sweet sarah j

Food at Last!

2007-02-11T20:10:00.000-05:00

I finally felt like cooking! I roasted a chicken, made mashed potatoes and sweet glazed carrots.

Yumm! This is the first meal I have cooked in m y new place! Actually, it is the first time I've cooked in about a month... wow.

"Baking: From my home to Yours", by Dorie Greenspan

2006-11-07T21:25:00.000-05:00

When Sara, author of one of my favorite blogs, "I like to cook" and co-founder of the famous "Weekend Cookbook Challenge" asked me to participate in a spotlight of Dorie Greenspan's latest book, "Baking: From my kitchen to Yours", I snapped up the opportunity. The author, Dorie Greenspan has published many cookbooks, and is most famous for her cookbook "Baking with Julia." Her recipes have also been featured in magazines, including "Bon Appetit" and "Saveur". Her knowledge of french cuisine and experience as a home-cook come together in this easy-to-use album of great baking.

With 300 recipes covering everything from yeast-breads to quick cakes, brownies to cookies and beyond, this cookbook will earn a permanent place on your kitchen counter. The easy-to-understand directions and full-color pictures guide even novice bakers gently through the steps. Dorie's voice comes through loud and clear in her directions and tips for a perfect product. There are recipes for any occassion, from an afternoon snack to the perfect dinner-party dessert.

My Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from BAKING: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, Houghton Mifflin Company, November 2006.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
12 ouncs bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips, or 2 cups store-bought chocolate chips or chunks
1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchmentor silicone mats.
Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda.
Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter at medium speed for about 1 minute, until smooth. Add the sugars and beat for another 2 minutes or so, until well-blended. Beat in the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each egg goes in. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients in 3 portions, mixing only until each addition is incorporated. On low speed, or by hand with a ruber spatula, mix in the chocolate and nuts. (The dough can be covered andd refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen. If you'd like, rounded tablespoonfuls of dough, ready for baking. Freeze the mounds on a lined baking sheet, then bag them when they're solid. There's no need to defrost the ough before baking-just add another minute or two to the baking time.)

Spoon the dough by slightly rounded tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between spoonfuls.

Bake the cookies- one sheet at a time and rotating the sheet at the midway point- for 10-12 minutes, or until they are brown at the edges and golden in the center; they may still be a little soft in the middle, and that's just fine. Pull the sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to rest for 1 minute, then carefully, using a wide metal spatula, transfer them to racks to cool to room temperature.

Repeat with the remainder of the dough, cooling the baking sheets between batches.

These cookies were truly fantastic. Either warm straight from the cooling rack, or the next day, they are chewy and crisp at the same time, and loaded with lots of chocolate. I thought there might be too much salt, but it was the perfect amount. I highly reccomend this recipe and I'm sure to bake these cookies again and again.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Adapted from BAKING: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, Houghton Mifflin Company, November 2006.

For the muffins:
2/3 cup sugar
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 tablespoons poppy seeds

For the Icing
1 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Getting ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular-sized muffin pan or fit the molds with paper muffin cups. Alternatively, use a silicone muffin pan, which needs neither greasing nor paper cups. Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and the fragrence of lemon is strong. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large glass measuring cup or a bowl, whisk the sour cream, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice and melted butter until well-blended. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with a whisk or rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don't worry about being through, a few lumps are better than overmixing the batter. Stir in the poopy seeds. Divide the batter evenly amoung the muffin cups.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a think knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for five minutes before carfeully removing each muffin from it's mold. Cool the muffins completely on a rack before icing them.

To Make the Icing:
Put the confectioner's sugar in a small bowl and add about 1 1/2 tablespoonfuls of lemon juice. Stir with a spoon to moisten the sugar, then add enough additional lemon juice, a dribble at a time, to get an icing that is thin enough to drizle from the tip of a spoon. You can then drizzle lines of icing over the tops of the muffins or coat the tops entirely, to better get an extra zap of lemon.

These muffins are quite tasty, with a hint of lemon. I especially like that the recipe was very quick to put together, requiring no mixers at all. If I made it again, I would probably add more lemon, for my taste.

If you would like to purchase your very own copy or "Baking: From My Home to Yours" by Dorie Greenspan, click this link to amazon.com, or visit your local bookstore.

Happy Hallowe'en

2006-10-31T16:37:00.000-05:00

Hapy hallowe'en everyone! We are getting into the spirit of Hallowe'en again, as usual, so here are some pictures of our costumes:

Me: Wonder woman

G: El árabe poderoso (The Mighty Arab)

Tiggs: Playboy Bunny

Also, check out our pumpkin. I had to give it a gangsta feel this year, in honour of Los Angeles. I'm also interested to know if the kids will say, "Look, that pumpkin has a grillz!"

Yesterday we went to Mexico to renew our visas. We were in our car in line for immigration for 2 hours!!! It's a good thing we still like each other! Anyway, there were a lot of people walking between the cars, selling all sorts of stuff. This is how G got his wrestler's mask! We bought it from a real Mexican wrestler. There were all kinds of stuff for sale: rugs, blankets, banjos, magazines, baskets, not to mention all the food. We bought a small bag of churros and a cup of steamed corn (which was awful). We spent all our money on these small things, and at one point I was searching the car up and down for some change so G could get a flan. It was interesting, Tiajuana reminded me a lot of Egypt. We got a little lost driving around but all in all it was a nice day. After we went through immigration and got back to the US, we went down to San Diego's Gas Light district, which was very quaint and nice. We had dinner in a pub and watched a bit of football. I almost wished we lived in San Diego since I have yet to find a real pub in Los Angeles, and San Diego seemed to be a more casual place. We will definetly be back there.

Finally, back on the topic of Hallowe'en, Tiggy is in yet another costume contest! Please go to stuffonmycat to vote for her!

Coconut Cream Pie

2006-10-21T01:55:00.000-04:00

G is back, and so the kitchen is open for business again. I wanted to make him one of his favorite desserts, so I decided on Coconut cream pie. I used the recipe from "the Joy of Cooking", which is my personal bible of food. I've given up looking to recipes for pie crust, however, since after you've made so many of them, your hands just know what to do.

Coconut Cream Pie
(recipe adapted from The Joy of Cooking)
Crust:
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cold butter
pinch salt
1 tb granulated sugar
about 1 1/2 tb water* (drop by drop)

1. Mix the dry ingredients together with a fork.
2. Cut the butter into small cubes with a sharp knife. Combine with the dry ingredients.
3. Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, blend the butter into the flour mixture. Once there are no large clumps of butter left, rub the flour together for about 1 mintue. You will notice a slight almond colour.
4. Stir in the water a few drops at a time. It is important not to add too much water. I find it is best to use your hands through the entire process, even mixing in the water. You can squeeze the dough together to avoid over-mixing. Once a dough is formed, turn it out onto a flour surface and roll out to 1/4 inch thick. Place in a floured pie tin.
5. Poke the pie with a fork, and bake in a 375 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes, using pie weights or beans. Remove the weights for the final ten mintues.

Cream Filling:
Ingredients:
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups milk
5 large egg yolks
3 tb butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp coconut extract
1 cup toasted, sweetened coconut
1 1/2 cups 35 % cream
2 tb superfine or powered sugar

1. Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium sized pot. Whisk together.
2. Slowly whisk in the milk.
3. Add the egg yolks and whisk well, until there are no yellow streaks.
4. Place the pot on medium heat and bring just to the simmer. Whisk the mixture well, as it thickens.
5. Remove from heat, and scape the sides down. Mix until smooth.
6. Return to the heat and whisk constantly for 1 minute.
7. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, vannila and coconut extract.
8. Stir in the toasted coconut.
9. Pour into baked pie shell, and chill.
10. Whip the cream and sugar together until stiff peaks are formed. Spoon cream onto chilled custard.

What I miss about you

2006-10-19T15:16:00.000-04:00

Dear Canada;
I know, it's been a while. I miss you too. We talk on the phone a lot, but it's just not the same... and it is too easy to forget about you down here in La La Land. Here's to remembering what I miss about you...

1. Tim Horton's.. I miss you everyday.
2. Pumping BEFORE paying... Oh Canada you are so trusting
3. The Seasons... bikinis in October will NEVER sit well with me.
4. The Fam... you know it.
5. The Metric system!!!! I miss you every day too!
6. Colourful money... it's not just for monopoly.
7. Proper spelling! It was meant to be colour, flavour, and lit!! Not Lighted!
8. Snow... Yes I miss winter (sort of).
9. World News! They think World News is: "An American in Paris..." "American Troops in Afganistan..." "American dignitaries in England..." "American Sanctions..."
10. President's Choice Products... there is no other.
11. Shakies on your popcorn at the movies! And huge movie theaters too.

What have I forgotton????

Change is good

2006-10-19T15:02:00.000-04:00

There are going to be ssome changes here at "chefsarahjane". I think I need a new title to go with the new template. Also, Weekend Cat Blogging is now going to be taking place at TIGGY'S BLOG! Yes, Tiggy finally has her own blog. And MAN! She needs a lot of help with it. Sometimes she mews softly in my ear what she wants me to type. Otherwise, it just ends up looking like this:
decdhju bndjmhuden dsafsagoihgnm and so on. Something is definetly lost in the translation. Anyway, what that means is that I'm going to keep all the kitty stuff to Tiggy's blog. Also, I am eliminating my "other" blog (sweetsarahj), because I just don't have enough to say to fill them all- and the distinction between what is 'food' and what is 'my life' is a very thin and blurry line. So from now on, this page will be kitty-free, but you will be subjected to more of my personal life! You can't stop Professor Chaos! Mwahh-hah-hah-hah!

Reminder: WCB Schedule

2006-10-19T00:46:00.000-04:00

October 21- Jelly from I Got 2 Shoes.
October 28- Linda from Kayak Soup.
November 4- Lali from Lali et Cie.
November 11- Skeezix at Skeezix the Cat
November 18- Amar at Catsynth.
November 25- Robyn and Sanjee at Hot(m)Bc
December 2 – D at The Hidden Paw
December 9 – Miz D and the Angry Cat at Belly timber
December 16- Kitchen Mage
December 23-back here at chefsarahjane
December 30- Lisa at Champaign Taste

WCB 71: Hallowe'en contest

2006-10-13T19:32:00.000-04:00

Hi All! Tiggy and I have been very busy preparing her costume for Skeezix's and Hot(m)BC's Hallowe'en costume contests. We argued over what she would wear. After seeing Kismet in his Hugh Hefner Robe, she was dead set on being a Playboy Bunny. I'm sure some of you parents out there know how hard it is to argue with a determined teenager. Despite my protests, she did get the costume she wanted (how could I say no to that sweet little face?). I think she wanted the costume to try and win Kismet's affections. I told her that he is a grown Man Cat and probably already has a girlfriend, but it didn't stop her from crusing his blog all night. She even decided to start her own blog.

UPDATE: VOTE FOR TIGGY IN SKEEZIX'S CONTEST HERE: VOTE NOW!

Pineapple, and a lesson.

2006-10-08T15:41:00.000-04:00

Is it crazy of me to do this to my pineapple....

I guess old habits die hard. I worked for a catering company while I was in college, called "Gourmet Greens". It was located in the kitchen of a fine restaurant named "Zoom" in downtown Toronto. You may have heard of the Rubino Brothers, Michael and Guy. They are Toronto restauranteurs and currently own the restaurant Rain. They also star-in and produce the Food Network Canada show "Made to Order". Well, they were the owners of Zoom and Gourmet Greens. In addition to being minor celebrities, they are also known within the restaurant community for big egos and the sort of staff treatment that generally goes along with that.

I'm not trying to make any allegations here, because other than being generally rude to me, I wasn't mistreated by either of them. I worked in their catering business for 6-8 months and neither of them bothered to learn my name. This is the kind of employer they are. There was a definite "You are so lucky to be working for me" attitude. I have heard stories of cooks working 13+ hour days on salary wages and even sleeping in the kitchen after closing the restaurant because they had to be there at the crack of dawn the next day. This could be only gossip, but it is not far from things I personlly witnessed at other top restaurants. There is a mentality amoung some cooks that abuses of power like these are worth it just to learn from the chefs. I have worked for ego-driven chefs, and I believe that they will treat you like garbage only if you let them. You must assert yourself!

But I digress. While I was working at Gourmet Greens, we prepared breakfasts and lunches for Bay St. Executives. Sandwiches, salads, fruit platters and desserts. I thought I wasn't learning anything. I begged the restaurant chef, Lorenzo Loseto (currently of George), to move me up to the hot line. I know that he thought I couldn't handle it. I'm not sure he realized that prior to working there, I had 3 years experience on a hot line serving 200+ people per night. After many failed promises, I quit. I remember Lorenzo telling me "You think you haven't learned anything, but you'll look back and realize that what you have learned is invaluable. Every chef needs to know how to make these simple products." Later on I realize that he was right. I know how to make the best sandwiches and composite salads due to that job. I can make a simple arrangement of fruit look stunning. I can clean a pineapple to look like a winding path up the side of a mountain. Although I wish I could have had the opportunity to prove that I was a capable cook, I'm glad I worked there and also glad I got out of it when I did. I moved on to job on the line in a restaurant and lounge in Toronto's Entertainment district.

WCB 70

2006-10-06T19:00:00.000-04:00

Hello to all the kitty bloggers! A great big thank you to D at The Hidden Paw for hosting this week's event. Go pay a visit and check out all the fluffy goodness and maybe drop her a link as well. She challenged us to post "kitty in a box" posts this week, and well, Tiggy is not really a "box cat". Or maybe she is still too much of a kitten to enjoy the simple pleasure of sitting in a comfortable box. She does investigate the new boxes around the house, but she is WAY more interested in playing inpaper bags:

WCB Schedule:
October 14- Rosa from Rosa's Yummy yums
October 21- Jelly from I Got 2 Shoes.
October 28- Linda from Kayak Soup.
November 4- Lali from Lali et Cie.
November 11- Skeezix at Skeezix the Cat
November 18- Amar at Catsynth.
November 25- House of (mostly) Black cats
December 2 – D at The Hidden Paw
December 9 – Miz D and the Angry Cat at Belly timber
December 16- Kitchen Mage
December 23-back here at chefsarahjane
December 30- up for grabs

Drop me a comment if you want to host!

Homecoming

2006-10-03T15:24:00.000-04:00

Well, after a long absence G has returned. He came home from Korea yesterday afternoon. I was in the kitchen for hours on Sunday preparing some homecoming food for him- he always gets a grand meal whenever he has been away from home for too long. It is a tradition that started a few years ago, when it seemed he spent more time away from home than at home. His mom would always cook a few favorites when he was due back to the nest: Simmered Beef tongue, Yellow Rice, Leg of Lamb, or Chicken Briyani.

This time I decided to make two dishes for G that I know he loves. Both of these recipes came from Monsoon Restaurant in Toronto, On. where I worked in 2001. The Spicy Thai salad was one of the first things I ever prepared for G. I've haven't been the Thailand (yet), but according to others, this salad is very reminiscent of Thai street food. It's spicy, sweet and refreshing. The Monsoon Fried chicken is garlicky and salty- it is perfect in a sandwich or mixed up with noodles. G loves it all on it's own... in fact it is so good, that back in the restaurant the cooks always stole it from my fridge.. I actually had to hide it in order to have enough for service! It has been compared to crack cocaine for it's addictiveness.

Spicy Thai Salad

For the dressing:
measurements are flexible. Please taste and change to your palate.
1/2 cup sweet chilli sauce
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp minced ginger
2 tsp ground fresh lemongrass
1/4 cup lime juice
zest of three limes
1/4 tsp fish sauce

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.

For the salad:
1 cup mint leaves
1 cup cilantro leaves
2 cups julienned red and yellow peppers
1 cup bean sprouts
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 cup crunchy noodles*
1/4 cup dressing

1. Combine and serve immediately. Serves 2-4.

Monsoon Fried Chicken

ingredients & Method:

8 boneless chicken thighs
1/2 cup oyster sauce

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup garlic powder
2 tsp salt
1 tb white or black pepper
Vegetable oil for frying

1. Marinate the chicken in the oyster sauce for 10-30 minutes.
2. Mix together the flour, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
3. Using a pair of tongs, remove the chicken one piece at a time and drege well in the flour mixture. Allow to sit for at least 5 minutes before frying- this ensures a nice crust.
4. Heat the oil to 320 degrees. Be sure to use enough to submerge the chicken, about 3 inches.
5. Fry the chicken one or two pieces at a time, about 6 minutes each or until a thermometer inserted in the fleshiest part reads above 170 degrees.
6. Remove from the oil and drain on a cookie cooling rack, or a mesh rack until cool. Transfer to a paper towel.

