Nutella Hot Chocolate

The other night, while curling up on the couch I was in the mood for hot chocolate, but I wanted to mix it up a bit. When I opened my pantry and saw a jar of Nutella (my ultimate addiction) I knew exactly what I had to do. In a small saucepan, I added a cup of milk (I used skim, so that makes it healthy right?). I brought the milk to a gentle simmer and then whisked in about 1 Tbsp. of Nutella until it was melted and combined with the milk. I poured the mixture into a mug and topped with some mini marshmallows (whipped cream would be perfect too). It was just so delicious I had to share. This is a DEFINITE must try! ENJOY!

Jamie Oliver's Meals in Minutes: Pregnant Jooles's Pasta, Crunchy Red Endive and Watercress Salad

Last night was the second of my Jamie Oliver's Meals in Minutes cookbook test.

On the menu:

• Pregnant Jools's Pasta (essentially pasta with meat sauce)
• Crunchy Red Endive and Watercress Salad (I used baby arugula which the book gave as an option)

I pretty much followed the recipe exactly except for a few simple swap outs. I changed the type of pasta from penne to farfalle (bowties) and instead of using sausages in the sauce I used ground veal. The recipe in the book included a dessert (little frangipan tarts) but since we try to eat somewhat healthy during the week I decided to skip it. The tarts looked and sounded delicious so I will probably test the recipe out on the weekend and bring them to a friend's house.

Here are my thoughts:

Ingredients: Just like last time all the ingredients were easy to find in my local supermarket. Besides being incredibly easy to find the ingredients were also very reasonable. My whole bill for this meal cost just over $20.

Method: This time around, the method was a little tougher than last time. This was partly my fault since I skipped the dessert. Because of this, I had to skip the steps based around the tarts and often found myself losing my spot on the page. Other than that, this recipe was easy to follow. My only other complaint was that the recipe called for the meat to be cooked on a high heat, I found for the time given to cook the meat I had to turn the temperature down a bit about halfway through the cooking time as my sauce was starting to burn but like any recipe you have to pay attention and adjust accordingly.

Cook Time: This meal was even quicker than the last one. I had dinner on the table in just under 30 minutes! In fact, when I called Jordan to the table his response was "What??? Already???"! Granted, I skipped the whole dessert section of the recipe but if you included it it would probably only add about 10-15 minutes to the cook time.

The Food: Once again, DELICIOUS! The meat sauce tasted like it had  been cooked all day and was the perfect comfort food for a cold winter's night. The salad was fresh and crunchy and was the perfect accompaniment for the pasta. Another satisfying meal from Mr. Jamie Oliver!

Tonight I am cooking my own recipe so make sure to check back tomorrow for a post on:

• Roasted Herb Chicken
• Caramelized Shallot Gravy and
• Shaved, Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Product Review: Valentine's Day Whoopie Pies

I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day yesterday full of love, chocolate and candy!

I spent the evening working a Couple's Cooking class but wanted to leave Jordan a little Valentine's Day treat for when he got home. Since I didn't have much time in the morning before I had to head to work I turned to the help of a boxed mix.

I decided whoopie pies were the way to go and so I went with this mix:

Click here for info.

I added my own twist on the mix by using a piping bag to make the whoopie pies into a heart shape and then using food dye to make the icing a lovely hot pink. Overall I was very satisfied with this product. The baking time was a little off, but I think that is because I piped the hearts larger than the size directed on the box. Jordan was satisfied with the mix too, which I was able to tell by the crumbs left on the plate when I got home This was definitley a great boxed mix perfect for whipping up a quick and delicious sweet treat!

Toronto Dining: Origin Restaurant

Hi everyone! I know it has been a while since I posted. Between events at work, I also managed to sneak away for a quick vacation to Florida.I promise to be back posting on Monday with some great recipes from a dinner I will be hosting Saturday night.

In the meantime I wanted to share some food photos that I took during a work dinner at my favourite Toronto restaurant, Origin. All the dishes are meant to share which means you can taste a variety of dishes in one visit, which I love.

