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I had planned to post before my vacation this week. But as it turned out, the days leading up to a holiday are chaotic and a tiny bit stressful. So I will see you in a couple of weeks with lots to say.

Looking forward to rum punch and happy hour....

See you in a few.

Fried Rice Club

I never met a fried rice I didn't like. While there are some I definitely like more than others, it is one of those foods I love to eat, especially on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

Fried rice originated as a way to use up leftovers. A simple and frugal idea: toss last night's rice with small bits of vegetable and meat, throw in a couple of lashings of salty umami-laden soy sauce and lunch is served.

Who would have guessed something so simple and humble could have turned out so horribly wrong. I like to think of myself who has some skill in the kitchen but the first time I made fried rice it was an utter disaster. Instead of the comforting, glorious fried rice dotted with bits of egg, peas and onions I had envisioned, the reality was something else altogether. My fried rice was a heap of steaming, gluey rice. Not even a distant cousin of the real thing, it was a science experiment gone terribly wrong.

Since then, I have learned there are rules to Fried Rice Club. If you follow the rules, you too, can have moist, fluffy, flavourful fried rice.

1. You must use cold rice.
2. You must use cold rice.
3. When your wok is hot and the oil is shimmering, and only when your wok (or fry pan) is hot, do you add rice.
4. Leftover ingredients are a must.
5. Meat and vegetables should be bite-sized pieces.
6. Most ingredients must be cooked before adding them to rice.
7. Keep everything moving.
8. If this is your first time at Fried Rice Club, you must use cold rice.

As I have mentioned many times before, my kitchen goddess, Kylie Kwong, often makes use of malt vinegar in mnay of her recipes, including her fried rice. (I have a cookbook of hers that devotes practically an entire chaper to fried rice!) While I am not sure if this is an authentic flavour, I use it quite abit in my fried rices and stir frys. Malt vinegar imparts a great deal of rich flavour and colour( like soy sauce) without the sodium and doesn't have a sharp acidic vinegary taste.

If you don't like bacon (what?), you can substitute other types of meats such as thinly sliced chicken, pork, beef. Flash fry them first before adding them in. (Or you could use cubed pieces of Chinese sausage, kolbasa, etc. Still need to fry them before adding to the rice to render some of the fat & to crisp up the meat.)

Bacon Fried Rice

4 strips extra thick bacon
2 tbsp + 2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 eggs
4 c cold white rice
2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp malt vinegar
1/4 tsp chili flakes
1 c pineapple tidbits, drained well

salt & pepper to taste
3 green onions, thinly sliced or a small bunch of chives, snipped into 1 inch pieces
optional: 1 tsp toasted sesame oil


1. Slice bacon into small strips and fry until crisp. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
2. Heat a large fry pan or wok. Add vegetable oil and swirl oil around until it shimmers. Crack the eggs over the oil and stir quickly. Breaking up the egg with a wooden spoon or spatula. Remove from pan when soft curds form and set aside.
2. Add vegetable oil and heat again until the oil is hot and shimmers. Add cold rice, breaking up pieces with a wooden spoon or wok spatula (if you have one). Cook for at least 2 minutes, moving the rice around the pan.
3. Add soy sauce, malt vinegar & chili flakes. Stir to coat rice.
4. Add in the drained pineapple and stir well to incorporate.
5. Return bacon and egg to rice mixture and stir again.
6. Taste for seasoning. Add salt, pepper and green onions and sesame oil, if using. If you like your fried rice a bit darker, experiment with a touch more soy sauce or malt vinegar. (Start with small increments such as a teaspoon and taste before adding again.)
7. Serve immediately.

If you are adding adding vegetables or uncooked meat, you will need to cook them slightly first. You can cook them in your fry pan first and set them aside until ready to use.
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Marinated Olives

Every so often, I need some Me Time. It's just a couple of hours to do as I like (go for a massage, watch Sex in the City re-runs, or read a book.) Since the arrival of my little guy last November, I have had little to no Me Time. Don't get me wrong, motherhood is a joy and our little guy is just great. But sometimes, a girl needs to relax.

This weekend, I got my wish. A spa day with my girlfriends while my husband took over as the primary caregiver. An afternoon of pampering and relaxation is what I needed. After hours of kneading, buffing, and steaming, I felt reborn.

The only way to end the day was with a vodka martini with fat green olives.

Even if you don't like martinis, these marinated olives are out of this world. Large and meaty, these olives pack quite a punch spiked with heaps of chili flakes and lots of lemon. Serve them as part as a tapas or antipasto platter, or toss in a Greek salad.

However, these olives do require a little pre-planning... to fully enjoy these beauties, they need to rest in the back of your fridge for at least a week for the flavour to develop.

Oh, and the best moment of my Me Time was when I returned home. My son was clean and fed and the two men in my life were all smiles.


Marinated Olives

1 lb large green olives in brine (pitted or unpitted)
1 lemon
2 tbsp chili flakes (or to taste)

1. Strain olives from brine and place in a large bowl.
2. Using a vegetable peeler, peel long swaths of lemon zest. Place on top of olives. Slice lemon in half, cross-wise, and juice. Add juice to olives. Toss well.
3. In a clean jar, fill with olive mixture.
4. Top up with remaining brine until full.
5. Place in fridge and allow olives to marinate for at least 1 week for optimal flavour.

