My Newfie Kitchen

Recipes that the movie inspired

2012-01-27T19:56:00.002-05:00

I just finished posting over on my movie challenge blog, about what the movie Elvira Mistress of the Dark had inspired in me to cook.

I had planned on adding the recipes here to this blog, but after spending over a half hour posting it once, I'm just going to take the lazy way out and link to the post.

The post link

Till next time

Food and Movies

2011-12-11T11:28:00.001-05:00

Last week, after watching the movie Julie/Julia for the millionth time, I decided to challenge myself to watching one movie a day for a year.
I'm a week into the challenge.

Two of the films I decided to watch have been Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and Tortilla Soup.
Neither of which I had seen before.

{Julie/Julia of course was day one, TSoup is day five and CWACOMeatballs is day seven.}

bLOG Errors Run wild

2011-11-25T21:46:00.001-05:00

Do not adjust your computer, there is something odd happening with the blog.

The last post was here few weeks ago then disappeared and reappeared and was not the edit that it was suppose to be. Don't know what's going on, but ... hey that's life I suppose

XXXOOO My Newfie Kitchen

Fall Back Man

2011-11-06T10:40:00.000-05:00

Wow! Time flies Eh?

I picked up a few cookbooks in the last couple of months, { Chef Michael Smith's Kitchen, Joy of Cooking.} and have been randomly trying things. I find myself coming back to the Joy of Cooking book more and more.

Risotto.
Dude, it's kicking my ass. I know it's like one of the easiest things to do right. It would seem I'm getting stupider or something with my cooking ability.

I had gone on a short trip the other month, and was planning on blogging about the places I ate and and showing off the fabulous meals I had. Only, I took the photos with my cell phone and when I tried to transfer them to the computer... NOT COMPATIBLE ERROR
So, I suck with cameras and such.

With my cooking, I try something and work on it for about four days till I either get it right or it gets the submission on me. I'm giving the risotto another rematch but I've tapped out to the cell phone photos.
Which is a shame, because I wanted to share the size and fabulousness of the fettuccine and sauted mushrooms that I ate more then once when I was on my trip.

If you've been hanging out at all on my main blog lately, then you know I've been just soaking up the Free Preview of the Food Network Canada, and catching as many episodes of Worst Cooks in America online.
Talked over on that blog a bit about what shows I'm digging, the conversations they've started, and some food fears.

But my version of risotto...I was trying a sweet version with apples and apple juice and screwed up.

A food thought

2011-07-26T10:29:00.002-04:00

I'm reading Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain and a thought came to me.   Why am I not doing this?
Food/Travel writing?

I put the book down, went made a cup of tea and played an entire conversation over in my mind while I did. Telling myself on one hand that I've managed to write on so many other levels, then pointing out to myself on the other hand that I do not have a background in the culinary arts. I don't even eat meat. How could I possibly be a real food writer? And where would I possibly get money to travel around eating my way through cities?

This was about three days ago I had this internal conversation.   I'm in the last chapter of the book right now, and something else sprang into my mind.
I went out for brunch with my sister and brother in law couple of days ago, and I got told to shut up about two hours afterwards. I was still talking about the food.
It wasn't even a fancy place, just the local family restaurant down the street. A building that has seen more then it's fair share of owners, had it's name changed close to twelve times in under 25 years, has it's staff for only three months at a time during summers or the school year.
The thought I had about the place was I did not even think to write about it.   Not when I was there. Not for the few hours afterwards that my sister got tired of listening to me about the sea salt on the fries. Did not even consider the idea about writing about it until now. Three days later.

Just something to think about.

july 9th 2011

2011-07-09T16:44:00.000-04:00

My Money In the Bank Mac Casserole

Didn't work.

I was sitting here watching wrestling, thinking about what to make for supper, if I should make my hashbrown casserole or one of my mac/cheese dishes?
And had the genuis idea to make a variation of the two. The hasbrown casserole but with pasta instead of the diced hashbrowns.
Which, seemed like the most smashing idea while I was sitting here watching Smackdown, and the announcers were talking about the payperview next week -Money in the Bank- and it still seemed like a great idea when I was mixing it all up, smelled awesome as it cooked.
Then I took it out of the oven, and it looked good still. But, it ended up being too mushy. Like falling off the ladder into the crowd.

Just a bad idea.

And now, I have half a dish of it still and will have to figure out something for it tomrrow, because it's just too much to toss out.
So tomorrow, the rematch. How will I fix the dish?

Love's Kitchen (2011)

2011-07-07T20:49:00.002-04:00

Plot: A chef who's lost his desire to cook is given a second chance to prove himself three years after his wife's death. After a bad review that he becomes self aware and starts over in a little country Inn. Little does he know his new girlfriend is the critic who wrote the damaging review.

The selling point of this film was that Gordon Ramsey is in it. For like three minutes bookending the story.
I'm guessing this was a made for tv movie? It sure had that feel to it.

It was a sweet film, with the food scenes done to make you melt. But the story itself was a little thin. I was reminded a lot of the film Rare Birds which also had a small town chef starting over.

Rent this one, do not buy.

Bitter Feast -dvd

2011-06-21T11:53:00.000-04:00

Plot: A blogging food critic gives such a bad review that he puts a star chef out of work. The chef who feels his life is over, kidnaps the blogger and forces him to make variations of the items he talked about in his blog. If he fails, he dies.

I am not sure how I feel about this movie.
It is in the tradition of classic horror films, with a heavy set of plot and characters before the violence sets in. Which is always a bonus in my book. I had not heard anything about this film til I spotted it at the blockbuster few days ago. I was flying blind on it and wasn't too sure I should even buy it. (yes it was for buy only)
Right off you get an understanding for the two leads, and find yourself for the first half cheering on the chef. Around the turning point of the film (the last 40 minutes) it starts to resemble a higher class of slasher film.

Throughout the movie, there are these gorgeous shots of food being prepared that seem to be almost poetry on the screen; then are balanced out with the brutality of the horror elements.

Little hard to sit through, but worth it. I have to say, for myself, one of the reasons it was difficult to sit through had to do with the fact the critic is a writer who has hit rock bottom; that for me hit little too close to home.

A Philly Moment

2011-05-07T09:56:00.000-04:00

I know many of you have joined the race to be part of the Real Women of Philadelphia contest. Good luck to each and all who have entered.
I'm kicking around over there on the community, but I can not enter. (If you wish to friend me on there, poke me in the tummy, or just share some links you can locate me under the name Domestic Damned)

So I thought I would share my favourite Philly cream cheese cheat. Yes, I call it a cheat. Why, because it's a too simple recipe for cucumber sandwiches.

I used Italian bread, and the Philadelphia Herb and Garlic cream cheese, sliced cucumbers.
Honestly, it's the easiest thing to create. Simple, fast, and a perfect for when you get company last minute.

I'm sure some of you are more skilled at making things look pretty compared to me. But if you like cucumber tea sandwiches, you have to try it.

Sidenote, I just got my hands on a copy of As Always, Julia The Letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto Food Friendship and the Making of a Masterpiece by Joan Reardon

You know the book that was inspired by all the letters in the movie Julie/Julia.

Though, I have no idea when I will have the chance to read it. I might try sneaking in bits and pieces between the books I do for review.

The weekend update

2011-05-07T09:37:00.000-04:00

Okay my Spudguns.
You remember last week I mentioned having bought that package of tofu noodles. Well, I finally had a chance to try them yesterday. Here's the thing. When I was at the grocery few days ago, I asked one of the staff if anyone had tried them. He said he had and that they worked better with a broth and not a sauce. So, going on his advice, I made a veggie broth for it. And the second the noodles hit the broth, the broth turned green. GREEN! I don't know if you can see it proper in this photo, but there is a greenish-blue liquid in the bottom of the bowl. GREEN!

Another recipe I decided to pull out of retirement, was veggie burgers with eggplant. I've made this before and it's been beauty. If you slice the eggplant into thicker pieces, and then fry them up in oil with garlic, onion and mushrooms, they can take on a beefy taste. I normally like this version of a burger better then the portabello tops one. Normally. When I remember to use the right oil which is olive oil - this time I screwed up and used canola oil- and I forgot the mushrooms. So this time around they just ended up being bland eggplant.

Splat!

2011-05-04T12:16:00.000-04:00

I just posted this on my main blog {www.domesticanddamned.com} but since it's a kitchen thing...

As you can see, cream of mushroom soup went everywhere. This is what I get for multitasking.
I was cooking, watching wrestling and this was on the weekend when I was distracted in general.

Oh and this is not my kitchen either. It's mom's. What you see is only part of the mess. It was gross. Took awhile to mop it all up too.

Note to self, when using heavy machinery such as a can opener, make sure that there are no tag team matches on tv.

New product

2011-04-30T21:53:00.000-04:00

Tofu pasta. I can't believe it either. So I had to buy it. I have not tried it yet, the package is still sitting in my mother's fridge where I stupidly forgot it. So it's on the menu for tomorrow.
Seriously, I was in the grocery hanging around the produce area which has become like a bar to me. I'll explain later. And spotted this next to the veggie burgers. I was strangely drawn to it. Weirded out slightly but drawn to it none the less.

