People get wine, even if they don’t get wine. My parents proclaim Yellow Tail to be the best thing they’ve ever tasted, but even they understand that there’s a difference between Yellow Tail and not-Yellow Tail.

Things aren’t so different with chocolate. You’ve got your crap chocolate, chock full of stabilizers, wax and milk powder to distract you from the fact that it really tastes nothing like chocolate; and you’ve got your high-end, single-plantation chocolate that was produced by real people for actual tastebuds.

So where do you go to learn more? You take a chocolate-tasting class. With, ahem, me. Or, more specifically, my alter ego, The Well-Tempered Chocolatier. Think small classes, funny stories—and chocolate, chocolate, chocolate.

All classes take place at Xoxolat in Vancouver (2391 Burrard Street, at West 8th Avenue).

>> REGISTER for chocolate-tasting classes here.

Train Your Palate: Guided and Blind Chocolate Tasting
Friday, May 25, 2012
6:30–7:45 p.m.
Get a crash course on chocolate vocabulary and learn how to connect those words with what you’re tasting. You’ll get two rounds of tasting: a guided tasting to learn common flavours in chocolate…and then a blind tasting, to put your tastebuds to the test.

The Good, The Bad and the Ugly: Can You Taste the Difference in Chocolate?
Friday, June 8, 2012
6:30–7:45 p.m.
Based on a label, most people can tell crap chocolate from good. But can your tongue tell? Sample a smattering of chocolates in varying levels of quality to see if you’re up to the challenge.

Chocolate Tasting: Viva Venezuela!
Friday, June 15, 2012
6:30–7:45 p.m.
Take a gastronomic tour of Venezuela, known for the diversity and flavour of its cacao.

Chocolate Matters: Beyond Fair Trade and Organic
Friday, June 22, 2012
6:30–7:45 p.m.
What’s the deal with Fair Trade and organic chocolate…and is it enough? Find out about the politics of chocolate and why stickers on the label don’t tell the whole story.

>> REGISTER for chocolate-tasting classes here.

I love the challenge of setting parameters when cooking. It allows me to try new things and find unique ways of preparing dishes with other ingredients, giving a completely unique experience with sometimes familiar recipes.

How did I solve this?
The challenge for this meal was not just the gluten free aspect, but since I live in a smallish apartment my space and kitchen aren’t really set up to seat or feed more than four. Dishes are also an issue as I don’t really have settings for more than six. This meant that the birthday party would be a stand up/social event and I would restrict myself to tapas in the form of finger food whenever possible.

On the menu:

1. Beetroot dip accompanied by gluten free crackers for dipping.

2. Tequila and lime prawns with a cilantro, tequila and lime dipping sauce.

3. Shrimp and coconut fritters (didnt get a photo of this one… sorry)

4. Bacon and blue cheese stuffed mushroom caps

5. Prawn and scallop civiche

6. Seared ahí Tuna with a pea and asparagus puree

7. Canellini bean salad

8. Pork roast with home made Mango chutney

9. Chocolate hazelnut crepe cake
 
Upon reflection I am really proud of the way I challenged myself to rise to the occasion and provide a meal that people not only loved but could all enjoy without the worry of “what’s in it?”
It was also quite easy to substitute certain ingredients to get the desired result.

Below are a few of the recipes used to create the dishes shown above.

Beetroot dip – makes 1 1/2 cups
2 medium beets, peeled and halved
1 cup (250 ml) cooked chickpeas
1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp (20 ml) lemon juice, plus extra
1 tbsp (20 ml) sesame paste (tahini)
1 pn pepper, to taste
1/4 cup (60 ml) (approximate) toasted sesame seeds, as garnish
1/4 cup (60 ml) parsely, chopped, as garnish

Place steamer basket in small saucepan. Fill with water until just below steamer and bring to a boil. Add beets to saucepan, cover and steam until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove beets from steamer and cool slightly. Grate beets and add to food processor along with chickpeas, garlic, olive oil, salt, coriander, cumin, lemon zest, lemon juice and tahini. Blend until smooth. If dip is too thick, thin with warm water. Season to taste with pepper and lemon juice. Transfer to serving dish and garnish with toasted sesame seeds and parsley. Serve with your favourite crackers, cheese and olives.

Canellini bean salad
2 cup (500 ml) dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight
1 onion, skin on and quartered
1 bay leaf, torn in half
2 cup (500 ml) cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup (130 ml) olive oil, plus extra
1 bn asparagus, trimmed
3 sprigs, fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1 lemon, juice and zest
2 tbsp (30 ml)red pepper flakes (optional)
1 salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C). In large pot, cover beans with water and bring to boil. Add onion, bay leaf and sprinkle with pepper. Simmer 40 minutes until cooked, strain and discard onion and bay leaf. On a baking sheet sprinkle tomatoes with salt, pepper and splash of olive oil then roast in oven for 15 minutes. Blanch asparagus in boiling salted water until tender, strain and cut into bite-sized pieces. Combine remaining ingredients with beans, asparagus and tomatoes. Season to taste and serve at room temperature.

Mango chutney
3 cups Mangoes, peeled and cut
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 red Thai chilli, minced
1 1/2 tsp garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 tsp fresh ginger root, peeled and minced
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup yellow raisins
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups white vinegar

Stir chutney ingredients together in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook slightly covered, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 45min. Serve with pork.?- Chocolate hazelnut crepe cake.

The long and windy road up to the village of Mazeika.

Today is the first day of Greek Orthodox Holy Week, Great Monday, which culminates on Saturday at midnight with Easter and the breaking of a 40 day fast. The Greek Orthodox faith follows the Gregorian calendar which means Easter usually falls a week or two after “English” Easter. That’s always been awesome for me, double the food and your chocolate is half price!

