Jerry's Thoughts, Musings, and Rants!

Happy Birthday Paul

Today's special event is Paul's 32nd birthday. Last year we were in Chicago to celebrate it. We spent the day wandering the town, had dinner at Le Colonial (thanks mom!), and finished up the evening with drinks in the Signature Lounge on the  96th floor of the John Hancock Tower. The view was wonderful (thanks to some aggressive moves on our parts we were able to secure spots at a table next to the windows - woo hoo!)

Mom and I only had a martini or two. Paul, well, he got silly!

Here he is enjoying a specialty drink called the Aquarium. It was a bluish-green colour and had fish floating in it. He had just realized that the fish were 'jelly' fish and was trying to fish them out for a bit of dessert.

Today if all goes according to plan we will be enjoying fish of a different sort . . . fresh seafood at the famous lobster shack in Portsmouth NH: BG's Boat House. I'll be sure to post pics upon our return.

An Easy Summer Dessert

In keeping with yesterday's post about strawberries I post this dessert. It is one of my favourite summer desserts because it is easy, quick, and doesn't involve a lot of bother.

It has the following ingredients: store purchase angel food cake (in the pic to the left I used individual low-fat angel food cakes); low-fat Cool Whip (you could make your own sweetened whipped cream if you wanted to be a purist). Sliced strawberries (some like them plain, some like them sweetened. I stir sliced strawberries with a bit of liqueur, chopped fresh mint, and some sugar and let it sit for an hour at room temperature).

All you do is grill a slice of angel food cake on both cut sides until it is toasted. The grilling caramelizes the sugars in the cake and really brings out the vanilla flavour nicely. Spoon some of the strawberries on top of the grilled cake, add a dollop of Cool Whip and you're good to go.

Caution - make sure your grill is clean. The remnants of last night's grilled chicken won't make a pleasing flavour addition to the dessert!

Strawberries, Strawberries, Strawberries

Strawberry season is finally here in Ontario. For me strawberries mean so many different things - they are the first of the fresh fruit we can get in the area, and they are the harbringer of so many other fresh treats to come in the following months. They signal the start of the jam making season. They indicate that summer is here - woo hoo They also cause me to stop and remember my grandmother who died of a heart attack after picking strawberries from her garden.

One of my first summer tasks once the school year finished (generally around June 30th) was to go to a local pick-your-own farm with some friends. Pick berries for a few hours and then go home and drink strawberry daiquiris until I passed out. It was the perfect way to start the summer.

Now I am far too lazy to pick my own. I justify it by saying that it isn't worth the savings to crawl around the straw covered earth picking my own berries. It is so much easier to pull up at the farm, pass my money to the attendant, and drive off with a flat of berries.

With the flat of berries I purchased last week I made four batches of jam: strawberry, strawberry rhubarb, strawberry banana, and a wonderful strawberry balsamic jam with crushed black pepper. The latter is amazing with cheese! YUM

We had strawberries in our breakfast cereal every day. I made strawberry ice cream and we had strawberry shortcake.

Apparently I went too far because the other night Paul, when asked if he wanted a strawberry dessert at the restaurant, just looked at me and said: "no, I am so sick of strawberries!"

I shall remind him of that when it is January and all we can get are green berries that were picked two weeks previously at a farm in CA!

Ceremonies . . .

Recently I had the pleasure of attending two very important ceremonies which mark milestones in the lives of my 'adopted' sisters. I say that because Ruth and Rosanne are like family; I tell folk that I have three sisters (although this does cause them to look oddly at my mother as they wonder when she gave birth to these lovely mystery gals!)

Rose (that is her in the middle in the pic to the left) is something of an oddity - she became a lawyer at 40. This means that she will need to work until she is 80 to pay off her student loans and to properly provide for her husband (who has stoically gone without a nice car for years so that Rose could go to school). I can't count if this is career number 5 or 6 for Rose, We all hope that it is the last because, frankly, the gifts are getting expensive!  LOL

Seriously, her accomplishment is incredible and we are all so proud of her.

Being called to the Bar of the Law Society of Upper Canada does not mean you go up to the pub and order a pint of ale. Rather, it refers to the moment when you become a full fledged member of the Law Society.

In many Commonwealth jurisdictions, the "bar association" comprises lawyers who are qualified as barristers or advocates (collectively known as "the bar", or "members of the bar"), while the "law society" comprises solicitors. These bodies are sometimes mutually exclusive. In other jurisdictions, the "bar" may refer to the entire community of persons engaged in the practice of law.

A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both.

The Law Society of Upper Canada was created almost 20 years before the earliest such association in any other Canadian province or territory. The creation of this self-governing body by an Act of the Legislative Assembly was an innovation in the English-speaking world and it became the model for law societies across Canada and the United States.

