Eat With Feeling

Eat With Feeling moves to NEW YORK CITY!!!!

2012-01-13T12:47:00.000-05:00

courtesy of Ano Lobb - flickr cc
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27384147@N02/6396978875/in/set-72157623196609454

Hello out there??? I must apologise for the lengthy absence and hope that maybe some of you remember EatWithFeeling!

A lot has happened since my last posting - I am cringing when I see the date of it actually.....

First of all: HAPPY NEW YEAR!! I have a great feeling about 2012 and I hope you do too. Whatever you are up to out there enjoy it, savour it and always EatWithFeeling :)

As for me? I recently up and moved to New York City with my husband!! I am so excited to be living in this wonderful city and I cannot wait to share my culinary adventures with you! I should mention that as a 'trailing spouse' I am not allowed to work here - and although I miss my job at George Brown Chef School I am excited to have the opportunity to live in and experience this incredible place.

This is my first post from New York City so I wanted to pay homage to a beloved American classic (with an EatWithFeeling twist of course:). These delectable delights are more of an adult flavour with the assistance of some orange essence and dark Ghirardelli chocolate chips... but the kids next door liked them too.

EatWithFeeling Chocolate Chip Cookies:

You will need:

something to sift with
a couple of mixing bowls (or a mixer if you have one)
wooden spoon and rubber spatula
ice-cream scoop (medium or a tablespoon)
2 bake sheets with parchment paper to fit
a scale

Gather your ingredients:

plain flour (I used organic) - 190g
baking powder - 3/4 tsp
salt - a good pinch - salt & dark chocolate love each other
butter (salted or unsalted) - 120g - make sure it is soft - not melted
brown sugar - 160g
orange extract - 1/2 tsp - I used Simply Organic orange oil
large egg - 1 - crack it into a small bowl and mix a little
dark chocolate bits - 225g - I used 65% cocoa solids

Strategy:

Preheat your oven to 350F or 180C
Put on some fun music - Tony Bennet in keeping with the NYC theme!
Scale/weigh the dry ingedients (except the chocolate) in to a bowl
Beat/cream the butter and sugar together until uniform and pale in colour
Add the orange extract to the butter-sugar mixture - mix well
Add the egg in three stages, beating inbetween each addition
Use the rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed
Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture
Gently, gently incorporate the two mixtures into a soft dough. no aggression please:)
Add the chocolate and incorporate - I do this by hand to avoid overworking the dough
Scoop out even sized portions using the icecream scoop/tablespoon to form uniform balls of dough and drop onto the bake sheets. Leave enough room inbetween for spreading.

Flatten them slightly with the rubber spatula or an offset spatula if you have one (I did this after they had baked for about 5 min and were nice and soft).
Place bakesheets in the middle of the oven and bake for about 12 min.
Take the cookies out and let them cool - they should still be soft and a little doughy - that is cool....:)
Congratulate yourself on a job well done and EatWithFeeling

Happy Canada Day - Canada Quiche

2011-07-02T09:44:00.000-04:00

To celebrate Canada Day I decided to make a quiche using some delicious locally grown ingredients.
Last Tuesday at the Riverdale Market I bought some garlic scapes:

Some of you may have not used Garlic Scapes before. The have a beautiful garlicky aroma and a taste that is something between a green onion and garlic - for want of a better description:). Most of the time I slice them very thinly and add them to salad. This time I combined them with some other local produce I bought from Farmer Ted at Riverdale Market and some tomatoes Chef Michael Olsen from Niagara College gave me.

It seems I have the makings of a delicious summer quiche!! The eggs are from the St Lawrence farmers market and I also had some Ermite cheese I had bought on the same day which will go into the mix along with some Balderson cheddar

What you will need:
1 x pie crust - 2.5 cups flour, 120g unsalted butter cut into cubes - cold, 1/2 tsp salt, 100-120ml cold water: mix butter, salt and flour together to form a mealy mixture of course breadcrumb size pieces. Add the water 1/2 the amount at a time to form a smooth dough. Rest the dough (wrapped) for 20min. Roll out to 4m thickness. Roll up the dough around the rolling pin and unroll it over the quiche pan. Ensure the dough is pushed into the corner where the sides meet the base of the pan. Cut away the dough evenly around the edges with a pairing knife. Then rest again for another 15min. in the refrigerator.  See my previous quiche recipe for baking instructions.

The Filling:
20ml         Canola oil
4                Eggs - free range
1 cup         Whole milk
20g           Blue cheese (I used Ermite from Abbaye de Saint-Benoit du-Lac ) - crumbled
50g           Cheddar cheese ( I used Balderson 3 yr) - grated
1/4 cup    Garlic scapes - thinly sliced
1 cup        Swiss Chard/English Spinach - thinly sliced
1               Tomato - de seeded and diced
fresh nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

Strategy:

Bring all the ingredients out of the fridge - let them come down in temperature and preheat the oven to 315F (157C)
Heat the canola oil in a frying pan to medium heat and gently sweat the scapes and chard. Grate the fresh nutmeg over the mixture along with some salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes, sweat for another minute then turn of the heat.

To a medium mixing bowl add the eggs, whole milk, grated cheddar - whisk until it is light and aerated. Add the blue cheese and fold to mix.
Now you are going to add your warm vegetable mix to the egg mixture - but with only a small amount to begin. This 'tempers' the egg mixture so that the eggs don't cook and scramble in the bowl. When you have added and mixed a small amount in - add the rest in two more batches then whisk up well so that all ingredients are 'suspended' in the egg mixture. The mixture should be slightly warm
Place the empty pie shell onto a bake sheet Turn the filling into the pie shell. Bake the quiche in the centre of a low temp oven for approximately 20min. When you take it out the middle should still 'jiggle'.

