The Food Bloggers of Calgary are coming together to put on a bake sale this weekend, February 10 & 11, 2012. All proceeds will go towards Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids. If you’re in the area, stop by and check it out! I’ll be there with Savoury Cheese & Caraway Biscotti, recipe for which I’ll post after.
Tags: #yycFBBS, bake sale, Brown Bagging for Calgary's Kids, Calgary Food Blogger Bake Sale, casel marche
My friend Steve is an excellent photographer and offered to come try out some food photography with me. We discovered it’s a lot more complicated than it looks, between garnish, cutlery placement, layering of textures, lighting, other accessories…the list is endless!
photo by Steve Coutts
I cooked a few simple dishes to experiment with. This is the first dish we shot, which I think turned out pretty well and it was delicious! I modified this recipe from Simply Organic: A Cookbook for Sustainable, Seasonal and Local Ingredients. It called for mustard greens but I used swiss chard because I had lots on-hand. I think any greens that sauté well would work.
Stephanie over at Clockwork Lemon, our friend Rachele, and I had had a baking date a few days earlier where we made this Whole-Wheat and Rye Swirl Loaf. I cut a bunch of slices into triangles, drizzled with grapeseed oil and toasted them in the oven. The hint of caraway every few bites added another touch of deliciousness too!
Tags: Food Photography, garlic cloves, local seasonal produce, mustard greens, Party Food, Steve Coutts Photography, swiss chard
I forgot to post my Om Cooking article from the Bodhi Tree’s December 2011 Breathing Room Newsletter. Even though it was aimed at Christmas giving, the same principals can be applied throughout the year!
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Gift giving is something I like to do all year round, but of course, more so around the holidays. However, I’m not your typical gift-giver. My attitude around gifts changed the year I started making my own Christmas cards, writing a message to each of about 50 friends. The process was special to me, methodical and meditative. I was proud of what I made and the time I put into them; what I gave and to whom didn’t matter so much anymore – I was happy knowing that each person who received a card would be beaming with joy when they got something in the mail besides a bill.
What can you make that will bring you joy first? What skill can you showcase? Contemplate these questions this year and you might find that it brings a renewed excitement to what can be a stressful and frantic time-of-year. Anything you make yourself that brings you joy will bring others joy.
If you need an idea to get started, try this month’s recipe. Packaged in mason jars or bags tied with ribbon, this is one gift that will bring a smile to anyone’s face.
Tags: Bodhi Tree Yoga Centre, homemade gifts, maple, pecans, spiced nuts
Just an update that the date for the Calgary cooking workshops has changed. It will now take place on April 21 & 22, 2012.
Also, the other two workshops will be postponed. Stay tuned for new dates!
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I’m super stoked to help organize three upcoming Ayurvedic workshops in Calgary facilitated by Anna Colin, from Gaiatri Yoga in Nelson, BC.
After just scratching the surface of Ayurveda during my yoga teacher training (read: opening Pandora’s box!), I approached Anna to see if there were any workshops/schools/trainings she could recommend in Calgary or close-by. The results of that conversation are three workshops. Here’re the details for the first one.
Cooking for Your Dosha – click for more details
9:00am-4:00pm, April 21 & 22, 2012
Calgary Co-op Midtown Market – 1130 11 Ave SW, Calgary, Alberta. Click for a map.
This class is designed to introduce you to the main principles of Ayurvedic cooking and how they can be adapted to any recipe. Enjoy delicious meals, demonstrations and hands on experience.
Tags: Anna Colin, Ayurveda, Ayurvedic cooking, ayurvedic lifestyle, calgary cooking class, cooking, gaiatri yoga, Yoga
This egg dish is so simple to make and would be great for a big brunch where you didn’t want to spend a lot of time slaving over the oven. After posting this picture to Twitter/Instagram, I was informed that it’s called Shakshuka. I did a little research, and though this recipe isn’t the traditional form of the dish, it’s definitely along the same lines.
You can add whatever herbs and spices catch your fancy. Also, add any type of sausage, bacon or ham you like. I made a vegetarian version just by omitting the sausage and adding a few more whole tomatoes.
This was on the menu for the Interactive Monday Night dinner at Market 17 I hosted last week. Read about the Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cheese Biscuits I made for it too. So. Yummy.
Tags: baked eggs, casel marche, cheese biscuits, chicken sausages, egg dish, goat cheese, market 17, red pepper flakes, san marzano tomatoes, shakshuka, spicy tomato sauce
I made these a few days ago for the Interactive Monday Dinner hosted by Casel Marche. It’s a dinner to introduce new people to Market 17 and J. Webb Wine Merchant using Cassis Bistro’s space. Not only do I love introducing people to good food, I love any opportunity to have free reign at a grocery store!
My theme was Breakfast (my favourite meal) for Dinner. I knew I wouldn’t have a ton of time to cook, so I chose simple items that still packed the wow-factor.
