All I want for Christmas …
For those of us who are young at heart but no longer in our first youth, Christmas lists usually consist of pretty simple things. A full night’s sleep without having to get up to pee; a pair of warm socks; booze and lots of it. You get the idea. Leave it to me however to have come across a completely impractical little do-dad that I am coveting like mad. I want a vinaigrette. Not to sprinkle on salad though. Vinaigrettes were smell containers – yes you heard that right. Small decorative boxes that held highly aromatic substances – usually a mix of vinegar, herbs and oil. The precursor...
Salt and vinegar kale mashed potatoes
I get it. I know kale is seriously divisive. But I love kale - and think kale just needs a good publicist. People whine that "it's too tough." But just separate the leaves from the spine, wash then and put them in a Ziploc bag with with olive oil and a bit of salt . This acts as a sort of marinade and tenderizes the kale. Fresh kale lasts a seriously long time in the fridge AND kale grows really well here in Newfoundland. So, do me a favour and try this recipe. Seriously delicious. This recipe sounds like it was designed specifically for Newfoundland in the...
The best gift
What do you get when you take six Atlantic craftspeople that have never met before and put them in a 20 by 10 foot booth at the Toronto Gift Show? A whole lotta collaboration, brainstorming and fellowship. For four days, as one of five lucky exhibitors with the Atlantic Craft Alliance at the recent Toronto Gift Fair, I pitched my heart out about vinegar to retailers from across Canada and came away with new customers, some hot leads and several new friends. Leigh McFarlane of The Soap Company of Nova Scotia was simply one of the best salespeople I have ever seen in action (and as an...
#FolkloreThursday
Big thanks to Dale Jarvis, NL's Intangible Cultural Heritage Development Officer, for this blog post about the references to vinegar throughout history and specifically in Newfoundland and Labrador. Visit http://www.ichblog.ca/search/label/vinegar and please share any of your own stories or family folklore on the uses for vinegar.
A taste of the past
Alegar is the Middle English term for ale vinegar or malt vinegar. Here's a recipe for Sauge (whatever that is!) from a 15th century cookbook. Thanks to John Geck of Memorial University's English department for sharing this with me. Now, who wants to translate? Take Gyngere, Galyngale, Clowys, & grynde in a morter; þan take an handfulle of Sawge, & do þer-to, grynd wyl to-gederys; take Eyroun, & sethe hem harde, nym þe ȝolkys, grynde hem with þe Sawge & with þe spycis, & temper it vppe with Venegre or eysel, or with Alegere; take þe whyte of þe Eyroun, & sethe...
Ferment this
Fermentation has been going on a long, long time. Vinegar is the next step - when alcohol (like beer) is allowed to ferment a second time, turning it acetic. http://www.bbc.com/…/20170222-our-ancestors-were-drinking-a…
Vinegar history
Paris street markets in the 1700s offered more than 50 kinds of flavoured cooking vinegars. And, more than 90 varieties were for making the outside of the body smell better. The most popular, and least expensive, was pepper vinegar. It was made from wine that had been laced with pepper. Other vinegar flavours included: clove, carnation, chicory, mustard, fennel, ginger, pistachio, rose and truffle.
Looking for recipes ideas for Newfoundland Beer Vinegar?
Looking for recipes ideas for Newfoundland Beer Vinegar? Why not bake with it? This vegan chocolate cake from the famous Moosewood collective uses vinegar with baking soda to get the cake to rise. Substitute the apple cider vinegar with Newfoundland Beer Vinegar and let me know how it works out!
Sounds like a great book for all you wild mothers out there …
Canadian food culture tells a story in cod tongues In Speaking in Cod Tongues, Lenore Newman looks at how what we eat defines our culture throughout the country Read more via The Toronto Star
Wild Mother Provisions
Today January 14 is my 52nd birthday. It’s also the first day of the 2017 St. John's Farmers' Market. So it seemed like a good time to launch Wild Mother Provisions – the new incarnation of Flour of Scotland. I love my customers and truly appreciate all of your support over the years at the market but I feel the new name better expresses the direction I want to take my business. Wild Mother Provisions will continue to make oatcakes, granola, scones, traditional cakes and of course our latest product Newfoundland Beer Vinegar. (And some wicked breakfast sandwiches once the permanent market...
Wild Mother Provisions
