Happy 2010

Another year has come and gone...well, almost gone. Just a few hours to go before we herald in the new one.

We actually just got back from spending most of the holidays with friends and family in Toronto and, believe it or not, I don't have one photo to show for it. Which does not mean we didn't enjoy the company and many of the fantastic food treats the city has to offer.

In fact we did much travelling around the world...Indian butter chicken roti at Mother India on Queen West - unbelievable!; Vietnamese & Thai (pho & pad Thai) at Pho Phoung (Dundas & Brock); Portuguese custard tarts at the Portuguese Bakery in Little Portugal and more Portuguese Churrasco chicken further north; Italian lunch at Terroni on trendy Queen West- now I'm sorry I didn't buy any pepperoncini in lovely glass jars. But I did get some awesome Saigon Cinnamon that smells like those spicy cinnamon candies and some fennel pollen that's equally intense at my favorite Spice Trader also on Queen W.

Trust me, everything was as delicious as I remembered...as was dinner at my cousin's - she's an awesome cook; take out Chinese at our friends' because she broke her ankle and we just stayed in, ate and caught up.

Those are some of the highlights. Sorry no photos, but I promise to do better in the new year.

I wish you and yours a very healthy - make sure you're eating healthfully - that's definitely one of my resolutions; prosperous - lottery or not, I wish you all you wish for - in 2010.

New Twist on an Old Favorite

Growing up in Montreal I had an all time favorite breakfast bagels, lox and cream cheese with a slice of onion. It's still my favorite. And truly, it's not my favorite breakfast without the Montreal bagel. And another truth I'll ashamedly share...it wasn't until quite recently I figured out that "lox" was just short for gravelox. I just thought it was the only kind of smoked salmon there was....silly, silly me.

Last weekend I was at the Halifax Saturday Farmers Market and naturally stopped at Mikes Fish Shop - one of the very few places to get great fresh fish and seafood in Halifax, but I digress. They sell St Mary River's Smokehouses smoked fishes. They all looked awesome - at least six varieties of salmon, mackerel, and others and I couldn't decide. The two people in front of me both asked for the maple smoked salmon, so naturally I had to have some.

And that's when it really dawned on me that not all smoked salmon was dry smoked like gravelox. This maple smoked (and not just maple wood), texture wise was more like a roasted or grilled salmon fillet - cooked and actually coated with maple syrup in the roasting/smoking process. And the flavor - awesome! No wonder it's the most popular smoked fish they sell.

Still this was not turning out to be my typical bagel, lox & cream cheese breakfast. I mean, I now CAN actually make Montreal Bagels, thanks to Marcy Goldman, and even though they really don't take that long to make...well it's a crazy busy time of year and my list of things to get done - none of which separately take a lot of time...all of them together take up more than the 24 hours allotted us in a day.
So I did something totally typical - made a quick scramble and yet totally new - took the idea of lox and cream cheese and turned my scramble into a totally different yet totally awesome taste sensation. Just add about 1/4 cup of my favorite Ran-Cher Goat Cheese with chives to 5 beaten eggs, add about a half cup of flaked maple smoked salmon and scramble it over medium heat (a little butter to the pan first wouldn't hurt either).

True, it tastes nothing like my bagel, lox and cream cheese breakfasts of old, but it was still heaven on a plate.

I do hope you get to take some simple, quiet moments out of this busy, frantic season to enjoy something easy to prepare and delicious to savor.

Out With The Old - Presto Pasta Night #144

What an awesome year it's been!!! 49 Presto Pasta Night Roundups and 849 delicious pasta entries! You all have been amazing participants and I can't thank you enough for playing along week after week.

This week Reeni of Cinnamon, Spice & Everything Nice did a spectacular job of hosting PPN #144 - the last roundup in a sensational year of roundups. Thanks Reeni - you were amazing.

And to everyone who entered a dish this week...and the 48 before - BRAVO! You are all brilliant.

