No left overs

Tags

79AD, cuisine, fast food, Pompeii, Rome, Vesuvius

With careful planning and measurements of people’s appetite it is possible to avoid leftovers. This year we have no leftovers, it all went quickly knowing that people today do not have the appetites of Edwardians.

Also today I read about Fast Food in Ancient Rome, yes it was a big thing back then. Most people living in Rome or in this case Pompeii went to neighbourhood taverns for beer and a bite and also to the corned fast food emporium for a meal. It was a serve yourself thing offering various soups, stews, bread and cheese. It was a meal on the go and it worked pretty well given that most inhabitants did not have a kitchen at home. Same for bathing houses and public latrines, life was communal in antiquity, unless you were very wealthy and had a large mansion with tons of slaves/servants. The every day Romans lived in apartment blocks, 5 storeys tall and went out for food, bathing and the latrines. There really was no privacy they way we understand it in our world today.

In Pompeii archeologist uncovered a fast food joint called a “thermopolium” hot food served. It is brightly painted with animals telling customers what is in every pot, duck, chicken, pork, beef. Same for wine and beer, great amphoras were used to store the liquid and you were served or served yourself. In this dig they found amphoras full of ash but the smell of wine was still strong once they started to analyze the contents. This thermopolium was frozen in time by the disaster that struck the city.

There were 80 such establishments in Pompeii. This is a great and well preserved find and illustrates the lives of people before 79 AD when Vesuvius blew up and buried the city in ash.

A good time

Tags

Canada, Christmas, cuisine, Elizabeth II, Food, ice cream, life

We had a good Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Luncheon with friends.

The 24 Dec was a simple affair of a few friends came to say hello and exchange good wishes. We served home made sausage roll made from the meat of English Banger sausage and using a recipe of Nigel Slater we made puff pastry stuffed with British Stilton Cheese served pipping hot, with a glass of bubbles its a great little bite. He also made small pastry stars mixed with parmesan and served hot. They are very good and of course while we were not looking our Nicky managed to grab a couple. He loves cheese, so does Nora but she is not as bold as he is.

Today’s Luncheon, Will borrowed a great recipe for Tourtiere which came very close to my Mom’s, it was delicious. We also had a turkey breast, Brussel’s sprouts roasted, carrots and roasted small potatoes. We started the meal with Red Sockeyed Wild Pacific Salmon with capers and dill. Our dessert was Plum Pudding Flambé which had a good flame this year and instead of the usual hard sauce, Will made Nesselrode Chesnut Ice Cream, it was a big hit with our guests. It was the great French Chef Carême who invented this dessert in honour of the Russian/German Diplomat and Chancellor of the Russian Empire Count Karl Robert Nesselrode in 1814 after Napoleon’s final defeat.

The tradition of the Christmas day message goes back to 1928 when King George V, the grandfather of the Queen did the first broadcast. As Queen of Canada the message of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II is carried on the Nation’s airwaves of the CBC at 3pm. This year unlike any other year the Queen is in Windsor Castle due to the pandemic.

It was also very warm today in Charlottetown, 50F which is unheard of and shows how climate change is really changing the world around us, normally it should be near zero or below zero and snow should be covering the ground, not so this year.

Little things

Tags

Christmas, cuisine, Food, Nutcracker, PEI

More often than not, our lunch is a sandwich, ham and cheese, grill cheese, tomato and bacon, egg salad or chicken salad. I also like to have several types of bread on hand. Also different types of cheese, from old cheddar, gouda, havarti, etc…

I have never one to like a ham sandwich but a few years ago in Dublin, we stayed at the Gresham Hotel on Upper O’Connell street. James Joyce mentions the hotel in his short stories, The Dead, the reference being that the good or people who had come up in life would stay there.

One night after the theatre, it was late and the dining room was closed but the Writer’s bar was open and so we came in for a drink and asked our waiter if we could get anything to eat. Kitchen is closed he said but you can get a sandwich, would ham sandwich be good, he asked. It was one of the best ham sandwich I ever had, served simply as it was, with a glass of scotch. Since then I always remember that when I have a ham sandwich.

As we prepare for a more quiet Christmas, there is still shopping to do and some baking. Will make a tourtière and we have a small turkey. For dessert there is Plum Pudding with hard sauce and Will is making Chestnut Ice Cream. Getting the chestnuts was a major undertaking, since there is no chestnuts available in ”regular” markets in town. Someone suggested I look at the Asian Markets and sure enough they had them fresh and in a paste.

