Mushrooms on Toast

I cannot believe I eat mushrooms on toast! For the majority of my life, I turned my nose up at cooked mushrooms... ick! Now, I'd happily eat 5 servings of mushrooms on toast... must be all the garlic and butter!



Mushrooms on Toast (aka Mushroom Bruschetta), Jamie Oliver style

Extra virgin olive oil
Handful of mushrooms
Clove of garlic
Chili
Butter
Salt/Pepper
Woody herbs
Lemon cheek

Oil in pan (extra virgin olive oil).
Slice mushrooms, then toss in pan (medium heat).
Add a clove of shredded garlic once the mushrooms have browned a bit.
Add some chopped up woody herbs... thyme, rosemary, etc.
Throw in a bit of salt and pepper.
Add tiny bit of chili.
Bit more oil.
Don't crowd the mushrooms; this causes them to sweat and they don't dehydrate. Give them a couple of minutes, until they start to caramelize.
Add a knob of butter.
Add 12 drops of lemon juice to add some twang.
Add a bit of water to create a sauce.
Then get the pan off the heat before the sauce evaporates or worse, separates!
Serve on buttered toast.
MMMMmmmmmm

Christmas Cheer

Hauling out the Christmas decorations resulted in a mini photo shoot. That's the way it seems to go these days!

Blueberry Muffins

Here's a cute idea I read about in a magazine ad... cut 12cm x 15 cm squares out of parchment paper to line muffin tins for muffins, cupcakes, etc. I thought it looked cool... but turns out it has a practical purpose as well. My dad has Parkinson's disease, and has troubles with his fine motor skills. It's hard for him to get a grasp of the ruffled edge of store bought wrappers. With these wrappers, there's a large corner to grab to tear the wrapper off. I imagine it would be helpful for kids as well.
It's also a good trick to have up your sleeve when you're in the middle of making cupcakes and realize you are fresh out of paper baking cups. Not that that has ever happened to me, because I am so organized!

You Are What You Eat

In recent cooking demonstrations, magazines and newspapers articles... I've noticed a huge push to really make people understand the importance of eating healthy and the direct impact on their health, and the environment.

One night during practice, my yoga instructor told us to "Remove the factory between you and your food." I guess you could say that I've been fortunate that my body rejects the chemical-ly food I try to put into it. I've sat on the floors of bathrooms, and have woken up in ill sweat in the middle of the night more times than I can count after drinking sodas sweetened with aspartame, sweet popcorn sweetened with sucralose, Bits and Bites and Cup O'Soup with ingredients you can't pronounce... the list is long. I say 'fortunate', as after having to deal with the effects of eating garbage (which is what it really is) it has made me think twice as to what I put in my mouth.

Last night, I was flipping through the January 2010 issue of the Martha Stewart magazine. There was a small book review for a new book: Food Rules by Michael Pollan... "If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don't." It's a how-to manual for weaning oneself off the Western diet of processed foods, meat, sugar, fat. I made note of it, and continued with my magazine reading. I had an article to finish in October 2010 Vogue: Force of Nature, about a doctor who discovered the world's healthiest diets, and wrote a book about the therapeutic power of food, and how she prescribes recipes for such ailments as the common cold and depression. In the article it mentioned "Michael Pollan-ized foodies'! I had not heard about Michael Pollan before, and now twice in five minutes on two random magazines! Coincidence?

I've learnt so much about healthy eating, and how we have the power to control what we eat in order to feel good. All we need to remember is how the food made us feel after we ate it. There's the sick (not to mention guilty) feeling you have after consuming a bag of chips. Then there's the satisfying contentment in your belly after eating a yummy, nutritious meal. Maybe remembering this will help us all adopt a healthy eating lifestyle.

Michael Pollan - books
Dr. Daphne Miller

Orange Mood Board

Grey would tie in with the orange chairs and bring a modern feel to the space.

Loving the retro orange scales for the kitchen!

A wooden kitchen table to go with the chairs.

Not a fan of bookcases, his recipe book collection could be stacked on the floor.

The inspiration: orange Eames-style chairs my brother found on the side of the road in his hometown of Sydney. The seats are intact, but the legs need to be soda-blasted to rejuvenate them. He had been talking to me about decorating his new place... but he's an ocean away, so I can't physically be there to assist him with the furnishings. However, based on what he told me about his new place, I found myself coming up with some ideas... so here is a mood board for him!

A Novel Idea

Paper Mobile

Create graphic appeal from the pages of old books. Outdated novels are repurposed to create this mobile. Raid bookshelves at home, second hand stores and garage sales for materials. Cut out a square of of cardboard for the base of the mobile. Cover the cardboard underneath with a sheet of old paper lettering. Cut out pieces of cotton in the same length for the strands of the mobile. After cutting circles in various sizes out of the pages, thread the strands of cotton through the circles and attach to the cardboard base. Attach a hook to the top side of the cardboard and with a string, pin it to the ceiling. Perfect for a place in your house that is looking bare.

