour’ (for about 3 hours). Whirl to a flour in a food processor. Use in flax crackers, etc.

raw challenge - day 60 - corn chowder with fresh salsa

2009-07-30T01:00:00.000-07:00

Corn Chowder with Fresh Salsa

As I write this post, the wind blowing from the office fan is barely helping to cool my scantily clad, sweaty epidermis. Not that I’m complaining. Canadian summers are far too short. This week’s heat wave is a call to work less, swim outdoors, eat light and generally slow down the pace. These days, meals should be quick, fresh and simple. I’ve already made this soup twice in the last week and just packed the last of batch number two into a thermos. Though using frozen corn to make this soup provides delicious results, I can only imagine how much yummier it could be now that corn season is upon us..... so I'm off to the beach now, for a swim in the ocean and a bowl of summer soup.

Corn Chowder
(Serves 2)

1 c corn kernels (fresh or thawed)
1/3 c raw walnuts, finely ground
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 small garlic clove, minced
¼ t salt
Fresh pepper, to taste
1 T fresh lime juice
1 c water
Good pinch of chili flakes

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend well, for about 60 seconds. Taste and adjust seasoning (salt, pepper, chili flakes and lime juice). Ladle soup into 2 bowls and garnish with salsa. Then drizzle with 1/2 t of olive oil on each soup.

Salsa:

2 T diced yellow pepper OR tomato
1 T diced red onion
1 T thinly sliced green onion or chives
2 T fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Rind and juice of ¼ lime
Pinch of salt

Place all ingredients in a small bowl and toss together.

raw challenge - day 53 - mushroom burgers and catsup

2009-07-23T23:59:00.000-07:00

I’m now over half way through the challenge. With 47 days left to go, how do I feel? Really not that different. The 5 pounds I lost during the first 2 weeks have stayed off. I look the same. I feel the same. (o.k.- I guess that I've never been more, er- regular) I think the same. No earth shattering changes to report and staying on track really hasn’t been that difficult . I think that most of us lean towards consuming more raw foods during the summer months, anyway. The weather is warmer. There is lots of fresh, local produce to eat. But there are still a few unexpected things that I miss. Mostly simple things like rice, hard boiled eggs and catsup….

Someone once told me that food such as omelettes, hash browns, burgers and fries are really just a vehicle for catsup. And I couldn’t agree more. Back in my previous, non-raw life I’d been known to put great care into making a gourmet style sandwich or a fancy-pants frittata, only to douse it with a generous pour of sweet, saucy, tomato-ey catsup. As my inner white trash lives and breathes, I remain an enthusiastic fan of this deliciously diverse condiment.

Just one problem- it’s cooked. Or perhaps it is not a problem at all, but merely a challenge. Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you my proudest raw creation to date, raw ketchup. I am also sharing the accompanying recipes for raw mushroom burger patties and flax seed ‘buns’, but really….. aren’t they just the vehicle?

Mushroom Patties

1 ½ T extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ t apple cider vinegar
2 c chopped crimini mushrooms
½ c almonds, soaked 8 hours, rinsed and drained
½ c pumpkin seeds, soaked 8 hours, rinsed and drained
2 green onions, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
½ t ground fennel seeds
½ c parsley, coarsely chopped
1/2 t salt
pepper to taste

In large bowl, whisk together olive oil and vinegar. Toss in mushrooms and allow to marinate 15-20 minutes. Process almonds and seeds into small pieces in food processor. Transfer to large bowl. Process mushroom mixture with green onions, fennel, garlic and parsley until chunky. Transfer to same bowl. Add s & p and stir ingredients until well combined. Shape mixture into patties (about 1/4" thick). Dehydrate on parchment paper or Teflex screens @ 118* for 8-12 hours, until crust forms on outside, flipping over at around the 5 hour mark and removing the parchment or Teflex.

Flax Seed Crackers

1 c. flax seed (soaked in 2 c of water for 2 hours)
½ c sunflower seeds
1/2 c ground flax
3/4 t salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 T poppy seeds
2 T nutritional yeast
2 T sesame seeds
1 T apple cider vinegar

Mix all ingredients together in a food processor. Roll dough out between 2 layers of parchment paper or teflex sheets, peeling away the top layer when the dough is fully rolled out. Dehydrate at 114 degrees for 3 hours. Turn crackers over onto regular mesh screen, peeling away the 1 layer of parchment or teflex. Continue to dehydrate another 3 hours. Remove crackers from dehydrator and cut into ‘cracker sized shapes. Allow to dry on a cooling rack for 1 hour. Store in a tightly sealed container (at room temperature) for up to 1 week.

Catsup

1 c diced fresh, ripe tomatoes
1 T apple cider vinegar
½ t salt
½ c sun dried tomatoes that have been soaked for 2 hours in warm water
2 pinches allspice
2 pinches ground cloves

Squeeze excess liquid from the sun dried tomatoes and roughly chop. Add to food processor with remaining ingredients. Whirl to combine well. Stop and scrape ingredients down from the inner sides of the processor. Whirl some more, until mixture is smooth. At this point, you can serve the catsup as is (a little rustic in texture) or pass the mixture through a wider mesh sieve. This will make a smooth, glossy catsup that looks like the real thing.

raw challenge - day 46 - sushi + pink pickled ginger

2009-07-15T23:59:00.000-07:00

If you ever need something rolled at a party, don’t look at me. And despite several determined attempts, I also remain a dismal sushi roller. But I shall continue to practice and, hopefully, sushi rolling mastery is soon to come. While my current maki creations are loosely rolled and full of air pockets, they are delicious none the less.

To make sushi completely raw, cooked rice is not an option. But fear not. Substituting the traditional grain with Turnip 'Rice' (a mixture of minced turnip and rice vinegar) makes for a fresh and crunchy alternative (I ‘glued’ the turnip to the nori sheets with a thin layer of Ani Phyo's Garden Pate, but any spread will do). As for other fillings, raw vegan fillings include ingredients such as cucumber strips, avocado slices, sliced marinated mushrooms, bell pepper strips and arugula leaves. If you are open to including raw fish in your diet, try sushi grade raw fish and seafood, such as tuna, salmon and prawns. Before purchasing raw fish, talk to your local fishmonger and figure out which of their products are both safe and appropriate for raw consumption.

It is said that we eat with our eyes first. Sushi is not only a great opportunity to experiment with wonderful ingredients, but also with visual presentation. Think of how it is usually served in a restaurant- dishware, garnish and décor all contribute to each dining experience. Even using a plain wooden cutting board as a serving platter can be a very attractive way to present your creations. Arranged with Pink Pickled Ginger, (coloured naturally with fresh beet juice), Nama Shoyu (soy sauce) and wasabi paste (or fresh grated wasabi root- if you can find it) home made sushi need not look ‘home made’ at all.

Turnip ‘Rice’

1 medium turnip, peeled and cut into 2” cubes
1 T water
2 t rice wine vinegar
2 pinches of sea salt

Whirl turnip cubes in food processor until they form a rice like consistency. Place turnips into a bowl and mix in remaining ingredients.

Garden Pate (Ani Phyo)

1/2 c almonds, dry
1 ½ t grated ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ - ½ t salt
2 carrots, peeled and chopped into large slices
1 celery stalk, chopped into large slices
¼ c red onion, roughly chopped
1 T extra virgin olive oil
2 t fresh lemon juice
¼ c raisins (not soaked)

Whirl almonds in food pro, until fine crumbs. It is important to do this first. Remove and set aside. Add all remaining ingredients to food pro and whirl well to combine. Great in wraps, on crackers….or in sushi.

Pink Pickled Ginger

Fresh ginger root, peeled and very thinly sliced (about ½ c)
2 T rice vinegar
Pinch of salt
3 T water
1 1/2T agave syrup
1 t fresh beet juice

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients except for the ginger. Stir in the ginger. Place in a tightly lidded container in the fridge. Allow to chill and marinade for at least 4 hours.

For Assembly:

Nori sheets
Garden pate
Fillings of your choice

If you’ve never made sushi before, I’d suggest checking out a ‘how to’ video on You Tube for help with technique (this one has rough camera work, but it’s helpful. Don't bother wetting your hands, as you are not using real rice). Lay each nori sheet on a bamboo sushi rolling mat (buy at any kitchen supply store). Spread a thin layer of pate on the bottom half of the sheet. Cover with a thin layer on the Turnip ‘Rice’ (about 3/8” thick). Add ingredients to your liking, but don’t add too much, or the roll will be difficult to form. When forming your sushi rolls, roll them away from you. If you are having trouble sealing them, dip your fingers in a cup of water and run them along the top edge.

more raw 'ice cream' - with cherries from the backyard!

2009-07-13T17:52:00.000-07:00

The cherry tree in our backyard is producing a massive amount of cherries this year- far more than usual. Even the birds can't be bothered to stay on top of the tree's fruit output. What do do? Put some in ice cream, of course. This recipe comes from last post's 'chocolate and banana + hazelnut'. Simply add 1 cup of pitted cherries at the same time as the nuts. I served this one right away like a soft ice cream, rather than returning it to the freezer to firm up. Trust me, it's a winner.

raw challenge - day 39 - chocolate banana 'ice cream'

2009-07-08T23:59:00.000-07:00

I Scream. You Scream. We all scream for ice cream!

As far as food preferences go, I simply don't have much of a sweet tooth. Desserts always seem interesting to look at, but I'm rarely tempted to actually eat them. Case in point- it is at day 39 that I am developing my first dessert recipe (with the exception of the 'Rum Balls' I created back on day 11). And they really shouldn't qualify as a dessert, but rather a 'healthy energy ball'.

So what ingredients does one have to work with when making a raw dessert? Nuts and seeds, dates and other dried fruit, avocados, cacao, vanilla, coconut milk and oil, fresh fruit..... to name a few. There really is quite a tasty assortment to work with. This 'ice cream' recipe uses only 5 ingredients and is dead simple to make. After peeling and freezing the bananas 8 hours ahead, the preparation time is less than 5 minutes. I've also started to experiment with other flavours such as 'Banana-Maple with Walnuts'. This 'ice cream' would also serve well in a milk shake, or as a filling in a raw nut crust that is then topped with fresh, seasonal fruit.

Banana + Chocolate 'Ice Cream' (with Hazelnuts)

4 bananas, peeled, wrapped in saran wrap, and frozen for at least 8 hours
¼ c raw cacao or cocoa powder
2 T raw honey
1 t good vanilla
1 pinch of salt
½ cup raw hazelnuts

Remove bananas from freezer and cut into ½” thick slices. Place in food pro and whirl well. Add cacao, honey, salt and vanilla and again whirl well, until thick and creamy. Add nuts and blend quickly, just until they are mixed through, but not ground too small (OR roughly chop them and reserve them until serving time, sprinkling them on top of each serving as a crunchy garnish). Pour mixture into a loaf pan and cover with saran wrap. Place in freezer. When serving, remove from freezer 5 minutes before. Scoop and serve, just as you would regular ice cream.

As an aside, I wanted to share this Design Sponge post about Lindsay Laricks of ‘Fresher Than Fresh’. She has created her own nifty little business making and selling gourmet snow cones. One of the things that makes her concept unique is that she crafts all of the organic syrups herself, often sourcing ingredients from her own back yard garden in Kansas City. And the coolest part of all? She sells them out of her adorable 1957 Shasta trailer, complete with a ‘stick man mascot’ that lights up at night. I see no reason why this icy summer treat could not be emulated in a raw version by pureeing fresh fruit with agave or maple syrup, citrus juices, vanilla, fresh herbs etc. and then passing the syrupy liquid through a sieve. Raw snow cones- why not?

more raw pizza

2009-07-06T06:08:00.000-07:00

Here is another variation on raw pizza, made by using flax crackers as the crust. This option is adorned with thinly sliced radishes, avocados, arugula, 'Cheez Crumble' and fresh cracked pepper.

raw challenge - day 32 - raw pizza

2009-07-01T23:59:00.000-07:00

Raw Pizza with Mushrooms, Cheez Crumble, Tomatoes and Arugula (and Hummus)

Who among us does not love a good slice of pizza? If you are like me, you probably assumed that this hugely popular food item originated in Italy. Not so. The history of pizza is cloudy at best, with a variety of theories and speculation. But regardless of where it came from, it is a favoured menu item for so many walks of life, having enjoyed enormous popularity on our side of the pond since post World War 2 when American soldiers returned home from Italy, eager to replicate their memorable experiences of this tasty dish. Another huge contributor to the dish’s gaining popularity was the influx of Italian immigrants who had brought with them their rich and delicious food culture.

The ‘Margherita’ (a classic pizza garnished with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and basil, to represent the colors of the Italian flag) was created in June of 1889 by chef Raffaele Esposito to honour the Queen consort of Italy, Margherita Savoy. But long before this Naples based creation was first introduced, Babylonians, Israelites, Egyptians and other ancient Middle Eastern people used to eat a flat, un-leaven bread, which was cooked in mud ovens and had an appearance somewhat similar to the pizzas we eat today.

So how the heck do you make a raw pizza? With an open mind and a little creativity, there are countless versions to explore. You are limited only by your imagination. I’ve made quite a few versions in the last 4 weeks, finding them to be a great lunch time item. Teamed up with a green salad and a ‘Rum Ball’ for dessert- I’m sated and fueled up until dinner time. Dehydrated flax crackers are the foundation for this recipe. Don’t be daunted by the labour involved to make them. Once you have made up a batch, they will store well for up to one week. The ‘Sun Dried Tomato Hummus’ for this version requires 4 days of sprouting but, again, once a batch has been made, it’s a very diverse, high energy snack item that will last in the fridge for up to one week. The ‘Marinated Crimmini Mushrooms’ and ‘Cheez Crumble’ toppings are dead easy to make and any leftovers are really yummy thrown into a salad or made into another pizza the next day.

The point of using a dehydrator in raw food preparation is to remove the moisture from food items at a temperature below 115*, as a higher temperature will begin to kill the food’s natural enzymes. Though I was at first resistant to purchasing yet another bulky appliance, I must say that I am now glad to have it. In addition to crisping up my weekly crackers, it is also a great tool for making veggie meatballs, tortilla chips and other pizza toppings such as ‘caramelized’ peppers and onions. And I am well aware that I have yet to come anywhere near to utilizing this appliance's potential, not even having touched upon the world of desserts yet.....

Flax Seed Crackers

1 c. flax seed (soaked in 2 c of water for 2 hours)
½ c sunflower seeds
1/2 c ground flax
3/4 t salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 T poppy seeds
2 T nutritional yeast
2 T sesame seeds
1 T apple cider vinegar

Sprouted Sun Dried Tomato Hummus

1 cup sprouted garbanzo beans (soaked in cold water for 4 days, changing water 2 x day)
1/3 c tahini
1 garlic clove, minced
4 sun dried tomatoes, soaked for 4 hours
½ t salt
Pepper
1 T Tamari
¼ t chipotle spice
Juice of 1 lemon
1/3 c water, plus more if needed

Marinated Crimmini Mushrooms

1 T Tamari
1 T water
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 ½ cup crimmini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

In a large bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients. Add the mushrooms and lightly toss. Allow to stand for 2 hours. Remove mushrooms from marinade and serve as desired. For pizza, roughly chop.

Cheez Crumble

½ cup raw cashew nuts
4 t sea salt
3 T nutritional yeast

Whirl up all 3 ingredients in food processor. Store in the fridge, in a tightly sealed container. Will last for at least 1 week. The nutritional yeast actually makes it taste like parmesan cheese.

raw asian 'noodle' salad with peas, mushrooms and arugula

2009-06-28T15:01:00.000-07:00

I made this for lunch yesterday and.... yee-ow!... it was yum. Super fresh and super light.

Asian ‘Noodle’ Salad with Peas, Mushrooms & Arugula

Marinade:

1 T tamari
1 c fresh mushrooms, sliced1 1/2 T water
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 t fresh lime juice
1 t vinegar (balsamic or apple cider)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 t fresh grated ginger
1/8 t chili flakes

1 small-medium zucchini, cut into noodles on a spiral slicer
¾ c fresh arugula, roughly chopped
½ c frozen green peas, defrosted at room temperature for 2 hours
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T black sesame seeds

In medium sized bowl combine all marinade ingredients. Add sliced and allow to stand at room temperature for 2 hours. In a larger bowl add zucchini, arugula, green peas, olive oil, mushrooms and their marinade and toss all to combine. Serve on a large bowl or dinner plate. Garnish with a sprinkling of black sesame seeds.

raw challenge - day 25 - d.i.y. sprouting + kitchen gadgets

2009-06-24T23:59:00.000-07:00

Before and after: broccoli, red clover, radish and salad sprouts.

As week 4 of my '100 Day Raw Food Challenge' quickly approaches, my menu repertoire is finally beginning to solidify. I was clear from the onset that keeping proteins and carbs in my diet was going to be an absolute essential. While nuts, seeds and oils are certainly a cornerstone to such a diet, I was not willing to abandon my propensity for the complex carbs I have grown to know and love. But if I couldn't cook them, then how the heck was I going to eat them? It turns out that you can sprout things- a lot of things. It was news to me that sprouts are actually a living food, rich with vitamins, minerals, proteins, and enzymes. One of the most complete and nutritional of all existing foods, sprouts actually continue to grow and increase in vitamin content after been harvested, even as they sit in the fridge. So far, I have been enjoying great success with quinoa. Forty eight hours of sprouting on the windowsill (and rinsing twice daily) results in a delightful, crun-chewy flavour extravaganza that makes for a uniquely delicious salad booster. Chick peas take a full four days to sprout, though they are well worth the wait. When they are ready to use, sprouted chick peas can be tossed into a salad as is, or whirled up into an arugula hummus or a sun dried tomato dip. The next ingredients on my list of things to attempt sprouting are puy lentils and sunflower seeds. Click here to learn more about how to make your own sprouts.

The dried seeds to get you sprouting are readily available at most health food stores, as are 'sprouters' designed to house the process. After inspecting a few different options, I decided that the $20 being charged for such a kit was a waste of money, as one can easily be fashioned at home using a mason jar, some cheese cloth and an elastic band. That cash would be much better spent on more seeds or put towards other, more exciting kitchen gadgets..... Ah, the allure of the kitchen gadget. Most avid home cooks just can't get enough of these culinary toys. It seems a constant struggle to draw that defining line between what will actually be useful and that which simply looks like fun to play with. Making ruthless decisions early on will help to shut out future dust collectors destined to clutter up precious kitchen real estate.

I have to say, this raw business has made me a whirling dervish with many of my beloved gadgets….. the food processor, blender, dehydrator, juicer and now, my latest acquisition- a spiral vegetable slicer. At first glance, it appears less than impressive. Flimsy, cumbersome and fabricated from mostly 100% pure, genuine plastique- I was somewhat skeptical when first opening the box (instructions were also minimal, so I had to phone the store to figure out how to work the darn thing). But once up and running, what this baby does is pure magic. Beets, carrots, zucchini, daikon radishes and more are all transformed into spectacular lengths of pasta-like ribbons. Raw foodists often make 'pasta' by preparing zucchini this way and then topping it with a raw sauce, such as 'Marinara'. Any of these spiral veggies also serve as an extremely impressive addition to a salad, providing truly dynamic colour, shapes and textures to accompany greens, sprouts and so on. They also store well in the fridge for a few days, sealed in a tightly lidded container.

Spiral Vegetable Salad with Sprouted Quinoa

1 medium zuccini, turned on the small setting
1 medium beet, turned on the small setting
1 c sprouted quinoa
1 cup mixed greens, roughly torn
2 T parsley, roughly chopped
1/4 c raw pumpkin seeds
1 tomato, medium dice
salt + pepper
1/3 - 1/2 c 'Green Goddess Dressing'

Toss all ingredients and serve immediately. There will be extra dressing leftover. Keep in a lidded jar in the fridge. You will be glad to have extra on hand when whipping up a quick salad.

Green Goddess Dressing

1/4 c nutritional yeast
2 T Tamari sauce
3 T apple cider vinegar
3/4 grape seed or canola oil
3 T water
1/3 c roughly chopped parsley

To blender, add first ingredients. Whirl to combine. While blender is still on, slowly drizzle in the oil and then the water. Add the parsley last. Whirl to combine.

fresh mint and strawberry 'sangria'

2009-06-23T16:33:00.000-07:00

Oh yeah! Keep cool this summer with a tasty herbal brew.

Nothing fancy to this, really. It's just a nice way to keep hydrated in style when the mercury starts to rise. Simply take a whack of fresh mint, place it in a large juice container and top it up with about one and a half litres of boiling water. Stir in honey or sugar to achieve desired sweetness. Cool and refrigerate. When serving, fill a glass with ice. Top up with chilled mint tea. Add diced fruit, such as strawberries and, finally, garnish with a sprig of mint. Cheers.

day 18 - cro-magnon raw with beef carpaccio

2009-06-18T07:17:00.000-07:00

The view under glass at ‘Market Meats’.

Before I begin.... a warning to all vegetarians. The following content is likely to disturb and disgust. But if you are a card carrying meat eater, then why not get comfortable?

