New Generation Sushi

The strip on Bloor St between Bathurst St and Spadina Ave, (downtown Toronto) is well known as being cheap sushi central. Living within close proximity to this strip throughout my university years means that I’ve tried out a whole lot of the sushi joints and after careful sampling, New Generation Sushi, (New Gen to those in the know) has become my one and only. Their phone number is on speed dial and whenever I don’t feel like cooking it’s my go to spot.

I like to try new things so I’m always ordering something new from the menu. Of course, there are some favourites that I can’t help but order again and again like Edamame, Rainbow Maki, (strips of salmon, tuna, tai and avocado) or Canadian Maki, (lobster claw, smoked salmon, asparagus, kewpie and cucumber). A friend of mine however, sticks to the same order everytime; Edamame, Dragon Red Maki, Dragon Green Maki and a California roll. And even though I like to change things up, I haven’t hit upon anything from the menu that I didn’t like. Lately I’ve been craving sashimi but my cravings vary on a weekly basis and no matter what I want I can find it at New Gen. And if I’m dining in, no meal is complete without a little bowl of green tea or red bean ice cream.

A couple years ago a kitchen fire forced New Gen to shut down for a few months. Whereas most closed restaurants would be passed by unnoticed, it was hard to miss the storefront that had been decorated with flowers and cards and well wishes from loyal customers who couldn’t wait for their favourite sushi spot to open again. Upon its relaunch New Gen resumed its spot on the Bloor strip as the sushi place with amazing food and line ups out the door until all hours of the night. And when you get 15% off take out orders, it’s hard not to call ahead when you know you’re going to be walking by on your way home. Is there a support group for Sushi Addicts Anonymous? I think I need help.

Daring Bakers Holiday Edition

A yule log is not something I’ve ever eaten before as it was never part of my Christmas as a child but apparently it symbolizes the holidays for a lot of people. I remember hearing somewhere that one company starts making their Yule logs in July in order to have enough ready for Christmas. That makes me question what they’re putting in their Yule log to make it last so long while simultaneously making me cringe and shudder in repulsion. But this isn’t July and the Yule log is this month’s Daring Baker challenge, set out for us by the DB creators themselves, Ivonne and Lis so I was going to make it regardless.

I had decided to make the Yule log on the day after Toronto got its big snowstorm but when I got up I realized I was short a few ingredients so I put on my coat and mitts and trudged out into the snow. After a few steps I realized that besides the blanket of snow that was covering the streets, there was something else that was different. It took me a minute to figure out that the usually bustling city was quiet. There were hardly any cars on the road, (as they were all stuck somewhere) and in contrast to the often congested sidewalks, those too were empty of people, (but filled with snow). So despite a nippy wind licking at my face and my pants becoming wet and soggy with every step, I enjoyed a leisurely walk to the store along oddly quiet city streets. I was then amazed at how quickly I made my way through the too narrow aisles of the grocery store without being jostled and bumped, got to a cashier that didn’t have a line up and was back out in the snow in a matter of minutes. That particular grocery store is often a 20 minute event even if all I want is a few sticks of butter.

When I got back to my apartment, (and still dark kitchen) I was feeling pretty relaxed and looking forward to the challenge. I had read about the other DB’s experience with the Yule log and icing and had hopefully learned how to avoid their mistakes. Oddly enough, it seems like I had. This challenge went relatively smoothly, but maybe it was just the calm mood I was in. The most difficult part of the whole thing was carrying my Yule log over to my Aunt and Uncle’s house for dinner that night as the sidewalks still hadn’t been cleared and the snow was much less friendly in the dark as I struggled with my cake. Of course the walk there is uphill so that didn’t help. But I arrived, was handed a glass of wine and went in to sit by the fire to warm up. We had beef bourguignon for dinner and Yule log for dessert. And I got bonus points for the SuperMario inspired mushrooms. Challenge completed. Now I’m off to brave the sidewalks that are once again being overrun by Slow Walkers, and with only three days left until Christmas, these are particularly crazy Slow Walkers. Good luck to anyone who is not done their shopping, “yule” need it… (Sorry, that was bad.) Be sure to check out the other Yule Logs from the Daring Bakers Blog Roll, (now somewhere in the millions...).

Speed Up or Get Out Of the Way

This past weekend Toronto was hit with a snowstorm. Given the fact that I’m from further north where winter storms are a weekly affair, I didn’t consider it that big of a deal. I have no problem with the snow, only with how people deal with it. When it snows in the city there’s nowhere to put it, so it piles up, reduces traffic to one lane and eventually becomes a dirty, slushy mess. The city tries to get rid of the snow but unless you live on a main route you’re pretty much screwed and had better develop some serious shoveling skills if you want to get around. Throwing bags of salt on anything that looks like snow seems to be a popular way of dealing with the problem but it’s not what I recommend. All that does is stain the bottom of my pants and I hate salt stains.

The other thing that drives me crazy is that the sidewalks are always the last thing to be cleared. I walk everywhere so this is a major issue. The sidewalks, even on main roads have been reduced to one walking lane, making it necessary to trudge along single file with nary an opportunity to pass. If I’m leading the line, it’s alright, but if I get stuck behind a slow walker I am not happy. Slow Walkers take on various forms. There’s the “I’m Scared of Snow” Slow Walker who seems to have forgotten how to walk now that there’s snow on the ground and takes nothing but baby steps, much to my annoyance. This time of year there’s the “I’m Carrying 17 Bags of Christmas Presents and Can Barely Move” Slow Walker who is not only walking ridiculously slow but they are also unaware of anyone around them and will quite frequently hit people with their packages without ever knowing it. And let’s not forget the “We’re A Group of Loud, Giggly School Girls” Slow Walkers who take up the entire street, walk so slowly they’re almost in reverse and talk about subjects so trivial that you feel dumber for having heard their conversation. All I want to do is push the Slow Walkers into a snow bank so that I can speed by them, is that wrong? I have yet to do this but really it’s only a matter of time before I snap and start driving a zamboni down Toronto’s sidewalks. If you see me, be sure to wave.

These muffins have nothing to do with the dreaded Slow Walkers but they’re perfect for a mid afternoon snack or when you need some energy before facing slushy sidewalks and the human turtles who are occupying them. And you know what? They’re pretty good for you too!

Bri’s Snacking Muffins (Adapted from Living the G.I. Diet by Rick Gallop)

1 cup whole flake oats

½ cup bran cereal

¼ tsp salt

½ cup boiling water

1 + ½ cup buttermilk

½ cup dried prunes,.chopped

½ cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

¼ cup canola oil

1 ¼ cups whole wheat flour

1 ¼ tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

Grease or line 12 muffin cups and preheat oven to 375F.

In a bowl, combine oatmeal, bran cereal and salt. Pour over the boiling water and stir to combine. Stir in 1 cup buttermilk, prunes, and cranberries and set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together sugar, egg and oil. Stir into the oatmeal mixture.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and cinnamon. Pour bran mixture along with the other ½ cup buttermilk into the flour mixture and stir until just combined.

Pour into prepared tin and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a tester inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean.

Technorati Tags:

Muffins + Baking

Dark and Delicious

It’s a good thing this Chocolate Gingerbread is supposed to be dark because given the state of lighting in my kitchen I just have to assume I’m doing things right because I can’t actually see anything to confirm that. When I moved into my new apartment, the kitchen ceiling was covered with little twinkly Christmas lights. Half of them didn’t work and were falling down, the other half made a feeble attempt to shine through their dust coating. There was no overhead kitchen light, just the fire hazard Christmas lights that I turned on using a regular light switch and which didn’t appear to be plugged in anywhere. From day one I started bugging the landlord to take them down and install a normal light because I didn’t like trying to cook in a cave, (did I mention there are no windows in the kitchen either? Except for a frosted one that leads to the bedroom.). He kept saying he’d do it, but it never seemed to happen. Then one day when I was out shopping with a friend, the landlord came by. We had left my friend’s boyfriend at the apartment so that he didn’t have to be subjected to a few mind numbing hours of trekking aimlessly store to store. While we were out Landlord and FBoyfriend dismantled the lights and then Landlord left. When Friend and I returned, FBoyfriend told us the landlord had been by, (or so he assumed, he didn’t actually question the fact that a strange man wanted into my apartment, he just let him in). I went into the kitchen and was thrilled to see that the Christmas lights were gone. That thrill was short lived as I realized I was standing in the dark with no light at all in the kitchen. Furthermore, when I opened up a nearby closet I discovered a heap of filthy Christmas lights staring back at me. I am not impressed.

As you may know, my landlord is not the only person I’ve had some beef with. Nigella Lawson is another person that has caused me rage in my kitchen. I know tons of you love her and have had nothing but success with her recipes, but for some reason I’ve failed more than succeeded when I use a Nigella recipe and I’ve come to the conclusion that the problem lies in the Americanized versions of her cookbooks. Somewhere along the line, proper testing was not done and some of the measurements are just plain wrong. However when I see someone like Kelly-Jane of Cooking the Books cooking her way through Nigella Express with such great results it makes me want to give it another try. This month’s Cooking Club Challenge on the FoodTV Canada blog is Nigella’s Chocolate Gingerbread and I decided it was time to give Nigella another chance, especially since measurements were given in multiple formats. I chose to stick to Nigella’s original recipe, measured in grams instead of cups. I really wish that’s how all baking recipes were written, but alas, as with kitchen lighting, I don’t always get my way.

