red wine, pasta and pictures

squid with pasta and tomato sauce

My son, the Bean, has taken a keen interest in taking pictures with our camera (a Sony Cybershot 10.1 MP). Some of his photos are very good (as good as an adult might take). Most are blurry, since he tends to move to the next shot as soon as his finger is off the button. All of them are fascinating because they really give a good idea of how a three year old views our world.

Along with taking photos of his family members, the Bean's photos have three main themes: "Looking Up", "The Toy Series" and "Textures and Patterns". He even knows to put the strap on his wrist before he takes pictures, and when he reviews them. ( I love our camera, and really don't want to have to replace it for a while!). It's further proof to me that he watches what I do - and what parent doesn't like it when their child wants to be just like them?

Tonight was our turn to cook for the weekly dinner with BIL and GIL. While the Bean snapped photo after photo, I cooked up a dish I had been dreaming about. Two kinds of pasta, a package of squid, some leftover onions, parsley, garlic, red wine and tomato sauce and voilà! To help me along, I used a combination of a recipe from Bon Appétit for squid in red wine and tomato sauce, and one from a Greek cookbook my dad used to own.

At dinner it was BIL's turn to spill the wine. "Too much time spent with this one," was his explanation, pointing to GIL.

We all agreed the Bean had talent, and should get his own camera.

Squid in Red Wine and Tomato Sauce, Nikos Style
serves 4
(recipe sources: epicurious.com and Greek with Gusto!)

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound cleaned squid, tentacles left whole, bodies cut crosswise into 1/2-inch rings *
1 28 oz can of tomatoes, chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp dried and crushed oregano or 2 tablespoons fresh
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
equal portions of whole wheat and spinach fettuccini

* I used a package of pre-cut frozen squid pieces, It worked fine.

Preparation

Put a pot of water on to boil. When the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook to al dente. While the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until golden, about 7 minutes. Add squid and sauté 1 minute. Add tomatoes, garlic, wine, parsley, oregano, tomato paste, and crushed red pepper. Simmer until squid is tender and sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Remove the sauce from heat. Serve the pasta in bowls and spoon the sauce overtop. Serve immediately.

This recipe has been submitted to Presto Pasta Nights, started (and hosted this week) by Ruth of Once Upon a Feast. You, too, can take your turn hosting Presto Pasta Nights. Check out the Presto Pasta Nights website for more details, and other great pasta trivia.

199 more words on milk..

I found this article from the Toronto Star that highlights some differences between organic milk and conventional milk. It substantiates a lot of what I wrote, misses some information and adds some new information.

It is interesting to note that pesticides are not covered in this article either.

I've copied their summary chart verbatim, below. But do check out the original article.

CONVENTIONAL MILK

• no growth hormones (rbST)
• other hormones for lactation timing and/or breeding purposes may be used
• medicated feed (feed with low-level antibiotics) not allowed
• antibiotics to treat sick animals allowed
• feed additives such as Rumensin, to increase growth, may be present
• animal by-products from poultry/pig may be used **
• no mandatory outdoor access (but most have access)
• cows may be tied in a "tie stall"or freer to move in "free stall"

ORGANIC MILK

• no hormones of any sort
• no medicated feed
• no antibiotics unless animal's life in danger; taken out of system for at least two weeks
• no feed additives
• no animal by-products in feed
• mandatory outdoor access (weather permitting)
• cows may be penned in a tie stall or free stall

two thousand words on milk

A while ago I wrote about a big debate that was raging in our house about whether or not we should be buying organic milk.

Like a lot of my neighbors and friends, I had the perception that organic milk was better than “regular” milk because it didn’t include hormones, antibiotics or pesticides (three items on my list of things I would rather my kids didn’t ingest). And as I wrote previously, we drink A LOT of milk in this house. Four litres every two or three days to be exact.

Here in Ontario (and presumably in a lot of other places) organic milk is twice the price of regular milk. While I value my children's health and well-being and would pay if there were serious issues, I needed to learn more about the benefits of organic milk.

I relied on the web to do a little research. There are a lot of sites that have opinions on organic milk. I tried to keep to credible sources. I also tried to narrow my search as much as possible to Canadian and Ontario milk.

The answers I found were surprising, and also raised more questions.

Interested? Read on.

The Business of Milk

According to the Dairy Farmers of Ontario, "milk is the most heavily safety-tested food in the Canadian food supply system. Ontario dairy farms are inspected regularly under Dairy Farmers of Ontario Raw Milk Quality Program to ensure that Ontario milk meets provincial standards. Inspectors ensure that all surfaces and equipment are clean and that milk is cooled efficiently. Inspectors also look for Grade A management practices such as good cow housing, sufficient pasture area and exclusion of milk from cows that are being treated for illness with drugs or antibiotics. "

Agriculture Canada says that "dairy production generates $4.84 billion in total farm cash receipts and $11.5 billion in manufacturing sales. The dairy industry ranks fourth in the Canadian agricultural sector following grains, red meats and horticulture...[and is] also renowned for the superior quality of its cattle herd. Canada exports genetic material to 84 different countries."

Milk is seriously big business.

Antibiotic-free?

The Canada Food Inspection Agency says this:

Milk shall not be sold that …[among other things] is contaminated by chemical, veterinary drug residue, inhibitory substance residue or any other foreign substance.

Natrel, a large milk producer (so take this for what it's worth), has interpreted the Dairy Farmers of Ontario and the Dairy Products Regulations Canada (Canada Agriculture Products Act) source information to come up with this:

Whether organic or non-organic, milk from a cow given antibiotics is discarded for a minimum of 2 days after the cow has finished its treatment. The amount of time a cow is taken out of the system, and the amount of antibiotic it is given is determined by a veterinarian, whether at an organic or non organic farm.