And get this, this package was only $1.89 Canadian. Beauty. We'll find out tomorrow if it was worth all that.

That's a Quiche?

2011-04-20T09:34:00.000-04:00

Few days ago, I bumped into my sister's friend as I was going to the grocery. We started talking as we both went around the place getting our items. This caused me to not pay attention to what I was picking up and I bought the wrong pie shell. I picked up one with lard and not vegetable oil.
Never noticed what I had done till it was too late.
Teach me to shop by myself won't it.

So yesterday, I was thinking, if I replaced the pie crust with a breadcrumb base would it still be considered a Quiche? I thought about this for a few hours, wondering if it would just be a casserole then, and decided I was going to try making a Quiche but with just a bread bottom. Not even as crumbs but just cubed bread, almost like a baked bread pudding.

It was tasty, looked like a Quiche, but can it still be classed as one?

Food Trends

2011-04-16T18:38:00.000-04:00

I'm seeing almost every cooking/food show lately centering around food trucks. It seems they are everywhere... but here.
I've only seen street carts in my city outside of the bars in the summer at closing time and outside of Canadian Tire during the weekends.

What is it about the whole idea that seems to have missed Thunder Bay?

Confessions of a former HamburgerJunkie

2011-04-16T11:35:00.000-04:00

This is a title I have used in the past for other blogs. One was a spiritual blog, the one before that actually was a news/fashion blog.
Nether blog did very well. But it's a title I hold true to my heart.

Being a vegetarian makes it difficult at times to get enough protein. Which is why the soya replacement products are a good idea.
The real down side to the soya replacement products (veggie dogs, veggie burgers etc) is the weight and the cost.
Our local grocery just had a massive two for one sale on a major line of the veggie soya replacement products. And I bought alot of them. Most of which is still sitting in my mother's deep freeze because I don't have room for them in my own apartment's tiny fridge. The rest, I've been eating nearly non stop for the last two weeks.

I've gained more weight then I was planning on. Other health issues keep me from being able to work out properly. (car crash + collapsed lung = breathing issues)

I'm thinking I need to do a bit of an overhaul with my cooking.
Trust me this is not a surprise. Nor will this become any kind of "diet" blog, as I just do not believe in diets.
I do believe in changing attitudes and how you look at things.

When I started this blog few years ago, my original plan was to take traditional Newfoundland foods and make then in a vegetarian way. Cutting out the fish/meat etc. The results as you've seen have been more failures then successes. Newfoundland cooking is just not vegetarian/vegan friendly. Which I learned the hard way.
I also thought it would bring me closer to my family, but it's proven to push even farther away.

I'm still trying to find that perfect cookbook. One that will spark something in me the way Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking vol 1 did for Julie Powell.

What I think I learned from....

2011-03-25T10:08:00.000-04:00

reading The Man Who Ate The World by Jay Rayner.

I mentioned on my main blog few days ago, that I was taking a few sick days off {I still have not shaken this horrible cold I've had for over a week} of my normal book reviews, to read something for me. I chose to read a book that I bought awhile ago that has been sitting on my coffee table taunting me { and I quote- "like an X-Division tag team" }
All I can say is I picked the right book for a little guilty pleasure.

There are moments when you are faced with addiction head on. As in his addiction to food, and even your own. Or in my case the addiction to other people's addictions.
I have to say my favourite part was when he described his lust for food blogs on the same level as porn. It was both funny and way too true for many of us.

Ironically, the whole time I was reading this, I kept thinking not just of my own food vices, but of my other main vices = books and wrestling.
There is an underling quality, which he expresses in the last two chapters, about no longer being sure he is doing what he's meant to be doing on this planet. And it just brought me back to the odd journey I myself am going on {internally speaking as I haven't been on holiday in a few years} of total uncertainty about ... well everything.

In the end, it seems Rayner found his answer. Even when you turn your lustful hobby into a passionate career, you can suffer burn out. It's only when you admit even on the worst days you still are willing to do it because it's such a natural part of you, that you're truly on the right track.

I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason when it happens to whom it happens to. And that books and other such media find you when you are ready to listen.

I haven't the scope to compliment the actual food descriptions he has written about, only to say that this book is for reading with lunch.

Did you see the Promo for Iron Chef?

2011-03-17T08:55:00.000-04:00

I was just checking out stuff on Food Network Canada, and caught the promo for the show this coming Sunday, and got very excited when I saw there was an embed code. So, just helping to spread the word.

Why do you cook?

2011-03-05T10:07:00.000-05:00

Everyone has to eat. But not everyone has to learn to cook.

I know there are a few Spudguns (my blog readers/fans), out there who read some of my other blogs, but for those who are just foodies and maybe stumbled upon this here blog, I want to share.

For those who are loyal Spudguns you can just skip to the QandA part of the post which is ....Why did you decide to get into cooking?

I've actually been trying to figure that out for myself.
I think it just boils down to the fact I love to eat. And I love to create stuff. If you've been reading my other internet stuff, then you know I'm sort of going through a Julie/Julia stage right now. Trying a few hobbies on for size and seeing what fits. I keep coming back to cooking.

Sidenote* I finally got around to doing some form of review on the Jamie Oliver cookbook -Jamie's America - a few of you have commented on the other site and you know where I'm headed here. I'm not even going to bother linking it, as it was a disappointment.

And in other news... Looking extremely forward to Top Chef Canada! which is set to start airing next month on the Food Network Canada. Hopefully they will post it online for TC junkies worldwide.

Mushroom Burgers

2011-02-04T19:47:00.000-05:00

I've mentioned on here while ago about getting a few cookbooks for review.
One of the books happens to be 100 Recipes Every Woman Should Know by the editors at Glamour Magazine.
I tried a variation of their mushroom burger.

Meatless Monday Portobello Burger as found on page 187

1 garlic clove
2 ounces roasted red peppers from jar drained
1/2 c mayo
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 c freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing
Four 4 inch diameter portobello caps
Four 1/4 inch thick slices red onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 thick slices good Italian bread
4 loosely packed cups baby arugula

In blender puree garlic, red pepper, mayo, mustard, lemon juice, cayenne, and cheese until smooth. Add 1/4 c olive oil until blended and thick set aside.

Preheat broiler. line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil. Arrange mushrooms on baking sheet side by side with onion. Brush top with rest of olive oil and use salt and pepper.
Broil for 10 minutes until tender and lightly charred in spots.

Lightly brush the bread slices on one side only with the rest of the olive oil, then broil, without turning, about 1 minute until lightly golden on the oiled sides.

Arrange the bread on work surface, top with the mushrooms, onion, arugula, spread the roasted red pepper sauce on the top slices of bread.

serves 4

My version:
Well, for me that's just too spicy. I simply used the oil, mayo and mustard.
I also had a flat style bun instead of the bread.

I also have to say, that our local store here packages the mushroom caps in twos. At at $4.79 a package, this is not something I would be making too often.

Personally, I find that doing mushroom burgers are better on an outdoor grill during BBQ season.
I much prefer to do eggplant as a burger paddy replacement when doing veggie burger items on a stove.

You can catch what else I had to say about the cookbook here on my book blog

My Thoughts on the Book....

2011-02-04T10:13:00.000-05:00

Cleaving by Julie Powell.
I finished reading it last night. And have posted it to my book club blog. Which you can check out here

Let me know what you think of it, if you read it or if you are going to read it.

I liked this book. Not as much as the first one -Julie/Julia- but I did like this book.

It surprised me on a few levels, one of which was the stark honesty of the butchery scenes and how the author translates those scenes into her emotions. Or I should say, how she translates and connects her emotions to the slicing of the meat.

Homemade slaw

2011-01-27T18:49:00.000-05:00

1 large carrot
1/4 red cabbage
3 tablespoons mayo
3 tablespoons sauerkraut

Julienne the carrot and shred the cabbage, mix all together

This can be made for under $13

The cook books arrived

2011-01-23T15:57:00.000-05:00

About two months ago, I made a complaint about how I do reviews for 5 different publishers, but yet no one had sent me any cook books in the year and a half I'd been doing this.
Then I was given a chance to have a couple of cook books. I was just glowing happy. One, because I love cook books in general, and two, because it would give me a much needed break from the constant reading of regular books which leaves me with massive eyestrain and headaches after a few days.

I knew I was getting one of the Jamie Oliver books. Double joy on this news. The books were sent out the week of Christmas and only got here two days ago. Yeah, it took over 3 weeks for the books to come from the U.S.A. over the border to Canada. And let me tell you, they didn't have a happy journey as the packaging was half gone and the bottom of the books were bent in.

I'm a vegetarian, and over 80% of the books are meat dishes, so I took the books with me to mom's. The plan is to next weekend, pick out a couple of recipes from each book, make them and see how they fair. In the meantime, I have to finish reading another Jane Austen sequel that's due for Friday.

