Presto Pasta Night Update - Better Late Than...

I've been lax...and do apologize. My trip to Prince Edward Island for Fall Flavours kept me very busy over the weekend.

But I'm back and had a quick look at the fantastic PPN roundup hosted this week by Sara of I'm a Food Blog, who did the job brilliantly.

And all those wonderful entries will keep me pasta satisfied for a quite a while. Thanks all for your wonderful dishes...where to start....where to start...

Hard to believe another month has flown by and, as usual, I'll be starting off the month by hosting myself. Just send all your mouth-watering pasta dishes to ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com by Thursday night and I'll put them all together for next Friday's roundup.

If you're interested in hosting....this was Sara's second time, by the way....just drop me an email and I'll be glad to add you to the line up. There are still a couple of slots open for November and December and beyond are wide open. I'd love to have you join in the fun.

A Great Time in PEI for Fall Flavours & A Big Thank You

Just back from a great...all be it short, weekend in Prince Edward Island covering the opening weekend of Fall Flavours. In a word...AWESOME! I'll be sorting through my notes and photos for the article I'll be writing for Foodtv's blog plus writing about all my experiences. The photo above is of The Shipwright's Cafe and you'll be hearing much more about that later in the week. Isn't it lovely?

I couldn't wait another minute, though, to say a giant Thank You! to everyone who made my stay so memorable. The Delta Prince Edward is a perfect place to stay, giving smiling service from the second you walk in the door until you leave. In fact, they are so thoughtful as to have placed 2 bottles of cold water in the car for my four hour drive back to Halifax. And don't even get me started on the room, suffice to say....well they say it best on the card they leave with the delicious pieces of chocolate at "turn down"...."We apologize in advance for your not wanting to get out of bed in the morning"

Most of all I want to thank Chef Michael Smith, the most gracious Food Ambassador of PEI, and the folks at Tourism Charlottetown for putting this huge event together. 150 events over 10 days and every one of them amazing, if my experiences are any indication.
Very special thanks to Matt of Tourism Charlottetown, my host and intrepid tour guide for joining me in all sorts of fantastic events...we even got to make our own chocolates... and for giving me a great tour of the island...making sure I'll be back to PEI often with my Honey.

Stay tuned for more delicious details.

Fall Flavours Highlights from Day One

No time to chit chat...suffice to say Fall Flavours started off with a bang yesterday and before heading out to more fun today I thought I'd share a couple of photos from yesterday's highlights...
Chocolate Making Workshop at Island Chocolates in charming Victoria-by-the-Sea. That's Eric, who with his sister Emma and their mom Linda spent the afternoon teaching us all about chocolate and how to make it....

Somehow my new camera keeps putting these mango cream filled chocolate cups on their side. Perhaps it's just that this little taste of heaven has you doing cartwheels.

Family Style Dinner at the Culinary Institute of Canada where 150 of us ate straight out of Chef Michael Smith's latest book The Best of Chef At Home....all 120 recipes served in pots and casseroles for sharing "family style"....and of course we all got signed copies of the new book!

As the White Rabbit in Alice and Wonderland would say....'no time to chat....I'm late, I'm late, I'm late for a very important date" A morning with Chef Calvin Burt and surprises in the afternoon before heading out to a 17th century style heritage feast at Roma at Three Rivers.

A Great Dinner & Lots of Leftovers

I'm heading off to Prince Edward Island in the morning and my Honey gets to stay behind. And naturally, being the good wifey that I am....he tells me all the time....I had to leave him some delicious treats and easy to do dinner (can you say - microwave leftovers?)

Tonight's dinner was a very local, very easy to prepare Italian Sausage, Potato & Mushroom Roast recipe that I happened to find in my latest cookbook...The Illustrated Quick Cook ...five minutes to throw it all together, 30-45 minutes in the oven and voila! Gave me time to organize and pack for my trip. The sausages are sweet fennel Italian sausages made for my local Italian Gourmet Market down the street. The potatoes, mushrooms, red onions and fresh rosemary were picked up at last week's trip to the farmers market.
Oh...did I mention the Chocolate Nut Brownies I whipped up for him to enjoy also came from the same book. What a find! These are so gooey you need to use a fork...my kind of brownies.

