Gone for a short while

I am not going to be blogging much if at all the next month and a half, I am starting up and going to be running a new kitchen soon and moving and finishing the last three weeks of my course on business, plus helping my mother unpack her stuff, attending my sons football and hopefully having some quiet time in there. Exciting and all at once, change is like a frothy, churning, rushing body of water that finds a way around any obstacle. I want to say how grateful, happy and blessed I feel at this moment on my journey. It was a tough two years and now I want to make it a great 50+ years, there's so much to look forward to but most importantly , to enjoy today. I read something wonderful that a business mentor said, ''Your first 25 years are for learning, the 25 years that follow after that are for building, and the last 25 years are for giving back. ''

I'd say this man was brilliant and still shines today although he is gone.

A week gone by already!

Wow! I can't believe how much can happen in a week to keep you from having time for yourself. New job and all the excitement and stress of opening a new kitchen, this week was menu items, equipment purchasing and receiving, as well as finding employees. How we will be open in the next 2 weeks is anybody's guess but we are all enjoying getting there and working super hard to make it a reality. We got some sexy new fridges and a gorgeous Bakers Pride convection oven that I am thinkin' would look great in my new apartment. Zoning might be a problem but is a convection oven-who could possibly complain? Hmmmm. I think it will do better where it is...for now.;P Above are pics of Mel and Steph setting up our new gear, I know it's boring for some but it floats my boat and that's a little bit of alright!

I have been cooking like crazy the last two hours, managed to make some slammin' ceviche, a classic dilly potato salad ( I had a craving), butter bean, rosemary lemony stoup, asparagus quiche and last but not least, a divine apple and blueberry pie with a cinnamon crumble topping. I am trying to gear up for the week ahead and prepared food is one less worry during the week for sure and mighty delish!:P

I will say my sweetheart treated me to a lovely birthday and I finally got my marble mortar and pestle I have been procrastinating on buying. What a wonderfully pleasant surprise! I also received all those fantastic kitchen extras that one seems to always lose during a move. I will admit, I can't wait to use my new Hello Kitty toaster in a few weeks. It even toasts Hello Kitty on your toast! Whoo hoo! Hey, I never said I grew up completely. Lol!

Scenery

Was doing my work out by the water front and for the first time in all my years I saw an animal on the opposite side of the rapids and across the bikepath. Mr. Goose was really big, these pics from my cel don't do him or his wonderful colouring justice, he looked regal and impressive. I was amazed that he was where he was, bikes were whizzing by but it didn't faze him one bit. You can see the houses right behind him, eating breakfast on an early Sunday morning. My mother is moving today so life is a tad bit chaotic, there's no time for food or blogging really, I am off to do what little I can with my crappy shoulder. It's really uncomfortable watching my mother and aunt do so much, all I can do is stand there like an ass helping where I can. Patience is a virtue.

Went to the local market today and got tons of berries, terribly tasty raspberries, beguiling blueberries and gigantor strawberries! My boyfriend and I were sure they would be watery and basically flavourless but we were proven wrong. Juicy, sweet, plump and eaten in no time. Somehow my NoNo was sure that I had two to his every one but I assured him he was mistaken-it was three! Hehheh, I think he knew though cuz we both giggled like silly teens and he pinched my cheek with love. Check out the size of those suckers in the pics, no, they were not organic. Yes, I know that strawberries are like sponges for toxins but at $6.00+ for organic, I had to pass, (for now). We were ok with it though, so you need not worry! =D

Birthday plans are in the works for the coming weekend, I, of course end up making dinner and the cupcakes because gluten-free is not in my best friends repetoire. We're talking about a woman who only made kraft dinner and nutella sandwiches when I first met her, I am happy to report, she has since upgraded to asparagus and the occasional calamari if cooked right. Praises, Lord, Praises! Oh! Yaya how I adore thee! LOL!

I will be making carrot cupcakes with mixed spices and cream cheese frosting, lemon burst cupcakes with lemon burst buttercream frosting. Dinner,(Yeah, I started with dessert cuz it's way more important than anything else we eat. In my book it's part of the fifth food group-sugar and chocolate!) shall be saltfish and bakes with plantain. I need to figure out the salad but I am thinkin' strawberry and avacado with a honey-balsamic reduction, or a crisp green bean and loquat with a sesame and white grape drizzle. Either or, I will have to see what looks fresh and tasty. I will have pics and recipes to post when it's all said and done. I am so looking forward to 33, it's a turning point. I really feel like it's gonna be the year when it all comes together, I am loving the opportunities and the blessings. Give thanks and keep on keepin' on! I think I need me some Jill Scott tunes while I head into the business plan fray.

