by Jacqueline Segal

Just got back from what could only easily be described as a whirlwind trip to Amsterdam.  And though it was colder than expected, with nary a tulip in bloom, my girlfriends and I had a wonderful time.  And, easily put on about 5 to 10 pounds each.  Easily.   

I’d never been to Amsterdam before, and my only culinary expectations were those of the clichéd variety.  And expected to pay half for.  (To obvious?)  Beyond chocolate and cheese, we had no idea what to expect, and, frankly, wouldn’t have been too upset if those were our only options.  We ended up being pleasantly surprised though, once we ventured beyond the tourist traps to the more livable neighborhoods in the city. 

Amsterdam was strikingly smaller than expected, not that much larger than Ottawa, and very compact, making it very walk-able.   

Some things we discovered on our adventures:

• Coffee there was wonderful, as the watery-brewed drippy stuff was nowhere to be found. 
• Fresh baked goods were plentiful, mostly of the sticky-sweet pastries variety.
• Beer was cheaper than water.  Cheaper than most things, really.
• There seem to be no fire codes for crowd control in bars and clubs.  Bars were shockingly packed.  Even locals kept their eyes on the fire escapes. 
• Frites were EVERYWHERE, in every size, with all kinds of toppings.  You could tell the tourists by what their sauce choices were.  Ketchup? American.  Sweet chili sauce?  Aussies and Kiwis.  Mayonnaise and peanut sauce, together?  Dutch locals.  Even post-club, I couldn’t stomach that one.   
• Make sure to take some time to enjoy the plentiful Indonesian cuisine, and specifically, a Rijsttafel, a dining experience unique to the Dutch.  Dating back to colonial times, the Rijsttafel (or rice table) consists of rice accompanied by a number of smaller side dishes (anywhere from 6 to 60) that range from mild to spicy. 
• A night out can turn pretty expensive if you don’t watch what you’re drinking.  The drinks are poured strong, but the mix comes at a high price.  If you’re trying to make a dollar stretch, stick to beer, or order your drinks straight up on ice, and split the mix with a friend. 
• The red-light district may be lit in red, but is hardly the eyebrow-raiser it’s made out to be.   A Pride parade in Toronto makes Amsterdam’s district seem tame.  Frankly, a night out on at Circa could easily trump it. 
• It was surprising how low-key the cannabis culture was.  Not in the hidden sense, but in the “who really cares?” type of mindframe.  “Coffeeshops” ranged from dingy to trendy, and could be helpful and tourist friendly or snooty and offended you didn’t know your organic Thai from your hydoponic Jamaican varieties.  They did, however, take ID-ing seriously, more so than any bars we visited.  In some cases, we got the impression they served almost the same purpose as our LCBOs.  Young couples, stopping on their way home from work, picking up something that would complement their dinner party nicely. Made us wonder what all the fuss was back at home. 
• The entire trip was like a giant game of Frogger, dodging between the bikes and trams that seemed to make no concessions for pedestrians.  This proved dangerous as we would criss-cross the streets, filling our knapsacks with charcuterie treats for picnicking around the city.  
• The best meals were found off the beaten track, beyond the fluorescence of the touristy centre, towards neighborhoods like the Jordaan and along streets such as the Utrechtsestraat.  They were better value, better tasting, and catered to the inner foodie in each of us.  If you visit, be sure to check market times, as the mid-week organic market is considered to be one of the best. 
• And lastly, in the vein of being as responsible as my mother wishes I were, be sure, if you visit, to make use of the bathrooms available to you.  Otherwise, you’re sure to be charged anywhere from 1 to 3 Euro just to visit a restaurant’s, church’s or even public garden’s facilities.   My friends do tell me that the stalls found at the Museumplein are futuristic and stylish, if you’re in to that kind of thing. 
  

Once you get beyond the core, and you’ll know what I mean when you’re there, you’ll find an unexpectedly beautiful city in Amsterdam.   Good luck, and good eating! 

by Jacqueline Segal
These days, there’s always a certain segment of the population who can’t engage in the best (in my mind) of all food-groups—The “Carbs.” Seasonal holidays, allergy restrictions, or plain, old, personal choices (which I’ll never understand) have forced the industry to include wheat-free and gluten-free versions of our favorite products to satisfy the growing numbers of the non-carbivorous. From bagels to waffles and everything in between, wheat-free foods are available everywhere, and though some do have the same texture and taste as a moderately seasoned cardboard box, there are some that are most definitely worth your while.