I'll be twittering about the Fall Flavours this weekend, so if you want to follow just search for #fallflavours on Twitter.

Quick Meals Are Delicious Too

It's been a crazy two weeks around here...Jewish Holidays, daily routines, plus...I am so excited...I'll be heading out to Prince Edward Island for their fantastic Fall Flavours Festival. I'll be covering the event for Foodtv.ca's blog....attending events, eating delicious, meals all made of locally sourced ingredients - stay tuned for updates. Chef Michael Smith is PEI's food ambassador, and it will be great getting to see him again (and get a copy of his new book The Best of Chef At Home).

So last night was a simple...and simply delicious meal of Pasta with Shrimp & Lemon Sauce. We forgot about the salad and just ate two bowlfuls. It was that good. I just got a new camera, so it will take some time before I get the photos to look as good as the dishes....a work in progress.

No time for more chit-chat....I'll be writing more once I get to PEI...

This is my entry for this week's Presto Pasta Night, and our fantastic guest host...Sara of I'm a Food Blog. Don't forget to send your entries to her - sara (at) imafoodblog (dot) com and cc me - ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com.

Given that I'll be out of town until Sunday, do check Sara's site tomorrow for the roundup and I'll do my magic (listing it everywhere else) once I'm back in town. And happy pasta eating everyone!

Another Successful Failure

Well I just wrote about a really successful dinner....everyone said so and there were very little leftovers, even though I cooked for an army...people even had seconds!

Naturally, I can't have you all thinking I'm perfect...so a little story about what was supposed to be lentil soup with some roasted vegetables. I still had a bunch of beautiful heirloom carrots and another bunch of interesting beets. If you squint, you can actually see that these aren't your typical round beets, they're long and I couldn't resist them at the market.

So I decided to make a hearty, healthy lentil soup with roasted carrots and beets...plus a few potatoes that didn't make it to dinner either. I roasted the vegetables...so far so good.

And that's when I did it...did what, you ask?....well, stopped thinking about ratios and just threw the entire batch of roasted veggies into the pot along with 2 liters/quarts of chicken broth and started using my favorite "neat" kitchen toy...the immersion blender.

What can I say....probably should have kept half the veggies aside for another use. But, seriously...the reason for this post is to show how you can make lemonade out of lemons...or in this case, pureed roasted vegetable soup with a small can of canneli beans for some protein, instead of lentils. This batch filled my big Dutch Oven as it was. Adding lentils would have meant adding another liter or two of broth and make way too much soup, even if I invited all the neighbours twice! And although the beets certainly took over the color of the soup...who could resist such a cheery bowlful?....they didn't overwhelm the taste.

So what's your cure for an "oops" start to the cooking process?

Rosh Hashonah Festivities

This was the only photo I actually got of my dining room table before Saturday night's Rosh Hashonah dinner. The rest of the evening was even more blurry than this photo of the home made challah. And don't even ask me about the few days that followed. How could it be Tuesday already!!!

Dinner was lovely (if I do say so myself) and went off with only one hitch...my Honey developed a whopper migraine-style headache...too much light (it's all or nothing here) and loud voices (all having a great time, but echoing off the walls). He ended up missing dessert entirely and going to hide in the dark bedroom. But let's start at the beginning...
Even though every cell in my body was throbbing by the time I went to bed at 12:30, it was a wonderful day...which started at sunrise at the farmers market (6:45am). Many people questioned my decision to go, given I wanted to be at services by 9:30 and still had tons of preparation left to do before our guests showed up at 6:30 pm.

That said, once the dishes started showing up at the table, my decision to go to the market didn't seem quite so ridiculous. I've become quite the farmers market junkie and am usually disappointed when I can't get there. Wouldn't it be lovely if we could have one every day of the week?
The local heirloom carrots, new beets and young potatoes roasted with cremini mushroom (also local)
and the most glorious organic garlic ever and fresh rosemary,
turned into a wonderful roasted root vegetable dish to accompany one of my favorite New Year chicken dishes...
St Tropez Chicken, made with local free range chickens.

