Mango Chicken

Hard to believe, but I am writing...sporadically. Just not anything that's ready for posting. I know, lame excuse, but that's life at the moment. To make up for it, I'll give you the recipe for a dish that will tantalize your taste buds and leave you begging for more. Now aren't those the best sorts of recipes? Let's hear it for mango chicken, the perfect accompaniment for jasmine rice.

Mango Chicken

1 C chopped onion.
1 C chopped orange or red peppers (or green, what the heck)
2 tsp of coconut oil
1 to 1 1/2 lbs of skinless, boneless chicken cut into strips
1 1/2 Tbsp of curry powder
2 tsp fresh ginger root
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 C chopped peeled mango
3/4 C coconut milk
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 small can of bamboo shoots
chopped cilantro for garnish
steamed rice

In large frying pan, saute onions and peppers in oil until crisp but tender. Add chicken and spices (curry, ginger, garlic, salt and cayenne). Cook and stir for five minutes. Stir in mango, coconut mild and tomato paste. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add drained bamboo shoots. Serve over fresh steamed rice and garnish with cilantro. Enjoy.

Pumpkin Soup

The haunting hour has passed. She looked at my pumpkins (there were four) and asked what I was going to do with them.

"Oh, I don't know," I replied. "Perhaps I'll make soup, or cook one up to make muffins, or if I feel really ambitious, ravioli."

"Pumpkin soup?" she questioned incredulously. She simply couldn't get beyond the pumpkin soup.

When she asked later about the pumpkin soup, I knew I had to make it. For those of you who have visited here often, you know full well that my cooking is more of an art than a science. Sure, if I bake, for the most part, I try to stick to the measurements, but cooking, it's all by feel. But the soup was so incredibly delicious, I'll try to remember what it was that I did.

Take 1/2 a sugar pumpkin, seeded and its innards cleaned and put it face down in a pan with just a little water. (Sugar pumpkins have the best flavour, so I wouldn't recommend making this with another type of pumpkin, but I am sure it would work equally well with an acorn or butternut squash.)

Bake at 400 degrees until its flesh is soft and mushy.

In the meantime, finely chop about 2 1/2 onions and saute on low heat with some butter.

Peal and core two apples (I used Spartans, but only because it was what I had in my house). Chop into chunks and add to onions.

When the pumpkin has finished baking, scoop the flesh away from the peel and put into the blender. Add chicken broth (or a full bodied vegetable broth if you prefer), the sauteed onion / apple mixture, 3/4 tsp of curry powder, salt and pepper to taste and blend. Transfer to a soup pan and add more chicken broth until the soup is at your preferred consistency. Heat until warmed through.

Garnish with grated Romano (or blue cheese if you'd like something with a little more flavour), chopped cilantro or parsley and some toasted pecans. Enjoy.

In a Pickle

When was the last time you checked how far your pickles have traveled? I'm not sure about where you live, but around here, it seems that most pickles come from India. Surprisingly, the pickles from India are considerably cheaper than those from closer countries including Canada and the US. Sure, labour is cheaper in India, but do I really want to buy a jar of pickles that has a larger carbon footprint than I do? Not only that, but many developing nations still use certain agrochemicals that have long since been banned in these parts. The risk just doesn't seem worth it, and with many of us trying to eat locally where possible, the supermarket pickle just doesn't factor into the 100 mile diet. So imagine my thrill when I happened to luck upon some pickling cukes a couple weeks ago.

I've always wanted to give gherkins a go, but was never certain whether or not I should risk it. I've tasted some great homemade pickles and then there were the others. But 7 lbs of free cukes had to be a sign that the planets were properly aligned for success in this endeavor.

