Potato-crusted Chicken Breast Pie

There are as many kinds of this pie as there are cheeses. You can substitute whichever kind of cheese you like for the "1 cup grated cheese"; blue or gruyere or cheddar etc.

2 potatoes, sliced 1⁄4 inch thick
4 eggs
1 cup cottage cheese
1 Tbsp flour (wheat or rice)
1⁄8 tsp black pepper
1⁄2 tsp hot sauce
1 cup grated cheese
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced
2 green onions, chopped

1. Pre-heat oven to 375F.
2. Bring a bot of water to boil, and blanch the potatoes; about 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and allow them to cool.
3. Whisk together the eggs, cottage cheese, flour, pepper, and hot sauce. Stir in the cheese, the chicken, and the green onions.
4. Butter a pie dish and arrange the slices in a single layer to cover the bottom and the sides of the dish.
5. Pour the egg mixture into the potato bowl.
6. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Allow it to cool at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before serving, otherwise it'll be too hot!

Isabelle's soupe - Wild Mushroom and Hazelnut Soup

My niece has asked me to show her how to cook. What an incredible honor and compliment to have been asked by her! Although I haven't been such a great teacher, 'cause I want to do everything. Last week I decided I'd find a recipe for her to try on her own (mostly on her own... at least partly on her own... ok, she did a lot under my guidance and with lots of help from me!) and I think she was really proud of the results, and with reason; bien fait, Isabelle! Thanks to my colleague Carole from giving me the recipe. (omit butter to make is suitable for vegans)

2 Tbsps (28gr) butter

2 Tbsps mild vegetable oil

1/2 lb button mushrooms, sliced

1/4 lb assorted wild mushrooms

1 cup diced leek

3/4 cup diced parsnip

1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, crushed

1 Tbsp fresh thyme, minced

2 garlic cloves

4 cups chicken broth (veg for vegetarian)

3/4 tsp salt, to taste

Pepper

optional 1 Tbsp finely chopped parsley

1. Melt 1 tbsp butter with 1 tbsp oil in a large pot over high heat (a large pot to have the surface for the liquid from the mushrooms to evaporate quickly and leave the earthy richness of the mushroom behind). Stir mushroom occasionally and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from pot and set aside.
2. Return pot to heat and melt remaining butter and oil. Add leek, parsnip, hazelnuts, thyme and cook a few minutes before adding garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook until veg are tender, another couple of minutes, then add mushrooms and stock. Bring to a boil reduce heat, and simmer about 10 minutes, covered.
3. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Bread Pudding Recipe

This is a very simple recipe, but I'm so fascinated by how the ingredients I used reacted. I had the great fortune of living close to the only authentic French bakery in Vancouver at the time (that I know of). One of the baguettes they produced they called 'buche', which appears to be a flat baguette with a very dense crust. This is what I used to make this recipe. I did not remove the crust and to my delight it not only absorbed all of the custard, but it expanded, crust and sponge, into a beautiful soufflé that kept its rounded shape in the pot for at least a minute before slowly deflating, the bread pieces forming oval honeycomb-ish shapes. Beautiful, and simple, two of my favourite things. Nowadays, since I bake my own bread, the pudding is heartier with my more dense Commons Bread, usually, and it continues to be delicious. The best way to make sure you have the right amount of bread is to use the weight. I'll save the ends in the freezer as the material for this recipe; it creates variation in the texture, which is quite nice. A great breakfast pudding, and elevated by serving it with some Crème Anglaise.

Yield: one 8" round glass baking dish

6 oz of diced day-old bread or ½ loaf baguette

4 large eggs

3/4 cups sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

A few pinches cinnamon

A smidgeon of nutmeg

2 tsp vanilla extract (or to taste, I likely use more, love the stuff)

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup milk

1 Tbsp (1/2oz/14gr) butter

(optional) heavy cream

1. Brush the baking dish with the melted butter to coat the bottom and sides.
2. If the bread is still too soft, you can toast and butter the slices. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired. Layer the slices of bread into the buttered baking dish.
3. Whisk the eggs, add the sugar, salt and nutmeg, pour in the cream and milk, whisking to combine uniformly. Strain the mixture directly over the bread to completely soak the slices, cover and let sit as long as you like, even overnight, especially if the bread is very dry. The goal of course is to have maximum soaking and minimum dry bread.
4. Bake, covered, at 325° for 45 minutes. Rotate the pan if needed for even baking, and continue to bake covered until the custard puffs up. Uncover, and continue to bake until firm at the edges, soft but set in the center.
5. (Optional) you can serve with a drizzle of cream or Crème Anglaise or some such.

Peter Rabbit Carrots - Lemon and cilantro carrots

Orange always seems to be what's recommended to go with carrots, but I've often felt that the flavour is missing. Maybe because I used the wrong kinds of oranges? Anyway, I decided to try with lemon instead and that did it! Granted, I was using some amazingly sweet and delicious biodynamically grown organic carrots, and their sweetness definitely contributed.

2 medium sized carrots

1-2 tsps (5-10gr) butter

juice from 1⁄2 lemon

1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, or to taste

salt, to taste

1. Boil carrots until just done. Drain. 
2. Add butter and allow to melt, then squeeze the juice out of the lemon over top, sprinkle with the cilantro, then the salt, toss, and serve.

Lemon and Chive Pan Sauce

The sauce is from Cook's Illustrated, but for the chicken, I follow the instructions to make Sauteed Chicken Breasts.

1 shallot, minced (about 3 tablespoons)

1 tsp all-purpose flour

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 Tbsp juice from 1 lemon

1 Tbsp minced fresh chives (I've also used green onion tails)

1 Tbsp (½ oz/14gr) butter

Salt and ground black pepper

1. If required, add a little oil and sautée shallot in a skillet and cook over medium heat until softened, about 2 minutes. 
2. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds. 
3. Add the broth, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a simmer, scraping the pan bottom to loosen browned bits. 
4. Simmer rapidly until the liquid is reduced to ¾ cup, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in any accumulated chicken juices; return to a simmer and cook 30 seconds. Off heat, whisk in the lemon juice, chives, and butter; season with salt and pepper. Spoon over chicken and serve immediately.

Chestnut and chocolate, a sweet consonance - Fondants Chocolat Marron

My favourite recipes are the simple ones that give the impression of great luxury. This is one of them. The cake is so moist and thick with dark chocolaty gooey goodness, it's a miracle they're not sold at McDonald's. It's a recipe from the Limousin region in France, and I've adapted it from the Recoins de France Web site.

1 can sweetened chestnut paste

100g 70% chocolate (usually 1 bar)

3.5 oz (100g) butter 

3 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Melt together chocolate and butter in a bain marie.
3. Whisk in the chestnut paste until the mixture is uniform, then add eggs one-at-a-time.
4. Pour into a single cake tin or smaller containers such as ramekins.
5. Bake 25 minutes or until centre is firm.
6. Let cool completely before removing from containers and serving
7. Recommended with crème anglaise, raspberry coulis or caramel sauce.

Irish Mutton Stew

People prefer lamb over mutton because it's so much more tender. Well, I don't know if it's the recipe or the mutton I used, but this was a delicious dish, full of flavour with tender morsels of mutton. The original, lost in the mists of time (I didn't save the Internet page it was on, all I remember was that it was an extract from a book with a picture of the cook on the cover, a sweet Irish grandma... really, with the cloud of white hair on her head and everything. Very cute), asked for more than three times what I've used, and I'm pretty sure I made a few mistakes in my calculations, but it worked! And it also means that it'll be easy to multiply the quantity. The ratio of meat to veg in my first attempt wasn't quite right, so this is still a work in progress, and the following is what I think the next batch should be.