I'm going to assume that everyone follows these regulations. Which means that there are no antibiotic residues in our milk - either organic or regular.

Score one for regular milk.

rBGH free!

This section is for all my friends who don't want to give their kids regular milk because of fear of hormones.

The hormone that freaks everyone out has a name: recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (or rBGH for short). It’s also known as rbST. It's a big debate in the US because it's permitted there, and a lot of milk sold in the US has traces of rBGH. In Canada, however, this hormone was banned by the Canadian government in 1999.

The original press release appears to no longer be available, but I found references to the decision in a variety of places - two of which are Scientific American and here.

And again, Natrel is pretty emphatic in their FAQ:

The growth and lactation hormones (RBST, BST, RGBH or any other growth or lactation hormone) are illegal in Canada. ….No cow in Canada is allowed to be given these growth or lactation hormones and so no milk [organic or regular] in Canada contains any of these hormones*. The Canadian Dairy Farmers are one of the main lobbyists against allowing the use of growth or lactation hormones in Canada.

*emphasis is mine

I did discover, however, there are six hormones that are allowed in beef in Canada. Three are natural (progesterone, testosterone and estradiol-17ß; ) and three are synthetic (trenbolone acetate (TBA), zeranol and melengestrol acetate (MGA). Supposedly the synthetic ones are more stable analogs of the three natural ones, according to a report by the Center for Global Food Issues, which provides an interesting US perspective on the allowable hormones.

I’m choosing to believe that the actual danger of these hormones is minimal (especially the natural ones), thanks to an article written for Nursing BC around the time that rBGH was banned in Canada.

Score two for regular milk.

What about pesticides?

I will admit that the data for this section has so far been tough to find, and most of the conclusions are drawn from verbal sources. By using the terms [pesticide residue in milk Canada] I got a lot of links to pesticides in breast milk, plus a link to the Total Diet Studies carried out by Health Canada. They list the amount of pesticides detected in a number of foods for various regions, but did not list pesticides in milk specifically.

I have been told that cows who produce organic milk are either grass-fed or fed pesticide-free grain, whereas cows that produce non-organic milk may not be. I say "may not" because I know from speaking with my cousin in Alberta (who grows feed barley) that they do not use pesticides. I need to learn more about pesticide use in Ontario. Could it be, as she says, that "[p]esticides control nasty bugs, which thanks to our winters, Canada doesn't have much of...". That would be ideal.

I found this information about pesticides in grass and soil:

According to the Organic Center : about 95 percent of the residues found [in a 2004 test of milk] were DDE, a breakdown product of the well-known chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticide DDT, which was banned from agricultural use in the early 1970s. If the Organic Center report is to believed, both conventional and organic farmers can do little to avoid the DDE residues in milk since it is crops AND grasses and can be found in the fat of virtually all people and dairy cattle around the world..Moreover, according to their study, the bigger pesticide health risk is in vegetables and fruits, as the levels of pesticide residue were higher in those items than in milk.

On a Canadian site I found this quote:

If the same levels of DDT found in human breast milk were found in cow's milk today, the product would be banned. -- Plan B Organic Farms, Hamilton “What’s the Deal with Pesticides?”)

I’m still waiting for an e-mail response to a question about the original source.

Until I can get better data, I think my conclusion here is this: it seems like whether you buy organic or non-organic milk, there are pesticides. I guess the question is “in what quantity?


In the End

My search (as sleep deprived and limited by the web as it might be) has helped me decide that the key differences I thought existed between organic and regular milk just are not there.

I won't argue that organic milk has nutritional benefits. However, my kids have a pretty balanced diet filled with fruits vegetables and other meats, so the additional health benefits of organic milk are less appealing to me.

For now, unless someone can convince me otherwise, my decision is to stick to regular milk (in recyclable containers) as often as possible, and save the money I would spend on organic milk for other things.

If anyone has any other constructive thoughts, I'd love to hear them....

FINAL DISCLAIMER: I do not profess to be a milk expert, or an organics expert, or a nutrition expert. I was just interested in seeing what information I could find about the differences between organic milk and regular, or conventional milk. Other people have found and may find additional information. I just had to stop researching and start writing at some point)

weekend hollyhock pestos

I love our neighbourhood for a number of reasons. One, it's within walking distance of downtown, and a growing farmer's market. Two, it's close to bike paths that run for kilometers along a canal and a river, and in late April/early May, these pathways are abloom with all colors of tulips. Three, we have one of the best playgrounds in the city within four blocks of our house (and that's not just my opinion). It too is surrounded by lots of green space. And finally, living here, I feel a real sense of community. I know more of my neighbours in this area than I ever did living for 17 years in the house I grew up in. Maybe having two little kids and a very social cat helps people get to know us - but still, there is something special about being able to walk down the street on a regular basis and stop and talk to one, two or more of your neighbours as you walk by. And I love the diversity of the people who live in the community too.

This weekend, our neighbour down the street (I'll call her the Flower Lady) hosted a block party and asked everyone to bring a little something. The Flower Lady is one of the special people in our lives who can completely engage the Bean in long discussions (long for a three year old)-usually about bugs and flowers. Her smiles are genuine and her laugh is infectious. The Bean likes her a lot and so do we.

Just that week, I'd had a wonderful sundried tomato pesto made with sunflower seeds at my sister's house. She served it as a spread with a baguette, some cream cheese and baby spinach. It was decadent, earthy rich and meaty, and easy, so I knew I had to make it again for the party. I also chose a pesto made with cilantro, lime and sesame seeds to use up the last of our fresh cilantro. Both of these pestos come from Hollyhock Cooks: Food to Nourish Mind, Body and Soil, a book I can't say enough about since the recipes use fresh, easy to find ingredients, are easy to make and--most importantly--very very good.