Around these parts, there are many who make their pickles in the washing machine. Yes, you heard me right, the WASHING MACHINE! Not only was I intrigued, I had to try it. I admit, I felt a little odd throwing 7 lbs of pickling cukes into my washing machine and starting the gentle cycle. The feeling that this had the potential to go very wrong loomed heavy in the air. I twiddled my thumbs nervously while listening to the clunking of something akin to washing running shoes in the machine. Finally, the machine stopped. I held my breath as I opened the door. And there they were, 7 lbs of very clean, firm cukes. At this point, I knew that all would turn out well.

If you dare, this is approximately what I did:

1. Put cucumbers in the washing machine and run through the gentle cycle.
2. Put cucumbers in kitchen sink, cover with cold water and soak overnight.
3. In the morning, drain the water.
4. Sterilize mason jars (the amount you need will depend on how many cukes you have).
5. Boil the required number of lids for a min. of 8-10 minutes to soften the rubber ring.
6. Make brine: Approximately 4 cups of pickling vinegar, 12 cups of water, 3/4 cup of pickling salt, sugar to taste if you want a little bit of a sweeter pickle.
   
7. Bring brine to a good boil.
8. Fill jars one at a time. I stuff dill, mustard seed and chopped onion in the bottom of mine and then pack in the cucumbers. Pack the cucumbers tight. It's amazing how many can fit in one jar.
9. Cover with simmering brine.
10. Clean the rim of the jars to ensure there isn't any salt or other residue to prevent the jars from sealing. Put on lids and tighten rings.
11. Process jars. If any don't seal, keep them in your fridge where they will keep for quite some time.

Wait at least a couple days before trying them to ensure the flavours have time to meld. When making the pickles, make sure you find the brine palatable as it determines, in large part, the flavour of the pickles.

Jammin'

It's that time of year again when the trees start to be laden with fruit and preserving hangs heavy in the air. As luck would have it, I was gifted a box of jamming cots. I hardly eat jam myself as I prefer to stay away from anything with too much sugar in it, however, it's always nice to have around the house for when company arrives. And truth be told, I can't resist how pretty the jars look sitting on my shelf. There are also the odd times when I come across a recipe that calls for apricot jam and it would be a pity to not have a jar or two around considering how easy it is to make and how plentiful the fruit is this time of year.

I did save some of the fruit for smoothies as I am crazy about smoothies and have been freezing up fruit where possible to get me through the winter.

As you can see, I also made some spicy red pepper jelly. Now this is a treat that I will indulge in every now and again. It's a real hit around the holidays if you pair it with crackers and cream cheese. If you'd like the recipe, you can find it here.

Another Favorite

I seem to be on a roll with recipes these days, so why stop when there's momentum? The abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables this time of year make salad a no brainer and often in summer, that's all I will eat for days on end. Well...that and ice cream. In any case, I've always loved Greek salad, but to eat just that for a meal always left me a little less than satisfied. Then a few years ago, I put together this:

It's my version of a beefed up Greek salad minus the beef, and yes, completely satisfying. Now I'll try to give you the recipe, but if I'm not totally precise, forgive me, I usually cook by feel and taste.

Lentil Salad

1 C French Lentils (if you can't find French lentils, I am sure that regular green lentils will work, but these are my absolute favorite and the hold their shape well.
3 C Water
1 or 2 Tomatoes
1 Long English cucumber
1 Pepper (green or red...whatever you have on hand)
1/4 Red Onion
Feta Cheese
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Juice from 1/2 lemon
Pinch of sea salt
Fresh ground pepper

Boil the lentils in the 3 cups of water for about 45 minutes or until they are tender but still hold their shape. Drain any excess water. Chop up the tomatoes, cucumber, pepper and onion into medium chunks. Toss with the lentils. Make a dressing with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and juice of the lemon. Pour over top and toss. Crumble the feta cheese on top. Give it one last toss. Add a pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Enjoy.

I'll probably be making this again in a day or two will try to be a little more precise on those dressing measurements. Of course if you have your favorite dressing that you make with Greek salad, you could easily substitute it. I am sure that it will taste just as good.

