kitchen rap

• new to the kitchen
• on the chopping block
• a parade of Easter goodies
• Kathleen Sloan-McIntosh's Olive Oil -- To Your Health
• from Kathleen's recipe box… Ribollita (Thick Bean Soup)
• from Kathleen's recipe box… Fritto Misto
• from Kathleen's recipe box… Peperonata with Fresh Basil
• from the Robin Hood recipe box… Mediterranean Bread
• publishing and subscription information

KitchenAid 5 quart Artisan stand mixers

The newest member of the KitchenAid stand mixer family is the 325 watt tilt-head Artisan mixer with 5 quart bowl. This multi-function mixer does it all -- mixing, whipping, kneading, everything from egg whites to heavy bread dough. Ten speeds cover every need from gentle stirring to high speed whipping. Planetary mixing action thoroughly blends ingredients all the way to the edges, without ever rotating the bowl. The tilt-up mixer head provides easy access to the bowl and beaters. The integrated power hub allows for the connection of a wide assortment of attachments (sold separately), including food grinders, pasta makers and rollers, graters, and strainers. The mixers include a 5 quart polished stainless steel bowl with handle, flat beater, dough hook, wire whip, and two-piece pouring shield, and are available in 8 colours: white, almond, black, blue, green, red, yellow, and matte grey.  $425

For those who require a more powerful stand mixer with a larger capacity bowl, the 525 watt Professional stand mixer with a 6 quart bowl is now available in the same range of colours, as well as matte black, for $650. The 475 watt Epicurean stand mixer with a 6 quart bowl is available in black, blue, and matte black for $575.

Cuisinart Grind & Brew thermal coffee maker

A unique way to pamper the coffee lover! This 10 cup automatic grind and brew coffee maker is designed to wake you up with the smell of the freshest, most flavourful coffee imaginable -- the kind you would go to your favourite coffee bar to get. This smart coffeemaker has a built-in grinder that grinds the beans just before brewing (or push the Grind Off button to use with ground coffee). Program the machine with the number of cups you'd like and just enough water will be delivered to extract all of the good flavour and none of the bitterness. The double-wall insulated thermal carafe will keep the coffee hot for hours.

A variety of adjustable features makes this the ultimate user-friendly coffee maker:
• A 24-hour fully programmable timer guarantees delicious, fresh-brewed coffee just when you want it.
• The handy Brew Pause feature lets you enjoy a cup of coffee before brewing has finished.
• An automatic shut-off control turns the coffee maker off right after brewing or up to 4 hours later.
• A 1 - 4 cups setting provides full flavour when brewing just a few cups.
• A charcoal water filter removes impurities from the water before brewing.
• A separate grinder chamber and filter area make for easy cleanup.
• A permanent gold tone filter is included.

The new Grind & Brew coffee maker with 10 cup thermal carafe is $200. The new Grind & Brew coffee makers with 12 cup glass carafes, available in white or black, are $155. A limited number of Grind & Brew coffee makers with 10 cup glass carafes, available in white or black, are still available for $127.50.

Waring food slicer and meat grinder

Adapting the smartest features of a traditional commercial slicer for home use, Waring's new professional quality food slicer lets you quickly and easily slice unlimited quantities of paper-thin meats, thick slices of breads, and everything in between, including cheeses, fruits, and vegetables. The smooth-edged 7.5" stainless steel cutting blade adjusts to slice from 1/32" to 1/2" thicknesses. Heavy stainless steel construction and suction cup feet stabilize the unit, and a stainless steel food guide glides smoothly through slice after slice.  $300

Waring's professional quality meat grinder lets you grind your own meats and sausages, to guarantee freshness and quality when making favourite family recipes. Convenient, easy to operate, and easy to clean, the grinder has an efficient slow extrusion process, which can grind the meat and fill casings simultaneously. The grinder is powerful enough to grind lean game meat. It has an easy on/off switch with a reverse function to release clogged food without disassembling the unit. The grinder includes a die-cast hopper/food tray, food pusher, 3 cutting plates for fine, medium, and coarse grinding and 2 sausage-making attachments.  $125

