Lemon Tart

Simplest Leek and Potato Soup

It starts with soup. The simplest of soups. Humble potatoes, a pot, a couple of minutes with a knife, a meditative simmer. Simplicity, comfort, elegance boiled into one.

Hello! Its been awhile,eh?  I'm still cooking, eating, and drinking, of course! And so with a container of peeled potatoes, a bag of tender leeks, and the best exercise in cooking with what you have, my comeback presented itself. And where I was least looking for it. No grand preparations, no obscure recipes or tales from another land, but rather with this simplest of soups made on a rainy day in Vancouver. With this pale, un-photogenic bowl of "potage" I arrive back to this space quietly with little fanfare but all of the promises of before: to document, to advise, to cook, to eat, but mostly to share.

Also known as Vichyssoise, when chilled, this dish is a regular in our household in summer, whether made in honour of a special friend or added to a picnic basket.  If you can peel a potato, or find someone to do it for you, if you can boil water and slice an onion, you can make this. And all in the span of the time it takes you to to change into your jammies and surf the PVR for something to watch on TV tonight. While its bubbling, you'll slice a few slices of hearty country bread, put out a chunk of gouda or cheddar, drizzle some olive oil and lemon juice on some greens and pour a glass of Chardonnay. Today's recipe is for all of you who think homemade soup isn't worth your time or beyond your skill-set. And for those of you seasoned cooks, this is for you too, to remind all of us of the beauty of a meal that is comprised of a couple of ingredients, a little time, and almost no work.

Until next time,  eat soup!

 

Arugula Radish Salad with Meyer Lemon and Parmesan

If ever I were to write my a cookbook it would be about salads. This may come as a surprise to some of you. After all, the sweet realm is really the place of my heart and soul and certainly my specialty. But putting together interesting salads is something that seems natural to me, which I'm sure is largely based on my absolute passion for vegetables. Considering a salad is part of our dinner almost daily, I've had a lot of chance to perfect my skills.  My favourite executions often involve combining whatever bare bone ingredients I can scrounge in the fridge. These exercises in creativity give me a challenge I relish more in more. Making a memorable dish out of what appears to be nothing is the greatest satisfaction there is in cooking.

My approach to the perfect salad has evolved over the years and what I tend to create more often these days are simple combinations of fewer ingredients, served in shallow bowl, Chez Panisse style. Balance is key to a great salad and once you learn that it becomes easier to create new and interesting mixes. Most of the year you are more likely to find me making salads where the greens are used in a supporting role, with cooked or raw, shaved, grated or sliced vegetables taking centre stage. Salad greens or "leaves" are sought after in spring when they are new and fresh and hearkening the growing season ahead. This is the only time of year I'm giddy about greens. With its constant presence, we forget that even lettuce has a season, spring being the best one. You can eat lettuce all year and not notice it, but then you have some in April or May straight from the garden and you sit up and notice it for the first time because it tastes of something beyond water.

I've made this salad multiple times for the last 3 weeks, since I first spotted my beloved French Breakfast Radishes (I do so love them) and bags of the tenderest (and cleanest!) Arugula at the market a couple weeks ago. On market days like these a salad announces itself, I simply allow them a place to come together. The elements are the simplest, and so is the application. Peppery arugula plays well with the mild crunchy radishes which is then brought to life with lemon zest and balanced out with salty, pleasingly textured parmesan cheese. It all comes together by olive oil which coats rather than drenches the tender spring greens which really are young and soft without the strong stems they will begin to form throughout summer. Then of course there's the visual beauty of that bright spring green alongside the fushia and white tinged radishes, echoing the very same colour combination in my vase of tulips on the table. This salad is my love letter to spring, and a salad I'll be happy to eat too much of.

 

 

 

Kale Crispies

Kale. Its a vegetable we all know we should be eating more of, one of those superfoods that frequent top 10 lists for cancer fighting vegetables, pictured on nutritional charts and in countless magazine articles. But I've noticed a lot of people aren't real comfortable with kale, not really sure what to do with it. If you are a fan of the 100 mile diet or a regular farmers market shopper you have already come up close and personal at some point in the year when this is only green in a sea of root vegetables. But if you are shopping at the supermarket, you are likely grabbing the familiar spinach than the curly strange bunches of kale at the back of the produce case. Maybe you know you should be eating more of it, but not really sure what to do with it? Well, tomorrow pick yourself up a fresh, healthy looking bunch or two and make some of these! You'll find yourself devouring an entire bunch alone and for the parents out there, you might even convince your kids these are better than potato chips. Let this be your gateway to these beautiful winter greens.

