A Cooking Epiphany

I was at a friend's house for a birthday party on Sunday. For the record, it was a morning brunch in celebration of her youngest turning one. She had made a good selection of egg-based concoctions, all from recipe books. One was a huge success and was eaten up within 30 minutes. The second one was not as successful, judging by the fact there was still some left an hour later.

I was in the kitchen listening as she told her mother in law she probably wouldn't make the recipe again because it wasn't very flavourful and needed more seasoning. I wanted to yell (okay, interject loudly) right then and there, "Wait a second...you know you don't like it, you know what it needs to make it better, why not just modify it and make it again??". But I didn't. Mostly because at that moment, my little boo decided to make a break for it and I had to chase after him.

And then, just yesterday, it hit me. Not everyone cooks like me. This is a line that separates some cooks from others. Some people are content to just follow a recipe and discard it if it doesn't work for them. On the other side of this line, there are people like me who use recipes as a starting point. If we don't like the way something turns out, or want to try something different, we adjust and test and adapt. I'm sure there are other categories of cooks too (like those that eschew recipe books completely and like to invent there own creations - I think they call those people "professional chefs"), but it was enough of an epiphany for me at that point.

As I read some of my favorite foodie blogs that night, I realized that the other bloggers I admire also fall into the same camp as me (for the most part). So some of my misgivings about this whole blogging thing (like, is what I write really going to be interesting to anyone else?) might not be as serious as I thought. I felt re-energized and more confident that I can also contribute something of value to the foodie blogging world.

Have some Cake

Cake - Short Skirt, Long Jacket

I have a crazy amount of personal stuff to deal with this week, so the time I have to spend planning meals, shopping, and cooking is even more limited than usual. But I don't want my blog posts to suffer ;-). Haven't posted a video in a while, so here is one for a song I love to play while I'm cooking in the kitchen (in fact, the last time I blared this song, I was making my mom's birthday cake..)

The comments of the people listening to the song are pretty funny. Enjoy.

A Gift of Bread

My brother in law (I'll call him BIL - get it?) came over last night to pick my husband up to see the hockey game. He presented me with a bag and the words " A present for you". I opened the bag up to find a beautiful homemade loaf of braided bread. (see above) I was so touched, I ran into the kitchen and took a picture (does this qualify me as an obsessive foodie blogger?)

Once they left, I ripped off a little piece to taste it. Soft, moist, sweet. It reminded me a little bit of a pretzel, but without all the salt. I imagine spreading an orange marmelade, or maybe an apricot jam, on a slice would add just the right twist. Unfortunately, we're out of jam at the moment.

If you know BIL like I know BIL, then you know this: he can make a pretty darn good loaf of bread just by throwing together a pinch of this and a dash of that. I'm not sure where he picked it up, but I have been a beneficiary of this skill for a few years now.

My sister has the same skill too. In fact, I am waiting for her to show me how to make bread using the leftovers of our juicing escapades. Stay tuned...

mmmmm...cookies

Ever since my little boo was born, I've had a craving for baked goods. Honestly, I need some tasty little teatime treat every day. Scones, cookies or cake are preferred. Nothing else seems to satisfy.

Fortunately, I like to bake, and sometimes the little boo's naptimes give me enough time to whip up a batch. And as an added plus, my lima bean loves to spend time in the kitchen helping to make cookies, so it's a great way for us to spend some fun time together. We've got him stirring dry ingredients at the moment. My dream is that someday he will look back on these moments with fondness and it will inspire him to continue cooking as well. We'll see how that turns out.

The photo above is for the latest batch of homemade chocolate chip with walnuts and dried apricots. Made exactly as the recipe specifies and you get moist chocolatey treats that draw you in again and again until you finish off the batch. I call it the "new cookie math": 16 cookies are eaten by three people over three days. Person A eats 3 cookies. Person B eats 4 cookies. Does that make person C the biggest cookie hog ever?

Guilty.

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Apricots and Walnuts
Adapted from rebar: the modern cookbook

Makes 28-30 cookies

OFten we substitute (or augment) the dried apricots with dried cranberries. I will cut the amount of brown sugar and chocolate chips depending on how sweet and chocolatey I want them. I get the best results baking on a stoneware cookie tray from Pampered Chef, or using one of those silicone sheets with a regular tray. The bottoms are never ever burned...

Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter
**1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup dried apricots
1 1/2 cups wholewheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup raosted and chopped walnuts
**1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (a good kind)

** I often put less in. 1.5 cups of chocolate chips is ALOT of sugar...

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 F. Set aside a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (to prevent sticking). Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one ata time, blending each one in well before adding the next. Blend in the vanilla and set aside.

