Peter the eater

Okay - here are a couple of shots where I am learning the basics of food photography. As you can see my "produce wranglers" are very enthusiastic.

I don't know what to say, Asia is like 4 billion people. Being originally from Toronto (an extremely multicultural city) I believe I have had some pretty authentic Asian foods without actually going there, but that is just scratching the surface. I'll say India (please don't ask me to be more specific, I'd ramble on forever) and Thailand and Japan and China and Viet Nam and, well you get the picture.

That is very interesting to me, champ is not uncommon in eastern Canada. I didn't know there was a dulse version but it makes sense. In Cape Breton (northern island part of Nova Scotia) there are communities that speak (Scottish) Gaelic and eat the traditional foods but I haven't encountered recipes with dulse. I think I need to do some research!

Each Christmas we get a Dragon's Breath and gobble it up with a bottle of ruby port! I don't have a picture but it is a dark waxy cylinder (shaped like a soup can) with some seriously stinky blue cheese inside. Nirvana.

Along the same lines, are the fiddleheads you get in NS from ostrich ferns? Are fiddleheads from bracken fern (more toxic) ever picked in your area? ← Our fiddleheads are sprouts of the ostrich fern. Unlike the western kind there have been no "official sickness" as far as I know, just one anecdotal case from a friend. The following is from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Bulletin #4198: The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has investigated a number of outbreaks of food-borne illness associated with fiddleheads. The implicated ferns were eaten either raw or lightly cooked (sautéed, parboiled or microwaved), which was what caused a food-borne illness outbreak in British Columbia in 1990. Although a toxin has not been identified in the fiddleheads of the ostrich fern, the findings of this investigation suggest that you should cook fiddleheads thoroughly before eating (boil them for at least 10 minutes).

I would say its a bit like asparagus: buttery, mellow, recognizable. I have only had them fresh in the spring although they might be available frozen later on. They may not be the runaway no. 1 for flavour but, like a crocus, its more a sign of things to come.

We boiled the fiddleheads for ten minutes then served them with garlic butter, new potatoes and chicken+cauliflower from the gas grill. Ten minutes may seem like a lot but I say better safe than sorry (bacteria) plus the kids like them a little softer.

Indeed it is. I remember those segments on Midday with Tina and Brent, I think Pete was at his store in Saint John NB. He now has a store in Dartmouth (across the Harbour) and one in the downtown of Halifax. I took a bunch of shots the other day which I will post ASAP.

I think the old bird (Queen Victoria) would have been 188 this week. We had some Earl Grey tea with scones but I forgot to take pictures.

Wow, what an unfortunate image. I don't mind chewing a bit now and then (when I crave electrolytes) but it is an acquired taste. I have never seen a recipe but have tried doing things with it like flavoring oil, making a salty purple glaze, etc. It has a good colour and definitely "resonates with a strong marine note" but its hard to work with.

We have a good weekend market downtown; like many it has a nice “crunchy granola” vibe meaning lots of organics and ecologically sound food and art. It’s not as big as it could be but that has more to do with the venue than popularity I think. The vendors are set up inside an old brewery and spread throughout like rabbits in a warren. We don’t get there as much as we’d like, but I’m bloggin’ this week so look out! It should make for a few good images anyways. This part is for my newly discovered eG neighbor Shaya: Fiddleheads baby! It’s that time of year for these awesome little ostrich ferns. Lots of seafood: salmon, halibut, haddock, scallops, mussels, lobster, ocean perch, and even monkfish. I got offered and therefore ate a free sample of a raw scallop. It was succulent and sweet, but a little heat or acid makes it even better: Here is a bunch of smoked and flavored salmon: This is dulse. Can anybody out there in eG land elaborate? Flowers and herbs: Prepared Asian foods: Not food but incense, it looks tasty to me: Good local cheese made the old world way: Bakery: Seafood chowder, quiche, and lasagna: Sausage samples: I bought some back bacon aka Canadian or peameal bacon (top right): More Asian treats: The crepe people: Patisserie: Theodore tugboat (did I mention I have twin toddlers) Guess I had better get cooking.

