Tomato Tomäto

Donna Hay love

2012-02-10T00:08:00.000-05:00

I have a serious girl crush on Donna Hay. She's a legendary food stylist and magazine editor from Australia. Donna is a power house best selling author with 14 cook books under her belt with over 3 million copies sold worldwide. In 2011 she partnered with Royal Doulton to develop her own kitchenware line. She has also acted as one of the guest judges on MasterChef Australia one of my absolute favorite culinary shows (much better then it's American counterpart). In short I want to be her. Her simple recipes and elegant style is something any culinarian would be inspired by. I would absolutely die if I ever got to meet or work with her. Perhaps one day... a girl can dream right?

Vegetable chips - look good, taste bad!

2012-02-07T22:24:00.000-05:00

I wanted to share with you some insider information on a little place called John Vince foods. Describing it as little is a pretty BIG understatement. This place is like Bulk Barn on crack. There are literally rows and rows of vats filled with any dry good, nut, fruit, chocolate, candy, seasoning you can imagine. Actually they are kind of lacking in the seasoning department but only compared to an actual spice market. Upon my last visit to John Vince I laid my eyes on what looked like some seriously beautiful vegetable chips. After my taste buds further inspected them I found these stunning chips to taste more like putrid vile death. Like they were injected with food colouring or synthetic rubbish instead of natural sweet vegetable goodness. The entire bag of chips were pretty inedible except for the surprising bite of yumminess which came in the form of a lovely puffed garlic chip. These are deadly delicious and will definitely give you dragon breath - totally worth it though. If you find yourself at JVF anytime soon do yourself a favor and skip the mixed veg blend and go strait for those little garlicy puffs of heaven. Also avoid the chocolate covered raisins - they're kinda grainy and dry. Most of the other products I've tried have been great. The dried fruit are top notch especially the cranberries I tried the last time I was there. They were nothing like the ones you get at the grocery store which are almost impossible to differentiate next to a raisin or dried cherry. The next time you need to stock up on bulk goods give this place a try. The size of it is pretty mind blowing and they have great deals on the jumbo 3L olive oil tins and passata a must have in any Tomato Snob's pantry. Over all JVF gets four stars but sadly the vegetable chips only one. Chow for now!

Oh hello, remember me? Orange glazed tofu with Chinese broccoli & enoki mushrooms

2012-02-06T21:28:00.000-05:00

INGREDIENTS:

firm tofu

garlic

ginger

sesame oil

sunflower oil

brown rice

enoki mushrooms

tangerines

gai lan (Chinese broccoli)

Chinese 5 spice

cilantro

soy sauce

cayanne (optional)

black pepper

veg stock

star anise

Howdy all. I'm sure you've been wondering when I would come back with a new post. Unfortunately I'm still not feeling 100%, kinda run down and weak, but I just couldn't put you all though another Monday without a post. Today I'm going to keep it short and sweet since I don't really have a "recipe" for this dish. The dinner was really thrown together simply and ended up being delicious not to mention #healthy. Don't be intimidated by the long list of Asian ingredients - they really aren't that scary. They definitely inject a lot of pungent yumminess "umami" to this veganlicious dish.

BASIC METHODS:

For rice - 1 cup of rice to two cups of vegetable stock (or water). Add a 1 inch knob of ginger, a smashed clove of garlic, and star anise to the liquid plus a drizzle of sesame oil & soy sauce. Bring to a boil, then cover and lower the heat to medium (simmer) for 20 mins or until all the liquid has evaporated. Add some chopped cilantro to the rice before serving - if you're not a fan of cilantro mint or parsley will also work.

For the gai lan - "blanch & shock" bring a pot of salted water to a boil, cook the broccoli for 30- 45 seconds then straight into cold water. Then quick stir fry in a hot pan with sesame oil or cold infused olive oil.

For the mushrooms - sautée mushrooms in a small drizzle of oil for 2 mins then hit it with a splash of soy sauce.

For the tofu - slice tofu into two or three thinner slices and press between paper towel to remove the excess moisture. Dust each slice with Chinese 5 spice & salt. Bring a tbsp of sunflower oil with a drop of sesame oil to a high heat. Then fry the tofu until crispy on each side (about 2 mins), then squeeze the a tangerine's juice over to create the simple glaze.

I have faith that all you Tomato Snobs can handle these easy instructions. Chow for now. xo

A private visit from The Tomato Snob

2012-02-03T08:18:00.002-05:00

Hi Friends,

Just a quick post this a.mm to tell you about the awesome deal my company is running today on Living Social. We are offering for $75 dollars an in home cooking demo for two dinner included (or brunch). I wanted to let my readers know just in case any of you are interested. I'll also post the menu so can temp yourself. P.S. I'm finally starting to feel better so expect a post over the weekend. I'm thinking my ultimate gluten free breakfast muffins.

Chow for now. xo

a forced vacation in bed - not as sexy as it sounds

2012-01-30T22:49:00.000-05:00

Hi all. I'm going to keep it short as I promised my doctor I would do nothing but read trashy magazines, watch movies and rest. I have had a very rough weekend suffering from an awful ear infection. Today my chiropractor suggested that it seems my body is trying to force me into taking a much needed vacation. Too bad my body can't transport me to a tropical destination for this unplanned unwanted time off. For now it's just me my pillow and bottle of ciprofloxacin for the next week. Kinda wishing my hubs wasn't on a two week business trip in the UK. Anyhoo I just wanted to let you all know I should be back to blogging in a few days. Chow for now. xo

Purple potato salad

2012-01-25T21:40:00.002-05:00

After another round of fridge survivor (that's when you don't go grocery shopping and have to create a dish from the left over contents of your fridge) I created this colourful plate of deliciousness. I'm really pushing myself to write this post in an effort to get my mind off of my discomfort. The pain in my ear comes and goes and right now it's here with a vengeance. This damn ear infection better go away soon because I'm falling behind on this weeks to do list and I don't want to have to give up my weekend again. Oh well a Tomato Snobs gotta do what a Tomato Snobs gotta do! I have to say if I didn't care about my lovely readers I wouldn't bother writing this evening. Instead I'd curl up on the couch and watch "Touch" Keifer Southerland's new show that premiering right now - I pvr'ed it for later instead. I'm going to make this short and sweet. Purple potatoes make me happy! They have a stunning vibrant colour and subtle earthy sweetness. I think it's just more fun to eat colourful food. Doctors always say you should eat the rainbow and I'm pretty sure they aren't talking about skittles candy. This salad speaks to that concept in spades.

Purple Potato Salad

INGREDIENTS:

purple potatoes - boiled and chopped

green beans - blanched and chopped

radishes - chopped

marinated artichoke hearts - chopped

celery - chopped

cucumber - seeded and chopped

feta cheese - crumbled

orange - juiced

lemon - juiced

cold infused olive oil - for dressing

salt & pepper

PREP: Boil the potatoes until tender, let them sit in a colander above the boiling water so that the steam can allow any excess water to evaporate. Blanch (in salted water) and shock the green beans, then chop. Chop the remaining veg and toss in 2 tbs or so of the cold infused olive oil, citrus juices and season with s & p to taste. *If I had parsley, mint or I would have chopped some up and added it to the salad. Crumble feta on top and enjoy.

Chow for now.

Ear in F$%&Sh&$%!

2012-01-24T16:46:00.000-05:00

Today I'm thinking about silly wives tales. I woke up yesterday with pain in my ear, which I though may just be water trapped in there, since the last time it happened my Dr. told me that was probably the culprit. As the day went on the pain got worse and worse and I started to think maybe I have an ear infection. Part of me thought ear infection? No Way! That's the type of thing only little kids get. I would have done anything for some relief, so I started to look up home remedies. There were all sorts of suggestions including drizzling oil oil in the ear or placing a hot towel over a cup and placing it on the ear. Dropping more liquid into my ear just freaked me out so I settled for placing a clove of garlic in my ear which did relieve some of the pain - I will admit. Waking up this morning my pain was even worse. Thank goodness I made a Dr's appointment for first thing today. It was confirmed I indeed have an infection in my ear boo hoo hoo. The pain has been terrible all day. When I told my mother in law about my infection she said "did you go outside in the cold with out a jacket?" It kind of made me laugh as do most old wives tales. No I obviously did not go out in the Canadian winter with out a jacket. She did impart some good advise telling me that applying heat to the ear would help with the pain. She was sort of right. Although it does relieve some of the pain I'd still like to rip my head off. Please don't expect too much from this Tomato Snob for the next few days. If anyone has any other home remedies I'm all ears. Lol... Oy!

California Sandwich - chicken parm & raipini

2012-01-23T23:35:00.000-05:00

There are some pretty good sandwich spots in Toronto. Some of them pop up and are slammed for a few moths or so before becoming a desolate wasteland. Then there are others that a true urban tradition. Today I'm talking about California Sandwich - a legendary spot for Italian sandwiches.This delicious close up is of my chicken parm sandwich from the other day. The only thing better then a chicken parm sandwich is, a chicken parm sandwich with extra sauce and rapini. To tell you the truth California Sandwich isn't the absolute best, however it is sure to satisfy your sloppy sammy craving in desperate times. I will give the sandwich three starts out of five due to the fact that the chicken lacks in crispiness and is almost always soggy - the breading peels right off the chicken which is a sign that they might not be dredging properly. By this I refer to the assembly line process of dipping the flattened chicken breast into flour, then into egg and finally in marinated bread crumbs before taking a deep fry Jacuzzi in scolding hot oil. I will assume they are taking some short cuts to keep up with the demand for greasy goodness. Their bread could also be better i prefer a chewier crustier variety. Their sauce ie "gravy" as the Italians call it is top notch. After much finger licking and drinking directly from the tiny side order cup I will conclude that there are roasted jalapenos in this stunning concoction. The rapini was an excellent addition of garlicky bitter goodness. Never have I enjoyed a topping on this sandwich more. I'm not a fan of the hot pepper and onion mixture, nor the onion and mushroom offering. This place does have a cult like following. I am sure you will not be disappointed if the mood strokes you. I can not comment on any other dishes at this time since my knowledge is limited to this particular favorite. If I ever do try any of the other selections I will definitely keep you posted. Gnight!

End of the weekend blueberry loaf with meyer lemon glaze

2012-01-22T19:17:00.000-05:00

I hope you all had a great weekend, mine has been very relaxing spending time with my family for my dads 56th birthday. We had dinner at his place last night and I made a few dips and a blueberry loaf that caught my eye on one of my favorite blogs Eat Yourself Skinny. I promised a weekend post and I thought this blueberry loaf would be a wonderful treat - I made a few changes to the original recipe (Adapted from Joy of Baking) and the cake turned out splendid.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour - I used 1/2 stone ground whole wheat

1 tsp. baking powder

6 Tbsp salted butter, room temperature (if using unsalted butter add 1/4 tsp of salt)

3/4 cup organic demerara sugar (cane sugar)

2 large eggs - room temp.

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cardamom

2 meyer lemons - zested

1/2 cup light cream

1 cup fresh blueberries

FOR GLAZE: Just whisk the two together until smooth

about 3/4 cup confectioner's sugar

juice form 2 meyer lemons

PREP: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Grease a 8inch square pan. In a spouted large measuring cup combine sifted flour, baking powder, cardamom & salt. In a standing mixer or a large bowl with a hand mixer combine sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Then add the eggs one at a time followed by vanilla & lemon zest. Scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times while incorporating the flour and cream. You want to add 1/3 of the flour then 1/2 the cream and repeat by adding another 1/3 of the flour and the rest of the cream finishing with the flour. Then gently fold in blueberries.

BAKE: At 350 for 35 mins until slightly golden on top. Let the cake rest for 5 mins before removing from the pan, then drizzle with lemon glaze.

I hope you all enjoy this recipe as much I did. Chow for now. xo j.

Taboule with a Twist

2012-01-20T12:32:00.000-05:00

Taboule or tabouleh is a very traditional Middle Eastern salad. It's something I grew up eating and really love. Most of the time you see this being served along side a hummus plate or inside a shewarma sandwich. Traditionally taboule is made simply with bulgur, tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, mint/ parsley, and lemon. I've obviously put my own Tomato Snob twist on it by using arugula in place of the parsley. I also added radish which I love for their bitter crunch, I also used red onion instead of white. This salad is wonderful served along side my blackened salmon or any grilled meat. As I'm trying to eat healthier and get more vitamins I also blanched off and quick pan fried some kale in my cold infused olive oil (from yesterdays demo). Here's the taboule low down...