Now kick back - grab a Steam Whistle or whatever your favourite Canadian beverage is and let your quiche rest - it will be worth the wait

Yours Truly, EatWithFeeling

Artichokes

2011-06-03T09:38:00.000-04:00

Last weekend I was frolicking about the market and found some perfect looking artichokes.
I promptly came home, poured a glass of wine and got out my favourite Thomas Keller book - Bouchon.
Low and behold - he of course has inside, the perfect artichoke recipe......

We gobbled them up with some lemon myrtle 'rubbed and roasted' chicken with rocket salad.

Left over artichokes then made a great Sunday night addition to a grazing plate with meats, pate, olives and crostini

Here are some pictures from the preparation......

The artichokes took approximately 45min in the braising liquid which consisted of water, olive oil, white wine, fennel seed, peppercorns, thyme, bay leaf, garlic...

I used a small bowl to rest on them as they were braising to make sure they were submerged

I had to make sure that as I exposed the inner leaves that i rubbed them with lemon to stop them from going brown....

The artichokes - or what was left after Saturday night dinner are at the top of the platter - very yummy

Yours Truly,
EatWithFeeling

Bread

2011-05-08T10:49:00.000-04:00

Home Baking

The Cook's Companion: The Complete Book of Ingredients and Recipes for the Australian Kitchen

Home Baking: The Artful Mix of Flour and Traditions from Around the World

I have to be honest, bread (baking in general) has never been a strong skill of mine for two major reasons:
1. a severe lack of patience (on my part)
2. lack of time

This year I have tried to change that and have been 'practicing' my baking skills every other week at home making large batches of bread in my teeny weeny condo kitchen. I make a huge mess, play loud music and watch the amazing process of fermentation unfold.....

I have a lot of great cook books but I have to say that 'Home Baking' by Alford and Duguid (link above) has been incredibly helpful & culturally insightful in my attempt to master home bread baking.
The other book (which i have had for years) is Stephanie Alexander's 'The Cooks Companion'. This book was given to me by my Dad (Hitchy) many years ago.
It is now May and I am very happy to report that my bread baking is now at a level where we have stopped buying bread at all!! Weekend mornings are filled with music, eggs & bacon and the smell of my bread toasting...... we eat with feeling around here.....
Out of all this the biggest lesson gained has been to slow down - good baking requires time. For me to get a good result with home baking there is no instant gratification - which is a good thing isnt it?

Boules (pg 178 'Home Baking',Alford & Duguid)

Yours Truly,
Eat With Feeling

Guest Blogger: My Dad (Thanks DAD!!)

2011-05-03T09:20:00.000-04:00

Hitchy's Famous Baked Trevalley Recipe.

Recently (I am Kylie's Dad by the way), I was on the West Coast of Australia where there is a pelagic fish called a Golden Spotted Trevally (GST). It is a great fighting fish for those that enjoy fishing, and I caught one (just one,) really good GST at a place called Point Quabba which is about 80K North of a town called Geraldton (do google maps and look at Geraldton on the West coast of Australia).

This coastline is histrically significant because a number of Dutch and Portugese sailing ships were wrecked here in the 1700's and one of our naval ships "Sydney" was destroyed off this coast in WW2.

A lot of us Aussie blokes think Trevally is not the best eating fish we catch over here. I guess us blokes have always been a bit fussy about the best fish to eat (I wont go there as that is a debate that could last pages and years!!).

Basically we dont bake enough fish in Australia. We tend to pan fry or grill our fish.
A great and simple way to cook and enjoy the taste of Australian Trevally is to bake it in a foill wrap with a simple mixture of olive oil, pepper, basil and lemon juice. Keep the oven heat low and gently let it "stew in its own juices" as we say down here. A further way of keeping the juices with the fish flesh is to use a bit of baking paper as the first stage of the wrap and the foil after that.

My main problem, being that I am always curious as to how my meal is coming along, is to bring the packets of Trevally out of the oven prematurely, and check them by opening the packets and prising open the fish flesh to see whether it is cooked enough! Your own confidence and your knowlege of the quirks of your own oven will tell you whether it's ok. The flesh must be cooked but just cooked, not dry. That takes practice.

We ate our GST by a campfire on the West coast of Australia about 3 weeks ago. It was pretty bloody good according to my partner Elaine and our best friends Terry and Lynne. When we say "pretty bloody good" down here in these parts, that means it is very very good.

I was pleased. Simple but good cooking. Humbly speaking, I mess up some of my cooking on a regular basis. But I can do baked Trevally.
Regards,

Hitch (Kylies Dad)

Tallowood Farm

Via Stroud NSW Australia.

saturday morning breakfast

2011-02-19T11:02:00.000-05:00

This morning I was walking my dog Hanna at our usual hangout in downtown Toronto.

All the snow melted yesterday and spring had decided to tease us with some 'warm' weather. This morning reality hit home as I stepped out in not nearly enough clothing for my morning sojourn with Hanna, and to be frank, froze my 'ass' off.

Maybe subconsciously I had really hoped that the weather would be a continuance of yesterday...or even a little better...Hanna didn't mind, she was reading all her stories left by other dogs and wondering if I was going to throw the ball agian....my mind wandered onto what to eat for breakfast..
As I was trudging along on the frozen field I could smell the fresh pressed coffee, and taste the lusciousness of a hollandaise sauce .....here is what I came up with.

Poached Eggs, Delectable Hollandaise

on Organic Springwater Toasts

What you will need for the hollandaise:

1.5 cups butter - melted

2 large egg yolks

30ml white wine

10-15ml fresh squeezed lemon juice

salt and pepper

Food you will need for the rest of the recipe:

2 slices of your favourite bread (I used a cookie cutter to make large circles and I used organic springwater bread)

2 large free range eggs

20ml of white vinegar for poaching the eggs

700 ml water (or thereabouts) for poaching the eggs

2 slices of smoked salmon or ham or some spinach or just..nothing - up to you

a wedge of fresh orange or a strawberry for a garnish

Your tool kit should include:

1 x saucepan (2L)

1 x whisk

1 x large mixing bowl

1 x bowl for melting the butter

1 small ladle or spoon for skimming milk solids if needed

1 tea towel

serving plate

paper towl

slotted spoon

STRATEGY

1.Focus on the hollandaise first and get all your tools and ingredients ready for action.

