Italian: Beyond Pasta

I made a little Italian inspired meal today, and I think it really shows off what you can do with Italian food beyond pasta. On the "menu" today was: Beef Short Ribs Braised in Sangiovese, Olive Oil Roast Potatoes, and Green Beans with Chive Butter. In addition, I put together a nice antipasto plate with Coppa Calabrese, Emmi Luzerner Rahmkase (a creamy Swiss cheese), old cheddar, roasted red peppers, olives, and some nice fresh Italian bread.

For wine, I went with a Bolla Soave 2007 to match with the antipasto, and the Di Majo Norante Sangiovese 2007 I used to braise the short ribs. I also have a bottle PKNT Cabernet Sauvignon, which will pair well with the meat.

I got most of the ingredients for today's meal at DeLuca's Specialty Foods on Portage, with the exception of the ribs (from my local grocery store), and the chives (which are home grown).

Anti Pasto

Short Ribs

What you need:

Meat: Some short ribs... as many as you want to eat, some pancetta, bacon, or another cured meat (here is used copppa).

Veg: Onion, celery, carrot, crushed tomatoes

Herb/Spice: Red wine (not really a spice, I know), salt and pepper

What to do:

1. Heat some olive oil over medium high heat in a large stock pot or dutch oven, and then add your short ribs (I used about 11 because they were small) and brown on all sides. Remove from pot.

2. When the ribs are brown and you've taken them out, add two large onions chopped, a couple carrots sliced, a few celery stocks chopped, and a handful of the cured meat (chopped into small cubes) to the pot. Cook until soft and light and just turning a light brown.

3. When you think you've done the veg enough, add two cups of a relatively full bodied red wine, and two cups of crushed tomatoes to the pan. Crank the heat and bring to a boil.

4. When the liquid is boiling, return the ribs, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 2 hours or so until the meat is tender.

5. When the ribs are almost falling off the bone, remove them from the liquid and put them under the broiler until they are nice and crisp.

6. In the meantime, strain the cooking liquid, and put it back on high heat, and reduce to about a cup and a half or so.

7. Adjust the salt and pepper in the sauce, and then pour over ribs. (You can do one more stint under the broiler after you sauce them if you'd like).

8. Get up in them ribs before they all gone.

Potatoes

What you need:

Veg: Potatoes

Herb/Spice: Garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, flat leaf Italian parsley

What to do:

1. Wash potatoes, and then put in a pot of water - bring to a boil.

2. Partially cook the potatoes, and then remove and let cool.

3. When cool, smash the potatoes with the palm of your hand so they are a bit flat.

4. Put some 4 tbspn of olive oil on baking sheet, and add a few smashed cloves of garlic. Put in an oven preheated to 450F.

5. Let the garlic brown in the oil a bit, and then remove and discard. Add the potatoes, tossing to coat in olive oil. Add salt and pepper liberally.

6. Roast in the oven until brown and crispy, adding more olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

7. Toss with chopped Italian parsley.

Green Beans

What you need:

Veg: Green beans

Herb/Spice: Garlic, chives, butter, salt and pepper

What to do:

1. Make chive butter: Mix chopped chives with some softened butter, and then roll in plastic wrap and put in fridge to harden (you can then just chop pieces off for whatever your needs are. It will keep well in the freezer). Alternatively, just throw butter and chopped chives into the pot at the end of this recipe instead of chive butter.

2. Steam green beans (small pot, a little water on the bottom)

3. Add a few dabs of the chive butter, and salt and pepper to taste.

There it is! A relatively easy and cheap (depending on your wine) meal that looks classy and expensive!

Drinks.... and McNulty.

How not to "Cook/Bake" 101

Those quotation marks in the title are necessary, because I don't even know what to call this. It's not so much cooking or baking as it is opening shitty store bought prepared products and combining them to make some sort of monstrosity. Really, I don't even think I need to comment more on this; but it is a great example of why the Food Network (more so in the U.S. than in Canada) is ruining people with their Rachel Ray, Sandra Lee, and sadly, the formerly good, but recently sold out Tyler Florence.  I'm sorry if this post makes you sick, but it has to be done. The infamous "Kwanzaa Cake"

Maaarge....we're missing the chili!!