1½ lb mutton, cubed into 1/2 inch pieces

Grapeseed oil (optional)
1¾ cup stock

2-3 large carrots, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

1 onion, cut into eigths

1-2 potato(es), sliced into 1/4 inch rounds

sprig of thyme

1 Tbsp (½ oz/14gr) butter

1 Tbsp flour

chives and parsley

1. If you're chopping up your own piece of mutton, trim the fat and render it in a saucepan, removing the solid portion once the fats have melted out. You can use this to lightly brown the meat instead of using vegetable oil.
2. If you don't have extra or enough fat to render, use about a tablespoon of grapeseed oil.
3. Note the 'lightly' in lightly brown the meat. Set aside. Use meat stock to deglaze the pot, remove from the heat source, and set the stock aside.
4. The next step is to layer the ingredients in strata. Start with laying the cooked meat (and any juices) at the bottom of the pot, season with salt and pepper, then layer with the chopped carrots, sprinkle with salt and pepper and nestle the sprig of thyme on top, followed by the onion, again with some salt and pepper, followed by the sliced potato with, yes, a brief shower of salt and pepper.
5. Using the saucepan's lid as a guide, cut out a round of parchment paper and lay this on top of the veg, then put the saucepan lid on top of that. Bring to a boil and let simmer gently for 1 to 1 1/2 hour.
6. Once cooked nicely with the meat all tender, in a saute pan, melt the butter on high heat, sprinkle in the flour and whisk until it starts to brown; the browning is important for flavour. Whisking constantly, drizzle in all the stock from the stew pot, let it simmer for about 5 minutes, then chop up some chives and parsley, mix these in, then pour it all back over the meat and veg.
7. It's ready to serve.

Traditions start somewhere - Tarte à la Citrouille a Papa

I just called home to ask my dad for his special pumpkin pie recipe. I always thought it was a recipe passed on from one generation to the next. My dad was in the bathroom and my sister's family was there with their little dog and so it was my mom who gave me the recipe after I'd had the chance to say 'hi' and chat a bit with the others. My mom said she was tired and she'd read the recipe out to me in English - whoa, wait a minute, why is it in English? I asked. Apparently it isn't an ancient family recipe, it's something my mom found in a magazine or on the back of a tin label that my dad started to make because he'd use pumpkins from the garden (like many straight men of his generation, there were only certain things a man could do in the kitchen and retain his manliness - barbeque being one of them). The original recipe is apparently called "Magic Pumpkin Pie", but to me, it will always be:

1 blind baked pie shell (crust recipe), completely cooled TRY Pate Sablee and Pate Brisee

2 cups (480g) pumpkin, mashed (to roast a pumpkin, 350F oven, cut in half, scoop out middle, oil cut edges, cut edges down bake for 50 minutes or until a knife easily pierces the skin. Cool, scoop out flesh, mash or puree in a blender)

1 1/3 cups (300g) sweetened condensed milk *(1)

1 egg

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ginger

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375F.
2. Blind bake pie the crust for 10 minutes. Let the crust cool completely before the next step to let it set properly.
3. Blend all the ingredients together in a bowl, then pour into the pie shell.
4. Bake for 50-55 minutes.
5. Cool, and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

*(1) (I am testing out a recipe to make my own sweetened condensed milk)

Spaghetti Al Limone

With my vegetarian niece coming for dinner on Sundays I've had to explore other cuisines - French food doesn't offer much in terms of vegetarian food. However, Italian does, and I know this from the near decade I spent as a vegetarian. I discovered David Rocco, handsome Italian man who cooks, too!

1 lb. spaghetti

1 clove garlic, for rubbing

lemon juice from 2 lemons, freshly squeezed

5 Tbsps. olive oil

salt to season

1 cup parmigiano cheese, finely grated, plus extra for sprinkling

bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

zest of 1 lemon, freshly grated

1. Place the spaghetti in a pot of boiling salted water.
2. Cut the garlic in half and rub all over the inside of a large serving bowl. This way the flavour of raw garlic will lightly infuse whatever you put in it. To the bowl, add the freshly squeezed lemon juice and salt then slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil while whisking until the ingredients emulsify.
3. When the spaghetti is ‘al dente’, drain it and dump into the serving bowl. Mix well, sprinkling in the parmigiano cheese, parsley and lemon zest. Serve immediately.

Chilli con Carne

For the moment, I'm essentially saving this from Cook's Illustrated. This was one of the recipes I'd lost when our computers were stolen. I'll have to go through the whole process of figuring out what I'd changed. One thing I remember is that I skipped the thickening part with the Masa Harina.

Serves 6.

To ensure the best chilli flavour, I recommend toasting whole dried chillies and grinding them in a mini-chopper or spice-dedicated coffee grinder, all of which takes only ten (very well-spent) minutes. Select dried chillies that are moist and pliant, like dried fruit. Count on trimming one-half to a full pound of waste from your chuck roast, so start with a four-pound roast to end up with three to three-and-a-half pounds of beef cubes. For hotter chilli, boost the heat with a pinch of cayenne, a dash of hot pepper sauce, or crumbled pequin chillies near the end of cooking. Serve the chilli with any of the following side dishes: warm pinto or kidney beans, corn bread or chips, corn tortillas or tamales, rice, biscuits, or just plain crackers, and top with any of the following garnishes: chopped fresh cilantro leaves, minced white onion, diced avocado, shredded cheddar or jack cheese, or sour cream.

3 Tbsps. ancho chilli powder or 3 medium pods (about 1/2 ounce), toasted and ground (see illustrations below)

3 Tbsps. New Mexico chilli powder or 3 medium pods (about 3/4 ounce), toasted and ground

2 Tbsps. cumin seeds , toasted in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 4 minutes, and ground

2 tsps. dried oregano , preferably Mexican

7 1/2 cups water , divided

1 beef chuck roast (4-pounds), trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-inch cubes

2 tsps. table salt , plus extra for seasoning

8 oz. bacon (7 or 8 slices), cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1 medium onion , minced (about 1 cup)

5 medium cloves garlic , minced

4 - 5 small jalapeño chillies, cored, seeded, and minced

1 cup 14oz (398mL) crushed tomatoes (canned), or plain tomato sauce 

2 Tbsps. lime juice from 1 medium lime

5 Tbsps. masa harina or 3 tablespoons corn starch

Ground black pepper

1. Mix chilli powders, cumin, and oregano in small bowl and stir in 1/2 cup water to form thick paste; set aside. Toss beef cubes with salt; set aside.
2. Fry bacon in large, heavy soup kettle or Dutch oven over medium-low heat until fat renders and bacon crisps, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon with slotted spoon to paper towel-lined plate; pour all but 2 teaspoons fat from pot into small bowl; set aside. Increase heat to medium-high; sauté meat in four batches until well-browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch, adding additional 2 teaspoons bacon fat to pot as necessary. Reduce heat to medium, add 3 tablespoons bacon fat to now-empty pan. Add onion; sauté until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeño; sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chilli paste; sauté until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add reserved bacon and browned beef, crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce, lime juice, and 7 cups water; bring to simmer. Continue to cook at a steady simmer until meat is tender and juices are dark, rich, and starting to thicken, about 2 hours.
3. Mix masa harina with 2/3 cup water (or corn starch with 3 tablespoons water) in a small bowl to form smooth paste. Increase heat to medium; stir in paste and simmer until thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning generously with salt and ground black pepper. Serve immediately, or preferably, cool slightly, cover, and refrigerate overnight or for up to 5 days. Reheat before serving.

