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CBC
04-07-2025
- General
- CBC
'They're like my kids': Mi'kmaw elder stitching together high school memories
Mi'kmaw Elder Nancy (Nano) Bernard has stitched her way into the fabric of Wagmatcook First Nation's history. Every year, a half-dozen of Bernard's quilts are taken out of storage and hung up at Wagmatcookewey School's graduation ceremony as part of a tradition in the Cape Breton community that's now lasted more than 30 years. The quilts are made up of large squares featuring the community's high school graduates that have been sewn onto eight-pointed stars. Since she started making the quilts, Bernard has created more than 200 squares, representing the number of high school graduates in the community over that period. "[It's] just something for them to see year after year," she said. "Some of these graduates have their own families now. It's a good feeling." Bernard, now 82, began the project in 1992. Back then, she only had one graduate's picture to transfer onto fabric. She sews the patches by hand and has designed the quilts using the traditional medicine wheel colours of black, white, red and yellow. Each square takes an hour to finish. Kelly Marshall, a 1996 graduate who is featured on one of the quilts, is now a career navigator at Wagmatcookewey School. "We still snap a picture every year," she said at a recent graduation ceremony. "[You] just don't realize how time went by so fast since we all graduated, and the kids love it. Like next year's grads will be looking forward to seeing all this." Brittany Fitzgerald, a literacy teacher at the school, can also be found on one of Bernard's quilts. She expects to soon see her children's pictures among the graduates. She said the number of patches added each year depends on the number of graduates in the community. "The quilts aren't necessarily one quilt per year, they're just a continuous addition and then when she runs out of space, a new quilt is started again. It's something that's become like a cultural part of our community. It's sort of a symbol of all the hard work of graduates and of our elder as well." Tracy MacNeil, an English teacher at Wagmatcookewey, said Bernard not only creates quilts and dreamcatchers for the community's graduates, she also serves as the school's elder and guidance counsellor. "She's very humble, so she brings humility to our school and there's a calmness about her, a peacefulness about her for sure. I've heard many stories over the years of her working late into the night, trying to complete [her quilts] and get it done on time." Bernard now enjoys watching generations of graduates come out to see her quilts. "Yeah, some of these graduates are moms and dads and grandmas and granddads, some of them are fishermen," she said. "They're all working. I'm proud of them all. They're like my kids."


New York Times
27-02-2025
- General
- New York Times
4 Ways to Make Better Soup Fast
Cook smarter, not harder. These soups take only 40 minutes or less to prepare, but you wouldn't know it from their robust flavor. Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne. By Ali Slagle Ali Slagle is a recipe developer and regular contributor to NYT Cooking who specializes in low-effort, high-reward recipes. She is also the author of the cookbook 'I Dream of Dinner (so You Don't Have To).' Published Feb. 27, 2025 Updated Feb. 27, 2025 The steam, smells and stirs of a long-simmered soup can be therapeutic, sure, but so can a warm bowl of soup that's on the table as soon as possible. Making soup doesn't need to take hours to be soothing and fortifying, as these recipes for classic soups, stews and other brothy numbers prove. Each employs a smart trick that delivers deep flavors in fewer than 40 minutes. You'll still cozy up to something delicious and fill your house with good aromas. It'll just be sooner rather than later. Sizzling sturdy vegetables and blooming spices in fat creates an aromatic before any liquid hits the pot. David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. To build a sturdy foundation, sizzle big-impact ingredients like chopped vegetables, cured meats, dried spices or pastes in fat before adding any liquid. This step rids the ingredients of flavorless liquid, wakes up slumbering spices and intensifies the savoriness of vegetables and proteins. For example, in this vegan chili, Jocelyn Ramirez builds an intense base by browning chopped mushrooms, onion, hot and sweet peppers, and garlic. Then, she adds a mix of dried spices and chiles. In the jar, their scent is muted. But after they bloom in the hot oil, it fills the room. That mix's full might puts the chile in this chili. Bloom a few choice ingredients to not muddy the waters. This version of shiro, a silky chickpea stew beloved in Ethiopia and Eritrea, starts by simmering 10 cloves of garlic, an onion and two whole tablespoons of berbere, a red chile-based spice blend, in a shallow pool of oil. That fat then becomes infused with their flavors and carries them through the broth. Remember that the fat contributes flavor, too. Butter or olive oil are often go-tos, but to create the toasty nuttiness essential to panang curry, Naz Deravian warms Thai red curry paste, chopped peanuts and spices in thick coconut cream. Once the liquid from the cream evaporates, the aromatics sizzle in the remaining coconut oil, staining it bright red. The fat then carries their essence throughout the curry, much farther than they could have traveled on their own. Black Bean Chili With Mushrooms | Shiro (Ground-Chickpea Stew) | Panang Curry You need only water to start your journey to soup. But staples like broth or stock, brines, dairy and other flavorful liquids get you to bolder soups, faster. Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Samin Nosrat, the chef and author of 'Salt Acid Fat Heat,' wrote that 'if you have water around, you can have soup.' Water is essential, but pantry and fridge staples like broths, stocks, dairy, wine, pickle brines and canned tomatoes offer far more flavor — and faster. Broth and stock can be the backbone to any soup. Keep frozen homemade broth, store-bought box broth or bouillon on hand. Chicken, beef and mushroom are all great, as is dashi, either homemade from seaweed and bonito flakes or from instant granules. It contributes enough savoriness to keep a breakfast udon soup satisfying but not so rich that you'll want to crawl back under the covers. Milk of the dairy or coconut variety can add silkiness without heft. Milk provides a sweet backdrop to the cheese, eggs and bread in Colombian changua. Moqueca, a Brazilian seafood stew, is buoyant thanks to juicy tomatoes and peppers and the sea spray that seeps from cod and prawns, while coconut milk gives it lusciousness and a floral undertone. Breakfast Udon | Changua (Colombian Bread and Egg Soup) | Moqueca (Brazilian Seafood Stew) In lieu of more time, ingredients like potatoes, rice, bread and beans can add body to broths. Evan Sung for The New York Times A soup that hasn't simmered long enough might be so thin, it drips and dribbles like water. For one that's just thick enough, you could reduce the liquid for longer. Or, quicker yet, pick a recipe that incorporates a starchy ingredient, such as bread, potatoes, pasta, beans, lentils, nuts, tortillas or rice. As they cook, they'll add body to the soup. Rice is an especially gentle addition. The tender grains will fray at the edges, releasing starch as in Melissa Clark's avgolemono-inspired lemony egg soup with escarole, which is so creamy, you might think it has cream. But it's so light that it couldn't. Red lentils are another good choice, since their starches easily and quickly dislodge into their cooking liquid. That's why Priya Krishna's everyday dal turns stony red lentils, turmeric and just the right amount of water into a soothing porridge in only eight minutes. And two starches are better than one. In this sopa de fideo y frijoles, thin noodles and puréed beans simmer with chicken broth, canned tomatoes, crisp chorizo and other aromatics for just 12 minutes, but the result has the stewy consistency and deep flavor of a much longer game. Lemony Egg Soup With Escarole | Everyday Dal | Sopa de Fideo y Frijoles con Chorizo (Fideo and Bean Soup With Chorizo) The difference between a good soup and a great soup often lies in a final hit of acid, be that with a squeeze of lemon, a dollop or sour cream or a splash of vinegar. David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. A finishing squeeze of lemon or lime, dribble of vinegar, dollop of sour cream or yogurt, or scatter of pickled onions or jalapeños teases out the nuances you so diligently, if expeditiously, created in the pot. Acid also balances richness and enhances the overall flavor. Its addition might even win you a chili cook-off. Lemon or lime juice beams sunshine onto everything it touches, sweetly lifting and lightening. Millie Peartree's fish curry leans heavily on Jamaican curry powder, which is filled with grounding spices like turmeric and allspice. Wake up those earthy flavors with a final squeeze of lime, as well as fresh scallions and cilantro. A teaspoon of vinegar can transform a ho-hum soup into so much more. Intensifying chicken broth for wonton soup, for example, might just take a few drops of vinegar, soy sauce and chile oil. Top bowls with tangy garnishes. While sour cream and Cheddar add creaminess to baked potato soup, they're also sneaky sources of acidity, cutting through the richness of the potatoes, milk and bacon for more balanced bites. Coconut Fish Curry | Wonton Soup | Baked Potato Soup


New York Times
13-02-2025
- Lifestyle
- New York Times
It's Little Treat O'Clock
These homemade sweets are ready in 25 minutes or less. Make yourself a sticky toffee pudding in no time at all with this easy microwave recipe. Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne. By Ali Slagle Ali Slagle is a recipe developer and regular contributor to NYT Cooking who specializes in low-effort, high-reward recipes. She is also the author of the cookbook 'I Dream of Dinner (so You Don't Have To).' Published Feb. 13, 2025 Updated Feb. 13, 2025 That familiar feeling hits: the craving for a little something sweet. But it's late, or the emergency chocolate stash went poof, or you're really 'not a baker.' It's going to be OK because you probably already have the ingredients you need to rustle together one of these homemade treats. You can make yourself a warm cake faster than it takes an oven to heat, a joyful bite of Funfetti (sort of) when there seems little reason to blow out candles, a jammy fruit crisp when summer is far, far away, and a chewy chocolate-chip cookie without creaming butter or sifting flour — and without butter or flour, period. The four recipes below are far from projects; they serve just one or two people, take five minutes to half an hour, and skip the mixer in favor of a bowl and spoon. They're gentle, lazy, and, much like petting dogs, doing the crossword and saying thank you, small ways to sweeten any day. Beloved in Australia and New Zealand, fairy bread can be a Funfetti-like sweet treat. Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne. Triangles of untoasted white bread covered with margarine or butter and 'hundreds and thousands' (those are sprinkles stateside), fairy bread is a much-loved treat often served at children's birthday parties in Australia or New Zealand. Even if you didn't grow up with it, fairy bread might still taste familiar because the sugary-waxy sprinkles, tender crumb, butter and vanilla are reminiscent of Funfetti cake. These simple cookies are rich with nut butter and miso paste for a perfect salty-sweet balance. Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne. Forget what you thought you knew about making a great chocolate-chip cookie. This two-step recipe delivers crisp edges, gooey middles and rich salted-caramel flavor with any nut or seed butter, brown sugar, miso paste and an egg. These may be dairy- and gluten-free, but they're not lacking in any way. Microwaving the topping while the filling simmers on the stovetop balances this crisp's texture. Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne. Sink into this berry crisp any night of the week, no matter the season. The topping clumps and crisps in the microwave, and fresh or frozen berries simmer on the stovetop until jammy. Because the two elements are cooked separately, the topping won't get soggy, delivering a brown sugary crunch to every bite. Ice cream, sour cream or whipped cream are all great on top of this gooey cake. Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne. Feel the warmth of this ready-in-10-minutes take on sticky toffee pudding cake as soon as you spoon out a bite. You don't have to top the soft, date-flecked cake with vanilla ice cream, sour cream or whipped cream, but the cold dairy swirling with the warm, glistening toffee sauce is something special. Follow New York Times Cooking on Instagram , Facebook , YouTube , TikTok and Pinterest . Get regular updates from New York Times Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice .