I am a four-season child.

By that I mean I have to live somewhere that has four distinct seasons. I can appreciate the allure of a place that is sunny and warm all year long, perhaps I might even visit said place for some rest or relaxation, but to live there permanently?

Don’t think so.

Spring is pretty. I love watching as nature wakes itself up from its long sleep, but after a few weeks I become impatient for the summer heat that means our garden’s bounty will soon be ready.

And while I love eating the fruits of that garden, in the midst of Toronto’s hazy, humid summer heat, I need to know that soon the trees will explode in colour and that I will wake up every morning to a crystal blanket of frost on our lawn.

And when the beauty of Autumn turns into the incessant rainy weather of November, I need to know that the bone-chilling cold, wake-you-up-no-matter-what, freeze-your-toes cold is around the corner. You may not like the winter but I would argue that there is very little as beautiful in life as stepping out your front door on a frigid winter morning with snow everywhere, a blue sky and brilliant sun. That’s a breathtaking sight.

The best part of that cold is the knowledge that you can seek warmth at any moment. You can run inside, kick off your boots, and curl up under your favourite blankie with a cup of hot chocolate.

Or, in my case, you can bake a cake.

In the middle of winter, I bake cakes.

Not just because I love to eat them, but also because I love to imagine crawling into them.

While it is shockingly cold outside, I can imagine myself crawling into a layer of the most beautiful, warm thing in the world made of butter and sugar and flour and spices.

And I would just nestle there, in my sweet, sweet bed, and be perfectly happy.

My companion in this lovely dream has been Lauren Chattman’s spectacular Cake Keeper Cakes: 100 Simple Recipes for Extraordinary Bundt Cakes, Pound Cakes, Snacking Cakes and Other Good-To-The-Last-Crumb Treats. Proof that beautiful things do come in small packages, this precious little book is filled with recipes for cakes that make you ask yourself, “Why don’t I bake more often?”

Simple cakes. Pleasing cakes. Cakes for people who are bakers at heart. Cakes that come together in the blink of an eye. Cakes that make you happy. Cakes you can put in a cake keeper (if you have one).

You may already be familiar with this book as it was featured in the October 2009 Food & Wine issue which highlighted the Nutella-Swirl Pound Cake. (I blogged about it here.)

I feel so lucky to have been given the chance to have this book and to write about it. Take my word for it. You’ll love it.

Everyone else may dream of heading south this cold winter, but not me. I’m dreaming of being wrapped in warm, puffy, just-baked cake.

How delicious.

Ciao!

Note: Besides the fabulous Nutella-Swirl Pound Cake, I tried the World’s Quickest Yeasted Coffee Cake on p. 39 (pictured above). Heaven!

Ever since the announcement in October 2009 that Gourmet magazine would cease publication, I’ve read countless tributes to the magazine and to the people who contributed to making it a favourite for those who love food and wine.

I don’t know how many times I read the word impeccable in those tributes. Ruth Reichl … impeccable. The magazine … impeccable. The recipes … impeccable.

I couldn’t agree more.

And I can’t tell you how pleased I was that a copy of Gourmet Today: More than 1000 All-New Recipes for the Contemporary Kitchen became mine right around the time the announcement of Gourmet’s demise was made.

By the (impeccable) Ruth Reichl, this book represents all that I loved about Gourmet. Beautiful recipes spanning the exotic to the comforting, it’s detailed and polished without even a the slightest hint of being impractical.

Gourmet walked that fine line between beautiful, sometimes lofty dishes and recipes that you can actually make at home.

The cookbook follows the same formula.

Be forewarned. With over 1,000 recipes this baby will take up some precious space on your cookbook shelf. And there are no pictures. That has certainly never stopped me from loving a cookbook but I know that for many, that’s a determining factor in whether or not to buy a cookbook.

If you’re wavering, consider this: the book covers every single menu item imagineable. Like the ubiquitous little back dress, this book will take you everywhere. You can go from drinks and cocktails to a dessert party with complete ease.

I have very happily sacrificed some lesser cookbooks on my shelf to make room for this treasure.

In one word: impeccable.

Ciao!

Masala Chai (pictured above). Recipe at Gourmet.com.

Note: It took me a very long time to decide what recipes to try from this book. I tried a few including a delicious Buttermilk Coffee Cake (pp. 669-70), but the one I loved the most was the Masala Chai. I was introduced to this delightful milk drink many years ago by a friend. Making it at home for the first time was lovely, both for the end result and for the process. I loved the way the kitchen smelled when I ground all those lovely spices that form part of the recipe.

What is it about this time of year that makes us look back and wonder?

What was the most important event of the year? Best song of the year? Favourite movie? Biggest discovery? It goes and on. In the days before the new year makes itself known, it seems we spend endless time evaluating the year that was.

Myself, I don’t really like to do that. This is partly because I have always viewed the new year with a mixture of both excitement and trepidation. Perhaps, when I was younger, I was a bit more optimistic but as the years go by, and life reveals itself both good and bad, I can’t help but feel both happy and anxious at this time of year.

What does the future hold?

Who knows.

Probably the only exception to this is books, and more specifically, cookbooks. Because they are my greatest pleasure, I seem to have no qualms in looking back. At the beginning of the month, I had a 12-day series highlighting my 12 favourite cookbooks of the year. But what I left out was the book that was, in fact, my absolute favourite of 2009.

While it wasn’t written in 2009, I was lucky enough to receive a copy and even luckier to read it.

The book I’m talking about is Laura Schenone’s The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken: A Search for Food and Family.

Of all the books that I read in 2009, cookbooks included, this was my very favourite one.

I read it in early October, not long after I had returned from my trip to Italy.

Maybe it was the fact that I was missing my Italian family. Or maybe it was the fact that I was missing the food that my Italian family cooks. Whatever it was, from almost the very beginning, this book struck a deep chord with me.

Schenone’s book is primarily about her endeavour to discover the origin of her family’s beloved ravioli recipe. The deep need she has to uncover this recipe puts her on a road that takes her to Italy, but far more importantly and far closer to home, it takes her through the neighbourhood we all know as “family”.

Unabashedly, honestly and lovingly, Schenone tells us the story of her Italian-American family’s life in a new country, including the triumphs and pitfalls. I was struck at how open she was in her book and how she laid bare not just the good times, but the bad as well.

But I was most struck by how eloquently Schenone captures the reality of the immigrant experience.

We tend to romanticize the past. In my own family, as a first-generation Canadian, I can look around quite happily and say that we’re a success. My parents bought a home, built a business, acquired all the modern comforts and are really nice people to boot. The same goes for my aunts and uncles and for my grandparents, the first to immigrate to Canada.

What is not so visible is the struggle. The harshness. The pain. The hard work. The alienation. The adults in my family kept that from us when we were children. But now that I’m grown, and privy to the real history of my family, I see that my grandparents and parents had plenty of suffering mixed in with the success.

Schenone captures all of this in a way that is compelling and sometimes, hard to read. It’s like witnessing a difficult scene in real life. Just as you want to look away then, there are times I wanted to avert my eyes from the page because the emotion was so palpable.

And just as in life, in the midst of the challenges, there are successes and newfound joys. I especially loved reading about Schenone’s trips to Italy and how she made so many friends and learned so much there.

Mostly, though, I loved reading about her singular, intense and passionate drive to perfect pasta and ravioli. Just brilliant. I love how she reveals herself in her book. How she very honestly shows herself in transition in the midst of her life and how that affects not just her, but her children, her spouse and her extended family.

This treasure of a book came to mind again during the Christmas season. For Christmas Day, my mother made her pasta recipe and then made ravioli. They are not really based on anyone else’s ravioli recipe but rather are a Mamma Cream Puff original (my mom rocks the house!).

I didn’t help my mom much this year. We had a very small gathering on Christmas Day so she had everything under control.

Instead, I watched her from afar. And at one point, I saw her working away and noticed her ravioli press and rolling pin on the counter. I suddenly thought of Schenone’s book and realized that this is my little legacy. That little press and rolling pin, the fresh pasta, and my mom in the kitchen, they all came together in a snapshot that is frozen in me.

I don’t know what 2010 holds. I hope it holds health and good food and happy family and some nice surprises. And beyond that, who knows.

All I know is that I hope I never ever forget, in any of the years ahead, that picture of my mom making ravioli.

Ciao!

I will always say that my mom’s fresh pasta recipe is the best. Here it is.

I sincerely hope you will pick up a copy of Laura Schenone’s The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken: A Search for Food and Family. It is worth it in every way.

And on the twelfth day of the 12 Days of Cookbooks, I give you The Happy Baker by Erin Bolger.

One of my frequent lunch-time treats during the workday is to walk up to Yonge and Yorkville and stop in at The Cookbook Store, Toronto’s best store.

Admittedly, I try not to do this too often as the trip inevitably ends with yet another cookbook purchase.

I am weak. I know.

Earlier in the year, on one such lunch-time foray, I came across a book called “The Happy Baker” and my first thought was, “Well … yeah! Who isn’t happy baking?!”

I picked up the book and was instantly smitten.

Written by Erin Bolger, it’s a funny, quirky and so-cute look at the sweets that we fall in love with through life. Erin very amusingly pairs the delicious recipes in her book with stories of growing up, dating and becoming a woman.

It’s all very sweet. And it just made me laugh and it made me happy and it made me want to bake, all at the same time.

I wish I could have tried more of the recipes in the time that I’ve had the book but I did try two: Best Friends Forever, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies and Better Late Than Never Peanut Butter Crispy Cups. Both treats were an enormous hit.

I actually added some peanut butter to the chocolate chip cookies and they worked beautifully.

But I really believe that half the fun of this book and the recipes is just sitting with it in the kitchen and reading the stories while you decide what to try.

I loved it all.

Hope you take a look at it!

Ciao!

And on the eleventh day of the 12 Days of Cookbooks, I give you Mad Hungry by Lucinda Scala Quinn.

I first “encountered” Lucinda Scala Quinn on the show Everyday Food. I would catch an episode every now and then and was always impressed by her straightforward, pleasing dishes.

When I found out that she’d written a cookbook and that I would have the opportunity to review it, I was intrigued. When the book arrived at my doorstep, I was totally taken in.

My “routine” when I get a new cookbook is to sit down on the couch with a pack of post-its. I begin flipping through the book beginning with the dessert section (if there is one) and going back to the beginning. When I see a recipe I like, I bookmark it for future reference.

After five minutes, I realized that I had bookmarked every single page that I’d flipped through up to that point.

People, listen. This is easily one of the best cookbooks of the year.

To begin with, the production quality of the book is major! The paper, the photographs, the feel of it is just top scale all the way. Even if you never cook from it, it would make a fabulous coffee table book.

The book is a tribute to the meals that Quinn has prepared over the year for her sons and her husband. This is her family’s soul food. Starting with breakfast all the way through dessert, the recipes ooze comfort, flavour and warmth. As I read through each recipe I could feel myself being drawn deeper into a big, warm family hug.

And as soon as I hit page 76, I knew exactly what I was going to try: Tuna Melts.

Oh my gosh, people, I have not had tuna melts in years. I literally stopped, put the book down and thought back only to realize that it’s been at least ten years since I last had one of my favourite open-faced sandwiches.

Without delay, I went straight into the kitchen, prepared a tuna salad that I spooned onto some bread, topped with some cheddar and broiled.

Love.

That’s pretty much how I feel about the whole book.

Love. Love. Love.

Please buy yourself a copy as a Christmas gift. You deserve it!

To Lucinda, wherever you are, thank you for a cookbook that will grace my shelves for many, many years to come!

Ciao!

Tuna Melts a la Cream Puff
Inspired by Lucinda Scala Quinn’s Mad Hungry.

Note: This is my favourite tuna salad. To make a Tuna Melt, just spoon it onto the bread of your choice, top it with the cheese of your choice, and place it under the broiler for a few minutes.

1 can of good quality tuna, packed in olive oil
1/2 a shallot, finely chopped
1 dill pickle, finely chopped
1/4 cup pickled hot peppers, finely chopped
1/4 finely chopped parsley
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 slices of the bread of your choice, lightly toasted
4 slices of the cheese of your choice (I like aged cheddar)

Drain the tuna and place in a large bowl, breaking it up with a fork.

Add the remaining ingredients and mix very well. (I like a “loose” tuna salad with very little mayonnaise. You can adjust the consistency as you see fit.)

Preheat the broiler.

On a sheet pan, lined with aluminum foil, place the bread slices and top with generous portions of the tuna salad. Top with cheese.

Place under the broiler for a minute or two, until the cheese is melted and golden.

Eat immediately.

Enjoy!

And on the tenth day of the 12 Days of Cookbooks I give you Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen by Gina DePalma.

While it was published in 2007 and while I’ve owned it since it was published, I really only started to focus on this book during this past year. My birthday cake was courtesy of DePalma’s book, as were a few other recipes that I never blogged about. All were delicious.

To be sure, there are many, many baking books on the market. But to be honest, there are very few good Italian baking books. I would say that DePalma’s must be considered as one of the most definitive books on Italian baking.

Incredibly thorough, her book covers virtually ever “famous” Italian dessert, as well as numerous baked goods that wouldn’t be very familiar to North American audiences.

What I love best about the book is that the recipes straddle the line between traditional and modern. Many of the recipes will have a little twist that leads you to a better place.

I recently made Baci di Dama for the first time, using DePalma’s recipe. Stunning. Seriously. Without question, they were among the best cookies I’ve made all year.

I could go on and on, but it’s not necessary. Well-written, some really good photos, passionate, well-produced … DePalma’s book has it all.

It would be the perfect gift for anyone that loves to bake, especially Italian sweets. If I didn’t already have the book, I’d be asking for it for Christmas.

Ciao!

And on the ninth day of the 12 Days of Cookbooks, I give you A Year in Lucy’s Kitchen by Lucy Waverman.

I’m not sure how well Lucy Waverman is known outside of Canada (hopefully very well). She’s a very well-respected food writer and cookbook author.

Her most recent book is yet another winner. In Canada, she’s probably best known for her column in the Globe & Mail, which is always a treat to read. I also love her because she’s the food editor of Food & Drink magazine, which is a free magazine available at the LCBO that has better recipes and a higher production quality than many of the all-too expensive “food magazines” on the market.

Okay. Obviously I’m a fan.

Her latest book is a tribute to seasonal food, with a month-by-month glimpse of all that is in season and delicious. The cookbook also boasts wine tips from Lucy’s husband.

Lucy’s recipes work. They just do.

Once again, I didn’t have a lot of time to test recipes, but I did head straight for the recipe for beignets with chocolate sauce. The batter for these are very similar to the batter for cream puffs. While they were absolutely delicious, I had some issues with them through no fault of Lucy’s. I mistakenly used the wrong size of eggs and it made my batter more runny than it should have been. I ended up with something closer to funnel cakes than I did to beignets. My silly mistake aside, the beignets and chocolate sauce were scrumptious!

I love Lucy. I hope you’ll take my word and buy her cookbook for yourself or as a gift for the avid cook in your life!

Ciao!

And on the eigth day of the 12 Days of Cookbooks I give you Domenica Marchetti’s Big Night In: More Than 100 Wonderful Recipes for Feeding Family and Friends Italian-Style.

Domenica Marchetti is a cookbook author of Italian background who has very quickly become one of my favourites. I also own her book The Glorious Soups and Stews of Italy and believe me when I say it has kept me company during the chilly fall!

Her recipes are excellent and well written and Big Night is no exception. This is a big, warm book about feeding a crowd of people, something that’s good for all of us to do from time-to-time, especially over the holidays!

The book is geared to cooks of all sorts with a heavy emphasis on bright flavours, abundance and comfort. It’s traditionally laid out as it starts with Appetizers and Soups and Salads. It’s followed by Pasta, Rice and Savory Tortes and then Main Courses. The content is rounded out with Vegetables and Side Dishes and then Desserts. There’s even a brunch menu at the end for those who entertain large crowds early in the day!

I, of course, decided to showcase a recipe from the Desserts section. Because you can never make enough crostata in your life, I made the Jam Crostata using strawberry jam.

A simple and rustic tart, this is a perfect example of the kind of cooking and baking that Marchetti offers with her recipes. This was a most satisfying crostata and I look forward to making it again.

I’m also really looking forward to having some people over and trying more of the recipes.

Hope you pick this up for the person in your life that loves to feed a crowd!

Ciao!

And on the seventh day of the 12 Days of Cookbooks I give you Carole Bloom’sBite-Size Desserts: Creating Mini Sweet Treats, from Cupcakes and Cobblers to Custards and Cookies.

Carole Bloom is yet another brilliant pastry chef and cookbook author who I am lucky enough to “know” through her books. I own several of them including The Essential Baker: The Comprehensive Guide to Baking with Chocolate, Fruit, Nuts, Spices, and Other Ingredients (which is another one that I highly recommend).

Bloom’s books help you to create baked goods of the very highest standard. Her latest helps you to create mini baked goods of the very highest standard.

Honestly. Every little thing in this books is so adorable. So cute. So adorable!!!

I’ve tried many of the recipes, all with great success, but my most favourite so far has to be the Nectarine and Walnut Galettes on p. 97 (I used plums instead of nectarines). The pastry for these galettes completely blew me away. It has ground walnuts in it. It is, without question, one of my top five favourite new things that I made this year.

As I mentioned, I’ve tried numerous recipes from the book but another favourite is the recipe for Toasted Pecan Shortbread Bites. The picture isn’t great but trust me these cookies are so cute and so good.

This would make a great gift for a seasoned baker. The recipes do tend to be a bit involved and usually involve several stages so it might not be the best book for a beginner baker.

I’m off to bake something mini …

Ciao!

And on the sixth day of the 12 Days of Cookbooks, I give you Mario Batali’s Holiday Food.

Published in 2000, this book has been around for almost ten years but I only discovered it earlier this year while perusing some titles on-line. I immediately snapped it up and haven’t been disappointed.

Besides being the perfect size to slip into someone’s Christmas stocking, it’s the perfect special book to have on your bookshelf when the holidays come around.

From what I can tell the recipes are a collection of ones that Mario Batali has presented on the Food Network so you can probably find most of the recipes on-line. Still, though, it’s nice to have them all collected in one place and they are fabulous recipes!

Based heavily on Italian holiday traditions, the book walks you through Christmas to New Year’s so this is the perfect time of year to buy it.

I made it my Flavour of the Month for December 2009 so I’m hoping to try many recipes, but for today, you’ll have to settle for the Gamberoni All’Acqua Pazza (Shrimp in Crazy Water). I apologize for the quality of the photo. I was basically drooling as I put the shrimp in the dish and couldn’t wait to dig in so my patience for snapping a photo was limited to say the least.

This would be a perfect dish as part of a traditional Italian Christmas Eve feast, which is usually comprised of fish and seafood only. It’s really easy to make and it’s fast so you can put it together quickly.

Besides having a lot of sweet recipes, what I especially love about the book is that there’s a heavy emphasis on fish and seafood.

It’s a gem of a little book so I hope you pick it up, if not for yourself, then for someone special!

Ciao!

Jumbo Shrimp in Spicy Tomato Sauce
Adapted from Mario Batali Holiday Food.

Serves 4.

1 pound jumbo shrimp, cleaned and deveined
olive oil
1/2 a large onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
1 tsp. red pepper flakes (or you can use fresh hot pepper)
2 cups tomato puree
1 cup white wine
salt to taste
roughly chopped parsley (optional)

In a saucepan, pour in enough olive oil to just cover the bottom of the pan (at least 3 or 4 tablespoons). Heat the oil.

Once the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic and red pepper. Saute until softened. Adjust the heat so that you don’t burn the garlic or onions.

Add the tomato puree and the white wine and simmer for 10 minutes until the mixture thickens.

Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Add the shrimp to the sauce and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, until the shrimp is cooked. Don’t overcook the shrimp or it will be tough.

Plate the shrimp and sauce and sprinkle with parsley if you like. Serve hot.

Enjoy!

And on the fifth day of the 12 days of cookbooks I give you The Craft of Baking by Karen DeMasco and Mindy Fox.

Honestly, 2009 is a year where you could probably buy four or five baking books for the baker in your life. That’s how many high calibre baking books have been published this year (if not more) and DeMasco and Fox’s book certainly ranks among those.

When they say good things come in small packages, they aren’t kidding. While not a huge book, this cookbook is a passionate testament to baking as an art form. Except that you don’t have to be a brilliantly talented artist to do this. Anyone can bake and this book is accessible to everyone, from the beginner to the more seasoned baker.

I feel like I’ve written this about a million times this year but had I had the time, I probably would have tried at least half the recipes in the book (I fully intend on trying many more over the holidays). Everything is so enticing from the scone recipes, to the brioche recipes, to the doughnut recipes, to the tart recipes and so on and so on.

I managed to make the Chocolate Chip Scones, which have instantly become my very favourite scones ever. Made with heavy cream, they are the standard by which I shall judge all scones from now on.

While I did not take a picture of the next dessert I tried, I loved it so much that I ended up eating almost all of it myself, something I rarely do. It’s called Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Panna Cotta and I’ve decided I’m going to spend the holidays holed up in my house eating batch after batch of it.

Try and stop me.

Beautiful photographs. Great recipes. And one of my most favourite features: many of the recipes include suggestions on other recipes in the book that compliment what you’ve made, so you can pair up recipes. Great idea!

Okay. That’s enough. Put this book in someone’s Christmas stocking. I’m off to eat more panna cotta.

Ciao!

And on the fourth day of the 12 Days of Cookbooks I give you Martha Stewart’s Cookies.

I’ve had both success and failure with Martha Stewart recipes in the past, but this book, published in 2008, is a big success in my opinion. It made my list of top 12 cookbooks that I discovered in 2009 for the simple reason that Christmas is cookie season and this book is filled with fabulous cookie recipes.

