Thursday, or Thereabouts - October 8, 2015

Thanksgiving - the View from  the Kitchen









Thanksgiving Weekend stands on the doorstep bidding me come, enjoy, celebrate, and give thanks for the harvest; urging me to make the feast.





For both the early pioneers and the indigenous tribes, this time of year in North America was one of both deepest gratitude and fervent hope. Come wind, come weather the land had yielded her best and barns were full. But would the bounty be enough to sustain life through a winter of unknowns?









I have not known such a tenuous life, none of my family have. Sure we've had our struggles, our lean times, but we've always been able to gather together at Thanksgiving amid an embarrassment of riches.

I am as humbled as I am grateful for this bounty. I've companioned others whose lives been flipped upside down by a sudden reversal of fortune and I'm now of great enough age to be keenly aware that good living does not grant any immunity from calamity down the road. A winter of unknowns may give warning but never asks permission to visit, let alone stay a while.

My kitchen these days before the feast is cornucopia of aromas, a sometimes frantic place with a spoon-wielding, dish clattering, occasionally foul-mouthed chef at the centre of things pulling it all together. No one ever claimed that celebrating harvest time was easy! But it is fun.

Bacon - there's got to be bacon!

Celery, onions & parsley for sage & chestnut bread stuffing

Wild & Brown Rice with chorizo, hazelnuts, apricots, green onions, parsley & thyme

Mix it all together and stuffing #2 is done!

Today the cup of my life is overflowing with good things. The kitchen is awash in dishes, but I'm pumped. The Family centrepiece of my harvest will gather around the table on Saturday. We will eat well and probably too much. But more importantly we will celebrate love and life with joy and laughter.

I am humbly grateful to be able to cook up a storm in my own kitchen, looking out the windows of my own house to a landscape that is decked out in autumn splendour.
I am blessed. We are blessed.

©2015 April Hoeller

Monday Moanings - August 31, 2015

Whine without the 'H'

It's that time of year again and oh what bliss it brings!

This morning finds my love and I bound for Niagara wine country on our annual pilgrimage in celebration of The Shaw Festival, wine and our life together. These excursions began not long before we were married in 1975 and have continued almost annually since then and always timed around our anniversary.











The planning begins with the arrival of the Shaw brochure. I peruse it off and on for several weeks before finally settling on which plays to see and how to fit them into four days. Then the tickets are booked and the hotel reservations made some time in early May.

This year we're taking in The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to Scriptures (Tony Kushner) - the title alone is almost an act of its own! - The Divine: A Play for Sarah Bernhardt (M. Bouchard), The Lady from the Sea (H. Ibsen) and we end with Peter and the Starcatcher (R. Elice). There is nothing like live theatre!










August is for taking stock of the wine cellar. The current inventory reveals that we're down by 94 bottles. How can that be I wonder? Must have been cold winter...

Next I spend a few more hours, reviewing wineries and wines, selecting the ones we will visit and the specific wines we want to taste at each winery. This is a much tougher job than it used to be thirty or so years ago when there were maybe a dozen wineries in Niagara. Today there are 84 according to VQA Ontario.







But we have our favourites, a stable of about 12 (and growing). We cycle through them over the years, visiting 8 or so each season. We are not just tasters but serious buyers who love the smaller wineries. It is not unusual for us to truck home 7+ cases of reds and whites, most of which are only available at the wineries. But this year we are going to cut back...

Yeah, well we say that every year. Here is our record of "cutting back" from past years:

2009: 75 bottles purchased
2010: 69
2011: 74
2012: 91
2013: 88
2014: 95!!!

On the way to Niagara-on-the-Lake today, I'm looking forward to priming the pump with two wineries: Cave Spring Cellars which we missed last year and Henry of Pelham where we've not been in several years.  Tuesday we can be found  checking out the Beamsville Bench appellation with stops at Angel's Gate, Thirty Bench, and one or perhaps two others yet to be decided.

The rest of the week is a mix of theatre and wineries and there's no shortage of cellers around Niagara-on-the-Lake. Oh and I'm looking for somewhere new too.

Already I can smell the grapes and hear the cannon shots that keep the birds away.

And did I mention the food?? Ah well that's pretty special too!

It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it!



©2015 April Hoeller

Monday Moanings - July 6, 2015

Is it going home time yet?

