Monthly Archives: September 2011

Food & Wine Magazine: September Cover Recipe

September 30, 2011

This month I have some exciting news! Kendall Harris (creator of Wine2three) has joined our team and agreed to be our resident wine expert! She will be on hand each month to suggest the perfect wine to sip alongside the cover recipes. You can read more about Kendall and find out about her pairing suggestion for this month’s cover at the end of the post. Also, new contributing writer and my fellow Muffin Monday blogger, Aimée White, will be keeping me company and cooking up covers each month. Be sure to visit her blog to see how she fared with this month’s recipe!

Thai Chicken & Watermelon Salad

Rating: 5 out of 5 (refreshing, addictive & FULL of flavour)

Initial Thoughts: What a beautifully plated appetizer! Looks like it would be a great dish for entertaining.

THE TEST: The photograph on September’s cover of Food & Wine Magazine portrays this salad as a beautiful entertaining option, and let me tell ya – the pic doesn’t lie! This recipe is so incredibly easy to throw together it’s what I like to call a non-stresser dish, plus you can assemble everything ahead of time and simply toss the chicken on the grill at the last minute.

I opted to use boneless/skinless chicken thighs instead of the chicken breast called for in the recipe, as you can hammer the meat on the grill and mistakes are forgiven much more easily. I always find chicken breasts dry out too quickly on the BBQ for my taste.

While the meat marinates (mixture of olive oil, lemongrass and salt and pepper) you can assemble the dressing. In fact, I would recommend making it ahead of time in order to give the ingredients a chance to mellow and fuse together harmoniously. The dressing itself calls for some pretty heavy hitters in the flavour department, including Thai chilies, garlic, brown sugar, fresh lime juice and fish sauce. It wasn’t until the last minute that I realized I didn’t have fish sauce (what the heck?!) and ended up using oyster sauce instead. I checked online to see if this would be an appropriate substitute, but couldn’t find a resounding ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to my question. So I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best…

THE RESULTS: I’m not sure how much power my crossed fingers held in the end result, but this salad was a HUGE success at our dinner party! Hot. Cool. Refreshing. Flavourful. The variety of strong flavours literally danced across our taste buds! The watermelon held its own alongside the spice in the salad, cooling your mouth enough to the extent you could keep going back for more. The oyster sauce gave the dressing depth but was in no way overly fishy (whew!) and the mint and cilantro lent a wonderful freshness to the whole dish. Everything just came together beautifully and I cannot wait to make this recipe again.


I must admit that my salad did not even come close to looking as pretty as the picture. Personally, I blame my missing melon baller and the ineffectiveness of my ice cream scoop as a pinch hitter. Oh well. Definitely didn’t take anything away from the taste!

Because we had kids eating with us, I served the salad with the dressing on the side. This worked out well as people were able to drizzle as much/little as they wanted. If you are unsure how much heat your guest can handle this might be a good way of avoiding any unwanted calamities, because wowsa does that dressing have a kick!

Recipe:
Thai Chicken & Watermelon Salad

PAIRING SUGGESTION:
First thing to remember when you’re pairing food & wine is to match the weight of the wine with the weight of the food. Light foods should be paired with lighter wines, and this beautiful meal is definitely on the lighter side, so immediately, you can rule out heavy, full bodied red wines – this dish is calling out for a white wine or Rosé! With this dish I would recommend a Riesling, specifically one that has some beautiful floral & tropical fruit aromas on the nose (when you smell it) and refreshing acidity on the palate (when you sip it): Chateau Ste Michelle 2010 Vintage Riesling. This widely available, well priced wine from Washington State is one of the most delicious Rieslings I’ve tasted, and doesn’t have that note of “petrol” or diesel that some Rieslings have; it would pair perfectly with this meal. Cheers!

Kendall Harris shares her adventures in the wine world as Wine2three on Twitter & Facebook. She is WSET (Wine & Spirits Education Trust) Advanced Certified & is currently developing a weekly wine series on ShawTV, where she is a full time reporter. Join her on Facebook – click LIKE at www.facebook.com/wine2three for regular fun wine info!

As part of my culinary New Year’s resolutions, I have committed to creating each month’s cover recipe from Food & Wine Magazine.