Here are just some of the dishes I was able to enjoy on my last visit (this isn't half of what we had!):

Japanese style tuna salad + asian pear + avocado + spicy ponzu dressing

Curried shrimp + naan bread

Beet + goat cheese + pickled red onion + walnuts + sherry dressing + yogurt

32oz Ribeye + chimi churri

Spicy Spanish fries + chorizo + manchego

Bufala mozzarella + pear + rosemary oil + pinenuts + honey

Wild blueberries + ginger crunch + soft serve cone

Hot chocolate cake + candied citrus + soft serve

I definitley recommend checking Origin out, I promise you wont be disappointed!

Look What I Got!!!

I apologize for the lack of posting. Lately things have been pretty crazy at work with a kid's cooking camp one week and then a teen cooking camp the next! Things have settled down and I will be back to regular posting.

In the meantime check out this amazing new gadget I just picked up for myself:

The Zoku Quick Pop Maker allows you to make ice pops in 7-9 minutes!!! I am so excited to try out exciting flavours and combinations and will be sure to post all my experiments. In the meantime check out their website here.

In The GTA you can purchase your own Zoku Ice Pop maker at Nella Cucina.

Stay tuned....

Kitchen Must Haves

I have been suffering from a cold for the past week so I haven't been in the kitchen very much unless it was to heat up some soup. I apologize for the lack of cooking posts, but am going to take this opportunity to write a post about my favourite kitchen products, and what I think every basic kitchen should have.

Here goes:

A Good Chef''s Knife:

Photo courtesy of www.macknife.ca

Also known as a French knife, a good quality Chef's knife is the basis for all cooking. I would recommend a knife in an 8 - 10 inch range. There are so many great brands out there so test them out and see which one feels the best in your hand. In order to get the best use out of your knife, it is important to keep it sharp. Get it professionally sharpened every few months and purchase a honing steel to maintain it's edge between sharpening. A good qulaity, sharp knife will guarantee easier prep and believe it or not is actually safer than using a dull knife!

A Large Stainless Steel Frying Pan:

Whether you are searing a beef tenderloin or scrambling some eggs a stainless steel frying pan is perfect for various uses. Look for a pan with an aluminum core to help evenly distribute the heat.

An Enameled Cast Iron French Oven:

Not just pretty, a French oven can withstand high temperatures which makes it perfect for on top of the stove as well as in the oven. French ovens are a necessity when braising and slow cooking. Although they may be on the pricier side, a good quality one will last a lifetime, and can even be passed down from generation to generation.

Plastic and Wooden Cutting Boards:

If you own a glass or stone cutting board put  it aside to use as a display board for cheese and antipasto. These types of boards, ruin your knives, and stone can hold on to bacteria if not properly sealed. The softness of plastic and wood is perfect for maintaining your knives sharpness, as well plastic boards can be placed in the dishwasher to make sure they are perfectly sanitized. I keep my plastic boards for use with raw and smelly foods like meat, fish and garlic and use my wooden boards for vegetable prep. Wash your wooden boards by hand with soap and warm water.

Useful Appliances:

It is very easy to get carried away with appliances. I have found myself with a cupboard full of appliances like an ice cream maker, waffle iron and rice cooker. Although I love them, they have very limited uses. I am fortunate enough to have the cupboard and basement space to store them when I am not using them, but if you are limited on space try to limit your appliances to these three: a hand blender, a food processor and a hand mixer. These appliances have multiple uses and will help speed things up in the kitchen. A hand blender is great for pureeing soups right in the pot and making smoothies, a food processor is the perfect tool to grate cheese or whip up a quick dip and a hand mixer is the ultimate tool for baking.


If you live in the GTA a great place to purchase these, as well as other great products is Nella Cucina. Located on Bathurst just north of Bloor this place is a mecca of restaurant and kitchen supplies (and I'm not just saying that because I work there!)

Nella Cucina
876 Bathurst Street
Toronto, Onto
M5R 3G3
416.922.9055
www.nellacucina.ca

Toronto Kitchen Supply Store and Cooking School: Nella Cucina

If you are a foodie living in Toronto and have not yet visited Nella Cucina, you must go NOW!!!

