Soon millions will be able to cook home cooked, even if not perfect food, at a fraction of the cost of take-out, delivered or restaurant food.

All recipes are relatively easy to prepare provided ingredients are at hand, and can be cooked in less than 30 minutes, except some of the desserts that require baling.
This is laudable, as in most western, industrialized countries people simply succumb to convenience foods’ appeal, just buying it to take home and either put it on a plate or microwave it.

There are millions of young and old men who do not know to boil an egg, and occasionally brag that they have never done so, since someone in the family has always cooked, or they go to fast food establishments to buy food.
While here is nothing to say against convenience foods, most, it not all, contain preservatives, and even if they do not, they have been cooked for at least a few days before you purchase it!

There is nothing better than expertly prepared, fresh food. The French saying “You must wait for good food, good food never waits for you!”.

This book, compiled from recipes demonstrated in one of Jamie’s classes in an elementary school, even has testimonials from people (pictures included) who proudly state how they started appreciating well prepared, tasty food, and are now cooking for themselves and/or for their families.

This book belongs to the bookshelf of every single individual, or those who plan to marry and never cooked, and old widowers who never had to cook.

Help Jamie realize his dream for millions of people enjoying lovingly prepared good food in highly industrialized western societies where fresh food is available in profusion. It is a shame that grocery stores in such countries offer many aisles of frozen prepared foods at exorbitant prices.

Highly recommended!

Never miss a post! subscribe via RSS or subscribe via e-mail.   Post writer – Hrayr Berberoglu – E-mail – Read his books?

Now in its 15th year, Toronto’s annual Wine and Food Expositio0n will take place November 19 – 22 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
This year’s main sponsor is Vini Portugal. Many wineries of this small, but major wine producing country (Sixth by volume in the world) will be pouring their remarkable value wines
Wine and Food Expo has taken on the challenge to assemble a 15-member panel of wine writers, winemakers, sommeliers and other experts to select the best of what has been submitted for evaluation.
The wines have been categorized by variety i.e chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, shiraz blends and other groups (bends of red wine, aromatic whites, dessert and fruit wines.
Those that have been awarded a medal will be on display and most of them available for tasting in various booths.
This feature alone would make a visit worthwhile. Entry fee is $ 20.00, and tickets for tasting are available for purchase.
In addition to taste there will be hundreds of wines, beers and spirits from all over the world. Those who wish to learn more about wine can register for tutorials staged by sommeliers, wine writers, and famous beverage personalities like Kevin Brauch.
If you prefer less expensive tutorials, you can enrol fro them when you are there. The International Wine Guild offers them.
This year many more restaurants will be participating and you can taste their signature dishes for a small fee to decide whether to visit the establishment of an evening’s dining experience.
Overall, Food and Wine Expo offers many opportunities to taste wines, beers and spirits, also to study wine paraphernalia (glasses, decanters, cork screws), learn how to mix Mott`s clamato cocktails, sample local cheeses, and restaurant signature plates, select wine magazines that provide many opportunities to read about regions, information, and recommendations.
For more information log on to
Foodandwineexpo.ca

Never miss a post! subscribe via RSS or subscribe via e-mail.   Post writer – Hrayr Berberoglu – E-mail – Read his books?

Busy people shop indiscriminately, quickly, without consideration and purchase convenience foods – at a cost. Manufacturers charge for the labour, packaging, marketing, and administration, plus a handsome profit. Add to this transportation, and distribution costs, plus the profit of the grocery store, you can imagine the impact!

In reality, convenience food is always based on inexpensive ingredients. There is no advantage to buying convenience food, and you must be aware that preservatives are used to prolong shelf life. Freshness is something you can only buy in ingredients and even then it is questionable. How fresh can a head of lettuce be when it was grown in California, and transported to Toronto to be distributed to retailers?

Fresh means 24 hours after picking, or for fish, caught in the morning then out on the table for lunch. The same applies to spices. Unfortunately, spices in North America are always stale.

First they to be picked, sorted, packed, and shipped. The distribution across the country requires time, and finally regional distributors deli very to grocery stores. This may take up to a year or more.

Refrain from buying any of the following: bouillon cubes, bottled salad dressings and marinades, imitation grated parmesan, imitation vanilla, canned beans or peas, bottled lemon juice, aerosol oil, inexpensive balsamic vinegar, dried herbs, tomato paste in a can, frozen pizza, ready made hamburgers, minute rice, boil-in-a-bag grains.

True balsamic vinegar is expensive and very flavourful it comes only from Modena in Emilia-Romagna, and nowhere else. Similarly, sherry vinegar can be produced only in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, Orleans vinegar in the city of Orleans in the Loire valley and Champagne vinegar from Champagne. Do not settle for imitations. They fail to provide value. You can whip up vinaigrette dressing in a very short time, using olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and mustard. Feel free to experiment with fresh and chopped herbs like flat leaf parsley, tarragon, oregano just to name a few.

