Monday, September 29, 2008

Peach Crumble Bars


Peaches and I have a bit of a tumultuous relationship. I love them. But there is only a short window where they are actually edible. Sure, they're sold year-round. But if you buy a peach when they're not in season here, they're grainy, mushy (or hard as a rock) and flavourless. I actually feel quite angry when I see them in the grocery store in January. Why waste the gas to ship them north when they taste so gross? They look good, but don't be fooled. Peaches + out of season + Canada = BAD. Ok. End of rant.


With my feelings about out of season peaches in mind, I decided to stock up on ripe peaches. In searching the net looking for ways to freeze peaches, I mainly saw that the peaches should be frozen with a sweatener solution. I may regret the decision, but I decided to go with flash freezing of peeled and sliced peaches and call it a day.


I blanched the fruit and the skin easily peeled off.


I then cored the peach and sliced them in wedges.


I froze the peaches on parchment paper overnight and put them into a freezer bag the next day.


So far, so good.

But, my eyes were bigger than my fridge and I still had a lot peaches left over. So, I decided to go with a variation on a tried and true recipe. Remember the Blueberry Crumble Bars? They originated with Smitten Kitchen and have since become one of the most popular recipes on the food blogs. Well, I made them again. Except this time, I used a peach filling instead of blueberries.


I did everything the same as the previous time, except I used small chunks of peaches instead of blueberries. I also added extra corn starch, since peaches hold more liquid than blueberries. In the end, I still needed to use a slotted spoon to remove the peaches from the liquid that formed when I added the sugar mixture.

With those modifications, the consistency was just fine.


Much to my delight, the results were great. Quite a different flavour from blueberries, but very good.



This recipe came in handy this weekend. R and I met up with Giz for a foodie weekend. I brought a bunch of crumble bars for the road. Giz and I will tell you all about the weekend in some upcoming posts.

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Saturday, September 27, 2008

Lavash Crackers with Dip - Daring Bakers




Natalie of Gluten A Go Go and co host Shel from Musings from the Fishbowl , both alternate daring bakers have set forth a challenge that makes us think about about both vegan diets and gluten free diets.


Our challenge is to recreate Lavash Crackers with a dip that's both vegan and gluten free. This challenge made me think about what living a vegan and/or gluten free diet would demand in terms of a learning curve for me. Having to think about what we really eat seems entirely fundamental to a healthy diet. The recipe for this month's Daring Bakers comes from the Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering The Art of Extraordinary Bread, by Peter Reinhart.

Here's a simple formula for making snappy Armenian-style crackers, perfect for breadbaskets, company and kids...It is similar to the many other Middle Eastern and Northern African flatbreads known by different names, such as mankoush or mannaeesh (Lebanese), barbari (Iranian), khoubiz or khobz (Arabian), aiysh (Egyptian), kesret and mella (Tunisian), pide or pita (Turkish), and pideh (Armenian). The main difference between these breads is either how thick or thin the dough is rolled out, or the type of oven in which they are baked (or on which they are baked, as many of these breads are cooked on stones or red-hot pans with a convex surface).

The key to a crisp lavash is to roll out the dough paper-thin. The sheet can be cut into crackers in advance or snapped into shards after baking. The shards make a nice presentation when arranged in baskets.

Makes 1 sheet pan of crackers


*1 1/2 cups (6.75 oz) unbleached bread flour or gluten free flour blend (If you use a blend without xanthan gum, add 1 tsp xanthan or guar gum to the recipe)
* 1/2 tsp (.13 oz) salt
* 1/2 tsp (.055 oz) instant yeast
* 1 Tb (.75 oz) agave syrup or sugar
* 1 Tb (.5 oz) vegetable oil
* 1/3 to 1/2 cup + 2 Tb (3 to 4 oz) water, at room temperature
* Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, or kosher salt for toppings

1. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt yeast, agave, oil, and just enough water to bring everything together into a ball. You may not need the full 1/2 cup + 2 Tb of water, but be prepared to use it all if needed.



2. For Non Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Sprinkle some flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Knead for about 10 minutes, or until the ingredients are evenly distributed.



