Image by net_efekt's via Flickr
This January, I'm putting myself on a diet: A food waste diet.
If I stacked up all the convenience and takeaway food packages I used, meal ends that were thrown out, and unused produce that went bad in my fridge over the last year, I would be filled with shame at my thoughtlessness.
Between withrawing from the Kyoto Protocol and international criticism about our oil sands, the world is starting to think Canadians just don't care about the environment any more.
Well I still do, and the best way to make a huge reduction in your carbon footprint is to reduce household waste created by food. According to a 2009 Statistics Canada report:
In 2007, an estimated 38% of solid food available for retail sale was wasted, the equivalent of 183 kilograms per person.
That's 403 pounds of food wasted, per person, per year, in Canada.
Things that weigh 400 pounds: a female grizzly bear; a Welsh pony; an Orca whale. Put 35 million of these animals into a pile, and there's our waste for the year.
My easy food waste diet plan:
1. Bring leftovers for lunch
Not only will I avoid eating a second helping at night and risk throwing the rest of that dinner out, I will also avoid takeaway container waste the next day. Portion control meets food waste conscientiousness. This one is the silver bullet.
2. Turn vegetable bits into stock
Carrot peelings, leek ends, mushroom stems and cabbage cores can all have a second life in my slow cooker, transformed into vegetable stock. And thanks to fellow blogger and our food director Annabelle Waugh, I know how to freeze stock into ice cube trays for easy use, any time.
3. Grocery shop with a plan
Having a menu plan in mind when hitting the grocery store means buying what you'll actually use, and not buying what you think you'll use. I can' t count how many times I've purchased a knobbly celeriac root with full intention to use it, and never have. I'll use our weekly Dinner Club recipes, which are also available on mobile so I can access them at the store.
Now this is a diet I feel really good about, finally!
Do you transport your lunches in Tupperware, Corningware, glass jars, metal containers or something else? I could use some advice on the best way to bring my dinners.
In researching for this blog post, I came across UK-based Love Food Hate Waste, whose interactive website has tons more tips for keeping food waste to a minimum.
When it comes to latkes, I am a traditionalist. I can't seem to go for veggie-laden twists using zucchinis or sweet potatoes, adding spices like curry, or even gluten-free latkes. I want mine pure and simple, and fried in lots of oil.
So when I was assigned the task of making latkes for our family Hanukkah party this year, I knew exactly which recipe to turn to. My favourite traditional latke recipe is pretty darned simple. You just need to bear the, mess, oil-splattered kitchen, grease-scented home and oil-slicked skin–especially when making latkes for a crowd. But it's all worth it!
5-Ingredient Latkes
5-Ingredient Latkes
Ingredients:
1.Potatoes - I like Yukon gold.
2.Onions - Cooking onions do fine.
3.Flour - All-purpose please
4.Salt - Kosher (of course)
5.Eggs - Large
And canola or vegetable oil for frying (not counting this as an ingredient!)
Preparation
STEP 1:
Grate 4 potatoes and 1 onion with coarse grater blade on your processor. (Many purists swear to grating by hand, but I've had too many bloody knuckles)
Grate 4 potatoes and 1 onion
STEP 2:
In colander, squeeze as much moisture out of the potatoes as possible, but don't rinse. (Some people swear by rinsing the grated potatoes to keep them white, but then you rinse away all the potato starch that helps the shredded potato stick together.)
STEP 3.
Transfer potato and onion mixture to a large bowl. Using a fork, mix in 1 egg, 2 tbsp of all- purpose flour and 1/2 tsp kosher salt.
Mix ingredients with a fork
STEP 4:
On medium heat, heat oil about 1 cm deep in a large frying pan (we use an electric frying pan to get more latkes in the pan at once). Drop mixture by spoonfuls into the hot oil. (Make sure the oil is hot enough, it should bubble around the latke).
Drop by spoonfuls into hot oil
Use a fork to spread out the mixture for lacy, crispy latkes.
Spread mixture with fork
STEP 5:
Fry latkes 3 to 4 minutes per side. Turn using a lifter and a spoon, or an offset spatula to avoid splattering.
Frying latkes in hot oil
Golden and lacy
STEP 6:
Transfer to rack over towel-lined baking sheet. Serve immediately with sour cream or apple sauce. (We always ate sour cream at home in Edmonton, only when I moved to Toronto did I ever see applesauce served with potato latkes!)
