Maple Mala Noodles from the LCBO Food and Drink Magazine Travel Issue 2026 - Live and Learn

The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) is one of the world's largest single purchasers of alcohol. It has been publishing a great food and drink magazine for years and last year, published its first travel version of the magazine. This recipe comes from the 2026 travel edition. I halved the recipe and made it for my friend Janice, an individual who is open to new flavours. The photo below is taken directly from the magazine, and here's why.....

My dish was not photograph-worthy. There were several things I did wrong with this recipe:

1) I served it warm, as directed, and the sauce basically slid off the noodles. Cold leftovers the following day had both better texture and flavour. 

2) The cucumbers were a questionable addition to this dish, even though I tried to make them slightly more flavourful by placing them in vinegar for several hours prior to plating. They really needed a better dressing. Any dressing. 

3) The meal should be served in an appropriate-sized bowl. I used a dinner-plate for this slippery noodle dish. That was unwise.

4) And finally, although I thought I was buying cilantro to garnish the meal, what I actually brought home from the grocery store was flat-leaf parsley.

I think that the dish would be significantly improved if topped with some crushed roasted peanuts and either a few cooked shrimp or bites of cooked chicken. 

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp (15 mL) toasted sesame oil 
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) natural peanut butter, smooth or chunky 
• 1/3 cup (80 mL) warm water 
• 3 tbsp (45 mL) rice vinegar 
• 1/3 cup (80 mL) soy sauce 
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) dark maple syrup (very Canadian) 
• 1/3 cup (80 mL) stirred chili oil 
• 2 cloves garlic, finely grated or chopped 
• 2 mini cucumbers 
• 1 lb (455 g) dried wheat noodles  
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) chopped cilantro leaves and stems 

Methods:

In a large heatproof bowl, whisk the sesame oil, peanut butter and water until smooth. Add the vinegar, soy and maple syrup. Again, whisk until smooth. Stir in the chili oil (or chili crisp if using) and garlic. Set aside.  Using the side of a chef’s knife or a rolling pin, smack the cucumbers to break them apart. (Why, I'm not sure). Chop them into rough chunks. Cook the noodles in salted boiling water until tender. Just before draining scoop out 1/2 cup (125 mL) of the noodle water and reserve. Add the drained noodles to the sauce; toss to coat, loosening with a little reserved water if necessary. Divide between four bowls and top each with cucumber and cilantro. Serve straight away. Serves 4 

TIP:Use whatever wheat noodles you have on hand: Chinese, Taiwanese, even eggless dried Italian pasta. 

Poppy Seed Roll

I love the look of this poppy seed roll. It's very black and white. However, the taste of all those poppy seeds is verging on sinister somehow. While chowing down a large slice of the roll I found myself pondering the field of poppies in the Wizard of Oz and wondering "is this healthy"? Below is a link to the recipe I used. 

https://www.recipesfromeurope.com/poppy-seed-roll/

Cheesy Soda Bread from the Two Whales Cafe in Port Rexton, Newfoundland

 

I've made a lot of versions of soda bread in my time. This recipe originates in Newfoundland at the Two Whales Cafe. To me, it has the texture of a scone. Yummy nevertheless. I'd never turn down a scone.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of all purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 geaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard powder, such as Keen's
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cut into cubes
• 3/4 cup of grated cheddar cheese, plus some to place on top of the loaves 
• 1 generous cup of milk soured with 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice
• 1 large egg, beaten

Methods:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line a couple of cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and mustard powder. Rub the butter into the flour mixture. Add the grated cheese followed by the milk and beaten egg. Bring the dough together with a fork. Add more milk if needed but do not knead the dough.

Form the dough into 2 circles (I actually made three circles of dough). Using a large knife, score the top of the loaves into 6 sections. Sprinkle additional cheese on the tops of the loaves. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown.

https://twowhales.ca/

Wacky Cake, AKA Depression Cake

When ingredients were scarce during the great depression, bakers became inventive.  Since today's political climate is giving many of us a great headache, if not a great depression, this might be the time to eat some chocolate cake.

Here's how to make a delicious cake without butter, eggs, or milk.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour 
•  1 cup white sugar 
•  4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 
•  1 teaspoon baking soda 
•  ½ teaspoon kosher salt 
•  6 tablespoons vegetable oil 
•  1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract ( I use 2 tsp) 
•  1 tablespoon white vinegar or apple cider vinegar 
•  1 cup cold water 

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350°F. 