Tart Chicken

Another delicious chicken recipe from Laura Calder. The first time I made this I forgot to strain the sauce at the end and to add to last tablespoon of butter, and it was still delicious with the tomato chunks all the same.
August 2017 - I've made a few amendments to reflect how I make this. Namely it is the description for the vinegar reduction as well as added element in reducing the sauce at the end, before incorporating the knob of butter. It makes it more syrupy and gooey. :)

1 chicken (3-1/2 pounds/1.6 kg) cut into six-to-eight pieces

Salt and pepper

1 Tbsp (14gr) butter + plus another for finishing

1 Tbsp mild vegetable oil

6 cloves garlic, peeled

1 cup white wine vinegar

1 cup chicken stock

1 bay leaf

1 sprig thyme

1 Tbsp. tomato paste

4 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped

2 good handfuls of chopped fresh parsley

1. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Melt 1 spoonful of the butter in a sauté pan with a drizzle of oil to prevent it burning, and brown the chicken (don't use non-stick or you won't get the rich fond to form). You’re not cooking the chicken here, just making the skin crisp and giving it colour and flavour. Four to five minutes per side is about right, depending on the cooking temperature, which should be medium high or more. Set aside the chicken.
2. Lower the temperature and let the pan cool a bit to avoid burning the garlic, then cook 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar and boil down by half, about 10 minutes (you'll know when the sound changes and you can run a wooden spoon along the bottom and it leaves a trail because the liquid has thickened). 
3. Return the chicken to the pan, and pour the stock over. Add the herbs, tomato paste, and the tomatoes. Cover and simmer until the meat is cooked, about half an hour (with a meat thermometer the white meat should read 165F and the brown 180). Remove the chicken to a dish and keep warm.
4. Strain the liquid into a saucepan, pressing to get all the juices through, then using a wooden spoon to strain as much matter from the veg as possible. Boil the liquid to reduce again until you get a nice syrup (wooden spoon trick again. Whisk in the last spoonful of butter, and pour over the chicken. Sprinkle over the parsley, and serve.

Oven-caramelized Potatoes

The potatoes are incredible, having absorbed all the liquid and transformed into sometimes creamy, sometimes crunchy little starch candies.

Olive oil, plus a little more for the potatoes

2 lbs. potatoes, sliced about the width of your little finger

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup veal or beef stock (and more if it dries out too quickly)

1. Heat the oven to 450F. Toss the potatoes on a baking sheet or roasting pan with a little olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Pour the stock over the potatoes. Position the oven rack on the lowest setting.
2. Roast the potatoes for 20 minutes, then lower the heat to 400F and continue roasting for 40 minutes to an hour more. Pour a little more stock or water onto the potatoes if they look dry at half-time. They are done when they are soft and nicely caramelized, glossy and sticky.

Albanian Lamb Stew

Searching for lamb stew recipes, I happened on this Albanian stew recipe. It sounded strange, and, well, that's all I need to get curious and want to try something! It is in fact a strange recipe, from execution to the final product, but actually quite good, although it still needs work. I highly recommend pairing it with a crisp green salad - the textures of the rich mean, tart yoghurt custard and crunchy, fresh salad is surprisingly good.
The result of my alterations is excellent. The cooking time is greatly increased to tenderize the meat and create a lovely sauce.

1 pound lean lamb, cut into 3/4 inch cubes (boneless shoulder or leg of lamb can be used)

2 Tbsps. vegetable oil

2 cups chicken or other meat stock

2 eggs

1 cup plain yoghurt

1/4 tsp. salt

1. Brown lamb in hot oil in a large skillet. Cook in batches to properly brown the meat, and be sure to brown it on all sides. 
2. Add the stock and bring to a slow simmer. Stew the meat this way, covered, for 40 minutes. 
3. Preheat the oven to 375F (originally 350).
4. Remove the cover and turn up the heat to Medium-Low and let most of the liquid evaporate, so that you end up with, essentially, a reduction of the juices. It should be thick and unctuous, and about only a couple of tablespoons worth. 
5. Place meat in shallow, 1-quart casserole dish or individual ramekins.
6. Beat together eggs, yoghurt, and salt; and pour over the meat.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Chicken Stew

This is a good quick meal. You can use crushed tomatoes instead to shorten the cooking time.
TIP: To prevent white meat cooked in a broth from going stringy, make sure that the vegetables are underneath, in the liquid, and the meat is on top, above the liquid, when adding the vegetables and meat, so that the meat cooks more gently.

2-3 Tbsp grapeseed oil
1 large chopped onion
14oz (398mL) can diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth OR 2 cups white wine
1-2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp. thyme or a couple of fresh sprigs
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 medium potatoes, diced
3 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, diced (optional)
2 chicken breasts, chopped

1. Heat the oil in a soup pot and sauté the onions for 2 minutes.
2. Add the tomato, broth (or wine), garlic, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring this mix to a boil and let simmer until the tomatoes cooks.
3. Add the potatoes, carrots, (celery if using). Layer the chicken on top - apparently it cooks better if it isn't braising in the liquid (see TIP).
4. Simmer until the vegetables are done, about 30 minutes.

Petit pots de crème

I'd seen recipes for Petit pots de crème on other sites, but they all seemed to require gelatine, and that just seemed wrong to me. I didn't know why, until I finally found references that used just egg yolk, cream and chocolate... more or less. When I first made these it was for my Ben and my niece Isabelle, and they ate two each, enjoying the rich flavours, but after a full meal, then gorging on this unctuous, fatty chocolate, they felt sick afterwards. I realize that I have a sadistic streak when it comes to people enjoying the food I make so much they make themselves sick. Compliment? Perhaps.

NOTE: You may be tempted to use more than 4 oz of chocolate. Be forewarned that more chocolate will make a more dense pudding. The ratio of ingredients in the recipe below ensures a smooth, creamy pudding with loads of chocolate flavour.

For 6 ramekins

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

4 oz. chocolate (70%)

6 egg yolks

3 Tbsp. sugar 

1. Heat the oven to 325F
2. Heat the cream, milk, vanilla and sugar, remove from heat just before it boils. Set aside to cool a bit.
3. Melt the chocolate over a bain-marie.
4. Whisk the yolks a bit. To avoid making scrambled eggs, slowly drizzle the hot melted chocolate into the yolk while whisking vigorously. When you've added all the chocolate, it will be thick. Whisk in a bit of the cream at first - it's quicker and easier this way, and you'll be sure that the yolk/chocolate mixture is well diluted into the cream.
5. Scoop off any froth, then strain to get rid of any particles, to have a smooth texture.
6. Pour into 6 ramekins and bake in a bain-marie until set at the edges, but slightly jiggly still in the centre, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Chocolate has a tendency to absorb flavours, so wrap the ramekins and refrigerate several hours before serving.

Mirabelle and Rosemary Jam

We got some delicious golden plums from some friends who have a fruit-tree plantation at Spence's Bridge, BC, and some fresh rosemary from the garden of a friend in Chilliwack, who is a garden designer and I tried making Mirabelle and Rosemary jam. The result is interesting, but I'm not sure what to do with it yet. I brought it over to Mauri and Kevin's and Mauri Iron-Cheffed with it and made a dessert using puff pastry and vanilla ice-cream drizzled with the stuff and it was quite good, but to me, there's a flavour, almost metallic, to the stuff. Tonight I'll try glazing pork chops with it to see how it does. For the record, the following is how I made it. I think one mistake was to leave the rosemary in the bowl overnight - I likely should have just put it in the pot while I was cooking it to get the flavour.

