Feather and Fan Scarf

Feather and Fan Scarf
Originally uploaded by Ariadne_

I bought some lovely Pure Silk in 2005 from John Lewis while we were on vacation in Scotland. Selling yarn at department stores seems to me to be a great idea, one that will be ever novel to this Bay/Sears-accustomed Canadian. The Pure Silk was on sale, so I stashed 2 skeins of Silver and Lavender. I had originally almost completed a Branching Out scarf with the silver, but thought that it wasn't the best yarn for the pattern (I'm maintaining that mohair/brushed alpaca will make a beautiful Branching Out) - it was a little *too* lacey for the drape of the fabric, which is surprisingly heavy when knitted up. After seeing some great Pure Silk scarves on Ravelry, my motivation to try the Pure Silk was awakened. I used the tried and true feather and fan, and look!

Feather and Fan Scarf
Originally uploaded by Ariadne_

Feather and Fan Scarf
Originally uploaded by Ariadne_

Biscuits, brownie cookies and workin it all off...

This is the third year that O, my parents and I have trekked out to Toronto Island to run in the Tom Longboat 10k race. Having attended some poorly organised races in the past, I can really appreciate the great race that the Longboat Runners put together, which is why we return every year. To start the day right, I woke up early and made some buttermilk biscuits (from Martha's Baking Handbook) for us all to enjoy, only to be greeted by my parents in the morning with "We already had breakfast at Tim Horton's...". whatever.


Porn shot of texture:


I also baked up a batch of brownie cookies (also from Martha) for the fam. They turned out pretty well, very smooth, intense chocolate flavour and crispy like a cookie. Here's more food p0rn:

A 10k race on the island was the perfect remedy for all of this tasty goodness - my dad said that a 10k run probably burns off about 500 calories. How many cookies does that add up to? After I've calculated the caloric content of these treats and recovered from the bad news, the only thing left to do is to stretch out my legs and rest up for the week!

Fabulous Farmer's Market - A Successful Trip

Today O came home early to take to me to the Riverdale farm Farmer's Market in Cabbagetown (Thanks, O!)...I've been to a couple of the Farmer's Markets in Toronto, but Riverdale is one that I've been to that feels the most like a bit of country in the city (I'm also a huge fan of the Royal Winter Fair, but that's another post...). The setting is quiet with very little traffic, neighbours walking their dogs and little ones splashing in the wading pool in the park. The farm is a nice change from the busy Toronto streets, tucked in amongst the picturesque, well-appointed houses that line Carlton Street. The market is nice and cosy, about 15-20 booths arranged along a pathway through the park to the gate of the farm itself.


Today was a fruitful day at the market. This being O's first time at the market and my first time this summer, we both had to restrain our child-like excitement and impulsiveness - we would have brought home something from every booth had it not been for our limited belly space (and limited $$ in our wallets). We did pick up a few things, though - I will start with my favourite, smoked white fish, a new purchase that will feature in one of O's recipes tomorrow night.


As we walked by the Akiwenzie's Fish & More booth, we were offered a sample of smoked fish by Andrew Akiwenzie, a fisherman from the Georgian Bay area. I don't think I'd ever seen fish at the Farmer's Market before and was pleasantly surprised by the smoky flavour of the fish - salty, not fishy at all, but really smooth and earthy. I had instant daydreams of putting some on a cream cracker and snacking on it when I got home. Even more impressive is the journey that these treasures make to the market - as I mentioned, all the way from Georgian Bay, Andrew and his wife, Natasha drive in to the Farmer's Market with their family, and drive back home when the market closes. All the fish is caught by Andrew (he offered smoked white fish and Trout today) and Natasha smokes it. Please, if you're in the area, treat yourself and try this - I've never tasted anything like it. The only disappointment is that O wants to use it for a dinner recipe tomorrow night, so I can't have any right now - I guess I'll have to come back next week for more of this delicate treat.



We also saw (and purchased) some lovely fresh cucumbers (straight from the earth! I snacked on one on the walk home and it was so fresh and subtle - not like a supermarket cuke at all!), fresh late-season asparagus (the woman at the booth only had 4 bunches left, but the stems were so beautiful, tranluscent and fresh-looking, we couldn't resist) and a head of organic broccoli. Aside from the cukes, the other vegels will be used in tomorrow's dinner - the anticipation is KILLING ME!! I was allowed, however, to snack on the green and red olives offered from the olive guy who, in addition, sells olive oil, cheeses and other items listed on his chalkboard - YUMMY.


