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Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
Some Exploitation with Your Tomato?
Need another excuse not to eat tomatoes out of season (beside the fact that they're 'anemic', tough and taste horrible)? Consider this: Workers in Florida are paid $0.45 for every 32-pound bucket of tomatoes they collect: the same wage they earned 30 years ago in 1979. I don't know about you, but I suspect very few of us could survive on 1979 wages these days. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers, a South Florida farm workers organization, likens this wage as well as common working conditions in Florida to slavery. U.S. lawmakers seem to agree. In the past decade, seven Florida tomato farms have been prosecuted for servitude (slavery) in U.S. courts.
The conditions for Florida tomato field worker are so poor that even some food service giants are starting to take notice. In April, Bon Appetit Management threatened to boycott Florida tomato growers, even if it meant that salads and sandwiches across their 400+ college and corporate cafés across the US went without the North American staple, unless workers were paid received a "penny per pound" more for their harvesting. Whole foods similarly refuses to buy Florida tomatoes unless the same condition is met. That seems like a small price to pay, but the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange, an industry trade group, has flatly refused and even threatened to fine any grower agreeing to the wage increase.
Sometimes heros do emerge though. In September, East Coast Growers and Packers, one of Florida's largest tomato growers, broke from industry position and agreed to the wage increase. It's a beginning, but finding those 'slavery-free' tomatoes is tough for the average consumer. It is nearly impossible to trace a tomato back to a specific farm. In most grocery stores in Quebec we're lucky if we can find out more than the tomato is "Product of the US". (I'm told most of our off-season tomatoes do come from Florida.)
So why not give the winter tomatoes a pass this season. Try some grated root vegetables instead. Or of you must have something soft, sweet and dripping in your sandwich, consider sliced plum or a dollop of old-fashioned chutney or relish.
Sources:
1. Helene York. The Cost of Year-Round Tomatoes. The Atlantic.
2. Jane Black. A Squeeze for Tomato Growers. The Washington Post. April 29, 2009.
3. Barry Estabrook. The Price of Tomatoes. Gourmet. March 2009.
The conditions for Florida tomato field worker are so poor that even some food service giants are starting to take notice. In April, Bon Appetit Management threatened to boycott Florida tomato growers, even if it meant that salads and sandwiches across their 400+ college and corporate cafés across the US went without the North American staple, unless workers were paid received a "penny per pound" more for their harvesting. Whole foods similarly refuses to buy Florida tomatoes unless the same condition is met. That seems like a small price to pay, but the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange, an industry trade group, has flatly refused and even threatened to fine any grower agreeing to the wage increase.
Sometimes heros do emerge though. In September, East Coast Growers and Packers, one of Florida's largest tomato growers, broke from industry position and agreed to the wage increase. It's a beginning, but finding those 'slavery-free' tomatoes is tough for the average consumer. It is nearly impossible to trace a tomato back to a specific farm. In most grocery stores in Quebec we're lucky if we can find out more than the tomato is "Product of the US". (I'm told most of our off-season tomatoes do come from Florida.)
So why not give the winter tomatoes a pass this season. Try some grated root vegetables instead. Or of you must have something soft, sweet and dripping in your sandwich, consider sliced plum or a dollop of old-fashioned chutney or relish.
Sources:
1. Helene York. The Cost of Year-Round Tomatoes. The Atlantic.
2. Jane Black. A Squeeze for Tomato Growers. The Washington Post. April 29, 2009.
3. Barry Estabrook. The Price of Tomatoes. Gourmet. March 2009.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Sprout Award Voting Begins!
For the last four years the folks at Barbara-Jo's Books to Cooks in Vancouver have put together a list of their favourite cookbooks of the year and let their customers vote for their choice. At stake is the store's People's Choice silver Sprouts Award. (There is also a Judge's Choice award.)
This year has some great contenders, including a number of books from restaurants that focus on local, sustainably-sourced ingredients like Araxi and C Restaurant in British Columbia, Paley's Place in Oregon, and The Kitchen in Scotland. I'm really excited to see places like these put out their own cookbooks and share their philosophies on food and cooking. It's even more exciting to see them on short lists for awards!
Here is a complete list of the nominees Sprouts Cookbook Awards. You can find some quick reviews of the books themselves, as well as link to the voting page, on the shop's blog: Cooks with Books.
Have a great local foodie or independent bookseller in your region? Let us know!
This year has some great contenders, including a number of books from restaurants that focus on local, sustainably-sourced ingredients like Araxi and C Restaurant in British Columbia, Paley's Place in Oregon, and The Kitchen in Scotland. I'm really excited to see places like these put out their own cookbooks and share their philosophies on food and cooking. It's even more exciting to see them on short lists for awards!
Here is a complete list of the nominees Sprouts Cookbook Awards. You can find some quick reviews of the books themselves, as well as link to the voting page, on the shop's blog: Cooks with Books.
- How to Roast a Lamb by Michael Psilakis (Little, Brown & Company)
- Tender by Nigel Slater (HarperCollins)
- The Tastes of Sonora Resort by Matthew Stowe (Sonora Resort)
- Araxi by James Walt (D&M)
- Momofuku by David Chang (Clarkson Potter)
- The Paley's Place Cookbook by Vitaly Paley and Kimberly Paley with Robert Reynolds (Ten Speed Press)
- From Nature to Plate by Tom Kitchin (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)
- C Food by Robert Clark and Harry Kambolis (Whitecap)
- Ad Hoc At Home by Thomas Keller (Artisan)
- French Taste by Laura Calder (HarperCollins)
Have a great local foodie or independent bookseller in your region? Let us know!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Sushi Time. Sustainably.
Last night I went out for Sushi with friends and family. I used to restrict myself to the vegetarian selections on the menu, but now I have other options. As soon as the menus came around, I pulled out my iPhone, accessed the Seafood Watch app, and selected their sustainable sushi guide. After explaining what I was doing to my dining companions, the conversation turned to the guide itself and what sushi on the menu was sustainable.Much to our disappointment, few of the items on the menu merited the Seafood Watch "Best Choice" stamp of approval. In fact, the only best choice was the oyster tempura. We fared somewhat better on the "Good Alternatives" with surf clam sashimi (atlantic clams); and since king crab could be ruled out, we decided that the crab choices were also either a best choice or good alternative. The eel, salmon, shrimp and scallop choices all were rated "Avoid", which didn't stop some of the diners from ordering them. (Although, I'd like to think they ordered less of their unsustainable choices in favour of the sea-friendlier ones.) "Imagine if we all had one of those guides and followed it. Sushi shops would be really challenged," said one diner. We all nodded our heads somberly.
Personally, it's my hope that sushi-goers will get their hands on this guide and use it to ask their servers questions and guide their sushi choices. It's available as a wallet card, and iPhone and iPod touch app, and on the Web. If you order a wallet card, consider ordering a couple of dozen and giving them to your friends and favourite sushi restaurants.
Have you used a sustainable sushi guide at a restaurant? What was your experience? If you haven't used a sushi guide, would you?
Monday, January 18, 2010
2010: Trending to Simple and Sustainable?
The most recent issue of Marketing magazine forecast the top five trends in food for 2010. I think the list is really interesting because it shows a shift in mainstream culture in relationship with food. Here's a summary:
1) Butcher rules: Expect a renewed interest in local meat and local butchers and people increasingly want to know where their food is coming from.
