recipe re-do: quinoa - a passing fad?

fads are everywhere. home. fashion. and yes - even food.
who could forget the great "make your own baby food" fad....wait that still around.
and the "farm to table " fad...hang on that's kicking around too.

well maybe there is something to say about fads.

the latest, i find, is about ancient grains. embracing grains other than the cherished rice and couscous {yet another "fad" that stuck.}

so i decided to stick my neck out and inquire - what's so great about quinoa? why is everyone head over heels for it? i put this question out on facebook - bluntly asking if i was in fact that last person around to try the stuff. the answer was a resounding YES!

i was trolling the aisles of costco the following day and found what i thought was a years supply of the famous grain {i have since come to realize it is a month's worth.} and gave it a try.

the first time i made it it was okay. just okay. i boiled it to the package directions and served it along side chicken. okay. i do see the appeal and it's a good sub for rice because it states it has protein and is good for you. tony asked if it was good for him, i told him yes and then he replied with, "okay if it's good for me i will get it down." shinning endorsement right there.

i decided to take a step back and re-examine my approach. i was schooled in getting coop to eat steamed broccoli by a friend of mine earlier that week - he ate hers, not mine - and the one thing she did different was seasoning. so i made the quinoa like how i make my fancy rice - chicken stock and onions. bingo.

new staple.

two saturdays ago i was enjoying my morning coffee and checking our rachel ray's new show about cooking one day for five. usually not my thing and she tends to do things to high fat for me but it caught my attention because she was talking about grains. then she was talking about obesity and getting out of the rut. i was listening. then she made what looked like the best hot salad i think i would ever put in my mouth.

i was right.

i decided at the end of the day to use her "recipe" as a base and go from there. all i knew of it was what i saw and could remember. it started with making the grain, then in another pan sauteeing together red onion, rasped garlic and lemon zest. instantly i was hooked. she had some other fancy things in there i did not have. i purposely went and got kale - a new favorite - and yes i did splerg on the mushrooms but didn't use as many as her at all. did i need to spend $5 on 6 shiitake shrooms? hmm - maybe not. would portabello's have been a good choice? probably. was it lacking in flavour because i have only the cremini and shiitake mushrooms and not the hen of the woods variety as well? well you be the judge.

seriously - i want to know how much you love it.
cause i know you are going to.

jen's fancy quinoa

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 a medium onion, diced
i cup un-cooked quinoa
2 cups low sodium chicken stock
freshly ground pepper

add your olive oil to a medium saucepan and heat over medium-low heat. add your onions. grind some pepper on them {you always want to season!} and sautee till translucent about 3 to 4 mins. add your quinoa and toss around with the onions while sauteeing them a little. then add your broth, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and steam for about 15 mins {according to your package}, let sit fo 5 mins then fluff with a fork and devour!!

hot mushroom and quinoa salad
did you know that you have to strip the kale leaves from the stalks before preparing? i did not. 
thank you rachael for that. 

one recipe of Jen's fancy quinoa {above}
1 and a half pounds mixed mushrooms
1/3 cup ev olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
freshly ground black pepper
3 to 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped or i like to use a microplane right over the pan
1/2 red onion diced
zest of one lemon
one bunch of kale, stripped and coarsely chopped
kosher salt and pepper
the juice of half the lemon you zested
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted


first things first, get those mushrooms in the oven! preheat it to 450 degrees and spread your mushrooms out on a sheet pan. drizzle with about 1/4 cup of the olive oil, sprinkle with the thyme and toss it together to coat.  grate some pepper over top and pop it in your heated oven. they usually take about 20 minutes to get all roasted and earthy.

meanwhile, after you made your quinoa, heat a deep skillet over medium low heat. add the remaining olive oil and once it's a little hot add your onions. get them nice and translucent then add your garlic {i grate mine right over} and zest your lemon right into the pan. heat this slowly on the stove {don't burn the garlic!} and just for a moment lose yourself in the aroma......okay snap out of it!
add your kale to the pan and let it wilt over top. season with some salt and pepper. once wilted remove from heat and fold in your quinoa. set aside.

toast the nuts in a small skillet till brown and fragrant.

once the mushrooms are done you are ready to assemble. first place your quinoa mixture into your serving dish, squeeze your half lemon over top, next spoon on your roasted mushrooms and, last but not least, top with your toasted almonds. voila!

