Category: Food

Always a great evening with my favourite neighbours E&C. Last night was no exception and they joined me for a little chow…slow roasted pork with fennel (there are cloves of garlic stuffed into the roast with fennel, looking a little furry on top!) Throw in white wine, some onions and the fennel bulb, roast nice and slow.

Make some crisp roasted potatoes, beans, salad (great brussels sprout and grape salad compliments of E&C) sautéed celery in sesame oil and sea salt, the usual condiments of home made beet and bean pickles and of course lots of lovely beverages to enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have a definite sweet tooth and dessert is a necessity. A meal does not seem to be finished without a little dessert to enjoy after all is said and done. That was the tradition growing up and it was usually some home canned fruit maybe with some fresh cake or one of those apple pies 😉

Last night it was a double chocolate zucchini cake with a thick rich chocolate ganache and a wee bit of french vanilla ice cream melting on top of the hot ganache. Oyyyy!!

After my guests left many hours later, it was time to clean ip. I am not a fan of waking up to a mess…so I will pour another one, crank the music and get down to it. Last night it was the east coast and I had Matt Minglewood cranked along with the Rankin Family; fun finish to a great evening.

Bon Appetit!

This is for a small recipe that makes about 3 or 4 Belgian waffles. Double it for more.

Hot waffle iron oiled if required.

1 cup flour (can use white / whole wheat mixture if you want)

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

 

2 eggs lightly beaten

1/3 cup butter melted (can also use oil but the butter will make it lighter and crispier)

1 cup milk or buttermilk (plus a few extra tablespoons might be necessary when mixing)

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.

In a separate small bowl mix eggs, milk and melted butter or oil and add to dry to blend.

At this stage you can add things to the batter if you like such as fruit, chocolate chips, chunks of ham or cheese. Or make a few plain waffles then add your additions for the last few waffles.

Pour about ½ cup batter onto the hot iron. You might need a bit more depending on the size of your waffle iron.

Leave the iron closed until done, a few minutes.

Serve hot with some butter and Canadian maple syrup or berries and fruit, whipped cream, jam, possibilities are endless.

 

Leftover waffles?

Do not waste them. They can be stored in a Ziploc bag or sealed container and frozen for a few days or a week then pop them into the toaster or oven to heat up.

Bon Appetit!

 

 

 

 

This recipe calls for some alcohol so first pour yourself a drink.

You need some nice thick veal chops on the bone for this dish. The chops I got from a great local Italian market De Luca’s http://www.deluca.ca were amazing. These chops were over an inch thick.

I actually did a couple different dishes with these, 2 chops per dish but generally use 4 chops or more if they are a bit smaller.

In a large frying pan heat about 1 tablespoon of butter and about 2 or 3 tablespoons of good olive oil.

Fry the chops on medium-high about 5 minutes each side to get a nice brown crisp. Remove and place them on a plate and cover to keep warm; do not remove the oils from the pan.

Chop an onion and a couple cloves of garlic.

Slice about 1 – 2 cups of mushrooms. Use white or brown or wild or a mixture.

Fry the onions and garlic in the same pan as the chops were browned. Cook a few minutes on medium, add the mushrooms, lower heat a bit and continue cooking. The mushrooms will soften, release a lot of water so continue cooking about 5-10 minutes.

Pour in about ¼ to 1/3 cup of white wine or cognac or, in this case, bourbon. I used a little Jim Beam and it worked great.

Cook a little longer to reduce this then add a couple cups of stock – chicken or beef is good.

I make my own concentrated stock and had some veal stock on hand so I used that and added water.

Add about ½ to ¾ cup of cream. If you use half and half or milk it will obviously not be as rich and to thicken it you need to simmer longer if you do not add a thickening agent like flour (I prefer to let it simmer longer and reduce to thicken as it concentrates the flavors).

Place the chops in the pan, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, cover with a slight opening on one side of the pan, and cook for about 45 minutes as the sauce thickens and the meat cooks to a degree of tenderness you can separate with a fork.

After about 30 minutes taste the sauce and season with some salt and pepper. The amount of salt you use depends on the stock you added so taste it first. I use coarse sea salt of various kinds which works nice (pink, black, white salts) and fresh ground pepper. I also had some dried thyme from my garden and added a little to the sauce whilst cooking.

Rosemary is a great herb with veal and I use it on other dishes but this particular one I used thyme.

 

 

I served this dish with some whipped potatoes (potatoes from my garden) and beans, also from my garden.

Bon Appetit!

A classic pie and many variations as to the kind of apples to use.

I usually use a few different kinds of apples like Gala and Macintosh and might add a couple Granny Smith but usually do not use just one type of apple. I think it helps to add more flavor.

You will need one recipe of pie crust (see Pie Crust Pie Crust for the bottom and top crusts).

I also like to have a full pie with lots of filling and will use about 8 or 10 apples.

Peel and core the apples and slice into pieces not too thin into a large bowl.

Add sugar about ¾ cup I will use brown sugar often or half of white and brown. Use whatever you have.

Can also add some maple syrup for added flavor.

