Canadian Food Adventures

A long break from posting, courtesy of working overseas in Canada.  I confess we ate a lot while there but I wasn't able to do too much creative cooking.  That said, we had a couple of really excellent food experiences while in Toronto - both involving meat. 

We were lucky enough to be living next door to one of the most amazing butchers I have ever had the pleasure of patronising.  Should you find yourself in Toronto, make your way forthwith to Medium Rare Butchers http://www.mediumrare.to/.  We bought some bison steaks, kobe beef sliders, free range thick cut bacon annd some of the nicest minced beef ever.  Everything we got was amazing, and for every thing we bought and tried there were ten things we wanted to try. 

From a restaurant point of view, we found a place that serves the best BBQ ribs I have ever eaten.  Ever.  I'm from Kansas City...and this place aced the BBQ I've had there.  So, this is high praise.  The restaurant in question is called "Montana's" and you can check them out at http://www.montanas.ca/.  The ribs were perfectly cooked...tender and meaty, sticky and enormously messy.  We opted (both of the times we ate there!) for their apple butter BBQ sauce on the ribs and I don't think I'd change that.  Amazing.  I can go on at length using all the superlatives at my disposal...suffice to say I am very much looking forward to my next trip to Canada in August.

I will be figuring out how to post pictures, and trying to accompany my recipes with photos from now on.  Apologies for the long break in updating - I will make it up with a super delicious recipe inspired by my time in Canada. 

I love the combination of salty and sweet in these biscuits.  FYI - these are American style biscuits (i.e. sort of like scones).

Maple Bacon Biscuits

Ingredients:

500gr bacon, cut into 1/2 -inch pieces
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
250 gr butter, cut into 1/2 -inch cubes
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup, divided
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
1 egg yolk
1 egg
1 tablespoon cream
Maldon Sea Salt

Method:

1. In a medium frying pan, cook the bacon over medium heat until cooked but not crispy, 10 to 12 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate or pan, to remove excess fat.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3. Using a pastry cutter cut in the diced butter until it resembles small peas. Stir in the bacon, then one-fourth cup plus 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and the buttermilk until the dough just comes together (it will still be clumpy). Don't overwork the dough.

4. On a lightly floured surface, gently press or roll the dough to 1-inch thickness. Cut the biscuits using a 2-inch round cutter; it should make 24 biscuits. Place 12 biscuits on each of two baking paper lined baking sheets, spaced 2 inches apart. Freeze the trays just until the biscuits are chilled, about 10 minutes.

5. Heat the oven to 180C. While the biscuits are chilling, prepare the egg wash. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, egg and cream. Brush the chilled biscuits with egg wash and top each with a pinch of the Maldon sea salt.

6. Bake the biscuits until they just begin to brown, about 25 minutes (you should easily be able to pick the biscuits up off the tray). Remove the tray from the oven. Quickly drizzle 1 teaspoon of the remaining maple syrup over each biscuit, then place the tray back in the oven for 3 minutes more. Serve while still warm.

Never Fail Chocolate Mousse

My husband loves chocolate mousse.  For his 21st birthday, his "birthday cake" was an enormous bowl of his mom's famous Toblerone Mousse.  And a spoon.  Unfortunately for my husband, I have never really been able to make a proper mousse.  Perhaps my folding technique isn't up to scratch...I've never really figured out what my failing is with mousse.  A couple of years ago I cooked up a recipe for a mousse that never fails - largely because it doesn't have egg whites I think.  This recipe makes a denser, richer mousse...almost a "chocolate pot".  If you use a high cocoa percentage chocolate, you'll need to add a bit of sugar to the cream when you are whipping it.  Do be sure to use good quality chocolate.

And yes, this recipe does work with Toblerone. 

