This month’s edition of Kitchen Bootcamp called for us to investigate salads and dressings.  I was really excited about this as one of my goals this summer had been to work on some different dressings.  Unfortunately, as seems to often be the case chez moi, life kinda sorta got in the way and I found myself working on my tasks very close to departing for vacation. So I hereby present to you my (Everything but the) Kitchen (sink) Bootcamp entries for this round!

You know what it’s like when you are leaving on a trip, right? You have to be super creative to use us all the food in the house so that you don’t have to throw any out.  I found myself with cucumbers and sour cream. Which was perfect because right there in Chapter 30, page 952 of The Professional Chef is a Classic Polish Cucumber Salad.

Even though this did not involve any real skill, it was great because it reminded me what a wonderful salad dressing cam be made with only  a few ingredients.  As I didn’t have everything on hand, and my cucumbers seemed to be fairly juicy, I changed the recipe slightly, omitting the lemon juice in favour of lemon zest.

This was a great salad on a hot night and just goes to show you what you can do, even with a fridge full of odd ingredients!

Next up? I had planned on something with a Japanese twist, and had even asked Rachael for some recipes since, you know, she’s the queen of all things Japanese!)  Unfortunately, the refrigerator cleanout took precedence over creativity and I needed to use up some sad looking ginger and a lemon.  I hunted around and found this recipe that looked like it might taste good on my green beans and sugar snap peas, also on their way out.  Again, I adapted based on what I had on hand.

I served this over some fresh sugar snap peas to start…

And then later on I served it over pan fried vegetable dumplings (also needing to be eaten up!) as a warm dressing:

This was perfect, nice and light so not heavy and overpowering.  I could see this being used as a dipping sauce also…

A fabulous challenge Jen – thanks so much! Not only did I get to try two new dressings but you also helped me clean out my fridge before my vacation!  Looking forward to next month already!

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I have to admit there was a sharp intake of breath as I checked out the Daring Bakers’ challenge for July.  A “Swiss Swirl Icecream Cake” inspired by this:

(photo courtesy of the Taste of Home website)

I was kind of half expecting there to be a Jello layer in there somewhere! And weirdly, it reminded me of a wig.

The July 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Sunita of Sunita’s world – life and food. Sunita challenged everyone to make an ice-cream filled Swiss roll that’s then used to make a bombe with hot fudge. Her recipe is based on an ice cream cake recipe from Taste of Home.

Mandatory:

1. You must make the Swiss rolls, a filling for them, two ice creams and a fudge sauce, from scratch.
2. You must set the dessert in a bowl/pan etc in the order given in the recipe-Swiss roll, first ice-cream, the fudge topping and, finally, the second ice cream.

Ok, you probably know already that I am all about the challenge. The challenge of learning new techniques, that is, and for me, the technique I decided to focus on out of this five-part challenge was the actual swiss roll.

A Swiss Roll? Never made that and always wanted to = perfect.  I searched high and low for a “no fail” sponge cake and finally settled on a recipe from Gourmet (January 2001). My notes in red below.

Ahem, yes, there are no step-by-step pics of this one because it was SO hot when I was baking it and I was in a bit of a fluster wondering whether I was doing it right. Thanks Jen for being there on Twitter for me throughout the process!  And yes, my cake cracked – only a little but enough to mean that I needed a quick fix – ganache to the rescue!

I found this easy glaze at the Food and Wine website.

This was delicious but I had to coat the roll three times (each time letting the glaze harden slightly in the fridge) before I got a shiny solid surface all over the cake. This also makes A LOT of glaze. Not that that is necessarily a bad thing.

But then I still thought it looked a little, shall we say, naked so I went ahead and made some candied orange peel that I thought I would decorate it with in some way. The recipe is from Bon Appétit (December 2008).

