Hot Shots - February 24, 2023
Hot Shots - February 23, 2023
Severin R-B Danieli
Hello all,
How is everyone doing? This week has sailed by, and we are heading into a mega-cold freeze (when I say mega, I mean the BC version of mega...). As I am starting to write this week's Hot Shots, the usual hustle and bustle of the main office is buzzing behind me, and the trees, in front of a crisp blue sky, are swaying with a blustery westerly wind.
North Van woke up to a sprinkle of snow this morning, like the clouds just dusted us with icing sugar. The mountains are vibrantly white as the sun peaked over the eastern horizon. Cold temperatures and sunny skies might just be my favourite weather. What a gorgeous day.
The photo above is from a lovely walk we did this past week on one of the bright sunny days at Cypress Falls Park. One of my favourite parts of our forests around here is the presence of the type of lichen called old man's beard. This type of lichen only grows in areas of very low air pollution, so whenever you see this green drippy moss, take a few deep breaths.
Roma Tomatoes.
A fav tomato of mine, mainly because it is the same name as my pup, but a great tomato to make pomodoro sauce. I was chatting with two of my fellow Quality Control team members today, as we were unloading Coliman bananas, and we got to talking about homemade tomato sauce. I mentioned that I find, though the sauce I make is delicious, it is quite acidic.
My one co-worker told me that if you add in a pinch or two of baking soda during the cooking, it raises the pH of the dish, therefore making it less acidic. My other co-worker, who is conveniently mentioned in the Staff Appreciation section of this week's Hot Shots, says he also adds in some sugar to cut the acid.
After all this talk, all I want is spaghetti pomodoro, so I may very well be making that tonight. I found a Youtube video that I like, and have used this recipe a few times. I'll link it here.
We have a few different farms of roma's here: Aztlan from Mexico, Wilson Produce from Mexico, Llano from Mexico and, pictured above are the Fair Trade Mexican tomatoes from Covilli.
Padron peppers.
These peppers are a Spanish heirloom variety, with a mild to hot level of spice. Consumed either raw or cooked, in Spain, the usual application is pan-fried, blistered and then coated in coarse sea salt.
There is an annual festival held in the Padron peppers' honour called "Festa do Pemento de Padron" and is traditionally held in a monastery in Herbon, Spain. This festival has been held since 1979 with thousands of visitors every year.
Available from Del Cabo Farm in Mexico, in 12 pints per case, these green guys are ready to spice up any and all dishes. Enjoy!
Lacinato Kale.
I know kale only really came on the pop culture/cuisine scene 10 or so years ago, but my goodness did it make a splash. It was suddenly in everything!
Red and green kale, I can pass on, but black kale is actually one of my favourite leafy greens. I think I like the texture more? And I find it sturdier and can tolerate more cooking styles and recipes.
There may be kale chips in my future this afternoon. Kale chips as an appetizer and spaghetti pomodoro for the main? Sounds like a good evening to me.
My (very casual) kale chip recipe:
- however many stalks of black kale, taken off the stem, and roughly chopped into 1-1.5inch pieces
- olive oil
- sale & pepper
- some sort of garlic mix, I usually use the generic Garlic Plus mixture from the grocery store
- turn on the stove to 250F, and roast them low and slow until crispy
- keep a close eye on the chips, as I have burned more than I care to admit
Wheatgrass.
I've got memories from my childhood of taking wheatgrass shots, and they are not the happiest moments - I'll tell you that much.
Boasting a very, very strong taste, wheatgrass is one of the most concentrated sources of living chlorophyll, which converts sunlight into energy, on planet earth. Along with 70% chlorophyll, wheatgrass contains vitamin c, vitamin e, vitamin a, vitamin k, vitamin b, iron, magnesium and calcium. Talk about a superpowered green.
Cultivated for thousands of years, 5000 to be exact, in Ancient Egypt, wheatgrass was used to retain beauty and a youthful appearance, as well as a staple ingredient in Ayurveda medicine. In India, wheatgrass is utilized in various annual festivals and medicinal practices. One festival of note is a Hindu fall festival during Sharad Navaratri which honours the goddess Devi and the victory of good over evil. During the festival, fresh wheatgrass is offered to the goddess in small decorative baskets.
Staff Appreciation: Bill!
Bill has been with Discovery since November 2019, and originally started in the Sorting department. A year and a bit later, he made the jump to Quality Control & Receiving - and we are so happy to have him on our team!
Extremely reliable, always ready to dive deep into conversations about music composition, ancient Rome, chat about Vikings (the TV show & historical facts), or talk about volcanic eruptions, Bill is a rare gem at Disco. His favourite items that we have at Disco range from squashes to spinach to citrus - specifically grapefruits.
There is a story as to why Bill chose to be photographed with both the butternut and the honeynut squash for this week's Hot Shots.
One day, many moons ago, the QC/Receiving team was receiving a multi-pallet truck from California, and received some squash, printed on the cases and our paperwork was 'butternut honeynut" which isn't confusing at all. Off we went to good ol' google, and found out that the honeynut squash is a hybrid between a butternut squash and a buttercup squash. Who knew?!
Thank you for all your diligent hard work Bill, our team would not be the same without you!
Happy Friday everyone, now get out and enjoy the weekend!
I don't have too much planned this weekend, some family time and maybe some walks in the snow in the mountains.
Big love,
Severin R-B Danieli