But wait,...I forgot to mention the soup course. Since I usually end up with the second night, I don't like to repeat the traditional chicken soup with matzo balls.

And this year I tried a wonderful Velvety Squash & Carrot Soup with Curried Mazto Balls that everyone enjoyed including Boaz and his brother Dov. The matzo balls were made with whole grain matzo meal and everyone thought they were meatballs, they were so dense and flavorful.
The special organic blend of "spicy greens" and baby romaine made the salad course quite the hit, especially with the Preserved Lemon Dressing which brought out just the right balance to the mix. Another stellar reason to visit the market! The salad was a perfect taste complement to the Tilapia in Tomato Saffron Sauce. The photo was of my practice meal the week before and the yellow beans were so tasty I had to buy more at the market. A simple "steam" in the microwave with a sprig of basil and then a spritz of lemon juice, grinding of pepper and pinch of salt...and who said, no one likes veggies. I served them with the main course this time.
All that's left to mention is the dessert...while I did plan on at least three, we ended up with just one...my favorite Normandy Apple Tart with apples we picked ourselves last week in the Annapolis Valley.

So was the worth getting up early to find local produce and chicken? You bet your life it was!
As for leftovers...not too many, but the challah made for some wonderful French Toast, whipped up by my Honey.

Presto Pasta Night #131 was Well Worth the Wait

It's official - Presto Pasta Night Roundup #131 is here and it's delicious! Sweet Kitchen did a fabulous job as this week's host and everyone outdid themselves with their entries. Head on over and see what I'm talking about. Thank you all!

And don't forget that next week, Sara of I'm a Food Blog will be hosting so start thinking about what do make and then email your tasty treat to sara (at) imafoodblog (dot) com and cc me to ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com.

I want to thank everyone for continuing to suprise me with great entries ...who knew there could be so many different pasta dishes.

If you'd like to host a Presto Pasta Night Roundup, just send me an email and I'll add you to the schedule. November is still pretty open.

Presto Pasta Nights a Tad Behind

Have no fear...Presto Pasta Night Roundup #131 hosted this week by Sweet Kitchen is just a little late. We should check back later tonight to see all the wonderful entries.

In the meantime, have a great day.

Eeny Meanie ...Tilapia or Salmon is the Question

Tick, tock...Rosh Hashana starts tomorrow, dinner here, on Saturday. I did make the soup...not the traditional chicken soup with matzo balls - Joanna is doing that tomorrow. I decided to try something new and it's very tasty...Velvety Squash & Carrot Soup with Curried Matzo Balls. The curry is very mild and just adds a delightful je ne sais quoi. In fact, I used whole grain matzo meal and they really had a texture and flavor of meat.

Yesterday I was still debating about what to serve for the second course, especially since I decided not to make gefilte fish...several options here...but none appeal to me this time.

So I thought I'd try a couple of recipes from Faye Levy's latest book Healthy Cooking for the Jewish Home (I wrote about the book last April). The problem is they are both absolutely fantastic.

Salmon in Leek & Olive Sauce

Tilapia in Tomato Saffron Sauce

I think I'll do the tilapia ...less steps and for twelve guest...less is more...or at least better for the cook. Both are really fabulous for regular dinners.

The chicken is marinating...the dough for the challah is resting in the fridge...now it's on to dessert. I was planning three...wonder how many I'll actually pull off.

For those of you celebrating the New Year ..Shana Tova and to everyone...I wish you a healthy, prosperous and sweet year ahead.

Chatting with Chef Michael Smith

Yes, I'm a little star struck...last week I spent an hour with Chef Michael Smith, one of my all time favorite celebrity chefs. We talked about his latest projects, his food philosophy, which is really very simple, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

I've been a really big fan of Chef at Home for a long time ...it's actually in its sixth season and I have frequently been inspired after an episode, with the likes of these Star Anise Carrots that were heavenly, as were the slow oven roasted tomatoes I threw in the oven in less time than a commercial break. So it should be no surprise when Michael said that his job "is to help you impress yourself in your own kitchen"...couldn't have said it better myself.


