Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Today I Made A Cake

This morning, while it was still dark, I gathered together the ingredients to make a cake. Nothing fancy. Just an olive oil and citrus cake. My go-to recipe when I want make a simple, satisfying, stress-free dessert.

Since we returned home from Mexico things have been anything but simple and stress-free around here.

My beloved 99 year old Baba (Grandma) fell down and broke her hip during the holidays. She has been in the hospital since the 29th of December and has been having a bit of a rough time. Right now she is doing better. She had surgery to repair her hip and has been remarkably patient and positive through such a difficult time. I have been very, very worried. Things are looking positive tonight and I have my fingers (and toes) crossed for another good day tomorrow.

When I got home from the hospital today I made a cake. Not that we needed one. But the act of making a cake made things seem somehow more “normal” around here. Today I got a note from my friend Tracy that said “food is often good therapy”. She is right.

I’m planning on taking my Baba a slice of this humble cake, wrapped up in parchment paper and tied with some string, when I visit her in the hospital tomorrow. I think she will like it.

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Monday, December 31, 2012

Wild Mushrooms on Brioche Crostini – Day 12 of the 12 Days of Canapés – 2012

Happy New Year’s Eve!

A huge, heartfelt thank you to everyone who stopped by here over the last year! Thank you for your comments and good wishes, thanks to those who booked a class with us, or signed up for a culinary tour (on Commercial Drive or in Paris!), those who came out to our winter fundraiser and who invited us to speak at an event. And a special big thank you to everyone who cooked a recipe from this site over the last year for someone that they love. When I think about what was special about the last year and what I am most looking forward to in the year ahead it all comes back to gathering people around the table to eat, drink, talk and laugh. Here’s to a very happy, very healthy 2013!

For the second year in a row we are rounding out our twelve days on the very final day of the year which is kind of a nice way to wrap up this crazy canapé extravaganza.

On this 12th day I am offering up a sophisticated, vegetarian, easy, beautiful and delicious canapé. These truffle scented wild mushrooms on toasted brioche topped with some crème fraîche and a sprig of thyme are the hors d’oeuvre equivalent of the little black dress. These are best served with a tall flute of very cold Champagne.

Wild Mushrooms on Brioche Crostini

Recipe is from Nick Mackintosh via The Telegraph 

5 large slices of brioche, 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick, crusts removed
4 tablespoons olive oil
Fine grain sea salt and freshly ground pepper
17 ounces (500 g) mixed wil mushrooms
2 teaspoons butter
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon white truffle oil
3 1/2 ounces (100g) crème fraîche
24 small sprigs fresh thyme

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (180 C). Place the brioche on a baking tray and brush with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Season with some salt and pepper and bake for six minutes or so until golden grown.  Cut each into four squares and set aside. The crostini can be made a couple of days in advance and stored in an airtight container.

Clean the mushrooms, discard the stalks and slice. Heat a frying pan with the butter and the rest of the oil over medium heat. Sauté the garlic, shallot and mushrooms until golden. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the thyme and truffle oil. Do this a day or two in advance (if possible) to allow the flavours to develop. Refrigerate but warm up the mushrooms a bit when ready to serve.

Divide the mushroom mixture between the crostini and garnish with a dollop of crème fraîche and a sprig of thyme.

Makes 20.

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Friday, December 28, 2012

Pear and Gorgonzola Tart with Walnuts, Honey and Fresh Rosemary – Day 11 of the 12 Days of Canapés – 2012

Pear and Gorgonzola Tart

I wanted to post one more recipe before we leave Mexico and head back to our busy lives in frosty Vancouver. While I know I am going to very much miss the warm weather and slow pace of my days here I am looking forward to getting back to my own kitchen and cooking some cold weather stews and soups. I can’t wait to make this pear and Gorgonzola tart for some upcoming classes and dinners that we are hosting and wanted to share it here as it is a perfect vegetarian hors d’oeuvre option if you are having a New Year’s party!

You could easily cut the puff pastry into rounds and serve these as a first course at a dinner but they are also great cut into these thin, pizza-like wedges for a cocktail party. Ripe pears and honey add a lovely sweetness, the toasted walnuts a delightful crunch, the gorgonzola a creamy, salty hit of flavour and the fresh rosemary an underlying, ethereal herbal note.

Added bonus: these could be made hours in advance and refrigerated. Just pop in a preheated oven when your guests arrive and fill your house with the most magical scent of the baking pears. Bliss.

 

Pear and Gorgonzola Tart with Walnuts, Honey and Fresh Rosemary

Recipe is from Alison Attenborough and Jamie Kimm’s book Williams Sonoma Cooking for Friends.

