We belong to a year-round CSA. During the spring, summer and fall we get lots of fresh out of the field veggies and fruit. But when winter rolls around we get lots of things that can handle colder weather and/or store well. That means lots of winter squash and apples and even more members of the cabbage family (Brassicas): Brussels sprouts, cabbage (three or four kinds), kohlrabi, and kale. This year I am determined to use all of the cabbage relatives in new ways. So far this week we have had three dishes. First was an Indian version of coleslaw with red cabbage, jalapeños and mustard seeds. It was pretty good but not as tasty as the other two things I tried.
Next up was kohlrabi apple slaw. This was terrific. Later I learned that the kohlrabi might be sweeter this year because it stayed in the fields until the weather was very chilly.
Tonight we had smoky creamed kale. I didn't have any smoked paprika so I used part chipotle chile powder and part paprika. The smoky flavour along with the mustard was a nice change from my usual approach to kale.
Showing posts with label recipe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipe. Show all posts
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Numbers, neobladder advice and soup
Ninety of these, using various letters.
Ninety of these, with careful attention to which colour went with which letter.
Approximately 480 ends to deal with over about 5 hours.
Yesterday I received a hard copy of a small publication called the Pipeline, prepared for members of the Urology Nurses Association of Canada. Months ago my incontinence nurse, after listening to me babble about all the things I had learned while dealing with my new bladder, suggested that I write an article for the Pipeline. She subsequently added an introduction and the two pieces appeared as the feature in the June 2015 issue. It was weird to receive it. Those days seem like they were years ago even though it was only a few months. You can read it here. In the unlikely event that you know a neobladder patient please pass along my advice.
In the mood for soup? Try Lemon Parmesan Asparagus Soup.
Ninety of these, with careful attention to which colour went with which letter.
Approximately 480 ends to deal with over about 5 hours.
Yesterday I received a hard copy of a small publication called the Pipeline, prepared for members of the Urology Nurses Association of Canada. Months ago my incontinence nurse, after listening to me babble about all the things I had learned while dealing with my new bladder, suggested that I write an article for the Pipeline. She subsequently added an introduction and the two pieces appeared as the feature in the June 2015 issue. It was weird to receive it. Those days seem like they were years ago even though it was only a few months. You can read it here. In the unlikely event that you know a neobladder patient please pass along my advice.
In the mood for soup? Try Lemon Parmesan Asparagus Soup.
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Numbers again
22 letters, 1 space.
Delicious rhubarb curd or how-to-magnify-the-caloric-value-of-rhubarb.
Food for your eyes and brain.
INGER JOHANNE RASMUSSEN. Retold Stories from Inger Johanne Rasmussen on Vimeo.
To learn more about her collaboration with the writer Terje Nordby, go here. You will see images of her work which are accompanied by Nordby reading his text aloud in English.
Delicious rhubarb curd or how-to-magnify-the-caloric-value-of-rhubarb.
Food for your eyes and brain.
INGER JOHANNE RASMUSSEN. Retold Stories from Inger Johanne Rasmussen on Vimeo.
To learn more about her collaboration with the writer Terje Nordby, go here. You will see images of her work which are accompanied by Nordby reading his text aloud in English.
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Miscellaneous delights
Coffee Caramel Crème Brûlée
Val Traversy's mulled wine recipe
The students in my two hour Zone 2 class. I asked them to list their most effective love songs and favourite anti-love or breakup tunes. I have compiled them into a fun playlist for tonight. I appreciate their willingness to go along with my silliness and to share a bit of themselves.
Clever pattern designers. I can say no more without revealing a secret.
Kendra Haste She creates lifelike sculptures from chicken wire.
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Flavour profile
People who think they know me often express surprise when they learn that I watch reality TV. I have already written about So You Think You Can Dance. I also watch Survivor, The Amazing Race and Dancing with the Stars. Recently several food shows have made it onto the list of items to be recorded each week. I just finished a season of Master Chef and have started with Master Chef Junior. I also tape all possible episodes of Chopped when my cable provider makes the Food Channel free for a month. I could go on and on about what I learn from watching these shows but I don't think it is necessary. I'm not doing any harm so don't think I need to justify my behaviour.
