Easy Flaky Pastry

2 Crust Flaky Pastry

21/4 cups sifted AP Flour

1 teasp. salt

3/4 cup shortening (NOT Butter, Marg. or salad oil) at room temperature

1/3 up of cold tap water.

Sift Flour and salt into a bowl.

Reserve 1/4 Cup flour

Cut the shortening and Flour together with pastry blender, 2 knives in scissor fashion to the size of small peas.

Mix the water with the reserved flour to make a paste and and add it to the flour mixture.

Use a 2 tined fork to mix the wet and the dry until particles cling together when pressed gently.

Form ball between cupped hands.

To Chill or Not to chill?

I chill all pastry for a 1/2 hour before rolling out.

When ready to roll, flour the counter.

Divide the dough into 2 balls.

#1 for the bottom of the pie use 2/3 of the dough.

#2 for the top of the pie use 1/3 of the dough.

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Red(sour) Cherry Pie

1 Tablspn quick cook Tapioca

1 Cup Granulated Sugar

1/8 Teaspoon Salt

3 1/2 Cups of either frozen sour cherries or Packed in Water

1/2 cup cherry juice

1 tablespoon butter.

Combine the Above ingredients and let it stand for about 15 minutes.

Add the cherry filling to the already rolled pie shell. With a knife to the edge of the Pie plate cut around to remove excess dough.

Roll out the top and place it on top of the cherries.

Fold the edges of the top crust underneath the bottom crust and crimp as you like or use a fork to press down the edge.

Bake at 425 degrees for 40 minutes or until bubbling and golden brown.

OMG, ARLENE ACTUALLY COOKED

There's this little place in the Next town over that I have jokingly called Hams-Are-Us

or House-O-Hams because that is almost all they sell. They are really called The Canadian Honey Ham Company and boy is that great HAM. I'd say it was the Cadillac of ham. I have heard it said that grocery Store hams are like hot dogs in comparison. Who ever said that was right.

This ham was tender and juicy and even when we were late had not dried out. It's Spiral sliced and comes in many different sizes for different size crowds.

Want to empress a crowd of ham lovers, get yourself To the

Canadian Honey Ham Company

551 Hespeler Rd.

Cambridge

519-740-7447

Toll Free 1-877-819-7441

www.canadianhoneyham.com

It is a real treat that I wholly endorse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chez Reitzel

STAR WOK (at ZELLER'S PLAZA)

94 Bridgeport Rd. E. Unit 30

Waterloo

519-886-1688

As you already know almost every Friday night Scootor, Tracy, Alan, and I go out to dinner. This week we tried something new. Tracy had heard about this new Chinese Place right around the corner from us called STAR WOK.

STAR WOK has only been open a short time and I guess the word is being spread.

It is a brightly lit very clean little place. To order you step up to the counter place your order and pick out a place to sit. There are a few booths and some tables but I think a lot of their business is from Take-out.

Tracy and I agreed on the menu and we went to pick it up and toted it over.

As we pulled up to their place we were very impressed by the tasteful outdoor lighting, reserved and classic. When we entered it was like we were in the very heart of Christmas itself. The decor of Reds and golds was lovely. The tree was a vision and best of all the place was not too hot to bear. It was just delightful.

We retired to the immaculate and well appointed kitchen area where a cafe table was set perfectly and unpacked dinner. We ordered 3 egg-rolls, House Special Fried Rice (with chicken, pork, and shrimp) House Special Chop Suey, General Tso Chicken, Beef and Broccoli, and Honey Garlic Chicken. We all started in to eating and everything was delicious with few complaints, The General Tso chicken, a usually spicy dish, was really toned down and I could actually eat it. The Honey Garlic Chicken was good just not enough garlic for me. The Beef and Broccoli (very crispy) was good as were the Chop Suey and the Fried Rice. My only major complaint was the lack of Fortune Cookies. If not stale (or lemon flavor) they are lovely. So Alan had beer, Scootor and I had ice water(great ice) and Tracy had the house red. So $52.21 for 4 WITH leftovers seems a bargain dinner to me.

Empress of India

103 King St. South

Waterloo

519-883-1314

Arlene chose the Empress of India as she had been there before. Both she and her daughter Erin loved the Butter Chicken, which was what she ordered along with their Garlic Naan bread (a fluffy white flour bread) was very happy with her choice. She and Scootor started with the Veggie Samosas. Scootor did say his Samosas were the best he's ever had; and I agreed with that. However, I didn't like the Tamarind sauce; it was very weak and watery and without the punch that I am used to.

Her husband, Bob, a true Irish meat and potatoes man, ordered Beef Korma and was NOT happy with his choice. He just plain didn't like it. He said the meat was tough, stringy and very hard to chew. I tried the sauce and it was OK. Scootor tried it and said it gave him a large mandibular work-out. It was not a successful pairing.

