But for now, it’s pre-holiday kitchen season, and I’ve begun, as I often do, with something gingerbread (like this gingersnap biscotti).

I’ve often made softer ginger cookies. Or even cupcakes, to ease into the mood. This year it’s a crisp gingersnap. They aren’t too sweet, and are a nice cookie to nibble after supper, or at mid-afternoon. They are perfect for dunking in coffee. Or tea. Or hot cocoa.

I keep fresh ginger in the freezer and grate it with a microplane as needed. It doesn’t even need to be peeled. It just goes straight in with the butter and mixes in perfectly.

In testing this recipe, I came to only dip the tops in sugar. I found that the sugar crusted bottoms tended to burn before the cookies got properly crisp. At the lower temperature, I no longer have this issue.

Crisp Gingersnaps

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger (optional)
• 3/4 cup softened butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• another 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl for dipping

Preheat the oven to 325F*

Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and dry spices in a bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using electric beaters, cream the butter, grated ginger and sugar until very light and fluffy (about 5 minutes), scraping down the sides occasionally. Add the egg and continue to beat until smooth.

Lower the speed and beat in half the dry ingredients, followed by the molasses. Scrape the bowl and beater and beat in the remaining dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to finish incorporating anything left at the bottom of the bowl.

Using a small disher, scoop out 1-inch balls of dough. Roll them and flatten each slightly. Dip the tops into the sugar and place them on a lined cookie sheet, leaving 1-2 inches between them to allow them to spread.

Bake for 12-15** minutes until they flatten slightly and the tops are starting to crackle. Cool for a few minutes on the tray to firm up before transferring them to a wire rack.

Store the cooled cookies between sheets of parchment in a tightly sealed container, or the freezer.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

* original recipe was 350° but they often got too dark

** 12 minutes is perfect in my oven. Start there and add if needed.

I love citrus. Sour is a favourite flavour of mine, but bitter? Not so much. Sour and bitter are two things that grapefruit has in spades, which is why it lends itself so well to heavily sweetened applications, like marmalade, and curd.

I also love coriander. Seriously, I have a real thing for it (click here). Especially with fruit. Its faintly orange spice fragrance is intoxicating, and subtle. Unlike cinnamon or cloves or allspice, it’s a beautiful background hum instead of a punch in the face.

I attempted a cake spiced with coriander a couple of times before I was happy. The first was with lime. It was alright, but the lime took over. This one has a subtle hint of orange, which compliments the spiced orange of the coriander. It also has a few other spices in supporting rolls. I baked it into a bundt this time, but forgot to time it (bad food blogger!). So here’s the original layer cake recipe with a bundt photo.

The grapefruit curd recipe comes from Blue Kale Road (find it here). I added a smidgen of pink food colouring to make it pretty. I also passed it through a strainer once it was finished, to remove any inevitable bits of cooked egg.

½ cup plus 2 Tbsp butter, softened
1⅓ cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
5 tsp. ground coriander
¾ tsp. ground cloves
¾ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
2 tbsp. vanilla extract
zest of one orange
1 1/2 cups plus 2/3 cup all purpose flour, divided
1 cup buttermilk, divided
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease two 8-inch cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper and then grease the papers.

Place butter and sugar in a large bowl or stand mixer. Beat with at medium-high speed until mixture is fluffy-looking and lightened in colour, about 3 or 4 minutes. Lower the speed and beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the spices, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Add the vanilla and the orange zest.

Use a large rubber spatula to fold 3/4 cup flour into the butter mixture until barely combined. Don’t overdo it at any point if you want a tender cake. Fold in 1/2 cup buttermilk. Then fold in another 3/4 flour, then another 1/2 cup buttermilk, and then the remaining 2/3 cup flour.

Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the surface of each. Bake until toothpick inserted near centre of cake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes before running a knife around the edge of each cake. Invert them onto wire racks and pull off the papers. Flip the cakes again and cool completely. I recommend wrapping them in plastic wrap and letting them sit overnight. The spice flavour will blend and mellow. Frost with whatever frosting or glaze you like and serve with the grapefruit curd.

Strictly speaking, this is not a post from a cookbook. But it does come from a recipe by a cookbook author, which is close enough. And it’s delicious. Really delicious. And perfect to take to a brunch.

Our church has brunch potlucks fairly regularly, and I’ve made this in some form or another for many of them. It is easy to assemble, bakes up in an hour and can be customized to your heart’s content.

The original recipe, by “The Pioneer Woman” Ree Drummond (found here on foodnetwork.com) doesn’t have much to fancy it up, which is fine, since it’s tasty as is. But I’ve played with the bread, using day old onion buns, and added more flavour with roasted red peppers that I froze back in the summer when peppers were cheap and temps were suited to using the grill.

In the past I’ve even added crumbled sausage and I’m guessing that bacon would be great. Ooh, maybe some flavoured cream cheese too. The bread possibilities are endless, with everything from day old bagels or croissants to stale focaccia, ciabatta or kaiser rolls. The whole thing could be made healthier by using whole wheat bread or buns, low fat cream cheese (which I do use) and grated cheese, skim milk, less butter (!) and lots of veggies. If you try it, let me know how it goes. This is a once in a while treat, so I don’t mind not making it super healthy.

I’ve made this with fresh buns. I prefer the result with staler bread products, as they more readily absorb the egg and milk mixture.

Cheesy Brunch Bake

– adapted from Ree Drummond’s “Sleepin in Omelette”

3/4 cup salted butter
6-8 day old onion buns
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese (though Gouda or Provolone would be nice)
1/2 cup chopped roasted red pepper
8 ounces cream cheese (low fat is fine)
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
10 large eggs
Black pepper, optional

Spray or grease a 9×13 casserole.

Tear the buns into medium chunks and fill the pan. Sprinkle over the cheese and red peppers (or whatever other flavour element you’d like). Cut or tear the cream cheese and butter into pieces and distribute them evenly over the top. Don’t worry about the amount of butter. It melts in and moistens the bread/egg underneath.

In a large-ish bowl or big measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, milk, mustard and salt. Pour this over the bread and cheese, making sure to get it everywhere. Grind over some black pepper if you’d like.

Cover the dish with either non-stick or greased foil and leave it in the fridge overnight.

In the morning, preheat the oven to 325F. Bake the casserole, covered, for 45 minutes before increasing the oven temp to 350F and removing the foil. Bake a further 15 minutes. It will be bubbly and butter may seem molten, but it will settle in as it rests, which it should for at least 15 minutes. Enjoy with fresh fruit to offset all the delicious cheesy goodness.

Serves 8-12

No pretty serving pic. This was devoured quickly at our brunch!

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I said that I’d start using recipes from the modestly large collection of cookbooks that I have, and I’ve done it. I’m quite chuffed, actually. And it was tasty, too!

I adore watching Nigel Slater on TV. His voice, his mannerisms, his entire presence is so soothing. I can binge watch his programmes and feel quite relaxed by the end. And inspired.

I pulled out his “Kitchen Diaries 2” for this one, and turned to the early months. Landing on February 19th, I came upon an entry about kale, and an accompanying recipe which combines it with chorizo and almonds. Simple, straight forward, full of Iron, Vitamin A,  Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Calcium… (it’s not called a “superfood” for nothing), and not requiring any expensive ingredients (like cauliflower at the moment). I knew it was something that my daughter and I would enjoy, while hubby and The Boy tucked into their leftover chili (not fans of sturdy greens at all).

I wasn’t clear on what “soft cooking chorizo” was, so I picked up something leaning more toward a pepperoni than raw sausage, which is what I imagined him to be calling for. It turns out, after finding the recipe online to link to here, it seems that what I bought was right. Though I don’t think mine was as fatty as Mr. Slater’s, as I needed a bit more oil at the end to coat all of the kale. Or I didn’t render it well. Probably that.

