The One With Jennifer Aniston's Favourite Salad

"Friends" was such a huge hit that it seems impossible to not have seen the trials and tribulations of three guys and three gals who hung out way too much at a coffee shop in New York. The show launched the careers of its stars, with Jennifer Aniston's Rachel character getting a lot of the attention for her haircut and her on-again-off-again interaction with her onscreen love interest. I watched the show for the first few seasons until I realized I didn't care if she and the love of her life were "on a break" from their relationship or not. I only drifted back near the tail end of the series because I already knew all the characters' names and I couldn't find anything better to watch. But I do find it fascinating that Aniston ate the same salad for ten years when she and her female co-stars would have lunch together on the set. If you're still pining for "Friends" after the recent reunion special, or you've just discovered the show on Netflix, the recipe below will be there for you to whip up before your next visit with the gang from Central Perk.

Ingredients

180 g bulgur

• Bulgur is a nutritious whole grain that can be used as a substitute for brown rice or quinoa. You can find it with the grains and rice in the international aisle of your supermarket or in the bulk section of Whole Foods or your local health food store.

2 cucumbers, diced
1 425 g can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
150 g crumbled feta cheese
50 g shelled pistachios
13 g red onion, minced
8 g fresh parsley, chopped
1.5 g fresh mint, chopped

1. Bring 475 mL of water to a boil. Add the bulgar and reduce the heat to low. Cover and let the bulgar cook for about 20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Stir every five minutes.
2. Let the bulgar cool for another 20 minutes until it becomes room temperature. In a large bowl, add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
3. Serve or put into an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready.

Let Them Eat Cheesecake - Doug Ford's Famous Cheesecake Recipe

The chances you will try the recipe below depend on how you feel about Doug Ford. If you believe the Ford government can "Get It Done" because he works 24 hours a day for the people of Ontario, folks, you will eat up his cheesecake the same way you ate up promises to make Ontario "Open for business" with a highway that only benefits the GTA. If you believe he's a corrupt, incompetent politician who hasn't evolved from his alleged days as a teenage hash dealer, you probably came here because you need a dessert recipe. Rob Ford's older brother claims this recipe has been passed down to him from Mama Ford, who learned the recipe from her sister.  As his day of reckoning comes on June 2 with the provincial election, how the voting goes will determine if people will be making this cheesecake as part of a victory celebration, or as a way to cope with four more years of FORDNation.

Ingredients

3 packages of Dream Whip

3 packages of cream cheese

2 boxes of graham cracker crumbs

2 cans of cherry pie filling (Tory blue blueberries can be substituted if you're that partisan)

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup icing sugar

1 cup sugar

1/2 brick of butter

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C). Empty the Dream Whip packets into a bowl, then add the milk and mix with an electric mixer on high until peaks form.
2. Microwave the cream cheese bricks for one minute. Mix the cream cheese and the icing sugar in with the Dream Whip. Once done, put it in the fridge to cool down.
3. Mix the butter, graham cracker crumbs, and sugar together in a pot on the stove. Press the ingredients onto the bottom of a baking pan and up the sides.
4. Bake for 20 minutes then remove it and let it cool for 15 minutes. Add the cheesecake filling onto the crust and spread it evenly, then put it in the fridge to let it chill for an hour.
5. Open cans of pie filling and spread evenly over the cheesecake. Chill for several hours before serving.

Q & A with Haico Krijgsman, Hot Sauce Entrepreneur

Haico Krijgsman loves hot sauce. He loves hot sauce so much he started making his own after moving to Canada and finding the hot sauces here lacking. This led to the creation of Haico's Hot Sauce, a small batch crafter that has gained a positive reputation both locally and internationally. After discovering that he is taking part in an eating contest for charity, I had to learn more about this chili head and fellow chicken wing connoisseur. Here's what he had to say:

FRANKLIN on FOOD: Is there such a thing as "too hot" for you?

HAICO KRIJGSMAN: I am not sure if there is anything too hot. For me all hot sauces I make myself are about flavour and heat. I may find things not appetizing since they do not have the flavour I am looking for in spicy condiments. Of course, I have been "burned" by things that are much hotter than they first appear. As long as the food is spicy and flavorful I am quite happy.

FoF: How did you get involved in a chicken wing speed-eating contest?

HK: I have always been able to eat big amounts of food and even though I am no competitive speed eater, I decided to join and raise money for charity whilst having some fun eating way too many spicy wings. The charity's donation will be determined. I am part of a group called Sons of Fire - Canadian Chapter and we donate to charities on a regular basis.

FoF: Who are the Sons of Fire?

HK:  Sons of Fire is a global chili club that does spicy chili challenges to raise money for charities and those in need. Our Canadian Chapter was formed last year in June and since then we have donated over $3500 to several charities and people in need.

FoF: And the Ring of Fire?

HK: The Ring of Fire is what you usually suffer from the day after a competition of eating too spicy food... No seriously, the Ring of Fire is the name of all the challenges that will take place during the Heatwave Hot Sauce Expo in London (Ontario) on May 28 and 29.

FoF: Are you doing any special training for the eating contest?

