Chef Suman Roy - Chef's Blog

FIDDLEHEAD MUFFIN Our fiddlehead muffin is a delicious, savory muffin that would be great for breakfasts, a starch option for a lighter meal or for a snack at work. Serves: 12 1 cup spelt flour 1 cup whole wheat flour 1½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda 1 tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp ground allspice ½ tsp ground cumin 1 tsp salt 1 large egg ¼ cup canola oil 1 tsp cilantro, chopped 1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped 1 cup fresh fiddleheads, cleaned, cooked, and chopped ½ cup 2% milk Grease and flour a 12 cup muffin tin and preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix together the first 8 dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl whisk together egg, oil and milk. Add the herbs and fiddleheads to the liquid mixture. Mix well. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, being careful not to over mix. The batter should be a little lumpy. Pour the batter into the muffin tin wells, ? of the way up. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean. Serve hot. Did you know : Spelt flour contains up to 25% more protein than wheat flour. Furthermore, spelt is rich in fibre and B vitamins like B2, niacin and B1 that are so essential to a healthy nervous system. Niacin is a B vitamin that is seriously lacking in processed foods and has been shown to be clinically useful in treating cardiovascular disease and in treating mental health disorders, including schizophrenia. Over the next few days, I will post a few more of my favourite recipes.. You can find these and many more recipes, Wellness Notes and History in my Internationally acclaimed book : "From Pemmican To Poutine, A Journey Through Canada's Culinary History"

Wednesday, 4 May 2011The Spring Motivation I have heard folks arguing over a glass of wine - What is the most romantic time of the year?? Some "love birds" argue it to be February, while the others suggest - Spring. If it is a rainy, chilly Spring day like today, then I would possibly not go with Spring, but generally it sure is.. the smell of fresh grass, the happy mood of Canadians, eagerly awating the summer, the smile on the faces of our local farmers... they sure make this season very romantic and happy. One of the favourite activity, that tells me that spring is here is to go and fetch Fiddleheads. I didnot grow up with ferns like Fiddleheads in my diet, but have been a huge fan of it since I tried it for the first time, and now, as soon as the Spring weather starts to hit, I am out looking for these wonderfully nutritious ferns. Did you know : Fiddleheads are high in beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant. They also contain a good dose of potassium, phosphorous, vitamin C, fibre, and niacin. Though Fiddleheads are very popular in the Maritimes, but in Ontario, you do find spots rich in this wonderful fern. As Brooke researches in "From Pemmican To Poutine - A Journey Through Canada's Culinary History" : Fiddleheads are the uncoiling heads of the ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) which grows wild in certain parts of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and New England. They get the name “fiddlehead” from their resemblance to the scrolled head of a fiddle, and the sight of them would have been greeted like sweet music by the early settlers. After long winter months of eating salt cod, corned beef, and root vegetables from the cellar, fiddleheads held an exalted place as one of the first edible plants to push their way through the soil to greet the spring sun. They were appreciated by the Mi’kmaq and Maliseet peoples for their medicinal properties as well as their deliciousness, and it was these native peoples who showed the settlers how to find and safely prepare them. Because of their position as “the first fruit of spring”, they were seen as having cleansing and rejuvenating properties, clearing the body of the toxins and impurities that were believed to accumulate during the winter months. They were so important to the Maliseet people that they called them mahsos, a word that has symbolic meaning for good magic, and they traditionally used a fiddlehead motif in their decoration and artwork, which was believed to ward off evil. Settlers found a myriad of ways to prepare this much needed vegetable, including in soups, sautéed, baked, pickled, or just steamed and presented simply with butter and local herbs. It is possible that Acadian settlers may have made them into a quiche, if they were lucky enough to have eggs left over after the winter. As a tea it was found to relieve constipation, and in any form it would have proven a great help to someone suffering from scurvy. “Moose milk” is a humorously named Maritime hooch made of emulsified fiddleheads, clam juice, and cheap wine. We have never tasted the concoction ourselves, but would love to hear from any readers who are adventurous enough to try it. I have come up with quite a few different recipes that I make with my fiddleheads.. But before we get into that, let us address the most important thing : The basic, safe preparation technique: First discard any fiddleheads that have black scales. Remove the chafe (the brown outer skin) with your fingers and wash the fiddleheads in several changes of cold water. They must then be boiled in a generous amount of water for fifteen minutes or steamed for ten to twelve minutes until tender—do not cook in the microwave, this is not a safe method of preparation for fiddleheads. Make sure to discard the water used for cleaning and boiling the fiddleheads and clean the pot and bowl used. This will remove a natural toxin found in raw fiddleheads which has been known to give some people “green apple”. Green apple is not as delicious an affliction as it sounds; symptoms include diarrhoea, nausea, abdominal cramps, and headache. Once cooked, fiddleheads are delicious and good for you; they are a good source of vitamins A and C, iron, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, niacin and zinc. Despite their limited growing area and short harvest time, fiddleheads are often readily available packed frozen or in cans and sold in grocery stores around Canada. Because of their particular growing requirements, fiddleheads are difficult to grow anywhere else in the world, making them an uniquely Canadian delicacy. There are a lot of tradition Fiddlehead recipes that I have tried, but a very unconventional use of this fern stands way over all of them :