Using a food processor, pulse together the apricots with 1/2 cup flour. Chop them up fine and place in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the remaining flour, baking powder and salt. Add the wet mix and stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips.

Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of batter on the cookie sheet, leaving room for spreading. Bake for 9 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through baking. Cool on a wire rack.

Family Favorites: Cumin and Sesame Seed Encrusted Salmon

I lost my blogging mojo this week, after a good run this past month. Nothing like a daycare drama to divert your attention and give life a little bit of stress. One week ago, our daycare provider informed us she would not have the space she had promised to our second son (the boo), who will be going to daycare with his brother (the lima bean) when I go back to work. Despite the fact that we have been with her for two years, despite the fact that I have been talking about needing a space FOREVER. We want our two boys together, so there have been lots of converations back and forth, asking why, asking how and talking about what next. No answers yet. I know I'm not writing a lot of details, but that's on purpose. I've been upset and she has been keenly apologetic but it seems that there is nothing she can, or will do. We're stuck between the proverbial rock and hard place.

Tonight, however, I was finally able to move forward - I think, in part to the sympathetic ears I had from my running mom friends. And the fact that there are other options popping up here and there, only a week into the new search. Onward!

Cumin and Sesame Seed Encrusted Salmon

Serves 3

I've had this dish in my repetoire for about five years. I can't remember the original source, though I suspect it may have come from a Canadian Living magazine I read at my mother-in-law's house.

It's fast (prep time averages 10 minutes, cooking averages 12 minutes), easy (five ingredients, not including the sides) and tastes fantastic. Even the bean asked for seconds tonight - and as any mother knows, your kids are your toughest critics, so I consider this proof positive.

Ingredients
3x 8 oz salmon filets
2 tbsp mustard a l'ancienne (has the seeds in it)
2 tbsp honey
1 1/2 tbsp cumin seed
1 1/2 sesame seed (brown seed pictured)

Preparation

Pre-heat oven to 350F. Lay a piece of foil on a cookie sheet. Lay the salmon skin side down.

In one small bowl, mix the mustard and honey together. Brush onto the salmon.

In a second small bowl, mix the seeds together. Sprinkle them over the salmon.

Bake for about 12 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through and can be lifted off the foil and the skin stays.

Tonight I served it with boiled new potatoes (15 minutes) and a modified version of grilled asparagus with parmesan (recipe courtesy of Kalyn's Kitchen). I boiled the asparagus in water before mixing it with olive oil and sprinkling parmesan on it. I laid it on the same cookie sheet as the salmon to bake in the oven.

And my three year-old lima bean, who is an unwitting witness to this daycare drama? He's a smart cookie, and knows that something is up. He's not sleeping as well, and he's not fussing about leaving mommy at home to go to daycare. On the flipside, he refused to give our provider her standard hug and kiss today when I picked him up. He's a smart cookie, and any changes we make will be hard on him. But he's also resilient, and that's what I'm counting on.

Behind the Scenes

Am I the only one who is constantly tweaking my blog, or do others do it too?

I started this blog in 2003, thinking I would post reviews of the restaurants that I went to.. at that point in my life, we were dining out at least once a week at different places. We still try and go out now, but it's usually to the same, kid-friendly pub. I never took notes, so if I didn't post right away, I would forget details. So that died out. I tried to revive it a few times over the last 4 years, but I never had any real motivation. Plus I was just too busy with other stuff...

In the past month I have tried to be more active because my head is constantly filled with ideas. But the blog needed an overhaul. So I went looking for advice and inspiration. When I typed "restaurant review blog" into Google (or was it food blog popular"?), up popped a link for .the Amateur Gourmet, and the post was filled with lots of advice on how to make your food blog readable and interesting. The comments were filled with gratitude and thanks from a number of different bloggers. SOme of them even had links to their sites.

I followed a few, and read a few and then started my improvements. First thing to go was the design. Originally it was a dark olive background and black text. The blog title was also in text (a lovely orange). What was I thinking? The people who rely on me professionally for my knowledge of web design would be shocked.

I created an image header and have been tweaking the layout to get to something I like.

Next, the posts. I'm still working on this one. Images are a must. I took photography, and enjoy it, but photographing food and making it look appetizing is a real challenge which I am still perfecting. Grammar and voice - sometimes I read a post and see errors or omissions. Since I haven't really broadcast this blog yet, I feel okay about correcting things. For now.