2.2 lbs. Mirabelle plums, cut in half (do not remove the pits and skins)
3 cups of sugar
the juice of 1 lemon
4 sprigs of rosemary
1 tsp. vanilla

1. Macerate the fruit with the sugar and lemon juice overnight in a covered ceramic bowl.
2. The next day, dump the macerated fruit into a soup pot and add the rosemary and vanilla extract. Cook, covered, over gentle heat, for 30-45 minutes.
3. To test that the jam is ready, keep a plate in the freezer and drip some of the cooked juices onto the plate. If the drips gel to the plate (don't run when you tip the plate sideways, the jam is ready. Otherwise, keep it simmering.
4. Once the jam is ready, strain the fruit through a sieve with a wooden spoon until all that's left are the skins and pits and rosemary stems.
5. Heat the jam on the stove until just starting to simmer, then pour into the hot pots.
6. To get the pots hot, sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water. 
7. Leave 1/2 inch space at the top of the jar when filling it. 
8. Screw lids on until not quite as tight as possible - screw on tight, then loosed by 1/4 turn.
9. Put each jar on a rack in a large pot of boiling water. Jars must not sit directly on the kettle bottom. 
10. Once the pot returns to the boil, begin processing (boiling) time of 10 minutes if using half-pint or smaller jars (235 ml or smaller), 20 minutes for larger. 
11. After the time has elapsed, remove jars to a cloth-covered counter or baking sheet, away from any drafts. Do not move for at least 12 hours — 24 hours is best — so that the jars fully seal and the jam sets.

Blue Cheese and Fennel Quiche

I have my standard quiche recipe which more or less (less or more) follows the instructions I've mentioned in my earlier post for quick and easy quiches. I use a mild blue cheese called Bleu Claire from a local cheese maker - my niece came for dinner and she thought she didn't like blue cheese, so I made half the quiche with Gruyere, but slipped in a sliver with blue, and she liked it. I agree that some blues have an overpowering flavour - unlike aficionados, I don't like the feeling of the cheese mould entering my sinuses from the blue. But the Bleu Clair has the flavour of blue cheese without the aggressiveness of the stronger types, perfect for blue-virgins and sensitives like myself.

1 pre-baked pie shell, completely cooled

2 Tbsps (1oz/28gr) butter

1 lb fennel, finely chopped

8 oz crumbled blue cheese or grated Gruyère

Optional: handful of toasted walnuts

5 eggs (3 eggs and 2 egg yolks)

1 cup cream or crème fraîche

salt and pepper to season

1. Melt the butter and sautée the fennel until it starts to brown and is soft. The fennel will not cook while the custard is baking, which means it has to be thoroughly cooked in the pan.
2. Meanwhile, mix the eggs and cream together and season the mixture with salt and pepper.
3. Layer the fennel at the bottom of the baked pie crust, then layer with the cheese of your choice (and toasted walnuts if using).
4. Pour egg mixture over the filling. Bake the pie at 375°F for 25-30 minutes, or until the filling is set.

Savory Chocolate Chilli

This is not just delicious, it is an attractive chilli. The yellow corn kernels and the red peppers shine like gems against the dark mahogany of the chilli, and if you choose to top it with bright white sour cream, fresh green cilantro and creamy cheese, well, they say that presentation is 90% of the meal! Excellent with a good corn bread or corn chips.

6 Tbsps chilli powder

1⁄2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 Tbsp cumin

2 tsps dried oregano

1 tsp cinnamon

1 pinch ground cloves

1 tsp coriander
2 Tbsps grapeseed oil or bacon fat

2 lbs ground beef

2 onions, finely chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup corn kernel

2 x 28oz (796 mL) cans diced tomatoes, un-drained

1 x 19oz can beans, rinsed and drained OR 1 cup/8oz dry beans, soaked and cooked

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt, to taste

4 oz 70% chocolate (or to taste)
OR 2 Tbsps cocoa powder + 1 Tbsp sugar (add sugar for preferred bitterness balance in chocolate flavour)

hot sauce, such as Tabasco

1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

fresh cilantro (to garnish)

sour cream (to garnish)

grated cheese (to garnish)

1. In a small bowl, prepare the spice blend, from chilli powder to coriander.
2. In a large heavy pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat; add the beef, onions, bell pepper, and garlic; stir and cook until vegetables begin to soften.
3. Add the spices, corn, black beans, diced tomato. Bring to a boil then cook at medium-low temperature, uncovered, until excess liquid reduces and tomatoes disintegrate, about an hour.
4. Finely chop chocolate and add to chilli. Cover, reduce heat to low and let sit another twenty minutes. Add the lime juice. While adjusting seasoning to taste, add hot sauce, to taste.
5. Now, the garnish of fresh cilantro, sour cream and grated cheese is more than just to make it pretty - these ingredients are actually important elements in the final outcome of the dish. I call them garnishes because the chilli is perfectly good without them so they are optional, and they also make the plate look really good when serving.
6. NOTE: The flavor is quite different whether you use bittersweet chocolate, like 70% chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate. If you are unsure of what you would prefer, I suggest using bittersweet chocolate and then adding sugar if you find the chocolate flavour too strong.

Rhubarb Water

This rhubarb water is not so interesting on it's own, but is amazing as a mixing ingredient for Rhubarb Martinis

2 pounds rhubarb, washed and cut into chunks

4 cups boiling water

3/4 cup sugar

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1. Put the rhubarb in a bowl, pour over 4 cups/1 litre boiling water, cover, and leave at room temperature overnight.
2. Next day, strain the liquid into a saucepan, discarding the rhubarb. Add the sugar and lemon juice, and bring to a boil 5 minutes. Cool. Taste and add more lemon juice if necessary. Strain into a bottle, and cork. Store refrigerated, to be served ice-cold.

Gougères

These puffs of heaven are delicious. The recipe is fun, too because it's so strange - when adding the eggs to the dough it separates into globs at first and looks ruined, but keep mixing and there will be a magic moment when everything just comes together. And they are seriously difficult to resist! Thanks French Cooking at Home!

Yield: 50

6 Tbsps (3oz/84gr) butter

1 cup water or light chicken stock

½ tsp. salt

pepper to season

Pinch of paprika

1 cup flour

3-4 eggs depending on size

4oz Gruyere cheese, coarsely grated

Milk for brushing

1. Heat the oven to 375ºF.
2. Put the butter in a heavy saucepan with the water or stock, salt, pepper, and paprika. Bring to a boil and pull from the heat. Dump the flour in all at once, and beat until smooth with a wooden spoon. The mixture will pull away from the sides of the pan and form a ball. Put the pan back on low heat and beat for a minute to dry the paste somewhat. Remove from the heat and let cool about 3 minutes.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating vigorously with a wooden spoon after each addition. You want a smooth, soft, glossy paste that falls easily from the spoon, and this is dependent on the size of your eggs - if they are large, 3 should do, but if they are too small the dough will be too stiff so use 4 (or more if your eggs are really small. Stir in the cheese.
4. Using a pastry bag, pipe 1-inch/2.5 cm balls onto a buttered baking sheet, or simply drop the mixture by spoonfuls. Brush with milk so they will emerge golden and shiny - I dip my finger in milk and dab the tops. Bake until puffed up, nicely browned and not just light gold, and feather light when you pick one up, 25 to 35 minutes.

