Yes, we can can

Retro home-making and cooking practices seem to be making a comeback. Witness the renewed interested in canning, which the younger set is discovering is a wonderful way to enjoy summer fruits and vegetables all year around. One place to stock up on supplies is  Williams-Sonoma, which  now carries all the essentials of home-canning and preserving. If the pics above are inspiring you to hit the kitchen, take note that WS offers in-store workshops on canning and pickling basics. In Toronto, the next one will be held at their Bloor Street store on August 12, and will teach participants how to make pickling spice and create relishes. They also offer tips online.Williams-Sonoma stores in Vancouver and Calgary are also offering complimentary canning and preserving technique classes.

If you don't have the time, or the inclination, to make your own relishes, check out the new line from President's Choice, which includes zucchini and carmelized onion relishes, and a wonderful sofrito (toss a jar of either into the Five-Grain Blend of spelt, barley, rice, wheat and oats for a super-quick dish). I love this stuff - it's ready to eat in about 10 minutes and works beautifully as a healthy base for a cold salad or a hearty hot alternative to bread or potatoes.

Stay cool, baby

Unless you are fortunate enough to spend your summers by a lake, an electric fan is probably the easiest way to cool off quickly. If floor or table top space is limited, Lee Valley  has a high-output fan (1710 cubic feet of air per minute at top speed) that can be wall-mounted, and provides  air circulation for spaces up to 850 square feet. It has a quiet three-speed motor (120V), a metal front grill, an impact-resistant plastic rear grill, and 16-inch diameter plastic blades. The speed control switch can be adjusted directly or by with a pull-cord. And at $60, you cannot beat the price.

 Another way to keep the house cool is an item that’s on my dream list - a  VELUX venting skylight. They let in up to twice as much natural light as vertical windows,  and they open, so that at night all that hot air (which has risen to the top floor) can escape. They also keep out damaging UV-B rays, which can damage fabrics — and your skin!

Keeping blinds closed during the day will also reduce interior temps, and Velux now has a line of prettily patterned blinds for their skylight line.

I have a Velux light tunnel in my upstairs that I love, love, love. Since installing it, I’ve don’t think I’ve ever had to turn on a light in the daytime to look in the linen cupboard. I get lots of light – even on overcast days. At night, there’s enough lumination from the moon and the stars (and okay, light pollution from various sources) that there’s no need to turn on the light for a trip to the bathroom.

 

Wafu - I think I love you

Healthy, tasty and versatile - what's not to like?

I’ve been having fun playing with a new line of Japanese vinaigrettes called Wafu. They come in four flavours; original, original light, carrot-ginger and wasabi edamane. You can use them for marinating, dressing, or dipping. I love the carrot-ginger on barbequed salmon or chicken, or drizzled on a salad of fresh lettuce, sliced green apple, dried cranberries and toasted almonds. I also used the wasabi-edamane as a substitute for mustard in a quick vinaigrette.
Look on the website for a recipe for a Caesar salad (all the fun without the fat!) made with the original version. These are cooking shortcuts you can feel good about – they have no added colours, artificial flavours, trans fats, are low in cholesterol and  saturated fat – and they’re kosher. They promise to launch a gluten-free version soon. Check them out online for where and how to buy, or visit their Facebook page. Love this stuff!  

 

And now for a stunning side dish - cedar planked Brie

Smoking is all the rage among BBQ enthusiasts these days. In fact, according to  Weber's 23rd annual Canadian GrillWatch Survey,  33 per cent of those surveyed wanted to learn how to use a smoker and wood chips such as hickory, maple, apple, and mesquite to infuse smoky flavours into foods.

Just to tempt you, here's a delish recipe from Weber's Smoke cookbook  by Jamie Purviance.

Cedar-Planked Brie with Cherry Chutney and Toasted Almonds - serves 4 to 6

Ideal grill: charcoal            Smoke intensity: moderate

Prep time: 20 minutes       Cooking time: about 10 minutes

Special equipment: 1 untreated cedar plank, 12 to 15 inches long and about 7 inches wide and ½ to ¾ inch thick, soaked in water for at least 1 hour

Chutney

2  teaspoons vegetable oil

2  tablespoons minced yellow onion

½  teaspoon minced garlic

2  teaspoons peeled, minced fresh ginger

½  cup cherry preserves

Ground cinnamon

Crushed red pepper flakes

1 wheel (8 ounces) Brie cheese

¼  cup sliced almonds, toasted

Baguette slices or crackers

In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the ginger, preserves, a pinch of cinnamon, and a pinch of red pepper flakes and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to very low and cook for 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool.

