July 4th Burger Roundup

A few years ago Serious Eats released this amazing, comprehensive guide called the United States of Burgers, and apparently I was super unhappy with Washington's representative burger. I wrote a post about it when the article was released, and never ended up hitting publish. With the 4th of July just around the corner, there's no better time to resurface a ton of awesome all-American burger inspiration. Aside from Will Smith saving the world from aliens, what's more American than a burger on Independence Day!? USA, USA!


In addition to the Burgers of America, here are a few recipes, old and new, from around the interwebz for your July 4th cookout/picnic/bbq/get-together/pool party/food-fest. 

• My ode to the 50th (and most tropically amazing) state, Hawaiian sliders with grilled pineapple (pictured above). 
• This turkey banh mi burger is fusion at it's best (just like America!). 
• These chorizo garlic shrimp burgers are Mexican-inspired, along with 95% of food I love in the US. 
• And these Xi'an style lamb burgers are Asian-inspired, along with 95% of food Evan loves in the US. 
• These Carolina burgers with mustard bbq sauce are pledging so much allegiance to the flag of the USA.
• These are packed with fried mozzarella, caramelized peaches, balsamic drizzle, and stars-and-stripes forever.
• Jessica basically deserves a spot on Mt. Rushmore thanks to these goat cheese-guac numbers and these smoky sweet bacony beauties.
• Bev should probably join her, and bring these queso turkey burgs and these chipotle black bean ones!
• These sexy bacon burgers are totally all-American, even though Sarah's Australian. 
• Remember when I made homemade everything burgers? You can do it too, for your country!

And, because it made me laugh when I re-read it, here are my original thoughts/crazy grumblings on the Serious Eat's article. Enjoy!

Hey guys, I need to tell you about how crazy I am. Warning: this involves hamburgers.

So... I'm a crazy person. Unless you're Evan or my parents or my sister or my friends... or my cat... you might not know that about me. And even though I just mentioned my cat, I'm not talking about crazy-cat-lady type crazy right now (though I am that, too). I don't even know what kind of crazy this is... state-hamburger-pride crazy, perhaps?

I'll preface this with the fact that I love Serious Eats, and I love J.Kenji Lopez-Alt's burger articles (um, his fake shack burger... perfection). What I don't love, however, is when a totally random burger and random fry sauce (that I'm assuming everyone outside of Washington state also uses...it's basically Thousand Island dressing, people!) is declared Washington's state burger. Not necessarily Washington's best burger, mind you, but our most iconic, or the burger that most represents our state. Ok, so this is where my crazy comes out. I'm like, weirdly, irrationally upset about this. I complained so much that a friend told me "maybe it's time to write to your congressman."  

But c'mon! What about a Deluxe burger from Dick's Drive In!? Dick's was voted most-life-changing burger by Esquire, people! It beat favorites like In-n-Out and Shake Shack! That is state burger material! Or what about the bacon jam burger from Skillet or the bacon burger from Red Mill? Ok, too Seattle-centric? How about Burgerville!? It's a fast food joint founded in SW Washington that's known for its commitment to local resources and environmental sustainability... if that doesn't represent our Earth-friendly-recycling-crazed state, I don't know what does. What about something with wild mushrooms or salmon or apples on it, for crying out loud!? Gah!

How did this travesty happen!? Breath Amber, Breath. See...crazy-town.

Now, look at these burgers, and go a little nuts yourself.

What's Happening in July

Happy Canada Day!



All the things happening in Burnaby for July 1st!

Check it out: http://www.burnaby.ca/Things-To-Do/Festivals-and-Events/Canada-Day.html 



Burnaby Village: Indigenous Flora and Fauna Tours

Credit: Rebekah Mahaffey

Head out to Burnaby Village to check out the Indigenous Flora and Fauna tours presented in partnership with Takaya Tours.



Tours are offered every Fridays during the months of July and August. It is a great opportunity to learn about local foods you can find growing naturally within your community. 



You will get to learn about Tsleil Wauthuth Nation's traditional methods for identifying and harvesting local plants on this 45 minute tour.



When: July 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 and August 7, 14, 21, and 28th

(every Fridays during the month of July and August)

Time: 12 noon, 1:00 pm, 2:15 pm and 3:15 pm

Where: Burnaby Village Museum



For more information: http://www.burnabyvillagemuseum.ca/EN/main/visit/events/events/july-3.html



Also, Burnaby Village has their Homegrown Harvest workshop series. For the month of July, they have the following free workshops:

• Summer Container Gardening


• Bee Talk and Honey Tasting


• Jam Tasting and Making


• Seasonal Meal Planning

For more information:  http://www.burnabyvillagemuseum.ca/EN/main/programs/by-series/public-programs/homegrown-harvest-workshop-series.html



2015 BerryBeat Festival



It's the 34th Annual BerryBeat Festival in Historic Downtown Abbotsford.



