Tales of the test kitchen

 
 
I looked at new cookware in this week’s Hot Home Products column, mentioning that I’d done some testing with recipes that I promised to share. Here goes:

Using the rectangular baking dish from Trudeau’s Casa Blanca collection (pictured above), I made, from Sobey’s  Inspired magazine,

Roasted Cod with Capers, Olives and Tomatoes (serves four)

 What you need:

¼ cup brine-cured black olives, drained, pitted and chopped

 1 tbsp (well-drained capers, chopped)

1 lemon, zested and juiced

4  cod fillets, thawed

¼ tsp salt and pepper to taste

1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered

1 tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped.

2 tsp olive oil

What you do:

Preheat oven to 425°F

In a small bowl, combine olives, capers and 1/2 tsp lemon zest (save any left over for a later use).

Pat fish dry with paper towel, place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp lemon juice.

Top each fillet with a quarter of the olive and caper mixture and grape tomatoes. Sprinkle with oregano, and drizzle with olive oil.

Roast for 8 to 12 min. or until fish is opaque and cooked through.

Serve with rice or potatoes.

I used the a tri-ply stainless steel pan pans both from Ricardo Cuisine (see pic above for a set from the new line) and one of All-Clad’s new d5 pans to  make what I think is a super-easy family meal – a frittata. Following (loosely) directions of Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything , I simply:

Whisk 8 eggs together

Heat oil in a large span on medium-high

Cook some mushroom, onions or leeks, along with some peeled and diced tomatoes (you can use canned but do drain them, or in a pinch, you can spread some bottled tomato sauce after you’ve added the eggs) 

Cook on low for about five minutes, stirring once or twice

Add the eggs and sprinkle about ½ cup of cheese on top

Stick it in an oven preheated to about 350˚F for about five minutes or until set

If you have fresh rosemary, oregano or tarragon, stick a spring in the middle  before it goes in the oven.

Serve with a green salad and crusty bread.

 Or try this recipe, which came from Longo’s website:

3 Longo’s fresh Spicy Jerk Chicken Sausages, about 12 oz

3 cups frozen hash brown potatoes

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

8 eggs

1/2 cup cheese

Remove casings from sausages and crumble meat into 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, potatoes and parsley and cook, stirring for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are starting to brown.

Meanwhile, in bowl, whisk eggs with pinch each salt and pepper. Pour over sausage and potato mixture and cook lifting edge with rubber spatula letting runny egg go to the bottom for about 5 minutes or until bottom is light golden and top is set. Sprinkle with cheese and place under broiler for about 3 minutes or until golden.

Speaking of Longo’s, I was sorry to hear that earlier this year, founder Tommy Longo, died.  Born in 1934 in Termini Imerese, Italy, Tommy came to Canada in 1950, and began a career in the fruit and vegetable business. Six years later, he founded Longo’s with his brothers Joe and Gus. The three men grew the business to a highly successful chain of grocery stores — not an easy job in the highly competitive and highly corporate world of grocery retailing.

I’m on record as being a fan of Longo’s. One of my favourite things to do on a Friday night is to grab some wonderful cheese (they offer a stellar selection) and some gorgeous artisanal bread at the bread counter. Sometimes I’ll also grab one of their tapenades or a small bottle of flavoured oil for dipping the bread. Then it’s a quick swing by the LCBO for a bottle of wine before going home and announcing to my husband that “dinner’s ready”. When we do just that this weekend, I’ll be sure to raise a glass to the memory of Tommy Longo.

 

 

 

The luminous magic of glass

 
 
 
 
I love glass art. That’s why I pop in, whenever I’m in the Yorkville 'hood, to oggle the glass beauties at Amarynth Gallery at 161 Cumberland Street.  So I've made a note to check in after Thursday night to see new pieces by Canadian glass artist David Thai. For a quick taste of his work, take a peek at the pictures above. But do go and see the collection in person, because images can never quite capture the magic of glass.

Design Diva Does Distillery District

Design Diva Kimberley Seldon  must have a chock-a-block Daytimer these days. She recently launched online magazine Dabble  to great fanfare and good reviews. Next up is her Designer’s Market (the 11th annual), which will be held Sat. April 30 and Sun. May 1 at 55 Mill Street in Toronto’s  Distillery District. There, shoppers will find antiques and flea market finds, fine fabric, trim, furniture, collectibles, art and gifts.

