Plenty Epicurean Pantry

A Few of our Favourite Things - Photo courtesy of Mary-Lou Leidl

This Spring we said good-bye to two wonderful members of the Plenty crew.

Cathy has headed off to be a co-ordinator / leader at Camp Thunderbird (the YMCA summer camp) before heading to Korea to teach in the Fall.   She’s been at Plenty part-time since 2006 while studying Art History at U-Vic, as well as more recently caring for Anton on Fridays. My friend Corrine had told me about this great person who was looking for a job. I am so grateful to have met Cathy and been able to work with her.

Cathy introduced us to her friend Katie who was looking for a nanny position and ended up helping to care for my niece and nephew after they were born. She started part-time at Plenty in 2007. Katie is a food writer and became an editorial assistant and local reporter at EAT Magazine.  Her recent editorial in EAT is quite wonderful, In the Details celebrates the beauty of those small things that we often overlook.  Katie has headed back to Ontario for the summer and then on to new adventures as well.

We wish both Cathy and Katie the best in their travels and endeavours. They will both be missed by customers, co-workers and by my family but we look forward to hearing back from them often (remember to send us postcards).

Katie left us with a recipe card with one of her favourite things on it.

Katie’s Hot Chocolate:

- 2 squares Organic Fair* chocolate (any one of their bars)

- 1 cup Avalon whole milk* (enough to fill a smallish tea cup)

- pinch of sea salt*

- 1 - 2 tbs Cocoa Camino organic cocoa*

* In a heavy-bottomed saucepan combine all ingredients and heat on medium-low, whisking frequently until melted together and steaming.  Taste and add Silmilkameen Apiary Honey* for a sweeter drink or more cocoa for a richer drink.  Sometimes I add a splash of cream and use a bit less milk.

Options:

- these Organic Fair bars work very well: Forte, Purist, Provence, Corazon, and Chiapas (Corazon’s my favourite)

- using a small grater, shave some additional chocolate from the bar you’re using on top after you’ve poured the hot chocolate into your cup (I always use a pretty teacup and saucer)

- whisk Avalon whipping cream until it is thick and slightly fluffy then spoon a little onto your hot chocolate in the cup

- add a chocolate covered marshmallow (Pearl Chocolate*) in the finished drink.  This goes best with an unsweetened drink (no honey) made with a plain bar

* available at Plenty of course