And he's just finished season two of his latest tv series- Chef Abroad (I call it the National Geographic Foodie Special) with trips to Morocco, New Zealand, the jungles of Peru, Thailand...26 countries in the last two years! I've seen the Morocco show and am entirely jealous. You can almost smell the wonderful aromas in the spice shops and feel the frenetic energy as Michael helps out some local chefs set up their "restaurant"...you'll have to catch the episode, it was awesome. I can't wait to follow him on his wild food journeys around the world. When he says he has the best job ever, he's not kidding.

And if that's not enough for you, he's the ambassador and driving force behind PEI's Fall Flavours , a week long festival with over 150 culinary events. I'll be heading over for the opening weekend, September 25th, so stay tuned for my adventures. I'm already trying to decide what to wear!

Just check out some of the events for yourself...
Friday, September 25th
1pm-3pm Dipped in Chocolate - Island Chocolates Company located in the former general store in the beautiful seaside village of Victoria by the Sea will offer a chance to make molded chocolates, chocolate clusters and try their hand at hand dipping and learn some chocolate history.

6pm-9pm Family Style featuring Chef Michael Smith
Chef Michael Smith serves it up Family Style at this exclusive dinner and cookbook signing at the Culinary Institute of Canada for the launch of his newest cookbook, The Best of Chef at Home: Essential Recipe's For Today's Kitchen. Can't wait for that!

Saturday, September 26th
10am-1pm Morning Chef Calvin Burt in his amazing garden and home, nestled in the heart of North Shore Country, to learn how he goes from harvest to feast using vegetables, fruits, herbs and a stunning floral oasis.

Afternoon: The Handcrafted Beer and Wine festival is quickly becoming the event of its kind in the Maritimes.

6pm-9pm Roma Gala Heritage Feast -a spectacular menu featuring local PEI foods. and that's just the first weekend!

Okay, back to the interview.... his newest book...The Best of Chef At Home looks wonderful...I got a very brief peak and am eagerly awaiting my very own copy. I'll tell you all abou that once it's in my hot little hands.

So what did we really talk about....

Well given this superhuman activity I did ask him what his biggest challenge was and no surprise...balancing work and home. He adores his wife Rachel, who inspires him and his son Gabe, who is now 7 and feels blessed to live the life he lives...travel to exotic places and home in beautiful rural PEI. That said, it's hard to just pop in and out. The shows mean travel for a week at a time and that does break the routine at home. But he is lucky enough to be able to spend all of July and August, plus December with his family.

We did talk a lot about his food philosophy and the platform Chef at Home, in particular, gives him - to get us to reconnect with local sources of our food. In North America in particular, we've become disengaged from what we eat and where it comes from. But it wasn't until the birth of his son that he really altered his perception of food, and the fact that we need to get closer to the source. Bottom line...cook your own food...which he adds, means no processed food.

He loves Michael Pollan's philosophy..."eat food, not too much, mostly plants". Did I mention that most of the week he and his family eat vegetarian? Sound demanding? Sound hard to do...not really...just watch Chef at Home and you'll see why. Michael actually makes his own bread every day...the recipes for "City Bread" & Country Bread" are in the new book and take no time at all. Whisk dry ingredients together, add wet, let ferment overnight and bake in the morning. Easy as pie - or make that bread!

Naturally I couldn't end without asking him what's next....Heading the team of Chefs at the Winter Olympics in BC this winter! And after that, something much closer to home and helping us understand the connections between what's on our plates with where it comes from. The show will have lots of stories with some of his favorite producers like Robert Shaw who raises pasture raised beef and the 14 year old who raises chickens.

His guilty pleasure - French fries; Gabe's favorite meal...cheeseburger & fries when he's out and brown rice and lentils is his comfort food at home.

