At the end of 2009 I set a few food goals for myself (check them out here). One of my goals was to consume more fruits and vegetables. I figured juicing would be a good way to get more produce in on a daily basis. Believe it or not I [...]]]>

At the end of 2009 I set a few food goals for myself (check them out here). One of my goals was to consume more fruits and vegetables. I figured juicing would be a good way to get more produce in on a daily basis. Believe it or not I have been juicing pretty consistently since the beginning of the year. I juice about 4 or 5 mornings a week. I’m kind of obsessed.

I started off using an old ACME Juicer that we had for years. The Acme is powerful but ours is possessed. It would vibrate so much and start walking across the counter. Sure it has all sorts of technology built in so that it wouldn’t walk but trust me when I say this thing could MOVE. After a few frustrating months I decided to just get a new juicer since I was really into my juicing.

After some research I settled on the Juice Fountain Plus by Breville. I bought the lower-end model that has plastic parts vs. metal parts but I figured the motor and mechanism are the same.  There are a few features about this juicer that I love.  First of all it has two speeds! I use low speed to juice soft fruits (think citrus, berries, grapes etc) and the high speed for everything else.  The chute is LARGE.  We’re talking fit a whole apple huge.  This makes prep for juicing so much easier because there is less cutting involved.  I also like that the pulp shoots out one way into it’s own container and the juice goes the other way.  Clean up really is easy.  I also have to add that this machine is FAST.  It extracts juice from a whole apple in about 5 seconds.  Unlike my Acme there is no need to keep the machine running after the fruit has been juiced in order to extract more juice from the pulp.

Clearly I love this machine.

In terms of WHAT to juice I typically turn to The Juicing Bible. I have an older version than what is on Amazon but it’s great. Not only does it give you different combinations of fruits and vegetables to juice but it also talks about different roots, herbs etc. that you can add for medicinal purposes. I don’t usually mess with that section but I can see how it could be use.

Here are a few of my favourite combinations:

Pear, apple, beet, ginger
Apple, pear, grape
Orange, carrot, ginger
Grapefruit, orange, carrot, pineapple
Cranberry, pear, grape apple
Apple, beet, carrot
Carrot, celery, apple, parsley

I could really go on and on. I usually have the following in my fridge and juice in various combinations: apple, pear, beets, carrot, celery, orange, tangerine, grapefruit, ginger, grapes, pineapples and maybe some berries. My favourite juices involve beets. Who knew?

The only downside to juicing is that you miss out on the pulp which has all the fiber in it. I’m currently coveting the VitaMix blender which can pretty much puree everything.  The next time I feel like dropping $600 I will buy it for sure!  For now I’m totally content with my Breville.

Once you start getting into cooking you start to hear about the importance of a good set of knives.  Truth be told I’ve never invested in  good set of knives despite the fact that I’ve been cooking seriously for years.  It didn’t make sense to get a good set while I [...]]]>

Once you start getting into cooking you start to hear about the importance of a good set of knives.  Truth be told I’ve never invested in  good set of knives despite the fact that I’ve been cooking seriously for years.  It didn’t make sense to get a good set while I was in university with roommates and when I moved out on my own I didn’t bother.  Every time I get a gift card to Williams Sonoma or a similar store I always think that I’ll buy one but I don’t.

It wasn’t until I stayed at my (married) friend’s apartment and started cooking that I realized what I had been missing out on.  One of her wedding gifts was a set of really good knives.  I made butternut squash soup and slicing the butternut squash was like cutting through butter.  I actually enjoyed the process whereas I normally get grumpy and hate every minute of squash slicing.  That’s when I realized that new knives were in order.

The first thing I decided was that I didn’t need a set.  The “experts” on this sort of matter always say you just need a chef’s knife and a paring knife and MAYBE a bread knife.  While I love the cheese spreader knife in my current it is so NOT necessary.  The next thing I had to do was some research to figure out the right brand.  I’ve always heard of Shun, Global and Wusthof and figured I’d go with one of those but didn’t know too much about anything.  I then uncovered another layer in the knife world: Japanese knives.

The whole business got kind of complicated but luckily I stumbled across this article in Cook’s Illustrated that ranked a variety of chef’s knives.  I hadn’t heard of most of the brands and many of them were pricey.  I was on board with spending a hundred + on a good knife but if I could avoid that I would be happy too.  On the list was the Forschner by Victorinox chef’s knife with a fibrox handle which was a mere $40-ish!  This knife was rated very highly when compared to its more expensive counterparts.  A few years ago when I was in the market for a dutch over and not wanting to pay Le Creuset prices the folks at Cook’s Illustrated recommended a dutch oven from Target for under $40. I bought it and LOVE it.  I bought a smaller Le Creuset a few months later and think the Target dutch oven really does hold it’s own.  With that said I had few reservations about the Victorinox knife.  My faith in the knife was further enhanced by a blog post over at Food with Legs that raved about the knife. SOLD!

