Sharing toys

The 'husband' came home from work yesterday and asked if I had looked at the comments on my blog. I think he is becoming addicted to the blog. He is really going 'high tech', he is getting his own Blackberry. The 'husband' needs it for work, and its more efficient. ( besides its really cool) He claims that on the trip to France this fall that I can update my Blog with it. Right! This from the man, who when we first met, did not know that his bank card also was his debit card. In the next breath he also added that our rental car for our trip to France had been upgraded to a Volvo, and that he promises that we will take turns driving it. Grinning ear to ear, he claims it was the best deal, really. He does have good luck with rental cars. When we went to Arizona right after September the 11th, our 'car' was upgraded to a brand new Nissan Pathfinder. We drove 1000 miles through Arizona and New Mexico mentally shooting our own car commercials. When we went to BC for my nieces wedding, our 'Escape' was upgraded to a Yukon Denalli bigger than our living room. This mammoth vehicle transported us in comfort and style. I think I got to pull it out of a parking spot once before I had to surrender it. Although he will deny it, he really just likes toys. A young 5 year old dinner guest recently asked me, "why do you have so many toys if we had no kids?" I explained that the 'husband' was the kid. Poor thing was really confused, I let her wear my Minnie Mouse ears while she tried to figure it out. I got my quarterly bonus from work last week. I spent days dreaming of Hermes Bags, ( bonus not quite big enough), the pasta attachment for my Kitchenaid Mixer (bonus big enough but, Queens Pasta is just around the corner and they sell to all the restaurants), new shoes ( those are really a necessity, and if we spend bonus money that would only limit us to shoe shopping 4 times a year) . I then had a revelation. I am going to the spa for a manicure and pedicure. Yes no high tech for me, give me creature comforts (Besides, the 'husband' has responsibly and swiftly placed the bonus in RRSP's.) So whatever I cook tonight will require the limited use of hands! Maybe just a box of bonbons, while lying in bed watching a movie. Yup, that might just be the ticket.

Pasta Puttanesca

If you ask any Italian what this means, your going to get some funny looks! Southern Italians say it must be Tuscan, Tuscans swear it comes from Venice...It goes on an on. But what you will get an agreement on is the fact that, no ones mother has ever made this. NEVER. Why? The word Puttanesca, means the style of the streetwalker, hooker or whore. basically its a really quick, on hand in the pantry, pasta and sauce. I first made it out of the Joy of Cooking which was good. Then I made it from David Rocco's Dolce Vita http://www.foodtv.ca/recipes/recipedetails/recipe_5417.asp, better but a bit too fussy pitting the olives and such. So, this is my version with my three new favorite ingredients. Hah! Garlic, Olives and Hot Peppers in a tube. How great is that! 6 oz of Fiesta Fettucine ( Tricoloured and a bit flashy being a street walker pasta) 1/4 cup olive oil 3 teaspoons of Garlic Puree or just chopped garlic 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of chili Puree to taste 4 anchovy rolled filets wrapped around capers, Chopped into small chunks ( or the flat ones if you prefer, I had these on hand. Don't skip these either because they melt and you won't even see them but they add the smokey salt flavour) 1/4 cup sliced ripe olives ( canned) 2 teaspoons of olive puree 1 tablespoon of capers 1/3 cup pinenuts 3 cups canned chopped plum tomatoes salt and pepper Fresh Parmesan cheese to taste Boil water for pasta, add salt to the water and olive oil if you wish. Have everything on hand and pre-measured as this is a quick sauce. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a saucepan large enough to hold sauce and pasta, then add the garlic and pepper for a few seconds. Add chopped anchovies, olives, olive paste, capers and pinenuts. Cook until the pinenuts start to tinge golden. Add Tomatoes and bring to a firm simmer. Your pasta should be about done by now, just al dente, Drain and add to the pan with the sauce. Cook only until the pasta finishes cooking to your liking. ( about 2 minutes more max) Season with salt and pepper and serve with Parmesan cheese.