For a few years now I have been wanting to go to my dad’s village in Greece to experience a traditional Easter. I convinced my non-Greek friend Alana that if she wanted a true Greek experience she should come with me. And once I said I we were going, my dad invited himself along for the trip, which ended up being kind of interesting, as for all the times I’ve been to Greece my dad and I have never spent any time together in his village.

The best souvlaki ever!

On Great Thursday we drove with my cousin Sophie from Athens into the mountains of the north central Peleponese to Mazeika where our dads grew up. Not really following the fasting rules, upon arrival the first thing we did was stop at one of the local restaurants in the village square for a pig out to have the best souvlaki ever. Charbroiled over open coals and dripping with meaty goodness, it’s the best I ever tasted.

Way up high in the mountains where my dad used to go swimming.

The view from my dad's bedroom when he was a kid.

House my dad grew up in until it was bombed during the war.

Greek bitter wild onions. Otherwise known as wild ramps.

On Good Friday my dad and uncle drove us around the village and higher up into the mountains where they lived when the war was going on. Along with telling us stories about how they used to sneak away and go swimming while supposedly tending the goats, my dad kept wanting to stop and dig up wild bitter onions. In Greek he told us they were called vorvous. I’ve recently found out that you can find these here in the interior of BC and they are wild ramps. Along with the sight seeing we went around and bought local fresh eggs, cheese, bread and my favourite, Greek honey, which has a distinct flavour as it’s made from bees that drink from the flowers of evergreen trees.

Wild greens from the backyard for the pita.

Making of the wild greens pita.

Lamb ready to be placed into the pot in the fireplace.

1:30 am and my uncle removing the pot of lamb that had been cooking all day.

The Easter Sunday 2 am meal.

Saturday morning my uncle lit the fireplace in the living room, put lamb and potatoes into one of my grandmother’s old pots and set it to roast in the coals all day. After church that night, our fast was broken at around 1 am, really it’s around 2 am, nothing like having a meat feast in the middle of the night! The meal consisted of a rustic garden pita (created from greens picked in the yard), salad, eggs, cheese, bread, wine and the lamb. After being in the fireplace all day, the meat so succulent that is fell right off the bone and all the juices from the lamb were infused into the potatoes.

Kokoretsi, offal on a spit tied with intestine.

The roasting of the whole lamb (kokoretsi wrapped in foil above it).

Greek dessert pita.

As you can never have enough lamb, Sunday brought more to the table for the afternoon meal. This time my uncle roasted a whole lamb on the backyard spit over coals. Along with the lamb (with it’s super crispy mouth watering crackling) there was the traditional Easter kokoretsi. This is fairly easy to make, as it consists of the offal from the lamb strung onto a spit, tied on tightly with the intestine, then grilled over the coals. The only time consuming part is to make sure to thoroughly clean the intestine before proceeding to use it. Completely disgusting my dad (who hates offal) and Alana (sadly a vegetarian) this is one of the best ways I’ve eaten offal, simple, rustic and delicious. Which is also how I’d describe all of these meat preparations, they were spiced with only olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and oregano. That’s all you needed to let the flavour come through. Finishing the meal we had another rustic pita, this time a sweet one made from sugar, milk and eggs.

The making of mageritsa, the Greek Easter soup.

Unfortunately we were only missing one of my favourite dishes, mageritsa, the traditional Greek Easter soup. As my dad is the offal hater he told my aunt not to make any. Not to disappoint me and being fellow foodies, my cousin Maria and her husband Kosta whipped some up when we got back to Athens. Again, it’s simple and rustic and consists of only lamb hearts, liver and kidneys, massive quantities of dill, green onion, a little rice and topped with a traditional egg lemon sauce. I have some lovely lamb offal from Cutter Ranch sitting in my freezer and you bet I’m making this next Sunday!

Upon reflection I have to say this was the best trip I’ve taken to Greece. Not only for the food but for whom I shared the food with, family that I don’t get to see very often.

Mageritsa – Greek Easter Soup

There are as many versions of this soup as there are Greek grandmothers. Here is the version my cousin made. Be aware there are not really any specific quantities or times for this – it’s kind of a soup experiment!

• 1 Lamb liver
• 1 Lamb heart
• 2 Lamb kidneys (my grandmother only used kidneys and heart, but in addition you can use liver as well as lung)
• 1 Bunch of green onions (with large bulbs or use a bunch of greens onions and one white onion)
• 2 T or more of dill
• Hot lamb stock or water
• 4 – 6 Tablespoons of rice
• 2 Lemons
• 2 – 3 Eggs
• Olive oil
• Salt, pepper

Boil the liver, heart and kidneys in hot water. Rinse. (My grandmother would boil the kidneys and rinse them at lease two to three times to remove impurities.) Remove any weird bits, skins or veins, let them cool and chop into bite size pieces.

In a large heavy pot heat olive oil, then throw in chopped onions, offal and dill. Let it all come to a boil, add the rice and enough hot lamb stock or water to cover. Simmer on low heat until meat is very tender which will take approximately three hours. Add more stock if needed, the soup should be chunky, not runny, but you will need enough broth to make the egg-lemon sauce – approximately three cups.

While the soup is simmering make the avgolemono (egg-lemon) sauce. Separate eggs and beat whites into stiff peaks, then beat in the yolks and lemon juice. Take a ladle full of the broth from hot soup and beat quickly into the eggs, repeat then pour this mix into the pot and serve hot.

