kitchen rap

• Neilsen-Massey vanillas
• Mother's Day baking
• gifts for Mom
• Paderno factory sale, April 26 - 29
• Kathleen Sloan's May Day for Mum!
• from Kathleen's recipe box… olivada with toasted bread
• from Kathleen's recipe box… warm salmon salad with tomato vinaigrette
• from Kathleen's recipe box… Alysa's patate alla rustiche
• from the Robin Hood recipe box… cocoa oatmeal muffins
• from Golda's recipe box… baked French toast with vanilla maple syrup
• publishing and subscription information

Nielsen-Massey Vanillas has been producing premium pure vanilla products since 1907. Vanilla is their business, pure and simple.

They begin creating their pure vanilla products by carefully selecting prime gourmet vanilla beans. Only vanilla beans from the finest curers in the world are considered. Once the vanilla beans have been hand-selected, the premium flavour is extracted. Nielsen-Massey does not use the common heat extraction process, which the company believes damages flavour components of the beans. Instead, Nielsen-Massey uses an exclusive cold extraction process which protects the more than 250 flavour components that contribute to vanilla's delicate flavour bouquet. The vanilla beans are carefully placed into a specially fabricated stainless steel extractor which slowly and gently extracts their true flavour essence. With precise temperature control, solutions of water and alcohol are recirculated over and through the beans. Finished vanilla extract is then filtered into a holding tank for bottling.

Making a batch of vanilla the Nielsen-Massey way can take from three to five weeks, depending on the desired strength of the vanilla. Nielsen-Massey's dedication and commitment to this unique extraction process results in consistent flavour quality and purity of its vanilla products. Nielsen-Massey Vanillas also takes pride in the fact that all of its products are kosher certified.

Nielsen-Massey produces several varieties of pure vanilla based on the specific types of vanilla beans:

• Madagascar Bourbon pure vanilla extract is made from beans grown on the island of Madagascar, and is considered to be the king of vanillas. Its creamy, sweet flavour blends beautifully with a variety of foods.
• Mexico, the original source of all vanillas, continues to produce creamy, spicy beans which become a flavourful and distinctive vanilla. Mexican pure vanilla extract complements the flavour of cinnamon and can help reduce the acidity of tomato-based sauces like chili.
• Madagascar Bourbon whole vanilla beans are excellent for dishes where the characteristic flecks of the natural bean will enhance the presentation of a dish, as in vanilla ice cream or a dessert sauce.
• An innovative vanilla product introduced by Nielsen-Massey is its Madagascar Bourbon pure vanilla powder. The vanilla powder contains no sugar or alcohol, and differs in functionality from pure vanilla extracts. It blends easily and dissolves quickly in hot or cold liquids and is ideal for adding to cinnamon, cocoa or coffee, fruit and cereal, and pancake, muffin, and bread mixes. It may also be used in colour sensitive products, such as icings and meringues.
• Another innovative product is Madagascar Bourbon pure vanilla paste, made from the essence of vanilla beans combined with vanilla bean seeds and infused into an all-natural base, creating a pure vanilla bean paste with an intense, delicious flavour that retains the full bouquet of pure vanilla. A convenient replacement for vanilla beans in any recipe. Because it contains vanilla bean seeds, the paste adds an all-natural, gourmet appearance to foods, such as ice cream, gelato, creme brulee, whipped cream, cakes, and icings.

View our complete list of 130 Mother's Day baking tools and ingredients.

View our complete list of 90 Mother's Day gift suggestions.

There are those who maintain that Mother's Day is just a commercial enterprise, greedily instigated by card and gift companies for all the wrong reasons. Mother's Day is every day, we're told, just like Valentine's Day and Father's Day and in a way that's true. But I think there's something lovely about designating a spring Sunday in May as the primary day in the year that we really pay homage to mothers.

Like most mothers, my dear Mum never wanted a fuss on that day; something I never understood until I became a mother myself. What she enjoyed the most was to get together for something truly simple. In homage to her English roots, I would make an array of appealing little sandwiches, maybe smoked ham with a little English mustard on white, crustless bread, egg and watercress or small chunks of chicken combined with finely chopped celery and mayonnaise. A big pot of freshly brewed tea served in fine china was an indispensable part of the equation and for dessert, custard tarts or a traditional Victorian sponge cake. To my mind this is the quintessentially British sweet consisting of a simple white cake (made without any butter or other shortening), baked in small round cake tins, then sandwiched together with raspberry jam and luscious whipped cream. It was dusted with icing sugar and enjoyed while still barely warm -- truly memorable.

Since my mother's passing and the birth of my first grandson four years ago, my two daughters have started their own Mother's Day traditions that revolves around one started years ago when they were little girls growing up in Toronto. They loved it when we enjoyed Sunday brunch in our favourite Chinese restaurant where we devoured dozens of dim sum, those perfect little treasured dumplings, shrimp balls, meat-filled pastries, steamed buns and other specialties of the Cantonese kitchen. Dim sum translates as "heart's delight," a fitting description for these lovely little treats that give us as much pleasure visually as they do orally.

On Mother's Day, one of the nicest things you can do to celebrate the love and gratitude you feel for Mum all year long is, fittingly enough, through food. By keeping it relatively simple, and drawing on the inspiration of those foods we associate with spring, you can make May 13th memorable, fun and delicious.

I crave salmon in all its forms at this time of the year -- smoked, pan-seared, in sushi or in the style of Swedish gravlax. Lamb is high on my list, too. One of the best and easiest ways to prepare a leg of lamb is to have your butcher bone and butterfly it for you, then marinate it for a few hours or overnight in a preparation of Dijon mustard, finely chopped onion, olive oil, fresh rosemary, garlic, a little honey, lemon juice, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. (This is a fabulous marinade that also works well with any other cut of lamb.)