But, I'm going by the reaction mom had to the two cook books in question, that the Jamie Oliver book won't be as much a hit. Which is sad cause we're both big fans of his other works.

Gibby's pasta and cheese

2011-01-09T17:44:00.000-05:00

2 c shell shaped pasta
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon table pepper
1 c bread crumbs (I used Tostitos Whole Grain Scoops just crushed)
1 c milk
2 c shredded cheese (I used old cheddar and mozzarella)

*Cook pasta shells as you normally would, then drain and place in pan.
*Sprinkle garlic and pepper, toss, add milk and bake for 10 minutes at 350degrees (depending on your oven)
*Add cheese, toss and bake for 10 minutes at same temp
*Add crumbs on top and continue to bake for another 10 minutes

If you are using regular bread crumbs, you may need to add salt to the mix, but I found the Tostitos were plenty salt(y) enough for my taste.

That doesn't look right

2011-01-07T16:28:00.000-05:00

Photo by Kimberly Hulst/hcvp '2010

This is why I do not bake. I made a lemon cake the other day with a lemon butter frosting. And well... I never said my food was pretty.
I'm also not a baker at all. Try as I might, I just could not get the frosting even, it kept falling off and leaving empty spots on the cake.

Lemon cake:
1 c sugar
1/2 c margarine or butter
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 c milk
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 c flour
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 lemons juiced and zested

Mix all
bake in a greased pan for 1 hour at 350 degrees

Frosting:
1/2 c butter
1 c icing sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
4 tablespoon lemon juice

Mix well with electric mixer for about five minutes

New Year, New Food Challenges

2011-01-04T20:43:00.000-05:00

Last year, I had promised a few recipes that I just never got around to. (nor did I ever end up finishing reading that book Cleaving by Julie Powell, but I will...)

I've become addicted to Top Chef in the past month, and there was one particular challenge that they had to do. The Vending Machine challenge.
The chefs had to make a fabulous meal with only what they could find in a vending machine and gas station corner store. (actually it was two challenges)
I posted on my main blog the other week about it. I'm very much thinking about trying to do this challenge.

I'm not giving a date on this, just sometime in the up coming year.

With the ice rink that this city had become and will stay covered in until March, I won't be getting out much at all. Which will be leaving grocery shopping in general pretty slim. It's a good thing I still have that 1kg of Silly Circles cereal Eh?.... I also have a storage bin of ramen noodles. The trick is figuring out how to make those things interesting. Just not together. No, that would be bad.

Okay my Spudguns, has anyone else become addicted enough to the Top Chef shows, to actually try any of their challenges at home?

Ramen Recipes

2011-01-04T20:34:00.000-05:00

I had been doing another blog. It was successful for what it was, but it put too much pressure on me.
The original theme was a food blog -soap opera. I ended up dropping it but... here are a few of the ramen recipes I had posted on there.

Ramen #7 (originally posted on Friday April 30th 2010 on The Year I Lived Off Of Ramen Noodles)

2 cups water
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1 cup frozen vegetables (broccoli, onion, green beans, red peppers, mushroom)
1 serving of noodles
1 teaspoon of minced garlic
parsley
a half can of baby corn

Boil water, add frozen vegetables, add noodles, stir.
Add garlic, parsley and bouillon cube. Stir.
Drain baby corn then add just as you are turning off the heat. Stir and let sit for about 5 minutes. Should serve 3.

I got the noodles in bulk at the Dollar Store. What at first looked like two servings of noodles, turned out to actually be 8. Which made it even better for the money. One package was only $1, and because it looked to be only two servings per package, I picked up three packages. So for $3 I got my money's worth.

Homemade Ramen (Originally posted on March 15th 2010 on The Year I Lived Off Of Ramen Noodles)

Photo by ME copyright hcvp'2010

You read the last post that my oven is dead.
There is one small working burner at this time.

Just enough for me to make a pot of something.

I went out to the grocery yesterday and bought a bag of noodles. Last night I made a small pot of homemade ramen.

3 cup water
1 medium onion sliced
1 cup frozen mixed veggies (carrots, celery, onion, red peppers)
1/2 cup frozen carrot coins
1/2 frozen Asian mixed veggies (broccoli, green beans, onion, mushroom)
pinch of dried oregano
pinch of salt
3 whole black peppercorns
pinch of red pepper flakes
pinch of marjoram
1 vegetable broth cube
2 handfuls of steamed broadcut noodles

Boil all ingredients EXCEPT the noodles for 20 minutes. Add extra water if needed, stirring every few minutes. Then add dry noodles. Stir turn off heat and serve.
This severs three.

Food Inc -dvd

2010-12-17T09:58:00.000-05:00

This is a documentary that sort of opens up a few facts that have been hidden from the general public. And that is how much of the food we eat is

Controlled by the same four companies
The way the animals are raised and slaughtered
The main ingredient in 90% of what we buy food and otherwise

Did you know that the same item that is used to make diapers is what is found in pop, syrup, and also fed to the livestock? I had no idea till I saw the film. And it's simply corn. Corn. I knew that corn was used as the main thing to feed animals, but was clueless that it's byproducts were used so widely.

The tagline for this documentary is "You'll never look at dinner the same way again" And it's very true. I've been a vegetarian now coming up 10 years, and seeing this film has made me even scared to eat anything.

The main subplot of this is that we need to get more involved with what it is we are eating. The school system needs to really start to rethink what they allow in grade schools for meals. And of course, we all need to support the organic food suppliers but buying at local farmers markets and growing our own gardens when/where we can.

This is not for the faint of heart, as they actually show footage of chickens and pigs being slaughtered.

Soul Kitchen - DVD review

2010-12-15T16:45:00.000-05:00

Plot: Zinos owns a small diner that serves nothing but deep fried frozen foods. A real estate agent wants the land for development, his staff haven't been paid in a while, and the tax man is after him. Meanwhile, his brother who is a con-man with a gambling debt comes to work for him, just as Zino's girlfriend dumps him. Can he survive the next two months or will he loose everything and everyone he's worked the last few years to call his own?

This is a brilliant German film. (I had a subtitled version.) It's a comedy and a drama all rolled into one and somehow manages to hit the right notes at the right time while still keeping it's balance.

There isn't alot of food in this foodie movie, but it does center around the diner itself. Udo Kier has a small two minute cameo in this film, (who is usually known as a horror film icon) that adds a touch of solidness to what at times is just a light hearted display of fun.

There is a scene where the chef makes a love potion and serves it to a packed house while a rock band is playing, giving everything to the Dionysian vibe. And having the lead actor look like a sloppy Jim Morrison really adds a punch to the movie's title of the borrowed song Soul Kitchen. You're constantly reminded that food and music go hand in hand as both feed the senses and the ... well soul.

Again, I have to say there is a sense of balance in this film which plays up the opposites between Zinos and his brother Illias. Zinos for all his failures at the beginning is the responsible one (ironically the comedy element) where as his brother is the screw-up (ironically the dramatic element) who thinks he's got everything under control when he really does not.
We see an evolution with a few of the main characters, Zinos obviously being the one with the largest arch. The montage of his cooking skills comes right back to a basic thought, follow your heart, dedicate yourself to your passions, and of course anyone can cook.

I would have liked to have seen a few more food scenes, but all in all, this is one to rent on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Ratatouille- Movie

2010-12-10T11:00:00.000-05:00

I put a link out on my Twitter (coffinscookies) the other week to my last post about foodie movies, and ironically Chef Michael Smith (Chef at Large, Chef at Home) put up a Twitter saying Ratatouille was one of the best foodie movies he'd ever seen. I became obsessed for the last week trying to get my hands on a copy. I admit, I had originally stayed away from it because it was a "kid's movie", but beyond glad that I took his advice and found a copy at the rental place.

The message is simple, anyone can cook. Which is true, just look at me. With it being a Disney film, I was thinking for sure I would cry, but I found myself laughing the whole time and craving vegetarian stew.

Food in movies, seems to flow with the theme of self discovery, and this is no different. The subplot deals with a guy who just learns who he really is and what is expected of him, giving him for the first time not just a passion for something but an identity. (which was the main theme in Julie/Julia, Ramen Girl)
This is one that I am going to have to add to my movie collection.

Tuesday Morning Thinking of Food

2010-12-10T10:39:00.000-05:00

This was originally posted on my main blog on Nov 16th 2010 So don't worry, I haven't lost my mind completely yet and mixed up my days of the week. Yet. but I did realize I had forgotten to add it here to my list I've been trying to create of foodie movies/food in the movies posts.

Taking a short break this morning from the book reviews cause I'm getting a headache, and have Julie/Julia in the dvd player. It's got me thinking, about a few foodie movies that are on my can't wait list.

One is Soul Kitchen which I believe gets a Canadian dvd release next month. It's a subtitled film about a guy who's cafe is going downhill till he hires a prize winning chef. I saw a trailer for it months ago and have been waiting as impatiently as I can for it to be released here.