Take this flourless chocolate cake, for example. One of the few times my love for carbs is completely overshadowed by deliciousness. And also, for those who cannot stray from the ways of wheat, I’ve also offered a little cheat to make your Duncan Hines taste and look gourmet. Your guests will never know.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

(This recipe should serve eight for dessert. Or, one…I don’t judge.)

1 pound semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/4 cup espresso (or liquid flavour you might like to add. Liqueurs work well too)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
7 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides, (or a 9” square pan – looks messy, but tastes just as good). Line the bottom of your pan with parchment paper. Stir chocolate, butter, coffee, and vanilla in heavy large saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Cool to lukewarm. Using an electric mixer, beat eggs and 1-cup sugar in large bowl until thick and pale, about 6 minutes (when you lift your beaters, the mixture should form ribbons then dissolve in the bowl). Fold 1/3 of egg mixture into lukewarm chocolate mixture. Fold remaining egg mixture into chocolate mixture.

Place prepared pan on baking sheet. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake until a knife inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 55 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Gently press down edges of cake. Cool completely in pan.

To serve, run knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Remove sides of pan; transfer cake to platter. Remove parchment paper. Sprinkle cake with powdered sugar or, use the glaze recipe below.

Chocolate Cheat – A glaze for your boxed cake mixes.

3 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3 tablespoons espresso/liquid flavour of your choice – nothing too concentrated
3 tablespoons unsalted margarine or butter
3 tablespoons sugar

Cook all ingredients in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, whisking until smooth. Cool 5 minutes and then pour warm glaze over cake. If you really want to impress, double the recipe and add ¼ cup whipping cream. Cut your cake through the middle horizontally, and brush a generous amount of glaze on the bottom layer of the cake, before coating the top. Best to do when just slightly warm, to allow the cake to absorb the glaze, and best done on a rack over a baking sheet, in case there’s any (finger-licking) overflow.

by Jacqueline Segal
You all know what I’m talking about.  That dusty melting-pot, still in its original box.  You know, the one that features happy friends or dreamy couples with Farrah Fawcett-esque waves, or beehives, or sideburns (as the case may be), enjoying a lovely evening huddled around the fondue pot.   

Well, if you don’t already have an old, dusty fondue-set sitting in a box at the back of a closet somewhere, invest in one.  If you do have one lying in storage—whip it out.  Because fondue is back again, and if I’d had my way, never would have gone ‘out.’ 

If you were associating fondue with sinfully rich desert or cheese, you’d be right.  But, since the first wave of fondue fanaticism hit North America in the 60’s and 70’s, recipes have gotten more creative, more health conscious, and less impractical.  (Hands up if you drink kirsch regularly.  No hands?  Then let’s continue, shall we?)  

I’ve included a few recipes to try with your fondue pots:  The old classic, a veggie-friendly delight, and a new twist on a chocolate dessert. 

And, I digress….I’ve had a very hard time avoiding fondue-themed word puns throughout this article.  

The Old Classic (circa. 1960)

This recipe should feed six-ish 

1 garlic clove, halved crosswise

1 1/2 cups dry white wine (preferably Swiss, but a dry German wine works too)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 teaspoons kirsch

1/2 lb Emmental cheese, coarsely grated (2 cups)

1/2 lb Gruyère , coarsely grated (2 cups)

Accompaniment: cubes of French bread on fondue forks or long wooden skewers

Special equipment…(wait for it)….: a fondue pot  

Rub inside of a 4-quart heavy pot with cut sides of garlic, then discard the garlic. Add wine to your pot and bring just to a simmer over medium heat.

Stir together cornstarch and kirsch in a cup and set aside.  Gradually add cheese to pot and cook, stirring constantly in a zigzag pattern (not a circular motion) to prevent cheese from balling up, until cheese is just melted and creamy (don’t let it boil). Stir cornstarch mixture again and stir into fondue. Bring fondue to a simmer and cook, stirring, until thickened, 5 to 8 minutes. 

Transfer to fondue pot set over a flame and serve with bread for dipping.  For a different take, and the gluten-free loves in your life, try serving this one with halved new potatoes, or gently steamed veggies. 

