Excuse me ladies, which way to the beach?

I wanna talk about mussels!

via link

No! Not those muscles... Food mussels! I have to be honest though - young Arnie on the beach with a little booze? Talk about dream boat! You know, except for that whole Republican thing...

It seems a lot of the food I'm making recently stems from inspiration that I'm getting from other bloggers. I know some people have an issue with food bloggers, and rightfully so. Most of us have no formal training in food, nor do we always realize the ramifications that may occur from giving a bad restaurant review. We (can) have a lot of power and maybe that scares some people. That being said, food should be accessible. And the more people we have talking about and connecting through food, the closer we come to a more transparent food system - right from the producers, to the restaurants, to the home chefs, to our loved ones. So food bloggers, blog on! And I'll keep being inspired. 

Right! Speaking of inspiration, this recipe began at Lavender and Lovage. I've been dreaming about making mussels for ages and I'm not afeared to admit it - I was a little afeared. I didn't really know what to do with them, nor did I want to touch a living creature. And the barnacles that get stuck to em? Ew! Creepy! They're alive too btw. But as part of our New Years Eve feast, I tackled the little monsters. And as it turns out, they aren't so monstrous. Quite benign actually. And positively sensational! I really wish I'd gotten to it sooner. If you like shellfish, all aboard people!

Before you start you'll have to clean them. This means dumping them into a bowl and one by one rinsing them very briefly under cold water to remove any sand, snap off barnacles, etc... and if you can help it - get the ones with the "beards". Don't worry, they aren't really beards - they're just seaweed. I think. They should snap shut as you pick them up if they aren't closed already (I tapped mine with a spoon before I picked em up), and as you rinse them, if there are beards, pull them off with a firm tug.

Do NOT soak your mussels before cooking - these are salt water animals. If you soak them in fresh water = less happy, more dead fish. And if they're dead, you can't eat em. After they're cleaned, place in a separate bowl and set aside. Cook. Once they're done, discard any mussels that didn't open during cooking. This means they were dead to begin with and if they're dead, and you eat em, you can get very ill. Just chuck em in the garbage. The rest are fine. No, wait. They're more than fine. They're handsome, plump, gorgeous little morsels that I'm gonna devour. Absolutely devour.

Steamed Cortez Island Mussels with White Wine, Herb Saffron Broth

(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

24 Mussels, rinsed & cleaned.

1 Spanish Onion, peeled & thinly sliced.

3 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped.

Small Handful Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half.

1 Bird's Eye Chili, finely sliced. 

1 C Dry White Wine.

2 to 3 Tbsp Butter, unsalted.

Handful of Fresh Herbs roughly chopped (parsley, thyme).

1 Bay Leaf.

Pinch of Saffron Threads.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Kosher Salt & Fresh Cracked Black Pepper.

What to Do:

In a large stock pot, heat 1 Tbsp of butter and olive oil over medium heat until the butter is melted and starts to sizzle. Add the onion and saute about 7 minutes or until starting to caramelize, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and continue to cook for about 2 minutes or until fragrant. Careful not to burn your garlic though!

Add the white wine, tomatoes, saffron, bay leaf, salt and pepper; stir. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Add the mussels, stir well to combine, and then cover the pot. Cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes until the mussels are open and cooked through. Shake the pot once in a while to make sure nothing burns on the bottom. At the last minute stir in the chili, herbs and the rest of the butter.

Discard any mussels that didn't open during cooking and serve in a big 'ole bowl with a generous side of fantastically delicious bread.

Eat.

This post is linked up with The Hearth & Soul Blog Hop via  The 21st Century Housewife; Tasty Tuesdays; Slightly Indulgent Tuesday; Tuesday Talent Show;This Chick Cooks; Cast Party Wednesday; Full Plate Thursday; Tasteastic Thursday; Fight Back Friday.

Film Friday: FRESH - for 1 WEEK ONLY!

Holy treat time darlings!

