kitchen rap

• Golda's Kitchen Honoured as Retailer of the Year
• in the spotlight… A Parade of Easter Goodies
• new to the kitchen
• Kathleen Sloan-McIntosh's Celebrating in Celtic Style
• from Kathleen's recipe box... Ballycotton Fish Pie with Champ
• from Kathleen's recipe box... Oaten Thyme Farls
• from Kathleen's recipe box... Bushmill Inn's Classic Irish Coffee
• from the Robin Hood recipe box... White Cupcakes with Basic Vanilla Butter Icing
• publishing and subscription information

Stores have been visited, secretly shopped and thoroughly judged, now the results are in for one of the most established retail awards in Canada, the Canadian Gift and Tableware Association (CGTA) Retailer of the Year Awards. In January, Golda’s Kitchen was bestowed with the honour of Best Housewares / Gourmet Foods / Bed, Bath & Linen Retailer of the Year 2003. With over 100 nationwide submissions, a panel of judges based their decisions on merchandising and store design, business achievements, advertising and promotion, community involvement, innovation and originality and secret shopper in store visits. Joining Golda's Kitchen were winners in three different categories: Decorative Accessories/Home Décor, Specialty/Niche and General Giftware, as well as the Best Overall Retailer of the Year.

The Canadian Gift and Tableware Association (CGTA) is a national not-for-profit association for giftware wholesalers, distributors, manufacturers, importers and exporters. Since 1976, the CGTA has recognized outstanding achievement in Canadian retailing through the Retailer of the Year awards. The awards are based on visual merchandising and store design, business achievement, advertising and promotion, and community involvement.

Over the past four years, Golda’s Kitchen has reached the level of success some retailers wait 10 years to achieve. This success can largely be attributed to Golda’s Kitchen website, launched in 1999. Golda’s Kitchen is now Canada’s leading online shopping destination for baking, cooking and measuring equipment. In September 2001, Golda’s owners, Howard Goldstein and Fred Pritchard, opened the doors to their retail store following their immensely successful website. Located in Mississauga, the new store was in an ideal area and surrounded by new housing projects. Then over a year ago nine big box retailers and outlet stores opened within two blocks of Golda’s Kitchen. Despite this very unique circumstance Golda’s Kitchen has nearly doubled its business every year since 1999. In response to this success, Golda’s has previously received honourable mention by the CGTA for Retailer of Year and Goldstein and Pritchard were recognized for their success in the Gourmet News Top 20 Under 40.

The retail store carries 60% of the products offered online. Rather than merchandising over 6,000 products according to colours and trends, Howard and Fred have categorized the products into different types of kitchenware making it easy for customers to locate items. Golda’s is not just a destination to locate kitchenware, but customers can also learn how to use it. The bi-weekly baking and cooking classes are always booked so customers are encouraged to register ahead. As well as teaching cooking classes, Golda’s Kitchen actively participates in Mississauga charities and community programs. Last year Golda’s chose Interim Place as their major charitable recipient. In May 2003 Golda’s hosted a Spring Trade-In event where gently used goods were accepted and customers received a discount on any new products. The gently used kitchenware was then donated to Interim Place, the only shelter in Peel Region for abused women and children. Goldstein and Pritchard have committed their time and efforts towards improving Golda’s Kitchen and the surrounding community. This commitment has not only earned them success but recognition as well.

Golda's Kitchen has everything you need to make mouth-watering treats for your little bunnies and chicks in celebration of Easter. Bunny and egg pans turn an everday cake into a delicious holiday centrepiece or tasty cupcake treats. And a wide range of Easter cookie cutters, icings, and decorations provide all the kids need for an afternoon of fun.

View our complete list of Easter baking supplies.

Easter cake pans bunny $14.00 each info egg $14.00 each info stand-up egg $15.50/set info stand-up lamb $15.50/set info stand-up duck $21.00/set info	cookie cutters and stencils Easter cookie cutters, set of 9 $9.50/set info mini Easter cookie cutters, set of 6 $5.50/set info bunny cookie cutter & stencil $3.50/set info Easter egg cookie cutter & stencil $3.50/set info Easter cookie stencils, set of 5 $4.75/set info
mini cake and cookie pans   mini bunny pan, 6 cavities $15.00 each info mini egg pan, 8 cavities $15.00 each info mini egg pan, 9 cavities (non-stick) $28.00 each info bunny cookie treat pan, 6 cavities $12.00 each info	cake and cookie sprinkles Easter sprinkles, 2.5 oz $3.50 each info Easter egg sprinkles, 2.5 oz $3.50 each info Easter sparks, 2.5 oz $3.50 each info sprinkle assortment, 4 varieties $9.00 each info sprinkle assortment, 6 varieties $10.00 each info coloured sugar assortment, pastel, 6 varieties $9.00 each info
baking cups Easter eggs, pack of 50 $2.75/pack info Easter patchwork, pack of 50 $2.75/pack info just hatched, pack of 50 $2.75/pack info just hatched, mini, pack of 75 $2.75/pack info playful bunny, pack of 50 $2.75/pack info	chocolate and lollipop moulds bunnies, 13 cavities $4.00 each info bunny & carrot, 8 cavities $4.00 each info ducks, 6 cavities $4.00 each info Easter lollipop, 9 cavities $4.00 each info Easter treats lollipop, 9 cavities $4.00 each info
treat and party bags Easter eggs $3.00/pack info Easter patchwork $3.00/pack info playful bunny $3.00/pack info	chocolate candy kits bunny $12.50/kit info egg $8.00/kit info Easter lollipops $12.50/kit info

