One of the first courses on our 2nd Honeymoon.

It is the time of year that we celebrate St. Valentine.  I have learned that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret.   In the end Valentine died for love because when his illegal actions were discovered, he was put to death.

There are many kinds of love, even though the English language does not distinguish between them very well.  In addition, Hallmark has morphed this love celebration into one of romantic love.  In my life, I celebrate the many kinds of love…and its no surprize, I celebrate them with food!

Chicken Crepes at Bistro Dansk

Last night-I dined with my sisters and my Mom and celebrated “storge” which means “belonging”.  My family loves me unconditionally and no matter what the circumstances-I belong.

Schnitzel, Sweet & Sour Cabbage and Pan Fried Potatoes at Bistro Dansk

I intend to repeat this celebration on Sunday night when we have a family dinner with my kids. Unconditional love is even fiercer when experienced as a parent.  This dinner will be attended by my newly married son and his bride.  Their “epithumia” love is apparent.  It is the love of attraction.

Epithumia

Tonight, we join old friends (and I’m talking decades) for a dinner party.  We will celebrate our long-standing friendship and “phile” meaning “cherishing”.

On Monday because it is a long weekend I will celebrate romance or “eros” with my husband.  We haven’t yet decided if it will be with a supper at home or with a quick bite out.

And so that just leaves “agape” love-the act of selfless giving.  I will challenge myself and all of you to shift our concentration on this Valentine’s weekend to this kind of love.

Love is Everywhere!

I’ve got New Orleans stuck in my head.  Likely for a number of reasons: 1)  I just finished reading a book that I loved called “The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Calder” (written by Rebecca Wells of Ya Ya Sisterhood fame) which was partially set in New Orleans 2) we were rooting for The Saints in the Superbowl this past weekend and 3) because just this morning, a reader requested our jambalaya recipe.

My husband and I have always dreamed of seeing three US cities: New York, New Orleans and San Francisco.  Only the latter remains on our “to see” list.  We were blessed to travel to New Orleans the winter before Hurricane Katrina and saw the city in all of her beauty.  We only spent 24 hours there but it was jam-packed with eating and merriment. We stayed right in the French Quarter at the Hotel St. Marie where we started the evening when our group met up in their cozy lounge.  We soon spilled onto Bourbon Street where we just had to stop for “Huge Ass Beers To Go”.  We had dinner in the outside patio at Tujague’s on Decatur St. – a restaurant established in 1856, where we had a delicious feed of fried catfish.  Next stop was at another restaurant for Jack Daniels and just shucked Oysters.  We continued onto “The House of Blues” for amazing music and ended the evening at Pat O’Brien’s for a cocktail aptly named “The Hurricane”.

The next morning we shopped the Riverwalk Marketplace for Louisiana Hot Sauce and continued to the French Market to watch pralines being made and then to sample Po-Boy and Muffeletta sandwiches.  Just this weekend, we picked up De Luca’s Alba brand’s Muffeletta-Olive Salad Mix to bring back the taste of New Orleans.

We cooked a pre-trip dinner party to get us all in the New Orleans mood.  This was the first time that my husband made his now famous Jambalaya recipe.  It was so popular that a year or so after the trip the group reassembled for a Fat Tuesday party and we served it again.  Now it is a favourite “make ahead” dinner when the guys are heading out to the lake for a cross-country ski weekend.

The recipe was originally located on a New Orleans website but has been modified to include local kubasa sausage: Doug’s Jambalaya:  Heat a liberal amount of oil in a deep & heavy pan.  Sautee 1 diced onion and 1 minced garlic clove and then add 1 lb. peeled and diced kubasa sausages (or substitute an equal amount of diced ham).  Add 1 small can of tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce to taste, Creole seasoning to taste (can substitute Tabasco to taste).  Add  ½ each, diced green, red and yellow peppers and 10 small banana peppers (with ends cut off).  Let simmer until the onions and peppers soften.  Add 2 cans of diced tomatoes and 1-2 cans of water.  Let it come to a slow boil and then add 2 cans of red beans, 1 can niblets corn and 1 T parsley flakes.  Boil again and adjust seasonings.  When sausages rise to the top, add 15-20 whole, peeled jumbo shrimp (approx. 1 lb.) and simmer for 20-30 minutes more. Serve over rice.  Note: diced chicken breast can substitute for the shrimp or we like it with shrimp, chicken AND ham and kubasa.

A Portable Cheese Store in Catalafimi, Sicily

Is it silly that I am dreaming of picnicking when the view out my window is of 3 feet of snow?  No it is not-it is is one of the coping skills of hardy Winnipeg folks.