2. Drink some coffee or whatever your morning preference is

3. Celebrate the fact that you are about to create something really delicious

4. Fill your saucepan with about 700ml of water and put it on the stove at medium. Melt your butter in the microwave and set it aside.

5. In your large mixing bowl place the egg yolks, white wine and the lemon juice:

6. Place your bowl over the saucepan - it should fit snugly on top of the saucepan without touching the water. The water should only be at a low simmer

7. Whisk, whisk whisk whisk whisk whisk - this is the stage wehre some music comes in handy. You want the egg mixture to increase in volume and become pale and thick. The simmering water underneath will gently cook the egg yolks without scrambling them.

HINT: keep a careful watch on the simmering water - the heat can build up inside and get too hot even if you have the temperature on low.

When your egg mixture looks like this:

you are ready to add the butter....

8. Remove your bowl from the sauce pan. Keep the saucepan water at a simmer for the poached eggs. Place your mixing bowl on the tea towel to stabilize it.

9. Check to ensure all the milk solids are removed from the top of the melted butter

10. Very slowly, drizzle the butter into your egg mixture whilst whisking. Ensure that with each SMALL addition of the clarified butter that all butter is incorporated into the sauce.

HINT: If the sauce gets too thick before you have added all the butter- you can add a very small amount of lukewarm water, then keep adding the butter

11. When all the butter is incorporated the hollandaise should look something tlike this:

Once you have completed the sauce, season it with salt and pepper - I always use black pepper which means that you can see the black flecks in the sauce - if this isn't your cup of tea then use white pepper.

When you have finished your hollandaise -

do not refrigerate or keep it for the next day. Use it or lose it.

Next: poach the eggs:

1. Add the white vinegar to your saucepan of simmering water. Crack your eggs into a small bowl, Make a 'whirlpool' with the water before adding your eggs. The should take about 6-7min.

2. When your eggs are ready remove them with the slotted spoon and 'blot' them on some paper towel.

3. Toast your bread of choice

4. Spread a little hollandaise on your toasts:

BUILD YOUR BREAKFAST:

1. Place the smoked salmon on the toasts:

2. Place your eggs on top:

3. 'Nape' with the hollandaise:

Eat With Feeling

Spinach & Flax Tagliatelle with Pork Ragu

2010-12-01T09:03:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I was reading Mario Batali's book, 'The Babbo Cookbook' and was inspired to make a scrumptious pasta. Whenever I am in an 'Italian' kind of mood I like to pull this book off the shelf and leaf through the pages of wonderful recipes. Here is what I came up with:

Spinach and Flax Tagliatelle

Ingredients:

Pavarotti or similar music + a glass of red wine (optional)

2-3 cups all purpose flour

1-2 tbsp ground flax (which I keep stored in the fridge)

2 large free range eggs

1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup blanched spinach, chopped finely

1 good pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper

A good attitude

Strategy:

1. Sift the flour, salt, pepper onto a clean, dry counter. Add the flax and mix well. Make a well.
2. Add the eggs to the well and mix with a fork without breaking the well. Slowly incorporate the flour from the outside of the well into the egg.
3. Add the oil and continue to incorporate the flour until the dough starts to form. When this happens you can start to knead it. Knead the dough for a couple more minutes (you may have to use a little more flour on the counter). Make a smooth ball.
4. Wrap it and let it relax for a bit. Meanwhile set up the pasta roller:

I got this gorgeous machine for my husband a couple of years ago- but as you can see - it was a mutually beneficial purchase :)
When your ball of pasta is well rested, it is time to roll baby!!! Make sure you have some extra flour and a place to hang the finished product if necessary:

When using the roller- start on the thickest setting and after each time through you can turn the dial one step thinner until you have the desired thickness. I took mine to the thinnest setting.

When you have finished the pasta you can let it dry for later or cook it fresh. I divided mine in half (half to dry and half to eat with feeling!) and with the fresh pasta, made a pork ragu:

I wanted Ontario pork and I guess I was out of luck until.... I came across spicy sausages made from Ontario pork. This turned out to be a great decision!
The meat was already nicely seasoned with a little spice.
So in this photo you see my mise en place: onion, carrot, garlic, red and yellow tomatoes..........mmmmm

After browning the meat I added the onion and carrot. When these softened in went the tomatoes and some puree tomatoes (about 200ml). Season and then time to relax. If you decide to make this (and you should) try adding 2 sprigs of freshly chopped flat leaf parsley just at the end of the cooking process instead of during. You will notice a difference in the finished small and taste.

I let this simmer for a good 25min.

For me it was important to leave the meat 'clumpy'. I wanted this sort of texture to go with my pasta:

I finished the ragu with a little cream (heavy cream that is:)

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water (lots). If you are cooking it fresh you only need about 4 minutes. If you will be cooking it dry 7-10 minutes will do depending on the thickness then drain and toss in olive oil before mixing with the ragu and serving. I added Grana Padano to finish.

Writing this up has made me want to do it all over again it was so tasty!

Yours Truly,

Eat With Feeling

Guest Blogger: Hitchy's Famous special Duck Recipe (My Dad)

2010-09-09T06:28:00.000-04:00

Hi All,

Down here in the Southern Hemisphere, we dont see much duck in recipes. I guess that is because in our democratically, environmentally, serendepity thinking society (like Canada's I guess), duck shooting has become a socially less desirable pastime, and we need to buy our duck from reputble butcher shops. Only in recent years has duck become more available to the average household.