Enjoy!

These are the crunchy noodles that I like to use (when I can find them!):

WCB 69

2006-09-30T20:17:00.000-04:00

Sigh. Kittens, just like children, grow up too fast. Tiggy is becoming a young lady of a cat. She still retains the very kittenish behaviour, being very playful and sucking on the blankets as she falls alseep next to me. But she is also in the 'teenager' phase of cat life and she tries to push our limits daily. She plays in the courtyard every day, and it ranges from 1 hour outside to 3 depending on my schedule. She used to always come back in when I would call her. However, yesterday she was inside sitting in her chair, and I got up to close the door, and she shot up out of her seat and bolted outside. Sassy, isn't she?

But I have an even greater concern today. I'm concerned because Tiggy... well... she's easily led. I don't know how exactly how to say this, but really there is only one phrase to describe it: Kitty Porn. Here are some pictures I found on my camera:

"Hey Sailor.... looking for a date?"

"I see you looking at my legs."

"C'mon.... I'm not a kitten still.... not yet a cat."

I blame MTV.

Go and visit the House of (mostly) Black Cats for this week's round up!

UPDATE:
Here is the updated schedule for WCB:
October 7- D at The Hidden Paw
October 14- Rosa from Rosa's Yummy yums
October 21- Jelly from I Got 2 Shoes.
October 28- Linda from Kayak Soup.
November 4- Lali from Lali et Cie.
November 11- Skeezix at Skeezix the Cat
November 18- Amar at Catsynth.
November 25- up for grabs
December 2 – D at The Hidden Paw
December 9 – Miz D and the Angry Cat at Belly timber
December 16- Kitchen Mage
December 23-back here at chefsarahjane
December 30- Lisa at Champaign Taste

Drop me a comment if you want to be included! I'm trying to figure out how to permalink this schedule into my sidebar, so hopefully it'll be there soon....

Mmmm.... Waffles

2006-09-29T13:55:00.000-04:00

I have been making great use of my new Belgium waffle maker. I have wanted one of these for years, ever since eating them for breakfast in a Marriott hotel in 2003. I love it, because after you add the batter, you close the lid and turn it 180 degrees around so the batter evenly fills both sections with deep crispy pockets for butter and maple syrup. I tried 3 recipes, and so far the winner is from the box of "Whole Wheat Baking Mix" I picked up at Trader Joe's.

They really knew what I wanted- I want a cripsy, tasty waffle that isn't mearly empty calories. I love that it is made with whole wheat and oats, but it is also versatile, quick, and tasty. The box also has recipes for pancakes, biscuits and coffee cake. It only takes a few minutes to make, which is great, because I hate waiting for my breakfast!

Recipe:
2 cups Trader Joe's whole wheat baking mix
1 cup milk
2 egg whites
3 tb oil
(I used walnut oil and also added 4 tb chopped walnuts)

1. Mix all ingredients together. Allow to sit for 4 minutes.
2. Pour onto waffle iron.
3. Enjoy!

This recipe will make 4, 8-inch waffles, or a lot more on a regular waffle iron. I cut the recipe in half, to make two waffles, perfect for me and hubby.

One more cake...

2006-09-28T03:33:00.000-04:00

I found one more pic. This was the most recent wedding cake I've made, it was last September. The beautiful bride in the background is a family friend, Angela.

It was 2 flavors: vanilla pound cake with Lindt milk chocolate ganache filling, and double chocolate cake with Lindt milk chocolate ganache. This was probably the tastiest cake I've ever made.

Cakes

2006-09-26T18:55:00.002-04:00

Since my birthday cake was so well recieved last week, I decided to post some pictures of cakes I've made in the past... Unfortunetly I can't post pictures of ALL of them, because many photos were taken before I had a digi cam! Anyway, here they are:
This one was made for a huge birthday party last year:

This one is my wedding cake:

Which I made to look like my dress:

This a another wedding cake, I really struggled with this one but it turned out ok:

The next three are pictures of cakes I made in the cake decorating class I took:

These are gum paste flowers-made from entirely edible products, but look just like real flowers:

Lentil Soup and Ramadan Mubarak

2006-09-24T19:23:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was the beginning of Ramadan, a month of fasting for Muslims. The imporatance of this holiday cannot be overstated- it is to spend time with family, reflect on life, and understand the pain of the less fortunate. Fatour (the breaking of the fast in the evening) is an event every day, when dinner tables are filled with soups, salads, meats, bread, olives, labne, and fruit drinks. Everyone is welcome and the family always eats together. Needless to say, it doesn't feel much like Ramadan when I am so far from our family. Also, my husband is on a buisness trip, so I suppose Ramadan will actually "begin" for us when he returns next week. I promise to have lots of pictures of the foods that are necessary to this yearly occassion. But for now, since I abhor cooking when there is no one to feed, I am back on my "soup diet." I am still craving a taste of Ramadan, and so I decided to make a soup that we always eat this time of year.

1 cup diced onions
1 tb minced garlic
1 tb minced ginger
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup diced celery
1 tb chaat masala or garam masala
1 tsp cumin
1 bay leaf
1 cup red lentils
1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
6 cups cold water or stock
1 8 oz can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

1. Saute onions, ginger, garlic, carrots, and celery until translucent. Stir in spices and saute for 1 more mintue.
2. Add bay leaf, lentils, chick peas, water, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, and reduce to a simmer.
3. Simmer for 1 hour, replenishing water as needed. Remove the bay leaf and process the soup in a blender until smooth. Pass through a sieve and into another pot. Return to the boil* and taste for seasoning.

Serve with yogurt, chopped parsley and green onion. Serves about 6.

*This step is very important. If you've ever made a pureed soup, but found it didn't taste as it does in a restaurant, it's probably because a good restaurant will always strain this sort of soup through a fine mesh sieve to remove any bits that weren't pureed. In this case, the lentil's skin will be left behind. The strained soup will have a much smoother texture. It is also imperative to re-boil the soup after pureeing, to ensure the soup is free from any microbacteria is may have come into contact with in the blender, or the strainer.

WCB 68

2006-09-22T00:03:00.000-04:00

Hello all and welcome to Weekend Cat Blogging 68! Clare is still MIA, so Bonnie and I have been trying to hold it all together, but we need your help! The lovely Sanjee and Robyn from The House of (Mostly) Black cats are hosting next week, so we need volunteers for the WCB's during the month of October.

Who out there is feline enough to step up to the plate and round up, up, up, and out of the park?!?!?

Let's get some volunteers!

Meanwhile, in OTHER news, Today is my 27th birthday! Or, as I prefer to put it, It's the third anniversary of my 24th birthday! Hubby is taking me out to a LA hotspot called KOI for some food and hopefully celebrity watching. Tiggy helped me celebrate by waking me up with a kitty-back massage. Really, she kneaded me all over my sore back, which was totally appreciated. Hubby came home early from work with a beautiful floral arrangement, which of course I had to share with Tiggy:

She nearly singed her whiskers there!

And I made a cake for myself:

It's vanilla sponge cake with almond buttercream filling and raspberry jam. YUM!
I also got a new camera and a kick-butt beligum waffle maker (more on that later).
BUT the best present of all was a phone call from my best friend from Grade 8, Nikkel Carrera. We haven't talked in about 14 years, so it was great to catch up and an amazing birthday surprise. Hi Nikkel!

Enough about ME- let's get the round-up happening.

Pay a visit to The House of Mostly Black c Cats to check out how Beeyootiful Sanjee's sisters are!

A great big fluffy thanks to The House of Mostly Black Cats and The Cat Blogosphere for helping us get the word out!

Drop by Jelly Pizza to voice your support for a feline representative in the United Nations. STAND UP AND PURR!!!!!

Bustopher and Harmon 'help' Kate in the kitchen.

Rosa has a soft spot in her heart for lonely kitty Felix.

D shows off Boot's and Tess' baby pictures at The Hidden Paw.

Check out FarmGirl's page to see a great portrait of Patchy Cat.

KuDin shows us a few great pics of the neighborhood Kitties.

Riana is very daring to try to sling a cat....

Upsie gets a new toy and a heavy-duty brushin' over at what did you eat.

Boo checks in with adopted beauty Ginny at masak-masak.

Ike and Abe are only interested in FILTERED water, thank you very much.

EXTREME CLOSE UP of Aggie at kayaksoup.

Kamakaze has become very protective of his veggies at igot2shoes.

Boo knows exactly what her owner needs at Tales from Pixie Wood.

Visit Chilli, Amber, Scarlett and Sally at Miss Ellie's Page.

More beautiful street cats at catsynth!

Kelly gets a "Glamour Shots" makeover at Anne's food. She is so pretty!

Check out adoptable Rocky Road at Scamperdude.

Visit Lali at Lali et Cie for a portrait of her beautiful black cat.

Ramona at Kross-eyed Kitty has a close-up or Mr. Mao to share.

Visit Haley and Maggie at Ang's little blog spot and welcome them to WCB!

KitchenMage is growing pots of Gray Fluffballs and Snakes on the walkway!

Kimberley tells us Sasha's nicknames at Music and Cats. Tiggy's are: Tigs, Tiggy-Tig, Tiger cat, and Prow (for the sound of her 'meow').

UPDATE: That seems to be it all for WCB this week, but if I get any more entires I will of course post them up. Thank you everyone for your birthday wishes, I had a lot of fun spending time with my husband who I can't get enough of.

As for the upcoming WCB's, I have compiled a schedule of all the people who were so kind to volunteer. Let me know if there is any problems with it:

THE SCHEDULE HAS BEEN UPDATED!
September 30- Sanjee and Robyn at House of mostly Black Cats.
October 7- D at The Hidden Paw
October 14- Rosa from Rosa's Yummy yums
October 21- Jelly from I Got 2 Shoes.
October 28- Linda from Kayak Soup.
November 4- Lali from Lali et Cie.
November 11- Up for Grabs
November 18- Amar at Catsynth.

Thanks again to everyone who volunteered.

WCB 67

2006-09-15T14:06:00.000-04:00

Hello all!
Please note that cat synth has volunteered to host this weekend! So go pay a visit to see all this week's kitties. Thanks so much! Are there are other volunteers to host in the upcoming weeks? The Cat Blogosphere had offered to help out, are you still interested? Let's try to organize a host in advance.

This week Tiggy insisted on taking over the WCB duties. She really wanted to show you all her toys (you know how children can be!). SO HERE SHE GOES:

This was my first fun toy. It's a Cat Dancer, and when I was a kitten I had so much fun trying to catch the end of it. It's just like chasing a bug! But I'm a little sick of it right now.

Here I am sleeping with my green fuzzy. I used to carry it around all the time when I was a little kitten. I carried it off somewhere and hid it so well that even I can't find it! I haven't seen it in months!

After I lost my green fuzzy, mommy made me some red fuzzys to play with from stuff she bought at the craft store. They have a small bell on them which drove me crazy!

My favorite toy of all time is my giraffe. I love to bite him on the neck and kick him furiously with my legs. Usually if someone is playing with my giraffe, I attack it, kill it, and then carry it away in my teeth and hide it somewhere.

This is my new toy! It is so much fun to hit it with my paw because it makes a chirping noise just like a real bird! It also has feathers that I love to pull out of the fabric. Mommy is going to have to fix them , I guess.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my toys!
With love,
Tiggy

Weekend Cat Blogging 66 ROUND UP!

2006-09-08T14:58:00.000-04:00

Here is the round-up so far of all the kitty action happening this weekend!
After volunteering myself for WCB Round-up duty, hubby reminded me of our camping trip booked for Sunday night thru Tuesday morning. So I will post it all up Sunday morning before leaving for Malibu Creek State Park. Here's hoping everyone sends in the pics early!

Tiggy might be jealous of the "other" kitties in my life.

Check out the pretty Diva at Miss Ellie's Page.

This pretty little fluffball named L.C. (Little Cutie) is up for adoption over at Scamperdude.

Help T Bird on a Wire to find a snappy caption for Harley's latest picture!

D over at The Hidden Paw trys to get Boots and Tess to exercise, since one is a Chubby Kitty! Is there a Jenny Craig for felines?

Watch the gorgeous Taboo protecting his prize at Jelly Pizza.

Harmon snoozes rather than scratches and Bustopher falls asleep latch-hooking over at Kate's page.

Visit Spike, the beautiful people-loving Manx at Watermark.

Visit Maruschka at Rosa's Yummy Yums and go for a virtual belly rub!

*singing* "One of these things is exactly like the other..." Which one is the kitten? Only KitchenMage knows for sure...

Fluffy Upsie has given up his house-and his grooming to a bunch of baby squirrels atWhat did you eat?

Anne has a lovely picture of Hamlet on his 6th birthday! Happy birthday Hamlet!

Mr. Mao cuddles himself up in the bed at Kross-Eyed Kitty.

The Cat Blogosphere has all the current kitty-net news here!

S'kat gives us an update on the super-cute Sirius at S'kat and the food.

Billy Lee lays down the law at the Food Pornographer. Update!! Billy Lee learns to share!

Aria at passionateonchalance updates us on all the kitty happenings, including a cute pic of Max the Hammer.

Help out The Restaurant Widow find a home for this cutie!

Boo at Masak-Masak gives us a pic of a cute street stray beggin' for a pettin'.

Lisa at Champaign Taste watches as Georgie pulls himself up.

Check out the Luna play-by-play at Cat Synth.com

Raspberry Baby needs a home! Visit ScamperDude and check out her head shots.

Sinda drinks with drippy paws at Tina's site, A Blip on the Radar.

Bookcases are for more than just just books for beautiful tiger cat at Lali et Cie.

Dora and Mingo read, sleep, and grow up (sniff!) here!

Lucky models the newest in kitty couture at These Days in French Life.

The "New" Maki

2006-09-07T15:25:00.000-04:00

As a child, I was not a fish-lover. The only fish I enjoyed eating was either fried smelt or fish sticks. Although my mother is from Newfoundland, we didn't really eat much fish. I think it was due to us (the kid's) firm refusals. Once I got older and began my career in food, I realized that I needed to expand my palate and appreciate many different foods. Fish began to grow on me. It has been about 7 years since I began to eat fish and I have finally grown to love it. Red Snapper, Bass, and Orange roughy are near the top of my list. However, I doubt that any other fish will ever knock Salmon off it's number 1 spot.

My favorite way to eat salmon is cold and raw. It took a bit of growing, but I have turned into a sushi lover. Recently my friend Paul visited us and lent some sushi expertise. Now that I know how to prepare the rice, we are eating sushi and sashimi twice a week. And in the best, low-effort way-- the New Maki.

Paul showed us this easy method of eating sushi in hand rolls. The fish is sliced into sticks about two inches long. Nori is cut into four pieces. The "condiments" are sliced into sticks (cucumber, avocado, green onion or whatever your heart desires!). Complement the condiments with spicy mayo, tempura crunchies, wasabi and pickled ginger. Arrange all the ingredients on a platter, and let each diner assemble their own hand roll!

I am usually against food that arrives unprepared. When we go out for Korean barbecue, we always ask the chef to cook everything inside the kitchen. The novelty of preparing the food does not turn me on. If I wanted to cook, I'd be at home. However, I love assembling my own hand roll, since I am in total control of the amount of wasabi, and the combinations of ingredients are endless.

Weekend Cat Blogging 66

2006-09-07T14:09:00.000-04:00

UPDATE: Are you looking for the ROUNDUP? Click here!

I'm hosting Weekend Cat Blogging this weekend, since Clare and Kiri have taken a holiday! Check back with them at eatstuff later for more kitty goodness. Drop me your links in the comment section and I'll round it all up on Sunday. For now, here is my entry featuring the "other" kitties in my life:

This huge cat is Barry, my Nana's cat, who LOVES to be petted and brushed. He is super gentle and gives the best kitty-hugs you can imagine. Here he is getting a drink from the sink!

Here is Kitty, getting her required 23 hours of sleep per day. Really, she only wakes up to eat and then find another warm spot to sleep away the day.

Pesto belongs to my sister Mary, but is currently living with my Dad. She is a feral kitty, so not too cuddley, but she is so happy to be able to go outside in the garden! This is her favorite spot, where she can bask in the sun and watch the street.

Finally, here a pic of my Mom's pomeranian, Brandy. I know, she's not a cat, but she thinks she is. She even plays with yarn! She is a sucky baby and the fluffiest thing I've ever seen!

Weekend Cat Blogging 65

2006-09-02T22:37:00.000-04:00

Hello Cat Bloggers!