Latkes for a crowd
To make ahead: Line baking trays with foil. Place cooled latkes on trays. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
To reheat: Place latkes on cooling rack over foil lined baking sheet. Bake in 400°F oven until hot and crispy, about 10 minutes.
What are your favourite type of latkes? Thin and crispy, thick and puffy (like at the deli), or multi-vegetable?
Applesauce or Sour Cream?
Wishing you all a Happy and healthy Hanukkah full of light, dreidels, and loads of latkes!
Last January, I was lucky enough to be in Vancouver during their famous Dine Out Vancouver restaurant festival. One word: yum.
The 2012 festival (this coming year is the 10th!) will take place over 17 days from Monday, January 20 to Sunday, February 5. Reservations open January 9.
If you're anywhere near the Vancouver area (or plan to be), get yourself to this festival. Last year's highlights — for me — were about the street food. For example, trying several different interesting hotdogs from Japadog, (made famous during the Vancouver 2010 winter Olympics):
From front to back: the terimayo, the yakisoba and the okinomi - all fantastic!
... and eating The Re-Up Addictive BBQ's giant pulled pork sandwich, laden with tangy, creamy coleslaw:
I know what "re-up" means from watching HBO's, The Wire. So, basically, what I'm saying is that I'm very hip.
What's even more exciting for street food lovers like me is that this year, the festival will include something called Street Food City – a 3-day-long lunchtime event featuring the city’s top food carts.
But even if street food isn't your thing, this is the country's largest restaurant festival, people! It has over 225 participating restaurants. So you're bound to find something that tickles your fancy.
For more info, check out Tourism Vancouver's website.
It's hard to beat the food in Vancouver, but this country has so much to offer. Where is YOUR favourite place in Canada to dine out?
Dec 16th Update: Congrats to winner Sarah from Amherstview, ON. Her story illustrates great food, family togetherness, and sibling mischievousness that all combine to make the holidays so special and memorable:
"My favorite holiday treat was all the homemade goodies my mother worked for weeks to prepare for our large family. My mother made it well in advance and we were forbidden to touch it until Christas Eve. One year mom and dad went out to some last minute shopping and we all decided to take all of the baking move it into different containers and put the empty storage tins back in their hiding place. On Christmas Eve, we had all but forgotten what we had done until we heard my mother yell all six of our names to come to the living room. She was sitting on the floor surrounded by empty containers in shock. We quickly retrieved the baked goods and still tease her about the year we pulled the best practical joke ever."
A huge thanks to all 1,125 of you who shared your stories. Reading them made me tear up several times - how deeply we miss our mothers and grandmothers at this time of year. Happy holidays, everyone.
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When I received the following enormous box of President's Choice holiday treats in the mail last week, all I could think of was how excited I would have been as a kid to receive this:
What could possibly be in here? . . .
**delighted gasp!**
Chips! Pretzels! Crackers! Chocolates! Cookie mix! This package also includes a $50 Loblaw gift card for you, Mom or Dad. With all the entertaining and food shopping I know our readers are doing this time of year, I thought one of you would be thrilled to receive this as a fun prize to share with your family.
How to WIN this giant box of PC holiday goodies and a $50 Loblaw gift card:
In the Comments section below tell me what your most cherished holiday food is, and why. Is it the dinner rolls you used to make with your grandmother? Is it your mom's shortbread cookies you and your brother used to steal out of the freezer? Is it the popcorn you and your dad used to eat and string with cranberries for the tree? (all of these are my personal true stories!)
Start date: December 8, 2011
End date: December 15, 2011
Winner notified by email: December 15, 2011
Dig out those holiday food magic memories, and tell me below for your chance to win!
Dec 15th Update: The comments are now closed. I am now reading your stories to find a winner.
2nd update: I've chosen a winner. Check your inboxes, I'll have to choose another winner at 9am tomorrow to ship the prize in time for Christmas.
I don't know about you, but I have an extreme weakness for bubbles. Generally, I'm a purist, but I do enjoy a mimosa or a champagne cocktail every once in a while.
OK, really... I just love drinking sparkling wine — in any format.
I recently had the immense pleasure of staying at the beautiful Graycliff Hotel in Nassau, Bahamas and they served the most delicious little champagne cocktail. At the time, surrounded by palms and blue skies, I wasn't particularly focused on the holiday season. But upon reflection, it would make a deliciously festive bubbly drink for any holiday occasion.
