Miniature Rosti, Creme Fraiche & Smoked Trout

My sister sent me the recipe for this little appetizer before Christmas. She used smoked salmon, but I have access to the most wonderful smoked trout (at the Clean Food Connection) and I decided I would give that a try. The rosti were so easy to make and they were absolutely addictive! On Christmas Eve, we all stood around the counter, waiting for the little morsels to come out of the pan. My Dad told me to "definitely put this recipe on the blog".

The creme fraiche turned out beautifully. It isn't as sour as sour cream; more of a fresh taste. If you don't have time to make creme fraiche, you can use sour cream mixed with chives. But let me tell you, it's worth it and besides having to whisk it together 24 hours beforehand, it is no trouble at all. You still have time before New Year's Eve, if you act soon. Happy New Year!

Chive Creme Fraiche

1 c. whipping cream
1 T. buttermilk
1/2 c. fresh chives, chopped fine

Whisk whipping cream and buttermilk in a small stainless steel bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Fill a larger bowl with hot tap water and place the bowl of cream into this bowl. Let sit at room temperature for 24 hours. Spoon the creme fraiche into another bowl, discarding any whey (liquid). Fold in the chives. Refrigerate.
*The creme fraiche will smell fresh and dairy-ish. If there is the smell of blue cheese, discard the whole batch.

Potato Rosti

3 large Yukon Gold potatoes
1/2 c. or more of grape seed oil
1 1/2 t. fine sea salt

Peel and grate potatoes on a box grater or in the food processor with the grater attachment. Mix salt into the potatoes immediately to keep them from going brown. In a large cast iron pan, heat enough oil to cover the bottom well. Add a little bit of potatoes to see if the oil is hot enough. It should sizzle right away. Place little piles (about 1 tablespoon or so) of potatoes and press down. Cook until golden brown and crispy, then flip and cook the other side. Transfer the potatoes to a plate lined in paper towel to drain. These can be made ahead of time and reheated for 5 minutes in the oven when you need them.

150 grams smoked trout or smoked salmon

Place a piece of trout or salmon on top of each rosti and top with a dollop of chive creme fraiche. Enjoy!

Christmas Preparations

The Christmas clock is really ticking. This morning, we picked up our turkey and December's meat share at Cooper's farm. We picked a turkey weighing in at about 18 pounds. On Christmas day, we will take our turkey down to my sister's house. My brother-in-law, Jake, will cut the raw turkey up into manageable pieces. An hour or two before dinner, he will roast the breasts, thighs and legs on a baking sheet, while a turkey stock simmers away on the stove (made from the back and any other odd bits from the turkey). I don't know whether Jake coined the phrase "relaxed turkey" or not, but that is what we call this method, which makes for a very easy clean-up. My Mom always makes the stuffing, but now we cook it in the crock-pot, moistening it with the turkey stock (or chicken stock). I still love the look of a whole bird in the oven, but with the relaxed method, that's the only thing you'll miss. The smell of roasting bird is still wafting through the house during the day because of the turkey stock and the stuffing.

The kids and I assembled an Ikea gingerbread house. It is a great size and the kids had a ball decorating it. When I think about an idyllic Christmas, decorating a gingerbread house is right up there on my list of things to do. However, the reality is seldom the stuff of dreams. Besides giving plenty of decorating instructions to Gavin & Ellen, who couldn't have cared less what my vision for the gingerbread house was, I found myself losing my cool more than once. "Whoever eats another decoration is going to their room!!!" I yelled, very close to the top of my lungs. Christmas has the magical power to bring out the best, and the worst, in people. Note to self - Lighten up!

To go with the tourtiere on Christmas Eve, I want to make a nice beef gravy. I thought I was buying 5 pounds of beef bones, this morning at the farm. Turns out I bought almost 20 pounds of bones, more than enough to make my beef stock. I roasted the bones in the oven for about an hour and a half, then spread tomato paste on the bones (not too much) and roasted them another half hour. Then into the super-sized canning pot with carrots, onions, parsley and celery, filled to the top with water and simmered for about 4 hours. The stock is currently out in the snow and tomorrow I will take the fat off the top and divvy it up into litre containers. It will make a nice gravy to go with our Christmas Eve dinner, with plenty left over for rest of the winter.

I haven't done a lot of baking this year. Earlier in December, it seemed too early to have all sorts of baking sitting around the house. All of a sudden, it's getting a bit late, but I have finally gotten started. We made shortbread cookies this morning with silver dragees. They are the cornstarch shortbread cookies that basically melt in your mouth. They are tasty little cookies that always bring back memories. I have two batches of rugelach dough in the fridge, ready to roll out in the morning. I will make raspberry rugelach (June '08), my favourite variation of the cream cheese cookie.

I picked up two packages of smoked trout today. One will be made into smoked trout dip (Dec. '07) and I have a plan for the other one. On my sister's instructions, I'm going to make creme fraiche and serve it with potato rostii and the smoked trout. I can't wait! Tonight, I made a big pot of ribollita soup (Jan. '08) to have on hand for lunches or light dinners. I'm feeling pretty good right about now. Let's hope that I have done enough ahead to be able to enjoy these holidays to the fullest. I hope the same for you, too. Merry Christmas!

*The picture above is Oscar (on the left) and Soul (on the right) and me in the middle, at the Christmas tree farm last weekend.

Custard Eggnog

For custard-lovers everywhere, this is one of my favourite Christmas recipes. Normally, eggnog has lots of fat in it, but this version is much lighter. Imagine how impressed your family will be when you serve them homemade eggnog!

Custard Eggnog

1 1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
4 extra-large eggs + 2 egg whites
8 c. skim or 1% milk, hot
2 t. pure vanilla extract
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 c. dark rum (Alan swears by Mount Gay rum), optional

1. Whisk the sugar, flour and salt together in a large pot. Add eggs and egg whites; combine thoroughly. Gradually whisk in hot milk. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes or until the custard has thickened enough to coat a spoon. Remove from heat and strain into a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight.
2. Before serving, stir in the vanilla, nutmeg and rum, if using. Pour 2 cups of custard into a blender, add 2 cups of ice cubes and blend until frothy. Repeat with remaining custard. Serve immediately.

Tourtiere

Last week when I was speaking to my friend Janette, getting the scoop on all things pumpkin, I mentioned something about tourtiere. Janette said that she has a recipe that she has used for years. It was given to her by the wife of an executive from the Heinz Company, in Leamington, an "exceptional homemaker". I jotted down the recipe on the spot. (The picture above is of Gavin & Ellen helping me in the kitchen)

A few days later, my friend Carmen called and asked if I would be willing to help her master the art of pastry-making, for her Christmas Eve tourtieres. It was the perfect opportunity for me to get organized, so I made my filling early in the day and had it ready to go when Carmen arrived. We had a great time, rolling out the dough, and putting our tourtieres together. It didn't seem like work, and we actually got a lot done.

The two meat mixtures looked completely different, a point I thought was very interesting. After looking online at various recipes for the Christmas specialty, there are lots of versions. Some contain cinnamon and cloves. Some contain more potato than others and there are different combinations of pork and beef. This recipe doesn't contain the spices, but if you can't imagine your tourtiere without them, just add them at the beginning of the cooking process.

I baked one of my tourtieres last night and let me tell you - it was delicious! There are a few other points I should mention before you get started. The meat mixture will still be soupy after it has cooked for two hours, but it will thicken up after adding the potatoes (and will get even thicker after it has chilled). Bake the tourtieres until they are nice and dark - not burnt, but deeply coloured. When I thought the pie was done, I kept it in for another 10 or 15 minutes at least.

Tourtiere

2 lbs. ground pork
1 lb. ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 t. sea salt
1 t. freshly grocund pepper
1/2 c. Heinz Ketchup
2 T. Worstershire sauce
2 T. beef boullion concentrate (or 2 beef boullion cubes)
4 or 5 medium sized potatoes, peeled & cut into chunks
2 c. green peas
Favourite pie crust to line and top 4 regular sized pie plates (see Rhubarb Custard Pie, June '08 for a great pie crust recipe)
1 egg, beaten

1. Place the ground pork and beef in a large pot, mashing it down. Add water to the pot, just to cover the meat. Add salt, pepper, ketchup, Worstershire sauce, and beef boullion. Bring to a boil and then simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
2. In a separate pot, cover the potatoes with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Remove from the heat, drain, and mash the potatoes coarsely.
3. After the meat mixture has cooked for 2 hours, skim any excess fat off the top (but don't take it all out). Add the mashed potatoes and peas. Cool completely in the fridge, or outside if it's near freezing where you live.
4. Later that day or the next, roll out four pie crusts for four pie plates. Scoop the meat mixture into the pie shells and level off flat. Cover with a top crust and flute the edges. Cut a decorative piece of holly & berries out of some extra pastry dough and place in the middle of the of the crust. Poke some slits in the top crust (to allow steam to escape), and either bake within a day or wrap well and freeze until needed.
5. To bake, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Brush the pastry with the beaten egg. Place the pie in the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 375 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Your house will smell scrumptious.
*If you are baking a frozen pie, don't thaw it before baking, and just bake a little longer.

