When animals get peckish

October 21, 2009

It's not just the hungry, hungry hippos you have to watch out for: I want to know which magazine that mouse grabbed--probably not Cat Fancy.

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Sharena Sol, a Bulgarian spice mix

October 21, 2009

I came across a reference to a Bulgarian spice mix, sharena sol (translation: colourful salt) last summer, and that got me tinkering. The combination described on Wikipedia--ground savory, paprika, and salt--seemed both simple and unusual. With nothing more to go on, I mixed up...

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Goodbye, Gourmet

October 20, 2009

Gourmet's final issue--the November Thanksgiving-themed one--just arrived. As a magazine editor, I always look forward to this one because it addresses a challenge most magazines face: How can a recurring theme be made fresh? Gourmet has no choice but to focus on Thanksgiving in...

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Where did you cook your Thanksgiving turkey?

October 20, 2009

Tony Armstrong, who manages the Cottage Life Show's Cottage Kitchen (and often presents there too), dropped by yesterday. He mentioned that, just before the Thanksgiving weekend, he saw vegetable oil on sale in a few different cottage-country grocery stores. His guess is the sale...

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An acquired taste

October 19, 2009

Something you probably shouldn't eat (not without practising first): I saw this on Ryan Sager's blog Neuroworld, which is always worth the visit.

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Loon pie update

October 18, 2009

We know a good idea when we see one. After I posted the reader letter about using our loon template to make a cookie cutter, another reader commented: Now if only Cot­tage Life could get that loon cookie cut­ter pat­tern avail­able in their store — hint hint! Your...

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World Food Day

October 16, 2009

Today is World Food Day, which focusses on issues of food security and hunger. Following so closely on Thanksgiving seems appropriate; we are lucky we have so much food that we can write blogs about what we like to eat or not, and make fine distinctions between cottage food and...

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The power of mushrooms

October 13, 2009

The October issue of Cottage Life features a profile of Bob Bowles, passionate and knowledgeable edible-mushroom collector. Here's someone equally passionate about mushrooms, mycologist Paul Stamets, on how important fungi are to forests and what they can do for us. It's truly...

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Where should fish and turkey roam?

October 11, 2009

The Toronto Star has two articles on farming controversies: Catherine Porter outlines the fight between cottagers and fish-farming operations in the Great Lakes, and Margaret Webb reports on a decision which will make organic turkey production difficult, if not impossible. The...

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More Brussels sprouts recipes for Thanksgiving

October 10, 2009

Jane Rodmell's ridiculously easy recipe for Brussels Sprouts with Cream and Bacon is featured in our Oct. '09 issue. Dana McCauley has a recipe for Maple Mustard Glazed Brussels Sprouts that also looks appealing: sprouts stir-fried with leeks and thyme, then glazed with maple...

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