My Macaroni Pie

The Big Waste on Food Network USA

2012-01-24T12:16:00.000-08:00

Rainbow Chard

A couple of weeks ago, the Food Network aired a show called The Big Waste. Four Food Network chefs were challenged to use refuse food, which was destined for the trash, to make a meal for 100 guests. The chefs were in two teams - Bobby Flay and Michael Symon vs. Alex Guarnaschelli and Anne Burrelle. They visited local fish and meat wholesalers, farms, bakeries and other purveyors of food, to source their ingredients. Ms. Burelle even met with a Freegan to see what he found on nightly scavenging trips. (Note: the food that they all eventually used to prepare their meal was found to be 'safe' by a Food Inspector).

Some of the food that was being thrown out was surprising:
- Eggs that were not a uniform size and as such would not pass grading standards
- Chickens with punctured skin or a broken wing - so called 'Utility' chickens
- Produce that was a day before the 'Sell By' date, but would be acceptable for consumption for a few more days
- At a 'pick your own produce' place, people had picked e.g. a cabbage, then realized it was too small, discarded it, then picked another
- Blemished fruit or vegetables - not spoiled, merely marked by an imperfection
- Fresh fish that had been returned to a wholesaler by a retail customer because the flesh was not even

I could go on...

It was truly astounding the amount of food in America that is destined for the garbage. I do not doubt that the same thing goes on in many other cities in other parts of the world as well. One of the main conclusions that was drawn by the chefs who prepared the meals, was that consumers have trained themselves to only want perfection when they are shopping at their local grocery store. I include myself in the throngs of the guilty who will not buy an apple that has a bruise on it. When did I become so obsessed with this level of perfection?

As a lover of food, I am also a lover of the beauty in food. It gives me pleasure to see a perfect bowl of tomatoes, a verdant green and crispy leaf of rainbow chard. As I increasingly dabble in food photography, I can appreciate the beauty in these things - I don't think it makes me a bad person to do so.

I was discussing this issue with a friend and she brought up some good points. For example, there may be restrictions with the food that may not serve the community at large. Sometimes food may be past due or not culturally acceptable. Good points I had not even considered - specifically dietary and cultural considerations of the foods in question. It is not solely about the food being wasted, but when considering using some of these foods destined for refuse, one has to consider the security of the food. Is it still safe to eat? Is it wise to give away the food, but make someone sick in the process? Such a quandary.

What can I do? One person? I can take the tomato off of the top of the heap so as not to bruise those under it; I can choose the banana that has one spot; I can buy less than perfect produce - especially if I am going to be turning it into a soup or sauce anyway. There is often a rack in the produce department of your local grocery store, where you can purchase injured, but edible, produce.

I realize that there have been many papers and such devoted to this topic and I do not propose solutions to this vast problem, only to say that I am glad I saw the program and can make myself more aware of my own contribution to this problem - I can at least do my part to not contribute to it.

Scotch Bonnet Peppers

Spicy Beef & Lentil Stew

2012-01-18T07:50:00.000-08:00

Once again inspiration strikes while staring into the pantry. I had defrosted some stewing beef and was wondering what to do with it. I enjoy cooking with stewing beef because although it takes a long time to get tender, it gives me the opportunity to add so much flavour during those long cooking times. It was a small package of beef, so to increase the protein (and add some fibre), I added some small brown lentils to the pot. The flavours of this stew were bright, spicy and delicious (and the leftovers were great for lunch today!). I served the stew over garlic crostini - instead of my usual rice or potatoes. A delicious one pot dinner for these chilly nights we've been having here in Eastern Ontario. As a bonus, while the stew is simmering, it gives me time to get my (dreaded) exercise time in for the day.
Note: Changing the quantities of lentils and beef will not adversely affect the 'Palatability Quotient' - yes, I just made that up!

Serves 2
8 oz cubed lean stewing beef (about 1-1/2" chunks- any excess moisture removed with a paper towel)
1 onion, chopped
1 cubanelle pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh ginger, chopped
1/2 cup stewed tomatoes
1/4 cup small brown dried lentils, rinsed
1-1/2 cups low sodium chicken stock
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dried marjoram
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 whole habanero pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil (or vegetable oil)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

- In a medium pot, heat olive oil (or vegetable oil) over medium high heat
- Brown the stewing beef in batches so as not to overcrowd the pot (this leads to boiling, rather than browning)
- Once all the meat has been browned, return all of it to the pot, then add the onion, cubanelle and green pepper, garlic and ginger
- Saute for about 3 minutes, until fragrant
- Add stewed tomato, dried lentils, chicken stock, Worcestershire sauce, marjoram, thyme, allspice, salt, pepper and whole habanero pepper, stir to combine and bring to a boil
- Reduce heat enough to maintain a low simmer
- Cover partially and cook for 90 minutes
- Check for doneness - the beef should be very tender (if not, return to a simmer for a further 20 minutes)
- Remove from the heat, remove the habanero pepper carefully (if it breaks it's OK, but you're going to have a spicier stew) taste and adjust salt and pepper to taste
- Stir in the sherry vinegar

Tomato Topping
1/2 c grape tomatoes, quartered
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon tomato vinegar (substitute white wine vinegar)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (for the flavour)
Pinch of salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- Combine all ingredients and allow to marinate for about 20 minutes

Pea tendrils for garnish (wanted some green and have some live ones at home)
Garlic crostini (sliced stale baguette, lightly brushed with oil, toasted then rubbed with garlic)

To serve:
- Place the garlic crostini at the bottom, top with stew, then tomato topping, then pea tendrils.

This stew can be enjoyed on its own or with any other starch.

Daring Kitchen January - Tamales

2012-01-15T11:47:00.000-08:00

Mahi Mahi Tamales

Mmm...tamales. Love them - what a delicious treat for a chilly Canadian day. I really enjoyed this challenge, although, once again the time slips by so quickly and I didn't get a chance to get the corn husks that are traditional when making this dish. So, needing to add extra flavour, I decided to use some duck fat (of course I always have duck fat in the freezer). For the corn husks, I substituted aluminum foil and parchment squares. I must say that the results were wonderful, delightful and delicious!

Blog checking lines; Maranda of Jolts & Jollies was our January 2012 Daring Cooks hostess with the mostess! Maranda challenged us to make traditional Mexican Tamales as our first challenge of the year!

Because I like cooking Mexican foods, I had some tomatillo sauce in the freezer, which I served with the tamales. To make the meal complete I made a pot of black beans prepared simply - simmered slowly with whole habanero peppers and sliced onion. During the last 30 minutes of simmering, I added some raw peppers, a pinch of cumin and some chopped cilantro stems.

I used the duck fat to replace the lard in the tamale mixture (can I just say WOW!). I sauteed the fish and the aromatics in the duck fat as well. Thanks for the inspiration Maranda.

Here is a link to the recipes provided by this month's host: Recipe

Thankfully now available at local grocery stores - Freshco

I always have some of these in my freezer - Farm boy

Simmering pot of black beans for a side dish

Some of the aromatics for the fish - homemade tomato/tomatillo sauce

The mahi mahi from our vacation stash

Mahi mahi sauteed in duck fat - tomatoes, peppers, onion, garlic

With the duck fat - to be mixed, then chicken stock added

Used an ice cream scoop to portion the dough

Ready for steaming in my makeshift steamer

Didn't have a pot either large enough or small enough - this is what I came up with

Freshly steamed mahi mahi tamale

Tres Yummy!

Thanks again Maranda and see you all next month! Buen provecho!

Travel - Barbados: Chicken Rita

2012-01-10T09:25:00.000-08:00

Simple Menu at Chicken Rita (in Barbados Dollars)

I am not sure how it is that after traveling to Barbados so many times, I have yet to have ever come across this place. It is actually in the neighbourhood where I usually prefer to stay (Atlantic Shores). It was brought to our attention by the gentleman who was showing us around our rented townhouse this past trip (thanks G. Skeete!). He asked us if we had heard of Chicken Rita - no, I had not. I had heard of Chicken George (who sadly passed away last year), but not Chicken Rita.

If you are in the Atlantic Shores area, be sure to check this place out. If you want directions, send me a PM or email. If you were not looking for it, you could easily drive right by.

If you look closely, you can see the faded sign to the left of the door.

In typical Caribbean style, service is more 'relaxed' here. Because it is on a cul-de-sac in a residential neighbourhood, it is pretty quiet. Chicken Rita's is now run by Rita's two daughters (Girly and Christine) and they assured us that they have not changed a thing from the original (Rita passed away last year). When we walked in on this day, we were greeted by the deeply heady and herbaceous smell of freshly cut green onions - Christine was sitting at a corner table chopping away. There was a fragrant heap of them on a table - probably heading into Chicken Rita's own secret chopped seasoning.

Rita's is very low-key, but the chicken & chips speak volumes about the care that goes into making it. While you wait for your meal to arrive, you can sit outside in the carport cum dining area and enjoy a rum and Coke. You can also enjoy some of the quiet solitude of the area while viewing grazing Blackbelly Sheep or local children playing. Quite relaxing actually.

Our chicken arrived after about 40 minutes - fresh from the fryer - in a small basket. It was VERY hot - fortunately I do have a thin asbestos coating on my tongue and fingers, so it wasn't that bad. The second I bit into it, I had flashbacks of picnic lunches while spending the day at the Long Sault Parkway on the St. Laurent Seaway. We used to picnic with another family from Barbados and they would bring the most amazing fried chicken - even cold, it was phenomenal. The seasoning went right down to the bone - after that my taste standards for fried chicken were set pretty high. I've since learned that this is the way they do it in Barbados and I am happy to have these flavours as part of my roots. A basket of bones told the story of our scrumptious meal.

Chicken Lasagna

2011-12-19T12:21:00.000-08:00

Chicken Lasagna with Roasted Vegetables

Trying to re-do a classic is sometimes not a good thing. However, lasagna is very forgiving - as long as you keep the flavours bold in your sauce. To cut back on a few carbs and calories, I replaced half the quantity of lasagna noodles, with layers of roasted eggplant and zucchini. Before you start saying yuck - hear me out! (My husband loathes eggplant.) I'll be honest and say that you don't even really taste the eggplant, it just adds some body to the dish and is a means of separating all those layers of chicken and cheese. Great way to add some extra fiber and nutrients.

I have made a version with all grilled vegetables to replace the pasta, but I think this version is a happy medium. I used the same amount of ground chicken as ground beef. I like to a little bit of shredded extra old cheddar between the layers to add some extra flavour (about 1 tablespoon). I chose a slender, young eggplant - fewer seeds and it didn't need to be salted to remove any bitterness. I also added some grilled sliced zucchini. I chose these two vegetables as they are pretty neutral once grilled and would soak up the tomato sauce nicely. It worked!

Slice the eggplant as thin as possible before grilling

Season with salt and pepper after grilling


Cover with cheese, bake at 350F covered 30 min, 10 min uncovered.

Salt and Pepper Crab

2011-12-07T07:01:00.000-08:00

Selecting our live crabs at the store - they were feisty!

One of my favourite chefs is Luke Nguyen. His recipes, to me, are usually quite accessible - even though he lives thousands of kilometers from where I do, I am lucky enough to access to some excellent quality ingredients in Ottawa.

D and I were watching an episode of his show (Luke Nguyen's Vietnam) and saw this recipe and just had to try it. I have never cooked crab before, so thought it would be best to experiment on these little guys. The recipe turned out great!

Here is a link to Luke's recipe. I am including it here as well. Delicious first foray into cooking crab - eat, rinse, repeat!

Notes:

- Beware of the hot oil when you put the crabs in the wok! I had a few small burns on my face from the hot oil leaping out of the wok in a pretty spectacular arterial like spray. The result was only a few scabs and a stinging eye for a few days. Be careful please!
- I used blue swimmer crabs that we bought live at our local mega Asian grocery store. They were small, so we bought enough to make up about 1 lb (enough for 2 people)

Salt and Pepper Red Crab: Cua Rang Muoi

Total Time: 1 hr 33 min

Prep: 30 min
Inactive Prep: 1 hr 0 min
Cook: 3 min

Level: Intermediate

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Salt and Pepper Seasoning Mix:
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon fine white pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon five spice powder
2 (14 ounce/400 g each) live crabs, blue swimmer or mud crab
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Potato starch, for dusting
3 red Asian shallots, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
3 spring onions (scallions), cut into 2-inch/5 cm lengths
2 long red chiles, thinly sliced on the diagonal
Serving suggestion: Jasmine rice.

Directions

In a bowl, mix salt, white pepper, sugar, and five spice pepper together.

Directions

To prepare your crabs humanely, place them in the freezer for 1 hour to put them to sleep, or submerge them in an ice bath for 5 minutes

Dispatched and ready for cooking

Remove the upper shell of the crab, pick off the gills, which look like little fingers, and discard them. Clean the crab under running water and drain.

Place the crab on its stomach and chop the crab in 1/2 with a heavy cleaver.

Now chop each 1/2 into 4 pieces, chopping each piece after each leg.

With the back of the cleaver gently crack each claw - this makes it easier to extract the meat.

Heat the oil in a wok to 400 degrees F/200 degrees C, or until a cube of bread dropped into the oil browns in 5 seconds.

I served the crab with a bowl of steamed pak choi with ginger, garlic and sesame oil. Topped the crabs with sliced fresh red chillies and sliced green onions.

Review: Restaurant , Garde Manger, Montreal

2011-12-03T10:36:00.000-08:00

Yes, believe the hype, Chuck Hughes can cook as was evidenced by our dinner at Garde Manger in Montreal recently. Although he was not in the restaurant this particular evening, there is no doubt in my mind that the food would have been equally stellar.

The restaurant itself, located in old Montreal, is very unassuming from the outside - you would probably walk right past it - if not for the tantalizing scents wafting outside.

I will say this - if you are making a reservation (recommended!) be patient. They are busy, but be patient. My first call was to a full voicemail box, two months prior to our intended visit. Second time, I called early, and left a message with my date request. My call was returned and I was told to call back only one month ahead. To the day, I called again and left a message. My call was returned and the reservations were made. I was contacted the day of our dinner to confirm. Ultimately a pretty efficient system - I had read some frustrated comments online by other patrons. I guess they (Chuck's people) were also reading the same comments and have come up with quite a workable system.

Now, onto the food - the whole reason we were in Montreal in the first place, to eat! We arrived for our 8:30 pm reservation a few minutes early and had to wait a bit - Bob Marley on the player to make the wait easy. We were seated at about 8:40 pm. I watch 'Chuck's Day Off' and the restaurant/kitchen look quite small on TV. However, full of buzzing patrons, it is not as small as I thought. We were led to our table past a bar, then the kitchen and ultimately to the back of the restaurant - where there was another bar. The space is great - excellent vibe, warm, cozy atmosphere and the music (in the back anyway) was not loud enough to thwart conversation (that was left to a delightfully raucous bunch of ladies at the next table). My apologies in advance on the low lighting of the photos - I don't like to use flash in restaurants.

There are no menus handed out when you are seated. In Chuck`s nod to the Paris Bistro, the menus are written on a chalk board in French and offered something for every palate. I practiced my French in translating the menu (learned a couple of new French words as well - bonus!) for our dinner order. When stumped, our server Patrick, was more than happy to translate for us and provide tasty recommendations.

Starter for two of us was the Jerk Snow Crab legs - sensational. I have to say one of the best Jerk dishes I have had outside of a West Indian restaurant. Mr. Hughes definitely knows his flavour profiles. The dish was a lot of work (not for my crab-picking dining companion from BC - L.D.B., you're a pro!!) but it was entirely worth the effort to guide tender morsels of crab out of their shell and into my mouth. I don't like getting my hands dirty when I eat, but did delight in the smell of allspice on my fingers for the rest of the evening. The heat of the dish was just at the edge of my personal Scoville threshold, but there was lots of water available. (They also thoughtfully provided some warm, damp cloths with lemon for clean-up after the feast).

A mound of Jerk Snow Crab Legs - bigger than this looks

My other two dining companions enjoyed the lobster poutine. I did have a taste of the dish, but I have to be honest in saying that the Jerk sauce lingering on my tongue didn't allow me to fully appreciate the delicateness of the lobster sauce on the fries. However, it was a delicious dish - my only preference would have been to have larger, fluffier fries to soak up all that delicious lobster sauce.