Fresh Pumpkin Puree

I have a new obsession - making my own pumpkin puree. I had tried doing my own pumpkin puree years ago, but I had less than admirable results and it made me think that pureeing my own pumpkin wasn't worth the effort. I hadn't thought anything more about until my friend Annie mentioned that she usually thinks less of pumpkin pies made with pumpkin from a can. Her mom apparently makes the best pumpkin pies with her own pumpkin puree. Her comment made me begin to wonder what I was missing out on, dedicated pumpkin lover that I am.

For my birthday in October, I received the ultimate in food processors - a Cuisinart. It was soon after this that I began buying little sugar pie pumpkins at the Clean Food in Mount Albert. The first two that I brought home were around the same size but one seemed heavier than the other. The picture above shows the difference in colour between the two pumpkins. The heavier pumpkin ended up being moister and much nicer to puree. The lighter pumpkin seemed to dry out more and was chewier. In the end, they both pureed well, but I now look for heavier pumpkins that I know will be juicier.

To bake your own sugar pumpkins, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the pumpkins in half and place seed-side up on a large baking sheet. Cover the pumpkin halves in tin foil and bake for at least an hour and a half. The pumpkin is ready to take out of the oven when a knife can easily be stuck into the flesh of the pumpkin and it goes right through. About half way through the cooking time, turn the pumpkins over so that they cook evenly. When the pumpkins have cooled enough to handle, clean the seeds out of the pumpkins and peel the skin off with a sharp paring knife. Cut the flesh into chunks and puree in the food processor until smooth. Each pumpkin makes around four cups of puree, give or take.

I called Annie's mom, Janette, to find out how she does her pumpkin puree. She said that she bakes her pumpkins whole in the oven, poking a metal skewer through the pumpkins in several places before baking. We talked about the fact there are sometimes pieces of the pumpkin that stay a little firmer than others. We agreed that turning the pumpkins during baking will minimize the firm bits. Janette freezes her pumpkin in 2 cup portions so that a pie is at her fingertips any time the occasion arises. She also mentioned that she prefers to freeze her pumpkin in chunks instead of freezing the puree. This keeps the pumpkin from getting too wet, therefore keeping the pie from being too wet. When thawing the pumpkin chunks, set the pumpkin in a colander and let the extra moisture drain from the pumpkin. After the pumpkin has thawed she throws it in her blender, along with the rest of the pie ingredients, and blends them together. Voila! A pumpkin pie in no time!

With Christmas coming up, there are lots of opportunities to use fresh pumpkin puree. I just made a pumpkin cheesecake and pumpkin custard, both made with fresh puree. I haven't tried making my pumpkin pie with it (yet), but it's on my to-do list. Check your local grocery store to see if they still have sugar pumpkins. You may be in luck. The best part about my conversation with Janette was convincing her to enter her pumpkin pie in the Harrow Fair next year. What a great way to finish a long, hot summer in Essex County!

Pork & Apple Stew

Lisa & Steve own Cooper's Goat & Veggie farm (their lane is pictured above), just down the road from us. Cooper's has started a "CSA" program. Community Supported Agriculture. People purchase annual shares in the farm's harvest and in return receive a weekly or monthly food basket. In the spring/summer/fall, they do vegetables and some fruit (their September strawberries are incredible), and in the winter, they do a meat share program. We have signed up for the meat share and our first pick up was two weeks ago.

After reading and hearing lots about the state of animal farms and animal welfare, it has begun to make me think before buying just any old meat. The same thing happened with eggs. I began to care where they came from and how the chickens are treated. However, it's a lot easier to know where your eggs are coming from than to figure out where your beef or pork is coming from. The person that brought the meat share to my attention was my friend Tamara. She is working with Steve & Lisa on the marketing end of things. I have asked Tamara if it's possible to visit the farms where the meat is coming from. I think it would be great to offer people a chance to visit the farms and meet the farmers.

I like the idea of the meat share program for several reasons.

*All of the beef is naturally raised, hormone & antibiotic-free, Angus grade, from Steve's Dad's farm.
*All of the pork raised by family friends who allow the pigs to roam freely and they are raised humanely.
*The turkeys are raised in Uxbridge (about 20 minutes from here). Each family receives one turkey with their meat share.
*All the vegetables are "storage crops" grown either by the Coopers or one of their neighbours.
*The meat share comes in either 1o or 2o pound amounts. We opted for the 10lb share. For the 10lb. share, the cost is $600 for 6 months.
*The majority of meat will be beef and pork, with other meats making appearances every now and then, depending on the season (chicken, lamb, goat).

The day of our first pick up was a family event. We were given bags that had certain cuts of meat in them. That information was recorded so that next time we won't be getting the same cuts. The share that we received was as follows - T-bone steak, sirloin tip roast, sausages, ground beef (very lean), pork butt chops, pork chops, pork steak, 2 dozen eggs, potatoes, purple carrots, 3 heads of garlic (hard to find local garlic in grocery stores these days), 2 butternut squash, and onions. The meat portion made up our 10lbs, and the veggies were over and above that.

So, the freezer is full. We are feeling pretty good about participating in a CSA. But what on earth do I do with pork butt chops? This meat share is turning into a fun challenge for me. So far, we have used up the ground beef, sausages, the roast, all the eggs, and all the veggies. That leaves a number of meat items to get through before our next pick up (Dec. 22nd, when we will receive our turkey). I guess I don't have to use everything up by then, but I also don't want a major backlog happening in my freezer. Today, I decided to cook the pork butt chops. They made a lovely stew.

Pork & Apple Stew

1 1/2-2 lbs. pork butt chops, trimmed of fat (as much as possible)
2 T. grainy mustard
2 T. olive oil
1 large yellow onion, sliced lengthwise
1/2 t. dried thyme
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 c. fresh apple cider
2 cups apples, cut into medium sized chunks

1. Cut the pork into bite-sized pieces. Rub the pieces with the grainy mustard and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat and add the pork, working in batches if the pan doesn't fit all of the meat in one layer. Brown meat until you don't see any pink left, remove from the pan, and set aside.
2. Add onions to the pan and cook until limp. Add thyme, salt, and pepper to the onions and stir. Add cider and deglaze the pan, scraping any brown bits off the bottom. Transfer the onion mixture and the pork to a slow-cooker. Add apple chunks and stir. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve with mashed potatoes and veggies.

Lentil Soup in Newfoundland

A weekend at my friend Elaine's in Newfoundland, is the equivalent of a hot bowl of soup or a warm scarf on a blustery day. This is why I made my way to central Newfoundland at the end of November, an unusual time of year for a getaway in the North Atlantic.

Pea soup fog prevented the airplane from landing in St. John's. Instead, we landed at the Deer Lake airport, about two and a half hours by car to Elaine & Dermot's house. The threat of having to fly back to Halifax helped me make up my mind. I walked down the steps and across the tarmac, leaving my luggage in the belly of the plane. I could either rent a car and keep it for the weekend or I could try to grab a ride with someone going my way. There were two friendly looking men walking purposefully away from the rental car area and I managed to get a ride with them. The ride seemed to fly by and before I knew it, we were pulling up in front of Elaine's house.

The house, a traditional Newfoundland saltbox, looked like a Christmas card. I'm sure the "fellas" that gave me a ride were wishing their journey was ending on Elaine's doorstep. Elaine welcomed me in, the champagne was opened and we sat down for baked pita triangles with a blue cheese dip. For dinner, we had pan-fried Newfoundland cod, baked fries, a tartar sauce that contained sun-dried tomatoes, and a chopped vegetable salad.

For Friday, Elaine had arranged that her good friend and business partner, Joanne, join us for baking Christmas cookies and preparing an Indian dinner together. When Joanne arrived, we started with lunch - a baked shrimp dish with lemon butter and rosemary, a loaf of scallion potato bread, and a bottle of Prosecco. For the cookies, Elaine made Cafe Au Lait Rugelach; Joanne made Chocolate Caramel Nut Bars with Weurther's candies; and I made Lemon Thumbprints with raspberry jam and orange marmalade (see picture above). Dermot and Joanne's husband, Craig, joined us for cocktails and then we sat down to a lovely dinner. This Curried Lentil soup was the starter, enhanced with the mango chutney butter. It was delicious! Then we had a chicken curry, basmati rice, a vegetable stew with lime, and a homemade mango chutney. The Christmas cookies made a fine dessert.

