Ask an Expert

Family Friday: Survival Tips for a Roadtrip

2010-07-30T12:41:00Z

It’s summertime and driving is long, sweaty, and cranky. Trips to the cottage, camp, and the family all mean a potentially annoying road trip.

With a 4 and 2 year old and family that lives a minimum of 2.5 hours away we are road trip experts. When visiting family isn’t enough for us, we like to take day trips around the province, visiting farms, festivals, and lakes. And I always come armed with food.

About the only thing I dread about road trips now is emptying the car afterwards.

Here are my survival tips for a road trips with little ones, and not one involves a portable DVD player:

Buy a cooler that can plug into 12 volt jack in your car. This will keep your items cool while you drive, better than any ice pack.
No time to bake before you leave town? Stop at the farmer’s market and pick up some fresh fruit, a pile of farm fresh veggies, some breads, dips, and a few treats. This will save you from fast food snacks or getting caught without food when the hunger pangs rear their monstrous heads.
Have a set of car/picnic tools like a paring knife, cherry pitter, and small cutting board. I also recommend a pile of small plastic bags for garbage and a set of wipes that stay in the car.
Keep a few bowls in the car itself to pass back any bagged snacks you have. It sure beats constantly reaching around the seat with cereal and dried fruit.
Have a reserve water bottle to top up the supply, or replace the one that fell between the car seat and the door going around a corner.

It’s been my experience that the kids start spazzing in the car when bored, or worse, bored and hungry. So keeping an ample supply of food you are happy to share and a few picnic spots along the route identified for running around.

And be prepared for “what’s to eat” instead of “when are we going to get there?”

Cheryl is a mom to two energetic and strong-willed little girls. It’s a good thing they already like her cooking. She blogs the family’s cooking and taste adventures at Backseat Gourmet.

Related:

Family Friday: Unbirthday Cake
Family Friday: My Baba's Pyrohy
Family Friday: Spring = Asparagus for Our New Guest Blogger

Ask a Mixologist: Which Fresh Herbs Go Best in Cocktails?

2010-07-28T18:47:00Z

Please welcome celebrity chef, entertainment expert and pioneer in the bar-chef movement Kathy Casey to the Ask an Expert spotlight.

As one of the first female executive chefs in the U.S., she was named one of Food & Wine’s “hot new American chefs.” A savvy spotter of what's hot on the culinary and cocktail scene. In 2010 she was lauded as one of the 50 Best Twitter Chefs (@KathycaseyChef) by Guide to Culinary Schools; her blog, Dishing with Kathy Casey, was included in Saveur.com's Sites We Love. A prolific writer her ninth book is Sips & Apps.

As you can see, the gal's got credentials and I'm only giving you shortened version of them. I'm thrilled to have her on board! We’re kicking off our inaugural Ask a Mixologist post with this question from Rachel who asked: Which fresh herbs go best in cocktails?

Kathy Casey: Almost any herb can be incorporated into a cocktail— and mint is the go-to standard. But there are some others that definitely highlight the characteristics of particular spirits. Take for instance fresh sage: Its dusky flavoir brings out the earthy tones of tequila—especially a reposado with its softer, subtler smokiness.

Fresh basil is lovely with strawberries and lemon. I love to make a drink I call the Strawberry Shag, with fresh muddled basil, sugared strawberries, lemon and vodka—lightened with a splash of soda. So summery!

Thyme plays well with light rum, Champagne and gin and is especially nice in a drink that has pear incorporated into it. Rosemary is one of my favorite herbs in cocktails and really complements most spirits, from dark to light. It also stays perky and is less likely to go “limp” at your bar—making for not only a great cocktail ingredient but also a beautiful visual display at your next party.

Try shaking rosemary up with limoncello, vodka, lemon and a dash of honey syrup (1 part honey + 1 part water); serve up or on the rocks. More unexpected herbs, like cilantro and tarragon, lend a fresh, clean note to a cocktail when paired with vodka, silver tequilas or white rums.

Do you have a question for our Mixologist? Ask below.

Ask an Expert feature appears Wednesdays.