HK: I am currently eating a lot of spicy food (which is not that abnormal from what I usually do) but I have been eating more and more spicy wings in bigger volumes.

FoF: What makes a good hot sauce?

HK: As I mentioned before, for any great spicy food and/or condiment in my book, it needs to have heat and flavour. Not just one or the other. When I started Haico's Hot Sauce 8 years ago, that was the goal I had. We are in a lucky position in Canada where we have a ton of great hot sauce makers that will all be highlighted at the Heatwave Hot Sauce Expo and at Heating Up The Capital in Mountain (close to Ottawa) on August 27, 2022

FoF: How long does it take to make a bottle of Haico's Hot Sauce?

HK: This is a good question since the longer a hot sauce is being made by us, the shorter it takes. In order to make a hot sauce, you have to develop a recipe initially, so that requires some experimenting. Once the recipe has been approved and accepted, production goes a lot quicker. We can make a batch of around 100 bottles in an hour and a half.

FoF: Do you grow all the peppers for your hot sauces yourself, or do you rely on local farmers for your produce?

HK: Between 85 and 95% of the peppers I use are grown by us. We actually use a lot of uncommon peppers that we use in our sauces like Madame Jeanette, Rimmerhus Fumstrain, and also a lot of super-hot peppers which are hard to source. This is the reason why I started growing peppers in the first place. That and because growing the ingredients and being able to present a product from farm to table is very rewarding. That being said since we are in Ottawa I do have contingency plans in place if our crop does not work out. I know several other growers, local and in more southern parts of Ontario, that can provide me with peppers in my time of need.

FoF: Other than yourself, who makes a hot sauce people should try?

HK: There are so many amazing Canadian Hot Sauces that are worth a try. You can find a good collection at www.TOCHSS.ca (The Online Canadian Hot Sauce Store closed as of 2023-02-04), which is a website that solely focuses on Canadian hot sauces. It provides a one-stop-shop for people interested in Canadian hot sauces. You are able to save on shipping and get a huge selection of Canadian hot sauces.

FoF: Haico's Honey Mustard (Not Just) BBQ sauce won 3rd place at the 2019 Hot Sauce Awards - will you be adding to your trophies with an entry at the 2nd Annual Hot Sauce Expo?

HK: Haico's Hot Sauce will not be entering the YOW awards for the Heating Up The Capital hot sauce expo since we are closely associated with the event. We do not want there to be the potential perception of any bias when the YOW awards are being judged and handed out. We do indeed to enter other competitions every now and then, but with the past two years having been what they have been, we did not enter a lot of competitions. Haico's Hot Sauce did enter two categories at the Eternal Flame Awards in London this year, so we keep our fingers crossed!

FoF: What role did you play in creating the Heating Up The Capital hot sauce expo?

HK: It was a joint decision in 2019 by both Angela, (my wife and partner in the business) and me that it was way overdue to have a hot sauce expo in Ottawa. Being on Farmers' markets and fairs we noticed there are a lot of pepper heads and hot sauce lovers living right here on our front doorstep, but no one had ever organized a hot sauce expo here. Since we know a lot of people and makers in the Hot Sauce community we decided to take on the responsibility. The original date of the expo was planned for May of 2020. We all know what happened. The world shut down and we had to revise our plans. After two more postponements due to the pandemic and a change of location, we held Heating Up The Capital, Ottawa's First Hot Sauce Expo last Sept 4, 2021, at Smokie Ridge Vineyard in Mountain. Even though I am part of the organization, my wife does most of the behind-the-scenes work. She is as I often say the Brain and the Beauty behind it. I am just the Brawn and the Face.

FoF: Seeing how you're a member of BBQ Ottawa, what's your go-to meat when you fire up your grill, and what sauce you are using?

HK: I actually enjoy BBQ-ing and smoking meat a lot. I make my own bacon in the smoker, love good chicken Sateh (marinated and served with peanut sauce), A good rib steak (Canadian Smokesman dry rubs are the best), or a nice fatty pork chop (BBQ sauces from all over, lately I have been dabbling in JR and the Kid who has amazing sauces). So to answer your question, there is not one sauce in particular I lean towards. I like variety in my cooking and sauces.

FoF: Where can people buy your hot sauces?

HK: We are available through www.HaicosHotSauce.com. When you order three bottles or more, you get free shipping in Ottawa (shipping will be refunded due to the system not recognizing Ottawa as a region). For any order anywhere else in Canada free shipping comes with orders over $17.50. We are also available through www.TOCHSS.ca and we sell a lot directly to the public during Farmers' Markets and fairs You can see on our website where we will be each week and there is also a list of retail locations where we are available. One of the latest additions to the retail locations is the Ottawa Artisans at St Laurent, Bayshore, Tanger Outlets, and Place d'Orleans

FoF: What do you say to people who say they can't handle the heat?

