QlinArt

Vietnamese Watercress and Ginger Broth (Canh Cresson)

noreply@blogger.com (QlinArt) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:07:00 +0000

One of the easiest Vietnamese soup recipes that I know of is this watercress and ginger broth. It is served as an 'accompagnement' or side dish to a main meal. The broth is usually added to rice to give it flavour and a different texture. It's a typical Vietnamese way of mixing different foods as we share our meals on the table. This broth tastes amazingly good with the ginger. It's also considered a great remedy for seasonal colds during the winter.

If you can't find any of Mama's homemade chicken soup, you can whip up this simple and soothing broth. Zucchinis, spinach or any other leafy greens can be used instead of watercress.

Preparation time : 5 minutes, Cooking time : 15 minutes

Recipe "au pif":
1/2 lb pork loin or chicken breast
2 chunks of fresh ginger, cut about 2 inches
1 large onion, peeled and cut in half
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 cup fresh watercress, washed (or zucchinis, spinach, leafy greens)
6 cups boiling water

In a large sauce pan cook the pork or chicken with the fish sauce, onion and ginger in the boiling water for about 20 minutes.

Discard meat, onion and ginger.

Turn off the heat and throw in the watercress (or other green vegetables of your choice) and let it sit for about 2 minutes.

Serve hot as a soup, or as a side dish

Serves 4 people.

Share and enjoy!

Spicy Lamb Meat Balls Braised in Tajine with Sweet and Russet Potatoes

noreply@blogger.com (QlinArt) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:40:00 +0000

A Tajine is a formidable cookware that anyone can ever own. This beautiful piece of equipment can make wonderful stews, sauces and authentic exotic dishes in one beautiful ceramic pot. Having decided to make a career change at this point in my life to pursue my passion in writing, blogging and editing, I received this wonderful gift from my colleagues whom I've known for over ten years...a Tajine. My blog has been circulating around the office among the foodies I know, for quite some time now, which gave my peers a gift idea that could not go wrong. Give me any cooking related items, and I am a content woman. Clay Pot cooking is one area of the culinary arts I have not yet mastered. Now is my chance to test and experiment a few recipes. Furthermore, my co-workers have thought of almost everything. How am I supposed to use a tool to its full advantage without the proper accessories? Along with the Tajine came a beautifully illustrated cookbook on Tajine recipes! To go even further, what spices am I to add to my newly discovered recipes when concocting a meal meant for a Tajine? Engineers do think of everything, from point A to point B. So to recap, I received a new beautiful Tajine, Tajine spices and an amazing cookbook with easy-to-follow recipes to help me get started.

Sweet and Russet potatoes cut into wedges

By flipping through the cookbook, I immediately noticed that 80% of the recipes inspired me to create my own. Here is one that I tested last weekend and am now ready to publish it here, on my very own blog.

Ground lamb mixed with spices, onions, herbs

This dish is comprised of lamb meat balls, sweet potatoes, russet potatoes, Tajine spices and fresh coriander to give it a refreshing aroma and colour.

Lamb meat rolled into balls with vegetable oil

May I also add that Tajines are so beautifully handcrafted that they're not only used for cooking but also used as serving dishes. Their shape and colour seem to never fail to amaze guests at the dinner table.

I hope you enjoy this recipe if you care to try it. If you do, please do leave me a comment. May I also advise you that this is the first QlinArt instalment where I post Instagram photos. I would love to hear comments from you about these photos from an iPhone application, on a food blog. I'm also open to new ideas as well.

Preparation time ; 20 minutes, Cooking time: 20 minutes

Recipe "au pif":

Lamb Meatballs:

1/2 lb ground lamb

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

1/2 tsp ground paprika

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp chili powder

2 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped

3 tbsp vegetable oil

Stew:

1 russet potato cut into wedges, unpeeled

1 sweet potato cut into wedges, unpeeled

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 1/2 tsp Tajine spices (can be found in local lebanese or arabic stores)

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 tsp hot chili paste

1/4 water

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Preheat Tajine with about 1 tsp of oil on low heat.

Cook the russet and sweet potato wedges in boiling water for about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a large recipient, mix all ingredients for the lamb meatballs, with your hand until all well incorporated.

Make 2-inch diameter meat balls, rolling them in your hands. Repeat until there is no remaining meat mix. Set aside.

Heat about 1 tbsp of oil in a large sauce pan on medium high. Brown the meat balls on all sides. Set aside.

Using the same sauce pan, add in the tomato paste, chopped onion, garlic, Tajine spices and hot chili paste. Stir for about 1 minute.

Add in the potato wedges and give it a good stir.

Transfer the potato wedges to the Tajine. Add water. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes.

Add in the meatballs, cover and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.

Remove Tajine lid and add in fresh coriander to garnish.

Turn off heat and put lid back on.

Ready to serve with rice or couscous.

Serves 2 hungry people or 4 people.

Spicy Zucchini with Sweet Potato & Ginger Soup - A Soothing Thought for Cold Weather

noreply@blogger.com (QlinArt) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 01:55:00 +0000

Being whipped by a wicked wind with a minus 22 degree Celcius temperature on this frigid day, most of us would only crave a soothing and comforting hot and spicy vegetable soup, especially when we're feeling under the weather. I, myself, have been suffering from a head cold for the past 4 days. I have yet to shake it all off. Never, ever again will I step out of the house without my hat during winter time, even for a couple of minutes.

Montreal's bizarre winter climate this year has burdened my health and many of my peers'. Jumping from Spring-like weather to horrendous Arctic temperatures can make our entire body to feel so feeble that our sole desire is to stay home in bed and hibernate for the rest of the season.

Today, the only thought that crossed my mind was to snug myself into a warm wool blanket, watch a movie while sipping a hot and tasty homemade soup. It requires very little effort. Just let your cookware do the work. Sit back and enjoy.

Preparation: 5 minutes, Cooking time : 10-15 minutes

Recipe au "au pif" of Spicy Zucchini with Sweet Potato Soup:

3 large zucchinis

1 large sweet potato, washed, chopped and unpeeled

1 russet potato, washed, chopped and unpeeled

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

8 cups hot water

3 garlic cloves, peeled

3 tbsp grated fresh ginger (tip : freeze ginger will facilitate grating)

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp ground paprika

1 tsp red hot chili paste

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

pinch of coarse sea salt

Chopped vegetables mixed with ginger and garlic

Instructions:

Heat oil in a large and deep sauce pan or a pressure-cooker, over medium high.

Stir in the zucchinis, sweet potato, russet potato, onions and garlic cloves for about 1 minute.

Add in the grated ginger, turmeric and paprika. Give it a good stir.

Pour in the water.

If using a pressure-cooker, close the lid and let the vegetables cook for about 7-10 minutes. If using a large sauce pan, let the vegetables cook for about 15 minutes, uncovered.

Remove from heat, wait until the pressure has lowered (from your pressure-cooker indicator).

Add in the red chili paste, salt and pepper and give it a good stir.

Blend with a hand blender until you reach a smooth and creamy texture.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Hot water added to the vegetable mix

Serve hot with toasted bread.

Serves 6-8 people.

Share and enjoy.

Another photo of the soup made a few months back.

Braised Pork in Caramelized Sauce with Ginger

noreply@blogger.com (QlinArt) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 03:24:00 +0000

An authentic family style Vietnamese dish is caramelized braised pork served with steamed white Jasmine rice. It is a staple in most Vietnamese households around the world. The braised pork is slowly simmered in a tasty light gravy composed of fish sauce, sugar, garlic and ginger. The pork is browned first in oil to give the meat outstanding flavour. As most experienced cooks or Chefs would claim, browning meats does add an abundance of taste to meats, making it so much more succulent. This dish is part of my top 5 favourite Vietnamese dishes. It is not only delicious, it takes less than 30 minutes to make. A great dinner idea for the weeknights.

Though this recipe is fairly simple, it requires complete attention while preparing it. With that in mind, I promise you'll be pleased with the results.

Preparation time : 10 minutes : Cooking time : 10 minutes

Recipe "au pif":
1 lb of pork shoulder (cut in thin 3-4 inch slices), or 4 thin boneless pork chops also cut in about 2-3 inch long pieces (keep the fat on!)
1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
1 tsp granulated sugar (raw cane sugar will also do)
2 tbsp canola oil (or cooking oil)
2 tbsp fish sauce (nuoc mam)
2 tsps ground black pepper

Marinate the pork in the fish sauce and black pepper, in a medium-sized bowl and mix well with your hands.

Preparing the caramel (and do nothing else like tweeting). Heat oil in large pan on medium-high and add in the sugar. From time to time, remove pan from heat to make sure sugar does not burn.When sugar starts absorbing the oil and starts to melt, mix the sugar with oil evenly, until the sugar starts changing colour, to a light brown colour. When sugar turns into a darker brown colour, remove pan from heat and add in the ginger and garlic, and stir.

Place the pan back on heat and slowly add in the thin slices of pork one by one until the pan is filled with one layer of the pieces of pork. Let the pork cook for about 1 minute and turn them around to cook the other side. The meat will have a darkish golden colour from the caramel.
The meat will sweat and create a sauce with the caramel. Once that stage is reached, cover the pan and let the the pork/sauce mixture simmer for about 10-15 minutes.

If you have no sauce, perhaps the heat was on too high or the pan was not removed from the heat to control the transformation of the caramelized sauce. In this case, you simply add a 1/4 cup of chicken broth and let the pork/sauce simmer.

Vietnamese families often add in hard-boiled eggs to the dish and eat this meal with white jasmine steamed rice. It's one of my favourite meals and easy to make, if you keep that trick in mind.

Serves 4 people.

Chinese Vegetables with Garlic Sauce Done in 5 minutes

noreply@blogger.com (QlinArt) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 02:21:00 +0000

Back from the holidays, we all want to stick to our New Year's resolutions. Beforehand, ask yourselves this : Are the New Year's resolutions truly my own, or are they society's ? If they're you're own, you'll stick to them. If they're society's you'll give up on them. If you are determined to eat healthier this year for your own well-being, then there's a good chance that you'll abide by your decision throughout the year and even farther.