There is one butcher shop just down the road from where I live in the Wild Oaks Supermarket, and they offer duck and quail which is 'not too bad'. Down here, when we say "not too bad" in describing anything, that really means we think it is very good. We are a funny mob (by the way, "mob" means group of cattle, sheep, or people), in using these terms as we always tend to 'downplay' in our everyday use of the Australian vernacular. That is the way we are.

Now on to the duck recipe: Hitchy's famous special duck. Serves 3 , 4 or 5 people, somewhere in that range. One of the funny things about serving sizes that I have found over the years is that the quoted servings in a recipe are never quite right. For example, one of my golf playing friends always eats twice as much as anyone else!

Hitchy's Famous Special Duck Recipe:

1. Get some duck ( 2 pieces of Maryland style duck breasts is a good way to go), and pan fry it with skin on in olive oil with chinese 5 spice, cinnamon and salt and pepper. Work out the spices for yourself, and for interest I have been adding a bit of finely chopped sage lately when I am cooking poultry.

2. Chop into quarters: half a dozen baby potatoes and brussels sprouts. Steam or microwave these with some butter and cracked pepper and long enough until a fork easily slides though them. Set them aside for a while.

3. Chop up some onions, bacon, garlic and about 2 CM (that means centimetres), of fesh, peeled ginger. Throw all this into a small frypan and gently saute.

4. When the duck is medium rare cooked, bring it on to the chopping board and tent it with foil. Go and listen to music, read your favourite book, or watch TV.

After an hour or so, chop the duck into bite sized pieces and throw the whole lot of ingredients together in a casserole dish. Gently warm the mixture in a casserole dish, either in the oven or in the microwave. Smells great.

Either eat it yourself and freeze the leftovers, or invite friends. I think it is a really great, light hearted winter dish. You can do soup as entree. I served lamb and barley soup. I didn't do desert. But we did enjoy a classy Australian shiraz.

NEH

Eat With Feeling: The Lighthouse Picnic, Ferryland, Newfoundland, Canada

2010-08-28T12:08:00.000-04:00

Eat With Feeling: The Lighthouse Picnic, Ferryland, Newfoundland, Canada

The Lighthouse Picnic, Ferryland, Newfoundland, Canada

2010-08-28T12:05:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it has taken me so long to write this!! We have posted a little spiel on the Food Day Canada website too.

This experience was so in line with my theme of eating with feeling. As soon as I arrived I knew it would be one of those moments in time that I will always look back on. I stopped to just take a moment- you know, and breathe in...oh and eat too!

This summer my husband and I went to Newfoundland for a friends wedding. They too, are Chefs who settled in St Johns to raise a family after we all worked together in Bermuda (I guess we are all settling down!)

Ferryland, the location of this wonderful picnic, is a 1hr drive from St John’s, Newfoundland. We drove out here after a recommendation from Roary Macpherson, our friend and Executive Chef at the Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland.

The day: Foggy, yet warm and the smell of the ocean strong. Just after reaching Ferryland we turned off toward the lighthouse (which we could not yet see....)

The setting: A magical headland looking over the ocean, rugged beauty all around. On this particular day everything seemed to be still- even the ocean. Although we could not see a whole lot, the fogg seemed to add to the tranquility and mystery of the place.

The walk: You have to walk to the lighthouse- which is probably a good thing because you will not be able to help but eat everything in your picninc basket!

As we approached the lighthouse the fogg clears enough to see the bright red and white structure, lovingly restored by Jill and the town.

The story: Jill, the owner decided to embark on the picnic concept when she had returned to her hometown for a visit whilst living abroad. Jill’s Grandmother had lived at the lighthouse years before and , as a little girl she had spent many summers at the lighthouse.

Jill, the creator and owner of Lighthouse Picnics

Jill employs locals who greet us as though we could be family when we arrive.

The experience: A picnic like none you have experienced before. We ordered our picnic, choosing the Newfoundland seafood lunch. On the menu: a lovingly made sandwich using bread made from scratch in the Lighthouse with Newfoundland Smoked Salmon and Shrimp, Orzo Salad, homemade Lemonade that came in a mason jar with ice and a decadent Chocolate Ganache Cake for dessert.
Don’t worry about a blanket- the friendly staff provide that too.

A well guarded recipe, the bread is made right inside the lighthouse

The flag we were given so the 'runners' could find us!

I notice now as I write this that the brochure warns to be prepared for a nap after lunch- very apt.

When we order, we are given a flag (they use the maritime communication flags) so that one of the (extremely fit) runners can deliver our picnic whilst we are lazing about on the picnic blanket and taking it all in!

What sets it apart: In addition to the incredible setting, Jill and her team make everything from scratch using local ingredients......and of course- the people!

Yours Truly: EatWithFeeling

Day off Lunch: Bison Burgers on Crunchy Calabrese

2010-07-08T00:29:00.000-04:00

I called this posting 'Day off Lunch'. I was going to call it Sunday lunch, but then I realized that a lot of people (especially cooks) don't even get Sunday off. Their 'Sunday' is usually whatever day they get!

When I was working in the ski resorts, my 'Sunday' would usually be a Monday.

This suited me fine because it was usually the quietest day of the week up on the mountain and there were no lift lines to worry about- FUN TIMES!

Anyhooooo....

Slow down-MAKE THIS LUNCH-eat it with feeling, and enjoy the rest of your day.

This makes four burgers (well it did for us:)

BISON BURGERS, Pancetta, Quick Tomato Chutney on Crunchy Calabrese Rolls

Gather your ingredients:

BURGERS:

300-400 g minced beef

200-300 g ground bison meat

Salt and Pepper

1 garlic clove minced

pinch cayenne, pinch cumin

4 sprigs thyme, chopped fine

QUICK TOMATO CHUTNEY

1 shallot diced

2 tomatoes (the red kind :) diced

1-2 tsp white wine vinegar

1 Tbsp sweet chilli sauce

OTHER NECESSITIES:

2-4 dollops of mayonnaise

a little watercress

1/2 an onion cut into rings

4 Pancetta slices (thin) (ask for these at the deli)

4 Calabrese rolls (the link is to a recipe but the rolls can be bought almost everywhere: the key is that they are fresh!)

