Rolling Around, and Crazy Cranberries!

Okay, so I can't be lazy anymore, since I promised that I would update you on my baking classes at George Brown, which continued this past weekend! We made Swiss Rolls this week, which if you've never had one are sheets of light and airy sponge cake filled with a jam or cream mixture, covered in whipped cream and decorated. We had a choice of doing raspberry jam or lemon curd fillings in class, so I opted for doing one of each! I decorated the lemon roll with flaked almonds and used "biscuit crunch" (whatever the heck that is... it kind of looks like kibble to me...) on the raspberry one. Sadly, the ingredients for the filling and "creamish" were not exactly leaning towards realism, but I guess I can let it slide. Why, you ask? Well, I calculated the number of eggs we used as a class on that day alone, and came up with a staggering number... 312! Yeah, you read that right... 26 dozen eggs made into Swiss Rolls and sweet paste bases for next week's fruit flans... in one afternoon! When you factor in an average unit price of 11 cents an egg (last I checked for the bakery), they really aren't fooling around on the whole ovoid front!

My favourite part of the class was watching the demo... turns out 24 eggs will not fit into the small bowl of a stand mixer after it's been whipping for 10 minutes! Guess the instructors don't know everything, now, do they? I, at least, know that they taste decent - both my mom and Cel had big slices tonight with their tea, and I'm fairly sure my stepbrother's inhaled a fair portion too. Jeez, with all this extra cake hanging around, no one's going to want any of my home made birthday cake this weekend!

Anyways, onto recipes I can actually share with you! I have a wonderful recipe for cornbread that I've made a variety of different ways over the years (adding everything from blueberries to cheese to one lone instance of a whole habanero pepper... Andrew loved me for that one, especially since he ate it at work!). This time, I combined two of my favourite cornbread add-ins... cranberries and jalapenos. The result is something sort of sweet, tangy, and spicy all in a tender and (most importantly) moist package. It doesn't hurt that it's whole wheat either! When I get my hands on some blue cornmeal I'm going to make this again, just for the gorgeous colour combination!

Cranity Insanity Cornbread
Serves 9
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp soda
¼ tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
¼ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 - 2 jalapeno peppers, minced
½ cup fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 400°F, and grease a 9" square pan.
2. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Combine buttermilk, oil, applesauce, brown sugar and peppers, beat into dry ingredients.
4. Fold in cranberries.
5. Bake 25 minutes.
6. Best served warm, but freezes and reheats well.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 164.5

Total Fat: 4.1 g

Cholesterol: 1.1 mg

Sodium: 36.7 mg

Total Carbs: 29.6 g

Dietary Fiber: 3.0 g

Protein: 3.9 g

Lazy? Damn Straight!

Yeah, I'm being a lazy butt tonight, and I haven't had the energy or willpower to cook anything new recently. Well, I mean, if you don't count the Swiss Rolls my fellow classmates and I whipped out in yesterday's class at George Brown College. I'll tell you about that tomorrow. First... check out these carrots and leeks I saw at the St. Lawrence Market!! Not a word of a lie, those things are the size of my forearm. One carrot could make a whole carrot cake! I kind of wanted to buy one, just for the sheer size of it, but really - it's been my experience that big does NOT always = tasty in the veggie world. However, me being small meant I could manouver the hordes of shoppers in the giant market with as little jostling as possible! I love it down there, and Kensington Market, and Chinatown, and Roncesvalles... I think I need to move to Toronto! No suburbs for this foodie!

