Shark Fin Pledge

When I originally posted on this blog about the cruelty and destruction that the shark finning industry was causing, I got a very mixed response. While most of my regular readers agreed with me that this so called gourmet ingredient was procured at too high a price for our oceans, some pro-shark fin folks found my post and called me all kinds of nasty names. I won’t repeat them, but you can read them here if you like.

I faced another disappointment sticking up for sharks when I wrote a letter to the UN and asked them to intervene in shark finning on an international level. My son, my husband and a handful of other extended family members also wrote letters and not one of us received even a form letter acknowledgment that our letters had been received.

So, when I read a press release (thanks for sending it to me Cheryl!) that said that influential food activist Alice Waters had signed the No Shark Fin Pledge after formerly stating that she’d like to try shark fin soup, I was heartened.

So today, I post on a Friday night because to me, this constitutes breaking news and I hope that everyone reading this post will be caught up in the spirit of Waters’ action and take a moment to sign this pledge, too!

Here’s the link: No Shark Fin PledgePlease share it.

What to do with Swiss chard

Looking for yummy ideas that will inspire you to cook the gorgeous bunches of Swiss chard, spinach and beet tops available at the market right now? Try this meatless mélange that features lentils as the protein source.

You can use other lentils but try to get the Du Puy lentils if you can. They are grown in volcanic soil that imparts superior flavour and a firm texture that chefs and gourmets love. If they aren’t available, you can use canned green or yellow lentils, but be sure to reduce the cooking time to 5 minutes since the canned version is already fully cooked.

1 bunch Swiss chard, spinach or beet tops
1 tbsp (15 mL) butter
1/4 cup (50 mL) chopped shallots or onions
1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp (1 mL) each salt and pepper
1 tsp (5 mL) grated lemon peel
1 cup (250 mL) sliced oyster or other mushrooms
1/2 cup (125 mL) Du Puy lentils*
13/4 cups (400 mL) chicken or vegetable broth

Separate the Swiss chard leaves from the stems. Wash and pat dry. Chop the stems into 1/2-inch (1 cm) pieces and slice the leaves crosswise into 1-inch (2.5 cm) wide ribbons. Reserve.

Melt the butter in a skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the Swiss chard stems and mushrooms and sauté until mushrooms are lightly browned. Remove the mixture from the pan and reserve. Reduce the heat to medium and add the shallots, garlic, salt and pepper to the pan. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.

Add the lentils, broth and lemon peel to pan. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes or until most of the stock has been absorbed and lentils are tender but still whole. Stir in the reserved mushroom mixture and the Swiss chard leaves. Cook, stirring, occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes or until the greens are wilted. Makes 2 servings.

*Tip: Du Puy lentils are also sometimes sold as caviar lentils or French-style lentils

Shopping as a form of expression

Oops! I did it again. I’ve fallen in love with another online store. This deep and burning love is to be unrequited for two reasons:
1. I don’t need anything new.
2. I don’t have any extra money sitting around so I can’t even show this site how much I love it by purchasing something. Sigh. This will just have to be an a la distance crush, I suppose.

If I do win the lottery and find myself with money to burn, one of the first things I’m going to do is buy these three fun and fabulous items from Conran’s US Online store to add some fresh personality to my kitchen:

1. Double timer

2. Taxi cab yellow trash can

3. Pepper grinder

Those will be my first purchases. Then, I think I’ll branch out and see what interesting things they have at their Japanese, British and French shops. For instance, I might really, really need this picnic cutlery one day, right? And this light bulb candle is likely to bring me great happiness, too.

Grilling glossary

Label me lazy or christen me clever, but today’s post recycles some of my past links so that you (and truthfully me, too) have a glossary of all my grilling and barbecuing recipes and tips:

Buying and using grills and barbecues
• Budget grilling
• Grill master quiz
• How to buy a grill
• Lighting briquette
• Winter grilling guide

Smoking and smokers
• How to use cedar smoking sheets
• How to use smoking briquettes
• Matching meats with woods
• How to turn your grill into a smoker

Cooking on the grill
• Best rib recipe (2008)
• Perfectly sticky gooey ribs (2009)
• Burgers: basic and beyond
• How to grill a steak
• Chimichurri steak
• Gourmet brie burger & cheeseburger tips

Grill safety
• How to calibrate an instant read thermometer
• How to use an instant read thermometer

Do you have a great grilling tip or a fabulous, hot-off-the-coals recipe you’d like to share? If so, please post it below. Links are welcome!

Topline Trends Tuesday: Coffee talk

While retail experts expected grocery store coffee sales to grow 2.4% in 2008, the changes in the economy led many consumers to choose a homemade cup of java over a $4 latte. As a result, sales grew by 6% and are predicted to stay as strong as a Starbucks espresso.

In other coffee related news, the makers of Dippin’ Dots ice cream pellets are applying their super cold technology to coffee concentrate so that soon homecooks will have another, hopefully better, instant coffee option.

And, for those who still splurge on coffee shop coffee, a new website and iPhone application from Dunkin’ Donuts now makes placing large orders easier. The person making the coffee run can send out a group alert asking people what they want; then, those people can place their orders online. The person going to Dunkin’ Donuts can print out the order or look at it on his or her phone.

Personally, I’m not a huge coffee drinker. I usually have a cup a day, so buying my coffee from a coffee shop doesn’t have a big impact on my budget. What about you? Has the economy changed your coffee drinking habits in any way?