2) Fair Trade: Interest in fair trade food continues to rise despite a downward trend in organic foods.
3) Relaxation foods: Calming after-dinner digestifs and products to help people unwind will start replacing energy drinks.
4) Sense of simplicity: The economic downtown is creating nostalgia for simpler times and food, which is driving an interest in natural foods.
5) Serving nostalgia: Chefs and restaurants are returning to simpler, pure ingredients.
So what do you think: Are these trends that we'll see in the coming year?
Source: Rebecca Harris. Pass the Locally Sourced Bacon. Marketing Magazine (Rogers Media). January 18, 2010.
1) Butcher rules: Expect a renewed interest in local meat and local butchers and people increasingly want to know where their food is coming from.
2) Fair Trade: Interest in fair trade food continues to rise despite a downward trend in organic foods.
3) Relaxation foods: Calming after-dinner digestifs and products to help people unwind will start replacing energy drinks.
4) Sense of simplicity: The economic downtown is creating nostalgia for simpler times and food, which is driving an interest in natural foods.
5) Serving nostalgia: Chefs and restaurants are returning to simpler, pure ingredients.
So what do you think: Are these trends that we'll see in the coming year?
Source: Rebecca Harris. Pass the Locally Sourced Bacon. Marketing Magazine (Rogers Media). January 18, 2010.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Culinary Highlights of the Eastern Townships
The 11th edition of Montreal en Lumière starts February 18th and I'm looking forward to the "Wine and Dine" portion of this ten-day celebration of Montreal's winter urban arts and food scene.
One of my highlights of this year's edition is exploring the culinary offerings of the Eastern Townships, this year's featured region of Quebec, at the Jean Talon Market and at various restaurants around town. The activities at Jean Talon Market are easily the most accessible in this series. From 9am on Saturday and Sunday, February 20th and 21st, producers from the Eastern Townships will be featuring their products and available for questions. The activity is free, so check them out!
On the pricier end, four restaurants in Montreal will be welcoming chefs from the Eastern Townships into their kitchens to create menus featuring their local heritage. It certainly sounds like a one-of-a-kind experience for a night out. If you are interested, reserve early. I'm told these dinners can sell-out quickly.
One of my highlights of this year's edition is exploring the culinary offerings of the Eastern Townships, this year's featured region of Quebec, at the Jean Talon Market and at various restaurants around town. The activities at Jean Talon Market are easily the most accessible in this series. From 9am on Saturday and Sunday, February 20th and 21st, producers from the Eastern Townships will be featuring their products and available for questions. The activity is free, so check them out!
On the pricier end, four restaurants in Montreal will be welcoming chefs from the Eastern Townships into their kitchens to create menus featuring their local heritage. It certainly sounds like a one-of-a-kind experience for a night out. If you are interested, reserve early. I'm told these dinners can sell-out quickly.
- Chef Jeffrey Stirrup at L’Inconnu is pairing up with Geneviève Fillion of Sherbrooke’s Le Bouchon to create a five-course tasting menu with her region’s local produce taking centre stage. ($55, or $85 with wine pairing; details here)
- Chef Jean-Paul Giroux at Cuisine & Dépendance is teaming up with award-winning chef Alain Labrie of La Table du Chef in the Eastern Townships. French cuisine with local ingredients will be featured. ($70, or $115 with wine pairing; details here)
- Chef Jean-Baptiste Marchand at Bistrot La Fabrique is welcoming Danny St-Pierre of the Auguste restaurant, where he will be recreating some of his "market-driven" Eastern Townships classics. ($45, or $75 with wine pairing; details here)
- Chef Laurent Godbout at Chez L'Epicier is going back to his roots with chef François Tourigny of La Table Tourigny, with whom he first started his culinary career. French cuisine with a local twist takes centre stage. ($85, or $135 with wine pairing; details here)
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Easy, Inexpensive Party Nibbles
Over the holidays I was looking for some easy and relatively inexpensive ideas for nibbles for an informal evening get-together. I only had half an afternoon to prepare for the party, so speed was important. I also wanted to use somewhat local or seasonal ingredients. Here are a few of the things I settled on.
Homemade French Pâté
Although I regularly make my own veggie pâtés, I hadn't thought of making my own liver pâté until Mark Bittman included his recipe on his blog just before Christmas. Local or organic pâtés can be hard to come by or expensive, and Bittman claimed the recipe would be easy and delicious, so I gave it a try. It was! It also made about three cups of pâté, which was enough for the party with some left over to freeze. (I'll let you know how that turns out in another post!) I served the pâté alongside some crackers, crusty bread and a selection of cheeses. The organic livers were purchased from Boucherie Les Fermes St-Vincent, an organic butcher at Atwater market. For the non-liver-pâté eaters, I made my vegetable walnut pate.
Stuffed mushroom caps
These are always a hit and are really easy to prepare. I don't really have a fixed recipe for these. Basically, I chop up the stems of the mushrooms with about a teaspoon of marjoram, a good scoop of cream cheese, about 1/4 cup of dry bread crumbs, about 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, and some ground pepper. I mix everything together, stuff the mixture back into the caps, and then bake at 425F for about 10-12 minutes. If you're pressed for time, you can prepare them in advance and just pop them in the oven.
Horseradish sour cream dip
This dip is great for doing double duty for both chips and veggies. Again, I don't have an exact recipe, but here is the formula: Basically combine a 250 mL container of sour cream with about 5 teaspoons of horseradish (adjust the amount based on the strength of the horseradish), 2 or 3 cloves of minced garlic, a handful of chopped chives, and about a teaspoon of freshly ground pepper. Mix everything together and chill for a few hours before serving.
Homemade French Pâté
Although I regularly make my own veggie pâtés, I hadn't thought of making my own liver pâté until Mark Bittman included his recipe on his blog just before Christmas. Local or organic pâtés can be hard to come by or expensive, and Bittman claimed the recipe would be easy and delicious, so I gave it a try. It was! It also made about three cups of pâté, which was enough for the party with some left over to freeze. (I'll let you know how that turns out in another post!) I served the pâté alongside some crackers, crusty bread and a selection of cheeses. The organic livers were purchased from Boucherie Les Fermes St-Vincent, an organic butcher at Atwater market. For the non-liver-pâté eaters, I made my vegetable walnut pate.
Stuffed mushroom caps
These are always a hit and are really easy to prepare. I don't really have a fixed recipe for these. Basically, I chop up the stems of the mushrooms with about a teaspoon of marjoram, a good scoop of cream cheese, about 1/4 cup of dry bread crumbs, about 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, and some ground pepper. I mix everything together, stuff the mixture back into the caps, and then bake at 425F for about 10-12 minutes. If you're pressed for time, you can prepare them in advance and just pop them in the oven.
Horseradish sour cream dip
This dip is great for doing double duty for both chips and veggies. Again, I don't have an exact recipe, but here is the formula: Basically combine a 250 mL container of sour cream with about 5 teaspoons of horseradish (adjust the amount based on the strength of the horseradish), 2 or 3 cloves of minced garlic, a handful of chopped chives, and about a teaspoon of freshly ground pepper. Mix everything together and chill for a few hours before serving.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
TopFive in Five: #5 Gift Certificates
This is the last installment of my five-week series of holiday gift ideas.