I ended up buying my knife at Tap Phong on Spadina in Toronto for about $39.99. SCORE!  It was the last one they had in stock believe it or not, so clearly others are onto this knife.  I bought the 10″ because I love a big knife and didn’t even test it in store.

I’m LOVING this knife. I love the fibrox handle because it’s easy to grip and doesn’t slip.  The knife itself has a good weight to it but isn’t too light or two heavy. The blade itself has made my life so much easier.  I’ve been juicing every morning and it is so much easier to cut through my fruits and veggies now.  It truly is so much easier to slice through everything now and I find my technique has improved because my knife does more of the work.

If you want to upgrade from your current knife set (mine is from Canadian Tire) this is a great nice and a fantastic price.

Of course I landed in the kitchen section and came across this [...]]]> The other day I was checking out the Hammacher Schlemmer website just for fun. Not only does the company have a GREAT name but they have all sorts of neat gadgets that you didn’t even know you wanted!

Of course I landed in the kitchen section and came across this toaster by Bodum. Yes, it’s a toaster!  The cool thing is that since there aren’t any slots you can toast pretty much any type of bread.  Of course you can adjust the level of browning AND there’s even a crumb tray.  PLUS it just looks cool.

The cost is $89.95 via Hammacher Schlemmer.  If I had unlimited counter space in my teeny weeny kitchen this would definitely get a nice spot.  And apparently it can be stored on its side too.  I’d be toasting things all day everyday! (Hello, gluten coma anyone?).

A Last year I put together my wish list for the holiday season. While I haven’t acquired a single on that list I thought I’d put one together for those looking to get gifts for the food lovers in your life. My recommendations from last year still stand

A Roasting Pan

I was making ribs the other day and the recipe said to put them in a roasting pan. That’s when I realized I didn’t have one. I felt a bit like a kitchen failure! I love the roasting pans with the rack in it so that whatever you’re cooking doesn’t just sit in the fat.

The French Chef DVD set

For years I’ve admired Julia Child from afar. I didn’t own any of her cookbooks, hadn’t really seen her on TV but I knew she had a love of butter, cream and bacon – which is enough to rise to the top of my books. This year Julia Child was definitely “en vogue” which prompted me to finally order Mastering the Art of French Cooking and to read My Life in France (but not the movie tie-in edition!) Now on my list is the entire collection of her PBS show. I’m thinking it will provide a ton of entertainment.

Momofuku by David Chang

Despite living in NYC for years and visiting a few times a year I still haven’t been to the original Momofuku restaurant. While I haven’t eaten the food I really want the cookbook.

Cooking School at Rancho La Puerta

I’ve been wanting to go to the spa at Rancho La Puerta for years! Not only is it a gorgeous spa in Mexico but they also have a special focus on food. They have an organic farm that they grow a lot of the food for the spa on and they host cooking classes and have an impressive roster of guest speakers. In my head it satisfies my desire to live on a commune and live off the fat of the land. Totally my kind of place. AND if you fly into San Diego they will pick you up and drive you to Mexico. How easy is that?

Tea!

My love for tea has been reignited thanks to my visit to Palais de The while I was in Paris. I’m a fan of green teas, roobios teas and a variety of herbal teas – I’m pretty easy to please. Other favourite tea options are Mariage Freres from Paris and in Toronto, David’s Tea and The Tea Emporium.

Eat, Memory by Amanda Hesser

I’m a sucker for the food writing in the NY Times so what better gift than a compilation of food essays from the New York Times magazine? The essays are often my favourite part so I can see myself absolutely devouring this book.

A Mandoline

Who doesn’t want a mandoline? I’m pretty sure I’d eat more vegetables if slicing them thin was much easier. Plus I can julienne AND make waffle-cut veggies? I’m so sold! This particular model even DICES. Seriously, this is my new kitchen obsession. It’s for my health really.

Thai Food by David Thompson

Thai food is one of my favourite cuisines but I have a hard time recreating the magic at home. I’ve been told that David Thompson’s book is one of the definitive guides to making Thai food at home.

A Digital SLR Camera

I love my Panasonic Lumix camera to bits but I know my photos would be a lot better if I had an SLR camera in my life. I’m going to start saving my pennies now.

Every once in a while a love to browse the MOMA Store’s website.  They alwsys have brilliantly designed pieces that actually seem functional and worthy of integrating into your day to day life.

I’m in LOVE with this teapot!  First of all it’s adorable!  Second it is [...]]]> (Photo from the MOMA Store)

Every once in a while a love to browse the MOMA Store’s website.  They alwsys have brilliantly designed pieces that actually seem functional and worthy of integrating into your day to day life.

I’m in LOVE with this teapot!  First of all it’s adorable!  Second it is so functional.  The design allows the water to really circulate around the tea leaves.  And who doesn’t love the candle at the bottom to keep the tea warm?  Seriously, there need to be more teapots with that feature.

This teapot doesn’t come cheap at $185 but it’s the perfect give for a tea lover (like me!).

Click Here for the full details and how to order.

