Marshmallow candy

There is nothing like a fresh, home-made marshmallows. It's a little involved but well worth it. The funny thing is that, because of the gelatine, it's not a vegetarian dessert!

Part 1 - the candy
3 (1 oz) packages unflavoured gelatine

1 cup ice cold water, divided

12 oz granulated sugar, approx. 1½ cups

1 cup light corn syrup

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

Part 2 - the finishing
¼ cup confectioners' sugar

¼ cup powdered starch, corn or arrowroot

vegetable oil

1. Place the gelatine into the bowl of a stand mixer along with 1⁄2 cup of the water. Have the whisk attachment standing by.
2. In a small saucepan combine the remaining ½ cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt. Place over medium high heat, cover and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240°F, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from the heat.
3. Turn the mixer on low speed and, while running, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Once you have added all of the syrup, increase the speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Add the vanilla during the last minute of whipping. While the mixture is whipping prepare the pans as follows:
4. Combine the confectioners' sugar and starch in a small bowl. Lightly coat with oil a 13 x 9" metal baking pan. Add the sugar and corn-starch mixture and move around to completely coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Return the remaining mixture to the bowl for later use.
5. When ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula for spreading evenly into the pan. Dust the top with enough of the remaining sugar and starch mixture to lightly cover. Reserve the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
6. Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 1" squares using a pizza wheel dusted with the confectioners' sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining mixture, using additional if necessary. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

Macho Mushroom Soup - Acquacotta

The original asks for porcini but who the hell can afford a lb of fresh porcini mushrooms! Gosh, I sure would like to be one of them, though. Anyway, I suppose this is a completely inauthentic version since I just use any old mushroom - usually button or Parisian mushrooms, plain old white, but you know what? It's still quick, easy, and friggin' delicious.

¼ cup olive oil

1 white onion, coarsely chopped

1 lb. fresh mushroom, cleaned and coarsely chopped

1 bunch spinach (approx 12oz), washed, stemmed and chopped

1 fresh chilli pepper, minced

2½ cups water

Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated Parmigiano cheese, for sprinkling

1. Heat up the olive oil in a deep saucepan. Add the onion and cook until soft. Then add the chopped mushrooms and chopped spinach and mix together. Add the chile pepper, salt, and pepper.
2. Add the water, enough to cover the vegetables. Simmer for approximately 15 minutes.
3. Sprinkle with Parmigiano cheese just before serving.

Bacon and Onion Quiche

November 2010 - Bacon, my Jewish friends tell me bacon is the one pork product that has either caused or could cause them to break with kosher. Pork, for my part, is part of my nutritional heritage as a descendent to the Gauls (I base this on the historically accurate documents about a small village that resisted the Romans, chronicled in the works titled "Astérix le Gaulois"). In spite of this, it is also one of the meats that, in my current financially precarious state, I will only buy free range or organic, and have waited with bated breath for the time the happy porker farmers come to the local farmer's market so that I can purchase a few choice packets. As luck would have it, happy pigs are more readily available that I thought, for the local Capers-slash-Whole Foods market carries bacon from happy, outdoor pigs from a local producer. As happy as I am to have discovered this bacon, I nevertheless use it judiciously - its flavour is so strong that it tends to overpower anything else in the dish, which is why I use it primarily as 'lardons' when making hearty winter stews. But for some reason I wanted to make a quiche with bacon and gruyère. After looking around at other recipes, I decided to throw in some onion and dijon mustard as well. And I'm quite pleased with the result - a nice balance of flavours for a warming winter dish where the bacon plays a part in the society of flavours instead of being a corporate raider.

1 blind baked pie crust

3 slices bacon (thick slices, if thin adjust the quantity accordingly)

1 large onion, sliced into rounds

1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 garlic clove, minced

Salt

Fresh ground black pepper

3 large eggs

½ cup heavy cream

½ cup milk

2 tsps Dijon mustard

¾ cup Gruyère cheese, grated

1. Prepare the blind-baked pie crust.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F.
3. Chop bacon into lardons (cut bacon into paper-clip sized pieces). Cook the lardons in a big skillet until semi crisp.
4. Remove all but 1 Tbsp. of the bacon fat (to save in use in other recipes) from the skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook until the onions are soft and start to brown. At this point, add the parsley and garlic, and cook 1 more minute.
5. Once the bacon has cooled a bit, chop into smaller pieces, and combine with the onion mixture.
6. In a bowl, whisk the eggs until light. Stir in dairy and mustard and whisk again to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
7. In the pre-baked pie shell, sprinkle the cheese on the bottom, then the onion and bacon mixture, and finally smother it all with the egg mixture.
8. Bake the quiche until it's all puffed and golden brown and joyful, about 35 minutes.
9. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tuscan Bean Stew

It may be a little premature for me to post this recipe because I've only made it once. When I made it I didn't want to wait to soak the beans and cook them, so I used two cans of white kidney beans instead, and it was delicious. This means I don't know which version is better - with the dry beans or the canned beans or if they're both just as good as the other. Thanks Cook's Illustrated for the base recipe!

Part 1 - the beans

Salt

1 lb dried cannellini beans (about 2 cups), rinsed and picked over (OR two cans canned beans)

Part 2 - the mushrooms
1⁄2 oz dried porcini mushrooms
1⁄2 cup water (save to add to the soup)

Part 3 - stage 1 of the soup
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus extra for drizzling
1 large onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, cut into 1⁄2" pieces
2 carrots, in 1⁄2" pieces
8 garlic cloves, crushed
4 cups water
3 cups broth
2 bay leaves

Part 4 - stage 2 of the soup
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 medium bunch kale or collard greens (about 1 pound), stems trimmed, leaves chopped into 1-inch pieces)
1 sprig fresh rosemary

Part 5 - serving
Ground black pepper
Grated Parmesan cheese

1. Dissolve 3 tablespoons salt in 4 quarts cold water in large bowl or container. Add beans and soak, at room temperature, for at least 8 and up to 24 hours. (Soaking the beans in salt water overnight helps them cook up creamy, with tender skins.) Drain and rinse well.
2. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 250°F. (Cooking the beans at a near-simmer in a 250°F oven leads to fewer exploded beans in the finished stew.)
3. Pour 1⁄2 cup boiling water in a small bowl and add dried mushrooms. Let stand until mushrooms soften, about 5 minutes. Lift mushrooms from liquid with fork and mince. Strain liquid through fine-mesh strainer lined with paper towels into medium bowl. Set mushrooms and liquid aside.
4. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, celery, and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 10 to 16 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in remaining 4 cups water, broth, bay leaves, soaked beans, and reserved mushrooms and cooking liquid. Increase heat to high and bring stew to simmer. Cover pot, transfer to oven, and cook until beans are almost tender (very centre of beans will still be firm), 45 minutes to 1 hour.
5. Remove pot from oven and stir in tomatoes and greens (the acid in tomatoes can interfere with the beans’ tender texture. Add them toward the end of cooking, after the beans have already softened). Return pot to oven and continue to cook until beans and greens are fully tender, 30 to 40 minutes longer.
6. Remove pot from oven and submerge rosemary sprig in stew. Cover and let stand 15 minutes. Discard bay leaves and rosemary sprig; season stew with salt and pepper to taste. If desired, use back of spoon to press some beans against side of pot to thicken stew. Serve, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and lightly drizzled with olive oil.

Turnip Torte - you gotta try it!

Whaaat? A delicious, comforting dish made from turnip? It's surprising but, yes, it's pretty darned good. Assembly is very easy, but it does require quite a bit of cooking time.

NOTE: next time I'll try adding a few sprinkles of either whole or cracked caraway seeds.
Response - it was good!

2 lbs turnip

1 Tbsp (½ oz/14gr) butter

½ lb havarti, grated

salt & freshly ground black pepper
Caraway seeds

1. Boil the unpeeled turnip in salted water until tender, about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the turnip(s); drain, cool, peel and cut into 1/4" thick rounds.
2. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
3. Spread the butter on the bottom of a shallow pie plate and sprinkle 1⁄4 of the cheese in the pan; top with 1⁄3 of the turnip slices, slightly overlapping them; season with salt, pepper and a light sprinkle of caraway, and repeat, salting, peppering and carraway-ing each layer of turnip until the last quarter measure of cheese is sprinkled on top.
4. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown; let it cool a bit before serving.
5. Goes very nicely as a main dish with some toasted, crusty rye bread.