Demain c'est toujours frais, sans erreur dedans. Tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it.

What to do with myself?

This will sound petulant but when is this going to change? I AM BORED!!!!!!!

A wise one once said, ''You are only bored because you are boring.''

Well, I may be boring but I could be so very exciting if I could use my arm in the kitchen for more than a half hour, good God man, I have been reduced to 20 minute fritter quickies! AHHHHHHHHHHHH! LOL!

Ok, it's a little bit out of my system. I am getting desperate, accepting things I should not be accepting-don't ask, for Gods sake don' t ask. I could totally rock this opportunity, thing is, I don't seem to be having good juju with my shoulder yet but I gotta earn that cabbage to pay for life. I want to make something fancy or delightful and fun like in the pic I snagged from someone elses lucky baking moment. How pathetic am I when I am drooling over other people's kitchen time, wishing it were my own? Answer=VERY! :D I am laughing at myself as I write, so I still have perspective and that's a little bit of alright.

I need this to heal and I am mostly freaked out because this is about my passion, my love, happy times, my livelihood, meeting my sons needs, my dream being fulfilled and what I know I am good at being taken away. Yeah, that hurts the most.

It takes some people no time to figure out what they do well, others some time or alot of time and then there are those who never seem to figure it out. I am definitely in the second group and the biggest hurdle has always been confidence. I know things and have been trained but to this day, to my great shame, I still walk into kitchens and act like I know nothing when people are training me. Why? Well, one valid reason is because one should never act like a snot nosed know-it-all in another professionals kitchen and the second reason, I always get myself so nervous I screw things up. I am my own worst enemy when I am nervous, tests freak me out and I can't perform when I am being ''observed and scored''. I am totally capable and ready to pick up and fly but getting into my comfort zone is an agonizing process. Strange thing is, I feel able and happy in the kitchen, more so than anywhere else. All things in due time I suppose, childhood leaves it's mark and my experiences are not pleasant but I have found a place in the world of food which is most joyous. I need to rest my weary shoulder and dream up some new goodies, I may sneak in a new recipe and if it's not too much try to bake something this weekend-wrangling my son to help will be a good idea. Time to teach him how to make ackee and saltfish with fried plantain and bake some slammin goodies, I will be putting up recipes and pics when we finish this weekend just give it some time. I am off to dream of gas ovens, dough with lovely fillings and my hands piping on some cute cupcakes. Sweet dreams indeed!

Apple fritter recipe-Dessert

Okay, so I tried a new recipe with gluten-free flour. Please excuse the rather yucky plate in the pic, my mother is in the process of moving and most things are packed. We still did a mothers day dinner Sunday, albeit a humble one. It was originally apple fritters with a beer batter but beer is a gf no-no for obvious reasons and there was also wheat flour the original way I made them for others. For those of us wonderful gluten intolerant people, I give you a gf apple fritter recipe. They were a hit and I was so happy to have something so naughty(frying is never a good thing) yet nice in my belly, yup, they tasted just like I remember way back when.

Enjoy...

Gluten-free Apple Fritters Difficulty-Easy

Chef tip: Have your oil hot and ready to go in a cast iron skillet, you can tell it's ready when you drop a dot of batter in the oil and bubbles start to form around

it. Medium high heat, not on maximum- always keep a box of baking soda handy when frying anything with oil to toss baking soda on any flames that-Lord forbid, may flare up if you are not careful enough and oil lands on the burner. Do not throw water on an oil fire! Be responsible people, don't let yourself be distracted, keep your children out of harms way and be vigilant.