Marvelous

If you thought chocolate mousse was a good deal, you're in for an even better one. Light airy meringues topped with cream and fruit has become my new summer favorite. Seriously, I could eat one a day. And even better, they are so easy and way less finicky than the mousse to make. Let's hear it for MMMMmmmmm marvelous, mellow, meringues. Today was brought to you by the letter M.



4 egg whites (room temperature)
pinch of salt
3/4 C sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp lemon juice

1 1/2 C whipping cream
1/4 c sour cream
2 Tbsp sugar (or to taste)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Fresh fruit of your choice: strawberries and kiwi; strawberries and blueberries, raspberries and peaches; whatever you have on hand and whatever you enjoy.

1. Preheat oven to 225
2. Line two cookie sheets with wax paper.
3. Whip the egg whites and salt until frothy.
4. Add the sugar a little at a time and keep beating until egg whites form stiff peaks. Fold in cornstarch and lemon juice.
5. Spread the meringue onto the cookie sheets, shaping them like little nests using the back of a spoon.
6. Bake for 1 1/2 hours. Check them after 20-25 minutes and turn the oven down if they are turning brown. They would be dry and crisp when done.
7. Remove from wax paper and cool on a rack.
8. Whip cream and when thick, add in the sour cream sugar and vanilla.
9. Pile the cream and then fruit on top of the meringues.

Chocolate Moose

Morris stood there swaying on his gangly legs, munching on whatever tasty morsels he could find. Occasionally he would cock his ears and toss a completely uninterested glance in my direction, mostly at my pathetic whistles. Typical male, eh? Well, serves him right to serve him up with chocolate. There ain't no better way to eat moose. Let's be quite frank here, most things do taste better with chocolate. Melt it and then drizzle it lightly or thickly, add cream, because most things taste better with cream too...and yes, of course, it has to be real. Someone really was dreaming when they dreamt up Dream Whip and thought they could pass it off for the real thing. Well everybody, let's hear it for Morris! Mmmmm Mmmmorris.

*Thanks for being such a good sport, fella. You're pretty yummy. Don't worry...if they don't catch on, we'll post the real pictures later.*

Chocolate Mousse

1C Sour Cream
1C Whipping Cream
1 1/2 tsp unflavoured Gelatin
2 Tbsp Water
2 Tbsp Milk
1/4 C Brown Sugar (firmly packed)
1/8 tsp Salt
6 oz of Chocolate Morsels (of course you can estimate...I personally like using a rich dark chocolate)
1 tsp Vanilla extract
2 Egg Whites

• In large bowl, combine sour cream and whipping cream. Refrigerate.
  
• Soften gelatin in water by heating.
  
• Heat milk with half the brown sugar, and salt until the sugar dissolves.
  
• Add chocolate morsels and continue heating until melted (be careful to not overheat...you may want to melt your chocolate first and then add to your milk/sugar mixture).
  
• Beat egg whites. Gradually add remaining sugar. Beat until stiff.
  
• Stir 1/4 of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture until blended.
  
• Fold in remaining egg whites.
  
• Whip cream mixture until stiff.
  
• Add chocolate mixture and fold until well blended.
  
• Spoon into dishes and chill until set.

Mango Salsa

Every time I make this, it's a little bit different depending on what I have around. The only constant is mangoes and delicious. The other day I made it minus the cucumber, plus avocado, some fresh pineapple and both red and green peppers. It pairs especially well with fish. I like it with fish tacos, but served it yesterday with salmon. One word ... yummy.

Mango Salsa:

1 ripe mango pitted, peeled and diced (if you're unfamiliar on the best way to attack a mango, you might want to check out the following link: How to Cut a Mango)
3 or 4 green onions chopped (or sweet Spanish onion would be good if in season)
2/3 C of cucumber peeled and diced
1/2 C red pepper diced
a little lime zest
3 Tbsp of fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp or 2 of Gin or Tequila (optional)
2 or 3 Tbsp of fresh cilantro leaves chopped

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

Spice with either 1 minced Jalapeno pepper, Louisiana hot sauce, or a bit of Chipotle pepper in Adobo sauce, and a bit of chilli powder and salt & pepper to taste.

