Snacks

Caramel Corn

February 2, 2009

Ahhhh. That’s better. Nothing like the taste of sweet success to make me forget last week’s garbanzo gaffe. Back in university I used to make caramel corn on a 20-inch electric stovetop with only three functioning burners. My recipe said to cook the sugar until it reached the soft ball stage. Lacking a candy thermometer, [...]

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Roasted Chickpeas

January 29, 2009

When you get a flash of genius for something like, say… caramel coated chickpeas — and can’t find a single hit on Google under the term, don’t take this as a challenge. Take this as a hint. There is a reason no one makes them. I’ve seen the evidence. Right in my kitchen. The moisture [...]

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Homemade Granola

January 20, 2009

For a couple of weeks now, my quest for a healthy breakfast has made me hanker for homemade granola. During my university days, I used to make big batches of this cereal to fuel me on the long, book-laden walk to campus. These days, I need fuel for the long, snow-laden paths begging to be [...]

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Italian Week — Marinated Olives

September 16, 2008

Reviewing my Italian week line-up, I realized that unless you’re carb-loading for a marathon, you’ll need a break from the starch I’m about to foist upon you before the week’s over. Stromboli, risotto, spaghetti and gnocchi are all wonderful, but I can feel my waistband stretching at the very thought. Since I’m blogging about beer [...]

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Rosemary Spread

September 6, 2008

Looks kinda chi-chi doesn’t it? Truth be told I whipped it up in about 2 minutes and put it on a piece of torn bagel brought home from the Farmers’ Market a half hour before. I think the sprig of rosemary elevates the look. Or is it the black leather background? Maybe the come-hither lighting? [...]

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Simple Decadence

July 17, 2008

My mother dropped by the other day with a plate of these. I mined the depths of my culinary discipline to take a photo before gobbling. Of all the simple pleasures, whole, fresh strawberries dipped in dark chocolate ranks right up there with the first crocus of spring, a summer breeze and line-dried sheets. There’s [...]

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Rootham’s Red Pepper Jelly Tarts

May 10, 2008

If necessity is the mother in invention, then pending company and limited time sire recipes — some of which are actually worth sharing. One of my favourite spontaneous creations uses Rootham’s Tangy Red Pepper Jelly. I’d been given a jar as a hostess gift, and with nothing at hand but frozen tart shells, some dairy [...]

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Monica Bhide’s Curried Popcorn and a few answers

March 14, 2008

While gadget week is behind me, my post on savory garlic popcorn needs some further attention. To clarify, three cloves of garlic produce a mild topping. If you don’t mind being socially unacceptable, crank the volume to 10 and have mints on hand. However, if you have an aversion to allium sativum the answer to [...]

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Savory Garlic Popcorn

March 7, 2008

According to the weather reports, a “menacing storm” is moving in this weekend. Even though there’s no room to put it, Southern Ontario can welcome another foot of snow. To cope with the impending downfall, I’m adopting the maybe-it-will-go-away school of thought. I’m going to hunker down on the sofa and catch up on a [...]

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Popcorn maker claims are full of hot air

March 6, 2008

Free to a good home: One sad-sack hot air popcorn maker. In keeping with the previous surprises I’ve encountered during Gadget Week, my planned review of a garlic mandolin will have to wait. Instead of presenting you with a tasty recipe for garlic and rosemary popcorn, I’m forced to expose the dark underbelly of hot [...]

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I can’t believe they’re not chicken wings

February 4, 2008

Kinda ugly, aren’t they? Despite their somewhat dubious looks, these are a tasty and unexpected compromise for the chicken wing battle that wages in our house. My husband loves chicken wings. Their high-fat, low-meat ratio makes them a less than healthy snack. He likes the spicy sauce and finger-lickin’ properties of wings. I don’t care [...]

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