Tarte au Sucre

A couple of months ago we had a Foodists Montréal movie night. Even though I was told we had loads of desert, being a sugar addict I just had to add to the sweets being offered, as for a while I’ve been wanting to make a traditional Québecois sugar pie, a tarte au sucre. I searched around for a few recipes and made one that used heavy cream, eggs and brown sugar. However I was not pleased with the consistency and the center seemed to be a bit runny so I decided to look around for a different recipe. For new years day dinner I tried the version below:

1 unbaked pie shell (I used a pate brisée, recipe below)
6 T flour
2 c packed brown sugar (or 1c brown, 1c maple sugar)
1.5 c evaporated milk (I used 1 can of carnation)
4 T butter
1/2 t salt
1 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 400. Combine flour, sugar, stir in milk, butter, salt and vanilla. Cook stirring constantly until mix comes to a boil. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 400 for five minutes, reduce heat to 350 and continue baking for 25 minutes.

After having to cook this for another 10 minutes until the center was set, I decided that the better option was to cook 10 minutes at 400, then lower to 350 for the additional time.

This version was super tasty but sickly and richly sweet, so a small wedge will do and it’s fantastic with a dark coffee. While searching the internet for recipes I saw this pie served with ice cream as well as swimming in a plate of heavy cream.

Pate Brisée

Reading through my mom’s latest version of The Joy of Cooking I found a bit of a variation on the traditional pate brisée recipe. Traditionally made with all butter they suggested adding a small bit of shortening to make it slightly flakier. It worked and I found it made the dough slightly more malleable and didn’t interfere with the buttery taste.

2.5 cups of all purpose flour
1 t white sugar or 1 T powdered sugar
1 t salt
1/2 pound of unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/3 cup plus 1 T ice water

Mix dry ingredients, cut in butter until mixture resembles course crumbs then cut in vegetable shortening. Drizzly the water over the mixture forms small balls. Press down on dough, if balls of dough stick together you have added enough water. Divide in half, press each into a flat disk and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour, but preferable for a few hours. Can be kept frozen for six months. This makes enough dough for two pies, or one covered pie.

A few weeks ago a friend introduced me to a recipe that her sister swears by. A recipe for Black Bean Brownies.

My sister is celiac so I have been interested in finding new gluten-free recipes that I can make for her when she comes into town, but could black bean brownies be any good?

I decided to give them a try and see for myself.

The recipe is surprisingly simple and really easy to make:

BLACK BEAN BROWNIES
2 1/2 cup canned black beans drained and rinsed
2 eggs
3T vegetable oil
1/3 c cocoa powder
1/2 t salt
1 t vanilla extract
3/4c sugar
1 t instant coffee
1/2 cup semi sweet choc chips
Set oven to 350°

- Put everything except choc chips in blender and blend till smooth.
- Fold in choc chips. pour mixture in 8×8″ pan.
- Bake for 30 mins. Cool and serve. (it firms up quite a bit when cooled.)
You can also add nuts to the mix.

The result was a moist, dark chocolaty, textured brownie that was pleasing on the palate.

Try it for yourself and let me know what you think.

José Maria da Fonseca ‘Albis’ 2010, Portugal                       $9.99

Its almost impossible to believe that a wine under $10 can have any depth, personality or food friendly appeal, yet this blend of Moscatel & Arinto grapes from the Setúbal Peninsula just south of Lisbon possesses just that. Dry, zippy and aromatic with clean, refreshing fruit, this could happily work with some lightly treated white fish or simple salad. (BC Liquor Stores)

Domaine de Sancet 2010 Côtes de Gascogne, France       $11.99

Gascony in south-west France is currently pumping out some of the best value low cost un-oaked whites on the planet. Sancet is light yet packed with delicious floral & green fruit flavours. It is a blend of mostly Colombard, Ugni Blanc and Gros Manseng grapes and hands down beats any under $15 varietal Sauvignon Blanc I can think of. Imagine drinking it alongside some green-lipped mussels in a Thai flavoured broth. (BC Liquor Stores)

Boutari Kretikos 2010, Greece                                                $12.99

Greece has been undergoing a quiet revolution on the wine front recently and if you haven’t discovered new Greek wine yet, here is the perfect place to start. Poles apart from foul-tasting $10-a-litre Retsina, this crisp un-oaked white hales from the hot, arid island of Crete. Believe it or not, it weighs in with only 12% alcohol but is chock full of citrusy fruit. Made to match with Mediterranean flavours. (BC Liquor Stores)

Cave de Saumur ‘Les Pouches’ 2010 Saumur, France      $17.95

The Loire Valley might just currently be France’s most exciting white wine region with just about everything on our store shelves being interesting and value driven. 2010 ‘Les Pouches’ is one of my favourites with  its  bone dry, mineral & floral accented green fruit perfectly reflecting both Chenin Blanc and the tuffeau soils on which the grapes are grown. Happiness with a tower of seafood! (BC Liquor Stores)

Zinck Pinot Blanc 2009 Alsace, France                                  $17.99

This is a great combination of under-rated grape variety, under-appreciated region, solid producer and a top vintage. The results are precise, expressive fruit showing a surprising depth of creamy apple & pear flavours, a fine balance of all components and persistence in the finish. Delicious & gluggable. Go Alsace! Go Pinot Blanc! Go 2009! With crab cakes. (BC Liquor Stores, Specialty Listing)

Quinta da Cabriz Encruzado 2009 Dâo, Portugal                 $17.99

If you thought that Portugal was only about big reds and cheap rosé  then think again. Portuguese whites have come of age and now offer some of the most interesting flavours around for unbeatable prices. Leading the charge on this front is the Encruzado  grape producing wines with fine texture, weight and balance as in this version from Quinta da Cabriz, an estate located in the Dâo. Full-bodied, round and nutty with restrained oak, subtle fruit, floral and herbal nuances, elegant and long. Grilled tuna steaks should work well. (BC Liquor Stores)

Marotti Campi ‘Luzano’ 2009                                                   $19.99 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore, Italy