INGREDIENTS:

4 large apples (what ever you prefer, I used cortland)

1 cup Bob's Redmill all-purpose Gf flour blend for baking

1 1/2 teaspoon Gf baking powder

1/2 + cup Gf dairy replacement or milk if you tolerate it

4 Tablespoons raw cane sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon ground

2 scrapes of fresh whole nutmeg (yes, it makes a difference when it's whole vs ground)

pinch of sea salt

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

4 cups cold water

1/2+ cup of vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet (add more depending on size of skillet)

1/4 cup GF sifted icing sugar (to coat apples when done cooking)

METHOD:

In a bowl mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

Reserve. what it is: keeping food aside til ready to use

Get a seperate bowl medium sized, fill with cold water and add lemon juice, begin slicing apples

to a medium thickness, (not too thin, not too fat, just right) making sure to leave the skins on. Place all sliced apples in lemony water to keep them from turning brown-this is where I sacrifice myself and snack on a few slices to be sure they taste good. I believe it really shows you care, hehheh.

Now grab your reserved flour mixture bowl and add milk that you are using to it, use a whisk to beat the milk into the dry ingredients. What should your batter look like? You want a

consistency that is runny but coats the back of a spoon thickly, add some extra milk if it's too thick and if you booboo add a little bit of flour. Be careful not too add too much otherwise you will not have enough baking powder to make it puff when it fries. Remember folks, baked goods (well, in this case fried goods) mean that this is chemistry.

Chef tip: Before you begin frying, have a platter with paper towels layed out on it so you can transfer the cooked fritters to it to absorb excess oil.

Now you will begin the fritter frying process (say that three times fast!) ;P

Drain your apples well, dump a handful in the batter, stir gently to coat and begin to gently drop your well coated apples in your hot oil. Don't overload the pan or else the oil temperature will drop too quickly, only one layer at a time. Fry about 1 1/2-2 minutes each side til a beautiful golden brown. Take them out using a sloted metal spoon or spatula and place single file on the paper towel platter that you clever people already have at the ready, continue this process til they are all fried. (Feel free to change the paper towel you are draining on if it gets too greasy) Turn off your oil when done and place it on a back burner to cool before trying to clean up, it will take a while.

Now you may sprinkle your snowy icing sugar gently over your still warm fritters.

Serve them while hot with ice cream or whipped cream that has been sweetened with a bit of icing sugar or serve them as is with a nice glass of your fav cold beverage.

Be warned, they won't last long.

Bonne appetite!

Natural is always better

I suffered through some of the worst stomach pains I have ever known, turns out all these meds these docs have me on have killed all my good intestinal flora and are wreaking havoc on my system. Dumped the chemicals and am on a strict cleanse for the next long while. Naturopath has me on baby mush, oddly enough, I am psyched! I am making all things healthy and really mild for my sad belly. Lotsa good bacteria and herbal teas to soothe.
I love that food can heal.
Big day tomorrow, hopefully all things go well.
Wish me luck and competence!

Doctor number four today, I have been given another differing diagnosis. Now I have to wear a brace when I sleep and take different meds, physio at some affordable point is necessary too. I am out of cooking and baking commision for quite some time, I feel really sad. I realized I whine instead of acknowledging that I am really feeling down and helpless, I dislike not having the ability to do as I choose. Shopping didn't even help, every woman knows how bad it is when retail therapy doesn't work. I have tons of ideas floating around in my head for flavours and recipes but all that's in the cards for now is writing them down. I feel like wandering, the old port should be gorgeous tonight, maybe the hugger busker will be out pushing his wares of kindness and insightful warmth. I really love Montreal when the warm weather hits, there's no place like it but I am still itching to travel. Sooner than soon. I miss wearing my whites, my chefs jacket is hanging in my closet on stand-by. :(

Drift in & out...

Today was a day for friends, old & new alike. After what was a fantastic weekend with the one I love-we had cupcakes, brunch, laughter, and waterfront time complete with ducks and skittles! What more could I ask for? Yes, he got brownie points big time for being Mr. Wonderful.
I woke up today to clouds and eventual rain, I love the rain. It's like an old friend who I cherish and enjoy everytime they show, I know it depresses people, but I was always a water baby and that will never change!
I give thanks for all of the laughter and joy I have been able to be a part of, although things may be difficult and stressful, I have time with those I love which lifts me up.

