From Camp Cookin' to Wine

Part 1

Tomorrow my boyfriend Percy and I are heading out to Kootenay lake to go camping!! I can't wait! Even on vacation I still love to cook and see tenting as no excuse to stick to hotdogs on sticks (even though they are soo good....drool, Homer Simpson-styles). We have a propane powered portable Coleman grill that we bring with us - it has a flat side and a grill side. With this you can do so much! I also bring along a pot to heat water for coffee (and dishes), using a coffee press, or French press - which, by the way, makes the best coffee! Beyond the barbequeing basics, such as burgers, steaks and other grilled meats, here is a list of things we've used the grill for in the past, that are well, tent-tantilizing!!

• skewer/kabobs - including meat, poultry, veggies.
• eggs and bacon, sausages
• toast
• fish - straight on the grill, or in a foil packet
• corn on the cob
• put a pot on the flat side of the grill, and make anything you can boil or cook in a pot
• garlic bread
• foil packages of potatoes, carrots, onions, etc
• asparagus - straight on the grill
• fried mushroom and onions
• quesadillas
• and my favourite, Pizza:

• buy pre-made pizza crusts, or use pitas
• buy pre-shredded cheese (unless you are super organized and brought a shredder, shred your own!)
• buy pizza sauce from a can or jar
• go to a deli and get shaved dried salami, ham, pepperoni, whatever you like
• any veggies you like
• set the grill as low as it can go
• assemble your pizza and place it on the grill
• tent some foil over top to help warm up the toppings quicker and to melt the cheese - you don't want to burn the bottom of your pizza
• Enjoy!

And I had to share this recipe I found on thecampingsource.com, it's so rad:

Heat a flat rock in the fire, fry 2 slices of bacon on the rock to grease up the rock, then dip a slice of bread in egg and lay it across the crispy bacon ( the bacon should bake onto that side). Brown both sides of the toast. Once toasty lay the bacon side back down on the hot rock, using your knife cut out a small hole in the middle of the toasted bread to form a well. Try not to slice through the bacon, in this well break an egg into it and fry the egg till you like it done, butter the top and add salt n pepper. Serve with warm maple syrup eat it right off the rock no messy plates to clean up. Enjoy adding your own variations.

Isn't that cool? There must be a Brownie badge for that one! I also like the idea of wrapping potatoes in foil and cooking them in the embers of your camp fire.

Please share your favourite camping recipes or ideas. I'll be back on July 8th - till then!

Part 2

Ah, the Okanagan. For any of you who have not had the fabulous opportunity to go visit wineries in the Okanagan, let me tell you - it is great! When we camp on Kootenay we always take one day to go and buy some wine. Everyone there is so incredibly friendly and at almost every turn off there is another winery: http://www.discoverwines.com/wine-map.php - just look at that map!

The Okanagan is nice and hot in the summer, with great swimming, nice people, tonnes of fresh (and cheap!) local fruits and veggies, and of course copious amounts of wine! (My friend Keelin tells me there's a great Perogie place in Kelowna called Cecil's - who doesn't like pedahe?? We also visited a fantastic Greek restaurant in Penticton once called Theo's).

I want to share with you our favourite wineries (so far at least):

• Hester Creek - Trebbiano -- a really special wine. Last year we went to the winery and they were sold out! I swear I almost started crying. However, we went to this really good Indian restaurant in Oliver and they had the Trebbiano on the menu. I asked if they had any bottles left, and they said yes, we have a few. I then asked if it would be possible, please, to buy a bottle from them to take home - they then proceeded to call the winery to see if that was ok and they said yes!! Thank you, thank you, that is kindness for you! (Sure made my year!) Visit their site to see their description: http://www.hestercreek.com/our_wines/wine.php?id=1004. Personally I think the finish exudes a touch of butterscotch, just enough to make you want to drink 6 bottles in a row!
• Dirty Laundry - Riesling -- this is one of the most beautiful wineries I have ever seen! Summerland is a great place to spend some time. This riesling is nice and crisp and perfect chilled on a hot day. Check it out for yourself: http://www.dirtylaundry.ca/wine/riesling.php
• Blasted Church - Pinot Gris -- you can get this one in Calgary!! Now, THAT is exciting! This unique winery is on the banks of gorgeous Skaha lake, and it makes me want to quit my dayjob, make and sell handycrafts for wine, and play tambourine in the sunset - seriously! http://www.blastedchurch.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2&Itemid=10 I know they sell this wine at Centre Street North liquor store, Altadore liquor store and I'm sure many others. It's about $27 dollars and worth every last cent - just make sure you get your own bottle!

Happy sipping, slamming, chugging, or whatever it is you do!

Hot or not? All about chiles

While preparing for Jen and Garry's party tonight I wanted to catch up on my chile knowledge - check out this link:

http://www.foodsubs.com/Chilefre.html

This site is Cook's Thesaurus - my friend Michelle showed it to me about 5 years ago. As the title, Cook's Thesaurus would indicate, it provides substitutes for almost any ingredient you can think of. So next time you have a recipe that calls for something obscure or expensive, throw the term into the seach box - the results are even in alphabetical order (which pleases the librarian in me!).

Have a great weekend!