Produced by the editors at Martha Stewart Living, the book has a cookie for everyone from basic cookies to more complex creations.

If you want to surprise people with cookies this Christmas, this is a great book to buy for yourself or to give as a gift.

I tried two recipes: Coconut-Cream Cheese Pinwheels and Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars.

The Coconut-Cream Cheese Pinwheels were a bit time consuming because of the pinwheel effect but they were well worth it. Not only are they pretty to look at, but the cream cheese pastry was so tender. I used some lovely blueberry jam for the filling.

The Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars were such a treat as well, and so easy. Basically you top a peanut butter base with the jam of your choice (I chose strawberry), and then top with the remaining peanut butter base and salted peanuts. Such an easy yet pleasing treat.

There’s a picture of every cookie, the recipes are clear and easy to follow and most importantly, they work.

This one has my seal of approval.

Ciao!

On the third day of the 12 Days of Cookbooks I give you Savory Baking by Mary Cech.

Published this past summer, I bought this lovely book several months ago during one of my almost-weekly trips to my most favourite bookstore in the world.

I’d never heard of author Mary Cech before, but I must say she deserves kudos of all sorts for putting together a beautiful testament to the joys of savory baking. It’s a delicious reminder that baking isn’t all about sugar and chocolate.

The book covers, among other things, savory breads, pastries, puddings, cheesecakes and cookies. Very well-written and beautifully photographed, it’s the perfect gift for the savory baking fan in your life.

I tried one recipe from the book, which was savory profiteroles part of a recipe for profiteroles served with a caprese salad filling. I didn’t make the caprese filling but rather used the profiteroles to make Parmigiano Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma sandwiches with arugula (not pictured). I made them for an event that I catered and they were a huge hit.

I could go on and on but there’s not much more that I can say other than to give this book my very highest recommendation. It would make a lovely Christmas gift.

Ciao!

On the second day of the 12 Days of Cookbooks, I give you Baking for All Occasions.

December 27, 2008.

That’s the day that I purchased Flo Braker’s brilliant baking book.

I pretty much worship at the altar of Flo Braker, who is a stunningly accomplished baker, teacher and food author.

This book was published in 2008 and I’ve owned it for almost a year, but I only started baking from it about a month or so ago.

If there is a baker in your life that you know and love, then be nice and go buy a copy of this book and put it under the tree for him or her.

Stunning, all the way around, this is what I call a serious baking book in that it starts by giving the reader a strong foundation in baking and then builds on the foundation with block after block of worthwhile recipes.

The Baking Primer is full of important information and tips. As I tell all budding bakers, read the section because the author has put it there for a reason.

The Baking Primer is followed by dazzling recipes that range from timeless classics to more modern renditions of what sweet teeth want to eat.

I love it from cover to cover.

Some of the recipes can be time-consuming, but as I mentioned above, this is a book for people who love to bake. The instructions are detailed, but never confusing. I think my favourite part is the names of the recipes like “Be My Valentine” Heartwiches or Sunshine Orange Semifreddo.

Love.

I’ve made a couple of recipes recently, both of which were winners in every sense. For starters, I made the Eggnog Pound Cake with Crystal Rum Glaze.

I wish I could actually tell you that I tasted it myself but I did not. Before I could barely finish taking the lid off the cake container it was completely gone.

Every. Single. Crumb.

Judging by the smiles from all those that ate it, I’m guessing it was pretty good. The cake uses store-bought eggnog so it’s definitely an opportunity to splurge on some really top-notch eggnog, but evidently it’s also well worth it.

The other recipe I tried was Peanut Butter Crunch Cake, Squared.

Now this one I actually managed to eat and my goodness it was perfect. The cake base is a buttermilk cake that is just divine. The cake is layered with the most delicous peanut butter and white chocolate ganache and the whole creation is topped with my new favourite thing in the world: peanut butter crunch made with salted peanuts and sesame seeds.

Hands down, this is a tremendous cookbook and I consider myself lucky to own it. Thank you, Flo Braker.

Now go make the baker in your life happy and give him or her this book for Christmas!

Ciao!

Disclaimer: Cream Puff will not be held responsible for the dramatic reduction in bookshelf space due to the purchasing of any cookbooks as a result of posts on this blog between December 1, 2009 and December 12, 2009, inclusive.

I happen to believe that cookbooks make the very best Christmas gifts.

Well, okay, maybe diamonds make the best Christmas gifts but right after diamonds it’s cookbooks.

Ummm … hold on … okay Mauviel copper pots are really cool so let’s say Diamonds are number 1, Mauviel copper pots are number 2 and then cookbooks.

Except I guess Gien dinnerware is really nice … oh … nevermind!

Let’s just stick with the cookbooks, shall we?

I find that at this time of year, a lot of bloggers have “year-end” lists as in “my top five posts of the year” or “the best five dishes I made this year”. I always love reading people’s top cookbook lists for the year since I am a cookbook freak. Certifiable freak.

I did a list last year but I left so many cookbooks off my list and had such a hard time choosing that I really felt I needed to do something more this year.

So for the first twelve days of December I’m going to give you a cookbook a day. Now to be clear, while some of these cookbooks are newly published, some aren’t. In fact some of them are older cookbooks but the point is that I discovered them in 2009 and I really feel it would be awesome for you if you found them in your Christmas stocking this year.

So let’s get started, shall we?

On Day 1, I give you Two Dishes: Mother and Daughter - Two Cooks,Two Lifestyles, Two Takes by Linda Haynes and Devin Connell.

I’m the lucky owner of two previous cookbooks by Linda Haynes: The ACE Bakery Cookbook and More from ACE Bakery, both of which I love.

For those of you that are unfamiliar, Linda Haynes is the founder of ACE Bakery, probably the most famous bread bakery in Toronto. I’ve said this to many people on many occasions but ACE Bakery consistently has some of the best artisanal bread in the city. Lucky for me, the ACE headquarters are just around the corner from my family’s business so we’re pretty much in there all the time!

Linda contacted me awhile ago and asked if I’d like a copy of her new book and of course I said yes. The first thing I noticed when I got the book is that it was signed by Linda and Devin so that immediately got things off to a great start. Much like the bakery itself, Linda’s books are very open and very welcoming and the well wishes were a nice touch to get me started!

The idea behind this book is that Linda and her daughter Devin each present dishes based on a particular theme. The difference is that they each present their own take on the theme. What results is an always delicious juxtaposition of recipes. Clearly both good cooks, mother and daughter carry on a “recipe conversation” throughout the cookbook that really clicks. Several times, as I read through the book, I found myself thinking, “What kind of recipe would my mom come up with in this situation?”

It’s a completely accessible book that’s beautifully photographed (a bonus in my books is that many of the pictures are taken in and around Toronto and as a native Torontonian, it was nice to see many of the places that I shop at featured in the book).

Ultimately, though, a cookbook always comes down to the recipes and these ones are very enticing and very good. On the savoury side, there’s a nice mix of dairy, vegetables, fish and seafood and meat. On the dessert side, well, there’s lots of dessert and that’s a good thing that requires no other explanation.

I also really loved the way many of the recipes borrow from a variety of ethnic cuisines including Asian and Italian. The recipes strike a nice balance between being healthful and being indulgent.

It’s hard to put my finger on it, but it’s just one of those books that says “pick me up, invite your friends over and cook from me”. It also says, “pick me up and put me in someone’s Christmas stocking!!!”

If I’d had the time I would have happily tried about half the recipes but I managed to try two in time for this post.

The first was the incredible and life-changing (for me) Multigrain Bread on page 30. I adore ACE’s multigrain bread and buy it all the time. While I enjoy baking bread at home on occasion, I have had no luck with grain breads. I don’t know what my problem is. If the idea of integers didn’t send me into a cold sweat I’d express my rate of success with a negative number. That’s how bad it is.

When I first saw the recipe I flipped by it many times. But then I kept flipping back. Finally I was like, “no guts, no glory”, and I headed out to the nearest natural foods store to stock up on my supply of bulgur, rye flakes and untoasted buckwheat groats (a lot easier to find than one would think!). I made my starter and the following morning I was eating the most incredible grain bread. It will never be ACE’s grain bread but for homemade, it was really good. So I’d like to thank Linda and Devin for giving me that early Christmas gift.

The second recipe I tried was one of Devin’s: Baked Lemony Feta Cheese with Thyme, Rosemary and Black Pepper on page 51. I thought I had thyme in the refrigerator but as it turns out I didn’t. Surprisingly, we still have oregano fluorishing in our herb garden so I substituted some of that instead.

About three seconds after I had my first taste I pretty much decided that this is the appetizer of the year for me. It will be front and centre on Christmas Day when we serve nibbles before the big family meal. Delicious! Delicous! Delicous!

Just like the book.

A big thank you to Linda and Devin for thinking of me but more importantly, thank you for such a lovely book!

Ciao!

It’s all the cookies you’ll be baking.

Don’t look now but it’s already November and if you think that the holiday season is still far off, you’re wrong.

Very soon cookie recipes from all over the world will be knocking on your door, begging you to bake them.

Don’t fight it. Embrace the cookies.

Let’s say that together.

EMBRACE THE COOKIES!

If I may be so bold as to get the ball of cookie dough rolling, you may want to consider Julia Usher’s Cookie Swap: Creative Treats to Share Throughout the Year as a prime candidate for holiday baking ideas (as well as year-round cookie-baking projects).

Take it from a cookbook addict, this is an incredible baking book. Don’t be intimidated by the idea of cookie-baking projects. While there are recipes for both elaborately decorated cookies and simpler treats, the book’s greatest strength is to approach each recipe in a clear, organized way so that even the beginning baker can master these cookies.

Oh, and the cookies! They are so sweet … literally and figuratively. Every major holiday is covered so it’s a book that will guide you throughout the year, not just Christmas.

I’ve had this book for awhile and if I had the time, I would have tried many of the recipes but I wanted to tell you about it in advance of the holidays so you can run out and get a copy or put it on your wish list for Santa.

I have a real soft spot for crescent cookies of any type. The book features a recipe for a crescent cookie called Sugar Between the Sheets. For more than ten years I’ve had a go-to crescent cookie recipe that I make every Christmas: my Apricot Walnut Crescents. I make them every year, often by request. But after making the crescent cookies from Usher’s book I must say they’re going to give my Apricot Walnut Crescents a run for their money.

Made with sour cream, a rich and tender pastry holds a filling of walnuts and sugar that almost caramelizes as it bakes. So. Sweet!!!

As I mentioned above, I could have easily tried every recipe in the book if I’d had the time. Rest assured, though, I’ve bookmarked several other recipes for the holidays.

While I’m getting myself organized and planning ahead, you should be too. If you’re big on cookies for Christmas or any other holiday, you’ll love this book!

Ciao!

I love Cath of A Blithe Palate for many, many reasons, not the least of which being that every now and then, unto my life, she will bring joy in the form of a cookbook.

That’s what I call a fabulous virtual friend. Were I ever to meet her in person, I just might smother her with hugs. (Be forewarned, Cath. Be forewarned.)

Late in July, she contacted me to let me know that she, Stephanie of Dispensing Happiness (I’ll say!) and the fabulous folks at Cook the Books would be hosting another edition of The Edible Word, an event that celebrates delicious cookbooks.

The selection for this edition is a book called Confections of a Closet Master Baker: One Woman’s Sweet Journey from Unhappy Hollywood Executive to Contented Country Bakerby Gesine Bullock-Prado.

Now if there something about that name that seems slightly familiar, it should. The Bullock part is Bullock as in Sandra Bullock. As it turns out, her younger sister Gesine, a lawyer and Hollywood executive, nursed a secret passion for baking until one day, tired of her L.A. life, she decides it’s time to downsize in the truest sense of the word. She downsizes all the way to Vermont where she opens her own bakery.

I know. You think you’ve heard it all before. Sounds like the script for a Hollywood movie starring some starlet who hasn’t eaten in 11 years much less baked.

People, trust the Cream Puff.

This is a good book. It’s a good book because Ms. Bullock-Prado is honest, often brutally so. She doesn’t sugarcoat (pardon the pun) her old life, or her new one for that matter. She offers full disclosure when it comes to the rigours of operating your own bakery, and believe me there are rigours.

Yes, there is the pleasure of being your own boss. Yes, there is the pleasure of spending ridiculous hours doing something you love.

But it’s still damn hard.

Ms. Bullock-Prado is honest, funny and real, as in sometimes, her cakes come out lopsided too.

And the recipes, tucked in between each chapter like chocolate tucked into a croissant, are delicous to read so imagine how they taste.

I don’t have to imagine because I made two of them: Espresso Cheesecake and Apple Pie (made with a puff pastry crust).

Verdict: Even more delicious than Alexander Skarsgard.

When Cath explained the goal of this event, she indicated that we should talk about how the book inspired us.

I will be very blunt: this book just makes you wonder. Can I do it, too? Can I give up the fear and the worry and “buts” and “what ifs” and just go out there and do what I really really want to do?

Yes, I can. Yes, we all can!

Ciao!

I’m a bit late posting my piece for this event. You can read the round-ups on Cath’s blog here, here and here.

You can also read a review of the book at The Daring Kitchen.

When I first flipped through Urban Italian: Simple Recipes and True Stories from a Life in Food by Andrew Carmellini and Gwen Hyman, I of course started with the dessert section. And the recipe that made me stop was this one: Nero Cookies.

At first I smiled because I thought “mmm … chocolate cookies … word for black in Italian is nero and these cookies are so lusciously dark and black … mmm”.

Forgive me. I’m not up-to-speed on my Roman history so much these days.

Once I read the headnote to the recipe, I discovered that the cookies were named Nero Cookies because the cracks that develop in the cookies as they bake reminded the author of the ancient walls in and around Rome. Being that the cookies are dark and dense, he called them Nero Cookies after one of Rome’s most notorious emperors.

Consider me worshipful.

Hail, Cookie!

Ciao!

These are an intense and delicious version of crinkle cookies. I’m sure you can find a version of Chocolate Crinkle Cookies in many different baking books. Here’s a version that I found on-line that you might enjoy: Chocolate Crinkle Cookies.

As I’ve written previously, I’m just trying to keep it simple these days.

In that vein, I must tell you, there are very few simpler menu items for me, nor more comforting, than a good burger. Add a side of onion rings and I’m pretty much in a state of bliss.

This may sound odd because of course there is a certain amount of work involved. You have to peel and slice the onions and fry them (messily, in my case). And you’ve got to make the hamburger patties and grill them.

And yet, a good burger with something fried on the side just hits the spot.

Of course you can’t go wrong with Bobby Flay’s Burgers, Fries, and Shakes, which has been sitting, all by its lonesome, on my desk for quite some time.

I dusted it off and plunged into the joy of a good burger. Delicious, all the way around.

This is a really, really good book. Straight to the point, meaty (sorry … couldn’t resist) and just happiness-inducing (if you count looking at gorgeous food photos amont the things that make you happy).

Thanks to this worthwhile little book, I made an amazing burger and some pretty amazing onion rings. My only regret is that because I don’t own a blender, I didn’t have the chance to try any of the shakes as it has been a childhood wish of mine to have burgers and fries accompanied by a good ol’ milkshake. I continue to dream.

I must say, keepin’ it simple sure is tasty.

Ciao!

Is there anyone out there that doesn’t like the potato?

Especially when said potato is deep fried and then kissed with a light sprinkling of salt?

Anyone? Anyone?

Honestly, I can’t think of one person I know that would turn down a french fry. Clearly, I know the right people!

Going into the weekend, I’ve had french fries on the brain almost the entire week and this is all Martha’s fault. I blame her. If it wasn’t for Martha Stewart’s Cooking School: Lessons and Recipes for the Home Cook, wherein lies a very clear and thorough guide on how to make a good ol’ honest-to-goodness French fry, I would be thinking about other things.

Such as … opening my mail. Or … buying a new coffee table. Or … whether we need a layer of top soil in the garden. Or … ah, who am I kidding?!

I’d be thinking about food in some form or other and the food of choice this week just happens to be one of the most perfect things in the world: the French fry.

I love fries. Love’em! Growing up, we always had fried potatoes but Mama Cream Puff would cut them into cubes for us (which I also love). And unlike a true French fry, she would fry the potatoes once until deeply golden.

The proper French fry, as Martha so capably demonstrates in her book, is fried twice. It is fried once at a low temperature to cook the inside of the potato (this is called blanching). It is cooked a second time at a considerably higher temperature to crisp up the outside of the potato until a glorious goldenness is achieved.

From that point forward, the French fry becomes the canvas upon which ever person can paint whatever they wish. Some people like to paint the French fry with lots of ketchup. Some people use malt vinegar as their medium. Some people (me!) choose to express themselves with sea salt and rosemary. It doesn’t really matter. Point being, French fries are pretty much awesomeness in every sense of the word.

I would use the same word to describe Martha’s book. No use beating around the bush. It’s good. As some of you may know I sometimes have had issues with some of the recipes in Martha’s magazine. Visually they are promising but often, the end result is just a tad disappointing. But no disappointment with this book.

It is exactly what it promises to be. An excellent manual on how to cook everything. Cream Puff recommends it highly.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some French fries to fry and a masterpiece to follow.

Ciao!

Here’s a photo diary of my French fry adventure:

I used Yukon Gold potatoes.

While I do own a mandoline, I decided to cut the potatoes into fries with a knife.

For the blanching of the potatoes, I heated my oil to 300 degrees F.

I cooked them for about 4 minutes before removing them to a paper-towel lined tray to drain.

I let the oil temperature come up to 350 degrees F. for the second frying.

I cooked the potatoes for about 2 minutes in the hot oil. About 30 seconds before they were done, I threw in a sprig of rosemary. I drained the potatoes on paper towels and immediately sprinkled them very liberally with lots of sea salt (there is nothing worse than an underseasoned potato!).

I ate them all. All of them.

When I was a little girl, it seemed our weekends were always filled with visiting, going on family outings and entertaining friends and family. It was all very simple, mind you. In fact I’m not even sure if we would refer to it as “entertaining”, in today’s context.

Nowadays I sometimes feel that entertaining comes with an unnecessary and unrealistic pressure to be something that you’re not. As though if you don’t have the perfect dinner setting, or that must-have tablecloth, that you might as well not waste your time.

“Entertaining”, to us, simply meant gathering somewhere and making sure there was lots of food and lots to drink. The fabric covering the chairs you sat on or the quality of the drinking glasses meant zilch. Seriously.

We were too busy having fun to worry about that kind of stuff.

Now don’t get me wrong. I like fine linen as much as the next person, but I don’t think you need it to enjoy yourself or your guests.

And now that I’m on this little soapbox, what happened to our weekends, people???

Why is it that when I was a kid, it seemed like we had all the time in the world to fit in socializing. In fact, that’s what the weekend was for. Those two end-of-week days were for events with family and friends (picnics, trips to the beach, dinners, etc.) and there was always time for that. Nowadays, I sometimes feel like Saturday and Sunday are just an extension of the work week.

What happened? Where did we go wrong?

I’ve been thinking a lot about this for two reasons. First of all, I don’t think I’ve ever been busier in my work life than I am now. I’m not complaining, mind you, but I’m finding it difficult to maintain the line of separation between work and home. All too often I find myself spending my evenings thinking about work and worse, thinking about it over the weekends.

The other reason why this examination of how I spend my weekend time has come about is because of a cookbook that I had the opportunity to review: Katie Brown Celebrates: Simple and Spectacular Parties All Year Round.

To be honest, I didn’t really know who Katie Brown was until I received her cookbook. But when I did some research, I was surprised to discover a personality that I would consider a kindred spirit. Artistic, creative, charming and calming. That’s how I would describe the Katie Brown that I read about and that I came across in the pages of her book.

As for the book itself, as you might expect it’s a pretty book filled with lots of beautiful photos and tonnes of great entertaining ideas that include recipes but also ideas for making your own party decorations for any occasion.

When I was a kid, that’s what we used to do. We’d decorate everything ourselves with whatever we could find around the house. We were encouraged to be creative and to use everything and never throw anything away.

Something about the book struck a real chord with me and it just got me thinking about weekends and lots of cooking and just doing nothing but enjoying yourself.

While I wanted to try everything, I only tried three recipes. I started with these amazing Apple Popovers with a Brown Sugar Mascarpone Cream (mascarpone cream not pictured). These were so good and they’re a fast and easy way to use leftover apples. You can serve them with ice cream warm out of the oven.

I made Cinnamon Crisps with a Crème Fraiche Dip. These are like palmiers, but with lots of cinnamon and the dip was the perfect accompaniment.

Lastly, I made Feta Herb Puffs, which we enjoyed before our Easter lunch. These were easy: a bit of mashed feta and cream cheese in packaged puff pastry. And they were delicious!

The book is filled with so many recipes that are quick and easy but delicious. And it just has a really warm and fun feel to it that I guarantee will have you dreaming of the weekend throughout the year!

Ciao!

I specifically waited until Saturday to put this post up because to me, Sunday is the king of brunch days.

Thanks to my dear friend Cath of A Blithe Palate and Stephanie of Dispensing Happiness, I’ve had the chance to review Gale Gand’s Brunch! as part of a cookbook spotlight that they’re co-hosting.

I’m lucky enough to own a copy of Gale’s book Chocolate and Vanilla (read the review I did here), which I love and have used many times.

I’m a big fan of Gale’s, although I’m not as familiar with her as I am with other cookbook authors. But most of the people that I know that are familiar with Gale, seem to enjoy the same things that I like about her books. To begin with, they’re very open. What I mean by that is that from the first page there’s a very clear sense that I can easily try each and every recipe in the book. And brunch, above all things, should be easy and straightforward. That’s why we call it brunch and not a formal dinner!

There’s also a lightness to her recipes that I enjoy. Do not fear. There’s butter aplenty (as there should be in all brunches). What I mean is that the recipes are imbued with a sense of starting your day off in a comforting, happy way … another important ingredient in a successful brunch!