I have to say though, this Chocolate Gingerbread has me eating my words. It’s fantastic! The only regret I have is that I tried to bake the gingerbread in cute little silicone molds of a tree, bell and star. The molds refused to give up the gingerbread and I broke all of them in trying to get them out. Also, as you can see in the picture, the gingerbread rose a lot more than I thought it would. It was still very tasty, especially with my improvised orange icing drizzled on top, but it would have been prettier if the so-called non-stick molds hadn’t of stuck. Nigella is back in my good graces with this recipe though.

Technorati Tags:

Chocolate + Baking + Cake + Gingerbread + Nigella Lawson

Silky Smooth Soups But No Cuisinart

I mentioned in my last post that it was wonderful to be back in the city if only for the wealth of ingredients that are now at my fingertips. One such ingredient that I picked up on a whim is pomegranate molasses, which immediately inspired me to make a roasted cauliflower soup so that I could drizzle it on top. I’ve never used pomegranate molasses before but once the idea was in my head I had to make it happen, so here it is! I started by cutting up a head of cauliflower, drizzling it with olive oil and sprinkling some salt and cumin on top. I roasted it in the oven at 450F until it began to brown. Then I used my super duper high speed blender to puree the cauliflower with some chicken stock. A couple minutes later I had a silky smooth mixture that I topped with pomegranate molasses and presto, I had soup. I couldn’t live without that blender. It was one of the essential kitchen items that had to come with me when I moved. Unfortunately, some of my other toys didn’t make the move and I’m missing them now. Somehow I managed to forget my microplane zester and I miss it everyday. I’m also missing my jelly roll pan, a spaghetti pot and worst of all, my Cuisinart! Unfortunately, I’ll never get that back. Somehow, (and I still don’t quite understand how that happened) Dad threw it out! Yes, that’s right, a relatively new Cuisinart that I had just purchased less than two years ago and that had been sitting safely in storage, or so I thought. In one of Dad’s “throw out” phases, he tossed it. Instead of throwing out their 30 year old Cuisinart with the broken buttons, he threw out my pristine machine that had been waiting patiently to be used again. Sigh.

I try not to think of my poor baby wasting away on a trash pile somewhere, and so to distract myself, I’ll tell you about another soup- Jamie Oliver’s Pumpkin Soup which I made for the November Cooking Club on FoodTV Canada’s blog. I always make squash soup during the fall and winter months, but rarely from a recipe, I usually just throw in whatever I feel like, so actually sticking to Jamie's recipe was new for me. I'm glad I did though, I really liked the addition of chestnuts! I couldn't find any canned chestnuts so I had to roast my own and to get the sage I had to dig it out from under the snow but it was all good! Of course, I used my blender to whip this soup creamy too, it’s my favourite way to do it.

Technorati Tags:

Cauliflower + Squash + Soup

Does This Look Familiar?

It should be no surprise that I liked this recipe given my affinity for cognac in cakes and ice cream, so why not in a savoury dish? After seeing the recipe in my favourite Steamy Kitchen I knew I had to make it as part of the Jumbo & Jaden Project. Malaysian Coconut Butter Prawns, (with cognac!) is already a proven hit as it’s a recipe that Jaden chose to make on one of her, (now becoming numerous) TV appearances. If you want some more assurance that this is a fabulous recipe, Jaden adapted her version from none other than the super blog Rasa Malaysia, that’s two heavy weights backing this dish so you’ve gotta love it. Once again though, this is a recipe that I made before the move as I’m no longer fortunate enough to have a liquor cabinet that contains such wonders as Cognac, (heck, I don’t even have a liquor cabinet period) and I’m still clearing out my archive. Hopefully I’ll make something wonderful here soon… and then I’ll eat Mr. Noodle for the next week to balance out my grocery bill.

I had such high hopes for my new place that I think I was destined for disaster from the very beginning. When I initially moved in I couldn’t believe the state of the apartment and that someone had actually been living in such filth. I piled up my belongings into the middle of the living room so that they would touch as little as possible and for the next three days I scrubbed and vacuumed and inhaled way too much chemical cleaner in an attempt to disinfect everything. Slowly, and with a lot of elbow grease, I think it’s finally coming together and becoming something that I can live in. If only I could get the initial images of how it looked out of my head… Apartment woes aside, being back in the city means I have access to a wealth of ingredients that are probably never going to be attainable at my previous residence. Like pomegranate molasses! The mere fact that I see ingredients like that on store shelves here is inspiring. I saw it and for some reason immediately decided I needed to buy it in order to make a roasted cauliflower soup with a drizzle of pomegranate molasses on top. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Technorati Tags:

Shrimp + Cognac + Coconut

If Only These Rubies Were Real

Finally! I have internet access again, though not without a struggle. As per usual, I was given a three hour window during which a technician may or may not appear, (I used to work for a USA based ISP and became all too familiar with their practice of making people wait for a tech who never showed up) luckily though, the technician did appear. He proceeded to plug the modem into the wall and drop a box of cables on my floor, he didn’t even ask about plugging said modem into my computer. Then he asked me if I ever dated guys that were shorter than me, (he was probably about 5’6 to my 6’2) if I liked drinking and dancing and told me a story about how his ex-girlfriend used to worry that he would get girls phone numbers when he installed their internet. It’s times like those that the only appropriate response seems to be that my very jealous, ex-con, gun packing, short tempered, enormous athlete of a boyfriend will be home soon.