Music, dancing, food and fun will be had by all.



When: July 4 & 5th

Where: 2615A Montrose Ave., Abbotsford, BC



More information: http://www.downtownabbotsford.com/event/2015-berrybeat-festival/



Five Hole for Food



Five Hole for Food�s sixth annual coast-to-coast tour. Join them in playing ball hockey for local food banks.

 

All you need is a hockey stick and a can of food.



When: July 18, 2015 from 12 noon to 6:00 pm

Where: Granville Street



To get tickets, visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/1479725322248210/ 



Farmer's Markets in BC



Don't forget to check out all the local farmer's markets in and around BC. July is #meetymymarket month at participating Farmer's Markets. Don't forget that every Saturday from 9 am to 2 pm, at City Hall in Burnaby, there is a Farmer's Market as well!



More information for Burnaby Farmer's Markets and events, visit http://www.artisanmarkets.ca/



Don't forget to check our website from time to time! We will be listing some Burnaby Food First -- yes, they are free -- gardening or cooking workshops soon!

Moroccan Beef Short Ribs on CBC's Weekend Morning Show!

 This morning I'll be presenting these amazing looking and smelling local beef short ribs on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Terry MacLeod.  You can get these great ribs at Wildfire Farms at St. Norbert's and Downtown Winnipeg Farmer's Markets.

(Photos above marinating, below, simmering)

Grass-fed Moroccan Beef Short Ribs (Ribs from Wildfire Farms and available at the St. Norbert and Downtown Winnipeg Farmer's Markets!)  http://www.wildfirefarms.ca/

(For 6-8 ribs)

2 pkgs Grass Fed Beef Short Ribs

Marinade:

1 cup olive oil

1 cup red wine

2 tbs ground ginger

1 tbs ground Turmeric

2 tbs Ras el Hanout (available at the Downtown Winnipeg Farmer's Market or Pollock's Hardware Coop)

1 tsp Kosher or sea salt

zest of one lemon

Place meat in marinade and coat.  Let chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.  Remove ribs and reserve liquid.

For braising the ribs:

2 tbs olive oil

1/2 cup chicken broth and 1/2 cup beef broth, aka bone broth (also available from Wildfire Farms)

1/2 lemon, sliced

2 tbs lemon juice*

1-2 tbs honey

Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a medium saut� pan and brown the meat.  Remove and place all remaining liquids to a large tagine or braising pot.  Bring up to simmering heat and let cook for a couple of hours, until meat is loose from the bone.

* Preserved lemons can be substituted for fresh!

Serve with couscous or quinoa.

Enjoy!

BBQ Chicken Flatbread Pizzas with Cherries and Corn

I was kind of dreading Father�s Day this year. All of the first holidays and events without him are hard. But the impending punch in the gut of Father�s Day�all of the gift guides in my inbox, the grilling recipes for dad online, the Father�s Day golf/BBQ/fishing/woodworking/drinking themed everything everywhere�it had me in a major funk these last few weeks. Luckily we celebrated in the most amazing way possible, which really helped me (and my sister and mom) get through the day. Rather than having a somber memorial last summer, which he would have hated, we waited until last weekend, and had a big blow-out celebration of life. He loved being a dad, and he loved summer solstice, so there was no better time to raise a glass and toast an awesome man, who lived life to the fullest.


My dad loved good food, good drinks, laughter, jokes, friends, and family. He was a good-timin� kinda guy, and we sent him on his way in true JFK (my dad, not the pres) fashion. Friends and family (about 70 people!) came from all over the place: southern, northern, and central California, Oregon, North Carolina, Texas, Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, and all over Washington. We ate an insane amount of smoked meat, toasted terrible shots of slivovitz, told tons of stories, and looked through years and years of hilarious and fantastic photos. Evan and our friend Robb arranged an epic bean bag/ corn hole tournament: three courses, 19 teams, 39 total games. Amanda and I were The Zombies (which was my dad�s old horse-shoe team name), and we came in second (we lost to the, ahem, Bunghole Bros).