I'm getting really PO'd at Blogger right now, though, since this is the 5th time I've had to re-type this passage, so I leave you now to enjoy my random Toronto photography while reading this semi-meme I stole off of one of my new blog-haunts: So...What Else, What Else, What Else? - It takes imdb.com's top 250 movies of all time and gets you to pick out the ones you've seen. My count's at 87... 35%... which is pretty good since I really hate movies (unless I'm really in a "movie mood", which isn't often) and 3/4 of these were made before I was born! Here's my rundown, I bolded my responses:

1. The Godfather (1972)
2. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
3. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
4. Buono, il brutto, il cattivo, Il (1966)
5. Pulp Fiction (1994)
6. Schindler's List (1993)
7. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
8. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) 9. Casablanca (1942)
10. Shichinin no samurai (1954)
11. Star Wars (1977)
12. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
13. 12 Angry Men (1957)
14. Rear Window (1954)
15. Goodfellas (1990)
16. Cidade de Deus (2002)
17. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
18. C'era una volta il West (1968)
19. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
20. The Usual Suspects (1995)
21. Psycho (1960)
22. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
23. Fight Club (1999)
24. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
25. Citizen Kane (1941)
26. North by Northwest (1959)
27. Memento (2000)
28. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
29. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
30. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
31. The Matrix (1999)
32. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
33. Se7en (1995)
34. Apocalypse Now (1979)
35. Taxi Driver (1976)
36. American Beauty (1999)
37. Léon (1994)
38. Vertigo (1958)
39. There Will Be Blood (2007)
40. Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, Le (2001)
41. American History X (1998)
42. The Departed (2006)
43. Paths of Glory (1957)
44. M (1931)
45. No Country for Old Men (2007)
46. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
47. The Third Man (1949)
48. Chinatown (1974)
49. Leben der Anderen, Das (2006)
50. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
51. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
52. Alien (1979)
53. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
54. The Shining (1980)
55. Laberinto del fauno, El (2006)
56. The Pianist (2002)
57. Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001)
58. Double Indemnity (1944)
59. Forrest Gump (1994)
60. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
61. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
62. L.A. Confidential (1997)
63. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
64. Boot, Das (1981)
65. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
66. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
67. Untergang, Der (2004)
68. Aliens (1986)
69. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
70. Raging Bull (1980)
71. Rashômon (1950)
72. Metropolis (1927)
73. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
74. Modern Times (1936)
75. Singin' in the Rain (1952)
76. Hotel Rwanda (2004)
77. Rebecca (1940)
78. Sin City (2005)
79. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
80. All About Eve (1950)
81. Sjunde inseglet, Det (1957)
82. Some Like It Hot (1959)
83. City Lights (1931)
84. Amadeus (1984)
85. Vita è bella, La (1997)
86. On the Waterfront (1954)
87. The Great Escape (1963)
88. Touch of Evil (1958)
89. The Prestige (2006)
90. The Elephant Man (1980)
91. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
92. Jaws (1975)
93. The Sting (1973)
94. Nuovo cinema Paradiso (1988)
95. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
96. The Apartment (1960)
97. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
98. Braveheart (1995)
99. The Great Dictator (1940)
100. Blade Runner (1982)
101. Strangers on a Train (1951)
102. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
103. Batman Begins (2005)
104. Ladri di biciclette (1948)
105. High Noon (1952)
106. Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
107. The Big Sleep (1946)
108. Notorious (1946)
109. Salaire de la peur, Le (1953)
110. Back to the Future (1985)
111. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