At the end of the day (or should I say the beginning), it’s easy to imagine waking up on a Sunday morning and trying any one of the recipes in this book. As it turns out, I tried three, all of which were wonderful.

Because I’ve never met a buttermilk pancake recipe that I haven’t wanted to try, I tried the Buttermilk Pancakes and they were simple, quick and just delicious (pictured above).

And because I’ve never met a granola recipe that I haven’t wanted to try, I made the Cranberry-Almond Granola (with some macadamia nuts thrown in). Wonderful!

And finally, the Quick Pear Streusel Coffee Cake called to me because I had some pears that were languishing in the fruit basket. Now I should tell you that pears are not high on my list of favoured fruits but this quick and most cake actually made me like them. That’s good enough for me!

If you’re into brunch (and who isn’t), I cannot recommend this book more highly! I’m off to plan tomorrow’s brunch …

Ciao!

I cannot believe April is more than halfway over and I have yet to even mention my Flavour of the Month: Lori Longbotham’s Luscious Lemon Desserts.

I adore Lori. I love her recipes and all her cookbooks are just so good. I count them among my most treasured books.

The warm weather has (finally) arrived here in Toronto and it’s just too beautiful outside for me not to be out there. So I’m going to keep this short.

Do you know that I have never made sugar cookies?

Isn’t that crazy!

I had bookmarked Lori’s recipe for Old-Fashioned Lemon Sugar Cookies and I just had to try them.

Something about the lemon and old-fashioned, rustic look to these cookies made me think of a pretty farmhouse in the country with flowers everywhere and budding trees and blue skies and gingham curtains for the windows and a lemonade stand out front and cute gardening clogs by the back door and a nearby pond and chicken and dumplings bubbling on the wood-burning stove. You know, back when life was simpler.

Mind you, I have no idea where this specific farmhouse is located. I’m pretty sure that I don’t own a scrap of gingham and I know, for a fact, that I would look horrid in any manner of clog. I’ve never had a lemonade stand nor have I ever had chicken and dumplings. And wood-burning stoves scare me. A little.

Never the less, a Cream Puff can dream.

And whilst she’s dreaming, she can bake these delicious cookies that have a lemon hit that gets you right where it counts: in the imagination.

Ciao!

Note: I don’t have a recipe for you, unfortunately. As regular readers will know, I don’t like reproducing recipes from cookbooks unless I have adapted them into my own recipe. But if you have a favourite sugar cookie recipe, try it out with lots of lemon peel and a hit of lemon juice. You’ll love it!

Whenever I tell people that I have no idea how many cookbooks I own (I never count them!), I usually get a surprised response. Most people I know might own a handful to ten cookbooks. I own well in excess of 100 (and counting).

The inevitable question is: Why do you have so many?

And the answer is: Because … cookbooks make me happy.

For me, cookbooks are a source of inspiration and a source of pleasure, particularly when I’m stressed out or preoccupied. If I sit down with a cup of coffee and a cookbook, it’s an opportunity for me to focus on what makes me happy and in the process, clear my thoughts.

So it goes without saying that I will never turn down a cookbook. Never!

I was so happy when I was given the opportunity to review The Williams-Sonoma Cookbook: The Essential Recipe Collection for Today’s Home Cook.

I won’t lie. I’m a Williams-Sonoma junkie. I have access to not one but two Williams-Sonoma stores and I regularly make a pilgrimage to worship at the altar of expensive kitchenwares.

Yes. I know. You don’t need any of that stuff to be a good cook. Blah blah blah.

Me likey. And if I want to weep over multi-coloured melamine nesting bowls that’s my business, not yours!

On to the book at hand. As I mentioned, I had the chance to review this book and as one would expect from a cookbook featuring the Williams-Sonoma brand, it’s polished, thorough, accessible and pretty to look at.

The book has almost 400 recipes so it’s definitely value for the price. The recipes range from classics to more modern fare. If you’re familiar with Williams-Sonoma cookbooks then you won’t be surprised by this one. The recipes are clear, clean and precise and never daunting. And they all have that same quality that you sense in the retail outlets: it all just seems so easy.

I would have loved to try about half of the recipes but I had to get my review up so instead I settled on two classics: Banana Bread and Macaroni and Cheese. Both easy enough, but I’ve seen and tried many a recipe for both dishes that greatly disappoint. So I thought I’d put the book to the test.

I wasn’t disappointed.

The Banana Bread was easy, quick and completely satisfying. I actually threw in pistachios for the nuts because I’m on this pistachio bender at the moment and the results were lovely. The cake was moist, not too sweet and made all the banana bread lovers happy.

The Macaroni and Cheese made me really happy. I like old-fashioned macaroni and cheese where you take your time and make a cheese sauce and pretend that cholesterol counts don’t matter. Too many macaroni and cheese recipes nowadays cut corners or try to get you to believe that a few measly tablespoons of cheese will satisfy you. This recipe is pure macaroni and cheese at its finest. I wish I could be more eloquent but really, there’s not much more to than it was really really really good.

If you’re a fan of the Williams-Sonoma cookbook collection, this is one to add to it. If you’re looking for an excellent general purpose cookbook, then this is one to invest in. If you want to live in a Williams-Sonoma store, this cookbook is the next best thing.

Ciao!

Just kidding! But I made ya’ look, didn’t I?

While I would love to hop on a plane tomorrow and fly back to the homeland, that’s just not in the cards (at least not for tomorrow). Instead, let us take a moment to sit back and pretend that we’re flying to Italy tomorrow and then we can further pretend that we will be spending our days looking for one osteria after another in which to indulge our passion for Italian food.

I love pretend.

In Italian, the word osteria refers to a simple sort of restaurant that tends to serve food that here in North America we would likely refer to as “rustic” or “homey”. For those of us of Italian backgrounds, an osteria would likely serve some of the dishes that our grandmothers or mothers would make at home. But one should never think that an osteria is not worth a visit. While the food may seem “simple”, osteria meals are usually flavourful, comforting and satisfying.

I’ve had the book for so long that it seems like it was about a thousand years ago that I received it, but I was given the chance to review Rick Tramonto and Mary Goodbody’s Osteria, a cookbook dedicated to the type of food that one would enjoy in an osteria (in case the name didn’t signal that …).

I’m a big fan of Rick Tramonto’s books. While I’ve never had the pleasure of dining at any of his establishments, I have had the pleasure of his cookbooks and he’s a very successful cookbook writer, in my opinion.

He’s worked on a number of cookbooks including Gale Gand’s Butter Sugar Flour Eggs and is the author of several of his own including favourites like Fantastico and Amuse-Bouche (also with Mary Goodbody).

In Osteria, Tramonto presents a wide range of comfort dishes with many of them updated. In his Breakfast section, for example, there’s a recipe for Eggs in Hell (I’d eat them just for the recipe name) that features eggs served up in a spicy tomato sauce with toast. We’ve all heard of ricotta pancakes but how about Goat Cheese and Ricotta Pancakes?! There’s a trusty section on Sandwiches and a section on Soups and Salads for some lighter fare. What would a book based on osteria-cooking be without a section on Pizza (short but nice) and Pasta? The book continues with Fish and Seafood, Braises, Poultry and Meat, Side Dishes, Cheese and of course, Desserts.

If I had to choose one word to describe it besides delicious, I would choose comprehensive as it very comprehensively covers every course (and then some) with ideas for every manner of osteria-type food.

The recipes do tend to be lengthy but the idea is to take your time preparing these dishes that are sure to make everyone happy. The book itself is pretty to look at (lots of great photos), well-organized and enthusiastic. By this I mean that you can tell the authors of the book truly enjoy the subject of the book (you’d be surprised how many cookbook miss the mark on that point).

While I wanted to try so many recipes, I only managed to try two, both of which turned out very well. I would have liked to take the time to try more but I’ve already had this book for so long that I felt it was time to share it with you.

When I go out to eat I almost never order fried calamari because I find them to be one of the most horribly prepared dishes in restaurants. Either the quality of the calamari is very poor or they’re an oily mess. So you can understand that I was drawn to the recipe in the book. The breading for the calamari is a mixture of semolina flour and panko crumbs. I was unable to locate panko so I used homemade bread crumbs instead (we grind dried bread in the food processor and use that for breadings). The calamari are accompanied by a flavourful “aoli” of mayonnaise, sour cream, herbs, salt, pepper, lemon and lots of fresh garlic. The semolina gave the breading a nice crunchy edge and I have to say they were the best fried calamari we’ve ever made at home.

For the second recipe, I was still out to sea (heh … sorry!) so I decided to try the Tagliatelle with Octopus Putanesca, except we never actually made it to the tagliatelle part. This twist on Pasta Puttanesca has you baking a mixture of onions, octopus, fennel, olives, wine and tomato sauce in the oven before using it to dress the tagliatelle. Now I know it doesn’t look very promising, but trust me, when this baby came out of the oven it was tagliatelle be damned and just dig in with some bread, which is exactly how we ate it. The more observant among you will notice a piece of skate floating around in there. I had a tiny piece of skate languishing in the freezer so I threw it in to no ill-effects, thank you very much!

I wish I could go on about the recipes but I only tried these two. But they were greatly enjoyed and based on those two, I would highly recommend the book.

So … failing a trip to Italy to visit a real honest-to-goodness osteria, you might consider the book instead!

Ciao!

I think I’ve written this many times before on my blog but whenever people ask me what I most enjoy baking, my answer is always cookies.

I love all baking, but cookies are my favourite because to me they offer a certain freedom that other baked goods don’t. You have to commit to a cake or a pie. A cookie, in my humble opinion, is innately free.

You can make them big or small.

You can sandwich them or not.

You can dip them in milk.

Last year, I had the chance to review Carole Walter’s Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins & More. Later in the year, I had the chance the review another Carole Walter’s book, Great Cookies: Secrets to Sensational Sweets.

I’m a huge fan of Carole Walter’s because to me, she is a baker’s baker. By that I mean that her books are perfect for helping the home baker produce truly worthy baked goods. While there are a lot of great baking books out there, some of them that claim to be geared to the home baker miss the mark.

Great Cookies won an IACP award in 2004 and rightly so. It’s a hardcore cookie book with recipes that cover every category from drop cookies to cut-out cookies.

Even though it was published in 2003, the recipes feature classics, some new cookies I’ve never seen before and lots of other cookies that are bound to please no matter how much time goes by.

While I was busy baking Christmas cookies, I was craving something old-fashioned and I found myself craving a good ol’ oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. In the days between Christmas and New Year’s, I cracked open Carole’s book and decided to try her recipe for Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies only to discover that I had exhausted my supply of chocolate chips. In fact, I had no chocolate whatsoever in the house.

Scary times.

Anyway, I did have a bag of butterscotch chips hiding in a cupboard corner so I improvised and threw those in. Next to the bag of butterscotch chips was a half empty bag of toffee bits so I threw those in as well. And I also had some praline left from the December Daring Bakers’ challenge so I figured, what the heck, why not throw that into the batter too!

The end result was surprisingly good. I was worried the cookies might be too sweet but they weren’t. And after the heavier and more complex foods and desserts that we enjoyed during the holidays, it was really nice to settle down with these cookies and a glass of milk!

Hope you get a chance to check out Carole’s book!

Ciao!

Everything-in-the-Cupboard Oatmeal Cookies
Based on Carole Walter’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies from Great Cookies: Secrets to Sensational Sweets.

Note: You can of course use chocolate chips or whatever add-ins you like. I made about 3 dozen 3-inch cookies with this recipe.

3/4 cup brown sugar
2-1/2 cups rolled oats (large flake)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tbsp. light corn syrup
1 large egg
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup toffee bits
1/4 cup ground praline (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a food processor, process the brown sugar, 1/2 a cup of the oatmeal and the granulated sugar until it’s very fine; set aside.

In another bowl, sift together the flour, the salt and the baking soda. Add in the remaining oats and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and the corn syrup. Mix with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).

With the mixture on low speed, add the processed oatmeal mixture and mix until combined.

Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until just combined.

With the mixture on low speed, add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just combined (don’t overmix).

With a wooden spoon, mix in the chips, toffee bits and praline (if you’re using it).

Spoon dollops of the cookie dough onto the cookie sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies. You can make these as large or small as you like.

Bake the cookies for 10 minutes (keeping an eye on them so they don’t burn if you’ve made small cookies). When they’re done they should be slightly golden around the edges.

Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let rest on a rack for 10 minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Let your cookie sheets cool and then repeat with the remaining batter.

Enjoy!

So here’s my dirty little secret: For almost all of my 20s and part of my early 30s, I regularly skipped breakfast.

And by regularly I mean, almost all the time.

So there you have it. I don’t have a particularly good reason for being such a habitual offender beyond the most basic (and perhaps saddest), which is that I simply didn’t care enough to organize myself, to make time, to plan ahead and to prepare.

You see, they don’t call breakfast the most important meal of the day because they feel like it. It is the most important meal of the day. And any meal that’s the most important does require organization, time, planning and preparation.

My lack of all of the above led to the usual laundry list of ills associated with skipping meals: mid-morning hunger, low energy, snack attacks, weight gain and sluggishness.

In place of a fulfilling breafkast, I enjoyed a parade of mid-morning snacks purchased from the nearest coffee shop. These snacks involved coffee and some sort of sweet. I rationalized this terrible habit by telling myself that it was okay since I did manage to eat a lot of fruit and vegetables and I always had a decent dinner.

It is amazing to me that someone that prides herself on being a good cook and baker, someone that prides herself on her family’s culinary traditions and that someone that prides herself on having a responsible attitude towards food could possibly have been so stupid.

But I was.

I’m not exactly sure what initiated my breakfast awareness, but shortly after I turned 30, it began to sink in that breakfast was a necessity and that with a good breakfast I’d be arming myself to have a good day.

I am happy to say that now, in my mid-30s, I have breakfast almost every day. (I still have about a handful of days a year when time gets the best of me and I don’t eat anything. Never said I was perfect!)

From Monday to Friday, my breakfasts are simple, straightforward and delicious. I will eat everything from cereal with fruit, yogurt with granola, yogurt with fruit, hot cereal and toast with butter and jam. What I have really depends on how I’m feeling. There are, however, a few common denominators regardless of what I’m having:

I always have fruit in some form every morning. Whether it’s berries in my cereal or an apple after I’ve had a slice of toast, I eat fruit every morning.

I always have dairy in some form every morning. A glass of milk. A cup of yogurt. Whatever the case may be, dairy for breakfast is good.

I only eat things that I like for breakfast. No matter how “healthy” something is, if you don’t like it, trying to force yourself to eat it is usually not going to end successfully. Over the years, I have learned what foods I like to eat in the morning and those are the ones that I enjoy. I love toast with butter and jam. But rather than eat refined white bread, I enjoy a variety of wholesome breads made with grains, nuts and seeds. And yes I still put butter and jam on my bread because butter and jam are beautiful things and a life without them wouldn’t be much fun (for me).

What do I do on Saturday and Sunday, you ask? Like most people, I have more time for breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays, which means that I can be a bit more elaborate in my preparations. Also, as I believe that indulgence (in moderation) is good for the soul, Saturdays and Sundays are the days that I like to make pancakes, waffles, omelettes, breakfast pastries and french toast. I don’t have these all the time, mind you, but if I do have them it will be on the weekend.

Making time for breakfast on a daily basis has changed my life. For starters, the urge to fall asleep at 11:00 every morning has disappeared. I feel better. I don’t feel like I’m 110 years old. I’ve lost weight. I look better. I’m healthier.

So what prompted this confession? After all of the indulgences of the holidays, I found myself thinking about what I would be cooking and eating during the month of January and that of course led to much contemplation about what I would choose as my Flavour of the Month.

I found myself perusing The Overburdened Bookshelf and my eyes settled on a book called Morning Food: Breakfasts, Brunches & More for Savoring the Best Part of the Day by Margaret Fox and John Bear. Here’s a book that I’ve had for several years but never used.

I suddenly found myself imagining a month of delicious breakfasts so I knew I had to choose this book as the Flavour of the Month. For the first recipe that I tried, I chose one called Kaiserschmarren (The Empoeror’s Omelette). I’m not a huge omelette fan but I chose this one when I realized that it’s actually a cross between an omelette and a pancake that I enjoyed when I was in Austria in 2006.

During my trip, I had the chance to have dinner with Angelika of The Flying Apple and for our dessert, we tried a very traditional dish that was a pancake of sorts that’s then torn apart with forks and served with various accompaniments like stewed fruit. Angelika strongly recommended that I try it (even though I was stuffed) and I did and certainly didn’t regret it.

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to try this dish at home, but this time for breakfast.

If you’re a breakfast eater, I congratulate you. If you’re a breakfast skipper, I’m not going to lecture you. I know what it’s like and believe me, you have to come to accept breakfast on your own terms. But take it from this reformed Cream Puff, you’re missing the best meal of the day!

Ciao!

Here are some recipes for this dish (can be enjoyed for breakfast or for dessert) that you might like:

http://www.thecookingadventuresofchefpaz.com/2008/01/27/kaiser-pancakes-kaiserschmarren/

http://www.austrianfood.net/2008/01/07/kaiserschmarren/

http://www.sheries-kitchen.com/recipes/german/kaiserschmarren.htm

http://www.hsn.com/wolfgang-puck-recipe-kaiserschmarren_at-2740_xa.aspx

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Kaiserschmarren

If you’re like me and haven’t started your Christmas shopping yet … yes … it’s true … and I’m not ashamed of it either … then here’s the post that might help you figure out how to begin.

In past years, many bloggers have summarized their favourite cookbooks of the year and last year I vowed I would do the same thing.

This is by no means to say that there aren’t more cookbooks out there that are worthy beyond the ones you see listed here. This is simply a list of my five favourites for 2008.

In no particular order, here we go:

(1) A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes by David Tanis

What could I possibly add to the countless articles and posts about this incredible cookbook? Really. Suffice it to say that as far as I’m concerned, this book is a love letter to food. This is one of those books that just makes you feel happy to be in the kitchen.

(2) Ottolenghi: The Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi.

I am a frequent visitor at Toronto’s Cookbook Store and when I walked in a few months ago, one of the salespeople very quietly handed me this book and said, “Buy it.” I’m nothing if not obedient. Needless to say I have not regretted it once. Gorgeous. Gorgeous. Gorgeous. This cookbook is about the beauty of flavour and the joy of sharing large amounts of food. As was said to me, buy it! (The Salted Caramel Macarons pictured above are from this cookbook.)

(3) Field Guide to Cookies: How to Identify and Bake Virtually Every Cookie Imagineable by Anita Chu.

I did a post about this lovely gem of a cookbook and you can read it here. The book is the baby of my dearest Anita and not only is it a fabulous cookie book, it’s one of the highlights of my year in that it proves that good things do happen to good people!

(4) Nigella Christmas: Food, Family, Friends, Festivities by Nigella Lawson.

Oh, Nigella! When I grow up I want to be you. This book is basically a testament to the glory that is Nigella and the glory that is Christmas in her house. Please … adopt me!

(5) Urban Italian: Simple Recipes and True Stores from a Life in Food by Andrew Carmellini.

One of the very best Italian-themed cookbooks that I have ever seen. This is modern Italian food to the very core.

Honourable Mentions: Baking for All Occasions by the legend Flo Braker, The Ski Country Cookbook by Barbara Scott-Goodman and Rita Maas, Dish Entertains by Trish Magwood, Luscious Creamy Desserts by Lori Longbotham, Wine Bar Food by Cathy and Tony Mantuano.

Happy Shopping!

Ciao!

Cream Puffs in Venice readers, meet my new favourite French Apple Tart.

French Apple Tart, meet Cream Puffs in Venice readers.

I was introduced to my new favourite French Apple Tart in the whole wide world by Ina Garten, author of the brand new Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics.

When I write reviews, I try to be very thorough. I try to include as many details as possible about how the cookbook is written and presented, what sort of recipes you’ll find in the cookbook and if they work or not and and what my overall sense of the cookbook is.

But sometimes, brevity is best.

Just go buy this cookbook.

I mean it’s Ina, for heaven’s sake! It’s Ina in all her full-colour glory with recipes that just make you want to write her a letter begging that she adopt you.

I want to eat at her house every single day forever.

And now that French Apple Tart is in my life, I want to eat that at her house every single day forever. Puff pastry, sliced apples, sugar, butter and rum.

And now I have a new best friend!

But enough of this useless writing. Go buy the book or go put it on your Christmas list or go bug someone to buy it for you and then go to the kitchen and cook and bake.

Go!

Ciao!

Often, when I’m together with friends or family, and the topic turns to food (when doesn’t it turn to food?), we find ourselves inevitably discussing food shows and cookbooks.

Whenever Giada De Laurentiis’ name comes up, the reaction is interesting. There are those that admire her, those that ADMIRE her, those that dislike her and those that enjoy her work.

I own all of her cookbooks and find myself in the position of saying that I really like her cookbooks, but don’t particularly care for her cooking show. That might sound strange since what she prepares on her show appears in her cookbooks, but my objection to her show has more to do with the way that she’s presented. I think she’s a great cook with some really good recipes thereby making it unnecessary to show all those cleavage shots! I know. I know. That’s part of what makes her show popular. I just think it undermines her.

Anyway, now that I’ve gotten that off my chest (no pun intended), the purpose of this post is not to discuss Giada’s show, but rather her newest cookbook, Giada’s Kitchen.

If you’re familiar with any of her other cookbooks, this one follows the same layout. It’s organized by food category. Recipes are accompanied by gorgeous full-colour photos. There’s even a section for the younger ones (but the older ones can enjoy it too) and also a feature that I’m noticing in more and more cookbooks: a section with suggested menus made of recipes from the book.

It’s a winning formula from her previous books so there was no reason not to repeat it here and it works very well.

