UPDATE: WINNER DECLARED! Kate & Ellen’s Candy Cobblestones in Paris will be moving on to the Ginger 2012 Finals! Congrats, Kate & Ellen! And thanks to all of the Group 5 competitors – you’ve made this holiday season just a little bit sweeter…
Category Archives: stuff
let’s feed some people
. . .
Hey there, fancy pants! I’ve got a favour to ask of you. You know, I’m pretty darn lucky to be living my dreams at baking school. Sure, I feel sick every day and cry a lot, but still – it’s wicked awesome. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that there are many people who can’t afford tuition, ugly chefs’ clogs, pants that make you look like a dude, and books about bread. And I’m sure you know lots of people who can’t afford to cut back at work in order to study crap about flour. When I walk into the kitchens at school every morning, I know that there are a million people who would give anything – anything – to be as lucky as I am.
So here’s the thing, my Boulanger & Baking Art class at the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) is competing in a food drive this week. We’re competing against other classes/trades to see who can bring in the most food to fill needy bellies. I like to win at EVERYTHING, but that’s not really the point. This is about feeding people. People and their kids. And we need your donations by Thursday morning (October 18th).
This brings me to my favour: if you live in the Halifax, Nova Scotia area, and can afford to donate a non-perishable food item or two, I’d love it if you would. Some of you are lucky enough to know me personally, so maybe we can find a way to get your donation into my hands. You can email me at movita{at}live.ca to get the ball rolling.
Now, it would also be über sa-weet if you are in a position to drop your donation off at the main office on the NSCC Akerley Campus (that’s at 21 Woodlawn Road, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia) – click here for a map. The office is real easy to find – you just go in the front doors and it’s directly to your left. Tell ‘em movita beaucoup sent you. They won’t know who the hell that is, but whatever. We’re on a mission, people. Missions don’t stop for people who don’t get my celebrity status. Also, if you could share this plea with your local-to-me friends, that would be way awesome. Let’s use the internet for something other than porn.
If you drop something off, please let me know – I’d love to be able to thank you. And if you know a mass producer of canned goods who owes you a favour, maybe you could call it in…
And guys? Thanks.
P.S. Please consider donating food, cash or your time/skillz to your own local food bank!
yer dancin’ photos and some advice from movita
. . .
Today is my first day of baking school. I thought about posting a recipe or something baking-related, but it was tough to find just the right thing to express my excitement. And then I remembered that I still have a few dancing photos to share with you. And also, some words of wisdom. Because when I turned 40, I got way smarter. No lie. That photo up there came from Carol Anne. She has a blog called Rock Salt - you should go visit her. You might remember her from Bake My Cake 2012. Yah, that Carol Anne. Carol Anne’s photo basically represents my first day of school in movement. That’s how you do art, people.
Carol Anne sent the following note with her photo:
Right, let’s get this straight: I’m a ridiculous dancer. I bust the biggest moves, lots of which involve pointing and most of which involve miming along to every possibly lyric with the wildest mime gesticulations available. Sometimes I’m surprised that people will dance with me, though mostly the kind of people I hit the dancefloor with are cool enough to get it.
This is probably the best example of my ridiculous dancing from a fairly recent birthday party. It’s not a flattering picture, but I think it expresses the exuberance with which I hit the floor. I’m not sure what I was dancing to. I don’t think that’s really the issue.
That’s my wee mammy in the background, and my sister, whose party it was.
I’m not an elegant dancer, or graceful or beautiful like a lot of the other photos people are sending. I’m not a cute kiddie in a costume, like you and your sister (adorable). I’m not even holding a dog. I’ve never taken a dance lesson in all my life. But I love to dance. Oh my, I love to dance.
Carol Anne? That photo is wicked awesome, and your words do a pretty good job of summing up the spirit of dance – you’ve gotta let ‘er go and let ‘er flow. Fun fact: when you’re dancing, it’s hard to worry about other stuff.