Subject matter - also working on this one. I'm trying to figure out my niche, and a common thread to my posts. I'm a mom, but not necessarily a mommy blogger. Which I define as someone who incorporates a lot of stories about their kids. Though some do it pretty well. And let's face it, they are a big part of my life, and a lot of the experimenting I do is to try and find interesting, nutritious dishes that they will eat! I also don't have a lot of time to prepare elaborate meals. Nor am I a real gourmet wanna-be. But I like meals that look good, taste good and are easy to prepare, which is possible.

I've posted some links to food-themed songs and bands. I'll keep that because it taps into the quirkier side of my blog.

I tried posting a "Recipe of the Week", only to realize a) I don't want to be pinned to having to post a recipe every week and b) most of the recipes I post are because my family likes them (or at least two of us do). So out went "Recipe of the Week" and in came "Family Favorites".

So I'm still tweaking it. I'd like to change the URL and title of the blog, but the one I want is being used, sort of. I'd like to think my writing will get better over time, especially if I get feedback.

So that's it for now. I reserve the right to add more as I continue to tweak ;-)

The Family that juices together..

What can I say about juicing? Okay, I was inspired to post about our juice adventures by Jen at Becoming a Foodie, because she had written about a not-so-good first experience with juicers. (Plus, she made a comment about people who juice to feel superior, and I just knew that wasn't at all why we juice). Last time I checked though, she had tried again, with help and better results.

But here's what I have to say. First of all, I'm thrilled that even though I was the one to buy the juicer (used), my HUSBAND has taken up the habit of buying the juice ingredients, and gets all excited about vegetable what he'll juice next. This from a man who tries to avoid vegetables as much as possible. Oh, he'll eat salad, but only so my sister stops teasing him about it. So the juicer has been good to get vegetables into him, even if he's missing the fibre.

Secondly, not only is my husband juicing, but he gets my 3 year old involved too, by letting him plunge the ingredients into the juicer and watching them get shredded. What more could a three year old boy who loves machines ask for? And this is great because we have 1) found a way to get veggies into him (because he's starting to get picky) and 2) given him another positive experience in the kitchen (in addition to baking cakes and cookies with me).

Finally, juicing has opened my eyes to other possible creations. The juicer we have is a Breville, and though it makes great juice, I have a peeve about the amount of liquidy pulp leftover (maybe if we bought a higher end juicer, there would be more juice in the juice, and less in the pulp, but I digress). In conversation with my sister about this (because juicing has become a conversation piece lately), she suggested making bread with the pulp. Or putting it in muffins. Which I thought was a great idea! I just have to learn how to do it. Muffins shouldn't be too hard, because I make them all the time and I think I have a good enough feel for how they need to turn out (famous last words), but bread, and successful bread using juice pulp, eludes me. Fortunately, my sister knows exactly what to do and has volunteered to come over and show me - as soon as she can find the time between her schoolwork and obsessive need to make sure her daughter goes down for her nap no later than 12:36 pm everyday.

And so, I leave you with two more images of juice at our house.

In search of Shitakes and other fun ingredients

I was so excited today to go to Chinatown and visit the Kowloon Market. It's not a place I can walk to, but it's the best place to buy shitake mushrooms and that's what I needed for the recipe for dinner tonight - a shitake brown rice pilaf. I love pilafs, and this recipe appealed to me because it used brown BASMATI rice and roasted pecans.

The Chinese grocery stores are a true experience. The aisle signs were all in Chinese, so I had to wander up and down each of the crammed and narrow aisles to find what I was looking for. Some products I recognized (tofu, wonton wraps, noodles). Some I didn't (bugogi). Some I would be reticent to try, even in my most experimental moods (chicken feet, sea cucumber). At the back of the store, whole fresh (I hope) fish packed on ice, presented in blue recycling bins. Even if I had brought my camera with me, which I forgot, I would have felt very self-conscious about snapping pictures. However, it was a highly sensory experience - smells, colors, textures...

I picked up two bags of dried shitake mushrooms (because let's face it, with a three year old and one year old, who knows when I'll be able to get there again), along with some edamame. I also tried to find some items that our family might eat, that wouldn't be found in the "regular" grocery stores.

Part of the reason I did this is because I was inspired by another foodie project to spend $20 at Whole Foods on things that look "interesting, gross or exciting". I wish we had a Whole Foods here, but I know there are plenty of great places to find the same type of things.

So how did the Shitake Brown Rice Pilaf turn out? *sigh* not great. After my successful invention with leftovers, following this rebar recipe didn't yield the success I hoped for. I think the biggest problems were:

1) the amount of liquid (2 cups of hot water reserved from the soaking of the mushrooms) was not enough, or else something happened and it boiled away too quickly. The result was that the rice had that partially-cooked, crunchy texture. I hate that texture. Next time I think I might cook the rice and mushrooms separately from the onions to see if that makes a difference.