This very simple dish of Asian greens, which could either be Chinese cabbage or Chinese broccoli, can be done in a cinch. It's so simple, that anyone can do it blind-folded. No, seriously, it's a great side dish or vegetarian meal that can be prepared in minutes during a busy work week.

The same can be done with Spinach, Kale, Rapini, green beans or North American or European broccoli.

Preparation time : 2 minutes, Cooking time : 3 minutes

Recipe "au pif":
Your choice of Asian greens (Chinese broccoli, Chinese cabbage...etc.)
1 tsp finely minced garlic
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp water
1/2 tsp ground white peppercorn (found in most asian grocery stores)
3 cups boiling water.
*
Preparing garlic oil:
Lightly brown garlic in hot pan (make sure you don't overcook or burn the garlic as it'll taste bitter) for about 30 seconds.

Preparing the veggies:
Boil water in large sized saucepan. Add 1-2 drops of vegetable oil (this will keep the veggies vibrant in colour).

Blanch the greens in the boiling water for about 2 minutes. Drain and discard water and put greens aside on a serving platter. Blanching is an important step which will give the greens a great crunch and not wilted.

In a hot wok, add in 1 tbsp garlic oil, oyster sauce, white peppercorn and give it a stir for 30 seconds. Add in 1 tbsp water and stir for another 30 seconds. Pour the sauce over the greens and serve.

Serves 2 as a main course meal, or 4 as a side dish.

Share and enjoy.

Authentic Greek Puff Pastries aka Lou'kou'ma'des at Mr Puffs Pastry in Montreal

noreply@blogger.com (QlinArt) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 04:53:00 +0000

Does your shop scream 'Authenticity'? If yes, chances are you're starting on the right foot and you are on your way to a flourishing business.

Whether we like it or not, genuine, veritable and real are terms that have been integrated deeply into our subconscious minds since our childhood and that we continue to embrace to this day. "Authentikós" is the Greek word equivalence to original, genuine and principal which all share the sense of actuality and lack of falsehood or misrepresentation.

When was the last time you appreciated someone who was 'fake'? I doubt that anyone would welcome with open arms a 'fake' friend. As human beings, we're all naturally drawn to people who are real and remain true to our eyes for the main reason that these persons often turn out to be reliable and trustworthy. Being in the presence of positively genuine individuals help us grow by creating a need for us to remove the "mask" we've been wearing all our lives to impress or to be liked by others. Essentially, we slowly learn to accept ourselves. As such, it is a phenomenal step forward if you're already starting to take little steps towards that personal goal.

What does it all mean in the business world? If you remain truthful with yourself, odds are that unquestionable trait will undoubtedly reflect in the way you run your shop. Your business will be one that is sincere, unique and difficult for customers to disregard.

Authenticity is the word that would best describe Mr Puffs Pastry's delicacies and service. Billy and Marina who are the husband-and-wife team running their bakery, have just celebrated Mr Puffs Pastry One Year anniversary last December 21st, 2011.

Their idea is to introduce their Greek delicacies to North Americans. These delicacies are also known in Greek as Lou'kou'ma'des. They are small mini doughnuts or "beignets" as we say in French, made with all the good stuff. Their small shop has a welcoming aura that makes foodies and newcomers to keep coming back for more. Let's face it, a successful start-up place like theirs is all about quality of products and exceptional customer service. Billy and Marina's team has definitely nailed it. You'll see these qualities in the short clip below and the review I wrote further down in this post.

We invite you to comment on this video as Mr Puffs Pastry would love to meet you and to hear from you as well.

My visit to Mr Puffs Pastry - Review

Mr Puffs Pastry is situated in a somewhat obscure strip mall located in the northern outskirts of Montreal. You can count on a good 30 minute drive by car from downtown Montreal, without traffic, to reach their shop. It's worth the ride. The best time to avoid crowds and long line-ups is during lunch time. Their puffs are often purchased after work for pick-up orders to be served as a dessert or a late snack. They're also a hit at family and corporate dinner parties. Ordering in advance is the best way to have your fresh batch nicely packaged and ready for your special event.

First impressions:
When fellow foodie Tony first told me about these decadent puffs, I automatically pictured mini Dunkin Donuts or Tim bits. With his insistence that the puffs were nothing like the doughnuts from the big chains, I was finally convinced to go. Along with other fellow foodie Farah, we drove there one Thursday early afternoon to check the place out. To our pleasant surprise, we were relieved to see that Mr Puffs Pastry did not have the typical look of a big franchise, but rather appeared secluded, despite its vivid orange banner and signs. It made me want to check it out more.

The ambiance:
As we walked in, we immediately felt welcomed. It may perhaps be that the place is very small which accommodates three small tables indicating that their business is more of a take-out place than a sit-in coffee/snack shop. I was amazed by how the place was well ventilated. The air didn't smell greasy. Their concept is that of an open space where everyone can see everything the staff does for the business. There is definitely no hiding as their work station is visible to all customers as soon as they set foot in the shop. We all dig the "what you see is what you get" concept.

The staff:
Billy and Marina are the opposite of being pretentious. In fact, they're so grounded that they instantaneously make strangers feel like they're part of their community. What did strike me the most about their philosophy on running the business is the fact that they love sharing any information on how their business started and on how it operates. Their show-and-tell approach allows them to easily build customer relations. Within one short year, they were able to create strong and durable relationships with their loyal clientele. As mentioned, it's not a chain but they do intend to expand their business by maintaining the same customer satisfaction.

The service:
I need not to repeat how exceptional their service is. Oh, I guess I just did. The Mr Puffs Pastry team wants to make sure it reaches out to as many people as possible in Montreal to show the world how amazing their puffs are. How do they achieve that ambitious goal? They go Mobile! That's right, you heard me. With a fantastic functional trailer equipped with all the necessities to make fresh puffs, they're able to market their product to whichever place the party is held. If you miss a bright orange trailer with a slapped-on logo of an olympian mascot, you may want to get your eyes checked. Believe me, they do go to most major events held in Montreal, like the Grand Prix, to thrive. Their hard work does pay off and needs to be applauded.

The puffs:
At first glance, they look exactly like mini Dunkin Donuts or Canada's Tim Bits, which are both heavy in texture and overly sweet. Once you've popped one puff pastry in your mouth, you are sold and immediately swear to never look back at the chains' fatty doughnuts, ever. The puffs are:

dairy free
egg free
peanut free
preservatives free
yeast-risen as opposed to cake-based, therefore lighter in texture and in calories
fried in pure canola oil

Because of its lighter texture, the inside is moist and fluffy. Whereas the outside is crispy. It simply melts in your mouth. You'll never see that with a Tim bit. As a taste test, we brought two huge batches back to the office without letting anyone know where the puffs came from. Within 30 minutes the two boxes were nearly empty. Most of our colleagues, who love Tim Hortons or Dunkin Donuts, could not believe the crispiness of the puffs. Mr Puffs Pastry had passed the taste test!

The price:
Prices are very reasonable for the quality of the puffs you get. You may consult Mr Puffs Pastry website here for more details.

Luscious Café Frappé made with coffee, sugar, ice and milk. Out of this world!

If you have never tried Mr Puffs Pastry, we urge you to pay them a visit without further ado.
Or if you are a regular customer, we would love to hear from you about your experience at Mr Puffs Pastry. Don't be shy to comment!

Bon appétit!

Being Small Has Its Advantages - Mini Chicken Pot Pies with a Cajun kick

noreply@blogger.com (QlinArt) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 02:11:00 +0000

For the longest time, our society has programmed us to believe that being small was not a good trait, in almost anything. To go even further, it's being looked down upon. Unfortunately, many believe that nonsense which is saddening and unhelpful to those who are below the average size. Bigger does not mean better. It only means bigger or taller people have more mass structure. The good news is that there are ways to deal with it which require self-discipline and daily self-reminders:

Accepting and embracing who you are make you unique
Strengthening self-respect prompts respect from others
Ridiculing the belief that being short or small is a drawback
Learning to laugh at yourself
Prioritizing on other things that matter most in your life : your projects, your goals, your dreams (other than wishing to be taller)

By applying the above methods, you'll notice a definite change in your perspective of things in life. So what if you're being called names and finger-pointed for stretching your muscles a little more than the others to be able to reach out for the cookie jar that's purposely placed on the highest kitchen shelf? Just get a chair. Yes, it's more work, but at least you're moving and you are getting that darn cookie jar. Problem solved. Nothing else matters more than your well-being and your happiness.

Now you'll ask, 'what does this have anything to do with food?'. Well, being small can have its advantages. These mini pot pies can be the perfect appetizers or the original entree that can wow everyone during a holiday dinner party. Their size makes them practical for a buffet-style dinner for your guests. They're easy to eat and so fun to prepare. Invite your guests or your kids to prepare them. Kids love helping out in the kitchen and they have fun cooking when you make a game out of it.

I enjoy making those so much more than making a regular sized chicken pot pie only because it's a different way of making chicken pot pie. In addition, they're cute. Who doesn't like biting into canapés or amuse-bouches just before dinner? They're fun and eye-popping treats that never fail to amaze your guests with 'Ooohs' and 'Aaahs'. When it comes to cooking, I love being creative and making something a little out of the box for the sake of making my experiments in the kitchen all the more interesting. The minute I start falling into a routine, I get bored and lose my sense of creativity.

That being said, I hope you will try those for the holidays and I promise that they are treats that you and your guests will love sinking your teeth into. Adding some cajun spices adds a nice kick to those pies.

