Sage Mushroom Risotto

Sage Mushroom Risotto
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 large red onion, minced
1 leek, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
6 cups arborio rice
2 cups white wine
12 cups chicken or fish stock, heated
1/4 cup finely chopped sage
salt and pepper, to taste
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 pounds shitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
salt and pepper, to taste

In a large pot or wide saucepan, heat the oil. Add the onion, leek and garlic and cook over low heat, covered, until vegetables are soft but not colored. Stir in the rice until coated with oil and toasted, about three minutes Turn the heat up to high and stir in the wine until almost all liquid is absorbed. Then add the stock, 2 cups at a time, stirring often until liquid is almost absorbed before adding more. Once all liquid is added, add the sage, salt, and pepper to taste. Ensure the rice is the proper consistency.

Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, heat the butter. Add the mushrooms and cook over low heat until softened and cooked. Season to taste, then stir them into the risotto. Finish with a little extra butter or cream, if desired. 

This makes a very large batch and can easily be scaled down.

Mushroom, Oyster, Scallop Risotto

• Sage risotto
• Sauteed shitake mushrooms
• Pink oyster mushrooms
• Seared scallops
• Spicy greens
• Fresh dill
• Lemon twist

Spicy Orange Tarragon Greens

Spicy Orange Tarragon Greens
shallots
garlic
finely chopped fresh tarragon
finely chopped parsley
orange juice
apple cider vinegar
olive oil
canola oil
salt and pepper, to taste
spicy greens

In a large bowl or pitcher, blend together the first six ingredients. Slowly stream in the oils until blended, then season to taste. Drizzle over spice greens for a sweet-spicy, citrusy and herby refreshing combo.

Dill Aioli

The name aioli is often interchanged on menus with the word mayo or mayonnaise, but in truth, aioli is a special variety of mayonnaise that always includes garlic and is made a special way. Either way, both aioli and mayo can come in a wide range of flavors and they are both delicious. Composed of an egg and oil emulsion, it forms a very thick, rich condiment that pairs well with anything from fish to fries to chicken and pasta dishes.
To make the dill aioli, there are a few methods;

1. Start with a store-bought mayonnaise and stir in finely chopped dill and freshly squeezed lime juice.
2. Make your own aioli, adding in the finely chopped dill at the beginning with the egg/garlic and the lime juice towards the end. This makes a really delicious aioli with a vibrant green color.
3. Make your own aioli, but stir in finely chopped dill and freshly squeezed lime juice at the end.

Creamy Garlic Potatoes

Creamy Garlic Potatoes
mashed potatoes (even leftover will do)
butter
minced garlic
sliced green onions, optional
salt
pepper
cream

Place the potatoes with some butter in a pan and heat until the butter melts. Stir in all the seasonings Then add cream, a little at a time, until the mixture becomes smooth, the cream reduces and gets absorbed into the potatoes, the potatoes are piping hot, and the mixture is a thin, very smooth and creamy consistency. 

This is not like mashed potatoes but rather a "pommes puree". More like a sauce than a starch. They should not be runny but similar to any other vegetable puree.

Crab Cake Mix

Crab Cake Mix
frozen flaked crab meat, thawed and squeezed of excess water
season leftover mashed potatoes (salt, pepper, butter, cream,)
jalepeno pepper, minced
red bell pepper, minced
garlic, minced
dill, chopped
cilantro, chopped
lemon zest
lemon juice
dijon mustard
worchestershire sauce
old bay seasoning
lemon pepper
salt
ground black pepper
paprika

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix with your hands until well combined.
I wish I could give you amounts, but I often do not measure while cooking, just toss in a little bit of this a little bit of that, taste and adjust It's surprising I even remember all the ingredients that went into it.
Ensure the mixture holds well together in cakes. Then taste and make sure seasonings are spot on.
To make the cakes, I used an ice cream scoop to scoop out even portions, then flattened them with my hands. You can make the cakes any size you wish!

The cakes can then be refrigerated until ready to cook. They can be pan-fried, oven baked, or a combination of the two cooking methods.

Crabby Cakes

• Crab cakes with peppers, herbs, citrus, and potato
• Creamy garlic potatoes
• Oven roasted sweet cherry tomatoes
• Spicy greens in orange tarragon dressing
• Dill aioli 

Garlic Herb Buttered Sauteed Veg

pan, high heat
splash oil
handful thinly sliced tomatillos
sprinkle of chopped leeks
spoonful of rainbow chard diced stems
big dab garlic herb butter
salt and pepper
a few thinly sliced watermelon radish pieces
Saute, saute, saute!!