this can be eated hot, room temperature or even the next day straight out of the fridge!

fall is the time for food. {pumpkin spice waffles.}

there is something about the change in this season.
from summer to fall.
the crisp air.
the wind.
the shorter days.
all it makes me want to do is eat. all i want to do is create rich foods such as chicken & barley soup {last night's dinner.}, explore the many forms & flavours of grilled cheese and load ourselves up with hearty knock-you-back-to-sleep breakfasts.

i always find a recipe starts from somewhere and this one starts with a pumpkin spice latte.
no wait...lets back up a few years...this one starts with a little girl who would eat no fruits or vegetables but who was gaga for mom's pumpkin muffins.
yes, i think that's a great place to start.

so there is a little girl who refuses all such wonderful things such as fruits and vegetables and her parents worried for her. so her mother {played by me} thought and thought about how to get these foods into without her knowing - in the meantime she was also wondering how this happened since her mother had taken the time, in her early years, to make all the little girls baby food from scratch and the little girl did enjoy all these foods once upon a time. what had happened here?  
let's not get distracted, jennifer, that's another post for another time. 

it had never occurred to her mother to create such a thing as a pumpkin waffle - the girl loved her mother's waffles and she loved pumpkin muffins.....maybe, just maybe this would be a hit. maybe this was a sneaky way to get something, other than purple apple sauce, into her little girl thought her mother.

it worked.
they are her favorite.
and that makes her mother smile from ear to ear.

pumpkin spice waffles.
i added raspberries on top of mine this weekend for the first time and i don't think i could ever not do that again. over the top!

1 3/4 cups of milk {any kind - soy works too.}
1 cup of pumpkin puree {not pumpkin pie filling.}
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract 
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups whole wheat flour {you can use regular but whole wheat is better!}
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
3 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 1/2  teaspoons of nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon of all-spice
1 teaspoon of salt

Combine milk, pumpkin, oil, vanilla and eggs in a mixing bowl.
Whisk till smooth.
In another bowl {or i sometimes just layer it on top of my wet mix} add the remaining ingredients and combine.
Add the liquid mix to the dry and whisk together till smooth. your batter will be quite thick.
let sit for 5 minutes.
Preheat your waffle maker. Once your maker is ready to go pour the batter on and enjoy!

don't forget the maple syrup!!!
makes approx. 24 square waffles.

ps: your house will smell divine - like you are swimming in a pumpkin pie!

ultimate comfort food.

so halloween is over. {i'm actually glad that it is. i really wasn't into it this year...till the day before though!}
it was awesome but it also seemed to be the last warm-ish day. my goodness did the temperature ever dip after that! so much so that when tony was off last week he took care of a couple of things around the house to get us ready for the upcoming snow.
now in our life around here - we are guaranteed snow.
now we have to be ready.

on the list:
patio furniture away - check.
outdoor pots emptied & put away - check.
bushes trimmed, bagged and curbed - check.
rink shell & viewing area set up - check.
snow tires on car - check.
snow suits, gloves and hats ready - check.
christmas lights....ready and waiting.
new thermostats....bought and waiting to be installed.
potential ski schools for the kids...researched.
december daily prep work...FAIL.

i guess i couldn't do everything!

this week i feel like i am in limbo. not yet christmas, not yet time to plan cooper's birthday party, halloween and fall are wrapping up. it's the week i can catch up on MY things but there are so many things i want to catch up on i find myself getting overwhelmed with that AND daily chores that i find myself surfing pinterest and working on new things rather than the old. will i ever learn?

also big on my winter list is too get out all my comfort food recipes, look them over and stock up on the pantry staples for said dishes. i LOVE these kinds of dishes. for this winter my goal is to brush up on my soups and curries {sorry tony!} so i have a few back pocket recipes. something i can whip up without fail when an impromptu skating party presents itself or when friends are met at the sledding hill and invited back to warm up their bones and toes.

now this is a project i can get behind.

one of my all time favorites is pasta bake. i could eat this forever! i always make 1 and a half of his because i inevitably eat a large portion while cooking. i love meat sauce {i eat it sometimes just between two slices of bread!}, i love pasta shapes and baked together with cheese on top...comfort food perfection.

jen's pasta bake.
this recipe has evolved over the last 5 years, changing every time i made it in the hopes to get it just right. i think i have done just that. you can make this a day head if you want and re-heat the next day. if you do this, stop at the potting stage and place in fridge. take out of the fridge about an hour before you want to bake it, to get everything close to room temp, now sprinkle on the cheese and bake!