1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed but chilled
2 pears that are ripe yet still somewhat firm, halved, cored and thinly sliced
6 ounces (170 g) Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tablespoons honey

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (230 C).

Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out into a 9 x 13 inch (23 cm x 33 cm) rectangle about 1/8 inch (3.1 mm) thick. Cut in half lengthwise into 2 rectangles. Transfer rectangles to a rimmed baking sheet. Using a fork, prick each rectangle evenly over the entire surface. Fold in 1/2 inch of pastry along the entire edge of each rectangle to create a border.

Arrange the pear slices in a decorative pattern on top of the pastry rectangles and top with the crumbled Gorgonzola. Scatter on the walnuts and rosemary.

Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and drizzle with honey and a few more fresh rosemary leaves.

Slice into wedges or squares and serve.

Serves 8 – 10 as an hors d’oeuvres.

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Thursday, December 27, 2012

Salt Cod and Crab Fritters – Day 10 of the 12 Days of Canapés – 2012

Salt cod and crab fritters

Here is a recipe that I have been meaning to try for at least a couple of years, earmarked in a wonderful cookbook by Michel Roux Jr. called Matching Food & Wine. Since I had picked up some salt cod for another one of this year’s canapé recipes (which can be found here), I decided to give these salt cod and crab fritters a go.

I am so glad I finally made these as they are a great combination of flavours with the salt cod and the crab and a cinch to pull together. These are best made for a small group and should be served right away, while they are still piping hot. Since the salt cod will need to be soaked for 24 hours to remove some of the saltiness you will need to plan ahead. The dipping sauce, spiked with red chilli slices, couldn’t be easier yet is truly the perfect sweet/spicy foil to the richness and saltiness of these fritters.

Salt cod and chilli have strong flavours and so Chef Michel Roux Jr. suggests serving a non-vintage Champagne, Cava or Chablis. A very good idea, I think.

 

Salt Cod and Crab Fritters

Recipe slightly adapted from Matching Food & Wine: Classic and Not So Classic Combinations by Michel Roux Jr.

For the fritters:
1/2 pound (250 g) skinless salt cod
1/3 pound (175 g) crab meat, picked over for bits of shell
1 garlic clove, minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 1/2 ounces (100 g) plain flour
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1/4 cup (65 ml) milk
Fine grain sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Vegetable oil for deep frying – enough for oil to be about 6 inches (15 cm) in the pan

For the dipping sauce:
1 tablespoon sugar
4 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 clove
1 red chilli, thinly sliced

Place the salt cod in a bowl and cover with 1 inch of cold water. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours, changing the water 4 times.

Drain, dry and remove all bones. cut the cod into a small dice and add to the grab, garlic and the onion.

Make a batter with the egg, flour, chilli powder and the milk making sure there are no lumps. The batter will be quite thick, not thin like pancake batter. Add in the salt cod and crab and season with salt and pepper and allow the batter to rest for an hour.

Using a tablespoon dipped in water and shape into little patties.

Heat the oil in a deep fryer or a big saucepan. Drop the fritters into the hot oil for 3 to 4 minutes, turning them over to give an even colour. Drain on a kitchen towel and serve warm.

Meanwhile make the dipping sauce by mixing the sugar, water and vinegar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the clove and chilli and allow to cool. Serve with the warm fritters.

Makes 20 to 25 fritters.

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Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Grilled Lamb Popsicles with Salsa Verde – Day 9 of the 12 Days of Canapés – 2012

Grilled lamb chops with salsa verde

So far the Christmas vacation has been very relaxing around here. Perhaps a bit too relaxing. I have been spending quite a bit of time lounging around reading biographies, laying by the pool and drinking margaritas, wandering around the small town where my parents live, hanging out with my family. I do have four more canapé recipes to deliver here before the end of the year and so I need to get a move on!

I’m sure no one feels like talking about food after yesterday’s big feast but New Year’s Eve is coming up fast and I am happy to have a few more great party recipes to share.

The grilled lamb chops that you see above are hardly a recipe at all but I still wanted to include them as they are a hit whenever I serve them at a cocktail party. People literally camp out by the stove waiting for them to come off the grill and they are often snatched up before they even have a chance to hit the serving platter.

Grilling can be done on a stovetop grill pan or the barbecue if you have yours on a nearby deck. When we made these at the fundraiser earlier this month one of my guests offered to take over the grilling leaving me free to move onto other kitchen tasks. Thanks Craig!

