kitchen rap

• in the spotlight… Summer Fun
• new to the kitchen
• Kathleen Sloan-McIntosh's Eat Your Roots
• from Kathleen's recipe box… Orecchiette with Wilted Arugula and Tomatoes
• from Kathleen's recipe box… Chicken Tikka
• from Kathleen's recipe box… Jenna's Sour Cream Sour Cherry Pie with Oat Crumble Top
• from the Robin Hood recipe box… Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins
• publishing and subscription information

Summer Fun

Enjoy a leisurely picnic lunch at the beach or in the park. Cuisena's picnic bags and backpacks contain everything you need for your picnic ... just add your favourite foods and wine. The bags come equipped with a picnic service for two or four, including plates, utensils, wine glasses, napkins, table cloth, cutting board, corkscrew, and even a salt and pepper shaker. Insulated pockets help keep foods at a safe temperature. Roll-up picnic blankets are also available.

For refreshment during a leisurely walk in the country, Cuisena's wine totes have everything you need. The insulated wine and cheese bags are roomy enough to hold one or more bottles of wine, as well as fruit, cheese, and other goodies. They include two acrylic wine glasses, cloth napkins, a wood cutting board, cheese knife, and corkscrew. The insulated wine bottle totes keep your chilled white wine or champagne cool and include a corkscrew and bottle stopper.

Safely transport desserts to the family picnic in these covered cake caddies. The covers feature an integrated carrying handle whose two ends lock securely onto the base, enabling you to safely carry the caddy using one hand. The round caddies are available in two sizes: one for pies and cheesecakes, and a taller one for decorated layer cakes. The base of the rectangular caddy fits a 9×13 cake, or can be flipped over to safely transport 18 cupcakes or muffins.

For the table...

What would a lunch on the backyard deck be without bugs? Invite them along on these durable melamine plates and acrylic glasses. The blue dinner and green luncheon plates feature a red ladybug and green bee, respectively. The white bowls and serving trays and frosted highball and double old fashioned glasses are imprinted with colour blocks with the ladybug, bee, and orange firefly designs. All of the pieces are dishwasher safe for easy clean up.

For your friends...

Looking for a delicious host/hostess gift when invited to a neighbour's barbecue or a friend's cottage? Byrd Cookie Company's bite-sized gourmet cookies are packed in sophisticated metallic-coloured collectible cookie tins with embossed designs. Available in six flavours: key lime cooler, razzberry tart, peach zinger, butter thin, chocolate mint, and Kona coffee.

Frozen treats...

When it comes to ice cream, everyone has a favourite flavour. Delight family and friends with fresh batches of sorbets between courses, or incredibly rich homemade ice creams as a finish to the meal. Cuisinart's frozen yogurt, ice cream, and sorbet makers prepare fresh frozen desserts or sumptuous frozen drinks in 20 - 30 minutes. You just add the ingredients to the double insulated freezer bowl and the multi-talented dessert makers will do the rest for you, automatically. Available with a single 1-1/2 quart bowl or two 1 quart bowls, so you can prepare two different flavours at the same time.

Turn your backyard into an old-fashioned soda fountain counter! Waring's classic drink mixer makes it easy to prepare rich, creamy milkshakes, fresh fruit smoothies, and delicious healthy drinks, like yogurt shakes with wheat germ and fresh fruit. It will also froth eggs for fluffy omelettes and blend pancake batter, too. Top off your milkshake or ice cream sundae with fresh whipped cream. Fill iSi's whipped cream dispenser with heavy cream, twist in a charger cartridge and shake, and press the handle to dispense. For a special treat, add your favourite syrup or liqueur to create a delicious flavoured whipped cream. Two dispensing nozzles allow you to create a variety of decorative effects for topping off your sundae.

Wild Eye Designs' decorative ice cream containers are made of polished aluminum and are designed to keep your ice cream cold when on the table. Simply place a standard 1 pint/500 mL carton of your favourite ice cream into the container and you are ready to serve. Includes an ice cream scoop. Available in five delicious "flavours" (colours): mint, strawberry, blueberry, caramel, and tutti frutti (pictured at left).

For the grill...

All the tools you need for a successful season of grilling. A set of four barbecue tools (top left) includes a spatula turner for flipping burgers and fish, barbecue tongs, fork, and a basting brush, all with long rosewood handles. Skewers for kabobs (top centre) are oval-shaped to ensure that foods are turned evenly, and have matching rosewood handles.

Grilling baskets (top right) make it easy to grill and turn even the most delicate of foods. The jumbo basket is large enough to accommodate a dozen hamburgers and is depth-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of foods. The fish basket can be used for grilling a whole fish or several pieces.

Brushed stainless steel grill toppers have round perforations which allow even the smallest of meats and vegetables to be grilled on the barbecue, without having to worry about them falling through the grate. Available as a flat grill topper (bottom left), wok topper (bottom centre) with sloped sides, or the extra-deep grill topper basket (bottom right) with large loop handles.

