Sad Day in Hooterville - I Mean Halifax Market

It's a sad, sad day in Hooterville, I mean at the Halifax Farmer's Market. True, normally anytime from January to end of March, there is a dirth of green. And, perhaps because I haven't been since mid December, I'm just not used to such a limited supply.

Ted Hutton, definitely my favorite farmer, with the biggest stall and the most interesting vegetables - even in the winter, couldn't make it in because of the huge snow storm that affected the Annapolis Valley yesterday.
Even the butchers had trouble getting in.
In fact, the only line up was at Getaway Farms - grass fed Galloway beef, and was so long that all the gorgeous, meaty short ribs were gone by the time it was my turn. So I made my way home with some pain chocolat for breakfast, cheese & baguette for later and some scallops and eco certified salmon (farmed but under very strict guidelines) for dinner.

Sad, but all in all, not a bad score of locally produced delicacies, given it's dead of winter here. What do your markets look like...or do you even have any in the winter?

Presto Pasta Night Roundup #148

The lovely Chaya of Sweet & Savory came through once again. What a great guest host! And what a great week of delicious pastas. Thanks all for your mouth watering Presto Pasta Night #148 contributions. I can't wait to try them -each and every one!

Next week - who can believe another month has come and gone, it's the beginning of February and I'll be your host. Send me all your wonderful pasta links by Thursday - to ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com and check Once Upon a Feast for the roundup on Friday.

I'm still looking for a host for February 26th and beyond, if you're interested - it is lots of fun - just drop me a line and I'll add you to our illustrious list.

Simple Really Says It Best

Yesterday was actually my very first outing since coming down with a cold last Saturday. I really know it's practically over because I wanted something other than soup or scrambled eggs and toast. That said after a couple of hours with my daughter and two very energetic toddlers, followed by a couple of errands (more about that on the weekend), I was pooped.

Too pooped to make the lovely sounding Cavatelli with Cauliflower - a teaser recipe I got to promote Lidia Matticchio Bastianich's latest book, which I would love to have....Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes I promise to make it sooner than later.

In the meantime, I did have the energy to come up this this tasty dish - no real recipe required.

• Place two salmon fillets on a tin foil covered rimmed baking sheet.
• Preheat the oven to 400F/200C
• Spritz some lemon juice and sprinkle some fresh oregano (or dill), a pinch of freshly ground black pepper and a light dusting of paprika over the fish
• Roast for 10-15 minutes (until it is cooked through but still very juicy)

While the salmon was roasting, I made the salad, which was just some spicy mixed greens tossed with some grated Asiago cheese, a drizzle of good olive oil and another drizzle of six year old Balsamic vinegar flavored with wild Nova Scotia Blueberries (discovered in the back of my pantry - and so glad I did).

Simple does say it best. It was delicious, easy, healthful, and a breeze to clean up after. What do you cook (or want to eat, at least) when you start to recover?

One of Those Days When Food Has No Flavour

I guess the worst part about having a cold is that my sense of taste and smell seem to have flown the coop.

Since I was feeling a little better today, I thought I'd catch up on some backlog emails and perhaps do a little cooking. Naturally I'm in serious need of comfort food and given yesterday's success, even with a stuffed up nose - Squash Soup with Ginger & Orange from a great new cookbook that you can read all about - The CIA's The New Book of Soups which is fantastic and arrived with perfect timing to cure my sniffles, I was hoping for something delicious.

One of today's emails led me to a web site that had what sounded like a perfect sweet. I've been craving brownies - my favorite chocolate treat, but felt too poorly to whip up a batch until today. Lo and behold, not only a recipe for brownies, but one that had two other favorite ingredients of mine - lavender and dried cherries. The recipe called for baking in the toaster oven, which intrigued me. Now, since my father always told me if I have nothing nice to say, say nothing....I can't really tell you what a disappointment these were - burnt top, way too much lavender - even for my almost nonexistent taste buds.

So I thought I should stick to an old family favorite recipe for dinner - marinated flank steak - and oven roasted sweet potato chips, both of which have always been a hit. This time.... no taste whatsoever. How sad, I could have been eating paper.

Well that's all the whining for today, I'm sure tomorrow will be better. I just received this month's copy of Fine Cooking Magazine with a spectacular mac 'n cheese on the cover and tons of recipes for variations on my favorite braised dish...short ribs and some Potato Gratin to go with. Hopefully, I'll be able to taste them.

