Sometimes, when it’s really, really hot, a crazy cool-down idea will take shape around here.
Like injecting a watermelon with vodka — circa Lollapalooza ’93 — which is the last (and more age-appropriate) time I considered using a syringe to introduce alcohol into fruit. Back then it was a scheme to get booze past the festival gate checkpoint — a scheme we never got around to actually attempting… Read the rest of this entry »
If you’ve been out at a Farmer`s Market in the last couple of weeks, you`ve probably seen bundles of these little curly-cues for sale. Known as garlic greens, flowers or scapes – they are harvested from the tops of garlic plants at this time of yearby many growers in order to send all of the sun`s energy to the bulb developing under the soil.
Love the look and idea of these things but unsure how to use them?
Well, it’s Top Five Friday, so here are my 5 best ideas for incorporating garlic scapes into your everyday cuisine…
Don’t have a lot on my plate today — as if you didn’t notice.
Seasonal, sustainable, local, foraged, a fridge cleaner — and a freakin’ amazing dinner, if I do say so myself.
Shrimp salad on a toasted kaiser with bacon, lettuce, tomato and cucumber –aka the Shrimp Salad Club.
I like sandwiches. I like sandwiches very much indeed.
So much more colourful than last years batch! I finally settled on a permanent pattern as well — knitting is enjoyably mindless when you have a simple pattern to guide you.
The yarn is Bernat Handicrafter Cotton, and I used a set of (2) 5mm needles (US size 8). I don’t do gauges, but I can tell you that I make my dishclothes about 8″x8″ (20cm x 20cm) – do the math if you want, or just work by trial and error.
(And yes, I know that my conversions in parentheses are inconsistent. Sometimes I work in metric, sometimes I work in imperial. It’s a Canadian thing.) Read the rest of this entry »
Exotic & luxurious sounding, but quick and easy to cook — any night of the week. Served with a mixed rice pilaf and a small side salad, we were feasting on rich, moist (but not oily) salmon in under an hour…
Friday may have been the last day of class, but there’s never any slacking off at the San Francisco Baking Institute. (seriously.)
On the calendar for Day 5: Chocolate Salted Caramel Tart, Quiche, Strawberry Breton Tart and Tarte Bourdaloue.
Yes, that’s 4 “tarts” from 3 doughs — no time for dilly-dallying.
This little fella is a Paris-Brest, named after the predecessor to the Tour de France. It`s a pastry made from choux, a classic french dough used to make eclairs, gougeres, cream puffs, Parisian Gnocchi and another few dozen other good things…
Today was my first day in a week-long course at the San Francisco Baking Institute. A gift I planned long ago to soften the blow of a milestone birthday hitting me later this week. (I`ll let you guess the number.) Read the rest of this entry »
A while back, I had a bit of a salt-curing extravaganza. I preserved some Meyer lemons, some sweet limes and some tangerines.
After the work was done, I had a sleepless night of excitement dreaming up all the ways I would use my precious citrus. It was a sugar plums dancing in their heads kind of moment. (Some people never grow up.) Read the rest of this entry »
What do you do when you have a litre of whipping cream sitting around with nothing to do?
Grab a lemon and make mascarpone cheese, of course…
I’m not a big fan of hot-cross buns. It’s a dried fruit thing. Which is weird, ’cause I like dried fruit (as you’re about to find out).
Moving on…
I may not be a fan, but hot-cross buns are big this week in foodblog land — there’s no food so quintessentially Easter — so I may as well have a crack at it.
Peter Reinhart’s Raisin Focaccia Bread IS a favourite around here (see what I mean about liking dried fruit?), so it was a small leap in my tiny brain to disguise a batch of that as hot-cross buns.
I divided the dough up, piped on some crosses, and glazed the buns hot out of the oven.
They looked great! Delicious!
The thing is, they were a bit heavy. Too dense. I wouldn’t do it this way again.
As for I would make them next time? Come visit the Pender Islands’ Farmer’s Market this Saturday — swing by my table and sample a free mini hot-cross focaccia bun. You be the judge and see if I get them right!
