SEE?

Can you taste it? You may think you can, but I guarantee you, if you haven’t a Thermomix, you have tasted nothing like this delectable treat. I am certain that this is why I bought my Thermomix. Well, the sorbet and the zabaglione! I use it far more for other things, but its ability to whip up such amazing sorbets and ice creams are second to none!

Raspberry is my very, very favourite. I am into gardening, and have worked to make the plants on my city plot edible. And, most are! Beautiful, too, except the raspberries. God Bless my sweet neighbours. I planted them where most people put decorative rocks: between our garages on the front street. I did ask them first! Honestly, they are truly an eye-sore ten months of the year, but the precious, brilliant jewels of nature that they produce in the summer leave us both in anticipation and longing for the rest of the year, totally ignoring their awkward gangly branches. Of course, I share!

These raspberries are planted with my grandmother, “Maude”, forever in mind. She had the deepest, blackest, richest soil in her infinite garden on her acreage in Clive, Alberta, when I was a child. Mom would tie an ice-cream pail around our waist with a housecoat belt, and my sister and I would have to fight the thorny branches for their fruit. “Don’t eat any!” was the accompanying mantra. “Don’t eat any?” Impossible!

I did feel guilty sneaking the sun-hot jellies from my stained and scratched hands. And how did they know I ate them? They always did. Was it my half full bucket at the end of an hour, or my ruby red lips and tongue? Anyhow, I remember loving it, and hating it, all together and all at once. But, after a bath and a scrub dry, an ice cold bowl of those berries with thick fresh farm cream and a little sugar sprinkled on top was worth it all. Sitting there, at the table in the kitchen of my grandmother’s old farmhouse in front of the double window overlooking her garden, past the honeysuckles growing up the side of the house, spooning those berries into my mouth, waving my clean bare feet back and forth under my chair is where I am right now, in my mind. Hmmm…

And now, today, I pick my berries every morning as the sun is just coming up. I take my bucket and tuck in under my arm. Some days I fill it; some days I don’t. Everyday, in raspberry season, there are a lot of berries and enough to last me almost all year. I flash freeze them on a cookie sheet with parchment paper in a single layer and then package them in ziplock freezer bags: 350grams per bag. Exactly the amount the following recipe calls for.

1. Scale the sugar into the TM bowl.
2. Pulse on Turbo 3 times, 1-2 seconds each until powdered

Not quite ready, but YUMMY!    

 

...but her expression says it all....

Save lunch along the Freedom Trail for Quincey Market, or Faneuil Hall. An absolute party with shopping, amazing architecture and little tastes of fresh Boston fare throughout. But, for me this day, it had to be the Clam Chowder! I had my list of “must haves”, and this seemed like the perfect venue for sampling the best. A beautiful little square, but when we entered the hall, I could hardly move. Well, it was Saturday. The aromas and delectable platters were almost intoxicating, but the intensity of the body heat was sobering. As soon as we all got in the door, each was led by nose in a different direction.

Aha! Boston Chowda! I am in! But, the line is too long so I will wander and take it all in. Get a chair. See if I can relocate my family. The little samples offered by the Boston & Maine Fish Company were deadly delicious.

What’s a girl to do? I bought one of each, and found my family already sitting at a table enjoying their quests.

Only the Pizza that Vanja bought from the Pizzeria Regina was photo worthy. However, our new best friend, Howie, told us that the only Regina Piizzeria to go to is the original in the North End. We were actually by there latter in the day, and there was a line up halfway down the block at 4:45 in the afternoon! If we didn’t have dinner plans, we would have fallen in line. Even this one made at the fast food market looked worthy or a little wait.

First, the Boston Chowda: really chunky and tasty. Next, the Boston & Maine Chowder: not at all chunky, but a greater depth of flavour. Not packaged nicely, either. Thus, no photo, but the winner in the taste category! Now, the crackers! A must with any kind of soup, if you ask me. And, the cracker is important. Clearly. Here, each is different. The New England Oyster Crackers are the ones with the hole. They were cuter, and crunchy, but the Westminster Crackers were creamier, and by far, tastier. So, Boston and Maine won, hands down. Now, will I ever go back, or dream of this culinary experience. Probably not. But, it was fun! Everyone got into it. It was a great little memory experiencing Boston food.  See the gals whisking my soup from me?

