Mighty mushroom risotto

Holy shiitake - I made the most delicious mushroom risotto yesterday, using three varieties of local mushrooms: white buttons, shiitake and portabello.

I found the white buttons - Essex Kent brand from Kingsville - at Zehrs. The Gentle Rain in Stratford supplies the other two: organic shiitakes from Weth Farms in Goderich and portabellos from Windmill Farms in Whitby.

It was steamy, creamy, delicate yet hearty and doused with green peas and a sprig of fresh parsley. I takes a little longer to make but this delectable slow food dish is absolutely divine and worth every minute you invest. I usually set aside 45 minutes of uninterrupted time to make it (you need to constantly stir the rice). Prepare your ingredients ahead so you just have to drop them into the pan, pour yourself a big ol' glass of wine and sink into the loveliness of the process. Here's how I make it:

- Heat 4 C reduced sodium chicken broth in a saucepan over med-low heat
- In a larger saucepan over med-high heat, melt 2 tbsp butter and with a wooden spoon, saute a minced shallot and as much garlic as you like until translucent (about 2 mins)
- Add 1 C aborio rice and stir until coated (about 1 min)
- Add 1/3 C dry white wine and stir until absorbed
- Ladle 1/2 C hot chicken stock into the mixture, stirring continuously. Once absorbed, add more hot stock until you're almost out (this will take around 15-18 minutes or so)
- Toward the end of the broth, add as many chopped mushrooms (I remove the stems from the shiitakes and portabellos) and frozen peas as you'd like to the large saucepan
- Continue stirring and adding broth
- When broth is all used up, the rice should be still firm to the tooth and the peas cooked through. Remove from heat, stir in 1/3 C freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano (or more!), cracked pepper and freshly chopped parsley. Serve immediately and enjoy!

If you still aren't sold on making this for yourself and the ones you love, here are some additional facts about mushrooms. For more than 6,000 years, the Chinese have used shiitake mushrooms medicinally. Shiitakes have lentinan, an active compound that powers up the immune system and strengthens its ability to fight infection and disease. Against influenza and other viruses, lentinan has been shown to be even more effective than prescription drugs; it even improves the immune status of individuals with HIV and cancer.

Shiitakes are also good for your heart, being chalk full of eritadenine, which lowers cholesterol levels and L-ergothioneine, a potent antioxidant. Portabellos and criminis have the most L-ergothioneine, followed by white buttons. White buttons contain up to 5 mg per three ounce serving-12 times as much as wheat germ and 4 times more than chicken liver. And more good news, L-ergothioneine is not destroyed when mushrooms are cooked.

Good for you, good for the local economy, good for the planet and crazy delicious. Does it seriously get any better than this?

Tashodi me happy

Thursday P'lovers series

Self-care is important. It's often what slips through the cracks when we're busy taking care of everyone else. As a new mother, there are times when I feel like I'm frantically paddling upstream in a sponge canoe just to make it through the day. I attest to leaving the house like I never once would - grey roots exploding like lightening, teeth barely brushed, face splashed and streaked with whatever moisturizer's in arm's reach (yes, diaper cream has found its way to my t-zone). It ain't always pretty, but it's my new frazzled reality.

Despite often feeling like I need a quick fix, my vices are few: I don't smoke, drugs are limited to a rare sip of Pepto Bismol (I'm not sure if you've noticed but I do enjoy food), shopping doesn't give me the thrill it once did, and drinking? Well, I enjoy a glass of wine as much as the next girl but it usually hits me faster than I can finish a story and believe me, my friends have validated this theory.

So instead of buying cigarettes, expensive over-the-counter remedies or retail bargains that aren't usually bargains anyway, I choose to vote green with my green and treat myself to something good for both me and the planet. It may cost $22.95 a jar but it's worth it. I'm worth it. And no, I'm not talking about hair colour (while my roots could surely use it).

I am talking about Toronto-based, Canadian-made Tashodi body scrubs, which come in the most exquisite tea and lemon, green coffee, pure lavender and ocean mineral varieties. Used in a steamy hot bath, these aromatic eco-friendly crystals exfoliate all your worries away, helping you get back to you. My suggested pairing: Tashodi SLS-free foam wash, a chilled glass of good pinot grigio and a dusted-off tiara.

Tashodi offers a range of bath and body care products that also include body bars, soaks and baby products. You can find them at P'lovers in Stratford, as well as a number of eco-conscious retailers across the country.

Tashodi is committed to offering paraben-free products that are transfair, certified organic, genuinely natural and otherwise green. Its founder, Natacha Rey, began her career studying Chinese and homeopathic medicine, as well as aromatherapy and reflexology. After five years of study, Natacha practiced in a medical clinic where she had a hard time keeping up with the demand for the skin care products she hand-blended for her patients. Soon after Tashodi was born.

