Travels to Alsace and Southern Germany: Part 1

Day One:


It can be trance-inducing to watch the fields of Northern France whip by as you drive along to your destinations. Wheat, soy, corn, sunflowers, beets seem to blur together. Then you enter into Alsace, the most northeasterly section of France. 'Wait, wasn't that hops?' you say, startled out of your trance. 'Isn't that cabbage?' you say as the silvery crops punctuate your view. 'Dear God, miles and miles of grapes in every direction!' you gasp.


Then, you enter Strasbourg.





Everything that your mind was taking in with the crops gasps again at the beauty of the architechture. Soon you are surrounded by architecture so different from the other Northern cities you've seen. A cathedral that was breath-taking comes into view. It's surrounded by a square with charming houses of all kinds. A busker sings opera accompanied by a violinist. It only seems appropriate. You wait in the blistering sun until you finally tromp inside and wait in the sweltering dark with way too many other people hoping to catch a glimpse of the cathedral's astronomical clock do it's little noon-time dance. After having the history of the clock explained to you in three different languages, twice, you finally get to see and hear it. 'Death' rings a bell, Jesus 'blesses' the apostles that mechanically wander pass him. The metal cockerel crows for every four apostles that go by... It seemed such a long wait for such a short whirl of the clock. I wouldn't have missed it for the world though. Things like this just don't exist in Canada as far as I know.




As you exit the catherdral, there are a number of little restaurants you can patronize in the church square for lunch. We chose 'Aux Armes de Strasbourg', a brasserie. Here I experience my first taste of Franco-Germanic food. I wanted to taste regional things on the trip as much as I could so I had a 'jambonneau', ham section on bone, while the men shared a large dish of choucroute (Sauerkraut with meat, meat and meat). The ham I had was not bad but I just loved the mustardy potato salad with it. It balanced the meat taste really well. I tried a bit of the sauerkraut and still found it a bit to strange for my liking yet. I even allowed myself to sip a tiny bit of the beer the Frog was swooning over and found it didn't actually make me regurgitate like most beer.



After a trip altogether too short in Strasbourg we were whisked away south to visit a castle, Haut-Koenigsbourg, atop one of the "mountains" of Alsace in the Vosges ranges. I just wish I could have visited on a less oppressively hot day since I was highly irritated by the end of it all. A shame, since it was such a nice castle with such a great view over the plains of Alsace.

We ended our day at a little country inn where we were to sup and to sleep. Again, such a pity about the heat as it was a cute little place. Unfortunately, practically any food there could make you sweat and its typical European non-reliance on A/Cs made any breeze on your skin feel like you won the lottery.

For the dinner I again wanted to choose something local. I chose too much for the heat and something so totally wrong for a hot day. After a fairly typical French shrimp coctail, I had Alsatian spaëtzlé with Munster cheese sauce. It was good to begin with and then the power of the Munster kicked in. The heady aroma of that cheese is NOT what you want to smell or taste on a hot day. The rosé-style pinot that we had with it only enhanced the cheese taste to the max. I admitted defeat not even quite half-way through. By the end I was literally begging for lemon sorbet just to cool my overheated body.

Four showers later and giddy with heat-sickness, Frog and I, thankfully, laughed our way to sleep as we heard what seemed to be bigger and bigger farm vehicles drive past our open window. We imagined tanks and space shuttles to be the next to go past. It was enough to have a good chuckle as cool breezes finally started allowing a little sleep for us a couple hours after sundown.

Le Mandarin: A Little Trip To Heaven

One of the joys of having family in France is that you see a side of France that the average tourist doesn't see. I've been several times to the supermarkets, I've sat just as numbed by French TV as I have Canadian/American shows, little local historical sites that only the most picky specialist might dream of visiting and being greeted by family and friends all over as one of their own with the little double peck cheek-kisses. One of the little joys, too, is going to a restaurant that your French family has patronized for years and years. You are known by name and treated with an affability that only familiarity can bring.

Yesterday we went to such a restaurant in Bar-Le-Duc. It's called Le Mandarin. I've been there before a couple of times but this time we went for a family favourite: Chinese Dip. Chinese Dip is a type of spicy fondue in which you take individual portions of meats, noodles and vegetables and cook them to your liking in the bubbling brew. I'm sure it has another name but I don't know the English version.