I like to serve these with a salsa verde made with preserved lemon, tarragon and lots of parsley but they can also be served solo, arranged artfully on a platter atop a few long sprigs of rosemary. Pass with a good size stack of napkins!

Grilled Lamb Popsicles with Salsa Verde

The salsa verde recipe comes from Canal House Cooking Volume No. 1 by Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer.

It is best to make and use the salsa verde within a few hours of serving but I have made it a day in advance, placed it in an airtight container, sealed it with a thin layer of olive oil and put it in the fridge. Just make sure to bring it up to room temperature, check and adjust the seasonings (salt, pepper, lemon juice) before serving. If you have any leftover salsa verde it is great in sandwiches, tossed into quinoa or pasta or served with salmon or shrimp.

For the lamb:
2 racks of lamb, with 8 frenched lamb chops per rack
1 1/2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary
Fine grain sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Sprigs of rosemary for garnish (optional)

For the salsa verde:
1 cup loosely packed flat leaf parsley leaves, washed, dried and finely chopped
4 sprigs of tarragon, leaves stripped and finely chopped
3 scallions, chopped
3 cornichons, chopped
1 tablespoon of capers, rinsed and chopped
3 anchovy fillets (I like good quality oil packed ones), chopped
1 medium clove of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of preserved lemon rind, chopped (discard the pulpy flesh)
3/4 of a cup of a good quality extra virgin olive oil
Lemon juice to taste
Fine grain sea salt and freshly ground pepper

For the salsa verde:
Put the chopped parsley, tarragon, scallions, cornichons, capers, anchovies, garlic and preserved lemon rind in a bowl. Add the olive oil and some lemon juice. Taste and add salt if needed (it may well be salty enough) and some freshly ground pepper. Check and adjust the amounts of lemon juice and olive oil to make the sauce sharper or milder in flavour.

For the lamb:
Remove the lamb from the fridge at least half an hour before grilling to allow to it to come up to room temperature and to season it. Place the rack on a cutting board and with a sharp knife cut individual chops from the roack by following the line of the bone from top to bottom. Season each side of each lamb chop with a bit of salt and pepper, the finely chopped rosemary and a drizzle of olive oil. Set aside.

Heat a stove top grill pan (or the barbecue) over medium high heat. Place the individual chops on the preheated grill and cook for two to three minutes per side or until cooked to your liking. Remove from heat and place on a warmed plate and cover with foil to allow to rest for a couple of minutes.

Meanwhile line a serving platter with the fresh sprigs of rosemary and place some of the salsa verde in a decorative bowl or cup. Arrange the cooked lamb chops on the platter and serve with the salsa verde and a stack of napkins.

Serves 10 to 12 as an appetizer.

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Saturday, December 22, 2012

Fresh Figs Wrapped in Prosciutto with Frisée and Lemon Mascarpone – Day 8 of the 12 Days of Canapés – 2012

Figs wrapped in prosciutto with frisée and lemon mascarpone

These pretty morsels are delightfully old-school and have been on the cocktail party scene for a very long time. I still love them though as they manage to be elegant in their presentation but combine some flavours that are somewhat rustic staples of Italian cooking.

Feel free to substitute arugula for the frisée if that is what you happen to have on hand. Also, if you are having trouble finding fresh figs at this time of the year or they are prohibitively expensive you could also use slices of ripe pear that have been sprinkled with some lemon juice to keep them from turning brown. You could even caramelize the pear slices in a little butter and brown sugar first before rolling them up in the salty slices of prosciutto or Serrano ham.

The rolling can be just a bit fiddly at first but after a few of these you will soon get the hang of it! These canapés can be made up to a few hours ahead of serving. Just make sure to store them in an airtight container and refrigerate. Allow to come up to room temperature before serving.

Fresh Figs Wrapped in Prosciutto with Frisée and Lemon Mascarpone

Recipe is from Dish Entertains by Trish Magwood

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
Zest of 1 unsprayed lemon
Fine grain sea salt and freshly ground pepper
10 slices of prosciutto or Serrano ham
1 bunch of frisée lettuce or arugula
6 to 8 fresh figs, sliced lengthwise ( you will need 20 full slices)

Mix the lemon zest into the mascarpone cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Cut the prosciutto sliced in half widthwise. Lay a slice of prosciutto out onto a work surface and spread a thin layer of the mascarpone mixture of the bottom third of each slice.

Top with a few sprigs of the frisée greens and then lay a fig slice on top of the frisée. Roll up the prosciutto and arrange on a serving platter.

Repeat with the remaining pieces of prosciutto.

Makes 20 hors d’oeuvres.

