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CHC Canada 150 Food Blog Challenge Series

Ricciarelli – An Italian Almond Cookie

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A few years ago, I was fortunate enough to be hired as the opening pastry chef of a new Italian restaurant.  I say fortunate because I was given the freedom to introduce a dessert menu that would highlight Italian desserts, which are some of my favourites!  Traditional Tiramisu, Panna Cotta, Zabaglione and biscotti cookies are always popular choices, however, I wanted to add menu items that were not as well known in Canada.  That is why Ricciarelli was considered – An Italian Almond Cookie that soon became a customer favourite on the menu.

Ricciarelli - An Italian Almond Cookie | urbnspice.com

What appeals to me about Ricciarelli is that it is a rustic cookie with rugged edges and a light, crunchy texture.  Another interesting aspect of why I included this cookie on the menu was that I have always adopted a no-waste approach to food preparation.   Since there is always an abundance of egg whites left over in the fridge from the tiramisu and other menu items that required only egg yolks, I needed a way to incorporate the egg white surplus into my dessert repertoire; hence, the introduction of Ricciarelli, Italian Almond Macaroons, Amaretti and Twice Baked Meringue Cookie Crisps to the menu.  I know that you will love this Ricciarelli recipe as much as my restaurant customers did!  Ricciarelli is excellent with espresso or gelato, or just on its own.

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The Un-Christmas Day Feast

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Prelude: I am a proud Canadian. When the Culinary Historians of Canada (CHC) invited food bloggers to participate in the “CHC Canada 150 Food Blog Challenge”, I knew that I wanted in! What a great way to celebrate and honour Canada’s 150th birthday by featuring a different Canadian dish or discussing a topic which reflects on what it means to be Canadian. For December, the Culinary Historians are challenging bloggers to bring their best holiday game, with the most festive and delightful food tales about winter holidays past. I have a story about the origination of our family tradition, called Un-Christmas Day. As well, I will describe why the tradition was created and the special activity that always took place at the end of the day. Of course, food was involved, which is why I will be sharing a menu featuring a recipe for Dry Roasted Crispy Chicken Wings with Honey Garlic Dip. If you choose to embrace this holiday season finale, I think both you and your family will create some great memories.

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Chicken Wings ready for snacking | urbnspice.com

I need to explain why “Un-Christmas Day” became a tradition. When my daughters were small, my husband and I wanted to make the Holiday Season as exciting and meaningful as possible, since you are only a kid once!

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How to Make Homemade Maple Molasses Caramel Popcorn

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CULINARY HISTORIANS OF CANADA 150 FOOD BLOG CHALLENGE SERIES

Prelude: I am a proud Canadian. When the Culinary Historians of Canada (CHC) invited food bloggers to participate in the “CHC Canada 150 Food Blog Challenge”, I knew that I wanted in! What a great way to celebrate and honour Canada’s 150th birthday by featuring a different Canadian dish or discussing a topic which reflects on what it means to be Canadian. For October, the Culinary Historians invited bloggers to post about all things autumnal, including the special foods we associate with Thanksgiving, Hallowe’en and other festivals. The first thing that came to my mind was the treats that my Mom would prepare for the trick or treaters at Hallowe’en. The neighbourhood children knew that my Mom would be giving away some type of special homemade treat like colourful popcorn balls, candy apples, fudge and the ever-popular bags of Maple Molasses Caramel Popcorn, commonly known as Cracker Jacks.

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Maple Molasses Caramel Popcorn | urbnspice.com

Maple Molasses Caramel Popcorn

When I was a child, homemade Hallowe’en treats were the norm. We lived in a small village in the country where children worked very hard to earn their Hallowe’en treats as most of the houses were spaced quite far apart. I loved helping with the preparations for Hallowe’en. My father grew some of the biggest and best pumpkins in the area in his large vegetable garden. We set aside a day to carve pumpkins, which became a neighbourhood event with the local kids. Our large front porch was decorated festively with corn stalks and all our jack-o-lanterns. The best part for me was helping to make all the Hallowe’en treats!…

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School Lunches – Oh, How Things Have Changed!

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Culinary Historians of CANADA 150 FOOD BLOG CHALLENGE SERIES

Featuring a Recipe for Pork and Ham Lunch Loaf

Prelude: I am a proud Canadian. When the Culinary Historians of Canada (CHC) invited food bloggers to participate in the “CHC Canada 150 Food Blog Challenge”, I knew that I wanted in! What a great way to celebrate and honour Canada’s 150th birthday by featuring a different Canadian dish or discussing a topic which reflects on what it means to be Canadian.  For the month of September, CHC invited food bloggers to share stories and recipes about the history of school food: lunchbox lunches, school cafeterias, or any related topic. This article is called: School Lunches – Oh, How Things Have Changed. I thought it would be fun to take a different approach to this post by writing about what my lunch was like when I was a child compared to what children take in their lunch kits today. To further capture yesterday and today, I will share with you a recipe for Pork and Ham Lunch Loaf, with a bit of history that I think you will enjoy.