(Image from the MOMA Store)

A few months ago I blogged about the Banana Protector which I bought and totally love.  My bananas really do arrive at work unbruised and in perfect condition.  Well lo and behold I was on the MOMA site and found the Banana Bunker!

(Image from the MOMA Store)

A few months ago I blogged about the Banana Protector which I bought and totally love.  My bananas really do arrive at work unbruised and in perfect condition.  Well lo and behold I was on the MOMA site and found the Banana Bunker!

Leave it to the folks at the MOMA to stock the more sophisticated cousin to the Banana Proctector  I love that it’s clear! I love the grips around the edge!  I love that it is even more phallic than my beloved Banana Proctector!

At $12 for a set of two the price is totally right.

I’m going to Paris in the fall (YAY!) so I’ve been compiling my list of things to do and things to buy.  I’m super excited to visit one of my fave stores, colette! colette is a super cool concept store on rue Saint Honore (high end strip near the Louvre) that has really [...]]]>

I’m going to Paris in the fall (YAY!) so I’ve been compiling my list of things to do and things to buy.  I’m super excited to visit one of my fave stores, colette! colette is a super cool concept store on rue Saint Honore (high end strip near the Louvre) that has really trendy and interesting clothing and “stuff” in general.

I was surfing around their site when I noticed that they have a FOOD section.  Um, sign me up!  The food section is kind of random but the one thing I was drawn to was this Fillico Beverly Hills water that costs 150 euros! FOR WATER!  Kind of amazing.

Here’s the description from the site:

Fillico, the Jewelry Water is the unique treasure to decorate your special occasion with excitement and satisfaction. Gorgeous bottle is fully decorated with stunning Swarovski crystal stars and shiny crown cap. Natural spring water inside comes from Kobe, Japan.

Okay, so it has Swarovski but still!  I could hook you up with a bottle of Poland Springs and a bedazzler for a fraction of the cost.  The bottle is gorgeous though and I probably wouldn’t even DRINK the water but would keep the bottle on display.

I have no clue why they added Beverly Hills to the name since the water is from Japan.  Maybe it’s to make it sound more posh.  But seriously, have you been to L.A.? I don’t think I’d want L.A. water (no disrespect to my L.A. peeps but holy smog Batman!).

Sometimes you’ve got to love excess.  This would be lovely at a wedding that was kind of blinged out.

Thirsty?

I’m kind of obsessed with all things personalized. I have dreams of having all sorts of things monogrammed… sheets. towels, Louis Vuitton luggage.  You name it, I probably want it.  So far in life my monogramming has been limited to an L.L. Bean Boat and Tote bag and a “Return to Tiffany’s” bracelet.  That [...]]]>

I’m kind of obsessed with all things personalized. I have dreams of having all sorts of things monogrammed… sheets. towels, Louis Vuitton luggage.  You name it, I probably want it.  So far in life my monogramming has been limited to an L.L. Bean Boat and Tote bag and a “Return to Tiffany’s” bracelet.  That might change.

I was checking out one of my favourite sites, The Kitchn when I came across this post about customizing your own SIGG water bottle. I already have a SIGG water bottle in black which I totally love. It’s stainless steel, totally durable and you don’t have to worry about plastic leaching toxins into your system. Awesome.

Getting one of these babies customized is even more awesome.

If you visit Cafepress.ca they currently have 8 different styles of water bottle that you can customize with ANY MESSAGE.  It doesn’t have to be your name it can be a quote, a favourite saying, whatever your heart desires.  It costs $34 for a customized 1L bottle.  This sounds great to me because I paid about $26 for my plain (but lovely bottle).

This is totally worth checking out if you have the customization bug like me!

The other day I was visiting with some friends from the beginning of time when I was offered a ton of cherries fresh from their tree.  I’m all for local produce and I couldn’t help but think how much more local could I get than St. Clair and Oakwood?  I figured I would make [...]]]>

The other day I was visiting with some friends from the beginning of time when I was offered a ton of cherries fresh from their tree.  I’m all for local produce and I couldn’t help but think how much more local could I get than St. Clair and Oakwood?  I figured I would make some sort of baked treat because eating that many cherries on their own seemed kind of obscene.  Then it hit me, I would have to pit all of the cherries.

I.Freaked.Out.

I knew there had to be a better way so I started searching.  There were some makeshift tips involving paperclips, skewers etc. but they all sounded like there could be a potential for disaster and not a guaranteed outcome.  Not what I was looking for.  I decided to check out my fave Toronto home/gadget store, Kitchen Stuff Plus and lo and behold I discovered a tool for pitting cherries.

It’s by OXO and costs $12.  I usually have a rule about NOT buying kitchen tools that only have one use.  The package for the cherry pitter says that you can use it for olives too…problem solved!

Let me just say ths product is great!  I plowed through a whole bowl of cherries in minutes.  It’s really easy to use… as easy as a stapler and the results are fantastic.  The pit comes out cleanly and there is minimal waste so you get maximum cherry goodness.

My post about what I made with said cherries to come in a few days…