It can also be good t add about ¼ cup of flour and mix this will help make the filling a little thicker with all the juices from the fruit.

Some spices like cinnamon, cloves a little nutmeg if you like.

Roll out the bottom crust and place in the plate, wet the edges, add the filling, roll out the top crust with air holes, place onto the filling and seal the edges and trim (you can see from the pics my edges are pretty rustic!!)

I often drizzle a little cream or half and half onto the top as well as sprinkle some sugar.

Bake the pie at 425F for about 25 – 30 minutes then reduce the heat to 350F and bake another 25 – 30 minutes you will see if it is bubbling and crust is brown.

Bon Appetit!

This is the cheater cherry pie…with canned pie filling. But one does not always have a big bowl of pitted fresh cherries available to make cherry pie!

You can also use canned fruit (not prepared filling).

You will need one recipe of double pie crust (see pie crust Pie Crust)

Roll out the bottom and place into the pie plate. The rest will be used for the top and either a full covered top with some air holes or a lattice design.

To do the lattice roll out the dough and cut a bunch of equal width strips. Roll the piece out long enough to cover the pie plate with some overlap as you will be weaving the pieces into a lattice.

For the filling, if using canned fruit (about 4 cups) place into a bowl and add about ½ – ¾ cup sugar (if the fruit is not pre-sweetened check this or it will be far too sweet). Also check if the cherries are called sweet cherries or sour cherries. Sour cherries will require more sugar, about 1 cup in total.

In a separate cup mix about 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and add about ¼ to 1/3 cup of cold water to mix into a paste and stir this into the cherry mixture.

Add a little lemon juice and a few spices if desired. I usually add a bit of cinnamon and touch of cloves.

Stir and let it sit a few minutes while you get the top crust rolled out or pieces cut for a lattice.

Pour the mixture into the bottom crust (the crust is not baked).

Wet the edge of the bottom crust with water (this will help seal the top crust or pieces – you may have to add a little more water as you go to seal the lattice pieces to the bottom crust if it does not stick but do not add too much as it will become soggy).

If using prepared pie filling, well, pour it into the bottom crust.

I still like to add some extra taste like a few spices but that is a personal preference.

Bake the pie at 425F for about 25 – 30 minutes then reduce the heat to 350F and bake another 25 – 30 minutes you will see if it is bubbling and crust is brown.

Bon Appetit!

I have a few recipes for this pie and the one I normally use is based off one in an old Joy of Cooking cookbook that I have altered somewhat.

Baked single pie crust (see pie crust Pie Crust)

In a saucepan whisk together 1 ½ c sugar

1/3 c cornstarch plus another ~ 2 tbsp

pinch of salt

Whisk into this blending well:

1 ½ cups water

~2/3 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice (this is the PIE!!! Must use fresh squeezed lemons. I use about 5 or 6 lemons)

Some grated lemon zest to make about 3 or 4 tablespoons

Into the above whisk in about 5 egg yolks until no streaks remain. Keep the egg whites for the meringue and make sure you leave them at room temperature do not put them back into the fridge.

Place it on a medium-low heat and keep whisking to keep it smooth as it becomes thick.

Add about 3 tablespoons of butter cut into pieces and keep mixing as it melts.

The mixture will become quite thick.

Pour this into the baked crust and immediately cover with a sheet of plastic wrap. You want to wrap to touch the filling so you avoid getting a thick skin before you add the meringue but you also need the filling to be hot when you add the meringue therefore start making the meringue immediately.

Meringue

Oven remains at 400F for the meringue.

This meringue is fast and easy to make.

Use the egg whites from the filling (should have about 5)

Add about ¼ tsp of cream of tartar to the whites and beat until soft definite peaks form.

Gradually beat in the sugar, a fine or superfine sugar works best but if you only have regular white granulated sugar use it; you will need about ½ cup of sugar.

Continue beating on high to get stiff peaks then add a little vanilla for flavor if you want (not necessary).

Immediately spread this on top of the filling and spread around to touch the meringue to the edges of the crust so as to ‘anchor’ it to the edges. Touch up the rest of the pie to get your fluffy ridges.

Bake this in the heated oven about 20 minutes. Check it around 15 or 16 minutes as it will start getting brown on the peaks and you do not want it to burn.

When done, place it on a rack to cool.

Now…..growing up on the farm my brothers were infamous for immediately devouring hot lemon pie…no time for pie cooling at my house.

Years later one of my brothers ordered a piece of lemon pie at a truck stop restaurant and it was brought to him…Cold!!!

He asked if it could be heated up and I think the staff thought he was a complete nutcase!

To each his own!!

Bon Appetit!!

 

Recipes for pie crust are often a closely guarded secret. Or rather they were when I was growing up.

On the farm we rendered our own lard after we butchered pigs (simple farm fact for those who are cringing right now) and years and years later I still have a little bit of that home rendered lard that I use on very special occasions to make pie crust.

The Tenderflake and other ‘lard’ you buy in the store will work of course as not everyone has home rendered lard available.

Regardless…..you need a decent crust, so let’s go make it.