Bodum coffee presses and teapots

The original French press coffee maker, Bodum's coffee presses are ideal for those who want to share a delicious cup of coffee with friends and for those who already know that when you have tasted good coffee brewed in a French press there is no going back. A French press coffee maker brews gourmet coffee quickly and easily: just place 1 tablespoon of coarsely ground coffee beans per cup in the carafe, add boiling water, and stir with a non-metallic spoon. Let steep for four minutes, then press the plunger down slowly to filter the coffee. Pour and enjoy! The coffee makers are made from heat resistant borosilicate (laboratory) glass with either a chrome-plated frame or polypropylene handle, and are available in 3 sizes: 3, 8, or 12 servings.

Also available is the Assam teapot with infuser, a practical and easy to use tea maker which infuses the delicious aromas of your preferred tea. Made from heat resistant borosilicate (laboratory) glass, you can tell at a glance when the tea is at the desired strength. The teapot has a unique tea press strainer and an ABS plastic handle, and is available in 3 capacities: 0.5 litre, 1 litre, and 1.5 litres.

C.R. Gibson recipe organizers

For organizing your collection of recipe cards, C.R. Gibson offers several attractive alternatives. Cardboard recipe file boxes accommodate 4"×6" recipe cards and have 12 category dividers. For those who prefer a book to a recipe box, the recipe card organizer binder is the perfect solution. The refillable three-ring binder has pocket pages which each hold 2 standard size recipe cards. You can intersperse photographs with your recipe cards to create a unique keepsake. The lovely self-standing recipe collector has a frame front which holds your favourite 4"×6" photo. The splatter-proof sleeves store recipes or photos for ready access. The recipe collector is great for bridal showers, house warming parties, or sharing favourite recipes with family and friends. Each of the recipe organizers is available in six designs and includes coordinating recipe cards.

This month, as we prepare to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, I would like to share an excerpt from my new book, New Celtic Cooking. Written in partnership with my husband, Ted McIntosh -- who deftly matched all the recipes with an inspired selection of beverages -- the book grew out of a mutual love of all things Celtic. My background is Irish, while Ted's is Scottish and, while we travelled to both those countries to explore the food and drink culture of each, we also explored France's Brittany, Spain's Galicia -- both wonderful Celtic discoveries for us -- Cape Breton, Wales, and the tiny Isle of Man. The recipes I have chosen -- a sumptuous seafood pie that would be perfect for dinner round the fire, fragrant savoury oat scones and the world's greatest Irish coffee -- will please those who wish to enjoy the Celtic spirit. We do hope you enjoy them.

Until next month, cook and eat with love,

Kathleen Sloan-McIntosh

Kathleen Sloan-McIntosh is a Toronto-born food writer whose work has appeared in major Canadian newspapers and magazines. Author of seven cookbooks -- Rustic Italian Cooking, The Global Grill, The Sticks & Stones Cookbook (with Ted Reader), The Wine Lover Cooks (with Tony Aspler), Great Potatoes: A Cook's Guide to Over 150 Delicious Recipes, A Year in Niagara: The People and Food of Wine Country, and New Celtic Cooking (with Ted McIntosh) -- she lives with her beau and their black lab and assorted children who come and go, in Niagara wine country.

Ballycotton Fish Pie with Champ

When we visited the famed Irish country house hotel of Ireland's food maven, Myrtle Allen, in Co. Cork, she kindly told us to make sure to visit the tiny village of Ballycotton, just down the road from her hotel. This lovely fishing village on the southern coast of Ireland was originally your typical, rather sleepy little spot, complete with whitewashed houses, a few shops, a pub and post office. Then, during the summer of 1995, Ballycotton was chosen as the location for a film starring Marlon Brando and Johnny Depp. The villager's excitement knew no bounds until the dream ended when funding for the film ran out. But that fifteen minutes of fame (coupled with the town's proximity to Ballymaloe and the internationally renowned Ballymaloe Cookery School) helped to put this fishing community on the map. Today -- while it could hardly be called bustling -- it is home to several good restaurants and a nice hotel overlooking the bay.

Each day, as weather permits, the fishers land their catch in the tiny harbour and the variety and range of fish they catch is truly amazing. Myrtle told us it includes flat and round fish, squid, monkfish, shrimp, crab, lobsters, crayfish and tiny periwinkles. "We don't complete writing the dinner menu for Ballymaloe's dining room until the kitchen learns what the fishers have brought home that day," says Myrtle. The following recipe is from Darina Allen, Myrtle's daughter-in-law and the owner of the famous Ballymaloe Cookery School who says, "many different types of fish may be used for a fish pie, so feel free to adapt this recipe a little to suit your needs. Periwinkles would be a good and cheap addition and a little smoked haddock is tasty also."