The makers of FRESH have opened up a week's worth of space to view the movie for free! But what is FRESH you ask? In the words of film maker ana Sofia joanes & the Fresh team, it's a "grassroots effort for a grassroots movement". More specifically:

"FRESH celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system. Each has witnessed the rapid transformation of our agriculture into an industrial model, and confronted the consequences: food contamination, environmental pollution, depletion of natural resources, and morbid obesity. Forging healthier, sustainable alternatives, they offer a practical vision for a future of our food and our planet...Among several main characters,  features urban farmer and activist, Will Allen, the recipient of MacArthur’s 2008 Genius Award; sustainable farmer and entrepreneur, Joel Salatin, made famous by Michael Pollan’s book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma; and supermarket owner, David Ball, challenging our Wal-Mart dominated economy".

Okay. How excited are you right now? I'm pretty pumped. I can't embed it due to restrictions placed on it by the film maker (it's only available 1 week, after all!)... But you can view it by clicking here.

For a preview watch the following little diddy. Then run over and see the film while you can, share it with those you love, let's talk about it. And of course, enjoy!

What are your thoughts about the film? What did you agree with or disagree with? Where there any specific ideas, phrases, etc.. that really stood out for you?

This post is linked up with Fight Back Friday.

Things You'll Want

...We now interrupt your regularly scheduled blog reading to bring you this special announcement...

2 Things: 

First: Matt Armendariz of Matt Bites is awesome. Who else would think to put everything from potato chips to antipasti to Spam and pineapple to sangria on a stick?! 

Back in December I won a giveaway he was hosting by answering the question, "Quick! Which foods do you find difficult to photograph?". The answer that got me the win...

"i went through this today… i am making a recipe as a secret assignment from another blog and rather than post 3 cute little slider sandwiches I made one, dolled it up all cute in ribbon with floral place mat – pretty much the cutest, most disgustingly feminine little burger ever (kinda taking the piss out of the whole slider fad but still making it pretty)…and the little bastard did not want to cooperate! It was all ribbon and/or all bun – very little place mat or stuffing – and trust me, I stuffed that bad boy. Ack!

…i just ended up scarfing the stupid little thing."

Whoever said cursing and rambling incessantly won't get you anywhere?? Was it good news? Sure - I was pumped...

...10 minutes ago I went to check the mail and sticking out of the mailbox was a giant white envelope post-marked from California. Good news? Oh heck yes! Pumped doesn't even begin to describe how excited I was. Meet On A Stick! 

Well done, Matt Armendariz. Well done.

Second: I have a new project I'm working on. I'm a little nervous to give you the link. But here we go... I've started a second blog along side my good friend Haydn. You've heard about him here before and for some reason beyond my ability to fathom, we've decided to combine forces and bring you a whole other dimension of happy eating... It's called Taste Buds. 

In this new blog Haydn and I will duke it out one dish, one beverage, and likely one argument at a time. Come by and say hello, give us a little how's-your-father by joining our site, and try not to be too offended by Haydn's jestful ridiculousness. Don't worry though, you're not alone; I fight with this every day. Every. Day.

...We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog reading...

Panettone French Toast

Oh good morning to you my little organic cane sugar muffins! 

I have a real treat for you this morning. But before we get to that, let's talk about how lame it is that there doesn't seem to be much going on in town right now with respect to access to good, whole, local food. I know there's the Winter Farmer's Market put on by the Victoria Downtown Public Market Society twice a month, but that just doesn't seem to be enough. And yes, I realize it's the middle of January (and less than a week ago there was actually snow on the ground. Snow!).

But in a place so wound up about local food issues, you'd think we'd have more available. It's both infuriating and sad that in order to eat fresh vegetables through out the months of December, January, (and part of) February I have to go to a chain grocery store. Sure, there's lots of food there. But most of it has been shipped hundreds - if not thousands - of miles to even get to the store. By then it's lost most of its flavor, most of its nutrients, and has put so many bloody chemicals into the Earth and atmosphere via both growing operations and transportation, all I can taste is oil. 

Maybe I should have gone ahead with my plans to grow my own Winter veggies rather than letting my front yard beds lay fallow. There's plenty to be grown on the West coast at this time of year: chard, kale, brussel sprouts, cabbage, and who knows what else in the greenhouse. Maybe we need more resources allocated to growing local food year round. Maybe we need to pay a little extra to have our CSA boxes out-source some of the space in them to other farmers in the region to encourage their production (ie eggs, meats, honey, etc...). Or maybe I need to just suck it up?  Kinda like the cloud below looks like it's going to do to me! Must get inside...

