Once Upon A Feast - Every Kitchen Tells Its Stories

Finally a Trip to the Farmers Market

2012-05-26T11:01:00.000-03:00

It's been weeks since I last made it to the Seaport Farmers Market. Blame it on my knee, but that's all behind me now. Knee is on the mend and before I poop out and enjoy my score watching Netflix or some old movie on DVD, I thought I'd share....

Goat cheeses from Ran-Cher Acres, Smoked Gouda from Foxhill Cheese House, Baguette and challah from Julien's Bakery (baguette & cheeses will be lunch in front of the TV and challah will be saved for my Honey's Famous French Toast for tomorrow's breakfast), organic fed free range eggs, asparagus and fiddleheads from Selwood Green - I still have to write about my chat with Norbert & Minga), Strip loin (for dinner), lamb (cut to order by Ben the Butcher for more lamb kebabs) and fresh chorizo & spicy Italian sausages - all from Getaway Farm's Meat Mongers.
Lots of herbs (in pots - oregano & rosemary to add to my window sill) and bagged - lemon basil, mint and baby radish leaves as well as three cutest cucumbers ever from RiverView Herbs ,...

blooming chives, baby green onions, arugula & rhubarb from Taproot Farms.

And that was all my knee could cope with....so the apple sage jelly from Tangled Garden (you HAVE to watch the video of Beverly McClare), the Dragon's Breath Blue Cheese from That Dutchman's Farm, fresh local, sustainable fish from The Fish Shop at Pier 20, and whatever else my wandering eye catches will have to wait.

I do hope I've inspired you all to support your local farmers markets. It's not just about the wonderful foods you find, it's about being able to connect with the people who bring it to you and share the trip from farm to table with them.

A Delay in Posting - Blame it on Knee Surgery

2012-05-22T11:46:00.000-03:00

Sorry for the double post, and I'll blame it ... and my tardiness in sharing the latest Presto Pasta Night news on having some knee surgery done last week. My grandson said it best..."I'm still foggy" and having some difficulty sitting at my computer for long. So I apologize to the wonderful Alicia of Cook. Craft. Enjoy for hosting last week and for those of you who shared delicious pasta dishes with us, for not writing about it sooner. You can check them out here.... Presto Pasta Night #264

And, hopefully you will all be sharing another tasty pasta with Rachel, The Crispy Cook, who is hosting yet again, this coming Friday...only two sleeps from now!. Send your entries to oldsaratogabooks (at) gmail (dot) com and cc ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com by Thursday, May 24 and check back for the roundup on Friday, May 25. Once again, my apologies for the delay in sharing.

And I promise to share what a challenged cook and her assistant (AKA My Honey) eat during my hobbling about - a lovely scramble (similar to this one) with goat cheese (from my favorite Ran-Cher Acres) , roasted asparagus (peeking in the background), roasted red peppers (admittedly from a jar) and some fresh arugula and herbs from my daughter's garden.

Supper was simple... Shrimp, More Roasted Asparagus and Arugula over basil pesto from my freezer (similar to this one). .

And now it's time for a nap. More good food to come.... Please don't forget to share a pasta with Rachel. Send your entries to oldsaratogabooks (at) gmail (dot) com and cc ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com

Meat, Meat & More Meat

2012-05-14T11:52:00.000-03:00

It's been weeks since I've been to the farmers' market on a Saturday morning. I feel I've probably missed some of my favorite firsts - ramp, baby leeks, fiddleheads, Spring salad greens...But sometimes we can't control life.

Lucky for me, several producers are there throughout the week. And we are in desperate need... carnivores that we are... to stock up the freezer with some Getaway Farm Beef. That's Ben the Butcher doing his magic...
It really is a pleasure to watch him do what he does best... and turn a carcass into every beautiful cut imaginable. my choices this week... hanger steak (for the freezer),

and for sunny skies and warm weather, it's perfect for a BBQ ... skirt steak (with Hoisin Marinade) we grilled some at the kids (even Boaz had two helpings.... and he's not usually a meat eater)

& a lovely piece of lamb shoulder that I cut into chunks and marinated for these Mediterranean Lamb Kebabs. I had planned on making a recipe from LCBO's Food & Drink - still not on the web site yet, but I promise to share soon. I even had all the ingredients, but was in too much of a hurry to have to "read". Instead, I used my tried & true Mediterranean Marinade - first posted back in 2005 - lemon juice & zest, rosemary, garlic & olive oil, and skewered with wedges of red onion and sweet red peppers plus cremini mushrooms. A perfect BBQ end to a lovely Mother's Day.

Stay tuned for my Chat with Norbert Kungl and his lovely wife Minga Mintz - extraordinary farmers and foodies, who recently won the Outstanding Farm Family Award for innovation from the Nova Scotia Institute of Agrologists ...talking about their organic farm Selwood Green , Norbert's Good Food also at the market....

In the meantime, I'd love to hear about your favorite farm producer.

Springtime Pasta - Great Even in the Rain

2012-05-10T21:54:00.002-03:00

One of the best things about living in Canada is the changing seasons. And Spring is definitely my favorite time of year... everything starts to bloom. The grey landscape of winter is replaced by green. My favorite foods spring up (excuse the pun)...asparagus, fiddle heads, tender greens and herbs...

which made for a perfect Spring Pasta dish just in time for Presto Pasta Night hosted this time by Emma of Emma's Kitchen Diary.
I actually was planning a very different menu...skewers of lamb marinated in lemon juice, garlic, oil and rosemary - with a touch of Dijon mustard, but the weather was not playing along with that notion - lots of wind and rain. Roasted tomatoes, asparagus & fiddleheads were supposed to accompany the lamb, so instead I decided on pasta.

Since I have no time to write up a real recipe - I promise to do that soon... here it is in a nutshell...
Roasted vegetables - done at 400F/200C, tossed with olive oil and some pepper along with sprigs of fresh thyme and rosemary:
8oz box of sweet grape tomatoes
10 spears of asparagus, tough part of the stems removed
1-2 handfuls of blanched fiddleheads (2 minutes in salted boiling water followed by 1 minute in a large bowl of ice water)
whole wheat penne

The vegetables only take about five minutes or so. You want them tender but not mushy - except for the tomatoes.... I love them soft.

Drain the pasta, place the vegetables in the empty pasta pot with some olive oil plus whatever juices from the roasting pan and the juice and zest of one lemon. I also added some fresh basil chiffonade (leaves rolled into the shape of a cigar and sliced thinly across) and more grindings of black pepper.

It brought sunshine to the table if not to the outdoors. And it's perfect to share with Emma for this week's Presto Pasta Night Roundup #263. It's close, but you still have some time to share your pasta delights by emailing your recipe or link to emmaskitchendiary (at) gmail (dot) com and cc ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com

I'll be busy all day, so only writing about it tomorrow night. Just keep checking Emma's Kitchen Diary to get your pasta fix for the weekend.

Hunger Awareness Week & Volunteering

2012-05-09T11:16:00.002-03:00

It's Hunger Awareness Week in Canada... which doesn't mean the rest of you shouldn't give this a thought or two, no matter where you live.

This week's campaign challenges us to give up a meal or food staple. How many times have you used the words "I'm starving" as you walk in the door - perhaps 30 minutes, max, away from dinner?
It's so easy for most of us who have the economic ability to eat whatever and whenever we want, to forget about those - really close to home... and not living through some far away disaster... who are not so fortunate.

Perhaps because food is always front of mind for me, I volunteer with an awesome organization... FEED NOVA SCOTIA to do my little part in the fight against hunger. I helped design and facilitate the Kidz Magic Cupboard Project last summer and did some mock interviews for the graduating class of The Learning Kitchen - a most amazing program to help individuals learn life skills and a trade in the food services industry.