It has been an eventful week. After returning from my trip to Toronto, I had to clean the entire house because apparently G has the housekeeping skills of the average 13 year old boy. Or an orangutan. Wait- would an orangutan wash a dish? And on top of the housekeeping chores I had another issue to deal with: the arrival of a literal Chupbacabra- an unknown spooky animal sneaking into my courtyard late at night and laying waste to my strawberry plants!

The other night we actually caught it in action- read about it here- and after combing the internet for pictures of hairy, long-nosed, rat-like creatures I finally found out what IT was: THIS!
So part of the weekend has been spent modifying the courtyard door to prevent return visits.

As for Tiggy, she has become a furry alarm clock which nuzzles me, purring and kneading sometime between 7 and 8 in the morning. However, I think she knew it was the weekend since we both slept in until 9:30.

I am still without a camera, but here is an older video of Tiggy playing with her red fluffy on the couch. Sorry for the TV noise in the background!

For more kitties, go see Bonnie and Miss Ellie at Miss Ellie's page.

And drop in on Clare at eatstuff!

Roasted chicken

2006-08-31T23:11:00.000-04:00

"Man," he said. "You know how to cook chicken. It's just perfect. Our children will be so spoiled- I'm going to have to tell them- 'Look, this is the best tasting food you EVER eat!' just so they understand how good it is."

What a compliment, eh?

I wish I had a picture of the roasted chicken we ate for dinner, but it didn't even occur to me to take a picture! Chicken, huh, whatever, too easy. But after hearing the preceding comment from G, it dawned on me- some people eat dry chicken. I had forgotten how bad chicken tastes when it's overcooked. I guess I've taken my own skills for granted. Here is a quick outline for roasting a chicken, and also a marinade recipe.

1. Chose a small (5 pound) bird. Remove giblets and neck (if included). Save neck for stock. Rinse the bird with cold water and pat dry.

2. Place on a cutting board. Check the bird for remainants of feathers. If any are found, scrape them off with a knife.

3. Cut off the wing tips and discard.

4. With the chicken on it's back, slide your hands in between the skin and the flesh. If you are gentle, you can slide your hand in to the thigh and even the back. This is an important step, as it separates the skin from the flesh, allowing the marinade to contact the flesh.

5. Lift open the skin from the breast and sprinkle in your spice seasoning. Use your chicken hand to rub it towards to the thigh. Pour some olive oil under the skin and rub it in. Use more spices if needed.

6. Rub some more olive oil on the outside of the skin and another slight sprinkling of spice. Place breast side up in a roasting dish (two inches in height). Bake at 375 for 30 minutes, then reduce heat to 325. Remove the bird and turn it, placing it breast side down in the dish.

7. Continue cooking for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. Check for doneness by inserting a probe thermometer in three places: 1. The flesh of the thigh should be at 180-190 degrees. 2. The thigh joint should be above 170 degrees. 3. The breast should be at 170-180 degrees. If you do not have a probe thermometer, use this other easy (but less accurate) method. Insert a sharp knife into the flesh of the thigh and breast about 1/2 an inch deep. Remove the knife and gently press on the flesh surrounding the incision. If clear juice runs out, it is cooked. A pinkish coloured or milky discharge means it's not quite done.

8. Allow the bird to stand for 15 minutes, breast side still down, before carving. Gently remove from the pan and serve!

Flipping the bird over is essential to getting the dark meat to a higher temperature than the breast. The thigh and leg need to get up above 180 to be tender and not chewy, while the breast is best if cooked to around 170. By flipping the bird over, you are exposing the dark meat to more direct heat and protecting the tender breast meat.

When I made this for dinner last night, I used a great spice rub from Penzey's called Northwoods Seasoning. It is a blend of spices including salt, pepper, thyme, paprika, rosemary and garlic. I highly recommend it, but really any seasoning will do. A wet marinade also works well, and can be poured under the skin for maximum flavour exposure. However, a wet marinade must be prepared ahead of time ( at least 2 hours) while a spice rub can be put on the bird right before cooking.

Lemon-Thyme marinade for chicken

3 lemons, juiced
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tb minced garlic
1 tb chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
1 tb chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Place chicken in a large bowl and pour the marinade over the chicken and in between the flesh and the skin. Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. When you are ready to cook, remove the chicken from the marinade and blot off the excess with a paper towel. Rub a couple tablespoon of olive oil onto the skin and sprinkle salt overtop.

Weekend Cat Blogging 62

2006-08-17T12:55:00.000-04:00

This "food blog" is slowly becoming a 'kitty blog'!

I am leaving lala land today for a short trip home to Toronto, so here is a quick Tiggy fix!!! Also my camera broke (ahhh!) and I was hoping to add some pics of my mom's and sister's cats! Hopefully I can get it working. Anyway, I have about 400 pictures and 15 videos of Tiggy, so that should keep me going!

Anyway, here is a video that I took moments before my camera died.

Weekend Cat Blogging 60

2006-08-05T16:41:00.000-04:00

Hello Kitty parents and kitty lovers! First off, an update on The War on Fleas. Tiggy got another dose of Frontline Plus, which killed all the fleas living in her soft fur, and we bombed the whole house with aeresol cans of flea-killing spray. So far so good, that was five days ago and she seems to be flea-free. I guess time will tell, but I figure this is only a cease-fire, and I'm still waiting to see if some troops survived the aeresol attack. I'm guessing if they did, they'll be back with reinforcements.

On a different topic, after bombing the house, then airing it out, G and I took off on a two-night trip to Las Vegas. Tiggy was alone in the house for most of three days, and when we got home she was SO happy to see us. She very hyper, jumping off the walls and playing with everything. Before we went to Vegas, she had been ignoring me a bit and sucking up to G, but now I'm back to being her favorite. Last night she kept me up all night because every hour or so she would rub her face against mine and knead my arm or chest. This was the first time she has tryed to rub her scent on me- so I was touched by it. She also loved this playmate I brought home for her: a small fuzzy giraffe. Here she is beating it up:

I tied a string around the giraffe and pulled it along the floor for Tiggy to stalk and attack. It made me think of a tiger catching a gazelle in the wild!

If you love the fluffy goodness, then go to Eatstuff and say hello to Clare and Kiri!

Culinary Adventures in Las Vegas: Fleur de Lys

2006-08-05T01:58:00.000-04:00

Fleur de Lys

There are so many culinary adventures possible in Las Vegas. You would need weeks to visit all the top restaurants, buffets and casinos, but the truth is that everyone get sick of Vegas after about three days. There is so much to see and do, but trust me, a week is too long. I've visited Vegas on three separate occasions and I still haven't been to every casino. They are all essentailly the same, although some are more impressive than others, with lion habitats, or shark tanks, fountains or pirate ships. Each has it's own claim to fame. I suppose it is the same for the restaurants.

This time we stayed only two nights in Vegas, so our culinary opportunites were limited. On the first night, we went back to the buffet at Paris, since we enjoyed it so much last time. It was mostly the same, and the food as quite good. However, the dinner location for night #2 was hotly debated. As the three of us were walking through the MGM Grand (which is huge, BTW), we stumbled upon Joel Robuchon's new restaurant. I would have loved to eat there, but $375 each was just too much for our budget. However, at L'Atelier next door, (Robuchon's lower-cost restaurant) the prices were more reasonable. Paul was a few meters away, standing in front of Nobhill. We had a dilemma- who gets to pick the restaurant? We had to leave it up to G, who was having a hard time deciding between his wife and his best friend. Arguments ensued. We narrowly avoided acting like sulkly babies when I put my foot down and picked a totally different restaurant in a casino down the strip: Fleur de Lys in Mandalay Bay.

The room was just beautiful. Hundreds of fresh roses decorate one wall. The service was fantastic. G and I had the three course tasting menu and Paul decided to go with four courses. The nice thing about the tasting menus, was that you could choose any appetizer, main course and dessert to put it together yourself.
My Menu:
Oven Roasted boneless Quail, with "fondant" of celery root and hazelnut, foie gras torchoon and mushroom compote.
Colorado lamb loin and lamb shoulder cannelloni with eggplant caviar, atrichokes Barigoule and oriental lamb jus.
Fruit minestrone with basil sorbet and orange jus.

G's menu:
Chilled Maine lobster salad with watermelon granite, balsamic vinegar reduction, and vannila oil.
Kobe beef Fleurburger Rossini
Sauteed foie gras, Black perigord truffles, truffle sauce on a shallot and truffle brioche bun
Pistachio souffle

Paul's menu
Artisan foie gras au torchon with rhubarb-rosemary compote, rhubarb chips, honey grenadine.
Slow roasted Alaskan King Salmon with parmesan herb crust, artichkoes, lemon, capers and beurre noisette.
Filet mignon with braised ox tail tortellini, potato gratin, baby spinach and red wine reduction.
Pistachio souffle

The food was excellent, with only a couple comments to make. My quail dish and Paul's filet were under-seasoned. G's Kobe beef burger was a little dry. Other than those few comments, we enjoyed the food immenesly. Our bill, with one glass of wine, one espresso and one tea came out to $380 after tip. There was also an extra cost for the kobe beef burger in addition to the $79 cost for three courses. I highly reccommend this restaurant to anyone visiting Las Vegas. I shouls also mention they offer a 5 course vegetarian tasting menu for $75. Here are a few pictures of the meal, the camera flash was on the fritz, so not all the pictures came out well.

Amuse bouche of smoked salmon in a fennel cream sauce.
My menu:

Roasted quail

Lamb loin

Friut minestrone

White rose tea

G's menu:

Lobster salad

Kobe beef burger

Pistachio Souffle

Paul's menu:

Foie Gras au Torchon

Alaskan king salmon

Filet Mignon

Culinary Adventures in LA: Part 2: Ode-San

2006-08-05T00:36:00.000-04:00

Ode-san is located in Koreatown in Los Angeles. It serves Korean-style sushi/sashimi and it got a great review by one of LA's prime critics, Jonathan Gould (of LA Weekly). It was high on Paul's list of "restaurants to eat at" and so we went. G was disappointed that there was no Kalbi on the menu and that we were pressuring him to forgo the regular-sushi menu and order something that was Korean-style. We ended up ordering a "crunch" roll to share (mock crab, cucumber, avocado and crispy tempura bits), three fresh shrimp, sushi-style (they were swimming in the restaurant's tank minutes before we ate them), and each order a "bowl" dinner. Paul and I ate the sashimi bowl and G ordered the barbecued eel bowl.

The typical Korean side dishes arrived first.

We all love these little plates and dug into the kimchi, garlicky broccoli, bean sprouts, sweetened potatoes and dried fish. Shortly after we demolished most of the side dishes, the bowls arrived. I have to say I was a little disappointed with my "sashimi bowl". It was a big bowl full of lettuce (no detectable dressing) topped with all the scrappy end pieces of fish. It is known that the shape of a piece of food contributes to the taste on your palate. Some foods are more sensitive to the shaping than others. Sashimi is one of those sensitive foods. The fish can't melt on your tongue if it's a big chunk of fish rather than a delicate slice. I suppose the price reflected the use of scrappy end pieces, but honestly I would rather have had less fish that was cut well. Those end pieces could have been excellent inside a roll. Anyway, I ignored the salad and ate most of the fish with the bowl of rice provided.

G enjoyed his barbecued eel dish, which was over rice, not salad.

The shrimps arrived next, having just moments before sacrificed their lives in the kitchen.

They were ok, rather bland, and I'm not sure they were worth the $10 price tag (per shrimp!). Once we ate the shrimp, the waitress swooped by and grabbed the plate on which the shrimp heads resided and brought them back a few minutes later, tempura-fried and golden brown. It was my first time eating a shrimp head, and although I was hesistant, it tasted good.

The crunch roll was tasty, especially with the myterious brown sauce that was squirted over top of it.

Culinary Adventures in LA: Part 1: Roscoe's

2006-07-29T00:22:00.000-04:00

Located on Gower st in Hollywood, Roscoe's chicken and waffles is a local icon. It was opened in 1976 by Mr. Hudson, who, according to the website, noticed three things when he moved to Los Angeles in the early 70's:
1. All the restaurants in Hollywood are inside hotels.
2. There were none offering late-night food.
3. There were no restaurant serving both chicken and waffles! (Insert shock here)

I first heard of Roscoe's while on a pre-moving day visit to Los Angeles. I was wandering the hotel, gathering brochures, and within the pile of glossy paper was the African-American's guide to Los Angeles. It recommended Roscoe's as a must-do late-night food stop. Hmm, sounds interesting, I thought, then over time the thought of Roscoe's faded from my memory.

When Paul arrived in Los Angeles, he revitalized my craving to try Chicken and Waffles together. I had a lot of questions. Was the chicken fried? What kind of waffles are we talking about here? Is there syrup? DO you eat the chicken and waffles together, or one first? It was imperative to go.

So on a warm Thursday night, G, Paul and I piled in the car and drove to Hollywood. We figured out of the five locations, Hollywood would be the most entertaining. We got a primo parking space right outside the restaurant, where street parking is free in the evenings. During our short wait, we met a cute family from Wisconsin in the narrow entranceway. We all commented on the delicious smell coming from inside. After a few minutes, we were seated and began perusing the menu. After no deliberation, we all ordered variations on the same meal: 1/4 chicken with waffles, with our without gravy, side of greens, biscuit, and an order of chicken giblets to share.

The room was small, with room for about 50 people, and the lighting was really weird, it had a red glow- almost like a nightclub. (Hence the weird picture)

Our food arrived. The chicken breast was dry, and all the chicken was missing that "crunch" that I expect when biting into a piece of fried chicken. The seasoning was also very mild. The waffles were ok, but only marginally better than Eggo's. I prefer waffles to have a crispness to them, while these could have been steamed, they were that soft. As for eating the waffles together with the chicken, it was pretty boring. Also, if you pour syrup on your waffles, then eat it together with the chicken, all you can taste is the syrup. The giblets were better, crisp and crunchy. Overall, I wouldn't go back here, although I'm glad I experienced it.

WCB 59: The Battle Against the Fleas

2006-07-28T23:48:00.000-04:00

Look at this kitten. Yes, this kitten is very cute. But what you can't see are the little beasties that live in this kitten's fur. Dirty, nasty, bite-y FLEAS. I've been fighting these fleas ever since she was a tiny kitten (2 months ago!). At first, she was too young for me to use any flea shampoos or medications, so I was combing her and squishing the nasties with my fingernails. As she got older, I started her on Frontline, a liquid med applyed directly to the skin. It's supposed to make the fleas infertile. Two applications later, and we still have fleas. SO today I pulled out the big guns: flea shampoo. Oh, Tiggy was NOT happy about the whole "bath" situation.

After she was washed, I wrapped her up in a towel and held her close as she purred herself dry. The beasties were crawling on her face (the only part free from shampoo) and I killed a bunch of them. Then, after much licking and rubbing, Tiggy was happy again, and sucking up to me plenty. I guess she thought the bath was some kind of punishment! Wish us luck in our battle against the fleas.

Check out Clare and Kiri over at eatstuff for lots of kitties every weekend!

UPDATE: I forgot to ask all you other kitty-parents for tips and advice in the war on beasties! All your comments and suggestions are VERY welcome.

No-Name Malysian Noodles

2006-07-28T02:22:00.000-04:00

I haven't been posting much, but let me tell you, I've certainly been eating. A friend, P, from culinary school arrived here in Los Angeles for a visit last week. We have only just begun our exmaination of restaurants in the LA area. I've surprised myself at being able to find my way from one destination to another! We've also been eating well at home, enoying Udon noodles in dashis broth, grilled beef ribs with sambal-olek yam fries, bowls of rice and sushi, smoked cheddar and onion omlettes... I could go on. Let me just say this: with the two of us combined, G has never eaten better (and neither have I). The bottom line is: there are no pictures of the food we've created over the last week. Between the beach and trips to Hollywood, food blogging is the last thing on my mind.

However, and few days ago I took P to see the LA farmer's market, where we laughed about the grocery-store produce and ate lunch at a cute Malaysian stall.

Ha! I can't remember what my dish was called! It was number 10 though! Basically stir-fried noodles with onion flakea and chicken. I had a great view of a poster for Laksa, which is what I really should have had (I didn't notice it before ordering).

Stay tuned for some pictures of our trip to Roscoe's chicken and Waffles.

Tiggy and I are Sleepy

2006-07-23T16:48:00.000-04:00

The past few days I have been very sleepy, and staying in bed long after my usual waking time of 9am. Tiggy sleeps curled up beside my pillow, but she dosen't like to sleep in. Some mornings she's more considerate than others. For example, a few days ago I woke up, rolled over and stayed in bed. Tiggy woke up, walked all over me and after realizing I wasn't getting up, she went downstairs to retreive her favorite toy (pictured below), brought it upstairs, and played somewhat quietly on the carpet next to my bed.