Multigrain Bread

I think I may have found my ideal multigrain bread recipe. The combination of the reconstituted whole grain meal and flax seeds makes it moist and flavorful - I wonder if I could make a delicious, high fiber bread pudding with it? That is, if it lasts long enough to be old enough to use!

1 1⁄4 cups multi-grain hot cereal mix

2½ cups boiling water

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting work surface

1½ cups whole wheat flour

4 Tbsps maple syrup (or honey)

1⁄4 cup (2oz/58gr) butter, melted and cooled slightly

2½ tsps instant yeast

1 Tbsps salt

½ cup raw sunflower seeds

1⁄4 cup flax seeds

½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats or quick oats

1. Combine cereal mix in bowl of standing mixer and boiling water in your main mixing bowl; let stand, stirring occasionally, until the mixture cools to about 100°F and resembles thick porridge, under 1 hour.
2. Whisk the flours together in a medium bowl.
3. Once the cereal has cooled, add the maple syrup, the melted butter, and the yeast and stir to combine until it forms a ragged ball covered in dry flour. Pour everything out onto a clean surface and knead - the dough will still be quite sticky, but keep kneading until all the flour has been taken up and dough is just clammy and firm. Return the ball to the mixing bowl, cover with a damp cloth and let rest 20 minutes.
4. Combine the seeds and pour onto your work surface, as if you were spreading flour. Turn the dough onto the seeds, sprinkle it with the salt, and knead for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the seeds and salt are all taken up by the dough and well distributed throughout, the dough becomes a taut ball, and it springs back when you pinch it.
5. Grease a large bowl and place dough inside; cover ant let rise until doubled, from 45 to 60 minutes.
6. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat to 375°F. Grease two 9 by 5-inch loaf pans. Transfer the dough to a very lightly floured work surface and pat into a 12 by 9-inch rectangle; cut the dough in half, roll each piece to make a 9" long log and roll in the oats OR to make buns, divide the dough into either 9 or 16 equally-sized pieces and wedge together in a 9x9 inch pan. Cover again with well dampened cloth and let it rise until it doubles in size, about 30-40 minutes. Bake until the internal temperature registers 200°F on an instant-read thermometer, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the loaves from the pans and allow to cool on wire racks before slicing, about 3 hours.

Source recipe: http://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/detail.asp?docid=7535

Braised Baby Bok-Choy

Simple and good. 'Nuff said, go eat!


2 baby bok-choy

3⁄4 cup broth (vegetable, beef or chicken)

1⁄4 cup white wine

Salt and pepper

1. Put the broth and wine to boil in a saucepan. Reduce to a high simmer.
2. Slice the bok-choy in half and arrange, cut-side down, in the pan. Cover and cook a few minutes, then turn bok-choy onto its 'back', simmer until knife inserts easily. Serve cut-side facing up, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Fresh Apricot Tarts

1 recipe of Cookie pie crust

3⁄4 pound apricots, pits discarded, cut into 1⁄4" wedges

4 tsps. sugar

1⁄2 cup apricot jam

1. On a lightly floured surface, roll out half the Cookie pie crust to a 1⁄8" thick rectangle, about 6 by 11 inches. Using a 5" round cutter or a bowl, cut out 2 circles; transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. Using a fork, poke several holes in the crusts to prevent them from ballooning while cooking. Chill the dough on the sheet in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
2. Heat the oven to 400°F and bake the crusts until they're pale golden, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 350°F. Arrange the apricots in a fan shape on the crusts. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar on each tart and bake until the tarts are golden and the apricots start to brown, 25 to 35 minutes. As tarts bake, warm the jam in a saucepan. Remove the tarts from the oven and cool. Strain the jam into a bowl and discard the solids; this is your apricot glaze. Brush the glaze on the tarts and enjoy.

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

I'd been looking for a good recipe for whole wheat bread, and I think I found it. Whole wheat bread recipes tended to taste too strongly of whole wheat and be more dense than I like, and thanks to http://www.cooksillustrated.com/, I think I've figured out why and, also found out what bread dough should feel like. More in the Instructions for the recipe on that! I've made a few changes to their recipe and am really pleased with the result.
NOTE: It is pretty sweet. I reduced the 3 Tbsps. of syrup to only 2.

2 1⁄4 cups bread flour, plus extra for work surface

1 1⁄3 cups whole wheat flour

2 tsps salt

2 Tbsps (1oz/28gr) butter

1 cup milk

1⁄3 cup water

2 Tbsps maple syrup (or honey, or agave syrup)

2 1⁄4 tsps dry active yeast 

1. Adjust oven rack to low position and heat oven to 200°F. Once oven temperature reaches 200°F, maintain heat 10 minutes, then turn off oven heat.
2. Mix flours and salt in a large bowl and create a well in the middle. In a pot, melt butter, add milk, water, and maple syrup and heat to 110°F. Remove from heat immediately and allow to cool - the pot will continue to heat the liquid, and you want it to be no greater than 110F or it will kill the yeast. Pour the 110°F liquid into the well, then add yeast to the liquid. With a wooden spoon, start mixing the flour and the liquid/yeast together. When it thickens, use hands to combine everything. Now this is important: the dough will be quite sticky to start - just rub your hands together to get the dough off and keep kneading in the bowl. Once in coalesces into a ball, pour out any remaining flour from the bowl onto your work surface, and keep kneading the dough to incorporate it all. And this is my real discovery about making bread - do not add more flour than this or the bread will be tough. Just knead the bread until it stops feeling sticky, and starts to feel smooth, slightly warm and damp, like someone whose palms are sweaty. If the ball feels dry and floury, then you've used too much flour. Another test is to lightly pinch the dough, and if it bounces back, it's done. Kneading should take anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Place dough in a very lightly oiled bowl, rubbing dough around bowl to lightly coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap OR a (very) damp cloth; place in the warm oven until the dough doubles in size, 40 to 50 minutes.
4. Form the dough into a loaf by gently pressing the dough into a rectangle, one inch thick and no wider than the length of the loaf pan. Next, roll the dough firmly into a cylinder, pressing with your fingers to make sure the dough sticks to itself. Turn the dough seam side up and pinch it closed. Place the dough in a greased 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan and press gently so dough touches all four sides of pan.
5. Cover with plastic wrap OR (very) damp cloth; set aside in a warm spot until the dough almost doubles in size, 40 minutes. Heat the oven to 350°F, placing an empty loaf pan on the bottom rack. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil.
6. Remove the plastic wrap/cloth from the loaf pan. Place the pan in the oven, also pouring heated water into the empty loaf pan; close the oven door. Bake until instant-read thermometer inserted at an angle from the short end just above the pan rim into the center of the loaf reads 195°F, about 40 to 50 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan, transfer to a wire rack, and cool to room temperature. Slice and serve.

Apple Pie with Meringue Cream

I've converted this recipe from French metric, and it seems to work really well. It's not a single-bowl kind of recipe, but it's well worth it. The word"emmitouflée" is used to describe someone well dressed against the cold, but I'm guessing here it means 'slathered' or 'encased' or something of the sort - the apples are under a tasty blanket of sweet meringue.

Les pommes emmitouflées de Grand-Mère

Part 1 - the pie crust

1 cup flour

1⁄4 tsp salt

1 Tbsp sugar

1⁄2 cup (4oz/114gr) butter, cut into pieces

1 egg yolk

1 Tbsp + cold water

1. Follow the instructions for the Cookie Pie Crust, but substitute the vanilla for 1 egg yolk and be careful about the amount of water you add to avoid having a wet dough. Roll out, place in a pie plate and keep in the refrigerator until the filling is ready. Do not pre-bake.

