Monday, September 15, 2014

J is for Jalapena peppper

           
ABC Wednesday
September 17th, 2014
The letter is J - for Jalapena pepper

For the last dozen years the town of Keremeos has held 
Canada's only Sizzle Pepper Fest, - in September
when the peppers are hottest,
and the Jalapena is a great favourite.



This year's event takes place next Saturday.
It is free to the public and families enjoy a great day of fun, music and lots of food.

The day starts with a pancake breakfast, with musical entertainment,
and the music continues all during the day with various local
bands playing hot music.

Vendors offer pulled pork, Jamaican patties, fish and chips, burgers, enchiladas, tamales and other Mexican flavours, and an amateur chili cook-off starts serving at 11 a.m.

There is a hot sauce contest with celebrity judges with some of wine country's top chefs
as well as local sauciers entering their sauces.

But the main feature of the day is the Sear Factor Hot Pepper Eating Contest.

Behold - a video of last year's winning contestant!


     

For those not interested in eating the Jalapeno in its raw state
here is a very nice Cheddar and Jalapeno Biscuit Recipe.

Preheat your oven to 425F and in a large bowl whisk together one and one third cups of flour, one quarter cup of polenta or corn meal, three tablespoons of sugar, a half teaspoon
of salt, a pinch of cayenne pepper and two teaspoons of baking powder.

Stir in one and a quarter cups of grated cheddar cheese and two tablespoons of diced
fresh jalapenos (more or less to taste)

Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour 
three quarters of a cup plus two tablespoons of heavy cream.

With a light hand gently bring the ingredients together just until everything is wet enough so that the dough will be sticky and clumpy.  (Maybe you will have to add a few more drops of cream)

Turn the dough out on to a lightly flour surface, knead a few times,form it 
into a disc about three quarters of an inch thick, and cut round biscuit shapes out of the disk.

Brush the biscuits with a bit of cream and top them with a sprinkle of cheese.

Bake for eleven or twelve minutes until the cheese is nicely melted and the biscuits are golden!!!


Enjoy...

For more interesting Js visit here at ABC Wednesday, with
thanks to Roger and Denise and Jolly helpers.....




Sunday, September 14, 2014

What's on my camera today??

We are having a magnificent spell of warm September weather.  Cool at nights, and a kind and gentle warmth in the day time, - not summer's fierce heat - just perfect for finishing off a splendid apple crop - the sun to size the apples by day and the coolness of the nights to add colour.

I took a few pictures off my camera today, - some from a few  days ago, and a couple of still life pictures (part of an assignment to compose "family pictures" with objects that called the person depicted to mind.

Here is one that speaks a little about my Mother - a petit point picture that she did in later years when
she was confined to a wheelchair, but the picture is mainly about her wedding.


The silken ribbon that tied together her wedding bouquet, a dried rose and a bit of fern (more than ninety years old) her pearls, a random earring that she wore when I was young and one of my father's cuff links, but what I most treasure is the booklet containing the Marriage Certificate and the whole of the Marriage ceremony.

I have made a little list of other precious things I have and pictures that I can put together in remembrance, - my Grandmother's wedding ring and her gold watch, a fan belonging to a great aunt,
my Father's house thermometer that Charles kept always by his bed,  his medals and a couple of books.  Letters and snapshots and old sheet music - I am very enthused about this project.

There were garden pictures on my camera too.  Sunflowers and roses and
 yellow daisies in abundance








And family who came to visit after closing up their summer home, bring with them TimBits and a wonderful Salmon Ball made from freshly caught salmon caught in the waters off the Queen Charlottes  And crackers on which to spread the salmon!

What wasn't on my camera?  
Pictures of a pleasant afternoon spent at tea with the Royal Purple, 
celebrating their Centennial, - at which the Senior Singers sang, and everyone joined in, and it was just a perfect friendly small town affair.  When I get some pictures I will post them....