tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87094040449290309912011-08-07T07:59:43.586-04:00"Cooking a Book" is one woman's quest to author and publish a cookbook in memory of a departed friend. Can she do it? Or will procrastination and excuses about having a day job thwart the mission? Follow the snail's pace adventure at "Cooking a Book"! <br><br> <p> <a href="http://cookingabook.blogspot.com/2008/12/new-year-new-resolution-new-approach.html">More About This Blog</a> </p>muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.comBlogger1491100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-15448296152482894992010-09-14T23:06:00.000-04:002010-09-14T23:06:43.145-04:00

After 148 posts and a 3-month hiatus, it is time for me to bid farewell to this blog.  Life has a way of taking precedence, especially when free time is at such a premium.  That said, my goal of finishing this cookbook in my late friend's name and (hopefully) earning a profit for charity has not diminished in the slightest.  It just means that the time that would have been taken up by maintaining

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-78084765326671014702010-05-31T00:52:00.002-04:002010-05-31T02:54:44.417-04:00

I usually have lame excuses for not posting in a long time, but this time I have a good one: I've been out of town for the past week and will continue to be on the move for another week!  As friends and family know, I'm pursuing a personal project which has taken me to Texas and now New Mexico.  California is to follow.  Having made sure that the Internet would always be accessible, I was

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-16590571122375118852010-05-14T23:10:00.002-04:002010-05-14T23:58:14.764-04:00

I have no new recipes up my sleeve today. What can I say... excuses always sound lame, but it's been busy. More about that later.Recently, I revisited one of my older recipes from March: Orange Coriander Shortbread. For Mother's Day, it seemed appropriate to send Mom something home-made from my own repertoire. To give it a personalized twist, I tried three flavor variations. Going clockwise

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-79416048437030544262010-05-14T21:27:00.003-04:002010-05-14T23:08:10.414-04:00

I consider myself to be relatively food conscious, but it was still a very rude awakening to watch Jamie Oliver's Fowl Dinners -- a brutally honest examination of the poultry industry. I mean, I try to do my part by buying only free-range or free-run eggs if available, or at least organic eggs. Likewise with chicken meat. I know there are cynical counter-arguments that "free range" isn't what

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-50234171004106708852010-04-18T21:48:00.004-04:002010-04-18T23:20:26.973-04:00

Poutine is a staple of this native Québécoise's diet. On a late night outing with friends or after a great concert, an attack of the munchies would have to be quelled by a cup of crispy fries and squeaky cheese curds bathed in thick gravy. The ubiquity of authentic poutine joints in Montreal -- like Lafleur's and La Belle Province -- made it easy to satisfy those cravings when I lived there.

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-85067773613544899992010-04-13T21:58:00.008-04:002010-04-13T23:47:49.060-04:00

In cuisine as in fashion, everything old eventually becomes new again. While platform shoes and mullets are probably best left in the past, black garlic is an ancient Asian food that has suddenly become all the rage across North America in the last two years.Fermentation at high heat turns ordinary garlic bulbs into gift-wrapped packages of soft, sweet, black cloves. The acrid intensity of raw

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-46534501542716917862010-03-28T15:05:00.002-04:002010-03-28T15:31:55.049-04:00

When I was kid, my ultimate favorite candy was the spicy hot cinnamon jawbreaker. The bigger the better. For days I would work on one, reveling in the tongue-numbing heat and getting high on the sugar. Biting or grinding it was a no-no because it would accelerate its demise. Imagine that intense flavor and add 33% alcohol and you get Dr. McGillicuddy's Fireball Whisky from New Orleans. I

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-87066835516502810672010-03-24T20:37:00.006-04:002010-03-24T21:46:57.107-04:00

The Ontario LCBO's free publication, "Food and Drink" magazine is a wealth of mouth-watering photos, reliable recipes and expert wine recommendations. It rivals "Food & Wine" magazine in breadth and it's free of the snobbery and inconsistencies of "Gourmet" magazine (I've had some bad experiences trying to execute their recipes, and I sincerely don't think the problem was with my level of

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-71947031689261821582010-03-24T02:08:00.003-04:002010-03-24T21:49:48.075-04:00

To the horror and dismay of millions, there are a few of us who are not chocoholics: I actually never crave chocolate. (After my last post about never craving pasta, I'm putting myself at risk of becoming a pariah.) More specifically, I don't yearn for sweet chocolate. My appetites fall under the salty/sour/savory flavor profiles.Mexican chocolate is therefore a natural fit for me and a

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-61094968261333911302010-03-23T00:46:00.004-04:002010-03-23T02:41:19.300-04:00

I have a turbulent, love-hate relationship with pasta. For this, I blame my brother.When we were growing up, pasta was his tireless favorite -- one that my mother was more than happy to accommodate. Given that my father also shares this passion for the noodle family, I've had more than my fill of the yellow, wiggly stuff.That's not to say that I don't enjoy a plate of well-made tagilatelle

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-71086676016301684952010-03-10T19:56:00.009-05:002010-03-10T22:03:21.628-05:00

For as long as I've had teeth, I've loved shortbread. Like a lot of people, my earliest exposure to this traditional Scottish biscuit was through the Walkers brand of delectable cookies that come in that familiar red tartan tin. They're crumbly yet buttery; crunchy yet delicate enough for a drooly baby to gnaw on with teeny teeth or just gums.Seized by a desire to bake, I decided to concoct my

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-41842329086604702832010-03-01T21:51:00.004-05:002010-03-01T23:46:11.697-05:00