This is something that is changing in PEI rapidly, food items and supplies are far more diverse than just 15 to 18 years ago, when even parsley was seen as a luxury. The influx of large contingents of Asians and middle-Eastern population has seen the opening of new food markets catering to their cuisine. We now also have many Africans and Caribbean people living here, they have their own rich cuisine. This is a blessing because now finding ingredients and spices is no longer the chore it was once.

Just to give you an idea of items still novel in PEI.

Radicchio which is often confused for red cabbage, not the same thing and not the same price.

Clementines at Christmas are popular but don’t be surprised if the cashier at the grocery store asked you if they are navel oranges and may want to charge you accordingly.

Unsalted butter, is not common, most butters either salted or double salted. If you find unsalted butter its in the frozen food section, people believe that it spoils quickly otherwise.

Chestnuts, despite the fact that chestnut trees existed on the Island until a blight some years ago wiped them out, today it is not available unless you go to an Asian market which imports them from Toronto.

Veal, almost impossible to find, only one supermarket has it but not on a regular basis. Why is it rare, because most people think it is expensive.

Lobster served other than boiled in sea water. There are many recipe for preparing lobster, however restaurants do not offer it. It should also be remembered that lobster was poor people food or food for pigs until about 40 years ago. It only became a staple with American tourists demanding it.

Goose and goose liver, not available though we have wild geese, no one actually eats them. Same with duck, it is not popular and can be found but is considered exotic.

Fresh river fish, yes we have lots of seafood but all of it is ocean caught. Fresh river fish is not available, unless you fish it yourself. This could have to do with pesticide pollution due to intensive potato farming.

But the situation is changing gradually and rapidly, it all comes down to a question of demand and changing demographics on the Island with more and more people coming from other parts of Canada and the world. Yes PEI in this year of the Pandemic has become very popular because we appear to be spared from Covid19. People want to move here, as a more sane place to live.

Our 43 year old Nutcracker made in East Germany, when such a place existed. Hand painted in mint condition, he only comes out at Christmas time. We got him when it was not yet popular to have such an item in Canada. He has travelled all around the world with us. If he could talk, he would have quite a tale to tell.

FOOD for the Holidays

Tags

Canada, champagne, Chestnuts, cuisine, dachshunds, Food, PEI, wines, World, XMAS

Recently a good friend and blogger asked me about food for the Holidays, what type of food did you have as a child for Christmas etc… So I told him, he was a little taken aback, suffice to say that I and my siblings did not have your conventional upbringing especially when it comes to food and drinks. So no it was not turkey and mash potato with gravy and green peas or ham or whatever is usually served in most households. Wine was also served on a regular basis to adults until I was old enough to have a glass. Cocktails and bubbly made their appearance as a matter of fact at the table. My father always chose the wines, he liked Montrachet.

During my professional life in the many countries we lived in, the menu varied a great deal, various cultures have various fare. In many countries, lamb is a regular staple with chicken a close second, pork is not available and beef is usually served stewed not as a steak. Same with vegetables, in some places root vegetables or squash of all kinds or potatoes are abundant, rice is a side dish with all dishes. So you have to get use to different culinary traditions. Per example in Greece, they will served grilled tomatoes, rice and french fries all together with lamb or fish. In many countries butter is replaced by Ghee butter which is highly saturated in fat but gives the most wonderful taste to food. Also the concept of dieting, allergies or vegetarianism or not eating meat or certain foods is totally unknown and people will enquire about your health, because such condition is associated with the sick and the dying.

So through the years we have modified our Holiday menu to a point where the conventional is not the first thing that comes to mind. This also includes desserts and any sweet. In one country candied whole fruits was a delight to behold, in others it was honey and nut pastries in phylo dough, in others it was rich cakes and specialty chocolates of the finest ingredients made in small batches.

The country I enjoyed the most for wines was Italy, every Italian region has vineyards and all produce regional wines, the volcanic soil of Italy and Sicily produces great wines, red of course but for the last 150 years white wines. Going to the wine merchant was a delight, you could always pair wines with your meal and given the reasonable prices buying several cases for Xmas was a given. One year I found a champagne I truly loved, Jacquesson from France, an exceptional Champagne. If you come across that name, you should get a bottle.

This year will be a quiet Xmas at home, Charlottetown is very quiet and it is pleasant. Christmas Eve I think 3 people are coming over for drinks. Christmas Day we are 7 for Lunch at home. Everything for the meal has been bought including the wines so I do not have to do any more grocery shopping.

