Comfort Foods

On Sunday, I spoke at the Word On the Street Literacy Festival here in Halifax. It was great fun, talking about "How Every Kitchen Tells Its Stories",
and I even had a helper... Boaz and his family were there to cheer me on and...as they often do, anyway...listen to me tell my stories. But this post is not about them, or even my stories...it's about one of the questions that came up after the readings. "What's my favorite comfort food?"

It was a hard question to answer...not because I can't think of foods I eat when I'm feeling sickly or sad or frustrated or crazed, but because I have so many comfort foods to choose from.

I blurted out Shepherd's Pie...and actually made some the night before. And, because it was damp and cold...I said any thick and hearty soup. And in point of fact...weather being what it is here...still foggy, damp and rainy...I'll be making a new recipe for Pumpkin & Mushroom Soup - check back tomorrow for it.

But the question got me thinking. First...other than when I'm really sick and need a "food hug from MY Mummy", why do I never think of comfort food in the summer? And frankly, from September to April, at least, just about every meal I make could be called comfort food. Is it just me, or are you the same?
The next question is what exactly constitutes the term "comfort food"?. One of my favorites, on those days when I feel blah..like the weather, or just in a mood, is scrambled eggs and baked beans. This dish was served often when I was a kid. And it did not start with homemade beans either.
Don't get me wrong, I make an awesome Chorizo & Bean Chili - which, by the way, is another favorite comfort food saved for AFTER a cold & dreary day of running around doing errands.

But I digress...I love eggs and make scrambles or frittatas just about every weekend. But that's not the same as scrambled eggs and baked beans. The comfort food version is just beaten eggs gently fried in lots of butter. No fancy goat cheese, I don't even add salt or pepper during cooking. I need that bright, buttery yellow on my plate. And I need baked beans from a can with a dash or two of Worcestershire sauce, some garlic powder and a teaspoon or two of brown sugar.

Back to the question "what's your favorite comfort food? " What's yours and when do you need it?

First Fall Flavours at the Halifax Farmers Markets

It's a foggy, sleepy day in Halifax today. I guess everyone is hiding under the covers trying to avoid the fact that Summer is officially gone for another year. This is the first Fall Saturday and I headed out to see what I could see... foodwise that is. My first stop was at the new Seaport Farmers Market and then on to the Historic Farmers Market at the Old Keith Brewery, just a short hop away.

Usually by 7:30am the place is hopping... aisles full of chatterers and shoppers and long line ups at some of my favorite vendor stands.
I was surprised at how quiet it was. In fact, the line ups were quite short so it was easy to buy some tasty sausages from Sweet Williams Country Sausages.
Usually I stick to turkey fennel, but since the guy in front chose chicken curry and swore they were awesome and the lady behind me suggested another of her favorites - sweet Italian... what was a girl to do?... buy some of each, naturally.
What would a Saturday morning be without some pain chocolat and an interesting artisan bread from Julien's ... and a chat with Nathan & Barb, of course.
Some garlic & cayenne goat cheese & free range eggs from Ran-Cher Acres (my scrambles & frittatas are so much better for them). And what would a trip to the market be without a visit to Chris and the gang at Getaway Farms for my Honey's favorite... strip loin steaks and some chuck stewing meat because it's definitely the weather for a good old fashioned beef stew. And just a quick aside... the brisket I bought for the Rosh Hashanah feast was fantastic!
But back to the reason for this post... It's the first Saturday of Fall. I expected to see pumpkins and kolrabi.
I expected to see beautiful, crunchy apples and...
I expected to see juicy pears & plums. But I was surprised to see gorgeous red strawberries . These look like the kind you see in supermarkets in December and January ... the ones that look like the cover of magazines and taste more like the paper the photos are printed on. The difference here...and it's a HUGE difference is that these strawberries are sweet and delicious.

Although there was obviously more to buy, I decided to check out the Historic Farmers Market, still housed in the Keith Brewery Building just a hop, skip and a jump down the road. Don't let anyone tell you that the "old" market is dead. It's just a little quieter.Some of the vendors actually have stands in both markets and one of those, is my favorite produce guy...Ted Hutten.
I love his exotic vegetables...his glorious greens, his wonderful eggplants (this time I passed the cute little babies for some light purple beauties). I think it's time for my Roasted Eggplant with Preserved Lemons, especially since I recently made a new batch of Preserved Lemons that are ready and waiting.
And what says Autumn more than this adorable speckled squash? Here's one of my favorite Fall Squash recipes...roasted with fresh thyme and drizzled with maple syrup.
Last, but certainly not least is the only place in Halifax I'd buy my lamb....Bill of Wood & Hart is always there with a smile. Today, by 8:30 he had already sold all his lamb steaks and racks of lamb (I'm told business is even better than before the split)...