The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), satiny to the touch, not tacky, and supple enough to stretch when pulled. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

or

2. For Gluten Free Cracker Dough: The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), and slightly tacky. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.


3. Ferment at room temperature for 90 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size. (You can also retard the dough overnight in the refrigerator immediately after kneading or mixing).


4. For Non Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Mist the counter lightly with spray oil and transfer the dough to the counter. Press the dough into a square with your hand and dust the top of the dough lightly with flour.

Roll it out with a rolling pin into a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. You may have to stop from time to time so that the gluten can relax. At these times, lift the dough from the counter and wave it a little, and then lay it back down. Cover it with a towel or plastic wrap while it relaxes. When it is the desired thinness, let the dough relax for 5 minutes.



Line a sheet pan with baking parchment. Carefully lift the sheet of dough and lay it on the parchment. If it overlaps the edge of the pan, snip off the excess with scissors.

or

4. For Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Lay out two sheets of parchment paper. Divide the cracker dough in half and then sandwich the dough between the two sheets of parchment. Roll out the dough until it is a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. Slowly peel away the top layer of parchment paper. Then set the bottom layer of parchment paper with the cracker dough on it onto a baking sheet.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Mist the top of the dough with water and sprinkle a covering of seeds or spices on the dough (such as alternating rows of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, kosher or pretzel salt, etc.)


Be careful with spices and salt - a little goes a long way. If you want to precut the cracker, use a pizza cutter (rolling blade) and cut diamonds or rectangles in the dough. You do not need to separate the pieces, as they will snap apart after baking. If you want to make shards, bake the sheet of dough without cutting it first.

5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crackers begin to brown evenly across the top (the time will depend on how thinly and evenly you rolled the dough).

6. When the crackers are baked, remove the pan from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. You can then snap them apart or snap off shards and serve.


For the dip I made a Roasted Eggplant Dip

Ingredients

2 eggplants (medium size)
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 Tbsp Tahini
4 cloves chopped garlic (I used winter garlic which is much more pungent)
2 tsp hot pepper sauce
1/2 tsp salt

1. Pierce eggplants with a fork and bake in 350 F oven on parchment paper until the eggplants are very soft (45 minutes - 1 hr) Test with fork to make sure it's soft
2. Let eggplant cool and then remove skins
3. In food processor, add eggplant, lemon juice, tahini paste, garlic, hot pepper sauce and salt. Mix until fully blended.
4. Refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the flavours to marry.

Note: This dip is on the spicy side - reduce hot sauce and garlic if you don't like it spicy.

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Thursday, September 25, 2008

Baba's Honey Cake and Awards




Baba has always been known for her honey cake. She felt the need to bring something to each event and more often than not it was this cake. I'm probably her biggest fan since I'd rather have a plain cake that's flavourful than one that's heavily laden with creams and glazes. Prior to our blogging life, I wanted to capture all of baba's recipes to make sure they stayed in the family and got passed down to Psychgrad and Actor Boy and to their children (G-d only knows when that could happen). This one was indeed the first one I copied down as I watched her make it and I can now officially say that the honey cake has been passed down.

This cake is very traditional forRosh Hashana (New Year's). The honey is symbolic of a sweet life.


Ingredients:

3 eggs (room temperature)
1/2 cup corn or canola oil (I use Mazola)
3/4 c sugar
1 c buckwheat honey (plain honey works too)
3 c sifted flour
1/4 tsp cloves or cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
2 tea bags steeped in 1 cup of boiling water

Method

1. Line 9x11 pan with parchment paper
2. Steep 2 tea bags in 1 cut of hot water. Add 1 cup of honey to dark tea. Add baking soda to liquids.
3. Whisk eggs, oil and sugar. Add honey mixture and stir well.
4. Slowly add dry ingredients until incorporated.


5. Pour into prepared pan and dress the top of the cake with almond halves - dark side up.



Dead simple recipe with a no fail result.

It's time to acknowledge some awards.

Many thanks to Ivy at Kopiaste for this wonderful award. I feel like Sally Field accepting the oscar :).



