BloggerAids Culinary Olympics..the Round up N-Z

As we all sat down to cheer on the last of the competitors in these thrilling 2010 Olympic games in Vancouver, Canada, Giz and I thought we should celebrate to the fullest extent as we rallied behind our athletes from our individual countries! Thank you to all who entered the BloggerAid-Changing the Face of Famine Culinary Olympics. We strapped on our aprons with knives and tongs in hand and set out to represent unity and sportsmanship with what we do best...food. This is what the Olympics are all about.

We were very proud to see everyone excited about representing their own countries, and waving their flags and cheering. I think we all found it was impossible to define in one key stroke or spread of the knife any one single dish we felt represented our individual countries, but, represent you did with delicious foods from around the world. We all have much to offer. Here’s to us!

Visit Giz at Equal Opportunity Kitchen for the first half of the Culinary Olympics with countries from A -M.

NIGERIA

Kitchen Butterfly

One of the first on the podium is Oz representing Nigeria with pride with her Chocolate-Filled Plantain Gnocchi with Chillies.

Chocolate-Filled Plantain Gnocchi

Just to get your imagination going she combined sweet plantains, ‘tempered’ with diced red chillies, and gently kneaded to form a soft dough. Then rolled out, cut up and stuffed with dark chocolate and set them in a sea of strawberry sauce with Matcha cream. And just for the record, some baby kiwis. Thank you Oz!!!

SOUTH AFRICA

Will Work for Biltong

This is Adele's second entry representing her homeland South Africa expertly with a gold medal dish Biltong and Ricotta Ravioli with Sage Butter. See her previous entry under Australia.

Biltong Ravioli

Adele says, "One food that is uncompromisingly South African, and which all South Africans crave when in another country, is biltong. Mostly we eat biltong as is, usually while watching the cricket, maybe washed down with a beer. You can also have it on sandwiches or in a salad. I have even seen biltong sushi, and pizza with a biltong topping.
SPAIN

The Winter Guest

Miriam represents Spain very well with her medal dish Grandma Libia's Homemade Croquetas.

Grandma Libia's Homemade Croquetas

Croquetas are comfort food at its best and common to all Spanish regions. They are also served as a tapa everywhere. Miriam says, "The way I prepare croquetas is my mother's, it's understood. And she learnt it from my grandmother. If you have them for dinner, you should be in your pijamas already, like if you were kids... ;-). Just imagine your mother has just made them for you!!!!!"

Spanish Recipes

Our friend Nuria from the Catalonia region of Spain brings us Xató.

This medal winning rich salad is made out of curled endive, desalted cod, olives, anchovies preserved in olive oil and a delicious sauce similar to Romesco and Salvitxada that has many variations. It's a seasonal salad ; normally consumed during the cold first months of the year and especially during Carnival celebrations.


UNITED STATES

Health Nut

Entering from the United States Yasmeen has brought her winning dish of Cranberry Chicken\Turkey Satay and Cranberry Falafel Lollies.

Cranberry Chicken\Turkey Satay and Cranberry Falafel Lollies

Yasmeen says, "Very close to the home of Winter Olympics 2010,Vancouver Canada, is Richmond that is also home to one of the largest group of Cranberry farms( more than 60 family-owned farms). What better fruit than healthy versatile cranberries, to honor the winter games and the Cranberry farmers of the region.

Lipsmacking Goodness

Lori stood proudly on the podium with her Turkey and Multibean Chili.

Turkey and Multibean Chili

Lori says, "America certainly is a melting pot. I like that it is, especially when it comes to food. So many spices and different foods are available here. So for a foodie, the grocery store is a candy store."

Eat, Love, Travel

Sandy represented the USA with this medal-winning recipe for Appalachian Apple Cakes, adapted from Mark Sohn and his book Appalachian Home Cooking: History, Culture, and Recipes.

She says, "I wanted a recipe that reflected some type of traditional cooking or baking. I felt that there wasn't anything more traditional than the down home mountain baking which occurs in Appalachia. And secondly I wanted to bring attention to hunger in the US. As we all know it's not just 3rd world countries who experience poverty and hunger."


A HUGE thank you to all the culinary althletes. The games are now over but we are happy that spectators and athletes alike came to visit . It was the moment to show people, that even if you weren’t in the stadium, you were part of the Olympic Games in Vancouver. We enjoyed your stay. Thank you!!!!
 
One final reminder of the H2Ope for Haiti raffle. It is nearing an end so if you haven't already done so please take the time to purchase a ticket and you may win one of many fabulous prizes!!!
 