Today's Special was just released in the cinema this week. Of course, it's not scheduled for my city cause Thunder Bay sucks. But it's on my can't wait list. When I first saw the poster for this one few months ago, I wasn't too sure about it, as it's about an East Indian chef, and after having been greatly disappointed by another East Indian foodie film Cooking with Stella; well the trailer for Today's Special changed my mind. It's suppose to be about a sous chef who has to return to his family diner and take over the business.

The last foodie movie on my can't wait list is a documentary called Kings of Pastry which also was just released in Canada about a month ago, which once again did not come here and I have to wait for the dvd. My city sucks I know. But it's a documentary on the pastry masters competition.

They all look yummy and I can't wait....

Thursday Morning and ....

2010-12-02T10:37:00.000-05:00

Yeah I have no idea what I was thinking. I went grocery shopping yesterday with mom, Ninja and Uncle and that should say everything right there. Ended up in the cereal row, which by the by is a rare thing for me. Specially since they stopped selling Count Chocula here. Anyways, I wanted something sweet and it would have made too much sense to go to the bakery or to the cookie row. I start looking for Fruity-O's (generic Fruit Loops) and I can not find them anywhere. I am about to give up when, no word of a lie, this old guy smacks his cart into the bagged cereal. This fell to the floor.

I started laughing. Dude, you know I did. Poor old guy standing there looking at me cause I'm laughing like a lunatic. So I bought it. Look at the size of this thing, it's sitting on my computer chair. The cereal takes up a chair! Good god man that will take me all winter to get through.
Suppose I could always invite a certain wrestler over .... sorry I had to it was a ready made joke man.

An Interview

2010-10-12T22:42:00.000-04:00

Hey guys, a few months back I was lucky enough to do an interview with Food Writer Suzie Ridler, aka Suzie the Foodie.
You can read that here

Homemade nacho chips

2010-10-06T09:54:00.000-04:00

Originally posted on my main blog Domestic and Damned on Oct 6th 2010

I very happily found a few episodes of Iron Chef American on youtube the other day. One of the things that they did (it was Cat Cora who made it on Battle Cheddar) was a homemade cracker using wonton wraps, chocolate and cumin. She served it with a cheddar for a simple cheese and crackers.

It seemed perfectly easy. You know what, it sort of was. Only I had bought eggroll wraps instead of wonton ones thinking there wasn't a massive difference, and lacking a pastry/bbq brush, I simply used a knife to drip the melted chocolate on. and well anyone who's ever used cumin knows it smells like BO. So stinky bitter crackers that tasted less bitter with large slices of old cheddar.
So here's me thinking, let's replace the cumin with cinnamon for a sweet instead of savory flavour. Only I still did not have a pastry/bbq brush and had to remelt the chocolate as it hardened slightly. It still came out bitter. Mom actually tried the cinnamon ones.
I had sliced all the eggroll wraps already, so I just stuck the next handful in the oven without anything on them. They turned out much better.

Mom agreed they needed something. The rest of the package I took to mom's, found her pastry/bbq brush and added oil and salt and pepper.
Lovely! Just lovely!

Ingredients : 1 package eggroll wraps, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, pinch each salt and pepper

Cut wraps in half,
Line ungreased cookie sheet with the wraps,
Brush oil over each,
Sprinkle salt and pepper over tray,
Bake at 350degrees for roughly 7minutes depending on your oven.

I plan on buying a package of wonton wraps today and trying them to see if there is a difference in taste or cooking time.

My Life in France- by Julia Child

2010-09-23T18:31:00.000-04:00

I bought this book last November. Every time I picked it up to read it, I was overloaded with books for review (I have a whopping 8 to still review before the first of December!) I finally decided to just add it to my book club list and spent the last week reading it (when I should have been reading books for review)

My book club will be meeting on the weekend, but I thought I would talk about it a bit here now. While it's fresh in my mind.

I understand why they decided to make this into a movie, her life was just amazing in every turn. Though I did think she spent too much time on the first half of things and not enough on the later half of her cooking life, (but it was about her start in cooking so it makes perfect sense)

From her friendship/partnership with Simone Beck, to her partnership with her husband, their research and dedication to creating the perfect cookbook took them close to 12 years. The ups and downs of such a project would be more then I think I could handle.

Almost every page is a listed with menu items that she adored. I can not tell you how many times in the last week that I got it into my head I wanted something from the pages (to the point I invaded my mom's kitchen two days ago and made a creamed potato soup from scratch)
Those of us who do not speak french it did get bogged down at times when she would list off recipes without a translation. I can also see why with her energetic flavour for things when she describes the recipes; she inspired so many to become cooks. I found myself scrambling online for episodes of her show to see a few of the recipes first hand.

I, as you can see from the photo, have the movie tie in version, that does not have the photos and extra indexes that the original printing is suppose to contain.

I am now on the hunt for a copies of her cookbooks.

Cooking with Stella -review

2010-07-08T20:19:00.000-04:00

Cooking with Stella

I was thinking, Don McKellar and food how can you go wrong. There was even a small nod in once scene to his character of Curtis from Twitch City by having him flipping channels watching tv on the sofa, so I thought I was in movie heaven.

But I was wrong.

This film starts off strong, setting up what looks like a journey of food and self but once you hit the second act it becomes weighed down with a teenaged love story between the nanny and the cook's god-son. Then act three turns political.

Plot: Micheal and his wife are moved to India as diplomats, while his wife works he stays home with the baby. Being a chef in Canada gave him a purpose, now he's not even having fun in his own kitchen until the house cook starts giving him lessons in Indian cooking. Soon things start to disappear from their rooms, as a new nanny is hired and Stella's family members start showing up. Before long, Stella is missing too.

I thought act one was brilliant but quickly lost interest as the movie turned directions. This one hit a sour note with me.

I made eggs

2010-06-08T12:05:00.004-04:00

Photos by me copyright 'hcvp 2010

I was hanging around Facebook few weeks ago, and Suzie the Foodie had talked about poached eggs.

I'd never tried making it before. It sounded heavy duty. But, as this is a year I have set to face some fears, I got the guts to try.

It left my pan in an odd mess, as the process is not pretty. At lest not in my kitchen it wasn't. Yes, I made them in the frypan filled with water.
This by the by was about three weeks ago, I just haven't had the time to work on this blog as of late.

(yes I was reading Jane Slayre in the kitchen)

Vegan Pumpkin Cake

2010-04-19T10:54:00.001-04:00

1 can pumpkin
2 cups oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour
1/3 cup water

Mix well. Put into greased or oiled cake pan and cook for 1 hour on 300, depending on your oven.

Meatless Meatloaf #1

2010-04-18T22:52:00.004-04:00

Photo copyright hcvp'2010

1 package Yves Italian Veggie Ground Round (soy replacement product)
1 egg
2 cups ketchup
2 slices bread crumbled (or 3 cups of premade bread crumbs)
1 cup shredded cheese

Mix all together and form into loaf. Bake at 300 for about 45 minutes depending on your oven.

The Italian veggie replacement is a spicy one so no extra spices are needed.

Note, there was no way to make it pretty at all. Ugly food but tastes great

Saturday... what's for supper?

2010-04-17T14:16:00.000-04:00

Well, it was suppose to be a meatless meatloaf (soy product replacement) but I don't have any ketchup.
I bought it, when I was out with mom, helped her carry her bags home, and left it and a few other things at her place.
Seriously, I believe my brain would fall out of my skull if my ears were any bigger.
It would have been nice to get some photos up on here again, as I haven't added any as of late.

Still haven't finished reading Cleaving. I should have had that book done in under three days, but I can't tell you what's been wrong with me lately. I just can't seem to get into reading at the moment.
Between the doctors appointments I've had this week and general housework, the only blogging I've done has been my wrestling stuff.

I'm going to have to start scheduling when I work on each blog.
Okay, so the update is this, I messed up on the planning for supper (which was to be the big blog post this week for here) and am still only on chapter 8 of Cleaving.

Tomorrow the meatless meatloaf success or fail with photos. No excuses.

Grandma Perry's Banana Bread

2010-04-08T19:30:00.002-04:00

1 and 3/4 cup flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 beaten eggs
2 bananas mashed

Bake for 50 minutes at 350

Pasta with Eggplant

2010-03-30T15:34:00.000-04:00

1 eggplant sliced
1 clove garlic (or 1 tablespoon minced)
1 large white mushroom sliced
1/2 can of diced tomatoes
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup cheese
black table pepper
basil
pasta

In a fry pan heat oil, add garlic, mushroom and eggplant. Saute on medium heat for 10 minutes turning the eggplant every couple of minutes.
Add the diced tomatoes with liquid, let simmer for 5 minutes then add half of the cheese.   Remove from heat.
Prepare pasta, drain, and add to eggplant, stir and turn heat back on low.   Add rest of the cheese, basil and pepper for taste.   Once all the cheese has melted and most of the liquid cooked, remove from heat and serve.