And last night, FEED NOVA SCOTIA held their annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner - catered by none other than the students of the Learning Kitchen under the guidance of Chef Mike (second from right). That's Dianne Swinemar, Exec Director acting as Emcee up front. This crew has only been in the program for two weeks, so kudos for feeding us all so well. There were 190 of us attending! The theme... feed nova scotia ALL STARS with the staff in baseball uniforms and the menu - ball park food, what else? So many dishes and not one photo worthy of sharing. In addition to the usual grilled burgers and sausages, there was a stew of BBQ sausage with maple baked beans, a black bean chili

and so many desserts I'm still in awe.

Naturally the event was to acknowledge and thank all the volunteers for their hard work this past year and I thought I'd share some of the stats presented...

90,989 kg/over 100 tons non perishable food and
$686,931 raised through a few sample events that were highlighted during the evening.
These events were supported by 540 volunteers and this only scratches the surface in a long list of other events, through which volunteers helped raise much-needed food and funds last year.

And to remind us all again about why we need to get involved to change the state of things, here's a quote from last night's playbill...

"Beyond the Empty Plate
You may have seen the face of hunger and not even realized it. It could be as close as your child's classmate. It could be a neighbour you pass going to work every day, or even the young family you chat with at the local park. Right now, food banks are being visited by families just like yours, families with children and teenagers, and they're coming to food banks more often than ever before.

Today, two years after the end of the 2008-09 recession, the number of Nova Scotians seeking help from food banks is still 33% higher than before it began. It's time we address the root causes of hunger. That's why we're asking you to speak out with us. For all Canadians (and everyone else for that matter), for your loved ones, for your neighbours, and for people who never thought they'd need a food bank."

There are lots of ways you can add your voice to the Hunger Awareness Week Challenge...tweet about it using #HAW hash tag and follow them on Twitter @foodbankscanada & Facebook; attend a variety of events across Canada; follow FEED NOVA SCOTIA on Twitter @feednovascotia and Facebook ; reach out to your Provincial & Federal governments; donate to your local food bank; share your "give it up" experiences.

And for those of you who do not live in Canada... make it happen wherever you are!

Spring Lunch Potato Mushroom Tart & Shaved Asparagus Mimosa Salad

2012-05-07T11:38:00.000-03:00

It's back to being a rainy grey May day here... but yesterday was fabulous. I love sunny Sundays... with nothing to do but spend a lazy morning in the kitchen leisurely preparing lunch to enjoy with family. Somehow sharing a lunch on Sunday seems more restful and relaxed than any other meal of the week. No racing off to work or doing errands, no coming home after a hard day and whipping something up to nourish the body without actually touching the soul. No looking at watches to see where we have to be next and how much time we need to get there.
That Spring inspired Shaved Asparagus & Fennel Mimosa Salad above was just the tip of my kitchen frenzy iceberg....

Finally, I seem to have re-found my cooking Mojo, I spent the morning whipping up a couple of new dishes from my latest issue of LCBO's Food & Drink, Early Summer Issue. Nothing quite says Spring to me more than asparagus and fennel root, so this salad was indeed a must try.

And, since my son-in-law is usually starving by the time he gets here, I whipped up a batch of their Savory Coriander, Rosemary & Pecan "Cookies" to keep him happy while waiting for the rest of the gang to show up. I so look forward to my F & D subscription arrivals in the mail!

The main course was an old standby... Roasted Potato & Mushroom Tart more of a Fall & Winter dish, but one that tastes awesome any time of year, really.

And a heavenly find from 101 Cookbooks, and fresh rhubarb from my daughter's Joanna's garden (I probably should have asked for double the amount of rhubarb, but I did get a couple of lovely jars... naturally Joanna will get one, since it is her rhubarb after all. I'm looking forward to spooning some over some vanilla ice cream. So much for dieting... perhaps I'll compromise and find low fat, sugarless ice cream...then again, who am I kidding!

I've already made half of tonight's dinner... Roasted Chicken Breasts with Ginger Marmalade Balsamic Glaze

to be served with Cauli-Fried Rice another old standby - a delicious alternative to the usual rice carbs. ... because it IS Monday and life is back in the fast lane... Everyone... strap on your watches!

Presto Pasta Night #262

2012-05-04T08:22:00.002-03:00

It's that time again, a new month... this one May...and another opportunity for me to host a Presto Pasta Night Feast. This week the theme seems to be comfort food... at least that's my take. As usual, it's awesome, so without further ado....and much thanks to all who sent in these fantastic dishes....

Tigerfish of Teczcape was first in with this great looking Vegetarian Curry Noodle dish. Unfortunately, it didn't taste nearly as good as it looked, but thanks for sharing anyway.

Next in, Janet of The Taste Space, just moved and still was able to whip up this dish - Chinese Five Vegetable Noodle Stir Fry that looks and sounds wonderful. I love Chinese 5 Spice powder and Aleppo Pepper even more.

I love shrimps... I've said it and just so you know, I could probably eat some every day and not get bored. Annie of The House of Annie made this lip-smacking, droolingly gorgeous looking Shrimp Scampi with Sundried Tomatoes that now tops my list.

The Omnivore & The Vegetarian sent in this dish of Kreplach that take me back to my childhood. I did love my Bubbie's (Grandmother) version and can't wait to try some of these myself.

Elizabeth of The Law Students Cookbook shared another fantastic "comfort food from childhood" dish... Spaghetti & Meatball Pie. Calming just to look at it.

Johanne of Green Gourmet Giraffe shared a lovely post where all sorts of creativity abound at the kitchen table... an Immunity Boosting Spaghetti Soup that warms the soul and some cool crafty binoculars I'll make with my grandsons.

And last, but not least... especially if you like shrimp...my Lemony Shrimp, Arugula & Roasted Tomato Pasta which tasted even better the next day for lunch.

Next week Emma of Emma's Kitchen Diary will be hosting Presto Pasta Night Roundup #263. You can send your tasty pasta plates to emmaskitchendiary (at) gmail (dot) com and cc ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com by Thursday, May 10

If you'd like to host a PPN Roundup. Just drop me a line to pick a date. June and beyond are available. It's never to early to sign up!

A Heavenly Lemony Shrimp Arugula & Roasted Tomato Pasta

2012-05-01T19:25:00.001-03:00

I've been remiss... not making pasta, or at least not writing about my pasta experiences of late. But that is obviously about to change.

This absolutely scrumptious Lemony Pasta with Shrimp, Baby Arugula & Roasted Tomatoes so delicious I probably will raid the fridge for seconds at some point this evening...was inspired by several things..

...dinner at my daughter's. She roasted tomatoes to serve with baby kale from her garden,

... which got me thinking of arugula for some bizarre reason. I've been meaning to get to the farmers market for the last few Saturdays, ... but that's another story.

...and a great looking orzo with scallops and herbs from Recipes.Com that I have on my Pinterest list of faves.

And for you vegetarians out there.. this would be fantastic with just the arugula and roasted tomatoes. I can hear those of you who know me gasping at the idea that I could enjoy a shrimp dish without any shrimp, but it's true. In fact, next time I'll just quadruple the tomatoes and omit the shrimp it was that good.

Since this is a post about pasta, it's a perfect segue to inviting you to join me this week for Presto Pasta Night. I'm hosting and I'd love to get your pasta dishes to add to Friday's roundup. Just email me the details (found here) to ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com by Thursday. And if you'd like to host a PPN roundup, let me know that too. It's lots of fun and a great way to make new foodie friends.

Where do you find your inspirations?