Chocolate Mousse:

Ingredients

300 grams melted chocolate, recommend bittersweet or 60% dark
300 mls thickened cream
2 eggs, lightly whipped
2 teaspoons vanilla

Method

Melt the chocolate in a medium sized bowl in the microwave until it is completely melted.  I microwave for 45 seconds at a time, and stir in between.  Usually takes about 3 minutes.   Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whip the cream until it is making soft peaks.

In a third small bowl, lightly whip two eggs (just with a fork).

Stir the eggs into the melted chocolate.  Stir well until the egg is thoroughly mixed in.  Add the vanilla and stir through.  Add the cream - one large spoon first (mix it through to loosen the mousse) and then the remainder of the whipped cream.  Stir through well, but gently. 

Transfer the mousse to serving bowl or individual ramekins and chill for two hours before serving.

Kiwi Fruit Sorbet

Kiwis are cheap and delicious at the moment - we recently got 8 for $1 at the local farmer's market and they were beautiful.  Unfortunately, we ate a couple and then forgot about them for a few days - and they got quite ripe when we weren't looking. 

My mother-in-law had been experimenting with sorbets, and recently made a delightful kiwi fruit sorbet. 

Inspiration met opportunity!  So, last night I decided to wing it and make my own version of the sorbet.

I wanted a sorbet that was quite tart, so decided to add a bunch of lemon juice too.  When making sorbets you need to make the unfrozen mixture more tart and/or sweet than you want the final mix to taste, as freezing dulls both. 

Kiwi Fruit Sorbet:

Ingredients

1 cup white sugar
1 cup water
2/3 cup lemon juice
7 - 8 peeled kiwis

Method

Put the sugar in the water in a small heavy bottomed pan.  Heat over a medium heat, stirring regularly, until the sugar is melted and forms a syrup.  This should take about five minutes.  Put the syrup in the refrigerator to cool it down.

Puree the kiwis in a food processor or with a stick blender.  Add the lemon juice and put in the fridge to chill until the sugar syrup is chilled.

Mix the fruit and syrup together well and put into an ice cream maker.  Freeze according to your machine's instructions. 

Hot Fudge Peanut Butter Sauce

While I am equipping you with brownies, it seems only charitable to include a topping for any sundae that may get made.  This stuff is evil, and as an act of self preservation I would recommend making a half serve and sharing it.  Thanks go entirely to Nigella for this one.  No need for modifications - it is magnificent as is.

Hot Fudge Peanut Butter Sauce:

Ingredients

175ml cream
100 grams chopped chocolate (I use Ghiradelli chocolate chips)
100 grams smooth peanut butter
3 Tablespoons golden syrup

Method

Put the cream, chocolate, peanut butter and golden syrup into a saucepan over a medium heat.  Stir regularly, and the sauce should be ready in about two minutes. 

I can't think of a better example of immediate gratification.

Brownies...further musings on a subject near to my heart

I've been conducting extensive testing recently...on brownies.  I've made different batches of the "melted chocolate" variety - for which I have earlier shared the recipe.  I believe, for my tastes, I have perfected the "melted chocolate" variety.  Many folks have tried them and loved them, so I'm happy with where that is at. 

However there is another whole class of brownies - the "cocoa" brownies.  These are more like the "packet mix" brownies I remember eating when I was growing up, and have a different (in fact, cakier) consistency.  I'm a declared chewy brownie fan, but have found a recipe that has that ephemeral "sort of cakey sort of chewy" consistency.  These are good when you really need brownies fast and don't have any chocolate in the house...they are a slightly (ever so) lighter style of brownie (to which I am referring only and exclusively to texture...I'm sure these pack a caloric punch just like the other ones). I can't profess to have perfected these yet, but they are damn good.  I thank, as always, Nigella for her inspiration though I have slightly modified her recipe.

Brownies:

Ingredients

3/4 cup salted butter (the best quality you can find)
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 pinch salt
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a 9 x 13 pan with baking spray.