Do I need a kitchen exorcist?

2010-03-28T21:27:00.003-04:00

I made the Chick Pea Curry again for dinner tonight. It did not turn out. This time I had the cumin but it just tasted salty. Never added any salt so have no idea what went wrong there.

Made cupcakes about an hour ago. They never rose and just ended up burnt. This is the first time since the oven was fixed that I tried baking, so I'm thinking I might just need to adjust the temp on the recipes from now on.

But two things in one day that just did not turn out. Do I need to sprinkle some salt and extra virgin olive oil (sacrifice in the kitchen) around and invoke the spirit of Julia Childs or something?

Brutal Erotic

2010-03-28T09:59:00.004-04:00

Not what you are thinking.

I'm reading Cleaving a Story of Marriage Meat and Obsession by Julie Powell, and it's well, not what I was expecting.

I knew as a vegetarian, I would find it a hard read as it is about her time as a butcher's assistant. I was prepared for that, for the blood and guts of it.
I wasn't prepared for how she makes it sound more poetic and sensual then just tearing steaks from the bone.

I'm only three chapters into it at this point, but it's one I am having to say will make you think about your place in life. I'll have a review in a few days when I'm done reading it.

There is a table cloth in here somewhere

2010-03-20T17:53:00.003-04:00

Only, I can't find it.

Back nearly 13 years ago, my Grandmother, who swore by table cloths, helped me sew one. Black and purple for a Hallowe'en dinner.
Now, I can't find what I did with it. It's one of the last projects Grandma did before her death.

I made Chick Pea Curry last night for dinner, and it turned out okay for a first try.
Heated up what was left for dinner, and made a Vegan Chocolate Cake and Vegan Frosting. Again, not bad for a first try. But not great.

But what I am wanting to know is, aprons, table cloths and toaster covers etc.
Yay or Nay?

Episode #4 of My Newfie Kitchen

2010-03-18T08:58:00.035-04:00

While my oven is still broken, I went to mom's and we made bread. First try, and here is the comedy routine that it turned out to be.

That's what makes life what it is; food, laughter and bad camera work.

MNK Video #3- Ugly Ramen

2010-03-17T20:26:00.010-04:00

While I was at mom's, I made another broth and noodles.

Colour in food is a very foreign idea to Newfies. No matter what we make, it always seems to come out transparent.

My Oven is still dead

2010-03-17T08:41:00.005-04:00

My oven died on Saturday night. It is now Wednesday morning. My oven still has not been fixed, and the landlord says it will be tomorrow still.

So I'm packing up a large tote bag of stuff, and heading to my mom's today to make bread.
It is a very long boring process, but one I remember fondly from when Grandma Perry used to make it. Every week she would spend Saturdays baking fresh bread for the week. From scratch, the old fashioned way, as she never owned a bread maker.
That's today's plan.

Food in Movies. Part One

2010-03-17T00:05:00.001-04:00

Food has been used as a metaphor and a costar thousands of times in films.

The Hours threaded together the lives of the 3 women with the use of food. More accurately eggs. As each character began their decent into their own depression, they were put in a scene where eggs were being broken. Giving the visual of how fragile the human mind can be.

The Jane Austen Book Club, used the theme of food as a comfort element. From the first book club meeting which takes place in a busy coffee shop to the community table at the end, we are shown how each character grows more relaxed with each other. Over the course of the film, the more intense the topic or atmosphere the less nutritious the food in the scene. (when they are talking about Sense and Sensibility in which Grigg and Jocelyn fight they are eating donuts, or when Prudie has to tell her mother to leave, her mother is eating brownies and ice cream)

Under the Tuscan Sun, food is used as a measure of faith and accomplishment. The lead character starts off on top of the world, with her homemade brownies being used to show her pride and ego. As the story progresses, she's seen loosing that sense of self (dinner with the neighbours and the bitter olives) only to regain it near the end when she feels she's finally standing on her own two feet again (the 7 course meals she makes for her construction crew).

Just a little taste of what I have been noticing in some of my favourite films.

The Herbal Tarot by Michael Tierra and Candis Cantin

2010-03-16T09:13:00.004-04:00

Photo by Kimberly Hulst

I came across this deck few years ago. I have to say, I rarely used it till now.
The interpretation of each card matched up with the many different herb/spice is both inspiring and clever.
Though I have been trying to track down a larger copy of the instruction book, as the print is so tiny it makes reading the various herb uses difficult.
This deck uses the popular Rider-Waite deck as it's main model, which is the most widely recognizable tarot deck out there.
The choice of herb/spice with each card is based on the combination of medical use for the herb, folklore and astrology match up.

This is a treat for collectors, and a great way to learn what herb/spice is each used for.

Dear MotorCityMachine Guns!

2010-03-15T23:32:00.009-04:00

You all knew it would not be long before I found a reason to talk about Mr. Shelley and Mr. Sabin on this blog too.
So this is one last effort of a desperate woman to talk to her heroes, the two sexiest men alive. Yeah I know, I can't stop making an idiot of myself, but I'm so good at it.

Cooking TV - Justin Wilson

2010-03-15T17:17:00.004-04:00

I have to say this guy was one of my favourite television chefs. This I found on youtube and I am putting it around roughly 1986 (?)

Cooking shows never go out of style.

Ramen #4

2010-03-15T14:02:00.003-04:00

Photo by Kimberly Hulst copyright hcvp'2010

You read that my oven is dead.
There is one small working burner at this time.

Just enough for me to make a pot of something.

I went out to the grocery yesterday and bought a bag of noodles. Last night I made a small pot of homemade ramen.

3 cup water
1 medium onion sliced
1 cup frozen mixed veggies (carrots, celery, onion, red peppers)
1/2 cup frozen carrot coins
1/2 frozen Asian mixed veggies (broccoli, green beans, onion, mushroom)
pinch of dried oregano
pinch of salt
3 whole black peppercorns
pinch of red pepper flakes
pinch of marjoram
1 vegetable broth cube
2 handfuls of steamed broadcut noodles

Boil all ingredients EXCEPT the noodles for 20 minutes. Add extra water if needed, stirring every few minutes. Then add dry noodles. Stir turn off heat and serve.
This severs three.

Julie/Julia -Review (book)

2010-03-15T12:07:00.005-04:00

Here is what I wrote on this book back on Aug 4th 2009 on my book blog

I picked this up Sunday night, and did not stop reading until just after 1 am this morning.

This is a semi-autobiography about a woman going through a life crisis. She's been told she may never have kids, she is unsatisfied in her job, and she just moved. She is coming unglued and finds the only thing that is keeping her together is cooking.

Julie Powell became an internet hit when it was still a new idea to blog. It ended up changing her life. What she blogged about was the year long challenge she set for herself to cook all the recipes in the first volume of Julia Childs most impressive book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. This earned Powell her first book deal and a new chance to find herself.

Her second book is due this winter and I am looking forward to seeing what she has to offer this time around.

I still love this book. There is something inspirational in her story. Something raw. I have read pieces of her blog since, and can see why she had the following of blog readers (bleeders as she calls them in her book) she does not sugarcoat anything when she writes. I admire that.
Julie Powell is the Queen Bean of food blogs, hands down. There would not be a large a following of food blogs if it was not for her.

Not going to lie, it was that book that sprang me into this blog. Like so many others who read it. Mind you, I was already blogging on other topics before reading it, but this was what made me say "hey I cook too".

When you can connect to a story, either fiction or non-fiction, is when you know you hold something on the cusp of greatness. I have been known to ask "why food?" why do we as a society do so much around food? This book can answer that.
Witty, touching, brilliant.

She started the movement of foodie bloggers and I for one am glad.

I still have to get her second book Cleaving Marriage Meat Obsession.

My Oven!

2010-03-13T17:38:00.003-05:00

I had a batch of tea buns in the oven. I was in the other room and heard what sounded like a chair being scrapped across the floor. I live alone. Running into the kitchen I saw the oven was as bright as a bon fire.
The oven is old and had no oven light at all.

Opening the door I turned off the oven. The very back of the element coil looked like a burst bubble and the screws were exposed.

Oh my god my oven exploded! The landlord is away and it will be like 3 days before I can even talk to him about it. I have no oven.

I really hate living here. I need to find a new place that I can afford.

365 Ways To Cook Hamburger

2010-03-06T12:45:00.003-05:00

I will not lie to you, for about 12 years this was one of my main cook books.
I was going through a stack of stuff to be packed into storage, and came across this book. Little dusty, little worn but still useful.
So, let's see how many recipes I can successfully take and turn into vegetarian versions?
I know the meat replacement (soy product Ground Round) is usable for so many dishes, but there are some it just does not work in.
There are about 30 meatloaf recipes in this book alone. I am sure there is a few that will work with the soy product replacement.

Okay, so keep coming back to the blog, I will have be getting started on things soon.

Coming soon

2010-03-05T22:18:00.005-05:00

I have a slow cooker. I kind of forgot I even had it. The insurance company got it for me back after the car accident, I maybe used it once.

