Food + Drink – Page 22 – Girl Who Would be KING on Life, Style and INSPIRATION.

Food & Wine – California Wine Fair

“I wish they all could be California Wines”

To SIP and to SAVOUR — To **SIP** and to **SAVOUR**

The 35^th annual California Wine Fair Ballroom Tasting is the largest tasting of its kind in Vancouver. I attended “The Arts Club” hosted event (in partnership with the Wine Institute of California) last night ~~from what I can recall~~ at the Vancouver Convention Centre. This was one of three California wine-inspired fundraisers taking place this month.

The Prisoner - a favourite — A rep holds up The Prisoner – a favourite

As much as I would have like to, I couldn’t possibly have sampled all of the 350 wines from over 100 highly-regarded wineries that participated. I might have managed about half of that. Among the classic labels with interesting vintages, there were new favourites from an abundance of family run and boutique operations.

One of particular interest is Dancing Coyote, a family owned & operated old-world style vineyard located in a beautiful stretch of land in California’s Clarksburg appellation. They’ve been farming in the Delta region along the Sacramento River for five generations. They make a wonderul Pinot Noir and Petite Sirah.

I really enjoyed the Sauvignon Blanc from Dry Creek Vineyard Inc. No wonder, as their Director of Export explained to me that they were the very first winery to plant the grapes in the Dry Creek Valley area, in 1972. The Cabernet Sauvignon is excellent too.

Chateau St. Jean is a winery that is known for always producing exceptional wines. An interesting tidbit: their winemaker, Margo Van Staaveren was the first woman to win winemaker of the year in 2010 by Wine Enthusiast Magazine which helped to put Sonoma on the map.

Forgive me if I've Zinned too much lately — **I’ve Zinned & loved it!**

While I don’t discriminate against any great wine growing region, I have a special affinity for these wines because of having been to many of the vineyards while traveling through California. Places like Napa, Sonoma, Santa Barbara, Paso Robles, Monterey, Lodi & Temecula. I can tell you one thing, the choices are getting broader for which wines will go with which dishes. I also love hearing the stories about how the wineries got their names.

These wine makers work with great care and passion to product wonderful vintages which keep getting better and better. All in all, this was a thoroughly enjoyable sipping and mingling evening. I hope to attend again next year.

Have you been?

Food + Drink

CooKing – Crazy for Curry

It’s been too long since I made an Indian curry. Now that I have I won’t leave it so long until the next time. Kind of crazy because curries are one of my favourite foods.

This recipe from scratch comes courtesy (sort of) from a friend’s grandmother who was from England and lived in India for many years. When I used to visit her she always fed me this amazing curry and I always wanted her recipe. Only thing was she didn’t have one. So I asked her to invite me over the next time she made it and I sat and watched and copied down everything she put into it. This is the way I work sometimes.

A lot of the spices you might already have. If not, buy them and you’ll be using them over and over again. Plus these are so beneficial (especially turmeric) for you health wise.

Chicken CurryChicken (either 1 medium chicken, disjointed with the skin removed, or boneless chicken pieces).

Two medium size russet potatoes (cut into bite size cubes)

3 Tbsp. organic coconut oil

3 medium onions (finely sliced – they boil down)

1 tsp. Himalayan salt

1 tsp. powdered ginger

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. coriander

1 tsp. curry powder

1 tsp. turmeric

½ tsp. allspice

½ tsp. dried mustard

After:

Juice from ½ squeezed lemon

3 Tbsp. plain greek yogurt

2 Tbsp. ketchup

Season dry chicken with dry spices (mix of lemon pepper, masala curry powder & everyday seasoning). Rub all over chicken.
Brown chicken with a bit of coconut oil in an oven-proof skillet. Sauté on all sides until nicely browned & remove from pan.
Next, in the same skillet heat the 3 Tbsp. of oil & sauté the onions until slightly brown.
Mix all ingredients (omitting the lemon juice, yogurt & ketchup) with half vinegar & half cold water to form a paste. About 4 tsp. of each (not too thick but not watery).
Drop paste into skillet with onions & fry gently for 5 minutes, stirring over medium heat.
Place cut up (already browned) chicken pieces in skillet with the potatoes & stir to prevent sticking.
Add 2 cups of hot water or *chicken stock (I prefer using stock) and simmer with lid on and cook until tender. At least 30 minutes. Do not let liquid dry out – if so then add more water.
When cooked through add the lemon juice, plain yogurt & ketchup to skillet and stir well until mixed thoroughly.
Serve with plain white *basmati rice (well rinsed) or savoury rice. Don’t forget to get your add-ons like lime pickle & mango chutney. Also Tandoori Naan bread. Some of the breads now you can put right into the toaster. Garnish with cilantro.
sweet mango chutney, lime pickle & mango/coconut sauce.

*For this recipe I prefer using plain basmati and mix a bit of raisins or currants, a little peas & carrots and sliced almonds into the pot at the end. Top with saffron.

For savoury just add a bit of curry powder & turmeric. Use bouillon in hot water for the liquid.

Enjoy!

Food + Drink

Health MATTERS: I’ve found my Perfect MATCHA

I’ve gone back to steeping green tea in the afternoon. I know this trend has been brewing (ha, ha) for years now and I don’t mind taking on a trend that I know (if all the consensus is correct) will benefit me in a healthy way.I’ve been putting matcha green tea powder into smoothies for ages and even add it to melted white chocolate (which turns it a pretty green colour as opposed to when you add it to dark chocolate).
Pouring hot water over the tea leaf itself and/or the bright green matcha powder (I like to mix both) rather than steeping a tea bag delivers more of the signature *antioxidants that have powerful effects on the body.

Why GO GREEN?The antioxidants (it’s loaded with*metabolism boosting and hard to pronounce names like polyphenols which contain **flavonoids and catechins) found in green tea battle the free radicals that can alter and even kill cells. Green tea has been shown to help fight a number of diseases, from cancer to diabetes. It is unfermented, whereas black or oolong teas are at least partially fermented. This allows green tea to retain its natural antioxidant levels better than the other types.
One of the more powerful compounds in green tea is the antioxidant Epigallocatechin Gallate ( a type of catechin), which has been studied to treat various diseases and may be one of the main reasons green tea has such powerful medicinal properties.
As an added health benefit, theanine (an amino acid found in particular plant species) in green tea can help you manage stress and stay relaxed. These relaxing effects, which are usually experienced within 40 minutes after drinking green tea, are caused by the ability of theanine to stimulate the generation of alpha brain waves. The generation of alpha brain waves has been directly linked to mental relaxation.

This is good to know as for the last several weeks I’ve been experiencing what can best be described (by me, not a doctor) as tiny ~~and sometimes not so tiny~~ anxiety attacks. I’ve never had this before and I believe they’re due to a few contributing factors beyond my control that have taken place, that I’m sure over time will come to pass. I don’t believe in taking pills for every little thing (this goes for even taking common aspirin) unless really needed which is extremely rare. So tea time is “me time” in the meantime to help reduce unwanted stress.

To double my free radical fighting strategies I am now adding sliced ginger to the pot. Green Tea & Ginger – any reason not to?

*When your metabolism is cranked into high gear, your body will burn more energy, which in turn can help you lose excess body weight (another benefit we don’t mind).

**Antioxidants, as you may already know, are health-benefiting molecules that slow down aging and guard against disease. According to research conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on the antioxidant capacity of foods and drinks, green tea is superior to black tea in terms of antioxidant capacity. It appears that the enzymatic oxidation process (fermentation) used in the preparation of black tea leaves is responsible for the weaker antioxidant activity of black tea.

Now I just need to add meditation to the mix.
What do you do to help yourself relax?

Food + Drink

Food: Quality, Taste & Presentation

There are so many factors that go into a good food item like the three things mentioned above.

Roasted Tomato, Goat Cheese, Olive & Basil Tart. $6.99 slice

Besides dinner… there’s breakfast, lunch & snack time. What appeals to you at one time might not at another.

