tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46937117580112670422024-03-13T22:24:26.121-04:00Taste Your Freedom!Chef Hefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982422129619043483noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693711758011267042.post-79136782937498132982012-06-15T22:28:00.002-04:002012-06-17T16:34:18.225-04:00Dia de los Locos
The scarecrow remains a popular costume choice
While in the United States and Canada we'll be celebrating Fathers on June 17, on that same Sunday, instead of "Diá de los Papas", San Miguel de Allende hosts the biggest and craziest parade and party of the year for Diá de los Locos. That's right: Day of the Crazies!
In colonial times, San Miguel was surrounded by large Chef Hefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982422129619043483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693711758011267042.post-42251890730916750402012-06-11T13:22:00.005-04:002012-06-11T13:29:58.784-04:00San Pascuál, inspire my kitchen.
The carved wooden figure of
San Pascuál, holding a dish of salt,
guards and guides my kitchen.
San MIguel de Allende is known for its fervent and enthusiastic celebration of saint's days. And, from mid-May to mid-June there's a veritable deluge – San Isidro starts things off, with San Pascual and San Antonio in quick succession. Add to this Corpus Christi.. all of this culminatesChef Hefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982422129619043483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693711758011267042.post-28910292751921686732012-04-12T11:17:00.005-04:002012-04-13T08:28:29.626-04:00Tamales- Hecho Con el Amor
Tamale cart in Mexico City
More than 15 years ago, I made my first batch of tamales. My sister, who was working at Mark Miller's Coyote Cafe in Santa Fe, NM, had gifted me The Coyote Cafe Cookbook along with a pile of ingredients. I must have had tamales sometime before that, but I don't recall when or where; I like to think the book just opened to that section and tamales called to me. The Chef Hefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982422129619043483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693711758011267042.post-41825681734430164672012-04-05T21:19:00.001-04:002012-04-05T21:25:53.470-04:00Good Friday is now GREAT! Sopa Tarasca and Tostadas for All– $8 at The DepanneurLately, I've been keeping busy at The Depanneur. For those of you who don't know about "The Dep" yet, it's, as owner Len Senater puts it, "a place where interesting food things happen." Located on College Street near Dovercourt, you can get updates on happenings by subscribing to their newsletter here.
In the last 3 months, I have "hosted" three Supperclubs and two Drop-ins. Chefs and would-be Chef Hefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982422129619043483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693711758011267042.post-67526907978709959822012-03-31T11:54:00.003-04:002012-04-07T07:28:58.296-04:00Semana Santa in San Miguel de Allende–Our Lady of Sorrows
All photos courtesy of Michael Coon
This is the third time since I began my love affair with Mexico, San Miguel de Allende in particular, that I have been absent during Holy Week. It's March 31st, 2012 and seeing as in other parts it's not yet Holy Week, it's an opportunity to point out that San Miguel de Allende typically does holidays and festivos bigger and twice as long as anywhere else. Chef Hefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982422129619043483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693711758011267042.post-9541439122530367372012-03-13T18:49:00.001-04:002012-06-13T22:14:27.843-04:00Brunch at Mitzi’s Café and Gallery: The Morning... - Toronto.comFor a weekend brunch special at popular Toronto cafes, Mitzi's (the original on Sorauran) and Mitzi's on College, I made Swiss Chard (not "charred" as the article called it) Tamales with a Roasted Tomato and Morita salsa topped with poached eggs. Here's the review....
Brunch at Mitzi’s Café and Gallery: The Morning... - Toronto.comChef Hefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982422129619043483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693711758011267042.post-29153880416459020242012-03-05T17:10:00.002-05:002012-03-05T23:53:41.697-05:00Charlotte's soup of the day: Chipotle-Spiced Lentil Apple
Ok, perhaps it's a bit misleading calling it "soup of the day". That implies that other days there will be a different soup. Perhaps "soup of today" is more like it. Or "soup, made today". Anyway, Charlotte made soup today.
My daughter can cook more than respectably well. But, like many, she'll look in her pantry and fridge and despite there being what I would see as the ideal bones for a Chef Hefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982422129619043483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693711758011267042.post-60081938426138559782011-12-20T22:22:00.001-05:002011-12-20T22:28:26.852-05:00Hay Tamales!