I make better clam chowder, and it was clearly apparent that none of the kiosks in the hall made it from fresh clams. That would be killer! All major fishing vessels now have freezers for their catches, so it is really rare to get fresh seafood even right at the harbour. Yes, they have it, and the Haymarket has a Fresh Fish kiosk. But, the old days of running down to the harbour and buying a fresh lobster or bag of clams from the boat have long gone.

Best Homemade Clam Chowder (so easy to make, and so yummy!) Ingredients…,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

recipe to be added soon

ONE DEGREE OF SEPARATION, Thomas Keller and FIve Thermomixes!

Thomas  Keller is one of my idols, and I have never met him. Here he is signing his cookbooks, The French Laundry and Bouchon, for Lynette MacDonald as she was just finishing a Thermomix Demonstration in Sydney, Australia. He later purchased five Thermomix TM31 machines from her! What a coup: meeting Thomas Keller, and then selling him our favourite kitchen machine! Hopefully he will share a recipe, or two, in the future!

Remember the idea of “six degrees of separation”? In Lynette and Tomas Keller’s case, it was only one! Ross and Lynette MacDonald are very good friends with world class chef, Tetsuya Wakuda, owner of Tetsuya’s. Tetsuya called Lynette to see if her husband, Ross, would take Thomas Keller to The Royal Sydney Golf Club, a “members only” golf club that Ross belongs to. Lynette and Ross both asked, “Who is Thomas Keller?” Neither of them were able to place his name. As soon as they heard “The French Laundry”, Lynette knew immediately as she had two of his cookbooks. She had also attempted to visit “The French Laundry”, but it appatently closes in January when she visits the Napa Valley.

When Chef Keller called to tee up the golf time, Lynette didn’t miss a beat. She asked him if he knew about the Thermomix and he told her that he had used it in France. When she told him that she was a Thermomix Consultant, he said he would like to get a few. I say: “Well done, Lynette!”, and add, “That was easy!” Standing Ovation!

Ross was very obliging and took Thomas Keller golfing. When Ross stopped to pick up Lynette from her demonstration after golfing, guess who came in, as well? Take a look at the photo above. Yes, it was Mr. Thomas Keller. A great opportunity for autograph getting! Again, Lynette was on her toes! At this point, I am just thrilled to hear the story. What incredible fun!

Chef Keller told Lynette he’d e-mail her the number of machines he wanted when he returned to San Fran. And he did! Is that not amazing? She made arrangements with a Canadian Distributor to send them to him as the voltage in Australia is different than that of the United States. And now, I am that “one degree of separation” from providing Chef Keller with his Thermomixes on behalf of Lynette, as she will refer future interested US sales to me. That is the kind of “degree of separation” I am more acquainted with! (Here is my contact information if you want to purchase a Thermomix TM31 and live in the United States!)

But, wait! That is not all.  By coincidence, Ross and Thomas were both on the same plane to the USA the day after the game of golf! There was more visiting, and further future invitations. What a blast!

How did I come to know about this? One of those amazingly modern “degrees of separation”. I received an e-mail from one of my clients telling me that Thomas Keller had just purchased five Thermomixes . Their son lives in Australia, his consultant is Lynette. I found her e-mail on the message, and wrote to her with far too many questions and a whole bundle of enthusiasm. She is as obliging as her husband, Ross, and shared this story with me.

   THE PREFECT ENDING TO A SERENDIPIDOUS DAY!

My mom is the quintessential mother. She works hard, she plays hard, she looks beautiful ALL of the time, and she never says “No” when anyone in the family needs help. This year mom mother turned 79 years old in April. Take a look at her. Hard to believe, isn’t it:? She is the one who laid the foundation for me and my family. She is the one who inspired me to be interested in food and in cooking. She is the one who inspired me to never be afraid to ask a question. “If you want to know something, there will be others in the room that want to know the same thing. ASK!” I have never stopped asking. I have an insatiable appetite for learning, and am fearless in my quest to know and to understand something I don’t know. This was her gift to me.