Presto Pasta Night #260

2012-04-20T09:58:00.002-03:00

UPDATE: My bad! I somehow missed out on these awesome bloggers and their entries....My sincerest apologies!
Gay, our resident Scientist in the Kitchen shared these Drunken Noodles that sound very tasty.

Deb at Kahakai Kitchen in Hawaii sent in this gorgeous Thai Garlic Soup that I could use right now - it's so grey and foggy and damp here.

This week's Presto Pasta Night Roundup has lots of Springtime. Asparagus is definitely an early harbinger and hopefully I can find some at my local farmers market soon. All the dishes grabbed my attention and I know you'll enjoy them as much as I do. Thanks all for sharing!

First in is Emma of Emma's Kitchen Diary... well actually sent in for last week's roundup and somehow fell through the email cracks. Would have been tasty last week... even better this week. Spring is definitely here with her Pappardelle with Tuscan Sausages, Asparagus and Peas.

Next up is Heather, our favorite Girlichef with a spiced up Mac 'n Cheese with Roasted Jalapeno Salsa. Quite the punch to our old comfort dish.

And now, another surprise dish... this time it's pasta without any pasta. That's right.... take a very close look at the gorgeous photo and check out what Janet of the Taste Space did. It's Raw Alfredo Sauce with Basil, Cherry Tomatoes and... that's right... Zucchini Noodles!

Stash of The Spamwise Chronicles really brings Springtime to his dish of Pasta Primavera. I can't wait to see what ingredients I find at our local farmers market this week to make my own.

And, next from one of my very favorite food bloggers, Joanne who Eats Well with Others and has a fantastic philosophy about fitness... in its most basic terms...have a fitness goal! I must try that. As for her pasta... I definitely will have a healthy bowl of her Roasted Asparagus & Tomato Pasta with Goat Cheese as incentive.

This time around, I actually prepared two pasta dishes - a main Creamy Shrimp & Mushroom Pasta with a Little Heat

and a savory couscous that really doesn't have a "recipe" just made with chicken broth rather than water and some fresh mint & parsley, tossed in after fluffing and just before serving. You can see it peeking under the meat..

It was perfect to sop up the gravy of the Tunisian Style Braised Beef Ribs found on fineCooking and "pinned" to my new obsession - my Pinterest boards.

Thanks again everyone for wonderful pastas. Now it's time to turn over the pasta pot to Simona of Briciole who is hosting next Friday's PPN Roundup (Friday April 27). Please share a dish mentioning Presto Pasta Nights,and Briciole and send your entries to simosite (at) mac (dot) com and cc ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com by Thursday, April 26 and check back for the roundup on Friday, April 27.
If you'd like to host a PPN Roundup. Just drop me a line to pick a date. May 18th and beyond are available. It's never to early to sign up!

More Pinterest Deliciousness - Pasta & More

2012-04-17T13:52:00.000-03:00

First let's start off with last night's amazing dinner... Creamy Shrimp & Mushroom Pasta with a Little Heat. It's adapted from one I found at Chaos in the Kitchen (a new blog to me and one I'll be visiting often for more recipes to "pin") via Pinterest. With 10 tablespoons of butter, this one is not the healthiest recipe I've ever made, but I felt that by using light cream cheese and Barilla's whole grain penne, I'd balance things out. Of course, the second helping, probably didn't help... but it was too good to pass up.

The night before last, I also followed a recipe to the letter for spicy mushroom skewers from Dinners & Dreamers. I just added 1 tbsp honey to really get them to caramelize on the grill. You can see them peeking out of the salad I made with a simple vinaigrette to accompany the Italian Sweet Fennel Sausages, made locally and found at The Italian Market here in Halifax.

The paranoid in me, might have to copy the recipe - giving credit where due, of course! - on the off chance, Pinterest or Dinners & Dreamers go off-line. But I digress and hope they both ..."live long & prosper" as Spock would say.

Tonight's dinner is in the oven... Tuscan Braised Short Ribs and already has me swooning from the wonderful aroma. It's only half-way done, but I thought you'd like a peek. I suppose I didn't really need Pinterest to find this recipe. A couple of years ago, fineCooking Magazine did a Create Your Own feature on Braised Short Ribs. At that time I made the Hunter's Style ribs. So I probably would have just gone back there to find another one to do justice to the batch of short ribs I got at Getaway Farm Meat Mongers, at the Halifax Seaport Market. It is the coolest thing, to be able to go to butcher shop where you actually get to meet the butcher and tell him exactly how you want your order cut. This time 2 inches across four ribs please - and I'll take about 3 pounds.

Tonight, I'll be serving the braised short ribs over some fluffy couscous to soak up that delicious gravy, so between last night's Shrimp Pasta and tonight's side of couscous.... I have a twofer for Presto Pasta Nights. I'm hosting again. So if you want to join in the fun... and you should... just write up a pasta dish, mention Presto Pasta Nights (with a link), then send me your URL and the title of your dish by Thursday, to add to the roundup on Friday. Email: ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com.

If you're interested in hosting a Presto Pasta Night Roundup... it's a great way to connect with and make new food loving bloggers from around the world... just drop me a line ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com and I'll be happy to add you to the family. I'm looking for May hosts and beyond. It's fun, it's easy and you get a sneak peek at all the pastas everyone else has to wait for.

Pinterest & iPad - Old Traditions & New Technologies

2012-04-08T11:57:00.000-03:00

It's Passover, and like any traditional holiday, we feast on the same dishes and recipes (or variations) we ate as children and our parents ate as children...and before them, the first immigrants bringing the ones from "back home" when they were children to their new lands and new beginnings.

One tradition during Passover...for those of us who crave bread, but observe the ritual of no breads made with rising flour to remember the hurried departure from Egypt and the slavery of the Pharoah,... is the Passover Matzo Roll. Delicious when fresh and hard as the proverbial cement used to make the pyramids within a day.

The recipe, in its variations seems to have been around forever. My grandmother, (on the left - not sure what she and my aunt (baby of the family), and my mom are holding,) who emigrated from Russia during the time of the last Tsar at the tender age of 19 with her husband and one year old daughter somehow knew how to make them. I certainly remember going to my grandparents' tiny one bedroom apartment with a kitchen the size of a small closet and enjoying them.... as did the other 18 grandchildren and their parents in the late '40s & early '50s. Back in the "olden days", her kitchen tools consisted of bowls, pots, baking sheets, roasting pans with a grater, some spoons and knives for chopping. No Cuisinart, no KitchenAid stand mixers... none of the things we take for granted... or at least that I take for granted... helped her make incredible dinners for her seven children, their husbands and children, not to mention cousins and friends. The tables extended from the far wall in the living room through the apartment to the front door.

My mother, the "modern cook" of the "50s & '60s, had a much bigger kitchen and more tools - the Sunbeam Mix Master is the one that stands out for me. But when she was diagnosed with MS in the early '70s, she handed over the Sunbeam and other utensils to me and I created the traditional feasts with some twists of my own. And while preparing the four - five course meals for 24, I always thought of my grandmother and am still in awe of what she did with so little.

Today, I can't imagine life without my Cuisinart Food Processor, my gorgeous fire engine red KitchenAid Stand Mixer, not to mention microplanes, a Griddler, ... the list is endless. I love each and every one of my kitchen toys... especially during holidays. I couldn't imagine making a festive dinner without Potato Kugel, or latkes, but there's no way I would spend hours grating 10-20 pounds/ 5-10kg of potatoes by hand as my mother and grandmother did!

But I'm not done in my tale of traditions and technology... I love my iPad and ... was there really life before Google and Google searches for great recipes?! But that led to my most recent frustration... my bookmarking techniques - bookmark on my NetBook, bookmark on my ipad, add to a recipe box on any number of great magazine sites, bookmark on Chrome, bookmark on IE.... ACKKKKKK!!!! And my total inability to actually finding them again.

