Dumplings have changed my life.

From the City...

The best thing about Toronto, for me anyway, is the food. I could literally go out for three squares a day and feel completely fulfilled and satisfied. I love love love to cook though so that pretty much prevents that from actually happening.

Last night Simon and I went out for sushi at one of our favorite spots in the annex and I couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness that soon our life in a small town will greatly restrict our love of 'international' cuisine. No longer can we zip out for spicy salmon rolls and edamame . Yikes, seriously.

What I'm going to miss the most though is my favorite spot in China town, The Dumpling House. Simon and I go there at least once a week and we are always totally blown away by how good the food is, how friendly the servers are and how downright cheap the food is. We both leave completely full for $20 including tip.

We have turned a lot of people on the Dumpling House. Every time we go with someone new they throw a kink in our regular visit by ordering something we've never tried, like lamb dumplings (Meg and Bri) or Sweet and Sour Soup (James and Hayley) or Fried Bean Curd (Laura).

328 Spadina. Check it out if you're in the area.

Here's a recipe that I use to use a lot before I discovered the dumpling house. It's very easy but a little time consuming. The recipe calls for pork but I could see swapping it for lamb or any other favorite protein would still turn out quite well.

1 package wonton wrappers 2 lbs. pork/lamb/shrimp/chicken 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp green onions

3 tbsp sesame oil

4 tbsp soy sauce

1 egg, beaten

5 cups shredded Chinese (napa) cabbage

Mix everything together well. Put a tbsp of mixture into each wrapper and fold according to package directions.

Yummy Dipping Sauce to go with:

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 tbsp rice vinegar

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 to 2 tbsp water

1 green onion, chopped fine

2 tsp sugar

1 garlic clove, minced

Mix everything together well.

Good luck!

Something Interesting

From the City...

The Environmental Working Group, an american non profit organization, has just come up with a list of the Dirty Dozen as well as the Clean 15. A list of the most heavily sprayed fruits and vegetables as well as the cleanest conventionally grown fruits and vegetables out there.

I like these types of lists A LOT. They make my life easier. I do the best I can but at the end of the day, I don't have a ton of money so these lists guide me on how to best spend my money.

The Dirty Dozen:

1. Celery

2. Peaches

3. Strawberries

4. Apples

5. Blueberries

6. Nectarines

7. Bell Peppers

8. Spinach

9. Kale

10. Cherries

11. Potatoes

12. Imported Grapes

The Clean 15:

1. Onions

2. Avocado (Lucky for me, I eat about 6 a week)

3. Sweet Corn

4. Pineapple

5. Mangoes

6. Sweet Peas

7. Asparagus (which is in season here in Ontario, lucky for us all)

8. Kiwi

9. Cabbage

10. Eggplant

11. Cantaloupe

12. Watermelon

13. Grapefruit

14. Sweet Potatoes

15. Honeydew Melon

more info here: http://foodnews.org/

Sometimes I hit a moment of weakness though. Like last week I was at the fruit market in Kensington and the first batch of ontario strawberries were in and I'm not gonna lie, I bought some. I wanted so badly to taste sweet summer. Laura and I grew up on a strawberry farm and strawberries make me feel a little nostalgic so I threw caution to the wind and I did it. They were okay, by far not the best I've tasted but they'll tie me over until my first CSA share starts next week.

Here are some washes that apparently reduce pesticide residue on fruits and vegetables for those times when you have a moment of weakness like myself.

• Soak produce in a 50/50 solution of water and vinegar for five minutes
• Spray vegetables with a combination of 1 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp baking soda and 1 cup water
• Diluted dish detergent followed by a rinse of water

Happy Eating!

amelia

Meet our City Dog!

From the City:

This is our Ruby; the city dweller. In her pastime she enjoys playing at the dog park, cuddling, sleeping 23 hrs of the day and stealing socks.

What's so great about my Ruby dog is that she adapts so perfectly to any situation. Like most young people, Simon and I have moved a lot. We bought Ruby when we were both living in Peterborough working on our undergrads. She was a spontaneous purchase but one that to this day, we couldn't imagine our life without.

What the World Eats

From the City:
This is a series of photographs taken by photographer Peter Menzel and his wife Faith D'Aluisio. It's really a very interesting way to look at the way the world eats, the weekly cost of those eating habits and the favorite meals of those families. I also think it's neat to see which areas of the world still rely on an agrarian way of survival and also how far the north american diet has stretched...

Part 1: http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1626519_1373664,00.html

Part 2: http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1645016_1408103,00.html

Part 3: http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1667690_1456194,00.html

This whole section is dedicated to the places people shop. My personal favorite is the meat market in Somalia, couldn't imagine going to a market like that in Toronto!!!

Enjoy the pics!

Sunday Deliciousness

From the City:

Simon loves pancakes, like loves pancakes. Whenever we go out for breakfast, he always orders a standard breakfast (eggs, bacon, toast) with a side of pancakes. For him, this is the perfect combination of sweet, salt and fat.

So in order for our relationship to be long lasting (7 years this September) certain things had to be mastered:

• I had to learn the art of tickies. This is a family term for tickling the head, arms or back and occurs mainly in the evenings
• Learn the art of multi- tasking by watching a movie while also working on a laptop and carrying on conversation
• Make a mean stack of blueberry pancakes

Here are some tips to making perfect pancakes:

1. Before you ladle on the pancake batter, wipe access butter off the griddle with a folded paper towel. This will make sure you have perfectly browned pancakes.

2. Use all purpose flour in the batter. Cake flour can turn soggy when you top it with syrup. Experiment with different flours like buckwheat or whole wheat just substitute half of the all purpose for any of these.

3. Never whisk batter until it's smooth. Lumps are a good thing and will result in fluffier pancakes.

4. Flip pancakes just as the surface bubbles begin to burst. Flipping them after makes for flatter pancakes.

5. When adding blueberries, bananas or chocolate chips (only some of the many additions you can make) sprinkle them over the batter right after they have been poured on the griddle. This will make sure they are distributed evenly and it also makes them look prettier on the plate, which can sometimes be just as important as how they taste.

6. Warm pure maple syrup before serving. It makes for a certain extra little bit of specialness to the morning (or evening, whatever, no judgement here)

Here's a good (basic) recipe that should keep 'em coming for more:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, or vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Assorted toppings, such as butter, maple syrup, confectioners' sugar, honey, jams, preserves, sweetened whipped cream, or chocolate syrup
• Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees; have a baking sheet or heatproof platter ready to keep cooked pancakes warm in the oven. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, butter (or oil), and egg. Add dry ingredients to milk mixture; whisk until just moistened (do not overmix; a few small lumps are fine).
3. Heat a large skillet (nonstick or cast-iron) or griddle over medium. Fold a sheet of paper towel in half, and moisten with oil; carefully rub skillet with oiled paper towel.
4. For each pancake, spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter onto skillet, using the back of the spoon to spread batter into a round (you should be able to fit 2 to 3 in a large skillet).
5. Cook until surface of pancakes have some bubbles and a few have burst, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip carefully with a thin spatula, and cook until browned on the underside, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a baking sheet or platter; cover loosely with aluminum foil, and keep warm in oven. Continue with more oil and remaining batter. (You'll have 12 to 15 pancakes.) Serve warm, with desired toppings.

Side note:

These are some pics from the summer when Laura and I took the kids and went blueberry picking. It's a great, really economical way to stock your freezer with juicy berries for the long winter months.

Have a nice Sunday everyone!