I’m gunna lay some stuff out for ya. I’m gunna put some stuff down, and you’re gunna pick it up. You’re gunna be schooled. You see, when I tell people that I’m going to baking school, I often hear, “but how can you stop teaching ballet? HOW?” It’s pretty… annoying. So you learn to respond with sage words like, “I’m open to new possibilities,” which often gets you a blank stare in return. Sometimes, people will say something about how you’re wasting your talent. Yup. People will actually say stupid stuff like that to you. Those people need a swift kick in the arse. But that isn’t your job. Nope. You don’t have time to kick every arse that needs to be kicked. You don’t have time because this life ain’t a dress rehearsal – you’ve gotta get out there and bust some moves. That’s my first piece of advice: don’t stop to kick every arse that needs to be kicked.
These past few months have taught me that people are not just set in their own ways; they are also set in the way they perceive you. How they want you to be, who they want you to be. Scribbling all over that picture they have of you makes people uncomfortable – because it’s inconvenient for them. You see, if you change you, they might have to adjust too. Now, if you’re lucky like I am, the majority of people you’ve surrounded yourself with will be super excited about your new adventures – they’ll be high-fivin’ you the whole way. So that’s my second piece of advice for you – straight from Carol Anne’s note: hit the dance floor with people who are cool enough to get it.
And here’s my third piece of advice, or perhaps, a suggestion: take it to the next level. Like Carol Anne up there. Whaddya say? I’m taking a leap – and sure, there’s a possibility that I’ll land in the orchestra pit, but who cares? Claw your way outta that tuba and give it another go. Maybe you’ve been planning a grand jeté of your own. Let’s jab our fingers into the air with exuberance. Let’s leave it all out there on the dance floor. Let’s hit people in the face with our sweat!
I want to thank you all for your best wishes. You’ve left peachy comments all over the place, and you’ve sent emails to wish me luck. I’ve been behind on responding to emails and comments lately, and I’m behind on commenting on other blogs. There’s a chance that this will get worse. Let’s assume it will, okay? But you should know that I read each and every comment and email you send me. Know that I’ll be reading them on my iPhone at school. That I’ll tweet you from the can. That I’ll facebook you from the cafeteria.
It’s hard to express how much you all mean to me without getting covered in snot and stuff, so this is just to say that I’m glad you’re coming to baking school with me. And I can’t wait to hear about the plans you’re baking up…
Are you ready? Let’s go!
seafood chowder 2.0
. . .
Today I have a guest post over on Cravings of a Lunatic. You should go visit me there. You can find out about how Kim Bee ruined my summer with a huge lie. Also, I tell you about this chowder – it’s pretty badass. And then Kim says a lot of nice stuff about me, and promises to buy me a unicorn. See you there!
(Also, once you fall in love with Kim, you can follow her adventures on facebook, pinterest, and twitter! Trust me, she’ll be the best friend you’ve never met.)
. . .
Seafood Chowder 2.0 – inspired by Rose Dyer and Jackie Huskins – print and make
This chowder is very much like Beaucoup Seafood Chowder, but better, because I added a little of 2.0 and his family. (Not to be taken literally.)
- 3/4 cup butter, divided (divide into: 1/2 cup, 1/4 cup)
- 2 medium onions, diced
- 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 stalks of celery, diced
- 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
- 3 cups (approximately) sodium reduced chicken broth
- 1 lb. cooked lobster, chopped into bite sized pieces – fresh or frozen
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon celery salt
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- three dashes Tabasco sauce
- 1/2 lb. haddock*
- 1/2 lb. cod*
- 1/2 lb. scallops – fresh or frozen, no need to defrost
- 1 litre light cream (5% milk fat)
- 1 cup heavy cream (35% milk fat)
* you could use just haddock or cod if you don’t want to use both – use a pound of whichever you choose
In a large Dutch oven, melt 1/2 cup butter and then sauté the onions, carrots and celery over medium heat – allowing them to soften a little – about 5 minutes. Add the potato and add only enough chicken broth to barely cover (about 3 cups). Stir to combine and then cook until the potato is just barely tender (8-10 minutes).
