Celebrations - Birthday & Passover Seders

Birthday treat ...

...finally a new photo with me and my girls - Sharron, Joanna and me

Ready for the Passover Seder

I mentioned before that my daughter Sharron was in for my birthday and it's been joyously hectic since her arrival. I thought I'd share some of the highlights...which always entails cooking and recipes.

Saturday morning at the market held an interesting discussion in the line at Getaway Farm about liver. Bottom line...you either love it or hate it...there is no in between. I love it, but never make it because my Honey ...well...he's in the other camp. So at least twice a year - for Jewish holidays, Joanna makes some chopped liver - no recipe, sorry and no picture either because...well, it never looks pretty. It's hard to find good beef liver in this town, so I was excited when I saw some and called my daughter (waking her up at 7 AM) to ask how much she needed..."Lots" was the answer so I took 4 pounds which was probably twice as much as we needed. No worries - those of us who do enjoy it at the Seder table on Monday had fantastic care packages to take home!

The afternoon was spent doing a little of the cooking for the Seder (I like to do everything as close to serving as is possible. So starting two days before is as early as I care to go.)...some fantastic Caramel Matzo Crunch from Marcy Goldman's A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking and of course I forgot to take a picture of that too. The rest of the day was spent visiting and organizing.

Sunday was my birthday and I opted to cook dinner for family and friends of Sharron's who are like family. My Honey thought we should eat out or order in... that I shouldn't have to cook on my birthday. Silly him - it's one of my biggest pleasures.

Cooking schedule for the day...

Chicken Soup & Matzo Balls

and Tunisian Date Cake for Monday's Seder

My Birthday Dinner - from one of my latest cookbook acquisitions -
Rose Reisman's Family Favorites: Healthy Meals for Those Who Matter Most
Roasted Salmon with Teriyaki Hoisin Sauce

Roasted Root Vegetables with Maple Syrup Dressing

And my own, thrown together, simple mixed green salad with a blueberry balsamic vinaigrette.

Dessert was just the birthday cake. Everyone seems to have a personal favorite....homemade with love, or store bought; ice cream cake or something baked. My family usually opt for something chocolate, and usually of the ice cream variety. I, on the other hand have to wait until my birthday comes around for the store bought (I'm talking grocery store) vanilla cake with white butter cream icing and hard candy roses (see top of post).

Boaz and Dov seemed happy with my choice too.

Monday morning and more cooking for the Seder...boiling a dozen eggs and whipping up Charoset for the ritual part of the meal.

Gefilte fish (I cheated)...bought frozen logs that you just put in boiling water, seasoned with a carrot and onion for an hour and a half.

Two giant Potato Kugels (One would have been plenty)
Roasted Asparagus - without the grated cheese garnish in the recipe, whipped up while everyone was eating their appetizers.

The rest of the cooking was perfectly prepared by Joanna and her able assistant, Sharron - too busy for a photo.
Roast stuffed leg of lamb, carrot tsimmis, salad, and of course the chopped liver.

Plus some candid shots....note the empty table...that's the ritual portion before we overindulged.

Ezra, Boaz, Joanna & Dov
The rest of us, pardon the blur. And what does a three year old do when he's not quite engaged in the Seder? He uses Grandma's camera...
Poppa's shoe and my favorite...
Self Portrait.

For those of you celebrating Easter this coming weekend, I hope yours is as wonderful as our past weekend was and may it bring you Peace and Joy. Oh...and what will you be serving anyway?

Remember that I'll be hosting this week's Presto Pasta Night Roundup - I even found kosher for Passover pasta. Send your entries to ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com.

Presto Pasta Night Roundup #156

Lucky us, it's that time again - another Presto Pasta Night Roundup awaits. This time Savoury Specialist over at Our Taste for Life put PPN #156 together and did a stupendous job...as did all you wonderful pasta makers and sharers.

Next week I'll be hosting again. So write up your tasty noodle dishes, mention Presto Pasta Night and send the link to me at ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com. If you don't have a blog, no worries, just email me your recipe and I'll write it up for you.