We'd like to pass this award on to the following:

Jude from Apple Pie, Patis and Pate always has something to teach me about both ethnic foods and technique.

Elly at Elly Says Opa Have you participated in Elly's Eat to the Beat event. It's a quarterly event combining food and music. It's really alot of fun and you still have until September 30th to get your entry in.

Ruth from Once Upon a Feast seems to have this tireless energy to bring us the weekly roundup of the finest pasta recipes. 81 Editions of the Presto Pasta Nights roundup is darned impressive, n'est ce pas?

Darius from Everyday Cooking says food is his life and his life is food. His passion for making sure he tries everything is ever present on his blog.

Dharm from Dad Baker and Chef is always a strong presence in our blogging world. He's always a wealth of information and who can resist the charm of someone who calls his wife "the lovely wife".

Rosie from Rosie Bakes a Piece of Cake has bestowed on us the I Love Your Blog award. Thank you Rosie - how special do we feel. Rosie is one half of the duo that brings us Sweet and Simple Bakes , a great place for bakers, rookie and seasoned to hone their skills with uncomplicated recipes. Do check it out.



The rules are as follow:

1) Add the logo of the award to your blog.
2) Add a link to the person who awarded it to you
3) Nominate at least seven other blogs.
4) Add links to those blogs on your blog.
5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs.So the ones that I am choosing are the ones that I read all of the time and have actually become “friends” with most of them.

In no specific order, here are our picks for this award:

Ivonne Cream Puffs in Venice has one of those "let me tease you with all the fabulous food I create" blogs. Then she drives me crazy by telling me she takes it to work to share with co-workers. What about your poor Toronto cousins?

Lori Lynn from Taste with the Eyes fulfills her blog name every time. The photography is amazing and the recipes -oh the recipes - if you could only see my del.icio.us file.

Jackie from Herbs 'n Oils really does her homework and shares not only fabulous recipes and ideas but also information that always makes me say "I never knew that".

Cakespy always has such interesting material on her blog, not to mention the cupcake art that I absolutely love. I feel like I'm on a road trip every time I visit the blog.

Smitten Kitchen's blog is just a wonderful place to hang out. I mean how did I ever cook anything before .. and what about them blueberry squares that half the world has now made.

Sticky Gooey Creamy Chewy has one of those "would ya just look at the pictures" kind of presentations on her blog. Never mind that the recipes are amazing, you're already in heaven and ready to eat even before reading the ingredient list when you see the pix.

Nikki at Nik Snacks just cracks me up with her refreshing honesty. Her blog is such a constant source of entertainment - pay her a visit and get ready to laugh.

WE'VE BEEN TAGGED

Ivy has tagged us for a meme to identify “Six spectacular quirks about us”. Thank goodness you only want 6.

Rules of this tag are:

Link back to the person who tagged you.
Mention the rules on your blog.
Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours.
Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them.
Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged.

Giz's Quirks:

1. I'm not great at admitting my quirkiness although I'm sure Psychgrad could give you a list as long as a roll of toilet paper. I think that could qualify as quirk #1.

Psychgrad's note: I protest - this is not a quirk.

2. I have a tendency to obsess. If something isn't working the way I expect it to, I can go on and on about it until it's right.
3. It is entirely not unheard of for me to decide to cook/bake when the rest of the normal world is already sleeping.

Psychgrad's Quirks

4. Growing up, I used to want to be a hairdresser. When going to the mall with my mom, she would drop me off at the salon to watch the hairdressers while she did her shopping. (Giz's comment - sure Psych - have people believe I abandoned you in some beauty salon) People would just assume that I was a customer's daughter.

5. I tend to get in trouble for asking too many questions. What can I say? I'm just a curious person.

6. I am knitting a touque, which is a common word used in Canada to describe a hat for winter. At this point I've restarted it 7 times. Lucky number 7...hopefully.

Whoever is interested in doing this tag, please post it on your blog and link back to us. I'm interested in everybody's quirks :).

Thank you Bunny from Bunny's Warm Oven for deeming us worthy of a Kickass Blogger Award. What a great superlative!