Mama Mia

I have such happy childhood memories of pasta. My neighbours growing up were Italian and one of my earliest memories was being left at Rosa's house when my mother went into labour with my sister. Rosa hardly spoke any English at the time, a few words here and there, mostly commands. She had three children and we were all close in age: the twins a year older than me, and the youngest my age, minus a couple months.

I distinctly remember Rosa feeding me. My indignant three year old self was quite annoyed as I was allowed to feed myself at home. To add further insult to injury, she allowed her youngest (same age as me) to feed herself. I couldn't quite understand why she felt the need to personally feed me when her youngest went unassisted. Perhaps it was because I was the guest, but more likely than not, it probably had something to do with me being the scrawny neighbour kid with the long skinny legs. I am sure she felt my scrawniness was some fault of my parents, rather than a combination of genetics and spending hours running around outdoors like a wild banshee.

So there I sat as she spoon fed me saying "mangi, mangi" or something of the like. The trouble was I have always been a slow eater. Rosa continued shoveling one spoonful into my mouth after another. I simply could not chew and swallow fast enough and eventually had such a full mouth that I had to spit it out or risk choking to death...so out it all came much to Rosa's chagrin and dissatisfaction. The irony, even at three, did not allude me. Had she simply let me feed myself, as I was quite capable (at least in my mind) of doing, none of that would have happened. But despite that minor blip, I did love Rosa's cooking, especially her pasta. She usually made spaghettini which not only tasted delicious, but each mouthful felt incredibly luscious and deeply satisfying as it made it's way down my throat and into my stomach.

Lately I've been having a craving for homemade pasta, so yesterday was the day. I'd forgotten how easy it is to make and how much better fresh pasta tastes than the stuff bought at the grocery store. The recipe below is for a small batch. I'd recommend doubling it depending how many you're hoping to feed.

Basic Pasta

1 C durum semolina
1 egg
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp water (if and as needed)

Put all ingredients in a food processor. For this batch, I added some fresh cilantro (just because I had some in my fridge that needed to be used), some basil and some fresh ground pepper. Be creative, add what you wish. Basil is my favorite, but you can add a variety of other herbs and spices or even vegetables to flavour the pasta as you wish: oregano, nutmeg, spinach, grated lemon peel, poppy seeds.

Once the dough is well mixed, put it through your pasta maker. I just have a little hand crank one, but it works well for small batches. You could also roll it out thin with a rolling pin and slice with a knife. I've known many to make noodles this way and then hang to dry if not using right away. Of course nothing beats them fresh.

Heavenly Concoctions

My latest ice cream experiment was a screaming success and I have to share it before summer leaves us completely. I've learned a few things about home made ice cream this summer. First, the addition of alcohol keeps it from freezing so hard (an issue with non-commercial ice creams). Second, if one uses fresh (or even frozen) fruit, one can totally eliminate the cooking of an egg custard step found in so many recipes. This is a real coup if you are trying to eat raw. Now the real trick here is going to be to try to remember exact proportions of ingredients as a couple weeks have now passed since I first created this concoction.

Rum Raisin Peach Ice Cream

Take about a half cup of raisins and cover with rum. Let sit over night.

In blender, mix 1 1/2 C of cream, 3/4 C of sugar, 3 C of skinned chopped peaches, rum and raisins. Blend until thoroughly mixed. Put into your ice cream maker and process as usual.

How easy is that? Enjoy.