I was recently inspired by an acquaintance (Yak, ma man!) to make some chili. I haven't made chili in a long time, which is strange, because I love it, and used to make it all the time. But while I've made it probably one hundred times, I've generally stuck to the same old style - ground beef/pork/tomatoes/chili powder/onion/kidney and baked beans. I've ventured away from this model a few times, but never anything radically different. Perhaps this is why I haven't made it in a while; it just didn't seem exciting anymore. So when Yak told me about his short rib and chipotle chili, I was intrigued. I thought to myself "I have to try that", but quickly I decided it would be even better just to come up with something on my own, a bit different than something that had been made before. So I went shopping, looked in my pantry and fridge, and decided on New Mexico Beef Shank Chili. It might just be my new soul mate.

From my perspective chili is all about the chilies you use. I'm calling this "New Mexico" because I used dried and ground New Mexico chilies (red and green) as the main spice. These peppers have a great flavour and intense fragrance, but do not bring too much heat to the chili. I supplemented them with ordinary chili powder, some cumin, and a whole dried red hot chili for some heat. I also added 3 fresh jalapenos, chopped in relatively large pieces. Those were the chilies that made the base of my chili.

I chose beef shank because it is one of the most flavourful cuts of beef, and it is perfect for low and slow simmering.

One final note. I used my slow cooker for most of this cooking. I let it go for about 8 hours. Near the end, however, I was getting impatient (and hungry) so I transferred the chili to my dutch oven, put it on the stove and turned up the heat heat. I like my chili THICK, and a slow cooker doesn't let much moisture out. So if you want to thicken it up, this is a good thing when you are about 15 minutes away from being ready to eat.

What you need:

Meat: Beef shanks x 3, chicken or beef stock

Veg: Some bell peppers - 2 to 5 - mixed colours make it look nicer, onions, garlic, a can of cannellini beans, a can of black beans, and a large can of tomatoes (28 oz).

Spice/Herb: Ground dried red and green New Mexico chilies, whole dried hot chili, chili powder, cumin, jalapenos [You can use any chili or combination of chilies], a splash of vinegar, slat, pepper, sugar, salt and pepper

Garnish/Fixins: Green onions, lime juice, sharp cheddar cheese

Other: Chili spoon [preferably carved from a bigger spoon]

What to do:

Let me first say one thing. I mentioned that the chilies are the most important thing when making chili. The next most important thing is to layer the flavours. I mean, you could just throw all these ingredients into a pot or slow cooker and simmer away for 5 hours and you'd have a perfectly good chili. But if you take the time to layer the flavours your chili will take on whole new flavour dimensions and complexity. In this chili, I layered the flavours in three ways. First, I add my spices (chilies, cumin, salt, pepper, sugar) in several batches throughout the cooking process. Usually three. Right at the start, once in the middle, and again at the end to taste. Since the chilies mellow out over time, each addition will give off different flavours and aromas from the chili. It really makes a difference. Second, I brown the meat. This may seem obvious, but it is a must. Lastly, I caramelized the onion with some garlic. This brings a whole new dimension to the whole thing. Now for how its done. It's really quite simple.

1. If you are using a slow cooker, but about half a cup of stock, and the tomatoes in and turn it on as high as it goes. Since it takes slow cookers a long time to heat up, and you really should cook this for at least 8 hours, you might as well start with this.

2. Throw your first batch of spices, along with all the peppers, chopped into chunks.

3. Salt and pepper, and then brown off the beef shanks in some vegetable oil (in batches if necessary) , adding them to the chili once they get a deep golden brown.

4. In the same pan you browned the meat in, add a bit more oil, and then one large or two medium onions, sliced, to the pan. Turn the heat to medium, and let them get soft.

5. As the onion are cooking, add a teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of sugar, and some black pepper. Mix it all in. The salt will help them soften faster, and the sugar will help the caramelization. Add in 3 or 4 garlic cloves chopped finely.

6. Turn the heat down to medium low, and let cook until they are a deep deep brown. (I added some dried ancho chili halfway through for even another layer of flavour. Not necessary though). When they are done, add them to the chili.

7. Add a splash of vinegar, the beans (drained and rinsed), and if needed, more stock to cover the meat. You can also add some tomato paste here if you want it even more tomato-ier. Let cook for 8 hours or longer (if you can stand it!).

8. At around 5 or six hours, remove the meat from the chili. It will be breaking apart by now, so make sure you dig around and get it all. Put it on a large plate or platter, remove the excess fat and the bones (but get the marrow out first!), and then shred the meat (and the marrow) together with two forks. Toss the shredded meat with your second batch of spices, then add it back to the chili. Cook for another couple hours.