 

Pancake Day...Sweet Potato Curried Latkes

 

Sweet Potato Curried Latkes

Today is Pancake Day and the day before Lent. Let's celebrate!!!! Shrove Tuesday is often referred to as "Pancake Day" because perishables like eggs and dairy products, which are generally prohibited during Lent, have to be used up. In Great Britian, Northern Ireland and several other countries around the world, Pancake Day is celebrated with fun, games, and of course a lot of eating.

Amazing Butter Tarts for the Culinary Olympics

Butter Tarts

After years of anticipation today is the day!!!!  For the past few months here in Canada we have felt the momentum and enthusiasm grow as the Olympic Torch wound it's way throughout Canada travelling 45,000 km and visiting over 1,000 cities. The torch has reached it's final destination in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada today!!!!!!! Tonight will be the opening ceremonies. Vancouver is hosting  the 2010 Winter Olympic Games from February 12th – 28th. Canadians across the country are not only sharing in the pride of being the host country but looking forward to seeing all of your countries around the world participating in winter sports. We'll all be cheering on our athletes who have trained so vigorously and are set to represent their respective countries. Let the games begin!!!!!!!

It's Here.......

It's Here.....

After a year of collaberation and hard work from a small group of dedicated members we are proud to announce the BloggerAid-Changing the Face of Famine Cookbook is flying off the shelves!!!! "We should all be proud of our efforts", say administrators Giz and Val.

Food does not simply nourish the body; food also celebrates what makes the world diverse, as well as what unites us. The BloggerAid Cook Book is a collection of international recipes illustrating that we can work together and unite for a greater cause. The over 130 authors of this cookbook are food bloggers from around the world who have endeavored to make a difference by raising funds for the World Food Programme and encompassing their passion for "all things foodie" at the same time.

Through these recipes they share their traditions and an insatiable curiosity about new flavours. They pay tribute to the home cooking of our grandmothers, while celebrating the exoticism and richness of a world brought closer together by their hopes to make a difference. With recipes such as Tomato-Cheese Ravioli with Eggplant Sauce, Spicy Serundeng Tuna and Peanuts, Serrano Ham Paella with Oyster Mushrooms, Raspberry Mascarpone Bites and Triple Layer Orange-Passion Fruit Tart we are doing our part to say that bloggers can change the face of famine.

100% of BloggerAid-CFF's proceeds from the cookbook will be sent directly to the WFP's School Meals Programme, which benefits an average of 22 million hungry children each year. School meals are important on many levels. In countries where school attendance is low, the promise of at least one nutritious meal each day boosts enrollment and promotes regular attendance. Our children are the key to a better future.

This book is a virtual way for all of us, wherever we may be and however rich or poor we may be, to pull up a chair at the same table and share what we have.

Follow this link to purchase your copy of The BloggerAid Cookbook. If you tell 2 friends and they tell 2 friends we can be well on our way to making a difference. Remember it takes only 25 cents to feed a child a school lunch...imagine the possibilities!!!!

"The Best of Chef at Home" by Michael Smith...Impress Yourself in Your Own Kitchen with Maritime Potato Fish Cakes and 2 Other Recipes

Macaroni & Cheese

As a member of BloggerAid-Changing the Face of Famine's project View & Review I was excited when I had the opportunity to receive the latest cookbook from one of my favourite Food Network stars....Michael Smith. The book came to me to review through the generosity of Canadian publisher MDG & Associates. Whenever possible I rejoice in "all things Canadian" so to say that my reviewing a book by "one of our own" was a real treat for me is an understatement. Excitement was the order of the day at The More Than Burnt Toast household!!!

The Best of Chef at Home is a followup of one of Chef Michael Smith's previous books Chef at Home. It's the second in the series and draws on recipes from all 6 seasons of his popular show Chef at Home. It is a collection of the comfort foods that Michael is most passionate about and makes in his own kitchen at home for his own family. This is the kind of book that makes you want to start cooking homey and comforting dishes right away with a few gourmet or vegetarian meals and twists thrown in.

When I received the book I sat down with a cup of tea and began to read. First of all I have to give the book kudos for it's great design. There is no dust jacket, just a pseudo jacket which saves you from those annoying covers that keep falling off. As I delved deeper I found that quite a few of the recipes I could make that day without taking a trip to the local grocers for ingredients. This not only makes cooking economical but convenient as well. This cookbook is filled with recipes that offer all of the comforts of a home cooked meal.

When I look back at the recipes here on More Than Burnt Toast I see that for the most part I have highlighted recipes that follow the same philosophies. A dish from my kitchen has to be flavourful and make good use of local ingredients whenever possible. I can honestly say that each and every recipe in this outstanding cookbook fits that bill. It was very hard to choose what to prepare from this cookbook with options such as Tomato Basil Bruschetta, Maritime Clam Chowder, Grilled Pineapple Red Onion Salad, Orange Ginger Beef, Brined Holiday Turkey with Herb Gravy and Molten Chocolate Cakes. In the end I decided I would create the challenge for myself to make dishes with ingredients I already had on hand. I believe that Michael would like that I have rediscovered my "freestyling" ways and used what I had available to present an overall review of his exceptional cookbook. Each of the recipes chosen used ingredients I already had in my pantry and refrigerator such as a velvety smooth macaroni and cheese, chewy chocolate chip cookies and down-home potato fish cakes.