Everything about Tashodi products makes you feel good, right down to the plant-fiber packaging and promotional material, both biodegratable and recyclable. And feeling good leads to doing good, which is really what it's all about, isn't it?

Put your best (exfoliated) foot forward and treat yourself to some Tashodi.

Niagara nightcap and nibble

Dear Reader,

For your kindness, encouragement, supportive comments and choice to return to the page, I thought it was only fitting for me to drink to you.

And so last night, I raised a glass of Henry of Pelham 2007 pinot noir in your honour, with its elegant structure and intense black raspberry, ripe pomegranate, tangy cranberry and clove spice flavour.

Still, in all its medium-bodied, oaky, silky and luxurious loveliness, it didn't quite capture the magnitude of my appreciation for you, dear Reader. And so I raised two more. Ironically while watching the movie, The Hangover.

The Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery is located on the premium grape growing land of Short Hills Beach - a United Nations biosphere - in St. Catharines, Ontario. The Speck family owners believe that fine wine is grown and not made, and so it takes low yields and tends its 170-acre estate vineyards with meticulous care. Only small volumes of handmade wines are produced to ensure the highest standards of VQA-stamped quality.

Now I firmly believe that quality begets quality. So it only made sense to pair this finicky, fickle, fine and fragrant wine with something just as special: cheese. Niagara Gold from the Upper Canada Cheese Company. And great gurnsey, this artisanal cheese is good!

Niagara Gold is an Oka-style semi-soft, washed rind cheese fashioned after recipes developed by the Trappist Monks of the Loire Valley. This is a cheese with nutty, earthy overtones and mellow, buttery flavours. I bought it at The Milky Whey fine cheese shop in Stratford, where owner Liz Payne carries a variety of lovely local cheeses.

A Niagara nightcap and nibble in your honour. Somehow it still just doesn't seem quite enough. Perhaps the bottle of Coyote's Run Estate Winery from St. David's, Ontario in the wine rack will repay my debt of gratitude later...

Hockey Day in Canada: Jan. 30 in STRATFORD!

I'm not even a hockey fan and I'm so freakin' excited about Hockey Day in Canada tomorrow, right here in beautiful snow-covered Stratford!

The celebration kicked off Wednesday and there have been so many fantastic things happening around the city to hail the Tim Hortons-sponsored event, including NHL alumni games and lunches, CBC radio broadcasts, school events - even a Randy Bachman concert at the Festival Theatre hosted by Ron MacLean.

Last night, Peter Mansbridge hosted The National on an illuminated Avon River, as cheerful skaters glided through the background. In fact, the frozen river has turned into a real-life Canadiana patchwork quilt with half a dozen ice rinks available for one and all to enjoy.

Wendel Clark was at Bentley's on Thursday for a book signing, the Stanley Cup visited the Stratford General Hospital and nursing homes, and there are various Hockey Hall of Fame art and trophy exhibits at the Optimist Club Hall.

Let me catch my breath...

There's a hockey homecoming dance tonight and my neighbour from down the road, Peter Mansbridge (he has no idea who I am), is back hosting The National again tonight.

Tomorrow is the main event, with even more excitement whirling around the city. I feel like I'm living in a beer commercial right now (funny how Canadian pride is synonymous with beer commercials), as I'm quite tempted to run down the street with my arms in the air screaming, "I AM CANADIAN" just to release some Canuck brouhaha.

I'm so proud of our little city of 30,000. I knew the summers were always rocking with tourists, the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, not to mention Savour Stratford, Stratford Summer Music, Art in the Park and the Rotary Dragonboat Festival - heck, we're even hosting Canada 3.0 conferences so Canada can lead a global digital media revolution. And now our winters are jamming too.

Back to tomorrow - CBC will be broadcasting from the William Allman Arena throughout the day (where Wayne Gretzky scored his very first goal), there will be hockey clinics, a jamboree, a ball hockey tournament, "Proud to be a Hockey Mom" storytelling and photo ops with the Stanley Cup.

I'm volunteering at the Slow Food Perth County tent in the Kiwanis Centre parking lot where we're serving up warm and sumptuous "good, clean, fair" local food, including smoked and roasted pork on a bun with homemade baked beans and hot Wellesley apple cider. Slow Food approached the Chefs of Stratford with a challenge to cook up the best condiment so don't forget to vote.

Did I mention Don Cherry's coming to town?

The 10th broadcast of Hockey Day In Canada will be hosted by Ron MacLean (Don will deliver the spice) from the Allman Arena beginning at noon ET, and in addition to segments, there will be three all-Canadian NHL matchups, with Montreal at Ottawa kicking things off at 2 p.m. ET, followed by Saturday night games featuring Vancouver at Toronto and Edmonton at Calgary.

Yes, it's going to be friggin' cold, but we are Canadian and our pride (and tuques!) will keep us warm. So come on out to Hockey Day in Canada and bring your enthusiasm and love of the game.

