kitchen rap

• new to the kitchen
• Father's Day baking
• gifts for dad
• Victoria Day sale, May 19 - 22
• Kathleen Sloan's sparrow grass!
• from Kathleen's recipe box… risotto primavera
• from Kathleen's recipe box… quick asparagus saute
• from Kathleen's recipe box… asparagus with mustard hollandaise & prosciutto
• from the Robin Hood recipe box… toffee chocolate bars
• publishing and subscription information

Cybernox skillets and casserole
Sitram's Cybernox cookware features a non-stick cooking surface which is more durable than steel. Unlike traditional non-stick surface coatings, Cybernox's super hard alloy is actually fused and integrated into the 18/10 stainless steel pan; the Cybernox surface is guaranteed to remain stick-resistant for a lifetime, unlike non-stick coatings whose stick-resistance decreases over time. Because Cybernox is metal - and only metal - it will never blister or peel, even if accidentally overheated to 1800°F. The cooking surface is so hard it's completely safe for use with metal utensils and it's recommended for dishwasher use!

Steelmaid pie and cake pans
High quality, heavy gauge, brushed stainless steel make Steelmaid pie and cake pans virtually non-stick. Noticeably thicker than a typical pan, Steelmaid cookware is dishwasher safe and is guaranteed for 10 years.

Bonjour Salad Chef and Bar-B-Que Chef
Create perfectly emulsified salad dressings or blended barbeque sauces and marinades at the touch of a button. Battery-operated mixers with emulsification blades perfectly blend ingredients. The unbreakable carafes feature 4 delicious recipes printed directly on the carafe; simply pour in liquid ingredients to the indicated fill lines, add dry ingredients, and then insert the mixer and press the button. An interactive recipe booklet with 10 additional recipes is included; simply stand the recipe booklet next to the carafe and follow the ingredient guide lines. A wonderful host/hostess gift when visiting a friend's cottage!

Sugar Bear brown sugar softeners
How to keep your brown sugar from becoming hard? Use a Sugar Bear brown sugar softener. Made of clay, the sugar bear is soaked in water for 20 minutes and then placed in your brown sugar storage container, where it will keep the sugar soft for up to 3 months (after which you simply resoak the softener and reuse). Also works well for keeping popcorn kernels, cookies, raisins, and dried fruit moist.

Amco teaspoon and tablespoon magnets
These are just so cute! Stainless steel teaspoon and tablespoon measures, shaped like Amco's excellent measuring cups, have magnets attached to their base, so you can keep them on your refrigerator or oven and they'll always be close at hand.

Click here to view our complete list of Father's Day baking tools and ingredients

grilling cookbooks
We don't mean to imply anything about your dad (or husband!), but why not give the man in your life something he will really use: The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Grilling, co-authored by chef Ted Reader -- he of the brightly coloured shirts and never-ending wit. For a global perspective on grilling, try The Global Grill by Kathleen Sloan. And for the truly innovative, there's The Sticks & Stones Cookbook: The Art of Grilling on Plank, Vine and Stone, co-authored by Ted and Kathleen.

wine accessories
Everything for the wine lover ... wine and champagne buckets and chillers ... foil cutters ... corkscrews ... wine thermometers ... drip stoppers ... wine toppers ... wine and champagne keepers.

cocktail goodies
For the wannabe bartender ... ice buckets, tongs and crushers ... cocktail shakers and strainers... bar tools ... bottle openers and stoppers ... jiggers, pourers, and stirrers ... bar blenders.

Click here to view our complete list of Father's Day gift suggestions

I am passionate about asparagus and crave it at this time of the year from tight tip to slender stalk. I go for it whether sauteed quickly and drizzled with a little extra virgin olive oil, bathed in butter or languishing in hollandaise. A member of the lily family, asparagus always seems to provoke strong feelings in food lovers. It may start with the colour. The Germans love white asparagus -- spargel they call it -- and so do the French and Spanish. White asparagus is grown completely underground to keep it from turning green. There is also a beautiful purple variety of asparagus called viola.

But for most of us, asparagus is green whether we choose those big hefty, thick stems or the pencil-thin skinnies that cook so quickly. More debate rages among asparagus afficionados about that, too: I knew an excellent English cook who maintained that bigger was definitely better where asparagus was concerned. She always chose the fattest stalks she could find, barely trimmed them, splashed them with boiling water and cooked them with a bit of salt until quite soft.

I would protest that the woody stems were inedible, she would gobble them down from stem to stern and happily scrape the fat ends between her teeth (like artichoke leaves, another harbinger of spring), to get every last bit.

Some say slender is better and that, rather than cutting, each spear should be snapped off midway up the stalk, at the point where it gives most easily. Discarded bits can be packed in containers and frozen for use in stocks and the like. Perfectionists and big-time chefs insist the vegetable should be peeled from the bottom up to within an inch of the tips, removing stringy bits and scales.

The debate doesn't end there; some like to cook asparagus in an asparagus cooker, the tall pot with an inner steamer and a diameter of about five inches, made for steaming asparagus. Much better, I think, to simply lay the little beauties in a large, flat skillet, sprinkle with a bit of sea salt and barely cover with boiling water. The Roman Emperor Augustus used to say "do it in less time than it takes to cook asparagus!", which should give you some idea of how quickly it cooks. Once they are set loosely in boiling water, I like to let the water return to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about three to five minutes. Drain, drizzle with butter and devour. Or, do what the Italians love to do with asparagus: blanch briefly in boiling water, drain and set in a shallow terracotta dish and drizzle with melted butter. A few grinds of salt and black pepper and a generous grating of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (none of that canister stuff!) and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes. Or do as Madame de Pompadour did and enjoy asparagus spears dipped in soft-cooked egg yolk -- like toast soldiers -- with a shaving or two of black truffle -- aphrodisiacs with a capital A!