I'm just sayin - I love me some good, fresh picked local vegetables. And seeing that people on the East coast still have access to a CSA program in January makes me a little sad. Well, happy for them, sad for me. What can we do differently to make local, organic, small-scale food available the full 12 months of the year?

Speaking of local food, treat time! So you wake up to the crisp morning air and the sun is winking at you from behind an ash colored cloud. The neighborhood is humming with silence and the smell of coffee is wafting gently through the house, arousing your senses. You smile. There on the counter is a loaf of bread so fine and delicate it yearns to be eaten. It's panettone. You think to yourself, "breakfast".  Honestly - there's french toast... And then there's panettone french toast.

Panettone is a sweet bread loaf from Italy that's cylindrical in shape and is usually eaten during the holidays. Ours came from Fol Epi Organic Bakery in James Bay. How did I not know about this place?? It was lusciously moist, tender, and the aromas of vanilla and orange were absolutely intoxicating. I'll definitely be making a stop by there in the near future. In the meantime, I'll relive the experience right here...

Panettone French Toast

(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

1 Loaf of Panettone Bread (or if unavailable, any "fruity" bread would do - i.e. raisin bread).

1 C Milk.

3 to 4 Free-Range Organic Eggs.

2 Tsp Cinnamon.
Dash of Nutmeg.

2 Pears (or fruit of your choice) (optional).

What to Do:

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and grease lightly; pre-heat your oven to 250 degrees F.

While that heats, whisk together the milk, eggs, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.

If your bread isn't sliced, slice it about 1" thick.

Your pan should be hot by now. One piece at a time, dip it into the milk/egg mixture on both sides (no need to soak it - just dip), and place as a single layer in the skillet. Only dip the pieces as they are about to go into the skillet. If you dip them all and they sit waiting for their turn to cook, they'll just sog up and fall apart on the cutting board. Allow to brown thoroughly on one side, flip, and allow to brown on the other.

Once cooked, place in a baking dish and keep warm in pre-heated oven. When all your toast is cooked, serve with syrup, whipped cream, butter, fruit, jams, nut-spreads or anything else you like on your french toast.

Eat.

What is your "local" food system like? Do you have much access to happy food where you live? What do you wish you had more access to? Are there some things you just refuse to give up regardless of location and/or time of year?

This post is linked up with the Hearth & Soul BlogHop via the 21st Century Housewife; Tasty Tuesdays; Tuesday Talent Show; Slightly Indulgent Tuesday; This Chick Cooks; Cast Party Wednesday; Full Plate Thursday; Tasteastic Thursday; and Fight Back Friday.

Oven "Fried" Onion Rings

Beautiful and highly intelligent readers, I have something great to share with you! Mostly great for me, but still worth sharing!

The other day I received an e-mail from a dear and most precious friend. Actually, I received 3 of them. They weren't big e-mails. But what they contained delighted my little heart so much I jumped up and down and ran to show John what she had sent me - and let me tell ya, running on hard wood flooring in crochet slippers is not a safe activity!

She had indicated to me earlier in the week that she planned on making Chorizo in Red Wine Sauce with Herbs. Whenever anyone tells me they plan on making a dish I post I always ask them to let me know how it goes. And I mean it! 

Well, she did. And she not only commented that she did but her actual e-mail contained the photos she took during the process of cooking and the final result! Either way, it was highly gratifying - apparently for her with respect to eating the food and for me to see someone else create a dish that I came up with - yes, it's a bit of an ego boost...

kaitlyn's chorizo, sub red peppers for tomatoes, plus roasted potatoes.

...But through her email she showed me that we have in fact actually connected over food via the content of this blog. It makes me feel like what I'm doing is worthwhile at the very least in the sense that my recipe (and her efforts) made her little mouth sing.

I couldn't be more flattered or honored or just plain fuckin stoked. Thank you for making my day, lady. Heart you. And in case any of you wanna show her a little love, you can check out her blog here. Seriously, she's rad.

Speaking of rad, how about some oven "fried" onion rings? I lifted this recipe from Dishing the Divine - a past SRC assignee. 

As part of our New Years Eve feast, I thought John would go crazy for these semi-healthy but not really at all onion rings - turns out, I did too. I'm ordinarily not much of an onion ring fan. I generally find them too heavy and greasy. These on the other hand were light, super crunchy, and pretty awesome. I did half the amount of onion than what was originally called for and still ended up with a mountain of onion rings. We ate them for 3 days. Holla!