I got into a HUGE mess making this (again, no pics!) – how are you supposed to drain the peel from the boiling sugar syrup without it all hardening on the spoon or the strainer.  In any case, I ended up with some lovely long strips of candied peel and also some big lumps of it. I decided to grind the big lumps up in the spice/ coffee grinder and sprinkle it on top of the roll for some added colour.

Finally, I was satisfied. I might not have made the 5 part proper challenge recipe but I had my own multi-part challenge of my own. I learned three techniques that I have never tried before (the cake, the peel and the glaze to coat a cake) so I would say it was a successful personal challenge!  Very happy with the result – tasted SO good – as were our friends who got to taste the fruits of my labour on the weekend!

(yes, it’s nearly the same picture as the one above. I was playing with light and dark backgrounds!)

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You all know how much I love cooking with kids, right? Well last week I had the great fortune to spend a day at Nella Cucina’s cooking camp for kids.  Result? Well firstly, I wish I had gone to such wonderful cooking classes when I was little (no, Welsh Rarebit in Home Economics class in Grade 9 does not quite come close) and secondly, more confirmation that teaching kids to cook is one of the most rewarding and fun jobs one could have!

Described on their website as “a FULL hands-on class, and much more involved than most Kids Camps. [They] cook real food, similar to a regular adult class. This is not a cooking class where kids sit and colour and decorate a few cupcakes!” A truer word was never spoken.  The menu on the day I observed was as follows:

Wow – not just challenging in terms of the preparation involved, but also in terms of “would the kids eat the food?”.

When I arrived around 10am, most of the kids were there. Some were playing hangman, some were eating the granola bars and fruit laid out on the table, some were helping Chef Pam make a smoothie snack to get the day started.  It’s a calm vibe in there in the morning that’s for sure.  The kids have mostly been together since Monday so they are pretty comfortable with each other, the chefs and the routine.  As Chef Pam, Chef Vanessa and Chef Joanne get the day underway the go through the menu, cover safety rules, hand out tasting spoons to be kept in pockets at all times and make sure everyone’s hands are washed.  The kids are divided into three groups, mostly by age and each group will work with one chef throughout the day.

The Chefs organise the menus so that the kids will stop mid-morning to have a snack (that they have prepared).  Today’s snack was the spiced crackers and hummus (with a bonus “will they eat it?” eggplant dip – baba ganoush). Everyone got down to business:

And the result?

The kids LOVED the chips and wolfed them down.  The dips, well they tried them (one little girl took a look at the hummus and said “I don’t know what this is but I will try it!”) but didn’t eat much, especially the younger kids who happily munched on the chips after they had had the requisite taste of both dips.

After about 15 minutes break during which the older kids chatted and the younger ones played hangman (how refreshingly free of technology this room was!), everyone went back to work.

This carrot salad kept the younger students occupied for a very long time (note to self: excellent recipe to make with the boys in Petits Chefs so that *everyone* has a job at all times!)

The Moroccan chicken kept them busy too!

And the results?

Well this eggplant salad with Tahini dressing converted more than one self-proclaimed anti-eggplant teen!

This was an amazing restaurant-quality meal – prepared by 7-14 year olds. Incredible.

Surprisingly, many of the kids didn’t eat much. Most of them tasted everything (sometimes on request of the Chefs) but many of them ate very little. It was a hot day and a lot of them looked completely exhausted (a long week in the kitchen!) but I was impressed to see how many of them at least tried the food.  From my work with kids, I know there’s no point forcing the issue and that often, kids might not try something in front of strangers but will happily try at home later.  I am betting many of the kids from this week’s class will attempt at least one of the recipes they took home.

After an impromptu dessert of ladyfingers and ice-cream (“SCORE!”), everyone went back to work on the dessert which they would take home in decorated paper bags:

Lots of citrusy goodness was happening that afternoon!

Again, the kids worked in three groups on the cupcakes:

And a short while later…

Absolutely delicious!