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup cooked bulgur - cook like rice: 1 cup dried bulgur to 1 3/5 cups liquid

2 handfuls of arugula - fine chop

1 clove garlic - minced

2 tomatoes - seeds removed & finely chopped

handful radishes - fine chop

1/2 red onion - fine chop

2 baby cucumbers - seeds removed & finely chopped

1 sprig of mint - fine chop

pinch salt & pepper

1 lemon - juiced

sumac - pinch

drizzle olive oil - infused oil works too!

PREP: Chop all ingredients, add lemon s&p, sumac and drizzle of oil. Toss and enjoy!

That's all folks... Happy Friday! Stay tuned for a special weekend post. I'm thinking a healthy baked good.

Ladies of Hadassah - Cooking Demo

2012-01-19T19:03:00.000-05:00

Hey yall. I just want to start out by welcoming some new readers to my blog. Last night my company The Fooding Co. conduced our first large cooking party. The party was hosted at my friend Sari's house who along with her awesome sister Alana. They are the baking babes from Cupcake Culture. I promised the ladies who attended that I would dedicate today's blog post to go over a few things form our demo. As my faithful readers - you'll also get to hear about what we did last night.

The topics were hot vs. cold olive oil infusions as well as amping up simple healthy snacks to make them appropriate for entertaining. On the menu was our signature herb popcorn an artsy goat cheese tray with roasted grapes and stunning edamame hummus all served with home made crostini and baked naan chips.

PART 1: Oil infusions : Hot vs. Cold

Popcorn - uses a hot oil infusion, which involves bringing olive oil to a boil (listen to the oil - it will speak to you by making snap and crackle noises) then turn the heat off and add dried herbs (Herb de Provence). By letting the herbs steep the oil becomes perfumed and more flavorful.

Crostini / Naan chips - uses cold olive oil infusion. This involves using dried or fresh herbs (bruise them by rubbing with your fingers) crushed garlic, lemon zest (peel w/ vegetable peel) etc. To crisp up bread toast at 350 degrees for about 5 mins per side (or until golden & crispy). * Last nights cold oil included 2 crushed garlic cloves, lemon zest, 2 juniper berries crushed, pinch of dried thyme, rosemary, oregano, red pepper flakes, pink peppercorn, & salt.

PART 2: Cheese Tray

Goat Cheese Truffles - break up goat cheese into small chunks, then roll each chunk into little balls / or take the entire log of goat cheese & mould into flattened sphere. Then roll cheese in your herbs or lemon/ orange zest. *Last nights herbs included herb de Provence, Meyer lemon zest, tangerine zest, grapefruit zest, black & white sesame seeds, thyme, pink pepper corn, chives, and caraway seed.

Roasted grapes - drizzle w cold infused oil & pinch of salt & pepper. Roast at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Red or purple grapes work best.

PART 3: Edamame hummus & crudite

Roasted garlic - Cut top off head of garlic season with oil pinch salt & pepper and enclose in tin foil package. Roast at 350 for 35 mins to an hour (check after 30 mins). You are looking for a over all golden colour and soft buttery texture.

Blanch & shock - Slightly salt water and bring to a boil. Cook 1/2 pack (about 1 1/2 - 2 cups edamame) for 2 minutes, then "shock" them in cold water (this halts the cooking process there for preserving nutrients and bright colour). This can be used with any vegetable!

1 can of chick peas - rinse (to remove excess starch & sodium). In a large tall plastic Tupperware add chick peas, edamame, garlic, drizzle of cold infused oil, lemon juice (1 lemon), pinch or two of cumin, sumac, salt & pepper and blend with immersion blender (hand blender) until smooth (add some of the blanching liquid if the mixture is too thick). *Serve with cut up vegetables crostini or baked chips.

Stay tuned for beet chips recipe next week on thefoodingco.com

2012-01-19T00:07:00.000-05:00

Sorry kiddies, no post for today. I have been a busy bee - no time for blogging. Tomorrow I'll have a special post from The Fooding Co. I did a food demo for about 25 women tonight and I promised I dedicate tomorrows blog to recap all the delicious thing we made. I promise I'll make up for the lost post over the weekend.
- chow for now

Twisted Tuesday - Not your average Mac & Cheese (Penis Pasta)

2012-01-17T21:56:00.000-05:00

Hello friends and complete strangers who read my blog. Today I'm quite tired and not really up to writing a long recipe post. A while back I wrote about throwing a Sexy Stagette well today I'm re-visiting one of the interesting menu items from the party. I know a bunch of you have been anxiously awaiting the photo of the infamous PENIS MAC & CHEESE. From the naked eye can not distinguish the uniqueness of this nontraditional pasta shape, but if you look closely you can see the pasta's are indeed in the shape of teeny weeny peeny's. You can find these HIGHlarious pastas at your local sex shop or buy online .

Sharing is caring - Cold weather Metabolism boosters

2012-01-16T18:58:00.000-05:00

I know it can be difficult to get your metabolism going when it's cold and cranky outside. I found this article and thought you would all appreciate it. There are some easy healthful things you can do to improve your ability to burn calories. Including:

1. Eat a hot breakfast - Oatmeal is full of fiber and will keep you feeling satisfied until lunch. I like to grate 1/2 an apple into mine with a scoop of almond butter & a sprinkle of cinnamon.

2. Get your Zzzzz's - listen to your body. Use your weekend to catch up on sleep, but try to get at least 7 hours a night. Not getting enough sleep will effect your ability to burn sugar.

3. Something about dropping a gym work out for an out door activity - I will not give this one any insight since I hate all winter sports unless they involve discount shopping. The point is more to switch up your workouts so they don't get boring.

4. Increase your water intake. Since it's more dry in the winter our bodies require more water to keep moist literally! Your skin will be less likely to crack and chap if you add an extra glass a day.

5. Lay off the booze - a direct link from drinking more water. This is kinda of a no brainer since alcohol dehydrates you. If you didn't know that before, well now you do! If you love to drink have one glass of water in between each alcoholic beverage to prevent dehydrating - I'm a former lush so I know how to trick the system.

6. Make your own kale chips - something I tried Saturday night after feeling like crapola all day from a cold. Kale is a wonder food filled with enough fiber to keep you pooping regularly (yes I said poop!), tons of vitamin C which is supposedly a necessary nutrient to keep your metabolism going strong. As well it contains calcium and a bunch of other stuff that's god for you. Kale chips are ridiculously simple. Tear washed (and dried) leaves into bite size pieces, toss with olive oil s & p then bake on tray at 350 for about 10 mins. That's it!

7. Eat rye (not drink rye). Aside from the fiber content there is no real science behind this one but a bunch of Swedish people swear when they eat dark rye bread they feel less hungry then eating light wheat bread. I just like the taste and texture of rye bread.

8. Take fish oil supplement. Eating fish is just a healthy protein to eat. For those of you who don't like fish take an Alaskan fish oil pill. These are packed with omega 3's known for their mood boosting power. Maybe if you are in a better mood you'll be more likely to follow the rest of these tips. Who knows. I actually started taking this supplement as it's also supposed to be good for skin problems and I suffer from psoriasis.

9. Do a spin class. This one can be called do any work out where you sweat your ass off, but do it! You don't have to spin. Some people say that it hurts their man/lady parts. You can buy a pair of padded shorts if you like, but the point of this really is to just do an intense work out. When you work out you don't just burn calories while you are working out. You continue to burn well after you are fast asleep that night. #Bonus.

10. Eat starchy stuff like beans, grains and potatoes. That goes out to all the carbaphobes. Your body needs these things to feel full, which is probably because these things are filled with fiber and help to rev your body into fat burning mode.

Hope you enjoyed my cheat notes now I'm off to the gym - go me!

How a logo goes a long way - My best friends wedding

2012-01-14T15:33:00.000-05:00

Hi guys. I'm feeling a little under the weather yet again today - perhaps I should have taken my Dr. up on that flu shot she offered me a few months back. Either way I wanted to leave you with a photo of a beautiful cake. It was a super moist and yummy banana cake with butter cream - just to set the mood for you. As some of you may or may not know, I'm a graphic artist. I designed this wedding monogram for my dear friends Haley and Pablo, and they used it as a design element on their delicious and stunning wedding cake, or should I say Haley's mom did.

This wedding logo/ monogram is a perfect example of how something so simple can really carry the decor of your event. One simple design element can become the vision and focus for all your decor, then everything else becomes cake - ha! The wedding was stunning with white flowers consisting of hydrangeas, orchids and calla lilies. Lucite Versailles chairs with silver accents on the table and candles. It really was the epitome of simple and elegant. I would show you photos, but I would have to check with the bride who is currently on her 3 week honeymoon in Thailand - lucky bitch.

Anyways below is my inspiration board for the wedding monogram and invitation. I find that it's always useful to find visual design cues to help in your own creative conception process. This is my first step in designing, or decorating. I hope you all have a great rest of your wintry weekend. Chow for now!

North African sausage dish with local fingerlings & crispy onions

2012-01-12T15:06:00.000-05:00

This recipe couldn't be easier. It's a bit of a cheat seeing as that I'm not grinding and casing my own sausages but I am roasting my own potats and crunchifying my own onions so I still see this as my own winning combination. Merguez sausage is traditionally a lamb or beef fresh sausage originating from North Africa but commonly enjoyed in the Middle East and Europe as well. This smokey spicy meat is packed with flavors like cumin, sumac, fennel, garlic, harissa and paprika which gives the merguez it's distinct red hue.

I'm completely mad about Moroccan flavors. They are so complex and interesting they really dance on your tongue. Since marrying a man who family is from Tangiers (Spanish Morocco) I've become quite good at preparing his favorite Moroccan meals. This dish really takes him back to his childhood and the memories of his grandmothers traditional cooking. There is actually quite a large Moroccan community in Toronto so you would think there would be some great Moroccan restaurants, however there are none. The famous Sultans Tent restaurant is pretty much a joke - only good for the decor and entertainment provided by the scantily clad belly dancers. Go for drinks and skip the food if you are tempted to go.

I have discovered two great places to buy pre-made merguez. Hartman's a kosher prepared foods spot who's merguez are slightly greasier but damn tasty - and kosher if you're into that type of thing. Or my ultimate favorite grocery store Fiesta Farms who's merguez are deep red and bursting with paprika and spicy goodness.

Another component to this recipe is the ras el hanout rubbed fingerling potatoes. These are to dye for! Ras el hanout is another wonderful flavor combination that comes from North Africa. I'll do a proper spice lesson on it in another post. All you need to know for now is that you can mix up your own or purchase a tried and tested blend from Williams Sonoma in a pinch.

Merguez with Ras el Hanout fingerling potatoes & crispy fried onions

INGREDIENTS:

Merguez sausage - pan fried

2 cookin onions - halved and thinly sliced

2 handfuls of fingerling potatoes - these were red skin yellow flesh cut into 4

ras el hanout - a few pinches

4 sprigs of thyme

1 tsp olive oil - to start the onions off frying

PREP:Slice onions and potatoes. Pre heat eat oven at 350 - toss potatoes with spices and a small amount of olive oil and begin to roast for 35 mins.
COOK: Then in a cast iron pan (preferably) sauté onions & thyme in a small amount of olive oil until translucent -then add them to the potatoes. Add the merguez to the hot pan to sear - brown on all sides, then add the onions & potatoes to the merguez and continue to bake in the oven for another 20-25 mins. Until the potatoes are crisp, merguez are succulent and onions are crispy. Remove thyme before serving.

Chow for now!

Grilled cheese or grilled sleaze

2012-01-11T19:13:00.000-05:00

There's nothing like trendy food that lures you in with the promise of gooey cheesy deliciousness then rapes your wallet and leaves you feeling gassy and bloated. I haven't tried the new Toronto lukewarm warm spot Cheesewerks and I'm actually not sure that I will. I read a review by BlogTo yesterday and there were a lot of hater comments about this place - I can't blame them! Most of these grilled cheese sandwiches are hovering at the $10 mark. I'm sure their bread is fluffy the cheesy is salty and satisfying but there are a whole lot of better ways to spend ten dollars on then bread and cheese. This shop also charges .75 cents for a side of specialty ketchup - sacrilege! They probably just dress up some Heinz with siracha and black pepper and call it a day. Their house made sodas at $3 a pop (no pun intended) which seems steep seeing that sodas are made from sugar and water. What really surprises me is that this place doesn't even have the courtesy of posting the prices on their website - I guess they don't want to scare anyone off. I'm really curious to know how much a dill pickle cost. What do you guys think? Am I being a judgmental hater or should I swallow my pride have a business meeting there and write off my overpriced cheese sandwich?

* side note - rumor has it Montfort Diary has a stall in the Live Local Marketplace at Scadding Court Community Centre just up the street. They have their own artisan grilled cheese sandwiches that are half the price and the ketchup is free!

Easy Oven Naan after a 2 hour dough nap

2012-01-10T19:03:00.000-05:00

A few weeks back I conquered baking naan for the first time. My hubs just loooves Indian food and since I pretty much decide what we get to eat for dinner every night, I figured it would only be right to attempt a few of his favorite things. I served this along side my pitiful attempt at saag paneer which I will not be posting a recipe for any time soon. In all honesty it tasted ok - hubs was a happy camper, but it really was not up to my Tomato Snob standards. Perhaps after a few more tries I'll be closer to channeling my inner Padma Lakshmi. As for the naan the recipe it's super straight forward. The bread is delicious and leftovers were awesome two days later slathered in cheese, sliced tomatoes and more leftover tapenade - YAY.

Easy oven naan

INGREDIENTS: Yields 8 flat breads

1 1/2 tsps dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 1/2 tsps cane sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour or stone ground whole wheat
1 tsp salt
6 tbss ghee - melted & cooled
3 tbs yogurt - I used low fat
3 tsp toasted cumin seeds (optional)

PREP: Combine water, yeast & sugar and let set until frothy (about 10 mins). Sift flour & salt into a large bowl, 3 tbs of the ghee, yogurt as well as the yeast mixture. Mix through with your fingers until the dough comes together and transfer to a clean floured surface to kneed. Kneed the dough until smooth and elastic (about 10 mins). Add a few drops of oil to a clean bowl place the dough in and cover to rest for 1.5 to two hours. Punch down and kneed for another 10 mins. Divide dough into 8 balls, then flatten out (about 1/2 inch thick) onto an oil foil lined baking sheet - you can use a rolling pin if it's easier. Brush the naan with more ghee and sprinkle with toasted cumin seeds.

BAKE: Pre heat at 400. Then bake naan until puffy and golden. About 10 mins.

Mmmm Meatless Monday - Parsley carbonara & looking new

2012-01-09T18:01:00.000-05:00

If you haven't heard about it before you've been living under a rock. Meatless Mondays is a nation wide campaign to get people to go meatless at least once a week. This beautiful parsley carbonara is an excellent way to enjoy a meatless meal in a flash. The sauce is basically an herb aoli that cooks when it hits the hot pasta.You'll also notice over the next few weeks I'll be playing around with the look of my posts. A new year, a new blogger interface and some new Tomato Snob tricks. PS. I'm also going to be investing in a digital SLR since I love design, photography and lets face it my current point and shoot is a total joke. Stay tuned for exciting new stuff! xo

Parsley Carbonara with macaroni & red bird chilies

INGREDIENTS: serves 4

box of macaroni pasta - or other

red bird chilies - optional

garlic clove - minced

2 egg yolks

2 tsp dijon mustard

2tsp lemon juice

1 cup olive oil

parsley - large handful chopped

1 cup pecorino romano - grated

s & p - to taste

PREP: The "sauce" combine garlic, egg, mustard, lemon juice, parsley in a blender (or immersion blender) slowly drizzle in oil to emulsify.

COOK: Boil pasta in salted water - add the sauce to the pasta as soon as it's al dente making sure some of the starchy pasta water gets added along as well. Toss with chilies, cheese s&p. DONE!

Happy Saturday and Broccoli spinach soup with feta & herbs

2012-01-07T10:44:00.000-05:00

UPDATE: I'm so excited that this recipe has been featured on foodbuzz.com #healthbuzz.

Since it's the new year and I'm trying to break a bunch of bad habits I've decided to publish a post today, since I missed yesterdays. If you haven't noticed I try to post 5 days a week usually Monday - Friday. So today I'm waking up and treating you all to a healthy soup recipe on this lovely Saturday. I say lovely because it's January and it's about 5 degrees and sunny out side - this is not typical of a Canadian winter. I hope it's not because the world is coming to an end and this is the calm before the storm - I kid. Anyways here's a healthy soup recipe that's packed with vitamin C, calcium and some other good stuff. You'll need a blender or immersion blender for this silky soup!

INGREDIENTS: Broccoli and spinach soup with feta & herbs (any herbs you like)
head of broccoli - medium chopped & blanched
2 -3 handfuls spinach - fresh or frozen (1/2 pack)
1 onion - chopped
2 garlic cloves - chopped
4 sprigs of thyme - chopped
red chili flakes - a pinch (optional)
1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp cumin
2-3 cups water or stock
1 cup milk/ cream
1 tbs butter
1tbs olive oil
s&p - to taste
feta cheese - crumbled for garnish
mint/ parsley - for garnish

PREP: In a pot of salted boiling water blanch your broccoli for 30-45 seconds - then put it straight into very cold water to halt the cooking process. Rough chop all other ingredients.
COOK: In a large pot sauté onion and garlic in butter, olive oil, thyme, cumin & chili until translucent. Then add your stock to heat through. Once the stock is hot toss in your spinach, broccoli, pinch of s & p. When spinach has wilted you can remove from the heat and blend until smooth. Return soup to the pot (not on the heat) add the milk or cream by whisking, then add your nutmeg. To re heat do so on low - you do not want to bring to the boil.
SERVE: With crumbled feta chopped mint or parsley.

The dual of crostini - tapenade vs. artichoke bruschetta

2012-01-05T09:17:00.000-05:00

As per yesterdays post I will absolutely be provide the "recipe" for my mixed olive tapenade. These are two wonderful ways to top a crostini for a fabulous cocktail party. They also make delicious additions to celery ribs, sandwiches and are especially amazing when added to an omelet for a huge flavor punch! I served these at an event a while back and people were just flipping for the bruschetta. A break from the traditional will always impress a crowd.

If you're like me you respect recipes; love to read them, sometimes follow them, will even share them with your friends, but rarely do you NEED them to prepare something in your comfort zone. When i'm grooving and cooking - not baking, just straight up throwing together a dish I can't be stifled by following directions, measuring, processing what happens next. If you're a seasoned enough cook you know there's a rhythm that just happens when you are making something with ingredients you love. These two dishes are the prefect examples. Your taste might be a little more of this and a little less of that. You really can't screw these up too bad. Unless your taste buds are shit and you have never tasted these flavors before. I have full confidence in my fabulous readers and your ability to make these dishes and make them delicious!

For the Olive Tempanade - use olives you like & do not add salt to this!

INGREDIENTS:

bitter crushed green olives - pitted (small amount)

black sun dried Moroccan olives - pitted (mall amount)

straight up large marinated briny green olives - any variety (majority)

black kalamata olives - pitted (medium amount)

garlic - crushed (few cloves)

red pepper flakes - optional (pinch)

lemon - juice and zest

anchovy paste (2tbs) or two - three filets

capers - optional (small amount if any)

small bunch parsley

black pepper - pinch

drizzle of olive oil - for good measure

PREP: In a food processor pulse everything until desired texture - mine was super fine chopped (almost smooth). If you like more garlic add more... this goes for all ingredients. Let your favorite olive variety be the most prominent or the one you have the most of. Other herbs can be substituted such as rosemary or thyme. Just make sure all the olives are pitted or your going to have some issues.

For the Artichoke bruschetta

INGREDIENTS:

Marinated or canned artichokes - the ones in a jar from Costco are actually amazing

roasted red peppers - you can find them pre roasted at antipasto bars, canned or jarred

roasted garlic (a few cloves) - if you have the time if not raw will do - just use less!

lemon - juice & zest

parsley - large handful

thyme - optional dry or fresh

pinch of s & p

drizzle of evoo

COOK: To roast garlic, slice the tips of the tops off (that's right!) drizzle with evoo s & p, wrap in tin foil and roast at 350 until golden and tender (about 40-50 mins). If you are roasting your own peppers and have a gas stove awesome - char those babies right on the gas until blackened, then place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap until cool. Peel off the skins and then marinate with s & p, evoo, thyme, lemon juice, red pepper flakes a splash of vinegar, pin of oregano etc... make them taste good, damn it! If you are using pre marinated peppers, re purpose them by placing them on a baking tray and roast them further for another 20 mins or so (at 350).

PREP: Thinly slice the roasted red pepper. Then in a food processor pulse the remaining ingredients - this should remain quite chunky.

Enjoy!

Fougasse with olive tepenade, rosemary and lemon

2012-01-04T12:43:00.000-05:00

I love olives! Black, green stuffed, spiced sun dried - you name it, I like them all. What better way to show my love of olives then to make an olive bread. This recipe is adapted from Laura Calder's Fougasse recipe from her show "French Food at Home". Fougasse is a bread typically associated with being from Provence that is shaped like a ear of wheat or in this case a leaf. Like versions of this bread can be found in many parts of southern Europe including Spain, Italy, and Portugal although it is most commonly seen with olives or cheese in France. This version can be regarded as a primitive pizza sans tomato sauce, very texturally similar to a focaccia.

Fougasse is a beautiful centerpiece because of its shape and lovely sheen. You can omit the olives if you don't like them, you can also use sun dried tomatoes, fresh herbs, or lemon zest. I actually had some extra tapenade which is what I used to flavor my whole wheat version. I'm of the mindset that if I'm baking bread at home it has to be whole wheat!

INGREDIENTS: Fougasse with tepenade, rosemary and lemon
2 2/3 cups sifted stone ground whole wheat flour
1 tsp dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 eggs - room temp.
1 tsp salt
2 tbs evoo (extra virgin olive oil)
2 tbs dried rosemary
1/2 cup mixed olive tepenade - recipe to follow

PREP: In a glass measuring cup (or small bowl) add yeast to warm water, stir and let sit for 10 mins - until it starts to foam. Then place sifted flour in a large bowl and create a well for the eggs, salt, rosemary and oil. Break the eggs with your fingers, and slightly start to combine the ingredients in the well - then add your yeast mixture and begin to incorporate the flour. Once it all starts to come together add the olive mixture and begin kneading the dough. When the mixture starts pulling away from the bowl transfer to a clean floured surface and kneed until smooth (about 8 mins). Then place in a lightly oiled bowl cover and let rise in a warm place for an hour.
- Punch down the dough and kneed again for 5 mins, and shape into a tear drop. Place some flour or cornmeal on a baking sheet and place the dough on top. Cut six slits in the dough to resemble a leaf cover and let rest for another 30-45 mins.
-Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Egg wash the top of the bread and bake until golden - about 25 mins.

Detoxing for the food obsessed

2012-01-03T15:44:00.000-05:00

Yesterday on twitter there was much talk about the best way to do a cleanse. My advice straight from my fabulous doctor - Dr. Marla Shapiro recommends simply staying away from heavy dairy, eliminating yeast or fermented products, increasing water, fiber from whole grains, fruits and veg obviously and limiting your intake of fatty meat such as beef, lamb and going for lean protein like fish, chicken and turkey. Nuts and seeds are great too and an excellent source of healthy fat. I remember years ago I did a master cleanse - you wouldn't believe what I put myself through for six weeks. Just to give you an idea it involved eating only seeds, nuts and veggies, and drinking clay, psyllium husk and castor oil three times a day. To say the experience was hell is a complete understatement. Giving your body a cleanse is a great idea, but it needs to be assessable and somewhat satisfying. Leave it to Bon Appetit online to publish an amazing two week planned cleanse to make things easy. Remember to stock up on the thing on your safe list, and designate time on weekends and after work to prep so you don't find your self in the take out line at McDonald's if you forget your healthy snacks. Check out the wicked Food Lovers Cleanse and start the new year off right. * With any cleanse or new regime your body will react in some way. Expect to feel low energy or tired at first, you're body is detoxing from processed foods, or sugar so don't push yourself. You may also get headaches at first. You'll find by the end of the week to have more energy and begin to feel great!

In 2012 I resolve ...

2012-01-02T10:28:00.000-05:00

Good Monday! I hope everyone had a wonderful new years. I know my trip out to Plantagenet was great. It was pretty cool being in the middle of nowhere surrounded by trees, snow and some close friends. I'm excited to begin this year with a positive attitude and optimistic outlook that there will be great things to come.

