Better Than Your Average Grocery Store

After returning from our glorious vacation I felt like my cooking was in a bit of a rut. I needed some inspiration. So decided to head out to some small grocery stores in the area to see what I could find.

I hit Royal Pita Baking Company which is a Middle Eastern Store that used to be owned by Windsor's current mayor. When I walked in I saw at least 8 different types of olives - I knew I was in the right place. I left with my bags filled with fresh flatbread, glaceed fruit, haloumi cheese, rosewater and pomegranate molasses.

Mexico Lindo is a favourite of my husband and I. We love walking in to the smell of freshly cooked tamales and other dishes that are created each day. From there I was able to snag corn tortillas, hot sauce, dulce de leche, chorizo sausage and tomatillos.

So far I have made tomatillo salsa, grilled haloumi on poached eggs with arugala from my garden, and a pizza with the flatbread for the crust.

I am so thankful for the diversity in this city!

Roasted Tomato and Pesto Pizza

Tomatoes are in season and this is definitely one of my favourite times of year. Read my article about tomatoes on The Food Network Canada.

A great way to enjoy these fruits is in a Roasted Tomato and Pesto Pizza (recipe below)

Roasted Tomatoes

5 tomatoes, seeded and sliced thick
2 t sea salt
1 t fresh black pepper
2 -3 T olive oil

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Arrange the sliced tomatoes in one layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the slices. Drizzle olive oil over the tomatoes as well. Place in oven and bake for 60 min. or until the colour of the tomatoes has deepened slightly and some of the moisture has been removed.




Pesto

3 garlic cloves
1/2 c pine nuts or walnuts
2/3 c Parmesan cheese, coarsely grated
1 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
3 c loosely packed fresh basil or arugala, or a combination of the two
2/3 c olive oil

With food processor running, drop in garlic and finely chop. Add nuts, cheese, salt, pepper, and basil, then process until finely chopped. Add the oil, blending until incorporated.

Makes about 1 cup.


Roasted Tomato and Pesto Pizza

1 pizza crust, either ready made or pre-cooked
1 c pesto
1 c roasted tomatoes
4 oz. creamy goat cheese
½ c fresh basil or arugala, cut in a thin chiffonade
1 T olive oil

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Evenly spread the pesto across the pizza crust. Place the roasted tomatoes in a thin layer so that they cover the entire pizza. Crumble goat cheese on top of the tomatoes. Sprinkle basil or arugala on the pizza and drizzle with olive oil.
Bake the pizza for 20 min. or until crust is crispy and cheese is golden.

More Food In the News

A woman in Detroit is fined for throwing grapes - CBC News

A McMuseum? - CBC News

Blame it on the "doob"-ious meatball - CBC News

Food in the News

There is quite a bit to catch up on:

The memory of the smell of Za'atar on flatbread gives me such cravings... - Toronto Star

Exotic salts are becoming quite trendy. Fortunately I already have my Fleur de Sel, Pacific Sea Salt, Smoked Alder Salt, Hawaiian Coral and Brittany Gray Salt - Globe and Mail

Tomatoes are in season - Yay! Here are a few tasty recipes - New York Times, Globe and Mail

More and more frequently I read about how beer & food pairings are more complementary than

those with wine - The Boston Globe

I'm Baaa-ack!

Back to reality, what a bummer. I just spent the last week and a half at a cottage in Haliburton, Ontario. It was such a fabulous and relaxing vacation. It was also a chance to enjoy some great food. We had amazing dinners each evening and were also able to dive into some local seasonal treats- including wild blueberries!

Here are some of my favourites from last week:

* Ice Cream from Kawartha Dairy (available in the GTA too)

* Boozy BBQ Brie (see picture)

* Tomato Avocado Pasta Toss

* Grilled Sausage in Pitas with Lemon-Yogourt Sauce

* Peach Sangria (recipe below)

* Sweet Potato Crusted Mahi-Mahi (recipe from Dinosaur BBQ CookBook)

Peach Sangria

2 firm - ripe peaches, cut into thin wedges

1 orange, sliced into thin rounds

1/2 c Peach Schnapps

1/3 c granulated sugar

750 ml bottle white wine

2 c sparkling water

ice

Stir together peaches, schnapps, wine and sugar in a large pitcher

until the sugar is dissolved. Let stand for at least 2 hours. Stir in

sparkling water and add some ice. Enjoy!

Vacation, All I Ever Wanted!

We're off on vacation for about a week and a half!

New entries will begin again on August 22.

Warning - This Resto May Be Bad News!

My husband and I are constantly debating about where to go when we decide to dine outside of our home. He likes to take a chance on places that seem a bit sketchy in decor and cleanliness, I prefer to eat where there is a good menu and reputation. We do agree on two things though: we want food that tastes great and is of fantastic quality for a reasonable price. Unfortunately, we have hit some duds along the way. Restos that use prepackaged mixes or just seem to have little knowledge of cooking and food have come up in our repertoire now and again.

Chowhound has come up with a list of the Top Ten Restaurant Warning Signs to help us avoid these disasters in the future. (Take a peek at the comments under the article for a few more ideas)

Ontari-ari-ari-ooooo

One of the greatest hurdles for people who attempt to buy local is convenience. Driving 45 minutes out of your way to buy local blueberries is not always great time management - it is, however, always worth it for the flavour and quality.

Homegrown Ontario has now made it that much more convenient to identify local Ontario meat. This organization " is an alliance of Ontario Pork, the Ontario Veal Association and the Ontario Sheep Marketing Agency". Research from Ipsos Reid clearly indicates that "Ontario consumers want to support their local farmers while purchasing fresh, quality meat" and this allows them to easily do this.

The website includes recipes, ways to identify cuts of meat and where to find vendors.

The Toronto Star provides more information as well.