Zucchini Soup with Pasta

It's that time of year when harvest is plentiful and cheap...if not free. If you've ever grown zucchini, you will know that they can go, or rather grow, a bit crazy. Many around here are continually looking for ways to use or disguise the stuff so their children will eat it. When they're not doing that, they are pawning these huge squash off to neighbours and friends. I never mind, I actually quite love the stuff and have used it in all kinds of things. I have never, however, up to this point made soup with it, but must say I was pleasantly surprised by how fresh, light and refreshing it was. It's just the sort of fair you need for this time of year. And of course, this is really simple to make. The taste almost reminds me of the soups my Italian neighbour from my childhood used to make. Rosa never ever, to my knowledge, put zucchini in her soup, but she always made these light brothy soups with little pasta like stellette, so different from the more substantial meal in a bowl type soups my mother usually made. In any case, if you'd like to try something a little different with your zucchini, I'd recommend this. It's perfect for a cooler, end of the summer evening and would be perfect served with a slice of crusty bread.


4 Tbsp olive oil
2 smaller onions finely chopped (or one large)
6 1/4 cups of chicken or turkey broth
1 1/2 lbs of zucchini (probably about 4 cups grated)
1/2 cup of small soup pasta (I used small bows, but use whatever)
a little lemon or lime juice
2 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper
cherry tomatoes halved
fresh grated Parmesan or another hard cheese of your choice

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onions. Cover and cook gently for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft but not coloured.

Add the chicken or turkey broth and bring the mixture to a boil.

Grate the zucchini and stir into the boiling stock with the pasta. Reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 15 minutes until the pasta is tender.

Season to taste with a bit of lemon or lime juice, salt and pepper. Stir in the chopped parsley. Just before serving top with some halved cherry tomatoes and grated Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy.

Zesty Lemon Mousse

You know you've stumbled upon a gem, when you bring a dish to a staff party and the entire building asks for the recipe. This is exactly the category in which this lemon mousse falls. It's light, not too sweet, and pairs well with berries and white wine and probably even chocolate. I hope you'll enjoy this as much as I have. The recipe doubles easily, and for as quickly as it will disappear, you are probably best to do so, or you will find yourself needing to whip up a second batch before you've scarcely finished the first.


Zesty Lemon Mousse:

1 pkg unflavoured gelatin
1/4 C cold water
1 Tbsp grated lemon rind
1/2 C lemon juice
1 C granulated sugar
2/3 C plain yogurt
1 C whipping cream

Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in a small sauce pan. Let stand 1 minute to soften. Stir over low heat until gelatin dissolves. Stir in lemon rind, lemon juice and half the sugar. Stir in the yogurt. Let set in the refrigerator until the consistency of egg whites.

Whip cream and add remaining sugar. Fold into lemon mixture. Cover and refrigerate for two hours or more.

Yum, Yum

Awhile back Pandave told me that it was about time that I posted another recipe. Well, truth be told, I haven't been in much of a cooking mood lately. It's been way too warm to think about putting anything in the oven. So I got to thinking, why not ice cream. I had some blackberries in my freezer that I wanted to use up before the next crop started coming on. And voila...what's not to like about this recipe? With only three ingredients it couldn't be easier. And trust me, this one tastes as good as it looks.

Blackberry Sherbet

4 C of fresh or frozen blackberries (thawed)
2 C sugar
2 C buttermilk

In a food processor, combine the blackberries and sugar; process until smooth. Strain and discard seeds and pulp. (I strained through cheese cloth but couldn't bare to throw out the seeds and pulp, so I threw it all in my teapot, added hot water and had delicious blackberry tea.) Stir in buttermilk. If you have an ice cream maker, throw the mixture in and let the machine do its thing. If not, pour the puree into a 9X13 pan. Freeze for 1 hour or until edges begin to firm. Stir and return to freezer. Freeze 2 hours longer or until firm.

If you like, just before serving, transfer to a food processor; cover and process for 2-5 minutes or until smooth. This step probably isn't necessary if you use an ice cream maker.

Chocolate-Coffee Gingerbread

This recipe is a keeper if you like a rich, moist and flavourful cake. The gingerbread flavour would be perfect around Christmas time, but since I woke up to snow this morning, I see no reason why I shouldn't be eating this now. Terrific with a cup of coffee and dolloped with plain whipped cream.