Does anyone still make new years resolutions? My husband and I have decided that we would focus on getting back in shape - eak getting married has been good for our hearts but not for our figures. Obviously being an excellent chef and obsessed with cooking doesn't help, but getting back into a hard core gym routing surely will. We will also continue to work hard at our new business to make them successful. Big congratulations to my husband on his T.V. show "The Rugby League Show" being renewed for three years. I have resolved to be more patient with the people I love. Another thing I'm thinking about doing is going gluten free for a while. I'll keep you in the loop and let you know my plan of action and my reasons for going that rout. I guess one thing at a time, baby steps right. Step one work out - here we go...

Montreal Nostalgia - Tony Bourdain Layover Episode 6

2011-12-29T17:13:00.000-05:00

A friend sent me this and I couldn't resist sharing. You all know how much I love Montreal, well Anthony "Tony" Bourdain depicts the city at it's best on his show Layover. Check it out.

Fairwell 2011. Hello 2012 - TFCo. preview

2011-12-29T12:41:00.000-05:00

http://thefoodingco.com/menus/

I just wanted to wish you all a happy and healthy new year. I also want to thank you for your continued support and love! Looking forward to exciting new culinary adventures to come in the new year. I have a few tricks up my sleeve - so stay tuned for some January surprises.

I'm heading up to a little town called Plantagenet to spent my new year with my husbands cousin and some friends. I've never been to this part of Ontario and I'm looking forward to fresh winter air, snow, bbqing and a fireplace. I'll be bringing a bunch of cozy comfy clothes, a cooler filled with delicious goods and a big bottle of champagne. I'm hoping to do all the cooking and let everyone else do the dishes!

My weekend menu plan begins with burger & bbq chicken night for tomorrow. Saturday morning mini tortilla with chorizo, fruit salad with yogurt and granola. Broccoli mac and cheese for lunch with salad & pomegranate vinaigrette. Then beef bourguignon with haricot vert tumble and crispy shallots for NY dinner. Definitely going to do a cheese plate for dessert perfect for sipping champagne, wine and ring in a new year. For Sunday brunch I have a french toast loaf - also known as bread pudding with bacon and eggs and then we get back on the road back to Toronto and 2012. What are you all doing?

Enjoy your countdown. Chow for now.
- xo Jaime

Not exactly a trip to China

2011-12-28T17:36:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone had a magical holiday. I've been spending lots of time hanging out and catching up with family. Doing some boxing week shopping yesterday with my dad and step mom to close up my wedding registry. It was an adventure to say the least since pretty much everything on my registry was discontinued, and I had to choose all new items. I was super sad to say goodbye to the china I chose seen here. The green and gold Martha Stewart pattern I was just in love with couldn't be found anywhere in Canada or the US. I was determine to keep the coral appetizer/dessert plate and we were on a mission to find something that would be prefect with it. I'm a huge fan of the mix and match look so I didn't want to settle on one pattern. After five hours and way too much money that I care to admit I finally found the perfect accompaniment to the Cristobal coral plates. The new pattern I chose is called Dynasty by Wedgewood and it nicely compliment the coral plates I originally fell in love with. Sorry no pictures of the two patterns together. I can't wait for my March delivery. Now all I need is a proper dining table, chairs, table cloth, and silverware. Oh ya and a house too! Bahahaha... it just never ends. Hopefullyone day in 2012.

Mull some holiday spirit into your beverages

2011-12-24T13:42:00.000-05:00

Mulled wine or cider is a classic for Christmas. It's warm and inviting and filled with beautiful spices and Christmas spirit. Here are some tips for concocting a delicious Holiday beverage.

Choose a semi sweet wine - if you aren't sure what the sweetness of a wine is check the label or sign next to the wine 0-4 is the scoring system 0 being the most dry and 4 being the most sweet. You can always add sweetness but you can't take it away! Honey is the perfect sweetener for this drink.
A delicious beverage filled with holiday flare

Use a vegetable peeler on your lemons and oranges to add to the simmering liquid.

Do not boil! Heat your beverage on a low simmer for 15-20 mins to infuse all the flavors.

Use whole spices... cinnamon, cardamom, star anise and cloves are lovely.

Bonus - your house will smell like the holidays for hours!

Merry Christmas!

Holiday Pumpkin gingerbread

2011-12-22T10:33:00.000-05:00

If you're like me you think fruitcake is an excellent way to ruin perfectly good fruit and sometimes nuts. This Pumpkin gingerbread is moist, delicious and would make a wonderful addition to your Christmas or Chanukah meal. I like to serve this bread at the beginning of dinner with a nice soup or salad and use 1/2 a cup of sugar, but you can definitely serve it for dessert and use 3/4 cup for a sweeter bread. The bread is very easy to make so do ahead and make a double batch. Give one as a gift or put it in the freezer for another time. If you want to make this more like a fruit cake add golden raisins, or chopped apricots to the batter. Oh ya and the bread is pretty healthy too because you're using whole wheat instead of white flour. You'll never buy fruit cake again!

INGREDIENTS:

DRY:
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour (pastry or stone ground)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
2 pieces of grated candied ginger (optional)

WET:
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1/2 – 3/4 cup cane or demerara sugar {depending on how sweet you like
2 tbs sunflower oil (or veg oil) {you can also use melted butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
* crushed nuts or whole pumpkin seeds (optional) for the top of the bread - I used chopped almonds, but you can use anything!

BAKE: Pre heat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan with PAM cooking spray. Whisk dry ingredients, and wet ingredients separately, then fold the wet into the dry – do not over “mix”. Bake for 50-55 mins. *Test batter with a tooth pick to make sure it comes out dry. Leave the bread in the loaf pan for 10 mins after removing from the oven, then let cool for another 10-15 mins before you dig in.

Blueberry white chocolate drop biscuits with concord grape coulis and vanilla ice cream

2011-12-21T19:04:00.000-05:00

This is one seriously delicious dessert! The last time I made it I took it to a friends house and it blew everyones socks off. Well not literally. The concord grape coulis is to die for. I used it for weeks on everything from peanut butter sandwiches, to yogurt even in salad dressing and it elevated each dish to entirely new heights. Next fall I'm going to make a freezer full of the stuff to last the entire winter.
INGREDIENTS:
For the biscuits:
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 cup chopped good quality cold white chocolate
4 oz chopped ice cold butter
1 large egg
2 cups all purpose unbleached flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cardamom

1 lemon zested
3/4 cup butter milk
1/3 cup cane sugar
1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Method: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, salt and sugar. Then incorporate the butter by rubbing between your fingers, until the mixture resemble large crumbs. You can also pulse gently in a Cuisinart. In another bowl, whisk buttermilk, egg, vanilla, and lemon zest and then add to the flour mixture. Fold the mixture just to incorporate, handle the dough as little as possible - to not melt the butter. Coat the blueberries and chocolate in flour before adding them to the batter, then pat everything into biscuit shape and drop on to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with buttermilk, egg wash or melted butter before placing in the oven. Bake for 15 - 20 mins until slightly golden and firm to the touch. Serve biscuits warm.

For the Concord grape coulis: 1 pint of washed concord grapes

drizzle olive oil
1-2 tbs cane sugar - depending on how sweet/ sour the grapes are
2 tbsp pectin
pinch of salt

pinch of clove

Method: Heat your oven to 350 degrees F.

On a parchment lined baking sheet place grapes with a drizzle of olive oil and pinch of salt. Bake for 5-8 mins, until the grapes blister. Transfer grapes to a sieve over a sauce pan and squish the liquid out of the grapes, discard the seeds and skin. Then bring the mixture to a boil with sugar, and whisk in pectin. Continue to boil for 2 mins then turn off the heat and let cool at room temp. Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks. Serve cold for best flavor.

Serve: Scoop of vanilla ice cream (would also work with almond or maple) in a small bowl then place the warm biscuit on top with a generous drizzle of the grape coulis. Bonne appetit!

Who doesn't love Pierogi? Peeling back my Polish roots with this delicious dumpling

2011-12-20T16:41:00.000-05:00

Potato pierogis (perogies) are definitely one of those ubiquitous bites. They appear on menus from fine dining establishments with uber chic presentation and posh ingredients like white truffles, all the way down to the humble menu at Swiss Chalet. For me perogies are just a part of my cultural makeup. My grandmother is from Poland - yes she's the same grandmother who refuses to throw anything out from the post "Taste this ______ I think it's gone bad". Ever since I was a little girl I can remember perogies being present at Friday night dinners at my grandparents house. My grandmother would always serve them along side rice and peas. Not a traditional Polish paring but my grandfather is Jamaican so we always had an interesting combination of dishes at our dinner table. For years my grandmother has had us all fooled. We thought every Thursday night she would make her perogies from scratch but she really just popped by Regina's a Jewish food emporium specializing in Eastern European delights. In all fairness those perogies are pretty damn flawless - and I'm positive Regina or who ever else works in that kitchen isn't cutting any corners. For my perogies I used dumpling wrappers to save some time, but it"s easy to make your own dough. You must, must, must serve these with sour cream with chives, and caramelized onions.
INGREDIENTS:
Yukon gold potatoes - peeled and boiled
butter
garlic (optional) - boil with the potatoes (1 clove for every 2 potatoes)
s & p
milk - splash
water - for assembly
onions - to be caramelized
chive - for garnish
sour cream - for serving
lemon zest - (optional) for sour cream
dumpling or wanton wrappers - I used the round ones

For mash potato:

COOK: In a pot with cold water, add potatoes and garlic. Bring to the boil and let simmer until potatoes are fork tender. Using a ricer or a hand masher mash your potatoes with a few spoonfuls of butter, splash of milk and s & p to taste. Let cool before assembling your dumplings. You can make this a day in advance.

FILL: Set up an assembly line with water, mashed potato and wrappers. Use a demitasse spoon (small spoon) for measuring how much filling. Place the filling on the wrapper - then seal them closed with water. Refrigerate, or freeze on a flat tray if you will be making the perogies later

COOK: You can boil the perogies in salted water until they float, then pan fry in butter, or you can double whammy them. This means keep a lid and a water squirt bottle close by. Start off by frying the perogie in a little oil/ butter then squirt a little water in the pan, and place a tight fitting lid on so its fry/ steams them at the same time. Cook until crisped on the edges, about a minute or two.

My Fritatta Love Affair Continues With Basil, Sun-dried Tomatoes & Feta cheese

2011-12-15T14:34:00.000-05:00

For years frittata has been one of my absolute favorite egg dishes. I love eggs! They are one of the most versatile ingredients that can completely transform any dish. They are also a staple in almost every cuisine world wide. I just don't get people who don't get eggs. This fritatta uses chewy sun dried tomatoes, creamy feta cheese, sweet caramelized onions and punchy fresh basil. A gorgeous way to start off your day. You can prep everything the night before if you don't have a lot of time in the am.
INGREDIENTS:
eggs (4-5 for 2 people) - whisked
crumbled feta cheese
fresh basil - thinly sliced
sun dried tomatoes - thinly sliced
Spanish onion - thinly sliced & caramelized
butter
s & p

COOK: Pre heat your oven to 350 degrees. Then start off by heating a tbs of olive oil and sautéed onion on medium - low heat until golden (about 20 mins). While onions are cooking thinly slice the rest of the ingredients. Whisk eggs and add everything together. Continue whisking while adding the onions. Add a pinch of s & p. Add some butter to your "onion pan" and heat again on medium high before adding egg mixture. Cook on the stove for 2 mins. Add some more crumbled feta on top before baking in the oven. Bake until slightly golden (about 10 mins).
SERVE: with toast!

Neglectful Nancy and a fabulous French oven from Le Cruset

2011-12-14T19:02:00.000-05:00

Hi Snoblettes. Sorry for the lack of a post yesterday I was feeling a bit under the weather. Today I'm super excited to finally be able to brag about my brand new Le Cruset 6.75 quart French oven. I bought the oval shape in ocean - seen here. I know I'm being a very spoiled and bratty Tomato Snob this evening by bragging, but I've been waiting for this day for quite some time. I traded in all my gifts from my bridal registry to save up for this beauty and have patiently waited for Williams Sonoma's 25% off sale. Today is the day I'll finally be able to enjoy cooking with French porcelain finished cast iron perfection for the rest of my life. Note to WS fans all over Canada and the US the 25% off sale is on until Sunday,* all cookware is included. Happy Holiday shopping to all!

