Confessions of a Celebrity Judge

Photo courtesy of Ribfest

Yesterday was the culmination, and the ultimate payoff, of all my experience as a food blogger. The many years of testing recipes on behalf of my readers and posting them online paid off in the quintessential perk.

Yesterday, I was a celebrity food judge at Toronto Ribfest.

Here's what happens when you're a celebrity judge: You report to a VIP tent 20 minutes before judging begins. You meet the other judges, maybe even pose for a selfie with one of them. You proceed to a stage where you sit in front of a couple of hundred people who are prepared to watch you eat chicken for an hour. (Okay, maybe a few were there to watch the Colombia/Uruguay World Cup match, showing on the screen beside the stage.) You get samples of sixteen of the best pieces of barbecued chicken you've ever eaten, served up by vendors like Pistol Pete's, or Bad Wolf, or Hawgs Go Wild. You rank this chicken (identified by number only) in terms of appearance, flavour and overall excellence. And you do all of this while trying your best not to cover the table, and yourself, with barbecue sauce.

I had the honour of serving on a panel with Mark Giordano of the Calgary Flames (far left in top photo) and Ali Hassan, stand-up comedian and chef (far right). I sat next to Matt Hart (with me in the photo above) of Indie 88, the one radio station everyone in my family loves, and we talked about music between plates of chicken.

But the real celebrities are the people who run Toronto Ribfest, and who volunteer at the charities that benefit from it. People like my friend Hugh, who's a co-chair of the event, and who hopes to raise half a million dollars for charity over Ribfest's five days. People like Jennifer, who sat on my left side at the judging table, and who serves as chair for Stonegate Community Health Centre. Thanks to these dedicated people, and many others like them, our community is a little more welcoming to those who need the help most.

With co-chair Hugh Williams and fellow celebrity judge Maurice Blitz.
Photo courtesy of Ribfest.

There's no recipe for barbecued chicken today, because how could I compete with the sixteen best that Ribfest had to offer? (Also because I may be giving chicken a pass for a couple of days.) Instead, I'm sharing a recipe for risotto, something that will appeal to carnivores and herbivores alike.  This risotto is light and delicious and, contrary to popular belief, doesn't require constant stirring. Just give it a stir every couple of minutes, and you'll be a celebrity in your own home.

Corn, Asparagus and Basil Barley Risotto
(from Eats Well With Others)

Note: This risotto would also be great with sliced cremini mushrooms or garden-fresh peas.

Ingredients:

4 cups vegetable broth
4 cups water
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
salt and black pepper, to taste
1 cup barley
1/2 cup white wine
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 1/2 cups corn, fresh or frozen
1 cup basil, thinly sliced
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Combine the vegetable broth and water in a medium pot. Bring to a simmer.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt, and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the barley and cook for a minute, stirring constantly. Ad the white wine and cook until almost totally evaporated.

Pour 2 cups of the heated broth mixture into the pot with the barley. Cook, stirring frequently, until almost evaporated. Then add the broth mixture 1 cup at a time, only adding more after the rest has almost evaporated, stirring frequently. Repeat until barley is cooked through and tender.

Add the asparagus with the final cup of the broth mixture, simmering until almost evaporated. Stir in the corn and cook until heated through.

Remove from the heat. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, and serve with basil and parmesan.

Thursday's Child: Kew Village Market

Last summer, we were in England for Andrew's cousin's wedding. After a lovely ceremony on Saturday, we spent our final day visiting Kew, a village just west of the City of London. We went to see Kew Gardens, but we were fortunate to be there at the beginning of May, the first day in 2013 that their village market was open.

One Sunday a month, the streets in Kew Village are closed and the town opens up to a pedestrian market. The market is run by the community to raise money for local charities. It's a great cause, but even without the charitable aspect, it's a fun opportunity to enjoy a lovely town and support small businesses.

We counted between thirty and forty stalls at the Kew Village Market the day we visited. There was a beautiful assortment of seasonal produce; one retailer sold a great selection of British apple varieties. Quack's Pickles, whose sign is pictured at the top of this post, apparently specialized in Preserved Patagonian Squirrel Fish Organs. (Sorry, I can't vouch for those personally.) Other vendors sold an incredible array of goods from venison to ginger marmalade, from black pudding to Earl Grey macarons.