That night we had the most beautiful pastel painted sunset, my dad�s favorite kind� his little gift to us. I miss him like crazy, but man, I feel so lucky that I got to have 29 years with him. So much thanks to my ma for working her little tail nearly clean off, to all her helpers, and to all our friends and family who came to celebrate. It was so cool to be surrounded by so many people that loved him. And it made this Father�s Day way less sucky.

So anyway, long story short: I just haven�t really been in the kitchen lately. Totally unrelated to everything above, I did manage to make quick grilled flatbread pizza, and figured you should probably know about it. Since it�s officially summer, we�re putting a bunch of summery goodness on a flatbread, and then grilling it up. Fresh corn and cherries, plus BBQ sauce, grilled chicken, and smoked mozzarella. Hello summa!

BBQ Chicken Flatbread Pizzas

3 chicken tenders (or 1 large chicken breast, cut in 3 thin strips)
Olive oil, salt, and pepper
2 flatbreads or large naan (like these)
3/4 cup BBQ sauce
1-1.5 cups grated smoked mozzerella
8-10 fresh cherries, pitted and halved (and sliced again if they�re big)
1 ear of corn, kernels cut from cob
2 green onions, sliced

Heat grill. Brush chicken with olive oil, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Grill until cooked through, and cut into thin slices.

Spread BBQ sauce on one side of each flatbread, and top with cheese, cherries, corn, green onions, and chicken. Grill until cheese is melted.

To make without a grill, prepare chicken as you like, then heat oven to 400 degrees F. Place flatbreads on a baking sheet, and cook for about 10-15 minutes, until cheese is totally melted.

Tackling Food Insecurity By Dealing with Food Waste

A few weeks ago on May 21, a new law was unanimously approved in France prohibiting large supermarkets from throwing out food that was not sold. Instead, supermarkets will be mandated to donate any surplus groceries to charities. Food that is unsafe to eat will be donated to farms for agricultural and livestock purposes. The French politician whose grassroots movement led to this law has plans to globalize this campaign.



The financial costs of food wastage in the world are estimated to be substantial amounting to $1 trillion USD each year. The news about this legislation, as reported by the Guardian and other media recently, highlighted the issue of food waste even as food insecurity worldwide persists. (Source: UN Food and Agriculture Organization)

Credit: Magnolia Lim

Feeding the 5000 Vancouver

Also in May, the Feeding the 5000 event took place in Vancouver, which aimed to feed 5,000 people using food and produce that is nutritious and good quality even though aesthetically imperfect or close to its 'best before' date. The event highlighted the same issue of food waste. 

In Canada, there are on-going discussions about tax incentives and credits for charitable food donations such as proposals by Food Banks Canada and the National Zero Waste Council founded by Metro Vancouver. Another initiative in the private sector is that of the Loblaws grocery chain, offering discounts of as much as 30 percent for misshapen fruits and vegetables under their 'Naturally Imperfect' no-name brand. 

Such measures to tackle food waste ultimately help to improve economic accessibility of food by making good food more readily available at lower prices or through food banks. Accessibility is an important element of food security as discussed in the previous post that is part of this series.

What We Can Do

Individuals and households can do their bit by reducing food waste in personal consumption and by donating excess food that is good to eat. The David Suzuki Foundation provides some further facts and a handy tip sheet.



Support for and participation in recycling programs is another way. In Metro Vancouver, since January 2015, there has been a ban to dispose of organic waste in garbage destined for landfills. Food waste not only squanders valuable resources but also endangers the environment due to the methane that leftover food emits in landfills. 

Food Reward Friday

This week's lucky winner... the Pizza Hut Hot Dog Bites pizza!!!

Read more �

Homegrown Harvest Workshop Series

**This posting was provided by Burnaby Village Museum.**

Photo provided by Burnaby Village Museum

A new Homegrown Harvest Workshop Series held at the Burnaby Village Museum this summer is set to launch. The series is a wonderful extension of the Museum�s current agricultural theme.



Workshop topics include:

• container food gardening, 


• preserving the harvest, and 


• seasonal meal planning. 

The sessions are led by local experts known in the industry. Plan to take in one, two or all seven of the free sessions!



The first in the series is on Sunday, July 5, 1:30 - 3:30 pm. Drop in to hear the presentation on Summer Container Food Gardening by Leanne Zmud and Lisa Schuster, Certified Permaculture Designers.



More information on the series is available on the Museum�s webpage under the �programs� tab or by downloading the Homegrown Harvest brochure (PDF).



This series was developed and is presented as a collaboration between Burnaby Food First and Burnaby Village Museum.