The secret to chewy chocolate chip cookies.....corn syrup....

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Many of the 120 recipes are what can be labeled as comfort foods so it felt like I was already part of the family since I would readily prepare any of these same dishes for my own loved ones at home. The recipes are both simple and easy to adapt and reflect Michael's belief that making great food is about relaxing, enjoying the process, and losing yourself in the moment. With all the exotic cuisines available to us in our global market, we often forget how comforting simple and classic foods can be. This is THE perfect book for this season when all you want to do is begin nesting and move into hibernation mode. His cookbook includes everything from quick recipes for weekday meals to fancier dinner party fare for entertaining guests. No foie grois, no fluff just real food with real flavours.

Michael's laid-back approach encourages creativity in the kitchen. This cookbook contains countless suggestions for altering and adjusting each recipe until it is truly your own. I love how he teaches and encourages young cooks to experiment with food and try new things. His enthusiasm for food is definitely contagious and creates an inviting atmosphere throughout this cookbook in which people can learn to have fun in the kitchen. It has easy to follow instructions for each dish and helpful suggestions on how you can "freestyle" each dish. Essentially you have now doubled or tripled the 120 recipes published. The secret to successful "freestyle" cooking is to combine your own creativity with the basic idea and instinctive insight within each recipe. For example when I made the chocolate chip cookies I followed the "freestyling" suggestions and replaced 1/2 cup of the brown sugar with granulated sugar and then added 1/2 cup of toasted pecans as well.

Michael Smith's philosophy on his cooking shows as well as in previous cookbooks has always been that a recipe is only a guideline and needs only your creativity and what you have available to make a dish your own. One of the things I have appreciated most about the approach that Smith takes in this book is the fact that he repeatedly invites and encourages would-be chefs to experiment and get creative in the kitchen, with both quantities and ingredients alike. As he says, "You don't have to be a scientist, nutritionist or chef to be a great cook. Your food doesn't have to be picture perfect, enticingly exotic or new and exciting. Great cooking is simply about relaxing in the kitchen, and enjoying the process." As he suggests in this book why not try adding pine nuts to your chocolate chip cookies, curry powder in a classic chicken stew, or rosemary or saffron in your panna cotta? Every recipe contained in this cookbook is a timeless classic, and each encourages you to stir in your own personality. If you follow the basics in this cookbook, you can create flavourful food for your family and friends with a personal touch. They will love you all the more!!!!This makes this book perfect for the person who is just starting out or a seasoned veteran who wants to get back to their "foodie" roots.

Michael says, "As a chef I have an interesting relationship with cookbooks, I write them but I don’t rely on them. I see them as more a reference resource than a guidebook. I may find ideas in them but unless I’m baking I rarely follow the recipes exactly as written. Over the years this has resulted in some spectacular successes and some dismal failures, lets just say no-one will ever forget the Roast Thai Curry Turkey. That’s why this book is designed to be a launching point for your own "freestyling" kitchen adventures. Each recipe covers the basics you need but they also include lots of insight and freestyle suggestions so you can impress yourself in your own kitchen!"

I asked to share a recipe from the cookbook with you for Potato Fish Cakes. This one's for you my friend and partner in crime Giz. I know you are always looking for ways to enjoy fish. Historically, fish cakes have been one of the most common ways to enjoy seafood in the Maritime provinces in Canada where Michael lives. Traditionally they were made with salt cod. From the early sixteenth century, the huge and lucrative cod fisheries on the coasts and the Grand Banks of Newfoundland offshore attracted fishing vessels manned by Basque, Portuguese, French, and British sailors. Before settlement, these groups salted cod in summer fish-drying camps, and then dried it on "flakes." Michael's version uses lighter, fresh salmon you can find in your local grocery store or fishmongers. I am sure the salmon would have been amazing but I used fresh cod since it was what I had available in keeping with the "freestyling" challenge I set for myself in reviewing this cookbook.

Potato Fish Cakes

**Potato Fish Cakes**
by Chef Michael Smith from "The Best of Chef at Home"
Printed with permission

Splash or two of vegetable oil
2 boneless fillets salmon, or any other fish, about 12 ounces (340 g) total
Sprinkle or two of sea salt, freshly ground pepper
4 large baking (russet) potatoes, peeled
2 eggs, whisked together
1 tablespoon (15 mL) Dijon mustard
2 green onions, sliced thin
2 tablespoons (25 mL) all-purpose flour
1 to 2 tablespoons (25 mL) butter
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Preheat a sauté pan or skillet over medium-high heat.