Because it was light and refreshing, the cilantro pesto disappeared especially quickly. I'm sharing both recipes here so I can spread the gospel of Hollyhock goodness.

PS Although I served these as spreads with crackers, they are also suitable to mix in with pasta (soba noodles and sesame cilantro pesto anyone?). Since I didn't get a chance to make a pasta dish this week for dinner, I am going to cheat a little and make this my submission to Presto Pasta Nights. Hopefully Ruth, the gracious host and founder of PPN, won't mind.

Sundried Tomato Pesto with Sunflower Seeds
makes 4 cups

Note: the original recipe calls for walnuts in place of the seeds, but I was told by my sister that using sunflower seeds makes it nut-free. You can also use sundried tomatoes that are not oil-packed, but they need to be soaked for 20 minutes in water before using them.

Ingredients
1 240 mL jar (about 4 oz) of oil-packed sundried tomatoes
3/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp lemon zest
2 tsp crushed garlic (I used 2 medium sized cloves)
1 tsp black pepper
a dash of hot pepper sauce
3/4 cup water (if you soak your sun dried tomatoes, use that water)
1 1/2 cups of toasted sunflower seeds

Preparation
Put all of the ingredients except for the seeds in a food processor or blender and process until it becomes a thick paste. Add the seeds and process until you get the texture you like. Thin the pesto with additional water if needed.

Cilantro Pesto with Sesame and Lime
makes 2 cups

(I omitted the 1/2 a seeded and minced jalapeno. The cookbook also includes a couple of variations, but I prefer the sesame seeds.

Ingredients
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup, packed fresh cilantro
2 tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp minced garlic (I used 3 good sized cloves)
3/4 cup toasted and ground sesame seeds

juice of two limes
salt to taste

Preparation
In a food processor, pulse the olive oil, cilantro, ginger, garlic until blended. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the sesame seeds, lime juice and salt. Serve immediately.

georgian bean salad, twice removed

Thanks to hot and muggy days this week and a broken oven, salads have turned into a theme for dinners in our house.

So far I have made three salads that I have been really happy with. The one I'm going to cover in this entry is my adaptation of a simple pasta salad with kidney beans and cilantro that I found over on Food Nerd.

The other two salads were a green bean salad with smoked salmon tips from the Hollyhock cookbook and a lovely Asian inspired coleslaw. The green bean salad with smoked salmon was the favorite of the three, and really deserves more than just a mere mention. Stay tuned.

But back to the pasta salad with beans. It was the use of cilantro that caught my eye. I love fresh herbs but there is just something special about those tiny green leaves that add a fresh tang to just about anything you add them to. I also hate to see good cilantro go to waste, so when I buy a bunch, I go through as many recipes as I can to use it all up.

And, like the Food Nerd, I also like to change things up, based on my tastes and ingredients on-hand. Which is exactly what I did with her salad recipe.

The original recipe for Georgian Bean Salad is from Smitten Kitchen. The Food Nerd version adds pasta, and omits the walnuts. My version:

• omits the walnuts (I didn't check the original source before preparing the salad)
• uses red pepper (had it on hand and saw a recommendation for it)
• uses white navy beans (what I had on hand)
• uses baby shells (again, what I had on hand)
• uses lemon juice instead of vinegar (taste preference)

I also fried the onions in butter before adding them to the salad because my family finds the taste of raw onions too strong.

I'm submitting this recipe to Presto Pasta Nights - started by Ruth at Once Upon a Feast and guest hosted for the very first time this week by Kevin at Closet Cooking. If you like pasta at all, Presto Pasta Nights are a great place to get a tonne of inspiration.

I'm also going to use this opportunity to ask a question to all you pasta salad makers. I'm not a big fan of onions and vinegar in salads, yet when it comes to pasta salads, that seems to be a scommon combination. Maybe I haven't looked long enough, but it seems like every pasta salad recipe (and indeed a lot of other salad recipes I have) call for both. Aren't there any other possible choices for dressings? I'd love to hear from others about how you put the zing in your pasta salads - especially if it doesn't involve vinegar!

Red, White and Green Pasta Salad
adapted from Food Nerd's Summer Pasta Salad with Kidney Beans and Cilantro

serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 garlic clove, minced
1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro - I put in a whole lot more because I subscribe to the same view on herbs as Tom Collichio - you can never have too much when it's fresh!
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 red onion, finely diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 15-ounce can white or navy beans, drained and rinsed

4 oz baby pasta shells, cooked al dente

Salt and pepper to taste


My preparation
Put a pot of salted water on to boil. While the water is boiling, mince the garlic and cilantro, and place in a large bowl. Whisk the olive oil and lemon juice together with the garlic and cilantro. Dice the onion and add it to the bowl as well.

Once the water has come to a rapid boil, cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and add to the bowl with the other ingredients. This is where I added the beans and the red pepper.

Allow the salad to cool to room temperature, toss and serve. Garnish with a few more cilantro leaves if desired.

cafeteria food gone upscale

...thin crust mulitgrain pizza with vegetable masala toppings baked in a wood-burning oven
...butternut squash agnolotti in fresh sage butter, red onion and chili flakes
...pâté, brie and tapenades

Definitely not the food of my university days! The Globe and Mail Life section featured a story recently about how campus cafeteria food has gone upscale, leaving me wishing I was back in residence!

This is interesting to me, because not only does it speak to how aware we have become about food (and how this is filtering down generational lines) but it also makes me wonder about what impact this will have on dining expectations and the cooking skills of the students who dine in these cafeterias...