Karl Lohnes, design expert for CTV’s Canada AM and weekly columnist for Metro News (he just got picked up for syndication in the U.S.) will also be on site to answer decorating dilemmas on Saturday between 12 and 3 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to bring photos, swatches and floor plans for a free 10-minute consultation.. But be warned – it’s one question per guest.

There’s a $5.00 admission at the door.

 

Trolling for good design pays off

 
 
 
  
 
Some may call it goofing around, but for me trolling online for interesting design and useful products for the home is research. And it’s darn hard work, too At least that’s how I justify letting hours dribble away while I amble around the net! But it really does pay off sometimes. It was during such a fishing expedition that I discovered a young Chinese design company called Innovo, which is run by a trio with a decidedly international flavor — with principals Zhang Lei,Jovana Bogdanovic and Christoph John coming respectively from China, Serbia and Germany. They met — where else — in Milan. I found work from these youngster’s firm on Inhabitat, which is my favourite green/sustainable design weblog. Great design, global reach and good writing. The boilerplate description is that it’s “devoted to the future of design, tracking the innovations in technology, practices and materials that are pushing architecture and home design towards a smarter and more sustainable future.” Well worth following. The coverage of the Xuan light, made with bamboo grass, and the Paper Chair, which riffs on ancient Chinese paper-making arts (both shown above) were part of Inhabitat’s coverage of the Milan Furniture Fair.  Are they not the most beautiful things you’ve seen today (at least so far)?

What I Missed This Week (part 1)

 
Forthwith comes a confession. I’m getting old. I can’t keep up with the Bright Young Things anymore, at least when it comes to getting to all the hip-type events that happen around town. For one thing, these youngsters all run everywhere. Frequently in heels. And, mirable dictu,  while I too was once was a gay young butterfly, I am no more, and often need to rest a while of an evening. Rather than pretend, I’m confronting that reality with a brand new weekly blog entry called What I Missed This Week.  I think it’s pretty self-explanatory. So here’s what the cool kids in and around Toronto did last week:

Talked design and sized each other up at the opening of retail space Domison at 35 Jarvis Street.  I wanted to go in part because the 3,500 sq. ft showroom was designed by Alexandre Blazys and Benoit Gérard of  Blazysgerard  and I remembered that I met these fellows a few years ago at an appliance event — Jenn-Air, perhaps? They were young, talented, smart as whips and extremely cute, if I maybe permitted to say. The other reason to check it out is the fact that behind the store are Thien and My Ta Trung, also the creators of Periphere, already well-established as a design presence in Montreal .The brother and sister team were also part of the Sibling Revelry exhibit at the Interior Design Show. The vision is laudable and worth supporting: a  line of Canadian-designed furniture, and work from independent design studios from Canada and abroad. I’ll go one evening next week, for sure. Unless TCM is running a Marlon Brando tribute, of course. Or my bursitis is acting up.

Food. Pro party people. And art. Whoa - what more could you ask for? Other than few bottles of Veuve, of course. It’s a question posed by Manny Neubacher and Anya Shor, recently in the news for launching The Art Stylists,  a sort of an art procurer service (and I mean that in a good way – see pic of work from Adrian Williams above). They’ve just opened the Neubacher Shor Contemporary (NSC) — 3,000 square feet of gallery space at 5 Brock Avenue. By day, it will function as a gallery, but they think the high moveable walls, good lighting and a brill sound system will also establish it as a bitchin’ event space.  Hopefully they’ll have a liquor license as well (see Veuve ref. above.) But as party guy Sebastien Centner (Eatertainment), will take care of all that, we should be in good hands.

And in the when the darn-heck did this happen department? What?! I can only think I was out cold on a park bench when Elte opened an outlet store with discounted stuff not too far from my burb-esque neck of the woods. It’s at 31 Jevlan Drive in Woodbridge (905) 856-0800. Hhhm, I wonder if that means I could afford one of those over-dyed carpets (in red and/or tangerine, natch)?

And of course, one of my fave places to get great used building and décor material, Habitat for Humanity’s Restore , has opened a new location at 3 Carlaw Ave.

Phew, I’m exhausted. Missing all those events has really taken it out of me. Better go put my feet up with a cup of warm milk.

