Recently, D was out of town for the week on business.  I kind of get a kick out of not having any cooking obligations when he is away.  It is not that d doesn’t do his share of the cooking, because he certainly does but because I have my office at home, it just makes more sense that I would get supper going at the end of the day.  I took advantage of this break by having popcorn by myself one night for dinner and on another occaision, I wanted to treat our youngest to a quick supper out.  I was trying to get her fuelled up before she had to settle in to a long night of studying for tests.

We went through our typical fast food list and then I remembered The Wok Box.  At $10.79 each, why would we ever go anywhere else for a fast food fix?

The location at 170-1580 Kenaston Blvd. has plenty of parking, nice low lighting and big private booths.

I chose the Kung Pao and watched the efficient kitchen staff put it together.  It came with peanuts and a few too many green peppers that were not cut up small enough.  Next time I would request more cilantro to sparkle up the flavour a bit.

Daughter #2 sampled the Pad Thai.  We make our version at home with lots of scrambled egg and that ingredient was missed.  In addition, our family recipe has quite a bit more sweetness, which is the manner that we prefer.

Both dishes were different then we were accustomed to but were very good, none the less.  We were surpized by the variety of the menu including butter chicken, pot-stickers and samosas.

Kath`s quote: “Prepared and fast foods have given us the time and freedom to see cooking as an art form – a form of creative expression.”-Jeff Smith

Jamie Oliver is my kind of guy-his recipes use affordable ingredients, he is an ambassador of “real” food, he loves his kids and his wife, his success has apparently not changed his wardrobe and he writes his recipes as if he were standing in the kitchen next to you:  “don’t worry about technique, just chop away until fine”, “if you’re ready to tuck in,  just drape the warm slices over the lettuce and serve” , “it would be lovely if everyone had a go at making things like tarts, tortes or pastries at home…..”

My prized “Food Revolution” Cookbook was a gift from my son and daughter (in law) #3.  This past Sunday dinner (mandatory) I prepared a big batch of spaghetti and then sent everybody home with left overs.  I added a couple of my own modifications and the kids had their own improvement as well.  Here is the result:

2 slices of bacon, chopped

2 medium onions, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

olive oil

2 heaped t of dried oregano

1 lb good quality beef 

28 oz. can of diced tomatoes

s&p

a small bunch of fresh basil

4 oz. Parmesan cheese

1 lb. dried spaghetti

I doubled the recipe and used a lb. of ground beef and a thinly sliced flank steak from the freezer.  I soaked both in milk before cooking (a technique I had seen in another Bolognese recipe) and then finely chopped up the flank steak.

Saute bacon with oregano and cook until golden.  Add veggies and stir every frequently until softened and lightly coloured.  Stir in the meat (drained if soaked in milk) and tomatoes.  Now Jamie adds a can of water but the kids think that this makes the sauce too soupy, so go by your own preference.  Let simmer until veggies or to your desired firmness (approx. 20 minutes).  Add S&P to taste.  Add freshly torn basil leaves.  Cook pasta to your liking and when it is el dente, drain and stir into the sauce.    Sprinkle with Parmesan.

For more beef ideas, go to www.beefinfo.org.  I am dreaming of time away at Eat, Write, Retreat www.eatwriteretreat.com.

Kath’s quote: “The strands of spaghetti were vital, almost alive in my mouth, and the olive oil was singing with flavor. It was hard to imagine that four simple ingredients [olive oil, pasta, garlic and cheese] could marry so perfectly.”-Ruth Reichl

We recently had an errand to accomplish at our our son and daughter-in-laws Wolseley home, when it  some was suggested that we grab some breakfast or lunch together.  With less than a two minute walk, we were inside the doors at Stella’s Sherbrook.  You might notice that I did not say that we were sitting at a table because that in fact did not occur for quite a while.

The wait was pleasant enough as there is a real community feel about the place, perhaps because of the neighbourhood itself, perhaps it is promoted by the friendly, laid-back staff.

J ordered the Stella`s special breakfast and was well content.  So too was the female J when she choose the Mexican breakfast.