NOTE: If any of you would like to follow along with me and join in on the fun, I’d love to compare notes! So pick-up a copy of the latest issue of Food & Wine and get cooking. Be sure to send your comments and photos to info@cookthatbook.com.

The mission of Food & Wine Magazine is to find the most exciting places, new experiences, emerging trends and sensations in the culinary and wine industries. From travel and entertaining to luxury and design, this magazine brings an energetic and stylish take on food and wine. For more information on Food & Wine Magazine, please visit www.foodandwine.com

 

Posted in: Food & Wine Cover Recipes – 2 Comments

Food & Wine Magazine: August Cover Recipe

September 29, 2011

Classic Southern Fried Chicken

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (a picnic staple!)

Initial Thoughts: Yeah baby!

THE TEST: This month’s recipe uses the traditional method of frying chicken in Crisco, which kinda creeped me out. Come on – a huge hunk of shortening plopped in your pot and melted into hot liquid? Kinda gross. The reason for Crisco being used in this particular version of fried chicken is because in the mega blockbuster movie The Help, one of the characters refers to Crisco as being “the most important invention in the kitchen since jarred mayonnaise.” Well then. Not going to argue with that testimonial.


I did find the Crisco smoked…A LOT…while I was waiting for it to reach temperature, although once I added the chicken the smoke all but disappeared. Normally this might not be such a problem, but because my hood fan was not working my neighbours all got treated to the high pitch scream of our smoke detectors constantly going off. In the end (no laughing) I set a ring of fans around the stove which helped blow the smoke out the nearby window. What can I say? A stay-at-home-chef’s got to do what a stay-at-home-chef’s got to do.

THE RESULTS: To be honest I was concerned the chicken would turn out dry and bland, as normally when we make fried chicken it is brined overnight. What a pleasant surprise to discover at first bite that the meat was tender and juicy, and the exterior wonderful and crispy. Even the skinless chicken thighs I used ended up with a beautiful, crisp coating. The resounding ‘crunch’ from all of our dining companions confirmed that this recipe is a keeper! One recommendation; double up on the amount of seasoning in the flour dredge as the flavour from the seasoned salt and pepper was wonderful but needed to be dialed up for more impact.

Recipes:
Classic Southern Fried Chicken

As part of my culinary New Year’s resolutions, I have committed to creating each month’s cover recipe from Food & Wine Magazine.

NOTE: If any of you would like to follow along with me and join in on the fun, I’d love to compare notes! So pick-up a copy of the latest issue of Food & Wine and get cooking. Be sure to send your comments and photos to info@cookthatbook.com.

The mission of Food & Wine Magazine is to find the most exciting places, new experiences, emerging trends and sensations in the culinary and wine industries. From travel and entertaining to luxury and design, this magazine brings an energetic and stylish take on food and wine. For more information on Food & Wine Magazine, please visit www.foodandwine.com

 

Posted in: Food & Wine Cover Recipes – 8 Comments

Muffin Monday: Carrot Spice Muffins

September 25, 2011

Confession? I almost ended up going gluten for this week’s recipe as I was short on time and feeling stressed about the fact that I was supposed to bring these to a parent/teacher evening and what if they didn’t turn out and people hated them and as a result started this big pro-gluten rally…

That’s how my mind works.

Needless to say I calmed down, re-found some faith in myself and pulled out my gluten-free flours to prepare my mix. And you know what? I am so happy I did because these muffins were incredible! And a huge hit at the parent/teacher evening (in case you were wondering).

For the flour mix I ended up using my quantities from last week’s Jam Filled Muffins; 150g brown rice flour, 60g cornstarch, but instead of oat flour I opted to try 100g coconut flour. Yup – that’s right coconut flour. It’s just as tasty as you think it ought to be.

Because I was adapting this recipe to become gluten-free, I had to make some basic substitutions such as adding 1 tsp xanthan gum (you could also use an extra egg yolk as a thickener), an extra egg, and twice as much applesauce as I found the batter extremely dry. I also baked them at a much lower oven temperature (325F). Then there were the personal choice substitutions; such as crushed pineapple, NO raisins, coconut flakes, and (drum roll please) a cream cheese filling right smack dab in the middle of the muffins. The results? Devine.