Tea of Memory - Chai (Indian Tea)

I brought my darling to Vij's for his birthday - it's a taste experience-type of restaurant and for the end of the meal, I ordered Chai tea and to my surprise, it transported me back to my village in Nepal oh, so long ago on my Canada World Youth exchange after high school. It was a bit thin and not sweet enough, but the smell and the flavour is just right! Luckily Vij's has the recipe on-line on their site.

4-5 orange pekoe teabags (7 - 8.75 gr)

1" cinnamon bark

1 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

4 green cardamom seeds

Whole milk

5-6 teaspoons sugar

5 1/2 teacups water (the actual size of the cup in which you'll serve tea)

1. You don't need all of the spices listed above to make chai. At home, we often just use green cardamom, and lots of it!
2. Depending on the strength of tea you prefer, use 4 teabags for a milder flavor and 5 for a stronger flavor. The amount of sugar should also be adjusted to your preference. Break the cardamom seeds. Place the cinnamon, fennel, cardamom, sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add the teabags and let boil for another minute. Add 3/4 to 1 teacup of milk, bring to an almost boil and remove immediately from stove. Remove teabags. Pour tea through a strainer and into a teapot or directly into teacups. Serve while piping hot. Once the chai has cooled, it cannot be reheated.

Sweet and Sour Sauce with Cherry Tomatoes and Cilantro

A lot of what I have been practicing in the kitchen for our daily meals has been wintery types of foods - creamy sauces etc. Today I tried a Cook's Illustrated sauce for chicken breasts that is light and summery with a bit of kick.

4 sautéed chicken breast strips (or see recipe to cook whole chicken breasts)

2 medium shallots, minced

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 1/2 tsps. ground cumin

1 tsp. granulated sugar

2 Tbsps. apple cider vinegar

6 Tbsps. orange juice

1 Tbsp. lime juice

1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1. Prepare your sauce ingredients before cooking the chicken so that the cooking time is reduced and the chicken won't have the chance to get cold, or you can cover the chicken with foil and keep warm in a 250F oven.
2. Cook chicken breasts first and set aside.
3. To make the sauce is a quick affair. Set the skillet with the remaining oil and chicken bits over medium heat. Add shallots, chilli, and cumin; sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Add sugar and cook until shallots begin to caramelize, 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Stir in vinegar and orange and lime juices; increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon. Boil the sauce, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced to about 1/4 cup, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
6. Immediately stir in tomatoes and cilantro so they slightly cook in the residual heat of the pan; season to taste with salt and pepper (not really necessary).
7. Spoon sauce over chicken; serve immediately.

Rhubarb Martini

I made Laura Calder's rhubarb water but it tasted like the liquid from rhubarb pie - which I like a lot, but I don't want to drink it. We tried different things with the left-overs, like lightening it with sparkling water and adding fresh, crushed mint leaves and lime, which all helped but didn't make it worthwhile to do again. Then Ben decided to try and reproduce the cucumber martini I'd had at the Sylvia Hotel on English Bay - he didn't succeed in that, but tried his hand at making up a rhubarb martini with the leftover rhubarb water, and that was amazing!

1 shot (big) vodka

1 jigger vermouth

1/2 c. rhubarb water

5 mint leaves, crushed

juice of 1/2 lemon

1. Put all the ingredients in a martini shaker with ice and... shake.
2. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and ice to serve.

Fireworks Raspberry Tart

I made this for the Festival of Lights fireworks on English Bay. It was a resounding hit. A bit of a challenge to carry since it is a bit delicate - I baked it in a spring form pan with the edges cut half-way down the pan's lip, and that seemed to work fine. This is made with pastry cream - the difference between pastry cream and custard is that the former uses flour to thicken. 

1 cup milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 egg yolks

¼ cup sugar

2 Tbsps. flour

¼ cup heavy cream

1 lb fresh raspberries

1 9"/23 cm cookie crust, baked

1. Put the milk in a saucepan. Split the vanilla bean, scraping the seeds into the milk, then drop in the pot. Heat to a simmer, remove from heat, cover, and set to infuse 10 minutes. (If using extract, just bring milk and vanilla just to a boil and set aside to cool.)
2. Beat the yolks with the sugar until pale. Beat in the flour. Pull the vanilla bean from the milk and whisk the milk gradually into the egg mixture. Pour back into the saucepan, bring to a boil, and cook one minute. Remove from the heat (optional: stir in 1 tablespoon framboise liqueur). Strain into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to cool. 
3. When chilled, stream the cream in and mix with whisk until smooth.
4. Spread the pastry cream evenly in the base of the tart. Arrange the berries neatly over top.

Lamb roast with Caramelized potatoes

I find that cooking meat using internal temperature much more satisfying. We bought a boneless lamb leg roast at the farmer's market on Comox street and I had to figure out what to do with it. Here's what I came up with.

5 lb. leg of lamb/lamb shoulder, boneless

3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

1 tsp. salt and pepper

2 Tbsps. lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil, plus a little more for the potatoes

Several handfuls of herbes de Provence

2 lbs. potatoes, sliced about the width of your little finger

1/2 cup veal or beef stock

1. Several hours before cooking the lamb, make slits all over it with the tip of a sharp knife and slide a sliver of garlic into each slit as you go. Stir together the salt, pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil. Now, pat the herbs all over the meat to cover completely. Cover and leave to marinate for several hours in the refrigerator (I wrap it up again in the brown paper the roast came in). Let come to room temperature an hour before roasting.
2. Heat the oven to 450ºF with the top cooking rack mid-way, and another rack beneath it two notches down. Toss the potatoes on a baking sheet (with sides) or roasting pan with a little olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the stock. Put the potatoes on the lower oven rack and the lamb roast directly on the rack above it, so that drippings will fall through directly onto the potatoes. During cooking, pour a little more stock or water in on the potatoes if they look dry at half-time. They are done when they are soft and nicely caramelized, glossy and sticky.
3. FOR BONELESS SHOULDER: Roast the lamb 20 minutes, then lower the heat to 400ºF and continue roasting (Laura says 40 minutes but for the boneless shoulder roast, this is too much. Take temperature reading after 20 minutes to work out the correct time) before checking with a meat thermometer - 140F for rare, 155F medium, 165F well done (temperature will rise about 5 degrees out of oven).
4. FOR BONE-IN LEG: Preheat oven at 450°F. Roast the leg for 20 minutes and then lower heat to 325°F for the rest of the cooking time of 2 hours (CHECK after 60 minutes, then every 20 minutes). The roast is done when an instant read thermometer inserted into thickest part of leg reads at least 140°F (for rare, see chart link, above) (temperature will rise about 5 degrees out of oven).
5. Rest the meat 10 minutes before carving. The meat will continue to cook, the internal temperature rising even more during this time, and at the same time the juices will flow back to the edges of the meat. Serve with the potatoes.

Spiced Candied Pecans

These were a serious favourite at the picnic. I had no idea that they possessed such a narcotic effect! Neither dessert nor appetizers, they are great snacks to nibble on throughout the picnic. I think in particular for the Bocce picnic.