Preparation : 15 minutes, Baking time : 10-12 minutes or until crust is golden and flaky

Recipe "au pif":

1/2 kg boneless chicken upper thighs (cut in 2 inch chunks)

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped

1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped

1/2 tsp ground cajun spice (found in any local supermarket)

1 red chili pepper (seeds removed and finely chopped)

2 tbsp flour

3/4 tbsp chicken concentrate with 125 ml boiling water (or 125 ml chicken stock)

pinch of coarse sea salt

pinch of ground black pepper

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 tbsp olive oil or 1/2 tbsp butter

200 gr frozen puff pastry (defrosted) and a bit of flour

1 egg

Preheat oven at 350F

In a hermetic plastic bag, throw in the chicken, salt and pepper, chili, thyme, rosemary, cajun spice and flour

Seal the bag and shake well until the chicken is well coated and seasoned.

In a medium-size sauce pan, heat oliver oil (or I prefer using butter for flavour) on high. Add in the seasoned chicken and give it a good stir for about 2 minutes.

Add boiling water and the chicken concentrate, or simply your choice of chicken stock.

Cover, lower the heat to medium and simmer for about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the frozen peas. Put lid back on and set aside.

With a rolling pin, flatten the puff pastry about 30 cm by 20 cm, and 1/2 cm thick. Sprinkle flour on your board under and on top of the puff pastry so as to avoid sticking to the board and rolling pin.

Use of one your small ramequins and trace with a pairing knife a circle just about 1/2 cm wider around the ramequin. Repeat until you run out of dough.

Fill each ramequin 3/4 full with the chicken stew.

Cover each ramequin with the puff pastry. Dab a little bit of water around the edges and squeeze the dough lightly around the rim. With a fork, poke the top of the pastry dough to allow steam to go through while the pies are baking.

Pop the chicken pot pies in the oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes or until the crust is golden and flaky.

Serves 4 - 6 people.

share and enjoy!

Bánh Cuốn' is Fast Becoming a Favorite at the Office

noreply@blogger.com (QlinArt) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 03:43:00 +0000

Steamed rice flour paper filled with minced pork, onions, bean sprouts and black mushrooms. Sprinkled with crisp fried onions and drizzled with fish sauce dip (nuoc mam)

I need to thank my mum for having introduced me to this new Vietnamese local caterer who happens to live a 10-minute car drive away from my house. Her specialty are these light Vietnamese rice flour crepes filled with minced pork, onions and mushrooms, also known as 'Bánh Cuốn' in Vietnamese.  They're usually eaten as a lunch or dinner meal. In Vietnam, they're also served for breakfast. When made right, these little raviolis or dumpling-like treats literally melt in your mouth. Like a fresh pizza served out from a wood burning oven, Banh Cuon needs to be eaten fresh on the same day it is made, to appreciate the lightness of the crepe and the flavours of the filling. They're definitely a family favorite. Come to think of it, all Vietnamese foods happen to be family favorites. Might not make sense to some of you, but from a glutton perspective, we truly enjoy eating and sharing together good food, making the foods we eat our favorite during each gathering.  Though, this caterer not only sells fifty of these little ravioli-like treats at an insanely affordable price, these Banh Cuons are the best ones I've ordered from a caterer. In fact, fifty was plenty to have a batch of leftovers, that I brought some for my lunch at work the following day.

Having a few Vietnamese co-workers, I couldn't resist teasing them by giving them one ravioli each. These little things are usually eaten like chips, which means that you can't eat just one! So you can imagine the torture I've impounded in them. I know, it was cruel on my part, but it was a great way to test my sales skills, which worked wonders.  Immediately after savoring his ration, one of my colleagues came to see me at my desk to ask me for the address of the caterer so that he can order a batch every week for his family and in-laws.  He simply takes his SUV and drives 20 minutes to pick up his order and he is done! Next thing I knew, word on these Vietnamese delicacies spread around the office by simple word-of-mouth and sharing with other co-workers. It's now become a sort of 'office tradition' to order batches of Banh Cuon for all those who are interested, on a weekly basis. For the record, the Quebecois love it!

It's great to start a trend in a workplace. It goes to show that people are always open to try new foods, ideas, and even share them with others. It's called social community work!

Since I've only made these a few times when I was living back home with my parents, I rarely make them anymore, or even not at all. So, I'm sure a lot of you would love to have the recipe which is not difficult at all. I found this very good and easy step-by-step video on how to make those wonderful Vietnamese rice crepes, here by Unspokensinz.  You may want to turn the sound off - the music is quite loud for some reason.

Serve with fish sauce dip.

Share and enjoy!

Vietnamese-Style Stuffed Tomatoes - A Family Favorite

noreply@blogger.com (QlinArt) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 22:59:00 +0000

When I brought a hearty stuffed cabbage dish for lunch last Friday, a flock of colleagues invaded my office to take a look at my lunch with pure curiosity while smelling the aroma of my meal. No one dared to try to poke it, like some would do in the past (which was quite annoying) because I do not like sharing my lunch with just anyone, do you hear me, with just anyone. I may be perceived as selfish only because I've grown up to become a glutton, thanks to my family. I love food! My family taught me to share food with only those you love and with whom you feel comfortable. And yes, I often do eat my lunch at my desk, since our cafeteria is located in another building and the food seems to clash with my taste buds. Cafeteria food is rarely good, except in France. That's another topic which I could write about in another post. Alright, never mind that.  My point is that the stuffed cabbage definitely caught people's attention because it's a dish that hits the spot on chilly Fall days. I do have to admit that I do love it when my lunches inspire people to cook or to want to make something similar when they go home. My ego does get a kick out of it.  In fact, two of my colleagues decided to go grocery shopping that same day to go and buy some cabbage. What contentement I felt. I am pleased to hear about people wanting to cook and to eat well as much as I do.

Another similar dish that is as comforting, is Vietnamese style stuffed tomatoes for which I've already posted the recipe back in 2009. I need to repost the recipe since it's one of my all-time favorite family recipes. Let me reassure you that it's a dish that never fails to please guests. It's incredibly tasty, thank goodness for fish sauce! It goes amazingly well with steamed white rice and a fried runny egg. Fried runny eggs are great additions to rice meals for Asian families.  There's nothing like eating a nice fried egg and mixing the egg yolk with your rice and meats. Ask any Vietnamese, or any Asian, and they'll know what I mean.

For this installment, the difference in the recipe is the stuffing. I used ground lamb instead of ground pork. I also grilled the top of the stuffed tomatoes instead of frying it, giving the tomatoes a smokier taste. You can use a skillet if you don't have an indoor gas BBQ grill. It's just as delicious and tasty.

May I add that the best part of this great tasting dish is its simplicity? These stuffed tomatoes are succulent and so easy to make after a hard day of work, you'll be delighted to see how little effort is required: scoop, stuff, cook...

Preparation time : 10 minutes, Cooking time : 15 minutes

Recipe "au pif":
4-6 big ripe tomatoes
1 lb ground lamb
1/2 of a large yellow onion, chopped in cubes
1/4 cup cooled steamed white rice
1/3 cup black mushrooms , soaked in warm water for 5 minutes (water discarded)
1/4 cup cooked rice vermicelli (can be found at Asian grocery store)
1 tbsp fish sauce (or 1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 egg
1 tbsp of canola oil

Cut the tomatoes in halves, remove the flesh from the tomatoes with a small scooper, and put the tomatoe flesh aside for sauce preparation.

Mix 1/2 of the lamb, chopped onion, rice, vermicelli, mushrooms, fish sauce, egg and pepper in a medium sized salad bowl. Mix well with your hands until all ingredients are all well incorporated.

With a table spoon, fill in each tomato half with the lamb mixture up to the rim of the tomato. Add in a little more stuffing if desired. Repeat until you filled all the tomatoe halves. If you have stuffing left, you can use it in the sauce. Drizzle the tomatoes with a little bit of canola oil

In a large hot skillet, high heat for about 2 minutes. Add in the stuffed tomatoes face down so that the stuffing browns first. Add 4 at a time if your pan is not large enough. Or add them all at once. Grill them for about 3 minutes. Put aside.

In a separate large frying pan, heat about 1/2 tbsp of oil then brown the remaining lamb and give it a good stir so as to avoid big lumps.

Once the lamb is cooked,  add the tomato flesh remaining lamb to the pan. Stir. Lower the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for about 5-7 minutes, until the tomatoes have dissolved and formed a tomato sauce.

At that point, lay gently the stuffed tomatoes upwards in the pan, cover and simmer on low-medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the lamb is cooked. You'll know when it's cooked when the side of the tomatoes are starting to detach from the meat. Immediately remove from heat and serve hot.

Serve with rice and vegetables...and a fried runny egg!

Bon appétit!

No-Bake Cheese Torte with Raspberry and Blackcurrant Coulis

noreply@blogger.com (QlinArt) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:05:00 +0000

Preparing this awesome dessert felt like I was in my bubble, fantasizing that I was in an upscale restaurant's kitchen, creating and improvising from pure imagination. I must say that it was the first time I've experienced such intense concentration while concocting a dish in my kitchen. Passion comes from within and its results is clear pleasure regardless of the level of intricacy being used during the process.

Moreover, there are no words to describe the determination I had today to get my dish right this time. When deeply focused, I feel that my senses and intuition are fully awoken. The moment I would feel uneasy, I would have a presentiment that the mixture I was working on wouldn't turn out. And it hadn't. Nonetheless, my perserverance took over and I repeated the failed steps over and over until I finally nailed them. Needless to say, I was more on adrenaline than feeling frustrated. The end result was worth the repetition and effort. All that to say that having the coulis inside the cake was the hardest part. Other than that, it's a very simple recipe if you don't want to bother with the fuss. You can simply drizzle the coulis over the cake. I just like to make things a little bit more interesting!

The cream cheese was bursting with vanilla flavour while timidly divulging a ginger fragrance. On its own, the torte was oozing with sensuality with its rich raspberry and blackcurrant coulis flowing down from the center, waiting to tickle the taste buds....need I say more?

