I have been looking for a creamy salad dressing for a while now. I was getting tired of the same old vinaigrettes but I still wanted a salad dressing that wasn't from a bottle. This recipe was a revelation! It is creamy but not thick. It covers the lettuce without drowning it and the flavour is very near perfection. The recipe is from Patricia Wells newest cookbook, "Vegetable Harvest". She uses chives and they are great, but if you have another fresh herb in your fridge (or garden, depending on where you live this time of year) give that a try too. I love fresh tarragon and chives equally, so I have been choosing whatever looks best at the store.
Creamy Lemon-Herb Dressing
2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 t. fine sea salt
1 c. light cream (10%, half & half)
1/3 c. finely minced herbs, such as chives, tarragon, or dill
In a small container with a lid, combine the lemon juice and salt. Cover and shake to dissolve the salt. Add the cream and chives. Shake to blend. Taste for seasoning. Store, covered and refrigerated, for up to one week. Shake to blend again before using.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Farewell to a Grocery Store
A few days before Christmas, the kids & I popped into our local organic grocery store, the Clean Food Connection, to pick up our weekly order of milk and bread. I was getting ready to check out and I noticed a letter on the counter. That letter was letting me know that "my" grocery store would be closing, as of 4pm on Christmas Eve.
The news hit me hard. I didn't start crying until I got out to the car, then through my tears, I tried to explain to the kids why I was upset. We had the luxury of a small grocery store that carried a good selection of organic fruits & veggies, milk, meats, fish... you name it, it was probably there. Every week, we ordered Harmony 1% organic milk and a loaf of bread from the organic bakery in Aurora, usually a loaf of yellow-coloured challah. Once we were in the store, I would stock up on goat's milk yogurt (individual containers with fruit), chicken (local farm-fresh were The Best Ever), beef (from the owner's own pasture-fed cows, who I might add, also get to eat any old fruits & veggies that can't be sold), wild sockeye salmon, fresh herbs, and local produce in season.
The Clean Food Connection was in Mount Albert for seven years apparently. Having only moved here in April, I had a relatively short relationship with the store. From the first day I went into the store though, I knew that it was a special place, and I better "use it, or lose it". Unfortunately, I have met more than a few people who live here but have never even gone into the store to see what it was all about. That is probably why it no longer made sense for Bob, the owner, to continue to try to make a go here.
So, this was a sad day. Not only for my family, but for this community as well. There are now more empty store fronts along our main street than there are working businesses. Since April, a flower shop has picked up and moved to another town and a pet shop (owned by my neighbour) has closed its doors. I find it funny that a town that is growing (more new development happening all the time) isn't able to support local businesses, beyond the most basic. Katie, one of the women at the Clean Food Connection summed it up well. A woman went into the store to buy some rice chips. The bag cost her $4.29. She then proceeded to complain that Walmart sells the same chips for only $3.99. Isn't the convenience of having a store in your own community worth that extra thirty cents? Wouldn't it cost her more (and all of us in the long run) to hop in her car and drive the 20 or so minutes to the closest Walmart?
On the bright side of things, since opening the Clean Food Connection seven years ago, Bob (who is a retired teacher) has opened two other locations, in Newmarket and Uxbridge. He also does a brisk online business and that may be the route that we take from now on . Bob will deliver your groceries right to your door. I am glad to know that I can still buy his beef (it tastes the way I think beef tasted when I was a kid) and all of the other special food that he sells. To check out the website, go to www.cleanfoodconnection.com
When I went into the Clean Food Connection on Christmas Eve to pick up my turkey, the women asked if I was doing OK. I told them that the news had really upset me. They could tell. We were able to laugh about it. Maybe my sadness was made worse by a case of "Christmas hormones"? Perhaps, but I am still sad.
The news hit me hard. I didn't start crying until I got out to the car, then through my tears, I tried to explain to the kids why I was upset. We had the luxury of a small grocery store that carried a good selection of organic fruits & veggies, milk, meats, fish... you name it, it was probably there. Every week, we ordered Harmony 1% organic milk and a loaf of bread from the organic bakery in Aurora, usually a loaf of yellow-coloured challah. Once we were in the store, I would stock up on goat's milk yogurt (individual containers with fruit), chicken (local farm-fresh were The Best Ever), beef (from the owner's own pasture-fed cows, who I might add, also get to eat any old fruits & veggies that can't be sold), wild sockeye salmon, fresh herbs, and local produce in season.
The Clean Food Connection was in Mount Albert for seven years apparently. Having only moved here in April, I had a relatively short relationship with the store. From the first day I went into the store though, I knew that it was a special place, and I better "use it, or lose it". Unfortunately, I have met more than a few people who live here but have never even gone into the store to see what it was all about. That is probably why it no longer made sense for Bob, the owner, to continue to try to make a go here.
So, this was a sad day. Not only for my family, but for this community as well. There are now more empty store fronts along our main street than there are working businesses. Since April, a flower shop has picked up and moved to another town and a pet shop (owned by my neighbour) has closed its doors. I find it funny that a town that is growing (more new development happening all the time) isn't able to support local businesses, beyond the most basic. Katie, one of the women at the Clean Food Connection summed it up well. A woman went into the store to buy some rice chips. The bag cost her $4.29. She then proceeded to complain that Walmart sells the same chips for only $3.99. Isn't the convenience of having a store in your own community worth that extra thirty cents? Wouldn't it cost her more (and all of us in the long run) to hop in her car and drive the 20 or so minutes to the closest Walmart?
On the bright side of things, since opening the Clean Food Connection seven years ago, Bob (who is a retired teacher) has opened two other locations, in Newmarket and Uxbridge. He also does a brisk online business and that may be the route that we take from now on . Bob will deliver your groceries right to your door. I am glad to know that I can still buy his beef (it tastes the way I think beef tasted when I was a kid) and all of the other special food that he sells. To check out the website, go to www.cleanfoodconnection.com
When I went into the Clean Food Connection on Christmas Eve to pick up my turkey, the women asked if I was doing OK. I told them that the news had really upset me. They could tell. We were able to laugh about it. Maybe my sadness was made worse by a case of "Christmas hormones"? Perhaps, but I am still sad.