112. Oldboy (2003)
113. Ran (1985)
114. Fargo (1996)
115. Unforgiven (1992)
116. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
117. Donnie Darko (2001)
118. Mononoke-hime (1997)
119. Cool Hand Luke (1967)
120. Ratatouille (2007)
121. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
122. Per qualche dollaro in più (1965)
123. Yojimbo (1961)
124. The Green Mile (1999)
125. Million Dollar Baby (2004)
126. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
127. Gladiator (2000)
128. Notti di Cabiria, Le (1957)
129. Into the Wild (2007)
130. Die Hard (1988)
131. Annie Hall (1977)
132. Battaglia di Algeri, La (1966)
133. Ben-Hur (1959)
134. The Deer Hunter (1978)
135. It Happened One Night (1934)
136. The Sixth Sense (1999)
137. Platoon (1986)
138. The General (1927)
139. Life of Brian (1979)
140. Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
141. The Killing (1956)
142. Smultronstället (1957)
143. Amores perros (2000)
144. Diaboliques, Les (1955)
145. Finding Nemo (2003)
146. The Incredibles (2004)
147. V for Vendetta (2005)
148. Brief Encounter (1945)
149. Heat (1995)
150. The Wild Bunch (1969)
151. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
152. Children of Men (2006)
153. The Graduate (1967)
154. The Princess Bride (1987)
155. 8½ (1963)
156. Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
157. Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
158. The Big Lebowski (1998)
159. The Night of the Hunter (1955)
160. Juno (2007)
161. Stand by Me (1986)
162. Crash (2004)
163. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
164. Gandhi (1982)
165. Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
166. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
167. Snatch. (2000)
168. Harvey (1950)
169. Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
170. The Thing (1982)
171. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
172. The African Queen (1951)
173. Trainspotting (1996)
174. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
175. Gone with the Wind (1939)
176. The Gold Rush (1925)
177. Groundhog Day (1993)
178. Wo hu cang long (2000)
179. Belle et la bête, La (1946)
180. Scarface (1983)
181. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
182. The Conversation (1974)
183. Patton (1970)
184. Duck Soup (1933)
185. American Gangster (2007)
186. Toy Story (1995)
187. Twelve Monkeys (1995)
188. Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922)
189. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
190. The Terminator (1984)
191. Sleuth (1972)
192. Cabinet des Dr. Caligari., Das (1920)
193. Umberto D. (1952)
194. Stalker (1979)
195. The Hustler (1961)
196. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
197. Glory (1989)
198. Ed Wood (1994)
199. King Kong (1933)
200. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
201. The Lion King (1994)
202. The Exorcist (1973)
203. Hotaru no haka (1988)
204. The Lost Weekend (1945)
205. Spartacus (1960)
206. Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
207. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
208. Grindhouse (2007)
209. The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)
210. The Lady Vanishes (1938)
211. Magnolia (1999)
212. Stalag 17 (1953)
213. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)
214. In the Heat of the Night (1967)
215. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
216. Lola rennt (1998)
217. Frankenstein (1931)
218. Big Fish (2003)
219. Casino (1995)
220. Out of the Past (1947)
221. Rosemary's Baby (1968)
222. Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
223. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
224. Mystic River (2003)
225. Once (2006)
226.Toy Story 2 (1999)
227. Du rififi chez les hommes (1955)
228. A Christmas Story (1983)
229. 3:10 to Yuma (2007)
230. Ikiru (1952)
231. Dial M for Murder (1954)
232. Hot Fuzz (2007)
233. Manhattan (1979)
234. Young Frankenstein (1974)
235. Mou gaan dou (2002)
236. Rope (1948)
237. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
238. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
239. Roman Holiday (1953)
240. In Cold Blood (1967)
241. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
242. Strada, La (1954)
243. His Girl Friday (1940)
244. Ying xiong (2002)
245. Harold and Maude (1971)
246. Quatre cents coups, Les (1959)
247. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
248. The Searchers (1956)
249. Barry Lyndon (1975)
250. Haine, La (1995)