Meat Sauce is like the Little Black Dress

My entry for this week's Presto Pasta Night, hosted by Chaya of Sweet & Savory, is Chili Mac. I understand the "chili" part of the name - after all red kidney beans and meat sauce is the base for many a great chili, but where is the "mac" part? I mean, seriously, when I think of macaroni (which is what mac is short for typically) I think creamy and cheesy. And, as the picture shows, there's no sign of any of what is typically a mac dish. But while I have you musing over that ....
...I need to back this story up a bit...like they do in Crime shows on TV. A few weeks ago, my daughter was telling me that a local hot dog establishment called Steamy's, really reminded her of the best "steamies" from Montreal's greasy spoon take out joints on "The Main" or Rue St Laurent and the steamed hot dogs sold at the Montreal Forum (now defunct...or at least used for something other than hockey games) .

Naturally I had to try it out and in addition to regular steamies, they had another thing on the menu that I haven't had since I was a teen....Michigan Dogs! Needless to say, I was excited.... unfortunately, it isn't very popular and, although it's still on the sign board over the counter, they don't make them any more. So, I went off with my '60's style steamy and a burger that was reminiscent of the Orange Julep and went home, tasty, but not a Michigan.
And for those of you unfamiliar with a Michigan Dog -it's a steamed hot dog in a bun, topped with spicy meat sauce and raw chopped onion - and the very thought of it kept me drooling and obsessing. So...wanting to use up some of the frozen Italian sausages and ground beef in my freezer anyway, and because a hearty meat sauce like Grandma Hazel's is perfect winter food, I had all the fixings for a great Michigan Dog, which by the way, tasted as good as I remember.

And reminiscing naturally brought me back to a wonderful Montreal restaurant, long gone - Piazza Tomasso. For special family outings we'd get dressed up and enjoy Magic Tom do his tricks and, of course eat some delicious Italian food. The dish I remember best, and the one that wasn't even on the menu....and how did my father even find out about it anyway?...oh well, I'm just glad he did...was Chili Mac. Sometimes, he would even stop off on the way home and do a take out. Probably the first restaurant dish I remember and still drool over. In fact, if you're lucky you can find Tomasso's lasagna or meat sauce in you grocer's freezer. Unfortunately, not in Halifax, but then I can whip up a close facsimile of my own.

Which all brings me back to this week's Presto Pasta Night. Are you going to try something different than you usually do or something soul warming from your past? Don't forget to send your entries to chayathecomfycook (at) yahoo (dot) com and cc me - ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com.

If you'd like to be a PPN host, just drop me a line. February 26th and beyond are open.

Trip Down Montreal Memory Lane

I was hunting for a favorite restaurant of my childhood in Montreal - Piazza Tomasso and came across this wonderful post about restaurants and food in Montreal during the '60's which has some interesting relevance to today.

In those days, dining out for the Middle Class was limited mostly to Italian & Chinese restaurants. Frankly I still need Yangzte Restaurant egg rolls and a trip to the Orange Julep every time I visit.

Montrealers of a certain age...you know who you are will have a wonderful trip down memory lane being reminded of restaurants and grocery stores. The rest of you will instantly google your own cities and find some of the same. And all of you foodies out there will be interested in what was/wasn't available and the comparison to foods we find today.


For better and worse...exotic foods from faraway lands along side bland tasting produce (unless it's locally sourced and just harvested) in most grocery stores ... we're here and now where do we go?

Presto Pasta Night #147

Presto Pasta Night #147

This week our fantastic guest host, Sara of Cupcake Muffin did a fantastic job of rounding up all those tasty pastas. And now the hard part....choosing which one to try first. Thanks everyone for all those fantastic recipes. And Sara, I do hope your first time hosting has you wanting to do it again.

Next week, the lovely Chaya of Sweet & Savory is back. Apparently she couldn't get enough of the job first time around and we're pleased to have her host PPN again. Please send all your pastas her way. Just mention Presto Pasta Night in the post, and send her your link chayathecomfycook (at) yahoo (dot) com and cc me - ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com.

If you'd like to be a PPN host, just drop me a line. February and beyond are wide open.

Best Cold Weather Cure - Soup, Soup & More Soup

I don't know what the weather's like where you live, but we're in serious Winter here in Nova Scotia. It's minus a gazillion - or at least it feels like that. Snow is on the ground - well, piles of frozen snow from the last storm and softer stuff on top of that.