Maybe I do like hockey after all?

The good ol' hockey game, it's the best game you can name...

'S' is for Scrabble. And Sarah!

Thursday P'lovers Series


A woman of words, I’m also a sucker for Scrabble.

Sure, I love learning more about language and developing new strategies for kicking my husband’s behind (ha!), but even at a sensory level, I love the feeling of those smooth little indented tiles between my fingers.

So I was absolutely delighted when I discovered beautiful, picturesque necklaces made out of Scrabble tiles at P'lovers. A miniature winter photograph on one side and a 'S' on the other (only worth one point but easily used to make a triple-word score) made a wonderful personalized birthday gift for my Scrabble-loving friend, Sarah.

What made me feel even better about the purchase? It's local.

Tansy & Co., established in 2006, is a handmade line of home decor, lighting, jewellery and art made by St. Catharines' photographer and designer, Sandy Middleton. The line, using Sandy's own images, ranges from table and ceiling lamps with handcrafted photographic shades, pillows, clocks, coasters, cards and jewellery. Today, Tansy & Co. is sold in more than 50 galleries and shops throughout Canada and the US.

Again, I ask: What's not to P'love? Now back to P'lovers to find me a 'T.'

Snacking on sunshine

I'm in another pickle...jar. This time it's Sunshine Farms' pickled asparagus from Thamesville, Ontario (between London and Windsor) and I should've considered taking the photo before opening them. These babies are addictive!

They're crunchy, earthy, fragrant and wholesome. They kinda squeak when you chew them and the spices are fantastic hosts to the party that will soon erupt in your mouth.

I also like the story behind Sunshine Farms and the evident humility of owners, John and Claudia Jaques. They started growing asparagus in 1982 and Claudia canned and pickled the produce for the family's consumption.

"Our sons, Josh, Ben and Adrian, just loved their mom's recipe for pickled asparagus. And, you know, you can't keep something like that all to yourself," John said on his website. "We gave some to our friends as gifts. Of course, they just kept asking for more and our business blossomed nicely from there."

Today, Sunshine Farms offers 23 types of pickles - from the more traditional variety to asparagus, beets, carrots, garlic, jalapeno peppers, beans and many more. Half its pickles are certified organic; all are Kosher. I bought my jar at Vincenzo's in Waterloo.

"We don't use preservatives, fillers or additives," John said. "All the vegetables are processed right away, fresh from our fields. You can taste the sunshine in them."

The Romans were onto something when they deemed asparagus a delicacy. They're a fantastic source of vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium and zinc, and an excellent source of fiber, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, rutin, niacin, folic acid, iron, phosphorus, potassium, copper, manganese and selenium.

In fact, six little spears contain some 135 micrograms of folate, almost half the adult recommended daily intake, 545 micrograms of beta carotene, and 20 milligrams of potassium, which sure does make me feel better about devouring them in mass quantities.

Pickled asparagus from a lovely farm down the 401: guaranteed to offer you sunshine on the cloudiest day.

What's not to P'love?

P'lovers - short for 'planet lovers' - is Stratford's environmental department store, thriving in its new location at the corner of Erie and Ontario Streets. Its mission is simple: to help people live more sensitively with the earth.

Environmental enthusiast or not, you're going to love what this store has to offer. So from past posts I'm learning I have a thing with smell, but I must say this place just smells plain good for you! Perhaps it's because P'lovers only cleans with non-toxic materials (not to mention low-energy equipment). Or maybe it's because so many of its products are natural, organic, and even fair-trade certified. Could it be the wonderful assortment of eco-friendly bath and body products? For all one knows it could be the symphony of all these things working together in sustainable harmony - I don't know - but I do know this: if you want to make yourself feel good, follow your nose into this store. It offers and oasis of goodness that invokes pride with each purchase.

Cultural anthropologist, Margaret Mead, once said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." I love this quote. It's something we all need to remember when the world seems too big to change. I don't know why it took me so long to figure out that the sum of all our small individual changes, absolutely, unequivocally, without a doubt makes a difference to each of us as well as the collective whole. It's win-win. There are many things I'm unsure of in this world but this I know is universal law.

P'lovers Stratford owners, Susan and JD Graham, agree.

"We believe the actions of each and every one of us can positively affect the quality of the world in which we live," they said. "By modifying our lifestyles, using our purchasing power to reflect our values, and supporting activities which respect and protect the diversity of life, we can make a difference."

P'lovers Stratford is one of five Canadian and one U.S. retail chains. Since P'lovers is committed to finding regional products, there are too many wonderful local products to include in one post! So I will be launching a P'lovers series every Thursday over the next few weeks. Please return for a planet-loving gander.

Next Thursday: Tansy & Co. handmade jewellery from St. Catharines, Ontario.