The snobbish food-speak of the hosts and participants on the cooking shows is often hard to take. Recently the hot phrase has been "flavour profile". I have no idea what that means and I often suspect the participants are also vague about the term. But yesterday I got an inkling about what they might be describing.
In an effort to use two huge squash from the CSA I searched for a recipe for squash soup - something different from my usual approach. In a book about the cooking of the indigenous peoples of the southwestern US I found a recipe that would also let me use some old frozen corn, the end of a piece of ginger and some limes that wouldn't hold up much longer. The corn and squash went into the soup and the ginger and lime were mixed into whipped cream that was served on top of the soup. When I took my first bite, I suddenly understood what a flavour profile might be. I could taste layer upon layer. Some of the associations were familiar and others were surprising. Here's the recipe if you want to taste for yourself.
The snobbish food-speak of the hosts and participants on the cooking shows is often hard to take. Recently the hot phrase has been "flavour profile". I have no idea what that means and I often suspect the participants are also vague about the term. But yesterday I got an inkling about what they might be describing.
In an effort to use two huge squash from the CSA I searched for a recipe for squash soup - something different from my usual approach. In a book about the cooking of the indigenous peoples of the southwestern US I found a recipe that would also let me use some old frozen corn, the end of a piece of ginger and some limes that wouldn't hold up much longer. The corn and squash went into the soup and the ginger and lime were mixed into whipped cream that was served on top of the soup. When I took my first bite, I suddenly understood what a flavour profile might be. I could taste layer upon layer. Some of the associations were familiar and others were surprising. Here's the recipe if you want to taste for yourself.
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
This and that
Life continues to return to normal. I am trying to fit in more exercise all the time - walking, riding my trainer and this week I will go to body rolling, Pilates and yoga classes.
Recipe review: Our CSA box last week had lots of leeks in it and I wanted to use them up before the new box came today. I was tired of the same old uses for leeks so I Googled and found a sauce for fish made from sauteed and pureed leeks (with a little cream). We tried it tonight and it was really good. It is so simple I wonder why I didn't think of it myself. I will now try the same thing with other veggies.
I had to go out to get embroidery floss for the Fog is Lifting piece. I also picked up a heat gun because there will be a lot of melted plastic in the "crevices". Here is a sneak peak that doesn't actually give you any idea how it will turn out. I can tell you this - it will consist of repeated elements, it will be large and it is derived from my personal experience. I have those three criteria taped to the top of my design wall. It helps to keep me moving forward.
Recipe review: Our CSA box last week had lots of leeks in it and I wanted to use them up before the new box came today. I was tired of the same old uses for leeks so I Googled and found a sauce for fish made from sauteed and pureed leeks (with a little cream). We tried it tonight and it was really good. It is so simple I wonder why I didn't think of it myself. I will now try the same thing with other veggies.
I had to go out to get embroidery floss for the Fog is Lifting piece. I also picked up a heat gun because there will be a lot of melted plastic in the "crevices". Here is a sneak peak that doesn't actually give you any idea how it will turn out. I can tell you this - it will consist of repeated elements, it will be large and it is derived from my personal experience. I have those three criteria taped to the top of my design wall. It helps to keep me moving forward.
Monday, September 1, 2014
Celery soup
As I get closer to a couple of weeks of hospital food, my interest in cooking, which has always been high, has increased to the point where I am making several new-to-me dishes every day. It helps that I have boxes full of veggies and fruit from the CSA. They serve as the starting point in my search for recipes.
My recent favourite is Celery Roquefort Soup from the Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special cookbook. If you try it, I recommend ignoring the instructions (as I did) and blending all of the ingredients to create a smooth cream soup. The final product is a long way from the canned Campbell's celery soup I ate every weekend when I was in college.
My recent favourite is Celery Roquefort Soup from the Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special cookbook. If you try it, I recommend ignoring the instructions (as I did) and blending all of the ingredients to create a smooth cream soup. The final product is a long way from the canned Campbell's celery soup I ate every weekend when I was in college.