Add a splash of oil to the pan, enough to cover bottom with a thin film. Season the salmon with salt, pepper and carefully place in the pan to sear fillets on both sides until golden brown, crispy and cooked through.

Boil or steam potatoes. Toss hot potatoes into a mixing bowl and use a potato masher to mash until smooth. Add the salmon, eggs, mustard and green onions; season with more salt, pepper, if necessary and beat with a wooden spoon until everything is very well combined. Form into evenly shaped cakes and dredge in flour.

Clean out the skillet and preheat over medium-high heat. Add another splash of oil and 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 25 mL) of butter. When butter melts and sizzles, add fish cakes and pan-fry until golden and crispy on both sides.

Variation: Try adding some of your favourite fresh herbs -- tarragon, dill, parsley, oregano and thyme leaves all work well. For a flavour twist, you may substitute horseradish for the mustard. Fish cakes are traditionally served with mustard pickles but tartar sauce, cocktail sauce and even salsa are good as well.

Chef Michael Smith has been cooking professionally for over twenty years. An honours graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in New York, his early career was spent in restaurants from London to South America. In 1992 he returned to Canada and joined the kitchen at PEI’s The Inn at Bay Fortune. Six years later, Chef Michael invited television cameras into the Inn’s country kitchen for his first hit television show, The Inn Chef. What followed was Food Network's Chef at Home, Chef at Large and his latest show Chef Abroad. He is the winner of the James Beard Award for Cooking Show Excellence. When he isn’t traveling the world with Chef Abroad, Michael loves spending time at home on PEI with his partner Rachel and their son Gabriel.

The book was launched at Fall Flavours, with Chef Michael's crew cooking all 120 recipes during the food festival.

"Remember words have no flavour; you have to add your own."

You may also like......


Classic Macaroni & Cheese
Macaroni & Cheese Casserole
Salmon Cakes with Tartar Sauce
Grown Up Mac 'n' Cheese
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As foodies I am sure that many of us have thought of writing our own cookbook. We must think about this all the time. Oh maybe not for mass publication but at least for your children, your families, your friends or to create fundraisers for your local organizations. Over at BloggerAid-Changing the Face of Famine we're very fortunate to have partnered with a very kind sponsor who donated a prize. They are a family owned and orientated company dedicated to the mission of doing something to help in whatever way they can.

On another note, The BloggerAid Cook Book that we have worked so hard on for the past year will be available soon on our Amazon bookstore. It was published by Create Space and we are just waiting for the proof. We will let you know!!!!

The Cookbook People have not only donated one of their own software packages as a prize, they have gone the extra mile and sent out a challenge for all members of BloggerAid - Changing the Face of Famine. Their software allows you to create a quality cookbook. You can make one copy or as many copies as you like since you make it at home on your own computer

The Challenge?????

Simply make a blog post about their software on your site and the company has generously offered to donate $20 to the School Meals Programme for each member who mentions them. (Limit one per member.) You can discuss the $20 donation, their donation of software as a prize, or whatever. The Cookbook People will ship worldwide and are wonderful people to work with. Just let us know at blogs4famine(at)gmail(dot)com when you post so that we can tabulate the amount of money being raised and thanks for participating. The money will be sent directly to the Friends of the World Food Programme by The Cookbook People.

If 25 cents feeds one child at school for a day imagine how far $500 will go!!!!!!

A Recipe for Garlic-Leek Soup with Garlic Chips & Chives for World Food Day

Garlic-Leek Soup with Garlic Chips and Chives

Those of you who know me know that I support the World Food Programme and the issue of world famine in many ways. One way to raise awareness is with bringing your attention to World Food Day which is today October 16. It is one day set aside by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and has been celebrated each year since 1945. Please take the time to read about this day in my previous post on World Food Day and what we can each do as individuals to raise awareness.

Fill the Cup for World Food Day with Garlic Potato Soup with Garlic Chips and Chives

World Food Day - October 16th

Those of you who know me know that I support the World Food Programme and the issue of world famine in many ways. One way to raise awareness is with bringing your attention to World Food Day which is one day set aside by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. It has been celebrated each year on October 16 since 1945.

The theme for this years conference to raise awareness for world famine is:

Achieving Food Security in Times of Crisis

As my way of raising awareness for the issue of hunger here in our own communities or worldwide I have created a recipe that can be served in a cup like the Red Cup representative of the School Meals Program. Serving food at school helps alleviate hunger among the world’s poorest children. If even one child is allowed to go to school it provides them with not only food but with an education and the tools which are key to a better future for themselves as well as their own communities. If one child is educated imagine what would happen to an entire village with children in school!!! The future starts with our children!!!