Haircuts & Visits

Yesterday my birthday present arrived. Well, my birthday isn't until Sunday, but my Honey flew my younger daughter, Sharron in from Toronto for a visit. I'm determined to get new photos with BOTH my angels this visit.

But this post is really about food...more important..."what to have on hand when you don't really know the plan" food. Surprisingly, I don't seem to have one pasta recipe with my most frequently used combinations - shrimp and cured chorizo. I guess, the throwing them together with a quick toss of olive oil and perhaps a spritz or two of white wine doesn't really count as a recipe.

Let me back up a bit....
I spent much of the day with Joanna, Sharron's older sister and her boys. It was time for Boaz to get a haircut. And, shall we say, his earlier experiences were ....dramatic?....intense?...how would loud crying and outright refusal be best described anyway? Sharkey's Cuts for Kids is an awesome place and this time around Boaz was a trooper.
Mummy couldn't quite get herself to cut off Dov's curly locks, so he just had fun practicing for the big day.

But back to dinner plans....Shar's flight was due in at 4:30PM and the big decision was whether to have everyone over to our place, or have dinner at Jo & Ezra's. For much of the afternoon, it was debated back and forth, I could always pull shrimps out of the freezer and chorizo out of the fridge - this time with some sun-dried tomatoes and oil cured black olives in olive oil and garlic. Joanna could do something vegetarian or quickly defrost some boneless chicken. We both knew the base would be pasta. Simple, delicious, and very easy to do for last minute decisioning.
In the end, Shar's flight was delayed and, since Boaz came with me to surprise her, and I promised that we could watch airplanes for a bit, we decided that dinner would be at their place - so that bath & bed time would be easier. Funniest thing of all....no pasta was harmed in the making of this dinner. Joanna whipped up some Creamed Salmon on Toast... another quick dinner made from staples - this time from the pantry.

And tonight, because I'm still not sure of the plans....
Pasta with Aleppo Pepper Shrimp, Asparagus & Chorizo - my new take on an old favorite. At least that's the plan for now.

Tomorrow is Presto Pasta Night Roundup #156 is being hosted by Savoury Specialist at Our Taste of Life and you still have time to send in your fantastic pasta dishes. Just send your entries to sjm_bernardo (at) yahoo (dot) com with a cc to me ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com

Something Special About Cooking With Kids

When I was little - perhaps 5, I remember baking with my mom. She was making her famous pecan shortbread cookies (and it's too bad I never got the recipe) and she let me make some from her scraps. Bottom line...mine were not the same as hers...first of all they were grey by the time I got finished patting and rolling and ...repeat about a thousand times. But I was proud of them and give the first one to my dad, watching him closely and holding my breath. I never realized that my father was such a great actor...but he pretended to love them. Frankly, they were hard as a rock and I have no idea how he actually bit into it. From that moment on, I was hooked.
Naturally when my girls were little, I wanted them to have that same sense of joy. That's Joanna above and Sharron below
Probably the most insane cooking with kids....but you really have to read it for yourself.

Since then there have been lots of more relaxed experiences, and now another generation of little ones to bake with.
That's Boaz a year or so ago, making jelly candies (very simple - just make jello with half the liquid - I used apple juice and pour into a shallow baking dish) and, below, his brother loves taste testing everything his brother makes - like that blueberry yoghurt Popsicle.
If you're into baking and cooking with kids - and you should be, because it's a great way to get them engaged in the kitchen and developing a relationship with foods other than processed...but I digress. Check out Robin Hood Flour's Baking With Kids for great tips and recipes...and have fun.

Happy 101 Award

I've been honored with a Happy 101 Award from Jacqueline of Tinned Tomatoes - one of my favorite bloggers and she, received hers from Johanna of Green Gourmet Giraffe, another fave of mine. And all I have to do is write about 10 things that make me happy and 10 bloggers who brighten my day.

What a great idea and before I share my 10 things, I have a little story...

