Moonbeams, Zombies, Chocolate

Man! I don't know about your town/city/village/space station but in Winnipeg, Canada the winter blues have hit a new level of freakishness - I did a little people watching while I was stopped in traffic this afternoon and I swear they looked like Dawn of the Dead extras; SERIOUSLY! My girlfriend asked me, "Is the moon full?" like she was reading my mind ((which she seems to have an uncanny ability to do, btw!)) - sadly, no, the moon is waning and it's just this wimpy yellow finger nail clipping; no magical power to transform regular peeps into monsters. So the full moon/wild thang factor can't explain the local weirdo surge...

Savings, Schmavings!

I wasn't planning on taking any vacation time until the summer months, but man the travel bargains are beckoning, given my situation. Our flat-as-a-pancake city has been transformed by grubby mountains of ice, snow and road salt, piled 6-8 feet high along the streets, creating strange marble runs for the zombie drivers to blitz carelessly through ((hey, they're zombies, can't kill what's already dead!)). This dreary, eerie ((did I mention, frickin' freezin'?)) environment, combined with the gloom-and-doomer predictions that the world will end in 2012 ((Mayan Calendar hype)) has this Momma thinking, "Savings schmavings... I want outta here; let's go for broke with a side dish of sun and sand!"

Recipe for Escape
Even my usual food therapy tactics seem unappealing, particularly since the near-catastrophic, painfully recent Paula Dean Arnold Palmer cupcake baking session! One promising culinary diversion is the collection of gourmet pastas I received recently from work: exotic pumpkin spice, chipotle pepper and cocoa chili linguine are waiting in the cupboard for their moment in the kitchen limelight - oh thank heaven!

I have been scouring my recipe books and online sources inspiration -- looking for sauces to pair with these fantastically flavoured pastas. I want to enjoy the cocoa chili linguine with something savory; for a main course - don't want to serve those chocolaty noodles as a dessert with fruit and whipped cream ((ugh!)). So I am thinking of a variation on a Mole ((not the critter, the burrowing mole - mole-ay, as in latin-american savory goodness)). I am thinking the mole, freshened up with some zucchini and bell peppers and maybe a bit of mango, would be just the ticket to alleviate my current state. Suggestions? C'mon - I am surrounded by zombies in a desolate deep-freeze called Canada. Won't/can't you please throw me a life line?

Have it your way...here is my recipe for Coco-Mole Linguine. For the cocoa chili pasta, try ordering online from Nature's Farm:

http://www.naturesfarm.ca/index.html

Cocoa-Mole Linguine

Mole Ingredients:

1 tsp. toasted cumin seeds, cooled

1 tsp. crushed, dried oregano
1/8 - 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Dried, crushed chilies to taste, or chipotle paste
2 medium onions, chopped

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1-2 cloves minced garlic

3 medium zucchini cut into bite-size chunks

1 bunch kale, coarsely chopped

1 red or orange bell pepper, chopped

1 tsp. orange zest
1/4 tsp. sugar
Sea salt, to taste (approx. 1 tsp).
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped

1-14.5 ounce tin of diced plum tomatoes

1-1/4 cups water

1-15 ounce tin of rinsed pinto beans

Garnish:
1 ripe mango, finely chopped

1/8 tsp. dutch cocoa powder
Sour cream

Pasta:
Nature's Farm Cocoa Chili Linguine; or your favourite chocolate pasta.

METHOD:
Pulse toasted cumin seeds and chilies (or just cumin seeds, if using chipolte paste) in a coffee mill or small processor until finely ground. Mix together with cinnamon, oregano, salt and sugar in a small bowl.

Measure the olive oil into a heavy skillet and saute the onions until tender over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat slightly and add in the minced garlic, cooking until tender and taking care not to scorch it. Stir in the spice mixture, stirring constantly for 1 -2 minutes. Quickly add in the zucchini, kale and bell peppers; cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Add in the tomatoes, zest, chocolate pieces, beans and water and bring mixture to a simmer - cover and stir occasionally, cooking an additional 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook your pasta to al dente. Serve the pasta topped with the mole and garnished with fresh mango, a small dollop of sour cream and a light sprinkle of cocoa. Enjoy xo!

July 2010 Post-Mortem

It seems like July would never come (I was sooooo ready for a break!) and now it's long gone and I am facing the last day of my summer vacation - those lazy days just vanished in time, just like a puff of smoke; shazam!