For the cream cheese filling I used a recipe I found on Silvana’s Kitchen, and it is so good I’m going to have to try really hard not to add it to all of my future muffins. Basically you whip together cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, egg white and vanilla and layer it between the muffin batter before cooking the whole thing in the oven. Because the filling was baked, it turned out like a nugget of cheese cake tucked inside all warm and oh so satisfying. The taste of the coconut flour really came through, complimenting the coconut flakes and adding a nice dimension to the muffin. The applesauce and pineapple kept everything nice and moist, and the variety of spices were perfectly balanced.


For a copy of the original recipe for Carrot Spice Muffins and to see what the other foodies baked up, please visit Baker Street’s site

For a copy of my gluten-free version, please click here

Muffin Monday is an initiative by Baker Street. A culinary journey of sharing a wickedly delicious muffin recipe every week. Drop in a quick line to join her on her journey to make the world smile and beat glum Monday mornings week after week.


 

Posted in: Muffin Mondays – 24 Comments

COOKBOOK REVIEW Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook: 100 Great Recipes, Photographs, and Voices

September 22, 2011

Edited By Barnaby Dorfman, Sheri L. Wetherell & Colin M. Saunders


Cookbook review written by contributing writer Aimée White

Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook: 100 Great Recipes, Photographs, and Voices is available for purchase through our online store or at local bookstores

As much as I dislike the winter and being overly cold, there’s just something magical about putting on the first scarf, fleece jacket, or chunky, woolen sweater of the season. Something that makes you inch a little closer and talk a little lower. It’s also a convenient time of year to get back into books of all kinds. You know; the ones left neglected while the summer sunshine shone. Are you feeling guilty like me?

Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook (published by Andrews McMeel Publishing, $19.99 USD) is one such book which I’ve been dying to give some attention. It’s an interesting choice for my inaugural review, it has to be said, given that the book is written by 100 home cooks and not simply by one author.

“This book is for all the food bloggers and home cooks of the world. Your passion inspires us and we thank you,” (Foodista). 100 different palates. 100 different personal bests. 100 different recipe-writing styles and flairs in the kitchen. It’s difficult enough to give an overview and rating on a cookbook from one author, never mind one hundred, but choosing, testing, and eating three recipes from this cookbook was such an enjoyable venture. It was one I was able to share with several people close to me, including the wonderful friend who gave me this cookbook, who just happened to be in town during the testing period.

My overall impression of this cookbook is that it’s an excellent purchase if you’d like to up the ante in your kitchen with an eclectic array of challenging recipes, as well as support your blogging community. There’s an excellent assortment of dishes from around the world, as well as some new takes on classics. My guess is that, quite naturally, each blogger probably wanted to put in their most interesting or impressive recipe. As a result, I will say that for most recipes you’ll have to take an extra run to the supermarket or to a speciality food store. Very few of the recipes could be made sans an ingredient run – even with if you happen to have a very well-stocked pantry (if I may be so bold as to classify my pantry as such!) In that sense, the cookbook may not be the best for beginners. But if you want to take your cooking up to the next level with some tried and true personal bests and favourites from some amazing home cooks, this book is for you.

On an editorial note, I wished they had placed the photos of bloggers next to their recipes rather than indexing them in the back of the book. I often recognize some of my favourite bloggers by their avatar or logo, and not always (immediately) by the name of their website.  Having the photos with the recipes would create a stronger association and connection between the featured blogger and the recipe. That being said, it was great fun flipping through and seeing those familiar faces in the back and admiring them for having their recipes published in this great and inventive compilation.

CLICK HERE FOR RESULTS FROM RECIPE TESTS

Posted in: Contributing Writers, Cookbook Reviews – 7 Comments

Meet Contributing Writer Aimée White

September 21, 2011

 

Aimée White has a BA in Political Science, a Masters in the same, and a deep and abiding love for creating and eating beautiful food. Aimée returned to Canada at the beginning of 2011 – after several years of living, working, and eating abroad – and is thrilled to be home: she now owns an oven for the first time since 2006 and can steal Mason jars from her mother’s house on a regular basis. Aimée is chronicling her adventures in her Nova Scotian kitchen in her blog – Food: Je t’Aimée – and trying to find new and creative ways of combining her passions in the city she grew up in.

