VizEat in Paris Hosted the Largest Shared Meal in The World...

On November 12th, my blog partner VizEat (having also just celebrated gaining their 10,000th host) welcomed over 1,000 Airbnb guests in Paris as part of Airbnb's Open-- hosting the largest shared meal in the world with 110 different nationalities attending the event! The Open provided an opportunity for the Airbnb host community to gather in one place and connect with their fellow hosts from around the globe. Paris is now the top destination in the world for home sharing on Airbnb, with more people sharing their homes with guests from around the world than in any other city. 

VizEat hosts showed real hospitality by whipping up delicious meals and creating authentic experiences around Parisian dinner tables that I'm sure were unforgettable! Who would think in just 24 hours, the beautiful City of Lights would be under multiple terrorist attacks with heinous and incomprehensible acts against humanity.... From one night of mass social meal sharing welcoming travellers and new friends into homes to the next-- a state of emergency declaration with temporary controls at the border. My heart aches and I pray for the safety and healing of my VizEat family of hosts, guests and the people of France. At the same time, I'm mourning the loss of lives and freedom. My hope is that we will all regain physical and moral strength soon. The only heartening thing at times like this is knowing how we also help each other...

Let fear not immobilize us but yet let us rejoice in that most people are good-- they open their hearts and homes to strangers in need, and they risk their lives to save others! On November 12th, a special thing happened--  more than 1,000 people from over 110 nationalities were welcomed to dine in Parisian homes-- that's a beautiful thing and should be celebrated and also not forgotten! Here is a glimpse of what went on behind the scenes...

Photo Credits: VizEat

The world stands in solidarity with you France! 

Praying for world peace and an end to so much suffering for victims everywhere!

Meatless Monday-- Rosemary and Garlic Olive Focaccia...

When it comes to the kitchen, savoury cooking is where my heart has always been. It wasn't until I had my kids that I started to really enjoy baking-- cookies for school snack and soccer practices, banana bread for a filling breakfast, scones for weekend brunch, cakes and cupcakes for birthdays... but a savoury bread, this is my first. I happened to have a few fresh sprigs of rosemary leftover from my crown pork roast dinner weeks ago-- I couldn't believe how long they lasted in a clear package stored in my fridge crisper. I came upon a rosemary focaccia bread recipe enriched with olive oil, rosemary, garlic and black olives-- mmmm, how could I resist? It's also meatless Monday and World Vegan month so it was timely to finally try my hands at baking fresh bread straight from my oven. Yeah-- success!

Focaccia takes its name from the Italian word for hearth, which is where it was traditionally baked. Partnered with a hearty delicious beet soup- Ukrainian Borsch, it was a perfect combo for a nod to my personal meat-free Mondays challenge this entire month.

Ukrainian Borsch and Rosemary and Garlic Olive Focaccia

Rosemary and Garlic Olive Focaccia
Makes one loaf

2 cups unbleached plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted
1/2 tsp. salt
8 g sachet dried yeast (rapid rise- use directly) or traditional (first dissolve yeast in a little sugar and 2 Tbsp. warm water)
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 sprigs rosemary, leaves removed and chopped
10 black kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2/3 cup water
Topping:
6 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. rock salt or fleur de sel
1 sprig of rosemary, leaves removed

Mix together the flour, salt, yeast, garlic, rosemary and olives in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre; add the olive oil and water. Mix to form a soft dough. You can turn out the dough on a floured work surface and knead for 10-15 minutes or let the mixer do it with the dough hook, however I like to leave the dough in the mixing bowl and work and knead it in there.

Put the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with oiled clear plastic wrap. Leave to rise in room temperature for 45 minutes until the dough doubles in bulk. Then, turn out the dough on a floured surface and knead to roll out an oval shape about 1/2-inch thick. Place the dough on a greased baking sheet, cover loosely with oiled clear film and leave in a warm place to rise again for 25 to 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Make indentations with your fingertips all over the top of the bread. Drizzle with two-thirds of the olive oil over the top, then sprinkle with salt and rosemary.

Bake for 25 minutes until golden. The bread should sound hollow when tapped underneath. Transfer to a wire rack and spoon the remaining olive oil on top.

Voila!! I am impressed for my first time... And the briny, rosemary aroma is unbeatable!

I think if I gave it time to rise a bit more I would have had a fluffier interior and less dense... there's always next time :)

Delizioso!