My main was the short rib which was cooked to perfection. Moist, dark, a little sweet, sticky, delicious, yielding and succulent (there are not enough adjectives sometimes) - it was the kind of dish you must close your eyes to fully enjoy - so as not to deny yourself the full taste sensory experience. I love vegetables and am always happy when a unique presentation arrives to accompany the main event. The short rib came with a cauliflower au gratin and a roast potato with (what tasted like) Boursin - exceptional. The garnish was brussell sprouts, leaves separated and very lightly wilted with some olive oil and a pinch of salt. I did reluctantly share bites with my fellow diners, quid pro quo and all that.

Braised Short Rib

Milking and Making Cheese

2011-11-28T07:59:00.000-08:00

Recently I had the opportunity to visit a small local farm and milk a cow. Now, before you ask, no, it's not on my bucket list of things to do. Honestly, I don't have one. Just get 'er done when you can.

The owner of the farm is fellow foodie. He put out the word that he was offering sessions at his farm, where you would have the opportunity (for a reasonable fee) to milk a cow, then make some fresh cheese. As a parting gift, I also got to bring home a free range chicken (frozen of course).

I arrived early on a Sunday morning - (thankfully it was the morning after the time change, so I got an extra hour of shut-eye) and my host Bruce greeted me at the door. Wearing my Wellingtons, we headed off to the pen where the cows were. There were two Jersey cows in there. One was very friendly and kept licking my jacket, my jeans, my hands - like a big puppy with big brown eyes (above right). Bruce got down and showed me the technique. The udders were warmer than I thought they would be and the skin was softer than I thought it would be (obviously I had all sorts of preconceived notions about cow anatomy). After a couple of dribbling attempts, I got the hang of it and the milk was flowing - success! After a couple of minutes, Bruce rescued me and attached the milking machine, which made quick work of what could have been a 2 hour task, if left to my own devices. No, I don't have a picture of me milking, you'll just have to take my word for it.

We brought the warm milk inside, strained it then passed it through a separator (basically a large centrifuge) to separate the milk from the cream. The cream looked thick and rich. I don't think I have ever seen milk this fresh - I'm sure that cream would make some tasty butter!

Milk Separator

The separator doing its thing

Straining milk for the cheese

Bruce used a recipe he has relied on before, to make the mozzarella (from the book 200 Easy Homemade Cheese Recipes by Debra Amrein-Boyes). I have made mozzarella before, but with this milk (different type of cow probably contributed as well) the colour of the cheese was much richer than the almost snow white mozzarella I've made. I did learn a couple of things that I will try in my own attempts next time. One thing I would like to do next time, is to put the mozzarella in a brine to make some bocconcini.

The curd forming, at the right temperature

A little further along, the curd firmer

Using the microwave to heat the curd and strain off the whey

Heavy duty gloves to handle the hot cheese - in this state, it is easy to manipulate

It was a great morning and I would recommend visiting Bruce if you are interested in an authentic experience. I believe he will be offering other workshops in the near future. Send me an email and I can provide you with some contact information.

'Slow' Cooked Chili in 45 Minutes

2011-11-21T12:05:00.000-08:00

Chili with avocado, lime, green onion, cilantro and jalapeno pepper

Yes, it can be done - if you have a pressure cooker. I also have a slow cooker, but it is a retro version and the inside does not come out, so it is a nuisance to clean. Also, I find when using a slow cooker, sometimes the flavours become to familiar with each other, and I don't end up tasting one distinct thing.

How to solve this problem? I use my pressure cooker to tenderize the meat in 30 minutes, then add some other aromatics to the pot after. The resulting chili has a wonderful slow cooked taste - the pressure cooker reduces the canned tomatoes, seasonings and broth into a wonderful sauce for your beef. While true chili does not have beans, I love legumes, so always add them to mine.

Recipe
1 lb stewing beef
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons of thyme
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon of hot chili powder (optional)
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups stewed diced tomatoes
2 cups beef broth
Salt & pepper to taste

Aromatics:
2 cubanelle peppers, seeded and diced
1 large white onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 small can of green chili peppers
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1/2 cup of cooked black beans (optional)
Salt & pepper to taste

- On medium high heat, sear the meat on all sides, then stir in the spices, tomatoes and broth (make sure you have enough liquid to cover your meat)
- According to the manufacturer's directions for your pressure cooker, lock on the lid and bring it to pressure over medium - high heat.
- Pressure cook for 30 minutes
- Meanwhile, prepare the additional aromatics by sauteing the cubanelle peppers, onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon of oil
- Saute for 5 minutes over medium heat (to soften, but not too much)
- Stir in the beans if using, and the canned green chili peppers

- After the chili is done, remove the pot from the heat and wait until the steam stops escaping
- Carefully (according to the manufacturer's directions) remove the lid (run under cold water before, if it is still hissing)
- Stir the aromatics and the beans into the chili and it is ready to serve
- Garnish with fresh diced avocado with lime, green onions, cilantro and fresh jalapeno.

Quick slow cooked chili in only 45 minutes.

NOTE: Please read the manufacturer's directions for your pressure cooker and always make sure there is enough liquid to make enough steam to allow the pressure cooker to function properly.

email me if you have any questions.

Kanata Wine and Food Show

2011-11-18T14:10:00.000-08:00

Last evening we attended the Kanata Wine and Food Show for the first time. It was a great evening and one I would be happy to repeat. The event was hosted by the Kanata Chamber of Commerce as part of Food for Thought - some proceeds of the event went to the Kanata Food Cupboard as part of their winter campaign.

We have previously attended the Ottawa Wine and Food Show (not this year though) and have enjoyed it. The Kanata event was different in that you paid one price for your ticket, then had access to all the food, wine and spirits inside (similar to Bon Appetit). It was held at the Holiday Inn and Suites in Kanata, on the second floor.

What I enjoyed about it was that it was not as crowded as the larger event, and getting to sample delicious foods (one, twice or thrice!). I also liked that part of the proceeds went to charity, there was free parking available and a free coat check.

Favourites included: delicious chicken tikka from Haveli's, delicious pulled pork with rice from Scrumptious Creative Catering, and a delicate seared tuna from the Crazy Horse Stonegrill Steakhouse and Saloon.

Goat Cheese w/ Figs (Graffiti's Restaurant)

Only recently available at the LCBO...but I've seen it in the U.S.

Very yummy pulled pork and rice in mini bowls

Haveli's Restaurant - Chicken Tikka

Crazy Horse Servers

Seared tuna with pineapple - mmmm

I would definitely attend next year!

Rabbit Two Ways

2011-11-16T09:42:00.000-08:00

Sliced loin, braised leg with barley mushroom 'risotto' and carrots with dill

The first time I tried rabbit was on a friend's family farm in Menorca, Spain in the summer of 2007. It was prepared simply - marinated in white wine, garlic, fresh herbs, then grilled. It was a flavour discovery for me and one that I am glad I got to experience. New foods never fail to titillate my taste buds.

Of the many cooking shows that I absorb, this method stood out. The chefs on the show broke down the entire rabbit, including two tiny racks of ribs, kidneys, liver and loins. I am not replicating that recipe - above my pay grade at the moment. I did, however, do my best to pay homage to the little critter. Coincidentally, soon after I saw the rabbit episode, they had rabbits on sale at Farm Boy - how fortuitous!

Breaking down a rabbit is not that difficult and really just requires some practice, patience and a sharp knife. While the rabbit is on your cutting board, explore and you will see some obvious places to make some cuts. (There are some great instructive videos I have seen on YouTube, on how to break down a whole rabbit).

I decided to do it two ways because you almost need to, so as to cook the whole rabbit properly. The delicate loin should be 'just' cooked, while the legs can stand up to some serious, flavour-infused braising. The resulting dish was perfect for a chilly autumn day, which is when it was enjoyed. (I froze the liver and kidneys to make some dirty rice another day).

Ingredients:
2 lb rabbit, sectioned, bone tips reserved
2 tablespoons olive oil (to brown legs and bone tips)
1/2 white onion, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
5 small seasoning peppers (this is a Caribbean (not hot) pepper - use Cubanelle pepper as a tasty substitute)
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 Bay leaves
1/2 cup dry white wine (for braising liquid)
1 cup fresh chopped tomatoes
3 cups veal stock

1 tablespoon olive oil (for loin)
1/4 cup dry white wine (for pan jus)
Salt and pepper

Top left clockwise: whole rabbit as is from store; prepared loin and belly; kidneys; legs and belly with loin inside;

Preheat oven to 350F
- Season the legs with salt and pepper
- Heat an ovenproof pot over medium-high heat and brown the legs and the bone tips
- Remove legs and bone tips from the pan and add the carrots, celery and onion
- Saute for 2 minutes, until the onions start to get translucent (the mythical translucent onion...)
- Add the peppers and garlic
- Saute for another minute
- Add thyme, rosemary, bay leaves and tomato
- Saute for another minute
- Add the wine and stock and bring to a boil
- Put browned rabbit pieces and bone tips back into the pot, put a lid on it and put into the oven
- Leave it be for 75 minutes (at 60 minutes, it wasn't quite tender enough for my taste)

Seasoning Peppers

The last of my tomatoes

Browned legs and bone tips

Once rabbit braising is complete (take pot out of the oven and let it rest)...cook the loins
- Preheat the oven to 400F
- Prepare the loins for roasting by laying out the belly/loin piece and cutting off the loin portion that is past the belly portion - basically in half, so that you can wrap the belly piece around the loin piece, then tie them up with butcher twine to retain their shape while roasting (see photos above). This will protect the tender loin pieces from overcooking.
- Season with salt and pepper
- Heat an oven-proof skillet over medium high heat and put in the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil
- Brown lightly on all sides, then put the skillet with loins in a pre-heated oven for 12 minutes
- Remove the skill from oven and rabbit from the skillet, cover with foil and allow to rest on a rack for 6 minutes

To prepare a pan jus:
- Using the same skillet that cooked the loins (be careful of the hot handle), over medium-hi heat, de-glaze the pan with 1/4 cup of white wine
- When reduced by half, add 1/2 cup of the rabbit braising liquid
- Boil for 2 - 3 minutes, then remove from heat

I don't usually endorse grocery store products (as I'm not getting paid), but this a favourite - barley with mushroom by Blue Menu, President's Choice . Of course, I kick it up a little with fresh herbs, some extra seasoning and some butter.

To plate, slice the loin and serve with some of the reduced pan juices and a portion of rabbit leg. Serve with your starch and vegetable of choice. It might seem like quite a bit of work, but this is what I enjoy doing on the weekends.

Daring Kitchen November - Cooking with Tea

2011-11-14T11:55:00.000-08:00

Rooibos Citrus Spice Loose Herbal Leaf Tea

I have been seeing lots of cooking shows lately where the chefs were tea smoking poultry. Smoked duck, smoked turkey, smoked chicken. So, this month's challenge gave me a perfect opportunity to try it out. This is part of the reason I love Daring Kitchen - it inspires me to try things that I perhaps wouldn't do on my own.

This month's challenge was to cook with tea. Blog checking lines: Sarah from Simply Cooked was our November Daring Cooks’ hostess and she challenged us to create something truly unique in both taste and technique! We learned how to cook using tea with recipes from Tea Cookbook by Tonia George and The New Tea Book by Sara Perry.

I scoured the internet for some recipes for my tea smoked chicken, knowing that I wanted it to have some Asian influence. The recipe below is an amalgamation of many recipes that I saw.

My main inspiration was from this blog by Inky Kitchen. I turned my dish into lettuce wraps. It was a fantabulous meal - thanks Sarah! Our host also provided some great recipes for this month's challenge - here is a link for the recipes.

Recipe:

2 chicken breasts
2 tablespoons of light soy
1 tablespoon mirin
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 smashed clove of garlic
Freshly ground black pepper
Sliced scallion and red chilli pepper for garnish
1 head of Boston lettuce

For smoking:

1/4 cup tea leaves
1/4 cup jasmine rice
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Equipment:

Wok
Aluminum foil
Heat safe rack, to put inside the wok, over the tea

Method:

Combine soy, mirin, fish sauce, sesame oil, black pepper and garlic in a freezer bag and marinate overnight or at least 6 hours.
After marinating, remove chicken from freezer bag and pat dry with paper towels
To prepare the smoker, line a wok with heavy aluminum foil; mix together the tea leaves, rice and sugar and place in the bottom of the wok; place the rack inside the wok, over the tea mixture
(I smoked the chicken outside, didn't want the smoke alarm going off, but if you have a good exhaust fan, indoors should be fine)
Put the wok on the BBQ (use the support ring for your wok, if you have one), turn it on high and close the lid
Once you see/smell smoke coming out of the BBQ, turn the heat down to medium, put the chicken on the rack and close the lid
Smoke the chicken for 20 minutes
Test for doneness with a thermometer if you are unsure (internal temperature should be 165F)

Slice chicken and serve garnished with scallions and chilli peppers or a garnish of your choosing. To make a complete meal, I added a side of snow peas and mushrooms sauteed with garlic.

Thursday Best Bites - Pelican Grill, Ottawa

2011-11-10T02:26:00.000-08:00

What: Seared Scallops and Pork Belly

Where: Pelican Fishery & Grill, 1500 Bank Street, Ottawa, Ontario

Comments: First time here, to eat dinner. I have visited in the past to score some delicious cold smoked salmon. We got there ahead of our reservation, and were promptly seated. It's a small space, so if you reserve, do them the courtesy of showing up on time. I believe they give you a 10 minute window before they give your table away (if you are a no-call, no-show).

I started with the lobster bisque. (Not quite as rich as I like, but that's a personal preference.) The lobster morsels were tender, sweet and very delicious. The broth had a nice delicate and velvety texture. My husband had the coconut crusted shrimp with 5-spice dipping sauce. He said they were amazingly crunchy, cooked perfectly and he loved the dipping sauce.

Bowl of Lobster Bisque

Coconut Shrimp

For the main we both had the pan seared scallops with pork belly served over wilted cabbage, slivered apples and peppers with tiny diced potatoes - this was the star of the evening. The scallops were perfectly seared and the pork belly was perfect as an accompaniment. The cider-thyme jus was a nice tart foil for the richness of the pork belly. My only complaint? I could eat two plates of those things!

Pan Seared Scallops Sea Scallops

Great food, warm ambience and good friendly service.

Sriracha or something like it

2011-11-07T09:43:00.000-08:00

Our last harvest before the frost

We love Sriracha (pronounced - sir-atcha - ignore the first 'r'). It is on tables in many Thai and Vietnamese restaurants in a very identifiable clear bottle with a green cap and a rooster on the front. I also figured it was a great autumn creation - I was able to use my own tomatoes, chillies and my in-laws' home grown garlic.

Fresh garlic

I decided to try making my own, since my husband puts it on everything from scrambled eggs to pizza - and also because he noticed a change in the consistency of the sauce. It's not as viscous as it has been in the past. Maybe a new recipe - whatever the reason, it is now a little thinner, a little hotter and not as dark red. It's still good, just different. I received inspiration for this version after researching many websites. This combination is one that I thought looked tasty.

The version I came up with turned out nice and had a nice texture from being processed with the seeds and skins left in. I was going to pass it through a food mill, but decided to leave it as is. The raw sugar I used added more sweetness per tablespoon than I anticipated, but the base flavours were amazing. I thought perhaps it would have been too sweet, but the sugar offset the heat of the peppers very nicely. The sauce is more reminiscent (to me) of a tomato based sweet chili sauce. The chillies add such a vibrant red colour with the finished product having a slight rosé hue.

Ingredients:
1 cup of chopped red chili peppers
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 heads of garlic, finely chopped
3 shallots, medium size
2 cups of tomato sauce
4 tablespoons of rice vinegar
3 tablespoons raw sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce

Very vibrant, freshly chopped in my mini Cuisinart

- Rinse then dry the chillies with a paper towel, then remove the stems
- Cut the chili peppers into 1/2" pieces
- Using a food processor, process the chillies until you get a coarse chopped texture
- In a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, sauté the chopped garlic and shallots for about 1 minute until light brown and fragrant (if you burn it, start over!)
- Add tomato sauce and chillies, lower the heat and keep to a low simmer
- Add fish sauce, vinegar and sugar - mix well and continue to simmer for 15 minutes
- Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.
- Process the sauce until it's the consistency you like (I used an immersion blender right in the pot) - this part is going to be based on personal preference - mine was more spoon-able than pour-able.

I found after the puréeing, further seasoning was not necessary. I put the sauce into mini Mason jars and put them in the freezer until I was ready to use it. It filled two mini Mason jars with enough left to enjoy with some spring rolls that afternoon.

An excellent condiment for my elk tourtière.

