"If it's nae Scottish, it's cr@p!"

"What children need most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance. They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humor, comfort, lessons in life. And, most importantly, cookies." -- Rudolph Giuliani

I've been thinking a lot about my grandmother these days. Actually, 'Granny' was what we affectionately called her. She certainly provided all of the above 'essentials' - in spades. And although, to my knowledge, she never baked a cookie in her life, she could certainly find her way to a shop or a bakery.

Granny was a very funny lady, although I don't think she would ever have described herself that way. She had so many little sayings that she repeated so often that they became solidly entrenched in our family's lexicon. For example, whenever we dropped in for a visit, we would be promptly offered a hot cup of coffee and some kind of (purchased) baked good. And if we declined because of our waistlines she would invariably reply, "Ach! They're fresh! They'll do ye no harm!" So, apparently it was only stale cakes and cookies that put on weight!

This is certainly one of the expressions that has carried on in my life as well as with my siblings. In fact, we have clearly used them so much that they have been picked up by various friends and colleagues. It always sounds so funny to hear other people repeating Granny's words. But maybe that's because they must be said with a thick Scottish brogue to be accurate.

Yes, Granny was a Scot through and through. Born in 1901 in Uddingston, Scotland, a satellite town south of Glasgow. The men in her family had been hardworking coal miners who rarely saw the light of day, let alone their families. They lived in 'council flats' which provided the most basic housing needs, but not much more than that. But even so, she always spoke fondly of 'the old country' and continued to enjoy many of the Scottish foods that she could find here in Canada.

Like Robertson's Golden Shred Orange Marmelade, McVitie's Digestive Biscuits with milk chocolate, Walker's Assorted Shortbread, and Walker's Highland Oatcakes.

I always have a laugh when I see a package of these oatcakes as it takes me back to my twenties - to a shopping trip with Granny to the Marks and Spencer here in London at the old Wellington Square Mall. She loved that store! I can see her now, bustling about, filling up her basket with Scottish goodies. But she stopped in her tracks when she realized that they were out of her favourite red-tartanned Highland Oatcakes.

I was sent to seek out a salesperson to inquire if there were, perhaps, a stash of them hidden in a back room. The clerk apologized for the lack of stock, but very graciously pointed out another shelf which was packed full of green-tartanned packages of Irish oatcakes.

I can still recall the perplexed expression on the young lady's face when Granny responded by saying, "Ach! Nae! These won't do." Said the clerk, "But, as you can see from the box, they are the very same thing! They simply come in a green box rather than in a red box." I could definitely sense some exasperation coming through, but this was totally lost on Granny.

"Nae, nae," she replied. "Nae. I'll just have tae do without and come back another time when you have the Scottish oatcakes in."

At this point I tried some gentle cajoling because I knew it would be either myself or my sister, Kathie, who would be driving her back to Marks and Spencer (a 200 km. round trip). And, besides, I knew how much she enjoyed an oatcake with some Robertson's marmalade, or a bit of cheese with her favourite beverage - a cup of coffee.

But she wouldn't budge an inch. Granny was like that. Absolutely immovable once her mind was made up. I tried everything I could think of to convince her that these Irish oatcakes were absolutely the same product, produced by the same company, in fact, and that the only difference was the green vs red box.

I was unsuccessful. "But why??" I wanted to know. "Why won't you just try them?"

"They're Irish!" she replied. And that was that.

And so, in memory of Granny and that memorable trip to Marks and Spencer, I am giving you a recipe for 'Irish Oatcakes' this week. I'm sure they will be delightful with marmalade, or a bit of cheese, or whatever else may take your fancy.

And I'm kind of hoping that from 'across the veil' I can make Granny smile. Or maybe even chuckle. Because that would be really funny.

Cheers!!


Diane

This week's photo and recipe are courtesy of "wholefoodsmarket.com". Thank you!

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/recipe.php?recipeId=2616

You can't eat there just once!

"I have the simplest tastes. I am always satisfied with the best." - Oscar Wilde


I live in London, a city of over 350,000 inhabitants who are catered to by hundreds of restaurants, bistros, and eateries representing cuisines from all around the globe. Although I rarely dine out, this week I had the delightful opportunity to do so - not once, but twice. And I chose the same restaurant both times!

"The Vietnam Restaurant" is located on Dundas Street, right across from the enormous Kellogg factory. And with a massive landmark like this, it's easy to remember just where to find it.