This morning however, she was not allowing any sleeping-in. At 9 am she was awake, and after the usual walking over my chest, she went right for the money, biting my toes. I'd sit up, chase her away, and a few mintues later, she was back, with her firce little fangs testing my patience.

I gave in and got out of bed, which satisfied her, but I only lasted long enough to eat some cereal, then I snuck back to bed when she wasn't looking!

I don't disturb her sleep (except with camera flashes!):

For more kitties every weekend, go see Clare at Eatstuff.

The best pots ever

2006-07-19T15:38:00.000-04:00

There are few things in my kitchen I love more than my Lagostina pot set. My mom bought me this set when I had my first apartment and was in my first year of culinary school in 1999. It is the 'Vienna" collection, although it seems Lagostina doesn't make this particular style of pot anymore, I think the most similar is the "Academy Five-ply-copper" set. The main reason I love it is because it is SO easy to go from this:

To this:

with just a sprinkling of Ajax.

Another reason I love them is the copper & aluminum base that heats quickly and evenly. Another great feature is the handles: made entirely from stainless steel, the pots and go right into a super-hot oven with worry, and also they have this neat ergonomic "notch" cut out of the handle for your finger to sit comfortably in.

If you are in the market for a new set of pots, you'll never regret buying a quality set like this one.

Weekend Cat Blogging 58 Roundup!

2006-07-15T18:54:00.000-04:00

Tiggy is so excited to do the round-up this week!

Ok, actually she was a little PO'd that I interuppted her Free Cell game!
We have a bucket full of cuteness for you this week!! I got a lot of help from Bonnie at Miss Ellie's Page. Check her out for lots of pics of kitties and puppies and links of course! And check back with Clare later for future kitty-ness.

Here are this weekend's kitty cats!

It's the WWE Smackdown: Kitty Kat Edition over at For the Junta. The two heavyweight champions, Boots and Tess, battle it out for your enjoyment.

Click to meet a very hot and sleepy Maruschka over at Rosa's Yummy Yums.

Check out the big-eyed beauty Fluff Puff in her stolen spot at Masak-Masak.

Max poses as an evil genius, hatching a plot to follow Aria of Passionateonchalance to work one day.

Carmel is a tri-coloured cutie over at Heather's Space.

Whiskey reads Stacey's morning paper after what looks like a delicious brunch over at Just Braise.

Upsie munchs some plants and hones his ninja skills at What Did You Eat.

Arty leaps down from tall buildings at Two Black Cats and Me.

Widget is a purse-lover... leather preferred! She lives over at Peanut Butter and Purple Onions.

It's bath time for Brother at Restaurant Widow.

Jelly at I got Two Shoes clears up any misconceptions (pay attention kitties!) and offers a cute pic of Kamikaze

Taboo is pleading her case at Jelly Pizza.

A sleepy Agie guards feet at Kayaksoup.

Lucky sports a cute collar and attempts to beat the heat at French Toast France.

Spike and Boo are front and center in a beautiful collage at Watermark.

Virgil and Casey snooze and groom at Dynamic Duo.

Steven, Mark, Lindsay and Kelly are back home with Scamper Dude. for a little while longer.
Also check out Kitten Shower.

Here is a link to Tiggy in her kitty tent and playing in my hamper!

Gilnda is So happy Anne from Anne's Food is back from vacation in London!

Rhett is thinking inside the box at The Misadventures of Rico Loco.

Harley wants some attention, and NOW! at T-bird on a wire.

Some kittens, like children, just won't sit still. KitchenMage is trying to teach them, though!

If you've got a kitty link to add, leave me a comment!

Weekend Cat Blogging 58

2006-07-13T01:01:00.000-04:00

Hello all you kitty lovers! Tiggy has had an exiciting week here in LA. Her brand-new Kitty tent arrived in the mail from Carol Wright Gifts. We're hoping that in time, she'll be able to come with us to our frisbee games. And maybe (we hope) she'll come camping with us to. Anyway, she loves it, and I've taken to leaving the door open to our courtyard so she can come in and out. It's nice for her, as she loves the freedom, and I don't have to worry about her since the walls are 8 feet high so she's got no chance of getting over them yet.
Here's a couple shots of her inside the kitty tent!

And today's bonus is a video of Tiggy playing in her "jungle gym" which is, in reality, my clothes hamper.

Tiggy and I are sending our best wishes over to Clare at eatstuff. Tiggy wanted to send you these flowers, but she hasn't got any money for shipping! Hope you feel better soon!

Pad Thai at Big Sur

2006-07-10T19:48:00.000-04:00

G and I went on a camping trip last weekend to the beautiful Big Sur Mountain in Los Padres National Forest. It was about a 6.5 hour drive north of Los Angeles and we left extra early Friday morning to be sure and secure a good site (no reservations allowed). We stayed at Andrew Molera State Park. The site was pretty good, apart from us picking one full of gopher holes and poison oak, of course. We saw so much wildlife! Two families of deer, gophers, squirrels, bunnies, pelicans, lizards and lots of birds. The beach was an easy 1 mile walk from the site, although the water was too frigid for swimming. There was also a beautiful river running through the park stocked with rainbow trout.

We went on a moderately difficult 8-mile hike along the coast with gorgeous views of the ocean. It took about 6 hours to complete, and at the end the river was calling our names. We dipped in, and our swollen feet were grateful for the cold water.

After the hike we were ravenous. My idea of 'camp food' differs from most. I think most people would want burgers and hot dogs right? Well, the best camp food for us is Pad Thai. It is so simple to make and nothing hits the spot quite like it after a long hike. Sorry I have no pictures of it!! It's easy to forget about food blogging when you're in the middle of nature and your tummy is growling!

Camp Pad Thai

What you need:
Camp Stove
A pot to boil water
A pan to mix it all together

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, cooked at home and diced.
1 packet Pad Thai sauce (check the "Asian" section of the grocery store)
1/2 packet rice noodles
1 tablespoon (or single-serve packet) of peanut butter
1 large carrot, julienned at home
1 green onion, sliced at home
2 cloves garlic, sliced at home
2 tb oil

Before leaving home: To minimize the amount of work to do at the campsite, slice up all the veggies and garlic and place in a sandwich bag. Cook and dice the chicken, place in another bag. Use a small jar or tupperware container for the oil.

Method
1. Bring the pot of water to the boil. Place rice noodles in the pot and remove from heat. Set aside.
2. Place the frying pan on medium heat and saute the veggies in the oil. Add a couple tablespoons of water.
3. Stir in the sauce, peanut butter, and chicken. Heat throughout.
4. By now the noodles should be soft. Strain in an appropriate location and add the noodles into the sauce. Remove from the heat and stir until the sauce is distributed.

Feeds 2 hungry campers.

Weekend Cat Blogging 57

2006-07-09T19:26:00.000-04:00

So tired.... G and I returned late last night from camping in Big Sur (click here to see pics). Tiggy was so happy to see us, she was meowing and rubbing up against us- way more friendly than usual. I wonder what the poor thing was thinking when she had been left alone for 48 hours for the first time. Today she is following me around constantly. Here in an older action shot of her playing with her 'cat dancer'.

Cherry Pie

2006-06-30T22:32:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Moon, Stars, and Paper for showing me an easy way to pit a cherry for without a trip to Williams-Sonoma. I never would have thought to use a paper clip, but it worked like a charm!

I have been gorging myself on bing cherries for the past three weeks or so, and at the cheap price of $1.89 per pound, why not? So facing an excess of cherries and a growing disdain for them, I decided to mix it up with a cherry pie I made a butter-rich pie dough from the Joy of Cooking and lined four tartlett shells.

(I couldn't help but think of Frenchy as I made these tartletts. Last year we produced a fresh new tart every day, and he taught me a technique for a slightly higher edge around the tart to contain the filling. I also thought of him while seeding the cherries- he would have used every one, despite any sign of spoilage. He was a master of the craft of pastry, but it sickens me when I think of how he would scrape mold off a product and then serve it.)

The cherries were mixed with cornstarch, sugar and lemon juice and spooned into the prepared shells. They came out hot and steamy, crisp and buttery, melt-in-your-mouth pass-me-another-piece good.

I had a lot of pie dough leftover, so I think apricot is next. A quick word on pie dough- It's really not hard to make a tender flaky pie dough. It is hard, however, to describe in words how the dough should look and feel. The keys are- don't overmix, and don't add too much water. At first it will seem to be falling apart. Press it once or twice and it should come together. Working a pie dough is more like pressing it together rather than kneading it. Good Luck!

Cherry Pie

For the dough:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 sticks butter (cold)
1/4 cup shortening (cold)
About 1/3 cup cold water

1. Mix together flour, sugar and salt with a fork in a medium sized bowl.
2. Cut the butter into small pieces and toss into the flour. Using the tips of your fingers, squeeze the butter into the flour, breaking up the butter into pea sized pieces. Add the shortening and delicately break it up with your fingers into pea-sized amounts. Gently rub the flour between your hands, picking out any large bits of butter and squashing them. The flour will take on a lovely almond colour.
3. Add half the water and mix it in with a fork. Add the rest of the water a tb at a time, stirring gently with a fork.
4. Stick your hands into the bowl and press the mess together until it forms a ball. It will be crumbly and that's ok. If it won't come together, then add a tb more of water. Remember that this stage is where a lot of people mess it up. Don't use too much water!
5. Refridgerate the dough for at least 1 hour before attempting to roll it out. Lightly dust your pans and work surface with flour and roll out the dough to about 1/8 of an inch. Fold in half and place overtop of the pan. Gently lift the edges with your left hand and press the dough into the crevices with your right index finger. (If you want a raised edge, pinch the dough at the edge of the pan about 1/2 inch higher than the pan.) Trim off excess.
6. There is enough dough for 1 closed pie, 2 open-faced pies, or 8 tartletts.

For the filling

5 cups bing cherries, pitted
3/4 cup sugar
2 tb cornstarch
1 tb lemon juice
2 tb water

1. Mix all filling ingredients together in a bowl.
2. Spoon filling into prepared pans.

Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 for an additional 30 minutes. Pay attention to the pies, as ovens vary, and some pies will cook faster than others due to the oven and the thickness of the dough.

Recipe adapted from The JOy Of Cooking
(Best cookbook ever!!!)

Weekend Cat Blogging 56

2006-06-30T22:18:00.000-04:00

Yes, that is Gordon Ramsey on the TV.

Well, it's the weekend and it's kitty time again. Tiggy has finally discovered the kitchen, she will lie on the floor while I'm cooking, or step up on the back of the couch and put her paws on the mantle that overlooks the living room. She will perch there, watching me wash dishes or cook. I was wondering when she would get the courage to jump up there, and then onto the kitchen counter.... and then yesterday G saw her standing on the counter, licking my cereal bowl. I'll try to train her out of it... I don't like the idea of kitty-litter paws on my kitchen counter!

For more kitties, go to masak-masak.

Baked Potato Soup

2006-06-28T19:34:00.000-04:00

G is away on a another business trip (sigh) and so it is soup night again here in Torrance. Tonight I'm making Baked Potato soup, for three reasons: 1. Soup is easy for one person. 2. I'm Irish, so potatoes are my comfort food. 3. G isn't here, so I can cook BACON!!

And the only hard part about this soup is resisting the urge to snack on the crispy bacon before the soup is ready!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup diced onion
1 tb olive oil
2 tb butter
2 tb flour
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup diced potato
4 cups chicken stock or water
4 rashers bacon, fried until crisp
2 stalks fresh thyme
2 tb grated cheddar cheese
1 tb minced green onion or chive

1. Saute onions until soft in a medium sized pot over medium heat in the oil.
2. Add the butter and stir until melted. Stir in the flour to make a roux.
3. Deglaze with the wine.
4. Add the stock 1 cup at a time, while stirring.
5. Bring to the boil. Add 2/3 cup diced potato and the fresh thyme.
6. Simmer over medium heat until the potatoes are cooked, about 15 minutes. Process soup in a blender. Return to pot.
7. Add the remaining potatoes and cook an additional 4 minutes, until they are soft.
8. Chop the bacon into large pieces.
9. Serve with bacon, cheddar cheese and green onions sprinkled over top.

Mmmm.....

2006-06-25T16:21:00.000-04:00

This delicious chocolate bar traveled 8262 kilometers on two international flights to get to me yesterday afternoon. At least once a year, my dad travels to his hometown of Belfast, Republic of Northern Ireland, and the one and only thing we all request is a bar of British chocolate. This bar is pretty big, weighing in at 650g, or nearly 1.5 pounds, but it is not even the biggest bar they sell. Some years, if I'm lucky, I get a 1 kilo bar. Whenever my dad, brother or I travel back to "The Auld Country", each of us will bring back at least 8-10 bars, and it is a real consideration when packing to be sure and leave enough room in the suitcase for all the chocolate. The best, most requested flavour is "Fruit and Nut" which is packed with raisins and almonds. But the biggest reason for the hub-bub is that the chocolate is different than that which is sold here in North America. My dad swears it's because they use higher quality beans, and I don't know why it tastes as good as it does, but I can say for sure that it tastes less sweet and more creamy than the Cadbury bars sold here. If pressed for a guess, I would say it must have more milk ingredients to make it taste so creamy. One square melts on your tongue and cover your whole mouth with creamy chocolately goodness. My mouth is watering.

Weekend Cat Blogging 55

2006-06-23T22:14:00.000-04:00

I bought a harness for Tiggy after reading about the success Claire from eatstuff had training Kiri. But a at harness was too big for my tiny little kitten, so I made a second trip and bought her a ferret harness. It fits really well, and she's being good about tolerating it, but she gets really wild and crazy (more then usual!) You can see the anger in her face on the first one!

For more kitties, go to EATSTUFF.

And for cutie pie baby animals every day, go to CUTE OVERLOAD This site is awesome! I check it everyday for cute pics of hamsters, bunnies, kittens, puppies, lambs, oh really any cute little furries!

Stock- Part 1

2006-06-20T23:28:00.000-04:00

According to dictionary.com, there are 24 definitions for "stock". I'm mostly interested in numbers one and nine.
1. A supply accumulated for future use; a store.
and
9. The broth in which meat, fish, bones, or vegetables are simmered for a relatively long period, used as a base in preparing soup, gravy, or sauces.

Stock is so essential to the kitchen, there is always a tupperware container of chicken stock in my fridge, and a ziploc bag full of frozen stock 'ice cubes'. It really is simple to make, but like pie dough, something simple in ingredients and preparation can still be difficult to pull off.

The prep cooks and my college, George Brown, certainly didn't know how to make a great stock. I remember at our exam day, I collected everyone's chicken bones and whipped up a stock, because what they had given us to work with was grey and disgusting. And stock can go from rich and flavourful to grey dishwater easily. But if you follow my tips, it will taste fantastic.

For chicken stock
1. You're going to need some chicken bones. Backs make the best stock. When I'm grocery shopping, I buy those small whole chickens, then when I get home, butcher them into 9 pieces. The back is just for stock in this house. But any bones will do, and use an appropriate sized pot. For instance, if you've just got 1 chicken back and a couple breast bones, then use a six- or ten- cup pot. Also, you can use cooked leftover chicken bones. The best taste comes from raw bones, but if you've got a carcass from a roasted chicken, that will make a great stock too! It might need to simmer a bit longer. Also- throw any extra skin into the pot too. Don't worry about the fat content, in the end your stock will be fat-free, but for now, that skin has a lot of flavour.

2.Start with cold water and plenty of it. Throw in your chicken bones in the pot and cover with cold water, to 1 inch below the top of the pot. You're going to need to replenish this water as it simmers away, so fill up your kettle while you're at it.

3. Add the essential veggies. Absolutely essential are : carrots, onion, celery, garlic. Throw in 1 or 2 carrots, chopped into big pieces (don't worry about peeling them), 1 or 2 stalks celery (this is a great way to use up the inedible tops and bottoms), 1/2 to 1 yellow or red onion, peeled and chopped into 4 and about 3 peeled garlic cloves. Smash them on the counter with your fist to crush them. Make sure to add these ingredients in proportion. They all have strong, distinct flavour and too much of any one ingredient will cause it to over-power the stock.

4. The rest of the veggies. What adds depth to a stock is a variety of ingredients. For a basic stock, add parsley, tomato, fresh thyme, or rosemary. You'd be surprised how much parsley brings to the table. I usually save the stems just for stock. If I'm making a stock to be used as a base for an Asian soup, then I will also add to the stock ginger, cilantro and lemmongrass.

