Over the weekend Julie (@TheMagicFridge) of Ottawa's Magic Fridge personal chef service tweeted a link to a piece by Andrea Aku of the StyleCaster website. Entitled "6 Classic Dishes Everyone Should Know How to Make", the write-up garnered 100235 views and 18 tweets when I last read it.

While I am not entirely happy with her generalization that Chinese food is "greasy", I was interested in what Aku considered basic recipes "a beginner chef should have under their [his or her] belt."

1. Chicken Noodle Soup
2. Meat Lasagna
3. Beef Stew
4. Roast Chicken
5. Chili
6. Chocolate Cake

Aku considers these "classic childhood comfort dishes" everyone should learn how to make.

The list and sentiment is rather timely with British TV Chef Jamie Oliver recently making his TED Prize Wish to educate children about food.

I wish for your help to create a strong, sustainable movement to educate every child about food, inspire families to cook again and empower people everywhere to fight obesity.

Source: Jamie Oliver, TED

If you haven't seen Oliver's impassioned TED presentation, I suggest you do. The video is embedded after the jump.

In his presentation, Oliver recounts several stories from his televised anti-obesity project in Huntington, West Virginia, called Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. They include setting up a community kitchen "food center" and teaching children "10 meals" that equip them with basic skills to eat healthier.

With Oliver's words reverberating well with me, I decided to scour foodiePrints to see if we had Aku's 6 dishes written up on our food blog. I believe good food blogs are written by food enthusiasts who "play" in the kitchen. These food bloggers develop the physical memory from learning culinary basics. It permits them to better appreciate food, especially more complex dishes. Practicing what I preach, foodiePrints is a both sounding board for our thoughts on food and a cook's journal.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken Pho Broth
While we haven't a post on chicken noodle soup per se, we have one for chicken pho. In it are instructions and a link to a recipe for how to make a chicken pho broth. The technique can easily be extrapolated and flavours modified to make other soups. Click here for that post.

Meat Lasagna

Bolognese Lasagna
Bolognese lasagna is one of the dishes I lavish my attention upon and make for family and friends on special occasions, usually from nearly first principles. Click here for my latest attempt. Click here for a quick and easy version.

Beef Stew

Lamb and Barley Stew
Slow cooking is a necessary skill that opens the door to lesser cuts of meat, new textures, and incredible flavour. In lieu of a beef stew, click here for a Lamb and Barley stew, I made for Guinness' 250th anniversary.

Also, in Asian cuisine, braising lesser cuts of beef produces component proteins for dishes like my better half's crispy chow mein.

Crispy Chow Mein with Yu Choy
Chinese food doesn't have to be greasy. In fact, authentic Chinese food typically isn't.

Roast Chicken

Spatchcocked Chicken
Roasting poultry is a really easy way to serve large numbers of people. There are several ways to roast chicken. I prefer spatch-cocked because the bird lies flat. It cooks more evenly and it cooks much faster. Click here for one of our attempts at spatch-cocked chicken on a grill.

We also oven roast chicken "a la can." Original recipes involved beer cans and grills. Click here for an attempt at "exploding" ginger-ale can chicken.

Chili
While we have several curries on foodiePrints, we never wrote-up a chili. Happily, Rebecca (@bitofmomsense), the mommy blogger behind the "A Little Bit of Momsense" blog, shared her recipe for Crock Pot Chili on the weekend.

bitofmomsense (Mar 07, 10:11 AM)
@foodiePrints @Smart_Spaces a simple but yummy chili http://bit.ly/5JQZsf will be hosting 9 adults, 5 kids. it's a crowd pleaser

She was hosting guests for an Oscar party.

Chocolate Cake

Beetroot Brownies
Because my better half is allergic to chocolate, you will find few chocolate dishes on foodiePrints. You will find several sponge cakes like Japanese Kastella and chiffon cupcakes. Recently, however, I made beetroot chocolate brownies for a recipe competition. Click here for the entry.

I guess I need to get cracking on preparing a traditional chocolate cake and a good bowl of chili for posting...

More after the jump...

Towards the end of February, I attended a Thursday session of Case Study Jam at a German restaurant, the Lindenhof, on Preston Street (268) in Ottawa's Little Italy. It would be the second time creator Joe Boughner convened the event. Dubbed "Case Study Jam 2: Jamming Harder", Case Study Jam gathers together "do-ers", people who work in public relations, communications, or information technology, essentially "anyone who gets their hands dirty." According to the event's primer, while there is no featured speaker, several quick oral presentations start the event, leading to break off discussions on "Wins" (success case studies), "Fails" (less-than-successful case studies), and "Works in Progress" (ongoing case studies). The goal is to encourage people to share ideas and allow attendees to leverage lessons learned, all in an informal environment.

