And, like her home, her food is full of colour, love and flavour. If you look up on the stove, you'll see a red, cast-iron covered dish. Inside are fiddleheads. The red, the green, the flavour, the memory... Her mother, my grandmother, grew up in the Miramichi, where fiddleheads were a -fleeting- harbinger of spring. Like her mother Viv, Sandra soaks them in cold water, lifts them into a colander, then rinses them again. Then she steams them until tender and adds salt, pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Lemons, of course, weren't abundant along the banks of the Miramichi back then. Viv used a dash of vinegar instead. Either is delicious.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Spring Fiddleheads
And, like her home, her food is full of colour, love and flavour. If you look up on the stove, you'll see a red, cast-iron covered dish. Inside are fiddleheads. The red, the green, the flavour, the memory... Her mother, my grandmother, grew up in the Miramichi, where fiddleheads were a -fleeting- harbinger of spring. Like her mother Viv, Sandra soaks them in cold water, lifts them into a colander, then rinses them again. Then she steams them until tender and adds salt, pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Lemons, of course, weren't abundant along the banks of the Miramichi back then. Viv used a dash of vinegar instead. Either is delicious.
Friday, January 6, 2012
A January Thought
Flowing with seasons defines how I operate in the kitchen. Cold, grey days trigger a nostalgia for warm, simmering stews spiked with a vibrant spoonful of parsley pesto. The first sign of grape hyacinths tells me it’s time to sauté spring greens in garlic and top with soft goats cheese and a sprinkle of pistachios. Summer means the lightest of touches; most ingredients shine all on their own. Roasted squash and buttery mushrooms tell me it’s fall.
Within this rhythm is a toolbox of flavours I keep close at hand. It’s these tools – lemons, vinegars, oils, maple syrup, flaky sea salt, roasted tomatoes, garlic, ginger, toasted spices, to name a few – that are the constant in my kitchen. I can’t control the seasons, but I can play with what they bring. My tools allow local golden beets and white sprouting broccoli to become the focus of a Thai green curry. Sweet potatoes and parsnips become a Moroccan tagine. Quince becomes a jelly served with goats cheese.
These tools create harmony in my kitchen. They create balance. They allow food to sing.
I also must add that I am a mother of three. I cook meals on the fly for boys who are hungry. My food isn’t complicated, but the tool box is essential. It can transport even macaroni into something fit for, well, the parents.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Kernel of Wisdom from Christensen's
Monday, July 18, 2011
The Building of a Bisque
Monday, June 20, 2011
Singapore Sweetness
The other day I received an email from my friend, Chére, in Singapore. Chére and her family are heading to NS for the summer. Below is an email she found in her inbox from her son Will, who's learning to email. She sent it to me, and with Will's permission, I'm sharing it. Needless to say Pippa and I are in love. But have I mentioned he's only seven?
From: Will CooperDate: June 15, 2011 AM 07:14:34 GMT+08:00Subject: Things i am going to buy in canada with my canadian money places where to buy stuff Camp Cooper/Old Navy/Nova Scotia/TorontoThings i am going to buy in canada with my canadian money places where to buy stuff Camp Cooper/Old Navy/Nova Scotia/Toronto1.my own wallet 2. 3.Pippa Cuthbert and Lindsay Cameron Wilson soup 4.mini-stanley cup 5.vancouver canucks hat 6.my own tomato plant 7.carrot seeds 8.a small camping tent (made for real camping) 9.a dvd of vancouver canucks hockey goals 10.Pippa Cuthbert and Lindsay Cameron Wilson juice 11.Pippa Cuthbert and Lindsay Cameron Wilson cookies