Saturday was spent looking through cookbooks (Elaine's collection is impressive) and thinking of other recipes that we could make. An Irish Whiskey fudge turned out beautifully. Our dinner that night - a tender roast chicken, baked for 3 hours in a 300 degree oven, served with mashed potatoes and pencil-thin asparagus. Let me assure you, everything we ate over the course of the weekend was delicious. But it's more than just great cooking - it is the thoughtfulness and care that Elaine puts into everything that she cooks. I believe it was Oprah that said, "Love is in the details." She was right. Thank you Elaine & Dermot.

Curried Lentil Soup

3 T. butter
1 large onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
2 T. fresh ginger, finely grated
1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely diced
2 bay leaves
1 heaping tablespoon curry powder
4 cans lentils
8-10 c. chicken stock
2 lemons
1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
Salt & Freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large stock pot. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, jalapeno pepper, and bay leaves. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the curry powder and cook 2 minutes more.
2. Add the lentils and 8 cups of chicken stock to the pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Halve the lemons, squeeze the juice, and add both the juice and the remaining lemon rinds to the soup. Continue to simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 40 minutes. If the soup seems to be too thick, thin with additional chicken stock.
3. Remove the bay leaves and lemon rinds from the soup. Season with salt and pepper. Puree half the soup in a food processor or blender, and return it to the pot, stirring to combine. Add the cilantro and keep the soup warm over low heat.

Chutney Butter

1/2 c. butter, at room temperature
1/2 c. mango chutney

1. In a food processor, blend the butter and chutney together until smooth. Ladle the hot soup into bowls and top with a generous dollop of chutney butter. Serve immediately.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies with Walnuts

Before the new Barefoot Contessa cookbook, "Back to Basics", had made it to my local Costco, I received news that it had touched down at the Costco in Richmond, BC. Emails and messages from various friends around the country started coming in. "Have you seen it yet?" and "Just wondering if you knew..."

My librarian called to say that I had the new book waiting for me to pick up, and my friend, Brenda, sent me the link to a great price at Amazon. I have indeed bought the book (at Costco) and I have gone over it several times already. Thank you to all of my friends who brought the new cookbook to my attention!

One recipe that caught my eye were the "Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies". Ina mentions that she was looking for years to find the perfect oatmeal cookie, and finally here it is. This interested me greatly because the oatmeal raisin cookie category at the Harrow Fair is quite tough. Could the Barefoot Contessa's cookies be that good that they might be a contender at the fair? I won't have the answer to that question for several months, but last night I whipped up a batch to satisfy my curiosity - and my sweet tooth.

My friend Donna was over for dinner and after enjoying a bowl of guacamole (Oct. '08), chicken stew with biscuits (Feb. '08), and a zippy salad of arugula with a lemony vinaigrette, we had the oatmeal cookies and a cuppa tea. Donna said that she normally doesn't like raisins in cookies but for some reason, she really liked these. They were a little crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, nice flavour (due to the cinnamon), great texture because of the raisins and the walnuts, and an all-round good cookie.

You might be wondering why the oatmeal raisin category is so tough. At the fair, the judges are looking for the standards. They want the best of the best, with no variations or frills. Dried cranberries or currants would be disqualified. If the cookies included walnuts or pecans, I'm sure they would be overlooked as well. If the cookies are slightly dark on the bottom or any other visual flaw, you are made aware of your cookie's short comings by a notation from the judges. So you see, a recipe like oatmeal raisin cookies, with it's countless variations, can be a tricky category to enter. With that said, the Barefoot Contessa rarely disappoints me, and I think these cookies could do really well next year. Try them for yourself and let me know what you think.

Raisin Walnut Oatmeal Cookies

1 1/2 c. walnuts
1/2 lb. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 c. dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
2 t. pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. kosher salt
3 c. old-fashioned oatmeal
1 1/2 c. raisins

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the walnuts on a sheet pan and bake for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool and then chop coarsely.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and the sugars together until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together into a small bowl. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Add the oats, raisins, and walnuts and mix until just combined.
4. Using a small ice-cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop 2-inch mounds of dough onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Flatten slightly with your hand. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer the cookies to a baking rack and cool completely.

Persimmon Pudding

Around this time of year, persimmons start to show up in grocery stores. Persimmons can be a bit puzzling if you have never tried them. If you eat them while they are still firm, you will be unpleasantly surprised to have a weird, fuzzy feel in your mouth. Persimmons must be ripe, to the point of mushy, before they are ready to be eaten. There are different varieties of persimmons, the two most popular available here are shown above. The squat, smaller ones are known as "fuyu" and the larger, heart-shaped persimmons are known as "hachiya".

I first started eating persimmons when I worked at Meinhardt Fine Foods in Vancouver. The produce manager gave me some insights into the persimmon. If you don't know what you should be looking for in a persimmon, you might pass over the soft, mushy ones. During persimmon season, I would head into the produce department after work and offer to buy the really soft ones. He was usually glad to get rid of the ones that were really soft and always gave me a deal. I would take the persimmons home, peel them, and eat them right away.

Eventually, I started looking for recipes that featured persimmons. They are perfect for baked desserts. This recipe reminds me of a Christmas pudding. Leave the raisins and/or nuts out of the batter, if you like. I served the pudding with vanilla ice cream, but I know it would be delicious with a creme anglaise (custard sauce). Even whip up a quick Bird's custard sauce (the powder that comes in a can with a bird on it). Jamie Oliver claims that Bird's custard sauce is his only vice, so it can't be all that bad!

Persimmon Pudding

2 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. kosher salt
1 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. ground ginger
3 eggs
1 1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted & cooled
1 T. pure vanilla
2 c. cream
2 c. persimmon puree (from approximately 4 large or 6 small very ripe persimmons)
1 c. raisins
1 c. chopped pecans or walnuts

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square or round baking dish.
2. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. Stir to mix thoroughly; set aside.
3. In a bowl of an electric mixer, combine the eggs and sugar. Beat until well blended. Stir in the melted butter and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and stir until moistened. Slowly stir in the cream and the persimmon puree. Mix in the raisins and the nuts. Pour into the prepared baking dish.
4. Place the baking dish in a larger baking pan. Place the pan in the oven and pour in enough hot water (not boiling) to reach about halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out almost clean, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm with custard sauce, caramel sauce, or vanilla ice cream.

A Japanese Lunch & The 100th Good Egg Blog Entry

It's hard to imagine that there have been one hundred entries on "The Good Egg Blog". I love looking back on past entries and seeing how the blog has changed and (hopefully) improved over the last year and a half. There are always new things to write about and recipes to visit and re-visit. It is my hope that you will continue to use The Good Egg Blog as a you would an old, favourite cookbook. As always, I love hearing from you and getting your suggestions on things you would like to see or ideas about how to make recipes better. I am looking forward to the next one hundred entries! Read on to learn about the sensational lunch that my sister prepared for me today.

This afternoon, Ellen & I went to Lori's house for a Japanese lunch. The menu was displayed on the chalkboard when we arrived (see above). Lori's inspiration for this special lunch was a book called "Harumi's Japanese Cooking". Apparently, Harumi Kurihara is the "Martha Stewart" of Japan. This is her first book to be published in North America. After just skimming the surface of this cookbook, there are lots of recipes that I would like to try - not too complicated, just delicious.


By the time Ellen & I arrived, Lori was well into the preparations for lunch. She had made dashi stock (a stock made from kombu and dried fish flakes) and had at least three dipping sauces for different dishes. The first thing we tried were the gyoza (Chinese-style dumplings). There is a big difference between fresh, flavourful gyoza, and the gyoza that you will sometimes come across at restaurants (frozen, not hand-made, tough). In the cookbook, she instructs not to seal the dumplings after they are filled. Lori & I questioned this method but she decided to do the first batch without sealing the edges of the dumpling wrappers (see picture above). The method for cooking the dumplings was to fry them in a little oil in a pan till crispy, then add hot water and cover for about 5 minutes to steam. When most of the water is gone from the pan, drizzle a little sesame oil over the gyoza and cook until they are crispy again. They were amazing, but the filling, which was a mixture of shrimp and pork, kept falling out of the dumpling wrappers. We did the next batch with sealed edges and they were excellent.