Fairly patted into our seats, we were started with freshly-made shrimp chips, the kind often served by North American Chinese restaurants but these tasted more shrimpy than the ones I have known. I don't know about my readers but I love to let the little bubbles of those chips pop on my tongue and attached like little suction cups. It's a ritual I've had with these chips since I was very little. We were also served a nice bit of the bubbly for an apértif.

In a feat that always amazes me in Europe, our lunch was brought out almost as quickly as we were done the apértifs and snacks. I'm not used to restaurants like that in my part of the world. Or maybe I'm going to the wrong ones.

The Chinese dip is set on the table warm in a metal bowl and immediately brought to a boil with a table-top gas burner. The broth is an amazingly complex collection of tastes: satay, peanuts, chiles and many other secret indredients. We are assured it is very healthy for the body just as a soup alone. Along with the dip comes overflowing dishes of bean thread noodles, chinese cabbage, bean sprouts and plates of various kinds of meat. With a little metal scoop in hand, you chopstick your food choices in to the bowl of the golden spoon and then dip it into the boiling fondue. When it is cooked you can take them out and continue with as much cooking as you please. Ladle in some of the spicy fondue into your personal bowl and then dig in. This procedure took well over an hour, I think. Since the bowls are small and it is a labourious process, it lets you eat over a long perioud of time.

The most amazing wine was chosen by my Frogger-in-law to go with this spicy dish: Gewurztraminer. A flowery white wine from Alsace, it has a perfume like a Chinese flower tea which makes it perfect for Chinese food. I was amazed by the way the food and wine complimented each other. If you have never had this with Chinese food, try it! You might be pleasantly surprised.

Although we were stuffed, after a little bit of a chatty break with the owner and watching the giant, fat-lipped fish in the door-side tank, we ordered some desserts. My own choice was Nougat Chinois. I really didn't know what to expect and wondered whether I regretted not getting a moon cake. What came was a red bowl full of delectable little chewy golden-brown cubes with peanuts and covered with toasted sesame seeds. It was very nice, rather like a complex jubejube. Of course, as with all French meals, it ended with little cups of coffee served with dark chocolate.

I think the dreamy 2-hour lunch ended perfectly with hot towels for our fingers that were not only hot but perfumed with essence-of-white-peach. My fingers smelled of peach for hours after, a nice little reminder of such a pleasant visit.

If you are ever in Bar-Le-Duc, try out this little Chinese-Vietnamese restaurant. With such a pleasant atmosphere and smiling service, I really don't think you'd go away disappointed. Go on... Madame is waiting for you.

La Meuse: It's where I am

For the last few years many of my summers have been partially spent in the department of Meuse, a section of the Lorraine region. It's where my Froggie's family currently lives. Foodwise, it's a region well known for mirabelles (a small yellow cherry-plum), groseilles (red currants)*, black truffles, of course, Brie de Meaux and the original birthplace of the madeleine (in Commercy)and Verdun dragée (candy-coated almonds). Lorraine is also well known for its macaroons, quiche and bergamot-flavoured candies. Now that I'm a foodie, I'll be collecting things to take home.

Fresh dessert cheese with stewed mirabelles, fresh yellow plum on top


Alas, a foodie's life is SO hard ;-)

For an English pdf pamphlet of the Meuse, its sights and delights, etc click here

*The red current jam of Bar-Le-Duc is rather expensive because the seeds are still taken out by goose quill to this day. No machine can replace the technique for the style of jam made here! Look at a feather specialist, the épépineuse and a page dedicated to the contest between them and the jam produced

Mwa-hahahaha! Dontcha Know It ! !

You Are a Powdered Devil's Food Donut

A total sweetheart on the outside, you love to fool people with your innocent image. On the inside you're a little darker, richer, and more complex. You're a hedonist who demands more than one pleasure at a time. Decadent and daring, you test the limits of human indulgence.

What Donut Are You?

...You better believe it, baby! ;-)

Paean to a Morning Breakfast

I've never been a person to linger over breakfast. I think maybe I was wrong to be like that. Maybe I'd been going about it in the wrong way.

I very carefully collected a lovely breakfast this morning fit for royalty. I slowly ate my way through it, enjoying the sight of the rising sun, the canticles sung out to God by the birds, the ensuing, joyful sound of church bells calling out the hour of Matins. To be at peace in the calm of the morning, eating a breakfast of good whole foods, is the best way to begin a day. I really should do it more often.