We were well-fortified by a delicious lunch at the Kew Greenhouse Cafe, and ready to tackle Kew Gardens. I'll write about that next week!

Trust me

I was walking
Sore-footed, under hot sun, hot pavements.
Was it then I bought a peach? That's as I remember.
From a stall near Charing Cross Station.
It was the first fresh peach I had ever tasted.
I could hardly believe how delicious.
At twenty-five I was dumbfounded afresh
By my ignorance of the simplest things.

- from "Fulbright Scholars", by Ted Hughes

Sometimes the simplest recipes are the best. I knew the moment I saw this simple, four-ingredient recipe that I'd love it. I tried it first with raspberries, and thought it was wonderful. But I couldn't wait to try it with peaches - even though they're not officially in season yet - and it was divine. Imagine how great it'll be when I'm making it with perfect, locally-grown fruit!

Trust me - this is one of those recipes that is easy to overlook, but don't do it. This dessert is sensational, and I'll be making it for the rest of the summer.

Peaches with Mascarpone, Pistachios and Honey

- from Rachel’s Everyday Kitchen

5 fresh peaches, skinned, halved, and stones removed (or 3 cups raspberries)

3 Tbsp mascarpone

3 Tbsp best-quality liquid honey

50 grams (2 ounces) shelled pistachios, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and grease a medium sized ovenproof dish with a little butter, or line with parchment paper.

Place peaches, cut side up, in the ovenproof dish. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes or until peaches are soft. (Note: if using raspberries instead, roast for 15 minutes.)

While the peaches are cooking, mix together the mascarpone and honey in a bowl.

Tip the pistachios into a non-stick frying pan and toast over high heat for a minute or two, tossing regularly to avoid burning. Take off the heat and set aside to cool.

Remove the peaches from the oven and spoon the mascarpone and honey mixture into the cavity of each peach half, dividing the mixture equally. Serve the peaches with a little extra honey drizzled over the mascarpone and the toasted pistachios scattered on top.

Contest Winner

Just a quick post to announce the winner of the Third Thursday Community Potluck Cookbook, and it's Joanne of Eats Well With Others. Congratulations, Joanne! I'll be in touch about making arrangements to send it to you. Hope you love it as much as I do!

Thursday's Child: Los Tarrales Reserve, Guatemala

As we travelled from the western highlands in Guatemala back to Lake Atitlan, we spent a night at Los Tarrales Reserve. For us, it was a pleasant one-night stay to break up a long drive, but for most of the other patrons it was the endpoint of a pilgrimage.

Los Tarrales is one of the best-known places in Central America for bird-watching. Its location in the lowlands, next to a 3500-metre volcano, makes it home to a huge variety of bird species. (Their website lists 340 birds sighted on the property.) On one of the advanced trails, a skilled birder might see close to 100 species in a single day.

While we were there, apparently the place was full of American and English ornithologists. I say apparently, because bird lovers tend to keep different hours than we do. We went down for dinner at 6:30, and had the dining room completely to ourselves. The others had eaten early and retired to their rooms to prepare for an early morning.

How early? Well, we were up for a pre-breakfast walk around the lake and forested area adjacent to the main buildings. With the assistance of one of the guides, we saw (and heard) a variety of birds, including the lovely Blue-Throated Motmot, the Turquoise-Browed Motmot, and the Cinnamon Hummingbird. However, the really serious birders had been up since 3 a.m. to get to the upper reaches of Atitlan Volcano as early as possible, to search for the elusive Horned Guan and other varieties.

Lest you think our hike was some gentle stroll, I hasten to assure you that our trail was sufficiently dense that Andrew got lost, and our guide had to double back to bring him to the breakfast table safety.

Cookbook Giveaway

I'm sometimes asked to review books or products on my blog. Most of the time I'm not interested. My blog isn't intended to be a business, and I write my posts about the recipes and cookbooks I find on my own.