Friday 6 May, 2011Hundreds of years after the pioneers, I found myself in a similar situation. While thumbing through the produce list from one of my suppliers and discovered that they offered fiddleheads. It was a bright spring morning, and as I sat in my kitchen looking at the new life all around me, got a little carried away and ordered several packages of this herald of the season. When they arrived, I spent several days experimenting, trying them out using different cooking techniques, complimentary flavours, and dishes. I ate fiddleheads at almost every meal, including fiddlehead muffins for breakfast and late afternoon snack. Eventually, the fiddleheads were getting close to the end of their shelf life and I still had plenty left. Like generations of cooks before me, I knew that one of the best ways to use up ingredients in the pantry is a soup. I had tasted a fiddlehead soup at a friend’s house near the Bay of Fundy, and I set out to create my own delicious fiddlehead soup. I am happy to share this recipe with you. Cream Of Fiddlehead Soup Serves: 6 1 tbsp butter 2 leeks, sliced 3 shallots, chopped 3 cloves garlic, chopped 2 tbsp all-purpose flour 3½ cups chicken stock 4 cups fresh fiddleheads, cleaned, cooked, and chopped 2 cups half and half 1 tbsp lemon juice salt, to taste 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped ½ tbsp fresh dill, chopped ¼ tsp white pepper cayenne pepper, pinch ¼ cup sour cream 6 fresh fiddleheads, cleaned and cooked • In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat; cook the shallots and leeks, until they are soft but not brown, stirring occasionally for approximately 8 minutes. • Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. • Add the flour and cook stirring for another 2 minutes. • Gradually stir in stock and increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. • Add chopped fiddleheads and bring back up to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes or until fiddleheads are tender. • Puree the soup in a blender or food processor. • Reheat the soup until heated through, stirring often. Do not boil. • Stir in lemon juice, herbs, salt, white pepper and cayenne pepper. • Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and top each serving with a whole fiddlehead. • Serve hot. If you would like to read more about Fiddleheads or try out more creatives recipes of this Nutritious, Delicious fern, check out our Book : "From Pemmican To Poutine - A Journey Through Canada's Culinary History"

Friday, 6 May 2011The Spring Motivation Continues with More Fiddleheads.......... The Spring motivation and the Fiddleheads cannot be contained in just one post.. I wonder why this particular fern has not hit the Headlines.... so delicious, so nutritious, and yet, so LOCAL.. I guess, a lot of us are not familiar with Fiddleheads as it looks different and we dont know what to do with this. Even a few Chefs seem to be scared of this fern... No folks... This fern may look scary, but it will not eat you..... but you may eat them and enjoy the Bounty of Canada. While working on our Award Winning book , "From Pemmican To Poutine, A Journey Through Canada's Culinary History", Brooke comments: One of the most common ways that settlers enjoyed this vegetable was likely a simple preparation: steamed, boiled or baked and served with butter (if available) and herbs that they had dried the previous year. This was likely all that remained of the winter provisions until the garden could be re-sown for the next harvest. Cooking in pioneer cabins, especially before stoves became available, was a very difficult ordeal, so the simplicity of preparing fiddleheads would have been just as welcome as their nutritional value. These days, we don’t have to rely on the dwindling contents of our root sellers or the infrequent and uncertain arrival of supply ships to prepare our food, and thanks to modern freezing and shipping methods we can enjoy these tasty bites of spring all across the world and at any time of year. Although serving fiddleheads in butter and herbs is still a favourite on tables in Atlantic Canada, adding diverse flavours is a welcome treat to fiddlehead cooks everywhere. This dish allows you to fully appreciate the beauty of the fiddlehead scroll, a testament to music in nature. Garlic Fiddleheads with Fresh Thyme, Sundried Tomato and Cilantro Serves: 6 2 lbs fresh fiddleheads, washed and trimmed 4 cups water 1 tsp salt 2 bacon strips, cut into 2½ cm (1”) strips 4 tbsp sundried tomatoes, sliced 2 tsp oil, from jarred sundried tomatoes 2 shallots, sliced 8 cloves garlic, chopped 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped salt and pepper, to taste • Boil fiddleheads in salted water for 10 minutes or steam for 5 minutes. Drain well and set aside. • Sauté the bacon in sundried tomato oil for 5 minutes until crispy. • Add the shallots and garlic and sauté until they are golden brown. • Add the fiddleheads and continue to sauté for another 5 minutes. • Add the sundried tomatoes and the balsamic vinegar. Cook for another 3 minutes until the fiddleheads are soft. • Turn off the heat and finish with the chopped herbs and salt and pepper.