Can you figure out what I had for breakfast?



The first one's easy because it's already written on the side: Greek Yoghurt (shepherd style for those who can't read French)

Let's see what else you can guess... (No cheating Papa!) ;-)

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June 16, 9 AM
Alrighty, the list:

1) Pink Lady Apple
2) Orange, Mandarin, Apricot, Apple Juice
3) Pastry #1 An escargot, a snail-shaped pastry with custard and raisins
4) Pastry #2 Pain au chocolat
5) Green Almonds (the fuzzy things ;-) )
6) Greek yoghurt-- to be exact, ewe's milk yoghurt

For those of you not familiar, almonds are born within a fruit of fuzzy green colour. Picked early they may not have fully formed yet. These can be eaten as a jellly like nut. A little bit later on the fruit is still green but a pale ivory slip of a nut lies within, easily slipped out of its sheat but, as my finger can attest to, not so easily cut out. Check this page out for some more information.



As you can see, the shell has formed but it's not impossible to open. A good nutcracker makes easier work of it.


I made mention to Michelle of Accidental Scientist that I was going to have pink currants at breakfast the next day. These currants are sweeter than the white or red and very suitable for eating out of hand or in a dessert. I'm sure they'd make excellent jelly.


Thought you might want to have a look at another French breakfast delight...

Brie de Meaux (and the rest of lunch)

This cheese has got to be the best dang cheese on the planet (although I'm fond of a good chèvre,too). Made from raw cow's milk, this brie is soft with a rich, nutty taste. The only thing this cheese is good with is fresh French bread and a nice French wine. To mar it with other tastes would be a sacrilege of the worst kind. I shudder to think of the inferior brie with various toppings cooked on top that was all the rage among yuppies. Been there, done that, soooooo moved on! I thought I'd found a good replacement in Canada. It was even a double cream import from France! But I was wrong--very very wrong. The French keep the best stuff for themselves ;-).



Another cheese on hand at lunch today was an aged Mimolette, a dense orange cheese that was so intense and rich in flavour that it nearly curled my toes. It is dry and brittle and not meant for slathering like brie.



One of my in-law-to-be's specialties was for lunch today: fresh sole cooked with lemon butter. I think it's nice how French fish is so often serve with bones and skin. It makes you slow down and really appreciate what you are about to eat. It's a nice way of honoring the flora or fauna that sacrificed its life for you*.



Gone but not forgotten. Yum!


* this is true of the lobster tails and lagoustines last night--it took a while to remove the shells but it was so very worth the wait. Sorry no pictures but I was half dead from jet lag though not too dead to appreciate the great wine and the great food.

FYI: Off to France

Well, folks, I've been a bit quiet but I hope not to be soon. About 12 hours from now (10:30) I will be on a plane heading for France. If all goes well, there will be pictures to share as well. He he he... now I'll be annoying two men with my camera beeps instead of just one.

A Legacy To Continue

For just a moment, the only sound disturbing the silent, golden afternoon is a far away droning plane. The rest of the world seems to have caught its breath as it tans in the warm sun. The shady grass under the cherry tree is cool against my skin. A whiff of honeysuckle drifts across the lawn. A bowlful of warm fruit lies at my side, the lingering juices still sharp-sweet on my tongue. It's a perfect moment. It's a time to reflect on the bountiful backyard in which I lie.

I always look forward to summer for one reason more than any other: My mother's plentiful garden. Now I know she'd squirm right now and say that it isn't at its best this year, the weather has been horrible, and so on. However, I've come to realize that food traditions don't always have to be of the cooked variety, or even prepped at all. I spent nearly all my years growing up with the opportunity to raid baby carrots, fresh green bush beans, fat green pea pods, crisp lettuce leaves, luscious red raspberries, voluptuous red cherries and blueberries by the handful. It was only the crisp, thin-skinned yellow apples that would need patience before they were finally ready.

Don't get me wrong, though. The cooked stuff was wonderful, too! Summer barbecues were accompanied by freshly steamed baby veggies or fried breaded zucchini which hours before could have been lingering happily in the shade under a leaf. A Sunday morning could be punctuated by the scent of fresh muffins made with berries picked the evening before. The kitchen could be filled with the eye-wateringly sharp scent of pickled beets being bottled, the mellow scents of blanched beans for freezing or the sweet scent of bubbling rhubarb jam.