I once asked my mom, actually several years ago now, “How does it feel to grow old?” Her answer surprise me then, but I can completely relate to it now. “I don’t feel old. I feel about 30 or 35. My body doesn’t look it, but that is how I feel.” And that is how she acts. Nothing can slow her down. Nothing. She and dad have been married 58 plus years, and have a schedule that keeps them fit and healthy mentally and physically.

Here she is, having a ball at Dylan’s Candy Bar in NYC beside their bubble gum filled bathtub this March. She literally was like a kid in a candy store. My two adult daughters had a blast with her there.

Here she is outside of Barkley’s at Harvard this spring. We got her a chair because we had to wait in line for awhile.  We actually didn’t get it for her. We got it for the 300 pound purse she carries everywhere! Look at her again being the life of the party! And then, there is mom and dad this morning, at breakfast.

She has a life time devoted to her family and friends, and a lifetime of all aspects of community service, too. Most recently, she was in the McDougall House Fashion Show for the second year in a row: The Spirit of Spring. Here are the three of us after the show: my mom, myself, and my sister.

And, I will not be sharing a recipe today, as it was my day, too! I didn’t work in the house, and though I love to cook, I also love gardening, so we headed to the green houses as we always do on Mother’s Day. Mom got her annual, and so well deserved rose.

And, in closing, here she is, strutting her stuff at the Fashion Show! Whoo-Hoo MOM!

It is our mothers that create our family culture and model for each of us the standard for our own future family. But, my mother will definitely tell you parenting doesn’t stop when one leaves the nest. She is the grandmother of my adult children and still mothers me!

Our mothers are the heartbeat of this great country, and I could not be prouder to say:

Helen is MY mom! XOXO

YUMMERS!!!!!! (Is my dinner looking at me?)

But there’s a whole lot o’ day to live and work up an East Coast appetite before we get to that lobster!

Morning Coffee with Howie!  

The day was so full, such wild fun, so information packed, and absolutely perfect in every way! First, the Boston Duck Tour with HOWIE How-Are-Ya?! Vanja and I always take a tour of each city we visit to get a sense of where things are road and space wise, and usually at least one walking tour to get a local hands-on perspective of the old town, or a specific cultural area. This time, we thought the Duck Tour would be a blast for our family, and it was! It was totally because of our guide, Howie, who is truly worth more than his weight in gold. If you go, ask for Howie.

The Freedom Trail was next

Boston is the historic centre of the USA, and an important part of our history, as Canadians. I was enthralled with the major sites along the trail that I have learned about, and taught about, all of my life:

• The Granary Burying Ground is the resting place of three signers of the Declaration of Independence: Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Robert Treat Paine. Not only that, but the victims of the Boston Massacre and Christopher Snider, a 12-year-old boy killed by a British soldier 11 days before the massacre, are also buried there along with Elizabeth Vergoose (1690), our Mother Goose! (And, how can one separate history and culture from food? Impossible! just across the street, and down a bit is the Omni Parker House Hotel that sells Boston Cream Pie to go. Yeah! Of course, we had to get one for our lunch planned at Quincy Market!)
• The former site of the Old Corner Bookstore, built in 1712 as an apothecary shop, is occupied by a jewellery store today.The Scarlet Letter, Walden, and the Atlantic Monthly magazine were all published there, and the building was an informal meeting place for many famous authors such as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Charles Dickens. I definitely took some moments on the corner there, letting my mind go back in time. I looked at the same blue sky, and felt the same sun warm my cheeks. And I smiled, also inspired.
• The Old South Meeting House, built in 1729, was a Puritan house and is the site of where the Boston Tea Party began and where there are often enactments of that event.
• The Boston Massacre Site is directly in front of the Old State House commemorated by a circle of cobblestones which I actually MISSED seeing! I stood on that spot in the middle of the traffic and foot pedestrians feeling the stillness in the air. Tensions between the colonists and British soldiers erupted on March 5, 1770. The soldiers fired into the crowd and killed five colonists. It was the catalyst for much to come.

A treat along the trail! YUM.

And a little while later we came to Quincy Market and I had my “Chowda!”. (another entry)

• The Paul Revere House is the oldest building in downtown Boston, and was the home of silversmith Paul Revere from 1770 to 1800 remembered by me for his famous “midnight ride”.

