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| March 18, 2003
New takes on old favourites
The high tech industry that unleashed the 'Irish Tiger' and made Dublin one of the most expensive capitals in Europe has also helped transform Irish cuisine. With prosperity comes a desire for the good things in life, and the hot young chefs of Dublin and Belfast have been busy creating sophisticated versions of Irish standards, updating basics like black pudding, soda bread and other staples of the Irish kitchen. Forget Irish stew. Try rack of lamb with whiskey orange marmalade or lobster fricassee. |
Much of the credit for this transformation must go to the country inns where chefs like Darina Allen could source fresh produce and seafood directly from local producers and artisans. Gifted chefs following in Allen's footsteps are making the most of fresh, natural ingredients and creating a new Irish cuisine that can rival that of any other European country. Many of the dishes depend on fresh local ingredients to really shine - lamb fed on salty, sea-drenched grasses, and plump oysters fresh out of the Irish Sea. But if we can't obtain the authentic versions, we can at least get our hands on a close cousin. So do try some of the wonderful dishes now being created by Ireland's innovative chefs. You don't have to visit Ireland's castles, manor houses, and country house hotels, to taste these new flavours, but with a little luck you can visit soon!
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| March 11, 2003
Pizza all round!
Pizza can be marvelous - or mediocre. No fast food elicits as strong feelings as pizza. Everybody's a critic, and everyone has his or her own take on what makes a great pie. The disputes are epic: thick crust or thin? Deep dish or regular? And for the gourmet, tomato or pesto sauce? Purists favour the basic cheese-and-sauce version while fans of retro-pizza love their Hawaiians and beef-and-onions. And then there's the gourmet crowd, who ooh and ahh over toppings like pancetta, smoked duck and truffle oil. But most of us just love pizza for its versatility. There's no right or wrong, and there's a topping for everyone (even if it's "just cheese please", as in the case of certain toddlers who shall remain nameless). Plus, it's simple, with ready-made dough available at groceries, or easily made in a bread machine. So what are you waiting for? |
Pizza party!
There are tons of great ideas here, including a snazzy pizza birthday cake, that uses red icing, sliced fruit and coconut flakes to resemble classic pizza toppings. Deep dish
For some, only deep dish pizza truly satisfies. This is Chicago-style pie done the Emeril way. Pizza sauce
In the holy trinity of dough, sauce and cheese, the sauce is perhaps the least considered of ingredients. But as many an aficionado will tell you, it divides the merely good pie from the truly divine. Postmodern pizza
Fire up the barbie and slap this pie on the grill to impress neighbours. Only problem might be finding lobster and yellow tomatoes. Fat-free pizzas
No surprise here: pizza is America's favourite fast food, and nothing sells these days unless there's a fat-free version. Pizza bianca
If you're into authenticity, try this Roman delicacy. It's really just a well-olive-oiled flatbread, though its sister, the pizza rossa comes with tomato sauce smeared on top. Both are amazingly delicious when consumed on the spot in the plaza Campo de Fiori in Rome. Fruit pizza
Trust the kids at ZOOM to come up with a fruit pizza. It's not really a pizza, but it does get creative chefs thinking about all the pizzabilities, er, possibilities.
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| March 4, 2003
A Mardi Gras menu
Many Canadians serve up the traditional pancake supper for Mardi Gras, which for those of you who failed high-school French, means "Fat Tuesday." But why not try something different this year and serve up a Louisiana-style Mardi Gras menu for friends? The rich legacy of Cajun cooking and the huge popularity of Chef Emeril Lagasse, has meant that New Orleans has become America's hottest food capital in recent years. Most people know at least a few dishes thanks to that old Hank Williams tune, Jambalaya. The lyrics read like a Mardi Gras feast: jumbalaya, crawfish pie and filé gumbo. But along with those mainstays of Louisiana cuisine, are delectable desserts like pecan pie, cherries jubilee and whiskeyed bread pudding, and classic appetizers like shrimp remoulade and crabcakes. |
Mardi Gras in New Orleans is the climax to a long celebration replete with many age-old customs. For six wonderful weeks, masked balls and parties crowd the social calendar from Twelfth Night (Jan 6th) to Mardi Gras (which this year is March 4th) and at each party a King Cake is baked. King cakes are like large sweet breads, shaped like a donut and decorated with the Mardi Gras colours of purple, green and gold. The person who gets the tiny baby doll baked into the King Cake has to throw the next party. And on it goes throughout the months of January and February. No wonder New Orleans has a reputation as a major party capital. So get the jumbalaya going, slap on a Cajun CD, and invite some friends over for a Mardi Gras bash.