Preparation time : 20 minutes, Refrigeration time : 1 hour

Recipe "au pif":
1 1/2 package of 250g cream cheese, softened at room temperature
2 tbsps icing sugar
1/2 tbps granulated raw cane sugar (or double the amount for regular granulated surgar)
50 ml heavy cream
2 vanilla pods, seeds removed and set aside
1 tbsp grated ginger (tip: freezing ginger facilitates grating)
handful of fresh raspberries
handful of fresh blackcurrant
Crème de Cassis liquor
crushed bran chocolate chip cookies for topping (or any other cookies of your choice)

Mix cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla seeds in a large mixing bowl.

Mix the heavy cream and granulated sugar in a separate bowl using a hand electric mixer until the cream has thickened into a crème chantilly (whippe cream).

Blend in well the whipped cream into the cream cheese mix until they're well incorporated and you've reached a nice velvety and smooth texture.

Gently put in half of the cream cheese in a 4-inch whide or 2 x 2-inch wide stainless steel food ring (s), set on a plate, and pat firmly the cream cheese along the walls of the ring so that there are no air pockets.

Scoop out a 2 inch hole in the middle and let it sit in the fridge for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the raspberry and blackurrant coulis by slowly simmering the fruits into about 1/2 cup of Crème de Cassis, in a small sauce pan on medium heat for about 3-4 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Once chilled, take out the cream cheese and mold from the fridge and put in just enough of the raspberry and blackcurrent coulis to fill the hole. Add in the remaining cream cheese mixture as a top layer and to cover the hole. Pat firmly. Chill for another 40 minutes.

Once chilled, run a small knife inside the edges of the ring to loosen the cheese torte, and remove the ring slowly.

Sprinkle the crushed cookies on top of the torte as topping and drizzle a bit more of the coulis, and add more fruit if you wish.

Now, cut half-way through the torte and watch the coulis ooze out like there is no tomorrow.

Serves 2 people.

Share and enjoy.

Custard Apple Soufflé...Worth the Sweat!

noreply@blogger.com (QlinArt) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 23:57:00 +0000

Mark Twain called it "the most delicious fruit known to men". The Custard Apple, also known as, Cherimoya in the Andes is a fruit that is often mistaken as an artichoke because of its scaled green skin. Many 'Tweeple', have guessed correctly about the fruit, giving it numerous names used in their culture, and others thought it was Durian fruit! As you can see, this exotic fruit is not yet well known to everyone, but it remains one that continues to be discovered because of its sweet and delectable taste. It's great in drinks, gelatos and cakes. They can be purchased at any local Asian grocery store or any fruit and vegetable market. I haven't seen them in regular supermarkets. You can ask for custard apples, sugar apples or Cherimoyas. They are seasonal and available between the Fall and early Winter.

The fruit is fleshy and soft, sweet, white in color, with a sherbet-like texture, which gives it its secondary name, custard apple. Some characterize the flavor as a blend of banana, pineapple, papaya, peach, and strawberry. I would compare it more closely to a very ripe pear with a creamy texture.

I also enjoy eating it on its own with a spoon.

For the pleasure of it, I made these fabulous soufflés and this time they turned out really phenomenal! Since the custard apples have a similar texture as that of a very ripe pear, I lined the ramequins with grated chocolated. Divine....
The house smelled heavenly as these little gems were baking and rising in the oven.

And here they are again, hangin' in there but still standin' after 2 full minutes!!

Preparation : 30 minutes (45 minutes first time around), Cooking time : 15-20 minutesRecipe « au pif » (GR recipe with a twist) :
1 Custard apple
1 ripe banana (peeled and cut in huge pieces)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
150 ml milk
100 ml cream
3 fresh eggs (separate yolk from egg white – put aside)
3 tbps granulated sugar (1/2 the amount if using raw cane sugar)
1 tbsp flour
½ tbsp corn starch

Preheat oven at 370F

Making the custard :Heat sauce pan on medium-high and pour in the milk and cream. Wait about 2-3 minutes for the milk and cream to boil.

In a mixing bowl, whisk vigorously 3 egg yolks and the sugar until you’ve reached a smooth mixture.

Whisk in the flour and corn starch into the egg and sugar mix. This is to thicken the pastry cream, giving it body.

Take the hot milk and cream and add only a splash into the egg mixture (so as not to cook the eggs). Whisk vigorously until you reach a nice and smooth texture. Then, add the rest of milk and cream mixture and continue whisking for about 30 seconds. Put the pan back on the heat and pour the egg and milk/cream mixture to the pan to cook it out. Whisk vigorously, making sure you get all the corners in the pan so that your custard doesn’t become lumpy. You should obtain a nice, thick and creamy custard.

Soufflé filling:
Cut the apple custard in half and scoop out all the flesh, seeds and juices, putting them into a sieve to get all the juice off the seed.

Blend the apple custard, banana and squeeze of lemon juice.

Add in the apple custard/banana mix to the pastry cream and mix until well incorporated.

The nice thing about this soufflé recipe is that the flavoured custard can be prepared and refrigerated 2-3 days before preparing the final mix and baking it for yourself or your guests.

Preparing the ramequins (4 large or 6 small):
* important tip : make sure that your soufflé does not stick to the ramequins so as to allow it to rise evenly, nice and high*
Grease the ramequins with softened butter with a pastry brush.
Line the ramequins with either sugar or granulated chocolate.

Refrigerate the greased and lined ramequins in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes so as to let the butter solidify and set.

In a mixing bowl, add a drop of lemon juice to the egg white and whisk with electric mixer.
Add ½ the amount of sugar, then gradually add the rest of the sugar to the egg white until you reached a meringue texture.

Add 1/3 of the meringue to the pastry cream and whisk vigorously for a few seconds to remove any lumps.
Add the remaining 2/3 of the meringue to the pastry cream and gently fold the meringue and evenly mix the meringue until you’ve reached a silky and smooth texture.

*Important tips for filling the ramequins successfully*
Fill the ramequins only half-full with a ladle. Bang the ramequins on a kitchen cloth (folded in four), on the counter, so that the mixture hits the bottom of the ramequins and the soufflé mixture hits all the corners of the ramequins. This will allow the soufflé to rise evenly. Repeat with all ramequins.

Now fill all ramequins right at the very top with the remaining mixture. Remove any excess of the mixture with a knife and wiping it off with one clean sweep so that you have a nice even and straigh top.

Create a little ridge. Run the tip of your thumb around the edges of the ramequin. Repat with all ramequins. The ridge stops the soufflé from hanging over the side as it starts to rise.

Pop the ramequins into the oven for about 15-20 minutes. Watch them rise!

After 15-20 minutes, your soufflés must have ‘love handles’ which is a sign of a perfect soufflé.

Sprinkle a little bit of icing sugar over the soufflés. Soufflés won’t stay up very long, so serve them immediately, nice and warm.

Serves 6.

Share and enjoy!

Ginger Spiced Cauliflower Gratin

noreply@blogger.com (QlinArt) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 21:54:00 +0000

Let's talk about relationships. I don't mean human relationships since it's somewhat of a complex domain (we'll leave that to the shrinks), but no more so than trying to figure out which spices would make a perfect marriage with whichever vegetables, meats or seafood. For a while now, I've been experimenting with a few recipes including fresh and even ground dry ginger. It is by far the spice I use the most in the kitchen : in savoury dishes, soups, desserts and hot drinks. In fact, it's so versatile that it's become a commodity in most households around the world. Its medicinal properties is known to help cleanse our bodies and improve digestion, and its hot fragrance and taste is culinarily used to enhance flavour to food.

Getting back to the topic of marriage or relationships, I think you'd agree that there's an inevitable harmony between ginger and vegetables. For starters, most vegetables are bland and often require seasoning to bring out their true flavour. Ginger does just that. Using a bouquet of cauliflower, from which I cut out its stalk and surrounding thick green leaves, I blanched and seasoned the flower heads with salt, pepper and paprika and sprinkled with finely chopped coriander and grated fresh ginger. Cream and cheese were then poured over the flower buds for baking to give the dish a creamy texture. The entire process takes 30 minutes at the most. Doesn't it just hit the spot on a chilly Fall day?

Preparation : 15 minute, Baking : 15 minutes

Recipe "au pif":
1 large cauliflower, stalk and leaves removed, cut into separate flower buds, rinsed, blanched in boiling water for 5 minutes
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp ground paprika
1/4 grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp fresh coriander
3/4 cup heavy cream (I used 5% thickened cooking cream, or simpy use the good 35% stuff)
handful of shredded cheese (emmental, swiss, your choice)
butter (optional)

Preheat oven at 350F

Blanch the cauliflower in boiling water for about 5 minutes. Discard water

Display the flower buds into a large baking dish and season with salt, pepper and paprika.

Sprinkle with grated fresh ginger (tip: freeze the ginger first, it'll be easier to grate, won't be stringy) and coriander.

Pour cream evenly over the cauliflower and sprinkle the cheese.

Add small nuts of butter for richer flavour and aroma. (that's optional)

Bake for about 15 minutes or until the top is slightly golden.

Serves about 2 people if served as a main dish, or 4 people if served as a side dish.

Share and enjoy!

Making a Great French Omelette Takes A Bit of Practice First Time Around

noreply@blogger.com (QlinArt) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:45:00 +0000

QlinArt's French Country Style Omelet vs Chef Jacques Pépin's French Country Style Omelet

Ok, right off the bat, my omelet obviously doesn't look esthetically appealing compared to Chef Jacques Pépin's perfect oval and creamy omelet on the right side of the picture. However, since I like my omelet to be a little wet and creamy inside, just like Monsieur Pépin likes his, my omelet turned out amazingly rich and delicious with all the butter and fragrance from the chives. As far as working on the presentation, I can fix that with continuous practice. I haven't mastered the technique just yet, but I'm convinced that I will soon. Chef Pépin was not joking when he said at the beginning of his video that making an omelet is quite difficult and that a simple dish like this one is not all it's cracked up to be.

