FOOD & DRINK
What is a Tom & Jerry?
One of the indisputable highlights of winter in a cold climate, in my opinion, is hot beverages. I’ll never grow out of the childlike delight I feel when I come in from a snowy day to savor a mug of steaming hot cocoa. Another no-alcohol favorite, especially with the teens and college students I know, is a spicy chai latte. Yeah, it’s got caffeine in it, but it warms with cinnamon, cardamom and pepper, too.
As for booze, I’ll never forget the unmitigated wonder and gratitude I felt when, on a gusty, sub-zero night in Toronto, my husband and I sought refuge in a bar on Yonge Street and ordered snifters of tawny port. Instant thaw. There’s also the benevolent favorite, Irish coffee, best with a tower of whipped cream. I recently heard it described in a Prairie Home Companion skit (this must be a joke older than me): “It’ll git you drunk…but, you can’t sleep it off!”
But all of these pale in comparison to my newest enthusiasm…
“Pie, Oh My!”
Is there a finer dessert, or snack, than a good slice of pie?
Fans of diners and other home-cooking eateries relish iconic pie and coffee, preferably enjoyed at the counter. Let us be precise here. It should be served on a small but durable dessert plate, with a fork, no matter how tall, broad, or slumped it may be, so you can relish it bite by careful bite…
Not Your Average Joe: Joe’s Smoked Meat, Baie-St-Paul, Quebec
It’s summertime, it’s a week of vacation and travel, and here we are in a tourist town, wondering where to get a decent lunch. Some of the usual methods of discerning a good place just don’t work in tourist towns—like looking for a restaurant that is crowded or perusing the menu for specials or unique items. Here’s one that works for us: we follow our nose. Stand outside and peek in the establishment you are considering, and sniff. (Of course, in this respect, barbeque joints have an advantage!)
A further challenge on this day is the fact that we are way up in the province of Quebec and do not speak French very well…
“Strange Fruit–where apples came from and where they are going”
I was strolling through the Saturday Farmer’s Market, an ever-heavier bag looped over my arm, when the apples caught my attention. It was a radiant autumn morning, and in the cool sunlight, the sweet, thrilling apple scent attracted me more than anything else. I spied a long table, lined with bushel baskets filled to overflowing with Empires, Northern Spys, Macouns, Honeycrisps, Baldwins, and more.
As I inhaled, I saw that these apples were not all red, not all the same size, and certainly not all perfectly shaped. The iconic Red Delicious was missing. Good. I never liked that one…
Sampling Malbecs…in France
So upon arriving in and further exploring this part of central France, we learn that the local wine is called Malbec, “the Black Wine.” We become curious and do some investigating. We must ‘drink local’! Research must be done!
…The first thing we learn is that the Malbec grape is indigenous to this area. Al and I have observed that this area of France is reminiscent of California wine country—a sunny, rather dry climate, with rolling hills punctuated by tree-lined lanes and scrubby native plants; the soil is alkaline (white dusty limestone on the hilltops, we observe). Presumably the section of Argentina devoted to grape-growing is similar.
Malbec has a dramatic history…
Cookbook: diner & comfort food
Many delicious recipes, from Jigger’s Pumpkin Pancakes (from a small diner in a small Rhode Island town) to Oasis Cafe French Onion Soup (from a much-missed hole-in-the-wall Boston restaurant) to Ann Sather’s Creamed Spinach (Chicago residents, you KNOW!) to Teri’s own Southwestern Stuffed Shells (with cilantro, mmm).
All were tested in Teri’s kitchen and are guaranteed not only to produce the expected results, but to lay out the steps in logical order (a pet peeve of Teri’s with some other cookbooks).
All this is wrapped in a generous coating of Randy’s eloquent and impassioned praise for the roadside restaurants that serve good comfort food. Bon appetit!
Grilling: “Where There’s Smoke, There’s Flavor”
Grilling infuses food with a flavour that stovetop or oven cooking simply can’t hold a match to. But add a handful of aromatic pecan, mesquite, or cherry wood chips to the fire, and you’ve really turned up the taste! Plus, this simple technique boasts the side benefit of tenderizing large and tough cuts of meat…
article published in BACKYARD LIVING MAGAZINE, September/October 2016