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| Feb. 25, 2003
A cook's tour
Sun-drenched lands have a way of generating a delicious, explosive cuisine - just the right stuff to warm up a cold and endless winter. Mix up some guacamole, create a curry, or generate some jerk chicken. Set off a few pyrotechnics on your palate and the rest of you will warm up too. ~ Southeast Asia ~
Torontonians Naomi Duguid and Jeremy Alford have written some of the last decade's most celebrated cookbooks, inspired by their extensive travels through Southeast Asia. Flavours and recipes do not get more authentic than theirs. The Recipe of the Week changes regularly, but at publication time was a tangy lemon chicken dish from West Africa. Worth bookmarking. |
~ India ~
Madhur Jaffrey can take a lot of credit for getting Brits to try their hand at cooking Indian at home. Long before Nigella started to bite, Jaffrey hosted a popular BBC cooking show that made all things Indian look easy. ~ The Mediterranean ~
The Mediterranean is a foodie's dream destination, and this special section from Bon Appetit magazine spotlights culinary hotspots in Spain, Greece and Italy. ~ Mexico ~
For authentic Mexican dishes right out of Como agua para chocolate, check out the Recipes area of the Mexconnect site. Food writers also provide informative essays highlighting regional cooking, local ingredients, and personal accounts of living, and cooking, in Mexico. ~ Caribbean ~
Don't let the amateurish web site put you off: this Guy really knows how to cook island style. Also visit Foodtv's flavourful spotlight on Caribbean fare. ~ Cuba ~
While not as famous as mojitos or cuba libres, Cuban cuisine deserves to be better known. If you can't visit, you can still pretend. Why not serve up some Cuban sandwiches at your Oscars party? ~ Australia ~
Okay so the idea of kangaroo tail soup doesn't grab you at first. But with its wonderful climate, exotic ingredients and Asian influences, Australia has become a hotbed of culinary talent.
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| Feb. 18, 2003
Eggs-quisite cuisine
Inexpensive and easy to prepare, eggs have been freed of any blame for high cholesterol levels or increased risk of heart disease. In fact there's a lot of nutritional value hidden under those brittle shells! The average egg is a good source of protein, fat, calcium, iron, vitamins A and D and riboflavin, but has just 75 calories. The list of egg-based dishes includes soufflés, quiches and omelets. All of these are popular, but frittatas are much easier to make and to serve. Combine the filling with the eggs, cook in a skillet until set, then quickly brown under the broiler. They can be served hot or at room temperature, cut into pie-shaped wedges for lunch or served as appetizers. And in summer, they're wonderful for picnics. What could be more versatile than that? |
But don't stop at frittatas: there are as many recipes for eggs as there are cooks. Web sites devoted to the egg are a great source of inspiration for anyone stuck in a meat-and-potatoes rut. Do a search on recipe engines like Recipesource or Epicurious for elegant versions of old classics. Or visit one of the many egg producers' sites for tips on cooking with eggs and recipes. Bed and breakfast establishments are famous for their egg dishes, which are part of the reason they have become so popular with travelers. And a new restaurant chain called Chez Cora, is capitalizing on our love of eggs and big breakfasts. A huge hit in Quebec, expect a Cora to open up in a neighbourhood near you. So if you're wondering what to serve tonight, why not break a few eggs and see what happens.
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| Feb. 11, 2003
Chocolate: a heart-felt and healthy Valentine's gift
Chocolate is synonymous with Valentine's Day, for a few good reasons. The Aztec emperor Montezuma drank 50 goblets of chocolate a day to enhance his legendary sexual prowess. And Casanova, famed lover of countless women, is also said to have eaten chocolate before his many conquests. But the best thing about chocolate is that it's good for you. Among its many ingredients, chocolate contains phenylethylamine and seratonin, both of which are mood-enhancing agents. Both occur naturally in the human brain and are released into the nervous system when we are happy, or experiencing feelings of love or passion. Both these substances can also be mildly addictive too, explaining why chocoholics are chocoholics!