And just how good is the food anyway?

original image courtesy of wikimedia commons

cool down with this

Yes, it's freaking hot here. But now I have 16 pints of Cool Hemp - certified organic, locally grown, non-dairy frozen dessert full of natural Omega-3s and Omega-6s. My favorite is the Cool Chocolate and my husband prefers the Cool Maple. I'm also not afraid to give it to the kids.

Have you tried it? What do you think?

c is for cubanelle

Dear cubanelle,

I'm sorry I misjudged you. I didn't include you in a recipe because I thought you were going to be spicy like a jalapeño.

The first way you tripped me up was your appearance. You are light green, long and skinny (and oddly shaped like a crocodile head, in this photo). Usually when I eat a long, skinny, green pepper, my mouth heats up like a fiery stove and I have to drink copious glasses of milk just to ease the pain.



The other thing that tripped me up was your name. Cubanelle. Don't you think it sounds a little hot and spicy? Not even a little? The first time I saw your name, I thought of Latin American salsas, humid days and nights, and...jalapeños. And since the Bean has an especially sensitive palate for "spicy" food, I don't think you can truly blame me for being reticent.

I admit, I could have taken a minute or two to look you up on the Internet. Especially since I am online at least once a day. But I have two small children, and only so many items on my mental to-do list can fit in my brain at any given time. When I did actually take the time to look you up, I discovered that you are part of the sweet pepper family. The descriptions also say that you can range in colour from red to yellow. When I actually did my own taste test, you were sweet like a regular pepper, but not as fleshy on the inside. Like you've been dieting. But other than that, I felt there was not much of a difference between you and a regular green pepper. So I have to look elsewhere to figure out what would have made that meal taste better (Should I blame the onions??)

So there you have it. I was wrong, and I apologize. My horizons have been expanded. I now know the truth about cubanelles.

real simple pasta with spinach, raisins and ricotta

Oops, I forgot the basil and parmesan!

I'm off epicurious this week and back to my old standby, the big purple binder full of recipes clipped from various sources. Someday I would like to dedicate a post to this big purple binder that has been my constant companion for the last 12 years, at least - ever since I moved out on my own.

But first I have to get through this post, which will be my submission to Presto Pasta Nights, hosted by Ruth at Once Upon a Feast. I've been delinquent in submitting something for the past two weeks, and I hope Ruth can forgive me ;-).

The recipe that follows was clipped from an October 2004 issue of Real Simple. I like it because:

1. It's easy to make - the only thing that requires cooking is the pasta.

2. It has lots of green vegetables in it (especially if you add peas, like I did)

3. It contains golden raisins and pasta - two things that are surefire kid-pleasers in our house.

Another nice thing is that it's intended to be served at room temperature. This may not seem like a big deal, but it's nice not to have to worry about things being too hot to serve to kids, or dishes that get too cold because no-one can get to the table on time (or does that only happen in my house?).

I would love to regale you with a heartwarming tale of this dinner as it was served at our house, but I only have a few more minutes until my little Boo wakes up from his afternoon nap. So instead I will leave you with the recipe and a promise to write more soon.

Fusilli with Spinach, Ricotta, and Golden Raisins

from Real Simple, October 2004

12 ounces fusilli (4 cups) or rotini

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

10 ounce package baby spinach*

*the printed version says you can use frozen, but I recommend fresh

2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced

1 cup golden raisins

1 cup whole or part-skim ricotta

Kosher salt and pepper

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (optional)

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and return to the pot. Add the olive oil, vinegar, and spinach and toss to wilt. Stir in the scallions, raisins, ricotta, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and the basil. Divide among individual bowls and top with the Parmesan and pine nuts, if using.

**I also added 1 cup frozen peas.

I heart epicurious.com

First off, I have to comment on the large gap between my last post and this one (mitigated only by the short quote I posted a few days ago to try and freshen things up).

For the past two weeks, I have been prepping for toddler birthday parties (the Bean is now THREE!) and fighting inhumane headaches and sore throats. My blogging time has been replaced with baking and frosting umpteen cupcakes and taking copious amounts of naps. Niether of which are terrible activities, now that I look at it in writing...

But always in the back of my head is my need to share an exciting discovery that has been giving us a lot of easy-to-make, tasty recipes for dinner--without me having to spend a lot of time searching for them.

What is it? The Weekly Dinner menu planner from epicurious.com. [insert angels singing here]

To be honest, I was skeptical at first about recipes from epicurious, because it's the site for Bon Appetit and Gourmet--both magazines that have, in the past, made me feel quite intimidated about cooking "gourmet". I've been getting their e-newsletters for a few years now, but I've always had the impression that the recipes are intended more for special occasions where I don't have to worry about picky eaters. But then I got the e-mail titled "Quick and Easy weeknight menus" and I had to look. Turns out that not only do most of the recipes featured in this section take less than 30 minutes to prepare, each week comes with a complete shopping list (no quantities here mind you, but at least you get a sense for the ingredients!)

So I copied the list for the Week of May 12 and off I went to the grocery store. To keep it simple, I kept mostly to just the main course and omitted making the desserts (though they do look good....)



We loved the Truffled Taleggio and Mushroom Pizza. Except that neither the Bean nor my husband like mushrooms, so I made it with sundried tomatoes, spinach and pinenuts. And instead of taleggio, I used asiago. But I did find the truffle oil, so that ingredient remained, and gave the pizza a nice smoky flavour. And the crust, though not made of raw dough, was made with a President's Choice Stone Baked Flatbread with Asiago and Parmesan Cheeses. I would totally use it again - the crust was just thick and crispy enough, and the hint of cheese complemented the toppings nicely. Everyone ate their share and soon the pizza was gone.

one for one.