Safety when grilling is always an important consideration. This all-silicone oven mitt is resistant to temperatures of up to 300C/572°F, and protects your hand as you are taking hot dishes out of the oven, moving frying pans around the stovetop, or lifting cooked items off the barbecue. The mitt is flameproof and waterproof, and protects you from contact with direct flames, grills, and charcoal, both in the kitchen and when using the barbecue, and from boiling water and oil; even when wet, the mitt provides the same unbeatable heat protection. Its special non-slip texture ensures a firm grip on any object handled. The mitt's extra length ensures that protection extends well beyond the user's wrist, unlike many oven mitts. The non-absorbent, non-porous silicone ensures that the mitt stays germ-free, allowing for a high level of kitchen hygeine. And, the mitt can be washed either under the tap, in the dishwasher, or in the washing machine! Fits either hand; sold individually.

Kyocera ceramic knives

Ceramic knives offer exceptional strength, unparalleled sharpness, and ultra-light weight. And, because ceramic doesn't transfer metal ions to foods, fruits and vegetables won't brown where they've come in contact with the knife blade. The razor sharp blades retain their original sharpness for months or years without sharpening. The light weight of ceramic creates a well-balanced knife that is an extension of your hand, gliding effortlessly through even the most difficult tasks. The resin handles provide a highly controlled grip, and the non-stick ceramic blade surfaces make for easy clean-up. Available with black or white blades, in five styles: 3" paring knife, 4½" utility knife, 5" slicing knife, 5½" Santoku knife (Japanese cook's knife), and 6" chef's knife.

StirChef saucepan stirrer

Hands-free stovetop cooking has arrived with the revolutionary StirChef saucepan stirrer. The battery-operated, cordless unit stirs sauces, soups, puddings, risotto, and any dish that calls for continuous stirring, allowing you to spend time preparing other dishes, entertain, or look after the kids; an intermittent speed setting stirs the food for 12 seconds, then waits 12 seconds before stirring again. StirChef stirs from the bottom of the pan up, for greater consistency, and the steady speed will not splatter food. Specially designed heat-resistant paddles reach into the corners of the pan on every sweep. Spring-loaded arms adjust to fit 1½ to 4½ quart saucepans from 6"Dia to 8½"Dia. The stainless steel shaft adjusts to reach the bottom of any pan. And, StirChef folds up easily to store in your kitchen drawer. And, yes, batteries are included!

Le Cordon Bleu cookbooks

From the world's most famous cooking school comes this collection of fresh, modern dishes for the home cook. This invaluable series of books brings you simple, easy-to-follow, elegant recipes, each beautifully photographed and offering you the inspiration and joy of successful cooking. Reward your palate with fabulous dishes, perfected in the kitchens of Le Cordon Bleu. Fifteen titles are available: Bread, Brunch, Chocolate, Christmas, Finger Food, Italian, Pasta, Potatoes, Puddings & Cobblers, Quiches & Savories, Regional French, Sauces, Seafood, Soups, and Tarts & Pastries.

Mystic Maid microfibre cleaning cloth

This microfibre cleaning cloth does the cleaning for you! Glass wipes crystal-clear and streak-free with just water -- soap, detergent, and cleaning solutions are not required. Simply wet the cleaning cloth and wring out all excess water. Wipe the cloth over glass, stainless steel, chrome, or tile and walk away; any remaining swipe marks and beads of water will disappear, leaving a clean, streak-free surface. Mystic Maid removes grease, dirt, and dust, and also works great as an anti-static cleaning cloth for hard surfaces throughout your home and office. It even cleans CDs, DVDs, and eyeglasses without scratching. Dust and grime are trapped in the cloth's "micro-hooks", not pushed into the air.

Mystic Maid is a nylon/polyester microfibre cleaning cloth made in Japan for "clean room" applications in the semi-conductor industry. The cloth is made from soft, woven microfibres that are split many times to create a dramatically increased surface area with millions of tiny hooks and channels. These "micro-hooks" attract and hold all knids of dirt and grime.

The cleaning cloth is machine washable and reusable. Available in four colours (use one in the kitchen, one in the bathroom, one in the workshop ...), you won't believe it until you've tried one!

As progressive and contemporary as many men may be food-wise, why is it the eyes of most boyfriends, husbands and Dads positively light up when they hear words like "grilled sirloin, baked potato with sour cream, iceberg lettuce with blue cheese dressing, banana cream pie"?

Because no matter how sophisticated and worldly they appear, it's hard to extract the boy from the man, especially where food is concerned. There is a reason these foods and others like fried chicken, creamed corn, macaroni and cheese and Devil's food cake spark such an enthusiastic response -- for many, these are fond foods of childhood and nostalgia always tastes good and provides a wonderfully consistent level of comfort.

Of course, the above foods and dishes are all quite North American in style.

Certainly if your Dad or husband has roots in China, India, Jamaica, Poland, Ireland, Vietnam, Italy or anywhere else in the world, his childhood favourites could be anything from Szechwan chicken with black bean sauce, gnocchi in a pungent basil pesto, or perogies to jerk chicken, goat curry, pork vindaloo or lamb shanks cooked in Guinness with mounds of mashed potatoes.

