Just finished a crazy tasting of top Canadian microbrews. Top ones, http://t.co/WNT2JZjO, http://t.co/mgSu7ADf, http://t.co/yiK7BC2H
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09 April 2012
Posted in
KitchenMama
The Easter long weekend is over for some today. I hope it was a good one for you. The weather here in Brampton was, for the most part, pretty awesome. This year, we hosted a party for one side of my family at my house. They tell me everything was great. But, I always find that I'm so preoccupied making sure I have all the dishes cooked and ready to go and that everyone has a drink or enough food that I barely taste the little I put on my plate. By the time night fell, dessert was nearly done, and everyone was ready for a bit of a stretch. So, out we went to light a few logs in the fire pit. We happened to have marshmallows on hand, so everyone found a branch (we have a few trees in the back) and roasted the marshmallows until perfect. We had an unusual accompaniment -- a shot of bourbon.
Given that we had a houseful of guests that night, we went through a few bottles of wine. Here's a bit of a sampling. Read more
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02 April 2012
Posted in
KitchenMama
Oh, to be in Italy right now. I wiled away an hour or so this weekend surfing websites dedicated to the people, food and places of that mythic peninsula for no other reason than to imagine myself soaking up that warmth. This weekend was pretty gloomy - overcast, rainy and damp enough to chill you clean through to your bones.
On Saturday, I dropped in to Green Cup Roastery in Brampton for a pound of just roasted fair-trade and organic coffee beans. Moonless Night is probably one of my favourites, and is one of Jon's very, very dark roasts. So, with a cup of hot joe in my hand, I gazed longingly at the eye candy that is Abruzzi and Le Marche - two of the lesser known regions bordering the Adriatic.Don't ever let anyone tell you that surfing the net is a waste of time. If anyone does, tell them your searching for inspiration, and you'll know it when you see it. I finally did get up out of the chair. I followed my muse to the LCBO where I found a bottle of some very good Pecorino from Le Marche. Just the thing, I think, to make me feel like I'm in Italy.
Some people might travel to warm getaways over March Break. Not me. Oh, I'd sure like to visit some exotic destination during that week of rest. The problem is that it usually isn't a week of rest for me - more like a week of looming deadlines. In any case, why would I want to follow the crowds? Ah, a writer's life is so full of demands…. Ok, not exactly. I mean, what better way to spend a week than tooling around wine country? One must always approach work with passion and conviction, right? This year, the weather's been absolutely superb. The vines are already budding. I highly recommend you take a trip out to the vineyards closest to you and check out all of the activities going on.
Kale chips are all over the internet nowadays. Everyone and his brother crisps these things up seemingly all the time. So, not wanting to follow the tried-and-true footsteps of others, I decided I'd bake up something else - Swiss Chard. Oh alright, I know Swiss Chard chips aren't exactly new, but they are exciting.