My Mom is in her late eighties.  She is a breast and lung cancer survivor.  She has outlived every member of her immediate family and my Daddy by thirteen years.  She loved to cook for her family and still loves to watch the Food Network even though her meals now revolve around poached eggs and ordering in. 

More than anything my Mom loves to eat but she loves to eat and tell stories and listen to stories at the same time.  It is because of this that we three sisters have honoured her with an elaborate dinner party to celebrate her birthday over the last number of years. Here are some courses from her dinner in 2009: 

 Her actual birthday is in January but because it is often difficult for her friends to get together in the middle of winter, we usually wait until spring. 

This year many of her friends are too infirm to attend so we are changing things up a bit.  We are having her best friend from across the street and a couple who once lived two doors down.  In addition to my brothers, their wives and the two husbands of the three sisters.  We’re serving a selection of small plates -stay tuned for what the three sisters are cooking up.

Kath’s Quote: I know how the nuts taken in conjunction with winter apples, cider, and doughnuts, make old people’s tales and old jokes sound fresh  and crisp and enchanting.”-Mark Twain

I have a friend and fellow foodie named Caroline and she is an expert cake baker and decorator. She pours her love into every cake and her artistic skills are elegant and whimsical. 

There are 35 people in my immediate family.  We intended to celebrate Daughter #2’s 18^th birthday with cocktails and sushi last year’s May Long weekend on the deck at the lake.  But, it snowed that weekend and the yard of our little cottage was flooded.  With gratitude, we moved the party to my families’ “big” cottage across the street.  Caroline was hired to design the cake.  It was chocolate and raspberry and a simple, yet exquisite design, perfectly befitting our baby girl/now woman.

Caroline was also the creator of the 60^thbirthday cake at a recent  party.  The birthday boy received a gift ticket to the Rogers Cup in TO this summer and the cake was designed upon.  The cake itself was a delectable carrot cake- not cloyingly sweet but chock full of nuts, coconut and plump raisins.

I am particularly in awe of Caroline’s talents because I am not good with cakes.  I get frustrated when things get stuck to the pan and I rush to completion too soon and the icing pulls the cake into a mess of crumbs.  Thank heavens the my kids’ favourite birthday desserts were Dairy Queen ice cream cakes, strawberry trifle and a really easy chocolate, zucchini bundt cake that I could just barely pull off.

Kath’s quote: “Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.”-Jim Davis, ‘Garfield’

Today’s entry is dedicated to my friend Amanda who I love like a daughter (well not quite,  ‘cuz that’s to the moon and back).  We’ve taken a delicious journey together and now she has chosen a new place to dine.  This is her recipe.

Fot those moments when you have just GOTAA HAVE CHOCOLATE!

Dangerous 5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

1 Coffee Mug

4 tablespoons flour (that’s plain flour, not self-rising)

4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons baking cocoa

1 egg

3 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons oil

3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional) some nuts (optional)

Small splash of vanilla

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well . Add the egg and mix thoroughly.

Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.

Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla, and mix again.

Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes on high.

The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don’t be alarmed.

Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. EAT!

(this can serve 2 if you want to share)

Wash it down with a glass of full-bodied red wine.  Feel all those anti-oxidants cleansing your body. This is my idea of healthy living.

And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?   Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

Kath’s quote: “My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far today, I have finished two bags of M&Ms and a chocolate cake. I feel better already.”-Dave Barry

We typically serve this salad around Christmas as pomegranates are not always available all year round on the central prairies.  Why does this recipe come to my mind when it is almost summer?  I crave salty/sweet food combinations the way others crave chocolate.  A reasonable substitute for the pomegranates is watermelon, which I just happen to have in the fridge!  In addition, there is new evidence that pomegranates are a superfood and I am always trying to find ways to incorporate more superfoods into my families’ diet.

1 head romaine lettuce, washed & torn

1 bunch spinach stems removed, washed & torn

Seeds of 1 pomegranate or ½ c dried cranberries

¼ c toasted pine nuts

½ c crumbled feta cheese

Dressing

1/3 c olive oil

1 T red wine vinegar

2 T maple syrup

1 t Dijon mustard

½ t oregano

Salt & freshly ground pepper

Toss lettuce & spinach together in a large salad bowl.  Add pomegranate seeds, add pomegranate seeds, pine nuts and feta.  Whisk dressing ingredients together, store in fridge.  Toss with salad ingredients just before serving.  Serves 6.

Kath’s quote: “Let us go early to the vineyards to see… if the pomegranates are in bloom—there I will give you my love.”-Song of Solomon

There was a time in Winnipeg when my favourite restaurant was the Pasta la Vista downtown location.  Whenever I had to meet a client or had a special work-related celebration, I would suggest it.  In addition, it was the place where we had our last family restaurant celebration before my Dad passed away, so it holds particularly sweet memories.

The title above was my favourite menu item.  When WOW Hospitality put out a cookbook through Studio Publications a number of years ago, I could not wait to get my hands on this recipe. 

2 T canola oil

1.2 roasted red pepper, julienned

2 lbs. Mussels, cleaned and debearded

1 line, quartered

1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped

1 T minced garlic

1 T sambal olek

1 t salt

½ t pepper

½ c fish sauce

40 pieces 41/50 count shrimp, peeled & deveined

1.2 c white wine

4 T butter

2 ½ lbs. Cooled squid ink fettuccine (or other if cannot be obtained)

Frazzled leeks (recipe below) OR in a pinch French’s Fried Onions

In a large sauté pan, heat the oil & add the peppers, mussels, lime, jalapeño, garlic & samba olek.  Sauté for one minute before adding the salt, pepper and fish stock.  Cover & simmer for 2 minutes.  Add shrimp and wine and cook until the mussels are open.  Add the butter & pasta & simmer for 2 minutes until the pasta is heated through.  Remove from heat.  Place in a serving dish and garnished with frazzled leeks.

4 c canola

¼ lb. leeks, julienned & soaked in cold water

¼ lb flour

½ t salt

¼ t ground black pepper

In a large pot or wok, preheat oil to 360 degrees.  Drain water off leeks and shake off all moisture.  In a large bowl, toss the leeks in flour until evenly coated.  Shake off excess flour.  Carefully place small handfuls of leeks into the oil.  Be careful not to overfill as the oil will bubble up when the leeks are added.  Stir the leeks with metal tongs until they are golden brown and crispy.  Lift the leeks out of the oil and place onto a cloth or paper towel to absorb the oil.  Repeat with remaining leeks.  Season with salt & pepper & store in a dry place.

Kath’s quote:“Well loved he garleek, oynons, and eek lekes. And for to drinken strong wyn, reed as blood.”Geoffrey Chaucer (1340 – 1400) ‘Canterbury Tales’