In my brain, it sounded like an inspired, natural way to colour candy green. (The beets worked, after all.)
In practice, it results in Disgusto-Pops.
DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME.
One of the chef tips we learned at culinary school was how to use pureed spinach as a green colour enhancer. You put some spinach in the blender with a little water, blend away, and eventually, you have a vibrant colourant that makes broccoli soup a little greener.
I got a green colourant out of the nettles, but it was more olive than vibrant. And once the heat of the molten candy got it, it was so drabbed down that I had to use A LOT to turn the lollipops green — so much that the lollipops tasted strongly of nettles, and nothing of the peppermint extract I also used.
A lollipop that tastes of nettles is not A Good Thing. You’re going to have to trust me on this.
I found this little gem a couple of weekends ago while channel surfing. PBS came through with an old Julia Child: Lessons with Master Chefs episode. I was actually about to move on, because it was a super complicated Viennese Cardinal Slice — not exactly my thing (to make — I’d eat it, but make it? No. Never). But then the Chef, Markus Farbinger, said something about making coffee extract. Julia was intrigued, I was intrigued. I hit record on the PVR and sat back to learn something new.
Howard likes a good Chicken Orange. It’s a dish his Mum made for special occasions through his childhood. Most of us have at least one special dish that we grew up with. My favourite was Fondue Bourguignonne (hot oil) — a total pain to assemble, “Too many sauces, dishes and forks,” my Mom used to say when I asked for Fondue for my dinner birthday.
It looks like I spoke too soon with regards to cold oil french fries. After trying the method once with russets, I rejoiced to the world about HOW EASY this recipe is, and pushed aside claims from Cooks Illustrated that yukon gold potatoes yielded far superior results. Read the rest of this entry »
I didn’t like ricotta cheese until I started making it myself. That stuff in the tubs? I object to being robbed blind at the cash register for a container of dry, gritty, grainy, tasteless mush.
(I know — Don’t hold back, Theresa. Let us know how you really feel.)
On that note, I’ll tell you that I absolutely love my homemade ricotta cheese. Soft, fresh, creamy and adaptable — use it in lasagne, filled pastas, salads, desserts, pastries…
Organic Meyer lemons, sweet limes and tangerines all in our little island grocery store, and all at once! The universe was sending me a message, and it’s going to help me find a use for some of those cute jars I bought in a homemade gift container panic at London Drugs before Christmas.
And if you’re going to preserve some citrus, why not push a few boundaries and go exotic?
Preserved tangerines are not as common as lemons and limes. For that reason I’m the most curious and excited to discover what they’ll taste like. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not ambivalent about the Meyer lemons with juniper or the sweet limes with bay leaf & peppercorns by any means! I will be doing a lot of preserved citrus experimenting in the next few months… Read the rest of this entry »
Preserved lemons and limes are a common condiment in Moroccan and North African cuisine. Their use spread to France and then beyond…The flavour is mildly tart but intensely lemony and is often paired with olives, artichokes, seafood, veal, chicken and rice.
The pulp of the fruit can be used in stews and sauces, but the biggest prize is the peel… Read the rest of this entry »
After a bit of a delay, I have a couple of photos (and my first-ever video) of the Laminated Doughs course I took at NWCAV a few weekends ago. Chef Tim is an accomplished chef and a great teacher — just watch how he rolls those crescent-shaped rolls… Read the rest of this entry »
We opened a can of this luscious smoked tuna as part of the largest lunch know to man — we’ve tried it in tuna salad, we’ve tried it in a niçoise-salad-inspired pasta and on a seafood pizza — but really, the best way to eat Thetis Queen Smoked BC Albacore Tuna is straight from the can…
Try this once, or their non-smoked variety, and you won’t want to go back to the mushy mass-produced stuff. I’ve started a tuna cache in our basement… Read the rest of this entry »
I’m back on the resolution bandwagon after falling off for a couple of days. It must have been the butter-induced stupor caused by the Laminated Doughs Workshop I took in Vancouver over the weekend. Think hand-rolled croissants, poppy-seed bear claws and apricot & pastry cream danishes. Think 144 layers of butter stacked with 145 layers of dough – no hydrogenated fats, no glucose-fructose, no stabilizers – just 200 years of viennoiserie tradition.