I always knew I was lucky. I didn't remember other kids having moms who gardened as avidly as my mother, who cooked from scratch as frequently or didn't mind a gaggle of kids helping her with either. I just didn't realized how much this lifestyle had crept into my soul until I was far away from it. Now I find myself fussing and worrying over the quality of my food as my mother did (like she should ever have worried!) and desperately turning what little soil I can actually collect on my rocky island home into some semblance of an herb and flower garden. But it just isn't the same. There is NOTHING as wonderful as knowing you have carefully tended a plant from seedling to maturity and then savoured the fruits of your (and their) endeavours in various ways, both raw and cooked.

You don't need silver, jewels and pictures to pass down as a tradition. Sometimes all you need is a garden, a kitchen and a loving mother who created miracles in both. It's the beautiful legacy passed down to me and it's the most cherished thing of which I can think to pass down to my future progeny.

Breakfast Frittata for dinner

Last week I was obsessed with the idea of making a frittata that included all the elements of a Sunday morning fry up: Eggs, bacon, potato, onion... Well, that and I have to use up a number of things in a week before summer vacation.

I have a basic frittata recipe I found long ago in my beloved Moosewood cookbook and have been using it as a base ever since. It was from this I concocted my Breakfast Frittata.

Nerissa's Brekkie Food Frittata

2 tbsp vegetable oil or butter (or combination)
1 large potato, cut into quarters and thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced into rings
3/4 cup Canadian bacon, diced small
1/2 cup green pepper, diced small
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
5 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup cheese (I used an Italian 4 cheese mix)

Heat oil in large skillet. Saute the potatoes and onion covered, stirry frequently, for about 8 minutes. Once they are mostly tender add bacon and green pepper. Saute with potatoes and onions until the green pepper is tender. Stir in the thyme and garlic. Pour beaten eggs over the sauteed vegetables, tilting the pan to distribute them evenly. Sprinkle on cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover the pan and cook on low heat for 10 minutes, until the eggs are set and golden on the bottom.

To brown the top of the frittata: If your skillet is flameproof, simply place the frittata under a preheated broiler for about 2 minutes. Otherwise, carefully slide the frittata onto a plate and then flip over, back into the skillet, to brown the other side. Cut in quarters to serve.

Pickled banana peppers go well with this rich dish as does the salad I served on the side.

Sea Urchin: A Question

What do you do when you are offered a food that you know is potentially gross but may be the only chance you have to eat it for free? You plunge in and don't look behind you. It was offered during a cultural field trip we had last week. I found sea urchin, which was offered up straight from the ocean, to be pudding-like and tasted of the ocean from which it came. It wasn't offensive as I have found other raw sealife to be. I'm curious about how common this particular experience is and I have a question:

How many of you people out there have tasted sea urchin and how was it served if you did?



not everyone was thrilled with the cultural experience

Cheese-Stuffed Chicken with Bacon

To those who have waited so very patiently, thank you. The end of school and my own health have created situations that waylaid me on my way to relating this chicken recipe to you.

The original recipe for the chicken was here at cooks.com but, due to lacks of certain ingredients, I adapted.

Cheese-Stuffed Chicken with Bacon, Canadian Style

4 sticks of mozzarella, cut to 1 x 0.5 x 0.5 inches each
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lbs)
1 tsp dried, powdered sage
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
4 fresh sage leaves
4 rounds of Canadian bacon

Heat oven to 500 degrees. Pound the chicken breasts lightly to an even thickness. Sprinkle both sides of the flattened breasts with salt, pepper and powdered sage. Roll each around a cheese stick, tucking in the ends so the cheese won't leak out (because it will, I assure you!) and secure with toothpicks. Place into a roasted pan, put a leaf on top of each wrap and then cover lightly with a round of Canadian bacon. Bake until the chicken is cooked through and the bacon is browned, about 15 minutes.

I served it with roasted Yukon Gold potatoes and Romaine salad simply dressed with French oil and vinegar.

It looks and tastes really nice and yet it takes barely any time.

Confessions in Groups of 5

It was only a matter of time before I got tagged again. Michelle, dear gal that she is, has tagged me for the 5 Items Meme.