Most people who enjoy going to Canadian-Japanese restaurants will also know, and probably love, Agadashi Tofu. Lori hung the tofu to drain the water and then cut it into squares. The squares were then rolled in potato starch and deep-fried. Afterward, we decided that they squares should have been cooked a little longer to achieve a crispier skin on the tofu, but let me tell you, this was fantastic. My parents also happened to be at Lori's and even they enjoyed this dish (we weren't sure that they would enjoy the variety of food that was on the menu, but they did very well). The fried tofu was then put in the dashi stock, and garnished with finely shredded daikon radish, fresh ginger, green onions, and fish flakes. Oh my, oh my!


The edemame (soybeans) were just like you would imagine them at a restaurant. Lori steamed a bag of frozen edamame in a bamboo steamer. When they were done, she sprinkled fleur de sel over them. For those of you who haven't had edamame, you pick them up in your fingers, and by squeezing the pod with your teeth, the bean inside will pop out. You also get a touch of salt with each bean, making these a very addictive little appetizer or snack. For the meat, she marinated slices of fresh salmon in miso sauce for about 24 hours. At the same time, the chicken pieces were marinating in a terriyaki sauce. They were both baked in the oven. Harumi calls for marinating the salmon for up to three days.


A big challenge for Lori was getting the tempura to cook perfectly. You need to start with the right ingredients for the batter. The flour (she used Double XX flour which is used for pasta, I think) needs to be refrigerated. Everything needs to be very cold. The flour is then gently mixed with sparkling water, egg, and baking powder. The other key is having your oil at the correct temperature. The oil was not rolling, but it was lively. This is where a candy thermometer comes in handy, but Lori doesn't have one and I forgot to bring mine. She did thinly sliced sweet potato, eggplant, red onions (which I loved!), and prawns. All the tempura was crispy and the dipping sauce was perfect. Wow!

Last, but certainly not least, we had the salmon. Lori had ordered one pound of sushi-grade tuna for our meal. Apparently, we are at the tail-end of tuna season, and the fish shop wasn't able to get her any of the highly anticipated fish. Instead they gave her a free pound of sushi-grade salmon. We were disappointed (not about the free part!), but we really shouldn't have been. The
salmon was divine. Lori cooked up the sticky rice and Jake (remember Jake who stopped taking my calls on canning day?) carved the salmon into long pieces for maki rolls, and appropriate sizes for sushi (fish on little logs of rice) and sashimi (just the raw fish). The texture was amazing. "Sushi-grade" really means something. I don't think I would try making sushi from regular old salmon, especially not the farmed variety.

Our Japanese lunch was unforgettable. The only unfortunate part of this meal was the fact that Lori and Jake were both working on putting the food together while the rest of us were enjoying it. It would be a great meal to do around an island in your kitchen where people could sit, watch, and chat while you are cooking. Thank you Lori & Jake!

Leek & Potato Soup

This is Julia Child's leek & potato soup recipe. In her book "From Julia Child's Kitchen", Julia talks about this soup and says, "...it is leek and potato that I dream of."

When I made this soup today, I used about 5 or 6 inches from each of the three leeks that I had. The parts that I used were partially green, but only delicate green parts. Avoid the tough, hard green parts that make up most of the upper part of the leek. And make sure those leeks are really washed well. There is usually a lot of sand and dirt in between the layers of leeks, and you wouldn't want to ruin your soup by having sandy grit end up in your soup bowl.

The beauty of this recipe is the absolute simplicity. Leeks, potatoes, butter. Add cream and fresh herbs, if you like. My friend Kristine, a committed vegetarian, loves this soup. Cooking isn't really her thing, but this soup is one recipe that she has made several times. The flavour is irresistible.

Leek & Potato Soup

3 T. butter
3 c. sliced leeks (white part only), washed really well and drained
3 T. flour
6 c. hot water
1 T. kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 c. potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled, and diced
1/2 c. cream or sour cream
Fresh parsley and/or chives, minced

1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks, cover the pan, and cook slowly for 5 minutes without browning. Then blend in the flour and cook for two minutes.

2. Beat in a cup or so of the hot water. Blend thoroughly and then add the rest of the water. Stir in the salt & pepper, and the potatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer partially covered for about 40 minutes, until potatoes are very tender.

3. Either mash the soup with a potato masher (for a peasant-type soup), or blend in food processor or with a hand immersion blender.

4. Stir in the cream, warm gently, and taste carefully, adding more salt & pepper if necessary. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and chives, if desired.

Bartlett Pear Cake

On Tuesday afternoon, we had snow at our house. It wasn't just a few flurries. It snowed all afternoon and the flakes were big and wet, with an impressive amount sticking to the ground. There was still a small snowman in my neighbour's front yard yesterday (a piece of which Ellen decided to eat when she thought no one was looking...).

The snow was coming down, I turned on the Christmas music, and with a little help from the kids, I made two of these pear cakes. The house smelled amazing, as you can imagine. I made the cakes in 8-inch and 10-inch sized spring form pans because I couldn't find a 9-inch one. The 10-inch cake took about 40 minutes to bake and the 8-inch cake took at least 10 minutes more than the large cake. The cakes were very moist. I meant to give some of the cake away, but they were just so - eatable!

Alan arrived home that night to a house full of wonderful smells and sounds. At least that was what I thought. He had a strange, pained expression when he realized that we were listening to Perry Como's Christmas CD - in October.

Bartlett Pear Cake

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 t. baking powder
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
3/4 t. nutmeg
3/4 t. cinnamon
6 T. butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar
1 t. pure vanilla extract
1 egg
1 1/2 c. + 2 T. sour cream (I used whole milk yogurt)
1 c. grated Bartlett pear

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and line a 9-inch spring form pan with parchment paper. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
2. In bowl of mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar together until light. Add eggs and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add flour, alternating with the sour cream in three additions. Stir in grated pears.
Scrape batter into the prepared pan, sprinkle with coarse sugar, and bake for about 40 minutes or so, until done. Serve warm or at room temperature with your favourite ice cream.

Mom's Apple Crisp

This recipe isn't my mom's. It comes from my friend Shaila's mom, Mrs. W. She was like a second mother to me during those formative years ("thanks" doesn't really cut it for the countless rides to & from Harrow), and I always remember this particular dessert as one of her standards. This recipe is simple and delicious, especially topped with a scoop of your favourite vanilla ice cream. I wouldn't change a thing.

This afternoon, I visited the Applewood Farm Winery, near Stouffville, Ontario. They are part winery, part apple orchard, part pumpkin patch, etc., etc. (I love the Autumn Red wine). Their apples are "picked out" for this season. I asked if most orchards are done with their apples for this season and the man behind the counter said that most orchards in this area probably are. He said it wasn't the best year for apples.

Over the last week, I have had a bit of panic over the fact that I have missed the boat on so many fruits & veg that are now finished for the season. Yesterday, I found a farm stand nearby that still had sweetcorn; old but still fine. I bought 52 ears - shucking, blanching, and freezing my little heart out (for instructions on freezing corn see July '08). Still, I'm kicking myself over so many missed opportunities. Why didn't I buy another 5 0r 10 pounds of blueberries when we were down in Harrow? Why didn't I make more pesto when I had the chance? Doesn't it seem just a little cruel that when the fruit & veg are at their peak, it is also the nicest time of the year to be outside, enjoying the most beautiful weather, before the snow flies? I'll stop complaining right now. We are truly to blessed to have such amazing produce on our doorsteps, even if it is for a short time.


Mom's Apple Crisp

1 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. flour
3/4 c. oatmeal
1/2 t. each of ground cloves & cinnamon
1/2 c. melted butter
Approximately 8 apples, peeled & sliced

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix brown sugar, flour, oatmeal, cloves, and cinnamon together. Add melted butter and mix thoroughly.
2. Place apple slices in bottom of 9x13 baking dish and spread crumble mixture on top. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. For a larger quantity, lower temperature to 375 degrees and bake a little longer.

Savoury Cranberry Sauce

Five years ago, I planned a Thanksgiving dinner to beat all others. It was held at my father-in-laws and included my family and Alan's. As part of my grand plan, I made this sauce. We were all sitting down to dinner and one of my sister-in-laws says, "Where's the canned cranberry sauce?" I had overlooked the fact that some people would still like to have the canned variety. At the time, I was ready to wring someone's neck. I've mellowed slightly now, though...

