Today while enjoying a delicious lunch at the Winnipeg Winter Club, the conversation turned to food yearnings.  Winnipeg is just about as far away from Mexico as you can get in North America (except The Northwest Territories perhaps) and yet the entire table was in need of a  Mexican food fix.  That was when one person mentioned a place that I have never heard of.

I headed right down to the El Izalco Market at 696 Sargent Ave. (at the corner of Toronto St).  There I met Sarah Esperanza who has owned the shop for 11 years.  Sarah is delightful and so helpful.  She was so ready to find the products that I came for and to share her recipes with very little prompting. 

I purchased a package of her frozen homemade Chiles Relleno and when I asked her what kind of a tomato sauce that I should use, she said “Just wait, I’ll get you some of mine.”  She recommended that they be defrosted (in the mic) but then oven baked.  My husband and I went for a walk while they were in the oven and when we got home-the aroma in the house was intoxicating.  I topped them with cubed feta cheese and served them along side a mixture of rice, corn and red peppers.

I am familiar with a recipe when they are just stuffed with cheese-these also had a spicy sausage meat.  Oh my goodness-Sarah your Chiles Relleno are divine!

Kath’s quote: “There is no love sincerer than the love of food.”-George Bernard Shaw

I recently had a conversation with my son and his wife about shopping at only the outer rim of the grocery store.  That is the dairy case, fresh fruit and veggie section, bakery, etc. in order to buy only whole and fresh ingredients and to avoid the processed food that is contained in the centre of the supermarket.  Newly inspired, I made brownies last night and here is the from scratch recipe: 

Place 4 squares of baker’s chocolate and 3/4 c butter in a glass bowl and microwave at full power for 2 minutes.  Remove and stir until chocolate is well blended.  Stir in 2 c of sugar (1 c at a time) .  Then blend in 3 eggs and 1 t of vanilla.  Next blend in 1 c flour and 1 c chocolate chunks (I used a mixture of chocolate chips, chopped milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate).  Pour into a greased 9 x 12 pan and bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.  My husband likes his brownies goey  in the middle so I removed them at this time but for a more cakey brownie bake another 5 minutes.

I learned this: “The name for the cocoa tree is theobrama, which means ‘food of the Gods’.  I know that chocolate is meant for us, however, because the melting point of chocolate just happens to be the temperature within your very human mouth.”  –The School of Essential Ingredients

On my last trip to Mexico I purchased Nestle’s Abuelita hot chocolate.  Coincidentally Abuelita plays a key role in The School of Essential ingredients.  If you love an authentic hot chocolate (not made from powder) you will love this.  Imagine the hot chocolate that was made in the chocolate shop of the movie Chocolat-mmm.  

The brownies were delicious especially because I accompanied them with a fine glass of Chilean Merlot.  If you have not tried red wine and chocolate together-you must.

Today I was at a meeting and a friend brought brownies for dessert.  I had to have a taste to compare them to my mine.  I especially enjoyed theirs  and when I requested the recipe I was told that the mix was from Costco!  Perhaps I should rethink the outer rim of the grocery store strategy.

What you see before you, my friend, is the result of a lifetime of chocolate.”
Katherine Hepburn

When I go on a trip, reading is one of the best parts of the adventure (after eating of course).  I carefully select the books and put them in a stack by my suitcase.  Before my last vacation, I decided to cheat a little bit and just start The School of Essential Ingredients to see if I was going to like it.  Two days later the book was completely read and I had been totally swept away by the characters’ stories and the author’s food analogies.  If you cherish relationships and enjoy food on a supernatural level-this book is a must read.    Here are some of my favourite excerpts to give you an idea of what I am referring to:

“To eat something that plays with your taste buds and to remember romance…If you live in your senses, slowly with attention, if you use your eyes and your fingertips and your taste buds, then romance is something you’ll never need a greeting card to make you remember.” pge 198

“Provence, when she and Carl arrived at the end of August, had smelled of lavender-the air, the sheets,  the wine, even the milk in her coffee in the morning.-the lightest of undercurrents, a watercolour world of soft purple.  She found herself breathing deeply and slowly, to pull it in, to hold it in every part of her until later. ” pge 201

“Ian slid his finger along the edge of the tiramisu, bringing it to his mouth.  The texture was warm, creamy and soft, like lips parting beneath his own, the taste utterly lacking in precision, luxurious and urgent, mysterious and comforting.”  pge 233

“Poetry isn’t any different from food, Tom.  We humans want to make things, and those things sink into us, whether we know it or not.  Maybe you won’t remember what I cooked you last week, but your body will.” pge 121

And finally my favourite: “We’re all just ingredients, Tom.  What matters is the grace with which you cook the meal.” pge 130

Read Erica Bauermeister’s delicious book and then buy yourself multiple copies so that you can give them to people who love food and love this bittersweet life.

Kath’s quote: “A good book should leave you… slightly exhausted at the end.  You live several lives while reading it.”  ~William Styron

This entry was made by a dear GF who celebrated her first wedding anniversary with dinner at this St. Boniface restaurant.  Chef Randy sent her the details of the menu that night which I have included below.  She selected the corresponding pics as she did wish to diminish the specialness of the evening with photo taking.

“The whole evening was AMAZING and the atmosphere was casual yet romantic. The staff were incredible making you feel more like family rather than customers. Definitely would recommend this restaurant to anyone wanting a nice evening out with amazing food and company! ”

Roasted Turkey

I believe that a God-given skill is meant to be shared with your community. Here in Winnipeg there are so many opportunities to serve. Some of the obvious ones are Winnipeg Harvest and Siloam Mission where they are always looking for volunteers to distribute food or serve a hot meal at their soup kitchen. If youhave never had the privledge of helping in this way, I can tell you first hand, it is a very gratifying experience.

For the past 11 years my husband caters a Christmas party for a volunteer organization. They pay a modest amount to cover the food costs and he uses it to go all out. He researches for days before suggesting a menu. He then shops and cooks for the week previous to the dinner. The menu always revolves around turkey, gravy and cranberry sauce (of course) but he mixes it up every year to serve a unique and special dinner. This year his menu was:
Roasted Beet, Almond and Pear Salad
Sage and Caramelized Onion Bread Stuffing
Buttermilk, Basil and Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Gratin of Winter Vegetables
Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallow Crust (back by popular demand)
Ginger Spice Cake with Candy Cane Whipped Cream

Family and Friend Helpers

Our family and friends get together to serve and it is a wonderful way to kick off the season. Why am I writing about this in the beginning of March? Today is my weekly volunteer day and I feed people too; they happen to be babies. Every Tuesday afternoon I help out at the Children’s Hospital by feeding, burping, holding and walking sick babies. I feed them formula and I feed them love-the very best food of all.

Not one of "my" babies

Kath’s quote: “A baby is God’s opinion that the world should go on.”-Carl Sandburg