Reading a book about food.......

One of the things that I value alot and am proud of is my bookshelf.
My choice of books and what I read has changed over the last few years. Two great books that I have and that I advise everyone to read are "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollen and "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver.
Once you read the first book your whole perception of food changes, it changes the way you shop for food and the way you eat. The information in this book is immense. It's also not new news to some, but shocking and dreadful to others. As we read, we realize our knowledge of the food industry is very little. The book highlights the choices that we have, to be more aware about what we put in our bodies and how to take care of ourselves just by doing small but substantial changes.
The latter is about a family that lives on a farm and eats only from the fruits and vegetables that they grow, occasionally they go to farmers markets to buy a few food supplies and encourage farmers that are close to home. The dedication of this family to its farm is very touching and inspiring. There are also alot of recipes, that are very easy to make and the ingredients are all fresh produce that we can find in a market. The book helps us understand how food is grown and harvested. It makes us appreciate food, love food, love to cook and love to farm. It's in one word an eye-opener.
The stories in this book, the information, the recipes written by the daughter of the author "Barbara Kingsolver" are fascinating and enchanting.
Make these 2 books part of your summer reads, believe me you will not regret it.

Have a great summer, eat well ,eat healthy ,eat organic and wherever you go ,go to the market and support local market places.
When you come back, cook at home, the gains are extensive and infinite. Cooking can be enjoyable and relaxing to the mind. Value the food that you are preparing and make it a healthy meal from ingredients that are fresh and tasty.

A quick advice for people with the gluten free intolerance who are traveling, pack your own gluten free bread, cookies, cakes or muffins.
Bake smaller loaves of bread, they are more convenient to carry.
Take extra baked goods, wrapped in individual servings in airtight containers.

A big cheer to all gluten free people on eating healthy and staying healthy.

Fruits and Flavors of summer

Summer is here with its beautiful, colourful and delicious fruits.
Just looking at all the different coloured berries, watermelons, peaches, apricots makes you want to take them home and have them for an after dinner guilt free desert or for a heart healthy breakfast or just as a snack with yogurt or cottage cheese. Summer fruits are a very good source of Vitamin C, they are free of fat and cholesterol. They are also a great source of dietary fibre and manganese.
Strawberry picking is a favourite summer pastime in Europe and North America, were families venture into the fields and gather baskets and bags full of red berries.
While living in Canada one of our favourite summer outings was taking Sarah and Sharif berry picking.Children love to sit in between the bushes, picking fruits, eating them, they take pride in this kind of activity. It's also very good for the kids, they learn were our fruits and vegetables come from and taking part in picking them, taking them home to be cooked and eaten is an interesting venture for kids.
There are many summer recipes that you can choose from using lots of different summer fruits. A great desert is ice cream with strawberries. If you have little children you can make ice cream and turn it into an afternoon activity. It's easy and fun. Get them to help you make this ultimate summer delight that highlights the season's favourite berry. Recipe will follow.
Or make the famous Pavlova and cover it with whipped cream and summer berries, drizzle the berries with homemade raspberry sauce or chocolate sauce :)
Lots of simple yet scrumptious deserts to choose from, but let's start with the easy strawberry ice cream recipe with raspberry sauce.

STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM:
600g fresh strawberries
1/2 lemon
100g sugar
300 ml cream

Wash and hull the strawberries and put in a bowl.Mash with a potato masher.
Squeeze the lemon juice into the strawberries and mix.
Stir in the sugar.
Stir in the cream.
Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze. Stir vigorously every 20 to 30minutes. Freeze ice cream for 5 hours.
Transfer the ice cream to the refrigerator for about 20 minutes before serving to make scooping easier.
Serve ice cream by itself or make the raspberry sauce and drizzle on top for an even more delectable and enjoyable desert.

For different variations of the ice cream recipe, substitute blueberries, blackberries or raspberries instead of strawberries. To make mixed berries ice cream, add a 600g combination of your favourite berries.
You can also sandwich a scoop of ice cream between 2 homemade ginger or chocolate chip cookies for a great homemade ice cream sandwich.

RASPBERRY SAUCE:
Using a food processor, puree 1 pint fresh raspberries or packaged thawed frozen raspberries. Stir in 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and a pinch of salt.

Drizzle sauce over ice cream and enjoy a superb summer homemade desert.
Bone Appetite.

Baking in my kitchen

In our house, the kitchen is the place I like to be in the most. The time I spend baking is hugely important because it gets me to focus and do the thing I like to do the most. Baking from scratch gives me time to anticipate its flavor and look forward to the result especially if it's a new recipe. So whether I'm in a good mood or a blue mood I head to the kitchen, I turn the pages of my favorite cookbooks looking forward to the noises I make and to the aromas of my baked goods.
Baking doesn't have to be complicated. It can be a very easy and simple. The results can be outstanding. A simple Banana Chocolate Chip loaf or Butter Cookies filled with a good quality jam can be effortless to make and the outcome simply delectable.
Baking with a family member or a friend is even more enjoyable and worth the effort.
You laugh, you talk, you experiment and it's also a great way to relieve stress.
Baking with children is alot of fun. Children love to bake. They love making and baking cookies, particularly getting covered with flour and sampling mixture as they go, rolling out dough and making interesting cookie shapes.So when you can let them join in the baking fun.
Having friends over while baking is equally agreeable.
So whether you are baking alone or with someone, the time you spend in the kitchen is rewarding and fulfilling.
In my kitchen there is a cookie to suit every taste,so whether you are a chocoholic, an oat lover, a fruit fan or you are celebrating a special occasion you will find a special cookie to add sweetness to your day.

Happy baking from me to all of you bakers and to the ones that are starting new :)

Here are some helpful baking tips to make your experience easier and more gratifying:

Have all the ingredients from the recipe ready.

Measure the ingredients accurately and assemble them in the order they are listed.
Butter the pan ahead if it's a cake you are baking or have the baking pans covered with parchment paper ready if you are baking cookies.

Toasting nuts enhances their flavour. Spread nuts out in a single layer on a pan and bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool the nuts before using them.
Heat the oven on the recommended temperature once you start baking.

Using butter in a cookie recipe usually causes the dough to spread more and your cookies will come out tasting soft from the inside.

If the consistency of the dough is too soft add 1 to 2 tbsp rice flour.(If you are baking Gluten Free cookies)

Cookie dough can be frozen for up to 1 month. When making the cookies there is no need to defrost completely, you can shape the dough into a log and before baking let it defrost just enough to be able to slice it into 1 cm circles.

Freeze cookies in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Store cookies in an airtight container so they stay soft and moist.

Crisp cookies should be wrapped in a covered, but not airtight container.