The Graycliff Champagne Cocktail — photo courtesy of Graycliff Hotel
Here is their recipe:
GRAYCLIFF CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL
Makes 8
2 ounces apple brandy, such as Calvados
½ ounce orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier
½ ounce black raspberry liqueur, such as Chambord
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Simple Syrup
3 tablespoons chopped apple
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 (750 ml) bottles dry Champagne
8 maraschino cherries, for garnish
8 orange wedges, for garnish
8 lime twists, for garnish
1. In a glass measuring cup, combine brandy, orange liqueur, black raspberry liqueur, simple syrup, apple, and bitters. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Strain brandy mixture, discarding solids. Pour 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon strained liquid into each of 8 champagne flutes. Top with champagne. Garnish each glass with a cherry, orange wedge, and a lime twist. Serve immediately.
Simple syrup is easy enough to make and is a great thing to have on hand for mixing cocktails. Just combine equal parts granulated sugar and water in a saucepan, then bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat and let it cool.
Are you a purist or do you enjoy sparkling wine in a mixed drink, too?
Real life French teacher, and blogger extraordinaire and photograher, Mardi of http://www.eatlivetravelwrite.com invited me for a return visit to guide her enthusiastic junior chefs through another Canadian Living recipe.
This time 9 boys, most of whom are about 9 years old, divided and conquered the tasks to create Canadian Living's Pad Thai, in the Science Lab during their after school cooking program. The kids each have a cutting board (secured with a wet dishtowel) a knife and bowl. They divide up the tasks, so each concentrates on one or two tasks, then adds their ingredient to the others to complete a meal. What a simple yet brilliant approach to teamwork!
By sharing the work, the culinary whiz kids, chopped,
Make your eyes water shallots
Meticulously sliced peppers
Cutting shrimp in half
measured,
Trying to get the fish sauce out of the bottle
and sauteed ,
Frying garlic and shallots
Shrimp turning pink as they cook
their way to piping hot dinner (to take home in containers) in under 1 hour.
Ready to take dinner home
Pad Thai ready for home
What is so special about cooking with burgeoning chefs is both their enthusiasm and their honesty. When I passed around fish sauce for a sniff, I chuckled at the responses: Fish sauce, they told me, smells like, "stinky feet" "ear wax" and "Parmesan cheese."
I love cooking with young chefs, exposing them to new and sometimes unfamiliar tastes and aromas on a voyage of discovery.
It reminds me how valuable it is to have time in the kitchen (or Science Lab) with kids.
What is your most memorable kitchen moment?
Inspired by the almond flour recipes in my copy of Everyday Grain-Free Gourmet by Jenny Lass and Jodi Badger, I decided to try making "walnut flour" crepes for a California walnut food blogger challenge, and fill them with fresh raspberries, crunchy candied walnuts and maple creme fraiche.
I'm happy to report they were a raging success. My husband ate 4 of them. 
Gluten-Free California Walnut Crepes with Raspberries, Candied Walnuts & Maple Creme Fraiche
Gluten-Free California Walnut Crepes with Raspberries, Candied Walnuts and Maple Creme Fraiche
Walnut flour:
The night before, toast your California walnuts lightly. Once cooled, place nuts into a freezer-safe bag and freeze overnight. Freezing helps the nuts retain structure so you don't end up with walnut butter.
The next morning, pulse walnuts in food processor a handful at a time, adding granulated sugar as necessary to get rid of excess moisture, I added about 2 tsp per handful of walnuts. Pulse until you get about 1/2 cup of coarse walnut meal, like this:
Walnut meal - any further pulsing than this and you'll end up with walnut butter.
Maple Creme Fraiche
Also the night before, combine 1/2 cup sour cream (I used 5% fat), 1/2 cup whipping cream (the real deal - 35%), and 1/4 cup maple syrup in a glass jar. Shake, and leave on the counter overnight to thicken.
Candied Walnuts
I knew the crepes could use some crunch, so in the morning made this easy Canadian Living Candied Walnuts recipe, which uses a hints of cinnamon and cayenne for an earthy kick.
Gluten-Free Walnut Crepes
5 eggs
3/4 cups Walnut Flour
2 tbsp water
2 tsp raw honey
pinch of salt
unsalted butter, for frying
Filling:
Fresh raspberries
Candied Walnuts
Maple Creme Fraiche
Maple syrup, optional
In bowl, whisk together first 5 ingredients. Set in fridge for 15 minutes to thicken.
