Real World Cooking

Osso Bucco with Smashed Potatoes

2008-11-20T12:28:00.009-05:00

Osso Bucco! Even the name is appetizing. It actually means "bone with a hole" but with that name it wouldn't look that great on a menu.

Now, why bone with a hole? Well Osso Bucco is made with Veal shanks. Cross sections of the lower part of the veal leg with the bone. So looking at the piece

Baklava

2008-01-06T22:28:00.000-05:00

I am Greek. Do I need to say anything more? Baklava runs in my veins. I have been eating it for as long as I can remember.

Baklava is actually very easy to make. Its just a bit tedious and takes some time but the results are worth the effort.

Baklava is layers of phyllo pastry and nuts with a honey based syrup.

The quantities of your ingredients will depend on the size of your oven dish. I used a large roasting dish so I used 2 packages of phyllo, 2 pounds of nuts, 2 teaspoons cinnamon and 1 pound of unsalted butter.

Using a brush coat the bottom of your dish with some butter.

Start placing 2 sheets of phyllo on the bottom of your dish and brushing the whole surface with butter. Repeat twice more for a total of 6 sheets buttering every second sheet.

Now add a layer of chopped nuts mixed with cinnamon. I use a mixture of walnuts, almonds and pecans. I chop them but not too fine as I like to taste fairly large pieces of nut when I'm eating Baklava.

Add 2 sheets of phyllo and brush with butter.

Repeat the process of layers of phyllo , butter and nuts until you are out of nuts.

Cover with 6 sheets of phyllo buttering every 2 sheets. Most recipes call for butter on every sheet but I find it too rich. Feel free to do so though. When you're done use a sharp knife to cut into square or diamond shaped pieces. Try not to cut all the way through. You will do so later. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until golden brown.

The syrup is the key to a good baklava and the key to a good syrup is the honey. Use your favorite honey and you will not be disappointed. The recipe is simple. 2 parts water, 2 parts sugar and 1 part honey. Boil the water, add the sugar and the honey and simmer for 20 minutes. I add the peel from one lemon while simmering but you can add a vanilla bean or extract if your wish. Allow to cool and poor over the hot baklava immediately after taking it out of the oven. That's it. Allow the whole thing to cool. Now you can cut the pieces through and remove them from the dish. When storing cover loosely as a tight seal will render the pieces soggy.

Enjoy!

Pastitsio

2007-12-28T12:00:00.000-05:00

Growing up, this was one of my favorite meals. When my mother made this there were many happy faces, not to mention bellies, at my house.

This is a variation on the famous Greek Moussaka. Instead of vegetables you use pasta.

Start with your favorite version of meat sauce. I use my Bolognese.

Prepare some of your favorite large cylindrical shaped pasta. I use Rigatoni, Penne or Bucatini.

Oil the bottom of an oven dish and spread half of your cooked pasta to form a layer on the bottom of your dish. Sprinkle a good amount of grated cheese over the pasta. a salty Romano or Parmegiano is good here although the authentic Greek recipe calls for Mitzithra ( a hard version of Ricotta). Pour the meat sauce over the pasta to form a layer of sauce then spread the remaining pasta and sprinkle some more cheese.

Now for the tricky part. What makes or brakes this recipe is the Bechamel sauce that goes over the last layer of pasta.

I prepared this for a large oven dish so adjust the ingredients to fit yours. Start by melting some 1/2 cup butter over a medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup flour and stir rapidly until all the flour is smoothly mixed (this is called a roux). Continue to cook the roux for a minute or so but don't allow it to brown. Add 2 litres of whole milk and bring to a boil over medium heat stirring constantly to prevent the milk from burning. It will thicken to a custard consistency. If after reaching a boil it is still not thick enough prepare some more roux and add it to the milk until it thickens.

Separate the yolks and whites of 6 eggs. Lightly beat the yolks. In the container with the yolks add about 2 ladles full of the hot custard mixture and incorporate with the eggs. (This is called tempering the eggs. It prevents the eggs from turning into scrambled eggs when you put the in the hot custard). Add the yolks to the custard and mix. Remove from the heat. Add some salt and pepper and some grated cheese. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Pour the whites into the custard and fold them in (do not mix rapidly) until incorporated. You now have Bechamel sauce. Pour the sauce over the last layer of pasta.

Put into a 400 degree oven for about an hour or until the surface is golden brown and a knife inserted into the sauce comes out clean.

Kali Orexi.

Enjoy!