The Potluck Lunch

My sister is invited to a Potluck lunch next month and she asked for some ideas on what to bring. I personally avoid all contact with Potluck. I have an Aunt, who once said something to the effect of, what is the point of inviting someone to a meal if you ask them to bring part of it? I agree, if someone asks me to a meal, personally I think they should have thought the menu through. They would have carefully chosen what flavors, wine and decor that they wanted to entertain their guests with. But I digress. The first challenges in transport, it has got to go on the subway. Second challenge is ease of service, there is only a microwave available to reheat. Third challenge is what is called the "Wow factor", there is ego at stake here people. My first idea is Lentil Salad Hot, cold or at room temp this one is an easy and good one 3 slices of thick English bacon, smoked bacon, or ham chopped into cubes 2 shallots sliced into rings 1 red pepper chopped and divided into two piles 1 can of lentils ( I really like the canned ones better then doing them yourself, but if prefer dried, be my guest) 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup olive oil teaspoon of garlic puree teaspoon of olive puree salt and pepper to taste. Heat a frying pan with a dab of olive oil and add, bacon and shallots. When the shallots soften and the bacon is firm and browning but not too crisp add 1/2 of the red pepper. Saute until the red pepper starts to soften. Drain and rinse the lentils, put into a medium bowl. Tip the contents of the frying pan over the lentils. Combine the rest of the ingredients in another small bowl, pour over the lentil mixture. Add the reserved red pepper and toss. Let sit for at least one hour, or better yet, covered over night in the fridge. Before serving season with salt and pepper.

Easy Last Night of Long Weekend Dinner Part 2

Hey there is limited room here!!! So tonight, something quick and easy, and in honour of AKKINS declaring bankruptcy, like it was ever going to last. Pass the bread please. Shrimp with Fettucine 1 frozen pack of tiger shrimp ( hey its Toronto, no fresh shrimp within a million miles) 1 teaspoon of Old Bay ( and or 1/2 teaspoon of red chili flakes) 6 oz of fettucine ( that cooks in 3 minutes) 3 tablespoons of olive oil 1 tablespoon of chopped garlic or garlic puree 1/3 cup brandy ( or sherry or for that matter white wine) Salt and pepper 2 tablepoons chopped Italian parley Parmesean Cheese Have everthing ready as this is a quick recipe. Thaw and peel shrimp. Bring a pot of water big enough for the fettucine to boil, add salt and olive oil if desired. Heat olive oil in a separate pan big enough to hold the pasta. Add pasta to the boiling water, add garlic to the olive oil. Dust the shrimp with Old Bay or chili and add to the olive oil. Add brandy and bring to a boil. Pasta at this point should be 'al dente' drain and add to the shrimp. Cover and let meld for one minute. Sprinkle with parley, serve with cheese, crusty bread, green salad and a dry rose.

Easy Last Night of Long Weekend Dinner Part 1

I was the domestic diva this weekend. I think I was inspired by the Vanity Fair article on Martha Stewart and no slouch either, Tamara Mellon. I brushed off the mental task list of what needed to be accomplished, stroked out a few (sometimes it seems life is too short to whiten the tile grout in the bathroom) , and set down to making curtains. We, ( the 'husband' and I) had debated which colour to paint the kitchen. We always have as a matter of fact. When we first painted, years ago, we painstakingly chose which white and which blue to paint. Ecstatic we got to work with our final selection. What we found was we were painting it the exact same colours as the previous owner. Plan B, Off white, everywhere. In May we went to a flea market, as the 'husband' walked around muttering under his breath, JUNK , I was in heaven. I love the hunt and the kill of bagging 'the unusual' or 'the bargain'. Not a whole lot of success but, but I did manage to pick up a piece of 'Bark Cloth'. It had the most perfect shade of blue that I wanted for the kitchen and bonus it would serve as the window covering. It was funky, eclectic, fun and most importantly cheap! The extra doors for the kitchen showed up this last week and I decided that I should finally get the damn curtains made. Not only did I make the kitchen curtains, I washed, pressed and mended the other window coverings in the house. I finally tore down the horrible master bedroom coverings which started out as a another extremely good bargain........But I was just learning to sew then. They had ended up costing me a fortune and I still hated them . I did also cook this weekend, I had the blotched chicken recipe that did not work on Saturday. It included 'TWO' cups of cream so I was most bitter. I did slow roasted ribs on the barbecue with a rub, smoked with apple chips. Very good but, frankly, a lot more work then popping them in the oven with a good sauce.