| | Chocolate's high magnesium content is beneficial for the cardiovascular system and hypertension, so hearts and chocolates really do go together well. It also boosts pre-menstrual progesterone levels, which in turn alleviates the mood swings so familiar to women (and their families). So there you have it, calling chocolate an aphrodisiac may be stretching it a bit, but eating chocolate does make you feel good and can actually induce or 'mimic' the feelings of being in love. For Chocolate Lovers
Lindt Chocomania
Instead of dessert, why not end a romantic Valentine's Day dinner with Lindt's Montezuma Cocktail? Muy caliente! Nestle's
Impress your friends and lovers with this wonderful chocolate raspberry tart. It's dead easy to make (just five ingredients), and looks amazing presented on a chocolate plate. Ghirardelli
Rice-a-Roni was never the real San Francisco treat. We always knew it was chocolate from Ghirardelli's, still in its original location on Ghirardelli Square. Godiva
Godiva has an impressive selection of chocolate recipes (19 renditions of brownies, at last count), and a reputation for luxury. Go to their Chocolate guide to eyeball some of their finest. Hershey's
Pump a Hershey's ingredient into the recipe search engine and find dozens of ways to use up all those leftover Kisses (or Reese's pieces). Chocoholic.com
Chocoholic.com is compiling an online cookbook and they want your favourite chocolate recipe. If they use it, you'll get a $20 certificate to spend in the online chocolate store. Chocolate recipes
Find out how to make chocolate clay (for molding) and chocolate liqueur (for baking). And where else can you find a brownie recipe that includes leftover mashed potato?
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| Feb. 4, 2003
A Chinese New Year's Feast
While most Chinese-Canadians compress their New Year's festivities into a single day and night, the traditional Chinese New Year is an extended holiday lasting more than two weeks. Almost every aspect of the Chinese celebration is rooted in centuries-old customs, and one of the most important of these is a plentiful assortment of traditional foods to symbolize prosperity and other good wishes for the New Year. On New Year's Eve an elaborate banquet is served with its own special menu of savouries. One of the most popular courses is jiaozi, dumplings boiled in water. "Jiaozi" in Chinese literally mean "sleep together and have sons", a long-lost good wish for a family. Each family has its own variation on the basic filling of pork, spices, and cabbage.
| | At midnight, fireworks and firecrackers light up the sky, and complete the New Year's Eve celebrations. Early the next morning, children receive gifts of money wrapped up in red paper packages from their parents. Then, a day of visiting relatives and friends begin, and much more eating ensues! The New Year atmosphere is brought to a colourful end with the Festival of Lanterns, when folk dances and lantern shows are performed. The festival also features Yuanxiao, another kind of dumpling made of sweet rice rolled into balls and sometimes stuffed with sweet or spicy fillings. If all this talk of food and celebration has you thinking, check out this useful guide to Chinese cooking techniques. With the right ingredients in your cupboard, you might discover that Chinese food is not as hard to make as you might think. |
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| Jan. 28, 2003
Super-duper soup
Not just a tasty memory of home and hearth, soup is one of the healthiest parts of our diet. Like a meal-in-a-bowl, soup packs a multitude of food groups and a potent serving of nutrients in every spoonful.
Beyond the folksy notion that chicken soup is good for "everything that ails you", recent studies have proven that chicken soup helps ward off the debilitating effects of the cold and flu. Other studies demonstrate a link between eating soup and both weight loss and amazingly, cancer control. Does anyone need better reasons than those to get out the soup pot and start simmering?
Soup Song: This updated site celebrates soup in music, in film, in folk tales and | literature, soup-related jokes, customs - really any reference to soup you can think of. In addition to a solid collection of recipes, it also tracks references to soup in daily news stories from around the world.
Vegetarian versions: Vegetarians are nothing if not picky about what they put in their soup bowls. These recipes are proven favourites with the veggie gang.
Family-friendly soups: There's a soup here for every kid - even the ones who excavate their food as though they were archeologists exploring some ancient mizzen.
10,000 and counting: One of the joys of making soup is the freedom to innovate and experiment. This site is proof of how versatile soup is, with as many variations as there are cooks. So don't be afraid to change a few ingredients and call it your own.
Food Network Chefs Recipes: Impress your guests with chef's bests, like Christine Cushing's Borscht or Nigella Lawson's Hot and Sour soup.
Recipe Source The oldest and largest recipe site on the Web provides thousands of recipes to inspire your soup.
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| Jan. 21, 2003
What’s for dinner?
When hectic schedules turn take-out into a suppertime staple, you know there’s a problem. The key to a solution lies in realizing that cooking doesn’t have to be a race against the clock. If your busy lifestyle leaves little time for a nutritious home-cooked meal at the end of the day, it’s time to take a breather and get organized with these timesaving tips for families on the go.
