Fresh Cherry Tomato and Pesto Pasta Recipe

This is a great side that is not complicated to make.  It goes great with Italian food and you can turn it into a meal by putting roast chicken breast on top.  The recipe serves 4 and takes about 30 minutes to make.  10 minutes of prep and about 20 minutes to cook.  It is also a little festive with the red and green colour combination of the ingredients.

Fresh Cherry Tomato and Pesto Pasta

Fresh Tomato and Pesto Pasta Recipe
Ingredients:
	12ox (375g) Penne
	2 TBSP All-Purpose Flour
	2 Cups (500ml) milk
	1/3 Cup prepared Basil Pesto
	1/4 TSP Salt
	1/2 TSP Pepper
	2 Cups (500ml) Grape or Cherry Tomatoes, Halved
	1 TBSP Grated Parmesan Cheese
	Fresh Basil Leaves
Steps:
	1) In a large pot cook pasta as instructed on box
	2) In bowl or large measuring glass combine cold milk with flour; whisk together well.
	3) Drain pasta and return to pot on medium heat.  Add flour and milk mixture and pesto.
	4) Stir frequently and cook for 5 minutes or until sauce is thickened.
	5) Season with salt, pepper and add tomatoes; cook till hot throughout.
	6) Garnish on plate or serving dish with parmesan and basil leaves.
Serve hot and immediately.

Ingredients for Fresh Cherry Tomato and Pesto Pasta

Prep work completed

Step 3 and 4 - Pasta Cooking with Pesto and Flour and Milk mixutre

Step 5 - Adding Tomatoes to Pasta with the Sauce now thickened

The Finished Product

Substitutions and Additions:

• You can cut out the salt in the recipe; as the parmesan already has plenty.
• You can add sliced pieces of roasted chicken breast on top to make this side into a main.
•  For added color and saltiness add sliced cured black olives.
•  For a spicier pasta add a 1/2 tsp of chili flakes when adding the pesto. 

What I've learned in making this pasta:

• It tastes far better with freshly grated parmesan than parmesan from the tube.  Saying that parmesan from grated by the cheese counter does taste better than the tube as well.

• I can not tell the difference in parmesan from Canada and Italy.  So, I don't why people will pay 3x the price for the cheese. 

Thoughts, comments or suggestions?  Please add them below.

All-Inclusive Laughter - Observations from our Vacation to Mexico

Last week my wife and I enjoyed 7 days of fun in the Sun at a resort along the Mayan Riviera.  These are just some funny brain droppings and comments based on our experiences.

The Coati Welcoming Committee

How You Know You've Had Too Much at the Buffet:

I did not see this myself, but Mrs. Shopaholic swears it is true.  A slightly plus sized woman decided to take a nap on a hammock on the beach.  She wiggled and got comfortable and a few moments later she was reminded of the effects of gravity.  The hammock and her came tumbling down and she rear-ended the ground.  Smarting she grabbed her now swelling bottom and quickly disappeared.  The hammock had broken free from one of it's posts. 

Senor Sampson's Siesta Time 

How Some People Ruin the Fiesta:

• Went to go for a swim in the activity pool and found it surrounded by yellow caution tape.  Apparently an 'enfant terrible' dookied in the pool.  The funnier thing is that while talking to the lifeguard a couple of tourists jumped into the pool.  Apparently a pool with nobody in it and nobody sitting around it in the middle of the afternoon is not hint enough.  The fact that they went under the caution tape just shows how people's brains also go on vacation.
• The resort has many polite signs near the bars reminding people to drink in moderation and that the resort is run in a manner of mutual respect. Some people didn't get the memo of course.  The swim up bar also was surrounded in caution tape one afternoon.  Apparently, a lady guest had too much tequila and shared it with the pool.
• Even Canadians can be jerks on vacation. We did a long day trip to see Chichen Itza and we got on and off the bus several times.  The entire bus had to wait for the same 3 jerks who managed to be 15 minutes late back on the bus 3 times in a row.  The 4th time they took a hint; because people complained and booed at them as they got on the bus.  They took the hint and were first back on the bus next.  
• Well I wasn't going to ruin the fiesta here.  But, remember when you were a kid and you wanted to be 'Big' to go on a ride.  This was a really nice water park for kids.

Kids Water-park

Ted Moseby Disorder:

I'm not the most anal person when it comes to spelling and grammar, but I found some of these mislabelings at the buffet and on the bar menu humorous.  Unlike Mr. Moseby I did not raise them with management or take out a marker to correct them.