What an absolutely fabulous day everyone had (me included!).  It definitely gave me some ideas of ways to organise my Petits Chefs (alas, we will still be working in the science lab on single burners next year…) and some different techniques to teach them.  Nella Cucina is doing a wonderful job of teaching the next generation that real food is easy and flavourful and totally do-able, even if you are only 7 years old!

For more information about Nella Cucina, check out their website or read my profile about Nella on Spotlight Toronto!

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As a food blogger, I often get invited to food and drink events but I have never been personally invited to dine at a restaurant by its Chef. Until now.  Oregano by Cirillo’s recently re-opened and Neil and I were extended an invitation to dine there by award-winning Chef John Cirillo who, with the relaunch of Oregano, hopes to bring a European flair to his popular west-end bistro-grill.

An extension of the Cirillo’s brand, Oregano by Cirillo’s is conveniently located next door to the Cirillo’s Culinary Academy, – a state-of-the-art facility that offers a range of one-of-a-kind recreational culinary experiences for all ages and abilities.  The restaurant formerly known as “Oregano Grill” has undergone a complete transformation. Now boasting a renovated décor, refreshed bistro-inspired menu and attentive European-style service, led by his wife Margit Cirillo, the 45-seat restaurant opened its doors on July 7th.

Of their menu, Chef Cirillo says: “Our menu is seasonally-inspired, offering fresh salads, savoury appetizers, grilled meats and fish and authentic Italian thin crust pizza, as well as hand-cut pastas. We’re eager to win over the hearts and stomachs of our existing and new guests.”  To help lead the charge in the kitchen, Chef Cirillo hired sous chef Robert Mills, former executive sous chef at the highly-regarded Tundra Restaurant at the Hilton Toronto. The pair began working together at Tundra in 2003 and for three years were a dynamic and dedicated culinary team.

On entering the restaurant, one of the first things you notice is how busy it is – both the dining room and the kitchen.  True, we did eat at 7.30 on a Friday night but in our nearly 2.5 hours at the restaurant, 90% of tables were full. Clientele is multi-generational – as well as groups of friends enjoying a Friday night out, there were a number of young families whose kids seemed to thoroughly enjoy the pastas and pizzas on offer.

The restaurant is a little on the loud side (there’s music but you can barely hear it – it’s perhaps not even necessary for a busy dinner service) but is not unlike a true European bistro where your dining experience is anything but sedate and quiet. If you’re expecting an intimate tête-à-tête, this might not be the place for you but otherwise, it’s a fun atmosphere.  Service was attentive – and not just for our table which had clearly been identified as guests of the Chef – we counted 6 servers for a 45-seat restaurant – now that’s a great server to client ratio!

The menu is fairly extensive and we spent a while poring over it.  It has a definite Italian slant to it with  seven pizzas and five pastas on offer but other dishes definitely suggest an Asian flair.  All their meats are sourced in Wellington county, fish (where possible) comes from Lake Erie and produce is local, (again,wherever possible).   Appetizers start at $8 and entrées top out at $30. Signature cocktails such as the Ginger Snap – gin, ginger, wasabi and lime – start at $9, while the wine list offers a selection of Niagara region and international wines ranging from $33 to $85.

For our appetizers, we settled on a recommendation from our server: Char-Grilled Octopus with Artichokes, Capers, Tomatoes and Olives tossed in Oregano Brown Butter Emulsion ($14)     

This was incredible – so tender you could cut it with a butter knife and totally melted in your mouth.  The ends of the tentacles were perfectly crispy whilst the test was succulent and tender.  I am not always a huge octopus fan but this might have converted me!

We also chose the Chili and Lime marinated Grilled Prawns and Diver Scallops with Mango Jicama Citrus Slaw ($13)

This was a lovely burst of fresh Asian flavours on a very warm night and both the prawns and the scallop were perfectly cooked. A large portion though (as was the octopus) – four scallops and two generous prawns.

