Waterloo County Mennonite Summer Sausage...

Waterloo County Mennonite Summer Sausage. One of my main objectives was to get a good sampling of some Waterloo County Mennonite summer sausage directly from the source. I have tried several of the farmers market varieties like; original Recipe Schneider’s Summer Sausage in a cloth sock is still produced in small batches, Original recipe KW Fiedlermeat. Noah Martins, Kitchen Kutting’s, Heidelberg Foods, Stemmler’s and many more across the Canadian prairies still using original ingredients and seasoned smokers with …old age. Some of the sausage meisters use the...

Chili Ginger Shrimp

Chili Ginger Shrimp The Asian method of preparation likes to “crispen” the texture of shrimp so they are quickly soaked in a light brine solution before stir-frying. It brings back the fresh sea flavour and removes that chemical additive that some processors use to give the product longevity.  Back when I was cooking at the Kettle of Fish a sea food chef Bara Katsumi taught me this delicious way of quick frying shrimp. The Asians like to leave the shell on for a bigger flavour hit. I like to peel them when serving as a meal but unpeeled as an appetizer. I must...

Finding Seafood Nirvana

Finding Seafood Nirvana Shopping for some quality fresh seafood has become more detective work tracking down where it where and when and who caught it. Most of the my best recipes start with a good selection of fresh wild caught and prepared shellfish. Lots of chemicals used for fish preservation, especially from foreign companies using forced labour and under the radar practise of over fishing and protected species. Even today I still have not found a seafood purveyor like the fish surgeons at One Fish Two Fish in Langley BC or at the Satellite Fish Company Sidney BC and...

Ground Chicken Ginger Garlic Lettuce Wra...

Ground Chicken Ginger Garlic Lettuce Wraps. Say that three times fast! That’s how fast this can be assembled. The fresh ground chicken can be the centre of any good recipe. I like to mince fresh thigh meat with a sharp knife adding small chunks of peeled ginger at the same time. Garlic, pepper, fennel bulb and onion added as you mince all the ingredients together. Leave little chunks and add potato or daikon radish to the mixture for more filler. Fresh ground sea salt, cayenne pepper, cumin, coriander seeds with a dash of allspice. On high heat Sauté all the...

Toasted Krabi Salad Sandwich

Toasted Krabi Salad. The many times that I have eaten a California roll from my favourite Japanese or Korean take out in the local mall has always been a good tasty lunch item with a stir-fry. I asked the cook why his California Rolls tasted so good and he explained he uses premium kamaboko.  Ah! Meanwhile after a short search on the internet found that TNT sells the good surimi kamaboko. So I made a nice krabi salad adding some mayonnaise, old bay seasonings, lemon, lime, worcestershire and a shot of tabasco celery salt, pepper. Chopped some green onions and celery...

Berries are Good! K

Ever wonder why there are so many birds that like to eat berries? A bears survival cravings are the same as humans and love the taste and the energy from eating the fresh picked berry fruits. The main reason for the birds take on a seasonal berry feeding frenzies is to build fat cells and immune system. Fat Cells actually up-regulates gene expression for fat oxidation (fat burning) and down-regulates gene expression for fat storage. The oxidation of fatty acids increases further, directly through the release of adiponectin. The overall effect is that fat cells begin to...