Toastess Bistro sandwich grill

This bistro sandwich grill is perfect for toasting all types of sandwiches: grilled cheese, hot dog rolls, focaccia, bagels, pita, baguette and more. In the mood for something really special? The bistro sandwich grill is perfect for panini sandwiches, a unique and gourmet alternative to the regular sandwich. A floating hinge top plate grills sandwiches evenly; a control knob adjusts the top plate height. The flat cooking plates are extra large to accommodate several sandwiches at once and have a non-stick coating for easy cleanup.  $120

Boyajian pure citrus oils and flavouring sets

Boyajian citrus oils are natural essences which are cold-pressed from the rind of the fruit. It takes approximately 220 oranges, 330 lemons, or 400 limes to produce 5 ounces of oil. Use the citrus oils in place of zest in practically any recipe for a burst of flavour. Add a zing of orange flavour to a favourite brownie or chocolate cake batter. Add lemon flavour to a pound cake batter or mineral water spritzer. Give your key lime pie or cheesecake a boost of lime flavour, or add a few drops to Thai noodles or Mexican fare. Chocolate and tangerine are a natural and delicious combination. Or, add grapefruit oil to your favourite white cake recipe and top it off with a grapefruit cream cheese icing. The possibilities are endless! Available in 1 ounce ($4.00 - $7.00) and 5 ounce ($15.00 - $26.50) sizes.

Boyajian's flavouring sets consist of natural flavourings which are essential tools for both the professional and home chef. Great for baking, pastry, and candy making or whenever a recipe calls for natural flavour. Available in four varieties: berry (cherry, raspberry, and strawberry); mint (peppermint, spearmint, and wintergreen); spice (anise [licorice], cinnamon and cloves); and, the baker's box (pure almond extract, pure vanilla extract, peppermint flavouring, and anise [licorice] flavouring).  $20/set

Norpro Krona 12 quart roaster

Preparing dinner for a crowd this coming Easter or Passover? This multipurpose oval roasting pan holds 18 - 24 pounds of meat or poultry. The lid doubles as a serving platter and may also be used on the stovetop as a sauté pan. The heavy-duty rack can be placed inside either the roasting pan or the lid. Large loop handles, offset from the ends of the pans, make it easy to lift and move the roaster, while still enabling it to fit inside most ovens. Made of 18/10 stainless steel, both the roasting pan and the lid have tri-ply encapsulated bases of stainless steel surrounding an aluminum core, ensuring even heat distribution, cooking efficiency, and durability.

Save $40 through March 30, 2003.

Art Glass Design glass serving platters

Space and serving platters are always in short supply at the Easter or Passover table. Art Glass Design's artisanal glass serves elegantly in any mood or setting. At home in any décor, with any colour scheme, formal or casual, the bowls and platters are ideal for serving at the table or on a buffet. Serving and cleaning up is a breeze for hosts and hostesses -- the pieces are durable, microwave safe for food warming, and clean up in the dishwasher. Choose from round or rectangular glass platters, bowls, and spreaders. Also available is a rectangular glass platter with a Star of David for Passover, and a free-standing sectional bowl with stand (featured in Canadian House & Home magazine) which is perfect for cocktail parties.

30% off all Art Glass Design servingware while supplies last.

Cuisinart Programmable Filter Brew 12-cup Coffee Maker

This well-dressed coffee maker combines top of the line features with modern design. Fully programmable, the coffee maker features a user-friendly digital clock and the 24-hour brew programming offers freshly brewed coffee, day or night. It also has a programmable auto shutoff (0 - 4 hours) for worry-free use. The unique showerhead design evenly distributes water over the grounds to minimize heat loss while brewing, providing you with the hottest coffee. An audible beep advises when brewing is complete. The Brew Pause feature lets you pour a cup of coffee before brewing has finished, and a 1-4 cup setting allows you to brew only a cup or two without altering the flavor of the brew. The 12-cup glass carafe features an ergonomic handle, dripless spout, and a knuckle guard to prevent burned knuckles. A charcoal water filter helps produce great tasting coffee by removing impurities. A gold tone filter, #4 paper coffee filter starter kit, and a coffee grounds scoop are included. Available in white or black.

Save $10 through March 30, 2003.

Danica kitchen towels

As spring approaches, why not brighten up your kitchen with new towels? The thick and thirsty salsa waffle weave (top left in photo at left) is great for drying pots and pans. The twill check (top right) is a thick, flatweave towel and is good for drying diningware. The houndstooth stripe (bottom right) is an absorbent, general purpose towel. The jacquard (bottom left) is a lightweight flatweave towel with a fern imprint; it leaves no lint and gets into tight spots, making it perfect for drying glassware. The towels are available in a range of eight fashion colours (from top in photo at right): sage green, butter yellow, taupe, steel blue (also shown in photo at left), red, black, delphinium blue, and forest green.