This restaurant can be found in an unglamorous part of the city, in a rather industrial neighbourhood. The front of the building is nondescript, the signage quite plain. But when you walk through the extremely modest front door, you will breathe in the tantalizing scents of warm, spicy Asian dishes and your taste buds will begin to dance in anticipation.

When you walk in, you will no doubt be greeted by the friendly owner, an originally Vietnamese gentleman who has worked hard and put all of his children through university here in Canada. He has smiled warmly and welcomed me every time I have been there - no matter what the day or the time. I'm sure he has a home, but it seems unlikely that he spends much time there.

Once your senses have taken in the incredible aromas, your focus can then shift to the decor which is, well, rather outlandish and yet plain at the same time. The tables and chairs are simple and understated and arranged in perfectly ordinary rows. But the walls are painted in a shocking "Pepto-Bismol" pink and here and there will find gold-coloured frescoes of ancient Asian elephants marching the troops off to a faraway war. (When my young son first saw this, his comment was, "Wow! Now, who wouldn't love this??")

As soon as you are seated, you will be presented with a pot of hot green tea and enough tiny cups to go around. As well, you will be given a very extensive menu with each dish nicely described, and a book of photos of some of the more popular dishes which can be quite helpful. You will then write down the numbers of your chosen dishes on a slip of paper and then the menus and photos will be swept up and your choices delivered swiftly to the kitchen.

You can then sip away at your tea and chat with your dinner mate(s) while waiting for the succulent dishes to appear. It is hard to wait, but the reward is great. Everything I have ever seen looks wonderful. The food is presented in a very appealing fashion, without being at all pretentious.

My very favourite dish is the "spicy rice noodles with tofu and vegetables". The rice noodles are cooked perfectly, the tofu is cooked beautifully as well, and the dish contains lots of other thinly sliced veggies, crispy bean sprouts, and crunchy chopped peanuts - all coated with the most tasty, spicy peanut sauce which delights the palate with layer upon layer of flavour. It also comes with a slice of fresh lime which, when lightly squeezed over the noodles, really brings out a "popping" brightness to the dish.

I always eat this meal with chopsticks because it tastes so much better that way. I always have plenty to eat, and I invariably leave with a takeaway box for the next day's lunch. And all this for less than ten bucks.

I would encourage anyone to dine at "The Vietnam Restaurant", but if you don't happen to live in this area, this is a dish you should definitely try at home.

This is an easy, economical, nutritious, and tasty dish to make and the flavours will transport you to another part of the world. I was searching around to find a great recipe that would incorporate all of the above adjectives and I found the perfect one in the most unusual spot.

And I think when you see the website this recipe came from, you will understand why it seemed to be clearly the very best choice.

Cheers!

Diane

This week's photo and recipe are courtesy of "Kellogg" - thank you!

http://www.specialk.co.uk/recipes/28337_spicy-tofu-pad-thai.aspx

Starting the New Year Off in Hot Water

“The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea.” -- Isak Dinesen

For the first two decades of my adult life every New Year's Day was spent in exactly the same way. There was never a decision to be made. It was carved in stone. And it was wonderful.

As I generally stayed up quite late on New Year's Eve, it was natural to want to sleep in a bit. Then, I spent the rest of the morning taking down the Christmas tree and putting away all of the festive decorations. Then it was time to get dressed nicely and head over to the cozy home of my ex-husband's Trinidadian godmother, Ramah. As the years went by, four children were added to our family and four as well to my brother- and sister-in-law's family. My brother-in-law, when he was young, had coined a phrase for these special New Year's Day visits - “Tasty Times” - and that was indeed an understatement.

The whole family and some of Ramah's close friends would arrive in the early afternoon and would greet each other and chat very animatedly over drinks for the adults and a sparkling tropical fruit punch for the kids. And as we talked, our taste buds were tantalized by the incredibly rich aromas of the Indian feast which awaited us.

There would always be two types of curried meat, delicious vegetables, flaky paratha bread (roti), salads and raitas (cucumbers and yogurt), and my personal favourite, chana masala, along with fragrant rice pulao. There was always so much food on the table and it was always incredibly delicious. And Ramah, generous woman that she is, always plied us with the gift of leftovers to take home at the end of the day.

It has been many years since I've had the joy of a New Year's Day feast at Ramah's, but the memories I have are good and warm and rich. And because she so kindly taught me how to cook some of her Indian dishes, they have remained a big part of my family's cooking traditions.

