On Thursday night, we went to another cooking class at Home Hardware in Osoyoos. https://www.osoyooshomehardware.ca/ It was extremely well attended as Chef Chris Van Hooydonk was in charge. Chris also did the wine pairing, having worked at the Burrowing Owl Winery for the past five years and is extremely knowledgeable.
Don ‘t get me wrong, he is a very talented Chef and very personable. His recipes for the evening were: Oven Roasted Leg of Lamb with Mushroom and Goat Cheese Yorkshire Pudding and Backyard Stonefruit Upside Down Cake. The wine pairing for the lamb was a 2009 Syrah. Great!
The problem here was everything was pre-cooked, cooled and then reheated and only the wine for the lamb was present. We don’t go just for the wine, but there at least should be some conversation about what should or could be served with the dessert. Also this goes on record as the shortest night going. It was 1 hour and 5 minutes long.
What is needed at a cooking class is to watch a Chef go from beginning to end with wine pairings so we can see, smell and taste. Not be rushed through like there is somewhere else you would rather be. This was the impression given.
Sorry, great Chef, great food, just too fast, no smells, and the lamb and filling were stuffed into the yorkshire puddings. Not drawn out to fully taste and enjoy and then on to the next one.
Oh well, more classes to come.
Chocolate Ganache Cake
This is a chocolate lover’s dessert, for sure. Wow! It is so lovely, you’ll want to have seconds.
- 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp. best quality cocoa, plus more for pans
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. boiling water
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 1/4 cups sifted CAKE flour
- 3/4 tsp. baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make sure you have two racks in middle of oven. In two- nine inch cake pans, butter pan bottoms then cover with parchment paper. Butter again and add a dusting of cocoa powder. Make sure all sides and bottom are covered and then tap out excess into a bowl. Sift the cocoa in a bowl and stir in the boiling water until a smooth consistency. Gradually whisk in milk then set aside to cool.
Sift flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Cream butter until fluffy and gradually add the sugar. Beat in the vanilla and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With mixer on low, alternate the flour mixture with the cocoa mixture, ending with the flour. Divide evenly between the prepared pans.
Bake twenty-five minutes, rotating pan if necessary. Test with a toothpick to ensure it comes out clean. Cool on the racks then remove to the rack to cool, right side up.
Trim tops of the cakes until they are level, and now comes the fun! Making ganache that is whipped for the filling and a ganache glaze that is poured over the cake.
WHIPPED GANACHE
- 16 oz. bittersweet chocolate
- 2 1/2 cups whipping cream.
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Chop the chocolate and place in a bowl. Bring the cream to a boil and pour over the chocolate and let sit for about fifteen minutes. Stir with a spatula until thoroughly combined. Place in the fridge and stir every five minutes until cool enough to touch. Remove from fridge and whip until it barely begins to hold its shape. If you over mix this, it becomes grainy and worthless. This will continue to thicken after you stop mixing. Use this immediately. Start by putting on a scratch coat on the top and sides of the cake to seal in the crumbs. When smooth, cover with the remaining ganache.
The secret here is to place the rack in a cookie sheet to catch the drips. Place cake in fridge to chill.
POURED GANACHE GLAZE
16 oz. bittersweet chocolate
2 1/2 cups whipping cream
Icing sugar to sweeten
Same procedure as with the whipped ganache. When stirred and combined, gently pour over the cake so that it runs down and covers the sides of the cake. Tip the cookie sheet gently to make sure all is covered. Put the drips back in the bowl and pour again over the cake. Allow to sit for about twenty minutes.
If you can wait, present it to the table before cutting and plating. If not, just cut a slice and pretend not to enjoy so the family won’t touch it. Ha ha ha! Now plate the slices and take to the table.
OMG This is fantastic! One could almost forget the rest of the dinner…almost!
Angel Food Bowl With Fruit Salad
Sometimes simple is the way to go. If you get unexpected company this is a quick and easy dessert. The great thing is, it is delicious.
Serves 8
- 1 Angel Food Cake Mix
- 2 egg yolks
- 3 tbsp. berry sugar (extra fine white sugar)
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 cup warm milk
- 1 tbsp fresh grated orange rind
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla
- 1/2 cup sweetened whipped cream
- 4 cups of mixed fruit (fresh, not frozen)
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
- Berry sugar for fruit
Make the angel food cake according to the directions and cool completely.
Whisk eggs with sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the warm milk and simmer lightly for about five minutes until thickened. Now stir in the rind and vanilla. Remove from heat, cover with waxed paper making sure it touches the surface and cool completely. Fold in the whipped cream.
Remove cake from pan and turn right side up on a plate. Make eight slices to within one inch of the base (do not cut through. Spread open the section so that it looks like a flower.
Cut up fruit in small bite size pieces and put in a bowl. Use strawberries, blueberries, peaches, raspberries, blackberries, kiwi, nectarines. Just make sure they are fresh and not canned. Sprinkle a little berry sugar over and mix together. Add the mini marshmallows and as the juices start to form spoon the fruit in the center of the cake with a slotted spoon and pile it high. This is a perfect hot summer day delight.
