Q| Your Dad's turkey stuffing recipe sounded yummy. I hope you will post it along with Chef Jeremy Bastien's Brussels Sprouts recipe. I scribbled as fast as I could, but I may have missed an ingredient or two. Thank you.

A| I'm still waiting for my dad to give me the written recipe, but I will post it as soon as I get it.

You can find Jeremie's recipe at www.cbc.ca/earlyedition/food.html and scroll down to December 24.

Enjoy!

Margaret

Bonetas Brussel Sprouts
Serves 6

24 brussel sprouts halved
4 tablespoons bacon fat
2-diced shallots
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
Blanch brussel sprouts in salted boiling water for 1-2 minutes until tender.

Drop in bowl of ice water to stop cooking process

In a medium sized pan at medium heat add bacon fat.

Place brussel sprouts in pan cut side down, saut for 2 minutes until golden brown.

Add diced shallots and sweat for an additional minute.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Posted December 28, 2007 11:45 AM

Hi Margaret. Will CBC Radio One provide audio podcasts of "Flavor of the Week" shows? On occasions I miss your show so it would be a favorable service to provide to your listeners as other shows have audio podcasts. Thank you

Posted October 10, 2007 04:35 PM

Why do so many recipes call for both unsalted butter and salt? Is it a devious plot by the unsalted butter lobby?

Posted October 9, 2007 03:07 PM

Q| I'm trying to keep my sodium content down to deal with hypertension, and have been hunting for low-salt options when it comes to products such as bread and cheese, with minimal luck on either one. (There are plenty of low-carb, low-fat and low-everything-else options around, but low-sodium seems to be late to the party.) Might you have some suggestions as to where I might look for these, or any other alternatives? Or am I more likely stuck with exercising my kneading muscles and making my own bread?

A| You're right, finding low-sodium cheese and bread can be tough, as salt really adds to the flavour of these foods.

A good Tuscan-style bread is historically low in sodium. Apparently a stiff tax salt meant Tuscans cut back on the salt, and developed their chewy loaf accordingly. But these days, even a so-called Tuscan loaf may contain salt. It's always a good idea to ask your baker about how much salt goes in the bread.

As far as cheese goes, Allison Spurrell of Les Amis Du Fromage recommends a Dutch cheese called Cantenaar with less than 1% sodium. It's also available at other specialty shops such as Choices Markets.

Posted October 9, 2007 01:47 PM

Q| What is the secret to getting big fluffy fried eggs? I have been successful at times and other times they have turned out flat and very uninviting; in fact the same goes for scrambled and omelettes as well. It seems to be a hit and miss item for me....and then, the worst part is trying to ensure they dont stick to the pan - even good quality, (supposedly) non-stick pans aren't always able to avoid the mess? Help!

2. Heat the pan to med-low and melt some butter in there before you add the eggs. Don't let the butter brown or it will discolor the eggs.

3. For moist, fluffy scrambled eggs, add a bit of water or milk to your eggs (1tbs for 2 eggs) and whisk them thoroughly before adding the pan.

4. Once the eggs are added, let them sit for about 20 seconds. Then, use a wooden spoon or heatproof rubber spatula to gently fold the cooked edges towards the middle, while tipping the pan so the uncooked egg runs underneath. Repeat until the eggs are a nice, velvety texture. Don't overcook or overstir or your eggs will be rubbery.

I think the trick is in not having the temperature too high. Whether you are frying or scrambling them, eggs need gentle heat. And as with most things food, the fresher the better.

Happy eating!

Margaret

Posted October 5, 2007 02:11 PM

not a question, BUT
stuff Pork chops, sweet potatoes (baked or mashed) and of course the all time favourite veggies aparagus or green bean casserole.
Dessert (of course) apple pie or pumpkin.

Posted October 4, 2007 05:01 PM

Q| On Early Edition, Margaret mentioned her father has a great no-cook cranberry sauce recipe (berries, sugar, cinnamon and oranges I think?)
But I was in car and didn't write it down.Can you repeat here? I'd like to make it for Thanksgiving.

Fresh Cranberry Orange Sauce

1 package of fresh cranberries (frozen if you must, but fresh is better)
1 whole orange, cut into 6 pieces, seeds removed
3/4 to 1 cup of sugar, to taste
1 teaspoon cinnamon, more if you love it

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processer and buzz until smooth but not total liquid. Will be slightly pinkish. Let sit in fridge for 24 hours, then serve. It will be a beautiful ruby color. Keeps up to two weeks.

You can also add some orange liquer if you like, but I don't think it needs it.

Posted October 4, 2007 11:29 AM