Caramelized onion and wine fondue

A non-cheesy version of a fondue perfect for veggies and meat. This one can be made to suit the herbivores or carnivores in your life. 

1 bottle white wine (something drinkable, but nothing too extravagant)

1 red onion, finely sliced

2 cups vegetable or beef broth

steamed veggies, or very thinly sliced beef

pinch of ground rosemary 

salt and pepper to taste 

In a large pot, cook the sliced onions over medium heat in some olive oil.  Let them sit at  low heat for several minutes, stirring occasionally until caramelized. 10 minutes should do the trick.   Add the rosemary, salt, pepper, wine and stock to pot and bring up to a boil. 

Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer, and allow flavours to combine for 5 minutes before transferring to high heat fondue pot.  If you’re cooking meat, make sure you’ve got your pot at a high temperature—slightly simmering, and serve your meat at room temperature. (Butane or electric sets only….candles wouldn’t make enough cooking heat in this case.)  I’ve allowed for a lot of fondue mixture here, in case you’d like to have one pot for veggies and a separate pot for meat.   

Serve this recipe with a nice assortment of mustards and sauces to add variety to the flavours. 

Chocolate Coconut fondue

The name says it all. 

1 15-ounce can sweetened coconut cream or coconut milk

12 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/4 cup whipping cream

1/4 teaspoon coconut extract

Assorted fresh fruit (such as whole strawberries, banana, peeled cored pineapple, or whatever your little heart fancies) and biscotti. 

Combine sweetened cream of coconut and 12 ounces chocolate in heavy large saucepan. Stir mixture over very low heat until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Stir in whipping cream and extract.

Transfer mixture to fondue pot. Place over candle or canned heat burner. Serve with fruit for dipping.  

Chocolate fondue can be made up to 8 hours in advance.  Just make sure to cover it and keep it at room temperature.  Simply warm it up over gentle heat when you want to serve. 

by Jacqueline Segal 
Have you flipped through a bar-menu lately?  The days of cosmopolitans and flavour-tinis are certainly in the past.  Food trends are all pointing towards a new generation of gastro-bartenders, away from simple mix-drinks to liquid, alcoholic, culinary masterpieces.  Cocktails are now seasonal, fusion influenced, 100 mile-organic-holistic, vegetarian and even carnivorous.  The bars in the top restaurants in Toronto, and all over the world, are featuring muddled fresh fruits, herbal fusions, holistic tea syrups, and even, in the right situations, a few drops of beef jus.   

All new trends aside, such complex cocktails aren’t always the easiest things to prep without a full, 4-star kitchen to back you up.  I’ve simplified some of Toronto’s most talked-about cocktails in to recipes you’ll be able to recreate easily at home.

• One’s Tokyo Rose is a subtle blend of tea, sake, vodka and ginger.  To create your own version, start with a jasmine or green iced-tea base by simply brewing a strong small pot of tea, and leaving it in the fridge to chill.  Then add two shots vodka or two shots sake (or a shot of both) to an ice-filled, tall glass.  Fill up halfway with ginger ale, and top the rest of your glass with chilled tea. 
  

• C5’s Champagne punch has been described as a Shirley temple, all grown up.  For your home version, I’d recommend using fresh berries – raspberries or blackberries would be best.  In a mortar and pestle, or in a bowl with a fork, mash up a handful of berries and use about a tbsp of this mash for each glass you serve.  In a cocktail shaker mix the muddled berries, a shot of either Grand Marnier or Cointreau, ice and three shots of champagne.  Strain the mixture in to a short or martini glass, and enjoy.  Grenadine?  Grenadine who?
  

• Amaya’s emergence on the Toronto scene has left spice-loving foodies salivating.  Their Kheera-Mirchi gimlet balances fiery green chili with cool cucumber.  To create a similar cocktail, infuse some gin (with techniques from a previous article) with a several slices of cucumber for a few hours, or a day or two, in advance.  To prepare the gimlet, run a sliced, hot green pepper along the inside of a martini glass.  Make sure to avoid the actual rim of the glass, as the oils from the pepper are lovely in combination with the juices in the drink, but not necessarily with your lips.  In a martini shaker, combine 2 ounces of cucumber-infused gin with 1/2 an ounce of lime juice and shake with ice.  Pour this cool combo in to the pepper flavoured glass, and voila!
  

