Other people's Guilty Pleasures, Guest Writer, Listening to your Grandmothers (and Music) while you cook

Thank you all so much for all the comments, both here and on Facebook! Keep sending in comments, recipes and requests! Today, I have something a bit different: a Guest Writer. Josh Sehn and I have been cooking together on and off for more than a year now. He sent in a couple of recipes I will be posting in the next little while and the first two are his Grandmother's beef stew and his own version of it. I love how flexible these recipes are and the food memories connected to them. Simply Delicious!

Josh Wrote:

As the weather continues to grow a little colder I look to start cooking warm up foods. These are the types of dishes that my Grandmother called comfort foods. I remember coming in from the cold days of my youth and being greeted by the smell of my Grand’s cooking. The thought still brings a smile to my face. One of my favourite of her “Go To” dinners was and still is beef stew. So here are two recipes to try out. The first is my Grand’s and the second is my take on Grand’s stew. Give them a shot and enjoy.

Grand’s Beef Stew

4-6 potatoes

2-3 carrots

2 onions

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 turnip

3 stalks of celery

1 1/2 pounds of stewing beef

4 tbsp flour

Salt and pepper

½ cup of frozen peas

2 tbsp vegetable oil

½ gallon of water 

Method:

• Chop potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, and turnip into fairly uniform chunks
• Put flour, a pinch of salt and pepper into a mixing bowl and dredge beef to coat. 
• Heat oil in a stock pot or dutch oven. Add beef and onions to brown over medium high heat. 
• Add garlic to the beef.
• Once the beef has turned golden add the carrots and 1/3 of the potatoes. (By the time that the stew is done cooking these spuds will have broken down and will have thickened it without adding more flour or cornstarch.)
• Add water and bring to a boil then reduce heat. Simmer for 30 minutes.
• Add the rest of the chopped veggies.
• Season to taste and simmer until it has thickened, 25-30 minutes.
• Add the frozen peas and cook for another 5-7 minutes.

"Serve with rolls so you can mop up your bowl. Grand means it when she says clean up your plate."

____________________________________________________

That is my Grand’s beef stew and it is awesome. That being said I have played with the recipe over the years and made it a little more of my own. I am also of the philosophy that food and music go hand in hand, so I recommend that you throw on some Billy Joel while giving this one a go. The Joel’s tunes seem to somehow fit the dish for some reason.

Beef Stew to the tune of “Only the Good Die Young”

1-2 onions

4 cloves minced garlic

1 ½ lbs stewing beef

5 strips of bacon cut into matchsticks

3 tbsp flour

3 carrots cut into chunks

4-6 potatoes cut into chunks

2 yams cut into chunks

½ cup frozen peas

½ cup of frozen corn

2 bay leaves

2 sprigs of thyme

1 litre beef stock

½ litre water

Salt and pepper

2 tbsp vegetable oil 

1 bottle of dark “beer flavoured” beer. (No chocolate porters or raspberry lagers)

Method:

• Heat oil in the bottom of a stock pot. Dredge beef in flour salt and pepper. Add beef and bacon to the pot and let brown.
• Add onions, 1/3 of the potatoes and carrots to the mix, stir and then add the garlic, bay leaves, and thyme. Let cook for 5 minutes. Keep stirring.
• Add stock and water, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 30 minutes.
• Add the rest of the chopped vegetables and the beer. Cook until the vegetables are fork tender.
• Add frozen veggies and cook for another 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
• Fish out the bay leaves and the thyme sprigs. (They have done their work.)

Serve with sourdough bread for the same reason Grand served rolls. Enjoy.

My Little Pleasures Part 2: Noodles

I have always been a takeout fan. Especially noodles. Noodles and Me = Best Friends. In Victoria there is no shortage of amazing noodle houses, Asian food trucks and mixed cuisine take out joints. In recent months though, I’m sure you all can sympathize with me, times have been tight and I have resorted more and more to the home cuisine and less and less to the funky little white takeout boxes with the metal wire handles. And so: my fallback Phad Thai recipe.

I have been making this for a couple of years now. It was adapted from a recipe from some book in some town in Ireland when I was there. Its quick, its easy and it satisfies my noodle needs.  To pull a good phad Thai off, it is key to make sure all your ingredients are ready to go before you even start. Nam pla is a fish sauce available at most grocery stores and is vital for the depth of flavor in this recipe. I’ve decided to use prawns in this particular version but feel free to use pork or chicken (just cook it fully before using).