 

Visit Aimée’s blog at www.foodjetaimee.blogspot.com
You can also follow her on Twitter

Posted in: Contributing Writers – 5 Comments

Food & Wine Magazine: July Cover Recipe

September 20, 2011

Spicy Grilled Shrimp with Yuzu Kosho Pesto

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (my new favourite way to prepare grilled shrimp)

Initial Thoughts: What a fantastic looking recipe – can’t wait to throw these shrimp on the barbie!

The Test: When I was last in my favourite gourmet food store – Well Seasoned – the staff were all raving about this new line of yuzu chili sauces. Trusting their opinion completely, I picked up a bottle, tucked it away in my pantry and proceeded to forget about it until this cover recipe.

Yuzu is an East Asian citrus fruit with a tart flavour that results in the flesh rarely being eaten. Instead, the zest of the aromatic outer rind is used for seasoning various dishes. Yuzu kosho (translated simply as ‘yuzu’ and ‘pepper’) is a spicy Japanese sauce and combines yuzu with either yellow, green or red chili peppers. It is not for the faint of heat! I used Yuzu Pao Sriracha Style Yuzu Citrus Red Chile Sauce, and found it to be extremely hot, spicy and citrusy. Perfect for a pesto marinade for grilled shrimp.

This recipe was created by LA based Chef Ricardo Zarate, a recent winner of Food & Wine Magazine’s Best New Chef in America award. It is straightforward and quick to prepare, and consists of marinating the shrimp in a tantalizing pesto of yuzu kosho, ginger, garlic, lemongrass, cilantro and olive oil. Are your taste buds watering just imaging the intense flavours? Well they should!

The Results: My biggest pet peeve with barbequing seafood is when the flavour of the marinade is unable to break through the intense taste of grilling. Not the case with this recipe. The shrimp (cooked absolutely perfectly by Mr. Spock) held the flavour of each individual ingredient in a subtle way that also allowed the natural sweetness of the shrimp to shine. During the cooking process most of the spicy heat was loss, resulting in my three year-old being able to scarf down half of the shrimp much to the chagrin of her seafood fearing older sister.


This has definitely become my new favourite way to prepare shrimp on the grill and I know I will be making this recipe again. And again…and again…

NOTE: you can purchase Yuzu Pao Sriracha Style Yuzu Citrus Red Chile Sauce through my online store for $4.99 USD

Recipes:
Spicy Grilled Shrimp with Yuzu Kosho Pesto

As part of my culinary New Year’s resolutions, I have committed to creating each month’s cover recipe from Food & Wine Magazine.

NOTE: If any of you would like to follow along with me and join in on the fun, I’d love to compare notes! So pick-up a copy of the latest issue of Food & Wine and get cooking. Be sure to send your comments and photos to info@cookthatbook.com.

The mission of Food & Wine Magazine is to find the most exciting places, new experiences, emerging trends and sensations in the culinary and wine industries. From travel and entertaining to luxury and design, this magazine brings an energetic and stylish take on food and wine. For more information on Food & Wine Magazine, please visit www.foodandwine.com

 

Posted in: Food & Wine Cover Recipes – 4 Comments

Muffin Monday: Jam Filled Muffins

September 18, 2011

First of all, I need to thank all of the folks who sent me info and advice on adapting baking recipes to become gluten-free masterpieces. THANK YOU! As I mentioned in my previous post, my family is taking a vacation from gluten for a while due to my eldest daughter’s sensitivity. In particular, I would like to give a shout out to CookThatBook’s gluten-free contributing writer Andrea Savarad, and personal nutritionist EA Stewart (be sure to check out her website Spicy RD).

With help from the above mentioned folks, I dived into making my own gluten-free muffin mix. The beauty of gluten-free baking is that you aren’t limited to just one type of flour, and I have to admit that I am really enjoying trying different combinations and getting to know the various flavour profiles of each flour. Once you stock your cupboards with your own mix of gluten-free flours, life (a.k.a. baking) becomes much easier.

