The Tartan Pie

Posted By Theresa on June 28, 2010

We recently moved, and before moving, we were ‘connected’.  We had a land line and cable, television and the internet was on all the time.   Our new location, albiet sweet, is not connected.  No land line, no cable, no TV and no internet.  So I decided to get a ‘telus stick’, to allow me to access the internet to check emails, pay bills and update my web page. 

Marketing was effective for the ’stick’, I thought it was going to be this amazing thing.  It’s turned out to be a bit of head-ache…it’s slow, sticks out like a sore thumb off the side of the computer, in the first day I used up 1/2 of my megabytes and quite frankly I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. 

Unfortunately that means I won’t be updating my site as often and checking emails once every day or every other day. It’s actually not all that bad not being connected….the hubby gets much more done, the phone’s not ringing all the time and I’m not spending so much of my day at the computer.  Maybe it’s a good thing.

Category: General | 5 Comments »
Tags: Blogging

Posted By Theresa on April 17, 2010

I was fortunate to have come across the perfect vehicle for deliveries. We don’t travel far, we don’t need to travel fast, so we’re going to travel in style in our new mini-truck! I often do random searches for random bakery things when I have a bit of time on the computer, and I happened upon a Diahatsu Hijet mini- truck one day on Kijiji. I was in Edmonton, which seemed an odd place for a mini-truck, as Alberta is the land of the super-sized truck. But as it happened, my brother was going to be in the area and could look at it for me. He was able to overlook the little size and said it was legit and in good shape.  A train ride and two ferries later, we are now we are the proud owners of a Diahtsu truck with a refer unit. 

Apparently it’s a bit easier to insure these vehicles in Alberta, it’s taken a few months to get the required parts for converting it to a street legal vehicle, but now it’s ready. I am hoping to get it insured this week. Graphics are next…I can’t wait, there are so many ideas. And now we can do deliveries, markets, wholesale…it’s all very exciting. It came with a pint-sized freezer unit already installed, so we’ll be able to keep our food cold and fresh.

A few people have asked why I chose an import.  Well, quite frankly, there are no vehicles in the North American marketplace that fit the bill!  Small and economical, the small refer until will allow me to attend markets and venues without hassel, and because it sips gas we can consider deliveries.  The top speed between Parksville and Gabriola Island is 90k, and our vehicle can do 85 so it’s fast enough.  The smallest vehicle that’s available on our side of the pond is about 20x bigger than I need, which would have been a waste, and far more costly.  Our little Hi-Jet fits the bill.

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Posted By Theresa on March 26, 2010

I am still amazed by the web. It’s such a huge tool for me in life these days. My hubby calls me a ‘google’ fanatic as I use the web as my dictionary, yellow pages, research assistant and for entertainment from time to time.

And I’m surprised by the web and who’s on it. I recently came across a web blog for the Gabriola Island while consulting my ‘yellow pages’ for something else on the island. The first thing I do when I find a blog or web page is to find out about the creator of the site. I was curious to see who’s blog it was, and was quite dismayed to find that the blogger was blogging anonymously. It’s kind of like reading a book with no author. Who does that? And what does it say about the person blogging?

My first thought was that maybe they were ashamed of what they were writing, or that maybe there was content in it that would cause them grief on a small island. What ever the reason, if someone can’t be bothered to tell me about themselves, other than they don’t want anyone to know who they are, I can’t be bothered to read what they are writing. Cause I need to have a connection with what I’m reading, a reason to read it.  Spending time on a blog seems like a waste if your readers can’t connect with you as an individual.  For what it’s worth, that’s my opinon.

Category: Blogging | 2 Comments »
Tags: Blogging

Posted By Theresa on February 10, 2010

And into our yard walks a turkey. I think I’ll call her Din-Din. 

Din-Din is friendly, probably she’s spent time as somebodies pet.  She looks like a wild turkey although I suspect she’s a domesticated breed as she’s quite large and far too friendly to be a wild version, a Broad Breasted Bronze would be my guess.  I saw her ‘friends’ down the road, a flock of about 30 or so turkeys marching down the middle of the road wreaking havoc in traffic.  It’s my guess that Din-Din is nesting somewhere nearby, and has escaped the flock to have some privacy while raising the new generation.