So here I am on Day 18 of my '100 Day Raw Food Challenge'. I had realized a month before starting this diet that I would need to sort out my protein sources. Normally, I eat an occasional, small serving of meat. Though it is usually of the organic, med free variety, it is meat none the less. In researching my options, it turned out that Vegans make for 95% of Raw Foodists, while raw meat, fish and (unpasturized) dairy consuming Raw Foodists account for the other 5%. When I learned that the slang for this fringing 5% was 'Cro-Magnon Raw', I new I'd found my niche. This was a chance to get in touch with my inner cave woman- if I had the stomach to follow through, that is. Eating cooked meat is one thing, but the very idea of swallowing it down uncooked left me wavering with uncertainty.

According to primatologist and anthropologist Richard Wrangham, the mastery of fire to cook was a key evolutionary turning point for proto-humans. In an excerpt from his book "Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human" Wrangham writes "Cooking meant they could get dense, empowering nourishment. Then came bigger brains, a different body and — voila! — homo sapiens. Complete with a social structure built around that fire." And keep in mind- this was almost two million years ago. I was going to have to ease into this raw meat thing gently.

If you are thinking of consuming any sort of raw animal products, the first and most important thing to do is to find a good source. By 'good' I mean a reputable, hygienic, informative and consistent supplier that you feel a trust and comfort with- no different than how one chooses their other suppliers and services. Whether it's the butcher, the baker or the candlestick maker..... it is always best to patronize those that we feel a rapport with, those that become a reliable fixture in our daily lives and in our communities.

For me, Market Meats is just such a place. Located in Vancouver's Kitsilano neighbourhood, this outstanding butcher shop / 'protein boutique' has been offering a top notch selection of quality products and exceptional service for over 13 years. All meat and poultry is chemical free, free range and as local as possible (mostly from B.C. and Alberta). Some, but not all products are organic. Just ask, and they will be happy to answer any of your questions and also to offer excellent recommendations. When I popped in one day last week and presented them with my new dietary challenge, we collaborated on 'Beef Carpaccio'. They firmed up a 4 oz beef tenderloin for 15 minutes in the freezer and then sliced it thinly (on their slicer, while I waited). As he prepared my order, butcher extraordinaire Spencer even suggested a Dijon, caper and olive oil dressing, which I ended up making to finish this dish. You are going to pay more to buy such products, but just like Mamma said, you get what you pay for. The 4 oz cut I purchased set me back $14, but it would serve four people as an appetizer. At $3.50 a head, it's a bargain at twice the price. Buying well and consuming smaller servings is healthier and need not cost the earth.....

As for my Beef Carpaccio experiment, it certainly was not love at first sight. When I got home and opened the package, I realized immediately that it was going to take some thoughtful presentation to get me in the mood. After whisking up Spencer's recipe for 'Dijon Caper Sauce', I arranged the tenderloin slices on a dinner plate, all the while thinking of the petals of a rose. I even garnished the centre of the plate with a colourful mixture of greens from my garden and then finished the presentation with a sprinkling of freshly snipped chives. The first few bites did not win me over, but by slice number two, my trepidation had melted away and I found myself in a carnivorous Nirvana. I'm quite sure that my incisors grew longer (and sharper) and the hair on the back of my neck stood up just a little. It was primal and it was delicious.

Beef Carpaccio with Dijon Caper Sauce

4 oz (200gr) fresh, raw beef tenderloin, thinly sliced
2 good servings of salad greens lightly tossed in extra virgin olive oil
right before serving
1 T chives, finely chopped

Sauce:

1 T Dijon Mustard
1 T capers, roughly chopped
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 t balsamic vinegar
1/8 t salt
Fresh ground pepper
1 ½ T water

Whisk together the sauce ingredients. Assemble carpaccio by laying the meat slices onto a dinner plate, in a circle, in a single layer and leaving a hole in the centre (dividing the meat evenly between 2 dinner or 4 appetizer plates ). Drizzle the sauce around the meat slices. Pile one handful of greens in the centre of each plate. Sprinkle the chives on top of the greens and the meat. Serve with bread or…… when eating a raw diet….. flax crackers! Serves 2 as a meal, or 4 as an appetizer.

gourmet guerrilla grub

2009-06-12T18:15:00.000-07:00

Artwork in the interior hallway of 12B.

I received a call from Misty Harris at Canwest earlier this week. She was interviewing people to gather information about their experiences in underground dining. Back in June of 08, I had a blast at Vancouver 'eatery' 12b.... Check out her story at canada.com

global peasant turns 2 years old today!

2009-06-12T02:50:00.000-07:00

raw challenge - day 11- surviving with ‘rum balls’

2009-06-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

My kitchen counter abundant with fresh ingredients.

Today marks not only my first blog posting at Metro News Canada, but also Day 11 of my ‘100 Day Raw Food Challenge’. When I first made my decision this past May, the prospect of a summer diet consisting of fresh, healthy uncooked food seemed appealing, exciting and downright daunting. Although I completed a professional culinary program last year, would I actually be able to apply some of what I’d learned about ‘cooking’ to creating raw dishes? Well, so far so good. I’ve clearly not starved yet. The food that I’ve been consuming during these last 10 days has been a pleasure to prepare and to eat. Well, for the most part, anyway. Monday’s effort at ‘Cream of Cauliflower Soup’ was just plain wrong. So was putting raw eggplant into veggie meatballs. Both experiments were bitter like aspirin. Lessons learned. Going into this challenge, I really had no idea if my new food options would be enough to sustain either my physical body or my demanding palette. Nor was I sure that it could fit into my current lifestyle. Granted, the first week was a flurry of kitchen activity and the learning curve enormous. I am no longer ‘cooking’ at all. Like learning anything new and wishing to excel at it, starting out demands a great deal of focus, determination and commitment. I am already starting to feel a rhythm with it all…..sprouting, soaking, marinating and dehydrating all require planning ahead and keeping an eye on both the clock and the calendar. Making hummus is no longer a ten minute operation. The garbanzo beans must be sprouted first, and this is a 4 day process. Flax seed crackers require a minimum of 4 hours in the dehydrator. Oatmeal for breakfast means soaking steel cut outs 8 hours before I rise and shine. Whirling up a litre of nut milk also means begin soaking the almonds 8 hours ahead of time.

And thank God for counter space! I am blessed with a sizable horizontal surface to really spread out on and to craft my concoctions. I suspect that, unless one is uber organized, trying to operate within the confines of a small apartment kitchen would quickly become cramped and cluttered. I am also so very fortunate to have a backyard space that has been transformed into a sizeable kitchen garden, just this past Spring. It was a heap of work to get up and growing, but now only requires a daily watering and the occasional tugging of pesky weeds. It’s time to enjoy the fruits and vegetables of my labour, to pick produce fresh and incorporate it into the raw meals that I am enjoying…. kale, spinach, assorted lettuces, arugula, radishes, Swiss chard and parsley so far. Still to come are beans, peas, zucchini, fennel, onions, leeks, tomatoes, eggplant, beets, and nasturtiums.

It took me a few tries to get this one right, but I think I finally perfected it. As far as I'm concerned, it would be completely uncivilized to participate in a raw food challenge without planning and preparing some strategically placed culinary treats. An after lunch sweet really hits the spot these days, even more so than when eating my regular diet. Having these 'Rum' Ball's' on hand really rounds out a meal, while also pleasing the palate. Though there is actually no rum in this recipe, I call them 'Rum Balls' anyway, as they do have a slight 'rummish' flavour to them, though I have absolutely no idea why.

’Rum’ Balls

3/4 c almonds, soaked for 8 hours, then rinsed and drained
3 medjool dates
1/4 c cacao powder
½ t vanilla
Pinch of salt
1 ½ T coconut oil, warmed so that it is liquid
¼ c ground coconut
1 t fresh orange zest- optional

Grind nuts in food pro. Add remaining ingredients except for the coconut and whirl until well blended. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Form mixture into 1” balls. Roll in ground coconut. Store in the fridge in a tightly sealed container.

raw challenge - day 9 - scrumptious cream of wheat

2009-06-09T15:19:00.000-07:00

Raw Cream of Wheat with Date & Prune Puree.

Didn't think it was possible, did you? How could a bowl of raw wheat actually be 'scrumptious'? I must admit that, when I took my first shot at this dish, my hopes were not particularly high. That'll learn me. This recipe is creamy, so yummy, dead easy to make and you can really go to town as far as the toppings are concerned. Try it with fruit, nuts, seeds, ground flax, a drizzle of honey or maple syrup and so on. I'm adorning my breakfast bowl these days with a date and prune puree, plus a good glug of homemade nut milk. If you like your porridge or cereal, I highly recommend giving this recipe a whirl.... whether you are eating a raw diet or not.

Raw Oatmeal

1/2 cup steel-cut oats
2 tablespoons raisins
3/4 cup water
pinch of salt

Soak oats and raisins in the water for eight to twelve hours in a 2 c measuring cup or yogurt container, left on the counter. In the morning, blend the soaked ingredients until creamy, using a hand held blender. Serve in a bowl and top with whatever your heart desires.

Date & Prune Puree

6 prunes, pitted
6 dates, pitted
1 ½ c H2O

Place dried fruit in a bowl, along with the water and allow to soak for 8 hours. Whirl up all ingredients in food pro, adding more water until desired ‘sauce-like’ consistency is achieved. Press sauce through a sieve. Store in the fridge in a sealed container.

first from my garden

2009-06-05T22:28:00.000-07:00

I've been waiting for this moment since mid February.... the experience of eating food grown with my own two hands. Ironically, the seedlings started last winter were not the first to yield sustenance. It was the radishes and salad greens planted outdoors, straight from seed some 5 weeks ago, that grew most rapidly. So far, the harvest tastes as you would expect: fresh, crisp and gloriously flavourful.

raw challenge - day 3 - kreamy avocado soup

2009-06-03T19:02:00.000-07:00

The first 3 days of my raw food challenge have proven to be both demanding and incredibly rewarding. I’ve certainly spent a great deal of time in the kitchen….. recipe testing, inventing, note taking, photographing and tasting. This avocado soup from Ani Phyo was part of tonight’s dinner. Tasty as it was, I found it quite rich. You may want to serve it as a starter, as opposed to a meal sized serving. I have altered a few of her quantities and ingredients to my liking.

Kreamy Avocado Soup

1 avocado, peeled and pitted
1 T miso paste
1 T EVOO
Sea salt to taste
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 t chipotle
2 T basil leaves, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish
1 3/4 cups water- plus more as needed
¼ c tomatoes, small dice (garnish)

Place all ingredients, except for the tomatoes, into the blender and whirl until creamy. While blender is running, pour water into the avocado mixture. Add more water, if needed. You are trying to achieve the same consistency as you would with a conventional cream soup. Taste and adjust seasoning. Ladle soup into 4 bowls. Garnish with diced tomatoes and a sprig of basil. Serves 4 as a starter.

going raw for 100 days

2009-05-31T09:21:00.000-07:00

Photo by Lex Illustrator.

I have an announcement to make….. starting tomorrow, I will be eating a diet of exclusively raw food for 100 days. I mean to say that, until September 8, no food shall pass my lips that has been brought to a temperature higher than 118 degrees. According to Wikepedia, foodism is “Raw foodism (or rawism) a lifestyle promoting the consumption of un-cooked, un-processed, and often organic foods as a large percentage of the diet. If 75-100% of a person's total food consumption is raw food, he/she is considered a raw foodist or living foodist.” The idea is to consume living food at a time when it still has all of its natural enzymes, the same enzymes that are killed off during the cooking process. Once these enzymes are gone, the body must in turn create its own enzymes to assist the body in proper absorption and digestion. Click here to learn more about enzymes.

While researching this cuisine, I learned that most people seem to embrace a raw food lifestyle as a last ditch effort to overcome some sort of chronic illness. Cancer, obesity, diabetes, celiac, depression, candida…. There are countless testimonials of healthy people whose lives have been transformed through a permanent or long term raw diet. As for me, I have no health complaints. I have a very healthy diet and an extremely harmonious relationship with the food that I eat. So why have I decided to make such a culinary commitment? I’m curious. I want to know what it feels like to eat only living foods for a significant stretch of time. Will I think differently? Will I have more energy? Will I look 5 years younger and be 5 pounds thinner? Will my skin glow like a super model and my tresses flow thick and glossy like a show dog? Time will tell.

In all honesty, I am most drawn to the idea as an exciting opportunity for innovative culinary expression. I anticipate that a summer of raw food eating will quickly become an incredibly inspiring time to explore and showcase fresh, locally grown food in its most elevated form….. as nature intended it, but with a twist. I want to make locally driven (when possible) raw food that is imaginative, flavourful and appealing to the eye. I want to mess with colours, textures and unorthodox applications of ingredients. I want to have a lot of fun with this. So join me as I play with my dehydrator, blender, turning slicer, micro-plane and forage in my own backyard garden for the freshest, most local ingredients possible. Raw-k on!

chicken stroganoff with beer

2009-05-27T19:07:00.000-07:00

Tonight's feast for 4..... served with Lemon-Basil Basmati Rice and steamed asparagus. Oh yeah!

Chicken Stroganoff

Olive oil
Salt and pepper (to taste)
2 slices of bacon, diced
½ onion, peeled and diced
1 large green pepper, cored, quartered and thinly sliced
½ orange pepper, cored, quartered and thinly sliced
4 c mushrooms, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced

1 ½ lbs skinned and de-boned chicken thighs, cut into 2” pieces
1 ½ T flour
1 ½ c chicken stock
1 c beer
1 T Dijon mustard
1 t Worcester sauce
½ t hot sauce
2 bay leaves

½ cup sour cream- add very last!
1/4 c fresh chopped parsley for garnish- if desired

Bring a large pot to medium heat. Add 2T olive oil. Saute onions and bacon for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add peppers and cook for 3 more minutes. Remove all ingredients from pot and placeto side in a medium bowl. Add 1 T olive oil to same pot plus the mushrooms. Cooked mushrooms until lightly brown, until all extra liquid is gone. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Remove from pot and add to onion mixture.
Working on a dinner plate, lightly salt the chicken pieces and then sprinkle them with the flour. Add 2 T olive oil to the same pot and brown chicken in batches, setting the pieces aside as they are cooked. When all chicken has been cooked and removed from the pot, add the chicken stock, beer and remaining ingredients except for the sour cream to the pot. Simmer for 30 minutes with a loosely fitting lid. Return all vegetables to the pot and heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Right before serving, add the sour cream and heat through, but do not allow to boil. Serve with rice or pasta. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, if desired.

veggie lemon quinoa with basil chicken

2009-05-23T14:21:00.000-07:00

If you haven’t explored quinoa yet, I highly recommend it. Nutty in flavour and full of protein, quinoa is a delicious departure from rice or potatoes. Plus it’s just as easy to make. The chicken component of this meal was inspired by bbq leftovers from last night. I don’t know where the heck those busty birds came from, but they sure did have a lot of meat on them. Two breasts yielded 3 cups of meat.

Veggie Lemon Quinoa
Make sure to rinse the quinoa (to remove bitterness) before starting the rest of this dish.

2 T olive oil, divided
½ onion, diced
½ orange pepper, diced
3 c kale, washed and sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
½ t salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 ½ c quinoa, rinsed and drained in a sieve
3 c water
½ c frozen green peas
Juice and zest of ½ lemon
1/3c fresh chopped parsley
3T toasted pumpkin seeds

Bring a large pot to medium heat and add 1 T of olive oil. Saute onion for 3 minutes. Add orange pepper and cook for another 3 minutes. Stir in kale and cook for 3 minutes. Add garlic and stir in for 1 minute. Add the drained quinoa and stir occasionally, until grain is dry and smells a bit ‘toasty’. Add the water + salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low. Cover with a lid and allow to cook for 17 minutes. Add peas, lemon, parsley to pot and return lid. Cook for 3 more minutes. Toss in pumpkin seeds. Serves 4 as a side dish.

Basil Chicken Breast

2 c cooked chicken breast, shredded
1 tomato, diced
2 T fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1 T olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste.
4 T crumbled goat feta- optional

In a medium size bowl, combine all ingredients. Serve with the quinoa. Serves 4 as a side dish. If desired, crumble 1 T of goat feta on each serving. Yum!

lobster bisque

2009-05-19T02:39:00.000-07:00

This is actually part 2 of an earlier post….what started out as ‘lobster sandwiches!’ resulted in some left over shells. It would be a crime to through them away. Roasting said shells and making them into a flavourful stock is time well spent- trust me. Last night I opted to transform the stock into a bisque. Smokes! That’s good soup…..tres elegante and almost free to make.

Lobster Bisque

1 T olive oil
1/2onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1 T butter
2 T flour
1 litre of lobster stock (approx)
½ t salt
Fresh ground pepper
2 dashes of paprika
1 pinch of nutmeg
1 pinch of cayenne

Garnish: Crème fraiche + chives or parsley.

Bring a large pot to medium heat and add olive oil. Next add the onion and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add celery and carrot, continuing to stir. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Melt in the butter and then sprinkle with flour. Stir for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for 1 more minute. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne. Continue to simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour soup into a blender in batches, filling blender about 2/3 full each time. VERY IMPORTANT: Before blending, remove cap from inside of blender lid, leaving a hole exposed in the middle. Cover this hole with a tea towel (preferably one that is not your favourite, as it will get some soup splashed on it). The reason for this is to allow the hot steam to escape safely, so that you do not make a big mess and get a nasty burn. Strain blenderized soup through a sieve and return to pot. Serve immediately (and garnish), or allow to cool, refrigerate and serve later.

lobster sandwiches!

2009-05-18T09:58:00.000-07:00

My super awesome friend, Peter P, came by yesterday to help me with a plethora of computer issues. Quite frankly, I don't know where I'd be without him. I certainly wouldn't have this blog. He has been a quintessential part of global peasant's lay out and functions since even before its first post back in the summer of 2006. Heck, he even taught me how to write HTML code!!!

Not only did he spend half of his Sunday helping me out, he brought a fresh lobster with him....all the way from P.E.I. Suddenly dinner was a no-brainer. This isn't even a recipe, really- more like an assembly. Consuming it is messy (no cutlery and lots of napkins) and delicious.....even more so with the addition of a frosty, tall glass of beer. I love you, Peter!

Lobster and Tomato Sandwiches

1 lb lobster, cooked and meat removed from the shell*
2 T melted butter
juice and zest of 1/4 lemon
good pinch of salt

*Save the shells and roast them on a cookie sheet in the oven for about 20 minutes @ 350*. Put shells in 5 cups of cold water with 1 t salt, 8 peppercorns and 4 bay leaves. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Continue to cook for about 25 minutes. Strain through a sieve (into a bowl) and allow to cool. Use lobster stock to make lobster bisque (stay tuned for recipe).

2 roma tomatoes, diced
1/8 t Tabasco sauce
1 T parsley, finely chopped
1 T olive oil
2 t balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

6-8 slices bread, lightly toasted (I used spelt, but any light bread would do)

Shred the lobster meat into a small bowl and combine with butter, lemon and salt. Combine tomato mixture in a second bowl. Assemble the sandwiches by first spooning some of the tomato onto a toast, then topping it with a spoon of the lobster. Garnish with whatever visually floats your boat (I used micro arugula from my garden).

seedling update

2009-05-14T18:18:00.000-07:00

Tomatoes growing in the sun room.

It seems like forever since mid February, when the tomato seeds were first planted into their tiny little peat filled trays. Gardener's Delight, Black Krim, Kootenai and Green Zebra are the 4 varieties that are growing almost right under my eyes. Nurturing duties include daily watering, trimming back the leaves (to build hardy stalks and encourage a higher yield of fruit) and multiple transplants. Last night's upgrade was to roomier 8" pots plus heaps of extra (and super stinky) amending soil..... and they still have a long way to go. They will not be planted outside until sometime in June. Just when will be determined by how chilly the nights are. But lookie there! That yellow blossom holds the promise of good things to come. I can hardly wait.....

sue and robert get hitched

2009-05-10T17:25:00.000-07:00

Sue embraces her brand new husband, Robert. (Michel Laflamme photo)

What more could one ask for than to see those we love happy and healthy? My friend, Sue, is from Vancouver, but has been living in Nairobi for the last two years. It was there that she and Robert met and fell in love. And it was at yesterday's wedding on the Sunshine Coast that guests were given an opportunity to see these two seal the deal. Set at her parent's ocean front house, the weather could not have been any more perfect, nor the 65 attending family and friends any more jovial. What a privilege it was to witness and to celebrate two such fine people tie the knot and begin their new life together as 'Mr & Mrs. Spooner'.

As noted by one of yesterday's guest speakers "Sue touches everyone that knows her." During her years in Vancouver she inspired me a great deal, encouraging me not just to explore the world of food I love so much, but also challenging me to do so in bold and unconventional ways. It was she who created the starting point for my blog's voice, coining the phrase "Global Peasant- A Journey of Culinary Respect". It truly is the gift that keeps on giving.