2) I used regular fresh mushrooms instead of the additional fresh shitakes it called for. I have only so many stops I can make in the ingredient search when I tote my toddlers, so sometimes I have to substitute for what I have. In this case, I think it took away from the overall dish.

3) One of the leeks I used was quite large, and I wonder if maybe that set the taste balance over to far in the direction of onion, instead of nutty pilaf or mushroom.

So, instead of a photo of the dish I made, I've posted a photo of the fun stuff I bought. Maybe I'll invent a dessert using what I bought instead ;-).



If you want to try the recipe, here it is:

Shitake Brown Rice Pilaf
(from rebar modern food cookbook)

Serves 4 (yes it does)

1 oz dried shitake mushrooms
2 cups boiling water
2 leeks, mostly white and green parts
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz fresh shitake mushrooms
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup brown basmati rice
1/2 cup pecans, roasted and roughly chopped
4 scallions, minced for garnish

1. Soak the dried mushroms in hot water for at least 30 mins. Strain and reserve the cooking liquid. Finely mince the mushrooms and set aside.

2. Quarter the leek whites lengthwise and chop into 1/2" dice. Place in a colander and run cold water over them to rinse of excess grit. Stem the fresh shitake mushrooms and slice thinly.

3. In a medium sized pot, heat the oil and saute the leeks, garlic and minced soaked shitakes with 1/2 tsp salt until the leeks are soft. Add rice and continue to saute to toast the rice grains. Add 2 cups of the reserved mushroom-soaking liquid, the remaining salt, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to very low and let the rice steam for 45 minutes. Turn off the head and let the rice sit for an additional 10 minutes. Don't peek!

4. Before serving, heat another tablespoon of oil in the skillet and sear the sliced shitakes until golden (the fresh ones). Deglaze the pan with a splash of white wine or balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn the cooked rice to a serving dish and gently stir in the sauteed mushrooms and roasted pecans. Garnish with scallions and serve hot.

Family Favorites: Buckwheat Cauliflower Bake

Based on: Quinoa Cauliflower Bake in Hollyhock Cooks



I'm going back in time at the moment and posting recipes I love, but am not necessarily cooking today.

My mom bought me the cookbook after we raved about the Oatmeal Bake, a breakfast recipe. In all honesty, "Hollyhock Cooks" is full of delicious tasting food. Most of the recipes use ingredients that are fairly easy to come by as well.

I've been making this recipe for about 7 months now and it has been a real hit with family and friends. In the last week, I've sent this to four different people, on request. It's tasty (especially with the mix of feta and kalamata) and healthy.

The first time I made it, I picked up orange and purple cauliflower to use - and it makes a very pretty looking bake. As soon as the veggies come back at the farmer's market, you can bet I'll take a picture.

This recipe is my adaptation of it. I'm sure other cheese/grain/olive combinations are possible!

Ingredients:
2 tbsp sunflower oil
3 cups diced onion
3 chopped and rinsed leeks
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 coarsely chopped cauliflower head
juice of 1 lemon
*1 tsp+ fresh dill
1 cup pitted and coarsely chopped kalamata olives
*1/4 cup+ chopped fresh parsley
pepper and salt
2 cups crumbled feta
2 cups cooked buckwheat groats or kasha

* the + signs indicate that I sometimes add more, since we like these herbs.

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Make buckwheat. To get what you need, add 1 cup dry grains to 2 cups boiling water.

3. In a large saucepan sautee the onions, leeks and garlic in the oil until
the onion is soft, about 10 minutes. Add the cauliflower, stir and
cover, allowing the cauliflower to steam for 5 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients
and stir well.

5. Gently press into a lightly oiled baking dish. I often divide the mixture into two 8x8 pans and freeze one - it works well because one 8x8 serves the three of us with a little left over. If you had a bigger group, use a 9x13 pan.

6. Garnish with paprika, if you like, or leave it plain - the green colour of the parsley and the dill come through. Bake at 350F for 30-40 minutes. Serve hot.

the great milk debate

There's a debate raging in our household, and we're not sure how to solve it. We drink a lot of milk (probably about 16 litres every 10 days between 3 people). We're concerned about the environment, and we're also increasingly concerned about what hormones and chemicals we ingest. At least my husband and I are. The Lima Bean generally goes along with whatever we decide in that department, as long as the end result is a glass of milk at the table, and a bottle of milk at bedtime.

Four litres of milk cost approximately $5 when it comes in the 3 plastic pouch bags and $8 if we buy it in two x 2L milk cartons. We haven't checked the price on a 4L plastic jug yet. Now, if we shift over to organic milk, the price changes to $8 for 3 plastic pouch bags and then goes up from there.

