Worth the cost

Been using a new-to-me substance this year in cooking: pomegranate molasses. No, it's not new. My brother says some people think that it was the honey in the "land of milk and honey" in the Bible. But I've tasted nothing like it, not even pomegranate juice.
Learned something important over the Christmas season, when Bernie was testing versions of his shepherd's pie on me. Hey, he was making it for Solstice dinner, it had to be good! He paid more for a different brand of pomegranate molasses than the first one'd tried.
Pay more. It's usually worth it.
Wine that costs more is usually better, they say, and even with an uneducated palate I can tell the difference between a $10 and a $40 bottle. From what I read of wine columnists, there are many enjoyable $20 bottles to be had, and that's good since I aint planning to spend hundreds on a bottle of wine.
Olive oil that costs more is usually better, they say, and I can sure tell the difference between a $5 and a $30 bottle. But I aint planning to spend more on a bottle of olive oil when a $15 one is pretty darned fine.
And as for pomegranate molasses, the $5 bottle was dark and suggestive and full of low notes. But the $10 bottle was bright in colour, evocative, and full of high notes as well. Like I know how to describe tastes... The more expensive stuff was happier and complex, not just strong.
There are $20 bottles of pomegranate molasses in the mediterranean grocery next to the bike shop at Quadra and Reynolds at the Lochside bike trail. Somebody's gonna have to hold my hand the next time I go in there.

33 days to Christmas

It is officially 33 days to Christmas. Already popular magazines such as Chatelaine, Canadian Living, Martha Stewart and my paper copy of Kraft Kitchens have issued their pre-Christmas issue chock full of cookie, candy and appetizers all for the holidays. I've even bought some white chocolate, stored in the freezer for future use to make bark, but alas is being delved into in little batches as a "treat".

I must wait, my final assignment is due first, and then I can think about baking. Although it is a long wait to the final exam...December 19. I have booked some time off to attend to the pleasure of baking. Hopefully the time will be used for this purpose and not spent doing other chores that need attending to.

Baking is one of the ways I descend into the season, the smells of allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg bring comfort. Gingerbread wafting thorough my kitchen...not that I've ever attempted to make gingerbread men/women, but one can imagine, or fake the smell with scented candles.

Yes, I'm looking forward to pulling out the baking sheets and loaf pans soon.

There's a lot of things we have to change

...and this is just one of them. WARNING-- the footage is NOT for the faint of heart or for anyone who cares how their food is treated. Undercover footage from a Butterball slaughterhouse, and footage from a generic slaughterhouse. There has got to be a better way.

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Always something to learn

I have been humbled once again by the the realization that there is always something for me to learn. Even when preparing a familiar food that I've made many times over the years, it's always worthwhile being alert to this occasion and this set of circumstances.
I baked two loaves of bread, made a rice pudding, and gave a housemate a nice hot cup of milky tea-- all using salt instead of sugar.
Memo to self: taste stuff.

Remembering Zucchini cake...

I was presented a week or so ago with a GIANT zucchini, which I shredded a 1/4 of in one night. The rest I shared with two other people as I certainly had more than enough. This week a friend emailed me a recipe, which arrived in a timely manner as I was thinking of searching for some old zucchini recipes. I hadn't made a zucchini loaf in a long time. This however is chocolate zucchini cake, anything with chocolate can't possibly be bad.

1/2 cup of soft butter (skip this & just use oil if you wish)
4 Tbsp cocoa (I used low fat)
1/2 cup vegetable oil (now you know why to skip the butter)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 3/4 cup sugar (Splenda is fine. I used 1 cup sugar)
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs (or egg substitute)
2 cups grated zucchini
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup chcolate chips
2 cups flour
1/2 cup milk

Combine all ingredients, bake in oiled 9x13 pan for 45 minutes at 325. I took my friend's suggestion and made cupcakes instead. Icing them is optional.

This recipe can be adjusted to use rice milk, rice flour, I used rye flour. You can substitute some of the fat with mashed banana or apple sauce.

Pampered Chef

I attended a Pampered Chef party with several of the women from my office. We had a lovely evening of good food and a demostration of the Pampered Chef items. I purchased three items, although I do admit if I'd had more money I would have purchased a lot more. Already some of us are ready to put in another order. Which means I may be able to get those other items.

One of the most interesting food items, was the dessert which was a chocolate pecan tart. It was made with two frozen pie shells that were rolled together on a baking stone with the Pampered Chef rolling pin (I want one of those!). Crushed pecans were sprinkled on top, these were chopped in the Pampered Chef chopper. Then Joy, our Pampered Chef consultant, mix other ingredients in the glass mixing bowls. Whatever she conconcted was delicious!

I sure hope I get invited to the next Pampered Chef party!

Hemp hearts request

I made some cookies that Louise and her work colleagues loved. She's been looking for recipes using hemp hearts, which are sold in health food stores and in Thrifty's grocery store. This is a variation on the basic snicker doodles recipe from Home Ec class.

Hemp hearts cookies

½ cup butter
½ cup sugar
1 large or 2 small eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1 ½ cup flour

2 tblsp sugar
¼ tsp nutmeg or cinnamon (or to taste - I use 1/2 tsp cinnamon)

2 tblsp hemp hearts

Cream butter and sugar together, beat in egg. Blend in half the flour and baking powder, then the rest of the flour. May need up to another ¼ cup flour if dough is too soft and the cookies melt together while baking, or a teaspoon of milk if the dough is very stiff.

The dough will be soft enough to pinch off a spoonful and roll it into a ball. You may want to butter your hands and the cookie sheet before rolling any dough. Roll the ball in the spiced sugar, then press one side of the ball into the hemp hearts. Put that side up when you lay the flattened ball on the cookie sheet.

Bake at 350°F for eight to twelve minutes, until the top of a cookie springs back when pressed with a finger. (Luckily these cookies are also reasonably good if a little over or under done.)
This recipe is based on snicker doodles. It works with white or brown sugar or sucanat, and white or whole wheat flour. You can also replace 1/2 cup of the flour with 3/4 cup of rolled oats.