I was happy to make an exception for today's post. My blogging friend, Nancy Vienneau, has just published a cookbook that I'm excited to share with you. Each section of Third Thursday Community Potluck Cookbook focusses on one month, and uses the ingredients that are at their peaks in that month. Nancy ran a catering company for sixteen years and still writes for several food publications on a regular basis. Beyond that, she has given much back to her community. She teaches cooking classes at the food bank, and is a huge supporter of local farmers' markets.

There were so many recipes in this book that I was eager to try. The Smoked Gouda and Spring Pea Risotto, and the Green Beans and New Potatoes in Mustard Cream, both sounded wonderful. The Spring Greens with Crispy Herbed Goat Cheese Croquettes have my name all over them. In the end, I couldn't pass up this lovely seasonal Cornbread Panzanella with Real Ranch Dressing. I substituted roasted peppers for the tomatoes in the original recipe, but otherwise stayed fairly true to Nancy's version. It was delicious! The cornbread panzanella was a lovely twist, and when matched with colourful vegetables and homemade dressing, made a vibrant salad that I can't wait to make again.

Nancy's publishers, Neilson Books, have generously offered to give a copy of her book to one of my readers. If you're interested in participating, just leave a comment below. If you want to enter a second time, tweet about the contest and let me know you've done that in a separate comment. The giveaway ends at midnight, EDT, on Saturday, June 21, and I'll select a winner by random number on June 22. The contest is open to residents of Canada and the United States.

Although I received a copy of this cookbook to review it, all the opinions I've expressed are my own.

Cornbread Panzanella with Ranch Dressing

(adapted from Third Thursday Community Potluck Cookbook by Nancy Vienneau)

1. Cornbread Croutons

1 1/2 cups cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

2 large eggs

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup milk

2. Ranch Dressing

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 green onions, chopped finely (white and green parts)

1 Tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

1/4 tsp salt

pinch black pepper

3. Salad

4 large peppers (I used two red and two orange)

1 cup cubed zucchini (one medium)

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

salt to taste

Cornbread Croutons

Ranch Dressing

For the croutons: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and line with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. In a small dish, whisk together the eggs, melted butter and milk, then add to the dry ingredients. Stir to combine but do not overmix. Pour in the baking dish and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool. Cut into cubes and spread on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Toast in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes, tossing twice during cooking to ensure even browning.

For the Ranch Dressing, combine buttermilk, mayonnaise, lemon juice, green onions, parsley, salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth and creamy. Taste for seasonings and adjust. (This recipe gives more than enough for the salad. Leftover dressing will keep refrigerated for a week.)

Roast the peppers (see instructions here).

Cut peppers into bite-sized chunks. Place in a large bowl with zucchini, onion, basil, salt and pepper. Add 2 cups of cornbread croutons. Pour Ranch Dressing over the croutons and toss well. Serve immediately.

Thursday's Child: Carnegie Deli, New York City

The first time Andrew and I travelled to New York, it was with our dear friends, Colleen and Garth Jay. We have many great memories from that trip, including Garth's attempt to win a disagreement with a New York taxi driver. (He didn't.) But one of the longest-lasting memories was of our breakfast at the Carnegie Deli.

I was four months pregnant with my oldest daughter at the time, and it was a great pregnancy. In fact, the only time I experienced morning sickness during the whole nine months was at the Carnegie Deli. I'm not sure what set it off - it certainly wasn't the food, for it hadn't even arrived. Perhaps it was the sight of Garth attempting to win a disagreement with the waitress. (He didn't.) I believe he was in the midst of trying to substitute French fries for hash browns when I felt the sudden urge to visit the ladies' room. Despite my sickness, I had fond memories of the deli with its celebrity photos lining the walls and enormous plates of food.

What a pleasure it was to return to New York over Christmas, and take the young lady who had visited in utero, along with her sister. We waited in line in the rain to get a table for a late lunch after seeing the Rockettes Christmas show. Celebrity photos still lined the walls, and the food was still abundant. People may grow up, but some things - like the Carnegie Deli - never change.