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground ginger
1 cup sugar
1 cup molasses
1 cup mild flavoured olive oil
3 large eggs
1 cup freshly brewed coffee
1 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate (60% cocoa)
1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger

Preheat oven to 350 ˚F. Generously butter a 12 cup Bundt pan (or two smaller Bundt pans), then spray with nonstick spray. Dust pan lightly with flour. Whisk 2 cups of flour and the next 5 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Combine sugar, molasses, olive oil, and eggs in large bowl; whisk until well blended. Add dry ingredients and stir to blend. Mix in hot coffee, then chocolate and crystallized ginger (most of chocolate will melt). Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean and cake begins to pull away from sides of pan, 55 to 60 minutes. Transfer pan to rack; cool cake in pan 20 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack and cool at least 1 hour.

Addiction

Any foodie on Canada's west coast is probably addicted to Leslie Stowe's "Raincoast Crisps." So imagine my delight, when, while visiting a friend, she serves up what I am convinced are none other than the Raincoast crisps with an assortment of cheese and I discover that she has made them herself. Of course I just had to have the recipe and make them as soon as possible. These little bites are chalked full of goodness and absolutely amazing with raw goat cheese, brie or even just on their own. The raisins, or whatever dried fruit you use, add just a hint of sweetness and I love the nutty flavour. My tastbuds are still dancing.


2 C flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 C buttermilk
1/4 C brown sugar
1/4 C honey
1 C raisins (or other dried fruit...try cranberries, orange peel, or a mixture)
1/2 C chopped nuts (I used almonds, but you could also use pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, etc)
1/2 C roasted pumpkin seeds (optional)
1/4 C sesame seeds
1/4 C flax seed, ground
1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 350 F

In large bowl stir together flour, baking soda, salt. Add buttermilk, brown sugar and honey. Stir a few times. Add dried fruit, nuts, seeds and rosemary and stir until just blended.

Pour batter into two 4 x8 greased loaf pans. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until golden and springy to touch. Remove from pans and cool on a wire rack.

Next you must slice very thin. This step is easier the cooler the loaf. Leave until the next day, or pop in the freezer to cool. Slice as thin as you can and place the slices in a single layer on an ungreased cookie sheet. Reduce oven to 300 F and bake for about 15 minutes, then flip them over and bake for another 10 minutes until crisp and a deep golden.

Guaranteed to become an addictive habit.

California Rolls

For those of you still wondering how I use my pickled ginger, I usually serve them with these: California rolls. For years I bought California rolls as they are such a healthy snack, easily transportable and a good alternative for those trying to avoid wheat. Eventually I tried making them with not the best success, but then had a friend share the secret. Truth is that these are so easy I now make them quite often. They are showy for entertaining and quite popular here in the west.

California Rolls:

1 C rice (use either sushi rice or alternatively another sort of short grain rice. It is stickier and holds together better)
1/4 C rice vinegar
1 - 2 tsp sugar (depending on taste...more if you have difficulty with your rice sticking)
1 tsp salt
1 ripe avocado (peeled and cut into long thin slices)
1 English cucumber (peeled and cut into long thin slices)
1 carrot (julienne sliced)
toasted sesame seeds
sheets of nori seaweed
mayonnaise

Cook the rice according to directions. Once the rice is cooked, stir in the sugar and rice vinegar and salt (the sugar and vinegar help the rice to stick more...problems start to occur if the rice does not stick). Let the rice cool completely.

Lay a bamboo sushi mat on the counter with the slats running horizontally (you can find these at most kitchen stores for a dollar or two. You can make the rolls without this, but it certainly facilitates the process). Place a sheet of nori on the mat. Spread rice on the sheet leaving a 1 inch border across the top edge. Arrange the avocado slices in a horizontal line across the middle of the rice. Add cucumber and carrot in the same manner. Sprinkle the sesame seeds. Put a light layer of mayonnaise on the top border of the seaweed that you left free. Grab the edge of the mat closest to you and roll the nori away from you as tightly as you can pressing the roll as you go. Seal by pressing the edge with the mayonnaise against the roll.