On a bench in Prairiano

Olive Choices in Nice (France) Market

Let me begin at the beginning.  My husband and I met in the hospitality business and so it is no surprize that we’ve been self-professed foodies before the word was invented.  We became a couple when D was home for his summer break between University semesters.  He had an amazing summer placement, working alongside Chef Tony of the St. Charles Golf and Country Club.  He was attending Ryerson for his degree in Tourism and Hospitality and when I went to visit him for the first time, he was living the life of a poor out of town student-“borrowing”  toilet paper from the pub and filling his grocery shelves with yellow generic labelled food.   I on the other hand was already working as Marketing Director for a local restaurant so I had some cash.  But because we have always tried to do more with less, we even spent that money wisely.  So instead of dining out…we picnicked!

On a bench in Nice (France)

D lived in residence next door to the Eaton Centre and at one time Eaton’s was THE place for gourmet food offerings.  We prided ourselves in being very adventurous in those days, even though our selections are now purchased during our monthly shops.  We would buy little tastes of dolmades, cottage pate, spicy olives, pickled herring (now we always choose Elman’s), smoked mussels and oysters, creamy Havarti cheese and crisp red grapes.  Then we would go across the mall to the LCBO and select a Alsatian white wine.  Each bite was savoured and we dreamed that one day we would have a six babies (we settled on 3) and travel (we have) and cook together (we do) and grow old together in rocking chairs on the front porch.  So dreams do come true (except that we’re not quite at the rocking chair part)!

Over the years we have modified the picnics to take the kids when they were little to Assiniboine Park and roll and wrestle on the riverbank and then walk across the bridge to Sargent Sundae. We also love having love happy hour on the beach with cocktails and appetizers.  We also have an end of summer cook which is a much loved tradition.

When we were travelling in Europe this September some of our favourite meals were our picnics.

So even if you can’t spread a blanket on the lawn, shop for a picnic supper.  Take little bites, savour and dream.

My son got home from his honeymoon last night and this morning at about 9:30 -he called me.  Is this guy perfect or what?!  Not only does he love his Mom but he is cooking breakfast for his new bride and I don’t mean peanut butter on a bagel.  He was making her Eggs Benedict and needed my from scratch hollandaise recipe!  Sorry girls, I only have one of him and he’s taken.

Here’s the recipe I directed him to:

Combine 4 egg yolks, 1/4 t each salt, sugar, Tabasco and dry mustard and 2 T fresh lemon juice in a blender. Heat  1 c of butter until bubbling in the mic, being careful not to brown.  With the blender running, slowly pour the butter into yolk mixture in a thin stream until all is added.

My family is hollandaise crazy!  They became hooked because of a chicken recipe that gets more requests for birthdays and special celebrations, than any other over the years.  Asparagus Wrapped Chicken Breasts: 

Pound 4 whole boneless chicken breasts between wax paper until an even thickness.  Blanche 24 asparagus spears. Combine 1/4 c butter, 1/4 c Dijon mustard mustard, 2 cloves of finely chopped garlic and 1/4 c white wine. Dip chicken breasts in this mixture to coat. Place 3 asparagus spears on each breast and roll securing with a toothpick. Mix 1 1/2 c of bread crumbs, 1 T Parmesan and 2 T finely chopped parsley together and roll breasts in this mixture. Bake 30 minutes at 350on a tinfoil lined baking sheet.   Serves 4 – 6.

My family shares a summer cottage with sister#2 and her family.  It is a special place and a special time when we are all together.  We put a lot (perhaps too much) emphasis on the weekend menus and Eggs Benedict is one of the favourites.

I have not been to Brunch at the Fort Garry Hotel for years but my sources say that it is the best in the city.  If they feature Eggs Benedict-my family would agree.

A reader emailed me to see if I had a good Ginger Snap recipe.  So here is my favourite:  Cream together 3/4 c margarine with 1 c sugar.  Add 1/4 c molasses and one beaten egg and then beat together.  Combine 2 c flour, 1/4 t salt, 2 t baking soda and 1 t each cinnamon, cloves and ginger.  Add to creamed mixture,  Mix well.  Roll into balls, then sugar.  Press with a fork.  Now the flatter you press the more snap the cookie will have, I slightly press because we like our chewy.  Garnish with a piece of candied ginger.  Bake at 375 for 15 minutes (check after 10 minutes because of variable thickness).  

There are many health benefits linked to ginger.  I am not going to endorse anything that I have not personally tried, but I do know that ginger tea is lovely when you have a cold or the flu.  The recipe is simple.   Ginger Tea: grate  2 T  of ginger root into 2 c of boiling water.  Drink straight or add lemon and/or honey.