Part 2 - the filling; apples

5 to 6 large apples, firm when cooked

1⁄4 cup (2oz/58gr) butter 

1⁄4 cup apricot jam

1. Peel and core the apples, then slice them into sections about 1⁄4" thick.
2. Melt the butter and get it to froth before adding the apples. Cook until the apples just start to brown. Finally, add the apricot jam and allow to melt completely before taking the pan off the heat.

Part 3 - the topping

1 Tbsp (1⁄2 oz/14gr) butter

1⁄4 cup sugar
3 egg yolks

3 egg whites
1⁄4 cup sugar

1. In a small bowl, cream the butter as best you can, getting it nice and soft, before adding half the sugar and the three egg yolk, one at a time. Beat vigorously until you get some volume out of the mix.
2. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites, adding the rest of the sugar. Beat until the whites become hard peaks - you should be able to rest a teaspoon on top of the whites without it sinking.
3. Add a bit of the whites into the butter-and-yolk cream, then pour this into the egg whites, gently folding so as to retain as much volume as possible.

Final Assembly

1. Pre-heat oven at 375°F.
2. In the chilled pie shell, pour in apple mixture, then top with the beaten egg mixture. Bake for 45 minutes or until the top gets some nice colour.

Croûte aux pêches - Baked Peaches

Another lovely and wonderfully simple recipe from Monet's Table. The bread toasts wonderfully, browning on the bottom, and the juices drawn out of the peach by the melting sugar and butter spills over and soaks into the bread, caramelizing underneath. Each bite is a soft, buttery, sweet bite with a satisfying crunch. Really good!

6 slices of bread, crusts removed (pieces should fit the size of the peach, ie: all fit in the pie plate)

3 ripe peaches, cut in half and pitted

6 Tbsps. or 6 tsps. sugar, or to taste

1⁄2 cup (4oz/114gr) butter, cut into 6 pieces

1. Place oven rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. Generously butter an 8inch pie plate and arrange bread in it, plopping a peach half, cut side up, in the middle of each piece.
3. In the cavity left by the pit, add sugar, however much you'd like, distributed evenly in each peach, topped by a piece of butter.
4. Bake for 20 minutes or until the peach is cooked through.
5. Serve warm or cold.

Potage Fontange (Mixed Vegetable Soup)

This is a soup which was eaten at Giverny, Monet's country home where grows to this day the garden that inspired so many of his paintings. I've leaped into the book Monet's Table once again and tried a couple more recipes. I've made substitutions to this soup just because some of the ingredients are a little challenging to find here - not impossible, just not at the grocery store nearby. I've indicated the substitutions as well as the original ingredients for the sake of keeping a record - my additions are in parentheses and italicized.

Part 1 - the peas

2 cups dried green or yellow (split) peas

Part 2 - the soup

2 Tbsps (28gr) of butter

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 leeks, white parts only, thinly sliced

1⁄2 lb sorrel (or spinach with lemon juice), trimmed and shredded

1 head iceberg (or romaine) lettuce, trimmed and shredded

3 sprigs chervil (or French tarragon or parsley), finely chopped

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in half (or quarters for a piece in each bowl)

6 cups rich beef broth (or any broth) or water

1⁄2 tsp salt

1⁄2 tsp pepper
Part 3 - the cream
1⁄2 cup (4oz/114gr) +2 Tbsps (28gr) of butter

2 egg yolks

1 cup crème fraîche or heavy cream

Bread to accompany the soup

1. The peas: Soak the dried peas in water for 2 hours (I put it in a pot and left it on the stove at the lowest temperature, just to keep the water hot but not boiling to make this go faster) then drain.
2. The soup: In the meantime, melt 2 Tbsps of butter in the soup pot. Add the onion, leeks, sorrel (or spinach, not the lemon juice yet), lettuce and chervil. Cook over low heat until the veg are well coated; do not let them brown.
3. Add the peas and potatoes, give it a good stir, then add the broth. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over very low heat for at least 2 hours or until the peas are well soft.
4. (If using spinach, add the lemon juice now). At this point you have two choices: 1) strain the soup (using a vegetable mill or forced through a sieve using a wooden spoon) or 2) keep it chunky where it's recommended you break up the potato with the back of a spoon and mix it in. Either way, you'll then need to make the cream, and for this you must...
5. The cream: Beat the rest of the butter into a smooth cream, Melt the butter, take off the heat, then beat in the egg yolks and the cream or crème fraîche followed by the egg yolk.
6. Dump this cream either in a soup tureen or portioned out into individual bowls, and pour the hot soup on top.
7. Enjoy with crusty bread.

Half-hour Cake - Blueberry Buttermilk Cake

There are some ingredients I buy where I only need a little bit and then the rest sits in the refrigerator. Like buttermilk - I don't cook a lot with buttermilk and, usually, when I buy it, it's because I need a tablespoon to start a batch of crème fraîche. So I'm on a quest... ok, another one... but it's a worthy one, and that is to collect recipes to help me use up sparsely used ingredients.

This blueberry cake is everywhere on recipe sites, and with good reason. It's good, it takes about a half hour to make and bake, making it an excellent fall-back recipe for last-minute events and unexpected guests you want to entertain properly. Oh, and although I haven't tried, I'm pretty sure that you can substitute the blueberries of lots of other kinds of soft fruits.

Oh, and it's really good with whipped cream (whipping cream, a bit of sugar and a splash of vanilla).

1 cup flour

1⁄2 tsp baking powder

1⁄2 tsp baking soda

1⁄4 tsp salt

1⁄4 cup butter, softened

2⁄3 cup plus 1½ Tbsps sugar, divided

1⁄2 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 tsp lemon zest

1⁄2 cup well-shaken buttermilk (buttermilk is a culture so can last a long time in the refrigerator, but it does get thicker over time and tends to do so in lumps, hence the vigorous shaking)

1 cup blueberries

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and grease a 9" cake pan.
2. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together and set aside. In a larger bowl, cream together the butter and 2⁄3 cup sugar until fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and lemon zest, then the egg and beat well.
3. In three batches, add the flour, alternating with the buttermilk. Mix until just combined. Pour the batter into the cake pan. Scatter the blueberries on top, then scatter the 1 1⁄2 tbsp sugar on top.
4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Leeky Goat Quiche - Chèvre and Leek Quiche

One of my standard quiche recipes, I made this as a side-dish to my parent's catered 50th wedding anniversary, and was quite chuffed when it became the focus of the meal. I love it when people ask me for the recipe!

1 blind-baked pie crust

2 Tbsps (1oz/28gr) melted butter

2 to 3 scallions

1 leek

3 eggs

1 cup crème fraîche
pinch nutmeg

4 to 5 oz chèvre cheese

½ tsp salt

1⁄4 tsp pepper
Optional: 1 Tbsp tarragon

1. Pre-heat oven to 400°F and blind-bake the pie crust.
2. While crust is baking, fry leek in butter until soft; remove from pan. Fry scallions and set aside.
3. Whisk together egg, crème fraiche, nutmeg, salt and pepper (and tarragon, if using).
4. Spread cheese in bottom of pie shell. Sprinkle fried leeks on top.
5. Pour egg mix into shell; sprinkle fried scallions on top.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until custard is set.

Apple-Custard Pie

This is part of a perfect marriage. I like fruit pies, Ben likes custard pies. This apple custard pie blends the creaminess of the custard with the pleasant bite of cooked apple. I like vanilla a lot so I always put in a bit more than most, and in this recipe the custard takes on more of a pastry cream texture, with the vanilla lending a wonderful floral quality that marries well with the apple.

