This couscous is one of my favorite side dishes ever. The greatest thing about it is that it can be served hot and pairs particularly well with chicken or fish, or it can be served cold, as a salad with a sandwich or panini. Couscous is already very simple and easy to prepare, and this recipe does require any extra work to the create. From start to finish in under 10 minutes! 

This recipe originally came from a magazine article, but after spending a good part of the afternoon scouring the house for it, I still have no idea which magazine it came from. Of course, this version has been modified somewhat from the original, but if you happen to know where the original came from, please post the source in the comments.

Ben & Jerry’s ice cream is not something you want to indulge in when you are dieting. Their homemade ice cream is so delicious and decadent that I believe you are actually gaining weight while staring at the many delectable flavors available in your grocer’s chill chest.

I ogled the frozen-treat freezer chest recently at my local Provigo, where Ben & Jerry's ice cream is on sale -- two 500 ml cartons for 7$! With a spectacular amount of restraint, I only bought one after examining the nutrition labels of several flavors.

A half cup of their Cinnamon Buns (caramel ice cream with cinnamon bun dough and a cinnamon streusel swirl) ice cream is 290 calories and 15 grams of fat, while their Peanut Butter Cup (peanut butter ice cream with peanut butter cups) ice cream is 340 calories and 24 grams of fat for an equal serving size. And the Powers That Be know I can’t stop at just half a cup!

Fortunately, they do offer lighter options when you are craving something sweet, such as their low-fat version of Cherry Garcia. It is made with a creamy and tangy yogurt, real, fresh cherries that explode with flavor that are the highlight of this fro-yo, and enticing fudge flakes.

What's more, this lighter version of their original Cherry Garcia flavor has a very reasonable 160 calories and 3 grams of fat for that same half-cup portion that tastes nothing like the stale and flavorless low-fat ice creams one typically finds at the grocery store. This is one decadent low-fat treat!

I can definitely deal with that calorie count and the small price I’ll have to pay later to savor some right now – a 40-minute workout on the elliptical trainer.

One of the items I have found myself having to buy over and over again is a garlic press. When the time came for me to replace yet another garlic press, I found the Ekco Garlic Press for about 12$US which came with a lifetime, no questions asked guarantee. Hoping never have to take advantage of the guarantee, I bought the press and looked forward going back to pressing rather than mincing garlic cloves.

The Ekco Garlic Press is quite sleek looking with a chrome plated steel grate area and black, sturdy easy grip handles. The weight of the press is nice and heavy, unlike the cheaper ones I was used to. Using the Ekco Garlic Press was a breeze as well, and I found it had little problem handling large cloves. The chrome plating seems to help with cleaning, and the leftover garlic "pulp" and sticky juice cleaned off easily under hot water. I found myself using it every day as it is a perfect way to add flavorful garlic to soups, casseroles, stir-fries and everything in between.

Last week, while going garlic crazy during my weekly marathon prep session which had me pressing garlic for ten minutes straight, the grate of the press snapped open. Disappointed, I turned around and started mincing, thinking, "at least this one lasted four months." That is longer than any of the other garlic presses ever lasted, and most of the other ones did not do such a great job of mincing the garlic, most actually "mushed" it.

The next morning I called Ekco and asked about the procedure concerning the guarantee of the garlic press. Imagine my surprise when the service person simply asked me for my name and address and informed me that a new one should arrive within a week! That really is no questions asked! This morning, less than a week after my call to the company, my replacement Ekco Garlic Press arrived. Now that is outstanding customer service, though I still wish I had never had to use the guarantee in the first place.

I am disappointed that the product ever broke at all, in a perfect world, it would simply last, but I must admit that I am not exactly gentle with the press, and I do use garlic much more than any sane person might. In fact, after reading reviews on many different garlic presses, it became clear that most presses do end up breaking, particularly the grate area. So, with that in mind, the fact that replacement was such a simple procedure, this gadget is on my Goodie list.

Chipotle chilis have become quite popular over the last few years, and are now commonplace in many a grocery store’s spice section. They are a very tasty alternative to ubiquitous red chili flakes, and give Mexican dishes an extra bit of zip.

The Chipotle chili starts off as a jalapeño pepper and that has been kept on the vine as long as possible and has lost most of its moisture. It is then wood smoked for several days, which gives the chili a unique smoky flavor. Chipotle Chilis are often sold dry (they cost about 30¢ each, but are typically sold in two or three ounce bags), which makes them excellent for grinding up and using in your favorite dishes.