• Singapore Sing - Some truth in this cocktail name. But, I think it is suppose to be Sling.
• Fuzzy Navle - Per Wiktionary a Navle is the old norse word for navel.  Someone needs to update their spell check.  
• Yohurt - At the breakfast buffet they had whole area dedicated to yogurt and a toppings bar.  They had it spelled right to for all the other flavors but vanilla.  Maybe, if you are lactose intolerant this one will hurt more. 
• Canberry Juice - I can and so can you juice.  A great way to start your morning.

Fun with Towels:

We left a few dollars everyday to the maid to show our appreciation for doing a great job cleaning our room. She said 'gracias' with these cute critters:

The Towel Elephant in the Room

Peter with a real Cotton Tail

Coati

Tips on Dinner Parties

My wife (Ms. Shopaholic) and I love having friends over for dinner parties.  We try to have company over once a month and with practice has only gotten easier and more enjoyable over time. On a more than a few occasions I have made some mistakes and have learned from them.  So, these are just some of my thoughts on how to throw a good soirée and stress a little less.  If you are looking for more tips, rules on table setting and guidance on making a menu I suggest reading the 'Entertaining' section of the Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer.

Some tips:

1. Plan out a menu a few days beforehand and see what ingredients you already have in the house.  Then make a grocery list for what you need.  (I have assumed that I had staples like brown sugar, garlic and chickpeas and the cupboard was bare. I had to make an emergency run to Rabba.) 
2. Shopping the day of or the night before best works.  Fresh herbs, meat and produce can make dishes taste a lot better.  Make sure you strike off the list and get everything you need. (I have left the store forgetting one ingredient before and had to run back out.)
3. Consider making 1 or 2 dishes that you can have substantially completed well before your guests arrive.  Some appetizers, dips, salads, or soups can be made well ahead and taste great.  (Working on 3 or 4 dishes simultaneous can make a busy and stressed chef.)
4. Never try a recipe or style of cooking you never done before for guests. It is just more stressful as you don't know what you are expecting.  (I completely got it wrong kitchen timing wise years ago when I did a roasted leg of lamb.)  I have found third time is often the charm when preparing recipes.  The first time you get the idea,  second time you work out the kinks and the third time you know what you are doing.
5. Divide up dishes or tasks with your spouse and discuss it beforehand.  Too many chefs spoil the broth and leads to arguments.  Your guests don't want to walk in to a house where the hosts are visibly distressed.  (I know couples who refuse to entertain because they can't work well together in this regard.)
6. Determine a dinner time.  A good rule of hand is an hour or hour half after you expect your guests to arrive.  Gives your guests a chance to be late and you can always have some wine and appetizers. Start the evening off with some good conversation.  Than work backwards from that time.  Write it out on paper, so you know when to put dishes on.  (I have had meals where something is drying out and another dish is not even half done.)
7. Do the prep work well before hand.  Have produce washed, meat marinating, pots and pans at the ready, and quantities of ingredients measured.  (With more little things done you can spend more time with your guests and less stressed.) 
8. Have the table set and ready to go hours before your guests arrive.  It makes them feel both welcome and again lets you have yet another task done. (Just saves again on stress.) 
9. Wear your apron with pride and get a nice one. Invariably something is going to splatter and stain your clothes when cooking.  I normally cook in old clothes and have my good clothes set aside for the evening and get dressed shortly before company is expected.  With apron proudly on I finish the meal. 
10. Have some background music picked out before and next to the stereo.  I like to create an atmosphere with classic Jazz such as Miles Davis for dinner parties. 

The most important rule:

Laugh!  If something goes wrong... Laugh.  Don't panic, flip out or profusely apologize.  If you have booze, and bread and butter your guest will survive for a bit.  If it is a true cooking disaster order in pizza.   I've had to delay dinner serving cocktail peanuts, grapes and potato chips.  Shh...  It happens!  If you are easy going than everyone still can have a positive memorable time.

Any good suggestions or tips that I'am missing?  Please share them below.

The Recipes So Far

Ms. Shopaholic and I are on vacation this week and just like a sit-com I'm providing a clip show of my recipes so far:

French Potato and Onion Soup

Soups:

1. French Potato and Onion Soup
2. Carrot & Parsnip Soup with Fresh Basil
3. Tex Mex Black Bean Soup
4. White Cannellini Bean Soup

Salads:

1. Creamy Cucumber Salad
2. Tomato and Chick Pea Salad

Spicy Bucatini with Bacon

Mains:

1. Slow Cooker Carbonnade Beef Pot Roast
2. Spicy Bucatini with Bacon

Sides:

1. Tex Mex Corn Bread Muffins
2. Currywurst Sauce

Have you tried any of these recipes?  Have a favorite one? Please tell me below.

