Bœuf Bourguignon

Les recettes Bourguignonnes de tante Margot

I came across a copy of Les recettes bourguignonnes de tante Margot. Biensûr it contained a recipe for bœuf bourguignon. Mom used to make this for Christmas dinner. I make it at least once a winter.

Bœuf Bourguignon recipe

Went to the marché in St-Gengoux-le-national to pick up a few groceries for the weekend. Makings for salad, chicken soup and this yummy beef stew. It is without a doubt that the beef sold is of charolais origin. The burgundian hills are peppered with these elegant, white cows. The boucher proposed a burgundy cut and I requested that he throw a couple of cow cheeks into the mix. Having enjoyed pork cheeks earlier that day for lunch, I was excited by the thought of using something as exotic. Smoked bacon was also on my list.

Elegant charolais

After a few intensive days of travelling the French countryside, I declared Saturday a farmhouse day. Laundry and cooking!

Lardons of smoked pork

Bourguignon mix at the top and
beef jowls at the bottom

Such a small range for such a grand dish

Pearl onions are called "grelot" or small bells

Bœuf bourguignon simmering away in an old Creuset pot.

Bœuf Bourguignon

This recipe is adapted from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck (Alfred A. Knopf, 1961)

Ingredients

One 6-ounce piece of chunk bacon

3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

3 pounds lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes

1 carrot, sliced

1 onion, sliced

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons flour

3 cups red wine, young and full-bodied (like Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone or Burgundy)

2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups brown beef stock

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cloves mashed garlic

1/2 teaspoon thyme

A crumbled bay leaf

18 to 24 white onions, small

3 1/2 tablespoons butter

Herb bouquet (4 parsley sprigs, one-half bay leaf, one-quarter teaspoon thyme, tied in cheesecloth)

1 pound mushrooms, fresh and quartered

 

Cooking Directions

Remove bacon rind and cut into lardons (sticks 1/4-inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and lardons for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts water. Drain and dry.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Sauté lardons in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a flameproof casserole over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon.

Dry beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Heat fat in casserole until almost smoking. Add beef, a few pieces at a time, and sauté until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the lardons.
In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the excess fat.

Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes.

Toss the meat again and return to oven for 4 minutes (this browns the flour and coves the meat with a light crust).

Remove casserole and turn oven down to 325 degrees.

Stir in wine and 2 to 3 cups stock, just enough so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs and bacon rind. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove. Cover casserole and set in lower third of oven. Regulate heat so that liquid simmers very slowly for 3 to 4 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily. While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.
Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with one and one-half tablespoons of the oil until bubbling in a skillet.
Add onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling them so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect them to brown uniformly.
Add 1/2 cup of the stock, salt and pepper to taste and the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but hold their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet and set onions aside.

Wipe out skillet and heat remaining oil and butter over high heat. As soon as you see butter has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add mushrooms. Toss and shake pan for 4 to 5 minutes. As soon as they have begun to brown lightly, remove from heat. When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and lardons to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms on top. Skim fat off sauce in saucepan. Simmer sauce for a minute or 2, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons stock. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour sauce over meat and vegetables. Cover and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times.

Serve in casserole, or arrange stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles or rice, and decorated with parsley.

Bon appétit!

Du coq à l'âne

A grateful guest gave me a hug at the soup kitchen.

I am truly enjoying my Wednesday ski club! Ski lessons for the first time in my life are doing wonders! I am learning to move my ankles, knees and hips like never before. Meeting lots of friendly people!

Spoke to Dad and Mom. Good to hear their voices. You're in my heart and in my thoughts constantly.

I tried my hand at making paneer. What simple gratification!

A snowstorm slowed everything down last Friday!

Our foodies' gathering brought us together for a fine Indian meal! It was a culinary adventure which took our group to new heights, I think. Diane blogged about it!

I enjoyed Dvorǎk's Humoresques and downloaded a few versions. To watch the musicians' faces as they play is priceless. Ma is such a natural!

Strapped on my snowshoes for the first time in two years! It was nice to walk the back fields.

A red tabby came "a knocking" at our door. Took him in for the night. He's at the shelter now. I called today to inquire if someone had come looking for him. He's still there...

Du coq à l'âne...