While shopping for Chestnuts, I discovered that you cannot find it here anywhere because it is simply something Islanders do not know. A strange thing, but its like veal, you cannot find it, no one carries it. Why? It does not appear that there is any reason. I finally did find chestnuts and beautiful ones at GLOBAL MARKET on St-Peter’s road at Mount Edward. It is an Asian/African grocery store and they carry the most incredible array of goods, most Islanders have never heard of most of it. I was very happy, it’s the second time Global Market has saved my bacon, Mr Will has a knack for asking for the most obscure ingredients at the last minute. In the case of the chestnuts, he is making Chestnut Ice Cream.

Best Wishes to all of you for a Happy Christmas!

A picture of Nora and Nick, the Official Xmas Dachshunds.

We are 34 days away

Tags

Chocolates., Christmas, cuisine, ethnic food, Food, life, PEI, shortbread

Last night I noticed that the City of Charlottetown lit-up the evergreen trees on Water, Queen and Great George street. The Xmas market is this weekend it is outdoor on Richmond Street. I went grocery shopping early today and also went to the Farmer’s Market which has moved back indoors, it is well organized, entrance is controlled at one door and everyone has a face mask. The number of people in the market is also controlled and exit is another separate door. Since yesterday face masks are mandatory in all indoor places in PEI. Everyone wears one and no complaints, so happy to see that here. Post Canada has told people to mail all their gifts early this year to avoid delays. Some people have started to also shop early and stock up. So I thought I would do the same.

Good quality Tom Smith Christmas Crackers for our table

This weekend is the beginning of Xmas shopping and after lunch I went out again around 2:30pm to get a few other things for our Christmas. Crackers for our table on 25 December, those special chocolates the ones shaped like bottles and filled with alcohol, so happy to find those in a shop. Usually they come from Scandinavia but now it is available from Laura Secord Chocolate. Laura Secord is famous in the war of 1812 when President James Madison and his lovely wife Dolly decided to attach Canada. Laura singlehandedly defeated the entire US Army with her cow near Niagara Falls. The cow then kicked a gas lamp over and this started a fire that burnt down the White House, pretty amazing history. Poor James and Dolly they became homeless and ended up in subsidized housing at Cabrini Green.

Mr Will has found a recipe for Scottish Shortbreads on YouTube from our Canadian Chef site, Glen and Friends, you need white rice flour for this recipe to give you the right texture. OK this is PEI where people put lobster in their pork and beans, no one has ever heard of rice flour, could not find it anywhere, not available. The other item he wants is Marmite which Glen and Friends suggest you use in stews etc. Again cannot find it, some store managers have never heard of it. Try explaining Marmite is an Australian thing, that is met with incredulity.

Here is the link to the recipe for shortbreads: https://youtu.be/4BM5gj44v_Y

In the last 5 years many ethnic grocery stores have popped-up in Charlottetown to serve the ever growing Asian, African, Indian and Caribbean population. So I went down Longworth avenue to the Asian Market and bingo there was a big box of white rice flour. They also have all manner of other food items and dry goods commonly seen in Asian or African cuisine, so now I know where to go when Mr Will has a fancy for some exotic ingredient. BTW on our Anniversary this Monday I will reminist of all the shopping I have done for that special ingredient for Mr Will when he prepares one of his signature dishes. Hey! you marry a great Chef expect that you will be sent out to shop, there are lots of funny stories, like the one of the flying scallops.

On the weather front November has been weird, some days feel like a nice Spring day, lots of warm sunshine, other days its -4C and snowy and then the next day its +11C, this is late November and we do not know how to dress.

Cooking

Tags

car, cooking, cuisine, Food, Kcar, mechanics, Mexico CIty

There are always dishes I don’t really like to cook, simply because I am not comfortable doing them. One is turkey, I always found that a difficult thing, I think it has more to do with the mythology around turkeys and cooking them. The other is Prime Rib Roast Beef, this is a piece of meat I would not want to make a mistake by over cooking it. I like my roast beef rare or at most medium rare. I also am not comfortable making dough for pies or for any other dish. Basically though I can cook and prepare meals and time them properly so everything is ready at the same time. I am comfortable pairing meals and wines correctly. I know how to prepare pre-dinner drinks and learned that the only 3 drinks acceptable prior to a meal, if you follow the old classic approach, a glass of sherry, Bacardi and soda or Cinzano (red vermouth) on the rocks.

