Classics never grow old

In a world full of trends, I want to remain a classic.

– Iman

Being a foodie, I’m always on the hunt for new flavours, new combinations of tastes to create and share. But I was struck by an interview I heard recently with Nigella Lawson and Yotam Ottolenghi.

They spoke about the possible disservice done to us by having so many recipe options to cook. They keep publishing new recipes. We want to keep trying new things but then we never have a chance to perfect any one thing.

I will admit to falling into that pit. It can be fun to embark on a cooking adventure; but when I’ve had a few less-than-expected results in a row, I have felt discouraged. Chasing trends is a risky business.

I guess it’s like trying to wear those leg warmers when everyone is into wide leg pants. Or anytime the trend just didn’t work for you. No one needs more of that awkward feeling in their life.

When I’m feeling down, I look to set myself up for success. Before I throw in the towel and go for some kind of order-in comfort food, I look for a classic recipe I hardly need to look up to accomplish well.

Of course some of this is nostalgia. The recipes my Mom made week after week, the first ones I wrote into my now-weathered journal – those are often my go-to classics.

Mom and I have been chatting weekly since the first lockdown in March, and she reminded me of one childhood classic a few weeks ago. The reminder brought that taste top of mind, like a tickle in my nose.

And so, this week we had a classic snack with dinner. Our lovely BLTs showcasing the last few tomatoes and bit of arugula from the garden sat beside celery sticks with Cheese & Pimento. I even put the spread in one of my Dad’s handmade ceramic bowls with one of his carved wooden spreaders.

I have made all kinds of spreads, and I have dipped celery in plenty of flavours. I suppose you could argue that retro dishes have become somewhat trendy again, but this classic has been with me through its low points too.

Comfort food is a good thing. But a classic recipe gives us the chance to create a comfortable world, not just a comfortable meal.

A world reimagined

When the lockdown came, we hunkered down. It was surreal, but we thought at first it would be over by summer. “This is just a bump in the road”, we said. Another time to

I baked more. We did virtual happy hour with friends and relatives we mostly hadn’t talked to in a while. I was perfectly prepared for my best garden. We survived, and I even wondered if humankind might improve from this experience.

My sourdough skills improved greatly, and I kept my workouts steady to ensure I would keep my form as the bread kept its form.

Hubby and I found that life hadn’t changed much for our personal time. Almost all of our friends and family live out of town so not seeing them was not unusual. We spent time together every day before the pandemic so we were good at that too. There was just no work, no way to share our passion for food other than leaving the odd care package on a neighbour’s doorstep, or sharing baked goods with the garden workers in the neighbouring fields.

Then we reached Phase 2. Summer was approaching and bookings for campgrounds opened up so that became our focus, in between tending the garden. A month later, in June, we were at Phase 3. In our region there hadn’t been any real cause for alarm, other than the shortage of toilet paper, pasta and flour.

Line-ups outside stores are still common. The one at Costco the first time we went took 50 minutes to get through.

The whole summer has gone by now. We camped 4 times. Despite Mother Nature reminding us all was not as before with excessive bugs, wind, rain and/or smoke (from fires thousands of miles away), we had fun. Our family philosophy of making the most of the moment played out well.

We spent lots of time enjoying the great outdoors.

But – and it’s a big but – the act of sharing food has changed. We cannot prepare our sumptuous BBQ buffets for events anymore – everyone touching the same utensils is too dangerous. Passing appetizers in a group is also not allowed, as it puts people and shared food in close proximity without barriers.

As we move indoors and the virus begins to spread faster again, social gatherings become a risky business. It’s nice to see people’s faces over Zoom, but seeing food and drink and not being able to share the sensory experience the same way is just plain old depressing.

My love for food was born out of learning what joy it brings to people when the come together for a meal. Now that our health officials are discouraging this practice, what do I do?

As I start to tidy the gardens for winter and harvest all our bounty, there is a new kind of melancholy in my soul. I always mourned the end of the growing season but this year my heart breaks as I consider the possibility that this lack of sharing could be the “new normal” people are talking about.

In the meantime, I shall keep preserving in preparation for a time when we can break bread safely together again.

I wish my pantry was big enough to fit jars like this; I will content myself with the flavours we have and share as much as I can.

Winter Storm Food

Now may not be the winter of my discontent, but it certainly is the heart of the season. Thankfully we have passed what is usually the coldest day of the year (January 15th), but it started to snow again this morning and I broke ranks. I just couldn’t handle it anymore.

I guess this is a common phenomenon. As I sat curled into the couch with Ella at my feet, I read articles of severe winter experiences from all over, and the one that struck me the most was from Newfoundland. They just received a record-breaking 70 cm of snow in one night (for any American readers, that’s about 3 feet!) One of the things people stock up on when a storm approaches – at least on the east coast – is chips.

#stormcheezies

I’m not a big potato chip fan, but sitting there munching my Cheezies I had to chuckle.

Traditionally, I bake on a snow day. Once Ella roused me for our afternoon outing and she got me out of my funk, I did manage to make the house smell good. A batch of Tropical Delight Cookies is sitting on the counter waiting for Hubbie to get back from work as I type.

Maybe I should change the name of these to “Storm Cookies”?

Winter is a tough season. We need to have the energy to keep shoveling but we have to remember our resolutions not to overindulge. Between our snowbird friends that have flown south and the bad roads, it’s hard to organize entertaining much. But short days and grey skies make for gloomy times.