I have a long, unfortunate history of being trapped next door to neighbors from hell. There were the party animals who left their dog abandoned at home all night long, whimpering and barking. The neurotic woman who didn't believe in curtains or blinds, complained about outside lights that prevented her from sleeping and paraded around her apartment in an ill-fitting bathing suit. The vain

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-58486082559995721692010-02-08T21:07:00.003-05:002010-02-08T22:15:36.215-05:00

Japan has always been ahead of the bell curve when it comes to pre-packaged instant food. Instant noodles like cup ramen was invented in Japan by Nissin Foods in 1958. Food giant Ajinomoto was founded in 1909 after they patented MSG, which is used in all manner of processed foods ranging from bouillon cubes, canned goods to salad dressings. Glico (of Pocky fame) is now marketing single serving

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-57638915264988564622010-01-17T13:42:00.014-05:002010-01-17T17:17:25.301-05:00

It's been a woefully long time since my last post. A lot of delightful cooking and eating has transpired in that period, sadly very little of which was recorded. Other projects now consume me, leaving this blog to gather dust by the wayside. As I set new resolutions for the new year, it seems appropriate to dust off these pages and try to instill some renewed vigor. Xmas 2010 is my new goal

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-89644359750642276452009-10-26T02:12:00.002-04:002010-01-17T17:17:12.960-05:00

Continuing my new tradition started last year after buying my first house, I carved a Jack O'Lantern for Halloween. This year, I chose to sculpt Count von Count, the beloved arithmomanic vampire from Sesame Street.I wanted to carve either a zombie or a vampire since both creatures are big in entertainment these days. However, a zombie on a pumpkin just looks like a person with a bad skin

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-87315201861511548252009-10-21T21:36:00.003-04:002009-10-21T22:28:06.556-04:00

I've been starved for chef Heston Blumenthal's presence on TV since the end of his last BBC series, "In Search of Perfection". Imagine my excitement when I saw that Blumenthal is returning to the Food Network Canada tomorrow night with a new program, "Big Chef Takes on Little Chef".At first, I thought the show looked like a copy of Gordon Ramsay's "Kitchen Nightmares" but it's quite distinct in

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-67021822114767146702009-10-20T00:25:00.005-04:002009-10-20T01:39:04.613-04:00

Najmieh Batmanglij's cookbook, "New Food of Life", continues to be one of my favorite sources of inspiration. There doesn't seem to be enough I can learn about Persian or Iranian cuisine, it's just so rife with color, aroma and flavor.In a fit of ambition, I recently attempted to make Fresh Herb Khoresh (Khoresh-e qormeh sabzi). I've been told by a close Iranian friend that qormeh sabzi (or

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-51060956432522084402009-10-19T23:00:00.003-04:002009-10-20T00:23:30.426-04:00

My friend with the ailing relative has informed me that they no longer follow the restricted diet I've been experimenting with on their behalf. The illness has reached the point where the patient might as well be allowed to enjoy whatever food his heart desires in the time he has left.And so, it was with a mixture of sadness and glee that I turned my attention to decadent sweets.A recipe for

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-23568409616648789282009-10-19T20:37:00.007-04:002009-10-19T22:57:37.056-04:00

Some might argue that I have never really grown up, but I certainly regressed further this past weekend upon seeing Where the Wild Things Are -- the big screen, live action adaptation of the beloved 1963 children's book by Maurice Sendak. It instantly brought back fond memories and a feeling of wonderment.Since this is a cooking blog, it seems appropriate to flash back to Sendak's "In the Night

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-21156628677503883832009-10-13T00:19:00.013-04:002010-03-24T22:00:34.645-04:00

I've been getting friendly nudges from people who have noticed that it's been a very long time since I've posted on the blog. Sorry about that... it's been very busy and I can't seem to get around to the blog until midnight or later. Like now. Me sleepy.Anyway, I realize I should post this one ASAP before people run out of leftover turkey: the theme is Canadian Thanksgiving (Oct 12 this year)

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-63158321538064220932009-09-22T22:53:00.004-04:002009-09-22T23:50:33.096-04:00

My fascination with foods that look different but taste exactly the same continues with the glorious summer squash. More precisely, it's called the pattypan squash. Pattypans look like the mutant lovechild of citrus and zucchini squished into a mini-tart mold. And they taste just like zucchini.I had some recently at the Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar, served with some ridiculously juicy pork sausages.

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-2052315773045219682009-09-16T21:43:00.007-04:002009-09-22T23:50:33.097-04:00

I'm a little flustered to learn that it has been over 3 weeks since my last post and just over 3 months before my unofficial deadline for publication. It's not a "real" deadline because I don't have any publishers banging on my door to get it done. I just know what an incorrigible procrastinator I am without a fire lit under my ass.So it's time to get back to work. Or play... Cooking and

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-15817879355075323922009-08-30T17:11:00.003-04:002009-09-22T23:50:10.400-04:00

I recently left a job that I had held for 4.5 years. To my great astonishment, my colleagues presented me with a gift certificate for Williams-Sonoma as a parting gift. Everybody knows how much I like to cook and eat, so it was apparently the most obvious choice.In these lean economic times, gift certificates are much appreciated. Trouble is, I become paralyzed by the number of options

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-45396319289597488072009-08-30T13:36:00.009-04:002009-09-22T23:49:59.002-04:00

Time magazine has published a thought-provoking photo essay titled, "What the World Eats". It is an excerpt from a book called "Hungry Planet" by Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio. Each photograph depicts a family along with the foods they have consumed in one week.The Ukita family from Kodaira City, Japan (shown above) spends around $317.25 USD eating a lot of fish, but also a lot of processed,

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-59920545524910730162009-08-05T13:19:00.005-04:002009-08-16T00:55:15.751-04:00