Amongst the market offerings were some lovely mushrooms (from the Fun Guy); oyster, king, shitake never looked more beautiful. They are cultivated (in jars with saw dust) and would be great in stirfries, or just sauteed with a little butter, fresh herbs and served with steak or just on their own....


This trip to the market certainly got my imagination revving on what I could possibly do with fresh smoked fish, bread, fresh organic vegels, olives and countless other local, organic offerings. We certainly are lucky to have space dedicated to spreading the word on local, organic food and supporting farmers and businesses at the same time. In an area where box stores and chain supermarkets seem be gradually dominating the landscape, it's great to have the option of buying food straight from the guy or gal who pulled it from the earth, even if it is only once a week.


More on O's special dish, tomorrow night...

Happy Pride, Toronto!

Happy Pride Everyone! Pride is one of my favourite times of the year in Toronto, and this year was no different. In support of Fife House and SOY, we ran the 5K Pride and Remembrance Run on Saturday. After the run, we meandered up Church Street as the booths opened and the crowd thickened. I was particularly excited to see the family friendly pride celebrations at Church Street Public School with activities and games for the kids.

This year, O and I thought that we would share our great view of Yonge Street with some friends and enjoy the parade together. I always look forward to seeing the huge rainbow flags, dancing people on booths and the Polar Ice boys. This year, a new highlight was the full human-sized vagina costume that flexed and quivered to the music – how exciting!


We put together a few snacks that reflect our rainbow celebration, including rainbow maki rolls, a fruit platter and rainbow jello – here are a few things that can be enjoyed any time of year you want to show your pride…

Red Pepper Hummus


Hummus is a favourite, but feel free to add any roasted vegel’s according to your taste. (My red pepper hummus is shown here next to my new toy, Tofu-mate, a cute block of tofu with a sheepish grin all the way from Ann Arbor, MI!) I added a roasted red pepper to my hummus, but roasted eggplant, artichokes, zucchini, mushrooms – pretty much anything would do.

One can chickpeas
1-2 tbsps tahini (sesame seed paste)
juice of 1 or more lemons (to taste)
salt and pepper (to taste)
1-2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped (roasted garlic works really well in this recipe)
roasted vegel of your choice

Combine all these ingredients in a food processor. Add a few glugs of good tasty olive oil and process again. If the mixture is little thick for your liking, add more lemon juice or olive oil (to taste). Present with pita chips and vegel sticks and enjoy!

Rainbow Maki Rolls


We put a rainbow of fillings in our maki rolls:

Red: crab sticks
Orange: carrots
Yellow: pickled daikon
Green: cucumber
Blue: uhm……couldn’t think of anything appropriate
Purple: canned beets

Serve with soy sauce and wasabi – who doesn’t like a huge plate of maki!?

Lemon Cupcakes with Avocado Frosting


My experimental dish that couldn’t exactly be called a success (nor a failure!!) was lemon cupcakes with avocado frosting. I got the idea from Alton Brown’s show, Good Eats – the avocado episode.

I used Martha Stewart’s recipe for 4-3-2-1 lemon cake (this recipe is very tasty and rich) and made a frosting like such:

Use the flesh of 1 large ripe Haas avocado (the Florida variety would work as well, but doesn’t contain as much fat, so will taste different). Blend in a food processor or with a hand blender with the juice of 1 lemon (this is important to reduce oxidization of the avocado which, as I learned, does not look appetizing to guests!) and 3/4-1cup of confectioner’s sugar. It won’t be thick like traditional cake frosting, and does need to be consumed on the day it’s made or else you’ll end up with a sweet brown mess that no one will want to eat.

I topped mine with rainbow star candies – a lot of fun to make, and the flavours are really interesting – a really nice change from traditional desserts!


I always have a sinking feeling when the parade is over - yet another pride celebration has come to an end. As the crowd pours into the parade route, so do feelings of desolation, abandonment and eventually, despair pour into my heart as I realize that tomorrow the tourists will return home, the rainbow flags will be lowered and the wine, completely drunk up.

Ok, it's not that bad, but it is enough for me to start looking forward to next year's Pride and keep the rainbow flags flying in our apartment even when they've gone down on Yonge Street.