A good attitude

STRATEGY:

Make the Burgers:

1. Put all the ground meat in a bowl, add the rest of the ingredients and mix REALLY well. Don't try to do this with a spoon, use your hands (clean of course) and mush it all together.

2. Divide the mixture in to four large patties (or 6-8 smaller patties) then put them in the refrigerator to behave themselves.

(We used a ring mold to portion and shape the burgers)

Crisp the pancetta
1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Place the pancetta slices on a parchement lined bakesheet- cover with a sheet of parchement and another bakesheet (I used two non stick cookie trays and parchment)
3. Bake until just crispy and set aside until needed

Make the Quick Tomato Chutney:
1. Real Hard to do: place the ingredients in a little bowl and mash together. Adjust with sugar, spice or vinegar as you like it. (Hubby makes it better than me so I try to get him to do it :)

Cook the Burgers with feeling
1. Heat a frying pan or even better a cast iron skillet with a little canola oil
2. Sear the burgers on each side until brown then finish in oven.

Just sayin: I like it this way because I do not like dry burgers. Fry pan method keep them way jucier and when cooking with bison thats key)

Take a sip on that cold beer, lemonade or whatever it is thats keeping you cool and relaxed and have fun building your burger.

Take a deep, slow breath and eat it with....feeling

Yours Truly...as above

working on my chocolate:

2010-07-02T11:01:00.000-04:00

Here are some more chocolate frogs that I made to practice my chocolate skills. Inside each chocolate frog is a peppermint ganache MMMMMMMMM!!!

I also made some white and dark chocolate squares with the same ganache.
I think they are a lot better than my first attenpt, but I am very obviously not a natural and its gonna take some time,

but thats ok...

Cooking Cottage Style

2010-07-02T10:51:00.000-04:00

As a long weekend was approaching the hubby and I realized we actually had time off- whoop!! what to do- ???

I have lived in Toronto for over 5 years now and haven't really explored Ontario much. We decided to do 'the Cottage' thing- The 'cottage' thing is what a lot of people here do on the long weekends and the summer. If you are lucky- you or your family or friends own a cottage (mind you some of them are more like mansions) and each weekend in the summer you get in the car with your 'toggs' (that's Aussie for swimmers or bathers), wine, the pooch and whoever or whatever else you decide to bring along.....) You frolic in the sun and relax on outdoor furniture with a glass of wine or a beer beside a sparkling lake or river. Take walks, canoe, fish and....cook with feeling!!

You brave the traffic for a couple of hours and find yourself in a little paradise just north of the city. This was my first time 'cottaging' and I was determined to enjoy every moment.

Luckily at short notice I found a cottage called the Ebenezer Schoolhouse, owned by a Toronto family. The had bought the place and lovingly restored it whilst preserving some of its past. A single room school house it began operating sometime before 1850 and stopped operating as a school in the 1950's (i think). It is situated in a farming community in the Grey Highlands. I just loved it.

Liane, the owner and her family really put huge effort into the restoration of this cottage- it was like stepping back in time. There was even an old children's' sweater hanging on a peg owned by a past student from the 1800's who still likes to come back to play- some find that eerie but I thought it added to the magic of the whole experience.

Of course, with such a great kitchen & directly looking toward a gorgeous stone fireplace, I could NOT wait to cook us a yummy rustic roast dinner. The food, company (of course), and the place made for the most wonderful weekend. Here are my photos and recipe:

Roast Chicken Dinner
1 whole chicken
4 Yukon gold potatoes
lots of fresh thyme and rosemary
lots of garlic
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
a whole lotta time!

for the brine: (make this the day before if you can!)
5L water
2 cups coarse salt
1/3 cup peppercorns
10 sprigs thyme
5 sprigs rosemary
5-10 cloves garlic
3 cloves
lots of bay leaves
1/4 cup sugar
1-2 tbsp white wine vinegar

First marinate the potatoes

As you can see here, I have cut them up and marinated them in some olive oil, herbs (whatever was available), salt and pepper and lots of love.

Next make the brine for the chicken:

Put all the brine ingredients into a large pot, stir well then bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and cool it down to room temp. Put it in the refrigerator to behave itself.Looks good huh!

Brine the chicken: Place the whole (trussed) chicken into the cold brine and leave it alone for 4-5 hours: (we did this at home before we left)

Preheat the oven to 400F and remove the chicken from the brine. Pat it dry.

Turn on some music. Make sure the wine is chilled:)

Coat the chicken with olive oil, herbs salt and pepper and place on a baking tray:

We also added some carrots to the roast, shallot (whole) and made some mushy peas as a side dish (I forgot to take photos from this point because I was having so much fun)!

Roast your chook at 400F for 10-15 the reduce the heat to 325F and cook until clear juices run out when pierced with a skewer (45min-1hr)

Before you eat: rest your chicken.

Yours Truly,

Eat with Feeling

Pictures of the Week

2010-04-25T09:03:00.000-04:00

Pictures of the Week

This is such a great photo-

Yours Truly,

EatWith Feeling

Black Pig Meat Co. and Chef Duskie

2010-04-13T07:55:00.000-04:00

It has been on my mind for a while- to write that is and I have just not had a spare second. This morning I got up early, cooked some of Chef Duskie's bacon and thought- I have to do this.. it is too good not to share- not just the bacon but the story!!
A couple of weeks ago I was asked to assist a Chef from California for a Breakfast Television segment.

Duskie one of the Chef owners of ZAZU restaurant and farm. Duskie is a bubbly, passionate, energetic Chef.