Here, then, are a few more ways with asparagus, each one guaranteed to warm the hearts of asparagus lovers during the lusty month of May.

Until next month, cook and eat with love --

Kathleen Sloan

Kathleen Sloan is a Toronto-born food writer whose work has appeared in major Canadian newspapers and magazines. Author of four cookbooks -- Rustic Italian Cooking, The Global Grill, The Sticks & Stones Cookbook (with Ted Reader) and The Wine Lover Cooks (with Tony Aspler) -- she lives with her beau and their black lab and assorted children who come and go, in Niagara wine country.

	asparagus cooker 4-1/2 quart stainless steel stock pot, steamer basket & glass lid $63.75 more info		asparagus tongs grooves hold asparagus spears firmly stainless steel $9.25 more info

risotto primavera

What could be nicer for the month of May than a colourful risotto based on the new spring vegetables? You can vary the vegetables according to availability but make sure to include asparagus and tiny new peas.

Wine of choice -- Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand or a Niagara wine country Cabernet Franc

1. In a large pot of lightly salted, boiling water, cook asparagus and peas for 2 minutes or until tender-crisp. Drain and refresh under cold running water; drain again.
2. In a large saucepan, bring chicken stock to a boil. Reduce heat to a slow simmer and keep the stock at this steady, slightly bubbling state throughout the rest of the cooking.
3. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add onkion and cook for 2 minutes or until translucent. Stir in garlic; cook for 2 minutes logner. Add rice all at once; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until grains are well coated with butter and oil. Pour in wine; cook, stirring for 1 minute or until wine is absorbed.
4. Using a ladle, start to add simmering stock 1/2 cup (125 mL) at a time. As each ladle of stock is added, stir the rice to keep it from sticking to bottom and sides of saucepan; do not add more stock until last addition is absorbed. If the stock is absorbed too quickly, reduce heat to maintain a slow, steady simmer.
5. Repeat this process, ladling in hot stock and stirring, for 15 minutes. As you near the end of cooking time, reduce amount of stock to 1/4 cup (50 mL) at a time.
6. Stir in asparagus and zucchini. Continue to cook, adding more stock as necessary, until rice is tender but with a firm heart and overall creaminess.
7. A minute before completion, stir in Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, basil and parsley. Season to taste and serve at once.

Serves 4 - 6

quick asparagus saute

This is a fabulously easy and quick preparation. Really nice when served over skinny Asian noodles or fresh pasta like linguine or spaghettini.

Wine of choice -- Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand

1. Cut each asparagus into three pieces on an angle. Heat the olive oil in a wok and, when hot, toss in asparagus and shallots and stir-fry for less than a minute, making sure that the asparagus is well coated with oil.
2. Add water, bring to a boil, reduce heat immediately and cover. Cook for a brief 2 minutes or so until asparagus is cooked but still tender-crisp. Remove lid, increase heat and allow any remaining water to evaporate.
3. Just before serving, add sesame or truffle oil, toss together and serve.

Serves 4

asparagus with mustard hollandaise & prosciutto

Here is a lovely appetizer to serve at spring dinners or as part of a Sunday afternoon buffet. The mustard hollandaise is also very good with poached eggs, cooked ham or cauliflower.

Wine of choice -- A full-flavoured Chardonnay or a Niagara wine country Riesling

1. Pare the bottom of each asparagus stalk 2 inches (5 cm). Place the asparagus in a shallow pan and cover with boiling water. Add a little salt and cook until tender-crisp, about 3 - 5 minutes, depending on thickness. Drain and refresh under cold running water; drain again.
2. Loosely arrange prosciutto attractively on a large oval serving platter. Then arrange asparagus over the prosciutto. Set to one side as you prepare the mustard hollandaise.
3. In a small saucepan, melt butter and keep warm. Using another small saucepan (or top of a double boiler) combine egg yolks with the boiling water, whisking continuously over low heat until yolks begin to thicken. (Don't allow water to boil in double boiler or it will cook the yolks.)
4. Add mustard to yolks and whisk in well. Then, gradually add warm, melted butter and continue to whisk over low heat for a few minutes until the sauce is nicely thickened and smooth. Add a little white pepper, if you wish, or a bit of chopped fresh herbs like parsley or chives.
5. Pour sauce over the plated asparagus and serve immediately with slices of good crusty bread.

Serves 4 - 6

toffee chocolate bars

A sweet idea for Father's Day. A combination of crunchy Skor toffee bits, creamy chocolate and a crisp cookie base make these toffee chocolate bars a delicious finale after any meal. They taste just like your favourite chocolate bar and are a hit with kids and adults alike. They are excellent for freezing and are the kind of dessert that won’t last long when sitting on your kitchen counter.

1. Cream first 3 ingredients until well blended and mixture comes together. Press evenly in 9" × 13" cake pan.
2. Bake at 350°F (180C) for 20 - 25 minutes, or until light golden. Cool on wire rack while preparing filling.
3. Heat sweetened condensed milk and 2 tbsp (30 mL) margarine in heavy saucepan, stirring constantly over medium heat for 5 - 10 minutes, or until thickened. Spread over baked base. Bake 12 - 15 minutes longer, or until golden.
4. Sprinkle milk chocolate chips evenly over top. Bake 2 minutes more or until chocolate is shiny and soft. Remove from oven. Spread chocolate evenly. Sprinkle Skor toffee bits on top, pressing lightly into chocolate.
5. Cool completely. If necessary, chill just to set chocolate before cutting into bars. Store at room temperature.

Recipe © 2000-2001, Robin Hood Multifoods Inc. Reprinted with permission. For more recipes, visit the Robin Hood website.