Here’s the link to the recipe:
http://orangette.blogspot.com/2005/06/on-fame-funk-and-fish-sauce.html

Here’s some pics of my roomie, Jenn Goldberg’s version. She made it vegetarian by adding fried tofu in place of the chicken. It was seriously tasty. Meat lovers won’t miss a thing.

Here’s the finished dish:

Check out this interesting article about meal preparation and getting along with others while vacationing at a cottage:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/05/dining/05share.html?_r=1&ref=dining

I thought it had some helpful hints. My favourite: “Don’t share a house with people you can’t comfortably carve up a restaurant bill with.”

Do you have any tips to share about meal preparation for big groups or the etiquette of sharing a kitchen?

When I’m going away to a cottage, I love to volunteer for the breakfast. I find it to be the most laidback meal to prepare. A couple of weeks ago, I made a crab frittata. Frittata is basically a quiche without crust. It took 15 minutes to prepare and just 35 minutes in the oven, but it tasted like I’d slaved over it for hours. It’s definitely a keeper!

Take a look:

 Here’s the recipe:

12 eggs

1 cup (250 mL) milk or cream

2 cups (500 mL) shredded crab or chopped imitation crab

1 bunch of asparagus, chopped

4 green onions, thinly sliced

½ cup (125 mL) freshly chopped dill

130g log goat’s cheese

Whisk eggs with milk in a large bowl. Stir in crab, asparagus, onions and dill. Pour into a lightly oiled 9X13 in. (3 L) baking dish. Crumble goat cheese overtop. Bake at 350F (180C) until the eggs are set, about 35 to 45 min.

I also used up some leftover potatoes from the night before. I dressed them up with a bay spice and crumbled bacon for a quick homefries side dish.

What are your favourite weekend away recipes?

Cookies
We’ve probably done over 200 tests on a variety of cookies. We test each recipe until it’s perfect and foolproof. Then we do a make-ahead storage test to determine how long the cookies can be frozen before their taste and appearance are compromised. Here’s a shot of what’s in our freezer right now.

I never thought I’d say this but I’m sick of eating cookies. Our assistant food editor Lyn Chua has coined this phenomena “cookie fatigue.” She has a serious case of it since she’s in charge of this story, though I’m sure we’ll all be eating them again soon. It’s amazing how quickly I can find myself saying “Just one more bite” when there’s a full plate in front of me.

Next is beef
We’ve also been researching and testing a recipe for the ultimate roast beef dinner. No simple feat! There’s always debate about how to cook a roast dinner, and trust me, I have some firm opinions on this. But I can honestly say our recipe is the best I’ve ever tried. Stay tuned for its appearance in a fall issue.

Here’s a pic of a recent beef dinner I did at home. I made béarnaise instead of gravy for a more summery sauce. (But let’s face it, béarnaise may look lighter but it certainly isn’t from a caloric perspective.)

The big dinner
No Christmas feast is complete without yummy side dishes. We’ve been working on several easy ideas but there’s been a few mishaps along the way, including this microwave explosion. Lindsay Evans (one of our wonderful freelance testers) had to deal with the fall out. And this is why we test! Sometimes a short-cut seems like a great idea but then suddenly there’s spaghetti squash hanging from the ceiling of your microwave.

Stay tuned for my next post – easy crab frittata. It’s great for brunch or a cottage breakfast.

I learned how to make Caesars from my friend Isla and her mom, Sue. Their secret? Lemon juice instead of the traditional lime. I haven’t been able to make a Caesar quite as tasty as the ones they’ve made for me, but then again, everything tastes better when someone else makes it for you, right?

Caesar

Here’s their not-so-secret recipe:

Pinch a lemon wedge around the edge of a tall glass, then turn the glass upside down onto a plate of celery salt. Fill the glass with lots of ice and top with a shot or two of vodka. Then add dashes of Worcestershire and Tabasco and the juice from a lemon wedge. (I like my Caesars really lemony.) In goes the Clamato juice. My pièce de résistance? Pickled garlic scapes. I bought mine at the farmer’s market. When they run out, I’ll return to my usual garnish – a lemon wedge.

Happy Canada Day!