Heaps of love and blessings to Sue and Robert! xoxoxox

libera and rome's anti-mafia shop

2009-05-07T10:13:00.001-07:00

You can’t make this stuff up. Catholic-anti Mafia group Libera first began back on March 25, 1995 with the purpose of "involving and supporting all those who are interested in the fight against mafias and organized crime". Since that time, Italian law has allowed over 3000 farms to be confiscated from the Mafia (by court order) and to be redistributed for “social use”, resulting in the creating of “tangible symbols of the restoration of lawfulness.” Libera has taken large tracts of this land and formed farming cooperatives in Sicily, Calabria and Puglia, where young people produce oil, pasta, wine and other organic products which are then sold under the 'Libera Terra' label.

These products are available for sale at ‘Flavours of Lawfulness’, a little shop on Rome’s Via dei Prefetti, which just so happens to be a stone’s throw from the Italian Parliament. These novelty rich products are great items for tourists to take home, with the proceeds going to ‘a very good cause’.

But Libera is busy with more than just food related acivites. Click here to learn about the other work being done in the areas of promoting discussions, public initiatives, and education..... as they relate to the subject of lawfulness and social justice. In addition; every March 21, a day chosen for its symbol of renewal, a gathering is organized for relatives of victims murdered by the Mafia to come together to remember their loved ones, to share in their mourning and to heal. Like I said before, you can't make this stuff up.

Left: Marlon Brando (AKA Sicilian born mobster Don Vito Corleone) shows his softer side in 'The Godfather'.

pasta with cauliflower alla sabbia

2009-05-04T11:51:00.000-07:00

My friend, Brad, was by yesterday afternoon to wash his car in our driveway (he lives in an apartment) and to watch some of the Rome Masters Tennis Series (he has no t.v. of his own and claims that if he did, he would be hopelessly glued to it day and night). And I believe him. Brad is the same friend that I cooked dinner for a few weeks back, the one with the pink cel phone that he never answers. That was the night that I made him Pink Risotto, in honour of his uniquely coloured communications device.

As the dinner hour passed and Brad was still clearly going nowhere anytime soon, I offered to cook us a meal. You may or may not be surprised to learn that he is wheat intolerant. Whatever would I cook for Brad?..... A few months back, I waxed on about how delicious Peter Zambri's Cauliflower Alla Sabbia recipe was. It really is a stellar dish. And dead easy to prepare. All the fixin’s were in the fridge. Why not try tossing it together with some kamut noodles and make it into a ‘Brad friendly’ pasta dish? It was a lip smacking success. The only thing I would do fifferently next time would be to slice the cauliflower into 3/8" slices after blaching it. He left later with a happy belly, a clean car and the pleasure of knowing that Nadal had kicked Djokovic’s ass.

Pasta with Cauliflower Alla Sabbia
(Cauliflower tossed with anchovies and chilies, leaving out the breadcrumbs)

1 medium cauliflower, cut into florets
4 small garlic cloves, thickly sliced
2 heaping tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. chili flakes (optional)
4 whole anchovy filets
salt and pepper
1/8 cup chopped parsley, leaves only.
1/4 c finely grated parmesan

pasta for 4

Blanch cauliflower in boiling salted water for two minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a cloth or paper towel lined baking sheet to cool. Slice the flowerettes into 3/8" thick slices. Add the pasta to the same boiling water and cook according to package directions. In the meantime, in a separate large pot, heat the oil and butter. Add garlic, chilies and anchovies and fry over medium heat until the anchovies melt and the butter & garlic turns a nut brown. Add the cauliflower to the pan and toss, making sure to heat through. Lightly season with salt and pepper at this stage. Add parsley and parmesan and toss again, coating thoroughly. Add about 1/3 c of the pasta water to the vegetable pot (to create a light sauce). Drain the pasta and toss it in with the cauliflower mixture. Serve immediately.

snappy ginger snaps

2009-05-03T23:33:00.000-07:00

I really don't have many hankerings for sweets, which is probably why I'm not much of a baker. But for some reason, today I felt like making some cookies. This recipe comes from my mom. June usually reserves this particular cookie for Christmas time.....I guess because of its many holiday memory triggering spices. But I think it works well any time of the year. I have switched out her usually 'fancy molasses' for this darker, more intensely flavoured 'blackstrap molasses'. These crunchy treats are a perfect companion to a hot cup of tea and taste divine crumbled over vanilla ice cream..... not to mention that they make your house smell like heaven on earth when they are baking.

Snappy Ginger Snaps

½ c blackstrap molasses
½ c butter
½ c brown sugar

2 c flour
½ t baking powder
1 ½ t ginger
½ t nutmeg
1 t cinnamon
¼ t cloves
¼ t salt

Put large pot over lot / medium heat. Add the molasses and bring it to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and sugar. Combine all the dry ingredients and sift into the molasses mixture. Mix well. Turn dough out onto a sheet of parchment or wax paper and form into a long thin roll. Place wrapped dough in the freezer for about 45 minutes to chill. Then preheat the oven to 350*. Remove dough from freezer, unwrap and place on a cutting board. With a sharp knife, slice dough into 3/8” thick cookies. Place cookies on baking sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes.

tight wad tuesday- delia's frugal food

2009-04-28T07:04:00.000-07:00

“…..Who, then, is this book for? Quite simply for people like myself, those who have lived and cooked during the affluent years and now find themselves caught up in the spiral of inflation, rising prices and impending food shortages…..”

-by Delia Smith (Delia’s Frugal Food)

This excerpt was not written in recent months, but back in 1976 when the book was first released. Interesting that what was such a significant subject then is even more relevant today. At the time of the book's original release, Delia Smith's Frugal Food provided home cooks with a wide range of tasty recipes that were cheap and easy to prepare, encouraged readers to make do with what they had and even offered advice on how to cook using less energy. The book’s success led Smith to television, where she enjoyed a long reign throughout the 80s and 90s as Britain's celebrity chef. It was during this time that the 'The Delia Effect' began. Store shelves would be stripped of a particular item the day after it had been featured as a key ingredient on one of her shows. Thirty two years later, Delia's Frugal Food has been relaunched, right at the height of the latest credit crunch. While it has been revised for the times (less drippings and more olive oil, plus new illustrations) its 170 recipes still show you how to eat well without having to spend a fortune.

fru – gal entailing little expense; requiring few resources; meager; scanty: a frugal meal.

In case you haven't heard yet, apparently frugal is the new black. Being one who prides myself on staying left of the mainstream, suddenly realizing that I am in the thick of a gathering trend is a reality that leaves me feeling somewhat uncomfortable. Groucho Marx was famously quoted for stating “I don’t want to belong to any club that will accept people like me as a member”. But really, I should just get over myself and be grateful that the previous era of gluttony and over consumption has been forcibly decreased and people are now looking for different ways to live well with less.

But much of what I have read lately on the subject of frugality gets my knickers in a knot. It usually seems to be referred to in a somewhat negative tone. I feel very strongly that being frugal need not equal scarcity, deprivation or lesser quality. When approached with the right attitude, practicing frugality offers one an opportunity to be creative, innovative and resourceful. It also presents us with good reason to share with others, to trade skills, knowledge and resources and, in turn, to build and strengthen communities. I am hopeful that such experiences will make us become more grateful and appreciative for all that we do have, be it material or not.

As for Delia’s Frugal Food, I must admit that it is not a cook book that I am particularly drawn to. But its concepts and philosophies certainly speak to me. It is a wonderful contribution when such books can get more people cooking (and eating) well. Teaching others to be creative and thoughtful with ingredients and competent with methods all result in helping to make us healthier….body, soul and wallet.

french bistro and cinema night

2009-04-24T07:57:00.000-07:00

Moi et Pierre (A.K.A. Peter P.) getting ready to serve our dinner guests.

Last Sunday brought with it an opportunity for my good pal, Peter and I to create and serve a French themed meal for 8. 'French Bistro & Cinema Night' was a belated birthday gift from both of us to our (French Canadian) bon ami, Michel Laflamme. The featured Beef Bourguignon recipe is a concocted combo of components I had borrowed from 4 different recipes. Note that making this dish a day ahead increases the flavour and allows you to greet your guests without reeking of just-fried bacon and onions. The menu went as follows and I dare say that our meal was outstanding (though half of our guests were dozing off into a food coma shortly after the movies started rolling, myself included):

To Start:
Mimosa Salad. Click here for recipe.

Main:
Beef Bourguignon with Mashed Potatoes. Click here for recipe.

Dessert:
Half Baked Chocolate Cake with Fresh Orange Cream

To Drink:
Lots of Red Wine and not nearly enough water

Cinema:
That Man From Rio /w. Jean-Paul Belmondo
Pierrot le Fou /w. Jean-Paul Belmondo

recipe for beef bourguignon

2009-04-23T17:00:00.000-07:00

Moo la la! (Photo by Sander de Graaf)

Beef Bourguignon
(Serves 8)

4 slices of bacon- finely sliced
2 1/2 lbs beef shin, cut into cubes + flour to drudge
2 medium onions, peeled + large dice
2 carrots, peeled + rough chop
2 stalks of celery, peeled + rough chop
1 lb nice mushrooms, quartered
4 cloves garlic
1 bouquet garni (Sprig of thyme, peppercorns, bay leaves, 2 sprigs of parsley)
1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
1 bottle of Burgundy red wine

1- Fry bacon. Remove with a slotted spoon and put aside.
Remove some of the bacon fat. Season meat with salt and
pepper. Drudge in flour. In same pot, add some olive oil
to the bacon fat. Brown the meat in batches. Remove and
set aside.

2- Preheat oven to 325*F. In the same pot, add 1 T olive oil or bacon fat and then the mushrooms, cooking until lightly browned. Remove the mushrooms and set aside. Again in the same pot, add 1 T olive oil or bacon fat and fry the onions, cooking until just starting to caramelize. Add the carrots and celery- cooking until lightly browned. Add the garlic + tomato paste and cook for a few minutes. Return the mushrooms and the beef to the pot and then add the red wine plus the bouquet garni and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer. Lightly cover with a cartouche (shaped, round piece of tin foil). Cook for about 2-3 hours, checking and giving a gentle stir every 1 hour. Remove the bouquet garni. Taste and adjust seasoning, if neccessary. Serve with mashed potatoes, noodles or rice.

burger grease art (mona greasa)

2009-04-19T08:35:00.000-07:00

Phil Hansen of www.burgergreaseart.com

Found this little tasty morsel last night on Design Sponge and just couldn't resist. Design Sponge is a Brooklyn based design /art /craft blog that does a heck of a job of consistently sharing a dizzying amount of juicy content. I'm a huge fan and was especially shocked to find out this week that ds founder Grace Bonney has been producing all of this fabulousness from a tired old pc laptop (thought for sure she was an apple gal). Very impressive, both of them.

baba ganouj (eggplant dip) + flax seed crackers

2009-04-15T08:09:00.000-07:00

Eggplants await their next life as Baba Ganouj.

The evite for Tara's 40th b-day last Saturday came with a request to please bring some snack food. With iffy weather and a guest list of diverse palates, I settled on an old favourite..... I've been making this Baba Ganouj (Mooseswood Cookbook) recipe for over 15 years and it continues to serve as a consistently yummy success (though I must admit that David O.'s gourmet Mac + Cheese left everyone else's offerings in the dust). The old standby would be to serve this dip with plain white bread, but I thought it might be fun to try something different. Having never made crackers before, I patched together this second recipe from a variety of others I had read. It actually worked out quite well. I think that next time I will try substituting 1 t of the milk for 1 t of Tamari, to provide a little extra zing. Keep in mind that you could experiment with different kinds of flour, such as spelt, rice or kamut.

Flax Seed Crackers, ready for dippin'.

Baba Ganouj (Eggplant Dip) + Flax Seed Crackers
(from 'Moosewood Cookbook' -by Mollie Katzen)

1 T olive oil
2 eggplants, cut in half lengthwise
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ c fresh lemon juice
¼ c raw tahini paste
½ t salt
¼ t Spanish paprika (optional)

Garnish:

1 T olive oil
2 T finely chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350*. Lightly oil a baking sheet. Place eggplant halves face-down on the baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until eggplant slightly yields when poked with the tip of your finger. Cool. Scoop eggplant pulp into a food processor and discard the skin. Add remaining ingredients except for the lemon juice and whirl together, processing until smooth. While machine is running, slowly add lemon juice, a bit at a time. Use only as much juice as needed to make a creamy dip (not too runny). Transfer to serving dish and garnish with parsley and olive oil. Serve with bread or crackers.

Flax Seed Crackers

½ c raw flax seeds
2 T sesame seeds (optional)
1 ½ c all purpose flour
½ t baking powder
3/4 t salt
4 t butter
1 T onion powder
½ c milk

Preheat oven to 325*. In a food processor, combine all ingredients except the milk. Transfer ingredients to a large bowl. Slowly add in the milk. Mix and knead dough together until the dough forms a ball. Chill for a few hours.

Divide dough into 4 equal parts. On lightly floured counter top, roll out the first section of dough (to 1/16" thick) using a lightly floured rolling pin. Cut into 6 squares. Repeat with remaining dough. Transfer crackers onto a lightly oiled cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes, then flip them over and bake for 5 minutes more. Put crackers directly onto baking racks to cool. Makes 24 crackers. Store at room temperature in a dry, airtight container.

happy easter

2009-04-13T14:07:00.000-07:00

My friend, Julie Lee sent me this timely little greeting. Thought I'd pass it on.....

soba noodle salad

2009-04-11T07:52:00.000-07:00

Here is another meal I have created for my current ‘grub on the go’ lifestyle. I made a whack of it for lunch today and still have lots more. You could substitute the tofu with prawns, shredded chicken, pork or beef plus maybe a little fresh diced mango.....

Soba Noodle Salad

1 8oz package soba noodles, cooked according to package directions
½ red pepper, thinly sliced
½ yellow pepper, thinly sliced
½ fennel bulb, thinly sliced
½ c red cabbage, thinly sliced
2 T fresh basil, thinly sliced
2 T fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced
1 175 gram package of ‘Pete’s Soyganic Tofu & Sauce’ (any flavour)
2 T toasted sesame seeds
1 T toasted sesame seeds (for garnish)

Dressing:

4 T vegetable oil
1 t toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 t rice wine vinegar
1 T Tamari sauce
½ t fish sauce
½ t chili garlic sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1 T grated ginger
1 t sugar
juice and zest of ½ lime
s & p

Pour cooked noodles into a colander. Rinse with cold water and drain well. Transfer noodles into a large bowl. Next add the vegetables, fresh herbs, tofu and 2 T sesame seeds. In small bowl, combine all dressing ingredients with a fork. Drizzle dressing over noodles and salad ingredients. Toss gently to combine. Serve into 4 bowls and garnish each serving with 1/4 of the last 1 T of sesame seeds. Salad stores well in the fridge and would also be a great picnic item.

cous cous extravaganza

2009-04-09T08:16:00.000-07:00

All of my recent gardening efforts have left me with a larger appetite and less time for food preparation. I’ve taken to making large batches of food to provide me with quick, tasty and healthy meals so that I can fuel up fast, save the rest in the fridge for later and get back to playing in the dirt.

This salad I whipped up on the weekend perfectly fit the bill. With only 5 minutes of cooking time, cous cous is a quick and easy carb. The grain itself is made by rolling and shaping moistened semolina wheat into granules and then coating them with finely ground wheat flour. Cous cous serves as a primary staple to many parts of the world and provides a great back drop to a wide range of ingredients and flavours. Take note that, while I put pretty much everything but the kitchen sink in this version, it's a very flexible recipe. You can add or omit any ingredients you wish and serve it freshly made, while it is still warm or later, when it has chilled in the fridge. This dish also travels well and can serve as an excellent ‘starch’ portion to many entrees. Note that I did intend to include a photo of the completed dish….. but I forgot and ate it all.

Cous Cous Salad with Butternut Squash & Kale

2 T olive oil
¼ yellow onion, small dice
1 c dried cous cous
1 c boiling water

1/3 c currants, soaked for 20 minutes in boiled water and then drained
1 + 1/2 c kale, thinly sliced
¾ c roasted butternut squash, large dice
½ orange pepper, cored and sliced
½ c fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 green onion, thinly sliced
2 preserved lemons, pulp removed and thinly sliced
1/3 c chopped parsley
1/3 c toasted pumpkin seeds
2 T nutritional yeast
½ c frozen green peas

Juice and zest of ½ lemon
½ c olive oil
s & p

In a large pot over low-medium heat, sauté yellow onion in 2 T olive oil until onions are yellow and translucent (about 5 minutes). Add cous cous and stir well. Turn off heat. Pour in boiling water. Cover and let stand for 4 minutes. Add frozen peas and let stand for 1 more minute. Fluff cous cous with a fork and transfer to a large bowl.

Add all remaining ingredients and mix well. Taste and adjust salt, if needed. Serve immediately, or store covered in fridge.

eating in the raw

2009-04-07T11:59:00.000-07:00

Gorilla Foods -photo from Vancouver Sun (March 11, 2009)

No one loves the warming, nurturing properties of winter’s comfort foods more than I do. But eventually, it comes time to look forward to a new season of menus and ingredients. What with Spring’s late arrival this week, it is finally time to start looking forward to enjoying some fresh, crispy, clean and locally driven fare.

A visit to Vancouver’s Gorilla Foods yesterday provided just such an experience…..a teaser, a trailer for the good things to come. (Click here to read a recent Vancouver Sun review) With a menu selection focused exclusively on raw, organic, vegan, live foods- any choice is sure to be a healthy one. My friend, Robert and I both decided on the ‘Veggie Burger’ (mixed nut and seed patties topped with ginger tomato sauce, guacamole, and brightly coloured grated vegetables. In lieu of a bun, ruffled lettuce leaves provide both plume and flourish). The plates arrived at our table looking more ‘Vegas showgirl’ than ‘burger’, but were very tasty, none the less. Their pizza selection also looks very appealing and I am looking forward to sampling one or two, come my next visit.
Gorilla Foods is located at 101 - 436 Richards St.

seedling update

2009-04-07T08:09:00.000-07:00

Tomatoes and parsley transplants started from seed only 7 weeks ago.

I know, I know.....I've been a lame ass blogger lately. Truth is, I've been spending more time toiling in the dirt than cookin' in the cucina. Since planting the first seedlings back in mid February, a lot has happened. The broccoli and cabbage had to be culled, as they grew too 'leggy' and were apparently destined to produce puny amounts of food- simply not worth the real estate available come planting time. Otherwise, it has so far been a smashing success (leeks, parsley, kale, fennel, eggplant and 4 varieties of tomatoes to date..... all thriving, with heaps more to follow). Keep in mind that I am not going this alone, but am operating under the careful watch of my fabulous gardening advisor, Sylvia Pendl (we have been sharing costs and will be dividing all transplants equally come planting time). These days, I am simply following ongoing instructions and am as surprised as anyone when witnessing each phase of this great mystery unfold.

Currently, most of the action is taking place in my little south facing sun room. What started as 3oo little seedlings taking up less than one square metre of surface area has exploded into a full blown nursery. Since mid March, I have been gradually transplanting the various seedlings, each into their own 4" round pot, and not always alone. Sometimes Sylvia drops by to inspect their progress and also to partake in the transplanting. Now the sun room is so packed with pots, I've been outfitting makeshift tables from old doors and pieces of dry wall propped up on cinder blocks and improvising 'side tables' by turning wooden crates on their sides. I'm telling you- it's a jungle in there.

At the same time all of this has been happening, I have also been slowly chipping away at prepping what will soon become the next home for this village of transplants. I am fortunate enough to have a juicy, south facing plot to work with (5 feet deep x 30 feet long), though it has required a Herculean effort of weeding and aerating. I had foolishly estimated this task to take an afternoon or two. Not! I've been chipping away at it for well over a week now, despite the generous assistance I received from a couple of pals. After hauling over one hundred pounds of clumpy weeds, vines and gnarly root systems to the back alley compost, the plot is finally ready for the 3 raised beds plus 4 cubic yards of amending soil that shall make up the next phase.

Stay tuned for more dirty talk and heavy lifting.

pretty in pink

2009-03-27T15:39:00.000-07:00

My friend, Brad has a pink cell phone. He is an adult and, yes, he is heterosexual. He claims the phone was a gift from his older brother (also an adult heterosexual). He also claims that it is predominantly silver with pink as the accent, but he is fooling only himself..... it's really frickin' pink. Brad is one of those people who just shouldn't bother owning a cell at all. If it isn't locked up in his glove compartment for days on end and he actually happens to be carrying it on his person..... more than likely it will be switched off. Leaving a message would be futile, as he checks his voice mail so rarely that a message left today would probably not be retrieved until well after Easter, if ever.

I had invited him over for dinner last night, wanting to cook him a belated birthday meal. But what to make? Something pink, perhaps? After all, teasing those I care about is pretty much my reason for living, next to feeding them. Then I thought of it.....Brad's birthday menu would be Pink Risotto.

Pink Risotto (with Green Peas, Mushrooms & Kale)

The ‘pink’ part of this dish comes from using beet water as the cooking liquid (as opposed to regular water or stock). Beet water is simply what is left in the pot after boiling beets. I make a habit of saving this deeply coloured liquid and it always ends up coming in handy for something. Note that it also makes a nice (and colourful) vegetable stock. As for the quantity of liquid in this dish, it really is a ‘wait and see’ measure, as is the cooking time.

