Category: cooking

The Cooking Chronicles: Pulled Pork Sandwiches and Affogato

While I can’t take credit for making Christmas dinner, I did plant the idea into my Mum’s head of using the slow cooker this year. A recipe for Pulled Pork Sandwiches in the most recent edition of Inspired by Compliments magazine caught my eye; I loved the idea of minimal effort to produce the evening meal.

As we didn’t have the recommended smoky applewood sauce on hand, my Mum substituted a bottle of barbeque sauce, which worked just as well. To accompany the meat, she made buns with the dough left over from the batch of breadsticks she had made the night prior – yum! Though the meat was a touch on the dry side, a heaping tablespoon of the generated onion-laced sauce flavoured the sandwich nicely. She served the sandwiches with roasted squash and sautéed mushrooms, but any type of roasted vegetables or even tossed salad would have made a fine side dish.

Pulled Pork Sandwich on a Homemade Bun

My Mum asked me to take care of dessert, but due to my lack of pre-planning, we didn’t have any cream in the fridge necessary to make crème brulee, which she was craving. We did, however, have ice cream she had been meaning to get rid of for some time, and after surfing around on the Food Network site, I came across Ina Garten’s simple Affogato recipe.

Easy as pie, I substituted the espresso ingredient for two strong cups of Starbucks’ Christmas Blend (which I figured was as close to espresso as we were going to get that night). Poured over a scoop of vanilla, I was done.

Affogato

There was something about the interaction of the hot coffee and cold ice cream that worked beautifully. And though I was afraid that the coffee would vaporize the ice cream too quickly, it wouldn’t have mattered if it did, as the melding of both in liquid form made a lovely, drinkable dessert.

Who says Christmas dinner has to be something to sweat over?

The Cooking Chronicles: Roasted Salmon with Roasted Tomatoes

I had my eye on Dave Lieberman’s recipe for Roasted Salmon with Roasted Tomatoes for some time, but forgot about it after a bout with a bad cold. I was finally organized enough to buy the ingredients needed earlier this week, and pulled it together in no time at all.

The salmon was flavoured with nothing more than salt, pepper, fresh dill, and a squeeze of lemon, and the roasted tomatoes with olive oil, dried oregano (instead of fresh thyme) and salt and pepper to taste.

For such a simple recipe, the fish tasted great – perfectly cooked, and complemented the sweet roma tomatoes well. I served the fish with some creamy rice to round out a weekday meal, but the recipe would translate well for entertaining as well, jazzed up with some risotto. It’s definitely a keeper!

Roasted Salmon with Roasted Tomatoes

The Cooking Chronicles: Chocolate Truffles

Mack’s Grandma mentioned a while back that she liked chocolate truffles, so I thought this season would be a good time to try out the recipe I picked up at the Truffology 101 session I attended a few weeks back.

I bought milk chocolate callebaut chunks at Save-On-Foods, along with a bulk container of golden syrup. I measured out the ingredients on a small baking scale I have at home, and prepared the ganache as directed. I covered the resulting mixture with saran wrap and placed it in the fridge to cool overnight.

In the morning, I pulled out the glass bowl to discover that the mixture hadn’t really solidified into the clay-like consistency I was expecting – it was more like a thick syrup. As a result, I spread the mixture out onto a sheet pan, and put it in our equivalent of a “blast chiller” – out on our back step, hoping the –25 weather would help matters. Half an hour later, the mixture still hadn’t congealed to the necessary thickness. I did some digging on the internet, and found that the substitution of golden in place of corn syrup may have been the problem, though our scale was another potential point of failure.

My Mum, always quick on her feet, suggested that we mix in Oreo cookie crumbs to serve as a binder. While it helped somewhat, the “truffles” still didn’t quite hold their shape, and the dry crumbs made coating the external layer with cocoa, confectioner’s sugar, coconut, or sprinkles a little difficult. The final product, though less attractive than the truffles I had put together during the session, were a nice treat, as they had the added texture of crushed cookies in the mix. We put together enough to fill a small box, and poured the rest of the ganache into a freezer bag.