Once upon a time in a city far away (Montreal, is pretty far from Halifax), there was a mummy who lived with her two young princesses, Joanna and Sharron. Every day the princesses went to school in their special royal coach driven by one of three mothers and their princes and princesses. Today they call such a coach a minivan carpool - so much more romantic in the olden days.

Joanna, the older princess, then eight years old was always cranky. She seemed to hate everything and almost everyone. And she would be particularly vocal about her royal displeasure on days that her mummy was at home to greet her. Their castle was actually on the second floor and her mummy would have to buzz her in. Instantly, the tirade of evil deeds done to her would begin.

One day, the frustrated mummy stopped the princess before she could utter the second negative word and told her that she could not come up the stairs into the castle until she told 10 good things that happened that day. Well, you can imagine the crying, and whining, and more crying about how "nothing good happened". So the mummy helped the princess out with comments like..."since coach woman X drove today, you don't have to get in her car...er coach for another week", and "the dreaded teacher, Mrs. Y was going to be away from school for two more days"...

You get the picture. The mummy just turned the negatives into a positive and told princess Joanna that she had to tell 10 good things every day before the frustrated mummy would listen to any complaining. Apparently princess Joanna would start thinking about 10 good things from when she woke up so she'd be prepared (the sooner she could start bitching...ummm...I mean telling the other things). Years later, she told her mummy that that was the best parenting ever. And indeed, she is a very positive person.

So....enough story telling, let me share 10 things that make me happy...in no particular order.
1. Living in the same city as my two delicious grandsons so I can watch them grow and discover their world with them.
2. Spending time with my daughters, Joanna - mummy of those two angels and Sharron - my baby, who, I'm very happy to say is coming for a visit next week. I can't wait and I'm committed to getting a new photo of the two of them AND their mother.

3. Sunday morning with my Honey - he makes the coffee and then we read in bed until it's time for breakfast - my favorite...his French Toast. We used to do the Sunday NY Times when we lived in Toronto, but now he reads that on line and I read other things.

4. Silly as it seems...listening to the naval base around the corner playing O Canada every morning at 8AM. It always makes me smile.

5. Sunny, summer afternoons in the Annapolis Valley - especially wandering through the grounds at Tangled Garden, I've written about it often and their delicious jellies always add that special something to my dishes, like Baked Salmon with Horseradish Jelly.
6. Wandering about Halifax Saturday Farmers Market, chatting with vendors and bringing home the most wonderful things.
7. The frantic, chaos that is cooking for holidays. Passover is just around the corner and I'm already in mode...discussions with my daughter as to who's cooking what...cookbooks scattered on the table...lists...and lists...and schedules...and lists. And best of all, cooking with my girls. (This photo is from a couple of years ago...the chaos already cleared away and dinner ready to be served.)
8. Leafing through the myriad of cookbooks that are sent to me to test out. I love each and every one of them.
9. Lazy Saturday afternoons (especially on those damp and dreary or freezing cold days), after all the chores and errands are done, watching something or other on TV and munching some fresh cheese and bread from the market and thumbing my way through the latest foodie magazines.

10. All the wonderful food bloggers I've met over the years. It's incredible how much like family they are. And I love discovering new "favorites" all the time.

And speaking about food bloggers...the other part of this exercise is to list 10 bloggers who brighten my day...in no particular order and there are at least 10 fold more out there.

1. Joanne of Eats Well With Others who always makes me laugh and then wonderfully feeds my tummy.

2. Katie of Thyme for Cooking has been my friend forever. I love to hear her stories about living in rural Europe - France at the moment - and renovating houses - they too, are hysterical. And she too, cooks up some awesome dishes.

3. Giz of Equal Opportunity Kitchen has actually become a real life friend and introduced me to BloggerAid Changing the Face of Famine (BACFF) and I invite you all to join and make a difference in the world.

4. Val of More Than Burnt Toast another BACFFer and great blogger who shares great stories and recipes from Canada's other coast.

5. Kevin of Closet Cooking - my first guest host for Presto Pasta Nights and an awesome cook.

6. Heidi over at 101 Cookbooks blog is stunning and each recipe is better than the one before. I can't wait until her new book Super Natural Cooking comes out.