Now, over the past decade and a half, our New Year's Days have been spent in a wide variety of ways, but never more delightfully exciting than this year's experience. My 20-year old daughter, Eliza, had to work on the weekend, so she stayed at home, and my 16-year old son, Daniel, was out of town at his friend's. And so, on New Year's Eve afternoon, my sister, Kathie, and my partner, Mark, and I travelled up north to the city of Collingwood on Georgian Bay to celebrate.

We were fortunate to be able to stay at my nephew's condo on the Bay as he and his girlfriend are currently vacationing in her native Australia. It is a beautiful home and it was very cozy – especially with a nice fire crackling away in the fireplace. We enjoyed a very subdued evening; we ordered pizza and had some drinks and conversation by the fire. Very relaxing indeed. Or so we thought. But the next day would take the concept of relaxation to all new heights.

We spent the better part of the day at “Scandinave Spa” (www.scandinaveblue.com) – an amazing “four season relaxation experience”, as their brochure explains. We found this to be entirely true because as the afternoon wore on, the weather worsened considerably with the temperature plummeting, the wind picking up wildly, and the snow falling incessantly. And yet we spent our time there mostly outside in the elements, and yet feeling very, very comfortable indeed.

The Spa consists of the following experiences: Finnish sauna, eucalyptus steam bath, thermal and Nordic waterfalls, three different and very large hot baths(about 40ºC.), and icy cold plunge pools (about 12ºC.) The idea is basically that you enjoy each possibility in a prescribed sequence. First, you warm up in a hot pool (apparently salt water) or the sauna or steam bath, then you plunge into an icy pool or under an icy waterfall, then get warm again, then relax quietly in a solarium, or by the outdoor fire pit, or in a hammock – though that would be best in the warmer weather.

It is astonishing how rejuvenated this makes you feel! By the end of our time there I felt at least ten years younger. And it was so much fun. Honestly. It is incredible how enchanting it feels to be relaxing in a very hot pool in the midst of a growing winter storm. It is an amazing feeling – the mists swirling around you, the snowflakes settling onto your face, the lights from the ski runs twinkling softly on the mountain. It was a slice of heaven. And the perfect way to begin a new year.

After dark, we very reluctantly packed up and left the spa – still feeling a delicious core warmth despite having to drive through the storm.

We were feeling ravenous by then and far too relaxed and mellow to want to cook, so there was a unanimous decision to stop at the local “Tandoori House” and pick up some Indian food. Mark chose chicken Madras with basmati rice and chapati bread, and Kathie and I shared a mushroom biryani (a lovely rice dish with mushrooms, toasted cashews, and raisins), saag paneer (Indian cheese cooked with spinach in a tomato gravy), and – my favourite – chana masala (curried chick peas and potatoes).

We gathered up the takeaway curries and scurried back to the condo. We put on the fire and set the table for our Indian dining experience. It was all absolutely delicious. After our meal, we relaxed in the living room by the fire, sipped on some drinks and relaxed even more. It was the perfect ending to an excellent beginning of the new year.

And as I wallowed in all of this mellowness, I was also revelling at the day behind us – a brand new, totally different experience which turned out to be incredible. But I also felt a nice warmth because the day had included a delicious Indian meal which so wonderfully recalled all of the New Year's Day meals I had enjoyed so consistently for so many years. So I raised my glass of wine and deep in my heart there were these words: “Thank you, Ramah. For all the great meals, for all your hospitality, for all your love. And Happy New Year!”

Cheers,

Diane

I hope you will try to make Chana Masala. I have chosen this recipe because it is very easy to make. It even has a non-threatening English name, Chickpea Potato Curry. It is a delicious, nutritious, and inexpensive dish that smells amazing as it is cooking. It is the perfect dish for starting a new year or, well, any time at all. Enjoy!

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chickpea_potato_curry/

Photo above and recipe courtesy of “simplyrecipes.com”. Thank you!

A Shopping Storm Before the Christmas Calm

"The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other." -- Burton Hills

For a terrible moment, I feared that my family would have only oatmeal for their Christmas morning breakfast, and left-over Tofu Pad Thai for Christmas dinner. I was all set to let panic overwhelm me when suddenly I thought: Why not do something different and take some action?