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Pork and Ham Loaf | urbnspice.com

School Lunches:  Pork and Ham Lunch Loaf

It is interesting to note that school lunches when I was a kid were completely biodegradable. Our simple lunches consisted of a peanut butter and jam sandwich on homemade bread and a fruit. We did not even know that we were excellent environmental stewards by using wax paper wrapping and paper bags, and throwing all fruit and vegetable scraps into the compost bin or feed to the animals if you lived on a farm. Nowadays, children have special insulated lunch kits with ice packs, bento boxes, garbage-free packaging, completely nut-free options, and high-quality BPA-free water bottles. Oh, how things have changed over three generations.

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Celebrating Food Preservation Yesterday and Today

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CHC CANADA 150 FOOD BLOG CHALLENGE SERIES

featuring a vintage recipe for Wild Berry Chutney

Prelude:  I am a proud Canadian. When the Culinary Historians of Canada invited food bloggers to participate in the “CHC Canada 150 Food Blog Challenge”, I knew that I wanted in! What a great way to celebrate and honour Canada’s 150th birthday by featuring a different Canadian dish or discussing a topic which reflects on what it means to be Canadian.  For the month of August, CHC invited food bloggers to share stories and recipes related to food preserving; for example: canning of jams or pickles, drying, freezing, fermenting, smoking or other methods of food preservation. While I have worked with all of these methods of food preservation, the method that I most enjoy utilizing is the making of confitures (jams), compotes and chutneys. I live in the beautiful Okanagan Valley where fresh produce is readily available. As seasonal produce becomes available, I have the opportunity to make something special. I am Celebrating Food Preservation Yesterday and Today and for the purpose of this post, I share with you a vintage recipe for Wild Berry Chutney, which makes use of any type of berry mixture, wild or cultivated. Chutneys are easy to make and are lovely served with cheese plates and of course, the world-renowned Okanagan wines.

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Food Preservation: Wild Berry Chutney | urbnspice.com

Wild Berry Chutney

My initial experience with different methods of food preservation methods started with my mother and grandmother. I grew up in a French Canadian household where canning and preserving food was viewed as a necessary life skill. We had special rooms in the basement called the Cold room and the Preserve room. The Cold room was a dark, dry room at the back of our basement. It had a tiny window for ventilation under the large front porch. We stored carrots and other root vegetables in sand-filled bins. My parents had large burlap bags of potatoes leaning against the sturdy handmade wooden shelves that held woven bushel baskets filled with apples, pears and quince. Braided garlic and bundles of herbs hung in bunches from the ceiling to dry. Baskets of yellow and sweet onions air-dried on an open shelf. Tomatoes were lined up on narrow glass shelves and ripened slowly near the window.

Having just returned from a trip to Newfoundland and Labrador, I was fascinated by the heritage root cellars that I spotted along our route (and attempted to photograph them from the bus). Root cellars became common before the days of electricity.  They are cavern-like structures typically built into the sides of a hill, rock cliff or cave and covered with stones and sod with a door for access.  They are an efficient way to store food (mainly root vegetables, but also preserves and dried meat and dried fish) at a cool temperature to protect the food from winter temperatures and keep the food cool in the summer months.  They are still in use today in many parts of Canada.  I captured as many photos as I could ranging from heritage sites to modern root cellars.

Abandoned root cellar | urbnspice.com

Abandoned Root Cellar in Twillingate, Nfld.

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A Canadian Family Picnic – Circa 1867 featuring Old Fashioned Raspberry Cordial

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CHC CANADA 150 FOOD BLOG CHALLENGE SERIES

Featuring a recipe for Old Fashioned Raspberry Cordial

I am a proud Canadian. When the Culinary Historians of Canada invited food bloggers to participate in the “CHC Canada 150 Food Blog Challenge”, I knew that I wanted in! What a great way to celebrate and honour Canada’s 150th birthday by featuring a different Canadian dish or discussing a topic which reflects on what it means to be Canadian.  For the month of July, CHC invited food bloggers to share stories and recipes that relate to the topic of Canadian culinary history in this sesquicentennial year.  I was intrigued by the invitation to host an 1867- or a 1967-themed picnic. I have chosen to write about an 1867 picnic and have developed a menu for a typical Canadian family of that period. I have taken a bit of literary licence to include options for refrigeration, which was unavailable to all but the wealthy of those times. My post includes a recipe for Old Fashioned Raspberry Cordial. I hope you enjoy going back in time with me for A Canadian Family Picnic – Circa 1867.