Like when you crave a simple but well made grilled cheese sandwich or clubhouse and another time something totally different like chicken pot pie (which I personally never crave but some people do).

Sometimes you come across something you see regularly in almost every restaurant or coffee shop but something looks different about it. It somehow looks fresher, more appealing and makes you want to bite right into it. I had that experience recently at Coco et Olive on Main street. I was going for a simple latte and mid-afternoon snack but looking at all the goodies at the counter made it a challenging situation to choose only one thing. At times like this you have to make a difficult decision. You order something, take another thing home and decide to come back again and again to try everything you never thought you wanted. See what I mean?

Best lemon bar & great latte. — **Best lemon bar** & a great vanilla latte

Coco et Olive Cafe – 3707 Main St.

Across the street you’ll find Liberty Bakery – 3699 Main Street

These pastries look so yummy. Liberty used to be in my neighbourhood (it was called Elsie’s then). They moved away and I couldn’t find them for ages until I came across the bakery by accident on Main Street. I spotted the buttercream & mocha petit fours I love and used to buy regularly in their window.

What do you usually crave for snacking?

Photos: d. king

Food + Drink

Food: best BAKED back RIBS

Talking about Austin Texas and barbeques yesterday got me thinking about mouth watering ribs. Of course you cannot beat barbequed ribs for the best smoky flavour but I just made an amazing batch of ribs that were completely baked in the oven – while still maintaining a smoky flavour. That’s right! Even I was surprised at how delicious they turned out. I first rubbed them all over with a homemade tex-mex dry rub which I provided the link to below (from a previous blog post) but you can always improvise.

3 -5 lbs pork ribs (I used baby back ribs)
3 or more tablespoons dry rub (use your favourite and add a smoked sea salt as part of your seasoning – Trader Joe’s makes an excellent one).
1 cup barbeque sauce (this time I used Stubb’s Hickory Bourbon but there’s a link at bottom for a good one made from scratch).

DIRECTIONS

Pre-heat oven to 300* F.
Season all sides of the ribs with the dry rub of your choice.
Using a 13x9x2 baking dish (or most likely a larger 15x11x2), place the rib slabs *meaty side up into the pan but make sure not to over crowd. I usually put the baking dish (or pan) right on top of another slightly larger pan/dish that has at least a half inch of water in it. This helps tenderize the ribs and keep them from drying out. You can always try it without but this seems to work better.
Cover the baking dish with foil and place on center rack of pre-heated oven. Bake for approximately 2 1/2 – 3 hours (depending on the size of the ribs you are using).
Remove the ribs from oven and drain any grease from dish; reserving the foil. Slather with your favorite BBQ sauce and return the dish to the oven (un-covered) for an additional 30 minutes.
Once done, remove the ribs to a platter, loosely tent the platter with the reserved foil, and allow to rest for 10 minutes. (This step is important — the resting period gives the ribs time to re-distribute their juices, just like a steak would).
Enjoy!

*other recipes call for you to first place the ribs with the bone side facing up – until step #5 when you put the barbeque sauce on at which time you flip them over to the meaty side up. I’m just telling you this but the way I did it (above) turned out to be excellent.

Dry Rub Recipe:

https://girlwhowouldbeking.com/2013/06/04/simply-satisfying-dry-rub-drumsticks/

Homemade Barbeque Sauce Recipe:

https://girlwhowouldbeking.com/2013/09/24/simply-satisfying-slow-cooked-pulled-pork/

If you make them, let me know how they turn out.

Food + Drink

Food: Real Food

Everything you see at the farmers markets is fresh, locally grown and organic.

Natural coloured cauliflower. I like purple.