1/3 cup sugar

3/4 tsp. cayenne

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. coriander

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. allspice

1 egg white

2 tsp. vegetable oil
2 cups shelled pecans

1. Pre-heat oven to 300F.
2. In a bowl, sugar, cayenne, salt, coriander, cinnamon, and allspice. Whisk in egg white and vegetable oil. Stir in pecan halves.
3. Spread nuts in a single layer in an oiled non-stick 10- by 15-inch baking pan. Bake in a regular or convection oven, stirring occasionally, until nuts are crisp and lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes.
4. Let cool about 5 minutes, then use a wide spatula to loosen nuts from pan; cool completely. Serve or store airtight at room temperature up to 2 weeks

Fixing the Fancy - Red Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

I often notice that there are some recipes where the ingredients sound fancy but the end product is bland. This often happens with Epicurious recipes, such as the Radicchio, Red Cabbage and Tomatoes with Orange Vinaigrette recipe. I made it because I like radicchio and thought, correctly, that the red salad would be visually appealing, but it was just bitter to taste. Ben played around with it and, in my opinion, fixed it.

NOTE: the cherry tomatoes sliced in half are very important - the acidity and flavour from the escaping juices help balance the bitterness of the radicchio.

1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 small head red cabbage, cored and coarsely chopped

1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 tsps. finely grated fresh orange zest

4 1/2 Tbsps. fresh orange juice

Juice from 1 lemon

1 Tbsp. sugar, or to taste

1 tsp. salt (add more to taste)

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/3 cup olive oil

2 heads radicchio (3/4 pound total), cored and coarsely chopped

2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved

1. Chop onion and soak in cold water, to cover, for 15 minutes.
2. Shred cabbage, salt thoroughly and set in colander to sweat excess water. Leave for 15 minutes, rinse thoroughly with running water and quickly dry on paper towel.
3. While onion soaks and cabbage sweats, whisk together mustard, zest, juices, and salt and pepper to taste with sugar. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified.
4. Drain onion well and toss together with radicchio, cabbage, tomatoes, and enough dressing to coat. Toss salad and adjust seasoning using sugar, salt and pepper.

My Birthday Picnic

So, I mentioned in my previous entry that Ben organized a lovely picnic potluck for my birthday. It was pretty busy, lots of people came and although the weather wasn't 100% great, we made the most of it. There definitely was a lot of food! I brought my Wonder Bread (the Miracle Boule) which was hugely popular, with soft chèvre and some lovely traditional French sausage we got at Granville Island; the Greek Loaf, which was equally popular (it disappeared first, but there was less of it); the Red Salad with Orange Vinaigrette, which was almost all eaten, and there was a lot of it; the Spiced Candied Pecans, which got rave reviews; and the Chèvre Pasta Salad, which got the least attention (I think it didn't have the same kind of visual impact and just looked like a pasta salad. Ben likes it a lot). So this is a really good test for picnic fare, and what is attractive and what's not.

Greek Loaf - Black Olive, Feta and Sundried Tomato Loaf

So, imagine a zucchini loaf, but savoury. I was looking for European ideas for picnics, and I came across these savoury loaves and at first I wasn't so much attracted to them. I kept seeing them on picnic Web-sites from France that I thought I'd give them a go. Today, Ben organized a b-day picnic for me, so I took advantage of it to try some food out on the crowd. This was a winner! I fudged the original recipe, but I think that was a good thing. Here's my version, which I've converted from Metric for the sake of clarity.

generous 3/4 cups (14 Tbsps.) flour 

2 generous tsps. baking powder

1/2 cup milk

3 eggs

5 Tbsp. oil from sundried tomato jar

1 3/4 oz. pitted kalamata olives

2 oz. sundried tomatoes in oil

100 g feta

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped fine

1. Heat oven to 350F
2. Chop tomatoes and feta into smallish chunks.
3. Combine flour and baking powder in a bowl.
4. Create a well and add eggs, milk and oil. Mix until combined.
5. Add basil, tomatoes, olives and feta and combine until evenly distributed.
6. Pour into bread pan and cook 35 minutes. Allow to cool in pan before removing.

Chocolate Torte with Dark Chocolate Frosting

We had some friends over for dinner who are gluten intolerant, so I decided to make a flourless chocolate cake. And since I'd just seen Laura Calder make one, I decided to try that one out. I don't know where the error was, if I put the oven too hot or if my oven, which has a random temperature generator, burned my cake, fifteen minutes before it was supposed to be done! I ended up cutting away the burned parts, and what was left was a wonderfully gooey chocolate pudding-like substance that I piled in large ramekins and topped with fresh whipped cream. What a save! But not an experience I'd like to repeat.

I tried this a second time, and it still started to burn about 15 minutes before the baking time was up, without the attractive crackling! I searched and most flourless chocolate cake recipes of this type give pretty much the same info.

THEN I was looking for an Easter chocolate cake to make for Isabelle and Ben and I found this recipe. It worked, it didn't burn, and it was delicious!

6 large eggs separated

1 cup (8oz/228gr) butter, cut into small pieces

7-9oz chocolate (70%), chopped

1 cup granulated white sugar, divided

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Ganache:

7-8 oz chocolate (70%), chopped

3/4 cup heavy (whipping) cream

2 Tbsps (28gr) butter

1 Tbsps brandy (optional)

1. THIS IS BEST MADE THE DAY BEFORE
2. Lightly coat a 9 x 3 inch spring form pan with melted butter. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper.
3. Separate the eggs with the whites in one bowl and the yolks in another. Cover and bring to room temperature (about 30 minutes).
4. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a double boiler or bain marie. Once the chocolate has melted, slowly add small chunks of butter and mix to blend until it's uniform. Allow to cool a bit.
5. Beat the egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar until thick and lemon-coloured. (The eggs should have tripled in volume, look thick and soft, and fall from the whisk/beater in a slow ribbon.) Beat in the vanilla extract and slowly beat in the slightly cooled melted chocolate mixture (adding it slowly increases the yolk temperature and avoid making scrambled eggs au chocolat).
6. Preheat oven to 350F and place oven rack on lowest level of the oven. 
7. In a clean bowl beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold a small amount of whites into the egg yolk mixture to lighten the batter, then pour the batter into the remaining egg whites all in one go, then gently fold just until incorporated to keep as much volume in the whites as possible.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Bake the cake for about 50 - 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs - apparently you can use a cooking thermometer and, when the middle of the cake reaches 140F, it's done. (During baking the surface of the cake will form a crust which will collapse when the cake is removed from the oven.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. The top of the cake will have become hard with a cracked surface and lots of crumbs. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for a few hours or up to a few days.
9. Chocolate Icing: Put the chopped chocolate in a bowl. Heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, then pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. If desired, add the liqueur.
10. Assemble: Remove torte from refrigerator and brush any loose crumbs from the cake. Place on a wire rack, top of the cake facing down (so now the bottom of the cake is facing up). Put the wire rack on a baking sheet. In this way if the chocolate ganache drips it will fall on the baking sheet, which makes clean up easier. Pour the ganache into the centre of the cake. Spread the ganache with a spatula, using big strokes to push the ganache over the sides of the cake, to create an even coating. If there are any bare spots on the sides of cake, cover with ganache. If there is leftover ganache, strain to remove crumbs, and with a hand mixer or whisk, beat until light and fluffy. Place in a piping bag, fitted with a Wilton 1M open star tip, and pipe rosettes on top of the cake. Refrigerate cake. I find this cake is best served the next day as it allows the flavours to blend. Cut the cake in small slices with a sharp knife, wiping off the knife after slicing each piece. If you have problems cutting the slices, warm the blade of the knife under hot running water before cutting each slice.