Toronto Maple Leafs: A look to the Future

This is the final installment of my 6 part blog entries discussing my favorite NHL team.  I wanted to understand how the Leafs became the team that they are now.  This article looks to the future and some of the decisions President and General Manager David Nonis has to make.  The Leafs are now 11-7-1 after the first 19 games.  They are currently tied for 5th in their conference with the Washington Capitals and would be in the play-offs.  They still have 63 games to play and Mar 5, 2014 deadline date is still far away. They will likely improve once Kadri comes off his 3 game suspension and Bozak returns from injury.

The hope for the future:

What has changed dramatically since Brian Burke first took the job and continuing with David Nonis is the increased skill and depth of the Toronto Maple Leafs.  The Leafs in the past carried several bad contracts with players who suffered from the 'Blue & White' disease.  The decks have been cleared and the Leafs only carry one dog of a contract with John-Michael Liles who is getting paid $3.875M until 2015-16 to play defense for the Marlies.  Two more buyouts (Darcy Tucker and Colby Armstrong) are coming off the books this year which will free up $2M in cap space.  The $500K of retained salary from the Bernier for Matt Frattin and Ben Scrivens will also come off the books.  For the first time in more than the decade the Leafs look like an annual play-off team and the majority of players are young or in their prime.  The oldest Maple Leaf is Colton Orr at 31 years of age.  

The Leafs also would be in the play-offs and now have two goalies that are capable of stealing games and are 3rd overall in save percentage 93.6%.  They have a top 6 offense that has several players on pace for more than 25 goals and the power play is currently 6th overall and is effective 21.7% of the time. The Leafs are first overall in shot percentage at 10.8% and play a fast and assertive game and have shown the ability to wear-down opposing teams.  A key thing needed for the playoffs.  They have a defense that is capable of making the first pass out of the zone and contributing on the power play.  They also have a penalty kill that is ranked 11th overall and is effective at 84.1% of the time.  In the prior season they were second in penalty killing and were ranked high as 3rd until they lost Bozak and Bolland to injury.  So, the Leafs appear to be on firm ground with goaltending, offense and special teams.

What they need to become truly dominant: 

The holes remain on defense, face-offs and the clutch will to win.  Lets start with face-offs and defense.  The Leafs are missing is a bonafide #1 center like a Toews, Getzlaf, Crosby, H Sedin, P. Bergeron, etc that can win big face-offs and play both ends of the rink.  The Leafs are currently ranked 25th with a 45.7% face-off percentage and this trending downwards as their best face-off man Bozak is injured.  The majority of teams who also have such a center have drafted them and developed them; which does not bode well with the Leafs who are likely to be able to draft in the top 5 anytime soon.  If the Leafs were to improve there face-off percentage to a middling  50%, it would increased their puck possession and save them from 2 to 4 shots on their goal and give 2 to 4 more shots at the other end. Thus improve their odds in winning games, especially tight games.

The other is 5 on 5 defense and playing clutch situations.  The Leafs lack a shut-down defensemen that is capable of stopping the star players in the league.  A player such as Shea Webber, Zdeno Chara, Nicolas Kronwall, Drew Doughty, etc.  Just like a premier center; a stud NHL defensemen are typically drafted and take time to develop.  It is rare that they are available as UFAs and by trade it would be expensive.  As for clutch we saw Boston Bruins comeback from a 2 goal deficit to win against the Leafs in game #7 in the first round of last year's play-offs.  I was amazed at how well Boston played and it seemed that the Leafs were flat footed.  Lupul has shown the ability to be a game breaker with some timely goals and so has Bolland when he played for Chicago Blackhawks.  We need to have more players step-up there game at both ends of the rink in those one goal games and overtimes.  Saying all this, the Leafs roster can go backwards if not well manged with all the players contracts who are ending this season.  Also, Nonis has only 7 games of Leaf playoff hockey to evaluate players the majority of players. 