His final words of wisdom to us home cooks..."simple is best and use local, impeccable ingredients for an unbelievable difference in your meals".

Another Local Tradition - Lobster Nova Scotia Style

Here's how to eat like a Nova Scotian" and you can find the recipe here for the best Nova Scotian way to cook it.

This summer I was hoping to get to another one of the lobster festivals that Nova Scotia is so famous for. I wrote about Pictou’s fantastic Lobster Carnival last summer and really did want to go back , but it was not in the cards.

Naturally, the best part for me, of any lobster festival is the community lobster dinner. Nova Scotia is famous for them and last year I made it to three of them! Typically, you find them in many coastal villages celebrating the end of lobster season….Don’t panic, you can get delicious fresh NS lobster all year round, but the fishing season does move from area to area around the province. I’m assuming it’s to give the lobsters a chance to grow. And a little trivia for you….it takes a lobster 7 years…yes….SEVEN years to get to be a pound. And just a few minutes for us to devour it. It doesn’t seem right, so the next time you sit down to a lobster dinner, remember to savor it.

Unfortunately, the summer whipped by without me getting to even one community dinner, but I was lucky enough to get invited to a family lobster dinner recently…and with 20 people enjoying the evening, I’d call it a community dinner, wouldn’t you? Please note the "tablecloth"...nothing makes lobster eating easier than a tablecloth made of newspapers (already read, is best) to make clean up a breeze. Just dump all the shells on the table, roll up the paper and...voila...ready for garbage.

First thing to know about NS Community Lobster Dinners for those of you who’ve never eaten them “the Nova Scotian way”…the lobsters are precooked and served cold with lots of potato salad, coleslaw, fresh rolls and some heavenly pie for dessert. Growing up in Montreal and then living in Toronto and Ottawa as an adult, I’m used to eating my lobsters boiled or steamed, served hot and then dipped in melted butter…I’m drooling just writing about it.

But if you think about it….cooking up lobsters for a gazillion people at a time, requires some serious pre-work. I did write about another lobster dinner, so if you’re up for doing it yourself , you can find out how here.

The video is the “how to” to eat your lobster like a real Nova Scotian …not for the delicate and be forewarned …wear clothes you can throw in the washing machine!

Enjoy and don’t forget to invite me to your next lobster dinner.

The Tomatoes and Apples are Finally Here

You really know when Autumn is right around the corner....corn is flourishing

and finally, FINALLY...all those glorious tomatoes are finally making their way to local farmers markets. I found these at the Wolfville Farmers Market yesterday...our first stop en route to apple picking with the family. Brief aside, apparently next week at the Wolfville Farmers Market you can do some tomato and salsa tasting, in case you're in the neighborhood. This week, was the Valley Vineyard tastings with lots of local wineries offering tastings. One word...delicious!

Here's Boaz at the Elmridge Farm stand, checking out some of the beautiful leeks on his way to listening to the local talent. One of the special things about Nova Scotian markets is the social atmosphere...musicians, tasty ready-to-eat treats, local artisan purchases from knitted goods, hand-crafted jewellery, glassware, and lots more.

But the real purpose of the outing was our annual apple picking trip with family to Elderkin Farms. While we've been doing this for years...and there is nothing on earth as delicious as your favorite type of apple right off the tree. In fact, in my world...by October, most apples are really only tasty baked... in a cake, a pie, roasted with root vegetables, but I digress...it is particularly special doing it with little ones.
This year Dov, at nine months, joins in the fun and as you can see, is already an apple fan.
His big brother, Boaz, at two and three quarters, is already a pro apple picker. The funniest part of this year's trip was when Bo, after seeing us taste an apple (there are at least 10 varieties at Elderkin's and the Gravenstein and Macs (my favorite) are not quite ripe. So as we went from type to type, we tasted and either finished a juicy apple of choice and added more to our bags, or threw it on the ground to become part of the compost cycle. Bo, mimicking us, took a bite of each apple and handed it to Mummy to put in the bag. It took quite a while to convince him it wasn't necessary to taste EVERY SINGLE apple!