From Real Living (Australia) magazine

Attic: Tear Sheets

Attics conjure up romantic images; ballgowns stored in old trunks, old treasures waiting to be rediscovered, somewhere to hide with a good book and an afternoon nap. The realities of modern life are such that space is at a premium, and who has the luxury of time to escape with a good book and a snooze.

A friend acquired ancient attic space with the recent purchase of a heritage home. The space sits unused, never finished. Yet, with limited room in an older home, it seems a waste to let it sit there. The brief for this attic room is: guest room, storage space and yes, a place where the owner can sit and read a book on a free, rainy afternoon.

I've been acquiring tear sheets and ideas for this space. I love the idea of the open rafters painted white - though living in a cold climate such as BC, this idea may be nixed in favor of insulating and drywalling the ceiling. Espresso bamboo flooring provides a nice anchor for the room. A queen size bed would fit in the center of the room. Low, built-in cabinetry along the side walls would accommodate storage, and the top could be used by guests as a place to put laptops, small bags and other items. Chairs would provide a double use as night stands and somewhere to sit while working on a laptop. An armoir in the corner would provide additional storage. And if there's still space... a comfy chair for reading in...

Cherry Tomato Standby

We all have a 'go-to' dish when we can't/don't want to think about dinner. My Cherry Tomato Pasta comes from Donna Hay Off the Shelf... which in itself is a great 'go-to' cookbook when you can't/don't want to think about dinner.

400g rigatoni or penne

60g butter

2 gloves garlic, sliced

350g cherry tomatoes

Handful of basil

Balsamic vinegar

Cook pasta till al dente, then drain.

Melt butter in fry pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cherry tomatoes and cook, stirring, for 8 minutes or until tomatoes are soft and golden. Add a handful of chopped basil and toss through the hot pasta. Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar, pepper, sea salt and grated Parmesan.

See! Easy peasy, no brain required... and it's sooo yummy.

Variation 1: I'm not always in the mood for balsamic vinegar, so I'll just add extra butter. If you chop the tomatoes in two at the end of their cooking, and add the butter, you'll get a nice little sauce to toss with your pasta. Add Parmesan and sea salt on top and yum!

Variation 2: You can use larger tomatoes in this dish as well... just chop them into large chunks to start, and follow recipe as you wish.

The other thing nice thing about this dish is that you can just wing it for one person or five. Get a feel for your ingredients and give it a go!

Bookcase

I've been quite inspired lately... though you wouldn't know it from my lack of blog posts. I've been speaking with a friend about repainting some of our tired furniture. I inherited an oak bookcase from my family. Actually, my brother made it in high school and it sat in our family home for years. When moving time came, I recognized that it had nice lines, and rescued it from street side pickup. Not a fan of oak, I painted it white. (Recently, I mentioned as much to my dad and he said, "You did what?" He's obviously a fan of natural wood! I, however, am a fan of painted furniture.) The paint job on the bookcase is tired, and you can see the grain of wood through it... I didn't do a very good paint job the first time!

With that in mind, I came across this idea in the August Style at Home magazine... adding color to the back of the bookcase. Of course my mind has gone crazy with ideas... paint, fabric, wallpaper in solid, or stripes or floral. So many options, I can just see it never getting done. However, it's perfect weather for painting outside, so I'd better take advantage of that...

A Homemade Life

Inspiring me this week... I had read about Molly Wizenberg in a Seattle magazine last summer. There was a page spread about her food blog, Orangette. I've been following it ever since. I'm a bit slow, but one day I noticed that she had written a book... so reserved it from the library. It has to be one of my favorite reads as of late. Molly writes from the heart about food, family and discovering yourself. She was studying anthropology, and bored out of her tree... she started writing a food blog. Her blog has gone on to win awards, found her a husband and changed her course in life. Now, how is that not inspiring!?

Pink Journals

I love journals, I have to restrain myself from buying every one I like. However, when I saw these Molskine ones in two shades of pink... I was able to justify the purchase by earmarking them for my upcoming trip to Europe. One journal for France and the other journal for Italy. I can't wait to write down the details of my trip... from sites visited to food eaten. Can't wait for the inspiration to flow!

Creamy Mushroom & Prosciutto Pasta

From Bill Granger Everyday, p 180

CREAMY MUSHROOM AND PROSCIUTTO PASTA

SERVES 4

400 G (14 OZ) TAGLIATELLI OR PAPPARDELLE
1 TABLESPOON OLIVE OIL
1 GARLIC CLOVE, CRUSHED
4 SLICES PROSCIUTTO, CHOPPED
200 G (7 OZ) BUTTON MUSHROOMS, SLICED
80 ML (2V2 FL OZ/1/3 CUP) CHICKEN STOCK
80 ML (2i/2 FL OZ/1/3 CUP) CREAM
SEA SALT
FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
1 TABLESPOON CHOPPED FRESH PARSLEY

TO SERVE
GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE

Cook the pasta in a large pan of lightly salted boiling water until al dente.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and prosciutto and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3—4 minutes, or until the prosciutto is crisp. Add the mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes, or until they are light golden. Add the stock and let it reduce by half, then add the cream and simmer for a further 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Drain the pasta, add to the sauce and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the parsley. Serve immediately with grated parmesan.