So welcome, Pinterest my latest and so far greatest tech toy... my Honey hates when I call technology toys, but I use the term lovingly. I love being able to be in touch with whatever I want to be in touch with, wherever I am and whenever I want it. See something you like - article, photo, recipe, whatever your passion and "pin" it for whenever you want it. No brain wracking about where or when you saw it.

And, thanks to Marcy Goldman, one of my favorite bakers and author of The New Best of BetterBaking.Com and A Passion for Baking are awesome. Not to mention her blog or her participation on FaceBook's Jewish Cooking Group. All this to say, not only could I "pin" the recipe... I could actually find it! Incredible Passover Rolls as published in LA Weekly. Not sure what the squid ink refers to, but has nothing to do with these mouth-watering rolls.

So... what's your favorite traditional dish and do you use old or new technology to prepare it?

Passover Seders - New Beginnings & Old Traditions

2012-04-07T10:57:00.001-03:00

Every year we celebrate Passover by observing a feasting ritual. Unlike every other holiday where one gets together with loved ones to eat and drink and be merry... don't get me wrong, there's lots of that too... this evening starts with a ritual telling of the story of slavery in Egypt and the freedom that follows. The film The Ten Commandments tells it well. But this post is about the things that stood out about last night's seder at my daughter Joanna and her husband Ezra. The family has grown - they have two sons (more in a minute), Ezra's sister, Kayla has married Matthew and have a new baby. In addition, Matt's parents and two siblings came up from Barbados to spend time with their latest granddaughter and were at the table along with some friends, making the total around the table 18.

Some highlights for me... this year I actually got to cook with Joanna, since both daddy and Poppa were available for the playing part. My role of late is usually more about playing Gramma and allowing Jo the space and time to do the cooking. I did get to make some things at home before arriving with a trunk full of bowls and ingredients for two salads - Fattoush with out the toasted pita, and my take on this Arugula, Mango Salad I found on Healthy Happy Life and will write up my own recipe sometime soon - with a photo (I used mixed spring greens, added strawberries, blackberries & blueberries and left out the macadamia nuts). I brought my huge stock pot filled with 22 cups of chicken soup - Jo made the matzo balls. And for dessert, I made some Passover brownies with chocolate chips instead of nuts- tasty but crumbly and not photo worthy anyway. And, everyone's favorite - Chocolate Matzo Crunch, totally addictive, even if you are stuffed to the gills by the time dessert rolls around.

Playing sou-chef to Joanna is a lovely cycle of life thing for me... I remember her as a little girl being my big helper along with her sister... the cleaning the house and getting ready... not so much fun as baking. Now I'm the helper. I was going to take a picture of the wonderful kitchen chaos, but her "Mummy, you can't possibly take my picture like this!" stopped me in my tracks. It's nice to see the traditional dishes some of which started at my table - Gingery Carrot Tzimmis, Potato Kugel (same post), chopped liver, gefilte fish and others she's added along the way - especially her stuffed leg of lamb. We would all be disappointed if those dishes didn't grace the table. Roasted asparagus with chive vinaigrette - chives from her garden - almost didn't make it to the table - another tradition of almost forgetting the green vegetables.

That's about the old traditions, next is about the new - the next generation and some of my favorite moments. By the way, it took eight photos to get a family portrait - and this one is the best of the bunch. Hard to get little boys to sit still even in the time it takes to say "falafel".

Unless of course there are pickles! Dov, three, and from now on to be referred to as Pickle Boy must have eaten half a jar all by himself.

His older brother, Boaz, five, was serious about the ceremony of the seder and asked the Four Questions without assistance - They are usually asked by the youngest member of the family. This is the first time that Kayla, Ezra's sister hasn't asked them. Now she's a mom, but baby Briella is only a few months old, so...Boaz took on the role. Another cycle of life moment.

I do find it interesting... the morning after, that once again, although food is the focus for Jewish women for days before the seder, it wasn't what I focused my camera on. It was the joy of being together.

Whatever holidays you celebrate, I wish you the best of them and hope you get to enjoy them with your traditions, your family and friends.

Presto Pasta Night #258 & Happy Easter & Passover

2012-04-06T09:23:00.000-03:00

As I write this, it's both Good Friday and the eve of Passover, when for eight days we Jews are not to eat anything with flour - no bread, and none of the usual pastas, but I digress... I wish all my Christian and Jewish friends the best... especially the feasting.

As for Presto Pasta Night, here are the wonderful entries. Thanks everyone for some great sharing! I'll be bookmarking then for after Passover!

Juli of Pictures of All My Princesses was first in with this terrific Cabbage Broccoli Salad with Ramen Noodles.

Next in Andrea of Nummy Kitchen, shared this Fried Noodle Cake with Hoisin Vegetables from an old, unused cookbook. Glad she tried it!

I always drool over Tigerfish of Teczcape's dishes. The photos alone have me drooling and the dishes always delight - this one is no exception. Shitake, Woodear & Cremini Mushrooms Miso Udon. What a savory mouthful that is!

Stash of The Spamwise Chronicles is another one of those food bloggers I adore - gorgeous photos and brilliant dishes. This one - Spaghetti with White Clam Sauce, Samphire and Fried Breadcrumbs with Bottarga really have me regretting not buying some Bottarga when I was in Montreal.

Rachel, The Crispy Cook is back with a gluten free delicious sounding Pizzoccherri for those who usually just get to wishful think here at PPN.

Janet from the Taste Space (and new to PPN) brings a whole new meaning to Alfredo - Check out her High Protein Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Alfredo Pasta. It might even induce me to do some of the bike riding she does.

and Gay our resident Scientist in the Kitchen came up with this Drunken Linguine that's a great Thai dish if ever there was one.

Next in...Pam of Sidewalk Shoes actually has a request... ideas to make this Ham & Cheese Macaroni Bake come out creamier. Can you help?

Joanne, who Eats Well With Others always, and I do mean always comes up with fantastic posts. Naturally this time is no different. The Pasta with Tomatoes, Pine Nuts & Raisins looks fantastic - almost has me ready to run a marathon myself... or at least have a bowlful while watching one on TV.

and Katie of Feeding Boys & a Firefighter shares a wonderful looking Macaroni & Broccoli Souffle for kids of all ages to enjoy.

Last but not least - at least I loved this Roasted Eggplant, Spinach & Mushroom Lasagna with lots of surprises on the tongue.

So thanks everyone for such mouth-watering treats this week. And don't forget that next week Gillian of So So Simple Life from way way Down Under (New Zealand!) will be hosting. Send your entries to cajun(dot) moon (at) xtra (dot) co (dot) nz and cc ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com by Thursday April 12

If you'd like to host a PPN Roundup. Just drop me a line to pick a date. April 20th and beyond are available. It's never to early to sign up!

Roasted Eggplants & Hunting Through Bookmarks

2012-04-04T09:51:00.000-03:00

I bought two beautiful plump eggplants a week or so ago. (This photo from an earlier purchase but too cute to pass up here.) I had a particular recipe in mind and bookmarked it. Then "Life" took over and the eggplants started to ... age... not so plump and firm, but still usable.