I encourage you to make your voice count by preparing a dish and raising awareness on your own blog. Your dish can be inexpensive, it can be something that represents your part of the world or simply prepare something you enjoy and would like to share. It can be a family favourite or a regional favourite that uses local and perhaps seasonal ingredients. Just serve it in a cup to represent feeding one child a healthy and nutritious lunch at school or enabling a girl to attend school rather than staying at home to help take care of her family.

Post your recipe on your blog with a link back to the World Food Day Day site and one/or all of Fill The Cup campaign or the School Meals Program.

Stay tuned on October 15th for my recipe for Garlic-Leek Soup with Garlic Chips and Chives that is not only an inexpensive dish to make but very versatile with ingredients that can be easily substituted.

The objectives of World Food Day are to heighten our awareness of the problem of hunger in the world and to bring to our attention to what we can do about it personally. It is a day to encourage us and our governments to be well informed on the issues and to have a plan of action!!! World Food Day brings to our attention the plight of 862 million undernourished people around the world ...even in our own backyards!! To find out more about what you can do in your area... visit their World Food Day site.

Our Social Network BloggerAid-Changing the Face of Famine supports the World Food Program and their School Meals Program and is raising funds right now with our cookbook project. (The BloggerAid Cookbook will be available soon after many months of a combined effort by our members). The WFP Fill The Cup Campaign aims to raise funds and awareness for their programs. The red cup is a symbol of hope, representing WFP’s approach to addressing child hunger. School meals often come in the form of porridge, served in a cup. WFP encourages people to “Fill the Cup” by making a donation or volunteering to help raise awareness.

It costs as little as 25 cents to provide a healthy meal to a child in school; $50 will feed a child for the entire year.

On a more personal level one way to help hunger in your community that has my full support is to help your local Food Bank. There are many families that need our help on a daily basis to bring nutritional food into their home. Our local Food Bank in our community of 107,000 people was established in 1983 to provide short-term support to local families and individuals in need of temporary assistance. Annually, they serve more than 30,000 people including nearly 10,000 children, distributing over $2 million in food.

Think about those in your own community this Canadian Thanksgiving long weekend.

View & Review

We’re more than excited to share the newest effort of BloggerAid-Changing the Face of Famine to raise funds and awareness for the World Food Programme and their School Meals initiative. We are proud to announce:

View and Review

We have arranged for our members to review cookbooks and products. All work and no play makes us all a little dull so let's all get together and have a little fun while continuing to raise awareness for world famine. Do we love cookbooks? Do we love food? After all, most of our members are food bloggers and what's more important than food :).

Giz and I would like to thank Ruth Daniels of Once Upon a Feast for bringing her expertise to this project. Most of you will know Ruth from Presto Pasta Nights which we have all participated in over the years!!!!

As foodies I am sure there is not one of us who doesn't have an overflowing collection of cookbooks or food related magazines on their shelves. Would you enjoy adding to your collection?

Our passion for all things "foodie" is what bands food bloggers together. We want to learn everything about food, both the best and the ordinary, and about the science, industry, and personalities surrounding food. Foodies are sometimes viewed as obsessively interested in all things culinary and I am sure that we can all relate!!!! We want you to share your knowledge and expertise with others!!!

We have made agreements with several cookbook publishers and companies (with an evergrowing list) to partner with BloggerAid-Changing the Face of Famine which will allow our members the chance to participate in cookbook and product reviews. This gives us all the opportunity to review new cookbooks on the market as well as sample new products along the way!!

Members who choose to participate will sign up in the forum under "View and Review"“ in the right hand margin. Please let us know if you’d like to participate and we’ll add you to our list of reviewers. You will receive a copy of a cookbook or a product to review, create a recipe and blog about it!!! This is what we do best!!!!!

Want to join??????

1. You must be a member of BloggerAid-Changing the Face of Famine to participate. So sign up!! If you have friends who would like to participate, by all means, invite them to join as well. When you join the group here, please let us know if you have preferences or restrictions. For example, if you’re vegan, we will arrange for you to receive only vegan books or products for review.

2. You’ll receive a copy of a new cookbook from the publisher or a product to review. Within a timeframe (to be determined), turn in your review to the forum together with a copy of the picture of the dish you’ve prepared. Post both the review and the picture on your own blog with a link to BACFF.

3. You may choose to either keep the cookbook or product or donate it to BACFF for auction. You’re under no pressure – foodies love their cookbooks so we’re fine if you decide to keep it.

Our partners are excited to participate with us – it’s a win/win for everyone!!!!!!