Smoked Trout Dip
On Christmas day, we usually have a small feast before the the big dinner. This year, we had Christmas at our house and the feast looked something like this... A selection of cheeses (La Sauvagine, St. Andre, Colston Bassett Stilton), homemade crostinis, large prawns (cooked in their shells; so plump and juicy) with cocktail sauce, fresh oysters with a mignonette (from the "Barefoot in Paris" cookbook), delicious cured sausages (pronounced "cha-bys"), and a delicious smoked rainbow trout dip.
This was the first time I bought smoked trout and I was so happy that I did. It came away from the skin very easily and it has a wonderful smoked flavour. I made a bowl of this dip on the 23rd thinking that I would have one more thing out of the way. However, it was so good, I ended up making more of the dip before the festivities even began. The second time around, I added the chopped capers and I liked the dip even more.
In the words of my brother-in-law Jake, "Give me smoked trout over smoked salmon any day." Try it and see for yourself!
Smoked Trout Dip
1 - 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 whole smoked trout, skin removed, flaked into pieces
1 or 2 green onions, chopped
2 T. fresh dill, chopped
1 T. capers, finely chopped
1 T. fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/3 c. sour cream
Salt & pepper to taste
In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese and trout. Add the rest of the ingredients. Serve with crostini or crackers. This dip is very good the day you make it, but it is even better the next day.
This was the first time I bought smoked trout and I was so happy that I did. It came away from the skin very easily and it has a wonderful smoked flavour. I made a bowl of this dip on the 23rd thinking that I would have one more thing out of the way. However, it was so good, I ended up making more of the dip before the festivities even began. The second time around, I added the chopped capers and I liked the dip even more.
In the words of my brother-in-law Jake, "Give me smoked trout over smoked salmon any day." Try it and see for yourself!
Smoked Trout Dip
1 - 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 whole smoked trout, skin removed, flaked into pieces
1 or 2 green onions, chopped
2 T. fresh dill, chopped
1 T. capers, finely chopped
1 T. fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/3 c. sour cream
Salt & pepper to taste
In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese and trout. Add the rest of the ingredients. Serve with crostini or crackers. This dip is very good the day you make it, but it is even better the next day.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Humble Hermits
I just received a book from my friend Elaine. "The Tenth Muse: My Life in Food" by Judith Jones. I glanced through it and then went directly to the back of the book where there are about 50 or so recipes. So many of the recipes looked good but I have been on a Christmas cookie mission and I couldn't resist trying the Hermits. She calls them "Mrs. Cooney's Hermits" but I love the sound of "Humble Hermits". They aren't fancy but they are absolutely wonderful.
I made these on Tuesday afternoon and they were in the oven at the time that Gavin was getting off the school bus. Ellen & I quickly dashed across the street, met the bus, and then I hustled both of them back to the house as quickly as possible. The aroma that met us was pure Christmas. Gavin said, "Something smells really good!" It's memories like that smell of sugar and spices baking that I remember from when I was a kid.
Humble Hermits
12 T. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 c. white sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
3 c. all purpose flour
1/2 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. ground cloves
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/4 c. molasses mixed with 2 T. warm water
1 c. raisons
1 c. chopped walnuts
1 beaten egg, for glaze
1. Prepare two baking sheets (or one large one) with parchment paper, silpats, or greased. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream the butter and sugars together; then beat in the eggs.
3. Mix together the flour, salt, baking powder, salt and spices, and add them to the butter-sugar mixture along with the molasses. When well mixed, fold in the raisons and nuts. Divide the batter into 4 parts. Place two mounds on each baking sheet. Shape each mound, with floured hands, into strips about 10x3 inches. You should have two strips of cookie dough on each sheet, not too close to each other.
4. Brush the tops of each cookie "log" with the beaten egg. Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on how crisp you want them to be. While still warm, cut each strip into nine bars with a serrated knife.
*I used my large baking sheet and only made two mounds out of the dough. I got about 30 cookies out of the batch.
*These cookies look just like biscotti but they aren't baked twice for the crunchiness of biscotti. They are wonderful for dipping in your coffee or tea and go from being sort of soft to chewy as the time goes by after they are made. I have the remaining hermits in a glass cookie jar and I love to walk by, lift the lid and breathe in that wonderful smell.
I made these on Tuesday afternoon and they were in the oven at the time that Gavin was getting off the school bus. Ellen & I quickly dashed across the street, met the bus, and then I hustled both of them back to the house as quickly as possible. The aroma that met us was pure Christmas. Gavin said, "Something smells really good!" It's memories like that smell of sugar and spices baking that I remember from when I was a kid.
Humble Hermits
12 T. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 c. white sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
3 c. all purpose flour
1/2 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. ground cloves
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/4 c. molasses mixed with 2 T. warm water
1 c. raisons
1 c. chopped walnuts
1 beaten egg, for glaze
1. Prepare two baking sheets (or one large one) with parchment paper, silpats, or greased. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream the butter and sugars together; then beat in the eggs.
3. Mix together the flour, salt, baking powder, salt and spices, and add them to the butter-sugar mixture along with the molasses. When well mixed, fold in the raisons and nuts. Divide the batter into 4 parts. Place two mounds on each baking sheet. Shape each mound, with floured hands, into strips about 10x3 inches. You should have two strips of cookie dough on each sheet, not too close to each other.
4. Brush the tops of each cookie "log" with the beaten egg. Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on how crisp you want them to be. While still warm, cut each strip into nine bars with a serrated knife.
*I used my large baking sheet and only made two mounds out of the dough. I got about 30 cookies out of the batch.
*These cookies look just like biscotti but they aren't baked twice for the crunchiness of biscotti. They are wonderful for dipping in your coffee or tea and go from being sort of soft to chewy as the time goes by after they are made. I have the remaining hermits in a glass cookie jar and I love to walk by, lift the lid and breathe in that wonderful smell.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Mahogany Buttercrunch Toffee
I awoke this morning, at ten minutes before six, to the sweet sound of Gavin singing "Deck the Halls" in his bedroom. It seems that Christmas has come to our house in a big way this year.
We went and cut down our Christmas tree on Saturday. There is a farm nearby called "Horton's Tree Farm" and it is a beautiful spot. A tractor takes visitors on a wagon to the back of the farm and drops everyone off with their saws. Dogs are allowed to come along, and this year we brought Oscar. After you pick out the perfect tree, you can either hop on the wagon again or drag your tree back to the log cabin where it is wrapped in mesh. Then you can help yourself to hot chocolate and marshmallows, and find a spot around the blazing bonfire.
A lovely picture, but then reality hits. The tree didn't look THIS big in the forest. We got it set up in our living room and we couldn't control our nervous laughter. A couple questions arose... How are we going to get the angel on top? Where are we going to put the couch?
We started trimming the tree (now I understand where this saying really came from!) and got it to "fit" into the corner of the room. The height on our tree is ten and a half feet, give or take. Let's face it though, the height isn't the problem, with our very high ceilings. The problem is the overall girth of this monster, taking up at least a quarter of our not-very-big living room!
I tried the Mahogany Buttercrunch Toffee last year, when I was still taking "Rose's Christmas Cookies" book out of the library. This recipe does require a candy thermometer. There is a chocolate buttercrunch that is made and sold locally. I think the name of the company is "Fraktals" and this reminds me of their buttercrunch toffee. Making it on your own is much less expensive and it makes a great little Christmas gift for friends. Just chop some of the buttercrunch into pieces, and package in a clear cellophane bag tied with a ribbon.
The baking soda is the key to this recipe. According to Rose Levy Beranbaum, "the baking soda gives it a fine brittle shear and less sticky texture" and "when baking soda is used, it combines with the acid in the brown sugar and separates the toffee into layers". I have made this toffee with almonds and cashews. I love cashews and that was a real treat, but they are more expensive than most other nuts. You could also use peanuts and have a good result.
Mahogany Buttercrunch Toffee
2 c. sliced almonds
1 1/4 c. light brown sugar
2 T. water
1/2 c. unsalted butter
1 t. pure vanilla extract
1/4 t. baking soda
6 oz. bittersweet or dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the almonds on a cookie sheet and bake them, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden. (If you can smell them, better check on them!) Cool completely.
2. In a food processor with the metal blade, pulse the almonds until they are chopped finely but not powder fine. Sprinkle half the nuts over a 7x10 inch area on a greased/buttered baking sheet (I greased the sheet and then put a piece of parchment paper in the pan). Place it near the stove, along with the vanilla and baking soda.
3. In a heavy, medium-size sauce pan, combine the brown sugar, water, and butter. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil. Stir often to prevent burning until the mixture reaches 285 degrees. Immediately remove the saucepan from the heat because the temperature will continue to rise to 290 degrees (this is fine but don't go any higher, for best texture). Add the vanilla and baking soda. Stir the mixture and pour the toffee evenly over the nuts.
4. Immediately scatter the chocolate chunks over the hot toffee. Press the squares lightly with your fingers so they start melting. After about 5 minutes, the chocolate will be soft enough to spread with a long metal spatula in an even layer over the surface of the toffee. Dust the chocolate with the remaining chopped almonds. Cool completely and chop into irregular pieces.
5. Keep in an airtight container at room temperature. Will keep for about a month this way. Enjoy!
*For easier clean-up, soak anything you used in the toffee in hot water or put it all in the saucepan, fill with water, and bring to a boil.
We went and cut down our Christmas tree on Saturday. There is a farm nearby called "Horton's Tree Farm" and it is a beautiful spot. A tractor takes visitors on a wagon to the back of the farm and drops everyone off with their saws. Dogs are allowed to come along, and this year we brought Oscar. After you pick out the perfect tree, you can either hop on the wagon again or drag your tree back to the log cabin where it is wrapped in mesh. Then you can help yourself to hot chocolate and marshmallows, and find a spot around the blazing bonfire.
A lovely picture, but then reality hits. The tree didn't look THIS big in the forest. We got it set up in our living room and we couldn't control our nervous laughter. A couple questions arose... How are we going to get the angel on top? Where are we going to put the couch?
We started trimming the tree (now I understand where this saying really came from!) and got it to "fit" into the corner of the room. The height on our tree is ten and a half feet, give or take. Let's face it though, the height isn't the problem, with our very high ceilings. The problem is the overall girth of this monster, taking up at least a quarter of our not-very-big living room!
I tried the Mahogany Buttercrunch Toffee last year, when I was still taking "Rose's Christmas Cookies" book out of the library. This recipe does require a candy thermometer. There is a chocolate buttercrunch that is made and sold locally. I think the name of the company is "Fraktals" and this reminds me of their buttercrunch toffee. Making it on your own is much less expensive and it makes a great little Christmas gift for friends. Just chop some of the buttercrunch into pieces, and package in a clear cellophane bag tied with a ribbon.
The baking soda is the key to this recipe. According to Rose Levy Beranbaum, "the baking soda gives it a fine brittle shear and less sticky texture" and "when baking soda is used, it combines with the acid in the brown sugar and separates the toffee into layers". I have made this toffee with almonds and cashews. I love cashews and that was a real treat, but they are more expensive than most other nuts. You could also use peanuts and have a good result.
Mahogany Buttercrunch Toffee
2 c. sliced almonds
1 1/4 c. light brown sugar
2 T. water
1/2 c. unsalted butter
1 t. pure vanilla extract
1/4 t. baking soda
6 oz. bittersweet or dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the almonds on a cookie sheet and bake them, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden. (If you can smell them, better check on them!) Cool completely.
2. In a food processor with the metal blade, pulse the almonds until they are chopped finely but not powder fine. Sprinkle half the nuts over a 7x10 inch area on a greased/buttered baking sheet (I greased the sheet and then put a piece of parchment paper in the pan). Place it near the stove, along with the vanilla and baking soda.
3. In a heavy, medium-size sauce pan, combine the brown sugar, water, and butter. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil. Stir often to prevent burning until the mixture reaches 285 degrees. Immediately remove the saucepan from the heat because the temperature will continue to rise to 290 degrees (this is fine but don't go any higher, for best texture). Add the vanilla and baking soda. Stir the mixture and pour the toffee evenly over the nuts.
4. Immediately scatter the chocolate chunks over the hot toffee. Press the squares lightly with your fingers so they start melting. After about 5 minutes, the chocolate will be soft enough to spread with a long metal spatula in an even layer over the surface of the toffee. Dust the chocolate with the remaining chopped almonds. Cool completely and chop into irregular pieces.
