For every birthday, Xmas, Festivus and such, kitchen gadgets tend to make up the majority of presents I get.

A friend was over the other day and noticed my plethora of spatulas and such in a holder by the stove.

He asked, “how much did each of those ones cost?” Seeing as most of them where Le Creuset and such, about $15 a pop.

He quickly deduced that I had more than $150 worth of spatula’s alone in that holder, which, sadly, was true. That said, some of them I wouldn’t pay more than a $1 for if given the chance again, which brings me to my next essential kitchen gadget–the silicone spatula.

First off, the ones I hate.

Even though some cost an arm and a leg, high price does not always equate to high quality. For instance, the ones that have a wooden handle that detaches from the silicone head.

Hate. Hate. Hate.

Over time, the wood shrinks and breaks down from washing making the silicone head loose and essentially, useless. Scraping the side of a bowl with one of these can be equated to mental torture.

See also the ones with metal, flat handles. Nice to look at. Awful to hold and use.

Next up, the ones with a large head on one end and a smaller one on the other end.

Great in principle, terrible in the real world. Why? How many times have I used the small one? Practically never and now instead of a nice handle to hold on to, I’ve got an awkward and somewhat painful edge to grip.

Fail.

On that, if you’re going to get one that is essentially, a spatula from end to end, make sure to get one that has wire or metal encased in the silicone the entire length. I’ve got a couple where the metal ‘spine’ is mostly in the middle making the ends overly flexible and in short, terribly inefficient to use.

So, to round up: silicone is very good, as long as it’s one solid piece with a decent ‘spine’ inside. Say no to wooden, plastic or metal handled ones that can be separated from the silicone head. If you need two sizes of spatulas, buy two sizes–don’t get one that has big and small on opposite ends.

There. That should do it. Any questions? Shoot me a question and I’ll get back to you.

My wife came home the other day and said while she was at work, a bunch of her co-workers started talking about cooking and then moved on into what was their favourite kitchen gadgets.

My wife, to whom I’ve been with for a few years shy of two decades, has yet to figure out how to turn on our stove. It’s not that she hasn’t wanted to; it’s just I’m the one who’s always in front of it.

One time while I was at work, I came home and I saw her fiddling with the oven buttons with a package of muffin mix in her hand.

She said I looked at her as if I had just walked in on her having an affair with another man.

That’s a little extreme but somewhat accurate. I did feel as if I had let her down and felt somewhat betrayed that she was in front of my stove with heaven help us, a MIX. Again, my tongue is firmly planted in cheek but you get the gist.

I do the cooking. She does the eating. That’s our arrangement. But I digress.

When the aforementioned conversation got to her, she didn’t know what to say, so her friends asked her what was my favourite.

To which, she had no clue what would be mine as I’ve got oodles of them stuffed into drawers, cabinets and closets throughout the house. (True story. It’s actually a blessing and a curse being the editor of a food mag).

When she asked me when she got home, I drew a blank. Again, with so many to choose from, which one was my first pick?

As many items passed through my mind, I came to the conclusion that my top choice would have to be a knife, plain and simple.

Even with a hundred gadgets at my disposal, without a good knife at the ready, you’re done before you start.

So, a solid, well-balanced chef knife with a granton edge. If you’re not familiar with the term ‘granton;’ it means a knife with little air pockets cut into both sides and down the length of the blade. This helps stop food from sticking to it (think potatoes and tomatoes) which in turn makes cutting much easier since there’s less resistance in every stroke. Once you have one of these knives, you’ll never go back to one without.

That’s my number one tool in the kitchen. That said, there are others I find indispensable that I will continue to reveal and blog about in the next coming weeks. Seeing as the holidays are creeping ever closer, this might be a good way to find something for that foodie of yours on your list.

If you have any questions, or would like some suggestions as to which knives with a granton edge I’d recommend, drop me a line or leave a comment and I’ll get back to you ASAP.