There are so many feelings I run through in a day, I feel exhausted when night falls. When we are children, feeling is so basic, automatic and quite small. As we age we are inundated with waves of emotion, responses to multiple life situations, judgements to make, experiences to gain, things and people to lose or come closer to, dissapointments, triumphs and even the need for quiet, distance, contemplation of more feelings. I don't recall anyone ever preparing us for all of this. It's amazing how society and all of us in it are expected to function at an optimal level, when most of us don't know the rules, let alone have a guidebook. I am not speaking of spirituality, I am referring to the physical nature of being, the ins & outs of day to day that seem so mundane but can be so baffling.
I find myself questioning so much, backtracking, searching for a better way to approach, be connected, disconnect, be genuine, beyond coping and making it through. I want to overstand how others can grasp life with such tremendous knowing, confidence, belief, surity.
I want to get it to the point where I can implement it and roll.
I only remember three places I ever felt that strength, in the pool when I used to be an athlete, in the kitchen, and the third, well, it's not for here but it's one of the strongest days I have ever known.
I keep repeating Khalil Gibran: When you love you should not say, "God is in my heart," but rather, "I am in the heart of God."
As he so eloquently put it, I would very much like,
"To melt and be like a running brook that sings it's melody into the night."

Somedays I wear this fleshy cage better than others it would seem. It sounds so strange, I know, but I understand it and oddly enough, I feel that God does too.

Our actions have a cause & effect pattern that is global.

I feel it is important to discuss issues that are happening on our planet. It would be irresponsible to be writing about food, indulgences and the privilige of three+ squares a day, while ignoring the ever growing global food shortages. We have reached a crisis that touches so many places and people, Palestine, Africa, Afghanistan, China, Haiti, Phillipines, just to name a few. Our way of life, the lack of equilibrium in the way we consume, has been one of the top contributing factors leading to these shortages of food. This isn't about digging into our pockets to send financial aid to others, it's about our refusal to learn from our mistakes, our constant nagging and whining for more, the egotistical belief that we are intitled at all times, that there is a never-ending supply of everything, always. This isn't an issue about food, this is an issue about society and social inequalities, the ones that Durkheim, Weber, W.E.B. Dubois, Jane Addams, spoke of, warned of.

Obesity is on the rise in the U.S. & Canada, our population is looking more and more like the overweight images posted here, which impacts our health negatively and places a tremendous strain on our health care systems. Preventable diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, liver disease, cancer,stroke have reached epedemic proportions, in the 1940's the #1 killer was pneumonia, today, the #1 killer in North America is heart disease.

We are a society that has a tremendous void, we pursue trappings to fill this insatiable appetite and when that doesn't work, we turn to food. For comfort, to satiate boredom, eleviate stress, cope with all manner of upset, or to "reward" those we love.

Do we even recall what the reason is for consuming food? It's fuel, we need food for survival & survival is not the same as comfort.

We put all manner of trash in our bodies and think nothing of it but would be horrified if we were to put inferior quality fuel into our cars-how is this logical?

Our inability to be responsible, mature adults, social conditioning, constant mixed messages from the media and rushed lifestyle makes us believe we are to be excused.

I eat local and organic as much as I can afford, I choose to eat smaller portions, keeping fast food down to a bare minimum, cook more whole foods and without shame pass off vegetarian dishes to those I love who believe it's meat til the last bite. I try to steer clear of toxic packaging, recycle and reuse whenever possible, bring my own bags, and am making an effort to learn and implement a method of composting, I also frown on litter bugs and push those around me to pick up their tossed crap. This does not make me a better person, there is so much more I should be doing and I am not writing this blog to give others negative feelings. This is about awareness, spreading information in hopes that someone out there will read this and make better choices because they are armed with knowledge.

The time of being thoughtless consumers is over and done, this is a call to act, we are all being effected by what is happening and this planet can no longer sustain our irresponsible and lazy natures.

Choose to make a difference, choose to question and learn, but most importantly, choose to care about those in the pictures, they will easily be you and I if we don' do something NOW!