If nothing else the picture will make you happy.

I just really like Giada’s recipes. They’re structured for maximum flavour using some of the cornerstones of Italian cuisine (olive oil, cheese) with a lot of ease thrown in (olives, store-bought roasted peppers). There’s a very good mix of recipes as well, whether you’re looking for something to serve at a party or something to make on a quiet Friday night at home.

But my favourite part of this cookbook is the Desserts section, which I think is particularly strong. In fact, that’s one of the reasons why I enjoy her cookbooks. She does not ignore the best part of any meal … the dessert!

So what did I try? Well, not as many recipes as I would have liked but here are some nibbles to entice you into stuffing this into someone’s stocking this Christamas!

Cantaloupe, Red Onion, and Walnut Salad

Easy and delicious, it’s a great salad for a dinner party. Add some thinly sliced Prosciutto di Parma and people may never leave your house again.

Orzo-Stuffed Peppers

If you’re a bell pepper fanatic (as I am), this is like heaven. You’re basically using a bell pepper as a bowl for your pasta. Sign me up!

Orange and Chocolate Zeppole

Just buy the book and make them. That’s all that needs to be said.

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze

It’s hard to resist a lemon cookie but when it’s made with ricotta, it’s impossible to resist!

Just consider this one Giada’s best one and one that you should put on your holiday gift list. You know the one. Where you list all the presents that people should buy for you …

Ciao!

While I would argue that every season is cookbook season, I don’t think there’s any question that that the lead-up to Christmas is probably one of the most intense times for cookbook authors and publishers.

After all, cookbooks make great gifts.

Ahem. Hint. Hint.

Anyway, it’s usually around this time that friends will begin asking me, “So, if you had to buy someone a cookbook for Christmas, which one would it be?”

This year, there will be a number of cookbooks that I’ll be recommending and the first is today’s feature: à la di stasio by Josée di Stasio.

A television personality from Québec, Josée di Stasio’s book was previously released in French and has now been released in English.

In the cookbook’s opening pages, di Stasio writes that “enjoyment is the key word of this book” and to be honest, I don’t think there’s any better way to state my impression of this cookbook.

I could go into detail about layout and pictures (gorgeous and more gorgeous, respectively). I could go on and on about variety and quality of recipes (extensive and very good, respectively), but truth be told, I’d just be wasting your time.

Here’s what you need to know: this is a book for the entertainer in you. You know the one that wants to spend weekends just hanging around the house preparing really laid-back yet delicious meals. The one that wants to have those dinner parties that are totally effortless and stress-free (yes … those do exist). The one that just wants to be happy in the kitchen. If you recognize any one of those people, then you’ll love this cookbook.

As for the recipes, while I only tried two of them, I loved them both.

One was so easy and and turned out so well that we all just shook our heads and thought, “Why didn’t we think of this?” Pictured above are Ham and Egg Ramekins with the “ramekin” being a slice of bread. Seriously. It took about 10 minutes to pull this breakfast dish together and everyone loved it.

The second recipe I tried was pure indulgence for me: Caramel Spread. After tasting this spread for the first time on toast, we just started eating it by the spoonful. It’s a keeper, for sure.

Well I’ve wasted enough of your time. Go buy the book and start having some fun!

Ciao!

Ham and Egg RamekinsFrom à la di stasio by Josée di Stasio.

Serves 4.

4 slices of whole wheat bread (trim off crusts)
1 tablespoon softened butter
4 slices Black Forest ham
4 large eggs
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Using a rolling pin, think out your slices of bread as much as possible (don’t go too thin or they’ll rip).

Divide the butter equally among the four slices and spread it on side of each slice.

On the unbuttered side of bread, lay a slice of Black Forest ham.

Carefully transfer the bread and ham to a muffin tin, making sure that the buttered side of the bread is the side that goes into the muffin cup.

Once all your bread and ham slices are in, crack open an egg and carefully drop one egg into each ham and bread cup.

Bake for 20 minutes and check the bread cups. If the egg is cooked, then remove otherwise keep it in the oven for an additional 5 minutes.

Once out of the oven, let rest for a few minutes before carefully popping out the bread ramekins. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

You may have noticed that a certain book has been taking over the food blogging world thanks to an exciting virtual cookbook blog tour.

The book I speak of is none other than Anita Chu’s Field Guide to Cookies: How to Identify and Bake Virtually Every Cookie Imagineable.

Most of you will know Anita from her sweet (literally and figuratively) and charming blog, Dessert First.

For those of you that don’t know Anita, she’s a passionate baker who has turned her love of pastry and dessert into a livelihood that now includes her very first cookbook.

As I told her in an e-mail recently, this is proof that good things do happen to good people!

The blog tour for Anita’s book has already touched down on Jen’s blog, Ari’s blog and Sara’s blog and today I’m happy to be hosting this great event. In the days to come you can visit Helene, Veronica, Aran, Béa and Peabody to follow the book on its tour.

A Field Guide to Cookies is a small format cookbook that’s 304 pages in length. It features photographs, along with a glossary of ingredients, an index of recipes and a legend of symbols used throughout the recipes.

And when you read the subtitle, that it’s a guide to every type of cookie imagineable, it really does include every type of cookie you could possibly imagine baking. In fact the first thing that struck me (pleasantly) when I flipped through the book is the variety of recipes included.

Clearly, Anita did her homework before and during writing this book. The variety of recipes alone would make this an indispensable cookbook for both the novice and more experienced cookie baker.

If you’re familiar with Anita’s blog, then you’ll know that she’s a very elegant writer. Her style is clean and conscise, as well as precise.

Her writing style in this book mirrors the standard she’s set on her blog. The recipes are very clear and simple to follow with uncomplicated instructions. For the first-time cookie baker, these are not intimidating recipes and for the more experienced baker, these are recipes that are attractive because in short order you can have a batch of lovely homemade cookies.

And there’s a cookie for everyone in here. Whether you like rolled cookies, filled cookies, drop cookies — whatever you fancy — you’ll find it in here.

Put it all in a cute little package that is quite maneouvreable, and you have yourself a must-buy cookbook (Sometimes with small format books — this book’s dimensions are roughly 6 x 5 x 1 inches so it’s not a large tome by any means — the books are difficult to hold or keep open on a page but Anita’s book definitely does not suffer from that problem.)

Okay so down to the nitty gritty. What did I bake and how did the cookies turn out?

I chose three cookies: Chocolate Espresso Cookies, Algerian Almond Tarts (Dziriate) and Swedish Sandwich Cookies (Syltkakor).

The Chocolate Espresso Cookies were intense. Almost truffle-like in texture, they had a wonderfully deep chocolate flavour enhanced by the espresso powder in the cookies. These were a huge hit as we are definitely chocolate lovers in my family. They were so good that I almost didn’t get a chance to snap a photo! What I liked about these cookies is that they were unfussy. Just mix the batter, roll the cookies into balls and bake. You end up with a cookie that has a sophisticated and elegant taste but doesn’t come with hours of prep work. Loved them!

The second cookie recipe I tried was for the Algerian Almond Tarts or Dziriate. Now, please don’t be put off by my photo. Unfortunately, my cookies did not hold their shape in the oven but this is through no fault of the recipe. When shaping the cookies, I was in a bit of a rush and didn’t wet the dough to ensure that the edges stayed together. As a result, the cookies lost their shape in the oven. But that aside, they were absolutely delicious. In fact, of the three cookies I tried I would say that these had the best taste thanks to the exotic (to me anyway) hint of orange flower water. I have a bottle of the stuff hidden way back in a cupboard and I thought it was high time I used it. This was one of the reasons that I chose this recipe. Add in the nuts, butter and vanilla and you have a truly beautiful cookie. Next time, though, I will take more care when shaping them so that they’ll actually look pretty, too!

Finally, I mixed up a batch of Swedish Sandwich Cookies (Syltkakor). All I can say about these is make them. The dough comes together so quickly and as these are sandwich cookies, you have lots of options in terms of what type of cutter to use and what type of filling to use. I brought these cookies to a famly function and everyone loved them.

I have to thank Anita for including me in her blog tour. This has been such a fun experience and I’m honoured to say that I own a copy of Anita’s first cookbook!

In the days to come, please be sure to check out the following blogs to find out how these bloggers feel about Anita’s book:

Nov. 17th - Helen of Tartelette

Nov. 18th - Veronica of Veronica’s Test Kitchen

Nov. 19th - Aran of Cannelle et Vanille

Nov. 20th - Bea of La Tartine Gourmande

Nov. 21st - Peabody of Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

Ciao!

Chocolate Espresso Cookies
From Field Guide to Cookies: How to Identify and Bake Virtually Every Cookie Imagineable by Anita Chu.

Recipe:

1¾ cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
2½ teaspoons instant espresso powder
1¾ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
12 oz semisweet chocolate
½ cup softened unsalted butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
½ cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (6 oz) chocolate chips

1. Sift flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and set aside.
2. Melt chocolate in a metal bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stirring occasionally so it will melt evenly; remove from heat when smooth.
3. In a stand mixer, cream butter and sugars on medium speed for several minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
4. Pour in melted chocolate and beat until combined.
5. Add flour mixture and chocolate chips and mix on low just until incorporated.
6. Cover dough and refrigerate for about 15-20 minutes until it is firm enough to scoop.
7. Preheat the oven to 350◦F. Line several cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
8. Roll dough into 1½-inch balls and place on sheets about 2 inches apart.
9. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes—cookies will still appear soft but will firm up upon cooling. Cool cookie sheets on wire racks before removing cookies with a metal spatula.

Yield: About 5 dozen cookies.

What attracted me to Carol Field’s Italy in Small Bites was the idea of small snacks throughout the day to sustain me.

Wouldn’t that be amazing … if at any time of the day you could bite into something tasty, yet not filling?

I’ve spent most of October dreaming about what I’d try from this book and yet never getting around to it. That’s most of the month spent dreaming about snacks with almost no snacking.

Until I made these little babies.

Do you know what taralli are? Have you ever seen them in your local Italian bakery or grocery store? Ever bitten into one?

No?

You’re missing out.

I’m not sure where or when I was introduced to taralli but they have always been around. They’re not a traditional food from either of my parents’ areas of Italy, but my neighbour makes them, and the grandmothers of a lot of my friends made them and I can’t visit a bakery or grocery store in this city without seeing bins of them.

They are taralli.

So what are they?

Taralli are like a sort of breadstick shaped in a ring. They’re not quite crispy like a breadstick but they’re not soft or chewy either. Taralli can be savoury or sweet depending on what you add to that basic recipe. My favourite taralli are savoury ones dotted with fennel seeds, but I also love taralli spiced with red pepper flakes. Growing up, we would often eat sweet taralli that had been dipped in a glaze or icing.

The recipe for taralli in Field’s book caught my eye because I’ve never made them before and have always wanted to try them. And because I love them. If I can learn to make something I love, then why not!

The dough for taralli is very similar to making a pizza dough. You start with flour, yeast and water (and a bit of salt) to which you add the flavouring of choice. The taralli that I buy are almost always flavoured with fennel seeds so that’s what I used.

After allowing the dough to rise, the dough is rolled into log ropes that are then divided into three. From each segment, you make a ring.

Then, much as you do with bagels, you drop the rings into boiling water very briefly. As soon as the rings float to the top, you remove them to drain and cool down a bit.

The taralli are then baked until golden and somewhat crunchy.

I say somewhat because the taralli that I’ve eaten have always had this interesting texture. It’s a cross between something crispy and something flexible. I know that sounds odd, but trust me, if you try one you’ll understand what I mean.

I was very proud of my taralli. While they don’t compare to the homemade taralli that I’ve had from those who are true experts, they were good for a first try and rather easy to make.

As with most worthy snacks, they prove that homemade is usually best.

I’m having so much fun with Field’s book (and my daytime snack imaginings) that I’m not ready to say goodbye to it yet. I’m keeping it around for the November Flavour of the Month.

And now back to my snacks …

Ciao!

Here are some interesting posts about taralli as well as recipes for taralli that you might want to read or try:

Various taralli recipes
Inside a Pugliese Taralli Maker
Taralli
Street Food from Napoli: Taralli

It’s hard to believe that half of October has already passed and I have yet to talk about my Flavour of the Month for October 2008: Carol Field’s Italy in Small Bites.

I’m a big fan of Carol Field. I have a number of her cookbooks and have always had great success with them. To me, she’s one of those cookbook authors who just knows how to write a good recipe.

Italy in Small Bites is among my favourite Italian-themed cookbooks.

I chose this book for two reasons. First of all, ever since returning from my summer vacation, Italy is never far from my mind. And secondly, since Italy is never far from my mind, I seem to have zeroed in on Field’s book quite a bit since being back.

The basis of the book is an exploration of Italian snacks (hence the “small bites”). By snack, I refer to the concept of “merenda“. In Italy, la merenda is a mid-afternoon snack that tides you over until dinner, which is usually later in the evening (8:00 or 9:00 p.m. and sometimes even later). In my family, we would have merenda around 4:00 or 5:00 and it would almost always be something simple like a slice of bread drizzled with olive oil and sea salt, some coffee and cookies or a plate of fruit. Regardless of what our merenda consisted of, it would always be something small. Merenda is never a huge meal.

Italy in Small Bites is essentially a tour through Italy with glimpses of the incredible variety of foods that would be served at merenda. Now I should point out that Italians approach merende (the plural of merenda) in a multitude of differing ways. The snacks found in this book are not exclusively for mid-afternoon. As with all things involving Italian food, the variety is astounding.

There was one recipe in the book that I’ve had bookmarked for a long time, but that I’ve never tried and that’s a recipe for Farinata. In its simplest form, farinata is a think pancake made of chickpea flour thickened with water and usually olive oil. It’s baked until it’s golden and crispy. While farinata is very famous in the region of Liguria, there are numerous variations on the idea of the chickpea pancake throughout Italy.

I love anything made of chickpeas so it follows that I would adore anything made with chickpea flour. Like the very best “snacks”, this is an easy one to make and the end result is a crispy, slightly salty gift to the mouth that yields the essence of chickpea as soon as you bite into it. And it’s all delivered with a hug of rosemary and olive oil.

It was so good, it was almost as good as being in Italy with my family.

Hope you try it.

Ciao!

Note: I made the the recipe from Carol Field’s book but you can find recipes for farinata everywhere. Here are a few samples of some great versions of farinata:

Farinata from Food & Wine

Farinata with Onions and Black Pepper from Ilva of Lucullian Delights

Farinata from Italian Cooking & Living

Farinata with Sage, Olives and Onion from Epicurious

Saturday August 2, 2008; 3:37 p.m.

That is the exact time that my vacation started. That is the time of the last e-mail I sent (to Lis, for the record). Right after that e-mail, I turned off my computer, and shortly thereafter left for the airport.

And so began three weeks of computer-free living in Italy, surrounded by my aunts, uncles and cousins.

It was bliss.

It’s difficult for me to describe the feeling of returning to Italy to my father’s family. It’s beautiful and warm and reassuring and healing and exciting and emotional and fun and nerve-wracking and stressful and transforming all in one.

My father was the second last of six children. And when I’m there, my aunts and my uncle surround me in a way that makes me feel like my father is always with me. Always, I am amazed at how much they look like him, how much they sound like him, how much they make me remember him.

For me, it’s like being in a cocoon and when my vacation is over, I emerge renewed and restored by the energy and caring of my relatives. Of course, add to the mix the fact that it’s Italy.

Gorgeous, sexy, stunning, breathtaking Italy.

Since I’ve been back people have been asking me for photos but the truth is I took very few pictures while I was there. I had no desire to operate anything more technically challenging then a fork and knife (both of which I operated quite a bit thank you very much).

For three weeks, almost no camera, no computer, no cell phone.

I love my blog and I love the Daring Bakers. Both of these entities have found a significant place in my life. But I would be lying if I didn’t say that it was nice to put the pause button on blogging.

So while I was away, I filled my free time with lots of observation.

I observed all the food that was put in front of me. I tasted everything. I smelled everything. I listened to the sound of everything cooking. I touched the fruits and vegetables and cheeses that touched my plate.

Best of all, I spent as much time as I could with my aunts. While I have spent very little time with them in the grand scheme, still, they are a major force in my life. They have become the standards to which I aspire. They are the most incredible women and everyday I feel blessed that they are a part of my life.

And I miss them terribly.

It was a small blessing then, that upon my return from vacation, I found a copy of a book called Olives & Oranges waiting for me.

Written by Sara Jenkins and Mindy Fox, it’s a book dedicated to the food of the Mediterranean. This beautiful book has been a great source of comfort over the past weeks. That’s why I chose it as the Flavour of the Month for September 2008.

For the first recipe, I couldn’t resist trying the Plum Galette. Just outside of an aunt’s house in Italy, there is a beautiful purple plum tree. Everyday I walked by that tree and stared in awe at its branches, absolutely laden with plums.

But they weren’t ready. Everyday I knew that I’d be leaving without tasting one of those plums this year. So as soon as I got back, I went to the farmer’s market and bought myself a basket of gorgeous purple plums. Some of them I’ve baked into this lovely tart.

And I imagine myself sitting under my aunt’s tree, staring up at those plums.

Ciao!

Plum Galette
My version of the galette in Olives & Oranges written by Sara Jenkins & Mindy Fox.

I did not adapt this recipe in any way so I’m not going to share it with you here. However, if you’ve ever made a fruit tart or a fruit galette, then you shouldn’t have any problems recreating this recipe. Alternatively, I suggest you buy the book!

For the galette dough: It starts with a basic tart dough or pâte brisée. This is an excellent pâte brisée so I highly recommend using this one if you don’t want to buy the book. Instead of dividing the dough into two disks, gather it into one large disk and refrigerate it for about half an hour.

For the filling: While the dough is refrigerating, take about two pounds of plums or any other fruit you like. If using a stone fruit like plums, then simply cut them in half. If using peaches then cut the fruit into slices. Toss the fruit with a bit of lemon juice and a few tablespoons of sugar.

Assembling the galette: Once the dough has chilled, roll it out into a 13-inch circle. Arrange your fruit in the centre leaving a border. Fold the edges of the border over the fruit and then brush the border with egg wash. Sprinkle with a bit of brown sugar for caramelization.

Baking the galette: Start off by baking your galette for about 25 minutes at a high temperature (I recommend 425 degrees C.). Then lower your temperature to 375 degrees C and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until your galette crust is golden and the fruit filling has released a lot of juice and has thickened. Let the galette cool on a rack before serving.

There are many reasons to grow your own food. Some people do it as a hobby, some people do it for a living and some people do it because they believe it is the best way to ensure that the food they’re eating is the freshest and healthiest food available.

But I also happen to believe that growing your own food is deeply comforting.

I don’t think the scale on which you’re growing or gardening really matters. I think what matters is that when you put something into the soil and nurture it, in your own way your putting a little bit of love back into the world. And giving love is just as good as getting it.

If you’re getting a bit worried that the Cream Puff has gone all spiritual on you, don’t. These ruminations come about as a result of a two-month perusal of Jim Denevan’s excellent cookbook Outstanding in the Field: A Farm to Table Cookbook.

When I do a cookbook review, I like to take my time getting to know the book. I like to read it (or as much of it as I can). I pay attention to things like the binding and the quality of the paper (does the book lay flat when it’s open or do the pages flip over?). I like to read the directions to recipes and see if I can get it in the first read-through. In a nutshell, I like to get to know the book.

Based on my getting to know this book, I would say that we’ve become very close friends. Prior to receiving this cookbook, I’d never heard of Denevan. After a bit of research I found out that he’s a chef, but with a twist. Instead of operating a restaurant, Denevan brings the restaurant to the people by organizing huge outdoor meals that feature the freshest and most beautiful food available. He started an organization called Outstanding in the Field through which these incredible outdoor experiences are organized. Imagine a travelling restaurant showing up in your neighbourhood, setting up an enormous table and then inviting everyone in the neighbourhood to sit down together and enjoy the best of the local produce. What a way to honour all the incredible growers and food producers out there that are working their behinds off to keep the tradition of wholesome, good food alive!

As for the book, it’s just beautiful. Lots of colour photos and recipes that flow from one to the other seamlessly. The emphasis is not on complicated or fussy dishes but rather on simple, appealing cooking that relies entirely on fresh (and hopefully local) foods. There is also a strong sense of kinmanship with those among us who are food artisans. You know who I mean … those people that work like crazy to produce unbelievable cheese that no one knows about because too many of us are busy eating processed, fake cheese. Or that grower that’s singlehandedly brought all sorts of heirloom vegetable varieties back to the forefront.

I guess the point is that this food is beautiful and delicious and easy to grow and cook with.

And oh-so-comforting.

Ciao!

Note: The first two photographs feature a Fresh Strawberry Bavarian, which is made by combining strawberry puree, sugar and lemon with unflavoured gelatin dissolved in water. Some whipped cream is added and the bavarian is chilled overnight. The second photograph features a Corn Chowder with Marjoram, which is made by separate corn kernels from the cob. The cobs are then cooked in water for about an hour to create a vegetable stock. The kernels are sauteed with onion and carrot and diced potato. The stock is then added in and the mixture is cooked for a good 20 to 30 minutes. Puree half the mixture in the blender and then return to the remainder of the soup. What you end up with is a nice and chunky corn chowder. Don’t forget the marjoram!

With a few exceptions, I know that I don’t eat nearly as many grains as I should.

While certain grains like oats and barley find their way into my meals on a somewhat regular basis, there is an astounding number of grains that I have never even seen, much less tasted.

And this is truly unfortunate.

The entire issue came to a head when I had the opportunity to read Lorna Sass’s Whole Grains Every Day, Every Way. I’ve had this cookbook for awhile and kept meaning to review it on my blog but I was so taken with reading it (usually in the evenings) that it was quite awhile before I began focussing on it as a blog post topic.