This is not the exciting 50 shades of grey…

I say we deserve a few chips or cookies to get us through to February. It does make us feel better. I follow the philosophy of a wise bear and his friends – his best love was hunny, but the principle is the same.

“I don’t feel very much like Pooh today,” said Pooh.

“There there,” said Piglet. “I’ll bring you tea and honey until you do.”
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

Random Thoughts, and Trends

I was scanning the news this morning and thinking foodie thoughts in a rather stream-of-consciousness fashion. Nothing seemed to stick, it was all random. My brain went with that theme and suddenly I was humming the Arlo Guthrie tune about a pickle…

 

That was my inspiration today. My commentary on some of the new cooking and eating trends is entirely random, and without any expertise other than my own tastebuds. It’s fun to be adventurous and think outside the box, but when I threw so many random trends together it made me wonder if we aren’t trying too hard to be unusual. But then, comfort food and retro recipes are other popular trends. Anything is possible.

1. Brinner – when you miss breakfast, you can have it for dinner! Some of this trend is centered around the concept of putting a poached egg on top of a dish, but there’s something to be said for making more meals acceptable for all those wonderful Sunday brunch dishes 🙂
2. Gyros – it’s cooler when your wrap has an ethnic name, isn’t it? The Greek flatbread with flavourful fillings is the new wrapped sandwich craze. Portable food is always cool in today’s world. If only there was an app that would allow telepathic texting while you eat…
3. Donuts – what else can you put in them? It’s frankly scary the range of fillings available in fried pastry, and then consider the variations of stuffed food similar to a donut – like kolaches (great with plum jam but now possible with candied jalapenos and smoked beef, just because).
4. “I dare you” food – ever tried beef tongue? How about fresh grated horseradish? Foraged greens? Moss? It’s all out there for the adventurous. Chefs love shock value too sometimes.
5. New twists on beverages – craft beer pubs are passé; look for beer bars with odd themes (think different glassware or decor and innovative beer styles). Wine is okay, but mead is more fun. And cocktails can come with any kind of garnish now, even scented feathers!
6. Salt cod – no really, you have to try it! Andrew Knowlton, the editor of Bon Appetit magazine, said it looks like “a last-resort snack for those beyond the wall in Game of Thrones”, but treated properly it is delectable.
7. Nitro coffee – because life just keeps getting more Fast & Furious. Seriously, why have just caffeine when you can have it injected with nitrogen and served from a tap? It has a creamy texture not unlike a pint of Guinness. Or you can just have cold brewed coffee, the minimalist version.
8. restaurant names like never before – in an effort to be new and inventive, owners are picking terms like “luncheonette” and “provisions” to sound unique. Couple this with some wacky ingredient or animal name (think anise hyssop or blue oyster) and you’re all set. Only trouble is everyone else is using the same kind of formula – go figure. It sounds like the new Facebook quiz – “What would your name be if you were a restaurant?”
9. Lithuanian and South African cuisine – it sounds like someone spun a globe and said “quick, what countries have we not featured on menus recently?” But there are some interesting foods to try – a Lithuanian stuffed potato dumpling called a cepelinai sounds delicious, and I love bobotie, a sort of South African shepherd’s pie.
10. Pickles – you thought I was going to leave you hanging, didn’t you? Don’t you agree, what with kimchi everywhere now and pickled mushrooms as garnish and pickled fruit on cheese boards… the recession wasn’t that bad we need to preserve everything! I love a crunchy dill pickle like the next person, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

How trendy are you? Does any of this stuff even pique your interest, or are you more of a Meatless Monday, Tuna Casserole Tuesday kind of person? Does your family enjoy trying new things? I’d love to hear your comments.

Is food sexy?

I was scrolling through my social media feed looking for inspiration this morning and I found a tweet from one of my fave foodies that instantly got my attention.

Amy Reiley writes about aphrodisiac foods so this tweet isn’t surprising. Her newsletter is one of my favourites. But the fact that the caviar company recommends this method was interesting.

Does this seem like a sexy way to eat? Is caviar a sexy food? Or are you thinking more of Tom Hanks in “Big” when he tasted the stuff…

I have always loved the sensuality of food. The textures, the colours, the beautiful presentation on a plate can be as sexy as an evening gown or a tailored suit in my book. I think a big part of my coming of age was realizing just what power was possible from occasions like lobster dinner a la “Flashdance” (you can look that video up yourself).

Is there a link between one’s passion and feeling that activity is sexy? Is there really such a thing as aphrodisiacs or is it just a ruse to motivate us?

In my humble opinion, making an effort is the key. The key to enjoying food or any other element of one’s life – including sex. I don’t need lobster to turn my husband on at dinner; you’d be surprised what eating a grilled cheese in lingerie will do for your Monday night agenda.

The same goes for the simple enjoyment of food – make an effort to create interesting tastes. For example…

Is winter making you feel bland? How about a spicy soup or stew? Add some chiles and warm yourself from the inside.

Does the plate of food look boring? Garnish it up! Grated cheese over pasta (asiago kicks Parmesan up a notch), chopped fresh green onions over potatoes, balsamic vinegar drizzled over veggies – they all add colour and flavour.

Maybe you’ve already done these things – so, how about wine and food pairing? It’s not as tough as you might think – just focus more n the dominant flavours to match.

You could check out Amy Reiley’s blog, Eat Something Sexy, or her cookbook, Fork Me Spoon Me.

And well, if all else fails, there’s always the grilled cheese and lingerie method 🙂

Bon Appetit!