• The USS Constitution was first launched in 1797 and was one of six ships ordered for construction by George Washington and defeated the British during the War of 1812. I wanted to play dress-up as soon as I stepped on the ship. Time machines DO exist!

We reached the end of the Freedom Trail, The Bunker Hill Monument, and actually had a good couple of hours before we planned to meet everyone for dinner. Back to the North End! Fun! Fun! Fun!…and on the way back, we spotted where we would be having dinner in a couple of nights. We walked right by Todd English’s Olives as we were leaving Charlestown, and so knew exactly where we would be heading on Monday evening, but for now,…

… a cocktail and some oysters at Union Oyster House, the country’s oldest restaurant. Just a nibble before running in the rain to the harbour to find the No Name Restaurant. And, yes, when we finally flagged a taxi for what we found to be the last two blocks of our “walk”, even he knew where the “No Name” was. Everyone did. (The oysters were indescribably fresh!)

TA-DA! An Evening at the NO NAME Restaurant on the Boston Harbour.

We arrived soaked, but early. The street was bare, and quiet. No cars. No one anywhere. Just some cement steps up to a walk way in what appeared to be an industrial area. We paid the taxi, skipped up the steps, and then I actually looked back to ask him if we were really going the right way, but he was gone. Then we saw a small, discreet sign, and opened the door to a completely empty restaurant. “Upstairs” is what I took the nudge and nod to mean as the elderly woman looked up at us. There was a steep flight of stairs, so we went up. My curiosity was seriously heightened at this time, as I could not imagine why the entire place would be empty and they would be seating us upstairs. As soon as we reached the top, we discovered it was a landing, and then could see a small line up ahead. I forged on past it to see what was there.

What was there? A MAMMOTH room, every table filled with people seated in a rustic atmosphere, eating seafood. Walls were plastered with photos of the rich and famous (and I mean, FAMOUS) who had eaten here over the years. The same young man pictured on the wall in his 20’s was our host, in his 50’s. “How many”? “Six.” ”Everyone with you?” “No.” (I was used to this question by now. There was no going ahead to get a table in this town.) “You’ll have to wait ‘til they come.” We know. We know. People watching is fun. We enjoyed that for about a minute and then spotted a bar at the very back. ”Can we have a drink at the bar and wait for our party to join us?” I knew he’d agree. I just glanced at the menu, ordered my diet coke when everyone arrived. That was fast!

.

Before we knew it, we were at a table, seated and served! Did we order? Yes, and within seconds, the food arrive. Ok, within minutes, but very few. Our waiter was hilarious. We asked him if he knew Howie. We were convinced they were related. See him tying up my bib. He got it on me before he even knew what I was having. I guess after all these years of waiting tables, he just knew that I needed massive coverage, no matter what I ordered. It was a fun, fun, evening. Again, primarily due to the jovial waiter, and the joy the fullness of our day had left us with. The food?

Mom’s haddock was heavenly. It was clearly fresh before being cooked that evening, and absolutely divine.

Ragan’s scallops? Well, what can I say? They were scallops. Frozen, for sure, thawed, and fried. She was happy.

Vanja’s calamari was really tasty. He was in heaven. It was tender, and exactly as he hoped it would be.

My devoted waiter had me believing that the clam chowder and deep fried nuggets of some kind of fish were complimentary. I was so touched, and just full of myself enough not to question his “gift”. It was when I read the menu again at the end of the evening I saw that they came with my meal. Blush! Anyway, The chowder was extremely delicious, but look at how rich it is?

Vanja was served deep fried clams by accident, so I got a little photo of them before they were whisked away. I had never seen anything like this before. I would have liked to have tried one. But, I think that is all. Each dish came with a huge side of coleslaw and massive pieces of garlic toast. You won’t go hungry at the No Name!

Lauren’s dish, I think was the best. She got the mixed seafood platter. Lobster, shrimp, and scallops. Her lobster appeared more tender, fresher, and more succulent than mine tasted. I was so happy to see everyone have such a wonderful time. It was too bad Jason stayed home to rest up for the next day as he was catching a cold.

