Food Profiles
Fiddle Around With Fiddleheads
May 22 | 
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The bugs are buzzing and the fiddleheads are sprouting! These delicious vegetables come by their name honestly, as they resemble the finely crafted head of a fiddle. Fiddleheads are curled shoots or furled fronds of the ostrich fern that can be cooked and eaten! They are known for their versatility in cooking and their sprouting is a great indicator that spring has arrived. These wild and seasonal vegetables possess numerous health benefits. They are a source of antioxidants (twice the amount in blueberries), are rich in fibre and potassium, and are low in sodium. They also contain omega-3 and omega-6…
Read MoreGinger: the Spice of Health
From cakes and sweets to marinades and soups, ginger can be found in most kitchens. Not just fragrant and fresh, this rooted delight is the spice that keeps on giving when it comes to health! It’s undoubtedly one of the world’s most popular spices and medicines. Gingers is often used in Indian recipes and is a staple spice in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese cuisines. It’s a must in curry and gives many dishes that touch of spiciness. Fresh ginger and powdered ginger are used around the world and while the powder form may be more convenient, fresh ginger provides more…
Read MoreHow Do We Get Cinnamon?
Commonly used in baking, or (perhaps more often these days) as topping for your delicious coffee, cinnamon has a long history of spicing up the foods we eat. In fact, in ancient times it was considered as a gift fit for a god! So what good fortune that cinnamon, once left as an offering for the mighty Apollo is now available in our supermarkets! Made from the bark of select trees, cinnamon can be purchased as either a ground powder or in sticks. It’s made by stripping off the exterior bark and then scraping the interior into strips. Those strips…
Read MoreReal Men Eat Quiche
In 1982 an author named Bruce Feirstein wrote a bestseller called “Real Men Don’t Eat Quiche”. This tongue-in-cheek book pokes fun at notions of masculinity and portrays quiche as a typically feminine food. While clearly not the case, it can certainly speak to the cultural zeitgeist at the time, and how popular quiche had become. Quiche is a delicious pastry crust cooked with a filling of custard, cheese and meat. Variations exist (with fish or vegetables, for example) that will let chefs play with the formula, and those variations helped contribute to the dish’s popularity. While the word “quiche” may…
Read MoreMeat Loaf: Classic Comfort Food
For many people it’s a family dinner mainstay: the meat loaf. Simple, not tough to make, comfort food. But where did this delicious meal originate? Like a large number of current dishes, a similar-sounding recipe is mentioned in the Roman text “Apicius” in the 5th century. Specifically, Apicius refers to a loaf made of minced meat. Since then, meatloaf became common in Germany and Belgium. American meat loaf owes a lot to a dish called scrapple. Scrapple is a popular dish eaten by the Pennsylvania Dutch in which pork trimmings are combined with cornmeal and wheat flower and then pan-fried.…
Read MoreEverybody Loves Goulash
We’ve all heard of Goulash, but many people don’t know what exactly it is or where it comes from. For many people it’s just a food with a neat-sounding name. But if you’re Hungarian it likely means much more to you. Goulash is, after all, one of the national dishes of Hungary. Goulash is a type of stew made up of meat, noodles and vegetables, and then seasoned with delicious spices. There are usually many potatoes in there, and paprika is the primary spice. But, like most food, there is, of course, variation. Traditional goulash was made by cattle herders.…
Read MoreCroquettes: So Many Possibilities
Croquettes take on different forms around the world meaning you can take just about anything and make it into a croquette. They are small cylindrical shaped foods that are coated in breadcrumbs and fried. While ingredients vary vastly around the world some of the more common ingredients include mashed potatoes, meat, fish, cheese, vegetables and sauces. They can be sweet or savory, and have become famous as both a delicacy and fast food. The sweet or savory mixture of ingredients is bound in a thick sauce, creating a contrast of textures with the crispy exterior and warm gooey interior. The…
Read MoreAn Apple A Day
Arguably the world’s most famous fruit, the apple is often viewed as a religious symbol for forbidden fruit or a sin. It’s also the inspiration behind Issac Newton’s discovery of gravity and a common term of endearment used around the world in reference to New York City. However it’s the age-old saying of ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ that may be truer than you know. Apples boast a number of health benefits in its many different forms and varieties. We’ve put together a list highlighting some of the apple’s best attributes. Apples are low in calories, making…
Read MoreSt. ‘Pork’-tricks Day Eats
When you think of St. Patrick’s Day partygoers donning their greenest attire may come to mind, but it’s also a perfect time of year to experiment in the kitchen with Irish cuisine. Historically, the hearty crops and animals that could withstand the temperate climate largely defined Irish cuisine. The introduction of the potato drastically changed Irish cooking in the 16th century and has remained a staple ingredient in Irish kitchens. Along with the potato, other foods representative of Ireland are; stews, cabbage, boxty, coddle, colcannon and of course the ever-so-loved bacon. In fact pork is the most consumed meat per…
Read MorePho: An International Sensation
This classic Vietnamese dish is simple, delicious and will warm you to your core. Pho is usually made with broth, rice noodles, a few herbs and meat. While usually made with beef, it can be made with any kind of meat and allows for plenty of creativity in the kitchen. Pho was first sold in the early 20th century from vendors out of large boxes. It’s thought to originate in Hanoi, which back then had a large textile market. The dish proved so popular that it wasn’t long before full Pho restaurants opened and the love of Pho spread. After…
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