1 pound dry pasta shapes
1 pound ground beef
1 large onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
olive oil
2 tablespoons of italian spice
ground black pepper
1/2 pound vegetables...i use mushrooms but you can also go with zucchini or asparagus, or a mix, in my opinion {optional}
680ml crushed tomatoes
28oz can whole tomatoes {optional...if you have them - i don't always and that doesn't stop me!}
340ml of your favorite sauce {i think it adds something special but if you taste yours before this point and like it by all means leave it out!}
3/4 cup pasta water...i'll explain later.

some shreeded cheese - i used marble but feel free to use your favorite or combine a few to make a blend...just don't use pre-shredded, please!!!

get your pasta going according to the box instructions.
pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F - if cooking straight away.

on the other element over medium-high, heat a deep sautee pan with a little olive oil in it. dice up your onion and add to pan adding some fresh ground black pepper over top to season. sautee till onion are a little translucent, a couple of minutes. add your beef and cook till no longer pink. drain out the fat and place back on stove. add your garlic, italian spice and, if using, vegetables. sautee for a couple minutes till veg is soft. add in your crushed tomatoes and whole, if using. stir in all your ingredients and let bubble for a bit till it gets all saucy. now taste it...do you like it? do you think that extra bit of store-bought sauce will make it better? if you said yes then add your sauce, stir it in and pour yourself a glass of wine. if you said no, pour yourself a glass of wine and stare at the sauce till i tell you to carry on.

check your pasta. if done reserve one cup of the water before draining. drain your pasta. set aside.

check your sauce. taste it. do you like it? does it need anything? salt? pepper? more spice? remember anytime you add anything you need to wait about 3 to 5 minutes to check the seasoning again {classic mistake performed by jennifer on top chef which cost her the title that she was CLEARLY going to win.....poor her.} so now that you like your sauce and have waited awhile for the completion - is your sauce a little thick? a little too reduced? this is where the magic of the pasta water comes in handy. add some, a little at a time, to your sauce while stirring till the desired consistency is achieved. magic! now add your pasta, mix it all together and place in a large casserole dish. sprinkle with cheese and place in the oven for 35 minutes. when done and the cheese is all melty and golden, let it sit for a couple of minutes before serving - it will be piping hot! once cooled, serve it up and enjoy!

sunday food. serious food.

around here we take our food very seriously.
as you probably can tell.
but nothing rivals sunday.
sunday is our day for food.

when planning out our week we have theme days - which i am sure everyone does...what?? you don't?
c'est pas possible!
it's sad that it is a little predictable around here but it sure helps to plan the week!
monday - wild card night.
tuesday is always pasta.
wednesday you will most likely be greeted with a stirfry.
thursday is usually some kind of egg dish.
friday - pizza.
saturday is mostly something fun...burgers, ribs, steak, wiener roast or recipe testing {remember the onion ring fiesta??}.
but sunday. ahh sunday.
that's when the big guns come out - all day long.
that's when we have the all-out-sit-down traditional sunday night dinner.
with all the trimmings.
roast beef, roast chicken, beautiful fillet of fish. 
3 - 4 vegetable sides. a starchy side. a salad. a magnificent dessert. a whole day of planning for this one meal. so worth it and completely enjoyed.

Where I come from the meal is the result of reflection and study. Menus are prepared in advance, timed to perfection. It is said that without the culinary arts, the crudeness of reality would be unbearable.~leopold, movie: kate & leopold.

best of all - we have sunday breakfast.
i love sunday breakfast.
we try new things.
we perfect old favorites.
we go all out.
it always involves eggs, some kind of breakfast meat, fruit and something long the lines of my secret pancake recipe, pumpkin or regular waffles {pumpkin recipe soon} or french toast.
yum...french toast.

last sunday was no exception - the only change was i made a proper french toast. not french toast using up what is left in the bread box. i got the bread specially. i used real butter. a splash of cream. and of course, pure maple syrup.
i will, hopefully, never have any other french toast again.
ever.

best french toast ever.