A Busy David Nonis:

The Toronto Maple Leafs only have 12 players signed for next season and have committed payroll of $44M per Capgeek.  It is estimated that the salary cap will rise to approx $70M leaving the Leafs to sign 11 players for $26M.  Nonis has already demonstrated shrewd negotiating resigning Kadri for a 2 year $2.9M a season contract extension well below $5M deals some other young forwards have signed.  Similarly, Franson who wanted a raise to $4M a season multi-year deal was signed for $2M one year deal.  What is particularly concerning is 5 of 8 defensemen are in need of signing.  The top 6 for the Leafs are signed, but the bottom 6 are mostly headed to unrestricted free agency.  

Expiring Maple Leaf Contracts:

Forwards:

C Dave Bolland (UFA), Nikolai Kulemin (UFA), Jay McClement (UFA), Mason Raymond (UFA), Carter Ashton (RFA), Troy Brodie (UFA), and Jerred Smithson (UFA)

Defense:

Dion Phaneuf (UFA), Cody Franson (RFA), Mark Fraser (UFA), Paul Ranger (UFA), Jake Gardiner (RFA)

Goalie:

James Reimer (RFA)

Top Decisions for Nonis and Management Team:

1) Sign or Trade Dion Phaneuf and his expiring $6.5M contract.  Is he worth signing at $7+ million for several more years?  Can Franson, Gardiner or Rielly grow as players and takes his 23+ minutes a game?

2) After Phaneuf there are 4 more defensemen to sign and Franson is fighting for a significant raise.   Has Paul Ranger proved himself an NHL level player after his 3 year absence for personal reasons?  He continues to improve, as does Gardiner and Rielly. 

3) A bonafide #1 Centre, the Leafs have not had a true #1 center since Mats Sundin.  Bozak and Bolland are both solid second line centers when healthy.  Kadri continues to learn, but his weakness remains both face-offs and defense.  Do the Leafs go after Joe Thornton (34) who is the best UFA center available this coming summer?  Other notable Centers who will be UFA's Patrick Marleau (34) and Paul Stastny (28).  Although I doubt San Jose will let either player go to free agency.  (Sportsnet has a good article on 2014 UFAs.)

4) Determine who is Toronto's future starting goaltender Bernier or Reimer?  Keep both for another season or trade a goalie for another need such as a shutdown defensemen or a high draft pick.  Reimer will want a raise on his $1.8M salary and something at least comparable to Berner's $2.9M.  You can see that the $26M could used up quickly.

 5) Jay McClement and the bottom 6.  Jay McClement the Leafs 3rd/4th Line center is a penalty kill and defensive specialist.  One of the best signings of Brian Burke, the leafs had the second best penalty kill in the league in 2012-2013 at 87.9%.  In the season prior to signing of Jay McClement they had 3rd worst penalty kill of 77.3%.  McClement will want a raise on his $1.5M and Kulemin continues to play solid defensive minutes but may want to test free agency, and  lastly Mason Raymond is making Vancouver regret not resigning him. Raymond has 11 points in 17 games playing mostly third lines minutes.  This leaves the bottom 3 including Colton Orr and Marlies/NHL journeymen.  Which players are best to keep on the cheap and can step into replacing injured players and suspensions?

Last Words:

I don't envy David Nonis and management who are going to have to make these decisions and they could very easily keep the same roster, but be spending at the cap.  Having some cap space also gives flexibility to make trades and emergency signings for long-term injuries.  These decisions will play out during the year and I imagine during the Olympic break we'll start seeing movement on both player signings and trades.  What could be most helpful of all is now Toronto is a winning team and David Clarkson actually took less money to become a Leaf than to play elsewhere.  So, hopefully more players will be willing to get paid for a little less to have the opportunity to play on an Original 6 team in a hockey mad city.

I think I'm now past the hope stage and coming to expect success from my Leafs.  With this roster and goaltending we should be able to finish around 4/5 in our conference and make it past the first round of the playoffs.  So, I'll continue to watch and maybe I'll go out in public wearing my Blue & White jersey.  I have not worn that in years.  The future looks good.  Brian Burke looks like he built a winning foundation.

Comments? Thoughts?  An armchair GM suggestion?  Please write them below.

November Fun: Toronto Gourmet Food & Wine Expo

This year my wife and I will not be attending the Food & Wine show as we are on vacation, but we have many fond memories of attending this annual Toronto event.  So, if you are looking for something fun to do this Friday to Sunday than this is a great event to attend.  For the specific details see their official website: http://www.foodandwineexpo.ca/sitepages/

Toronto Gourmet Food & Wine Expo:

My wife and I with friends have attended this annual event probably 6 times in the last 10 years.  Every year we had a fun afternoon out and learnt something.  We have tried wines from around the world, micro-breweries, limited batch liquors and spirits.  We have had the opportunity to talk to vintners, brew-masters and owners about their product and learn what makes them special.  It is just great away to try new things, better appreciate what you already enjoy and maybe get some present ideas for the upcoming holidays.  Many years ago I learnt that I have a fondness of Port and it now is a regular holiday treat for me.

