Supermarket Oddity!

Yes, you are reading that correctly. "Goat Milk Caramel Spread".

For those that know me well, you can imagine my reaction upon discovering this treat at No Frills. Something akin to the reaction I had when I found gluten-free perogies. For those that don't know me well, I welled up with joy when I found those perogies. Right there in the frozen food section of my local health food store.

I am, at this very moment, eating goat milk caramel spread on raisin toast. I plan on eating it on pretty much everything until the bottle is empty. I, of course, have an acquired taste for goat milk, given that I can eat little else. But experiencing the warm, earthy taste of goat cheese, one of my most favourite things, interpreted in caramel form, it's unreal. I'm planning on putting it on ice cream, french toast, and drinking it directly out of the bottle (again).

Writer's note: The day after writing the above post, I awoke with, shall we say, some interesting sensations in my stomach. I'm not saying the caramel is to blame, but the over-indulgence may have contributed. More research is required. Ow.

Paranoid much?

Discovering you have a food allergy changes your life. Eating was once a carefree activity, restaurants were magical places, dinner parties, a joy. But alas, no more. I'm perpetually afraid that lurking around every corner is some hidden wheat or dairy waiting to ruin my day and my insides. For example, were you aware that both Twizzlers and Mentos have wheat in them? Bologna has dairy in it? Mind you, in those instances it's likely the universe is telling me I can do better, food-wise. So yes, I am paranoid. I won't eat anything if I can't clearly see all the ingredients. I shy away from sauces, dressings, and pre-made seasonings. I've adapted.

As the weather has approached arctic, I have been increasingly in the mood for any food that's finished with bread crumbs. Comfort food. Nostalgic nibbles from my childhood. I was recently craving my mom's meatloaf, moist inside, crunchy bread-crumby outside, flavoured with multiple meats (and their accompanying fat) and fried onions. When I called her for the recipe, I found that it called for seasoning salt, something I never use in my cooking and never have in the house because it typically has MSG in it (another pesky allergen). What I did have in the house were all the ingredients to concoct a suitable replacement. For me, the only difference between this and store-bought seasoning salt is the lack of MSG-induced migraine! Yay!

1 part celery seed
1 part paprika
1 part onion powder
1 part garlic powder
6 parts sea salt
pinch of oregano

Mix.
Store in an air-tight container.

Season your meats with this, but remember, it's still mostly salt, so don't over-do it. I advise using an air-tight shaker to store this, so you don't accidentally pour the whole shebang out and ruin your meatloaf. What a crime that would be.

A Cautionary Tale...

Once upon a time, a well-intentioned young lady decided to host a 3-generation Mother's Day luncheon. She invited her mother, godmother and grandmother. She got to work on a delicious and crowd-pleasing menu: chicken souvlaki, sweet potato salad, mango and avocado salad, homemade cornbread and pea soup. Always a well-prepared cook, she got to work on her menu early, preparing ahead of time. A few days before the event, she got to work on her pea soup. She decided, as usual, to wing this recipe, starting with a yummy broth made from smoked pork hock and the decision to use frozen peas instead of dried, a decision, she later found out, that would have eliminated the need to puree the soup had she chosen dried peas.

The soup was seasoned and simmered, and it was time to spoon the hot mixture into her blender, something she had done many times before. There was the roasted cauliflower soup, and the goat cheese and broccoli soup, both of which had turned out smooth and delicious. But alas, that was a different time and a different blender. The pretty, nay, stunning chef had just received a new blender the previous Christmas, and hadn't as yet run it through the gamut of its responsibilities. In fact, the only action it may have seen was a batch of blended margaritas.

Logic would dictate that "whip" would be on a high speed, while "blend" would be a lower speed. Sadly this was not the case. You can see where this story is going, no? Piping hot soup...mistaken blender speeds...

Needless to say, once the button marked "blend" was pressed, all efforts to keep the lid on the jar were found to be in vain. Boiling hot soup gushed out of the blender, onto the floor, the counter, the front of her clothes and worst of all, her uncovered arms, leaving severe burns and causing severe pain.

What can we learn from this tale?

1 - When making something for the first time, you don't necessarily have to follow a recipe, but take a gander at one.
2 - Make absolutely sure you know how to use your kitchen appliances before you load them with napalm.
3 - Keep a fully stocked first aid kit handy. You never know when making dinner will anecdotally be referred to as "the incident with the [insert kitchen appliance here]"

Writer's note: I have graciously opted not to post pictures of my injuries. My intention with this blog is to whet your appetites, not cause you to lose them.

My favourite gadget and some musings about bacon

Hello everyone!

Real life has caused me to take a brief hiatus, but I am back to preach the yummy gospel. To your right you'll see a photo of what's called a RASP. This baby is not only useful at grating citrus zest, but hard cheeses, nutmeg, ginger, and garlic. Think of a cheese grater crossed with a 5-blade lady razor.

That's not all this gadget is good for. I hate wasting food, as I'm sure most people do. As a single chick who does most of her cooking for one, it's a common issue, especially with seasonings like ginger, jalapenos, and lemongrass that I use in my Asian cooking. I learned a little trick from one of my favourite TV chefs who freezes ingredients like these and grates them frozen into his cooking. This not only prevents wastage, but allows you better control over your seasonings. What would you normally do with a half a jalapeno? Probably chuck it, or awkwardly try to work it into recipes it doesn't belong in (about to expire jalapeno oatmeal anyone?).

Genius, I know. It would really be genius if they were paying me to hock their product.

Another trick I've learned over the years is to freeze bacon on cookie sheets lined with waxed paper. Want a couple of slices for a club sandwich? Throw them frozen into a pan. They cook up just like if they were thawed. Bacon bits you ask? Frozen bacon is infinitely easier to slice prior to cooking.

Prevent against the crimes against bacon. Don't let it spoil.

Run out of hamburger buns?

Use waffles.