In a large bowl, combine melted butter with the sugar, and mix well.  Add the cocoa, flour, baking soda and salt.
Break the first egg into the batter, and stir through until incorporated.  Add the second and third eggs the same way.  Add the vanilla with the third egg.
If you want to add nuts, this is the point that you should.  About half a cup of nuts should suffice, but I think they are an abomination in brownies so would recommend you test this out yourself.
Pour into the pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. The edges should be firm and the middle should be slightly sunk - don't over bake them or they really do go cakey.

And we know what I think about that.  Bleh.

A glass of milk is a nice accompaniment, and sometimes you just need a fork and the entire pan.  Sigh.  Depends on your day.  These are great under ice cream in a sundae, and are robust enough to stir through ice cream and hold their shape (if you were say, homesick and missing Ben & Jerry's Brownie Fudge ice cream and decided to replicate it).

Corn Bread

It's the perfect accompaniment to soups, stews, chili...and people have clear views of what makes a good corn bread.  Some love a sweet corn bread and some hate it too sweet.  I have a sweet tooth, so I would never complain about a sweet corn bread.  That said, sometimes I like to have a honey butter on the corn bread and even I have limits.  So, two recipes for corn bread below.  One is sweet - it comes up crunchy and beautiful all on its own.  With a bit of butter, it is a delight.  The other recipe is far less sweet, and I've included a recipe (if you can call it that) for honey butter.

Golden Sweet Cornbread:

Ingredients

1 cup plain flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Method

Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Spray or lightly grease a 9 inch round cake pan.
In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir in egg, milk and vegetable oil until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.


Corn Bread:

Ingredients

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Method

Preheat the oven to 400F (200C).
In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and soda. Combine eggs, buttermilk, honey, and oil; add slowly to the dry ingredients. Mix until blended. Pour into 9 inch square pan.
Bake until golden, about 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.


Honey Butter

Ingredients:

250gr butter (the best quality you can get)
3 Tablespoons honey

Method:

Allow butter to soften slightly at room temperature.
Using and electric mixer, whip butter and honey together in a bowl until well mixed.
Roll butter up in wax paper, allow it to chill, and slice when ready to use.

Tomatoes and more tomatoes

When I was a kid, I hated tomatoes.  There is a photo of me at around 5 years old, being encouraged to eat a cherry tomato.  You could be forgiven for thinking it was a stink bomb aimed at my mouth based on my expression.  I've learned to love tomatoes.  Two of my favorite recipes are quite healthy "meat-free" options - one uses fresh tomatoes and the other, canned.

Pappardelle with Roasted Tomato, Spinach & Ricotta:

Ingredients

¼ cup good balsamic vinegar
3 cloves crushed garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 medium tomatoes or 8 Roma tomatoes (about 600g worth) cut into wedges
375g pappardelle pasta (the wide ribbon shaped pasta)
100g baby spinach leaves, trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
200g ricotta
salt to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 180C.

Combine vinegar, 1 Tablespoon olive oil, and garlic in a small jug.  Place tomato, in a single layer, on oven tray.  Pour vinegar mixture over tomato.  Roast, uncovered, for about 25 minutes or until tomato is browned lightly and softened.

Cook pasta until tender.

Combine drained pasta, tomato, spinach and oil in large bowl.  Break ricotta into approx 3cm pieces.  Add to pasta mixture, toss gently to combine.

A word of advice - use the best quality pasta you can get, or make your own.  This is a dish of simple flavors, and the pasta is center stage. 



Tomato and lentil soup:

Ingredients

1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 cup red lentils
400 gram can chopped tomatoes
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups chicken stock
salt & pepper to taste

Method

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat until sizzling. Saute the chopped onion and garlic until the onion is soft.

Add the dried red lentils, can of tomatoes, tomato paste and 3 cups chicken stock. 

Bring the mixture to the boil then reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring often, until the lentils are soft and creamy.

Taste, and add salt and pepper as required.

This soup is great served with some toasted, buttery Turkish bread.