It was Christmas Eve, last week, and my two youngest children, Eliza and Daniel, and I had been busy doing our final gift shopping across the busy city. In the mid-afternoon we realized that we had better abandon the stores and drive immediately back to the centre of town if we wanted to watch the Olympic Flame being run into Victoria Park. Which we did.

Not surprisingly – 8,000 other people also thought this would be a grand way to spend the afternoon before Christmas. We eventually, and gratefully, found a parking space some long blocks from the park and we had to walk as quickly as possible to get there on time. Or, rather, the kids walked quickly on their very long legs, and I trotted along, gasping for breath, several paces behind them.

Well, the crowd was very dense, packed all along the walkway where the runners would be coming in, but we did manage to see the flame as it was run exuberantly into the park and up to the main stage. Eliza and Daniel were even able to get their photo taken with a flame runner holding an unlit torch. It was fun, but, unfortunately, we didn't have time to hear the speeches. We still had our grocery shopping to do and time was running out.

I've become a little spoiled by the city and have come to expect stores to be open quite late (by small town standards). I realized that they would close early on Christmas Eve, so I was thinking that I had until probably 7:00, or at the very least, 6:00. It was after 4:00 before we could push our way out of the crowd, then we still had to trek to our car and drive to the grocery store that is nearest to our house, though not, sadly, 'near' to it.

I was feeling quite prepared for the shopping, though. I had made a complete list of items needed, then I had rewritten the list into appropriate categories as I would normally walk through the store. Produce, deli items, frozen desserts, dairy, dry goods, and so on. But, still, I was counting on the kids to help me out by being 'runners' as we passed through the various sections. As a team, I felt we would be able to get in and out of there in pretty good time.

However, as we pulled into the grocery store parking lot, I looked across the street to see a store Eliza and I had been in the day before. I knew Daniel needed one more gift and I thought there was a good chance he'd find something there. So, I suggested that they hop out and dash across to that store, try to find a gift, then dash back to find me in the grocery store. They asked me if I'd be all right and I answered: Yes, of course, you'll be back quickly; I'll just get a little start on things.

I parked the car, hopped out, grabbing some cloth grocery bags, and then a cart and walked through the door. As I was immediately in the produce section, I pushed the cart to the right and began to choose the best red pepper. And then, suddenly, and shockingly, I heard this loud and shrill announcement: “Attention Shoppers! This store will be closing in 15 minutes. Please make your final selections and make your way to the cashiers.” My reaction? Well, as the young people of this passing decade have learned to text - “WTF”???? 15 minutes??? How can I possibly do this??

How could it be that we would have no special Christmas breakfast or dinner? How disappointed would the kids be? So, I decided right then and there that I had no time to shop the way I usually do – pondering each purchase carefully, weighing up sizing and pricing and competing brands. I didn't even have time to consult my list!

Fortunately, I had read through my list several times and so basically had it in my head. I started pushing my cart quickly and deftly around the perimeter of the store, trying my best not to knock over the other panicking shoppers. Peppers, cole slaw, potatoes and sweet potatoes – check. Bread. Sliced ham for breakfast and a turkey breast. Imagine that, a turkey breast, something I have never purchased nor cooked before, snatched off the shelf without even considering the price. (Well, maybe a quick glance.) It was a whirlwind!

I was in the dairy section choosing eggs and cheese for the breakfast menu, but couldn't find the Pillsbury Crescent Rolls which were essential to the main dish. Just at that moment, a store clerk appeared and pointed me in the right direction. I was all set to go on to the next section when I realized with some alarm that I had forgotten to get veggie bacon and vegan cheese – absolutely essential since over half the family is vegetarian. So, I had to turn back! And backtracking was wasting previous time – not what I needed right now.

I had, quite surprisingly, made it all the way to the frozen section when the “5 minutes remaining, shoppers” announcement came bursting through the speakers. Yikes. I grabbed up some frozen peas and hash browns, then remembered the few packaged and canned items I still needed. Suddenly, around the corner appeared Eliza and Daniel at quick pace and eager to help. Quick! Quick! Run over to the corner over there, choose a frozen dessert, and meet me at the checkout.

While they ran off to choose dessert, I pushed my cart at full speed to the interior isles in search of water chestnuts, mandarin orange slices, and shredded coconut. The shrill admonishment of “Attention Shoppers, our store is now closing. Please make your way to the cashiers” was in my ears just as I wheeled up to the checkout lanes. Wow. Then, the kids came running over with a lovely Tiramisu that was the perfect choice for dessert.