I served the Chicken with Chilaquiles and Salsa Verde and the Mexican Corn to BIL and GIL (BIL's girlfriend) for our weekly family dinner. This time I stayed to the recipe, omitting only the jalapeño pepper in the corn recipe. We had to go to a couple of different stores before we could find the salsa verde, but in the end, we found a big jar of Herdez brand.

The Chilaquiles were fantastic. It made a great meal for the kids because the chips were soft and it had lots of protein in the chicken, as well as colourful, easy-to-eat vegetables. I loved it because it gives us a whole new way to enjoy salsa and chips.

two for two.



Italian Sausage with Fennel, Peppers and Onions (the Friday recipe) turned out to be the last meal I made for that week, even though I made it on Thursday. We love sausage in this family and I was hoping that it would make a good pasta topping, so I could submit it as my entry into the weekly Presto Pasta Nights hosted by Once Upon a Feast.

You guessed it - it flopped. The only change I made here was substituting sweet green and red peppers for the Cubanelle peppers listed in the recipe. I was worried they would be too hot and spicy for the kids, but I think I might be wrong about that. I've never eaten a Cubanelle pepper. The other issue was that the vegetables wer eprobably not broiled as long as they should have been for maximum softness and flavour. I followed the timings in the recipe, but I think they were too short for our oven. I could have left the dish in longer, but the night we made it things were running behind and everyone was just too hungry to wait any longer.

So the resulting dish was bland and boring, and tasted overwhelmingly of onions. If I were to do this dish again (and I most likely won't), I would leave it in long enough to really carmelize the onions and make sure the sausage was broiled to a more dark golden colour. And I would add the cubanelles in (after I taste what they are like, of course).

Final score: 2 for 3.

As for the other two recipes--Grilled Cheese with Onion Jam, Taleggio and Escarole and Rotisserie Chicken with Marinated Baby Vegetables--I left them out in the end.

And Friday we made a paella for the Bean's family birthday dinner that came from a FoodTV site (more on that in another post that could be titled "At least we ate it...").

So there you have it. My first attempt to make a week's worth of epicurious recipes and I found it fairly easy and enjoyable. I'll be back with more photos and stories of my adventures in cooking these meals. I may even try a dessert or two someday!

food for thought

Do you want to dazzle guests,

or feed a hungry kid?

Tom Colicchio, Think Like a Chef

hot chili chocolate!

It's no secret that I love chocolate. Correction - I love GOOD chocolate. And my husband does too. From time to time he brings home outrageously priced chocolate bars as special treats. On these days, we wait until we get the kids to bed (so we don't have to share), and then we rendezvous downstairs in the kitchen or living room. We open the package and each start with one square. If it's a new bar, we try and savour it for a while. Most times the bar will last a couple of days at least, sometimes longer.

A few weeks ago he brought home a Dolfin bar - dark chocolate with pink peppercorns. That same week I came across another new chili spice flavoured chocolate bar from Cocoa Camino.

Inspired by other foodie blogs, I decided that a third bar was required to conduct a proper taste test. I went out to find the Lindt Creation Cherry Chili that we had eaten before.

Here's the results of the taste test:

First up was the Dolfin Pink Peppercorn. I fell in love immediately with the pretty pink wrapper, which was actually more of a pouch for the chocolate bar inside. Inside the pouch, the wrapper itself was imprinted in multicolours over and over with the Dolfin brand name. Based on the packaging I was expecting something wonderful - perhaps a chocolate bar with crushed whole pink peppercorns scattered throughout. What I got was a very genteel tasting smooth chocolate, with the very tiniest hint of pepper heat. No crunch whatsoever. My husband initially seemed to like this one more than I did.




Next up was the Cocoa Camino Chili & Spice Bar. At $2.49 per bar, I'm assuming it was the least expensive of the bunch. Cocoa Camino is the chocolate brand from the La Siembra cooperative. They produce Fair Trade Certified and certified organic chocolate products.

I can't say enough about how popular Cocoa Camino chocolate bars and Cocoa Camino hot chocolate are among our household and extended family. At Christmas last year, there were no less than 12 bars (at $4.99/100g bar) exchanged among five adults for stocking stuffers. My personal favourite was the espresso chocolate bar, but that's for another post.

However, I think I have a new favourite now. The Chili & Spice bar, part of their Los Intensivos series. I took one small bite. At first, any hint of chili barely registered. But as the chocolate melted in my mouth, I felt the exquisite warmth of chili expand and radiate throughout. Pure. organic. chocolate. heaven.

After that experience, I had to wait a while before I (re)tested the Lindt Creation Cherry Chili. This one is a cherry-coloured/chili spiced liquid center surrounded by a 75% cocoa chocolate shell. It costs between $5.99 and $6.99 depending on where you buy it.

I always thought it was spicy as well, but it pales in comparison to the Chili & Spice bar. You need a pretty good mouthful (at least a square) to even come close to the same chili chocolate experience.

I had to go back and forth between the Lindt and Cocoa Camino a few times to really make my final decision, but in the end there was really no contest.


When I buy a chili chocolate bar, I want the spicy taste of chili, otherwise it's just chocolate. So, my choice is Cocoa Camino Chili & Spice. And even though initially my husband liked the Dolfin bar, in the end he told me he preferred the Chili & Spice bar as well.

unscientific proof

My son, the Bean, and I have established a little bedtime ritual that warms my heart, as all good rituals should.

Every night, after we brush his teeth and before he goes off to his room to read stories with daddy, he gives me a hug and a kiss. Then we blow each other one more kiss for good measure.

A few months ago I started "catching" his kisses and telling them I was keeping them in my heart. I pretend to pull his blown kiss out of the air and push it into my heart by patting my chest and saying "caught it. I'll keep it in my heart."