For the past month or so, I have been crippled by a severe case of allergic contact dermatitis -- first on my shins, later spreading to the rest of my body, irritating every available patch of skin below my face. It was a bitter comedy of errors, with each course of treatment resulting in worse and worse outcomes until a specialist finally determined that I was violently allergic to a common

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-74749189897524601762009-08-03T17:53:00.007-04:002009-08-03T19:19:47.335-04:00

I have a long history of killing plants. Not from neglect. In fact, I am so attentive to them that I smother them with too much affection. I water them too much, give them too much sun, feed them too much and get too zealous in driving pests away.However, I do take instruction well. Now that I am a home owner, with space to grow things, I've started educating myself through books and friends

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-70773287460545766872009-08-03T00:08:00.002-04:002009-08-03T00:21:34.831-04:00

One Ring Zero, a quirky pop band from New York, have asked their favorite chefs for recipes then turned those recipes into songs. "The Recipe Project" includes recipes... er, lyrics by Iron Chefs such as Mario Batali and Michael Symon as well as Chris Cosentino (often seen on the Food Network). You can listen to some samples here. The ingredient recitations alone are hilarious.Band member

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-50517080021635246202009-07-25T18:43:00.003-04:002009-09-22T23:50:56.708-04:00

There's a lovely song by The 6ths called "Winter in July" and I'm going to invoke the same idea here by talking about Xmas five months too early. In December 2008, I talked about chef Heston Blumenthal's TV special called "The Perfect Christmas". At the time, all I could offer to you was a teaser trailer. Well, someone has since posted the entire episode online so now you can witness for

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-24789198765323279442009-07-19T15:52:00.002-04:002009-09-22T23:51:05.174-04:00

About a month ago, I wrote about my Azuki Raspberry "Brownies" recipe: a brownie-like confection that uses Azuki beans instead of chocolate to get its flavor. Just to follow up, I wanted to mention that I tried other variations of this theme. I made Black Bean Blackberry "Brownies" and Azuki Blueberry "Brownies" for a party. Not much was changed from the original recipe except for the choice of

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-77148139894301485532009-07-19T14:40:00.004-04:002009-07-19T15:30:51.693-04:00

I was invited to a BBQ/house-warming party and wanted to bring something fun to eat. Obviously the stars of the BBQ were going to be the meats. I was pretty sure that our hosts had that covered more than adequately, so I opted for an appetizer.Gourmet magazine recently featured editor-in-chief Ruth Reichl's favorite recipes of the month. One of them was a recipe for Vodka-Spiked Cherry

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-84520843442828288992009-07-19T13:59:00.003-04:002009-07-19T14:40:12.588-04:00

I was invited to a baby shower recently. We were all to bring some food and/or drink, so I asked the mum-to-be if she had any particular food cravings. "Greens!" she replied. Given that she starts her mornings with power shakes made of all kinds of healthy plant matter, this was not an unexpected answer.My immediate thought was, "chocolate zucchini".To anyone familiar with carrot cake, this is

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-19887945827956806402009-07-18T18:06:00.007-04:002009-07-19T13:58:59.140-04:00

My Amazon order for a Persian cookbook called "New Food of Life: Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking and Ceremonies" finally arrived -- thanks for the gift certificate Min! -- and I dove into the recipes immediately.The friend who presented me with a cooking challenge recently unloaded several pounds' worth of dried beans on me. It seemed appropriate, therefore, to look up some Persian

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-77044981292678473982009-07-12T23:27:00.006-04:002009-07-18T17:46:02.633-04:00

Summer brings a glorious bounty of fresh fruit. I thoroughly enjoy all of them, but I have a particular affinity for stone fruit, or drupes. Perhaps their scarcity in the colder months increases their cachet. Canadian winters, after all, are longer than all other seasons combined. White peaches appeal to me, with their soft perfume, sensual textures and delicate sweetness -- it's no accident

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-75343732777065660202009-07-09T23:40:00.004-04:002009-07-10T00:46:32.446-04:00

I'm not a fan of Westernized Chinese take-out fare. Dishes like General Tao's (or Tso's) Chicken are really American/Canadian inventions. The real General Tso's own descendants have never even heard of the dish, let alone tasted it. I'm not offended so much by the lack of "authenticity" as I am by how bad these foods are for my arteries and waistline.That said, I do resort to eating Chinese

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-87829340213059084522009-07-09T22:45:00.002-04:002009-07-09T23:39:19.589-04:00

You know the second half of "Cannibal Ferox" in which the cannibal tribe of the Amazon exacts their terrible, sadistic, gory revenge on the white men and women who enslaved and murdered their people? No? Doesn't matter, as long as you understand that my week at work has been worse than that.Which means I haven't had much opportunity to cook this week. However, I have tried to stay in touch

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-71849464052424293112009-07-02T02:07:00.005-04:002009-07-03T23:44:26.232-04:00

As I was reading Persian cookbook reviews on Amazon, I was struck by one post that complained about chefs who overplay the exoticism of their ethnic cuisine by adding far too many obscure ingredients and making a recipe more difficult (and thereby inaccessible) than necessary. It's a kind of cultural snobbery to keep foreigners at bay. This complaint was from an Iranian who insisted that his/her

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-28387706360113240142009-07-02T01:03:00.004-04:002009-07-02T02:50:07.070-04:00

Persian cuisine is relatively new territory for me -- one that I am excited to learn more about. Having an Iranian friend who cooks her native dishes effortlessly and intuitively is a good way to start. However, I can't keep imposing on her for information, so I went on a hunt for a good online resources.The good peeps at Mage Publishers -- an indie publisher of Persian literature and cultural