I grew up on a farm where we often grew and raised turkey, it was always a bit of disaster…between the bears, weasels, owls and dogs in the neighborhood we never had much success.  And although we tried hard, I don’t think a turkey ever made it to dinner.  We had lots of predators.  But even our ‘domestic turkeys’ were never as friendly as these ‘wild’ ones.  And as far as I can tell, turkey is not native to this area.

I went to my winter garden earlier in the week and was appalled at the damage something had been doing to the garden.  My swiss chard was mangled, the peas that had started to grow were decimated along with the other seedlings that had started to sprout.  Far too much damage for slugs, maybe mice?  I was at a loss.  And then I saw Din-Din and it all became clear.  We have a new menace in town.

I’m sure who ever released these turkeys into the wild had only the best of intentions.  But the ‘releasors’ didn’t stop to think about the big picture.  Gabriola is already bombarded with pests, we have no predators, and more pests is a problem. 

The deer are cute when you first move here.  It’s only after you see them munching on the new flowers you bought to brighten up the yard that they don’t seem so cute any more. Impossible to keep out.  The raccoons, so sweet with their little bandit eyes, until they open the pest proof lid of your garbage can and rip apart your garbage and leave a stinking mess.  Or there’s the 2 am dog taunting sessions through the plate glass window.  Impossible to keep out.  Peacocks, well they fly onto your deck, decimate the flowers to you tried to protect from the deer, poop everywhere and then leave without even a display of thier plumage.  Impossible to keep out.  And the stray dogs, packing up and attacking neighborhood cats and livestock, chasing deer into traffic, and getting into the garbage.  No dog catcher and impossible to keep out. And we now have a new pest in town.

On the coast, Turkey is brought into stores 4 times a year for the holidays where turkey is traditionally served. Trying to find turkey off season, at a reasonable price, to meet the demand for our pies is proving to be a challenge.  And yet I have one on my doorstep.  Teasing me. Taunting me.  Telling me that she will be my new pest that no fence will keep out, and reminding me that I can’t do anything about it. 

I suspect I will have to garden under-cover this year if I am to have anything resembling a garden.  Cause there’s a new pest in town.  Her name is Din-Din.  And it looks like she’s here to stay.

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Posted By Theresa on February 5, 2010

I was going to write about the history of valentines day. During my research, however, I found a really good site that sums it up, and the beauty of the internet is that I can just provide the link http://www.history.com/content/valentine/history-of-valentine-s-day. No sense in re-inventing the wheel.

Valentines day has been one of those hit and miss days for me. Sometimes it has been amazing. Grade 12 valentines day was memorable, I opened my locker to a dozen long stemmed red roses, and to this day I have no idea how they were placed in there!  My favorite was a few years ago when Valentines day fell on fire practice night. My boyfriend wanted to do something special, and had planned a special dinner for when I returned home from practice. Of course, it was a fun filled night at the fire hall and we ran late in finishing creating a very anxious boyfriend. On arriving home I found the nicest meal he has ever made for me! 

Valentines Day and food is a great combination, and it doesn’t have to be about Chocolate (though I love it when it is!). It’s a day that gives an excuse to try something new, it doesn’t have to be costly nor extravegant.  Baby vegetables are a nice touch on a valentines plate, as are cuts of meat that cook up nice when stuffed or rolled.  Add a nice bottle of wine and your set. And then there’s dessert…and that’s my favorite food of the night. You can’t go wrong with choosing a dessert for a valentines dinner, one quick search on the web and there’s oodles of ideas.  My dessert this year will be a Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake.  I won’t be able to sleep after having that much chocolate in the evening, but it will be worth it.

Category: Blogging, General, Holidays | 3 Comments »
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Posted By Theresa on January 24, 2010

I have had a number of requests from friends and customers for gluten free products.  I am finding developing products is not an easy task to do.  When it comes to grain products, there are few choices available and it takes a long time to source out suitable products that are definitely gluten free.

