Tam

Our favorite risotto is lemon ( lemon zest, use a bit of white wine as well as a bit of lemon juice) risotto with lots of parm reggiano and butter. I enjoy the addition of peas, green beans or asparagus. My husband is not fond of lemon anything but loves this dish.

As a tea drinker, I am enjoying your obvious devotion to coffee. I like the pride you take in your roasting, brewing and foaming. I believe that no one should work on their bday. So, if you can help it, only participate in things that give you joy today. Best wishes and blessings on this day, a celebration of your birth.

Mmm ... what a blog! G, I am salivating as I scroll through your wonderful pics. I am plate-challenged but am attempting to improve and you provide me with incentive! Ripe figs are incredibly rare in western Canada and I would so like to experiment with them. I hope one day to live in a warm country for an extended period of time so that I may cook with such *exotic* ingredients. We have good friends that emigrated from South Africa. They, however, cook very simple, bland (bordering on boring) meals. At best, some old gourmet (from the fifties) and British-based staples. As they are not adventuresome in the least, cooking for them is a challenge. Oddly enough, the husband considers himself a <chef> with an extraordinary palate. I am pleased to see that my friends are not representative of all South Africans. Are many of your friends as gourmand as you? Do you find yourself hosting gatherings often? Do your family and friends realize how fortunate they are to experience your food? Do you dine alfresco often given your temperate weather? Much thanks for this experience.

Here's a quick meal. Pound thin, cut into chicken "fingers", spread with mayo, season, dip in panko and bake at 400F for about 15 mins. Serve with homemade honey mustard (mayo with dijon and honey). Serve with vegetable chowder (toss veggies with OO, S&P, roast for about 30 mins, pop in pot with butter, make light roux and add veg stock and a little cream and simmer). Kind of like bar food at home but better. Drink with beer and finish with chocolate. Fits with cold weather. Also vote for Curlywurlyfi's tarragon dish and tanabutler's goat cheese. Mmm...

Beautiful dish, Ronnie!

What a wonderful beginning. Thank you for the photos, they really promote a complete view of your life. Out my window is a quintessential postcard of winter: snow drifts as far as the eye can see, trees frosty and white. We have received six inches thus far with another six to come in the next few days, -30C/-23F. This is the middle of our soup/stew/braising weather. Mmmm, I long for your relaxing deck, lush garden and grilled meals! We are a little more hot toddy than gewurtz! Really looking forward to your blog, I shall be living in warm weather vicariously through you.

Therdogg, I have been following Atkins for about eight months now. I too am female (in my thirties), not lactating though. This is the best I have felt in years! I used to have the same "shakes" problem but not any more. I always felt like I had an undiagnosed hypoglycemic condition. It turns out that I was eating too many carbs (about 60% of every meal) and eating infrequently. Therefore, withthe carbs burning so quickly, my blood sugar would drop and I would crash. Now I never get the shakes or desire an afternoon nap due to the stable protein-based energy. I found the first couple of weeks the most difficult (even dreamt about bread in my third week). I am not a sugar-junkie but quite enjoy rice and breads. However, now that I feel so great, I don't even crave the carbs anymore. This has not been a diet for me, it's a necessary, satisfying lifestyle change. As others have mentioned, consulting with a physician might be of benefit to you in case of an underlying issue.

Amen!

My mother always made home-made yogurt when I lived at home. It was tangy and richer, therefore, an improvement on bought. She used a yogurt maker with great success. Starters (with recipes on back of package) can be bought in some grocery stores with organic sections and in health food stores. I now purchase organic yogurt as the best tasting substitute. Good luck, keep us posted with your results. Side bar: we would eat the yogurt with home-preserves as a fruity sweetner. Excellent !

I concur, Marlene. Hard to protect the audience from grease spatterings when the cooktop is out in the open. At least one sheltering wall makes a difference.

My bad judgement: Champagne to chill in freezer. Mr Tam discovered it next evening while reaching for ice. Luckily, any spilled liquid was retained by ice tray and he cleaned it up. We left the remainder frozen and enjoyed mimosas with brunch next morning. Tasted foreign hot chile before adding to beautiful "salad" of bocconcini with herbs and creme fraiche. Hmm, not too bad so mince lots and garnish platter. Four hours later, served at party. Odd that so little was consumed. Funny how incubation time develops chiles' latent heat. Friend's bad judgement: Deep-frying turkey in too small of vat on wooden deck attached to home. Burnt down his domicile and half of neighbor's. FIL's bad judgement: Wanted fire for roasting hot dogs and it wasn't catching fast enough. Added gasoline and ensuing flame thrower licked his face (no eyebrows or lashes) and around the back of his head (he neede a hair cut anyways). Why would someone wish to cook food with gasoline fumes, I wonder?

Both an ulu and an mezzeluna were gifted to me. The ulu is too small, tried it, not my preference. The double-bladed mezzeluna (with a lovely wooden chopping board that is dished out/concave/convex) is great. I use it often for fresh herbs and garlic (also love my microplaner for garlic). Mine looks like the Amazon one. The Wusthof is BEAUTIFUL! I use a paring knife to clean off the inside of the blades.

This chain does not appear to be in Canada yet (at least western Canada). I have followed the Chipotle thread with interest as authentic Latino cooking is a rare phenomenom in our general area (Taco Time, ugh or rarely available Taco Bell, equally ugh). Can't imagine proper Latino/Mexican fast food. I thought that the purpose of all fast food was to bastardize real food. Do they serve burritos only? What do Latino people think of their product? I had my first real tamale while travelling in California a couple years back. It was a true work of art and I could finally understand why people rant and rave, steamy soft masa with green chile and cheese or spicy savory pork. Mmm... A local couple (Canadian male married to Guatemalan/Venezuelan female) make tamales for sale: hideous, grainy, stiff masa with ground beef and mixed vegetable (truly peas, carrot, corn mix from the frozen food section) filling - they ought to be ashamed!

Thanks for expanding my horizons. Never heard of fried brain sandwich before but will try if opportunity presents itself. I do like head cheese. I am of Ukrainian descent and it is popular amongst eastern Europeans. It runs the gamut from cubes of barely set aspic with bits of meat to very firm slices full of meat. Always garlicky goodness!

Mmm, please detail your dressing. Sounds delectable. Much thanks.