The other day I got a call from my friend Osani asking if I would like to go out for Ethiopian food. Loving both Osani and adventurous eating, I said yes. We, along with his Mom-my friend Moneca, and my Quebec summer student, made our way to Yenat located at 330 Ellice. Osani insisted we order the Kokeb Bayeynetu which is a huge crepe covered with sampling of various meats, beans, relishes, chick peas, potatoes, cabbage, salads and even hard boiled eggs.  It comes with a big plate of extra crepes. You just tear off a piece of crepe and use it to gather up a tasty sample.

In African dinning it is very important to ONLY use your your right hand, which my dinner host Osani was sure to inform me.  It was a fun way to have dinner, but I must say not the tidiest thing to eat with a very hungry 11 year old.

It is great to see a kid who is so open to trying new food and enjoys sharing what he finds with his friends.

Kath’s quote: “They say fingers were made before forks, and hands before knives.”-Jonathan Swift

This summer I have been host mother to Emilie, a lovely student from Quebec who is here perfecting her already very good English.  It has given me a chance to show her around and be a bit of a hometown tourist myself.  This weekend we had what I would consider the perfect Manitoba day. 

We started with brunch at Rembrandt’s Bistro just outside of Lockport.  Only 20 minutes outside of Winnipeg, this lovely sunny restaurant provides a great Sunday Brunch at only $15.95 a person. Your brunch starts with a creme brulee that features Red River cereal and dried blueberries, how very Manitoban!  Emilie and I each had the Eggs Benedict, which you can have with smoked Arctic char if you so desire.  Another friend enjoyed the Salmon Wellington with sweet potato fries.  The coffee was hot, the juice was cold and both kept coming as the service was great!  http://www.wellink.ca

Next we were off to Lower Fort Garry.  www.pc.gc.ca/garry We had lots of fun wandering through the fort and chatting with the people playing the characters of the time.  After a lovely stroll and lots of learning we took a leisurely drive down River Road to Captain Kennedy’s House to walk through the gardens along the river bank.

A perfect Manitoba Sunday!

Kath’s quote:  “One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.” ~Luciano Pavarotti

One of the most amazing trips I ever took was to Turkey. We started our tour in Istanbul-a busy city that sits half in Europe and half in Asia. I had no idea what to expect and everything there was like nothing I had ever seen before: the smells from the spice bazaar, the five-time-daily call to prayer, the veiled women and dark handsome men.  The food too was very different from what I had tried before.  I have to admit that I struggled with warm milk in my breakfast cereal and eating fish that was staring back at me. We did have a couple of meals that I loved, including this one just outside of Ephesus.

Over the years I have acquired more of a taste for Middle Eastern cuisine.  While we have some Israeli and Lebanese restaurants in Winnipeg, we don’t have any Turkish ones that I’m aware of. But, recently while visiting friends in Toronto I got a chance to once again feast on authentic Turkish food.  Let me tell you it was better than I ever remember it being.  The friends that I was visiting in Toronto happen to be the couple who lead our Turkish tour. They introduced me to a place called Konak Turkish Grill. It is a tiny little take-out, with only three tables to dine in, located in a strip mall in Etobicoke.  The food is delicious and ridiculously inexpensive. The couple who own the shop were so lovely that when I tipped the gentleman he insisted that we take a box of Turkish delight to add to our already over abundant dinner.  So, if you are ever wandering along the lake shore in Toronto, be sure to stop by 2491 Lake Shore Blvd. W.416-251-3700.

Kath’s quote:  “The only kind of seafood I trust is the fish stick, a totally featureless fish that doesn’t have eyeballs or fins.”-Dave Barry

Ah, summer!  The time of year when my kitchen comes alive.

I made a decision this year NOT to have a garden. Last year, I think the deer feasted on more meals from my garden than my family did.

My son clearly enjoying his first visit to the berry farm (http://www.bluediamondberryfarm.com/) down the road!

My decision may have been a blessing in disguise, however.  With my new-found love for my local garden centres (J & H Garden Centre, Headingley, Manitoba), I’ve discovered vegetables and varieties I’ve never even heard of, let alone grown in my own garden.  Last night for dinner, we cooked up golden beets and zucchini on the barbecue.  The combo may or may not have been a culinary mis-match.  I don’t know a whole lot about cooking other than what tastes good!  And this proved to be delicious.

Marinated in balsamic vinegar with fresh basil, garlic and some other spices from the rack, we grilled these gems in foil, and for a few minutes right on the grill to finish.  If you’ve never tried golden beets, you’re in for a treat.  Particularly if you’re not a huge fan of beets in general.  Golden beets have a much milder flavour to traditional red beets and don’t stain your hands!  Bonus!  These beets in particular were quite a bit smaller than the red beets I’ve had, although I’m not 100% sure if they were simply picked prematurely or are smaller by nature.

With every meal I prepare this summer and each visit to the market, I’m having more fun and getting more adventurous in what I put on the table.

When in doubt, ask the market staff for ideas on how to prepare veggies and you may be inspired to try something new.

Kath’s quote: “The difference of a single day is perceptible. Vegetables can only be tasted in perfection, gathered the same day.”- John Pintard (1759-1844)

A friend is representing this upscale vinegar line and knew that I would be interested in tasting them as they come from the Rozendal Farm of Stellenbosch, South Africa.  My youngest daughter visited the area this winter and was enthralled by the beauty of the vineyards and the crisp taste of South African wines.

When I saw my friend Jeff last night at the grocery store, he asked if I had a chance to sample the vinegars.  Having not tested a recipe at that point, I indicated no.  That was when he suggest that I pour a glass and enjoy it is an aperitif.  I was hesitant but OMGoodness-it was lovely. 

This is what the folks at Rozendal Farm have to say:  “we now make different blends of vinegar from our wine using ingredients from our farm: chili, elder flower, carob, basil and thyme.  We bring seaweed and green tea from elsewhere.  After serving it to our customers for years in the restaurant on Rozendal Farm we began bottling and selling it.   The Rozendal Red Wine Vinegar tastes good and drinks beautifully and we have noticed it makes people happy.”

For our supper, I poured a little bit into the bottom of a sautee pan to poach chicken breasts in it.  Next I mixed 3 T with 1/8 c of olive and 1/8 c of truffle oil for the dressing and tossed together spinach leaves, toasted pecans, mandarin oranges and the sliced chicken.  The taste was light and rich at the same time.

Kath’s quote:  “Vinegar, the son of wine”.  –Proverb