Truth be told... I couldn't remember which recipe I bookmarked... not even a general idea... was it on a blog? a magazine site?... was it complex? ... simple?... was it spicy?...sweet? What culture inspired it?. I had no idea, So I did what many of us do, I started going through my bookmarks. It got tiresome very quickly, so I just gave up and did a search, which landed me on a recipe for a delicious spread/dip on Canadian Living Magazine that I added to my "recipe box" on their site. I now have recipe boxes on more sites than I remember, bookmarks on IE and Chrome... if only there was a way to consolidate. I'm sure there's an app somewhere...sigh. Now I'm addicted to Pinterest... a great clipboard where I can "pin" from anywhere, organize by my peculiarities. The coolest part is that I don't have to remember where I initially found a recipe or a place I want to revisit. I had thought of many options, like Grilled Eggplant Rollups with Feta, Mint & Chili or Roasted Eggplant with Preserved Lemon. But my Honey is not a big eggplant fan so I have to hide it in dishes.

Oh... and the recipe I tweaked from Canadian Living...delicious

Roasted Eggplant & Garlic with Olive Tapenade

The thing about eggplant is that it's very prettiest raw...A stunning purple on the outside and pale flesh with tiny freckles from the seeds. Once it's cooked is just sort of looks ... well... drab. Add some black olives to the mix and it becomes an even less pretty brown mush. But don't let looks fool you... this is one very tasty spread or dip.

I really have been dreaming... or obsessing....about roasting the eggplant and combining it with other tasty ingredients in a lasagna using the multigrain noodles in my pantry so that I could be ready for Passover - no flour except for matzo and matzo meal. I tried for last week's Presto Pasta Night but only just got around to making it yesterday. Roasted Eggplant, Mushroom & Spinach Lasagna... which will be my entry to this week's Presto Pasta Night. I'm hosting and if you want to join in the fun, just write about it, mention Presto Pasta Night and email your URL to me - ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com by Thursday.... but I digress.

The coolest thing about lasagna is NOT the cleaning up - pot for noodles, possibly pot for sauce, bowls to mix various fillings....the coolest part is being able to be creative - no need for any recipe really, just inspiration points. So what's your favorite thing to put in a lasagna?

Farm to Table Feasting

2012-03-25T12:16:00.001-03:00

Perhaps it's more appropriate to all this post... Farmers Market & Early Spicy Birthday Present to Table Feasting, but it doesn't have quite the same ring to it. Since it's been so fantastic so far, I thought I'd share my weekend in food excellence... Saturday morning, up at 6:30am to beat the crowds at the Seaport Farmers Market. We've been experiencing summer weather for the last few days. I mean shorts and t-shirts and flip flop weather 28°C/82°F, so it was quite the jolt back to reality and 2°C/35°F and the need for my winter coat.

I wasn't sure exactly what I'd find... although I was thinking greens and a steak to hopefully grill on the BBQ. Not to mention fresh farm eggs and some Brioche from Julien's for our Sunday morning ritual- heady discussions over coffee in bed, followed by... but I'm getting ahead of myself.

My usual process is to do a "once around" to see what each of the farmers, artisan cheese, jam or sausage makers have on hand and see which of those grab my foodie attention and an idea for some great cooking. Selwood Green is an organic grower and their stall usually has a lineup (which is why I like to show up early and beat the crowd). This time I found some Asian Greens. I'm still thinking steak will be the star of tonight's dinner. So a stir fry of Asian greens with a little fresh garlic, ginger, thinly sliced shallots and a dash or two of Ketjap Manis would be perfect.

Next stop, the folks at Meat Mongers - the butcher shop arm of Getaway Farm. that's actually open six days a week. I've already introduced you to Ben the Butcher (my grandson insists that I don't just call him Ben or even Ben Andrews). Lucky me, pork belly bacon (for a scramble), flank steak and... two strip loins for dinner! More wandering and some farm fresh eggs and local mushrooms from Elmridge Farms. Riverview Herbs provided some arugula, rosemary, spinach and a hot house cucumber.

Next stop, a long overdue trip to the Historic Farmers market to get some lamb from my buddy Bill of Wood 'n Hart Farm. . They'll be marinated with rosemary, garlic, lemon juice and good olive oil for a heavenly dinner this week - the lamb chops, not Bill!

Home, in time for freshly brewed coffee and a chocolate croissant from Julien's while I take a photo of my score (see top) and whip up an awesome scramble - chopped bacon, sliced mushrooms, and a handful of arugula. I'm not sure which of the bakers sold me this heavenly mulit-grain bread for toast.

And you may be wondering about that box of spices in the top photo. It's an early birthday present from my daughter in Montreal.... I wasn't mature enough to wait until Wednesday to open it. It was a fantastic box set of Spice Hunter Spices from Epices de Cru that I was introduced to by Costas Halavrezos back in 2010. He and his friends are still at the Historic Market. And found their real emporium in the Jean Talon Market when I was on a visit to my daughter last winter. Needless to say, this is a perfect birthday present and a great contribution to tonight's steak dinner.

Dinner was, as dreamt....Grilled Strip Loin with Spice Hunter Rub, Asian Greens Stir Fry and Rosemary & Garlic Roasted New Potatoes - okay, the new potatoes were from a grocery store, but they are Canadian, at least.

And this morning.... the ritual of my Honey's French Toast made with Julien's brioche and served with local Nova Scotian Maple Syrup.

I love being able to support local farmers and I always hope that my market adventures inspire you to do the same. Once you've visited a local market and talked to a few of the producers, you'll be hooked... hooked on their passion and the sheer deliciousness of their wares.

Obsessing Over the Missing Meatloaf

2012-03-22T09:11:00.002-03:00

Recently someone, in search of substitutes for parchment paper on AskRuth, sent me this email...

"Happened to read your blog about parchment paper substitute. I like your writing style - very thorough. You mentioned David’s favorite meat loaf (when discussing plastic wrap), but I can't find the recipe on your site. Help! The spinach sandwich between the meatloaf layers peeked my interest."

I vaguely remember making the meatloaf she mentioned. I think it was one of those I made over and over until I found a new "best ever in the world" recipe to make over and over and... repeat the cycle a bunch of times. The parchment paper post was written back in 2006!. Naturally, I had to check for the missing meatloaf for myself. Not among the list of other meatloaves I've written up. Not in my cookbook - Every Kitchen Tells Its Stories. I even obsessively went through my posts for six months leading up to that article! Nothing!

So what's a girl to do? Try to recreate it of course. I took some elements of several recipes and came up with this

Mushroom Spinach Surprise Meatloaf

And if I do say so myself... pretty darn tasty! The chipotle honey glaze was from Mushroom Surprise Meatloaf - seriously one of my best meatloaves ever!. It's from one of my favorite sections of fineCooking magazine - the "create your own". And I bet, you vegetarians and vegans out there can find your own magic loaf, replacing meat - meat for some vegetarian version, but I digress. I sort of followed this recipe idea for the rest, adding spinach to the mushroom filling. I do hope you enjoy the results.... we did!

But the main reason for this post... aside from sharing a wonderful dish... is because it made me think about why I started the blog, and why I continue to keep it up. This article in Saltscapes Magazine that a fellow food writer wrote about me, sums it up best. At first, it was to connect to my daughters who lived in other cities and share their favorite recipes as soon as they wanted them.

But then it became more about me... and the things I was interested in and passionate about.... farm to table.... farm markets....eating local...cooking with kids....chats with cool chefs and farmers who love what they do even though it's incredibly, physically hard to do so. And now I have to add that it's also about remembering, and easily recreating or adapting an old favorite recipe. Since some of my best dishes are created on the fly and if you asked me the next day what I put into it, I'd probably not remember, this is the perfect place to share... with family... friends... and ... myself!

If you're a blogger, why do you write? If you're not a blogger, do you keep a recipe journal?