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-81105122706012424052009-06-27T02:13:00.003-04:002009-07-02T02:49:42.209-04:00

It is with great regret that I confess total ignorance of M.F.K. Fisher (1908 - 1992) and her body of work up until today. She was not so much a "food writer" as a writer who thought a lot about food through essays and short stories. She published over twenty books and two volumes of journals and letters written in her unique style that led many readers to believe for a while that she was a

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-85120934777726967762009-06-25T01:34:00.003-04:002009-06-25T02:47:15.541-04:00

Before anyone starts lecturing me that curry is Indian in origin, let me reassure you that I know that. The word itself originates from the Tamil word "kari". The spice mixes that we know as "curry" are South Indian inventions.The fact that a spice-averse culture such as Japan has adapted its own version of the curry sauce is a testament to the dish's immense appeal and undeniable deliciousness

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-11688517639383920742009-06-24T01:23:00.006-04:002009-06-25T02:47:15.541-04:00

Oddly enough, it started with chicken pot pie.Still following the rules of a strict diet, I tried to devise a recipe for chicken pot pie without cream, butter, shortening, puff pastry, or any wheat-based flours. The filling was fairly intuitive to figure out. But the flaky, golden pie crust was going to be a bit of a challenge.Pie crust is basically flour, salt and/or sugar, butter /

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-42419351003882693212009-06-22T00:28:00.003-04:002009-06-22T01:03:46.277-04:00

The restricted diet that I am following does not allow for any clams or milk. Nevertheless, I was determined to make a seafood chowder. The clams were easily replaced by cubes of salmon. Replacing the dairy was a sketchy proposition, as it is a key component of any chowder. I never liked milk substitutes and refused to drink them, despite being lactose intolerant. Soy milk puts me off with

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-25955360850806557032009-06-21T23:41:00.002-04:002009-06-22T00:22:54.430-04:00

There are probably more varieties of coffee beans than there are hairs on a cat, but I think I can confidently say that my favorite brew is the Colombien Supremo Brun from La Pâtisserie de Gascogne in Montreal.The Gascogne shops look like French bistros, in keeping with their tradition of importing classic French delicacies to the discriminating connoisseurs of Montreal. They have a good

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-24757827865850356472009-06-21T23:20:00.003-04:002009-06-22T00:22:54.430-04:00

As I've written before, I can't resist a farmer's market. It has an energy and color that stirs my culinary imagination.My first market visit of the season led me to the Brantview Farms stall. The farm (or I should say "orchard"), located in St. George, Ontario, specializes in a wide variety of beautifully grown apples and apple products. A friend pointed out their English Style Apple

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-11335267329832879102009-06-21T21:59:00.003-04:002009-06-21T22:55:12.357-04:00

The following is a recipe for Lemon Poppy Muffins that I adapted from a regular muffin recipe, replacing the flour and sugar with oat flour and honey. If you use "uncontaminated" oat flour (i.e. without any trace of gluten) and baking powder, this can be a gluten-free recipe. Make sure to use a mild honey so that the aromas don't overwhelm the light citrus fragrance. This can also work well

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-88266042220569498012009-06-21T00:06:00.000-04:002009-06-22T00:23:04.065-04:00

It's Father's Day today, and to celebrate the occasion, I sent my Dad an Apple and Walnut Cake via Canada Post. Usually the kind of baked goods that get sent via snail mail are cookies or brownies -- things that kids at summer camps survive on. However, my brother suggested that a cake would be more to our father's taste, so I sought out a suitable recipe.The Apple and Walnut Cake comes from

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-67318814015109038702009-06-15T18:57:00.002-04:002009-06-16T00:58:31.010-04:00

I have been profoundly inspired by this man: Mick Trueman of South Yorkshire, England.He is not a professional chef. He has not inked any best-selling cookbooks. He's not a food writer or a renowned food critic.Mick, 51, is a coal miner.So what the hell am I writing about him for? What does he have to do with food or cooking?My introduction to Mick "the Miner" was on superstar chef Jamie

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-81169741458224186982009-06-15T00:26:00.003-04:002009-06-16T00:58:19.339-04:00

I love sprouts. They add a wonderful crunch and herbaceous character to salads, soups, sandwiches, stir fries and on and on. Yet North American supermarkets tend to stock only two kinds: the mung bean sprout commonly found in fast food stir fries, and the grassy alfalfa. Maybe if you're lucky, you'll find pea sprouts at a high end grocery. It's frustrating to read Japanese cooking magazines

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-19894660978601022292009-06-15T00:05:00.002-04:002009-06-15T00:23:59.042-04:00

Here is a meatless chili recipe I devised for the restricted diet. It tastes better the longer you let it simmer. For those days when you have the time but don't want to expend too much effort...Easy Veggie Chiliserves 6-8[Note to AP: This is an Option #1 recipe]½ cup olive oil4-5 shallots, sliced1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced1 zucchini, seeded and

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-9878631302024859222009-06-14T23:16:00.004-04:002009-06-26T13:42:21.683-04:00

This is the 101st blog post here at "Cooking a Book". In the spirit of the site's thirst for exploration and experimentation, I've decided to write about my latest discovery: flat rice.Depending on which culture or region you consult, it's called rice flakes, flattened rice, beaten rice, Aval/Avval (Malayalam), Poha/Pauwa (Hindi), Atukulu (Telugu), and so on. Whatever you call it, it is popular

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-31947709858710309642009-06-14T22:01:00.003-04:002009-06-14T23:04:05.441-04:00

If there is anything I lament about the house I bought almost a year ago, it's that my neighborhood isn't a gourmet hotspot. In the past, I've had the privilege of living in apartments that were close to, or directly above a fantastic foodie shop or eatery. Now, there is little more than a reasonably stocked green grocer two blocks away and a decent Vietnamese restaurant around the corner.