{yep that's what i am calling it - straight to the point.}

i have always heard of using challah bread for this {a twisty egg bread} but never went that far in my commitment for this dish. i will now ALWAYS go this far in my commitment. this bread made it awesome - if you can find it get it. IF YOU FIND IT BY ACCIDENT, get it. i left it on the counter for a couple of days before throwing it in the freezer till needed - i had bought it the previous sunday. you always want your bread to have that day old feel but if frozen take it out the nigh before - you want it thawed. also in this house we have only skim milk and heavy cream on hand. therefore that's what's used here...you could always swap in half and half for ALL the dairy if you want. this recipe is a guideline - add more milk if you want, swap out the cinnamon in favour of traditional nutmeg. have fun with it!
also i tend to make the whole loaf as i have found popping them in the toaster a couple days later is a wonderful and unexpected week day treat.

1 large loaf challah bread. sliced.
6 eggs
1/2 cup skim milk {these are just guidelines - if you want it milkier please add more in..you won't wreck it!}
1/4 cup heavy cream {add more or less if you want!}
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste
2 pads of butter
pure maple syrup {optional}
homemade raspberry preserves {optional}

heat a griddle or fry pan to medium. throw in butter and let melt.
whip together in a shallow bowl, or casserole dish, the eggs, dairy, vanilla and cinnamon. dunk your slices one at a time in the custard mix to coat completely then throw on your hot pan. repeat till pan is full. i always find the first dunked side of the bread has more cinnamon than the other so here i give the second side a dusting of cinnamon while the first sizzles away. check after one to two minutes then flip. cook on the other side then toss on a plate complete with bacon and strawberries. drizzle freely with maple syrup or spread with preserves.
**i always seem to run out of the mix three quarters of the way through the bread and feel i have to make a mix on the fly. do it. 4 eggs, splosh in some milk, a drip or so of cream, a tad of vanilla and a sprinkle of cinnamon. whisk quickly, as to make sure to not ignore what is currently going on on the stove, and start dunking your bread again. voila!

the art of canning.

i have always been a fan. i remember one summer my mom and me went gang busters on canning and had so much food on hand it was glorious - i am very partial to stacked shelves. mind you a lot of it was never eaten because even though everyone cans peaches does everyone eat canned peaches? we found out they do not. and yes it was fun making brandied cherries but they were never eaten either. the jams and pickles are what was devoured and i decided this summer i wanted to make some of the same.

for me it started with the bounty. i have been wanting to can for some years now but didn't have to proper equipment or really the motivation to invest in such equipment {i actually thought it was more expensive than the reality}. a friend had the fortunate experience of taking her family to disney world {dream moment} and she called me up and graciously asked me to raid her garden while she was away because everything was going to hit it's peak that week and she hated to see it go to waste. oh and could i pick her mail up for her to while i was there?.....no problem.

so being a good friend i did as i was told. you only have to ask me once if i would like to shop in your garden - home grown produce is becoming quite a favorite and i'm sad to say my garden didn't fair as well this year - next year will be mine to shine. upon arriving at her house i was under the impression i was going to grab a few tomatoes and maybe a cucumber or two, for a nice summer salad, seeing as this was her first year with her garden. was i wrong! we left stacked to the nines. we had a basket full of tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers and banana peppers. then and there i was bowled over with inspiration that i was going to put up all these lovely vegetables and enjoy them all year long.

from left to right: pickled banana peppers, tomato jam, salsa, pickled red onions, tomatoes, bread and butter cucumbers.

it was actually fun. well i find anything to do in the kitchen - even dishes now thanks to my new faucet!! hahaha. we scoured the internet, an old family cookbook that just landed in my possession {thank you mary for putting that together} and old stained recipe cards i had and got to work making our recipes. satisfied with our outcome, we went out and stocked up on jars, a pot and some spices and vinegars and this is some of what we got. yummy yummy yummy!

front: bread and butter pickled cucumbers. back: bread and butter pickled red onions.

bread and butter pickled cucumbers.

i love bread and butter pickles. always my pickle of choice. remember that question people always ask "if you were on a deserted island what three foods would you want there?" i always answered "crackers, herb pate ad sweet pickles." so it's fitting that we made this variety. i think i was the only 10 year old that answered that way. 