Chicken Marbella Revisited

I enjoy Cook's Illustrated. It's one of two publications put out by America's Test Kitchen.  Located just outside of Boston, ATK employs more than three dozen test cooks, editors and cookware specialists. They test recipes over and over until they establish how and why they work. They also strive to come up with the very best version. I especially enjoy their review on kitchen equipment and supermarket ingredients. Their Chicken Marbella update is lip smacking good. I highly recommend it!

I was first introduced to Chicken Marbella by a client when I was running my personal chef gig. Great flavours. Perfect for a dinner party. Don't let the long list of ingredients deter you. It's so worthwhile. Serve it on basmati rice. Freeze the leftovers!

Chicken Marbella
Serves 4 -6

Any combination of split breasts and leg quarters can be used in this recipe.

Paste
1/2 cup pitted green olives, rinsed
1/3 cup pitted prunes
3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tbs capers, rinsed
3 anchovy fillets, rinsed
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp kosher salt
Pinch red pepper flakes

Chicken
21/2 - 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on (or off whatever your preference) split chicken breasts and/or leg quarters, trimmed
Kosher salt and pepper
2 tsp olive oil
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup white wine
1/3 cup pitted green olives, rinsed and halved
1 tbs capers, rinsed
2 bay leaves
1/3 cup pitted prunes, chopped coarse
1 tbs unsalted butter
1 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tbs minced fresh parsley

Oven rack at middle position, heat at 400 degrees. Paste: pulsee all ingredients in food processor until smooth. Can be prepped ahead the day before.

Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet until just smoking. Place chicken skin down and brown 5 - 8 minutes. Remove to a plate.

Add 1/3 cup of paste to skillet and cook 3 - 4 minutes until a fond forms at the bottom of the pan. Stir in broth, wine, olives, capers and bay leaves scraping the good brown bits. Return chicken to pan skin side up (skin s/b above liquid) and roast uncovered in oven for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and spread rest of paste over chicken pieces. Sprinkle prunes around chicken. Continue to roast until breasts register 160 degrees and legs 175.

Transfer chicken to platter and foil loosely. Remove bay leaves from sauce. Whisk in butter, vinegar, and 1 tbs parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce around chicken. Sprinkle with remaining parsley.

Soup Kitchen

I ask Rosie to let me know when turkeys hit the .99 cent/lb.

2012-12-15 1:20 PM "Hi there just to let u know no frill has there turkey on. For 87 cents per. Lb they r big just to let u know :-)".

2012-12-15 4:04 PM "Hi Caroline did u get my mess this morn about the turkeys they r on sale"

2012-12-17: No Frills:

- 40 lbs new potatoes
- 10 gala apples
- 2 celery stalks
- 6 red onions
- 5 lbs cooking onions
- 8 tins of cranberry jelly
- 4 20 lb turkeys
- a blend of herbs for the stuffing

The cabbages are puny. Hold off for better ones. Drop by the church hall to pick up bread for the stuffing from the mountain of donated baked goods. And then head home to throw the birds in the deep freezer.

2012-12-20 6 PM: The turkeys are laid down to brine in salt water for 18 hours. Make one badge of stuffing for a test run.

2012-12-21 2 PM: Make 20 lb of stuffing. Chop. Chop. Chop. Rinse the birds. Pat them dry. Foil them. Throw everything in the Canadian Giant Fridge aka le garage!

2012-12-22 10 PM: Jimmy helps to stuff the birds and load up the car.

2012-12-22 11.30 PM: Running half an hour behind. Turn on the ovens at the church hall to 325 F. Friend Trish butters the birds' bottoms as they go in breast down for the first 2 hours.

2012-12-22 12 PM: Filomena drops by to do first basting.

2012-12-22 2 PM: Flip the birds with Sean's help. The members of the CWL accept to do the 3 PM basting! Yeh! Off the hook! Sean will do the 4 PM.

2012-12-22 4.05 PM: Text from Sean: "Caroline sorry I can not get into hall to base the turkeys". Hop in the car and head down the road to do the 4 PM basting. Check the birds' temp with the dandy probe. Done. Worked out well. Throw the birds in the car. Windows fog up. Turkey smell is overwhelming. Too much of a good thing. Overdose! Roll down windows. Defrost ON full blast. Once home Jimmy helps to remove the stuffing. Throw everything back into le garage. Turn light OFF.

2012-12-24 11 PMish: Load up car: 40 lbs potatoes, 4 cabbages, 5 lbs carrots, 4 turkeys and a partridge in a pair tree! Always lugging!