2 tbsp olive oil
½ onion, small dice
10 mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 cups thinly sliced kale
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 ¼ cups arborio rice
1 tsp salt

4 cups beet water (approximate)

1 ½ cups frozen green peas
zest of 1 lemon
juice of ½ lemon
1 tbsp butter
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese (+ extra for garnish)
1/3 cup finely chopped parsley (+ extra for garnish)

Place a large heavy pot over medium heat and wait 2 minutes. Add olive oil, and then the onions. Sweat the onions until they start to become translucent, for about 5 minutes. Next add the mushrooms, stirring occasionally until they are mostly cooked. Add the kale and then the garlic, continuing to cook for about 1 minute. Add the rice and stir constantly, allowing the rice to lightly toast, but not stick to the pot and burn. Add the salt and about 2 cups of the beet water. Bring to a simmer, cover and reduce the heat to low / medium. Stir the rice occasionally, topping up the liquid as needed. Continue doing so until the rice is almost cooked (al dente). Add the peas, zest and lemon juice. Cook a few more minutes, still topping up the liquid as needed (if you run out of beet water, just use regular water). Lastly, add the butter, parmesan cheese and parsley. Combine. Taste, adding more salt if needed. Serve into bowls and garnish with more parmesan and parsley. Serves 4.

white house kitchen gardens

2009-03-26T13:23:00.000-07:00

While perusing Wednesday's New York Times, I happened upon this informative little gem from Roger Doiron of Kitchen Gardeners International.....a Maine-based nonprofit network of 10,000 gardeners from 100 countries who are inspiring and teaching more people to grow some of their own food. They are also the coordinators of Eat the View- a campaign to plant high-impact food gardens in high-profile places. They collected over 100,000 signatures on a petition asking the Obamas to lead the way by replanting a kitchen garden on the First Lawn. Michelle Obama recently announced that she would be planting a vegetable garden on the South Lawn. Digging began last Friday. This will be the first vegetable garden at the White House in over 60 years, since Eleanor Roosevelt’s victory garden during World War II.

The film is by Eliot Morrison of yiggs.com.

tightwad tuesday- a pancake brunch

2009-03-17T05:30:00.000-07:00

It's time for the second installment of 'tightwad tuesday'- a monthly posting created to feature meals that are tasty, healthy and budget conscious..... and also to provide a price per serving breakdown. And wouldn't you know it? I happened upon Rachel Ray last week while she sat as a guest on Larry King. She was all pumped up about a new feature being offering through her folksy food empire called Meals for a Steal. It's almost exactly the same format as the one I began back in February, only Ray's is promoted through her t.v. show, magazine, website and nation wide public appearances. Yeesh. Guess my idea wasn't as original as I thought. But I shall continue these installments, as I feel that there are many more interesting low cost recipe options besides Turkey Turnovers and Cheesy Hash Brown Chili. Did that sound too bitchy?

Today's meal is a weekend brunch, inspired by a Sunday morning date I'd set with my good pal, Gigi. We were way overdue for a catch up. Eating in a restaurant was likely to involve a lot of waiting and a busy, noisy environment. We were craving a 'free range' visit....one where we could impulsively hop on a laptop, look at books and muck about with craft supplies. So I suggested bringing brunch with me to her house.

It didn't take me long to pack up my little ingredients bucket, having already settled on a winter version of my dad's amazing cornmeal pancakes, which I like to embellish with yogurt, nuts, bananas, apples and homemade blackberry sauce plus chilled grapefruit slices served on the side (intended to provide a puckery contrast). The recipe below will serve 4 people. I used only half of the quantities to feed the 2 of us. The food cost for both servings came in at $4.10 (including 1 grapefruit), or $ 2.05 per person. (the blackberries were free, as they were still in my freezer from a self directed railway track-u-pick last summer).

Jack’s Cornmeal & Banana Pancakes with Berry Sauce

Berry Sauce:

2 cups berries, any kind
1/3 cup brown sugar

Put berries and sugar in a small pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, continuing to cook until some of the liquid has reduced (about 10 minutes).

Pancakes:

1 cup flour
½ cup cornmeal
½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp baking powder
3 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 banana, thinly sliced

3 tbsp melted butter
1 ¼ cup milk
1 egg

Toppings:

1 apple, cored and sliced
1/3 cup toasted coconut
1/3 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1 cup yogurt- any flavour

In large bowl, combine all dry ingredients, plus the sliced banana. Then add milk, then the egg, then the melted butter. Combine all. Heat up fry pan at low-medium. Add 1 tbsp oil. Put pancake batter into hot pan, in whatever shapes and sizes you like. Cook about 4 minutes. Flip. Cook until bottom is slightly golden brown. (about 2 minutes) Repeat until all batter is cooked. Place pancakes on dinner plates. Top each pancake with a good drizzle of blackberry sauce and then a generous dollop of yogurt. Next add the sliced apple and then a sprinkle of the cocnut and pumpkin seeds. Serves 4.

one pot wonder- super easy home baked bread

2009-03-09T11:22:00.000-07:00

Mix up the dough (no kneading required). Cover with saran wrap for 24 hours .

One hour in the oven in a heavy, lidded pot and voila!

Lordy!.....Tastes and smells even better than it looks.

I’ve never understood why certain people guard their favourite recipes. Unless you are Heinz selling ketchup or Cadbury selling Caramilk Bars, who cares about keeping deliciousness in the vault? One would assume that those who love to cook food also love to feed people and are therefore generous by nature. One of my favourite aspects of food is its ability to be such an incredible connector. It has the power to bridge so many divides, be they cultural, economic, social, political or otherwise.

Philosophizing aside, most things simply taste better when they are shared. One of my favourite local bookstores is Duthie Books. I adore this store, not only for its impressive selection of reading material (including cookbooks!), but also for its eclectic, engaging and super fun staff. On more than one occasion I have dropped by with little treats, as a gesture of appreciation to some of the many people I feel are an enjoyable part of my community. During a recent visit, the store's owner enthusiastically gifted me with this bread recipe. As Cathy Duthie relayed specific details of the ingredients and method, it became evident that she considers this baked item a favourite, one that she makes almost daily. She had been given the recipe by her sister who had, in turn, received it from CBC’s ‘Sounds Like Canada’ host, Shelagh Rogers. With most recipe sharing, each recipient contributes their own special addition and/or modification. I opted to lightly oil the pot, as I found that my first attempt stuck to the bottom when I removed it from the oven and I also drastically reduced the salt quantity from 1 tbsp to 1 tsp. As for 'flavour makers’, I added 1 whole caramelized onion (finely sliced) plus 1 heaping tbsp of roughly chopped rosemary. The end result was warm and savoury, moist and chewy..... truly an excellent loaf of bread. Like any home baked loaf, it is at its best when served fresh from the oven, though it also toasts well.

Shelagh Rogers’ Bread

2 cups whole wheat bread flour
1 cup all purpose white flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dry yeast

*optional: additional flavour makers, such as caramelized onions, grated cheese, grains, granola, canned lentils, bran, currants, blueberries, herbs etc.

between 1 + 1/4 to 1 + 1/2 cups cold water

In a glass bowl combine all dry ingredients. Mix in any desired ‘flavour makers’. Mix in water. Cover mixture with saran wrap and allow to sit on counter for 24 hours. Next put a large cast iron or Le Creuset pot into a preheated 450* oven for 10 minutes. With a paper towel, lightly oil the bottom and sides of the pot, being very careful not to burn yourself! Gently scrape dough out of the bowl and into the hot pot. Cover with snug fitting lid and cook for 10 minutes at 450* and then turn temperature down to 400* and continue to bake for another 45 minutes. Remove bread from pot and place on a cooling rack. Allow to cool slightly (about 15 minutes minimum).

seedy saturday at terra nova

2009-03-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

Beans drying at the Terra Nova Seed Swap.

Fruit tree saplings available for sale.

With all that snow we woke up to today, it's hard to believe that only 2 days ago I was enjoying a sunny morning out at Terra Nova's 'Seedy Saturday' (Richmond, B.C.). Though the temperature was definitely a bit nipply, as my friend, Tony, and I walked the gardens the buds were out, the birds were chirping and the arrival of spring actually seemed tangible. We were there to check out the garden's first annual seed swap in hopes of finding some interesting seeds and also to possibly glean some valuable horticultural knowledge.

The area just outside the activity building offered an abundant selection of fruit tree saplings, all available for sale. The indoor space served as the 'seed swap' area. Visitors could bring seeds of their own for others to take, as well as help themselves to the same. I was very excited to acquire some dried beans, whose variety was handwritten as 'unknown' (Jack and the Bean Stalk, perhaps?). I also helped myself to some 'shelling peas', which claim to grow to between 6 and 8 feet tall. More tables were set up to sell additional seeds, provide gardeners with information and even to sell homemade mason bee houses- structures created to hang in one's garden which will encourage bee population and, in turn, pollination. (For optimal success, they should be mounted facing south, out of direct rain, at least 4 feet above the ground and preferably under an eave). The Orchard Mason Bee is apparently considered a super pollinator, as it is 75% more efficient than a honeybee.

As our world economy continues to tank, it is exciting to see such events enjoy increased public interest and support, as more people pursue the pleasures and benefits of growing their own food. The helplessness that one feels while viewing their dwindling financial portfolio can surely be offset by accumulating an entirely different kind of wealth.....one that promotes sustainability, health and a connection to nature?

chicken update

2009-03-06T08:53:00.001-08:00

One of Maarten's chickens struts its stuff in Lutjebroek, Holland.

Exciting stuff! As of March 5, 2009 it is now legal for Vancouverites to keep hens in their backyards. The next step will be to develop policy guidelines “that both protect the health and welfare of citizens, and ensure the humane treatment of backyard hens.”

My friend Maarten, who lives in Lutjebroek (about one half hour outside of Amsterdam), loves his chickens. At present his backyard is home to 7 chickens plus 1 cock and the breeds include Barnevelder, Kriel and Wyandotte. I met his motley crew of feathered friends back in 2006 (see above) and have to admit that they were complete characters and the breakfast ingredients they provided were top notch. During a stay at our house last summer, Maarten was trying to convince me that getting some backyard hens of our own would be a great idea. At the time I dismissed his suggestion as completely odd and impractical, but now I’m actually starting to consider it….. Apparently one good egg laying chicken can produce 270 eggs per year (about 2 eggs every 3 days). That means that 3-4 chickens could easily keep a family of 4 in quiche, crepes and scrambles. Plus hens eat your compost scraps and are sure to provide a certain level of entertainment. Certainly food for thought.

As an aside, one of my favourite movies of all time is Annie Hall. In the closing scene, Woody Allen reflects on his ended romance with the joke…..This guy goes to a physiatrist and says “Doc, my brother’s crazy. He thinks he’s a chicken.” The doctor says “Well, why don’t you turn him in?” And the guy says “I would, but I need the eggs.”

vote for chickens!

2009-03-03T13:16:00.001-08:00

Click here to learn more about Charles Eccles' chickens (in Cambridge, Massachusetts).

Crap-a-doodle-doo! Wish I got this email sooner.....was literally rushing out the door when I received it. And, in my humble opinion, it is tres important.....Vancouver City Council is voting tomorrow on amending the animal control bylaw (By-law no. 9433, Section 7.5) to allow people to raise chickens in their backyards. If you support this measure please send a note saying so to mayorandcouncil@vancouver.ca. The information that follows is from the UBC Farm Blog and relays a fact sheet produced by the Food Policy Council.

"What are we proposing? That Vancouver City Council approve the amendment of
By-law no. 9433 (the “By-law”), which prohibits the keeping of various kinds of livestock within city limits, to allow residents to raise poultry. We would recommend thinking a little bit beyond just chickens and allow the keeping of poultry (or “fowl”) as some urban residents might find other species (like quail) more interesting or appropriate to raise. (This has been successfully done in Seattle.)

Why? Because a number of Vancouver residents would like to keep poultry for eggs, and the City, its residents and the birds themselves stand to benefit.

What are the benefits? The Mayor and Council have a stated goal of making Vancouver “the greenest city in the world”. Local, sustainable food sources are a key part of that goal – and nothing is more sustainable and local than allowing families to grow their own food (including eggs), a lower carbon footprint (no transportation), increased food security for the City and its residents, reduced pesticides and antibiotics in our food chain.

Benefits to Residents: An inexpensive, wholesome, quality, healthy alternative to
commercially produced eggs in which an array of chemical agents are used in feedstuffs, a satisfying hobby, a natural pest control and a ready source of fertilizer for gardens, a connection to where food comes from (versus a Styrofoam container in a supermarket cooler), a great educational opportunity for city kids who can be exposed to a whole range of outstanding learning experiences, including the often-lost idea of where food comes from, eggs to share with neighbours!

Benefits to the birds: FAR more humane treatment, including a better environment and life
than in commercial laying operations, access to space (commercial laying hens have a space the size of a piece of paper to live out their lives), access to the outdoors and fresh air (which a tiny percentage of commercial birds have access to), a diet/environment free of antibiotics/pesticides (evidently all of the organic poultry feed in Washington state is imported from B.C.), less chance of disease outbreaks.

Would Vancouver be alone in this? Do any other cities allow this? Many cities in the U.K. allow poultry keeping – it’s a widespread practice with a conservative estimate of half a million households keeping birds. In the U.S., a number of major cities including New York NY, Seattle Washington, Portland Oregon, Arlington, Virginia and Madison, Wisconsin (all have active backyard poultry promotions. Here in B.C., Victoria, Surrey, Richmond, New Westminster and Burnaby all allow the practice.

What about the noise? Chickens generally have a low clucking sound, described by many as soothing. However they do have a louder cluck after laying their eggs, which usually happens between 9 AM and noon. Hens have up to a couple of dozen separate calls, of which this is the loudest. However, the noise from hens is generally below that of dogs and other pets, and any possible noise infractions would be covered underexisting city by-laws.

Couldn’t this result in animal cruelty? No more than with any current pets (dogs, cats, fish). Allowing backyard poultry will actually REDUCE cruelty, as fewer eggs will be obtained from inhumane commercial egg operations. This is a far more humane option.

What about avian flu? All outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in western countries have been in commercial flocks of highly inbred strains of poultry with relatively weak immune systems. All birds are susceptible to the avian influenza virus, but in small flocks there is an extremely small opportunity for the virus to mutate into a pathogenic form (pathogenicity refers to the ability of the virus to produce disease). Backyard flocks have much stronger natural immune systems which tend to fight off any infections naturally.

In Summary: A by-law change would allow residents to practice a fun and beneficial hobby that’s a source of local, healthful food, with real benefits to the City, the birds, and the environment. Allowing residents to keep poultry would not present a significant break from what is currently permitted within the City of Vancouver nor would it introduce any new infrastructure or support requirements (like avian veterinary care) because they already exist for those who are keeping the registered homing pigeons, canaries, budgerigars, parrots, parakeets and exotic birds of all species allowed pursuant to By-law no. 9433, Section 7.5."

big news in my own back yard

2009-02-22T11:39:00.000-08:00

Sylvia Pendl's garden journal illustration of 'The Month of June'.

For the past 5 years I have been renting in a house with heaps of yard space and a healthy serving of southern exposure. On the downside, the soil quality is about as fertile as Saturn. It’s dusty, powdery and grey and I’m sure to blame for my garden’s mediocrity to date, despite my occasional yet optimistic additions of top soil and compost. But this year things are going to be different. It’s time to take the plunge…. but not without supervision.

As luck would have it, my good friend, Sylvia Pendl, just so happens to be a horticultural goddess. Not only is she an uber talented landscape architect, but also a very accomplished home gardener, ceramic artist, home renovator and, in my case, patient educator. I hope that she does not live to regret the day she decided to team up with yours truly, to assist me in realizing my dream of creating a real live producing vegetable garden all my own, while at the same time preparing her own garden for another year of bounty. There is a whole heap of prep to do if my project is to stand a chance of suc-seeding. So here is the plan:

1-Transforming my un-insulated sunroom into a greenhouse and using it to grow all our seedlings. Seeds and seedling trays and soil have already been purchased. A table for the trays was created by putting an old door on a fold out card table (my parent's first table from their first apartment some 44 years ago) and covering the horizontal surface with a plastic sheet. The first round of seeds were put in on February 14, as follows: broccoli, cabbage, 3 kinds of eggplant, fennel, kale, leeks, parsley and 4 kinds of tomatoes. So far, encouraging growth has been demonstrated by the broccoli, cabbage, kale and leeks. Word is, it is normal for the other seedlings to take a little longer to sprout. The seedlings require a very delicate irrigation technique. Each morning I mist water on them (with one of those spray bottles some of us used to use for cooling ourselves off during especially hot afternoons of sun tanning) and then turn them ¼ rotation. As instructed, I also place their lids slightly ajar for the day, so they don’t get all drippy with condensation and turn rotten and moldy on us. Then I put their lids down for the night, just like tucking in a toddler at bedtime.

2-Building 3 raised beds totaling 60 square feet of new food growing land and gathering various garden pots from secondhand stores in preparation for additional container gardening.

3-Filling new beds and containers with 3 cubic yards of soon-to-be-delivered amendment soil which will one day fortify and nurture the seedlings, so they may grow and prosper.

4- Learning how to water, weed and maintain all of this wonder, so it will one day grow up and become beautiful, gorgeous food.

5-Saving our seed, so that the whole miraculous cycle can be repeated again next year.

Shopping for seeds.

Feb. 22- Our broccoli seedlings are growing fast!

So far so good. In typical form, I am both excited and impatient. I want to be plucking salad from the raised beds yesterday, but the yard is still hard with frost. I know this year will bring a wealth of learning as well as immense joy and satisfaction…..All in good time, for you can’t rush nature. Stay tuned for the next installment of our gardening project, as we continue on our adventures….. from dirt to dish…..

tightwad tuesday- curry in a hurry

2009-02-17T06:12:00.000-08:00

Starting today, I’m going to be writing a post the 3rd Tuesday of every month which will focus on a tasty, healthy and inexpensive meal and also a breakdown of the cost per person. I feel that it is a good habit to be aware of how much we are spending to feed ourselves and our loved ones, even if it is not currently a concern. I also believe that frugal meal preparation is an enormous opportunity for creativity and new discoveries. Such excercises can teach us to appreciate and enjoy our food more, while at the same time learning to be less wasteful.

I made this curry to welcome home our house guests, who had just arrived after a long flight from a much warmer climate than our own. I figured that a steaming hot bowl of heart warming sustenance might take the edge off their long journey. This is a tofu and veggie version, though it would be just as good with chicken or fish. The entire cost for ingredients, including all spices and dried goods came to $10.63, though it is important to note that most of the purchases were not organic, except for the tofu and garlic. The meal ended up serving 6 of us, though the quantities are best for 4 generous entrees at $2.66 per person. Dealio!

Coconut Curry With Tofu & Vegetables (Served On Basmati Rice)

1 tbsp canola oil
½ onion, peeled and diced
½ head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 Japanese eggplant, large dice
1 orange bell pepper, cored and diced
2 medium yams, peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp of your favourite curry paste
1 tsp dried curry spice

1 can coconut milk
300 ml cold water
3-4 pitted dates, roughly chopped
8 dried kaffir lime leaves
½ tsp salt

1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp cold water
175 grams tofu (Pete’s Soyganic)
2 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
¼ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
extra 2 tbsp fresh cilantro (for garnish)
3/4 c finely chopped cabbage (for garnish)

1 cup uncooked basmati rice (cooked according to package directions)

Bring large pot to medium heat. Add canola oil. Add onions, stirring until they are starting to become yellow and translucent. Next add the cauliflower. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Then add the eggplant and peppers. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, clear a space at the bottom of the pot. In this space add the curry paste, curry powder, garlic and ginger. Cook about 2 minutes, until aromatic. Next add the yams and stir constantly for 3-4 minutes. Now it is time to add the coconut milk, 300 ml of water, dates, lime leaves and salt. Cover with lid and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.

Combine the cornstarch and 2 tbsp water in a small cup. Add to curry and stir constantly until thickened, about 2 minutes. Add basil and cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning (salt). Simmer covered for another 5 minutes. Serve rice into soup bowls. Ladle curry on top. Garnish with fresh cilantro tossed with sliced cabbage.

baby, it's cold outside

2009-02-13T01:24:00.000-08:00

An old man once told me ”There’s no such thing as cold weather- just bad dressers.” But I beg to differ. No matter what I do these days to stay warm, even when indoors, I’m continually chilled to the bone (and I like to think that I am dressed for the climate). So I’ve been trying to come up with some crafty solutions. The infrared sauna I went to last week was great, but I can’t do that everyday. I bought myself a heating pad (which I now call my new boyfriend with a 6 foot cord), but it’s not exactly portable. If I plug in any more space-heaters, there's sure to be trouble. Then yesterday I saw my bathtub in an entirely new light. I often work from home…..why not combine my afternoon break / snack time with a hot, core warming bath? It didn’t take long to create a menu that would be complimentary to my decadent plan…..Ants On A Log (celery with peanut butter and raisins) + Cucumber Water. I’d had the flavoured water at a fancy spa once, and had been meaning to make it at home for quite some time. Today’s ‘home spa’ experience was both effective and extremely enjoyable. I think I’ll make another appointment for tomorrow.