One of my favourites - Butter Roasted Chicken

I love roasts, and in particular roast chicken. I think my favourite part is the crispy, golden skin. Roasted with butter, it becomes crispy/sticky, and the taste of herbs infused in the flesh is complemented by a lovely gravy that naturally form, in which the onion and potatoes cook. There are loads of variations possible with the herbs and, even, with the veg.

1 chicken, about 3 pounds

a few sprigs of rosemary and thyme and a few Bay leaves

(other herbs could be tarragon, lavender, parsley etc)

1 generous pinch salt and pepper

1/4 cup (2oz/58gr) butter
2 onions, thickly sliced
4-5 potatoes, thickly sliced

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. 
2. Separate the onion rings and toss them along with the potatoes in the bottom of a roasting pan.
3. Stuff the chicken with the herbs and truss it. Season all over with salt and pepper. Set the chicken in the roasting pan on its left leg, and set the butter on top.
4. Bake 15 minutes. Turn the bird onto its right leg for 15 minutes. Turn on its back for 15 minutes. Finally, set it upright and continue cooking until done, about 1/2 an hour more or until the juices run clear. Remember to baste the bird constantly as it roasts. It is done when the juices at the leg run clear and the breast should read 165-170F.

French Salad My Style - Endive Salad with Gouda

I discovered this recipe on a French cooking site - with the theft of my laptop this spring I've lost the link, but I had published my revised version on Recipezaar.com. Here it is again.

The flavors in this salad are very bright and refreshing and nicely balanced with the warmer flavor of the gouda cheese. Be sure to purchase plain gouda and not the smoked variety. Rubbing the bowl with garlic sounds a bit odd but adds just a hint of flavor that subtly warms the whole concoction. I hope you enjoy it!

1 garlic clove

2 Tbsps. lemon juice

4 Tbsps. olive oil

salt (to taste)

pepper (to taste)

2 heads Belgian endive

1 cup packed mixed baby greens (to taste)

1 apple, pared and chopped

100g gouda cheese, cubed

1. Rub your salad bowl with half a clove of garlic and reserve the garlic.
2. Mix together lemon juice, olive oil, salt + pepper then cut the remains of the garlic into chunks and add it to the dressing; set aside.
3. Wash the endive and the lettuce, pat dry or dry in salad spinner. Arrange the endive as a crown around the inside of the salad bowl. Place the baby lettuce leaves in the middle of the crown. Mix together the chopped apple and the cubed gouda and place on top of the baby greens.
4. Pour the dressing over the salad being careful to strain out any of the garlic chunks so that they don’t end up in the salad. Serve immediately.
5. NOTE : if your salad has to sit for a bit, toss the chopped apple with a little lemon juice to keep it from turning brown.

Chicken Leftovers Pot Pie

What to do with bits of cooked chicken other than slapping them into a sandwich? Slap it in a pot pie! Even there is no stuffing in this pie, there it has a flavor similar to it, and it has just the right amount and quality of gooey sauce inside. I've made this almost as many times as I've made roast chicken. Which is often. 

1 small potato, diced

1 small onion, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

1 carrot, diced

1/4 cup (2oz/58gr) butter

1/4 cup flour

2 tsp. fresh thyme, minced

1 cup chicken broth

½ cup crème fraîche

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 heaping cups chicken, cooked and chopped
2 batches of pie crust, uncooked

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Sauté onion, celery, carrots and potatoes in butter until cooked through and starting to brown, about 10 minutes.
3. Add flour to sautéed mixture, stirring well. Cook one minute, at least, or until well browned. This is important - cooking the flour in the buttered vegetables means the flour is absorbing all the liquids and fats in the pan, then cooking so that when you make the sauce, it will have carried all the lovely browning flavour with it, and it won't taste floury.
4. Combine the broth and the crème fraîche. Dump into the vegetable mixture and stir thoroughly. Stir in the thyme, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until the broth thickens and gets bubbly. If you feel you haven't browned the flour mixture enough, it's not too late. Leave on a high simmer and let cook a bit more.
5. Mix in the chicken and stir to combine well.
6. In a shallow pie pan lined with uncooked dough, pour in the chicken mixture and top with the remaining pie dough. Cut slits in the crust to allow steam to escape. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbly and heated through.

I got my book!

Today I arrived and there was a plastic-wrapped package waiting for me. I knew what it was! I had ordered Monet's Table, my inspiration for picnics, from a used book store for under a dollar... then shipping charges which were quite a bit more NOTWITHSTANDING, I got my book. What a pleasure! My inspiration in the book for picnics comes from a photograph, but I hadn't realized there was an entire chapter with Picnic in the title! I wonder if there will be any ideas for my picnic menus.

Flipping through the book, I can only really see desserts as picnic fare. I'm sure they didn't publish all the recipes in this book. Perhaps I should study the photographs for ideas.

Chocolate Cakes in a Jar

A new picnic idea! I found a recipe for chocolate cake baked into a jar. At first I thought it must be some sort of fancy, special method, but after reading the recipe, I realize that it's just a chocolate cake batter baked in canning jars. I still have to check, but, like making cupcakes, the cooking time is probably a bit different.

What this means is that I can bake all sorts of things in jars and oven-proof containers that would fit in the picnic baskets. This is very exciting. It's like an extra wow factor to the picnics - baked in this way, they are specifically made just for YOUR picnic, my lord and lady, not just slopped into containers from a democratic mass.

Ten to twelve ½-pint canning jars

½ cup (4oz/114gr) butter, softened

1½ cups packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1½ teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1½ cups sifted all purpose flour

2/3 cup crème fraîche

2/3 cup brewed coffee (I just use the morning’s leftover coffee)

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Place 10 to 12 ½-pint glass canning jars on a rimmed baking sheet, evenly arranged with space between them.
2. To make the cakes, in a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter until smooth. Add the brown sugar and eggs and mix until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla, cocoa, baking soda, and salt and mix until combined. Add half of the flour, then half of the crème fraîche, and mix until combined. Repeat with the remaining flour and crème fraîche. Drizzle in the coffee and mix until smooth. The batter will be thin, like heavy cream.
3. Pour the batter into the jars, filling them halfway. Bake until the tops of the cakes are firm to the touch, about 25 minutes.
4. A topping is a good idea for presentation. Delicately sprinkle some powdered sugar and add a centre-piece like a nut or a piece of fruit or something extra-special like a candied flower. I was also wondering if a layer of some sort of clear jelly would look good and add a flavour dimension to the cake.
   

Roasted Tomato Soup

This is a really good soup at ambient temperature, making it great for picnics. I tested it at a dinner party, indoors and at room temperature, and the reaction after the first spoonful was very positive, so it goes on the picnic list! It's from England's Channel 4 Web site so I had to change the measurements from metric to Imperial. Imagine! Oh, and I chopped everything by hand instead of a blender and it turned out great!

2 lbs. ripe tomatoes, quartered (I mixed in cherry tomatoes - more intense flavour)

1/2 lb. red onion, cut into thick wedges

4 garlic cloves

3 fresh rosemary sprigs

2 red peppers, quartered and deseeded

4 Tbsps. olive oil

1 cup chicken stock (veg for vegetarian)

1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

2 dashes of Tabasco

4 dashes of Worcestershire sauce

A few sprigs of fresh parsley

1. Preheat the oven to 425F. Put the tomatoes, onions, garlic, rosemary and peppers into a large roasting tin. Drizzle with olive oil and roast for 45 minutes or until tender and beginning to char.
2. Let the roasted vegetables cool enough to handle comfortably and chop super fine.
3. Tip into a large pan, then add the stock, wine vinegar, Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce. Stir and heat gently, or skip this step and serve at ambient temperature. Divide among 4 bowls and finish with some freshly ground black pepper and a few parsley sprigs.

