Archive for the 'Tips' Category

40th Birthday Dinner Party!

Published on October 27, 2008 in catering, Menu, Demo, Tips and Recipes. 2 Comments

On Saturday night we went on site to do an in home dinner party.The menu was Zucchini Soup, Lobster Ravioli with Crab Cream Sauce, Osso Bucco on Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Green Beans and for dessert we made Lemon Cheesecake Cupcakes and Espresso Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes.  We started off the night with a little interactive cooking demonstration .First we made the filling for the ravioli. We heated up some olive oil and butter and sauteed a little garlic with some shallots.

To this mixture we added a can of lobster (finely chopped) and a little cognac.

We removed the mixture from the heat and added some ricotta cheese some finely chopped chives and seasoned the mixture with salt and pepper.

We are ready for the dough. Using the food processor 3 eggs, a little oil and 2 cups of flour, we had some ravioli dough ready for rolling. Here we are running the dough through the rollers.

We spooned out a dollop of filling onto the pasta.

Then folded the pasta over filling.

smoothed out the air and cut the ravioli.

We boiled the ravioli for just a minute and served them in a crab cream sauce.

Once we finished up with the interactive portion of the lesson, we served the soup.

Zucchini Soup (recipe follows)

Zucchini Soup

Ingredients

1    kg    Zucchini — grated
4    tbsp    Butter
1    tbsp    Oil
1        Onion — chopped
1    stalk    Celery — finely chopped
2        Bay Leaf
1    tsp    Marjoram — fresh
2    tbsp    Flour

1    cup    Milk
3    cup    Stock, Chicken
1    tsp    Salt
1/4    tsp    Pepper

Instructions

Grate zucchini.  Heat butter and oil, saute onion until soft, add celery, zucchini, bay leaves, marjoram and sweat. Cover pan and cook until completely softened.
Make a bechamel sauce with butter, flour and the milk. (heat butter, work in flour, slowly add milk, bring to boil). Stir in the broth to the bechamel.  Remove bay leaves. Add vegetable mixture and process using immersion blender.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

We garnished the soup with steamed grated zucchini and crispy croutons.

Here we are making the Osso Bucco.

First we seared the meat.

Then we sauteed some leeks, celery, onion and carrot.

We added some wine, herbs and tomatoes to the sauteed vegetables. We put the seared osso bucco ontop of the vegetables, covered the pan and let it simmer for about 90 minutes.

We served the Osso Bucco on mashed potatoes. Here is Cheryl running the cooked potatoes through a ricer before we add the cream, butter and salt and pepper.

Then we served dessert.

Espresso Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes with Bailey’s Irish Cream Buttercream

Lemon Cheesecake Cupcake with Lemon Curd, Whipped Cream and Candied Lemon

Our host sent her comments:
Thank you again for everything you did on Saturday night. Your seamless presence, your informative lesson, and most of all, your INCREDIBLE FOOD all helped to make our friend’s 40th birthday party a truly special, memorable occasion. We couldn’t say enough about how delicious everything was, and the fact that the kitchen was spotless afterward was a lovely bonus!

I, for one, will definitely be recommending you to friends, and hope to hire you again for future events.

My Garden Surprise!

Published on September 22, 2008 in Tips. 0 Comments

A couple of years ago, I planted a Lantern plant (Physalis franchetii). It’s in an east facing part of my garden that gets only a couple of hours of sunlight each day and was mostly barren. After 3 years, my plants are thriving.

They are beautiful little jewels.

but it’s whats inside that makes them even more special. A tiny, orange little sweet fruit. What a treat! I tried to plant Ground Cherries awhile back and they never matured in time. I’m just plain happy about my little plants.

Where there is smoke…..

Published on September 13, 2008 in low carb, Tips and Recipes. 0 Comments

There are usually ribs smokin’ away. Back ribs were on sale again and I couldn’t resist. Smoked ribs are one of my favourite treats. The slow, low temperature cooking is the perfect way to render the meat tender and there is no pre-baking, steaming or boiling. I have been smoking for around 10 years, which makes me a complete novice compared to the pit pros. I use a propane smoker when I am in the city and a charcoal smoker when I am up north at the cottage. Let’s get started. I removed the membrane from the ‘bone side’ of the ribs. I grasped this membrance with my fingertips and a paper towel to reveal the exposed ribs.

I made up some of my rib rub, I have been working on my own recipe for a while. It’s not perfect but it’s getting there. I mix equal quantities of celery salt and onion salt and then I add one quarter quantity of paprika and garlic flakes. Then I rub it on both sides of the ribs.

When each rack has been covered in rub I stand it in a rib rack and into the smoker they go.

