Profilo di ValerieA Canadian Foodie:FotoBlogElenchiAltro  |  Strumenti Guida |
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30/08/2008 Slowfood Fieldtrip: Greens, Eggs and Ham FarmThis was the highlight of my summer! Vanja and I escaped the summer city heat and drove through the prairie grasses, south of Edmonton, breathing in the country air, enjoying the landscape. As we turned into this 10 acre specialty farm, I started to vibrate. This was a "real" farm, and I hadn't set foot on one for too many years. The gravel path wound past the tiny tree shaded stucco home, the run-down sheds, and the beautiful big red barn to the more modern quansit structure at the end of the road. We parked and stepped out to Mr. Billygoat Gruff's haughty look of insult and invasion, and his counterpart's inquisitiveness.
Then wound back down the trail to meet Michael, the master chef of the day, roasting the most delectable Cornish game hens over the open fire. I AM IN! This is TOO exciting! Look at the caramelization on those birds... and then I see steam rising from a massive pot on a burner nearby.
VOILA! BABY CORN CHOWDER in fresh and lovingly rendered duck's broth! (Michael, I am your new best friend. You are too much, Really.)
Oh my GOD! Camera! Action! Nose! Smell that! Oh my GOD!
The smells, the feeling, the rustic reality of this moment was quite overwhelming. I felt grounded, yet off the ground. Memories of my childhood at family farms flooded through me. How have I become so out of touch with this farm life that frames the foundation of my youth and drives almost everything I do? I am home.
I am standing on a farm in the Canadian Prairies literally feeling my roots dive deep, deep, deep into the soil. ...and Michael is roasting chicken on the open fire, making soup in the open air "from scratch". I am truly in heaven!
The food was prepared by Michael and a couple of chefs from Jack's Grill. It was past spectacular. The produce was harvested, and prepared on the spot. it doesn't get any better than that. Mary Ellen and Andreas were the warmest of hosts. They show cased their farm goods in the best possible light. Under the prairie sun, on the grass, in their yard. Plastic table cloths. Massive enamel metal bowls. A gigantic shaggy dog sniffing your plate with giant amorous doe-eyes. This is casual Canadian at its very best. The Alberta Prairie experience. Sacred to those of us that don`t set foot on the land that sustains us often enough. Sharing food prepared by those with a fervour for the small farmer; with a commitment to sustain small farms; and within the spirit of the underlying whisper of this desperate necessity.
Please see the Greens, Eggs and Ham slide show under ``Prairie Summers`` to get a sense of the experience.
We visited, ate, and then toured the farm.
Visit Mary Ellen, Andreas, and their two daughters at the Downtown Farmer's market: City Market, every Saturday morning from 9 am to 3 pm. It is a trip well worth making. Their lettuce and spinach greens are phenomenal and the best in the city. They carry specialty carrots and beets as well as duck eggs and the best duck breast "prosciutto" that I have ever eaten. (But I have to have it fried. It is like candy!) They also have guinea fowl in the early summer, goose, Cornish game hen, and several other specialty items that are well worth making the trip downtown for.
Cathy's Pina Colada CheesecakeHAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! Am I not the luckiest person on the planet? Not only do I still get birthday parties, but I have the most amazing friends anyone could ever ask for.
Look at meeeee! I'm fifty-threeeeee! Wheeee! Clearly, the birthday celebration is not unique to our Canadian culture, but the evolution of the "over the top" celebration is. The time of the childhood hot dog party with a couple of games of pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey with a double layer frosted chocolate cake has truly passed. Children's birthday parties have become "events" that need venues, carefully planned activities, and to be different (and hopefully better) than everyone else’s. And, possibly, in response to our baby boomer childhood and our desire to participate in the indulgence of the "now" generation, my girlfriends and I started to get together for one another’s birthdays. Our small group of women friends that celebrate our lives with one another is not unique. However, the rituals that have evolved through time within our group are exclusive to our circle of friendship. We have lived through over twenty years of these festivities with one another (and some of us, our entire lives): through bouncing our tots on our knees; the trauma and dramas of our teens; marriage, divorce, and funerals, for some; and now, the marriages of our children. These woman are vibrant, valiant, and have become an essential element within the foundation of my life. The gift of friendship that each offers is the ultimate gift; however, the trinkets, treasures and treats are holders of the memories. Cathy first made this cake for us ten years ago. That memory is so vivid as the richly satisfying and delicious texture and flavours of this cake aroused a sense of intense pleasure within each of us, and the first bite of this took us back to that day, as only food can do. That IS the Canadian experience. The sharing of food made with loving hands for dear friends. The picture of this cake does NOT do it justice. It is deadly, delicious, divine and delectable: Cathy's "To Die For" Pina Colada Cheesecake!
Ingredients for the Crust:
1 1/2 c vanilla wafer crumbs
1 c flaked coconut
zest of one lemon
4 Tbsp melted butter
Combine, and spread into the bottom and sides of a 9 inch spingform pan.
Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes. Cool.
Ingredients for the Cake:
3 8oz. pkgs. cream cheese
1 c sugar
3 eggs
Cream together, then stir in remaining ingredients, and
pour into the crust.
1 c sour cream
1 19 oz can of Dole crushed pineapple, drained
3 Tbsp dark rum
2 tsp coconut extract
Bake at 350 F for 50 to 55 minutes, and top with glaze when cool.
Glaze:
1 19 oz. can Dole crushed pineapple, drained
1 Tbsp dark rum
1/2 c sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
Cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens and becomes clear.
YUMMY!
21/08/2008 Grilled Pizza: A Midsummer Evening with FriendsAm I ever excited about discovering how easy these are to make in my own backyard!