D was immediately tempted by the special of the day-a hearty chicken stew that came with a tasty biscuit and Stella`s healthy salad.  The three of us stared longingly at his choice and would order that ourselves, the next chance that we get.

When eggplant is on the menu, it always catches my eye.  Even though these eggplant circles were individually prepared rather than in a casserole style, as I prefer, it was delicious none the less.  Their version is likely healthier than the way that I prepare mine.  My recipe where the veggies are tossed in flour, dipped in an egg wash, then covered with breadcrumbs, soaks up the olive oil like a sponge.

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The eggplant were served on a bed of spaghetti tossed in a light tomato sauce and crunchy garlic bread.

Our server was very pleasant and helpful.  In fact, she was familiar to our son and his wife as were many staff and diners that afternoon.

Kath`s quote:  “How can people say they don’t eat eggplant when God loves the color and the French love the name? I don’t understand.”-Jeff Smith

We are hosting our monthly young families group tonight and it is COLD in Winnipeg this morning so I immediately thought about putting on a big ole pot of soup and some cheese biscuits to warm everybody up when the walk in the door.  I went and did a Food Musings search to pull up my tried and true Hamburger Soup recipe to see, in astonishment, that I have never posted it before.

When our family was young and D was in the restaurant business and I was the marketing director of a restaurant too, we had to be make decisions on the go for healthy, often “one bowl” meals that our kids would enjoy.  So our first idea was that we had designated “food” nights: Friday was pizza, Thursday was pasta, and so on.  That way our decisions were less complicated depending upon the day of the week.  The kids loved this too.

Monday was always soup night so I could whip up a batch on Sunday afternoon while I was making Sunday dinner and serve half the next day (and put the other half in the freezer for a real time emergency).

This meal freezes very well and actually becomes more and more tasty with the passing of time.  The recipe originally came from the old Best of Bridge cookbooks but I’ve modified it over and over again with the years.

Hamburger Soup

2 lbs. lean ground beef

1 medium onion finely chopped

1 28 oz. can of tomatoes

25 c of water

1 heaping T of Knorr dehydrated beef consume

1 c tomato soup

4 finely chopped carrots

3 sticks of finely chopped celery

1 c of frozen corn

1 bay leaf

a handful of chopped parsley

1 t thyme

8 T barley

Brown ground beef and then give it a quick rinse under hot water to remove any unwanted fat.  Brown onions and veggies until they start to “sweat”.  Add ground beef and all other ingredients back to the pot.  Simmer, uncovered at least one hour.

See more easy and nutritous meals for your gang on www.beefinfo.org.  I’m hoping to win a scholarship to www.eatwriterestreat.com.

Kath’s quote: “A soup like this is not the work of one man. It is the result of a constantly refined tradition. There are nearly a thousand years of history in this soup.”-Willa Cather

The advertising business has been very good to me.  I have made a comfortable salary and had the satisfaction of being instrumental in promoting some very important messaging.  Recently, I have enjoyed pulling back from my media buying responsibilities a little bit and have had the opportunity to fill my time with writing and teaching.  I especially enjoy having the time to mentor students who have decided to pursue an advertising and communications career.  I have no doubt that the talented woman that I meet with on a fairly regular basis will do exceptionally well in the business.

She is located at the downtown campus of Red River College and so we are often looking for convenient, somewhat quiet and delicious places to meet.  Kay’s Deli  foots the bill in all respects.

I choose this savoury Reuben sandwich that was perfectly grilled on marble rye bread.  As any Seinfeld fan will tell you, a good loaf of marble rye bread is a hard thing to find – but a precious treat to enjoy if you’re lucky enough to find one!  You can just imagine how much fun the bakers must have swirling the doughs together.

My protege choose the mango chicken wrap.  I think that she was pleased with her choice but to be honest, we were so entrenched in our conversation, that I think that I forgot to inquire.  Some foodie, I am!

Kath’s quote:

Um, excuse me, I – I think you forgot my bread.”

“Bread, two dollars extra.”

“Two dollars? But everyone in front of me got free bread.”

“You want bread?”

“Yes, please.”

“Three dollars!”

“What?”

“No soup for you!”

– George and the Soup Nazi, Seinfeld