Throwing a sexy stagette party with big boobie cupcakes

2011-12-12T16:54:00.000-05:00

Today I'm going talking about the importance of "committing" to your theme when throwing a special party. Last week I mentioned the stagette party I catered for my girlfriend Haley. Since we weren't going to do the cheesy girls night out, there had to be some kooky elements to our girls night in. I thought it would be fun to carry the naughty theme through the entire party. One of the party guests had emailed me to ask if she could bake something for dessert that night. I told her we were thinking of doing something risque like a penis cake or boobie cupcakes. She said she had never done anything like that before, but was definitely up for the challenge of the cupcakes. As you can see, she did an amazing job. These are red velvet cupcakes with marshmallow fondant boobies on top. They were certainly a hilarious addition following the penis pasta mac and cheese or the hot & sweaty Moroccan meatballs. Wah wah wahhhhh...

The best chicken thighs ever with frijoles negros and watermelon salsa

2011-12-09T11:21:00.000-05:00

All I can say is this is one delicious dish! I made extra of the watermelon salsa added some chopped heart of palm and ate it the next day with some Spanish spiced shrimps and It was equally as delicious. For those of you who do not like the fresh wonderful flavors from Mexico and the Caribbean please do not continue reading.

INGREDIENTS:
chicken thighs (skinless boneless)
black beans (canned)
1/2 baby seedless watermelon - chopped
1 ripe avocados - chopped
4-6 celery sprigs - chopped
2 small cloves of garlic - separated and minced
2 limes - juiced
paprika
cumin
tajin spice & Miguelito Chamoy
cayenne pepper
s & p

FOR THE CHICKEN: Rub both sides of the chicken with a generous amount of tajin, Miguelito and a pinch of cumin. Pre heat your oven to 300, as well heat a pan (preferably cast iron) with some oil to brown each side of the chicken, then place in the oven for. Total cooking time about 7-10 mins, until perfectly juicy and bursting with flavor.

FOR THE BANS: Heat a small amount of oil on a medium heat, in a small pot, then add 1 clove of the minced garlic. After a minute or so add the whole can, liquid and all of black beans. Add 2 pinches of paprika, cumin and depending on how spicy you like it a pinch of cayenne pepper. Let simmer on medium low until dinner is ready - add a splash of water if mixture becomes too thick. Squeeze 1/2 lime juice right before serving and mix through.

FOR THE SALSA: Chop all ingredients, add 1 small clove of minced garlic and the rest of the lime juice toss and serve. If I had mint or cilantro I would have chopped some up and added to the salsa.

Blackened salmon sandwich with avocado and wilted spinach

2011-12-07T22:10:00.000-05:00

Good evening all. This is a wonderfully healthy and filling sandwich perfect for a busy day or a quick and easy dinner. You can make the salmon ahead of time and serve cold or have it hot off the grill. I've used my Lebanese garlic sauce as one of the spreads on the sandwich instead of mayo, but you can use any spread you like. If you're not watching your calories I suggest adding a few crisp slices of bacon, which is the only thing that could possibly make this sandwich any better then it already is.

INGREDIENTS:
avocado - sliced
baby spinach
blackening seasoning *
dijon mustard
s&p

For seasoning: I used Chef Paul Prudhomme blackened red fish seasoning. If you are mixing your own try this blend:

2 tbs smoked paprika
4 tbs dried thyme
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbs brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 tsp black cracked pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp nutmeg

For the Salmon: Sprinkle generously with seasoning as well as a pinch of salt and pre heat your oven to 350. Heat a cast iron skillet with tbs of olive or vegetable oil. When skillet is hot place the salmon skin side down (if you like crispy skin) let it cook as medium high until the edges have the light pink colour (cooked colour) then carefully flip and allow to cook for another minute - then transfer to the oven for another few minutes. When the fish releases a white fluid it's done. From start to finish this should only take about 15 minutes for medium done succulent fillet.

For the spinach: Gently heat a pan with a small drizzle of olive oil. Place a bunch of spinach in and a splash of water and a pinch of s&p - the spinach will cook down in the blink of an eye. As soon as it wilts remove from the hot pan or you will destroy too many of the wonderful nutrients spinach contains.

Tuesday Foodie

2011-12-06T12:19:00.000-05:00

Good morning, I thought I would wait until Tuesday to tell you all about this cool discount dining campaign hitting Toronto this January. It's called Tuesday Foodie and I've been asked to be involved as a Toronto food blogger, as well my new company The Fooding Co. has recently become a participant. How it works: Tuesday are notoriously slow in the restaurant business, so the Tuesday Foodie allows restaurants to offer 30% off your meal every Tuesday at participating restaurants. There are 20 restaurants involved so you can pretty much try them all. There are some stipulations including only the card holder can get the discount, and the discount is only applicable on food ie. no alcohol. It seems like a pretty cool idea, and there are definitely some interesting sounding restaurants on the list. I'll be receiving my discount card in the mail this week and will keep you informed with my findings. If you are interested in purchasing the Tuesday Foodie card get it now 71% ($20) off on wagjag for the next two days.

Are you a Fan?

2011-12-06T01:05:00.000-05:00

Hi all. I know some of you check updates through my facebook group, or blog loving or you just stop by and check me out here. Today I'm asking for a favor. I'm hoping those of you who enjoy reading this blog will come on board and "like" my new Tomato Snob fan page on facebook. Yes I know I already have a group - but I've decided to switch it over to a fan page to better help me branch out and grow my Tomato Snobbing vines. Please like me @ I'm a fan of The Tomato Snob or you can click the like button that has been added to my side bar - took me all bloody day to figure out how to install it for blogger.
Thanks a bunch!
- Jaime

Dinner bread

2011-12-02T10:39:00.000-05:00

Baking bread is my newest obsession! Recently I've become curious about the practice of kneading and proofing and all the steps associated with bread making. Practicing the virtue of patience is key in learning to become a great bread baker. Bread usually needs to rise twice before sending off into the oven. This bread is probably one of the easiest since I've seen recipes that can take up to 4 days - sour dough being one of them. I infused this bread with dried herbs to impart a nice aroma. I also used 1/2 whole wheat flour to add some fiber and nutrients. If you've never baked bread before you will feel enormously accomplished when these beautifully baked loaves come out of the oven. You can use any herbs you like for this recipe. The bread has a lovely focaccia like texture and works well with aromatic herbs. I reinforced the flavor by serving with herb infused olive oil and flaked salt - my husband went crazy for this recipe.

6 cups all purpose flour (3 unbleached white/ 3 whole wheat)
2 tsp salt
2 tsp herb de provence
2 1/4 cups warm water
2 1/4 tsp dry yeast
4 tsp sugar
3 tbs soft butter - divided into 1tbs each

In two separate bowls: Dry and Wet
Dry - mix flour, salt and herbs (use about 1/2 cup of this flour for the work surface)
Wet - whisk water yeast and sugar and let sit for 5-10 mins (let the yeast foam)

Slowly combine the wet ingredients in to the dry, add 1 tbs butter. When dough begins to come together empty on to floured surface. Kneed bread for 8 - 10 mins until smooth. Then place in a clean oiled bowl cover, set in a warm place and let rise for 1 hour.

Punch down the dough then kneed for another 5 minutes... divide into two and shape into loaves. Place on greased baking sheet and cover - allow to raise for another hour. Before you bake drag a knife down the center of the bread and drizzle with butter. Then bake for 40-45 mins at 350.

Farmers Market Basket of Fruit & Veg

2011-12-01T12:53:00.000-05:00

I have the best sister in the entire world! Whenever her and her boyfriend go to the farmers markets up north they always bring me fresh fruit and veg. My SiSi as I call her is also a serious Tomato Snob, with the diploma from The Culinary Institute of Ontario to prove it. This photo is the last package I received from her. How thoughtful is this beautiful basket of carrots, parsnips, beets, shallots, pears and apples. Obviously I put all these goodies to excellent use.
Heres a thought, next time you get invited to dinner at a foodies house bring them a basket of fresh local fruit and veg. Everyone always brings a bottle of wine as the host/ hostess gift - not that there's anything wrong with that, but a basket like this would really stand out.

All time favorites - Grilled Cheese & Creamy Tomato Soup

2011-11-30T15:49:00.000-05:00

Who doesn't love a gooey grilled cheese sandwich served alongside velvety tomato soup? These two are the ultimate comfort duo for kids of all ages. I always feel my guests excitement when I tell them their all time favorite combination is being served. Such a perfect pair was the only way to start off my best friend Haley's staguette party, I catered a few months back. Haley loves comfort food and I knew she would be thrilled to have a smorgasbord of all her favorite delights at her pre wedding soiree. I'll post the rest of the menu another time cause I know you're curious to know how you could follow up with such a strong opening act - but I did! Just as a teaser I'll tell you there was Moroccan meatballs, mac and cheese, mini spanakopita quiche and more...

Creamy Tomato Soup (adapted from Chuck Hughes) INGREDIENTS:
about 4 cups fresh tomatoes (vine ripe are best) - chopped
2 cloves of garlic - chopped
1 cooking onion - chopped
2 tbs butter
1tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
parmesan rind (optional)
2-3 tbs brown sugar
1/2 cup butter milk
1/2 cup water
drizzle olive oil
s & p - to taste

COOK: Sautee onion and garlic in 1 tbs butter and olive oil until translucent, then add in tomatoes, thyme, sugar, salt and pepper. Continue to cook for another 5 min then add in water and parmesan rind - simmer for 25 - 30 mins. Discard the rind and blend the soup until smooth. Then strain through sive to remove the seeds and skins. Transfer back to a clean pot (keep off the heat) whisk in rest of the butter & buttermilk.
SERVE: For me the only way to serve this soup is alongside an old school grilled cheese sandwich. In other words butter slathered, grilled in panini press, orange cheddar cheese oozing off the sides. It's the simplest things in life that are always the most rewarding...right?

oo-MAH-mee or Umami

2011-11-29T11:29:00.000-05:00

About a week ago my husband (Eric) and I were watching the Food Network when the word umami was mentioned. This was something Eric had never heard before and a concept he just can't seem to wrap his head around. Everyday he's asked another of our friends and family if they know about umami, and if so they can explain it in their own words.

Here's the deal on umami. In 1908 a Tokyo Imperial University researcher identified this fifth taste and called it Umami. Umami has no exact word to translate into the English language, which is perhaps why Eric has had such difficult time understanding what makes something umami. Kikunae Ikeda determine that this new taste could be created by adding glutamic acid (glutimate) and thus MSG (commonly found in Asian food) was developed. This intensifies sweet and salty flavors to balance out the sour and bitter.

In the Eastern world when something is describes as umami it usually means it possesses a savory or delicious quality, which makes us want to eat more of it. It's almost the combination of all the flavor together that produce this fifth sense. It's really more of a sensation than a definitive taste. Things that can be describes as umami include anchovies, aged cheese, fish sauce, cured meats, wine and mushrooms.

Additional umami rich foods:

Worcestershire Sauce
Sauerkraut
Beer
Red Wine
Pickled herring
Broths and stocks
Roquefort cheese
Corn
Potatoes
Asparagus
Ketchup

Sharon Tyler Herbst & Ron Herbst, The Deluxe Food Lover's Companion: (New York: Barron's, 2009) 449

Just a few great ingredients - Basil Frico (parmesan crisp)

2011-11-28T10:57:00.000-05:00

Many culinarians have said it before - just a few good quality ingredients will make something delicious. These basil frico's are the perfect example. There are only two ingredients in these, well three if you add cracked black pepper and they really couldn't be easier to make. Frico is Italian for "little trifles", and come from the Friuli region. They're made from simply fine grating parmesan, then spooning on to a non stick surface and baking until bubbly and golden. Different cheeses can be use including pecorino romano, asiago, or chedder. Frico's are lovely as a garnish for soups and salads or perfect for a super quick hors d'œuvre. This version adds delicious aromatic basil that has been thinly sliced (chiffonade) and presents as a beautiful green ribbon through out the lacy cheese crisp. Try serving these at your next cocktail party and prepare to wow your gusts.

Kitchen Safety - Grease Fires

2011-11-25T10:43:00.000-05:00

My dad recently sent me this video about kitchen safety. I couldn't watch the video for some reason, but I'm pretty sure this is the one he had sent. I figured that it was definitely something that I should be writing about since some people still don't know what to do in the case of a grease fire. I was actually watching some cupcake show on the Food Network yesterday when one of the women on the show was faced with this very common kitchen issue. She nearly blew up the sound stage which to say the least meant she didn't handle the situation very well. Fire safety is pretty simple since there are really only TWO safe ways to put out a grease fire. The one thing you must always remember NEVER PUT WATER ON THE FIRE - I'm capitalizing the important stuff in case some of you are skimming over this post. Water can produce an explosive reaction which can be deadly. Baking flour or powder can produce a similar reaction - DO NOT TRY THIS PLEASE! A fire extinguisher is too powerful and can cause the grease to splash, it also doesn't have a cooling agent so fires can start up again after you think the flame has been extinguished.