Potato Pizza

This recipe is from the chowhound site, I thought it was brilliant. Gluten-free crusts can get to be a bit dense and heavy so this seemed like a nice alternative, I'll post it as it was listed:

Perfect Potato Pizza
"The classic recipe for potato pizza in Italy is quite simple: potato, rosemary, olive oil, and salt," says vvvindaloo. To make it, lightly toss paper-thin slices of potato in olive oil, rosemary, and sea salt, with an optional tiny bit of either pepperoncini or black pepper. Bake on high until the top and edges are brown.
Other Chowhounds go nontraditional and add some cheese: Gruyère and raclette are favorites. Crushed garlic and caramelized onions are also additions that several hounds recommend. Some also precook their potatoes before adding them to the pizza to ensure they cook through. This
allows you to make more toppings-heavy pies too. Agent Orange makes a pizza with pesto, roasted potato rounds, roasted garlic, and a few small dollops of chèvre cheese.
I have yet to taste it but when I am in the pizza mood, which is not often, I will let you all know!

Yummie crisped smashed potatoes with rosemary.

So I thought I should at least put up one of my happiest comfort food recipes, although in the warmer months I have a tendency to move away from pots but on the weekend with brunch or for the men in my life with a steak it really can't be beat. I do em' with fish cuz red meat doesn't like my belly.

Chef tip:Always read a recipe all the way through before starting to cook so you know what to expect and to be sure you have the ingredients and equipment you need!

Recipe: Smashed Pots with Rosemary Difficulty-Easy!

Ingredients:

1lb small potatoes (I find the baby purple ones work best but the red ones are good too & a bit
sweet-do not use the white fingerling, they fall apart)
3 + Tablespoons good organic olive oil (regular is fine too)

4 + pats of organic butter (this depends on you, feel free to use less or more)

2 cloves of garlic minced fine

1 medium onion chopped fine

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary chopped

a good pinch of sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Chef tip:Remember,when using salt it's better to use less and allow people to add as much as they like at the table because you can add but you can't take away.


Method:

-boil the potatoes until a fork inserts easily (do not make them mushy potatoes, you are not
mashing them!)

-remove them from the water and allow them to cool, they can be refrigerated or put in an ice bath(what it is: cold water and ice cubes in a bowl used to quickly reduce temperature of hot item) just be sure there is no water on them when you're ready to fry them up. Water and oil don't mix!

-place the potatoes on a flat surface like a cutting board and using the heel of your palm smoosh the pots until they are a flat disk with some of their guts flattened out, don't make them too flat or they will crumble apart on you when you cook them, you want them to hold their shape.

-in a cast iron skillet place 1 Tablespoon of olive oil with a pat of butter in a hot pan, allow butter to melt and just start to sizzle. (medium to high heat-not maximum)

-add onions and cook til a beautiful golden brown, really let the naturally occuring sugars in the onions caramalize so they look and taste wonderful.

- lower the temperature to medium heat and add the garlic and cook briefly til nice and fragrant,
be sure not to burn it or else you will have a bitter taste to your food, garlic should never be black! About 1-2 minutes max depending how much heat your pan has held.

-reserve(what it is:taking the item just prepared and putting it aside in a different container for later use) this mixture in a bowl big enough to toss all your potatoes in once they're all cooked.

-in the same pan add remaining oil and a butter pat, heat til sizzling then add potatoes, brown on both sides til you can see they are crisped and golden (you can add a little blob of butter here and there to prevent them burning). Place them in bowl with the reserved onion garlic mixture.

-when all your potatoes are cooked(you may need to use more oil and butter depending on your pan size) and in the bowl with the onion mix sprinkle in the rosemary, a pinch of good quality sea salt(I prefer the grey sticky one), and season with fresh ground black pepper to taste. Toss to mix gently and briefly-be loving to your food people.

Serve hot as a side, you can add a dallop of sour cream that has some fresh chive snipped into it.

Bonne appetit!

Yoga and Spring

What a gorgeous day!
Decided to power walk down to the waterfront and do my yoga by the rapids, it was so beautiful.
I feel so alive and thankful when I can have moments like that in my life, that's really when I feel God the most. When there's no inner struggle and I am just being, right here, in the now.
Breathe just breathe.

I have been offered to cater a new gig coming up in two weeks, the dilema being, do I give them regular goodies or do I launch my gluten-free which they won't know is that anyways? I am leaning towards the latter of the two, it's better for me,for them and it's keeping in line with my business goals. I know, I know, the answer was already there, it's just that the cost is higher and that's what is bringing up feelings of hesitancy. The best solution is to discuss with the person who made the request, it's someone I know so it won't be a problem. Decided.
Well, off to class to learn all about flow charts and the economics of running a business-God help me like math more please.
Enjoy the day.