To be quite honest, I’m simply fascinated by how many grains there are out there and the fact that people have been eating them for thousands of years, if not longer.

Amaranth, Himalayan Red Rice, Teff, Farro, Triticale, Sorghum … the list goes on and on. How have I never tried any of these?

Since I love cookbooks that read like stories or novels, Sass’s book is right up my alley. It’s like a long and loving essay to one of the most beautiful gifts the world has to give us. Except that unlike the boring essays I wrote in university, this is an essay that I actually enjoy reading. And I get it.

I understand. There are incredible grains produced all over the world and they’re good for us and they can sustain us if only we’d open our eyes (and our pantries) to them.

I think my favourite part of Sass’s book is the opening chapter called Whole Grains 101. In five-and-a-half pages, Sass very directly, clearly and concisely explains what a whole grain is, how to choose and store grains, how to stock cooked grains so that they become a sort of “fast food” (except there about a kabillion times healthier than what we know as fast food) and she also explains her focus and plan for the chapters that lie ahead.

I was so impressed by this opening chapter because unlike other “teaching” cookbooks, which is sort of how I regard this one, you’re not bogged down by tonnes of information that you’re likely to never remember.

Don’t get me wrong. I like information. It’s good. Information about food is good. But when it takes thirty or forty pages to explain a type of food or a cooking technique, I’m sorry but I’m not going to hang around for the party.

What follows is a section on eighteen different families of grains. The section includes a description of the grain, nutritional information and instructions on the basic preparation of each grain. Everything is clearly stated without any frills. It’s just the plain truth about each grain.

The book is rounded out by several chapters of recipes that include salads, side dishes and desserts. There’s a photo section and an excellent section on mail-order sources for those grains that might not be readily available in your supermarket or local health food store.

I’ve had this book for quite awhile so it was time to do a review. Otherwise, I would have gladly read it cover to cover many more times. When deciding what to try, I simply ran out of time. I’m preparing for a vacation in August so I knew I had to cut to the chase.

For some reason I kept returning to amaranth. I just love that word and found myself intrigued by a very simple yet enticing recipe for something called Popped Amaranth Crunch. It’s a recipe for a very versatile addition to many dishes that is made of dry-cooked amaranth that’s popped in a pan (think popcorn but on a much tinier scale). The popped amaranth is complimented by pumpkin and cumin seeds and then mixed with dried oregano, chile powder and salt.

You can add it to salads or use it as a topping for other dishes like soups. And yes, if you’re like me you can even eat it out of hand. I used it mainly for salads and also as a last-minute topping on roasted fish. I can’t believe how addicted we’ve become.

The version I present to you today is slightly different in that I don’t particularly like cumin seeds and while I like chile powder, I find that it can be overpowering if I add this to salads. I’ve simplified it a bit and do hope you’ll give it a try.

If nothing else, I hope you pick up a copy of this incredibly informative cookbook. Whether you’re already an avowed grain eater or whether you just want to learn, it’s an excellent resource and addition to any cookbook library.

Ciao!

Popped Amaranth Crunch
Adapted from Whole Grains Every Day, Every Way by Lorna Sass.

Note: The original recipe makes about a cup or so of topping but I’ve doubled it as I found that we went through the original amount far too quickly. When making this, be sure to use a pot with high sides or the amaranth will pop all over the stove.

6 tbsps. amaranth
5 tbsps. raw pumpkin seeds (make sure they’re hulled)
2 tsp. chopped, fresh oregano (use 3/4 to 1 tsp. dried oregano if you don’t have fresh)
1/2 tsp. salt

Heat a large pot until the bottom is very hot to the touch. Add the amaranth and immediately begin stirring it. The amaranth will start popping and become white and bead-like.

When about one-third of the amaranth has popped (this will happen very quickly), add the pumpkin seeds and keep stirring to make sure nothing burns. Stir for an additional 30 seconds.

Remove the amaranth and pumpkin seeds to a bowl and immediately add the oregano and the salt. Stir and then let the amaranth crunch cool.

Once it’s cool, add it to any dish you like.

Store it in an airtight container for up to a month.

Enjoy!

Thanks to the Daring Bakers, I had the opportunity to reveal my true Southern Belle self, if only for a little while.

Thanks to an opportunity to review Katie Lee Joel’s The Comfort Table, I had the opportunity to revisit Red Velvet Cake, not to mention the petticoats and hoops skirts my inner-Southern self loves so much!

I first heard about Katie Lee Joel when I happened to catch her on an episode of Oprah Winfrey’s daytime show. I almost never watch television during the day so it I suppose it was fitting that on a day when I was watching daytime television, I watched a show I almost never watch and saw a person I’d never seen before who happens to be married to a singer whom I know very little about.

When it comes to Billy Joel, I know Piano Man and Uptown Girl. Sorry. But that’s about it.

Still, though, it was hard not to be charmed by Mrs. Joel so a few short weeks later, when I was given the opportunity to review her new cookbook, I said yes.

When the arrived, my first reaction was that it was a pretty book filled with lots of lovely photographs. It has a very “homey” feel to it as the author shares her family stories and recipes.

I’m sure quite a few people would look at the book and not bother, chalking it up to a celebrity cookbook, but it’s actually an excellent book both for entertaining purposes and for some very simple and cosy home-cooking.

While this is not an elaborate cookbook nor is it one that’s likely to teach you a new cooking technique, it’s filled with recipes that are accessible and that work (nothing worse than a cookbook with awful recipes).

And Katie Lee Joel really can cook which is a nice switch from other celebrity cookbooks where you just know that the author wouldn’t be able to find their kitchen with a map.

The book’s format is very standard as it’s divided into chapters that range from Starters to Dessert. A lot of the recipes are twists on ones you’ve seen before, and some of the recipes are family favourites. The instructions are clear and for the most part, the recipes are all based on ingredients that most of us would have readily available in our cupboards or pantries.

There’s a heavy emphasis on recipes that are perfect for entertaining whether it be a large crowd or a cosy dinner at home.

I wanted to try a savoury recipe and a sweet one. For the savoury recipe, I decided to try the Green Pesto Pasta Salad as summer is always a good excuse for pasta salad.

It was a very easy recipe that I amended slightly by adding cherry tomatoes. The instructions were accurate and the end result was delicious. So far so good!

When it came to try a sweet recipe, I just couldn’t resist Grandmother Paul’s Red Velvet Cake. The recipe headnote explains that the recipe is originally from the grandmother of Paula Deen, who is a close friend of Katie Lee Joel’s.

Listen. I’m a sucker for red velvet and even though there were other recipes that enticed me, this was the one I had to make.

Verdict?

Honestly, this was one of the best cakes I’ve made in a long time.

Seriously.

The sponge part of the cake was so light and airy that I had to resist eating it right out of the pan without any frosting.

And speaking of the frosting, it was easy to make and equally delicious. Made of cream cheese and butter with the addition of melted marshmellow, it was just the right consistency (not too heavy) for the light cake.

When filling the cake, I added pecans and coconut but left the frosting for the outside of the cake plain. I garnished with some lovely pecans and everyone - and I mean everyone - that tried it loved it.

While I would have liked to try some more recipes, based on the two that I did try, this is a good cookbook. It’s charming and doesn’t try to be anything other than what it is: a collection of easy-to-make recipes for comfort food.

Ciao!

One of my favourite ways to unwind at the end of the week is to stop by my local big-box bookstore on the way home from work.

Once there, I have a strict routine that I follow each and every time. First, I peruse the food section of the magazine rack. From there I make my way to the discounted cookbooks table and from there I travel to the epicentre of my world: the cookbook section.

Now it should be noted that I rarely buy cookbooks at my local big-box bookstore because Toronto has one of the very best cookbook stores anywhere, aptly named The Cookbook Store.

Still, though, I do enjoy my Friday after-work relaxation sessions and it was during one of these sessions that I picked up a cookbook that I fell instantly in love with: Jeanne Kelley’s Blue Eggs and Yellow Tomatoes: Recipes From a Modern Kitchen Garden.

I’m not quite sure what it was that drew me in. I don’t know if it was the brilliant cover photo of a pair of hands holding blue eggs (blue eggs!) and yellow tomatoes. I don’t know if it was the gingham design on the book’s spine (Cream Puff looooooooooooves gingham)! I don’t know if it was the size and weight of the book (something so comforting about the book’s heftiness).

I don’t know what it was.

All I know is that I marched to the cash register and happily handed over my money so that I could take this little piece of cookbook heaven home with me.

To say that I fell in love with this book is to put it mildly. The best way that I can sum up my feelings is that in my wildest dreams, were I ever to write a cookbook, this book is exactly how I would want it to look and feel and the recipes are exactly the kind of recipes I wish I could write.

All manner of beautiful photographs sit beside recipes that are a dream to me: Curried Yellow Split Pea Soup with Mint Yogurt, Green Been, Corn and Farro Salad, Broiled Iberico Cheese, Serrano Ham and Romesco Tartines, Alsatian Bacon and Onion Pizza, Albacore Kebabs with Charmoula and Moroccan Chicken Skewers.

Want more?

Okay.

How about Stuffed Turkey Breast with Achiote, Poblano Chiles and Feta Cheese? Or how about Spiced Lamb with Mint, Date and Apple Pear Relish? Rose and Orange-Scented Honey-Nut Tart? Any takers?

A sizeable cookbook, the paper is thick and glossy and the fonts used are so very pretty! The palette of colours used in the book’s design are warm and inviting, just like the very best of kitchen gardens.

There’s even a section on how to keep your own chickens.

Such a beautiful, beautiful cookbook.

Prior to purchasing it I had no idea who Jeanne Kelley was and wherever she may be in the world, I’d like to thank her for her vision in creating such a book.

It’s truly a thing of beauty.

Ciao!

Ricotta, Honey and Pecan Tartine
Inspired by Blue Eggs and Yellow Tomatoes: Recipes From a Modern Kitchen Garden by Jeanne Kelley.

Note: In case you hadn’t figured it out this book is my choice for Flavour of the Month for July 2008. A tartine is an open-faced sandwich. There is a recipe in the book for Whole Grain Tartines with Ricotta, Walnuts, Cherries, Honey and Mint. This is my pared down version (serves 2) of that recipe.

two 1 to 1-1/2-inch thick slices of good bread, grilled or toasted (I used a fabulous sourdough but you can use whatever you like)
1/2 cup ricotta
1/4 cup chopped pecans
3 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. chopped mint

Divide the ricotta in half and spread half on one slice of bread and the other half of the ricotta on the second slice of bread.

In a small bowl, mix the pecans and the honey and then divide it equally amongst the two slices of bread, covering the ricotta with the pecan and honey mixture.

Sprinkle both tartines with mint.

Enjoy!

Makes you think of snakes doesn’t it? Creepy!

But actually there’s nothing creepy about this post or the cookies pictured above for those are S Cookies made by my very own Mama Cream Puff!

When I was a kid, we would either eat homemade cookies or, on occasion, Italian store-bought cookies. While my brother and I longed for Oreos or Chips Ahoy, what we got was a pretty small selection of your basic Italian-style cookie. Most popular among these cookies (with my mother), was the S Cookie. The brand of choice was Biscotti Milano.

S Cookies were crisp, dry cookies, shaped like an S, with a very light vanilla glaze. While the glaze did give them some sweetness, they weren’t overtly sweet, which is why I think they were the preferred cookie. Also, their dry nature made them perfect for dipping into a class of milk and coffee, which also made them popular with my parents.

I detested S Cookies. Not so much because they didn’t taste good, but rather because they didn’t taste like Oreos.

Once I was old enough to assert a certain level of cookie independence, I turned my nose up at S Cookies deeming them far too simple and rustic for my refined 9-year old tastes. I still didn’t get my Oreos, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to give anyone the satisfaction of eating an S Cookie.

Of course, then I grew up and realized what a stupid kid I was.

Don’t get me wrong. Oreos are great. But one bite of an S Cookie and I’m transported back to those wonderful homemade cookies that would come from my grandmother’s or my mother’s kitchens. And there’s just no comparison. Sorry, Oreos!

Back in March, I featured Sweet Maria’s Italian Cookie Tray by Maria Bruscino Sanchez as the Flavour of the Month on my blog. I didn’t have the chance to try these back then, but I asked my mother if she’d give them a go and she did. While they’re not quite like the S Cookies that we used to buy, they’re very good. Crispy and dry with a nice cinnamon sugar coating, they’re the perfect cookie to munch on with your milk and coffee.

Another fun thing to do in Italian June.

Ciao!

Cinnamon S Cookies
From Sweet Maria’s Italian Cookie Tray by Maria Bruscino Sanchez.

Note: The original recipe bakes these cookie at 375 degrees F. but we found that to be way too hot. We lowered the heat to 355 degrees F. Also, the original recipe uses a cinnamon and brown sugar mixture for the coating but we preferred a cinnamon and granulated sugar coating.

1/2 cup (1 stick), unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsps. cinnamon
2 tbsps. granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 355 degrees F. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix the butter and brown sugar on medium high speed until light and fluffy (about 3 minuts). Add the egg and mix well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure the egg is incorporated.

With the mixer on low speed, add the flour and baking powder. As soon as a dough forms, turn the mixer off.

Remove the dough to a lightly floured surface (have some extra flour on hand in case the dough gets sticky).

Break off small pieces of dough and roll them into ropes that are about 5 to 6 inches long. The rope should be the width of a straw or pencil.

In a large, shallow dish, mix together the cinnamon and sugar. Roll the ropes of dough in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and then form an S shape with the rope of dough when you place it on the baking sheet.

Leave a few inches of space between each cookie.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, keeping an eye on the cookies as they can burn very easily. They’re ready when they begin to turn slightly golden.

Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

Okay.

I know I said June was going to be all Italian and stuff but I had to really struggle to find the Italian link for today’s post. So I figured I’d figured I’d use one of my favourite Italian words, dolce (sweet), to describe one truly sweet book: My Sweet Vegan by Hannah Kaminsky.

I am unapologetically not a vegan. I support everyone in their food choices and understand that many people have dietary and other health issues that require certain diets. I get it.

But I love my meat, my dairy, my nuts, my flour and everything in between.

However, last year I did have the experience of having to bake a nut-free cake and it changed the way that I look at specialized cuisine, especially baking.

When I was approached with the chance to review Hannah’s book, I said yes not so much because I was interested in vegan baking, but more so because I’m a big fan of Hannah’s!

Her blog is called BitterSweet and it’s just gorgeous! Besides the fact that Hannah is an amazing cook and baker, she’s also amazing with crafts. Seriously, some of the things she makes are jaw-dropping. I encourage you to visit her blog and see for yourselves!

So what to say about her book? For starters, it’s a very pretty book. By this I mean it has tonnes of beautiful photos and is laid out with bright colours that draw you in to the recipes.

Now as for the recipes themselves, well, it’s an entire book dedicated to sweets, many of them originals and many of them veganized versions of classics.

As I read through the book trying to decide what to make, I made my way to p. 62 and stopped in my tracks.

You know when you go to parties and there’s always that big bowl of something called “Party Mix”. Well I’m the girl at the party that grabs the bowl and hogs it going so far as to snarl at anyone that comes near.

I loooooooooooooooooove party mix!

So when I saw a recipe for Party Mix Bars, well of course I had to make them. And they were so very good!

I’d like to thank Hannah for creating such a beautiful book and certainly making me think about the merits of a vegetarian lifestyle (no … I’m not switching but I am trying to be more conscious of eating habits). I’d like to thank her for being so patient as this review has been a long time in coming.

But most importantly, I’d like to thank her for creating a lovely little book with a very distinctive voice that gives vegetarians the opportunity to enjoy lots of great sweets, and everyone else the opportunity to experiment with a different way of baking.

Ciao!

Maple Coconut Party Mix Drops
Adapted from My Sweet Vegan by Hannah Kaminsky.

Note: The original recipe makes a 9 x 13 inch pan of party mix bars. I’ve cut the recipe in half and chosen to make individual servings of the sweet party mix. I’ve also “un”veganized it by using butter where the original recipe uses margerine. Sorry … I don’t do margerine! I’ve also substituted some of the corn syrup with maple syrup which offers great flavour.

1 cup mini pretzel twists
1 cup Chex rice cereal (or a similar cereal)
1-1/2 cups crispy rice cereal
1 cup mixed salted nuts (you can use any nuts you like)
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp. coconut extract

Spray 12 aluminum cups or 12 foil cupcake liners with a bit of cooking spray and set aside.

Combine the pretzel twists, the cereals and the nuts in a large bowl.

In a small pan, melt the butter then add the sugar and stir until combined.

Add the corn syrup and maple syrup and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook the mixture for about 3 minutes until it thickens a bit.

Turn off the heat and add the coconut exctract. Immediately pour the mixture over the cereal and nuts and stir so that everything is well coated.

Working quickly, spoon the mixture into the prepared baking cups. Each cup will take 2 to 3 tablespoons full of the cereal and nut mixture. Let cool and then enjoy!

I have decided that June is going to be an Italian month.

So that would be Giugno.

I have no particular reason for this decision other than the fact that a little over a month ago I purchased this delightful little book by Maxine Clark and fell in love with it.

Seriously in love. In fact I’ve been taking it to bed with me every night for the past week!

One of the recipes that intrigued me as soon as I saw it was one for Devil’s Potatoes. It’s a dish of boiled potatoes drenched in olive oil and flecked with evil hot red chili peppers.

We eat a lot of boiled potatoes with olive oil and salt. In the summer, my mother will often throw in a bit of mint, which is delicious. At this time of year, it’s hard to find red chili peppers that are truly hot. The ones in the supermarket barely pass the spicy test in my family (we are pros when it comes to spicy food). I find we have better luck with jalapenos until we’re able to pick the hot red peppers from our garden (hopefully in another month or so).

I added chopped parsley and mint to the jalapenos, drenched the potatoes in lots of gorgeous extra virgin olive oil and added some sea salt as a final touch.

Delicious!

Enjoy Italian June … I mean Giugno.

Ciao!

Potatoes with Mint, Parsley and Jalapenos
Adapted from Easy Italian: Simple Recipe for Every Occasion by Maxine Clark.

Note: This dish will serve 4 people.

4 large potatoes, boiled with the skins on until cooked through
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (or more depending on your tastes)
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
1 tbsp. chopped mint
1 jalapeno, finely chopped (if you don’t like spicy food then you should seed the jalapeno)
sea salt to taste

Let the boiled potatoes cool for a few minutes before peeling off the skins. Slice the potatoes into thick rounds (at least half an inch) and place rounds in a bowl.

Pour the olive oil over the potatoes. We like our potatoes to be drenched in olive oil so we may use as much as half a cup. How much you use is up to you.

Scatter the chopped mint, parsley and jalapeno over the potatoes. With your hands or with a large spoon, mix thoroughly.

Add salt to taste and serve.

Enjoy!

There was a time when nary a butterfuly was seen in these parts.

I think it had a lot to do with the widespread use of pesticides which, thankfully, has been curtailed.

In my opinion, the sight of a butterfly flitting around a garden is surely one of Nature’s most beautiful sights.

So when I opened the book Hello, Cupcake! by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson and saw a baking project involving butterflies resting prettily on cupcakes, I knew I had to to try to recreate them.

I received a copy of this book thanks to a lovely person at Houghton Mifflin Company and I couldn’t have been happier to welcome it into my cookbook family.

This is one of those books that makes you want to take a week off work just so you can spend it in your kitchen building cupcake penguins and aliens, among other things.

Seriously. You have to look at this book!

Divided into chapters that focus on different themes likes April Fool’s or Nightmare Before Thanksgiving, the book has numerous baking projects that all use cupcakes as building blocks. Literally.

A thorough introduction that explains the basics of baking and frosting cupcakes is augmented by lots of colour photos and step-by-step instructions for some of the more involved projects. Don’t be intimidated, however. The book teaches you how to use all sorts of everyday treats to make the most incredible things. For example, you can learn how to make perfect little cabbages out of … cornflakes!

I know. I know. It’s earth-shattering.

I think a huge part of the book’s appeal is that even the most inexperienced baker would have a grand time trying out any of these baking projects. The book closes with a variety of recipes for cupcakes and frosting. While there are recipes that call for baking mixes (I’m not a fan), the book does also offer recipes for entirely homemade cupcakes and frostings. Either way, there are options for those who might normally be intimidated by this sort of thing and those that think, “Make a dog out of cupcakes? Why not?!”

I thought the book was fabulous and am very happy that I had the chance to review it. If you have any budding bakers (young or old) in your life or any cupcake fanatics for that matter, this is a book they’d love.

I made my cupcakes with a very basic chocolate cupcake as the base. I used a vanilla buttercream that I tinted yellow as the frosting and a base for butterflies that I had piped and filled using dark chocolate (for the outline) and coloured candy wafers (for the interior of the butterfly).

Believe me when I say they look more complicated than they are. I followed the book’s template for the outline of the butterfly wings and after getting used to (attempting) to pipe in a straight line, I was able to produce them quickly. I filled the interior of the cupcakes and then used a toothpick to swirl the dark chocolate and pink candy coating together. I let the wings set in the refrigerator before placing them atop the cupcakes.

After seeing all those pretty butterflies on the cupcakes, I can’t wait to see all the pretty butterflies in the garden!

Ciao!

I’ve had Paris on my mind of late.

I suspect part of it is that I recently finished reading this lovely book. Not to mention that I kept seeing this other pretty little tome pop up all over the food blog world (who wouldn’t want to go to Paris after seeing that?).

But part of it also the desire for a bit of escape.

It’s been a tough month and as is often my way, I look to my cookbooks for relief.

This month, my eyes fell on Paris Boulangerie-Patisserie. I’ve had this book for quite awhile and, from time to time, have perused its pages wondering wistfully when I will be able to visit Lenôtre and Dalloyau, among others.