Cranberry/Pistachio Cheesecake
Diet? This is a whole new food group…..
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
- 2 tsp. grated orange peel, divided
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 3-8 oz. packages room temperature cream cheese
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp. flour
- 3 lightly beaten eggs
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped coarsely
- 1/4 cup white cranberry juice
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh or frozen cranberries
- ½ cup coarsely chopped pistachios, skins removed
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. To make the crust, combine crumbs, one tsp orange peel and melted butter. Mix well together and press in an eight inch spring form pan. Set aside.
In a bowl cream together, sugar, cream cheese and flour for about five minutes to ensure it is smooth. Mix in the eggs and remaining orange peel until combined. Fold in the juice and berries. Pour this into the spring form pan and top with fresh cranberries.
Bake for about forty minutes until a three inch area around edge of pan appears set when gently shaken. Cool on a rack for twenty minutes and run a knife around the edge to loosen the cake and let it cool another thirty minutes or until completely cooled. Cover and refrigerate for at least four hours.
Note: To prevent cheesecake from ‘cracking’, set a small pan of water in the oven under the cake pan. The moisture prevents the cake from cracking and it comes out looking so professional.
The combination of the cranberries and pistachios is amazing. Yup! Another favourite.
Tourtiere (Don’s Way)
Don says this recipe should only be sold it is sooooo good. So feel lucky today, here it is. Otherwise known as a French Canadian Meat Pie. This recipe was his Mom’s recipe and boy, is it tasty.
Makes 3 pies
- 2 onions, peeled and chopped, better yet – grated
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 lb. each ground pork, ground beef and ground veal
- 3 tsp. cloves
- 1 tsp. ginger
- 1/2 tsp. Jamaican allspice
- 1/2 tsp. sage
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. poultry seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup water
- 5 medium potatoes
- 3 boxes of pastry (trying to make it easy for you)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Heat butter in large pot and saute the onions until translucent. Add the meat and cook until brown thoroughly eliminating any large lumps.
Add the seasonings and the water. Simmer this for twenty minutes. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut into small chunks. Put in a sauce pan and cook until tender. Drain and mash the potatoes.
Add the potatoes to the meat mixture and cook another twenty minutes. Cool down.
Make the pastry according to the directions. Fill the pies equally and cover with pastry. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for fifteen minutes, then lower the heat to 375 and bake another one-half hour .
Note My husband makes about twelve of these pies on the 11th of November when we do our Christmas baking and because we have children who are not married, we also make smaller pies for them. When they come home from work; they just pop it in the oven to heat through and have a great dinner, just add a salad and veggie. They are so spoiled!
We like ours with a mushroom gravy….the kids…ketchup. Well, there is no accounting for good taste, is there?
Bass with Papaya Salsa
This is a really tasty dish. The salsa really works.
Serves 4
For the Fish, you need:
- 1 1/2 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp minced fresh garlic
- 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp. chili powder
- 1/2 tbsp finely chopped fresh oregano
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 4 sea bass fillets
Put all dry ingredients in a food processor until almost smooth. Add juice and blend well. Season with a little salt and pepper. Rub the mixture on each fillet, cover and place in the fridge for a couple of hours.
When ready, preheat the grill, remove the fish from the marinade and grill approximately three minutes on each side.
For the Dressing:
- 1/8 cup plus 1 tbsp. lime juice
- 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp. Sherry vinegar
- 3/4 tbsp. finely chopped fresh mint
- 1/2 tbsp. chopped fresh ginger
Whisk the ingredients together and keep in fridge until ready to serve. Add the dressing at the last to a small bag of spring baby greens, two large mangoes, thinly sliced, one avocado peeled and thinly sliced , fresh orange segments and one papaya, peeled and thinly sliced.
Plate in a pretty way and present to oohs and ahhs.
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Deck Chair Salad
Warm temperatures, light breeze, deck set up and company’s coming……this is a lovely appetizer.
Serves 4
The reason for the name is because it is perfect for sitting on the deck, relaxing, glass of chilled wine in hand…hmmm……
- 3 tomatoes, cut in thin wedges
- 1 papaya, peeled, seeded and cut into wedges
- 1/2 honey dew melon, peeled and cut in small wedges
- 1/2 sweet onion (if you must) cut into wedges
- If you, like me, don’t like onion, use 1/2 cup cantaloupe, cut in small wedges
- 1/4 cup raspberry vinaigrette (your brand)
Put all the ingredients in a bowl and toss to coat. Put in a colourful bowl or over-sized decorator martini glass and pour a glass of chilled white wine, enjoy the beautiful day while waiting for the barbecue to heat up.
There seems to be a pattern here, salad, outdoors, chilled wine¦..doesn’t get much better than this.
Nectarine and Scallop Summer Salad
I love the summer months and certainly all the ways to make salads zing. This is a lovely salad and one not to miss trying.
Serves 4
Dressing
- 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 1/2 tsp grated lime zest
- Pinch of chili powder
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Whisk juice, zest and chili powder together, slowly add oil, whisking briskly to incorporate.
Do this the day before. Put in the fridge overnight, but make sure it is room temperature the day of the party.