We'd like to share this award with a few of our FFF's (Fabulous Foodie Friends).

Deborah at Taste and Tell just turned the BIG 31 - can you imagine - geez Deb are your bones creaking yet? Her blog rocks and from one September baby to another - it's a great month isn't it?

The Biscuit Pusher always features the most wonderful spice in her baking. Everything looks yummy on her blog and I always feel like I'm having a treat when I visit. She even makes Mocha Mudslides - don't you just love that name.

Rikki from Diet,Dessert and Dogs makes me do research very often. Although we probably live 5 minutes apart, we're world's apart in ingredient knowledge. Boy have I got alot to learn.

Jasmine from Confessions of a Cardamom Addict has a wonderful blog that's both well written and diverse. You feel like Jasmine has been your friend for so long.

Ohio Mom from Cooking in Cleveland has claimed her fame through regional ingredients and just straight up good food. Her blog is always interesting to read. StumbleUpon

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Think Spice...Think Fenugreek...Think Sri Lankan Red Shrimp Curry


When Kittie announced that her choice for this month's Think Spice was Fenugreek, my first thought was, "fenu-wha?" I may have seen the word in a recipe now and then, but I wouldn't know fenugreek if it hit me in the face.


Not knowing where to start, I figured, I'll Google it and see if anything strikes my fancy. Lo and behold, I found a recipe for Sri Lankan Red Shrimp Curry.

This will only be my 2nd foray into Sri Lankan food. You can read about my first experience here. The stand out dish from the previous meal was the shrimp curry. So, I jumped on the chance to make this dish.

I started with a trip to my local spice store (I can't tell you how glad I am to have a store nearby that sells a wide range of spices and herbs). When I returned home, I realized that I didn't buy a critical ingredient, Rampe Leaf.

Rampe leaf


The information I found says, Also known as pandan leaf. Almost every kitchen garden in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand boasts a pandanus plant, the leaves of which are used in both savoury and sweet dishes. A strip of leaf about 10 cm (4 in) long is dropped into the pot each time rice is cooked, to perfume it. Two or three strips are simmered with curry.

At first I had no idea where to find this, but with a quick Google search, I found a store 5 minutes from my place. I didn't even know it was there. Or rather, I saw it and never knew what the store sold.

I was given the option of choosing fresh leaf or dried. I went with fresh. But, I wasn't sure exactly how to use it. So...I did what came naturally. I tied it in a knot and threw it in a pot with the rest of the ingredients. If you have experience with this plant and know how should be used, please feel free to let me know.

Sri Lankan Red Shrimp Curry
SERVES 6


* 750 g small raw prawns
* 1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
* 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated
* 1 small cinnamon stick
* 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
* 3-4 curry leaves
* 1 stalk lemongrass, bruised (or 2 strips of lemon rind)
* 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
* 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
* 2 teaspoons paprika
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups coconut milk
* 1 strip of daun pandan or rampe leaf
* good squeeze lemon juice

Directions

Wash prawns and remove heads but leave shells on (in Sri Lanka prawns are cooked with the shell on for better flavour).

Put all ingredients, except lemon juice, into a saucepan and bring slowly to simmering point.



Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes or until onions are soft.

Add lemon juice and stir. Taste and add more salt


Verdict: The dish was quite hot. I'm sure it would be easy to tone down with sweet paprika, rather than spicy. I followed the recipe quite closely and left the shells on the shrimp. But, I'd have to say that it wasn't the most appetizing that way. The issue is that you have to peel off the shells, which can be a problem when dealing with tumeric. You can read about my last experience with tumeric here.

Not unlike other curries I have made, I do not find that they actually have the same consistency and sweetness as curries I have tried in Thai or Indian restaurants. It was pretty good on the first night, but I wasn't very interested in it as leftovers. R enjoyed it, but found it not very filling.

One theory I have about the problem with my curry is the use of canned coconut milk. Through an email exchange with Dharm, I learned that fresh coconut milk come from adding a little bit of hot water to freshly grated coconut. This is squeezed to extract milk. Then, a little more hot water is added for a second squeeze. One grated coconut should give you about 2-3 cups milk.