The only way to safely stop a grease fire is to ...

1. Place the metal lid on the pan or pot.
2. Run a kitchen towel under water - then wring it out and place over the flame.
3. * not as safe * sprinkling baking soda over the flame to extinguish

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T10:36:00.000-05:00

I just couldn't resist! Found this image months ago and I've been patiently waiting to share it. Wishing all my American friends and family a very happy Thanksgiving. In honor of Yankee Turkey day I'll be roasting a giant turkey breast for dinner with garlic mashed potatoes, pan gravy and roasted cranberries. Sorry no stuffing... perhaps a sweet biscuit for dessert.

I'm wondering what you'll all be eating at your dinners. If you have a chance an you want to share please let me know what's on the menu at your celebration.

Cranberry & walnut bread pudding with dried cherries - Perfect for Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T12:42:00.000-05:00

Since I totally missed the boat on Canadian Thanksgiving I figured it was only right to mention Thanksgiving since my American friends will be celebrating tomorrow. Thanksgiving is one of my absolute favorite fooding holidays. A few weeks back I came home form work with some left over brioche ends that were destined for the garbage. I couldn't bear the thought of throwing away such beautiful homemade bread so one of the chefs said I could go ahead and take it home. My tummy was grumbling with excitement. I had just bought fresh cranberries and I knew I had eggs and cream in the fridge - a recipe started to build in my brain. I had never made bread pudding but I knew it couldn't be too difficult because it's basically just a french toast casserole. I consulted a few recipes on Epicurious to get a better idea of how many eggs to bread ratio. I'm pretty positive if you left out the sugar and added a sauteed onion and some fresh thyme, lardon, salt and pepper this would make an equally as delicious savory version.
INGREDIENTS:
4 cups brioche - ripped into pieces
5 eggs - whisked
2 cups light cream
1tsp cardamom
1 lemon zested
1tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup cane sugar
1/3 cup butter chopped
about 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
about 1/2 cup dried cherries
about 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
pinch of salt
COOK: Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk eggs, cream, sugar, spices and zest. Add all dry ingredients together in a 9 inch (greased) loaf pan then pour in the wet. Drop the cubed butter all over the top and sprinkle with a little more sugar. Let stand for about 20 minutes then bake for 40.
SERVE: I served as a dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and concord grape sauce. You can serve this along side your turkey and the rest of the fixings.
* If you want to freeze for a later date bake with out the butter and sugar. Let the loaf come to room temp - add the butter and sugar on cover with foil or plastic wrap and place in the freezer. When you are ready to use - refrigerate over night then let stand at room temp for about an hour before re-heating at 250 for 30- 45 mins.

Kombucha - healthy tea or a refreshing glass of rotten champagne ?

2011-11-22T10:42:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I had my very first experience with Kombucha - a fermented tea beverage that's naturally effervescent. My first impression of this strange tasting beverage was that I wasn't sure If I liked the taste of it, or was grossed out. The only thing I can compare the flavor to is rotten champagne with a mild vinegar aroma- sounds appetizing huh? It's definitely an acquired taste to say the least.
I've since become totally obsessed with the drink since it's low in calories, and supposedly detoxifies the body and contains a plethora of other health benefits to boot. Kombucha is nothing new, it has been used all over Asia and Europe since the 19th century. Only recently has it become a trendy beverage in heath food stores across North America.
It's kind of an expensive habit to get into most stores retail a bottle for 3+ dollars. To keep the cost down you can always brew it yourself. Although the process seems even more gross then the initial flavor of the tea. Basically you ferment a solid mass of yeast called the mushroom or mother for a month or so. The mass takes the shape of the container it's fermented in and is said to have a leathery calamari type texture. Ewww... When brewing your own Kombucha you must be very careful to keep everything clean and properly sealed to prevent mold. For now I'll just buy mine in the refrigerator section at Lady York and call it my guilty pleasure!

Winning.... Versatile Blogger Awards

2011-11-18T17:45:00.000-05:00

Good Friday my friends. This week has just been bursting with positive energy and love. My event Tuesday was a big success! People were raving about our food which was such fabulous news. I'm still beaming from the excitement As well the other day I was awarded the Versatile Blogger award from a very special and faithful reader named Julie - her blog is called Burnt Carrots and I'm also a big fan ;) Thank you Julie for this honor.

The Versatile Blogger awards is a wonderful example of how the food blogging community really supports and encourages each other. We are all obviously inspired by similar things and each others way of presenting those things becomes a fresh way for us to see a topic from someone else's perspective.

I'm truly honored and thrilled to be the recipient of such an award. It's so nice to be recognized by your peers. Especially by peers who only know you by your work. As an artists we always critique works by saying "it really speaks for itself" This idea really resonates within the concept of a blogging award that aims to pay it forward.

Like winning Miss America or valedictorian, there are some things required by the recipient of the award. The Versatile Blogger asks for three in no particular order.

Admit 7 things about yourself that many people do not know
Pass on the award to 15 other food blogger (making sure to provide a link so others can find them too)
Thank the person who gave you the award.

1. I'm actually a visual artist - classically trained with a Fine Arts degree from Concordia University with a Master in Painting.

2. I'm highly allergic to cats however I can't bear to live with one or two furry friends in my home.

3. Totally addicted to reality tv. The Real housewives of anything, Survivor, and obviously anything on The Food Network.

4. I take a cooking class in every Country that I visit
5. A psychic once told me I'd be famous some day... I really want to be a brand! Books, shows, products you name it.
6. Being naked is one of my favorite past times - if you've ever gone on vacation with me you know this.

7. I direct a National Canadian sports show called The Rugby League Show on SportsNetworld

Now on to the 15 blogs I'd like to pass the award on to ... In no particular order

1. Teri & Jenny from Spoon Fork Bacon - http://spoonforkbacon.com/

2. Hanna from Honey & Jam - http://www.honeyandjam.com

3. Eden from Eden Eats - http://edeneats.tumblr.com/

4. Tami from Running with Tweezers - http://www.runningwithtweezers.com/about/

5. Tina from Flourtrader - http://flourtrader.blogspot.com/

6. Clair at The Realistic Nutritionist - http://nutritionfor.us/

7. Mike from The Culinary Lens - http://www.theculinarylens.com/

8. Jill from Fat Girl in a Little Coat - http://fat-girlinalittlecoat.blogspot.com/

9. Erin from Dinners, Dishes and Desserts - http://dinnersdishesanddesserts.blogspot.com/

10. S.V. from Sweet lil Piggy - http://sweetlilpiggy.blogspot.com/

11. Emma from The Marion House Book - http://www.themarionhousebook.com/

12. Lindsey from - http://lindselicious.blogspot.com

13. Nicole from La Buena Vida http://nicolefranzen.blogspot.com

14. Liza from Nolachef - http://nolachef.wordpress.com/

15. Kelly form Eat Yourself Skinny - http://www.eat-yourself-skinny.com/

There you have it folks. Have a delicious weekend! xo

Signiture Herbed Popcorn recipe by The Fooding Co.

2011-11-17T09:36:00.000-05:00

In an effort to establish some signature party elements it's good to have some sort of go to dish or offering for your guests. In launching The Fooding Co. We decided we wanted to do something everyone would remember and be able to take with them at the end of the night. I thought developing a signature popcorn would be the perfect way to accomplish this. I was right, it was a huge hit. People went crazy for our herbed popcorn.

Here's the low down...

INGREDIENTS:
Organic yellow kernel popcorn
canola + extra virgin olive oil
salt
herb de provence - rough grind the herbs or buy a pre made blend

3 Tablespoons dried thyme
3 Tablespoons dried savory
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried lavender
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

*If popping from scratch:
{ Per cup of un-popped kernels use 2 tbs of oil (1tsp canola + 1tsp of olive oil) Heat oil in a large pot. Drop in one kernel to test the oil, If the oil starts to fry the kernel (little bubbles begin to form around it) drop in all of the remaining kernels and place the lid on the pot. Once the popcorn starts popping lower the heat slightly and shake the pot for a few seconds. Continue until you hear the popping begin to slow down, then turn the heat off. To finish the popcorn add a pinch of salt and herb blend and toss the popcorn for even distribution.

*If using pre popped corn: In a small pot bring 1/2 cup of olive oil to “boil” As soon as you see a tiny bubble or heat a snap turn the heat off and drop in 1 tsp of salt and 2 tbs of herb blend. Let the flavor of the herbs infuse in the oil for a few minutes before drizzling on the popcorn (use a small amount first and then add more if needed) – then toss everything together.

BREAKING NEWS

2011-11-14T23:22:00.000-05:00

Hello my faithful fellow Tomato Snobs. I hope everyone had a great weekend! Mine has been very busy trying to get everything together for the official launch or birth of my new baby "The Fooding Co."
This has really been a year in the making and I'm so proud and excited to tell you all about it. Tomorrow The Fooding Co. will be making it's first appearance on the Toronto social scene. I'm catering my friend Nicole's (from NEXT Image Consulting) event called Fashion Flip. This event has a great cause, which is to raise money and awareness for Sheena's Place.

Over the last few years I have had a bunch of friends and family tell me that they would really love to learn how to cook. Some of those friends have even gone out and taken cooking lessons, but there is always the same problem in the end. When they return home to try and replicate what it is they've learned, they fall flat. Watching someone cook if you're a beginner doesn't always translate to learning how to use those methods in your own kitchen. I've seen this as an opportunity to create something new. The Fooding Co. offers in home cooking demos with topics that will be interesting and inspiring. Using ingredients you love with an emphasis on seasonal and local menus. My goal is to teach you how to gain confidence in your kitchen without relying on confusing recipes.

If you're in Toronto please come check it out - I'm offering a $30.00 introductory class.

In addition The Fooding Co. will also offer catering, personal chef services, and prepared food delivery.

The necessity of eating

2011-11-10T16:51:00.000-05:00

Most food blogs plan what they are going to write about. They spend hours writing recipes, chopping dicing and photographing to get their readers a beautiful plate of food porn. I will admit I'm guilty of this from time to time, but I mostly blog and photograph what I'm having for dinner. Sometimes us food bloggers forget food is eaten out of necessity! Yes it can obviously be enjoyed but do we really always need to obsess over what's for dinner? This modest plate of food came from just that - necessity. I happened to be starving and needed to full my body with some nutrients. It most certainly wasn't the most delicious of blog worthy meal, but a necessary meal none the less.

Rice bran pasta with cherry tomatoes, white beans, peas, chopped arugula and marinated artichoke with a simple olive oil garlic dressing and a splash of white balsamic vinegar. I got everything my body needed protein, fiber, carbs, vitamins and colourful veg. I guess a thrown together meal like this really illustrates the importance of having a decent pantry and fresh (or frozen) veg on hand.

Pulled chicken tostada with chopped salsa fresca & avocado salad

2011-11-08T20:20:00.000-05:00

I'm just crazy about Mexican food! I visit Mexico as often as I can, which usually translates to once a year if I'm lucky. Truth be told I'd move there in a second if life permitted. This dinner was created they way all great dinners are created - from a combinations of leftovers and things that needed to be used before they started to go bad. As you know I always have my Mexican must have spices on hand to transform simple fresh (or not so fresh) ingredients into a delicious fiesta of the mouth. There's really no recipe for this meal, i'll simply explain my method and if you have similar ingredients you can create your own version of this delightful dish.

PULLED CHICKEN -
I poached two bone in chicken breasts and added a couple chipotles in adobo sauce to the poaching broth. (They are spicy so only use 1 if you don't love spice). They add a nice acidity and smoky flavor to the chicken. Let chicken rest for a few minutes before pulling or shredding off the bone.
BLACK BEANS - In a small pot simmer black beans (canned with liquid) with 1 crushed garlic clove, tsp cumin, paprika, tajin spice, and pinch of cayenne pepper (optional). Let cook for 15 mins or so and squeeze juice from 1 or 2 limes before serving.
TOSTADA - Follow directions on the box of Harina PAN (pre-ccoked white corn meal). Divide into small balls - then flatten those balls into tostada shape. To cook heat a skillet with a small amount of vegetable oil and/or butter and fry on each side until golden.
CHOPPED SALSA FRESCA - Chop cucumber, tomatoes, onion, avocado, and cilantro or mint. Squeeze fresh lime juice and sprinkle with tajin spice, Miguelito Chamoy and a pinch of salt.