When it comes to storage space, it doesn't matter because we are all like an ideal gas - which will expand to fill the volume of its container. Are you referring to seismic features?

Haven't read Shipping News, but a good film shot here and in Newfoundland. Halifax to Bangor is around 500 miles - probably less in a cigar boat. Or helicopter.

Blossoms are a bit late, but I am hopeful. Just went to Pete's Frootique (no relation to me), got permission to take photos - they were very cool about it unlike other major grocers in the region. Don't know about Ca Hoa, but will investigate. I always go to South & Henry Streets. Pizza corner is still going strong - I'll go there for more "research".

I'll do my best to relate Acadie, there are some amazing places here in Nova Scotia with the food and language and (perhaps best of all) music of their ancestors. My guys can't quite reach the lids - yet.

Brilliant! I had no idea, and neither did the search engines I tried. I wonder what the origin of the word is . . . anybody?

Around here there is a small community in each bay every 10km or so. Shad Bay has no aquaculture (farm) but there are a few guys with boats (and licenses) for crab and lobster. From our local dock I have caught mackerel and pollock (aka Boston Blue) and I understand there's also plenty of wild mussels, crabs (Rock and Jonah) and lobsters plus a few groundfish. The next bay over (Prospect Bay) has one or two farms for Blue Mussels and American Oysters, plus a bunch of fishing boats that look like they can go pretty far out to sea. The main aquaculture (farmed) species are salmon, mussels, scallops, trout and oysters. There's even a guy somewhere here trying to farm abalone - I hope he pulls it off! I hear its delicious. As for the commercial fishery here its probably quite similar to Maine. Its broken down into groundfish (e.g. haddock), invertebrates (eg. lobster), marine plants (e.g. rockweed) and pelagics (e.g. tuna) For more info check this Nova Scotia Fisheries and Aquaculture link

Love the stuff. I am planning a sortie into the Annapolis Valley this week which is an agricultural oasis in Nova Scotia and packed with Acadian tradition, especially Grand Pre. I'll be all over the rapure! more to follow . . .

I was not aware there was a special Acadian poutine, but its such a "grassroots" food I shouldn't be surprised. The story I know is that poutine was invented somewhere near Montreal like 50 years ago. For me, classic poutine is, from the bottom of the bowl up: 1. rough cut french fries 2. fresh white cheddar cheese curds 3. thick chicken-based gravy 4. black pepper and ketchup pretty decadent if you ask me!