9. Anytime in the last half hour, you can transfer to the stove to reduce more vigorously.

10. Add your final batch of chili spices. Taste, and adjust further. I like my chili to have a really intense flavour, so in the end I think I probably end up putting about 3/4 of a cup to a full cup of spices total (all the chilies, salt, pepper, sugar, cumin, etc.).

11. When you think it is done, remove from the heat, add a few chopped green onions, and give it a squeeze of lime. Stir and serve topped with grated cheese if you desire.

Toast or rice make good sides for chili. I used fresh bread sticks.

This chili turned out to be one of the best I've ever made (in my opinion). I'm not sure I'll ever go back to ground meat ever again. Next time, I will mix up the chilies a bit and try chipotle and ancho. I'll probably try a different cut of meat as well.

Korean Style Beef & Noodle Soup

I've been on a bit of an Asian kick lately, and earlier this week I had a real desire for a good soup. So I modified something I'd made before (Korean Oxtail Soup - aka Gori Gom Tang) into a nice noodle soup with a soy sesame ginger dipping sauce for the meat. It turned out really well. Here is what you'll need.

Meat: I used beef short ribs and a large chuck steak.

Herb/Spice: Salt, ginger, garlic, hot chilies (dried or fresh), black pepper, soy sauce, dark sesame oil, some dark vinegar - balsamic will do.

Garnish/Fixins: green onions, toasted sesame seeds, dipping sauce (recipe to follow), wheat and egg noodles (as opposed to rice)

What to do:

1. Put all your meat (as much as you want) into a large stock pot or dutch oven and cover with water (7-9 cups or so), add in a few Toonie sized slices of ginger (4 or 5) and a tablespoon of salt or so. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, partially cover and cook for about 2 hours, or until the meat is tender

2. In the meantime, make the dipping sauce (Half of this goes directly into the soup and the other half is for dipping): In a small bowl, mix together a few tablespoons of soy sauce, about a third as much sesame oil, some crushed/chopped hot peppers to taste, a couple cloves of minced garlic, some black pepper, and some sesame seeds. Taste and adjust heat and soy - if it is a bit strong, you can add a small splash of stock or water.

3. When the meat is tender, remove it and take it off the bone/break into bite sized pieces.

4. Add half the dipping sauce mixture to the soup, and a splash of vinegar; taste and adjust seasoning with anything that is in the dipping sauce. If you want more ginger, you can add some minced/grated at this time too (If it seems to have reduced too much, you can add some more water at this point).
.
5. Return the meat to the soup, and simmer for a bit longer, maker sure it really is tender.

6. Add some wheat egg/wheat noodles right before you are read to eat, and wait until they are cooked (I suggest adding only as many noodles as you want to eat at that time). Alternatively, prepare the noodles separately in boiling water.

7. Serve topped with chopped green onion, toasted sesame seeds, and Asian hot sauce to taste. As you eat, dip the pieces of meat in the sauce. If you are lazy, you can just add all the seasoning mixture to the soup and eat it.

Done and delicious!

An Entry from the "Road": Where to dine at Toronto's Pearson Int'l Airport (Terminal 1)

Now I've spent my fair share of time at the Toronto airport. For the past six years, anytime I've flown home to Sault Ste. Marie, I've had at least an hour lay over in Toronto. And even on days like today, where I'm just a tad early at the airport for my flight back to Winnipeg, I like to eat!

I've patronized most of the dining and drinking options in Terminal 1, which is where you'll be if you fly anywhere on Air Canada. So here is what you have to choose from, and what I've thought of them as airport dining options.

The Exchange Cafe - 2.8/5

This the place I eat at the most, mainly due to its proximity to the gates where Soo flights tend to go from. I go there often enough that one of the waitresses knows me!

The menu is pretty limited, so I usually just go with the burger, which comes topped with bacon, cheese, tomato, lettuce and onion, and fries on the side. The burgers are ok, but fries are quite delicious. I've also had the steak sandwich there, which essentially is a whole, but moderately sized sirloin sitting on a bun topped with grilled peppers and onions. Its not great, but its not terrible either. Other things on the menu include pizza, some wraps, some soups, etc. The main dishes tend to be priced between $10 and $20.

There is a full bar, but the on tap beer. Selection is limited to Molson Canadian, Coors Light, and Rickard's Red. The domestic beer is about $9 a pint.

Hogtown Bar and Grill - 2.9/5

Hogtown's menu is very similar to the Exchange's. There may be some slight variations, but I'm pretty sure the food is the same. I've been there twice, and both times had the burger and fries. I don't think I could tell the difference. One thing they do have, which the Exchange doesn't, is a bit of sushi. I haven't tried it, but it looks alright for pre-made sushi.