Just try some freshly ground chipotle in your favorite guacamole recipe to taste what these chilis are all about. Place three chilis, two tablespoons of salt and a tablespoon of dry oregano, in a grinder and grind into a powder, them mix with six finely minced cloves of garlic to make a rub that is ideal for chicken or steak. A teaspoon or two of ground Chipotle is also a pleasant addition to corn or squash soups, where a little pop can make a big impact.

Chipotle chilis are also the star of adobo sauce, a popular marinade that is usually composed of these chilis, some garlic, cumin, cinnamon, vinegar, lemon and orange juices, and tomato paste. As such, you can often find these chilis for sale already canned in adobo sauce, but nothing beats grinding them up when they’re dry and using it in dishes where a few teaspoons of this hot yet smoky spice packs substantial flavor along with the heat.

I tried making homemade marshmallows over the holidays but a combination of circumstances worked against me, resulting in a delicious, but less than successful batch of peppermint marshmallows. For one, I did not have a stand mixer (gasp!) and even if I had one, I did not have enough time for the marshmallows to set properly as they are best prepare one day in advance. Though I gave the marshmallow mixture a mighty good whipping for over 15 minutes, I could not get the volume to the level required. The marshmallows turned out to be just right for a nice mug of hot chocolate however, and we enjoyed the batch immensely.

A few days later, a knock at the door and Frugal Fritz delivers to me a beautiful red Kitchenaid Stand Mixer! Not only that, but he also picked up the Mixer Bible with over 300 recipes for the stand mixer! I am thrilled and immediately find a recipe for Marshmallows. Of course, I don't want to make plain marshmallows, but the great thing about them is that the actual flavoring of the marshmallows are the final touch. I have at least 12 minutes once the mixer is running to decide what flavors I want to use.

Once the stand mixer was magically doing what I sweated to do half as well last week, I searched the fridge for the fresh rosemary I bought a few days ago, with no luck. Then I saw the ginger and some oranges. I love these flavors together and went straight to zesting the orange and grating some ginger into a 1/4 tsp of pure vanilla extract. The results are more special than you can possibly imagine, as if it has nothing in common with the store bought versions, but yet, has everything in common with it. The texture, the flavor, the smoothness, the aroma... it is all so different yet so familiar!

<recipe adapted from The Mixer Bible>

1 packet unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
100 ml hot water
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp orange zest
1/4 tsp grated ginger

Pour the gelatin into a small bowl or measuring cup, then add the cold water, and set aside.

Pour the sugar, 1/4 cup of the corn syrup and the hot water into a saucepan over medium high heat. Gently stir until the granules of sugar have dissolved. Once dissolved, increase the heat and bring the mixture to a low boil. Use a candy thermometer and bring the liquid to 240˙F, remove from heat.

Add 1/4 cup of corn syrup to the mixer bowl, then carefully pour in the hot liquid while the mixer is on low speed. Turn the speed up to medium and add in the gelatin a little at a time. Beat for about 10-12 minutes. Next add in your flavorings and beat for an additional minute until fully incorporated.

Meanwhile, spray a tray with cooking spray (it is a good idea to spray your spatula as well) and add in the marshmallow mixture, spreading evenly as possible.

Let this stand, uncovered for about 24 hours. Cut up and toss with icing sugar to prevent then from sticking together.

As this website is a huge proponent of crock-pots and slow cookers, it might come as no surprise that the one chore I really hate is caked on, baked on food, which usually requires soaking the crock pot and scrubbing it clean.

So, when I heard about Reynold Slow Cooker Liners –heat-resistant nylon liners you place over your crock-pot like a magnum food condom – I figured we might have a winner on our hands. Just think of the possibilities: you can make a chili or some other equally messy delight, and when you are done, simply remove the liner, and start on another dish or even a dessert.

We tested our liner with slow-roasted chipotle-molasses pork. The pork cooked all the way through and the liner did not affect the taste or cooking time in any way, but the first liner we used sprung a leak. While the liner did make clean up a little easier, it was still some what messy and the bag is awkward to remove. The second liner we tried held together a little better, but some of the sauce still made its way through the bag leaving our crock-pot sticky. I am a little disappointing given the liners sell for just under a dollar each.

While cleanup will take less time if you use these liners, or at least change the way you clean your slow cooker, do not expect it to be perfectly clean every time, especially if you use a fork or other utensil to stir or serve your slow-cooked goodies.

Overall, I might use the liners again if I can making something particularly sticky, like the pork and molasses, or a bread pudding which often bakes onto the sides of the pot.