When you're ready, pull the lamb from the marinade and grill over medium high heat or place on a rack in the oven for about 50 minutes for medium, longer if you prefer your lamb well done, basting it with the reserved marinade. Serve with steamed or sauteed red potatoes, fresh asparagus or some of those lovely sugar snap peas tossed with butter and a squirt of fresh lemon.

What about dessert? Well, even if you're not the world's greatest baker or dessert maker, try this simple method to produce a wonderful spring variation on the traditional pineapple upside down cake: pick up a pouch of store-bought white cake mix (enough to make one cake layer) and prepare the cake according to package directions. Set it to one side as you prepare the topping. Combine three cups sliced rhubarb with a cup of brown sugar, some freshly chopped ginger root, a bit of ground cinnamon and nutmeg, a quarter pound of butter and the finely grated peel of half a lemon. Cook everything together in a large skillet for about 10 or 15 minutes. Spread this mixture evenly over the bottom of a round cake pan and top with the prepared cake batter. Bake according to package instructions or until a tester emerges clean. Delish served just warm with whipped cream. Here are a few more culinary ideas to help you pamper your mother on her day. Have a wonderful spring!

Until next month, cook and eat with love --

Kathleen Sloan

Kathleen Sloan is a Toronto-born food writer whose work has appeared in major Canadian newspapers and magazines. Author of four cookbooks -- Rustic Italian Cooking, The Global Grill, The Sticks & Stones Cookbook (with Ted Reader) and The Wine Lover Cooks (with Tony Aspler) -- she lives with her beau and their black lab and assorted children who come and go, in Niagara wine country.

olivada with toasted bread

This versatile mixture is wonderful tossed with fresh, hot pasta or as a topping for grilled fish or chicken or as an omelette filling. Allow to come to room temperature when serving as a spread.

Wine of choice -- Grenache or other fruity, herby red from Provence

1. In a food processor, combine olives, parsley, bread crumbs, butter, lemon zest, lemon juice and olive oil. Blend until a smooth paste forms. (Alternatively, with a sharp chef's knife, finely chop olives, parsley, bread crumbs and lemon zest; transfer to a bowl and blend in butter, lemon juice and olive oil.) Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Brush bread slices with a little olive oil. Grill or toast until golden. Spread each slice with about 2 tbsp (25 mL) of olivada. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 - 6

warm salmon salad with tomato vinaigrette

A pound of fresh salmon can go further than you think, as evidenced by this delightful warm salad that is perfect as a first course for a spring Mother's Day lunch. This is the perfect recipe to showcase good quality hot house tomatoes.

Wine of choice -- Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris

1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the diced tomatoes to combine well. Set to one side.
2. Blanch the green beans in boiling, lightly salted water for 5 - 6 minutes until tender but still a little crisp. Remove from water with a slotted spoon and plunge into cold water for a minute or two. Drain and reserve.
3. Cut salmon into bite-sized pieces. In a skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Fry salmon pieces for 2-3 minutes, turning once or twice, until fish is lightly browned but still retains a moist, slightly underdone centre (longer if you prefer).
4. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the salmon from the pan to the bowl containing the vinaigrette and gently toss to coat fish with the dressing. Add beans and gently toss once more.
5. Arrange salad greens on four serving plates. Distribute salmon and beans evenly among the plates and serve immediately.

Serves 4

Alysa's patate alla rustiche

My eldest daughter Alysa makes this wonderful potato salad always preferring to bake the potatoes whole before combining them, while warm, with the other ingredients. You will have good results whether you boil or roast the potatoes. If the amount of garlic is too intense for your taste, reduce by half.

1. In a large sauce pan, combine potatoes with lightly salted cold water to cover. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cook until tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Drain.
2. When cool enough to handle, cut potatoes into bite-sized chunks. In a large bowl, combine potatoes, oil, mint, parsley, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Let stand 30 minutes to let flavours develop. Serve barely warm or at room temperature.

Serves 4 - 6

cocoa oatmeal muffins

This cocoa oatmeal muffin recipe is one of the favourites from Robin Hood. It gives the oatmeal muffin a whole new name. Together with the creamy honey spread, it's a wonderful start to Mother's Day.

1. Stir together flour, sugar, oats, cocoa, baking powder and salt in large bowl.
2. Beat eggs, milk, melted butter and vanilla in small bowl.
3. Add milk mixture and nuts all at once to dry ingredients, stirring until just moistened.
4. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups (use either non-adherent muffin moulds or a greased muffin pan). Bake at 400°F (200C) for 15 to 20 minutes, or until done. Serve warm with honey spread.

Makes 12 muffins

1. Beat together butter and honey until smooth.

Makes about 3/4 cup (175 mL)

Recipe © 2000-2001, Robin Hood Multifoods Inc. Reprinted with permission. For more recipes, visit the Robin Hood website.

baked French toast with vanilla maple syrup

A delightful breakfast or brunch dish for Mother's Day, and easy enough for kids to prepare. Because the French toast is baked, not fried, there's no need to stand at the stove. Substitute Mexican pure vanilla extract for the Madagascar Bourbon, if you prefer.

1. Combine eggs, milk, salt, cinnamon and vanilla. Place bread slices in a baking dish and cover with egg mixture. Refrigerate 2 - 4 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Transfer bread to a baking sheet covered with a non-adherent baking mat (or sprayed with non-stick spray). Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Serve with vanilla maple syrup and butter, and top with a sprinkle of vanilla powder.

Serves 4

1. Add vanilla to maple syrup. Stir to blend. Serve warm.