ZAZU is a restaurant with American Italian 'roots' situated in Sonoma County. When you speak with Chef Duskie you can feel her level of connection to food and the growing of it and most of all her deep respect for it.

I love that.

Duskie's TV menu was quite adventurous, and with only 5-7 min of air time!! It was quite the adventure. Throughout the studio that morning, before Duskie went on air everyone was murmuring as they sipped their coffee how good the Bacon smelled- and it made you want to EAT!!

This brings me to the other side of ZAZU: The Black Pig Meat Co. Duskie and her partner John make their bacon using Pure Country Pork pigs- these pigs are healthy, happy, free range, free roaming pigs. The bacon is quite something else... the best I have had.

One of Duskie's recipes features a BLT using fried green tomatoes and a tabasco aioli- YUM

I was lucky enough to get some of the Black Pig Meat Co. bacon to take home and try for myself, which I did as soon as I could and here is my BLAT:

This was truly the yummiest BLT I have ever had- the secret: the freshest and best quality ingredients- oh and yes: that is a Steamwhistle beer in the background

Here is what I used to make this gorgeous BLAT:

Black Pig Meat Co. Bacon

All the produce came from The Golden Orchard at the St Lawrence Market including this beautiful heirloom tomato

So, the key is to not cook the hell out of the bacon- you want it only slightly crispy on the edges. This bacon is too good to overcook so try to avoid that.
It will ruin the love and all the flavour.

Crusty italian style rolls

Aioli with some cayenne thrown in

Fresh avocado (the 'A' in BLAT)

some gorgeous crisp romaine

And yes, that is another Steamwhistle!

To get the same kind of flavour and quality bacon- try buying a nice thick cut smoked bacon or maple cured bacon from Rowe Farms or someone similar who doesn't use antibiotics or 'fast' track methods for butchery- the product will speak for itself.

MMMMMM I want to make another one now--
Yours Truly
Eat With Feeling

Introduction to Chocolate: the final week

2010-04-08T10:03:00.000-04:00

I have decided that patience (or the lack of it) Is probably the biggest hurdle I will need to overcome throughout this certificate course; that and time to practice.
The last week proved to be quite challenging for me....and it was all my fault. For most of my professional career as a cook I have needed to go,go go!!! This type of work is different- it requires finesse, patience, tenacity and loads of skill (of which I have yet to acquire)

The lab required us to bring in a 3D mold- like an Easter bunny or something- I ordered the wrong thing!! I went on a last minute mission to find a 3D mold- NOT EASY. i ended up buying large non stick cake mold and copped a few amused looks retrieving it from my bag at the beginning of class. Still, Chef was forward thinking about it and said with a smile ' lets give it a try'.
So here is my work (the work that actually worked:
Oh and PS: I learnt a lot

This giant egg was actually made from a non stick cake mold. Chef helped put the two sides together and then she made a big chocolate disk to stand it on. Getting it home on the streetcar was a big tricky.

These are my little chocolate frogs-they were a bit battered by the time I got them home & are obviously a work in process. However, in my defence I have to say these little guys were made with feeling

Here is a better photo!!!
So now I am looking forward to my next adventure with Chocolate: Chocolate confections!!!
Yours Truly,
EatWithFeeling

My Dad Hitchy's famous Fettutine

2010-03-24T08:00:00.000-04:00

My Dad (Otherwise known as Hitch or Hitchy) loves food. With that I refer the eating of it, the growing of it and the cooking part too.
Even though I live on the other side of the world, we are often skyping and chatting about food and our latest culinary adventures.
My Dad is having an amazing year with the garden. The list of what he has grown would be a whole new post, however, here is a recipe he sent me using some tomatoes from the garden with some photos. I urge you to make and eat it with verve!

HITCH: " I start an Italian style, simple pasta by slowly & gently sizzling some Italiana sausages, and when cooked leaving them to rest and behave themselves."

"Then I chop up a whole mob (mob is a name for a group of people or kangaroos-not necessarily troublesome, but here it is lovingly referring to the ingredients) of stuff: garlic, chives(fresh), red capsicum (pepper), semi sun dried tomatoes; lebanese (thin) aubergine."

"On account of I am trying new stuff, I gently sizzeld this mob in rice bran oil. Having had a glass of Shiraz already, I have seen that I am repeating myself. So somewhat more succinctly, may I advise: I let the Saussos calm somewhat on some kitchen paper, and then I thinly slice them and add them to the mob."
"Then all that is needed is to ensure al dente with the fettucini which is my personal preference, but shorter, squiggly ones are acceptable, here in the great south land."
Serve with a Clare Valley (North of the Barossa Vaelley), Shiraz from South Australia.
Exellente!
Love
Dad

My Dad's dog "Gypsy the Wonderdog"

Dad's Tomatoes

The back Garden

Banana Bread

2010-03-22T10:48:00.000-04:00

DID you know that Bananas are the worlds LARGEST..HERB???? Cool huh!
In celebration of finding out this fact I want to share this recipe with you (and I also had too many over ripe bananas!)

Eat With Feeling Banana Bread
The last time I went home to Australia I stopped in at Lennox Head to visit my great and long time friend, Deb who together with her husband Nic run an amazing restaurant called the Sandbar and Restaurant in Balina.

Deb is a wonderful person and every time I see her we have such an amazing time. This time we drove straight to Byron Bay and had coffee at a beautiful open air cafe right on the headland looking out over the Beach.

I had this banana bread there that has haunted me ever since. Sitting by the sea with the smell of home, the crashing waves and the relaxed atmosphere-even with the jet lag- well it was just all too much in the best possible way.

I wanted to recreate a little piece of that memory so here it is- with a healthy repertoire of ingredients too (until you smother it with butter of course:)

In Australia we eat Banana bread like toast- just slice it- pop it in the toaster, and 'Bob's your uncle'- a great breaky!

