WWF-Canada: Earth Hour Entertaining Ideas-Recipes and Tips for Dining in the Dark From Canadian Chefs Jamie Kennedy & bob blumer

TORONTO, ONTARIO–(Marketwire – March 12, 2009) – On the evening of March 28, thousands of Canadians will be celebrating Earth Hour with parties and gatherings in their homes. WWF-Canada (World Wildlife Fund) has collected Earth Hour entertaining ideas and tips from renowned Canadian chefs Jamie Kennedy and bob blumer (creator/host of Food Network Canada’s Surreal Gourmet and Glutton for Punishment) and Earth Hour sponsor Coca-Cola.

Earth Hour, led by WWF, is a global lights out phenomenon to show support for action on climate change and demonstrate how each us can make a difference. To date, a record 1,000 cities and towns in 75 countries have committed to turn off their lights on March 28 from 8:30 – 9:30 p.m. In Canada alone, there are already more than 160 cities on board.

“We brought together a collection of climate-friendly recipes and entertaining ideas to encourage Canadians to make an evening out of Earth Hour with their family and friends,” says Gerald Butts, President and CEO, WWF-Canada. “With delicious recipes from Chefs Jamie Kennedy and bob blumer, and a collection of entertaining tips from Coca-Cola, Earth Hour dinner parties will be fun and delicious.”

– This recipe is low-energy as it calls for slow-cooking at lower temperatures.

From Chef Jamie Kennedy: “Braised Brisket of Beef with Beer and Onion Sauce”

Use brisket points for this recipe. This is the cut preferred for corned beef and gives great results for this dish.

– 2 Spanish onions, peeled and sliced
– 3 tbsp / 45 ml unsalted butter
– 2 cups / 480 ml beer
– 1 cup / 240 ml tomato sauce
– 1 bay leaf
– 1 tbsp / 15 ml sunflower oil
– 1 3-lb / 1.35 kg piece beef brisket point

Preheat an oven to 200 degrees F/95 degrees C. Gently saute the onions in the butter for 20 minutes or until they are golden brown. Add the beer and the tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, add the bay leaf and simmer.

Place a large frying pan on high heat. Add the sunflower oil. Place the brisket in the frying pan to sear. When it is brown on the bottom, turn it over. When it is brown on both sides, transfer it to a flat oven dish with a lid or an earthenware casserole Dutch oven. Pour the simmering sauce over the brisket. Place the lid on top and braise in the oven for 9 hours.

Carve six slices of braised brisket onto each plate. Serve with a green salad.

Serves 6.

This recipe calls for raw fruits and vegetables and is energy-free.

From Chef bob blumer (creator/host of Food Network Canada’s Surreal Gourmet and Glutton for Punishment): “A yummy salad of beets, fennel, and apples with stilton and maple-candied pecans.”

– 1/2 cup pecan halves
– 1/4 cup maple syrup
– 1 large (uncooked) beet
– 1 Fuji apple (or any other hard apple)
– 1 fennel bulb, trimmed
– 1 palmful fresh mint leaves, chopped coarsely
– 1/4 teaspoon salt
– 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
– 3 tablespoons olive oil
– 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
– 4 ounces stilton, or other blue cheese, crumbled

Make the candied nuts in advance at a time when you are already using your oven. In fact, make a big batch – they can be stored for weeks in a tightly sealed jar. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pour maple syrup into a small bowl. Toss nuts in syrup, remove with a slotted spoon, and bake on a sheet of aluminum foil or a cookie sheet for approximately 10 minutes, or until nuts are roasted and syrup solidifies around nuts. Reserve until you make your salad.

Peel the beet and apple. Core the apple and fennel. Using the coarsest side of a grater, grate the beet, apple and fennel.

In a large bowl, combine beet, apple, fennel, mint, salt and pepper. Add oil and vinegar, stilton and nuts. Toss and serve immediately.

Serves 2 as a meal or 4 as a side salad.

– These tips are almost energy-free and great for any party.

From Coca-Cola Canada: Earth Hour entertaining tips

Use candles for atmosphere: A room full of candles always manages to create a sophisticated ambiance. Fewer candles can create a spooky feeling (great for an evening of ghost stories). If you have children or pets, be sure to keep the candles out of reach.

Bring back the board game: Dinner parties are great for breaking out the board games or cards. From knowledge-based games to games requiring creativity, some healthy competition will add to your party’s energy level.

Energy efficient potluck: Hold a potluck party and encourage your guests to bring something that can be made on low heat or no heat at all! You’ll be surprised by the creative dishes your guests will come up with.

Store beverages in the garage: Since the weather is still a bit nippy, why not skip the fridge and store your drinks outside in a cooler or in the garage?

Stargazing: Since the lights are out in your city, why not take your guests out for an evening of stargazing? Make a game out of looking for constellations. If it’s not too cold, you can even move your party outside.

Fondue party: Don’t have time to prepare any dishes? Have a fondue party! From chocolate covered strawberries to cheese fondue, your source of energy here is candles: something you’d be using for Earth Hour anyway. This gives your guests the chance to sit down and talk to each other while having an activity to focus on. Best of all, it saves you time.

Other coke recipes can be found at http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/heritage/recipes.html.

About Earth Hour

Earth Hour is a global WWF climate change initiative. Individuals, businesses, governments and communities are invited to turn out their lights for one hour on Saturday March 28, 2009 at 8:30 PM to show their support for action on climate change. The event began in Sydney in 2007, and has since grown into a global movement with a goal of reaching one billion people in 1,000 cities in 2009. In Canada, Sears Canada, CBC and Coca Cola Ltd. (Coca-Cola in Canada) are the official sponsors. www.EarthHourCanada.org

About WWF

WWF-Canada is part of WWF – the global conservation organization. Founded in 1967, WWF-Canada has become one of the country’s leading conservation organizations, enjoying the active support of more than 100,000 Canadians. WWF-Canada works to save nature by conserving species and protecting their habitats; by ensuring our use of natural resources is sustainable, and by helping individuals, companies and governments reduce pollution. For more information, visit www.wwf.ca.

About Coca-Cola in Canada

The Coca-Cola Company is the world’s largest beverage company. In Canada, the Company is represented by its subsidiary, Coca-Cola Ltd. (Coca-Cola in Canada). Coca-Cola is Canada’s largest beverage company. Coca-Cola in Canada markets three of Canada’s top nonalcoholic sparkling beverage brands, Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Sprite, and the leading ready-to-drink tea: Nestea. The Coca-Cola Company is a presenting partner of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic
Torch Relay. For information on how you can nominate yourself to become a Coca-Cola Olympic Torchbearer go to www.iCoke.ca.

For more information about Coca-Cola in Canada, please visit our website at www.coca-cola.caor our parent company’s website at www.thecoca-colacompany.com.