So off you go for the next couple of weeks...enjoy the Holiday Season - eat (lots of pasta), drink (responsibly), and be merry. I wish you and yours a joyous season and a healthy and prosperous New Year.

Speaking of New Years...I can't wait to see what 2010 brings...especially when it comes to pasta. I'll be hosting the first Presto Pasta Night Roundup #145 on January 8th. So should you be making a pasta dish between now and then, please write about it, mention and link to Presto Pasta Night and drop me a line ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com.

And if you're interested in hosting a PPN yourself, let me know that too. Once again, thanks everyone for your great contributions.

Sweet Fennel Sausage & Pasta - Nothing Better

We all know I love pasta, and many of you know that I particularly love it when I can pick up some fresh homemade (okay, not MY home - made especially for the Abato Italian Market down the street) sweet fennel sausage. What a brilliant combination and the best part, is that you can dress it up or down so many ways.

In honor of this being the last Presto Pasta Night of 2009 with Reeni of Cinnamon, Spice & Everything Nice as our intrepid host, I decided to share my three favorite ways to honor the sausage. Last night's (photo at top of page) is a garlicy, spicy dish with olive oil and a little white wine as the base for the sauce.

Rotini with Sweet Fennel Sausages, Sundried Tomatoes & Black Olives

These sweet fennel sausages work so well with tomatoes that this one is always delicious

Last Minute with Fennel Sausages & Mushrooms in Tomato Sauce

And I love to saute the ground sausage meat, removed from the casing, until crumbly as the base for the most fantastic

Bucatini Bolognese

You still have time to send Reeni your dish by end of day today for the last of 2009 - email cinnamonyspice (at) gmail (dot) com and cc me - ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com

Next time we meet over pasta, I'll be hosting Presto Pasta Nights - January 8th, to be exact. So save up your entries, or send them to me as soon as you're done and I'll start, what will be an awesome start to 2010! Email: ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com

In the meantime, enjoy an awesome Holiday Season and remember to be safe.

Holiday Wrapping

Tis the season for cooks and bakers everywhere to be insanely busy. Like everyone else...at least I hope I'm not alone....I often intend to do way more than I actually achieve...case in point...

I'm ashamed to say that more than a month ago I received a box of great Hallmark goodies, in the hopes that I would share them with you. Naturally being into cooking and baking, the package contained foodie related items. The cake server that plays a Christmas ditty is particularly cute. And since my friends and family always laugh when I send them Hoops & Yoyo eCards, I knew someone would love to receive the singing paper card in the mail.

I intended to make some muffins or cupcakes to share and display on the "Merry Munching" box, but my cute little grandson, got to it first and turned it into giant confetti...oops. These Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Buttercream Icing were delicious, but they had to make it to the party in a regular plastic container.
My favorite thing to do for gifts, is to bake some biscotti or cookies and package them in a pretty box...like the cute Gingerbread House in the picture at the top. Somehow, I ran out of time. Instead, I filled it with some of the cute tree trimmers - all with a baking theme instead.

My poll for the season...do you prefer gifts that are homemade or bought? And a second question...are you like my good friend Val of More Than Burnt Toast who is already done with gift buying and wrapping, or more like me, still rushing about at the last minute?

Foods To Choose - Part Two

Yesterday I shared 1-12 of the "25 Ridiculously Healthy Foods" and today, I'm sharing the rest with some of my recipes. What I didn't mention yesterday, and should have...is that I truly believe in the notion of eating healthy as opposed to sticking fast to the latest diet trend. And, while I really am a South Beach Diet fan...because it includes all of our favorite foods and is easy to do... I never did count the calories or stick to the absolute letter of it. Whenever I take that route, I get bored, or frustrated...or both, and there goes the whole diet thing out the window. Choosing healthy foods and putting them together in my favorite dishes is much healthier and easier to manage. Admittedly, some are more my favorites than others, that said...on with the list....