2012-12-24 2 PM: The turkeys are sliced. Coleslaw is prepped. Buns are buttered. Potatoes are scrubbed, boiled and mashed. Vegetables are blanched and buttered. Gravy is thickened. Tables are set. Stuffing and poultry are warmed up. Tea. Coffee or me? Volunteers and guests walk in. More volunteers than guests it seems! Many hands...

2012-12-24 5.30 PM: Grace. Guests line up. Seconds and some thirds. Containers are filled for take homes. Dessert is put out. Christmassy looking cake and squares. Seconds. Thirds and take homes. Feet are soar. Clean up.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night! Into the darkness they go. Some to their homes. Some to their homelessness...

Pulled Pork

I confess, I am a cookbook junky. I picked up Canadian Living's The Slow Cooker Collection this fall put together by the CL Test Kitchen. Well done!

So welcome to the Jimmy Slow Cooks section of this blog...

Recipe No. 1 Pulled Pork! We ate the leftovers on a bun for lunch the next day. We shared it and were too full to have dinner that night. This is decadently yummy!

Tender enough to be shredded with a fork, pulled pork makes an easy buffet mainstay. Offer buns (to pile high with pork), pickled jalapeno peppers, shredded Cheddar cheese and light sour cream.

3-1/2 lb (1.75 kg) pork shoulder blade_roast
3/4 tsp (4 mL) each salt and pepper
2 tbsp (25 mL) vegetable_oil
2 onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp (25 mL) chili_powder
2 tsp (10 mL) ground coriander
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup (50 mL) tomato_paste
1 can (14 oz/398 mL) tomato_sauce
2 tbsp (25 mL) each packed brown_sugar and cider_vinegar
2 tbsp (25 mL) Worcestershire_sauce
2 green_onions, thinly sliced

Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. In Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat; brown pork all over. Transfer to slow cooker.

Add onions, garlic, chili powder, coriander and bay leaves to Dutch oven; fry, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, about 5 minutes.

Add tomato paste; cook, stirring, until darkened, about 2 minutes. Add tomato sauce, sugar, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce, scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pan. Pour into slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until pork is tender, 8 to 10 hours.

Transfer pork to cutting board and tent with foil; let stand for 10 minutes. With two forks, shred or "pull" pork.

Meanwhile, pour liquid from slow cooker into large saucepan; skim off fat. Bring to boil over high heat; boil vigorously until reduced to 3 cups (750 mL), about 15 minutes. Discard bay leaves.
Add pork; reduce heat and simmer until hot, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with green onions.

 

Bayfield on Lake Huron

According to National Geographic, Bayfield has one of the most beautiful sunset in the world.

The Little Inn of Bayfield was built in the 1830s. Ours is the Widow's Walk room: bedroom on one level and the walk at the top of a flight of stairs with windows in all directions overlooking the town. It is rustic, quaint and quite pleasant. I hear the wind and a distant cardinal. The coffee is good. What more can one ask for?

The top picture shows off the widow's walk 

Great old pictures! The top one is obviously taken in the 1800s. No trees, no verandah and no cars.

Other than another couple, Jim and I are the only guests. 'Tis very quiet. So quiet that the dining room looked too lonely to eat in last night. We opted to dine in the pub for a friendlier and warmer atmosphere.

First we negotiated with Tom the waiter: we'll trade our deserts for an extra appetizer. No problem. So we ordered. Jim started with a Crayfish Risotto: red sorrel, blue cheese powder and XO piperada (spanish tomato base sauce). I had the Black Truffle Ravioli: smoked walnuts, brussel leaves, green peppercorn in a foie gras sauce (nine time reduced which I cleaned up with the fresh whole wheat bread). And we shared our desert trade off which was the Roasted Quebec Foie Gras: pain perdu, freeze dried berries with a white cacao cloud. Oh, la, la.

Did I forget the wine? Morse Code Shiraz. We had selected another Shiraz but the message got blurred and this is the red we got... Hhmmm, not as fun a wine experience as the Stone Road Grill. Quel dommage.

Our mains:

Jim had the winner! 24hr Braised Lamb Bolognese: home made garganelli pasta, black truffle with big chunks of reggiano. Yum! I was quite delighted with mine although I couldn't resist taking jabs at Jimmy's garganelli! I had the Coleman Farm Black Angus Faux Filet: fingerling dauphinoise, roated cippolline (pearl onions) with a sauce perigueux. Très riche et bon.