I'm afraid that this recipe will be too late for this weekend, but if you aren't already overdoing it with your menu for Thanksgiving, it makes a lovely addition to the usual, sweet sauce on the table. If you can't find any fresh pearl white onions, you could use shallots cut in half. Happy Thanksgiving!

*Comments from Thanksgiving dinner - "I prefer the sweet cranberry sauce."; "It's good but it would be better if it was warmer." There were other comments but I can't remember them all. In a nutshell, almost everyone preferred the sweet version of cranberry sauce. I am standing firm. I believe there is a place for this cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving tables, just don't forget to make the sweet one, too!

Savoury Cranberry Sauce

1/2 lb. white pearl onions
1/3 c. golden raisins
1/3 c. dark raisins
1 1/2 c. boiling water
4 T. butter
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. balsamic vinegar
1 c. dry red wine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 t. dried thyme
1/4 t. salt
12 oz. fresh cranberries

1. Trim the onions, leaving the skins on. Drop the onions into a pot of boiling water and cook 30 seconds. Drain and slip the skins off the onions as soon as they are cool enough to handle.
2. Place both the raisins in a bowl and cover with the boiling water. Let stand for 10 minutes.
3. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat and stir in the onions. Add the sugar and 1 T. of the vinegar. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved and beginning to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining vinegar and the wine, bring to a boil, and continue to boil for 2 minutes. Add the raisins with the soaking liquid, the garlic, and thyme, about 45 minutes.
4. Add the cranberries to the pan. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries are cooked and the sauce has thickened, 20 to 25 minutes. Let the sauce cool and serve at room temperature. Store any leftover sauce in the fridge but be sure to bring it back to room temperature before serving.

Beef or Chicken Fajitas with Fresh Guacamole

A request for a dish to serve with the Black Bean Salad (Nov. '07), prompted me to make these fajitas for dinner tonight. They were easy, quick, and turned out really well. I skimped on the chili powder thinking that it might be too much for the kids but I think it could have used the whole amount. The kids made a fuss because they didn't want to eat the beef. I may have had better luck serving them the chicken.

Guacamole is one of those things that people either love or hate. I don't really like eating just any one's guacamole - it's got to be from a reputable source. And supermarket guacamole - forget it! Some people put garlic in their guacamole. You could add a clove of minced garlic, if you like. If you are making your guacamole ahead of time, put an avocado pit into the dip. This apparently keeps the dip from browning (the lime juice also helps). I love to serve guacamole with crumbled feta cheese on top. I think Macedonian feta is perfect for this - creamy, not too salty.

Beef or Chicken Fajitas
1 1/3 lbs. beef tenderloin or sirloin (or boneless, skinless chicken breast)
3 peppers (yellow, orange, or red)
1 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. chili powder
1/2 t. paprika (smoked paprika is great in this recipe)
1 t. sea salt or kosher salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
3 T. olive oil
6-8 tortillas
Sour cream
Old cheddar cheese
Chopped lettuce
Fresh Guacamole

1. Slice the beef or chicken into long thin strips and place in a bowl. Halve, core, and seed the peppers. Slice into long thin strips.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Add half the spice mixture to the meat and mix well. Add the other half to the peppers and toss to coat. Set aside to marinate.
3. Heat a large cast iron skillet (or any large pan) and add the olive oil. When it's very hot, add the peppers and saute until they are slightly soft; add the beef strips. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring and tossing frequently until the beef is just cooked. Remove from the pan and keep warm.
4. Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet for about 10 seconds per side. Put some beef and peppers along the centre of the tortilla and add the fixings that you like. Roll up and serve immediately.

Serves 4, or less if they are really hungry.

Guacamole

2 ripe avocados
2 small limes
1/2 c. chopped tomatoes
2 green onions, sliced thin
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
Kosher or sea salt & freshly ground pepper

1. Mash the avocados with the lime juice. Add the tomatoes, onions, cilantro, salt & pepper. Mix well and taste for seasoning. When in doubt, add a little more salt.

Beef & Lentil Tacos

"Old El Paso" taco shells & seasoning packs are usually what I turn to for a Mexican dinner around here. When I really think about it though, who knows what's in that little magic seasoning pack? Lots of stuff that I probably wouldn't want to sprinkle into a dish I'm making! Ignorance really is bliss, but these beef tacos are so easy, it isn't hard to make them instead.

A couple years ago, I found this recipe in a cookbook I had taken out of the library called, "The Ultimate Slow Cooker Cookbook". Unfortunately, I made this once and then returned the book, not remembering to write down the recipe or even to remember the name of the book. I can't tell you how many times I have tried to find this recipe, realizing what a great dish it was to have for quick weeknight dinners. I finally found it on a quick run into the library, without the kids. It was amazing how many great books I found in the cookbook section, when I had the chance to concentrate on something other than keeping the kids quiet in that unnaturally silent area known as "non-fiction"!

One of the things I love about this dish is the fact that it contains lentils. Come to think of it, when I made it the first time, Gavin kicked up a fuss because I had used what were probably brown lentils and they hadn't lost their shape enough to satisfy his young preferences. This time I used red lentils (which have their skins removed), and they broke down enough that even if you were trying, you wouldn't be able to figure out what the secret ingredient was. The other great thing about this recipe is the use of the crock-pot. I absolutely love the fact that you can put together a meal first thing in the morning, turn it on, and by the time dinner rolls around you can relax a little because the hard part is finished. It makes me think that I need to pull out my crock-pot a lot more as the weather starts to turn cold.

Beef & Lentil Tacos

1 lb. extra lean ground beef, chicken or turkey
2 medium onions, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 carrots, shredded
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/3 c. crushed tomatoes
1 1/3 c. dry lentils
1 c. water
1 T. chili powder
1 T. ground cumin
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, minced (optional)

To Serve:
Soft tortilla shells or Que Pasa tortilla chips to make nachos
Grated old cheddar cheese
Chopped lettuce
Fresh tomatoes, diced
Sour cream
Avocado, sliced

1. Brown the beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Transfer beef to a medium/large crock-pot. Add onions and pepper to the skillet and cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the onion mixture to the crock-pot.
2. Stir in the carrots, garlic, tomatoes, lentils, water, chili powder, cumin, salt & pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Make into tacos, nachos, or even serve over brown basmati rice (I love the popcorn smell of brown basmati).

*After the four of us had dinner, I ended up with two litres of taco mixture to freeze for another couple dinners.

Greek Custard Squares

I have wanted to make this recipe for years. The proper name is galatoboureko. I found the recipe in the "Cold Weather Cooking" cookbook by Sarah Leah Chase. In her introduction to this recipe, she calls galatoboureko "a custard cousin to the better known baklava". Who could resist that?!

The recipe calls for a 17x11 inch baking sheet. I got out my ruler to check that I had the proper sized pan. I bought this baking sheet at a restaurant supply store and it is about an inch deep. This must have been the type of pan she used in her recipe because the filling fit in the pan exactly and the phyllo was just the right size. If you don't have this size of pan, I would recommend trying two smaller sized pans - maybe an 11x13 dish with a smaller pan for the rest? Just cut the phyllo dough to fit the pans. Then again, maybe it's worth your while to go and get a 17x11 baking sheet. I just wanted to make you aware of the issue before you get started.

I don't know if you have worked with phyllo dough before, but it is really very simple to use. One of the most important parts is keeping the dough covered with a damp towel. I have lazily tried to skip this many times and the dough starts to dry out immediately, leaving me with cracking and crumbling sheets of phyllo. When I made this recipe, I forgot to make slits in the phyllo before I baked it. This may have been why the phyllo shrank up a little (as you can see in the picture) or maybe it would have done that regardless. The slits in the top are also important for when you spread the sugar syrup on top. My sugar syrup stayed on top of the phyllo, more or less, but it should have soaked down into the dessert, flavouring the custard with the subtleness of lemon and orange.

I would recommend making galatoboureko when you have a crowd to serve. I made them on Sunday, just before Alan was going out of town for the week. Me, an empty house after the kids are in bed, and a huge pan of custard squares staring at me from inside the fridge. Not a good combination. I ended up giving lots of it away before things really got out of hand. I can't wait to make them again, though!