Heat 1 tsp of butter in crepe pan on medium-low. Whisk walnut crepe batter again, then pour 3 to 4 tbsp of batter into the pan and swirl around so batter spreads evenly to the edges. When the edges are cooked and you smell toasty walnuts (about 2 minutes), flip. I found it easiest to lift a corner with my fingers and slide the spatula underneath. Cook for another 30 seconds on the other side, and set aside on a plate.
Fliparoo!
Repeat, adding a little butter to the pan and whisking batter before every new crepe to ensure walnut flour is evenly distributed. Separate crepes with parchment paper, until your batter is gone.
Filling:
Set one walnut crepe on a plate. On one-third of the crepe, add fresh raspberries:
Crunchy candied California walnuts:
Thick, delicious Maple Creme Fraiche:
Fold the long end of the crepe over the filling, and roll the crepe so it's seam-side down. Repeat.
Drizzle with a little maple syrup if you want, but I found this step unecessary in the end. The maple creme fraiche and candied walnuts made the dish sweet enough for me.
Serve with delight to family & friends. These are SO GOOD!
Have you ever used a nut flour in place of wheat flour?
Teenagers and mornings, not exactly a match made in heaven!
Especially when it comes to getting teenagers to eat before school.
If you have a teenager, you know what I am talking about- teenagers can barely get out of bed, and sometimes expecting them to eat breakfast, is well, just fantasy.
And although they can fend for themselves, in my experience, teens still LOVE to be taken care of. So when they aren't hungry but still want a little something, a smoothie is an excellent solution.
Pour into a thermos for a quick run-to-catch-the-bus breakfast!
3 Ingredient Smoothies
1. Real fruit juice-About 3/4 cup
I like prefer the exotic fruit blends you can find in the refrigerator section of the grocery store, but orange juice will work just fine.
STEP 1
2. Frozen Fruit- About 1 cup (slightly more fruit will give a thicker consistency)
My favourites are mangoes, peaches, strawberries, bananas (fresh or frozen) and blueberries. Freeze your own in the summer and store in ziptop bags in the freezer.
STEP 2
3. Yogurt- about 1/4 cup
Plain, vanilla, fruit flavoured, low fat, balkan, anything goes. Sometimes we even use frozen yogurt if we have it on hand.
STEP 3
Blend the three ingredients until smooth.
BLEND
You can add 1 tbsp of honey if you like it sweeter (but then it would be a 4 ingredient smoothie!).
Makes 1 large happy teenager (smoothie).
1 HAPPY TEENAGER
Click for more smoothie ideas
http://www.canadianliving.com/food/fruity_yogurt_smoothies.php
Do you eat breakfast before school? Work?
What's your favourite on the run breakfast?
On Monday, I had the pleasure of attending a special Canadian Living Advantage/Dairy Farmers of Canada event, focusing on great ways to include nutritious dairy products in your cooking, and featuring guest celebrity chef, Anna Olson!
Celebrity baking and pastry expert and chef superstar, Anna Olson
We all had a wonderful time sipping wine, tasting delicious food and watching Anna demonstrate her recipes.
What did I not expect? To learn so many new things.
I mean, I know she's one of the most respected pastry chefs in this country, has hosted several TV extremely successful cooking shows and written 7 cookbooks and everything... but still. I'm always so pleasantly surprised when I get to learn — I mean really learn — something new, when it comes to cooking or baking.
And Anna did not disappoint. She was blowing me away with tip after amazing tip throughout the demo. I'm pretty sure my respect and fondness for her has now quadrupled. I think actually felt it happen during the event. I had a moment.
I caught up with Anna after the event for a little Q & A.
What is your philosophy on becoming a good baker?
Being a good baker is more than just precise measuring. Like anything worth a little effort, it takes practice — and with practice comes wisdom. I just ask that before you get stressed about baking, remind yourself that you are cooking to share with family and friends. If mistakes happen, it's OK. Your friends will forgive you because they are your friends and your family will forgive you because they have to! And also remember that STRESSED spelled backwards reads DESSERTS!
What are some of your best tips for fixing baking disasters?
Here are my top 3 disaster fixes:
Problem #1: I've overwhipped my egg whites and they look dry and craggy!
Solution: Make a cup of tea, sip it and then go back and visit your egg whites. Within that 10 minutes, the egg whites will have collapsed and can be re-whipped (even if sugar has already been added) on MEDIUM speed to the point that you missed the first time around.
Problem #2: I've overwhipped my cream and it's starting to separate!