They also have a food section where you can try small portions of gourmet food from various Toronto restaurants and bakeries.  I have happy memories of trying Buddha Dogs, gourmet sliders, fancy cheeses, and fanciful appetizers.  There are also other vendors offering chocolate and various mouth watering desserts.

Friends and I at the 2009 Gourmet Food & Wine Expo

It is an expensive day and on food and drink you could easily spend $75 a person. It costs $25 a ticket and you can easily spend $50 on drink tickets and food.  If you are even more adventurous you can sign up for Tutored Tastings which start at $65 and require a reservation..  They also have live cooking shows amd performances by local visual artists and musicians.  I would suggest attending one to give your feet a break from the carpeted concrete floors.  You can easily spend 4 hours in the main hall and I suggest bring friends to compare notes.  Cheers!

My Advice for Getting the Most out of the Day:

• Get to the Metro Convention Center early afternoon on the Saturday or Sunday as it only gets more crowded as the day progresses.  Also, you will avoid longer lines up during the day as they try to control the numbers in the hall.
• Ask questions and try to talk to people that look over 30 working the booths.  Some of the wineries and vendors hire temps to work the booths and they are not that knowledgeable about their product. Sometimes you are talking a winery owner or wine master and you will learn more about the product and get a few extra free tastes.
• Brink a small notepad and a pen.  Right down the products you most enjoy.  Some places do have tasting cards to take with you as well. 
• Take public transit so you don't have to worry about the elephant in the room.  You can easily take the Skywalk from Union Station to get to the South Building of the Metro Convention Center.
• Use the coat check as it gets very hot in the convention room.
• Keep hydrated, they have many fountains around the hall.
• Where comfortable footwear as the carpeted concrete and standing around will tire out your feet.
• Try some of the various cheeses, appetizers and desserts from around the hall.  It is not just about the booze.
• Try to behave better than our Mayor.

Do you like this Toronto Event? Something fun you learned?  Any good tips? Please share them below.

From Maple Laffs to Maple Leafs: The Kessel Trade

This is the 5th installment of now a 6 part series.  The more I learn the more I want to write about my favorite NHL Team.  The 6th installment will be the last for awhile and it is already typed in draft on the Future of the Leafs.  I will do periodic updates as the Leafs progress during the season.   I have written 4 installments and have yet discussed the biggest and most controversial story in Leafs nation the last few years.  

Brian Burke and Phil Kessel - Sept 19, 2009

The Controversial Trade!

On September 18th, 2009 during pre-season Brian Burke traded with the Boston Bruins for Phil Kessel in exchange for 1st Round Pick in 2010 and 2011, and a 2nd round pick in 2010.  This was an enormous trade in the end because the 2010 1st round pick would be 2nd overall pick and Boston would select C Tyler Seguin, a forward that is projected to become a premier center. After 3 full seasons he has continued to develop both offensively and defensively has 16 points in 17 games now for the Dallas Stars.  He's on pace for 77 points and getting first line minutes.  His maturity has come into question in the Boston media and he was traded by Boston last off-season winger for Loui Eriksson. One key weakness is his face-off percentage which is 38.3% and far worse than any current Leaf center.  The other first round pick is Dougie Hamilton (2011 - 9th overall) who is developing into a solid two-way defensemen and is getting 2nd pairing minutes.  He is also getting the opportunity to play with Norris Trophy winner Zdeno Chara for some shifts.  The other pick is RW Jared Knight (2010- 32nd overall) who is currently playing in the minors.  He is now playing his first season for Boston's farm team and he is projected to be 3rd/4th liner in the NHL.

Tyler Sequin

In hindsight Brian Burke has said that he did not expect the Maple Leafs to have such a bad season.  Thus, he did not expect that he would be trading a 2nd overall pick, he expected that it to be mid first round.   If the Leafs had finished just outside the playoffs like they did the following season the Bruins would have picked somewhere 8th and 14th.  Than the Bruins would have had the opportunity to draft C Alexander Burmistov (8th overall - 194GP - 23G 35A), F Mikael Granlund (9th overall - 46GP - 4G 16A), F Dylan McIlrath (10th overall - 0GP), G Jack Campbell (11th overall, 1 GP no points), D Cam Fowler (12th overall - 215GP, 18G 71A), D Brandon Gormley (13th overall -0GP), and C Jaden Schwartz (14th overall - 68GP 12G 13A).  No stand-out great players and some have not even played in the NHL after 3 full seasons.  If this had occurred there would have been no controversy at all.


What did happen during the 2009-2010 season the Leafs started with 0-7-1 record the worst Leaf start since 1917.  Leafs were horrible on offense, defense and in net, finishing with a conference worst 74 points. Only the Edmonton Oilers played worst. Key Burke signings such as Beauchemin and Komisarek did not provide good defense.  This was also a season filled with injuries for the Leafs.  Goalie Vesa Toskala was chased out of town.  Brian Burke has also said that he wanted to bottom-out the Leafs and rebuild the team by the draft.  He was ordered by Leafs board to put a good product on the ice and Burke tried his best via trade and signing undrafted college (T Bozak, C Hanson, and B Irwin ) and European players (J Gustavsson and R Wallin). Only Bozak turned out to be a good player for the Leafs. 

Was this a Good Trade?

The best deals it is said both sides come out happy.  Boston went on to win the cup in 2011 and was able to replace at RW with Nathan Horton by trade with the Florida Panthers.  Seguin had success as RW with the Bruins, but was young and they wanted a more mature player and traded with for Loui Eriksson a winger capable of 60 to 70 points a season.  For Toronto we got Phil Kessel a fast offensive winger that has steadily improved every year as a Leaf.  It also have the Leafs a star player to market the team around and an exciting player to watch.

Total Goals and Points by the NHL's Top Wingers from 2009-2010 season to lock-out Shortened 2013 season: 

Player	Games	Goals	Points
1) Ovechkin, A	277	152	315
2) Perry, C	288	129	270
3) Marleau, P*	294	128	251
4) Iglina, J	290	121	255
5) Kovalchuk, I**	271	120	259
6) Kessel, P	282	119	253
7) Gaborik, M	267	117	237
8) Nash, R	277	116	234
9) Sedin, D	264	112	296
10) Ryan, B	291	111	222
11) Neal, J	277	110	217
12) Vanek, T	267	106	228
13) Kane, P	284	103	282
14) Semin, A	259	102	236
14) St. Louis	289	102	327
15) Hossa, M	243	95	222
16) Parise, Z	224	90	195

* Marleau who also plays center, normally plays LW to C Joe Thornton or C Logan Couture.
** 'Retired' at 30 from the NHL to play in Russia. 

Phil Kessel is among elite company as he is #6 for the last 4 seasons in terms of goals by winger and 9th overall for points.  In 2011-2012 he surpassed a point per game pace with the addition of LW Joffrey Lupul and has continued to have success with either Lupul or James van Riemsdyk on the other wing.  His success also is primarily with center Tyler Bozak who is not a premier center.  Majority of other wingers in the top 15 have a premier center feeding them the puck.  Lastly, Kessel is only 26 years old, which means he's just coming into his prime.  It is is possible that he could with good line-mates win the Rocket Richard Trophy.

Dougie Hamilton as the Muppet "Beaker"

Comparatively, Tyler Sequin in 220 games has scored 63 goals and 74 assists for a 137 points.  This is trending upwards and Sequin is now centering the top line in Dallas and playing with quality winger Jamie Benn.  Dougie Hamilton has played 57 games and scored 8 goals and 14 assists for 22 points to date.  With Sequin's emergence as the top center for a young Dallas Stars team and Dougie Hamilton's continued progress as a second pairing defensemen. He also happens to be 6ft5; a good size for a potential shutdown defensemen.  In my opinion the Leafs in the near term won this trade.  But, over the long-term the Leafs may have really lost this trade.  As a #1 center is still what the Leafs need and a defensive defensemen this season. 

In Conclusion:

Part of me wishes that the Leafs never made this trade and did what Burke had suggested and bottom-out. Just like Buffalo Sabers are doing right now and trading away older players to get first round picks and younger players.  Seguin and Hamilton would look pretty good in a Leafs uniform this season and probably even better as they develop into their mid-twenties.  Burke was able to find wingers in both Lupul and van Riemsdyk without costing the Leafs any star players.  Also, the Leafs would have been worse and may have gotten higher in the draft and got potentially better players.  It is hard to complain about this trade as Kessel has become an elite right winger and few players have had his scoring success.  This debate could just end if the Leafs have a couple deep postseasons.  *sigh* That would be nice.  At least we are no longer the laughing stock of the NHL.  

My next and last blog in this series is about the future of the Leafs. See it next.

Your thoughts?  Would you rather have Beaker on your team?  Add your comments below.

3 Helpful Kitchen Appliances

I can not believe how many different kitchen appliances and gadgets exist.   It was mind boggling the last time I walked through Home Outfitters.  Did you know that you can get containers to keep fresh almost every type of vegetable?  How many different appliances there are to make a grilled cheese or Panini.  You can't use a frypan, that would be too easy.  Boil an egg you must have an egg boiler.  How did Grandma manage to get food on the table?

If you are like us than cupboard and counter space is at a premium, and you have to be careful with your kitchen purchases.  The following are 3 kitchen appliances that have helped reduce my guesswork in the kitchen and my stress.  They have proven worthy of the cupboard space they consume.  We use them regularly, they are easy to wash and involve little or no assembly.

Digital Kitchen Scale:

Countless recipes measure ingredients in grams, ounces, pound and kilograms.  Eliminate the guess work and get a digital kitchen scale.  It is so quick to use and with the tare function you can weigh in a bowl or measuring glass.  We bought a Polder Brand kitchen scale that can handle up to 3 kilograms years ago and was well worth the $20 we spent.  The one we have uses 3 AAA batteries and I think I have changed them once in 5 years.

Digital Kitchen Scale

The kitchen scale has also allowed us to buy meat in bulk and then use the scale to portion out sizes into freezer bags for our favorite recipes.   If we need a pound of ground beef for a recipe it is there for us.     

Hand Blender:

My wife grew up in a home where soup was frequently part of lunch or dinner especially in the colder months.   Whereas I always had the convenience of reaching for a can of Campbell's soup and throwing it in a saucepan and a box of saltine crackers.   After years of her suggesting we make soups we finally did and we tried to puree it in our blender.  You have to transfer the soup in batches, and It was a real pain and just more dishes to wash.    

A friend suggested a hand blender and we have not looked back.  We bought a $40 Cuisineart as it was the least expensive and it is really easy to wash.   If you want to make vegetable puree/cream soups it is so easy to just blend in the pot.  I also use it to make hummus and other smooth dips. 

Hand Blender

The one caveat is I have gone through two Cuisineart hand blenders because the motor has a tendency to overheat and melt the drive shaft plastic coupling.  Thankfully, I had the receipt and the Bay has no hassle returns.  So, I have learned that you have to blend for a minute at a time and let the motor cool for a minute before continuing.  Now we regularly eat homemade soups and they taste far better than anything out of the can.  A lot healthier too.

Digital Meat Thermometer:

This little piggy loves Roast Beef and prefers it medium rare.  This piggy is also a cannibal and loves roast pork as well.  When I first started cooking I was reluctant to cook large pieces of meat because I wanted to do it perfectly.  Large cuts of meat are expensive and I do not want to undercook it and make my guests sick or overcook and dry-out dinner.  This meat thermometer has taken out the guess work for me and with its long probe is great for roasts.   You can see the temperature and you have a alarm to tell you when it is getting close to cooked.  This thermometer is my second by the same company and I got it from Canadian Tire.  The probe will go after several years and you can buy a replacement  or a few dollars more a whole new thermometer.  I think I paid last time $25.

As a present from me to me years ago I went out and bought the fanciest wireless meat thermometer on the market.  Not only could it only tell me what temperature the meat was, it could do it in 6 languages and a 100 feet away.   So, I could be sitting in another room and keep an eye on dinner.  The darn thing took several reboots to work the both times I wanted to use it. It could not pick up the wireless signal from the meat probe and it was a waste of time getting the darn thing to work.  I suspect that there were too many other wireless signals causing interference from our condo neighbors.  My advice is if you decide to the bells & whistles model you make sure the store has a good return policy.  I got my money back and the salesperson was surprised because they loved the one they used at their house.  

Do you have a kitchen appliance you can't live without?  How about one that you haven't used more than once?  Add your comments below.

Fun Facts - Zie Germans

Continuing in my things that I learned today vein.  These are just some facts that I have read recently or came up on a TV episode of QI about the German language and Germany.

German word for Tramp Stamp:

German slang for tramp stamp is Arschgeweih, which translates as ass antlers.  I just found that amusing.

