What’s Hot in the Kitchen?
Lamb with a Mexican twist
Edith Jakobs of Opulence Events and Chef Rui have put together a series of foodie articles featuring different foods and beverages from the Spanish-speaking countries of the world. Today, we start with Mexico where the culinary scene is amazing, eclectic, much more than tacos and burritos, and well worth exploring.
“Being a caterer we always have to find the next big food trend,” Edith told us. At Opulence our clients always want change since most go to many catered events a year and they want their event to stand out and be different. Latin cuisine – distinctive flavour blends that have been around for ages – is now making an impact on the mainstream dining scene.”
“Chef Rui and I have selected for Tempo Toronto readers an amazing dish that fuses incredible Mexican flavours with lamb. This is a great dish to put on your Easter table. For this, try Ontario or Alberta produced lamb. The flavour is amazing, and it’s grown right here at home.”
Braised Spring Lamb with Vegetables and Smoked Chipotle Sauce
1 lamb shoulder trimmed and cut in 1 inch pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
½ cup onion diced
1 clove of crushed garlic
½ cup carrot diced
½ cup celery diced
5 fresh tomatoes without seeds diced
1 spring fresh thyme finely chopped
1 tsp fresh rosemary finely chopped
10 oz red wine
10 oz demi glace (dark beef stock)
1-2 chipotle peppers (from the tin works best)
Salt and pepper to taste
In a skillet or Dutch oven brown the lamb pieces in olive oil (tip you don’t need the expensive olive oil for cooking). Once done, add the vegetables and fine herbs; continue browning. Add the red wine (I suggest choosing one from a Latin country) and demi glace (this is beef stock reduced: just let it simmer on your stove top for about 30 minutes this should do the trick). Cover with lid and put in a pre-heated 400 F oven for about 1½ hours or until tender. Remove from the oven once done, and let rest a few minutes. Remove the meat and put all the liquid with the vegetables and chipotle peppers in the blender until smooth, then pour over meat.
Serve with sautéed vegetables and fresh crusty bread, and enjoy.
Edith Jakobs
Owner and chief visionary officer of Opulence Catering and Event Management,
two locations: Toronto / Muskoka
by Editor
[Tags: Alberta lamb, caterer, Chef Rui, easter cooking, Edith Jakobs, Mexican food, Ontario lamb, Opulence catering, Opulence Catering and Event Management, recipe, Spanish-speaking countries, tempo toronto]
Colour me peaceful
How colour in interior design affects us
Colour is used as a decorating tool to add drama and interest to a room. What most people don’t realize is that colour in large doses can impact how we feel. Here’s a test The next time you walk into a room with a colour other than off-white, give yourself some time and some inner quiet to notice how you’re feeling. Are you tense? Are you relaxed? Research has shown that colour can affect your mood. The brighter a colour is, the stronger the emotional response. Here’s how the major colour groups can impact mood:
Blue the most calming colour. It’s tranquility helps resolve conflicts. Blue actually acts as an appetite suppressant.
Green evokes a peaceful feeling. It’s the colour of harmony and balance.
Yellow – can be fatiguing depending on the intensity. The brighter the yellow, the more stimulating it can be, which can cause conflict and disharmony. However, a pale yellow can be cheerful like sunshine.
Red – is the most exciting colour. It can actually increase metabolism with passion and anger.
Putting an intense yellow in a baby nursery is definitely not recommended. Blue and green bedrooms get top marks for serenity and a good night’s sleep.
Of course, there are many factors that have to be taken into consideration when choosing paint colours. Colour can affect the temperature of a room. Warm colours are red, orange and yellow with brown as a neutral warm colour. Cool colours are blue, violet and green with gray as a neutral cool colour. These colours are effective in west and south exposures because they counteract the heat of sunny rooms. Warm colours are most effective in east and north exposures because they add warmth to the cold light.
Light has a major impact on how a paint colour will look on a wall. The amount of natural sunlight together with the presence of halogen and incandescent indoor light needs to be taken into consideration when choosing a colour. So often, the colour of a wall can be different at various points in the room!
So be careful … think about how you want your room to look and feel. Then invest in a small test pot of paint and brush on a few 18” x 18” patches in different parts of the room. Look at the colour in the morning, late afternoon and evening before making a final decision. Go that extra step for peace of mind.
Tobi Brockway is a Toronto-based professional Interior Decorator and Principal of Tobi Brockway Interiors Inc. For more information, visit www.tbinteriors.ca or call 416-520-3760.
by Editor
[Tags: choosing colours, decorating, interior design, paint, tempo toronto, Tobi Brockway Interiors]