He then told me everything should be working. I asked him to wait while I plugged in my computer to make sure it was online. He said he’d be in his truck, testing the signal strength and that I could come get him if it didn’t work. I plugged everything in and instead of the google page popping up immediately like it should, I got the dreaded ‘unable to connect’ message. I marched outside to the technician’s truck and told him it wasn’t working. He replied that the signal strength was good and that everything was fine on his end so it should be working. He suggested I run the installation cd that was dropped somewhere on my living room floor. Like I said, I used to work for an evil internet company, (who was anything but internet-tastic) and I was well aware that this is a standard line given by a dufus who doesn’t know how to do his job. There is no installation cd, the only thing on my floor was a cd that would help me set up my new email account, or download usb drivers, provided I was already online, which I wasn’t. I told him so too and watched him squirm for a while before letting him go, because I was quite certain at this point that I knew more than he did about the issue at hand and that I could figure it out myself. Which I did, eventually. So that was an incredibly long way of saying I finally have internet again, no thanks to useless technicians.

Now onto the food. You’d think for my first real post in my new place that I should write about something more spectacular than a salad. Well, the truth is, I made this before I left and it was in my bank of unposted recipes. I haven’t done a lot of cooking yet, (although I made some 100% whole wheat bread which you’ll hear about soon) and that’s mainly because I haven’t developed a well stocked pantry yet. I lack the huge base I used to have so that I could make anything I wanted. I’m also back on a student food budget. That’s right, student. Come January I’m back in the classroom and my money will be disappearing to buy textbooks and pay for tuition. If my life sponsor is hiding out there somewhere, now would be a good time to step in…

But I digress, I think I should post pictures of pomegranates every day because it requires so little effort on my part to make them look good. Pomegranate seeds are like rubies; bright and shiny, almost too pretty too eat, I wish I could wear them. I actually used to wear them, though not on purpose, those little suckers stain, but not if you know the trick to deseeding them. Simply fill a bowl with water, slice your pomegranate in half, submerge it in water and use your fingers to pry the rest of the pomegranate apart. The pith will float to the top and can be easily skimmed off while the seeds sink to the bottom and can be strained out.

So what else is in this salad? Candied almonds, baby spinach, goat cheese and a balsamic dressing. Pretty and tasty.

Technorati Tags:

Pomegranate + Salad + Spinach

Maybe I'm Just A Sore Loser...

*** Still no internet, maybe Monday. On the upside, my camera is back.

Every year around this time, the magazine rack is packed with holiday cookie recipes and cookie contest winners. I always wonder what it takes to win one of these contests so after flipping through the pages of the November issue of Chatelaine, I decided to make one of their award winning treats to see for myself what all the fuss was about. I chose to make Date, Nut and Cherry Squares and although they turned out quite well, (and disappeared in remarkable time) I’m not sure that they’re the best square there is. They have a rather unusual step for a square and that’s to roll, (as well as squares can be rolled…) them in granulated sugar after they’ve been baked. I only did this for a couple of the squares as I found them to be plenty sweet and less messy without the additional sugar. I must say though, the squares certainly looked prettier when they were rolled in sugar. And either way you slice it, (or roll it), my tasters demolished the bars in no time and requested the recipe so I suppose that makes them worthy of winning awards. Maybe I’m just jealous that I didn’t win any awards…

Date, Nut and Cherry Squares (From Chatelaine cookie contest winner Mary Anna King, November 2007)

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup melted butter
1 3/4 cups lightly packed brown sugar
4 eggs
2 cups chopped pitted dates
1 cup walnut or pecan pieces
1/2 cup chopped red or green glace cherries
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Preheat over to 350F. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with oil. In a small bowl, stir flour with baking powder.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter with sugar for 2 min. Then beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping side of bowl between additions. Using medium speed, gradually beat in flour mixture until evenly mixed. Using a wooden spoon, gradually stir in dates, nuts and cherries until evenly distributed. Scrape into prepared baking dish, then smooth top.
Bake in centre of oven until top is light folder, 40-45 minutes. Place on a wire rack and cool 15 minutes, then cut into 24 squares.
Place granulated sugar in a medium bowl. Roll squares in sugar to lightly coat. Then cool completely on wire rack. If making ahead, store in an airtight container in a cool place up to 1 week or freeze up to 2 months.

The Big Easy

***Still no internet connection, I forgot to pack my camera and my place is a disaster. But here's a post about chicken that I made before I left.