Join the conversation on the foodnetwork.ca Community: share your baking advice in the forums

Related:

Discuss: Sangria vs. Wine Spritzer
Ask a Pastry Chef: I Found Bugs in My Bag of Flour, Help!
Ask a Vegetarian Chef: Advice for Someone Switching to A Vegetarian Diet?
Visit our Ask an Expert blog

Video: BBQ Tips from Scott Conant

2010-07-23T14:52:00Z

Earlier this week I got invited to a private cocktail party celebrating Chef Scott Conant -- of Chopped and a new show on Food Network US called 24 Hour Restaurant Challenge – and the opening of his much-anticipated Scarpetta Restaurant at the new Thompson Hotel in Toronto.

All of the city’s top chefs were there – David Lee (who I think I scared a bit with my gushing), Massimo Capra, Drew Ellerby (Mark McEwan’s right hand man on The Heat), Alida Solomon and many others. Check out our Twitter page for my tweets from the event. It was definitely one of THE parties of the year!

I cornered Chef Scott in the kitchen of Scarpetta for some BBQ tips. He was gracious and a good sport. He even took my teasing in stride! Watch the video and wait for the punch.

Have you guys noticed that whenever I shoot a video, I tend to cut the top of people’s heads off! I'm sorry, but I’m vertically challenged!

Related:

Ask a Pastry Chef: I Found Bugs in My Bag of Flour, Help!

2010-07-21T21:06:00Z

Catherine asks: I found a few bugs in my just purchased bag of flour? Should I throw it out or can the bag be salvaged?

Pastry Chef Steve Song: There is an old restaurant saying and I truly live by it: "If ever in doubt, throw it out!" First of all, I would be a good consumer and bring back the bag of flour to the supermarket where you bought it from and inform the store manager about the little beasties in your newly purchased bag.

If you encountered unwanted bugs in your bag of flour, I am sure other people are facing the same dilemma. It is not uncommon to find unwanted bugs in your flour. It does happen. What probably happened is that the bugs got into the bags during the packaging process at the mill and began nesting. It is just a matter of time before the bugs start to hatch their eggs and multiply.

Can you salvage the bag of flour? You can by sifting your flour to get rid of the annoying little creatures but why take a chance when more than likely the bugs have hatched their eggs and you will find more bugs in the future.

I know that most of us hate to waste but in this case "If ever in doubt throw it out" is very applicable. You do not want your love ones to get sick from eating the bugs and unhatched eggs.

In fact “If ever in doubt, throw it out" can be applied to all foods that seem a bit "funky." I hope this answered your question and happy baking!

Steve Song is an accomplished pastry chef with 18 years of experience. He has worked at such acclaimed restaurants as Ultra Supper Club, Senses, Mildred Pierce, Oro, and Canoe in Toronto, as well as Restaurant Daniel, Mesa Grill, and La Cote Basque in New York.

Do you have a question for our Pastry Chef? Ask below.

Ask an Expert feature appears Wednesdays.

Join the conversation on the foodnetwork.ca Community: share your baking advice in the forums

Related:

Ask a Pastry Chef: Can You Substitute Whole Wheat Flour for White Flour?
Ask a Pastry Chef: Do You Really Need to Sift Your Dry Ingredients?
Visit our Ask an Expert blog
Naturopath vs. Dietitian: What Can I Eat to Combat Fatigue?
Ask a Naturopath: What Are Essential Fatty Acids?

Ask a Host with Mark McEwan: The Secret to His $37 Burger?

2010-07-20T17:30:00Z

Ever since the host of The Heat put a $37 burger on the menu at Bymark Restaurant eight years ago, (which is cheaper than the tongue-wagging $50 Daniel Boulud burger mind you, we're Canadian after all) folks still ask him about it.

In keeping with our blog theme (see our pretty banner above), and because nothing says Outdoor Entertaining like a really good burger, I asked Chef Mark McEwan to share his secret. Listen up friends.

If you have questions for any of our hosts, please post them below.

Ask a Host is featured Tuesdays.

Related:

Ask a Host with Mark McEwan: Do You Cook at Home?
Ask a Host with Mark McEwan: If You Could Host Any Show on FN, What Would It Be?
Ask a Host with Mark McEwan: How to Shop Locally in Canada All Year Round?
Ask a Host with Mark McEwan: How Did You Manage to Juggle Family and Your Illustrious Career?
Ask a Host with Anna Olson: What's the Story Behind the Catchy Theme Song to Fresh?
Ask a Host with Bob Blumer: Does the Type of Grape Matter When Cooking with Wine?
My Surprise Bus Encounter with a Food Network Canada Host