We have approached many publishers and companies internationally and although not every country is covered, we’re working behind the scenes to make sure that if you’re in Brazil that there will be books available in your country of origin. Some countries may be covered by another country. For example, if you’re in Indonesia, books could be available from Australia.

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Many things have been happening behind the scenes at BloggerAid-Changing the Face of Famine. We are now in the final stages of the editing process of our fundraising cookbook thanks to a dedicated team of members. We expect the cookbook to be available for sale on Amazon by December at the lastest and in plenty of time for the Christmas rush. It's been a fun and interesting learning experience so far and everyone involved in the cookbook has been working in editing, proof reading and conversions in preparation of the compilation of the book. I think we all can agree that we've learned many things in the process. So, if it looks like BloggerAid-Changing the Face of Famine has been in sleepy mode - it's been anything but!!!!!!!!

A Mexican Fiesta in Honour of My BBFF

Today I am sharing a recipe for Grilled Chicken with Honey, Orange and Chipotle Glaze, Mexican Grilled Corn, Grilled Sweet Potatoes and to top off the fiesta Watermelon Margueritas...and for dessert Yucatan-Inspired Fresh Coconut Tart in honour of my BBFF. No it's not a Paris Hilton reality show..wink...wink... but BloggerAid- Best Friends Forever !!!!

The Last Hurrah!!!!Classic macaroni and Cheese

Classic Macaroni and Cheese

Yesterday was a little cooler and so I felt I was in need of some serious comfort food. Who wouldn't be after fighting with the computer all morning as well burning CD's and downloading Office Suite 2007.

There is absolutely nothing that speaks volumes for comfort like macaroni and cheese in my books. This is one of the very few dishes my mom allowed me to cook as a child at her elbow so the mere mention brings back so many fond memories.

A Logo, An Art Auction with a Twist......

Giz of Equal Opportunity Kitchen and I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and involvement in raising money for the World Food Program (WFP). As foodbloggers, we have the good fortune of having the means to not only eat quality food but to share our recipes and food-related experiences with others around the world. BloggerAid began as a vehicle to create an opportunity for bloggers all over the world to band together to help change the face of famine. Consistent with the original mission, the work of BloggerAid - Changing the Face of Famine at it's new location will continue to be a hub for our combined efforts to raise awareness and funds for the WFP.

With nearly 140 submissions, the BloggerAid Cookbook is currently one of our main focuses. We have a dedicated and enthusiastic team of members devoted to editing the cookbook. Editing began this week. If you are interested in helping out with this ambitious project please let us know. Our plan is to raise funds for the WFP’s School Meals program by selling the cookbook internationally starting in November.

In a continued effort to meet our goals we present:

Art Auction with a Twist

For more details on this event visit BloggerAid - Changing the Face of Famine .

We met Lisa Orgler as foodie friends on FoodBuzz and she has generously agreed to create an art piece from one of YOUR food photographs and donate it to Bloggeraid - Changing the Face of Famine. Her love for food, art and journaling have brought her to blogging and driven her to create art from food creations. On her blog Lunchbox Project Lisa reaches out to fellow bloggers to create a masterpiece from your own photography. The final piece that she has so generously donated to BloggerAid will be displayed on the site for silent auction with the proceeds to the School Meals program.

Lisa is an award-winning artist and designer and has been creating innovative landscapes and media for over ten years. She earned her Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Landscape Architecture from Iowa State University. Her energetic presentations and fresh perspective make her a popular choice for garden design and art talks across the country. Her current project is writing a book on out-of-the ordinary garden design.

So put your thinking caps on!!! Let your fingers walk you over to Lisa blog Lunchbox Project but for more details about the auction visit our site here.

Joans Southern Culinary Tour with Low Country Crab Cakes with Remoulade Sauce and Smothered Corn and red Velvet Cake

Low Country Crab Cakes with Remoulade Sauce and Smothered Corn

Joan of Foodalogue, has been helping to promote hunger awareness through her event, A Culinary Tour Around the World. Joan has been travelling virtually wherever her imagination has taken her since the beginning of the year. With the help of many friends throughout the blogosphere she has travelled to Norway, Poland, Germany, France, Portugal ,Romania, Ethiopia, Russia, India, Mongolia, Philippines , Peru and now her last stop the Deep Southern United States.

It has been an amazing journey and I would like to thank Joan for undertaking and organizing this incredible journey with a tireless effort to raise awareness for world hunger in conjunction with BloggerAid-Changing the Face of Famine and the World Food Programme . The members of BloggerAid are collaborating to publish a cookbook where 100% of the proceeds target children and education through the United Nations program School Meals. The deadline for submissions is now complete so look for the sale of the cookbook in November.