4 pounds field cucumbers
1 large onion sliced into rings
1/3 cup kosher salt
3 cups apple cider vinegar
1 1/12 cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground tumeric
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
6 cups ice cubes

slice all your field cucumber to desired thickness (1/8 inch slices is most common) and place in a large bowl or roasting pan. toss with the salt and onions; cover with the ice. cover it up and let sit for 4 hours or refrigerated overnight.

Prepare the boiling water bath. Add water to a large canner with rack and heat to about 180°. The water should be high enough to be at least 1 inch above the filled jars. Wash jars thoroughly and dump the jar and lids into the water till the water comes to desired temperature of 180. remove jars and place on a dish towel next to the stove - not directly on the counter or they could crack. keep the lid tops in the canner to keep them hot till use.

Drain the cucumber mixture. In a large pot (nonreactive) over medium heat, combine the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Add the drained cucumber mixture and bring to a boil. With a slotted spoon, loosely pack the vegetables in prepared jars. Ladle the liquid into jars, dividing evenly among the jars. With a clean damp cloth wipe away any drips around the rims of the jars then cover with 2-piece jar lids - now is when you pluck them from your water using tongs. Adjust the screw on rings firmly but do not over-tighten. Place filled in the prepared hot water bath, adding more hot water as needed to bring the water up to about 1 inch above the jars. Bring the water to a boil. Cover and continue boiling for 10 minutes. Lift the jars out of the water and place on a rack to cool.
Makes about 6 pints.

bread and butter pickled red onions.

i am an onion lover. maybe this comes from the fact that my dad alwys had a sprig of green onion on the side of his plate at meals or that they are know to cut the fat taste in meals. whatever it is i am sold. i am excited to crack these open on a cold winters day to enjoy with some local brie, grainy crackers and a glass of cold white wine or even with some holiday bubbly.

4 pounds red onions
1/3 cup kosher salt
3 cups apple cider vinegar
1 1/12 cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground tumeric
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
6 cups ice cubes

slice all your onions to desired thickness (1/8 inch slices is most common) and place in a large bowl or roasting pan. toss with the salt; cover with the ice. cover it up and let sit for 4 hours or refrigerated overnight.

Prepare the boiling water bath. Add water to a large canner with rack and heat to about 180°. The water should be high enough to be at least 1 inch above the filled jars. Wash jars thoroughly and dump the jar and lids into the water till the water comes to desired temperature of 180. remove jars and place on a dish towel next to the stove - not directly on the counter or they could crack. keep the lid tops in the canner to keep them hot till use.

Drain the onion mixture. In a large pot (nonreactive) over medium heat, combine the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Add the drained cucumber mixture and bring to a boil. With a slotted spoon, loosely pack the vegetables in prepared jars. Ladle the liquid into jars, dividing evenly among the jars. With a clean damp cloth wipe away any drips around the rims of the jars then cover with 2-piece jar lids - now is when you pluck them from your water using tongs. Adjust the screw on rings firmly but do not over-tighten. Place filled in the prepared hot water bath, adding more hot water as needed to bring the water up to about 1 inch above the jars. Bring the water to a boil. Cover and continue boiling for 10 minutes. Lift the jars out of the water and place on a rack to cool.
Makes about 6 pints.

my dirty little secret.

i have a secret. a dirty little secret. something i have not really announced to the world - have kept to myself - but some people have actually found out about and have decided to follow me around with it.

i spend my time doing it and am addicted. i really didn't need one more thing to take up my time on the computer, in my day. life - but how can you resist? i have my usual hit list and sometimes i find it trying to connect with those wonderful writers and creators on a daily basis but once i explored this world i could not resist throwing my hat in the ring and hoping, hoping for an invitation. a vip - if you will - into this addition. into this world of inspiration. it's one giant place that does not take up space in my house or computer that i can save and display all the lovely things in find in the giant world wide web that i want to stare at, savour, soak in the inspiration from and one day attempt. it's perfect and i love it.

it's called pinterest and i am an addict. hi my name is jen and i have been a pinterest addict for months now. i am coming clean. i love this site. love it. i have "pinned" my boards with ideas for the home or crafting and recipes to savour or for your sweet tooth generously offered by other members or have procured some of my own blog or while exploring the web.

i am excited to soon launch a series here on my site called the best of pinterest where i will do something that i have pinned and that has inspired me. sharing all my pinterest goodies!!