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Old Fashioned Raspberry Cordial | urbnspice.com

Old Fashioned Raspberry Cordial

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Vegetable Tian – Gluten Free, Grain Free, Refined Sugar Free

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CHC CANADA 150 FOOD BLOG CHALLENGE SERIES

I am a proud Canadian. When the Culinary Historians of Canada invited food bloggers to participate in the “CHC Canada 150 Food Blog Challenge”, I knew that I wanted in! What a great way to celebrate and honour Canada’s 150th birthday by featuring a different Canadian dish or discussing a topic which reflects on what it means to be Canadian.  For the month of June, CHC invited food bloggers to share stories and recipes that relate to farmers’ markets, farm-gate stands, dockside fish purchases and other examples of purchasing food directly from the source.  Vegetable Tian is my Farmer’s Market inspiration.

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Vegetable Tian using tomato, zucchini and eggplant | urbnspice.com

Vegetable Tian using tomato, zucchini and eggplant

Some of my best food memories from my childhood were close to home in our market size vegetable garden. Every day, we would grab our shallow oblong basket called a trug and carry it to the backyard to pick fresh carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, lettuces or whatever was ripe at the time.  Eating fresh-picked produce is a true pleasure to your taste buds.

I live in a produce paradise called the Okanagan Valley where Farmer’s Markets and wineries abound.  For example, when I go to the farmer’s market or the roadside stands, the Sweet Strawberry Tomatoes, or the Savoy Cabbage is always irresistible. The vibrant colours and a wide variety of seasonal vegetables can represent that day’s inspiration. I enjoy making a Vegetable Tian with fresh young zucchini, tomato and eggplant.  A tian (le tian) is a type of gratin dish. It is made by thinly slicing vegetables and layering them in a shallow earthenware dish and slow-baked until the vegetables are tender and flavourful.  The hidden bottom layer of the tian is caramelized onion, which not only provides amazing flavour to the dish but also a stable foundation on which to lay and shingle the sliced vegetables.

Farmer's Market vegetables | urbnspice.com

Farmer’s Market vegetables

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My Mom’s French Canadian Tourtière

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CHC CANADA 150 FOOD BLOG CHALLENGE SERIES

Prelude:  I am a proud Canadian. When the Culinary Historians of Canada invited food bloggers to participate in the “CHC Canada 150 Food Blog Challenge”, I knew that I wanted in! What a great way to celebrate and honour Canada’s 150th birthday by featuring a different Canadian dish or discussing a topic which reflects on what it means to be Canadian.  For the month of May, in honour of Mother’s Day (May 14), CHC invited food bloggers to share recipes relating to mothers, recipes and techniques passed on by our mothers or grandmothers, or from our mother’s culture. I am honoured and proud to share a historical and famous recipe for My Mom’s French Canadian Tourtière.

Food has been such a significant part of my French Canadian heritage and some of my clearest childhood recollections are about food.   It is not only the memories of the food that are so clear but the smells, the tastes and the surroundings that are so vivid.  Holidays would not be the same without Mom’s tourtiere.  In our family, the Christmas Eve menu always included a large tourtiere to enjoy before midnight mass.

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There are a number of food traditions that are very important to my family, but my Mom’s famous tourtière is the most requested.  I have had many versions of tourtière – from chefs colleagues, relatives and friends, but none can compare to my “Little Mom’s” French Canadian Tourtière. (More on “Little Mom”).

French Canadian Tourtiere | urbnspice.com

My Mom’s version of tourtière is more savoury than traditionally prepared tourtière due to the use of sage and poultry seasoning as opposed to the warm spices typically used (cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and allspice).  Mom always insisted on a mixture of ground meat: beef, veal and pork. This combination makes a huge difference in the overall taste and texture of the tourtière filling. The aromatic fragrance of the tourtière mixture simmering is magical.  Writing about it makes me nostalgic.  Although I have adapted the process somewhat, I follow her recipe method and always make enough to share with family and friends, which was her tradition.

Baked Tourtiere | urbnspice.com

My Mom’s French Canadian Tourtiere

My Mom’s French Canadian Tourtière became quite famous in a small village in Ontario.  Everyone loved it when she made her tourtière pies for church or village social events.  As a matter of fact, the ladies of the village church approached her many years ago for her tourtière recipe to make and sell the pies for the parish fundraising efforts.  She not only generously shared her tourtière recipe – she also taught them how to make it….