Elk Tourtière

2011-11-03T09:20:00.000-07:00

Fresh nutmeg

Nothing says autumn to me like tourtière. I don't really do a lot of baking, but I do love baking savoury things. I like to make tourtière for the holidays. Over the years I have tweaked my recipe and made several versions. I had intended to try a new recipe this time, using rolled oats with the meats. However, as the meat mixture was cooking down, I became concerned that the oats would not thicken the meat as I was accustomed. I chickened out and used my usual method.

I am fortunate that I live in a rural area and that there are many farms raising different types of animals, within 20 minutes drive of where I live. One of these is The Elk Ranch, off of Old Carp Road on the outskirts of Ottawa. I have seen the sign for this farm for years and finally had a reason to go out there (but really, do I ever need an excuse to try out new foods?).

The Elk Ranch is a 90-acre family farm located within Ottawa's city limits. You can check out their website for other interesting elk-related facts.

I drove up to the property while Fay and Thom (the owners and worker bees) were outside. I was shown the way to the elk that was for sale and since I knew what I wanted, I was in and out within 5 minutes. Fay was very helpful by asking questions about which cuts I was going to need for what type of dish. I was tempted by some elk chorizo that looked quite delectable. I am working on a recipe for it. I will return to try some other cuts - so many recipes, only one me.

I am not including a pastry recipe, as there are so many out there, use one that works for you (you could even buy some puff pastry for a different type of crust). I use a pâte brisée recipe that I got many years ago in a pastry class (which I have scaled down through trial and error). I am providing a link to a recipe from Martha Stewart's website for pâte brisée that I have used in the past and works really well.

Elk meat is very lean - leaner than most other meats/poultry and contains more protein as well. So, you should mix it with another fattier meat if you are going to cook with it like this. I used ground pork, but ground veal would be good as well. Even with the addition of ground pork, it was still evident to me that it was a leaner tourtière than just making it with ground pork.

I am not French Canadian and this isn’t a traditional tourtière recipe, however, I have eaten many (good and bad - shudder) and I believe that all of the flavours are well represented and it makes a lovely savoury pie.

Ingredients:

· ½ pound ground elk meat

· ½ pound ground pork

· 1 large Russet / baking potato, grated

· 1 large cooking onion, finely chopped

· 1 small clove of garlic, minced (about ½ teaspoon)

· 1 teaspoon salt

· 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

· 1 teaspoon dried marjoram

· 10 springs of fresh thyme

· ½ teaspoon ground

· ½ ground nutmeg

· 1 teaspoon ground cloves

· 1 teaspoon allspice

· 2 bay leaves

· ½ cup water or stock (I used unsalted veal stock) and 1/4 cup of red wine

· 1 recipe for double crust deep dish pie

· 1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon of water to create an egg wash

Preheat oven to 350F and place a rack in the centre position in the oven.

Prepare and chill your pastry.

Place a large wide pot over medium heat. Put the meats, grated potato, onion, garlic, and all seasonings into the pot (wide versus deep so as to allow for good evaporation of cooking liquid while simmering). Stir to combine then add the water or stock and the red wine. Bring the mixture to a simmer (not boiling), reduce the heat enough to maintain the simmer and cook for about 1 hour, until the mixture is thick. Taste and adjust the seasonings to suit. Cool the mixture to room temperature so you don’t melt the fat in the pastry before it bakes, while you are filling the pie shell – this will make for a tough crust.

Elk meat on top, pork on the bottom

Cooling down the filling in an ice bath in the sink

Line a 9” pie dish (preferably glass) with one of the pastry rounds. Lightly brush the inside of the pastry with some of the egg wash to seal the inside of the pie (helps the mixture not to seep through too much before the crust has time to cook on the outside). Fill the pie with the cooled mixture and make it as level as possible. Don’t push too firmly on the mixture while you’re filling it – again, there could be crust integrity issues. Cover the pie with the rolled out top crust. Make sure you crimp the edges together – a fork works fine if you feel your crimping skills need some honing. Brush the top with some more of the egg wash, then prick all over with a fork or make knife slits in the crust to allow steam to escape.

Bake the tourtière on the centre rack for about 50 minutes or until the pie is golden brown (the glass pie dish comes in handy here so you can see how the bottom of your pie is browning). If it is not as brown as you would like, leave it in an extra 10 minutes. If during cooking it is browning too quickly, lay a piece of aluminum foil over the top.

Serve the tourtière warm with a tomato based condiment of your choosing.

Questions? Email me! mymacaronipieATgmailDOTcom (sorry, had to make it spam proof!)

Thursday Best Bites - Sidedoor Restaurant, Ottawa

2011-10-20T07:41:00.000-07:00

Where: Sidedoor Contemporary Kitchen & Bar, 20 York Street, Ottawa, Ontario

What: Tacos and Small Plates

Comments: I had heard lots of different things about this restaurant, so when a friend suggested it as a dinner spot, I was excited. We arrived early and it happened to be Happy Hour (between 4:30pm and 6:30pm) - which meant all tacos were $2 off ($7 instead of $9) and there were a couple of drink specials. While the menu is quite extensive, I decided to stick with the tacos and let me say, SO glad I did! I was immediately skeptical when I saw the 'Bajan Crispy Fish Taco'...(Really? A Barbados style taco?? Perhaps it was a typo and they meant Baja fish taco?) but knew that I was going to try it anyway.

The tacos (2) arrived on mini (~4") flour tortillas and from the start, were extremely visually appealing. They consisted of a wonderfully soft, flour tortilla topped with a piece of salmon, with a lighter-than-air, crispy tempura-style batter, on top of a thin slice of avocado, purple cabbage and a deliciously light sauce. On top of the fish was some tomatillo salsa, sliced radish, pickled jalapeno peppers and fresh cilantro leaves. There was no way to be dainty, so I rolled it up and took a bite. To quote my brother, "...it was an explosion of flavour!". Bajan or not, these tacos were amazing. The fish was crispy outside, perfectly cooked inside. The combination of toppings created a party for the palate. It evoked in me and intense need to close my eyes while relishing the dish.

Bajan Fish Tacos

I also ordered the BBQ pork tacos. Wide slices of BBQ pork with a Chinese Five-Spice sauce and condiments as the fish. While delicious, the fish tacos were my favourite, so I made sure and placed a second order before I was too full to continue.

To break up the meat-fest, I ordered a bowl of bok-choi tips with fried garlic. The bok-choi were cooked perfectly. The tops - wilted like spinach, the bottoms still had some crunch. The broth was deliciously perfumed with fried garlic and had a buttery mouth feel that I am guessing was achieved through the addition of some white miso (I would have asked, but was too distracted by the broth to form the thought into an audible question).

Bok choi

Need ... to ... go ... back ... tacos and so much more await!

While I didn't try the donuts, they did look yummy while they were being enjoyed by my dining companion. I brought home the cinnamon and sugar ones for my husband.

White chocolate with cranberries

Harvest Noir Ottawa 2011 - A Success?

2011-10-18T07:54:00.000-07:00

Photo credit - T. Kisslinger

We were looking forward to this event for a long time. The idea seemed very exciting, chic and mysterious. An outdoor picnic, with good friends and good food. The time of year was not great, but I understand the organizers wanting to get it done before the snow flies. Hours of preparation - outfits, plates, cutlery, decorations, a flurry of emails, gathering friends together and making delicious food - there was a definite buzz in the air around our house.

I was carefully timing my Elk Tortiere (as Local was the word of the day) so it would still be warm for when we arrived at the mystery site. Around noon, the promised email arrived. With anticipation I read the details. The picnic was going to be held at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau. We had plenty of notice to make plans on when to arrive. There were also contingency plans, depending on what the weather decided to do. (Turned out the original plan was what worked!).

Photo credit - T. Kisslinger

Five of us met up to travel down to the museum - to be met by our other three table guests on site. By the time we parked and brought our stuff to the Adventure Land park behind the museum, it was 3:52pm. We passed through security (everyone was searched for any contraband alcohol) and we were ready to be shown to our table. They weren't quite ready yet (we were early after all...so were a few anxious others). We stepped back and waited. A few minutes and flying papers later, we were walked down to our table. We got ourselves organized, tablecloth on, starters laid out and waited for the event to begin. And waited. And waited. We were disappointed that there was no official start to the meal - an announcement from the hosts to get everything started - a 'blessing', for lack of a better word - a 'Welcome' to fall and the first annual Harvest Noir picnic. One of our dining companions checked the weather update on his phone, saw a weather system approaching, and decided that we better start chowing down!

Delicious local cheeses and creton

Appetizers were passed around - a cheese board with some local Quebec cheeses, creton and crackers; heirloom tomatoes with bocconcini and basil skewers; butternut squash and pecan dip with Asiago croutons. When that was finished, we moved onto our main meal - French potato salad, Elk tourtiere, marinated mushrooms, baguette and homemade chive butter. For dessert we enjoyed The Table's chocolate and beet cake - yum! All of this was enjoyed while there was a marching band meandering between tables providing some excellent background music and ambiance.

En masse - en noir

I really wish I had taken more photos, but as Chef-de-Table, I was more concerned about getting all the food out and keeping the flow going. We had a fantastic dinner, despite the weather - a few of us (not me, of course, cooling problem, remember?) were cold, but we managed to make the best of it. When a light rain started, a sea of umbrellas popped open and covered tables and dining patrons. It was a beautiful sight to behold. I wish I had a video of the moment it happened. Seems like most people followed the advice in the emails from our hosts, to bring umbrellas.

Most of us were prepared - rain didn't stop dinner!

With the sky rapidly darkening, we decided to take our own advice and decided to pack up our food and picnic items and take them back to our vehicle. Just as we finished packing up, there was an announcement that everyone else should probably do the same thing. Our gentleman diners took all the picnic items to the car, while the ladies waited for them to return, so we could all get inside. This is where things (again) could have been handled a bit better. While waiting at the top of 'the hill' behind the marching band, the plan was that there would be a processional into the Museum with everyone waving sparklers. It didn't look like that was going to happen - not many people seemed interested in waiting around in the inclement weather, until people gathered for the processional (some were still eating - late arrivals, and many had just begun to pack up their stuff). The group that was waiting, en masse, decided to go on ahead and forego the processional. I understand the hosts were disappointed as their vision of how the evening should proceed wasn't going to happen, but sometimes you gotta give the people what they want and go with the flow.

Line for the Bar :-)

Once inside we found our way to the grand hall, got a table, ordered a few drinks and waited for the rest of the evening to commence.

There were a few words from the hosts, Greg Searle and Samantha Biron - a couple of prizes for best decorated table and the Chef-de-Table who had organized the largest group of attendees. The prizes were generous $100 gift certicates (I believe one was for a restaurant). After an interesting Fashion Show, the music started. We didn't stay very long, a little too loud for conversation and a little expensive on the beverages.

Comments/opinions:
- expensive drinks - $38 for a bottle of wine
- a schedule of times for events for the evening (a start and end time for dinner) would have gone a long way to prevent confusion
- the standard they were trying to set for the event wasn't met by everyone (not the fault of the organizers...)
- there should not have been a VIP section (it may not have been called that, but I don't recall seeing an option for sheltered seating, for an additional charge or otherwise. It would have been nice(r) if everyone was seated in the same place - however tempting it was to utilize the covered area.
- perhaps a Food Bank donation (everyone was bringing something anyway, an extra can of soup wouldn't have been too much more trouble) to contribute to the Local theme - our own less fortunate citizens
- if it was Ottawa's first Harvest Noir, it should have been in Ottawa, not in Gatineau

As with everything someone tries to do, there will be detractors. I do not think my criticism is harsh. Yes, to some that read this, it may sound like sour grapes. I did take some time to mull over the events of the day. We did enjoy our dinner with our friends. I suspect many had other expectations - after seeing various images and videos from other similar events in other cities.

Was it a success overall? Did the hosts achieve something new for Ottawa? Did people have a good time? For the most part, I think everyone did. The hosts managed to get 700 people out of their homes, into some spiffy duds and sitting outside in the middle of a field in October to enjoy their friends, family and their delicious food - smiles all around.

Just my $0.02

Daring Kitchen October - MooShu

2011-10-14T07:34:00.000-07:00

This month's challenge was to make MooShu pork - a dish I have only had once before. As much as I enjoy Asian food and flavours, I really should have sought it this dish sooner - it was delicious! The best part was that I now know how to make my own Hoisin Sauce from scratch. Yes, you can buy it in a jar and it's delicious, but knowing how to make it yourself is better. It had a much richer taste than ones that I have purchased in the past. It was also nice getting some information on the origin of the dish.

Blog checking lines: The October Daring Cooks' Challenge was hosted by Shelley of C Mom Cook and her sister Ruth of Crafts of Mommyhood. They challenged us to bring a taste of the east into our home kitchens by making our own Moo Shu, including thin pancakes, stir fry and sauce.

We really enjoyed the dish, although my pancakes didn't turn out as thin as I had them in the past, however, still delicious. I suspect a little more patience on my part would have yielded a thinner more tender pancake.

Pancake dough

Double rolling method

Here is the recipe for you to try on your own: MooShu

All ready for the wok

Napa Cabbage

In the wok...

with the eggs

Hoisin Sauce (recipe from challenge):
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons peanut butter OR black bean paste (I used the black bean paste)
1 tablespoon honey OR molasses (had neither, used Agave syrup)
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons sesame seed oil
20 drops (1/4 teaspoon) Chinese style hot (I used garlic chili paste)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Simply mix all ingredients together by hand using a sturdy spoon (I mixed it in a mini food processor). At first it does not appear like it will mix, but keep at it just a bit longer and your sauce will come together.

Ready for processing

Texture after processing

Finished sauce

Finished dish with the addition of slivered green onions and some sliced red chili for a splash of colour.

So delicious!

Thanks to our hostesses and see everyone next month! Cheers.

Thursday Best Bites - Mill Street Crepe Company, Almonte

2011-09-29T07:35:00.000-07:00

Where: Mill Street Crepe Company, 14 Mill Street, Almonte

What: Crêpes

Comments: I have to say I just love how the food scene in my town is evolving! A few weeks ago I heard there was another new restaurant in town, so of course, I had to find a way to check it out. It is in a newly renovated building that has had many lives from grocery store to hardware store to variety store. They have developed the space into a small mall (for lack of a better word). Chef TheoYeaman has brought some exciting new flavours to Mill Street. The restaurant is a great space - with the old wooden structure clearly visible in the ceiling. The space is bright and welcoming, as is the staff. We were recently there for a late breakfast/early lunch (let's be honest - our first meal of the day is rarely before 11:00 am on a Saturday, so we are always happy to see those that accommodate).

Foraged Leek & Mushroom Crepe

I ordered the Foraged Mushroom and Leek crêpe with a light tarragon cream sauce. The crêpes come with an option of soup or salad, so I ordered the Mill Street Salad. The salad was very, very good. All the flavours and textures I love.

Mill Street Salad

Fresh young greens, cream bits of goat cheese, finely sliced candy cane beets, pickled red onions and the sweet crunchy candied walnuts. To be honest, I would consider ordering a larger one and having that for my entire meal. Sometimes salads just don't cut it - it's like sometimes chefs forget that everything on the plate will be going into someone's mouth and scrutinized. Thanks for making a perfect salad, for me.

Don's Housemade Italian Sausage Crepe

My husband had the Italian Sausage crêpe. Italian sausage, roasted peppers, basil, eggplant and a little ricotta. His starter was the Roasted Onion and Young Garlic soup. A creamy, delicious, velvety soup topped with croutons and pine nuts (my only critique - a pinch of salt would have made it perfect).

Roasted Onion & Young Garlic Soup

As a crêpe lover, my husband had to have dessert and was not disappointed the Traditional crêpe with brown sugar, cinnamon, lemon and melted butter. The bite I scooped was everything a dessert crepe should be. Our kind server tried to coax me into some pumpkin ice cream, but I'm a tough sell on dessert. We will go back and give them a try for dinner.

Traditional Crepe

Thursday Best Bites - Le Kim Chi, Ottawa

2011-09-22T06:30:00.000-07:00

Top - pickled radish, left - kimchi; right - seaweed salad

Where: Le Kim Chi Restaurant, 420 Preston Street, Ottawa

What: Salad, Goon Mandoo, Bulgogi

Comments: This was my first time at a Korean restaurant. Always on the look-out for tasty food that is easily accessible for a fellow foodie and myself to have lunch (she works near Preston Street). The ingredients found in Korean cuisine, in themselves, are not foreign to me, however, these combinations are. The meals we had were prepared by a caring hand in the kitchen - neat, well put together dishes. They were carefully arranged and looked delicious. I barely had time (or to remember) to snap a photo as each course was presented. The restaurant would almost seem out of place among so many others in Little Italy, but it isn't to me. Any opportunity for someone to offer me a delicious alternative for lunch is always welcome.