 

Chocolate Truffles

Other failed attempts as reported on the internet resulted in people having a ready-made fondue base, or at the very least, frosting for a future cake. So the bag I now have in the freezer will serve some concrete purpose at some point, in addition to reminding me never to use golden syrup in place of its corn-based counterpart.

The Cooking Chronicles: Toasted Party Nuts and Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

I usually stick with tried and true recipes for my holiday baking regime (I’m partial to the festive appearance of Mini Linzer Cookies), but for one couple, I had to cater the recipe to their dietary needs. Thankfully, a trip to the library wasn’t in vain, and I found two recipes that would work well – Toasted Party Nuts and Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.

The first recipe was quick to execute, and made my kitchen smell absolutely divine – I heated oil and a spice mixture containing cumin, cayenne pepper, ginger powder, cinnamon and onion salt over the stove, then tossed it with a cup each of pecans and almonds. After fifteen minutes in the oven, topped with some kosher salt, they were done. While the spices aren’t immediately discernable, they kick in as an aftertaste. More than anything, I’d be likely to pop these in the oven before guests arrive just for the aroma; “essential oil” air fresheners don’t hold a candle to the real thing, heh.

Toasted Party Nuts

As for the cookies, I didn’t have raisins on hand, but the cranberry substitution I used worked nicely with the applesauce added to decrease the overall amount of sugar needed. The recipe asked for the oats to be toasted (and cooled) prior to incorporation with the batter, which was an extra step that I wasn’t sure I could taste in the final product. Overall, they were a lighter, less saccharine cookie than I am used to – the only downside was that the reduced fat and sugar content meant the cookies keep for a very short period of time.

Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

The preliminary comments from the gift receivers were positive ones, so I may end up making up more batches of both recipes.

The Cooking Chronicles: Vegetable Tortellini Bowl

Darn, another recipe that was great to eat but I can’t locate on the internet…

On a day when I was feeling under the weather and craving something warm with vegetables, I turned to a trusty Company’s Coming cookbook for Vegetable Tortellini soup. I figured the filled pasta would give the soup that extra filler, and if nothing else, the tricolore tortellini provided some nice color.

Instead of diced tomatoes, I used a can of whole tomatoes, which, by the time we were ready to eat the soup, lent the chicken stock a lovely red hue. Along with the tomatoes, I threw in the recommended carrot, zucchini, bell pepper, and substituted celery for spinach, and the recipe turned out wonderfully. I remember Jane saying that she was in a “soup phase” at one point – if all soups are this easy and tasty to boot, I may be in one soon too.

Vegetable Tortellini Bowl

Culinary Q & A with Lea Alcantara

Occupation: Chief Hired Gun of Lealea Design.

What did you eat today?

Breakfast was two eggs and two pieces of toast. Lunch was a tuna salad sandwich. Dinner is broiled marinated lamb loin chops in red wine, garlic, onion and rosemary, with leftover whole wheat penne and some bottled generic tomato/basil sauce.

What do you never eat?

This is hard because I will almost eat anything. The one thing I will never eat is this Filipino “delicacy” called “balut” — it’s basically aborted duck egg. Seriously. Can I have my eggs unfertilized, please?

What is your personal specialty?

Probably chicken cashew stir fry. So easy. So tasty. 🙂

What is your favorite kitchen item?

My 8″ Global chef knife. Beautiful, light, and very functional.

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

It will be a buffet of mostly ethnic items. So I can have a little bit of everything, pause in between to settle, and eat some more. If a gun was pointed at my head and I really only had to have a 3 course meal: calamari to start, lobster and scallop linguine in a spicy rose sauce, and tiramisu.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

Double Greeting Wonton House. Rob (my hubby) and I always order their Wor Wonton, and then one other random item. One of the few places where you feel full and spend less than $20 that isn’t a pho or fast food joint.