A Tale of Two chickens, Part two

In 2002, I was in France for two weeks. Never having traveled to France before I was totally prepared with a 16 page excel spreadsheet of places, museums, shops and sites in Paris alone. No slouch, I colour coded and sorted them by areas of Paris. I thought I could 'do' Paris, it just required a bit of planning and research. My sister would be proud. We did have a hotel in Paris for one week, and a final hotel in the Chantilly area for the night before our departure home. The 'husband' wanted to freewheel through the countryside armed only with extremely bad French and a Michelin map. This next trip we have reservations for everything, only because, its really better that way for me. I spent all day worried about finding a next hotel, or if we found a good one I just wanted to stay permanently. As for Paris, I need to brush off those pages as sans le 'husband' my next birthday with 'les girlfriends' and we will be using all those shops he made me walk right by. So, getting to the point of the other chicken. Senlis, where we stayed the night before leaving France, is where the book 'Clementine in the Kitchen' starts. I will go back there someday. As Samuel Chamberlain describes the town before WWII and imagines how it is changing during the war, I wished I paid better attention while I was there. I do remember the charming Catherdral with its lovely war monuments. Particularly, one for a very young priest killed during the war. The second chicken is from this book and is based on Poulet Cintra. But having no Cintra Port and etc.... I might as well call this Boozey Chicken, but you can feel the artery's hardening as you eat it. But my god it was good and frankly 'French tasting'. 4 chicken Thighs 1/8 cup of butter 1/8 cup of olive oil 1 whole shallot chopped 1 teaspoon of chopped garlic 1/4 cup of sherry 1/4 cup of white wine 1/8 cup of framboise wine ( which I had, waiting for a purpose) 1/8 cup of brandy 1/2 cup of heavy cream 2 egg yolks Melt butter and oil together, add chopped shallot and garlic and brown chicken until golden brown. Add all the booze, bring to a boil. Then very carefully with the lid to the pot always on hand and with no overhanging cupboards, seriously, light with a match or I use a barbecue lighter. Baby let it burn, ( and trust me it will burn a bit longer then you would imagine) Allow to simmer and reduce by half turning the chicken twice and regular intervals. It should take about 35 minutes Remove chicken to a plate. Mix the cream and eggs and pour into the sauce, whisking constantly until thickened and careful not to bring it to a boil. Pour over the chicken. I served with Green beans and a green salad. Oh and bread for the sauce!

A Tale of Two Chickens, part one

I have finished reading, 'French Leave' by John Burton Race and 'Clementine in the Kitchen' by Samuel Chamberlain. It is amazing to me that two books written 55 years apart can have so many things in common. John Burton Race, a two star Michelin Chef based in England, embarked on a year long odyssey of Franco Culinary flavors in 'French Leave'. I had watched the TV program but found the family parts to be utterly annoying. Reading the 125 page book 'French Leave' I can hear his annoying voice, luckily, the recipes do not come with any sound. The recipes are pages 126 to 211. I imagine myself, in France this fall, gorging myself on the truffles, breads, sauces and vinaigrette that he has so courteously detailed with exacting recipes. Clementine in the kitchen, is utterly charming. Clementine is the French cook of an expatriate American family living north of Paris in the 1930's. The story is told by the father of the Beck family. Samuel Chamberlain describes the quaint town of Senlis before the war and how the relationship with 'Clementine' is formed. Leaving France, the story continues with the family returning to the USA and resettling in Marblehead Mass. Both books have recipes, what a bonus. Here are first of the two that I have fiddled with. My Poulet Basque. ( Serves two) 2 chicken legs with thighs chopped into 4( or 4 thighs, or four legs for that matter) Olive Oil ( to coat the pan nicely and brown the chicken ) 2 Shallots Peeled and Chopped 1 1/2 teaspoons of garlic puree ( really just a good shot) 1/2 cup jarred roasted red pepper chopped 1 dried chili deseeded fresh thyme bay leaf 2/3 cup of white wine 2/3 cup of canned chopped plum tomatoes 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 1 1/4 cup of chicken broth 1/2 cup sliced black olives Preheat oven to 425 Brown chicken in olive oil a deep oven proof casserole or deep fry pan, set aside. Put the shallots, garlic, peppers, thyme, bay leaf and wine into the same pan, bring to a boil and reduce by about half. Add tomatoes, chicken stock and olives and bring back to a boil. Pour in the vinegar and boil off. Put the chicken back in, cover and pop in the oven for about 35 minutes. I take the lid off for the last ten minutes so the chicken browned. Fish out the bay leaf and the dried chili, if you can find them. I served with a 'Rice and Beans' mix from Sobeys, a dash of Sour Cream and a green salad. It might have been Basque (I have been to Spain and I kind of liked the music) but it reminded me of the Southwest. As a matter of fact I used the dried chili from the Riesta that I bought in Santa Fe. I love souvenirs that you can cook with. Leftovers, if so fortunate, can be rolled into a tortilla with cheese and lettuce for a snack or lunch the next day.