25% off all Danica kitchen towels, including white waffle towels and dishcloths, while supplies last.

We have almost everything you'll need to make your Easter baking fun and simple:

I have been fortunate enough to have visited Italy on numerous occasions, and have travelled from one end of the country to the other, learning about the foods and olive oils from different regions on each trip. The more I learn about olive oil, the more I see the strong similarity between it and quality wine. They are both ancient foodstuffs, they are both indispensable to the table, they are both touted as being good for us (really good for us) and each are best enjoyed when matched to the right food. The fact is, there is much to learn about olive oil (the backbone of the Mediterranean diet) not the least of which relate to the undeniable health benefits.

The last trip I took was to Umbria, heartland Italy, and during the time I spent there I took part in a course that was presented by a number of professors from the University of Perugia. After daily sessions, we would visit various oil mills in and around the Umbrian region to meet the owners and taste their oils. This trip also included the annual awards given to Italy's best oils -- sort of the Academy Awards for Italian olive oil. Oils are judged from every region of Italy and are slotted into different categories for judging.

Out of everything I learned during this trip, the theme that was often repeated and hit home the most, was that we should all have more than one or two olive oils in our cupboard, just as we should have wine from more than one wine region of the world. There are cultivars of olives in Italy that only grow in a specific region, like the fabulous Nocellara del Belice from Sicily for instance, making it the obvious choice when cooking Southern Italian cuisine. (In this column, I'm including a few recipes with examples of oil and food matching (lighter tasting oils from the North for fish and vegetables, heartier, more peppery oils from the south for classic Southern Italian dishes.) Olive oils from the North are produced from entirely different cultivars, each with its own particular characteristics. (There are more than 600 varieties of olive cultivars in the Mediterranean basin alone.)

We should all be "buying up" where olive oils are concerned, if we want to get the health benefits, which are considerable. The higher in taste profile the oil is (peppery, piquant with strong fruitiness), the higher in valuable polyphenols and antioxidants the oil is and hence, better for us.

While all quality olive oils have beneficial properties, more than any other oil-producing nation in the world, Italy's olive cultivars are reputed to pack the greatest punch, health wise. None of this would matter if olive oil didn't taste as wonderful, or do so much for our cooking, as it does. Nothing else works to infuse foods with the special flavour that is derived from this ancient product.

So, look for extra virgin olive oil in shops where quality food products are sold. Experiment a bit and try one from Sicily or Puglia and one from Tuscany or Liguria, and maybe one from Spain or Greece. Make sure it is housed in a dark green or wrapped bottle. Keep it away from light and heat and use it every day -- it's one of the best things you can do for yourself and your family.

Until next month, cook and eat with love,

Kathleen Sloan-McIntosh

Kathleen Sloan-McIntosh is a Toronto-born food writer whose work has appeared in major Canadian newspapers and magazines. Author of six cookbooks -- Rustic Italian Cooking, The Global Grill, The Sticks & Stones Cookbook (with Ted Reader), The Wine Lover Cooks (with Tony Aspler), Great Potatoes: A Cook's Guide to Over 150 Delicious Recipes, and A Year in Niagara: The People and Food of Wine Country -- she lives with her beau and their black lab and assorted children who come and go, in Niagara wine country.

Ribollita (Thick Bean Soup)

Hearty bean preparations are almost a way of life in Tuscany, where the residents have long been known as mangia fagioli - bean eaters. Sustaining and filling, they often form the basis for the next day's supper. This is the inspiration for this sturdy soup called ribollita, which means "re-boiled." Don't omit the garlic-thyme oil -- it absolutely makes the dish.