Ukrainian Borsch and Rosemary and Garlic Olive Focaccia

Will you give meat a break on Mondays? For more info. on adopting a vegan diet or occasionally see World Vegan month.

Gastropost-- Get Sauced...

Gastroposters got saucy for last week’s mission, showing their favourite dressings to drown their dishes in. From sweet and sour to syrup to salsa, there are a number of ways to make sure we’re never left high and dry for our dining experiences. Here is my photo spot on today's Saturday's National Post's Gastropost where you complete a weekly mission, share your delicious food photos and get in the paper. This is the two-page spread.

Here's how I got saucy-- Japanese western food Yoshoku-style with Hamburg steaks in a creamy shimeji mushroom sauce jazzed with soy and mirin for a heavenly earthy Asian umami dimension. Serve with orzo instead of steamed rice. 

Japanese Hambagu with Creamy Mushroom

Keeping It Real At Real Food For Real Kids (RFRK)...

I remember when I first came across their trademark blue and green catering delivery van. It was three years ago on a sunny morning having just dropped off my three-year old twins to Montessori, and driving my husband to work with my newborn asleep in the back. The name Real Food For Real Kids (RFRK) instantly struck me and I had to know more. Doing a search, I was awe-inspired reading about founder Lulu Cohen-Farnell-- her story, her company's mission, their awesome lunch program, and the positive real food influence they were making in the community. I told myself when my kids are older, RFRK would be a place I would want to work for and/or collaborate with. 

Photo Credit: RFRK HQ

Fast forward to the now, there I was last week at their facility, getting a kitchen tour with their friendly Communications Manager, David Lutterman and speaking with the great woman herself. I am thrilled to have recently started working in their school Lunch Club program and we're in talks of collaborating on our food advocacy efforts along with my role at Food Revolution Toronto. Our commitment is to help inspire families and education institutions to foster healthier food attitudes with a more conscious, sustainable (and enjoyable) approach to eating.

The Amazing Real Food For Real Kids Team!

Photo Credit: RFRK HQ

RFRK is a Toronto-based caterer since 2004, cooking fresh from scratch and using a fleet of fuel-efficient vans to deliver healthy, delicious meals and snacks to thousands of kids in the GTA every day at 30+ elementary schools and over 200 of childcare centres - and the numbers are growing. The tour in their production kitchen shows why they are relocating to their new 32,000 sq.ft. space in the east end come December-- they are truly working at capacity! David tells me more than half of the ingredients come from Ontario farmers and producers, including grass-fed beef, and sustainably-raised chicken. Founder Lulu is mainly vegetarian, occasionally eating sustainable fish, and is big on grains, legumes and pulses. Thus their catered lunch menu incorporates a large variety of these protein-rich meat alternatives such as beans, lentils, chickpeas; other than commercial bags of these and canned tomatoes, that's pretty much all they get in prepared... everything else is impressively made from scratch down to the simplest sauces! As a recipe developer myself, hearing the extra care and thought in their recipe development really showcases why they truly stand out from the rest. They use nutritious ingredients like flax seeds as a natural thickener instead of cornstarch in their popular Maple Samurai Sauce (scroll to the middle of post), and adding extra healthy goodness and protein such as navy beans in fun and delicious Granola Pucks. So fantastic!

Granola Pucks with navy beans for extra nutrition and protein.

David loves walking clients through their kitchen-- people can see staff bustling, preparing and cooking with fresh ingredients and this transparency let's you know they are the real deal! The equipment is a highlight, including massive tilting horizontal arm kettles to enable cooking from scratch on a grand scale. These cauldrons are $$-- quality equipment is needed to produce optimum food results for the kids!

I had an hour to meet with Lulu, and the time flew by. She is warm with a vibrant personality, articulate and very passionate about current food issues. We talked about their move to the new headquarters, three times larger than their current with a kitchen built to CFIA standards and on HACCP principles. What she's super excited about is that the expanded space will also include health and wellness workshops, cooking classes, tastings and tours for kids-- getting back to what she was doing with food education when she founded the company with her husband, but couldn't keep those activities up with the growing and demanding catering business over the years. As an ambassador for Food Revolution Toronto, furthering the Real Food mission and to bring awareness to food education is my priority and RFRK puts into action everything we stand for! Joining forces seems to be a natural fit-- the reach and impact we can achieve together can be far greater. Looking forward to seeing the fruits of some of the things we discussed :).