Prepare a two-zone fire for medium heat (350° to 450°F).

Brush the cooking grate clean. Place the soaked plank over direct medium heat and close the lid. After 5 to 10 minutes, when the plank begins to smoke and char, turn the plank over.

Set the Brie in the center of the plank and cook over direct medium heat, with the lid closed, until the cheese softens and the rind turns a pale golden brown, about 10 minutes. Use a wide spatula to transfer the Brie to a serving plate.

Spoon half of the chutney over the cheese and top with the toasted almonds. Serve with bread or crackers and the remaining chutney on the side.

©2012 Weber-Stephen Products LLC. Recipe from Weber’s Smoke™ by Jamie Purviance.Used with permission.

 

Who has great BBQ tips? Naz haz.

BBQ Naz says it's all about the prep, baby

Barbequing is supposed to epitomize easy summertime living. So why do so many home cooks approach with a touch of trepidation? Weber's grilling expert Naz Cavallaro (AKA BBQ Naz) has a few suggestions for grilling without groaning.

First of all, says Naz, preparation is key. "Get it all ready before. Chefs call that mise en place – putting everything in place. If you’re doing skewers, do them beforehand. Prep the veggies and have it all ready to go.”

Good prep takes food safety into account, he adds. “People overlook it. You need to keep your proteins in a shaded area and on ice until you are ready to cook them. Don’t cook it all at once and let it sit on the table for too long – it’s better to grill some, have people eat it and throw more on as you need it."

 As with any kind of cooking, timing is everything, says Naz. “Time your cooking, and don’t get sidetracked and start chatting too much. It’s easy when you’ve had some practice. You could, say, start with sausages and then move them up to the warming rack before cooking chicken. When the chicken is almost done you can tent it and throw on the next item.”

The only situation in which a little inattention is appropriate is when you are cooking something low and slow. “Every time you open your grill, it takes 20 minutes to get temperature back up. Leave it!”

Chef Tom to the rescue with summer menu ideas

One of my bestie foodie friends - Chef Tom

Chef Tom Filippou, executive chef for President’s Choice Cooking Schools  thinks busy home cooks often need a little inspiration for putting together menus for summertime suppers with friends and family. So he and his team have come up with some easy–to-assemble suggestions using, naturally, the President’s Choice product line, which seems to be growing ever bigger, and ever better.

One zesty suggestion - pair Jalapeno cheese burgers with Corn Relish on Round Pretzel Buns, with a side salad dressed with Avocado Dressing, Lime and Jalapeno. Or top a chicken burger with the Zucchini Relish and Monterey Jack with Jalapeno Pepper mini cheese slices. I also like the Sofrito, which is, typically a mix of flavour-rich ingredients indigenous to various regions. PC’s entry is tomato-based with onions, green, red and jalapeño peppers with notes of cilantro, garlic and lemon. It makes for a great burger dressing, but also works with cheese on crusty bread for a vegetarian option, or as a zingy compliment to perfectly scrambled eggs.

They also have a few dozen suggestions on the website for topping their mini burgers and sausages.

I think sandwiches make great summer fare, and Chef Tom agrees. That’s why he suggests putting a little bit extra on the grill to be used for sandwiches the next day. Think about pulled pork, or hot Italian sausages, made with the new PC baguettes. Add roasted pepper or eggplant, portebello mushrooms, sliced raw red onion or caramelized onions.

I happen to like the red pepper rounds buns with almost anything, but especially with fresh LOCAL tomatoes and crisp lettuce, and Formaggio di Bufala Fresh Soft Cheese. For a fun side to a bun-less burger, try roasted beets, sliced very thin and served with toasted walnuts, goat cheese and a drizzle of flavoured olive oil. The magnificent Lucy Waverman turned me on to serving these with chive oil (combine ½ cup chives with ½ cup chives and 2 tablespoons chopped green onion. Bring to a simmer and then sit for 2 hours. Strain).

An easy way to serve an elegant dessert is to pile ice cream — say, the Loads of White Chocolately Raspberry Treats — into a waffle bowl and heap it high with fresh LOCAL raspberries. Peanut butter and jam ice cream, is pretty delish with fresh cherries, imho -  I keep a bag of mixed frozen berries in the freezer for the times I run out of fresh, LOCAL (I think I've made my point, no?) seasonal fruit. You could also dress a Dulce de Leche cheesecake with fruit and/or toasted nuts which you would serve, of course, in very skinny slices.