The cute part was when he started mimicking me -- he catches the kiss, says (in a very serious, quiet whisper) "Caught it. Keep it in my heart." and then pats his heart. Except that the area he pats is closer to his belly button. And even though I know he watches me closely, and knows his belly button, he continues, night after night to catch kisses and put them in his belly. I've never corrected him.

Not only do I love this ritual because it's just ours, but I love what it shows about the saying: (that even without food)

THE WAY TO A MAN'S HEART REALLY IS THROUGH HIS BELLY.

the face to break a thousand hearts

comfort foods redux

I must be in a comfort food zone. How else can I explain my sudden desire to cook up a dish of macaroni and cheese for my family?

Not that mac and cheese was ever real comfort food for me. Although I remember eating macaroni and ketchup numerous times as a kid (no cheese please--I never did trust the nuclear shade of orange), I avoided it like the plague during university.

In my recipe collection, however, I have a clipping from a 1996 issue of Cooking Light for a Creamy Four Cheese Macaroni. So at some point, the thought of a homemade version must have appealed to me (one without ketchup).



This week, I pulled it out in an endeavour to prepare a kid-friendly meal. To further enhance the possibility that it would be eaten by my picky 3 year old, and to add to the nutritious value, I decided that I would liven it up a little by adding black beans, corn and peas.

If you are like me, then the combination of corn and black beans screams one big spanish "Olé!" . This inspired me to choose a six-cheese taco and nacho mix. Instead of fontina, parmesan, cheddar and (gasp!) Velveeta, this macaroni and cheese was prepared with Monterey Jack, Monterey Jack with Jalapeño peppers, Cheddar, Queso Quesadilla, Queso Blanco and Asadero.

The Monterey Jack with Jalapeño wound up giving the dish a nice little spicy kick. I supposed I could have adjusted the spiciness by reducing the amount of mix and adding more (plain) Monterey Jack. In the end I didn't have to - my three year old told me (unprompted, I might add) "This is good mommy!". So, based on this blessing from my toughest critic, I'm using this as my submission to Presto Pasta Nights (as well as making this a permanent adaptation in my book). Every Friday, Ruth of Once Upon A Feast posts a round up of pasta recipes submitted by food bloggers all around the world. A great idea which inspires me to continue finding new and different ways to serve pasta.

Baked Macaroni con Queso
ruthlessly adapted from Cooking Light,September 1996
serves 2 hungry adults, one three year old and a one-year old with one serving left over

Ingredients
3 cups elbow macaroni
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/3 cups milk
2 cups taco/nacho cheese mix
1 cup black beans
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup green peas
1/2 cup bread crumbs

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 2-quart casserole dish and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Salt water, add macaroni, and cook until al dente. Drain and set aside.

While pasta is cooking, combine flour and milk in a large saucepan, whisking until blended. Cook over medium heat about 8 minutes, or until thick, stirring constantly.

Add cheese and cook until melted and thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the macaroni, beans, peas, and corn. Pour mixture into prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle bread crumbs over top. Bake until bubbly, about 30 to 40 minutes.

tv work is NOT glamourous

We went to our favorite park after our mother's day brunch today, and arrived to this:

While my husband and the Bean dug in the sand pit, my mom and I took the Boo over to check it out.

There was the host, his cooking team and a small army of people in blue t-shirts marked "CREW", grilling up french toast with blueberries for a small crowd. Apparently they were in the process of taping one of four episodes.

Here's my blow-by-blow account of the time I spent as an audience member.

The person I assume to be the production coordinator (or audience wrangler, take your pick) came over and gave everyone the run down on the shot schedule. Grill closeup, then crowd shot. She instructed us to "keep smiling really wide like you are totally faking it" because apparently just standing around with no expression makes you look angry on camera. After about a minute, my face began to ache and it really did become a fake smile.

They had to redo the grill shot because the piece of toast wasn't sitting properly on the grill. While one team member came over to expertly remove the piece of toast so it wouldn't stick to the grill or fall apart, a blue-shirted crew member scrubbed down the grill until it was spotless again to ensure continuity.

At that point I wimped out and had to leave the set, because the production lights and the sun were shining so strongly I was getting a headache. We weren't allowed to wear sunglasses (I guess squinting on camera is okay).

I may go back to see another episode, I may not. In my younger days, pre-kids, I definitely would have toughed it out, but now, I get so much more out of blowing bubbles or playing road hockey. And yes, even writing this blog.

But it's kind of fun to know that if we had cable, we could turn on the TV one day and see our little park serve as a backdrop for a food show on a national network.

comfort me with banana bread

Today I took the Boo for our weekly run with the strollermoms. As is our post-run habit, we stopped at the local Starbucks for a coffee. My craving for baking kicked in and I added a piece of banana chocolate chip bread to my order. Usually it hits the spot, but today it tasted stale and dry.

Not satisfied, I decided that tonight was the night I would finally use the super-ripe bananas in my freezer and make my own version of banana chocolate chip bread.

Imagine, with me, if you will, the warm cinnamon-y odors of an almost-cooked loaf seductively wafting out of the oven. I can still taste the first bite I took after it was done. Warmed sweet banana, a zing of lemon zest and cinnamon and the comforting smoothness of sightly melted chocolate. I think it was the best loaf I have ever made. It lasted a little over 24 hours, and now I have to figure out how to hide some bananas in the house so I can make it again.