The Law Society regulates approximately 40,000 lawyers in Ontario. It is responsible for ensuring that lawyers are both ethical and competent. The Society has the power to set standards for admission into the profession. It can discipline lawyers who violate those standards. Available sanctions range from admonitions to disbarment. It is based in Toronto, at Osgoode Hall.

I was prepared for the ceremony to be a 'snooze-fest' but I was pleasantly surprised. It was fascinating; steeped in tradition and solemn ceremony. A honorary doctorate to the Honourable Brian W. Lennox, former Chief Justice, Ontario Court of Justice and he gave an inspiring speech. Later the Regional Senior Justice, Superior Court of Justice, presided over a special sitting of the Court of Appeal of Ontario and the Superior Court of Justice during which she administered the oaths to the candidates and formerly admitted them as solicitors. Again, she was a wonderful speaker and provided mush food for thought.

A few weeks later Rose came to Burlington and we all went to watch Ruth get her Masters of Education from Charles Sturt University. One might wonder while an Australian University was granting degrees in Canada and wonder away. I guess it is a reflection  of our shrinking globe. All of the recipients had taken their course work through distance education and I gather that this is one of the few universities which offers such programs.

Ruth graduated - with distinction - go Ruth! Apparently those two words on the diploma make all those later hours spent getting amazing grades worthwhile (to say nothing of the incredible feeling of accomplishment). I confess that this feeling is lost on me. I haven't taken a professional course in years . . . if I'm going to take a class it had better be a cooking class or a wine tasting class thank you very much!

This ceremony was quite differently than the one we witnessed weeks before:

• The 'MC' got up to the podium (which didn't work), went to the other podium, and harangued the graduates with respect to how they were to walk, address the Chancellor, etc. One might of thought that this would have been done in private.
• People were dressed in shorts, jeans, and other unmentionables at a solemn event! Apparently a local trailer park was having a large number of degrees conferred upon the residents . . .
• We had to sing the Australian National Anthem but no one knew the tune.
• A young girl played the flute - rather awfully it turned out. The song was most inappropriate for the occasion.

The ceremony was quite short, too short it seemed, so the Chancellor got up to the mic and did a sort of stand up  . . . that fell flat.

Oh well, it kept us amused, we saw Ruth's big moment and then we came back here for drinks, cheese and crackers, and gifts for Ruth! woo hoo

Here she opens up the hand blown glass bowl that Paul and I gave her.

After gifts we went out to dinner where she shocked us all by paying for dinner. This was an unexpected treat which had Paul practically singing all the way home. He is quite happy to have more cash for our upcoming trip to Maine!

Strawberry Sour Cream Ice Cream

With the prevalence of full-flavoured, fresh strawberries at this time of the year this seemed to be the perfect ice cream to try. It was quite easy to make and the flavour was wonderful!

The recipe is from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz. If you do not know David you should visit his blog - he is an American chef living in Paris. His specialty is chocolate and all things dessert. I have been following his blog ever since the amazing Judy AKA Diva told me about it while we were learning from her in our cooking class in Florence.

Previously I have made the Champagne and Cassis Granita (p. 148) which you can read about here, the White Chocolate Ice Cream (p. 33) which is written up here, Raspberry Rosé Sorbet (p. 130) which is written up here, Vanilla Raspberry Swirl Ice Cream (p. 92) which is written up here, and Chocolate Peanut Butter Rolo Ice Cream ( p. 30) which is written up here.

This is a new record for me: six recipes from one cook book and they have all worked perfectly and tasted wonderful.The Perfect Scoop  was a very good investment, especially given the heat we're currently experiencing!

1 lb (454 g) fresh strawberries, washed, and hulled
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon kirsch or vodka (I used vodka)
1 cup (240 g) sour cream
1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream
1/2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Slice the strawberries and toss them in a bowl with the sugar and vodka or kirsch. Stir until the sugar begins to dissolve. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour, stirring every so often.

Place the strawberries and their liquid in a blender or food processor. Add the sour cream, heavy cream, and lemon juice.

Pulse until almost smooth but still slightly chunky.

Refrigerate for 1 hour, then freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Lebovitz suggests eating it soon after it has been churned. rest assured that this will not be a problem. The resulting ice cream has such an incredible flavour that you'll have it cleaned up in no time!

Enjoy!

Strawberry Panna Cotta with Red Wine Syrup

Even though Paul was getting sick of strawberries (now really, who could ever get sick of strawberry shortcake?) when I mentioned this recipe to him he quickly decided that it was something he needed to taste. After our trip to Italy last year we developed a real love for Panna Cotta so we decided that this was something we HAD to try.

This was a perfect summer dessert! It was cool and refreshing with wonderful layers of flavours.

While the preparation seems complicated, it really wasn't hard to make at all!

This recipe was originally published by Canadian Living one of the foremost magazines for recipes (and other stuff I ignore) in Canada.