Prawn Phad Thai

2 tbsp oil
2 large onions, finely diced
1 tsp chili flakes
200g uncooked prawns
4 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp nam pla
2-3 tbsp soya sauce (to taste)
250g Thai rice noodles
1-2 eggs, beaten
225g bean sprouts
4 spring onions, sliced 1” long
3-4 tbsp peanuts, crushed

All My ingredients ready to go!

Method:

• Put noodles in a casserole dish or large bowl and cover with bowling water. Leave for about 10 minutes or until soft and cooked.
• Drain and plunge into cold water to stop them from continuing to cook.
• Heat oil in a large pan, stir frying onions till golden.
• Add chili flakes and cook for a further minute.
• Add in the prawns (or chicken), sugar, lemon juice, Nam Pla and the Soya sauce.
• Drain the noodles from their cold water and add to the pan, stirring quickly. The noodles will begin to break down if left on the heat too long.
• Add the eggs to the pan, stir until no longer loose and the eggs are cooked.
• Add the bean sprouts and green onions, cooking for a final minute, stirring constantly.
• Sprinkle with peanuts before serving.

What about your guilty pleasure foods?

As I share mine, what about you my dear reader(s)? Do you have any guilty pleasure foods?

Share a few!

Check out these links for some inspiration:
USAtoday: Guilty Pleasure foods
An article from Slash food on Guilty Pleasure Foods

My Little Pleasures Part 1: Chocolate

Baking has always been a comfort food for me, as I am sure it has been to many of you. My mother was the consummate baker, filling my childhood memories with pies, cakes, brownies, scones and muffins. Unfortunately, the skill doesn't seem to have been passed to her son but there are a few recipes I have perfected to ensure a regular dose of sugar and of course because I live far away from my parents: to cure a little home sickness.

These brownies are foolproof and can be adjusted to fit your pantry: leave out the nuts, use the nuts, add candied fruit, melt some white chocolate and drizzle over the top, add cherry pie filling, ice them, or just have them plain right out of the oven with a little ice cream.


Chocolate Nut Brownies

375g dark chocolate, broken up into chunks
250g butter
½ cup flour
½ tsp salt
1 tbs  Baking powder
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup nuts, chopped

*I would tell you to use the best chocolate and local nuts, free range eggs and real vanilla pod, scrapped of its insides but when it comes to chocolate fix like this…..just use whatever you have. With the exception of the chocolate and nuts everything should be in your cupboard. When picking up chocolate, go for baker’s chocolate or perhaps chocolate nibs.

• Preheat oven to 350°
• Melt the chocolate and butter, either using a double boiler or if you are really impatient, the dreaded microwave (always remove the chocolate and butter from the heat before fully melted and stir until the hot chocolate melts everything, this way the chocolate won’t burn!)
• In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and baking powder
• In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and vanilla, then slowly add the choco-butter to incorporate it all
• Finally add the dry ingredients to the wet and toss in any extras, like nuts!
• Oil and flour the bottom of a baking pan (A good 8x12 will work, I used two rounds because I didn’t want to wash a baking dish, yes it was that type of day)
• Pour in your brownie and bake for about 35 minutes or until cooked and clean knives are pulled out of the centre!

My Little Pleasures

Everyone has them. Little things that at the end of a long day, make you happy and relaxed. Some people curl up with a good book, some clean, some have a bath, or spend time with family and some, including yours truly of course, cook.

Sometimes its fried or fatty, sometimes it involves the baking pans, sometimes it is food memories from simpler times but whatever it is, it relieves the tension and hides away the world for a at least a little while.

I am going to be putting up a few posts of the recipes that I get lost in. They’re some of my happy recipes or these days at least some of my less stressful. They’re simple, the ingredients are always around, anyone can make them and in any mood. Have you had a long day?

A review...Devour-ed

I am an avid restaurant goer. And by avid I mean: when I can afford it. As such my restaurant eyes have always steered me and my stomach and usually my girlfriend when I can drag her along, to smaller, more interesting, one-off establishments. It is my luck and probably one of my main reasons for loving Victoria so much, that this city prides itself on its unique restaurant community. It was with this thought in mind that I headed down to Devour the other day. Of course I had heard all about it. I had read reviews and checked periodically on the menu (I love watching it change everyday). And finally the opportunity presented itself for me to sample the goods.