...so I settled for a couple of pounds of ground lamb. Trust me, they make the most awesome Greek-style Burgers or these, which I call Sneaky burgers, because I finely chop eggplant and no one's the wiser.

And now it's time to whip up a delicious, late brunch starring a frittata of today's bounty.

Presto Pasta Night #182 - Lookin' Good!

What another great Presto Pasta Night Roundup. This week Bellini Valli of More Than Burnt Toast did an awesome job hosting. I love her intros almost as much as I love each entry. Thanks Val! And thanks to all you fantastic pasta makers.

Don't forget that next week, I'll be hosting. Just send your entries to ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com.

Word On The Street Festival

I confess....I love books. I know you're probably saying "So? Lots of us love books." ... but I mean I don't just love to READ them, I need to OWN them. And moving from one home to another...the major disagreement has always been around the number of books I needed to take.

I love everything about books...how they feel in my hands, how the pages smell...that chemical new book smell or that musty old book aroma equally transport me. I love how they look....from battered to crisp and shiny. All that to say that this Sunday there is a festival in town that's made for me and the rest of us book lovers. It's called Word on the Street and I'm even more excited because I've been invited to participate! In fact, I'll be speaking at 12:30 on the Flavours of the Maritimes Stage - How Every Kitchen Tells Its Stories. If you happen to be in Halifax this Sunday (September 26th), check out all the fun at Victoria Park (across the street from the Public Gardens on Spring Garden Road) and don't forget to come and say "hi".

The festival runs from 11am to 5pm and you can join in the fun, listening to great authors like Lesley Crewe (I loved her book Hit & Mrs and am looking forward to reading her latest Her Mother's Daughter) and following discussions from current events to folklore. There's a kids stage and a kids zone with lots of cool activities and I've heard that the Hamachi Restaurants will be dishing up food...in other words, it's going to be great fun for kids of all ages.

And if you're not in Halifax, but will be in Vancouver, Saskatoon, Kitchener or Toronto, then check out their lineups.

Return to Traditions

(This photo was actually taken in 2005 - not too much has changed since then)

Every culture has its traditions... its religious celebrations... and the feast that go with them. Every culture passes those traditions on to the next generation. And, typically, the younger generation adds their own flavour to the mix.

We are in the middle of the Jewish High Holidays and, for Rosh Hashanah this year, I made a meal I haven't made in years, starring roast brisket with lima beans and a dish of bow ties & kasha (farfalle pasta - but no one in my family would think of calling this dish by any other name) to sop up all that delicious gravy....and it brought my late mother and grandmother to my kitchen, first and our dining room table with our children, grandchildren & in laws.

This year for the pre-fast meal of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, we returned to a tradition from my childhood (and those of my daughters)...no big family do with several courses, none of which had too much seasoning so that we wouldn't be thirsty during the long fasting period - sundown to sundown....no family dinner with hours and hours of lovingly cooking up a meal which guests don't have time to savour, but rather wolf it all down so they can run out for synagogue Kol Nidre services...especially since my son-in-law is the choir director and both he and my daughter sing beautiful solos, but I digress...

So dinner was simple, but an old (and I use the term endearingly) friend in my kitchen, Norene Gilletz, provided the inspiration for the star.... Pear Chutney Roasted Chicken Breasts from her latest book, Norene's Healthy Kitchen: Eat Your Way to Good Health ...which I have written about before, served with mashed sweet potatoes and a side of sauteed beet greens.

Our next holiday is Sukkot, another favorite of mine and one Norene will be attending as well. This time from Second Helpings, Please!
Her Roast Tongue...another one of those love/hate ingredients will star. Joanna will be preparing it in her sukkah and I can't wait.

It's Fall, and we all eagerly await many more holidays before the end of the year...Thanksgiving, comes to mind and I'm wondering...do you stick to old traditions or bring something new to your holiday table?

Presto Pasta Night #181 Looks Delicious

Presto Pasta Night #181 is up and Abby of Eat the Right Stuff, did a fantastic job as host, yet again. And thanks to all of you for your awesome entries. I can't wait to make my way through each and every one. But who wants to hear me babble...check it out for yourself.

Next week, another of my favorite foodie bloggers will be hosting - Bellini Valli of More Than Burnt Toast. Just email your entry to valleygurl43 (at) hotmail (dot) com and cc ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com.

In the meantime....which will you be choosing first? And...more important...which will you be dreaming up to send to Bellini Valli?