Be they vegetable or veal, brown or white, all stocks share four common indicators of quality. They are:
Body
Body is created when the collagen in the connective tissue of the bones dissolves and converts to gelatin during the cooking process. Vegetable stocks have less body than protein-based stocks. To increase the body of a vegetable stock, add umami-rich vegetables like shiitake mushrooms, seaweed and tomatoes. (Be aware that tomatoes will also darken the stock.)
We never made beef stock in culinary school. Not once. Instead, we made veal stock. A lot of it, almost everyday.
Prior to that, veal wasn’t on my culinary radar. As a born and bred west coaster, I simply saw too many animal cruelty videos in my pasty-faced-I’m-a-vegetarian-anti-Gordon-Gecko teenage years. (In the 80′s — very short lived.)
When I asked Chef P, my culinary skills instructor, if one could use beef stock in place of veal, I got a very French Chef answer: “Non.” No elaboration, no nothing. Not for a couple of minutes, anyway. Chef P never said anything before its time.
“Why can’t you use veal? Are you scared for the little baby cows?”
That’s Chef P. Let’s just say animal cruelty concerns are not on his culinary radar. Read the rest of this entry »
Get you mind out the gutter — NOW.
We ARE, of course, talking about bacon lardons. Very good bacon, cut into small strips about 3/8″ wide, then blanched or fried.
Howard insisted that I show you these particular lardons, which he fried the other night as a component of our dinner using smoked tuna, spaghettini, shallots, cream and parmesan. Very yummy. So good that I didn’t pause to take a picture of the finished dish. So you’re stuck graced with these, entitled “Series: Lardons“ Think of them as an LPT, or Lardon Photo Tutorial:
So…we’ve arrived at New Year’s resolution #3: make your diet a healthier one. That can mean a lot of things of course: less fat, less salt, less meat, less sugar, less food…period.
What do bay leaves have to do with eating healthy? I have no idea, but they're green, local and home-dried. So there.
Experience has taught me that extreme changes don’t last. Small changes are more likely to — it’s easy to tweak most of your favourite recipes to reduce fat, salt, etc. Slightly smaller portions are a totally legitimate way to make a positive change. Try a healthy, protein-rich snack.
One easy thing you can do it start reading. Scrutinize the ingredient list and nutritional data found on packaged foods — especially at processed foods — junk food is $%&! — something that resembles, but does not quite meet, my criteria to be labeled real food. Read the rest of this entry »
Do you like my new bowl? It’s pre-owned. I scavenged it on our last trip to the island’s recycling depot. I even met the generous fellow who had just dropped it into the old clawfoot tub full of scrap metal. He pointed out the pin-sized hole about halfway up its side when he saw my interest.
I’ve been looking for a big SS bowl for rising double-batches of Pender Island Sourdough, and this thing measures 16″ across. Was a little hole going to stop me from claiming this bowl as my own?
Never. After all, with a little duct tape, you’re golden.
Or should that be stainless?
PS: If you like a good scrounge/thrift shop, just wait until I show you the Nu-To-Yu…
I’ve been holding out on you. If you remember, Howard had totally ruined prematurely precipitated Christmas by shopping for himself on-line during December. What I didn’t tell you was what he got for me. But now you know — an 8 gig ipod Touch. It gets cooler everyday.
It’s Christmas Eve — concerns of mass consumerism aside — if you’re still looking for the perfect gift, and you’re willing to throw the budget from the nearest bridge, then surprise your honey with one of these.
I’ve already used my Touch in the kitchen — to surf for recipes, to calculate measurement conversions, and of course, to provide the soundtrack to the days culinary adventures.
Here are some cool cook/chef apps I’ve found in the past few days:
how long since I fed the sourdough starter?