Solution: Stir in a few tablespoons of fluid whipping cream — this will loosen the whipped cream so you can re-whip it on MEDIUM speed to the point that you missed.
Problem #3: I've overcooked (curdled) my custard!
Solution: While still hot, pour the custard into a blender or food processor (or use an immersion blender) and purée the custard until smooth. Immediately push it through a fine mesh strainer, then chill and use as instructed. No one will ever know!
What are some helpful tips that might help both new and experienced bakers?
To make perfect and long-lasting whipped cream, simply add 1 tbsp (15 mL) of instant skim milk powder to every 1 cup (250 mL) of whipping cream as you are whipping it. It does not impart a taste or change the texture, but it keeps every swirl and dollop of cream in place — even if you whip it a full day ahead or use it as frosting for a cake.
If you wish to increase the fibre content of some of your favourite conventional recipes, you can typically replace the measure of all-purpose flour with up to 50% whole wheat flour without impacting the taste or texture dramatically. If you try and replace all of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat, you may find that your goodies end up with a denser, heavier texture (the bran and germ in whole wheat flour interrupts the gluten, which is what holds in the gas formed by baking powder and other leavening agents).
Tell us a bit about your new book, Back to Baking.
Back to Baking has been a two-year project and has just been released. My aim was to provide a thorough all-purpose guide to baking — not just good recipes, but also tips to help you gain a better understanding of baking so that you can find the sheer pleasure in it.
Anna's latest cookbook, Back to Baking
Has a tip changed the way YOU bake or cook?
In September, I got a chance to visit Orlando, Fla., with a group of journalists and see what the area has to offer. I ate tons of delicious food there, but two fun, food-oriented stops really stood out. Mainly because they involve two things that are my food equivalent of Kryptonite: wine and chocolate.
First stop: Farris & Foster's Fine Chocolates
This cute little store is a regular chocolate shop in front. But look behind the counter and you'll discover Party Central. The store's chocolate-making parties – for every occasion from date night to corporate team building – are a bit like Disco Night at your local pub.
First, you get a quick lesson in chocolate making from the affable owner Foster and his lovely wife, Teri. They teach you how to dip, drizzle, mould and enrobe your favourite fillings in dark, milk or white chocolate.
Then they crank up the dance tunes – and dim the lights if it's date night – and you're off to the races, creating all the mouth-watering chocolates you can cram into a container to take home.
Foster showing us how to pipe chocolate into a candy cup
From pretzels and chips to candies and nuts, there's every kind of filling imaginable. The only limit is your imagination – or perhaps the capacity of your stomach.
Chocolate shells to fill
Mmmmmm, candy!
Nuts and dried fruit
The most fun is tossing items onto the belt of the enrobing machine. There's nothing better than watching a Nutter Butter or a giant salty pretzel take a bath in warm milk chocolate. Yum.
The enrobing machine in action
The scrumptious results of my chocolate-making adventure
...
Second Stop: The Wine Room
Just outside Orlando, on Park Avenue in Winter Park, you'll find a nice assortment of shops catering to all the needs of the carefree yuppie. Cute cafés, cigar stores, spice shops and boutiques line the street. Whether you want a drink, upscale makeup or a handmade recycled-newspaper basket, there's a store that carries what you're looking for.
The Wine Room is perched halfway down Park Ave., beckoning customers in with a great selection of wine and an interesting premise: try before you buy.
A large selection of wines greets you right inside the front door
Tucked in among the thousands of bottles for sale are wine-serving machines called Enomatics.
French reds, ready for sampling
To taste, you buy a smart card loaded with a certain amount of money and insert it into the machine. You can choose just a taste, a half-pour or a full pour of any variety in the dispenser. The open bottles stay fresh because they're surrounded by inert nitrogen gas, which prevents oxygen from ruining the flavour of the wine.
My verdict: Brilliant! With my $10 smart card, I sampled 6 different wines – and didn't have so much that I ended up singing karaoke. That's always a win.
If you're in the mood to spend a bundle, there's always the Rare Room. I ducked inside for a look and found myself surrounded by pricey bottles from around the world. The best one? A Screaming Eagle Cabernet from Napa Valley that was going for a cool $2,500. Not on a journalist's salary!
A 97 on the Parker scale still isn't enough for me to drop $2,500 on a single bottle of Cab.
...
Thanks to the folks at Visit Orlando for arranging my trip. For more info on visiting the area and planning a trip, click on the linkety-link.
Are you planning on escaping the winter blues in Florida this year?
