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Episodes, Outdoor Fun

ODF – EP 3 ISLAND PICNIC

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SHOT ON LOCATION, WARD’S ISLAND, LAKE ONTARIO

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-zthl7Dy0U

Too tired to read then click play on the box below to hear the blog read to you by Brian (and occasional comment by Helenka when I screw it up).

Hello, Culinary Playmates:

It is I, Helenka, your fearless advocate of gustatory creativity (aka I eat weird but really tasty food and think you should, too). Though, sometimes, there is NO weird food, especially when a certain chef (hint: his name is Brian Upward) packs tasty but more conventional foods, as he did for our picnic on Ward’s Island on the Saturday of the long weekend in May, 2011.

The funny thing is that we planned and managed to release our last outdoor fun episode when it was really cold outside and wanted to do the same thing with this one. But, guess what? We’ve been having a really good (meaning mainly nonexistent) winter. So, hey, let’s just pretend that releasing it this time is just a rehearsal for summer. Are we all in agreement? I think so! ::crosses fingers, too::

I don’t know about Brian (or you) but I love walking and exploring places, though I feel a lot more secure having a map in front of me. That’s what I did when I went to Vancouver and all those times in New York City. Mind you, when you have streets and avenues with numbers, it’s almost impossible to get lost. On the other hand, I remember a walk to Rosedale in the early 1970s (to a professor’s house) and didn’t realize there was an overpass crossing Mount Pleasant. So I actually ran across the traffic-crazy street. Which goes to show you that living in a city doesn’t necessarily guarantee you’ll know all of its hidden secrets.

Even though Brian and I have visited Ward’s Island many times before and I used to venture onto odd little islands connected to Algonquin Island in the mid 1990s (oh, those swamps, I tell you), I’d never done anything that felt so zig-zagging as this trip. Mind you, I didn’t have a proper map with me (not like the fancy ones from Parks & Recreation when I used to book firepits), just what I printed off on my colour printer that didn’t really identify some of the points of interest or else muddled the names underneath the colour layers (A spa? Sunshine Seniors’ Centre?? Really???). So I had to trust Brian ::turns to stare at him, ‘cuz he really likes to fool me from time to time:: and I didn’t know where he was leading me. Mind you, he managed to stick the Toronto (formerly CN) Tower into lots of shots which was a great relief for me.

When we finally sat down ON SOME HANDY ROCKS and resumed our picnic (having started it on our one-hour layover at the ferry docks), we got to enjoy commercial red-skin potato salad with lots and lots of added cayenne pepper, home-made sandwiches (baby spinach, arugula, thinly sliced cucumber, Swiss cheese, rosemary ham, honey mustard on poppyseed pannini buns), cranberry-raspberry cocktail and chocolate pudding to cool our mouths from the cayenne burn. Any bugs that decided to join our picnic location or visit our clothes were FREE! Now I ask you, where else can you get FREE ants and spiders … uh … whether you want them or not? Though you’ll notice I was the one wearing long sleeves and a scarf because I really didn’t want to get all close and personal with the wildlife.

Whether you have a lake with a handy island you can visit, or you just head to a beloved park or one you’ve just discovered, you can always have a lot of fun. Go at different times of the day, even when it’s foggy or raining (but preferably not monsooning). You don’t even need a picnic table or park bench. We made do with rocks, though a table would have been a nice luxury. But, even with the wee bit of inconvenience, we still had loads and loads of fun. And, as if you haven’t figured it out yet, that’s the most important thing. Well … that and the food and still being friends after our picnic! [Though I hope you’ll feel some sympathy for us as it took us two hours to get home because the highway was closed. But, hey, we laughed and talked and laughed some more. We’re really good at entertaining ourselves!]

We hope you enjoyed tagging along on our picnic, seeing the lush trees, clusters of late-spring flowers, the cute beach, the interesting and varied styles of houses and cottages, also listening to the swell of waves hitting the shore, the birds trilling as well as that pesky lawn mower before finally returning with us on the ferry back to the city. ::pouts::

Until next time, have yourselves a great week and think about what kinds of trouble … uh … fun – we meant fun – you can have when summer finally arrives. Just watch out for any incognito blondes!

Enjoy!

B&H =:)

Friends Food Fun

FFF EP-24: CURRIED CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICH

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httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnDdLizs_E4

Hey, everyone!

As we head into fall, I thought I would talk a bit about what’s coming up in the next few weeks and months … as you are going to see some of the fabulous fun I’ve gotten myself into and coerced others into as well [Editor’s cautious observation: Fun? Probably trouble, too!].

There are two barbecue episodes with Helenka and me (though I think I might reserve one to show when we long for summer while in the dread of winter [editor’s laughing note: it’s actually “dead” but “dread” is unfortunately accurate, too, where we live!] [Brian’s reply to the laughing editor: I’m taking some creative leeway ‘cause I’m sure that’s how everyone feels who doesn’t like winter as much!].

With “Desserts Are Fun” in full swing on a monthly basis, I’m introducing some new friends of mine who just love to bake. I’m leaving that as a teaser for now as you won’t get to see them probably until November as I have one more desserts episode to show before then.

Helenka and I are also still producing regular weekly episodes of “Friends Food Fun” though we are coming very near to the end of our adventures with the book “Cook This Not That”. We do have some thoughts on what to do next but, if any of you have ideas, just contact us using this link .