Sausage Soup

2007-12-18T21:58:00.001-05:00

A good friend of mine gave me this idea for a hearty soup.
To start, saute some carrots and onions in some olive oil over medium heat until softened.
Add 3-4 sausages (your choice of flavor, I used mild Italian) sliced into bite sized pieces.
Brown the sausages and then add some chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper and add some of your favorite dry herbs ( I used thyme). Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes. Add 3-4 medium potatoes diced into half inch cubes. Cook for another 10 minutes. I then added some short macaroni because my kids will eat anything with macaroni in it but this is optional. The final ingredient is some leafy greens. I used baby bok-choy but spinach, Swiss chard or even lettuce will do. It adds color and a different texture. Cook for a few more minutes until the greens and or pasta is cooked to your liking.
This is a great one dish meal for a cold winter evening. The great thing about this soup is that pretty much every ingredient can be replaced with what you have available. You can use any sausage you like, any kind of greens, you can add celery, squash or even zucchini and you can substitute chicken stock for beef stock. Let your imagination run wild and enjoy.

Pork a l'orange

2007-12-09T22:19:00.000-05:00

This is an improvised dish based on a similar dish using a wine sauce instead of orange.
It's quite simple. Start with a pork tenderloin. Cut it in 2 inch thick pieces. I marinated it in some whole grain Dijon mustard but you can just season it with salt and pepper.
You then sear it in a pan over high heat on all sides until brown. You then pour a mixture of orange juice, orange zest and some sweet and sour sauce over the pork and cook over medium-high heat until the sauce reduces to the consistency of a thick syrup. That's it.
The proportions of juice, zest and sweet and sour sauce will depend on whether you prefer sweet or tangy so try it out. I used about a cup and a half of juice, 4 tablespoons sauce and the zest of half an orange. Enjoy!

Pad Thai

2007-11-11T21:35:00.000-05:00

Whenever I go to an Asian noodle restaurant I always have Pad Thai. My six year old son Mack also enjoys it quite a bit. A couple of days ago it came up in a conversation and I said I would make some. He offered to help. He likes getting involved in the kitchen so I made this a little activity for him and I. He helped quite a bit and also took the picture of the plated dish.

So here we go.

Boil some water and immerse a package of flat rice noodles in it. Turn off the stove and let the noodles soak for about 6-7 min. Rinse with cold water, drain and set aside.

You will need some shrimp (chicken also works). Mack helped me peel about a pound.

Combine about 1/4 cup Asian fish sauce (most supermarkets have them in the Chinese food section) and the juice of two limes.

In your largest pan or a wok heat some canola or peanut oil. Add the shrimp and two cloves of chopped garlic and some red pepper flakes ( I kept these out because I was making this for the kids also). Cook for about a minute. Add three slightly beaten eggs and let it sit for a minute so the eggs can set. Then stir with the shrimp.

Here's Mack doing a great job stirring.

Add the sauce and lime juice, a cup of bean sprouts, 1/4 cup green onions and 1/4 cup chopped unsalted peanuts. Then add the noodles. Lift and stir until all ingredients are well blended.

Transfer to a large warm platter and garnish with some more bean sprouts, cilantro, green onions, basil and some more chopped peanuts.

Mack garnished the plates and took pictures also.

I added some red Thai pepper sauce to kick it up a notch. Yummy.

Everyone loved it.
Get your kids to help you in the kitchen. They will feel involved and will likely enjoy what they eat more. Here's a chance to get them to eat better also. It also exposes them to something new. Mack now wants to be a chef when he grows up!

Crispy Chicken Breast with a Roasted Pepper Coulis

2007-11-11T21:09:00.000-05:00

I was looking for a way to make chicken that would be both tasty for me and my kids.
I thought of a friend who told me about a recipe she makes with pecans and cranberries but I had neither in my kitchen. So I looked around and made this one up.

I chopped up some roasted unsalted peanuts. I added a some instant oat flakes some brown sugar and salt and pepper.
I then dipped the chicken breasts in some egg ( I used egg whites but whole eggs slightly beaten is good also). I then rolled the chicken in the above mentioned mixture.
I put them in the oven and voila, crispy tasty chicken breasts. I cooked them in a 450 degree oven for 10 min using "trivection" (more on this in a separate post). It would normally take about 30 min in a 400 degree oven.

For the optional coulis I roasted red and yellow peppers in the oven until the skin became almost black and detached from the flesh of the peppers. I removed the skin and seeds after they cooled down. I then put them in the food processor and turned it on. While it was running I gradually added some olive oil until it reached the consistency I was looking for. I then added some balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.
I served it with the chicken breasts but the kids ate the chicken without the sauce. Enjoy.