What’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

So hard to narrow down, but I will have to say Il Pasticcio is probably the best. Nice ambiance, comfy atmosphere, great service, good looking chefs — we like the fact that the kitchen is open to the public, and the head chef my sisters and I call Chef Handsome. Oh, and the prices are pretty decent.

If you weren’t limited by geography, where and what would you eat?

I think it would be fun to be part of a Hawaiian luau. First of all, it fits my wish of “buffet of mostly ethnic items” while it’s set in a beautiful beach during sunset outdoors, and lots of happy people. Mm, live pig roasts… and seafood!

Culinary Q & A with Sue Robins

Occupation:  Freelance writer, owner of Apostrophe S.  Mom to three.  Wife to one. Volunteer to many.

What did you eat today?

Poached eggs and corned beef hash, grilled gouda, avocado and red onion sandwich on ciabatta, Italian sausage and risotto with butternut squash. 

What do you never eat?

Green peppers and pork hocks, ugh.

What is your personal specialty?

Risotto of all shapes and sizes and cajun bread pudding.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

My lemon zester.  I heart it.

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

A big glass of Nk’Mip’s Meritage wine.  My husband’s fusilli with Italian sausage, fennel and red chilis.  My daughter Ella’s lemon meringue pie.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

I love Leva for their cappuccinos, pastries, gelati and lunch panino.

What’s the best place to eat in Edmonton? 

I adore Culina for special night out.  It is dark, intimate and very romantic.  The service is perfect.

If you weren’t limited by geography, where and what would you eat?

Ah, this is a cliché, but true – Italy!  Specifically, rural Italy, in a region called Abruzzo, on a little olive oil farm called Le Magnolie.  The Nonna of the house does the cooking, and it is simple, hearty, fresh and belissimo!  I am at her mercy, but hopefully she’d serve a big plate of antipasto, homemade gnocchi nestled perched on fresh tomato sauce and garlic, roast turkey with lemon and rosemary and warm pizzelles with homemade cherry jam.

Truffology 101 at the Edmonton Public Library

The Edmonton Public Library has an ongoing advertising campaign on with the slogan “More than just books”. It’s true – libraries are now the hub for many activities – gaming nights for teens, conversation circles for English as an Additional Language Learners, knitting clubs, photography workshops and movie screenings. Their program listings are available on their website, and in paper form as a seasonal guide that can be picked up at each of the 17 branches in the city.

I first saw a course titled “Truffology 101” in the catalogue last year, and though my interest was piqued, the time didn’t work out. When I saw that they were offering again this fall, I signed up immediately, and dragged my Mum along for the ride.

We headed to Strathcona Library on Saturday afternoon, and after paying our $2 course participation fee (for the materials) on the main floor, headed to the upstairs meeting room. There, Adrian, the friendly manager of the branch welcomed us, and shortly after, introduced her husband, John Canty, who would be leading the workshop. He is a hobby chocolatier, and seems to have taken a few courses here and there to learn about the subject.

 

Truffology 101 outline

While he wasn’t as energetic as Nina at the chocolate tasting at Kerstin’s, it was obvious that he is passionate about chocolate. The overview and background of chocolate making also wasn’t as detailed as the one I heard at Kerstin’s, but as this session was only an hour in length (with a different objective), that wasn’t unexpected.

After the chocolate introduction (and recommending Scharffen Berger brand bars, available at Shoppers Drug Mart), John reached the demonstration portion of the session, and while John explained the components of a basic ganache recipe, Adrian set about making it on a portable burner. He had adapted the recipe from one he had received from a course at NAIT (my Mum was wondering whether a sans-corn syrup recipe existed, and I did find one on the Times’ website).