If there’s one dish I enjoy, it’s pad Thai as it’s one of the best examples of sweet and sour with a whole whack of different textures, from eggs to peanuts and rice noodles to bean sprouts. But what bugs me most about this dish is that so many recipes call for ketchup as one of the central ingredients. Ketchup? Are you for real?

I’ve made it a few times using said condiment and each time I tasted the final dish, something was just wrong. It may not have been ketchup’s fault entirely, but I felt like it had to go.

To wit, I needed to make a mixture that still had all of those sweet, sour and spice elements but without a shot of Heinz.

To start: tamarind. That’s where I was going to get my sour element from. Available in blocks of pulp that need to be boiled in hot water to remove the tamarind ‘syrup’ from the pulp, it has a just the right amount of kick without being to overpowering. I actually hate dealing with the pump so I always buy the concentrate instead. It’s the same thing just someone else has done all the work for you already.

Next: soy sauce. Oh yeah. My salt side of things was covered.

Next up, the sweet side of things. I always prefer a dark or brown sugar instead of white as that extra layer of flavour from the molasses  just makes everything taste better.

Lastly, the heat. Sure, fresh or dried chilies are the easy answer but I needed to make a sauce and neither of these could help me build one that was adequately cover all of the noodles I was making. So, I moved onto sriracha as my fourth element.

And lastly, to make the sauce more ‘saucy,’ homemade chicken stock.

After playing with the ratios for a while, this is what I’ve come up with:

1 1/2 tbsp tamarind concentrate
1/2 cup reduced salt soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2-ish tbsp sriracha sauce
3/4 cup chicken stock
3 green onions, minced

Directions:
Combine everything in a mixing bowl and  whisk together. Then use as the sauce to your favourite Pad Thai recipe.

Let me know what you think!

As I was at the supermarket the other day and finished paying for my groceries, I passed by a lady who was examining her receipt with extreme scrutiny. Just as I moved by her, she let out an ‘ah-HA’ and promptly ran back to the cashier. From there I could hear her pointing out that she was overcharged $0.25 on something she bought.

Yes, $0.25.

Not $2,50, and not $25,00 but a quarter.

I am far from being rich, but I can’t tell you the last time I watched my items be rung up at the till or bothered to check the receipt for such a heinous over-billing.

Sure, I understand that there are some who are on very fixed incomes and those who don’t have oodles of income at their disposal but a quarter? The time it would take you to fight with the clerk, wait in line to get your refund and then finally leave the store, my goodness, I wouldn’t blink an eye if they ‘got away’ with that small amount.

That got me thinking though–how much does an items cost affect what you purchase? I’m not talking about stuff like, choosing chicken versus lobster, but the every day kind of stuff like fruit, veggies and boxed goods.

While I don’t go over my bills with a fine-toothed comb, I have a pretty good understanding of what items should cost and which are priced much higher than usual. Still, if it’s integral to the recipe I’m making, than as long as it’s not a complete gouge, I’ll probably buy it as I know it will make the dinner taste better than without it.

So, what’s your comfort level? If butter was a $1 more, would you pass or pick it up? Those 10 lbs of taters cost $0.50 more than last time? Do you forgo and instead pick up a cheaper bag or rice? Where do you draw the line?

As I pass 150 blog posts, I think it’s time to check and see what folks want or are looking for in a blog written by a foodie who also happens to be the editor-in-chief of a Western Canadian food and drink publication.

Looking back, my blogs have covered everything from recipes and rants to cooking techniques and cookbook reviews.

But, what is the stuff you find the most interesting or perhaps should I re-phrase and say, what is the stuff that isn’t?

In the culinary world, there’s a lot of info out there circulating in a ton of different mediums, which is why I want to be discussing content that people who love food and Flavours enjoy.

So dear folks, what would you like more of? I know in the magazine the gadget reviews and In Season sections are immensely popular but so are the ready in 30 minutes or less dinner ideas. Should I devote one weekly post to one of these items or all of the above?

