Thai Your Hand in the Kitchen

I've often find that we come home from long days to a house of silence - it's a big house, and there aren't nearly enough of us living in it to fill the spacious rooms and vaulted ceilings with chatter and the ease of laughter. Perhaps it is the kitchen which brings us together. Put a pot on the stove and fill it with aromatic flavours which instead will fill the air around us, a comforting hug around stooped shoulders.

It seems as if gathering in the kitchen and cooking with others is the perfect cure for a sense of loneliness. Encourage and invite others to cook around or with you, and instantly, there's a sense of communion and chatter in effort to achieve a common goal, to beat the eggs, to sauté the onions. Because we all know everyone's there for the comfort of really good food.

As we cut circles out of flattened pastry we begin to chat comfortably, sharing stories of past events of our weeks and expressing the things which bother us or fill us with joy. Yesterday, mum and I sat in the kitchen around mugs of tea to chat, and later put the weeks events behind us with our focus on chopping and mixing something delicious for dinner. As we laid the ingredients across the counter and placed a large chopping board beside us, I began to smile at myself, and a sparkle glimmered as if the sun had once again reappeared.

I really love cooking, I thought, cooking is like our own therapy, you take simple ingredients and turn them into a delicious masterpiece. And if cooking is our therapy, then the friendships we have must also be. The same sense of fulfilment is acquired from both.

And so we bake cookies. Try our hands at scones and kneading gluten-free bread. On weekends we try pizzas. We make stir-fries and soups. We make discoveries in gluten-free baking, and try new ingredients, sometimes learning what not to do, often learning new techniques. Then as we sit around the table we make conversation about the meal, remarking on the complements in flavours and textures, and slowly moving on to talk about ourselves, and our days. Then we begin to laugh, and we can no longer stop, we are enjoying the full feeling in our bellies, and the complete feeling of unity around us with a full house.

Coconut Lime Thai Soup
Print recipe here.

A shrimp dish with the sweetness of coconut milk and spice of red curry paste which are complemented by the strong flavour of limes in this simple dish. Served with rice noodles, dinner guests will be slurping the bowl for more.

Garlic and ginger are all known fighters of that pesky everyday cold and flu, which seems to be sticking around longer and longer each year. Plus, the kick of thai chilli in this soup will remind you that you are alive and strong, so get back into action with a hearty bowl and the warm flavours of good, gluten free, food again.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 tbsp grape seed oil, or other oil suitable for frying
1 shallot, sliced
1 red pepper, diced

1 1/2 tbsp freshly grated ginger
2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 1/2 tsp red Thai curry paste
1 tbsp fish sauce (check to make sure it is gluten free!)
zest of 1 lime, juice of 2 limes, 1 sliced to serve (3 in total)

1 1/2 cans of unsweetened coconut milk

400 g fresh or frozen baby shrimp
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
3 tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves

approximately 200 g flat rice noodles

Directions

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the sliced shallot and diced red pepper, cook until soft, about 3 minutes.

Add the garlic, ginger, and red Thai curry paste. Stir frequently until you can smell the garlic, about 30 seconds. Add the fish sauce, zest of one lime, and freshly squeezed lime juice, stirring until well combined. Pour in the coconut milk and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a separate pot, bring water to a boil. Add the rice noodles and cook until noodles are tender. Rinse and set aside.

Add the shrimp and continue to simmer until the shrimp is completely cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add the noodles and stir together, then add herbs. Taste and adjust seasoning to your personal preference.

Serve in large bowls with sliced lime quarters.

Enjoy! xx S.

Potate-oh, Pah-tato

Love has great taste.

For those who believe that food is love; the love for that perfectly baked cake, the chicken roasted to perfection, chocolate that melts in your mouth, then you'll want to cook as much as I do.

Or maybe it's something someone else made for you that's just to die for.

Today, mum and I met after an early end to school (those really are the best of days) and we decided upon lunch at our favourite spot on the island. The view looks out on the ferry's path, and on a clear day our tiny ferry can be seen passing the routes of the huge ferries in comparison on it's way back and forth from the mainland.

Kids waited for their dance classes over juices and oversized cookies and situated in the comfortable lounge chairs by the fire in the corner, but their voices escalated around the entire room as did their levels of sugar.

At a small table by the window, mum and I sat across from each other and waited for our food after ordering at the counter, laden with jars of cookies and biscotti and farther down from that, a tiered cake platter supported large meringues of varying sizes and shapes - my favourite being the little mouse ones. Perfectly decorated with little half pistachios as ears and chocolate chips for eyes, they look like the perfect afternoon treat. In the cooler we eyed the prepared dishes, our mouths watering at french delicacies, soups, sandwiches and tapas.