I love to try new things so when the folks at Char-Broil asked if I wanted to test out their oil-less turkey fryer, The Big Easy, I responded with an enthusiastic YES! Within a week of our email exchange a very large box arrived on my doorstep. Opening it up, I realized that some assembly was required, but with the help of my power drill and the instruction booklet, it came together in a snap. Once I had it put together I didn’t want to wait any longer to use it so I set about preparing a little chicken. I bathed the chicken in a soy sauce marinade for a few hours before stuffing lemon slices under the skin and rubbing some spices on top. Not even the falling snow could keep me from trying out The Big Easy, (although this meant standing in the cold as using the infrared fryer requires a propane tank and is therefore an outdoor activity). In less time than it would usually take to roast a chicken in the oven, it was done.

And the results? Crispy, crackly skin concealed an unbelievably moist chicken. I was pleasantly surprised by the results. It was one of the juiciest chickens I’ve had in a long time and was simple to do. All I had to do was check the thermometer and remove the basket when the chicken reached the appropriate temperature, let it rest for a few minutes and slice away. With the leftover chicken I made a chicken salad sandwich on fresh Italian bread for lunch the next day and it was just as delicious. I’m looking forward to trying out a turkey next time and playing around with spice rubs. The Big Easy has currently taken up residence next to my smoker and BBQ and is a welcome addition to my toy collection.

Making Moves

It’s time for me to say goodbye to my BBQ, smoker, big kitchen, dishwasher, fully stocked fridge and cupboards, stove from this decade, country air, garden and free rent. I’m making moves back to the city and although I’m looking forward to it, there are clearly some things that I will miss from home. I don’t know when I’ll have internet hooked up again so this may be my last post for a while. I’ve got a few queued up to go in my absence but who knows if that will actually work out or not. While I’m gone, I hope you’ll enjoy one of my favourite scallop recipes that I’ve been making for the past two years, ever since the October 2005 issue of Bon Appetit arrived on my doorstep. I decided I had to put it up on the blog so that I would always have the recipe no matter where I was. My new place is substantially smaller than where I’m at now so I can’t bring all of my cookbooks and magazines with me. L I’m sure I’ll replace the ones I leave behind with new ones that I won’t have room for, but that’s ok, I’ll just pile them into bed with me. Before I can clutter up my new place though, I first have to pack and move everything there. I’m a procrastinator so I’ve only just begun but I’m also a Tetris master and as such I’m confident that I can fit everything into where it needs to go.

Pan-Seared Scallops with Champagne Grapes and Almonds, (from Bon Appetit, October 2005)

16 large sea scallops, side muscles removed
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons minced shallots
2/3 cup Champagne grapes (about 4 ounces) or black grapes, halved
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper.

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in very large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook butter until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add scallops; cook 2 minutes per side. Transfer scallops to plate; tent with foil. Melt remaining butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and grapes; sauté until shallots are golden, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and any accumulated scallop juices. Bring mixture to boil; season with salt and pepper. Stir in almonds and parsley.

Place 4 scallops on each of 4 plates. Spoon sauce over and serve.

Technorati Tags:

Scallops + Rice + Seafood + Bon Appetit

It's That Time of Year...

Gift giving time is rapidly approaching and if you’ve got a foodie on your list, I’ve got a few recommendations for you. I’m not getting anything out of endorsing these products, they’re just things I like.

Lee Valley Zesters

I use this on a daily basis to zest citrus fruit, grate frozen ginger or a hard block of parmesan. I love my zester and don’t think any kitchen is complete without one.

The Spice Depot Grinders

A few months back I was sent a Garlic Pepper grinder and a Spicy Chicken grinder to test out from the folks at The Spice Depot. They’re both empty now. I’ve used them for dry rubs on meat, seasoning at the table and as an added kick to soups and stews. I especially liked the Garlic Pepper and would imagine the Spicy Sea Salt is pretty versatile too.

Stainless Steel Pastry Scraper

The one I’ve linked to is from Williams Sonoma, but any stainless steel pastry scraper would do. Like the zester, I use this on an almost daily basis. Whenever I’m making any sort of bread, pie crust, pastry or pasta I use it to scrape my counters clean as well as cut and transport the dough. It’s beyond useful.

Real Vanilla Beans

The Arizona Vanilla company sells whole vanilla beans at dirt cheap prices on ebay. You haven’t truly tasted vanilla until you’ve made your own vanilla bean ice cream using the whole pod to flavour it instead of some artificial liquid. I never used to use real vanilla beans because I thought they were too expensive but this site proved me wrong and I love them now.

A Wooden Spoon Made of Cherry

I picked this site at random because its spoon looked most like mine. My Dad made my favourite wooden spoon out of cherry wood from my Grandparents’ orchard and it’s the spoon I reach for no matter what I’m making. Everyone needs a favourite wooden spoon.

Dorie Greenspan’s Baking From My Home to Yours

Unless this is your first time to my blog you will already know much I adore this book and it’s wonderful author. If you don’t own Baking already, I don’t know what you’re waiting for, it’s so good you should have two of them.