Use a sharp serrated knife to slice the rolls. I often wrap the rolls and refrigerate them for an hour before slicing them. Serve with soy or tamari sauce for dipping along with wasabi. Top with pickled ginger.

You can be quite creative in what you put inside the rolls. Avocado is always a favorite for me, but you could do things like smoked salmon and cream cheese, crab meat, eggs, sprouts or a varity of other vegetables. Enjoy.

Pickled Ginger

I did a little experimentation with my canning this summer and strayed just a bit beyond the regular tomatoes and jams. I ventured into the domain of pickled ginger. I tried just a couple jars as I didn't quite know how it would turn out or if I would even like it, but overall I'm against the expensive pink stuff that's sold in stores, mainly because of the red food dye...I try to avoid anything with dyes or other chemical additives and too much sugar. In any case, according to all who tried the goods, the recipe was a huge success and just perfect for California rolls. So I've made up some more jars as gifts for some special friends. If you'd like to try your hand at making this...it's really simple...here's the recipe:

10 ounces of fresh ginger peeled (I simply guessed on this, do enough to fill two small jars or double the recipe for five)
2/3 C rice wine vinegar
1/2 C sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Put about 4 cups water on to boil. Shave the ginger lengthwise into paper-thin slices with a vegetable peeler or mandolin. Blanch it in the boiling water for about one minute. Drain and put into jars (the water can be saved for tea or broth if you like). Put the vinegar, sugar and salt in a pot and gently heat to dissolve the sugar. Pour into the jars to cover the ginger. Prepare lids and process in a hot water bath to make them seal. If you don't want to be bothered with sealing the jars, you can close the containers and refrigerate for 24 hours to allow the flavors to combine before using. This will keep in your refrigerator for up to a month. This little jar definitely carries punch and will keep you warm this winter.

Winter Pear Jam with Honey

This past weekend found me foraging in the forest stealing pears away from the bears. Not to worry, the bears have had a good summer and for the most part have their tummies full and are getting a little sleepy with the imminent approach of winter.

Yes, I know, you probably didn't want to hear it. Winter is on its way. In fact, the past two days have seen the peaks of the mountains glistening with that white stuff.

But back to those well-fed bears, they are drawn by the sweet smell of ripening fruit, but then usually after one or two bites leave the fruit to rot on the ground. I was simply rescuing what was left before the bears spoil any more.

I got the fruit from the back yard of a friend who's property backs up against what was once one of many orchards in this region. This region at one time boasted some of the best fruit in the province and probably the country. The cherries here were particularly prized until the trees were hit with a blight that devastated the industry. But that is another story entirely.

In any case, this old overgrown orchard backs up against the mountain and the forest providing easy access not just to the bears, but also deer. There aren't many trees left and they are old, but the fruit is still fabulously sweet. With much of it turning quickly...pears don't last for long once they start to ripen, I made pear winter jam. It's actually more like a pear butter. The warmth of the ginger does one good in the winter. The concoction is actually really good completely raw, but of course would not last for long, so most of it got cooked up and sealed in jars.

Pear Jam
Ripe pears - 3 pounds, peeled and cored
Medium orange - 1 seeded
Medium lemon - 1 seeded
Crushed pineapple - 1 cup (canned in own juice)
Honey - 3/4 cup
Fresh ginger root - 1 inch, peeled and grated
Whole cloves - 6
Cinnamon sticks - 2, broken into 3 pieces
Salt - dash (optional)

Process fruit in food processor or blender. Place in a large pot, adding pineapple and juice. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until fruit is tender and mixture thick, stirring often. Skim and pour into hot, sterile pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch at top. Cap with hot, sterile lids. Process in boiling-water bath for 5 minutes after water returns to boil. If any jars fail to seal, refrigerate and use within ten days or freeze for later use.

