ice wine

i have always liked local eating
long before it hit everyday tredy-land
for me it has always been about taste
you cant beat ontario strawberries
they arent huge
they arent available all year long
but they ARE the best tasting strawberries in the world
still warm from the field sun
picked up on your way to town from the cottage
half eaten before you get em home
the same goes for lots of fruit, veggies and food for me...corn, peaches, maple syrup. etc
i wont buy a peach if it isnt late summer and they arent from ontario
they just dont taste right
the same can be said for ice wine
i live in the greatest place on earth for ice wine...southern ontario
on a recent weekend
a good friend and i spent the weekend in niagara on the lake at the ice wine festival
it was grand
cold
but grand
and the ice wine out of this world
the two that stood out for me where...

Peller Estates
Cabernet Franc Icewine
http://pellericewine.com/products-cab-franc.html
Made of 100% Cabernet Franc. The aroma renders the boldness of ripe red berries with complex notes of spice and the sweetness of rhubarb. Once sipped, the reward is that of an explosion of luscious red berries, delicate, yet complex spice and rhubarb with a lingering finish reminiscent of fresh limes. Pairs well with red fruit based desserts and dark chocolate. Serve chilled at 8-10C

Chateau de Charmes
2006 Vidal Icewine (V.Q.A. Niagara Peninsula)
http://www.chateaudescharmes.com/the_wines/ice_wines.html
5,912 cases produced. Harvested January 17, 2007.
“From Ontario, one of my favourites is Château des Charmes 2006 Vidal Icewine at an affordable $25.95 per 200ml bottle. This Niagara-on-the-Lake beauty has a spicy, honeyed, baked apple, caramel nose along with a fairly viscous, backed apple puree flavour plus a lingering gently tropical caramel-tinged finish. It’s the kind of wine you can have chilled with a foie gras appetizer, by itself or with cheese and/or dessert.”
– Michael Vaughan, Vintgage Destinations, January/February, 2009

OSCARS 2009

loved the new oscars
loved hugh
loved the song and dance numbers
loved the 5 actors speaking to the noms.
loved anne hathaways dress best

marmalade

so i wanted to make marmalade
i had been doing some research
saville or not saville
i had decided on an orange/grapefruit combo and not saville
my original plan was derailed when i learned the saville oranges had not made it to the stores yet
up until then it was all about saville
perhaps this was a good thing...tartness (that is why people like the saville) may not be my thing
and people fight for the saville oranges...no joke
so three batches later and i am happy
the 1st batch i didnt cook long enough...very runny
the 2nd i cooked too long...hard to get out of the jar
the 3rd...like me (3rd child)...just right
i have also been working on the label and am happy with it and the ribbon to attach...after all it is all about the packaging:O)
2009 MOMO’S Marmalade - Please enjoy this orange-grapefruit marmalade made under the watch of a dog. It’s the 3rd batch of my 1st attempt at marmalade making. Like the current economy, it’s a bit runny & contains a splash of Canadian optimism. Recipe @ spankyfinch.blogspot.com
i did cheat a little...i know purest revolt...i used a food processor to shread my peel in the 3rd batch
even so it took me over 5 hours to complete batch 3 from start to finish
here are the recipes and some pointers...and if your lucky enough i may give you a jar

2009 MOMO’S Marmalade -5hrs with prep and cooking and sealing
12 oranges
6 red grapefruits
(the ones i got for batch three where smaller...so fruit size may be a factor)
18 cups of water
(from what i have read most recipes put one cup of water for each fruit used)
12 cups of sugar
1 cup of pure Canadian optimism (maple syrup)

1. wash and peel fruit
2. shread peel in food processor using grater attachment and put into pot
(the bigger the better for the pot-make sure it has a good bottom)
3. chop fruit in food processor using blade
4. place chopped fruit into strainer over pot that is lined with cheesecloth
5. tie cheesecloth into bag around chopped fruit and squeeze
6. place cheesecloth bag into pot
7. add water
8. bring to boil
9. simmer for 45 mins
10. carefully remove cheesecloth bag and place in strainer over bowl
11. push on bag to extact any juice
12. add sugar to pot and stir
13. pour juice from bowl into pot
14. bring back to simmer and insert candy thermometre
15. stir every ten minutes and remove "scum" with ladle
16. when the marmalade reaches about 215F on the therm it is done (i found 220F too high)
note: this can be patient straining. take your time. keep stirring. up to 2 hrs + for step 16. also if you place a plate in the freezer you can check your progress by placing a small amount of marmalade on it and briefly returning it to the freezer and then push it with a finger to see its "jellyness"
17. ladle into boiled jars and place boiled lids on top
note:how many jars will you need? more than i had. i ended needing to fill two 750ml container and one 500ml container and keeping it in the refrigerator. i would say i also had about 16 250ml jars and 1 750ml jar. which i think is about 7liters.

Happy Valentines Day! - Jake and I wish you a year of love!

LOBSTER!

what is it about lobster?
i guess food has history
lobster has been both a food of the poor and rich
i do love a good lobster tail
the fact is a whole lobster is a messy eat
i discovered a great place near me that brings them in from nova scotia and sells them to up scale resturants and you and me
http://www.maritimelobster.ca/
i got three 1.5lbers there yesterday for 10.95$ a pound
the woman i dealt with was classic east coast come scarborough
the place is clean and she pulled the lobster right form the box it had been shipped in
they had just arrived
there are tanks full too
boil for 12 mins, for a 1.5lb, melt some butter and get some napkins it is a messy and earthy experience
so go get your self a lobster dinner...you're woth it

SUPER BOWL!

super bowl sunday means one thing for me...
FOOD!
chile really
a good friend has a party and she make a mean bowl of chile
vegitarian chile
i know
it is so yummy
i will post the recipe

the other thing super bowl means is finding a team
i am no NFL fan by any means
i do enjoy watching football on tv and have been to a game or two
but i have no attchments (Go the future Toronto NFL franchise!)
i sometimes jump on to who is playing in the playoffs
follow a team based on a story line or history
but this year i like the under dog cardinals
so nature oriented
so go cardinals and GO CHILE!