My smoker has a water pan. I smoked the ribs for about 2 1/2 hours and the temperature was around 170F. When the ribs are done the meat pulls away from the bones.

I wrap up my ribs in foil and freeze them for later. When I want to use them, I just defrost and grill then lightly. Sometimes my husband will add some BBQ sauce but I like them plain too! Serve with a fresh green salad or a nice cole slaw.

The cook is back in the kitchen

Published on September 9, 2008 in Menu, Tips, Recipes and Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Yep, we are back cooking more or less full time. Our menu this week was starting to show the influences of fall. The weather is still warm but now that the kids are back in school the house frenzy has returned. After months of not making this recipe I have forgotten how simple and satisfying it is.

Hearty Beef Stew - Here is the ingredient list:

Ingredients

1/4 cup Flour
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
1 pound Beef, Top Blade Roast
1/4 cup Oil, Olive
1 Onions — diced
2 stalks Celery — diced
1 clove Garlic — minced
1/2 cup Wine, Table, Red
1/2 whole Tomatoes, Canned
3/4 cup Stock, Beef
1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
1/2 teaspoon Thyme
1 Bay Leaf
2 Carrots
1/2 pound Mushrooms, Button — small
1 tablespoon Butter
5 ounces Peas, Frozen

My quick trick is to purchase blade steaks rather than cubes of stew meat. I can quickly sear both sides of the meat in a hot pan, remove, cube on a cutting board and put it in the pot.

Then I add my nicely diced carrots, celery and onion

I saute them in the frying pan until they are slightly caramelized around the edges but I hold off on adding the garlic until the last minute, it’s so easy to burn garlic. Once the vegetables are cooked, I transfer them to my stockpot. Back in the frying pan I deglaze with my red wine and beef stock and I stir in my tomato paste until it’s well dissolved.

I pour my deglazing mixture over the meat and vegetables in the stockpot to which I add the thyme, mushrooms, canned tomatoes and bay leaf. I bring the pot to a boil and let it simmer for about an hour. Adjust the seasonings add the frozen peas and voila, done like dinner!

This recipe freezes beautifully, if you like potatoes in your stew just add them about 20 minutes before the stew is done. I prefer to serve my stew on mashed potatoes.

Hand Made Gnocchi make the world go around!

Published on March 12, 2008 in Tips and Recipes. 0 Comments

Potato gnocchi are a great comfort food. Made mostly from mashed potatoes with a little egg yolk and flour they can be served with very little or the whole works. I love gnocchi with butter & parmesan but I will eat them with any kind of sauce really. The next time that you are making mashed potatoes, boil an extra pound or so, then add an egg yolk or 2 and a cup or so of flour. I’m sorry that I don’t have exact proportions but the recipe varies depending on how fluffy your mashed potatoes are. In the photos below I added 2 egg yolks and 1 and 1/2 cup of flour to the amount of potatoes in the bowl.

I add just enough flour so that there is some elasticity in the dough and it doesn’t feel sticky anymore. Then I roll out the dough with my fingers into long strands and then I cut the dough into little inch long pieces that kind of look like pillows. While you are working keep the cut gnocchi on a floured surface or they will stick. When you are done rolling and cutting bring a large pot of salted water to boil and put them in to boil. Don’t crowd the pot too much. When they float to the surface they are done. Once cooked I remove to a bowl and toss them with butter so that they don’t stick together. In the photo below they are being served under seared top sirloin strips in a goat cheese, sun dried tomato and pesto cream sauce. Sounds like the ultimate comfort dinner with a nice green salad and a bottle of Chianti.

It’s a Beef Carbonnade Kind of Day!

Published on March 7, 2008 in slow cooker, Tips and Recipes. 0 Comments

You know the dull gray, slow lifeless weather that makes you want to curl up and knit by a roaring fire.

Well, there has been some knitting but there’s always a ton of cooking going on. My carbonnade recipe is less than authentic but it means well.

Start off with some seared blade and set is into the slow cooker

Then I added a good measure of chopped bacon and rendered it. About 2/3 of a pound.

while the bacon was sputtering away I julienned 2 onions, minced 2 cloves of garlic, added a tbsp of celery seed and readied 2 bottles of beer. I supposed it should have been Belgian beer but a trip to the beer store was not in order so it was a Danish beer called Bavaria.

I transferred the bacon to the slow cooker and added the onion mixture to the frying pan where I sauteed it for a couple of minutes until it was limp and slightly golden. I added the onion mixture to the slow cooker along with the 2 bottles of beer. I turned the slow cooker to low and went to bed. When I got up in the morning the dog and cats were going crazy in the kitchen because of the aroma.

Cooking Through The Storm!

Published on February 7, 2008 in low carb, Tips and Recipes. 2 Comments

The storm is coming and I have abandoned all of my plans, instead I am making storm food.