Baking these hardy greens produces that satisfying crunch that manufactures of snack products all over the world constantly try to create. A slight rub of olive oil, a scattering of seasoning and these are better than popcorn to me. In fact some people grind and sprinkle it on popcorn. The fact that this is indeed health food is beside the fact. These are tasty tasty greens. Each time I roast a batch of these I'm amazed at the way they shatter in my mouth and my need to devour handfuls of them. They are smokey and savoury and slightly unexpected but definitely additive and I've found a sure way to get any hater of green vegetables to turn over a new leaf. Pun intended!

 

Cocktail Nuts...with Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

 

Another Friday, another dish by Dorie, since this is a French Fridays with Dorie selection. And yet another knockout. The recipe is straight forward. You toss a bunch of nuts with barely beaten eggwhite, which will act as glue for seasonings and will make the nuts crisp, then with your sugar, spice and everything nice. A slow 'bout in the oven and you are done. What I love about a recipe like this is how its really more of a technique. Once you've mastered the "idea" you can change the seasoning blends and even nuts and make it your own. I've made a variation of these spice nuts before, and I was skeptical about the amount of sugar being used, but the salt and spices balanced it out completely.

Will I make these again? Absolutely! I had them in the oven in minutes and a total of 45 minutes from start to snacks! I'm not expecting dinner guests until tomorrow night, but honestly these could be made completely on the fly when unexpected visitors show up for a glass of something festive. And on another note, there are egg whites in this recipe! That's a draw for me right there, until I start my egg white business. When you make as much ice cream, sweet pastry and butter cookies as me, there tends to be an out of control supply of eggwhites in the freezer. I'm always looking for a way to use them.

And just in case some of you don't have her book, but are really feeling like some crunchy nuts, I'm leaving you with a recipe today. Not Dorie's, but my own go to cocktail nut recipe. The holidays, ready or not, are here, and this is a recipe you are going to want up your sleeve.  While Dorie's would be great for making in large capacities and giving all month long, my recipe is more suited to eating that day, in fact just warm from the oven even.  They are more savoury than sweet, with a nice dose of herbs and some smokiness from paprika to round it out. Perfect with a dark beer or big Malbec and definatly with a Bourbon based cocktail, like a Manhatten, my fave. And those still left in the dish at the end of the night will be a welcome before breakfast treat.

French Fridays with Dorie: November Dinner Snapshots

In a less formal manner I've been cooking along with the French Fridays with Dorie group this month. Since its the last day of November I thought I'd share with you the last 3 recipes I enjoyed making and, more importantly, eating this month. The first one can be found here. There's a classic, a revelation, and an homage in the mix. While most of these items were served as parts of other meals, I realize that that all these recipes are the makings for one perfect Friday night dinner.

An apology for the poor lighting. I dislike using a flash, but nighttime eats at this time of year sure make it tricky to take a decent photo. Sure hoping Santa brings me my light for Christmas! Pumpkin Flans with Walnuts and Gorgonzola

The Revelation: I scoped this recipe out within minutes of cracking open the book. Its basically a pumpkin pie custard, but with a savoury bent, topped with toasted walnuts and melty gorgonzola cheese. I confess I don't really love pumpkin pie. I'd rather fill my pastry with other things. When I was younger I was known to eat the entire contents of the pie filling and leave behind a sad, scraped clean, pie shell. Turns out even then I knew the filling really is the best part in this case. While the recipe calls for a simple can of pumpkin puree, at this time of year I always have piles of gem like squash. Roasting  them is esay, and this way I'm eating local squash as opposed to pumpkins from who knows where.

This was a perfect first course with a crunchy salad. A last minute drizzle of full flavoured Pine honey brought it all together and paired beautifully with the nuts and cheese. I profess I love pumpkin, I'd just rather have it for dinner.

Roast Chicken for Les Paresseux

The Classic : Translated as "Roast Chicken for Lazy People", this recipe is the French version of quick and easy recipes for the busy cook. In actuality the chicken does take over an hour to cook, but the preparation and method of cooking is so simple that once you get it in the oven you'll have plenty of time to set the table, make a salad and unwind with a glass of wine and some Glee. A simple roast chicken is certainly one of my absolute favourite meals and something worth mastering. Over time I've developed my own recipe, but I'll admit I loved the dump in the pot technique here, which is all it was. Tossing in some vegetables means you've made a side dish without thinking about it and they'll flavoured with chicken juices and bronzed with chicken fat. The addition of a couple slices of stale bread put on the bottom of the pot which soak up chicken juices and caramelize as the chicken cookes are litte little bits of gold to fight over at the dinner tables. Like stuffing, but better.

And while I wouldn't consider it for Les Paresseux, the accompanying jus is a must when it comes to roast chicken. One extra step to harness those beautiful drippings and drizzle over your plate.
 
