Announcing a celebration!

It's been a while since I've posted anything here, but tonight's supper seemed to call for a new note here. A special day, observing the birth date of a friend, compadre and source of inspiration, Joe Rosenblatt. 

It had to be a meat-based supper, so beef served that end. Big thick slabs of it, on crusty baguette, with

rich bouillion as dipping sauce -- a meal, I am quite sure Himself would have loved. 

And, of course, Caesar salad. Our family still makes reference to Joe when anyone cleans up the last bits of salad (or for that matter, any other course left on the table at the end of a meal), as Joe could always be relied on to do. 

As for dessert, well that really topped it off. A gift from dear neighbours; slightly salted chocolate mousse, topped with flecks of gold. 

Fit for a king -- or to celebrate the pal some of us called 'Muttsy' or the Dogfather. 

And here, a photo of the latest incarnation of Muttsy, an award I was fortunate to receive -- as a 'renegade creator' -- a title I am proud of. It's an award I feel particularly honoured about, as it puts me in company of two writers I admire, previous honourees, Robert Priest and Penn Kemp.

Probably my most recent act of 'renegade' writing was having my words cited in a recent article in the local news.  Ever onward!

 

The end, for now

That's what the message at the bottom of my cup says.

But I said I'd tell about how I made the rhubarb crisp, so I won't go back on my word.

Because I didn't bring sugar along, I had to come up with a sweetener of some kind,

especially where the fruit in question was rhubarb. I used a packet of pre-sweetened apple cider mix, a drink that's supposed to be mixed with boiling water. It even had some cinnamony flavouring in it, so it worked well.

For the crisp part, I used two packets of easy morning porridge and added

some dollops of butter (no margarine tagline will ever convince me not to use butter).

It turned out to still be a pretty tart dessert, so we topped it with vanilla yogourt and then really zipped it up with a swirl of huckleberry syrup we'd bought at a touristical spot along the way.

And because last time I said that this blog was ending it turned out that I was lying, well, all I can say is that it's ending for now.

There's still a drop of morning coffee in my favourite cup, so who knows?

In the meanwhile, the big limb will still carry on.

And rememember, don't be stumped when somebody asks, "What's fer supper?" Use what you have on hand and don't be afraid to mix things up and substitute -- even if the ingredients may initially seem strange. In truth, now and then, the meal might not be so great. Supper happens. But sometimes you'll find you've come up with something remarkable.

Happy suppers!

Million dollar meal

Or maybe it just feels that way, after the crazy day I had.

After spending waaaay too much time trying to follow someone's driving instructions, I may end up asking Santa for a GPS.

But I didn't need a GPS to find the way down to B & J's place where we tonight's supper is happening, along with the finale of Survivor.

B made the most beautiful slow-cooked chicken dish. Loaded with whole button mushrooms, it was rich and satisfying, and perfect over just-mashed potatoes. Broccoli done just-right in the steamer, and a crunchy cabbage salad.

Just at the corner of my plate you can spot a little bowl of B's delicious pickled carrots.

All I'm contributing is a dessert I'm calling "Survivor Pie". Foraged blackberries are the fruit filling; accompaniment is yogourt, and what flavour goes with Survivor better than coconut?

Holiday Extravaganza

Colleagues from the D.M.'s workplace planned a celebratory meal at a restaurant -- a festive meal to get us into the spirit of the season. The tables were strewn with green and red foil-wrapped kisses; there were shiny ornaments at everyone's place and even Christmas poppers, complete with corny jokes and paper hats.

For starters, there were cups of pumpkin soup. Then came the salad. Mixed greens with shredded carrot and cucumber, mung bean sprouts and a deliciously fresh tasting dressing.

Mains meant a choice of pork, salmon or chicken. I chose the chicken rounds, which were delicious. Especially nice was the loosely (lumpily?) mashed potato wrapped in a thin layer of filo -- something I will have to try at home.

Dessert was a no-flour chocolate cake, complemented by unsweetened whipped cream and blueberries. Definitely a special meal!

Something to celebrate

Since two of my favourite men have pieces in an art show that's opening tonight, we're celebrating with Greek food at one of our favourite restaurants.

Only as it turns out, in the all the excitement, I didn't take a picture of our supper! Trust me though, it was beautiful -- a tableful of assorted appetizers. There was lots of everybody's favourite, calimari with tzatziki, and much more: chicken livers, fried cheese (saganaki), Greek salad, dolmades, homous and pita bread.

Having a bunch of plates to choose from made it feel like a family supper at home.