City of Toronto.... A Local Food Initiative Dear Friends and Readers, This post is a very different sort of a post that I have been doing in the past.. but I think it is really necessary to express how I feel about issues that surrounds us today.. On Tuesday, Toronto City Councillors will consider a staff report (GM5.13) with recommendations to adopt a revised Local Food Procurement Policy and to ask the Province to change its definition of local food. The Toronto Food Policy Council urges Council to adopt this report and its two recommendations. The economic impact of local food procurement for our city-region is significant. Toronto is "well-positioned to be at the forefront of change and build the Province's reputation as one of the most innovative, sustainable and forward-looking food regions. It can cast off old dependencies and embrace the future of the economy with food" (Martin Prosperity Institute 2009). Consider the following. Over 58,000 people in Toronto are employed by the food sector. The food sector is a larger employer than the automotive sector in Ontario. · Our food sector is comparable with Chicago and L.A. for its size · In Ontario, the food processing sector is a $34 billion industry · There are 750 local food processors in Toronto. These processors provide an estimated 57,000 jobs. 75% of these food processors are considered small to medium size manufacturers. For every $1 million dollars Toronto spends on locally produced food instead of imported food (under 10% of the current City food purchasing budget), an estimated $2.08 million of new economic output will be generated (Hoffer and Kahler 2000). The Toronto Food Strategy's Cultivating Food Connections: Toward a Healthy and Sustainable Food System for Toronto, a report endorsed by the City Manager, articulates the powerful role food plays in strengthening the economy, promoting health, building strong and diverse communities, and protecting the environment. Toronto's Food Strategy recommends that the City continue to seek opportunities to expand purchases of local food. (Thank you Lauren Baker, Manager of Toronto Food Policy Council for this note) I strongly urge the City Council to adopt this report and vote against any attempts to abandon Toronto’s local food procurement policy. As a resident of this City, I thought it would be my responsibility to express my support for this initiative. As an Executive Chef, living in this City, I express my support for this initiative. As a member of Toronto Food Policy Council, I express my support for this initiative. As a lecturer for Hospitality at Centennial College, I express my support for this initiative. As a part time farmer, I express my support for this initiative. Please reach out to the Mayor's Office and the Office of your City Councillors today and express your support... REMEMBER : A BETTER TOMORROW STARTS TODAY !!!!!

Wednesday, 27 July 2011Local Food - is it a Fad or a Trend?? Its been a couple of years now, that Local Food has been talked about by restauranteurs, Chefs and anybody who has anything to do with Food... to the extent of big box retailers like Walmart is talking about and carrying local home grown foods... McDonalds is talking about Local Apples as a part of their Happy Meal.. It sure has taken a flight from where it started. Now the question is : Is this a Fad or a Trend? The dictionary meaning of these two words are : Fad : A temporary fashion, notion, manner of conduct, especially one followed enthusiatically by a group. Trend : Style / vogue / a general course of prevailing tendency. So, let us ask ourselves the question, again... is Local food a fad or a trend? Last week, I was at a small mom/pop run, whole in the wall, food joint on Danforth, sipping my Hot and Sour Soup, and chowing down the Chili Chicken.. I hear the voice of the owner/chef from the kitchen, talking to his produce suplier : "I urgently need a bag of white onions.. what is the price?" I do not know the answer from the produce company, but the next question that he asked, just blew me away : "Is it Ontario Onions or New York? I dont want no American Onions..." WOW !!! A whole in the wall Chinese restaurant, selling Lunch specials for $5.99 is expressing his concern to his produce supplier in broken english about the advent of local produce.. He too realises... "Good Things Grow, In Ontario" This incident surprised me... but it should not have.. I should know better....every chef, or a restauranteur, may they be small or large businesses, do realise the benefit of supporting local farmers, food producers and local economy..... Do they really?? Do they all do?? No... they dont.. Otherwise I would not be walking into No Frills or Food Basics in September or October, and find Apples and Pears from down south.. I would not have my produce supplier, quietly trying to slip in a case of Apples from out West, inspite of deliberately telling him that I need as much LFP certified produce as possible.. So, let me ask you once again : Is this a Fad or a Trend?? If I have to make a pick... I would rather see it as a Fad.... surprised?? A Couple of years ago, I was speaking at a Local Food Conference for the City of Toronto, and I