It seems I have to mention 5 things in different parts of my life: my fridge, my closet, my car and my purse. Oh dear... I think I'm going to be a bit of a disappointment to those who read this. Read on and perhaps you'll understand why.

5 items in the freezer (technically I've done fridges here so I'll head to the frozen section)

1. lamb shoulder steaks (needed a lot of begging and wheedling to get them here)
2. butter (keep a good supply because they often forget to order more)
3. frozen peas (life wouldn't be the same without peas and need to keep them stocked)
4. smoked tofu ( I still haven't figured out what I'm going to do with them)
5. fish (this IS a fishing village after all)

5 items in my closet

1. blue & pink shirts (I have other colours but these outstrip the others in number)
2. extra blankets
3. Xmas decorations (not much storage room in this apartment)
4. 1/4 of my clothes I'm waiting to fit again
5. lots of dressing gowns and kaftans for some reason

5 items in my car

I don't have a car. Don't need one here.

5 items in my purse


Technically I don't have a purse. It's more like a big wallet. My fiance got disgusted with my use of a fanny pack and bought it for me.
Here's what's in it:

1. money (usually coinage but hey, who's counting)and cards of various kinds
2. receipts and bank statements
3. A small mirror with white tulip on the back (courtesy the Rikjsmuseum giftshop)
4. folding scissors (always handy in the most unlikely places)
5. a hair elastic (again, always handy in case of emergency)

Ho hum... It's my pockets you should really be looking at. A teacher's pockets are her most valued clothing accessory. It can carry

1. notes and notices
2. lip balm
3. chalk, pencils and/or pens
4. stickers
5. confiscated items (I've carried everything from rubber bugs to heelie keys)
and so much more...


I hate this part. I never know who's been tagged and I hate feeling like a Johnny-come-lately.

1. Melissa of Cooking Diva
2. Linda of Kayaksoup
3. Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen
4. Michele of Chef Michele's Adventures
5. S'kat of S'kat and the food

Italian Potato Torta

I have a big confession to make. I like to eat. For years I was in denial and it caused me a lot of pain. When I finally realized what I was doing to myself, I stopped. It got boring and to anxiety-causing to thinking about all the so-called horrors that eating can cause. Well, except one.

I have another confession to make. I'm largely of Scottish descent. Short, stocky, easily-gains-weight Scottish descent. This is the same genetics I've been fighting with that partially caused said anxiety and fear of eating and why I'm trying to change my eating habits.

I'm trying to cook lighter and healthier(easy in the summer) but I do not want to resort to eating like a mouse again. I'd rather not give up the flavour and variety. This torta isn't exactly of the lightest variety but it's my first stab at a tasty dish meant to be "light" (from a Cooking Light mag of April,2003).

Italian Potato Torta


6 cups cubed peeled baking potato (about 1 3/4 pounds)*
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
Cooking spray
1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced Italian-style tomatoes, drained
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Thyme sprigs (optional)

Preheat oven to 450°.
Place potatoes in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; cook 15 minutes or until tender. Drain. Return potatoes to pan; add flour, oil, salt, and egg. Mash potato mixture with a potato masher until smooth.
Spread potato mixture into a 9-inch round cake pan coated with cooking spray. Combine seasoning, garlic, and tomatoes; spread evenly over potato mixture. Combine cheeses, and sprinkle over tomato mixture. Bake at 450° for 25 minutes or until golden. Let stand 20 minutes. Cut torta into 4 wedges. Garnish with thyme, if desired.

*NB: I think you should not be overly generous on the amount of potatoes. Skimp on them a bit and it may not be as overflowing in the pan as mine was and the seasoning more appropriate.

The Hunt for Fridge Room: A Space Oddity

In the beginning there was space. Lots and lots of space. But then Nerissa showed up and stuffed all her food in. Now there is no space. Not a single space.



Okay, I exaggerate but not by much. My fridge is rarely foodless except at vacation time. And even then it's never completely empty. Consider the condiments...

Yes, let's start with the condiments. Some you see here. Some you don't. But I promise you that they are there.