Zucchini and Spinach Risotto

2007-10-30T21:07:00.001-04:00

I was trying to think of a side dish to serve with the Salmon recipe I was making (see separate post). I was going to make pasta but I had some the day before so I decided on making risotto. I had never made one with spinach and zucchini before but there's always a first time plus it's a good way to sneak vegetables in a dish that kids will eat.
So here it is.
Slice up some zucchini and then cut into wedges.
Finely dice a medium onion (anything but red will do). You can also grate it if you find dicing challenging.
Boil about 2 cups of water, add some salt and about 2 good handfuls of spinach (with the stems removed if they are tough). Boil for about a minute or until the spinach wilts then remove the spinach from the water and keep in another bowl. Add about 2 cups of chicken broth to the spinach water and bring to a slow boil again.
In a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat add 3 tablespoons olive oil (most people use butter but I find olive oil works better for this version) and when hot but not smoking add the diced onion. Cook for about 2-3 minutes being careful not to brown it.
Add a cup of Arborio rice (this is the only rice you can use to get a real risotto) and stir constantly for about 2-3 minutes. Add half a cup of white wine (only use what is good enough to drink - I used an Italian Verdicchio). Stir until the wine is completely evaporated.
Then add half a cup of the liquid (chicken broth and spinach water mixture that is still in a slow boil). Stir until it evaporates and repeat with half a cup at a time while stirring frequently. This will take about 20 min.
Towards the end taste the rice. When it is still a bit al-dente add the spinach and zucchini and stir.
That's it. Serve with Baked Salmon with Goat Cheese Zucchini and Potatoes (see separate post).

Baked Salmon with Goat Cheese Zucchini and Potatoes

2007-10-30T20:43:00.000-04:00

A simple yet very flavorful way to make salmon.

Thinly slice some new potatoes and boil them in some salted water for about 3-5 minutes too soften them a bit but not cook them through.

Slice some zucchini.

Place the salmon fillet on a sheet of aluminum foil.

Season with salt, pepper and some dill.

Crumble some goat cheese over the salmon (feta or any other similar cheese would do).

Add a layer of zucchini and a layer of potatoes.
Season with some salt and pepper.

Fold the aluminum foil to completely cover the salmon and crumple it to seal.

Bake in a 425 oven for about 20 minutes and you're done.

Serve with some pasta flavored with olive oil and garlic or with some Spinach and Zucchini Risotto as I did (see separate recipe).

Apple pie

2007-10-20T18:08:00.000-04:00

My second favorite desert (#1 is baklava).
Apple pie is far easier to buy at the grocery store or bakery but it is so much fun to make (even the kids can help).
The crust is the hardest part but also the most fun (it's quite messy).
Start with 2 1/4 cups flour, a bit less that a teaspoon of salt and 2/3 cups shortening (Crisco). In a large bowl and use your fingers to mix all the ingredients. Then add a tablespoon of cold water at a time while bringing the dough together to form a ball. When the ball holds together you are done (about 8-10 tablespoons). Doesn't that sound like fun?
Wrap it in plastic wrap and put in the fridge for at least an hour. In the mean time peel and slice enough apples to yield about 6 cups. I used Courtland and Gala but others work also. Mix in about 3/4 cup sugar and about a teaspoon of cinnamon (optional) and let sit in a bowl for a few minutes.
Remove from wrap and split in 2 pieces. 2/3 for the bottom 1/3 for the top.
Sprinkle some flour on a flat surface and roll with a large rolling pin. Carefully lift and place on a 9" un-greased pie form ( I used a glass one).
Place the apples in the form taking care not to pour the liquid that will have formed on the bottom of the bowl with the apple sugar mix (it will make the pie soggy).
Roll the remaining dough and place over the apples. Use a fork to crimp the top and bottom layers of dough together. Trim the excess dough. Don't worry of it's not perfect. It's meant to be eaten not looked at!
Brush some milk or egg-wash (a beaten egg and water) on the top of the pie.
Use some aluminum foil to cover the edge of the pie. Bake for about 30 min at 375. Remove the foil and bake for another 20-30 min until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.
Serve warm with some vanilla ice-cream.
I made it yesterday and had it last night at my neighbor's house. Everyone seemed to like it.
I made two pies. One of them didn't have the pleasure of being eaten. They pie dish it was in shattered when we attempted to reheat it on the stove. So be careful when reheating glass oven dishes. They don't take well to sudden heat changes...

A classic with wine

2007-10-17T20:58:00.001-04:00

I finally had the sauce tonight with some spaghetti. I must say, it was very tasty. My oldest son Alex (8) enjoyed it but I can’t get my youngest Mack (6) to go anywhere near a meat sauce He ate plain spaghetti with olive oil and cheese; I’m sure when he’s a teenager I’ll need to make a whole pot for him but now he won’t eat it.

