Foodie Gets a Penpal Part II

I love getting mail (except bills) I love catalogues, flyers, postcards and letters. But the best kind of mail is packages. I am a proponent of online shopping- everything from books to makeup, so I often find "the little red key" in my mailbox, but imagine my joy when I opened my mailbox to find a package from Italy! I have been waiting about 2 weeks to receive my first care package from my Italian foodie penpal. She sent me: nutella (need I say more?) Ammaretti cookies, authentic pasta, sundried tomato paste, polenta with porcini mushrooms, and some beautiful chocolates. I am so excited to try all the goodies- but what I most appreciate is the hand written note with recipes and ideas.

I have also traded addresses with a woman from Australia, so I expect more edible packages coming my way. I am looking forward to emailing each other to share our thoughts on the local ingredients we shipped and forming new friendships across the oceans. Mangiano!

Foodie gets a pen-pal Part 1

I loved having a pen pal when I was in grade 6. My pen friend was a 12 year old girl from Singapore and to me, she seemed so exotic. I thoughtfully composed letter after letter, trying to sound so grown up and trying to make my hometown sound as exciting as hers. There is something so wonderful about receiving mail, actual mail-not bills. I remember running to meet the mailman every day hoping for a letter. It was so exciting to hear about all the ways her country was different from mine, about the toys she liked, food she loved and shows she watched. I remember that she sent me a package of Hello Kitty stickers, and I thought that I was so cool...

I stumbled across this website http://foodieexchange.ning.com/ a month ago and I am really excited about the idea. It is an online forum for foodies to connect and to swap food packages with other foodies around the world. I am all set to start swapping care packages with a woman in Italy and another in Australia. It got me thinking about what is Maritime food? How can I share the bounty that we have here and ship it for someone else to experience it.

So far, I have picked up Maple Butter, Covered Bridge potato chips, and Dulse flakes. I know there are tons of things that are unique and local to the maritimes(think fiddleheads, smoked salmon, maple syrup) but I am trying to keep things in original packaging (for customs) and small (for shipping costs) I would love to hear any suggestions for foods you think represent the Maritimes. I will be posting again once I receive my package...stay tuned!

Blogworld Newbie makes some No Knead Bread

So I have decided to venture into blog-dom, having hovered like a voyeur over so many great blogs for the past year. Despite the beautiful weather and mild temps here in Eastern Canada, I am still drawn to some good-for-the-soul comfort food. I have been dabbling in bread making, being intrigued by the concept of no knead bread. If you have not tried this technique, step away from the computer and try it NOW! It is that good and that easy. There are many books and posts on the subject- all with varying amounts of yeast, and time. I have been enjoying experiementing with delicious results- although a loaf of bread every other day is a bit much...

Although the mixing is quick and the rising part is overnite, you do have to allow yourself about 2 hours before you pop it in the oven to let it rise the second time.

No Knead Bread: makes 1 loaf

2 C all purpose flour
1 C whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1 5/8 C warm water (100 degress F)

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients with a whisk. Pour the water over and mix vigorously with a wooden spoon for about 1 min. The dough will be sticky and wet but still challenging to mix. Cover with plastic wrap or a plate and leave out overnight.

about 2 hours before you are to bake the bread, scrape the dough (still very sticky and messy) into a loaf pan. Flour the top really well and cover with a tea towel. Let it rest on the counter for 2 hours.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes. Let cool in the pan for about 20 minutes before you remove it and let it rest on a wire rack.







Time, not kneading, develops the gluten strands that give bread its loft and texture. I can't wait to experiment with different ratios of white to whole grain flours and try my hand at foccacia, and pizza dough.