Perhaps soon.

In the meantime, though, I have set my mind to baking.

I am of the belief that the truly simple things are the ones that do your heart good. And while there are those that would argue that butter and sugar may not be the most heart-friendly things in the world, I believe that something that comes out of the warmth of your oven does far more good than bad, no matter what.

I saw a recipe for these lovely jam squares and my heart immediately said, “Make them!”

Faites-les!

Ciao!

Jam Squares
Adapted from Paris Boulangerie-Patisserie by Linda Dannenberg.

Note: The original recipe for these squares is called Carrés aux Framboises (Raspberry Squares). I had to do some work on the dough part of this recipe as I could not get it to come together nicely for me. But after a few tweaks, I ended up with a gorgeous dough that’s a cross between a pie dough and a shortbread dough. You can use any sort of jam to fill the squares.

2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup sliced blanched or natural almonds (the original recipe uses blanched almonds but I used sliced, natural almonds as I preferred the texture)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
2-1/2 sticks (1-1/2 cups) unsalted butter, softened
a glass of ice water (you may need it to moisten the dough)
1 to 1-1/2 cups of thick jam (whatever jam you prefer)
1 large egg, lightly beaten with a tablespoon of water (this is for the egg wash)
coarse sugar (optional)

Place 1 cup of the flour and the 1/2 cup of the almonds in the bowl of the food processor. Process until the almonds are finely chopped and you have a powdery mixture.

Add the remainder of the flour and the sugar to your mixture and pulse several times to combine.

Add the beaten egg, vanilla extract and the softened butter and pulse 15 to 20 times (or until your dough comes together around the blade). If your dough doesn’t come together, drizzle in a few tablespoons of ice water. The dough should come together nicely and should not be powdery or floury.

Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and gather into a disk. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for half an hour.

While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. The original recipe calls for a 10-1/2 x 15-1/2-inch jelly roll pan but you can use any size you have. If you have smaller pans, then make two sets of squares.

When the dough has chilled, divide it in half and roll out the first half into a rectangle that is about an eighth of an inch thick (you can make it slightly thicker). Carefully transfer your rectangle of dough to your lined baking sheet.

Spread the jam over the rolled out dough, leaving a two-inch border all the way around.

Roll out the second half of the dough to a slightly smaller size. Lightly brush egg wash over the border on the first half of the dough and then top with the second piece of rolled out dough. Working from one end, fold the bottom part of the dough up over the top half. Then press down with a fork all the way around to seal the border to ensure that the jam doesn’t escape.

Brush the top of the dough with more egg wash and prick with a fork to create some holes to allow the steam to escape. Sprinkle on coarse sugar if you like.

Bake for 35 minutes. The dough should be golden and baked through.

Remove to a wire rack and allow to cool before slicing into squares.

Enjoy!

After putting up my last post, I realized that the recipe was somewhat incongruous with the theme of the post. Baked pasta is good and all, but not quite what one thinks of when one imagines the arrival of spring.

I returned to the inspiration drawing board and realized that it was time to finally post a cookbook review that I’ve had in the works for quite a long time.

Back in the winter, I received a copy of Valerie Peterson’s and Janice Fryer’s pretty book called Cookie Craft. As the title would suggest, the book is all about the craft of baking and decorating cookies.

While I’ve gained experience over the past few years decorating cakes and cupcakes, I’ve spent almost no time learning how to decorate cookies. For this reason I was excited to receive my copy and to see what I could learn.

And then three months went by.

So last week, finally, I decided it was high time to dust off this little book and challenge myself to a new baking project.

While not a very big or long book, Cookie Craft is divided into a number of chapters that are full of helpful tips, interesting projects and great basic cookie recipes.

Interestingly, the book begins with numerous project ideas (divided by seasons, holidays and celebrations) and follows that up with chapters on ingredients and supplies; planning; recipes and decorating techniques. As well, the book includes instructions on how to store and ship your cookies.

There are pictures throughout and some useful diagrams that help you to visualize the process. I especially enjoyed the tips and suggestions sprinkled throughout the book in sidebar boxes.

For my own cookie project, I decided to try the basic recipe for Rolled Sugar Cookies decorated with royal icing for the piped outline and thinned out royal icing that I coloured and used to flood the interior of the cookie.

In honour of spring, I broke out some very pretty cookie cutters and had a great time making the cookies. Personally, I could have eaten them just like that but the whole point of the exercise was to learn how to decorate cookies.

I started by whipping up a batch of royal icing to pipe outlines for the cookies. The icing was fairly easy but the piping … not so much. I do not have what I would call “a steady hand”, however, what I lacked in steadiness I made up for in fun as I thoroughly enjoyed trying to create neat outlines on the cookies.

This step was followed by whipping up another batch of royal icing (slightly thinned with water) that I tinted with gel food colouring. I dabbed blobs of this icing in the centre of the cookie and used a toothpick to spread it out.

Again, it wasn’t very professional looking but it was a lot of fun to see what colours I could mix and what the end result looked like.

In the end, I had some very funny-looking and bright cookies. I shared them with friends and family and everyone seemed to really enjoy them.

While I can’t say I see a future in cookie decorating for myself, I certainly came to appreciate the art of decorating the cookie thanks to this book. If you have a chance to pick it up, I highly recommend it!

Ciao!

Note: For another great review about this book (and to see how cookies should truly be decorated!), check out Anita’s post.

What is life without a little bit of the whimsical? The magical? The fanciful?

I think that is perhaps what I love most about the idea of decorating a wee cupcake: it’s an opportunity to let your creative heart out.

Call me silly, but I just can’t help but feel a bit of whimsy these days. Life is crazy as ever and the world is as strange as ever but some things never change.

I can smell spring in the air.

The other day I saw a few brave daffodils insistently pushing their way through the soil.

Today I saw the most perfect pair of summer sandals.

Ah, whimsy!

But whimsy also comes in other forms, namely a cookbook by the name of Little Cakes from the Whimsical Bakehouse: Cupcakes, Small Cakes, Muffins, and Other Mini Treats by Kaye and Liv Hansen.

A very sweet and kind person sent me a copy of this book after reading about my experience baking cupcakes for the wedding of a coworker. I was so touched! I made a promise to myself that I’d take a look at the book and post about it and then work and life got in the way.

Happily, over the past few weeks I had some time to finally look through this book and I have fallen in love with it.

It’s just adorable. Not to mention the fact that it’s filled with some very good recipes for baking basics like buttercream, as well as numerous recipes for all sorts of cakes and treats. The book is organized into a series of “baking projects” that are all accompanied by detailed decorating instructions. Through the miracle of the Internet, those instructions are augmented by The Whimsical Bakehouse’s web site, which has a number of useful videos on how to create various decorative accents.

While I was tempted by many of the projects in this book, the one that drew me in was the “Flower Power” project that features lemon coconut cupcakes decorated with buttercream in the form of a variety of flowers.

For the cupcakes, I adapted the recipe because while I love lemon and I love coconut, in a very strange twist I do not love those two ingredients together. Instead, I created dulce de leche coconut cupcakes by adding a blob of dulce de leche to the base of each of my cupcake liners. I replaced the lemon juice in the recipe with buttermilk to create a very tender crumb. For the buttercream, I used a recipe from the book called “Kaye’s Buttercream” and added coconut extract to augment the coconut flavour.

To decorate the cupcakes, I couldn’t resist trying the rose decoration and the hydrangea decoration. I’m not sure how successful the hydrangea was, but I was very proud of the rose.

This is such a sweet little book. I hope that as spring approaches and everyone’s thoughts turn to lighter days and warmer weather, you’ll take a moment to let some whimsy into your life and perhaps bake a cupcake or two!

Ciao!

Dulce de Leche Coconut Cupcakes
Adapted from Little Cakes from the Whimsical Bakehouse by Kaye and Liv Hansen.

Note: I used mini paper cups to bake these cupcakes. The recipe yielded 36 mini cupcakes. You can also make 12 regular-sized cupcakes. Be sure to grease a muffin tin and line with cupcake liners if you’re making the regular-sized ones. I used a buttercream recipe from the book but I didn’t adapt it in any way so I’m not going to post it here. For a really good buttercream recipe, try this one.

Ingredients:

1-1/2 (12 tbsp.) sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tbsp. coconut extract
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup dulce de leche

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line paper cups on a baking sheet. Place a dollop of dulce de leche in the bottom of each paper cup. Set aside.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar for 3 minutes. The mixture should be pale and fluffy.

With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add the coconut extract and mix well.

Add the dry ingredients to the mixture in three stages, alternating with the buttermilk in between each stage.

Be sure to scrape down the bowl to ensure that the batter is well mixed.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the coconut.

Spoon the batter into the waiting paper cups. They should be halfway to three-quarters of the way full.

Bake for 20 minutes and check for doneness. If a cake tester doesn’t come out clean, bake for a few more minutes.

Remove the mini cupcakes to a wire rack and let cool completely before frosting.

Enjoy!

One cannot choose a cookbook as the Flavour of the Month and then allow the whole month to pass without saying even one thing about said cookbook.

That just won’t do.

Especially when one has chosen such a special, pretty little cookbook as the Flavour of the Month for March 2008.

As often happens in life, while searching for one thing, I came across another even better thing. As I scoured www.amazon.com for a certain book I was looking for, I hit upon Maria Bruscino Sanchez’s Sweet Maria’s Italian Cookie Tray and what a delightful find it was!

This slim little volume should not fool you, though. It carries more baking wisdom in its little pocket than many books three or four times the size carry. And it’s full full full of the kinds of recipes that you find handwritten on old pieces of paper tucked away in kitchen drawers. Except in this book the recipes actually have identifiable measurements like cups and tablespoons as opposed to “a handful of this” or “two fingers worth of that”.

I didn’t know who Maria Bruscino Sanchez was when I bought the book so I looked her up and found out that she’s a baker with a business of the same name located in Connecticut. Sanchez is the author of three other cookbooks that I was unable to locate because they’re exceptonally hard to find! On a whim, I decided to e-mail her and lo and behold she sent me a lovely e-mail in response informing me that all four of her books will be available in a bound volume in the fall of 2008.

Yes! The cookbook monster is appeased.

In the meantime, I’ve been keeping this book close at hand to leaf through during the few quiet moments that I’ve had over the past month or so. And while I didn’t have time to try a recipe, Mama Cream Puff came to the rescue and made the very first recipe in the book: anginetti.

I asked her to make these because they reminded me very much of a simple lemon cookie that my grandmother would often make. The recipe consists of eggs, milk, lemon extract, sugar, vegetable oil, flour and baking powder. The baked cookies are topped with a glaze of icing sugar, lemon extract and water.

Simple.

And delicious.

Ah, the joys of accidental stumbles! You just never know what treasure you’ll find.

A wonderful weekend to all!

Ciao!

When I saw that my sweetie Lis was hosting the latest edition of the Weekend Cookbook Challenge (originated by Sara of i like to cook), I knew that I had to find time to participate.

Between work and the Easter holiday, this past month has been a busy one to say the least. But I did some planning and managed to find some time to try a recipe that I’ve been longing to try for some time: Rice Pudding with Dulce de Leche.

The idea for this dessert came from a book that I adore called Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey: Desserts for the Serious Sweet Tooth by Jill O’Connor. The book is beyond gorgeous and there’s a recipe in there for rice pudding with dulce de leche and cream.

I’d wanted to try the recipe for awhile and decided that this was the perfect occasion. While I borrowed the idea, however, I used my own go-to rice pudding recipe as the basis.

The theme for this WCC was to prepare a recipe using a pressure cooker, dutch oven or crockpot. I decided to use a dutch oven to prepare the rice pudding because we recently bought a little one that is just too adorable! Sometimes I’ll just put it on the stove and look at it because it’s so darn cute!

Once the rice pudding was cooked, I swirled in a huge dollop of dulce de leche and enjoyed a lovely treat.

I hope you get to enjoy it too!

Ciao!

Technorati tags: rice pudding, weekend cookbook challenge

Well, February certainly isn’t shy.

She has announced herself with much snow and bluster around these parts, anyway. But I don’t mind. The weather has given all of us the perfect reason to hunker down and indulge in hot chocolate and cookbooks.

As I perused The Overburdened Bookshelf for a book to feature as the Flavour of the Month, my eye kept coming back to a recent addition to the bookshelf, Maxine Clark’s Chocolate: Deliciously Indulgent Recipes for Chocolate Lovers.

I bought this book because when I opened it, the very first picture I saw made my mouth water. I immediately snapped it shut and marched to the checkout counter.

Picky shopper, I am not.

Anyway, the experience has given me an idea about the month of February. What if, for the entire month, all my posts were chocolate-related? Can it be done?

Let’s just see, shall we …

Ciao!

Talk about coming down from a high! I want to thank everyone for all of your incredible comments and support after my post about the cupcakes I baked for my coworker’s wedding. It was quite an experience and I’m looking forward to where it leads.

As exciting as it was, it was also exhausting. I spent most of Sunday and Monday trying to absorb it all. I couldn’t even begin to think about going back into the kitchen.

But now that it’s all sunk in, it’s time to get back to cooking. For the January 2008 Flavour of the Month, I chose the book Fagioli: The Bean Cuisine of Italy by Judith Barrett as my focus for the month.

When I looked at The Overburdened Bookshelf for this month’s choice, I knew that I wanted this month to be about comfort. I feel the urge for dishes that are slow-cooked and dense. I want to eat foods that stick to your ribs and help keep the cold at bay. I also wanted to finally showcase some recipes from what is a lovely book. As someone who once worked in publishing, I am mightily impressed by books that not only help you to produce beautiful food, but that are works of art in and of themselves. From the cover to the paper to the way the book is printed, it’s an extremely attractive piece of work.

For my first recipe, I couldn’t resist the siren call of chickpeas. I adore chickpeas. Growing up, one of my mother’s quickest and best side dishes on a weeknight was a simple salad of chickpeas and chopped red onions dressed with olive oil and red wine vinegar. Such a versatile food, you can do a million things with chickpeas from adding them to pasta or soup, making dips with them or roasting them for a snack.

I chose to try a recipe for a Whipped Chickpea and Potato Spread. Like my mother’s salad, this was almost ridiculously easy to put together and it vanished in minutes. And while I am not one to focus on the health benefits of food (we’re all adults … we all know what’s good for us), chickpeas are incredibly nutritious which makes this dip all the more attractive.

Enjoy the month of beans!

Ciao!

Whipped Chickpea and Potato Spread
Adapted slightly from Fagioli: The Bean Cuisine of Italy by Judith Barrett.

Note: This makes about 2 cups of spread. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days.

1 cup chickpeas (you can use canned or you can use dried chickpeas that have been soaked overnight)
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 dried bay leaf
1 medium-sized potato, cut into quarters
one small piece of onion, finely chopped (the truth is you can use as much onion as you like …)
extra virgin olive oil (about half a cup)
salt and pepper to taste

Place the chickpeas, the garlic clove and the bay leaf in a pot and add 5 to 6 cups water. Bring to a boil.

If using chickpeas that were soaked overnight, simmer for one hour. If using canned chickpeas, you can proceed right away to the next step.

Once the chickpeas are tender (after having cooked for an hour if you used dried chickpeas), add the potato and cook for another 20 minutes or until the potato is tender.

Drain the mixture and let sit for about half an hour to cool a bit.

Discard the bay leaf and put everything else (including the chopped onion) into the bowl of a food processor. Process the mixture for about a minute to mash it up.

With the processor running, begin adding the olive oil through the feed tube. Continue adding until the mixture is creamy.

Add salt and pepper to taste and blend to combine.

Spoon the mixture into a bowl and drizzle with a bit of olive oil before serving.

Enjoy!

After having sorted through all my photos yesterday, the cleaning up process continues with a post that I’d meant to put up prior to American Thanksgiving but never did.

This past fall, I had the opportunity to review a copy of the cookbook How to Cook a Turkey produced by the talented team of people that work on Fine Cooking magazine. I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this before on my blog, but I consider Fine Cooking to be the best food magazine out there. While I love magazines like Food & Wine and Bon Appétit, Fine Cooking is the one that I turn to time and time again.

Published in September 2007, How to Cook a Turkey is a comprehensive and compact guide to preparing a holiday meal from start to finish. Don’t be fooled by the word turkey in the title. While the turkey has it’s own chapter in this book (and an excellent chapter it is), this cookbook isn’t just meant for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Divided into ten chapters including a holiday survival guide (which I love), the book covers every aspect of a holiday meal from appetizer to dessert. In typical Fine Cooking style, the recipes are clear and concise and in many cases (like making gravy) include step-by-step photos which would be particularly helpful to the person hosting a holiday party for the first time.

The recipes include the classics like Butternut Squash Soup with Apple and Bacon, Roast Duck or Goose, Maple-Glazed Carrots, Classic Pie Crust and Apple-Cranberry Crisp. But the cookbook also includes some interesting twists on holiday foods like Bacon-Wrapped Ginger-Soy Scallops, Madeira Gravy, Pearl Onion Gratin with Parmesan, Savory and Thyme, Sweet Potato and Grits Spoon Bread and Espresso Gingerbread Cake.

For those of you that are turkey-obsessed, then this is definitely the book for you. I buy all the holiday magazines each year and have seen many a turkey how-to guide but I’ve never seen one as thorough, enlightening and helpful as the guide in this cookbook. From tips on which turkey to buy to brining, trussing and stuffing the turkey, every question you could possibly have is answered here. While I don’t believe a good cookbook needs photos, this cookbook has them and they are tremendously useful. There’s a gravy lesson for the gravy-challenged as well as a selection of stuffing options that are incredible.

So did I try any of the recipes? You betcha!

Butternut Squash Soup with Apple and Bacon

Delicious! The apple adds a fruity element to the squash and who doesn’t love crumbled bacon on anything?

Classic Apple Pie

While we have a family favourite recipe when it comes to apple pie, it never hurts to try a new one. This one is simple, easy to prepare, and comforting in the way that only apple pie can be.

Cranberry Rosemary Relish

I decided it was time to try a cranberry sauce with a twist and this one fit the bill. The rosemary is an interesting foil for the tart cranberry.

Maple Walnuts

Every holiday meal needs some munchies beforehand and these are perfect.

Yukon Gold Gruyère Galette

Perhaps the star of all the recipes that I tried, this is a layered potato pie featuring potato and gruyère cheese. This one will cause family members to fight over who wants the last piece. What’s a holiday without a family argument???

I also tried the following recipes but in the heat of the kitchen battle I didn’t have the chance to photograph them:

Your Basic Stuffed Roast Turkey
Classic Bread Stuffing
Pan Gravy with Fresh Herbs (the best gravy I’ve ever made!)
Browned Brussels Sprouts with Hazelnuts and Lemons
Stuffed Mushrooms with Pancetta, Shallots and Sage

If you’re a cookbook addict like me, then here’s another one to add to the list. If you’re a cookbook novice and you’re looking for that one all-encompassing cookbook that will help you through any holiday meal, then this is also the one you want to pick up.

And that, my friends, is the final cookbook review for 2007!

Ciao!

Technorati tags: fine cooking

Do you hear that?

Listen carefully.

It’s the sound of all that holiday baking coming your way. While I am not one of those people that starts decorating the house for Christmas in July, I am one of those people that starts thinking about Christmas baking in … oh … say April.

And while I don’t actually start my Christmas baking until about two weeks before the holiday, it’s just never to early to start thinking about what beautiful things will soon issue forth from your oven.

To help get the baking juices flowing (mine and yours), I want to tell you about a cookbook that I had the pleasure of reviewing: Carole Walter’s Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins & More.

I don’t know a lot about Carole Walter beyond the fact that she’s an amazing baker who won an IACP award for Great Cookies: Secrets to Sensational Sweets.

How I wish I would have taken the time to learn more about her prior to this book as she’s clearly an amazing writer and baker! This cookbook is a gem filled with foundation recipes for all sorts of cakes, breads and more. There are some lovely photographs to compliment the more than 200 recipes for old-fashioned favourites and more modern interpretations of classics. Of particular interest to me were the chapters dedicated to old-style baked goods like strudel and danish pastry.

The book is well-written and well-organized. While many of the recipes are straightforward, some of them are also fairly dense and involved so for the beginner, I would recommend reading the recipes a few times.

Not that an inexperienced baker should be put off. These recipes work! Each entry is accompanied with an “At a Glance” section that tells you the degree of difficulty of the recipe, the baking time and the equipment you’ll need among other things.

Present throughout the book is an element that I always look for: the author’s voice. I’ve written about this before and often wonder if people think I’m a little nutty but my favourite cookbooks are the ones where I can very clearly sense the author’s voice and personality coming across. Carole Walter, as accomplished as she is, comes across as an excited baker who loves the task. There’s a sense of camaraderie created in the book that makes you feel like you’re baking with a good friend. For me, that’s an elusive quality and often the difference between a good cookbook and a great one.

As I always say, though, the proof of a cookbook’s quality is in the recipes. So what did I make?

Butter Pecan Pound Cake

Yes. That’s right. A pound cake that has an unbelievable butter pecan flavour. I could write about this cake for days but instead I will say that based on this cake alone, you should buy the book. I’ll stop there.

Nut-Crusted Orange Pound Cake

I made this cake soley because I was intrigued by the idea of baking a cake in a pan that was dusted with ground nuts! I’d never done that before and the results were delicious!

Dimpled Sugar Cake

I couldn’t wait to post this review simply because of this cake. Made with one of the most versatile (and easy) yeasted doughs I’ve ever come across, this cake is heaven in a pan. After dimpling the surface of the dough (the way you would dimple focaccia), you spoon brown sugar into each dimple and top it with butter. What you end up with is a caramelized crust on top of a soft, rich bread. So good!