And I'm crabby. My daughter will tell you that I'm often crabby in the winter. My cure? Easy...Soup, soup and more soup! The thicker and heartier the better. So on the off chance that you're cold too...here are some of my favorites.

Black-Eyed Peas & Short Rib Soup

(pictured at the top of the page - any dried beans would work)

Nigella's Choc Chip Chili

(straight from my freezer)

Puree of Roasted Vegetable Soup

(which froze brilliantly - this time I added some cooked tortelloni*)

* The tortelloni is so I can use this as my entry for Presto Pasta Nights. This week Sara of Cupcake Muffin is hosting and I don't want to miss out. Just mention Presto Pasta Night in the post, and send her the link schatfield (at) calmail (dot) berkeley (dot) edu and cc me - ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com

If you'd like to be a PPN host, just drop me a line. February and beyond are wide open.

BlackBerry Farm - Tennessee at Its Best

Last week, I was flipping through the guide on TV and stumbled across Adventures With Ruth and taped it for some future down time, not knowing what I'd be watching, but being a fan of Ruth Reichl from her days as Food Editor of the now defunct Gourmet Magazine and her delicious biographies...I just knew it would be wonderful.

But let's back up a bit....back in November I was fortunate enough to receive a copy of The Blackberry Farm Cookbook: Four Seasons of Great Food and the Good Life, which I wrote about and which still sits on my coffee table for all to browse through. It's gorgeous.

So what a wonderful surprise, when I saw Ruth and her good friend (and one of my favorite actresses), Frances McDormand visiting the farm, harvesting their dinner (including catching trout in the stream) and cooking it up with Sam Beall and his inspired and inspiring staff. Even a big city girl like me was jealous of the lifestyle and ready to pack my bags and head out to live off the land.

Obviously, from the ingredients, the show was filmed in early summer - and I can't wait until I can at least go to our local farmers markets for ingredients to make Surgar Sanap Pea & Cheese Curd Salad and Strawberry Elderflower Jam Tarts .

Just curious, and so you all can make me even more jealous....what is your favorite foodie country retreat? I was lucky enough to spend a morning and lunch at The Shipwright Cafe in Prince Edward Island back in September....that was pretty awesome.

Presto Pasta #146 - Excellente!

UPDATE: Gay, the Scientist in the Kitchen this week's Presto Pasta Night host took an unexpected trip to visit her parents, but now - and definitely well worth the wait....and rather than listening to me go on and on about it....thanks all of you who shared such awesome dishes

Presto Pasta Night #146

This week our fantastic guest host is Sara of Cupcake Muffin. Please send all your pastas her way. Just mention Presto Pasta Night in the post, and send her the link schatfield (at) calmail (dot) berkeley (dot) edu and cc me - ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com

If you'd like to be a PPN host, just drop me a line. February and beyond are wide open.

Pasta and Kids

See that sad face? That's because Dov ate all his pasta and still wants more! His mommy does a great job in hiding all those veg....uhhh....(you know the things many three year olds like Boaz think are horrible) in a tasty tomato sauce and then mushing them up so finicky eaters will be duped.

Just a quick reminder that this Friday, Gay the Scientist in the Kitchen will be hosting Presto Pasta Nights, so send your entries to ascientistinthekitchen (at) gmail (dot) com and a cc to me ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com.

Plus .... I'm still looking for someone to host next week and all of February, so if you're interested, drop me a line.

The Avocado - More Than Just Delicious

Just before I left for a family visit to Toronto, I was sent an email asking if I'd like to get a "Guac-Pac" and write about it. Well, I do love avocados, even if they weren't on the 25 Ridiculously Healthy Foods. They taste so creamy and rich and they're so versatile, what's not to love!

Naturally I said yes to the "Guac-Pac". I was really curious to see what they'd send me. I figured some new tetra pack of guacamole. I was so wrong.
A giant box came filled with a half a dozen avocados, fixins to make a fresh guacamole (complete with recipe, garlic, cilantro and jalapeno pepper and tortilla chips for dipping), a stack of recipes (You can find them and more interesting info at Miss Ava Cado). As if that wasn't enough, the package included a box of freshly baked Chocolate Avocado Cupcakes.
I barely had time to take this photo before they were gone.

