Horrah for peach season! I had a few friends over on tuesday and whipped up a vegan cobbler for them. I replaced the butter with all vegetable shortening, the whipping cream with soy milk and omitted the blueberries (which I admit would have been really nice).. I cooked it in ramekins in a water bath as an alternative to serving it in one dish which worked out quite well.... yummy yummy yummy.
PEACH AND BLUEBERRY COBBLER
from A Matter of Taste .. Waverman and Chatto
filling....
4 cups sliced peeled peaches
1 cup blueberries
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp brown sugar to taste
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp butter
topping....
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup butter, diced
1/4 cup whipping cream
preheat oven to 350
combine peaches blueberries, lemon juice, brown sugar, and cornstarch.
place in a buttered 8in square baking dish and dot with butter
combine flour, cornmeal, brown sugar and nutmeg for topping. cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. stir in cream until mixture is just moistened.
drop batter by heaping spoonfuls onto fruit mixture. Topping will spread slightly during baking.
bake for 30 minutes, or until topping is golden and fruit is bubbling. serve warm.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Vegan Peach Cobbler
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Chickpea flour pasta
I love fresh pasta.. but man is flour, water, oil and egg expensive. Sunday I decided to take matters into my own hands and made pasta for the first time. I made this vegan friendly pasta with chickpea flour which binds a lot like egg. The conclusion: pretty amazing .. other than the kneading.. my arms were sore the next day. The first batch i made to wet and had a soggy dinner but the second batch turned out well. It's been dried and frozen for later nom-ing.
advice to future me: get a pasta crank-thing and omit the rolling out by hand part
Friday, July 25, 2008
a nice little day
I was thinking about where I could take my parents when they come to visit me.. a place that was out of the way and reflected the Toronto that I have grown to like (not love.. but like). In this spirit I visited the distillery district with my pals Naseem and Kean. It's a nice place but... well considering the tours are given on segways it was a little pretentious. As Kean described it - it was like Granville Island (except without the great market and the crowds of people bustling around). I think it has the potential to be awesome - but there is a lack of shade on hot days and (I think it's real downfall) the buildings are too far apart to make the place look busy. The area lacks the energy of Granville. Distillery District... Fail. I will not be taking my family to visit you.
In other news fun times!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Award Winning
I posted a while back about what I am doing at my job in Toronto.
This weekend a co-worker and I were acknowledged for our work with Awards of Merit from the Association of Medical Illustrators. There were only three people who received awards in the professional interactive media category (the category we entered) so we were very pleased.
and Michael's work on Trans-esophageal Echocardiology (specifically the standard views).
UPDATE 7/25/08:
this afternoon... after spending the day panicking that i might have left the stove on (i didn't.. i knew i didn't but somehow was filled with a sense of dread anyway) i walk up to my place to find these in front of my door. what nice neighbours to receive the flowers and leave them out for me. What an amazing set of parents to send me congratulation flowers.. I am so happy right now.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
It's Summer!
It's finally gotten really hot and lovely out here and the summer garden is growing nicely.
I made a really simple lemonade this weekend and loved it.. so sour and refreshing
in other news my sweet peas have started to bloom.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
New bed...wallpaper
Mary and I both bought wall paper when we were in Montreal last year. It has taken me almost a full year to put it up. I think it looks beautiful.. and my friends have started to tease me that my new bedroom is very "french country" or as Naseem put it "Muskoka Chic"
many thanks to Frances for helping me put it up.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Rainy day cooking
in a bold, somewhat stupid move, i decided that biking home in the rain was not enough and i should stop and pick up all the ingredients for a huge meal and spend all day cooking ... the results...
1. atichokes are a waste and i hate cleaning them
2. whole grain veggie stuffing!!
3. sauteed fennel, artichoke hearts and leeks
4. red lentil soup
5. awesome tofu spanikopita
6. and a break in the clouds and rain