Where to start - how about my kitchen? I don’t think I will bother with the traditional image of my fridge’s innards – it wouldn’t be very interesting anyways, mostly unlabelled containers and bags of whole milk (did I mention I have twins?) plus a dizzying array of condiments. It is also undersized and undercleaned; I think a new one is pretty high on our list of major appliance new purchases. We have a chest freezer in the basement, also not very photogenic. Having just looked, I can say that it has inside several small whole chickens, a pork shoulder, bags of wild blueberries we picked last August, some raspberries from our garden, a whole salmon, and possibly some popsicles. And some of those blue cold packs in various sizes – the ones you take in your cooler when going on a picnic. I am sure there’s more stuff down there that needs to be chiseled away from the icy freezer walls. Sometimes there is venison from friends who hunt or mackerel when they are running in our bay (I’ll talk about that later). A couple of years ago I got really tired of misplacing dried goods like those small bags of spices or grains bought in the bulk food section. I built a shallow shelf unit for the kitchen wall and mounted it across from the stove out of direct sunlight. I like seeing what stuff I have to work with and when the supplies are dwindling. Now I just wish it was bigger. Here’s a context shot: That’s an old butcher’s block down below from pre-WWII Toronto. I intercepted it on its way to the landfill when a meat shop near Dundas and Jarvis Streets (my old neighborhood) was converting into a pizza joint. It’s a beast, maybe 250 lbs. On it sit various glass canisters of flour, oatmeal, white and brown sugars, lentils, rice, pasta, etc. There’s a big stone mortar & pestle and my home made curry wheel (I have a wood lathe in the shop). The copper pots are a 12-piece Ruffoni set from Italy – I would say they are probably my most prized kitchen items. Definitely a big weapon in the battery. On the rack above from which the pots hang are a ricer, a microplane, a garlic press, some cat toys, and a few other gizmos. Back to the kitchen. Here’s a closer shot of the pantry shelf contents: Let’s see if I can still identify all that stuff. . . Across the top shelf: an empty jar, wooden mortar & pestle, my wife’s raspberry jam, six Emile Henry ramekins, soldier beans, dried papaya chunks, raw pepitas (aka pumpkin seeds), a terra cotta garlic roaster (not visible). Next shelf down: kasha (aka toasted buckwheat), finely powdered black pepper, orzo, quinoa, a shaker of white flour, flax seeds, shredded coconut, white beans, split peas, prunes, apricots. Middle shelf: two empty stainless steel shakers, empty glass shaker, whole coriander, 12 grain cereal mixture, sesame seeds, galangal, lime leaves, figs, my secret curry powder, millet, an ulu knife (a crescent-shaped Inuit tool for scraping pelts and cutting blubber, I use it on pizza). Next shelf down: mild curry powder, powdered nutmeg, powdered garlic, hazelnuts, wild rice, turmeric, whole allspice, more black pepper, red lentils, salt & pepper mills (from England, with the thumb plunger), powdered cinnamon. Bottom shelf: whole cloves, saffron (the safflower kind), peanuts, more cloves, whole nutmeg, scotch oatmeal (aka steel-cut pinhead oatmeal), slivered almonds, caraway, red pepper flakes, ground ginger, and a small black case with my darts (every other Friday is darts night) Wow, that was fun. I only had to open one jar for olfactory verification – some of those brown powders really look alike. I should really use more labels. Yeah, like that’s going to happen. That object hanging on the right side of the shelves is a giant iron ladle. It tends to collect car keys and loose change. I have a thing for over-sized kitchen equipment; it’s a borderline Claes Oldenburg fetish, really. He’s that Swedish (?) sculptor famous for crazy stuff like the 50 foot spoon and bus-sized jackknife. It is inherently amusing to me when a familiar object is absurdly large, I cannot explain it. Maybe that’s a whole new thread I should start, if someone hasn’t already! What I really want is one of those giant six-foot pepper grinders that requires a team of two waiters to operate. Incidentally, have you seen Iron Chef Bobby Flay’s enormous submersible blender? Now there’s a mixer. The white thing on top of the shelves near the ceiling is a lamb’s skull. Years ago my father-in-law imported hundreds of sheep from Scotland to Cape Breton in northern Nova Scotia. I think that skull belonged to one of the descendants. Initially they made a good go of it but it was the (non-native and highly invasive) coyotes who won out in the end. There still seems to be quite a few local lamb producers in this province although I am not sure where they all are. I can attest to the high quality of the lamb though; it is as good as any I have ever tasted. Maybe I’ll get some over the next few days; we usually do some kind of lamb dish every other week or so. Yum . . . how about shanks in the tajine, or maybe a curry?

Ah poutine! In the right hands it can be the "pinnacle of gooey delights". I have never made it but we usually stop for some on the drive to Montreal. It deserves its own thread, but know you've got me thinking. I had better research (ie. photograph then eat) some poutine this week. And a donair. I'm from Toronto but married a Caper (a person born on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia).