Cookie Crust Pie Shell, partially blind-baked (when blind-baking, only bake for up to 10 minutes and try to protect the crust by covering it - the pie will bake an additional 30 minutes and you don't want the crust to overcook)

4 firm apples such as Spartan, Jona Gold, Granny Smith, etc, peeled, cored and sliced thin

1⁄4 cup + 2 Tbsp sugar

Pinch of nutmeg

1 cup heavy cream

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

3 Tbsps (42gr) butter

1. Set the oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, smear the paper with a little butter and arrange the apple slices in a single layer on top (you will likely have to use two cookie sheets to do this properly. The apples have to cook and absorb the sugar which is best done if they're not overlapping). Sprinkle each cookie sheet with 1 Tbsp sugar, powder with the pinch of nutmeg. The amount of time the apple cooks depends on the firmness of the apple - test the slices with a paring knife; if it goes in smoothly, the apple is done. The slices should be tender yet still keep their shape.
3. Whisk the cream, eggs and vanilla together, add the remaining sugar and mix a bit more then set aside.
4. Layer the apples in the pie shell in concentric circles. I tend to make two layers of apples in two concentric circles. At last pour the egg mixture on top. Dot the surface with the remaining 2 Tbsp of butter and bake the pie at 400°F 30 minutes.
5. During the baking, check the crust; if you see it browning too much, remove the pie from the oven and cover the edges of the crust with tin foil, then re-introduce into the oven.
6. Allow to cool completely before serving.

Sweet pie crust

I've published my savory pie dough on this blog, so here's the sweet version. This is such an easy and absolutely delightful dessert pie crust. To enjoy the flavour of the butter and avoid the excess fat, just chant over and over "No Calories Here" while you're making it, to cast a protective spell.

1 cup flour

1⁄4 tsp salt

1 Tbsp sugar

1⁄2 cup (4oz/114gr) butter, cut into pieces 

1⁄2 tsp vanilla

2 Tbsps + cold water

NOTE: The pastry needs time to cool in the refrigerator not once, but twice, for about 15 minutes each time, and then another 15 minutes to pre-bake in the oven, a total of about 45 minutes.

1. Put the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the butter pieces and pinch with your fingers to create a crumb texture (it's like playing in sand).
2. Make a well in the middle, and pour in the vanilla and water. Quickly work in the flour to create dough. Do not over-mix. The bits of butter are what help the crust become crisp and flaky.
3. Pat into a thick disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate 15 minutes.
4. Roll out the dough to about 2⁄3 of the usual size, fold in, reform into a ball and roll out again. You can do this one more time if you want before rolling it out completely to line the tart shell. Chill another 15 minutes. These two chilling times are important, because it hardens the little bits of butter in the dough so that it creates minuscule pocket in crust for that flaking effect.
5. To pre-bake, heat the oven to 400°F. I use weights to blind-bake the shell, this prevents it from puffing up. Line the frozen pie shell with parchment paper, pour in weights (I use beans), just enough to cover the bottom and up the sides. Bake the shell for about 10 minutes like this, then remove the weights and the paper, put the partially-baked shell back in the oven and bake another 5 minutes or until the crust is ever-so-lightly browned.

Quick Gourmet - Balsamic Poached Chicken

This makes a rather sweet sauce, and it's delicious with simple vegetables like spring potatoes, asparagus or a mixed salad.

Another wonderful recipe from the Unemployed Cook.

2 to 3 boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets

1 1⁄2 cups chicken stock

1⁄2 cup balsamic vinegar

Salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

2 Tbsps brown sugar

1. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
2. Bring the stock and the vinegar up to a boil in a medium (2 quart) saucepan, add chicken, and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 15 to 18 minutes, turning once (cooking time will depend on the thickness of the chicken). Internal temperature should read 165°F when done.
3. Remove the chicken from the pan, and keep warm in a 170°F oven.
4. Turn heat up to high, add brown sugar, and reduce cooking liquid to about 1⁄4 cup (you may want to transfer all of this to a large shallow pan to speed up the evaporation rate). 
5. Slice the chicken thickly and spoon some of the pan sauce over it, and serve.

Kitchen Ready Soup - Lentil Soup

This is a great soup for me because it contains ingredients that are usually always in my kitchen. It's quick, tasty, and easy. The first time I made it was this past month, with my niece Isabelle, for our last meal together before she left us to, of all things, spend the summer with her parents! I know! Kids these days have their priorities all mixed up!
Addendum: I didn't have red lentils on hand, but I did have green lentils and tried the recipe using these as a substitution, and it was quite tasty. This makes the soup far more flexible!

1 large onion (10oz/285gr), chopped

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

4 garlic cloves (20grams), finely chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs of fresh thyme

1 1⁄2 cup split red lentils or green lentils

3 1⁄2 cups chicken (or vegetable) broth

2 cups water (add 1 cup more if you want it soupier)

1 tsp salt
1⁄2 tsp pepper

2 Tbsps chopped flat-leaf parsley for garnish

lemon wedges as accompaniment

1. In the soup pot, heat the oil and start by cooking the onion over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened. This should take about 8 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, cumin, bay leaf, and thyme and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Add the lentils, broth, water, salt, and pepper; simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are very soft and falling apart, about 30 to 45 minutes.
3. Optional - coarsely blend with an immersion blender.
4. Stir in the parsley and adjust the season until it tastes right to you.
5. Serve with a spritz of lemon to brighten the soup.

Milk-Braised Pork

THIS NEEDS WORK - I'VE RETURNED IT TO THE TESTING PHASE. Thank you, thank you, thank you Unemployed Cook! This recipe is terribly, dangerously delicious. It's very simple but it takes a long time and is very sticky and messy. But oh, so deliciously delicious. With my own limited finances, pork is the one meat I will only buy organic - conventional pork factory farming is just bad, bad, bad. Luckily the Vancouver Farmer's Market includes sustainable pork farmers. And when the pork loin cooks in the milk, you end up with tender succulence, and, not a sauce, but a kind of ham/cheese hybrid, brown, rich, gooey goodness. The Unemployed Cook recommends the use of a super-non-stick pan which I've never heard of, but I post it here in case you're interested: Calphalon non-stick skillet. I used a non-stick skillet and it still stuck. A small price to pay for this dish.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/200620/milk-braised-pork-loin/
http://goboldwithbutter.com/slow-cooked-pork-braised-in-milk/

NOTE: THIS TAKES A SUPER LONG TIME!

1 Tbsp (1⁄2 oz/14gr) butter

Mild vegetable oil

sea salt

freshly ground pepper

1 medium pork tenderloin

.5 gallon of milk*

*I don't know how much milk I use. It depends on the size of the pan I'm cooking in - I just look to make sure the tenderloin is almost covered with milk when I have to put some in.

1. Sprinkle the tenderloin generously with salt and pepper. Heat the butter and a drizzle of oil in a heavy saute pan with a lid.
2. Brown the pork very well on all sides in the hot oil. Once finished browning, add the milk to the pan until nearly covering the meat, reduce heat to a low simmer. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Remove the lid, raise the heat to medium. When the milk starts to boil around the meat, be vigilant! Boil the milk down, turning the tenderloin over (every half hour), until the milk resembles soft, light golden curds. Beware, those of faint heart, this can take over half and hour TAKES LONGER, RECORD TO CORRECT (try 2.5 hours as your metric, to start. This seems more realistic) of care and attention because you do not want to scorch the milk!
4. Once the milk has boiled down, add more milk to almost cover the pork, and cook down again. At this point it should be smelling incredibly good and the pork should be quite tender. Once the milk has boiled down to a thick, golden brown sauce, HOW LONG DOES THIS TAKE? remove meat (the internal temperature should be 160°F). Slice thinly and generously spoon the sauce over the top. This is a rich dish, best paired with lightly steamed vegetables to cut some of the heaviness.

Lemony good butter cookies

These are delicious and versatile butter cookies that can be flavoured with all sorts of good stuff. The standard I make is with lemon rind, but I've also put in ground anise, and I'm looking forward to trying it with fresh lavender flowers. What else can I use in them? Only time and inventiveness can tell.

1 1⁄2 cups (12oz/339gr) butter, softened

2⁄3 cup white sugar

1⁄4 cup sifted confectioners' sugar

(see Options, below)

1 tsp grated lemon zest

2 1⁄2 cups flour

1⁄2 cup cornstarch or arrowroot powder

1⁄4 tsp salt

1. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in lemon zest. Combine the flour, cornstarch and salt; mix into the batter until well blended. Divide dough into two balls, wrap in plastic wrap and flatten to about 1 inch thick. Refrigerate to let the dough rest for about 1 hour and up to 72 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 325°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Place on cookie sheets - stoneware works great.
3. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, just until cookies begin to brown at the edges. Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
4. OPTIONS: 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh lavender, 1 tsp ground star anise seeds, and/or hey, why not, fresh mint leaves, etc, etc, etc...