Always keep a well-stocked pantry
Words to live — and eat — by. This is a critical part of the after-work food preparation process. So important, in fact, that it can mean the difference between a quick, healthy meal on your table and a pizza delivery boy at your doorstep. Jorj Morgan at BlueSuitMom.com says having the | right raw materials at your fingertips is the secret to timesaving, healthy dinners. She suggests keeping staples such as pasta, canned vegetables, and ground meat on hand for flavourful, hearty meals that can come together in a matter of minutes. Of course, every family (if not every member), has its own tastes, so it’s unlikely that any two pantries will be stocked with the same items. Pay attention to the food preferences of those in your household and build the contents of your kitchen cupboards accordingly. And if you need some help selecting the best basic ingredients for your pantry, Lynn Roblin and Bev Callaghan of MochaSofa.com suggest a few foods that can easily become the building blocks of a tasty meal.
Cook once a month (and eat everyday)
It’s called once-a-month cooking and it’s a practice so revolutionary that it’s even generated the need for an acronym (OAMC). OK, so maybe it’s not that revolutionary, but it has changed the way busy families approach the time-consuming, often daunting task of preparing dinner. The basic concept involves cooking food for an entire month (or whatever length of time suits your needs) ahead of time and freezing it. OAMC requires a great deal of organization and planning, but is well worth it in the end. Kim Tilley of Chef Mom.com outlines a number of ways to approach OAMC, including doubling, tripling, or even quadrupling the recipe for a family favourite if it can be safely preserved in the freezer (see “Focus on Freezing Foods” for more on how to freeze foods safely).
Plan ahead
Ahead-of-time preparation is an important part of solving dinnertime dilemmas. Writer and mother Rachel Paxton offers a few time-saving cooking tips, many of which involve preparing food items ahead of time. This doesn’t necessarily mean cooking entire meals two weeks in advance (although that would help). As Paxton explains, even chopping, grating, or slicing a little more of everything a recipe calls for is a good way to save a few precious minutes the next time you prepare that dish. If school lunches are the meals that have you scrambling, have the kids individually wrap their snacks for the whole week.
| Related:
• Tips for Busy Families
• Ready, set, supper
• Rush Hour Recipes: Dinner in Under 30 Minutes!
• Minutemeals recipes
• More quick & easy recipes
• Simple soups & sides for the lazy gourmet
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|  Jan. 14, 2003
Mind your peas and carrots
Brussels sprouts and broccoli. If it’s green, chances are it rarely makes it into your child’s mouth — at least not without a little persuasion. If your children have an aversion to veggies, here are a few tried-and-tested tips to help bring out the veggie-lover in your little ones.
Getting sneaky with vegetables
Sometimes the only way to get veggies into your children is to sneak them into their food. Lynn Fredericks, author of Cooking Time is Family Time, suggests doing a little undercover work with your vegetables by slipping them into wonton wrappers for homemade ravioli. Two vegetable-friendly ravioli fillings Fredericks recommends are ricotta and sun-dried tomato and pumpkin with Parmesan cheese. It’s also wise to | have your kids help with the preparation of these “green meals,” since it gives them more incentive to eat food they’ve had a hand in making.
Dr. Christine Wood at KidsEatGreat.com says disguising dreaded vegetables or hiding them in more child-accepted foods can make healthy eating much easier for kids and in turn, parents. Adding finely grated vegetables to pasta, rice, soups, muffin batter, and melted cheese sandwiches is just one way to sneak a bit of green (or in the case of carrots and corn, orange and yellow) into your child’s food. You can also give that fruit smoothie or frozen yogurt a little veggie-power by adding sliced tomato or “sprinkled” peas. Some creative ideas!
Give vegetables some personality
In keeping with the veggies-in-disguise theme, Joanna Lamiri of iVillage.co.uk suggests adding some character to your greens by making characters out of them. Creating edible “faces” with a variety of vegetables is a wild and silly activity that kids will enjoy. (Note: Shredded cabbage makes great hair).
Don't forget to check out Lamiri’s “10 ways to make your kids turn green” for more creative veggie ideas.
Coax kids into eating fruits and veggies
At FamilyFun, nutritionist Jodie Shield offers a number of suggestions to help make fruits and vegetables more appealing to children. She recommends looking beyond common vegetables like peas and carrots to offer tastier, more exotic choices such as mango, papaya, pea pods, and mashed sweet potatoes. This doesn’t mean you should abandon tried and true (and loathed?) classics like broccoli and carrots. Dips are a great way to give those plain old vegetables a little pizzazz.
 Jan. 7, 2003
Hot beverage recipes
Hot chocolate is a classic cold-weather treat that has inspired a number of other tasty favourites that will raise your spirits (and your temperature) when those winter winds start blowing. Here’s a sampling of some great frost-fighting beverages that are best served hot!