Bouillon cubes are mostly salt, mixed with some chicken fat and little else.

Grated Parmesan has little to do with the authentic product that can only originate in the town of Parma and from cows that graze on pastures delimited by law.

If you like rice you know grocery stores offer several types. You can buy regular rice, or sticky rice, converted rice, risotto rice, broken rice or the Rolls and Royce Patna or Basmati from India. Basmati particularly Dheradouni form India is dainty, perfumey, and cooks in less than ten minutes if you soak it for a few minutes. It is excellent and affordable. Risotto rice is short grained and lends itself to a specific preparation. Sticky rice is preferred by Orientals for ease in eating.

Prosciutto from Parma, San Daniele from Italy, jamon Iberico or jamon Serrano or jamon Iberico de belotta , from Spain, and ham from Smitfield from North Carolina taste different, and well worth the extra expense. It is better to eat one slice of fine ham, than three slices of mediocre product!

Buy a grinder and whole peppercorns. Grind, as you need. The moment you grind anything it starts to lose flavour.

Buy lightly roasted coffee beans, and grind, as you need it. Do not buy ground coffee regardless of packaging and what the manufacturer tells you.

You want to enjoy your food, and save money at the sae time follow the advice above, if and when possible.

Never miss a post! subscribe via RSS or subscribe via e-mail.   Post writer – Hrayr Berberoglu – E-mail – Read his books?

Rice is a cereal grain and represents the most important food for a large part of Latin America, East, South and Southeast Asia. Rice is the second most important grain after corn, and more popular that wheat, and potatoes combined. Wheat represents the main starch of Mediterranean- and Middle Eastern peoples, whereas northern Europeans like other grains (i.e rye) and potatoes.
Wild rice has been used for millennia by the First Nations of North America. It is not a grain, but a grass and requires much more (3 times more) water than rice in cooking. Wild rice is still being used by the First nations, although expensive due to the time involved in harvesting. It stores well for a long time.
Rice is planted in
Lowlands – rain fed
Deepwater – irrigated
Deepwater – coastal wetlands
Upland – draught resistant
Rice grains measure 5 – 12 mm. long and 2 –3 mm. thick. The plant grows top a height of 1 – 1.8 metres.
White rice, which is more popular than brown rice, is easier to cook, tastes more refined and to digest. It may be “buffed” with glucose or talc, a process known as polishing, or parboiled (converted), or milled to rice flour.
Brown rice is natural, tastes nutty, requires long cooking and takes much longer to digest.

There are long grain (Patna, Basmati), medium grain (used for sweets), or short grain (for risotto i.e. Vialone Nano, Carnaroli, Arborio),
Basmati and Patna rice are grown in northern India and Pakistan.
Considerable research and hybridization has taken place in Basmati production.
Indian officials recognize six “true line” Basmati – Basmati – 370, – 217, – 386, Dehradun, Tarori and Ranbir. Crossing Basmati with other types resulted in several strains. They are not considered pure and are classified as Pusa Basmati, Haryana Basmati, Kasturi, Maki, and Sugand. Indian exporters ship mainly true basmati, and distribute hybridized strains within the country.
Pakistani officials recognize five varieties including Super basmati, Basmati 385 and 198, all of which are high yielding hybrids and much less expensive to produce, but their taste and texture are inferior to the true Basmati. True Basmati is fragrant, delicate, flavourful, and doubles in volume when properly cooked. It must be consumed shortly after cooking and never reheated.
Basmati is shaped like a sword, and represents only one per cent of the total rice production, hence considerably more expensive. For this reason many exporters blend true Basmati with inferior strains in an attempt to maximize their profits. Fakes of basmati can only be detected through DNA analysis, and expensive and time-consuming procedure, which governments and/or the private sector are not, interested in pursuing.
The consumer must rely on the integrity of the exporter
Texmati, a hybrid developed in Texas, should not be confused with true basmati. True rice connoisseurs frown upon parboiled (converted) rice, which has practically no taste, but is convenient when it comes to cooking time and expertise.
When buying rice, at least in Canada, select stores with a high turnover to ensure quality. Try a few brands and decide for yourself. Tilda and Quill are two reliable brands available in Indian grocery stores.
The largest producers of rice are
(Millions of tons)

China 135
India 85
Egypt 39
Malaysia 37
Indonesia 37
Bangladesh 26
Vietnam 18
Thailand 10
Myanmar 10
Philippines 9.7
Japan 8.7
Brazil 8.1
South Korea 5.0
U.S.A 3.9

Guest Writer – Hrayr Berberoglu E-mail or interested in his books?.