Verdicchio is one of Italy’s best and most characterful white grapes and its home is the rolling hills of Castelli di Jesi in the Marche on Italy’s Adriatic coast. This version from the family owned Marotti Campi estate in Morro d’Alba is one of the best I’ve tasted and the 2009 vintage is superb, counterpointing dense, round fruit with fresh acidity & light bitter notes. Luzano is food wine par excellence and would work well with tempura, ceviche or similar. (BC Liquor Stores, Specialty Listing)

Louis Latour Grand Ardèche Chardonnay 2007, France   $22.99

From limestone soils in the little known Ardèche region just west of the Rhône Valley, this is the big brother of the more widely available but much simpler un-oaked Chardonnay from Burgundy producer, Louis Latour. The sensitively handled oak and top quality fruit speak to Burgundy and the pedigree here is obvious. The extra few dollars for this wine are truly worth paying and this elegant, complex, full-flavoured Chardonnay is one of the best around for the money. I’d love to drink this with lobster tails in creamy pasta or similar rich seafood. (Selected Private Stores)

William Fèvre 2009 Petit Chablis, France                           $24.99

The 2009 vintage in northern Europe was hailed as a huge success and delivered very ripe, healthy fruit in many regions. In Chablis the results seem variable with some wines not showing a classic terroir driven profile. Not so this Petit Chablis from top producer Fèvre which has it all and  is the finest vintage of this wine I can remember tasting. Lean, green & minerally from fruit sourced on the plateau overlooking the Grand Cru slope. Drink with the usual shellfish suspects.(BC Liquor Stores, Specialty Listing)

Kruger-Rumpf Schiefer Riesling 2009, Germany               $24.99

This is my undisputed top wine of this week’s selection. In honesty I am not usually a big fan of German Riesling, so was taken by complete surprise when I first tasted this as I immediately loved it! Schiefer is from top Nahe winery, Kruger-Rumpf and the name references the slate soils on which the grapes are grown. It does have a perceptible sweetness on the attack but is made in drier style with a concentration of fruit and overall finesse that is impossible to believe at this price. Serious and seriously good wine. Drink with everything! (BC Liquor Stores, Specialty Listing)

Chocolate boxes by Thomas Haas

Like many modern holidays, Valentines Day had sombre beginnings that have morphed into a celebration of the more happy things in life. Valentine’s Day was originally created to honour Christian martyrs that were named Saint Valentine. In total there were fourteen of these saints and one of them died on February 14th. The romantic connotations of the holiday first began in the 14th century via a poem written by Geoffrey Chaucer to celebrate the engagement of Richard II to Anne of Bohema. The poem wrote about ‘Volantynys day’ as if it were historical fact. Fast forward through a few centuries of this being propagated, and we have the romantic holiday as we know it today.

Macarons by Thierry

Valentine’s Day is traditionally one of the busiest times of year for restaurants but for those couples wishing to avoid having an intimate dinner with dozens of people in near proximity here are some of my favourite Foodist ways to celebrate romance:

Watch a romantic food movie, paired with food, tipples and snuggling:
• Waitress – Piiiiiie and a dessert wine (late harvest, Sauternes, ice)
• Bridget Jones Diary – Leek & potato soup (sans blue string)
• Tampopo – Ramen or sushi, and sake
• Chocolat – Chocolate and port
• Eat Drink Man Woman – Dumplings and Riesling

Sweetheart Trio for Two at The Urban Tea Merchant

Share an unconventional Valentines day meal:
•  The most common Valentines meal is dinner but there’s also breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses, luncheon, and afternoon tea. Urban Tea Merchant is great place for high end teas, and for the month of February they are featuring a number of speciality tea blends as well as a delectable Sweetheart Trio for Two. It’s one of the most interested tea experiences I’ve had, featuring a beautifully plated selection of fruits, house made cakes, and tea infused dark chocolate ganaches.
•   Have the first meal that you ate together as a couple or something that has strong food memories from the beginning of your relationship. One of the most food knowledgeable couples I know had many a date at McDonald’s during their university days and a decade later, they still view it as a nostalgic romantic treat. (On a similar theme, my husband and I once went out for hot dogs as an anniversary dinner.)
•   Role switch in the kitchen – the partner that doesn’t normally cook makes the meal for the other and same for the dishwashing role. Bonus points if that’s normally the same person! Wives, remember not to stress out about how messy the kitchen is getting!

Chocolate cake by Thierry

For those seeking Valentines day chocolates, Vancouver has been blessed with many excellent chocolate and pastry shops. There’s the perennial local favourite, Thomas Haas Fine Chocolates & Patisserie. Newer additions to the quality sweets scene that I’ve tried and liked are Thierry, Bel Cafe, and Beta5. Each shop features a selection of handmade treats using premium ingredients. Whether it’s chocolates, pastries, macarons, or caramels, you’re sure to find something sweet to share with your loved one – Valentine’s Day or any day.

Chocolates by Bel Cafe

The vegetarian Punjabi dish chole bhature—curried chickpeas with fried bread—is one of the most popular breakfasts in North India. It’s not tough to understand why: It’s a spicy plate of legumes paired with puffy, crispy bread, a readymade vessel for mopping up that full-bodied richness. On any given morning in New Delhi, you’ll find a crowd of rickshaw drivers, students, and shopkeepers elbowing their way to the counter at the local chole vendor. It’s often eaten standing up, usually for a lack of seating but also because it’s too damn delicious to not wolf down.

In Delhi last spring, doing research for our food-travel website Eat Your World, my husband and I first encountered the dish at our hotel’s small buffet breakfast. It quickly became our favorite item, and we knew, of course, we had to try the real thing on the street. One morning, we took a rickshaw to a nearby local-blogger-approved vendor and joined the masses on a street corner for our own plate (and one for our rickshaw driver) of piping-hot chole bhature. The staff kindly gave us two pieces of bread, which they’d fried in a woklike vessel of hot oil.