The restaurant is simple and thought out, with only a few tables but enough space to move around. There were cookbooks up on shelves that I could have spent hours leafing through and speedy service. The food was outstanding. Simple and yet different. It defined itself by its ingredients, local and ever changing. I had a childhood favourite (and one that I tend to judge rather sternly): the grilled cheese sandwich. It was filled with aged cheddar and caramelized onions, accompanied by a herby salad and just large enough that I didn’t want to roll out the door afterwards. It was tasty and filling fare that didn’t break my bank. To put it simply: in a town with so many eating choices, I’ll be back.

Spice is so nice

If you’re like me and a little bit intimidated by the world of spice then most ethnic foods are beyond your simple kitchen. However if you’re also like me and can’t afford the prices of most delicious eateries scattered around Victoria serving up mouth watering cultural delicacies, then it might be necessary to learn some basics. Today it shall be Indian food: The unbelievable Makhani Murghi or more simply known as Butter Chicken.

I LOVE butter chicken. I’ll love it in sickness and health through happy days and sad. The neat thing about butter chicken is it is actually made in two parts.

First off you need to cook Tandoori Chicken:

1 free range chicken, skinned and cut into 8 pieces (you could just buy the pieces already cut and skinned)
140ml natural plain yogurt
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp commercial tandoori spice mix (or an equal mix of ginger, cumin, paprika, coriander, salt, cayenne and turmeric)
½ tsp salt

Method:

• Mix together the yogurt, oil, spices and salt to form a smooth paste
• Add the chicken and coat well with the marinade, use your fingers to massage it in really well.
• Cover with cling film and allow to marinate for 2-4 hours, preferably in the fridge.
• Take the chicken out and give it a little shake to get rid of excess marinade, place it on a baking tray in a preheated 400°F oven and bake for approximately 20-25 mins.

This recipe can be continued on to the full Makhani Murghi (or butter chicken) or it can be served as is. If you are going to stop here I recommend adding in a little ginger, garlic and lemon juice to the marinade just to pump it up a notch.

To turn this dish into Butter Chicken:

1 recipe of tandoori chicken (see above)
4 tbsp tomato paste
1’’ piece of ginger, chopped fine
300ml cream
2 tsp garam masala
1½ tsp salt
½ tsp chili powder
Green chili (to taste)
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 bunch fresh Coriander
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp toasted cumin seeds
115g butter

Method:

• Mix the tomato paste with water to make 340ml
• Add the ginger, cream, garam masala, salt, sugar, chili, cayenne pepper, coriander, lemon juice and cumin to the tomato paste mix, and incorporate well.
• Heat the butter in a saucepan and add the mixture.
• Bring to a boil and thicken.
• Place the chicken pieces in a roasting tray and pour over the sauce and cook in a preheated 350°F for 45 minutes.

Serve with rice and some fresh naan bread then sit back and enjoy this little vacation from your wintry days in Victoria :)

Soup vs. Sickness

With everyone and their dog getting sick in Victoria this week and the weather being gross, I have decided its that time of year: brush off the recipe box and prepare for some major veggie vitamins to stave off sickness…..SOUP’S ON!

First up is a basic staple of many a kitchen, Carrot and Ginger. When you have got a stuffed up nose though, pump up the ginger and garlic. People may not want to be around you but damn does this free up a stuffed up nose.

Carrot and Ginger Soup

2 tbsp oil
600g carrots, peeled and sliced
100g celery, diced
100g onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
675ml vegetable or chicken stock
75g ginger, grated and juice reserved
3 tbsp soy sauce
350ml orange juice

Method:

• Sweat the onions and celery in the oil for ten minutes. Do not let the vegetables brown as this will affect the color of the finished product.
• Add in the garlic and carrots and sweat for a further 10 minutes.
• Add the stock, grated ginger, soy sauce and orange juice and simmer for 20 more minutes.
• Purée soup, adding it back into the pan.
• Season with the ginger juice, salt and pepper.

The next soup is my ultimate favorite and something a little unique. Spiced Parsnip. Okay so the average person is probably going to read that and say ugghhhh parsnip? But don’t knock it till you’ve tried it folks! The spice is a curry and it will keep you warm all day.

Spiced Parsnip Soup

1lb Parsnips, peeled and cut into 1” chunks
55g Butter
1 Medium onion, finely diced
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 tsp mild curry powder
1200ml vegetable or chicken stock
140ml cream

Method:

• In a soup pot, melt the butter over medium high and add the parsnips, onion and garlic, sweating gently for about 10 minutes.
• Add the curry powder and stir for another minute.
• Add the stock and bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the parsnips are very tender. Check by lifting out a big chunk of parsnip and sliding a fork into it. No resistance.
• Puree the soup in a blender, add the cream and season to taste. If the parsnips are young they might need a little extra curry to really kick up the flavor.