It's just a week before Jewish High Holidays, Rosh Hashonah in particular, when apples dipped in honey (symbolic of a sweet year ahead) and other apple dishes star in the menu. I can't imagine not serving this Normandy Apple Tart for dessert.

Funny how my brain works. I really started this post to talk about these local organic, heritage tomato beauties that made it home with us. They are from Stewart Organic Farm, I can't even begin to tell you how sweet they are. Even the Thesaurus couldn't do them justice...sugary, honeyed, luscious, ambrosial. It was the perfect side to our Sunday morning Scramble. This time around...leftovers from a wonderful dinner of grilled steak, garlic & rosemary roasted new potatoes and mushrooms sauteed with garlic. Thickly sliced heirloom tomatoes (I forget the name, sorry) with some freshly ground black pepper and a sprinkling of sea salt....so good.

It's so easy and so fantastic to eat local, that I hope you do the same. Not only does the food taste a thousand times better, you're supporting your local farmers. I can't imagine a world without the freshest of ingredients that really do make your dishes sing. No matter how wonderful a piece of fruit tastes where it's grown, it definitely loses something in travelling to your table.

Case in point....I've been fortunate to live within an hour's drive from the Niagara Fruit Belt when we lived in Toronto where peach, cherry, plum, pear and...more orchards abound. So I can honestly say...Ontario peaches are awesome fresh from the tree or local market stand...incredibly sweet, and so juicy. But by the time they travel to Nova Scotia, they sort of lose something...still tasty, but not quite the same. So why do local grocery stores here choose to import peaches from Ontario and beyond when we produce such delicious ones right here at home...just hours from your grocer?

But enough of me on a soapbox...

It's Friday and Time for Presto Pasta Night

I love Fridays...end of a week and all that means, beginning of the weekend - even better and one of my favorite passtimes....checking out this week's Presto Pasta Night Roundup which was beautifully hosted this time by Rachel, The Crispy Cook.

Rachel points out that since this is the anniversary of that fateful 9/11. Take a moment or two to reflect on the fact before checking out all the tasty treats.

The roundup is fantastic, so thanks to everyone for contributing those tasty treats. I'll be spending a lot of time this weekend trying to figure out which to prepare first.

Next week, Sweet Kitchen is hosting...well you know, once the current week's roundup is done, it's immediately time to start thinking of what to prepare next. You can send your delectables to her the (dot)sweetkitchen (at) yahoo (dot) ca and cc me ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com

And don't forget if you'd like to host a PPN roundup yourself, just send me an email.

Pasta In Under the Wire

Ever have one of those days when you know exactly what you want to do for dinner and then...well, here's my sad story.

First of all it's Thursday and I thought I made pasta earlier in the week to send in to Rachel, The Crispy Cook who's hosting Presto Pasta Night this week...but I didn't . You can still squeak in if you're quick about it.

Anyway, I decided that I really wanted to make pasta with pancetta, arugula, sundried tomatoes, some of my delicious brined Moroccan olives. I had the pancetta, tomatoes and olives, lots of great Parmeggiano Reggiano cheese, garlic, olive oil. All that was missing was the arugula...shouldn't be hard to find. There are two grocery stores nearby. But as luck would have it, no arugula. I thought I had some baby spinach at home. That would have been my second choice. Only to get home and find there was none.

Now let me say, I'm a big fan of Chef Michael Smith, especially his Chef at Home show on Foodtv. The show is about cooking without any recipe and I'm always inspired. And, I'm lucky enough to be interviewing him tomorrow, so stay tuned for the interview. I am so excited! But I digress...sort of.

Earlier in the week I watched an episode where he was making trout and preserving the tradition of catching and cooking fish with his father, when he was a boy and passing that tradition on to his son. I love the sentiment (especially since I'm now a grandma and loving doing things with Boaz that I did with his mom when she was little).