Chicken with Mushroom and Leeks

The original to this recipe is in Food & Wine March 2011. It's called Simplest Chicken-and-Leek Stew. I think the name is misleading. To start, with the quantity of mushrooms in this recipe, this ingredient should be headlined, otherwise it's like calling a chocolate cake a sponge cake. Secondly, there are three different grouping of things to cook separately, and then you assemble, which means lots of dirty dishes and fiddling with removing from the pan and then putting back in. Thirdly, there is no stewing involved - all the ingredients are cooked separately, then added to the sauce with only a single measly minute of simmering before serving. The one thing that I will agree to about this recipe is that it is delicious.

2 Tbsps mild vegetable oil

2 medium leeks, tender parts only, thinly sliced

1⁄2 lb button mushrooms, thinly sliced

Salt and pepper

1 lb chicken breast cut into 2 inch pieces

4 Tbsps flour (I use rice flour)

1 1⁄2 cups chicken broth

1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme

2 Tbsps crème fraiche

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1. In a skillet heat 1 Tbsp oil, add leeks and cook over moderate heat until soft (approx 7 minutes). Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring often, until mushrooms are soft, about 4 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. In a bag mix 4 Tbsp flour, salt and pepper, and toss in chicken pieces. Shake until chicken is well covered, remove chicken and discard remaining flour. Add 1 Tbsp of oil to pan and the brown chicken, about 2 minutes per side. Add the chicken stock and thyme, simmering until chicken is cooked through (this should be quick since the browning should have cooked the chicken).
3. Remove the chicken from the pan and simmer the stock until it is reduced by half. Throw the chicken and veg back in and simmer over low temperature until it's all heated through, about 1 minute.
4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix together the crème fraiche and the Dijon and stir into the stew. Season to taste and serve.

Lemon loaf

This Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf recipe turned me on because of the lemon syrup you soak into the loaf after it has baked. After it's been sitting for a while, the syrup soaks pretty much uniformly to scent and flavour the loaf. Fun! The first time I made this I used a slightly smaller loaf pan, and there was a tiny bit in the centre that wasn't cooked - it was yummy, but not cooked. I wonder what kind of tea or coffee would work best with this delicacy?

Cake:

1⁄2 cup (4oz/114gr) room temperature butter

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour

3 Tbsps poppy seeds

1 tbsp grated lemon rind

1 tsp baking powder

1⁄4 tsp salt

1⁄2 cup milk

Lemon Syrup:

1⁄3 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp grated lemon rind

1⁄3 cup lemon juice

1. In a large bowl, beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, poppy seeds, lemon rind, baking powder and salt ; stir into the butter mixture alternately with milk, making 3 additions of the flour mixture and 2 of milk. Spread in greased 8- x 4-inch (1.5 L) loaf pan.
3. Bake in the centre of a 325°F oven for 1 hour or until a cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean. Set on a cooling rack to rest.
4. Lemon Syrup: In a saucepan, warm together the sugar, lemon rind and juice until the sugar dissolves. With a skewer, pierce the hot loaf in 12 places right to bottom; pour lemon syrup over loaf.
5. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 30 minutes; turn it out onto rack and let it cool completely. Wrap and let it stand for 12 hours before slicing.

Muffuletta Sandwich with Vegetarian Option

This is a delicious sandwich. I tried two versions using the vegetarian recipe, below - one true to this recipe, the other incorporating meats often used in muffuletta sandwiches (Italian mortadella and hot capicollo). The veggie sandwich turned out beautifully and, although the meat sandwich was good, it wasn't as good - I used less pesto and less tapenade in the meat sandwich and omitted the balsamic, which I think was my error. Anyway, I will try it again. I've included the meat as an option in the recipe, below. Essentially, there are loads of variations for this recipe, but the basic ingredient, as far as I can tell, that makes it a muffuletta is the olives - either tapenade or an olive salad etc.

1 small eggplant, cut lengthwise into 1⁄4" slices

2 small zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1⁄4" slices

1 large loaf ciabatta bread (recipe)

1⁄3 cup prepared pesto

1⁄3 cup prepared tapenade

2 jarred roasted red peppers, roughly diced (or more, don't be shy)

1⁄8 lb hot capicollo (optional)

1⁄8 lb Italian mortadella (optional)

1⁄4 lb mild provolone slices

2 Tbsps balsamic vinegar

1. Heat grill pan or grill to medium-high heat. Brush eggplant and zucchini with olive oil, and grill 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until charred and softened, dribbling more olive oil as needed. Transfer to plate.
2. Hollow the inside of the bread to make room for the filling. Spread pesto on one side of bread. Spread tapenade on other side of bread.
3. Layer eggplant, zucchini, roasted red peppers, meat (if using) and provolone on one side of bread. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar (warning, this will make the bread soggy). Season with salt and pepper.

Ciabatta Bread

This is my first attempt at making Ciabatta and, although the result was good, the original instructions were not very good, and I'd like to experiment with other recipes, just for fun. This is one of these recipes that take a long time! I didn't read the instructions carefully and missed the fact that the bread had to rise a second time for 90 minutes, and I was making the bread for a sandwich for a birthday party we were going to, and I barely had time to make it! But I persisted, just because I said I was going to make it and I would not have been satisfied with just buying something, and even though I panicked I was able to make it with, literally, 5 minutes to spare!

Biga (starter)

1⁄4 tsp instant dry yeast

1 cup water, at body temperature

1 1⁄4 cups flour

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water.
2. Mix in flour by hand and stir just until there are no lumps. The mixture will be very wet and sticky.
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.

Bread

1 tsp instant dry yeast

3 Tbsps milk, at room temperature

2⁄3 cup water, at body temperature

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 1⁄3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1⁄2 tsp sea salt

cornmeal, for baking tray

1. Stir the yeast and warm milk together in the bottom of the bowl of a standup mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the warm water, oil, and the starter, and mix with the paddle until blended (or the dough can be mixed by hand in a bowl with a wooden spoon but be forewarned, it is very sticky).
2. Switch to the dough hook and add flour and salt, kneading on low speed for 2 minutes, then, increasing to next speed up, knead for 3 minutes. Slap the dough with your hand in the bowl, until it feels stretchy and springs back (it will be too sticky to knead on a work surface).
3. Place dough into an oiled bowl, cover bowl with plastic and set in a draft-free, warm area to rise for about 90 minutes. The dough should have lots of big air bubbles visible when ready.
4. Measure out parchment paper that will fit into a large baking tray and liberally and evenly sprinkle with cornmeal (do not put in baking tray yet - the baking tray has to heat up in the oven before putting the bread on). Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll up into a cylinder (like you would for a loaf or bread), but then stretch and pull the flexible dough into a rectangle about 20 inches by 8 inches. Cut dough in half and place each on parchment-lined baking tray. Cover loaves gently with a slightly damp tea towel and let rise another 90 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 425°F and place a baking tray upside down in oven to heat. Remove the hot tray from the oven, and slide the parchment with the bread onto hot tray and return to the oven quickly. Spray tops of loaves with a little water, close oven quickly and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, spraying again with water after 10 minutes. Remove the bread from the tray to cool before tearing or slicing.

Oven-Fried Chicken With Almonds

There's nothing really subtle or refined about this recipe but it is tasty and quick and you can prepare the mix beforehand (although, since the ingredients are fresh, the mix does have a shelf-life and should be refrigerated or frozen). It uses fresh ingredients instead of powdered this and dried that, which I like a lot in my recipes.

