Why I Don't Do Resolutions...

I honestly don't know why I bother making "goal lists" or "resolutions" each New Year's Eve. I mean, really: looking back a year ago, I published a HUGE list of both my invented recipes and other people's blogged posts to try. Oh, how naive! In the past 365 days, I made eight... ONLY EIGHT! of the 34 to-tries I listed. Some of the things on last year's list have dropped off more or less permanently while others (like the Dutch Crunch Bread and Hawaiian Sweet Bread from Baking Bites for example) are still firmly in place.

This year was a big one for culinary achievements on my end, though. I completed a baking course at George Brown college in Toronto, baked one heck of an expensive batch of cookies, enrolled full-time in a 2-year Nutrition Management program in September, won a wicked Yahoo-sponsored contest, gave a nutrition seminar and watched my garden explode (again! Anw who could forget the carrot attack?). It was a big year for celebrations too, between my grandma's small gathering in January, my mom's HUGE 50th birthday party (with three different cakes and an awesome quinoa salad) and my dad's slightly problematic banana caked birthday in March, my 20th in April (with the colossal fail cake) and Andrew's 21st in July.

I spent a lot of this year learning from other food bloggers too, and boy oh boy did I learn a lot! I made some amazing mincemeat with help from David, I turned leftover frosting and some flavour extracts into cakeballs a la Bakerella. Bread-wise, not only did I have a resounding sourdough success, but I also went the veggie route with Alanna's ingenious recipe using beets and Meg Kat's sweet pumpkin creation. I conquered the exotic French macaron with some great inspiration from Tartlette too! Andrew and I joined We [Heart] Food in baking up one hell of a delicious vegan eggplant casserole, topping anything savoury that could have come out of my kitchen!

It's been a heck of a year, and I want to thank everyone who helped make mine as wonderful as it was. What will next year hold in the Yummy Smells kitchen? We are all going to have to wait and see for that one - but who knows?

No Such Thing as Leftovers

I'm sure that pretty much everyone at this time of year falls victim to one of the pitfalls of kitchen creativity: leftovers! Even if you didn't play host to hordes of guests, preferring to be a member of the visiting mob, chances are that you had something or other pawned off on you. Whether it's an act of charity or (seemingly benign) malice by the donor, one thing is for certain. That, my friends, is that leftovers get boring!

Given that I can't eat our family's original Christmas meal, let alone leftovers, it may seem a little out of place that I mention them here. Well, the fact that I can't be a garbage pit for my own creations means that I often wind up with more than my fair share of the extras from my baking and cooking exploits, meaning I have to find new and interesting ways of pawning them off onto others without them realizing it! One such glut I had this year was that of leftover mincemeat. Even after the Christmas pies and tarts as well as today's treat (which I've made twice to date), I still have some left over which may have to find it's way back into my freezer for the time being. For now, though, I'm giving myself a pat on the back for thinking up at least one more way of using up this sweet, spicy fruit filling!

I actually got this idea after seeing these gooey, delicious-looking morsels on Meg Kat's site. Though I still have every intention of making the rolls as written, when I saw the dough recipe I thought "I have canned pumpkin... and I bet that mincemeat would taste good in that too! But rolls are messy and dry out... would a loaf work?".

So began my experiment. I figured that the loaf would essentially be like a series of the rolls squished together into one, so I took the base recipe and just changed the baking instructions to fit my case. I also added a touch of whole wheat flour for nutrition and flavour, mixed with gluten flour for texture, and I used lowfat milk instead of water to give some softness to the dough. The recipe was wonderfully easy to work with and lifted beautifully on both the first and second rises. The smell from the oven was beyond anything I would have imagined... think pumpkin pie, apple cake and cinnamon buns all baking at once. As I sliced the fresh loaf (the next day, since it finished baking at 9PM) all I could imagine was how good this would be for French toast (or screw the French part and just have toast!) and whether or not it would be overkill to make them into the scroll-like buns and dollop cream-cheese glaze on top.

Actually, thinking about it again, I'm tempted to try this bread not only with a vegan, soy milk and silken tofu (instead of milk and egg) enriched dough, but also Challah-style, rolling the filling in each strand of dough before braiding them into a moist, fruity loaf of goodness. Once the glut of Christmas food runs down I'll have to let you know if that works!

Mincemeat Swirled Pumpkin Bread
Serves 14
1 packet of active yeast
1/2 cup of warm, 1% milk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 cups flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp vital wheat gluten (optional, for a higher rise)
1/2 cup prepared mincemeat

1. Mix yeast and warmed milk in a large bowl, allow to proof 10 minutes.
2. Add in the rest of the dough ingredients and thoroughly combine to a dough. Add no more than 1/4 cup more flour!
3. Knead for 7-10 minutes.
4. Place in a greased bowl, turning to coat.
5. Cover and allow to rise 1 hour, until doubled.
6. Roll dough out into a large rectangle (about 1/4" thick).
7. Spread the mincemeat evenly over the dough, then roll up tightly from the short end.
8. Place into a greased loaf pan, cover and allow to rise 45 minutes.
9. Preheat oven to 350F.
10. Bake loaf 45 minutes, turn out of pan immediately and cool completely on a rack before slicing.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 129.8
Total Fat: 0.8 g
Cholesterol: 15.6 mg
Sodium: 12.1 mg
Total Carbs: 26.9 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.0 g
Protein: 4.2 g

I have some buckwheat pie dough left from the tarts too, but it's been used in a different (and savoury!) endeavour. What could that be, you ask?? Well, you'll have to check back a little later to see!

