Dining out – WHOLE WHEAT PEROGIES

Sometimes, the best restaurants take a bit of effort to get to – but it’s worth it.

Today, I went for a drive with my friend Susan and her two youngsters, Allie and Jackson, to admire the fall leaves along the S. Saskatchewan River. Our destination was the New Ground Café in Birch Hills, an hour or so north of Saskatoon.

My friend Jenny Willems started this fabulous little café last December. Eventhough it’s small (only five tables) and the menu is small (two or three items to choose from) it’s got big tastes and an ambitious flare. The chalkboard menu changes daily depending on what Jenny has purchased from local farmers and gardeners.

Jackson ordered the chicken noodle soup. Jenny warned him, ever so mother-like, that it might taste a little different because it’s made with coconut milk and Thai seasoning. Jackson took one spoonful and said it was so good we all had to try it. Allie ordered the best, gooeyest, whole wheat cinnamon bun I have ever eaten. Susan had the Turkey Dinner pizza – cranberry sauce topped with turkey and cheese. After an intrepid bite, Allie declared it so good she wanted half of her mom’s pizza. I had a creamy soup of potatoes and spaghetti squash with chunks of blue potato. It was so filling I couldn’t eat it all (along with a big chunk of bannock), but since Susan had given away half her pizza she was happy to polish it off. Driving away, Susan said there was not one thing she tasted that wasn’t delicious, and that’s saying a lot for a little restaurant off the beaten path.

The first time I visited the New Ground Café, Jenny was making blue cheese perogies for dinner. She has offered to share her favourite perogie dough recipe:

2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. oil
2 Tbsp. sour cream
3 eggs
1 cup water

Jenny’s note: Let rest at least half an hour before using. Add more flour if too sticky. Can double as ravioli dough.

GRILLS for your taste?

Killer Spinach

So, we have been told not to eat spinach from the grocery store. The spinach could be contaminated with E-coli which has killed one person and made countless sick. The U.S. FDA says it's not a case of food tampering. But I say it is! We are tampering with our natural food system by relying on distant cheap-labour mega-farms for our fresh food. Standards slip, things go wrong, one mistake affects millions of consumers.

I will not be throwing out my store-bought spinach because I don't buy spinach in the store. I buy spinach from the local farmers' market when it's in season. I also grow my own and freeze it for winter months. If we stay connected to the sources of our food we are much less likely to be the victims of killer produce.

MT KINABALU ...

TUPAC Waxed

Madam Tussaud in London unveiled the Wax statue of TUPAC SHAKUR.

Water off a duck’s back – DUCK WRAPPED IN BACON

I went duck hunting on Saturday for the first time. It was perfect weather – if you’re a duck. Rain, rain and rain. I went with Sue, who hunts for food, and Katherine, a new hunter, to a pond near Perdue, Saskatchewan. I was dressed in my husband’s waders, with boots so big I was tripping on the barb wire fences we crawled through. We sat beneath a stand of young willows in a patch of wild mint and waited for the ducks to fly by.

Well, the ducks weren’t flying. So we gabbed for an hour or more, never fired a shot, and walked back to the house to warm up. However, we were not without a duck. Sue’s large munsterlander (a hunting dog) caught a young mallard duck. Back at the house, Sue cut the breasts off the duck, smothered them in Cajun spice and BBQd them to a charred rare. It was so good.

But the best part was lunch. We met up with a group of hunters at the Saskatoon Gun Club for a lunch made from wild fowl – coot cassoulet, crane wraps and best of all, Sue’s BBQd duck in bacon.

SUE’S BBQD DUCK IN BACON
Marinate fresh duck breast overnight in Italian dressing. Cut the duck breasts into small, thin strips. Lay half a piece of bacon flat and put a slice duck on top.
Add a piece of hot pepper (jalapeno or pickled chili) at the end and roll all together. Fasten with a toothpick. Grill only as long as it takes for the bacon to cook, and serve!

PICTURE PERFECT

KOOL KATS

Newsaper - PASTA NORMA

This article appeared in the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix on 18 Sept. 2006.

Summer’s bounty lingers in the luscious eggplant
The other night at dinner my husband put down his fork and declared the words every home cook would treasure: "This is as good as candy." And we weren’t even eating dessert! It was Pasta Norma, a dish from Sicily which (so the story goes) was named for the opera Norma when it debuted in 1831. The opera tells the story of a tragic love affair between a Roman official and a Druid high priestess. This does not seem to have any direct relation to the main ingredient in Pasta Norma – eggplant – except perhaps to say that it’s wickedly good.