Oven "Fried" Onion Rings

 (printable recipe)

Ingredients:

1 Large Yellow Onion, peeled & sliced into 1/2" thick rings (a mandoline is useful).

2 C Salted Kettle-Cooked Potato Chips.

15 Saltine Crackers.

1/2 C All-Purpose Flour.

1 Large Free-Range Organic Egg, room temperature.

1 C Buttermilk, at room temperature.

1/4 Tsp Cayenne Pepper.

Kosher Salt & Fresh Cracked Black Pepper.

3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil.
Ketchup (to serve).

What to Do: 

 Preheat your oven to 450F. 

First, set up your dredging station! In a food processor, finely grind the crackers and potato chips; Place in a shallow bowl. Place ¼ cup of the flour in another bowl. Beat the egg and buttermilk together in a third bowl. Then, whisk the remaining flour, cayenne, salt and pepper into the buttermilk mixture.

Working one at a time, dredge each onion ring in flour then the buttermilk mixture, and then in the crumb coating, turning to coat evenly. Make sure to allow the excess to shake/drip off between each bowl or you'll end up with just a gloopy mess of bowls and no coating for rings.  Transfer the coated rings to a large plate.

Pour 3 tablespoons of the oil onto 2 rimmed baking sheets. Place the baking sheets in the oven and heat just until smoking, about 4 minutes. Tilt the heated sheets to coat evenly with the oil. Be careful - it's hot!

Lay the onion rings out in a single layer on the oiled baking sheets. Bake for about 5 to 7 minutes or until crispy on the bottom side, flip, and continue cooking a further 5 to 7 minutes. 

Remove from the heat and allow to drain on paper towels before serving. Sprinkle lightly with salt.

Eat.

Film Friday: Just Label It

Happy Film Friday my darling little pumpkins! 

Do you have big plans for the weekend? I accidentally got a little excited at the video store the other day (do I age myself by calling it a "video" store?) and rented way, way too many movies. So, I'm gonna be parked in front of the television trying to watch the copious amount of films I apparently just needed to rent that moment. Stupid girl.

And speaking of films, how about a new one by Robert Kenner, the director of Food Inc.? Anyone who knows me, knows how much I loved both the film and the book. Genius! There's a new one coming out now that I first read about on Civil Eats, called Just Label It: We Have the Right To Know - you can read about it by clicking here. 

Below, I've included the trailer. Quick synopsis: There's a lot of shit in our food. Literally. Among other things that never used to be there. Particularly pertinent to this film is the advent of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). Our food is being cut, sliced, and transplanted into other "foods" - we have no idea what the effects of such "advances" are. Until we know just what that will look like, we have a right to know if something is GMO and that's the premise of the film. Labels. Just let us know. What are the large corporate food producers afraid of? Smoking companies tried to ban the warning labels on their packages for years. How is this any different? It's industry trying to hide the fact that their product is either highly dangerous or possibly highly dangerous. We just don't know. Why not label it so as consumers we can at least have the opportunity to make a choice as to what we feed ourselves, those we love, and the planet?

My only issue with the trailer is it constructs women as the "protectors" of the family. There is very little (if any) attention paid to the possible environmental or other social costs of GMO production. I think we need to remember that just because we're women (well, some of us are), it doesn't mean we are responsible or have any interest in being responsible for the health of a nation. That being said, women are typically still the main purchasers and producers of food world wide, so maybe that's what Kenner is getting at. 

Either way, take a peek. Lemme know what you think... Hey, that rhymed. If you're American, you can learn more and get involved by just a few clicks of the mouse starting here!

What do you think about GMOs? Do they concern you? If not, do you think they're a positive technology? Should they be labeled either way?

Leeky Pear Mushroom Toasts

What time does your body naturally wake up in the morning? Are you an early riser or a late dozer? Do you nap? When do you do your best thinking? Are you usually holding a cup of coffee while you're getting shit done? Tea? Wine? Not that wine in the morning is a bad thing. Wine is never a bad thing. Wine is always a good thing. Always.

The reason I ask is that on Saturday morning I slept until 11:30am. I'm not bragging. I'm a pretty get-up-and-get-em kinda girl and I rarely sleep later than 8am. For some reason though, I felt so tired and unmotivated that I actually slept until 11:30am this weekend. By the time I got up the day was half gone and I hadn't done a thing.