In Ontario, the cartons and plastic jugs are recyclable, but the plastic bags (the cheapest alternative) are not. We can wash, dry and re-use them, but eventually, they will end up in a landfill.(For all we know, the other options will as well, but I prefer to remain optimistic on that front that they are indeed being recycled). And then there is a bottled milk option where we are....which is probably the best of all options since it is produced locally by what I perceive (but am not entirely sure) is a smaller dairy farm. And I have no idea how much that option costs at all.

So here's our foodie dilemma. How do we remain cost and health conscious, but at the same time environmentally responsible? Should we suck it up and plunk down whatever it costs for the organic milk that has the best recycling possibility? Do we sacrifice the environment, or our health? How much of a danger really is non-organic milk in Ontario?

We're starting to pay more attention now to what we buy, and eat. Our meat is all antibiotic-free and free-range, if it isn't organic, and I do buy organic when I think it makes the most sense. All the jarred foods we buy for the littlest monkey are organic. I like the idea of eating locally, but only if I am sure their practices jive with what I think is responsible (ie no pesticides, no chemicals..)

I find this issue to be such a quagmire, and there is only so much time I can devote to researching it. I will have to do some reasearch. I'll try and publish what I find here, but if anyone out there has any comments or feedback in the meantime, I'd love to hear it....

necessity: the mother of invention

This recipe was submitted to Presto Pasta Nights!

I had a food emergency tonight, and survived. The grocery stores were madhouses yesterday, and I didn't feel like braving the lineups. We had dinner out last night and brunch at my sister's this morning. I'd invited friends over for dinner, knowing full well I had no idea what I was serving.

I took inventory of my fridge and my cupboards. Among other things I found: half a container of ricotta cheese, lots of mozza, 3 sweet potatoes, the remains of a batch of spinach, 3/4 of a box of lasagna noodles, some cream cheese, about half a small container of olive garlic pesto, a zucchini and a yellow pepper. So I did what anyone else in my shoes would do. I made a veggie lasagna.



Our friends, who we have shared many a collaborative Thanksgiving dinner with, supplied a lovely tomato and bocconcini salad dressed with balsamic vinegar along with an olive foccacia. And cheese, and crackers. We supplied the wine and dessert (home made cookies and tea). All in all, wonderful things to go with the lasagna. Or food we could rely on to sustain us if the lasagna didn't work out.

In the end, I didn't have to worry. The lasagna was a complete success, eaten up by everyone including my little ones.

So here's the recipe for the lasagna, with a very boring title. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know!

Garlic, Sweet Potato and Spinach Lasagna

Serves 4 average portions in an 8x8 baking dish

Ingredients
1 large zucchini
3 sweet potatoes
small bunch of spinach
1/2 yellow pepper
1 box lasagna noodles
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated fine
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup olive garlic pesto

My Preparation

I peeled and boiled the sweet potatoes until they were soft enough to pierce easily with a fork. Slice them into 5 mm slices (fairly thin), They were soft enough that I could mash the slices between my fingers.

I sliced the zucchini widthwise into thin slices. I could just as easily have sliced lengthwise.

I mixed the ricotta and the pesto together in a bowl, and washed the spinach and cut the stems off, leaving only the leaves.

Then I started layering:
Layer 1: zucchini
Layer 2: lasagna noodles
Layer 3: grated mozza cheese
Layer 4: spinach
Layer 5: ricotta/pesto mix
Layer 6: sweet potato slices
Layer 7: lasagna noodles
Layer 8: zucchini
Layer 9: grated mozza cheese

yellow pepper to garnish

I cooked it for 45 minutes at 375 F, covered in foil. At the 45 minute mark, I removed the foil and cooked it for another 10-15 minutes.

Family Favorites: Mixed Frozen Berry Crisp

In addition to being a chocolate fiend, I am also a dessert fiend. This recipe showed up in the April 2008 issue of Today's Parent (the Canadian Edition). For the most part, I like the recipes I find in this magazine. Simple to prepare, using ingredients I have in my kitchen and, because it's a magazine geared towards parents, the recipes are typically kid-friendly. As long as you don't have a picky eater. Which I don't. Yet. But never say never.

Berry desserts of any sort are pretty propular in this house so I knew I'd be pretty safe making this for dinner. The other appeal was that it allowed me to use up the ricotta we have sitting in the fridge. I try my hardest not to let food go bad in our fridge, and ever since I've actually started planning menus and buying to the lists, it's been pretty easy.

The recipe promises a 10 minute prep time and a 40 minute cooking time.