In an 8-inch square baking pan, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Make 3 small wells in the centre of the flour mixture. AKA 'depressions', get it? Add the oil in one, the vanilla in the next, vinegar in the third, and pour in the cup of water. Whisk until well combined. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, after 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

Frost the cake with buttercream or cream cheese frosting to undo the depression era vibe. Or make a chocolate ganache, and serve with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream. 

My sister Sylvia says: "I also have baked this batter in muffin tins to make cupcakes. They turn out really well."

Hot Cross Buns...Heavy on the Currants

I first posted this recipe for Hot Cross Buns from the Chez Piggy cookbook on April 3, 2020. I'm re-posting it now because I happen to love these buns, made with this very specific recipe. In fact, I made some just the other day. 'Tis the season.

P.S. I'll get back to Chez Piggy in an upcoming post. 

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups of warm water
• 1/2 cup of butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 6 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup of milk powder
• 2 eggs slightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon of the spice mix
• 1 tablespoon of sea salt
• 1 and 1/2 cups of dried currants
• 1 cup chopped candied peel, mixed
• 1 and 1/2 cups of sultana raisins
• 1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons of milk (the egg 'wash')

Spice Mix:

• 4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoons allspice
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Icing:

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 and 1/2 cups of icing sugar
• zest of 1 lemon

Methods:

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. After about 10 minutes, stir in the butter, 2 lightly beaten eggs and milk powder. Add the flour, sugar, spice mixture, salt, currants, raisins and citrus peel and mix well. Turn the dough on to a floured board and knead until "silky". 

Here's where things get tricky. What exactly does silky dough look like? I'll never know. The dough never approaches a "silky" consistency when I make it. Sticky, yes.

Leave the dough to rise (in a greased bowl, and covered in plastic wrap) in a warm place for 2-3 hours until it has doubled in size. Punch down the dough and shape it into 18 buns. Place the buns on a couple of greased/papered baking sheets and allow the dough to rise again until not quite doubled in size. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Slash the tops of the buns with a razor blade (very dramatically). Just before putting the buns in the oven, brush the tops with the egg-milk wash. Bake for 20 minutes. To make the icing, mix together the icing sugar, lemon juice and zest.  Ice the cooled buns with a cross of icing.

 

It's a new year.....this marks the end of 2020, the year of baking in the time of coronavirus.

  Happy New Year Everyone

                                                                        Get Vaccinated 

 

 

 

Citrus Cheesecake with Buttercream and Lemon Curd...this calls for a celebration

My sister Sylvia is a master at a number of things, cheesecake making being one of them. Here is a celebratory cheesecake recipe if I ever saw one. It combines the citrus flavours of lemon, lime and orange.

Cheesecake Ingredients:

• 2, 250 gram blocks of Philadelphia cream cheese
• 500 g ricotta cheese
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 eggs, separated into yolks and whites
• 1 teaspoon pure lemon extract
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1/2 cup full fat Greek-style lemon yogurt .

Crust Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs

Buttercream Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups icing sugar
• 1/2 Tsp lemon extract
• 1//4 tsp lime powder (called True Lime, and available in grocery stores)

Final Topping Ingredient:

• a jar of lemon curd

Methods: 

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. 

Combine the crust ingredients and pat them into the bottom of a 12 inch springform pan. 

Beat the egg whites to form stiff peaks. Set aside.

Beat together the cream cheese, ricotta and sugar. Add the egg yolks, citrus and yogurt and mix well. Fold in the egg whites. Pour over the crust in the springform pan. Bake for 1 hour. 

When cool, top the cheesecake with a layer of the citrus buttercream. Carefully spread 1/2 cup of lemon curd over the buttercream. Chill. Slice into 8 large or 12 more moderate pieces. Sylvia suggests that you can serve the cheesecake with a dollop of whipped cream if desired. 

My gallbladder has started aching.

Perfectly baked prior to 'icing'

Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts from NYT Cooking

The NYT Cooking columnists, (as wonderful as they are), seem to assume that everyone has a stand mixer and that it is essential for mixing things. Just not the case. A run-of-the-mill electric mixer works just as well here, as would vigorous mixing with a wooden spoon.

I happened to get a doughnut pan for Christmas, cuz' that's what happens when you order your own presents online, but a muffin pan will also work for this recipe.