The cafe varies their menu of soups often, tomato basil one week, to squash, potato & cumin the next, and because of their enviable gluten-free bread served alongside, a tasty slice with the evidence of being grilled from the black criss-crossed lines along the front and back, I am most inclined to feel the comfort of a hot bowl. Immediately upon entering, I check the small blackboard that sways in its brackets above the counter and announces today's soups in colourful, spiralling chalk lettering.

What a comfort to have soup by the window of a cafe, overlooking an array of trees pounded by the rain, and to be still and warm, even overheating, from both the food and a hot latté.

I wish you were here.

The food comes by way of a friendly waitress, who lays each dish down on the wooden table as I collect napkins and cutlery from a little basket from the centre table.

It smells so good.

And for dessert, because we just couldn't resist the new addition to the display of enticing dishes, we shared a warm rice pudding served in a cute little jar and topped with raspberry jam. Mum and I couldn't keep our spoons still even if we tried.

"Pass the puddin' please,"

we repeated over and over to each other, until the very last spoonful was scraped from the bottom, and we finally relaxed back into the large wooden chairs to people watch again. Perhaps one day I will finally make such a delicacy, and together, we will share in the warmth and comfort of a creamy rice pudding, straight from the oven.

And perhaps with the intent of cooking from scratch, it may take a few tries to reach the desired creaminess with that subtle hint of real vanilla. We will indulge in the simple pleasure of creation, and the outcome of something so beautiful, even if it only lasts a few moments in the face of expectant family and friends.

They will love everything you cook for them. So, dinner tonight?

Baked Rosemary Potatoes
Printable Recipe.

To accompany any main meal, these potatoes are full of rich flavours and cooked to perfection!

A Quick Note:
When chopping the onions, it is much easier to chop them with the ends still on! The end with the roots attached, that resembles little tentacles, actually holds together the onions structure, and keeps the layers tightly bonded. I usually cut my onion in half, slice across it again, without cutting the end, and then slice, which creates diced onions!

Serves 3 - 4 as a side dish.

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1/4 c rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp grape seed oil
salt and pepper to taste

1 lb baby potatoes
1 red onion, chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a 20 cm wide baking dish, combine the garlic, rosemary, rice wine vinegar, mustard, oil and salt and pepper, stirring until mixed.

Chop the washed potatoes in halves, and add them with the red onion to the dish, coat in mixture.

Cover the dish with foil, securing the ends by curling the foil around the dish, and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the foil, and bake for another 20 - 25 minutes.

Seize the Squash!

Sunday was the perfect day. From the late morning, starting with breakfast and tea, to driving along the highway and back. We awoke to heavy clouds and the sprinkling of rain on the windows, dampening our expectations of a nice day in Steveston, which would undoubtably be wind swept and cold in the current weather.  My initial response was,

"Oh no,"

as I stared at the sky, surprisingly close to us sitting in the kitchen,

"you don't mean to make me stay at home again do you!? Outside looks so depressing and cold, those clouds so dark!"

Dad replied to my over exaggeration calmly,

"No, we'll just see how the day goes."

And that's exactly what we did, taking each moment bit by bit, which turned into the best of all days.

Unplanned moments are always the best of moments. There are no expectations or ideals to compare with, everything just happens, flowing seamlessly when you let it, and these days can be experienced and appreciated for what they are. That spontaneity enlightens us, takes the pressure off making the day perfect, and instead, allows each of us to enjoy the company, the environment and what we set about doing that day.

I was ready to tackle the drive up to Squamish, along the highway from where our ferry docked, to a small cafe where we stopped for lattes  - and to my surprise, gluten-free muffins! It was set among shops along the main road, and served a healthier option to Starbucks drinks and snacks, where the rock climbers, bikers and hang-gliders from the area come for their fill. A young girl served us, and many others who lined up, and soon after a young couple who knew her came in for coffees and breakfast wraps. They chatted, staying longer than other customers as no one else remained who needed to be served, and I was reminded of the relaxed comfort in the familiarity of small town coffee shops, where everyone knows the cashier, and everyone meets jovially, explaining the latest news in their lives, exclaiming their joy at seeing someone they know.