Swedish Tea Ring

What I love about the foundation recipes in this book, like the yeasted dough mentioned above, is that they’re structured to yield enough to make two recipes. So with the other half of my dough I made this Swedish Tea Ring. Butter and nuts wrapped in a rich dough.
If this is what people in Sweden eat, I want to go there. Now.

Irish Whiskey Cake

I’d come across recipes for cake with whiskey before and always hesitated. I hope you don’t think less of me for admitting this but I’m not the biggest fan of whiskey. But Carole Walter convinced me to give it a try and I can honestly say that my world is a better place. This cake was moist and delicious with a boozy flavour that was pleasant, but not overwhelming.

“Too Good to be True” Bran Muffins

To me, the phrase “too good to be true” is like an open invitation for a baking smackdown. Too good to be true, eh? We’ll see about that! While I never imagined that I’d be waxing poetic over bran muffins of all things, these ones really are delicious. They’re spicy and surprisingly moist. And they’re healthy!

Scalloped Chocolate Pecan Strip

With yet another recipe for a yeasted dough I created this lovely braided coffee cake. I’m not good at the creation of braids in baking. Generally they come out looking very … unbraidlike. But I’m telling you, people, this dough is incredible! The chocolate and pecans also help.

Old-Fashioned Apple Walnut Strudel

The experience of making this strudel made the entire cookbook more than worth it for me. If you would have ever told me that I would make strudel by hand, including the dough, I would have never believed you. But there I was stretching strudel dough over my kitchen table until it was so thin I could read a newspaper through it. The end result was a strudel that if I may say so myself, puts to shame most of the “strudels” you buy in commercial bakeries. What an incredible experience this was!

Glazed Orange Ricotta Cookies

While there is no picture of these cookies (I was too tired to take a picture), they’re representative of the cookie section in this book which is short, but excellent! These were soft cookies made with one of my favourite cheeses (ricotta) and finished with a lovely glaze and pine nuts!

If I had the time, I would have happily spent day after day baking from this book. Alas, work and family beckon so it’s not possible to bake all the time. But even if you bake some of the time, this book is a worthy companion.

I suggest you bring it along for the Christmas ride that is soon to begin!

Ciao!

Carol Walter has a site where she offers a number of recipes including this one for Pumpkin Pecan Loaf from her book Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins & More. Enjoy!

I’m always happy … no wait … make that THRILLED whenever I find someone who is as addicted to cookbooks as I am!

You can imagine how pleased … no wait … make that THRILLED I was Liliana of My Cookbook Addiction introduced herself to me. Not only is she a fellow Italian Canadian, as her blog name would suggest, she is as much in need of a 12-step program for the rehabilitation of a cookbook problem as I am!

During the summer, Liliana and I were e-mailing each other back and forth when the subject of a certain cookbook came up. The cookbook in questions was a new one, scheduled to be out in the fall, by Gina DePalma of Babbo fame.

I first learned about Gina DePalma several years ago when I found a recipe for Cannoli in Food & Wine magazine. The recipe, by DePalma, was the first I’d ever seen from here and I was fascinated to read about her success.

Naturally, Liliana and I circled the publication date on our calendars. As it turns out, it took a bit longer for the book to hit Canadian bookstores so I only recently received my copy of Dolce Italiano, one of the finest examples of cookbooks dedicated to Italian sweets.

If you’re a baker, a dessert lover, or if you have a pulse, you need to go and get this book!

In our excitement, Liliana and I decided that we’d pick a recipe from the book and post about it today. We settled on the recipe for Grappa-Soaked Mini Sponge Cakes because what Italian doesn’t love grappa.

Really.

The recipe was very straightforward and as the recipe notes explain, this is a variation on one of the most classic elements of Italian dessert, pan di spagna.

The grappa syrup was delicious, although the grappa flavour isn’t very strong as most of the alcohol does burn off while the syrup is cooking. The little cakes are just so pretty and everyone enjoyed them with a bit of whipped cream.

I won’t share the recipe because I didn’t adapt it any way. But I strongly encourage you to check this book out if you can. You won’t regret it.

Liliana, thanks for being my partner in this latest cookbook escapade!

Ciao!

Technorati tags: grappa, pan di spagna, cake

In Italian, we use the word cantina to refer to what in English is commonly called the cold cellar. Growing up, every Italian family I knew had a cantina. Without question, all of these cantinas could be expected to contain the following: jars of tomatoes, a variety of preserves, barrels of homemade wine, olive oil, and cured homemade meats. I remember once being shocked when a relative said they’d purchased a home that didn’t have a cantina. “But where will they put their jars of tomatoes?” is what my little self wondered.

When I was given the opportunity to review a copy of Isabel Cruz’s cookbook, Isabel’s Cantina, I was interested in finding out whether this cookbook would offer the same sort of comfy homecooked fare that I usually associate with a cantina.

I was not disappointed.

Prior to receiving this cookbook, I’d never head of Isabel Cruz. Based on her cookbook and her site, I found out that she’s the owner of five restaurants that focus on providing dishes that are heavily influenced by Latin cuisine, as well as a number of other cuisines including Thai and Japanese.

After browsing her site for a bit, I found the following quote: “A Cantina is a warm, neighborhood place where people gather at any hour to talk about their day.”

While it doesn’t exactly equate with what my definition of cantina is, I figured that a book built around food that people could share and enjoy together couldn’t be a bad thing. So with this in mind, I delved into the cookbook.

Isabel’s Cantina is a 224-page cookbook divided into chapters that cover Starters; Salads; Soups; Main Courses; Rice, Beans, and Other Sides; Salsas, Sauces, and Marinades; Desserts; Drinks and Breakfasts. Recipes are neatly laid out and quite easy to follow. A colourful cookbook, Isabel’s Cantina is peppered with some pretty tempting photographs. I don’t cook Latin cuisine at home so I for one was happy to see how easy the recipes were to follow. But the proof, as they say, is in the pudding so I headed to the kitchen to put those recipes to the test.

Here’s what I made:

Chicken and Lettuce Wraps in Cilantro Lime Sauce

I turned to the Starters section first and my eyes brightened as soon as I saw the recipe for Chicken and Lettuce Wraps with Cilantro Lime Sauce. I made this for a Saturday lunch and it was perfect. Sauteed chicken is wrapped in crisp lettuce leaves and then drenched in an incredible Cilantro Lime Sauce. The flavours were bright and crisp and everyone loved it. Not a bad start!

Spanish Potato Salad

It seems strange to be thinking of potato salad as we approach winter, but I for one could eat potatoes every single day, 365 days a year! This particular salad is more of a warm dish with a wonderful vinaigrette that the potatoes just soak up. It’s quick to make and perfect for any weeknight dinner.

Halibut with Cherry Tomato-Habenero Salsa and Cucumber Cilantro Sauce

I never thought I liked cilantro until I began testing recipes for this book. As it turns out, my appreciation of the herb is growing. One of the things that I really enjoyed about Isabel’s book is that there is a heavy focus on fish dishes. This particular halibut dish featured the last of our cherry tomatoes. Once again there were a lot of bright, fresh flavours that made the dish disappear very quickly!

Jalapeno Shrimp

We are a family addicted (and I mean addicted) to spicy food. If it’s not spicy, chances are we’re going to ask you for some pepper. This shrimp was right up our alley. Lots of jalapeno and tomato paired with firm, juicy shrimp. Delicious!

Chicken Diablo

We haven’t always had a lot of luck grilling chicken. I think the problem is that we’re just so eager to eat it that we end up burning it! Luckily we exercised caution while making this simple chicken dish and it turned out great. It was a snap to put together and the flavour of the spicy, juicy chicken made this one a winner that we’ll make again and again.

Charbroiled Carne Asada Tacos

All of Isabel’s recipes are introduced with a few words on where the recipe comes from or what inspired the dish. I love that this book introduced me to so many different Latin dishes that I’d never heard of, like carne asada. This dish also made us realize that we just don’t eat skirt steak nearly enough. It was incredible!

Black Beans (with White Rice)

I love beans, but as I skimmed through the Rice, Beans, and Other Sides section I realized that we don’t eat them nearly enough. There are instructions on how to make a quick version of this dish, but I opted for the version that included soaking dried beans overnight. I think it makes you appreciate the dish more. We ended up with a creamy and highly flavoured pot of beans that were the perfect accompaniment to any number of dishes.

Coconut Flan

Of course when I first received the book I immediately looked at the Desserts section before I looked at any other part of the book. I wasn’t disappointed. While it’s not a huge section, the offerings were all intriguing. I settled on trying the Coconut Flan first because I adore flan and of course you know that I LOVE coconut! This flan was interesting because it features cream cheese as a component of the recipe. The texture of the final product was slightly different than most flans that I’ve eaten. It was delicious! It was quick and easy and unmolded beautifully, which is always a concern with flan.

Croissant Bread Pudding with Mexican Chocolate and Almonds

Stop the presses! Of all the recipes I tried this was the hands down winner. It’s a cross between a bread pudding and a really moist cake. I made individual puddings and they were so well received that I’m considering featuring this dessert during the holidays.

I’d hoped to try recipes from the Soups section as well as the Drinks section, but time seems to be the enemy these days. With the holidays approaching, I figured I’d better tell you about this book now.

I was pleasantly surprised by the content of the book and by how easy and delicious the recipes were. I learned quite a bit and I was able to try a few dishes that I’m hoping will become a regular part of my cooking repertoire.

Now to get me to one of Isabel’s Cantinas!

Ciao!

Mexican Chocolate
From Isabel’s Cantina by Isabel Cruz

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Mix the chocolate, the sugar and the cinnamon in a food processor and pusle until it’s finely ground. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can sprinkle this in warm milk or in desserts for an extra quick. You can also melt it and use it as a dipping sauce!

I sometimes find myself looking at the calendar in astonishment after I realize how quickly the months slip by. Is it really two months until Christmas?

And is October really almost over (already) without my having written once about my Flavour of the Month, Father Giuseppe Orsini’s Italian Baking Secrets?

Of course I’ve mentioned this cookbook a few times already, but I have yet to actually tell you about it.

Who is Father Giuseppe Orsini? Based on what I can gather from the biographical information in the book, he’s a Roman Catholic priest who has an enormous passion for baking and in particular for Italian baking.

Italian Baking Secrets is a collection of all those handwritten recipes you find stashed away in tins or tucked into books. The book is straightforward and charming in its simplicity. While there are some bread recipes towards the beginning of the book that required multiple steps, most of the recipes are ones that I could imagine my grandmothers making. Just a few ingredients and there you go, the perfect cake or the perfect cookie to dunk in your coffee.

I bought the book after seeing it on a shelf at Toronto’s The Cookbook Store. I didn’t take any time to read through it I just picked it up and walked immediately to the cash register.

Had I actually spent some time looking through the book, I would have noticed a few inconsistencies. For some reason there are a few recipes that are repeated in different sections of the book. And the measurement units used for ingredients are not always consistent. But these minor peculiarities somehow add to the book’s overall effect. It really is like those handwritten recipes scribbled onto bits of paper!

One of the recipes in the book that caught my eye was a recipe for cookies called crumiri. If I close my eyes, I can almost see my little self sitting at a table at my aunt’s house in Italy having breakfast. Our breakfasts in Italy, especially as children, didn’t consist of oatmeal or cereal, but rather huge mugs of hot milk coloured with espresso. Those mugs were accompanied by cookies or bread onto which we would spread butter and homemade jam.

That was breakfast.

My favourite, of course, were the cookies. I remember they’d come in these colourful bags and I would love to read the story of the cookies printed on each package. For some reason, the ones I remember the most are the crumiri.

In my memory, they are golden and crumbly with a not-too-sweet flavour. They taste of vanilla too. But most of all, I remember their shape and texture. The adults around me would say that they are shaped like horseshoes but to me they look like little boomerangs with ridges on them.

In my memory, I wonder what would happen if I actually threw one across the room. Would it boomerang back? But of course I would never do this as I can just imagine the stern look on the face of my aunt …

Memory is an incredible thing. In the wake of my 34th birthday, I laugh at how often my friends and I will joke that our memories are “going”. I will forget grocery lists, what I told my brother yesterday, that 10:00 meeting and my keys.

And yet, I will see a recipe for a cookie and remember the exact texture of that very same cookie when I ate one years and years ago.

I can still remember the taste.

Hard on the heels of that memory, is the realization that I suppose it doesn’t really matter that I sometimes forget the grocery list.

But to forget the memory of my little self eating cookies and slurping warm milk under my aunt’s watchful eye, somehow, that would be unbearable.

Ciao!

Crumiri
From Italian Baking Secrets by Father Giuseppe Orsini.

1-3/4 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar (I like to use vanilla sugar)
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. vanilla or almond extract (if you’re not using vanilla sugar)
2/3 cup fine yellow cornmeal

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, using a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar for about 5 minutes. The mixture should be very light in colour.

Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition.

Mix together the flour, salt and cornmeal and add slowly to the butter mixture, with the motor running on low speed. As soon as the flour mixture is added, add the extract (if using).

The cookie dough will be thick. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a star-shaped tip (3/4 of an inch to an inch in width).

Pipe the cookies onto the prepared baking sheets in whatever design you like. The cookies shouldn’t be longer than 3 or 4 inches and should be spaced 2 inches apart.

Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, anywhere from 12 to 14 minutes.

Let cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

Technorati tags: crumiri

As much as I love the fall, I inevitably find myself shaking my head at this time of year as I find it harder and harder to believe that it actually is the fall.

True, the leaves are slowly changing colour and the nights are noticeably cooler, but the days are still warm and for the most part sunny. Where it’s hardest to believe that fall is here is the garden.

There are still tomatoes ripening on the vine and we still have peppers waiting to be picked. The herbs are going strong and our celery plants are a sight to behold!

Are you sure it’s still not summer???

I think part of the reason why it’s still so hard to believe that it’s fall is that I seem to have fallen in love with a little cookbook that just happened to be the Flavour of the Month for August and September 2007: Viana La Place’s My Italian Garden.

There are a few authors whose cookbooks I will buy simply because their names appear on the cover. Tish Boyle and Dorie Greenspan are probably foremeost among this group. But I would have to say that Viana La Place is now also a member of that club. Her cookbooks are lovely and I’m happy to say that I own many others: La Bella Cucina, Unplugged Kitchen, and Desserts and Sweet Snacks.

Her latest cookbook continues in the tradition of her previous books in that the emphasis is on simple ingredients of the highest quality prepared in ways that highlight the beauty of the ingredients. If you don’t have a food processor or any of the other electronic gadgets that seem to accompany the modern kitchen, that’s not a problem.

This book is the story of La Place’s garden from a barren piece of earth in her yard to a well-organized piece of cultivated land that is a constant source of inspiration. What I especially love is that La Place built the garden herself. She learned from her mistakes and wasn’t afraid to document some of them in her book.

And while there are no photographs, the book is filled with pretty sketches that give it an almost romantic feel. La Place very clearly evokes how much peace the garden gives her and how much she loves it.

Of course, the recipes are the centrepiece. The book is divided into four chapters based on the four seasons beginning with summer and ending with spring. The organization of the book is a reminder that gardens can produce in many different ways regardless of the season. It helps,
mind you, that La Place lives in San Francisco where the climate is milder. We certainly don’t get very much from our garden in the middle of winter. However, many of the ingredients used in the recipes for the fall or winter are readily available in colder climates so that shouldn’t be a deterrent to trying those recipes.

In the end, I just loved how this book felt. It was like reading a novel about a very personal mission to build something beautiful. And it had the added bonus of recipes and lots of them.

I tried several recipes from the book but the one I want to highlight is this very simple, yet satisfying pasta. The original recipe from the book calls for the zest of Meyer lemons but I substituted regular lemon zest and the dish was wonderful.

Whether you have a garden already or are dreaming of having one day, I cannot recommend Viana La Place’s My Italian Garden more highly. It’s what garden dreams are made of!

Ciao!

Pasta with Basil and Lemon
Adapted from My Italian Garden by Viana La Place.

Note: This recipe will serve 2 to 3 people quite generously.

6 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (you may need some extra olive oil if the pasta appears too dry)
2 cloves garlic, minced
a handful of basil leaves, cleaned and torn into pieces
freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. lemon zest, finely grated
1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
salt to taste
spaghettini pasta for 2 to 3 people (or whatever pasta you like)

Cook the pasta according to package directions.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil and garlic over a very low flame.

After 2 to 3 minutes, you should begin to smell the garlic but be very careful not to burn it. Add the basil leaves and lemon zest and stir for a few minutes.

Add freshly ground pepper to taste.

As soon as the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it to the pan with the basil and lemon.

Sprinkle on the Parmigiano and toss to coat. Taste the pasta for seasoning and adjust accordingly. If the pasta is too dry for your liking, add some olive oil.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Technorati tags: pasta, viana la place

My apologies for the lack of posts around here.

It’s not that the Cream Puff has abandoned you or anything. It’s just that in all the recent heat and steam we’ve been experiencing lately, I’ve barely been able to muster the energy to lift a glass of iced tea to my lips.

Yes, it’s been that hot. Yes, it’s been that steamy. So much so that I suspect I may lose my title as honourary Southern Belle based on my inability to deal with it all.

What can I say? I’m a Northern girl at heart. I needs me my ice and snow!

But more than the steamy summer, I haven’t posted of late because, to be quite honest, I’ve had a bit of trouble letting go.

It was hard to let go of July and Lori Longbotham’s Luscious Berry Desserts (my Flavour of the Month for July).

It was hard to let go of sitting under the canopy in the yard as opposed to sitting in the basement in front of a computer.

It was just hard to let go.

And yet, in so many ways, July was about letting go. I hate to be the bearer of bad news to all you summer-lovers, but July’s end means that we’ve let go of the heart of summer. Sure most of August stretches before us and yes summer isn’t technically over until September. But you know once those school bells start ringing, it’s au revoir summer!

On a more personal level, July was the month that I let go of a lot of deadweight in the form of paper. I am embarrassed by the sheaves and sheaves of paper that I have been hoarding away in virtually every corner of my house. In the form of magazines, books, loose papers, they were everywhere! The arrival of my uncle from Italy and the impending arrival of two houseguests in the form of my Aunt D and my sweet cousin A from San Jose meant that it was time to take a serious look in all the cupboards and spooky places that I normally prefer not to look.

Food magazines galore.

Recipes galore.

Newspaper clippings of recipes galore.

All of it over every inch of this house. In every drawer, in every closet, in every cupboard, in every corner.

And the shame of it all is that in most cases, I’d barely even looked at any of these items in years. Case-in-point: last summer when we had the house painted, I packed away a stack of magazines and recipes in a large storage bin and shoehorned it into the closet.

“I’ll go through those as soon as the painting is done.”

Uh huh.

More than a year later, those very magazines and recipes in that very large storage bin remained buried at the bottom of the closet under a million other things.

Unlike other times, where I’ve merely paid lipservice to the act of truly cleaning and simply shuffled some papers here and stacked some more magazines there, it was time to truly take stock.

Why do I keep all these magazines? And why do I have all these loose bits of paper with recipes printed on them flying around my house? What is this all about?

As I sifted through the endless pile, I kept thinking to myself that I couldn’t possibly throw this recipe out or recycle that magazine. This is the 2002 issue of so-and-so that has that perfect recipe for watchamacallit that when I finally get around to making it will be the best thing ever.

And this faded piece of newsprint from 1992 has a recipe for baked you-knows that I’m going to make for whatshername’s party and wow everyone.

Oh, yes and there’s that post-it note with the recipe for that dish on it. It’s written in that horribly faded red ink and I’m probably going to have to hire an Egyptologist to decipher the hieroglyphics otherwise known as the instructions but that’s okay. When I finally do I’m going to cook up the dish of the century!

And so on. And so on. And so on.

A hundred best-chocolate-cakes ever. A thousand mouth-watering sugar cookies. A million mind-blowing apple pies. They were all there. Spread across my house like a trail of breadcrumbs.

And without thinking about it, I picked up all the bits of paper and put them in the recycling bin. I gathered all the magazines and brought them to work for my coworkers.

In one massive act of cleansing, I bid adieu to years worth of printed recipes and magazines.

Just like that. I let them all go.

Crazy of me? Perhaps.

But I think it’s more to do with the fact that it finally occurred to me that the best chocolate cake I will ever make is the one that I actually make. The imagination is delicious, but reality is even moreso.

It occurred to me that it was time to squelch the insecure little baker in me that keeps telling me I can bake a better this or a better that and just get down to the act of baking.

I let it all go.

I just let it all go. And I don’t regret it one bit.

Ciao!

Blueberry Cheesecake
From Luscious Berry Desserts by Lori Longbotham.

Note: My Flavour of the Month for August 2007 is Viana La Place’s lovely My Italian Garden. But before I get to that pretty little book, I had to say one last goodbye to Luscious Berry Desserts. Glory in the season’s most beautiful blueberries with this incredible cheesecake!

For the crust:

2 cups shortbread crumbs (about 20 to 25 shortbread cookies finely crushed)
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Generously butter a 9-inch springform pan.

Combine the shortbread crumbs and the butter in a bowl and mix well.

Pack the crumbs into the pan, making sure to spread them about a quarter of the way up the sides of the pan. Place the crust in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

For the filling:

3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups ripe blueberries

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Combine the cream cheese and the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix at medium speed until smooth and fluffy (4 to 5 minutes).

Beat the eggs and the yolk in one at a time making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally.

Add the heavy cream, the lemon zest and juice, the flour, vanilla and the salt. Mix well.

Using a rubber spatula, carefully mix in the blueberries.

Pour the filling into the prepared pan. Place the pan in the oven for 15 minutes.

Lower the oven temperature to 200 degrees F. and bake for an hour. Once done, turn off the oven and open the door slightly. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for 45 minutes.

Remove the cheesecake and let it cool completely on a wire rack. Once cool, refrigerate the cheesecake overnight (or for about 8 hours) before serving.