Home Spaaaaah:

-tub full of steamy water, fancified with your favourite bath salts or bubble bath
-music to suite your mood
-candles, of course
-celery, peanut butter and raisins- serve on a fancy plate
-cucumber slices, ice and water- serve in a fancy glass
-a bathtub tray (could even be a plank of wood)
-your fluffiest bath towel + slippers + bathrobe

drinking at a kava bar and feeding moray eels

2009-02-05T10:38:00.000-08:00

Cup O' Kava at Kanaka Kava Bar..

I love finding these little jewels. I had stumbled upon the Kanaka Kava Bar not a minute too soon, just when I was about to accept the fact that Hawaii’s big island was completely void of any funk at all. Tucked away in the back of the Coconut Grove plaza, this sweet little spot serves as a unique and friendly oasis to both tourists and locals.

So exactly what is kava? Also known as Hawaiian 'Awa', the bar's website describes it as a "natural antidepressant and relaxant", though I actually found it to be a stimulant and also a mild anesthetic (my face and extremities felt rather numb after ingesting it). Made from the pulverized root of the (fresh) kava plant, the resulting mash is strained through a cloth and then mixed with fresh water. After the kava has been poured into a large hand carved wooden bowl, it is continually stirred, mixed and splashed (to keep it from separating and also to keep it fresh) and then served by ladle into a coconut shell cup. It is supposed to be consumed quickly (“slammed”) before the root has had a chance to separate and settle in the bottom of the cup. The liquid looks like muddy water taken from a torrid river and tastes like it too. But it is more than just a beverage. Taking kava also has a spiritual and social significance. “Made from the root of a species of pepper plant known as Awa (Piper methysticum, which is "intoxicating pepper"), Awa has been used by people indigenous to the South Pacific for over 3,000 years. The Kava beverage is a central part of Polynesian Society, and has been used for centuries as a ceremonial, medicinal and also recreational drink.”

The local patrons I sat amongst during my kava experience were super friendly and seemed to assume personal responsibility in seeing that each visitor felt welcome (as did the staff). The food menu looked appealing…..a simple but inspired looking Hawaiian selection of items such as Poke (fish), Kalua Pork, Taro (steamed in coconut milk) and Haupia (sweet potato pie) and I regret that I did not manage to fit in a return visit and order a meal. As I was getting ready to leave, bar regular ‘Dave’ was preparing to head for the beach and feed the moray eels. He was going to serve them fish trim from the restaurant kitchen and asked me if I would like to come along. Absolutely! As the beach was right across the street, we were at the water’s edge in mere seconds. Dave scattered the tuna trim buffet on the rocky shoreline. Eels have an impressive sense of smell and, in no time, were slithering up the rocks and snatching their supper. They ranged in length from 1-2 metres, some of them grey, some white and even one red ‘viper’ which measured about 5"-6” in diameter. They were very hungry and very creepy. (See video below)

Moray eels just the way I like 'em..... at a safe distance.

Eeeeeeeeels!

porridge- hawaiian style

2009-02-02T10:09:00.000-08:00

Homemade porridge, Hawaiian-style.

Without getting into too much of a ranty pants, the restaurant experience on Hawaii’s big island blows harder than the local trade winds. Meals are not only consistently poor, they are really pricey. I am known to be a woman who enjoys her food (especially when on vacation). I can't remember the last time that I returned home from a holiday critical of my culinary experiences in a foreign land.

Anyhoo….. on the upside, I was very fortunate to be staying with my family in a seaside condo that included a full working kitchen. We gave up on restaurant dining at the end of day 3, instead opting to do for ourselves. Though almost all grocery items are imported from the mainland (including produce plus a good deal of the fish and seafood), we were still able to prepare tasty meals..... even supplementing our larder with fresh ingredients from local farmers markets. But buyer beware- there are vendors at some of these markets selling products shipped in from off-island. You have to ask where their products came from if buying local is important to you.

The Holualoa Farmers Market on Saturdays (9:00 am - noon) seemed the most authentic that we saw. It was here that I picked up a jar of the most amazing raw honey I have ever had. Made from Christmas berries, its sweet, thick, creamy amber goodness was heavenly served on pretty much anything. The woman who sold it to me keeps the bees herself, reusing the same queen from batch to batch- unlike the usual practice, which is to start with a fresh queen each time. The finished product proved especially sensational drizzled over Hawaiin-style porridge. The local pink grape fruit I purchased from the citrus vendor could not have been any fresher, juicier or prettier.

A vibrant citrus selection at the Holualoa Farmers Market.

Porridge- Hawaiian-Style

Make your favourite porridge as you normally would, also adding ½ tsp of cinnamon and ½ cup of raisins. When porridge is ready, spoon into bowls. Top with:

-a drizzle of good honey
-fresh pineapple pieces
-fresh banana slices
-toasted coconut
-toasted macadamia nuts

Add milk or yogurt, as you like. Serve and enjoy, preferably al fresco..... while looking at the ocean and wearing no shoes.

aloha

2009-01-25T12:30:00.000-08:00

If I lived on higher terrain, it would actually be sunny.... but closer to sea level the fog has been stubbornly socked in for days now. It's starting to feel like living on the 'Blade Runner' film set. So I'm outta here..... Hawaii. The big island. Sea, surf, sun, swim. Sip and nosh. See you in a week.

and now for something completely different.....

2009-01-20T21:11:00.001-08:00

meal of the year.....

2009-01-18T12:29:00.000-08:00

Dee Gilmore's slow-roasted (Katahdin) lamb shoulder.

Just as with produce, knowing where your meat, eggs and poultry come from helps to bridge the gap that so often exists between producer and consumer. My visit to A.C. Gilmore Farm this past September provided a wonderful opportunity not only to connect with a producer, but also to experience a working farm first hand….. by walking the land with Dee Gilmore and interacting with the animals (chickens, turkeys, sheep, goats, horses and a llama named ‘Ben’). As a side bar: Ben had been assigned the very important responsibility of protecting the sheep from predators. Typically these animals are effective at this task (Ben’s own mother had been his predecessor), but he proved to be less than vigilant, even allowing a mangy old coyote into the fold, where Dee found it sleeping soundly on a bed of straw. Ben was fired on the spot and has since been put up for sale. Farm life can be harsh.....

When Dee showed us the lambs she explained that they would soon be butchered and invited us back for a future roast lamb dinner. She was true to her word, and this past December I returned to the farm with my earlier companions, Anne and Arlene. As weekly food columnist for the Richmond Review, Arlene is able to experience a plethora of beautiful food…..yet, as she reflected on all of the incredible meals she had enjoyed during the past year, it was the roast lamb dinner @ Dee’s that she chose as her best dinner of 2008. Click here to read the full article from December 31, 2008.

Like Arlene, it is the meals that I am most moved by that usually become my favourites. Dee put out a beautiful spread that night, to be sure. The lamb was some of the best I’d ever had. But, for me, what really made it special was the fact that it was served and enjoyed in such fine company, as we sat around the candlelit table tucked cozily to the side of the farm kitchen..... dining far from the hectic pace of an overly scheduled December, while, at the same time, so close to where this very lamb had been raised. You can order lamb by contacting Dee at crzhorse@telus.net

pimp my egg salad

2009-01-13T14:56:00.000-08:00

Twangy Egg Salad served on spelt toast.

Egg salad gets a bad rap. Perhaps it suffers an unfortunate hangover from elementary school days….. a time when an egg salad sandwich packed in one’s lunch box led to a wafting sulphur like odour and the inevitable fart jokes that followed. For most 5-12 year olds (and many adults), dining in forced isolation from one’s peers simply isn't worth it. Others are not so self conscious.....

Clutching her black Chanel purse, the heiress and her friend made a beeline for the buffet table, not pausing to greet fellow guests before sampling everything from mini egg salad sandwiches to caprese salad on toast and carrots. - Paris Hilton's last meal, hours before reporting to jail to serve her 2007 sentence.

As a grown up, I do love a good egg salad…..especially these days, when our post holiday girths (and palates) have been bombarded with fancy and decadent treats for what feels like months. Give me some simple, yummy, comforting grub to satiate me: belly, heart and soul.

This ‘Twangy Egg Salad’ recipe was inspired by my Grandma L’s (though I highly doubt the word ‘pimp’ ever crossed her lips). She always added aged cheddar to her version, which really took it up a notch (especially since she usually served it on my Grandpa L’s home made bread and always cut my sandwich into adorable little quarters). The 'Twangy' in this version comes from the vinegar content of both the mustard and the pickles.

Twangy Egg Salad

4 hard boiled eggs, roughly chopped (free range, organic, if possible)
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp plain yogurt
1 tsp grain mustard
tiny titch of chili sauce
1 large pickle, small dice
1 celery stalk, small dice
1 green onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
1/3 cup grated, aged white cheddar cheese
salt & pepper (to taste)

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Serve as a sandwich or pita filling, or on top of a green salad.

strings attached

2009-01-11T14:11:00.001-08:00

Some of you may have noticed that, lately, I've been somewhat apron obsessed. Yesterday I submitted to jury an 'apron art piece'. 'Strings Attached' is a "mixed media exhibition on the theme of aprons" to be mounted on February 24-March 16, 2009 at the Ferry Building Gallery in West Vancouver. Mediums accepted include painting, drawing, collage, photography, ceramics, printmaking, short film, jewellery, poetry, textiles, sculpture, wood and metal. I was very happy when I received word today that my (fabric and paper) submission had been accepted.

Above: My Grandma T's recipe cards are top stitched to the bottom of the apron .....recipes for dishes such as 'Yorkshire Pudding' and 'Pickled Cherries'.

The premise of this piece is to explore the complex and inevitable combining of our faltering economy, a new public awareness of our (mostly centralized) food sources, a greater need to practice frugality and a timely return to the domestic arts. It also implies that 2009 will very likely be a year when our culture continues to revisit aspects of earlier eras such as the 40's, when it was common place to grow and cook much of one's own food and also to eat from more local and seasonable food sources.

best cauliflower ever

2009-01-02T11:48:00.000-08:00

It is extremely rare that I prepare a recipe to the letter. Usually it serves more as an inspiration, a starting point. But two days ago I made an exception. This recipe is simply perfect as is. The only modifications I made were to (1)- double the cauliflower quantity and (2)- omit the jalapeno, and only because I didn’t have any on hand. Two heads of cauliflower had been sitting in my fridge, patiently waiting to live up to their potential….and, oh Lordy, did they ever. So much so that I made this dish again the very next day.

I had stumbled upon this recipe while googling Zambri's Restaurant, having just read about it in the November/December issue of Eat Magazine. Located in Victoria, Zambri's website describes their cuisine as “….authentic, full flavoured Italian food…..No tricks, fresh local ingredients and undeniable flavours.” Chef and co-owner Peter Zambri was the subject of a National Post article this past April, where he described the following Cauliflower Alla Sabbia as one of his signature dishes. Delizioso!

Cauliflower Alla Sabbia
(Cauliflower tossed with anchovies, chilies and breadcrumbs)

1/2 large cauliflower, cut into florets
4 small garlic cloves, thickly sliced
2 heaping tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tbsp. crushed dried red chilies (optional)
4 whole anchovy filets
4 slices of jalapeno with seeds (optional)
1/3 cup fine breadcrumbs
salt and pepper
1/8 cup chopped parsley, leaves only.
1/4 c finely grated parmesan

Blanch cauliflower in boiling salted water for two minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a cloth or paper towel lined baking sheet to cool. (Alternatively, transfer to a bowl of ice water but Zambri advises that you don’t want them to be too water logged, or the breadcrumb-anchovy mixture won’t stick to the vegetable). Heat oil and butter in a large saute pan. Add garlic, chilies, anchovies, jalapeno and fry on medium heat until the anchovies melt and butter & garlic turns a nut brown. Add the cauliflower and breadcrumbs to the pan tossing together to coat, making sure to heat through. Lightly season with salt and pepper at this stage. Add parsley and parmesan and toss again, coating thoroughly. Transfer to a serving platter or individual plates. Should any ingredients stick to the bottom of the pan, simply scrape with a wooden spoon and crumble over the cauliflower. Serves 4.

santa's spicy nuts

2008-12-24T09:10:00.000-08:00

"A fanatic is a nut who has something to believe in." - Dean Koontz

Having never made spiced nuts before, this year it seemed like a good idea to give them a try, and to then gift the results to a (lucky?) few…..I think they are pretty darn tasty, not to mention a nice change from all those holiday sweets.

Santa’s Spicy Nuts (With Rosemary & Brown Sugar)

2 tbsp butter
1 cup walnuts
1 cup pecans
1 cup almonds, lightly toasted

3 tbsp brown sugar
1 ½ tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp chili powder
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp fresh cracked black pepper
¼ tsp cinnamon

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp tabasco sauce

Line a cookie sheet with a sheet of parchment paper and set aside. Pre measure all dry ingredients into a small bowl and combine. Melt butter over medium heat in a 12” skillet. Add walnuts and pecans while gently stirring, for 3 minutes. Add almonds and continue stirring for another 2 minutes. Sprinkle nuts with dry ingredient mixture, as well as the Worcestershire and tobasco sauces. Continue to cook, gently stirring, for another 2 minutes. Pour nuts out onto cookie sheet and allow to cool. Store nuts in an airtight container. If gifting them to others, distribute into plastic bags or lidded jars.

asian onion soup

2008-12-23T08:37:00.000-08:00

Onion soup sustains. The process of making it is somewhat like the process of learning to love. It requires commitment, extraordinary effort, time, and will make you cry. –Ronni Lundy

Most people I know would sell their soul for a good piece of chocolate. Today’s market offers consumers a mind boggling selection like never before. Me? Not so much. Instead, I keep a special place in my heart for…..caramelized onions. Sweet yet savory, soft and juicy- not to mention incredibly versatile….. I’d take them over a bar of 70% cocoa- free trade- grown in the Amazon basin- chocolate nirvana any day. Really.

Like so many this time of year, I’ve been battling one of those winter head colds that I just can’t seem to shake. As a result, I’ve been craving hot, spicy restorative soups- preferably homemade so that I can control what’s in them. A piping hot bowl of French Onion Soup could appeal, except that dairy (in the form of melted cheese) has been far from floating my boat these days. Which got me to thinking…..what about an Asian version using ginger, garlic, chili, cilantro and lime? Feeling too poopy to seek out chicken stock, the miso paste I found in my fridge proved the perfect substitute. Though this recipe is certainly a great cold remedy, it would also be a deliciously satisfying, warming soup for healthy folk.

Asian Onion Soup

1 ½ tbsp olive or canola oil
1 large onion- peeled, cut in ½ lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 head of garlic, each clove peeled and cut in half lengthwise
1 large thumb of ginger, cut into 1/8” slices
2 tbsp dark miso paste
½ tsp chili garlic sauce
1 litre of water
4 kaffir lime leaves (dried is fine)
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper

wedge of lime
fresh, chopped cilantro

Place heavy soup pot over medium heat and allow pot to get hot (about 1 minute). Add oil and wait another minute. Next, add the onions- cooking and stirring constantly, until they are brown. Then add the garlic cloves, chili garlic sauce and miso paste. Stir constantly for about 1 minute, and then add the water, lime leaves, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Allow soup to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the lime leaves. Taste the soup, adding more salt if needed. Ladle soup into 4 bowls and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with wedges of lime, to be squeezed into the soup right before eating. Serves 4.

aprons almost sold out!!

2008-12-21T08:40:00.000-08:00

Looking for a last minute gift for that special cookie in your life? My apron line has been very well received, with almost all of my collection already having been placed in good homes. I still have a smattering of items left.....3 bistro, 1 bib and 1 'apple'. If you would like to purchase one, please give me a dingle @ 604 736-0319 or email me @ g_peasant @ hotmail.com.

apron arrival !!!

2008-11-24T11:21:00.000-08:00

After toiling away in my studio for a few months, I have finally completed my little apron line and posted it on Etsy.com. In the meantime, I am continuing to make more items, which I will be selling privately and not posting online. If purchasing one or more of these very soon-to-be-sewn items interests you, please drop me an email and save yourself a shipping fee (and U.S. pricing).

aprons- bringing sexy back to the kitchen

2008-11-22T14:03:00.000-08:00

'Black Thunder, Josephine Baker' -by Paul Colin

What happens when a dress-wearing interior decorator / former fashion designer attends a full time culinary school program for 15 weeks…..in the world’s most hideous uniform? Once she overcomes the realization that she is, in fact, far more vain than she had earlier thought, she then begins to anticipate the day when she will be sprung from the joint- not only to be reunited with her civies, but also to do her bit in bringing sexy back to the kitchen.....

Somehow, I’d made it to forty without ever having to wear a uniform (unless you count grade 6, when I played second flute in the North Shore Youth Band and had to wear a burgundy blazer). Whether or not it had been a conscious choice to spend my years avoiding wardrobe repression, I’m not entirely sure. But I am certain that, once required to adorn the same nasty ensemble day in and day out (January to April 2008), plus realizing that my yearning for creative self expression was going unfulfilled- I felt awful and, still worse, I looked awful! I don’t know whose bright idea it was that ill fitting, synthetic, asexual clothing (that disguises both curves and muscles) equals professionalism, but I doubt they’d be much fun to go out dancing with. I dreamed of the day when I could get cooking with some inspiring kitchen fashions.....

‘An apron is simply a loin cloth with ruffles.’
- Gloria D. Nixon-John

What’s so wrong with a workplace peppered with feminine and / or masculine beauty, anyway? Was anyone ever really that bent out of shape because of a momentary, eye pleasing distraction? I highly doubt it. The culinary world is full of both men and women, working side by side and usually dressed in the exact same generic attire. Have we not come far enough in our battle of the sexes that we can celebrate the differences and simply get on with the many tasks at hand?

I thought it might be fun to seek out the opinion of an industry professional. Tony Minichiello (one of my fabulous Northwest Culinary Academy instructors, plus the school’s co-owner) was kind enough to share his opinion regarding the apron:

“There's a scene in the German film of a perfectionist chef, Mostly Martha, where she starts her day of work by tightly wrapping and tying her apron around her waist. I very much related to that scene. More than the chef's jacket, and definitely the hat, the apron tightly wound around my waist makes me feel ready for my work. Without it I literally feel naked."

"I'm a traditionalist (when it comes to the apron), I have to admit. I like the long, plain white one that wraps just above the hips and comes down below the knees. It also must have long tying strings - I like the big bow in the front. I love - and I do mean love - folding it a couple of times at the top and a very tight knot, as if wearing a weight-lifter's belt.”

As for the pants.....the very same day my friend, Kieran, was issued his culinary school uniform (while attending a different culinary school), he headed straight to his tailor for alterations, anxious to correct his stiff, bulky, one-size-fits-all pants that made him look as if he was continually “sporting wood”.....talk about distracting.

Above: 'Adam and Eve' -Rubens 1628-29. (Museo del Prado, Madrid)

‘Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons’
- Bible: Genesis 3:7

‘Apron’ originates from the old French word ‘naperon’, meaning ‘napkin or small tablecloth.’ We traditionally think of aprons as being used for cooking (though they have been cook’s companion for hundreds of years), but other occupations such as butchers, welders, school teachers and shop keepers also historically wore aprons to protect their clothing from getting dirty. Keep in mind that these were times when most did not have the luxury of owning a large wardrobe, and the clothing that they did have was washed by hand. Since the early 19th century, women have used aprons for many purposes. In addition to providing protective cover, these garments helped with a variety of important tasks.

‘For domestic workers in the early 1900s, the apron was a convenient, all-purpose tool, used to carry wood and kindling, to gather eggs and vegetables, to wipe their brows in the noon-day sun, or just to hide a special treat for a willing helper.’
- ‘Ma Dear’s Aprons’ by Patricai C. McKissack

‘In farm communities, women would use their aprons to plant; twenty or more women would line up side by side, each with her pouched apron full of grain, and would sow the freshly plowed fields in unison with the seeds from their aprons.'
- From 'Aprons- Icons of the American Home' by Joyce Cheny

Following the Great Depression, many 1940s aprons were made from the patterned linings of flour bags and seed sacks. This heavier fabric was also used for making dresses, shirts, children’s clothing and quilts. For some, feed sacks bring to mind the scarcity of material, but at the same time there is a romance to the idea that women could make something beautiful from something so mundane.

In the 1950’s, society started to see a new stereotype. During this era, women were usually portrayed on television as good homemakers, perfect wives and doting mothers….rarely seen without their aprons. By the 1960s, the apron’s popularity was beginning to wane, as more people bought cheaper clothing and installed washing machines (and dryers) in their homes. The 70s brought somewhat of a revival, in the form of a shapeless, bibbed apron (think ‘Kiss the Cook’, full frontal nudity and cheesy beer jokes) as a companion to the (then) new found popularity of home barbequing.