HK: When people tell me that at markets I explain that our sauces are available from Mild to Wild and that there is something for everyone. Angela did not like hot sauce when she met me, but over time I have been able to convince her that there definitely is a place in cooking for Hot Sauce. She has started using some of the sauces in recipes she makes. It is all about the dosage as well. If you use it properly and sparingly, it will open your palate and you will experience more flavour of all the food. I do have a "gateway hot sauce as well. My Canadian Jerk is really focused on flavour and it only has a little zing in the back. The last thing I tell people about my sauces is: Start with a drop! You can always add, it is much harder to remove it afterward!

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UPDATE: (1) Haico's Hot Sauce's Devils Brew won Best Sauce, Extreme Category at the Heatwave Hot Sauce Expo. (2) Haico was "...three wings away" from winning the chicken wing speed-eating eating competition.

A Martini for Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo is known on this side of the border more for being a day of drinking than for an 1800s Mexican victory against French forces. For whatever reason you choose to celebrate, a spicy avocado martini would be a change from the usual margaritas and Corona.

Ingredients for two drinks

1 large avocado, slightly mashed with a fork, but not pureed
1 lime, cut into wedges
chili powder (use Mexican chili powder or Taji with lime if available)
60 mL gin
45 mL dry vermouth
30 mL club soda
15 mL lime juice (fresh if possible)
200 g sugar
1.5 g chili powder
240 mL water

1. Combine the sugar, water, 1.5 grams of chili powder, and the avocado in a small pot over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the liquid comes to a slight boil. Remove the pot from the heat and let the flavours infuse for 30 to 60 minutes. Strain the liquid into a sealed container and put it in the fridge to allow it to cool completely; it will keep for up to a week.
2. Run a lime wedge along the rim of each glass, and rim each glass with the chili powder. Set the glasses aside.
3. In a martini shaker, combine the gin, vermouth, 15 mL of the avocado syrup in the fridge, lime juice, and more chili powder to taste. Pour some into the martini glasses and top with the club soda. Garnish with lime (or a slice of avocado if you're not saving it for toast) and serve.

Working My Way Through the Works: Kamikaze

A popular gimmick for food blogs is to eat and review every item on a restaurant's menu. This blog is no exception. These are the observations I've had while eating my way through the burger menu of The Works, a Canadian burger restaurant with locations across Ottawa and Ontario.

The WORKS (900 Watters Road)
Burger Description:"Jalapeno, chipotle & banana peppers, cheddar cheese & hotter than hell sauce"
April 14, 2022

How hot is too hot? Depends on the person doing the tasting. Some people need to have their eyes watering and sweat coming out of every pore in order to enjoy their meal. Others will consider their food ruined if anything hotter than a cinnamon heart touches their tongue. The burning feeling people get in their mouths when eating peppers comes from a chemical in the peppers that activate a protein that senses heat. This chemical is capsaicin, and when activated, it sends a message to the brain which then sends a jolt of pain back to the affected part of the body. When it comes to spicy food, it's best to err on the side of caution, especially if you're a restaurant that wants repeat business. For this reason, I asked for the hot sauce to be served on the side and was pleased to discover that's how the sauce normally comes with the Kamikaze. A quick taste revealed it was a Thai-style chili sauce with a bit of sweetness to offset its heat - definitely not hotter than hell. I poured a bit of the sauce on the middle of the top bun and dribbled some more on the spot where I was going to take my first bite. The peppers were a nice addition to the burger, with the sauce acting as spicier ketchup. While a bit of sweat did appear on my brow and bald head while eating, it wasn't a crazy amount of heat, just enough for you to notice that it was present. Overall, this cheeseburger was what you want when you looking to try something a bit more peppery than usual - it will open up your sinuses but it will leave your colon intact. 

4 out of 5 stars - those wanting more heat can add their go-to hot sauce to it.   

I Tried This So You Won't Have To: The Snickle

On a recent episode of his soon-to-be-ending talk show, celebrity Nick Cannon profused his love of pickles. While that is not unusual, what makes it interesting is that he likes his pickles sandwiched in between chocolate, peanuts, and caramel. Called the Snickle, it is exactly what it sounds like - a Snickers bar sandwiched in between a pickle. This food mashup has been popularized by food bloggers for a few years now, and it has as many fans as it has detractors. Where does this food blogger stand on this? Check out the video below. 

Breakfast Popcorn

Popcorn is great as a light snack. But did you know it can be used as a part of a delicious breakfast? I'm not talking about adding milk to a bowl of popcorn as a cereal substitute if you don't have a box of Corn Pops in the house, though that can and has been done. I'm talking about using your popcorn in the same way tortilla chips are used in chilaquiles. With popcorn already being used in salads, it shouldn't be that surprising to see the snack food make its way from the movie concession stand to your breakfast table. So give the recipe a try if you're looking for a unique way to add a tasty texture to an otherwise standard breakfast item. 

NOTE: The recipe below is legit - this is not an April Fool's Day gag.

Ingredients

2 cups popped popcorn
2 eggs
7 g cold butter, grated or microplaned
5 g butter for the pan
salt and pepper to taste

1. Whisk the eggs with the grated butter.  Heat the remaining butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.  
2. When the butter starts to foam, mix the popcorn gently into the eggs to coat, but don’t let the popcorn get soggy.  
3. Scramble to your desired doneness, and garnish as you please.