Lemon Herb Rice Pilaf

Lemon Herb Rice Pilaf
2 Tablespoons oil
1/4 cup diced jalapenos
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
3 cups basmati rice
2 cups vegetable stock
2 cups water
salt
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup each: chopped fresh cilantro, dill, and basil

Heat the oil in a tall saucepan. Add the jalapenos and garlic and sweat until softened. Add the rice and stir for a few minutes until coated and toasted. Add in the stock, water, juice, and salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked. Fluff, then stir in herbs.

Baked Char

Baked char is super easy when you have a conveyor belt pizza oven that does all the work for you! Just season both the flesh and skin side of char fillets with salt and pepper, place on a greased pan skin side up, place a little fat on top of the skin, and place through the oven. In seven minutes when it comes out the other end it will be cooked perfectly! I know, hard to believe but it works like a charm! If you are not lucky enough to own or have access to one of these amazing pizza ovens, it works in a regular oven set to 425◦F as well.

Baked Crispy Skinned Char

• Crispy skinned baked char fillet
• Lemon herb (cilantro, basil, dill) basmati rice pilaf
• Sauteed leek
• swiss chard stem
• tomatillos
• watermelon radish
• Cracked black pepper, lemon zest, celery leaf

Yorkshire Puddings

Yorkshire puddings are a traditional British staple served with savory dishes such as roasts. The natural well in the center of the pudding is filled with gravy or sauce. They are a souffle-like, pastry like, puff of deliciousness. This was my first attempt at making them, and they can seem intimidating but are actually very easy to make as long as you adhere to the procedure. Like souffles though, they will collapse, so serve them as soon as possible after baking!

Yorkshire Puddings
8 large eggs
2 cups milk (high fat)
2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1 teaspoon salt
24 teaspoons (that's 8 Tablespoons or a little more than 1/3 cup) roast drippings, oil, or butter

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth. Whisk in the milk until smooth. Sift the flour in gradually and whisk to avoid lumps, then whisk in the salt. Batter should be made at least two hours in advance and refrigerated but overnight is even better
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 425◦F Place 1 teaspoon of fat in the well of each of 24 muffin cups. Place muffin pans on a baking sheet and place in the hot oven for 5-10 minutes until the fat is very hot and begins to smoke.
Moving quickly, pour the batter into the cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Carefully return to the oven and bake for 15-25 minutes until risen and golden brown. Don't open the oven before 15 minutes have passed. Mine were risen at this point, but took an extra ten minutes to brown.

Allow to cool slightly, then gently loosen from the muffin tins and serve immediately pooled with gravy or jus!

Champ

Champ are a delicious version of mashed potatoes. They are of Irish origin and are really only mashed potatoes with the addition of thinly sliced green onions but they are really delicious! Maybe it's because the Irish really know how to make a good mash! After having worked in Ireland a couple times, I learned the tricks to excellent mash. Here is my version of champ, which adds some garlic and browned butter for extra mashed potato yumminess!!

Champ
potatoes, peeled, boiled, drained well, mashed, and still hot
thinly sliced green onions (or spring onions, or scallions, they're all the same)
minced garlic
brown butter (melt unsalted butter, then continue cooking it until it turns golden brown)
whipping cream, heated until warm
black pepper
salt

Ensure the potatoes are well mashed and smooth. Then add remaining ingredients, gradually. You want the potatoes to be thin and creamy, but not soupy. And you should be able to taste the garlic, pepper and salt so no flavor overpowers the other. The onions should appear quite prominently throughout the mix. The hardest part is knowing the proper ratios of cream and butter and this comes with practice. Both serve to add richness and thin out the potatoes, but too much butter makes them greasy and too much cream makes them gummy or soupy.
I was taught that after adding enough liquid, the potatoes should be able to be mixed with a whisk until smooth. The process goes a lot smoother if the potatoes, cream, and butter are all hot to begin with!