The dark-colored chole was spicy and hearty, the bhature perfectly crispy on the outside and super soft inside, showing shreds of paneer (Indian white cheese). It’s finger-licking messy to eat in the standing-room-only storefront, but so satisfying we immediately ordered another. Appetites thus whetted, we couldn’t leave without trying another local specialty, rajma chawal, or soupy kidney beans and rice.

Fast-forward to a few weeks later in Udaipur, Rajasthan, where we stayed at the friendly Hotel Krishna Niwas. One of the owners, Sushma Khatri, runs cooking classes on pretty much anything you’d like to learn in Indian cuisine, so of course we asked to cook chole bhature (among other dishes). The version we made with Sushma tasted a bit different than the one we had in Delhi—lighter in color, the bhature much smaller and without paneer—but was delicious nonetheless.

My copy of Sushma’s recipe is already tattered and covered in notes, as I’ve attempted to double and even triple the yield for a dinner party (alas, I have cooked only the chole at home, not the bhature). The first time I made it was for a bunch of friends one morning at a beach house this summer. They were initially skeptical about chickpeas—heavily spiced, no less—for breakfast, but one bite and they were hooked.

CHOLE BHATURE

(adapted from Sushma Khatri’s cooking class at the Hotel Krishna Niwas, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India)

For the chole:

Note: This recipe serves about 4. I usually double it, as it makes for good leftovers. I’ve had good results using (rinsed) canned chickpeas as well.

1 ½ cups chickpeas, soaked over night (yields 4.5 cups cooked chickpeas), or about 3 cans

1 bag of black tea (preferably assam)

2 tsp ginger, chopped

2 tsp green chopped chile

2 tsp amchur powder (a.k.a. mango powder; can substitute lemon juice for similar tang)

1 tsp red chile powder

2 tsp roasted ground cumin seeds

1 tsp garam masala

1 ½ tsp salt

1 ½ tsp coriander powder

¼ cup vegetable oil

2 bay leaves

6 peppercorns

1 black cardamom

3 onions, chopped

4 tomatoes, peeled and pureed

Fresh cilantro, chopped

1. Cook the chickpeas with the tea bag—Sushma recommends using a pressure cooker and 3 cups of water, then boiling for 15 minutes or until soft. (If using canned chickpeas, I recommend skipping the tea bag altogether. Your chole will be lighter in color, but soaking canned legumes in water makes them too soggy.)
2. In a large pan, combine the cooked chickpeas with the ginger, chiles, and first six spices. Cook until any water in the pan (from the boiled chickpeas) dries up; if using canned, you’ll have to add a little water or stock to the pan to moisten a bit.
3. In a second pan, heat the oil and add the bay leaves, peppercorns, cardamom, and chopped onion. Cook until golden-brown.
4. Add the pureed tomato to the onion mix. Heat, then add the contents of the pan to the chickpeas.
5. Combine, add some chopped fresh cilantro, and serve with bhature (or, lacking that, any Indian bread, even roti).

For the bhature:

Note: I have not tested this recipe at home; only in Sushma’s class. Where needed, I’ve filled out some details using other recipes.

2 ½ cups of fine white flour

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

½ cup curd/plain yogurt (preferably Indian style)

½ tsp baking powder

1 pinch baking soda

Vegetable oil for deep-frying

1. Mix all the ingredients together with some water, enough to make a very soft dough. Cover with cloth for at least three hours so it rises a bit (look for tiny bubbles on the surface).
2. Using a rolling pin, flatten out to the shape of a small chapati (or Mexican tortilla), then heat up the oil in a deep pan, like a wok. (To test if it’s hot enough without a thermometer, pinch off a piece of dough and see if it rises to the surface and sizzles.)
3. Slide the bhature dough into the oil. Using a slotted spoon, flip it after a few seconds, once it starts to puff up a bit (you may have to push down on it a little). Your timing might take some trial and error—you want them to puff up and turn golden, but not too brown; they should stay soft inside.
4. Place hot bhature on a paper towel to absorb excess oil, but eat while warm. Serve with sliced raw onion, lemon, and, of course, chole.

As you’ve no doubt heard, The Cannery, an iconic Vancouver restaurant for 38 years, has closed its doors. All that is left on their website is the announcement of the auction that will be selling off some of the maritime antiques. It is sad, but I did find their recipe for Salmon Wellington online. So, if you offer to help with the puff pastry, then maybe I can make this for you at my place! You won’t be able to arrive at my place via float plane, but it just might have to do.

As Degan confessed in her beef wellington post, it is hard to make! Although, when I showed the recipe to Mark, he said, “Easy! Just make a duxelle, the mousse, and then do the puff pastry. When it is baking, then you can just whip up the pinot noir butter sauce. You can do most of it ahead of time.” Sure – I’ll just do 6 hours of work ahead of time.

But, not to be intimidated by a recipe, I set out to Finest at Sea to get my salmon and was on my way. Don’t be overwhelmed by the long recipe -  it actually wasn’t hard. It just took some time. And the results were well worth it.

