Category Mississauga

Headline News:

Did you hear the details of the latest high-risk health hazard food recall or allergy alert issued by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency? If your answer is no, consider subscribing to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s email notification services and receive prompt, detailed, and accurate information directly in your in-box. Subscribe here: www.inspection.gc.ca. Or follow on twitter @CFIA_Food. For a list of the most recent public advisories on allergy alerts and high-risk food recalls click here: www.inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/newsroom/food-recall-warnings

Grocery Store Find:

Unearthed: Mycryo powdered cocoa butter, a new form of healthier cooking, at Cousin’s Gourmet Market in Port Credit and on-line at www.goldaskitchen.com

Farm Market Find:

Spirit Tree Estate Cidery’s sparkling apple cider is ready now! Perfect for holiday entertaining. Try some out in their bistro and enjoy a delicious lunch too. Read more info here: www.olivetoeat.com

Restaurant News:

Paramount Fine Foods at Erin Mills Town Centre is opening at 8:00 a.m. on Friday November 15, 2013. Read about my visit to Paramount’s Crestlawn Drive location here:  www.olivetoeat.com

Port Credit’s newly renovated Snug Harbour looks modern, spacious, and beautiful. The Roasted Beet Salad with arugula, chèvre, and a well-balanced sweet honey vinaigrette is delicious.

Mississauga meet Muhammara, a seductively delicious dip originating from Aleppo, Syria but common in Lebanese cuisine. This intriguing little number has layers of flavour and texture: roasted sweet red peppers, crunchy walnuts, acidic tomato paste and lemon juice balanced by sweet and tangy pomegranate molasses, and a warm spicy heat that slowly unveils itself. A breeze to make with most items stocked in my pantry, it’s my favourite appetizer of the moment.

The type of dried, crushed chili peppers you use is important here. The classic recipe uses dried Aleppo chili peppers, originating from Syria. Regular grocery store dried red chili peppers are fiery hot and lack the fruity flavour of Aleppo pepper but Aleppo pepper can be hard to come by. The Spice Trader in Toronto carries Aleppo pepper, available in their store on Queen Street West (in Trinity Bellwoods) or from their website (they just received a new shipment on Friday November 1, 2013 and are in the process of updating their website). I use Armenian pepper, sold at Adonis (under the Cedar brand in plastic packets in the spice aisle). Cedar brand Armenian pepper flakes have a fruity flavour, like raisins, and a gentle heat.

You’ll find pomegranate molasses in Middle Eastern grocery stores or in the international section of some supermarkets. If you live in or close to Mississauga, a drive to Adonis will be worth the trip. You can stock your pantry with Armenian pepper, pomegranate molasses, and small jars of roasted sweet red peppers. Don’t forget to pick up a package of freshly baked Adonis pita bread from the racks under the window of their in-store bakery.

There are many versions (and spellings) of muhammara. Adonis sells a good store-made version, available ready-made in mild or spicy hot (they spell it Mouhamara). My recipe is somewhere in between the Adonis version and Claudia Roden’s version (from her book The New Book of Middle Eastern Food, which is an extensive collection of good, authentic Middle Eastern recipes).

Please visit my Grocery Store Directory for information on The Spice Trader and Adonis.

Olive’s Muhammara

Makes about 2 cups.

Adapted from Claudia Roden’s The New Book of Middle Eastern Food.

Perfect for holiday entertaining, this dip is colourful, healthy, and exotic. Make sure you don’t over-process; you want the slight crunch of the walnuts and tiny hits of different flavours coming at your taste buds. Alternatively, if you add a garlic clove and puree to a smooth paste, you’ll have an outstanding and healthy sandwich spread that I like to call Muhammara Mock Mayo.

Ingredients:

1 cup shelled walnuts
4 tablespoons concentrated tomato paste
1 jar (250ml) grilled/roasted sweet red peppers, drained
1 slice whole wheat bread, lightly toasted, crusts removed, torn into small pieces
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses (also called “syrup”,“glaze” or “concentrated juice”)
3 teaspoons Armenian pepper or Aleppo pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoon sea salt or coarse salt
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to the bowl of a food processor; pulse several times, stopping to scrape down the sides of the processor with a rubber spatula when necessary, until mixture is processed into a rough paste; avoid over-processing.
2. Serve immediately with toasted pita points, pita chips, or endive spears. For longer storage, seal in a plastic container and store in fridge for a few days or in the freezer for up to 2 weeks; defrost before serving.

Food Events:

The Shop For All Reasons will be hosting a Chocolate Tasting this Sunday November 3rd 2013, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. What a great opportunity to discover some top-quality lines of finely crafted chocolate, including Olivia (from Quebec), Tcho (San Francisco), Amedei (Italy), Rogers (Victoria), and M Thompson (Toronto). Owner John Viola has built up an impressive gourmet section in this lovely Streetsville gift shop. John is passionate about the gourmet lines he carries and happy to share his knowledge of them with you. Think about stocking up on some gourmet chocolate for Christmas baking or gifts.

Food Trucks:

Curb Your Appetite Food Truck Wednesdays will deliver gourmet food trucks to the curb of CIT Financial, 5035 South Service Road, near Appleby Line, Burlington. Running the next three Wednesday nights from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., November 6th, 13th, and 20th 2013. Visit Ontario Food Trucks website for more info: www.ontariofoodtrucks.com.