 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved

1⁄4 cup olive oil

1 dash black pepper, ground

1⁄4 tsp thyme, dried

1 tsp salt

1 garlic clove, crushed and minced

2 Tbsps fresh parsley, chopped

1⁄4 cup almonds, finely chopped

1⁄4 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated

1⁄2 cup Panko bread crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Pound the chicken breasts to a 1⁄2 inch thickness and cut them into 12 pieces (or just keep them whole and make sure to use a meat thermometre - chicken is cooked at 160°F).
3. In a medium bowl, stir bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, almonds, parsley, garlic, salt, thyme and pepper. Pour oil onto a plate. Dip the chicken into the oil and then into the bread crumb mixture to coat.
4. Place chicken on a cookie sheet. Do not move or turn chicken over during baking. Cook for 20 minutes, until juices run clear when the thickest part of the chicken is pierced with the tip of a knife, or until a meat thermometre reads 165°F.
5. Serve immediately.

Spaghetti and Meatballs, that's all.

There is nothing quite so comforting as spaghetti-and-meatballs. The spicing in this recipe is a little unusual, but I really like it 'cause it seems kind of rustic. The flavour is mild and, for lack of a better way to describe it, smooth - the tomato flavour is not acidic at all. I also highly recommend making it the day before - it is even more delicious the next day.

Meatballs

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 onions (12oz/340gr) finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 egg

1⁄2 cup ricotta cheese

2 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed

1⁄4 tsp salt

3⁄4 tsp pepper

1⁄4 tsp each ground cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg

1 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs

1⁄4 cup minced fresh parsley

1⁄4 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

8 oz lean ground beef

8 oz lean ground pork

1 Tbsp olive oil

Sauce

1 Tbsp olive oil

1⁄4 cup dry red

1⁄4 cup chicken stock

1 can (28 oz/796 mL) diced tomatoes

1 can tomato paste

1⁄2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil (or 2 tsp dried)

1⁄4 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 1⁄2 lb spaghetti

1. In large nonstick skillet, heat half of the oil over medium heat; fry onions and garlic, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Scrape into a bowl and set aside.
2. In large bowl, whisk together the egg, ricotta cheese, fennel seeds, 1⁄4 tsp of the salt, pepper, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Stir in the bread crumbs, parsley, Romano cheese and half of the onion mixture. Add the beef and pork and mix well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Wetting hands if necessary to prevent sticking, form into balls using a tablespoon as a guide. Add remaining oil to the pan. Brown meatballs over medium-high heat, in batches; with slotted spoon, transfer to plate. Pour off fat.
4. Add wine and broth to deglaze the pan. Transfer to a Dutch oven. Stir in the onion mixture, diced tomatoes and paste, half of the basil (or all dried, if using), the sugar and the remaining salt. Add the meatballs. Cover and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes. (Make-ahead: Let cool for 30 minutes. Transfer to refrigerator and let cool completely. Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1month.)
5. Meanwhile, in large pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti until tender but firm, 8 to 10 minutes; drain and return to pot.
6. Garnish with remaining basil.

Whole Wheat Flat Bread

We keep buying whole wheat flour when we intend on buying plain unbleached white. This means I'm always looking for things to make with whole wheat flour just to use it up! At some point this week, I saw that we had containers of hummous and tapenade and such from an evening a while back, on the verge of going bad. I'd also just come back from work and I didn't feel like going on to get pocket bread to eat the stuff. Light-bulb flash: I decided to make some mini pocket bread. They're quick to make and, served hot out of the oven, they are delightful.

2 cup whole wheat flour – well sifted

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp olive oil

Scant 1 cup hot water

1. Dump all the ingredients in a bowl and mix, then knead the dough until smooth, adding flour until it no longer sticks to your fingers. Let it rest for 30 minutes, covered and away from drafts.
2. Roll out the dough to a 1⁄4 inch or less and then cut out circles with a glass or cookie cutter or pat the circles into shape.
3. Bake at 350°F until they puff up and start to brown, around 25 to 30 minutes.

Chicken Noodle Soup

What research has shown is that chicken soup is effective to relieve the effects of the common cold by blocking the white blood cells that ineffectively try to attack the cold virus, causing the production of phlegm. What they haven't been able to do is propose a viable theory as to how chicken soup does this. It makes me happy that plain-old chicken noodle soup is a delicious home remedy. And, if it's made with the Foundation of Goodness Chicken Stock, it is excellent. The only caveat for this soup is the chicken pieces - do not over-simmer the soup once the chicken pieces have been added. The chicken will continue to cook and become tough. This is also good to remember if re-heating the soup.

2 cups diced chicken breast

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1⁄2 tsp salt 

1⁄2 tsp fresh ground black pepper or to taste

8 cups chicken broth or stock

2 stalks of celery, diced

2 carrots (4oz/114g) diced into little cubes

4 green onions, thinly sliced

2 cups egg noodles

1⁄4 cup fresh dill, cilantro or parsley, finely chopped

1. If you don't have leftover chicken, then you can prepare chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 350°F; coat the chicken with oil, season with salt and pepper. Cook in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes making sure the chicken is fully cooked (internal temperature of 160°F). Remove from the oven and allow to cool before dicing.
2. Heat the chicken stock by simmering in an uncovered pot before adding the other ingredients.
3. While the broth or stock is brought to a simmer, cut up the chicken breast, cutting the meat into medium sized cubes and set aside. Dice the celery, slice or dice the carrots, and thinly slice the green onions.
4. Add the veg and noodles to the pot. When the noodles are fully cooked (8 to 10 minutes), so should the veg. Add the chicken meat and then the herb of your choice. Allow to cook for an additional 4 minutes or until the meat is heated through. Serve piping hot.

The foundation of goodness - Chicken Stock

This is a recipe I've not spent a lot of time researching because I really liked the results the first go 'round. It's from Steven Raichlen's High-Flavor, Low-Fat Chicken - a most unromantic title for any book, but I'm willing to overlook it even if it's just for this recipe.

I've made chicken stock before, either from just boiling some roast chicken carcass or saving the excess liquid from Poule-au-Pot, but when I made this stock, I was amazed at the wonderful flavour and, yes, the wonderful aroma with which it perfumes the air. And, as Raichlen mentions in his book, it's a great way of using scraps. I was saving chicken backs in the freezer from when I cut up a chicken for pieces, just for such an occasion. I love being thrifty like this, and learned that I can be even more so. Raichlen recommends saving vegetable scraps to use in the making, also just kept in the freezer, which I will do next time - everything just gets strained away when the stock is done anyway, so vegetable heels etc will do just fine, so long as they are clean. In the recipe below, it mentions cutting sizes etc, but that's just to give an idea of the best size to extract flavour. I also discovered that it's best to remove the skin from the chicken because it produces so much fat I would just skim off afterwards.

I've also included the instructions for chicken broth at the end. I haven't tried this, but plan on it, soon.

3 1⁄2 to 4 lbs chicken backs, wings, necks, or the carcass from a large roast chicken

1 large onion, quartered with skin

1 leek, trimmed, washed, and cut into 1-inch pieces

3 carrots (6oz/170g) cut into 1-inch pieces

3 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 head of garlic, cut in half

Water enough to cover everything in your pot

4 large parsley sprigs or parsley stems

4 fresh thyme sprigs or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 bay leaves

10 peppercorns

2 allspice berries 

1. Remove the skin and any lumps of fat from the chicken pieces (unless you want lots of schmaltz floating on the surface of your stock). Rinse the chicken pieces well.
2. Place all the ingredients for the stock in a large stockpot with enough water to cover the chicken. Bring the stock to a boil and skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Lower the heat and gently simmer the stock until well flavored, 2 to 3 hours. Add cold water as necessary to keep the chicken covered. Skim the stock often, especially if you've added water because the cold water brings the fat to the top. It's also very important to only bring the stock to a boil once; any boiling after that will cause the fat to emulsify and make the stock cloudy.
3. Strain the stock into a clean container and let cool to room temperature. I've transfered them to 1-cup containers and froze most of it. Stock will keep four to five days in the refrigerator and for several months in the freezer.

Note: For an extra-clear stock, pour the stock through a strainer lined with paper towels.