List of condiments

Ketchup, yellow mustard, whole grain dijon mustard, regular dijon mustard, tarragon dijon mustard, 2 wasabi tubes, tamari, Newman's Own Thai dressing, Vidalia onion dressing, Japanese miso dressing, three kinds of miso, mirin, memmi soup base, tartar sauce, black bean sauce, hoisin sauce, mango chutney, three kinds of jam, ponzu, green jalapeno hot sauce, left-over maraschino cherry juice, sauerkraut, kimchee, three jars of tahini, two kinds of natural peanut butter, two jars of almond butter, capers, Hellman's mayo, Miracle Whip Lite, Kewpie Japanese Mayo, green curry paste, red curry paste,molasses, ghee, sun-dried tomatoes in oil, two kinds of maple syrup, El Paso salsa, roasted red peppers, two jars of raw olives in brine, and pickles... lots and lots of pickles. Pickled ginger, tabasco Vlasic dills, regular Vlasic dills (mmm), pickled banana peppers, pickled mango, pickled limes, jalapeno pickles, umeboshi pickles, pickled daikon, ummm... I think that's it. I don't think I have pickled beets anymore. *the sound of banging and crashing and the thump of returning feet* nope, all the beets are gone. *writes it on shopping list* ;-)

Now don't get me wrong. I don't live on condiments alone. I love fresh food and I have plenty of that.

Fresh Foods

Currently in stock are broccoli, snow peas, red peppers, yellow peppers, avocadoes-in-waiting, green onions, baby carrots, celery, baby spinach, radishes, beets, green cabbage, green beans, grape tomatoes, regular tomatoes, zucchinis, English cuke, green grapes, a couple mangoes, a papaya, lemons, ginger and limes.

Dairy

The dairy department isn't seeing the finest cheeses and yoghurts of late but is still well stocked. Sour cream, marscapone, lite cream cheese, parmesan, monteray jack, swiss, Havarti, smoked cheddar remains, mozzarella, aged cheddar, ricotta cheese that needs to be used up soon, buttermilk, whipping cream, half and half, lite cream, skim milk, processed cheese slices, salted butter, unsalted butter.

Some things don't quite fit into a definite category but they fit into my crowded fridge ;)

Wheat germ, pastry lard, Ribena, bread crumbs, 2 kinds of seaweed, pizza meat pack, pathetic white eggs, yeast, Minute Maid juice, vanilla pods. Bottled lemon juice, bottled lime juice, Pete's Tofu, Fried tofu puffs, udon noodles, Leftovers... of course

Then there are the ones that aren't even edible: umpteen jars of craft glue and a little jar of iodine for school experiments.


Essentials you'll never catch us without:

Me

Pickled anything.
Whole grain dijon mustard
Fruit
Baby carrots
eggs
Bottled lemon juice
butter

Frog:

Meat
Mayonnaise
Yellow Mustard
Processed cheese slices (<-- ick!!)
Bottled lemon juice

Hmm... that was rather telling, wasn't it! Not a jot of meat in the fridge except the leftover halibut. Very different essentials between the two of us. And I need to cut down on condiments. Really, I do.

Now I don't usually go around shouting out my fridge contents but Sweetnicks is hosting a fridgie tell-all in I'll Show You Mine If You Show Me Yours #1. Quickly come join our game so I don't feel like I'm in one of those weird dreams where you arrive naked at work and everyone laughs at you.

Not all Frozen Meals are Bad

Knorr did it again. It took my belief that frozen dinners were barely passable in quality and took it to a level of "Oh my God! This tastes like it was personally made for me and left in the freezer for me to have later" I was pleasantly shocked on a day when I didn't have a lot of energy or time to make something elaborate that Knorr frozen entrees worked in a pinch. Our store had two types brought up north for our sampling. I can't say they were cheap up here but their taste made the price okay.



The one I tried first was their Shrimp Fra Diavolo. Their peppers were actual peppers and nothing reconstituted. The pasta was soft and melt in your mouth. The shrimp felt like shrimp and not mush. The sauce was quite spicy but not in a "cover up the bad food" way. It felt and tasted freshly made. No weird aftertastes in the mouth. I was even pleasantly surprised to see that they had suggested wine pairings on the back too!
I tried the other one, Spinach & Ricotta Ravioli in Tomato Wine Sauce, not long after on another crazy day. In general I liked it but it had FAR too much large garlic slices in it. I love garlic but not that much!
I only found these frozen entrees on the Canadian entrance of the website. Are these frozen packs only available in Canada?