 

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Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Skewers of Scallop Ceviche – Day 7 of the 12 Days of Canapés – 2012

Skewers of scallop ceviche

Right now I am in an airplane (I love in-flight internet!) heading towards Mexico.

My parents have a house in a small town on the Pacific Coast and so every second year we trade in a traditional Vancouver Christmas with the tree and the turkey and the gifts and lights (and the stress) and get on a plane and spend a very low key Christmas in the sun. It is really wonderful to mix it up every second year and luckily Santa is still able to find us down south to drop off a small gift or two for Max.

I thought it would be fitting to post a recipe that reflects my destination and so here is a dish that we enjoy so much each time we visit Mexico. Ceviche is fish or seafood that is “cooked” in either lemon or lime juice. Refreshing in a tropical climate this appetizer is just at home at a cocktail party in the icy north. These skewers work well with a margarita, beer or a glass of sparkling wine. ¡Salud!

Skewers of Scallop Ceviche

Recipe adapted from Christmas Entertaining (Williams Sonoma)

The fish needs to marinate in the lime juice for at least 3 hours and up to 12 so you need to do a bit of pre-planning with this recipe. 
I get pretty bamboo skewers with a decorative knot at the end at the Gourmet Warehouse in Vancouver and should be available at most kitchen supply stores.

1 1/4 (625 G) sea scallops, thawed if frozen
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro plus extra sprigs for garnish if desired
1 jalapeño chile, seeded and minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
Grated zest of 1 lime
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 Roma tomato, seeded and finely chopped
1 lime, sliced, for garnish
wooden skewers

Dry the scallops, remove the side muscle, if present, and cut the scallop into for pieces.

Place the pieces of scallop in a sinle layer in a shallow non-reactive dish and sprinkle with the minced cilantro, 1 tablespoon of the minced chile, the salt, ginger and lime zest. Pour the lime juice over the scallops and mix gently to ensure that all of the scallops are coated in the mixture.  The scallops should be coered by the juice. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 12 hours before serving, turning occasionally.

About 30 minutes before serving thread the scallop pieces onto the wooden skewers, using 3 to 4 pieces per skewer. Arrange skewers on a platter, lined with cilantro if desired, and top with the remaining chile, onion and tomato. Garnish with slices of lime and serve.

Serves 12 to 14.

 

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Monday, December 17, 2012

Rosemary Flatbread – Day 6 of the 12 Days of Canapés – 2012

Rosemary Flat Bread

So here we are at the halfway point of our twelve days! This recipe just happens to be one of my very favourite of the bunch.  One could argue that these flatbreads are not really a canapé at all but they are such a fantastic addition to any party and a great vehicle for dips and cheeses that they needed to be included in this year’s list.

Easy to make, these flatbreads are made from a straight forward yeast dough enriched with extra virgin olive oil. Once the dough has risen and been rolled long and thin they get drizzled with a bit more of the fragrant oil topped with fresh rosemary and coarse salt and then popped into a hot oven. Twenty minutes later, like magic, golden flatbreads emerge.

Top them with a white bean dip, caponata or tapenade. Maybe the best pairing for these herbed flatbreads is with the warm Tallegio cheese an olive, currant, roasted pepper relish from the last post. Amazing.

Added bonus: these crackers can be made up to three days ahead and stored at room temperature in an airtight container.

 Rosemary Flatbread

Recipe is from Martha Stewart Living.

These crackers can be made up to three days ahead and stored at room temperature in an airtight container.

1 cup warm water (about 110 F/ 43 C)
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
3 cups all purpose flour plus more for rolling out the dough
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the bowl and drizzling on top of the flatbreads
1 teaspoon sugar
coarse sea salt for the dough and for sprinkling on top of the flatbreads
1/4 cup fresh rosemary or thyme (ora combinations)

Place the water in a medium bowl and sprinkle the yeast over the top. Let stand until foamy about 5 minutes.

Stir in the flour, oil, sugar and 2 teaspoons of coarse sea salt.

Using a wooden spoon, or your hands, mix until a dough forms.

Turn the dough out into a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let dough stand in a warm, draft free place until it doubles in volume, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (175 C). Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces and cover in plastic wrap. Roll out 1 piece to roughly 4 by 10 inches (10 by 25 cm) on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle on a bit of olive oil and then sprinkle with corease salt and the rosemary. Repeat with the remaining dough, arranging 4 pieces of dough per baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for 16 to 20 minutes, rotating the trays hal way through. The flatbreads will be crisp and golden. Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Makes 16 flatbreads.

 

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