*Note: Since posting this in 2010, I’ve made this a couple times, and have had to tweak the recipe so it actually works… I’ve added some detail to the original recipe and have tested the results. Delicious. (Serves 4)

Ingredients:
4 pieces fresh spring salmon fillet (skinned and deboned)
1 package puff pastry (yes, I cheated!)
2 oz baby shrimp
1 egg yolk and 2 tbsp milk whisked together for egg wash

Duxelles:
2 oz button mushrooms
1 oz foie gras or chicken liver diced
1 medium shallot
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp butter
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 c sherry, vermouth, or dry wine
salt and pepper to taste

Fish Mousse:
2 oz salmon
2 oz whipping cream
pinch of salt
1 egg white

Sauce:
1/4 lb butter
1 c pinot noir wine
1 c whipping cream
1 medium shallot
1/2 tsp honey
2 sprig fresh thyme

Preparation:

Mushroom Duxelles:
Finely chop the mushrooms in a food processor. Place mushrooms on a clean dry towel (not terry towel, and use an old towel as this will stain it). Twist the mushrooms in the towel to remove any water. You want them as dry as possible. Heat 1/2 tsp butter, add the mushrooms, shallots, foie gras (or chicken liver), thyme, salt and pepper and saute for a few minutes until brown and dry. Add the other 1/2 tsp of butter and once that has melted, add the sherry and cook until the sherry has evaporated.

Let cool for a few minutes and add the chopped parsly and mix. Place on a plate and keep refrigerated until needed.

Fish Mousse:
In a clean food processor, place the 2 oz salmon, add the salt and chop the salmon into a very thin mousse. Add the egg white and mix. Slowly add the 2 oz of cream and mix for one minute. Be careful not to over mix, the mousse will split. Remove mousse from the food processor and place in refrigerator until needed.

Salmon Wellington:
Flour a dry counter or marble, and roll the puff pastry into a rectangle (8″x10″). You will need enough dough to fold over the length of the salmon and make a seal. Evenly space the salmon fillets along bottom edge of the puff pastry. Leave a margin of pastry at edge to seal the Wellington. Season with salt and pepper. Spread 2 tbsp of mousse evenly over each fillet. Spread the duxelles evenly over the salmon fillet to coat it and keep it moist. Top it with shrimp meat. Brush the edges of the pastry with egg wash, taking care not to touch the salmon.

Fold puff pastry forward to completely cover salmon. Cut pastry between fillets. Press the edges together with a fork to seal and make a decorative pattern. Trim edges. Prick the pastry top to allow air to escape while baking. Place the Wellington on wax paper over a baking tray. Brush the top with egg wash. Bake in a preheated 400F oven for 15 minutes then turn the heat to 375F for an additional 15 minutes.

Pinot Noir Butter Sauce:
Place the chopped shallot in a saucepan over medium heat. Pour in the red wine and honey. Reduce until almost dry and add the cream. Reduce 1 cup cream to half and turn heat to low. Slowly whisk in the butter. Whisk constantly until butter is fully combined in reduction. Pour the sauce through a strainer into a clean saucepan. Adjust the seasoning and serve with the Wellington.

So maybe I can make the Salmon Wellington at home, but we’ll definitely miss the Cannery’s ambiance.

A few years ago I went on a search for an eggnogg recipe as find most store bought varieties quite disgusting.

As I love vintage I ended up adapting a recipe from Esquire’s Handbook for Hosts that was originally published in 1949. Below is my variation on “Old Virgina Eggnog.” I’ve left in a few of their choice instructions starting off with the description from the eggnog section:

“To tradition-steeped Christmas celebrants, the season would be bleak unless thickly upholstered with Eggnog”

6 eggs, new born
1 cup granulated sugar (I usually put slightly less)
1 cup Grande Marnier
1 cup Metaxa (or whatever brandy you have)
1 cup dark rum
2 cups light cream
2 cups whip cream
4 cups whole milk
Vanilla (to taste)
Nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice (to taste)

Separate the eggs and beat the yolks relentlessly while adding the sugar until they are a pale yellow. Add the liquor, dairy, vanilla and spices. Place in fridge overnight. When ready to serve beat the egg whites until stiff and fold this side show into the main show. Partakers will need spoons as this calls for spadework.

Every year I make this nog slightly differently, sometimes I use Metaxa, sometimes bourbon or cognac. I vary the spices and to make it thicker I’ve beaten the whip cream before adding it in. Let me know what your favourite variations are!

“An apple resists being eaten. An apple is not eaten, it is conquered. The crunchiness of a pear is far more appealing. It is giving and fragile. To eat a pear is akin to … kissing.”
– Beatrice & Virgil by Yann Martel

While the air changes from the sharp crispness of fall to the biting chill of winter, pears are poking their conical plump bodies out of the produce pile. They’re a humble fruit, without the bright colours of summer fruit or fall squashes. Instead of a bright waxy shine, they have dull knobby surfaces. Often they don’t even sit upright by themselves. Their optimum ripeness only lasts for a few days, and getting a bag of pears to ripen all at the same time can be inconvenient. But I love them! They have a complexity of flavours and textures that I don’t find in apples, and are a wonderfully versatile to cook with.

Several years ago, I attended a Cooking with BC’s Best dinner (now called Guest Chef Market Dinners) at Edible BC (now Edible Canada) with Thomas Haas (still the same, but now with one more store than before!) where he taught us how to make the most wonderful pear tart. As you can see, many things have changed but this tart is just as fabulous as the day Thomas taught us how to make it. With its buttery crust, nutty almond cream filling, and soft poached pears, this tart is the perfect dessert to fight off the chills. Wrap your hands around a hot toddy or warm apple cider in between bites.

Pear Almond Tart with Blackcurrant Jam
- adapted from a recipe by Thomas Haas

½ recipe of Shortbread Dough (see below)
1 recipe of Kalamansi Poached Pears (see below)
1 recipe of Almond Cream (see below)
A few Tbsp of Cassis jam (or blackberry or blueberry)
A few Tbsp of slivered almonds (optional)
Ground cinnamon (optional)

Note: The Shortbread Dough and Poached Pears can be made a day ahead.

Roll out a disc of shortbread dough until it is large enough to line a 9″ tart pan with a removable bottom. Line the tart pan and trim off any extra dough. If the dough tears, just patch it or push it into place.