For some people this makes for a great day off. For an obsessively-compulsive, productive A-type personality like me, it was torture. I spent the rest of the day trying to make up for the 3 hours I missed earlier. Blogging. Blog commenting. Job hunting. Eating. Carmen Electra-ing. Cleaning. Showering. Organizing. Grocery shopping. And then... I needed another nap. Aye. Apparently my body is telling me I need my beauty sleep. Fair enough, body. Fair. Enough.

One dish that I made for our second annual New Years Eve feast that will not make you want a nap - that is unless you want to chow it and then go to sleep and re-live the savory experience in your most lusciously delicious dreams - is leeky pear & mushroom toasts. These little babies were inspired by Happy Yolks, the recipe slightly adjusted to include ingredients that I had access to. They were hearty, warm, not too heavy, and really a joy to eat.

Leeky Pear & Mushroom Toasts

(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

1 Baguette, cut into 1" slices at an angle.

4 C Sliced Leeks (whites and just a touch of green).
1 Lb. Fresh Wild Mushrooms, roughly chopped.

1 D'Anjou Pear, diced with skins on.

1 Small Cipollini Onion, minced.

1 Bird's Eye Chili, thinly sliced. 

2 Garlic Cloves, peeled and smashed.

A Couple Sprigs of Fresh Thyme, stemmed & chopped.
Small Handful of Fresh Flat-Leaf Italian Parsley, roughly chopped.

1/4 C Dry White Wine.

Goat Cheese, to spread.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Good Quality Balsamic Vinegar.

Kosher Salt & Fresh Cracked Black Pepper.

What to Do:

Pre-heat your broiler.

Heat a few glugs of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks, stirring to coat, and cook for about 5 minutes.

Add the pears, the white wine, and salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer about 5 minutes then reduce the heat to low.

In a second pan, heat another glug of olive oil. Add the mushrooms, onion, thyme, and chili, seasoning with salt and pepper. Stir well to combine. Allow to cook down for about 8 minutes. Toss in a glug or two of balsamic vinegar, stir, and continue cooking a further 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the parsley.

As your mushrooms cook, throw the sliced bread onto a baking sheet and under the broiler. Watch it - it'll burn quickly! Toast so the edges get nice and crispy - now you have crostinis! Remove from the heat and rub with the smashed garlic. Hello flavour!

Smear the goat cheese on the crostinis, and pile with the leek mixture, followed by that of the mushrooms. Season lightly with a little salt.

Eat.

This post is linked up withTasty Tuesdays, Tuesday Talent Show, Cast Party Wednesdays, Tastetastic Thursday, Full Plate Thursday.

Guest Post @ Seattle Seedling: Winter Post - Kohlrabi Slaw

Hello lovelies! 

It's Winter and you know what that means - it's that time again for me to make the long virtual trek over to Stacy's blog Seattle Seedling for my seasonal guest post... It's actually not very long.The trek I mean, the post is medium in length as per usual. I'll stop talking now...

Come say hello to Stacy - she's a gem and a totally rad food expert and I heart her ever so much. And don't forget to check out my recipe, Kohlrabi Slaw. It's especially delicious if you wanna put something on those Slow Cooker Southern Pulled Pork Sliders...

...And if you don't plan on eating those, come say hi anyway. Stacy is worth the extra effort of the little mouse click.

Film Friday: How to Start a Movement

How often are we told to be leaders in our communities? Our cities? Our countries? Or our society? How often are we asked to be original. Or an individual? If you ask me, leading is over-rated. If everyone's a leader, how will we ever get anywhere? We're constantly going to be pulling in different directions, trying to make our way the way. In my opinion, we need more followers. More bridge jumpers. More people who are willing to take the risk of not buying (literally) into a culture that demands our impersonal, over-consuming, capitalist participation.

We need more people to work together to form new ways of being, living, consuming, and growing. 