Joan's Culinary Tour Stops in Ethiopia

Chick Pea Fritters (Yeshimbra Assa)

Joan of Foodalogue, is helping to promote hunger awareness through her event, A Culinary Tour Around the World. Joan has been travelling virtually wherever her imagination has taken her these past few weeks. Her journey ends in April. If you haven't already, why not join Joan on her culinary tour around the world!!!!! How about meeting her in any one of her itinerary stops and presenting your interpretation of the cuisine from that destination. Who wouldn't enjoy taking a journey around the world even if it is from the comfort of your favourite armchair??

Cookbook Deadline March 31st

Children are the Future – BloggerAid Invests in Children!!

You may have heard that BloggerAid-Changing the Face of Famine is publishing a cookbook !!!

We are very pleased to announce that a program has been selected that targets children and education through the World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations frontline agency. One of WFP’s largest areas of assistance is called School Meals. Through this program, a meal is provided to children in schools where there are low attendance rates with a particular focus on schools that have a significant lack of children attending, especially girls. The goal in poorer communities worldwide is to provide a hot, nutritious meal as an incentive for parents to send their children to school rather than keeping them at home working. An education is the best thing we can give our kids to break the cycle of hunger and poverty and for both boys and girls alike to become contributing members of society.

FACTS & FIGURES

• 75 million primary school-aged children do not go to school
• 97 percent of them are in developing countries
• 57 percent of them are girls
• 150 million children drop out of school before attaining basic primary education

With projects like School Meals, we are very excited to have the opportunity to contribute to this program of the WFP through BloggerAid-Changing the Face of Famine.

Encouragingly, the group of talented bloggers committed to the BloggerAid Cookbook project is growing by the minute!!! We have now reached a milestone of over 100 members.



At the request of some of our new members, who are just as excited about this ambitious project as we are, we have decided to extend the deadline until the end of March. We know that we are all busy and you may not have found the time to submit a recipe for the cookbook yet. The new logo is based on a few of the recipes submitted so far. Feel free to use this logo in your post. So keep those recipes coming in!!! The sooner the better so that you are assured of being published in the book.

Children are our future, so 100% of the proceeds from the sales of the cookbook will be channeled to the School Meals Program.

We are continuing to brainstorm about new BloggerAid-Changing the Face of Famine initiatives and would love to have your input.

You don't need to be a member of BloggerAid-Changing the Face of Famine to submit a recipe. You just need a willingness to share your love of food from around the world and want to be involved in raising awareness and money for this program. There is no cost to you – just a sense of satisfaction that comes from participating in this exciting project and seeing your name and recipe in print.

You may post about your recipe without revealing the ingredients...the cookbook will be the round-up where your recipe will be published. Once the cookbook has been published you can publish your recipe wherever you like...it will always be yours and you will always receive full credit.

What if my photo skills are not up to cookbook standards? Submit a photo anyway because we are our own worse critics aren't we? Don't let that stop you!!! But, if you would like, one of our team members will recreate your recipe and photograph it for you. Email your recipe in a plain text Word document along with a photo of your dish to bloggeraid(AT)gmail(DOT)com by March 31st, the deadline for receiving recipes. Let's get the word out!!!!!

More information can be found in the forum of our Social Network, BloggerAid-Changing the Face of Famine.

Complete details are here . Everything you need to know to submit a recipe.

Remember you don't need to be a member to participate!!!

Deadline for Submissions ....March 31st

Take a Culinary Tour Around the World with Portuguese Bolo de Queijos (Savory Cheese Loaf)

Portuguese Bolo

Joan of Foodalogue, is helping to promote hunger awareness through a new event, A Culinary Tour Around the World. Joan will be travelling virtually wherever her imagination takes us until April through food, sights, and cultural diversity. Why not join Joan on her culinary tour around the world!!!!! How about meeting her in any one of her itinerary stops and presenting your interpretation of the cuisine from that destination. Who wouldn't enjoy taking a journey around the world even if it is from the comfort of your favourite armchair??

Joans fifth stop on your culinary adventure is Portugal!!!!

Val's Wanna-Be Greek Burgers... Take Me Away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wanna Be Greek Burgers

Usually by February I am ready to start shedding my winter coats, boots and gloves. The only problem with that is that the weather here in the "Great White North" simply doesn't care to co-operate. Instead of warm days with daffodils peaking their cheerful heads through the sun-drenched earth we have bleak, snow covered mountains and frozen ponds. Cry me a river...if it wasn't frozen of course:D

Two years of Blogging....and a Giveaway!!!!

More Than Burnt Toast is celebrating it's 2nd birthday!!!!!