I asked the server what was popular and she suggested the Bibimbap and the Bulgogi. My foodie companion chose the former, the latter for myself. While chatting with our server we discovered that it was a Korean holiday and she had been up very early in the morning with her family to indulge in a large feast of many dishes. Her fatigue was well hidden as she served us with a bright smile and a sunny attitude - something I often find lacking in restaurants that seem to want my business.

After we placed our orders, a salad arrived. It was an interesting mix - things I have definitely eaten, but would not have put together in one dish. The flavours were bright and fresh and the perfect start to our meal. The dressing tasted mostly of pineapple and had a creamy texture that was indefinable (by me anyway). I quizzed our server and she did admit to the pineapple, but assured us that there was no dairy in the dressing (a choice made to avoid food allergies for some guests), but she was unwilling to go any further into the description. With a smile, she conceded that it was an Asian vegetable that made it so creamy - this will warrant some investigation on my own.

Starter Salad

The dumplings were more flavourful than I have had in a while. The flavours of the pork and chives were very pronounced and not just a muddle of 'meat' flavour. The wrapper was also very thin, which left it possible to enjoy the delicate flavours of the filling. The dumplings were accompanied by a light soy-based dipping sauce - very good and added a nice bit of acid to the dish.

Goon Mandoo

The bulgogi arrived next. It was presented on a hot plate and smelled delicious. I started with the chopsticks, but ended up using a fork (if there is no bowl, I am all thumbs with chopsticks). The beef was very tender with flavours of garlic, soy and sesame easily distinguishable. The vegetables were well seasoned and tender crisp.

Bulgogi

I enjoyed my lunch and will return to try the bibimbap that my colleague ate. I was intrigued by the whole egg yolk in the centre, which would no doubt help form a luscious sauce. I also would like to try some other Korean delicacies at their dinner service.

Bibimbap

Thursday Best Bites - Café Postino, Almonte

2011-09-15T07:38:00.000-07:00

Fresh cheese ravioli with tomato and basil

This quaint Italian eatery opened up last year in the old post office downtown. I have eaten here about five times and thought it was time for a mention. The food here is an eclectic mix of delicious in-house made goodies. Flavourful pizzas, tender pastas, savoury soups and scrumptious desserts. I love that you can see chef/owner Steve Falsetto at work on his creations. Having seen many restaurants come and go in this space over the years, Café Postino is a welcome addition to the Almonte food scene. A great place for lunch or dinner.

What: Ricotta Ravioli

Where: Café Postino, Almonte

Comments: The raviolis were tender and delectable. The pasta was the perfect thickness, right amount of cheese and the tomato sauce tasted so fresh. I ate all of them! I also had a bite (or two) of the pizza margarita - the flavours were superb - garden fresh tasting tomatoes, fresh basil and the right amount cheese. We've been there to eat several times, and we'll be back.

Some other dishes I have enjoyed.

Daring Kitchen September - Stock to Soup Consommé

2011-09-14T09:33:00.000-07:00

Clarified Vegetable Cocktail

I was happy when I saw this challenge as I have made consommé before, but not the one I had in mind. Many years ago, I saw a chef on television clarify vegetable cocktail and I had always wanted to try it - now I had a reason!

Blog checking lines: Peta, of the blog Peta Eats, was our lovely hostess for the Daring Cook’s September 2011 challenge, “Stock to Soup to Consommé”. We were taught the meaning between the three dishes, how to make a crystal clear Consommé if we so chose to do so, and encouraged to share our own delicious soup recipes!

The recipe I had in mind was from Christine Cushing - her show was called Christine Cushing Live (on the Canadian Food Network). It always intrigued me that you could turn a tomato based liquid into something the colour of bourbon. But, it worked and it was delicious. I did have to play with the recipe a little - I suspect that the width of the pot may affect the amount of clarifying ingredient that is added to the base. In the end, it produced a wonderfully clear and delicious consommé - which I would not have thought possible had I not seen it on tv many years ago.

To accompany my consommé, I made some chicken dumplings - which also turned out quite lovely. The consommé is definitely something I would make again, perhaps with a nice ricotta and spinach ravioli - the possibilities are truly endless. I also made a sourdough bread, made from a 2-day starter. I won't give the bread recipe because I didn't really like the way it turned out - the crust was a little too crusty (perhaps I over baked the bread, but I did follow the recipe).

Recipes that were provided for the challenge can be found here.

Recipe for Vegetable Cocktail Consommé (inspired by Christine Cushing, modified by me):
4 cups (1 L) Vegetable consommé
5 egg whites
1 Bay leaf
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 whole star anise
2 egg shells, crushed

- Put the vegetable cocktail in a large stock pot
- Lightly whisk the egg whites and add the eggshells, bay leaf, cloves and star anise
- Stir the egg white mixture into the vegetable cocktail and very slowly bring to a simmer while continually stirring the mixture on low heat. Do not boil. This is very important.
- Once the mixture starts to simmer, stir only occasionally, until the raft (solid mass) forms.
- Gently simmer the vegetable cocktail mixture for about 1 hour (or until when you gently push aside the raft, you can see the clear consommé underneath
- Using a cheesecloth lined strainer, gently move the raft to one side and pour the consommé through the cheesecloth.
- If you unavoidably got some of the solids into the mix, use a new piece of cheesecloth and strain again.
- The resulting liquid should be a nice deep amber and very clear.

Before

During

The raft remains after straining

After - the clarified vegetable cocktail

Recipe for chicken dumplings:

8 oz ground chicken

1/4 cup chopped chives

1/8 cup chopped Italian parsley

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1/8 cup chopped green pimento pepper (use a Cubanelle pepper if you don't have the pimento)

1 small seeded serrano pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 cup fine dried breadcrumbs

1 egg white

2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 cups chicken stock

- Process ground chicken in food processor until smooth
- Add balance of ingredients to food processor and process until smooth
- Using two teaspoons, shape the mixture into dumplings
- Gently simmer the dumplings in chicken stock until cooked - about 15 minutes

Green pimento peppers and serrano pepper

Seasoning mixture for dumplings

Dumplings ready for cooking

This was a weekend of feasting and a perfect introduction to some autumn cooking.

Crusty Sourdough

Vegetable consommé with chicken dumplings

See you all next month! Thanks again Peta.

Travel - St. John - Day Sailing

2011-09-12T08:37:00.000-07:00

White Bay, Jost Van Dyke, BVI

We decided to do a day sail while we were here. We chose to sail with Daydreamer - a company that sails out of St. Thomas. Over the past few years, while down south, we have discovered the joys of being on the water. D did some research before we left and we arranged the trip prior to our departure from home. Because of the weather and various cancellations, we almost didn't make it! The trip finally took place on Saturday and we were very glad that we didn't have to miss it. (I believe this was going to be their last sail for the season - until hurricane season is over).

After stopping off for some delicious johnny cakes, we headed over to wait to be picked up by the catamaran, for our day of sailing. We had to make sure to bring our passports as we were going to be entering British territory by going ashore at Jost Van Dyke, BVI.

We stopped for some snorkeling at Hawkesnest Bay for about an hour. The water was a touch cloudy - probably residual from the churning caused by Irene. However, it was still pretty good visibility. I didn't really notice anything too different than other times I have snorkeled in the BVI, but I did notice the colour of the sea fans was vibrant. Most times I have seen them I guess they were dead. These were bright purple and vibrant. It's nice to see things still thriving in this marine park.

We sailed to Jost Van Dyke about 7 years ago (as part of a week-long sailing trip around the BVI) - not much has changed since our last visit. White Bay was still as beautiful as the first time I had seen. There were a few more restaurants/shacks, but the feeling of being on a remote island was still there for me.

Wandering along the beach is still something that I really love. Although I am not a fan of the heat, I am a huge fan of the ocean. As long as there are waves lapping at my feet, I can endure the intense temperatures - and the heat this day was indeed intense.

I knew where we were going to have lunch - we just had to return to One Love Beach Bar and have a Bushwhacker (especially after seeing it featured on Feasting on Waves with Alton Brown, a few years ago). There is something to be said for the understated charm of a beach side restaurant/bar. Only in a place like this could you get away with this decor: sand floor, plastic chairs and tables, numerous pieces of garish clothing hanging from the rafters - I wouldn't have it any other way. We were the only ones there (the five of us from our catamaran), but the service and food didn't show it.

Bushwhackers

The Bushwhacker was as delicious as last time - chilled, creamy, and delicious. I ordered the catch of the day sandwich (how could I not have fish while I'm down here??) for lunch and we decided to share some jerk chicken quesadillas. The fish sandwich was divine - grilled fish topped with a fresh tomato salsa. It was eaten rather hastily, or I would further go into it's deliciousness. The quesadilla was a little oily - but in a good way - as can only be achieved by good cheese.

After lunch, I basked in the sun while half submerged in the ocean. There are worst ways to spend an afternoon.

Travel - Day 4 - St. John

2011-09-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

Our first full day exploring the island. We hopped into our ride and mapped out a route for the morning. The island is not very big and most of it is a National Park which was created by land donated by Laurance Rockefeller in 1956. The area of the park encompasses about 60% of the island. So, exploring was rather easy as there was really only one road through the park and out.

The weather was co-operating at last and we were glad to see the last of the rain and cloudy skies - lingering systems from Irene. We stopped and took some great scenic shots while en route. The island is verdant and tropical. We decided to use this day as a day to get some food, beverages and to scope out which beaches we wanted to return to. We decided to return to Cinnamon Bay and Trunk Bay as these two beaches seemed the most appealing.

We had lunch in Cruz Bay on the way back and enjoyed some truly delicious conch fritters at High Tide restaurant - one of my favourite island snacks.

Conch fritters with spicy remoulade

We got back to the house mid-afternoon and were about to enjoy a lovely afternoon poolside, when I received a text message on my phone. It was US Airways, indicating that all of our flights with them (on Sunday - this was Thursday!) were being cancelled due to Hurricane Irene. Not to mention, the earliest we would be able to re-book with them was going to be Saturday September 3rd - more than nine days later. A collective groan came from the three of us. We were not looking forward to the battle that was going to be ahead - trying to get home. Needless to say, this put could have put a damper on the rest of the day. Nonetheless, chins up, cold drinks at the ready, laptops open, phone on speaker - I started the task of trying to get in touch with the airline. Completely futile. I spent the better part of three hours at various points during the afternoon and evening, trying to get hold of a human being. I should have not bothered, but I had to try. I decided to give up, make dinner and try again the next day. Fingers crossed!

Our pool and view

View of Cruz Bay

Trunk Bay

Thursday Best Bites - Johnny Cakes in St. John, USVI

2011-09-08T10:56:00.000-07:00

Johnny Cake with Cheese

What: Johnny Cakes

Where: A Taste of Love City Mobile Kitchen

Comments: We stopped here for breakfast on our way to a day of sailing. My husband had scoped it out earlier in the week and he was determined to have a johnny cake - especially after seeing Alton Brown raving about them during his short series 'Feasting on Waves'.

The truck is nothing fancy, and only seemed to be open for breakfast and early lunches. Their menu was not huge (sorry, the picture didn't come out), but the offerings changed daily. They had Jamaican patties, soups, stews and sandwiches.

The pièce de résistance was the johnny cake. You could order it plain, with cheese, with tuna or with cheese and tuna. This simple fried dough staple can be found on almost all the Caribbean islands and goes by different names. In the southern Caribbean islands they are known as 'bakes' and are typically made with baking powder as a leavening agent. There is a version made in Trinidad, with yeast, eaten with fried fish. Part of the infamous dish shark and bake, which can be found on Maracas Beach on Trinidad's northern coast. The ones in Barbados tend to be a little sweeter and more dense. All are delicious and wonderful. Come on, it's fried!

These St. John Johnny cakes were golden brown outside, with the telltale slit in the centre, and fluffy white on the inside. We had to wait a few minutes to eat them (they were prepared fresh while we waited), but it was worth it. It reminded me of the texture of a savoury donut. I'm glad that my husband got to tick this food off of his foodie to-do list.

Travel - Day 3 - St. John

2011-09-07T12:35:00.000-07:00

Finally were able to get our flight over to St. John at 10h15. Our friend managed to squeak on as a stand-by. We were all so happy just to be taking off!

Upon arrival at St. Thomas, we headed over to the taxi stand to take a taxi over to Red Hook, where we were catching the ferry - which also happened to be on the other side of the island. It was going to be a tight schedule to get over to Red Hook to catch the noon ferry. We made it with 3 minutes to spare. I tell you this - my nerves were just about shot at this point, I was going to need a rum punch and very soon!

Cruz Bay, St. John

We arrived on St. John (after our night in a hotel in San Juan). The ride over on the ferry was great - air conditioning inside for those who wanted (me!) and fresh air outside on the seating above. We were met at the ferry terminal by Nancy, the caretaker of the house and a representative from the Car rental place. (We rented our Jeep from L & L Jeep Rental and they were great! Met us there, nice new and clean Jeep. Would recommend for sure! They even let us have the Jeep an extra day, as we were delayed leaving...that part later).

We followed Nancy up to the house (remember - when driving in St. John, stay left! Left hand drive, left side of the road). I see why they recommended a Jeep - St. John is very hilly (reminded me of our stay in Tortola). We go to the house, which was gorgeous, and headed right back out to find some bevvies. Before we left, we each cracked open a bottle of Virgin Islands - Island Summer Ale, and toasted our eventual arrival.

Heading down into Cruz Bay, we were really able to appreciate the views - very picturesque and lush (after having experienced several days of rain). We had our first rum punches and lunch at the Waterfront Grill in Cruz Bay. Service was slow, and the food just ok, but the rum punch washed away all the angst and stress from the long journey to the island.

Long awaited rum punch

Seared Yellow Fin Tuna Wrap and Sweet Potato Fries

Our pool and part of the patio - view of Chocolate Hole, St. John

Travel - Day 2 - St. John, USVI

2011-08-26T07:36:00.000-07:00

When we arrived home on Monday and after our nap, I got on the phone with the airlines to see if we could secure an earlier flight for our Tuesday departure.

After 2 hours on the phone with various people passing the buck, it didn't look very good for an earlier flight. Expedia couldn't help because the original itinerary was changed by the airline. I called American Airlines, but because the airport personnel had changed the itinerary, they wouldn't touch it either. In the end, we were S.O.L.

Up bright and early on Tuesday to go to the airport. Arrived at the check in and the flight was on time (yay!). Still no luck getting on the 5:25pm flight instead of the 8:15pm from San Juan to St. Thomas, but we thought we would have better luck while we were in San Juan.

The flights were relatively uneventful. (N.B.: do not order the Direct TV on the plane as it stops working once you leave the 'footprint' of the US - I should have known as the same thing happens on Westjet once you leave the Canadian satellite footprint. The movies still work, but not the live television programs. The movies were lame - it was a four hour flight, you need to have more than two viable options! Arthur (saw it), Life as we Know it (saw it), Goonies (really?!?) and something else that was unmemorable.)

We got to San Juan around 1:30pm and immediately went to the American Eagle counter to try and get an earlier flight. The guy at the counter just started shaking is head rapidly and had a look on his face that said Fat Chance! He was nice, but we knew there was no way to get on. We asked if we could leave our bags somewhere and were directed to a gentleman in a secure room. He gave us a discount on the fee for our bags (nice!) and we went out to grab a taxi to get some lunch.

The remnants of Irene were still swirling around Puerto Rico. It was pouring rain and very humid (to be expected). We decided to return to one of our favourite places for lunch. We love The Metropol restaurant. Only an 8 minute cab ride for some delicious Cuban and Puerto Rican fare. I have blogged about them before, and they did not disappoint this time. I had the roasted Cornish Hen stuffed with rice and black beans and served with a side of plantain. Wow - the chicken was moist and delicious. The star of the dish for me though, was the rice and bean stuffing. So much flavour - it could have been a dish on its own. Savoury and delicious rice that had the added benefit of soaking up all the delicious seasonings from the chicken. Yes, I ate the whole thing (I did give away two small drumsticks though) and it was marvelous. The Mojito we had was also stellar.

We got back to the airport, picked up our bags and tried to figure out what to do for the next 5 hours. We bought a 30-day lounge pass (cheaper than buying passes for two people) and spent our time waiting in there. Did I mention there was no charge for the bar AND free wifi? Bliss.