As the potato is cooking, melt the remaining 1/4 cup of butter in a skillet over medium heat and then add the lobster pieces to the skillet. Cook the lobster until the butter has taken on an orangey-red colour from the lobster, and the lobster has heated through. About 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Add the basil, oregano, celery salt, paprika, pepper and Tabasco sauce to the vegetables in the Dutch oven and stir to combine. It will seem like a lot of spices, don’t worry. Layer the haddock, cod and scallops on top. Gently press the fish down so it is just covered with liquid. Cook only until fish barely flakes (4-5 minutes).
Add the lobster and every last drop of butter from the skillet to the Dutch oven. Reduce the heat to low. Add the heavy cream and the light cream. If you think you’re going to run out of room in the pot, skimp on the light cream, not the heavy.
Allow the chowder to warm through. Keep on low heat until serving or refrigerate and slowly heat up before serving. Don’t allow to boil.
Notes: I find chowder is best on the second day, so when entertaining, make it the day before – it will save you time and stress on the day as well.
After refrigeration, I put the pot on low and allow 30 minutes it to heat through. Do not allow the chowder to boil – low heat is key.
You will notice that the spices seem to sit on top of the chowder, like an oil slick. Don’t worry – when you serve, give a little stir and then scoop – just the right amount of spice will come up with the ladle.
movita’s favourite shrimp
. . .
Three weeks from today I will start baking school. So, I was pretty excited when I got a call from Murphy Gear this morning to say that my clogs had arrived. My steel-toed, anti-slip, anti-shock, anti-pretty SIKA safety clogs. Quite a transition in footwear from the last time I went to school.
In the store, I was very calm when I paid for my shoes and then carried them out to the car. But when I got home? I put them on right away, and gave ‘em a little spin – just to make sure they were okay. Then I walked around the house a few times just to be extra sure. But after that, I put them back into the box so they wouldn’t get dirty. I tried to do some chores, but the clogs were calling me. So I took them back out of the box, wore them for a few more minutes, and put them away again. But then I had to take them out just one more time to show niles the cat. Because he was sniffing the box and seemed very interested. And finally, like a responsible adult, I put them back in the box for safe keeping. In the kitchen. (Just in case.)
Clogs are cause for celebration. Whenever something exciting happens, you should get to eat a special treat – like this shrimp. This is the sort of thing I eat when 2.0 is away, because he doesn’t like shrimp. I’m not celebrating that he’s away. I’m celebrating that I can eat shrimp without anyone wrinkling up their nose and saying, “yuck.” This shrimp is also the sort of thing one might eat when one is excited about something like, say, clogs. This is my favourite shrimp recipe – I’ve been making it this way for years. I always eat it by myself, with my fingers. The shrimp is sweet and the sauce is peanutty. The soya sauce and ginger give the sauce some saltiness and spice, and the balsamic vinegar balances things out. It is, in my mind, heaven. And the perfect treat.
You could serve this shrimp over rice if you want to. That would probably be sensible. Or you could make this shrimp, dump it onto a big plate, and eat it all by yourself, with your fingers. Perhaps whilst watching a true-crime show on the television.
Also, just so you know, there’s a good chance I’ll be wearin’ my clogs to bed tonight.
. . .
Movita’s Favourite Shrimp – adapted from Haddy’s Shrimp Pasta - download and print
Yields enough to feed about 4 people if served over rice.
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon soya sauce
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup chopped green onion
- 1/2 to 1 tablespoon water (more if you’d like a runnier sauce, less if you’d like a thick sauce)
- 1 lb. shrimp (cooked or uncooked, fresh or frozen – defrost before using)
Combine the sesame oil, peanut butter, soya sauce, balsamic vinegar, red pepper flakes, ginger, garlic, green onion and 1/2 tablespoon of water in a large skillet over medium heat. Allow the peanut butter to melt and the sauce to thicken slightly (2-3 minutes).
Add the shrimp to the skillet. Allow the shrimp to cook through (only a few minutes – less if you’re using cooked shrimp). Add a little more water if you’d like a runnier sauce.
Serve over rice or eat as is.