• Lucien’s apple crisp martini invokes nostalgia, but with a kick.  This drink has more tart than tenderness, and is more refreshing than mellow.  To create you own apple concoction mix one ounce of vodka with one ounce of sour apple liqueur in a shaker.  Add a hint of amaretto liqueur, a squeeze of lime, some ice, and shake vigorously….this drink is best with a little froth.  Pour it out in to a martini glass, and consume.  Responsibly, of course.  

by Jacquline Segal
Yes, soufflé…and—deep breaths—you totally can.  I wouldn’t dream of suggesting it if this wasn’t the case.   As easy as a pancake batter, but with 100x more wow factor.  THIS will impress your guests, I promise you.   

Stuffy and dated, you say?  True…the soufflé has long been a dish of years past.  A staple of French cooking 101, and the prim and proper dinner parties of yesteryear, the soufflé has already had a substantial amount of fame.  But honestly folks…this stuff is coming back in vogue, BIG TIME.  Give it a few months, and I guarantee you’ll be seeing soufflés a-rising (oof…sorry about that one) on menus from Toronto to Tallahassee.   It’s part of the über-common trend of classics revisited and reinvented.   Flavours however, are where chefs, and you, can get creative.   

I present you with individual goat cheese soufflés, with arugula and green onion.  But where I’ve put arugula and onion, you can go wild.  Thyme, parsley, chives, basil…all are possibilities.   And all, I’m sure, would be delicious.   

Individual Goat Cheese Soufflés

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  
• 1 cup milk
  
• 5 oz. Chevre (goat cheese)
  
• 3 eggs, separated
  
• 2 tablespoons of whatever greenery you chose.  In my case, green onion and arugula.
  
• salt and pepper to season
  
  

Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in flour, cooking on low heat for 30 seconds.  Remove the pan from heat and gradually stir in the milk until smooth.  Return the saucepan to heat, and, stirring constantly, until the milk mixture thickens.  (Should be approx. 1 minute).  Put the saucepan aside, away from heat to cool slightly.  Once the mixture has cooled, beat in your chevre, egg yolks, herbs, salt and pepper.     

In a separate dish, beat your egg whites until they form soft peaks.   Then, gently, fold the egg whites and cheese mixture together making sure to maintain fluffiness.  And yes, I did just say that.  If you find folding egg whites daunting, just think of doing a gentle figure-eight pattern through your mixture until everything’s incorporated.   Spoon the mixture out in to well greased ramekins, or, if you’re like me and don’t have any (a foodie!?  for shame!), use a muffin tin.   Put your mini-soufflés in the middle of a 400 degree oven, for approximately 18 minutes, making sure they’re slightly golden on top, but not too overdone.  Once done, they should cool for about 10 minutes before serving.  And, don’t fret if they fall.  One or two of mine…ahem…may have as well.  I refer you to garnishing techniques you see here to compensate for such minor infractions. 

Enjoy!

by Jacqueline Segal 
The weather has officially driven me to madness.  I’m now purposefully delusional, removing any sense of realistic meteorology from my train of thought.   No snow, no daily deluge of wet, gloppy muck.  Instead I see March, the month when Spring is born, when maple trees are tapped, and when children play amongst the budding gardens and greening trees.   

Delusion, apparently, has found it’s way in to the kitchen.  Spring themed Maple-tinis and a log cabin of sweet-potato fries are tasty enough to convince you and your guests that warmer weather is just around the corner.  Or, perhaps, they’re just so delicious it doesn’t quite matter. 

Sweet Potato Fries (3 ways)

I recently learned that a touch of egg-white turns typically soggy sweet-potato fries crispy and delicious.  For this recipe I’ve used a combination of equal parts light olive oil and egg-white to coat the fries, with three different seasonings, for taste.  If simple’s your style, I’d suggest just using salt and pepper to add to your fry coating.    

