Kitchen Confidential
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June 2, 2009
Our sales manager often pokes fun at my editor’s messages because I tend to wax on about how much I love the season we’re currently in. I do admit that I am truly enamoured with our distinct four seasons not just because of the weather changes, but also because of the rotating selection of ingredients that comes with each one. As a devout foodie, I believe that this, my friends, is what really fuels my soul and well, my hunger for cooking, too. During winter, the focus is on root vegetables and hot meals. Spring sees a slow but continual push toward lighter fare that begins to incorporate more colourful ingredients. Summer, in a word, is fireworks: a diverse and beautiful explosion of fresh foods that invigorates and refreshes my love of cooking. Fall is a beautiful time, as well, both outdoors and in the kitchen, but since we’re currently soaking in the summer sunshine, let’s dive in to what we’ve got in store for you in this issue.
Corn on the cob is a popular treat during warm weather and we’re starting to see it hit the market. While fresh corn is a delight on its own, there are many other ways to enjoy this ingredient. For starters, look at the way you cook corn. If you’re still boiling cobs, you’re missing out on a myriad of flavours that are released when it’s cooked over charcoal or on the barbecue. Such a simple change can forever alter the way you prepare it. In our “We’re All Ears” feature, we’ve covered the basics to grilling and steaming corn on the cob, and we include several other amazing recipes that focus on highlighting this sweet summer vegetable.
For the meat lovers out there, we’ve got a couple of things sure to get you fired up. To begin, we explore the allure of meat on a stick in our chef Alex Svenne’s column, Mise En Place. In his piece you’ll learn the tricks to properly preparing skewered food, and you’ll find an assortment of mouthwatering recipes that may get you wondering how you can skewer every meal you make.
If that doesn’t, pardon the pun, stick with you; take a look at our other food feature called “All Tied Up.” In this piece, we’ll show you how stuffing and tying a variety of ingredients is the ultimate way to infuse new flavours into your food. Plus the presentation of such dishes are a surefire way to deliver the “wow” factor at your next entertaining event.
You could not exclude beer from a summer issue so, our resident beer columnist, Stephen Beaumont, has penned a piece on how to properly serve those much-loved ales and lagers. In his article, you’ll also find a recipe for Tarragon & Ale Vinaigrette, easily one of the most dynamite dressings I’ve ever tasted.
Laura Panter, our marvelous mixologist, dives into another popular hot weather tipple: rum. From white to dark, she creates a variety of cocktails using these spectacular spirits that are destined to move into your repertoire for good.
These are just some of the outstanding dishes and drinks that await you throughout this issue.
I hope you’ll find them as mouthwatering and memorable as I do.
So get outside, get cooking and soak up as much of the season as you can!
Brandon Boone
I welcome your comments and feedback.
Please email me at b.boone@flavoursmagazine.ca
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