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-69872466700358410272009-06-14T20:37:00.003-04:002009-06-14T21:49:03.136-04:00

Not long ago, I was watching Episode 36 of "Diary of a Foodie" which focused on "Fine Fast Food", i.e. cheap, quick eats across the globe that are good enough even for serious gourmands despite their pedestrian origins. One of stops included a Hong Kong noodle shop known for its wonton. In fact, its recipe is considered to be the perfect wonton.My brother is the one in the family with an

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-85422736242942058942009-06-09T01:09:00.005-04:002009-07-19T16:33:07.241-04:00

This is Week 2 of my culinary challenge. One of the food items banned from the prescribed diet is chocolate. I know, I know... so many of us are drooling choco-holics who become choco-gasmic over a thick wedge of flourless chocolate torte, or a fragrant piece of Belgian chocolate truffle. The idea of being sentenced to an existence without chocolate borders on the cruel and inhumane.To add

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-30741918525398801902009-06-01T01:02:00.002-04:002009-06-14T21:49:03.136-04:00

Someone I know is dealing with a restricted diet that, incredibly, restricts almost all kinds of meats except for white chicken meat, white turkey meat, and pheasant/quail. Given that the latter are not readily available at the neighborhood supermarket, it boils down to the first two choices.Another painful restriction is the banning of any kind of frying. With the early days of summer upon us,

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-34870763789202356822009-06-01T00:44:00.004-04:002009-06-14T21:49:03.136-04:00

The "White Bean Mash" from Marie Claire's "Easy" cookbook is one of my all-time favorite dips/spreads. I never knew how much I could love white beans until I had them this way.I thought that this would be a quick, easy and flavorful addition to a restricted diet. However, white beans are not allowed to be combined with garlic for the patient I had in mind. I also felt that the original recipe

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-4228890925191456542009-06-01T00:28:00.002-04:002009-06-14T21:49:03.136-04:00

Not being able to use mayonnaise or most kinds of dairy in a creamy sauce is a major setback for a cook. The only options at my disposal are yogurt and eggs. Yogurt might work with the beet and potato salad, but it is no substitute for mayo. Mayonnaise gets its characteristic flavor from eggs. For the novice, properly emulsifying the eggs and oil can get tricky -- batches of mayo have been

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-18266563785466769122009-05-31T21:49:00.006-04:002009-06-14T21:49:03.137-04:00

A dear friend has presented me with a cooking challenge: come up with something delicious (or at least interesting) while obeying some highly restrictive dietary rules. This friend is a fantastic cook in her own right, but she is now juggling some hefty responsibilities due to an illness in the family. When the doctor prescribes a strict diet that allows only certain food combinations and bans

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-9481479745956737452009-05-26T01:16:00.017-04:002009-06-02T23:11:19.915-04:00

I'm dedicating this post to my mother for mother's day and also to Nicholas for creating the most delicious mother's day "French (oh I mean English) onion soup that he made for my mother's day dinner. I had no idea that onions can melt in your mouth it was that good.Last May my sweet mum (Stana) came to visit me all the way from Australia. I thought she would like to have a holiday and let me

Lynnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-38320513974250762602009-05-21T01:51:00.002-04:002009-05-26T20:46:18.770-04:00

A friend recently informed me about a local underground phenomenon called Charlie's Burgers. You can go ahead and click the link, but the website reveals nothing. What little the public knows is unreliable and unverifiable.In a nutshell, Charlie's Burgers is the name for Toronto's latest anti-restaurant -- a gourmet dining experience that eschews the rigidity and commercialism of a fixed

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-75741375913042864312009-05-20T23:33:00.009-04:002009-05-26T20:46:33.993-04:00

I'm a confirmed Torontonian now, having settled into a house of my own last year. But I was, and forever will be, a Montrealer.Most of the life experiences I draw from took place on that island. Admittedly, the novelty of the city had long worn off by the time I uprooted myself and migrated over to Toronto. When people ask me if I miss it, my answer is typically "no". I've grown tired/bored

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-49406432100381724932009-04-26T17:13:00.002-04:002009-04-26T18:04:12.061-04:00

I have a love and hate relationship with potlucks. I enjoy the element of surprise when you arrive at a party and find an eclectic spread of dishes that are likely foreign to you. It's also a rare opportunity for me to cook in larger volumes than usual -- it gives me an excuse to make grand dishes like a whole roast or a deep-dish pie. However, catering to the dietary needs or preferences of a

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-31306721629983996742009-04-26T14:15:00.003-04:002009-04-26T18:03:24.398-04:00

I'm one of those people who likes fresh, raw radishes of every kind. Some find the peppery taste too overpowering, which is understandable. That's why I've been messing around with cooked radishes.Sometimes I will boil radishes (and other root vegetables) in a soup or broth. But the weather in Canada is finally starting to warm up and the idea of slurping a steaming bowl of soup is about as

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-19712303208073383412009-04-26T10:58:00.005-04:002009-04-26T18:02:19.346-04:00

"The pleasures of the table belong to all times and all ages, to every country and every day; they go hand in hand with all our other pleasures, outlast them, and remain to console us for their loss."Not long ago, my father sent me the 1970 English translation of Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin's "The Physiology of Taste". He had been rooting through some of the older books in his formidable

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-75845334126223773202009-04-25T11:55:00.004-04:002009-04-26T18:03:09.036-04:00