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Savoury Rhubarb Apple Compote with Pork Medallions

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CHC CANADA 150 FOOD BLOG CHALLENGE Series

I am a proud Canadian. When the Culinary Historians of Canada invited food bloggers to participate in the “CHC Canada 150 Food Blog Challenge”, I knew that I wanted in! What a great way to celebrate and honour Canada’s 150th birthday by featuring a different Canadian dish or discussing a topic which reflects on what it means to be Canadian. This month: The First Fresh Foods of Spring! Savoury Rhubarb Apple Compote with Savoury Pork Medallions is the recipe that I will feature using fresh foods of spring. 

It has been a long, cool, wet spring in British Columbia. The first few leaves of our rhubarb plants and perennial herbs assure me that spring has indeed arrived.

Emerging Rhubarb Plant in Springtime | urbnspice.com

The first leaves of the Rhubarb Plant emerge from the soil in the spring

Rhubarb was a staple in the family gardens of 50 years ago – every home garden had its own rhubarb plant in the corner of the plot.   When I was a child, my family and friends typically used rhubarb in sweet dishes. When the first tender stalks of rhubarb appeared, we would pick them and dip the thin red stalks in sugar for a delicious sweet and sour treat. Mom would make rhubarb and apple crumble or use the rhubarb in fruit compotes. As Spring passes into Summer, the broad rhubarb stalks became tough enough to use as hockey sticks. We would pull most of these remaining sturdy stalks and finely chop them to make stewed rhubarb. A bonus crop of more tender new stalks would develop from the plant as long as lots of water was applied during the hot dry summer months.

Gardens certainly have changed over the decades with smaller yards or no yards at all. Rhubarb is not a container garden type of plant with its big root system needing at least 40 litres of soil and compost.   Today, fresh rhubarb is more difficult to find, although frozen rhubarb is readily available.

How we use rhubarb has, for the most part, remained unchanged over the years, with its continued use in sweet recipes such as rhubarb crumbles and crisps. Rhubarb has so much more to offer given its savoury properties. In this post, I share a recipe for Savoury Rhubarb Apple Compote with Pork Medallions that uses both rhubarb and chives as ingredients – two of the first fresh foods of spring.

Chives are one of the first spring fresh foods | urbnspice.com

Chives are one of the first spring fresh foods | urbnspice.com

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Maple – A Timeless Canadian Tradition

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CHC CANADA 150 FOOD BLOG CHALLENGE

Prelude:  I am a proud Canadian. When the Culinary Historians of Canada invited food bloggers to participate in the “CHC Canada 150 Food Blog Challenge”, I knew that I wanted in! What a great way to celebrate and honour Canada’s 150th birthday by featuring a different Canadian dish or discussing a topic which reflects on what it means to be Canadian.  For March, the topic is maple.  For that reason, I am pleased to present:  Maple – A Timeless Canadian Tradition.

I was excited to learn that this month’s challenge is maple, a favourite in both sweet and savoury recipes. Even before I began my research for this article, I was very much aware that maple has evolved from its humble beginnings as a natural sweetener. Maple syrup is one of Canada’s quintessential food products.

Skip to Maple Butter Tart Recipe

I sometimes think that we, as Canadians, take maple syrup for granted – it is not just for pancakes and waffles. We have what the rest of the world wishes they could access as easily as we can. Many of my international colleagues have Canadian maple syrup on the top of their shopping list whenever they come to Canada.

Maple Butter Tartlet with Pecans | urbnspice.com

The Ultimate Canadian Maple Butter Tart

Maple Syrup is uniquely Canadian with 80% of the world’s production coming from Canada and 91% of our domestic production originating in Quebec.  My research indicates that in 2015, Canada had an annual maple syrup production of 8,908,000 gallons, generating revenue of $358 million CDN.

Canada’s maple syrup has health benefits that far exceed any other natural sweetener. It has over 60 anti-oxidants and minerals including calcium, copper, manganese, potassium, zinc and sodium, which offer a number of health-related benefits.

Why is maple syrup so timeless in its uses and its benefits? As a chef who works in recipe development on a daily basis, I have noted that the use of maple syrup has evolved into an important lifestyle and culinary movement – essentially the elimination of white and brown sugar and the reintroduction of natural unprocessed sugars such as honey and maple syrup. These ingredients are being substituted for granulated sugar in home kitchens as well as commercial kitchens. Canada’s Maple syrup has specific health benefits, which makes it a superior alternative to sugar. (See the topic Maple Syrup Substitution in Recipes below).

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