by CJ Katz, Publisher

Have you been on holiday and missed a few issues of Savour Life? Here are some useful links – just click on them for back issues of various columns.

• CJ’s Sugar Cubes - July and June
• Savoury Bytes - July and June
• Recipe of the Week – I’ve included the last 5 recipes on the Recipe Home Page.
• Yum Yum Wine Picks - we've posted a few of our most recent wine review, in case you missed some.
• Rob Dobson’s Back Label Wine Column
• John Russell’s Food Matters - July and June
• Bev Robertson's Brewed Barleycorn Beer Column
• Dean Kreutzer's Green Foodprints - June
• Pamela Irving's The Spirit World

It’s the peak of growing season. Whether you have a garden or frequent a Farmer’s Market, this is “busy” time. Despite the cool weather this year, the herbs in my garden are the best they’ve ever been. Maybe it’s all that rain!

I’ve been busy drying herbs this week – oregano, savoury, tarragon and sage. I washed them all three times in a sink of fresh clean water. Dried them thoroughly, tied them in bunches and hung them in a well-ventilated room.

I’ve also got loads of basil. How to best preserve them? Pesto is a great option because it freezes to well. Carlo at Italian Star Deli in Regina recommends using Grana Padano instead of the expensive Parmagiano Reggiano. Watch out for the price of pine nuts. Avoid Bulk Barn where a 1 kg bag will cost you an obscene $100! Use a decent quality extra virgin olive oil too. Here’s a recipe for Fresh Basil Pesto to get you started.

0 Comments CJ Katz submitted 38 days ago

by CJ Katz, Publisher
I read in the paper this week that a recent study by Neilson Co. found that Canadians regularly shop at multiple grocery stores and that 20%-30% of consumers switch stores based on current deals offered.

The findings got me thinking about my own shopping habits. I try to shop at local shops as much as possible – like my butcher or specialty food stores or the Farmer’s Market - but it’s pretty much inevitable in today’s world to include a trip to the grocery store.

For me, loyalty has never been about where I can find the best deal. You’d never find me cruising the streets chasing special offers. That’s a waste of time and with gas prices hovering around $1 per litre, any savings end up in fumes out the back of my car. I don’t clip coupons. Sure I’d love the break on my grocery bill but who remembers to use those little pieces of paper?

When it comes to supermarket loyalty, I wonder if Neilson Co. should try a survey based on customer dis-loyalty. They might find the results revealing.
14 Comments CJ Katz submitted 44 days ago

by CJ Katz, Publisher
With stainless steel tongs I lifted out what I’d hoped would later be a tasty supper and just stared. With eyebrows raised, I turned the odd looking carcass over and back, then over and back again. I peered inside the cavity and snickered. “Well,” I thought, “that is really bizarre!” I had asked my husband if he could pick up some chicken for barbecuing. “Pick up any cut you like,” I said. So, home he came with a package of ‘breasts with back attached.’ Now, I’ve been cooking seriously since I was 12 when I’d visit my father on weekends and make my best attempt at recreating family recipes. I’ve also grocery shopped since I was 12 and over the last 36 years I figure I’ve roasted and braised, fried and sautéed, grilled and barbecued, just about every cut of meat possible. Aside from cutting up my own chicken, what lay before me on the cutting board was something I’d never seen before.
6 Comments CJ Katz submitted 52 days ago

by CJ Katz, Publisher
I may as well admit it right off - I’m no expert smoker. In the smoking world, I’m a newbie who needs a lot more seasoning. In some respects you could call me an arm-chair barbecue coach – I pretty much know the plays, and since I’m a Certified Pacific Northwest BBQ Association Judge what I don’t know I have the good fortune of accessing through some of the best BBQ teams in Canada. I’ve learned what tender ribs and brisket should feel like, and I know damn good barbecue (and I’m talking barbeque – not grilling) when I taste it. But get behind the barbecue and life changes. Uncertainty sets in… questions about what’s the best wood, the best rub and what’s the difference is between a “mop” and a “slather” and my “coaching” turns into “rookieing.”

0 Comments CJ Katz submitted 58 days ago