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Month of fun continues
I'm off this afternoon for a two night sleepover with my FAB friends. On Friday we will be doing a guided play session which will involve melting various plastics and synthetic fabrics (working outdoors). Based on the supply list I think we will then use the results of our experiments to make a fabric vessel.
We will have a potluck dinner together on Friday night. I am bringing artichoke heart stuffed pasta shells in lemon ricotta bechamel. The recipe is from the Smitten Kitchen cookbook by Deb Perelman. Her blog is a fantastic resource. It consists of recipes that she has developed as well as some by others (properly credited) that she has tweaked. I have had wonderful results with all of the savoury dishes that I have tried but we find many of the desserts too sweet for our taste.
Oh, there will also be wine.
We will have a potluck dinner together on Friday night. I am bringing artichoke heart stuffed pasta shells in lemon ricotta bechamel. The recipe is from the Smitten Kitchen cookbook by Deb Perelman. Her blog is a fantastic resource. It consists of recipes that she has developed as well as some by others (properly credited) that she has tweaked. I have had wonderful results with all of the savoury dishes that I have tried but we find many of the desserts too sweet for our taste.
Oh, there will also be wine.
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Advice for climbers
Recipe report: We tried grilled romaine for dinner. We left it for two minutes on its cut face and then sprinkled on grated Parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar. It was a great way to deal with the enormous heads of lettuce we get from the CSA.
I wanted a spread for bread and was thinking about something artichoke-based. George chose Roasted Artichoke Lemon Hummus. It was good. I don't know what the roasting contributed but I liked the effect of the artichokes in the hummus. It lightened it up considerably.
Tomorrow is one of the regular Sunday training rides for the group which will cycle the Cabot Trail in 6 weeks. I can't go along because of my surgery last week. I was feeling guilty this morning about not being able to help people deal with the big challenge I set for them - repeats of two very difficult hills. So I quickly wrote them a note this morning.
I won't be joining you for tomorrow's ride, on my bike or in the car. But I will be thinking of you.
If I was present, here's what I would tell you about the ride I planned. It is all about the hills. And it is all about change. If you want change, you must face stress so that your mind and body can adapt to new demands. If you want to change the way you feel on hills, both physically and mentally, then you must do hills. You must practice and observe and practice some more. That's why you are going to climb, ride to the bottom and climb again.
Here are some brief tips on how to manage your climbing.
Approach with energy. You are defeated before you begin if you let the idea of the climb slow you down before you start. Harvest whatever speed you can on the run-in to the hill and adjust your mindset to success, not failure.
Stay relaxed. As the hill gets steeper under you it is easy to tense up and feel like you need to do even more work to meet the challenges of the hill. You don't and if you try you will fail. I am fond of suggesting that you 'float like a butterfly". If that picture doesn't work for you, develop your own imagery that will encourage you to stay light and relaxed.
Be content with slow. Every body and bike will go up the hills differently. Don't compare yourself to others. Make sure that you gear down so that you don't have a heavy loaded feeling in your legs until it becomes absolutely unavoidable. The fast pedalling (and slow speed) of an easy gear will save your legs - and you will need them for the next hill, and the one after that.
Break it down. Don't look at the top of the hill or even toward the top. Ride from driveway to driveway or telephone pole to telephone pole. Celebrate each achievement and then go on to the next. If it helps (and is safe) look down at the ground near your front tire. The road won't look like it has any slope at all!
Be happy. I wish I could play you some happy bouncing music while you climb. Try to reproduce the energy and outlook you have when you are at a party with good friends and good music. If that doesn't work for your personality, go inward. Celebrate the opportunity to see all the details of the world around you. Notice all the changes in your body. Be aware that this moment will never happen again.
I am not deluded into thinking that those tips will, on their own, get you up the hills you will encounter tomorrow or on the Cabot Trail. More than once you will come to a point where you can no longer pedal. Get off your bike when you need to recover, rest and drink. There is no shame in getting off. And there is no shame in staying off if you decide to walk to the crest of the hill.