Caramel Topped Semolina Cake

The Homage: Dessert was a cross between creme caramel (also known as Flan in Spanish cuisine) and my favourite winter breakfast as a child, Cream of Wheat. The simplicity, yet elegance of this dish is a reminder to me of the beauty of French cuisine and why its hands down the cuisine that keeps drawing me in the longer I cook. A simple mixture of milk and wheat cooked to a porridge consistency, along with some sugar and eggs and a handful of raisins. In a pan lined with smokey caramel, the cake is cooked until puffed and flecked with brown. The cake is turned out to reveal a surprise soaking of amber caramel which still drizzles down the side of the cake.

Potato Gratin : A French Friday's with Dorie selection

 
I've been busy cooking from Dorie's new book this month and enjoying ever bit of it. I love that I'm actually using this book to its fullest, right away. How many of us buy such beautiful cookbooks that we love that we really don't use enough? I am guilty of this as well. Since this month is all about American Thanksgiving for my foodie friends to the south, there's been a rather informal round of French Friday's with Dorie. We've been instructed to cook the 4 selections on our own schedule throughout the month of November.

The Potato Gratin is really just a more sophisticated sister of the Scalloped Potatoes that I grew up with. The idea is the same - thinly sliced potatoes cooked in the oven bathed in milk or cream - but topped with a brown, crusty Gruyere cheese topping : that's the Gratin part. What you end up with is tender, moist, cooked potatoes held together by starch and dairy proteins and a satisfying cheesy topping. Its comfort food at its best.

This flexible side dish actually makes me happy its cold, rainy or snowy outside, because that is when food like this tastes so good. Its adaptability makes it a favourite of mine  since its as comfortable beside a roast chicken and a pork tenderloin as it is beside a baked salmon fillet or any manner of vegetarian dishes.

French Fridays with Dorie: Hachis Parmentier

 
I remember the first time I fell in love with cookbook extraordinaire, part time Parisian and all around Baking sweetheart, Dorie Greenspan. I received her phenomenal book, and still one of my all time favourites, Paris Sweets, for a Christmas present. I spent most of that Christmas afternoon pouring over each and every recipe. The first recipe I made were the soon to be world famous " Korova Cookies". They were a revelation of a cookie and a star was born in this house, both the cookie and the woman responsible for bringing me the recipe. While this wasn't an original recipe of Dorie's she's the one that shared them with us because of her upstanding relationships with some of the greatest pastry chefs in Paris, in this case pastry king, Pierre Herme.

I worked my way fairly quickly through that book, trying every manner of sumptuous treat, each one better than the rest. Her prose before each recipe lured me into each one as if she were in my kitchen measuring flour with me, and the helpful little hints at the end of each one makes every recipe she writes become endless in possibilities. She is quite simply one of the the worlds best recipe writers and I have seeked out many of her books. Her Baking: From My Home to Yours book is a classic in my household and is frequently my go to baking book for everything from a great birthday cake to speciality recipes like Chestnut Scones , Far Breton and the amazing orange cream tart. Yes, I am gushing, but I'm not the only one who feels this way about this pixie-like wonder of the dessert world. To those of us who have baked our way through her books and read her always engaging posts on her blog, she also represerents someone living a life many of us dream of, while at the same time appearing down to earth and incredibly humble. And while I do not know her, I'd like to think of her as someone I could be friends with, or at least spend an afternoon making apple tarts and drinking tea.

All of her books until now have focused on the sweet part of the food world, so last month when her first non-dessert book came out it was at my door within days. Around My French Table, as its invitingly titled, is a collection of French home cooking recipes, from years of living in France and becoming thoroughly acquainted with its people  and cuisine. After only a short time of having it in my possession I have earmarked half the book and am certain that this not unsubstantial book will stand proudly beside Julia's Mastering the Art of French Cooking and Anne Willan's Country Cooking of France.

Shortly before the book was published an online group was formed as a way of cooking through this much anticipated book. The rules were simple : cook along with other fans as often as you want, a different recipe chosen each week and post about it on Friday. The beauty of this group is that it gets me cooking. Ad deadline always helps that.  I was away for the first 3 weeks and had missed out on the beginning of French Fridays with Dorie, but was excited to get in on things as soon as I was back.

My first participating recipe was this homey, French Shepherds Pie, Hachis Parmentier. Having never eaten a Shepherds pie in my life that left any sort of memory with me, or certainly not a good one, I was interested to give this a try. While meat and potatoes as a food group are not the sort of dishes that excite me as a rule, I am developing a carnivores taste more and more these days,  and the autumn chill in the air and the threat of grey, wet, west coast months ahead certainly call for this sort of hearty fare.