It's in this vein that I bring you this week's Film Friday. I saw this short clip a couple months ago and while certainly entertaining - hey! who doesn't laugh at the guy rockin out in his undies? - it also exemplifies the importance of team work and cohesion when it comes to starting a movement. And let's face it, individuals aren't going to change the food system. We do our part by growing a few vegetables in our back (or front) yard gardens, we buy our meat from small scale local, organic, free-range producers, and we compost our organic trash - but unless we hop on board some sort of organized save-our-food-sovereignty-train, we aren't gonna get very far. Therefore, I ask you: be a follower. Jump off that bridge. Find an organization in your area - and let's be honest, with the advent of Google, it's not too difficult to do - and get involved.   

Do something.

But before you do, watch this video. It's short and sweet and you really do get to see some dude rock out in his under pants. Here's Derek Sivers, talking about How to Start a Movement:

Chorizo in Red Wine Sauce with Herbs

Have you ever lost someone so close to you that you actually felt like a piece of you was missing? Have they suddenly vanished from your day to day life that you're left with a void and insane sense of melancholy? Like everything else just stops. And there's nothing you can do about it. 

I felt that way this past week... When my mac stopped working. Actually, the track-pad stopped working. Good-bye lap top, hello everything else that doesn't get done because I'm ordinarily on my lap top. Actually, it worked out kind of good for me. I finally finished my mail art challenge, organized my spare-junk drawer (how many elastic bands does one girl really need anyway??), started jogging (ew.), stream-lined my food writing stuff, swept the hardwood, raged about the dude living upstairs (c'mon, that's bound to happen regardless), and finally watched Watchmen (for the 5th time). Not having a computer - and thus not having access to my blogging biznas - is actually really productive for me...

...But oh how I missed thee. I think "thee" needs a name... From this point on, I shall refer to my mac as not "she" but "Sheila"... No, that's a terrible name. No offense to any Sheila's out there... Her name is Daisy. She's friendly, happy, accessible, and generally brings joy to my life.. Except for her offensive "weed" like smell. Not that my computer smells. But circumstances such as the track-pad incidence sometimes leaves an "ick" feeling in my heart.

You really don't know how much time you (I) spend with someone (YOU) or something (Daisy) until they're gone. 

Daisy, I forgive you... (god, how much of a loser am I???)...

Something that doesn't need any forgiveness what so ever? Chorizo in red wine sauce. For New Year's Eve we feasted on a variety of tapas style dishes that made our little mouths sing and our little tummies ache - we might have had a wee bit too much food by the end of it all. That being said, it was worth every bite. Especially now that I'm starving myself to lose the extra holiday poundage - JK everybody... JK. I'm still eating. Probably more than I should.

Seriously though, make this. It's spicy, it's savory, it's a touch sweet, and with a little rustic bread, it's H-E-A-V-E-N.

Chorizo in Red Wine Sauce with Herbs

Ingredients:

2 Links of Spicy Chorizo, sliced into 1" pieces.

1 Small Onion, thinly sliced.

6-8 Cherry Tomatoes, halved.

2 Garlic Cloves, peeled & Crushed.

3/4 C Dry Spanish Red Wine.

Fresh Herbs (Thyme, Parsley), roughly chopped.

1 Bay Leaf.

1 Tbsp Butter, unsalted.

What to Do:

In a large frying pan, heat the butter over medium-low heat until it's melted and just sizzling. Add the onions, stir well, and cover - allow to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and remove the lid, allowing the onions to caramelize just slightly.

Throw the chorizo into the pan and brown on all sides. This should take about 5 more minutes.

Pour in the wine, tomatoes and bay leaf, stirring well to combine.

Reduce the heat to low and allow the mixture to simmer for about 10 minutes or so until the sauce has thickened. Add the herbs, remove & discard the bay leaf, and stir.

Serve with toasted crostinis.

Eat.

This post is linked up with The Hearth & Soul Blog Hop via the 21st Century Housewife.

Mac 911: Trackpad, you suck!

Holy moly! Hello my little sugar muffins! So after not posting last Wednesday (because it was the first day of school and I'm a terrible blogger so I didn't think to write a post ahead of time and then Wednesday was over), my mac died. Well, technically the track-pad and mouse cursor thing died. And my little beaut has been in the shop ever since. But she's back now. Which means I'm back now....

New post comin at ya tomorrow A.M. lovelies. Oh how I missed my mac you! 

XO,

(Late) New Year Wrap Up: Off to a Great Start!