We waddled back to our room. Jimmy crawled into bed and I went up to the walk to watch the night.
Bonne Nuit!

Niagara-on-the-Lake :: Unedited

Harbour House

First draft.

It is so nice to get away! The operative words for this trip are: quaint, good food and comfort. First stop, Niagara-on-the-Lake. It’s all about spending our dollar in our backyard. Argh, argh. Nothin’ wrong with that!

And what a fine day we picked. Plus 18˚ sunshine with wind to rip the horns off a bull! I can’t remember the last time I drove on a sky way. One thing I know for sure, I’ve never driven on a sky way in high winds. Very exhilarating! More like white knuckling it.

Niagara-on-the-Lake. The last time I was here was with my sister Dara-Lyn by boat. We stayed at the NOTL Yacht Club on the river for two bumpy but lovely days! One day to replenish. Riding up and down the scenic strip looking like two gypsies on our tiny boat bikes laden with groceries and wine. We swam in the river off the boat it was so hot. At night we watched a lightning show over Toronto – all the way, across the lake. It’s a fine memory.

Harbour House. Located immediately across the NOTL YC. The boats are on the hard, masts up and halyard clanking away in the wind. It truly is music to my ears.

We walked the scenic strip and popped in and out of shops. Actually found some great deals at the Irish Design Shop: Harris Tweed and such! What classics!

As I write this, Jimmy is revising something work related. Incroyable non?! I don’t mind. He’s a good man that Charlie Brown. Oh and did I say that the robins are here. There’s nothing like the sound of a robin in early spring…well maybe the sound of clanking halyards!

 

We booked dinner at the Stone Road Grill. Bon appétit (what is Julia Child doing in my head?)! Tripadvisor said: “Don’t let the strip mall fool you!” And they are so right. The service was warm, friendly and oh so helpful! We didn't like our table...ok, I take that back. I didn't like our table and asked if we could have a booth, 'cause that's what I do (says Jimmy). We got the best booth in the house. The mother of all booth. Sitting side by each, we agreed on our appetizers, sides and entrées. Bring two forks and one plate, we're sharing it all (well truth be told, there were already lots of cutlery and fine linen on the table like in all fine establishments, even those in strip malls!). Our friendly host offered to pair all of our courses with different wines. 

Fois Gras Poutine

Fois Gras Poutine with Monforte cheese curds and Carbernet Franc jus

13th Street Gamay Noir 2009 

This was fun comfort food. The portions were not gargantuesque. Just enough to tantalize the palate and make you long for more. Fois gras, oozy cheese curds and frites in a succulent jus.

Chef's Salad

Chef's Salad to balance the decadent poutine: bibb lettuce, house cappocola, cottage gold cheese, confit duck, quail’s egg, niçoise olives, tomato “Raisins” and a fine herb vinaigrette paired with Cattail Creek Serendipity Rosé 2010. Fresh, crisp, buttery and very tasty.

Raw Oysters

Raw Oysters for some fun sides! New Brunswick and P.E.I. joined us for a brief minute paired with Henry of Pelham Cuvée Catherine Rosé Brut.

I must say that the Grill has the most amazing collection of wine glasses. Artful! 

Risotto...oopsy!

We finished with appetizer size entrées! How civilized is that. We felt so well behaved and a little tipsy. So, Carrot ginger risotto, smoked morsels of ham hock ragu. Yummy creamy! Paired with a Stratus White 2008. 

Hhmm, t'was good!

And then to finish, the beast du jour which was bacon wrapped beef tenderloin, onion ring, peal onions, house made ravioli stuffed with duck confis paired with a Stratus Red 2006.

Well behaved but a little tipsy!

Sink or Swim!

And the award goes to... this giant chinese skimmer aka the spider!

Last Monday I cooked dinner for a local soup kitchen for the very first time. I spent Saturday afternoon getting ready. Flyers and grocery list in hand with $200 in my wallet, I headed out the door. Two hours later and $5.38 over budget I drove home with the goods. Shortly before six, it was off to the bakery with Jim to pick up the day's leftover bread. I kid you not, we filled the back of the pickup truck. That is a lot of bread my friend. So I decided to add bread pudding to the menu!