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The Perfect Side: Roasted Cauliflower

Until several months ago, cauliflower was one of those vegetables that just was. I didn't love it but I didn't hate it either. It always seemed to make appearances at the snack table at some boring conference as part of the crudite platter. Meh. Although occasionally, it would make a delicious appearance in Aloo Gobi, an aromatic Indian dish of cauliflower and potato or simply steamed with a boatful of cheddary cheese sauce on the side. But outside of that limited repertoire, I wasn't really that friendly with the crucifer.

But then several months ago, I stumbled upon a Martha Stewart Food magazine recipe for roasted cauliflower. Finding this recipe was like a relevation. The skies opened and angels sang. Who would have thought to roast cauliflower? Brilliant.

I like roasting vegetables primarily because it is very easy to do and also it brings out flavours other cooking methods can't. In this case, roasting cauliflower results in a beautifully caramelized and sweet side dish. The inclusion of smoked paprika adds some depth to the crucifer's mild flavour.

The best part of this recipe is it takes no time to make it. Just need to break the cauliflower down into florets and it's good to go.

Additionally, I think this would make a superb cream of cauliflower soup. I will have to try it one day and post back if it works out...


Roasted Cauliflower
Adapted from Martha Stewart Food



1 head cauliflower
1 tbsp olive oil
smoked paprika
salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Meanwhile wash & dissemble cauliflower into florets.
3. Toss with olive oil. Season with salt & pepper & a pinch (say 1/4 tsp) of smoked paprika. Spread florets out onto two large baking sheets.
4. Roast in oven for at least 25 mins or until slightly bronzed and caramelized.
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Diggin' Through The Pantry

It was a daunting task... one I had been dreading for some time. But this weekend, I decided to fling the door open on my pantry to "re-discover" some of the treasures that lurked deep inside.

Among the unforgotten items, I found 3 bags of panko, 6 cans of tomato paste (um, have you seen the tv show, Hoarders?), 1/3 bag of split lentils, a jar of black rice, a package of falafel mix, and 1 carton of black strap molasses. Thankfully, none of my finds were in there too long, except for, maybe the molasses. But the lentils gave me an idea...

After spending time in Nepal eating nothing but lentil curry everyday at every meal, I lost my interest in the little legume. Now, I love them. In fact, I can't get enough of them. Especially as a part of a soup. With Spring upon us, I wasn't really in the mood for a heavy and hearty wintertime soup. I wanted a light lunch but, also something satisfying. One spoonful was all it took to make me smile. It's a kaleidoscope of bright colours with a very mild and fresh flavour. Just in time for Spring.

This week's recipe is very easy and fast to make. Lentils don't require pre-soaking so they cook rather quickly. But if you prefer, canned lentils substitute very nicely and speed up cooking time.

Just before serving, I add a healthy dollop of 2% yogurt and swirl it through the soup just before eating. It brightens up the soup, adding a tang & creaminess without the calories (if you aren't watching your weight, you could always use creme fraiche.)


Lentil Soup for Spring

1 finely chopped onion
1 tbsp olive oil
1 l low sodium vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
1 1/4c split lentils
1 large carrot roughly grated
salt & pepper

2% plain yogurt
approximately 1 tablespoon of herbs: eg. chives, dill, parsley

1. Lightly cook onion in a medium sized pot until onions are translucent. Add broth and turn up heat. Meanwhile, rinse lentils well. Add wash lentils and grated carrot to pot.
2. Simmer for at least 30 minutes. Check for seasoning and doneness.
3. Serve with a generous dollop of plain yogurt and a sprinkling of chopped fresh herbs.
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Drowned: Ice Cream Floats Italian-Style

There is a certain chain of coffee shops where people stand in long lines for a medium double-double. In this country, people are utterly devoted to this brand and you can practically find a location on every corner. While I understand the appeal, personally, I prefer a stronger brew.

Years ago, I bought myself a little espresso machine so I could get the good stuff at home. Oh, the joy it brought me! Lattes in the morning with the paper before work, and espressos in the evening after dinner. It was civilized. But over the years, our espresso machine gave way to our programmable coffee maker. It was a simple pleasure, to hear it buzz the beans in the morning and by the time we walked into the kitchen, coffee was brewing. It was nice but not the same.

We recently discovered some of the best coffee in Toronto but it didn't come from a coffee shop. Just a guy with a roaster (so his website says) who roasts some pretty delicious stuff. We bought 2 pounds of coffee: 1 pound of a fair trade espresso roast and another pound of a fair trade dark roast. Like children, we love both our coffee machines and we spoil them rotten!

Aside from drinking it, I made a simple but luxurious dessert with our espresso: Affogato. Literally, hot espresso poured over cold vanilla ice cream. Think of it as Italy's answer to the ice C\cream float.

Affogato means drowned in Italian. It's vanilla ice cream doused in a bath of hot, freshly brewed espresso. Pure heaven. (Even if you find espresso "too strong.") The creaminess of the vanilla ice cream tempers the assertiveness of espresso and the result is a rich, velvety, creamy and bold dessert. So simple, and so divine. The only challenge with this dessert is to try to savour it before all the ice cream melts away.

When you make such a simple dessert, splurge on good quality ice cream and espresso. If you don't have espresso, brew some good quality strong coffee.


Affogato
per person

Allow your guests to pour espresso on top of their desserts.

1 scoop vanilla ice cream
1 shot freshly brewed espresso (or strongly brewed coffee)

1. Scoop ice cream into dessert glass. Return the freezer while you make espresso.
2. Brew espresso.
3. Remove ice cream from the freezer and serve espresso alongside.
4. Pour espresso over ice cream and devour!

I have found the perfect proportion is one scoop of ice cream to 3/4 espresso shot.
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