13. Broccoli - well really, did you think your mother only told you to eat it as a joke? From a quick steam, stir fry or roasted, they are awesomely good for you and don't forget cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts and the rest of the cabbage family. You'll find tons of other choices here.
14. Spinach - lutein for eye health; iron to oxygenate your blood for energy...just like Popeye. Baby spinach is great in a salad, tossed last minute into soups or quickly sauteed as a side.
15. Tomatoes are the most common source of lycopene, an antioxidant that may protect against heart disease and breast cancer. Another one of those veggies I have to hide from my Honey. That said, I love simple tomato salads especially in August & September when they are ripe for the harvest.
16. Sweet Potatoes are the best source of Vitamin A that protects your eyes, skin and linings of all our organs. Good thing it tastes so good...from latkes to roasted to "chips", well sort of chips.
17. Garlic...seriously good for you, not just to keep vampires at bay. As for me...other than in desserts, breads or cakes, you'll be hard-pressed to find a recipe of mine without this.
18. Red peppers provides more vitamin C than oranges and is a great way to keep those wrinkles in check. And just think of all the other ridiculously healthy things you can stuff them with...like these charred peppers stuffed with anchovies and other goodies.
19. Figs, high in potassium and calcium - 20% of your daily needs. I really do have to start eating more of them.

20. Blueberries...I'd love them even if they weren't so full of antioxidants (more than any other fruit). This photo of blueberry salsa looked the prettiest, but I love them in salads, pancakes, muffins,
21. Asian pears - who knew that they contain 10 g of cholesterol-lowering fiber, about 40% of your daily need.

22. Lychees - they have the second-highest level of heart-healthy polyphenols of all fruits tested—nearly 15% more than the amount found in grapes. I've only eaten canned...I wonder where that ranks and will now hunt for fresh - presuming I can find any.

23. Apples...well you know the saying "an apple a day, keeps the doctor away". Apparently a study showed that along with red wine and pears, they were the most effective at reducing risk of "death due to heart disease and lung cancer" Yikes! I do lots with apples, but the two most favored around here are the Normandy Apple Tart and the Apple Crisp.
24. Guava (which I don't think I've ever tried) has 5 times as much Vitamin C as the same amount of orange juice. I'm adding that to my shopping list too.

25. Dark Chocolate - I saved the best for last and...really...do you need a reason?

My question to you....which of these are on your list?

Foods to Choose - a More Positive Spin Part One

On Saturday I shared a link and my thoughts on what food experts say to avoid. That done, it got me thinking. Normally I'm very much a "glass half-full" kind of girl...perhaps even more. I don't usually go to the Dark Side. I don't usually stand on a soap box either. And, the truth is, what's good for us today, some "expert" will say is terrible in a year or two anyway. I am a cynic about that, if nothing else.

So I thought I'd share another link from Saturday..."25 Ridiculously Healthy Foods" , especially since the holidays are upon us and we tend to overdo life, and that means lots of stress and not always eating well. Plus this is an easy start to the 2010 Resolutions we're all going to make.

And I thought I'd share a few of my favorite recipes to help out even more.

1. Eggs - can apparently lower risks of breast cancer, antioxidants to prevent macular degeneration & cataracts. And since I love what a wonderful canvas they are to a happy weekend morning

....here's my total list of frittatas, omelets & scrambles.