In fact, the 'omelette with chives' that I made this morning was incredibly succulent that I couldn't help myself but to savour it all and not able to leave one bite for any of my loved ones. How selfish of me, but, hey, when the others aren't present and there's a warm plate of good food waiting around, I ain't wasting it. You can't eat an omelet after it's been refrigerated. It needs to be eaten fresh! Oh, and a little change I made to this omelet was to add a dash of fish sauce instead of salt. Only Vietnameses would understand the reason of my doing so. For most who have grown up with Vietnamese families, fish sauce in eggs is exquisite and it is very hard to go back to regular salt when it comes to cooking eggs.

I've included Chef Jacques Pépin's omelet making technique video just below in this post and the simple recipe for you to try out. Let me know how yours turns out, I would love to hear from you!

Recipe of French Country-Style omelet by Jacques Pépin "au pif":

4 eggs beaten vigorously

pinch of salt

pinch of freshly ground pepper

chopped chives

butter

Follow the technique from the video! Would love to read your comments!

Bon appétit!

Long Weekend Brunch Prepared by Little Chef Serena

noreply@blogger.com (QlinArt) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 21:18:00 +0000

QlinArt is pleased to present talented little Chef Serena who was more than happy to prepare fluffy pancakes for this weekend's brunch. How could I say no to a little cook who wears her Chef's hat so well?

Thanksgiving weekend in Canada meant long days to feast and to enjoy the time off. What better way to spend it than diving into life's simple pleasures ; eating great food with wonderful company. The sun was shining, temperatures hitting the 20s celcius in October, and 3 days of indulgence in recreational sleep and cooking.

Eating fresh-from-the-oven croissants, fresh fruit and pancakes on a late Saturday morning was a good way to kick-start the well-deserved long weekend. These lighter-than-air pancakes, also referred to as 'soufflé American-style pancakes' by renowned Chef Gordon Ramsay are so easy to make, that any 3 year old can prepare the batter from scratch and watch each ladle of it brown slowly on the griddle. Watch little Serena, my friend Farah's daughter, prepare the batter nonchalantly as she was distracted by our happy 13 year old dog wagging his tail, 2 sleeping cats, and the movie Ratatouille all just a few feet away from her.

The recipe of the soufflé pancakes can be found here by just clicking on the picture below.

Enjoy the video and bon appétit!

LUNCH AT WORK

noreply@blogger.com (QlinArt) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 23:12:00 +0000

I'd like to welcome guest writer Antonio Marra who contributed to QlinArt with this funny article on Lunch at Work.

For those of you with young children be advised that this article may cause irreversible side effects to their state of mind. Why you ask? Well it’s about a taboo subject only adults should talk about. Kind of like talking about who’s going to get dressed as Santa this year or how you managed to sneak a dollar under your daughter’s pillow to get to the tooth without waking her up.

We’re going to talk about lunch, the dreaded meal you have while at work. Are you one of those that go to work with a brown bag everyday or do you follow the herd and go somewhere that does it for you? Are considered a scrooge that never spends a dime or are you considered a shrewd investor that knows how to save a buck? Are you concerned about your health and are careful with what you eat?
Whatever the answers to these questions, what factors do you consider when preparing your feast for the next day? I’ve taken some of these factors and used them as a recipe for success (no pun intended):
Health factor: Are we following the recommended portions and getting something from each of the food groups?

Effort: How much time and effort is required to prepare it. Can we simply use leftovers (double wammy on the cheapo concept BTW) or is it made from scratch with fresh ingredients?

Risk factor: The last thing you wanna do is get a stain from your lunch while at work (ranks right up there with a tear in your pants or getting caught leaving flatulence in the elevator). Things like spaghetti or stir fry are big no-no’s.

Stink factor: How concerned are you about the odor that is emitted when you open the Tupperware? If you’re in a closed office, it’s not a concern but if you’re located in a sea of cubicles, do you really want everyone to know you’re having tuna?

Embarrassment factor: When we were kids, our moms would prepare some of the best lunches in the world but presentation was never a factor (especially if you’re Italian). Now that you’re having your lunch at the office, how concerned should you be about presentation? Does it have to look pretty and organized or can it look like dog food? If you are concerned about presentation ask yourself a simple question; would I give this to my boss if he/she didn’t have time for lunch and I wanted to score some brownie points?

So if you were thinking that taking your lunch to work was a good idea and that you want to give it a go, use these tips to help you get started. If you’re an old pro and are the envy of the office at lunch time, share some thoughts, recipes or other tidbits that others will appreciate.

On the Hunt for The Best Flan Patissier in Montreal

noreply@blogger.com (QlinArt) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 01:25:00 +0000

Where can you find the best Flan Patissier amongst the very few good pastry shops or bakeries around Montreal? Since I left France over a decade ago, I took with me only fond memories of eating the popular fresh and succulent custard pie.

Back in Montreal from Paris a few years back, I started scouting for shops carrying imported goods from Europe or any new bakery that might serve the luscious custard dessert, but to no avail.

At last! Just this past Spring a new Gourmet Belge pastry shop (from the Pâtisserie Belge chain) opened up right downtown offering breads, sandwiches, brioches and pastries that I haven't seen since my youth in France! I was quite excited to see some familiar sweets such as the gâteau aux riz, the Paris Brest, and of course, the Flan Patissier (aka custard flan). In France, I remember the custard having a subtle creamy texture and firmness combined with a delicate sweetness and served in a nice thin unsweetened short crust, also known as pâte brisée. These traits of the 'perfect' custard flan, perfect in my book, became criterias for me to finding a flan in Montreal with similar attributes. Much to my disappointment, the Flan Patissier from Gourmet Belge was a little on the sweeter side, a little too firm, not creamy with a crust being also too sweet and too hard. The pieces are large enough to serve two people which is too much. From that day, my perception of Gourmet Belge has gone down quite a lot. The service is also left to be desired. The staff is very cold, very hard to approach - without a care in the world to make a customer feel welcomed. I'm not the only one having made that remark, but quite a few of my colleagues have expressed the same impression. Granted, there are no tables nor chairs to sit and eat, but I don't remember ever seeing line-ups to this joint mornings or evenings. It looks neglected. If that new shop wishes to remain open, they have got to change not only the quality of their service, but also the quality of some of their goods. Right now, Gourmet Belge is not much of a gourmet but a misrepresentation of Belgian pâtisserie, which is renowned worldwide for its daintiness, intricacy and appetizing presentation and taste.

Enough said about that place and moving on to my hunt for the best Flan Pâtissier in Montreal. Mind you, I haven't gone too far off from the downtown area of Montreal to really explore all of the pâtisseries in Montreal, due to my limited time during lunch. I have, however, found the 'absolutely perfect' Flan Pâtissier right downtown at Place Ville Marie, in a French country-style decorated cantine/bakery called Brioche Dorée. Brioche Dorée is a chain, but it didn't matter. What mattered was their flan. It is creamy, springy and lightly dense, indicating that it's freshly baked, served on an unsweetened short crust. The best part is that it's not too sweet, just the way I like it. The funny thing about this is that I've been to that place almost a hundred times and have only noticed their desserts just this summer. Perhaps they only recently introduced the Flan Pâtissier, or perhaps I was not on the lookout for custard flan. Surely, there are many good pâtisseries here in Montreal, one of which is Pâtisserie de Gascogne, offering sophisticated and high quality pastries, but rarely do they carry the simple Flan Pâtissier. I guess custard isn't a popular dessert here on the island. Regardless, I have found its abode and am quite pleased with it. It sends me years away into nostalgia.

To foodies out there, where have you tasted the best Flan Pâtissier? I would love to know and hear about it, in case I do travel around your area!

Bon appétit!

Korean Mixed Warm Rice with Eggs, Vegetables and Shrimps

noreply@blogger.com (QlinArt) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 23:55:00 +0000

It was nearly end of summer this year when my friend Anne and I decided to go for a good Korean meal on the south shore of Montreal, after spending a relaxing afternoon at a spa. The sun was shining and the temperature was hitting the mid 20Cs. We started with a great lunch at the spa which we pleasantly savoured over a good conversation. Our meal consisted of grilled sandwiches filled with turkey and avocado. We were enjoying every moment that our afternoon just flew by. It was getting chilly later that evening which was a sign that it was time for us to leave and have our second meal of the day! We didn't know what we were in the mood for, but anything good, hearty and different from spa food was going to surely hit the spot, after an exhaustive and grueling day of sitting around in hot tubs, steam rooms and saunas!

Once hopped in the car, we cruised around on Taschereau Blvd ,the busiest boulevard on the south shore and definitely the least esthetically pleasing, in my opinion. Regardless, there is quite a huge variety of Asian restaurants popping up lately on that boulevard. So as we were looking around for a good place to eat, we spotted one of the best Chinese restaurants in town, Kam Phung. We were so indecisive, but just a couple of doors east of Kam Phung was a little Korean restaurant, Dae Jang Kum, which caught our attention. It seemed to cry out 'genuine' and 'small family-run eatery with quick service'. We were both in the mood for something different, nothing fancy, food we don't have often. The place looked somewhat inexpensive yet very inviting from the outside, only because it had a simple sign with a very-hard-to-remember name, which spelled authentic.

The minute we walked in, the aroma of grilling meat and steamed white rice tempted us even more to quickly take a seat and order our food. The place was small, cozy and a refreshing change of scenery. We were aleady famished. Since it wasn't our first time eating Korean food, we were ready to order our favourite dish, the famous Korean pancake, called Pajeon, made primarily from a batter of eggs, flour, rice flour, green onions and other additional ingredients depending on the variety. We ordered the one with seafood. Another dish which looked interesting was one we discreetly spotted from the table next to us. It was one of those mouth-watering dishes made of steamed white rice, grilled beef, chopped scallions and a sweet chili sauce that was sizzling in a hot cast iron bowl. What was great about the hot bowl is that it added a nice little crunch to the rice at the bottom. The meal itself is known as Bibimbap, a simple yet amazingly delicious dish comprised of warm white rice topped with namul (sautéed and seasoned vegetables) and gochujang (chili pepper paste). A fried egg and sliced meat (usually beef) are common additions. The ingredients are stirred together thoroughly just before eating. Absolutely savoury! The Pajeon pancake was a little disappointing as it wasn't as thick and crispy as the one we're used to. We were just thankful that we had discovered the rice dish and thoroughly enjoyed it. If you can't find a Korean restaurant near your place to try out the Bibimbap, it's quite easy to guess which ingredients were put together to concoct this meal. I tried it for the first time yesterday based on my memory of the taste and the texture. It turned out to be very close to the one I had eaten at the Korean restaurant. It was incredibly flavourful and fragrant. The recipe is also a quick and easy one if you have very little time to cook after a day's work. I don't have the exact measurements of ingredients but if you are one who is adventurous and cooks by feel and taste, then go for it!