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups All purpose flour

1 1/4 cups Whole wheat flour

1 tbsp Salt

1 tsp Baking powder

1/2 tsp Baking soda

1/4 cup Brown Sugar

3 -4 Very ripe bananas, mushed up
1/2 cup Pecans, chopped

1 pinch Cinnamon

1 pinch Nutmeg

3 Free range eggs (large)

1/2 cup Light ricotta cheese

Strategy:
1. Turn on some tunes and get your happy cooking frame of mind switched on if it's not already. Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) and get your loaf pan ready.
2. Beat the eggs and the sugar in a bowl until creamy and lighter in colour
3. Sift the flours, salt, baking powder and soda, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl.
4. Add the egg and sugar mixture then fold gently. Add the bananas- be gentle! Then add the ricotta cheese and pecans. Mix only just until it is combined - do this with feeling.
5. Pour said mixture into your loaf pan and bake in the middle of the oven, uncovered until a skewer comes out clean from the centre- the top should be a gorgeous golden brown.

EAT WITH FEELING

C.H.E.F

2010-03-15T08:16:00.000-04:00

Community, Health and Education through Food! (CHEF)

This was an amazing day. I met some incredible people who were very uplifting and tenacious.

Elizabeth Church from the Globe and Mail has written a wonderful article here

I now cannot wait for the next training day!!!

Yours Truly,
Eat With Feeling!

CHOCOLAT, CHOCOLAT!!!!

2010-03-10T09:14:00.000-05:00

Studying the Art and 'Temperament' of ChocolateI cannot remember what week this is of the Introduction to Chocolate course however, we are now in week nine!! My life has been totally crazy these past weeks, as I am sure your was too.

Anyway, here is a flour-less hazelnut chocolate cake wrapped in tempered milk chocolate with chocolate 'thingy's' (they were supposed to be rosettes but nowhere near it!) . We also made candied roast hazelnuts to garnish with. Some of these (crushed) are in the cake too.

I found this the most challenging week yet in terms of getting the working temperature of the chocolate just right to wrap the cake properly and, although it is FAR from perfect, I left feeling that I had learnt something new and was pleased with what I had accomplished.

There is no doubt that it was eaten with feeling!

I am also really excited to receive my new chocolate molds from Chocolat Chocolat in Montreal. We need these for the last class:

One is a chocolate bar mold, one is a frog mold (I intend to make my version of the famous 'freddo frog' from back home in Australia and the other is a fancy square type of mold.
Too much fun.
Chocolat Chocolat have so many different molds it is mind boggling to the layman. But they are so helpful and rang immediately to clarify and check my order was right AND it arrived the next day!!!

Eat Pork! Braised Pork Shoulder in Milk-: you will not be able to help but eat this with feeling

2010-03-07T18:13:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I helped out at work prepping for the French Farmhouse course at George Brown Chef School. I was inspired by one of the recipes, a braised pork loin using milk as the braising liquid.
It was so good that I decided to cook it at home, but using pork shoulder instead.
The pork shoulder I bought from Rowe Farms at the St Lawrence farmers market. I know their products are first class. This tasted so good we even the leftovers didn't last long.

This photo was taken about 1/3 of the way in to the total cooking time which was approx. 1.5 hours. Obviously with a loin the time is shorter. This piece weighed approx. 1.5 kg. I cannot TELL you how utterly gorgeous this was to eat. It is even making me want to cook it again as I write this. The best part of this dish is that the milk becomes the sauce. It caramelises a little and almost becomes a kind of savory dulche leche.. does that make sense??? It is the only way I can think of to describe it, but the only way to really find out if I am telling the truth is to make it yourself and eat it with feeling!!!

The Food:
1.5 kg pork shoulder
50 ml canola oil
1 onion small dice
1 litre milk (3.25% is recommended)
Bay leaves x2
6-8 sprigs of thyme, picked and chopped
Salt and Pepper
2 spy apples (optional)
Butcher twine

The Strategy:

1. Make sure your pork shoulder is deboned then tie it together like so:
(thanks hubby)

2. Heat your pot (make sure it is big enough!) and add the oil. Get it nice and hot, the brown the pork (yes the whole thing) well on all sides. Try to get a nice golden colour like you can see in my pictures :)

3. Take the pork out then add the onions to the pan. Cook them until soft and gently browned.

4. Add the milk, bay leaves, thyme and bring to the boil. Scrape the bottom of the pot to release as much of the browning as you can (this adds SOOOO much to the flavour) As soon as it reaches a boil turn the heat down to low or low medium. Add the pork. Season with a little salt and pepper. Cover the pot with a lid and turn the heat down enough to prevent boiling over. Turn once or twice to avoid drying of any exposed part of the pork.
5. When the pork is ready there should be all clear juices when a skewer is inserted. The meat will be soft, juicy, tasty and totally scrumptious. Can I say any more!!!
6. So take out the pork and keep it warm. Let it rest. Reduce the milk until you get the right consistency and eat with feeling!

The leftover make great sandwiches!

An optional take on the classic: Dice up the apples (skin on or off- it's up to you) and add them to the milk and simmer until the apple breaks apart and the sauce thickens.

Yours Truly,
EAT WITH FEELING

CHOCOLATE, CHOCOLATE, CHOCOLATE

2010-02-15T10:59:00.000-05:00

This Chocolatier course is not for the impatient!! I am definitely humbled by the art of the Chocolatier- I definitely a long way off reaching any kind of perfection. It is hard work in a different way from the style of cooking I am used to and do professionally. But it is worth it: here are some snapshots of week three:

Truffles!
And,

Bark and Rocher.

Week four got eaten too quickly and week five was a disaster and will not be published!!!
I am not giving up though so stay tuned for more!!!

