As an avid collector of cookbooks, I’m debuting a new feature: a list of my favourite cookbooks and cooking memoirs. I have given a short summary of each book, provided a photo and marked those which are great basic building blocks for the beginner. Of course, I’m constantly getting new books so I’ll be adding to the list as my collection grows and evolves.
My Reading List can be found by clicking on the icon at the top of page or at the right-hand side of the screen.
Enjoy!
Trish
As you all know, today is Election Day in the United States. This is not a political website – although I do have strong opinions on the subject, this is intended to be a forum to share recipes and food information, not espouse my political views. However, I encourage all Americans to vote today no matter what your political affiliation.
For those of you, like myself, who will be watching the results this evening, there have been a number of articles recently about what to eat and drink in honor of the election and the candidates. Here are a few great ideas:
And of course, don’t forget champagne, to celebrate if the candidate of your choice wins (or drown your sorrows should he lose).
In case you need further incentive to get out to vote, you may also be able to score some free food. Companies such as Starbucks to Ben and Jerry’s will be offering freebies to voters so visit Epicurious.com to find out more details.
Bon Appétit and don’t forget to vote!!
Fresh blueberries and strawberries make an attractive flag cake
Now that Halloween is over, perhaps you’re looking for something that is delicious and comforting but not too decadent as you’re feeling remorse from over-indulging while getting into the holiday spirit (or eating too much candy that was left over from trick-or-treaters, as was the case in my house). Never fear – my latest recipe for Suite101.com is a Spiced Apple Walnut Bread that tastes great but is made with oats, whole-wheat flour and applesauce instead of tons of oil. It’s the perfect treat to make for a simple November breakfast.
Spiced Apple Walnut Bread with apple slices
Bon Appétit and Enjoy!
Halloween can be just as much fun for adults as it is for the little ones. It falls on a weekend this year, which means it’s a great excuse to get everyone together to celebrate. Why not whip up some cocktails and hors d’oeuvres to celebrate the season?
Here are some simple ideas that are quick to pull together:
Fill bowls with brown and orange M&Ms or orange and black jellybeans for people to munch on.
Use Halloween themed cookie cutters to cut up slices of bread. Fill with your favourite cheese, butter the outside and make miniature grilled cheese sandwiches as finger food.
Make mini quesadillas: Cut flour tortillas into 4″ rounds. Fill with salsa, cheese and any other favourite fillings (such as cooked chicken, diced peppers, onions, crabmeat, etc). Fold over and brown in a skillet. Serve with sour cream and guacamole.
Tortilla chips and Goulish Guacamole
Creepy Crab and Avocado Stuffed Tomatoes
Haunted Herb and White Bean Dip is excellent with toasted pita breads or carrot and celery sticks
And of course, what’s a party without drinks? Here are a couple of Halloween cocktails to get your party started:
Vampire Slayer
This is similar to a Bloody Caesar or Bloody Mary but of course contains garlic to keep vampires at bay. To make a Virgin Vampire Slayer, leave out the vodka. For a Spicy Vampire Slayer, increase the tabasco sauce. Warning: it’s for garlic lovers only!
Makes 1 drink (can easily be doubled)
Rimmer:
Drink:
Vampire Slayer
Witch’s Kiss
Melon liqueur can be found quite easily at most liquor stores. Midori is a common brand name and McGuinness makes one called ‘Melon’. It’s bright green and has a refreshing melon flavour.
Makes 1 drink (can easily be doubled)
Witch's Kiss
Bon Appetit and Happy Halloween!
(Pumpkin clip art courtesy of Kaboose Free Clipart)
Sausages are great to use in recipes. Of course they’re delicious grilled on their own but they’re also versatile for use in sauces, meatballs, meatloaf, pastas, casseroles and more. All you have to do is remove the meat from the casing and use it in your favourite recipes.
For some reason, when I used to remove the meat from sausage casings, I would squeeze it out the end, as though it was a tube of toothpaste. However, this isn’t the easiest way to do it. The following method is very simple (and probably obvious to most people but it was a revelation to me!):
How to Remove Sausage Meat from the Casing (Efficiently!)
1. Slice the sausage lengthwise down the middle, making sure to pierce the skin but not cutting all the way through the sausage
2. Peel back the casing as though you are removing the jacket of a small child for them
Et voila! Discard the casing and you have sausage meat, ready to use.
For a great recipe using Italian sausage meat, check out my latest entry for Suite 101.com. It features rapini, which is also known as broccoli raab or rabe:
Orecchiette with Rapini, Sausage and Crisp Garlic Crumbs
Bon Appétit and Enjoy!
Leeks at Jean Talon Market, Montreal
Leeks are a member of the onion and garlic family and in fact, they resemble giant green onions. They are milder in flavour than yellow or white onions and when cooked, have a delicate texture and taste. Leeks were in great abundance at the markets last week so they should be easy to find at farmer’s markets and at the supermarket.
The edible part of the leek is the white part, with the root and green leaves trimmed off. Leeks have many layers and need to be cleaned carefully. To clean them, trim roots and greens and slice the leeks lengthwise down the middle. Soak in a bowl of cold water to ensure all of the layers are free of sand and grit. Rinse with cold water, dry and chop as needed.
This recipe is for a leek tart (or quiche, if you’d prefer) and makes an excellent dish for breakfast or lunch. You could round it out with a light salad and fresh fruit or some croissants and imagine you’re in a cosy French cafe.