Ingredients for Salad
- 16 sea scallops, side muscles removed and pat dry
- 3 ripe but still firm, white nectarines, sliced into wedges
- Extra virgin olive oil for brushing
- 1/3 cup whole corn kernels
- 1 tomato chopped fine
- Julienned basil for decoration
Set bbq on med-high heat. Brush oil on scallops and nectarine wedges. Grill scallops until slightly charred but cooked (two minutes each side), grill nectarines about one minute each side (depends on thickness).
Arrange four scallops on each plate. In a bowl, toss the tomatoes in some of the dressing. Again, in another bowl, toss the corn kernels with some of the dressing. Spoon the corn kernels around the scallops, scatter tomatoes over the corn. Arrange the nectarine wedges in a decorative pattern. Now, lightly sprinkle the julienned basil over the top.
Note: If white nectarines are not available in your area, you can use the yellow nectarines.
Okay, who has the wine glasses?
Veal Parmigiana
Your guests will drool when this comes to the table. When they leave, you may hear them say “when can we come back?”. Tis true.
Serves 4
- 1 1/2 cups dry panko crumbs (Japanese bread crumbs)
- 1 cup plus 4 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese (fresh)
- 1 tbsp each minced fresh parsley and basil
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp water
- 1/2 cup flour
- 8 veal scallops
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 8 slices of mozzarella cheese
Put rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Combine panko crumbs, one-half cup cheese, herbs, salt and pepper in a pie plate. Set aside. In a shallow bowl whisk the eggs and water together and set aside.
On a flat plate, spread the flour, coat the scallops in the flour, shaking off the excess and dip in the egg mixture and then the bread crumbs. Pat with your fingers to ensure the crumbs adhere.
Heat the oil in a fry pan over medium high heat and sauté the veal until lightly browned, two-three minutes. Using tongs, turn the meat over and repeat, adding more oil if the pan starts to dry out. Remove the veal and blot with paper towels to remove excess oil.
Oil a shallow baking dish and spread one-half cup of the tomato sauce on the bottom and arrange the scallops over the sauce slightly overlapping them. Sprinkle four tbsp parmesan cheese and cover with the remaining tomato sauce. Top with the cheese slices and bake until completely heated through, about twenty-five minutes.
If you wish more color on the top, place under the broiler briefly.
This recipe will taste as good if not better than restaurant fare and YOU made it.
Remember to proclaim to self “damn, I did this”.
Veal and Brie with Asparagus
Now we are in to Spring, asparagus is so new and fresh, use it in the best possible way. Try this…..
Serves 4
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 3/4 cup whipping cream
- 1 small round Brie, skin removed
- 1 cup flour
- 1-2 tbsp. butter
- 16 spears fresh asparagus
- 8 ounces fresh crab
- 2 lbs. Veal cutlets
Melt two tbsp. butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the whipping cream and as bubbles start to form on the edges, whisk in the Brie cheese and stir until completely melted. Cover and set aside to keep warm (or put in warming drawer).
If the veal has not been pounded out, take a mallet and, after covering the meat with saran wrap, pound out until it is thin and unison in size. Dredge in the flour and make sure the excess is knocked off. Melt the butter in a large fry pan. Cook in the butter for two-three minutes until browned, set aside and keep warm.
Bring your asparagus pot (or pot with a steamer bowl) to the boil. Snap off the asparagus where is does so naturally, and drop in the water for only a couple of minutes (keeping the bright green colour). Place the crab meat over the asparagus to steam and get hot, if using a steamer pot.
To assemble, plate the veal, top with a little crabmeat, place four asparagus spears on top and drizzle the cheese sauce over the top. Serve extra sauce on the side. It will be all used up it is so tasty. This doesn’t really need anything else except a nice crusty roll and fresh butter (never margarine) and a perfect glass of wine..
“Damn” you’re good!
Potatoes Paquette
These are terrific with ham. We find them terrific with just about anything.
Serves 4
- 4 medium potatoes
- 3 tbsp. butter
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- Pinch of salt
- Pepper
- 3/4 cup of grated cheddar cheese
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- 3/4 cup whipping cream.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and slice potatoes like French fries. Cut forty-eight inches of tin foil and fold in half. Place the potatoes in center, dot with butter, sprinkle remaining ingredients over the potatoes.
Pull foil edges up quite high and pour whipping cream over. Fold the tin foil very tight so it won’t leak, place on a cookie sheet to bake for one hour. Check to ensure they are cooked.
These have that “more please” temptation. Just sayin’……
St. Patrick’s Day
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all the true Irish and also those who wish they were. When growing up, both my Mom and Aunt, who happened to be married to Irishmen, made everything green. I kid you not…the potatoes were green, veggies were green, dessert would have been green and whatever we drank (usually milk) got that same old green food colouring. UGH!
I never did that to my daughter, probably because I couldn’t do it when growing up.
I can remember when I had turned 21, my Mom and Dad took me down to the local Irish Pub to sample the ‘green beer’. Well, it was the drink of the day, but I couldn’t get it down. I like beer au natural and all my other food as well. (Besides, I don’t drink beer).
Have a great day no matter how you celebrate it and keep cool. Drive safe. See you tomorrow.