Blendtec

Ok, so this isn’t really a stocking stuffer, but it may very well be my favourite kitchen item, (although I feel guilty saying that as I’m supposed to love all of my kitchen gadgets equally). If you haven’t seen the videos on Will It Blend? you certainly have to check them out. This blender can do everything and more.

If I were Oprah I'd give these all away, but sadly I'm not and I still haven't found my life sponsor so you'll just have to hope some nice person buys these for you. Now I want to know- What are some of your favourite things?

And for those of you still wondering, the answers to the riddles are:

A river.

Silence.

Fire.

A snake.

Unleashing the Awesome Power of Apples

Peabody of none other than Culinary Concoctions by Peabody has recently moved and is hosting a virtual housewarming party now that she’s settled into her new digs. At first I wasn’t sure what to bring, but I’ve been baking lots lately so I knew I’d find something. Last night alone I made six pies. Just call me the pie maker, I make pies. There is no pie in this post though, only bars and cookies. I made the cookies last weekend for the American Thanksgiving when my brother and his family came up to visit.

While they were here I asked the Baby Genius what kind of cookies he would like Auntie Brilynn to make for him and he replied that he only liked Chocolate Chippy cookies. According to my sister-in-law, both my brother and the Baby Genius insist on having chocolate chips in EVERYTHING. Having recently seen Peabody’s Twirly Cookies, (also known as Chocolate Marble Chunk Cookies) I decided to make those as they fit the chocolate chippy criteria. There was nothing but positive feedback from the cookies and I think it was as a result of those that I made some headway in the game of “What do you like more?” When asked what do you like more, ice cream or Auntie Brilynn? Baby Genius responded Auntie Brilynn! That is a huge accomplishment for me. Who would have ever thought I could beat out ice cream in a competition? However I didn’t fare so well in the next round when he was asked what do you like more, squirrels or Auntie Brilynn? Squirrels won.

But back to the housewarming party, I can’t very well bring Peabody her own cookies, so I decided to bring her some of Dorie’s Applesauce Spice Bars. Peabody is convinced I have a Dorie Greenspan shrine in my basement so it seemed only fitting that I perpetuate this belief by bringing a Dorie recipe to the party. These bars aren’t flashy by any means, but they have a very homey and comforting feel to them, perfect for a housewarming party. Enjoy Peabody!

Technorati Tags:

Cookies + Applesauce + Chocolate + Baking + Dorie Greenspan

Riddles and Bread

Some people are afraid of working with yeast. The problem is that they don’t understand how it works. The more you know about yeast, the less scary and easier it is to work with. I will liken yeast to a riddle. When you don’t know the solution to the riddle, it can be extremely frustrating, especially if you’ve made many attempts at an answer, but to no avail. Once you've figured out the riddle though, it seems easy and you can't help but see the solution immediately if you hear it again. Bread works in a similar manner. Once you've got it figured out, it's smooth sailing. This month’s Daring Baker Challenge was Tender Potato Bread as chosen by our host for this round, Tanna of My Kitchen In Half Cups.

To check out hundreds of other attempts at Tender Potato Bread, check out the Daring Bakers blogroll. There you will learn all you need to know about taming yeast in your kitchen. If you need to crack a few riddles to get your problem solving skills going, give these a try:

What runs all day but never walks,

Often murmurs never talks,

Has a bed but doesn’t sleep,

Has a mouth but doesn’t eat?

I am no sooner spoken, than broken. What am I?

I am always hungry, I must always be fed,

The finger I touch, Will soon turn red.

I can sizzle like bacon, I am made with an egg,

I have plenty of backbone, but lack a good leg.

I peel layers like onions, but still remain whole,

I can be long, like a flagpole, yet fit in a hole.

What am I?

Technorati Tags:

Daring Bakers + Bread

Rain

Yesterday was a gorgeous day and today was supposed to be sunny with potentially record breaking temperatures. Instead it's pouring rain, damp and cold. It's funny how quickly things change and how you can be looking forward to something so much, only to be disappointed. Well you know November has come when the good weather has gone away.

One thing you can rely on though, is that a recipe from Dorie Greenspan's Baking From My Home to Yours is going to turn out just the way you thought it should. Molten chocolate cakes topped with lightly sweetened vanilla whipped cream ooze deliciousness and take no time at all to make. Kids Thumbprint cookies take the quintessential kid favourite, the PB&J sandwich and turn it into a two-bite treat; a peanut butter cookie rolled in chopped peanuts and dotted with gooey jam.

Zarne That's Good Chowder!