I remember in 1986 Christmas in Mexico City, I had arrived on posting in July of that year. I made enquiries from colleagues about where to go to buy a turkey. Thing was in those days, few people in Mexico ate the birds, though they are indigenous to the country I was told. So one of the embassy garage mechanics said that the local butcher probably could get one for me. So I placed an order and the bird, was a wild turkey, dark plumes and all that. It was brought to the Chancery by someone, I got a call to come downstairs for a delivery, on the sidewalk in a plain cardboard box was the bird, plucked and ready to cook. Since I lived just one bloc away behind the Embassy I took it home right away to put in the fridge. Will came from Ottawa for Christmas and he cooked it. Remember Mexico City is at an Altitude of 5000 feet above sea level and nothing cooks the same as if you would be at sea level, but that is a story for another time.

As for roast beef well though we have it now at home, in a previous life it was something I usually had in dining rooms of hotels, a great show of carving etc, with lots of silver trays.

But if I may digress for one moment, when I was serving in Mexico, we could not bring our cars from Canada. There was some kind of strange rule the Mexican government had instituted on importing cars, it only applied to diplomats. This was the period of the K cars by Chrysler. So we all had K cars, awful and simplistic cars. I did not want to buy one and so when I needed a car I would borrow from a colleague. One such night I went out with my colleague’s car and stopped for a few minutes at another colleague’s house for a drink and then we all went out for dinner in Los Insurgentes area of the D.F. I had to park the car and at the entrance of the parking lot the attendant pointed out to me with alarm that the whole front portion of the car was missing, the grill, the mountings around the lights and the bumper. I had been a victim of one of the many auto part rackets in the city. I was mortified given that this was not my car. The next day at the Embassy I went straight to speak with our car dispatcher and the fellows in the garage what could they do to help me. Not to worry Senor leave it with us, a few hours later the car was returned all was in order and it cost me $50 USD. I had no idea how the guys did it. I later learned that they knew who had done this and went to see them and got the parts back. I was relieved and could return the car to my colleague, I told him what had happened and we laughed about it. In any Embassy the local staff can be very helpful.

To return to my cooking story, I saw my mother cook a lot and in those days it was from scratch, no process food and no frozen whatever. Later in life we always had someone prepare meals when I lived abroad or went out to dinners etc. So I became very dependent on help at home who would do pretty much everything around the house and garden.

We have a friend who makes wonderful cakes and great pastry, he has the eye for it and every year for the last 44 years has given us one of his wonderful fruit cakes. Now Will makes bread and all manner of pastries and cakes. I am still not comfortable with pastry dough making.

Today my dear friend Dr Burrito was asking about turkey cooking, I suggested the method of Sous vide which means that the bird is cooking in the oven in a bag, it makes the most excellent turkey and so juicy, fool proof.

PEI POTATO CHOCOLATE CAKE

Tags

cake, Canada, Chocolate, cuisine, PEI, Potatoes, Recipe

At the initiative of PEI Tourism, the government of the Provice PEI decided early into the pandemic that as people drove over from the mainland and exited the Confederation bridge in Borden, they would be given a bag of PEI goodies as a welcome gesture. Thousands of bags were assembled and everything was top quality products. Whoever came up with the scheme really thought about how to do this and put their best foot forward. In the bag which looks like a bag of russet potatoes, hey PEI is known for its potatoes, you also found a pound of coffee from Receiver Coffee Co., some jam from the PEI Preserve Co. of New Glasgow, a bar of natural soap from the Great Canadian Soap Co. some COW Chips from the chocolate store on Queen Street. etc… There was also a Potato Chocolate Cake Recipe that I am happy to share with you all.

I am sure that those of you who enjoy cakes and pies will love this one. The following recipe can serve up to 12 portions. The first ingredient on the list is one cup of PEI Potatoes mashed and hot. Enjoy!

Pumpkin & Toads

Tags

Charlottetown, cuisine, Food, PEI, Scarecrows, toads

At this time of the year the harvest is coming in and the variety of vegetables and produce is plentiful. There are lots of places to buy pumpkins and small gourds and the prices are all over the place. I went first to the Riverview Market on Riverside drive, this is a good market for produce and high end food products. I took a look at their pumpkins and they were priced at $5 for a medium size one. Then the small gourds which are only good for display or arrangements with fall flowers, they were selling at $5 for one. Given how small they are, smaller than an apple, I thought this is silliness. So I went across the river to Mackenzie farms on Hwy 1 in Stratford, only 5 minutes by car from where I was and found an incredible array of pumpkins and gourds and other fresh produce. This is a large farm specialty is cabbage and other root vegetable, they also produce corn. No middle man to muck up things and no transport cost.