Greek Custard Squares (Galatoboureko)
Sugar Syrup
2 c. sugar
1 c. water
3 T. fresh lemon juice
1 slice orange

Custard
2 litres milk
1 c. sugar
1 cup farina or Cream of Wheat
1/2 c. unsalted butter
Pinch of kosher salt
12 large eggs
2 t. vanilla extract

Phyllo Pastry
1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted
1 lb. phyllo dough, thawed

1. Prepare the syrup: Place all the ingredients in a heavy saucepan and boil 10 minutes, skimming off any froth that rises to the surface. Remove and discard the orange slice. Set aside to cool.
2. Prepare the custard: Scald the milk with the sugar in a deep saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon. Gradually stir in the Cream of Wheat. Add the butter and salt. Continue cooking and stirring until the butter has melted and mixture is thick and smooth. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature.
3. Beat the eggs and vanilla together in a large bowl until light, about 2 minutes. Stir in the cooled Cream of Wheat mixture and blend thoroughly.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
5. To assemble, brush a 17x11 inch baking pan with a thin coating of the melted butter. Unwrap the phyllo dough, lay it out flat on a clean surface, and cover it with a slightly damp tea towel to keep it from drying out. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough on bottom of the pan and brush it with a coating of melted butter. Continue laying and buttering the dough in the same manner for 8 sheets.
6. Pour in all the custard and spread it evenly. Cover the custard with 8 more layers of buttered phyllo dough. Puncture the top sheets with a sharp knife in several places to allow the custard to breathe during baking.
7. Bake until the custard is set and pastry shakes loose from the pan, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
8. Let cool 30 minutes, then pour the sugar syrup over the pastry. Let cool completely. Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature, cut into small diamonds with a sharp knife. Makes about 48 diamonds.

* These really taste much better if they are at room temperature, as opposed to still hot out of the oven!

Homemade Pizza

If you read through the recipes for the pizza sauce, the dough, and then baking off the pizzas, you may start to feel daunted by what seems like a lot of work. Don't let the length of the recipes throw you off. Make the pizza sauce well ahead of time and have it in the fridge or freezer, ready to go any day. For the dough, you only need a couple of hours before dinner to have it ready. If you want to eat at 6, start making it around 4, or earlier if you are more organized than myself!

When it comes to the toppings, the sky's the limit. I let the kids top their own mini pizzas on Friday. Fresh mushrooms, onion, green olives, black forest ham, baby spinach, mozzarella cheese. For the pizza cheese, I love the balls of mozzarella (usually made by Tre Stelle or some brand like that) that I have to grate myself. I find that pre-shredded mozzarella has a weird way of melting. When you grate the mozzarella just before using it, it is absolutely oozing over the pizza when it comes out of the oven.

About the pizza stone; I bought one not too long ago, after borrowing one from my neighbour to make homemade pita bread. It worked like a dream and I decided I must have one, too. When I was finishing the kid's pizzas the other night, all of a sudden there was smoke coming from the oven and the fire alarm started going off. The bottoms of their pizzas were burnt black. I can't really understand why it happened, but if you are going to use a pizza stone, put the pizza on it for a minute and then check it. Another minute, then check it. Don't assume that if I say leave it on for two minutes, it won't burn. The cookbook that I was following said to leave it on for 4 minutes, and if I would have done that, I would still be airing out the house this morning.

The dough and baking directions for the pizza come from a cookbook that I haven't seen around much. "The Cheese Board Collective Works" by the Cheese Board Collective, a group of people running a bakery in Berkeley, California. I have made many pizza doughs over the years and I found this one to be what I was looking for. It could have something to do with baking the pizza at a high temperature, but the pizza ends up with a really nice chewy crust. The pizza sauce came from my friend Elaine. She emailed the recipe to me in 2004 and I happened to keep a hard-copy of it in my recipe file. I spoke to Elaine last week and told her that I was making the pizza sauce and she asked me to send her the recipe back so that she could make it! (she actually had it in one of her cookbooks, "The Best of Better Baking" by Marcy Goldman & Yvan Huneault)

I am officially starting "Pizza Fridays" at our house from now on. If you have any favourite pizza topping combinations, let me know.

Homemade Pizza Sauce

4 oil packed sun-dried tomato halves
1-28 oz. can plum tomatoes or an equal amount of fresh tomatoes
1-12 oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 t. dried oregano
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
1 large onion, chopped
3/4 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. sugar
1/4 t. fresh ground black pepper
2 T. fresh basil, minced
2 T. fresh flat leaf parsley

1. In a small bowl, cover the sun-dried tomatoes with boiling water. Let stand for 5 minutes and drain. In a food processor combine the roasted red bell peppers and the sun-dried tomatoes and process until smooth.
2. In a large pot, saute the onion and garlic until soft and fragrant. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and roasted red pepper mixture and all other ingredients. Cook until thick and saucy. Using an immersion hand blender or a food processor, blend the sauce until it is thick and fairly smooth (see picture above). Adjust seasonings to your taste.
3. Let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate for up to two weeks or freeze in 1 c. portions. Or if you're in a canning mood, use 1 c. jelly jars and process as you would for canned tomatoes.

Yeasty Pizza Dough

1 T. active dry yeast
1 1/2 c. warm water (around 110 degrees)
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 t. kosher salt
3 1/2 to 4 c. flour (the recipe calls for bread flour but I used all-purpose)

1. In the bowl of your KitchenAid mixer (or a large bowl if you are going to mix by hand), whisk the yeast into the warm water until dissolved. Let stand for 5 minutes.
2. Add the olive oil, salt and 2 cups of flour to the bowl. Using the paddle attachment on low speed, mix for 5 minutes to form a wet dough. Switch to the dough hook, add 1 1/2 more cups of flour, and mix on medium speed for 5 minutes. Add the remaining 1/2 cup flour by the tablespoon, as needed to form a soft dough with a nice sheen; it should be a bit sticky but not too wet. (I didn't have to use any of the last 1/2 cup of flour)
3. Form the dough into a ball and place it in a large oiled bowl. Turn the dough over to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size. Or put the dough in the fridge and let it rise overnight; the next day, let it stand at room temperature for 2 hours before proceeding with the recipe.

Baking Your Pizzas

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. If you have a bread stone, place it in the bottom of the oven. Place one of the oven racks near the top of the oven, and the other rack in the middle. Prepare three baking sheets with parchment paper. Sprinkle each piece of parchment paper with cornmeal.
2. When the dough is ready, divide into three pieces. Form each piece of dough into a round circle of about 10 inches. Proceed with adding your pizza sauce and your favourite toppings.
3. Place one pizza on the middle rack of the oven for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, put the first pizza on the top rack and add the second. Bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, slide the first pizza onto the baking stone for about 2 minutes (I left mine for 3 or 4 minutes and it was burnt on the bottom. Watch them very carefully!), and at the same time, add the third pizza to the middle rack. After the 2 minutes that the first pizza is on the stone, continue cooking the second and third pizzas in the same manner.
4. Cool pizzas for about 5 minutes once they are out of the oven. They taste so much better if they aren't piping hot and burning the top of your mouth!

The Art of Canning

As long as I can remember, my Mom has canned tomatoes at the end of every summer. This summer she informed us that she wasn't going to do too much canning this year, and that if we wanted our own stash for the winter, we would have to do the canning ourselves. A bit harsh to cut the apron strings like that, but there you go!

Essex County, just south of Detroit, Michigan, is full to the brim with produce this time of year and the perfect spot to buy tomatoes (Leamington is the tomato capital of Canada). I ended up with 2 bushels of Roma tomatoes for $8 each. My Mom loaded up my car with extra jars and lids she happened to have stashed away (barely made a dent, believe me!), and I felt a surge of confidence that, yes, I too could "put up" summer's bounty and enjoy it throughout the year. What a great feeling.

Upon arrival home, the tomatoes were left in boxes in the garage until I was ready to start. By Friday, I was beginning to wonder if there would ever be a perfect day for canning, so I informed Alan that Saturday was for tomatoes, and that was that. I had several conversations with my Mom and my sister about methods, getting started, etc. Saturday morning 7:15am - Mom calls. "How are the tomatoes going?" I just laughed and told her I would get to it soon. She warned me that it would take all day and that I better get moving.

I think it was around 10:30am when I started bringing the jars and the tomatoes into the kitchen. My sister recommended that I put all the jars and in the dishwasher and run it, therefore saving myself the time of washing each jar by hand. I had just started the dishwasher. Scrap that idea, I would wash them the old-fashioned way. Note to self: put them in the dishwasher next time. My hands were red and raw before I even began any of the important stuff! Next step was washing the tomatoes. It was at this point I realized that my kitchen could not possibly hold all of the tomatoes at one time. This was really turning into a production. Next coring and then scoring the opposite end so that the skins would come off easily after their blanching in boiling water. It was around this time that Alan asked if I would be able to cut the grass while he and the kids were out running errands. Oh Alan...