I had the traditional lobster-in-the-shell dinner. Had I been more knowledgeable about the fishing industry, I may have ordered the haddock. Of course, it was not lobster season. Of course, it was frozen. I did not tell anyone at my table that as I was cracking and sucking on the “succulent “shell, that the predominant flavour was freezer burn. Oh, well. The experience was still so memorable. We all had buckets of fun. I am still looking for that little hide-a-way East Coast restaurant that seats under 20, and serves fresh lobster right on a basin on a plastic table cloth, or just any place that serves fresh lobster. I think they have all been discovered, like this one has. Oh, my gosh, has this place had its hey-day. Sometimes it is still a whole lot of fun to spend some time with someone who has been around the block a time or two. The No Name is just like that. It has been around the block for more than a year or two… since the ‘70’s actually. It is old, tired, worn, and not at all as fresh as it used to be. Neither is the food, I imagine. But, it still knows how to have a good time, and thought we may not be back, we shall never forget.

My gals are great sports, aren’t they? Lobster, oysters, haddock, clams… not to be missed on the East Coast.

Alex Emmott was one of my grade 8 students. A beautiful human being when she was 13. That is rare. And, it is apparent, and not surprising, a beautiful young adult! We reconnected after 13, or so, years becasue I had asked my Slow Food Edmonton members what  they might suggest I see in Boston and NYC. A day or so later, there was an e-mail from a name I most definitely remembered asking me if I used to teach school at Crestwood, in Edmonton. Oh, my gosh! I was absolutely delighted to hear from Alex. She had a very comprehensive list of recommendations and I hit as many as I could when in Boston as I had taught her for a year, and knew that this was a gal to take seriously. She is who hooked me up with Michael Iceland to tour the Boston Food Project, and she also directed me toward the No Name as I wanted a really fun, no fuss, and lots of muss, seafood eat-out fest on evening there.

After I learned that she owned a bakery in Boston, I had to visit it, and her! I had her penned into the itinerary unknown to her! It was my first day in Boston, and I had just finished touring the north end with Michele Topor’s Tours. We rented a car, and the first stop was Canto 6 in Jamaica Plains for lunch. Driving into the area, it was clear that it was an eclectic area. Lively, and colourful!

And then, there it was. The sweetest little bakery on the corner. I never got an outside photo, but I tried! So many goodies! What shall we have? Well, now I discover that as my tour was late, Vanja and Lauren had already eaten while waiting for me, but they shared the most delectable sandwich. I believe it was the turkey one on the menu.

Me? I had a cannele, a tappo, and another delectable pastry of some kind. Yummers! I was a bit shy to call Alex, but Evangeline, working intently at the back, popped out and asked me if I was Alex’s teacher. I have always had that look! She gave her a call, and within ten minutes there was a little mini-reunion going on. My gosh! In a nano-second, Alex grew up before my eyes. There were the same eyes, and smile, and hands… but she was now a young lady. And, a young lady with a confidence and flare that was compelling. Big hug! How gratifying to meet such a lovely gal over a very special little lunch in her own bakery.

Lauren took the photos. Another wonderful memory. I am so, so happy that I took the time to see Alex. Next time, it will be for baking lessons! I want to learn to make their canneles and their tappos! Isn’t she so sweet? And so were the goodies! Georgeous, and YUMMY! Now I have written to Alex and asked if she and Evangeline share recipes. If so, I will be doing a cannele and tappos blog very, very soon!

THANK YOU, ALEX! XO

When in Boston a couple of weeks ago for Spring Break, I knew I had to make the time to tour the Boston Food Project. I had heard about it from Jesse at The Blue Pear when I was there for dinner one evening. She had just returned from a conference and was raving about her experience and what was happening there. As a member of the Edmonton Slow Food Convivium, a fulltime Foods educator with Edmonton Public Schools, and an avid gardener, I have had the passionate desire to start a school garden. This project is so much more than that, and I am so fortunate to have been able to walk around the Dorchester Farm Sites and spend the good part of a morning there with Michael Iceland, the Outreach Coordinator.  And it is SPRING in Boston, and the time for sowing seeds! See the recent TV broadcast last week with Michael.

The project is all about building self esteem and character amongst the youth in the city. Take a look at the project website to read its history. Equally powerful results of this project are that it has not only put the youth of Boston back in touch with themselves, the reality of what it takes to provide for oneself, as well as the value of hard physical labour, it is providing fresh, local vegetables for the entire community by using vacant city lots. How amazing, and how simply brilliant is that?