I have to do another version of the mock seal flipper pie still, and mom pointed out I still have not tried a version of Jig's Dinner.
So they are on the menu at some point in the next few weeks.

After that, I will try a few slow cooker recipes.

The reason this blog has gotten sort of left behind (it's not the only one my book blog and my vampire movie blog has too) is
A) I've been working on my novel. I've been working now for the last two weeks with my editor on the first draft.

B) BlindTag.com is starting to take off nicely. We've gotten a bunch of new readers and now with the move of TNA Impact to Mondays it's going to be bumpy.

C) my health has been bad.

D) I've been fairly broke.

Just don't give up on me yet.

Mock Seal Flipper Pie-sort of

2010-02-27T18:15:00.003-05:00

I have been saying for two months one goal was to take a seal flipper pie recipe and make a vegetarian version.

Well today I did... sort of.

I didn't realize it was so hard to find. After no luck for either me or mom hunting through the cook books, I ended up having to go online for a copy of the recipe.
So, off to the grocery I went for ingredients. And after 2 hours... it didn't really turn out. Well, not true, it turned out...dry.
It tasted alright, as I used the Mexican flavoured Yves Ground Round (soy meat replacement)
I did not get a photo however as I made it at mom's and forgot my camera at home.

Original Seal Flipper Pie

3 seal flippers
salt pork
3 potatoes
2 carrots
3 parsnip
1/2 turnip
salt
pepper
1 onion
1 cup beef stock

Pastry topping

Remove all the fat from the flippers, reduce salt pork, fry flippers in the salt pork,
In casserole dish add stock, flipper meat, vegetables, salt and pepper cook for 2 hours at 375
add pastry topping and cook uncovered for another half hour.

Well, since I was doing a veggie version, I forgot to replace the stock. So it ended up really dry.

Mock Seal Flipper Pie

1 large carrot
1 large onion
2 large potatoes
2 parsnip
1/2 turnip
1 package Mexican Yves Ground Round
4 sheets Philo Dough

Chop turnip and carrots, boil for twenty minutes. Drain. Chop onion, add mix well. Chop potatoes and parsnip boil for twenty five minutes. Drain. Add to bowl, mix well. Add Yves Ground Round, mix well.
Layer 2 of the Philo Dough on the bottom of dish, add the mixture then layer the other 2 sheets of Philo Dough. Cook for 15 minutes on 375.

Now, as I said, it tasted okay, just abit on the dry side. I know, I had forgotten that the meat replacement does not have any fat in it at all.
I am considering this a first try. I plan on trying to make a mock seal flipper pie again soon. Next time, I will remember to add some vegetable stock and switch out the philo dough for a doughboy mix.

Book Giveaway

2010-02-22T15:02:00.004-05:00

Bit of a cheat as it has nothing to do with food, but I am still part of the book giveaway for Catherine Mckenzie's Spin.
The giveaway is being held on my book blog http://pushersink.blogspot.com Until March 1st
So if you are in Canada and would like a copy head over to that blog and leave a comment.

Whoo-Hoo! Spice girl

2010-02-17T18:41:00.005-05:00

Photo by Kimberly Hulst copyright hcvp 2010

I'm all hyper because I got my double decker spice rack today.
Early birthday gift from mom. (My birthday isn't until next month)

Photo is a little grainy as I took it with my webcam.
Now, I just need to find a spot in the kitchen for it

4 minute sauce

2010-02-13T17:30:00.003-05:00

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 an onion chopped
sprig of dried oregano
1/2 cup cheese
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
table pepper

Melt butter, add onion and oregano, stir in tomatoes and cheese, keep stirring, add dash of table pepper. Once it starts to bubble, take off of heat and continue to stir for another minute.

Pour over pasta.

But it's Bland

2010-02-03T09:39:00.003-05:00

I decided last night I wanted to make a basic veggy broth.
I added a full onion, celery, garlic, ground pepper, salt, carrots, red peppers, leek, basil, oregano, cayenne and sage.

It's still bland.

I have no idea what else to add to make the broth have taste. I really do not want to have to start over.

Domestic Goddess Kitchen Wish List

2010-02-02T11:54:00.003-05:00

I would love to have these new items for my kitchen .... when I have some extra money.

1) A steel double deck spice rack that turns

2) New oven mitts

3) New set of stainless steel pots

4) Set of black china tea cups

5) A large bat shaped cake pan for making Halloween cakes

6) A new set of measuring cups

Mushroom Gravy

2009-12-29T16:16:00.002-05:00

2 cups potato water
1 large white mushroom chopped
half onion chopped
1 tablespoon butter
2 crushed fresh oregano leaves
pinch salt
pinch black pepper
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup water

Start by putting the potato water in sauce pan with the mushroom and onion boil for 3 minutes, as it is reducing add butter until melted, then add black pepper and oregano, stir and continue to boil on low heat for another 6 minutes then add salt and flour. Keep stirring adding water. Simmer another 5 minutes.

This will be a light coloured gravy, if you wish to add browning then feel free.

Newfoundland Eggnog

2009-12-21T09:35:00.003-05:00

My Uncle owns a bar here in Thunder Bay called Newfie's Pub. There were a few times in the past when this version of eggnog was served at the bar. It took some hunting but I got the recipe.

1 bottle of screech
1 liter of fresh milk
1 tin evaporated milk
6 eggs
1/2 cup white sugar
nutmeg

Separate eggs beat yolks with 1/4 sugar then beat the whites with 1/4 sugar.
Combine all screech and milk and evaporated milk.
Add egg yolk mixture then top with the egg white mixture.
Sprinkle the nutmeg

Red Pepper Soup

2009-12-10T09:02:00.000-05:00

Photo by Kimberly Hulst copyright hcvp-09

Okay, So I spent the last few days cooking. Well, part of yesterday anyway as mom had a doctor's appointment in the morning.
Yesterday, I made a homemade red pepper soup. No recipe. It turned out fabulous. I just forgot to write it down as I went. Brilliant me. Here is a photo of it. Well a screen capture actually, as my digital camera was dead I had to use my video camera to get a video then turn it into a still. Which took more work then the actual soup.

1 stalk celery
1 large mushroom
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon butter.
3 cups water
1 red pepper
4 leaves fresh oregano
1 cup uncooked pasta
1/2 cup sliced green beans
1 can stewed tomatoes
extra water as needed.

Chop the celery and mushroom and saute them with the butter and garlic for 3 minutes, then add the water. Let simmer on medium heat for half hour.
Cut the pepper into strips and add it to your mix, stir and continue to simmer now on a lower heat for another half hour, pinch up the oregano leaves and add. Stir. continue simmering for another 15 minutes.
Add the green beans and the stewed tomatoes, stir, add extra water if needed, simmer for another 15 minutes then add uncooked pasta.
Let simmer with lid on for another half hour.

Should serve 6. This can be made for under $10

But what do you want to do?

2009-12-10T08:38:00.003-05:00

Originally posted on my other blog Andrew and the Aluminumsidings on Dec 8th 2009

Julie and Julia came out on dvd today. I had to rent it. I saw it back in the cinema this summer, and read the original book by Julie Powell, and am half way through the book My Life in France by Julia Childs.

I was suppose to be reading the next book for review from Harper Collins Canada, but I just did not feel like it today.
What I did do, was rent the movie and decide I wanted to spend the day cooking. I haven't been really serious about food in 10 years. Before I became a vegetarian I used to cook every night of the week. Roasted chicken with cous-cous and peppers in a yogurt sauce. Meatloaf with scalloped potatoes and green beans. Casseroles with home made tea biscuits. You get the idea.
I was good at it too. Not great, but no one ever starved. I can even make Fish and Brews. Not that I ever liked seafood. Hate it actually, even more so since becoming vegetarian 9 years ago.

Anyway, today I made a Hashbrown casserole, and a potato/asparagus cream soup. Still have to make the stock for the vegetable soup.

So there is one burning question in the movie that both characters face "what do you want to do?" Cooking ends up being the answer one gives and does it by doing a cook book and Writing is the answer the other gives, and does it by cooking then blogging it.
Cooking and Writing.

Hmmm. So while I was mixing up the casserole, I was letting my mind drift to that question. I want to write. But other then that, I want to paint, make videos, edit movies, basically just create. Which I do now.
So if I am doing what I want then why do I still feel like a bucket of dren? Then I thought maybe I picked the wrong role model?
I have been framing my life after Dorothy Parker. And I realized from what I have managed to learn of her, she had 2 failed marriages and a failed love affair. Great mind, fabulous skills as far as being a literary genius, but not really good at the domestic side.

So what is it that I want to do that I am not doing? To be useful, to be needed, to be someone's wife.
Am I going to find my purpose through cooking? Maybe who knows, but at the moment it's a great form of meditation. You tend to stop thinking of the stress in your life and focus for the few minutes it takes to chop an onion or mix a batter ,on the moment.