That evening's presenters follow:

• Ian Capstick (@iancapstick) of MediaStyle: His presentation on a "fail", involving a bloggers' resource for blog ideas
• Kelly Rusk (@krusk) of MediaMiser: Her presentation on a "fail", involving organizing a Social Media book club
• Bob LeDrew (@bobledrew) of Translucid: His presentation on a significant "win", involving rallying Ottawa via social media to help the Cornerstone women's shelter

Because the event was held at the Lindenhof, Boughner encouraged attendees to come early to enjoy "a schnitzel or a bratwurst" before the presenters spoke.

Having read several past tweets from local tweeps about their enjoying great dinners at the restaurant, both when it was previously on Carling and at its new location on Preston, I arrived early to sample some German fare. I however polled some trustworthy sources beforehand. One of the project managers I work with is of German decent. He told me the Lindenhof can be a little unpredictable, he having been served both great and forgettable plates. Never regrettable, he warned me to expect large servings. A friend told me there are better German restaurants in Ottawa.

The event was held in the second floor dining room of the restaurant. The Lindenhof, itself, looked like a converted two story house. With hardwood floors, yellow painted walls, and dark wood accents, the atmosphere matched the generous home-style dishes we were served.

Second Floor Bar
Even the bar looked warm and welcoming.

Off the menu, I ordered the sauerbraten in lieu of either schnitzel or bratwurst. A former colleague of mine once asked me if I had come across the vinegar marinated beef dish in my local restaurant adventures.

Lindenhof Menu

Entrees
Described as "cured and marinated roast beef, served with a tender potato dumpling and sauteed vegetables", I wasn't about to pass up the opportunity. I did take note of the schnitzel though...

Schnitzel
Boughner recommends the combined bratwurst and schnitzel plate. His German beer recommend: Warsteiner Dunkel.

Warsteiner Dunkel

Every entree is accompanied with either salad or soup.

That evening's Salad

That evening's Soup
Ian ordered the salad and graciously let me take a picture of it. I ordered the soup. Thin brothed, peppery, and slightly over seasoned, the vegetable soup tasted of tomato and was forgettable.

My sauerbraten plate was indeed generous.

Sauerbraten
The sliced beef bordered on tough, but was very manageable with the savory jus-based gravy. The potato dumpling is the largest I have ever come across. When it arrived, I thought it was a scoop of mashed potato. Expecting something yielding, my fork cut into a tender dumpling that paired well with the sliced beef. The vegetables tasted steamed and finished in butter. They were fork tender. The entire plate was rustic and satisfying.

Arriving at the restaurant ravenous, my dinner quickly filled the gap, allowing me to enjoy the following presentations.

Total: $25.43 (including a Coke ($2.50), a coffee, and taxes).

I would later speak with Bob LeDrew about encouraging members of Ottawa's foodie and food blog community (over 50 blogs strong) to come together and help him hold another dinner for the Cornerstone women's shelter. His idea: a chili or stew dinner. My thoughts: Ottawa has a vibrant foodie community with food enthusiasts who defy author Michael Ruhlman's thoughts that foodies don't cook. Jenn later suggested to include a canned food drive for the Food Bank as well. More on this later.

Many thanks to the Lindenhof for hosting Case Study Jam. Many thanks to Joe Boughner, the presenters, and the attendees for some insightful discussion. I am excited to attend the next one.

More after the jump...

A sure sign you're Canadian is the uplifting feeling you get when the snowbanks melt away to reveal bare sidewalks again. You then throw off your heavy winter-wear. You don thick hoodies and vests and exclaim spring has arrived. The temperature, only 4C.

Greeted by sunlight this morning, Jenn and I wandered downtown to enjoy the newly warm weather; me, thick hoodied and she, vested. There, we decided try our luck at breakfast at the original SconeWitch (388 Albert Street). It is one of those eateries, we hear volumes about, but never found the time to try. Friends recently told us, the original was such a success another opened in the Beechwood area.