5. Keep in an airtight container at room temperature. Will keep for about a month this way. Enjoy!
*For easier clean-up, soak anything you used in the toffee in hot water or put it all in the saucepan, fill with water, and bring to a boil.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Christmas Sugar Cookies
I finally ordered my own copy of "Rose's Christmas Cookies" from Chapters. The Rose in question is Rose Levy Beranbaum, author of "The Cake Bible" and "The Pie & Pastry Bible". I have taken this book out of my local library several times in the last few years, always thinking that someday I should get my own. I love her recipes and she is so thorough that you can't help being a success in the kitchen.
Of course there are lots of recipes for sugar cookies out there. I have used many different sugar cookie recipes over the years, looking for a tried and true recipe that I could call my favourite. I believe that this one is it.
The icing is very simple and it comes from another excellent cookbook called "Great Cookies" by Carole Walter. This week, most likely inspired by the posting of "Moira's Favourite Things", I made a trip to Escoffier Restaurant Supply in St. Catharines. Along with a few other well thought out purchases, I bought some new food colouring. It is called "Spectrum Gel Food Colour". As you can see from the picture, the colours are vivid and really pretty. I only bought four and they are; avocado, egg yellow, soft pink, and sky blue. The colours look just like their names. I have read that gel or paste food colouring results in nicer colours and I would say that I agree.
While we were at Escoffier, the kids found a big display of cookie cutters. I told them that they could each pick one cookie cutter as a treat. They looked over the choices and when we got to the counter to pay, I told them to give the lady their cookie cutters. Out of at least a hundred different cookie cutters, many of them Christmas-themed and really cool looking, they both chose hearts. I guess we'll be making these for Valentine's Day, too!
Christmas Sugar Cookies
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 t. salt
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. butter (or 12 tablespoons), softened to room temperature
1 large egg
1 t. pure vanilla
In a mixing bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until blended. (I use my KitchenAid mixer with the paddle attachment)
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until they come together.
Add water, a few drops at a time, only until the dough starts to come away from the sides of the bowl.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and form the dough into a round, flat disc. Wrap well and refrigerate for at least two hours. If you refrigerate the dough longer, you will have to pull the dough out and let it soften up before you start to roll it.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness (pretty thin; I think the thinner cookies that brown a little around the edges taste better). Cut shapes using your favourite cookie cutters. This dough works fine if you re-roll the scraps. Bake for 8-12 minutes, or until the cookies start to turn golden brown around the edges. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool before icing them.
Apparently, these cookies will keep for "months" in an air-tight container. I'll be lucky if we have ours around for more than a day or two!
Vanilla Glaze
2 c. sifted icing sugar
2-3 T. hot milk or hot water (plus more if needed)
1 T. light corn syrup
1/2 t. pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Place the icing sugar in a bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Stir with a whisk or spoon until very smooth. The glaze should pour off the spoon in streamers. Use additional milk sparingly. A little bit goes a long way. I divided the glaze into four small bowls and added a small squeeze of food colouring. Popsicle sticks and toothpicks make great tools for the kids to decorate with.
*During the process of icing the cookies, there were a few tears, a number of squabbles , and the green icing bowl broken into four pieces on our stone floor. Amazingly, I can't wait to bake cookies again soon!
Monday, December 3, 2007
Moira's Favourite Things
In the kitchen, that is. After having a few requests, I have finally come up with a list of my favourite things in the kitchen. I also asked a few foodie friends & family what their favourite things in the kitchen are and I got some great feedback. There was an interesting cross-section of kitchen tools and gadgets. I will start with my own favourites and then give you a list of what they couldn't live without.
1. KitchenAid Mixer - I use my mixer all the time, and sometimes I wish I had two! I leave my mixer on the counter at all times and this makes it very convenient to just throw together a recipe at the drop of a hat. I have a cream coloured one but my next one will be in red!
2. Le Crueset pans - As I have mentioned before, I LOVE these pans. I keep seeing the odd one at HomeSense or Winners but I can't keep buying them all the time! Once these pans are broken in, they are as close to non-stick (without the Teflon) as you can get. I also got a knock-off Dutch oven made by Mario Batali. This looks like a Le Crueset pan but it was much cheaper. It was at Costco for around $60. A very heavy, substantial pan that seems to be doing a good job, so far.
3. Candy Thermometer - While on the road, if there could be a chance of doing some baking, or in particular, making a buttercream, I should just pack my candy thermometer in my suitcase! It is one of the things that I consistently wish I had brought along and it is essential if you are making something and you need to know the exact temperature. No thermometer, no buttercream. I am going to blog my favourite buttercream recipe soon, that way you'll understand my pain!
4. Rasp Zester (A.K.A. Microplane) - By now, most of you probably have a rasp. It is a dream for quickly zesting a lemon or grating fresh ginger. I think the rasp from Lee Valley is great and it is a good price ($13.50). They also sell the attachment that slides on to the bottom of the rasp to catch whatever you are zesting. I don't have one of those so I usually just zest right into the bowl that I am using.
5. Stainless Steel Baking Sheets - These come in different sizes and I bought mine at a restaurant supply store. Most home ovens can only accommodate the 3/4 size of pan which is 20x14 inches. This size is ideal for many things. I also have a couple of 17x12 inch sheet pans. What makes these pans great is that they last and they can continue to look like new if you clean them well. I have other baking pans that I have collected over the years but eventually they seem to peel and rust until they aren't safe to use anymore. The stainless steel pans really heat up and hold their heat, making these pans very hot. I sometimes have to move cookies off of the sheets right after they come out of the oven, if they are in danger of being over done.
6. Parchment Paper - Imagine reaching into your cupboard and pulling out a piece of parchment paper, pre-cut to fit your favourite baking sheet. I thought that was only a luxury for chefs in restaurants until my sister told me otherwise. We go to a restaurant/industrial paper supply company called "GT French" in Niagara Falls, and I stock up on my "restaurant supplies". I also have two Silpat sheets which are excellent, especially for cookies.
7. Food Processor - A few years ago, I asked for a really good food processor for Christmas. I ended up getting a very nice (and expensive) KitchenAid food processor that had to be returned a few days later because it had sliced off part of the plastic lid while I was trying to grate something. We returned that one and I should have realized that I wasn't going to get the sort of quality that you would expect when you spend that much money on an appliance. After less than a year I had to have the bowl replaced because it wasn't clicking in properly to enable the motor to start. It took more than two months to get that new bowl (and close to $100). If I were to go buy a new food processor today (it is currently in working order so I don't have to - yet), I would get a much less expensive model, maybe from Costco. I thought I needed all those special attachments on my KitchenAid food processor but it turns out that I never use them, with the exception of the grater attachment, and I am sure that even the cheapest of food processors comes with one of those. At the end of the day, I love using my food processor. I just didn't need the cadillac version to get the job done.