Lovely Lamb Chops

This has been a crazy busy week. The lovely Beverly was here visiting from the west and we had dinner together with Auntie Mary. In caravan we went westward towards Mississauga, to be greeted with warm beer and an equally warm house. Energy conservation is alive and well in the west , of well almost anywhere. Lovely dinner of which included something I think I have never had in my life, sauerkraut. Did I run home to make it, sadly no, it has been a busy week. Lambchops, aside from that obnoxious Sherri person had always been a mystery to me as a sweet luscious meat. Because as I was growing up they were always incinerated burnt offerings with a putrid green jelly. Grilled slowly on the barbecue until firm and slightly pink, heaven. Tonight served with marinated roasted red peppers and Mosihes vinaigrette coleslaw. YUMMY Lambchops my Way Olive oil, Juice of one half Lemon Rosemary Garlic Puree (I have run out of the jarred and am now on to the tube) Salt and Pepper Marinate for 30 Minutes at room temp and grill on barbecue _

Martha Stewart

This past weekend started with the best laid plans. I got up really early on Saturday morning much to the chagrin of the 'husband'. It seems now I can't sleep in anymore. In my youth, with a cast iron bladder, 1pm was my usual on a weekend. Sleep was in my youth a solace, an escape and frankly one of my favorite hobbies. Now I love the nothingness of Saturday and Sunday mornings, I savour getting a cup of coffee, returning to bed, flashing on the TV and reading the paper. I as usual flip to the weekend section for the meal and if that does not inspire, I glean through cookbooks to find the menu of the weekend. My Nirvana. This weekend I tried in vain to find the perfect Duck Breast Recipe to fiddle with. I concocted the lovely marinate after reading pages in La Rousse Gastromique, The Joy of Cooking, Martha Stewart, Nigella Lawson's Nigella Bites and Forever Summer and Henri Paul Pellaprat. I decided my Duck, would go Caribbean. I used the usual, Orange juice, chopped red onion, fresh herbs and for the twist a shot of rum and a dash of bitters. I then dashed off to the closest Chapters to see if I could get the new cookbooks my sister had recommended from Atlantic Magazine. No to be, they don't get released until latter in the year. Not a total loss, I picked up French Leave and Clementine in the Kitchen. I was looking for the style of The apprentice by Jacques Pepin. A good story with a recipe or two thrown in for good measure. And finally, the real reason I dashed off to the bookstore, Harry Potter. Well, Potter sent me into a deep afternoon nap and when I arose, it was raining. I thought the Duck should be barbecued so it was Salad Compose, for dinner. A nod to Salad Nicoise. Then today, the 'husband' decided to clean house literally. He flooded the kitchen. Now I am not writing this in spite, as it is something I would normally do and he would clean up the mess. Earlier this month I, after he had toiled to repaint, I in haste to repack the shelves in my order had cracked the counter with a Pyrex lid which I dropped from the top shelf and bounced across the counter and smashed to bits on the floor. (when you drop that stuff it goes everywhere) His concern, not the counter, was if I was hurt, I did gash my leg. I could hear the dripping, but the dishwasher was on so it muffled it....And I was reading. I was the one to tell him not to put the California Pottery in the dishwasher. He didn't, and he put it in sink and left the kitchen to watch the TV. He also forgot to turn off the tap. Now I am not that organized of a person. I am gifted with a good memory which allows me to remember where I read something or put something and locate it quickly. One thing I am good at is keeping my Magazines in order and locating the recipes in which section at the bottom of our cellar stairs. I have 5 years of magazines about cooking there organized by publication, season and date. Which have now been flooded. The 'husband' is inconsolable,,,,,but the kitchen floor is spotless, that new countertop is closer than I thought, maybe a new sink with a safety drain. The sun has finally come out and the duck breast can be cooked. But SHUSH, Could the AGA and Hermes bag be fished out of this? Perhaps a new Hermes Scarf I think at least. And after all, I needed to cull through those magazines and It was a bad year for Martha Stewart Living anyway.

Food combos

Yesterday I hosted a learning session for about 25 people and it went fairly well. But the heat is almost unbearable. On the way back to the office I stopped and got a Vanilla Frappacino from Starbucks. Which I slurped all the way along the DVP southbound back into the city. I really like the bottled Starbucks Latte's because of the afternoon perk they give. But as I slurped the frozen concoction which I picked up at the Starbucks store, a strange childhood experience overtook me, ICECREAM HEADACHE!! But as it is still freaking hot. So last nights dinner was a strange combination. Burgers and sushi cucumber rolls! Homemade burgers, yummy, store bought sushi. The 'husband' ate no sushi preferring to stick with Frito's. Leading me to pose the question, could there be a more perfect combination in food then, Frito's and Cold Beer? Homemade Burgers Package of lean ground beef 1 Egg 1 good handful of bread crumbs dash of Lea and Perrins teaspoon of garlic teaspoon of barbecue rub ( it really keeps them juicy) Mix together form into patties and fire up the grill!