5. What not to use. Don't add any acid, such as lemon or lime. This will contribute to a nasty taste and grey colour. Don't add any bell peppers. They will make a stock oily. Also stay away from veggies that are particularly pungent, such as parsnip. Oh, and don't use any potatoes, ok?

6. Dry goods. Finally, add a pinch of peppercorns, a couple bay leaves and a tablespoon of salt. Oh yeah, don't be shy. This is what will help bring out all the flavors of the chicken and veggies. If you don't add some salt right at the beginning, it won't taste like much.

7. Light my fire. Put the pot on the stove over high heat until it boils. Reduce the heat to low, and let the stock simmer for 2-3 hours. Make sure to skim off any foam that rises to the surface- this is the impurities from the chicken bones and skin, and you want to get rid of it. Usually most of this stuff comes to the surface in the first 15 minutes of cooking. As the level of water in the pot decreases, add some more fresh water. You want to keep the bones and veggies submerged. Another important point: Don't stir the stock! You can stick you spoon in there and wiggle it to move around the veggies, but if you stir it too much, the fibers and bits and pieces of the veggies will break down and you'll have a cloudy mess. On the same note, don't let it boil vigorously.

8. Finally, after a few hours, you can strain the stock and stick it in the fridge for tomorrow. Make sure you strain into a bowl and not down the sink! Throw away that nasty veg, or compost it, but don't eat it ok?

9. The next day, check out your stock. It should be yellow in colour, thick and with a slight jello-like consistency. You can thank gelatin for that. On the surface of the container, you'll see a thick white substance. That's the fat, and go ahead spoon it off into the garbage. It should be easy to lift it off.

I think that's it. What a mouthful!

True Life: Kitchen Stories.

2006-06-19T01:56:00.000-04:00

I just finished watching "Waiting.." a mediocre movie starring Ryan Renolds. I just wanted to clear up any misconceptions anyone might have over the topics in the movie.
When you go out to eat, could one of the kitchen staff spit on your food, drop it on the ground, tea bag your drink or use your food as a sanitary wipe? Yes. If you are a raging B, it is possible and more likely if the cooks are teenagers. Actually, you don't have to be a B or an A, necessarily. You could just be unlucky. I have seen it happen. Well, I've done it myself, ok?

Please don't look at me like that. I didn't know any better back then. The kitchen was staffed with 17 year-olds, and the supervisor was a grand old 19 years of age. Let me put it this way: If you dropped a steak on the slippery ground, that steak wasn't wasted.

(This is also the place that cleaned every pasta pan in a bucket of water next to the stove. By the end of the night, it turned a gross yellowy-orange colour from the mix of tomato and Alfredo sauces. You could bob to get pieces of chicken, bacon or mushrooms off it's slick oily surface. Yuck.)

We weren't as bad as some- most of the time if a steak or chicken wing flew off the counter, we would "sanitize" it by a quick dip in the 350 degree deep fryer. It was more a matter of keeping the complaints to a minimum than any malice, really. Let me give you an example. You've dropped by your neighbourhood chain restaurant with two of your friends. You order 12 chicken wings, friend #1 has pizza, and friend #2 orders a burger. Every person cooking on the line has to co-ordinate to make these three dishes come up to the pass at the same time. It takes a good 10-12 minutes to fry up an order of 12 wings. While the fry cook is tossing them in hot sauce, one flys out of the bowl and onto the sticky floor.

That guy is going to catch so much s*** for delaying the order by 12 minutes for one chicken wing, he is trying to save his (or her *blush*) neck by picking up that wing and tossing it back in the fryer to 'sanitize". On the flip side, wouldn't you get pissed if your order took too long? Or if it had out minus one wing?

I'm not trying to condone it. I would *never* do it again, being older, wiser, educated, and a restaurant diner. I love going out to eat and I wish I did it more. However, I always sit with my back to the kitchen, because frankly I don't want to see what goes on back there.

Weekend Cat Blogging 54

2006-06-17T16:21:00.000-04:00

Tiggy, for some kitty reason beyond my understanding, hates the kitchen. She has only entered the kitchen to investigate twice in the two weeks she has been here. It doesn't make a lot of sense: she spend most of her time in the living room and foyer; the kitchen is just steps away. The kitchen looks out onto the living room, and I was concerned that she would leap up from the back of the couch and onto the kitchen counter. She's investigated nearly everything else, but the kitchen. I think she resents the time I spend there. Look, she even attacked my favorite cookbook, "The Joy of Cooking".

For more kitties and to meet the territorial Kiri, go to eatstuff

Meat prices

2006-06-16T19:34:00.000-04:00

I am regularly disturbed by the prices at Albertson's, my local high-end grocery store. It's like Loblaws, for those Canadians out there (although Loblaws is higly superior). But usually I'm disturbed by the HIGH prices and overjoyed at the low ones. But $1.91 for a medium-sized NY strip steak? It weighed in at 0.4 of a pound, and at $4.77 a pound, it works out right. But it disturbs me to pay so little for a slab of well-marbled California Beef. It makes me wonder why beef costs so much more in Canada. What, exactly, are they doing in Cali to make the prices so low? I guess I don't want to know.....

Blog Party!

2006-06-14T22:08:00.000-04:00

Here is my first ever addition to blog party, hosted by The Happy Scorceress. I read about it on a great blog I frequent called I like to cook (I have an affinity towards Canadian bloggers- I admit it!!). One of these days when I figure out how to modify my template, I'm going to give you a list of my favs, I promise! Anyway, the theme for the blog party is MAN FOOD! The obvious choice is a pork product, but seeing as my man doesn't eat pork, I decided to go with crab, because at his favorite restaurant, Captain Kidd's, he always orders a huge steamed crab and busts it open on the paper-covered picnic table with a rented mallet, spraying everyone with crab juice. Also, I love how manly men will put on a bib to chow down on a big crab or lobster.
I did something I don't normally do as well- I actually used a recipe. Well, sort of. I mean, I followed the recipe mostly, but what do want from me? I'm creative. I used a recipe from Martha Stewart's Hor D'Oeuvres Handbook (which I've had for 7 years and never used, BTW). I made "Classic Crab Cakes" and I'm sorry to say that Martha let me down. Her recipe tasted fine, but the consistency was off. I had to add an extra egg and 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs to get it to hold together nicely. I thought Martha's recipes would be triple tested!
For the cocktail, I had to go with beer. It matches a the crispy crab cakes, the heaviness of the aioli, and also TONIGHT IS EDMONTON'S LAST CHANCE! and Hockey + Beer = happy men!

Ingredients
12 ounces crab meat
2 slices white bread, in small pieces
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 tb dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 medium jalapeno pepper, diced
2 tb parsley
2 eggs
1/4 red onion, diced
2 tb mayo
zest of 2 limes
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
3 tb canola oil

Method:
1. Preheat he oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Set a baking sheet inside.
2. Combine crab meat, bread and breadcrumbs in a large bowl.
3. In another small bowl, combine mustard, worstershire, jalapeno, parsley, eggs, onion, mayo, lime zest, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Stir into the crab mixture.
4. Form the crab mix into tablespoon-sized balls and flatten slightly. Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Fry each crab cake in oil on both sides and then transfer to baking sheet and cook for an additional 7 minutes.
5. Serve with aioli (below).

Aioli

2 tb mayo
juice of 1 lime
1 minced garlic clove
hot sauce to taste

1. Mix all ingredients together. Serve cold.

A Simple Dinner of Fish

2006-06-14T14:30:00.000-04:00

I had a killer headache yesterday and I wanted to make some really light and simple for dinner. I pulled out some frozen Mahi Mahi and made a slaw using my handy-dandy mandoline. Gadgets like these make throwing together a meal easy. I julienned the veg with it, then minced my garlic and ginger using my microplane. Check out the pic of the mandoline- this one is the French type and set me back $200 when I bought it in my first year of culinary school. You can buy the cheaper Japanese version made of plastic for about $20.

ingredients

2 pieces Mahi Mahi or and other type of fish
3 medium sized carrots, juilenned
2 stalks celery, juilenned
1/4 red onion, julienned
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tb chopped parsley
1 tb veg oil
few drops sesame oil
1 tb soy sauce
a few drops fish sauce
4 tb chicken or fish stock or water

Leftover rice
green onion for garnish

Method:
1. In a frying pan, sear fish on both sides until cooked through (about five minutes).
2. Meanwhile, in a wok or large frying pan, heat both oils and stir fry carrot, onion, celery, and garlic for about 2 minutes over medium heat.
3. Add ginger, soy sauce, fish sauce and chicken stock. Cover and simmer for approximately 3 minutes, until the carrots are soft.
4. Serve with white rice and spoon the juices from the veg over top of the fish.
5. Garnish with green onion.

Cherry Muffins

2006-06-13T22:13:00.000-04:00

So here is my first attempt at designing a baking recipe from scratch. I wanted to make something with the pound and half of cherries I bought from some dude on the corner in South Central. I decided to make a loaf cake and some muffins. Because really, a muffin is just a cake in disguise. I love the taste of cheesecake and cherries, so I got a little imaginative and mixed in a simple cheesecake batter into the cake batter to see what would happen! Well, the cake turned out really tasty, but a tad dry and heavy. Also the cheese mixture wasn't distinct within the cake like I hoped it would be. Next time I'm going to use a little less cheese, and cream it in with the batter. Also I think the batter needs more milk. It was still very tasty and the muffins were definitely better than the loaf.

ingredients:
For the cake batter:
1/2 cup soft butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup milk
1 tb vanilla

For the cherry cheese mixture;
3/4 cup cream cheese, soft
1/3 cup sugar + 2 tb
1 egg
1 1/2 cups cherries, pitted and chopped into pieces

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature.
2. Butter and flour either 2 9 inch loaf pans or 2 12-muffin trays.
3. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Stir the vanilla into the milk.
4. Using the paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugar for the cake batter. Beat in the eggs one at a time, at low speed, scraping the bowl after each addition.
5. Stir in half of the flour mixture, followed by half of the milk mixture. Add the remaining flour, then the remaining milk.
6. Scrape the batter into a bowl and set aside.
7. Using the paddle attachment, cream the cheese with the second measurement of sugar, then add the egg.
8. Stir in the cherries.

Mix together the two batters by gently folding. Place batter in prepared pans and bake in the oven, rotating once halfway through the baking time. Bake the loafs for approximatly 45 minutes and the muffins for approximately 15 minutes.

Transforming leftovers

2006-06-11T14:11:00.000-04:00

One of the marks of a great chef is the ability to make something out of nothing. Or, turn a less-than-inspirational dish into something fantastic. I remember one of the first times I ever made lobster bisque. At 21 years of age, I still found it hard to admit that I didn't know everything. So when required by my new position as Chef de Partie for the Garde Manger station to use up all the lobster and shrimp shells in a bisque, I got a few simple instructions from a co-worker, and tackled the task without further guidance. (These days I would look up a recipe or ask the chef from some specific instructions.)
After roasting all the shells, I put them together with the mise and the soup was on it's way. I would grump around the kitchen, swearing under my breath about making this complicated soup. I announced to everyone that I hated the taste of lobster, forcing them to taste and season my soup. (I think it was a form of self-preservation- if I hated the taste of lobster, then may be I could be forgiven for making a horrid tasting bisque?) Anyway, nine times out of ten, the bisque came out tasting fine. Not excellent, but passable. Until one day when I threw in a tablespoon of peppercorns with the mise, not thinking about what the result might be after the whole soup goes through the blender. So I ended up with a spicy soup. I didn't know what to do- it was exactly as I'd feared- I fu*ked up the bisque. And a huge pot of it- easily 20 liters.
So I hunted down Martin, the Executive chef and owner, and told him what I'd done. He tasted the soup and gave me a lecture. Is it bad that I don't remember what he said? He basically told me to get lost while he figured out what to do with the mess I made. You see, in restaurants, you just can't throw stuff out. You've got to find a way to use everything, or else you will go broke. The lobster shells, for example, are leftovers from using the meat. But when you use them to make a bisque, then sell the bisque for $11 a bowl, you'll make a crapload of money on something that is 'leftover'. Anyway, Twenty minutes later, Martin had added coconut cream, chili peppers and cilantro, and called it "Cajun creamy lobster soup". And we sold every drop of it.

So I was channeling my Martin when I attempted to make something else out of the Braised Lamb Shoulder Chops I made last Wednesday. They were ok, but a little heavy for me, and really not as exciting as I wanted them to be. So I had to think of something to do with the leftovers, because I certainly didn't want to get stuck eating it for days. On Thursday I pulled the lamb out of the sauce, chopped it into bite sized pieces and made "Yellow Rice", one of G's favorites. It's an Arab's version of stir-fried rice, but with less fat and more spiciness.

I still had a gallon of sauce to deal with. Using up the rich lamby sauce was not a problem. I made it into the best meat sauce I have ever tasted. Really, I mean it. It has so much flavor from the lamb, the mise, and the wine, it's perfect on top of a bland pasta, so it can really shine. I froze half of it for some night that I just don't want to cook!

Braised Lamb Shoulder Chops

4 shoulder chops
3/4 cup onion, small dice
1 tb minced garlic
1/2 cup carrot, small dice
1/2 cup celery, small dice
1 tb cumin
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp dried mint
1 tb fresh thyme
1 tb tomato paste
1 cup white wine or red wine
1 cup chicken stock
2 cups crushed tomatoes
2 tsp salt

1. Sear the chops over high heat until evenly browned on both sides. Remove from pan. Remove fat except for 1 tablespoon.
2. Saute onion, garlic, carrot and celery in fat until onion is translucent. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute.
3. Stir in all spices. Deglaze with wine, stirring to scrape up any bits stuck to the pan. Stir in salt.
4. Add chicken stock and tomatoes. Return lamb to the pot and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes-1 hour. Skim off excess fat. Taste for seasoning and serve with white rice or mashed potatoes.

Yellow Rice with Lamb

1 cup diced cooked lamb
1 tb vegetable oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup diced celery
1 tb minced garlic
3 cups cooked white rice
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp tumeric
2 tsp dried ginger
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat oil in a large frying pan or pot. Saute onion, carrot, celery and garlic until onion is translucent. Add rice, spices, and water. You may need more or less water depending on how dry the rice is.
2. Allow to simmer until all the water is absorbed. Stir in lamb, and cilantro. Taste for seasoning and enjoy!

Lamby pasta sauce

1 lb ground meat
about 20 small white or cremini mushrooms
4 cups crushed tomato (1 large can)
leftover sauce from braised lamb shoulders
6 cups cooked pasta (shells or penne)

1. Slice mushrooms.
2. Brown meat in a large pot over high heat. Stir in mushrooms.
3. Cook over medium heat until mushrooms are soft. Strain to remove fat. Return meat and mushrooms to the pot, and add tomatoes and lamb sauce.
4. Simmer over low heat for ten minutes.
5. Serve with cooked pasta.

Weekend Cat Blogging

2006-06-10T14:55:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone!
Here is my first Weekend Cat Blogging experience. Tiggy has been driving me crazy today... she just won't stop playing, chasing my feet, and attcking everything that moves. I just want to pet her but she won't hold still!! Anyway, check out these super cute pictures. G gave her a tiny bit of his oatmeal this morning, she chowed down on it, then licked her lips!
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Weekend Cat Blogging

Carrot Cake, and Tiny Tiger

2006-06-06T19:38:00.000-04:00

There has been a lot of excitement in our home these past few days, since we brought home a tiny little tiger to live with us. She has monopolized my time, following me around and squeaking to get my attention. I did, however, find the time to throw together a quick carrot cake to celebrate G's return home from Hong Kong. I hesitate to bake cakes these days, since there is only the two of us and no nearby relatives to force leftovers on. Experimenting with new cakes, cookies and breads was the highlight of my last job. On the weekends when Frenchy was off, Rebecca and I would stretch our creative muscles, baking blueberry muffins, sandwich buns, pumpkin bread, and anything else we could think of. There was never an issue with using it up, whatever didn't go into our mouths ended up on breakfast trays alongside danishs and turnovers, or used as sandwich bread in the restaurant kitchen. We would sit on milk crates on the loading dock with cookbooks open in our laps. Rebecca smoked cigarettes while we salivated over pictures of chocolate cakes, brioche, and page after page of bread recipes. Then the prioritizing began: what did we have time to make above and beyond our normal work? Also, what could be made without arousing suspicion from Frenchy that we were doing anything besides what he had specifically written for us on our "to do" list. He was so paranoid that we might outshine him in one regard or another that any deviance from everyday mudane tasks was considered mutiny. Once the Executive Chef asked me to make a pizza dough for him, and with the extra dough I made a tasty foccaica bread for the staff to nibble on. When Frenchy heard the Executive Chef complementing my bread, he pulled me aside by the arm and spat at me- "Don't fuck with me!"
Alas, now that I have my own home, with no parents of chefs claiming kitchen dominance, my culinary creativity is still stifled- simply by the fact that I have not enough friends to eat all the sweet treats and breads I desire to make. So when I decided to make this carrot cake, I scaled it down by a serious amount. Scaling is always an issue with baking, you may end up with an inferior product whether scaling up or down. However, this recipe yielded one perfect 8"x3" loaf of carrot cake, which I threw together in about 20 minutes.