Creamed Spinach

Creamed Spinach
butter
shallots
garlic
spinach
cream
salt
pepper

In a large, shallow pot melt the butter. Add the shallots and garlic and sweat until softened and aromatic. Add in the spinach, stir it around, cover the pan and turn off the heat to allow the spinach to wilt.
Meanwhile, in a tall pot heat the cream and reduce until thickened and a yellow-ish color. 
Once the spinach is wilted and the cream is very thick, use a slotted spoon to spoon the spinach into the cream (to avoid getting excess liquid into the mixture and thinning it out). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Braised Baby Onions

We got some adorable little local baby onions in last week and I wanted to prepare them in a way so as to showcase them, and not just chop them up like any other onion (also because small onions are a pain to chop!). We had some little white onions, yellow, greenish, and purple. They are kind of similar to pearl onions but pearl onions are usually sold in a jar of brine, already peeled.
Anyway, I decided to peel them and trim them up, but leave them whole and braise them.

Braised Baby Onions
baby onions, peeled and bottom root sliced off
butter
brown sugar
red wine vinegar
red wine
water
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat the butter in a pan, add the onions, and toss to coat them. Sprinkle on some sugar and stir to coat Pour in a little vinegar and deglaze. Then pour in enough wine to cover and simmer until wine is reduced and no liquid remains Pour in a little extra wine and some water, bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook until onions are very soft and almost falling apart. Check on them periodically to make sure the mixture doesn't run dry. You want the braising liquid to be sticky and thick at the end but you don't want it to burn! Season as desired.

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Cherry tomatoes are delicious - naturally sweet, fresh, cute, easy to handle, versatile, etc. They are great for just snacking on as is, but to add them to a dish, I like to do a little something with them. Although very enjoyable raw, sometimes it is appropriate to cook them. Here is my method. For this batch I used cherry tomatoes in a variety of colors!
I halved them all and tossed them onto an oiled baking sheet. I drizzled with a little more oil, a small sprinkling of brown sugar to enhance the natural sweetness, and a sprinkle of salt and cracked black pepper. Then I baked them at 425◦F until the skins just began to soften.

Red Wine Jus

This is the sauce I served accompanying my prime rib roast. I made it using the juices and vegetables from the roast.

1. Prepare the prime rib roast as described in yesterday's post.
2. After removing the roast from the pan, you can either use that pan (especially if it is a rondeau) or transfer the contents to a pot. If the bottom of the pan is quite charred, then transfer the contents. You want the carmelized bits and vegetables but not anything which will impart a burnt, bitter flavor.
3. Choose a red wine and poor in enough to just cover the vegetables. Add the stalks of the thyme and rosemary used for the roast rub.If the roast is already carved, add in the bones as well.
4. Reduce until almost au sec. Then add some stalk (beef or veg) to completely cover. Reduce the mixture until it begins to thicken and darken. Then add more red wine and continue reducing.
5. Strain the mixture into another pot and reduce further until you have a thick, dark, rich jus. If the mixture is still too thin, it can be thickened gradually with a cornstarch slurry, just note this will become a 'jus lie' and not a true 'jus'.
6. Taste and adjust any seasonings as required. 
   

Rosemary, Thyme, Garlic, Black Pepper Prime Rib

• One prime rib roast (this one was 6 bones, and about 3.5kg)
• fresh thyme leaves
• fresh rosemary sprigs
• garlic cloves
• black peppercorns
• 2 white onions
• 3 carrots
• 1 bunch celery

1. Clean up the roast as necessary and pat dry
2. Put the thyme, rosemary, and pepper in a spice grinder and blitz until finely chopped Do not blitz too long as the fresh herbs contain moisture and will form a paste. You want more of a dry rub.
3. Mince the garlic by hand or machine and mix together with the above herb and spice mixture. This will make the rub a little wet, but it should be easy to spread on the meat.
4. Place the roast in a roasting pan or large pot (I used a rondeau). Position it so that is is resting on the bones with the fat cap up. This will serve as a natural roasting rack and the fat will baste the meat during cooking.
5. Apply the herb mixture to the meat, spreading it in an even layer all over and ensuring it sticks.
6. Roughly chop the vegetables and add to the pan around the meat.
7. I then covered this with plastic wrap and allowed it to be seasoned overnight.
8. The next day, I cooked the roast at 425◦F for about 3 hours until the internal temperature was 120◦F.
9. You can lower the oven temperature to 325◦F-350◦F after 15 minutes or so, just to get the initial browning or cook the roast at a lower temperature for longer to avoid shrinkage.
10. Allow the roast to rest, covered with foil, for an hour or so before carving.

