I haven't written about food in almost a year! Tonight is the last day of the long weekend in May. 3 days of sun have helped me to be inspired...
My friend Gretchen picked fiddlehead and gave me a BIG bag of them last week. They are really strong tasting but so good for you. (See below). The first night we had them cooked with garlic, soy and a dash of balsamic vinegar. They were very good. Later I tried them steamed with some other veggies and their taste was a little too earthy.

Tonight I made my version of Phat Thai with fiddleheads in the mix. Phat Thai is soooo good you just have to find the right mix of salty (fish sauce or soy), hot (Sriracha - cock sauce is the best!), sweet (maple syrup, honey or sugar) and sour (lime or lemon in a pinch) for you. For tonight I didn't cook rice noodles as I had some leftover brown rice. I fried up a bit of onion and lots of tofu. Then I added the fish and hot sauce and some maple syrup and added brocholi and fiddleheads. I like putting some peanut butter in the mix at the end but you can use peanuts on top as is traditional. On top I put lots of chopped coriander and lime juice. The fiddleheads were dumbed down considerably by the hot and salty mix. Of course you can use whatever you have on hand, shrimp and other veggies. I like a fairly green phat thai. It is one of my all time favs! Enjoy~!

Fiddleheads are a super food. They have twice the antioxidant content of blueberries. Fiddleheads are also a non-marine source of omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids. They are rich in iron, fibre, potassium, niacin, vitamins A and C, zinc and beta-carotene. They are 3-4 times higher in phenolic compound concentration than spinach and contain cancer-fighting agents. 

Sushi Making

Ava, (10) and Molly (6) rolled their first sushi!
They like cucumber, tofu and avocado the best.

Making sushi is easier than you think! You just have to get the rice right.

For about 4 people use 2 cups rice. Rinse rice first and then put in a pot with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Now let the rice sit for 10 min. Don't lift the lid!

Next you will make the "sushi su". Put the rice in a bowl and add 11/2 tbsp rice vinegar and a tbsp honey. (Some people use sugar.) Now start to fluff the rice by using a wooden spoon until the rice becomes slightly sticky. You can also fan the rice at the same time to cool.

So many things are good in sushi - tofu (raw or fried), smoked salmon, fake crab meat, smoked mackerel, cucumber, avocado, carrots, red peppers, steamed asparagus, shiitake mushrooms, green onion, egg.

Time to feast with pickled ginger, wasabi, soy
sauce and spicy mayonnaise.

When ready to roll, use a bamboo matt or roll it freestyle. Put about 1/2 cup rice on a sheet of yakinori. There are little lines on the seaweed to indicate the direction of rolling. Make sure these are horizontal. Spread the rice as thin as you can with a spoon or fingers. Leave 1/2 inch at the top and bottom with no rice but make sure to spread it to the outer edges.

Put your ingredients in the centre of the rice. Lift the side of the matt closest to you, bringing the the edge over the centre ingredients. Keep pressing down and continue to roll the edge towards the other edge of the matt. For hand rolling, just bring the edge of the seaweed up over the ingredients, press down slightly and then continue to roll up, making sure to have press evenly across the whole roll. (Just like rolling a joint or cigarette if you've had practice with that!) Next let the roll sit seam side down for a few minutes before slicing. It is best to use a wet knife.

Wyatt Lawrence's Black Ginger Cake - From the Wilds of Mascarene Rd., St. George, NB


This cake is moist and dense with a strong hit of ginger. It is really easy to make!
1/4 cup oil
1 egg
1/2 sugar
1 cup molasses
2/3 cup strong coffee
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 cups flour
1/1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup fresh grated ginger
Combine oil, egg, molasses, coffee and sugar.
Then dry ingredients starting with the smallest. Bake in an 8' greased and floured round or square pan at 350 degrees for 30 min. Top with melted chocolate diluted with a little milk or with whipped cream.

Wyatt is a wooden boat builder and part time lobster fisher. He is a mighty fine cooker of chowder and does NOT advocate the use of chocolate on top of this cake….!

During the last few rainy weeks waiting for warm weather in Nova Scotia, I have found myself eating hot mango pickles straight from the jar on crackers. It then occurred to me to step it up a notch and I created the most delicious sandwich to satisfy the mango pickle craving!
Here's what you will need:
Pita bread, chappatis or just plain old bread.
Avacado
Cilantro
Mango Pickles
Mango Chutney
Lettuce
Hummous or cheese (optional).
These make the tastiest sandwich and give the feeling that you are in a hotter place!