Ingestible Florals

On the continuum of food relevance, this post will lie contentiously close to not.

Read on, friends! That doesn’t mean it has no value.

A couple of years ago I took a certification course to become a Nutrition and Wellness Specialist through Can-Fit-Pro and we got into some progressive wellness discussions about energy fields and chakras, neuro linguistic programming (NLP) and floral remedies like Bach Flowers. Before that I had never heard of Bach Flowers, but now I use them habitually.

I find they are particularly helpful during periods of upheaval or stress. I’m afraid of flying and they soothed me during my (long) flight to Sydney, Australia. Because they have no side effects or dietary conflicts, you can also give them to dogs or fussy babies- even plants. Pregnant women can use Bach Flowers to reduce the trauma experienced during labour.

They make the Rescue Remedy in droplets, spray and cream. They also make a nighttime version with a different floral blend and a kids version that contains no alcohol. My favourite are the pastilles, which taste like old-fashioned candy! Stress relief candy!

You can use the blend, or, if you have a particular ailment, you can take individual remedies for specific issues (listed below.)

If all this funny business makes you skeptical, all I can ask is: what have you got to lose? Right? Have a gander over this list and maybe you have some obscure ailment that could do with a little floral treatment.

Agrimony - mental torture behind a cheerful face
Aspen - fear of unknown things
Beech - intolerance
Centaury - the inability to say 'no'
Cerato - lack of trust in one's own decisions
Cherry Plum - fear of the mind giving way
Chestnut Bud - failure to learn from mistakes
Chicory - selfish, possessive love
Clematis - dreaming of the future without working in the present
Crab Apple - the cleansing remedy, also for self-hatred
Elm - overwhelmed by responsibility
Gentian - discouragement after a setback
Gorse - hopelessness and despair
Heather - self-centredness and self-concern
Holly - hatred, envy and jealousy
Honeysuckle - living in the past
Hornbeam - tiredness at the thought of doing something
Impatiens - impatience
Larch - lack of confidence
Mimulus - fear of known things
Mustard - deep gloom for no reason
Oak - the plodder who keeps going past the point of exhaustion
Olive - exhaustion following mental or physical effort
Pine - guilt
Red Chestnut - over-concern for the welfare of loved ones
Rock Rose - terror and fright
Rock Water - self-denial, rigidity and self-repression
Scleranthus - inability to choose between alternatives
Star of Bethlehem - shock
Sweet Chestnut - Extreme mental anguish, everything has been tried;      there is no light
Vervain - over-enthusiasm
Vine - dominance and inflexibility
Walnut - protection from change and unwanted influences
Water Violet - pride and aloofness
White Chestnut - unwanted thoughts and mental arguments
Wild Oat - uncertainty over one's direction in life
Wild Rose - drifting, resignation, apathy
Willow - self-pity and resentment

In previous posts, I've alluded to my witchy inclinations. I love this apothecary stuff because it feels you are connected with something ancient and trusted.

L'essence du soleil

During the dark, dull days of winter, there is nothing that emulates sunshine like the smell of fresh lemon.

The juice’s acidity is the perfect balancing agent to add contrast and dimension to sweet dishes. A last-minute squirt livens and freshens any meal.

Even better, recent studies suggest that adding citrus to green tea seems in increase the catechins available to the body. It works as a booster for the absorbtion of antioxidants! (I know, it doesn’t taste as good though.)

I used to think lemon juice was basically as good as it gets… until I started to experiment more with the rind. Jamie Oliver advises that the most flavour is in the rind, but I think rinds intimidate people. Acrid and chewy, people sometimes don’t know what to do with it- but it has so much potential in its compact flavour.

The trick lies in a good zester like a Microplane or my favourite rasp from Lee Valley.

Here is one of my favourite lemony recipes from Nigella Lawson from her Nigella Bites television series.