Last Saturday we visited the farmers market in Palm Springs. It’s small compared to most I’ve seen, but what it lacks in size it makes up for with prize produce and products. I mentioned how large the size of the grapefruit, oranges and lemons are but we came home with a bag of the tiniest Hass avocados I’ve ever seen (just as good but with a much smaller pit), Barhi Dates, Smoked Gouda, baby heirloom tomatoes, Oatmeal honey bread (no preservatives of course) Avocado oil with lime (Mexican dinner coming up), a delicious Avocado body lotion with jasmine and a fruit I’ve never heard of before.

waiting to ripen

It’s just so nice walking around in the open air on a nice day and looking ~~okay, sampling~~ all the good stuff. Everything is slightly more expensive than shopping the local grocery store, but considering the quality and work involved it is quite worth it, not to mention healthier. Maybe I won’t buy every single item there but for a whole lot of things it makes shopping & cooking a much more pleasurable experience. AND you are helping to support the farmers.

And while on the subject of avocados (see link from last week): https://girlwhowouldbeking.com/2015/01/24/health-matters-ingesting-healthy-fat-like-avocados …here is another Avocado recipe from a cozy New York neighborhood joint called NAVY located on a tree-lined street in Soho. It’s one of their signature dishes.

Avocado Toast for Two

photo: Garance Doré . Taken from: http://www.garancedore.fr/ — **photo**: Garance Doré . Taken from her blog: http://www.garancedore.fr/

Ingredients:

• 1-2 avocados, depending on size
• 1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
• 2 thick slices of sour dough bread
• 8 slices of watermelon radish
• 1 scallion, sliced thin
• 2 sprigs of fresh parsley or chervil
• 2 tsp. pickled mustard seed
• 1 small pinch of chili powder
• 1 pinch of flakey sea salt
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
Recipe:
1. In a bowl, mash avocado.
2. Add lemon juice and a pinch of kosher salt.
3. Toast bread and layer with avocado mash, followed by radish, scallion, herbs, and mustard seed.
4. Finish with a sprinkling of chili, sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil.

Mustard Seed

Ingredients:
• 1 cup mustard seeds
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tbl salt

Recipe:
1. In a small pot, add mustard seeds and cold water to cover. Bring to boil and immediately drain and repeat three times. On the final time, drain seeds and transfer into a jar.
2. Warm the water, vinegar, sugar and salt. Once it comes to a simmer and the sugar has dissolved, pour into jar with mustard seeds and allow to pickle for at least 3 hours before using.

Bon appétit!

Food + Drink

Health MATTERS – thinking about the BOX

We went to Ernest Coffee in Palm Springs for coffee and an almond croissant and then got thirsty for some water. But they had no bottles – because all its water came in boxes. First time for everything.

I try to do my part as much as possible for the environment as only one little person can. Which means carrying reusable bags and often lugging around a reusable water bottle but admit to buying bottled when it is most convenient – like travelling.

The company calls itself Boxed Water Is Better and describes itself as part water company, part art project, part philanthropy. That is more than a little affected, but the simple, chic design and the creative approach to selling water will probably pique some interest.

It started with the simple idea of creating a new bottled water brand that is kinder to the environment and gives back a bit—they found that it shouldn’t be bottled at all, but instead, boxed. So they looked to the past for inspiration in the century old beverage container and decided to keep things simple, sustainable, and beautiful.

Their argument for why boxed is better?

76 percent of the box is made from a renewable resource—trees—making it one of the most sustainable beverage packages available.
Those trees come from certified, well-managed forests.
The boxes are shipped flat, which is significantly more efficient than shipping empty plastic or glass bottles.
The boxes are recyclable—where facilities exist.
The company plans on donating 10 percent of its profit to organizations working to improve access to clean water, and promote reforestation.

Are you aware:

About 30 to 40 billion plastic water bottles are discarded each year, of which 90 percent end up in landfills rather than recycling bins.

Let’s not even consider all the fossil fuels wasted in producing the bottles and trucking them around the world.

But bottled water remains a huge convenience. Let’s be honest: We can all try to do our part to help the planet but convenience is still key.