Down to the wire? Saving your shopping until the last minute? Or simply not sure what to get someone? Consider a gift certificate. I don't believe that gift certificates are always impersonal. In fact, I'll take a thoughtful gift certificate over another set of measuring cups any day. The key is to match the gift certificate to the person. Here are some choices that you may not have thought of.
1. Appetite for Books
Have a cook on your list but not sure what cookbook she already has? Consider a gift certificate to this unique book store in Montreal that focuses exclusively of cooking and food-related books. You'll be supporting locally-owned business and sending a foodie to cookbook heaven. Bonus: They also offer cooking classes!
2. A Cooking Lesson at Académie Culinaire
What cook doesn't want to learn new tricks? Académie Culinaire in Old Montreal is the mainstay of cooking classes in Montreal, but they can be quite pricey. For something more budget-friendly, or for the more adventurous or vegetarian cook, consider the workshops offered by Crudessence, a raw food restaurant in the Plateau that uses mostly organic ingredients, or Karen's Kitchen, a mostly macrobiotic, vegan cooking school in the West Island.
3. Dinner at DNA
Many restaurants will give you a gift certificate if you ask for one. To help you decide on the amount of the certificate, take a look at the menu and choose an amount that will allow the receiver and a guest to enjoy at least two courses, including tax. (If the certificate is for a vegetarian, Bonny's on Nôtre Dame would be my top choice.)
4. Ares Kitchen
The emporium of kitchen and baking supplies! When I was looking for baking trays and cake molds that weren't made in China, this was the only store that offered a selection. You can buy gift certificates online or at any of the three locations in Montreal (2355-A Trans Canada Highway, Pointe-Claire; or 1501 Blvd des Promenades, St-Hubert; or 1550 Blvd Le Corbusier #501, Laval).
5. The Conscience Verte Rebate Guide
This is a book with discount coupons for many green business around Montreal, including some food stores, restaurants and cafés like Crudessence, Bonny's, ChuChai, and Cantine. It's perfect for someone who delights in discovering new restos, shops and green businesses. At $20, it is also a great deal.
Down to the wire? Saving your shopping until the last minute? Or simply not sure what to get someone? Consider a gift certificate. I don't believe that gift certificates are always impersonal. In fact, I'll take a thoughtful gift certificate over another set of measuring cups any day. The key is to match the gift certificate to the person. Here are some choices that you may not have thought of.
1. Appetite for Books
Have a cook on your list but not sure what cookbook she already has? Consider a gift certificate to this unique book store in Montreal that focuses exclusively of cooking and food-related books. You'll be supporting locally-owned business and sending a foodie to cookbook heaven. Bonus: They also offer cooking classes!
2. A Cooking Lesson at Académie Culinaire
What cook doesn't want to learn new tricks? Académie Culinaire in Old Montreal is the mainstay of cooking classes in Montreal, but they can be quite pricey. For something more budget-friendly, or for the more adventurous or vegetarian cook, consider the workshops offered by Crudessence, a raw food restaurant in the Plateau that uses mostly organic ingredients, or Karen's Kitchen, a mostly macrobiotic, vegan cooking school in the West Island.
3. Dinner at DNA
Many restaurants will give you a gift certificate if you ask for one. To help you decide on the amount of the certificate, take a look at the menu and choose an amount that will allow the receiver and a guest to enjoy at least two courses, including tax. (If the certificate is for a vegetarian, Bonny's on Nôtre Dame would be my top choice.)
4. Ares Kitchen
The emporium of kitchen and baking supplies! When I was looking for baking trays and cake molds that weren't made in China, this was the only store that offered a selection. You can buy gift certificates online or at any of the three locations in Montreal (2355-A Trans Canada Highway, Pointe-Claire; or 1501 Blvd des Promenades, St-Hubert; or 1550 Blvd Le Corbusier #501, Laval).
5. The Conscience Verte Rebate Guide
This is a book with discount coupons for many green business around Montreal, including some food stores, restaurants and cafés like Crudessence, Bonny's, ChuChai, and Cantine. It's perfect for someone who delights in discovering new restos, shops and green businesses. At $20, it is also a great deal.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Top Five in Five #3: Boozy Bottles
This is the third installment in my five-week series of mindful gift ideas for the food lovers on your holiday gift list.
For those on your list who imbibe, you can rarely go wrong with a nice bottle of cheer. Increasingly it is becoming easier to find products made locally, artisanally, or with organic ingredients (and sometimes all three!). I'm not a sommelier or drinks expert, so I'm not going to offer too many specific brands here. Rather, here are five categories and a few suggestions.
Cider
I'm a cider-lover. And with the number of orchards in south-western Quebec, it's no surprise that there are lots of cider choices. One of my favorites that is widely available is Degel by La Face Cachée de la Pomme in Hemmingford, but see what your local SAQ or grocer has to offer. Also, Le Domaine Steinbach in Ile D'Orleans produces five organic ciders, including an ice cider. You can order their product online. In Ontario, see if you can find County Cider products in your area.
Mead or Honeywine
Like cider, mead in Quebec is sold as an alternative to wine rather than beer. There are lots of small producers in the Eastern Townships, Montérégie and up north. A few varieties are sold at the SAQ, including four organic products sold under the Forest label from Ruchers des Framboisiers in the Gaspe.
Beer
We're spoiled for choice with hundreds of microbrews in the Montreal region. My suggestions is to take a trip to a local shop that sells a wide selection of microbrews and put your own tasting-pack together as a gift. My brother did this last year and we enjoyed trying out the different brews. One brew of note for locavores is Rur'Ale, produced in St-Polycarpe using completely local ingredients. Marché des Saveurs at Jean Talon Market, Fromagerie du Marché at Atwater Market, and Les Delires du Terroir on St-Hubert street, and the Metro grocery store on De L'Eglise in Verdun all have excellent selections of microbrews. In Quebec City, try Depanneur de la Rive. (If you have a favourite place to buy microbrews, I'd love to hear about it!)
Wine
Close to Montreal, Vignoble de Négondos is a small organic vineyard in Saint-Benoit-de Mirabel near Lachute, Qc. that produces some nice wines. You can purchase a bottle (or more) at the vineyard or at Fromagerie Yannick in the Marché de l'Ouest, DDO. The SAQ has started offering organic and eco-pratique wine choices. See what your local has to offer.
Liqueur
My first choice here would be a nice bottle of ice cider, which is only made using traditional methods in Quebec. As mentioned above, Le Domaine Steinbach in Ile D'Orleans offers an organic ice cider that you can order online. Other than that see what your local SAQ has to offer, either in ice cider or other Produits de Terroir. If you're in Quebec city, consider a special visit to the SAQ Terroirs d'ici in Le Chateau Frontenac.
Previous installments in this series were cookbook ideas and crafty catches.
For those on your list who imbibe, you can rarely go wrong with a nice bottle of cheer. Increasingly it is becoming easier to find products made locally, artisanally, or with organic ingredients (and sometimes all three!). I'm not a sommelier or drinks expert, so I'm not going to offer too many specific brands here. Rather, here are five categories and a few suggestions.
Cider
I'm a cider-lover. And with the number of orchards in south-western Quebec, it's no surprise that there are lots of cider choices. One of my favorites that is widely available is Degel by La Face Cachée de la Pomme in Hemmingford, but see what your local SAQ or grocer has to offer. Also, Le Domaine Steinbach in Ile D'Orleans produces five organic ciders, including an ice cider. You can order their product online. In Ontario, see if you can find County Cider products in your area.
