Belbin’s Grocery
85 Quidi Vidi Road
Ph. 576-7640
Kitty Drake has been in the business of preparing food for a long time. She has operated restaurants, talked about food and cooking in various media and run a preserves business under the name Kit and Kaboodle. But for the last few years she has been beavering away in apron and cook’s hat devising and cooking meals for Belbin’s line of readymade meals called Dinner’s Ready.
In the past, I have been surprised and amused by some of the
twists she’s employed with traditional Newfoundland dishes. I remember seeing
her on television several years ago preparing cod tongues as hors d’oeuvres
where the tongues were rolled in things like cornmeal, fried in olive oil and
served with various dips. I tend to like my Newfoundland food prepared in the
classic way; however, I don’t fault a cook with Ms. Drake’s experience and
skill for being innovative. That’s the way it should be.
When I heard that Kitty Drake was doing Dinner’s Ready for
Belbin’s I was interested to see what she was doing with the numerous
Newfoundland dishes on their menu. I’m delighted to report that Ms. Drake has
stuck with tradition and is doing a darn good job of it.
Dinner’s Ready is a good service for people who live busy
lives and who don’t have the time to prepare a decent supper for themselves.
After work all you have to do is stop by and pick out one of their home-cooked
meals, pop it in the oven and 20 or 30 minutes later (or less if you use a
microwave) you’ll be eating something that might have taken a couple of hours
to prepare had you done it yourself. Recently, over the course of about a week,
I sat down and tried several of their Dinner’s Ready offerings.
Belbin’s Dinner’s Ready soups tasted just like Mom would
have made (assuming your Mom, like mine, could cook). The Newfoundland pea soup
($2.95) was like a French vegetable potage, smooth and intensely flavourful.
The flavour of the vegetables (especially the carrot) permeated the smooth
split peas mixture. It was so smooth and so rich it was hard to believe no
cream had been used. A couple of nice chunks of salt beef gave it a lift as
well.
Similarly, Belbin’s turkey and wild rice soup ($2.95) was
richly flavoured with a good stock and chunks of dark and white turkey meat. It
also contained thin slices of root vegetables – carrot and turnip – corn, green
peas, celery and a favourite herb, thyme. The soup was delicately seasoned and
I also enjoyed the texture of the wild rice.
I’m an expert flipper pie taster. My Dad - who was an
excellent cook - prepared thousands of them for church suppers and the like
when I was a kid. (My brother Len’s flipper pie is not too shabby either.) I
won’t say Belbin’s flipper pie ($8.99) was as good as my dear departed
Dad’s…but it was close. It had deep, rich gravy laced with bits of meat, as
well as pieces of turnip and carrot. The pastry on top was very traditional,
thick like a tea bun, brown and crisp. The seal meat had a clean, fresh taste
but for me, there wasn’t enough of it. Mind you, for some it probably would
have been the perfect amount but I like my flipper pie meaty. Belbin’s pie, by
the way, would be the perfect choice for anyone interested in trying flipper
who has never eaten it before.
If anyone’s pie is going to turn flipper virgins into
converts, this is the one.
Last year, Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes got himself cuffed and
taken to the slammer for being double-parked in Manhattan while grabbing an
order of meatloaf and mashed potatoes from his favourite restaurant. Would I
double-park for Belbin’s hearty meatloaf ($7.59)? Maybe but thankfully Quidi
Vidi Road parking (unlike 3rd Avenue) is usually not a problem. Their Dinner’s
Ready meatloaf was dense and lean with smoky barbeque flavour and a touch of
spicy heat. If you like your meatloaf fatty you may not care for this recipe
that left the meat a tad dry but I appreciated the lack of grease, as well as
the large portion. There was plenty of meatloaf for two people.
I loved Belbin’s roast leg of lamb with orzo ($6.85). The
slices of lamb were a touch dry from reheating but they had great flavour. I’d
guess it was New Zealand lamb because I could almost taste the rich green
fields of Waikato as I wolfed down the generous portion of lamb meat. Orzo, like
couscous, is really an unusual form of pasta made from enriched, durum
semolina. It can be a great side dish and in this case, being buttery and
perfumed with mint, it was a perfect companion for the lamb. I was glad I’d
poured myself a nice glass of Shiraz to go with this one.
Belbin’s Dinner’s Ready gingered shrimp and scallops with
basmati rice ($9.98) is a definite winner. I was amazed that after heating-up
in my 400-degree oven for 30 minutes the scallops and shrimps remained
absolutely succulent. I had purchased the frozen version so I’m not sure how
much the seafood had been cooked beforehand but whatever formula was used
worked like a charm. The scallops and shrimps were arranged on a bed of spicy,
slightly sticky basmati rice that contained pieces of zucchini. With a chilled
glass of inexpensive dry white wine this dish should satisfy any seafood
lover’s craving for shellfish.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Belbin’s homemade crumbles
and bread puddings. They’re outstanding. For example their large rum and raisin
bread pudding ($7.95) while a little sweet was about as comforting as comfort
food gets. It had a very eggy texture with lots of moisture, plenty of plump
raisins and a definite hint of rum. It was gloriously filling and needed no supporting
players - like whipped cream or ice cream. This dessert stood quite well all by
itself.
Belbin’s Dinner’s Ready freezers and coolers are a
repository of culinary care packages for weary and hungry souls who yearn for a
hot meal that reminds them what cooked food can be when it isn’t forced or
rushed, when it’s prepared with care and love. Try it and you’ll never eat Lean
Cuisine again.
Best Points:
A variety of dishes, all expertly prepared.
Areas for Improvement:
Perhaps a little gravy with the roasted lamb might help
counter dryness.
Ratings Category:
Belbin’s Dinner’s Ready line gets 8 points out of 10.