2. Greek yoghurt - better than regular - twice the protein plus immune-boosting bacteria. And although this doesn't sound much better than gruel, I can assure you this mush is pretty, tasty, and very, very good for you. 3. Fat-free milk (fine...any milk) is a great source of Vitamin D, something we never get enough of, especially in the winter. That definitely goes for us, but we do enjoy cheeses with crackers and freshly baked artisan breads for relaxing weekend "lunches", does that count?
4. Salmon for so many reasons...omega 3 rich, prevents heart disease, smooths your skin, boosts your mood and...best of all...slows the rate of digestion. Since my Honey isn't really a fish eater...especially those with lots of bones and strong aroma (my word, not his), we typically stick to salmon & tilapia, so here are some of our favorite recipes.
5. Lean beef - best absorbed source of iron, zinc and did you know that grass fed beef has twice the level of vitamin E - brain boosting anti-oxidant. We are serious carnivores, so naturally there's lots of beef served here. Two of our favorites are strip loin and flank steak because they are lean and yet still extremely flavorful. This Teriyaki Flank Steak has been a staple since forever...even before I worried about too much fat. You can find a ton of other options here.
6. Beans - did you know that 1 cup of cooked = 17g of fibre - reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and breast and colon cancers - enough said. Lentils, split peas, red, white, black, cannelini...I love making them as a side, or a main; with and without meat.
7. Nuts can also reduce risk of heart disease & diabetes. Typically I sprinkle them over salads, coat fish fillets in them
and naturally use them in brownies and cookies.
8. Edamame & tofu - we're not so big on this one at our house.

9. Oatmeal - which in my world is only used in cookies, breads, muffins, even meatloaf rather than breadcrumbs, but never as a hot morning breakfast...too much like slimy gruel to me...and all you morning oatmeal fans, don't bother trying to convert me.
10. Flaxseed is the "most potent plant source of omega-3 fats. Studies indicate that adding flaxseed to your diet can reduce the development of heart disease by 46%" Wow! I put them in the mush and many of my bread recipes.

11. Olive oil is my favorite heart healthy monounsaturated fat. It is the oil I use most frequently...at least from appetizers through mains and sides.

12. Avocado - packed with heart protective ingredients like Vitamin E, folate, soluble fibre & potassium. Like my littlest grandson, I could eat it just scooped out of its shell, in guacamole and healthy dips...
...my Honey, on the other hand, is not a big fan, so I have to hide this heart healthy ingredient in wraps.

Stay tuned for Part Two of the top 25 Ridiculously Healthy Foods tomorrow.

Hanukkah Means Kids

It is Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights , or in our house, the Festival of Latkes. Fifteen pounds of potatoes and this is the best photo I could get. "Helpers" were having to taste them as they came out of the frying pan and by the time we all sat down to eat...well...the camera was at the other end of the house.

Truthfully though, in my world, it's a holiday for children. It's even more wonderful if you have grandchildren. And I am especially blessed to have two very delicious grandsons. Dov, who just turned one a couple of weeks ago has just learned to walk and although he sort of looks like Frankenstein in his tentative steps, he's very proud of himself, as are the rest of us.

His big brother Boaz, is just about to turn three and hasn't quite mastered the concept of Dov's gifts and Bo's gifts, but hey... Last year Boaz helped his mummy and me make Hanukkah cookies. I love the shapes and design...

...- so artistic, don't you think? But my favorite photo from last year is this one...well someone has to taste the dough to make sure it's good. This year, though there was definitely more interest in the process and Boaz created these cookies with very little help from us. I have to thank Marcy Goldman for her kidproof dough. As you can see, though...tasting is still a requirement. This time it's the sprinkles. Happy Hanukkah, everyone and may you share whichever holidays you celebrate with lots of little ones...at least those who are kids at heart.

Great Article on Foods to Avoid ...Or...

My friend Norene, found this terrific article The Seven Foods Experts Won't Eat. I'm not sure I can actually follow all of them, and I'm wondering about you.

Here's my take on the Seven Deadlies....
1. No canned tomatoes...something about the tins themselves that are linked to horrible diseases. They suggest buying tomatoes in glass jars. I don't know about you, but other than in sauces or pickled, I've never found jarred tomatoes....and I don't think I'm going to spend too much time looking either.

2. No corn fed beef....I do try to find grass fed beef, but not always available at local supermarkets and the price is usually a lot more. The taste of the meat is also different, so it does take some getting used to. An easy start is to find the grass-fed beef producer at your local farmers market and go for stewing meat and ground beef for braises, chilis and stews.

3. No microwaved popcorn...again chemicals in the bags. Not really a big popcorn eater, so not really an issue for me. Any thoughts?

