I recently had the opportunity to work with CJ Katz who was on a media tour promoting her award winning cookbook Taste -Seasonal Dishes from a Prairie Table.  CJ is a food writer, photographer and culinary judge but best of all she is a prairie-girl, residing in Regina.  If you still need items to put on your Christmas list or to purchase for other foodie loved-ones, this cookbook is exquisite.  As the back cover states: “a feast for the eyes and food for the soul”.  Throughout the recipes themselves, CJ weaves the story of the seasons of the priaires, the land itself and the local growers and producers.  All the mouth-watering photography is her own!

D loves Christmas and turkey is one of the primary reasons why.  He enjoys Christmas dinner (duh) but LOVES turkey left overs. 

While he was still roasting turkeys for a recent dinner, I came home to this gorgeous pot of turkey soup and basil dumplings, bubbly on the stove.

I, on the other hand, would just as soon get the left overs all used up and move towards some lighter fare.  Here is a recipe that will satisfy us both.  It would be perfect for a Boxing Day Brunch but is so festive, it could be featured on any holiday table.

I apologise that I do not have any photos of this one.  Food styling is a hectic business and I was so focused on making the food look good, that I plum forgot!  Trust me, with the contrast and vibrant colours in this dish-it is gorgeous.

Kath’s quote: “Rational habits permit of discarding nothing left over, and the use to which leftovers (and their economic allies, the wild things of nature) are put is often at the heart of a cooking’s character.”-Richard Olney

Love-that is all.

 

Someone once said to me: “For ultimate good health, instead of focusing on what you should be eliminating from your daily diet, focus instead on consuming the foods that will increase your wellness”.  Darn it, who was it who said this to me?  I am going to have to search out some “menopause-brain” restoration foods, so that I can remember.

This concept has always been of interest to me, but it seemed so very complicated to put into practice, until I met Mairlyn Smith, that is.  Mairlyn is the most accessible best-selling cookbook author I have encountered. She speaks plain language in a first hand manner and you instantly trust her knowledge and her advice.

Recently, D and I got a “speed-dating” style opportunity to hear what she has to say about including 10 particular foods that will  “rock your socks off”.

1. Barley (and other insoluable fibres).  These are considered gut-healthy fibers because they add bulk to the diet but do not dissolve in water, so they pass through the gastrointestinal tract relatively intact, and speed up the passage of food and waste through your tummy. Other natural sources are whole wheat, whole grains, wheat bran, corn bran, seeds, nuts, couscous, brown rice, bulgur, zucchini, celery, broccoli, cabbage, onions, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, green beans, dark leafy vegetables, raisins, grapes, fruit, and root vegetable skins.

2. Oats suck up “bad” blood cholesterol and major toxins like mercury.  I know from other reading, that these foods include oatmeal, oat cereal, lentils, apples, oranges, pears, oat bran, strawberries, nuts, flaxseeds, beans, dried peas, blueberries, cucumbers, celery, and carrots.

3. Mushrooms and other vitamin D rich foods (salmon, tuna, soy, fortified foods like oj, low fat milk, and cereal) protect your lungs and up your immune system.  And because I am the age that I am, I need vitamin D to help my body absorb the calcium rich diet that will ensure my bone health, as I further “blossom” and mature.

While Mairlyn was chatting with us in her unique style (she is also an alumnus of the Second City Comedy Troupe) we got to sample a barley risotto.  Since I have never cooked with barley (except for a couple of soups), I started some recipe book browsing (I don’t happen to have copies of Mairlyn’s, but I am putting those on my Christmas list) and rediscovered  a cookbook that my friend Laura had gifted to me entitled Eat Well-healthy ways to enjoy the foods you love from Williams-Sonoma. 

I plan on making this delicious looking barley risotto soon.

And the recipe incorporates more than just barley from the food list.  Check back soon to see what they are.

Oh yea, it was Sister #3!  Perhaps I remembered because I had a orange with my Greek yogurt and bran (and vitamin C is good for the brain)!

Kath’s quote: “Among the liveliest of my memories are those of eating and drinking; and I would sooner give up some of my delightful remembered walks, green trees, cool skies, and all, than to lose my images of suppers eaten on Sabbath evenings at the end of those walks.”-Mary Antin

Love-that is all.