Carrot Cake (adapted from "The Joy of Cooking")

ingredients:
1/2 cup and 2 heaping tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice*
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 eggs
3/4 cup finely grated carrot
1/4 cup raisins (optional)
1/4 cup walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare pan by rubbing with butter and dusting with flour so all sides are evenly coated. Shake out excess.
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt in a medium sized bowl, or mixer. Stir to combine.
3. Add the oil and the eggs, stirring well to combine.
4. Stir in the carrots, raisins and nuts, until a sloppy batter is formed. Pour in to the prepared pan, and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake in the center of the oven, turning once halfways through the baking process. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to rest in the pan for ten minutes before unmolding.

Cream Cheese Icing

1 tablespoon soft butter
2 tablespoon soften cream cheese
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature. Cream together butter and cheese. 2. Stir in icing sugar until a creamy consistency is reached. Stir in vanilla.
3. Ensure the cake is thoroughly cooled before frosting.

*Pumpkin pie spice is made by "Clubhouse", and contains: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves. Using this spice mixture is so much simpler than measuring out all the individual spices. If you haven't got any, then use: 1/4 tsp allspice, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, and 1 pinch of ground cloves.

carrot cake
cats
baking

Creamy Chicken soup with Gorganzola

2006-05-29T19:26:00.000-04:00

Ahhh.... it is so nice to be home and back in my own kitchen. G is gone to Hong Kong for a business trip, so I am here on my own. Usually when G is gone, I don't cook. I end up eating sandwiches, microwaving mysterious Tupperware containers, and throwing together veggie salads. However, after such a long absense from my kitchen and food blogging, I decided it was time to make a simple, fulfilling meal that is suitable for one: soup.

Ingredients
For the stock:

One chicken breast, bone and skin on
One pound chicken bones (back preferred)
1 L cold water
1 carrot
1 stalk celery
1/2 an onion
2 garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
3 stems of fresh thyme
2 stems fresh parsley

1. Combine all ingredients in a large heavy pot. Bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer. Do not stir. Skim off fat and impurities (foam).
2. Allow to simmer for two hours. Strain into a large bowl and remove chicken breast and bones. Discard all vegetables.
3. After chicken has cooled, remove any meat from the bones and discard bones and skin.

For the soup:

2 tablespoons butter
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 onion, finely diced
2 stalks celery, peeled and finely diced
1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken stock (see above)
1/4 cup finely diced peeled russet potato
1 tsp chopped thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1 tomato, finely diced with the seeds removed
2 tablespoons crumbled gorgonzola

1. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat.
2. Sweat the onion, celery and garlic together for about 2 minutes, until translucent. Stir in the flour, until all vegetables are coated.
3. Stir in 1/2 cup hot chicken stock. Continue stirring until all the flour is absorbed. Continue adding stock 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well.
4. Stir in diced potato, thyme and salt. Cook over low heat stirring constantly for approximately 4 minutes. Stir in chicken.
5. In a small bowl, stir together the tomato and gorgonzola cheese. Season with a pinch of salt.

Taste soup for seasoning before seasoning. Enjoy!

chicken soup

Vacation!

2006-05-09T14:02:00.000-04:00

A while ago I posted that this blog was getting the favour over my OTHER blog, sweetsarahj.blogspot.com. Well, the tables have turned. I have been in Tdot for two weeks now, and have just extended my stay thanks to the people at Aeroplan for an additional two weeks. Why do you want to go home?, you might be asking. Unfortunately G is on a plane right now, stopping in LA for 3 hours and then he begins one of his famous last-minute continent-jumping multiple-layover business trips, so I likely will not see him until June. Sound familiar? Shades of our first married year, right? Anyway, I decided it would be better for my mental state to stay in Ontario, and visit Cathy and Mary some more, including a camping trip to Darien Lake on May 2-4 weekend. Long story short, I am thousands of miles away from my kitchen and cooking in someone's else's kitchen feels like working with your arm amputated. Hopefully I will get a chance to eat some great food that SOMEONE ELSE has prepared, and I will surely keep you informed.

Pita and Mana'eesh

2006-04-19T18:07:00.000-04:00

Today, instead of wasting my time watching Maury Povich and All My Children, I decided to bake some bread.

I used a recipe from Claudia Roden's New Book of Middle Eastern Food from Khubz, or pita bread. Luckily, the dough can also be used for Mana'eesh, a sort-of Arabic pizza, with a savory thyme and sesame topping. Hubby and I procured a big bag of Zatar (thyme) yesterday, and I wanted to give him a treat of freshly baked Mana'eesh.

ingredients:
1 tbsp active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups luke warm water
1/4 tsp sugar
About 6 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
More olive oil for frying
About 1 cup Zatar*, mixed with 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1. Mix together the sugar with 1/2 cup water. Dissolve the yeast in this sugar water, then set aside for about five minutes, until it begins to froth. Pour into the mixer bowl, along with the remaining water.

2. Using the paddle attachment, mix in 3 cups of flour, one cup at a time. Remove the paddle and allow to rest for ten minutes.

3. Using the dough hook, mix in the salt and oil. Add the remaining flour gradually, a few tablespoons at a time, until a the dough forms a ball. (you may have leftover flour.)

4. Continue to knead with the doughhook for about 10 minutes. The dough should be soft to the touch, but spring back when you poke it!

5. Remove the dough to a greased bowl, and turn to coat it with oil. Cover with a cloth or Saran wrap. Allow to rise 2 hours in a warm place, or until doubled in bulk.

6. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fareinheit and place a baking sheet in the center of the oven.

7. Punch the dough down and divide in two. One for Mana'eesh and one for pita. First, for the pita, divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, and roll them out to about 5 inches in diameter. Cover a soft cloth and set aside to rise again, for another twenty minutes. Meanwhile, for the mana'eesh, roll out the other half of dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Grab a large glass and cut out circles. Repeat with leftover dough. Cover the circles as you go with a soft cloth.

8. Using the rolling pin, roll out the circles until they are as thin as possible without breaking. Stretch with your hands too!

9. Place a frying pan on medium-high heat. Spread 1/2 to 1 tbsp prepared zatar onto the dough. Heat 2 tsp oil in the frying pan and drop the dough onto the pan, zatar-side up.

10. Once the dough has crisped up on the bottom and bubbles begin appearing on the surface, (about 2 minutes) place it into the oven on the baking sheet. Pop any very large bubbles. Bake in the oven for approximately four minutes. Continue to prepare the rest of the dough!

This recipe makes about 20 5-inch "pizzas" of dough. They freeze exceptionally well, and I eat them all the time as a mid-morning or afternoon snack. I put a frozen disc on top of my two-slice toaster and it tastes as good as it does fresh!

Back to the pita bread: after twenty minutes, they should have risen some more. Bake them for 5 minutes on the hot baking sheet, about 2 or 3 at a time. Once they come out of the oven, wrap them in a towel to prevent hardening. They will be puffed up and soft and fluffy on the inside! Yummy!

* "Zatar" translates in Arabic to "thyme" but it is also used to refer to the mixture of 1 part dried thyme with 1 part toasted sesame seed and 1/4-1/3 part sumac. This is what you want whne making Mana'eesh. Check when you are buying it whether or not it has sesame seeds. Otherwise, just buy the sesame seeds as well and mix it up!

Pita bread
food
baking

Spicy Thai Chicken salad

2006-04-14T23:04:00.000-04:00

This sweet, sour, and spicy salad has been known to cause sweating, salivating and smiles of satisfaction.

Ingredients:
For the sauce:
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/8 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tb lime zest
1 tb lemon zest
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp grated ginger
2/3 cup sweet chilli sauce*
1 1/2 tb oyster sauce*
1 1/2 tb fish sauce*

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
Makes 1 1/2 cups sauce.

For the salad mix:
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup julienned red peppers
1/2 cup julienned orange or yellow peppers
1/2 cup julienned red onion
1 cup fried chow mein noodles**
1/2 cup bean sprouts
5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
15 pieces of leaf lettuce, washed and trimmed.

1. Fry chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Allow to cool, then julienne.
2. Combine all ingredients. Toss with 3/4 cup sauce immediately before serving.
3. Spoon salad into lettuce leaves to enjoy out of your hand, or julienne lettuce and pile salad mix on top.

Enjoy!

*Sweet chilli sauce, oyster sauce, and fish sauce can be found at all Asian markets and most big brand-name grocery stores. Here's a picture:

**And here is a picture of the chow mein noodles I use.

Thai food
chicken salad
food

LA Farmer's Market

2006-04-09T00:58:00.000-04:00

Today G and I took a small trip to the Los Angeles farmer's market. Located at Third and Farifax, it holds a piece of prime real estate and I was excited to see what a farmer's market in the heart of one of The United State's largest cities would be like. I've had a few experiences in with markets in the past, and even as a teenager I learned to love the market atmosphere.

My mother would coerse me with promises of freshly made cheese peirogies to get me from bed early on Saturday mornings. Together with my grandmother and her little pomerainian, we would drive out of the city to a small village called St. Jacobs.

A small community in the Waterloo region of Ontario, St Jacobs boasts of the largest Year-round farmer's market in Canada. However, ten years ago when my mother and I first began our weekend trips there, it was a small country market, with Mennonite farmers hawking produce and a few artisan vendors. It was not as 'lame' as I feared- I suppose I was just begining to nuture my life-long obsession with food.

Farmers we selling fruit from the beds of trucks and large folding church-basement bake-sale type tables. Women wearing bonnets prepared corned beef briskets, peirogies with sour cream and belgium waffles with real fresh maple syrup. They set the bar high in St. Jacobs, from that day on I expected low prices, excellent produce and a 'country' atmosphere from any farmer's market I encountered.

I was excited to see what was in store for us at the Los Angeles farmer's market.
I hoped for a 'country-comes-to-the-city' atmosphere, an oasis of real life inside this city of plastic surgery, entertainment and all it's falsehoods. "This market has been here ever since the Depression," I said to hubby as he drove us into West Hollywood. "It was developed to help the farmers generate income." My eyes were wide, taking in all new scenery as we drove through Inglewood and past many oil pumps. I was already thinking of what I would buy at the market: a basket of strawberries, maybe a couple steaks for dinner and some pastries if they looked REALLY good.

I knew farmer's markets inside big cities were different than St. Jacob's. Back in Toronto, in college, my friend Paul and I would plan lunch outings to the St. Lawrence market with a few of our classmates. It was a short walk to the pier on Wednesday afternoons to procure something a little more satisfying for a few budding chefs than the cafeteria had to offer. We would walk the full length around the oblong circle, watching fish mongers in rubber gloves filet fish and butchers wearing soiled aprons manhandle sides of beef. We argued over which butcher had the best looking steaks, and monitored prices between them all. There were often long lines at favorite lunch spots, such as the Italian deli downstairs where we often ate veal milanese or chicken parmesean sandwiches. Another favorite was churasso chicken, on a soft white bun with extra sauce and mayo. The line would stretch across the walkway: full of students, professionals looking impatient, and sometimes, local chefs carrying parcels meant for their restaurants. After lunch, we would hit the produce vendors, who had their products piled in boxes with small handwritten signs proclaiming their cost. Which ever vendor had the best fruit at the lowest price usually won our buisness, and we would often buy a box of strawberries or a bag of cherries to munch on during the walk back to school. 'Wouldn't it be great to buy all your groceries here?', someone was likely to comment. A lofty goal, and one on which we all could agree.
I couldn't wait to see how the LA market measured up to my rose-coloured view of Wednesday afternoons at St. Lawrence, and the fading memory of Mennonite fruit. As G and I approached the building, I immeadiatly noticed how well-kept and clean everything was. The first shop I noticed was selling waffles and panckes with strawberry sauce and I immeadiatly regretted the bowl of oatmeal I ate for breakfast. Around the corner, and we found a butcher, a wonderful-smelling bakery and a produce vendor. I stopped in shock at the 'Whole Foods'-quality of the displays of produce.

I was expecting to find ripe and beautiful products, but the set-up was perfect and not at all what I have come to anticipate from farmer's markets. It actually turned me off buying anything, since it was so much like a grocery store. I only counted two produce vendors, two butchers, and one fish monger. And I didn't see a single person in a dirty apron. The market was fitting for Los Angeles- everything is dressed up and super-clean. The prices were NOT cheaper than the grocery store. In fact, I didn't notice many people buying groceries at all- it seemed like everyone was there just to wander around and bask in the glow of BEING AT a farmer's market rather than embracing it, and actaully purchasing stuff.

The farmer's market at the Grove is a perfect example of how commercialism can engulf and consume anything in it's path. The purpose of farmer's markets is to give the farmers a chance to interact with both the consumers and their competition,, and cut out the middleman to offer their products at a reduced cost. It is supposed to create community between the consumers and the producers and also friendly competition between vendors. At the Los Angeles farmer's market, I found no community or competition. What I did find was a tourist destination with inflated prices and the bland facade of just another grocery store.
I always
Here's what they should do: by giving spcae to many farmers, at a low rent, it will encourage both low prices and people to buy their groceries there. Other than lower price, freshness, and supporting the farmers directly, what is the point of having it at all? As a tourist destination? Maybe it is. It was just SO commercial.

farmer's market
los angeles
food

Chicken Briyani

2006-03-29T16:32:00.000-05:00

One of our favorite dishes is Chicken Briyani: a sweet and spicy masala, baked with chicken and basmati rice. It's made extra special when topped with fried onions and nuts. Here is the simple tasty recipe.

Chicken Briyani

Ingrediants:
6 pieces chicken, bone in
1 cup diced onion
1 tb minced garlic
1 tb grated ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons briyani spice
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup low fat yogurt
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper
1 cup basmati rice, cooked according to package directions
2 tb milk
pinch of saffron
2 tb pine nuts
2 tb slivered almonds
1 whole onion, thinly sliced
1 cup vegetable oil

1. Sear chicken in a frying pan on both sides. Set aside.
2. Saute diced onions in 1 tb oil until soft, in a large sauce pot. Stir in ginger and garlic.
3. Add spices, yogurt, lemon juice, and cilantro. Stir until a sauce comes together. Add chicken and salt and pepper. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Place chicken and sauce into a deep baking dish and top with prepared rice.
5. Heat milk in the microwave until steamy, then add the pinch of saffron. Gently stir until milk turns a yellow colour. Sprinkle the milk over top of the rice.
6. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

To prepare the fried onions and nuts:
1. Heat 1 cup of oil in a small sauce pan until shimmery.
2. Add all the pine nuts and fry for 1 mintue only. They should have a light brown colour. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain.
3. Repeat with almonds.
4. Add the sliced onions to the oil, half at a time, and stir often as they cook. The onions will take about 5 minutes to cook. Be careful, since they can burn easily once they start to brown. Remove from oil to paper towels ans allow to cool.