4. Non-organic potatoes...being root vegetables they not only absorb nutrients from the soil, but pesticides etc., as well. Hmmmmm, I never thought of that. So I'll be on a hunt. I wonder how easy/hard it will be to find. I wonder if I'll even remember this the next time I hunt for potatoes.
5. Farmed Salmon...too gross to repeat here, and apparently here on the East Coast, there is no commercial wild salmon fishing. Since salmon is high in Omega 3s and important for eye and heart health, I think this needs more research for me as to the quality of fish farms here in the east before I totally boycott them.

6. Milk produced with artificial hormones....another thing I never thought about....just checked my milk carton and, of course it doesn't say anything. Big sigh....apparently now I have to look for Check labels for rBGH-free, rBST-free products. Given I don't drink a lot of milk, (I'm pretending cheese doesn't count) I won't worry.

7. Regular apples...too many pesticides. Look for organic or at least wash & peel. I think I'll go that route.

That said, I do think we can get carried away and sometimes, I choose not to look too closely. What's your take on all of this? Which ones matter and which will you ignore?

Presto Pasta Night #143

It's deja vu all over again, as the great Yogi Berra once said. Kevin of Closet Cooking hosted Presto Pasta Nights for the second time. He was our first PPN guest host and did an awesome job with it. So it's no surprise that this one rocks too. In fact, it even surpassed itself with a ton of stunningly beautiful (can't have too many superlatives) and unique pasta dishes. So kudos to Kevin for hosting and all you amazing contributors for your over-the-top dishes.

Next week, Reeni of Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice is hosting the very last Presto Pasta Night of 2009, so be sure and send in your pasta entry to cinnamonyspice (at) gmail (dot)com and cc me ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com. After all, we can't go cold turkey. I mean imagine no pasta recipes until January 8th - the first PPN of 2010.

Once Again Pasta Saves The Day

On Monday, I had a great plan for dinner. Nothing fancy, just a pasta using my favorite fresh sweet fennel sausages from the Italian Market down the street. I was just deciding what, besides the plump cremini mushrooms, I'd add to the mix when the phone rang. It was my Honey suggesting we go over to see the grandsons. I knew I couldn't take the sausages over to my daughter's. She likes to keep her kitchen kosher style which means no pork and I'm pretty sure that the sausages are pork. That said she was happy to have us visit and would figure out her own pasta delight by the time we got there.
It was so delicious, I just had to share this Mustardy Rotini with Chicken and Mushrooms (among other things) with Presto Pasta Nights. I't incredible how a little grainy mustard added to pasta water can make the most heavenly sauce. The left over roasted chicken didn't hurt either.

This week Kevin, my very favorite Closet Cook is hosting PPN again. If you remember, Kevin was the first guest host - #67 way back in June, 2008. Thanks Kevin, for hosting again. And everyone else...please send Kevin your latest and greatest pasta by Thursday night - lynch (dot)kevin (at)gmail(dot)com and cc- ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com and then join us for the roundup on Friday.

Can One have Too Much Coffee - Yes Indeed!

I realize everyone's metabolism is different, so asking when is too much when drinking coffee is really personal, but I have to share my crazy day yesterday with someone...may as well be you. I'm working on a project about independent coffee houses in Halifax - not Tim Hortons, Starbucks or Second Cup. In my "support local"frame of mind, I thought this would be fun. Totally personal bias, nothing scientific. I just drop into small coffee shops that I've either heard about or pass by and think..."cool"...where I can actually sit down and take in the flavor - no pun intended - of the shop as well as the coffee.

One thing Halifax has lots of are little coffee shops, perhaps it's all the university students...not sure, but I'm glad they're here. And now on to my drama....

I take my Honey to work in the mornings and he does leave very early - always in before 7 and usually we just do a "Tim's run" -there's a Tim Hortons drive through just down the street from his office and it's open 24 hours. But for my "research", we decided to do something together and have a coffee for him, cappuccino for me at some independent place. The problem is that many don't open until 11am, and the earliest we found was still closed until 7:30.