Brussels Sprouts & Other Early Fall Harvest

I know...half of you reading this are making horrible faces...that is if you're still here. The other half are drooling and wondering what I'm planning on doing with these cute little Brussels Sprouts. And I will be sharing, but first about last week's trip to the Halifax Seaport Farmers Market. Going early Saturday mornings always makes me smile, but never as much as when the seasons change. Those first fiddleheads ushering in Spring...berries & corn in the height of summer. ..
And now there's lots of gorgeous early Fall bounty like these carrots to make more Carrot Cardamom Jam which was such a hit, we're almost out!
And these adorable young cauliflower all decked out in their green ruffs. The latest fineCooking magazine issue had several suggestions, including tossing florets with anchovies, capers & Parmesan cheese. I've made something similar before, but this one sounds truly easy and has me drooling as I write.
Tomatoes of every shape, size and heritage are showing up. Frankly, I love them just sliced and drizzled with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar or lemon juice.
Slender young leeks with long white beards will definitely partner beautifully with all the mushrooms & spinach I can get my hands on to make an oldie but goodie soup.

But we're really here to talk about Brussels sprouts. And, although I actually bought the Donna Hay Winter 2010, Issue 51 because of the gorgeous pasta with pancetta, fried sage & porcini crumbs (and not a Brussels sprout in the entire issue), I was also enticed by the many ways fineCooking Magazine, Oct/Nov, 2010 chose to cook Brussels sprouts.
So...I decided to go my own way, marrying all the options and came up with this Fall Farfalle with Brussels Sprouts, Pancetta & Pecans.

And I'm going to share it with Presto Pasta Night, hosted this week by the awesome Abby of Eat the Right Stuff. You can too, just send her an email with your link to abby (at) eattherightstuff (dot) com and cc ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com and join us all on Friday.

What Exactly is a Foodie?

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to be invited to a brunch of "foodies" at one of my favorite Halifax restaurants - fid resto! owned by one of my favorite Halifax chefs - Dennis Johnston (who taught us all how to prepare hanger steak and promises another lesson in how to roast a chicken...without drying it out as often happens to home cooks).

It all started with Sean Gallagher, brainchild of Local Source - an awesome purveyor & caterer of all foods Nova Scotia (I borrowed their mission statement so you can really get to understand what they're all about)...

"All of our food is fresh and seasonal. Our meats are free range, grass fed and antibiotic free, all sourced here in Nova Scotia. In keeping with our aim to purvey quality, healthy local food, connect urban dwellers with farming communities, help boost the economy and foster a vibrant food culture."

Sean was talking to one of my other favorite food people - Chris de Waal of Getaway Farm. If you follow my blog, then you know that I visit him and his lovely wife just about every Saturday at the Halifax Farmers Market. Somehow the conversation got around to having brunch at fid resto! after the market one Saturday. Chris reminded him that by the time they finish up...brunch is over. So Sean talked to Dennis and they offered to keep the restaurant open just for them. Chris decided that he should invite more "foodie" friends to make it worth while to fid & and staff. Lucky me...I was included in this private party.

As you can see in the photo at the top that we were an even dozen and the only things we had in common were that we ...a) knew Chris....and b) all love good food. And we were all so intent on talking about food, choosing from an awesome brunch menu and eating that I didn't even get all the names of my fellow guests - how rude of me...although no one seemed to care or notice.
I chose this mouthwatering, lamb breakfast with perfectly cooked fried eggs - crispy edges & liquid golden yolks, served up with very tasty hash browns.
My Honey chose Charlie’s chicken-fried steak with mashed potatoes and gravy that was perfect...plate licked clean!
All the options looked delicious (I was too shy to ask for a forkful from those I hardly knew) but I did get a taste of the Scotch egg with a fresh crumpet and local salad greens that my other foodie friend, Simon, journalist and "true Foodie" and his better half were generous enough to share.

After an awesome brunch - great food, terrific company, I left fid resto! on a serious high. It was only much later that I started to consider Chris's statement "what a perfect way to end a day at the market...a meal with fellow foodies".

What, exactly does the word "foodie" mean? Dictionary.com has a few definitions...all similar to this " a person having an enthusiastic interest in the preparation and consumption of good food". That does include me...

Everything in my world revolves around food...from planning vacation destinations to telling stories of my childhood or trips back to my hometown of Montreal, which often includes food that I don't really consider as "foodie" food... like the hamburgers, hot dogs & orange juleps at the big Orange on Decarie or egg rolls from Yangtze Restaurant.

That said, though, when I think "foodie", I think of the Ruth Reichls of the world - those who can tell the difference between a wide range of sea salts, balsamic vinegars or olive oils. Their experiences are elegant and culinary choices very complex. And that is not me, so am I NOT a "foodie"?

These days, lots of chefs are turning to simpler fare and using local resources, as do I whenever I can...so does that make me a "foodie" after all?

What is your definition of a foodie and where do you think you fit in the scheme of things? Please comment.