These days, we are currently enjoying a new kind of apron revival. This time around, aprons have as much to do with making a fashionable statement as they do with our culture's growing passion to cook and entertain at home. According to Austin based apron designer Chasity Gordon of Belle and Burger, “The resurgence of aprons has everything to do with the foodie movement and the growing desire for people to cook at home…..The apron is a real celebration about being at home and making things and family." Most recently, as we enter a new period of economic turmoil and uncertainty, it makes more sense than ever that we are seeing a mass return to domestic arts. I predict that activities such as cooking, preserving, sewing, growing our own food, and doing pretty much anything D.I.Y are about to become hotter than ever. As we figure out how to save money while still enjoying our lives…..we are sure to learn some valuable new skills and surprising pleasures such as creative expression, self sufficiency and stronger communities.

My own apron collection, ‘global peasant- bringing sexy back to the kitchen’, is due to launch on Etsy in two days. Playful, colourful and cheerful, each piece is made from engineer stripe cotton and accented with pre-loved (and laundered) vintage fabrics that have been reworked into one-of-a-kind pieces. Silhouettes include bistro, café, bib and gathered skirts that are sure to elevate kitchen play. Stay tuned for Monday…..

like them apples

2008-11-12T16:57:00.000-08:00

I know it sounds lame, but I'm busier than stink these days. I don't expect any sympathy.....just trying to explain the sorry state of my blog entries of late. I actually have lots of great stuff to share, just as soon as the dust settles. In the meantime, I have decided to call on others to help out.....in the form of guest bloggers. It is with enormous gratitude and appreciation that I introduce today's virtual guest.....my super fabulous super fine friend, Cecilia Greyson. She is a self described "avid writer, bicyclist, and persimmon lover who lives in Vancouver and wishes that pineapples grew in her backyard."

Cecilia's apple photo- I love a guest who sends their own artwork!!!

"Simple pleasures. That's become my de facto motto of the moment, my mantra in a jumpy economic climate. Maybe I'm lazy, maybe I'm a lousy cook, but I can't help but celebrate my current mode of eating – a stripped down, bare bones, let 'er rip roots revival, delighting in the simplest pleasures that the planet has to offer, unadorned and unaltered.

This fall, I'm a happy resident of the Garden of Eden. (Or the Garden of Eating, depending on your viewpoint.) Autumn fruit is centre stage on my table, served without sugar, spice, pastry or pretence.

Organic apples are incredible, crisp and tart and sweet by turn, sliced with the peel in a bowl and eaten in chunks, juicy and satisfying. Soft orange persimmon flesh is spiced naturally with cinnamon-esque perfume, incredibly sweet on the tongue. Pomegranates, so hard to peel, are worth it for every lemon-tangy morsel rich with lipstick-pink juice. Grainy pears are sugar-sweet and fragrant, and grapes are simply divine: little round globes of pure honey, green and purple and red.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm missing out on something special. After all, what fancy restaurant would serve any dish this simple? But I keep coming back, having my fruit and eating it too, and enjoying the incredible variety we're given at this time of year. Yes, it's true: I do like them apples."- by Cecilia Greyson

is there anyway you could start tomorrow?

2008-11-05T19:30:00.000-08:00

Holy crap.....he won! I didn't dare dream he would seize victory as he did (though I prayed for it in a daily "Please, please I will never, ever swear again" sort of a way). The world has been watching.....and the world is thrilled for his victory. On November 4, Barack Obama united America through his eloquent words of inclusiveness and empowerment.

coconut-vanilla rice pudding

2008-11-01T08:11:00.000-07:00

Most of us are guilty of doing it from time to time....starting with the best of intentions, we put our leftovers in the fridge, leaving them to fester and get smelly, until they eventually achieve compost status. Last week I stumbled upon a recipe for making rice pudding from leftover cooked rice- something I often have kicking around in the chilled abyss known as my refrigerator. Though the recipe's flavouring ingredients didn't particularly rock my world, its basic quantities served as a great starting point. From there, I took things in a somewhat Asian direction, plus I added some bling of my own. The end result was sweet, soothing and scrumptious- elevated comfort food, if you will.

Coconut-Vanilla Rice Pudding

2 c cooked basmati rice
1 1/3 c 2% milk
2/3 c coconut milk
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
1/4 c brown sugar
2/3 c raisins
¼ tsp salt
¼ c toasted slivered or rough cut almonds
¼ c good fruit jam

Combine regular milk, sugar and salt in heavy saucepan. Using a sharp pairing knife, split the vanilla bean in half, lengthwise. With the tip of the knife, carefully scoop out the pulp from the centre of the bean. Add the bean and the pulp to the milk mixture. Bring to a simmer and add the cooked rice and the raisins. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until thick and creamy, 10-15 minutes. Then add the coconut milk to the rice mixture. Continue to stir, cooking until the pudding has come to a thick and creamy consistency (so the rice is really tender and the extra liquid has evaporated). Remove vanilla bean. Spoon pudding into serving dishes. To garnish, warm jam in a small pot over a low heat and immediately drizzle over the pudding. Lastly, sprinkle with toasted almonds. Serves 4.

collecting raindrops and sharing soup

2008-10-26T16:27:00.000-07:00

During last month's San Francisco trip, I was stopped in my tracks by Nikki McClure's charming art book ‘Collecting Raindrops'- The Seasons Gathered. To flip through its oversize pages is to be sweetly transported and deeply moved. I bought it on the spot, not even looking at the price (at $29.95 US, this delightful treasure is a bargain at 4 times the price).

"Nikki McClure of Olympia, Washington is known for her painstakingly intricate and beautiful paper cuts. Armed with an X-acto knife, she cuts out her images from a single sheet of paper and creates a bold language that translates the complex poetry of motherhood, nature, and activism into a simple and endearing picture…..Her work depicts the virtues of hard labor and patience.....weathered hands washing dishes, people sweeping, mothers caring for their babies, and farmers working the land….."

'Collecting Raindrops' takes its reader on an eloquent tour of the seasons, beginning with the slowed pace and introspection of Winter and finishing with Fall’s harvest and preparations. ‘Share the Table’ (above image) instantly reminds me of my great fondness for soup….cooking it, eating it and, of course, sharing it. There are few foods I can think of that are, both literally and figuratively, as heart warming and restorative as a piping hot bowl of thoughtfully prepared soup. As autumn settles in and the days bring with them a chill….as the harvest provides us with a bounty of hearty, tasty winter produce…..it is, quite simply, time for soup.

Thai-Coconut Squash Soup

This soup is spicy and creamy, yet not too rich. You could also use pumpkin or butternut squash, in place of the acorn. If you like your soup extra spicy, add more curry paste!

2 acorn squash
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
1 litre chicken stock
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
1 teaspoon (or more) red Thai curry paste
2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt (or to taste)
fresh cracked pepper
1 fresh lime, cut into small wedges

Preheat the oven to 375*

Carefully cut each squash into quarters. Scoop out the seeds and pulp. Slather each piece of squash with butter, sprinkle generously with salt, place on a baking sheet skin sides down, and cover loosely with tin foil. Roast in the oven for about one hour or until the squash is tender throughout.

When the squash is cool enough to handle, scoop it away from its skin. Set aside. In a large pot over medium heat, add olive oil and then onions, stirring and cooking until onions are yellow and clear. Add the garlic, ginger and curry paste. Stir long enough to allow these flavours to become slightly cooked and aromatic. Add the squash and then the chicken stock. Simmer, stirring constantly, until all the vegetables are really tender. Remove from heat. Place the pot in the kitchen sink (to avoid splattering) and puree with a hand blender. Return the pot to the stove, and reduce the heat to low. Add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with wedges of lime and squeeze juice into soup just before eating.

Serves 6-8 people.

A few soup quotes.....

“Soup is cuisine's kindest course. It breathes reassurance; it steams consolation; after a weary day it promotes sociability, as the five o'clock cup of tea or the cocktail hour.”
-Louis P. De Gouy, The Soup Book (1949)

"Only the pure of heart can make good soup"
-Beethoven

"Soup puts the heart at ease, calms down the violence of hunger, eliminates the tension of the day, and awakens and refines the appetite."
-Auguste Escoffier

laptop returned to its frightful owner

2008-10-26T09:41:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody! I'm back in business, complete with a new (but used) hard drive.....guess it's time to learn how to back up all my files, huh?

technical difficulties

2008-10-10T20:24:00.000-07:00

Today was going just fine..... until I dropped my laptop in the parking lot. After rushing it to 'IT Services', I awaited a preliminary exam, followed by a serious diagnosis. According to Tibor (the in-house technician) my hard drive had taken a hard dive and would need to be replaced. As my mishap had occured right before a Thanksgiving long weekend, ordering the part and performing the required surgery shall keep me sitting on the cyberspace sidelines for about 1 week, assuming that all goes well.....

a friday farm tour

2008-09-30T06:03:00.000-07:00

Guess where I was 2 weeks ago? If you guessed 'Kashmir', you would be incorrect. I was actually a mere 15 minute drive from my house at A.C. Gilmore Farms (above), located on No. 8 Road in Richmond, B.C. (The llama’s name is ‘Ben’ and that’s the Nanaksar Gurdwara Guru Sikh Temple in the background.) I was out farm touring with my friend’s Arlene Kroeker (columnist for the Richmond Review) and Anne Casselman (creator and writer for Food and Tell)..... 3 women, 3 farms, in 3 hours.

Founded 3 generations ago by Andy Capp Gilmore, this 236 acre spread is now run by A.C. Gilmore & Sons Company. In turn, a four acre portion of the property is being rented by Gilmore grandson, Andy, and his wife, Dee. In her previous life before moving to the farm, Dee was the owner and operator of ‘Crazy Horse Live Stock & Pet Food Supply’. Full of energy, vision and enthusiasm, she was a most informative and entertaining hostess as she toured us around the land and the barns, showing us their various pets and livestock, all while filling us in on some of the local agricultural gossip..... there is enough material there to create a Dallas-esque t.v. series, I swear. Horses, sheep, llamas, goats, dogs, turkeys (who happened to be listening to country music on the barn radio when we dropped by) and chickens seem to all coexist well, though the dogs are not allowed near anything with wings, for they are sure to eat it. A self-described ‘meatatarian’, Dee does grow some fruit and vegetables close to their house, but usually gives most of it away, instead preferring a steady diet of meat and poultry..... with the exception of potatoes and the occasional squash. Because she raises her organic chickens for a duration of 63 days vs. the usual 23, the birds are allowed to mature long enough that their bones can calcify and produce gelatin (and flavour!) when cooked. At $5/ lb, these tasty beauties are a delicious bargain. The 6 pounder I bought is currently sitting pretty in my freezer, waiting patiently to become the perfect Sunday dinner. To buy chicken from Dee, email her @ crzhorse@telus.net

Making new friends at Gilmore Farms.

Next, we dropped in on Tai On Farms. Helen and her sister, who is known to everyone as 'Auntie', have owned and operated for an impressive 35 years. Originally the first in the Richmond area to grow Chinese produce, today they continue to sell their beautiful, fresh fruit and vegetables direct to the public from their retail location on No. 5 Rd.

Last, but certainly not least, we paid a return visit to Jose @ JPS Vegetable Farm. I had been to see him a few times last Spring, always enjoying his warmth, his extensive botanical knowledge and, most of all, his childlike enthusiasm. Since last May there have been a few additions; most notably, a cow named Susie. In turn, she has independently aquired 2 goat friends of her own. Though they actually live across the street, they walk themselves over to JPS each morning, enjoy a full day of grazing with their bovine buddy, and then return home each night before dark.

Susie and the kids at JPS Vegetable Farm. If you drop by Jose's you can purchase his fresh eggs and produce, or just wander through the quirky, enchanted greenhouse / doggy day care. JPS Vegetable Farm is located at 12700 Blundell Rd in Richmond.

cheese making for newbies

2008-09-29T06:03:00.000-07:00

Our homemade Ricotta.....No, wait- it's actually 'Day Cheese'.

Earlier this month I invited two friends over to spend a Sunday afternoon at my house…..or rather, in my kitchen. Somehow we had gotten it into our heads that we should try our collective hand at making cheese. My friend, Sylvia, is a modern day Renaissance woman who is hugely capable at figuring out how to do accomplish pretty much anything she puts her mind to.....from tiling her entire bathroom to erecting an 8 foot high bamboo pagoda in her garden and then growing a vertical pumpkin patch on it- honestly!. Having long ago mastered a recipe for ‘Sada Paneer’, she was definitely the more experienced of our cheesemaking trio. Michelle and I, both recent culinary school graduates, were used to attempting new recipes and techniques, though our curriculum had included zero cheesemaking. Having just finished reading Barbara Kingsolver’s ‘Animal, Vegetable, Miracle’, I had been most inspired by her experience attending a cheesemaking workshop at Ricki Carroll's New England Cheesemaking Company in Ashfield, Massachesetts. She then returned home, immediately applying her new found know-how to frequent fresh cheese production for scrumptious family meals. I had even sourced an available supply of unpasteurized milk, through a dairy farm in Chilliwack. Though this is a fantastic ingredient for producing optimal cheese (not to mention the way it has been done for thousands of years), it is illegal to buy and sell. The only way around this regulation is to purchase shares in an actual cow, such as the one in Chilliwack, and then pick up one's regular supply at a secret location. I figured that if our day went well, we might want to consider exploring some alternative ingredient options.....

Sylvia’s Sada Paneer

6 cups milk (low-fat to whole will work)
1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk

1. Boil milk and then add the buttermilk. Reduce heat to medium.
Return to boil while stirring continuously, until curds form and separate from the whey. (about 4-5 minutes) Remove from heat and let stand uncovered for 10 minutes.

2. Line colander with double cheese cloth. Ladle curds into cloth.
Tie 4 corner together tie to wooden spoon and hang into pot to drain
for 2 hours.

3. Place wrapped paneer on a plate and cover with a cookie sheet. Weigh down with something heavy- like a 1 gallon water jug. Let stand for 1 1/2 hrs.

4. Unwrap paneer and cut into wedges. Lasts 4 days in the fridge. Also freezes well. Makes about 1 cup.

We decided on 3 recipes for the day- ricotta, cream cheese and mozzarella. Of the 3 cheeses we attempted, our results went as follows: The ricotta turned out not to be ricotta at all. (I only noticed this after the fact, when I went back on the recipe's website to find this reader’s comment- “What you made is a ricotta substitute called ‘Day Cheese’. I bet it tastes good too though.” It’s flavour was light and mild, though its texture was rather dry. Our second effort, the cream cheese, didn’t thicken properly. Even after leaving it at room temperature for the recipe's maximum suggested time (before I thought we might start to poison people), it was still too runny and seemed more like sour cream. And, lastly, the mozzarella was a full out flop. It had been the only cheese we attempted to make using rennet, which is a natural complex of enzymes that can coagulate milk, causing it to separate into curds and whey. The necessary reaction never occurred, and we had do dump the whole lot down the sink. Despite the fact that we ended up wasting a large quantity of milk, we still managed to enjoy ourselves, stopping for a lunch break of ‘day cheese’ with fresh bread, pesto, pickles and cold beer.

Little Miss Muffet sat on..... eating her curds and whey.....

Would I do it again? Not without proper supervision, though I would take a stab at the paneer recipe. Since then I have begun an email dialogue with local cheese maker ‘Farmer Tomas’. He does occasional workshops and has assured me that an October date will soon be announced..... one which will include the use of rennet. I think I know 3 women who would be very interested in attending.

a day with city farm boy

2008-09-24T07:42:00.000-07:00

A Vancouver backyard bursting with bounty.....planted (and tended) by City Farm Boy.

"Cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens."- Thomas Jefferson

I find it more than a little surprising (and embarrassing) that, at the ripe old age of 40, I have never grown a vegetable garden of my own. Sure, I love to visit farms and farmers any chance I get.....and I am always keen to experience just about anything grown locally, yet I remain hopeless at doing for myself. And I’m not the only one. Last spring Nicholas Read (age 51), columnist for The Vancouver Sun, was ashamed to find himself still unable to grow a carrot. Driven by his resolve to do something about it, he offered up his volunteer services to Ward Teulon, owner and operator of City Farm Boy, in exchange for some good, old fashioned, hands on learning. As a companion to his experience, he has written a series of blog entries documenting his weekly gardening sessions.

Beets fresh from the soil in downtown Vancouver.

Clearly, there is a growing interest within our society around what we eat and where it is from. And my spidey senses are telling me that there are many adults in our communities who have never learned how to grow their own food, but are keen to learn how. I believe there is a strong need (and potential small business opportunity) for workshops and courses. Imagine knowledgeable, passionate teachers who could empower us with the skills, resources and ability to build raised beds, assemble pots, prepare soil and compost, plant seeds, grow seedlings, irrigate, harvest and, finally, save our seeds for the next planting season. Whether in our own backyards, balconies or community and school gardens.....we have so much space, so much potential to be growing (at least some of) our own food. I'd sign up. In fact, I did.

My own new found success this past summer, growing my own planters of tomatoes, peppers and basil, had me down right giddy.....and wanting more. As luck would have it, last August brought an answer to my prayers. A professional agrologist since 1989, Ward of 'City Farm Boy' was offering an all day workshop on how to grow food in your backyard, your neighbours backyard and even on a downtown rooftop. Count me in.

Ward started 'City Farm Boy' in 2007, growing vegetables in 4 Vancouver private backyards (all within a five kilometer bicycle ride from his East Vancouver home) and selling his produce to the public at both the Riley Park and West End Farmers Markets. Though he is not certified organic, all of his food is grown using only organic methods. The media is fond of Ward’s growing business…..and not only does it make for a great story, it has gotten the word out. He has received literally 100’s of offers from homeowners wanting him to cultivate their properties. At last count, he was up to 14 gardens, including a rooftop garden in Yaletown (the only exception to his 5 km rule).

Resurrected roof top garden in downtown Vancouver.

His one day workshop was developed to teach anyone interested not only how to grow food in their own backyard, but also how to emulate his model of growing on other people's properties and organizing to sell at local Farmers Markets. I wasn't that ambitious.....but I did learn a great deal during our day together, as we toured through 4 of his gardens and received oooodles of useful information and resources. Six hours later I left with a clear and ambitious vision of my (spring 2009) project. As I am blessed to live in a house with a south facing backyard that is simply begging for TLC (Tender Loving Cultivation), my edible garden will include 3 raised beds, heaps of new soil and a timer-set irrigation system. Totaling about 60 sq feet, it will be a big project; one that will probably cost me more in time and money than if I were to buy my produce from Farmers Markets throughout the entire growing season. But that’s simply not the point. I already have a ‘night before Christmas’ excitement for next year’s garden. I can’t wait to find out what I will (successfully) grow and, most important of all, what I will learn. Ward's next workshop will take place on Saturday, October 4 and he still, at the time of this post, has a few Farmers Market dates left.

eating (and drinking) around san francisco

2008-09-12T13:03:00.000-07:00

Sisterly bonding at Red's Java House.

Though Slow Food Nation was certainly the main purpose for my recent visit to San Francisco, this richly diverse city is one of the best places to eat (and drink) any day of the year. I felt extremely fortunate to be there for many reasons, especially to enjoy an opportunity to hang with my seees-stir, Lauri (and also to crash on her sofa for 4 nights). As the trusty and most excellent General Manager of Range Restaurant (our dinner there during the first evening of my visit was a sublime treat), she is dialed into the local food scene on many levels..... from street food to fancy pants, she knows ooodles of great places to sip and nosh in the city she has made her home since 1996. Because there was an ongoing heat wave, plus the fact that I was walking about 10 miles around town each day and am perpetually hungry during any vacation I take..... it seemed that it was always either 'beer o'clock' or time to eat something yummy (or both)!

Lauri orders us lunch at El Cachanilla.

Red’s Java House (on the Embarcadero, top) is a great pitt stop for cheap, cold draft beer, free homemade chips & salsa and an ocean view. Situated next to a working boatyard overlooking San Francisco Bay, The Ramp offers more beer, a diverse crowd and pretty decent calamari. The fresh and authentic fish tacos in the Mission's, El Cachanilla (above) proved especially convenient, being only a one block waddle from Lauri's home. Chow (Church Street location) is one of my all time favs; its super friendly staff serve up consistently delicious, hearty, rustic fare that always satisfies (try the home made, warm gingerbread cake with caramel sauce and pumpkin ice cream- lordy!!). Every Saturday is the Alemany Farmers Market which is far more extensive and casual than the Ferry Building's Farmers Market. Though its industrial location is not nearly as scenic, its prices are certainly far more reasonable. Get there early and stock up for the week. Not only will you have had an opportunity to meet and buy from the growers directly, you will head home with a stunning bounty of locally grown, healthy food that will cost you less than a buggy full from Safeway.

slow food nation- taste pavillions

2008-09-04T14:22:00.000-07:00

The Fish Pavilion at Fort Mason

I am continually in awe of those who speak eloquently. You know the ones- always able to effortlessly find the perfect turn of phrase at the perfect time, managing to articulate a thought or an idea with both precision and poetry. Regrettably, I simply ain't one of those people. During my first 2 days at Slow Food Nation’s ‘Food for Thought Speaker Series’ I was usually so overwhelmed by the inspired speakers, I spent more time teetering on the edge of tears than I did able to construct a sentence.