It turns out that I am no longer reading recipes all the way through these days, but am only giving them a cursory scan. So, I dumped all the cinnamon into the batter, rather than leaving half for the cinnamon sugar. They taste fine. 

Ingredients:

•  nonstick cooking spray
• 1 ¾ cup/225 grams all-purpose flour
• 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 cup/225 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature (divided)
• ¾ cup/165 grams light brown sugar
• ¾ cup/150 grams granulated sugar (divided)
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup/120 milliliters apple cider

Methods:

Heat your oven to 350 degrees F. 

Lightly grease a 12 cavity doughnut pans (or a 12-cup muffin tin) with nonstick spray. 

In a medium bowl, add flour, baking powder, salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and nutmeg and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Cream 10 tablespoons of the butter, the brown sugar and 1/4 cup of granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until well incorporated after each addition, scraping the bowl as necessary. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until incorporated. Add the apple cider in a slow, steady stream and mix to combine. Scrape the bowl well to make sure the batter is homogeneous.

Spoon the batter into prepared doughnut pans, filling them about 2/3 of the way. (You can also do this using a disposable piping bag or a resealable plastic bag with a 1/2-inch opening cut from one corner.) Bake until evenly golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the thickest portion comes out clean, 12 to 15 minutes. Rotate the pans halfway through baking. (If you are making muffins, divide batter evenly between the prepared cups and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, rotating halfway through.)

While the doughnuts bake, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup/100 grams granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon together in a small bowl to combine. In a separate small bowl, melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter. Let the doughnuts cool for 5 minutes after baking, then unmold them from the pans, brush with the melted butter and dredge them in the cinnamon sugar while they are still warm. 

Cornmeal Muffins - Raspberries optional

This Barefoot Contessa muffin recipe was given to me by my neighbour Bob. They are, without a doubt, the best cornmeal muffins I have ever tasted, and would be great for a Christmas breakfast. Bob and I both changed up the recipe slightly by not infusing the muffins with raspberry preserves, but simply serving butter and jam on the side.

My muffins basking in the late day sun

Recipe direct from Ina Garten

Red Lentil Dip

This recipe comes to you from my sister Sylvia and Alive magazine. Looks yummy. Great to serve with fresh veggies and toasted pitas. I believe Sylvia added a bit of dill to her dip. Whatever works.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried red lentils
• 3 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp tahini
• 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 tsp blonde miso
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• chili oil and fresh cilantro or parsley for garnish (optional)

Methods:

Rinse the lentils to remove any fine debris. In a large saucepan, bring 3 cups of water to a boil, then add the lentils and garlic and bring to a boil again. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes until the lentils are soft. Drain the liquid, reserving a bit for later. Slightly cool the lentils and garlic before whizzing them with the lemons juice, tahini, sesame oil, miso and seasonings. If the mixture is too thick, add a bit of the lentil cooking water. Transfer the dip to a bowl and refrigerate. Drizzle with chili oil and garnish, if you like, with cilantro or parsley. 

Salted Double Dark Chocolate Cookies from the Holiday Edition of the LCBO Magazine

The Liquor Control Board of Ontario produces a particularly fine cooking magazine 4 times a year, and it's free! My friend Janice and I have frequently tried their recipes. And here, Janice has produced the LCBO salted double dark chocolate cookies for Christmas. They look great.

Ingredients:

•  1½ cups (375 mL) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking powder
• 1/4 tsp (1 mL) baking soda
• 2 tsp (10 mL) flaked sea salt, divided
• 1 cup (250 mL) dark brown sugar, lightly packed
• 3/4 cup (175 mL) granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (175 mL) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
• 1 bar (100 g) 78% cacao chocolate, finely chopped

Methods:

Preheat your oven to to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

Sift the flour with the cocoa powder, baking powder and soda in a small bowl. Using your fingertips, lightly crush 1 tsp (5 mL) flaked sea salt, then add the salt to the same bowl and set aside.

Beat the sugars with butter until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the egg and vanilla until almost combined. Add the flour mixture and continue to mix at medium-low speed just until a dough comes together. Add the chocolate until combined.

Scoop 1 tbsp amounts of the dough on prepared sheets, 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tsp salt.

Bake in the top and bottom thirds of oven, switching sheets halfway through, until the edges are beginning to set, 10 to 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely, Repeat with the remaining dough.