While we were waiting in line, I surveyed my cart, scanning quickly and urgently to see if anything important had been forgotten. Oh, no – turnips! It wouldn't be Christmas dinner without turnips. So, I sent the kids off and running back to the produce department where they had some trouble as the sign in front of what they perceived as turnips, said “rutabagas”. After a speedy consultation with the produce clerk, they bolted back to the checkout.

Once we were back in the car, heading home with our groceries all packed up and safely in the trunk, we began to laugh and high-five each other for our astonishing success. What a relief!

And we were all comforted by the knowledge that whatever gifts we would find under our tree on Christmas morning, we knew we would be enjoying the warmth of having our family all together – with nowhere to go and nothing to do but enjoy each other. And, oh, yes – we would be relishing the abundance of our hastily purchased Christmas meals, as well.

Happy New Year, Everyone!

Cheers,

Diane

Featured Recipe: "HG Egga-Pinwheels"

http://www.hungry-girl.com/girls/biteoutdetails.php?isid=1916

We have experimented with various Christmas morning breakfast recipes over the years, and I would say that these were really a big hit. We couldn't find any "Pillsbury Seamless Dough Sheets" here in London (probably only available in U.S.), so we just used the regular "Pillsbury Crescent Rolls" and pushed the seams together to form a rectangle. This worked well. We made two batches: one with thinly sliced ham and grated cheddar, and one with Yves veggie Canadian bacon and shredded soy cheese. Some chose ketchup to dip them in, and some chose maple syrup. There were none left, so that's a good sign.

(The photo above and the featured recipe are courtesy of the wonderful food blog "http:www.hungry-girl.com". Just sign up for a free membership and you will receive countless recipes and tips for losing weight while eating tasty food. And what a perfect time of year for that!)

A Heartwarming Christmas, A World Away

"Mauritius was made first, then heaven was copied from it." - Mark Twain

When I was a child, our family followed very specific Christmas traditions that I enjoyed so much I still follow many of them to this day.

We children (ultimately five of us) would wake up early on Christmas morning as excited as it is possible to be. Absolutely bursting with anticipation. But, did we run madly down the stairs to see what Santa had left for us? No. We did not. We waited at the top of the stairs until our parents gave us the go-ahead to come down.

And how amazing all the gifts looked under our tree! The night before there had been only a few wrapped packages but in the morning there were so many presents that they spilled out from under the branches. They looked wonderful and they stayed looking that way for as long as possible.

We were allowed to open our stockings and one gift each – one at a time – and then there was a break for breakfast. At the time it seemed an impossibly long interruption, but it really was a great way to increase our already sky high levels of excitement.

After breakfast we would scurry eagerly back to the living room where our Dad would hand out one gift at a time and we would all take the time to really notice and appreciate each and every present.

Having had such great memories of Christmas morning, I wanted to create the same for my four children so we followed the same tradition of gift opening. And ever since he was 14 years old, my elder son, Ben, has donned a Santa cap and carefully handed out the family’s gifts one by one.

Except for last year. Ben and his girlfriend, Kim, spent last Christmas in a tropical paradise. They travelled to Mauritius, a tiny island in the middle of the southern Indian Ocean – an island bursting with vibrant colours both from plants and from paint. And what a Christmas Day Ben had! So completely different from any other Christmas including seeing skinny Black Santas in shorts and enjoying an exquisite open-air dinner at a restaurant on the pristine, sandy beach.

Well, back here in London, we were having our traditional day with my younger son, Daniel, filling in as Santa. In the mid-afternoon as I was relaxing between the gift opening and the dinner preparation, the phone rang. It was Ben. Instead of the usual greeting exchange he quickly said, “Please write down this number and call me right back, OK? I’m at someone’s house.” Then, he gave me the number, I wrote it down, and we hung up.

I called him back right away and his ebullient positive energy flooded right through the phone lines to me. His extreme happiness was palpable and contagious. What a treat.

Apparently Ben had bought a long distance phone card so he could call us on Christmas Day. But later in the evening when he tried calling from a pay phone, the card would not work and the operator said he would have to call from a land line.

So, Ben went off on a mission to find a phone and was feeling highly determined to succeed. While walking down a random street, he happened upon a Creole-speaking extended Mauritian family celebrating Christmas with a festive party in their front yard. (Not a very common occurrence in Canada!)