My Blog Sitter, and a MB Entry!

Since I'm away at George Brown for school today, I've assigned a rather furry creature by the name of Bitt to blog-sit for me today, and he requested to be sent into Peanut Butter Etouffee's Food Bloggy Pets of the Month event in payment!

...looks like he's laying down on the job a little, doesn't he? Well, I'm a good boss, so he's still going to be sent in. He's been assigned to night patrol from now on, though!!

Now, for the foodage... The Master Baker event is coming around again, and the theme for this turn is Easter Candy! With the abundance of half-price Peeps, Mini Eggs and jelly beans out there though, I figured I would go a bit more upscale with my use of an Easter gift from one of my friends, Georgiana: coconut cream truffles!

Since they're quick and simple to whip off for a snack emergency, I figured what better to do for Master Baker than a fancified muffin, centered with the decadent truffle? Well, taking my basic vanilla muffin mix, I added some coconut shreds, coconut extract and chopped peanuts before shoving one of the rich dark chocolate morsels in the centre of each muffin cup. 20 minutes at 400F later and voila, Coco-Peanut Trufflekins!

Coco-Peanut Trufflekins
Makes 6
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
3 tablespoons buttermilk
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
6 coconut truffles

1. Stir all ingredients but truffles together until just blended and still slightly lumpy.
2. Push truffles halfway into the batter-filled cups.
3. Bake in greased tins 20-25 minutes at 400F, unmould immediately and cool on wire racks.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 244.6
Total Fat: 10.5 g
Cholesterol: 1.6 mg
Sodium: 13.1 mg
Total Carbs: 35.5 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.5 g
Protein: 4.8 g

We Ain't Got No Stinkin' 'Maters!

No, I haven't gone crazy, become a gangster or moved to New York. I am still a confirmed tomato-lover (in season only, please!), and I have no plans to stray over to the dark side. However, I was recently approached by a fellow cook on GroupRecipes for help with cooking for her 3-year-old son, who is allergic to: onions, pecans, carrots, rye, hazelnuts, walnuts, egg whites, wheat, soy, peanuts, cashews... and tomatoes! One of the major problems with this (besides the sheer amount of allergens in general) was that her son loves tomato sauce and ketchup... they were the main condiments in their house. But, could I help with finding some substitutes for those beloved products? I promised her that I'd try, and here's what the products were, delivered fresh for this week's ARF / 5-A-Day over at Sweetnicks.

Now firstly, if tomato allergies are a problem for you and you don't want to cook all your condiments from scratch, I did find a company called NoMato that makes tomato-free products like sauce, salsa and ketchup. Their link is here for more info and if they aren't in your area you can order online.

Since I didn't know about any of the allergens other than the tomatoes at the time, the following recipes don't take them into account. However, I'm sure there are suitable substitutes for those allergens as well... I just ran out of inspiration by the time I typed the response to her! I've highlighted the child's allergens in the following recipes also, for identification purposes when it comes to potential dangers in the ingredients, along with some substitutes that I hadn't thought of when I emailed my new acquaintance.

Tomatoless Ketchup
About 10 servings, 2 tbsp each
It isn't spot-on taste for tomato ketchup, so don't expect it to be, but it is red and full of vegetables... would work for burgers and fries I'd bet.
1 cup diced, overcooked carrots (or 3/4 cup pumpkin puree)
1/3 cup diced, overcooked beets
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar (or to taste, you may need more or less depending on the beets and carrots)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp onion powder (omit)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
pinch basil
pinch oregano

1. Puree until very smooth, adding a little water if necessary.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 14.4
Total Fat: 0.0 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 24.1 mg
Total Carbs: 3.7 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.6 g
Protein: 0.2 g

Tomatoless Pasta Sauce
Serves 4
This pasta sauce is delicious, smoky and sweet from the roasted peppers that will never have you missing tomatoes on your noodles! It also freezes exceptionally well, so multiply away and throw the extras in the freezer.
5 red peppers, seeded and chopped
1 large sweet onion (or 1 large fennel bulb), chopped roughly
10 cloves garlic, peeled but left whole
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup water
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. thyme
salt + pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Place peppers, onion (or fennel) and garlic cloves into a 9" x 13" baking pan.
3. Drizzle with olive oil and toss well.
4. Put in oven and roast for about 45 minutes.
5. Pour vegetables, all the black bits and the juices into a saucepan.
6. Add water and seasonings and puree with an immersion blender (alternately transfer everything to a blender and puree smooth).
7. Heat as for regular sauce and serve.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 140.4
Total Fat: 7.2 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 6.5 mg
Total Carbs: 18.9 g
Dietary Fiber: 4.9 g
Protein: 2.7 g

Hopefully, these two products of my research and kitcheny creation will help her and any other sufferers out there with the tomato withdrawl... they are very tasty even if they aren't Ragu or Heinz, and are much better for you - lacking the preservatives and overprocessing that so much of our food undergoes!