Sunday Roast

At the restaurant where I work, Sundays are always special. We have a live Irish music session, as well as a big, special Sunday roast dish which is unique each week. Last Sunday was my first time doing the roast, and I was super excited. This is what I came up with:

• Irish style prime rib roast (flavored with rosemary, thyme, garlic, and black pepper)
• Brown butter champ mashed potatoes (green onion, garlic, brown butter, cream, black pepper, salt)
• Yorkshire pudding
• Red Wine Jus
• Braised baby onion and shitake mushrooms
• Roasted colored cherry tomatoes
• Creamed spinach

Basil Lime Pesto

Basil Lime Pesto
basil
cilantro
olive oil
4 limes, zest and juice
salt and pepper

Blend all together until smooth. I combined cilantro with the basil for some extra smoothness, since the basil was particularly fibrous, and also so the flavor would not be so strong.

Herb and Garlic Roasted Potatoes

Herb and Garlic Oil
1 cup canola oil
5 garlic cloves
2 sprigs rosemary
4 sprigs thyme
smoked paprika
cracked black pepper
salt

Blend all ingredients together until well combined and mostly smooth.

Wash and halve baby red potatoes. Drizzle them with herb and garlic oil and toss to coat. Wrap in foil and bake until tender. Drizzle with extra oil to serve.

Note: Any leftover oil should be stored in the fridge. Oils with garlic are highly perishable and can cause bacterial growth if left at room temperature. 

Grilled Ratatouille

Grilled Ratatouille
2 large eggplants, halved lengthwise
2 large green zucchinis, halved lengthwise
3 red onions, halved
15 roma tomatoes, halved
2 green bell peppers, halved and seeded
2 red bell peppers, halved and seeded
1 bunch green onions

Drizzle all the vegetables lightly with oil, then place on a preheated grill. Char them until visible grill marks appear and the vegetables are tender, flipping them as necessary. Cool vegetables until they can be handled, then cut into a large dice. Toss all together and season with additional oil, kosher salt, and cracked black pepper. 

Grilled Swordfish with Grilled Ratatouille

• Honey coconut marinated swordfish, grilled
• Grilled ratatouille with eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, green peppers, red peppers, red onion, and green onion
• Garlic and herb roasted baby red potatoes
• Basil lime pesto
• Purple basil garnish

Garlic Herb Butter Toasts

Garlic Herb Butter
2 pounds salted butter, softened
1/4 cup minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup fresh dill
cracked black pepper, to taste

Blend or cream all ingredients together until smooth.
For toasts: spread slices of bread (I used day old baguette) liberally with butter and toast until crisp. 

This butter can also be used as a sauce on steaks or for basting fish in a pan, or spread on warm bread, or a variety of other uses.

Tarragon and Thyme White Wine Bechamel Sauce

Tarragon and Thyme White Wine Bechamel Sauce
1 pound unsalted butter
3 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
2 cups white wine
4+ cups of milk (I used 2%)
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large onions, finely diced
2 stalks of celery, finely diced
1 cup chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 cup chopped fresh thyme
salt and pepper, to taste

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour all at once and whisk vigorously until smooth. Gradually pour in the wine, whisking constantly until liquid is absorbed by the flour. Add in the milk. Cook over medium heat, whisking ocasionally until thickened and the taste of flour is cooked out. 
Meanwhile, in a large frying pan over medium heat, melt the remaining two tablespoons of butter. Add the onions and celery, cover, and turn to low heat. Allow the vegetables to sweat, without coloring, until softened. 
Stir the vegetables unto the sauce along with the herbs, then season to taste. 

The bechamel sauce is now ready. It can be used as a base for any kind of gratin, or it can be thinned out with some more milk or enriched with cream and/or butter to be used as a sauce. 

Haddock Gratin

• Haddock gratin
• Tarragon and thyme white wine bechamel base
• boiled baby red potatoes, caramelized onions, haddock chunks
• oven baked panko breadcrumbs
• herb and garlic butter toasts
• side garden salad with mixed greens, cucumber, onion, carrot, and pickled red onion

"Weekend" Trip Day Four

Today I headed home early in the morning and back to work. But here is a look at an awesome dessert I enjoyed yesterday! I was at this adorable little ice cream cafe that offered a wide variety of rich, sweet, ice creamy desserts such as sundaes, waffles, crepes, cakes, beverages, and more. A lot of them had cute names too, such as Tropic like it's hot, Beaches and cream, Choc this way, Cocoa ono, and more.

I ordered this sundae called Summetime Fatness, featuring brownies, cocoa chanel ice cream, french dark chocolate sauce, belgian white chocolate sauce, chocolate pieces, whipped cream, and waffle. It. Was. So. Darn. Delicious. Suuuppper rich though!