Because we were leaving town, I sent the package to my daughter. After all, they all love avocados too. Even the one year old knows a good thing when he tastes it.

I know how delicious avocados are. Here are some ways I've made them in the past.

Arugula, Lime & Avocado Salad

Masala Shrimp

Raw Spinach & Avocado Soup

Marty's Guacamole

Tuna, Tomato & Avocado Salad - still my favorite

I even knew some of the nutritional value of the avocado - they provide nearly 20 essential vitamins and minerals like potassium (supposedly reducing stress), folic acid, Vitamins E (a great skin moisturizer), K and B; they are packed full of "good fats" that lower LDL cholesterol and promote heart health; and more fibre than any other fruit.

But....I never thought to use them as a spa treatment. Ladies - this is something you do FOR your significant other, not WITH. I actually took a photo of me with the moisturizing mask on and cucumber slices on my eyes....way too scary for anyone to see. It was deleted instantly. That said, taking a break for 15 minutes was very spa-like and calming and my skin felt fantastic afterwards.

Here are Avocado Beauty Treatments for oily and dry skin that the lovely people at Miss Ava Cado sent me.... (I used the moisturizing face mask)

Oily Skin Mask
Lemon, a natural astringent, controls oil and the proteins in egg whites strengthen the skin. Nourishing avocado brings balance to the mixture with its valuable oils.
1/2 fully ripened avocado from Mexico, halved, pitted and peeled
1 egg white
1 teaspoon lemon juice

In blender, combine avocado, egg white and lemon juice; whirl until smooth. Apply evenly to face; leave on 20 minutes while you phone your best friend and play catch up; rinse with warm water.

Enriching Hair Mask
When applied to hair, avocado, egg yolk and olive oil act as humectants; they trap in moisture and the hair shafts soak up the nourishment they need.
1 fully ripened avocado from Mexico, halved pitted and peeled
1 egg yolk*
1/2 teaspoon olive oil

In shallow bowl, mash avocado until smooth. Add egg yolk and olive oil; stir until combined. Divide dry hair into sections. With hands, apply mixture to hair by massaging into each section, concentrating on the ends. Allow to set for 30 minutes and rinse with warm water.

*Save egg white for Avocado Hand Treatment or Oily Skin Mask.

Moisturizing Face Mask
Avocado’s moisturizing oils join forces with honey, a natural antibacterial, and soothing yogurt to gently clean, reduce inflammation and soften skin while tightening and refining pores. Cooling cucumbers sit pretty on top to calm puffy eyes.
1/2 fully ripened avocado from Mexico, pitted and peeled
1 tablespoon plain yogurt
1 tablespoon honey
2 cucumber slices

In shallow bowl, mash avocado until smooth; add yogurt and honey; stir until combined. Apply evenly to face and cover eyes with cucumber slices; put on your favourite tunes, lie back and allow mask to set for 15 minutes; rinse with warm water.

Avocado Hand Treatment
This mixture uses oats for their highly absorptive properties and lemon for its fresh citrus scent. Oats aid in the absorption of avocado’s natural oils and provide gentle exfoliation leaving you with soft, fresh hands.
1/4 fully ripened avocado from Mexico, halved, pitted and peeled
1 egg white*
2 tablespoon rolled oats
1 tablespoon lemon juice

In shallow bowl, mash avocado until smooth. Add egg white, oats and lemon juice; stir until combined. Massage into hands; leave mixture on for 20 minutes while you watch your favourite comedy show (laughter keeps you young!); rinse with warm water.

*Save yolk for Enriching Hair Mask.

Presto Pasta Night #145

What a wonderful way to start 2010 - lots of tasty pasta! A big thanks to all of you who shared them. Lots of healthful vegetarian dishes, as well as chicken, sausages and only one of my most favorite ingredients - seafood - are all perfect ways to stick to resolutions about eating better. And two different but equally awesome dishes of Mac 'n Cheese - comfort food supreme. So without further ado....

UPDATE: How could I have missed Graziana of Erbe in Cucina 's Sausage and Kale Pasta, with two of my favorite Winter ingredients!