Cooking For Friends

2010-02-14T09:19:00.000-05:00

In our Industry (meaning the Hospitality industry, and more specifically- COOKING)- life can be very transient. By this I mean that people tend to move around quite a lot. In resorts or parts of the world I have worked I have met the most amazing people (cooks are really cool people :) Since living in Toronto we have been lucky enough to have connected with another couple in Hospitality.We had so many good times with them over the last four years. As it happens they too ended up moving internationally to embark on their next adventure.
Before they left they asked if we could cook them a home cooked meal- and we were more than happy to oblige!
The first course was a recipe inspired by Thomas Keller- A Curried Cauliflower Soup and the second was a Simple Roast chicken with a Potato Gratin with Truffle Pecorino. It is the truffle pecorino potato recipe I am going to share with you - it was AMAZING- and, I can tell you- we all ate it with feeling!!!

POTATO GRATIN with TRUFFLE PECORINO CHEESE
Will be more than enough for four people- yes, you can have leftovers!!

4-5 large Yukon Gold or Bintge potatoes
1 cup heavy cream
1 small onion, peeled and studded with a clove and bay leaf (halve it if it is large)
4 sprigs thyme
60 g Truffle Pecorino Cheese
A warm fuzzy, good feeling

MAKE IT:
Preheat your oven to 350 F (185 c)
Line a bake loaf ( i used a bread loaf pan cause I liked the shape)
Heat the cream gently and plop the studded onion in. Let the cream stay warm. The onion and bay leaf will soften and release their flavor (5-10 min) into the cream.
Transfer the cream to a bowl.
Peel one potato at a time then slice each one very thin- 2 mm. Place the slices directly in to the cream and mix to ensure they are coated. Repeat this with all the potatoes.

Now for the fun part!
Take that gorgeous smelling cheese and grate it into the potatoes and cream. Season with a little pepper and enough salt to taste

Can you see those little black flecks- thats the truffle- YUM!! A special occasion deserves special ingredients don't you think?

Add a little thyme as well, but not too much

Next you are going to grab your lined bake dish and fill it with the potatoes. Don't pour the mixture in, rather remove the potatoes from the bowl and into the bake dish. Arrange the potatoes in an orderly way and gently push to remove any air pockets.
Pour the cream mixture in to the bake dish (make sure you get all the cheese) to the same level as the potatoes

BAKE IT:
Place your gratin in the centre of your oven, covered with tin foil for the first while (30-40 min) so it doesn't get too brown and dry.
Take off the foil for the second half of the cooking time (30-40min) and reduce the temp to 325 F.
The gratin should look lightly browned and a knife inserted into the centre should meet no resistance when fully cooked. See the first picture.
When the cooking is done:
Allow it to stand for about 10-15 mins before serving OR, even better, make it the day before and refrigerate after cooling with a weight on top to compress it.
To serve it straight away do not turn out- slice it or cut squares and place on a plate with a spatula
If made the day before, turn the gratin onto a cutting board and slice into the desired shape. Heat the individual portions in the oven until warm and serve.

As you can see a good night was had by all, including the two best k-nine friends:

Yours Truly,
Eat With Feeling

Time To Be a Student Again: CHOCOLATIER COURSE

2010-01-21T10:15:00.000-05:00

So this is in total contradiction to my last post but hey- as long as it's all in moderation right??

One thing I love about food is that there is always something to learn. As a cook, I have always wanted to learn how to work with chocolate on a professional level. It is definitely something I LOVE to eat but I also want to learn how to use it and create with it. I was so excited when the George Brown Chef School developed the Professional Chocolatier Certificate that I signed up immediately.
A little nervous about being a student again....
So last week was week one of the first course ' Introduction to Chocolate' and we made a chocolate cake with ganache. Talk about decadent. Here is mine:

STAY TUNED FOR WEEK TWO!

EAT WITH ATTITUDE

2010-01-21T09:59:00.000-05:00

Like the title??? I do. Eat with Attitude= the right attitude.
Make a stand on what is acceptable to put in your body on a regular basis.

I am often my own worst enemy sometimes with regard to this. On the run, constantly busy and stuffing myself on 'quick fixes and convenience'. There you have it, my own admission......
SO: this post is about getting some of that attitude in there if you can.

I am NOT saying I won't ever eat rubbish or fat, or too much chocolate or cheese (cause I love it) ever again- no way. However, there are so many ways we can include a higher level of nutrition and have BIG flavour!

Here is a great recipe for you that I thought was real tasty. It' is not designed to be a weight loss/diet recipe but rather a great meal, higher in nutrition, fibre and all that good stuff.
Barley and Butternut Squash Fritters with Arugula Salad
(note the pre steps of roasting the squash and boiling potato)
For the Fritters:
1 cup pearl barley
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups butternut squash diced, then roasted
1 clove garlic, minced, 1 large shallot, bruniose
1 tbsp rough chopped curly or flat leaf parsley
30 ml
30 ml olive oil
250 g Yukon Gold Potato, boiled with the skin on until soft, then mashed, no lumps!
Salt and pepper
A couple of good handfuls of crispy fresh arugula, some balsamic and extra virgin olive oil!
Flour for dusting
Got that attitude going on yet!?
Strategy:
1. Rinse and strain the barley then boil it in the chicken stock until tender. Strain and cool it by spreading it our over a bake sheet. Don't rinse in cold water!
2. Sweat the onion and garlic in a pan. Enjoy the gorgeous aroma :)
3. Mix the cooled barley, mashed potato, squash, onion, garlic, parsley in a bowl. Season with the salt and pepper. Mix it really well. Use your hands- clean of course. The squash should break up quite a bit.
3. Form the fritters by making patties the size of your palm. Place them on a lined bake sheet and firm them up by placing them in the fridge for a bit.
4. Heat a well seasoned or non-stick pan with half the olive oil. Dust a couple of patties lightly with the flour and brown each side long enough to heat through.
5. Toss the arugula with the balsamic and olive oil- just enough to coat- mmmmmmm
6. EAT WITH ATTITUDE