Serve this tasty dish with fried nuts, onions, and chopped fresh cilantro. In our house, Briyani is always eaten with a huge scoop of yogurt on top. Yum!

chicken briyani
rice
Indian food
recipe

You don't make me flowers anymore

2006-03-11T12:42:00.000-05:00

Well, yesterday was an interesting day. I applied for two jobs, even though I haven't got a visa yet. I was hoping that someone would want to employ me enough to help me get a TN visa. So, the first interview went well, it was for a mid-sized bakery called Torrance bakery, which is located less than ten minutes from home! The owner was a very nice guy, who seemed to like me, and I have a stage day to do on Monday! So it is promising. However, the second interview was a bit of a diaster. It was a job fair at Jon's Marketplace which is a supermarket chain here in Los Angeles. They market themselves as supplying "food from around the world" and I do a lot of shopping there. Anyway, I walked in and found the job fair at the back of the store with no help from the first worker I found who spoke no english. The other candidates there were dressed in jeans and sweat shirts and there I am standing next to them in dress pants, nice shirt and heels. I was the only one with a resume! And also the only white person except for the lady doing the interviews. So the interview lasted about 2 minutes and I was asked to go with the head cake decorator to demonstrate my skills. Armed with an apron, hair net and palette knife I was set to work on a 10 inch retangular cake. Blanca, the supervisor, told me in broken english that I'd have to be quick, because their main concern was efficiency. Anyway, there I was masking the lopsided cake she gave me with whip-it, the disgusting non-dairy whipping cream. All you cake decorators out there know that whipped cream is the hardest thing to mask a cake with since it is much thinner than buttercream and so shows the cake through unless it is put on with a heavy hand. After about two pounds of whip-it, the cake is a full inch bigger in size, and I begin making roses for the top. Okay, I am the first to admit that my piped roses blow. I have never worked for a place that sells those low-end birthday cakes adorned with huge purple buttercream roses. I can make beautiful realistic gum paste flowers, but Jon's has no market for those. Needless to say, I wasn't offered a job. Blanca was very nice about it, she kept saying that the pictures I brought were beautiful, but that I should be applying for a higher-end bakery. And she was right. It's sort of ironic that I can make all the high-end stuff, but I suck at making a cake that sells for $10.99. Here is a picture of the flowers I can make!!

gum paste flowers
wedding cake

Las Vegas Buffets

2006-03-01T14:16:00.000-05:00

Everyone knows Las Vegas for three things: gambling, showgirls and buffets. On my recent visit to the city of sin, I decided to partake in at least two of the three things Las Vegas is famous for. Being a heterosexual woman with her husband in tow, option 2 had been ruled out. So after working up an appetite at the blackjack tables, we headed to Bellagio for their famous buffet.
Bellagio is one of the premier hotels on the Las Vegas strip. It's buffet has been featured on the food network, and they claim to serve the most people of any buffet in Las Vegas. At $26.95 a person, I'm looking for more than just quantity. After wandering through the mall of shops and slot machines, G and I are at the end of an hour-long wait to get a seat for the buffet. Luckily, G is a master of sweet-talking, and after a quick chat with the hotel manager, we skip the line and are quickly seated in a comfortable booth. Non-alcoholic beverages are included in the price, but any beer, wine or spirits must be purchased from a walk-up bar in front of the main buffet line. It is almost better that way, since servers are harried, stretched to their limit although assisted by many bussers. Since the bill (including tip) is paid before sitting down, the servers have little to no motivation to serve you. The keno waitresses, in their skimpy black bathing suits, are more then happy to take your money and wish you luck. So after procuring drinks and plopping $10 on Keno, we finally hit the buffet.
I'm tempted by the plates of king crab legs I see piled on dirty tables, and so we head straight for the seafood counter. Crab, salmon roulade,smokes salmon, ceviche await. At the other end of the buffet, we find sushi, although only the supermarket staples of salmon and tuna. Our plates piled high with fish, we return to the table. The king crab is over done, watery and chewy. Shrimp ceviche suffers from a too- long marinade, the delicate tenderness of the shrimp lost and replaced by chewyiness. I am beginning to see a theme here. Sushi is fresh and tasty, our favorite being the marinated salmon sashimi.
The salad counter is behind glass, with bored staff waiting to spoon Caesar, garden, or spinach salad onto your plate. Orzo, pasta and mushroom salad are also available. All the salads meet with mediocre response. G and I are still waiting to be thrilled. We move on to the carving stations. Availible here is prime rib, roast buffalo, venison, lamb, turkey breast, and chicken Wellington. We are impressed by the variety of meats available, but only the lamb stands out above all others as being well seasoned and tasty. The chicken Wellington is particularly bad, it was thoroughly dried out and the puff pastry shell soggy and disgusting.
Vegetable accompaniments included mashed potatoes, spatle, roasted carrots, asparagus, and rice pilaf. The carrots were heavily sugared, and nearly belonged in the desserts section. The asparagus was well one and crisp, not what we would have expected from a steam table. Mash potatoes and rice were good.
After all this food, we hesitantly approached the dessert counter. A woman stood behind the counter, constantly replenishing the stack of plates filled with all sorts of confections. Key lime pie, chocolate mousse, and creme caramel were all mediocre. The canolli was chewy instead of crisp. The sugar-free dessert was peach pie and it was truly a disaster. All the squares offered were very heavy and rich. Soft serve ice cream with fruit toppings was the best bet.
Overall, we left Bellagio stuffed with food, but still craving excellent food. Although there was a huge selection of dishes, and everything was bountiful, nothing was truly excellent.
A few days later, we headed downstairs in our hotel to the buffet at Paris Las Vegas. Here we found no line although on other days there was a half-hour wait. The prices were slightly less than at Bellagio, with lunch for $17.95 dinner at $24.95 and Champagne Brunch for $24.95. There is a theme to this buffet, the five main province of France are represented by five cooking stations. In Savoie, we found fondue, beef and chicken brochettes, broiled salmon, roasted potatoes and vegetables. The fondue was creamy and delicious with chunks of baggette. Next, at Le Jardin, we indulged with Caesar salad, cheese, bread, and creamy tomato soup. The salad was delicious, with a hit of garlic and anchovy, just like I like it. Also available at this station was Mesculin salad, Meatball soup, crab legs, shrimp cocktail and sliced fruit.
Over at Brittany, we piled duck a la mandarin onto our plates alongside mashed potatoes and sauteed green beans. The duck was creamy and spicy, and completely delicious. Potatoes and green beans were cooked perfectly. Also at Brittany were made-to-order crepes with apples and mixed berry sauce. Of course we didn't wait for dessert to indulge in this specialty.
Over at Burgundy, we found some of our favorite seafood dishes. Seafood vol-au-vent was creamy and well seasoned. The puff pastry maintained it's integrity- the cooks here should go over to Bellagio to teach them a lesson. Mini crab quiches have great flavor, although they are over-cooked a bit. Mussels get a big thumbs-down as they are just to fishy. Also at Burgundy was cod in cream sauce, baked salmon, roasted chicken, and pork chops.
At Normandy, we found the meat carving station. Available today was: Prime rib, roasted turkey breast, glazed ham, veal sausages, and potato gratin.
In Provence we got our vegetable fix with a nicely made ratatouille. We couldn't even force ourselves at this point to eat any of the penne, farfalle, veal picatta or bouillabaisse. However, there was room for dessert. At the dessert section, we found many of the same items that were at Bellagio. Chocolate mousse (sugar-free)was actually delicious and I must say I was surprised. But Paris also suffered a chewy canolli and also a chewy mille Feuille. Items such as these suffer when refridgerated, and if the production levels are so high that they must stay in the refidgerator a long time, perhaps it would be better to develop some different desserts which can handle the refridgeration. Also available for dessert were various pies, creme caramel and soft serve ice cream.

The next day, G and I decided to take a trip off the strip and head downtown. We wandered in and out of the old casinos and watched as people lost their money at he blackjack tables. Feeling hungry for lunch, we wandered into the Freemont Hotel and Casino. Here was a cheap buffet, with lunch for $6.95 and dinner ranging in price from $15.99 to $9.99 depending on the day. Champagne Brunch is only $9.99. Hesitantly, we enter.
The spread here is decent, quite good for the price, but with more "down-home" cooking than the pricier buffets. We have roast beef instead of prime rib, and fried chicken instead of roasted turkey. Also on the menu: beef stroganoff, buttered noodles, corn on the cob, cornbread and oxtail soup. The cornbread was moist and delicious. A couple pasta dishes, sauteed veggies, chicken wings and spring rolls are also offered. I am mostly impressed by the huge salad bar, with a few options for greens and easily thirty different bowls of veggies, dressings, and meats to top your salad. On the other side of the salad bar, there can be found pasta salad, tuna salad, potato salad and seafood salad. The more expensive buffets lacked this selection.
For dessert, we had a choice of many different pies, tarts, and squares, as well as the standard soft serve ice cream. G enjoyed the bread pudding especially. However, my carrot cake was dried out and I felt tricked when it had only buttercream icing. Where's the cream cheese???? All in all, we enjoyed the buffet and found it to be a great value for the money. Or maybe our standards were lowered for this lower-class buffet. In any regard, upon my return to Vegas I will surely be back at Paris Las Vegas for their buffet, and I hope the duck a la mandarin is still there waiting for me!

Las Vegas
buffet
review

Frenchy's Chocolate Torte

2006-02-02T19:32:00.000-05:00

Last year I worked for the most demanding person I have ever met. He was the pastry chef of a super-exclusive private club, and I was his assistant. It was the kind of job you take for the learning experience, even if you have to remind yourself of that fact every single morning on the way to work.

Frenchy was paranoid of many things; he thought the management was out to get him, that other cooks were sabotaging his work, and he even blamed many problems on his long-departed ex-wife. But above all of this, he was scared that we were going to steal his recipes.

We had a big white binder for all the daily recipes the pastry cooks needed. Bread dough, chocolate chip cookies, pastry cream and creme brulee, to name a few. But any recipes for special desserts, like lemony madeleaines or petit sable cookies, were kept hidden away from us poor amateurs in Frenchy's small leather-bound notebook.

His little notebook entered the kitchen every morning at 6:30 am by his side, accompanied by his red toolbox. They lived on the small metal shelf above his corner of the work bench, where his keen eye could focus on them at any moment. He would pull his small notebook from the shelf, flip to the appropriate page, and recite the weighted measurements of ingredients. It was my job to weigh them all out for him, doing my best to recall measurements from memory. Sometimes I would be allowed to jot down the list on a scrap of paper, but not in my personal recipe book. "Are you trying to steal my recipes?" he would invariably ask. "No, Chef," I would reply. "I just want to be accurate." Usually he would grunt in response.

I knew he had a measure of respect for me as he never called me names or insulted my work, like he did with his other assistants. My schedule was often shifted at the last minute so I would be available to assist him. I heard on the kitchen grapevine that he was singing my praises, but he was too proud to compliment me to my face. Until one day he gave me the greatest compliment of all- he placed his notebook of recipes, all hand written in neat French script, into my hands. Not only did he let me read it, he pointed out recipes and encouraged me to copy them down, helping me translate into English.

A paranoid chef sharing his prized recipes. This proud man, who could be heard shouting, "I know you're trying to steal my job!", and yet here he was, leaning on the metal counter, translating those secret recipes, the holy Grail of the pastry kitchen. So the moment he passed his little leather book to me is forever imprinted in my mind.

In between the shouting matches, criticism and complaining, there were moments of peace. He began to consult with me when designing a menu for special guests. He let me design and construct a four-level birthday cake for a member. Once he even told me that I did a good job. We worked side by side for the better part of seven months, and every few days he would open up his little book of secrets and share them with me, a page at a time. I was deemed worthy of his recipes.

The last week we worked together, he and I made a flourless chocolate and almond torte. Rich and creamy on the tongue, with a gentle chewiness lent by the sliced almonds. And it came from a French baking magazine. We ate the torte, a small piece each, and he asked me, "Did you copy down the recipe?" "Yes," I said. "Good," he replied. "But don't write it down in the binder. I don't want to share it."

I can't say I was shocked that he took this recipe from a magazine and copied it into his book of 'secret' recipes. I wondered how many men and women clipped that magazine article and kept it with their own collection. But chefs operate with different rules than the average cook; we cannot call a recipe our ÂownÂ unless we have developed it ourselves, a highly lengthy process for a pastry chef. The secret was out: the recipes were common.

I will never forget that summer I worked for him. I gained a world of knowledge about pastry arts and a small handwritten book of recipes. But I will not confine these gems to live without being used and enjoyed. I want to share them with the world. I wonder what Frenchy would say if he read this. I imagine he would laugh, and curse me.

Flourless Almond Chocolate Torte

150g dark chocolate
100g milk chocolate
175g unsalted butter
125g sugar
100g ground almonds
4 eggs
125g sliced almonds
One 9 inch pan, preferably springform.
2 tbsp sugar mixed with 2 tbsp almond powder (for the pan)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Prepare the pan: Grease with some butter, then line with parchment. Grease the parchment with more butter, and pour in the sugar/almond mixture. Be sure to cover all surfaces. Shake out excess.
3. Melt chocolate in a bain maire, over simmering water.
4. Stir in butter and remove from heat. Allow to cool.
5. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat together eggs and sugar until the ribbon stage (tripled in volume).
6. Stir cooled chocolate mixture into eggs.
7. Fold in almond powder.
8. Fold in sliced almonds, reserving 1 tbsp.
9. Pour batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle reserved almonds on top. Also you can sprinkle 1 tbsp sugar on top for a little crunch.

Bake approximately 40 minutes, less for convection ovens or hot ovens. Prick the cake with a toothpick to test for doneness. It will remain quite soft, but should not be liquid. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then run a knife along the pan before removing.

chocolate torte

chef
[recipe]

Sugar High Friday 15: Ma'amoul cookies

2006-01-26T18:10:00.000-05:00

This month, for Sugar High Fridays, the host Becks and Posh determined the topic would be recipes using little to no sugar. I immediately thought of the delicious date cookies called Ma'amoul which I enjoyed while traveling in the Middle East. Ma'amoul cookies are one of the many desserts typically eaten during the holy month of Ramandan. During this month, Muslims fast from sun up to sun down, not eating or drinking anything at all. It is considered a time for reflection and to focus on family life. It is also the time for the greatest celebrations in the Muslim world. Women spend each day cooking and baking, unable to eat or drink and consequently taste any of the food they are preparing. Yet surprisingly the food is almost always delicious and well-seasoned. Families come together to break their fast, the more, the merrier. Everyone starts with a bowl of hot soup to open their appetites. Salad, stuffed vine leaves, fried balls of meat, platters of rice and chicken are passed from hand to hand. They eat until satiated, enjoying every bite of the food prepared with love and devotion by wives and mothers.
The desserts are no exception. Tea is served alongside mountains of hand made sweets. You are likely to find batlawa (similar to baklava), fried dough stuffed with sugar and nuts (atyef), cheese cake with rosewater sweet noodles (knaffe), and Ma'amoul, a date cookie. Middle Eastern desserts tend to be extremely rich, often deep-fried and dipped in sugary syrup. Ma'amoul is a an exception: a tender dough surrounding a naturally sweet date filling.
Most often Ma'amoul is made by pressing the dough into a form, stuffing with dates, and removing to bake in the oven. However, I am lacking the appropriate tools and improvised using the only tools available: my hands. I first used a recipe from "The New Book of Middle Eastern Food" by Claudia Roden. Her recipe yielded a parched white dough which was hard to handle. It had a similar method and texture to pie dough. I improvised my own recipe after reading many more on the internet. I was delighted with the result, it was easy to make and the contrast of crisp and tender crust with the luscious date center was a perfect combination. I was also thinking the dough would make a great sugar-free pie crust. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
For the Dough:
1/2 cup semolina flour
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 cup browned butter (cooled)
1/2 cup boiling water
pinch of salt
1 tsp rose water

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and mix together until well combined. Turn out onto the counter and knead 3 or 4 times. Wrap with plastic and allow to sit for 2 hours.

For the filling:
350 g pitted dates (preferably date paste)
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup water

Chop dates if you are not using a paste. Combine in a small pot with 1/4 cup water. Heat over low flame, constantly stirring and adding more water if necessary, until a smooth paste is made. Allow to cool.

Assembly:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Take a tablespoon sized piece of dough and work it into a ball with your hands. Press your thumb into the center to create a space for the date filling. Scoop a teaspoon of date filling into the center, and pinch all the sides up to cover the hole.
3. Place on a baking sheet, pinched side down, and press lightly with your fingers. Using a fork, make a decorative design on the top.
4. Lightly brush each cookie with an egg wash glaze.
5. Bake in the center of the oven for 20-25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the cooking process. The Ma'amoul are done when lightly brown in color.

Enjoy!