Eggplant is not that common in Saskatchewan gardens, but it’s one of those exotic Mediterranean vegetables that will grow here with proper pampering. A couple of years ago, I found some eggplant seedlings in a local greenhouse and put them in my garden. I got lots of cute little purple eggplants, which spurred me to find new ways to cook them.

Fresh off that success, I planted some more seedlings last year but they didn’t do so well. I got just two eggplants which, if divided by the price of the seedlings, cost me $5 each. It is much less expensive and more reliable to buy them at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market. Freshly picked eggplants are available there in late summer and early fall, making this the perfect time to try some classic eggplant recipes from around the world.

The dish that immediately comes mind is the French vegetable stew called ‘ratatouille’, a mix of eggplant, tomatoes, red peppers and fresh basil that’s easy to make and delicious either hot or cold. The next classic recipe I tried was Eggplant Parmigiana, an Italian dish of fried eggplant baked with a tomato-basil sauce and lots of Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. It is absolutely yummy. Middle Eastern cooks make a dip for flatbread and vegetables with eggplant and tahini called ‘baba ghanoush’ and it’s the main ingredient in the Greek baked dish ‘moussaka’.

Not only do I have eggplant in my kitchen, I also have it on my walls. One year for my birthday my husband gave me a still-life painting of an eggplant and a squash. Not long after, I invited my friend Tomasia for dinner. I suppose she hadn’t examined my walls until she was sitting at the table, when she looked up and demanded, "Why on earth do you have a picture of an eggplant on your wall?" In the 17th Century, still-life paintings of food were wildly popular in northern Europe, in part because they reminded people of their growing prosperity and the distances their ships would travel in search of exotic goods.

My eggplant painting reminds me of summer and my search for new and wonderful foods produced in Saskatchewan. I’m an enthusiastic supporter of local food, so it’s always exciting to discover a new gem to include in an all-Saskatchewan diet. Eggplant is often paired with tomatoes, as it is in Pasta Norma.

PASTA NORMA
olive oil
3 small eggplants
2 cloves garlic
8-10 plum tomatoes
a handful of fresh basil
salt and pepper
ricotta cheese
cooked pasta for four

Heat olive oil in a skillet until hot. Use enough oil to thickly coat the bottom of the pan. Slice the eggplant in rounds and then cut the rounds into quarters. Fry the eggplant in hot oil until soft and brown. It will soak up much of the oil so you may need to add more.

Meanwhile, sauté garlic in 1/4 cup olive oil. Stir in chopped tomatoes, chopped basil, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then simmer for 15 minutes or more, pressing the tomatoes to create a sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, place pasta in individual bowls, scoop on some tomato sauce, top with eggplant and sprinkle with ricotta cheese. This dish is at its absolute best when the eggplant and tomatoes are young and fresh, so hike on down to the farmers’ market and do it right!

Tupac Tribute

10th Anniversary of Hip-Hop Icon Tupac Shakur Death

On this date ten years ago, the hip hop world was dealt a major blow and the landscape of hip hop and rap was changed forever with the passing of one of the most beloved rap artists to ever emerge in hip hop culture, Tupac Amaru Shakur .

Seven days after being shot in Las Vegas, Tupac succumbed to his wounds and left this world behind. He fought like the true souljah he was but in the end it was his time to go and hip hop has never, and probably will never be the same or see another Tupac Shakur .

With his charisma, he attracted fans world wide of every color and background. It is said hip hop recognizes ‘real’ and Tupac was definitely ‘real’ as ‘real’ gets. That ‘realism’ and connection with the people of hip hop culture is what has gained him Icon Status in hip hop culture.

Who shot the hip hop icon may never be solved. The ‘alive’ theories, at least keep his name in peoples mouth, but either way if Tupac wants to be dead – so be it and respect the man. If he had to leave us, we can rejoice in the fact that he is certainly in a better place; but it is hard to let go. People really don’t want to let him go and that is 10 years later.

Tupac was a legendary figure, not only in hip hop or because of his rap flow but he was so well rounded as an artist. He wrote poetry, acted, could relate to the everyday struggle of the real streets and he never forgot how hard life really is for many. His roots ran deep and he never forgot his beginnings.

Tupac’s first hip-hop album ‘2Pacalypse Now’. It was something that I had never heard before. The press and media were claiming that Tupac was a gangsta rapper. But to me he wasn’t. His lyrics stood for what he had seen whilst growing up on this earth, he wanted to show people the real truth and make them aware that we needed change. He was the voice of the hip-hop generation and what the hip-hop culture is all about.