With our appetizers, we each had a glass of Echos Chardonnay (Tawse, Niagara VQA) ($13) which was a perfect pairing for both dishes.

For my main, I couldn’t go past one of their homemade pastas. Because it was so warm, I chose a lighter dish – Spaghetti with Garlic, Sun Dried Tomato and Pesto topped with Fresh Niagara Ricotta Cheese ($16).

This doesn’t look like a lot but is was actually a huge portion – Neil enjoyed my leftovers the next day for lunch (and, dare I say, it was even better!!).  I loved this dish – cannot believe I have never had pasta topped with fresh ricotta before.  It gave a slightly creamy taste to the sauce without weighing it down like a regular cream sauce would.  The pasta was so fresh and light tasting and made me want to get out our pasta maker and try to replicate this at home!  Thumbs up for this one.

Neil couldn’t resist the Herbs de Provence Grilled Veal Chop with Sun Dried Tomato Aioli ($27)

I am not a huge veal fan but I tried a little – it was very earthy but well seasoned and perfectly cooked. Did Neil enjoy it?

Um, yes. His plate was clean.

With our main courses, I had a glass of Merlot from Stimson Cellars (Columbia Valley, Washington State)  ($9) and Neil enjoyed the Echos Cabernet Merlot, again from Tawse ($13)

At this point, we were pretty full but wanted the complete experience so *had* to order dessert.  First up, Panna Cotta with Seasonal Fruit Compote ($8):

This was excellent. The panna cotta was the perfect consistency – no gelatin evident – and the compote was perfectly paired – not overly sweet.  This was also a tiny portion (about 2/3 cup) so a perfect end to the meal. Of course, we couldn’t just try one dessert. Our server who had been spot on with his recommendation of the octopus suggested we might enjoy the Preserved Figs Sabayon Chocolate Tart ($9). The figs, he said, were preserved in red wine. Done!

I *loved* this dessert. I didn’t love that I couldn’t finish it – even between both of us we couldn’t!  Both the preserved and fresh figs were melt in your mouth luscious, the sabayon inside the light chocolate crust perfectly creamy. The flavours were spot on and it was beautifully plated.

We were disappointed that there were no dessert wines on offer to compliment the lovely desserts but it didn’t really affect our overall enjoyment of the meal.  The only other area of our evening that didn’t get an A+ was the temperature of the restaurant.  True, we were there on a very sultry night with high humidity outside and the place was packed.  As we were leaving, Chef explained that both the dishwasher and the kitchen ovens and stovetops were working at 100% capacity all the time, so even the airconditioning couldn’t compete with that.  The place is tiny and the kitchen has an open window onto the dining room so a lot of the heat created in there filters through.  Both front and back doors of the restaurant were opened about half-way through the meal which brought relief and it certainly wasn’t unbearable, just a little uncomfortable.  I am sure, however, they are not the only small restaurant coping with this issue this ridiculously hot summer!

Overall this was  a great night out, reminiscent of a good European bistro.  Great food, a decent wine list, reasonable prices, excellent service and a friendly, welcoming atmosphere – what more could you want?  We wish Chef Cirillo and his team well, they certainly deserve to succeed in this new venture.

Oregano by Cirillo’s

4900 Dundas Street West,
Etobicoke, ON M9A 1B5‎
(416) 232-2250‎

Lunch – Tuesday to Friday 11:30AM – 2:30PM
Dinner – Tuesday to Saturday 5:30PM – 10:00PM

Thanks to Debbie at Faye Clack for extending Chef’s invitation to me.

Diclaimer:We were provided with the opportunity to dine at this restaurant at no cost. I did  not accept monetary compensation for writing about this experience. All opinions expressed are my own.

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In the culinary alphabet, C is for… cookware, Corelle, (Le) Creuset, Cuisinart, CucinaPro and Calphalon. But did you know that Calphalon is more than just great cookware?