From meat grinders, to china, to quirky kitchen gadgets, this store has it all! If that isn't enough to grab your attention, the store also has a cooking school! The school caters to the home chef and runs recreational classes like Traditional Thai and Knife Skills.

For more info check out their website, blog, Facebook, or Twitter

photo courtesy of www.nellacucina.ca

Favorite Products: A Taste of Thai Spicy Peanut Bake

Keeping with the Thai theme from yesterday, I'm going to talk about another favorite product of mine; A Taste of Thai's Spicy Peanut Bake.

Even though I attended culinary school, I am still like everyone else and love a great short cut in the kitchen. The only problem is, I have a picky palate, and some of those sodium and sugar packed products available in the grocery stores just wont cut it. I was very pleasantly surprised when I picked up A Taste of Thai's Spicy Peanut Bake. I checked out the nutritional information and saw that the sodium level was fairly low compared to all the other short cut products on the shelf, I decided to take it home and give it a try. The product works very similar to Shake and Bake. You shake the product onto some chicken breasts and bake it in the oven, it's as simple as that. It provides a nice Thai flavour with a great crunch from the peanuts. Serve it with some rice and some steamed veggies for a quick and delicious meal.

Favorite Products: Brie Baker

One of my go-to party foods is baked brie. It is one of the easiest things to make, guarantees a ton of compliments, and is devoured within minutes every time I make it. The only problem was finding the perfect vessel to both bake it and serve it in, until I found my Petite Maison Brie Baker by Wildly Delicious, available at Bowring or Wildly Delcious. The earthenware container comes in both white and red, and comes with a useful and stylish bamboo spreader.

photo courtesy of www.wildlydelicious.com

Simply place a wheel of brie into the baker, top with any of your favorite toppings and bake in a hot oven until the centre is warm and gooey. Serve with crackers and crusty french bread, and get ready to enter cheese heaven.

Some of my favourite ways to top baked brie are:

• as is, there is nothing wrong with plain, ooey, gooey, delicious brie
• apricot preserves and slivered almonds
• caramalized onions, sliced figs and honey
• chopped tomatoes, garlic and basil or for an easy route, store bought bruschetta mix
• for the holiday season, cranberry preserves and walnuts
• sauteed wild mushrooms with garlic
• roasted red pepper or sun dried tomato tapenade
  

Favorite Products: Truffle Oil

No, I'm not talking about oil made from chocolate. I am talking about oil infused with actual truffles, the fungi. If you know what I am talking about you are probably thinking, "truffle oil? Isn't that insanely expensive?". Which brings me to why Truffle Oil is one of my favorite products. Although real, fresh truffles can cost you as much as thousands of dollars a pound, truffle oil is a great way to enjoy the deep, earthy, rich flavour of truffles without filing for bankruptcy. There are many versions of truffle oil available, and some even available at your local Loblaw's. They can vary in price depending on whether they contain real truffles or not. The majority of truffle oils here in Canada are essentially just olive oil  that are infused with truffle essence, while others actually contain real truffles (obviously more expensive). Although not as good as the real thing, these truffle oils do a great job of making me feel like I am enjoying a 5 star meal right in my own home. A small bottle will cost you about 15 to 20 dollars, but since you only need a drop to impart that delicious truffle flavour, the bottle will last quite awhile.

Some of my favorite uses of truffle oil are:

• mixed with some mayonnaise to dip french fries in, or to enhance a sandwich
• drizzled over soup
• drizzled over some mixed greens
• to finish off a pasta dish (especially homemade white cheddar mac and cheese)
• mixed in with my scrambled eggs or omelets
  
• drizzled over steak
  

If you love the taste and aroma of truffles when you eat out in a restaurant, I highly recommend purchasing some truffle oil to keep on hand, for those necessary at home indulgences.

The Great Pot and Pan Debate

A question I get asked quite often is, "what are the best pots and pans?", I often don't know how to answer, as every type of pot and pan has its own purpose. Here is the lowdown of the most popular types of pots and pans that will hopefully answer everyone's question, and help with the decision of what type of pots and pans to purchase.