One of the things I can definitely say is that producing this show has taught me a lot including some new skills which – funny enough – others are noticing and commenting on when I see them. Helenka, as a matter of fact, gets a lot of comments too (don’t want to spoil it for her in case she wants to talk about it herself) and has been invited to be a special guest speaker in front of a large group about what she does here (yippee – you show ‘em, girl [Helenka takes a wee bow while keeping her lips zipped for the moment]).

We always said to each other that, even if we were the ONLY ones watching (and laughing ‘cause that is the fun part) what we did, then the whole effort would still be worth it. Well, I am happy to report that we are NOT the only ones watching and, if I may be so bold [Helenka adds “proud, too”], can confirm our viewers are coast to coast.

Reminiscing about summer earlier brings me to this week’s episode, originally filmed on a sweltering day in the middle of the summer of 2010.

Now I’m of the mind that, during these types of days, quick and easy is THE only way to go … so I found a neat recipe which fit the bill perfectly, that being “Curried Chicken Salad Sandwich” with my favourite rotisserie chicken, grape tomatoes, fresh bread, curry powder, raisins, celery, vidalia onion, carrot, crisp greens (spring mix in this case), olive oil mayonnaise, salt and pepper to taste, accompanied by Moishe’s potato salad with sweet pickle (mmmm and yum!). I’ve had the garlic version of it without the pickle which is good as well.

At times, assembling already-made products together ends up creating something I think anyone would be proud to serve to friends and family (especially during those “lazy hazy dayz” of summer). I do like making my own potato salad but, when you find one that you really enjoy, I say stick with it. Who wants to boil potatoes, eggs, cut up apples, carrots, celery, open a can or shuck peas, put all into a bowl before adding mayonnaise – when your air conditioning is running at full tilt just to maintain a comfortable temperature; so don’t worry, there will always be another time to make your own.

Hmmm, I think I have the start of a recipe in there somewhere. Do you have a favourite one that, no matter what time of year, cannot be substituted for store bought? Willing to share? Click here .

Well, that’s it from me this week. Enjoy and keep those comments coming: we love hearing from you.

Have a GREAT week till next time.
Enjoy!
B&H =;)

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Please note: We try and review the recipes in the cookbook; however, in an effort to respect copyright, we are not able to reproduce the actual printed recipes here. If you do have the book, please follow along with us!

Review: Curried Chicken Salad Sandwich

Notes from the Chef’s Sidekick (Helenka)

Just watching the episode again returned me to the languid mood (meaning it was just too hot to move or to show even any extreme facial expressions; also possibly one source of my more-giddy-than-usual behaviour). There’s something special about eating spicy cold food in the summer. First of all, chilling dulls flavours — which is only one reason why you shouldn’t kill wine by storing it in the fridge for a very long time. The same principle applies to chilling food. So, when creating a cold dish, you can get away with spicing it more heavily than you would if it were served hot.

There’s also the physical reaction of our bodies not craving food as much on hot days unless it’s cold and tasty. [That would certainly explain why ice cream and popsicles are so popular, right?] Well, from the additional amount of curry powder Brian added (with my wholehearted encouragement and blessings), our taste buds were all perky and ultimately satisfied by the finished product.

Variations

We already changed the recipe (as if that’s anything NEW for us) by incorporating the lettuce and tomatoes into the chicken salad mixture. I’m constantly astonished to see chefs prepare dishes that are awkward to eat — especially in public! My main pet peeve is when a Caesar salad arrives at the table. So … the romaine is supposed to be torn into bite-sized pieces. Huh – they must be expecting a giant then, with a mouth to match. ::points in irritation to small mouth:: For this sandwich, I knew my unique child-like fingers wouldn’t be able to handle ingredients sliding all over the place and falling off the bread. But binding everything with the mayonnaise made eating a much less messy experience. Hey, I may like ice cream and popsicles, but getting food all over my clothing and the table (or worse, floor) is something I’d like to reside in my early childhood a long time ago (in a galaxy … yadda, yadda, yadda).

If you’re tired of cold chicken in the summertime (because, yes, even your most fave and convenient food can get a little boring), you could try making cold curried rare beef, with hot pepper oil and orange segments; or cold curried diced pork, with mustard or turmeric and apple slices. If you need to whet your imagination, just think of a fave Chinese or Indian dish and recreate it as a cold salad. Mmmmm. In fact, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with taking leftover takeout and turning it into a salad sandwich (even if there are noodles or rice in it). [I’m not too proud to admit that one of my fave instant sandwiches when I was a teenager was potato salad on a kaiser bun.] I’m also thinking of an elegant shrimp, shredded zucchini and chopped red pepper salad with lime juice and cilantro, served on foccacia. ::giggles:: You can see there’s nothing wrong with my imagination here.

During the horribly cold months ahead (if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, that is), you may want to gather some recipes with the intent of making them during warmer weather. Brian and I have become quite the experts at planning for future eating and definite enjoyment! It’s also nice to have something wonderful to look forward to.

Cooking time (duration): 30

Number of servings (yield): 2

Meal type: supper

Culinary tradition: USA (General)

My rating: 5 stars:  ★★★★★ 1 review(s)

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