Simple Ganache

300g milk chocolate
225g whipping cream
7 1/4 teaspoons unsalted butter
3 1/8 glucose or light corn syrup

1. Finely chop the chocolate and place in a glass mixing bowl.
2. Pour cream into small saucepan and bring to scalding. Remove pan from heat – do not allow cream to boil.
3. Add glucose/corn syrup to the heated cream and mix.
4. Pour cream-glucose mixture over chopped chocolate. Stir to melt the chocolate, adding butter slowly in small increments. If chocolate does not fully melt you may carefully heat the mixture in a microwave – use only low power settings for very brief periods.
5. Once all the butter has been added, and the mixture is smooth and homogenous, cover mixture and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours.

Adrian passed around the bowl once the homogenous mixture had been attained, to show each of us the consistency the mixture must be. Then, like the magic of cooking shows, they pulled out pre-made, cooled, plastic-wrapped ganache for each of us to roll in the plates of cocoa or coconut on our table.

 

My Mum making truffles

The truffles were beyond straightforward to make, and would be a great activity for children – with the consistency of playdough, they could be easily rolled into balls and dipped into a variety of garnishes – colored sprinkles, sugars, chopped nuts. Truth be told, the truffles were a tad to sweet for me, but then again, one alone was enough to cure my chocolate craving.

 

My truffles

A set of colorful truffles would be a great Christmas gift, so to facilitate this thought, John and Adrian are offering another Truffology 101 class at the Riverbend branch on December 6. It will also be repeated in the new year at the Sprucewood and Lois Hole locations. Be sure to call ahead to book a spot. Happy truffle making!

The Cooking Chronicles: Chicken and Vegetable Stir-fry

I am ashamed that it took me this long to make a stir-fry. It’s a dish I quite enjoy, but I typically don’t look to recreate Chinese dishes. On a day where I was craving vegetables, however, stir-fry seemed to be the easiest way to satisfy that hunger.

I used some of the directions in a Martin Yan recipe, though we added a sliced chicken breast to the mix, which I pan fried first. After that, I added the vegetables we had on hand – red bell pepper, bean sprouts, broccoli, white mushrooms, and half an onion. We didn’t have any oyster sauce, so I phoned my Mum for some emergency advice. She told me to use some chicken broth, soy sauce, and sugar for good measure, which we did, and it turned out nicely.

I’m glad I finally took the plunge into the land of stir-fry – I can’t wait to try out other vegetable and meat combinations!

Chicken and Vegetatable Stir-fry over rice

The Cooking Chronicles: Lemon Oregano Sole En Papillote

I first saw the idea of cooking “en papillote” during an episode of French Food at Home, and it seemed so appealing to me. A little packet of fish and vegetables to wrap, then open and eat? Irresistible.

Of course, like most recipes I see, it got stored away for a rainy day. Luckily, a High Liner flyer with a similar recipe popped up in the mail, and reminded me that I had yet to try this cooking method. So I finally did last week.

I can’t locate the actual recipe I used on the High Liner website (this is the closest), but Laura Calder’s recipe is very close to what we did. We used sole, by far one of the most inexpensive types of fish I have bought ($5 for 3 fresh fillets). In terms of cooking, we substituted dried oregano for fresh thyme, poured the mustard/honey/lemon juice/herb/olive oil dressing over the fish and vegetables, wrapped up the packets, and put them in the oven. We wondered why the parchment was advised to be a heart shape – wouldn’t an oval work just as well?

In any case, we took out the packets after the recommended twenty-five minutes and opened them up. Steaming, the fish had been beautifully cooked (the paper wasn’t as spotlessly brown as in the photo, but no matter). Cooking en papillote made for a relatively easy and quick dinner (the parchment made cleanup a cinch too).

I figured this would be a great dish for dinner parties – the packets could be assembled ahead of time, refrigerated, then popped in the oven after guests arrive. I will be making this again!

Sole En Papillote

And given the relatively healthy dinner, we allowed ourselves to indulge in a little dessert – a slice of tiramisu from Save On. It was remarkably good.

Tiramisu