It didn't even occur to me to do a very special post for New Years till I was reading EVERY other blog in blog-land and saw that EVERYONE was doing one. Top 10 lists. Top 11 lists. Most influential lists. Most scary lists. Most sexy lists. And even a most-unhappy-people-you-meet-in-the-comments-section-of-year-end-lists list. Seriously. So, while I contemplated not doing a list simply because everyone else was doing one, in the end, my need for social assent - and thus acceptance and validation - won out. Yeah, yeah. If everyone else was jumping off a bridge, would I?

The following are my top month-by-month posts for 2011. I've included the posts that seemed to get the most reaction from you, the posts that I loved the most, and of course, those poor little posts that I think deserve more attention than they received.

So, prepare yourselves. I now present for your viewing pleasure... Gastronomical Sovereignty: A Year in Review!

P.S. I do apologize for the often blurry and awful photographs. I've learned a lot this year with respect to photography, most of which has been in the last couple months or so - apparently holding the camera still, using lots of natural light, and eventually ending up with a great camera (i.e. January) = better pictures. Who'd a known? 

January

my favorite: Jamon Croquettes - Two words. Fuck yeah.

your favorite: Truffled Wild Mushroom Risotto - Oozy rice with fresh vegetables? Apparently, people like this kind of thing.

show some love: Habas Con Jamon (Bbroad beans with jamon) - It's not the dish's fault I didn't know how to take pictures last January. I know we eat with our eyes, but don't hold it responsible for the visual lack of culinary lusciousness - make it! Your mouth will thank you... side note: will be remaking and re-photographing once the little guys come back into season next Spring/Summer.

February

my favorite: Portobello Piccata - Crunchy, almondy, and generally healthy. Sort of. This is my go-to when I don't know what else to make. And it works as an incredibly impressive and filling veggie friendly main.

your favorite: Garlicky Oven Fries - Quick, tasty, with loads of garlic. Comfort food at it's finest. Again, photography was not my strong suit in the early part of this past year...

show some love: Reasons to Grow Food - A witty, accessible, and inspiring commentary on the reasons why some of us grow our own food by Susan Gregory Thomas, aka Broke Ass Grouch.

March

my favorite: Truck Farm - A guy. A truck. Some seeds. And a fucking brilliant idea.

your favorite: Home-Made Yummy Cabbage Rolls - Affordable, delicious, and who doesn't need a cabbage roll recipe to deal with all the cabbage that comes in the CSA week after mid-Winter-season week?

show some love: An "Ethical" Eater's Address - To meat? Or not to meat? That is the question.

April

my favorite: Panko Herb Crusted Halibut with Leek & Onion Ragout - Fresh fish, citrus, and the ooziness of the ragout just makes my little mouth sing! Topped aboard a couple pieces of home made polenta - pretty much my favorite meal. Ever. Well, it comes in at a close second anyhow.

your favorite: A trio of restaurant reviews! I couldn't figure out the stats for each one individually but they were all uber high. So: Pure Spirits Oyster House; Enoteca Sociale; and Luma. All in Toronto, Ontario - all fabulously fantastic.

show some love: Rosemary, Grilled Peach & Endive Salad - If you like BBQ, fruit, and fresh buffalo mozzarella, dig the crap in!

May

my favorite: Home Baked Mac & Cheese - the only meal to beat out fish and polenta. For reals.

your favorite: It Sure Aint No Picnic... Yet - Not much of a post... But it spawned comment after comment and hit after hit. Apparently everyone loves a clown picnic! ...I don't love clowns. They scare the shit out of me.

show some love: Incredibly Fresh Fish/Seafood Tacos - Holy heaven! After the pure torture of having to touch live spot prawns, these little doozies were more than worth the trauma. Flavourful, refreshing and oh so Summer.

June

my favorite: Progress Thus Far... - A video. Showcasing three beds of growing edibles. From my front yard to you.

your favorite: Galette Disaster 101 - It's funny when people fall down. Even if that clumsy stumble is an absolute disaster of a dessert... cruel bitches. JK everyone, JK.

show some love: Pommes Frites with Balsamic Reduction & Lemon Salt - A great big punch in the face... of flavor...which is what you deserve after Galette disaster. These take a bit of time to prepare but are so, very, tasty.