Pretty much everything at Lee Valley Tools is cool, including these little digital day counters, which come in pairs with magnetic or suction-cup backs.
salt, tequila, lime
You may not want ice-cold shooters in December, but what about July…August…you’ll thank me then, trust me. This silicon shooter glass mould makes 4 glasses at a time. Plan ahead for parties, or buy a couple!
car camping at its best
Whether you’re hot & bothered and stuck in the woods (and somehow have managed to keep ice frozen while hiking), or more realistically, are at your wits end with the 4th multi-day power outage in 1 winter and have decided to use the snow on the ground to make yourself a much-needed margarita — you’ll need this hand-crank blender to do the job properly. Serve the drinks right in this.
it ain't just for toast anymore
This convection toaster oven may belong in the Practical Guide, but I love this oven so much, that I think everyone should have one, even if you don’t really need it. Since it was delivered about a month ago, I have used it instead of the big oven for pretty much everything, including roasting a whole chicken, except bread.
Most women would advise you that practical gifts, including kitchen items and appliances are not a good gift idea. Especially if the gift is coming from their significant other. For many, these types of gifts summon visions of chains and bare-feet stretching ad infinitum.
However, there exists a sub-section of the population that consider a quality kitchen gadget a highly desirable, gush-over type of gift. You may have guessed that I’m one of them.
it's kinda cute, isn't it?
This multi-purpose pot comes with a straining lid — ideal for pasta, veggies, grains, etc. And, it is easily the most visually appealing pot I own. Not important, but embarrassingly the original reason why I bought it.
no more bending
You can’t get much more practical than a set of measuring cups, but this clever design means allows you to read the level from above — no more checking and adjusting levels.
one does it all - candy, meat, bread...
There are times when temperature is the only, or at least the much preferred, method of determining doneness. An instant-read probe thermometer is the only thermometer you’ll need. (Except for maybe an oven thermometer — but that is so EXTREMELY PRACTICAL that I can’t in good conscience recommend one as a gift.)
Q: Can you roast a chicken in a toaster oven?
a bird in the pan is worth two in the fridge
A: Well, I don’t know about you, but I sure can – as tested on Saturday night. It took 45 minutes at 350˚ F on convection bake in our new Krups countertop oven. Some of the crispiest most golden skin I’ve managed in a long time.
Q: I noticed that the whipping cream I bought contains carrageenan as well as cream. What is carrageenan?
A: Carrageenan is a seaweed extract that has been used to thicken and improve the texture of processed foods since the 1930s. (I wouldn’t consider whipping cream to be a processed food, but that’s just me.) Organic whipping cream does not contain carrageenan, a possible carcinogen that has been shown to cause intestinal problems in many animals, including as rabbits, rats, mice and guinea pigs.
Q: Will you PLEASE tell us more interesting facts about the most exalted of all vegetables – the parsnip?
late fall harvest
A: Romans considered parsnips to be an aphrodisiac. (I don’t know about plain old parsnips, but I tell you — my version of parsnip soup sure changed my mood for the better…)
Bialetti claims that its Mukka Express will “revolutionize your cappuccino experience.”
Mukkas have been around for awhile, but it wasn’t until the demise of our Vesuviana Electric (isn’t it gorgeous?…so sad), that they even came on my radar.
I found a stovetop Mukka on ebay from a lovely woman in Calgary – used only once, it was shiny and new when it arrived in the mail, complete with instructional DVD. The price was right too – only US$20, compared to the MRSP of US$89.95.
it'll do...for now
We’ve had it for a couple of weeks, and probably made “cappuccinos” with it 9 or 10 times. Why the quotes? Quite simply, while the Mukka makes a tasty latté, it just doesn’t have the steam power to do a true cappuccino. At least we haven’t been able to get it to produce enough froth for 1, never mind 2, cappuccinos.
Which is OK, except that I like foam. Lots of it. Give me a Sahara-dry single shot cappuccino every morning and you’ll never hear another peep out of me. Wait – that’s unlikely — but I would say thank-you and smile very sweetly!