Fortunately, they knew enough English to understand Ben’s request. He wanted so much to call his family on Christmas Day and he had a calling card but just needed a home phone.

They immediately took him inside to their phone, but refused to let him use the card – even though he was a complete stranger of another race and culture who was planning to call a place half-way around the globe.

Once I had called Ben back, he recounted some of the details of his day, then he suddenly exclaimed, “Oh, wow! Thank you so much!” He couldn’t believe it, but the man of the house had just handed him a whisky on the rocks, accompanied with a very big smile. After just a few minutes, he paused once again for some more exuberant thank yous as they had brought him a plate of delicious, spicy Mauritian food.

So, we talked for a bit longer and Ben spoke with his siblings, then we wished each other a Merry Christmas and he was invited to join the party with his new-found Mauritian friends. He says they went far, far beyond hospitality. The entire family, in fact, focused their entire concentration on him and treated him like a king.

Astonishingly (as always) the year has slipped by far too quickly and we are once again approaching Christmas. And this year – whether with snow or without – it will most certainly be too cold for our family to do any celebrating on our front lawn. But this week, as Ben puts on the Santa cap and hands out this year’s presents, we will remember to send some good vibes to a generous family in far-off Mauritius whose pure and genuine kindness to a stranger gave Ben an amazing Christmas gift that will never, ever be forgotten.

Mauritian Mocha Spice Squares

Mauritius is a very multicultural island which has created very diverse and delicious culinary traditions. France has had a strong influence on their desserts and many contain such island staples as vanilla, cinnamon and rum. This recipe contains all of these items plus other spices, coffee and chocolate. How could it be anything other than delectable? Since it's the holiday season, I think these squares would be just perfect with a hot mug of coffee topped off with a little Bailey's. Enjoy!

http://www.theworldwidegourmet.com/recipes/mocha-spice-squares/

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Diane

Friendship is a Many Layered Thing

" Remember, the greatest gift is not found in a store nor under a tree, but in the hearts of true friends."

- Cindy Lew


My friend, Deborah, has the most infectious laugh I've ever known. Back in the eighties, we both worked in a small hospital in separate departments, but across the hall from one another. Quite often I would hear the lilting melody of Deb's hearty laughter as it wafted across the corridor and into my ears. This sound would always cause me to smile broadly, no matter what thoughts had been in my mind previously.

Deb is a successful business owner, an amazing designer and decorator, a talented artist, a lover of nature in general and, in particular, extremely bird crazy.

One of Deb's favourite things to do is to walk through a forest or sit down along the river and quietly observe and photograph the birds and other creatures in their natural habitat. She has also designed and created the most enchanting garden where in moments of relaxation she can enjoy a little birdwatching from the comfort of her own back yard.

One hot July day this past summer, Deb and I spent most of the afternoon sitting in our respective back yards, each nursing a cold beer and talking our hearts out over the phone. We were remembering, encouraging, laughing, and also describing to each other the various birds and butterflies that were soaring above us and around us as we visited. Even as engaged as we were in conversation, Deb would never fail to notice and appreciate a bird.

This brought to mind the times, years ago, when we had travelled together to Toronto along the hideously busy highway, the 401. Deb would always drive. She would be zipping along, chatting away, while enormous trucks thundered along on either side of us, behind us, and ahead of us. And then, as I sat stiffly with all of my muscles clenched tightly with fear, she would suddenly trill, "Oh, look over there! There's a grey crowned rosy finch!" or "Hey! A chestnut-collared longspur!" Invariably these spontaneous ornithological sightings would cause my already high anxiety level to ratchet up yet another notch.

But after we had arrived safely back home and I was feeling quite a bit more relaxed, Deb's enthusiasm became so contagious that I soon found myself on another road trip with her - this time on a mission to buy birds. I purchased a very pretty little peach-faced lovebird and a rather smallish cage, and Deb bought a couple of very tiny finches and a much larger cage. Well, although my new pet was called a "love bird", the wee finches were much more deserving of the title. It soon became very apparent that they had an insatiable desire to 'be fruitful and multiply.'

Before long, Deb was off to buy an even bigger cage, and then a bigger one still. But the flock of finches kept on proliferating. It came to the point where Deb had an enormous wooden cage constructed in her living room; floor to ceiling and the entire length of one wall.