With Lulu Cohen-Farnell

So what is it about this great lunch club I am raving?

For more on the lunch club program, which schools are participating and general FAQ's click here.

Here I am at the public  elementary school I serve at. Lunch clubs could run two to five days depending on the school. I am at mine two days a week and I always look forward to seeing the kids. Our priority is to get the kids lunches served, and where we can, we impart some food knowledge-- describing the ingredients, or flavour profile of the dish to get them to try new foods and get them excited about eating it. Here are some great RFRK tried and tested recipes your kids may like. I know I already have my eyes set on Granola Pucks, Madagascar Chicken and Chili Chili Bang Bang.

The changing monthly menu is seasonal and global flavoured-inspired-- super tasty!!

I love how Lulu describes the importance that food plays in our lives “Real food is the foundation of happiness.” (quote in October 26th article in SAM "Local Produce Industry Recognizes RFRK"). Kids that eat better, learn better... With deeper connections and a healthier relationship with fresh food, we can bring back the fundamental experience of what real food brings to the table and the real enjoyment of eating again! Here's to keeping it real!

Meatless Monday-- Korean Tofu Vegetable Stew (Tobu Toenjang Chigae)...

A nutritious traditional Korean stew powerhouse with bean curd and bean paste, plus more beans-- bean sprouts as a side dish is how my family is enjoying meatless Monday and ode to World Vegan November. To know and love this unassuming and hearty fare is to understand and appreciate Korean hearts and minds. I've read Koreans young and old, to think of chigae is to hear "chigul, chigul, pogul, pogul," representing the comforting sound of stew as it gurgles and bubbles in a dark brown clay pot and spills over, hissing and spattering, into a mud's brazier red charcoal fire. This really is simple to cook up and satisfying to serve for the family, giving meat a break and to reap the amazing benefits of eating lots of veggies and high-quality protein, eight essential amino acid-rich tofu.

Korean Tofu Vegetable Stew (Tobu Toenjang Chigae)
Makes 6-8 servings

1 piece of kelp or kombu, about 2 X 6 inches long
1 Tbsp. oil
2 green onions, sliced into 1-inch pieces
1 small onion, sliced
5 shiitake mushrooms, hydrated in water to cover for two hours
4 Tbsp. toenjang (fermented soybean paste), or to taste
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. soft tofu, sliced into 1-inch cubes
handful of napa cabbage, cut into 1-1/2 pieces
1 small zucchini, sliced lengthwise and then again into thin moons
225 g or 1/2 lb. white mushrooms, sliced
1 package enoki mushrooms, roots trimmed, mushrooms separated
salt and ground black pepper to taste
jalapeno slices
Korean red pepper powder

Love the sight of these beautiful vegetables-- that spells Korean cuisine right there :)

A marvel tip with mushrooms: Did you know mushrooms naturally generate Vitamin D? Even after being harvested, mushrooms can absorb Vitamin D through direct sunlight so leave them near the window before cooking to absorb those extra rays!

Wipe the kelp/kombu with a damp towel. Soak in 4 cups water for two hours to make stock. 

Heat oil over medium-high in a deep skillet/pot and sauté onions and shiitake mushrooms for two minutes until fragrant and onions soft. Pour in the stock, bring to a boil and add garlic. Let cook for a minute, then add tofu; cover and bring to a boil and let simmer for five minutes.

Arrange the white and enoki mushrooms, zucchini and cabbage on the surface. Cook gently for five minutes more. Top with green onion slices, jalapeno slices and/or Korean hot pepper powder. Serve pot at the table or ladle into individual bowls.

Serve with steamed short-grain rice, kimchi and homemade seasoned bean sprouts (recipe to come).

To take the meal further, offer leafy lettuce (red or green), perilla leaves, garlic and jalapeno slices to make rice wraps. Take a piece of lettuce, put in a little rice, add kimchi, garlic and jalapeno, wrap up and eat straight or dip into sesame oil seasoned with salt and pepper.

Who says vegetarian meals cannot be hearty and satisfying? We definitely did not miss the meat. Adopting a meatless day or two days a week is certainly attainable. The best is sharing your green journey with recipes and tips with others to bring awareness to the health of eating a pure plant-based diet (even if its sometimes) and to understand more about bypassing meat and dairy-- some say to lessen the environmental burden that animal and meat production places on crops and water, and others the health benefits of being a vegan, including a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity (Sage Nov/Dec 2015 "Want to go Vegan?").