I bought 6 small gourds for $5 and larger gourds for another $4. They also had green tomatoes and Will has a recipe for Green Tomato Pie. So got a basket of those. Better quality and better prices. I did not know it but they also have 35 Mexican seasonal workers. This is a big farm. They also make 4 tons of coleslaw per year that is sold all over this Maritime region. Lots of families came to choose their pumpkin looking for the best shape traditional pumpkin. I like the odd looking ones, they have more personality. All over the Island there are farms who do direct sales to the public just off the main road. Same for eggs and meats, we buy our meat from a producer who is just 25 minutes from us on Drake Road on the way to Montague. You can ask for any cut you would like and he is very accommodating.

I just love this type of Farm direct sale market where the Farmer and his family are present and serve you directly. We have a 58 vendor Farmer’s Market near the University but it is very different and it tends to be pricey. What was nice about the Farmer’s Market on University ave. was the socializing but in the age of Covid that is gone. We are encourage to shop local but often that may mean you pay more, we support our favourite spots and the merchants we know. If you go to the large Super Markets the produce is not good quality and expensive, per examples a bunch of mediocre looking asparagus is $7 and one avocado is $2.

Recently I find that prices in grocery stores have exploded, it is difficult to find anything under $5.99, it appears to be the base price. Of course everything has to be trucked unto the Island and often some 1100 Km distance. So there is something to be said about shopping with smaller shops locally, you can buy all dairy products, breads and cakes, meats and vegetables right here on the Island, it may mean shopping at several different stores but the prices can be better with fresher quality.

Every night we have a different menu for dinner, last night was homemade Lasagna for two, tonight it’s Toad in a hole, now I have to go shop for toads I need 4 nice big ones. Served with roasted potatoes. Yummy! In French it would be Crapaud dans un trou not to be confused with a frog which is grenouille. PEI has a village called Crapaud (toad) and we also have another village called Souris (mice) no one seems to know where these ancient names came from. We also do wine pairing for each dinner.

Did I mention this is a British recipe. My friend Sheryl in Scotland provided this recipe. Disclaimer no toads in PEI were harmed in anyway for this dish.

With our changing tourism scene due to the Pandemic, new festivals have been created for local consumption. This week it’s Scarecrow in the City. The hope is that locals will go out and shop and use venues like Founder’s Hall who has been faltering for the last 2 years.

Good weather will help a lot.

Scarecrows across the street.

Arm Chair Travel – Huế — Willy Or Won’t He

Tags

cuisine, Food, HUe, life, Travel, Vietnam

Dishes fit for a Emperor of Vietnam

Arm Chair Travel – Huế — Willy Or Won’t He

This was so much fun and Madame Ha, who is a national treasure in Vietnam was a great teacher. Her home and restaurant is in the compound of the Old Imperial City of Hue, Vietnam.Vietnam

Party

Tags

cuisine, home, life, Paella, PEI, Seafood

Well this is truly the end of Summer and the weather has turned cooler at night dropping to 12 C. which is 53 F. and with the wind it is cold, you need a sweater or a jacket. Last night we organized a dinner party in the garden of a friend just one block away. We are allowed to have a gathering of 20 people outside in a garden. Our friend organized her garden with tables and chairs and handled all the logistic, it was very nice of her to do so much.

The people we invited are all long time friends. Will made his gazpacho which required 5 Kg of tomatoes and other ingredients. It is very good and was a big success. We asked another dear friend to bake a Paella for us with all manner of seafood, crab, lobster, mussels and shrimps, also chicken thighs and chorizo sausage. It was very good and a big hit.

The making of the Gazpacho.

The dish is 30 inches wide and can feed 30 people.

We had planned to do this around mid May to celebrate four years on PEI,  but with the pandemic we could not then. So now that the regulations have been relaxed and we have no more cases, we could have an outside gathering.

Another friend prepared beautiful shortbread and strawberries in chocolate. It was great fun and a good chance to see people we had only spoken to on the phone since March or seen en passant on the street.

School starts on PEI on Tuesday and we hope that all goes well. The Federal Government has given upwards of $22 Billion dollars to help all our Provinces with re-opening schools. This came about in a negotiation with all Provincial Premiers and is being respectful of their jurisdiction on Education which is solely theirs. What is funny with this pandemic is how the Provinces who are jealous of their jurisdictions are getting the Federal Government to pay for what is essentially their responsibility but are not shy to critic if it is not done the way they want.