It's hard to believe that two years ago on February 2nd I posted my first entry on this blog. My posts had no comments and no readership in those days. I was recording my recipes for my family and friends starting with Fried Zucchini Blossoms with Feta & Mint which I learned by the shoulders of Aglaia Kremezi on an island in Greece at Keartisinal; plus family favourites like Seafood Salmon Roulade and Val's Rhubarb Cheesecake. So much has happened since those early days!!! I've met many amazing foodies who share a passion for food. I have improved my baking and cooking skills and have been challenged to think outside my comfort zone and spread my wings. I'd even like to think that I have improved my photography and writing skills which is still a work in progress.

Tomatoes with Pesto Vinaigrette

Tomatoes with Pesto Vinaigrette

I don't know about you but I am tired of all the heavy, comforting dishes of the long winter months. Living in Canada the winter may even be longer than most of you can even imagine (in some provinces). I long for fresh summer flavours, warm sunshine and pots of fresh basil on my patio.

When I was at the market the other day I was lucky enough to have the very helpful sales associate direct me towards huge bags of basil...pesto size bags!!!! She recommended not putting it in the refrigerator, and, do you know, that that huge bag of basil stayed fresh for 2 weeks sitting on my counter top... at room temperature... in its zip lock bag. In the fridge it would have turned brown and wilted in a matter of days. Basil is my favorite herb so I have always found this to be the case. I have been enjoying fresh basil and reminders of warmer weather to come for weeks now. It doesn't take much to make me happy!!!

Share the Love

Here it is almost February already. The month where we begin to shed our winter coats and feel the sense of renewal that comes with Spring !!!

It is also the season of love where St. Valentine spreads his message across the world with chocolate and just a sense of well being. All is well with the world in the month of February where all of life has promise. For some this is not the case.

As you have already heard Val of More Than Burnt Toast and Giz of Equal Opportunity Kitchen and BloggerAid-Changing the Face of Famineare publishing a cookbook !!!

Who will be published in this cookbook to help raise awareness to feed the hungry?

YOU!!!!

We hope that our excitement is contagious and that you will submit your favourite recipe to help make a difference for even one person in this world. We have had quite a few submissions already from some wonderful bloggers and non -foodie bloggers alike. They all know that 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the cookbook on Amazon will be directed to a specific program of the World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations front line agency. The needs are great and we have their full approval!!!!! We have been looking into a specific program to concentrate our efforts...stay tuned to BloggerAid for more news as it comes in. The proceeds from the sale of the cookbook will be handled through a third party fundraising team such as First Giving so that we will always be able to tell you exactly how much has been raised.

We'd love to have you share the "FOODIE LOVE" with one of your best original recipes.

You don't need to be a member of BloggerAid to submit a recipe. You just need a willingness to share your love of food around the world and want to be involved in raising awareness for the millions who cannot help themselves. There is no cost to you. No monthly fees. Just a sense of satisfaction that comes from participating in this exciting project and seeing your name and recipe in print.

Don't post your recipe...the cookbook will be the round-up where your recipe will be published. Once the cookbook has been published you can post or publish your recipe wherever you like...it will always be yours and you will always receive full credit.

What if my photo skills are not up to cookbook standards? I have seen all that you have to offer when I visit your blogs every day, but, if you like one of our team will recreate your recipe and photograph it for you. Submit a photo anyway because we are our own worse critics aren't we? Don't let that stop you!!!

Email your recipe in a plain text Word document along with a photo of your dish to bloggeraid(AT)gmail(DOT)com by February 12th the deadline for receiving recipes. Let's get the word out!!!!!

We need your help to make this fundraising and professional cookbook a success here and around the world. You can contribute in many ways, by submitting a recipe, volunteering your time to test , edit or proofread recipes or simply by purchasing the cookbook in November. Perhaps most important of all is to help to spread the word throughout the blogosphere about alleviating world hunger. Eventually we will be translating the cookbook into many languages to appeal to "foodies" across the globe. We have big, BIGGER and BIGGEST plans which will all be revealed once everything is finalized. You're all invited to take part!!!!!!

JOIN US......BECAUSE YOU CAN......

A Culinary Tour Around the World - Poland

Nalesniki (polish Crepes)

Before I head out on my journey to find the best pierogies and Golabki in Krakow I need to meet up with Joan of Foodalogue. I had promised to meet her in Portugal...but plans change and I met the handsome and debonair Casimir on the train in Norway. So, here I am continuing on my virtual tour in Poland to meet up with the group. Joan is helping to promote hunger awareness through her event A Culinary Tour Around the World. Joan will be travelling virtually wherever her imagination takes us for the next little while through food, sights, and cultural diversity. Why not join Joan and reach outside your comfort zone? How about meeting her in any one of her itinerary stops and presenting your interpretation of the cuisine from that destination to your readers? Who wouldn't enjoy taking a journey around the world even if it is from the comfort of your favourite armchair??