When you get a minute, please let me know so I can ensure you’re always getting the very best Flavours delivered to you every week.

A couple of days ago I was asked by a friend about doing a story on healthy Halloween treats.

I honestly didn’t know how to answer as honestly, I don’t know if such a thing exists.

My first thought was about creating snacks from scratch but aside from the neighbourhood kids that know us, or at least know our girls, I doubt very many of them would a) be happy to receive a homemade treat and b) be able to eat the treat since I’m positive most parents who peeped the inside of the goodie bag and saw one in plastic wrap would jettison it without question for fear of pins, needles, weapons of mass destruction etc.

And I can’t same I’d blame them either. If one of my girls got so much as an apple from a stranger, I’d examine it closer than those dudes on CSI before letting them bite into it.

And y’know, that’s sad. I remember getting apples for Halloween and plastic wrapped rice crispy cake. One house we hit up each year had someone who worked in the milk industry and would hand out 500 mL cartons of chocolate milk. But now, unless it bares the name Nestle and is hermetically sealed, there’s little chance of it passing inspection.

Again, that makes me sad that the only ‘safe’ treat is one that is nothing but sugar and chocolate. Sigh.

It may seem a little draconian, but right now, we let our girls dress up and head out to friends and family, but candy is for the most part, rejected. No thank you sir.

You may be thinking that’s a little overbearing and too protective but really, is it? Right now, we’ve asked the people we visit to offer them stuffed Halloween toys from the $1 Store. Or something along those lines. Grandma will offer a homemade cookie and a box of raisins and perhaps we’ll let a pink sucker make it through too. And you know what? They love it.

I honestly don’t believe any of our kids need that kind of sugar, not to mention, in that quantity, any time of year.

Harsh? I don’t think so. They’ll have oodles of time later in life to lose their minds on rocket rolls and jelly beans. They just don’t need it now.

I’m aware I live in a bubble where my kids still choose raspberries over jell-o and a bowl of blueberries over cake any day of the week. I know it will change at some point. But I plan on keeping them in this bubble for as long as I can before it pops.

What do you think? Going too far? Not far enough? Should four-year-olds stuff their faces with sugar?

Now that T-day has come and passed, I hope you’re kept the carcass from the big bird and are planning to make homemade stock with it.

Making your own from scratch tastes infinitely better than the stuff you find in boxes and cans, not to mention, you can control what ingredients go into it as well as monitor the amount of salt that’s added.

Making stock isn’t rocket science and is as easy as counting to three. If you do make your own or haven’t in a while, I’ve got a couple of things I do that I’d like to share.

First off–the bird. While it’s not necessary, when I make stock, aside from the carcass itself, I usually include the wings and a drumstick or two as well. You may have had hungry diners who have disposed of these items already so don’t worry if you don’t have them. While they do contribute more flavour, they are far from integral.

Now most stock is made with the bones and a trifecta of ingredients, namely onions, carrots and celery. When slowly simmered in hot liquid, their flavour is released resulting in a delicious broth. When adding these ingredients to the pot, make sure to chop everything in roughly the same size so everything ‘cooks’ at the same speed. Also, since this is the base we work with, using the best ingredients you can at this point makes a world of difference. I like to use stuff from the garden or failing that, organic varieties of these items. You may not think there’s a big difference between organic and non-organic carrots and such, but believe me, there is. A noticeable difference. As like any kind of cooking, quality in, quality out.

Traditionally, everything is put into a pot of water and brought to a boil. While that works, I like to get as most flavour as I can out of everything so I pop everything into a roasting pan and blast it with heat until the carcass turns nice and brown and the veggies start to caramelize. On that, I love to add whole garlic cloves and chopped white mushrooms as well. I find they impart another layer of flavour that makes the broth even better.