Sunday's Taste Pavilions provided quite a departure from all them there big thoughts.....not to mention a rip snortin' good time. Imagine 15 distinct pavilions within the 50,000 square foot pier at Fort Mason (on a spectacular sunny day): Beer, Bread, Charcuterie, Cheese, Chocolate, Coffee, Fish, Honey & Preserves, Ice Cream, Native Foods, Olive Oil, Pickles & Chutneys, Spirits, Tea and Wine.

…..“The Taste Pavilions present an unprecedented opportunity to sample the regional foods of America, with products from every state hand-picked by ‘curators’ who are nationally recognized experts in a particular type of food.”…..they weren’t freaking kidding! Honestly, I’ve never seen anything like it. In addition, over a dozen of the Bay Area’s most celebrated architects worked pro-bono to design each of the Taste Pavilions. The end results not only provided backdrops to the unique and delicious foods- each thoughtfully created environment also contributed enormously to the experience of the space at large.

The ‘Wall of Bread’, which housed the Bread Pavilion, was basically a global bread museum, complete with a comprehensive history and illustrations on the subject. It also included 4 massive outdoor wood-burning ovens which cranked out literally hundreds of pizza slices and Indian breads each hour, plus a 7’ tall SF Snail sculpture made entirely from loaves of real bread. The outdoor Beer Pavilion offered 100’s of artisan beers to sample. My favourite visual detail of this space was the material used to make the bar’s counter tops- crushed beer bottles set into concrete. The Fish Pavilion served a trio of samplers, including a fantastic calamari, bread and basil salad. The Wine Pavilion offered 454 American made options to taste (and yes, you could take your wine to the cheese and your beer to the charcuterie), while the Cheese Pavilion handed out a fantastic artisan cheese sampler and provided hay bale seating and lots of great dairy related quotes such as “Cheese; Milks’ leap into immortality”- (Clifton Fadiman). In the 4 hours that I was there, despite my steady consumption of food and drink, I still managed to work my way through only half of my $45 punch card. It should be noted that, despite the bad rap events like this get for being elitist and inaccessible, over a 3 day period I was able to partake in 4 sessions of the speaker series, the 'Best of Slow Food on Film', linger each day through the Victory Garden at Civic Centre (free) plus enjoy the day's grazing and sipping at Fort Mason for a total cost of $175.

Bar counter made from crushed beer bottles

Dairy wisdom at the Cheese Pavilion

Honey and Preserves Pavilion

Wall of bread at 'The Hall of Bread'.

Charcuterie wallpaper! (prosciutto and salami)

heroes and heroines (food for thought speaker series)

2008-09-04T11:32:00.000-07:00

Alice Waters (photographed by Annie Lebowitz)

What can $100 buy you these days? A designer sweatshirt, dinner for two, a tank of gas.....or 4 tickets to see 4 sets of guest panel speakers blow your mind at the Herbst Theatre. Below is the line-up I chose to see during my 2 days at the Slow Food Nation's 'Food For Thought Speaker Series'. Needless to say, I am still in the process of digesting it all.....

#1- Opening Session- The World Food Crisis

"It’s widely acknowledged that we are in the middle of a world food crisis. Skyrocketing food and fuel costs, water scarcity, and population explosions have communities worldwide in the grip of hunger and dire food shortages. Come listen to four of the foremost authorities on the subject as they share forecasts and potential solutions for this immense global challenge."

Michael Pollan (Moderator)- Author and the John S. and James L. Knight Professor of Journalism at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism.
‘In Defense of Food’ and ‘The Omnivore’s Dilemma’

Raj Patel- Author and Director of San Francisco Food Systems.
‘Stuffed and Starved’

Dr. Vandana Shiva- Physicist, environmental activist and author.
‘Stolen Harvest: The Hijacking of the Global Food Supply’ and ‘Soil Not Oil’

Corby Kummer- Journalist and author.
‘The Pleasures of Slow Food’

Carlo Petrini- Founder of the International Slow Food Movement (1986), co-creator of The University of Gastronomic Sciences and author.
‘Slow Food (A Case For Taste)’

#2- Building a New Food System: Policy and Planning

"Urban planning, food policy, health and education initiatives – government policy at all levels can contribute to food systems that support the whole community. Learn from leaders in the field as they explore the first steps that governments—from municipal to state and beyond—can take to support and build a sustainable food system."

Timothy LaSalle (Moderator)- Executive Director of the Rodale Institute.

Paula Jones- Director of San Francisco Food Systems.

Marion Nestle- Author, Paulette Goddard Professor, Department of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health, NYU.
‘What To Eat’

Andrew Kimbrell- Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Food Safety.

AG Kawamura- Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Founder of ‘Incredible Edible Park’ in Irvine, which links nutritional education and interaction between schools and food banks.

#3- Re-Localizing Food

“In addition to preserving precious fossil fuel energy, buying food locally saves money and supports local economies. So why does everyone coast-to-coast buy their oranges from Florida? This panel explores the challenges of building a local food system, and compares the environmental and social impacts of both a local and global approach to food.”

James Oseland (Moderator)- Editor of Saveur Magazine.

Gary Nabhan- Founder of Renewing America’s Food Traditions (RAFT).

Dan Barber- Chef & Co-Owner of Blue Hill Restaurant and Creative Director of Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture.

Winona LaDuke- Native American activist, environmentalist, economist, author and Founding Director of White Earth Land Recovery Project (WELRP).

Michael Pollan- Author of In Defense of Food and Omnivore’s Dillemma.

#4- Edible Education

“In a nation where far too many people harm their health and the environment by eating poorly, public school lunch presents an enormous opportunity: right there, in the middle of the every child’s school day, driven by his own hunger and his own taste, lies all this time and energy set aside and devoted to food.” This panel will discuss the potential and challenges of creating a national policy around Edible Education - a means of educating all children about stewardship, sustainability and the connections between food, health and the environment."

Josh Viertel- Director of the Yale Sustainable Food Project.

Craig McNamara- President and Founder at Center for Land-Based Learning.

Katrina Heron (Moderator)- Writer, editor and a Director of the Chez Panisse Foundation.

Van Jones- Author and founder/president of Green For All.
‘The Green Collar Economy’

Alice Waters- Founder of Slow Food Nation, international vice president of Slow Food, owner of Chez Panisse Restaurant and founder and president of the Chez Panisse Foundation.

#5- The Best of Slow Food on Film

"A special screening of award-winning short films and documentaries that promote a new critical awareness of food culture selected by Slow Food on Film, the International Festival of Cinema and Food. In collaboration with Cineteca di Bologna."

Featuring: Along Came the Rain, Silent Snow and The Price of Sugar.

what a wonderful world it would be....

2008-09-03T21:25:00.000-07:00

This was the scene that greeted me as I made my way last Friday to day #1 of the ‘Food For Thought Speaker Series’. WOW!! Erected smack in front of San Francisco’s City Hall, this ornamental edible garden provided a striking juxtaposition to its stately civic backdrop. Created in collaboration with Victory Gardens 2008 (planted on the same site as the World War II Victory Gardens of 1943), Slow Food Nation Victory Garden featured a wide variety of heritage organic vegetables suited to the Bay Area microclimate, while also displaying the diversity of urban food production practices through a truly inspiring format. The garden was scheduled to be harvested at the end of last (Labour Day) weekend. The produce was to be donated to those with limited access to healthy organic produce via local food banks and meals programs.

what the heck is slow food, anyway?

2008-09-03T16:19:00.000-07:00

Several people have asked me this question lately. For those who have not heard the term before, 'Slow Food' seems to conjure up images of crock pots simmering soups and stews at about the same speed paint drys. Here is the simple answer:

"Everyone has a universal right to food that is good (tastes delicious), clean (was sustainably grown) and fair (those who produce it are sustained as well, and that people from every community can enjoy it)."

San Francisco Chronicle Arts and Culture Critic Steven Winn explained it in far more detail (Putting Key Issues on the Menu-August 29): ”As both Slow Food disciples and outside observers see it, the growing international movement’s underlying principles have implications that reach far beyond the dining rooms of the fad-chasing upper middle class. In its rebuke of fast food, agribusiness and global distribution and its embrace of local products, biological diversity and the sensual delights of the table, food is a touchstone for everything from energy policy and net-roots politics to the ways Americans both seek and sabotage pleasure…..The Slow Food mind-set fosters local communities of people with shared interests…..Ideally, it summons people back to the table awakened to the power of personal choice across a broad spectrum of issues.”

Perhaps Slow Food Nation Executive Director Anya Fernald said it best: “This is all about a response to industrialization and a reclaiming of what feeds and nourishes us. It's a push back against a global system bent on the commodification of everything.”

Though, admittedly, there is certainly an annoying, elitist segment within the movement. While I was sipping at the wine bar during last Sunday’s Taste Pavillions at Fort Mason, I overheard a man behind me remark to his friend “Not much of a red selection”. (There were 454 American made wines available to taste, 259 of them being red) I turned to face them, somehow managing to curb my strong impulse to bitch slap him for his pretentious arrogance, instead asking “compared to what?” His (seemingly embarrassed) friend mumbled in response “France, maybe?”…..

My own definition of Slow Food reaches far beyond the subject of food itself, as I see its objectives as being both broad and inclusive. SF's principles affect many of the choices I make in my own daily life.....doing my best to avoid riding the consumer train means working less, spending less and living more (creatively). I also believe passionately in the importance of teaching our children values that respect our food systems, our health and our environment. I am truly convinced that Edible Education, in combination with other like-minded programs, could quite literally become a key contributor to saving our planet.

rushing off to slow food nation

2008-08-28T05:59:00.000-07:00

The irony of blogging is that the more exciting and interesting things there are happening to experience and write about, the less time there is to actually write about them. Having just finished up 2 weeks assisting at a kid's culinary camp (more on this later), I'm off to San Francisco to experience Slow Food Nation....3 days of lectures, taste pavillions, films, farmers markets and even a victory garden that has been created downtown....right in front of City Hall. God knows, there will be lots more to write about....

rub a dubb dubb

2008-08-24T09:02:00.000-07:00

It has been my experience that farmers are generous folk, as confirmed last night during a get together with my friends Katy and Gabriel of Sapo Bravo Organics. As we prepared to part ways for the evening, Gabriel offered to give me some produce left over from that day's Farmers Market. Of course I gratefully accepted. After rushing out of the restaurant to their delivery truck he returned with an enormous plastic bag full of assorted fresh and aromatic beauty. Its contents consisted of cucumbers, peaches, plums, heirloom tomatoes and so much basil....even after I gave some to our waitress, the people sitting at the table next to us plus their waitress, my roommate's girlfriend's business partner, my hairdresser....the next morning I still had a bathtub full of basil (good thing I cleaned my bathroom yesterday). Nine salad spinners full later, there was still more basil then I knew what to do with. It was time to call for back up. My friend Linda came to the rescue and collected half, which she planned to make into a whack of pesto. I opted to do the same with my remaining herbage....good thing I have a freezer. PestoMix anyone?

blackberry & mint vodka

2008-08-24T07:08:00.001-07:00

Enough of this food talk. Yes, the blackberries are in season and as gorgeous as ever....and normally I would go on a riff about blackberry jam, pancakes, smoothies and such, but let's explore booze for a change....more specifically, vodka, which happens to be a great spirit to infuse with other ingredients such as citrus, vanilla, nuts and chilies. This particular vodka is dead simple to make and the deep, rich berry sweetness combined with the freshness of the mint make for the foundation of a truly delicious and refreshing summer cocktail.

Blackberry & Mint Vodka

1 26 oz bottle of decent vodka- emptied into a jug
1 clean, empty 750 ml wine bottle
2 cups of fresh mint, cleaned
enough fresh blackberries to fill up both bottles 3/4 full

Fill both bottles with blackberries until 3/4 full. Next add the mint (1 cup per bottle). Divide the vodka equally between the 2 bottles. Seal both with a cork or cap. Turn upside down, then right side up. Store in fridge for 1 week. Serve in a tall glass over ice with a good splash of Pellegrino. Garnish with a wedge of lime and a sprig of fresh mint. Cheers to summer.

them tomaydas!

2008-08-17T12:59:00.000-07:00

What you are looking at is my very first successful attempt at growing food. Two months ago I brought home 3 little tomato plants and plopped them into a container along with some potting soil and a large heaping of hope. Despite the fact that I had (unknowingly) crammed them into far too small a space for the amount of real estate that they would eventually require, they have grown beautifully. Each time I walk by them I am as pleased and proud as a new parent, feeling a sense of awe and wonder for their progress and for the miracle of life. Tonight I plucked the first few ripe ones, to eat with a simple salad. They were so incredibly sweet and flavourful, as if someone had taken a syringe and injected a fantastic salad dressing right into their centres. To say that I am encouraged would be an understatement.

the legacy of rae's flapper pie

2008-08-08T22:09:00.001-07:00

Growing up in the suburbs of North Vancouver, I was fortunate enough to enjoy a solid community of good neighbours. From the time I was born, the Collier family lived next door to our family's house. This couldn’t have been more idyllic, as my best friend happened to be their youngest child. For Heather and me, our carefree, barefoot days of summer included the usual running through sprinklers, operating lemonade stands, competing in watermelon seed spitting contests and frequently sampling her mother’s fresh berry pies. Rae was a fantastic baker, a great neighbour and, most important of all, my second Mom. She loved to feed people and didn’t mind sharing her recipes with those who asked. My own mother still uses her flapper pie recipe many times each summer, showcasing whatever berries are fresh at the time. As the season progresses from strawberries to blueberries, then from raspberries to blackberries, each pie always seems more delicious than the last.....and one more reason to celebrate being together to enjoy each other and the best that summer has to offer. Though Rae died 10 years ago, our family will always refer to this recipe as ‘Rae’s Flapper Pie’.

Rae’s Flapper Pie

This pie is stellar with any seasonal fresh berries. Try one type of fruit whole, and another mashed for the topping (ie- whole blueberries with a raspberry sauce) It is best served fresh, chilled and with a dollop of whipped cream.

Crust:

2 cups graham wafer crumbs
¼ cup lightly toasted sesame seeds
Pinch of salt
2 tbsp sugar ½ cup melted butter

In medium bowl mix crumbs, seeds, sugar and salt. Stir in melted butter, stirring until well combined. Dump ingredients into an 9” glass pie plate and press ingredients evenly with the back of a spoon, forming into a crust. Bake @ 350* for 15 minutes. Allow to cool.

Filling:

4 cups washed and dried berries
2 cups mashed fruit
½ cup sugar
2 tbsp cold butter
2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 3 tbsp cold water

Garnish: 1 cup cold whipped cream, whipped

Put mashed fruit and sugar into a small pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 3 minutes. Add half of the cornstarch and water, stirring until thickened. If mixture is still too runny, add a little more of the cornstarch and water. (texture should be like a runny jam) Add in butter and melt. Remove mixture from stove and allow it to cool to room temperature. Place the 4 cups of fruit in the pie shell. Cover with the fruit mixture. Cover with seran wrap and chill in fridge for a few hours. Cut into slices and serve with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.

u-pick, u-eat

2008-08-08T20:15:00.000-07:00

My recent visit to a 'u-pick' berry farm has given me a new found appreciation for those who harvest our fruit. Two weekends ago, well stocked with potato salad, drinking water, hats, sunscreen and a plethora of empty yogurt containers, 3 friends and I hopped in a car and made our way to berry picking country. Driediger Farms in Langley is about a 50 minute drive from Vancouver…..just enough time to decompress from the city and slow to a country pace (or at least try to) .

We were on a quest for raspberries. After arriving at the farm (with mapquest directions in hand) we made our way to the u-pick check in, where all of our empty containers were weighed and recorded with a piece of tape. After making our way to the assigned 'u-pick' area, we divided ourselves amongst the many tall rows of fresh raspberry bushes and began to individually collect our loot. As I gathered (and tasted) the luscious fruit, I couldn’t help but think that they would be wise to weigh the pickers as well. At $1.60 per pound, surely folks like me were literally eating into their profits? Not having been to a u-pick since I was a kid, I found the activity to be relaxing and quite meditative though, despite my keen efforts to focus and forage efficiently, it really was slow going. Never again will I look at a basket of picked fruit at a stand or in a store and think that it is too expensive. Gathering fruit by hand is incredibly time consuming, as are most tasks related to food production. But it was a fun day out and the rewards were sweet, as I was reminded each day for the next week when I would open my fridge and help myself to fresh, sweet, juicy, perfect raspberries.

potato salad with parsley pesto dressing

2008-08-02T17:37:00.001-07:00

With our summer coming so late this year, local produce has, in turn, been a slow grow. Our Farmers Markets are now finally brimming over with the tasty, fresh produce many of us have been dreaming of all year. It seems ironic that my post culinary school edible creations are now more simplified than ever. Why fix what ain't broke? Tis the season to satiate our cravings for the fresh flavours, colours and textures that only summer's bounty can bring. Not to mention..... less preparation time equals more outdoor playtime.

Potato Salad with Parsley Pesto Dressing

This salad is a fine example of fresh summer eating. The parsley pesto may seem like a lot of work....but the extra can be used in pasta etc. Or substitute with a store bought pesto. It will be just as yummy- great picnic or road food!

3 c (approx) baby potatoes, scrubbed, halved and steamed until they still have a 'bite'
2 c kale, sliced into thin ribbons (chiffenade)
2 green onions, finely sliced
1/2 red pepper, sliced
1/2 yellow pepper, sliced
1/3 c fresh radishes, halved and thinly sliced
4 hard boiled eggs, peeled
1/3 cut fresh basil, cut into thin ribbons (chiffenade)
S & P
Parsley Pesto Dressing (see recipe below)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over potato salad, only adding enough to wet the ingredients. (extra dressing can be stored in the fridge, in the same lidded jar, and used on other salads)

Pesto Parsley Dressing

1/3 c parsley pesto (see recipe below) OR store bought pesto
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1/3 c buttermilk
S & P

Combine all ingredients into a medium size jar. Seal lid. Shake jar over sink for 30 seconds, until all ingredients are combined.

Parsley Pesto

2 c parsley, rinsed and dried, large stems removed
3/4 c lightly toasted pumpkin seeds
1 fresh garlic clove, crushed
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
S & P
1/3 c - 1/2 c extra virgin olive oil

Place all ingredients in a food processor, except for the olive oil. Whirl 45 seconds. Slowly start to drizzle in olive oil, keeping the machine running, until pesto consistency is achieved. Store refrigerated in a tight container.

greenola celebrates tradition

2008-07-23T10:52:00.000-07:00

Since long before the invention of the refrigerator, each culture has practiced its own techniques and recipes for food preservation. For thousands of years pickling, fermenting, drying, salting, smoking and canning have all served as invaluable methods of keeping foods that would otherwise spoil. Today such products continue to contribute greatly towards the dishes they are served with (or become a part of) by adding flavours, aromas, textures and colours, as well as cultural and regional identity. Just think…..all that mango chutney brings to a fresh baked samosa, sauerkraut to a Bratwurst sausage, kimchi to a carnivorous Korean grill.....even tomato ketchup to the beloved French frie.

Though I consider myself to be a culturally diverse eater, I’d never experienced much in the way of Polish food until my friend, Agata Kosinski, introduced me to the line of organic pickles that make up her family’s nine year old food import business. Greenola is entirely imported from Poland where, up until the end of Communism in 1989, agricultural practices dictated small, collective farm holdings (average 7 hectares) and agricultural production made up a whopping 40% of Poland’s GNP (gross national product). Keep in mind that this had always been an entirely organic process. Under the communist regime, Poland simply did not have the means to incorporate industrialized food growing practices. What, at the time, seemed backward and inefficient, today allows for easy certification from the EU (European Union) as the farmland has never been anything but organic. Supporting today’s Polish farmers not only helps them maintain organic land, it also allows them to make their living while growing healthy and sustainable products that, in turn, help to keep their cultural heritage alive.

Greenola’s organic product line includes dill pickles, sliced or whole pickled beets (beets are the top sellers), traditional sauerkraut as well as sauerkraut with carrots (for extra sweetness and less ‘bite’). The Kosinski family moved to Canada from Poland in 1984, when Agata was just 10 years old. These days her father returns to Poland once a year to source new products. Planned additions to the line include roasted peppers, horseradish, pickled mushrooms, a cranberry preserve and a line of naturally sweetened juices. Greenola products can be found at Thrifty’s and Super Valu, as well as some IGAs and Commercial Drive shops.

Chlodnik (Cold Beet Soup)

This chilled summer soup is a refreshing traditional dish that is quick and easy to prepare (and pretty to serve). Make it 4-12 hours ahead of time and chill in the fridge, allowing the flavours to combine. Try it served with a really fresh slice of dark rye bread and a wedge of cheese that isn't afraid to stand up and be noticed. As the Polish would say, "Jedzcie, pijcie i popuszczajcie pasa"... "Eat, drink and loosen your belt".