Yield: Makes 10 to 12 cups

Chicken Broth Variation:

1. Chicken broth is richer and meatier than chicken stock. Use it for soups and sauces.
2. Prepare the preceding recipe, substituting a 3 1⁄2 to 4 lb chicken for the bones. Wash the chicken and remove any lumps of fat. (For a leaner broth, remove the skin, too.) Simmer the chicken for 1 hour, skimming the stock often. At this point the broth is ready. The chicken meat can be pulled off the bones and used for salads.

Yield: Makes 10 to 12 cups

Locally-grown burgers

I made some bison burgers, and they were good. I've really cottoned to using a thermometre to determine when my meats are cooked. In this case, the burger is at it's best when it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F.

1 lb ground bison (or beef)

1 shallot or 1⁄2 an onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic minced

Optional - 1 Tbsp salsa (preferably with chipotle)

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 egg, lightly beaten

fresh ground pepper to taste

salt to taste (I put in about 3⁄4 tsp), just enough to bring out flavours

1 handful bread crumbs

1⁄4 tsp beef bouillon concentrate

1. In a little oil, fry alliums, add garlic for the last minute of cooking.
2. Thoroughly mix together all the ingredients. Shape into 4 patties. In a little oil, pan-fry the patties, flipping only once if possible, until cooked, about 5 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
3. Serve with buns and choice of toppings.

Poulet au Paprika

It's always such a pleasure when I discover that a negative prejudice I have about food is wrong. I've never had anything against paprika, but it always seemed like an afterthought kind of seasoning that I often wondered what it's use was. That is, until I tried Laura's Poulet au Paprika. It creates such a smooth blend of flavours, all couched in this noticeable taste of paprika. I strongly recommend exploring different types of paprika each time you make this recipe. And I'm fairly confident that you will want to make it again and again.

The original recipe required only chicken thighs, but the cooking instructions are the same as cooking a whole chicken in pieces that I just did that, and it turned out wonderfully.

1 whole chicken cut in 6 to 8 pieces

1 pinch salt and pepper

1 Tbsp bacon drippings or oil

1 red pepper, julienned

1 onion, sliced

half of a small fennel bulb, finely chopped

1 Tbsp hot or sweet Hungarian paprika (or try with other types of paprika)

1 clove garlic, minced

1⁄2 cup white wine

1 tomato (6 to 7oz) roughly chopped

1 bay leaf

2 Tbsps crème fraîche

garnish with a wedge of lemon

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the fat in a sauté pan and, working in batches, brown the meat on all sides, 5 to 8 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
2. Drain off all but a tablespoon of fat from the pan.
3. Lower the heat and add the julienned pepper, onion, fennel, and paprika. Cook until soft, but not coloured, about 12 minutes, adding the garlic for the final minute.
4. Deglaze the pan with the wine. Add the tomatoes and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Put the chicken back in. Cover the pan, and cook, turning the meat occasionally, until tender, about 30 minutes or until breasts register 165°F on a meat thermometre.
6. Remove the chicken to a serving platter and cover with foil to keep warm.
7. Turn up the heat under the sauce and boil down to sauce consistency. Turn off the heat, stir through the cream, check the seasonings (including the paprika, adding more if you like), then pour over the chicken, and serve with wedge of lemon. Squeeze lemon before eating if desired.

Frosting to improve hips - Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Yes, a butter frosting. Usually for this type of recipe an unsalted butter is recommended, but I like to use salted - I always find that salt improves flavour, even when it's a sweet. Although I have made this by hand, I prefer to use an electric mixer to cream the butter. All I'm saying is that, in a pinch, you can beat the butter with a wooden spoon by hand; it may in fact offset a bit the calories...

NOTE: you can choose how sweet you want your frosting by playing with the quantity of icing sugar. Two cups may be a bit skimpy and create a bitter-sweet chocolate frosting, but I find four cups way too sweet. I recommend you start at 2 cups and add to taste after that.

ANOTHER NOTE: It's best to sift light powders like cocoa and icing sugar after measuring - the measuring process can compact it again and cause it to lump.

YET ANOTHER NOTE: Notice that the darkness of the chocolate frosting will lighten depending on two things: 1) how much sugar you use and 2) how long and how vigorously you beat the mixture (especially if you use an electric mixer).

1 cup (8oz/228gr) softened salted butter

1⁄3 cup crème fraîche

1 Tbsp. vanilla

1 cup Dutch processed or de-bittered cocoa powder, sifted after measuring

2 to 4 cups icing sugar, sifted after measuring

1. Beat butter until creamy (it will become pale, almost white).
2. Blend in crème fraîche and vanilla; beat until very smooth.
3. Add the cocoa and icing sugar.
4. Beat on high until smooth, no longer than 45 seconds or depending on the colour you want.

Home made chocolate cake store bought mix

What I like most about experimenting with food is trying recipes that seem insane but turn out really well. I discovered this chocolate cake recipe on what used to be Recipezaar.com but is now called Food.com. When I first made it, the batter which is very runny made me nervous. But it turned out wonderfully moist and rich, and is terribly simple to make. In fact, it reminds me so much of those instant cake mixes we used when I was a child, although the flavor is infinitely better. Definitely not a low-cal dessert, especially with the frosting I recommend. The original has been altered since I prefer a little less sweet with my chocolate and I love the taste of vanilla. I think it's the perfect classic home-made chocolate cake for birthdays.

NOTE: I use dutch process or de-bittered cocoa powder for this recipe. The flavor is smoother and more pleasant.

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

3⁄4 cup unsweetened dutch process cocoa powder (sift after measuring to remove any small lumps)

2 tsps baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1⁄2 tsp salt

1⁄2 tsp cinnamon

2 large eggs

2 Tbsps vanilla

1 cup strong coffee, cooled

1 cup cream (any liquid will do but I like the richness)

1⁄2 cup vegetable oil

2 tsps white vinegar

1. Set oven to 350°F.
2. Generously grease two 8 inch cake rounds. The batter does tend to stick, so you may elect to cut out some parchment paper circles to lay at the bottom of your pan (grease the pan first, lay the parchment paper over the surface and press to make it stick - this will prevent batter from leaking under the parchment paper. Then grease the surface of the parchment paper).
3. In a large mixing bowl combine the flour with sugar, sifted cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
4. Add in eggs, cooled coffee, vanilla, cream oil and vinegar; mix until blended and smooth. Remember, the batter will be thin. Ta-da, all in one bowl!
5. Pour into prepared baking pan.
6. Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes or until cake tests done.
7. Cool completely before frosting.

Edible Breakfast Dishes - Ham and Eggs Cups

This is really delicious and simple and cool looking. I still have to figure out the right time for baking because my first couple of attempts were overcooked, so that the yolk, while not rock hard, was definitely solid. It's a great breakfast item that easily serves for dinner. This is one version of many possibilities. Try it with crème fraîche instead of cheese, ratatouille instead of mushrooms, etc.

½ lb mushrooms, chopped into cubes

1 finely chopped shallot

1 Tbsp (½ oz/14gr) butter

Pinch of fresh or dried thyme

Splash white wine

6 Cherry tomatoes

12 slices cured ham

6 large eggs

Parmigiano, grated

Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Cook mushrooms and shallot in butter over moderately high heat until mushrooms are tender and liquid they give off is evaporated. Add white wine and allow to evaporate.
3. Assemble and bake:
4. Fit 2 slices of ham into each oiled ramekins. Divide mushrooms among cups, portion out thyme into each cup and crack 1 egg into each. Pop in a cherry tomato in each ramekin, and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake in middle of oven until whites are cooked but yolks are still runny, less than 15 minutes (I turn on the broiler for the last minute. Season eggs with salt and pepper and remove (with ham) from muffin cups carefully, using 2 spoons.
5. Eat with baguette or crusty bread.

Shaved Vegetable Salad

Oh, I can make this in so many different ways, it really depends on what you want to put in your salad. This is originally from Laura Calder and what I've indicated below is one of my variations. Really, the recipe is just to slice veggies paper-thin so that they develop a texture very similar to raw lettuce. Unless you're preternaturally skilled with a knife, a fine mandolin is essential to pull this off. The texture is so delightfully and surprisingly light and fresh this will soon become a favorite.