I made a few changes - I left out the sugar in the berry/ricotta base because I figured the berries would be sweet enough (as well as the half a cup of brown sugar in the topping). And I added extra lemon zest.

15 minutes later (I had to work an extra little bit to get the frozen berries out of the bag), the dessert was ready to cook!

Out came the Sicilian Meatballs (yes, we made them again), in went the dessert. I put it in an 8x8 glass dish as the recipe says, but would have preferred to have ramekins for individual portions (as pictured in the magazine). So much prettier and much more classy. It would have photographed better as well.

If a photo is worth 1000 words, here's a 1000 words on how my oldest monkey liked it. No words from the youngest monkey, but maybe there will be the next time I make it for him.



Mixed Frozen Berry Crisp

The recipe says it serves 8, but the way we cut it, it served more like 6. I may not have added enough berries, since I had a 2 kg bag and guessed.

Topping
1/2 cup wholewheat flour
1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup butter

Filling
600 g pkg frozen berries
2 tbsp white all-purpose flour
zest of lemon
1 cup light or regular ricotta cheese

*I omitted the 1/4 cup of sugar because I figured it would be sweet enough with the berries and the sugar in the topping. We didn't miss it. If you do add it, it gets mixed in with the lemon zest and then mixed with the berries.

Preheat the oven to 375F. In a small bowl, mix the flour, oats, cinnamon and sugar. Cut cold butter as you would carrots. Slice into sticks, line them up and then dice. Add to flour mixture, and use your fingers to distribute as evenly as possible.

In an 8 in square baking dish or a 10 in diameter deep-dish pie plate, toss together berries and flour. Mix the lemon zest in with the berries.

Insert 1/4 cup dollops of ricotta in four places between the berries (not on top). Sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit mixture. Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes, or until bubbling.

I got Choc-o-lot in my Pock-o-lot

Like a large majority of people, I love chocolate. My preference is for dark chocolate (though 75% is about my limit - after that it gets too dry)

We've been buying a lot of higher end chocolate bars. By higher end, I mean one that costs more than the basic candy bar which use low grade chocolate (According to Wikipedia, the term is compound chocolate). There are definitely even better chocolates out there (hello Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut) but the is a quick and easy indulgence.

Here's some of the ones we like:

Lindt Excellence Madagscar: a sweet, smooth aftertaste (65% cocoa)
Lindt Creation Cherry Chili: chocolate with a wicked chili pepper jelly fill that kicks (70% cocoa)
Cemoi Noir Quinoa (Organic): chocolate with crunchy quinoa. kind of like a chocolate covered rice krispie square, only healthier (60% cocoa)

Hubby brought this one home today. This purchase was tongue in cheek - a reference to his desire for a man hut all of his own.



Literally, the label is translated as "dark man chocolate Bitter for men", but really, it could be interpreted in so many ways. *wink*

(Note: the title of this post is in reference to a Laurie Berkner song. The Lima Bean is nutso for Laurie. If you have kids and need music you can listen to as well, Laurie's albums are great!)


When I walk I walk a lot
And when I talk I talk a lot
And when I’m not, what do I got?

Choc-o-lot! I got choc-o-lot!
I got choc-o-lot in my pock-o-lot!


...

Food-related songs: Lyle Lovett, Keep it in Your Pantry

Two days before Valentine's Day, my husband took me to see Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt in concert (a real date with no kids!). It was amazing, and when they jammed together it reminded me of my favorite moments of festivals where they have workshops and members of various bands takes turns playing acoustic versions of songs and jamming with each other.

When Lyle Lovett played "Keep it in Your Pantry", I knew I had to add it to this blog somehow. The version below is a little hard to hear, and a little too bluegrass for my taste, but the lyrics still move the foodie in me. Excuse me while I go make some cornbread.

Family Favorites: Sicilian Meatballs

Recipe source: Rachael Ray

With two kids under the age of three, meals at restaurants are rare (hence the fits and starts to this blog). But we are experimenting a lot with food and new recipes, and this recipe has quickly become a family favourite. So in lieu of restaurant reviews, I'm offering a look at the recipes we love to cook.

My husband came across this recipe while at work. He has a TV in his office (for work purposes mind you) and while cruising the channels, he caught a glimpse of Danny DeVito. Being a fan of DD, he stopped to watch (our tax dollars, hard at work ;-)). Danny was showing Rachael Ray his recipe for Sicilian Meatballs.

I'm glad he stopped. These are no ordinary meatballs. The size of baseballs, they include tasty ingredients like currants, parsley and pine nuts. Smother them with crushed tomatoes (in juice) and they are incredibly delicious!