Pasta Perfect - This Time with Shrimp

2012-03-21T15:19:00.001-03:00

I've been on an austerity plan lately ... trying hard to use up the food I have on hand in the pantry and freezer...and not splurging on Italian pastas...but I had to ... really ... I HAD to stop by the Gourmet Italian market for their awesome Sweet Fennel Sausages. My freezer supply is depleted. And I couldn't help myself ... I had to check out the pasta aisle. Divella Pasta has such a fantastic assortment of unique pastas. it was truly hard to resist. I forced myself to only by ONE bag... you have no idea how hard that was. But Passover is coming very soon and I already have pasta in the pantry for me to use up.

The rest of the dinner was a waffling back and forth between some recipes in great cookbooks..Esquire's. Eat Like a Man: The Only Cookbook a Man Will Ever Need - seriously good even though I resent the title - women can love this book too! and Michael Smith's latest - Chef Michael Smith's Kitchen - I'm a huge fan . So I took some ideas and made them my own with this one that I really don't know what to call it...other than delicious!

Caserecce with Spicy Sweet Shrimp and Arugula

The real star of the dish was the Divella Pasta... in fact, my Honey, who like me, would normally focus on the shrimp, said this pasta would be great without it. The noodles themselves were wonderful - the flavour, the texture, the way the sides curl together and trap the sauce. I'm drooling even now.

It was so delicious, I have to share with Presto Pasta Night this week. For the last few weeks, it's not that we haven't eaten pasta, just that I've use the last of my favorite Grandma Hazel's Meat Sauce this time with sauteed mushrooms, and other standard "throw together" dishes I've made a million times before. This time around the dish is worthy of a spot in the roundup. Juli of Pictures of all my Princesses is hosting. Send your entries to jules (dot) i (dot) m (at) gmail (dot) com and cc ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com by Thursday March 22 to be included in this week's roundup.

My Brilliant Little Author

2012-03-16T09:46:00.001-03:00

Even though I'm occasionally asked by someone wanting to guest write here, I keep it as my own... with the one exception so far... my gardening daughter who will review an appropriate book or two. But the very proud Gramma in me had to share this story written by Boaz, my five year old grandson... but first a little background.

Last Monday we visited Zillig Farm and I wrote about it HERE. A few days later, Boaz and his little brother Dov, came for a visit and I told him about the article. He's always asking me what I write about and how come it's mostly about food.... but that's another story.

He loved the title of my blog "Once Upon a Feast" and then we had this conversation....

B: Hey, Gramma.... I have a great idea! We should write our own story book and instead of starting it with "Once upon a time"... we should start with "once upon a feast" and it could be about a little boy who is very hungry but his parents were busy so he had to make his own food. He already knows how to do it by himself.

G: (that would be me) sounds terrific

B: Okay... I'll tell the story, but you write the words and illustrate it. Then Dov and I can colour it in. It should be four pages long.

And so it began, but please excuse the illustrations... I am no where near as talented an artist as his mummy or Auntie Sharron.

I was the scribe, so all is written as Boaz directed. He did much more than just tell the story... it was his concept, his layout and design of the book from the title FEAST to the Darker, larger capital letters of each sentence. As for the Colouring... his assistant, Dov was too busy doing his own project to cooperate ... er... participate. .

I shared this story because I am truly proud of him, but it's also my way of showing how fun and easy it is to educate our children about the food they eat. Kind of like hiding the vegetables in a dish so they'll eat them even if they say they hate them.

Boaz and his brother have been playing in the kitchen since they could crawl

and being a baker from a very young age. I love this shot of him making Chanukah cookies with his mom when he was two. Well, someone has to taste the sprinkles and make sure they'll do.

More recently, they've both graduated to making these beautiful challahs. They make them most Fridays, with a little help from mom.

And, of course when the boys come over, Boaz and I cook up a storm ...everything from cookies to pizza.

Not every adventure turns out the way we plan it... like making these awesome fish cakes....the making was fun, the eating.... totally not! No matter, the idea is to introduce them to food in ways that are fun.

Other musings of mine about cooking with kids. I'd love to hear about your time getting your kids (nieces, nephews, neighbors...) getting to learn about and appreciate food.

A Visit to The Zillig Family Farm

2012-03-13T11:30:00.001-03:00

I just finished sitting here munching on perfect "farm fresh" eggs... literally... more in a minute... and just wondering how to write about our glorious adventure to a sheep farm yesterday.

It was the perfect Spring day in the country - 12°C/54°F and brilliant sunshine overhead! We even saw some crocuses starting to bud and trying to get a jump on the season. It's only mid March and normally bitterly cold, grey and very wintry. My daughter Joanna was on a hunt for organic sheep fertilizer for her garden and found some about an hour or so from Halifax. So we turned the day into a wonderful adventure that surpassed any expectations we had. But where to begin in the telling....

First to say that Marg Zillig is awesome, a gracious host and an inspiration. As usual my post will jump all over the place... this time starting at the end of the visit. Marg (on the right) invited us in to her home and served us plum juice made from plums from her own plum trees! Not to mention the gorgeous and delicious cookies we all munched on or the dozen eggs she gave us to remind the kids where they come from...or the braid of garlic, Joanna bought. Marg plants 1500-2000 cloves in her garden. Joanna...75!

I need no reminders and I must say, to all my city friends... there is truly nothing like fresh from the farm eggs from free run chickens.

Perhaps I'll start with some history...the farm house (behind Joanna & Marg) was built in the 1700's just after the expulsion of the Acadians from the region. Marg's dad, emigrated from Germany in 1953, and met her mom, Edith, also a German emigre, in Nova Scotia. They both brought their farming backgrounds with them and bought the farm (at one time 250 acres, now at 175 acres and beautifully pastoral!) in 1958, had two children (Marg and her older brother) and farmed it ever since. Marg has been running the farm on her own since her mom passed away in 2009 at the age of 94.

Zillig Family Farm in Hants County, Nova Scotia is an Artisan farm, which means it's not certified organic, but pretty darn close. Marg studied animal husbandry and agriculture at McGill University in Montreal, as well as in Europe. She is more than knowledgeable, she is passionate. We all fell in love instantly.

We were joined by some friends of Boaz & Dov and their mom, Zoey, and like all little boys... and girls, for that matter... there is nothing as much fun as running around, stomping in mud and playing with the animals. So perhaps the best way to go is to follow the boys and hear what they had to say....

The geese, two ganders and four geese are in mating season, so the ganders (and their partners) had to be separated... the men are very territorial during mating season. Can you imagine... these geese, especially the ganders are even louder than squealing little boys! Boaz even covered his ears and told us just how loud they were.

On to the chickens...the excited boys, drove the chickens indoors... unintentionally, of course... and when Boaz pushed aside the netting to check out the coop and see the eggs, his first response was to hold his nose and inform us that the chickens smelled! ...a personal aside, having visited an industrial chicken farm, which really smelled so bad, I gagged...I can tell you all that this one hardly smelled at all. We, of course had to have the discussion about the fact that all animals poop, just like us. We're into toilet training, can you tell?

Boaz did ask Marg where the rooster was, but since these hens are layers, rather than breeders, there's no need for a rooster. All we want are the delicious eggs! We also saw a few ducks, that Marg keeps for eggs for those of us who can't tolerate hens eggs.

We passed the water fowl pond that Marg's dad dug years and years ago where Dov (our little one) found his favorite animal on the farm... a barn cat... a stray left by the side of the road a year ago and now lives happily on the farm.

On to the sheep...lots of ewes

and lambs that are just one month old.

and this was the best shot I could get of Marg holding a skittish lamb so the still squealing boys could pet him.

While Marg was telling us about the sheep.. their heritage, their wool, etc... the boys found a new place to play... the mountain of sheep ... fertilizer!

What a wonderful visit! Joanna wants to become Marg, I just admire her and all the hard work that goes into tending the animals, the produce garden, I didn't even mention because it's all under a protective layer of hay, waiting for Spring to really arrive.