The most valuable information comes from people who are on a gluten free diet already.  Fortunately they have shared some recipes with me and that’s the easy step.  Finding products to use is the challenge.  I have spoke with people who have celiacs disease and found out that many of the products labelled as gluten free do infact contain gluten.  Many companies process grains in mills that also mill wheat flours, and there is often cross contamination unless the line is meticulously cleaned or they use a seperate milling system. 

There are products that are not clear where they are milled, even though they say gluten free.  There are many imported products such as pototo flour that make no claim as to whether they are gluten free or not, but come from areas where wheat grains are not grown.  But what else runs through their mills?  There is one health food store I found that re-packages thier own flours and claims that they select products from companies that are careful about where they buy the products and  cross-contamination and they say that people with celiacs disease by thier products such as rice flour, tapioca flour and potato flour.  I’ll have to check with my clients on that one. 

The largest stores out there have the lowest number of products available.  There are some stores that carry some of “Bob’s Red Mill” products, but they don’t carry enough of the product line to complete the recipes listed on the packages of products they do carry!  I’ve searched for products for about 12 hours now, and I have found very few products that can be considered for use in a gluten free pie, but I think I have found enough.

This week I will make some pies with no gluten with some of the limited products I have found, and I’m fortunate to have good recipes to work with.  I will be making the doughs and pies on days when regular pies are not being made so eliminate cross contamination.  And I”m making the products in the other end of our facility to further reduce any risks of cross contamination.   

I have one friend who has celiacs disease and she said it’s tough cause they can’t eat out, they can’t go to bakeries and they have to make every meal they eat.  This quest has been time consuming but it’s worth it because it’s educating and has allowed just a glimpse of insight into this terrible disease and how frustrating it must be for those people affected.  It’s been a quest for sure, and how hopefully I’m able to create a number of tasty products for customers that will allow them a bit of a break from doing all the cooking.

Category: Baking Basics, Recipes, Special Diets | 1 Comment »
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Posted By Theresa on December 18, 2009

This year an old friend is again a trend.  Receiving food as a gift has always been one of my favorite gifts to receive.  Other people’s interpretations of food have always fascinated me and I enjoy exploring new flavours and foods.  And of course there’s the luxury of having treats that you didn’t have to make!

Giving food as a gift has been revisited by many this year.  Some say it’s due to the economy, others suggest it’s because society is becoming more aware of what they are eating.  What ever the reason, I love it!  If you are contemplating giving food as a gift, here are some suggestions to ensure you gift is well received. 

First, try to choose items that can be frozen.  Cookies and many squares are a great choice.  Varieties of cookies are even better.  When determining if an item can be frozen, the recipe is often a good indicator.  Shortbread, chocolate chip, oatmeal are great candidates. Cookies and squares with cream fillings or curds are probably not good candidates.  If in doubt, check it out yourself prior to giving by freezing some of the cookies or squares overnight.  Once in an air-tight or zip-lock bag, a good cookie or square will keep in the freezer for weeks. It’s a good idea to include a container as part of your gift in which to store the treats, protecting the items from being damaged.

Second, don’t select only holiday foods.  If you’re like me, and you receive these treasures as a gift, they often go straight to the freezer to keep them fresh.  I have usually prepared enough goodies for guests, and if I need more it only takes a little bit of time to defrost more items after pulling them out of the freezer.  After a few days or weeks, the cookies and squares can be pulled out as company arrives or when the munchies hit.  I often use the last of my Christmas cookies in May or June, so a Santa cookie for a spring tea party might not work.

The third suggestion is to be sensitive to food sensitivities and allergies.  It’s a good idea to include the ingredients list for each food item.  The ingredient list can be made by hand or printed off a computer.  And with all the problems today with peanuts and severe allergies, it may be a good ingredient to avoid in your gift giving plan.  You can also keep the items separate by parchment paper or even zip-lock bags.  This way, if there is a sensitivity or allergy to one item, items that are packaged separate can be re-gifted, graciously returned or served to guests by the recipient.

The final suggestion is to HAVE FUN.  If you don’t enjoy baking cookies and squares, it might be just as well to buy some good quality cookies, repackage them, and well…who will know?   But you didn’t hear that from me.  A bake shop may give you a deal on a slab of squares or a couple dozen cookies versus individual items.  