July

my favorite: Fried Squash Blossoms with Goat Cheese & Basil - A summer treat! Golden and crispy while the inside gets all warm and mushy and fabulous. We chowed down on these fried little gems for weeks while they were available!

your favorite: Wine Wednesday: For Starters - The first in the Wine Wednesday series; a vocabulary collection to help us talk about vino. I'm so happy we can talk about vino.

show some love: Seared Duck with Cherry Wine Reduction - Cherries, red wine, duck breast & fresh herbs. Do I really need to try to convince you that this was an excellent dish??

August:

my favorite: Golden Plum & Blueberry Snack Cake - I ate it all in one sitting. Enough said.

your favorite: Change is a Good Thing... Right? - We all suffer from the devil we call "change" from time to time... And we're really fucking good at supporting each other too.

show some love: Oven Baked Panko Zucchini Sticks - Fresh from the farmer's market squash = good. Especially if you crunch it up and dip it into a homemade marinara sauce. Holla!

September:

my favorite: Leek & Cabbage Scallop - Does cabbage get any better than this? Tender, slightly sweet, totally savory and a great main for a veggie-friendly dinner.

your favorite: CSA Week #1 - The yellow box! I don't know why I didn't think of sharing our CSA goodies with you sooner. But now that I have, it seems people really dig seeing what's not only in season, but also what you can get (and do!) with entirely organic, local, seasonal, happy produce!

show some love: Stolen Fruit Crumble - That's right. I stole that fruit! And it was so sinfully delicious, I'd do it again! Use what you've got handy and in season and you've got a fruity, light dessert that begs to be topped with full vanilla fat ice-cream. Oh yeah. 

October:

my favorite: October was a good month for the blog. I started figuring a lot of shit out and got the opportunity to create some pretty fabulous dishes. So, a trio of favorites that I just couldn't decide between: Mission Dinner Party: Success! - thanks to all the lovelies that made it so!; Grilled Fennel Salad with Stage Bacon, Apple & Blue Cheese Slaw - obviously.; Use-What-Ya-Got Vegetable Bake - a low cost, high flavor & nutritious veggie friendly main or side for a meat plate.

your favorite: SRC Reveal (Shhh, it's a secret!): Baking with Avril - my first Secret Recipe Club challenge! What did I make? Follow the link to find out!

show some love: Film Friday: A New Perspective - A 17 minute video with Michael Pollan. If you don't know who Michael Pollan is, click here. Because you should. Or, just watch the video. This guy knows his shit.

November:

my favorite: Balsamicy Winter Braising Greens with Raisins and Almonds - A dish that got just about everything but the kitchen sink thrown in it...and that was only because it is glued down. Are sinks glued down? Balsamic is a fabulous way to brighten up any dish, in my opinion. And it adds a touch of sweetness to what are often otherwise, very bitter greens.

your favorite: SRC Reveal: A Taste of Home Cooking - I was worried at first that this dish was a little on the heavy side but you guys loved it! Cheesy with tomatoes and pasta - what's not to love?

show some love: In a Pickle? Then Pickle! - I really believe that on the path to food sovereignty and self-sufficiency, we have to start taking back control over our "processed" foods as well as our fresh. Hence, canning and pickling! Besides, pickled beets are a close second to Summer strawberries in salads and come Winter time, when strawberries are few and far between, beets = good!

December:

my favorite: Roasted Cauliflower with Cumin, Coriander, & Almonds - I may love this dish because it's a flavor punch and pure texture joy to eat... Or I may love it because it comes courtesy of Jamie Oliver... What?
your favorite: The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap Reveal: Chocolate (Andes) Mint Cookies - Who doesn't love a cookie? They're our favorite foods evidently. They do have their own food group, don't they? And at Christmas time, chocolate mint is where it's at.

show some love: Celeriac Pomme Puree - for two reasons. First, I made quite a server's rant about how to behave in a restaurant. It's helpful to you and to the wonderful (or not so wonderful) people who bring you your food and drinks. Second, although it's been done more than a few times before, this puree is sweet, salty, and just the right amount of savory to pair with pretty much any meat dish you can think of. Why wouldn't you want such a versatile side in your culinary arsenal kit?

 

Happy New Year my darlings! It's been a great one - I can't wait to see what 2012 has in store for us. I hope you enjoyed this little year in review - even if it is 2 days late. Oops! Whatever, I'm making a fashionable entrance! And THAT'S how it's done!