Paska

You have caught me in a rather domestic moment. Sometimes, when we get older, all we want is the comforts of our childhood, and no comfort is greater than food. Food can instantaneously transport us back to so many places with a mere wisp of an aroma or the tiniest nibble. Well, today the calls from ghosts of the past were strong. Growing up, one of my favorite things about Easter was that Grandma would make Paska, a traditional German Mennonite sweet bread made only at this time of year, although occasionally she would cheat and make it at other times of the year as she knew I liked it so much.

Now the recipe is as old as the hills...my grandmother made this, and her mother before her and so on right down the line, so there's no telling where this all began. That's also quite obvious with the recipe as so much of the cooking / baking we do is simply by feel...the feeling is a bit tough when you've never made the recipe before, but you simply have to trust your senses and run with it. You'll notice that the recipe doesn't mention any quantities for flour...not even a rough estimate. Partially that's because they believed that the quantities changed depending where you were living, the wheat that was grown there, the humidity etc. So just so you know, even though it's not mentioned, there is a lot of flour. Also, this makes quite a lot of loaves (as all those old recipes made large quantities), so be prepared to either freeze some or give some away. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.


Paska

3 C sweet cream
3 C white sugar
10 eggs
2 pkg dry yeast
1 C potato water
1 1/2 C butter
Rind of 2 oranges
Rind of 1 lemon
Lemon juice from half a lemon
1 tsp vanilla
raisins if desired

Prepare yeast and 1 Tbsp sugar in potato water. Scald cream and 1 C of sugar. Cool and add beaten egg yolks then the beaten egg whites, prepared yeast and enough flour to make sponge like. Let rise until light (3/4 of an hour). Add remaining 2 cups of sugar, butter (melted), rind (finely chopped), lemon juice and vanilla and more flour. Keep adding flour and kneading to make a soft dough. Let rise until double in bulk. Grease round tins (traditionally these are cooked in cylindrical cans, like a coffee can...but as you can see, I had none, so baked mine in regular loaf pans). Let rise until double (about 45 minutes). Bake at 275 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. Prepare regular butter icing to spread on top of the bread while still warm.

Hot Pepper Jelly

It's the time of year when one feels like hunkering down sheltered from the elements' unpredictable fits of rage. Here in the Kootenays we've had a few days where I wanted to do nothing more but curl up with a good book in front of the fire. After a bit, I decided that I better make myself useful and do something with the bag of hot peppers I purchased at Cottenwood market last week. I had hot pepper jelly in mind. I was first exposed to the stuff a few years ago when my aunt gave me a jar that she had made. This nippy stuff is great on a cracker with a bit of cream cheese...or any kind of cheese for that matter. It's also a great marinade for chicken or other meats and I am sure that there are a myriad other uses that I have not yet discovered. In any case, this is very simple to make and a bit goes a long way.

Hot Pepper Jelly

1 C seeded green bell peppers, finely chopped or ground
1/4 C jalapeno peppers, finely chopped or ground,seeded if desired (or more to taste)

(I personally put all the peppers through the food processor. I used all red pepper to get the lovely colour you see in the picture and did not need to add any food colouring. I also used all hot peppers with varying degrees of heat. I imagine if one used all green coloured peppers the jelly would probably come out a nice green colour.)

4 C sugar
1 C cider vinegar
1 (6 ounce) packet liquid fruit pectin
3-5 food colouring (optional)

1. Mix peppers, sugar, and vinegar in a large saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil, and boil for 5 minutes.
3. Take off heat, add pectin and stir.
4. Return to heat, and bring to a full rolling. Boil for 1 minute.
5. Pour into hot, sterilized half-pint canning jars to within 1/2" of top.
6. Wipe tops of jars and seal the way you normally do (either with wax or metal lids).
7. Store in a cool, dark place.

Makes about 5-6 half-pint jars. To serve, stir to soften, pour over an 8 oz block of cream cheese, and spread on assorted crackers.