Banana hot chocolate
Here’s a recipe that just screams child involvement! Put away the electric blender and put your young banana-mashers to work. Makes a healthy treat that can be prepared on the stove or in the microwave.
Mexican hot chocolate
Yes, it’s hot chocolate Mexican-style. This recipe calls for many of the ingredients used in the classic beverage, but adds a drop of almond extract. Mmm, mmm!
| Orange hot chocolate
Orange and chocolate are two flavours that produce undeniably delicious results when mixed together. This rich, dessert-like drink is a chocolate-lovers delight.
Frosty the Snowmint
This recipe is great for the little ones (and the little ones at heart). The delicious, not to mention fun, combination of peppermint, cocoa, and snowman-shaped marshmallows will melt your heart!
Hot apple cider
This fruity delight is quick, easy to make, and calls for fresh ingredients. Cloves, allspice berries, and cinnamon sticks give the drink a spicy twist and added flavour.
Related Links:
• More great chocolate ideas
 Dec. 31, 2002
Don't leave the leftovers behind
Turkey sandwiches, turkey soup, turkey... cake? If you ran out of fresh ideas on what to do with turkey — before actually running out of the turkey itself — here are some tasty tips on how to handle holiday leftovers.
Turkey leftover soup
What post-holiday food fest would be complete without a tried and true turkey soup recipe? Makes a nice hearty meal for those cold winter nights!
Four seasons enchiladas
Go Mexican this season and spice up your meals with this quick, easy, and turkey-friendly recipe that's sure to be a kid-pleaser too!
| Roast beef and ham leftovers
If you decided to forgo the turkey this year, Meals.com offers a variety of recipes that turn leftover roast beef and ham into delicious dishes for post-holiday consumption. With everything from beef skewers to ham kabobs, these recipes will make you wish leftovers would last a little longer.
Turkey with a hint of Thai
If you're in the mood for food with an exotic Asian influence, check out this Thai-inspired turkey curry recipe. It's amazing what you can cook up with a few spices and a little imagination!
Mashed potato donuts
Yes, you read that correctly. Mashed potatoes — they're not just for dinner anymore. In fact, we hear the leftover variety can be delicious when used to make a number of traditional desserts including cakes, pies, fudge, and even candy! Who knew?
Related Links:
• Leftovers... A Whole New Meal
• Storing leftovers safely
• More leftover ideas
 Dec. 23, 2002
Sweet holiday recipes
Here’s your last chance to savour some sugary goodness before the year’s last big wave of guilt kicks in and drives you to make the ultimate New Years resolution. Now’s the time to get the whole family involved and bake up a storm, so nobody (including Santa) goes without a treat on the big day!
There’s nothing like a classic gingerbread cookie to get everyone in the holiday mood. Check out this gingerbread recipe with an educational twist for the little ones in your house. You make the dough and then have the kids shape them into a yummy batch of ABCs that’s sure to have them begging to learn more.
Add a little adventure to your baking this season with some hidden treasure nuggets. These cookies contain assorted candy “treasures”, perfect for a delicious game of discovery around the kitchen table.
And finally, this quick and simple recipe for peanut butter chocoats is a delightful treat that’ll likely be gone in less time than it takes to make. No leftovers here!
Related Links:
• Mrs. Claus’ Cookbook
 Dec. 16, 2002
Cooking with kids
Believe it or not, cooking with kids can add up to more than just spills and sticky fingers. Not only do you get a helping hand (albeit a small one) in the kitchen, but it can also be a great way to connect and strengthen the bond between you and your child, while working toward a shared goal.
Cooking is also a highly educational activity that requires children to draw on and gradually develop a variety of fundamental skills including math, reading, listening, and organization — all essential in later life.
So don't be afraid to let your little ones roll up their sleeves and make cooking — not just eating — a family affair! (Just don't expect them to do the dishes afterward). Related Links:
• Kids in the Kitchen [All Recipes]
• Make Cooking Time Family Time [iVillage]
• Cookbooks for Kids: Recommended reading
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| Food Facts | Fact #1: You can find pears at the supermarket all year long. Use firm but ripe Bartlett, Anjou or Bosc pears for baked desserts.
Fact #2: Crisps are baked desserts of fruit topped with a sweetened crunchy pastry-like mixture. Called crumbles in England, crisps possess a warm, comforting appeal that spans the oceans.
Fact #3: Don't add water to melting chocolate. If you need to thin the chocolate, add at least a quarter cup of water for every 6 ounces of chocolate.
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