A Gobbleworthy Turkey Sandwich

My older son has rather keen tastebuds and (thankfully) fancies few lunchmeats. I found this uncured *turkey at Trader Joe's, which both my children love. It has five recognizable ingredients (turkey, sugar, salt, spices, honey), but no nitrites, nitrates or preservatives.


Best of all, the bird was raised - as all beings free of pneumonia and infections should be - without antibiotics.


Add to the generous slab of turkey some lettuce, tomato, mayo and wholewheat bread and voila, you have another healthy option for the school lunchbox!



*Wellshire uncured turkey ham steak, sold at Trader Joe's.

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The Recession-Safe Cuppa (or Caffeine-Pumped Delusion?)

In Toronto, where we last lived, we were extremely fortunate to have The Remarkable Bean at the bottom of our street - a charming neighbourhood cafe where they roasted and ground the finest coffee beans, and baked the most heavenly blueberry muffins I've ever had. It was a delight making the brief walk to savour its sights and scents on the streetcar-visited Queen St, which itself was home to a treasury of quaint shops and restaurants.


At the Bean I'd meet our stalwart family friend, Rob, and we'd dissect one of the above muffins ingredient by ingredient, later feverishly attempting to replicate them at home for the kids. We both had excellent results, although I really need one of those giant North Amerian muffin trays to get it down pat!


And so, Richard and I would get our just-ground remarkable beans and make the coffee fresh in our cafetierre, the good old low-tech way. Sadly, we have yet to spy a Bean-equivalent in our New Jersey neighbourhood and Richard's had scant time to make coffee in the morning before he joins the throng of NYC commuters. Instead, he gets one at work - a detour which puts the household budget back about $60 a month (closer to $90 with my less-regular habit thrown in) and not necessarily providing the satisfaction of a home brew.


Enter the Krups Dolce Gusto coffee maker and a handy Bloomingdale's coupon - we are now the proud owners of one of these caffeine-spouting ducks. With all the savings on offer to lure bean addicts, Richard figures the 15-bar coffeehouse-strength machine (which incidentally produces a very attractive cuppa with a layer of foam on top that's very fit to drink) will pay for itself in three months. My latte macchiato was so delicious I frantically scoured the box for its calorie content, expecting to find all my optimism ground to bean dust. Thankfully, it was a neat 90 calories.


Meanwhile, we can have a perfect latte, cappucino, cafe lungo, iced coffee or espresso (and the kids a choccacino) whenever we feel like it. A tasty deal at *25-50c a cup, I say!



*25c for the coffee pod, another 25c for milk (if using)

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Honey and Soy Salmon Fingers

My children would eat salmon every day if they could, and, they love it raw best of all. Unfortunately, I have yet to find a fishmonger from whom I can get sushi-grade salmon on a regular basis. This is one of many ways they enjoy this fish.

• honey, 1 tbsp
• soy sauce, 2-3 tbsp
• lemon juice, 2 tbsp
• sesame oil, 1/2 tsp
• garlic, 1, chopped
• ginger, 1/2 tsp, grated
• breadcrumbs, as needed egg, 1, whisked

1. Slice the salmon into suitable sized lengths
2. Whisk together the marinade ingredients and pour over the fish
3. Dip the fish into the egg mixture, then into a plate of breadcrumbs
4. Bake in a preheated 410F oven (190C) for about 10 minutes
5. Serve with veg and mashed potatoes or chips

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The Zen Way to Keep Stainless Steel Spotless

Little did I imagine when I hankered after a kitchen with sparkling stainless steel appliances what a herculean task it would be to keep them glitzy and fingerprint free. In fact, I pin all blame for my recent absence from this blog on this time-consuming conundrum.

Over the years, I have tried glass cleaner, special sprays for stainless steel appliances, a ludicrous array of lint-free cloths, and was just about to throw in the non-proverbial towel, when I discovered the answer right there in my larder.

For those of you who aren't visited on a regular basis by the chirpy cleansing crew known as Merry Maids, this might prove your salvation too.

All you need is straight-up vinegar, some inoffensive smelling oil, kitchen paper and a soft buffing cloth.

1. First, wipe the surface thoroughly with a jay cloth or kitchen paper dipped in a bowl of vinegar. This will eradicate any kitchen grease. The task will smell pretty rotten but it should open up your sinuses and it beats having streaks and fingerprints all over your fridge.
2. Then, pour a little oil (canola is scent-free and works beautifully) into a small bowl. Into this bowl, dip a clean sheet of kitchen paper and wipe the surface again - and thoroughly.
3. Before your eyes, stains will disappear, the sheen will reappear, your sanity will be restored, and your fridge will thank you for the absence of trans fat and cholesterol in the canola oil.
4. Polish with the buffing cloth and pour yourself a martini
5. Call your friends and have a dinner party before those mysterious fingerprints reappear!

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Chocolate Roulade

Possibly to make up for the fact that the birthdays of my youth mostly came and went with minimal fuss, underlined with an invisible cake (hear the violins), my kids get to have two birthday cakes each. This is cake No. 1 for my oldest's recent 9th birthday, in his favourite flavour, chocolate.

The second gateau (gateaux, rather, as they were cupcakes) made their debut at his garden party with 9 mates. The recipes for those will follow soon!


For the sponge cake layer:

• cocoa, 3 tbsp, heaped
• eggs, 3, large
• brown sugar, 3/4 cup
• salt, pinch of
• flour, 1/2 cup

1. Preheat oven to 375F, 180C
2. Prepare a roulade pan by spraying with Pam or spreading with butter and lining with parchment
3. Beat eggs and sugar till mixture becomes pale and fluffy
4. Add flour at the end and mix further
5. Fold in sifted cocoa and salt gradually
6. Pour into pan and bake 10 minutes or till done
7. On a clean muslin, sift fine sugar over and turn the done cake onto it
8. Carefully roll up with the muslin (without removing the parchment)
9. Allow to cool for 1-2 hours

For the filling:

• dark chocolate, 4 squares of, or 4 ounces
• brown sugar, 1/2 cup
• vanilla, 1 tsp
• heavy cream, 1 cup
• icing sugar

1. Melt the chocolate in short bursts in the microwave on High
2. Stir some cream in to the chocolate, add vanilla and sugar to combine. Allow to cool
3. Whip the remaining cream till stiff
4. Fold the chocolate mixture into the cream in as few strokes as needed to combine
5. Unroll the roulade, remove the parchment paper
6. Spread the chocolate cream and roll it up again
7. Place on a serving dish
8. Refrigerate for a few hours to allow roulade to hold better together ;)
9. Before serving, dust with icing sugar

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