I asked myself this very question six hours ago, at 10am. I think I'm having stress.

But I know how to cope - FOOD! One can't possibly eat and be stressed at the same time.
Who's bright idea was that design feature for the human body?

With a wedding coming up, this mother of the bride is happy to report a larder stocked with bins of organic greens, cucumbers, carrots, zucchini and celery. There's also a supply of good proteins, tuna, salmon and chicken, to round out the plate. Blah, blah, blah...

I dodged a bullet after the gym this morning by avoiding the snack aisle of the grocery store. I could murder a package of potato chips right now. Carrots and celery will never achieve the heights of satisfaction that those slender rounds of salt + fat + carbs with crunch can attain. I'll have to be content in knowing that my resolve this morning spared a bag of chips from annihilation.

"Twas a far far better thing that I do than I have every done..." Yeah, right!  Get a life April!

How about some more food for thought:

I'm thinking about a cheeseburger in paradise? with Jimmy Buffett? Now you're talking...


©2015 April Hoeller

Monday Moanings - October 13, 2014

Thanksgiving Day

"...a day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed."

So reads the decree enacted by Parliament in 1879. Though the date has moved around a little - at first it was November 6, then it was the 3rd Monday in October, but on January 31, 1957 the government proclaimed that National Thanksgiving be celebrated on the 2nd Monday of October - the feast remains a celebration of plenty.

Back when I was growing up, there was never any thought of celebrating on any other day than the officially decreed Monday. It mattered not a whit that folks had to be rough and ready for work the next morning, or that kids had to be up and out to school. Thanksgiving back then was a single day, a great day of family and food mind you complete with all the good china and silverware, and of course we ate in the dining room.







Saturday was spent grocery shopping and silver polishing, If we did a really good job on the silver for Thanksgiving, only a few touch ups would be needed for the Christmas feast! Sunday was for church, and maybe even a trip to the Royal Ontario Museum afterwards. In the afternoon, Mom made the pies.

On Thanksgiving Day, "the bird" - always at least a 22 pounder! - had to be stuffed and in the oven by 10am. My mother was in the kitchen by 8 in the morning and didn't leave it until supper was served at 6 and then she was back in there cleaning up until late. Honestly I don't know how she did it all. No microwave ovens, no automatic dishwasher, no convection oven, and one small fridge, with a 1 cubic foot freezer section. Yet it was always a feast of plenty including leftovers for turkey sandwiches, turkey stew, or pot pie during the week. And she loved every minute of it (well maybe not so much the clearing up, for which my Dad was conspicuous by his absence).

In my household, today is a day to kick back, relax, enjoy and Clean Up - our family celebration was yesterday. As always, it too was a feast of plenty, perhaps even a feast of  "too much". I worked too much, I made too much, and we all ate too much. Yet it was also a cornucopia of good conversation, great laughs, and the best company.

And I loved every minute of it - but maybe not so much the clearing up. Even though my love, along with the rest of the family are very present and helpful there remains one thing conspicuous by its absence today - enthusiasm. I'm beat.

But I am also humbly thankful on this day for my family, my friends, our health and prosperity. I am truly grateful "for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed."

Happy Thanksgiving!

©2014 April Hoeller

Thursday, or Thereabouts - September 12, 2014

It's an "or Thereabouts" kind of day.

Nothing like a few days away to put me weeks behind, or so it seems. We returned home Thursday just after 3pm having enjoyed 5 idyllic days in the land of  Niagara wine and the Shaw Festival. No problem I thought in putting together a post before the end of the day ... ah but then there was the unpacking of the car, the trip to town for a physio appointment, the clean up windfall debris (two large tree branches) brought down by a storm Wednesday night, followed by the phone mail, the email and the laundry.














Oh and then someone had to make supper! No printed menus to peruse, no ice water shimmering in fine glassware, no gleaming cutlery, no executive chef, no one to chop and clean, no servers, eager to please, and no artistry on a plate.

Just me, flash thawing some haddock and rescuing veggies that had made it three-quarters of the way to the compost bin all because the house sitters did not eat them, tossing all in the oven then slapping it on a plate in some ill fated attempt at presentation craft. Well - it tasted good.