Perfect Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

I started with a basic recipe for walnut cranberry bread that I've had in my collection for almost 20 years [Can it really be 20 years? I don't feel that old!]. It's been one of those recipes that has worked perfectly every time I make it, and always tastes great. Thanks to my friend Liz, who gave me the original recipe when I complained about all my bananas going bad (never happens anymore - I think my boys are part monkey)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups wholewheat flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup organic cane sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsps. baking powder

3/4 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs slightly beaten
3 very very ripe bananas
2 tbsps. lemon juice
1 tbsp. lemon rind, grated
3/4 cup chocolate chips (can also be cranberries or blueberries)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

butter to grease pan
powdered cinnamon

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350F.
In a bowl, mix the first 4 ingredients together until blended, then add the rest.
Do not overmix.
Lightly grease a loaf pan and then coat with a thin layer of cinnamon.
Pour the batter into the pan.
Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

fiddle-dee-dee

My husband and I are both long-standing fans for this curly vegetable that looks like the end of a violin (or a snail, or a car wheel, depending on your frame of reference!). Last year, we bought package after package of them while they were in season, and cooked them up with butter and garlic. I love them because they are not your ordinary green vegetable, and any dish you put them in suddenly feels upscale.

In my quest to continually expose my children’s taste buds to new and interesting things, I picked up a package. The Bean is a little iffy with green vegetables--except string beans and peas, which he devours.

Some people are a little leery of fiddleheads, but if you buy them from a reputable source and wash and cook them thoroughly (at least 8-10 minutes is recommended), I believe they are safe.
Since I was feeling guilty about not submitting a dish to Presto Pasta Night (hosted by Ruth at Once Upon a Feast) last week, my first thought was to use it in a pasta dish. As a bonus, this might also encourage the Bean to try it too, since he loves pasta.

Now, I have a secret to tell you. One of the reasons I didn’t submit anything to PPN last week is because I decided to get “all creative” again by not using an existing recipe as a starting point, and it was terrible.

I tried to make an asian-inspired pasta by using vegetables you would normally find in a stir-fry (matchstick carrots, bean sprouts, and snow peas). But then I let my kids' taste buds influence the use of vegetable fusilli (orzo would have been better) and the addition of black beans (my only defense here is I had no chicken). I think what really killed it for me though was the dressing (I can’t even remember what I used now –, which is probably the best for all concerned). It looked pretty but taste-wise, it was a real bomb. I even threw the leftovers out, which I never do.

Even though there are plenty of pasta and fiddlehead recipes online (look here and here), I decided to tempt fate again (you’d think I’d learn, but noooo). I had no good reason to do this except that I was craving black olives. This would all make sense to you if you subscribe to the same “cooking with colour” philosophy that I do (another thing to explain in a future blog post…). So off I went on my own, trying to think of things that would taste good with fiddleheads, black olives and pasta.

Fortunately, this was a success. I know this because my husband told me (without prompting, thank you) that it was good. The Bean ate almost everything on his plate, though he didn’t much care for the fiddleheads (too bad, but more for me).

And so I’m putting the recipe out there for others to see, and maybe even comment. I know there are at least five people reading this blog ....

Four Ingredient and Fiddleheads Pasta

1 package of fiddleheads
juice of one lemon
salt
2 tbsp herbed butter (I used a premade version with garlic, basil. and oregano, but you could just as easily make your own)

1/4 cup plain pitted olives, sliced
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
wholewheat penne pasta for 4 people
1 small jar (270 ml) of artichoke hearts, drained *optional

My Preparation

I washed the fiddleheads thoroughly, rubbing off any of the brown membrane that was left and making sure there was no grit. I also cut any rough ends off. The fiddleheads went into a frying pan where I covered them with water and added half the lemon juice and a pinch of salt. I boiled them until they were fairly tender (often described as fork-tender). When they were done, I drained them into a colander, transferred them to the serving bowl where I tossed them with the pasta and the herbed butter (pasta was prepared al dente while the fiddleheads were cooking).

I tossed it again with the chopped olives, the remaining lemon juice, the artichoke hearts* and parmesan cheese.

*A note on the artichoke hearts: I used a jar of marinated artichoke hearts, and even though I drained most of it out before adding the artichoke hearts, the marinade overpowered the dish. So if you like the taste, that's fine, but if you want the pure unadulterated taste of fiddleheads to be the last memory on your palate, I'd omit them.

musical interlude

My past musical posts have come from concerts, my husband's iTunes collection and from my head. Short on time and needing some inspiration tonight, I did a Google search for food-related music.

The search for "songs about food", turned up 1,630,000 listings. They range from epicurious.com (Bon Appetit Party Playlist: Best Food Songs) to mixedup.com (525 Songs About Food) and the food section (Edible Audio: 100 Songs About Food). Kiddidles songs about food for kids is woefully incomplete, since it doesn't contain any of the Laurie Berkner classics like Choc-o-lot in my pock-o-lot or Victor Vito.

I was particularly intrigued by the Beatles song Savoy Truffle, which made #1 on the epicurious list. It was also recommended in a Chowhound forum. Although I wasn't born during Beatlemania, their songs are embedded in my consciousness thanks to massive replays by my parents, my parents' friends, and even some of my friends. But I'd never heard this one. Turns out it's all about chocolate, one of my favorite subjects.



For more information on the song's history, check out the Wikipedia entry for Savoy Truffle.

Channelling my Inner Gourmet

Tuesday nights my brother-in-law (BIL) and his girlfriend come for dinner. This week has been a little cooler than last, so I chose to test out a recipe for Tuscan Bean Stew with Sausage as posted by Kim, from Yummy Mummy Cooks Gourmet. Like me, she has kids. And chaos. I have chaos too, but nothing like I had today.

It started at the grocery store, when I went to pick up the sausage and a few other things for dinners this week. It was uneventful until I had the (not-so) bright idea to skip the long lineups and try the self-serve checkout at the grocery store.