Sometime last year, I won a gift certificate for a cooking demo class at the Calphalon Culinary Centre in Toronto. It just goes to show how crazy my life has been that I only found the time to use it last week!  Now don’t get me wrong, I would be at a Calphalon class every week if I had the time, their offerings are interesting and varied:

Demo classes teach tips and techniques to use in your own kitchen. Taught by a professional chef, each class offers a three course menu demonstrated by the chef step by step, before your very eyes. You get to sample each dish the chef prepares and leave with the recipes and knowledge you need to make them at home!

Hands on classes work in a beautifully outfitted kitchen with twelve cooking stations and all the cookware, utensils, and accessories you need.  Students prepare an entire menu from start to finish, and enjoy the fruits of their labour afterwards!

Specialty classes (workshops and shopping excursions) allow you to explore a chosen culinary focus in more depth.  From classes that help you master the classics, to educational excursions to local markets shopping for the freshest staples and rare ingredients, these are all-encompassing foodie experiences.

Wine Classes at the Calphalon Culinary Center include wine basics, regional varieties, wine and food pairings, and much more. Classes feature 4-7 new wines, and a professional wine consultant as Guest Speaker.

(information adapted from the Calphalon website)

Calphalon has a culinary centre in Chicago as well – if you live there or are visiting, be sure to check their calendar.

I chose to attend the Parisian Pleasures demo class with Neil,  since I am desperately missing Paris in the summer and any way I can even remotely pretend I am there will do for right now…

We arrived at 6.oo sharp and ordered some wine. It’s very civilised!

And the chef prepared a “small snack” for us to tide us over until the salad was ready.  Most people had salmon, chef prepared a special asparagus plate for me.

And yes, that’s a “small snack” :-O

The first item on the menu was an Endive and Pear Salad with Bacon-Roquefort Vinaigrette.  A fabulous combination of sweet and savoury – this salad was Paris all over.

Even though each recipe had a “featured” Calphalon product, it was not a big hard sell like the free demo class I recently attended at Williams Sonoma was. I found this a refreshing change. Great products speak for themselves, right?

The main course was a classic – steak-frites.

LOVED this!  Perfectly cooked steak. Crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside frites and lovely green beans. Vive le steak-frites!

For dessert? What’s more classic than a crème brûlée?

I enjoyed the flavours of this a lot, but prefer my crème brûlées to be in aslightly more shallow dish. The taste, however, was spot on.

(All recipes courtesy of Calphalon)

Neil and I thoroughly enjoyed this demonstration.  Not sure we learned a lot as I find it’s hard to learn when you’re just watching – I am more of a hands-on type – but it was lovely to sit back and let someone else cook a French-inspired meal and enjoy a glass of wine at the same time.  After the demo, we went shopping in the store (bien sûr!) where I spent a good portion of my generous birthday gift certificate Whilst we most certainly did not leave empty-handed, we did leave a few items on the shelves that we *really* wanted…

Shortly afterwards, I was contacted by CSN stores who, after generously supplying me with a gorgeous item for my first ever giveaway back in December, wondered if I might like a product for review.  Both Neil and I spent a long time debating what we actually needed versus what we wanted.  I vaguely toyed with the idea of new dinnerware, but we ended up choosing something that we very nearly bought at Calphalon that night – a smaller stock pot than our gigantic one that is just not very practical for everyday use.  I am so excited to test drive this gorgeous piece from Le Creuset:

The Le Creuset 8-Quart Stock Pot in Cobalt

At George Brown Chef School, Neil and I always covet the stock pots that are the perfect size for chilis and hearty winter stews and we drooled over a gorgeous stock pot at Calphalon on the night of the demo.  Unfortunately, my birthday gift certificate couldn’t stretch that far so this opportunity to try out a brand I don’t own one single piece of (the shame!) came along just at the right time.  This will come in very handy during the busy first term at school when making large batches of sauces, stews and soups is a life-saver!  You can expect a review sometime in the next month or so

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