Tupac was once asked what he was best known for and his response was ‘my big mouth’. He was right he did have a big mouth and at times this got him into trouble either with the law or other fellow rappers. But even when this was the case; you always knew that his heart was in the right place. Later on in Tupac’s career he was asked the same question, his answer this time was ‘surviving, I hope I’m known for surviving’.

‘All Eyez On Me’ was then released after Tupac had left jail. It was the first of its kind; a hip-hop and rap album containing two discs. There was a song on it for everyone, from the thugs, to the single parent women. Whether you were from the west coast or the east coast you could find a track to relate to. The production was perfect for Tupac, whether a hard hitting bass drum produced by Daz Dillinger or a melodic track produced by my favorite Johnny “J”. The album had everything on it.

I look forward to the release of the new Tupac album due out very soon and just pray that this album is a true reflection of Tupac and is not a mis-representation. What the public needs to hear is the real Tupac, the way that he recorded it with the producers that he worked with. What we don’t need is today’s artists being mixed with Tupac’s lyrics and producers working on the project that never knew Tupac.

Today remember the man Tupac Shakur not only for what he did for hip hop but for the man he was; the man who shed light on the real problems in society and spoke and wrote on them. Listen to some Pac, watch some Pac or read some Pac – spend the day with Pac.

Rest in Peace young warrior – you are truly missed and loved by many. Your Legacy will roll on forever. Thanks for touching us in the way only you could have. Much Luv Pac.

50 Cent Arrested In New York For Traffic Violations

Watch Video:

- 50 Cent Getting Arrested In His Lambo

50 Cent caused a big stir near New York's Madison Square Garden on Friday afternoon (September 8) when he was pulled over by police while driving his silver Lamborghini, according to witnesses.

The situation soon became a spectacle as 50 calmly sat in his vehicle — even smiling — while police handled their investigation and a few dozen pedestrians looked on. The G-Unit leader was eventually led away in handcuffs, causing some onlookers to yell out, "Don't arrest him!" The chants were to no avail. He was hauled off in a police car, and his vehicle was towed away as well.

Police told NBC News that 50's car no plates, registration or inspection sticker. At press time, police had not confirmed the arrest with MTV News nor released any details. Reps for the MC could not be reached for comment.

Source:http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/154...headlines=true

Exclusive: 50 Cent, Sean 'Diddy' Combs Declare 'Cease Fire'

50 Cent and Sean "Diddy" Combs ended their feud Wednesday after mutual acquaintances of the two moguls persuaded them to end their beef, official sources said.

Sources close to the negotiations told AllHipHop.com that the two spoke in person last night (Sept. 6) about their verbal jabs at each other on upcoming albums and mixtapes.

"We are definitely doing a 'cease fire,'" Chris Lighty, CEO of Violator Management, told AllHipHop.com.

According to sources, 50 Cent's complaint with Combs emerged after the Bad Boy mogul refused to release Bad Boy recording artist Mase from contractual binds so that he could sign to 50 Cent's G-Unit imprint.

50 Cent lashed out at Combs on "Hip-Hop Is Dead: G-Unit Radio Part 22," a new mixtape.

Who shot Biggie Smalls/If we don't get them they're gonna kill us all/Man, Puffy know who hit that ni**a, man, that n***a saw him/He's scared 'dem boys from the West Side will break him off, jump on his ass,so he run to Harlem to shake 'em off," 50 Cent raps on the song.

Elsewhere on the mixtape, the track called "Get Down," featuring Tony Yayo and Hot Rod, finds 50 Cent taking more jabs at Combs.

However, an unreleased version of the intro track to Combs' upcoming album Press Play began circulating the internet, leading to speculation that Diddy's yelling of "I'm richer, b***h!" on the song was directed at 50 Cent.

Sources said that the track was recorded before Combs' and 50's beef went public. In an interview with Hot 97's Funkmaster Flex, Combs downplayed the turmoil between himself and 50.

Dixie Chicks Hair Styles August 14

Dixie Chicks Hair Styles
Photorazzi/Janet Mayer

All of the Dixie Chicks have great hair styles. The weekly Best Hair Styles of the week goes to all three of them.

Long, wavy hair style

Slightly messy updo

Partial Updo

All three hair styles look perfect.

