I spent a lot of time this past winter with my nose in books, one of the topics being permaculture. It’s a pretty dense topic, and I certainly am no poster-child for it, but I did make a lot of changes in my urban yard this year guided by its principles. One broad concept that intuitively makes sense is that … Read More
Common-sense-o-meter Test: FAIL
Doo-dee-doo go I down the mega-grocer aisle with my family a few months ago. ‘Hey, let’s get some pickles!’, says I. Grab a jar. Get home. Read the label: Product of India. They’re pickles. Not ‘Indian-style’ pickles. Just plain dill pickles. I felt like I’d failed a common-sense-o-meter test. Like I’d exploited whoever laboured to make this, clearly for very … Read More
Green Re-emerging. Slowly. As am I.
Like many others, I’ve been busy with hands in dirt. We’ve had a very mild winter up here, and my spring projects are a lot further along than I anticipated. The shot above is some asparagus I’m trying in flats from seed to bolster my supply long-term. So far so good. I’ve felt the odd pang of guilt for not … Read More
Cream of Lamb’s Quarter Soup
Another cream-of-veg-soup, I know. This time, however, featuring an edible native plant that is generally considered a weed to be destroyed – lamb’s quarter. It’s been growing everywhere in my new gardening beds, regardless of the drought. I’ve been using young leaves, and will use some of the stems shortly, along with some more mature leaves as the plants, um, … Read More
Crab & German Riesling – not so much?
Beautiful evening al fresco. 8lbs of crab, and 2 bottles of German riesling – one being a memorably heady and superbly structured 1976 Auslese. Add a sprinkling of bulgar salad, wood-fire grilled veg and honey-garlic apple-smoked pork chops + some interesting beers with good friends. I wish I could say it was blockbuster, as it reads well on paper, but … Read More
I Heart Kitchen Design
The light was nice in my kitchen a few hours ago so I took some shots. Shots of IKEA-ville. I’m a huge fan of IKEA, but would be a fan of any other store that sold decent quality, practical, and dare I say ‘nice looking’ kitchen gear too. Maybe that store’s out there – I could have missed it But … Read More
Jamie Oliver on Foodie Snobbiness
I’ve been inhaling youtube content lately, and came across an interview Jamie Oliver did for a New Zealand TV station – and he said something that I found compelling. For all the knocking that Jamie gets from other chefs [Ramsay], I think he’s got some perspective right – at least in my opinion – that a lot of other chefs … Read More
CBC Flugabwehrkanone
Quick comment on some recent flak I took in a national news forum. First, the author’s intent was genuine: to promote the ‘interesting topics you write about’, and I thank her for the exposure. But in the comments, a couple themes emerged. A couple readers felt that my use of the word ‘product’ to describe game meat severely disrespects the … Read More
Kevin’s Dictionary: Counter, 10" Strip
Counter: Available workspace. Critical square footage in kitchen required to prep, to cook, to plate, etc., without which no work in the kitchen can be executed in a practical fashion. Typical depth: roughly 25”. Things to not do with a counter: storage of anything not used daily, including but not limited to: small appliances, kitchen gadgetry, televisions, microwaves, VCR/DVD players, … Read More
Porkonomics
So is it worth it? Is there any savings to buying a whole or side of animal? First Step I tromped down to the freezer, and yanked all the packs I’d previously put there to freeze, back out. My inner cheap-ass required it. Required I weigh it. Required I do some math. 28.8kg, my scale says. So roughly 63 lbs. … Read More