Unfortunately, it was not to be. When we arrived, we found the restaurant's 25 or so seats were already taken. The scent of butter pastry filled the air. And, it was uncomfortably humid inside. In fact, condensation clouded the front window, giving patrons a little privacy and a complementary moisture treatment. We ended up picking up an Eggwitch ($5.50), a B.L.T. (bacon, lettuce, and tomato) with pesto SconeWitch ($5.50), and an Orange Cranberry sweet scone ($1.90) to go.

Jenn's Eggwitch consisted of a savoury herb and onion scone that was hollowed out to hold eggs scrambled with cooked ham. Recommended by the line cooks at the back of the restaurant, my SconeWitch sandwiched baby mesculin with crisped and microwave re-heated bacon between the halves of feta scone. One half was brushed with a store-bought basil pesto. The other, spread with mayonnaise.

The Scone Witch is a canteen style restaurant. The dining room, decorated in a bistro style greets you when you walk in from the street. Against the wall is a graduation-style painting of chefs. In the middle is a witch with a tray of scones.

There is an open kitchen at the back. The separation is marked with a counter, where your order your food. We discovered lines formed at both the counter and at the door. The latter, for tables.

There are no servers. While the restaurant is professionally equipped, there is no traditional line. The three cooks who take orders and assemble scone dishes are also bakers and servers. When you eat in, they will bring your plates to you. After you eat, you head over to the cash and till to pay. When you eat out, they bag everything and point you to the cashier. Dishes are made to order. The cashier doubles as a dish washer, there being two dish washing stations in the restaurant. Given the turnover, I can imagine the restaurant going through a lot of dishes.

As we waited for our order, Jenn and I gave opening tables away and took our scones to a park bench on Kent Street, across from the Crown Plaza Hotel. There, we devoured our late breakfast. I found my sandwich quite the realization. Rich and decadent, well-made scones work in sandwiches. Mine was freshly baked, light and airy. Buttery, it tasted passingly of feta. With the peppery greens, nutty pesto, and salty bacon, I exclaimed with delight biscuit sandwiches did not even compare.

Jenn likewise enjoyed her breakfast, giving me her blackberry. The crumb of scone I stole from her when she wasn't looking was likewise light and buttery with just the right amount of dill.

Total cost: $15.57 (after taxes)

Next time, we're coming in when the place opens at 8:00 am on weekends for brunch. At $10.50, you get scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, a scone, and greens. The scone is accompanied with Moss Berry Farm jam or lemon curd. Everything is topped either with mustard-baked ham, a dollop of mushroom ragu, or Mediterranean vegetables and goat cheese.

Update: I looked into the comment from Pearl of the Eaten Up food blog that there was originally another Scone Witch in New Edinburgh neighbourhood. Indeed, the Scone Witch at 35 Beechwood Avenue was originally located on 42 Crichton Street. According to an older "The Materialist" blog by Kirstin Endemann of the Ottawa Citizen, the 42 Crichton Street location was takeout only. In September 2009, the former location was re-opened by Chef Susan Jessup as 42 Crichton Street Fine Foods.

Particulars:
The Scone Witch
388 Albert Street
(613)232-2173

More after the jump...

Well, I'm not about to advocate communicating with dinner forks (or pitch forks for that matter), but a link to a Utah university student's Etsy shop, "ForkedUpArt", has been going around the blogoshpere. Attached to the link is a picture of cutlery that has been welded together to form an Iphone holder.

ForkedUpArt Iphone Holder
Source: Etsy shop

According to "Jennings Metal", the handle of the artist who operates "ForkedUpArt", the holder recently caught the attentions of TUAW: The Unofficial Apple Weblog, Macenstein, and even CNet, sparking a flurry of activity. In fact, the shop now sports an announcement about bulk purchases. Jennings Metal will even fashion custom holders.

After visiting the Etsy site, I discovered there are two models, one with a "fork head" and one with a "spoon head." The cost: $30.00 USD ($19.99 USD shipping to Canada).

Me, I like the one with a spoon head, given the feet are likewise spoons. It is a bit of symmetry that goes well with me.

But, since I haven't an Iphone to put in the holder, I'm going to pass.

Kudos to Jennings Metal on your creative product!

Yesterday, I had a somewhat awkward conversation with a relatively old-school project manager who disparaged the new online presence features of Microsoft's recently unveiled mobile operation system for smart-phones and other smart-devices, called Windows Mobile 7. He felt the social media-oriented aspect was a distraction for business users who are more task-oriented. So, Microsoft is essentially alienating its traditional user-base. Incredulous, I pointed out the upcoming millennial workforce is more conscious of work-life balance and values the new contact and event-driven features. Besides, modern business has realized using such tools as Facebook and Twitter thoughtfully can help them establish their brands (lends to good will) and cultivate familiarities with prospective clients, customers, or patrons. Savvy businesses, that realize benefits should not be measured $/click (or $/follower), also learn about their market at the micro-social level.

