my new friends at Modish

ta-da! purposedesign is featured on another shopping blog, modish.

http://modish.typepad.com/modish/2007/05/spicy_summer_tr.html

gotta love that publicity!

salmon filets with pepper and coriander

a.k.a. filets de saumon au poivre et à la coriandre

this is one of my fave recipes for salmon!
(recipe stolen from SAQ magazine)

45 ml (3 tsp.) chopped italian parsley
45 ml (3 tsp.) finely chopped orange zest
50 ml (1/4 cup) whole coriander seeds, crushed
15 ml (1 tsp.) brown sugar
10 ml (2 tsp. cracked black pepper
salt
6 180 g (6 oz.) salmon filets, with skin
15 ml. (1 tsp.) butter
15 ml. (1 tsp.) oil

In a small bowl, mix the parsley, orange zest, coriander, brown sugar and pepper.
Salt the salmon filets and then cover filets with the mix (on the flesh of the filets only).
In a frying pan over medium heat, melt the butter and oil.
Cook each filet for 4 minutes on each side, then put them in a preheated 150º C (300º F) oven covered with foil until ready to serve.

coriander 101

Originally from the Middle East, coriander was first introduced to Europe by the Romans, who used it to preserve meats and season their food. Coriander seeds taste a little like oranges, while coriander leaves have quite a different taste, some say like licorice. Used as a fesh herb, many people find that coriander tastes like soap. Coriander is widely used in Thai and Indian food, two of my favourite cuisines.

thai satay

Fire up the grill, it's BBQ season!

4 servings
preparation: 15 minutes
marinating: 1 hour
cooking time: 4 minutes +

ingredients
500 g (1 lb.) lamb, chicken, fish, or tofu, cut into strips
45 g (1/2 cup) fresh chopped coriander

marinade
5 g (1 tbsp) ground cumin
30 g (2 tbsp) brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 g (1/2 tsp) lemon zest
2 g (1tsp) ground turmeric
1 g (1/2 tsp) pepper
30 ml (2 tbsp) lemon juice
45 g (3 tbsp) peanut butter
180 ml (3/4 cup) coconut milk
30 ml (2tbsp) soy sauce or tamari

preparation
mix together marinade ingredients in a large bowl.
add your meat/fish/tofu and stir to cover completely.
marinate for 1 hour (30 mins. for fish).
in the meantime, soak bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes.
heat BBQ to high. Skewer your marinated items onto skewers.
Grill each side on BBQ for 2 minutes, or until cooked.
sprinkle with chopped coriander and serve with a peanut sauce.

easy-peasy appetizer: indian scallops and shrimp with pineapple & cucumber salsa

4 servings
preparation: 15 minutes
marinating time: 30 mins.
cooking time: 2-4 minutes

ingredients
12 large scallops
12 large shrimp

marinade
125 ml (1/2 cup) olive oil
4 g (2 tsp) herbal curry powder
2 g (1 tsp) ground turmeric
pinch of hot paprika or crushed chili peppers
2 garlic cloves, crushed
kosher sea salt & pepper

salsa
1/4 of a fresh pineapple, diced finely
2 kirby cucumbers, or 1/3 english cucumber, diced finely
2 scallions, (green onions) sliced
30 ml (2 tbsp) vegetable or sunflower oil
15 ml (1 tbsp) lime juice
15 ml (1 tbsp) honey

preparation
soak 12 skewers in water for 1/2 hour.
combine all marinade ingredients in a large shallow bowl.
Skewer 1 shrimp and 1 scallop onto each skewer.
Place in bowl with marinade and refrigerate for 30 mins. to 1 hour.
combine salsa ingredients.
preheat BBQ or broiler to high.
grill skewers for 1 or so minute per side.
serve with salsa.

Shout-out from Mighty Goods

The Spicelab was recently promoted on Mighty Goods as part of their Mother's Day gift guide!
Check it out here: http://www.mightygoods.com/items/home/

Montreal: Design Metropolis

I knew there was a reason I liked living here.

When it's still snowing in the month of April and it seems like spring is never going to arrive, I sometimes forget why I decided to make a life in this city. Montreal is home to some of the most innovative and imaginative design in the world, and was recently acknowledged by UNESCO (United Nations Education Science and Cultural Organization) as a City of Design, an honor shared with only two other cities in the world- Berlin and Buenos Aires.

When I think about good design, I think of Alto Design, Bluesponge, Studio Feed and others. This past weekend these studios and some of Montreal's finest design studios opened their doors to the public for Design Montreal's Open House. The goal of this public event was to introduce everyone to the design and architecture professions. The originality of the Doors Open on Design Montréal event is that it relies on an existing selection of Montreal projects and professionals, from all design and architecture disciplines.

Funded by the City of Montreal, this event is planned as a yearly event, and hopefully will do for design what "free admission day" has done for Montreal's museums, and bring design to the masses. Visit www.designmontreal.com for more details.

Now go make something cool.