The people of LA -- you are lucky, lucky bastards. For a long time now I've been reading about Kogi, the fusion cuisine on wheels that has taken the city by storm. Its founder Mark Manguera and chef Roy Choi have blended the best of Mexican and Korean food (I dare you to go look at their Korean Short Rib Tacos or Kogi Kabezza without drooling) and serve it up as street eats. That alone is a

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-43321059627373180192009-04-17T20:39:00.002-04:002009-04-17T22:59:46.139-04:00

If the company you keep says a lot about you, then I sure hope my friend who goes by the handle Wordsmith on Open Salon is a good reflection of me. She's amazing at everything that I can only dream of doing marginally well. As far as food is concerned, she has a refined palate, she cooks brilliantly, and surpasses most of the foodies in my circle in that she has also been a restauranteur. So it

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-86324624867389867662009-04-05T12:50:00.003-04:002009-04-17T22:59:31.591-04:00

I have some Italian friends, all of whom can make excellent, authentic biscotti that would have made their Roman forebears very proud. So I mean no offense to them when I say that the best biscotti I have ever had is made by a Serbian-Australian -- my good friend Lynn. These are her signature cookies, and I literally dream about them, which says a lot because I don't really ever crave cookies.

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-83545574602189280802009-03-29T15:54:00.002-04:002009-03-29T16:22:43.880-04:00

In this period of economic downturn, I've opted to be frugal. Strangely, this has made me an object of ridicule, to which I can only respond by saying that saving a little here and there adds up fairly quickly. I would rather have a nest egg at the ready for dire emergencies than be stripped of choices because I don't have the cash for it.However, I did allow myself a tiny splurge recently. I

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-76649493823312707482009-03-29T14:50:00.002-04:002009-03-29T15:19:00.978-04:00

My favorite neighborhood grocery is offering a bumper crop of California avocados now. They had a nice color to them and serious heft, so I bought a few.When the flesh had ripened, I excitedly cut into one of them. Considering how soft the fruit was, there was a surprising amount of resistance against the knife I was cutting it with. You can see why.The pit was monstrously huge -- the size of

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-8314781150067260442009-03-17T13:29:00.002-04:002009-03-18T22:45:33.653-04:00

I'm sorry that I haven't posted anything new in a while. A nasty cold/flu knocked me out for a week and I still haven't fully recovered. Having lost my appetite, the kitchen holds little appeal for me at the moment. So here's a little food for thought instead.The Canadian Medical Association Journal published a paper this week that questions the wisdom of advising people to eat more fish when

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-59505905775968686582009-03-08T23:46:00.002-04:002009-03-09T00:04:10.717-04:00

A good blog is one that consistently delivers new content daily or every other day to keep it engaging. In that sense, I know I fall short. Some days I post up to 5 or 6 new recipes or essays. Other times, two weeks can go by without a word. I'm highly dependent on feedback, so this is just a reminder that you can subscribe to the blog via web feed. The subscription link is to the left. It

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-21193308760563778222009-03-08T23:10:00.001-04:002009-03-09T00:04:05.242-04:00

In recent years, my bread-baking has been directed by the white bread recipes of James Beard and Nigella Lawson. However, my very first exposure to bread-making was through a little Japanese cookbook (now out of print) for beginner bakers. I went back to that book this weekend and picked out an egg bread recipe. The fragrant, spongy result has completely converted me over to egg bread. I've

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-89692485809046704152009-03-08T22:24:00.002-04:002009-03-09T00:03:58.126-04:00

I was in the mood for a simple, cool salad using hard-boiled eggs. All I had in my crisper to accompany it were green onions and tomatoes. So it was up to the dressing to "dress up" the meal. A straightforward vinaigrette would have been ok, but I wanted something creamy to complement the eggs. Yet it needed to be astringent to go with the tomatoes.Limes and a tube of wasabi paste came to

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-64444279039656090472009-03-07T12:51:00.002-05:002009-03-07T13:19:32.187-05:00

Spring is still far, far away for those of us in the Great White North, but the odd warm spell drives people out to the patios even if there's still snow on the ground. A medley of brightly colored vegetables are my symbols of spring. I had loads of roasted chicken left over, which inspired me to make a chicken salad. I lightly steamed some broccoli, heating them until the greens became

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-8513654302506224982009-03-07T11:19:00.006-05:002009-03-07T13:19:39.463-05:00

Yesterday, Lynn made a delicious cherry strudel enveloped in the flaky, light delight that is phyllo pastry. While happily noshing on it, I suddenly realized that I never posted the phyllo pie dish that I made last month. There was a moment of panic this morning when I couldn't locate the photos right away, but here it is.The inspiration for it was Kibbeh pie, which is a spiced meat dish in

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-38736079796118274332009-03-01T17:01:00.002-05:002009-03-01T17:20:48.713-05:00

Baking can be intimidating to someone who has never done it or seen it done. Bread-baking is especially daunting, with its finicky ingredient chemistry and high likelihood of failure. Baking powder biscuits were my gentle initiation into the world of breads. They rely on baking powder, not yeast, to rise. Since they don't require any proofing time, they can be made quickly. For such a simple

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-91422892806962285292009-03-01T16:08:00.004-05:002009-03-01T16:59:06.690-05:00

It's not easy for a city-dweller -- especially a single person -- to find, let alone cook, a whole animal. We only get access to fragments of the animal: chicken breasts, sliced bacon, lamb chops, or fish fillets neatly packaged in styrofoam and plastic wrap.So when the opportunity arises to cook something from end-to-end, it turns an ordinary repast into something momentous. Oddly enough, my