Farm Market Finds:

Springridge Farm will be hosting an Author Meet & Greet Book Signing event, featuring celebrity chef Ricardo and his new cookbook, Slow Cooker Favourites. Sunday November 3rd 2013, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. **RSVP: [email protected]**

Restaurant News:

Renovations have been completed and The Host restaurant in Mississauga has recently reopened, with a new modern look and new menu. The Host serves fine Indian cuisine. Please note that The Host is reserved for a private corporate dinner event on Thursday November 7, 2013.

Happy Diwali! I love watching the colourful fireworks bursting over the Streetsville horizon during the festival of lights.

I often think of the women of my church as the Divas Who Dish Divinely. After countless bake sales, church luncheons, and casseroles for friends in need, years of practice have perfected their “from-scratch” recipes and turned them into best-in-show treasures.

The Divas Who Dish Divinely (AKA Streetsville United Church Women) will be dishing up some delicious food again at the 46^th annual Streetsville United Church Harvest of Crafts Sale, this Saturday October 26, 2013 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., at Streetsville United Church.

Olive the Streetsville United Church Harvest of Crafts Sale because it invites the surrounding community to come together under one roof. Our fundraising efforts help support various local outreach programs. And of course, the food is delicious.

Our all-day café offers you a spot to sit, chat, and replenish your shopping-weary soul. Several women make their own batches of chili con carne and chicken soup, then combine them all into one heavenly pot of chili and one ethereal pot of chicken soup. Sandwiches, salads, and homemade desserts are made with care.

Make the baking table your first stop: delectable pies, cakes, cookies, and squares are all made from scratch and sell out quickly. Our local harvest is preserved in pretty jars to enjoy throughout winter. The sale is brimming with creative and witty, inexpensive crafts made by the talented Streetsville United Church Women. Local artisans offer a variety of unique, handcrafted gifts. There is always a special find in the Attic Treasures collection of gently-used modern and vintage finds. Come and get your Christmas shopping done early.

After working all day at the craft show, while the aroma of simmering chili wafts from the kitchen, I come home tired and craving chili. Here is my recipe.

Chili Con Carne

This classic chili simmers for five hours but it is much more flavourful cooked slowly and lovingly on the stovetop than abandoned in a slow cooker. Start it early in the day, refrigerate overnight, and reheat gently the next day to further deepen the flavour. If you have two large pots, you can double the recipe and stock your freezer with chili to warm up the chilly months that lie ahead.

I learned this old Southern tip from my friend, Bill, (who learned it from his friend from Kansas City): gently stir in a tablespoon of peanut butter near the end of cooking to smooth out the acidity and round out the flavour of the chili. For years I made this recipe without the peanut butter and still loved it, so if there is a peanut-allergy concern, leave it out.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil

About 2 pounds (1kg) extra lean ground sirloin

2 yellow cooking onions, chopped

6 garlic cloves, finely minced

2 yellow or orange sweet bell peppers, cored, seeded, and chopped

4 celery stalks, chopped

1 28 fl oz/796 mL can diced tomatoes

1 19 oz / 540 mL can red kidney beans, drained, rinsed, drained again

1 28 fl oz/796 mL can crushed tomatoes

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1 teaspoon white sugar

2 tablespoons ground chili powder, to taste

½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 bay leaves

Finish:

1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter

Freshly ground black pepper and coarse salt, to taste

Few dashes of hot sauce (such as Tabasco or Piri Piri), to taste

Optional Garnishes: shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, lime wedges, hot sauce, chopped avocado, fresh cilantro leaves, tortilla chips, or garlic bread.

Directions:

1. Heat a large heavy pot over medium heat; add onions and ground sirloin and brown, breaking up with a wooden spoon and stirring frequently, just until meat is no longer pink inside, about 10 minutes.
2. Add garlic; sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
3. Add remaining ingredients, except peanut butter; stir. Partially cover with a lid; simmer for 4 3/4 hours, stirring occasionally.
4. To finish, stir in peanut butter and simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 more minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and hot sauce.
5. Let cool and then refrigerate overnight to allow flavours to mellow further. When ready to serve, reheat gently. Serve hot with your choice of optional garnishes.

Harvest of Crafts Sale Hours: Saturday October 26 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Free Admission. Appreciate your support.

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Weekly news tidbits too tasty not to share.

Restaurant News/Food Events:

The veal parmesan at Andiamo Pasta Plus is incredibly tender. Olive it! It’s on the special menu for Taste of Streetsville, which ends October 6th, 2013.

Sweet Notes:

While the Danish Pastry House is preparing to move to their new location in the Shops of Oakville South, they will need to have a few closings at their current Port Credit location to facilitate the move.  They will be closed October 2, 3, 5, 8, and 9^th 2013.  Read more here: www.danishpastryhouse.ca.

Grocery Store Finds:

Did you spot the Rustichella d’Abruzzo pasta shown in the Pantry Essentials article of the Food & Drink Autumn 2013 issue (page 26)? Extrusion through bronze molds gives this pasta a coarser texture that allows it to absorb any sauce better. I served the pappardelle the other night – my tomato sauce clung to every strand.

I found a wide range of Rustichella d’Abruzzo pasta at this gorgeous, tiny grocery store in downtown Oakville.

Oh, to be riding my bike to this little gem of a store! It’s filled with gourmet goodies, fresh fruits, and vegetables.

 
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