Tramp Stamp Inspector and Antler Aficionado

Playing the Hitler Card:

Have you ever been in a discussion group or a long argument and someone inappropriately brings up the Third Reich? Godwin's Law states: "As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1." I have seen this many of times in the comments section of the Globe and Mail with cyber trolls.  On TV Fox news pundits have made a habit of this over the years, particularly Glenn Beck.  Obama suggests properly inflating your tires to save on gas and thus reduce CO2 emissions.  Obama telling us what to do, how dare he!  He's just like Hitler.  The intention of the creator Mike Godwin was to suggest people think a little harder about comparing anything to the Holocaust.

Zugzwang:

Another fun German word to say with no English equivalent is zugzwang.  It's typically used in playing chess and it means to weaken one's position by having to move.  In chess you are required to move and can not pass on your turn.  Often as the game wears on, you will have to move a piece wrecking a defended position.

With German Efficiency, I found a better way to win at Chess.

Slow Cooker Carbonnade Beef Pot Roast

This recipe is a modification of a Belgian Beef Stew and is perfect for dinner on a cold Winter's day.  This recipe combines a few of my favorite things beef, beer and bacon.   The recipe takes about 45 minutes of prep time and about 8 hours in the crock pot.  I suggest serving this pot roast on bed of mashed potatoes and it makes excellent leftovers as a hot open face sandwich.  This recipe serves about 8 hungry adults and I suggest serving it with dark beer or a bold red wine. 

Carbonnade Beef Pot Roast served on bed of Mashed Potatoes

Slow Cooker Carbonnade Beef Pot Roast
Ingredients:
	4 Slices Bacon, thinly sliced
	2 TBSP (30ml) Butter
	4 Sweet Onions, thinly sliced
	1 Cup (250ml) Brown Ale or Porter Beer
	1 TBSP (15ml) packed Light Brown Sugar
	5 Cloves Garlic, Minced
	1/2 TSP Salt
	1/2 TSP Pepper
	3 lbs (1.35kg) Beef Pot Roast (Top, or bottom blade, or Crossrib)
	1/2 Cup (125ml) Sodium-Reduced Beef Broth
	3 TBSP Cornstarch
Steps:  (Note onions can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
	1) In a large fry-pan, cook bacon pieces over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 4 minutes.  Remove bacon pieces and set aside in paper towel to remove excess grease.  Remaining bacon fat drain from fry-pan in to an empty can and discard.
	2) In same fry-pan now add 2 TBSP of butter and let melt at medium-high heat.  Add thinly sliced onions and let cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
	3) Add brown sugar and beer; cook, stirring occasionally , until no liquid remains and onions are golden brown on medium heat.  This takes 30 to 35 onions.  (You are caramelizing the Onions.)  Stir in bacon pieces at the end.
Steps: (Making the Roast)
	4) In a large bowl combine minced garlic, salt and pepper.  Take beef roast and dry with paper towels.  Add roast to bowl and rub with seasonings.
	5) Add roast to crock pot.  Pour Onions/Bacon mixture on top of roast.  Add beef broth.
	6) Set crock put on low and cook for 7 to 8  hours, until beef is tender.
	7) Remove roast from pan and set on cutting board.  Tent with aluminum foil for 10 minutes prior to slicing.  Leave beef juices in crock pot to make gravy.
	8) Turn crock pot to high.  In a cup mix 1/2 cup of cold water with 3 TBSP Cornstarch.  Add to crock pot.  Whisk gravy and cook for 10 minutes on high until gravy has thickened.
	9) Serve beef as 1 cm thick slices with gravy poured on top.  I suggest serving it on top of a bed of mashed potatoes.

Leftovers will keep easily 3 days in the refrigerator.  I suggest storing the gravy and beef separately, reheating separately for the tastiest leftovers. 

Ingredients for Slow Cooker Beef Carbbonade

Steps 2 and 3: Making Caramelized Onions

Step 3: Onions are cooked down and now Caramelized

Step 4: Seasoned Roast in the Crock Pot

Step 5: Roast in the Crock Pot covered in Caramelized Onions and Bacon

Step 9: Roast after cooling 10 minutes and prior to Cutting

The Finished Product

What I've learned in making this stew:

• Beef slow cooked in juices over a long period of time comes out very similar to pulled pork; it just falls apart in a good way.
• The caramelizing of the onions (step 1 to 3) can be used as a topping in other recipes such as on burgers, sausages, steak or on back-bacon sandwiches.

Comments, thoughts or suggestions?  Please add them below.