Once Upon A Feast by Ruth Daniels

It's so exciting for me to share with you (if you didn't already know) that last month our friend Ruth, she of Toronto's Once Upon A Feast, published her own cookbook!

It's an amazing feat, and more importantly, Every Kitchen Tells Its Stories is a really great book.

Ruth has gathered together recipes from her family: meals that her Mother and Grandmother cooked when Ruth was growing up, favorites and often requested recipes from her two daughters and shares them with us. We are very lucky.

All the areas are covered here: appetizers, soups, various meats and seafood, grains, veggies and sweets. The book also has quite a few Jewish recipes which I was very interested in. I've never had any Jewish cooking before. I'm looking forward to trying more of Ruth's Jewish recipes soon.

All the recipes have a list of cooking times, servings per dish, equipment needed, and tips and variations. There is also a very handy cooking primer at the back that talks about kitchen tools, kitchen staples, weights and measurements and much much more. Hints on everything from toasting nuts to butterflying chicken breasts to frying the perfect latke would come in handy for anyone in the kitchen.

Everything I've made from Ruth's book has turned out perfectly, thanks to the detailed and clear directions. I've also enjoyed all the introductions and Ruth's families stories that are sprinkled throughout the book. Some of them are pretty funny!

So please go here to Ruth's site to see how to order a copy of this book. You can purchase the book on CD-Rom or as an E-Book. AND, as if you needed any more incentive, Ruth is very very generously donating $2.00 from the sale of every book to Breast Cancer Research!

So support a fellow blogger! Check out this book.


Marinated Flank Steak with Honey-Chipolte Glaze from Every Kitchen Tells Its Stories by Ruth Daniels. (pg 70).

Glaze:
2 tb honey
1 tb dijon mustard
1 tb hoisin sauce
1 tb fresh lime juice
2 tsp chipolte chile in adobo, minced
1 clove garlic, minced

Marinade:
3 tb olive oil
3 tb fresh lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin

Steak:
2 flank steaks

For the Glaze: Mix honey, mustard, hoisin sauce, lime juice, chipolte chiles and garlic in a bowl until blended. Can be prepared 1 day ahead and refrigerated.

For the Steak: Combine the marinade in glass baking dish or large zip-lock baggie.

Lightly score (make shallow cuts) the flank steak and coat both sides with marinade. Marinate at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge, turning occasionally.

Prepare BBQ (high heat). Brush most of the glaze over both sides of the steak, saving a little to drizzle over the meal before serving. Grill to desired doneness (5 minutes per side = medium).

Let steaks rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Slice diagonally across the grain (short side). Drizzle with glaze just before serving.


I served the flank steak with Ruth's Garlicky Rice (pg 126) which I think might be THE BEST rice dish I've ever had in my life. No lie.



Curried Sweet Potato Latkes from Every Kitchen Tells Its Stories by Ruth Daniels. (pg 106).

1 lb sweet potatos peeled and cut into large chunks
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
oil for frying

To coarsely grate the potatos, either use a hand grater on large holes or a food processor using the grater blade.

In a large bowl mix flour, sugars, baking powder, cayenne, curry powder and cumin.

Add eggs and just enough milk to the dry ingredients to make a stiff batter. Add the grated sweet potatos and toss well. The batter should be moist but not runny. If it's too stiff add a little more milk.

Using a large serving spoon, drop batter onto hot oil in a skillet. Flatten latkes and brown on both sides, turning only once. If the edges brown much quicker than the centre turn the heat down to medium. This usually takes 3-5 minutes depending on how big the spoonful of batter is.

Drain on paper towels to eliminate excess oil.