Preparation : 10 minutes, Cooking 10 minutes

Recipe "au pif" for 1 person:

Steamed white Jasmine rice

1 fried egg (I prefer runny)

dash of fish sauce

dash of low sodium soya sauce

a drizzle of sesame oil

seared plump jumbo shrimps, or meat if you prefer

caramelized onions (adds sweetness to the dish)

Chinese garlic chives, or scallions

chili paste

Add rice in the hot bowl and top with the rest of ingredients.

Mix and serve hot with chili paste. Though I did not have a hot iron plate or stone bowl, I served the meal in a hot wok on the table. My next purchase will surely be a cast iron serving dish!

Share and enjoy!

Laurier Gordon Ramsay restaurant in Montreal, worth the wait?

noreply@blogger.com (QlinArt) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 21:07:00 +0000

Laurier Gordon Ramsay restaurant

Most montrealers who gather around a table to relish a good meal and conversation with friends are most likely not star-truck by celebrity-run restaurants. They'll be going to a restaurant mainly to discover new dishes, new flavours, or to simply eat good food with great company. If you categorize yourself as one of the forementioned restaurant-trotters, Laurier Gordon Ramsay's new and hip restaurant might not be for you. On the other hand, if you are merely curious or, even more so, a loyal admirer of the 12 Michelin Star celebrity, and want to see what fuss Chef Ramsay has brought about one of the liveliest streets of Montreal's plateau area, then this family eatery is a must-try.

After reading so many mixed reviews on the newly vamped and hyped up establishment, from both longtime regulars and new customers of the new Rotisserie joint (formerly known as Rotisserie Laurier BBQ before its highly-publicized acquisition), I decided to go and judge for myself yesterday. It was a beautiful Friday evening and as clearly warned by reviewers, the place does fill up quickly at its dinner opening hour. If you beat rush hour traffic and can rapidly grab a parking spot to avoid the anticipated line up of people, you can get a table in no time. If you're a little late like we were, you'd be lucky to have a 45 minute wait. Otherwise, two hours is plenty of time for you to take a stroll around the area or to get into your social media frenzy with your iPhone. Luckily, the place is located in a groovy neighborhood filled with quaint boutiques and charming little cafés and restaurants. One of the hostesses was pleasant enough to let us know that we could walk around during our 45 minute wait but to make sure to come back at least 5 minutes before our table was ready. My friend and I were both getting very hungry, but thankfully the local stores quickly engaged our attention. In fact, we were enjoying our window shopping so much that we had lost track of time. We rushed back to the rotisserie before losing our spot and got back just in time.

*My views on Laurier Gordon Ramsay are purely objective and subject to the level of my hunger, which on a scale of 1 to 10 was 10! So I was hungry, but remained impartial*

First Impressions:
The entrance of the place is very crisp and clean with a european country flair. From afar, the white walls with the contrasting dark grey window frames and the huge metallic rooster on the roof top all stand out from the neighbouring buildings . In other words, you really can't miss it. Yet its 'Old-Montreal'-architect-style seems to blend seamlessly well with the rest of the street's decor.

The Staff:
An experienced restaurateur will have a good system in place to run the place smoothly and efficiently. The hostesses and waiters' professional demeanor immediately reflected the owner's engagement towards customers. They were all genuinely friendly and had a good knowledge of the menu. We were lucky to have a waiter with a good sense of humour. He started pronouncing too quickly an item on the menu by saying 'freakin' chicken, when his intention was to say fries and chicken. Hence, the reference of 'freakin' chicken in my tweets. What can I say, the effect of serving such lovely customers as ourselves! Although I couldn't help wondering how the employees were hand-picked by such a renowned temperamental individual. Was there an ad on the paper or a casting call? Being a foodie at heart, the restaurant business is still one of the few things I would really enjoy doing in my lifetime. Who knows what life has in store for any one of us!

apologies for the blur - old camera which I dropped a couple of times accidentally

The Food:
For a foodie always on the lookout for a new gourmet experience, the food has got to be extraordinary. In other words, it's the key ingredient to a successful restaurant. It needs to become a place where you would want to go back for more. I ordered the chicken. After all, it is a rotisserie. My friend ordered the smokey ribs.

Chicken, fries and sauce:
Pleasantly enough, I found the chicken to be well cooked and adequately seasoned. The skin was golden and crispy and the meat was well cooked, moist and juicy. Flavour wasn't missing, but my quarter chicken wasn't too salty either, which I liked. Unlike the reviews I read from longtime customers, I didn't find the fries nor the sauce to be too sweet. The fries were fresh and golden brown with a nice tinge of barbecue flavour, just like BBQ chips! That was a nice surprise! The sauce was actually excellent. Since it was my first time at that rotisserie, I have no comparison to make. BBQ sauces I've tasted in the past from other local rotisseries, like the popular St-Hubert or Swiss Chalet, are often too thick, gooey and salty. Laurier GR's sauce had a nice light velvety texture with a subtle tang. It's the sauce reviewers were raving about. In any respect, I very much enjoyed my meal but it didn't knock off my socks either.

Smokey Ribs:
My friend had given me a piece of the ribs she ordered. We were both disappointed. The meat was dry and didn't fall off the bones like it would from a nicely prepared set of ribs. The sauce was too sweet and didn't add any moisture. We wouldn't recommend it.

Poutine:
Though we were tempted to order it, we had no room! A fellow twitterer had recommended to try it as he had heard from friends that the poutine was excellent. Next time perhaps.

Dessert:
One of the shocking surprises of the evening was the way our waiter was notably straight-forward-honest with us when it came to recommending menu items. My friend and I were both ready to order the moka cake, which was highly rated and acclaimed by numerous local reviews. Fortunately, our waiter was dead-set serious when he described the moka cake as being very dry. It's in fact an old customer favorite from the original Rotisserie Laurier BBQ menu. As a new customer, I really appreciated the honest opinion and the fact that the new owner hadn't taken all away from the original menu just to keep the regulars coming. So instead, we both had the tarte tatin served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It's GR's most popular recipe featured on Youtube, so I had to try it. If Gordon Ramsay ever comes across this posting, I must confess that my expectations of his cooking were positively turned around. Whenever I watch his quick recipe clips, I always have the feeling that he over seasons his meats or over sweetens his desserts. I was wrong. The tarte tatin was satisfyingly sweet and tangy, and the crust was pleasingly flaky. In addition, the crème de la crème of the dessert part was the Chef's signature scoop, the oval shaped ice cream scoop that I often see in his cooking clips. Has anyone ever noticed that? Being a fan of many different chefs, I felt excited to feel a six degrees of separation between one of them and myself!

The ambiance:
Modern, loungy, inviting, lively, family-oriented and very noisy. In fact, it's so noisy that I couldn't hear the music playing in the background. My friend must have the hearing of a dog, because she kept asking me if I remembered the songs that were playing. Apparently, it was all 80s music. Great place to have a fun evening with friends or family. Not recommended for a quiet romantic dinner.

The price:
Though my tweets may have mislead followers as I was slightly tipsy and suggested that the bill was too $$$, the food is reasonably priced for the name of the place. Portions are not overly abundant either. It's just right. Notwithstanding, a good roasted chicken can be enjoyed just as much at any other Montreal reputable local rotisseries, with a bit less stress on your wallet.

To cut to the chase, Laurier Gordon Ramsay's restaurant is a must-try place for star-struck fans and party-goers and is a fun experience for the curious minds. Keep in mind that this restaurant is family-style. So if you're looking for fine dining, this is not the place. In all honesty, good company makes your dining experience at Laurier GR more memorable than the food itself. Though I wouldn't bash it, unless I was one who really gets turned off by heavily marketed spots, my energy is more focused on scouting for more family-run restaurants.

What makes this place such an intriguing attraction in Monreal, is only one factor : Mr Gordon Ramsay himself. Having such world wide stature as Ramsay is sufficient to bring in a crowd to a new joint. In my opinion, 'location, location, location' can easily be disregarded. If his restaurant was located on Hochelaga street or at Pointe Saint-Charles, it would still attract a large crowd. As long as it's easily accessible, people will go. Only time will tell how long this place will be around.

This personal review may have enticed you to check out the place for yourself or to completely ignore it, I just hope you enjoyed reading it. If you need a second opinion on Laurier Gordon Ramsay, here is a review on a lunch experience by fellow blogger Jenn.

Bon appétit!

Creamy Frothy Milk with Hot Tea

noreply@blogger.com (QlinArt) — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 23:09:00 +0000

Frothy milk poured into a hot spicy tea is a foodie's delight, like it is the cherry on top of a cake.
In a gastronomical world, who doesn't enjoy the creamy and smooth texture of foamed milk, whether it be dairy, soy, rice or oat milk? I can't think of anyone I know.

The meringue-like delicacy just adds 'umpf' to one's hot drink. Ironically enough, I used to think teas were dubiously boring and would consider them as plain hot water with a tinge of flavour. Zzzzz.... how exciting.