Mead or Honeywine
Like cider, mead in Quebec is sold as an alternative to wine rather than beer. There are lots of small producers in the Eastern Townships, Montérégie and up north. A few varieties are sold at the SAQ, including four organic products sold under the Forest label from Ruchers des Framboisiers in the Gaspe.
Beer
We're spoiled for choice with hundreds of microbrews in the Montreal region. My suggestions is to take a trip to a local shop that sells a wide selection of microbrews and put your own tasting-pack together as a gift. My brother did this last year and we enjoyed trying out the different brews. One brew of note for locavores is Rur'Ale, produced in St-Polycarpe using completely local ingredients. Marché des Saveurs at Jean Talon Market, Fromagerie du Marché at Atwater Market, and Les Delires du Terroir on St-Hubert street, and the Metro grocery store on De L'Eglise in Verdun all have excellent selections of microbrews. In Quebec City, try Depanneur de la Rive. (If you have a favourite place to buy microbrews, I'd love to hear about it!)
Wine
Close to Montreal, Vignoble de Négondos is a small organic vineyard in Saint-Benoit-de Mirabel near Lachute, Qc. that produces some nice wines. You can purchase a bottle (or more) at the vineyard or at Fromagerie Yannick in the Marché de l'Ouest, DDO. The SAQ has started offering organic and eco-pratique wine choices. See what your local has to offer.
Liqueur
My first choice here would be a nice bottle of ice cider, which is only made using traditional methods in Quebec. As mentioned above, Le Domaine Steinbach in Ile D'Orleans offers an organic ice cider that you can order online. Other than that see what your local SAQ has to offer, either in ice cider or other Produits de Terroir. If you're in Quebec city, consider a special visit to the SAQ Terroirs d'ici in Le Chateau Frontenac.
Previous installments in this series were cookbook ideas and crafty catches.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Vegan Chewy Chocolate Brownies
My friend over at A Season to Taste has been asking for this recipe. It's taken a while to post it though! I first got it from a cooking workshop we put together at Le Frigo Vert over ten years ago, and the brownies are truly amazing! They are soft, rich and chewy. And very easy!
Vegan Chewy Chocolate Brownies
1/2 cup flour
1 1/4 cup water
2 2/3 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup cocoa
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 cups flour*
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup chopped nuts
Stir together the 1/2 cup flour and water in a saucepan over low heat until very thick. I use a whisk initially to stop it going lumpy. Then cool the mixture to room temperature. (This is important!)
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9 x 13 pan. (I've used two 8 x 8 pans with success as well.)
In a large bowl combine the sugar, salt, vanilla, and cocoa. Add the cooled flour/water mixture. Stir together. Add the oil and mix well until smooth and the oil doesn't separate out of the batter. (This can take a while.)
Add the remaining flour, baking powder and chopped nuts. (*For a chewier brownie replace up to 1/2 cup of flour with ground almonds. Highly recommended!) Mix well until all ingredients are blended. The batter will be fairly thick.
Transfer batter to pan(s). Bake 25-35 minutes until firm and a knife inserted into the centre comes out 'clean.'
Enjoy!
Vegan Chewy Chocolate Brownies
1/2 cup flour
1 1/4 cup water
2 2/3 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup cocoa
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 cups flour*
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup chopped nuts
Stir together the 1/2 cup flour and water in a saucepan over low heat until very thick. I use a whisk initially to stop it going lumpy. Then cool the mixture to room temperature. (This is important!)
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9 x 13 pan. (I've used two 8 x 8 pans with success as well.)
In a large bowl combine the sugar, salt, vanilla, and cocoa. Add the cooled flour/water mixture. Stir together. Add the oil and mix well until smooth and the oil doesn't separate out of the batter. (This can take a while.)
Add the remaining flour, baking powder and chopped nuts. (*For a chewier brownie replace up to 1/2 cup of flour with ground almonds. Highly recommended!) Mix well until all ingredients are blended. The batter will be fairly thick.
Transfer batter to pan(s). Bake 25-35 minutes until firm and a knife inserted into the centre comes out 'clean.'
Enjoy!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Top Five in Five #2: Crafty Catches
Last Friday I posted a list of crafty events going on leading up to the holiday season. These might not seem like the most obvious places to get mindful foodie and kitchen-related gifts, but you might be surprised. Consider these gift ideas. Keep in mind that your mileage will vary from fair to fair.
-----------------------------------
This is the second installment in my five-week series of holiday gift ideas for foodies and kitchen junkies. The first installment offered cookbook recommendations.
For some other, not necessarily kitchen- and food-related, gifts. Check out Hour's guide to eco-conscious gifts.
- Aprons, napkins, table cloths and dish towels
Some of these can be really simple. I know someone who makes napkins and place mats out of old clothes and pieces of fabric. But you can also find some real pieces of art like hand-painted table cloths or silk-screened dish towels. Hand-knitted hemp dishcloths anyone? - Napkin rings or table centrepieces
If you're gifting cloth napkins, consider looking for some napkin rings to go along with them. I've seen wood ones, ceramic ones, rubber ones... Table centrepieces may include vases, candle arrangements, etc - Pottered mugs and bowls
This is pretty self-explanatory. To make a pottered mug extra special, toss in some packets of fair-trade cocoa, tea or coffee. - Bowls, serving plates and cutlery
These come in a wide variety of materials and qualities. I've seen cutting boards made out of driftwood, hand-carved wooden cutlery and bowls, serving plates made from papier mâché , and cheese plates made from melted jars and bottles. Very creative and unique stuff. - Home preserves, jams and baked goods
There are some fabulous and dedicated cooks out there. If you don't the time or the inclination to make your own, consider picking up a few jars at a fair. Admittedly, you have to be a bit careful when buying from a home cook.
-----------------------------------
This is the second installment in my five-week series of holiday gift ideas for foodies and kitchen junkies. The first installment offered cookbook recommendations.
For some other, not necessarily kitchen- and food-related, gifts. Check out Hour's guide to eco-conscious gifts.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Garlicky Lamb Stew
On Saturday, my friend had her annual celebration of garlic. It's a potluck party where every contribution to the feast must have garlic as an ingredient, including deserts. It's a fabulous evening and you wouldn't believe all the garlicky combinations that people come up with. Garlice cream anyone? It's actually delicious.
This year my contribution was a garlicky lamp stew made from local ingredients that are easy enough to find at this time of year. It was a big hit. Here is the recipe.
Slow-Cooker Garlicky Lamb Stew
1 kg local lamb or mutton (stewing cut)
ca. 1/2 cup flour
ca. 2 Tbs Epicure Tuscan Rub*
ca. 3 Tbs Champy sunflower oil
1-2 heads organic garlic (according to taste), crushed
1 bottle mild scotch ale, like LochNess
500 g organic red potatoes, cut
salt and pepper to taste
Combine flour and Tuscan Rub in a bowl. Cube lamb or mutton. Toss meat in flour mixture to coat it.
Heat oil in a heavy-bottom pan. Brown the coated meat over medium-high heat, in batches if necessary. Put the potatoes in the slow cooker on high. Add the meat, then add about half the garlic. Add the rest of the garlic to the remaining oil in the pan.
Reduce the heat for the pan to medium-low and stir-fry garlic for a few minutes, until soft. Add the scotch ale to the pan. Let it warm for about a minute and then pour the ale mixture over the meat and potatoes in the slow cooker.