Being me, I did do a couple of things differently. I halved the kale, chorizo and almonds for just the two of us (the full amounts are below, in imperial measures). But I still used a full clove of garlic, minced, albeit a small one. And I finished it all with a splash of white wine that I had on hand, for the acid. But that’s not in the original at all. The kale was a delightful contrast of juicy and toothsome, while the almonds softened and the chorizo provided a great chewy, meaty texture. While greens often need salt, the sausage provides plenty. More really isn’t needed. A little chili flake, fresh chili or simply a spicy chorizo would be fantastic, however. This whole dish was ready in under 20 minutes, including prep, and would be wonderful with crispy pan-fried potatoes, or topped with a fried egg, if one was so inclined.

Kale with Chorizo and Almonds

8 oz curly kale, rinsed, dried and sliced into shreds
8 oz cooking chorizo, in chunky slices
splash of neutral oil
handful of whole, peeled almonds
a clove of garlic, minced
splash of white wine, optional

In a nonstick pan, heat a splash of oil over moderate heat. Add the chorizo and let it get brown, even a little crisp, before turning it over (I wish I had). Obviously you don’t want it to burn before it has a chance to render some of its fat, so mind the heat.

Add the almonds and toss in the fat in the pan. Toss in the garlic and kale. If yours is quite dry, add a teaspoon or so of water. Mix it all around until the kale is glossy and the hue has darkened a bit. Season to taste, adding a little more oil if necessary, and a splash of wine if desired.

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I’ve had this journal for probably 20 years. It started as a place to keep recipes that I found interesting. It stored inspiration. Then the internet came along. Now I use it to store recipes that I use often and want to reference quickly, like basic meatballs, my mother’s potato salad, iced coffee ratios, bagels… etc. It’s seen better days, but I do use it often.

Inspiration is a funny thing. It can flow naturally from within, or it can be influenced by things beyond our control. It certainly doesn’t come with a tap, available whenever and wherever. 

To say that inspiration has been lacking for me would be an understatement. 2015 saw precious few posts here. Fewer than one a month. My lack of motivation had several origins, many unknowingly rooted in a couple of health issues. I’ve tackled one, and I have more energy and “good” days than I have in a while. Another looms ahead, a cloud of uncertainty.

With it is coming a slow shift in perspective. So here I am, determined to blog again. I need to create. And to share space in creation with others. My Edible Journey affords me that space in the larger community.

But since I can’t manufacture inspiration, I’m searching for it. Food Bloggers of Canada (part of that larger community that I just mentioned) has some great resources.Quite some time ago I posted a recipe for Mennonite meat buns. At the time I wrote, “I’ve decided to tackle some of the more foreign (to me) recipes and make a blog series of them.” Life happened, and that series never did. But I still think that it was an idea with merit. An inspired idea, if you will.

I have a lot of cookbooks. I seldom use them for actual recipes (save for the baking ones, to a certain extent). But they are full of wonderful ideas. So I’ve decided to use them for inspiration. I intend to actually cook from a variety of them this year, and blog the results. On days when I just don’t have it in me to create, I can fall back on some amazing people who have done the work for me. It also gives me an excuse to unplug and curl up with a good book (yes, I read cookbooks like novels).

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I know that for some, the notion of a “soft gingersnap” is oxymoronic. Gingersnaps are meant to “snap.” To be crisp and firm. I’m a little more liberal in my use of the word. To me, any ginger flavoured cookie with molasses is a gingersnap.  Thick or thin, crisp or chewy, puffy or flat, they’re all gingersnaps and we love them.

My pre-teen son loves gingersnaps so much, he’ll choose them over chocolate chip cookies. I didn’t know it was possible for a child to choose something over chocolate. The only thing that could be better than a common ginger biscuit, in his mind, would be to combine it with his second favourite flavour – coffee.