Until I had my first taste of Starbuck's Chai Latte, which had an abundance of smooth frothy milk, I couldn't imagine the variety of amazing tea recipes that are available out there. Many tea lovers would not agree with me, as most of them are pinned down to the idea that teas should be pleasantly sipped unspoiled, which some would amusingly refer to as 'virgin tea'. Although, I completely respect that tradition, I have less empathy for tea amateurs who impose that formality on others. As the Golden rule would say 'do unto others as you would have them do unto you'. In other words, 'leave the heck us alone...' And by the way, I need to say it - I'm no longer a Starbucks consumer for personal reasons, and thus have taken a good habit of concocting my own hot spicy teas with frothy milk! An inexpensive milk aerolatte or frother will do the trick in seconds.

If you are a foodie who loves to taste and truly enjoys 'texture' but doesn't think too much of coffee like my good old self (although I love the aroma of brewing coffee) and appreciates a good hot tea, you definitely must enjoy soothing foamy milk added to your drink. It's a great way to start or end your day.

Before I sign off, many have asked what is the ideal milk temperature which would give the best result of a great foamy texture. I've tried both warm and cold, with both dairy and non dairy (soy, rice, oat) milk and they all turned out heavenly. The only difference is the temperature of your drink, if you prefer it warm or steaming hot. Just let the aerolatte do the work.

Recipe "au pif":

1/4 cup milk (dairy, soy, rice, oat..etc.) per serving

your favourite dark and/or spicy tea

picture in this post I used :

green tea pinch of dry ground ginger

1/4 tsp sweetened cinnamon

2 strands of saffron Star Anise

1 tsp ginseng extract

1/4 cup vanilla flavoured soy milk
It's sweet-scented and delectable.

Share and enjoy!

Toss Aside Boring Summer Salads...Give Way to Savoury Ones

noreply@blogger.com (QlinArt) — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 23:12:00 +0000

On a hot summer's day, I often feel like doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, including cooking. Going for a good swim, or lounging around the terrasse with a refreshing drink, is just about the only thing I'm able to do when the temperature hits above 35C. However, eating is not an activity that goes away easily when the temperature rises, especially when I decide to have an active day - going for a swim to divert myself from the heat. Doing laps can certainly stimulate hunger as quickly as a snap of your fingers. But when it's scorching hot, I don't feel like eating anything hot and heavy, but something refreshing, yet gratifying. A salad is the least gratifying food on my list when I'm famished.

If I were to be at a buffet, a nice green salad would always be on my plate, not for the enjoyment of eating it...but more to settle a guilt-free conscience. In my earlier years, I grew up in a family who would indulge in meat dishes, sweet drinks and rich desserts like pastries or ice cream. Salads or raw vegetables would always be served, but they were the last thing we would consume at dinner time. We were people whom you would call "de grands gourmands" . Glutton is a strong word, but we weren't far off. Fortunately, as we're all aging and growing more health conscious, I've been noticing that my family and I gradually changed our eating habits over the years. We've all taken the righ turn to maintain a well balanced diet, without sacrificing the pleasure of eating luscious foods. Food that will please our belly, food with lotsa flay-va....

All that to say that a salad doesn't have to be boring. We can all make it more interesting. It can be both tentatlizing and satisfying. This beautiful and delicious-looking salad is incredibly tasty and healthy. It's packed with protein, from the beans. It's nutritious, from the brown rice pasta and greens. Most importantly, it's so yummy, from the added spices. Tumeric/curcuma, paprika, salt and pepper are the spices, nutritiously sufficient for our bodies, mixed in this salad for added flavour. These words are coming from a meat lover. It can be prepared with chicken or shrimps, or simply as a vegetarian dish. A complete meal for a hot day like today.

Recipe "au pif":

Soy or brown rice pasta (available in most supermarkets), cooked al dente

14-19 oz can of cooked mixed beans (kidney, lima..etc.), drained and rinsed

leftover chicken strips (I used chicken seasoned with garlic and lemongrass)

fresh baby spinach

cherry tomatoes, diced

handful of fresh coriander, coarsely chopped

2 tbsp low-fat and low-sodium mayonnaise

2 tbsp dijon mustard

1 tsp ground tumeric/curcuma

1 tsp ground paprika

2 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and refrigerate for about 20-30 minutes

Serve fresh.

Share and enjoy!

Vietnamese Chicken Vermicelli Soup - Request from a Reader

noreply@blogger.com (QlinArt) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 01:28:00 +0000

Today, I received a request from a loyal reader of QlinArt to post the chicken vermicelli soup recipe from a previous installment from last year. It was a soup prepared by my mother at my parents' Bon Voyage party from January of 2010. As most of the foods my family and I eat are quick and simple to prepare, I'm very pleased to share this easy recipe of Vietnamese chicken soup. It's a great alternative to the traditional westernized chicken soup when used as a remedy to treat a cold. It's light and soothing, but most importantly very flavourful because of the fresh spices and fresh herbs used in the soup.

Preparation time: 20 minutes, cooking time: 1 hour maxThe broth can be prepared in the advance and frozen, to be taken out later for supper during a busy work week.

Recipe "au pif":
1 lb chicken breasts,
1 large yellow onion, peeled
3 star anise pods
1 whole fresh ginger root (about 2 1/2 inch), rinsed and mashed in mortar
3L (12 cups) water
1 tbsp fish sauce (nuoc mam)
1/2 lb rice vermicelli (can be found at a local Asian store, some supermarkets carry them as well)
small pinch of ground white pepper

Garnish and accompaniments:
1 cup bean sprouts
2 sprigs of scallions, sliced
2 finger-length red chilies, deseeded and sliced
2 limes, cut into wedges
sprigs of mint leaves
sprigs of coriander leaves
bottled chili sauce or chili paste

Preparing the chicken stock:
In a large pot, bring the water to a boil, and add the chicken breasts, skimming off any foam that floats to the surface. Add the ginger, onion and star anise. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 1 hour until the chicken is cooked. Remove from heat.

Remove the chicken stock from the stock. set aside. Strain the stock and return the clear soup to the pot. Season with the fish sauce and ground white pepper, and keep the soup hot over very low heat for about another half hour. Shred the chicken with your hands into small chicken strips.

Bring a separate pot of water to a boil. Add the rice vermicelli and let them sit in the boiling water for 2 minutes max. Remove and rinse with cold water, then drain.

Transfer the rice vermicelli to large soupe bowls and top with bean sprouts, onion and chicken strips . Pour the hot soup into each bowl.

Garnish with scallions, coriander and mint.

Serve hot with chili sauce, sliced chilis and a zest of lime juice.
Serves 4 to 6 people.

Awesome Horse Meat Gourmet Burger

noreply@blogger.com (QlinArt) — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 22:59:00 +0000

Many would cringe at the sound of 'horse meat' for cooking. For many understandable reasons, horse meat isn't yet known as a staple food in many parts of the world, especially in North America, where I currently live. It's considered as 'Taboo' in Western Canada, USA, UK and many other parts of the world, except in France. The French, who eat frog legs, do know their meats, and horse meat is certainly one of them. In fact, France is where I had my first taste of horse meat 'à mon insu', without myself knowing it!

The grandmother of my French boyfriend, at the time, loved to spoil us. We called her 'Nounou' Every Sunday, she would stroll down to the nearby outdoor market very early morning before the crowd would settle, and catch up with her neighbours for some tittle-tattle. She'd pick up the best produce of the day for herself and her family. We'd hear her hang up a small bag of groceries on our door knob as we'd finally wake up. As much as we were delighted having these personal deliveries, we'd also rejoice in spending Sunday mornings quietly and alone. We would then pay our much respectful gratitude to Nounou during our afternoon visit to her apartment for a small chat around lemonade and biscottes, while she would knit and pass on the latest neighborhood gossip.

One morning, after hearing the rustling sound of the plastic bag that she was hanging on our front door, I waited until her footsteps would fade away and her door at the end of the hallway would shut close. Quickly after, I gently grabbed the bag with the greatest effort to close our ridiculously squeaky door with the most littlest noise as one could attempt to make. Relieved, I swooshed to our lovely little kitchen, already illuminated by the sun rays beaming through the tall window, and opened the bag to find what goodies Nounou had picked up for us.

I pulled out a couple of buttery croissants, and a nice pack of meat cuts wrapped in paper. I opened the paper wrapping and was striken by the freshness of the beef filets which were dark red, yet vibrant in colour. My boyfriend finally got up and saw the fabulous cuts of the red meat and said, "on mange ça c'midi!" ("we'll eat that for lunch") without any hesitation. Came noon, I started heating up a large sauce pan and added a few nuts of butter. You can never have too much butter....mmmmmh. On I went to season the beef filets with some salt and pepper. A simple lunch menu which I knew would be fantastic. The sizzling of the steaks just made my mouth water as I set the table and prepared a small garden salad on the side. No side dish. Pieces of a fresh warm baguette would do perfectly. I can't describe the size of those meat cuts, but by just saying so, I think you have an idea.

The steaks were ready and so were we, to savour them quietly. As I cut my first piece, my knife was shearing through the meat like a spoon would through butter. It was the most tender and the most flavourful beef I had ever tasted in my life! I thought "God, I love this country! I could eat here forever!". After lunch, we went to our regular afternoon visit to Nounou's. She asked "Alors, les enfants, comment avez-vous aimé le cheval?" (translation : "so kids, how did you enjoy the horse meat?"). "Horse meat?!" I gasped! I thought I was going to be sick and started to feel extremely guilty. Being an animal lover, one would think that I would be a vegetarian. Unfortunately, my paradox revolves around my love for animals and my love for eating meat. I won't get into it now, but basically, I felt confused. I love horses and find them to be beautiful animals but I couldn't get used to the idea that I could enjoy eating their meat! As time passed, my mind and body started to accept it but I had not eaten horsemeat ever since, until just recently when I started experiencing minor iron deficiency problems.

My colleague, who is italian, told me how horse meat is a relatively healthy red meat, compared to beef, having a very high iron content, being super lean and more digestible than beef. It tastes very similar to beef but with a slightly stronger flavour. In addition, horse meat is almost half the price of the best quality beef currently available on today's market (Angus, grade A). Give it a try! I eat horsemeat once a month whenever I can, and I don't regret it because of its health benefits I just enumerated.