Spread a thin layer (about ¼” thick) of cassis jam on the dough, spreading it right to the edge.

Pipe the almond cream into the tart, starting from the center and working your way out in circles.

Cut the poached pears in half vertically. Vertically slice the bottom part of the pear halves, leaving the top part uncut so that the half pear is still held together in one piece. Place the pear halves on top of the almond cream to cover the top of tart and fan the sliced portion out.

Scatter some slivered almonds over the pears and lightly dust with cinnamon.

Place the tart on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment or foil. (This step is important! Some butter will leak out of the tart crust during baking so the lining makes for easier cleanup. If the tart isn’t baked on a sheet, then the butter will drip onto the oven and smoke.)

Bake the tart at 325°F for 45-60 minutes, rotating halfway through baking, until middle of the tart is set and the almond cream has browned.

Cool the tart to room temperature, or serve slightly warm. On a cold snowy day, dust lightly with icing sugar.

Shortbread Dough
Makes enough for 2 x 9″ tarts

Butter, softened       160 grams       6 ounces
Granulated Sugar      80 grams        3 ounces
Salt                        ¼ tsp            ¼ tsp
All-purpose flour       240 grams       8 ounces
Eggs                       30 grams         1 ounce

* Makes enough for 2 tarts.

Note: 30 grams of eggs is approximately half of a large egg, or 2 Tbsp. Crack an egg into a small bowl and break it up with a fork before measuring it out.

Using a mixer, cream together the butter, sugar and salt on medium speed for several minutes. Add the egg and mix together. Add the flour all at once and mix the dough just enough to incorporate.

Divide the dough into two equal discs and wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate one disc for several hours or overnight. Freeze the other disc for later use.

Kalamansi Poached Pears
Granulated sugar      250 grams       9  ounces
Water                    1.5 litres         1.5 litres
Star Anise              ½ piece          ½ piece
Vanilla bean            1 pieces          1 pieces
Kalamansi lime juice   60 grams        2 ounces
Bartlett Pears          3 medium        3 medium

Note: Kalamansi limes can be found in specialty Southeast Asian stores. If you can’t find Kalamansi limes, substitute regular limes. Ginger would also be a very good option.

Peel and core the pears.

Measure out the water and set it aside. Use a thick bottomed and sturdy pot that is large enough to hold all of the water and the pears. Place the pot on the stovetop and set the temperature to medium low heat.

Add a few tablespoons of the sugar to the pot and wait until it melts and caramelizes to a light golden brown. Add the rest of the sugar to the pot, a few tablespoons at a time, until all of the sugar is caramelized. (Stir the sugar occasionally if it is not caramelizing evenly. Don’t worry if the sugar clumps.) Add all of the water to the pot, being careful not to splatter the hot caramel.

Split the vanilla bean in half and scrape out the seeds. Add the vanilla seeds, vanilla pod, star anise, and lime juice to the caramel water and bring to a boil. Add the pears and turn the heat down until the liquid is barely simmering. Cut out a small round of parchment to fit the inside diameter of the pot and place over the pears to keep them submerged. Cook the pears for 30 minutes, then leave them to cool in the poaching liquid.

Almond Cream
Butter, softened      100 grams       3.5 ounces
Icing Sugar             100 grams       3.5 ounces
Salt                       ¼ tsp            ¼ tsp
Almond flour           100 grams        3.5 ounces
Cornstarch             15 grams         ½ ounce
Eggs                      60 grams         2 ounces/1 Large

Have all ingredients ready at room temperature.

Combine the almond flour and cornstarch together in a small bowl. Break the egg into a small bowl and use a fork to break up the egg.

Using a mixer, cream together the butter and icing sugar. Mix in half of the almond/cornstarch mixture, then half the egg, and repeat. Mix just enough to combine.

Place the almond cream mixture into a re-usable pastry bag fitted with a ½” tip, a disposable pastry bag, or a sturdy freezer ziploc bag. Push the filling down into the bag and twist the top to prevent filling from leaking out the back. If using a disposable pastry bag, cut off the tip of the disposable bag, just enough to make a ½” diameter hole.

Last week, fellow Foodist Karen Hamilton went to Montreal to participate in the Van Houtte Coffee Getaway (watch for the post!). As a good Foodist would, she went with an empty suitcase, and returned with it filled with presents. Not touristy presents for her husband and child, but FOOD presents for her fellow Foodists! That sucker was packed full with Montreal bagels, smoked brisket from Schwartz’s Deli, organic whole duck foie, pickles, pastries, chocolates, and coffee… On Friday, we all headed over to see if we could eat it all up. It was slated as the Montreal Movie Night, and we were all asked to add something edible to supplement the already full menu.

I love French Onion soup and rarely have it, so thought I’d try my hand at it. Off I went in search of a recipe. I found that even the ‘greats’ have different ingredients and styles for the soup, so I ended up combining the recipes from Anthony Bourdain, Julia Child, and Michael Smith. Turns out that French Onion soup is harder to make than anticipated. Well, not harder, but took a lot longer than expected. Set aside 2.5 hours.

STEP 1
8 onions, sliced
6 oz butter
1 tbsp olive oil
I used the Cuisinart to make fast work of those onions – with almost no crying!
Combine these three ingredients in a big pot, cover and cook for 15 minutes on low/med heat.

Onions before and after 45 minutes of caramelization

STEP 2
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
Add this to the onions and turn up the heat a bit. Stir, wait, stir and wait some more. Caramelize the onions and make sure they are dark brown. This will take about 40-45 minutes.

STEP 3
3 tbsp flour
Add and cook for another 3 minutes. This was in the Julia Child recipe, but I think next time I’d leave this out as the soup ended up being quite thick.