We stayed in the lounge as long as we could (it closed at 7:45pm), then left to be on time to board our flight.

This is where things once again took a left turn. There was utter and complete chaos at the check in counter. There was an off duty flight attendant on her phone the entire time trying to ascertain (through her colleagues) what the &^#$ was going on! We found out from her, not the people at the counter, that the flight was cancelled (it was then 8:30pm - past the departure time). We thought we would then be able to get on the last flight of the day (during this time I was also making frequent calls to the house manager who was waiting for us on St. John)

We were getting worried now as the last ferry out of Red Hook St. Thomas was at midnight and it was about a 40 minute cab ride across the island to get there. Stories started circulating - another passenger contacted a colleague he knew at American and confirmed that yes, the flight was indeed cancelled, but the reason for the cancellation was yet to be determined. Let the games begin! I think if the airline can say it's a weather issue, you get bupkiss! However, if the problem is a technical one, then they have to at least provide you with accommodation and some food. I must declare as well that during this whole mess (which ended up taking about 2 hours) not once did someone from American Eagle actually announce that the flight was cancelled.

Like the lemmings we are at airports, we got in line and tried to get some information. My husband, seeing where this was going, made a beeline for another American Eagle counter and got us boarding passes for the first flight on Wednesday morning to St. Thomas, last leg! The airline, unbeknownst to us, had gone ahead and re-booked everyone for travel the next day. Also, the re-bookings were done alphabetically...so our friend who was traveling with us (surname beginning with 'W') didn't get a confirmed seat on the first flight out like we did, but the 5:15pm. He was on standby for the 10:00am flight...we'll see what happens.

After some more wrangling, we all ended up at different hotels, meal vouchers in tow, for another night of NOT getting to our ultimate destination.

Deep sigh again...

Travel - Day 1 - St. John, USVI

2011-08-24T17:31:00.000-07:00

Sometimes things don't always go as planned...

22h00 (Sunday night) - bedtime - looking forward to our trip on Monday morning!

03h00 - alarm went off, time to get up and get cracking

03h40 - on our way to YOW - giddy up!

04h20 - car parked and in line for check-in at the Continental counter

04h25 - just found out the flight has been pushed back 4 hours (blasted hurricane!)

05h25 - still at the counter trying to get some flights

06h00 - still at the counter...

06h10 - finally some news - good news, got some new flights, bad news, not leaving until Tuesday now...

06h35 - breakfast at Graffiti's in Kanata

07h45 - home to bed and regroup...

More soon...(insert 'deep sigh')

Daring Kitchen August - Appam and Curry

2011-08-14T17:08:00.000-07:00

Just picked kaffir lime leaves and green chilli

I was glad to see this month's challenge was Indian food. I do love it so. I actually have the cookbook that was used for one of the recipes - Mangoes & Curry Leaves. What I loved about this challenge is that it introduced me to a few new techniques - like using raw rice as part of a seasoning mixture. I have not experimented that much with making Indian breads, so I was intrigued. (I substituted kaffir lime leaves in my curry as a I have two plants in my yard).

Kaffir lime leaves

Chilli plant

Blog checking lines: Mary, who writes the delicious blog, Mary Mary Culinary was our August Daring Cooks’ host. Mary chose to show us how delicious South Indian cuisine is! She challenged us to make Appam and another South Indian/Sri Lankan dish to go with the warm flat bread.

Note: Due to time constraints, sadly, I was not able to complete the Appam - but will make them another time. I had good intentions - honest! But due to an oversight on my part (misreading the recipe) - there was no way I was going to finish it with the time that was left (it was 6pm when I realized my error). So, apologies to our host for not completing the challenge. I do hope you at least enjoy the photos.

Spice mixture ready for toasting, then grinding

I love this little frying pan!

Chilli crusted tamarind ball

You can find the recipe and all the instructions to make your Indian feast from Daring Kitchen.

Looking forward to next month's challenge - happy cooking.

Thursday Best Bites - The Table Restaurant

2011-08-11T06:11:00.000-07:00

Clockwise from bottom left: black olive hummus, steamed broccoli with onion, brown rice with peppers, salsa flavoured tofu, Lebanese bread, red lentil shepherd's pie, tofu balls, nut loaf.

What: The Table Restaurant, Ottawa

Where: 1230 Wellington Street West

Comments: This restaurant has become a weekly lunch favourite. It's a comforting place for me - reminscent of growing up enjoying church potluck lunches that were entirely vegetarian. It was always a surprise and always a treat - not that we didn't have good food at home, cause we did - but the surprise of a delicious lunch after a long church service was always something to look forward to. I do have my favourites here - the tofu fritters with onion chutney, the black olive hummus, the chocolate beet cake and raspberry chocolate cake - are among them. Each dish is labeled as to is ingredients and dietary status (vegan, dairy free, gluten free, etc.). It is a cafeteria style restaurant, so if you're in a hurry, you can grab a take out container and be on your way. If you planned ahead, you can even bring your own container and have them weigh it for you before you select your items. All plates are weighed to determine the price. If you're not in a hurry, you can choose a window seat, enjoy your lunch and watch the traffic on the street. All of the staff are warm and friendly as well - always a nice bonus when serving such tasty fare.

Green Thai Curry Tofu

2011-08-09T09:17:00.000-07:00

A friend had given me a block of firm, silken tofu a while ago and I finally figured out what to do with it. Working with silken tofu is a little different that working with regular tofu. Silken tofu often comes in an aseptic box which does not require refrigeration. In typical packaging, it would be completely mashed up - it's that soft. Regular tofu can handle a little more manipulation in the pan. Silken tofu is often pureed as a substitute for cream or cream cheese in a recipe.

Silken Tofu drying on paper towel

I decided on a green Thai curry because I wanted to inject lots of flavour. I'll be honest - tofu is very bland, if not flavourless, on its own. I purchased a package of green curry paste and went from there. Actually, I just followed the recipe on the back of the package (with a few substitutions) and it turned out pretty great! It is a spicy dish though, not for the heat timid. It was a package of Asian Home Gourmet Thai Green Curry spice paste. No preservatives and very easy to use. It's a product from Australia that is readily available at supermarkets here (I purchased this one at YIG) I rarely make my own green curry paste - lots of steps and I probably wouldn't use it all at once anyway. These pastes are a great base for your own dishes.

I enjoyed this dish with a lentil curry as part of a vegetarian meal.

Note: be sure to be very gentle when cutting up the tofu, it will break apart very easily. I just substituted the tofu for the meat in the recipe. Browning it will add some texture and extra flavour also.

The tofu with some added red pepper and broccoli stems, jasmine rice and curry channa dahl.

Thursday Best Bites - Dirienzo's in Ottawa's Little Italy

2011-08-04T07:41:00.000-07:00

Where: 111 Beech Street, Ottawa

What: Delicious Sandwiches

Comments: You may have had a good sandwich in the past, but unless you've had one from Dirienzo's, you are missing a good base for comparison. If you're not a true sandwich aficionado, then you may not fully appreciate the 'scrumptious-factor', but you will still have a great sandwich experience. The sandwiches here are fresh and wonderful. Dirienzo's is essentially a corner store with a sandwich counter at the front. If you arrive at lunch time, do not be dismayed by the line meandering out of the store and down the street. The sandwiches are this tasty and yes, worth the wait. The line does move rather quickly though. Plus, it gives you time to decide which one you're going to order.

When you get near the front, you will be met with bins of fresh baked rolls. Grab the tongs, and select the bread that will nestle the delicious fillings that will soon arrive. Approach the counter and put your roll up. A kind stranger will take the bread from you and ask you what you would like. Now, there's no rush, but there are hungry regulars behind you who know what they want. That kind stranger will however, be patient while you decide. I had the turkey, roast beef and spicy salami. The sandwich comes with cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. Feel free to choose all or none of these or to ask for some spicy eggplant as the condiment.

I paid for my sandwich (best $5 you'll spend at lunch!) and let me tell you it was a long drive back to my office in Bell's Corners with that sandwich smiling up at me from the seat (I don't like to eat in the car, but did consider pulling over for a bite...). I got to work, washed my hands, got my water bottle filled, spread open the plastic and inhaled the goodness I was about to partake in. Almost forgot to snap a picture before devouring it, but it was all so worth the wait. Soft Italian rolls - a little crunch on the outside, soft on the inside. The tender crunchy goodness is just perfect to maintain your sandwich's structural integrity. I think you should get one of these right now. Seriously!

Cooking with Aarti

2011-08-03T07:31:00.000-07:00

Channa dahl, cumin seeds and black mustard seeds

Not really, but I would love to! I love her show and finally tried one of her recipes - 'Mum's Everyday Red Lentils'. I love cooking Indian food, but have never tried the method of adding a tempering oil (bagaar) to the dish once completed. When I finished cooking the peas, I tasted the dish and thought - meh - not so special. But I have to say that the tempering oil added the most incredible amount of flavour - it was truly astounding!

The dish was completely transformed into a tasty, spicy, savoury, delicious version of a restaurant quality dish. Kudos Ms. Sequeira! Keep it up and we'll keep watching.

I didn't have any red lentils so I used channa dahl instead (split chick peas) - which meant increasing the cooking time. I just kept checking them every 10 minutes until they were a texture that was pleasing.

Here's the link to the recipe on the Food Network site:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aarti-sequeira/mums-everyday-red-lentils-recipe/index.html

Serrano Peppers in my garden

The dahl cooking

Ghee adds the most wonderful, authentic flavour to Indian dishes

The finished dahl with the sizzling hot bagaar

Garden Fresh Basil

The Lentils with Jasmine rice and Thai Green Curry Tofu

Thursday Best Bites - Lebanese Festival, Ottawa

2011-07-28T07:26:00.000-07:00


Clockwise from bottom right: Kibbeh Balls, Falafel with tahini and radish, Warack Arish, Tabouleh Salad, Hummus. All served on a bed of rice.

Where: St. Elias Centre, 700 Ridgewood Avenue, Ottawa (July 20 - 24, 2011)

What: 21st Annual Lebanese Festival

Comments: This was my first visit to the festival and if you didn't attend, you missed some excellent food. I was picking up my sister from the airport and it was on the way home. We didn't have a lot of time to spend exploring the festival, but instead, we got down to business right away - the food. Since I live out of town, sometimes I don't have the time on weekends to go to these events. That has been a mistake obviously. The food that I had was some of the best tasting, freshest, flavourful Lebanese cuisine that I have ever eaten. It was definitely worth the stop and I will have to make it back next year.

We both opted for the Sampler plate which would satisfy all of our cravings for the delicacies that we enjoy so much. The Kibbeh Balls were well seasoned and the proportion of meat to bread was perfect. The Falafel was crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The radish was a nice extra touch and added a nice palate cleansing crunch to the plate. The Warack Arish (stuffed grape leaves) were very nice. There was a wonderful bite to the rolls and they were savoury and toothsome. The tabouleh tasted exactly how it should - bright, fresh, a bit lemony and light. The hummus was creamy, yet not too garlicky. The plate also came with some fresh wrapped pita bread. I will remember this plate for a while. Good job and see you next year!

The selections that were available.

Grilled Flying Fish with Tomato Relish

2011-07-25T08:25:00.000-07:00

Flying Fish Filets

I grew up eating this Bajan treat and always loved them. I still have about 30 filets in my freezer (from my vacation fish stash) and was wondering what to do with them, besides frying them. I do love fried fish, but just felt like something different this time.

Many years ago, on our first trip to Barbados together, my husband and I had the best fish cutter (sandwich) I had ever had. It was at a place called Cutter's in Worthing, Christchurch (which has long since closed, sadly). The sandwich consisted of the following: grilled flying fish, fresh sliced tomato, lettuce, and sliced, pickled onions. The bread on the sandwich was also grilled. During this trip we must have stopped at this little shop four times - we were very sad to learn it had closed, but glad we got to experience it. It says something that I can remember the sandwich after all this time. Truth be told, I have a very long memory when it comes to food - I can recall a certain rice dish I had when I was three years old - that was deliciously prepared by my Haitian babysitter...mmmm...those meatballs were the best! If I could track down Mme. Benson...

All of that to say that I was feeling nostalgic and this is what inspired me to make some grilled flying fish. Here's what I did.

For the fish preparation:
Juice of 1 lime, and the lime
2 tablespoons of coarse salt
1 tablespoon of hot sauce
Cold water

In a large bowl, but the salt, lime juice, the squeezed lime and hot sauce - stir to combine. Put the fish in and coat then fill the bowl with cold water. Let the fish sit in the mixture for 20 minutes at room temperature.

Next step - prepare the seasoning mix:
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon broadleaf thyme, chopped (if you can't find/don't have this, use the same amount of fresh thyme)
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dry basil or 1 tablespoon of fresh basil, shredded
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of red chili flakes

Broadleaf Thyme

Seasoning Mix

Combine all the seasoning ingredients and stuff a small amount between the rows of the fish. Allow to marinate overnight if possible. If not, at least 1 hour in the refrigerator, covered.

For the tomato relish:
3/4 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup chopped garlic chives
1 whole green onion, finely sliced
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon capers, roughly chopped
1/8 cup chicken stock

- Heat olive oil over medium heat then add all the relish ingredients.
- Do not saute the ingredients, simply cook over a low enough heat for a simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat until ready to use.

To cook the fish:
- Allow them to come to room temperature - they will cook more evenly
- Heat your grill to high and oil the grill
- Grill the fish - they are small and will take about 2 minutes on the flesh side, then 1 minute on the skin side
- Once off the heat, serve each fish with about 1 tablespoon of the tomato relish

Served with plain white rice and sauteed zucchini and peppers.

Thursday Best Bites - Heirloom Café Bistro, Almonte

2011-07-21T06:03:00.000-07:00

Braised Lamb Shank

Where: Heirloom Café Bistro, 7 Mill Street, Almonte

What: Braised Lamb Shank w/ Quinoa Pilaf and Duck Leg Confit on Puff Pastry

Comments: We really enjoy dinner at this restaurant and have dined here several times. It's close to home and the quality of the food is what I would expect to find at any fine dining establishment. On this particular evening I had the starter of duck confit on puff pastry with blackberries and a side creation of some mascarpone - which added a nice tangy flavour and complimented the duck delightfully. Both dishes were beautifully plated and cooked perfectly. The puff pastry was crispy and the duck had a nice rich flavour that can only be achieved with long slow cooking.

Duck Leg Confit w/ Puff Pastry

The braised lamb was cooked to the point where it was falling off the bone - just the way I like it. It was served with some heirloom carrots and asparagus. Large portions - I didn't quite finish mine, but not for a lack of trying.

My husband had the seared scallop starter and the steak - which was cooked precisely as ordered.

It is a little pricey at this restaurant, but worth every penny and you can taste their efforts on the plate.

Seared Scallops


Steak

Thursday Best Bites - The Swan at Carp

2011-07-14T04:38:00.000-07:00

Chilled glass of Chardonnay on the Patio

Visited for the first time last week. Good selection of beers and desserts. Great spot for some pub grub and drinks.

Where: The Swan at Carp, 108 Falldown Lane, Carp, ON

What: Lobster Newburg Crêpe

Comments: The lobster crêpe was tasty (on this day however they were crawfish tails). The crêpe itself was thin, light and lacey and the sauce that was inside was savoury and delicious - not too heavy. It was served with your choice of garden or Caesar salad. I chose a Caesar salad which thoughfully came in a separate bowl (as it would have been a bit messy with the delicious lobster sauce). I haven't had crepes in ages and it was a nice light dinner option.

Note: we did move inside as the mosquitoes got to be a little too much to handle :-)

Daring Kitchen July - Homemade Pasta

2011-07-14T04:14:00.000-07:00

I love Italian food and I especially love making pasta, so this challenge was perfect! My only difficulty was deciding what to have with the pasta. I decided to do a fusion of sorts with West Indian food and Italian food. I must say that the merger was quite successful.

The dish I came up with was pappardelle with chives and a braised oxtail and porcini mushroom ragout. I now know that oxtail need not only be served with rice (in my kitchen anyway LOL).

Blog-checking lines: Steph from Stephfood was our Daring Cooks' July hostess. Steph challenged us to make homemade noodles without the help of a motorized pasta machine. She provided us with recipes for Spätzle and Fresh Egg Pasta as well as a few delicious sauces to pair our noodles with!

A couple of years ago I bought a hand-crank pasta roller which was on sale and which I never used. I actually took it out of the box for this challenge for the first time! I have just gotten so used to my Kitchenaid for making pasta. However, I did do it all by hand this time - but I have to admit that I'll be going back to the automated rollers for next time...