And now it's Friday. Afternoon. What began with a lovely leisurely massage was soon morphed into a morning swept away by grocery shopping, a trip to the Zephyr Organics farm for our weekly supply of veggies followed by the unpacking, washing and storage of my acquisitions.

Is it nap time yet? Nope, it's time to get a blog post out!










For the record, and because I know you all are just dying to know, the stock at 7 Niagara wineries has diminished by 95 bottles. My next job is to get them out of the boxes lined up in the hallway, catalogued and tucked away into our inventory. I'm so glad we cut back this year...















©2014 April Hoeller

Thursday, or Thereabouts - August 14, 2014

It's a good day for a Curry

There is nothing quite so intoxicating as the pungent aroma of gently roasting Indian spices; gossamer swirls of exotic fragrance rising above an open skillet in my kitchen. This is nothing short of divine, at least to my senses. Indian cookery is a relative newcomer to my repertoire. It all began about four years ago with a desire to prepare our palates for travel to the Middle East and India in April of 2011.

Curries fast became a "go to" on the menu when cold and damp threatened to suck the life of me; on a day like today in fact. I awoke to a chilly 9.6C and while at first such crisp, clear air invigorated my every pore - Autumn is my favourite season, though perhaps not in August! - the sun too soon disappeared, taking much of my burst of energy with it. Then the rain started, big juicy drops of cold splat extinguished every last ember of enthusiasm. It's a good day for a curry!

Crawford Market, Mumbai

There's a pork tenderloin that I can roast separately and I've got a few carrots. I've got some cauliflower and two tomatoes sneaking up on their expiry date. I've got zucchini, a bunch of chard, a lonely red pepper and there's a tin of chick peas in the larder. A curry is such a great way to dispatch all these veggies that on their own are not enough for a meal. And I will make my own garam masala, hence the wondrous fragrance in my kitchen today. My recipe? Well the fact is that I never make it the same way twice. It too is dependent upon what's on hand in the spice drawer. Cumin, coriander, cinnamon pieces, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, peppercorns, fennel and some mustard seeds made it into today's rendition. Bay leaves, turmeric, star anise, and mace have also appeared from time to time. I make absolutely no claim to authenticity - I just use what I've got. Close is good enough. Here's a link to a very simple recipe for Garam Masala.

I recall one year my mother tried her hand at making an Indian dinner for business guests of my father. She sweated and slaved for at least two days in the kitchen, her face red with the heat of the spicing. She concluded that it must be much too hot and so did her very best to tone it down. The guests were very impressed with her cooking but after the meal when Mom made a point of asking, they allowed that it was not quite hot enough. Meanwhile both Mom and Dad were red faced, sweaty and speechless after their meal. Water and antacid consumption remained high for nearly a week. Close was too close?






Today marks the fourth year since my mother's passing. It's a great day to be busy in the kitchen, her favourite place. And it's a good day for a curry!
Bon appetit!






©2014 April Hoeller

Monday Moanings - June 9, 2014

A blast from the near past, almost a year ago yet as true now as it was then, and probably ever shall be.
Dust Bunnies and Fur balls still gather in the corners to plot their conquest but in my kitchen love, laughter and good food always have the upper hand, and I still adore my kitchen.

From July 29, 2013 (with a few minor alterations):

Carol Burnett - The Charwoman

Monday again! The day that, according to my schedule, is 'housework' day; the day The Maid in me comes out to restore cleanliness and good order; the day that, at its close, allows me to rightfully lay claim to a "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval." High fives all around!

This Maid is well schooled in all the tools and techniques of her trade. She has no shortage of buckets, brooms, rags and mops to go with her well chosen array of solvents and solutions, sprays and polishes. Most are 'Green' at least according to the label but a few are not so environmentally friendly - because sometimes a blowtorch just isn't practical! There is just one thing this poster maid from the 1950's lacks, one flaw in an otherwise perfect performance. Regularity. And not the kind remedied by bran. In point of fact, the woman cannot be trusted to show up on a regular basis and do her job!

Every Monday? Dream on! One Monday a month? Hmmm, not likely. One day, any day, once a month? Perhaps. How about a half day every four to six weeks? Deal! Or at least a tentative arrangement. Is it any wonder I have so few of those Good Housekeeping awards? Sometimes she does indeed arrive as agreed then spends the day drinking coffee and leafing through travel magazines. Can you believe it? The only warning of her arrival is the clattering of buckets, brooms and mops accompanied by a few expletives as she searches for potions not put back where they belong. If she were a smoker, there would be fag dangling from the corner of her mouth.