Not easily discouraged, we went to Chez Cora for a real breakfast...bacon & eggs with toast and coffee. They open at 6am! And after a tasty breakfast and a big cup of coffee, I kissed him goodbye and headed off to do more research. By this time, Ciboulette was open and I was excited to check it out. After all, Chef Craig Flinn is the owner (and I love his stuff - restaurant and book Fresh & Local), plus my Honey told me that the muffins are "to die for"...and it's true. So...one big cappuccino, a cranberry & orange muffin (I wish I had another one right now) and a flip through his new cookbook that looks wonderful.

Still feeling fine, so I thought I'd try Uncommon Grounds, there's one right around the corner. This time I just ordered a medium roast Mexican blend of coffee to go. I could have stayed, there are tables, but I just took a few sips and headed out the door.
I should have gotten in the car and gone home....but that would have been sensible, and why would I want to do that! Right at the end of the street, was The Paperchase Newsstand & Cafe. I remember it from when my older daughter went to Dalhousie University and lived just up the hill from it. She would take me there often when I'd visit. It's still there in all its glory more than fifteen years later, so I HAD to check it out....well,didn't I? The cappuccino savored first in front of the fireplace and then in the back on a big comfy couch, was one of the best I've had anywhere.
The photo at the top of the page is from one of my favorite coffee haunts...The Trident Booksellers & Cafe. (I was there just the day before.) It brings out the writer in me. But I digress...

This post is not about the coffee shops really, or even which coffee I liked best. It's about what happened next. I started feeling hyper the second I walked in the door. So hyper in fact, I couldn't concentrate on any ONE thing. I started three different posts and articles, started to organize my kitchen, threw in a load of laundry, back to one of the posts, but couldn't concentrate on that...came up with three new ideas, remembered the cookbooks I had to write about and tried to figure out which dishes to try.

I'm not sure if you can tell by my writing style, but I'm still speedy today. When I was talking on the phone to my daughters yesterday, they found it very funny...me talking so fast they could hardly understand me....not able to actually finish one thought or make more than one sentence stick together. But at this end of the phone, it didn't feel very funny. I have come to understand what it must be like to suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and it's no joke.

As for me, I'll just lay off the coffee for a few days, the shaky hands will still, the jumpy thoughts will subside and I'll be fine.

Cookbooks Low on List of Holiday Best

Perhaps I have a skewed view when it comes to books. Don't get me wrong, I love to read just about anything put in front of me. My favorite bedtime reading is usually novels - total escapism - which includes mysteries, fantasy (at least that's usually the heading...books like The Mists of Avalon, for one), historical novels, and classics like Jane Eyre ,which is on my night stand at the moment.

All that being true, I do head directly to cookbooks when I enter a book store and I'm lucky enough to get lots of evaluation copies of food related books from publishers to share with you. So perhaps I'm naive to be shocked that the email from Amazon with the top 100 books for 2009 was very short on cookbooks. In fact of the editors choice - zero; customer overall top 100 - 6 and 5 of those were some sort of diet related books.

If you actually go down the left hand column you can find a link to the top ten cookbooks of 2009. Only one or two are actually on my list....so I thought I'd share two lists with you...

Top ten I already own and love, in no particular order, and why I love them :

Best of Chef at Home

Earth to Table

Quick Vegetarian Pleasures

A Year in Lucy's Kitchen

Anita Stewart's Canada

Beyond the Great Wall

The Craft of Baking

Blue Eggs and Yellow Tomatoes

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

plus the three by Jamie Oliver, the four by Donna Hay and the four Barefoot Contessa and...

And just a few on my personal wish list...hint, hint.
Jamie's Food Revolution: Rediscover How to Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals because I love everything Jamie Oliver writes.

Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller because it looks awesome!

Pasta Et Cetera a la di Stasio because I love pasta and Josee di Stasio's first book was amazing.