Ernest Coffee - 1101 North Palm Canyon Drive — Ernest Coffee – 1101 North Palm Canyon Drive

Photos: d. king

Food + Drink

Health MATTERS – ingesting healthy fat like Avocados

AVOCADOS – A Real ‘Super Food If you haven’t been watching the food network or dining out at trendy restaurants lately, you don’t know that Avocados are enjoying top billing on menus and chefs are coming up with creative dishes to incorporate them . Which is great because they’re so good for you.

Avocado has sometimes received a “bad rap” as a vegetable too high in fat.

While it is true that avocado is a high-fat food (about 85% of its calories come from fat), the fat contained in avocado is unusual and provides research-based health benefits. Avocados are an excellent source of “healthy fat” along with organic raw butter, coconut oil, and organic pasteurized eggs, just to name a few.
Like other high-fat plant foods (for example, walnuts and flaxseeds), avocado can provide us with unique health benefits precisely because of its unusual fat composition.
Avocados (which are actually classified as a fruit) are rich in monounsaturated fat that is easily burned for energy. It is also very high in potassium and will help balance your vitally important potassium to sodium ratio.

What’s NEW and BENEFICIAL about AVOCADOS

Consider adding avocado to salads, and not only on account of taste! Recent research has shown that absorption of two key carotenoid antioxidants—lycopene and beta-carotene—increases significantly when fresh avocado (or avocado oil) is added to an otherwise avocado-free salad. One cup of fresh avocado (150 grams) added to a salad of romaine lettuce, spinach, and carrots increased absorption of carotenoids from this salad between 200-400%. This research result makes perfect sense to us because carotenoids are fat-soluble and would be provided with the fat they need for absorption from the addition of avocado. Avocado oil added to a salad accomplished this same result. Interestingly, both avocado oil and fresh avocado added to salsa increased carotenoid absorption from the salsa as well. That’s even more reason for you to try our 15-Minute Halibut with Avocado Salsa a great-tasting recipe that can help optimize your carotenoid health benefits.
The method you use to peel an avocado can make a difference to your health. Research has shown that the greatest concentration of carotenoids in avocado occurs in the dark green flesh that lies just beneath the skin. You don’t want to slice into that dark green portion any more than necessary when you are peeling an avocado. For this reason, the best method is what the California Avocado Commission has called the “nick and peel” method. In this method, you actually end up peeling the avocado with your hands in the same way that you would peel a banana. The first step in the nick-and-peel method is to cut into the avocado lengthwise, producing two long avocado halves that are still connected in the middle by the seed. Next you take hold of both halves and twist them in opposite directions until they naturally separate. At this point, remove the seed and cut each of the halves lengthwise to produce long quartered sections of the avocado. You can use your thumb and index finger to grip the edge of the skin on each quarter and peel it off, just as you would do with a banana skin. The final result is a peeled avocado that contains most of that dark green outermost flesh so rich in carotenoid antioxidants!

Source: whfoods.org (world’s healthiest foods)

Food + Drink

No fuss Food – Delicious LIME CHICKEN

This dish takes a small amount of time to prepare, but is BIG on great flavor!

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs. chicken thighs (boneless or bone-in — or you can also substitute chicken breasts or drumsticks). Basically whatever you prefer but I found that thighs worked well as they’re generally meaty and the dark meat has extra flavour.

1/2 cup freshly-squeezed lime juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. worchestershire sauce

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

2 Tbsp. melted butter

zest of two limes

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

additional lime wedges (for garnish)

DIRECTIONS:

Add chicken thighs, lime juice, garlic, worchestershire sauce, salt and pepper to a large ziplock bag. Seal and toss to combine ingredients until the chicken is evenly coated. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours. I left it overnight.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and grease a baking dish with cooking spray. Remove chicken from bag with a slotted spoon, reserving the marinade, and arrange in a single layer in the baking dish. Brush chicken with melted butter (to brown), and season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Bake for about 20 minutes, the remove and brush chicken with the reserved marinade. Bake for an additional 20-30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear. (Baking times may shift for different types of chicken.) Remove and sprinkle chicken with lime zest and fresh cilantro.

Serve over rice or quinoa garnished with lime wedges. *TIP: Add tequila to the above mix if you want for some extra kick. Should serve six.