For this recipe I opted to use oat flour (100 g), brown rice flour (150 g), and cornstarch (60 g). I also added an extra egg yolk to help bind the flours together. Wanna know the best part? With the lack of gluten there is no need to worry about over mixing the batter. NOTE: oats can be problematic for gluten-free folks due to the possibility of contamination from other grains during processing, as well as a particular protein found in oats that closely resembles wheat gluten.

So how did the muffins turn out?

Very nice indeed!


The addition of raspberry jam was a nice treat, and to compliment the tasty interior I added fresh raspberries and almond slivers to the top prior to baking. In the end the topping sunk a bit more than anticipated but they still tasted wonderful.


 For a copy of the recipe for Jam Filled Muffins, please click here

For other great recipes using rice flour, check out the list on Baker Street’s site…fantastic group of bloggers & some terrific looking recipes!

Muffin Monday is an initiative by Baker Street. A culinary journey of sharing a wickedly delicious muffin recipe every week. Drop in a quick line to join her on her journey to make the world smile and beat glum Monday mornings week after week.

 

 

Posted in: Muffin Mondays – 18 Comments

Food & Wine Magazine: June Cover Recipe

September 16, 2011

Umami Burgers with Port & Stilton

Rating: 4 out of 5 (simplified intensity)

Initial Thoughts: I want that bun. Why can’t I ever find brioche buns that look that good?! Seriously want that bun.

The Test: Right off the bat we are told to refrain from piling the burger sky high with toppings and a slew of condiments, which is typically how I build my burgers. I’ve spent years building a reputation for myself as the person with the most out of control burger (“is there any meat in that burger or is it all just bun and goodies?!”) But one look at this month’s cover and I was easily convinced to jump on the less is more train. It is a gorgeous photo with perfectly style food that makes you want to just lick the sauce dribbling down the sides before taking a bite into what you know will be the world’s freshest bun, chasing it all down with that icy cold ale in the background. Maybe it’s just that I’ve been paying closer attention to food pics, but tell me that burst of colour in the napkin that is the same tone as the port reduction doesn’t make the photo perfect?! I dare you to look at this cover and not want to make this burger. Immediately.

See? Told ya.

This recipe was developed by LA based restaurant creator Adam Fleischman, and incorporates a sprinkle of umami dust. Umami (translated best as “savoury”) is considered the fifth primary taste behind sweet, sour, bitter and salty. It blends well with other flavours and is believed to expand your overall flavour experience. It is also the signature condiment for Fleischman’s famous burger chain; Umami Burger.

The Results: This recipe’s version of the intense flavour booster that is “umami”, includes a savory mix of ground kombu (dried seaweed), bonito flakes (made from smoked bonito or tuna), and dried shitake mushrooms. It is ground into a powder and sprinkled on top of a plain beef patty (mix of brisket, skirt steak and sirloin), before being topped with reduced port and stilton. It is a simple burger to make, and luckily I had left over kombu and bonito flakes from the previous month’s cover.

The recipe may be simple to prepare but the flavours intensified in your mouth are as far from simple as you can get. Complex. Meaty. Subtle. That is the best way to describe what the umami dust brings out in the burger, and combined with the sweet and syrupy port and creamy tang of the cheese it was fantastic.


So the question I know everyone is dying to know: have I been converted? Will my future burgers days be filled with simplicity?

Nah.

Old habits die hard.

NOTE: umami dust will soon be available for purchase online at www.umamiburger.com

Recipes:
Umami Burgers with Port & Stilton


As part of my culinary New Year’s resolutions, I have committed to creating each month’s cover recipe from Food & Wine Magazine.

NOTE: If any of you would like to follow along with me and join in on the fun, I’d love to compare notes! So pick-up a copy of the latest issue of Food & Wine and get cooking. Be sure to send your comments and photos to info@cookthatbook.com.

The mission of Food & Wine Magazine is to find the most exciting places, new experiences, emerging trends and sensations in the culinary and wine industries. From travel and entertaining to luxury and design, this magazine brings an energetic and stylish take on food and wine. For more information on Food & Wine Magazine, please visit www.foodandwine.com

Posted in: Food & Wine Cover Recipes – 4 Comments

Muffin Monday: Granola Muffins

September 12, 2011

A little background: this recipe was chosen by Baker Street’s Anuradha as the yin to last week’s Cream Cheese Muffins’ yang. Balance. Unfortunately I missed out on the sinfulness of last week (nope not bitter at all, can you tell?!) but as a lover of granola I was excited to try this recipe.

