Spelt Pancakes

Mmmmmm, pancakes! Photo source Wikipedia, used under creative commons.

Spelt Pancakes

This recipe was originally posed in "Unearthing the Mystery of 'Ancient Grains': Spotlight on Spelt."

2 cups whole spelt flour or spelt/all-purpose flour blend
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups  milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (or vegetable oil), plus more for greasing
2 teaspoons vanilla (optional)

A Little Weekend Egg-citment

So, it's brown chickens that lay the chocolate eggs, right? Photo source Wikipedia, used under creative commons.

Nothing like a long weekend when you're feeling scrambled! This time of year, a lot of folks seem to have eggs on the brain, so we thought we'd give this kitchen staple a standing ova-vation. The Kitchen Pixies are here with egg-citing tips and trivia, so let's get cracking!

• Unlike with cows, the colour of the chicken actually does determine the colour of the egg. Beyond that the difference is only shell deep, brown and white eggs have the same flavour and nutritional content.
  
• Curious about how long that egg has been in the fridge? A fresh egg will sink in water while an older egg will float. As an egg ages, the size of the air cell inside increases, causing it to float.
   
• You may think we're yoke-ing, but eggs are a good choice for your baby after 6 months. Eggs have a protein quality that is second only to breast milk. Click here to find out more! 
  
• Have you ever opened a carton of extra large eggs and wondered if some flimflam artist has switched in smaller eggs? Eggs in Canada are actually measured by weight, not the size of the shell.
   
• Even with washing, grading, packaging and random inspections, the eggs you buy at the grocery store usually arrive there within four to seven days of being laid.

Unearthing the Mystery of “Ancient Grains”: Spotlight on Spelt

Ye old spelt was once a popular staple crop in ancient Europe and the Middle East. Photo source: Wikipedia, used under creative commons.

Note: In our recent exploration of ancient grains, the kitchen pixies have come to realize that quite a few (but not all) of them are actually different varieties or preparations of wheat grains. These grains contain gluten. Please be mindful of which ancient grains come from wheat when cooking for someone with celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity. We now return you to your regularly scheduled program.

Spelt, also known as “hulled wheat” or the far more comical “dinkle wheat,” is a type of wheat that was grown in ancient Europe and the Middle East and remained popular until the 19^th century when “common wheat” or”bread wheat” became all the rage. Since spelt doesn't have the same thirst for fertilizers that common wheat does, it has recently regained a bit of popularity on the organic farming circuit. Its sweet, nutty flavour also adds to its appeal. As a species of wheat, it definitely contains gluten. While there are rumours on the internet that the gluten in spelt is more tolerable than in other wheat products, it should still certainly be avoided by people with celiac's disease.

Unearthing the Mystery of “Ancient Grains”: An Introduction

Your guide to old-timey, grainy goodness! Photo source Wikipedia, used under creative commons.

There has been a lot of buzz around so-called ancient grains over the past few years. These exotic sounding grains (and seeds masquerading as grains) have been growing in popularity due to their nutritional benefits. But what are they, where do they come from, and how can they be used in daily cooking? Well, the kitchen pixies love to experiment with new (or in this case, very, very old) ingredients and are pleased to give you the scoop in this new, recurring series.

 

Proper Food Storage - Part 2

Just like Mom used to make! Photo source Flickr, used under creative commons.

Welcome to the second installment in our two-part series on proper food storage. If you missed last week's episode, click here! Today we voyage into the freezer, explore the complicated relationship some foods have with your refrigerator, and offer a few tips and tricks for tastier, longer lasting food.

Proper Food Storage - Part 1

The refrigerator is a marvelous invention, but how can we get the most out of it? Photo source Flickr, used under creative commons.

Food’s expensive!! It’s disheartening to spend money on good food to feed our families, only to have to throw it out because it spoiled before we had a chance to use it. It’s hard on our pocketbooks and it’s a horrible waste of resources. The United Nations estimates that nearly one-third of all food produced in the world for human consumption – about 1.3 billion tonnes – gets lost or wasted. Much of it ends up in landfill sites where it becomes a major source of the greenhouse gas methane. While much of this wastage is in the supply and distribution chain, households are also major contributors. We couldn’t find statistics for Canada but in the United Kingdom, it’s estimated that 32% of food purchased by households ends up being thrown out.

Here’s the Kitchen Pixies' advice for keeping the taste and making less waste.

Pi(e) Day

Someone just reminded the Pixies that today is International Pi Day.—March 14 .. 3.14 … get it? It’s the wonky, nerdy kind o' humour that some of the Pixies just love. In any event, it’s time to stop with the math and get down to the brass tacks of posting a pi(e) recipe. And if this Pixie gets it posted by 3:14 local time, it will be a Pi Day Miracle.