8. Good Salad Spinner - It may seem strange to include this gadget in my list but about a year or so ago, I got rid of the flimsy piece of plastic that was masquerading around the kitchen as a salad spinner. I went to Costco and bought a very nice, sturdy salad spinner and I kicked myself for not doing it sooner. I no longer avoid washing lettuce for salads. In fact, I will sometimes even wash it ahead of time now.
9. Sharp Knives - Did you know that dull knives are more dangerous to work with than sharp ones? I have actually been meaning to have my knives professionally sharpened for a while. After six months of not having my knife magnet hung up, my knives are very dull right now. The knife magnet has at last been hung up, but the damage from storing them in drawers with lots of other things has been done. I should have a stone for sharpening my knives, but I don't. (I can feel my reputation taking a nose dive right about now!) I do have a sharpener that you hold on the counter and run the knife through 8-10 times. I think it is a Henkel sharpener. As for brand preferences, most of my knives are "Gold Hamsters". My head chef at Bridges Restaurant, on Granville Island in Vancouver introduced me to these knives. I bought my first ones at a kitchen shop in Vancouver (in Kerrisdale to be more exact) and since then I have found them at Ashley's in Toronto. I think the brand matters less than the state of your blades. There are three knives that are essential for every good kitchen: A large chef's knife, a serrated-edge knife (for bread, etc), and a paring knife. Start with these and make sure they feel comfortable in your hand.
10. One Litre & Half Litre Containers - I buy these at GT French, the paper supply store in Niagara Falls (they also have locations in Hamilton, Toronto, and Kitchener). They are an excellent way to store food. I use them for everything and they make my freezer look like I am running a production kitchen (I love that look!). The lids are sold separately and the bottoms stack nicely in the cupboard when not in use. There are 25 containers to a sleeve and they are much less expensive than trying to buy 25 reusable containers from your grocery store. I rarely have to buy more because they can be used again and again. I don't know what I did before I started buying these things!
11. Immersion Blender (A.K.A. Hand Blender) - I use my Braun immersion blender all the time. It saves time and energy in the kitchen, because rather than using the big blender or the food processor, the immersion blender just has the wand/blade to wash after. I use it for smoothies, vinaigrettes, and blending soups right in the pot, amongst other things. It also comes with a whisk attachment that I have used for whipping cream or other jobs that require some extra elbow grease with a whisk.
12. Colour-Coded Cutting Boards - There is nothing that annoys me more than the taste of garlic or onions on pieces of fresh fruit. I decided to do something about and I bought green and blue cutting boards at a restaurant supply store. The green one is for fruit or veggies that won't affect the odour-free board (such as cucumber). The blue one is for most other things, including meat. I also have two wooden boards that are all-purpose as well, but I don't put raw meat on them. If I have been cutting lots of onions and garlic, or even meat, and I want to get rid of the smell and bacteria, I wash the board in hot, soapy water and then squeeze and rub a half a lemon over the board and let it sit for a few minutes. I scrub this into the board and rinse well. This should remove whatever was on the board. Now, if I could just get Alan to pay attention to the rules...
Tools that were recommended to me by a few foodie friends...
Potato Ricer - I don't have one but I have often wondered if I need one.
Strong Pair of Tongs - Definitely.
Lots of counter space - One of the reasons we bought our house!
Wooden spoons - My sister and her husband Jake, collect wooden spoons and it is sometimes possible to find really great old ones at antique markets.
Mandolin - I have one but I don't remember where I put the blades... for safe keeping! The one I have is metal and is pretty heavy. Great for slicing potatoes in various shapes and sizes.
Batter Bowl - Can be used for virtually anything. The sizes mentioned were 8 cup and 4 cup capacities. Make it a bowl that you love and it will make you happy everytime you use it.
Small metal spatulas - Excellent when you want to get under something without disturbing it too much (like hot cookies, pancakes, fish, etc.)
Grapefruit Knife - I think I need one of these. Has a curved blade that is handy for little jobs, not just cutting grapefruit.
Mezzaluna Knife - A two-handled knife that you rock back and forth to chop things finely.
Maslin Pan - I bought this for my Mom for making jams and jellies. It is a special shape that was designed in England for making marmalade. My Mom swears by it now and I will probably get my own if I can find the time to start making my own jams and jellies. I bought it at Lee Valley.
Great Cookbooks - Nothing inspires me more than looking through cookbooks. Can you imagine a world without cookbooks? Bleak. Absolutely bleak.
*I have a few things that I would really like to have in my kitchen but I know they are probably not necessary. A good ice cream maker. Madeleine pans. A pressure cooker. Someone to wash my pots...
*Be careful about going to a Pampered Chef party and having too much drink. Someone (no, I am not going to mention who) ordered an avocado peeler during one of these free-for-alls! I am sure that the Pampered Chef has lots of things that are worth having in your kitchen (well, I wouldn't put money on it). However, if you are trying to keep the clutter in your drawers and cupboards to a minimum, avoid these parties at all cost.
1. KitchenAid Mixer - I use my mixer all the time, and sometimes I wish I had two! I leave my mixer on the counter at all times and this makes it very convenient to just throw together a recipe at the drop of a hat. I have a cream coloured one but my next one will be in red!
2. Le Crueset pans - As I have mentioned before, I LOVE these pans. I keep seeing the odd one at HomeSense or Winners but I can't keep buying them all the time! Once these pans are broken in, they are as close to non-stick (without the Teflon) as you can get. I also got a knock-off Dutch oven made by Mario Batali. This looks like a Le Crueset pan but it was much cheaper. It was at Costco for around $60. A very heavy, substantial pan that seems to be doing a good job, so far.
3. Candy Thermometer - While on the road, if there could be a chance of doing some baking, or in particular, making a buttercream, I should just pack my candy thermometer in my suitcase! It is one of the things that I consistently wish I had brought along and it is essential if you are making something and you need to know the exact temperature. No thermometer, no buttercream. I am going to blog my favourite buttercream recipe soon, that way you'll understand my pain!