Stir the mixture in the slow cooker. Make sure liquid covers the top of the meat and potatoes. If not, top up the slow cooker with boiling water.
Cover and simmer on low 2-4 hours, or until meat is tender, the potatoes are cooked, and the gravy is thick. Stir occasionally as the stew is simmering. Add more water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper towards the end of the cooking process.
Serve over a bed of greens, and with fresh crusty bread.
* I used this because it was what I had on hand. Originally I wanted to use rosemary, but when I looked in the cupboard I was out of it. I still think rosemary would work really well.
This year my contribution was a garlicky lamp stew made from local ingredients that are easy enough to find at this time of year. It was a big hit. Here is the recipe.
Slow-Cooker Garlicky Lamb Stew
1 kg local lamb or mutton (stewing cut)
ca. 1/2 cup flour
ca. 2 Tbs Epicure Tuscan Rub*
ca. 3 Tbs Champy sunflower oil
1-2 heads organic garlic (according to taste), crushed
1 bottle mild scotch ale, like LochNess
500 g organic red potatoes, cut
salt and pepper to taste
Combine flour and Tuscan Rub in a bowl. Cube lamb or mutton. Toss meat in flour mixture to coat it.
Heat oil in a heavy-bottom pan. Brown the coated meat over medium-high heat, in batches if necessary. Put the potatoes in the slow cooker on high. Add the meat, then add about half the garlic. Add the rest of the garlic to the remaining oil in the pan.
Reduce the heat for the pan to medium-low and stir-fry garlic for a few minutes, until soft. Add the scotch ale to the pan. Let it warm for about a minute and then pour the ale mixture over the meat and potatoes in the slow cooker.
Stir the mixture in the slow cooker. Make sure liquid covers the top of the meat and potatoes. If not, top up the slow cooker with boiling water.
Cover and simmer on low 2-4 hours, or until meat is tender, the potatoes are cooked, and the gravy is thick. Stir occasionally as the stew is simmering. Add more water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper towards the end of the cooking process.
Serve over a bed of greens, and with fresh crusty bread.
* I used this because it was what I had on hand. Originally I wanted to use rosemary, but when I looked in the cupboard I was out of it. I still think rosemary would work really well.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Crafty Events for Great Holiday Gifts
Craft fairs are great places to pick up gifts that score low on environmental impact and high on supporting local business. Most of the fairs run through November and early December. Here are a few to keep in mind. As well, the Montreal Gazette has a pretty complete list for 2009 here.
Saturday November 28th
- Fair trade sale and pancake breakfast at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 496 Birch St., St. Lambert, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sponsored by Dix Mille Villages. Breakfast is $6.
Friday December 4th to Sunday December 6th
- TMR Craft Fair at Schofield Hall, 90 Roosevelt Ave., T.M.R. from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Artisans and tea shop.
- Dorval Potters Guild Pottery sale at Sarto Des Noyers Centre, 1335 Lakeshore Rd., Room S014A, Dorval. , 10 a.m. to 9 p.m
Saturday December 5th and Sunday December 6th
- Public Yule Fair At Le Mélange Magique, 1928 St-Catherine W, from 10am to 5pm. Artisans, workshops and storytelling. Free admission.
Saturday December 4th to Tuesday December 22nd
- Salon des Metiers d'Art at Place Bonaventure. The biggest craft fair in Montreal, this with over 400 professional artisans under one roof.
Sunday December 5th
- Holiday craft fair at Evergreen Elementary School, 2625 rue du Bordelais, St. Lazare. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thirty artisans and refreshments.
Friday December 11th to Sunday December 13th
- http://souk.sat.qc.ca/english.php at Société des arts technologiques (SAT), 1195 boul. Saint-Laurent . Over 60 local artists.
Saturday December 12th and Sunday December 13th
- Quinn Farm Old-Fashioned Christmas Fair at Quinn Farm, 2495 Perrot Blvd., Île Perrot from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Crafts, wagon rides, Christmas trees, refreshments.
If I hear of any other events, I'll update this list.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Top Five in Five #1: Recipe Books
With only five weeks left until Christmas and other holiday gift giving days, I thought it was time to offer up some gift suggestions for the amateurs chefs, entertainers and foodies on our lists.
Over the next five weeks, I plan to offer a weekly post with five ideas along a specific theme. To kick-off my new series, here are my top five recipe book gift ideas. In the spirit of buying local, if one of these books looks interesting, please consider buying it from an independent book-seller (like Appetite for Books in Montreal) close to home before ordering it on-line.
- Farmers in Chef Hats by Linda Arsenault is a bilingual book featuring recipes and products from Île d’Orléans near Quebec City, where most of the farms are still family run. This book won the Gourmand World Cookbook for best local cookery book in 2007, and is a wonderful showcase for Quebec local foods.
- Earth to Table: Seasonal Recipes from an Organic Farm by slow-food pioneer Jeff Crump and Bettina Schormann is a stunning collection of recipes and articles organized by season. Many of the recipes come from the Ancaster Old Mill restaurant near Toronto, where Crump is executive chef and Schormann is the pastry chef. This book is equally at home on the cofee table as it is on the cookbook shelf.
- Along a similar vein, Farmer John's Cookbook: The Real Dirt on Vegetables by Farmer John Peterson and Angelic Organics, is also divided by season, but then it is also divided by vegetable. The goal here is to help folks cook with the produce from their CSA (or farm-share) baskets. Although Angelic Organics is near Chicago, almost all of the veggies have appeared in my local CSA basket. The book is also peppered with anecdotes and offers insight into biodynamic farming.
- In Fish, UK's Michelin-starred restauranteur and 'green chippie' pioneer Tom Aikens teaches us how to cook-up great seafood while keeping our impact on the oceans to a minimum. It contains over 200 recipes, as well as cooking and buying tips. Since this is a British book, a drawback for cooks on this side of the pond is that some species common to and sustainable in the U.K., may not be over here. It's nothing that a local seafood guide can't overcome though.
- Finally, for the baker or health-conscious foodie on your list, consider the Whole Grain Baking book by the folk at the King Arthur Flour company. Based in Vermont, King Arthur Flour is 'America's oldest flour company." It is also an employee-owned company that eschews GMO wheat and advocates sustainability.
Do you have a gift suggestion or did I miss one of your favourite books? Drop me a comment or a tweet and let me know!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Coffee with a Conscience in Verdun
Every now and then I stumble across a real delight. Case and point: Baobab Café on Wellington street in Verdun. Verdun is probably not where you'd expect to find a thriving socially- and environmentally-conscious café, but there it is. They also offers their patrons free Internet access.
The coffee is good and reasonably priced, especially considering that it is all fair trade. A small filter coffee served at the table set me back $1.75, and it was hardly 'small.' Baobab also serves espresso ($2.35), cappuccino and cafe au lait ($3.15-$4.25), hot chocolate ($2.75-$3.75), and chai tea ($2); all are organic and fair-trade. For an extra $0.50 you can replace dairy milk with soy milk.
The coffee is good and reasonably priced, especially considering that it is all fair trade. A small filter coffee served at the table set me back $1.75, and it was hardly 'small.' Baobab also serves espresso ($2.35), cappuccino and cafe au lait ($3.15-$4.25), hot chocolate ($2.75-$3.75), and chai tea ($2); all are organic and fair-trade. For an extra $0.50 you can replace dairy milk with soy milk.If you fancy a nibble with your coffee, they have croissants, chocolatines, and a selection of muffins and scones for about $2. At lunchtime, they also have a selection of sandwiches starting at $4.25 and going up to $9 for a trio.
