Tag: cooking

Private Dinner with Canadian Lentils

The first night at BlogHerFood16, some of us went to a special dinner hosted by Canadian Lentils.  The dinner was hosted at a wonderful location in Austin named, Vuka, a wonderful indoor and outdoor space with music and outdoor games for adults (please click the link and check out the pictures, the space is amazing).  The weather was great for outdoor dining and since the dinner was being made on a food truck the outside atmosphere was perfect.

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We were greeted with an open bar and an antipasto station.  The antipasto station and the open bar was a great welcome to the first day of a conference.  It was important to pace myself because there was more food to come.  In addition to the antipasto station there were appetizers and then we were ready to order our final entree’s.  The premise of the dinner was to find different ways to experiment and cook with Lentils.  Canadian Lentils always pulls out all of the stops when they host us and this time was no exception.

We were able to go to the truck and select what we wanted from the menu.  My choice was the lentil salad with avocado, tomatoes, onions, sweet potatoes and dressing, along with the salmon taco, and the Frito pie.  I have never had Frito pie so I was very excited to taste this particular dish.  The chef incorporated lentils into each of the dishes served as well as the dessert which was a sweet potato brownie with lentils.  The food was really good I just felt like the lentils could have been transformed a little more, they just felt like an additional ingredient.  But the food itself was tasty and satisfying.

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Another great thing about Canadian Lentils, is that after the feed you all of this amazing and tasty food, and serve you drinks to your hearts content, they also provide you with great parting gifts to compliment your kitchen and to inspire you to cook more at home and to cook more with Lentils.  From the cooking utensils, to the cook book and recipe cards Canadian Lentils definitely brings out the cook in you.

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While I have not had many experiences with Lentils prior to attending the BlogHerFood conference, I do have friends that cook and eat lentils often and I am learning.  One of the best things about Canadian Lentils as a company is that they get you excited about cooking lentils and experimenting with flavors.  During the conference Canadian Lentils had pre measured lentils in mason jars and a spice station with recipes and a chef on hand to assist you in making the best choices for your lentil creation.  I spent time putting together my Indian inspired and Creole inspired lentil recipes that I am waiting to cook.  (Video will be forthcoming).  I am looking forward to making and enjoying my lentil creations.  What are your favorite lentil creations?

 

 

Stay Blessed……..Stay Fabulous!

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Cooking 101

When I was coming of age, I used to experiment in the kitchen.  I watched as both my grandmother, who were born and raised in the south, cooked these large elaborate meals for their families.  I would sit in the kitchen and watch everything they did not know that there was so much more going on behind the scenes that I never realized.

One day my paternal grandmother told me to make the cornbread for dinner.  I as shocked because she never really asked us to do anything around the kitchen, so this request was out of the ordinary.  I begin to clutter the countertop with bowls, cornmeal, eggs, measuring cups, anything else that I thought I would need to make a pan of cornbread.

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I began to measure and stir and prepare and work and my grandmother came into the kitchen and asked what I was doing.  She looked around and I am not sure what she was thinking but I thought I was on target.  I told her I was making the cornbread.  she wanted to know why all the measuring cups and everything was in the kitchen.  I was a little confused but nonetheless I continued with my mixing and stirring and preparation.  My grandmother shook her head and left the room.

When the pan of cornbread was ready I was proud.  My grandmother, God rest her soul, had allowed me to do something to assist her in the kitchen.  I was excited and I just knew this would be the best cornbread she had ever ate.  When I went to cut into the cornbread it was as hard as the cast iron skillet I had cooked it in.  My heart sank.  My grandmother just look at me and she sat down and she said make it again.  I told her I had followed the directions, I did everything I was supposed to do, I just simply couldn’t make cornbread.

She said put all those measuring cups and shit in the sink.  She then reminded me, you know the ingredients.  You have seen me to this hundreds of times.  Now just make the cornbread.  I doubted myself, but this time unlike the first try she was there with me.  She told me you know what it is supposed to look like, you know if it looks right before you put it in the oven.  I followed her instructions and most importantly I followed my instinct.

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The next pan of cornbread was great.  1000 times better than the first try.  I learned in that moment that importance of feeling the love when you cook.  That was the moment that it clicked for me.  I learned that day in that kitchen why both my grandmothers spent hours at a hot stove or over a sink preparing and slicing and cutting or chopping or cleaning and cooking.  I understand now that it was the love that they places in each and every dish that made the food so good, so tasty and so comforting.

When I cook now I know that if I am not in the mood, don’t cook.  The food will be horrible, even if it’s something I cook all the time.  I know that when I cook with love, the food is good.  I can tell the difference even if no one else can.  It is when you cook with feeling that you get the SOUL FOOD, because you leave a little of your soul in each meal.  I am thankful to my grandmother for teaching me that I should put a little of my self in each and every meal I prepare.  Thanks Granny!