And so a cookie was born. By using a little whole wheat flour, these cookies are heartier than usual. Espresso powder isn’t something I’d reconstitute and drink, but it is a staple in my baking cupboard.
Soft Espresso Gingersnaps

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder, plus more for rolling
1 cup room temperature butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup molasses
2 eggs
1/2 cup white sugar for rolling

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and espresso powder; set aside.

In a stand mixer or large bowl with an electric mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, which takes about 3 minutes. Add the molasses and continue to mix until completely combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs and mix to combine. Scrape the sides of the bowl, reduce the mixer speed to low, and slowly add the flour mixture. Mix until it’s just incorporated, finishing with a rubber spatula to get anything off of the bottom of the bowl.

In a small bowl, combine about half a cup of white sugar and a tablespoon of espresso powder. Scoop out balls of dough about the size of a ping pong ball. Roll each in the sugar mixture and place on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Allow them to sit on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies keep beautifully in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. They can also be frozen for up to 1 month.

I got about 40 cookies out of this.

I’d read about salt flavoured with hot sauce some time ago and decided to finally try my hand at it. The original recipe wasn’t exactly spicy, though. Not in amounts that didn’t make food too salty. So I played.

When choosing the hot sauce for this, I went with a thicker one. I felt like a thin sauce would dissolve the salt too readily. I also added cayenne. Play with the amount, using your preference and the heat of the sauce as your guide. You could use chipotle or ancho or any other pepper that you like. A teaspoon of smoked paprika will add another dimension, giving you a distinctly different spiced salt.

 
Spicy Salt

makes 1/2 cup

• 1/2 cup kosher or coarse sea salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons thick hot sauce
• 1/8 -1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine the ingredients thoroughly and spread the salt in a thin layer on a large baking sheet. Leave it to dry for a day or two, stirring a few times. If it’s humid, or you want to speed things up, pop the pan into a 300F oven for an hour or two, giving the salt a stir now and then.

Store in an air tight container for up to 6 months. Use on everything, like, like popcorn, potatoes, caramel sauce or this grilled zucchini.

Grilled Zucchini with Spiced Salt

This is more of a method than a recipe. I started with some small, tender zucchini, halved. If yours are larger, try cutting them into a few thick slices. 

Get your grill fairly hot, but not so hot as to burn your veg. Score the flesh in a diamond pattern and brush them all over with oil (try your favourite olive oil). Sprinkle them liberally with your spicy salt and a little black pepper, if you like. Place the slices onto the preheated grill. Keep an eye on them so they get nice grill marks but don’t burn, turning them to cook both sides. You want them to be tender, but still have a little bite. Remove them to a plate & sprinkle with a little lemon or lime juice and some fresh herbs (I used thyme).

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Speaking of which, I’ve been sharing some delicious food there lately. You really should follow.

But today I’m (also) here, sharing this bright, seasonal salsa fresca. I’m planning on grilling some turkey burger patties tonight, and I figured that a fresh salsa would be a perfect accompaniment, though this would go just as well with sausage, or halloumi (like my fresh cherry basil salsa  or stone fruit salsa), or some simple grilled chicken or fish.  Or just tortilla chips and a margarita!

As with any salsa, you can play with the ingredients. I chose to use fresh mint and Thai basil for the herbs, because I plan on adding them to the patties as well. But cilantro, fennel, parsley or lemon balm would work too. No mango? How about peaches or nectarines (which will be in season here shortly)?

Fruity Salsa Fresca

• 1/2 sweet onion
• 1 mango
• 1/2 red, yellow or orange pepper
• 5-6 strawberries
• 1 small tomato
• small handful of fresh herbs
• a little lime zest
• juice of half a lime
• salt & pepper, to taste

Chop everything as fine or coarse as you like & mix gently in a bowl with the lime juice, zest, salt & pepper. Let it mellow in the fridge before tucking in. And add some spice if you’re so inclined. The fruit marries really well with some nice heat.