commented : "I am not a fan of a Local Food Conference, and I hope that few years down the road, these conferences does not exist, and if they do, the topics of discussion drastically change" The organizer, didnot understand where I was coming from and was a bit offended at my comment.. but I went on to clarify her doubt "I want us to accept the local food policies as a second nature.. there is no reason, why this gentleman has to ask the produce vendor, where the onions are coming from... it should be understood, that if the product is grown locally and is available, it will automatically be served... I do not want to call my produce vendor everyday, and tell him, please make sure, you give me as many local Ontario produce as possible from my order today... it should be understood..." And that is where I want to see our Food Industry go... I do not want "Local Food" to be a trend or a fad.. because both, trend and fad comes and goes.. and for the love of God, I do not want this to ever go.. Around Four years ago, I attended a Conference in North Ontario, and there I met this gentleman, who drives truck for living.. and his route was from Hamilton to Florida and back.. and in season, he carries Carrots from Ontario, taking it to Florida... "WOW, thats great news... Exports is always a good thing.. and our farmers, hopefully is making a decent penny out of it" was my reaction to this. He smiled and questioned me : "Guess what I brought back from Florida for the markets in Ontario?" Carrots.... REALLY??? So, he took Ontario Carrots to Florida, and brought back for us Florida Carrots.. "What kind of a civilized society will let something like this happen??" was my reaction.. He calmly said : "This proves that Ontarians like good looking carrots, while Americans like good tasting carrots".. Is that true? Could that be the underlying reason for all imports? I guess, and hope, that this story is out dated in the last few years.. Unfortunately I do not have his contact, but if he ever reads this, please write to me and give me an update.. I SO hope that the Local Food Uproar that we have been going through has made this story redundant. Let us all Work together to make this Trend/Fad be our SECOND NATURE.. Support our local growers and economy... wherever you are. Respect our Farmers and Producers - without the, eventually the World will not have any food.

Thursday, 28 July 2011Is there something called Canadian Cuisine ? ? As an Executive Chef in Canada I find that whenever I travel internationally there seems to be an air of mystery around what Canadian cuisine is. Everyone has their own interpretation; some question whether we even have a cuisine. My response is always, “Of course we do”. A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to go to Shanghai, China to deliver a speech about Canadian cuisine. I prepared what I had hoped would be a wonderful presentation representing what I knew to be Canadian cuisine, as well as some recipes. Fifteen minutes prior to my presentation the organizer requested to glance through the presentation. I proudly showed him, but his face did not have the same enthusiasm as mine. “Where is the polar bear and reindeer meat?” he asked. I was stunned. I began to wonder if this was all people think of Canadian cuisine. Canadian cooking is a lot more than it has been pigeonholed to be. I am not discrediting Canada’s delicious culinary heritage but our fare today has a lot more to offer. Canadian cuisine has evolved drastically over time but the perception of what it is has not. I have travelled through this culturally and ethnically diverse country trying to find the food like the Chinese organizer was expecting: squirrel fricassée, stuffed whale breast, baked skunk. As I expected I could not get my hands on any of them nor could I find them served at restaurants. And so, my search for Canadian cuisine intensified. What is Canadian cuisine? Is it really just roasted Arctic animals and boiled backyard critters? I asked a lot of Canadians and everyone had a different answer; each saw this cuisine through their own eyes. I think that this lack of consensus is the beauty of Canadian cuisine. It is so rich and varied, yet this is not how the cooking is often described. Various chefs, food writers and food historians have made attempts to define Canadian cuisine. They all they have their different perspectives. My take : Canadian cuisine is one of the few cuisines in the world that is ingredient based; ingredients that are native to Canada and that Canadians have acquired over the years. Atlantic and the West Coast regions have a strong presence of seafood in their dishes because of their long coastlines. Game and wild animals have an influence on the foods of Northern and Western Canada. Fruits, good cheese and great wines are predominant on Southern Canada and Quebec has a strong French influence. When referring to Canada, the aboriginals certainly deserve a special mention. Their culture and food holds strong roots in our modern day cuisine. Without the aboriginals the early European settlers would not have survived. Though Aboriginal cuisine may not be commonly available in urban centres around the country, rural