I asked a friend of mine to give me a story for the blog because I’ve been uninspired lately. I’ve got a bunch of recipes typed up and pictures edited but I don’t seem to have any stories to go with them. This chowder, for example, has been floating around in my computer for a few weeks now. My friend asked me to write a post about foods that were small and easy to eat while playing an intense board game… such as Boggle. I know there are closet Boggle players out there, don’t even lie to me. If it’s not Boggle, it’s Scrabble, (or if you’re a Facebook fan, Scrabulous) or Pick Two or Crosswords or some other word game, I know I’m not the only one who likes word games. But I digress, the problem with getting hooked on one of these games is that it’s difficult to eat and play at the same time. This became increasingly evident a couple nights ago when I was over at another friend’s house where we were playing various board games and eating snacks. A correlation became clear between the amount of food being eaten and board game success. The more snacks you ate, the worse you played. For example, one player was convinced that he could play the word “zarne” because that was all he could come up with while devouring caramel popcorn and garlic parmesan chips. I requested that he use “zarne” in a sentence but he declined to do so because his mouth was full. Snack food was definitely his game playing downfall. You’re probably wondering how clam chowder factors into all of this, well, instead of writing a post about the best foods to eat while playing board games, I have a suggestion for the worst food to eat: soup. Soup is a bad idea. Things that require a spoon and can slosh are bad ideas. Clam chowder is not a good thing to make on board game night, but an excellent meal to make any other night of the week. And I happen to have a soft spot for anything by Michael Smith, so there you have it, my clam chowder post is finally up.

Maritime Clam Chowder (from Chef at Home by Michael Smith)

4 slices of chopped bacon

A chopped onion

2 chopped celery stalks

A generous splash of any white wine

A cup of heavy cream

A cup of milk

Two 5 oz cans of clam meat

A large unpeeled baking potato

2 bay leaves

3 or 4 sprigs of thyme

A 12 oz can of unsweetened evaporated milk

A sprinkle or two of salt and pepper

A handful of flat leaf parsley leaves

Toss the bacon into a heavy bottomed soup pot with a splash of water. Stir on medium high heat until it crisps nicely. Pour off most of the fat. Add another splash of water to loosen the flavourful bits on the bottom, then add the onion and celery. Saute them for a few minutes until they soften and smell great.

Add the white win, cream, milk and clams. Coarsely grate the potato with a standard box grater and add it along with the bay leaves and thyme. Bring the mixture to a slow simmer, stirring frequently. Turn the heat down a notch or two and continue simmering until the grated potato softens, releasing its starches and thickening the chowder, about 20 minutes.

Add the evaporated milk and continue stirring until it’s heated through. Taste the chowder and season it well with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley and serve immediately with your favourite biscuits.

Technorati Tags:

Clams + Chowder + Seafood + Michael Smith

"I Have A Tiny Chef That Tells Me What To Do"

I may be the last person in the world, (or at least the food blogosphere) but I’ve finally seen Ratatouille! I wanted to see it ever since I heard that Thomas Keller was a consultant but then, as will happen when you live where I do, it NEVER came to my theatre. Yes, that’s theatre, singular. There is but one and Ratatouille was never played there. That’s unacceptable. It’s enough to make a person move to a city. In fact, I am. Two weeks from now I will never have to wait for a movie to come out on DVD ever again. It’s a pleasant thought. But back to Ratatouille… That Remy was one smart rat, but it doesn’t surprise me, I have witnessed some smart rodents in my day. There is one in particular, a chipmunk, that has bested my Dad. This chipmunk, I will call him Remykin, lives at the nearly constructed golf course down the road. Since this spring, when the golf course opened, Dad has been rescuing lost golf balls and has amassed quite a stash of them. At last count he had 662. This is a somewhat disappointing number as he had hoped to hit 1000 balls by the end of the year. When he first started rescuing balls he would come home with 20 or 30 at once, but then those numbers began to fall. There was still the same number of golfers, but for some reason less lost balls. For a while this was puzzling. It didn’t make any sense.

Then, one day, while trekking through the woods on a golf ball hunt Dad discovered the reason for the missing balls. It seems that our pal Remykin had decided that golf balls were an awful lot like nuts. So much so, that he should hoard them to enjoy later on during the cold winter months. What Dad found was a dead tree, filled with half gnawed golf balls. There were hundreds of them and as he looked closer he realized that quite a few of the dead trees surrounding that one were also filled with golf balls. That Remykin had been one busy chipmunk. Many of the balls had already been chewed to the core, rendering them completely useless and thus not able to be counted in the grand total of rescued golf balls. And although Dad will get the last laugh come January when it’s -30°C, Munchie is the one doing all the laughing right now. I try to stay out of their feud whenever possible and to make sure that there’s a hot and tasty meal on the table when Dad comes home from one of his searches, like this braised chicken with mushrooms and sundried tomatoes, served with basmati rice. Perhaps I’d better stash some of it in the freezer for him to retrieve during the January cold spell because in two weeks time, I won’t be here to make it anymore. I’m confident that he can fend for himself though and hopefully won’t have to resort to golf ball soup.