1 ½ c buttermilk
2 tbsp sour cream mixed with 1 tbsp cold water
1/2 cucumber, quartered and sliced thin
4 medium radishes, halved and finely sliced
1 ¼ c cubed, sliced Greenola pickled beets
1 green onion, thinly sliced
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
2 tbsp fresh dill, plus extra for garnish
S & P to taste

Mix the buttermilk and sour cream mixture in a bowl. Stir in the cucumber, radishes, beets, green onion, dill, salt & pepper. Leave in the fridge for 4-12 hours in the fridge, allowing the flavours to combine. Serve chilled, garnished with the hard boiled eggs and a sprig of dill. Serves 4.

pesto perfection

2008-07-20T20:55:00.000-07:00

I hate to admit it, but he was right. I met Marco one month ago, at a dinner hosting some of the students and faculty from Italy's University of Gastronomic Sciences. As dinner was being served, he and I stood away from the group having a lively conversation.....about pesto. Marco was very clear (and animated) when discussing his list of ingredients: basil, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic, salt and no cheese. According to him, parmigiano is only to be added later, at the time the pasta dish is being prepared. Though I'm the first to appreciate the passion and sensuality of an expressive Italian man..... I have sometimes found Italy's culinary rules to be tediously locked in tradition, lacking in creative flexibility. It did appear that he considered my substitution suggestions such as almonds for pine nuts and arugula for basil, though perhaps he was just being a polite guest on foreign soil? Regardless, I made a basil pesto last night that was probably the best I've ever made. It contained no cheese.....and cashews in place of pine nuts. Delizioso Marco!

Cashew Pesto

1 cup cashews, lightly toasted
3 cups fresh basil, washed and dried
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients together in a food processor. Store in the fridge in a tightly sealed container.

cafe talia

2008-07-14T17:00:00.000-07:00

It was during my last visit to Salt Spring Island in July of 2007 that I first met Tony DePasquale, the talent and force behind Bloom Breads. Since then his partner, Helen Mears, had decided to create an island business of her own. Before the couple moved from Vancouver to Salt Spring, Helen had enjoyed 17 years as owner and operator of Mecca, a successful consignment clothing store located on Commercial Drive. Her extensive experience in retail certainly came in handy when she began directing her creative energies and business savvy towards a different kind of venture.....Cafe Talia. Located in the heart of Ganges in the original Salt Spring Telephone Exchange, this sweet little spot combines a casual European flair with a kicked back West Coast vibe. But it certainly didn't look that way when Mears took over the lease just 8 months ago. At the time the renovation began, the floors were mud, the building's exterior was covered in bramble bushes and the functioning indoor plumbing was a thing of the past. Today its bright and airy interior is decorated with bistro-style furnishings, a vintage chandelier and original art by Ian Thomas. Umbrella covered tables provide extra outdoor seating for those wishing to sip and nibble alfresco. Cafe Talia serves its customers beautifully barista-ed Ethical Bean coffees, fresh sandwiches and, of course, lots of delicious fresh baked goodies from Bloom Breads. Also available is a selection of Vij's take home Indian food, a perfect dinner alternative for locals, campers and boaters who are not in the mood to cook. Cafe Talia is located at 122 Hereford Ave., Salt Spring Island.

going tribal- west coast seafood boil

2008-07-12T14:33:00.000-07:00

Good Lord. I haven't written a damn thing in over a week. I did spend a good portion of my cyber-absence on Salt Spring Island, to attend the birthday party of my friend and former culinary school classmate, Myles. As he was very much in the mood to celebrate the arrival of his next year of life, he decided to prepare a spectacular and unique feast for his guests.....

Though I had never before experienced a seafood boil, I once saw an episode of Julia Child: Lessons With Master Chefs where she goes to Louisiana to visit a young Emeril Lagasse (during his pre-BAAM! days) to observe him making his version of a craw fish boil. This famous regional dish is made by first boiling up an enormous cauldron of specially seasoned water and then adding potatoes, onions, garlic, corn on the cob, lemon wedges and, finally, fresh craw fish. When all ingredients are fully cooked, the liquid is strained away and the piping hot contents are then scattered directly onto a newspaper or plastic covered table. This outdoor communal feast is eaten without cutlery, shell crackers or seafood forks....just bare hands, plenty of cold beer and lots of paper napkins. After Emeril has strewn his creation out onto a newsprint covered table, he sits down to lunch with Julia, teaching her how to suck the meat from the head of 'these mud bugs'. She ends the episode back in her studio kitchen, where she summarizes by referring to the dish as a 'terrific table'.

I think that the West Coast version Myles created was even more impressive than Emeril's. Substituting the craw fish with a seafood medley of local mussels, skate, whole crabs and B.C. spotted prawns made for a truly spectacular spread. The length of the table was decorated with small white dishes of hot sauce and home made aioli intended for dipping. Ice cold cans of Lucky Beer were not only thirst quenching libations.....it was soon discovered that slamming the base of a beer can onto a crab claw served as the perfect shell cracker, at times spraying milky crab juice onto fellow diners. As we devoured the feast and discarded our emptied shells onto piles of seafood shrapnel, we kept remarking at what a fun way it was to dine. Eating outdoors with our hands.....in celebration of our birthday boy, friendship and a bounty of beautiful food. I'll take tribal bonding over fancy restaurant dining any day. Especially that day.

gitte goes

2008-07-02T07:54:00.000-07:00

I clearly remember doing a workshop excercise which required me to identify who in my life I considered to be the most creative. Immediately, my friend Gitte came to mind. The glamour and style she draws from her skills and experience as a makeup artist combined with a fantastic eye, an abundantly creative spirit, and a consistent joie de vivre all make for a stylishly crafty gal who, in turn, makes living a full, artfully expressive and adventurous life look delightfully fun (and effortless). On the day of my last visit she was sporting a t-shirt that read I (heart) LIFE, was in the process of making hand cut leather tiaras (see above) and had just completed painting her sun deck bright pink (also see above).

I have been a huge fan of her photographs for years. In the last few weeks, a montage of her food photos have found themselves adorning her kitchen cupboards, documenting good eats she has enjoyed on recent travel adventures to Thailand, Mexico, and L.A., as well as here at home in Vancouver. Gitte explains that having these images in plain view inspires her when feeling peckish, encouraging her to take those extra few minutes to prepare something fresh, healthy and tasty......as opposed to her earlier habit of reaching for chips or crackers. She now keeps her kitchen well stocked with a constant supply of fresh avocados, greens, garlic, chiles and cashews, as well as orange mint, lemon balm and chives which come from her own indoor herb garden. She also keeps some good tequila on hand....for balance.

A simple dish of green mango, beef, lime, garlic and mint proved to be Gitte's 'culinary highlight' and most inspiring food photo during a recent trip to Thailand (at 'Fruit' Restaurant in the mainland village of Pai) Gitte Photo.

Mango Crepes. Gitte Photo.

Fresh caught fish poached in a spicy broth, served in a shack at Railey Beach, Thailand. Fellow diners included construction workers, rock climbers and a few flies. Gitte Photo.

Cupboards in Gitte's kitchen serve as both a photo gallery and culinary inspiration. Gitte photos.

happy canada day, eh!

2008-07-01T22:58:00.000-07:00

In any world menu, Canada must be considered the vichyssoise of nations; it's cold, half-French, and difficult to stir.
- Stuart Keate

the cherry(s) on the cake

2008-06-28T10:17:00.000-07:00

The cherry tree which hangs over our back deck seems to be doing a lot better than last year, showing fuller foliage and yielding a great deal more fruit. Problem is....as the cherries ripen it becomes a competitive race against the birds to pick the fruit. I've been on high alert these last few days, often running out the back door, shouting and waving my arms in the air in (not entirely successful) attempts to scare away the crows who have mistaken our backyard for an all-you-can-eat buffet. One thing I have never been able to understand about birds......when they find food, why do they always have to tell all their friends? They make such a big noisy deal about it and, before they know it, gee....there is hardly anything left for them....or for me.

Sure, I could have made my life much easier if I just went and purchased some from the farmers market, but where's the fun in that? By hook or by crook, I was determined to make one thing from our backyard bounty, something in particular....Cherry Upside Down Cake.

Cherry Upside Down Cake

1/4 c butter
1/4 c sugar
2 c fresh, pitted cherries

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp grated orange rind
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 c milk

Preheat oven to 350°. In an 8” x 8” baking pan melt (first) ¼ c butter over stove top, using low heat. Sprinkle evenly with brown sugar and then with cherries. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Using an electric mixer, cream (second) ¼ c butter in a medium size bowl, then beat in the sugar. Next blend in eggs, vanilla and orange zest. At low speed beat in the sifted dry ingredients, alternating with the milk. Combine until well blended. Spoon batter over top of the cherries and butter/brown sugar mixture, spreading evenly. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly touched with your finger. Loosen sides and carefully invert onto a serving plate or cake server. Allow to cool. Serve with fresh whipped cream or try with 'Liberte Mediterranee Yogurt'. Any flavour would work well, but I tried it with 'Orange & Mango'. Yum! I think that finishing with a sprinkling of toasted sliced almonds wouldn't be such a bad idea, either.

a garden good enough to eat

2008-06-22T10:13:00.000-07:00

"The best fertilizer is the gardener's shadow." -Author Unknown

Just as a kitchen is often the heart of a home, a vegetable garden can also bring people together…..family, friends, neighbours and sometimes even strangers. Though my pal, Heather is an urban gal like myself, she is fortunate enough to have direct access to the farm experience through her own immediate family. And because she is my pal, last weekend I was fortunate enough to see it for myself, as she had kindly invited me to join her in visiting her sister, Moira and brother-in-law, Brent. For the past 18 years, they have been living on a picturesque 14.5 acre spread in the equally picturesque area of Courtenay / Comox. Located about half way up the east coast of Vancouver Island, the journey from Vancouver involves a 1.5 hour ferry ride to Nanaimo, followed by a 112 km drive up island….making for a total travel time of about 5 hours, door to door.

When approaching their property, it is a garden that is the first to greet visitors. When first meeting Moira and Brent, their connection to the land and its rhythms become immediately apparent, in their pace and in their communication style. Somehow, they seem graciously direct, more thoughtful than your average urbanite in their (un)natural setting. On the second day of our visit, Brent led Sunday afternoon’s lunch guests on a walking tour of the land. As we made our way through the beautifully scenic wooded trails towards the Tsolum River and the family swimming hole, I asked him when he had last been on this particular walk. After an unhurried pause to recollect, his response was charming and typical of someone so in harmony with their environment, “During the last full moon”.

Occupying some 1/4 acre (about 10,000 plus sq. ft.), they have created 2 separate gardens mostly to grow food for themselves. They supplement their diet with other foods such as eggs from the neighbours and venison salami (yum), which is processed locally from deer that Brent has hunted. Trade within the community is practiced simply for good will, friendliness and enjoyment. As I walked around the garden to make note of all that they grew, I realized that there were far too many items for me to list them all: A= arugula, B= blueberries, C= Carrots, D= Dill, E= Echinacea, F= Fennel, G=Green Onion…..all the way to Z= Zucchini. Because the garden yields far more than they could ever eat fresh, much of it is preserved for later use through freezing, canning (relish, chutney, fruit and tomato sauce), pickling and some drying. Other food, such as root vegetables and apples, are kept over the winter months in dry storage. While processing some food is neccessary, Brent says that the focus is still very much about eating fresh and extending the harvest. With proper planning and plant selection, fresh food can be made available from the garden almost year round. They have also developed a tea to sell; a blend of their own grown echinacea, ginger and mint. It is available at The Tea Centre in Courtenay (where it is sold as ‘Glacier Blend’) and also at Teaz in Vancouver (where it is sold as ‘Echinacea Blend’). For the last 15 years, they have run a large scale fish composting business which has not only provided an income, but has also greatly supporting their soil fertility and food production. Today, they continue to make compost on a smaller scale.

When I asked Moira how all this began, she said that before she and Brent had ever met, each of them already held a keen interest in owning their own land, growing their own food and feeding their (eventual) children well. When they finally did meet, their individual dreams became a collective one which they naturally incorporated into their new lives; first as a couple and, eventually, as a family with two boys. She chose to home school their children, which proved conducive to maintaining a large garden. This lifestyle was a commitment that required a great deal of time and hard work, void of financial reward. However, the experience worked out well, having provided a different kind of wealth, one without job burnout and poor eating habits, and one where teaching their children how to grow and appreciate good, healthy, fresh food has been just as important as any course in mathematics or chemistry.

According to Moira, as long as you grow food, you will never be lonely. I believe that she is right, and look forward to a return visit at the end of this summer, just as the garden’s bounty is ready for harvest. It will be exciting to see such growth, especially after witnessing its June beginnings. I also look forward to visiting my new friends.....and eating some more of that venison salami.

As a side bar, we were joined by another visitor that weekend. Third sister, Hornby Island based painter Coral Barclay, was in town to attend the Saturday night opening of her show of paintings at the Comox Valley Art Gallery. That evening we all joined her in celebrating her latest body of work, later going out for a glass of wine and....something to eat!

behind the scenes @ CityCooks

2008-06-19T05:25:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder what it would be like to hang out on the set of a television cooking show? Last week I was fortunate enough to have that very experience. I had phoned CityCooks producer Catherine Petersen to request an opportunity to job shadow at the station, hoping to get some insight into just how the process works. She proved to be very accommodating, arranging a date and time for me to come to the Citytv studios.

Hosted by Simi Sara, each 30 minute program is filmed ‘live to tape’, meaning that they approach it as if they are live, even though they are not. The taping of each segment is kept very close to assigned time lines and there seem to be no ‘redos’ or miles of extra footage to edit later. All this is done with the intent of capturing a more live, dynamic feel to the finished product. On the day of my visit the guest was Chef ‘Charlie’ Yang, who has been cooking with the Mark James Group for 8 years, most recently as head chef at The Yaletown Brew Pub, where he describes his food to be an ‘Asian Flair’ style of cooking. CityCooks formats its programming to allow each day’s guest to demonstrate 3 dishes, plus ‘on site’ footage is shown during the introduction of each episode to give the viewer a visual feel for the establishment where he or she is from. Chef Charlie’s menu for the day went as follows:

1) Manturian Chicken
2) Shanghai Ginger Beef
3) Schezuan Style Chicken Chow Fun (‘Ho Fun’= “Flat Rice Noodles”)

The feeling on the set was friendly and informal, while still retaining a keen sense of timing and professional efficiency. There is no live audience, only two camera operators plus 'Camera 1', 'Camera 2' and an 'Iso (isolation)-Cam' for more detailed close up shots. One of the cameramen joined Simi in knicking bits of food from the back of Chef Charlie's most recently completed 'Manturian Chicken' dish, just as the commercial break began. I was impressed when she admitted this to her future audience during the taping that followed, the 'Shanghai Ginger Beef' segment.

Catherine Pedersen is not only the supervising producer and writer, but also the person to find and screen each guest plus their featured recipes before the taping even begins. She is also very closely involved with all details of the taping process itself. While clearly a busy woman, she was gracious enough to tour me through Citytv’s studios, control rooms and tape archives….all the while explaining the responsibilities of her own job, as well as the process of how an episode of CityCooks is made. The episode I observed will air in about one month.. According to Petersen, the station likes to keep about one month ahead with their taping schedule, creating between one and four programs per week.

I was surprised to see just how hands on the creating of an episode actually is. Back in October of 2005, Harpers Magazine had published a hilariously provocative article titled ‘Debbie Does Salad: The Food Network at the Frontiers of Pornography’. It begins by bringing the reader into a scene where we are shown just how time consuming, tedious, largely staffed and, one can assume, costly the taping of a cooking show can be:

“Early this morning the team had gathered at the Food Network’s new 13,000-square-foot studios on Manhattan’s West Side and proceeded to shoot three episodes of Moulton’s show, Sara’s Secrets. Now it was late in the day, and fatigue had set in”……. “More than a dozen people huddled around the star. There were the executive, assistant, associate, and culinary producers; the director and technical director; and the camera operators, production assistants, and food stylists.”

As a side bar, author Frederick Kaufman’s premise throughout the article is to draw parallels between the formulas and presentation styles of the two industries, at one point even teaming up with porn still photographer Barbara Nitke to discuss their often not so subtle similarities…….though I can assure you, Simi and CityCooks do not subscribe to such antics. They provide a bright, upbeat program that directs itself mostly towards local community and its production is done with a reasonable amount of time, resources and staff.

I finished my visit by joining the 8 or so friendly CityCooks staff in gathering around the studio's kitchen island, as we collectively nibbled on the 3 tasty dishes Chef Charlie had created for the show.....a great finish to a very enjoyable and informative experience. CityCooks airs Monday to Friday at 6:00 pm (on channel 13) in Vancouver and Monday to Friday at 6:30 pm in Winnipeg.

happy belated birthday

2008-06-16T08:55:00.000-07:00

I'm not quite sure how I missed it, but 4 days ago, on June 12, global peasant turned 1 year old. Seems like just yesterday......

12b- an underground restaurant

2008-06-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

Artwork in the interior hallway of 12B.

Sitting pretty for the Halibut & Short Ribs course.

Underground Restaurant: “An illegal eating establishment, generally operated out of homes or apartments by people looking to offer something that isn't available in the legitimate restaurants of the community, generally bypassing local zoning and health code regulations. Most such places are advertised by word of mouth or guerilla advertising, and often require references to make a reservation.”

Last Saturday I joined 9 other diners, some of them friends and some of them strangers, for a much anticipated dinner at apartment 12B. Located somewhere in Vancouver, its occupant is not only a talented chef, but also a generous host who expresses himself creativity through his own interpretation of underground dining.

Certainly, a private location brings with it more liberty to be playful and less conventional, both for the host and for his or her guests. Todd’s food is thoughtful in its combinations and sublime in its flavours....and his home is a feast for the eyes; much of it full of vivid original artwork and scads of funky details. With each of the five courses served, he took the time to explain to us what we were eating as well as any special details about the ingredients and preparations. This, of course, is in sharp contrast to the experience of a conventional restaurant where it is rare that there be any direct contact at all between the kitchen and the very diners they are cooking for. During Todd's dinner events, guests are encouraged to experience his home free range, to feel comfortable choosing (and bringing) their own music, wandering between rooms to stretch their legs, lingering in the gallery-style hallway, smoking! in the living room-lounge or even making their own short film as we did (see below) before returning to the large picnic style dining table to tuck into the next scrumptious course, uncork another bottle or two of wine and, if you are as lucky as we were, enjoy listening to someone like diner Brad spontaneously break out in song at some point during each course.

Plating up the Tomato & Asparagus Salad course.

Seared Duck with Pea Tops, Baby Carrots & ‘Nectums’

Mocha Cheesecake with Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream before the White Chocolate Drizzle.

I’d say that we were a slightly boisterous group. Much of our behaviour would not have been tolerated in a public restaurant, nor would the turnaround time of our table….. 7:30 pm to midnight on a Saturday. Some of our party got extra creative in the 'tipping' department.....one guest left behind her bra and panties, accompanied by a written comment in the guest book explaining "....because your food got me so hot and bothered". Our menu went as follows:

Heirloom Tomato, Asparagus & Goat Cheese Salad
Shallot & Champagne Vinaigrette

Seared Duck with Pea Tops, Baby Carrots & ‘Nectums’ (1/2 Nectarine / 1/2 Plum)
Soy-Citrus Sauce

Lemon-Seared Halibut & Beer-Braised Short Ribs
Swiss Chard & Esplette Butter Sauce

Grilled Lamb Chop with Parsnip & Yam Purees
Green Curry Sauce

Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Melted ‘Roaring 40’s Blue Cheese’
Morel Mushrooms in Cognac Cream Sauce
Roasted Garlic Baby Nugget Potatoes

Mocha Cheesecake
Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream & White Chocolate Drizzle

Six course set menus for 6-10 guests start at $50 per person plus B.Y.O. Booze.
To book a reservation call Todd @ 778.389.7295.

WARNING! The following short film contains some cussin' and immature subject matter.

korea nite @ jang mo jib

2008-06-10T19:24:00.000-07:00

When eating at any busy Asian eatery in my hometown....I must admit that I take secret delight when noticing that I am one of the only round eyes in the room. Such a realization usually makes me feel as though I am on vacation somewhere far from home, and I tend to let my imagination run with it....enjoying an exotic adventure without the costly 17 hour flight and accompanying jet lag. My friend, Pedro , and I found just such a place last Sunday night. Owned and operated by the Moon family, Jang Mo Jib offers up spicy, authentic dishes that are fresh, healthy and homemade. The mother runs the kitchen while the father takes care of the floor and the business end of the operation. Both their son and daughter are also involved. Located at the foot of Vancouver's Robson Street, this three block stretch of the city has become well populated with a generous presence of Korean eateries. Click here to learn more about the Moon family's restaurant business from the 'Eating Global Vancouver' student film series.

Left: GAHL BEE SAL BOOL GO GEE- Korean style B.B.Q. beef short rib meat with house special B.B.Q. sauce. Right: KIM CHEE SOON DOO BOO- kimchi, radish, onion, green onion, egg and beef tofu in a clay hot pot.

HAE MOOL PAHJUN- Assorted seafood, green onion and crab meat Korean style pancake.

All entres are served with complimentary steamed rice plus a wide assortment of in-house fermented vegetables such as cabbage (kimchi), potato, seaweed and bean sprouts with carrots. Prices are affordable. Pedro and I dined on all that you see (with loads of leftovers) for $43 before beer. Jang Mo Jib also has two other locations; one on Kingsway in Vancouver and the other in Richmond.

Curtains outside the restrooms.