Those of us with more cycling experience have all battled the demons which encourage us to stay on the bike no matter what and beat us up when we stop for a rest. We can testify that those demons disappear the first time you make the big decision to dismount. At that point you realize that you have actually won your personal battle by doing what is right for you. If you want to keep the demons at bay, take control. On a long hard hill make a plan in advance to stop at regular intervals, e.g. every third telephone pole. Now you are in control and you can't ask for more than that.
I am having you do repeats of each of the hills tomorrow because you will learn a tremendous amount from your first time up. Your second trip will let you capitalize on that learning. I think you will be surprised at how much your attitude and ability will change once you know a little more about what you are facing.
There is nothing particularly insightful about the advice. And it isn't particular to climbing a hill on a bike. The approach is universal but sometimes we all need a reminder.
I wanted a spread for bread and was thinking about something artichoke-based. George chose Roasted Artichoke Lemon Hummus. It was good. I don't know what the roasting contributed but I liked the effect of the artichokes in the hummus. It lightened it up considerably.
Tomorrow is one of the regular Sunday training rides for the group which will cycle the Cabot Trail in 6 weeks. I can't go along because of my surgery last week. I was feeling guilty this morning about not being able to help people deal with the big challenge I set for them - repeats of two very difficult hills. So I quickly wrote them a note this morning.
I won't be joining you for tomorrow's ride, on my bike or in the car. But I will be thinking of you.
If I was present, here's what I would tell you about the ride I planned. It is all about the hills. And it is all about change. If you want change, you must face stress so that your mind and body can adapt to new demands. If you want to change the way you feel on hills, both physically and mentally, then you must do hills. You must practice and observe and practice some more. That's why you are going to climb, ride to the bottom and climb again.
Here are some brief tips on how to manage your climbing.
Approach with energy. You are defeated before you begin if you let the idea of the climb slow you down before you start. Harvest whatever speed you can on the run-in to the hill and adjust your mindset to success, not failure.
Stay relaxed. As the hill gets steeper under you it is easy to tense up and feel like you need to do even more work to meet the challenges of the hill. You don't and if you try you will fail. I am fond of suggesting that you 'float like a butterfly". If that picture doesn't work for you, develop your own imagery that will encourage you to stay light and relaxed.
Be content with slow. Every body and bike will go up the hills differently. Don't compare yourself to others. Make sure that you gear down so that you don't have a heavy loaded feeling in your legs until it becomes absolutely unavoidable. The fast pedalling (and slow speed) of an easy gear will save your legs - and you will need them for the next hill, and the one after that.
Break it down. Don't look at the top of the hill or even toward the top. Ride from driveway to driveway or telephone pole to telephone pole. Celebrate each achievement and then go on to the next. If it helps (and is safe) look down at the ground near your front tire. The road won't look like it has any slope at all!
Be happy. I wish I could play you some happy bouncing music while you climb. Try to reproduce the energy and outlook you have when you are at a party with good friends and good music. If that doesn't work for your personality, go inward. Celebrate the opportunity to see all the details of the world around you. Notice all the changes in your body. Be aware that this moment will never happen again.
I am not deluded into thinking that those tips will, on their own, get you up the hills you will encounter tomorrow or on the Cabot Trail. More than once you will come to a point where you can no longer pedal. Get off your bike when you need to recover, rest and drink. There is no shame in getting off. And there is no shame in staying off if you decide to walk to the crest of the hill.
Those of us with more cycling experience have all battled the demons which encourage us to stay on the bike no matter what and beat us up when we stop for a rest. We can testify that those demons disappear the first time you make the big decision to dismount. At that point you realize that you have actually won your personal battle by doing what is right for you. If you want to keep the demons at bay, take control. On a long hard hill make a plan in advance to stop at regular intervals, e.g. every third telephone pole. Now you are in control and you can't ask for more than that.
I am having you do repeats of each of the hills tomorrow because you will learn a tremendous amount from your first time up. Your second trip will let you capitalize on that learning. I think you will be surprised at how much your attitude and ability will change once you know a little more about what you are facing.