Finally, Café Baobab sells Camino fair trade products, including sugar, cocoa, hot chocolate and chocolate bars. They also sell their coffee en vrac for $10/lb.
All around a winner, I think. I'm sure I'll be visiting again.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
DNA Delivers Ecogastronomic Delights
Earlier this week, some friends and I went out to DNA Restaurant to enjoy their special "Ecogastronomy" menu in honour of Slow Food week. Founded in 1986, Slow Food was started in reaction to the rise of 'fast food', and was perhaps one of the earliest promoters, although indirectly, of the farm-to-table approach to eating. Proponents of Slow Food believe that food should be more than sustenance in the belly. Food, in its full range of recipes and flavours, should celebrated, savoured, and enjoyed in the company of others.
Recently, Slow Food has added eco- and social responsibility to its gastronomic roots--hence ecogastronomy. According to the Slow Food Canada website, "Ecogastonomy is an attitude that combines a respect and interest in enogastronomic culture with support for those battling to defend food and agricultural biodiversity around the world. [...] It helps to safeguard local cuisines, traditional products, vegetable and animal species at risk of extinction. It supports a new model of agriculture, which is less intensive and healthier, founded on the knowledge and know-how of local communities."
The Ecogastronomy menu at DNA Restaurant was true to all these Slow Food principles. It was my first visit to DNA and my expectations were high. I'd been hearing good things about Executive Chef and co-owner Derek Dammann's culinary concoctions that honour heritage food traditions and use mostly local and sustainable-sourced ingredients, as well as the extensive Canadian wine list compiled with partner Alex Cruz.
Overall my dining companions and I were impressed. We all agreed that the $45 set price for the four-course menu was a steal for the quality and quantity of food. Far too often, farm-to-table dining is out of the price range for the average person. For this event, DNA makes it reasonably affordable. Good on them! In contrast, the $45 optional wine pairing offered to accompany the meal was a huge disappointment and grossly overpriced. Only three services were accompanied by wine and the quantity was very meagre compared to other wine-paired meals I've experienced. Instead, consider ordering your wine by the glass or bottle with help from the sommelier. The extensive wine list offers some affordable choices (as well as some luxury ones!) and a very exciting selection of Canadian wines.
Now, on to the food! Overall the ecogastronomy menu is ambitious and varied. Our waiter was fabulous at explaining everything on the menu, even offering insights into the ingredients themselves and how some of the dishes are prepared. In keeping with the celebration of food in all its ranges and flavours, much of the opening appetizer and pasta course options include ingredients that many of us are not used to, such as heart and testicles (Yes, you read that correctly!). This was a turn-off for some at our table, and the source of great excitement for others. It was really interesting to watch the range of reactions.
Some of the appetizers on offer included zupa di pane (bread soup), porchetta di testa (a charcuterie made from a pig's head), veal heart tartare with brioche, fresh oysters, and Kamouraska lamb carpaccio. The carpaccio, which was delicate and flavourful, was a big hit at our table; as was the heart tartare for the more adventurous and the zupa di pane, which was full of chard and beans and very rich. Appetizers were served with a variety of fresh-baked breads and olive oil, which stayed on the table until the main course.
Moving on to the pasta course, selections included ravioli al sole, kamouraska lamb cavatelli, and spinach pasta with fresh lobster and Matane shrimp, among others. The ravioli was stunning. Upon cutting into it, the barely-cooked yolk of a duck egg spilled out onto the plate. I'd never seen that before, although some of my dining companions had encountered it in their own culinary gallivanting, and even tried to reproduce it themselves(!). Aside from the egg, the filling of the ravioli contained duck liver, heart, tongue, testicles and foie gras, in a refreshing example of leaving no part of an animal to waste. The cavatelli was also well-received. The lobster and Matane shrimp was tasty with generous portions of seafood and married well with the fresh spinach pasta, but was very, very salty. This was a shame because the delicate flavours of the seafood were not allowed to come through on their own.
Main courses included boudin noir (a blood sausage), kamouraska lamb, veal loin, milk-fed piglet, wild coho salmon and striped sea bass. All were tasty, well-prepared and well-presented. The only missing element was vegetables, which were there but you had to hunt for them. There is still a lot of seasonal produce available at this time of year, so I'm not sure why the veggies were so starkingly absent; although it is in keeping with the bistro style that seems so popular among trendy restaurants these days.
Wrapping up the meal, the salted pine nut tart with ginger and olive oil gelato was the perfect finish. I highly recommend it. Other options included apple cake and a chocolate panna cotta made from a traditional recipe (Ask the server about the secret ingredient.). This was followed by almond cookies and coffee.
Overall a very pleasant night. A few final notes: Almost everyone commented on the decor, which is high-tech, modern, tasteful and inviting. The layout also feels very private and helps keep the din of surrounding diners to almost non-existent (A feat well-worth mentionning!). However, the service for the four-course menu was very long. We were in at 7pm and not out until well after 11pm. At that point many of us were rushing out the door, even leaving early before the coffee, weary of long drives back to Vaudreuil and the North Shore. Finally, this is no place for a vegetarian, although I suspect that non-meat-eaters could be accommodated with advance notice.
Sorry, no pics. I decided to sit back and immerse myself in the experience of the evening.
PS. The Montreal chapter of Slow Food is offering a 10% discount on annual membership upon presentation of the restaurant bill from the this week's Ecogastronomy menu. for more details contact them at info(at)slowfoodquebec(dot)com.
Recently, Slow Food has added eco- and social responsibility to its gastronomic roots--hence ecogastronomy. According to the Slow Food Canada website, "Ecogastonomy is an attitude that combines a respect and interest in enogastronomic culture with support for those battling to defend food and agricultural biodiversity around the world. [...] It helps to safeguard local cuisines, traditional products, vegetable and animal species at risk of extinction. It supports a new model of agriculture, which is less intensive and healthier, founded on the knowledge and know-how of local communities."
The Ecogastronomy menu at DNA Restaurant was true to all these Slow Food principles. It was my first visit to DNA and my expectations were high. I'd been hearing good things about Executive Chef and co-owner Derek Dammann's culinary concoctions that honour heritage food traditions and use mostly local and sustainable-sourced ingredients, as well as the extensive Canadian wine list compiled with partner Alex Cruz.
Overall my dining companions and I were impressed. We all agreed that the $45 set price for the four-course menu was a steal for the quality and quantity of food. Far too often, farm-to-table dining is out of the price range for the average person. For this event, DNA makes it reasonably affordable. Good on them! In contrast, the $45 optional wine pairing offered to accompany the meal was a huge disappointment and grossly overpriced. Only three services were accompanied by wine and the quantity was very meagre compared to other wine-paired meals I've experienced. Instead, consider ordering your wine by the glass or bottle with help from the sommelier. The extensive wine list offers some affordable choices (as well as some luxury ones!) and a very exciting selection of Canadian wines.
Now, on to the food! Overall the ecogastronomy menu is ambitious and varied. Our waiter was fabulous at explaining everything on the menu, even offering insights into the ingredients themselves and how some of the dishes are prepared. In keeping with the celebration of food in all its ranges and flavours, much of the opening appetizer and pasta course options include ingredients that many of us are not used to, such as heart and testicles (Yes, you read that correctly!). This was a turn-off for some at our table, and the source of great excitement for others. It was really interesting to watch the range of reactions.