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-40015457172879394092009-02-28T15:39:00.002-05:002009-02-28T18:42:49.677-05:00

"Through all the world there goes one long cry from the heart of the artist: give me leave to do my utmost." - Isak Dinesen [from "Babette's Feast"]I got into a heated debate with a colleague the other day. This man often tells me exasperating stories about his family's fickle dining behavior. He will cook dinner to his children's precise specifications instead of defining the parameters of the

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-2849902036163615332009-02-18T00:29:00.005-05:002009-03-01T16:59:06.691-05:00

My approach to buying produce is to look around and pick up the first color or shape that appeals to me. It sometimes leads me to buy things I've never tried before, or things I know how to prepare in only one or two ways. These limitations aren't a deterrent -- they incite me to play with my food.Red chard is one of those foods that I like looking at, but have limited experience with. I've

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-18028068350246338732009-02-17T22:52:00.008-05:002009-02-28T18:43:03.556-05:00

In Japan, most restaurants offer one or more teishoku (定食) or "set meals". These are standard combo meals that feature a main dish, accompanied by rice, soup and a few side dishes. One such combo is the tonkatsu (豚カツ) teishoku: a deep-fried, breaded pork cutlet served with a thick, Worcestershire-like sauce along with rice, and finely shredded cabbage.Traditionally, the pork is simply dredged

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-71852576998520975902009-02-15T18:06:00.005-05:002009-02-28T18:43:33.455-05:00

I realize that drinking wine is a fun pastime (or addiction), not cooking. But I'd like to give a special nod to the Cosme Palacio y Hermanos Rioja from the Bodegas Palacio in Spain.Back when I used to live in Montreal, I once had an apartment located above an SAQ (the Quebec liquor board) store. I didn't earn as much back then, so I was on the lookout for affordable, quality wines. The curly

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-17779609049903325772009-02-15T18:00:00.002-05:002009-02-28T18:43:44.001-05:00

Not all cuisine is complicated or calculated. Sometimes you can throw random things into a pot and make it work.I had turkey stock, leftover chicken, red peppers, onion and lentils. I heated everything, added a dollop of sour cream, sprinkled some nori (seaweed) flakes and presto, a tasty, filling soup. End of story.

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-36471627188329083242009-02-15T17:32:00.002-05:002009-02-15T17:58:34.726-05:00

Although beef is beef, wherever you go, some cuts of beef can only be found in certain places. Koreans love their galbi, which literally translates to "ribs", but has the de facto meaning of "marinated beef short ribs". My local Korean supermarket offers the rib meat without the bone, optionally marinated for bulgogi. I recently picked up a package of un-marinated, boneless galbi meat as an

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-51993897526488342082009-02-15T16:25:00.003-05:002009-02-15T18:41:50.106-05:00

I am a huge fan of aubergines/eggplants. Roasted and mashed with tahini and garlic, it makes a killer baba ghanouj. Seasoned with Indian spices and deep-fried in ghee, it becomes a delicious eggplant sabji/sabzi/subji/subzi. However, I think the tomato is eggplant's soulmate. Moussaka exemplifies this perfect pairing. I recently made this dish for a pot-luck (which I sadly couldn't attend

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-86744529386916755852009-02-15T14:30:00.010-05:002009-02-16T00:20:37.913-05:00

Every year, I go through a period of baking bread for several consecutive weekends. My 2009 bread-baking phase has just begun. The fact that snow has finally begun to melt has spurred me to end hibernation and start getting active again.Making bread from scratch is both easy and difficult. The directions for doing it are fairly simple. It's time-consuming, only because there are long periods

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-27263419570729363602009-02-15T13:10:00.012-05:002009-02-15T17:59:13.485-05:00

Valentine's Day is an insidious holiday, even when you're conveniently partnered up with somebody as Feb 14 comes rolling around. Unrealistically heightened expectations of romance (= effort and $$$) and the unsolicited pity doled out to single people make me wonder if the transitory boost in flower and chocolate sales are worth the trouble. I've long held this cynicism, whether in or out of a

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-54213971983411017832009-02-15T11:11:00.003-05:002009-02-15T17:59:20.170-05:00

It's been a busy week, and as a result, a big bundle of Chinese broccoli (or kai-lan) was left to languish in my vegetable crisper. When I finally got around to cooking them, I discovered that one of the florets had actually blossomed into lovely little flowers. So tiny and fragile, they were begging to be saved. So I separated the flower head from the stem and set it in a shallow pool of

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-38025479001419088812009-02-09T00:59:00.002-05:002009-02-15T17:59:34.049-05:00

"Fusion Cuisine" was a term that used to make me scoff. It makes me think of white boys in rapper duds and yellow fever geeks with anime posters over their beds. In trendy restaurants, "fusion" is a euphemism for the expropriation of a foreign culture to compensate for the lack of imagination or talent.But once in a while, chefs like Susur Lee and Nobu Matsuhisa prove that fusion cuisine can be

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-22130054009182391102009-02-08T22:56:00.007-05:002009-02-15T17:59:45.115-05:00

Master chefs have the uncanny ability to taste a new recipe idea in their minds before they even lay a hand on a skillet. It's an enviable talent, especially considering how much food ends up in the compost bin when my "experiments" go awry.For the past month, I've been developing a recipe that features pumpkin. My messing about in the kitchen led to a couple of interesting but slightly

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-87974879412916101632009-02-05T00:25:00.003-05:002009-02-05T00:50:01.485-05:00