For styling information and tips, visit our main site at www.hrhairstyles.com The Dixie Chicks hair styles page is located in the Updo II section, since two out of the three hair styles are considered updos.

Gifts of food - STEELHEAD TROUT WITH CHERRY TOMATOES

One day not too long ago, I got a phone call out of the blue from a woman who reads my column in the newspaper about Saskatchewan food. Her name was Genevieve. She said she had a gift for me. It was two big bottles of her marinated vinegar – one with garden herbs and the other with saskatoon berries – and a jar of pesto. What a treat! She told me to wait awhile before opening the vinegar. So, my first taste was last night. Here’s what I did with it:

STEELHEAD TROUT ROASTED WITH CHERRY TOMATOES
Steelhead is a type of trout raised at the Wild West Steelhead fish farm on Lake Diefenbaker near Lucky Lake, Saskatchewan. I purchased some trout while on a visit to the farm. It had been caught, cleaned and packaged within the hour. And cooked just a few hours after that! Any other fish fillets would work just as well in this recipe.

Heat the oven to 425. Take two handfuls of cherry tomatoes and cut them in half. (Red and yellow tomatoes would make a pretty mix.) Toss them with some shredded basil, a pinch or two of kosher salt and a good dousing of herb vinegar. Marinate for an hour.

Rub the bottom of a roasting pan with olive oil. Place two fillets of trout in the oil, skin side down. Season with salt and white pepper. Arrange the cherry tomatoes on top of the fillets. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil. Roast in the oven uncovered for about 15 minutes, until the fish is flaky.
Top the fish with some grated white cheese – parmesan, mozzarella or gruyere for example. Turn the oven to broil and bake until the cheese is melted. I served the fish with boiled fingerling potatoes and just-picked corn on the cob.

On the Airwaves - TROUT BAKED IN SALT

If you listen to CBC radio during the day (in Saskatchewan) you can catch my new food column Home on the Range on the program "Blue Sky" with Jen Gibson. I'll be on the show monthly to talk about my adventures in Saskatchewan foodland. My first show is today between 1:30 and 2:00 pm. We're going to talk (among other things) about my visit to Canada's largest fresh water fish farm - Wild West Steelhead on Lake Diefenbaker. It should be fun!

Update: The first program was marvellous. Robin called in from Regina to rave about Saskatchewan wild rice. He has a ten-year tradition of buying a big bag of rice and sharing it with his coworkers, so they get a chance to sample a product that is not readily available in their city. Isn't that sweet?! Lois called from Moose Jaw with her favourite recipe for Saskatchewan's fall bounty - beet borscht. Jen tried to twist Lois's arm to send us her secret family recipe. I'm crossing my fingers for that!

WILD WEST STEELHEAD TROUT BAKED IN SALT
Stuff the cavity of a whole 5-lb fish with lemon slices and fresh thyme. Place it in a long baking dish and cover with course salt. Use a 2 kg. box of Sifto salt (mined in Saskatchewan). The fish should be completely covered. Bake for 1.5 hours at 325 C. When it comes out of the oven the salt will be rock hard. Crack it open with a knife, peel off the skin of the fish and lift out the flesh.

MALAYSIAN BUDGET

"Budget Highlights"

* The budget plans an expenditure of RM136.8 Bil, an increase of 5% over 2005, aimed at better development and quality of life for the people.

* Of the amount, operating expenditure, which includes the normal runing of the government such as civil servants pay, will be RM101.3bil; while the rest will be for development expenditure, which will also involve new projects.

* Cigarette tax increased by 13%, while tax on liquor up by 9%.

* Automatic income tax relief of up to RM4,000 for each child (RM9,000 for disabled children) studying in local institutions of higher learning.

* With the exception of vehicles in Sarawak, private diesel vehicles exceeding 1,600cc will be given road tax deduction of 40%, effective Oct 5.

* Stamp duty and real property gains tax to be abolised on mergers and acquisitions of listed companies. This will be effective from Oct 1 this year and till the end of 2007. The aim is to strengthen the capital market.

* A total of 334 posts will be established to facilitate one-stop centres in all local authorities in expediting the processing of licences and permits, as well as payment of assessment fees and fines.

* Emphasis will be given to skills training and technical expertise. RM493 million is allocated for the enrolment of students in technical, vocational and skills training, which will be increased from 72,000 students for this year to 98,000 in 2006.

* In addition, an allocation of nearly RM1 billion is provided for trade and industrial training at Institut Kemahiran MARA, Pusat Giat MARA, Institut Kemahiran Belia Negara, Industrial Training Institutes and Advanced Technology Training Centres.