In that sense, some food and wine matches are made in heaven, while others simply clash. If you try to match artichokes with wine you will understand how both clash and the taste of both suffers. Ditto for eggs and asparagus. On the other hand, a sautéed monkey fish goes well with a light pinot noir or you can select a full bodied un-oaked chardonnay or a white Cotes du Rhone made by blending rousanne and viognier, or a monovarietal viognier.

In matching food with wine; the intensity of taste of the main ingredient is important, as is the method of preparation. A poached salmon tastes completely different to a planked – or BBQ salmon. Take halibut in a ginger broth with baby beets and crème fraiche. Here a racy gruner veltliner from Austria would offset nicely the sweetness of the food. Baked mackerel has a strong and pronounced fish taste, and so a red wine, even a light red wine would clash, but a pan-fried swordfish with a pinot noir is fine.

Grilled scallops and pinot blanc from Alsace are proven winners, and so are oysters on the half shell with dry chenin blanc, dry Riesling or Chablis.
On the other hand, lobster preparations benefit greatly from full bodied, minerally chardonnays from Burgundy, Ontario, Carneros in California, Chardonnay from Tasmania, or Yarra Valley in Victoria, Australia.

Fish and crustaceans generally go well with fruity, light white wines. For smoked salmon, try dry champagne or an Alsatian pinot blanc, and see how a match made in heaven works. If you happen not to like wine, but love smoked salmon, try a single malt Scotch whisky.

Cabernet sauvignon and/or Bordeaux blends, and merlot from Washington State or California complement lamb, beef, or even game specialties pending on their preparation. Sushi and sashimi have become the preferred food young professionals. Some claim green tea is the best, but beer and sake complement both quite well. If you like to try wine try off-dry Alsatian wines. If you are looking for a wine match, try a dry Montilla-Moriles from Spain or a Prosecco di Valdobbiadene from northern Italy.

Dry Riesling also goes well with sushi. Here are a few food and wine suggestions you may want to try Sauteed foie gras d’oie – Sauternes or a Late Harvest Riesling or off dry Alsatian gewürztraminer Roast leg or grilled lamb, Medoc red wines. Soft and creamy cheeses and dry white wines from the Loire, Ontario, New Zealand are proved matches. A perfect match is goat cheese and dry sauvignon blanc from New Zedaland, particularly those from Marlborough. Pastas with tomato sauce require acid-driven European wines. (A light Valpolicella or Beaujolais goes well or fettucine with a light Chianti.

Generally, local European specialties and wines are good matches.
Thai food demands acid-driven wines, creamy, buttery, sauced seafood cries for fruity, balanced chardonnay that has not been barrel aged for too long, or dry riesling. If you like rare-cooked steaks, try cabernet sauvignon, but pepper steak demands a strong red Cotes du Rhone as do game stews.

Glazed pork goes best with an off-dry wine. Roast turkey can be paired with a light red wine i.e Valpolicella, Beaujolais, pinot noir from Burgundy, or Oregon, or Tasmania or Yarra Valley both in Australia, cabernet franc from the Loire Valley or a full bodied white from Australia or California.

For those who like desserts, fruit salads sweet Riesling, or berry wines (strawberry, cherry, raspberry, blueberry) are recommended.
If you happen to like cheese- or carrot cake, try a late harvest riesling from either Ontario, or Germany, or Austria, or a Tokaj (two or three puttonyos) from Hungary
Chocolate lovers will be satisfied with young ruby ports, and those who prefer milk chocolate, icewines. Blue cheeses and Sauternes, or late harvest or icewines go wonderfully together.

Sweet foods make dry wine taste bitter, because of the tannins are emphasised and fruit flavours masked.
Acid foods make a wine taste flat and dull, because the acid is masked.
Bitter foods mask wine taste off, they overpower fruit flavours.
Spicy foods make wine taste bitter, because spices emphasise tannins.
Creamy chardonnay and crab, boiled or in crab cakes, are fine.
Earthy pinot noir and sautéed mushrooms are excellent match.
Fruity merlot and roasted lamb complement each other.
Late harvest wines, sweet ports and sherries with desserts are proven successes.
Serve off dry wines with foods containing chillies.

Guest Writer – Hrayr Berberoglu E-mail or interested in his books?.

Garlic heaven!.

If you are visiting Stockholm, London or Palma this is a must visit for garlic lovers. The restaurant serves garlic in everything even the after meals. They have a policy ‘You can always order extra garlic, but never less’.

The restaurant in Stockholm is small and friendly with good food and plenty on of it on the plate. It is located in the middle of the town so it shouldn’t be any difficulties finding it. It has been 3 years now since we visited the place and we are absolute going there next time we are in town.

Have you heard of the place or been there?

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In the series products we are sceptical of we have found canned cheeseburger.

The product can be purchased here: link.

But I must say that we are MOST sceptical. The product is prepared by putting the box directly into hot water and let it boil in x-number of minutes. Do you want to sample?