7. I met Elise of Simply Recipes at a Blogher Conference and have been hooked ever since.

8. As with many a blogger I was introduced to Kitschow through Presto Pasta Nights. Her photography will have you drooling - and yes, she does whip up other dishes besides pasta.

9. Haalo of Cook (Almost) Anything is another awesome photographer and cook. I'm always envious of her skills both with a camera and in the kitchen.

10. And since I couldn't decide which ONE last blogger to mention....so to every food blogger out that that I haven't mentioned yet...you're all my number 10 and you all make me very happy.

Get Out Your Pasta Bowls for Presto Pasta Night #155

Aquadaze over at Served With Love did a very cool job of hosting this week's Presto Pasta Night Roundup. So many great options, which means some very big decisions...which one to do first?

And once you're through drooling and licking your lips, don't forget to start thinking about what you'll send in to next week's charming host. Savoury Specialist over at Our Taste of Life is already waiting for your dishes. Just send your entries to sjm_bernardo (at) yahoo (dot) com with a cc to me ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com

Too Many Pasta Choices

Everyone knows I love pasta and the other night I made a delicious and deceptively easy pasta for Presto Pasta Nights, this week hosted by the wonderful Aqua of Served with Love. It's Pasta with Goat Cheese, Garlic and Basil and it's from Ken Kostick's latest book - he's authored 15! This one is called The $10 Gourmet and you can find out more about what I think of it right here.
And right after that delicious dinner, while relaxing in front of the TV, I opened my latest issue of Fine Cooking with this glorious cover...

In case you're unaware, I've started to share my pasta recipes from my favorite magazines over at Presto Pasta Night. From Delicious - UK & Australia, to LCBO's Food & Drink (my favorite Canadian - and possibly world-wide mag), Saveur, even the defunct Gourmet (web site is still up and awesome)....there are even more, so take a peak.

And although I've already written about fineCooking's pastas, I couldn't resist this issue that focuses on noodle dishes from soups to stir fries.

I do hope to see you at this week's PPN round up. Don't forget to send your entry to Aqua from Served with Love will do the honors. Send your entries to aquadaze (at) rediffmail(dot) com and cc me ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com

Flank Steak Dinner - Not as Easy to Find as You Think

One of my favorite cuts of meat is flank steak...a tougher, muscular cut from the hind quarter of the beef. It's incredibly flavourful and you can do so many wonderful dinners with it as your centerpiece. But the title of this post is "Not as easy to find as you think" because...well, it isn't! And when you do find some at the local grocery stores, the steaks are usually puny and overpriced.
So imagine my delight when I was at my favorite meat purveyors at the Halifax Saturday Farmers Market... Getaway Farm had a couple of beautiful ones. I've written about Getaway Farm before and my Honey and I can't get enough of their awesome grass fed, drug & hormone free Galloway beef. I guess his favorite would be a simple grilled strip loin ( the steaks were so tender and tasty, I'm still drooling), but flank steak ranks right up there. By the way, their homemade sausages are pretty spectacular too.

And back to flank steak...because it is a tough cut, it really does need to be marinated. I already have five delicious variations in my repertoire and each one is fantastic. I choose them as I would an article of clothing...by my mood of the day... or in this case my particular craving.

Teriyaki Flank Steak...

the first I ever made and still my family's favorite

A Latin Version

Anna Olsen's Asian Flank Steak

Charmoula Marinated Flank Steak

Flank Steak in Vinaigrette Marinade

And tonight I add another fantastic recipe to my collection - this one from Lucy Waverman. I've taken her marinade from her Steak Frites with Tarragon Mustard Butter & Grilled Shallots in her wonderful cookbook A Year in Lucy's Kitchen . I may have left off the mustard butter and the grilled shallots - they're for another day, but the marinade was perfect.

Honey & Red Wine Vinegar Marinated Flank Steak
(Photo at the top of the page)

This time served with some wilted baby greens (from Ted Hutton's farm stand at the market), just quickly sauteed with some garlic and lemon juice and some mashed roasted acorn squash. As my three year old grandson would say...Delicioso! ( we watch a lot of Dora & Diego when he visits).