Other than the coconut milk theory, I don't know what else could be wrong. I followed the recipe very closely. So, I don't think I would make this again, but I would like to figure out more about Fenugreek and Rampe Leaf. If you have any good recipes, please share! I will continue in my search for a good curry recipe and will keep an eye out for more Fenugreek recipes. I can't wait to see the roundup!

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Sunday, September 21, 2008

Wild Rice Stuffed Peppers for World Food Day




Ivy of Kopiaste in Greece and Val of More than Burnt Toast in Canada have joined international forces to raise awareness of the hunger crisis that exists in the world. Equal Opportunity Kitchen is delighted to participate in this important event. Many of us take food for granted - just go to the store, pick up what you want, go home and cook it, take pictures and voila, you're a rock star. That's not a bad thing - in fact - we all love going to the concert to see the rock stars. On a more somber note, it's important for all of us to continue to be grateful that we are genuinely blessed to have the good fortune of plentiful food. It's not available to everyone. By participating in this event, we stand to be counted by creating either a family favourite or a regional dish to feed 6. When we lay out our dishes on roundup day, we hope to create enough awareness to figuratively feed as many people as possible - a street, a city, a country. Send in your entry - support this cause!



Wild Rice is an entirely earthy grain that reminds me of my days growing up in Winnipeg, Manitoba (mid western Canada) Whenever there was a cultural festival you'd find at least one wild rice dish and very seldom would you find two similar dishes. While it's grown in Manitoba and also the state grain of Minnesota, I understand that wild rice is not so readily available internationally.

Wild rice comes in several varieties and is both high in protein and fibre as well as gluten free. Without wanting to sound like a commercial, for those who have never tried wild rice, check here for more information, particularly in the nutrition section.





Ingredients

Serves 6

1 cup wild rice
4 cups boiled water
6 large bell peppers (top cut and hollowed)
1 medium to large diced onion
2 ribs diced celery
1 lb minced veal (this is not necessary - it can easily be vegetarian)
4 cloves diced garlic
1 lb mushrooms (I used cremini - adds to the earthiness of the wild rice)
tomato sauce (either home made or canned)

1. Bring 4 cups of water to a rolling boil
2. Add 1 cup wild rice and bring heat down to a soft boil. Cover and cook for 30 minutes.
3. Turn stove off, leave cover on and let sit for another 30 minutes to allow the moisture to absorb to the rice and it will plump it up.
4. With approximately 3 Tbsp of olive oil in fry pan, add onion, celery, mushrooms and garlic. Also dice what's left of the tops of the bell peppers and add it.
Note: This dish is entirely forgiving - put in whatever strikes your fancy.
5. While filling is cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil and add the bell peppers for 3-4 minutes to just soften the shells. Remove and let drain.
6. In baking pan, layer the bottom with some tomato sauce, fill the peppers with your stove top mix and place them over the tomato sauce. Add more sauce to the tops of the peppers.
7. Bake in 350 F oven for approximately 30 minutes.

Note: I have made these before creating a rice pilaf from the wild rice - also very good and very satisfying.

Ivy and Val - thank you for taking on this event. My hope is that in some way, world wide bloggers can make a difference. StumbleUpon

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Presto Pasta Night #81 - One Two Slipped Between the Cracks


I missed a submission! My bad. It's like inviting someone to my party and not answering the door. My apologies to Ching from Little Corner of Mine. She shares her Spaghetti with Chicken and Shrimp Little Corner of Mine is a really attractive, well-organized blog. The recipes look delicious as a whole and this submission is no exception. Go check out Little Corner of Mine.


UPDATE: I missed another submission. Here's what happened -- my problems with blogger was that it was not saving the updates I made to the post. I didn't realize just how much wasn't properly saved and now see that Lori Lynn's pasta dish was excluded. Sorry Lori Lynn!