A Crazy Christmas: Recap

Well, I hope everyone out there who was observing Christmas had a wonderful holiday with their loved ones! My sister and my celebrations actually lasted three days instead of the usual one, but that's what happens with our blended (and international) families!

Things got started on Christmas Eve when all 20 or so members of the Italian side of the family arrived for the "Feast of the Seven Fishes". Boy, do they know how to party... and keep partying! They were carrying on long after I went to bed that night (so I could get up early the next morning!) and we're still dealing with the leftover goodies from dinner. I didn't get any pictures, since everything flew off the buffet table at the speed of light, but I do have the recipes that I helped my mom write for the evening! The first actual recipe we used was from the March page of the new year's Milk calendar, for Fettuccine with Tuna and Tomatoes. The only change we made was to use a mix of whole-wheat rotini and penne for the fettuccine noodles, and personally I thought it was a better fit for the chunky sauce. It wasn't the favourite dish of the night, though... we were catering to little(ish) kids in the group so I can't say I'm surprised, but I wish we hadn't doubled the amount!

The main star of the evening's offerings was a creamy mango, scallop and pasta curry. The idea for our concoction came from another calendar, this time from the M&M Meat Shops edition! By the time I had gotten through my tweaks of the original recipe though (and sorry, it isn't available online for your comparison!) it didn't look a thing like it's former self. Mom and I found organic bucatini (like hollow spaghetti) and whole-wheat linguine on sale at the grocery the weekend before the party, and it seemed a shame not to use them with the recipe even though it called for angel hair pasta. In making this recipe the day of the party we discovered that the liquid amounts in the original recipe were off slightly too, making for a runny sauce base. I edited my copy to reflect our corrections and I think it turned out very well - I'm guessing our guests would agree (even the kids) since there was only a teeny bowl left for Andrew to take home at the end of the party!

Sweet Seafood - Noodle Curry
Serves 4 as a main
3/4 cup fat free, low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup evaporated skim milk
1/4 cup fresh or frozen (thawed and drained) mango chunks
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/4 cup water
1 small white onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 plum tomato, diced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1/4 cup white wine
2 tsp olive oil
1 lb sea scallops
1/2 lb angel hair pasta, cooked and drained

1. In a blender or food processor, puree chicken broth, evaporated milk, mango and jalapeno pepper until smooth. Set aside.
2. Heat water in a large, deep saucepan.
3. Add onion, cooking until translucent.
4. Add garlic and tomato and cook 2-3 minutes further.
5. Stir in tomato paste, basil, thyme, mustard powder, and curry powder. Cook 1 minute, until fragrant.
6. Add pureed milk / broth / mango mixture and bring to a simmer. DO NOT LET BOIL!
7. Cook, uncovered, on LOW for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. In a separate frypan over high heat, heat olive oil.
9. Sear scallops, without stirring, 1 minute on each side.
10. Add scallops to simmering curry sauce, followed by the cooked pasta. Simmer 1 minute, stirring, then serve.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 434.8
Total Fat: 5.4 g
Cholesterol: 40.9 mg
Sodium: 913.1 mg
Total Carbs: 58.9 g
Dietary Fiber: 3.1 g
Protein: 35.9 g

After the Christmas Eve party excitement, it seemed like we hardly got a chance to sleep a wink before Santa came and went! I had to be up bright and early (even before my mom, and she's an earlybird!) to go to Andrew's for our annual gift exchange with his family - something I always look forward to since I don't spend a whole lot of time there. Like every year (and even not on Christmas) I was spoiled absolutely rotten by Andrew and his parents... I feel guilty for being given so much! I also got to watch the Walt Disney World Christmas Parade on CBC that morning, where I caught one of my schoolfriends on TV! He works at the Canadian EPCOT pavillion and gave me the heads up that he's be on TV, so I had to watch for him!

We headed back for a late brunch at my place, which included (for them) our yearly Brioche scroll, plain Challah and (the new) Apple-Vanilla Honey Challah braid as well as scrambled eggs, peameal back bacon, sausage, and a huge fruit platter! My sister, who doesn't eat any of that stuff (picky, picky...) opted for a huge plate of pancakes with chocolate chips, margarine and syrup for her Christmas fuel. Me? Well, not feeling so hot that Christmas AM, I oped for simplicity - a big bowl of puffed Kamut grains and a mug of green tea, followed by a few pieces of melon from the platter, a clementine orange, and eventually a couple pieces of 70% Lindt chocolate from a bar that was in my stocking! Between my sister and I we built a mountain of wrapping paper, tissue and ribbons that morning too, which quite entertained our cats and dog!