Lemon Linguine

750 g dried linguine
2 egg yolks
50 g freshly grated parmesan + more to taste
150 ml double cream
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
15 g butter
Liberal use of flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Cook the pasta in water that is salted like the Ligurian Sea.Put the egg yolks into a bowl and beat with a fork. Add the grated parmesan, cream, lemon zest and juice and whisk. You don't want the sauce to be too fluffy, just combined.


As soon as the pasta is cooked, drain it and then, off the heat, toss it back in the pan. Throw in the butter and stir it about. Make sure that the butter melts and the pasta is well coated. Then add most of the sauce and turn the pasta well in it. 

Tip the pasta into a serving bowl and add the rest of the sauce, a final smattering of parmesan and some roughly chopped parsley. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

Cinnamon

 When I was in Australia a little over a year ago, my roommate and I made a ritual of buying banana bread en route to our bi-weekly graduate classes. Banana bread was never in short supply: they sold it in thick, tidy slices lined up at the cash register of any coffee shop, grocery store or market.

It’s not exactly macrobiotic, but it’s wholesome in that old-fashioned sort of way that is comforting, the sort of thing that might help if you were homesick and living in a distant hemisphere, away from your friends and family.

It didn’t come with chocolate chips or cream cheese icing or any funny business: just straight, old-fashioned banana bread.

I once made the mistake of asking if a store owner would consider switching up the formula, maybe adding a little cinnamon? Some cloves or cocoa powder?

She just about bit my head off and I had a revelation of sorts: cinnamon is not a universal dessert flavour.

I soon realized that contempt for cinnamon was an Australian hobby and refrained from any mention of the much-despised stick. Further extensive research demonstrated that Brits share the Australian disdain for the spice and our only comrades in Battle Cinnamon are the folks down south (Americans.) A recent Guardian UK blog post rails against the spice for being everywhere and on everything:

 BLOODY SODDING CINNAMON

Citing Starbuck and other coffee shops as perpetrators and Cinnabon as the ultimate sinner, the author gives examples of recipes where cinnamon does not belong: squash puree with watermelon and cinnamon, cinnamon pineapple pork and cinnamon tinged jerk chicken.

His investigation takes him onto Google where he types in the words “America’s favourite favorite spice” – only to be met with an abundance of evil sticks.

This is one of those cultural nuances, a strange one at that. I never thought cinnamon went everywhere. It goes on cinnamon rolls, on top of fancy coffee foam and sometimes makes its way into sweet-savoury autumnal recipes and gum. That really doesn’t seem like everywhere to me. At that, you can choose (as I do) to not put cinnamon on your fancy foam-topped coffee and that’s one less place to find the scape-goated spice.

Have a look at this Guardian UK rant and let me know what your thoughts on cinnamon are. Do you think Canadians and Americans use too much of it? Would you like to see it in less coffee shops? Is it something you care a lot about?

Well this is compelling

This compelling ad for a new CBC show materialized today. Interested yet?

Saturday Morning Cartoon

Take a trip inside Anthony Bourdain's twisted universe (Alternate Universe.)

In the following sneak preview, he builds a Robo Chef with the powerful legs and thighs of Chef Mario Batali, "to stand for long hours," and the brain of Rachel Ray which he mistakes for the brain of Alton Brown.

Highlights: Gourmet Food & Wine Expo

Give yourself a stretch. The weekend is almost here! Rejoice! And that can only mean one thing: The Gourmet Food and Wine Expo is on.

I had a chance to check out the VIP preview last night and I left with a fuzzy head and a bag full of goodies.

I started off with a lovely sample of Le Clos Jordanne Le Grand Clos Pinot Noir 2007. I savoured Le Clos Jordanne's delicious Chardonnay on a visit to Frank @ AGO and it was recently named the world's best Chardonnay in a blind taste test  (a feat that was previously only achieved by Europeans.) The winemaker, Thomas Bachelder, was recently named 'Winemaker of the Year' at the 2009 Ontario Wine Awards.