Lori Lynn from Taste with the Eyes shares her Spaghetti, Tomato Vodka Cream. I'ved made vodka cream before, but never with the addition of ricotta. Sounds like a great idea to me. Giz and I have been fans of Lori Lynn's since we first met during our first Tried, Tested and True event. I love to drool over her dishes (both the food and the dinnerware beneath them). Go check out her blog!

StumbleUpon

Friday, September 19, 2008

The Roundup: Presto Pasta Night #81



Our week to host Presto Pasta Night has come and gone. Initially, I was worried that no one would "show up at my party". But, I'm happy to say that this party has been a roaring success. Ok - we may be on carb overload. But, that's beside the point.

Ok - enough of me talking - here's what you came for...THE ROUNDUP (presented in order of submission):

First up is Kittie from Kittens in the Kitchen. She's moving soon and is on a mission to clear out her cupboards. Actually, I've challenged Giz to a similar mission. Kittie's delicious-looking Spicy Marinated Salmon with Raw Bean Cous-Cous looks like a great balance of flavours and nutrients. Also, Kittie is hosting this month's "Think Spice.." and has chosen Fenugreek. Check out this link for more details.


Gay from A Scientist in the Kitchen shares her sopas, which is Tagalog for soup. Gay explains that sopas is "...a versatile pasta soup as you can use any meat to make the broth". That's what I love about food blogging - learning about dishes from all over the world.


Julia from Grow. Cook. Eat. made Chicken Ragu with Chick Pea Pasta. Definitely check out Julia's homemade pasta, featuring sage grown in her garden. Very impressive. Technically, this is Julia's 1st, 2nd and 3rd time participating in Presto Pasta Nights because the day after submitting this dish, she made another TWO pasta dishes.


Johanna from Green Gourmet Giraffe shares her soy bombs, spaghetti and tomato sauce, a great-looking vegetarian option with a pretty cool name.


Deeba from Passionate about Baking enters her Mixed-herbs Pasta with Bell Peppers & Feta. This fresh-looking dish also features sage, this time it come from Mumbai. Also check out Deeba's pictures of her daughter camping in the Himalayas.


Jin Hooi from Smell and Taste are my Memory brings Braised Pork and Yee Min. The Yee Min, which I assume is the noodles, looks really good and Jin Hooi is convincing me to give radishes a 2nd try.


Ohiomom from Cooking in Cleaveland made a great looking Tomato Anchovy Pasta. Fresh, easy, flavourful. Triple threat!


Kitchenetta from Got No Milk shares the beautiful, well-rounded Spicy Couscous Pilaf that she made for her son's recent visit.


Nikki from Nik Snacks is a first time PPNer who shares her Sharon's Bolognese Sauce With Spaghetti. No one seems to know who Sharon is, but word is that she makes a mean Bolognese Sauce.


Dell from Cooking and the City made a Penne Arrabiata with Sweet Peppers. Dell wasn't sure about the sweet pepper, but has since declared them a success. Looks like one big success to me.


Katie from Thyme for Cooking posted her Zucchini Stuffed with Orzo and Feta. Why haven't I thought of making something like this? Note to self: stuff zucchini. Looks great.


Ivy from Kopiaste...To Greek Hospitality shares her Linguine with Kalamari. Check out Ivy's quick tutorial on how to cleam kalamari. Ivy, this seafood pasta is my weakness! Lovely.


Next up is Priya from Priya's Easy and Tasty Recipes who shares a Pasta Creamed Veggies, which looks both easy and tasty.

Dharm from Dad - Baker & Chef posted about his Fettucine Piccante con Salame ed il Fungo . According to Dharm's instant translator, this mean "Spicy Fettucine with Salami and Mushrooms". I really like spicy food, so the spicy salami sounds right up my alley but what I really want to do is make some fettucine. I need to broaden my flat noodle horizons (don't mind the pun).


Darius from Everyday Cooking shares his Tequila-Lime Fettuccine. Darius says that this recipe is very easy. Easy + good flavour + tequila + pasta + lime +....need I go on?


Ning from Heart and Hearth shares her Soba with Unagi. Soba are a popular Japanese noodle made of out buckwheat flour. Must try them. Ning is hosting this week's Bookmarked Recipes roundup. Check that out if you're interested in participating.