Dinner that night was at yet another house - my paternal grandmother's - where turkey, rolls, veggies and my grandma's famous mashed potatoes were on the table. Sheer jealousy that I couldn't partake... but no matter! Teriyaki rice, Napa cabbage and tuna made for a satisfying holiday meal on my end. Dinner was capped off with an offering of my green tomato mincemeat pie as well as a Devil's Food cake for my sister. The cake, sadly, was nothing more than a box mix (that's all she likes) that I doctored up with whole milk instead of water and frosted with (sigh) canned icing and tubed decorating frosting. It did, in it's defense, hold up very well and looked gorgeous at any rate!

What I was looking forward to this holiday was not gifts or Christmas feasts though - it was the most ultimate expression of Christmas emotion and joy that I know of. It comes in the form of a yearly concert by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, who never cease to blow me away with their rocked-out renditions of songs like Pachebel's Canon in D, the Carol of the Bells, and even classical Beethoven. I cry every concert from the emotional power of the storytelling (bridged between narration and music), gape in awe at the insane use of lasers, strobe lights and pyrotechnics and always come away feeling like there is some Christmas cheer and hope left in the world. It's a tradition we've had as a family for the past 4 years and with any luck we'll keep it going for as long as they tour!

This year's holiday was a definite upswing from last year, even with the inevitable glitches that happen with every group event. Family and friends will always provide the true spirit of the day regardless of the outside world's opinions and actions, and I'm truly grateful for those I have with me in my life. Have a very happy holiday, everyone - may peace and goodwill be with you and joy be in your heart for the year to come!

The Christmas Fifty

Merry Christmas, everyone! Here is a fun, funky list done in the style of the Omnivore's 100 (and assorted variations) to entertain you while you wait for your turkeys to roast!

1. Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2. Bold all the items you’ve tasted. (In this case, I'm colouring mine).
3. Place an asterisk after all the items you’ve cooked/prepared.
4. Cross out anything you never want to try
5. Add an exclamation mark after anything your really want to try.

The Christmas Fifty (from Very Good Taste)

1. Crystallised or candied fruits
2. Egg nog
3. Bûche de Noël, or Yule log
4. Rum balls*
5. Bebinca
6. Roasted chestnuts*
7. Cavallucci
8. Tourtière
9. Uszka
10. Port & Stilton
11. Hallaca
12. Roast goose
13. Lefse
14. Sugar plums!
15. Romeritos
16. Pinnekjøtt
17. Hot toddy
18. Christmas cake
19. Tamales
20. Sorpotel
21. Panettone
22. Candy canes
23. Pasteles!
24. Speculaas
25. Makowiec
26. Christmas pudding*
27. Stollen
28. Figgy pudding
29. Lebkuchen
30. Turrón
31. Mince pies*
32. Wassail bowls
33. Buñuelos
34. Pio Quinto
35. Marzipan fruits
36. Mulled wine
37. King cake
38. Christmas beach barbecue
39. Cola de mono!
40. Lutefisk
41. Kutia
42. Pizzelle
43. Dominostein!
44. Cranberry sauce*
45. Pfeffernüsse
46. Satsumas or clementines
47. Pumpkin pie*
48. Smalahove
49. Nut roast
50. Brandy butter

Tidings of Comfort and Joy...

Well, the (rather extended) family is due to arrive in T-minus 2 hours, my grandparents are already here helping with prep, and my mom and I have been up since 7 in the kitchen baking this year's classic Challah. It may not be Christmas Day, but the (some say not actually) Italian "Feast of the Seven Fishes" (okay, what kind of grammar is that?? FISH, people!!) is on tonight and we're hosting yet again. It's been a harrowing enough ride between menu planning, shopping and potluck-orchestrating, not to mention altercations between family traditions and schedules, to cause anyone to retreat to the safety of their room! My mom is totally unfazed by all this activity (or so she seems), even though she was struck with food poisoning at 3AM this morning. Props to her... I'm just trying to stay out of the way!

Given the stress levels (particularly mine, for some odd reason) this week, I'm not surprised that I turned to a soothing comfort food this afternoon when a snack craving hit. I had, in a fortuitous moment Monday morning, made a batch of fantastic roasted applesauce that I had adapted from my fellow Torontonian Kevin - the post had been staring at me, daring me to break down and make some leftover apples into the goodness that is spiced, caramelized fruit sauce. I opted for a chunky blend of Russets, Honeycrisps and Mutsus basically because it's what I had in the fridge, and it was (and is) fantastic plain, in oatmeal and as "jam" on toast. Excuse me, I'm going to get another bowl...

Have a very merry Christmas everyone, I'll be back on the 27th with more goodies!

Roasted Applesauce
Serves 4
4 medium-large apples, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup water
2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Place apple pieces in a deep roasting dish.
3. Combine water, sugar and cinnamon, pour over apples and toss.
4. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until apples are soft and beginning to caramelize.
5. Mash the apples with a potato masher for a chunky texture or run through a food mill for a fine puree.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 117.6
Total Fat: 0.7 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 0.0 mg
Total Carbs: 30.4 g
Dietary Fiber: 5.0 g
Protein: 0.4 g