My childhood girlfriend, Rae, stayed with us a few days last summer and she is such an inspiration to me in the kitchen! When we get together, it is always a magic notion and potion time, flour flying, and dishes everywhere. Last summer, I asked her, as I always do, "What shall we make for dinner tonight?" She thought for a moment (she is very good at thinking) and said, "Let's do pizzas on the grill!"
My immediate reaction was one of "fight or flight". Then I got hold of myself and immediately switched gears to breathing exercises. Concentrate. Slowly in, slowly out. ...in...out, and in, and out... "Valerie?"
I did have my eyes open the entire time, and knew I inevitably must say something. "Pizzas on the grill?" I squeezed out between my teeth and my carefully controlled breaths... "Are you crazy? I have no idea how to cook raw dough on a barbeque!"
And that's what I love about Rae, and always have loved about her. She just looked at me with that loving, but condescending look of hers and said, "Don't be ridiculous. It is easy. I will show you how." And she always could.
So, she walked me through making the dough. Easy. I make bread. Then she told me to work it and pinch it and pull it and stretch it and make it into a pizza round. She did not SHOW me. She never does. She coaches me, and I am a very good student. I listen, and try and try and try. "Is this what you mean?" "Am I doing it right?" And when I am blessed with her barely visible nod of approval, I get excited. That's what happened that night last summer.
I got excited.
She coached me through it, and simply, and oh, not so simply, gave me the confidence to "cook" my pizza dough on my barbeque grill. It changed my life. Forever.
I have gone nuts over grilling pizzas, and playing with flavours. I have my favourites. They will change. I will get new ones, and I made some the other night for good friends.
Vanja (pronounced like Tanya), my husband, and I love Tamara and Jelena. Their mom and dad are great, too, but we LOVE those gals, so I planned a dinner that they could participate in making with us: Grilled Pizza!
There is such a mystic about grilling dough. Everyone is amazed at the possibility and delighted by the result. But, it is soooo easy. Too easy. Sooo yummy and so nutritious that I do know I sometimes let this incredible ability go to my head. It is hard not to. Learning how to make them empowers everyone. Your attitude will change. You will sit straighter, stand taller, stride with greater purpose, and be completely confident. You will know, that should friends pop in unexpectedly, they will be "wowed", no, "blown away" with your newfound culinary prowess: the ability to grill a pizza. It is seriously "The Thrill of the Grill!" for me this summer!
So, first an appetite teaser:
The Blue Pear
The Blue Pear: Recipe Walnut Pesto Recipe in the blog with the pizza dough recipe Ingredients and Equipment for Blue Pear Pizza
400 g of Pizza Dough (recipe to follow all pizza recipes)
4 ounces of Walnut Pesto
1 red and 1 green pear, cored and sliced with a squeeze of fresh lemon
65 g of whole walnuts, toasted
3 - 4 medium bocconcini cheese balls, sliced
65 g of Gorgonzola Cheese
fresh baby arugula; enough to cover the pizza
1 sheet of parchment paper, or a silpat, cookie sheet, and tongs
Putting it all Together
But, briefly:
The Metropolitan Meat: Recipe
Meat Sauce Recipe in the blog with the pizza dough recipe
Tomato Sauce Recipe in the blog with the pizza dough recipe
Ingredients and Equipment for the Metropolitan Meat Pizza
125 g (1/2 cup) homemade tomato sauce
250 g (1 cup) meat sauce
1/2 large onion, thinly sliced
65 g of crumbled bacon
a few sliced mushrooms
slices of salami i prosciutto, or shaved slices of ham, or prosciutto cotto, or jamón Serrano
300 g mozzarella cheese, shredded fresh oregano Putting it all Together
I bet you get the idea by now....
(See the slide show titled: Grilled Pizzas in the Prairie Summers Album.)
The Caprese Pizza! (my personal favourite)
The Caprese: Recipe Vine-Ripened Oven-Roasted Tomato Recipe in the blog with the pizza dough recipe Sundried Tomato Pesto Recipe in the blog with the pizza dough recipe Ingredients and Equipment for the Caprese Pizza 125 g (1/2 cup) homemade sundried tomato pesto 4 whole (8 halves) oven roasted tomatoes (in the blog with the pizza dough recipe) 4-5 medium bocconcini balls, sliced a handful of fresh basil leaves (or 10 large leaves) Putting it all Together
I know you get the idea by now....
Sprinkle on the fragrant shreds of basil after the pizza comes off of the grill....
See the slide show titled: Grilled Pizzas in the Prairie Summers Album.
09/08/2008 Thermomix TM31: The World's Smallest and Smartest KitchenI am a Thermomix TM31 consultant and welcome questions about this revolutionary kitchen machine. THERMOMIX TM31: The World's Smallest and Smartest Kitchen
My Thermomix has revolutionized my kitchen and my life. I am healthier, happier, and more creative. This multifunctional machine mills grains, rice, and legumes; it chops, minces, purees, blends, whips, kneads, and juices; it stirfries boils, sautees, and simmers. It can temper chocolate and make the most luxurious zabaglione ever in exactly 8 minutes. It can also steam, cook, and even bake foods as well as make the most delicious ice creams and sorbets!
I now make my own fresh delicious breads, mayonnaise, yogurt, and yogurt cheese, sorbets and ice creams, fresh fruit popscicles, and soups. It has changed what I buy, what I eat, and how I feel. I have complete control about what and how much of anything is put into the food I eat. I am so excited that I can do all of this and still live an active and healthy life not slaving in my kitchen - but, instead, creating in it! Slow Food EdmontonI finally made the time to find out how to join the convivium of Slow Food in Edmonton. It isn't hard. You just need your visa card and a sense of adventure!
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