Garden Party



The Museum's 2015 Homegrown Harvest theme will also be celebrated with a Garden Party and Artist Talk on Saturday, June 27 from 2:00 - 4:00 pm in the Meadow at the Museum. The museum is located at 6501 Deer Lake Avenue in Burnaby.



Tour the backyard garden displays and the 'Bees and Berries' photo exhibition (Stride Studio) plus enjoy live music and refreshments! Come one, come all!

Heritage Learning Garden in Full Bloom!
Credit: Rebekah Mahaffey

The Heritage Learning Garden reflects the
wonderful cultural diversity of Burnaby!
Credit: Rebekah Mahaffey

Great Edible Landscaping at Burnaby Village Museum!
Can you spot the kale?!
Credit: Rebekah Mahaffey

Burnaby's libraries are also getting in the spirit with two agricultural themed photo exhibitions:

• Bob Prittie Library (6100 Willingdon Avenue) / Summer's Bounty (until August 9)


• McGill Library (4595 Albert Street) / Close up in the Garden (until August 10)

It's going to be a great summer!

Review: Eat Your Greens Workshop

Thank you to all the participants who attended the 'Eat Your Greens' kids' workshop on June 3 at the Brentwood Resource Community Centre. A special thanks to the kids of all ages attending with their parents. Kids greeted the new recipes with much enthusiasm and participated in the fun, hands-on cooking lesson wholeheartedly.

Credit: Leanne Zmud

Maya Thau-Eleff facilitated this family cooking workshop and shared interesting tips and tricks to encourage kids to eat seasonal greens and healthy dishes. Some very happy mums and dads saw their little children heartily tucking in baby lettuce, chard, arugula, baby carrots, snap peas and more with the clever dips they prepared in the workshop.

Credit: A Lawrence

We would like to thank Vancity once again for sponsoring these workshops and 'Burnaby Meals on Wheels' for providing the space.



Keep checking out our website for upcoming interesting workshops. Burnaby Food First also welcomes new volunteers who would like to get involved in other ways. 

Pride Week Chili on CBC's Weekend Morning Show!

This morning I presented this chili on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Terry MacLeod.

Happy Pride Celebrations!

Photo by Karen
The chili will not be these bright colours at the end of cooking.

Pride Chili
 
1 kg ground beef (I used Halal beef, available at Millad�s Supermarket on Notre Dame and Halal Meats and Specialty Foods on Maryland)
2 red onions, thinly sliced
3 cups black eyed beans (cooked from dry, soak overnight)
1 chipotle pepper (can be purchased tinned) or 1 tsp dried
1 Queer beer (in Manitoba, Half Pint�s)
1/2 cup dark chocolate callates (chips)
3 cups chopped tomatoes (tinned, unsalted)
2 red or yellow pepper (large chopped)
1 cup corn (frozen or fresh)
1tsp cumin
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp dried chipotle peppers
1 head roasted garlic
2 tbs molasses
salt and pepper to taste. (I used Pink Himalayan, for pride colours)

Using a slow cooker is a nice way to make flavours intense and round them out. In a saut� pan, saut� one medium chopped onion. When caramelized, add to slow cooker. Brown the ground beef. Add to slow cooker. Put slow cooker on high setting. Add beans. If tinned, rinse thoroughly to remove tinny taste. Add tomatoes, pepper, cumin, cilantro, paprika, chipotle peppers, roasted garlic, molasses, and chocolate. Stir in well. Add beer. Cook through the day or overnight.  Blue Corn Tortillas or garnish with borage flowers.

Red - peppers, tomatoes, chilies
Orange - peppers
Yellow - peppers, corn
Green - Herbs
Blue - Garnish of borage flowers and corn tortillas
Violet - Purple onions

Additional colours represented are pink salt, brown meat and molasses, spices, black and white beans.

To make vegan chili, leave out the ground beef and add 1 cup bulgur in slow cooker.  It gives the look and texture of beef chili.

Enjoy!

Review of Winter 2014 and Spring 2015 Workshops!

Wow! Time has been flying by and the weather has been awesome. Here is an update of what has happened this late Winter and Spring with our workshops...thanks to everyone who participated in the workshops and to all the wonderful facilitators and volunteers who made the workshops great.

Edible Green Holiday Gifts for Kids Workshop - December 10, 2014: No photo available.

Healthy Eating Workshop - January 16, 2015: No photo available.

One Pot Cooking Workshop - March 5, 2015: No photo available.