Monday. The morning is mine because the afternoon won't be. I've got my To Do list ready.

Start time 1 pm:

Boil vats of water
Oil the frying pans
Chop onions in record time
Fry up onions
Cut up 20 lbs of sausage
Toss sausage in with onions

1.45 pm:

Vats of water now boiling
Throw in 2.5 lbs of pasta/pot
Stir pans of sausage and onions
Stir pasta
Stir sausage and onions
Stir pasta
Think. Fast. Think
Stir sausage and onions
Stir pasta

2 pm:
 
Using a giant spider, I start scooping the cooked pasta in large stainless steel pans
Stir sausage and onions
Carry pan #1 to island and stir in oil to prevent clumping
Fill pan #2. Island. Oil
Turn off burners for sausage and onions
#3. Island. Oil

2.30 pm:

#4. Island. Oil
Line up jars of tomato sauce
Yikes. Jars are sealed shut and won't open!!
Hammer lids with a knife. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
Open. Taptaptaptaptaptap. Open. Taptaptaptaptaptap. OpenTaptaptaptaptaptapOpenTaptaptaptaptaptapOpenTaptaptaptaptaptapOpenTaptaptaptaptaptapOpenTaptaptaptaptaptapOpen
TaptaptaptaptaptapOpenTaptaptaptaptaptapOpenTaptaptaptaptaptapOpenTaptaptaptaptaptapOpenTaptaptaptaptaptapOpenTaptaptaptaptaptapOpen
Pour sauce into sausage and onions mixture. Quickly. Quickly.
Rinse out jars with tomato juice. Faster. Faster!

THIS IS IT. THIS IS WHERE I SINK OR SWIM!!

2.45 pm:

Line up ingredients for bread pudding
Turn oven on to 325°F
Fill pot with 5 L of milk
Think of how to warm up milk without burning and without having to constantly watch and stir
Set pot in pot full of leftover hot pasta water to act as double boiler
Crack 30 eggs into bowl
Add brown sugar, cinnamon, freshly ground nutmeg and vanilla
Check milk. Ready.
Chop up 1 1/2 lb of butter into squares. Add to milk to melt.
Whip up egg and sugar mixture
Slowly add warm milk and butter mixture
Butter 4 shallow pans. Add chopped up bread (thank goodness I cubed the bread on Sunday!)
Toss raisins on top

I AM SWIMMING!!

3.15 pm:

Set bread pan in oven and fill with egg and sugar mixture
Pan #2. Oven. Fill.
#3. Oven. Fill.
#4. Oven. Fill.

I AM ENJOYING MY SWIM!

3.30 pm:

The team will start rolling in
Start washing mushrooms.
Eilleen walks in. "Eilleen, how would you like to wash mushrooms?"
Take romaine lettuce to dishwasher room ready for the next batch of volunteers to work on
"Eilleen can you chop the mushrooms please."

INHALE! EXHALE! HA!

3.45 pm:

Start assembling pasta dish
Turn 2 ovens on to 350°F
Toss sauce and sausage with pasta, layer of mozzarella, layer of mushrooms, layer of pasta and sausage, final layer of mozzarella. Foil. Oven.Toss sauce and sausage with pasta, layer of mozzarella, layer of mushrooms, layer of pasta and sausage, final layer of mozzarella. Foil. Oven. Toss the pasta, layer of mozzarella, layer of mushrooms, layer of pasta and sausage, final layer of mozzarella. Foil. Oven. Toss sauce and sausage with pasta, layer of mozzarella, layer of mushrooms, layer of pasta and sausage, final layer of mozzarella. Foil. Oven.
Check bread pudding

I'M OUT OF THE POOL!

4.00 pm:

More volunteers roll in. They know what to do.
An hour and a half to show time! We bag bread. We slice bread. We butter bread. Garlic bread it is!
Check bread pudding
Check pasta casseroles
Butter baguettes and sprinkle garlic powder
Eilleen cubes bread to make croutons for the Caesar's salad

4.15 pm

Take bread pudding out of the oven
The dining room is ready
The coffee... something's wrong with the coffee machine. Too late to brew another pot.
Open the door. The guests start to flow in.
Line up the apple juice. Stir up another jug of OJ. Put out the water jug, the kettle and tea bags, milk and sugar.
"When will the coffee be ready?" They are cold and look for it. "Sorry no coffee today."
They drink hot tea instead.
The volunteers keep refilling.