So once nicely roasted, then everything goes into the pot with water. Throw in some bay leaves, peppercorns and fresh sprigs of thyme and parsley and you’re set. Bring to a boil, reduce to a light simmer then set it and forget it. if you want a broth that’s very clear, keep skimming the foam off the top with a spider (think a sieve with a handle). Personally, I don’t care so it’s up to you. After a couple of hours (or more if you want to concentrate it even more) use a pair of tongs to fish out the big bones then pour everything through a colander or chinois. You can repeat this process more than once if you want to try and get all the sediment, but it’s up to you.

Since I usually don’t skim, I’ll salt the stock, liberally, then cover and chill overnight. The next morning I remove the congealed fat cap and then my stock is good to go. Use this roasted turkey stock as a base to coconut milk and thai red curry paste or add garlic sautéed in butter along with diced tomatoes and baby spinach for a lovely soup.

Enjoy!

Since we’re only days away from T-Day (turkey day), I thought the bird should be an appropriate topic for discussion today.

I don’t know about you, but I quite enjoy roasting a turkey. Yes, a 20-bird can be a bit overwhelming, both in size and preparation, but if you have the will and patience, the result is so worth the time and effort.

First off, the dry bird. Heaven knows I’ve been subjected to them more often that any person should and it’s often the result of someone who has just shoved the bird in the oven in a effort to be done with it as soon as humanly possible. Yeah, that’s not going to work.

Just like anything, high heat will certainly cook it, but slower and lower will always yield better results.

But let’s back up a little.

If you to GUARANTEE your bird stays moist, there’s a few thing you can do.

Brining. Yes, this isn’t something new but it still works like a charm. Brining the turkey=moist, succulent meat. It’s that simple. And, it offers so many, many creative ways to add flavour. The simple formula is 1 cup of kosher salt (NOT table salt) plus 1 cup of brown sugar to 16 cups of water. Combine everything in a pot/container big enough to hold the turkey and stir to dissolve the sugar and salt. See? Simple. From there, you can add anything your heart desires. Sometimes I’ll slice up a whole lemon (or two), smash a bunch of garlic cloves,  some whole peppercorns and some bruised rosemary (bruising the leaves releases their oils and thus, gets into the brine quicker and with more flavour).

But don’t stop there. Replace some of the water with beer, wine, orange juice. Heck, white cranberry juice works awesome too! Cinnamon sticks, cloves, bay leaves, coriander seed, fennel bulb, curry seed–you name it–the choices are endless.

Once you’ve devised your culinary brine cocktail, submerge the bird in it, weighing it down with a plate or tin can for 24 hours.

Talk about set it and forget it. After the 24, remove from brine and cook like you normally would but this time when it’s done cooking and you go to cut it, it may actually squirt with juice when you pierce the skin.

You can find the basic brine and some other awesome versions here:

http://www.flavoursmagazine.ca/recipe_search_results.php?type=m&cs=1-3-2-7-4-5-6&t=1&i=1&d=1&q=brine

If that doesn’t tickle your fancy, you can always try the dry cure.

It doesn’t inject liquid into the meat but more forms a barrier on the outside so moisture can’t get out. A dry cure is similarly composed meaning there’s usually brown sugar and salt but other dry ingredients such as onion powder, garlic, paprika and mustard are added for more flavour.

You will still need 24 hours to prepare the bird before you plan on cooking it, but no giant pot is needed–just a big enough roasting pan. Over the years, I’ve used many a dry cure on turkey but almost every second year, I always go back to this one:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/printerfriendly/Brown-Sugar-Cured-Turkey-with-Wild-Mushroom-Shallot-Gravy-4378

It is hands down my all-time favourite. But be warned, the turkey cures UNCOVERED for 24 hours in the fridge so be prepared for everything you have in there to take on the heady aroma of cloves, allspice, mace and brown sugar. I have an extra fridge so it’s not so bad but for those with one fridge, keep that  in mind. Regardless of the scent it imparts to the items around it, this recipe makes turkey taste unreal, not to mention, filling your kitchen as it cooks with an aroma so delicious, I’ve had neighbours ring my doorbell and ask what it is I’m cooking.