We garnished our panna cotta with fresh mint leaves.

Panna Cotta:

2 cups (500 mL) sliced fresh or thawed strawberries
1/3 cup (75 mL) granulated sugar
1 cup (250 mL) Balkan-style plain yogurt
4 tsp (20 mL) unflavoured gelatin
3/4 cup (175 mL) whipping cream
2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla
6 strawberries

Red Wine Glaze:

3/4 cup (175 mL) dry red wine
1/4 cup (50 mL) packed brown sugar
2 tbsp (25 mL) red wine vinegar /p>

Preparation

Red Wine Glaze:

In saucepan, stir together red wine, brown sugar and vinegar; boil until reduced to 1/3 cup (75 mL), about 12 minutes. (Make-ahead: Let cool; refrigerate in airtight container for up to 5 days.)

Panna Cotta:

In blender, toss sliced strawberries with sugar; let stand for 10 minutes. Add yogurt; purée until smooth. Pour through fine sieve into bowl.

In small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup (50 mL) of the whipping cream; let stand for 5 minutes to soften.

In small saucepan, heat remaining whipping cream with vanilla over medium heat until steaming; remove from heat. Whisk in gelatin mixture until dissolved. Strain into strawberry mixture; stir to blend.

Pour into six 6-oz (175 mL) ramekins or moulds. Cover and refrigerate until set, about 4 hours. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 2 days.)

Run knife around edge of each ramekin; turn panna cotta out onto dessert plate. Dice whole strawberries; arrange around panna cottas. Drizzle with glaze.

Source - Canadian Living Magazine: August 2006

Nutritional information

Per serving: about 258 cal, 4 g pro, 13 g total fat (8 g sat. fat), 30 g carb, 2 g fibre, 46 mg chol, 44 mg sodium. % RDI: 9% calcium, 5% iron, 12% vit A, 67% vit C, 8% folate.

Scallop Guacamole Bruschetta

This is one of my favourite summer 'recipes'. It is quick, easy, and fresh - to me this is the hallmark of a great summer recipe.

I wrote recipe in quotations because it isn't really a recipe, more of a technique. I believe that the original recipe was in a Williams Sonoma cook book but I can't seem to find it any longer. Suffice to say that it is a dish I have made often and each time it likely tastes a bit different!

I have never made guacamole, it is a challenge to find ripe avocados here in Ontario when you want them. Ready made guacamole is easy to find so it seems silly not to use it on a hot summer's day when I really don't feel like cooking!

1. Slice a baguette into 1/2 inch slices. Lightly brush the bread with olive oil. Place on a hot grill until toasted. Turn. When the second side is toasted remove from the grill.
2. Brush some large sea scallops with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Place on grill and grill until the centre begins to turn opaque. Turn. Remove from grill when cooked through.
3. Thinly slice a Roma tomato crosswise. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. To prepare the bruschetta: spread a baguette slice with guacamole. Cover with two slices of tomato. If the scallops are large (i.e. more than 1 inch in thickness) cut in half. Place a thin slice of grilled scallop on the tomato.
5. Serve immediately.

Your friends and family will love this combination of flavours - I'll admit that I wasn't sure myself but I was a quick convert!

Happy grilling!

Upper Canada Cheese Company

Located in the small town of Jordan, in the heart of Canada's premier (folk from BC will argue this point - get over it! *smile*) wine region, this cheese manufacturer makes wonderful artisinal cheeses. I first tried their cheeses a few weeks ago when I was trolling through wineries with Dave, Rosanne, and Paul. Featherstone winery had samples of the Comfort Cream cheese. It paired so well with the wine that I purchased a wheel to bring home.

Yesterday my friend Ruth was graduating with her Master's of Education and I had invited friends and family here for a post graduation glass of wine, some cheese, and nibbles prior to going out for dinner. I was off for a vacation day so I decided to travel to Jordan to visit the cheese factory and purchase some cheese directly from the manufacturer.

The cheese company has the following 'philosohpy':

• To utilize the gifts of the region as much as possible: the long growing season, the escarpment, the protection of two Great Lakes and the limestone provide the Terroir;
• The high solids, large percentage of Vitamins, calcium, Beta-Carotene and the presence of only Beta-Casein A2 make the milk the finest and healthiest that is available;
• To make cheese daily from ONLY fresh milk with no additives and no preservatives is our commitment;
• To intervene as little as possible mechanically, but to be traditional with hand moulding, hand salting, hand brine washing and hand wrapping is our philosophy.

The owners have gathered a motivated crew of employees who understand the rare combination of all these things. The cheese making facility is a simple, but state of the art facility located in Jordan Station. It is set on 17 acres of land and the creamery itself is built along the rail line, as it would have been done a century ago, when the iron rails were the main form of transportation. History has seen the passing of some 1200 cheese plants down to less than eighty today; their hope is that this trend will be reversed.