5.00 pm

Prep the serving table. Serving spoons, tongs. Count out 103 plates. 
Head count: 55 guests

5.15 pm

Who is serving?
Dish out the bread pudding
Broil and slice the garlic bread
Who will say GRACE?
Head count 80+


5.30 pm SHOW TIME!

Set 2 serving stations of cheesy pasta casserole, Caesars salad and garlic bread
GRACE
2 tables at a time, our guests line up for their supper
Seconds.
Volunteers also eat.
Clear the serving station.
Set out the bread pudding.
Dessert line up.
Leftovers are packed and handed out.
Bags of bread are put out.

6.30 pm

Dinner is over and the last guests leave. Satisfied (I think).
We wash: dishes, utensils, pots and pans, tables, kitchen surfaces.
Put out the garbage, recycling and the green bin.

7.00 pm

It's done.
Approximately 160 servings.
Total cost per setting: $1.46

Cook and Bottle Washer

I am in planning mode. Serious planning mode. I've been assigned the position of chief cook and bottle washer for next Monday's Community Bread on Main. What will I make? The meal should cover all the basic food groups: carbs, veggies and protein. I am leaning towards shepherd's pie. How easy is that!? Hhmm. Think about it: 50 lbs of potatoes will have to be peeled. That's the challenge... because I'll be on the hook for that job. The team of volunteers wonders in between 3.30 - 4.30. Dinner is at 5.30. The pie should be out at 5.15 to set, in the oven by 4.30 at 325°F for 45 minutes. Potatoes and meat to cook at 3.30. This means that I'll have to be in at the latest 2.30 to start peeling. Conclusion: potatoes are a heck of a lot of work! Hhmm, what about using instant mashed? Hey, don't knock 'em 'til you've tried them. Believe it or not, I've got a box in my pantry and they taste pretty darn good! I think that might be the way to go! hhmm... the box says that holding temperature should not exceed 160°F. There goes that idea.

How about this Italian Sausage and Mozzarella Dinner. Chicken à la King. Chicken is labour intensive. All those bones. And then cubing the meat.

Two hours later. I've settled on Beef Pot Pie with Biscuit Topping for 120 servings. What a process! I'm thinking coleslaw for a side. Hope they like it. Who am I kidding! How can I be sure that I can cook 50 lb of beef cubes into tender and juicy bites. Tough one.

OK, I'm settling with my first idea: Italian Sausage Mozzarella Dinner. Lots of bread. Caesar salad as a side. Hhmm...what about an appetizer? I'll have to check the flyers for an idea. Maybe egg rolls. Garlic bread. Whoa Nelly. Confession time: I've never shopped from flyers in my life. Jimmy has. I'll have to recruit his help.

My spread sheet is ready! My team will think me green and keen! Oh well! So, grocery shop on Saturday. Pick up a truck load of bread donated from a local bakery after six on same day. Cook time starts at 2 pm Monday!

Sausage and Mozzarella Dinner
Serves 150

•     20 lb Link or bulk Italian sausage, sliced or crumbled
•       3 gallons Spaghetti sauce
•      16 c  Sliced fresh mushrooms
•   1 1/2 qt  (6 cups) Tomato juice
•       3 large Onions, chopped
•       3 tbsp. Italian seasoning
•       2 tbsp Salt
•       1 tbsp. Pepper
•      12 lb Corkscrew noodles, cooked and drained
•       5 lb Mozzarella cheese, sliced
•       8 lb Mozzarella cheese, shredded

 
  Brown sausage, drain fat. Mix  browned sausage with the Spaghetti sauce,
mushrooms, tomato juice, onions, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
 
  Grease 8 6-quart baking pans. Layer half of the noodles, sliced cheese and
  meat sauce in pans. Repeat layers. Sprinkle shredded cheese equally over
  each pan. Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Uncover and bake 15 minutes
  longer or until cheese is melted. Serves 150

Soup Night!

After the weekend's decadence... Monday night supper calls for a simple meal. 95% of the time, soup is on the menu. Today, I'm trying something totally new: Beef Quinoa. I grilled the beef, onion, carrot, garlic and celery on the BBQ at high heat for approximately 10 minutes then threw everything in the pressure cooker and topped the pot up with boiling water, brought the cooker up to a decent pressure (I nearly blew up the house as I did so when I became enthralled by this fantastic You Tube video honoring Dave Brubeck -- you got to take a listen! Thx for sharing Yüksel!).

