Posted: September 5th, 2011 | Author: Jonathon | Filed under: Food | No Comments »
As we all have recently witnessed at our family gathering, dry-brining an eggplant makes a world of difference in the flavour of an eggplant (for the better!), and there has been some question as to how to do it. It’s simple, really:
- Cut the eggplant into four or eight large chunks. You can peel it if you like (I usually do, unless the recipe says not to).
- Put the chunks into a colander. Cover them completely with salt.
- Let them sit for half an hour. The salt will draw out all the bitterness into a brown liquid that comes out of the bottom of the colander. (I’m sure there’s a use for this eau d’aubergine, but I haven’t found one yet.)
- Rinse off all the salt, and prepare the eggplant as usual (pan-fry, grill, bake, etc.)
Such a simple modification, but so worth it.
Posted: August 15th, 2011 | Author: Leah | Filed under: Food | 2 Comments »
Matt and I were inspired by a recent dinner at Mis Trucos (in the West End) to create our own tapas meal. Everything turned out so well, except for the braised artichoke. What a disaster that was. Next time, I’ll youtube how to properly butcher one of those things.
However, the lovely bottle of Barbaresco and a Negroni helped to ease the pain somewhat.
Posted: May 29th, 2011 | Author: Leah | Filed under: Food | 1 Comment »
While in Phoenix, the 4 of us made dinner on Sunday night. Accompanied by a lovely spinach, mango, candied pecan and goat cheese salad by Elyse, Matt and I made ribs, and there was a request for the recipe. here it is! mmm.
- prepare 2 racks of ribs (first, remove the connective tissue- read the weber book for how to do so- and then rub either with ground cumin or chinese 5 spice)
- cover with marinade, and put in fridge for as long as possible (2 hours up to overnight)
- turn grill to medium-low. While bbq is heating up, remove ribs from marinade and spatula all extra marinade into a saucepan. Boil for 3 minutes to kill all death-causing substances.
- Put ribs on and grill for 1.5 hours, basting every 10-15 minutes with the marinade
- enjoy, accompanied by RIDICULOUSLY cheap wine! (thanks, Scottsdale Safeway!)
- make extra- delicious cold the next day!
- oh, and be careful- hoisin has a high sugar content, so may lead to flare ups, and makes the grill a total mess. (Thanks to Doug, who (with the absence of bbq tools) scraped off the grill with a spinach box)
Marinade :
1 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup Sherry
4 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon oriental sesame oil
here is the original recipe that we adapted:
Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Baked-Pork-Ribs-with-Hoisin-Barbecue-Sauce-106842#ixzz1NlnXtBhd
Posted: May 7th, 2011 | Author: Leah | Filed under: Food | No Comments »
This is amazing- made exactly as written, but with some low-fat options. But simply stunning. And made enough for a small Vietnamese village. Definitely half if only two people!
We did some sea scallops with wine wine and butter with- amazing!
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Risotto-with-Leeks-Shiitake-Mushrooms-and-Truffles-239801
bon appetito! (As Mario Batali would say)
Posted: March 15th, 2011 | Author: Jonathon | Filed under: Food | No Comments »
I’m particularly proud of this recipe, because it’s delicious, simple, fresh, relatively inexpensive, and completely original to me. (Well, I’m sure someone’s done something similar before, but I’m proud of it nonetheless.) If only it were quick, then I’d make it even more often than I already do. Ah well, you can’t have it all, I suppose.
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 oranges
- ½ lemon
- 2 tsp curry
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 clove minced garlic (optional)
Juice the oranges and lemon, and add the curry and brown sugar. Slice and pan-fry the chicken in the olive oil. Pour in citrus mixture (adding the garlic if you have any). Cover with a lid. Simmer on medium-low heat for 15 minute; uncover, stir, then cook 5 more minutes or so. Serve over rice and vegetables.
Posted: March 10th, 2011 | Author: Doug | Filed under: Food | No Comments »
Posted: March 7th, 2011 | Author: Leah | Filed under: Food | No Comments »
I made another Thomas Keller recipe yesterday (he is seriously my hero)- this is the “Herb Gnocchi with Butternut Squash and Mushrooms” from epicurious- I added some braised kale for texture and color. I made some small modifications, but otherwise, kept as is, and wow.
It was simply stunning- one of the best meals I have ever made. (and fun to say “pate de choux” about 500 times while I was making it!)
Bon appetit!
Posted: February 14th, 2011 | Author: Elyse | Filed under: Food | 2 Comments »
I have always loved Valentine’s Day. I was the girl who made 50 valentines for everyone in my class (the pre-made kind… but i’d attach candy!) I wanted to make something red/pinkish for Valentine’s Day and found a recipe for these lovely Raspberry Chocolate Scones.