A Soup For Tibet

I think you'd have to be living under a rock in the middle of nowhere not to have noticed the terrible ongoings in Tibet these past few weeks. Though I don't know the details, I do know that the Buddhists in the country have been suppressed for many years by the Communist Chinese government and have more recently been under more violent attack by the federal police forces, with some reports of the death toll topping 140. In India, Tibetan exiles have attempted to march to Tibet from Dharamsala (where His Holiness the Dalai Lama lives) to Tibet in a protest against the Beijing Olympics. There are petitions online to stop the violent acts and many other protests in city centres around the globe as well. There is more information on the country as a whole here and Canada's involvement with the freedom campaign here.

I have always been fascinated with the Tibetans and their culture, especially the Buddhist religion and the Dalai Lama (I even tried to get downtown when he visited Toronto), and it is so distressing to me that any culture would suppress the very livelihood and existence of another for no reason other than dominance. I don't want to incite any ill wishes or flames with my messages and personal opinions on this matter since I know there are as many different sides to this problem as the days are long, but I will say that I wish all those involved the peace that the area so deserves after all these years of struggle and with luck the violence will cease soon.

What does Tibet have to do with today's post, though? I'm bringing to the table a Tibetan corn and tofu soup that, if nothing else, will help bring a calm and a smile to your kitchen with it's sunny yellow colour. It is a popular meal at the cafes in Dharamsala, and of course each of them makes their own additions, substitutions and variations on the recipe. It's a healthy meal, filled with protein and fibre, and rich with spicy ginger. This is definite cold-fighting food too, in case that last little bit of winter refuses to leave you alone.

Tibetan Corn Soup
Serves 4
1/2 large onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp diced fresh ginger
1 plum tomato, chopped
12 oz extra-firm, low fat tofu, cubed
4 cups water
2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

1. Using non-stick spray, sauté the onion in a soup pot until brown and soft.
2. Add the paprika, garlic, and ginger and cook briefly.
3. Add the tomato and tofu and cook 2 minutes.
4. Add the water and bring to a boil.
5. Add corn to the pot.
6. Combine the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water, add to the pot.
7. Bring to a boil again, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 207.1
Total Fat: 4.2 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 65.4 mg
Total Carbs: 25.7 g
Dietary Fiber: 3.2 g
Protein: 19.1 g

For dessert, something with no political connotations or connections. My mother had asked me quite some time ago (before the birthday rush) if I would be able to make her and Cel (the step-father) a banana bread that was low-fat (for her) and low in sugars (for him). My basic bakery recipe called for shortening to be creamed with the sugars before the other ingredients were added... I knew that was not going to fly in this case. So, I got creative, used up some leftovers, and came up with this. It's probably one of the moistest banana breads I've ever made, and the damage to the figure isn't that bad either, (considering an average slice from a bakery can run you 540 calories, I don't think the 150 in mine is a death sentence to your waist). My mom and Cel both said it was some of the best they've ever eaten, and I'm not telling Cel (the fibre-phobe) that not only does it have whole-wheat, but added heart-healthy psyllium fibre too. I'm such a nice step-daughter :-D.

Low - Sugar Banumpkin Bread
Serves 12
1 cup flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup ground psyllium husk
1 tbsp baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup Splenda
3 tbsp honey
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tsp banana extract (optional)
2 large, mashed ripe bananas
1 cup pumpkin puree

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a loaf pan.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine both flours, psyllium, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and cinnamon.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the Splenda, honey, applesauce, oil, extracts, bananas and pumpkin.
4. Stir the flour into the wet ingredients until fully combined.
5. Bake for 45 minutes, until tests done.
6. Cool 10 minutes in pan, then unmould onto rack to cool.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 151.7
Total Fat: 2.8 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 49.7 mg
Total Carbs: 30.3 g
Dietary Fiber: 5.1 g
Protein: 2.9 g