First in - Mahala of Halo's Homemade - actually on Christmas Day! It's a fantastic, spicy Chicken Stir Fry. And for those of you, like me who don't know any better - sriracha is a Thai Chili Sauce. I don't know about you but I'll be hunting for some of my own.
Abby of Eat the Right Stuff couldn't wait until December was done either. I'm personally glad she sent in this very rich Oxtail Ragout with a couple of suggestions for "next time around"...like cooking the pasta in the oxtail liquid.
Judith of Think on It also sent this one in before 2009 ended. It's glorious! She calls it Spaghetti Profumatissimi for the wonderful surprises of salt and sweet in every bite.
A very pregnant Muneeba of An Edible Symphony thankfully shared her latest craving with us...Caramelized Shallots & Crispy Sage Mac 'n Cheese. Doesn't it have you drooling already. Good luck with the new arrival...which is when?
Sarah of Taste My Plate shares a Springtime favorite - Pasta Primavera, which means Spring in Italian. Frankly with cold snaps and tons of snow everywhere, who wouldn't want to think of Spring.
Oz of Kitchen Butterfly shares not one but three pastas with us. How cool is that! I love her variations with the same veggie ingredients - a chili, some bechamel and pasta - brilliant! This is just one of her beautiful photos.
George of A Nod is as Good as a Wink to a Blind Horse - don't you love the title! - is another one who shared his dish before leaving on holiday. And don't you love how pasta is the perfect "clean out the fridge" base? Here's his lovely Rapido Penne.
My good friend Katie of Easy Gourmet Dinners dusted off her old pasta queen to make her own pasta. The Pasta with Chicken, Spinach &Feta looks great to me, but Katie feels she needs more practice. I say...as long as she shares with the rest of us.
Joanne of Eats Well With Others, shares a hysterical post and a great dish of Spaghetti with Artichoke Hearts. Read the post...I don't want to spoil it.
Julie of Blukats started off 2010 with a fantastic looking Toshikoshi Soba that looks so perfect for the cold weather we're having.
Chaya posted this lovely looking Tuscan Pasta with Spinach on Sweet and Savory
and this sausage pasta casserole over at Chaya's Comfy Cook Blog.
Another good friend Val of More Than Burnt Toast shares this perfect dish of Naked Ravioli - with or without pasta, it's perfect.
Nina of My Easy Cooking (and a new best friend) makes the most glorious dishes and her Squid Ink Pasta with Grilled Shrimp and Calamari is awesome.

Last but not least, I too made some comfort food - Spicy Mac 'n Cheese that is so delicious we ate it for supper, lunch and supper again!
Thanks everyone for contributing such delicious pasta dishes. What a wonderful start to 2010.

Next week Gay of Scientist in the Kitchen is hosting for the second time, so please send lots of pastas her way. Just send an email to ascientistinthekitchen (at) gmail (dot) com and a cc to me ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com.

I'm still looking for someone to host January 22nd and all of February, so if you're interested, drop me a line. It's lots of fun and a great way to meet wonderful bloggers.

Mac 'n Cheese for Presto Pasta Night 2010

I know that after the holidays we should be refreshed and ready to start 2010 with a bang. And I am...sort of. Somehow, after a great vacation spending time with family and friends, all that eating, travelling (lots of delays - what else is new) and coming back home to things left undone...well, I need a rest...or at least comfort food.

One of the cookbooks I didn't get to write about before I went away was All the Best Recipes by Jane Rodmell - You can read my post here - and it's worth the read. So far I've tried four recipes and each was awesome.
I'm munching on some of her tasty Orange Cranberry Oat Cookies as I write this, trying not to get cookie crumbs in the keyboard. Imagine delicious AND nutritious - dried berries and oatmeal are on the "25 Ridiculously Healthy Foods" to focus on for 2010.

But I digress a bit. It's time for the first Presto Pasta Night of 2010 and I've been debating my choice of pasta. Should it be decadent? Should it be healthful? Should it be a show stopper? Should it be...? I opted for full blown comfort and calories be damned!

The Spicy Mac 'n Cheese at the top of the page is from All The Best and will definitely get you off to the right start. It's like a giant hug to reduce the stress of catching up with all you didn't do before the holidays. This, however is no ordinary mac 'n cheese. The garlic, onion and cayenne adds that kick I need to get busy. And if you do want a healthy version, just use skim milk and multigrain pasta.

So what pasta are you going to be making? Just write about it, mention Presto Pasta Nights with a link and email it to me ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com. And if you don't have a blog, just email me the recipe by tonight, and I'll write it up for you.

Check back here for the first, and I'm sure fantastic, Presto Pasta Night of 2010!