I think the one Yule gift I am going to buy myself this year is Julie Powell's second book Cleaving A Story of Marriage, Meat and Obsession. It came out last week. That and I am really coveting a new spice rack. The steel kind with the two shelves that spins and hold 40 spice bottles.

Cinnamon Layer Loaf

2009-12-03T15:44:00.004-05:00

Mom's getting ready for the holidays, was over her place and she made the first round of goodies.

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon cinnamon ground
3 tablespoon brown sugar

Cream butter and sugar, add eggs on at a time. Beat
Add vanilla,
In another container combine flour, salt and baking powder
Add this then to mix alternating it with the milk.
In another container mix the cinnamon and brown sugar.
Put 1/3 batter in bottom of pan and sprinkle cinnamon mixture over the batter. Continue to do layers of the cinnamon mixture and batter making sure you end up with the final layer being batter. Bake in a well greased pan at 325 F for one hour.

Tea Buns

2009-11-26T13:42:00.002-05:00

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 sugar
1 teaspoon baking power
2 cups water

form into paddies and bake at 350 c for 20 minutes.
Should make 12 buns

I found this on Youtube.

2009-11-12T09:14:00.002-05:00

No idea who this dude is but he can sing!
And it's suppose to be a Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers song.

Veggie Gumbo #1

2009-11-02T15:13:00.003-05:00

1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup sliced peppers
1 chopped carrot
1 can tomato soup
4 cups water
2 vegetable broth cubes
2 veggy hot dogs
3 cups rice

Melt butter with garlic, add celery and peppers, stir for 5 minutes on low heat then add carrots. Let cook for 10 minutes then add broth cubes and 2 cups of water. Stir for 5 minutes then add tomato soup and remaining water. Let boil for 20 minutes then slice up veggy dogs and add to mixture. Let cook on low heat for another 10 minutes.

Prepare rice as always and dish over it.

*Veggy Dogs can be replaced with Italian veggy sausage*

Easy Creamy Garlic Sauce...My butt

2009-10-19T17:36:00.003-04:00

I snagged a recipe from one of the girls on my women's site, thinking it seems so simple.
Once again it didn't work for me. But here is the recipe.

Creamy Garlic Sauce

1 cup milk
2 table spoons butter
2 teaspoons chopped chives
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons flour
chopped parsley
salt

Melt butter, stir in milk, bring to boil, add garlic, flour and whisk, turn down heat, add chives , parsley and salt. Continue to whisk for 4 more minutes on low heat, remove from heat and serve over hot pasta.

Well, for me it turned out too sticky and overly garlic. Next time, I think I will up the butter and down the garlic amounts.

Vampire Themed Dinner

2009-10-16T13:44:00.002-04:00

What have I gotten myself into?
I am doing an All Vamp Challenge and one of my challenges is to make a vampire themed dinner for a dinner party.

What am I going to do for that? I have been to the Martha Stewart website trying to find some of her easier themed items but am still coming up at a loss.

I ended up sick over Thanksgiving (Canadian Thanksgiving is in October) so there was no cooking of any kind for me.
And with the book tour for Stacey Voss, and my own book deadline I have been eating on the run; in other words alot of Starbucks coffee and Egg Salad sandwiches.

Once the book tour is over which is end of Nov, and the deadline for my novel which is Dec 5th 2009, I will be back full force on here.

Oct 4 2009

2009-10-04T09:26:00.003-04:00

Just a quick post to say that I am still alive and have not forgotten about the blog.
Hoping with the holidays coming up to have a few new ideas on here.
At the moment, I am part of a book tour for author Stacey Voss. Which you can get details for here
There has been nothing much exciting food wise in my place the last week. Just some homemade raspberry jam.

Which is the simplest thing ever.

Raspberry jam

*1 pound raspberries fresh
*2 cups sugar
*2 table spoons water

Boil for half hour.

Photo of : Beet and Potato Salad

2009-09-21T16:24:00.007-04:00

Photos by Kimberly Hulst copyright hcvp'09

I know made the recipe few months ago, but did not add a photo at the time.

Well, mom decided to make a Newfoundland Beet and Potato Salad today, so I snagged a photo of it.

You can find the recipe in this post here
cause I am too lazy to retype it.

NOTE* mom used green onions for her's.

Soup : Version 1

2009-09-21T16:09:00.006-04:00

Photos by Kimberly Hulst copyright hcvp '09

This is a basic Bean soup.

*8 cups water
* 1/2 bag of barley
* 1/2 bag of bean soup mix
* 2 stalks celery
* 1 medium onion
* handful of stir fry veggies frozen
* 2 parsnip
* half a turnip
* 8 mini carrots or 2 large
* 3 cubes of veggie broth mix
* pinch parsley
* pinch garlic powder
* table pepper
* 3 tablespoon ketchup

Prep time 15minutes
Cooking time 90 minutes

Cook the barley and bean mix in the 8 cups of water for 1 hour

add the celery and onion both chopped, and boil for 30 minutes

add chopped parsnip, turnip, carrots, and stir fry veggies and boil for 15 minutes

add the veggie cubes, parsley, garlic powder, table pepper and ketchup and boil for 45 minutes

add water through out as needed.

You get roughly 8 servings out of this pot.

Sweet Bread vs Sweet Breads

2009-09-14T18:51:00.008-04:00

I thought I better give a brief definition for anyone who has not cooked with Newfoundland hardbread/sweetbread.

Sweetbread : The thymus or pancreas from lamb or calf. The thymus is the throat sweetbread while the pancreas is the stomach or heart sweetbread. Mostly used for pates. May also be called Sweetbreads, with an "s".

Newfoundland Sweet Bread: Also called Sweet Tack. It looks just like the Newfoundland Hard Bread (Hard Tack) which is a no yeast bread designed to be used by sailors who were at sea for months at a time. Sweet Bread is not as hard and as it's name suggests, sweeter. It's used more often as a snack.

Both hardbread and sweetbread are sold in the same style bags.

Photos by Kimberly Hulst copyright hcvp'09

Potato Salad with Sweet Mustard Pickels

2009-09-12T20:08:00.004-04:00

Photo by Kimberly Hulst copyright hcvp'09

*3 medium potatoes chopped and cooked in salt water
* 2 large green onion chopped
* 1 and a half teaspoon sugar
* 3 tablespoons mayo
* 4 pieces of sweet mustard pickles with 2 teaspoon of the mustard chopped
* dash of black table pepper

Drain the potatoes, mix the rest of the ingredients with potatoes until you have a yellowish tint. Chill for about a half hour.
This is a small sized bowl which serves 3 people. If you are using this for a party you may want to double or even triple the recipe.

You can use plan pickles and normal mustard, in which case you would only need one teaspoon of the mustard, and then add another pinch of sugar.

Blueberry Pudding with Brown Sugar Sauce

2009-09-12T19:47:00.008-04:00

I went to Mom's today to watch wrestling and she made Blueberry Pudding with sauce.

You need what is called a "pudding bag" for this. You can order them online from Downhome website or you can just get a clean WHITE cloth about the size of a half pillowcase and tie it with white string.

Pudding

*4 slices of bread soaked in 1/4 cup hot water
*1 cup flour
* 1-1/2 cup blueberries fresh
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 tablespoon butter
* 1 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon allspice
* 4 tablespoon sugar

Mix all together, place in tightly tied pudding bag, boil for 1 and a 1/2 hours

Photos by Kimberly Hulst copyright hcvp'09

NOTE: IF YOU ARE USING A PLAIN CLOTH IT MUST BE WHITE OR ELSE THE DYES WILL SEEP.

Brown Sugar Sauce

* 2 tablespoon butter melted
* 2 tablespoon flour
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup water
* 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Melt butter in a sauce pan and add the rest, stirring constantly till thick, serve hot over pudding

Veggie Stew....the video

2009-09-08T20:55:00.012-04:00

Since I have been working on some video reviews on the wrestling blog, I decided to do a small cooking video .
I made Veggie Stew for supper.

*half turnip
*3 medium potatoes
*2 parsnips
*half bag mini carrots
*1 can peas
* 1 onion
*1 teaspoon oil
*salt
*white pepper
*parsley
*oregano
*flour or gravy thickening (the ready to use Robin Hood product)
*3 drops gravy browning

Prep time 15 minutes
Cooking time 90 minutes

Ramen Girl

2009-09-04T21:11:00.003-04:00

I went out for a horror film but rented a chick flick instead. I have been noticing a trend as of late, movies about food.
In them there seems to be a common theme, finding your soul through cooking.
This film is no different.
Brittany Murphy stars as a woman who has been dumped by her boyfriend in the middle of Tokyo, with no one, and nothing. While out she finds herself drawn to the local Ramen shop. After witnessing the reaction the locals have to the meal, she decides she wants to give it a try. We are then taken on a journey of self discovery as she learns to cook.

It didn't work

2009-08-30T18:05:00.006-04:00

I tried making a butterscotch swirl loaf.
But it failed.
I have no idea what I did wrong either. Followed the instructions.