Pan-Fried Fennel

I love fennel, I think it's my favourite vegetable, so I try to find different ways of introducing it into meals. Lately I've been looking for side dishes to accompany protein meals. This, I think, is the most delicious dish in relation to its utter simplicity. And it's fennel. And, oh, ok, it's Laura Calder's!

1 large fennel bulb

Salt and pepper

2 Tbsps. olive oil

1. Trim the fennel bulb and cut into slices about 1/4-inch/1/2 centimetre thick (I cut them on the length of the bulb so that the base which I usually cut out remains and keeps the leaves together). 
2. Season with salt and pepper. 
3. Heat the oil in a heavy sauté pan and fry on medium-high heat on both sides until tender and slightly golden.

Stages of a Picnic

I've decided to base by picnics on the stages of an Italian meal. I figure it's a good guideline since picnics are about several dishes, this sense of abundance and luxury. I've started devising a table to help me organise my thoughts around the idea.

Meal stage	Composition
Antipasto	Snacky bits that can either be eaten at the opening of the meal or any time from getting the basket to sitting to eat.
Primo	Sort of a light opener to the meal, like a cold soup such as Gazpacho, or a terrine.
Secondo	"second course", the main dish. I've been fascinated with cold savoury pies, which would fit in very well here.
Contorno	"side dish", may be a salad or cooked vegetables. A traditional menu features salad along with the main course. Easy for a picnic, since North Americans love their picnic salads. Or, also, a terrine here.
Formaggio e frutta	"cheese and fruits", the first dessert. Local cheeses may be part of the Antipasto orContorno as well. There are also my marinated chèvre balls! Ben made a good suggestion to add home-made crackers.
Dolce	"sweet", such as cakes and cookies
Caffè	I don't know yet if this is something I should include. I mean, I'd like to have wine or bubbly water or something, but coffee?
Digestivo	"digestives", liquors/liqueurs (grappa, amaro, limoncello, sambuca, nocino, sometimes referred to as ammazzacaffè ("coffee killer"). I need to find out about liquor permits. Is this even feasible for this kind of enterprise? There is also the possibility of non-alcoholic special drinks, like Rhubarb Water

Pique Nique ideas

Today I went to my second Check In meeting with Emotus Operandi to help me focus and organise my picnic business. It's awesome! I got some really good ideas, lots of confirmation (the group was really enthusiastic about what I'd accomplished and planned to do). I wasn't sure how to proceed, and got some really good feedback. So, for this summer, I've committed to giving 10 picnics to friends (and family if any come to visit). For the next Check In meeting, I've committed to come up with one sample menu (which doesn't need to be perfect), and start sourcing the actual picnic containers.

I've already established that I was going to start with three types of picnics:

1 - the Romantic

2 - the Cyclist

3 - the Bocce Game

The Romantic is a no-brainer: a picnic for 2, beautiful and elegant and sensual.

The Cyclist is ideal for Vancouver, with all the bike rental places for people who want to use the bike paths around the sea wall. I was thinking of using bike bags that fit onto modern bike racks, and the necessary containers to fit in them, and filling them with food. I just need to visit the bike rental shops to see what kinds of racks they have on their bikes to purchase the correct bags. All the customer needs is to attach the bag to the bike, and go.

The Bocce Game is for groups, sunny afternoons on the lawn, in the park, etc. It can be for families as well as for small parties. The basket and accoutrements would be similar to The Romantic, but not as refined.

When I was asked when I was going to start, my reply was 'next summer' and there was an outburst of 'why wait'? I'll tell you why! There are behind-the-scenes logistics that feel like a big deal, like food permits (health department) and licensing (vendor, alcohol?). Those are the biggies. And there's also the matter of what form this should start with - in association with other businesses, like Township 7 and bike shops etc, or out of my own location.

One of the interesting and encouraging things was Craig at the Check In who does the Under the Piano stuff, suggested that there could be a partnership between us - he is discovering that his clients are leaning towards couples' sessions, and they may like a romantic picnic afterwards. Cool!

Practice Makes Perfect

My usual modus operandi is to try new recipes and stockpile the ones I like. Recently, I've been cherishing a few, and slowly building a relationship to them, documenting my discoveries. Tonight I finally made Tarragon Chicken properly, and it feels great! I will continue to explore recipes, but it's also important, like with a garden or with a work of art, to develop a relationship with your creation. Since food is something that is, by its very nature an ephemeral creation, I can build a relationship to it by making it often instead of relying on luck.


Jan 2015
My understanding and confidence in the kitchen has grown a lot. I now use what I think of as a Post Modern system where I Frankenstein different versions of the same recipe into what I think is a reasonable composition, then test it on The Experimental Mouffette, where I elaborate on my system. It's a more focused and outcome-based approach to building a relationship with a recipe, and one that is proving to be most useful in recording my own versions of dishes. It also means that I have been going back to previously posted recipes and re-adjusting them.

Pommes Maria

Last Christmas I made dinner for my parents and my husband. One of the dishes I made was Pommes Anna, a potato dish I thought was schmancy French cuisine. When I served it I was shocked, and so was my dad, that it was one of the dishes my grandmother used to make on a regular basis. This is why I call them Pommes Maria, in honour of her, and my father.

NOTES: The first time I made them they were creamy, but the top had not browned properly. This time (the second) they were delicious but not as good - the inside potatoes were more dry. I did make some mistakes while preparing them, and the oven ran a bit hot, but it may also be that I left them in the oven with the cover off for too long.

Pommes Anna

3 lbs russet potatoes, Yukon Gold potatoes, or white potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/16 to 1/8 inch thick

1/3 cup (5oz/76gr) butter, melted

1/4 cup grapeseed oil or peanut oil, plus additional for greasing cookie sheet

Salt and pepper

1. Toss potato slices with melted butter in large bowl until potatoes are evenly coated. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Pour oil into 10-inch heavy-bottomed ovenproof non-stick skillet; swirl to coat pan bottom and set skillet over medium-low heat. Begin timing, and arrange potato slices in skillet, starting in centre to form first layer. Sprinkle evenly with scant 1/4 teaspoon salt and ground black pepper to taste. Arrange second layer of potatoes, working in opposite direction of first layer; sprinkle evenly with scant 1/4 teaspoon salt and ground black pepper. Repeat, layering potatoes in opposite directions and sprinkling with salt and pepper, until no slices remain (broken or uneven slices can be pieced together to form a single slice; potatoes will mound in centre of skillet); continue to cook over medium-low heat until 30 minutes elapse from the time you began arranging potatoes in skillet.
3. Using bottom of 9-inch cake pan, press potatoes down firmly to compact. Cover skillet and place in oven. Bake until potatoes begin to soften, about 15 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until potatoes are tender when paring knife is inserted in centre and edge of potatoes near skillet is browned, about 10 minutes longer. Meanwhile, line rimless cookie sheet or back of baking sheet with foil and coat very lightly with oil. Drain off excess fat from potatoes by pressing potatoes into skillet with bottom of cake pan while tilting skillet to pour off fat.
4. Set foil-lined cookie sheet on top of skillet. With hands protected by oven mitts or pot-holders, hold cookie sheet in place with one hand and carefully invert skillet and cookie sheet together. Remove skillet. Carefully slide potatoes onto platter; cut into wedges and serve immediately.