Thank you, Marg and to those of you who don't live on a farm... make a visit. It's a fantastic opportunity to learn about and appreciate where our food comes from. Oh.... and Boaz' favorite animal... the puppy!

Sweet & Spicy Means a Great Combination for Presto Pasta

2012-03-07T09:54:00.002-04:00

I've been dreaming about making this pasta dish for weeks. The butternut squash has been giving me that look from the counter for what seems like forever. You know the look..."Well...are you actually going to use me or am I just going to turn to stone on this counter?!" look. Somehow, though, life got in the way until yesterday.

Usually when roasting squash, I just cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, season with a little salt and pepper and roast cut side down at 400°F/200°C, but this time I made it more like this recipe... ... without the brown sugar or butter...just tossed with a little fresh thyme leaves, olive oil and a few grindings of freshly ground black peppercorns and at 375°F/180°C for about 20-30 minutes...until the little cubes were tender and caramelized . I actually roasted them as a side dish to go with the brisket I found in the bottom of my freezer, but naturally there was plenty left over.

Much as I love squash, I usually find it too sweet too eat too much at one time.. a little goes a long way and I want something spicy or at least savoury to go with it. But what combination?.... I kept thinking about the cured churiso sausages in my fridge and the woody cremini mushrooms, more thyme to continue the earthiness. And the dish was born. While the fusilli (they were too cute to ignore at the grocery store) was boiling away, I sauteed a chopped onion, sliced mushrooms and chorizo slices for about five minutes, added the squash and a splash of apple cider vinegar from my favorite Boates Farm in the Annapolis Valley, where much of my Saturday farmers market finds come from, tied it all together.

Probably the craziest thing about making this dish... beyond the dreaming about it for days before I actually put it together... was that while I was tossing it all up... before the actual eating even... I was already planning the leftover dish.... frittata? add some homemade chicken broth and make a fantastic soup? is there enough for both?

Sweet & Spicy Butternut Squash & Chorizo Pasta

Your thoughts? And don't forget to share your pasta dish with Presto Pasta Night. This week, Simona of Briciole is hosting for the fourth time! Please Send your entries to simosite (at) mac (dot) com and cc ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com

Presto Pasta Party - We're Five Years Old!

2012-03-02T09:12:00.002-04:00

It's really hard to believe that we're celebrating five years of weekly Presto Pasta Night Roundups. I started it on a lark in March, 2007. I thought it might be fun then and here's my first entry (actually two) Crab, Ricotta & Spinach Cannelloni

and a simple Fettuccine with Olive Oil, Basil & Garlic.

I never imagined it would survive ... and thrive... for five years! I want to thank everyone for sharing in the pleasure of pasta - the feasting and the hosting parts. Lots of the guests below have been loyal PPNers for ages and others are new to the family. All of them add their own spin on traditional pastas and creativity in inventing new choices from around the world. But enough talk.... let's dig in to this week's awesome entries.

Joanne who always Eats Well With Others and is a frequent PPNer, shared a truly gorgeous and inspired Baked Rigatoni with Brussels Sprouts, Figs & Blue Cheese for our party (which sort of coincides with her own birthday - so Happy Birthday Joanne).

Katie has a new look to her blog - Feeding Boys & a Fire Fighter and a great vegetarian dish of Creme Fraiche, Lemon, Peas & Soya Meatball Pasta that looks great even for a carnivore like me.

Tigerfish of Teczcape is another awesome PPN regular. She shares this Gourmet Singapore Laksa that takes quick to spectacular in minutes.

Katie over at Thyme for Cooking hasn't been around for a while. Her hubby has T1 Diabetes and can't tolerate pasta very well. She still made a wonderful dish of Teryaki Meatballs which she'll have over pasta and perhaps he could have over rice.

Jamie of Cookin' With Moxie made a very special Fettuccine Marinara with Two Ricottas. I've been meaning to try ricotta salata and this recipe will definitely have me hunting for some.

Alisha of Cook.Craft.Enjoy remembers her first PPN entry - Pad Thai and this time around returns to Thailand for Thai Pork & Noodles that looks equally delicious.

Mary of One Perfect Bite (although, really... how could one stop at just ONE perfect bite?) made this wonderful dish of Pasta with Cabbage, Pancetta & Cheese and I will need more than just one bite for sure!

Tandy of Lavender and Lime is a frequent PPN contributor and host and this week she brings a lovely Baked Three Cheese Chicken Alfredo. What a delightful way to celebrate.

Kirsten, of From Kirsten's Kitchen to Yours decided to remind me of all the events that have taken place over the last five years. Good thing she also shared a mouth-watering plate of Fusilli Putanesca. It's been quite the ride!

Abby of Eat the Right Stuff made me blush with her kind words.... and totally drool with this awesome Orecchiette with Aubergine & Caramelized Onions. My favorite ingredients all in one dish!

Juli of Pictures of All My Princesses made a very unique and delicious Artichoke & Bruschetta Pasta that is perfect for a party.

Gilllian of So So Simple Food lives totally on the other side of the planet from me... New Zealand is definitely south and definitely in summer rather than winter. So I love the Orzo Summer Salad. It's the antidote for blustery, stormy, grey winter weather we're experiencing here at the moment.

Simona of Briciole gives a great pesto lesson - and pesto being one of my favorite things (always some in my freezer) I love a new tip. I'd never heard of Pesto Secco and now we are all the wiser. And next week, Simona will be hosting PPN for the fourth time, no less!

Nic of Lemon & Cheese sneaked in under the wire with this Smoked Mackerel Spaghetti Frittata... my kind of dish especially for the morning after lots of revelry.

Oops I almost missed HoneyB of Life & Loves of Grumpy's HoneyBunch. She's guest hosting for a friend (you have got to read the post!) but did find the time to share this Peppery Cod with Lemon Garlic Linguine. Glad I caught it in time to share.

Of course I've been so busy all week drooling over these pastas as they came in, that I didn't come up with anything interesting of my own. No time to make anything more complicated than using the last container of my Lazy Bones Marinara hiding in my freezer. It was one of the first pasta sauces I wrote about on my blog back in 2005 and always a staple in my fridge or freezer ever since.

Next week, the lovely Simona of Briciole will be hosting Presto Pasta Nights as we head into year number six. It's Simona's fourth time and you can send your entries to simosite (at) mac (dot) com and cc ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com by Thursday March 8

If you'd like to host a PPN Roundup. Just drop me a line to pick a date. March 23rd and beyond are available. It's never to early to sign up!

Getting Ready for the Presto Pasta Party

2012-02-29T11:06:00.001-04:00

It's a special birthday - not many blogging events last five years - so I wanted to prepare something special for this Presto Pasta Night Party... Something that took time, and patience and lots of love to show just how much I really appreciate every person who's ever shared a pasta or hosted a roundup.

Something like my homemade Stained Glass Papardella with a sauce of some slow roasted tomatoes and eggplant and mushrooms.

But... as usual, I'm running out of time and the next day or two seem equally busy. So I might just have to stick to a simpler supper using my Lazy Bones Marinara (which is pretty fitting, since I first wrote about it back in 2005)... if I have any left in the freezer. I think it might be time to whip up another huge batch.

I do hope that you all are planning to show up with some pasta and make this the HUGEST pasta party ever.... Guinness World Record worthy. It could be complex or untra simple... like standing in front of the fridge while the noodles are cooking and finding things that appeal to you.