The bar service at Hogtown is also the same as the Exchange.

One benefit of Hogtown is that it is in a really nice and open part of the terminal. The seating is out in the open, and just fenced off, so it's great for people watching. Also, if it's daytime, the sun shines through the 100 foot high glass ceiling.

Prices are on par with other places reviewed here.

Casey's On Stage - 2.8/5

I just at Casey's for the first time today. It offers a nice change from the previous two eateries. The menu is much larger, and even the things that are the same, such as the bacon-cheese burger (which I had... mainly for comparison), are a bit different.

The menu at Casey's offers lunch-type fare, such as sandwiches and burgers, but also has bigger, more dinner oriented dishes like ribs, steaks, pasta, and seafood. Additionally, the on-tap beer selections is a bit more diverse, adding Alexander Keith's and Stella Artois to the mix.

The bacon-cheese burger at Casey's had potential to be better than anything else I've had at the airport, but in the end, 'm not sure what to think. The burger seemed to be more "real" at Casey's, ingredient-wise, but its preparation wasn't that good. The way in which it was assembled basically cooked the lettuce (I guess it was right next to the hot burger). Furthermore, the "toasted bun," which was relatively fresh kaiser roll, was a bit soggy. The french fries were also way way under par, compared with those at Hogtown and the Exchange.

Overall I was not impressed, but because of the greater variety of dishes on the menu, I could see myself trying it out again. But if I want a burger, I'll be going somewhere else.

Prices at Casey's were about the same as the other two.

Now these three places don't represent every dining option in Terminal 1, but they are three of the maybe four or five "full service" restaurants available. These are the ones you will be close to if you are flying domestically on Air Canada. There are a few other smaller cafes and bars as well as the other restaurants that I have not tried out yet.

I don't know what it is, but I can't resist sitting down for a beer and a bite when I'm in this airport. Even if the food is mediocre at best, there is something about it that can make a weary traveler very happy.

I will update this post when I eat at some of the other eateries, during future lay overs.

Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry

A feast from the Subcontinent

I've made it sort of a goal of mine to cook at least one big, ostensibly elaborate - but in fact quite simple, dinner each week during the summer. I seem to have a lot of time on my hands, and what better way to spend that time than cooking!

So today when I woke up on the holiday Monday, I decided I needed to make a good dinner. I had Indian food in my head because I haven't had it in ages. So I flipped through couple of books, and got some ideas.

I decided on 3 main dishes; two meat, and one vegetable.

I'd make Pork Vindaloo: pork shoulder braised in a dark sauce flavoured primarily with cinnamon, as well as coriander seed, cardamom, cloves, cayenne pepper, garlic, ginger, mustard seed, and thinned with white vinegar.

I'd also make what I'll call a Cardamom Coconut Red Chicken Curry. This dish might be reminiscent of Tikka Masala or Butter Chicken, but the spice composition is somewhat different, and I think it is tastier and superior to the two former dishes.

Lastly, I made a curried cauliflower dish with some homemade curry powder that I'd made on a previous occasion.

To go along with these dishes, I made a raita (yogurt sauce/dip), basmati rice, and I got some naan bread, as well as pappdams. Then I made a Lassi Meethi for dessert. Here is what you'll need to do this one!

Pork Vinadloo



Meat: A few pounds of pork shoulder, cut into chunks

Herb/Spice: garlic, ginger, cinnamon, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, ground cloves, mustard seed/powder, cardamom, salt, black pepper, vinegar



Garnish/Fixins: Chopped cilantro

What to do:

1. Toss a couple tablespoons of a neutral oil into a medium saucepan over medium heat, and all the ingredients except the pork, vinegar, and cilantro

2. After about a minute of cooking the spices in the oil, at the pork and raise the heat to medium high. Cook for about a minute

3. Add the vinegar, and a bit of water to cover the meat.

4. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for about an hour and a half - longer if you want.



5. When the pork it tender, check the sauce - adjust thickness as desired (I like to reduce it enough that it sticks to the meat well).



6. Serve topped with chopped cilantro

Cardamom Coconut Red Chicken Curry

Meat: Some chicken pieces - preferably dark meat on the bone - I used four whole legs

Veg: a can of tomatoes, fresh chilies (jalapeno or Thai, or anything you can find), onion

Herb/Spice: Cardamom, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, ground cloves, salt and pepper, a can of coconut milk, butter

Garnish/Fixins: Chopped Cilantro



What to do:

1. Melt some butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, and throw in 2 onions, sliced - cook until soft.

2. When the onions are soft, add a couple tablespoons each of garlic and ginger (both minced), as well as a couple fresh chilies (seeded, stemmed, and chopped finely) - cook for a minute.