As if you need another reason to head down to NYC

 

 
  

If you’re looking for reasons to convince yourself that a springtime jaunt to NYC is a must-do, (other, of course, than the fact that you deserve a break!) here’s more incentive, especially if you love high style and decadent decor. The fabulous (in every sense of the word) mosaic panels at the Sicis showroom are compelling enough reason to hop on a Porter flight on a sunny May weekend. These incredible mosaics, such as the panel from one of their new lines (shown above), called Saville, are breathtaking.

You’ll also be able to check out a new line of furniture called Next Art from this toney Italian design house. They’re pretty far-out, as the pics above show (the Moi et la Rose love-seat and the Tenderly chair). When I posted one or two on my Facebook page this week, design friends polled seemed to either love them or hate them, with some even calling them bad design. Personally, I can’t help but love these pieces, simply because I think they’re beautiful, sculptural and different (and I’m REALLY big on different these days). Can one sit comfortably in the chairs? I’m not sure – guess I’ll have to head down to NYC to find out!

After a launch this week at the Milan Furniture Fair, Sicis is also rolling out another new furniture line by Christian Lacroix (see pics below). In an interview, Lacroix said he was drawn to the collaboration with Sicis because “the…juxtaposition of intricate work and artisanal incrustations evokes exactly what I did in Haute Couture. What really appeals when working with Sicis is the way in which we can create the trompe l’oeil effect or a treasure’s richness, or a miniature’s complexity or the purity of a metallic tint achieved/gained via teeny/tiny stone and glass splinters.” I agree. I think.

We probably could have all guessed that Lacroix is a fan of Byzantine mosaic work, which he says he admires for its elegance, detail and vibrancy of colour; and the style of which inspired the mosaic panel he did for Sicis of Empress Theodora (see below). This beauty was a warrior queen who Lacroix describes as a forerunner of the modern First Lady. She was definitely a force to be reckoned with; my Oxford Encyclopedia says she also was well-versed in the practice of political torture, but I hear there was a lot of that going around back then! Theodora also inspired Lacroix’s Bergère wing armchair (left), upholstered in beige leather and brocade on black background, with a velvet headrest and black lace medallion. It’s paired with an ottoman in pink velvet decorated with black lace.

The Chauffeuse (below) is a high back chair in blue brocade with a gray and brown floral pattern and a tasseled “necklace” hanging from the back.

 
See you in the Big Apple?

 

Need help with your green living cred?

As Earth Day approaches, attention once again turns to living a little more lightly on the planet. If you need fresh ideas on how to do that, visit the Green Living Show, which will run April 15 to 17 at the Direct Energy Centre at Exhibition Place.

In addition to over 400 exhibitors showcasing all things green ­ — from jewelry to cookware to furniture — scheduled events include a green business forum, youth conference, fashion show and appearances by journalists such as Evan Solomon and Emily Hunter.

Celebrity chefs will cook eco-delicious dishes, and visitors can taste local foods, wine and beer. Fresh, local and sustainable foods can also be purchased at a Farmers Marketplace. Hybrid, electric and fuel cell cars will be available for test drives, and there’s a programmed EcoKids Zone for the little people. A panel discussion on the prevalence of toxins in beauty products will also take place, led by Gill Deacon, author of There’s Lead in Your Lipstick. Musicians Sarah Harmer (whom I adore!) and Alyssa Reid will perform  in a live concert on Saturday at 6:45 p.m.    
  
On Sunday, April 17, feature speaker Tom Rand will offer a presentation called Kick the Fossil Fuel Habit, which is also the title of a book he wrote. Rand was a successful businessman who now focuses his energies (get it, energies?!) on carbon mitigation. The anti-carbon crusader is now active in raising venture capital for clean technologies and works with a number of clean energy companies and organizations.  (see pics above)

For décor-istas, there will be also lots of information about, and inspiration for, green renovation and design. Two exhibitors that I think are especially worth checking out are The Recycler, the nom de green of a former pig farmer who now makes whimsical furniture out of old bicycle parts and The Timeless Material Company   which offers wonderful salvaged and reclaimed building materials (see pics below).


 


 

Larger corporate exhibitors, such as American Standard , will also be there. Visit their booth and ask about their FloWise toilet, which saves about 25 per cent more water than conventional dual-flush toilets.  (I like the Tropic, a sleekly contemporary looking toilet that comes in white and biscuit.)

Admission to the Green Living Show is $12 for adults, $9 for seniors and students between 13 and 17. But Samsung Electronics Canada will provide free admission to anyone who brings e-waste to the event for recycling at their Canadian facility. For details visit the Green Living website.