A note about the cream: For the custard to have the proper texture, heavy cream works best. You can certainly substitute lighter cream, milk or evaporated milk but it will have not have the same consistency. Clearly when it’s made with cream it’s not for everyday but it does make an impressive dish for special occasions! For vegetarians, leave out the ham.
Leek and Ham Tart
Makes one 9″ tart
(Can be adapted to be VEGETARIAN)
Bon Appétit and Enjoy!
Leek and Ham Tart with a green salad
Now that the weather is getting cool, soups are a great way to keep warm. Barley is grown all around the world and it’s the fourth largest grain crop after corn, rice and wheat. It is abundant in North America and a major source of animal feed. However, the best known use of barley is in beer production. Barley is readily available at most grocery stores, either in small bags or in bulk and is an economical way to add body to a soup. I prefer pearl barley, which should be clearly labelled on the package. If you can’t locate barley, you can substitute long grain rice.
This recipe can easily be adapted to become vegetarian: use vegetable stock, eliminate the beef, add an extra 1/4 cup of raw barley and some extra mushrooms.
Beef, Barley and Mushroom Soup
Makes approximately 8 cups
(Can be adapted to be VEGETARIAN)
Bon Appétit and Enjoy!
Beef, Barley and Mushroom Soup
Corn scallop is classic comfort food. I recently made it for Thanksgiving dinner and it was a hit. It’s quick and easy to prepare and can be assembled in advance and baked when guests arrive, allowing you to focus on other last-minute tasks. I was fortunate enough to find some local corn (likely the very last of the season) but you can easily use canned or frozen corn if it’s no longer available fresh in your area. It’s an appropriate dish for both summer and early fall.
This makes quite a bit of casserole, about enough for 10 as a side dish, assuming there will be other vegetables and side dishes as well.
Corn Scallop
Makes about 10 servings as a side dish
(VEGETARIAN)
Bon Appetit and Enjoy!
Corn Scallop. Not the most elegant looking dish but tasty nonetheless!
It’s the day after Thanksgiving and I’m in recovery mode from a weekend of cooking and good eating so I’m keeping things simple. Today’s tip is one that can be used for baking and dessert preparation throughout the year: melting chocolate. Plus, I’m including a delicious recipe for chocolate pudding that is low in fat! Or at least lower in fat than regular pudding, which usually calls for eggs and cream. Cornstarch is the secret ingredient, making the pudding taste thick and rich with out excessive amounts of fat. Perfect for those of us who had too much turkey and pumpkin pie over the weekend!
Tips for Melting Chocolate
Chocolate will burn very easily if exposed directly to heat so you can’t just throw it in a pot and turn up the burner. It has to be melted with indirect heat, which can be done in the microwave or with a double boiler. Chopping the chocolate first helps it melt faster.
Microwave Method: Chop your chocolate into chunks and put into a microwave safe bowl. On medium power (5), heat for 1 minute. Check chocolate and stir. Return to microwave and heat on medium for another minute and check again. Repeat until chocolate is shiny and melted (the length of time will depend on how much chocolate you have and how powerful your microwave is). Note: it is possible to burn chocolate in the microwave so don’t just put it in for 5 minutes without checking on it!
Stove-top Method: If you have a double-boiler pot, that’s great but it’s not necessary. You can easily improvise using a regular saucepan and a metal mixing bowl. Pour about 2-1/2″ of water into the saucepan and heat until it is simmering gently (not a hard boil). Place a metal mixing bowl over the boiling water and put your chopped chocolate into the bowl. Make sure the bowl isn’t touching the water. Stir chocolate until it melts, holding the bowl steady if necessary (wear an oven mitt – the bowl may get hot!). Watch the steam – water will ruin your melted chocolate (see below).
An improvised double-boiler, using a saucepan and metal bowl
You can use your favourite chocolate for melting but avoid using chocolate chips if you want your chocolate to melt smoothly. They are designed to keep their shape while baking in cookies and contain an ingredient to keep them from melting completely.
Make sure no water gets into your chocolate as it’s melting. It will ‘seize’, meaning it will turn lumpy and grainy. If water does accidentally get into the chocolate, you can try to save it by adding vegetable oil or vegetable shortening to it and stirring until combined.
‘Tempering’ the chocolate is a technique that prepares the chocolate for dipping or coating items so it retains a gloss. For detailed instructions on tempering chocolate, check out Tempering Instructions from Godiva Chocolatier.
Chocolate Pudding
This is a great alternative for people who can’t eat eggs, as well as anyone who wants to avoid the high fat content in traditional custard-based puddings. It’s so creamy and chocolate-y, you won’t even miss the eggs and cream!
Makes 4 servings
Serving suggestions:
Bon Appetit and Enjoy!
Chocolate pudding garnished with chopped nuts and hazelnut biscotti
As promised, I’m featuring a few of my Thanksgiving recipes this week. Cranberry sauce is a must for the holidays and making it from fresh cranberries barely takes any more effort than opening a can of jellied sauce. The results are definitely worth it! Fresh cranberries are available at most grocery stores around Thanksgiving and Christmas (they usually come in small bags) but you can use frozen berries if you can’t find fresh. Any leftover fresh cranberries can be frozen.
Cranberries have a lot of natural pectin (the component that makes jam thick) so you don’t have to add any. Just cook them down and the sauce will thicken easily. If you use frozen cranberries, they will take a bit longer so adjust your cooking time accordingly.
Cranberry Sauce
Makes about 1 cup sauce (can easily be doubled)
(VEGETARIAN)
Cranberry sauce made with fresh cranberries
The Seasonal Gourmet 