Now, Deb is very social and enjoys entertaining. I can recall so clearly her New Year's Eve party that year. Her living room was full of nattily clad guests, drinks in hand, unable to focus on anything other than the astonishing 'Wall of Finches'. It was the master of all conversation pieces.

It was only when people realized there was a delicious array of party food spread out on the kitchen table that they allowed their stomachs to tear them away from the tiny birds.

I remember that the most popular dish was the "Mexican 7-Layer Dip" and everyone was enjoying it so much that the party could not possibly be moved back into the living room until every speck had been devoured.

So, now, as the holiday season quickly approaches, I will spend a good deal of time considering all of the many incredibly kind and loving people who have graced, and still grace my life.

And I believe I will whip up a "Mexican 7-Layer Dip", crack open a Corona, and raise a toast to my wonderful friend, Deborah.

(Merry Christmas, Deb!!)


This holiday season, treat your friends and family to a "Mexican 7-Layer Dip" and they will be very happy. The Canadian Living Test Kitchen says they first published a recipe for this dip way back in 1988 and they are STILL receiving requests for it. Say no more.

This week's recipe and photo are courtesy of "SimplyRecipes.com". Thank you!

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/7_layer_bean_dip/



Cheers!

Diane

The Great "Pie by the Mile" Fiasco

Back when I was about 7 and my sister, Kathie, was about 4, we went to our grandparents' place in Hamilton for a week. During that time, our very Scottish Granny invited her friend, Rosie, over for a visit. Rosie was a Romanian immigrant and we had heard many stories about her over the years. But this was to be the first and only time I ever met her.

We were told that Rosie wanted to show us how to make a famous Romanian dessert which she called 'pie by the mile'. The dish had earned such a title because it involved the laborious rolling out of pastry into a very large and extremely thin sheet. (Thin enough to read a newspaper through it, apparently.) Can you imagine how excited we were? Granny's European friend letting us help her make a fancy pie with such a great name? We were hopping up and down with the very thought of it.

We were so excited, in fact, that we just couldn't wait for her to arrive and we wanted to go down to the street to wait for her. Mind you, our grandparents lived in an apartment above a dry cleaners on a very busy downtown city street and we were small town kids, but we were keen to do it. Amazingly, Granny let us go out, and she would peer down from the window every few minutes to check on us.

Well, we watched and watched and watched every woman walking down the street to try to catch a glimpse of Rosie the Romanian. This was extremely challenging because we had no idea what she looked like. So, here we were, two excited little girls, standing on the edge of the sidewalk, getting jostled by the crowd, on a mission to greet this exotic European woman.

All of a sudden, out of the blue, a rather largish, brusque woman walked up to us with a very stern scowl and a raised finger, shouting, "Get away from those filthy garbage cans, you little street urchins!!" Then, suddenly, she disappeared into the crowd. Of course, we were horrified to have been spoken to in this way, so we ran as quickly as possible back to the stairs and bolted right up them to tell Granny all about it. (And to ask her what 'urchins' were, I imagine.) Our little hearts were beating very fast but, honestly, they nearly stopped when we burst through the apartment door and saw Granny chatting away with that horrible woman. It was shocking and unbelievable to us that this 'nasty old witch' was Granny's friend! How could we tell Granny now?

Well, Rosie surely wasn't about to tell her either! In fact, she glared at us at regular intervals to ensure our silence. And so it was that our exciting adventure in European pastry making ended up becoming an afternoon filled with liberal helpings of nervous tension, coupled with a generous portion of fear. I didn't want any part of it. I can clearly recall eating only the most minimal piece of the much ballyhooed 'pie by the mile' and even that tasted bitter on my tongue. But it's a dish I've never forgotten!


Romanian 'Cere du Mere', or 'Apple Strudel', or (for nostalgia's sake), 'Pie by the Mile'

Fortunately, you won't have to suffer through the tedious process of rolling out pastry to a paper-thin consistency because phyllo pastry is easily available and easy to use. Trust me, you'll feel yourself transforming into a European pastry chef. Romanian, or otherwise.

Please try the recipe below and enchant your family, friends, and coworkers. They all need a treat!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sara-moulton/apple-strudel-recipe/index.html

Recipe courtesy Robert Bleifer. Photo (above) and recipe description courtesy of Sara Moulton.

For an endless supply of amazing recipes, tips, and tantalizing menu ideas, please check out:

http://www.foodnetwork.com


Cheers!

Diane