4. Rasp Zester (A.K.A. Microplane) - By now, most of you probably have a rasp. It is a dream for quickly zesting a lemon or grating fresh ginger. I think the rasp from Lee Valley is great and it is a good price ($13.50). They also sell the attachment that slides on to the bottom of the rasp to catch whatever you are zesting. I don't have one of those so I usually just zest right into the bowl that I am using.
5. Stainless Steel Baking Sheets - These come in different sizes and I bought mine at a restaurant supply store. Most home ovens can only accommodate the 3/4 size of pan which is 20x14 inches. This size is ideal for many things. I also have a couple of 17x12 inch sheet pans. What makes these pans great is that they last and they can continue to look like new if you clean them well. I have other baking pans that I have collected over the years but eventually they seem to peel and rust until they aren't safe to use anymore. The stainless steel pans really heat up and hold their heat, making these pans very hot. I sometimes have to move cookies off of the sheets right after they come out of the oven, if they are in danger of being over done.
6. Parchment Paper - Imagine reaching into your cupboard and pulling out a piece of parchment paper, pre-cut to fit your favourite baking sheet. I thought that was only a luxury for chefs in restaurants until my sister told me otherwise. We go to a restaurant/industrial paper supply company called "GT French" in Niagara Falls, and I stock up on my "restaurant supplies". I also have two Silpat sheets which are excellent, especially for cookies.
7. Food Processor - A few years ago, I asked for a really good food processor for Christmas. I ended up getting a very nice (and expensive) KitchenAid food processor that had to be returned a few days later because it had sliced off part of the plastic lid while I was trying to grate something. We returned that one and I should have realized that I wasn't going to get the sort of quality that you would expect when you spend that much money on an appliance. After less than a year I had to have the bowl replaced because it wasn't clicking in properly to enable the motor to start. It took more than two months to get that new bowl (and close to $100). If I were to go buy a new food processor today (it is currently in working order so I don't have to - yet), I would get a much less expensive model, maybe from Costco. I thought I needed all those special attachments on my KitchenAid food processor but it turns out that I never use them, with the exception of the grater attachment, and I am sure that even the cheapest of food processors comes with one of those. At the end of the day, I love using my food processor. I just didn't need the cadillac version to get the job done.
8. Good Salad Spinner - It may seem strange to include this gadget in my list but about a year or so ago, I got rid of the flimsy piece of plastic that was masquerading around the kitchen as a salad spinner. I went to Costco and bought a very nice, sturdy salad spinner and I kicked myself for not doing it sooner. I no longer avoid washing lettuce for salads. In fact, I will sometimes even wash it ahead of time now.
9. Sharp Knives - Did you know that dull knives are more dangerous to work with than sharp ones? I have actually been meaning to have my knives professionally sharpened for a while. After six months of not having my knife magnet hung up, my knives are very dull right now. The knife magnet has at last been hung up, but the damage from storing them in drawers with lots of other things has been done. I should have a stone for sharpening my knives, but I don't. (I can feel my reputation taking a nose dive right about now!) I do have a sharpener that you hold on the counter and run the knife through 8-10 times. I think it is a Henkel sharpener. As for brand preferences, most of my knives are "Gold Hamsters". My head chef at Bridges Restaurant, on Granville Island in Vancouver introduced me to these knives. I bought my first ones at a kitchen shop in Vancouver (in Kerrisdale to be more exact) and since then I have found them at Ashley's in Toronto. I think the brand matters less than the state of your blades. There are three knives that are essential for every good kitchen: A large chef's knife, a serrated-edge knife (for bread, etc), and a paring knife. Start with these and make sure they feel comfortable in your hand.
10. One Litre & Half Litre Containers - I buy these at GT French, the paper supply store in Niagara Falls (they also have locations in Hamilton, Toronto, and Kitchener). They are an excellent way to store food. I use them for everything and they make my freezer look like I am running a production kitchen (I love that look!). The lids are sold separately and the bottoms stack nicely in the cupboard when not in use. There are 25 containers to a sleeve and they are much less expensive than trying to buy 25 reusable containers from your grocery store. I rarely have to buy more because they can be used again and again. I don't know what I did before I started buying these things!
11. Immersion Blender (A.K.A. Hand Blender) - I use my Braun immersion blender all the time. It saves time and energy in the kitchen, because rather than using the big blender or the food processor, the immersion blender just has the wand/blade to wash after. I use it for smoothies, vinaigrettes, and blending soups right in the pot, amongst other things. It also comes with a whisk attachment that I have used for whipping cream or other jobs that require some extra elbow grease with a whisk.
12. Colour-Coded Cutting Boards - There is nothing that annoys me more than the taste of garlic or onions on pieces of fresh fruit. I decided to do something about and I bought green and blue cutting boards at a restaurant supply store. The green one is for fruit or veggies that won't affect the odour-free board (such as cucumber). The blue one is for most other things, including meat. I also have two wooden boards that are all-purpose as well, but I don't put raw meat on them. If I have been cutting lots of onions and garlic, or even meat, and I want to get rid of the smell and bacteria, I wash the board in hot, soapy water and then squeeze and rub a half a lemon over the board and let it sit for a few minutes. I scrub this into the board and rinse well. This should remove whatever was on the board. Now, if I could just get Alan to pay attention to the rules...
Tools that were recommended to me by a few foodie friends...
Potato Ricer - I don't have one but I have often wondered if I need one.
Strong Pair of Tongs - Definitely.
Lots of counter space - One of the reasons we bought our house!
Wooden spoons - My sister and her husband Jake, collect wooden spoons and it is sometimes possible to find really great old ones at antique markets.
Mandolin - I have one but I don't remember where I put the blades... for safe keeping! The one I have is metal and is pretty heavy. Great for slicing potatoes in various shapes and sizes.
Batter Bowl - Can be used for virtually anything. The sizes mentioned were 8 cup and 4 cup capacities. Make it a bowl that you love and it will make you happy everytime you use it.
Small metal spatulas - Excellent when you want to get under something without disturbing it too much (like hot cookies, pancakes, fish, etc.)
Grapefruit Knife - I think I need one of these. Has a curved blade that is handy for little jobs, not just cutting grapefruit.
Mezzaluna Knife - A two-handled knife that you rock back and forth to chop things finely.