areas of Canada have continued to celebrate some of those cuisines and cultures. Lately, some butchers in Canada’s urban centres have started carrying such traditionally rural ingredients as musk ox and seal. Chefs are very creative with such products and are able to bring rural cuisine to urban Canada. A few of my personal favourites are: Mipkuzola Wrapped Grilled Figs, and Elk Burgers with Shallot Hawberry Confit. As Canada is formed on the pillars of immigrants, our cuisine can often be seen as a new fusion of international cuisine and culture with our culinary heritage. The recipes I have chosen for my book "From Pemmican To Poutine - A Journey Through Canada's Culinary History" are either indigenous to Canada, have evolved from immigrant recipes or are my own modern creations. I strongly believe that Canadian cuisine is a mosaic of world cuisines. On July 30th, we have our National Food Day.. Let us celebrate this great day supporting our local Canadian Foods, the foods that are indigenous to Canada, and foods that are grown or raised here in Canada. Here is a thought : When you go home today, and sit down on your dinner table with your family (I hope you still do that), or this weekend, when you liht your BBQ and have all your friends over.... start the conversation : What is Canadian Cuisine? And see the diverse nature of answers that you might get.. And for me, that is CANADIAN CUISINE... The Plug : If you want to read about Foods in Canada and its History, along with over 150 amazing Local Canadian Recipes, and amazing photography with a Nutritional Burb on all the recipes by Noni De Long, check out : http://www.chefsuman.ca/purchase.htm

Today I would like to direct the spotlight on to Whole Grain: Quinoa Whenever we talk of Whole Grains, the first few names that comes to our mind are Bulgur, Oats etc… But as we Chefs like to say - These are Passé… The "In thing" nowadays is : Quinoa. While it isn't actually new - quinoa has been grown for thousands of years in the Peruvian Andes and has been a staple in some South American diets for centuries. - North Americans have recently discovered quinoa's unique nutritional makeup and versatility. The seeds of a leafy, spinach-like plant, quinoa was called the "mother grain" by the Incas because of its high protein content. Indeed, it has the most protein of all grains and is also a great source of vitamins and minerals, particularly potassium, the B vitamins, magnesium, zinc, and copper. And there's good news for busy folks: Quinoa is as easy to make and use as rice, but cooks in half the time. Quinoa's nutty flavour is delicious in stews with small red beans.. but as Chefs we like to take it one step forward.. We have started using Quinoa for various different purposes… and as I like to say "Sky is the limit". But you have to keep one very important thing in mind when playing with Quinoa - You need to rinse quinoa before cooking to remove its bitter - tasting coating. For one cup of dry Quinoa, you would need 2 cups of water and a cooking duration of 15 minutes. Fast, tasty, easy and nutritious… how can you beat that? If you can't find quinoa in your supermarket, look for it in specialty food stores. And though it can be pricier, keep in mind that besides its many nutritional benefits, it increases about three or four times in volume after cooking, which gives you more bang for your buck. Sweet Chili Garlic Quinoa Salad 3/4 cup uncooked Quinoa 1 cup diced carrots 1/2 cup chopped roasted red bell pepper 1/5 cup minced parsley 1/5 cup chopped cilantro 2 sliced green onions 1 lemon, squeezed or (1-2 tbsp juice) 1 lime, squeezed or (1-2 tbsp. juice) 1 1/2 tbsp. soy sauce 2 cloves minced garlic 1 tsp. chili garlic sauce (siracha) 2 tbsp Sweet Chili Sauce Rinse Quinoa and drain. Put in a pot and dry toast until a few grains begin to pop. Add 1 1/2 cups water, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the Quinoa has absorbed all the liquid. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff with fork and let cool. Mix carrot, red pepper, parsley, cilantro and green onion in large bowl. Add cooled Quinoa and toss to combine. Whisk together lemon and limejuices, Soya sauce, garlic, sweet chili sauce and siracha. Pour over salad and combine well. Chill until serving time. We also enjoy throwing in a few steamed, cooled snow peas. Serves 4 - 6. Just before serving crumble some Goat Cheese or Boursin Cheese. Quinoa and Cream Cheese Cookies 6 tbsp Butter (unsalted) 2 tbsp Low fat Cream Cheese 1 ½ cup Cheddar Cheese ½ cup Quinoa 1 tsp Baking Powder 1 cup all purpose flour ½ tsp Sea salt 1 tbsp almond Cream together the Cream Cheese, Butter and Cheddar Cheese. Sift together the remaining ingredients. Add to the Butter - Cheese mixture, beating together until it forms soft dough. Place the dough in a clean surface and form a log. Wrap in plastic and freeze for 30 mins. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the dough into ¾ inch thick rounds. Place on a cooking sheet and bake for 12 to 15 mins or until the cookie is lightly browned on the bottom. Makes approx 20 cookies Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: Calories 243 and 1.5 gm of fat per serving.