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is a non-reactive metal which makes it great for cooking any ingredient. Although, stainless steel is a great general use material,  you have to be careful when choosing what type of stainless steel pots and pans to purchase.Stainless steel on its own will provide an uneven distribution of heat. Look for stainless steel pots and pans with an aluminum or copper core, this will allow the heat to be distributed more evenly, as well as allow for a higher heat temperature while cooking. Stainless steel on its own, is very sensitive to over heating, once you burn a stainless steel pan, it is very difficult to remove and will cause you problems afterward. In general, stainless steel is great for low-temperature cooking, like for eggs or fish and for boiling water or soup. Stainless steel with an aluminum or copper core is more versatile and can be used for higher heat cooking like searing, sauteing and stir-frying, but sticking is often a problem, clean up can be difficult, and they can often get pricey.

Tip: Always  pre-heat your pan before cooking in it, placing a cold item in a cold pan will cause sticking.

All-Clad Copper Core Stainless Steel Set

Retails for approximately $1,200 

Aluminum

This is what they use most often in restaurants. Aluminum is the cheapest material pots and pans you can purchase and distributes and retains heat beautifully. Aluminum is not as sensitive as stainless steel and can handle very high heat cooking without burning. There are a few downfalls though. One, after frequent use aluminum tends to pit, but because they are cheaper than other materials, they are easily replaceable. Also, aluminum is a reactive metal so many ingredients, especially acidic ones, like tomatoes will pick up a metallic taste when cooked with it. There is also the risk of Alzheimer's. Nothing has been proven that using aluminum pots and pans increases your risk of Alzheimer's, but some people like to be cautious and stay away.

 

Cast Iron

Cast iron is great for high heat cooking. Although it is reactive like aluminum, and shouldn't be used to make a tomato sauce, frying and searing comes out beautifully when using a cast iron pan. Cast iron will retain an intense amount of heat, and you basically never have to worry about it burning.  A cast iron pan should not be heavily washed, it is best when just rubbed down with a soft cloth, and hot water. A cast iron pan works best after years of being used, and it has a nice layer of grease on it. A few cons are that, cast iron tends to be very heavy, it takes longer than other materials to heat up, and it must be very carefully cared for.

Teflon and Other Non-Stick

These are my least favorite types of pots and pans, but they do serve their own purpose. Non-stick pans with a coating, like Teflon should never be used for high heat cooking. The coating with eventually burn off and go into your food. You also have to be very careful with what utensils you use and how you clean it, for the same reason. I do find that these pans are great for making eggs. Eggs should be cooked at a low temperature anyway, and in other pans can get sticky and very messy.  Used with plastic or silicone utensils to cook eggs is about the only thing I recommend these pots and pans for.

Infused Anodized

This is a relatively new technology used for pots and pans. Aluminum is put through an anodization process, that infuses the interior and exterior of the pan with an advanced release polymer. This makes the pan,  non-stick without a coating, and retains and distributes heat wonderfully. This material can be used for any type of cooking, can be used with any type of utensils, and clean up is super easy. I personally own an infused anodized set of pots and pans and have nothing negative to say about them. For general home use pots and pans, I highly recommend infused anodized. The one downside, is that they can get pricey, but they have a lifetime guarantee, and I feel are worth the extra money.

Calphalon Infused Anodized Set

Retails for approximately $500 

Favorite Products: Sriracha Sauce

I thought I would make my first favorite product blog on one of my favorite condiments; Sriracha hot chili sauce.

I'm sure you've seen this familiar bottle of hot sauce with the green lid in your local grocery store. For those of you who've wondered what it is, I am here to explain. This hot chili sauce stems from Thailand and has a nice spicy flavour, without being too powerful, mixed with a touch of sweetness and a nice garlicky tang. I literally use it on and in everything. Try it as is on your pizza or to jazz up your scrambled eggs or mix it with mayo to make a spicy dip for sweet potato fries or grilled shrimp. I actually discovered this hot sauce at a Chinese restaurant in China town, when they served it as a dipping sauce for cashews, I know it sounds weird, but trust me try it.

If you haven't tried this versatile hot sauce, do so now, you won't be disappointed!!!