I pretty much followed the recipe exactly (except I froze them and baked them in the morning).
You can find the recipe here! http://eggsonsunday.wordpress.com/2011/02/12/raspberry-chocolate-tea-scones-recipe/
Ps – Don’t worry Jon, I’m not stealing your thunder as the new family food photographer… this isn’t my picture. I stole it, but they looked pretty much identical!
Posted: February 8th, 2011 | Author: Jonathon | Filed under: Desserts, Food, Recipes, Snacks | Tags: buns, cinnamon, desserts, rolls | 4 Comments »
Just to be ambitious, I figured I’d try making my own cinnamon buns. I wasn’t ambitious enough to do all the grunt work, though — I let the bread machine do all the rising and kneading. With a dollop of cream cheese icing on top, they made for some pretty amazing treats for my guest(s). Here’s the recipe I used, but I doubled the cinnamon mixture, and instead of the glaze I made some cream cheese icing that was equal parts cream cheese, butter, and icing sugar.
You know, I think I’ll eat one now.
Posted: December 23rd, 2010 | Author: Leah | Filed under: Food | No Comments »
In these cold, wintry months (well, cold-ish, anyway!), we’ve done a few comfort food meals, and attached a picture of a few: spaghetti & meatballs, as well as seafood chowder (the way Mom used to make)! Recipes have been modified- send me a message, if you’d like!
Posted: December 10th, 2010 | Author: Jonathon | Filed under: Desserts | 2 Comments »
Last month I tried to make pots de crème. My makeshift bain-marie was a dismal failure, however, making the entire venture an utter waste. My initial attempts were inspired by this beautiful webpage, though, and even though it’s not mine I felt compelled to share it. Maybe eventually I’ll have the courage to try making them again.
Posted: December 9th, 2010 | Author: Jonathon | Filed under: Snacks | Tags: chocolate, cookies | No Comments »
It seems like I always pick the busiest times in my life to start baking. This time, I had a bad chocolate craving while studying for calculus, and the only thing I had that was chocolate was cocoa, so I found this recipe on Epicurious and tried it out. It’s a good one.
One commenter had good advice, which was to both make sure the butter/sugar mixture is creamed well, and to refrigerate the dough for a while before baking. The dough is really sticky, making it was hard to form into cookie shapes, so don’t be surprised if your cookies are ugly. That’s my only complaint, though; overall they’re pretty good. Not as good as Leah’s homemade Oreos, but still good.
(P.S. I used whole-wheat flour, and it didn’t seem to make a difference.)
Posted: November 22nd, 2010 | Author: Ivan | Filed under: Food | 2 Comments »
After a bitter walk home through hellish conditions, (-5), I came home to aid in the construction, and subsequent annihilation, of the attached winter repast…
Herbed Panko Crusted Chicken with Butternut Squash and Gnocchi a’la Shari
-Butternut Squash:
gut the squash and slice into 3/4″ slabs
brush with olive oil
bake at 350 for 15 mins-THEN-increase to 450 and ADD the chicken…
-Chicken:
-4 M&M (of course) Chicken breasts, thawed and rinsed
-1/3 of a box of Kikkoman Panko( the best- has a resealable inner bag, too!)
-1 tsp poultry seasoning or sage
-1 tsp seasoning salt or BBQ rub
Mix panko and spices up on a plate, roll chicken it the mixture, place on a foiled up pan and bake at 450 for 18-20 mins. While that’s cooking, prepare the-
-Gnocchi
-one 500 g bag o’ gnocchi
-1-2 tbs olive oil
heat oil in skillet, and add gnocci straight from the bag, fry for 5 or so mins on med heat, till nicely browned. Splash on a few drops of truffle oil, ’cause it’s awesome, et Voila- warm and lovely goodness and great smells abound!
NOTE: Picture is NOT worthy of Donna Hay/Jon- and is not indicative of the goodness.
Posted: November 20th, 2010 | Author: Ivan | Filed under: Food | 4 Comments »
This is Mom’s soon-to-be-classic Orzo Salad, just a great. easy go-to salad for a pretty large group- or 3 days of hotly disputed leftovers!