In Canada for the holidays this year, I'm hanging onto the memories of the past two Christmases spent in Mexico. Once the Fiesta for the Virgin of Guadalupe is out of the way, the Posadas kick into gear. Posada means "inn" or "shelter" From the 16th of December until the 25th–9 nights– neighbourhoods recreate the journey made by Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. Now, pulling this off on every Chef Hefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982422129619043483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693711758011267042.post-74640545579152648672011-09-28T21:23:00.010-04:002012-04-05T10:48:48.944-04:00The Nasty BitsI want to go back to my trip to Puebla at Christmas time. Yes, there was the mountainous cemita at the mercado, but there was more...
It's a good time to mention that when I travel, I use the Couchsurfing network as much as possible. Sometimes this means I get a free place to sleep, or I may just connect with a local for coffee or a drink. It's not only a fantastic way to get the inside scoop Chef Hefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982422129619043483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693711758011267042.post-16039400210077745372011-09-11T17:01:00.001-04:002011-10-20T23:06:24.885-04:00Stone Soup in Oaxaca / Caldo de PiedraBack to that trip to Oaxaca.
One of the required "missions" while in Oaxaca, was to experience Caldo de Piedra –Stone Soup. And without further ado, I recommend you visit that website link which explains the history and culture of it thoroughly.
Stone soup was not originally made in individual servings, it was prepared in pits for a community, but a similar process was applied. The Chef Hefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982422129619043483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693711758011267042.post-40994303522315418492011-08-26T22:11:00.004-04:002011-09-05T00:44:19.221-04:00In the Kitchen with Pueblito
Pueblito making Thai green curry chicken
I have long wanted to get myself into a situation where my cooking abilities made a difference. I mean, yes, there is good in what I do now. My clients are generally people for whom the task of cooking is simply beyond them–whether this has to do with their abilities in the kitchen or daily time pressures.They want to eat healthily and I make it Chef Hefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982422129619043483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693711758011267042.post-27596303954908655942011-07-29T20:19:00.005-04:002011-08-26T18:34:11.503-04:00A Recipe to Call My OwnI am proud to say I have (finally) made myself work through a recipe that I found in a book, modified, and have made enough times without referring to a recipe at all that I believe I can now call it my own. Aside from baking, I tend to go by experience and freely create–and even then it takes reminding myself of the time I was a bit too cocky when making an Angel Food Cake and ended up with Chef Hefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982422129619043483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693711758011267042.post-31854495151771014292011-07-08T10:14:00.005-04:002011-09-30T00:31:06.265-04:00Cemita the Great/ La Gran CemitaWhew. Seems now to me that one can not simply eat a cemita (seh-mee-tah). A cemita must be conquered. This mountainous sandwich, specifically a cemita poblana, is a creation unique to the city of Puebla. Those of you familiar with the Mexican torta may wonder what the difference is– I for one had thought that the word "torta" referred to any sandwich whereby two sides of a breadroll flank Chef Hefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982422129619043483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693711758011267042.post-76924411075387983042011-06-23T15:03:00.005-04:002011-09-30T00:27:46.242-04:00Barbacoa with BaylessWhen this past Christmas I was invited by my friend and mentor Kirsten West to travel to Oaxaca City where I would meet Rick Bayless, the answer was: "Si! Que padre!" Oaxaca, at Christmas, with Rick Bayless? How totally cool! Kirsten has tested recipes and styled dishes for a number of his cookbooks including the most recent, Fiesta at Rick's, and they had been friends for several years. OtherChef Hefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982422129619043483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693711758011267042.post-31317401563673165032010-12-05T23:08:00.007-05:002011-08-09T18:30:36.929-04:00Canapés. Hors d'oeuvres. Botanas. Nibbles.
Whatever you want to call them, what's a cocktail party or open house without these little mouthfuls to tantalize your guests' tastebuds?