Developed by cookbook author Martha Rose Shulman, these Granola Muffins exemplify Martha’s dedication to healthy cuisine. The recipe came together easily, and I love how it calls for soaking the granola in milk for 30 minutes prior to mixing with the other ingredients. The result was a nice, soft consistency that allowed the granola to blend seamlessly with the muffin batter. That being said, next time I would definitely add some dry granola for extra crunch as I found it got lost.

Now I should mention that my family has decided to give our bodies a bit of a vacation from gluten for a while. My eldest daughter was allergic when she was a baby, and while she can now tolerate gluten she still tends to be sensitive to its consumption. So you’ll have to bear with me as I fumble my way through Muffin Mondays as this will be a learning experience for me! If any of you have some tips or advice re. adapting baking recipes to be gluten-free I would LOVE to hear from you.

This time around I ended up using a gluten-free flour mix. I decided to simply use the same 1 cup amount as called for with the whole wheat flour, and it worked well. The consistency was quite runny but when I pulled the muffins out of the oven they were perfect. I was afraid they might be too dry and thought about adding apple sauce for moisture, but because the batter was already so runny I left it out. Thankfully they turned out super moist and were not too crumbly either (an issue I often find with gluten-free baked goods). I also added orange zest and opted to use apple juice infused dried cranberries instead of raisins. The classic combination of orange and cranberry were divine. NOTE: because the flour mix already contained baking powder and baking soda I did not add extra.

For a copy of the recipe for Granola Muffins, please click here

Muffin Monday is an initiative by Baker Street. A culinary journey of sharing a wickedly delicious muffin recipe every week. Drop in a quick line to join her on her journey to make the world smile and beat glum Monday mornings week after week.

 

 

 

Posted in: Muffin Mondays – 18 Comments

Food & Wine Magazine: May Cover Recipe

September 11, 2011

Chicken Yakitori

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (authentic, tasty & exciting!)

Initial Thoughts: My hubby is gonna be excited – Mr. Spock just so happens to be a huge fan of chicken yakitori!

The Test: Yakitori is a popular street food consisting of traditional style Japanese kebabs, typically made with tare (basting sauce) or shio (salt). This particular recipe was developed by Andrew Zimmern, a James Beard award-winning TV personality, chef, food writer, and host of the popular Travel Channel series Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern.

Zimmern explains in the recipe’s intro how various animal parts are often used in this type of dish, including udders, cockscomb, and trachea.

Right.

Thankfully, plain ol’ chicken thighs are called for in this version.

The tare (basting sauce) is made by simmering water and kombu (dried seaweed), bonito flakes (made from smoked bonito or tuna) and water. The liquid is then strained and reduced along with sake, soy sauce, mirin and sugar until thickened. Cooking the chicken is very straightforward; simply grill with a bit of veg oil until nearly cooked through. Brush the kebabs with fresh garlic juice and the basting sauce and voila!

The Results: We all enjoyed this dish immensely and I look forward to experimenting further with the leftover sauce. The flavours were complex, and I loved how you could taste every individual ingredient. The ginger water came through nicely, and the fish taste from the bonito flakes and flavour of the seaweed were mild enough not to be creepy but tasty enough to enhance the overall flavour profile of the dish.

Tip? Go nuts with the green onion. Definitely my favourite part all grilled and covered in sauce. Yum…

Recipe:
Chicken Yakitori

As part of my culinary New Year’s resolutions, I have committed to creating each month’s cover recipe from Food & Wine Magaine.

NOTE: If any of you would like to follow along with me and join in on the fun, I’d love to compare notes! So pick-up a copy of the latest issue of Food & Wine and get cooking. Be sure to send your comments and photos to info@cookthatbook.com.

The mission of Food & Wine Magazine is to find the most exciting places, new experiences, emerging trends and sensations in the culinary and wine industries. From travel and entertaining to luxury and design, this magazine brings an energetic and stylish take on food and wine. For more information on Food & Wine Magazine, please visit www.foodandwine.com

 

Posted in: Food & Wine Cover Recipes – 3 Comments