I’m starting with good old fashioned pot roast. I picked up a nice roast on sale yesterday. It’s not my favourite cut (blade) but it’s the next best, cross rib. I’ve seared it in a nice hot pan.

I’ve set it aside. Now for the mirepoix (aromatic flavouring agents:)

1 onion, finely chopped

3 celery ribs, chopped

3 medium carrots, chopped,

4 cloves of garlic, chopped,

I put all of the vegetables into the saute pan and cook them for about 10 minutes until they were soft and browned. Then I added about a 1/4 cup of red wine. I found this wine at the store. My neighbourhood is overrun by raccoons so I thought that I’d give it a try. It’s comes up a little short on body and doesn’t have much tannin but it’s a $7.45 plastic bottle with a screw top so it scores well in the cheap, travel and good for cooking category.

Next I added about 1 cup of beef broth and let it come to a boil. Then I poured half of the vegetable mixture into the bottom of the slow cooker, put in the roast, topped it with the rest of the vegetable mixture and put it on low for about 12 hours.

I took the roast out of the slow cooker and let it rest overnight in the fridge. A cold roast is much easier to carve. In case you are making this with me, I want you to see that my roast isn’t pretty either.

I cut my roast in half to make it easier to slice. This cut has multiple grain directions, so don’t get upset if you can’t easily carve against the grain. Here is my photo of the grain. Sorry the colour is a bit off, it was a lighting issue.

Now for the part that sets the amateurs apart from the professionals….the sauce (gravy). I make mine the simplest way that I know. I take the liquid and vegetables from the slow cooker and I use an immersion blender to liquefy everything. No thickeners required just some adept seasoning. If you under season (salt & pepper) your sauce it will not be robust and people will not swoon over it.

Note to my dad: (I know that this is your favourite dinner, I’m sorry that you aren’t in town to enoy it).

This container is now ready for the fridge or freezer for later reheating. I’m taking my little parcel to the cottage where it will be served on fluffy mashed potatoes (mashed cauliflower for the low carbers in the group) and fresh green beans. Mmmmmm! what a great meal after a day on the slopes.

There is always cooking going on…

Published on January 13, 2008 in Baking, Tips and Recipes. 0 Comments

but there aren’t always photos.

The trade show job necessitated some baking. Banana bread, oatmeal cookies, chocolate cookies, banana/raisin/chocolate chips squares, cornmeal & cheddar mini muffins and my favourite carrot cake.

I love baking, the smell says “I love someone”. I didn’t taste anything, of course ’cause of my low carb diet.

Funny isn’t it, as a chef I taste and season just about everything that I make but when I bake I can’t. Imagine getting a cake with a wedge missing and the little note “tasted the cake, it’s fine”. Baking is where you really have to trust your recipes. I have some favourite authors but my most favourite baking book is an obscure one called Secrets of a Jewish Baker. This book is foolproof, wether you are baking their bread recipes or muffins or loaves, it’s just wonderful. It doesn’t have pies & cakes but I have other cookbooks for that .

We are cooking vegetarian this week as well as a host of other little projects. See you tomorrow.

Beaujolais Nouveau at it’s best!

Published on November 26, 2007 in Tips. 0 Comments

Every year our street hosts a neighbourhood Beaujolais Nouveau party.

‘…Every year the first taste of the new wine harvest is eagerly anticipated in France and around the world. Parties are held, bottles are uncorked and the first sips of Beaujolais Nouveau are savoured. But since this is a young wine, it would be out of character to get too serious at this party. A relaxed attitude in both presentation and attire should be the order of the day. After all, until the first bottle is uncorked, no one quite knows what toexpect from it - so be prepared for surprises!”

We sipped, we ate, we met many of our ‘old’ and new neighbours. Thanks to Lisi and Alex for graciously hosting this year’s affaire.

My dear husband says that they were all great! Blech! The party was great and the food was great but I prefer my beaujolais aged at least 1 year. The nice gentleman at the LCBO had a great suggestion on what to do with the Nouveaus left over from the party. He uses wine when he bakes biscotti. He makes the biscotti dough, bakes it, then cuts it and dips each cut edge into the wine before returning them to the oven for their second baking. Yum!

A New Twist on Stuffing

Published on October 6, 2007 in Tips. 0 Comments

Our turkey dinner was great. I can never get enough of the aroma of a roasting turkey, except for say the tantalizing smell of baking pies.
I deboned our turkey, stuffed it, sewed it back up and then roasted it. My partner thinks that it is very untraditional and time consuming but I stand by my system. Every minute spent boning and stuffing is reaped tenfold when I carve the turkey into neat slices, each one with its allotment of stuffing.