I have a few coffees that I purchase regularly; Santropols' Femenino as well as their Krakatoa blends, which I drink most often in the afternoon, or for dessert. There is the Starbucks' Komodo Dragon, which I use some afternoons and some mornings. And finally the Brulerie St.Denis' Perou Noir is usually my morning cuppa whenever I happen to buy beans from the grocery store. 

Cleaning out my pantry the other night, I came across six tins of tuna, packed in water.  As I do not particularly enjoy tuna sandwiches, I can only imagine that I buy them because they are cheap. 99¢ cheap.

Tonight's recipe is "Tuna Stuffed Pasta Shells" which was both easy to prepare, looked pretty and tasted quite delicious. I believe the next time I will increase the tuna to 2 tins, that is how much this melange worked for me.

During my recent grocery run I made a stop into the L'Autre Choix Mini Marche located at 334A Avenue Victoria in Westmount. During a light conversation with owner Clara, I mentioned my blog and how I love demystifying some interesting, but uncommon ingredients. The moment I mentioned this, her eyes lit up... "Do you know of the Jerusalem artichoke?"

In the early 1600s, French explorer Samuel de Champlain (who founded Quebec City and explored parts of upstate Vermont) sent a new root vegetable he discovered back to France noting it tasted a lot like an artichoke.

But the Jerusalem artichoke, as it came to be known, has nothing in common with artichokes and is in fact a species of sunflower that is common in most of the eastern United States. As such, and to stem any confusion, many have renamed it the sunchoke or sunroot.

This root vegetable, which tastes quite like water chestnuts and cooks a lot like potatoes, is available all year but is at its best between November and March. While their bumpy and wrinkly skins had some in the 17th century believe they were the cause of leprosy, their peels are absolutely safe and edible.

They typically store in a cool and dry place for about three weeks when raw, but should be consumed within a couple of days after cooking. Freezing is not recommended.

Sunchokes can be consumed raw or cooked, and can be boiled, baked, steamed or fried, though they tend to cook faster than potatoes, and cooking times should be reduced accordingly. So, try them in chowders, au gratin, in soups, stews or breads, scalloped, or fried into latkes. They are also excellent substitutions for turnips and parsnips.

That said, keeping mind they do have a tendency to turn gray while cooking, but this unaesthetic discoloration can be resolved with the addition of a pinch of cream of tartar or some lemon juice.

Lemon actually goes very well with this root vegetable, as does anise, coriander, cumin, fennel, garlic, ginger, sage and tarragon. Sunchokes also play nice with bacon, salmon, most roasted meats, goat cheese, cream, hazelnuts and morels.

A confession. I do not share Thrifty Table's savvy when it comes to preparing meals. I think of recipes as magical, chemical formulas and follow them quite strictly. I rarely improvise.

Of course, there are time when not all ingredients are on hand, and I will risk culinary disaster by substituting one like-minded ingredient for another, or adding an herb or spice I really like to the mix.

The Flavor Bible, by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, take this approach to cooking into consideration. While this tome is just shy of 400 pages, it is not a recipe book but rather a guide to mixing and matching ingredients that no kitchen should be without. Its pages and pages list every conceivable ingredient and tells you what makes them tick and how to pair them. It's a Thesaurus for cooks!

Let's say halibut is on sale, and you typically prepare it with just a little bit of garlic and ginger. This book suggests a good 90 other ingredients that make this fish's flavors pop, such as shallots, asparagus, cayenne, cilantro and hazelnuts.

It also touches upon common flavor affinities for this fish -- such as halibut + scallions + white wine, or halibut + chicory + grapefruit -- and lists some of the ways some top chefs like to prepare it.

Another example. Marjoram, oregano's less flavorful cousin, often pops up in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking, but where else can it be used? This bible suggests it is an ideal herb for beets or carrots, combines nicely with thyme and rosemary, and will brighten up summer squash soup or stuffing.

This books also lists the key ingredients in various ethnic cuisines -- Eastern European versus Ethiopian -- and offers several tips in the margins from a number of chefs:

• Kaz Okochi, of Kaz Sushi Bistro in Washington, DC suggests adding ginger and scallion to mackerel to cut its "fishy" flavor.
• Sharon Hage, of York Street in Dallas, emphasizes using "very little" lavender with quail, otherwise you risk making it taste like soap.
• Gabriel Kreuther, of the Modern in New York City, suggests sautéing spinach in oil as it loses its flavor when blanched in water.

This book is not only a wonderful reference, but an excellent idea generator for both shy cooks who want to safely improvise their recipes, and experienced chefs who regularly invent their own creations from scratch.