Pollo Diavolo

Even before the time I was eating fish as my only animal protein I was never in love with chicken. I found the chicken I was served quite often inspid and boring unless with a very strong sauce. It wasn't the fault of the cooks, I was sure. It was just the nature of the beast. Modern, processed chicken sucked.
When I wandered back into the realm of eating chicken I wasn't impressed by the pathetic, water-infused excuse for chicken we can get around here. Then I encountered something new to me which changed my mind. Spatch-cocked whole chicken (from Shearwater not HERE), slathered in dijon mustard and olive oil and broiled. The addition of a mustard sauce for it was not so much of a tangy cover this time but an enhancement to the nice taste that, I'm sorry to say fat-phobics, the skin gave to the flesh. No dish this good should remain hidden so I offer up for you the recipe to Pollo Diavolo (Grilled Chicken with Mustard Sauce).


POLLO DIAVOLO -- An Umberto Menghi recipe



1 (2lb/1kg) frying chicken
1 clove garlic, cut in slivers
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp Dijon mustard
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste


Split chicken down the breast bone [spatch-cocking] but leave it attached by the back bone*. Flatten chicken out [the flatter the better].

Insert slivers of garlic under the chicken skin using the edge of a sharp knife. Rub the chicken with the oil and mustard [I mixed them together well before the rub]** Season with salt and pepper.

Make an incision on the inside of each thight along the bone to allow heat to penetrate chicken and for chicken to cook faster [Very wise. Do NOT skip]

Grill chicken on both sides for 10-15 minutes per side, basting chicken with oil as it cooks and adding more oil if necessary. ***

To test: pierce the inside of the thigh. If the juices run clear, chicken is done. Set chicken aside and keep warm.

Mustard Sauce:

1 tbsp butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp dry white wine
2 tbsp chicken consomme
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Saute onion in butter in a skillet on medium heat until onion is transparent.
Add wine and chicken consomme to onion and simmer on medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
Squeeze lemon juice directly into wine and chicken consomme and stir until well blended.
Add mustard to onion,wine, consomme and lemon juice. Stir until well blended and reduce by simmering on medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper


Put chicken on a warm serving platter or on warm plates. Coat with sauce and serve.


* This entails removing the wishbone from the neck area if you want an easier time cutting. Not for the easily frustrated!
** For some morbid reason rubbing oil into the skin of a cold lifeless body made me think of Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs when he tries to get his victim to moisturize her skin. Sometimes I'm a sick puppy ;-)
*** Don't be dumb like me and get worried that there is nothing to baste with in the first five minutes. I added a tbsp extra as suggested and proceeded to get volatile poultry spitting on the element. Terrified that the small flameballs produced by the spitting, I lowered the rack. It seemed to do the trick.

While I was cooking the sauce, I chucked some cherry tomatoes into the broiling pan with the remaining oil and juices and broiled them for about 7 minutes. Their sweetness enhanced, they made a nice counterfoil for the sharp mustard and the savoury chicken. We also had some pasta, on Bennyfrog's suggestion, and I was pleasantly surprised at how nicely it suited the chicken dish.


Ben's own picture of the beast in process. I could believe how excited he was about tasting this chicken. He started snapping pictures of everything. The only time I ever see him take pictures of things is when we are playing D&D!

*sigh*

What do you get when you cross a metal wireless tower that now stands as the highest object in town and a fourth thunderstorm in five months? NO INTERNET! Why? It was fried by the lightning. Again.

It seems completely ironic to me that the year in which we finally get our wireless tower up, we seem to have suffered more thunderstorms in half a year than the elders say have happened in a decade! Go figure, eh? So, I'm back... hopefully.

Grilled Quails

There have been a lot of first for me this week. One of them was the hollandaise sauce, the other was my future post about a mustard chicken I made yesterday and the other was quail.

I got some quail at Christmas time and figured I should get them used up. Knowing The Frog's preference for savoury over sweet it left out a few recipes I did have for quail but, now that I had taken home a sage plant two months ago, I had what I needed for one I had looked at before: Grilled Quails. It's not fussy and pretty straight-forward. I was terrified of overcooking those teeny little things but a hovering Frog ensured "not yet... not golden enough... too grey... " Well... the pictures I took just didn't want to turn out well but the food itself was good both straight out of the over and as a midnight snack later (to which Frog will attest).

This leads me to my new favourite word of the week... "SPATCHCOCK"! I've done it now twice and let me tell you something... it's much easier to split a quail for roast than it is to split a chicken. Mu-u-u-u-u-u-ch easier. Snip snip and you have little spreadeagled quail bodies everywhere.