If you browse my Instagram, you’ll see some pics of the herbs that I’m growing on our new deck (there are pics of that too). The neglected sage was brought up to sit near the kitchen door and has been beckoning me to use it. So I agreed & grabbed a fistful of leaves (plus a little of my sprouting parsley & some thyme).

I decided that onion would be the other main flavour. Onion and sage were made for each other. A little fish sauce for salt/umami, some Dijon, maple & white wine vinegar to round it out and voila. A marinade for those bland chops. A little water thinned it out so that it would coat the meat better, but even when it’s thick it’s fine. It would work well on a roast.

I bet this marinade would be great on poultry, too. Or potato wedges. Heck, replace the sage with another herb, like fennel or dill and it would work well on fish.

If you’re interested in the recipe, head to my Instagram and check it out.

I have a lot of spices and herbs (and a cupboard that needs a good tidying, apparently). From the common, like sage, paprika and garlic powder to the slightly less common, like smoked paprika and coriander, to the more “exotic”, like roasted Saigon cinnamon, ancho chili powder and sumac. And there’s something about this time of year that seems to really motivate me to blend them into delicious mixes. It’s probably because so many things get cooked on the grill now, and a quick sprinkle of something tasty can transform anything.

I really enjoy grilling. I’d love to try my hand at proper barbecue some day, too. The injections and rubs and slathers and mops and glazes and sauces…  I watch BBQ Pitmasters like some people watch Survivor. “Oh my gosh, he’s putting the same sauce he used for ribs on his brisket?!” “His chicken is going to be mushy if he injects it with that too soon.” “Close the damn pit and let the food cook!” Yes, I may have said any or all of those things out loud to my T.V screen. I’m a total armchair pitmaster. LOL I dream of having a smoker. And a large group of appreciative friends who want to pitch in for the cost of meat for parties.

A couple of basics to start with

These two rubs are in my cupboard currently. One is pretty all-purpose. Sweet, salty, good depth of flavour, and mild. I’d make it spicy if everyone in the house liked it that way, but I have a son who seems to have inherited my father’s palate. Black pepper is as far as he will go, and only if he can’t actually see it.

The salt-free rub is great for brined chicken or turkey. You don’t want to add salt to poultry that’s been soaking up a salty liquid for hours, but you do want to still add flavour. Go ahead and sprinkle it over salted grilled potatoes in the final 15 minutes or so of cooking. It’s good!

Use the right ingredients

When you’re going to store a rub that contains sugar, it needs to be dry. Brown sugar in and of itself has too much moisture and will cause the mix to clump with time. You can spread your sugar out on a baking sheet for a few hours to dry out, assuming it’s not a humid day. Or you can use other sugars, like cane, palm or just white.

Smoked salt is more readily available now, too. But if you cannot find it, just use smoked paprika instead of plain. Please do not use iodized table salt, though. It gives a funny taste that will ruin your rub. When stored in an air tight container in a dark, cool place, these rubs will keep for a year. But you’ll use them before that, I promise.

Play around with these and adjust them to your taste. Definitely spice them up if you like a kick. I will separate some out and add a little allspice if I’m using one on pork. I love pork and allspice. Add more sage if you’re cooking poultry. Or a little dill for fish. Even wasabi (horseradish) powder can give a nice twang to your rub, and is especially great with beef.

All Purpose Barbecue Seasoning and Rub

1/2 cup dry sugar (raw, white, cane, palm)
1/4 cup smoked salt
1/4 cup paprika
2 tablespoons celery salt
2 tablespoons fine sea or kosher salt
1-2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon dry mustard powder
1 tablespoon dry sage
1 tablespoon dry basil
1/2 tablespoon dry thyme

No-Salt Seasoning Mix

2 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon sweet or smoked paprika
1 tablespoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1/2 teaspoon dry thyme
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

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