Chinese grrrl in Japan (Part 1 of 3)

Despite the culture shock I experienced during my whirlwind 10-day tour of Japan, the experience was life-changing and only kindled a frantic desire to learn more about the Japanese language and culture if only to appreciate it more when I go back. In addition to the trip to the Kurama mountains to visit the onsen (outdoor hot springs in which you wash and then soak in a hot bath for as long as you want…) the food was among the top highlights of the trip.

In North America we are used to ‘typical’ Japanese food as a label for a limited menu of sushi, sashimi, teriyaki (chicken or salmon), miso soup and edamame. A short trip to Japan proved a crash course in the variety of foods that are available that I had never seen or heard of. O and I took walks along street markets to see endless varieties of tofu, miso (black, red, white fermented soy paste mounded in a glass case to be sold by weight), deep fried foods (tempura, fish balls sold by the piece and served in a paper bag), rice crackers (the one of two varieties that you see in the Asian market here would never do), pickle (not dill or mango here, but everything from sprouts to bamboo, even eggplant!) and of course, sweets.



We were lucky enough to stay in a Japanese-style hotel (ryokan) in Kyoto for 2 nights at the end of our trip. We were even luckier that breakfast was included with our room!! I was very excited at the prospect of eating steamed rice (!!!) for breakfast – a certain Chinese girl’s ultimate dream. I was not disappointed.

When we woke up the first morning we slipped into our robes and slippers and shuffled down to the breakfast room where short tables and cushions were set up in a tatami room. We sat at our table where green tea and small dishes of pickled vegetable were already waiting. A server brought us steamed rice and other dishes including dried fish, cold tofu (much different than any type of tofu I’ve tried – it had a spongy texture that soaked up the sweet liquid it was served in) and take (ta-ke)– spring bamboo which was much more fresh and tasty than any of that canned twig we get here! It was served in an individual pot, heated in broth.



The next day we were served the tea and rice with a different variety of side dishes: orange roe cooked and served in small sugar cube sizes, ika (raw squid), sprouts, soybeans, pickled veg and miso soup.



We were also served an interesting dish, cold mashed potato wrapped in bean curd sheets (those who understand Chinese will know it as foo jook) sitting in a cool jelly. (O and I didn’t actually like this dish that much, but it was a beautiful addition to breakfast)



A contrast to wheaties, but steamed rice, green tea and fish certainly rival cold cereal and toast as a breakfast of champions. More on our trip to Japan in coming posts...

IMBB #24: Black Bean Noodles - on a shoestring

On any Saturday or Sunday along the streets of Chinatown you’ll hear the ubiquitous cries from the various fruit and veg’l stalls: gow gow!! Often imitated, the word simply means nine-nine, the universal word for: cheap.

As I walked along the sidewalk in Chinatown on Saturday afternoon, I considered the theme for this month’s IMBB hosted by Too Many Chefs: a meal that can be made in 30 minutes or less. For this recipe, I will top it all off by adding yet another challenge: it’s made from ingredients that you can acquire at any Asian market for about gow gow (99 cents) each. I’ve never actually seen it on a Chinese restaurant menu, but if you like the flavour of black beans and you like noodles, you will like this!

Here it is, a dish that my mother would whip up on a Sunday afternoon after church (presumably because it was simple and quick), I now associate it with a warm kitchen, and, more importantly, a warm belly. Enjoy!

Ingredients



1 pack of rice stick
Peppers (I used red and yellow)
Green onion
Any other crunchy veg you like! Nappa cabbage, snow peas, sprouts, carrots, celery…I actually threw in a few florets of broccoli O and I had last night with dinner
Protein: in this recipe I use chicken, but I’ve also used tofu and pork spare ribs and they’re tasty too!
Oyster Sauce
Black Beans
Garlic
Pepper

Method:

Soak your black beans and noodles in room temp. water. Note: Black beans can be purchased at any Asian market. Look in the preserved foods section. It will come in a little bag for about - you guessed it - 99 cents. Buyer beware: a little goes a long way. These little buggers are stinky when they come out of the bag, but a good soaking will tame these salty specimens and mellow to an earthy tang. As well, in terms of seasoning, this dish does not need extra salt - the black beans have enough to go around.