Their success and belief in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) rapidly took on many forms:
    selling Farm and Box Shares of their produce each week (enough shares to basically ensure success) The CSA members purchase a "share" of the crops that are grown. In return, the project provides a healthy supply of sustainably grown, fresh vegetables, flowers and herbs. I so wished I was there in season, but knew I was so fortunate to be there at all!

All of the produce for the shares are primarily sourced from the Food Project’s larger farms and are priced competitively with local markets and other farm shares and farm stands. The produce from the smaller farms, or gardens (city food lots) mostly goes to supply the farmers' market sales. Payment is expected in full at the onset of the season, or in instalments. Shareholders receive a weekly portion of what is fresh and ready each week, and just like many years ago, must arrange their meals according to the produce they receive. Shares are of two types: a farm share, picked up directly from the farm; or  box shares, picked up from a central drop location in a nearby city/town. Prices depend upon the share purchased. There are shares for couples and then average families of four. The number of shares, and the prices this season are as follows:                      On-farm shares: 250 shares              Lincoln Farm Share: $700
Box Shares from Lincoln (delivered to local towns): 150   Box Shares from Lincoln Farm: $500
Box Shares from Ipswich(delivered to local towns): 100   Box Shares from Ipswich Farm: $600

    the creation of their own Neighbourhood Farmer’s Market
    the internal distribution to shelters, soup kitchens, the food bank, and so much more
    neighbourhood community lunches, and 
    student made products from their own produce in the Dorchester kitchen sold at their own Farmer’s Market!!

Is that not so logical and so absolutely brilliant?

Oh, my gosh, the office and gathering space was more inviting than I expected! How welcoming, especially as…

it was raining when I arrived, but the sun shone through the clouds and warmed the tender greens reaching through the earth as we toured the spaces around the neighbourhood that The Food Project tends. There were about five plots in the Dorchester Neighbourhood and all were very easily within close walking distance from each other.

Interestingly, there were about as many empty unattended urban spaces in that same neighbourhood that are currently inaccessible to the project which I found incredible as their work is clearly respected and their spaces, beautiful. The unattended spaces are not. Some are private, and some are city owned. The city fences all city owned areas with white picket fences to enhance neighbourhood pride, so it was easy to spot these spaces which do indeed beautify the neighbourhood. Accessing city space is possible, as the project farms many, but obviously not easy with so many right under the nose of the Food Project, and not available to it to farm. The city has supported the project in many ways: delivering compost to the main Dorchester garden from the grass and garden collections through the summer season, keeping the fencing in good condition, and providing initial clean up of lots the project undertakes. Every great idea takes someone to make it happen. Many someones, usually.

This sign is made with peel off plastic, and has not been vandalized in two years! That is a great testament to the respect for the project in the neighbourhood. Mind you, the students do work to help the neighbours with their gardening in turn for the neighbours watching the gardens in the project. It is mutually beneficial, increases the sense of community,l and is obviously working. The compost, in the middle, and the outdoor classroom follows.

One of the choice spaces the project was able to acquire is the orchard on the grounds of the Shirley-Eustis House which is a beautiful national historic landmark right in the middle of the neighbourhood. I will add that we just suddenly came upon the site, and it is completely uncharacteristic of the rest of the neighbourhood! The Shirley-Eustis foundation was happy to have their fruit go to such good use in exchange for the care of the orchard. Their property adjacent to the site, just down the hill has been also developed by the project and a nearby elementary school benefits as each class uses a raised bed for a classroom garden.

The more we walked and talked in the fresh spring air, the more exhilarated I became. I was wishing I was a lot younger, or a great deal healthier. I was completely motivated and so inspired to get going with my small school garden project back in Edmonton. With such inspiration, how hard could it be?

It was hard, actually, and I am a passionate person who usually can motivate others. Baby steps. Baby steps.

Anyway, Jesse Radies has initiated a food share project in Edmonton which appears to be an arm of The Food Box program. You can sign up for a seasonal share through the site at Edmonton Local Food Delivery Co op.

Bravo, Jessie! ... and THANK YOU, Michael Iceland!

She has initiated an amazing project in Edmonton, and I am going to participate, and promote it!