Pam R

Oy, I miss a lot when I actually put in a days work. To say that store-bought frozen perogies are just as good as homemade ones is ridiculous. All I can suggest is that maybe the person making them wasn't a great cook? We make all of our perogies at work from scratch - being Jewish we have different names for them (Verenekes and kreplach) - fill them with the apparently terrible cottage cheese filling (again - ours aren't dry - not sure what you're talking about), potato and fried onion filling or meat filling (which are served in chicken soup). I briefly ran the food-service at St. Boniface College and used some of the mass-produced versions and they were terrible. I haven't tried one in years, but if you get to Winnipeg and want some perogies you can go to Alicia's. John Candy used to have them flown to him and always stopped in when in town - and anybody in the city should have been able to tell you that you could get them there. For french restaurants, the only one that my family has ever really gone to is La Vieille Gare - very traditional stuff. I think I'll have to explore the French Quarter a little more this summer - I wish I spoke french As for sausages and cheeses - there is definately good sausage making but I unfortunately can't help too much. At home (and work) I keep kosher so I don't buy things like this unless they are kosher. In fact, all of my meat comes from Ontario because there is no kosher chicken slaughter here - and not much meat. I think there was a native restaurant... but I don't think it's around anymore... same with Mennonite. If I'm wrong, I hope somebody out there can correct me so that I can try them. By the way, Winnipeg Cream Cheese is no long being made in Winnipeg. I think it's being made in Saskatchewan and it has caused great havoc with our cheese cakes. Yes, we have tons of root vegetables. Yes, Goldeye is scarce. What about Coonie? Do they have that anywhere else? How about baking? Winnipeg is renowned for our baking. If you haven't sampled a Winnipeg Pastry Table you're missing out. Shmoo torte anybody? Canadian Living Magazine has asked us for a couple of Dessert recipes, and published one at Rosh Hashana last year and one for Passover in this months mag.

I have something to admit : the only Montreal bagels i've had are ones that were flown here. I didn't realize it had a 4 hour life and I will retract my statement and apologize. I do though, retain the right to comment again once I've tried one in Montreal

I don't have a recipe... I'd just wing it - but I wouldn't do it in addition - if you're fine with the dairy, which you are, it's not an issue. I was thinking of it as more of an alternative. If I was to make one though, I would probably: Saute lots of spinach and onion in olive oil - maybe a little garlic. Add some eggs, matzoh meal, salt, pepper, any other herbs or spices you may like (I always like oregano with something like this, but not everybody does). In a greased pan and into the oven.

I was kinda wondering... Thanks so much for the blog Tammy. It brought back some great 'communal' living memories for me and I really enjoyed meeting you and Liam.

Our food culture (in my opinion) is made up mostly of ethnic foods from other countries. We have a huge huge huge number of ethnic restaurants owned by the people who know the food best - immigrants. The problem with seasonal local items is that there is still snow on the ground - we're smack dab in the middle of North America - meaning we don't have a coastal climate and we're far enough north that what we do grow locally isn't available yet. Having said that, there isn't TOO much that I would say is native to our part of the world that is really unique. If it was summer, they could have had wild berries (blueberry and Saskatoon are known to grow in these parts)... They probably SHOULD have had a fish from one of our 'great' lakes (Lake Manitoba or Lake Winnipeg). Pickeral would have been a good choice or Goldeye. Another option would have been bison... I'll add more things if I can think of them.... I hope other Tobans respond too

All I'd add is a salad - you're menu sounds great - don't make yourself crazy by doing too much, just make sure there's enough of each thing. I'm assuming the dairy isn't an issue for you, otherwise I would suggest something simple like roasted herbed potatoes or a spinach/matzo meal kugle since you're already doing the potato kuglettes. What about desserts?

I liked the Salsbury bit - if you closed one eye and squinted the other one you could see our building (where our catering company is) while he was walking out of the one on Main St. Pretty good showing from the Peg I thought..

Tammy, you mentioned making latkes for 70 and doing a Passover meal - What happens around the big holidays - Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc.? Do you have common meals or are those usually spent on your own?

Yep Still enjoying your blog - thanks!

I just had falafel for dinner - As a last minute thing, everything was picked up at the grocery store, but the sandwich was made in a pita-pocket (I've never seen them toasted before) and had lettuce, Israeli salad (cucumber, tomato & red onion with garlic, s&p and vinegar because I forgot to get a lemon), hotsauce and hummus (I forgot to get techina). I also like it with tzatziki. My favorite thing on falafel, which I have only had in Israel is s tempura/breaded cauliflower. An Israeli opened a falafel restaurant / diner here... calls it The Falafel Place and he serves an Israeli Sandwich which includes fries and a Canadian which includes sweet potato fries - both good additions. As soon as Passover is over and I have some time I will make my own pita, because you can't buy any good ones here, and do everything from scratch.

Jason, Could you (and everybody else out there) let me know which new products are great and which you'd never want to eat again? Living where I do, it's our company and another two that bring in kfp products. We are very apprehensive about bringing in cases of stuff we've never tried because it often means being stuck with it after the holiday. I'd love some opinions so I can start compiling a list of what to bring in for next year (it's too late for this year). re: kfp pop (soda) I love that Passover means getting in cases of Dr. Brown's - not something easily found in the Canadian Prairies.