Carrots

Fennel bulb

Radishes

Beets

Lemon juice

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Fresh dill (optional)

1. Using a very fine mandolin, shave any hard, firm vegetable you like into paper-thin slices, reserving beets for last and keeping them to the side (their colour will bleed and stain the other veggies unless, of course, they are golden or white beets).
2. Toss veg (except for beets) and dill (if using) with olive oil to cover and properly separate them. Add lemon juice and arrange in bowls. While arranging in bowls, insert beet slices so that they are evenly distributed throughout. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.

Sunshine in a bowl - Golden Onion Soup

I had the opportunity to perfect this recipe over a couple of years. It's simple and flavourful, and the little bit of chili gives it a nice-but-not-overpowering kick. The garnish is not just to make the soup look pretty - although the rounded, delicate leaves of the cilantro are beautiful floating on the golden broth of the soup - it contributes to the delight of the soup's flavour. There are two elements to be particularily mindful of: slice the onion thinly (if not using a mandolin to do this, the onion should be as thin (or thinner) as if you were using one), and be sure to allow the onion to cook slowly enough to not burn, but at a good enough temperature that the onion's sweat (the liquid that forms while cooking) and the onion pieces start to brown; a lot of the richness of the soup comes from this process.

3 large Spanish onion or 4 yellow onions, finely sliced

3 cloves garlic, finely sliced

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 Tbsp (½ oz/14gr) butter

1 small red chilli, seeded and finely chopped

1 tsp. mild chilli powder

½ tsp turmeric

1 tsp ground coriander

8 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 tsp salt

pepper

1/3 cup couscous (optional but it lends a lovely texture to the soup)

Fresh cilantro

1. Heat oil and butter until the butter started to foam and crackle. Add the onion and reduce the temperature to medium-medium high and cook until nicely browned, about 15-30 minutes.
2. Stir in chopped chili and spices, cook for 1-2 minutes over low heat, to avoid burning the delicate spices. Add stock, salt and pepper and birng to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. At the end of 20 minutes, stir in couscous (if using). With or without couscous, simmer another 10 minutes. Taste test and season to taste.
4. Garnish with cilantro, chopped or whole leaf, and serve.

Cheese Soufflé

Although this is another fabulous Laura Calder recipe I've removed and changed a few things. Instead of putting in herbs, I just depend on using fabulous, flavorful cheeses - this is an excellent recipe, by the way, to use up the little left-over heels from your cheese board or just what's in your cheese box. The key to a light, flavorful cheese soufflé is to remember that the quantity of cheese is important - you need just enough cheese for flavour, because too much will make for a heavy soufflé that won't rise properly. I also tend to be judicious with my use of salt, depending on the types of cheese I'm using - the saltier the cheese, the less salt I'll add.

1 cup milk

1 bay leaf

half of a small onion, peeled

pinch of paprika

Parmesan, grated, for dusting the dish (optional)

1 1⁄2 Tbsps (23gr) butter 

1 1⁄2 Tbsps flour

3 eggs, separated + 1 egg white

3 oz cheese, grated or mashed

1 Tbsp chopped fresh herbs (optional)

1 pinch Salt and pepper

1. Put the milk with the bay leaf, onion, and pinch of paprika in a saucepan and bring just to the boil. Turn off the heat, cover, and set aside to infuse 10 minutes. Heat the oven to 400°F. Butter 8 1⁄2 cup/125 ml ramekins or a 4 cup/1 litre soufflé dish, and dust with the grated Parmesan.
2. In a clean saucepan, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook one minute. Gradually whisk over the milk, and cook, stirring, until thick, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and beat in the yolks. Stir through the cheese and herbs. Season with salt (remember, the saltier the cheese, less salt here) and pepper.
3. Beat the whites to stiff peaks with a pinch of salt. Stir a spoonful into the yolk mixture, then pour the yolk mixture onto the remaining whites and gently fold together. Pour into the soufflé dish and run your finger through the mix in a circle about a half inch from the edge. This creates the lovely top-hat appearance of the soufflé. Bake until risen and set, but still slightly creamy in the centre, about 30 minutes, depending on the size of the soufflé dishes. Serve immediately before it slumps.

Curried Red Lentil Soup

So simple, and yet so good. This is a staple in our home, and is good as a soup or, with a little less broth, makes an excellent dahl by subtracting 3 cups of water.

Serves 6

2 Tbsps mild vegetable oil
1 large onion (10oz/285gr), chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed (or more)
2 tsps. grated fresh ginger
2 tsps. curry powder of your choice
2 cups red lentils
8 cups water or stock
3 carrots, sliced
Juice from 1 lemon (2 to 3 Tbsps)
2 tsps salt

1. Heat the oil in a large stockpot (8 quart). Add the onions and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and curry powder and sauté a minute more.
2. Add the red lentils and water or stock. Set the timer for 30 minutes.
3. Bring to a boil before reducing to a simmer.
4. After 30 minutes, add the carrots, cover the pot, and simmer for another 15 to 30 minutes, or until the lentils are completely soft.
5. Turn off the heat, add lemon and salt, and serve.

Poached Chicken Breast With Goat Cheese

This is a wonderfully easy recipe from Chavignol, France. The recipe recommends Herbes de Provence, but other herb blends work just as well. This is a recipe for 2 people, but it can easily be multiplied. Enjoy!

2 chicken breasts, skinned and boned

2 medium tomatoes

1 zucchini

16 oz. goat cheese

herbes de provence

olive oil

salt

pepper

1. Pre-heat the oven to 450F.
2. Cut the chichen breasts cross-wise so that each breast becomes 2 sheets of meat. I guess that would be cutting the meat lengthwise.
3. Wash and cut the zucchini and tomatoes and slice into thin rounds.
4. Cut two pieces of aluminum foil big enough to fold over and seal each breast. Place one half breast on each piece of foil. On top of this, layer the zucchini, tomatoes and cheese (which has been equally distributed between the two servings). Once the filling is all used, place the remaining half of chicken breast on top, sprinkle with the Herbes de Provence, drizzle with olive oil, then salt and pepper.
5. Seal the aluminum foil completely, place side-by-side in a glass baking dish and cook about 40 minutes. The chicken should be cooked through (internal temperature of 165F) and the zucchini still have a bit of crunch to it.

Beef and Mushroom Stew in Red Wine

Size matters when it comes to your pan and properly browning your stewing meat. I use a large 12 inch stew pot. If the cubed beef is too crowded it won't brown properly and steam instead. It's the browning that gives you that rich stew flavour. I usually buy a cheap cut of meat and cut it up in my kitchen. This way I can trim off as much fat as I like and have the size of cubes I like.

4 slices bacon
2 lbs. beef chuck

4 Tbsps. flour (I use rice flour)

1 tsp. ground rosemary

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. salt
Black pepper, to taste

2 garlic cloves

1 1/2 cups red wine

1 cup chicken broth

2 -3 carrots

1 lb. button mushroom

1. Start by creating the oil you will brown the beef in, and the best for a really rich, smoky flavor is bacon fat. Dice the bacon and cook in your stew pot over medium-high heat. Once the bacon bits are crispy and have rendered all their fat, remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside. Then pour out all but a tablespoon of the fat and keep the rest handy.
2. Combine the flour, rosemary, thyme and salt with black pepper to powder the beef cubes until covered.
3. Brown half of the beef in the fat, browning on both sides - add fat if it isn't browning properly. Remove the first batch of beef and brown the second, including any left over flour mixture. Add fat as needed, then remove from the pot and set aside.
4. Reduce the heat to medium, mince garlic and add to pan, adding a little fat if needed. Once the garlic becomes fragrant, add the quartered mushrooms and cook until they sweat.
5. Add the red wine, stir to deglaze the pan, pour in the broth and throw in the cubed carrots and crispy bacon bits. Bring this all to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
6. Cover and cook on the stove-top until the meat is tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.