Our very own Giz from Equal Opportunity Kitchen shares her Lokshen Kugel, which is a traditional Jewish noodle casserole. Giz claims to be making this kugel as a warm up to the upcoming high holidays. I think that's code for "Giz wanted to eat kugel, so she looked for a good excuse". All kidding aside, this sweet-flavoured pasta is delicious.


Marye from Baking Delights shares her Cajun Farfalle with Smoked Sausage. The dish looks delicious and the sausage has no nitrates! How cool is that?


Pam from Sidewalk Shoes brings her Pasta Salad with Seared Tuna and Citrus Dressing. Looks like a nice fresh-flavoured dish to me.


Mrs Ergül from Mrs Ergül in the Kitchen brings her Farfalle in Tomato Sauce. This dish would be very welcome in my home! I'm also intrigued by Mrs Ergül's bio: "She is a Chinese wife married to an awesome Türk man. That is one big motivation to learn how to cook good food from both of these cultures". I'll definitely have to take a closer look at her blog.


Daphne from More than Words made her Roast Duck Noodles. Can you believe I've never made duck before? Daphne, you are welcome to come show me how to make duck any time because I see you are very good at it. This looks awesome.


Haalo from Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once shares a Mung Bean Fettuccine with Pumpkin and Sage Burnt Butter Sauce. Check out the unique-looking fettuccine. This well-rounded dish looks great for the season.


Becke from Columbus Foodie shares a lovely Sep Abruzzese Lamb and Red Pepper Ragu with Penne, a dish I would love to curl up with on a cool evening.


Tigerfish from Teczcape - An Escape to Food shared a Tom Yam Tuna Noodle Soup. Go check it out. It looks like a great way to make a fast, versatile soup. I also just learned that Tom Yam (or Tom Yum) originates from Thailand and is one of the most famous dishes in Thai cuisine.


Melissa from Alosha's Kitchen is another first time PPN'er. She shared her Taglierini with Bay Scallops and Meyer Lemon. I trust Melissa's judgment and if she says she was blown away by it, it's really good. But, the picture speaks for itself.


TS and JS from [eating club] Vancouver made a Duck Tortellini in Brodo. This homemake tortellini makes for a very impressive dish. Ok - you convinced me...I'll take a bowl. Do you deliver to Ontario?


Katie from One Little Corner of the World shares her Pasta with Oxtail Sauce. She too is having troubles with her blogger account - so I'm not going crazy. This is a series of first for Katie...first time participating in PPN...first time cooking oxtail...first time shipping Pasta with Oxtail Sauce to Canada. Ok...maybe I've gone to far.


Wiffy from Noob Cook shares a Chilli crab pasta made from leftover chilli crab. Ok - you convinced me - I will put making crab pasta on my to do list. Can you tell I'm getting hungrier as the roundup progresses?


Ching from Little Corner of Mine shares her Spaghetti with Chicken and Shrimp Little Corner of Mine is a really attractive, well-organized blog. The recipes look delicious as a whole and this submission is no exception. Go check out Little Corner of Mine.


Lori Lynn from Taste with the Eyes shares her Spaghetti, Tomato Vodka Cream. I'ved made vodka cream before, but never with the addition of ricotta. Sounds like a great idea to me. Giz and I have been fans of Lori Lynn's since we first met during our first Tried, Tested and True event. I love to drool over her dishes (both the food and the dinnerware beneath them). Go check out her blog!


Last, but not least, is Ruth from Once Upon a Feast. Eighty-one weeks ago, Ruth started Presto Pasta Nights and has put a lot of time and energy into it every week since. I'm in awe with how much work goes into hosting an event and to do it on a weekly or biweekly basis is truly remarkable.

Ruth shares her new Sobaya Soba Noodles purchase. Between Ruth and Ning, I'm beginning to thing that Soba are the new "it" noodle.


I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Ruth for letting Equal Opportunity Kitchen host the event. Also, thank you to everyone who participated this week! This was fun.

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