1 pkg orzo (in the pasta section)
1 reg sized tub’o fresh spinach
1 sm tub of pesto-(we used Western Families)
roasted pine nuts- 12 pounds or slightly less.
grated parm
-cook pasta
-add pesto
-chop spinach into 2″ chunks and mix in just before serving
-top with grated parmigiana and pine nuts
-eat with abandon
Posted: October 29th, 2010 | Author: Jonathon | Filed under: Dinner, Food, Recipes | Tags: baked, batter, cod, crumbs, fish | 5 Comments »
Here’s a simple recipe I used to spice up the cod Dad gave me. You’ve probably made similar recipes already in your travels, but I found this particular combination truly spectacular:
1 cup crushed soda crackers (the finer the better)
2 minced cloves garlic
4 leaves finely chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp each salt and pepper (adjust to preference)
1 tbsp lemon juice
4-6 cod fillets, skin removed
4 tbsp olive oil
Preheat oven to 300°F. Mix first group of ingredients. Rinse and pat dry the cod fillets. Immerse them in olive oil, then roll them in cracker mixture. Arrange on a pan and bake for 15-25 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets.
Posted: October 26th, 2010 | Author: Jonathon | Filed under: Food, Recipes, Snacks | Tags: cookies, peanut butter, whole wheat | No Comments »
I found a new recipe for Whole-Wheat Peanut Butter Cookies that FAR outweighs my previous failure. In fact, at the rate I’ve been eating them I may have to make more tomorrow.
Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Cookies
¾ cup whole wheat flour
¾ cup oats (I didn’t have any; I used bran cereal instead)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter
½ cup honey
1 egg
Preheat oven to 300°F. Blend dry ingredients in one bowl and other ingredients in another. Using biceps to their max, combine all ingredients together thoroughly. Refrigerate dough for 20 minutes. Spoon tablespoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet (squish with a fork if you wish) and bake for about 15 minutes or until slightly browned. Makes between two and three dozen cookies.
Posted: October 25th, 2010 | Author: Leah | Filed under: Food | No Comments »
another birthday meal! No pictures, but we made filet mignon… had a Groupon (yeah, Groupon!) for 50% off a specialty organic butcher in North Van, so bought the best! We did the steaks French style- pan seared with butter… oh my- so good! Also did caramelized shallot & roasted garlic mashed potatoes (my own recipe), and did this sauce for the steaks- took me 2 hours, but totally worth the effort! I’ve just included the recipe for the sauce, as I didn’t make anything else…
Red Wine Sauce
2 tablespoons canola oil
8 ounces shallots, sliced (about 2 cups)
1 6-ounce package sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 750-ml bottle Pinot Noir or other dry red wine
1 14-ounce can low-salt chicken broth
1 14-ounce can beef broth
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1 1/2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
1 Turkish bay leaf
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and mushrooms; sauté until tender, about 12 minutes. Sprinkle sugar over; sauté until mixture is deep brown, about 4 minutes longer. Add vinegar; stir until liquid evaporates, about 1 minute. Add wine; boil until reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Add both broths, thyme, peppercorns, and bay leaf; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer uncovered 45 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally.
Mix butter and flour in small bowl. Bring sauce to simmer over medium-high heat; gradually whisk in flour mixture. Cook until sauce is reduced to 1 1/4 cups, about 5 minutes.
Leah
Posted: October 25th, 2010 | Author: Leah | Filed under: Food | 1 Comment »
So, we had the ‘rents over for Mom’s 50th birthday and went all out, Italian style: boconccini with basil & tomatoes; Mario Batali style spaghetti, and then orange sabayon.
spaghetti bolognese recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Bolognese-Sauce-107226
yum yum!
Leah
Posted: October 23rd, 2010 | Author: Jonathon | Filed under: Breakfast, Food, Recipes | 3 Comments »
Okay, so they’re not authentically Dutch, but this recipe was originally an Alton Brown recipe (with some alterations by yours truly), so I think that lends them some credibility. They also happen to be delicious and easy.
Whole-Wheat Pancakes
1 cup whole wheat flour
½ t baking powder
¼ t baking soda
½ t salt
1½ T sugar
1 large egg
1 cup milk
2 T butter, softened
Blend dry ingredients well, then mix in the other ingredients. Lightly grease a frying pan or griddle set to low-medium heat and pour ¼-cupfuls of batter onto the pan. Cook until bubbles break on the surface, then flip; cook until undersides are golden brown.
Makes about 10.
Posted: October 21st, 2010 | Author: Jonathon | Filed under: Food, Snacks | Tags: cookies, garbage, refuse, trash | 3 Comments »
Note to file: Don’t try this recipe. It sucks. I’m an experienced baker (granted, with a dial oven and $2-pans), and I just wasted 3 dozen cookies’ worth of ingredients (you can see the mushiness of the top and blackness of the bottom, after just 6 minutes in the oven).
