Did you know that there’s dairy products where the cows are grass fed? Well, Rolling Meadow Dairy are proud to offer premium quality products made with Canadian Grass Fed Milk. They allow their cows to graze on pasture as long as the Canadian weather will allow. 

My kitchen has been “dairy” for over 2 decades so I really thought I was an ideal candidate to try their products. Sadly the butter was out of stock but I will be looking out for it on my next run to the grocery store.

It was natural for me to enjoy Rolling Meadow yogurt for breakfast along with a homemade strawberry/rhubarb jam.

I enjoyed it so much that later that night I decided to serve waffles for dinner, with a dollop of yogurt and homemade blueberry jam. (recipe to follow)

Then for an after dinner snack, I decided to make a Strawberry Milkshake (using the strawberries I had picked from Whittamore’s Farm).

In my opinion, the Rolling Meadow Yogurt and Milk tastes different than other brands, however I say that in a good way not in a bad way.

In the event you are wondering what’s the benefit of eating Grass Fed products? Here’s your answer: The primary benefit is that the ratio of  Omega 6 to Omega 3 is significantly improved (up to 300%) vs. non-grass fed milk. One could say it’s a healthier product in addition and that it makes it more digestible for some consumer who have had challenges with milk digestibility in the past. (um..like me, who has been suffering from lactose intolerance for 5 years now)

For those who are interested how to make the jam, here’s a not so precise recipe.

1. Take some strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or even a combo of rhubarb and strawberries….and place it in a pot with a bit of water.

2. Add a bit of sugar (a bit).

3. Let it boil and after a few minutes, you have some  homemade jam.

Perhaps one day I will actually use my measuring cups and measuring spoons!!

For More Information:

Website: www.rollingmeadow.com. On a side note: I think there website is so well designed with fantastic content. Please take a peek.

Store Locator: Click here

Disclosure: I was compensated for this blog post however all my opinions are my own

I must have a super power for sourcing new products. Recently I attended the The Restaurants Canada Show  and   I consistently found new products with no effort at all.  Note:  I have a feeling this has something to do with the fact that I was once a food sales rep.

So here’s what I found at the show which featured over 1,000 exhibitors. Yes – I was there for HOURS. I shmoozed, sampled, and walked up and down aisles from noon to 4 pm. I can tell you one thing:  I did not need to eat lunch or dinner!!

1. NUBA…this is a naturally handcrafted hibiscus brewed tea. I think this beverage would be amazing in a cocktail  (Hey CocktailDeeva are you reading this?)

2. Natrel is launching a line of butter. What took them so long? This will be the only dairy cooperative to offer a butter with salt. Look out for it on shelves starting in May 2015.

3. M & M’s has introducted a chocolate bar. How sweet!

4. Primo has started to make Tomato Juice as well. I love how there’s a Canadian Flag on the packaging!

5. This stunning line of mustards, distributed by the Hungry Artisan. I’m a sucker for great packaging and mustards. In fact I once wrote a blog post called “how many mustards are in your fridge?”. LOL

6. Station Cold Brew Coffee Co: This is a smooth, fresh and easy way to customize, cold brewed coffee without compromising quality or flavour. Adore that this is a local company!

7. Ninettes …this delicious ice cream is low in carbs (yay) and so flavourful. On a side note: they were featured on Dragons Den!

 

Happy Grocery Shopping!!

I’ve been eating Pasta with Burnt Butter and Mizithra Cheese at the Old Spaghetti Factory for almost four decades (see blog post here). I’ve never made it before it as Mizithra cheese is an ingredient that I don’t often come across. But when I saw it at the Global Cheese Shop in Kensington Market (78 Augusta), I knew I had to buy it so I could make this recipe:

RECIPE FOR PASTA WITH BURNT BUTTER AND MIZITHRA CHEESE …adapted from www.cdkitchen.com

Ingredients:

Pasta

Butter

Mizithra Cheese

Instructions: 

To make the brown butter: Cut the butter into tablespoon sized pieces and place in a 2 quart sauce pan and put on a medium heat. Bring butter to a slow boil (about 5 minutes)/

Once the butter begins to boil, stir constantly to prevent residue from sticking to the bottom of the pan. As the butter cooks, it will start to foam and rise. Continue stirring..otherwise the butter foam could overflow and catch fire!

Turn off the heat and remove pan from the burner. Let the sediment settle to the bottom of the pan for a few minutes. Then pour the brown butter thru a strainer and into a small bowl. (this is an important step)

The butter will look like this!

Boil the pasta of your choice.

