NOVEMBER 2022 | LOVE OF FOOD - HOLIDAY EDITION

The holidays are here again!! So what does that mean for us foodies? Back in the day, we COOKED, and today, for the most part, that hasn't changed. Now, we’re doing the Friends giving, the Christmas Eve dinners at the in laws, the Christmas dinner at another host’s home, we're house hopping but most importantly, we are celebrating with our loved ones. In my home, it’s a Christmas breakfast spread that runs into brunch. Either way, we are welcoming the newest additions to the family, sharing recipes, prepping dishes, breaking out all the seasonings and rubs, and tossing back our favorite drinks over family albums, and funny stories all for the holidays

Although we love the opportunity to make our lives easier instead of stressing ourselves out, I cannot see my family any other place but at home for the holidays and me in the kitchen preparing the feast with love

In our last issue for the year, we wanted to show love to Merci Cookware for making it possible to cook our favorites this season. Merci Cookware is a black owned business out of Canada specializing in quality cookware and kitchen utensils whose motto is, “Allow our kitchen jewels to inspire the chef in you”. I hope that you are just as impress with her products as our team.

As a reminder, if you’re reading this on a smartphone, I encourage you to experience the full spectrum on your desktop However, if you haven’t tried it on your handheld, you can visit us from the browser on an iPhone or tablet You are not required to download an app, our publication does well on touchscreens and adapts to your screen size, so it’s easily readable on mobile devices

Our publication is free. There are no paywalls to get in your way. We’re ad supported and welcome new advertisers. And while we as content providers take pride in creating this publication, we also hope that this project will become a favorite of yours. So, enjoy the magazine and please try to support the advertisers, especially if you are in the “A”.

Our awesome team wishes you an abundance of love, peace, and harmony during this season and we hope that you move into the new year with style, grace & perfect piece

& The Crew

Deirdra

Mersi Cookware is a Black owned Canadian based company established in 2019. We specialize in providing quality and affordable cookware and kitchen utensils. Allow our kitchen jewels to inspire the chef in you.

Can you tell us the story of how Mersi Cookware came to be?

I grew up in Canada with my mom selling cookware and I had the wonderful opportunity of learning how to run her business starting at 13 years old. My mom got me to record purchases and help her keep track of the inventory. So, I have always known the ins and outs of this business Mersi Cookware and Co came about many, many years after my mother retired from running her business In 2018, I had an itch to start my own business after I decided to leave my 11 years job to work somewhere else. I started my new career in a contract position and started thinking about how I will survive if I do not get a permanent position within the new organization. So, I decided to start my own business so that I do not have to be at the mercy of someone else. I started thinking about what I would do and after 6 months decided to start my own cookware business like my mom did I love cooking and hosting and to me, to be able to enjoy cooking, you need a good set of cookware that is efficient and durable I have started other businesses in the past, but this is the one business that I have knowledge, experience, and passion for.

What is something you hope to see trending in design in the future?

I love experimenting with colors and I am always looking for ways to incorporate the right colors into our products I also love stainless steel cookware because of their durability and want to find ways to keep them trending and help people to recognize the health benefits of them.

Can you tell us the story of how Mersi Cookware came to be?

I grew up in Canada with my mom selling cookware and I had the wonderful opportunity of learning how to run her business starting at 13 years old. My mom got me to record purchases and help her keep track of the inventory. So, I have always known the ins and outs of this business Mersi Cookware and Co came about many, many years after my mother retired from running her business In 2018, I had an itch to start my own business after I decided to leave my 11 years job to work somewhere else. I started my new career in a contract position and started thinking about how I will survive if I do not get a permanent position within the new organization. So, I decided to start my own business so that I do not have to be at the mercy of someone else. I started thinking about what I would do and after 6 months decided to start my own cookware business like my mom did I love cooking and hosting and to me, in order to be able to enjoy cooking, you need a good set of cookware that is efficient and durable. I have started other businesses in the past, but this is the one business that I have knowledge, experience and passion for.

What has been the most rewarding project that Mersi has worked on to date?

Starting this business was quite an adventure as we started with very little money and access to funding. My mother connected me to her manufacturer and when I reached out to them, they talked about Minimum Order of Quantity (MOQ) and I was nowhere near the quantity that they were talking about I negotiated with them for about 5 months before they agreed to manufacture our first product At the time, I was not sure if the order was going to go through, so I did not get excited about company names and product names and the rest…We came up with the Company name and the product names later.

What puts Mersi products ahead of other cookware products?