This recipe makes two servings.

Day 1
Here's what you'll need for the oxtail
2 lbs of oxtail, rinsed and drained
2 cups of chopped cooked onion
3 large cloves of garlic, chopped
1/4 c tomato paste
1/2 bunch of fresh thyme (tied together for easier removal)
3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons of salt
2 teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
1 whole scotch bonnet or habanero pepper
2 Bay leaves
Water

- Place all ingredients in a dutch oven with enough water to cover and bring to a boil over medium high heat
- Skim any foam that forms on the top
- Cover and put into a 350F oven for 3 hours - check it after 90 minutes though as it depends on how large your pieces of oxtail are
- Once finished cooking, allow to cool enough to handle the oxtail
- Remove the pieces from the sauce and remove the meat from the oxtails and reserve separately. You can discard the bones or keep them for another use later.

Oxtail off the bone

- Reserve all the cooking liquid and refrigerate to make it easier to de-grease the sauce.
- Note: Don't be afraid of the habanero/scotch bonnet pepper! When they are put into the sauce whole they impart flavour and a tiny fraction of the heat they are capable of.

De-greased Sauce

Day 2 you'll need:
The reserved oxtail meat
1 cup of the reserved sauce (without the pepper and bay leaves), which has been de-greased
1/2 oz of dried porcini mushrooms

Pantry staple

- Soak the mushrooms in enough hot water to cover them, for 30 minutes
- Reserve 1/4 cup of the soaking liquid
- In a medium skillet, add the oxtail meat, the reserved cooking liquid, the re hydrated mushrooms and mushroom soaking liquid
- Warm gently over medium heat until simmering slightly

For the pasta:
250 grams of flour (about 8 ounces) - a good blend is 1/2 '00' and half semolina, but all purpose works too
2 large eggs
- Make a well in the flour and break the eggs into the centre
- Beat the eggs and slowly incorporate the flour
- When the mixture is starting the thicken, using your hands, start to incorporate the flour from around the edges
- Knead the dough for about 8 minutes - until the dough is smooth and not sticking to your hands

My drying racks

Notes: Rule of thumb for making pasta - 1 egg and 125 gm (4 oz) of flour per person; don't worry about all the flour being absorbed by the eggs - the eggs will absorb as much flour as necessary (from my experience); also, once the flour has been incorporated, you will have chunks of dough on your hands. Wash this off - no point in try to incorporate these chunks into your nice smooth dough

- Cover the dough with plastic and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
- From here, follow the manufacturer's directions for rolling out your dough to the desired thickness
- I hand cut the dough for the pappardelle using a pizza cutter as I wanted a more rustic look

To finish the dish:
- In a medium skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add 3 tablespoons of chopped chives
- Cook the pasta for about 3 minutes, until al dente
- Using tongs, carefully take the pasta out of the water and put into the skillet with the butter mixture
- Toss gently with mixture for about one minute then plate with ragout.
-Note: I added some diced, blanched yellow and orange carrots to the dish for a little colour and texture

This challenge was a long process, but glad to know that these flavours work well together - I'll be making it again - another recipe/method to add to my repertoire. It turned out absolutely delicious - the fusion of the West Indian style oxtails and the porcini mushrooms with pasta was sublime. Thanks Steph for the opportunity to create this experiment!


It tasted as good as it looks!

Thursday Best Bites - Bluesfest 2011

2011-07-07T09:33:00.000-07:00

Made it out to Bluesfest last night and tried a couple of new dishes. Always an adventure, but a good one this year. I like the food vendors near the entrance. Here's what I ate and tried:

Where: Bluesfest Ottawa, Lebreton Flats

What: Curry Chicken and Rice from Epicerie Poukham and Jerk Chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries from Fitz's Catering.

Comments: The curry chicken was quite good - nice Thai flavours from the kaffir lime leaves and nice addition of fresh basil. Chicken, zucchini, peppers, slivered hearts of palm and rice. Loved the option of adding ground peanuts and sweet chili sauce if you wanted. Good size portion and good value for my $8 (about an 8" plate) considering I was at an outdoor venue downtown.

Thai Curry Chicken with Rice

I tried my husbands jerk chicken sandwich (which almost filled the plate in itself!). A large multi-grain bun filled with jerk chicken - good flavour and good sauce. It came with a small portion of sweet potato fries. The fries were nice and crispy and delicious. Also came with a small container of a spicy mayo - wasn't a huge fan of this, but a nice extra.

Nice to see some new options from the usual offerings.

Thursday Best Bites - Spaghetti all'Amatriciana

2011-06-23T09:19:00.000-07:00

This quick dish is one of my favourites on nights when I have no idea what to make for dinner and don't want to spend lots of time fussing. The dish takes 45 minutes to prepare. I have also found it an easy dish to make when we are traveling - the ingredients are pretty common and I always find them in local grocery stores. The fennel might be harder to find, depending where you are, but I always bring my own selection of dried herbs and spices from home in my kitchen travel bag.

Where: My kitchen at home

What: Spaghetti all'Amatriciana

Comments: While this may not be an entirely authentic Italian version, I think it has all the flavours of the Italian dish and lends itself to easy substitutions. In a traditional version, there would be pancetta. I usually have bacon at home, rather than pancetta, so that's what I tend to use.

The last time I made it I used 1 cup of chopped cherry tomatoes and 1 cup of canned tomatoes. It's what I had on hand - I wanted to use up the cherry tomatoes before they spoiled. If you don't like fennel, then don't put it in. The dish won't be bad, it will taste different yes, but even if you made it like mine, it would probably taste different. This is part of the joy of cooking for me. To me the dish is about the entire well-rounded flavour you get from the tomatoes, onion, and bacon.

The finished sauce

Friends will often ask for a recipe for a dish that I make. They get the recipe, make the dish and say although theirs was good, it didn't taste like mine. I guess you'll have to come over and let me make it for you instead.

Here's what you'll need to make my version for two:

1/2 box of spaghetti
4 slices of bacon, cut into thin slices
1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
1/2 cup chopped white onion
3 cloves of garlic, pressed
2 teaspoon fennel seed, freshly ground
1/2 teaspoon of chili flakes
2 cups of tomatoes, chopped (preferably fresh0
Salt and pepper to taste

- In a large skillet, saute the bacon over medium high heat. If your bacon is on the lean side, this is where you can add the olive oil
- If the bacon is browning too fast, turn down the heat - what you're looking for here is cooked, but not too crispy. This should take about 10 - 12 minutes
- Add the onion and saute another 4 - 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent, but not browned
- Next add the ground fennel seed and chili flakes (I use a small mortar and pestle to grind the fennel - I like the texture and the result the hand grinding gives the fennel)
- Saute for 1 minute then add the tomatoes. Simmer the sauce for 15 - 20 minutes, until it looks homogeneous and you can't see the individual pieces of tomato anymore. The sauce should be thick.
- Prepare the pasta according to the directions on the box - cooking to an al dente texture
- When the sauce is done, using tongs, take the pasta out of the cooking water and put into the sauce

- Finish the pasta in the sauce for one minute, then serve.

Spaghetti all'Amatriciana

Thursday Best Bites - Black Cat Bistro

2011-06-16T07:57:00.000-07:00

Where: Black Cat Bistro, 428 Preston Street, Ottawa, Ontario

What: Pan Roasted Halibut

Comments: I had a hard time deciding what I was going to order...my dining companion was amazed watching me think through each choice - even down to the last minute I changed my mind, and I am glad that I did. Fish can be a tricky thing - even for a talented chef. I find sometimes that in their effort to bring out the natural flavours of the fish, I usually end up underwhelmed. Not this time. The fish was cooked perfectly (nice browing and perfect flaking on my fork) and the flavours of the brown butter and caper vinaigrette were outstanding. The fish was pan roasted and served on a bed of fingerling potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, ramps, capers and that sensational vinaigrette. I formed each bite carefully on my fork, so as not to miss a single drop of goodness. I was not disappointed. Delish!

Daring Kitchen June - Potato Salad

2011-06-14T18:20:00.000-07:00

This month's challenge led us on a potato course. Mmmm...potatoes... One of my favourite tubers. Our challenge this month was to create a delicious (healthy) potato salad.

Blog checking lines: Jami Sorrento was our June Daring Cooks hostess and she chose to challenge us to celebrate the humble spud by making a delicious and healthy potato salad. The Daring Cooks Potato Salad Challenge was sponsored by the nice people at the United States Potato Board, who awarded prizes to the top 3 most creative and healthy potato salads. A medium-size (5.3 ounce) potato has 110 calories, no fat, no cholesterol, no sodium and includes nearly half your daily value of vitamin C and has more potassium than a banana!

I decided to do a non-mayo based salad (my husband loathes mayo and has since he was a kid). What came to mind were German or French style potato salads. I figured that a salad using the potatoes warm, would allow the flavours to infuse better into the potatoes. The result was a rich, yet light, potato salad that we enjoyed with some grilled chicken

Here's what you'll need:
2 pounds of small new potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled
1/4 olive oil
1/4 white wine
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
1 tablespoon capers, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup slivered red onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

-Boil potatoes until fork tender - drain and allow to cool enough to handle
-Combine the olive oil, white wine, white wine vinegar, capers, mustards, salt and pepper - whisk to combine
-Quarter potatoes and place in a bowl, drizzle with dressing and top with onions and parsley
-Serve and enjoy

Note: I didn't cut the potatoes until they were cooked because I like nice sharp edge on the cooked potatoes...yes, I know, I have issues... ;-)

Thursday Best Bites - Bambu Restaurant

2011-06-09T09:12:00.000-07:00

Where: Bambu Restaurant, 3993 Riverside Drive, Ottawa, Ontario

What: Basil Beef with Peppers and Onions

Comment: Of all the dishes we ordered here, this was by far the best one (so far - more visits in the future). Also a favourite among guests, according to our helpful server. The basil flavour was delightful and the peppers and onions were nice and tender crisp. A nice lunch size for one.

Thursday Best Bites - Sweetgrass Aboriginal Bistro

2011-06-02T10:59:00.000-07:00

Not one to follow the crowd (except this time I am), I thought I would do a weekly feature which would consist of the best bite of something that I had in the past week. It could be something I made or something I ate out at a restaurant or other. There might even be two sometimes...

It'll be just a little quickie - something to get you through the weekend ;-)

Where: Sweetgrass Aboriginal Bistro, 108 Murray Street, Ottawa, Ontario

What: Bistro Buffalo Burger 100% Takwana Farm Bison Burger, House Smoked bacon, 3 year old cheddar, mushrooms and “duck butter” on a grilled sesame seed bun with Fresh cut fries and Side Salad

Comments: Simply amazing burger. The bun was a fantastic texture, soft but not too soft so as to become a spongy mess when halfway through the burger (proper grilling on inside helps to achieve this) . The patty was delicious. If you have never had Buffalo, you don't know what you're missing. Consider it a beefier tasting cousin to beef. The patty was lean, yet juicy. The toppings were delicious. The distinctive taste of sharp cheddar, the delectable crunch of bacon that has been perfected cooked, and the earthy enjoyment I always get from mushrooms. I can't even begin to describe the duck butter. Smooth, creamy, rich, and generally darned tasty! All of this combined to make for a perfect and gratifying burger experience. Along with pizza, burgers are my favourite. Well done - I'll be back.

Bistro Buffalo Burger

Wild Garlic Adventures

2011-06-01T09:30:00.000-07:00

Entrance to 'The Spot'

After enjoying these delicious little bulbs last spring for the first time (compliments of my in-laws), we decided to go foraging for ourselves this year. After being given the somewhat sketchy directions (it's half-way down this road, look for an old wooden gate), we arrived at the secret location. It's not really secret, but foragers like to keep their locations to themselves.

Let me preface this by saying that I thought I was prepared for our adventure. I had my gloves, shovel and the proper shoes for bush walking. However, I failed to bring the one thing that would have made our adventure so much more pleasant - insect repellent. I hate bugs. When we finally found the 'spot', pulled into the lane and turned off the engine and I heard the bugs bouncing off the car, I suspected what might be in store for me. I sent The Man out to do some recon - is this the right place? Is there anything left? He came back, swatting vigorously. "Are you coming?" Hmmm...do I really want to leave the safe confines of the van? I looked around to see if there was an errant can of the stuff that had perhaps rolled under the passenger seat after our last camping trip. No such luck. I was absolutely prepared to stay in the bug free zone - until inspiration struck. There was a small bottle of hand sanitizer in the van. Oh well, here we go.

After slathering on copious amounts of the stuff, we were off! We started looking, and looking and nothing. We had been told that once you walk onto the 'spot' the abundance of garlic would be evident. We later learned that this is usually the case - if we had been there one month earlier. After a few more phone calls to our Deep Throat, we started finding some plants.

It was still slim pickings, but we made a valiant effort at the foraging. As the effects of the hand sanitizer wore off, so did my patience. We trekked back to the van, dusted ourselves off and relaxed in the bliss of conditioned air. Mission accomplished.

Tips for next year? Bug spray and visiting the location about one month earlier. I wonder if there are any morels around that place??

Our bounty

Daring Kitchen - Gumbo

2011-05-14T21:07:00.000-07:00

Had to special order the filé powder

First off I have to say - wow. What a delicious challenge! The gumbo was fantastic!!! We had some today for lunch and will be having some for dinner tomorrow. If you decide to make this recipe, don't rush it! It needs all that cooking time to develop the flavours. I made the chicken and sausage version.

Blog checking lines: Our May hostess, Denise, of There’s a Newf in My Soup!, challenged The Daring Cooks to make Gumbo! She provided us with all the recipes we’d need, from creole spices, homemade stock, and Louisiana white rice, to Drew’s Chicken & Smoked Sausage Gumbo and Seafood Gumbo from My New Orleans: The Cookbook, by John Besh.

I only made a few changes. I halved the protein in the recipe, the amount of stock, the amount of flour and the amount of oil. Thankfully I did actually, or I never would have gotten it all in the pot. I didn't skimp on things that I thought would impact the flavour. Mainly the aromatics and the seasonings. I did only use 1/2 the seasoning the chicken, since it was only half the amount.

My notes: Don't rush the roux! Let it cook and do it's thing. I will say though, that I am glad I took it off the heat when I did and added the onions - as the roux continued to darken during this stage (and when the chicken was added to be browned). I even used the okra (I loathe okra) and it added a silky richness to the sauce. I used frozen ones, which ended up cooking right down into the rich sauce. Final thoughts? Do make this recipe. I have a new favourite for cooking for a crowd. Thanks again Denise! See you all next month!

Here's the original recipe:

Drew’s Chicken & Smoked Sausage Gumbo
Minimally adapted from My New Orleans: The Cookbook, by John Besh
Serves 10-12
Ingredients
1 cup (240 ml) (230 gm) rendered chicken fat, duck fat, or canola oil
1 cup (240 ml) (140 gm) (5 oz) flour
2 large onions, diced
1 chicken (3 ½ to 4 lbs.), cut into 10 pieces
2 tablespoons (30 ml) (15 gm) (½ oz) Basic Creole Spices (recipe follows), or store-bought Creole spice blend
2 pounds (2 kilograms) spicy smoked sausage, sliced ½ inch (15mm) thick
2 stalks celery, diced
2 green bell peppers (capsicum), seeded and diced
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Leaves from 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
3 quarts (3 liters) Basic Chicken Stock (recipe follows), or canned chicken stock
2 bay leaves
6 ounces (175 gm) andouille sausage, chopped
2 cups (480 ml) (320 gm) (11 oz) sliced fresh okra, ½ -inch (15mm) thick slices (or frozen, if fresh is not available)
1 tablespoon (15 ml) Worcestershire sauce
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Filé powder, to taste
Tabasco, to taste
4-6 cups (1 – 1½ liters) (650 gm – 950 gm) cooked Basic Louisiana White Rice (recipe follows)
Directions:
1. Prepare homemade chicken stock, if using (recipe below).
2. Prepare homemade Basic Creole Spices, if using (recipe below).
3. Season the chicken pieces with about 2 tablespoons of the Creole Spices while you prepare the vegetables.
4. Make sure all of your vegetables are cut, diced, chopped, minced and ready to go before beginning the roux. You must stand at the stove and stir the roux continuously to prevent it from burning.

The Creole Seasoning - will be great next time too!