Being very naughty in scanning and posting copywritten material... however... made this recipe for dinner and it was soooo good, I wanted to share. An easy weeknight dinner. Not bad for someone who doesn't like to eat pork, and up until a couple of years ago, wouldn't touch mushrooms!

Tobiano Clubhouse

Tobiano Clubhouse - Tobiano Golf

The handout brochure in the folder with the bill for lunch read; Celebrated Executive Chef creates gastronomic delights that highlight local ingredients.

What a complete insult to the lunch I had just ingested! I had just been bemoaning the fact that BC seems to be the last place for the revolution of fresh food to hit. Sure, we have some great food here... but more often than not, we have a lot of bad food as well.

I was in Tobiano for work, and had been looking forward to my lunch at the clubhouse on the golf course. It is such a stunning location on the hill overlooking the lake. I had envisioned a plateful of fresh food whilst taking in the scenery. I ordered Roasted Turkey & Swiss on Sourdough & Creamy Cranberry Mayo with a side of Caesar Salad... dreaming of fluffy piles of turkey on a crusty sourdough roll. When the plate arrived, I could tell just by looking at the bread that it had been made in a factory in Mississauga and was three days the other side of fresh. The turkey was a small pile of cold cuts... the thin, slimy kind. In short, it was a sandwich you’d find in a plastic triangle at any number of gas stations dotted around BC. The Caesar salad was gooped up with dressing, and topped with bacon and sundried tomatoes. I’ve never seen a sundried tomato atop a Caesar salad in my life. I was so disappointed. I’m not a fan of going for meals when you know you could have made it better yourself. They had the nerce to charge $12.50 for it. To top it off, I ended up with tummy cramps all afternoon from the sheer amounts of preservatives in my lunch.

It’s so easy to do fresh food... BC has such an abundance of great produce. Tobiano itself is situated in the middle of a farming area, 20 minutes outside of Kamloops on the road to Cache Creek. So why do so many places continue to get it wrong? This isn’t the first time I’ve been promised gastronomic delights and then have been presented with a plateful of processed garbage. It’s such a shame, as the Tobiano Clubhouse is a gorgeous piece of architecture... with a summer patio right on the green. If you do happen to be in the area, it is worth taking in the view. I’d recommend a nice glass of wine, and an appetizer or two... they shouldn’t go too wrong with a plate of pita bread and hummus!

A Good Egg

Boiled Eggs

I'd been cooking for a long time before I learnt how to boil an egg. Turns out, you don't actually boil the egg, but instead, place the egg in boiling water, cover and remove from the heat.

From Martha Stewart... you'll get perfect eggs every time.

Instructions:Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan, and cover with 1 inch of cold water. Bring to a boil, cover, and immediately remove from heat. Let stand approximately 1 1/2 to 2 minutes for soft-boiled, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes for medium-boiled, and 12 to 13 minutes for hard-boiled. Remove eggs from water.

Soft- and medium-boiled eggs should be served immediately in egg cups -- perfect for cracking and scooping the egg right from the shell.

Hard-boiled eggs should be removed from the pot and plunged into a bowl of ice water. This prevents the yolk from discoloring due to overcooking and facilitates peeling. Let stand for 2 minutes, then crack by gently pressing the egg against a hard surface. Peel under cold running water. Serve.

Pretty Cushions

Fresh fabric from the Canadian retro fabric site, Tonic Living, brightens up the white slip-covered couch. I love the buttons I found for the back, they reminded me of seaglass.

Recipe Card Art

Canadian House and Home - October 2008 - I would love to turn one of my mom's recipe cards into wall art for my kitchen... except I don't have wall space for it. One day I will find a wall somewhere where I can add recipe card art like this article: Photograph the front and back of the recipe card photographed, then have an image house digitally brighten the ink and enlarge the card and hang as artwork.

Paris Apartment

Someone posted a link to airbnb on my Facebook wall. It's a really cool site for vacation rentals. I was looking through Paris accommodation and found this great little spot. I think I'd feel quite Parisian and chic staying here!

Mink Chocolates

Mink Chocolates, Vancouver, BC - located in a pedestrian mall between W Pender and W Hastings... just up from Canada Place. I had often seen the sign out on the street, advertising the location. Finally got to try it one day... as soon as I sipped their mocha... I bemoaned the fact that I had missed so many opportunities before. Well, I've discovered it now... so can go back for more mocha's, waffles, chocolate fondue... They also have tiny iPod size chocolate bars with names like Love Potion, Dream, Fountain of Youth.

Mink Chocolates

863 W Hastings

Vancouver, BC