Traffic was sparse and calm, benefitting my new driver abilities, and dad and I later left mum to read her book comfortably settled in the cafe as we drove around, practicing on the many four-way stops, and the one round-about we found after many wrong turns. It was a warren maze of small streets and scattered stop signs, which jumped out from overgrown gardens with protruding trees, only visible when nearing the stop line. My thoughts were on nothing more than the present, which calmed me, and I was able to focus on driving solely, a helpful advantage to previous driving practices when I was focusing on school and homework or flitting between homework and dance, my mind racing between the tasks, trying to keep up with everything.

From Squamish we continued up the valley to Whistler, a spur of the moment decision as the clouds began to lift, and the possibility of some sunshine sneered up above the clouds, enticing but not yet apparent. Steveston seemed like a far drive, and we weren't keen on getting back into the city, which contained a hustle and busyness we wanted to steer away from today. We liked the tranquility of the valley, even with the heavy fog seen to be streamlining down the mountain's banks.

I drove again up the highway, manoeuvring the twists and turns through the rocks that were still uneven from their blasting to increase the size of the highway for the 2010 Olympics. It's a nice highway to drive now, smooth, and a much faster journey, which has allowed Whistler to be a day trip rather than the whole weekend for us. Gas is also cheaper in Squamish, so in a way, it's justified when paired with our need for a day out.

It was colder in Whistler, the 9°C temperature was replaced by a cooler front, although I didn't check the screen in the car I know it must have been about 4 or 5°C. Many couples walked around bundled in checkered red scarves and big duffle coats, their red mittens blended together as they cupped each others hands. Kids who climbed about on the new playground structure, an extraordinary wooden enclave, were wrapped in pastel-coloured coats and little red hats, their mothers and fathers stood with hands in pockets and babies in buggies were wrapped in furry blankets and toques with animal faces.

We walked through the village three in a row, and I broke from the pod as I darted in and out of stores, looking, looking. From the North Face to Columbia stores I was looking for a coat, one that could keep me as warm as it would keep me dry during the winter' this winter is meant to be one filled with cold temperatures and will threaten us with snow throughout the season.

Dad thinks I planned the day, with the intention of finding this coat. Ha! I love it, and it is exactly what I was looking for, even before that day, but I'm not that good at steering them. I certainly had an idea of what stores were in the village before, but how could I have ever known we would end up in Whistler?

Dear mum and dad, thank you for such a wonderful day. Finding that coat was just the icing on top of the cake, the foam of our lattes, the gluten-free to the muffins we found in that small cafe, and for dad: the complementary flavours of your beer paired with your lamb stew for lunch. It is the Irish of the pub we went to that day.

Autumn Stuffed Squash
Print Recipe.

Roasted squash, with melted butter and a seasoning of salt, is the perfect accompaniment to a fall dinner. Add a drizzle of maple syrup for another variation, or try a stuffing of wholesome rice with nuts and dried fruit, such as natural dried cranberries to complete the meal. The complementary flavours, loaded with ingredients of fall, this dish will bring everyone to the table, to the warmth of the kitchen, and can be made any time squash is available.

The best dried cranberries are from natural food stores, where added sugars are minimum, and the natural flavours of the cranberries, including a particular tartness, remains.

The stuffing of rice can be cooked and stored in an airtight container on the refrigerator up to 2 days ahead.

Serves 6

Ingredients

3 medium squash, halved lengthwise with seeds removed (I used different types to try the variety available in our local grocery store)

4 tablespoons butter (or Earth Balance) melted
1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar

1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 medium shallots, finely chopped
4 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil leaves

2 cups cooked wild rice (1 cup uncooked)
2/3 cup raw cashews, chopped coarsely
1/4 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Brush 1/2 tbsp of melted butter over and inside each squash halves, sprinkle with brown sugar, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the halved squash inside facing up on a baking tray in the centre of the oven. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes or until just tender when pierced with a fork.

While the squash is in the oven, heat a large frying pan over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of butter.

With the butter beginning to foam, add the chopped onion, shallots, and celery, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, stirring to coat.

Cook for about 6-8 minutes, with an occasional stir, until the vegetables just begin to soften. Add the chopped basil leaves and cook for another minute, or until fragrant.

Remove vegetables from the stove top and stir in the cooked rice, chopped cashews, chopped cranberries, and salt and pepper.

Spoon the filling into the roasted squash halves, it will be about half a cup each, and drizzle some of the melted butter over top.

Place the squash on the baking tray and roast under the same oven temperature until it is completely tender and the edges begin to brown. About 20-25 minutes.