Camping was highlight, of course, and we lucked out with exceptional weather. But for the second year in a row I found myself saddled with a very picky, conniving kid - my son's buddy! (arg!) Next time we "fly solo"! My little guy makes friends easily at the campground, and I am just not willing to deal with the drama/dynamics of some unbalanced little personalities.

I feel a bit badly as I was raised to be generous and gracious, but I am
NOT a child psychologist and this is my holiday time -- only three weeks off a year to spend with my kids, so they are very precious. So... no whiners, party poopers, thankless, mannerless passengers allowed in my holiday space -- NO MORE!

Treasure Found
Week Two I escaped to Las Vegas with a girlfriend. It was impromptu -- found a great hotel+flight bargain and seized the opportunity to get away. I had never been to Vegas and haven't a hot clue about gambling.

I soon learned why they call slot machines "one-armed bandits" LOL! But we did enjoy walking and seeing the sights and managed to save a bit of $$$ to bring back some fun souvenirs for friends/family :)

The Bellagio is really a wonderful hotel/resort with exceptional staff, service etc. The food was surprisingly affordable and consistently delicious. I was impressed at the consistent delivery of excellent guest services at the Bellagio -- really commendable, given the size of the place and the complexity of the demands placed upon the staff; so "bravo"!

Highlights of Vegas and our Bellagio stay were the fountains, the conservatory and the Cirque du Soleil show, "O".

Weird and random musings... I was gobsmacked by how many families were dragging kids in strollers through the casinos. Vegas is still Vegas, and little kids do not belong anywhere near a casino -- just wrong on so many levels!

Woodsmoke & Starlight!

Summer Vacation - AT LAST!!!
It couldn't have come too soon for me this year! It has been a challenging time of ungrateful clients, too many people out to take advantage/wanting your heart and soul for nothing (both clients and staff) and a painfully sluggish economy -- just to add to the stress! The past months have not typically brought out the best in people. So... bring on the summer holiday! I am getting ready to go camping with my best friend, my son and my son's buddy. The other day I kicked my pumps off in the car at lunch hour and felt the texture of the rubber car mats -- in my mind I was at the lake shore, feeling the cool lick of the water and rolling the smooth pebbles under my toes! Yes, I am SO ready to get away:)

Food-on-a-Stick and Other Delights
I try to keep camping simple and yet not spartan. We typically allow for a couple of restaurant meals - good old A&W burgers and root beer one night, and Pizza Hut another night. But the rest of the time we are "true campers", cooking over a fire pit and singing songs under the night sky while the fire flies sparkle in the dark trees. Because of our northern latitude, we are often treated to northern lights - usually green and white, and occasionally with a burst of soft pink. Oh, and of course, you have to enjoy "S'mores": the fire-pit toasted marshmallow and milk chocolate bar pieces sandwiched between graham wafers -- ooey gooey delicious!

Keeping Things Interesting...
In the weeks before summer vacation, my radar is always alert and scanning for any new activities or recipes I can use to spice up our time together camping at the lake. This year, I came across a great recipe for baked beans. My plan is to make the beans in advance, freeze it in smaller batches and to take a small container along to reheat over our camp fire. I have adapted the recipe somewhat to suit my tastes -- but the secret weapon remains the same: two bottles of beer! Hope you will try this and add it to your roster of summer meal memories. xo

Campfire Baked Beans

Ingredients:
2 cups canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained*
2 cups canned black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups canned navy beans (in tomato sauce)
1 lb. bacon, cut in large chunks
2 large cooking onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. chipotle paste
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp. black strap molasses
2 - 12 ounce bottles of beer
Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

*You will require one-14 ounce can to obtain one cup of beans -- a little more or less can be used, and add/substitute your favourite bean varieties as desired.

Method:
Cook bacon in fry pan until crisp - drain and set aside. Reserve 2 Tbsp. of the bacon fat for the recipe. Add the onions to the reserved fat and fry until they are soft and translucent, but not browned. Add the garlic, chipotle paste, cumin, salt and pepper, and cook together five minutes to blend the flavours.

Place the drained beans in a large dutch oven or crock pot. Add to this, the onion mixture, sugar, molasses, water and one of the bottles of beer. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, then cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for approximately 45 minutes (4-5 hours on high, if using the crock pot). Add additional beer if needed, along with the bacon. Taste and add more salt and pepper as required. Delicious on their own, or with mild tomato salsa and grated cheddar. Also a great side to hot dogs, burgers or steak. Enjoy!