So here’s my background story: My wife Sandra and I live in Shad Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada which is about twenty kilometers from downtown Halifax (provincial capital) on the Atlantic coast. Peggy’s Cove is twenty kilometers the other way. We have twins, the boy Griffin and the girl Iris, who will be two this summer so the way we eat as a family is always evolving. She works fulltime at the children’s hospital in town and I have a building design business that I run from the home office when I am not being a fulltime dad, which lately is not very often. Our immediate community (founded 1764 named for the abundant shad fish) was originally a fishing village with a few cottages for the city folks but now it’s mostly commuters with only a couple of actual full-time fishermen and a handful of amenities. I can walk to a tavern, convenience store, dental office, church, small school, fire station, and a tiny farm market. There are lots of beaches around and plenty of boats, you get the picture. Okay, I just googled my village and found the following data for Shad Bay: Total Population = 2053.0 (I am glad to see a whole number) Total Dwellings = 812.0 Distance to Halifax = 16.284 km People within 100 km = 531418.0 (wow, half a million, and half of that circle is over the ocean) I believe Halifax has around 300,000 population so not quite a Canadian city in the top ten size-wise. There are plenty of food adventures to be had around here on land and on sea. Here’s a link which describes some of the local food traditions better than I can: http://tbes-140.tbes.ednet.ns.ca/history/c...rydelights.html Alright then, let’s get to it!

Good morning! Here are the two teasers hints from Friday: Good guessing, this is Atlantic Canada. Looking left from the above vantage point you see a fairly well known Canadian landmark: This is the lighthouse at Peggy's Cove (its also a post office) as it appeared a few months ago. I have to say I am really pleased and excited to be doing an eGullet foodblog. It’s a new experience for me and I’m not so sure how it’s going to unfold – which is a big part of the appeal. The past blogs that I have seen are fascinating to me; to get such a candid look into somebody else’s food routine as it goes down so far away is totally compelling. I am just going to “share as I go” and hopefully reveal something interesting or authentic about my region and food traditions. It certainly seems to have worked in the past for other bloggers.

I wonder what Canada Goose foie gras would be like. Lets be honest, they are in the same rank as pigeons, seagulls and starlings when it comes to overpopulated birds.

I have been looking at your posts and I am blown away - all those colors, textures and shapes. What a delicious and unique place with so many influences. I am sooo going one day. It got me thinking about my father-in-law (now 75) who spent 2 years in Malaya while in the British Army back in the 1950's. He emailed me some of his "food memories" today and I thought I'd post a few excerpts for anybody interested. I don't have a clue about the politics there and I hope none of this offends, its pretty interesting from a foodie's point of view: The British Army provided all we needed both in camp and on patrol. As I recall it the food was good and, in the officer's mess with a high proportions of curry - the anglo type. Breakfasts in camp always included prodigious amounts of fruit. When we went into the jungle - which I did probably more than most others - we carried all our food with us. We were issued with ration packs - one for each day out - which always contained rice, curry powder, instant coffee, tea, raisins, salt tablets, paludrin, porridge for breakfast and a small can of either beef, pork or chicken stew. The senior NCO also carried a jug of double proof rum for everyone to have a large shot at night. Occasionally one came across some of the small wild bananas and there was a tree fruit about the size of an egg with a soft fuzz on it. It was as hard as a rock and could not be bitten into. However, simple held for a while in the mouth it gave off a wonderful flavour of almonds and was very refreshing. On occasion, when I was with the aboriginal tribesmen I ate with them and all I can recall was palm shoots and a tuber (like cassava I think, that had to be boiled to drive off the poison. I ate it rather like a mashed potato. On a couple of occasions when I hit terrorist camps I was able to liberate what food they had (generally very little but on one fondly remembered occasion a whole toblerone bar of Swiss chocolate.) When in a Malay kampong I don't recall ever squatting for an entire meal but instead simply having a chat in a circle and eating fruit. I particularly enjoyed lichee nuts served in their shell and always crawling with red ants. (The shell, a bit like a horse chestnut had strong spikes projecting from it. ) Tap the spikes on the ground and all the ants fell off so we could peel the shell and extract the fruit Malaya was roughly divided into 50% Malay, 35% Chinese (higher in the areas I patrolled) plus quite a few Indians and some Eurasians and Europeans and they all tended to eat according to their national customs. I particularly recall eating with Chinese businessmen and their families who were most hospitable and their meals put to shame anything served up in a Chinese restaurants around here. Some rice but a vast array of add on dishes with wonderful vegetables, strange fish (I never cared for octopus) and wonderful prawns - all accompanied by copious amounts of whiskey and beer.