Here's the recipe:

Grilled Quails

4 quails [or 6 in my case.. they were very small]
2 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp olive oil
8 small sage leaves [I only had 6 large]
2 garlic cloves [3 for my 6 birds]
1 small red chili; seeded and roughly chopped
2 tbsp chopped parsley [forgot this, dang it, but it was still good]
lemon wedges

Split each quail through the breast bone with a sharp knife and then turn over. Press open hard with the heel of your hand to form a spatchcock. Transfer the quails to a shallow dish large enough to hold all the birds side by side.

Mix together the lemon, olive oil, sage leaves, garlic and chili and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour over the quails and leave to marinate for 30 minutes, turning birds over after 15 minutes. Preheat the grill (broiler)

Place the quails, skin side up, on a grill tray. Position them 12-15 cm (5-6 inches) below the heat and grill (broil) for about 5 minutes on each side, or until golden and cooked through.

Serve hot or cold, with a sprinkling of chopped parsley and lemon wedges.


~


I served it with pasta and zucchini broiled with the quails. The zucchini were topped with breadcrumbs, butter and asiago cheese. Very Yum.

this recipe comes from one of my new favourite cook books: the food of italy: a journey for food lovers

Rhubarb Kuchen

Every spring I can't wait for the fresh new rhubarb. Among the favoured baked fruit desserts in my family when I was a child was this scrumptious rhubarb dish: rhubarb kuchen. It's not overly sweet and is good warm or cold. There are some who will not let my mom bring anything but this for get-togethers. I don't blame them. You can use frozen rhubarb in a pinch too. I just prefer to use fresh.

Rhubarb Kuchen

preheat oven to 375F

Mix together: 1 cup flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt

Cut in 1 tbsp butter

Mix one egg with 2 tbsp milk separately

When combined, add egg mixture to dry ingredients until just moist. Pat the resulting dough into bottom of a sprayed 8x8 inch pan. Set aside.

Combine: 1 package (85g size) of strawberry jello
1/3 cup sugar
3 tbsp flour
Mix with 3 cups diced rhubarb until well coated with jello mix.

Pour whole rhubarb mix over crust.

Mix well:2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
3 tbsp butter

Once combined, toss sugar mix (streusel) even over the top of the fruit layer.

Put into over and remove once the top is golden and the rhubarb tender

Beginner's luck: Hollandaise Sauce

My beloved's birthday was last weekend but I made an actual birthday dinner for him on Monday last. I stupidly realized that I hadn't taken a picture of the lamb shoulder that I'd cooked for him (not perfect but definitely edible) until after it was all cut up.


There was one thing that I was really proud of, though. At the last minute a mustard sauce was requested by The Frog. My only hope was the hollondaise based mustard sauce I saw in one of my newest cook books: The Cook's Book In a complete panic about the timing I resorted to using the blender version because the one over the simmering water scared the heck out of me for fear of curdling or something. I have to say that the blender version was not only good but "a perfect texture" according to said Frog. The taste was really good although not as mustardy as he'd hoped. I'm including here the basic recipe because everyone should have a chance at making Hollandaise without fear.




Hollandaise Sauce: In a Blender

Makes 2 1/2 cups

2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp water
1 tsp lightly crushed white peppercorns
4 egg yolks
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, clarified
juice of 1/2 lemon
pinch of cayenne pepper

1) Place the vinegar, water and peppercorns in a small, heavy-based pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 1 minute, or until reduced by one-third (to about 2 1/2 tbsp). Remove from heat and leave until cold, then strain the liquid into a blender, adding a pinch of salt and pepper.

2) Place egg yolks with vinegar in blender. Blend for a few seconds [I did it for about 15 seconds but didn't seem to matter]. Heat the clarified butter. With the machine switched to the highest setting, trickle in the hot butter and blend until thick and fluffy. Add the lemon juice and seasoning.

Voila! It's just that simple.

Now, mind you, you have to clarify butter yourself if you can't get it in the store but that's only a matter of skimming off the solids while the butter slowly melts in a pan. That's easy enough for me. It's easy enough for anyone then.

~

To add a mustardy taste you can add 1 tbsp Dijon mustard at the end of the blending. Maybe it should be two if you REALLY like the taste of mustard like The Frog.