Old-Fashioned Skills

Preparing for a Food Shortage the Vintage Way

May 22, 2020 by Sylvia Rose 13 Comments

When preparing for a food shortage, it isn’t a bad idea to revive the vintage skills that sustained our ancestors through many a tough season. They knew what to do when times got tough and so can you. Self-sufficiency is everything!

ARE WE IN FOR HARD TIMES?

I don’t want to be an alarmist, but we may be in for some tough times. At the time of writing this, there are signs that the food supply chain is breaking down. There are fast food joints that can’t make everything on the menu because of supply issues.

In Canada, there are now “flexitarian” burgers up for sale that mix ground beef with veggie ground round to stretch the supply. The price of meat is shooting up so fast that it’s leaving people dizzy.

Believe it or not, I wrote this article a year ago, and the headlines are still telling the same story .

These are uncertain times, there’s no doubt about that. Instead of getting worked up, let’s prepare ourselves.

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Easy Duck Prosciutto (a nitrate-free recipe)

May 8, 2020 by Sylvia Rose 8 Comments

This easy duck prosciutto recipe will leave you wondering why you haven’t made this before now. Plus, there’s something so satisfying about slicing up charcuterie you cured yourself!

THE PERFECT CURING PROJECT FOR BEGINNERS

Before making this easy duck prosciutto recipe for the first time, I thought curing meat was a complicated process best left to the pros.

Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn, the authors of Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking and Curing, showed me I was wrong.

Their recipe, which is the one I’ll be sharing with you today, calls for three simple ingredients: kosher salt, a duck breast, and white pepper.

Other than that, you’ll need a non-reactive container (like glass), cheesecloth and kitchen string.

Oh, and a bit of time and a cool spot for curing.

You might not want to hear this, but you’ll need a minimum of eight days from start to finish.

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Foraging for Garlic Mustard and How to Use It

May 5, 2020 by Sylvia Rose 9 Comments

Garlic mustard is an invasive species that was brought over to North America by European settlers at the turn of the 19th century. Foraging for garlic mustard not only helps the native plant species in affected areas, but it’s fun to play with culinary-wise, too!

WHAT’S GARLIC MUSTARD?

If you’re new to foraging, garlic mustard is an invasive plant species that was introduced to North America at the turn of the 19th century.

The European settlers valued it for its medicinal and culinary properties.

Today, it’s seen as a weed and for conservationists, one that’s threatening native species.

In forests, garlic mustard is starving native plant species by robbing them of the soil fungi they need to thrive.

This is why conservationists are starting to encourage people to pick this plant.

Some other names that it goes by include Penny Hedge, Poor Man’s Mustard, and Garlic Root.

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Making the Most of Staying at Home (how to not go crazy)

April 28, 2020 by Sylvia Rose Leave a Comment

Making the most of staying at home is the only thing we can really do during a lock-down. Here are some coping mechanisms to help keep you afloat!

making the most of staying at home country airbnb

IT’S NOT EASY

Last November I decided to quit my job to stay at home with my little boy.

It was an easy decision for me to make because it’s what I’ve always wanted to do.

I’m a homebody and I love taking care of my family. Still, this CV crisis hits hard.

My husband’s been working from home for over a month, I can’t take my little one to the park, and my social outlets are missing.

Then there’s the fear which is the hardest part for me.

I hate bearing witness to the panic, fear and anxiety that’s gripping so many people.

As someone who usually stays at home, here’s what I do to thrive.

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Cracking Open a Coconut (and what to do with it!)

April 21, 2020 by Sylvia Rose Leave a Comment

Cracking open a coconut for the first time is quite the experience. If you have a coconut sitting on your kitchen counter that you don’t know what to do with, let me walk you through it!

“I GOT YOU A COCONUT”

This is not what I was expecting to hear when my husband came home from doing errands while I was filming.

Normally he surprises and delights me with chocolate, kombucha and cinnamon rolls from the local bakery, but a coconut? I wasn’t expecting that one.

What was I going to do with it? Throw it?

My little boy did. He thought it was a ball.

It can be intimidating, being presented with something new.

I mean, I adore coconut, but it’s usually already flaked, shredded, or creamed, so I don’t need to do anything.

If I want coconut water, I go to the store and buy it.

Instead, “I got you a coconut”.

The coconut sat on my counter for a week, patiently waiting for me to come around.

I didn’t want to give it the time of day, but then when I was filming my videos for perfect scrambled eggs and pesto tuna melts, my husband suggested I crack open the coconut on camera.

Well, okay. Here’s what I did.

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Perfect Scrambled Eggs (They’re So Creamy!)

April 14, 2020 by Sylvia Rose 2 Comments

Once you get a taste for how velvety and scrumptious scrambled eggs can be, it’s hard to go back. Perfect scrambled eggs can’t be rushed, but they’re so worth it!

Some of you might not want to hear this, but the secret behind making perfect scrambled eggs is time and patience!

To get flavourful, velvety eggs, you need to give yourself a bit of time.

There’s a reason why most restaurants don’t serve up perfect scrambled eggs: it takes too long!

The key is cooking them low and slow.

Are you ready to begin?

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