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Kitchen Mama Blog

I love this time of year with its promise of warm weather. It really doesn't matter what Mother Nature throws at us now -- blizzards or freezing rain  -- we know that spring is just around the corner.

I just have one problem, though. This is a really hard time of year to find local, fresh produce. Here in Ontario, at least, the majority of fruits and vegetables come from Chile, South Africa and other points far away. Really, who knows when the produce was picked? By the time we get it, the fruit may look ripe, but taste bland (and have little in the way of nutrients). My biggest issue, though, is that I don't completely trust the growing methods used in some parts of the world. What chemicals are sprayed onto them? Are the farmers treated fairly for their efforts? The short answer to this problem might be to restrict my choices to organic and fair trade products. But, have you seen the cost of that stuff lately? Unfortunately, reality dictates that most of my groceries have to come from standard sources.

Steak, corn, potatoes... While digging in a traditional shepherd's pie, have you ever noticed that these three ingredients recall the different cultures which forged the first eating habits in Québec?

I recently heard about this exhibit mounted at The Château Ramezay Museum in Montréal. The curator explores the varied influences on the cuisine of Quebec. For instance, corn can be attributed to the First Nations, and beef, to the French colonists, while potatoes remind us of the British presence. The exhibition is called Let's Eat! and runs until September 2010.

Remember the Sunkist tv ad showing a woman biting into a half of a very juicy orange?

Those of you who have followed my blogs have, no doubt, figured out that I'm no lover of winter. Wind chills, snow, ice … they all make me want to hunker down and hibernate. Turn on the fireplace, mix up a mug of hot cocoa and put on the fuzzy slippers; bring on the heat, I say. Most people I know complain about the summers of Southern Ontario as much as they complain about the winters. Fact: a humidex reading of 30°C can feel absolutely suffocating. But, I'll take it over bone-chilling cold any day.

Looking for a way to keep the fire burning in your lover's eyes beyond Valentine's Day?

Everyone's heard of the expression, "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach". Perhaps there's a modicum of truth to it after all. Maple Leaf Foods wanted to know how much Canadians love bacon, so they commissioned a survey.

Here's what they discovered.

Would you like a tax with those fries?


Here in Ontario, the provincial government is introducing the HST (Harmonized Sales Tax) in July. Needless to say, the knives have come out on both sides of the argument. But, we're certainly not alone: there are a lot of other provinces that already have it (British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia). Not everything will fall under the tax umbrella. Although, I have to admit that there aren't too many items that aren't now taxed. At one time, any shoes costing less than $10 (sneakers, for instance) weren't taxed. Food as a basic necessity isn't taxed, but purchased prepared food at a restaurant or grocery store will be taxed. This is the crux of the problem for restauranteurs. They're worried that a tax increase will put undue and detrimental pressures on their businesses. Perhaps it's my practically non-existent math abilities, but a harmonized sales tax really shouldn't increase the price of anything.

Have you ever bought a lamb chop and thought for a moment of Mary's cute, bouncy little pet who followed her to school one day?


I usually don't have that problem. I have no difficulty looking forward to savouring any juicy, flavour infused meat that might take my fancy at the butcher's. There's something about growing up with parents who, in their formative years, were raised on farms that squeezes out of you any second thoughts you might have about being a carnivore. Even though my parents could afford to buy pretty much anything they wanted, they have always cultivated a vegetable garden. When I was a child, they even raised a few rabbits for food which I enjoyed immensely.

Herein lies the quandary.