All our products are efficient and durable and can be used on all stove tops, including induction We also have bigger sizes than what you would typically find on the market We also ensure that all our products come with thicker bottoms than you would typically find on the market to ensure that you don’t burn your food easily. I am a Black woman from an African home and most of the foods that I cook take longer to cook. We do not have quick ways of cooking hearty meals and so I prefer to cook in bigger batches to ensure that I get a big bang for my dollar. Our prices are also significantly cheaper in comparison to our competitors

What are three words to describe where you live & how, if at all, does it inspire the crafting of your cookware?

I live in Calgary Alberta, which is in Canada. Calgary is cold and we do not have easy access to our cultural foods. So, I cook most of the meals that my family eats and need to ensure that I have access to right cookware and kitchen utensils.

Assuming that you love to cook, what would you say is your specialty and can we get the recipe?

I love to cook, and my specialty is Jollof Rice, and this is a common staple in most West African homes. There is a recipe on our YouTube page that can be easily put together.

What are three things you can’t live without?

My family, my business and the ocean.

What do you believe are the 3 most important items to have in the kitchen?

A great set of cookware, a great knife and a good recipe book.

What will we see in the near future from Mersi Cookware?

There are many things that we are cooking up when it comes to cookware and kitchen utensils We are currently working on bringing back our beloved Dutch Oven sets that we call Ohemaa (Queen) in the upcoming year, and we are also going to introduce another new product to our collection so stay tuned.

“Clean plates don’t lie.”

SweetPotatoSoufflé SweetPotatoSoufflé

INGREDIENTS:

SWEET POTATOES

2 lb. sweet potatoes (about 2 large)

Neutral oil, for drizzling

Kosher salt

1/2 c unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan

1 c granulated sugar

2 large eggs, beaten to blend

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

BROWN SUGAR CRUST & ASSEMBLY

1/2 c chopped raw pecans

1/2 c packed light brown sugar

1/4 c all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:

Step 1 Preheat oven to 425° and line a 11"-by-7" (or 2-quart) baking dish with foil Rinse and scrub potatoes to dislodge any dirt, then pat dry Using a fork, poke holes all over potatoes Drizzle with oil; season all over with salt Step 2 Transfer potatoes to prepared pan and roast, uncovered, until cooked through and flesh is easily pierced with a fork or paring knife, 60 to 65 minutes

Step 3 Transfer potatoes to a large heatproof bowl Discard foil and grease pan with butter Reduce oven temperature to 375° When potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove skins Step 4 In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a large bowl, using an electric mixer), beat potatoes and granulated sugar on medium speed until sugar is incorporated and potatoes are mashed Add butter and beat until incorporated and fluffy, about 2 minutes Add eggs, vanilla, and 3/4 teaspoon salt and beat until mixture is almost doubled in volume, about 5 minutes Pour mixture into prepared pan and spread with a spatula

Step 5 Bake casserole until the center is set but slightly jiggly and edges are beginning to brown, about 35 minutes Let cool slightly

BROWN SUGAR CRUST & ASSEMBLY

Step 1 Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine pecans, brown sugar, flour, and salt, breaking up any clumps of sugar with your fingers Drizzle in butter and toss with a fork until combined Step 2 Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over potatoes Continue to bake casserole until crust is firm and starts to brown, about 10 minutes more Let cool 10 minutes before serving

CornbreadStuffing CornbreadStuffing

INGREDIENTS:

BASIC CORNBREAD RECIPE

1 cup self rising cornmeal

1/2 cup self rising flour

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 eggs lightly beaten

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

DRESSING RECIPE

Cornbread 9x9 inch pan (my grandmother always uses day old cornbread)

3 pieced of toast crumbled (or stale bread)

1 cup onions diced (about half of a large onion)

1 cup celery diced (about 3 stalks)

1 cup green bell peppers, diced (about 1 medium green bell pepper. You could also add in some red bell pepper as well if you'd like)

1 cooked chicken breast or cooked chicken thighs shredded 2 eggs

3 4 cups chicken or turkey broth

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1 teaspoon sage

1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

To make the cornbread, in a bowl, whisk together the cornmeal & flour. Add in the buttermilk, eggs & oil. Stir just until combined. Do not over work the batter. Pour into a greased, 9 x9 baking dish. Bake for about 20 25 minutes or until done. Let cool.

Once cooled break up the cornbread and toast it in the oven to dry it out then Set aside. To make the dressing, add the dried cornbread and crumbled toast into a large bowl. Set aside.