have you started "pinning"?

from the archives: sweet and spicy pork chops.

last night i made my signature pork chops. they are so good. spicy. sweet. moist and amazingly tasty. i decided then and there that these have to be shared with all of you. as i was writing my witty and humorous post to all of you in me head i realized that i had written about these beauties before. back at the beginning of the summer of 2009 i decided to start a blog in conjunction with starting my baking business. it chronicled our summer that year, the rise of our success at the farmer's market, the eventual decision to open a gourmet food shop out of said success, the growth and comedy styling's of our kids and the opening & running of our bakery. i sold the blog with our bakery as i had turned it into the website for the joint. the bakery is still running but they have let the blog go and i thought it was a shame because as it was filled with so many wonderful recipes as well as memories. so to right this wrong i have decided to dip into the archives and share these with you along with the thoughts, hopes and dreams of that times as well.  hope you enjoy. xoxo.

6.03.2009
on saturday's at the market my stall is across from gelderman farms. they are pig farmers here in the valley and sell all kinds of wonderful pork products. i got some beautiful chops from them today, jazzed them up with my recipe and oh yummy yummy yummy!!!we haven't had a lot of pork around here lately because of the husband's health and we have been craving them for a while. the chops were delicious. spicy, sweet, tender, white and juicy. just how we like them!

i marinated it earlier in the day {although all you need is 5 minutes for this recipe} and the husband grilled them. he mentioned a beer in hand would have made the whole experience a lot better!! {i'm still wondering why he didn't?} served with steamed asparagus and a side summer salad it was the perfect weekend dinner!

sweet and spicy pork chops

adapted from rachael ray.
*this can be used on pork roasts and tenderloins as well.

4 pork chops - standard size
3 tablespoons of montreal steak spice
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
**if you have a lime on hand the zest and juice of a lime adds something special to this.

add all ingredients to a baking pan big enough to hold the chops. mix together to form a paste like mix. add the chops. coat on one side with mix then flip to oat the other side. let sit for at least 5 minutes - longer if you wish. heat up the grill and toss them on!! depending on the thickness of your chops you are looking at about 15 to 20 minutes.

these can also be baked at 735 for about 35 minutes, depending on your oven. i always check them after 25 minutes to make sure. enjoy!!

**update: we enjoyed these last night with steamed brown rice and steamed broccoli but a coleslaw with toasted sesame dressing would have rounded these out quite nicely. these are perfect to serve all year round!!

at my fingertips.

chef. my word for 2011.

in keeping with that theme i have been reaching more and more for my recipe books but also learning to loosen up with them. colouring outside the lines. if i don't have an ingredient i swap it for another or leave it out. casual. or i search out something more suited to my ingredients i have on hand.

before i would have stressed out about not having it or bought a gallon of something to use one to two tablespoons. but now i use what i have or save it so i can grow what i need.
for this summer that's going to be the exciting part - i'm going to plant a cooks garden!

my favorite go to books right now are:

kitchen by michele cranston

i was lured to this particular cookbook by the cover. crisp. clean. loved the title. when i opened it i saw it was more of a cook's cookbook than anything else. showed a basic recipe then showcased the variations in the pages following. it's a british cookbook for they use words as rocket (arugula), capsicum (red peppers) and caster sugar (super fine white sugar). if you become familiar with these terms you should have no problem navigating your way through the pages and making an impression along the way.

barefoot contessa how easy is that?: fabulous recipes & easy tips
i got this cookbook for christmas from my sister and have been devouring it bit by bit. already completed quite a few recipes from it and have been very pleased with the results. some i'm not sure i'm ever going to try as i have issue with the amount of cream and salt she tends to use but other than a handful of recipes like that it is an amazing reference with meals for all occasions. favorites so far are jefferey's roast chicken, spaghetti algio e olio and the roasted prawns with feta. lots more on the agenda from this book - some have to wait for spring/summer to take advantage of the local crop. 

wish | market to table | a food & entertaining guide.

i plucked this beauty from the long table at costco that houses such gems. although not all the recipes are to my taste i found a go-to change-up muffin recipe that is flawless (post and recipe coming soon!) also there is a quick and easy chocolate cake recipe as well. great reference and well loved.