Braised Chicken with Mushrooms and Sun Dried Tomatoes (From Gourmet, December 1993)

1/3 cup thinly sliced drained sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, reserving 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil
1 large whole chicken breast with skin and bones (about 1 1/4 pounds), halved
1 small onion, chopped fine
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
a beurre manié made by kneading together 1 1/2 teaspoons softened unsalted butter and 1 1/2 teaspoons minced all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves (preferably flat-leafed)

In a heavy skillet heat the reserved tomato oil over moderately high heat until it is hot but not smoking, in it brown the chicken, patted dry and seasoned with salt and pepper, and transfer it to a plate. In the fat remaining in the skillet cook the onion, the garlic, the basil, and the red pepper flakes over moderately low heat, stirring, until the onion is softened. Add the mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste and cook the mixture over moderate heat, stirring, until the mushrooms are softened. Whisk in the wine, the broth, and the tomato paste, add the chicken to the skillet, and bring the liquid to a boil. Simmer the mixture, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a platter and keep it warm, covered. Whisk the beurre manié into the sauce, whisking until sauce is smooth, add the sun-dried tomatoes, and simmer the sauce, whisking, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it is thickened. Stir in the parsley and pour the sauce over the chicken.

I served this over basmati rice that I cooked in half water, half orange juice.

Technorati Tags:

Chicken + Rice + Mushrooms

Whisking Like It's My Job

Since I was unable to do things correctly, I spent a lot of time whisking pastry cream today. Fortunately, the repetitive whisking became almost soothing. It really doesn’t take that long to make pastry cream, but it does when you make it three times. Dad kept passing through the kitchen and noting that I hadn’t moved from where he’d last seen me. Why was I making pastry cream? Because when someone puts in a request for a baked good, I usually oblige. It may take me a while to get around to making it, but if you wait long enough, it will happen. Such was the case with these éclairs. Mom had been bugging me for a while to make them, (along with mille feuille, which still hasn’t happened) and even went so far as to peruse my cookbooks and bookmark a Donna Hay recipe for chocolate éclairs.

I set about making them somewhat apprehensively. I’ve made pate a choux and pastry cream before which are the two components of éclairs, but I’ve not always been successful in these ventures. Today was no exception. The batter for the éclairs turned out thinner than I thought it should have, but I plowed on. The result was flat éclairs that needed to be constructed in sandwich format instead of cut open and filled. As for the pastry cream, I made it not once, not twice but thrice! The first two attempts were chocolate pastry cream and they did not work out at all. The first cream was too thin and was more like a soup than filling material. The second cream got too hot and the chocolate separated, which made for an oily mess. I took a break before deciding to attempt pastry cream for the third time and when I finally gave it a go, I turned to a Dorie Greenspan recipe for vanilla pastry cream that eliminated my problem with chocolate. Dorie solves all problems, at least in the cooking world. I wonder how she fares with life issues? Maybe she could start a Dear Dorie column…

Double Chocolate Eclairs (From Donna Hay’s Simple Essentials Chocolate)

1 cup (250ml) water

100g (3 ½ oz) butter

¾ cup (4 ¼ oz) all purpose flour

5 eggs

1 quantity chocolate crème patissiere, (I replaced this with Dorie’s Pastry Cream, see below for the recipe, it makes more than you need)

melted dark chocolate, for topping

Preheat the oven to 350C. Place the water and butter in a saucepan over high heat and cook until butter is melted and the mixture starts to simmer. Add the flour and beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture leaves the side of the pan. Remove from heat and place in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add eggs, gradually, beating on high speed until well combined. Spoon mixture into a piping bag with a 12mm plain nozzle. Pipe 8cm lengths of mixture onto baking trays lined with non stick baking paper. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Cool on wire racks. Halve éclairs and fill bases with chocolate crème patissiere. Dip the tops in chocolate, allow to set. Sandwich tops to bases. Makes 12.

Pastry Cream (From Dorie Greenspan’s Baking From My Home to Yours)

2 cups whole milk

6 large egg yolks

½ cup sugar

1/3 cup cornstarch, sifted

1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

3 ½ T unsalted butter, cut into bits at room temperature

Bring the milk to a boil in a small saucepan.

Meanwhile, in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk the yolks together with the sugar and cornstarch until thick and well blended. Still whisking, drizzle in a bout ¼ of the hot milk- this will temper, or warm, the yolks so that they won’t curdle. Whisking al the while, slowly pour in the remainder of the milk. Put the pan over medium heat and, whisking vigorously, constantly and thoroughly (making sure to get into the edges of the pot), bring the mixture to a boil. Keep at a boil, still whisking, for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat.

Whisk in the vanilla extract. Let sit for 5 minutes, then whisk in the bits of butter, stirring until they are fully incorporated and the pastry cream is smooth and silky. Scrape the cream into a bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the cream to create an airtight seal and refrigerate until cold.

Technorati Tags:

Chocolate + Eclairs + Pastry Cream + Donna Hay + Dorie Greenspan