In a saucepan, sauté onions, celery and green bell peppers in a little bit of butter or olive oil until tender. Add the sautéed veggies into the cornbread mixture. Add shredded chicken into the cornbread mixture. Stir together to combine. Add in the broth a little at a time. (Add in just enough to make everything thick & a little soupy.) Stir in poultry seasoning, sage, and black pepper. Give it a taste and add more seasonings if desired. It should taste exactly the way you want your dressing to taste like. When you are content with the taste, go ahead and stir in the eggs. Pour into a buttered 9 X 13 casserole pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until set.

SweetPotatoPoundCake SweetPotatoPoundCake

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup unsalted butter, (2 sticks, room temperature)

1/2 cup butter flavored shortening

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 cups granulated sugar

5 eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1½ cups sweet potato puree, (I use stage 1 baby food. See note)

1 cup half n half, room temperature

MARSHMALLOW

CREAM CHEESE GLAZE

8 oz Marshmallow Creme

2 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup confectioners sugar

1 tablespoon half n half (may need more)

3/4 cup chopped pecan pieces

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F

Grease and flour a 12 cup Bundt pan Set aside In a medium size bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg Set aside In a large bowl, cream together butter, shortening, brown sugar, and granulated sugar just until combined Mix in eggs, one at a time, until combined Mix in vanilla extract and sweet potato puree Gradually mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients, alternating with the half and half Mix just until all ingredients are incorporated Pour batter evenly into prepared pan Shake the pan to remove air bubbles and even out the top Bake for 60 70 minutes (may need longer or shorter check it at the 50 minute mark) Do not over bake!

Once a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean or with moist crumbs clinging to it, remove the cake from the oven Place on a cooling rack to cool Once the pan is cool enough to touch, remove the cake from the pan to finish cooling completely To make the glaze, add all glaze ingredients into a bowl Mix until the glaze is silky enough to drizzle on

Once the cake has cooled, drizzle on the glaze Immediately sprinkle on the pecans Cover cake with cake topper and let sit overnight to deepen the sweet potato flavor

Stir to dissolve the sugar Let simmer over medium heat until almost all of the cranberries have popped Stir occasionally and continue cooking until sauce has thickened and most

Sauce will thicken and set as it cools and gets better the next day Serve

GarlicButterLambChops

Remove loin chops from the fridge 20 30 minutes before cooking Place them on a paper towel lined cutting board and pat them dry with paper towels Season well with salt and pepper Heat a dry 12 inch cast iron skillet* over a medium high heat In the skillet, place the chops narrow fat side down You probably will need to use tongs to keep them balanced and to press the chops down so that the fat renders and turns crisp and brown It’s about 5 minutes Once the fat has melted into the pan, lay the chops flat on one of their sides Cook for another 3 minutes, until browned, then turn and cook on the other side Turn the heat to medium low Using a spoon, pour off most of the lamb fat Then add 2

“If you really want to make a friend, go to someone’s house and eat with him… the people who give you their food give you their heart.”

Happy Holidays

"Your creativity and love for the children never cease to amaze us! May God continue to bless you and the work of your hands, as it is a ministry that gives so many children the opportunity to shine, learn and build their confidence. Thank you for your service!"

Keenan & Danielle Nix

"All I want for Christmas is food."

“The worst gift is a fruitcake. There is only one fruitcake in the entire world, and people keep sending it to each other.”

LEVEL 1: LISTING W/LINK

Restaurant's location, Phone No. & Operating Hours $25 per issue/$125 yr

LEVEL 2: HIGHLIGHT (PER ISSUE)

In addition to Level 1, Restaurant Logo or photo (provided by restaurant, 2 locations & Social Media Links, $150 per issue/$720 yr

LEVEL 3: FEATURE (PER ISSUE)

In addition to Level 2, A message from the owners (video or 2 pager), delivery service method (if applicable, i.e. Uber Eats, Grubb Hub etc., and link to reservations (if applicable) $600 per issue/$2,880 yr

the holiday season! Let the over eating begin!"

“It’s

FOODIE GUIDE

AFRICANCU

AMERICANC

AMERICANC

ARTISAN

BAKERY/CUSTOMCAKES/SWEETS

FITNESS/HEALTH

FOODTRUCKS

FROZENTRE

JAMAICAN

JUICEBAR LATIN

PIZZERIA PRIVATECHEF/MEALPREP

TAVERN

VEGAN/VEGITARIAN