* To continue its long war on drug abuse Pemadam is to review rehabilitation methods. RM207 million allocated for National AntiDrug Agency to undertake prevention treatment and rehabilitation programmes and management of 29 rehabilitation centres

* Another concern has been AIDS. The health Ministry is to set up Advisory Panel to formulate an integrated action plan to fight HIV and Aids. Number of cases this year has risen to 65,000

* Government to spend RM1.1bil to build 26,000 housing units for teachers, members of the armed forces, police, firemen and customs officers.

* Khazanah Nasional will be establishing a National Agriculture and Food Corporation. Initial apital for the project will be RM500mil. It is aimed to make it a centre of excellence in agricultural supply chain management.

* The government has been emphasising on development of biotechnology and in line with this it is contributing RM100mil to launch the 'Malaysian Life Sciences Capital Fund'. This is to encourage investments in biotechnolgy to be managed by Malaysian Technology Development Corporation.

* The agriculture sector is allocated a sum of RM2.8 billion for development expenditure, primarily for agriculture, animal husbandry, fishery and forestry.

* The Fund for Food (3F) will be further increased by RM300 million to ensure sufficient funding for the food production industry.

* The Government will establish a new company with an initial funding of RM200 million to develop forest plantations commercially.

* RM400 million allocated to finance agricultural projects of GLCs.

* Group relief to companies within a group, with a minimum of 70% ownership between them. The group relief allows 50% of a company's current year losses to be offset against the profits of other companies in the same group.

* For companies with Pioneer Status, accumulated losses and unabsorbed capital allowances during the pioneer period will be allowed to be carried forward and be deducted from the post-pioneer income.

* A Yayasan Amanah Hartanah Bumiputera, a Bumiputera property trust foundation with an initial capital of RM2bil is to be established to purchase commercial properties in prime locations.

* Much stress on rural development to give a better life to the rural people. This includes better education, water and electricty supply and roads. About RM5.7bil would be spent for this.

* The government has pledged to go all out and fight increasing crime. In line with this the police force is to be reinforced. RM3.5bil has been allocated for operational expenditure and RM493mil for development expenditure. In addition police personnel in lower ranks would be reimbursed for stitching uniforms with up to RM100 per uniform for three uniforms.

* One of the aims of the government was to lower the the budget deficit from the current 3.8% of the gross domestic product to 3.5%. It was 5.6% in 2002.

* Sabah state has been allocated RM2.3bil for 2006 to build roads, and improve water and electricity supply as well as education and health services

* Sarawak has been allocated RM2bil to provide better roads, airports and education.

* Civil service fixed allowance for all supporting staff to be increased between RM30 and RM50.

* Civil servants earning up to RM750 a month will receive two months bonus.

* Those earning more than RM750 a month will be paid a bonus of one month salary, subject to a minimum of RM1,500.

* The bonus will be paid in two equal instalments in October and December 2006.

* Cost of living allowance to be extended to those provided with government quarters at the rate of 50 per cent of those not staying in government quarters, effective Sept 1 2006. This will benefit over 146,000 civil servants.

* Housing loans for civil servants to be increased by 20 per cent effective immediately.

* The government to pay pensioners who are also affected by the escalating cost of living with a one-off payment. Those receiving pension of less than RM750 a month will receive RM400 and those receiving pension of RM750 and above will receive RM200.

Saskatchewan Sea Salt

As readers of this blog will know, my husband and I ate almost exclusively the foods of Saskatchewan in our own home for a whole year. During that time, people would try to catch me cheating by naming a food that no one could do without. Like salt and pepper. Where did I get Saskatchewan salt and pepper?

Hah! That’s easy. First of all, I buy peppercorns from Carole Stratychuk at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market. She grows the pepper on her vacation farm in Costa Rica, where she spends the winter months. So, while it’s not grown in Saskatchewan, it is grown by Saskatchewan hands.

As for salt, that’s even easier. There is a Sifto salt mine at Unity where they make table salt, kosher salt, pickling salt, water softener salt and salt licks for livestock. I toured the salt mine yesterday and was really impressed with the operation. The salt is extracted from an ancient sea bed 4,000 feet below the surface of the earth. To get the salt, they shoot down enough water to create a brine, pump it to the surface, and evaporate off the liquid. Voila, billion-year-old sea salt from Saskatchewan!

In the store, look on the box for a little circle that contains some letters and the number 69. That number denotes products from the Unity salt mine.