Definition of a self-serve checkout: A machine that allows the customer to scan the items themselves, pack their own bags, pay and go. You have to type in the codes for the produce (thankfully you can look them up) and there are slots for packing three bags at once. Every time you scan an item, you have to put it IMMEDIATELY into a bag, otherwise everything stops until the sensors pick up the change of weight. It works well if you use the plastic bags they provide and even better if your items are all a consistent size and shape. I had neither of these things. I had my own bags and everything from carrots and celery to baby jars as well as a large conglomeration of Made-in-China sandbox toys awkwardly bundled together in netting (Admittedly, I probably could have left those out).

Because my grocery bags did not fit well on the sensor platform, I had to repeatedly shove the same item in over and over to ensure the system could verify that each item WAS being put in the bag. What should have taken 15 minutes took much longer.

About three quarters of the way through, the Boo got impatient and tried to climb out of the cart. I know this because the kind clerk who monitored the self serve stations pointed out how he had turned himself around to be precariously balanced in the seat. I had to pick him up and hold him as I shoved the last few items in my bags, pay and get out. Lesson learned: sometimes self-serve is not the best option.

At 5:20 pm I started getting dinner ready for 6pm. Both the Boo and the Bean are at home now. The Boo is finally napping (because they never nap when you need them too) in the too-big-to-fit-inside stroller. The Bean wants to further develop his road hockey skills. I know I'll never get dinner prepped and ready without a little bit of help, so I cajole a friend of mine into staying outside a few extra minutes until my husband gets home from work.

I retreated to the kitchen to chop, fry and stew as fast as I could. Fortunately, it's an easy to prepare dish!

For the most part, I followed YM's recipe to a T, even going so far as to use beef broth and omitting the tomatoes (but not the cabbage). I used Eden's Organic Cannellini beans, but that was it for organic ingredients. I couldn't find Savoy cabbage, so I used a cabbage I found at the grocery store. Unlike YM, I don't have homemade beef broth lying around in the freezer, so I had to settle for broth made from two all-vegetable, Beef style, McCormick Bouillon cubes. (Confused? So was my husband. See below.)

This is the cabbage. Anyone have a name for me?

There was so much broth I wondered how the addition of cabbage would fit into the pot at the designated time, but I stuck it in the oven anyway.

6 pm: BIL and his girlfriend arrive. They've brought bread: Sprouted Grain. Noise levels go up as they only can when a favorite uncle comes to visit. The stew has been in the oven for 20 minutes - only 10 to go. I run out of the house to Fedex a package to Fedex my employer needed in their hands by 5 pm the next day (Why you ask, did I leave it to the last minute? Because they did. More details to follow in future posts.). I leave instructions with my husband to take the stew out when the buzzer goes.



This is Sprouted Grain Bread. What were you thinking it would look like?

6:45 pm: I am back at the house. The Boo has been fed, but everyone else waited for me. We sit down to dinner. And then it goes from chaos to comedy.

6:46 pm: Wine is poured. The bread is plated and on the table. Someone comments that it smells really good when all of a sudden, the scent of spilled red wine overpowers everything. BIL's GF looks sheepishly at us as BIL laughs and explains that she did the same thing last night. A split second later, even as we are mopping up the first glass of wine, she inadvertently knocks over BIL's glass on to an antique chair. We remove all other glasses of wine from her vicinity, and then proceed to tease her about her new habit.

Finally, we all take a few bites of dinner. Here's a selection of first impressions:

"Smells good."
"I like the creamy texture of the beans. They melt in your mouth."

And the Bean's contribution, verbatim:
"Boys who eat dinner get dessert." (This was after he added a pat of herb butter to his stew bowl. The brainwashing really works, by the way)

My husband, trying for a bit more erudition, came up with this one:

"I really like the separation of flavours between the vegetables, the beans and the beef broth. It's a nice beefy taste."
Me in response: "It's a vegetable-based beef broth."
Husband: "Yeah, the vegetables too."
Me: "No, I mean that the broth may taste like beef except there is no meat in it."
Husband: "Is that so vegetarians can eat it?"
Me: "I guess."
Husband: "Well, this would be a great vegetarian meal then. Except for the sausages."

Maybe you had to be there to see the humour in this one, I don't know. I think my husband was on to something about the distinct separation of flavours -- is this what gourmet is?

But the stew WAS good, although next time I would definitely want to try the golden-brown, garlic-rubbed, thickly-sliced country bread. And I'll try not to channel the chaos. ;-)

minty fresh

I was looking around at my favorite food blogs last week and the cucumber elixir posted by Jen at becoming a foodie looked so luscious and refreshing I had to go out and buy mint. But then I was left with a whole lot of mint, and as much as I'd like to keep drinking the Elixir, I need all my wits about me to manage the Bean and the Boo...



I was planning on making a tabouli salad with the leftovers, but then I came across a recipe for minted peas in olive oil.



Despite the fact that it came out of a Jamie Oliver cookbook, I consider it serendipity. I had peas. I had olive oil. I had lemon juice. I had mint. No additional shopping required. Perfect!

Note here: Originally I found the recipe while leafing through the actual cookbook at a local bookstore. I call it serendipity beause I am not a fan of JO, yet I was oddly drawn to pick up the book. And then it just kind of fell open to that page, as if someone WANTED me to see the recipe. (and if you must know why I'm not a fan, I'll have to rant about it in another post because it's just too long to explain here.

So how did my experiments with mint turn out?

Some of the comments I got about the Elixir:

"A cucumber-y mojito"
"Very refreshing"
"Great for a summer drink"
"I don't normally eat cucumbers, but this is great"

And the Minted Peas: In the words of my husband.."It's a keeper!". Judging by the fact that both the Bean and the Boo ate seconds and thirds, I'd say it was an unqualified success!