It is easiest to make a batch of crust that will do one complete pie i.e. the bottom and the top.

For single crust pies we only need the bottom and will have extra so I will often make something else using just the bottom like an apple pie in a smaller plate and fold over the crust. You can do this in mini creusettes and make a few of them.

Freezing pie dough, in my humble opinion, is awful. Does not work. I have tried it. Put wonderful fresh (extra) pie dough in the freezer and then thawed it and tried to use it…like a rubber tire …and try baking that??? I don’t think so.

Make a batch and use it. There are also some sweet pastry things to use that extra dough. I’ve done it and will have to find that for you and post…

Alright the pastry…

Make this ahead of time if you like as it can chill in the fridge for a few hours.

1 cup of lard or Tenderflake (if you only have Crisco that is what you will have to use)

1 egg

2 tablespoons of vinegar

cold water to fill measuring cup

The above stuff…you measure your lard in a 1 cup measure and then put it in a bowl…you use the same 1 cup measure and put in the egg….beat it….add the vinegar…and fill it to 1 cup with cold water (this volume has worked for me and Mom and Grandma…the point is to have the volume of water to cohere the flour but not form the gluten which will start to make it tough).

Cut it into a bowl that has 2 ½ cups of good flour and 1 teaspoon of baking powder and a wee pinch of cream of tartar.

Cut all that stuff together with a pastry cutter, a couple forks or however you want to do it and in a few short minutes it will make a nice ball of lardy pastry. It is preferable to chill it for at least 15 – 20 minutes if you have time.

Roll it out.

Sprinkle a little flour on a surface.

Take about half of the ball of pastry and put it on the flour.

Roll it out. If you don’t have a proper rolling pin fret not. A can or bottle will work. Bottom line is you want to roll out the pastry to a sheet so you can place it into the pie plate.

Roll to about ¼ inch you do not want it too thick nor too thin.

Drape it over your pie plate with a few inches overlap of dough. This is up to each individual and how perfect they want the edges to look. Obviously you can see from my apple and cherry pies that the uber perfection part was absent.

As it is a single crust you should poke some holes in it with a fork or use a piece of foil placed on the crust and put something heavy on it that wont cook – dry beans or pastry beads or weights. This is just to avoid the pastry bubble. And if you get some bubbles just push them down after it is done.

Bake it at 400F about 20 minutes do not overbake it or it will be bitter.

If you are making a double crust pie the bottom will not be baked first and after you roll out the bottom, the filling will be placed inside then the top rolled out and placed. Then you can have fun with various decorative tops and designs or just a basic top with some air holes (see my Apple pie and cherry pie).

Bon Appetit!

 

 

 

Baked Pasta with Cheese

Fill a large pot with salted water to boil.

Heat oven to 375F.

Pasta – Fresh (cooks in 4-5 mins) or dried (average about 9-12 minutes al dente) Make sure water is salted when boiling pasta.

For this recipe I used about 2 cups of dry pasta.

Sauce

Make a simple white sauce (Béchamel) if you do not have onion, bay leaves and cloves to add to the milk do not worry. If you have a little nutmeg add that but again if not, don’t worry.

Heat on LOW heat about 1 ½ cups milk – can use 1% or 2% or mixture of lower fat and higher fat milk; obviously the higher fat makes it taste richer and creamier. The milk will not take long to heat. When milk is hot (you will see steam coming off the top), remove the pot and remove the onion, bay leaves and cloves if added.

Grate your cheese (or cut into small chunks as long as it is in smaller pieces to melt easily). I like it cheesy and usually add about a cup to the sauce.

This is a preference of taste you can use a variety of cheeses whatever you like. In this particular recipe I used marble, old cheddar and some chive Boursin cheese as that is what was readily available at the time.

For the cheese sauce (Mornay) in another pot melt on LOW heat about 2 tbsp. of butter (or if you are short space / pots simply pour the hot milk into a bowl or pitcher and use the same pot to make the sauce).

Add about 2 tbsp. of flour and mix constantly to blend the melted butter and flour to a paste then add the hot milk and the grated cheese and stir continuously on LOW heat to thicken (a few minutes).

Season with some pepper.

The sauce will likely not require much salt if you have used salted butter as well as the salt in the cheese; taste the sauce before seasoning with salt.

Drain the pasta, pour into the casserole dish and pour the cheese sauce on and mix to cover all the pasta.

In a small frying pan melt about 1 tbsp. butter and add about ½ cup of breadcrumbs to coat the crumbs.

Sprinkle the buttered crumbs onto the pasta and bake uncovered in oven about 20 minutes. The breadcrumbs will be brown and the pasta will be bubbling.

Let it cool about 5-10 minutes before serving.

This recipe is very versatile and easy to add other ingredients:

Cooked meat (ground beef, chicken, turkey, pieces of ham or bacon etc.)– About 1/2 cup to 1 cup of cooked meat can be added at the stage of mixing the pasta and sauce before baking.

Chopped tomatoes may be added prior to baking as well.

Serve with salad, garlic toast or fresh bread.

BON APPETIT!!!!!!!!

MB