The Best Stuffing Ever

Ahh… stuffing. Probably one of my favourite parts of a holiday meal. I’ll go back for seconds just of stuffing, even before dessert—honestly, it’s a wonder that I don’t make it all the time and stuff myself silly with it! (Pardon the pun.) With a bit of cranberry sauce and turkey and gravy… it’s the best bite of the whole meal. I’ll be honest; Christmas in July was just a big excuse for me to eat stuffing and pie. Can you blame me?!

While my family calls this ‘stuffing,’ I think it’s been years since anyone has actually bothered to put it in a bird. As such, this stuffing can actually be made vegetarian! Salty and savoury, soft and moist but also crisp and toasted, once you get the hang of this stuffing you’ll never go back. Plus, it can be made the night before you need it, just ready to pop in the oven.

Still to come on the Christmas train: “How to cook a holiday feast tricks & tips!”, maple syrup pie, and Sandies!

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Edited: July 29th, 2010

A-maize-ing Corn Bread

My photographer friend, Brandon, says that the best way to photograph food is by a window–in the daytime. Unfortunately, the only time I have to cook these days is the nighttime, after work and in a hurry. As a result, I don’t have any nice photographs to show you of my cornbread muffins because they’re lit by a kitchen light and an unjust shade of yellow. But, I do have a recipe here that’s guaranteed delicious, low-fat, and can be whipped up even if you’re feeling positively narcoleptic after a day’s work.

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Edited: February 10th, 2010

The Basics of Bread

The weather is stinking hot here in Australia. Yesterday we had a day of 44 degrees above Celsius; the only way I can describe it was hot hot hot. I’m enjoying the heat, but if I were in Canada right now, I’d be in the midst of a snowy or rainy (or both) winter; it would be cold, and I’d be wanting to stay cozy inside with a book and the oven on. I still want to stay inside, but that’s more for the proximity to my air conditioner than anything else!

Bread is something my family makes on occasion, when someone has the time and is willing to put in the effort. Despite what you may think, bread is simple to make–it’s more time consuming than difficult, requiring a bit of patience and effort instead of complexity. While I was still in Canada, I spent some time in the kitchen with my parents and learned a few of their tips and tricks for certain recipes (and took some photos).

My parents’ bread recipe is a quarter recipe from when they were living in Kimberly, BC in 1979 working on their teaching practicums. They lived above a health food store, where my mum worked to help discount their rent. She made and sold this bread there, though it was a bit tricky because their oven at the time only fit four loaves for baking. Once, she took this bread to the Parson Fall Faire, a surprisingly large fair for such a small town (just south of Golden, BC, where I was born), and her bread won first prize! Check out the ribbon (right)–it’s still at the front of her cookbook.

If you’ve never made bread before but want to try, this is the recipe for you. I’ve written everything in great detail, so you know what needs to be done in which order. Enjoy!

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Edited: January 12th, 2010