First off, it didn't rise.
Second, the chips just became this greasy mess.

It tasted like a pancake. Not what it was suppose to at all.

Here is the recipe, even though it failed,

1 cup sugar
1/2 c margarine
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 c milk
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 c flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 c butterscotch chips

Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees

Should have been simple right?
So what happened ?

Fish and Brewis

2009-08-30T17:19:00.008-04:00

Photos by Kimberly Hulst

I wish I had a photo of what the original recipe is suppose to look like to compare, but I don't.Grandma Perry used to make this about once a week.

Fish and Brewis

*1 package salt cod

*3 cakes hard bread

*1 onion

*1 package salt pork

You have to soak the salt cod for close to 8 hours, so it's usually done over night. Same with the hard bread. And it's called hard bread because it looks like a hockey puck and is just as dense.

Drain the cod, and boil in fresh water. Roughly 25 minutes.

Boil the hard bread. At this point, the hard bread should be flaked off and have absorbed all the water making it pliable.

Chop up the salt pork into bit size pieces, and fry it. This is the beginning stage of making the pork into scrunchions.

Chop up the onion.

Remove the now fried salt pork from the reduced fat. You Need that fat to fry up the onion.

You need to drain the cod and debone it.

Mix the fried pork and onion together with whatever is left of the fat from the pan.

Mix the cod and the hardbread together and use the scrunchions as a type of gravy.

Here is how I made my vegetarian version:

*1 cake of hardbread

*1/2 package of extra firm tofu

*1/2 package of Veggy Bacon

*1 onion

*2 tablespoons vegetable oil

* salt and pepper to taste

Soak the hardbread for 4 hours

Boil 15 minutes, drain whatever water is left

Chop up tofu into smaller pieces and fry in a non stick pan till it starts to get slighlty brown. Then remove and add it to the hardbread.

Cut up veggy bacon and fry in the oil, add your chopped onion. Depending on the brand of veggy bacon, it may not brown up, so fry it for about 5 minutes per side.

Add salt and pepper to the tofu and hardbread, then mix.

Then add your onion and veggy bacon mix like you would a gravy.

Photo of Veggy Version

Empty Cupboards

2009-08-24T20:35:00.003-04:00

I know it's been a few days since I posted on here.
The last few days have been an odd rush of well odds and ends. Trying to get a few of my deadlines met so meals have been just quick pasta and bagels mostly.
MMMM.... starch.

Looking at a stack of recipes and trying to figure what to use in place of salt pork, salt beef, and lobster. Cause, vegetarian I don't eat that.

When I figure out how to adjust a few more recipes I will be back with the trial and errors and hopefully successes. Most likely this weekend.

Big question how would you make Seal Flipper Pie without the seal ?

Menu: Aug 19th 2009

2009-08-20T09:03:00.008-04:00

Photos by Kimberly Hulst copyright hcvp'09

This is one of those times it half way turned out. These are two recipes that I was disappointed with.

The first one is my version of traditional Newfie Fish Cakes. Since Grandma Perry's recipe did not have any measurements I had to guess at it.

Grandma Perry's Fish Cakes

6 cups cooked potatoes
1 onion chopped
2 cups salt cod- cooked, boned, torn
1/2 cup flour
1 piece of salt pork fried

Mash potatoes adding rest of the ingredients.
Form into patties
Roll into the flour and fry in the rendered pork fat

Seems simple enough right? Okay my version of the recipe was taking the cod out and replacing it with squash.
Yep, squash.
And using vegetable oil instead of the pork fat. So the fish and pork were taken completely out of the recipe and replaced.

Kimberly's Veggie Cakes

3 medium potatoes chopped
1 onion chopped
1 package chopped squash
1 cup vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups flour

Mash the cooked potatoes and add the onion and stir in squash, salt and pepper
Form into patties
Roll in flour and cook in the vegetable oil

Photo of Veggie Cakes

If you have been working some of the recipes out there for sneaking veggies into thing so your kids won't know, this is actually a great way to do it.

Menu: Aug 17th 2009

2009-08-17T18:39:00.004-04:00

Photos by Kimberly Hulst copyright hcvp'09

I had decided to make my apple and potato dish today so I went off to mom's.
Why have I not been doing the cooking in my own little kitchen? Because mom has air conditioning.

While I was there, we decided to make a cheese cake as well. (photo of Me)

Apple and Potato

2 apples
2 large potatoes or 5 small ones
1 medium onion
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons nutmeg

*peel potatoes and cut into smaller pieces (sliced or cubed it's up to you)
*peel apples and cut into smaller pieces (sliced or cubed it's up to you)
*slice onion

mix together in baking dish.
Spoon in butter
add nutmeg and mix all together

Bake for 1 hour at 325 degrees

The cheesecake was a simple one. We used a Kraft recipe for No Bake cheese cake.

*Premade Graham cracker crust

227 ml cream cheese softened
1/3 c sugar
227 ml cool whip
375 ml cherry pie filling

Beat cream cheese and sugar
Stir in cool whip
Spoon into crust

Put in fridge for 3 hours

Spread on the pie filling

The apple and potato dish can be made for under $10
The Kraft No Bake Cheese Cake can be made for under $15

Menu: Aug 16th 2009

2009-08-16T16:58:00.006-04:00

Photo copyright hcvp'09 by Kimberly Hulst

10 Minute Noodles

1 cup Eggplant
1 cup Mushrooms
Tomato
Onion
Peppers 1 Green and 1 Red
1/2 cup Pea Pods
1 cup Broccoli
1/2 cup Green Beans
1 Carrot
1/2 cup Celery
1/2 cupWater Chestnuts
1 cup Zucchini
3 cup Water
2 handfuls Steamed Noodles

Chop all but the pea pods and green beans.
Boil broccoli till tender, then add the rest of the vegetables and the noodles.
Boil for another few minutes.
Stir and serve.

I say 10 minutes for this dish because I used a cheat. Frozen mixed veggies. One half bag of stir fry veggies, one half bag of spaghetti mixed veggies. Boil them for about 5 minutes then add the noodles. If you use frozen you can make this meal for under $10.

Newfoundland Beet and Potato Salad

2009-08-15T22:52:00.008-04:00

Ingredients :
5 large potatoes peeled and cooked in salt water
1 can of sliced beets with juice
1 onion chopped (or 3 green onion chopped)
1 cup mayo

How to:

*Drain the potatoes and cut them into smaller pieces
*mix in the chopped onion
*chop up the beets into smaller bite size pieces and add to mix
*add in mayo
*add in 1 tablespoon of the beet juice
*Mix till you have a bright pink colour

Put in fridge for 1 hour before serving. Serves 4

Some people are off put by this salad as it is pink. The juice from the beets not only gives it the colour but the main part of the taste.
This is one of the simplest recipes I have ever tried. I have been making this one for over 20 years.

Tofu Mayo

2009-08-15T22:47:00.002-04:00

1/2 pound (250 g) Regular tofu
1/4 cup (50ml) lemon juice
2 tsp. (10ml) dijon mustard
1 tsp (5ml) salt
1 tsp (5ml) sugar
1 cup (250ml) vegetable oil

Mash tofu with a fork, and place in a strainer over a bowl. Weight it down with a plate to allow extra liquid to drain for about half an hour.
Place drained tofu into the blender. Add lemon juice, mustard, salt, sugar and blend until smooth.
With motor of blender running, pour in the oil, gradually. Once it is blended evenly it may be used.

Will keep refrigerated for about a week. This makes 2 cups.

A friend of mine had made this awhile back, and it was fabulous.
I tried it and it was horrid. I have no idea what I did wrong but I messed it up, twice.
Not sure I want to try it again. I know one thing without a doubt, it does not work at all for potato salad.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-08-15T22:35:00.007-04:00

Photo is by me, Kimberly Hulst copyright hcvp '09
And originally posted on my other blog My Cup Is Empty on Aug 15th 2009

2 and 1/4 c flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 c butter softened
3/4 c white sugar
3/4 c brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 c chocolate chips
1 c of white bakers chocolate chunks
Mix flour/soda/salt in one bowl
Beat butter/white sugar/brown sugar/vanilla into another bowl
add eggs
mix the dry into the wet
stir in chocolate chunks/chips
drop rounded spoonfuls into Ungreased tray

Bake 375 ' F for 10 minutes
Makes 5 dozen

Yes I know right off the bat I put up a recipe that has eggs in it. But, I am just a lowly vegetarian who still has eggs and dairy.

Besides mom went to alot of trouble to help me with this one.

What Am I Doing Here?

2009-08-15T20:33:00.001-04:00

I think I might be having a melt down is what I am doing.

I am armed and very likely dangerous. I have a fry pan and I am not afraid to use it!
In my mother's kitchen that is.

The goal is to take as many traditional Newfie dishes as possible and make them Vegan dishes.

The highs, the lows, the splattered batter on the walls and even cookies too will be reported here as they happen in pure Gonzo Journalism man.