baked | the new frontiers in baking.
i was turned on to this book by my mother two summers ago and love it. but i have been a little reluctant to crack open the covers and use it properly as i had a rep to protect. why did i have such an ego on my shoulders?? i knew the results of the pumpkin chocolate chip loaf (which of course i have changed and made my own) were out of this world, brownies are the best (i made these three separate way to sell at the market and bakery - 15 kinds of wrong brownie 3 ways) and their chocolate chip cookie recipe was mine to the letter but i had not ventured to the other pages to experiment and to discover the inevitable. these boys can bake - possible better than me. there i said it. and yes, pride still in tact. i have decided to tackle one recipe a week from here - chronologically if possible - and hopefully make some of the recipes my own along the way. got to the sour lemon scones and maple pecan scones (posts coming) and we are hooked. chocolate cake, marble bundt cake muffins to follow. and i have to do something with all those lemons....
excellent reference, amazing recipes & bases. a bakers must have. 

my recipe book. my bible.

i think i would perish if anything happened to this book. it's my ultimate reference. between the covers are all my recipes from the bakery plus dozens more that are tested & loved and more that i am hoping to one day sample. they are hand written, printed pages or torn out magazine pages. this is where i go to for most meals and baking. the pages are stained and are covered in notes. i have another just like it and two ikea magazine holders filled with pages just like these waiting to get into a book to call their own. this spring they will finally have a home. and hopefully we will have some new favorites discovered from those pages.

rachael ray magazine

for years my little guilty pleasure & present to myself was a subscription to the rachael ray magazine. what a great little find here. filled with recipes to accommodate a wide range of palates and occasions. alot of our favorites have come from the pages of this magazines. also has tons party and decorating ideas. 


under the tuscan sun - frances mayes
this one is up here as it has been on my mind a lot lately. i have yet to cook anything from it but what it has to offer is pure delight and just pure ingredients - to create something magnificent from 3 things. i cracked it open the other day and perused the recipe section only to fall in love once again with the style, ingredients and i put a recipe on the menu for this week - ribilotta. the way in which she describes the scent & texture of the ingredients you can sense them leaping off the page at you and then when she gets down in to the business of the recipe you can smell it bubbling on the stove or taste the crispness in your mouth. i have a feeling that by the summer's end we will have enjoyed many a meal, numerous times, that have fallen from the pages of this book.


there you go - what i have been up to. hope i have helped you to discover a new taste, recipe or even passion - who knew you could bake so well if you don't try?!


ps - this is done purely by me for you. in no way was i sponsored or paid to deal out this info. these are all books from my personal collection. i just want to inspire happy cooks. would i have done this if i was paid to - yes. do i want to be paid to do this - hell yes. do you have a product you want featured and blogged about? contact me.

cooking: missing link.

While trolling the aisles of the local mega-center an old friend screamed at me from the shelf desperate to be plucked and become part of our pantry - pecans.

As I held the bag in my hand I envisioned all the wonderful dishes this could become a part of - but one stood out like a beacon in my mind. Something I have been wanting to try, just had to find the right moment.

I just found it.

What a discovery and what a taste sensation! Just the right balance of sweet and savory it filled the house with such an aroma I wanted to have them cooking there forever, or figure out how to bottle this scent and release it when one is feeling blue.

Although my kids came down and asked what the yucky smell was the husband came in intrigued about what the smell was. Definitely for the more grown up type.

They came and left in a flash and I have visions of the next batch dancing in my head.

Maybe today.....

Rosemary and Thyme Candied Pecans

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons cane sugar

1 teaspoon finely minced fresh thyme (dry okay, use same quantity)

1 teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary (dry okay, use same quantity)

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

Scant 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1 pound pecan halves

Fleur de sel or other sea salt, to finish (optional)

Preheat an oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Line a standard half sheet pan with parchment paper.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with the maple syrup and cane sugar. Once melted, remove from the heat and stir in the herbs, spices and salt.

Toss the pecans with the butter mixture in a large bowl, making sure to coat well. Spread nuts in a single layer on the prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven, turning half way, until the nuts are glazed and shiny with a deep golden colour, around 15/20 minutes. Upon removing from the oven, sprinkle lightly with fleur de sel if using and stir again.

Cool completely, then store in an airtight container.

Makes 1 pound.

**thank you to seven spoons and nigella for the introduction to these beauties. a friend forever was made here.