Plan Your Garden Workshop with Kayla Gagne - April 18, 2015

Credit: Leanne Zmud

Eat Your Greens Workshopo with Maya Thau-Eleff - April 29, 2015

Credit: Leanne Zmud

Healthy Meal Planning with Susan Anbari - May 13, 2015

Credit: Leanne Zmud

Container Food Gardening with Kayla Gagne - May 14, 2015

Credit: Leanne Zmud

Growing Food in Containers with Kayla Gagne - May 20, 2015

Credit: Jennifer Lee

Make Friends with Bees Workshop with Jaycee Clarkson and Marika van Reeuwyk - June 1, 2015

Credit: Leanne Zmud

Want to be the first to hear about new workshops? Make sure to subscribe for updates on upcoming workshops or check back on our blog for announcements.



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Enjoy Burnaby Food First workshops? Want to get involved as a volunteer?



Check out all the great ways you can get involved. All are welcome, and we'd love to have you on board! For more information, send us an email.

Insulin Resistance Predicts a Variety of Age-related Diseases

In the last post, I reviewed a study by Gerald Reaven's group showing that insulin resistance strongly predicts the risk of cardiovascular disease over a 5-year period. In 2001, Reaven's group published an even more striking follow-up result from the same cohort (1). This study shows that not only does insulin resistance predict cardiovascular disease risk, it also predicts a variety of age-related diseases, including hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and even overall mortality risk.

Read more �

Chocolate Chip Cookie Toast with Ricotta and Raspberries

I�m THIRTY! I know a lot of people have meltdowns or get freaked out by turning the big three-oh, but I�m stoked! 


See ya later, twenties, you were fun, scary, crazy, confusing, sad, difficult, wild, adventurous, heartbreaking, lovely, and amazing. You were full of hard work, travel, new friends, goodbyes, and figuring it out. In my twenties I graduated college, lived alone, got my first adult job, got laid off, started a food blog, worked my ass off and tried to climb the corporate ladder, realized that maybe I don�t love climbing the ladder, wrote a novel in one month, got engaged, got married (!), became an aunt, watched friends get married and move away and come back and begin to welcome new little lives into the world (two this past week!). In my twenties I traveled to Mexico, Amsterdam, Belgium, Honduras, Tahiti, and Panama. I honeymooned in Hawaii, cruised in Alaska, and ate all the things in New York City. I ran three half marathons, and fell in love with hiking, carnitas, whiskey, and hoppy beer. I got over my fear and hatred of eggs. 

In my twenties, I said goodbye to my dad. I experienced incredible grief and loss, and learned about strength. I learned (and am still learning) to look for the beauty in life... even when it seems impossible.

I�m pretty excited for 30! What will I learn and celebrate? What challenges will I have? Who will I meet and where will I travel? Starting this new trip around the sun fills me with a sense of wonder and possibility that I don�t feel with every birthday. Thirty! 

But enough about that� you�re here for the food! I figured the best way to kick off the next decade of my life is with something totally silly and fun, but also grown-up and confident about its place in the world. COOKIE TOAST! I was thinking about the toast craze, and about how its trendy but for good reason�because if something is tasty on its own, there�s a really good chance it will be even better on top of toast! 
But cookies are perfect the way they are, right? Yes, true. I had that same thought... but then I crumbled up a few CCCs (these ones), and put them right on top of a crispy, slightly charred slice of French bread, with creamy ricotta, tart raspberries, lemon olive oil, a drizzle of honey, crunchy cocoa nibs, and a sprinkle of sea salt. I didn�t regret it. It�s not really even a recipe, but that�s ok. I think in your thirties you get to loosen up... you don't have to try so hard all the time! 
Chocolate Chip Cookie Toast with Ricotta and Raspberries  

Toast doesn�t really need a recipe�this makes as many toasts as you want, with as much of each ingredient as you desire. These are lightly sweet from the honey and cookies, but if you want more of a dessert-type sweet, stir a little powdered sugar into the ricotta. 

French bread or baguette, sliced 
Olive oil for toasting 
Ricotta 
Chocolate chip cookies 
Raspberries 
Lemon infused olive oil (or olive oil and a spritz of lemon juice) 
Honey 
Cocoa Nibs 
Flaky sea salt 

I like to grill my toast�which maybe makes it grilled bread instead of toast? Brush olive oil on bread, and cook on a hot grill or grill pan until just crispy and lightly charred. Top toasts with a ricotta, and drizzle with lemon infused olive oil and honey. Top with crumbled cookie pieces and raspberries, and sprinkle on cocoa nibs and flaky sea salt.