To me, Microsoft, having "out-Appled" Apple with respect to their mobile operating system's dynamic interface, made the platform attractive again. In a ubiquitous computing environment, devices need to be multi-functional. While I am not a member of the millennial workforce, I participate in several vibrant online communities using social media tools. It has grown my personal and professional networks, connecting me with people I would never have imagined speaking to. Many connections have materialized in the real-world and developed into friendships.

What does this have to do with sweet potatoes or gnocchi? I am blessed to have so many different people in my life. Through my participation in the food blogging community, I met Leela (@shesimmers), the blogger behind SheSimmers. Later I would meet Melody (@gourmetfury), the blogger behind Gourmet Fury. Together, they run Beet 'n Squash You. This month, it is battle sweet potato. For my entry, I asked a handful of people in my networks how they take their sweet potatoes. That is when I discovered how versatile the traditionally winter root vegetable actually is. I know people who only eat sweet potatoes as shoe string fries. I know people who like their sweet potato as pie filling. I know people who swear by "candied yams", topped with marshmallows. I know people who roast them, jacketed in aluminum foil. I decided to try my hand at sweet potato gnocchi, pairing it with a wilted green and some pulled pork. It is not my Beet 'n Squash entry.

Well, the pulled pork worked...
Pernil-Inspired Pulled Pork

One Pork Shoulder Roast

Second Pork Shoulder Roast

Spice Rub

Hawaiian Salt

Pork Shoulder Roasts Dried

Pork Shoulder Roasted Oiled and Coated

Pulled Pork after 90 minutes of Covered Roasting

Pulled Pork after 3 hours of Covered Roasting

Pulled Pork Mid-Shred

Pulled Pork Texture

Here's what you need:

• Pork Shoulder
• Enough Rub to Coat the Pork shoulder Above
• A Little Canola Oil

Yes it's that simple. For this batch, I used the following ratio of flavourings 6:6:1:2:1:1 onion flake, dried oregano, Hawaiian salt (seriously cool gift from seriously cool friend), Hungarian paprika, ground cumin, and red pepper flake by volume. My choice for measuring this time, a teaspoon.

Prep:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F
2. Dry the pork shoulder roasts of moisture.
3. Very lightly coat them in oil
4. Coat the roasts in rub

Method:

1. Bake covered for 3 hours or until the meat falls from the bone.
2. Shred
3. De-fat the drippings and reduce to taste.
4. Sauce the meat with the drippings. It should be slightly moist, not wet

Plan A: Gnocchi (failed)
Because the gnocchi failed, I am not going to write up the recipe. I am only going to record notes, so I can re-attempt it.

Pair of Sweet Potatoes, Pricked All Over
The potatoes were lightly coated in canola oil and roasted at 350F, until softened. This took 1 hour.

4.2 oz of Old Cheddar Cheese
The cheese was grated finely.

One Hot Green Chili, Finely Chopped
When the sweet potato had been roasted soft, it was left to cool for 5 minutes.
Then, it was forced through a ricer in batches.
To the riced sweet potato, 1 tsp of nutmeg, 2 pinches of kosher salt, 3 grinds of black pepper, and the shredded cheese was added. The remnant heat melted the cheese.
When the mixture cooled completely, one egg was added.

Sweet Potato Mixture Pre-Flour
2 cups of flour were sifted in with minimum stirring.

Sweet Potato Mixture Post-Flour

Here is where things went awry. After looking up several sweet potato gnocchi recipes on YouTube, I figured the texture of the gnocchi dough should resemble ones that contained 50% by mass ricotta. Thus, I added more flour, thinking my dough too wet and overworked it. I then overworked them further, shaping and re-shaping them.

Shaped Gnocchi
The gnocchi was boiled in simmering salted water until they floated.

Gnocchi Post-Boil
Then, the gnocchi was fried in brown butter.

One Batch Browned

Another Batch Browned

Here are three platings with gently wilted young spinach

Wilted Spinach

Plating 1

Plating 2

Plating 3
While they looked and smelled delicious, the gnocchi were neither tender nor light.

More after the jump...