Aromatics

Smoked Sausage

5. In a large cast-iron or heavy-bottomed pan, heat the chicken fat, duck fat, or canola oil over high heat. Whisk the flour into the hot oil – it will start to sizzle. Reduce the heat to moderate, and continue whisking until the roux becomes deep brown in color, about 15 minutes.
6. Add the onions. Switch to a wooden spoon and stir the onions into the roux. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Continue stirring until the roux becomes a glossy dark brown, about 10 minutes.
7.Add the chicken to the pot; raise the heat to moderate, and cook, turning the pieces until slightly browned, about 10 minutes.
8. Add the sliced smoked sausage and stir for about a minute.
9. Add the celery, bell peppers, tomato, and garlic, and continue stirring for about 3 minutes.
10. Add the thyme, chicken stock, and bay leaves. Bring the gumbo to a boil, stirring occasionally.
11. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally, skimming off the fat from the surface of the gumbo every so often.
12. Add the chopped andouille, okra, and Worcestershire. Season with salt and pepper, several dashes of filé powder, and Tabasco, all to taste.
13. Simmer for another 45 minutes, continuing to skim the fat from the surface of the gumbo. Remove the bay leaves and serve in bowls over rice. Pass more filé powder at the table if desired.

Sliced Okra

Andouille Sausage

Onions and roux

Coated and ready for the stock

And the finished dish:

Saucy and delicious!

Spaghettini with Spinach and Mushrooms

2011-05-13T10:33:00.000-07:00

Catelli Smart Spaghettini

It's Friday - my day off, and of course, the day I leave to do all my chores. Ugh - I loathe housework...I digress.

In this week's Ottawa Organics delivery, were some beautiful, large, vibrant green, spinach leaves and some gorgeous, firm bella mushrooms. I did toy with the idea of leaving the house and grabbing some lunch in town, but that would mean getting dressed - properly. So, instead, I decided to use some of nature's bounty for my lunch. It was really quick - really - it took only about 15 minutes from start to finish. The result was healthy and delicious and it was enjoyed with a crisp, chilled glass of 2009 Hardy's Stamp of Australia Riesling Gewurztraminer. Delish!

Here's what I made and here's what you'll need for lunch for 1:

1 serving of spaghettini (yes, I did weigh it :-) - 85 grams )
1/4 cup white onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 cup of bella mushrooms, sliced
1/2 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme
1/2 cup of fresh spinach, washed, spun dry, chopped
1 teaspoon of flour
2 teaspoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon of unsalted butter
1/4 cup of low sodium chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste

- Start the pasta water to boil - don't forget to salt the water once it starts boiling
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat
- Saute onion and garlic until fragrant, about 2 minutes
- Add mushrooms to the pan, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and season with pepper
- Saute until very soft - about 7 to 8 minutes, stir in the thyme
- Meanwhile cook the pasta according to directions on the package
- Add the butter, stir until melted
- Reduce heat and add flour to pan, stir until it is no longer visible
- Add chicken stock to pan, stir to incorporate and slowly thicken
- When thickened to your liking, add spinach and stir until wilted - increase heat a little if necessary
- Toss pasta with the mushrooms and spinach - adjust seasonings if necessary
- Top with fresh grated Parmesan

Enjoy!

Jupiter Beach Resort and Spa, Florida

2011-05-11T08:09:00.000-07:00

Spent some time here before the Easter weekend. How did I pick this place? We were supposed to be seeing the second last space shuttle launch which was originally scheduled for April 19th. Days before we were supposed to leave, we learned it was scrubbed (and has subsequently been scrubbed a couple of times!). I had already changed our flights to fly into Orlando instead of Tampa and wasn't interested in paying to change them back. So between Google Maps and Trip Advisor I made my decision.

Jupiter Beach is a quaint little town on the Atlantic Ocean side of Florida. It was about a 2-1/2 hour drive from the Orlando airport. The resort is very lovely - not very big though, which we like - only 168 rooms. We don't stay at resorts too often, but prefer the smaller ones. I don't relish getting up at the ass-crack of dawn to put a towel on a pool chair! According to the doorman, this is the third hotel to take up in this spot. We liked the boutique hotel feel of the place - with the added bonus of having two restaurants, a bar, a pool and a spa.

We were checked in quickly and went up to our room. (Sorry, no pics, but you could check it out on their website - the rooms look exactly as picture on their website). Nice view of the ocean (although I had the view of the parking lot directly below).

Our first night we enjoyed a delicious (albeit slow) dinner at the hotel's indoor restaurant, Sinclair's Lounge. Our waiter, Vangellas (awesome name!) was efficient and provided good service. My complaint? Dinner took quite a long time to arrive. We were patient though - sipping bevvies and enjoying our starter of friend calamari with banana peppers and green onion. It came with a roasted garlic oil and some marinara sauce for dipping. (We ended up seeing this combination of calamari and banana peppers a few other places as well - maybe it was a Florida thing). You could see the frustrated waiters waiting at the pass for their meals.

Our main courses arrived (finally) and were very good, so worth the wait. I had the grouper which came with a lobster and crab cake. I love grouper and seem to have the best of in when we are in Florida. Dale had the steak, which was cooked perfectly and delicious!

Grouper with Lobster and Crab Cake

Steak with Blue Cheese Potato Gratin

We prepaid breakfast with our stay (turned out to not be such a great idea). Breakfast took FOREVER. First morning - 45 minutes. We didn't complain as they were busy and our waiter, Gary, was by the table regularly to refill water and coffee. It was good when it finally arrived (no pics) - I had the smoked turkey tacos - three small flour tortillas, smoked turkey, scrambled eggs and cheese. Came with a side of fresh salsa. Dale had the regular three egg breakfast.

We enjoyed the beach (wow - expensive chair rental - $25 US/chair/day on the beach - yikes!) and did a bit of walking/exploring. I will say I liked getting bar service beach side - nice touch (it wasn't an all inclusive resort though). We dined poolside - again, long wait times for food - even to bus the table took a while. Lunch was pretty good though. I had a Cobb salad and Dale had the seared tuna wrap. Pretty good, but not memorable.

Cobb Salad with Lump Crab

Seared Tuna Wrap

Our second breakfast was a complete disaster. Longer wait, cold food and a bonus hair on my plate. On top of this, we were promised it would be taken off of our bill and it wasn't. I didn't even bother to dispute this on checkout. We just wanted to be on our way.

Final thoughts? Beautiful property - most of the staff went out of the way to be genuinely nice and not saccharine (like a few). Would I stay here again? Yes I would, but I would choose to eat my meals elsewhere. Long wait times in both restaurants and pricey drinks.

Fish Tacos - Happy Cinco de Mayo!

2011-05-04T06:32:00.000-07:00

Mahi mahi fish tacos

While I was watching the Food Network this past weekend, I was pleasantly inundated with images of delicious Mexican dishes. One that kept popping up was fish tacos. While I have never made them myself, I did enjoy them on two occasions - both in Las Vegas. I first had them at The Cheesecake Factory at Caesar's Palace and then at the Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill at the Red Rock Resort and Casino. Both times I loved the flavours of the fish and the delicious fresh toppings.

I made these as my homage to the holiday. I didn't really have a recipe - instead I made it taste the way I would like fish to taste. I used the inspiration from several shows I watched - some of their versions worked, some didn't (grilling halibut can be tricky!). The only thing I had to buy was some flour tortillas to complete my creation. Here's what I came up with.

This will make 4 fish tacos

For the fish:
Use any firm fleshed, mild tasting fish - I had mahi mahi on hand
I cut the fish into 1" strips
Seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne pepper and ground thyme
Let marinate for 1 hour
Dredge the fish strips in finely ground cornmeal
Deep fry until done - should only take about 2 minutes to cook the fish - we're not going for a golden brown look here or the fish will be over done.

For the tortillas:
You can warm them however you wish. I grilled mine in a cast iron grill pan and kept them warm in my tortilla warmer.

For the salsa:
1/2 cup seeded and chopped tomatoes
1/3 cup chopped red onion
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon seeded and chopped jalapeno or Serrano pepper
Salt and pepper to taste

For the remoulade (adapted from the Joy of Cooking):
2 tablespoons low fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chopped gherkins
2 teaspoons of pickle juice
1/2 tablespoon chopped capers
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley

For garnish:
Boston lettuce and alfalfa sprouts.

They were delicious and I will make them again for sure!

By Chadsey's Cairns - Winery and Vineyard

2011-05-02T07:35:00.000-07:00

This was our second visit to this quaint winery, near a circa early 1900's cemetary. The history of this place is quite intriguing - love, devotion, romance and suicide. A very interesting history, worthy of some self discovery. On another trip, I think we'll take the time to explore the grounds further.

The main store at the winery, is very unassuming from the front. After sending someone out to do some recon to see if they were open (yes, sometimes I am that lazy...why have an unnecessary walk a whole 50'!), we piled out of the van and were not disappointed.

Inside the old structure, we found the winemaker himself, Richard Johnson, ready to take us on a taste tour. I love the inside of this building. Not to sound cliche, but it does take you back to another time as soon as you open the doors and enter. I find it very warm and inviting.

We tasted some wines and some delicious grape juice (it was REALLY good). We tried the Gewurztraminer, the Rosita Rose and the Gamay Noir. We left with a few (ahem) bottles and a trio of Niagara flavoured vinegars (I've already tried the cherry vinegar in a vinaigrette with some fresh spinach - delish!).

The Barn

Hinterland Wine Company

2011-04-22T07:41:00.000-07:00

We almost didn't stop at this winery. We weren't sure it was even open, but am I glad we did stop!

When their construction is complete it will be spectacular. However, we weren't there for the decor, we were there for the wines. We met Jonas Newman and his wife Vicki Samaras. Vicki was our host through our tasting. They had not been open very long, but I think they will definitely leave their mark on the Prince Edward County Wine scene. Wines of special note were the Sparkling Rose, the Whitecap and the decadent Ancestral.

I have to talk about that Ancestral for a moment. It is a method of making sparkling wine that generally yields lower alcohol wines. Hinterland's Ancestral is an ambrosial taste of County Gamay Noir grapes. It is a bubbly shade of amaranth pink - reminiscent of a gemstone in a glass. After my first sip, I knew I wasn't leaving without a few bottles for my cellar at home. And, bonus, they deliver to Ottawa!

This stop ended up tying for first place (my own competition) of the wineries we stopped at. I am optimistic for Hinterland and their plans to add to the list of already wonderful wines available in The County. We'll be back. I will try and make my three bottles of Ancestral last until then. I might share...

Rack typically used in the disgorgement process

Hillier Creek Estates Winery

2011-04-20T06:33:00.000-07:00

We stopped at this winery on our first day in The County. Hillier has some fantastic wines, including an Estate Chardonnay and a Gamay. The Estate Chardonnay is unoaked - leaving you to taste and appreciate the grape and all that Chardonnay has to offer. Light, crisp, slightly fruity. A nice table wine.

I like the Gamay as well because I don't see too many winemakers doing this varietal. I like it for it's light acidity and slightly tart flavours of fruit. It was a short visit this time (there was a birthday party group there for a tasting), but mission accomplished.

Daring Kitchen - Edible Containers

2011-04-14T12:50:00.000-07:00

Toast Baskets with White Truffle Scrambled Egg and Fresh Garlic Chives

This was an interesting challenge presented to us this month. Unfortunately, I am not a very creative person. That being said, I still wanted to come up with something interesting. I hope you find my submission delicious - it was for me.

Blog checking lines: Renata of Testado, Provado & Aprovado! was our Daring Cooks’ April 2011 hostess. Renata challenged us to think “outside the plate” and create our own edible containers! Prizes are being awarded to the most creative edible container and filling, so vote on your favorite from April 17th to May 16th at http://thedaringkitchen.com

To make my toast baskets was actually quite simple - once I figured out what I was going to do. You need some very fresh bread (less fresh bread will tear and you will be unable to mold it), some oil, a brush, a muffin pan and a rolling pin.

I cut the bread into squares and rolled it flat with a rolling pin. Then brushed with some olive oil, then carefully pressed into a muffin tin. Use whichever size muffin tin will work the best based on the size of your slice of bread. I then baked it in the oven at 400F for 12 minutes, or until the edges were golden brown. Let them cool a bit on a rack. The filling was scrambled eggs with a drizzle of white truffle oil and garlic chives as a garnish. Quite tasty. The chives were fresh from our garden - first thing up every spring.

Thanks for the inspiration Renata! See you all for next month's challenge!

Huff Estates - The Inn & Winery

2011-04-11T10:54:00.000-07:00

We recently visited Prince Edward County - this is our third trip to the region and we are still loving it! We have stayed at B and B's or small inns in the past, but a friend suggested some place different. We stayed at the new inn at Huff Estates.

The inn is beautiful and very modern, compared to some other properties in the area. Just a different type of accommodation when comparing to a Bed and Breakfast, not necessarily better, just depends on your preference.

Lobby

We arrived in the early afternoon and were met at the front desk by a very bubbly receptionist. They were very organized, our room was ready and we were shown our accommodations. The rooms were beautiful! Very inviting, warm feeling. Very nicely and tastefully decorated. I liked the touch of having a fireplace. Everything was as advertised.

Patio Outside of Our Room

The package we chose was the One Night Package with dinner, which would have included shuttle service to a nearby restaurant. Breakfast the following morning, on-site, was also included. On this particular evening, they were hosting a Winemaker's Dinner at the inn, so we opted for that instead.

The dinner was held on-site in a large room (doubles as a conference room) which seated about 28 people. The chef for the evening was Michael Hoy and the Huff Winemaker was Frederic Picard. They put together an excellent dinner and wine pairings.

Dinner was promptly at 6:30pm - which was a little early for me, but did allow us to enjoy some delightful wine before dinner. We were seated and found small menus at our place settings. (There was even a 'shrimp allergy' note on my card, which was a nice touch (kind friends remembering to mention this when they made the reservation) - why ruin a good evening with projectile vomiting? I digress...)

Each course was introduced by Mr. Picard. He described each wine that we were having and how it would pair with the course. He also took the time to stop by each table to chat, introduce himself, and to answer any questions we might have had about the wines. He was very personable and we appreciated him giving us his time.

Now, on with the food!

First Course: Gougeres with Dry-cured Ham and Gruyere - served with 2008 Cuvee Peter F Huff. The gougeres were fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside. This is a feat in itself if you have every made gougeres and had to have them sit around. The filling was slightly salty, but a nice accompaniment to the wine. (Note: I didn't get a photo of the gougeres as I was too busy tracking the progress of the server's tray of them, to actually remember to take a picture. Focus!)

Second Course: Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup with Peanut, Tamarind, Kaffir Lime and Roasted Shallots - served with 2008 South Bay Vineyards Chardonnay. The soup was wonderful - the lime that came through was well balanced by the sweet potato and coconut combination. Again, a nice pairing and a delicious course.

Third Course: Beet-cured Salmon Maki Roll with Rocket, Orange and Sweet Onion Salad - served with 2008 Riesling Reserve. For me this was the only course that wasn't 'great'. I didn't get any of the beet cure flavour on the salmon, the maki roll had too much rice and, for me, begged for some light soy or pickled ginger (although it may not have been part of the Winemakers pairing vision). It tasted good, but I would have prefered a second bowl of that creamy delicious soup from the Second Course.

Fourth Course: Dry-aged Beef Tenderloin with Miso, Ginger, Garlic and Sesame Shiitake Mushrooms and Scallions - served with 2007 South Bay Vineyards Merlot-Cabernet. Although I have had beef tenderloin often, I have never had it with this flavour profile. It was absolutlely delectable. The earthiness of the shiitake mushroom paired with the garlic and ginger - wonderul and I must say, I need to try this fusion of flavours at home. Often, I find that beef tenderloin is bland, even when cooked to perfection. It doesn't really have that much flavour on its own, compared to a fattier cut - the exception this time, was that it was dry-aged. Made all the difference in the world.

Fifth Course: Bittersweet Chocolate Cake with Passion Fruit Cream and Macerated Raspberries - served with 2004 Ice Wine (which I understand they are no longer selling). The cake was light and the filling creamy and delicious. The Ice Wine did pair nicely - not a fan overall of ice wine, but a nice pairing nevertheless.

Overall Comments: The Inn at Huff is a beautiful property. I would definitely stay here again and have already recommended to a couple of friends and some family. Some people prefer the older charm of a Bed and Breakfast - but as a personal preference, I like the Inn. The staff there were efficient and friendly. I liked the added benefit of being able to make all your wine purchases at the front desk - instead of having go up to the winery. Not a long walk, but long enough with a box of wine in your arms.