We will continue to use the Mukka, but probably not with the enthusiasm with which we greeted its arrival. It’s good on a number of fronts – quick, easy to use, easy to clean – but the lack of foam leaves me feeling high and not-so-dry.
PS In the course of writing this post, I am excited to announce that I may have found a fix for our Vesuviana! If it works, I’ll show you the difference between and Mukka cappuccino and a REAL one…stay tuned – we may soon have a true capp on our little island once again!
Bialetti claims that its Mukka Express will “revolutionize your cappuccino experience.”
Mukkas have been around for awhile, but it wasn’t until the recent demise of our Vesuviana Electric (isn’t it gorgeous?…so sad), that they even came on my radar.
I found one on ebay from a lovely woman in Calgary – used only once, it was shiny and new when it arrived in the mail, complete with instructional DVD. The price was right too – only US$20, compared to the MRSP of US$89.95.
We’ve had it for a couple of weeks, and probably made “cappuccinos” with it 9 or 10 times. Why the quotes? Quite simply, while the Mukka makes a tasty latte, it just doesn’t have the steam power to do a true cappuccino. At least we haven’t been able to get it to produce enough froth for 1, never mind 2, cappuccinos.
I’m willing to admit that we have a kitchen sink drainage problem. I’ve had the reason explained to me, but I’m not very detail oriented when it come to that kind of stuff. All I need to know is that it isn’t up to snuff, but that the fix is more hassle than I’m willing to deal with.
So instead, I deal with the problem over and over. Smart? Probably not. But that’s the way it is around here sometimes.
Because of this ongoing problem, I have experimented with many environmentally-safe (and shamefully even resorted to Drano a couple of times) trying to keep the drain clear. Here’s the most-effective method I’ve found:
To Unclog Your Sink:
fire burn, and cauldron bubble
It works way better than Drano.
Peter Reinhart’s The Bread Baker’s Apprentice is a must have for the would-be baker. I have cooked and baked sweets for many years, but I have never made bread on a regular basis. Oh, I had a bread maker in the 90′s — I it bought at a garage sale for $10 — and the first loaf I made came out beautifully. A bit of a strange shape, mind you, but nothing we couldn’t get over for the sake of fresh bread.
But after that, I could never get it to produce again. Every loaf after that was a dense brick-like manifestation that had no place but in the compost.
I did have plans to attend a 15-week professional baking course beginning in September, but I just couldn’t stomach the idea of commuting for another 4 month stretch. So I decided instead to take some weekend courses both in Victoria and Vancouver.
Both of the instructors in both of the bread courses I have taken so far have recommended The Bread Baker’s Apprentice. I bought it after the first suggestion and I don’t plan to ever look back.
The Foccacia is the best I have ever tasted. The ciabatta is airy, light and chewy – everything I want it to be. The Lavash is the perfect accompaniment to dips and spreads. The one bread I wasn’t fond of was the Anadama, but I don’t think I’ll ever find a version of that bread that I like. After trying it, I realize that I don’t like cornmeal in a sandwich bread. So there.
I highly recommend this book. The photos and instruction are exceptional. Although I did find myself flipping pages back and forth a few times to get the foundational steps right, I was never “lost,” as I have found myself in some other bread baking texts.
As well, the author provides a number of options for retarding the dough over to the next day, so that the bread can be risen, shaped and risen during daylight hours. Do not be put off by recipes that appear to take 2, or even 3, days. The actual hands-on work time is a few minutes here and there. The rest of the time, it’s mostly the yeast doing all of the work.
Holiday parties are coming. I bet there’s more than a few out there who are going to a Christmas Party this weekend, whether or not you’re ready to jump into the festive season. So, if you’re looking for a dish to take along to help the hostess, take along some Lavash Crackers and Smoky Roasted Tomato Dip, or check out some of the food sites below for more ideas:
David Lebovitz – received much of his training while working for 12 years in the pastry department at the famed Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, CA. His site offers a wide range of dessert recipes, as well as an extensive list of savoury offerings.