When it's cold and miserable outside, I get the urge to roast meat. The Canadian winter lasts for the majority of the year -- comedians joke that our summer lasts two weeks and Canadians cry because it's true. So it follows that I get the urge to roast for the majority of the year.This week my inclination was to roast a pork loin. I found a big fat one at my local grocery. I considered what I

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-58854495012645132232009-02-04T23:45:00.002-05:002009-02-05T00:49:54.832-05:00

Cheaper cuts of meat are generally tougher and more chewy than choice cuts. But you can be kind to your wallet and your teeth by cooking cheap meats very slowly over low heat. Such was the case with the bargain beef I had bought in a bid to save some money. After caramelizing a generous heap of shallots and garlic, I lightly seared the cubed beef and then drowned everything in coconut milk with

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-89510755962361123962009-02-04T23:00:00.003-05:002009-02-05T00:49:47.909-05:00

Lynn, my fabulous friend and sporadic co-contributor here, was the one who introduced me to ras el hanout among many other gourmet treasures. It is a beautifully aromatic spice blend used across the Middle East and North Africa. In Arabic, it reportedly means "top of the shop" or "head of the shop" -- a reference to the fact that the blend is composed of a spice trader's very best merchandise.

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-25397884107015492762009-02-02T23:58:00.002-05:002009-02-04T22:44:44.026-05:00

Ever since I heard Sylvester the Cat exclaim "sufferin' succotash" (well, it was more like "thufferin' thuccotash" given his lisp) on Looney Tunes, I had long wanted to know what "succotash" was. Succotash has its roots in Native American cooking. The term comes from a Narragansett word that means "boiled corn kernels". You'll get a different recipe for it depending who you ask, but corn and

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-23595898926854853392009-02-02T20:34:00.006-05:002009-02-04T22:43:58.204-05:00

Being a former Montrealer, it goes without saying that I love a good bagel. And nothing goes better with a good bagel than cream cheese and gravlax.It never occurred to me that I could make my own gravlax until I went to a wine tasting event and encountered a chef who was doing a cooking demonstration. He did a great job of illustrating how absurdly easy it is to cure fish: encrusting it in

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-19923013424129421352009-02-01T06:39:00.007-05:002009-02-04T22:43:32.073-05:00

This past Xmas, my overly generous parents spoiled me with some gift certificates for Amazon. I'm sure that I'm not alone in my triple addiction to movies, music and books. So, the exuberant thrill of receiving that ubiquitous Amazon box must also be a fairly universal experience. My cats share my excitement, albeit in a "box hab" (CuteOverload slang for "box rehabilitation") sort of way. All

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-28009328231973041672009-01-27T23:56:00.007-05:002009-02-04T22:43:15.243-05:00

I am rapidly becoming a devotee of Saveur magazine. Their latest issue celebrates the home cook and the delectable meals from the hearth that sustain each of us day after day. A lot of gourmet and cooking magazines seem to take for granted that the majority of food aficionados aren't necessarily professionally trained or within arm's reach of expensive or exotic resources. So it's gratifying

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-67152989044937795312009-01-26T20:54:00.007-05:002009-01-27T23:51:16.606-05:00

Apologies for the dearth of posts this month. I haven't stopped cooking. If anything, I've been immersed in it -- nothing like a downturn in the economy to motivate someone to cook instead of getting take-out. I just haven't had the time (and frankly, the discipline) to sit down and write about any of it. It's time to start making amends.One of the best and worst things about dining out in

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-57753159436803662712009-01-03T18:11:00.005-05:002009-01-27T23:50:51.408-05:00

Japanese New Year is not like Chinese New Year -- since 1873, it's been celebrated at the same time as followers of the Gregorian or Christian calendar. The cultural custom is to serve osechi-ryōri (お節料理) which is essentially an assortment of seasonal and symbolic dishes that are appropriate for the occasion. The food is presented in stacked boxes called jūbako (重箱). Those who can afford to

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-73461536139246656692009-01-03T07:41:00.005-05:002009-01-27T22:00:15.267-05:00

Happy new year everyone! "Everyone" will soon refer to a larger group of people, or so I hope: with great trepidation, I've decided to make this blog public. Which also makes this the appropriate opportunity for presenting a more thorough explanation of what this blog is about and what I'm trying to achieve with it.A few summers ago, I attended the wedding of a childhood friend. We weren't

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-55497424692330219652008-12-21T23:11:00.007-05:002009-01-03T06:04:53.197-05:00

This weekend brought a deluge of snow, slamming the city with blizzard after blizzard. As a new home-owner, I got a crash course in snow shoveling. After such a Sisyphean chore, the idea of baking in a warm kitchen was highly appealing.In preparation for my annual Christmas party, I decided to make a Maple Pecan Cheesecake. (The dinner theme was a Quebecois Christmas: Beet & Blue Cheese Salad

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-57903629832161647222008-12-18T23:17:00.005-05:002009-01-03T05:57:43.881-05:00

I just saw chef Heston Blumenthal's "Perfect Christmas" special on the Food Network and floated away in awe and reverie. Six very lucky dinner guests were treated to what may be the most magical Christmas dinner of all time. Blumenthal and his crew created a winter wonderland as the setting for this dinner -- one of the guests exclaimed, "It's Narnia!" -- and proceeded to blow their minds and

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8709404044929030991.post-16196369080005062682008-12-14T17:02:00.009-05:002009-01-03T06:05:40.515-05:00

Every December, my department welcomes the holidays with a celebratory team dinner. This year, we chose The Chef's House: it is a fully operational restaurant staffed by the talented students from George Brown College and the Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts. None of us had been to the restaurant before, but I could attest to the quality of their education, having taken two courses and

muginohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17788757108015786228noreply@blogger.com1