The Finer things You Can Afford

I am a little obsessed with truffle oil right now and I tried it with dinner tonight. 

Cous Cous with Truffle Oil

I package Parmesan Cous Cous mix (preferably Near East)

1 Bay Leaf

Sea Salt and Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

One tablespoon olive oil

One teaspoon Truffle Oil (white or black truffle oil would work)

One medium zucchini or two small zucchinis

One medium summer squash or two small summer squash

One tablespoon of fresh basil

Start by slicing the zucchini and summer squash very thinly.  Place the vegetables in a hot pan with about a tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Cook them in a single layer so they can brown a little.  Prepare the cous cous according to directions on the mix.  Add a bay leaf, black pepper, the spice mix, and a teaspoon of truffle oil and then bring the water to a boil.  Add the cous cous and stir.  Let stand for about 5 minutes.  Next fluff the cous cous with a fork and add the vegetables, basil, and toss or just place the vegetables on top of the cous cous.  The great thing about cous cous is you can serve it hot or at room temperature so you have some flexibility with serving it.  This makes cous cous a great choice for casual entertaining. 

Click the link below to purchase truffle oil. 

http://eclecticgrocer.com/grartrflexvi.html

Many people do not think to use food as a centerpiece.  But it is actually an inexpensive and attractive way to decorate your table.  You could place heads of garlic in a shallow bowl and place in the center of your table.  You could use braided garlic laid flat on top of a runner with some tea light candles or vegetables surrounding it.  Garlic would look great with some colorful bell peppers or tomatoes in a bowl too.  So play with it and have fun. 

There are many sources for Kitchen Aid Mixer recipes.  You can use basically any recipe you find.  A tip is that you want to use the paddle attachment anytime you are going to cream butter and sugar together and make some type of dough (not most breads) or batter.  You will use the whisk attachment when beating egg whites or making whipped cream.  This attachment puts air into the food and adds volume.  You will use the dough hook primarily for making breads. 

We recently purchased a memory foam mattress topper and it is absolutely fabulous.  You place it under your mattress pad and many of them come with a covering as well.  You can have all the benefits of a memory foam mattress for a fraction of the price.  It helped with my back pain and I slept like a baby the first night we had it.  I also have a memory foam pillow which helps immensely with my neck and back pain.  Now we don’t want to get out of bed in the morning!  Order one for yourself or give one as a gift.  The recipient will thank you again and again. 

There are several reasons to choose glass storage containers instead of plastic storage containers for food.  The glass products are more eco-friendly, will not stain (and I have ruined many plastic containers with tomato sauce), and they are believed to be safer for your family.  As I am sure you have heard, there is a great deal of research on the possible ill-effects of using plastic containers for food storage.  Particularly the links between cancer and microwaving foods in plastic containers.  Until this is all sorted out, it is probably best to use glass storage solutions.  Why take a chance?

Please visit the link below for more information on glass storage solutions.

http://eclecticgrocer.com/glass-food-storage.html

This marinade can be used on poultry, meat, fish, and vegetables.  You can also add some of it to rice or cous cous dishes.  It could be added to the water while cooking the rice or cous cous and/or drizzled over the rice or cous cous once it has finished cooking.  It is a versatile product. 

Another idea is to use this in lieu of mayonnaise for a tuna salad.  You should use grilled tuna or high quality packaged tuna for this recipe.  Coat the tuna generously and add some fresh chopped parsley or mint.  Serve on open faced sandwiches with a sprig of parsley or mint as a garnish. 

Check out the link to purchase this product below.

http://eclecticgrocer.com/withmelesare.html

You may be surprised that I suggest you purchase marinades.  But there are some very high quality products out there and your guests will never be the wiser.  I am going to post a link to some great marinades below.  They are wonderful on chicken, fish, or even pork. 

The great thing about these is you can use the sauce to repeat the flavors throughout your meal.  You can use it as a salad dressing and on the meat or fish.  This takes the guesswork out of determining whether the flavors of your main course and side dishes will work. 

Visit eclecticgrocer.com for more information or to purchase these fabulous marinades/Salad Refreshers (dressings). 

http://eclecticgrocer.com/salad-dressings-and-refreshers.html

You just spoke with some of your close friends and were pleased to learn they are available for dinner tonight.  Then it sets in – my friends will be here for dinner tonight.  Don’t panic!  Think about enhancing your meal with a store bought sauce.  They will wonder how you pulled together such a wonderful meal on such sort notice.  You should always have some products like this and some chicken or fish in the freezer in case you pull together a party on a moment’s notice. 

Visit Eclectic Grocer to purchase the recommended products below. 

http://eclecticgrocer.com/withcapelich.html

Use this Caribbean Peach Lime Chutney as a sauce for Chicken or Fish. 

Or marinate some chicken with a Tuscan Tomato Basil Vinaigrette.  Serve with rice or cous cous and a tomato salad. 

http://eclecticgrocer.com/withtutobavi.html

We love to sample the ice wine when we visit Niagara-on-the-Lake and look forward to visiting the Palatine Hills Estate Winery because they always win our vote for the best ice wine in Niagara-on-the-Lake Wine Country.  Our favorite white ice wines are the Vidal and the Gewurztraminer Icewines.  We also sampled the rare 2006 Cabernet Sauvgignon Icewine and fell in love with it.  You should definitely put this winery on your must visit list the next time you are in Niagara-on-the-Lake. 

Every morning we are in Niagara-on-the-Lake we stop at the Willow Cakes and Pastries Shop.  You almost feel as though you have walked into a Pastry Shop in Europe.  They have a wide selection of french pastries, cookies, croissants, tarts, tortes, and cakes.  It usually takes me a bit to decide on something because everything looks fabulous, and they taste as good as they look too.  They have great coffee and cappuccinos and lattes as well.  We always look forward to stopping in for breakfast or a late afternoon pick me up. 

Here is a link to their site for more information:

http://www.willowcakes.ca/