All this said, I was amped to try the Pinot Noir, as it's my favourite kind of wine and the 2007 vintage is universally considered to be the best ever produced in Ontario. Oh, it stood up to it's reputation. To say I enjoyed it would be an understatement. It was rich, smooth and deep. Simply lovely. The muscle comes from the clay soil where the grapes grow. It's got Canadian wine connoisseurs in quite a tizzy! ($70, available at Vintages locations from November 21 onward)

Joy of all joy, the fine people at La Maison Alexis de Portneuf were there. I sampled and immediately purchased their award-winning semi-ripened goat cheese, Le Cendrillon (Cinderella, $5) also known as the BEST CHEESE IN THE WORLD. Luscious and creamy, covered in a distinct ash colour, I sighed happily as I tried it. The girl next to me found it salty. (Gasp! but to each their own.)

If vintages aren't elite enough for you, make your way over to the super-special-sequestered rare and obscure section. The wines in this area are not available for purchase in retail locations. I tried a rosé from Australia courtesy of Hemispheres Wine Guild. For the oenophile in your circle, they offer a variety of international fine wines (not available in stores) for $100, $167, $200, or $334 per month ($4000 in full.)

I needed something to pair with my wine. Luckily, Brix chocolate was right next door. Chocolate? Yes, they offer 40, 60, and 70 per cent cocoa bars to pair with wine ($10 - show price). Since I was drinking a rosé, the women suggested I try it with milk chocolate. They shave the chocolate off a brick so that it's texture mimics that of a hard cheese.

Procedure: drink a sip, bite chocolate, let it melt a bit, sip again.

I was astonished at how well it paired. The formula is specially designed to complement wine and draw out the fruity, earthy nuances in the flavour. Milk chocolate and rosé. Who knew? I bought their medium dark chocolate for pairing with lighter fruit-flavoured wines like Zinfandel, Syrah Rhone, Merlot or Shiraz. I look forward to eating it. Wine and chocolate together. Finally.

I asked the lovely ladies at the booth why they were placed in such a coveted place amongst the obscure, fancy wines. They responded that the show's organizers had loved their product and decided placement. I might go back to the show just to get some more.

The expo was pretty awesome over all. I ate sushi from Edo, a mini pulled pork sandwich with blue cheese emulsion from Splendido, sampled Gold Patron, had a mango margarita. I had some French Heritages Cotes du Rhone, La Crema Russian River Chardonnay from 2007, and Mount Riley Sauvignon Blanc 2008. I also sampled sampled stout beer and Crystal Head vodka by Dan Akroyd.

Lastly, I was quite impressed with Lisa Rotenberg at Rocket Fuel Coffee. They specialize in premium rare coffees and offered me a sample of Mysore Nuggets. I hesitated. Jamaican Blue caught my eye ($24). Rare, special. I asked about it and was pointed to the even more rare Esmerelda coffee ($55). My eyes widened. She told me about another one that only came up for auction twice a year, but I staggered away in search of more drinks and food. :)

The Gourmet Food and Wine Expo runs from November 19-22 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, South Building:
Friday, 2-10 PM
Saturday, 12-10 PM
Sunday, 12-6 PM

Admission, $15, must be 19 years of age or older
Puchase tickets here.

Salmon 2 x /week = Healthy

 From left to right: Exectutive Chef David Garcelon of the Royal York Hotel, Nutritionist Leslie Beck, Mike Cooke, CEO of Cooke Aquaculture Inc.

Earlier this week, I attended an event at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel to celebrate the partnership of new eco-certified True North Salmon and the Royal York Hotel. I've previously hailed the fabulously fresh practices of True North here and here. Cooke Aquaculture Inc., the parent company of True North Salmon is the first company in North America to achieve third party certification to the internationally-recognized Seafood Trust Eco-label, which is certainly cause for a celebration!