We heard Scootor's meal before we ever saw it. His Tiger Prawns came out of the kitchen under a cloud of fragrant steam on an cast iron pan that was very hot. He really enjoyed his choice and the Chapatti bread we both ordered. His memorable quote: "my tongue is dancing with an array of spices." He just cracks me up.

Before I tell you about my dinner I must tell you about my inability to eat spicy food. I have this theory about people who serve spicy food that they do not understand that there is a big difference between say Indian mild and woosey-white-person mild. There just is. So when our server, the helpful Sonny, said he could "tone my dinner down", I was relieved. My relief was short lived. I'm sure they toned it down, but not enough for me.

Now to my dinner. I love Okra. I really do. I am an Okra eating fool and put it in almost everything. I figured that "toned down" okra would be perfect or so I thought. It arrived in a small bowl -- the perfect size to eat and share. It came with a very light and lovely rice. I ordered Chapati with my Okra perfect for scooping. I dug into my bowl and popped it into my mouth and OMG was it hot! WHEW! I made several attempts to salvage my dinner with some of Arlene's Butter chicken sauce and Bob's Beef Korma sauce. They helped some, but not nearly enough.

Empress of India is a nice-looking place with wide tables and straight backed wooden chairs. They were great with enough room for four to sit comfortably and a great chair for my big old butt. Service was great with Sonny and others were around all the time filling glasses and asking how we were doing.

So let's tally. Arlene loved her Butter Chicken, Garlic Naan and Samosas. Scootor loved his sizzling Tiger Prawns, Samosas and Chapatti. I would have loved mine if I could have tolerated the spice, and Bob, I think, was waiting for Scottie to beam him up. So if you like your food spicy this is the place for you. I would go back for the Butter Chicken.

TTFN

Meg

Tongue In Cheek

EMBERS

30 Fairway Road South

Kitchener ON

519-894-3511

We drifted into the Holiday Inn on a zephyr of chlorine fumes. (I wanted to say wafted in, but my editor said it was the wrong word.) Not the best way for a dining experience to begin. Embers has enough ambiance but there is that pesky chlorine smell.......We arrived on time and, shock of all shocks, Al and Tracy had arrived first.

Tracy, who is always cold, picked a table next to one of several fireplaces in the room. I was at the far end of the table as I am NOT a fireplace girl. Thankfully, it never got as warm as I had dreaded.

You remember my rant about hating large cute menus? Embers menu was anything but. It was very brief. There was the obligatory burgers and pizza to French Onion soup and Caesar salad to BBQ ribs. I didn't really think much of it.

To start Tracy ordered a wheel of smoked salmon. It was a very busy plate that came without and bread or crackers. She mentioned this loss to our server (the lovely Annette) and a few minutes later appeared with not only a basket of bread but a plate of freshly pan-toasted, buttery crostini. Those very thin slices of bread were the most delicious thing I'd eaten in a long time. They accompany the baked Brie so if you go to EMBERS they are not to be missed! YUM!

Both Scootor (my husband) and Alan (Tracy's husband) ordered French Onion soup. They said it was good and liked it. I tried it and it tasted like a beef soup with some onions instead of French Onion soup. There was no body to the soup and no richness either. The small pop of Sherry or red wine sadly was missing.

Now for my Caesar salad. A salad, any salad should start with DRY greens. If it's wet, the dressing gets diluted and won't stick. While I really hate salad with too much dressing and usually order it on the side, this time I didn't and ended up the sorrier for it. So for the first time ever I ended up with an almost dressing-free plate. I could have gotten more dressing but more dressing wouldn't have helped a soggy salad. I wasn't at my happiest.

Then as if on cue a pack of half naked screaming kids burst into the restaurant because that's where the exit to the pool is. Who in their right minds would put the pool next to where people are eating? Got me.

The entrées were a wonder. Tracy ordered the Eye of the Round Steak with grilled peppers and onions. When Annette asked Tracy how she wanted her steak and Tracy said medium, I was shocked. To me Eye of the Round is a tough piece of meat that needs to be pot-roasted. I was even more shocked when I tasted it. Medium it was and tender as well; it was good.

Both Scootor and Alan ordered the ribs. They were both happy with their choices and when I tasted the meat not only was it tender but the BBQ sauce was terrific.

Now for my dinner. The menu, however good, was kind of ordinary except for my dinner. I ordered Veal Cheeks. Don't leave me yet. I watch a many food shows and everyone is always mentioning cheeks and there they were. I was stunned and quickly ordered them. OMG were they good! Succulent and tender and perched on top of a hillock of wonderful mashed potatoes surrounded by a very velvety Jus. I was in heaven. YUMMO!

We skipped dessert and the boys had coffee, which Scootor pronounced as excellent.

EMBERS was a pleasant surprise and and any place that can produce those cheeks get's my vote. So if the smell of chlorine isn't a major issue by all means go to EMBERS. Order the Veal Cheeks too, you'll be so glad you did.

Bon appétit!

Meg