The New Year's Resolution Change… is it a good thing? Are people afraid of change? Well, most of my friends and acquaintances, I talk to, emphasizes on the fact that no one likes change….. Is that what you think as well?? Are your acquaintances afraid of change? My experience is totally different.. If people were really afraid of change, then they would NOT go CRAZY for the New Year's Eve and be so eager to welcome the New Year with a bang with all the resolutions and changes. I don't know anyone, who doesn't make New Year's Resolution to make changes to their lives…. Weather they do it or not, that is a whole different question. Like anyone else, I do have a few resolutions myself for 2012… Not sure if all of them will happen… but I will give my best to make sure it does : Write my next book Its been a year and half that I have completed my last cookbook, and have been contemplating, the start of the next one, but procrastination took over the urge of writing… but enough is enough… it is time to make that CHANGE and start writing.. I feel the urge, the motivation and the passion… a recipe for success.. The question is what would be the next HOT TOPIC for me to scribble about?? It has to be something that I am really passionate about…. Hmmmm.. Local Sustainable Food… but what about it… What is that Sustainability that we talk about… everyone talks about that. May be that is what I should write about… what do I understand about Sustainability… as an Executive Chef, when I hear the word "sustainable" what do I understand.. and what am I really doing, to make this world a better place… Hmm… I think I have got a winner… don't you think so? Stay in touch with my friends, whom I have left behind, but miss dearly Over the years I have met so many people, and got really close to so many more.. but in time, managed to move on, leaving the friendship and love behind.. Don't know, why I did that, but I have managed to push away most of the people who mattered to me, and whom I mattered to.. I guess it is a phase in life, when you get carried away by all the hustle and bustle of the day to day life, and don't get a chance to slow down and smell the coffee. This is my year to reach out to them, and tell them, that I still think of them and they mean a lot to me… Health !!! Health !!!! Health !!!! My Doctor would LOVE to see this on my list… he has been trying since the last 6 years to get this in my list of priorities and have not been successful… but I think, this is the year… I have to focus on my health… and have a diet that would help me in building my health. I have been doing a lot of research, and am trying to build a diet, that would help me get into good shape, without starving myself and without sacrificing anything that I love dearly : . Will certainly keep you posted, with the results, the recipes and the menus… Land Myself in a Culinary TV Show Like any other Chef, this has been my dream for a while… but it is never easy to get that first break.. so, I guess the solution is to keep trying… More time goes, the more I think about it, and more determined I get… It will happen, and will happen soon.. Got a few brilliant ideas (at east, I think they are brilliant)… all you need is a producer and a network… Well, I am sure I will get there. Regular Columnist in a Publication (Print Media) This is something new that I am considering… to be a regular columnist in a regular publication.. haven't decided as to what kind of publication, but would love to write about the Food Industry… where we are headed and what should we, as a common consumer, do to make this World a better place. I am sure I will have my hands full, trying to make sure that I am sitting here on 31st of December, 2012, with everything checked off…. While most of you were out partying and enjoying, on the eve of 2012, I sat back reflecting on my last couple of years with my specialty Champagne Cocktail and came up with this list… I am sure you won't find this list so interesting, but I can guarantee that you would find the Champagne Cocktail, of greater interest… so enjoy this Champagne Cocktail until next time. What do you need: • Champagne (or any other Sparkling Wine) - 4 oz • Angostura Bitter - ¼ oz • Canadian Maple Syrup - ½ oz • Cranberries (Fresh or Frozen) - 5 ea • Grand Marnier - 1 oz • Lemon or Orange Twist - 1 ea How to make it: • In a shaker, shake together, the bitter and the Maple Syrup with ice. • Pour it in a Champagne Flute, drop the Cranberries in the flute. • Pour the Champagne or the sparkling wine. • Top it with the Grand Marnier. Garnish with a lemon or an orange twist. Bon Appétit !!!