STEP 4
3 oz port/brandy/red wine. Your choice.
2 oz balsamic vinegar.
Add and deglaze the pan. Scrape up those brown bits. That’s flavour!

STEP 5
2 litres stock, boiled separately. Bourdain and Smith say chicken stock. Child says beef. So, I split the difference and used one litre of each.
3 slices bacon, cubed. I added these, then took them out at the end because I found them too chewy.
1 Bouquet garni (fresh thyme, flat leaf parsley, and a bay leaf in cheesecloth)
Take the pot with the caramelized onions off the heat, then add these last three ingredients and simmer for 30-45 more minutes skimming the top if necessary.

STEP 6
While the soup is simmering, shred the cheese (use the Cuisinart if it is still out!) and prep the croutons.
3 cups Gruyere and Swiss cheese, shredded.
Cut the bread into circles that will fit the bowls you will use. Bake them at 325 for half an hour. Half way through, baste them with olive oil, and flip them.

STEP 7
Now it’s time to assemble it and make the ooey gooey cheesey goodness bubble on top! Spoon soup into oven-safe bowls, add the toasted croutons (you may want to crack them in half – I found it a little hard to cut through the bread while eating), top with lotsa cheese, and then broil them on HIGH. Get it bubbly and hopefully dark on top. If you want, you can always use a torch to do the browning on top without the anxiety of watching them brown under the broiler.

Like I mentioned earlier, I found it a little bit too thick and not soupy enough for me. I want some broth with my French Onion soup. So, maybe leave out the flour.

What are your variations on it? Looks like I have to make it again soon – the Foodists ate it all up at Montreal Movie Night and there were no leftovers!

Okay, legal stuff: If you try to replicate this recipe and get sick (and/or die) from it, you agree it’s your own fault and that I warned you it was dangerous and could potentially kill you.

Now let’s get into the meaty stuff. For my first foray into home curing I decided to go with what my research indicated would be the easiest to pull off: a whole muscle cure using nitrate salt (Prague Powder #2). I know some people are against using nitrates to cure meat, but the amounts involved are tiny (<0.3% by weight) and considered safe (or at least safer than if you didn’t use them). I mail ordered curing salts from the internet (stuffers.com).

For the meat, I used a 200g pork loin from Cutter Ranch. The use of high quality meat matters, since it’s not going to be cooked.

The recipe:

Everything is scaled to the weight of the meat. The use of a fine scale (0.1g or finer) is a must. Exceeding 0.3% of cure #2 by weight is not a good idea (nitrates in large doses have been linked to cancer). Mix everything except the loin together in a grinder and slather it all over the meat. Place the result in your (normal) fridge and leave it uncovered.

It’ll start off quite wet:

After 7 to 10 days it’ll be dry enough to hang. Wipe off the excess cure and use kitchen twine to hang the meat:

You want a cool place that will not exceed 15 degrees Celsius or drop below 5 degrees; 10 degrees is ideal. I happen to have a wine fridge that fits the bill. The biggest issue with using a wine fridge is it tends to get too dry. I know that sounds weird, since we are trying to dry out the meat. The problem is that the outside of the meat can dry out too fast and end up locking moisture into the middle of the meat. Ideal humidity for drying meat is around 70%. You should monitor both the temperature and humidity. If you have less control over humidity (large fluctuations) then use smaller (thinner) cuts of meat. Adding water in a pan in the bottom of the fridge will help to increase the humidity as well. Note that if you use thinner cuts, the final result will be saltier so you may want to decrease the amount of salt in the original recipe. Experimentation is key!

After a few more weeks (exact time will vary based on humidity and thickness of the cut), the meat will have lost around half of its original weight. You should end up with a a dark-colored and firm-textured meat:

Only you can decide if it’s worth the effort and risk involved in curing your own meat. I was very happy with the result, and will continue to experiment with making my own home cured products.

And what with Thanksgiving around the corner, there is no end to the possibilities of churning out pies. Why is it I only make pies during this small window? Never in the summer, never post-Thanksgiving. It seems like a shame, missing out on the peaches and berry concoctions. Pie has no season, so I need to change my approach. Especially considering the going rate of a pie. My mother texted me last week, horrified that Cascadia Bakery in Victoria (owned by Rebar) was selling pies for $25. I told her, oh that is a steal. Have you seen the price list at Aphrodite’s in Kits? They start at $25 and roll right up to $42 (Chocolate Banana Cream). Considering my mother makes the best pastry with very few ingredients, those prices just don’t add up. Time to get back to the basics. Maybe I will start with an old-fashioned apple. Lemon meringue to follow.

So I’m buying tomatoes by the shopping bagful at our farmers’ markets with the aim of preserving their goodness for later enjoyment. A dozen perfect Big Boys spent about 10 hours in the oven this weekend, becoming deeply concentrated oven-dried tomatoes. I have another 2.5 pounds ready to be peeled and turned into tomato-basil jam. In another week or so, I’ll set aside another dozen or so to be frozen. (Here’s how to preserve summer tomatoes, while you still can.)

Meantime, I’m using fresh tomatoes in as many ways as I possibly can. Like in this simple, summery appetizer.

basil leaves stuffed with goat cheese

makes 20 appetizers

20 large, unblemished basil leaves
4 ounces plain fresh goat cheese, softened at room temperature
2 Tbsp. cream or half-and-half
1/4 cup finely diced tomato
2 Tbsp. pine nuts, skillet-toasted
olive oil
salt & pepper

In a small bowl, mix together goat cheese and cream; add salt and pepper to taste. Using two small spoons, scoop a bit of goat cheese in the curve of each basil leaf. Top with finely diced tomato and pine nuts. Just before serving, drizzle each with a bit of good olive oil and sprinkle with cracked pepper.