Maslin Pan - I bought this for my Mom for making jams and jellies. It is a special shape that was designed in England for making marmalade. My Mom swears by it now and I will probably get my own if I can find the time to start making my own jams and jellies. I bought it at Lee Valley.
Great Cookbooks - Nothing inspires me more than looking through cookbooks. Can you imagine a world without cookbooks? Bleak. Absolutely bleak.
*I have a few things that I would really like to have in my kitchen but I know they are probably not necessary. A good ice cream maker. Madeleine pans. A pressure cooker. Someone to wash my pots...
*Be careful about going to a Pampered Chef party and having too much drink. Someone (no, I am not going to mention who) ordered an avocado peeler during one of these free-for-alls! I am sure that the Pampered Chef has lots of things that are worth having in your kitchen (well, I wouldn't put money on it). However, if you are trying to keep the clutter in your drawers and cupboards to a minimum, avoid these parties at all cost.
Curried Lentil Burritos with Cilantro-Scallion Spiced Yogurt
I had almost forgotten about this recipe that Elaine sent me ages ago. I came across it last week and after reading it over, I started collecting the ingredients that I would need to make it. Early in the afternoon, I made the filling. It was delicious on its own. Then I made the yogurt and let that sit for a few hours before dinner. Again, delicious.
I have to admit that this recipe was really pushing the envelope of what my kids are willing to eat. It didn't stop me from trying, but to be honest, they ate a few bites and that was it. Alan & I happily took what was left on their plates and I gave them something else.
When it came time to put the burritos together, I wondered about the "French toast tortilla" idea. Why not just roll them up in the plain tortillas and save a step or two. Well, whatever you do, don't skip the tortilla instructions! The tortillas became soft and warm and the cheese was just starting to melt on them. This combination paired with the yogurt sauce and it was a great meal that I will definitely make again and again. Next time, I will put a different filling in the burrito for the kids.
This would be a great casual dinner if you are having vegetarians over, assuming they eat eggs and cheese. Adjust the recipe by doubling or tripling the amounts. I doubled the recipe but I didn't use double the amount of broth. I would keep some broth out and add it as necessary while the lentil mixture is cooking.
Curried Lentil Burritos with Cilantro-Scallion Spiced Yogurt
Serves 2
For the filling:
1/4 c. onion, diced
1 T. sunflower oil
1 t. curry powder
1 t. jalepeno, minced (optional)
1 1/2 c. chicken or veggie broth
1/2 c. tomatoes, chopped
1/2 c. red potatoes
1/4 c. brown or green lentils (not the Puy lentils from France)
1/2 c. frozen chopped spinach
Juice of 1/2 a lime
Salt to taste
Saute onion, curry powder, and jalapeno in oil over med-high heat. Cook until the onion begins to brown, 5-8 minutes, stirring often.
Stir in broth, tomatoes, potatoes, and lentils. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until lentils are tender, 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the spiced yogurt. Finish the lentils with spinach (no need to thaw it first), lime juice, and salt.
For the spiced yogurt:
1 c. cilantro leaves and stems
1/4 c. green onions, sliced (white & green parts)
2 t. fresh ginger, chopped
1 t. sugar
1/4 t. ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Juice of 1/2 a lime
Salt & cayenne pepper to taste
1/2 c. plain yogurt
Process all ingredients except yogurt in a food processor until minced. Stir herb paste into yogurt; chill until ready to serve.
For the Tortillas:
1 egg
1 T. milk
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
2 - 10 inch flour tortillas
1/2 c. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (I used Balderson Cheddar)
Blend egg, milk, and parsley in a pie plate. Heat a large skillet over med-high heat. Dip both sides of a tortilla in the egg mixture, then fry in half of the oil until golden brown on one side, about 1 minute; flip the tortilla over.
Sprinkle with 1/4 c. cheese and continue frying until second side is brown, about 1 minute. Transfer to plate. Cook the other tortilla in the same manner and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
To assemble the burritos, place half of the lentil filling on the middle of the tortilla and roll the bottom and sides over the filling to cover it. Serve with yogurt sauce.
*I'm not sure where you got this recipe, but "thank you" Elaine!
I have to admit that this recipe was really pushing the envelope of what my kids are willing to eat. It didn't stop me from trying, but to be honest, they ate a few bites and that was it. Alan & I happily took what was left on their plates and I gave them something else.
When it came time to put the burritos together, I wondered about the "French toast tortilla" idea. Why not just roll them up in the plain tortillas and save a step or two. Well, whatever you do, don't skip the tortilla instructions! The tortillas became soft and warm and the cheese was just starting to melt on them. This combination paired with the yogurt sauce and it was a great meal that I will definitely make again and again. Next time, I will put a different filling in the burrito for the kids.
This would be a great casual dinner if you are having vegetarians over, assuming they eat eggs and cheese. Adjust the recipe by doubling or tripling the amounts. I doubled the recipe but I didn't use double the amount of broth. I would keep some broth out and add it as necessary while the lentil mixture is cooking.
Curried Lentil Burritos with Cilantro-Scallion Spiced Yogurt
Serves 2
For the filling:
1/4 c. onion, diced
1 T. sunflower oil
1 t. curry powder
1 t. jalepeno, minced (optional)
1 1/2 c. chicken or veggie broth
1/2 c. tomatoes, chopped
1/2 c. red potatoes
1/4 c. brown or green lentils (not the Puy lentils from France)
1/2 c. frozen chopped spinach
Juice of 1/2 a lime
Salt to taste
Saute onion, curry powder, and jalapeno in oil over med-high heat. Cook until the onion begins to brown, 5-8 minutes, stirring often.
Stir in broth, tomatoes, potatoes, and lentils. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until lentils are tender, 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the spiced yogurt. Finish the lentils with spinach (no need to thaw it first), lime juice, and salt.
For the spiced yogurt:
1 c. cilantro leaves and stems
1/4 c. green onions, sliced (white & green parts)
2 t. fresh ginger, chopped
1 t. sugar
1/4 t. ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Juice of 1/2 a lime
Salt & cayenne pepper to taste
1/2 c. plain yogurt
Process all ingredients except yogurt in a food processor until minced. Stir herb paste into yogurt; chill until ready to serve.
For the Tortillas:
1 egg
1 T. milk
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
2 - 10 inch flour tortillas
1/2 c. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (I used Balderson Cheddar)
Blend egg, milk, and parsley in a pie plate. Heat a large skillet over med-high heat. Dip both sides of a tortilla in the egg mixture, then fry in half of the oil until golden brown on one side, about 1 minute; flip the tortilla over.