We've made the meatballs many times over the past month, and each time, they've been different (explanation: the list of ingredients seems long. we read it off the computer screen in our kitchen. the kids demand attention. we lose our concentration. voila!)Our key ingredients are pine nuts, currants, and extra parsley. And lots of tomatoes.

The recipe suggests serving a salad and a basil/black pepper/ricotta mix alongside. We tried it once, but it didn't go over so well (both the salad and the ricotta mix). Instead, we serve it with rotini pasta, a family staple.

It's recipes like this that keep me from becoming a complete vegetarian.

Danny Devito's Sicilian Meatballs (our version)

The main differences between the recipe posted here and the one on RR's site is that we dropped the pinch of red pepper flakes (lima bean doesn't like spicy) as well as the salad and ricotta side.

Ingredients
4-5 slices of bread, torn up
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cans tomatoes (28 ounces)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds ground sirloin
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1 teaspoon allspice
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted and chopped
1/4 cup currants
1 egg

Preparation
Pre-heat the oven to 425ºF.

In a small bowl, place torn up bread and pour milk over it; set aside to soak.

Drizzle a good amount of EVOO into a roasting pan, then pour in the two cans of tomatoes and crush them up with your hands or a potato masher. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and set aside while you prepare the meatballs.

In a large bowl, combine ground sirloin, garlic, parsley, grated Parmigiano Reggiano, allspice, red pepper flakes, pine nuts, currants and the egg and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Squeeze out excess milk from the soaking bread (it should be loose and in small pieces), add it to the meat mixture and mix everything with your hands to combine.

Form 12 baseball-size balls, each about 2 1/2 inches in diameter, and place them on top of the mashed tomatoes in the roasting pan. Transfer to the oven and roast until the meatballs are brown and cooked through, about 30 minutes.

Food-related songs (okay a band): Blancmange

Yes, I am a child of the 80s. I remember taping the video below off of MuchMusic, the Canadian equivalent to MTV. And for some reason this song has come back in my head, along with the visual of the band members standing on a pile of furniture. I had the strangest urge to see it again. With the VCR cassette long since taped over, or thrown out, I searched and found it on YouTube (whatever did we do before the You came along?). And it fit right in with this blog because Blancmange is a dessert. But I've never actually made it. And I probably won't. It doesn't realy appeal to me at this time.

Sidebar: I always thought the band Blancmange was a one hit wonder, but when I searched the band name, I found many many more songs and a bio that said they had a number of hit albums. Go figure.

the red apron - 571 Gladstone Ave - February 2008

Well, here I am again, making excuses for being away so long. We have 2 kids now. The Bean is almost 3, and the Boo is almost a year old. The past year has been chaos.

But I'm back with a new resolve to try and be more consistent. Especially since in the past year, my appreciation of good food and good restaurants has grown. I've also expanded my culinary skills - new cookbooks, new sources for ingredients and attempts to experiment with a new recipe every week (more on that later).

But first - an entry to highlight a service (as opposed to restaurant) that has enriched many a dinner and made life so much easier for me.

The red apron describe themselves as purveyors of "sophisticated comfort food" and if you sign up for their meal plan, you experience their take on this three nights a week.

Each delivery has a main entree, a vegetable side and often a bread or grain. Ingredients are good quality and sourced as locally as possible. Past menus have included Berkshire pork, seafood chowders, multi-grain pilafs. Portions are adequate for people who eat a lot of food. (Two portions serve my hubby, my toddler son and me with almost nothing left over).

Here's a sample of the upcoming week:

Tuesday
Thai Style Salmon with a Basil Green Curry Sauce
Jasmine Rice with Vermicelli & Lentils
Sauté of Baby Bok Choy & Asian Vegetables


Wednesday
Roasted Chicken in a Tomato White Wine Sauce
Lemon Herbed Spaetzle
Green Beans with Sundried Tomatoes

Thursday
Chili Mustard Glazed Beef Brisket
Roasted Root Vegetables with Sea Salt
Crushed Cauliflower with Leeks & Cream
'Art-is-In' Multi Grain Rolls

Before they moved to their current location, they were a stone's throw (literally) from our house. At first, I resisted the temptation--but when I wanted to do something special for our wedding anniversary 6 weeks after baby #2 was born, I turned to them, and they delivered a special meal, even though I was not an official customer and was not signed up on the meal plan. They even threw in a dessert, not normally part of the regular meal. After that, we were hooked, and I think since then we've averaged one week a month, plus some of their freezer meals.

HIGHLIGHTS (both of these were from the freezer)

Bison Pie: the beef was very tender, as if it had been stewed before it was put in the pie. When I close my eyes, I can still remember the sweet tastes of the wine and berries infused in the gravy, and the finely chopped potatoes and carots that also filled the pie. The crust was flaky and light. I only wish I could do crusts like that. We bought two more after that, but maybe the preparation changed because although flavourful, the meat was just not as tender as the first time.