There is nothing particularly insightful about the advice. And it isn't particular to climbing a hill on a bike. The approach is universal but sometimes we all need a reminder.
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Holiday eating
Dessert was a raspberry pie. I used this recipe (halved to make just one). It was very easy and quite good. It is definitely a formula I will remember because it would work equally well with othe berries and soft fruits like plums and peaches.
We washed it all down with Bon Bon from Petite Rivière Vineyards. It is was an unorthodox choice but fit the mood on a very sunny and warm holiday weekend.
If food isn't your thing, thanks to Kathy Loomis, here's another embroidery based music video. Still with embroidery, Sandy Donabed pointed me to an article on Peruvian artist Ana Teresa Barboza. I am increasingly fascinated by the potential of 'just' stitch but confess that I am too lazy to pursue it. Too many hours are required before you can see whether your ideas have come to fruition.
Friday, May 30, 2014
Spring veggies
Recipe report: After a long cold spring new veggies are finally arriving in our CSA box. This week there was a large bunch of radishes. Using them up could be a challenge because I can quickly tire of radishes in salad (unless it is potato salad). The manager of our CSA, Taproot Farms, posted a recipe for radish dip. We tried it last night and it was nice. It married the bite of the radish with the smoothness of goat cheese and yogurt. We had it with Mary's crackers but it would also be good with raw vegetables.
Radish Dip
Ingredients:
½ cup grated radish
8 oz. fresh soft goat cheese
½ cup plain yogurt
½ cup fresh herbs (e.g. dill, chives)
zest and juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Grate the radishes and mix with all other ingredients. If you like a thicker dip, add less yogurt, and vice versa. Try making this dip with different herbs as they are seasonally available.
Our box this week also had fiddleheads (which we gave away), green onions, a large bag of mixed Asian greens, a bunch of asparagus, some huge over-wintered parsnips, lots of carrots and a bag of frozen yellow beans. The fruit box contained 2 litres of cider, a bag of Crispin apples, a jar of jam and a box of frozen raspberries.
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Maybe a little good
Recipe report: The best asparagus ever. I used fewer sesame seeds and dropped the temperature to 400 F to ensure that the garlic didn't burn before the asparagus was cooked.
I don't get much sewing done on weekends. They are usually consumed by teaching and coaching. Today I only taught a one hour indoor cycling class, down from two now that the weather has improved. But in the afternoon I went out again to set up a table at the St. Margaret's Centre so I could talk to people about cycling safety. I brought my bike, helmet and high visibility clothing and the Centre made copies of my handouts about helmet fit and bike checks. The main point of the day was to show people where they should put their bikes when on the road. I used my CAN-BIKE laminated "roads" and small toy cars to engage the kids (and dads).
If I was able to answer just one question today that might save a life then my afternoon was well spent. A cyclist died in Dartmouth on Thursday afternoon. We don't know the details but it looks likely that she may have snuck up on the inside of the truck that hit her. If that's the case she was extremely vulnerable - the truck couldn't see her and she couldn't tell that the truck intended to turn right across her path.
I don't get much sewing done on weekends. They are usually consumed by teaching and coaching. Today I only taught a one hour indoor cycling class, down from two now that the weather has improved. But in the afternoon I went out again to set up a table at the St. Margaret's Centre so I could talk to people about cycling safety. I brought my bike, helmet and high visibility clothing and the Centre made copies of my handouts about helmet fit and bike checks. The main point of the day was to show people where they should put their bikes when on the road. I used my CAN-BIKE laminated "roads" and small toy cars to engage the kids (and dads).
If I was able to answer just one question today that might save a life then my afternoon was well spent. A cyclist died in Dartmouth on Thursday afternoon. We don't know the details but it looks likely that she may have snuck up on the inside of the truck that hit her. If that's the case she was extremely vulnerable - the truck couldn't see her and she couldn't tell that the truck intended to turn right across her path.
If you cycle, please remember to be seen and be predictable. When you have any doubts about where to be on the road, put your bike where you would put your car.
Chris
Chris
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