At least I got a picture of one of the desserts. The gallery was filled with all kinds of Christmasy treats, including a punchbowl of eggnog someone described (accurately) as 'sinful'. Too many glasses of it would have led to bad driving and maybe even a heart attack. But oh, a single glass, totally worth it!

Another evening with the ladies

Tonight was another of our potluck get-togethers. Maybe everybody's bringing better food because they know a picture will get posted. I'm not sure if that's the reason, but the meal sure was a delicious and interesting assortment.

A salmon lasagna, an assortment of dim sum treats, chicken drumettes, a vegie-filled quiche, a green salad with hunks of chicken in it (mine) and a very satisfying salad made from frozen peas. The recipe sounded simple enough: frozen peas, chopped celery, chopped red onion, chopped peanuts and coleslaw dressing. Colourful enough to seem festive, it would be a good addition to any potluck or holiday table.

And then, after all of that (as if we needed anything more), came the dessert courses. An ambosia kind of mixture, two kinds of cookies and assorted fruit with chocolate fondue. No eating necessary tomorrow!

Ordering in for someone special

If she’d been able to be with us, she’d have wanted to take us out to supper. But with the early darkness, complicated by today’s rainy weather, she’d probably have been just as happy to have the restaurant come to us. So that’s exactly what we did –ordered in.

The family together, sharing food and memories - had she been alive, that’s exactly the kind of supper my mother would have loved. One year since she’s gone, we’re keeping our love for her alive.
And even acknowledging her Christmas Day birthday with treats from the freezer.

Thinking about yet another birthday

The date was actually last Tuesday, but today’s the day I’m honouring Betty, the person whose butter tart recipe I still use every Christmas.

Besides sharing that secret formula, she also taught me how to make the best macaroni and cheese. In fact, she sometimes signs her cards “Mac ‘n Cheese Betty”.

Because I didn’t have any green onions, I used some finely chopped purple onion and chives from the garden. The ingredient that makes this recipe so delicious is lots of chunked-up fresh tomatoes. Luckily, I had three beautifully red and juicy ones.

Sometimese I add onions and tomatoes to the dish everyone knows (and secretly loves), the brand-name boxed version. Yep, it takes it up quite a few notches!

Even if she lives too far away to join us, broccoli and a salad make this a supper worthy of a wonderful birthday gal.


For the record, we even had the last of the traditional birthday-celebrating cake (made by another person named B) for dessert.

Sort of a farewell

It's a family do, a temporary farewell, as two adventurers are ready to head off for a month in Thailand. I figured canneloni might not be part of the everyday fare there, so off I went to the freezer in search of a sauce.

Turkey Cacciatore sauce from March was approaching its best-due date, so that determined the remaining details.

I found ground turkey thigh meat at the store, then cooked that in some leftover pesto. Combined with rictta and cottage cheese and eggs, etc., that made the filling for the pasta tubes.

With the sauce from March over top, along with some grated cheese, I'm hoping this'll be enough to ensure the Thai travellers eventually come home.

Green beans and bread and salad are part of the meal. And then for dessert, there's pie made from fresh-picked rhubarb and blackberries. Sa wah dee kha...

Thursday night bonus

What an easy week of cooking it's been -- leftovers, restaurant food, and tonight, an invitation out.

Today was cool again, so I'd been dreaming about chili, but what we got was even better. A layered casserole of white corn tortillas, alternated with a combination of beans and corn and refried beans and topped with Monterey Jack cheese. Fresh local corn was juicy and sweet. The green salad was full of surprises -- bits of broccoli and a special vinaigrette.

We had to rest before we were ready for the dessert, a spectacular berry pie. The layer of pastry was filled with custard, then topped with strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. Really, how much better can summer treats be.

Almost the weekend

More friends joined the clan tonight. They brought fresh garden produce from Saltspring, so we had a beautiful bowl of green salad. John made lean pork chops on the barbie. Potatoes and buns to round it out.

To balance flavours, lemon meringue pie from Saltspring. Not so bad for 'wilderness' eating.

Moose on a spit

...comes out so tender. The 'head chef' at our campsite sure knows how to prepare food. Because tonight was a birthday celebration for a friend who lives nearby, supper was a group effort.

John looked after the moose, letting it twirl on the barbie and drive us crazy with its garlicky scent for hours. He also baked homemade buns this morning (so soft and smooth, like the proverbial baby's bum).

Lesley assembled a green salad filled with beet greens and peapods, while I made a potato salad (which I decorated with nasturtiums from Michael's garden). And Michael made the most delicious dessert: an apple and rhubarb pie, topped with whipped cream. Enough to make me want to scout up another camper with a birthday!

Yet another feast!

I don't know how she does it, but Helen keeps managing to pull off these amazing feasts.