So, with all of the above in mind, here is a thoroughly international trio of recipes -- one has an Indian influence, one is Italian and the third is thoroughly Canadian -- any one of which will warm the cockles of your man's heart on his birthday, your anniversary or good old Dad's day.

You know what they want and I think Father's Day is the perfect time to deliver.

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.

Orecchiette with Wilted Arugula and Tomatoes

Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting chef and author Micol Negrin who was visiting Toronto to promote her new cookbook, Rustico: Regional Italian Country Cooking. As the author of my own cookbook devoted to rustic Italian cuisine -- Rustic Italian Cooking -- you may imagine we had a lot to talk about. Micol's beautiful book is a tribute to everything I love about regional Italian cuisine so I asked her permission to include her recipe for one of my favourite ways to enjoy pasta. Anyone with or without Italian roots will love this easy to prepare dish. Ear-shaped orecchiette and tiny gnocchi called cavatelli are Apulia's proudest handmade pastas, perfect with chunky vegetable sauces like the one below. Adapted from Rustico: Regional Italian Country Cooking by Micol Negrin.

1. Heat the olive oil in a 1-quart pot. Add the garlic and parsley and cook for 1 minute over medium heat. Fold in the tomatoes. Bring to a boil and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper; keep the tomato sauce warm.
2. Meanwhile, bring 6 quarts of water to a boil. Add the orecchiette and the remaining 2 tablespoons of salt; cook for 8 minutes. Add the arugula; cook until the orecchiette are al dente, about 6 more minutes, tasting often to determine doneness. Drain well; the arugula drinks in a lot of water.
3. Return to the pot. Fold in the pecorino and tomato sauce and serve hot, passing additional pecorino at the table.

Serves 4

Chicken Tikka

The flavourful tikka marinade is not unlike its tandoori counterpart, except for the addition of ground almonds and the use of chicken chunks rather than chicken joints. While I have chosen to pair the marinade with boneless skinless chicken thighs, use chicken breasts if you prefer, but remember to shorten the grilling time.

1. Cut each chicken thigh into about 4 - 5 pieces. In a large bowl, combine the chicken with the juice of a lemon and the 1/2 tsp salt. Toss the chicken together with the juice and salt.
2. In a smaller bowl, combine the yogurt and all the remaining ingredients, blending together well so that all of the spices are completely mixed into the yogurt. Pour this mixture over the chicken and toss the chicken with your hands so that it is completely coated with the yogurt mixture. Set to one side for at least 30 minutes. (Cover with plastic and refrigerate to marinate overnight if time allows. Remove from refrigerator half an hour before grilling to allow to return to room temperature.)
3. Thread about 2 - 3 pieces of marinated chicken onto a skewer (if using wooden skewers, make sure to soak in water for an hour before using). Repeat with remaining chicken.
4. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Grill the chicken for 6 - 7 minutes on one side before turning, brushing with oil and grilling for a further 5 minutes on the other side, or until chicken is just cooked through. Serve immediately with warmed Indian flatbreads or grilled pita, a raita and your favorite chutney.

Serves 4 - 6

Jenna's Sour Cream Sour Cherry Pie with Oat Crumble Top

Wow, what a pie -- that was the consensus when my daughter Jenna made this splendiferous dessert with sour cherries. Can she bake a cherry pie...! Serve warm with unsweetened whipped cream or thick pouring cream. This recipe is from my latest book, A Year in Niagara: The People and Food of Wine Country.

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F/230C.
2. Combine the topping ingredients in a bowl and mix together until crumbly. Set aside.
3. Arrange the cherries in the unbaked pie shell. Combine both sugars and the flour in a mixing bowl and blend together. Mix in the sour cream and pour evenly over the cherries. Sprinkle the topping over the top of the cherry mixture, pressing it gently into place.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F/175C and continue to bake for about 30 minutes, or until the fruit is tender, the filling is set and the crumble top is golden brown. Let it sit for a few minutes before serving.

Serves 6 - 8

Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins

It’s hard to say why friends and family will love these muffins so much. Maybe it’s the tangy taste of fresh rhubarb, the sweet goodness of fresh strawberries, or the cinnamon brown sugar crumble topping in every bite. Whatever the reason, this is one muffin recipe that combines two delicious flavours for a result that will tickle your taste buds! Especially good served warm from the oven, these strawberry rhubarb muffins can be prepared, served, (and probably eaten!) in less than an hour.

1. Combine first 4 dry ingredients. Combine remaining ingredients for batter in large mixing bowl. Add dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly until dry ingredients are moistened.
2. Spoon batter into 18 muffin cups.
3. Combine topping ingredients. Sprinkle evenly on muffins.
4. Bake at 350°F/180C for 25 - 30 minutes, or until tops are firm to touch.

Recipe © 2003, Robin Hood Multifoods Inc. Reprinted with permission.