Mike Cooke, CEO of the family-owned company, spoke to us about their efforts toward sustainability. I chatted with him for a bit and he's my kind of guy: real, unpretentious and passionate about what he does. In 1985, he started Cooke Aquaculture with his father, brother, and one employee to raise farmed Atlantic salmon in the Bay of Fundy. The company now has more than 1,600 employees and is listed as one of the 50 Best Managed Companies in Canada. His company cares about the environment because, as he says,"We live in the communities where we operate."

Executive Chef David Garcelon spoke to us about the menu. We ate horseradish harvested from the hotel's roof top patio and savoured the culinary star of the day, eco-certified salmon.

I sat at a table with new friends John Rose, President of Icy Waters Arctic Charr; Derek Hori, Sales and Operations Manager at Icy Waters; and veteran food writer, Alexa Clark, of Cheap Eats. I was pleasantly surprised when Canadian food writing icon Elizabeth Baird, of Canadian Living, Food Network Canada and Toronto Sun fame, joined our table. Both Alexa and Elizabeth raved about the spectacular New Brunswick salmon facilities. Apparently they have fish behavioural psychologists that can read signs to tell when the fish have eaten enough so they don't overfeed them and can minimize waste. Mussels line the bottom of the tanks to eat leftover food and other waste products. Spic and span!

The meal was divine.

Globe and Mail contributor and nutritionist, Leslie Beck, discussed the benefits of salmon (of which there are many.) Her key message was basically RUN! Don't walk! Eat salmon right now.

Eating salmon twice a week can make a world of difference in your body by significantly reducing your chances of getting a lot of diseases. I like to think I know a thing about nutrition and wellness (since I'm a certified specialist), but even I was astounded by some of the stats Beck offered.

Eating salmon twice a week (6 oz total), as recommended by the Canadian Heart and Stroke Association means:

• Heart disease – 80% reduced risk
• Type 2 Diabetes – 90% reduced risk
• Cancer – 60% reduced risk (with particular benefits pertaining to prostate cancer)
• Macular degeneration – 30-60% reduced risk
• Alzheimer's disease - 60% reduced risk
  
• One of the best natural sources of vitamin D, something everyone is talking about these days as an immune-booster and cancer prevention aid
• One of the best natural sources of Omega-3 (DHA, EPA) – Although there isn’t yet a certified daily recommendation mandated by Health Canada, you should be getting 500 mg of DHA and EPA daily. (You should get 1000 mg of DHA if you have heart disease.)
• Daily DHA & EPA intake doesn’t matter because the body can store Omega-3. It's the weekly stats that count.
  
• DHA is crucially important for pregnant women, especially in the third trimester because it’s needed for brain and eye development – they should consume 12 oz per week
• Pregnant women should be concerned about high-mercury fish: escolar, marlin, orange roughy, shark, swordfish, and fresh or frozen tuna. Salmon is NOT in this category and can be considered safe for pregnant women.
• DHA and EPA are among the top bio-active ingredients being studied and discussed by cutting-edge experts in the nutrition and health community

I don't know about you, but all this info has got me thinking about eating a lot more salmon. The eco certification on True North Salmon means you can rest easy knowing the Atlantic salmon population is being monitored, maintained and treated right!

Here are a couple of simple recipes. Don't wait! Eat salmon tonight.

Oven

Preheat oven to 450°. Line a cookie sheet with foil. Spray the foil with Pam or olive oil. Place the salmon, skin side down, in the pan. Squirt with lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes or until the salmon turns opaque. It’s ok to leave it pink in the very middle. It will keep cooking after you have removed it from the oven. Let the fish rest for 2-5 minutes. Serve.

Pan

Preheat a non-stick pan on medium-high heat, spray it with olive oil, and add the spices of your choice. Add a thin layer of flour or cornstarch to salmon. Place in pan skin side down. Keep an eye on the thick end of the fillet to see how far through it's cooked. You want to flip the fish when it's slightly less than 1/3 of the way through the fish. After flipping watch until it has cooked slightly less than 1/3 of the way from the other side. Remove from pan to let rest for 2-5 minutes. Serve.

All photos kindly credited to Chuck Brown Photography.