Lamb Moussaka: For New Year's Eve this year, we invited a family over and each provided part of the meal. I bought a frozen moussaka and served it up that night with a greek salad and couscous, which I made myself. Layers of thinly sliced eggplant, combined with the lamb and a multitude of other vegetables made this an instant hit.

Portion prices (for one week) $102 for 2, $144 for 3, $180 for 4. Always check the list of what they have in their freezer too.

The Pelican Grill, 1500 Bank Street, April 14, 2006

This is the place to go for seafood! I often pick up salmon from the Pelican Fishery (attached to the Grill) and I overheard they would be open for Good Friday. Since we had friends who wanted fish for Friday dinner, we wound up going to the grill.

It's a good thing I called for a reservation, otherwise we never would have gotten in. The service was good - the servers wer every attentive and polite.

And the food was delicious! Best seafood I I have had in a long time. We all remarked that it was the best seafood dinner ever, even despite the fact that one of our group doesn't eat seafood (warning here: there are no main dishes without seafood in them).

I have never seen (or tasted) mussels as fresh or as voluptuous as the ones they served my hubby and his friend. Served in a garlic and white wine sauce, each mussel was plump and juicy. The appetizer could have served as a meal on its own. For my main dish, I ordered the paella. For the first time I have ever seen in a restaurant, it had more seafood in it than anything else. Each bite had at least one piece of squid, or shrimp. There might have also been some scallops included, and I know I got more mussels. Hubby had cedar planked salmon with vegetables. I wish i had tried some.

Even our sweet baby ate more than I have ever seen him eat! One dinner roll, along with a selection of green beans, carrots and broccoli that came from our plates. And this was after he finished his standard half jar of baby food and cereal that he typically eats.

Prices were probably in line with what you would expect to pay for seafood (The paella was $19), but it was certainly worth it. As far as ambiance and comfort goes.. it was a little loud and bright. The layout is such that you can see the bustle of kitchen through one of those pass throug windows. The servers all kind of circle around and back that area, picking up orders, ringing in checks...a casual atmosphere for sure. I felt a little cramped at our table, but again, the quality of the food is high.

Even the crusty buns were fresh and hot, and the butter served with it was already softened, which always makes it much easier to spread.

This will certainly be a place we return to.

Georgetown Pub, Bank Street @ Belmont (formerly the Fergus Inn)

This place has become a bit of a hangout for us since we instituted Pub Fridays. The deal there is that we needed a way to see friends that we almost never see now that we have a baby. And it also means that once a week, I'm guaranteed someone else cooks. It's worked out pretty well, since it's not as crowded as Patty's Pub. Most of the people we go with also have kids. We've even got a favorite table - the one around the corner from the door that has a big table and it's own TV. It's set away from the rest of the restaurant - which is good if baby is fussy, and we have a ton of room for strollers and high chairs.

Some of the things we have learned about this place:
- service can be pretty good, though there is at least one waitress who has screwed up our orders and backtalked our guests.
- The cheese that is extra with the lamb burger is totally not worth ordering.
- Baby loves the sweet potato fries (he's a bit of a sweet potato monster!).
- the Chocolate Pecan Pie is amazing the first time, and then it became too sweet the second time I had it.

I'd definitely pick it as a place to go now over the Arrow and Loon - since the change in management and ownership, the Loon just is not the same homey neighbourhood pub it used to be..

Siam Kitchen, Bank Street - November 6, 2005

I guess we don't get out much anymore. Baby is now almost 6 months old! Hard to believe. He's pretty easy to take out though, so we do try and get out as much as we can. As he gets harder to entertain though - it may become more difficult. We did have to leave quickly around 8:30pm as he was fussy to go to sleep.

Siam Kitchen has always been a favourite of ours - it's quite close to home, so it's easy to walk to. I really like Thai food in general. The quality of the food is generally quite good - though the service can sometimes be a little less than good. Hubby commented that when we order for pickup, the waitress gets kind of snarky.

This time we chose to eat in -- I chose the vegetarian friend rice and Hubby chose the Chef's special with the spicy shrimp. It's artfully served in a pineapple with veggies. My other favourite dish is the shrimp and squid stir fry -- also listed under Chef's Special Suggestions. We started with spring rolls (Vermicelli, rice paper and shrimp) and the chicken satay with peanut sauce. It can be a challenge to eat with a child in arms - fortunately the Siam Kitchen is somewhat kids friendly - there was another family there that night as well.