Mini Fajitas

mmmm....Mexican food! Tomorrow night my best friend Jen and her husband Garry are having their post-wedding party. They married in Mexico a few months ago and are having a party here in Calgary. So, what a great opportunity to make some Mexican food (and of course, drink some rum!) Since the party is in the evening appetizers will be served rather than dinner. We have a really fun menu (which I can't wait to eat!):

• Tomato based salsa, and pineapple salsa with chips
• Chicken Mole with Kahlua and Pistachio (this is a neat dish: the chicken is cooked in Kahlua and the sauce is a savoury, spicy, chocolate sauce. The chicken will be skewered with the sauce on the side)
• Layered bean dip
• Veggies and dip - with a Mexican twist - colourful bell peppers, tomatoes, zucchinis, and mushrooms. A dip comprised of sour cream, mayo, cilantro, garlic, diced jalapeno, diced green onions - - and maybe more, this will be a dish with whatever looks fresh and whatever inspires.
• And my favourite - Mini Fajitas:

• Get a hunk of cheap beef, like chuck, and cook it in a crock pot until it is tender enough to fall apart, with some Mexican inspired flavours: you could use beef stock with store-bought taco seasoning, some people like to use things like Coke (which helps break down the connective tissues in the meat, making it tender), jalapenos or other chilies, chili powder, garlic, cilantro, onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, cumin, lime juice, the list goes on. You could do this the day before, that way you can give it a chance to cool and it will be easier to work with and also because it takes awhile to cook this, about 8 hours. The beef should shred easily when you take a fork to it.
  
• Buy those "Scoops" chips, or cut out rounds or squares from tortillas and bake until they are toasted (you just want to give them some support to hold the beef, and also to not allow the beef to make your chips soggy), at 350º for about 5-6 mins, make sure to keep an eye on them.
• Place a small pile of shreeded beef on the chip
• Thinly slice onion and place a little on top of the beef
• Thinly slice bell peppers and place on top
• Shred some cheese and pile a little on top (whatever you like - there is a nice Mexican cheese called "Asadero". This is a smooth, yellow cheese with more "tang" than other milder melting cheeses. This cheese is ideal for baking because its stronger flavor adds to the appeal of a baked dish. http://www.specialcheese.com/queso.htm)
• Bake in a 350° oven for about 8 mins, or until cheese is melted and meat is heated through.
• Serve with salsa and/or hot sauce on the side.

For those of you in Calgary visit Boca Loca, located at 1512 - 11th Ave SW, they sell fine Mexican Foods. I'm not sure if they sell Asadero, put they do carry Manchego, a very popular Spanish cheese made with goat's milk. They also carry all sorts of fantastic chilies that are hard to find elsewhere and fresh tortillas. If anyone happens to know of another store or source for these ingredients, please share!

Sobey's also carries a great variety of chiles - I found Anaheim, Serrano and Poblano chiles there.

Enjoy! And have a great weekend - it's Willie Nelson tonight for me!!

Rice Vermicelli with Beef and Tomatoes

"What is a good first post?" This is what I have been thinking all morning. I have pages of ideas, but none of them seemed fit for this debut! So, what I want to know is, what do you want? What do you love to eat? What do you hate to cook? Any questions, I'll answer them, any suggestions, please share them.

Lately it's been all about tomatoes for me - they are, after all, my favourite food (you might have gleaned a hint of this from my blog picture!) They are so good for you too - they are high in antioxidants, they have been found to ward off certain types of cancer, and can apparently help maintain mental function as we age. Tomatoes taste fabulous when they are in season -- I like them straight up -- no salt and pepper, no balsamic, no salad dressing -- why mess with a good thing? Simple perfection is refreshing, just like a juicy tomato! Although there's nothing wrong with adding a little kick if you're in the mood. Last night we had my version of Bunh (Vietnamese dish with rice vermicelli) with tomatoes, beef and onions, let me share it with you:

Rice Vermicelli with Beef and Tomatoes

For 2 people:

• 2 portions of beef (I used 2 eye of round steaks, very affordable), slice as thin as you can against the grain (so the meat is tender) -- if your knives are dull get yourself a sharpener, the wand type, it makes life much easier
• 2 medium sized tomatoes, sliced thinly
• 1 medium-large onion (I used yellow), cut in half, then sliced thinly
• 2 tbsp olive oil (you can use canola, I just prefer olive)
• Rice vermicelli
  
  Condiments:
• Hoisin sauce (Available at supermarkets, I know Safeway has it, although you'll find it much cheaper at asian markets)
• Hot sauce (Huy Fong Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce -- this is the stuff you see at most Vietnamese take out counters, they sell it at Superstore and other asian markets)
  
  Optional -- to make it pretty (spinkle on top):
• chopped green onion
• chopped peanuts
  
• Heat olive oil in pan over med-high heat (make sure it's not too high - if you use olive oil you'll know it's too high when it smokes!)
• Meanwhile, put water on to boil for the vermicelli
• Add the beef and cook until it is almost done, then add the onions and a good dollop of hoisin.
• Once the beef is cooked and the onions are tender, remove beef and onions from the pan and set aside
• Add vermicelli to boiling water - I generally add the noodles, bring the water back up to a low boil, stir up the noodles and then turn the heat off, they just need to soak (or, just follow the directions on the package!). Drain in a colander when done.
• Turn your pan to down to low
• Lay the tomatoes in the pan, try not to let them overlap too much
• After about a minute or less (you just want them to cook slightly) turn them quickly and remove the pan from the heat
• Put the noodles in big bowls if you have them (like pasta bowls) and arrange the beef and onions, and the tomato on top.
• Sprinkle the green onion and peanuts on top, if you have them
• Serve with hoisin and hot sauce and people can add as they like.
  
  Enjoy!!