In the meantime, slice your veg'ls into similar sized slices. At this point you can also chop your protein into bite-sized pieces.



Elapsed time: 8 minutes

Smash the black beans and combine with chopped garlic. These little guys need a good grinding - make them into a paste. You know the saying: beans beans, the magical fruit? These are no exception, BUT if you grind them well, the effect won't be as - how should I put it - robust.



So now, the easy part. Heat up some oil
Stir fry the meat (add a little oyster sauce for flavour) and set aside.

Elapsed Time: 13 minutes

Stir fry the veg'ls (add a little oyster sauce AND the ground black beans) and set aside. Add some water to the pan if the beans get a little sticky.

Elapsed Time: 18 minutes

Add some oil to the pan and fry up the noodles. This type of noodle tends to get a little dry, so keep adding water to help them along.

Elapsed Time: 24 minutes.

Now, add the meat and the veg'ls and cook together for a few minutes.

Elapsed Time: 28 minutes.

Serve with toasted sesame seeds and enjoy!



Tagged with: IMBB24 + 30Minutes

Don't take har gow for granted.

Not all dumplings are made equal. Some may think that a dumpling is a dumpling...har gow, siu mai, wonton - but, few realize the discipline and skill that goes into creating the perfect har gow skin. The soft, transluscent dough is the perfect sac for a tasty filling (in the case of har gow, shrimp and bamboo shoots!). Foremost on my mind when I think of this special dough is the unique vessel which defines my most comforting of foods - my grandmother's (henceforth known as mama) dumplings. For those of you who speak Cantonese, perhaps you'll know them as gawk tsai - basically, the har gow wrapper with cooked ground pork, peas, shrimp and peanuts, steamed to perfection in a large wok, to be enjoyed while still hot from the steamer.

Every year when we visit mama, she prepares the tastiest of treats - she and the rest of the fam (yeye, bakbak and moomoo) live on a longan/lychee/avocado farm. Farm=*the* freshest ingredients. This past Christmas, I had the pleasure of meeting my Christmas dinner - yes, Mr. Turkey and Mr., Miss, and Ms. Squab (the squab was definitely my favourite - never having had it before it was a tasty rich meat, reminiscent of duck but without all of the dripping fat...) before their fateful morning on the chopping block. Merry Christmas!

This past Chinese New Year, the fam tried to re-create mama's steamed dumplings. We formed the assembly line: Mom and Dad were on dough duty, O rolled the dough balls, my cousin flattened them and (thanks to my finger dexterity as a result of over 20 years of piano playing experience) I was on dumpling-forming duty.

Here's what happened that fateful night....


It all began with 2 (count'em...2) types of flour...wheat starch and tapioca. NOTE: The tapioca flour must NOT touch the water before the wheat starch. Why? I dont' know, ask mama....



The dumpling fillings were prepared ahead of time (thanks, mom...). The shrimps were quickly fried, the pork and peas done separately (this setup ensures that each dumpling gets its very own little shrimp...)



The flour is added to boiling water (remember - wheat starch first!), stirred and left to cook off the heat, but covered for about 15 minutes). It was dumped onto the counter, still hot, and then, the tough job....



A lucky volunteer (ie. me) stuck her not-quite asbestos hands into the scalding hot dough to be kneaded. All that was provided was a small bowl of cool water to temporarily relieve the blistered and burnt flesh on my hands. At this point, if the dough is sticky, add flour, water, oil or all of the above (on this point, mama was a bit unclear partly because of her exasperation, partly because of the language barrier). You should add about a 1/4 cup of oil near the end of kneading anyway.



The dough was rolled into plum-sized balls, then rolled flat.


The dough was then crimped, filled with the mixture and set in pans, patiently awaiting the 15 minute steam bath that would transform them into....

Gawk tsai! Yum...

Things I learned from making gawk tsai:

5. Assembly line cooking works better if people are allowed to rotate through the stations.
4. The quicker you make, the quicker you eat.
3. Eating while making should be allowed....unless raw dough is involved.
2. We should have added salt to the dough while it was being kneaded.
1. Best not attempted without the overseeing eye of mama.

It's fun to make your own dumplings. However, the many calls down to Florida (when do you add the water? Do you use water or flour to roll the dough?) only proved that it really does take over 50 years of experience and a village legacy to make the perfect Chinese dumpling.