Chef Michael Hoy did a commendable job on dinner - considering the space he had to work out of. There was not a full kitchen at the dinner venue, but the food was served hot and came out in a timely fashion. The servers were competent and knowledgeable.

See you next time Huff!

Tastings at The Winery

Review - Le Baccara, Casino Gatineau

2011-04-04T10:54:00.000-07:00

We recently had the pleasure of dining here again - our last visit was almost seven years ago. Let me just say, it was just as wonderful this time as the last time. We even had the same server! His name was Matthieu and we asked him how long he'd been working there - 10 years. He said many of the servers had been there for between 10 and 15 years. This says something to me, about job satisfaction.

When we arrived at the restaurant, I was greeted by name (as I was the one who made the reservation and approached the host) and we were promptly led to our table. We were led past an impressive wine cellar and the busy but relatively quiet open concept kitchen. Once comfortably seated, our server Matthieu presented the menus, and left us to deliberate over the menu.

We were a group of four and ordered a la carte. Although there were several options for different types of Table d'Hote menus, there wasn't a particular combination that we wanted. Regardless of our choices, the food was delectable.

I started my meal with a Cosmopolitan. I order these at many different restaurants and have had them all over the world. It's amazing what some bartender's interpretation of a Cosmo is! This one had a perfect balance of vodka, cranberry and lime with a hint of orange from the Cointreau. Que bueno!

We placed our orders and were then presented with a selection of breads and some creamy butter. We were served a delicious rare beef amuse bouche - garnished with peppery micro herbs also, before dinner arrived.

For my starter I ordered the Bison tartare from la Petite-Nation with ewes’ milk cheese and truffles, quail egg tempura and beet vinaigrette. The tartare was incredible! I wouldn't ever have made a tartare for myself with cheese, but it worked. (The vinaigrette was a little tangy for my taste, though). The most spectacular part of the dish was the quail egg tempura. It arrived on top looking like a little white pillow. When I cut into it, there was a perfectly cooked tiny quail egg in the centre. The tempura had been lightly salted and added a nice touch. The textures were lovely. Crispy outside, slightly chewy tempura layer then the egg inside. I truly could have eaten just this egg, it was that good.

For my main course, I ordered the fine porcini mushroom crusted seared beef tenderloin, fingerling potato cake, grilled leek and braised endive, with port beef jus. The dusting of the porcini powder on top added a nice earthy flavour to what otherwise could have been a bland piece of beef. Most tenderloin doesn't have that much independent flavour, but this piece was beefy and delicious. The grilled baby leek on top was tasty as well.

After all of this dining splendour, I couldn't possible have eaten dessert. Some opted for coffee (which I heard was excellent) and I just finished sipping on my wine. No one ordered dessert, but while we were finishing up, they brought out a small tray of chocolates and candies. The tray was decorated with a beautiful spun sugar flower. A nice touch and a nice way to end a meal.

I've been to Le Baccara three times now and each time I've been it feels like a special occasion. The service, the food, the atmosphere. For me it's the type of restaurant you get dressed up to go to. All the wonderful details just make the evening special. Greeting the guests (with reservations, of course) by name; friendly and knowledgeable waitstaff; the choreography of presenting each person's dinner cloche at the same time and the timely unveiling; nuts and nibbles with your cocktails; fresh flowers. Worthy of a repeat visit.

Daring Kitchen - Papas Rellenos

2011-03-14T17:59:00.000-07:00

The humble Russett potato

This month's challenge was a two-parter, for the intrepid. The ceviche portion of the challenge looked great, but it would be ceviche for one :-( so instead, I decided to try and incorporate some seafood into the papas rellenos. This is a Peruvian dish that is essentially a stuffed potato. I made a filling with salt cod fish, peppers, tomato, and other aromatics and spices. They turned out wonderful, golden brown, crispy on the outside, and savoury on the inside. So, thank you to Kathlyn of Bake Like a Ninja for March's delicious challenge.

Blog checking lines: Kathlyn of Bake Like a Ninja was our Daring Cooks’ March 2011 hostess. Kathlyn challenged us to make two classic Peruvian dishes: Ceviche de Pescado from “Peruvian Cooking – Basic Recipes” by Annik Franco Barreau. And Papas Rellenas adapted from a home recipe by Kathlyn’s Spanish teacher, Mayra.

I found this challenge a great one to adapt as my family background is Caribbean and although we don't have a dish like this from the islands my family is from, I can appreciate the flavours.

Here's the recipe that was provided:

Papas Rellenas (de carne):
Makes 6
Ingredients
For the dough:
2¼ lb (1 kg) russet potatoes
1 large egg

For the filling:
2 tablespoon (30 ml) of a light flavored oil
½ lb (250 grams) ground (minced) beef
6 black olives, pitted and chopped (use more if you love olives)
3 hard boiled large eggs, chopped
1 small onion, finely diced (about 1 cup (240 ml))
½ cup (120 ml) (90 gm) (3 oz) raisins, soaked in 1 cup (240 ml) boiling water for 10 minutes, then minced
1 finely diced aji pepper (ok to sub jalapeño or other pepper – if you are shy about heat, use less)
2 cloves garlic, minced or passed through a press (if you love garlic, add more)
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (4 gm) (1/8 oz) ground cumin (use more if you like cumin)
½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) (2 gm) (1/16 oz) sweet paprika
¼ c. white wine, water or beef stock for deglazing
Salt and pepper to taste

For the final preparation:
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup (240 ml) (140 gm) (5 oz) all-purpose flour
Dash cayenne pepper
Dash salt
1 cup dry (240 ml) (110 gm) (4 oz) or fresh (240 ml) (60 gm) (2 oz) bread crumbs (you can use regular, panko, make your own or use store-bought)
Oil for frying (enough for 2” (50 mm) in a heavy pan like a medium sized dutch oven)

Directions:
In order to save time, you can boil the potatoes, and while they are cooling, you can make the filling. While that is cooling, you can make the potato “dough.” In this way, little time is spent waiting for anything to cool. For the dough:
1. Boil the potatoes until they pierce easily with a fork. Remove them from the water and cool.
2. Once the potatoes have cooled, peel them and mash them with a potato masher or force them through a potato ricer (preferred).

3. Add egg, salt and pepper and knead “dough” thoroughly to ensure that ingredients are well combined and uniformly distributed.

While the potatoes cool down before finishing the dough, you can make the filling:
1. Gently brown onion and garlic in oil (about 5 minutes).
2. Add the chili pepper and sauté for a couple more minutes.
3. Add ground beef and brown.
4. Add raisins, cumin and paprika and cook briefly (a few seconds).
5. Deglaze the pan with white wine.
6. Add olives and cook for a few moments longer.
7. Add hard boiled eggs and fold in off heat.
8. Allow filling to cool before forming “papas.”

Forming and frying the papas:
1. Use three small bowls to prepare the papas. In one, combine flour, cayenne and salt. In the second, a beaten egg with a tiny bit of water. Put bread crumbs in the third
2. Flour your hands and scoop up 1/6 of the total dough to make a round pancake with your hands. Make a slight indentation in the middle for the filling.
3. Spoon a generous amount of filling into the center and then roll the potato closed, forming a smooth, potato-shaped casing around the filling. Repeat with all dough (you should have about 6 papas).4. Heat 1 ½ - 2 inches (4 – 5 cm) of oil in a pan to about 350 – 375° F (175 - 190°C).
5. Dip each papa in the three bowls to coat: first roll in flour, then dip in egg, then roll in bread crumbs.
6. Fry the papas (in batches if necessary) about 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Flip once in the middle of frying to brown both sides.
7. Drain on paper towel and store in a 200ºF (95ºC) (gas mark ¼) oven if frying in batches.
8. Serve with salsa criolla (or other sauce of preference) immediately.

Ready for breading

My notes: Instead of the meat filling, I made a filling with salt cod fish (recipe below), but the method for the papas was the same. I enjoyed mine with some hot sauce. Muy delicioso!
8 oz dried salt cod - soaked in water overnight, in the refrigerator - change the water a couple of times to help get rid of the extra salt
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 roma tomato, seeded and diced
1 seeded and diced serrano pepper
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

- Coarsely chop the fish
- In a skillet over medium heat, saute the onion and peppers until onions are translucent - about 6 - 8 minutes
- Add the garlic, saute for one minute, then add the tomatoes and oregano.
- Allow mixture to cool before using to stuff the potato

These are going to be great as leftovers for lunch tomorrow with a salad!

Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Salad

2011-03-06T12:50:00.000-08:00

This Sunday's inspiration was spawned (as most times) by some marathon cooking show watching. We were watching a Vietnamese cooking show (Luke Nguyen) and his food always looks so good!

I started my quest as usual - searching online for recipes - researching quantities and cooking methods. When I found some common themes in the recipes, I knew I had a great starting point for my dish. The dish sort of morphed into something different, not entirely a Vietnamese dish, but my twist on the flavours. I got a little carried away in the pantry, but it turned out pretty delicious. Empty bowls as evidence.

Here's what I came up with today - there may be a lot of ingredients, but the preparation is actually pretty simple.

Serves 2
8 oz skinless, boneless chicken breast
6 oz rice stick noodle
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
1 teaspoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons coconut oil*
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon garlic chili sauce
2 teaspoons peanut butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemongrass paste*
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon coconut powder*
1/2 cup of julienned cucumber
1/2 cup of shredded carrots
2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons fried onions
2 tablespoons fried garlic

- Poach the chicken breast in some chicken stock until cooked through (about 10 minutes). Once the chicken is cooked and cool enough to handle, shred and set aside.
- Prepare the noodles - fill a large pot with water. Bring to a boil then remove from the heat. Put the rice stick noodles in the hot water and soak them for 10 minutes with the lid on. After 10 minutes, drain, rinse under cold water and set aside
- In a small glass jar with a lid, put in the rice vinegar, lime juice, chili sauce, fish sauce, coconut oil, sesame oil, garlic chili sauce, lemongrass, ginger, and the coconut powder powder. Shake to combine, set aside.

To assembly the salad, layer the noodles, chicken, cucumber, carrots, cilantro and green onion in a bowl. Top with the fried onions, fried garlic and dress the salad to taste.

Notes*: If you can't find coconut oil, then you can use peanut oil or any other vegetable oil. You can find tubes of lemongrass paste in the herb section of the grocery store. Coconut powder is sold in most ethnic sections of the grocery store - twice the amount of coconut milk can be substituted.

All photos property of Jo Ann Hennigar and may not be used without permission.

Pot Roast, Quicker

2011-02-28T07:43:00.000-08:00

Pot Roast with garlic mashed potatoes and corn.

I have recently discovered the joys of my pressure cooker. I used to be afraid of this device. Too many memories of my mother treating it like it should only have been handled by expert hands. I had many flashbacks of gravy on the kitchen ceiling. Although our pressure cooker only blew up once, that’s all it took to scare me off.

A few years back, during a nostalgic phase, I purchased one. They have changed quite a bit since I had seen my mother’s retro yellow one on the stove. It is quite something. They are quite lovely - with stainless steel, heavy bottoms, strong and heavy seals, and sturdy pressure release valves. It truly is an awesome piece of equipment.

Through trial and error, I have come to realize that I should use my pressure cooker as a tool, rather than a pot to cook an entire meal in. I use it to tenderize tougher cuts of meat in about half the time as simmering in a crock pot or in a Dutch oven.

The problem for me, in using it to cook an entire dish is that you may end up inadvertently obliterating not only the meat, but any vegetables you put inside the pot! I prefer instead to soften up the meat, then add extra flavours or thicken up the sauce into rich gravy, as desired.

Here's the resulting recipe from my Sunday afternoon experiment

Pot Roast

1 kg boneless cross rib roast

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 cup sliced white onion

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 398 mL can diced tomatoes

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon dried summer savoury

3 bay leaves

2 tablespoons Worcerstershire sauce

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons pepper

3 cups of low-sodium stock or water

A nice sear will bring out the beefy flavour

In a medium sized skillet, heat the vegetable oil and sear the roast on all sides until brown all over. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place the rest of the ingredients in the pressure cooker. Put the roast in. Depending on the size of your pressure cooker, you may need more or less stock. You want it to be at least halfway submerged in the liquid.

Put the lid on the pot, lock in place and bring to a boil. When it starts hissing, turn the heat down to medium-high and continue cooking for 90 minutes. Check it for doneness at this point. Be sure to let it cool down before you open it! (The newer pots won't let you open them until the pressure has subsided - running the pot under cold water helps speed this up).

The meat should be almost falling apart here. If it's not, put it back on the stove, under pressure for another 30 minutes then check again.

When the meat is cooked to your desired doneness, take it out of the cooking liquid and reduce the gravy. To do this quickly, heat an empty saucepan on the stove until scorching hot. Add about 1 cup of the cooking liquid and let it simmer rapidly until reduced to your liking. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Enjoy with some creamy whipped mashed potatoes and vegetables of your choice.

Happy Cooking!

Barbados - The Food - III - The Tides, St. James

2011-02-22T07:43:00.000-08:00

View Tableside at The Tides

The Tides restaurant is located ocean side in the parish of St. James. Upon arrival a handsome valets take your car and you are then shown into the air-conditioned bar/lounge if you wish. The walls of the lounge are festooned with paintings and artwork by local artists - as well as those from some of the surrounding Caribbean islands. The building reminds me of a Spanish style home - with an open courtyard in the interior.

Once your table is ready, you are escorted to the dining area (the staff will bring your drink for you - why ruin your evening by missing a step and spilling your drink?). It's not that you have to wait for your table, but the lounge is a nice place to relax, have a drink or wait for the rest of your party to arrive (and it's air-conditioned, those who know me...).

The entire back wall of the restaurant is not a wall, but an open view onto the Caribbean Sea - if you are lucky enough and early enough, you can catch the sunset.

When you reserve early enough, you can probably get a seaside table. Watching the sea and the manta rays while dining - what could be more wonderful than that? This restaurant is very well staffed and it shows. You are rarely left wanting. We have visited this place three times and I thought it was time to give it a mention.

Here are some of the dishes we have enjoyed:

Seared Tuna


Fresh Catch of the Day - Mahi Mahi

Homemade Open Ravioli of Shrimp, Scallop, Calamari and Asparagus


Lobster Risotto - sooooo goooood


Broiled Caribbean Lobster Tail Looking forward to our next visit!!

Barbados - The Food - II - La Luna Restaurant

2011-02-16T10:43:00.000-08:00

This restaurant, located inside the boutique hotel Little Arches, was where the wedding reception was held. We had dined here in the past and the food was impressive. The service was great, loved the plates (Earthworks Pottery) and the food was stellar once again. If you have a chance, check out this little gem in Enterprise, Christchurch, Barbados. Don't forget to check out sushi night! Make a reservation, as it fills up quite quickly.


On The Rooftop at La Luna Cafe

Baked Brie w/ Phyllo and Roasted Onionand Thyme Jam


Fresh Crab and Shrimp Cakepan Seared with Pineable Tomato Salsa


Beef Tenderloin (US) w/ Mushrooms in a Stilton Butter Port Dem-Glace


Fresh Lobster and Shrimp Sauteed with Tomatoes, Capers, Sundried Tomatoes and Capers

Would we return? Absolutely!

Daring Kitchen February - Hiyashi Soba and Tempura

2011-02-14T07:21:00.000-08:00

Lobster Tempura

Happy Valentine's Day! This was my first time making tempura and it won't be my last. I made sweet potato tempura and lobster tempura. My favourite was actually the sweet potato. I loved how it was crunchy outside and sweet, moist and delicious on the inside. Great challenge! The soba noodles were also quite yummy! I think I may use the rest of the package to make a soup - it's a little chilly here still...

The February 2011 Daring Cooks’ challenge was hosted by Lisa of Blueberry Girl. She challenged Daring Cooks to make Hiyashi Soba and Tempura. She has various sources for her challenge including japanesefood.about.com, pinkbites.com, and itsybitsyfoodies.com

I made my own ichiban dashi for the Mentsuyu dipping sauce. I didn't have any kombu, but did have some wakame, so I substituted that in my broth. I also added a handful of dried shiitake mushrooms to my broth. It added a nice earthy flavour.

Wakame - before and after

The longest part of the challenge was prepping the sauce and the veggies, but after that, it was a breeze.

I was concerned that the tempura wouldn't be crunchy - I didn't want to leave the sweet potatoes in the oil so long that the tempura would be too brown, but I wanted them to be cooked through. They turned out quite lovely. Next time though, I think I would make the batter a little more runny - to have a thinner crust.

Dinner is served