Tonight's meal began with a turkey-based soup, filled with the most beautifully light Romanian dumplings.

After that, it was a meatfest: chicken skewers, chunks of pork tenderloin and sausage. Plus the most flavourful potatoes -- almost like scalloped ones but without the milk. Naturally, there was a salad and then uh-oh, the desserts.

Our sister-in-law bought an impressive mango torte at a local bakery, but there was also a cheesecake with cherries and more baklava. Really, when we get home, we're going to have to drop a letter from 'feast' and go on a fast!

Canada Day barbie

Still in Ontario, visiting family, and today's quite the birthday celebration. Not only is it the day to celebrate Canada's birth, brother Leo (and my sister, Karen, even though she isn't here) was born on this day.

Today holds an even more personal significance: it's the day this little blog begins its second half. I've planned all along for this to be a one-year experiment. If that's the case, yesterday was the end of the year's first half. But onward once again to the food.

The traditional barbecue was nearly rained out. Happily, the cooks had started early enough that everything could be brought in almost as soon as the downpour began.

Ribs, sausages and garlic bread cooked on the barbie while salad and vegies and sauces made their way to the table (indoors, for sure).

And the spectacular birthday cake tasted every bit as decadent as it looked.

Family supper

Kind of an indoor picnic tonight. Nearly all the brothers and their partners.

The same sort of wonderful foods we had last night on our arrival, with the addition tonight of a fabulous dessert: baklava (homemade!) with fresh Ontario berries (blueberries and strawbs) combined with chunks of mango.

No wonder we come and visit here every year, eh.

Oh yes, the time now is more like 7 pm EDT.

Still in Greek mode

Only tonight it's moussaka -- Western style, with ground buffalo.
It's a little cool today, so it seemed sane enough to have the oven on while I played around with the strawberries.

Some homous and a funny kind of mixed-up salad. Oh yes, fresh local strawberries for dessert.

Another ladies' night

As I know I've said before, we're probably not your traditional 'ladies' -- although really, who knows what that term might mean.

As always, there was a great assortment of yummy treats: two kinds of chicken (one baked in salsa and cheese), a couple of salads, some swirly rolled-up tortilla nibblies and an amazing pear with carmelized onion concoction topped off with brie. Wow!

And this was just the first go-round. Later there was a sushi assortment, followed by Jane's divine strawberries dipped in chocolate. And to think I'll be away for the next gathering!

Double lasagna

Family can be the easiest people to make supper for. Tonight was double in the easy department, as they pitched in on helping me do some seasonal cleaning.

In April, I made two lasagnas -- one buffalo, the other veg. Since I'm thinking about defrosting the freezer before berry season hits, I'm trying to use up what's in there.

Using both of the lasagnas cleared most of a shelf -- and all I had to do was put them in the oven!

The dessert used up the last of the rhubarb, nearly the rest of the raspberries, and most of the last of the 'frozen dessert products' -- orange sherbet. When it comes to emptying the freezer, a willingness to try odd combos helps. Happily, everyone seemed to think it tasted fine.

Getting there!

Friday night barbie

While this weather holds, we're doing yet another barbecue. Tonight, we're even joined by good friends.

Besides the chicken and bockwurst and spicy prawns cooked on the barbie, there's a macaroni salad and a lentil one. Dressing on the lentil one is partly of walnut oil, so it's even extra heart-healthy. There's a spinach salad with chunks of walnut on the table. Over here on the counter is just where we serve up the main shovelfuls.

I had fun making sort of an atomic flower on top of the lentil salad. It looked pretty brownish and plain, so I layered slices of half-pepper and stuck some parsley and a chive flower in the middle. Even if not terribly symmetrical, a fun decoration (and edible).

Dessert was going to be berries and ice cream, but our pal brought beautiful chocolate treats. Couldn't have done better if she'd had ESP!

Yet another feast

Usually the staff here get Sunday evenings off. But because there was another group using the facility today – and they’d ordered food – we got lucky.

The salad was spectacular: romaine and saskatoon berries in a saskatoon-berry-vinegar-based dressing. My tongue turned kind of purple, but I didn’t care. The taste was worth it.

Rice pilaf made a base for chicken breasts in a nicely tart lime sauce. Besides seasoned green beans, there was a wonderful veggie medley of carrots, pea pods and fresh asparagus. As for the dabs of red, they’re from my trusty bottle of hot sauce.

Dessert? I’ll let Sandy’s photo* speak for itself. Just know it tasted every bit as gooey and good as it looks.

*Because my camera’s decided to take a sabbatical, tonight’s photos are courtesy of Sandy Pool.