"Weekend" Trip Day Three

Today I experienced Korean Barbeque for the first time. Korean Barbeque restaurants allow you to grill your own meat, fish, chicken, and vegetables on a gas or charcoal grill usually built into the table itself. I had some steak, pork, short ribs, chicken, red pepper, and zucchini along with some side dishes of rice, fried tofu, and kimchi. 

It's a fun concept if you don't mind working for your food and doing most of the cooking yourself. You can grill foods and chat and eat a little at a time. And you can cook your food exactly how you like it; no complaints!

"Weekend" Trip Day Two Point Five

In the evening of day two, I had a really, really cool dining experience. I went to a restaurant where the dining room is completely pitch black. It's a really neat concept - eliminating your sense of sight heightens your other four senses. Therefore you taste and experience your food a lot better and enjoy it solely based on flavor rather than eating with your eyes first. You can order two or three courses. The appetizer is a choice of surprise meat, fish, or vegetarian. For the entrees you can choose specific dishes such as a filet mignon, or pasta, or fish with sides, but you may also choose a surprise main or a surprise vegetarian main. And for dessert there is chocolate cake, chocolate mousse, fruit sorbet, or a surprise dessert. The restaurant also features a large selection of beers, wines, and spirits. 

You begin the evening in the lit bar, where you look at the menu and place your order. Next you are led by your server into the dining room. All of the servers are visually impaired, which I think is a great concept both because they are the best people to do the job and it gives them a great employment opportunity. You literally have to place your hand on your server's shoulder and allow them to guide you through the double doors and to your table. The tables are small and you have to keep track of where you set your water glass and utensils and napkin without being able to see them. Your server instructs you on where to place empty dishes when you are finished and always passes you food and drinks straight into your hands. Communication becomes even more important, with a lot of chatter throughout the dining room coming from people you can't even see. It is a little unnerving at first, not being able to see anything and having to rely on other people and other sense. You think your eyes will eventually adjust but they never do as the restaurant, which is in an old subway station, is completely dark. 

I had a surprise vegetarian starter, which to my taste buds turned out to be a salad with warm mushrooms and parmesan cheese. I also had a surprise cocktail, which didn't have a strong alcoholic taste but had a very pleasant fresh ginger flavor. My surprise vegetarian main seemed to be ratatouille with rice and cheese. And I am almost certain my surprise dessert was a piece of blueberry cheesecake. The most difficult part of the entire experience, I found, was knowing when you finished your plate or not. You had to use your hands a bit. It's probably kind of messy but luckily, no one can see you! I'd hate to see the tables afterwards but it would probably be fun to watch a video of me making a fool of myself.

It's fun going with a dining companion(s) as well, as it's a great chance to communicate without relying on body language and a fun, romantic experience to share. Just don't plan to share dishes because it is hard enough to find your own mouth let alone someone else's. I would definitely come back here again - your experience would be different every time!

"Weekend" Trip Day Two

Day Two was the really exciting food day in the city. The first part of it was spent at a large national exhibition. The ex takes place every year and features games, rides, cultural exhibitions, shopping, but most importantly, the large food building carrying a wide variety of interesting and unique vendors. 

At the ex, you will find lots of deep-fried and sugary foods, as well as ethnic foods and strange combinations of food. I saw things like cricket tacos, deep fried cookie dough, raclette, Jamacain fried chicken, Dutch stroop waffles, cake poutine, sugar mountain, liquid nitrogen sorbets, pizza cones, spaghtti doughnuts, sushi burritos, fudge, deep-fried chocolate peanut butter cups, octopus balls, mac and cheese, cheesecake on a stick, cookie sandwiches, giant smoked turkey legs, chocolate truffles, gnocchi, grilled cheese sandwiches, poutine, and so so much more!

I personally tried some Dutch stroop waffles, chili fries, cricket peanut brittle, octopus balls, raclette, deep fried cookie dough, chocolate fudge, smoked turkey, beer jelly, liquid nitrogen ice cream, and a cookie sandwich and possible more I have forgotten about. 

Deep fried cookie dough and peanut butter cups

Dutch fries and stroopwaffles

Chili fries (left) and octopus balls

Fudge

Mac and Cheese 

Cakes and desserts

Doughnuts

Raclette

Liquid nitrogen sorbets

Fudge

Chocolate truffles

Giant smoked turkey leg