Radishes with Buttery Dressing

Contrary to the weather outside my window right now, spring is over. This means the time of the radish is coming to an end. Sure, you can buy them all year. They even look good in February, but let me assure you the radish is best in spring. Its the most tender, crunchy and gently flavoured in the beginning of the growing season and I get practically giddy when I see it in the markets in May. But the truth is, to everything a season... It's almost time to say goodbye, beautiful, red kissed, peppery, crunchy bit of earth... But don't despair, while its always sad to see the end of the season for  a fruit or vegetables, the good news is that at this time of year that also means the beginning of something perhaps even more glorious. Hello pattipan squash, Bing cherries and green beans! But, I will admit, it does get me a little down, so I'm sharing this new salad I've been making in honour of one of my most beloved spring  arrivals.  In these next couple weeks they will be plentiful in my crisper before taking a more supporting role to more glamorous market stars.

Radishes with butter is a classic French before dinner snack and certainly my favourite way to enjoy them. Crisp, peppery radishes, creamy, salty butter, a piece of country bread. Frankly, there's not much to improve up on here. This recipe features them in all their glory and kisses them with the butter they love, along with olive oil and chives. Tender salad turnips are like family to the radish, so I've included them as well. For this dish French Breakfast Radishes are your best bet for their gentle flavour, but if all you have is classic Easter egg radishes, go for it. Please, do try this NOW. It comes together in moments and looks oh so pretty on the table. Reminiscent of the Italian raw vegetable dip, Bagna Cauda,  this is a cinch to make.

Trofie al Pesto: Remembering The Cinque Terre

     

When I travel, one of my favourite souvenirs is food. Beyond the usual food products that I bring back, what I'm talking about today is food inspiration. Whether it be in the form of food products, recipes, flavour combinations or cooking styles, I love to come home with at least one new dish that takes me back to  places I've been. The dish above is one of those souvenirs.

Trofie al pesto is a dish of Liguria, the long narrow region along the topmost coast of Italy, stretching from the French border until the leg of the boot heads down. The capital is the bustling port city of Genova and the picturesque, quaint villages of the Cinque Terre are found here. I was lucky to have spent some time here in October and the moment we walked to the beachfront of Levanto I knew we had a problem. "Oh, no, 2 days, is so not going to be enough time here", I said to DG, full of wonder of the surroundings and a little bit of disappointment already setting in due to our limited time. But we made do, and somehow our limited time seemed enough.

This place messes up any travelers' momentum. After the bustling crowded art filled cities of Florence and Venice, this place was a dream, with little to do but hike, wander and lounge. Which we did to our hearts content, tickled at our luck upon arriving at the beginning of low season. A tiny area that two weeks earlier would have been bursting with tourists, was happily active with no crowds. With 30 degree weather, full sun, blue waters and so much sky around us...life was indeed beautiful!

Soupe Au Pistou : Dreaming of Summer

 

We've been blessed on the westcoast this past week with stellar warm temperatures and a generous amount of sun. The fluffy pink cherry blossoms are being pushed aside out by tender, green leaves and the streets are blanketed with pink. The arrival of days without need of a jacket seem imminent, if not already here, and the air smells of spring in its purest sense. Yes, summer seems to be be peaking around the corner, teasingly, and I'm craving getting my hands dirty in my little patio garden, eating al fresco and dusting off my sandals. Yes, I know, even in the West, summer is truly a full 2 months away, but its good to dream of lazy days ahead. When I dream, its no surprise its takes form in a food.  
 

After a double bill of dinner parties this past weekend, we had indulged in Boeuf Bourgignon and Halibut Beurre Blanc, Crepes Suzette and Profiteroles, and beautiful wines from Burgundy and Vacqueyras to close to home, Naramata. By Sunday night a simple and healthy dinner was what we craved. A cleanse if you will. Going local on produce is a tough one by this time of the year and I happened to have some bright green beans in the fridge. Thank you California! To round out my locavore karma, tender frozen peas from Canada and a handful of some local potatoes and carrots provided a nice variety of flavours for an impromptu soup. A peak in the freezer made more possible: one last jar of frozen pesto, made many moons ago at the height of basil season, sealed the deal and I knew what were were having for dinner that night...

Soupe au Pistou is a classic vegetable soup from Provence. Comparisons can be made to it's Italian cousin, Minestrone, but there are distinct differences here. It's a simple broth packed with the abundant vegetables of the region and topped with a dollop of Pistou - a provencal version of Pesto but made without the pine nuts and parmesan. The result is a bowlful of your daily serving of vegetables, bright with the flavours of each, and a lightness from no frying, butter, meat or even stock, with water being the cooking liquid. The day after cooking this soup the bright colours retreat and the flavours gain more depth. I've had more hearty longer cooked versions in restaurants, but when made fresh at home, its flavour and look is lighter and brighter and what one craves as the thermometer creeps. With all the components cooked just so, this is simple one pot cooking and perfect for capturing the feeling of summer, or wait until bright tender beans and zucchini are overflowing at the market and make a batch in the height of the season.