How to make vegetable soups - By MARK BITTMAN

2011-11-07T12:18:00.000-05:00

My father in-law sent me this awesome recipe how to by Mark Bittman on how to easily cook vegetarian soups with out a rigid recipe. I'm a firm believer in that as well - I rarely follow recipes when creating one of my most beloved bowls of deliciousness . With a few good ingredients and a lot of love any soup will become a wonderful accomplishment.

Bittman breaks it down in four categories.

1. Creamy
2. Brothy
3. Earthy
4. Hearty

1- Creamy soups consist of pureed veg with addition of some butter and other dairy (milk, cream or yogurt).

2- Brothy soups start with a strained veg stock and other quick cooked veg added.

3- Earthy soups contain beans and lentils.

4- Hearty soups build layers of flavor by sautéeing first.

You can take any of these soups from vegetarian to meaty wonders by using a chicken, veal or beef stock or by adding cooked shredded protein at the end. In my opinion heart soups would contain beans and or lentils and earthy would contain roasted root veg, but I wouldn't argue with Mark he's a foodie literary legend!

* FROM TOP TO BOTTOM:
Creamy Spinach, Squash and Ginger, Curried Cauliflower, Bean Soup, Chickpea & Pasta, Spicy Black Bean, Minestrone, Mushroom and Tomato Garlic.

Best underrated show on the Food Network - Food Safari

2011-11-03T11:57:00.000-04:00

Food Safari is one of my absolute favorite shows on the Food Network. The host Maeve O'Meara is an award winning television presenter and is also the author of the Food Lovers' Guide to Australia, Better Homes and Gardens, SBS Eating Guides to Sydney and Melbourne. Her show investigates the many cultures and exotic cuisines that Australia has to offer. Each episode focuses on a certain type of cuisine following professional chefs and families deeply rooted in their culinary traditions. Maeve has serious foodie appeal! She's wonderfully engaging, extremely knowledgeable and presents the information in a very friendly manor. Her quirky style and personable approach makes this show a must watch for the culinary community.

Maeve has said "Many of the chefs and cooks appearing are my old friends, so as a viewer you feel like you get a kiss on both cheeks too as you pull up a chair to learn some great recipes and tips." I couldn't agree more. Since the majority of the guests share their most loved family recipes, we as the viewer really feel part of the culinary experience.

In Canada Food Safari airs at 5:30 EST, and unfortunately it doesn't air repeats like some of the other shows. Keep your eyes peeled and your PVR set!

Petite beef crostini with Béarnaise aoli

2011-11-02T18:18:00.000-04:00

Over the next few days I'm going to post some photos from the events I've worked on over the last month. Unfortunately I only have a few photos since my phone likes to die just as I'm pressing the camera option. Either that or I never charge my phone fully enough, then I make the mistake of calling my aunt on my way to work - she just loooves to talk. Anyhoo this petite bite is quite simple and has wonderful flavor. You can make most of the components in advance and serve at room temperature, which makes this a great hors d'oeuvre for a cocktail party. By sing a béarnaise aoli (mayonnaise) instead of more traditional sauce this dish is become super simple, and accessible to any level cook. Your guests will absolutely love this delicious dish.
PREP & ASSEMBLE:
- Grill your choice of beef with s&p (fillet or flank works well) until medium rare. Let the meat rest and thinly slice. If cooking ahead of time pack up the meat with the released juices. Do not serve straight from the refrigerator! The meat has to come to room temp or slightly warm so the fat isn't hard and waxy.
- You can make your own mayo or use store bought (about 1 cup). Whisk in 4tbs warm (not hot) melted butter (sweat 2 shallots in the butter first) and a splash of tarragon vinegar then add finely chopped shallots, julienned tarragon, chopped chervil (optional) season with a pinch of s&p.
- thinly slice baguette drizzle with evoo s&p and lightly toast.
SERVE: You can serve this app at room temp or slightly warmed. Spread a generous amount of aoli on the toast, then gently drape the meat on top. I would garnish with a tarragon or chervil leaf for a lovely presentation.

I'm not lovin it! McRib more like McNasty

2011-11-01T18:03:00.000-04:00

I just read an interesting tidbit on fitperez.com. It seems like it's that time of the year again for some of you. I'm only mentioning this because I saw a few people on fb talking about how excited they were for the annual return of the McRib sandwich. Personally I've never tried the sandwich, and I don't usually eat McDonalds unless it's 3am and I'm completely wasted, or the day after i've been completely wasted and I need a greasy hangover cure. There isn't enough vodka in the world that would to get me to the point that I would ever order a McRib sandwich over a cheeseburger happy meal. The point of this story is that at McDonalds you really never know what extra ingredients you're going to get in your meal. The McRib not only contains the majority of your daily value in sodium, it's also packed full of Azodicarbonamide usually used to make yoga mats and running shoes. This unique ingredient had been banned from food production in Europe and Australia, I wonder if it's only in America that this asthma causing additive is part of one of the most popular seasonal menu items. If you like digesting harmful chemicals then i'm sure you'll enjoy a McRib sandwich at a McDonalds near you for a limited time!

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T14:12:00.000-04:00

Good afternoon all. Today is the day that candy starved cherry Tomato Snobs dress in crazy costumes and go wild for scary tricks and sweet treats. Happy Halloween! This past weekend my husband an I got together with our good friends Haley and Pablo to have our first ever pumpkin carving party. It was such a blast! I wish I had the photos to show you how well we all did on our pumpkins. I'd bug Haley to send them but she's getting married Saturday and I know how stressful wedding week can be, so I'll just wait to post those pics at a later date. Today I'll leave you with a real freaky photo. A few weeks back I was asked to pull the meat off two suckling pigs. Not really the most glamorous way to start my day but perfect for a freaky Halloween post. I'm a huge fan of pulled pork sandwiches, however after this experience I'm not sure i'll ever be able to look at pulled pork the same way again.

I wish everyone a safe and fun Halloween tonight! Remember to check your candy and make sure nothing looks like it's been tampered with.

Blue cheese love

2011-10-28T15:48:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday fellow Tomato Snobs. I wanted to share something cute with you before saying goodbye for the weekend. Last week I was working alongside another chef who was making an appetizer with blue cheese, fresh figs and prosciutto. She asked if I was a fan of blue cheese and I replied with "I do not love moldy cheese" a few minutes later she came over to my work space and announced "you may not love blue cheese, but It sure loves you". I smiled politely since I had no idea what she was talking about, until I looked down and saw a little crumble of blue cheese in her hand. Within the crumble of stinky molded cheese appeared a little blue heart. How adorable!

White bean and chicken chili

2011-10-27T23:13:00.000-04:00

If yesterday you were thinking; Damn! I wish Jaime would have posted the recipe for that chicken chili she served the corn bread with, well your prayers have been answered. This was one of those thrown together, whatever's left in the fridge chili's and It honestly couldn't have turned out more delicious.
INGREDIENTS:
2 small cooking onions - chopped
3 jumbo cloves of garlic - fine chopped
1 pound ground chicken
1 ear of fresh corn - cut of the cob
1 large zucchini - chopped
1 carrot - chopped
1 yellow pepper - chopped
1/2 can white kidney beans - thats all I had left, but use a whole can if you have it.
2 tbs whole wheat flour
1tbs butter
1tbs olive oil
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1tsp fennel seed
1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
4 cups chicken or veg stock.

chopped cilantro - small handful - can be substituted for parsley
shredded partly skimmed mozzarella cheese
PREP: chop all veg. Grind spices in grinder or using a mortar and pestle - or buy pre ground.
COOK: Sautee onions in butter and olive oil until they start to turn translucent then add in garlic. After 1 minute or so add in the chicken and spices. With a wooden spoon start to break up the chicken into smaller pieces, add flour and continue cooking until liquid is no longer visible. Add the chicken stock, chopped veg and then simmer for 1 hour or so. Before you serve add chopped cilantro or parsley.
SERVE: with shredded cheese and finely slices green onion, or along side my skillet corn bread.

Skillet corn bread with fresh corn and green onion

2011-10-26T19:04:00.000-04:00

The best thing about making skillet corn bread is making skillet corn bread! It's one of the simplest breads to make and you can easily exchange one ingredient for another, with endless delicious possibilities. For example change the green onion for cilantro, or parsley or add jalapeno or grated cheese... endless I tell you! The one thing thats a must in this recipe is your cast iron skillet.
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/4 cup cornmeal (I prefer corse, but fine will work too)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (all purpose can be substituted)
1/4 cup white granulated sugar (I used cane sugar)
1 tsp kosher salt
1tsp fresh cracked black pepper
2 tsp bp (baking powder)
1/2 tsp bs (baking soda)
1/3 cup milk (I used skim)
1 cup butter milk
2 eggs
8 tbs melted unsalted butter

1 ear fresh corn - cut off the cob
2 green onions - chopped
salt - a pinch
PREP: Pre heat oven to 450 with your cast iron skillet inside. Mix all dry ingredients add the corn kernels and onion to the dry, and wisk all the wet ingredients (reserve a small amount of the butter for the skillet). Then slowly fold the wet ingredients into the dry until combined.
COOK: Remove skillet from over, and drizzle small amount of butter. Drop temp to 375. Add the cornbread mixture to the buttered skillet and bake for about 20 mins - test with a toothpick to make sure it comes out dry. Let cool for 10 mins before serving. * to make it extra buttery and luxurious you can brush some melted butter on top at the end.
SERVE: Along side your favorite chili, salad soup etc...
* seen here with my white bean chicken chili - recipe will follow.

No time to write referral - Spoon Fork Bacon

2011-10-25T10:17:00.000-04:00

Hi guys, sorry no post yesterday. I've been slammed with work for the past few days. It's been event after event. My body feel like a broken hot mess and today we are catering a 400 person event for Hilary Weston. For those of you who don't know who Hilary is she's a big f-ing deal in Toronto. So tension in the kitchen has been pretty high... well actually not too bad considering. Our Executive chef Paul has nerves of steal and nothing seems to phase the guy but there has been an enormous amount of cooking to do.

Anyways, since I have no time for a proper post I leave you or rather refer you to a wonderful blog that satisfies the senses called Spoon Fork Bacon. Enjoy!

Farmers Pie - Like Shepherds pie with more vitamins!

2011-10-22T00:17:00.000-04:00

Following in the theme of the National Post article I thought todays recipe would be a perfect follow up to creative comfort food. Cold weather always makes me feel like comfort food and Shepherds pie definitely one of those dishes. Shepherds or Cottage pie is a delicious stick to your ribs classic. It's usually made up of minced beef or lamb buttery mashed potatoes and can sometimes include chopped carrots, green peas or sweet corn. I've created my own version using a carrot puree and tons of veggies topped with broccoli confetti.
INGREDIENTS:
ground lamb - about 1-1 1/2 pounds
4 carrots - peeled and rough chopped
small cooking onion - finely chopped
2 garlic cloves - minced
red pepper - finely chopped
green pepper - finely chopped
1/2 cup corn - kernels
broccoli tops - just the tips cut off
dijon mustard - 2 tsp
thyme - dry or fresh about 1 tbs
mint - dry or fresh about 1 tbs
pinch of cinnamon
drizzle olive oil
s &p to taste
1/2 cup beef/ veg stock or water
PREP: chop all veggies. Pre heat oven to 350.
COOK:
For carrot puree: in a small pot simmer carrots in about 1/2 cup of liquid until the carrots are soft. You can use beef/ chicken or vegetable stock - water is fine as well. When carrots are soft puree with 1tsp of dijon mustard until smooth with immersion blender, or cuisinart. Add more liquid if mixture is to thick. A tsp of butter can also be added if you're not counting calories.
* sweet potatocan be substituted for carrots if you prefer.

For meat mixture: In a large pan heat olive oil and sautee onions until translucent, add garlic peppers and corn a pinch of s&p. Cook for about 5 mins until tender. Remove from heat, and place in a separate bowl. Heat the pan until medium high and add ground lamb. With a wooden spoon or heat resistant spatula begin chopping the meat so that it doesn't clump together when cooking. Add a pinch of s&p, then thyme and pinch of cinnamon (if using fresh mint ad at the very end of cooking, if using dry add now). continue to cook until all the pink is out of the meat. Remove (pour out) excess fat from the pan before adding cooked veggies to the mixture.

To assemble: In a baking tray or individual ramekins place meat mixture on the bottom, then a layer of carrot puree and broccoli confetti on top. Bake for 20 mins until golden on top.

Happy Happy Joy Joy.