• 3 large sweet-potatoes
• 1/3 cup egg whites
• 1/3 cup light olive oil
• seasoning of choice (see below)
  

Preheat your oven to 450, making sure to leave room on your racks for two large baking trays.  As your oven heats, peel and wash your sweet-potatoes, and cut them in to 1cm batons (give or take a millimeter or two).  The more uniform your fries, the less you have to fuss about undercooking or overcooking the runts in the batch.  Set your fries aside as you prepare your seasoning.    In a small bowl, mix your egg-whites, oil and seasoning of of choice.*

*I tried three:

1. a pinch of crushed, dried rosemary and cayenne

2. a tbsp of Caribbean style hot-sauce for subtle heat

3. a dash of honey mixed with crushed garlic for a classic flavour pairing

4. all were delicious 

Toss your egg-white mixture with the fries, making sure they all get lightly coated, and arrange your fries on a baking sheet (a non-stick mat works wonders here).  Make sure none of the fries are on top of, or touching, each other, to ensure maximum crispiness.  Three potatoes should easily fill two trays.  Your fries should cook for approximately 15 minutes, be removed for flipping, and then finish in the oven for another 15 minutes or so, until they get golden.  (If you find this takes longer, feel free to crisp and brown them under the broiler, making sure to watch them very carefully – this will only take a minute or two, at most. ) When golden brown, remove them from the oven and toss them lightly in a paper-towel lined bowl with a pinch of salt.  This will help to absorb the oil and keep your fries crispy.   All that’s left to do now is enjoy.   Building a log-cabin with your fries is not compulsory.    

Mapletini

This one’s simple, for all you maple-fans out there.   

For each cocktail you’ll need

• 2 oz vodka or rum (either would work, in this case)
• 2 oz maple syrup
• 2 oz water
• a spritz of lemon
  

Add each of the ingredients to a martini shaker with a few cubes of ice.  Shake this one well – 30 seconds or more, to prevent the maple syrup from turning to maple candy amongst the ice.  Pour in to a martini glass, and serve with a lemon wedge, perfect for counteracting the sweetness of the maple.   
 

February’s cold.  Chocolate-chip cookies are divine.  Two truths, of that I’m sure.  In honour of the obvious, I present the quintessential obvious treat.  No fancy drinks this week, just some good, ol’ fashioned, heartwarming food. And, there’s nothing more heartwarming than warm-out-of-the-oven-soft-and-chewy chocolate chip cookies.  

I’m a “chewy” enthusiast—I’ve got no time for a hardened, crispy, inflexible chocolate-chip cookie.  This is a recipe I’ve been fiddling with for some time now, on my life-long quest for the perfect “chewy”-chip.  Serve these at the end of the night, with coffee, tea and harmless fun.  Or, eat them right out of the oven, chug a cold glass of milk, and think rebellious thoughts.  You choose. 

Happy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups unbleached flour

2 tsps baking powder

1/2 tsp.salt

cinnamon to taste (optional)

chocolate chips (as many as you like)

1 cup raw sugar (or brown)

1/2 melted margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup water/vanilla soy milk

1 mashed banana 

• Preheat oven to 350.  Add ingredients together, leaving the soy milk/water for last.  Moderate this last ingredient based on how wet the mixture becomes.  Cookie dough should be only slightly wet, but firm, and hold together when rolled in to balls.  (dough may seem dry at first, but once thoroughly mixed will hold together well.)
• Cookies should bake for 5 minutes, then tray should be rotated for another 5 to 6 minutes of baking. 
• Remove cookies from oven when their shape has set, but do not wait until overly browned. 
• They should seem slightly undercooked when removed from oven – allow to sit for 2 minutes on tray before removing to rack.  Cookies will be delicate, but able to be moved with a spatula…if not, put back in oven for one to two minutes.

by Jacquline Segal
Snow-banks and wind-chills are constantly reminding us that, regardless of our “Hollywood North” status, Toronto sure isn’t L.A.  This, however, should not stop us from donning fabulous frocks, gathering with our own versions of ‘Hollywood’s elite,’ and celebrating the Oscars at home.   And why not celebrate with some old Hollywood glamour and our favorite cinema staples:  Champagne and popcorn.   

An unlikely pairing, but, hey, it’s only once a year.   

Spicy Popcorn:

Like Smartfood with a kick, only homemade and chemical free. 

• 8-10 cups of popped popcorn
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (or asiago or grana pedano)
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, or black pepper/cayenne pepper mixture
  

While your popcorn is popping, melt ¼ cup unsalted butter.  In a separate dish, mix together parmesan (or asiago or grana pedano), and pepper.  Once your popcorn has finished popping, toss it lightly in the melted butter, sprinkle on the peppery cheese mixture and mix to coat.   Little to no salt is needed, as the cheese fulfills your salt cravings.  

Sweet Pecan Popcorn:

A healthier alternative to store-bought caramel stuff. 

• 8-10 cups of popped popcorn
• 2 tbsp. of low fat margarine or butter
• ¼ cup powdered sugar or raw sugar
• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ cup ground or crushed pecans
  

In a food processor, or with a mortar and pestle, crush the cinnamon, pecans, sugar to your liking.  The longer you process them, the more evenly the flavours will distribute.  If you grind them too finely however, you’ll lose the crunchy bits.  Add this mixture to the margarine/butter, in your popcorn bowl, blending it thoroughly.   Add the hot popcorn to the bowl, toss to coat, and devour.  

Traditional champagne cocktail

For each cocktail you’ll need:

• 1 white sugar cube
• 1-2 drops Angostura bitters
• dash of cognac (or if you have a sweeter tooth, cassis syrup)
• champagne

The ingredients are listed in the order they should be added to the champagne flute.  A Hollywood classic, with little hassle. 

A good rule of thumb for choosing a champagne for cocktails is to pick one that you’d readily drink on its own, without breaking the bank.  An Australian white sparkling, or a Spanish Cava are less expensive options.  If you enjoy a sweeter cocktail go with an Italian Asti, and for a drier cocktail, I’d stick with the French.   

So there you go.  An easy Oscar party, without much expense.  (Besides, designer gown critique seems so much more elegant when you’re holding a champagne flute.)

I hope you like it….really, really like it.   

by Jacqueline Segal
I’m currently in the land of sun and sand, and lucky to have picked such a crummy week—weather-wise—to have missed in Toronto. You know it’s pretty bad when a good friend sends an email with the subject line “Jerks,” with that day’s weather report as the embedded message. When we spoke earlier today, that same friend suggested that she just wanted something to heat her up. Or, something to remind her of hotter days—she couldn’t decide which.

So, in honour of my weather-jealous friend, and in honour of the beautiful country I get to visit and unwind in, and with the hopes of warmer weather to come, I present two cocktails. The first: A Bajan rum punch (arguably, the best in the islands). And the second: a hot rum toddy—similar to the first, but better suited for the Canadian, Kodiak-booted state of mind. Both are delicious, and both are guaranteed to make your insides warm, regardless of wind-chill.

Bajan Rum Punch
Don’t let the taste fool you, there’s plenty of trouble in this cocktail. Watch yourself – you’ll hardly know what hit you.

There’s a simple rhyme for the traditional Bajan rum punch:

“One of sour, Two of sweet, Three of strong, And, four of weak."

• 1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

• 2 cups Bajan raw cane sugar syrup (brown sugar syrup or raw sugar syrup would work too)

• 3 cups Bajan rum (Bajan brands available in Canada would include Cockspur and Mount Gay)

• 4 cups water

• A few dashes Angostura Bitters

• Grated nutmeg

To make a simple sugar syrup, a good thing to keep handy for sweet cocktails, mix one part sugar, with one part water in a sauce pan. Over medium to low heat, combine the two until the sugar dissolves completely and the mixture reduces by half. The clear, sweet liquid that remains is simple sugar syrup – a veritable mix-drink staple.

In a pitcher, combine the lime juice, syrup, rum, water, and bitters and stir well. Pour into glasses filled with ice, and sprinkle the nutmeg over the top. Add a cocktail cherry to each glass, if your heart desires. This recipe provides 8 to 10 healthy (high-ball) servings.

This is a simplified version of what many bars on the island take serious pride in—everyone’s got their own recipe: some add cinnamon, others add lime zest, and some serve the cocktail chilled, straight up. You can even add a cocktail cherry, if your heart so desires.

Hot Rum Toddy

Not unlike the punch, this heart-warmer combines heat with sweet. Incredibly straightforward, this recipe is for one mug, as opposed the previous, more suited for a pitcher.

• 2 oz rum

• 1 tsp sugar*.

• boiling water

• slice of lime or lemon

• grated nutmeg

*handy, not-so-known, yet obvious-in-retrospect fact: one tsp sugar = one sugar-cube = on sugar packet. Good to know, when you’re mixing on the fly.

Place a sugar cube or equivalent into a medium-sized coffee cup or mug. Fill 2/3 full with boiling water. Add rum and stir. Garnish with a slice of lemon or lime, dust with nutmeg, and serve. Just like the punch, only much warmer.

Now go forth, chilly ones. Think toasty thoughts, channel balmy beaches and warm your insides. And, don’t be weather-jealous—when I return in a few days my sunburned nose will look ridiculous, and I’ll look like a fool as I try to negotiate the snow-banks amassed in my absence.

Hot cocoa for snowy, snowy days.
by Jaqueline Segal

As the snow piles up on the window sill, thoughts of heartwarming, snuggly foods tend to overshadow any penchant for haute cuisine. There hasn’t been a day this week, as I slide my way home through the slush, that I haven’t craved a hot cocoa to chase away my winter blahs, blues, and “wish-it-were-springs.” From the cup of Timmy’s hot chocolate we loved as kiddies with skating-induced frozen toes, to the richly flavoured sipping-cocoas from Toronto’s finest chocolatiers, there doesn’t seem to be any problem that a warm mug of chocolate can’t fix.

And good news for choco-fans: Researchers from Cornell University have done thorough studies showing that a mug of hot cocoa contains more antioxidants than a glass of wine, or a standard cup of black or green tea.* Practically making it a health food, no?

And so, without further ado, three easy preparations of hot cocoa:

I made all of these recipes from the same standard-sized bar of dark chocolate. A third of a bar is used in each recipe.

Peppermint Hot Cocoa:

• 2 small York peppermint patties

• 1 tbsp of brown sugar

• 1 ½ cups of milk (the higher the fat content, the richer your cocoa. Avoid using anything else than 2%. Trust me.)

• 1/3 of a dark chocolate bar

• for an optional extra kick: a chocolate, peppermint or mint chocolate liqueur.

In a small pot, on a low to medium hot stove, melt the chocolate and peppermint patties in milk, being careful to keep the stove at a consistently low heat to avoid scalding (yourself and the milk). Once your chocolate has melted, add the sugar, which should quickly dissolve in the warm mixture. Wisk the hot cocoa mixture thoroughly (I’d recommend a small electric milk frother for this), for at least 30 seconds. The cocoa will be quite hot at this point, so set it aside for a few moments before you pour yourself a mug (or bowl) of deliciousness.

Hot Mocha Cocoa (Eeesh…say that one three times fast!!):

• One shot espresso

• 1/3 bar of dark chocolate

• 1 ½ cups of milk

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 1 tbsp brown sugar

• for an optional extra kick: a shot of coffee liqueur

In a small pot on a low to medium hot stove, melt the chocolate in to the shot of espresso. Once melted, incorporate your milk (again, making sure not to make it too hot), sugar, and a cinnamon stick. At the lowest temperature possible, allow your cocoa mixture to mingle with the cinnamon for approximately 5 – 10 minutes (depending on how many sidewalks you’ve just come in from shoveling.). Wisk the mixture and let it stand before serving.

Spicy hot cocoa (perfect for that special foodie in your life):

• 1/3 bar of dark chocolate

• 1 ½ cups of milk

• 1 cinnamon stick

• teeny pinch of ground hot chili pepper and/or

• teeny pinch of cayenne

• 1 tbsp brown sugar

• optional extra kick: a shot of dark rum

Just as before, melt the chocolate in milk. Once melted, add your cinnamon stick, spice and sugar, to dissolve. Let this one simmer on very low for a while, (10 minutes or more) to allow the full flavour of the cinnamon and chili to develop. Wisk, let stand to cool slightly, and serve. The flavours in this one are reminiscent of traditional South and Central American flavour combinations, where chili and chocolate are more commonly used hand-in-hand. You’ve probably seen similar hot chocolates advertised or promoted as Mayan or Mexican in specialty shops or restaurants.

Hot chocolate, three ways. Try all three, or leave out the extras, add a drip of vanilla extract, and go for the traditional favorite. And surely, after such a healthy treat,* you can feel virtuous enough to truly indulge. That, I leave up to you.

*Totally not lying about the antioxidant fact. I swear. Google it.