Some of the appetizers on offer included zupa di pane (bread soup), porchetta di testa (a charcuterie made from a pig's head), veal heart tartare with brioche, fresh oysters, and Kamouraska lamb carpaccio. The carpaccio, which was delicate and flavourful, was a big hit at our table; as was the heart tartare for the more adventurous and the zupa di pane, which was full of chard and beans and very rich. Appetizers were served with a variety of fresh-baked breads and olive oil, which stayed on the table until the main course.
Moving on to the pasta course, selections included ravioli al sole, kamouraska lamb cavatelli, and spinach pasta with fresh lobster and Matane shrimp, among others. The ravioli was stunning. Upon cutting into it, the barely-cooked yolk of a duck egg spilled out onto the plate. I'd never seen that before, although some of my dining companions had encountered it in their own culinary gallivanting, and even tried to reproduce it themselves(!). Aside from the egg, the filling of the ravioli contained duck liver, heart, tongue, testicles and foie gras, in a refreshing example of leaving no part of an animal to waste. The cavatelli was also well-received. The lobster and Matane shrimp was tasty with generous portions of seafood and married well with the fresh spinach pasta, but was very, very salty. This was a shame because the delicate flavours of the seafood were not allowed to come through on their own.
Main courses included boudin noir (a blood sausage), kamouraska lamb, veal loin, milk-fed piglet, wild coho salmon and striped sea bass. All were tasty, well-prepared and well-presented. The only missing element was vegetables, which were there but you had to hunt for them. There is still a lot of seasonal produce available at this time of year, so I'm not sure why the veggies were so starkingly absent; although it is in keeping with the bistro style that seems so popular among trendy restaurants these days.
Wrapping up the meal, the salted pine nut tart with ginger and olive oil gelato was the perfect finish. I highly recommend it. Other options included apple cake and a chocolate panna cotta made from a traditional recipe (Ask the server about the secret ingredient.). This was followed by almond cookies and coffee.
Overall a very pleasant night. A few final notes: Almost everyone commented on the decor, which is high-tech, modern, tasteful and inviting. The layout also feels very private and helps keep the din of surrounding diners to almost non-existent (A feat well-worth mentionning!). However, the service for the four-course menu was very long. We were in at 7pm and not out until well after 11pm. At that point many of us were rushing out the door, even leaving early before the coffee, weary of long drives back to Vaudreuil and the North Shore. Finally, this is no place for a vegetarian, although I suspect that non-meat-eaters could be accommodated with advance notice.
Sorry, no pics. I decided to sit back and immerse myself in the experience of the evening.
PS. The Montreal chapter of Slow Food is offering a 10% discount on annual membership upon presentation of the restaurant bill from the this week's Ecogastronomy menu. for more details contact them at info(at)slowfoodquebec(dot)com.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Local, Organic and Gluten-Free
I seem to be having an epidemic of friends and colleagues being diagnosed with celiac disease these days. Gluten intolerance can really challenge your dietary and shopping choices. If you're also someone who prefers to shop local or organic, your choices are further limited. Unfortunately, many of the gluten-free products sold in supermarkets and health food stores are mass-produced and shipped in from across the continent. What is a mindful consumer to do? Fortunately, there are local gluten-free products.
One product line that comes to mind immediately are the pâtés available from Les Viandes Biologiques de Charlevoix. I'm not sure if they're all gluten-free, but certainly the pâté de campagne and a version of the cretons de porc are. (Seriously! They've replaced the traditional breadcrumbs in the cretons with rice flour.) I also recall that some of their dry sausages are gluten-free. Look for their products at Fromagerie Atwater and Maitre Boucher.
Another local supplier with some gluten-free products is Boucherie Valens. Check the label. Increasingly available around the city, all of the their meat comes from from small family farms in the Huntington region that are devoted to raising their animals humanely and sustainably. I've recently seen their meats, cold-cuts, bacon and sausages at Maitre Boucher, Pousse Ananas, and PA. You can also order from them directly.
While not totally local, GoGo Quinoa is a Quebec-based business that offers organic, fair-trade and gluten-free products imported from cooperatives in South America. Their products are widely available in health food and grocery stores across the province.
For take-home meals to reheat, Restaurant Marché Serafim opposite the Marché Bonsecours in Old Montreal offers some gluten-free choices. All of their food is organic and wheat-free. A lot of it is also local. Prices are reasonable, especially considering the location!
I'm sure there are other mindful, gluten-free products out there. If you know of some that I've missed, leave a comment or drop me a note.
One product line that comes to mind immediately are the pâtés available from Les Viandes Biologiques de Charlevoix. I'm not sure if they're all gluten-free, but certainly the pâté de campagne and a version of the cretons de porc are. (Seriously! They've replaced the traditional breadcrumbs in the cretons with rice flour.) I also recall that some of their dry sausages are gluten-free. Look for their products at Fromagerie Atwater and Maitre Boucher.
Another local supplier with some gluten-free products is Boucherie Valens. Check the label. Increasingly available around the city, all of the their meat comes from from small family farms in the Huntington region that are devoted to raising their animals humanely and sustainably. I've recently seen their meats, cold-cuts, bacon and sausages at Maitre Boucher, Pousse Ananas, and PA. You can also order from them directly.
While not totally local, GoGo Quinoa is a Quebec-based business that offers organic, fair-trade and gluten-free products imported from cooperatives in South America. Their products are widely available in health food and grocery stores across the province.
For take-home meals to reheat, Restaurant Marché Serafim opposite the Marché Bonsecours in Old Montreal offers some gluten-free choices. All of their food is organic and wheat-free. A lot of it is also local. Prices are reasonable, especially considering the location!
I'm sure there are other mindful, gluten-free products out there. If you know of some that I've missed, leave a comment or drop me a note.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Harvest Brownies
Looking at a pile of beets I pulled from my garden recently, I was reminded about a childhood treat: red velvet cake. While some recipes for this classic cake use red food colouring, my mum's used beetroot. Perhaps it was her way of getting veggies into us, although you'd never know it. It made a fabulously rich and moist cake that looked and tasted fantastic.
When I went rooting around for a recipe for red velvet cake, I came across a few recipes for chocolate beetroot brownies. Now, I'm more of a brownie girl than a cake girl, so the brownie recipes got the try. As well, unlike the red velvet cake recipes, the beetroot only required grating, not cooking.
I like this recipe because it doesn't use a lot of sugar. The brownies are also rich, moist, and a deep dark red. (Perfect for a Hallowe'en table too!) I've found that if I use fresh beetroot from my garden that I don't need to peel them. I only need to scrub them. I suspect, however, that if you're using stored or conventionally-farmed beetroot that you're better off peeling since the skin is probably tough and bitter.
Chocolate Beetroot Brownies
(Adapted from La Tartine Gourmand)
• 4 oz fair-trade dark chocolate (at least 70%)*
• 7/8 cup unbleached flour
• 1 cup ground almonds
• 1/3 cup fair-trade sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 4 eggs at room temperature
• 7 oz (200 g) shredded raw red beetroot
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Icing sugar** and cocoa for decoration
Set aside the butter and eggs so they are are at room temperature before you start mixing the ingredients. Meanwhile, peel and shred the beetroot. Combine the shredded beetroot in a bowl with the flour and ground almonds. Set aside. Also, melt the chocolate over hot water and then set it aside to cool.
