Tartignole aux pommes (apple pancake)

A dish from northern France, from among the "Ch'ti", it's like a Tarte Tatin but as a pancake. I don't know what to say. It's really good! My ancestors may have originated from this area, and over the generations made their way down to central France before making their way West to the coast, and finally over to l'île d'Orléans as early settlers. Knowing that my family are settlers in New France makes me wonder about my own indigeneity, and what wisdom my ancestors can transmit through traditional regional foods.

4 servings

150g flour

3/4 tsp baking powder (1/2 tsp = more custard, 1 tsp=more cake)

Optional, 1 Tbsp sugar

1 pinch salt

2 eggs

2/3 cup water

2 lrg apples, peeled, quartered and sliced thick (300 to 500 g)

40 g BROWN sugar

1 Tbsp calvados, brandy, or 1/2 tsp cinnamon or Poudre Douce)

40 g butter + 10 g

15g white sugar

To serve, plain or drizzle with maple syrup, or yogurt, chocolate, apple butter

1. Mix together the flour, baking powder, eggs, water, and salt. Stir the batter very well. Let it rest while preparing the apples.
2. Put the prepared apples in a bowl and mix together with the sugar and flavoring (liquor or spice), to coat.
3. Melt the 40g of butter at medium-high heat. When the butter begins to froth, reduce the temperature to Medium, add the apple mixture, spread evenly across the pan and let it cook for 2 minutes. 
4. Flip the apples to cook the second side. As soon as you've flipped all the pieces, pour the batter over the apple and cook on Low for 5-6 minutes or until the top is almost set. Put a lid on top to make this happen faster.
5. As the first side is cooking and the top is just starting to set, sprinkle the 15g of sugar on top.
6. Meanwhile, grease a dinner plate with the 10g of butter for the next step, reserving any leftover butter to add to the pan for the flip (next step).
7. When the bottom of the pancake is brown, make sure it's loose from the pan, perhaps by running a spatula underneath it. Upturn the plate on top of the pancake, hold firm with your hand, grab the handle of the pan and flip the pancake onto the plate. Remove the pan. The pancake should just drop onto the plate.
8. Set the pan back on the stove-top, add the remaining butter to melt in the pan and slide the pancake back in to finish. Cook the second side for about 3 to 4 minutes to get another nice brown crust. 

Pork Pot Pie with Dumpling Topping

1 Tbsp fat (veg oil or lard)

8oz pork loin cut into ¼" pieces
1 lb fresh sausage in 1" pieces or crumbled, to taste (I use Italian sausage)

½ tsp salt

Black pepper to taste

1 Tbsp fat (veg oil or lard)

½ onion (4oz/115g) chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup flour

¼ cup brandy or cognac (whiskey will do in a pinch)

3 cups chicken broth or stock 

¼ cup heavy cream 

2 medium carrots, sliced 

8oz potatoes, cubed smallish

OPTIONAL 1½ cups fine chopped kale or cabbage

1. This is a one-pot meal so be sure to have a pot big enough to contain the filling and allow for the dumplings to rise and spread. 
2. Heat the pot for a few minutes then add the fat. Brown the cubed pork and set aside. 
3. You should have at least 2 Tbsps. of fat from cooking the meat. If not, add some butter or more lard. 
4. In the hot leftover oil, cook the sausage. 
5. When the excess moisture from the meat has mostly evaporated, add the onions and garlic to the sausage, stirring until soft and transparent. 
6. Stir in the flour until completely combined. Take the time to brown the flour in the fat to cook away pasty raw flour taste. Pour in the cognac or brandy or whiskey and combine, stirring constantly until the sharp alcoholic aroma leaves the liquor and is reduced, at least by half. The bottom of your pot will likely be dark brown with cooked-on fond. This is great! 
7. Add the chicken broth and cream, and stir to combine. If it looks a bit lumpy, don't worry, it'll smooth out during the simmering. You can also spend some time loosening some of the fond by scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
8. Add the browned pork (and the kale if using) and bring to a simmer and braise until the pork is fork tender, about ½ hour. 
9. Stir in carrots and potatoes. Return to a simmer and cook another 15 minutes before adding the dumplings.

Dumplings

1¼  cups flour

3½  tsps. baking powder

½  tsp salt

½  cup milk

1 egg

OPTIONAL : ½ tsp dry herb that complements the flavor of your sausage

1. Mix together dry ingredients just before adding to the pot. Letting the batter sit isn't good. 
2. In a separate bowl, mix milk and egg together. 
3. Dump wet over dry and mix briefly, only enough that the dry and wet are well blended. 
4. Divide dough into four portions and gently plop on top of the stew in the pot. 
5. Cover and cook 15 minutes. NOTE: Do not lift lid until done.

Hot Toddy

My darling started a head cold, and so I immediately go for the traditional remedies. He's taken oregano oil, oscillococcinum pellets, vitamin C, (he wasn`t keen on raw garlic but it's what I do). Next is to wrap up in a warm blanket and drink a hot toddy. It's delicious and helps. With the tiny bit I know about Ayurvedic principles, I imagine that these are all Pitta, or fiery foods that will help balance the cool, phlegmy cold. In terms of herbalism, cinnamon helps dry excessive mucous. Ok, that didn't sound delicious. Never mind - just enjoy this comforting drink.

1 oz brandy

1 oz lemon juice

1 Tbsp honey

Hot water (about 1 cup)

1 Cinnamon stick

1. Measure out the brandy, lemon juice and honey in your cup first, and then pour over the hot water. One cup of water should be enough but you can judge how strong you'd like it to be. Stir with the cinnamon stick and leave it in the hot liquid - it will gently flavour the drink.

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.