Early Presto Pasta Night Notice

This week, Presto Pasta Night #180 is being hosted by the lovely Nic of Lemon & Cheese. Since I'll be out until later today, I wanted to make sure you all check periodically to see the roundup.

UPDATE: check out the fantastic roundup. Great job everyone.

And to remind you that next week, the fantastic Abby of Eat the Right Stuff, will be hosting PPN for the third time! You can send your delicious entries to abby (at) eattherightstuff (dot) com by Thursday and cc ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com.

Jewish New Year 5771

I blinked and Rosh Hashanah - the Jewish New Year is literally just a few days away. What with moving, and then Hurricane Earl arriving, I haven't really had too much time to prepare for the big family dinner that we'll be hosting here this coming Wednesday.

So rather than do my usual tradition...pull out all my Jewish Cookbooks (you can find many of them here), spread them everywhere....select way to many dishes... I decided to stick to the most traditional meal from my grandmother's kitchen, to my mother's and, for many years, my own and Joanna's.

We'll be having Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls (or there will be a rebellion)
Gefilte Fish & Salad (I bought some frozen fish logs that just need some boiling & chilling, so no work required)
Traditional Brisket roasted with lima beans
and served with Bow Ties & Kasha to sop up all that delicious gravy (one day I'll share the recipes)
Some green vegetable and Ezra's mom is making a potato dish to round things out.

Dessert will be Apple Crisp - because it's easy and delicious. Perhaps I'll even add some of the frozen wild blueberries that are sitting in my freezer. Both from the Annapolis Valley.
Joanna's kitchen is in a state of upheaval - they're renovating, so it looks like making the holiday challah is up to me...
To all my Jewish friends...Shana Tova. And to everyone out there...may your year ahead be fruitful, prosperous and full of joy.

Presto Pasta Night #179

Presto Pasta Night #179 is finally ready and filled with a fantastic lineup of glorious dishes... but you've waited long enough...so make up your own mind as to which one to try first. Thanks all for an awesome selection.

First in this week...is Priya of Mharo Rajasthan's Recipes with a perfect marriage of East & West. It's a Curried Pasta that she "borrowed" from another wonderful blogger - Aparna & her Diverse Kitchen. I love it when dishes get "played forward" with a little personal tweeking.
Anu of Truth Personified (and a very interesting blog) also shared another friend's dish - Sali of VeggieBelly's Spaghetti with Spinach Balls that looks wonderful.
Katerina of Culinary Flavors made her version of that wonderful Greek classic - Pastitsio and it sounds perfect.
Daphne of More Than Words always brings something wonderful to our PPN table and this time is no exception. I'm drooling over her Tom Yam Seafood Pasta Stir Fry!
Joanna of Eats Well With Others...not only cooks up great dishes, she tells terrific stories and takes awesome photos. Tell me you don't absolutely adore her Puerto Rican Pastelon or Plantain Lasagna, even if it doesn't have any noodles.
Tigerfish of Teczcape came up with a perfect -"beat the heat" (and at over 40 degrees C here in Nova Scotia, I am needy) Summer Noodles in Sesame Tahini Sauce.
Claudia of Honey From a Rock whipped up a perfect cold Grilled Ahi Tortelli Pasta Salad to help beat the heat. It looks wonderful.
Abby of Eat the Right Stuff made a fantastic dish. She, like my Honey doesn't really enjoy a roast chicken dinner, but this is one even he will lick the plate clean...Roast Chicken Pasta.
Jennifer at Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat (don't you love the name of her blog?) made a very tasty version of Penne Carbonara.
Denise of Oh Taste n See made this perfect Pesto Pasta & Peas - so green from all that spinach and peas.
Susan the Well Seasoned Cook outdid herself and she shared the zen-like holiday mood as well. Check out this delightful Paglia e Fieno - Straw & Hay Pasta with Porcini & Peas...the name itself just sings.
Val of More Than Burnt Toast and one of my favorite food bloggers wrote an awesome post celebrating one Canadian Chef and a perfect Heirloom Tomato Pasta Bake. I'll be whipping it up as soon as the weather cools down, that is.
And last but ...oh wait...it's my turn and ...truth is, I did whip up some pasta this week with a little of this and a little of that, but it didn't look pretty and...well...I don't even remember what I did. Hopefully next week the weather will cool down and I'll be sending in a delish dish to next week's wonderful host....

Nic of Lemon & Cheese. Her blog is great. Check it out and then send in a pasta dish of your own. Just mention Presto Pasta Night, Nic (and a link to Lemon & Cheese) and then email your URL link to feglet98 (at)hotmail (dot) com and cc me - ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com

Please let me know if you want to have some fun and take over the Presto Pasta Night Hosting reins for a week. October and beyond are wide open.