2011-10-20T16:44:00.000-04:00

I'm on cloud nine today minus a slight cold. I woke up to a bunch of email from friends and family saying they saw my recipe in the news paper. I know it's the only thing I can talk about lately but i'm so :)
If you'd like to download a pdf copy of the special please click here.

It's also been a super busy week at work. Yesterday we catered a 500 person party for the reveal of the new Audi. I'm going to try and get some photos of my beautiful cheese tray from last nights party. It was a beauty. I haven't really said much about it but I started working at an awesome catering company called Catering With Style. It's a small company with a great hard working team, and I also get to work with a friend of mine which makes it a really fun environment. This Sunday i'll be acting as the Executive chef at my first event alone for them. Now all I have to do is shake my cold - not time for sneezing, and no sneezing on the food!

Keep your eyes peeled.

2011-10-18T10:59:00.000-04:00

Good morning fellow Tomato Snobs. I just wanted to let you in on a bit of news. On Thursday, yes this Thursday October 20th, will mark the day of my first published recipe! Horay. I'm so excited! I didn't want to say anything until I knew for sure, but I received confirmation yesterday. Please keep your eyes peeled if you live in Toronto my recipe for Pasta With Ricotta and a Fried Egg will grace the pages of The National Post. I hope this is the beginning of many of my recipes to be published somewhere other then my blog.

I want to send out a big THANK YOU to all of my readers for inspiring me and pushing me to continue to follow my dreams! You are all awesome. A special thanks to Jesse for being my personal PR agent - you're the best!

Homemade potato chips with smoked salmon and creme fraiche

2011-10-17T23:57:00.000-04:00

There are classic flavor pairings and classic canapés. This chic party pleaser satisfies both of these ideas. Canapés usually refer to hors d'œuvres - delicious and decorative morsels otherwise know as finger food. Traditionally a canapé will be served on a dry pathetic round of stale bread, but not these puppies! My classic combination of smoked salmon, potato and creme fraiche is refreshing and light - a far cry from brittle bread and fish scraps. The key is to find great quality smoked salmon, and you can usually do so at your local fish monger. If you're in Toronto City Fish has excellent smoked salmon. You get to decide exactly how much you'd like to buy and they'll even vaccuum seal it for ya.

INGREDIENTS:

Smoked salmon

yukon golds - super thinly sliced (use mandoline if you have)

creme fraiche - dollop

cucumber - remove skin and brunoise

chive - 1 inch chop

dill - 1 leaf per

s&p

olive oil

parchment paper

PREP FOR POTATO CHIPS:

Slice up your potatoes toss in olive oil, s&p then place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pre heat oven at 300. Serve the chip warm or at room temp - but the rest of the ingredients chilled.

COOK: Bake until golden about 10 mins. (keep your eyes on them - they can burn easily)

* you can use either the chive or dill - I like both
* creme fraiche can easily be swapped for sour creme

Greek Village style salad

2011-10-14T16:15:00.000-04:00

Choriatiki or Horiatiki means village or country in Greek.When followed by the word salad it refers to a bowl of veggies consisting of chopped tomatoes, cucumber, red onions, feta cheese, and kalamata olives with lots of greek olive oil and oregano. In short it's a chopped salad! In some regions capers are also added to the salad, or vinegar. This delicious mix is mostly eaten in the summer months when all of the ingredients are at their best. My version of this classic Greek salad uses the addition of fresh herbs and peppers.
INGREDIENTS:
red peppers - chopped
yellow peppers - chopped
green peppers - chopped
orange peppers - chopped
red onion - slices
tomatoes - chopped
cucumbers - chopped
black olives (I used sun dried - not classic)
handful fresh mint - chopped
handful fresh dill - chopped
handful fresh oregano - chopped
handful of feta - crumbled
1 lemon - juiced
a few tbs evoo
splash of red wine vinegar
s&p to taste
PREP: Combine everything in a bowl toss and enjoy. This salad is good for 2-3 days.

How To Peel a Head of Garlic in Less Than 10 Seconds

2011-10-14T00:02:00.000-04:00

Hi fellow foodies. My grandmother - yes grandmother sent me this video and I just couldn't wait to share. This is simply one of the best kitchen tricks I have ever seen, and I can verify It totally works like a charm. I'm wondering how many of you knew about this amazing short cut? I'm also now wondering what your favorite kitchen tricks are? Please share...

Read more!

Yes to Philly No to Cheesesteak

2011-10-12T22:50:00.000-04:00

As my hubby gets ready for a business trip to Philadelphia, I'm left reminiscing about my first (and last) experience with the iconic Philly cheese steak sandwich. I was so excited to try this blue collar special, it was basically all I could think about during our 11 hour drive in. We were told we just had to try the sammy at Geno's - a 24 hour legendary spot in south Philly. I couldn't believe the line on a random Friday in August. People just kept on coming, locals tourist you name it. I figured by the line this sandwich was going to be something special however I was sadly mistaken! I will admit I some what enjoyed
bites 2-5 but beyond that I totally grossed
out. The bread was fresh and chewy, but the gloopy cheesewiz and petrified beef left me feeling queasy and empty inside. Here's where the Snob in me really comes out. I give the sandwich a 4.5 out of 10 and I have to say it was totally overpriced at nine bucks. The only redeeming part of my meal was the delicious Birch Beer which tasted suspiciously like Dr. Pepper one of my all time indulgences. In short there are much better sandwich spots in Philly and you won't have to wait in a line for your meal.

We found one of the absolute best chicken Parmesan sandwiches at a quirky little place called Criniti restaurant. Yes the photo looks like a hot mess but please trust me when I tell you it was amazing. At $6.75 the sandwich is a steal! This colossal sammy is ooey gooey mozzarella dripping of the sides of the perfectly crispy Italian roll. The golden fried to perfection, plump juicy chicken breast was wonderful and the tomato sauce was zesty and drenched through the bread as it should be. One bite of this sandwich erased any ill feelings I had towards Geno's. All was right again in the world.

Tales of Onions - Part Two

2011-10-11T09:38:00.000-04:00

Hope everyone had a very happy Thanksgiving, I was deprived of my favorite turkey holiday this year, but with good reason. My dad got married to a super awesome lady, and it was a very beautiful night. Im pooped from a very long weekend of celebrations and house hunting. Today is the follow up to the Tale of Onions.

Lots of times when we have stomach problems we don't know what to blame. Maybe it's the onions that are to blame. Onions absorb bacteria is the reason they are so good at preventing us from getting colds and flu's and is the very reason we shouldn't eat an onion that has been sitting for a time after it has been cut open!

LEFT OVER ONIONS ARE POISONOUS

I had the wonderful privilege of touring Mullins Food Products, Makers of Mayonnaise.. Mullins is huge, and is owned by 11 brothers and sisters in the Mullins family. My friend, Jeanne, is the CEO. Questions about food poisoning came up, and I wanted to share what I learned from a chemist. The guy who gave us our tour is named Ed. He's one of the brothers Ed is a chemistry expert and is involved in developing most of the sauce formula.
He's even developed sauce formula for McDonald's. Keep in mind that Ed is a food chemistry whiz. During the tour, someone asked if we really needed to worry about mayonnaise. People are always worried that mayonnaise will spoil. Ed's answer will surprise you. Ed said that all commercially- made Mayo is completely safe. "It doesn't even have to be refrigerated. No harm in refrigerating it, but it's not really necessary." He explained that the pH in mayonnaise is set at a point that bacteria could not survive in that environment. He then talked about the quaint essential picnic, with the bowl of potato salad sitting on
the table and how everyone blames the mayonnaise when someone gets sick.

Ed says that when food poisoning is reported, the first thing the officials
look for is when the 'victim' last ate ONIONS and where those onions came
from (in the potato salad?). Ed says it's not the mayonnaise (as long as
it's not homemade Mayo) that spoils in the outdoors. It's probably the
Onions, and if not the onions, it's the POTATOES.

He explained, onions are a huge magnet for bacteria, especially uncooked
onions. You should never plan to keep a portion of a sliced onion.. He says
it's not even safe if you put it in a zip-lock bag and put it in your refrigerator.
It's already contaminated enough just by being cut open and out for a bit,
that it can be a danger to you (and doubly watch out for those onions you
put in your hotdogs at the baseball park!) Ed says if you take the leftover onion

and cook it like crazy you you'll probably be okay, but if you slice that leftover

onion and put on your sandwich, you're asking for trouble. Both the onions

and the moist potato in a potato salad, will attract and grow bacteria faster than

any commercial mayonnaise will even begin to break down.

Also, dogs should never eat onions. Their stomachs cannot metabolize onions.

Please remember it is dangerous to cut an onion and try to use it to cook
the next day, it becomes highly poisonous for even a single night and
creates toxic bacteria which may cause adverse stomach infections because of

excess bile secretions and even food poisoning.

There you have it folks. Believe it all or not!

The Brothers Bent-Lee... of Susur Lee

2011-10-06T21:11:00.000-04:00

Judging by the lack of activity yesterday I see many of my readers are either A. are not a fan of cold cantaloup soup, or B. were too busy enjoying the stunning weather to read my post. Either way It's all good. Today I leave you with an article from The Dish (Torontolife.com) on some buzzing rumors around the restaurant scene. Supposedly 777 Dundas Street West will be the home of a new restaurant by famed chef Susur Lee. The thing thats most interesting is that the face of this alleged resto will be Lee's two sons Levi, and Kai. Momma bear Brenda Bent confirms that the plans are in motion and says the boys hope to open before christmas. One thing is for certain if this unnamed restaurant does make it to opening it will be in good company as the Dundas west strip has been heating up over the last year. I guess we will have to wait and see.

Indian Summer Cantaloup soup

2011-10-05T14:46:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure what's going on with the weather this fall but I sure am liking it. Torontonians are notorious for complaining about our weather, it's too cold, it's too hot, it's too rainy... you name it. This Indian summer week we are having is sure to please even the most cranky residents. I figure since it feels like summer outside it would only be right to write about another delicious chilled summer soup. If you love cold fruity things you love this simple recipe.
INGREDIENTS:
Cantaloup - seeded and pureed
6 key limes - juiced and thinly sliced for garnish
1/2 english cucumber - peeled and pureed plus more for garnish
1 tbs - evoo (olive oil)
mint or basil - julienned for garnish
s&p - pinch of each
PREP: Puree cantaloup, cucumber, limes and evoo.
*You can ball a few pieces of the melon for garnish in advance as well as thinly slice cucumber and lime - it's optional.
SEVRVE: Chilled with a drizzle of mint or basil infused evoo, julienned mint or basil, melon balls, thin slices of lime
and or cucumber.
Enjoy the weather while it lasts all!

Tales of Onions - Part One

2011-10-04T10:28:00.000-04:00

This old wives tale was sent to me last week, and I couldn't wait to hare it all with you just in time for cold and flew season.

In 1919, when the flu killed 40 million people, there was this Doctor that visited the many farmers to see if he could help them combat the flu. Many of the farmers and their family had contracted it, and many died. The doctor came upon this one farmer, and to his surprise, everyone was very healthy. When the doctor asked what the farmer was doing that was different, the wife replied that she had placed an unpeeled onion in a dish in the rooms of the home, (probably only two rooms back then). The doctor couldn't believe it and asked if he could have one of the onions and place it under the microscope. She gave him one and when he did this, he did find the flu virus in the onion. It obviously absorbed the bacteria, therefore, keeping the family healthy.

- I heard this story from my hairdresser in AZ. She said that several years ago many of her employees were coming down with the flu and so were many of her customers. The next year she placed several bowls with onions around in her shop. To her surprise, none of her staff got sick. It must work....Try it and see what happens. We did it last year and we never got the flu.

Now there is a P. S. to this.... I sent it to a friend in Oregon who regularly contributes material to me on health issues. She replied with this most interesting experience about onions:
Thanks for the reminder. I don't know about the farmers story.... But, I do know that I contacted pneumonia and needless to say I was very ill... I came across an article that said to cut both ends off an onion put it into an empty jar.....placing the jar next to the sick patient at night. It said the onion would be black in the morning from the germs.... Sure enough it happened just like that.... The onion was a mess, and I began to feel better.

Another thing I read in the article was that onions and garlic placed around the room saved many from the black plague years ago. They have powerful antibacterial, antiseptic properties.

Wow - pretty amazing tale. I'm a firm believer in the power of onions and garlic. I double dare all of you to try this old remedy out at some point this winter. Please share your finds. Stay posted for tomorrows follow up in Part Two of Tales of Onions.