Vegetarians Beware!!

There are a few people that I love that are vegetarians. As a food lover this is just not something I could subscribe to, though I do empathise with their reasoning, whether political or health related. Unfortunately for those people, I haved decided to dedicate this post to MEAT!

A recipe for Short Rib Meatballs - Globe and Mail

Who made the 222 lb. giant cheeseburger? - CNN

A Meat Ship (from the makers of Meat House) - Easy Jo

And just because I believe in being inclusive:

Do soy based meat products make the cut? - Washington Post

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!

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!

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.