Aniko Birtch was a very special lady in my life. Aniko was my best friend, my partner and my love. She was also an amazing mother, and an awesome cook.
Aniko and I enjoyed cooking together, and this was a recipe that we came up with one afternoon collaborating in the kitchen. It was something we created for her Grandmother, something easy to portion out and freeze for her have on hand.
Almost as quickly as Aniko came into my life, she was gone. She was diagnosed with cancer, and after 11 short months of cramming as much life into every day that we could, she slipped away from us.
I cherish my memories of this very special lady, and this dish will always take me back to my time with her.
Aniko and Grandma K out for dinner with the clanAniko and RyanAniko and RyanAniko
Well, it is starting to come together. The format of the site is getting there, and then I will start the process of building up the content. I have a few recipes that are ready for typing, and over the course of time I will do some better quality photography to go along with them.
I have found the tutorial videos offered by Lynda.com to be super helpful. Morten Rand-Hendriksen has put together a really well organized set of tutorials to guide you thru the learning process. I highly recommend this resource for those looking to learn WordPress.
I grew up in a wonderful home, one where my father did a great deal the cooking. My Pop was an amazing cook, and one of my father’s most loved dishes was his pancakes. I grew up on these golden disks, with their light fluffy texture and rich taste was our breakfast on many, many a weekend. Whether served with bacon, sausages or pan fried kokanee (the fish, not the beer) they were always amazing. And they were always made using good ingredients, patience, love and a talented hand. And never with a recipe or measuring cup. It was always “bunch of this, some of that and a pinch (or two) of something else” – Pop was amazing in the kitchen, and to this day he continues to be my hero and inspiration.
Sadly, my father left us all too soon, his ‘recipes’ lost with him. In his final couple of years, as the cancer ate away at him, he lost his taste for food and at the end his strength to cook. I cooked for him whenever I could, but increasingly he was unable to enjoy eating. Because his ‘recipes’ were all based on taste and feeling, we were never able to get them down on paper. I miss so much about my Pop, and who he was in my life. Much of my love of cooking is a direct homage to him.
Back to the pancakes… Over the dozen or so years since he left us, I have tried to come up with a reasonable replication of his amazing creation. I made them so many times with him, but on my own I was completely unable to hit that magic combination of ingredients that filled the kitchen with that taste and smell of my childhood. I would work a recipe over and over, changing a bit of this and a bit of that. However while I got into the ballpark on an occasion or two, it just was never close enough. I would eventually toss the recipe, and after a bit of time away from the project, start over again.
Sometime in 2013 I found myself at that point of starting over again. A clean slate, a reliable ingredients list and a renewed sense of patience. I brought together the ingredients, and into the pan I ladled the batter. The result was the closest I had ever gotten to the magical combination. We were on the path! A couple of more adjustments over the weeks that followed, and I hit the jackpot. I can’t deny that there was a tear or two shed at the kitchen table that morning, it was such a powerful reminder of the man who was my father, my hero and my inspiration. What was so much a part of my Pop’s reputation as a cook, would live on to be enjoyed again. Oh yeah, and I wrote it down…
These are pancakes for those that truly love pan cakes. They are tall, light and fluffy. There are so many versions of pancakes, each with its own strength and enjoyment. From crepes to flapjacks, Dutch Babies to buckwheat, all have a place at the table. But for me, these are the pinnacle of what a pancake should be – they are of my childhood memories.
I offer you this recipe with the sincerest wish that your family will enjoy them as much as my family has for so many years. From my country kitchen to yours….
Pop making dinner Christmas Eve 2002. He was cooking out on the grill, hence the outfit!Pop relaxing while I was making dinner.
Ok- ok, yeah I know… Boiling ribs is largely frowned upon by rib purists. However, for those of us who live in 4 season country, low and slow just isn’t going to happen about half the year. I would rather do them in my Bradley smoker, but at -10 degrees – bugger it, I am staying inside!
These ribs are also my camping go to. I do them up to the point of being ready for the grill, and then I bag them up and stick them in the cooler. I found the addition of the horseradish imparted a great flavour, but didn’t carry any heat into the finished product.
The amount of time in the water can be adjusted to get the texture that you prefer in the ribs.
Here you will find comments on experiences we have had at eateries or friends. You won’t hear about Big Mac’s on a Tuesday night, but a 42oz Prime Rib on a Saturday night might make the blog!
“Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!” Well, with those words, the grand experiment begins. The first part of the ‘grand experiment’ was to decide on and register the domain, then to pick a host and set that up. Done and done. Install WordPress, a few plugins, and… and.. and… hmmmm…
Looks like it is time to spend some time with Lynda(.com). I am going to be spending some time learning about WordPress, and creating the Country Kichen. Things will appear, disappear, reappear and move hither, tither and fro.
I will be blogging about my learning process, you can follow my learning experiences and see the results as they unfold, should you care for such foolishness.