I made these amazing gourmet burgers this evening which were divine. Coating the horse meat patties with a little bit of margarine or butter, and garnish them with caramelized onions adds flavour and juiciness to the meat.

Preparation : 10 minutes, Cooking time : 5-7 minutes

Recipe "au pif":

1 1/2 lb fresh ground horse meat from your local butcher (if not available in supermarkets)

1 tsp freshly ground turmeric/curcuma

butter-flavoured margarine

salt and pepper

Whole wheat keiser buns

Garnish:

Cheese slices (Havarti, Cheddar, Blue, Edam or your favorite cheese)

1 onion, thinly sliced and caramelized in olive oil

fresh spinach

thin slices of tomatoes

mayonnaise

dijon mustard, or any other of your favorite condiments

Since horse meat is extremely lean, prepare the horse patties about 3/4 inch thick.

Rub each side of the patties with about 1/4 tsp of butter-flavoured margarine

season with salt, pepper and tumeric/curcuma

Grill the patties until cooked to your taste (medium rare is recommended for extra juiciness).

Lightly toast your keiser buns (sliced in half) on the grill or in the oven, for about 2-3 minutes or until the surface is slightly crisp.

Garnish your burger with the cheese, caramelized onions, spinach, tomatoes, mayo, dijon mustardé

Makes 4 delicious gourmet burgers

Serve and Savour!

Hot and Spicy Turbot With Coriander

noreply@blogger.com (QlinArt) — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 01:17:00 +0000

Baking is not an option on a hot and humid summer's day like today. A great recipe to try out when I don't feel like sweating in the kitchen, is a savoury, yet spicy fish dish that only takes minutes to prepare. It's light and flaky and so easy to make.

I have made it several times not only for its simplicity but also for its incredible intense fragrance of the soya and tamari sauce which doesn't overpower the dish. The flavour is brought to another level with the freshness and aroma of the coriander.

The "Mmmmh..." sound is one I like to hear when my parents had their first taste two weeks ago when I prepared it for them for father's day.

Preparation time : 10 minutes, Cooking time : 5-7 minutes

Recipe "au pif":

4 large filets of Turbot (or any other good white fish - monk fish or Halibut), cut in large 3 inch chunks

6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

3 red thai chili peppers (seeded - if you want to reduce the heat), finely diced

3 tbsp light tamari sauce (can be found in local grocery store)

1 tbsp dark soya sauce

1 tbsp dry sherry (or dry white wine)

handful of fresh coriander (cilantro), coarsely chopped

2 tbsp Canola or sunflower oil

Heat oil on high heat and add oil

Add in the fish chunks and brown for about 1 minute and turn over to brown the other side

Add the tamari and soya sauce

Add the dry sherry (or dry white wine)

Sprinkle the chopped garlic and chili over the fish chunks. Simmer for about 2 minutes and ladle some of the sauce over the fish.

Garnish with fresh chopped coriander.

Serve hot with white steamed rice.

Share and enjoy!

Mango and Passion Fruit Soufflé

noreply@blogger.com (QlinArt) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 04:06:00 +0000

The kodak moment was gone as I realized that I had forgotten to prepare my camera before this beautiful soufflé started to slowly sag away....

I am back from my enjoyable, yet restful, trip from Boston and happy to be able to cook again in my own kitchen.

This evening, I made a second attempt to make a dessert soufflé flavoured with juicy mango and passion fruit.

The first time I made it back in May, I was so nervous from hearing over the years how difficult it is to make a soufflé. Turns out that it isn't very hard. Mind you, the first time I made it, the recipe I chose from a French cookbook my uncle gave me last summer, sounded sooo complicated that I had to go back and forth from the book to my working station making sure that I had the ingredients and the steps down to a tee.

The second time around, the ingredients and steps were more easily remembered. In fact, logic was the key element which helped me understand how to prepare, and what makes a soufflé rise.

The recipe may sound extremely long, and I only wished I had made a video on this, as it is much worth the sweat and effort. Afterwards, it becomes almost a breeze.

Preparation : 30 minutes (45 minutes first time around), Cooking time : 15-20 minutes
Recipe « au pif » :2 passion fruits (granadilla of the same family can also be used if passion fruit can't be found)
1 ripe mango (peeled, pitted, cubed)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
150 ml milk
100 ml cream
3 fresh eggs (separate yolk from egg white – put aside)
3 tbps granulated sugar (1/2 the amount if using raw cane sugar)
1 tbsp flour
½ tbsp corn starch

Preheat oven at 400F

Making the custard :Heat sauce pan on medium-high and pour in the milk and cream. Wait about 2-3 minutes for the milk and cream to boil.

In a mixing bowl, whisk vigorously 3 egg yolks and the sugar until you’ve reached a smooth mixture.

Whisk in the flour and corn starch into the egg and sugar mix. This is to thicken the pastry cream, giving it body.

Take the hot milk and cream and add only a splash into the egg mixture (so as not to cook the eggs). Whisk vigorously until you reach a nice and smooth texture. Then, add the rest of milk and cream mixture and continue whisking for about 30 seconds. Put the pan back on the heat and pour the egg and milk/cream mixture to the pan to cook it out. Whisk vigorously, making sure you get all the corners in the pan so that your custard doesn’t become lumpy. You should obtain a nice, thick and creamy custard.

Soufflé filling:Cut the passion fruit in half and scoop out al the flesh, seeds and juices, putting them into a sieve to get all the juice off the seed.

Blend the passion fruit juice, mango and lemon juice.

Add in the passion fruit/mango mix to the pastry cream and mix until well incorporated.

The nice thing about this soufflé recipe is that the flavoured custard can be prepared and refrigerated 2-3 days before preparing the final mix and baking it for you or your guests.

Preparing the ramequins (4 large or 6 small):* important tip : make sure that your soufflé does not stick to the ramequins so as to allow it to rise evenly, nice and high*
Grease the ramequins with softened butter with a pastry brush.
Line the ramequins with either sugar or granulated chocolate.

Refrigerate the greased and lined ramequins in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes so as to let the butter solidify and set.

In a mixing bowl, add a drop of lemon juice to the egg white and whisk with electric mixer.
Add ½ the amount of sugar, then gradually add the rest of the sugar to the egg white until you reached a meringue texture.

Add 1/3 of the meringue to the pastry cream and whisk vigorously for a few seconds to remove any lumps.
Add the remaining 2/3 of the meringue to the pastry cream and gently fold the meringue and evenly mix the meringue until you’ve reached a silky and smooth texture.

*Important tips for filling the ramequins successfully*Fill the ramequins only half-full with a ladle. Bang the ramequins on a kitchen cloth (folded in four), on the counter, so that the mixture hits the bottom of the ramequins and the soufflé mixture hits all the corners of the ramequins. This will allow the soufflé to rise evenly. Repeat with all ramequins.

Now fill all ramequins right at the very top with the remaining mixture. Remove any excess of the mixture with a knife and wiping it off with one clean sweep so that you have a nice even and straigh top.

Create a little ridge. Run the tip of your thumb around the edges of the ramequin. Repat with all ramequins. The ridge stops the soufflé from hanging over the side as it starts to rise.

Pop the ramequins into the oven for about 15-20 minutes. Watch them rise!

After 15-20 minutes, your soufflés must have ‘love handles’ which is a sign of a perfect soufflé.

Sprinkle a little bit of icing sugar over the soufflés. Soufflés won’t stay up very long, so serve them immediately, nice and warm.
Share and enjoy!

Light and Fluffly Pancakes with Coconut and Caramelized Bananas

noreply@blogger.com (QlinArt) — Mon, 16 May 2011 16:17:00 +0000

Wouldn't you agree that this picture shows a shameless breakfast dish, which one would indulge in without guilt or regret? These delectable American-style pancakes were the fluffiest, lightest and yet most sinful ones I've ever prepared. The bananas were smothered in a sweet syrupy and boozed up caramelized sauce, flambéed in rum. As a final touch, a sprinkle of unsweetened shredded coconut added crunchiness to this dessert-breakfast-lunch on a Sunday rainy afternoon.
*

I may be one of the few who truly enjoys rainy and cold weekends for the sole consoling feeling that I can sleep in with the soothing sound of the trickling rain on the bedroom window. Once I'm awake, I only had a desire to make a meal that would only create guilty-pleasure. Isn't nice having those once in a while?

I made a good stack that early afternoon, and soon enough....they were all gone!

To make the fluffiest, tastiest and lightest pancakes.....follow this recipe:

Preparation time : 10 minutes, Cooking time : 10-15 minutes

Recipe 'au pif':
1) to make the batter:
150 g all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking soda
a pinch of salt
3 eggs (separate the yolks from the whites)

75 ml water

125 ml milk
Oil to cook

Mix all ingredients from set 1) except for the egg whites to make the batter. Whisk vigorously until you obtain a smooth texture.

Using an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until they've into a meringue, white and firm.

Slowly fold in the eggwhites into the batter gently with a spatula until well incorporated. Your mixture should be light and fluffy.

In a hot flat pan non-stick pan (brushed with a little oil) pour in a good ladle of batter and cook 1 minute each side. Repeat until you run out of batter.

2) To make bananas in caramelized sauce:
1/4 cup granulated sugar (or 1/2 that amount if using raw cane sugar)
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp good quality rum
2 ripe bananas
a handful of unsweetened shredded coconut

In a hot pan, melt the sugar on high heat until the sugar turns into a liquid (but does not burn). Immediately add in the butter and swirl the butter around and stir sugar and butter with a spoon.

Add in the bananas and spoon the sauce over them.

Add in the rum, and flambé (optional - using a lit match just over the sauce).

add a little bit of water to lighten the sauce and remove the stickiness caused by the sugar.

Ladle some of the sauce again over the bananas.

Pour the bananas and sauce over the pancakes and sprinkle with shredded coconut.

Enjoy and serve with fruits, yogurt or a good cup of tea or coffee.

Makes 8 good sized pancakes.