Recommended to go with: a Chianti Classico

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add garlic, leeks, carrot, celery, rosemary and chile pepper; cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes or until vegetables are softened and are starting to brown. Stir in drained beans and 10 cups (2.5 L) of water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to simmer and cook 1-1/2 hours or until beans are tender, skimming any foam that rises to the surface.
2. With a slotted spoon, transfer half of the cooked beans and vegetables to a food processor or blender; puree. Return bean puree to saucepan; stir to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep soup at low simmer.
3. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). In a small skillet, heat olive oil gently over medium heat. Add garlic and thyme; cook for 2 minutes or until garlic is golden. Strain oil into a heatproof bowl; discard solids.
4. Put toasts in bottom of (oven-proof) soup tureen or casserole dish; sprinkle with half of the cheese. Pour bean soup over toasts. Drizzle garlic-thyme oil over the surface. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake uncovered for about 10 or 15 minutes just until the cheese is golden. Serve from tureen at the table.

Serves 6 - 8

Fritto Misto

Fritto misto is Italian for a "mixed fry," which can include pieces of vegetable, seafood, fish or cheese. Use extra virgin or simply virgin olive oil for the deep-frying.

Recommended to go with: a Pinot Grigio or Chenin Blanc, well-chilled

1. Preheat oven to 200°F (95°C) in readiness to keep food warm.
2. Half fill a large, deep, heavy saucepan or deep-fat fryer with enough oil to a achieve a depth of about 3 - 4 inches (7.5 - 10 cm). Heat oil to 350°F (175°C).
3. As it is heating, mix the egg yolks, flour, salt and water together in a mixing bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks and fold into the flour mixture.
4. Dip the vegetables and shrimp into the batter a few at a time, letting excess batter drip into the bowl, and carefully drop into the hot oil. Deep-fry in batches for 2-3 minutes, stirring until vegetables and shrimp are pale golden in colour. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in the oven as you repeat the process with remaining vegetables and shrimp.
5. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and good salt and pepper.

Serves 4

Peperonata with Fresh Basil

What could be more Italian than a dish of sweet peppers, tomatoes and onions, slow-cooked in quality olive oil? Serve with roast pork, veal or grilled sausages, toss with pasta, pile into sandwiches or use as part of an antipasti table. Use a big, strong Sicilian olive oil for this dish.

Recommended to go with: a Valpolicella, Bardolino or Sauvignon Blanc

1. Warm the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onions; cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until softened.
2. Add sliced peppers, stir to coat with oil, adding a little more oil as necessary. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and beginning to brown slightly.
3. Stir in tomatoes, parsley, basil, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Cook 10 minutes longer, stirring occasionally.
4. Serve just warm or at room temperature. Drizzle a little additional olive oil over the surface of the dish before serving with lots of crusty bread.

Serves 4 - 6

Mediterranean Bread

Enjoy the many rich flavours of Mediterranean region with this irresistible Mediterranean Bread. Filled with a savoury blend of sun dried tomatoes, fresh basil, black olives and parmesan cheese, you can just imagine the tantalizing aroma as this delicious bread bakes in your oven. Whether served on its own or with other Mediterranean-inspired fare, it’s sure to please – and it’s an easy way to enjoy the flavours of southern Europe, right at home.

1. Dissolve 1 tsp (5 mL) sugar in warm water in large bowl. Sprinkle in yeast. Let stand 10 minutes, then stir well.
2. Add next 6 ingredients and 1 cup (250 mL) flour. Beat at low speed of electric mixer until blended, then at medium speed for 2 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, gradually stir in remaining flour, using enough flour to make a soft non-sticky dough. Turn out on floured board. Round up into a ball.
3. Knead dough, adding more flour as necessary, until dough is smooth, elastic and no longer sticky (about 10 minutes). Place in lightly greased bowl. Turn dough to grease top. Cover with greased waxed paper and tea towel. Let rise in warm place (75°- 85°F/24°- 29°C) until doubled (45 - 60 minutes).
4. Punch down. Turn out onto pastry mat or floured pastry board. Roll out to a 9" × 12" (23 cm × 30 cm) rectangle.
5. Combine filling ingredients. Spread evenly over dough leaving a 1"/2.5 cm border all around. Roll up tightly jelly-roll fashion starting from short end. Pinch seam to seal. Place seam-side down in greased 4.5 × 9.5, 5 × 9, or 5 × 10 loaf pan. Cover with tea towel. Let rise in warm place until doubled (50 - 60 minutes).
6. Bake at 375°F (190°C) on lower oven rack for 25 - 30 minutes, or until golden. Cool 5 minutes then remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

Recipe © 2003, Robin Hood Multifoods Inc. Reprinted with permission.
For more great recipes, see the Robin Hood Baking Festival Cookbook or visit the Robin Hood website.