I had a nice glass of Beaujolais Villages with it.
Here’s a brief description from The Opimian Society:

Domaine de Thulon, AOC Beaujolais Villages, 2006
Ever since René and Annie Jambon began to produce their own wines, rather than selling to one of the large negociants, they have taken their opportunities to purchase small plots of vines on well exposed sandy-granitic slopes. Most of the buying has been in their village, but they now have several small vineyards in the gently sloping surrounding vineyards. The 2006 vintage is the best for a number of years, and this shows in the fresh, frothy purple colour. Easy flavours with crisp acidity gives a style that mixes elegance and softness, with a bold ripe finish. Energetic, aromatic, fresh Grape Variety: Gamay Noir Aroma: Damson, black plums, flowers Taste: Juicy, acidic, fresh Serve: Slightly chilled at 14º Evolution: Enjoy now Suggested Food Match: Pork chops with curried apple-onion sauce

This is not to be confused with a Beaujolais Nouveau. It is quite different in fact with a lot more character and richness than a Nouveau which tends to be very acidic and light bodied. It was a good pairing although I think a Chianti or a Valpolicella Ripasso would have worked better.

I called this a classic Bolognese sauce so I wanted to see if it is really the authentic. I looked it up on Wikipedia and found that I was close. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolognese_sauce .

Classic Bolognese Sauce

2007-10-14T20:22:00.000-04:00

This is one of my favorite recipes to make and combined with a nice spaghetti one of my favorite meals.

Start with some panceta (Italian bacon), about 8-10 slices. Dice it (cut lengthwise and then cross-cut to make small square pieces).

You will also need to dice one large onion, a carrot and one or two celery stalks. This is called a miropois or soffrito.

Heat a large heavy base pot or dutch oven (more on this soon) until you can feel the heat when you place your hand about 2 inches over the surface. Add the panceta and cook stirring until it browns. Add a bit of butter and the soffrito and cook over medium-high heat until it browns and caramelizes ( a good 10 minutes).

Then add the meat. There are many schools of thought here. You can use beef, veal, pork or any combination you like. Experiment and see what you like best. I use 1/2 beef 1/2 veal for a total of about 1.5 pounds of meat. Cook on medium-high heat until the meat turns dark brown stirring often.

With the heat at high add about a cup of red wine (don't use what you wouldn't drink). Immediately stir and scrape the bottom of the pot to get all the small bits of meat that are stuck there (this is called "deglazing the pot" and significantly adds to the flavor). Reduce heat to medium and let the wine cook down completely.

Then add a can of whole or diced tomatoes including the liquid and a small can of tomato paste.

Add salt and pepper to taste. You can also add some dried thyme and/or oregano and if you like it spicy some chilly pepper flakes or cayenne powder.

Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer.

This is the key to a good outcome. The longer it simmers the better the sauce so don't rush it.

I usually make this on a Sunday when I can let it cook for at least 2 hours.

Serve it with spaghetti or fettuccine and finish with some chopped parsley and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

You can also refrigerate or even freeze for future use. I made this today but will only serve it later this week. It did taste it though and I think it was a success. I can't wait to have some more.

Enjoy

Wine

2007-10-11T22:26:00.000-04:00

What good is food without wine?
A couple of years ago I discovered the Opimian Society. It is a wine club of sorts.
It is actually a wine buying group which gives you access to wines from around the world that aren't available through your provincial liquor board.
Through Opimian I have tasted a wide variety of very good wines at very affordable prices (usually around $15).
Check out http://www.opim.ca and try the Opimian select program.

My kitchen

2007-10-11T20:29:00.000-04:00

This is where I create. I recently renovated my kitchen. I designed it myself and had a local cabinetmaker construct it. My good friend Mark was the general contractor on the project.

I also changed my appliances. I research a lot before I buy anything and this was no exception. I spent days if not weeks researching on the net. In the end I was very happy with what I bought.

For an oven I got a GE Monogram Trivection built-in. I will post more on this soon.

The cooktop was the hardest choice. For the longest time I wanted a gas cooktop. I had pretty much settled on a Bluestar model. But then the reality of bringing in a propane line (there's no natural gas in the neighborhood) and changing the exhaust pipe for the hood from 6" to 10" settled in. At the same time I started hearing more about induction. I got really excited about the prospect of an induction cooktop. I researched induction and finally settled on a 5 element model from Heartland. It is a re-branded version of the same cooktop manufactured by Diva and sold in Canada for about 20% less. I am thrilled. More on this in a future post.