Bear with me....just before a commercial break Chef Michael showed how to slow roast tomatoes (for a gorgeous looking salad) and in less time than it took to run the commercial, I had my tomatoes in the oven. He actually has the slow oven dried tomato recipe on the link from the show, but I did as the Chef always suggests, improvise...and made wonderful roasted tomatoes for many a dish....including tonight's dinner. Thought I'd never get around to it, didn't you?

In the end my Last Minute Pancetta, Olives and Oven Roasted Tomato Pasta was very tasty indeed. And still in time to make it to tomorrow's roundup. What about you?

Don't Forget Presto Pasta Night

I've been so busy this week trying out recipes for the upcoming holidays that I almost forgot about Presto Pasta Nights.

Don't forget to share your dish with Rachel, The Crispy Cook who is this week's host. Email her at oldsaratogabooks (at) gmail (dot) com and cc me ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com

I'm off to buy some arugula (hopefully the store will have some for my cravings) to go with the pancetta and...not sure yet that I'll be adding to my pasta tonight.

See you all at the roundup tomorrow.

A Holiday Treat Any Time of Year

In my last post, someone asked for the BBQ Brisket recipe which was only available in my cookbook Every Kitchen Tells Its Stories - Recipes to Warm the Heart.

And being in the holiday spirit of giving, I thought I'd share it with all of you. This is my favorite dish for big buffet parties around Hanukkah or (everyone else's) New Year, but Joanna decided to go this route for her Rosh Hashanah dinner and I'm sure everyone will love it.

If you're interested in other great, easy to prepare family dishes - for holidays and every day meals with lots of step by step "how to's" in the Cooking Primer section, then just check it out right here. You could be in possession of the eBook ($8.00-limited time offer) in minutes, or own the CD-ROM version ($10.00-limited time offer) in less than a week.

Jewish High Holidays are Just Around the Corner

You don't have to BE a Jewish woman ...or be close to one, to you know what a crazy time of year this is. Just think of your most important annual festival feast and you'll get the idea. Days and even weeks before the event....who should I invite? who was here last year? what did I serve? should I stick to the traditional or try something new? how many will fit around the table? who can I borrow chairs/dishes from?...that's just the tip of the iceberg and I'm already exhausted.

The Jewish High Holy Days are less than two weeks away. In years past I used to do all the cooking and have all three big Rosh Hashanah dinners (bringing in the New Year with dishes to welcome a sweet and prosperous year ahead), and a Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement with a 24 hour fast and time for reflection) break fast feast with 10-20 people at our home. Here's a link to previous High Holiday dinner menus & recipes.

But the last couple of years, here in Halifax, with my daughter Joanna, her mother-in-law, Cheryl and, this year, her daughter Kayla ...we've broken it down to one meal for each of us to go crazy over. My turn is the second night of Rosh Hashanah
and I'm sure that Joanna (doing the first night) will make the traditional Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls, passed down from generations of women in my family.

A short digression...don't you love the bowl? It was a gift to my Honey's mother from her new (at the time) husband - then a sailor who ordered it specially for her in China). The bamboo (for luck and prosperity) bowl is sitting on the fancy dishes my parents bought me more than 30 years ago. They only come out for very special occasions like this. Back to the menus....

Joanna is planning to serve my BBQ brisket recipe (I usually serve it for Hanukkah, but...it will certainly be delicious...for the main course. And she'll be making her famous chopped liver as appetizer (because...naturally soup and a main course is not enough...just kidding). Neither of us want to make gefilte fish, something we love to eat, but are not particularly happy to make....although, this recipe was pretty tasty. It's served cold here with horseradish sauce to spice it up.

I do know that my main course will be St Tropez Chicken. Made with honey, herbes aux Provence and other wonderful ingredients to honor the tradition of enjoying sweet rather than spicy dishes to herald in the New Year.

But rather than make the same dishes over and over, I always look for something new to add to the tried and true....to that end, there are Jewish cookbooks spread over every surface and I'll be trying out a couple of new soups, fish starters and desserts this week to see which will actually end up on the menu.

I'll keep you all posted, but I'm wondering...what IS your "special" holiday meal and what do you make?