Spanish Saffron Chicken...

This full-on flavour Spanish dish using chicken is considered homely, comfort food. Slightly sweet paprika or pimentón is the most extensively used spice in Spanish cuisine combined with the most expensive spice in the world saffron, they impart a wonderful earthy flavour particularly in stews and rice dishes. I made this recipe eons ago before I had kids, and I happened to have all the ingredients on hand, except instead of serving on hot cooked rice I tried it on orzo pasta. My youngest son didn't take to the earthy flavour of saffron so I gave him plain orzo with just chicken and less sauce. The rest of the family enjoyed it but wanted to douse their plates with hot sauce. By all means, go ahead and spice it up...

Spanish Saffron Chicken

Makes 6-8 servings

8 chicken thighs, bone-in and skinless (buy it skin-on and remove skin and excess fat yourself-- cheaper that way)

salt and round black pepper
1 medium onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced
225 g fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 cup water
2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. chicken bouillon powder
1/2 tsp. saffron threads or 1/2 tsp. turmeric
2 Tbsp. ripe olives, sliced or whole pitted
1 cup frozen green peas
1/4 cup skim milk
1 Tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbsp. water

hot cooked long grain rice or cooked orzo pasta

Spice merchant weighing saffron threads
Photo Credit: The Real Taste of Spain by Chandler

Season chicken pieces with a little salt and pepper. Spray skillet or dutch oven with cooking spray; cook chicken over medium heat until browned. Remove chicken onto plate. Remove excess pan drippings and add onion, garlic, and mushrooms; sauté until tender. Return chicken, add water, paprika, bouillon powder, and saffron threads. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes until chicken is tender. To serve, place rice/pasta on a serving platter. Remove chicken and arrange on top of rice/pasta. Add olives, peas and skim milk to skillet/dutch oven.Cover and simmer five minutes. Add cornstarch mixture, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. 

Top chicken with vegetable mixture and sauce. Serve hot.

Moist and delicious! It's one of those dishes that can be casual but entertaining-worthy for either a weeknight or weekend. Buen provecho!

If you like Spanish food, try my mouthwatering succulent Seafood Paella. 

Seafood Paella

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Cheater's Chili Con Carne...

Go ahead and cheat... well with chili that is. If you don`t have a bunch of spices in your pantry, canned tomatoes seasoned with chili flavour (not chilli the spice, but chili the stew) is your best bet to give you the combined flavours of cumin, paprika, cinnamon and chilli. Use up those leftover veggies in your fridge-- you have an extra stalk of celery-- go straight ahead... how about carrots-- that can go in too... veggies that are not typically in chili-- chop them up and throw that in... slow simmering for an hour and a half breaks it all down anyway creating smothered tender easy eats by the spoonful. Oh, and why the balsamic vinegar you ask-- see the recipe for what secret it imparts. I served it differently tonight with large pearl couscous and blue corn tortilla chips! Oh what fun!

Cheater's Chili Con Carne
Makes 6-8 servings

3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, peeled and chopped
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 (540 mL) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 (540 mL) cans diced tomatoes (Chili flavour)
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar (an aha! I got from a Jamie Oliver chili recipe-- see method)

salt and pepper to taste

EVOO
garnish with chopped cilantro, green onions, red onions and a splash of lime juice

TIP: The chili tomatoes have some heat, so if you don`t want too much for your family, go with one can and the other with a can of regular diced tomatoes instead. 

Heat olive oil in skillet on medium high and add onions, celery, pepper and garlic; cook until soft about three minutes stirring occasionally. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as you stir to cook for about five minutes. Add the beans and canned tomatoes; bring to a boil stirring occasionally for ten minutes before spooning in balsamic vinegar (this gives the savoury and slightly sweet tangy notes of a long-simmered chili). Turn the heat down to a simmer with the lid slightly askew for one hour and a half, stirring now and then to ensure the liquid distributes and doesn`t dry out at the bottom and burn.

Finish with salt and pepper to taste and a splash of EVOO. Stir well and serve hot!

This is fabulous served over baked potato, regular couscous, large pearl couscous, fluffy rice, or a hunk of crusty bread. I opted to go with large pearl couscous and organic blue corn tortilla chips with a side of roasted vegetables. Garnish with your favourites including more hot sauce at the table!

A great comfort weeknight meal!

Click here for a Vegetarian Chili.