Oh, and if I’m on your Christmas list, well…hint, hint, nudge, nudge.  If you don’t know what to get me, there’s a BIG hint above!

Happy Baking!

Category: Baking Basics, Entertaining, General, Holidays | 6 Comments »
Tags: Food, gifts, giving, Holidays

Posted By Theresa on December 13, 2009

I love to entertain.  My life is rather busy at times, and I like to spend the precious little time I have with my friends and family not slaving away behind the scenes but instead sharing stories and good times.  That means I don’t want to be a kitchen prisoner after guests arrive, I want to be out and enjoying the moment.  Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy my time in the kitchen, however I consider myself to be an average person with an average sized kitchen.  My kitchen would only fit a few people, not all of them and I’d rather spend more time with more people.   

To make life easier, I do take a small amount of time plan my ‘event’.  I prepare recipes that take minimal preparation with maximum impact.  I look for items that can be prepared ahead, preferably atleast a day ahead and often even frozen.  Mini meatballs (which can be pre-made, frozen and popped straight in the oven) and cheeseballs (kept in the fridge) are great examples. 

I also plan out my preparation so that I only have to do the same thing once.  If I need minced garlic for 3 recipes, I do it all at the same time and then portion it out for each recipe.  I also make a written cooking plan – each item has it’s cooking time and temperature written out, and my timer is my friend.  

I ensure that I don’t make too much food.   Maybe it’s the culture on the gulf islands, but there is always a portion of guests who bring treats with them even if not asked and this gift is always very welcome.  As a back-up, I always have some ready made snacks ready in the event that the food does run a little bit low. 

When the time comes for guest to arrive, I usually have to do little more than put trays into the oven for heating and plate up items for serving.  All items are prepared, the dishes are done, and the festivities begin.   I have little kitchen time other than the quick oven changes and refreshing dishes as they empty out.  

This strategy leaves me more time with with family and friends, which is the purpose of inviting guests.  And isn’t that why we invite them in the first place?

Category: Entertaining, General | No Comments »
Tags: Entertaining, Food, Holidays

Posted By Theresa on December 3, 2009

When it comes to food, there are names for everything.  If you search for “tartan pie” on the internet, you’ll get a lot of pie and a lot of tartan, but little in between.  There’s a link for an “french apple tartan pie”, and for “Tartan Dress from Pie in the Sky”, but you won’t find the tartan pie that “The Tartan Pie Bakery” is famous for.

The “Tartan Pie” is a savory pie created by Scotty, the former owner of our bakery “The Tartan Pie”.  The pie was so tasty it inspired the name of the business.

The “Tartan Pie” is quite essentially the ultimate in comfort food. It takes my favorite meal and lays it inside 2 homemade pie crusts for an amazing combination of flavors.

Now the catch is that Scotty swore us to secrecy when he sold us the business, so I can’t tell you everything that’s in the “Tartan Pie”. I can tell you that it’s a delightful version of a turkey pie. I can also tell you it’s become my favorite quick meal after having it only once.  And it’s so good I’m considering serving it for Christmas Dinner.  I like the idea of new traditions, but that’ll likely be an entry in itself because I’m not so sure my hubby will be ready to part from a traditional Christmas dinner.

What is a “tartan pie”?  Simply stated, and without breaking our promise,  a ‘tartan pie’ is a delicious turkey pie unlike anything you’ve ever tasted, created by the nicest scottish man you could ever meet!

Category: Food Trivia | 1 Comment »
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Posted By Theresa on November 28, 2009

When I saw ‘5 minute setup’, I didn’t believe it. And in my case it took about 24 hours!  But it was because of one space in one line of code that didn’t need to be there, messed the whole database up.  Once I solved that little problem, it wasn’t so bad.

This is an experiment for me.  I don’t know much about blogs, who might be interested or how much work it will be.  But I like experiments, I always have.

Now that I’m up and running, I’m hoping to post every 2-3 days, on topics that include food trivia, making simple food, baking basics, kitchen gadgets and some stories that I want to share.

I hope you enjoy!

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