SHF15
Tagged with: SHF # 15 + Low Sugar

Memories of Bahrain

2006-01-24T17:40:00.000-05:00

Bubbling away on the stove is something more than dinner. It is a reminder of family, tradition and acceptance. I prepared a spicy meat curry and armed with flaky roti bread, G and I will dig in with our hands, in true Arab tradition. I remember my first trip to the Middle East- how strange I thought it was to sit on the floor for a meal, and to dine without any cutlery. All 14 of us, my husband's uncles, aunts, cousins and grandmother were crouched around a beautiful rug which was covered with plastic for protection. The maids brought out the food Sito had been preparing all morning- fried fish, steamed rice, curry, salad, and pita bread. The conversation was riotous, only topped by the occasional squawk from one of the many colorful birds hopping and flying around the room. I sat uncomfortably on the floor, unsure of where to put my legs, and embarrassed at the mess I was making while trying to eat as gracefully as possible. I was a new bride, meeting the family for the first time, and I was desperate for their approval. We ate, then sat back from the rug, leaning against piles of pillows as our plates were whisked away to the maid's kitchen. A mountain of pomegranates and prickly pears appeared. The fruit was passed to the men, who cut it into pieces and carefully removed the seeds for their daughters. After the fruit and chai, uncles and aunts stretched their legs and many fell asleep there in the lunch room, their heads resting against red and orange embroidered pillows. The children ran outside to play in the courtyard, and Sito covered each of her children with a light blanket.
It didn't take long, or many lunches around the rug, before I was comfortable both with my new family and their customs. I would sit neatly with my legs tucked underneath, gingerly scooping rice from my plate and relishing how it seemed to taste differently than it does when eaten with a fork. I picked up some Arabic words and surprised everyone by arriving for lunch one day wearing a hijab, a traditional Muslim headscarf. I savor these memories of family unity and the food that brought them all together. I hope the family G and I create will be as close, loving and accepting.
[Bahrain]

Tortilla Chicken Strips

2006-01-06T20:20:00.000-05:00

Here is a fantastic recipe for chicken fingers. I learned how to make this chicken when I was only a meager apprentice, slaving away for a pair of cruel, bald-headed, disturbingly close brothers. They later went on to torture more apprentices, opening two more restaurants, and starring in their own "dramatized" television series on the food network... any guesses? Anyway, I was a drugde in the catering department, trying to soak up all the knowledge possible in that, the first fine dining kitchen I worked in. My superior was Nilay, a kind but odd woman from Turkey. She had no cooking experience, only a degree in Hotel Management. This was the woman who was supposed to teach me about food? I had been behind a stove for 3 years already. But despite the fact that Nilay knew very little about fine cooking (she thoght carrot tops and parsley were the same thing), she taught me a lot about simple but gourmet sandwiches and salads. This was her way of using up leftover tortilla chips. We would fry up the chicken, and slice it for sandwiches. I resented waking up at 6 am to make sandwiches for Bay St. professionals, and at the time, I didn't think I was learning a thing. But the chef was right when he told me that learning how to make a great sandwich was very important- the techniques that I learned have served me well.

Ingredients:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp ground salt
1 egg
3 cups crushed tortilla chips
1/4 cup oil, for frying

Method:
1. Crush the trotilla strips either with a food processor, or use the Luddite method (ziploc bag and a rolling pin).
2. Slice each chicken breast into thick strips. Season with salt and set aside.
3. Prepare your breading station. In a medium shallow bowl, combine flour and seasonings. In a smaller bowl, crack the egg and mix with 1 tablespoon cold water. In the final, large bowl, place the crushed tortilla chips.
4. Bread the chicken strips using the following method: Dredge chicken in flour, shake of excess, dip in to egg wash, place in tortilla chips. Press the chicken down firmly to flatten and cover completely with crunchy chips. Repeat with all remaining chicken. *See Cook's Tip
5. Allow the chicken to stand for 5 minutes before frying.
6. Heat a wok or tall-sided pot on the stove over medium heat. Always be careful when heating oil! Fry the chicken on both sides until golden brown. If your chicken is thick, you may finish the cooking in a 400 degree oven.

Serve with a simple salad, or slice thinly and make a sandwich!

*Cook's Tip. To avoid breading your fingertips in the process, do what the professionals do: Use one hand for touching the dry ingredients, and the other for touching the wet stuff. This way your hands will stay cleaner!
[chicken strips]
[recipe]
[food]

Shrimp Suprise

2005-12-11T18:19:00.000-05:00

Having finally moved in to our first real home, I was eager to cook something for my husband I knew he would enjoy.

My kitchen was unpacked, and the counters scrubbed to a shine. I filled my pantry with pastas, canned goods, spices and snacks. The fridge was also full of local California products: chicken,shrimp, lettuce and herbs; lemons and limes. I was ready to create a masterpiece. A meal to remember, our first real meal in this home. I poured a glass of wine and assembled the ingredients. Fresh shell-on shrimp, garlic, pickled ginger, cilantro. I'm whipping around the kitchen, cooking rice, sauteing garlic and butter, peeling shrimp. I was trying to cook something familiar, but with my own twist. The scent of jasmine filled the air as the rice bubbled away in its pot. Having sauteed all the ingredients, I heaped the fluffy rice on top, gently pressed it all down, and covered with a tight fitting lid. I reduced the heat on my un-familiar stove, and lay down on the couch, satisfied and waiting for my hubby.

An hour later, G arrives. He exclaims at the sweet smell in the air, proclaiming his ravaging hunger. I laugh and enter the kitchen, prepared to reveal my masterpiece to my husband. It was nothing, I'm telling myself, just something I threw together. I turned the pot upside down onto the waiting plate. My heart sank deep into my stomach as my eyes came upon the burnt and charred shrimp.

I threw the pot in the sink, then threw myself on the couch and buried my face in the pillows. "What's wrong?", my husband asked. "The dinner," I said, "It's ruined!" And I actually did cry. "Don't worry," G said, "I'll make something for us to eat."

I lay on the couch, feeling disappointed in myself, when a spectacular smell wafted in from the kitchen. My husband was actually cooking something! I was expecting ramen or a sandwich, but there he was, hunkered over the stove, with two pots bubbling away. "Can I help?" I asked, meekly. And it was then that I became my husband's assistant. I also learned that my husband had been faking an inability to cook for four years.

When we were done, about 15 minutes later, we sat down to a delicious saucy shrimp and rice dish. I have no idea what to call this dish except for Shrimp Suprise, since I was so suprised that G could cook so well. I'll have to burn dinner more often.

Ingredients:
10-15 medium sized shrimp, peeled an de-veined
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
1/4 cup white wine
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup canned diced tomato
3 large basil leaves
3 cups cooked rice or pasta

1. In a medium sized pot, place diced tomatoes over medium heat. Allow to soften and reduce.
2. In another medium sized pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shrimp, ginger, garlic, and cilantro. Cook until the shrimp are nearly done (about 3 minutes).
3. Deglaze with the white wine.
4. Add the cooked shrimp along with the remaining ingredients to the reduced tomatoes. Taste, and adjust for seasoning.
5. Serve with rice or pasta.

[shrimp]
[recipe]

Thanksgving for the thankless

2005-11-25T01:04:00.000-05:00

Being in a strange city on a National Holiday makes you feel ever more like an alien. Without gas to power the stove in our new house, and fearing the result of room service at the hotel, Ghassan and I drive the lonely streets of Torrance searching for a meal.
We are rejected at the door of Marie Callander's after arriving minutes before the last seating. Dejected, we venture furthur away from the hotel. One neon sign flashes in the distance. We follow the talisman, curving left and right, and ending at "Chinese Sea Food Restaurant". With hesitation, we enter.

A petite woman guides us to a booth near the door and hands us worn leather-bound menus. We opt for the set menu featuring soup, fried spring rolls, rice and choice of a main course. Within minutes, we have hot, dark tea to sip on and a soup mascarading as Hot and Sour arrives. The soup is missing any semblence of heat, relying on the dishwater the cook must have used for a base for flavour. After two sips, the soup is set aside.

Crisp spring rolls arrive next, accompanied by a sweet apple sauce and mustard so hot it might actually burn right through the roof of your mouth into your nose. But the rolls mimic the soup in their (lack of) flavour.

Thankfully the server arrives with something edible next. At least, it was edible for me... my husband, a Muslim, delined on eating the pork fried rice. I made quite a scene out of enjoying the first tasty dish that night, humming over the garlicliky rice, moist pork and bright green peas. He stared of in distance, trying to ignore me. A waiter holding a huge whole fried fish paused for a second at our table, just long enough to drop off Almond Chicken and Beef with Green Peppers.

We heap the saucy meat over our rice, season with soy sauce, and dig in. The beef is thinly sliced and chewy, with a thick gelantenous sauce enrobing it. It is passable, only slightly better than your typical shopping-mall Chinese food. Under-cooked green peppers add a crisp contrast to the chewy beef.

I try the Almond Chicken next. At least the name is not misleading- it is merely chicken and almonds. Some spice, or any addition of flavour would be welcome here. Still, the hole in our stomachs begs to be filled and we make a brave attempt to finish the meal.

After consuming nearly half of the huge portions given to us, we sit back and ponder our fortunes. "Unless we change direction we are likely to end up where we are going." Well, there is no way to dispute this fact. My husbands' fortune is more appropriate: "There is absolutely no substitue for a genuine lack of preparation." What an apt description of this, our first American Thanksgiving.

Buffet World

2005-11-23T18:59:00.000-05:00

Hello, and welcome. Hang up your keys.
This is your home! The land of the free. More buffets than the eyes can see!
For one low price we'll hand you a plate
Take as long as you like, we'll stay open late.
Start with the soup, it's just delish.
I will make sure, not one dish will you miss.
Salad? Walk right past that green,
Why are you here? Not to stay lean.
Pasta is next. lots of cheese please
More than one spoon! Don't be a tease.
Walk right ahead to the meat carver
Finding space on the plate is getting much harder!
Pass me the bicuits with lots of sweet butter
I said biscuits, not rolls, by chance did I stutter?
Go ahead for round two, and loosen your jeans
The first time around you missed pork and beans!
Now for the sweet stuff, check out the selection
Take a sample of each and every confection
Cake, pastry, fruit and ice cream
Lick your plate until it is clean
Extra dessert? Here is your spoon.
You stomach will grow as big as the moon.
Order a coffee to finish the meal
You pour in the sugar and cream with zeal
The check has arrived, so cough up the dough
$10.99?!!! The price is so low!
Here are your keys, here is your coat
There is your car, as big as a boat
Off you go home to watch your telly
And ponder the growing size of your belly.

[buffet]
[poem]

Kettle Corn

2005-11-08T20:12:00.000-05:00

This sweet and salty corn is super-addictive and kids love it. It's a recreation of old-style popped corn from carnivals, fairs, and beach boardwalks.

Ingrediants

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp clarified butter
1/2 cup popping corn
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

1) Heat a stock pot with tight fitting lid over medium-high heat.
2) Add oil and butter and heat until quite hot, about 2 minutes.
3) Stir in sugar and mix together well with a long spoon until sugar is incorporated.
4) Stir in the corn. Heat, stirring ocassionally until the corn begins to pop.
5) Place the lid on tightly, and grab the pot by its two side handles. Shake the pot back and forth on the burner, continously. It is very important to keep the pot moving back and forth, to prevent direct heat on the kernels.
6) Once the popping slows, remove from the heat.
7) Sprinkle with salt and stir well.

[popcorn]
[recipe]

Yellow Thai Curry

2005-11-03T14:41:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp yellow curry paste
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger root
1/2 tbsp minced lemongrass
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced
2 cups chicken stock
1 can coconut milk
1 cup yams, peeled and chopped into large chunks
2 lime leaves
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tbsp mild soy sauce (Thai preferable)
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 tsp sugar
1 or 2 bird's eye chillies (optional)

1) Heat oil in a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat.
2) Saute curry paste and onion together, until onions are beginning to get soft ( about 2 minutes). Add garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and sliced chicken. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken begins to colour (another 3 minutes).
3) Add all remaining ingredients to the pot, stir to combine, and bring to the boiling point. Reduce heat to medium low, and allow to simmer for 30-45 minutes.
4) Adjust seasoning.
5) Serve hot over rice, with a wedge of lime on the side.

Notes:
Lemongrass can be found at Chinese supermarkets. To prepare lemongrass, first bruise the lower 3 inches of the stalk by smashing it with the broad side of your sturdy kitchen knife. Then carefully, but with force, slice into pieces. The chop away, or blend in a spice mill. Remember that only the purplish part inside the bottom 2 or 3 inches contains any flavour. So don't waste your time with rest, unless you instead to make stock! Or, you do what I do, and travel over to the freezer section of the supermarket and pick up a little plastic container of pre-minced lemongrass.

Thai soy sauce has a lighter flavour and is less salty than it Chinese or Japanese counterparts. The brand I usually buy is called "Golden Mountain" and it is also a terrific marinade for beef or chicken.

If you cannot find lime leaves (check the freezer section!) then 1 tbsp of lime zest is perfectly good alternative.
[Thai food]
[curry]
[recipe]

Monsoon Fried Chicken

2005-11-02T17:46:00.000-05:00

This Chicken is so tasty, it is one my most requested dishes. It is crisp, sweet and salty- perfect on a bun or on top of a salad.

ingredients:

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/3 cup oyster sauce
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp garlic powder

1) Pour oyster sauce over top of chicken and allow to marinate for 5-10 minutes.
2) Mix together flour and garlic powder in a large bowl.
3) thoroughly coat chicken in flour, pressing the chicken firmly into the flour. Transfer chicken to a plate. Set aside for at least 10 minutes to give the flour a chance to seal around the chicken.
4) Heat a pot of oil two inches deep on the stove (be careful!), or turn on your deep-fryer. Heat the oil to approximately 350'.
5) carefully place chicken into hot oil, cooking two at a time. Turn after 4 minutes, then cook additional 4 minutes, until brown and crisp.
6) Transfer cooked chicken to a plate lined with paper towels.

[fried chicken]
[recipe]

Dim Sum (Review)

2005-10-31T09:41:00.000-05:00

There was a chill in the air last night- the wind hit me in the face like a cold slap. I blew into my mitted hands to warm them as I waited for my good friend Paul and the pre-determined pick up point. That's me, over there, in the 1989 white Pontiac Sunfire. Paul strode out of the building, approached the car, gripped the handle, and he was in. We were off in a flash- dodging pedestrians, weaving in and out of traffic. Time was of the essence. I was starving.

We were on our way up the highway, to a place few city dwellers venture- north of highway 7. Paul was navigating- right, right, left and we had arrived. "Over there- in the corner- that's where we're going." He was pointing at the neon sign, written in Chinese. "Ding Tai Fung"- probably means Happy dumpling restaurant. I parked. We pulled our jackets up to our ears and ran inside.

The thing I love the most about Toronto is the quality ethnic food. I know where to got to get the best Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Korean or Middle Eastern food ( the last one is 23 Orangewood Cres. but it's by invitation only!). I know when I am the only white person in the room, that I'm in for an authentic meal. We share a menu, maarking our selections by number on a piece of paper.

The reason we are here is for the pork dumplings. My husband is shaking his head right now. They arrive- six little steaming dumplings in a bamboo basket. We each grab one, dip into sweet vinegar, and pop them whole into our mouths.

The little packet explodes in my mouth, filling it with hot, savory soup. The cilantro makes my head spin. It's salty, tangy sweet and juicy all at the same time. Our next item arrives: Green onion pancakes. Crisp on the outside with a satisfying chewyness. However, I am disappointed with the "Sticky rice dumplings" that arrive next, as they are filling with regular short-grain rice, not the distinct chewy rice native to Thailand which is known as sticky rice. Instead, this is leftover plain white rice, stir-fried to a sticky texture. This is a huge blow to me, as sticky rice is a personal favorite, so I self-medicate with another pork dumpling. Every time one of these sweet little packages explodes in my mouth, I can't stop a smile from creeping up my cheeks.

Our last dish is a soup to share, with stewed beef, vermicelli noodles and tofu. We ordered a crispy Chinese donut to dip in the broth. The stock is thick and dark, with a lingering cinnamon flavour. The beef is tender from just enough cooking and the noodles are perfectly soft without being mushy. However, it just doesn't turn my crank. The promised spicyness is missing, and the garnish of minced pickles does nothing to enhance the soup. I am unimpressed, and order another basket of dumplings.

Finally, after losing count of the baskets that have come and gone from our table, Paul and I lean back and contemplate dessert. After having to eat the whole huge bowl of soup himself, Paul removes himself from the discussion and I order one mango pudding for myself. The dessert consists of a gelatinous milky substance (which I'm sure would bounce if given the opportunity) and a sweet mango sauce. They've got this dessert backward: it should be a firm, mango jelly with a creamy sauce. The milky jelly they served isn't a complement to the mango puree.

I lean back- satisfied for the moment. It was worth the drive to Acton, or whereever I am, just for the succulent pork dumplings. However, this restaurant needs more than one good dish if it expects to make a name for itself. Until then, it can only be "Happy Dumpling Restaurant".

going to california

2005-10-31T09:34:00.000-05:00

Well, finally it is beginning to feel real: we are moving to Los Angeles. Moving day is about fifteen days from now. The packing has begun; I'm finding stuff I forgot I had! And I had to downsize all my shoes... I'm giving away twenty or thirty pairs. I know, it sounds crazy... but just think about all those new shoes I can buy in LA!
And I am dying to get a "new" hand-me-down computer so I can get some pictures up on this thing. It is really supposed to be about food, but right now I have no time to think about anythng other than moving.
Okay, I'll make a post about the dim sum restaurant I went to last night.

First Post!!!

2005-10-02T20:54:00.000-04:00

Here is my first ever post! Let's see if this works...