Here's what you need to do:
If you're a blogger:

make a pasta
take a photo
mention Presto Pasta Nights with a link
tell you friends to join in the fun (mention my email address so they can play too)
email me your URL by Thursday to ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com

If you're not a blogger:

make a pasta
take a photo (or not)
email me the recipe and I'll post it for you on Once Upon a Feast
email by Thursday to ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com

I want to thank all of you for the excitement you've brought week after week.

Presto Pasta Night Roundup Turns FIVE!!!

2012-02-28T11:22:00.001-04:00

We've had a few different looks over the last five years, but the content has always been the same.... totally awesome pasta dishes and a few stats to impress you with....

252 roundups...

70+ guests hosts - some doing it a few times!

More than 4000 recipes!!!

You can check them all out here.

And now it's time to put on your party clothes, pull out all the stops and join us for the big birthday bash number FIVE!!! To make this the biggest party ever here's what you need to do:
If you're a blogger:

make a pasta
take a photo
mention Presto Pasta Nights with a link
tell you friends to join in the fun (mention my email address so they can play too)
email me your URL by Thursday to ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com

If you're not a blogger:

make a pasta
take a photo (or not)
email me the recipe and I'll post it for you on Once Upon a Feast
email by Thursday to ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com

I want to thank all of you for the excitement you've brought week after week.

Nova Scotia - A Great Place for Eating

2012-02-28T09:21:00.004-04:00

For the last couple of years I've been invited to attend the Nova Scotia Savour Food & Wine Show which showcases the best restaurants, vineyards, spirit purveyors and more that this province has to offer. (That's the team from the Delta Barrington in Downtown Halifax, pictured above). Being part of the Media group is a tough job ( I definitely suffer from lens envy of all those awesome cameras clicking away... my iPhone does capture the many delicious moments, but often through a blur as I move on to the next station). Well, someone's got to show up, take some photos and eat, eat, eat...not to mention sip, sip, sip! And then write about my experience and make you all jealous and marking next February as the perfect time to spend in Halifax! For some history about the event, I've written about my earlier experiences HERE, and HERE and HERE too.

This year there was an additional bonus... on top of being part of the media tour and having the opportunity to talk to the chefs, take photos.... not to mention taste all those dishes ... that's one of the brilliant chefs from White Point Beach Resort plating the Star Anise & Espresso Panne Cotte...before the 730 plus guests arrived for the event.

This year, I also got to be part of a judging panel for a competition sponsored by Select Nova Scotia. Eight of the Savour Chefs ( 55 exhibitors this year - represented restaurants, vineyards and more from around the province) presented their dishes starring local ingredients without us knowing which dish belonged to whom.

The judges, set up in the board room of Casino Nova Scotia where the event was held this year, were each presented with a plated dish and a score card. We munched, and savoured and discussed and scored once the plates were practically licked clean and removed. And then we were given another stunning plate with another score card and we repeated that process for the eight dishes. The main criteria was to create a dish making the best use local ingredients and, in addition to that, the scoring was on presentation, taste and ... well.... the bottom line... they were all delicious, but we unanimously voted for ...

Butter Poached Lobster on a Brioche Crostini with a heavenly aoili and you can see the drizzle of parsley oil on the side. It turns out to have come from The Five Fishermen, definitely a place to visit while in Halifax, with one of the best wine cellars anywhere.

Our runner up favorite was a Salt Cod Fish Cake with Tartar Sauce made from local Chow Chow Pickles (a Nova Scotian traditional dish if ever there was one). This simple dish was created by Chef Michael Howell and the rest of the team from The Tempest in Wolfville, NS

And these two dishes have stood out in my mind over the last few days. They illustrate, in an instant, Nova Scotian cuisine. The cod cake represents quintessential down home cooking that has been around for as long as Nova Scotia has been settled. It is the essence of using local ingredients to make tasty, nutritious meals... pickling and preserving the bounty farmed and caught in the summer months for economical, dishes that waste nothing. It is a combination of all that makes me smile whenever I drive down rural highways and see cars and trucks parked at the side of the road, with signs for smoked mackerel, salt cod, homemade pies and preserves. It may be the farmers and fishermen who bring the bounty home, but it is the housewives who make them last through the long hard Nova Scotian winters.

But that is not all there is to Nova Scotia cuisine. Although I do remember when my older daughter first attended Dalhousie University back in the early to mid '90's and my being a Toronto and Montreal food snob. There really weren't very many fine dining restaurants that matched the service and creativity of those metropolitan cities. That is definitely no longer the case. The sophistication and elegance of fine dining menus is presented by master chefs who have trained around the globe and found their homes in every corner of the province. And while some fishing or farming family in rural Nova Scotia may not know about lobster risotto like the one presented by Clearwater

or Tandoori Quail with Quail eggs served over fried vermicelli created by The Taj Mahal chefs, you can rest assured there is food for every palate and every pocketbook.

Did I mention desserts? Check out the White Chocolate & Grand Marnier Creme Brulee (actually topped with a plump raspberry by the time the guests arrived).

and the Chocolate Hazelnut Phyllo Tarts both from Gabrieau's Bistro in Antigonish.

I suppose I could share more of my images with you, but most are blurry. I just wanted to put down my camera and use both hands for the feasting. My one regret.... I didn't get a chance to eat everything I wanted to.

like mini lobster rolls from Murphy's The Cable Wharf

or savory (mushroom duxelles) and sweet (chocolate drizzled strawberries & custard cream) crepes from Chez Tess. I guess I'll just have to do better next year. And I didn't even get to mention any of the fabulous wines I got to sip!

I'd love to know if you have similar foodie events in your neck of the woods. Oh... and did I mention that our culinary school students have won two gold medals at the Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg in 2010?

Winter Farmers Markets

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True... it's February in Nova Scotia and that means snow... cold (although today is very mild out) and definitely a while to wait for lovely Spring and the beginning of the new growing season...

True... the local farmers markets, are selling cold storage root vegetables and some fruit - apples and pears are still crisp and juicy.

True... there are more artisans and delicious prepared food stalls like this one selling Turkish savories than fresh produce, but it's all good...more than good in fact.

Of course it's time to share my market score and some plans...

The kids are coming for lunch and, although the little ones will be asking for chicken nuggets, the rest of us will be having grilled sandwiches made with Julien's Good Hearth Bread, Sweet Williams' smoked turkey and smoked white cheddar with a slathering of some pesto from my freezer (made from local basil bought during the summer) which will be turned into a delightful aoli.

My favorite Sunday morning ritual...my Honey's French Toast made with Julien's Brioche and free range farm eggs. I love the color of those yolks!

Not to metion some RanCher goat cheese with cayenne & garlic, Riverview Herbs fresh arugula and some organic elephant garlic from... I never did get their name, but this week is definitely going to be spectacularly garlicky.

Of course no trip to the Halifax Seaport Market would be complete without a visit with the folks at Getaway Farm. Naturally this time there's a story attached. Normally I don't show you raw meat. It always looks better cooked... at least in my opinion. But, goes with the story...

Recently I wrote about my chat with Ben Andrews, butcher to Getaway Farm. That day, they were out of short ribs and I've been dreaming about them ever since. So when I went up to the counter, I was disappointed - no short ribs... again! So I told Leonie, Chris de Waal's lovely wife, she said, "just because you don't see it doesn't mean we can't do it for you. There are three beef carcasses in the fridge. " So Chris went out to bring a side of ribs. And Ben asked me exactly how I wanted them cut and how many ribs I wanted... and for me, at least for today... I wanted thinly sliced (1/4") across 3-4 ribs for a marinated BBQ Beef recipe from In My Mother's Kitchen (my review). Stay tuned for the recipe! Just another reason to find a real butcher near you and make him (or her) your new best friend.

I hope I've inspired you to visit your local farmers' market, and make friends with the producers. You'll never look back!