Source: gimme some oven

Food + Drink

Food on Fire – The Joy of JERK

A Fiery Food Fetish – Jamaican Style

I enjoy a really good Jerk chicken and have the perfect recipe for those who are daring enough to try it.

FIRST, a bit of history (you can always skip this part & cut right to the chase but I think it’s a good idea to let people know where the dish originated from).

It all started with survival (and if you really want to take it a step further I guess you can say that that’s how all food started). The beginning doesn’t sound too appetizing. Escaped slaves living in the Jamaican jungle interior had to develop many survival techniques – but none more impressive than the way they hunted wild pigs (cleaning them between run-ins with the law) and covering them with a mysterious spice paste and then cooking them over an aromatic wood fire. Now this spice mixture is so popular, inspiring commercial spice mixes, bottled marinades and the use of the word “jerk” around the world. What about the word used to describe this dish? Most Jamaicans offer the non-scholarly explanation that the word refers to the jerking motion either in turning the meat over the coals or in chopping off some for customers.

However…JERK….is the English form of a Spanish word of Indian origin. The original Indian word meant to prepare pork in the manner of the Quichua Indians. Now Jerk is prepared with chicken, fish, shrimp even lobster. Several of the best jerk purveyors are still on the beach at Boston Bay, Portland (not in Oregon) somewhat off the tourist track mostly frequented by Jamaicans, not tourists. But I was lucky enough to try some from a local stand (actually no more than a thatch-roof hut built over low-lying , smoldering fire) – and it’s never tasted better.

The jerk sellers tend to be characters with colorful nicknames and singsong sales pitches that tell you why their jerk is the best on the island. They’ll even pull out a glass jar of jerk paste with lethal scotch bonnet peppers and scoop out some for you to try. This definitely will require a *red stripe to cool down the flames. *Red Stripe is the beer of Jamaica. Oh my, I almost forgot I have a recipe.

Jerrific Jerk Chicken

This recipe is great served with rice and peas. It can be made more authentic by doubling all the dry spices – including the fiery chili flakes! You could also substitute a whole chicken cut into serving size pieces instead of chicken breasts with terrific results. At this time of year you can grill the chicken under the broiler instead of on the barbecue.

1 Tbsp. ground allspice

1Tbsp. dried thyme

1 ½ tsp. dried chili flakes

1 ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 ½ tsp. ground sage

¾ tsp. ground nutmeg

¾ tsp. ground cinnamon

1 Tbsp. salt

2 Tbsp. garlic powder

1 Tbsp. brown, cane or coconut sugar

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce

¾ cup vinegar (either regular white or apple cider)

½ cup orange juice (freshly squeezed is best)

Juice of one lime

1 fresh *scotch bonnet pepper, seeded & chopped

1 cup chopped onion

3 green onions, finely chopped

6 single chicken breasts, skin and bones removed.

Preparation:

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Slowly whisk in oil, soy sauce, vinegar, orange and lime juices. Stir in scotch bonnet pepper and onions. Add chicken, cover and marinate at least 4 hours.

Preheat barbecue to medium (or oven to 350 degrees). Remove chicken from marinade; grill 6 minutes each side or until cooked through with no pink remaining. Baste with marinade while grilling or cooking. Bring remaining marinade to boil; spoon over chicken. Makes 4-6 servings.

*Scotch bonnet is a very hot chili pepper available at West and East Indian food shops and at some supermarkets. If unavailable, substitute a fresh jalapeno or extra dried chili flakes to taste.

Recipe courtesy of Sugar Reef Caribbean Cooking (McGraw-Hill)

History & Photos courtesy of The Food of Jamaica – authentic recipes from the Jewel of the Caribbean.

The girl who would be King spent several years (off & on but mostly on) traveling all over this beautiful island sampling resorts, jerk, rum, coffee and…..whatever else.

Another recommendation - Blue Mountain Coffee — Another recommendation – Blue Mountain Coffee preferably on the top of Strawberry Hill.