Stepping outside my usual boundaries as a preparer of daily sustenance, I jumped on the opportunities I had in the recent year to cater local cocktail parties and open houses and to great success. I've been developing a menu, but as always, I begin with the Chef Hefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982422129619043483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693711758011267042.post-61139179774642542552010-11-21T16:30:00.000-05:002010-11-21T16:30:20.695-05:00Hunger Pains on the Behance NetworkHunger Pains on the Behance NetworkSince I have been remiss in creating posts of my own lately, I thought I'd share something a little different in the category of food.Chef Hefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982422129619043483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693711758011267042.post-18217147162191928412010-10-23T22:41:00.000-04:002010-10-23T22:41:24.773-04:00What clients are saying..."We have discovered Margaret Hefner, a delightful Canadian chef with a great interest in Mexican cuisine who will come to cook for you in your home. She first interviews you as to your food likes/dislikes etc, does the shopping, comes to your home and cooks, cleans up leaving you with the most delicious dinner, plus portions for freezing. We think she is an angel. We use her services on a Chef Hefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982422129619043483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693711758011267042.post-68941763877489450982010-05-24T17:18:00.005-04:002010-05-26T21:42:16.818-04:00Mole VerdeYou can buy jars of Doña Maria mole in the grocery store in Canada. It's a thick brown paste of Pumpkin Seeds, Soybean Oil, Crackers, Sesame Seeds, Peanuts, Salt, Chile Peppers and Natural Flavors.(?!) I knew an authentic mole has a lot more going for it, but considering the labour of first compiling , then combining a long list of ingredients, not to mention the toasting of nuts andChef Hefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982422129619043483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693711758011267042.post-36485045167891953652010-05-21T21:49:00.033-04:002011-08-08T21:16:32.501-04:00Savor the SmutA friend in Canada was all blissed-out one summer when he attempted to grow a crop of corn on his country property in Ontario and discovered a blight of this particular fungus.(see his article here) Corn smut–known in Mexico as huitlacoche. Not what corn farmers are hoping for when they seek to harvest tender golden cobs for the North American market, but here in Mexico, a delicacy.
It is Chef Hefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982422129619043483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693711758011267042.post-80008700281080135182010-01-13T10:29:00.001-05:002010-05-30T16:13:04.543-04:00How it Works...Are you bored of eating at restaurants where you never get quite what you want?
Do you have restrictions on your diet because of allergies, medications or health issues?
Do you prefer to enjoy meals while relaxing in the comfort of your home?
These are some of the main reasons clients invite me into their homes to do the cooking. I spend a day starting with doing the shopping, and ending with Chef Hefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982422129619043483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693711758011267042.post-4404490340969898452010-01-10T18:58:00.001-05:002012-10-02T11:02:19.187-04:00Sample Menu offerings...Menus are 100-percent client-driven. I developed my repertoire of cuisines and techniques in order to provide creative and diverse menus no matter what the dietary restriction. That said, I'm not a match for everyone, because I will want to make you eat healthfully! To that end, I've spent more time learning about Mediterranean cuisines than, say British Pub, or Southern US food preparations.&Chef Hefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982422129619043483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693711758011267042.post-91448987076463722672010-01-03T22:36:00.000-05:002010-01-13T17:38:30.961-05:00Thanksgiving in San Miguel de AllendeOne of the reasons I chose to come to Mexico was to learn more about the cuisine. Now, while this region of Mexico is not known for its cuisine, I repeatedly came across one name in particular: Kirsten West. Kirsten is known to be the local expert on Mexican regional cuisines, and while I was Googling every related key word and organization I could think of to find a contact number for her, I Chef Hefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982422129619043483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693711758011267042.post-68414866934905400742010-01-03T18:52:00.001-05:002010-02-01T14:02:41.296-05:00About Chef Margaret HefnerMargaret Hefner is Canadian-born to European parents. Thanks to their international travels, meals at the Hefner dinner table were inspired and well-prepared. Pretty impressive considering this was the late 60s and early 70s when fast-food was quickly becoming king.Although her initial path was to to attend the Rhode Island School of Design for a degree in Jewelry design, soon after completing Chef Hefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982422129619043483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693711758011267042.post-32444003127641812182009-12-18T17:38:00.000-05:002010-01-14T01:01:15.204-05:00Under the Mexican InfluenceI arrived in San Miguel de Allende just in time for Day of the Dead celebrations. I came with the intention of staying two months, but I just can't bring myself to leave as planned. You'll hear this same tune from so many others; this place just gets under your skin. San Miguel has stolen my heart.I was able to find myself a small apartment. Humble, but it has a kitchen so I have been buying Chef Hefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982422129619043483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693711758011267042.post-81622754471933038612009-09-28T11:20:00.000-04:002009-09-28T11:22:46.558-04:00New Site, New Taste!Having neglected to maintain my former URL, Tasteyourfreedom.ca, I was reminded that blogging is the perfect way to keep my clients informed.Stay tuned... right now off to prepare hors d'oeuvres for a client's birthday partyChef Hefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00982422129619043483noreply@blogger.com0