Sprinkle with 1/4 c. cheese and continue frying until second side is brown, about 1 minute. Transfer to plate. Cook the other tortilla in the same manner and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
To assemble the burritos, place half of the lentil filling on the middle of the tortilla and roll the bottom and sides over the filling to cover it. Serve with yogurt sauce.
*I'm not sure where you got this recipe, but "thank you" Elaine!
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Chai Tea
It is impossible for me to open my jar of green cardamom pods without thinking about chai tea. When traveling in India, chai tea was a constant treat. The smell of cardamom brings back good memories of that trip.
I started making chai tea at home a few years ago. I was inspired to try my own by finding three recipes for chai from Vikram & Meeru Vij in the back of a book by my idol, Ari Weinzweig. "Zingerman's Guide to Good Eating" is exactly what it says it is. A wonderful book for people who love to learn about food, it's history, and the best foods available today.
The tea that is recommended in the chai recipes is Barry's Irish tea. This tea became my favourite drinking tea after I first bought it for the chai. Ari goes into detail about what makes real British and Irish teas different. It seems Ari was looking for a tea that visitors from the UK would appreciate when they were visiting Zingerman's Deli. He kept trying better and more expensive teas and they would never be happy with the results, usually saying that it was too weak. Finally, he was tipped off that what he was looking for was "CTC" tea. CTC stands for "crush-tear-curl" and refers to the way the tea leaves are processed by a machine. This type of tea has the "mouth-feel" that people in the UK insist on. The texture of the tea could be described as "creamy" and it really gives you a substantial cup of tea.
Needless to say, I found this information very interesting as I had enjoyed many delicious cups of tea while visiting England and I could never understand why brewing a cup of tea at home in Canada just never seemed the same. It didn't take long for me to find a box of Barry's Irish Tea. In fact, I can buy it at three different places in Newmarket alone.
This recipe is a combination of my two favourite recipes for chai. You can decide what your favourite spice combinations are by experimenting. This afternoon I made the exact recipe from Ari's book for "Strong Spiced Chai" but I realized there was something missing from my favourite brew. I forgot to throw in a piece of fresh ginger. Neither of the recipes that I like even call for ginger but I tried it and liked it and now it seems a little drab without it. I also prefer using honey but feel free to use sugar instead.
Chai Tea
2 1/2 c. cold water
2 tea bags, preferably Barry's Irish Tea or other CTC tea
2-3 T. honey (to your taste), or 2 T. white sugar
10 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed but no need to destroy the shell
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out for another use (I used the vanilla seeds in shortbread cookies)
2 4-inch pieces cinnamon
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut in half
3 whole cloves
1/4 t. fennel seeds (optional but I like the slight licorice taste)
2 c. milk
Put all of the ingredients into a heavy-bottomed pot, except the milk. Bring the ingredients to a boil for 3 minutes and add the milk. Mix well and bring back to a boil. Remove from heat and strain chai into a tea pot or straight into mugs.
*I like to strain my chai into a tea pot. That way, I can put it into the fridge in the tea pot and just pour myself a cup whenever the mood strikes. Heat it up either on the stove or in the microwave.
*If you don't have one or two of the spices above, you can still make chai. As long as you have cinnamon and cardamom pods, you have the start of a delicious cup of chai. There are a lot of packaged chai drink mixes/syrups out there but I think once you see how easy it is to make your own, you will forget about the rest.
I started making chai tea at home a few years ago. I was inspired to try my own by finding three recipes for chai from Vikram & Meeru Vij in the back of a book by my idol, Ari Weinzweig. "Zingerman's Guide to Good Eating" is exactly what it says it is. A wonderful book for people who love to learn about food, it's history, and the best foods available today.
The tea that is recommended in the chai recipes is Barry's Irish tea. This tea became my favourite drinking tea after I first bought it for the chai. Ari goes into detail about what makes real British and Irish teas different. It seems Ari was looking for a tea that visitors from the UK would appreciate when they were visiting Zingerman's Deli. He kept trying better and more expensive teas and they would never be happy with the results, usually saying that it was too weak. Finally, he was tipped off that what he was looking for was "CTC" tea. CTC stands for "crush-tear-curl" and refers to the way the tea leaves are processed by a machine. This type of tea has the "mouth-feel" that people in the UK insist on. The texture of the tea could be described as "creamy" and it really gives you a substantial cup of tea.
Needless to say, I found this information very interesting as I had enjoyed many delicious cups of tea while visiting England and I could never understand why brewing a cup of tea at home in Canada just never seemed the same. It didn't take long for me to find a box of Barry's Irish Tea. In fact, I can buy it at three different places in Newmarket alone.
This recipe is a combination of my two favourite recipes for chai. You can decide what your favourite spice combinations are by experimenting. This afternoon I made the exact recipe from Ari's book for "Strong Spiced Chai" but I realized there was something missing from my favourite brew. I forgot to throw in a piece of fresh ginger. Neither of the recipes that I like even call for ginger but I tried it and liked it and now it seems a little drab without it. I also prefer using honey but feel free to use sugar instead.
Chai Tea
2 1/2 c. cold water
2 tea bags, preferably Barry's Irish Tea or other CTC tea
2-3 T. honey (to your taste), or 2 T. white sugar
10 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed but no need to destroy the shell
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out for another use (I used the vanilla seeds in shortbread cookies)
2 4-inch pieces cinnamon
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut in half
3 whole cloves
1/4 t. fennel seeds (optional but I like the slight licorice taste)
2 c. milk
Put all of the ingredients into a heavy-bottomed pot, except the milk. Bring the ingredients to a boil for 3 minutes and add the milk. Mix well and bring back to a boil. Remove from heat and strain chai into a tea pot or straight into mugs.
*I like to strain my chai into a tea pot. That way, I can put it into the fridge in the tea pot and just pour myself a cup whenever the mood strikes. Heat it up either on the stove or in the microwave.
*If you don't have one or two of the spices above, you can still make chai. As long as you have cinnamon and cardamom pods, you have the start of a delicious cup of chai. There are a lot of packaged chai drink mixes/syrups out there but I think once you see how easy it is to make your own, you will forget about the rest.
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