Lastly, compound butter. Fancy talk for room temperature butter mixed with other ingredients. Again, the sky is the limit here as there’s not much that doesn’t work with a heap of butter. Again, I’ve tinkered with versions over the years and I think, nay, hope, this is as perfect as I can get it. Once you make it, you’ll need to slip this mixture between the meat and the skin of the turkey. It’s not hard but takes a little work to get it in all of the right spots. Going this route leads to a very moist bird too with pan drippings that will make a gravy to die for.

You can find my ultimate compound butter recipe here:

http://www.flavoursmagazine.ca/recipe_view.php?rid=444&page=RECIPES

Hopefully this little discussion helped ease any anxiety you might have had about tackling the turkey this weekend. Please let me know how it goes or if you have any other questions!

A while ago, I was interviewed for a family magazine about the eating habits of my two little girls. The reason we were picked is because both of my little ones have been excellent eaters.
I once read that a baby in utero can taste food at the three month stage. That really resonated for me as someone who loves to cook so I put renewed energy into creating meals for my wife when she was pregnant both times that were extremely varied in flavour and ingredients.
Some things were well received, others, such as Thai or hot curries, ummm, not so much.
Still, almost every meal was made from scratch using fresh produce and meats.
And honestly, I think that played a big role in why both my little ones eat so well.
Right now, my 4 year old, loves quinoa and pine nuts tossed with peaches. She’ll ask for a homemade margarita pizza by name and thinks my chicken involtini is to die for. She’s a monster for pasta, any kind, and will devour it in almost any kind of sauce I make. And fresh veggies and fruit, oh my. She’ll eat as much freshly steamed broccoli, cauliflower or carrots as I put in front of her. And, I’ve constantly got to be aware of when I’m chopping raw sweet potato or mushrooms as those little fingers climb up to get some every time.
I think I could go broke on the amount of cheese they eat too. Mozza, marble, old cheddar, fontina and yesterday, a small hunk of Parmesan.
I’m lucky, yes, as her younger sister is also happy with a wide variety of ingredients too. Right now, at 1 1/2, she can’t get enough of my steamed broccoli, smoked ham, sautéed mushroom and old cheddar quiche. Like, we actually have to hide it to stop her from eating the entire thing!
Love that.
Now, what do you think? Am I just lucky or has a lifestyle of eating right paid off in spades?

I was chatting with a friend at a recent Blue Bombers game about food (shocker!) and told him that I rarely make the same dish twice.
He, being someone who doesn’t cook a lot, looked back to me and said, “I cook the same recipe probably four times a week.”
Personally, if I ate the same thing four times in one week, my head would explode.
When I cook a meal, I make enough for my wife (sometimes kiddies too) plus myself for dinner and lunch the next day. After that, I move onto something new.
He then asked me how it’s possible to not cook the same thing more than once.
I told him it was easy once you look at the meal you’re looking to prepare.
For instance, my wife loves rose sauce over pasta.
That one dish can have so many variations that would change the flavour so much, they’d be quite different from batch to batch.
Sure, the basic building blocks are there: tomatoes and cream. But, the rest changes all the time.
Maybe a whole purple onion gets used and a couple of dollops of roasted garlic?
Maybe I’m using fire-roasted tomatoes and oodles of chives?
Maybe I’m building a base that uses garlic, onions, celery and carrots?
So while in name it is still a rose sauce, the flavour of it changes each time I cook it.
The guy just stared at me and it was like the idea of deviating from the recipe he followed never occurred to him.
It was like an epiphany.
So, keep that in mind if you find yourself getting into a rut.
Keep making chicken breasts all the time?
Next time, stuff them with basil, fontina and pine nuts.
Or, make an involuting by pounding them flat and rolling them with proscuitto and smoked mozza.
Really, your options are endless when you remember to think outside of recipe.