 

The broth is percolating as I write this. Come to think of it, this soup's ingredients have very local roots. The beautiful heirloom carrots are from the marsh, the garlic is our own homegrown and the beef is from Farmer Don next door. How is that for eating local?! Using quinoa in soup is a first for me. I keep reading such great things about this ingredient that I decided to try it out.

Just off the grilled into cooker!

Unbelievable beet red carrot!

Mirepoix

Verdict: I will definitely grill soup ingredients again and again. As a matter of fact, it is the way to go if time permits. The heirloom carrots are visually beautiful to work with but, Jimmy didn't think that the end result looked visually appealing. Those beet red carrots bled like beets do. As for the Quinoa, I'll stick to barley for my soups.

Weekend Menu Review

NO! This blog is NOT all about food! Who am I kidding?

Big Fat Low Fat Greek Moussaka

Review: Yes, this was quite labour intensive! It took 70 minutes to prep. The end result was light and delicious: 2 potatoes vs. 1 lb; a generous layer of grilled zucchini and eggplant sprinkled with feta (Jimmy didn't notice); savory layers of meat sauce with hints of balsamic vinegar, mint and oregano; and oh my! that topping. Jim usually loves one pot meals. If only the flavour lived up to its wonderful aroma. I give this recipe ** out of *****! 

Better Butter Chicken
Review: I had help in the kitchen for this one! I so enjoy cooking with Jim. Traditional butter chicken contains ghee (a form of clarified butter), yogurt and heavy cream. To lighten things up, this recipe replaced these ingredients with 1/3 c. of light sour cream and 1/2 the butter. The chicken marinaded all day in a tandoori sauce. After cooking it, instead of deboning the drumbsticks, we tossed them into the sauce. The aroma was a-ma-zing! I would make this again but, I would stick to a more traditional recipe for the spices. Why did they leave out the garam masala? So essential in Indian cooking. *** out of *****.
Penne with Garlic Shrimp and Feta
Review: I use to make a version of this recipe where I used orzo which gave the dish a risotto consistency. A lighter pasta would add to this recipe. I'm thinking spaghettini or angel hair. More feta, more liquid! Feta and hot pasta are a wonderful combination and part of this cook's repertoire. The idea is to use those ingredient as a base and just wing the rest! Now, there's a strange expression: wing it! ** out of *****.

Experimenting with Healthy Makeovers

Weekend menu planning. Doing my cardio on Jimmy's treadmill, I caught an episode of "Eat, Shrink and Be Merry" (I wish!). Walk on and walk it off. The feature recipe was the Moussaka. I am going to give it a try along with their butter chicken.

Big Fat Low Fat Greek Moussaka

Review: Yes, this was quite labour intensive! It took 70 minutes to prep. The end result was light and delicious: 2 potatoes vs. 1 lb; a generous layer of grilled zucchini and eggplant sprinkled with feta (Jimmy didn't notice); savory layers of meat sauce with hints of balsamic vinegar, mint and oregano; and oh my! that topping. Jim usually loves one pot meals. If only the flavour lived up to its wonderful aroma. I give this recipe ** out of *****! 

Better Butter Chicken
Review: I had help in the kitchen for this one! I so enjoy cooking with Jim. Traditional butter chicken contains ghee (a form of clarified butter), yogurt and heavy cream. To lighten things up, this recipe replaced these ingredients with 1/3 c. of light sour cream and 1/2 the butter. The chicken marinaded all day in a tandoori sauce. after cooking it, instead of deboning the drumbsticks, we tossed them into the sauce. The aroma was a-ma-zing! I would make this again but, I would stick to a more traditional recipe for the spices. Why did they leave out the garam masala? So essential in Indian cooking. *** out of *****.
And for Friday's Italian night menu... we have:
Penne with Garlic Shrimp and Feta
Review: I use to make a version of this recipe where I used orzo which gave the dish a risotto consistency. A lighter pasta would add to this recipe. I'm thinking spaghettini or angel hair. More feta, more liquid! Feta and hot pasta are a wonderful combination and part of this cook's repertoire. The idea is to use those ingredient as a base and just wing the rest! Now, there's a strange expression: wing it! ** out of *****.