Smitten Kitchen – is there anyone out there who hasn’t heard of this site? Deb takes striking photos and picks out (mostly) great recipes to share with the rest of us.
Real Food — a great alternative food site, and a good source for seasonal recipes.
Channel 4 Food – here you’ll find the recipes of Gordon, Nigella, Jamie, Heston, et al — Brit chef heaven!
Cook’s Illustrated – my favourite food magazine both in print and on-line. Most of the recipes require you to pay for an online membership, but it’s money well spent. I visit here on a daily basis. They test every recipe to death in search of the perfect version, and also offer equipment reviews and video tips.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jspad/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Holiday parties are coming. I bet there’s more than a few out there who are going to a Christmas Party this weekend, whether or not you’re ready to jump into the festive season. So, if you’re looking for a dish to take along to help the hostess, take along some Lavash Crackers and Smoky Roasted Tomato Dip, or check out some of the food sites below for more ideas:
David Lebovitz – received much of his training while working for 12 years in the pastry department at the famed Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, CA. His site offers a wide range of dessert recipes, as well as an extensive list of savoury offerings.
Smitten Kitchen – is there anyone out there who hasn’t heard of this site? Deb takes striking photos and picks out (mostly) great recipes to share with the rest of us.
Real Food — a great alternative food site, and a good source for seasonal recipes.
Channel 4 Food – here you’ll find the recipes of Gordon, Nigella, Jamie, Heston, et al — Brit chef heaven!
Cook’s Illustrated – my favourite food magazine both in print and on-line. Most of the recipes require you to pay for an online membership, To get the most of the site, you must buy a yearly membership, but it’s money well spent. I visit here on a daily basis. They test every recipe to death in search of the perfect version, and also offer equipment reviews and video tips.
I started this blog off last Friday with my version of Slow Roasted Tomatoes. Did anyone out there save the seeds and the piths like I asked? Hello?… Anyone?… Bueller?…
If you are in the possession of all your seeds and piths, then you can make a rich tomato concentrate that will add deep tomato taste and rich red colour to your dishes. Molecular gastronomist/chef Heston Blumenthal first demonstrated this method on his show Search for Perfection. It looked like a good idea – one I’d have to try. Ever since, I almost always have a little bit of this concentrate in my fridge. It’s a secret dish enhancer.
It does take a good number of tomatoes (minimum 2-3lbs) to get enough seeds to make it worthwhile, though, so I collect the seeds and piths as I go, throwing them into a tub in the freezer until I have a big enough batch.
Press the seeds and pith through a strainer, extracting as much juice as possible. I use my hands to squeeze as much of the jelly-like coating from the seeds as I can. This jelly contains FLAVOUR.
Reduce the juice at a low boil until the liquid has a ketchup consistency. As the concentrate thickens, lower the heat and stir often to avoid burning it. Season with a little bit of salt, if desired.
Cool and store covered in the fridge for 5-7 days. Use it sparingly on sandwiches, burgers, as well as in sauces and dips.
This is not a new idea – I know. But we had such a bad summer for tomatoes on our little island, that there was very little opportunity to enjoy the intense sweetness of one picked fresh off the vine. Even gifted gardeners (not me, but I try!) had poor crops this year.
So I’ve gone a little overboard for the past couple of months, buying those not-so-tasty-resource-hogging-hydroponic-hothouse tomatoes and slow roasting the hell out of them. I really should stop, but I’ve gotten pretty good at it – I can bring robust flavour into even the sorriest excuse for a tomato. Even unripe Mexican Romas would be no match. (Although I’m happy to report I haven’t sunk that low yet.)
My other reason for starting with this method is that I consider it to be a Foundational Recipe. By that I mean one that is used as a base ingredient in any other number of dishes. Italian dishes spring to mind immediately, but I also use roasted tomatoes in South Asian curries, French sauces, Greek moussakas, etc.
Eventually, I hope to present a number of recipes using these. Check back and see if I’m all talk, or, well, you know.
Tips:
