a peek inside the fishbowl

Dear Fishies,

As 2016 slowly comes to a close I just wanted to chime in and wish you the all the best during the holiday season. I hope you are all enjoying a lovely and restful break, wherever you are!

xo,

andrea

I have a very long story to share in the New Year about a special challenge my family has undertaken this past year. For now, I will say this: Mark and I aren’t exchanging Christmas gifts this year and we have laid out some criteria as it pertains to our stockings. The criteria is this: FOOD GIFTS ONLY. Why?

• Food can be enjoyed and appreciated just as much as any Christmas gift that is wrapped up and left under the tree.
• It’s the perfect gift for people who have everything.
• Certain consumables might cost a few dollars extra, but on the flip side, they are are often things the person will never buy themselves… thus making an extra special gift. (e.g. balsamic vinegar that costs $30/bottle.)
• Unlike knickknacks, there is no dusting or storage required if you buy food. Plus, one size fits all! Food items will also never end up in a landfill. Plus…
• Food items tend not to be too badly overpackaged, so one might say they can be a more environmentally-friendly gift to give.

Sidebar: I’ve been buying bags of walnuts and mixed nuts in the shell at our local Farm Boy and just dumping them in the bowl for interactive holiday snacking. It is amazingly satisfying to crack a nut open and eat it. (Flying shells be dammed! No one has lost an eye yet.)

So what food gifts are on my radar at the moment? Good question:

• I actually prefer salty snacks to sweet ones, but these Himalayan pink salt caramels and Sweet Georgia Browns from Purdy’s are to die for. They are tied for first place in the Andrea’s Favourite Chocolate category.
• And speaking of chocolate, I have a serious weakness for mint thins. The Divine dark chocolate mint thins at ten Thousand Villages are very good, and a hot item around the holidays. (I might have the last box of Divine mint thins in the entire world. Saw-reee! You can refresh this page like a lunatic to see if they come back in stock. ETA: The website indicates that this set is still available at the Westboro store!)
• Speaking of Ten Thousand Villages, I have written about this here before but this would be a great gift for someone as well. Za’atar makes our homemade pita chips really sing.
• In case you’re wondering if it would be weird to slip of bottle of really nice balsamic vinegar into someone’s stocking the answer is NO. The good stuff is really expensive and I rarely buy it for myself even though I love it. You can pick some up at the Ottawa Bagelshop or at a shop like Nicastro’s.
• Have you seen the gorgeous cookies at Thyme & Again? Enough said:

• … Thyme & Again also sells home-made marshmallows, although you may regret eating one because you will never ever be able to go back to eating those packaged poofy things they call marshamallows at the grocery store that are really just sad shadows of marshmallows.
• Herbs and spices are also a great gift for someone who likes to cook and eat good food. Kitchenalia in Westboro is under new ownership and they carry a range of spices and fancy salt. Cardamom and Cloves closed the storefront on Preston Street but maintain a mail-order service. Check out the spice blends too!
• Mail order wine, beer, and cheese. YES. It’s a thing. (!)

I wasn’t going to mention cookbooks – there are too many beautiful cookbooks out there! – but I did get a heads up about a new publication by Peter and Chris Neal, Canadian foodies and co-owners of Neal Brothers Foods. Their book, called Goodness, features recipes and stories from 37 Canadian ‘food fighters’ and 50% of the proceeds help Community Food Centres Canada to ensure that all Canadians have access to good food. You can learn more about that right here. (There’s a droolworthy recipe for Ginger Stout Cake with orange meringue & coffee caramel that I may just try in the new year.) Given the ‘giving back’ aspect I thought it would be a nice option to include here. :)

Tell, me, do you have a foodie in your life? If you have any gift ideas to share I’m all ears. :)

ps. This just in! A Fishbowl reader who is CLEARLY OF THE SAME MIND AS I AM is looking for a unique food-related gift to have delivered to her inlaws in Ottawa. Your ideas are needed! (I’m wondering if cookie basket deliveries are a thing?)

I am not much of a baker but I was overwhelmed with a sudden craving for cinnamon buns so I hunted around for a recipe before I found this one for caramel sticky buns. It’s a keeper.

Like many homemade things, it was a bit of work but totally worth it. Here’s something worth noting: it makes too much for a family of four. I mention in case you are also a family of four. If this is the case, there are several avenues open to you: give one of the two batches away to a neighbour, bring one to work, or enjoy it for breakfast the next day. ;)

Also worth mentioning: I reduced the amount of pecans (we have a nut hater in our midst) and baked half the batch in a bundt pan and the other half in a round cake pan, as directed. If/when I make this again I will definitely use bundt pans! The buns baked up a little better and looked better when turned over.

Here’s what my bundt pan batch looked like right after I pulled it out of the oven and before I flipped it over on to a plate:

Not pictured: the moment the plate slipped a bit and I got caramel sauce on my oven mitts. Oh well. That bit of wasted caramel wasn’t missed because there was still PLENTY to go around.

These sweet buns were lovely with a cup of coffee or a tall glass of cold milk. Truly, the perfect indulgence on a snowy day in Ottawa.

Let me know if you try this recipe!

p.s. Another great recipe for a cold winter weekend is this one for Beaver Tails!