No matter what

Turns out I won't be able to post any pics of the last cupcakes as there are none left to snap...my apologies but it's a good thing cuz that means they were a hit!
It seems people just don't grasp the gluten-free thing easily. I'm taking this program for female entrepreneurs and we are always being given great ideas to help us start up our businesses but none of them can be applied to what I am trying to accomplish. I can not have cross contamination what-so-ever or my products could endanger people's lives, it seems that those with good intentions just sort of push that very important detail to the side when exploring options. I am a little bit down, I think it's also where I am living right now, what's happening with my shoulder,my family,work, there's just this huge cloud of "in transit" hanging over my life. I don't mind change but I realize my lack of patience has me being one of those who think the change should be a big bang followed by immediate results so we can move onto the next phase. Life just has a pace and I have the attention span of a 5 year old,(ok I'm being generous,maybe 2) I feel this incredible urge to move forwards and never look back but I keep checking-just in case. Lol!
My Kabbalah meditation this week is "No matter what"
This is the actual quote from the Kabbalah centre site:
So here is the battle plan for the week: don't fight yourself, fight the adversary within. Do this by repeating, NO MATTER WHAT!
OK.......
So, I say here and now, No matter what:
-I will make this business goal a reality
-I will work everyday at improving my morale and self-esteem
-I will dedicate myself to embracing change (no matter the pace;P)
-I will focus on that which gives me the greatest strength,support,peace and well-being.
My creator, my dreams & true expression of my being, my son, my friends, life's multitude of opportunities.
No matter what I will fortify my soul!
Now, you will all have to excuse me as I must get out there and grab the day.
Smile :D

New Flavour!

Last night I worked on a new flavour, Strawberry and vanilla bean cupcake marbled with dark chocolate with a jasmine and strawberry chocolate ganache.
I think I am getting the hang of gluten-free flours for cupcakes, had a bit of a scare when I lost some of the volume of my eggs but it all came out beautiful in the end. Everyone loved the strawberry pieces in the cupcakes and the frosting was rich and smooth,I decided to reheat it and add a bit more icing sugar and vegan margarine to tone down some of the acidity. I preferred the strawberry cupcakes I made on the side without the marble but that's because I have never been a marble cake kinda lady. My son scarffed down three and my roomie ate one-liked the cupcake but didn't like the frosting because he doesn't like softer frostings-they can't all be buttercream my friend but to each his own. I didn't enjoy this success too much because my shoulder was really hurting by the end of the night due to this case of tendonitis that's flared up in my shoulder. I know I am supposed to be resting it but that's all I've been doing since last Wednesday, that's really good for someone like me who suffers from ants in da pants syndrome.
I will try to put up a pic if there's any left by the time my camera recharges.

Cupcake dilemas

I have thrown myself into the cupcake fray, I know this trend is extremely hot these days. I loved these little jems so much when I was a kid but it always seemed like we hardly ever had them, I think my mom preferred to make a whole cake. Now I am on a quest for gluten-free cupcake domination!
I will be honest the first four tries have left me more than a little dissapointed, yes, I will admit it, I was discouraged.
All that has changed!
I have been able to get a consistency that is so amazingly light and fluffy that I have fooled gluten eaters!Whoohoo!!!!!
Unfortunately I can't post the recipe right now because I am still tweaking and planning on using it for my own little place in the near future. Sorry.
I am working on frostings today though and I am amazed at what freshness can do with regard to ingredients. I purchased some El Peto powdered sugar(GF of course) a while back at Loblaws and I couldn't believe how hard and crumbly the texture of my icing was. I swore off the products permanently, however, yesterday I was forced to buy it at my local grocer when they had run out of the usual brand. The El Peto line is new for them so I knew freshness was guaranteed! Low & behold a beautiful frosting,smooth and superb spreading consistency!
Lesson 1-If at first you don't suceed, go back to the ingredients before giving up.
Lesson 2-When one place carries crappy, old ingredients, go somewhere else.
Lesson 3-Chocolate,whipped cream and sugar are always good friends who LOVE hangin out together!
I will now attempt to infuse my cream with teas for a unique ganache I shall unleash on unsuspecting tongues!