These biscuits from Canadian Living were so melt-in-your-mouth, even I was surprised! Whenever I’m making a cheesy pastry, I like to double the amount of cheese, so add as much or more of what’s called for in this recipe.
Tags: biscuit, casel marche, cheese, j. webb wine merchant, market 17
Here’s the latest article from the Bodhi Tree’s Breathing Room Newsletter.
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A few months ago I wrote about incorporating a new ingredient into your repertoire. What better time to revisit this concept than January, I say!
In the last few months I’ve been experimenting with chia and at the same time experimenting with bringing headstand and forearm stand back into my yoga practice – a little sprinkle here and there. You may have a yoga pose that you tried once, twice or many times, that has fallen out of your regular practice. Or perhaps you have a pose that you’ve always wanted to try but aren’t quite sure you’re able to. Well, this month it’s time to take the plunge!
Take a moment to think of that elusive pose you’d like to work on, then make a commitment to yourself to make slight modifications in your practice to accommodate that pose. Every little opening of the body is reaching that goal, no matter how long it takes to actually get into the shape.
I’ve been making an effort to do dolphin pose instead of downward dog and warrior pose with cactus arms to gradually ready my body for my goal pose of forearm stand. In the kitchen, I’ve been adding a tablespoon of chia into my baked oatmeal or a smoothie, experimenting with the texture and flavor of chia.
To help you along your way, try this Chia Smoothie recipe. One thing to note about chia is that it raises energy levels, which makes it a good substitute for coffee and not so great to ingest at night.
Tags: banana, Bodhi Tree Yoga Centre, chia, coconut milk, frozen fruit, smoothie
I made an appearance on Breakfast Television today! It was a little nerve-wracking but super fun. Here’s a link to the CityTV video of the segment.
My friend Kendra came over to help me assemble and decorate one house for the show. Making this a group activity makes it much faster and more fun!
Here’s the recipe that my friend Trisha sent to me. It’s from a very old Better Homes & Gardens. I’ll continue searching for a link, but for now here’s a PDF version of the gingerbread recipe & template.
Homemade Gingerbread Houses (and/or cookies)
1 cup shortening (I used butter)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup fancy molasses
1/2 blackstrap molasses (I just used blackstrap. Makes the gingerbread much darker)
5 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp each of baking soda, salt, cloves and cinnamon
Tags: Breakfast Television Calgary, CityTV, ginger cookies, gingerbread decorating, gingerbread house, holiday acitivites
The first thing I’d like to say about this cake is make it. Make it now. Or soon, if you’re at work or some other important place that would frown upon you leaving to make a chocolate cake in the middle of the afternoon.
The second thing is: share it once you’ve made it. This cake is too good to have all to yourself. Or at least, you might feel a tad guilty after finishing it off so to avoid any guilt share it with one and all.
The third is: you will not believe that it’s gluten-free. I’m not much of a gluten-free baker, so the fact that it turned out great even for me is a very good sign!
Finally, and somewhat related: I’ve resorted to using my Instagram photos of my food. The Winter light here in Calgary is making it very difficult for me, a novice photographer, to get good light for photos! So, if anyone has any good, cheap photography tips for Winter, please let me know.
This recipe came to me through my friend Kendra who found it at Dinner With Julie. Julie excerpted the recipe from the book Quinoa 365: The Everyday Superfood in a post featured on The Family Kitchen. Continue reading
Tags: applesauce, baking powder, baking soda, cake, chocolate butterream icing, cocoa, eggs, grapesee, milk, quinoa, salt, sugar, vanilla
During last Saturday’s blizzard, I decided I wanted to have some good old-fashioned mulled wine. It was a perfect night for this warm, spiced red wine concoction. Except that I didn’t have any red wine. And there was a blizzard. But, once I set my mind on something I’ve got to have it! The 5-block drive was quite the adventure, but well worth it. Here’s how I made it, with what I had on hand.
Mulled Wine (Modified from the Joy Of Cooking)
1 – 750 mL bottle red wine of choice (I used my trusty favourite, Fuzion)
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 whole nutmeg, slightly crushed
1 cinnamon stick
6 whole cloves
2 lemons, juiced and zested
1 orange, juiced and zested
Heat water and sugar in a pot until sugar dissolves. Add spices, citrus juice and zest and let simmer for 3 minutes. Add wine and let bubble just below a boil for 10 minutes. Serve hot with a slice of orange, cinnamon stick and a fresh cranberry.
Tags: cinnamon, clove, lemon juice, lemon zest, nutmeg, orange juice, orange zest, red wine, sugar
Hi, I'm Jacinthe.
I like simple recipes, made with whole foods, that are good for the body and the soul. I have an affinity for freshly made pie, strong Earl Grey tea, learning about nutrition, doing yoga and making the most of the short Calgary growing season in my vegetable garden.
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