A phone call to Lori revealed that the big pasta pot I had borrowed from my neighbour was not going to cut it. I was going to cold-pack the tomatoes in their jars and then process the full jars in vigorously boiling water for 15 minutes. Turns out, canning pots have a wire rack thing inside of them which keeps the jars from having direct contact with the bottom of the pot most of the time. It was Lori's prediction that if I used this ordinary pot, the heat would break the jars. I tore my apron off and ran out the door, finding exactly what I needed at our local Home Hardware. I also picked up a 5-piece canning utensil set (I wonder how I would have gotten the jars out of the boiling water safely if I hadn't bought the utensil set??).

Back in the kitchen, things were humming along. I started blanching the tomatoes, shocking them in cold water, and peeling the skins off. I had decided that I would dice my tomatoes as opposed to leaving them whole. Lori used a European Tomato Press that makes a lovely sauce, just like in the old country, I bet. I bought it for my Mom several years ago and it had never been out of the box. Right after my Mom cut us loose, Lori declared that she would like to take the press home and use it for her tomatoes. I really think it should have been my call, since I bought it in the first place, but Lori insisted.

My first batch was in but I had put 4 large jars in the pot and they still weren't covered with water. Maybe they weren't supposed to be? I called Lori again. She told me they had to be covered with boiling water and that it would probably be very close to the top of the pot. She wasn't kidding. It was around this point that I called Lori's house for something else. Her husband Jake answered and he said Lori was feeding Hugh, could he help with something? "Oh, not really... Are you sure she doesn't have a free hand?" Jake's comment was something about us sisters being like magnets; you could try to keep us apart but it was very difficult! After that phone call, I noticed that every time I tried to call their house, the message centre would pick up on the first ring. I think Jake did something to the phone to stop the insanity! I should have known he was reaching his limit when he answered the phone, "Bernardin Hotline. How may I help you?"

The second batch went in and after a while I lifted the lid to see how the boil was coming along. There were tomatoes floating in the water. I had a hard time comprehending this development as the tops of the jars looked perfectly fine. I lifted the jars out of the water and found that two large jars had the bottoms broken right off. Not a good sign. What had I done wrong? It was fruitless calling Lori's house, so I called my Mom. She was in the middle of a Scrabble game with my Dad and our neighbour, Auntie Carol, a super-canner herself. I explained what had happened and my Mom said very matter-of-factly, "It's probably because those jars are old." Well, thanks for giving me your old jars, Mom! "Here, talk to Auntie Carol." she says. I explained what was happening and Auntie Carol tells me, "That's why I don't cold-pack my tomatoes anymore. You lose too many in the process." In the background I hear, "Yeah, me too." from my Mom. Turns out, Mom and Auntie Carol cook their tomatoes first and then fill very hot, sterilized jars. Seems much easier than all this rolling boil stuff, but I had gone with the method that Lori had recommended and she was no longer available for comment!

I continued on, using more of the smaller jars. As I worked, I would hear the occasional "pop" sound come from the jars. That popping sound is like music to a canner's ears. Each time, I would raise my eyes heavenward and smile. Now, time was flying and it was getting to be dinner-time. I hoped no one would notice that it was past 7 o'clock and we hadn't eaten yet. Finally, Alan & the kids pulled rank. I was barely finished, and certainly not cleaned up, and they were waiting in the car. We headed over to our local pub for a well-deserved beer and dinner.


It is now Sunday morning and the dishes are still not washed. I have a large bowl of tomatoes I need to turn into something today - maybe pizza sauce. I am happy with the results of my first try at canning. I'm pretty sure that all of the jars sealed and now I just need to find a place to store these little works of art. I have learned why my Mom loves canning, and I now understand that when she gives someone a jar or two of her canning (be it jam, tomato sauce, relish, etc.), it is her way of saying that she cares about you. With that said, don't be offended if I don't push a jar of tomatoes into your hand the next time we meet - I'm feeling more than a little attached to my tomatoes at the moment!


*What I put into each jar along with the tomatoes: 1/4 t. cider vinegar, 1/2-1 t. kosher salt, 1-3 basil leaves. For more detailed instructions, contact me directly!

A Few Extra Tidbits...

The Harrow Fair 2008 blog entry seems to have left people with questions that I didn't think to answer before.

There were a few entries that I forgot to mention last time. Lori (who brought it to my attention!) won a third for her Johnny Cake (cornbread). I have also had a request to show the prize-winning photos. The 2nd place Winter Shenanigans is above, and the Honourable Mention Transportation photo is below (did I mention that Alan took both the photos?).


For Lori's Bacon Three Ways entry, she used baked beans with bacon, a delicious potato salad with double smoked bacon, and cornbread with double smoked bacon. She served a ramekin of each on a plate. If she were doing it again, she would label each ramekin with the proper names. The three bacon dishes weren't actually tasted by the judges, they were judged on appearance and probably thoughtfulness. This category was a special one to go along with the theme "Hog Wild", and I doubt it will be in again next year.

Speaking of themes, next year's Harrow Fair will have the theme "Flower Power". I bet they will have some new categories for food with flowers in it. Earlier this summer on a trip down to my sister's, I tried a rose petal angel food cake, made by the wife of the chef of "On the Twenty" (the restaurant attached to the Cave Springs Winery, and also where we had our wedding reception). She had said that her roses were going crazy this year and she was trying to find different things to do with them. The flavour in that angel food cake was subtle but automatically you knew it was roses. And the pink flecks throughout the cake were beautiful. That would be an excellent entry for next year!

This weekend is the Lincoln County Fair down in Beamsville (Niagara). Lori decided she would enter a few things, one of them being the angel food cake category, which had a top prize of $85. Tuesday afternoon, Lori & my gorgeous nephew Hugh arrived, partially to babysit my kids while I was out teaching a knitting class, and partially for me to help with the baking for the Beamsville Fair.

We decided that she should enter the deviled egg category, along with an apple pie, a pumpkin pie, sticky buns, and the angel food cake. There are some things about eggs that I have learned in the last little while. Really fresh eggs don't peel nicely. For deviled eggs, the eggs should be at least a couple weeks old, if not more. Since I get my eggs right from the source, I rarely have eggs that are suitable. However, I used what I thought were the oldest eggs in the fridge and I did end up with a few perfectly peeled eggs. I followed Bonnie Stern's recipe for "Old-fashioned Deviled Eggs" and they would have been really good if I hadn't added the 1 teaspoon of salt that it called for in the recipe. They were way too salty and then we had to try and doctor them up, even boiling more eggs so that we could add more yolks. Lori said she didn't care for the fresh tarragon that I added either. Maybe next time I would just add fresh chives.

On Tuesday night, I looked through a bunch of my cookbooks for a suitable recipe for angel food cake. Lori suggested we use the Canadian Living recipe, which sounded good as they often have all the standards. That first cake was overdone, unfortunately, and we agreed that I should try again. For the second one, I used Bonnie Stern's recipe from her "Essentials of Home Cooking" cookbook. It was better, but neither of them had the really light texture (that you can probably get with a box of angel food cake mix). Turns out, some recipes call for superfine sugar, and the 1st prize winner's recipe showed that she used superfine sugar. I should have run the regular white sugar through the food processor and I probably would have had a lighter cake.

After making both the apple and pumpkin pies in my own pie plates, Lori read the rule book and said that they needed to be in disposable aluminum pie plates. Thanks for reading the directions ahead of time, Lori... However, a variety of my friends and neighbours didn't mind in the least! I quickly whipped up some more pie dough and Lori went home and baked another apple pie.

For the sticky buns, I assured Lori that I still had a log of the frozen buns that took 1st place in Harrow. When she actually forced me to check the freezer, I realized I had left them in the freezer at my parent's house. Luckily, I had a small dish of three apple cinnamon twists that hadn't fit in the other pans. I pulled the buns out of the freezer and in the morning they were ready to bake off. Lori called yesterday to let me know that the apple cinnamon twists took 1st place in the sticky bun category! If you haven't made these yet, check them out on the blog (April '08). They are really very easy and they are a great way to "make friends and influence others"!

This might be it till next year on the country fair front. I hope that you have maybe been inspired to enter a local fair or at least attend and check out all the wonderful things they have to offer. We will be making our annual visit to the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto, coming up this fall. I wonder if they have baking contests? Hmmmm...

Harrow Fair 2008

What a week we had down in Harrow! The kids and I arrived in Harrow on Sunday. All of our fair entries had to be submitted anywhere from 9am to 9pm on Wednesday. Thursday morning the judging began and by Thursday afternoon, we were able to check out the results. At 6pm on Thursday, the pie auction was held on the main stage. Read on for more details!