So imagine my surprise when this past Friday morning, the grumbling woman thumped into my kitchen, ordered a mug of coffee, then set to work. The dust bunnies gasped in horror, the fur balls scattered, the crumbs crumbled and the big drips hung on for dear life. The sugary bits burned into the stove top laughed, sure of their tenacity to outwit all the maid's solutions, but the giggles died the instant a razor blade scraper flashed in the sunshine. She brandished her weapon high, then one quick scrape here, another two or three there and not a trace was left, save for the maid's triumphant chortle. Then the chairs were wiped down and moved out; the lights turned up high for a full assault on the floor. There was nowhere to hide from this maid on a mission. The broom handled the first sweep, then the tractor beam of the vacuum sucked up the run-aways. A thorough mopping up completed the operation.

And then she was gone. As quickly as she had appeared, the Maid vanished into thin air, leaving behind a pile of dirty rags and a pristine kitchen. Mission accomplished. And it was a fine mission, well executed and successful, at least as far as the kitchen. Wonder when she'll be back to do the rest of the house? I'm thinking it won't be today, or any day this week for that matter. Next week? I'd best not hold my breath. In the mean time, already I notice that baby dust bunnies have emerged from god knows where and furry bits are beginning to gather in groups again. A few crumbs have even eased their way back onto the counters, but the stove top is still shiny.

I love my kitchen.
It is the place where so much of life happens.

Good things are made here.

Good things happen here.

Pristine has its time and place but most of the time I think my kitchen deserves a 'lived in' look, dust bunnies, fur balls and all.


"No matter where I serve my guests, it seems they like my kitchen best."  (anon.)







©2014 April Hoeller

Monday Moanings - January 27, 2014

The easy thing to do...

The easy thing to do this moaning would be to launch into yet another sad lament about the winter weather, but honestly would it really do any good to anybody, including me, to expend any more ink and what little energy I have on one more long whine?

The easy thing to do would be to go back to bed and hide under the covers until ... until when?  Well that's not going to offer any true relief either. What this day, what this week needs is an injection of enthusiasm, an exciting, interesting project to lift me up, up and away from wind and snow and cold, and I've found just the thing: FOOD and an celebration to go with it, Chinese New Year.

© xiaoliangge - Fotolia.com

One year when the children were little, I made a big deal out of this celebration. I made egg rolls from scratch to go with a run of the mill stir fry, topped with the ultimate kid pleaser, golden fried chow mein noodles. Of course there were fortune cookies for dessert and ice cream too. This time around I'm looking at something a little more enterprising and perhaps even a little more authentic. Here's what's under consideration for Saturday: crab Rangoon appetisers then homemade won ton soup, spring rolls, shrimp and snow peas, crispy orange beef, Chinese greens with oyster sauce and for more adventurous palates, ma po tofu. There will be jasmine rice, and maybe some coconut rice, and there will be fortune cookies. I'm really not sure about including those very unhealthy fried noodles, but they do bring a smile to my heart when I think about them.

My senses, especially my taste buds, well remember one of  my mother's special meals. When I heard that "Chinese" was on the menu for supper, I was thrilled. This was well before there was a Chinese take-out in every neighbourhood, so it all came from a can. China Lily was the brand, with their distinctive black and yellow logo. There was chop suey, chow mein, sweet and sour sauce, water chestnuts and of course soya sauce, to which Mom added her own enhancements: herbs and spices, fresh carrots and frozen peas (these added some well needed colour), and leftover chicken or beef. Some times she went all out and cooked up pork spare ribs which were then slathered in the sweet and sour sauce. Oh, it was grand and of course our plates were topped with those bright yellow-orange fried noodles fresh out of a China Lily tin can. Such 'gourmet' meals filled hearts with joy, minds with memories and tummies with pretty good things.

Now it's time for me to finalise my menu, then source the ingredients. I'll let you know how it's all going on Thursday.

Woo Hoo! Let's get at it!

© creativenature.nl - Fotolia.com

©2014 April Hoeller