3. Add the can of tomatoes, liquid and all, and break up the tomatoes with whatever you are stirring with - Let simmer for 10 minutes

4. Add the coconut milk, followed by the chicken (I suggest taking the skin off if there is any; but left on the bone) - Bring to a strong simmer and let cook for at least an hour.



5. [Optional] After about an hour, I decided to remove the chicken from the sauce and take the chicken off the bone. You don't have to do this if you don't want to.

6. [Optional] Also, while the chicken was out, I added a dollop of butter, and pureed the sauce with a stick blender to bring it to a really nice velvety texture. Return the chicken to the sauce.



7. Add a handful of chopped cilantro, and stir. Also, taste and adjust the seasonings - add more of all the spices if you want to add a bit more depth of flavour. It will probably need a bit of salt.

7. Serve topped with chopped cilantro

Curried Cauliflower

Veg: head of cauliflower, trimmed and left whole

Herb/Spice: curry powder, neutral oil, lemon juice, cumin

What to do:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the cauliflower, and cook for about 10 minutes or until its tender.

2. If you are doing this an hour or two ahead, just remove it from the water and let it cool. If not, throw it into a bowl with ice water to cool it down right away. When its cool, break it into small pieces.

3. Add about 3 tablespoons of oil to a large non-stick fry pan and put to medium heat; then add the curry powder. Stir until the curry powder turns a dark. But be careful not to burn it!

4. Add the cauliflower and toss in the oil and curry powder, and add some salt and pepper. Cook until the cauliflower is coated, heated, and turning a nice brown colour.

5. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.

5. Garnish with more curry powder, some cumin (seeds if you have them), cayenne pepper (if you want to make it a bit spicy), and the juice of half a lemon. Serve!

Raita

*This is one variation on many that you could make

What you'll need:



Plain Yogurt (I like the Mediterranean style - its thicker and I think it works better)
Cucumber - grated
Cumin
Mustard Powder
Sugar
Salt.

Stir all together in a bowl. Adjusting all the seasonings to taste. It is supposed to be a cooling condiment to go with some of the hotter dishes.



Lassi Meethi

Alright, here is a bonus thing I made for dessert. Lassi is a thick yogurt based drink that can be made either savoury or sweet. Here, since it was for dessert, it was obviously sweet.

What you need:

A cup or so of plain yogurt,
A cup or so of ice cubes
A bit of cold water
Salt - to taste
Sugar - to taste
Cardamom - 1 tsp or more to taste

Blend everything together in a blender, adjusting water, ice, yogurt for desired thickness, and other ingredients for desired flavour. They are incredible.


There you have it! A holiday weekend-ending Indian fest. This all turned out very well tonight, and we demolished the food. Luckily I made a lot of everything so I'll have something to bring to work for lunch everyday this week, albeit a very shortened week!

Pork Braised in Coconut Milk

While I was writing my last post a little while ago, I was also cooking up some late lunch/early dinner for myself on this fine Saturday afternoon. I had some cilantro that I bought at Organic Planet last week that needed using, so I decided to do something Southeast Asian. Since pork prices are rock bottom - this dish seemed perfect. I JUST ate it, and it was amazing.

Meat: Pork shoulder (2-3 lbs) cut into 2 inch pieces

Herb/Spice: coconut milk, a couple fresh hot chilies (Thai are preferable, but I had to go with jalapenos, because that is what I could get), a few cloves of garlic, salt and pepper, and nam pla (Asian fish sauce)

Garnish/Fixins: Chopped cilantro and green onions, some Sriracha or other hot sauce, a few lime wedges

What to do:

1. Brown off the pieces of pork in a large sauce pan, adding salt and pepper while doing so.

2. Add garlic and chilies and garlic (both minced), and stir for a minute or so.

3. Add a can of coconut milk and the equivalent of a can of water or some light stock (You can double up on the coconut milk if you want it even richer) and a couple tablespoons of nam pla.

4. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a lower heat and simmer for about 2 hours.

5. When the pork is tender, check the liquid - if it looks like a good "saucy" consistency, its good. If its a bit runny, reduce it a tad. If its a bit thick, add some more liquid!

6. Remove from the heat, stir in a handful of cilantro and green onion.

7. Serve, topped with more of the garnish, some hot sauce, a few squeezes of lime, and some sticky or jasmine rice!