Sunday, April 11, 2010

Halibut Cheeks à la Niçoise

Halibut cheeks. Not super well known and, truth be told, on the pricey side. But here on the west coast they signal spring and their sweet, scallop like flavour and texture make them something to celebrate. Fresh halibut is widely available during the commercial fishing season that runs from mid-March to mid November so it has just been in the past few weeks that I have seen halibut cheeks available at the market. They don’t freeze well so fresh really is best here. There are, of course, only two cheeks per fish so the price is a bit more per pound/kg but these succulent, sweet morsels are worth seeking out and trying.  I have a few recipes that either star or incorporate these tasty bites that I would like to share over the coming weeks. I would also love to hear from anyone who has their own special way to prepare them! Continue reading →

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Thursday, April 8, 2010

Lemon Curd Olive Oil Tart

I love lemon tarts. If I am at a restaurant and having dessert, I almost always order the lemon tart. A well made lemon tart seems classic and elegant and always feels light and right to me at the end of a meal.

At home, however, I often hesitate to bake them because:
1. I am somewhat afraid of making pastry.
2. Lemon fillings, and lemon curd in particular, often have a weird, metallic taste to me.
3. Even when the lemon curd/filling doesn’t taste strange, it never has the bright, lemony flavour that I am hoping for. Continue reading →

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Monday, April 5, 2010

Boss’ Breakfast Pie

When my son Max was born I asked my Mom, as a new grandmother, what she wanted to be called. Grandma, Gram, Granny, Nana? She decided that she would bypass all of the usual favourites and go with Abuela. Huh?


Abuela is Grandmother in spanish. My folks do live half of the year in Mexico (my Dad hates the cold and the rain) but fluent spanish speakers they are not. I thought it seemed a strange choice but she would not be deterred. Fast forward two years later to when Max is learning to talk. One day he looks at my Mom and points and declares, with absolute conviction, “Boss”. Uh oh. Continue reading →

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Thursday, April 1, 2010

Chocolate Dipped Sea Salt Caramels

Tomorrow is my friend Ross’ birthday.

Ross is the kind of guy who can grow an heirloom tomato from seed, cook an amazing Tuscan stew, explain to you (in great detail) how to build an electric car as well as create a breathtaking piece of art. Continue reading →

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Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Cantonese BBQ Duck with Kumquat Marmalade Canapés

Okay, here is the third and final instalment of “things to do with kumquat marmalade“.  I’m feeling ready to move on as I dip into the bottom of the jam jar but I certainly have enjoyed the ride.

This third idea is loosely based on a canapé I made as part of a catered lunch at a beautiful hazelnut farm last fall. The family were avid duck hunters and so the host wanted to incorporate some of their wild duck breasts into one of the hors d’oeuvres. Their wild breasts were quite small in size but huge in flavour with a far more gamey taste than Magret or Pekin ducks.  We seared them to medium rare and served them with the an orange reduction. Continue reading →

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Monday, March 29, 2010

In Defence of the Cheese Course…with Kumquat Marmalade

I once worked in a restaurant that offered diners a choice of three different tasting menus. If someone really wanted to order à la carte they would be accommodated but generally these were people with adventurous palates who were more than happy to place their trust in the chef and the six of us who worked in the kitchen.

There was a seven course vegetarian menu, a seven course seafood menu and a ten course signature chef’s menu. The serving sizes were smaller as to allow the patrons to experience a wider spectrum of flavours without feeling stuffed by the end of the meal. Continue reading →

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Thursday, March 25, 2010

Fennel Bomboloni with Kumquat Marmalade

I know I said that the three dishes linked to the kumquat marmalade would be easy… and the other two are. In fact, they are strictly the assembly of carefully purchased ingredients. But when I saw this recipe in the latest Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine I was smitten.

Their version is served with orange jam and so it is just a hop, skip and a jump to kumquats. Same flavour profile but a bit more interesting in my opinion. Continue reading →

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Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Kumquat Marmalade

Whew! Well that was relatively painless. While the computer is still in the shop Glen arranged for his work laptop to be dropped off this morning. Hooray! I’m pleased to be back and to share a recipe that comes from the gorgeous kumquats pictured above.

On Sunday afternoon, when I was picking up some ingredients for lunch quesadillas at the little grocery store (Drive Organics) down the street I spied a basket filled with these beautiful organic kumquats. I wasn’t sure what exactly I would make with them but they were just so lovely I couldn’t pass them by. On my walk home I remembered that my dear friend Steve, who is an amazing cook, once made a kumquat marmalade to go with a cheese course at one of his fabulous dinner parties. Then I started thinking about a few things that would be complimented by kumquat marmalade that were both sweet and savory. Continue reading →

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