Savour Food & Wine Show

Lucky me, a couple of weeks ago, I was invited to attend the Seventh Annual Savour Food & Wine Show, showcasing the diversity of Nova Scotia's food and wine industry. SFWS is actually the culmination of a month long party orchestrated by the Restaurant Association of Nova Scotia, better known as RANS, a non-profit organization established in 1947 to promote the food and beverage sector of the hospitality industry. And they do a great job all year round. (You can check out their calendar for upcoming events)

It's taken me two weeks just to digest it (pardon the pun) and try to figure out how to write about it...not so much to make you jealous if you've missed it, but rather to book your calendar ahead for next year's event. The photo at the top (Chefs from Trendz, over in Dartmouth) just a taste of what's in store for everyone once the doors open.

I must mention that the clever people at RANS work hard to organize February's Dine Out Nova Scotia, to help us endure the longest month of the year...and yes, I know that actually it's the shortest, but it certainly feels longer. They entice us all to come out of hibernation and savour some very tasty menus at local restaurants, who in turn, show off their best creations with a prix fixe meal - 3-5 course meals (depending on the restaurant) of very interesting fare.

And if that didn't get you out of the house, there was Decadence Chocolate, Wine, Cheese event that sold out in seconds, and Rare & Fine Wine Tasting. But the real show stopper was,is, and always will be, the big finale...

...the Savour Food & Wine Show, showcasing more than 60 fantastic restaurants and beverage producers and suppliers. What can I say...it was over-the-top two and a half hours of live entertainment, (lots of ) sips of wine, spirits (I had an awesome cocktail at Mosaic) and beer.

Let me just say, that if I were to organize a do...wedding, anniversary...whatever, I'd stick to appetizers and bite size tasty morsels - the more the better. And that's exactly what SFWS is all about - Two and a half hours of tasting and sipping. It was all a delicious blur and I thought I'd share some of the tasty treats with you. Not the best photos, but it was hard to juggle, crowd, plate full of goodies and a glass of the perfect wine to pair it with.

Here's a little photo sample of my adventure... and I apologize in advance for the ones I've neglected to mention.
Greeted by 44 North's version of poutine...Duck Poutine, with duck fries, duck confit,local curds
Vodka bottle weren't the only things on ice (I couldn't get a good photo), forget shaken or stirred martinis and cosmos - imagine your drink poured through an ice sculpture funnel - awesome way to start the night.
Some live entertainment to add even more zip to the evening
and of course there was a crowd - more than 600 people showed up, but have no fear...a little sip of a tasty cocktail from Mosaic Social Dining Lounge...
...and then, the doors open and the chefs et al are ready for you....
Chef's at Le Caveau and their trio of house cured charcuterie sandwiches and...
their deconstructed lamb pastilla.
Chef Dennis Johnston and the crew from fid
with a simple and so delicious crumpet with smoked salmon
The NSCC - Nova Scotia Culinary College's Junior team (which went off to win the NS Cullinary Championship - I'll be visiting with them and their awesome coach Chef Sean Kettley right after Spring Break) and a jaw dropping Smoked Salmon, carrot bomb, melon caviar, & pappadum crack
Opa Greek Taverna chefs and their whole roasted lamb
A very intriguing - and delicious - Cajun escargot fritter from Onyx
Saege Bistro & Scanway (every Halifax bride wants a Scanway cake) went with the Olympics theme
Savoury Tiger Prawn and cucumber bobsleds
and sweet their Taste of Victory
Dirty Nelly's Oysters fresh from the ocean - I can still taste them on my tongue.
And no SFWS would be complete without Hamachi's fantastic sushi (They've won for best cold food year after year) This photo below represents all of their restaurants.
My apologies to all the other awesome restaurants and beverage stations that I never got a chance to photograph. The rest of the evening is quite a blur still. But I can't wait for next year and there were certainly lots of restaurants I'm glad I was introduced to.