Cream the butter then add the eggs. Beat well until well-blended and frothy. Add the sugar and mix well. Add the vanilla, the melted chocolate and the flour, almonds and beetroot. Mix well.
Oil a square cake pan and dust the bottom lightly with flour. Pour the brownie batter into it and bake in a preheated oven at 350F for about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool the brownies in the pan slightly before turning them out onto a cake rack. To serve, cut into squares and dust with cocoa and confectioner's sugar.
* To substitute cocoa for dark chocolate, combine 1/2 cup cocoa, 3 tbsp sugar and 3 tbsp oil or butter over a double boiler until smooth.
** I recently discovered fair-trade icing sugar at my local Loblaws. Look for it!
When I went rooting around for a recipe for red velvet cake, I came across a few recipes for chocolate beetroot brownies. Now, I'm more of a brownie girl than a cake girl, so the brownie recipes got the try. As well, unlike the red velvet cake recipes, the beetroot only required grating, not cooking.
I like this recipe because it doesn't use a lot of sugar. The brownies are also rich, moist, and a deep dark red. (Perfect for a Hallowe'en table too!) I've found that if I use fresh beetroot from my garden that I don't need to peel them. I only need to scrub them. I suspect, however, that if you're using stored or conventionally-farmed beetroot that you're better off peeling since the skin is probably tough and bitter.
Chocolate Beetroot Brownies
(Adapted from La Tartine Gourmand)
• 4 oz fair-trade dark chocolate (at least 70%)*• 7/8 cup unbleached flour
• 1 cup ground almonds
• 1/3 cup fair-trade sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 4 eggs at room temperature
• 7 oz (200 g) shredded raw red beetroot
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Icing sugar** and cocoa for decoration
Set aside the butter and eggs so they are are at room temperature before you start mixing the ingredients. Meanwhile, peel and shred the beetroot. Combine the shredded beetroot in a bowl with the flour and ground almonds. Set aside. Also, melt the chocolate over hot water and then set it aside to cool.
Cream the butter then add the eggs. Beat well until well-blended and frothy. Add the sugar and mix well. Add the vanilla, the melted chocolate and the flour, almonds and beetroot. Mix well.
Oil a square cake pan and dust the bottom lightly with flour. Pour the brownie batter into it and bake in a preheated oven at 350F for about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool the brownies in the pan slightly before turning them out onto a cake rack. To serve, cut into squares and dust with cocoa and confectioner's sugar.
* To substitute cocoa for dark chocolate, combine 1/2 cup cocoa, 3 tbsp sugar and 3 tbsp oil or butter over a double boiler until smooth.
** I recently discovered fair-trade icing sugar at my local Loblaws. Look for it!
Friday, October 2, 2009
Asking the Uncomfortable Questions
I had to chuckle when I read the following from a recent article in the Denver Post:
After spending time on Arapaho Ranch, I believe I can reconcile my carnivorous ways with that which comes before I take my first bite: the animal's slaughter.
What meat do I eat now? Meat from animals that were raised humanely. I guess that makes me a "humane-itarian."
This demands research on my part. It asks more of my wallet, which means I'll eat less meat. It turns restaurant-dining, for the most part, into an adventure in vegetarianism. It could make for uncomfortable dinner parties ("Was this chicken raised humanely? You don't know? Oh, OK. I'll just have the carrots.").
You see, substitute 'humanely' for 'ethically' and that's me. And I do ask the uncomfortable questions at dinner parties and restaurants. (I'm very grateful that I have friends who are thick-skinned.) And I will eat the carrot sticks if the meat isn't reasonably local and raised naturally. That's how I do my activism. I won't make a big deal out if it, and I try to be reasonably discrete, but I will ask the questions. By doing this, I both stick to my principles and raise awareness among the people I'm in contact with. Sure, asking the question may feel uncomfortable, but the rewards are great. Afterwards, almost always someone at the table or party will ask me questions. Then a whole discussion gets going. What an opportunity!
I call this ripple activism. Like that old 1970s hair advert: if I tell two friends and they tell two friends and so on and so on and so on... It ripples out. Someone else recently suggested I call it trust activism or relationship activism. People are more inclined to believe in a cause or take action in it when they hear about it from someone they know.
So go on. I challenge you: Ask the uncomfortable questions.
After spending time on Arapaho Ranch, I believe I can reconcile my carnivorous ways with that which comes before I take my first bite: the animal's slaughter.
What meat do I eat now? Meat from animals that were raised humanely. I guess that makes me a "humane-itarian."
This demands research on my part. It asks more of my wallet, which means I'll eat less meat. It turns restaurant-dining, for the most part, into an adventure in vegetarianism. It could make for uncomfortable dinner parties ("Was this chicken raised humanely? You don't know? Oh, OK. I'll just have the carrots.").
You see, substitute 'humanely' for 'ethically' and that's me. And I do ask the uncomfortable questions at dinner parties and restaurants. (I'm very grateful that I have friends who are thick-skinned.) And I will eat the carrot sticks if the meat isn't reasonably local and raised naturally. That's how I do my activism. I won't make a big deal out if it, and I try to be reasonably discrete, but I will ask the questions. By doing this, I both stick to my principles and raise awareness among the people I'm in contact with. Sure, asking the question may feel uncomfortable, but the rewards are great. Afterwards, almost always someone at the table or party will ask me questions. Then a whole discussion gets going. What an opportunity!
I call this ripple activism. Like that old 1970s hair advert: if I tell two friends and they tell two friends and so on and so on and so on... It ripples out. Someone else recently suggested I call it trust activism or relationship activism. People are more inclined to believe in a cause or take action in it when they hear about it from someone they know.
So go on. I challenge you: Ask the uncomfortable questions.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
From Farm to Bottle
Did you know that Quebec has a farm-brewery? Neither did I until recently.
Located in Ste-Polycarpe in Montéregie, the Ferme Brasserie Schoune may be the first modern farm-brewery in North America. Founded by immigrants from Belgium, the farm has been growing corn, grain, soybeans, buckwheat and malting barley since 1980. A little over ten years ago, they started brewing their own beer from their farm products. All their beers are unpasteurized and brewed using traditional Belgian methods with only natural ingredients. Almost all of them are award-winning.
The microbrasserie currently offers several year-round beers, as well as a selection of limited edition brews. One, Rur'Ale, is completely made from Quebec ingredients for a 100% local brew. (I believe their hops are from their own farm, but I'm not sure.) Look for them at select grocery stores (mostly Metro), dépanneurs and specialty stores across the province.
Located in Ste-Polycarpe in Montéregie, the Ferme Brasserie Schoune may be the first modern farm-brewery in North America. Founded by immigrants from Belgium, the farm has been growing corn, grain, soybeans, buckwheat and malting barley since 1980. A little over ten years ago, they started brewing their own beer from their farm products. All their beers are unpasteurized and brewed using traditional Belgian methods with only natural ingredients. Almost all of them are award-winning.The microbrasserie currently offers several year-round beers, as well as a selection of limited edition brews. One, Rur'Ale, is completely made from Quebec ingredients for a 100% local brew. (I believe their hops are from their own farm, but I'm not sure.) Look for them at select grocery stores (mostly Metro), dépanneurs and specialty stores across the province.
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