Tammy, I'm really enjoying your blog so far. I spent a VERY brief time on a kibbutz after high-school and your communal eating is bringing back some really great memories for me. I think your community has a great idea and can't wait to see what else you all cook up.

Though Pesach lasts only 8 days, I find that I start craving things that I am oftem fine without. I tend to favour things that are crispy over doughy - but after 1/2 a piece of matzah I want pizza and pasta. In the last few years companies have been selling all sorts of 'kosher for passover' items that I would have never imagined possible. Baking ingredients are more plentiful and I find that I bake some pretty decent stuff. I've seen passover pasta, but never tried it ... and I don't intend to. My question is: What do you find yourself craving the most? What has you counting the hours and the days so that you can eat it again? Question #2: What interesting and innovative recipes do you prepare for Passover - and do they stop you from wanting that slice of pizza? Question #3: Are you totally good with the matzah and don't crave any chometz?

I make approx. 75 L batches of beet borscht a few times a year and all of the beets are peeled before cooking (and sliced/diced). Sharp knives! I use a paring knife for peeling - not a peeler. I have used a peeler on occasion, but find that it takes much longer. Then a big chef's knife for cutting. Cut them in half first, then proceed to slice or dice. I'm not sure what you're doing that bruises your wrists I'll be doing a batch for Passover in a couple of weeks - I'll try to pay more attention to what I'm doing.

I also do the wrapped in foil in the oven method. For something different though, peel the beets (and you can do this with a combo. of sweet potato, carrots, onions... root veggies) dice and toss with salt, pepper, olive oil, a little balsamic and fresh garlic if you like. Spread them on a baking sheet lined with some parchment and roast at 400 F, until caramelized slightly. The time will vary greatly depending on the size of your dice and how hot your oven really is - toss them around every 10 minutes or so. Serve hot or cold.

dunno why. We use white ones.

Good enough. Have a great night

Thanks for the summary Dejah. The online version of the Winnipeg Free Press costs $5/month for us out-of-provinve types So does this mean you've accepted that Manitoba is part of Western Canada?? A. ← Ya knowsit! Daddy-eh Couldn't believe it when they grouped Blue Bombers as Eastern... I suppose the real question is: Do the three Westerners accept this middle child as part of the west? ← I think the real point is that Winnipeg IS the center of Canada... and that other city isn't! Hrm. Having said that... we are much more Western than .... well.. Eastern! edited to add: maybe Dejah and I need our own forum?

That's a great idea. We used to sell lots of sampler platters... to people who always said "oh, I couldn't!" Are you making special desserts for these teasers or are they just smaller portions of desserts you're already doing?

I agree - I'd probably toss it... and you should freeze your stocks! (sorry)

All of the baking we do at Passover is Parve. This year we are offering a few different chiffon cakes (people don't like baking their own chiffons...) chocolate chip, lemon and orange. Then we take the lemon chiffon and make strawberry shortcake (with the erzatz stuff - sorry!), and a lemon filled chiffon with lemon curd. I also use fluted flan pans, bake chiffon in them and use them for a fresh fruit flan filled with lemon curd. Then there's a chocolate mousse torte that we do, all of our 'complete dinners' are coming with some kind of individual meringue basket filled with something (not sure what yet) ... plum kuchen, brownies.. and nothings, komish, biscotti and meringue cookies. I'm having nightmares about all this baking already! But it's all parve.

Candy and Chocolate are kosher for Passover if prepared following the more strict Passover Kashrut rules. No corn syrop, flour, peanuts/peanut oil, grain-based oils like canola (which is a seed... not a grain but I can't explain everythign!) or anything else not allowed for the holiday. Of course, to be kosher these things must be made by a company that is under supervision from a certifying agency..or a rabbi. Soba - there are many kosher for Passover chocolates - many of them good, many of them not so good. I bake with a lot of chocolate at Passover.

Shaloach Manot were just delivered about half an hour ago and guess what was in them! Fruit slices! "Pizazz Juicy Jellies" in fact. I am looking at one that has purple "flesh", white rind and blue "skin". What citrus fruit is that supposed to be? Ok.. I'm tasting it now... I'm assuming it's supposed to be some kind of berry..,. grape maybe? I can't tell... I CAN say that they are fresh! I'll wait until later to try the green "fleshed" yellow "skinned" one... Do people actually enjoy these?

We occasionally go into an orthodox synagogue to cater - we're not under hechsher so all cooking must be done there - anyway, the orthodox Rabbi there DOES kasher plastic. Though I was always told that you couldn't. He places it in a pot of boiling water for however long and if it doesn't melt, it's kashered. Yet... he won't allow that a microwave can be kashered and the synagogue had to get rid of both of theirs when he came to town.... oy.

First- thanks for sharing your yeast-dough recipe a while ago. I haven't had a chance to try them but I will (who says hamantashen are just for Purim?) Now - caramel-pecan?? Is there a recipe or is it just a caramel candy and some pecans? I'm a sucker for anything with caramel..