1st place - Orange Pound Cake (entered under Any Other Variety (AOV) quick bread)
No dice - Pumpkin bread

This category gave me some troubles. I figured I would make the loaves ahead of time and freeze them. At first I was going to use a banana, coconut, and maraschino cherry recipe from a cookbook that my friend Elaine worked on in NFLD. I have made it many times before and it is really good (yes, I do know about that red dye they use in the cherries but for this loaf, I make an exception). Not so good the day I made it for the fair, though. Too dark on the outside, sunken in the centre. By Tuesday, I decided that I wouldn't risk losing more time. I decided to make the Orange Pound Cake from the "Barefoot Contessa's Family Style Cookbook" which I hadn't made before but trusted Ina not to lead me wrong. For the pumpkin bread I used Anna Olson's Sugar cookbook, I recipe I have made several times. Unfortunately, I forgot that it makes enough for two regular loaves or one big one (the recipe says it makes one loaf). I put all of the batter into a regular loaf pan and it wasn't too long before I could smell something burning. The pumpkin bread was oozing over the sides of the pan and most definitely was not fair-worthy. The next batch was fine, but not good enough for a ribbon. This might be a good time to mention that the smoke alarm only went off twice while we were there!

There were a few items that we could do ahead of time, but the majority of items were better fresh. On Tuesday morning my Dad decided that he would make his items. Barbecue sauce for pork and oatmeal raisin cookies - both in the "Men's Only" section. I won't give you all the details of that horse & pony show, but let me share a couple highlights. At one point, Dad asks me where the brown sugar is. I didn't know and he quickly tried to give up the hunt. "Can I substitute corn syrup for brown sugar?" he asked. Um, NO! A quick phone call to my Mom and he was back in business. The first batch comes out of the oven. They are very thin and have all run together, as you can see from the picture above. I wasn't paying too much attention as I was already starting to work on my own recipes. The next batch, same thing. He calls Auntie Carol from next door. She soon walks through the door and says, "Did you forget the flour?" My Dad used the Neiman Marcus cookie recipe that you can find on the internet. Of course, he added his own touches and in the end he had some really good cookies.


1st place - Chocolate Layer Cake (iced)
1st place - Best Chocolate Dessert

I was thrilled with these results! The recipe I used for the cake can be found here on the blog (Sept. '07) and in the "Barefoot Contessa At Home" cookbook. It was getting pretty late on Tuesday night when I started making the cake. Luckily, I licked the spatula just before putting the cakes into the oven. I hadn't put any sugar into the batter. I quickly added the required amount of sugar, swirling it around gently, and popped them in the oven. When I took them out of the oven, I wasn't quite sure that they were finished. They seemed a little too underdone. This actually worked out because, in the end, the cakes were seriously moist.

I wonder if you might remember when I blogged about the Fair last year (Sept. '07)? My Uncle John, from Vancouver, was very vocal about the fact that his better half, Toni, made a pumpkin pie that would beat mine any day. I kept telling him to put his money where his mouth was and enter the Fair, putting the issue to rest with concrete results. Well, Uncle John just happened to be in town for a few weeks and was able to enter! Not only did he enter the pumpkin pie, he also made a Key Lime pie. Both pies had to go into the AOV category. I don't know if it's really fair to be judging banana cream pies against pumpkin and key lime or not (it certainly wouldn't be easy). Uncle John ended up with an Honourable Mention for both of his pies, which is pretty incredible considering that these were the first pies he had ever made! My Dad said that he didn't even have a beer after their golf game because he needed to go home and bake the pies. Now that is dedicated! Uncle John mentioned that he had a secret ingredient for his pumpkin pie. Toni had instructed him to cut out the words "Hog Wild" (the theme for this year's Fair) and also a little piggy. We've now realized that the judges love to see references to the theme, and Uncle John could very well have beat me in this category (if his pie would have been better, ha!). But seriously, I was really impressed by the fact that he entered the pies and they were recognized by the judges. Did I mention that he also entered the "Rooster Crowing Contest"? He does a darn good crow, but he didn't fluff up his pretend feathers and flap his wings (like the winner did)!


Peach Pie (entered in Peach Pie category) - Better luck next time.
Peach Pie (entered in the Pie Auction category, vying for the Best in Show) - Same.
3rd place - Pumpkin Pie (entered in the AOV category)

The Pie Auction at the Harrow fair is a lot of fun, especially if you have a pie that is being auctioned off. I had one peach pie go for $85 and another for $45. There were just under 120 pies to be auctioned off for charity and they raised over $11,000. The biggest winner of the fair had a pie auctioned off at $2400! I'd love to pick her brain!

I thought all of our pies turned out pretty well. I don't think any of our pies (of which Lori & I entered 5 pies plus 3 extra pie shells for judging) received any notes from the judges for anything gone wrong. By the time Wednesday afternoon rolled around and we were trying to finish up, I didn't have a clue whose pie dough I was even using. It was a real marathon (my cupcake knee has been acting up ever since!)


1st place - Sticky Buns (used the recipe for Pecan Sticky Buns from "Baking with Julia") picture above
3rd place - Sticky Buns (used the Apple Cinnamon Twist recipe from the blog - April '08)

The two recipes of sticky buns were made ahead of time. The Pecan Sticky Buns take some work but the results are out of this world. You start out by making a brioche dough, a very rich, buttery bread dough. Add more butter, sugar, cinnamon, and pecans and voila! They are rolled and sliced, creating the perfect looking bun. These buns also won "Best Sticky Bun in Show" and I received a Mazola & Beehive apron and some other promotional materials from those companies. Just for the record, neither of the buns contained any Mazola or Beehive honey, which might mean that I wasn't eligible for that apron, but I'm going to assume that the judges know what they are doing!
The Apple Cinnamon Twists were my old standby in the sticky bun department. They were delicious and I was able to deliver a hot plate of the buns to Al as well (who has always loved them) three doors down (to read about Al and the buns, see the blog - May '08)


The cookies that we entered this year didn't do so well. I made Gingersnaps from the "Great Cookies" cookbook by Carole Walter. I should have realized that they weren't an exact gingersnap by the introduction in the book that said they were a little unusual. These cookies didn't have any molasses in them and the traditional gingersnap does. The judges let me know by writing a note on my entry tag. "Gingersnaps are a thin molasses cookie." My friend Kristin's oatmeal raisin cookies looked great to me, but not according to the judges (overdone). Lori's oatmeal raisin cookies didn't have a comment but they weren't ribbon winners either. The oatmeal raisin cookie category was tough and there were a lot of entries, probably because most people think they can bake a pretty good one. My Dad got a little note from the judges for the jar he used to hand in his barbecue sauce ("improper container"). There was nothing saying what container it should be in, but apparently Mason jars are the norm and he used an old horseradish jar.


Some other ribbons that were taken home by our family and friends...

1st place - Rhubarb Pie (my sister, Lori)
3rd place - Bacon Served Three Ways (Lori)
1st place - Crabapple Jelly (my Mom)
2nd place - Pencil Sketch 5-6 year olds (Gavin)
3rd place - Design your own Bookmark (Gavin)
Participant ribbon - Ellen (her proudest entry was the macaroni pig, painted)
3rd place - knitted poncho, cape or shawl (Moira)
1st place - Counted cross-stitch article, not mounted in frame (Moira - Ellen's Christmas Stocking)
2nd place - Winter Shenanigans photo (Alan)
Honourable Mention - Transportation photo (Alan)
1st place - Ice Cream cone Christmas Tree (our friend Andrew, age 4)

Items that we entered that I haven't mentioned were as follows...

3 empty pie shells (two by me, one by Lori)
2 peach pies (Moira)
banana muffins (Moira)
banana snack cake (Lori)
biscuits (Lori)
oatmeal raisin cookies (our friend & Andrew's Mom)
banana blueberry cake - Best Dairy Dessert category (Aunt Evie, Kristin's Mom)
zucchini loaf (Aunt Evie)
strawberry freezer jam (Lori)
tomato sauce (my Mom)

Over the last couple months, Lori & I have deliberated over what the judges would be looking for. A lot of times, our favourite recipes have a special addition of this or that, and therefore stray from the original recipe. This is not the sort of thing the judges want to see. They want the quintessential recipe, not a modern rendition with something like "craisins" in it. We learned a lot this summer and we are definitely looking forward to next year! As a matter of fact, I have been baking again this week, helping Lori with a few things to enter at the Lincoln County Fair, in Niagara. As I said to my Dad last week, "Some people really take this stuff seriously." He sort of rolled his eyes and said, "You don't say..."