This reversal has started with two delicious cheeses. One is a bloomy rind cheese, which they have named “Comfort Cream” which is patterned after the famous “Camembert”. It is rich and creamy. It was wonderful with some of the Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar Jam with Black Peppercorns I made last week.

The second cheese is a washed rind, with tremendous flavour that was developed by the Trappist Monks to get them through long, meatless fasts. The staff have combined the milk, the recipe and married them together in our “Niagara Gold”. This cheese has a nutty flavour, it is a semi-hard cheese and paired very well with fruit, and the last of the fig balsamic jelly that my friend Palma gave me when I was in California.

I see the emergence of this artisinal cheese maker as part of an exciting development in Niagara. First came the wines, followed by the foods. The area is becoming a wonderful spot where you can find interesting things to tantalize your palate, excellent accommodation, art galleries, and fine shopping. It is no wonder that so many Americans flock to this region!

Ginger-Peanut Chicken-Salad Wraps

Kim, one of the moderators at the slowtravel message board suggested to me that I would enjoy these. They were a snap to prepare - the perfect summer dinner dish. I served them with some fresh vegetables and hummus.

You could substitute slices of breast meat from a prepackaged rotisserie chicken, which would make the preparation easier, but the dish will be a little higher in fat and sodium.


1 teaspoon olive oil
6 (4-ounce) skinned, boned chicken breast halves
1 cup chopped seeded peeled cucumber
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
8 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
4 cups chopped romaine lettuce

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 5 minutes on each side or until done. Remove the chicken from pan; cool. Shred the chicken into bite-size pieces. Place chicken, cucumber, and bell pepper in a large bowl; set aside.

Place sugar and the next 6 ingredients (sugar through garlic) in a blender, and process until smooth. Add peanut butter and water; process until smooth, scraping sides. Add peanut butter mixture to chicken mixture; stir well. Add cilantro, and toss well. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon 1/2 cup chicken mixture onto each tortilla; top each serving with 1/2 cup lettuce, and roll up.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 wrap)

CALORIES 280 (19% from fat); FAT 5.9g (sat 1.1g,mono 2.7g,poly 1.6g); PROTEIN 25.8g; CHOLESTEROL 49mg; CALCIUM 29mg; SODIUM 572mg; FIBER 2.4g; IRON 2.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 30.5g

Cooking Light, JUNE 2000

The Rest of the Family

Allow me to introduce the rest of the family. On the left is Victor and on the right is Beckett. Both of these guys were adopted as 'old' kittens from the local no-kill animal shelter. When we got them they were already named and they seemed confused enough with the transition so we didn't have the heart to rename them.

Victor is by far the most affectionate cat I have ever had. He follows me about. If ever I hop into the bed for a nap he hops right up there as well, curls up in my arm, and naps with me until I fall asleep. Once I am snoring he is off doing his dastardly cat things (i.e. eating the plants and barfing partially digested plant matter up all over the carpet).

Young Beckett thinks he is a dog.  He chases balls, he will fetch them, and then chase after them again. When we first got him he was quite standoffish, now he gets in these moods where he wants demands attention. He will come up to you, butt your leg with his head, and let out a blood curdling cry. This means: pick me up you big dope, I need a hug. Whilst in your arms he likes to be rubbed. He will purr and most unfortunately, drool all over you. I guess it isn't any different than babies spitting up on your shirt.

These guys are not related yet they seem to enjoy one another's company.

No, this isn't the case of weird cat guy imposing human emotions on felines, they really do seem to enjoy being around one another. There is a sense of comfort there.

You wouldn't know it from the pic below:

However, not long after they both shifted and this was the result:

Actually, it would appear that Beckett has shifted and Victor is tolerating him.

Of the two, Beckett is far more adventuresome.

Here he is helping me make ice cream. I have separated the eggs to use the egg yolks to make the custard base. What is he doing? Sniffing at the egg whites. I was going to make meringues with the egg whites however he ate them all. 5!!!! 

I think I spoke too soon:

Mr. Victor has commandeered my cereal and is slurping the milk. Who allows such bad behaviour to flourish? Apparently it is me because I'm too busy taking a picture to admonish them!

When I was growing up I had a dog. There was a cat in the household but she liked no one but my sister (ironically Rose is now allergic to cats - perhaps it is Tigger channeling her displeasure from the beyond whenever Rose is friendly to other felines.) I was convinced that when I grew up (the latest data suggests that this will transpire on June 14, 2024) I would have a dog. I don't see it happening - we are away so much, it is one thing to leave a cat for a period and have a friend to pop in to feed them and scoop their box. Dogs would never survive such treatment. Cats LOVE it. Perhaps when I retire I can consider having a dog but for now these guys rule the roost!