Good luck with the sickness my friends!

MEAT. Do I have your attention?

I love a good salad or a veggie quiche. Good potato dishes are my everyday staple. Leeks are one of my favorite eats. One, ONE of my favorites. But my main favorites will always be the proteins. Beef, Pork, chicken, lamb, bison. The legs, racks, thighs, ribs, chops, roasts, butts, breasts, shoulders. I could go on. I have recipes upon recipes of all the different ways of cooking them and flavoring them but so does every one else. So I will leave those alone and instead hit a more difficult topic:

Lets talk sourcing. I admit I cave in sometimes in a hurry and enter the plastic vacuum packed wilderness that is the supermarket in search of meat but for the most part I buy proteins from two places in Victoria.
#1 - Market on Yates. There is something refreshing about meat kept on display and carefully regulated. When it is time to return to my house for cooking they wrap it up as it should be in butcher’s paper and stickered shut. The people know what they are serving and where it came from and seem passionate about what they sell. For my reader’s in other cities: try tracking down a private (somewhat high end) grocery store in your city. Even if you only shop there for meat and buy everything else at a cheaper place, you wont regret it!
#2 - Island Meat and Seafood in Cook Street Village. A butcher shop may seem like an obvious place to go for meat and chicken but with the falling numbers of shops around the country and the ‘art’ of butchering disappearing, finding one you can trust is a rarity. Spend some time talking to your local butcher and you can usually tell how passionate he is about his craft and whether or not he chooses local/hormone free products to sell.

In my opinion the easiest and simplest way of cooking it is usually the best. BBQed, pan roasted, broiled, roasted, etc and use a good thermometer to cook it just how you want it. I leave the cooking up to you and instead provide you with one of my favorite sauces to serve with good pork or beef. Sauce is an intricate affair with time and effort going into the sauce to create something special. This recipe is actually quite simple and comes together relatively easily, making it my go to favorite.

Mushroom and Wine Sauce
Makes about 2 cups
Ingredients:
½ pound mushrooms (use any mushroom you like but for this sauce the simple brown button mushrooms will work well), sliced and the typical mushroom shape preserved as well as possible
4 small carrots, small dice
4 ribs of celery, small dice
2 small onions, small dice
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 bay leaf
1-2 tsp chopped rosemary
2 tbsp tomato paste
200ml red wine
500 ml chicken stock

Method:
- In a large saucepan, brown the sliced mushrooms in a little bit of butter and oil until cooked.
- Empty out the mushrooms into a small bowl, add some more oil to the pan and then add in the carrots, celery and onion.
- cook the veg till golden brown with a little bit of salt to help sweat the onion.
- Add in the tomato paste and garlic and cook for a few minutes trying hard not to burn either ingredient
- Add in the wine, stock and herbs and deglaze the pan.
- Simmer lightly for about 20 mins or until it has reduced by half.
- Strain the sauce into another saucepan, getting rid of all the vegetables.
- Keep reducing the sauce until it is the flavor and strength you want it.
- Add back in the mushrooms and simmer for a few minutes to warm them back up and then it is good to go.

Sometimes I’ve been known to freeze this sauce so I don’t have to make it when I really want some eats. Try storing leftover meat in the sauce in the fridge and then the next day chopping it all up and mixing in the sauce for an unbelievable sandwich filler.

The weekend and reader's support

This weekend was a busy one, filled with visits from family, nights out on the town and of course cooking! Tomorrow morning I will be writing to tell you all about it (starting with a delicious Mushroom and Wine Sauce I did and a little tutorial on finding some good meat!). In the mean time I would like to thank my readers and followers for their emails and facebook messages. I’ve received emails from Toronto, California and Vancouver and support has been fantastic. Please leave comments here on the blog and I will be happy to answer any questions or requests you may have. I get a weird excitement when I open up my computer and find a little note from someone on the hunt for garlic spears or a couple from Toronto who tried out a new restaurant, so please keep them coming!

This week I will be writing about some of my favorite culinary destinations in Victoria and the recipes they have inspired in my home kitchen. I hope you all enjoy them as much as I enjoy testing the recipes and recording my results :)