Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs

There is no separation between art and science. The definitions may be distinct, but the relationship between the two is symbiotic. And so we come to the art and science of the perfect boiled egg. For yolks that are creamy and not dried-out, follow these instructions to the letter!

1. Place the eggs in a pan large enough to hold them, without crowding, in a single layer.
2. Cover the eggs with cool water—the eggs should have at least an inch of water above them.
3. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil; a real boil with large bubbles coming up all over, not a little simmer with a few bubbles along the edges.
4. Turn off the heat, and let the eggs sit for precisely 14 minutes..
5. Drain the eggs and set the pot in the sink, running the cold water continuously until the pot feels cold. Alternatively, you can prepare an ice bath and pop in the hot eggs.
6. Peel and eat the eggs as soon as you can handle them for warm hard boiled eggs. Let them sit until cool (about 10 minutes) and chill for up to two days before using, if you prefer.

Black Bean Chocolate Chilli

I first made this while cooking at the Coming Home Café in New Westminster BC. It got a lot of attention, and I had people try to guess the ingredients. The funny thing was that the one ingredient most people didn't get were the red bell peppers... don't know why, it just is. The chocolate can be substituted with cacao powder and sugar, to taste; a 2 to 1 ratio should work, start with 1 Tbsp cacao and ½ Tbsp sugar and add to your taste.

2 Tbsps olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 jalapeno chilli, minced (or more, for more heat)
1 Tbsp ground cumin
2 tsps oregano
½ tsp cinnamon
a pinch of ground cloves
1 tsp ground coriander
2 Tbsps chilli powder
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1 red bell pepper
2 x19oz cans black beans WITH the liquid
½ x 28oz can diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1½ oz (about ¼ cup) 70% chocolate, grated
Cheddar cheese, Sour cream, Scallions, Fresh Cilantro

1. Heat the oil in a soup pot and add onion and garlic; sauté until the onion becomes soft. Add the celery, chile and bell pepper. Adjust the heat; cover and cook another 5 minutes.
2. Turn heat down to lowest setting and add the spices. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until spices are fragrant, stirring occasionally to prevent burning (ground spices can quickly burn. If the pan gets too dry add a little liquid from the diced tomatoes or some water)
3. Add the beans, the tomatoes, lime juice and soy sauce. Increase heat until you get a bit of a boil, then reduce to a slow simmer. Simmer for as long as you want, but it is ready in about 10 minutes, when the liquid starts to thicken.
4. Stir in the chocolate, adjust the seasoning and serve.
5. Top with Cheddar cheese, Sour cream, Scallions, Fresh Cilantro.

Decadent Corn Bread

This is not for the faint of heart... or with heart conditions. It is such a rich, silky cornbread, filled with cheese and butter! Just amazing, and packed with calories.

1 cup (8oz/225gr) butter, melted
½ cup white sugar
4 eggs
1¼ cups (10oz) cream-style corn
½ cup corn kernels
½ cup (4oz) chopped pickled chile peppers
½ cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
½ cup grated Cheddar cheese
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
4 tsps baking powder
¼ tsp salt

1. Set oven rack to the middle position. Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a 9x13" baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the melted butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. Blend in cream corn, corn kernels, chiles, Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to corn mixture; stir until smooth. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean.

Maple Sautéed Parsnips and Carrots

New Years dinner didn't quite take the form I'd expected. I wanted to make a Pennsylvania Dutch meal with roast pork and potatoes and sauerkraut, but didn't realize that Ben expected the pork to be cooked in the sauerkraut. So he took over and made the dish he posted a little earlier. However, before leaving for our Christmas trek to Lafontaine I'd gotten all I needed for the meal I'd planned, since we were coming back on New Year's Eve. This means I had extra ingredients Ben didn't need for the roast. This is the side-dish I came up with, which turned out pretty good.

2 Tbsps vegetable oil
1 lb carrots (about 4 large), peeled, cut into 3x¼" sticks
1 lb large parsnips, peeled, halved lengthwise, cored, cut into 3x¼" sticks
Salt, to taste
2 Tbsps (1oz/28gr) butter
1 tsp powdered rosemary (or 1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary)
1½ Tbsps maple syrup

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots (if large and mature, put in carrots alone first and sauté for about 2 minutes before adding parsnips) and parsnips. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until the vegetables are beginning to brown at the edges, about 12 minutes. 
2. Add butter, rosemary, and maple syrup. Toss over medium heat until heated through and the vegetables are glazed, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with more salt and pepper.

Traditional New Years PA Dutch Lucky Pork, Sauerkraut and Mashed Potatoes

Hey there! Ben here. Roland is letting me add this traditional Pennsylvania Dutch New Year's Day dinner to the blog. The recipe is based on my Mom's recipe, but I've added more specifics - my mom, like her mom before her, tends to give directions like "put it in a hot oven for a bit, then turn the temperature down to a warm oven till it's done." I've actually added some temperatures and times for all those "detail-oriented" people out there. It goes very well with  seared carrots and parsnips.

3 or 4lbs pork roast (pork shoulder or leg)

Salt, pepper, thyme, and vegetable oil
2 stalks of celery - cut into 2" pieces
1 apple, peeled and cut into chunks
1 jar of sauerkraut
4 large potatoes - peeled and cut into chunks, or ½ lb of potatoes per person
Cream and butter (for mashed potatoes)

1. Preheat the over to 450°F with the Dutch oven (with a lid) or other pot you'll be cooking the roast in to heat up. You'll be searing the roast in the hot pot, in the oven.
2. Season the pork roast on all sides with salt, pepper and thyme. Drizzle with vegetable oil.
3. In the uncovered Dutch oven, brown the roast on all sides, turning frequently for about 5 minutes per side, which comes to about 30 minutes.
4. Reduce heat to 325°F. 
5. Add the celery and apple and enough water to cover the bottom with about a half inch. Cover and continue to roast for 30 minutes. 
6. Add sauerkraut and cover. Turn the potatoes on to boil. 
7.  Continue roasting until the internal temperature of the roast is 160°F, at least another 45 minutes. 
8. Boil the potatoes in salted water for mashed potatoes. Cook until tender then mash with cream, butter, salt and pepper to taste. 

We always served it all together - a bed of mashed potatoes with the sauerkraut on top, and a slice of the roast leaning up against the whole thing. Roland made pan seared carrots and parsnips as a side which added a little sweetness and some beautiful colour to the dish.