Ted's choice: an Orvieto from Umbria

1. In Ireland, potatoes are always cooked within their skins and peeled after cooking. Cut the potatoes into even chunks and cover with cold water, add the 1 teaspoon (5 mL) of salt and bring to a boil. Cook the potatoes for about 20 minutes or until tender.
2. While the potatoes cook, warm the milk in a saucepan over gentle heat, add the onions, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
3. Drain the potatoes, return them to a low heat and shake the pan over the element for a minute or so to make sure they are quite dry. Then, cover with a clean tea towel and let stand for 10 minutes until cool enough to handle. Peel and mash them, then add the onions and milk mixture, and finally beat in the butter with a wooden spoon. Season to taste. (At this point the dish can be prepared in advance, loosely covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated until ready to put in the oven.)
4. Preheat oven to 350°F/180C. Spoon the champ over the fish and bake for about 30 minutes (increase cooking time a little if reheating from cold) until it is bubbling round the edges and the potato is beginning to colour in places. If you wish, turn on the oven broiler to brown the top.

Serves 6 - 8

Oaten Thyme Farls

Walking up Shipquay, a slightly uphill thoroughfare in Northern Ireland's Derry, I found a lovely little bakery called The Baker's Oven. The window was filled with all manner of traditional Northern Irish baked goods and inside were shelves of farls -- soda farls, oat and wheaten (whole wheat) farls, treacle farls and potato farls. Farls stems from the ancient word fardel, which means fourth part or quarter. Soda and buttermilk provide the leavening in these lovely little brown farls that are best enjoyed on the day they are made. Very good with old Cheddar or a classic Irish stew. If you want to produce more, smaller farls, cut the dough into six or eight. These could also be baked in true traditional Celtic fashion on a hot griddle.

1. Preheat oven to 400°F/200C. Sift together into a mixing bowl the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Stir in the oatmeal and thyme. Gradually add the buttermilk and mix to form a soft dough.
2. Lightly flour your hands and transfer the dough to a lightly-floured surface. Knead the dough lightly, then divide in two. Form each piece of dough into a round shape about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. Flour a baking sheet well and transfer the two dough rounds to it. Using a sharp knife, cut all the way through (but not separating) to make four farls. Dust with a little extra flour and bake for 20 minutes until they are browned and puffed.
3. Remove from the oven and wrap each round in a clean tea towel and allow to cool on a rack. Reheat slightly before breaking into wedges and serving.

Makes 8 farls

Bushmill Inn's Classic Irish Coffee

You may think, as I did, that Irish coffee is a bit of a tired old thing. Then I enjoyed one after dinner at the Bushmill Inn and have since completely changed my mind. Hot whiskey-flavoured coffee sipped through thick, cold Irish cream is something I'm not likely to forget. Don't whip the cream until stiff; stop whipping when it reaches a loose but still pourable consistency. What I call ploppy-floppy cream.

1. Warm a medium-sized wine glass with hot water. Pour out the water and place the sugar and whiskey in the glass. Place a teaspoon in the glass and pour the hot coffee over the sugar and whiskey, stirring well to dissolve the sugar.
2. Pour the loosely whipped cream over the back of the spoon over the surface of the coffee. Do not stir -- it should rest on top of the coffee. Serve and enjoy immediately.

Serves 1

White Cupcakes with Basic Vanilla Butter Icing

So moist, light and delicious. Make decorating them for Easter or birthdays an event by filling various bowls with different coloured frostings, coloured sugars, and sprinkles. The rich and creamy frosting which follows is incredibly easy to make and eat.

• Cream butter and half of icing sugar until light. Add cream and vanilla. Beat in remaining icing sugar gradually. (If desired, colour with your choice of paste food colours.) Blend well.

• Chocolate: Add 2 ounces melted and cooled unsweetened chocolate to the creamed butter.
• Lemon or Orange: Substitute 1 Tbsp (15 mL) lemon or orange juice for vanilla and add 1 Tbsp (15 mL) lemon or orange zest.
• Cocoa: Reduce icing sugar to 3-1/2 cups (875 mL) and sift 1/2 cup (125 mL) cocoa with it.
• Coffee: Blend 1 Tbsp (15 mL) instant coffee powder into butter.
• Cherry: Decrease cream to 1/4 cup (50 mL). Substitute 1 Tbsp (15 mL) maraschino cherry juice for vanilla and fold in 1/2 cup (125 mL) well drained chopped cherries.

Makes 24 cupcakes and enough icing to frost 24 cupcakes or to fill and frost a double layer cake

Recipe © 2004, Robin Hood Multifoods Inc. Reprinted with permission.
For more great recipes, see the Robin Hood Baking Festival Cookbook or visit the Robin Hood website.