Spread the cheese over the pasta and top with hot brown butter.

CAN YOU SAY – “COMFORT FOOD”?

Happy Cooking!

 

I received an invitation to an event called “Taste of Iceland” that was going to be held at the Drake Hotel, from March 21-24, 2013. I have to admit, that it was the cocktail listed on the invitation that really caught my attention. Specifically, I am talking about the “Sons and Daughters” cocktail that was going to be served that night!

What’s in the drink? Let’s see …some pretty interesting ingredients! Reyka vodka, aquavit, lemon juice and caraway seeds, muddled thyme, and sea butckthorn syrup.

Not your average cocktail. I RSVP’ed very quickly – “Please add my name to your guest list”.

Not only did I enjoy my cocktail (or two), but I enjoyed multiple servings of EVERYTHING.

The evening started off with:

-Hardifskur  w/Icelandic butter (I would travel to Iceland just for this butter!!)

-Grilled Icelandic Langoustine, with garlic, butter and herbs

-Atlantic Shrimp and Lumpfish Caviar, with pickled vegetables and citrus vinaigrette

-Deep Fried Crispy Balls of Cod Potatoes with “Sol” mayonaisse

-Pickled Herring on sweet rye bread, curry dressing, green apples and spring onions (I had 3 of these).

The main courses included:

-Naturally Raised Icelandic Salmon – cold smoked salmon with grainy mustard dressing, sour cream dill oil, and Icelandic rye bread

-Free Range Iclelandic Lamb – seared Icelandic lamb filet with glazed root vegetables, juniper berry infused lamb jus and wild Icelandic blueberry herb dust.

I inhaled EVERYTHING. My table mate, Adam Mazerall from View the Vibe actually said ” he never saw someone devour something so quickly.

Needless to say, I barely had breakfast or lunch the following day!!

For those who can’t hop on a plane tomorrow and head to Iceland – please head to the Drake Hotel from March 21-24 to experience the food and the culture of Iceland. In the meantime, I think I’m going to add Iceland to my bucket list of places I want to visit!!

Drake Hotel 1150 Queen St. West Toronto 416 531 5042

Taste of Iceland: on Twitter: @IcelandNaturally

My mom has been making pita chips for years and then I got into the habit of making them too. It’s such a great alternative to eating a tortilla chip plus they are simple to make and freeze well. (always important for freezer junkies like me)

Ingredients:

Pita

1/4  cup melted butter or margarine

2 cloves of garlic (minced)

chopped parsley

Method:

1. Take scissors and cut the pita into triangles. Open up the triangles and lay them flat on a baking sheet (lined with parchment paper).

2. Melt the butter, and add the parsley and chopped garlic

3. Take a brush and start painting the pita triangles – liberally or not so liberally!!

4. Bake in a preheated 325 F oven for 20 minutes till slightly brown and crispy.

These Pita Chips go perfectly with hummus. Speaking of hummus…have you ever made your own? Stay tuned for that recipe!!

Happy Cooking!!

Meet Susan and Bruce. Bruce is a busy litigation lawyer during the day, but when he comes home he enjoys watching the Food Network (a lot).  He is such a huge fan that Susan planned a driving trip to visit his favorite  restaurants/chefs that he watches on the Food Network as a birthday gift.

How awesome is that? I met with Susan recently who printed out the itinerary for me. She’s one organized woman!!

Day 1:

New Jersery – Carlos Bakery – featured on Cake Boss.

Manhattan – Max Brenner Chocolate Restaurant – featured on The Best Thing I Ever Ate

Stand 4 – Featured on The Best Thing I Ever Ate ( he had the roasted marshmallow milkshake)

Butter: – Chef Alexandra Guarnaschelli was a judge on Chopped.

Day 2

Bar Americain- Iron Chef Bobby Flays’ Restuarant

Food Network Building

Morimoto – Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto

Del Posto – Iron Chef Mario Batali’s restaurant

Day 3

Maze – Chef Gordon Ramsey

Drove to Balitmore for Charm City Cakes (featured on Ace of Cakes)

Woodberry Kitchen – Featured on the Best Thing I Ever Ate  (they ate the chocolate marshmallow and peanut dessert)

Day 4 – Drove to Washington

Georgetown Cupcake – DC Cupcakes on TLC and part of the Cupcake Wars on the Food Network

Drove to Cleveland

Lola – Chef Michael Symon

Highlights for Bruce: the roasted marshmallow milkshake, dinner at Lola, Morimoto.

Doesn’t this sound like a great birthday gift?