Serve the cheesecake with a fruit sauce like raspberry curd.

Enjoy!

Technorati tags: cheesecake, blueberries

As many of you who stop by here regularly know, a few weeks ago I had the pleasure of telling you about Faith Heller Willinger’s newest book, Adventures of an Italian Food Lover.

Part cookbook, part memoir, part travelogue, the book is an homage to all of the friends that Faith has made throughout her years living in Italy. (Note: She’s made a lot of friends!) The recipes are contributions from these friends. They are unique in the way that a special recipe from a special friend is unique.

I was able to take a sneak peek at Faith’s book thanks to Cath of A Blithe Palate who invited me to co-host an event with her based on Faith’s new book.

Rather than a typical book review, Cath and I decided to try something different with this book. We each chose a set of participants and asked them to read the book and choose a recipe they’d like to prepare. After having made the recipe, we asked them to write about it and in particular, to write about who they would share their dish with and why.

The response has been tremendous! While there are still a few more people who have yet to post their adventure with this book, I’d like to present to you a round up of (most of) the participants that I asked to take part.

I will start with the first person that I asked to take part, that being Lis of La Mia Cucina. Lis is a soul sister so it only makes sense that I would ask her first since we are practically related! Lis wrote a very humourous and touching post that explains how her family has a very special meatball recipe that has been passed down for several generations (I think all Italian families have a special meatball recipe … ). Understandably, she would have shared her dish with her beloved dad. Mille grazie, Lis!

As I thought about who else I wanted to invite to take part in this event, I immediately thought of my friends Rob and Rachel of Hungry in Hogtown. Not only are they fellow Torontonians, but they’re avid travellers who have fallen in love with Italy. (I understand Rob speaks some mean Italian …). Their post is about the beauty of real balsamic vinegar and how it transforms what it touches. They went all out by preparing stewed peppers with balsamic vinegar (pictured here), spaghetti with olive oil and parmesan and homemade ricotta with a variety of toppings. They chose to share their dish with a close friend. Mille grazie, Rob and Rachel!

I have often said that I try to visit Ilva’s blog, Lucullian Delights, as often as possible because her enlightening photography is a reminder that beauty is everywhere. I knew that she would bring a very special perspective to this event as Italy is her adopted home, having married and settled there. I thought that we would be able to see Faith’s book from the unique point of view of someone who moved to Italy from somewhere else. I was right! Ilva wrote a beautiful post about preparing gnocco fritto and how she would have loved to share it with her cousin Ulrik, who unfortunately passed away at a very young age. It’s a touching post about how a dish can invoke so many beautiful memories. Mille grazie, Ilva!

From my friend Ilva in Tuscany I moved to my friend Angelika in Austria. Has it already been six months since I spent a wonderful evening in her company? Time flies! Although Austrian through-and-through, Angelika has an Italian heart. I just knew I had to include her in this event. Even though she’s supremely busy with her restaurant endeavour, she took the time to read the book and write about it. On her blog The Flying Apple, Angelika wrote about a very unique spaghetti tart from Willinger’s book. Angelika chose to share her dish with a very special person to her whom she met via her blog - more proof that blogging can often lead to the most special of bonds. Grazie mille, Angelika!

I am constantly amazed by Lydia of The Perfect Pantry. She is so knowledgeable and does such a wonderful job of sharing her food knowledge! We’re lucky to have her in blog world. Happily, she agreed to take part in this event and she choose to prepare a variety of dishes from the book. Lydia, and her dear friend Cindy with whom she shared the dishes, were busy bees as they prepared Brick-Grilled Chicken Breasts, Ricotta-stuffed Zucchin Flowers and Ginger Apricot Biscotti. Lydia’s post exemplifies perfectly the spirit of sharing that is so clearly outlined in Faith’s book. Mille grazie, Lydia!

I have not known Mia of the blog Nosh for very long, but the moment I first set eyes on her blog, I knew a kindred spirit! Mia’s Italian heritage shines through and I just knew I had to ask her to be part of this event. Mia’s post was so touching as she wrote about her sister’s visit and how she decided to share her dish with her sister. After spending time together in Verona, Italy, they returned to Mia’s home where together they prepared the stewed peppers with balsamic vinegar. Mille grazie, Mia!

And now to my sweet Tartelette! That’s right, my dearest Helene was also part of this event and I am so thrilled. It’s funny because I was thinking about asking Helene, and finally did, only to find out that she had already asked Cath to take part. Clearly it was meant to be! Helene chose to prepare a cookie that is very near and dear to my heart: amaretti. Helene has some very interesting thoughts about how Faith’s book represents the sort of emotional bonds people have to dishes. Helene chose to make amaretti after recalling the first time she tried them on a trip to Italy with her family. Mille grazie, Helene!

To put it very simply, I adore Rowena of Rubber Slippers in Italy. She is so funny and sweet, and her blog is one of the very first that I fell in love with. You can always trust Rowena to come up with something very unique. An American married to an Italian, I knew that Rowena would approach Faith’s book from an interesting point of view. Rowena shared her dish with her husband and let him choose it. He chose Risotto with Almonds and Broccoli. My mouth is watering. Mille grazie, Rowena!

Do you love The Cooking Adventures of Chef Paz? I certainly do! And I especially love Chef Paz and her spirit for cooking (also really love her New York Mondays). I wrote to Paz asking if she’d like a chance to take part in this event and she readily agreed. After receiving her copy of the book, Paz decided to try penne with fish sauce. She explained that she would share it with her friend Francine who has been an inspirational force for Paz in the area of cooking. Mille grazie, Paz!

I have been blessed with many wonderful aunts, on both my mother’s and father’s sides of the family. But after reading Tea’s post on her blog Tea and Cookies, I also want an Aunt Angela. Or as we would say in Italian, Zia Angela! While Tea often thrills her readers with her story of how she discovered blogging, the truth is that we discovered her just the same. I have always felt so drawn to the elegance of her writing. I sometimes feel that reading her posts is like reading honey … so smooth and clear. Tea wrote a lovely post about the effect of meeting and spending time with an Italian woman known as Aunt Angela. To honour her, Tea chose to make the walnut cake from Faith’s book. (Don’t miss reading about her beloved lasagna as well!) Mille grazie, Tea!

Thank you to everyone who took part in this incredible event!

Ciao!

Note: I will add a link to Cath’s round up once she has hers up!

Technorati tags: faith heller willinger, adventures of an italian food lover

Well, it’s still very much hot in the city! I’m itching to try quite a few recipes from Lori Longbotham’s Luscious Berry Desserts (Flavour of the Month for July 2007), but I just can’t stand to turn on the oven.

And when even the Cream Puff won’t turn on the oven … well … that should tell you what the weather is like outside!

Instead, I’m making another withdrawal from my blog bank with a long overdue book review: Gale Gand’s Chocolate & Vanilla. I received this book many months ago and was pleased as I’d had my eye on it for quite awhile. While I’m very familiar with Gale Gand, surprisingly (even for me) I don’t own any of her cookbooks.

Chocolate & Vanilla is divided into two sections, obviously titled Chocolate and Vanilla! The book is filled with beautiful full-colour photos and has a very interesting design. If you open the book to the vanilla section, once you get to the end of that section, you have to flip the book over for the chocolate section. Alternately, if you open the book to the chocolate section, you then have to flip it over for the vanilla section.

At first I was a bit confused by this but once I realized that it was actually the design of the cookbook, I found it quirky and charming. It’s a bit risky, especially since it means that the book has no index. While each section does have a table of contents, the lack of index was probably the only drawback for me. I rely heavily on a cookbook’s index. But to be honest, it’s such a lovely book that I don’t consider it a huge deal.

Both the vanilla and chocolate sections begin with an excellent introduction, including histories of the ingredients and what to look for when buying vanilla and chocolate. The recipes are clearly laid out and they all begin with a very charming headnote. I love it when authors add a little intro to their recipes, whether it be to explain how the recipe was created or where it originates from. All of the recipes include very helpful elements like “do-aheads” and lists of what equipment you’ll need to prepare the recipe.

As for the recipes themselves, well, how do Cherries in Port over Vanilla and Late-Night Vanilla Flan strike your fancy? Anyone up for Chouqettes with Pearl Sugar or Vanilla Charlotte? And for those days when you simply must have chocolate, how about Black and White Cream Cheese Brownies or Mexican Hot Chocolate Fondue? Chocolate Babka? Chocolate Fudge Soccer Cakes?

Okay, I’ll stop now. Needless to say the titles of the recipes are endlessly tempting. But as always, the ultimate test of a cookbook is in the results. So what did I try?

Let’s start with some Chocolate-Amond Upside-Down Cake. The picture does not do it justice. It’s a moist, chocolatey sponge covered in sliced almonds smothered in a goey caramel. Yes. It’s that good.

Just one page later, Gand has a recipe for Chocolate-Praline Cake in a Jar. Intrigued by the idea of baking a cake in a jar, I took a closer look at the recipe and knew I had to try it. While I didn’t bake mine in jars (I used mini muffin cups), this was a true winner! The cake is dense and moist and the praline topping is irresistible.

As I read through the book, I found myself returning over and over to a recipe for Éclairs with Coffee Glaze. I adore éclairs and just couldn’t resist making these. Being a Cream Puff, I enjoyed the opportunity to make my close cousins the éclairs. And the custard filling and coffee glaze were amazing!

With three recipes under my belt, I was enjoying this cookbook more and more. Usually when I’m reviewing a book I’ll try three recipes but I was so intrigued that I had to try a few more.

The éclairs were followed by what has become my most favourite shortbread ever: Deep Chocolate Shortbread. When I tasted the shortbread shortly after baking it, I was a bit disappointed. It seemed to be on the bland side. But as with all good shortbread, it tastes much better when it’s had the chance to sit for a bit. The following day I bit into a shortbread bar and was blown away. The butter and the cocoa had melded perfectly. I’d buy this cookbook for this recipe alone!

Chugging along, I tried the Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins and the Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Strawberry Mash (sorry … no pictures). At this point, if you haven’t figured out that I’ve completely fallen in love with this cookbook, then hopefully the next and last recipe will convince you.

Allow me to introduce Mary’s Butterballs (also pictured at the beginning of this post)!

I will say this about Mary’s Butterballs. Lots of butter. A vanilla sugar coating. Nutella in the middle.

No need to say anything else.

If you’re looking for a great book on vanilla and chocolate, check this one out. If you’re a fan of Gale Gand’s, definitely check this one out! I’m amazed that such a slim cookbook could hold so many treasures, but it’s true.

Now if only it would cool down enough to bake!

Ciao!

Technorati tags: vanilla, chocolate, gale gand

… the Flavour of the Month for July 2007 … Lori Longbotham’s Luscious Berry Desserts!

Applause! Clap … clap … clap!

First of all, let me wish all of my American friends a very happy Fourth of July!

After a lovely long weekend wherein we Canadians celebrated our country’s 140th birthday on July 1st, it’s high time to get to the business of July. This promises to be another busy month as there’s so much fresh food everywhere!

I have so many ideas and recipes I want to try I feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day or days in the month for that matter!

You can be sure that many of these creations will be originating from Luscious Berry Desserts. When I bought the cookbook last year, I knew immediately that I would be featuring it as a Flavour of the Month as soon as berry season was once again upon us in Ontario.

For those of you that don’t know, Lori Longbotham is a chef and a writer with a number of excellent cookbooks to her credit. While I don’t own all of them, Luscious Lemon Desserts, Lemon Zest and Luscious Chocolate Desserts all grace The Overburdened Bookshelf. I love everything about Lori’s books from the creative recipes to the beautiful photography.

Luscious Berry Desserts is no exception.

So please join me this month as we glory in berries galore!

And to whet your apetites … how about a little Blueberry Lime Cake?!

Ciao!

[Note: will post the recipe in a few days!]

When I read that The Domestic Goddess was bringing Sugar High Friday back to its beginning (so to speak), I was happy. It’s only right, after all, that the person who created such a popular event should get to host it every now and then. But I was even happier when I read that the theme for this month’s Sugar High Friday was The Sweetest Thing - our favourite desserts.

To be sure there have been SHFs that have been interesting, challenging and even a bit out there. But it’s nice, every once and awhile, to get back to the very foundations of your love for something - in this case dessert.

To say that one particular dessert is my very favourite is a bit difficult for me. I am a Cream Puff after all and I believe in supporting all of my family members, be they muffin, cake, pie, tart, custard or cookie. There is, however, most definitely one particular dessert that makes my heart swell with happiness as soon as I hear it mentioned: my Coconut Cream Cake.

Now to be fair, it isn’t really “my” Coconut Cream Cake. It is in fact a cake that belongs to Caprial Pence of Caprial’s Desserts (written with Melissa Carey). If you’ve ever seen the book or have the good fortune to own it, it’s the cake pictured on the front cover. I don’t often buy cookbooks without looking at them. But I bought this one as soon as I laid eyes on that cover.

I didn’t know what kind of cake it was, but I didn’t really care. I wanted it and so the cookbook had to be mine. As it turns out, it’s an incredible cookbook. I guard my copy jealously and I cherish every batter-stained page.

There’s no question, though, that were you to pick up my copy, it would almost definitely open of its own volition to page 236 and the recipe for Coconut Cream Cake.

As layer cakes go, it’s very straightforward. You begin with a sturdy cake with a soft and moist crumb that has been augmented by coconut milk. You add to it a delicious pastry cream made partly with more coconut milk and boosted by shredded coconut. And you finish with a lovely and simple buttercream, covered in toasted shredded coconut.

Really, on the surface there’s nothing unusual or out of the ordinary about this layer cake at all.

For me, it’s the coconut. My endless love.

I would crawl to the ends of the earth for coconut. I will eat it fresh or dried. I will eat it in sweet food or savoury food. I will drink anything even remotely associated with coconut flavour.

I remember the first time I tasted coconut like it was yesterday. I was a child, visiting my grandparents in Italy, and some friends of the family came to visit and they brought along some fresh coconut. After opening the coconut and cutting it into pieces, they plunged a plate of the stuff deep into the basin of the town’s fountain. And there it stayed for some time while the water turned the coconut icy cold. My first taste of it was a revelation! It was crunchy and sweet. But there was this hint of a nutty creaminess that I was immediately addicted to.

This cake makes me think of that first bite of coconut every single time I bake it. While I mostly bake for others, this is a dessert that I bake strictly for myself.

But of course this time around, I’m baking it for you too.

Enjoy …

Ciao!

Cream Puff’s Very Favourite Coconut Cream Cake
From Caprial’s Desserts by Caprial Pence and Melissa Carey.

Note: It’s best to make the pastry cream and the cakes the day before assembling the cake. I usually make them the night before. I make the buttercream just before I’m ready to begin assembling the cake. Once I begin assembling, I like to refrigerate the cake after each step. To frost the cake, I find that a cake stand is invaluable. If you want to read an amazing post about what it takes to bake and decorate cakes, read Anita’s post all about it on her blog Dessert First. This cake will easily serve 12 people.

For the coconut cake:

1 cup butter (2 sticks), cold and cut into small cubes
1-3/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. baking powder
3 cups sifted cake flour
1-1/2 cups coconut milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and grease two 9-inch pans. Line the bottoms of the pan with parchment paper and then grease the parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar at high speed. Mix until the butter is light and fluffy (3 to 5 minutes).

Turn the mixer to low speed and add the eggs one at a time, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition.

Add the vanilla extract and mix well.

Combine the dry ingredients (salt, baking powder and flour) and add to the butter/egg mixture in two additions, alternating with the coconut milk. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition.

Divide the batter between the two pans and bake for 25 minutes to 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted in the centre of the cake.

Let the cakes cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes before unmolding them and peeling off the parchment paper. Let the cakes cool completely before filling them. If you make the cakes the day before assembling the cake, wrap them in plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

For the coconut pastry cream:

1 cup half-and-half
1 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1-1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
2 cups heavy cream

In a saucepan, combine the half-and-half and the coconut milk and heat on high until the mixture is just about to boil. Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks, the cornstarch and the sugar. Whisk until well combined and the eggs are pale yellow (about 3 or 4 minutes).

Dribble in a few drops of the milk mixture and whisk. Continue dribbling in a bit of milk (don’t add it all at once or you may cook the egg yolks) and whisking. Once you’ve added about half of the milk, you can then add the rest in a steady stream, whisking all the time.

Return the milk/egg mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-high heat (whisking constantly) until the mixture becomes very thick. This should take about 5 minutes or so. You’ll know it’s ready when the mixture bubbles and you can see the bottom of the pan as you drag the whisk through it. Remove from the heat and stir in the shredded coconut.

Pour the pastry cream into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap (the plastic wrap should touch the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming). Refrigerate overnight.

When you’re ready to fill the cakes, whip two cups of heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold the cream into the cold pastry cream until combined.

For the buttercream:

2 cups half-and-half
1 egg yolk
3 tbsp. cornstarch
1 pound unsalted butter (2 cups), at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. vanilla extract

Combine the half-and-half, the egg yolk and the cornstarch in a saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly to ensure that it’s smooth. When it comes to a boil it will thicken considerably. Remove from the heat and pass it through a sieve. Refrigerate for two hours.

After two hours, combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed for 10 minutes, stopping every once and awhile to scrape down the sides of the bowl. After 10 minutes, the mixture will be almost white in colour and very light and fluffy.

Add the salt and mix.

With the speed on low, add the cold half-and-half mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl to ensure it’s well incorporated.

Add the vanilla extract and mix.

Use the buttercream right away.

To assemble the cake:

2 cups sweetened shredded coconut, toasted

Split the two 9-inch cakes in half so that you have four layers.

Place one layer, cut side up, on a cake plate or cake cardboard. Spread about half a cup of coconut pastry cream on the cake layer. Leave about half an inch border all the way around to ensure the pastry cream doesn’t leak out.

Top with a second layer of cake, and once again spread about half a cup of pastry cream on the layer.

Top with a third layer and repeat with the pastry cream.

Top with the final layer and press down to ensure that the cake is firmly in place. At this point I like to refrigerate the cake for about half an hour to give the pastry cream a chance to settle and firm up a bit. I usually make the buttercream while the cake is in the refrigerator.

Remove the cake from the refrigerator and begin icing. There are many different opinions on how to ice a cake. The way I like to do it is to spread a thin layer of icing on the top and the sides of the cake. Don’t worry if you pick up cake crumbs. Once you’ve done this, put the cake back into the refrigerator for about half an hour to firm up the buttercream.

Remove the cake from the refrigerator and this time, add a nice thick layer of buttercream all around. Begin by putting a cup or so of icing on the top of the cake. Spread it evenly across pushing the buttercream all the way to the edges. Once it’s even on top, begin pushing the buttercream at the edges down the sides of the cake, adding more buttercream as needed. Once you’re done, smooth the sides of the cake as best you can. Even out the edges of the cake by placing your icing spatula flat on the edge and smoothly sliding it towards the centre of the cake. This should give you a nice edge all the way around.

Place the cake in the refrigerator for about ten minutes. Remove the cake and carefully apply the toasted shredded coconut all around the sides of the cake and on the top of the cake if you wish. If you have any extra buttercream, feel free to pipe a decorative design on the cake.

Refrigerate the cake for at least 3 or 4 hours before serving.

Technorati tags: shf, sugar high friday, coconut, coconut cream cake, cake

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the greatest benefit of blogging is the chance to meet so many wonderful people.

Shortly after I began blogging I had the good fortune to meet Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Sensual Gourmet. Intelligent, warm, witty, sexy, sweet, beautiful - these are all adjectives that could very easily apply to Jasmine.

But the one adjective that is most popular with me is generous.

A little over a month ago, I was moaning and complaining to Jasmine about how difficult it was to find certain ingredients in Toronto. As great a city as it is, in terms of baking products and equipment, Toronto can be a very small pond.

I was in search of organic lavender and was finding it very difficult to source in this great city of ours. I had no luck locating it and ended up extremely frustrated by the blank stares and silly questions I got in response to my queries for this product.

I happened to tell Jasmine about it and she immediately offered to send me as much lavender as I wanted from a local supplier (in her neck of the woods).

It’s taken me awhile, but Jasmine I’m finally thanking you in the most public way I can imagine.

To express my gratitude, I’ve made you this very special Lavender Cake from Tracy Stern’s Tea Party.

Thank you for being such a sweetheart!

Ciao!

Lavender Cake
Adapted from Tea Party by Tracy Stern.

Note: Stern adds lemon to this cake in her book but I’ve changed it to orange. This recipe yields two 8-inch loaves.

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sliced almonds (blanched)
1-1/2 cups sugar
grated zest of 1 orange
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 large eggs
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. dried lavender buds

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 8-inch loaf pans.

In a bowl, sift together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt). Set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the almonds and 2 tbsp. of the sugar. Process until the almonds are ground. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter, remaining sugar and orange zest. Mix on medium high speed until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.

Add the orange juice and mix well.

Add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk alternately. Begin and end with the dry ingredients in three additions. Be sure to add the dry ingredients on low speed. Mix well after each addition of dry ingredients and buttermilk.

After adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk, add the almond mixture and the lavender buds and mix until just combined.

Spread the batter in the prepared pans and be sure to even it off.

Bake the cakes for 50 minutes to an hour, or until they are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Remove the cakes from the oven and let cool in the pans for 10 to 15 minutes. Then unmold the cakes and let them continue cooling on a wire rack.

Serve as is or dusted with icing sugar.

Enjoy!

Technorati tags: lavender, lavender cake

Have you ever looked at a plate of pasta, your very favourite pasta, and thought back to the first moment that you tried it? Or how about the first time you tasted the richness of a tiramisu’ or the crisp bite of a biscotto?

Being born in an Italian family means that I actually have few recollections of the first time I tasted most dishes. I was probably eating pastina (soup with pasta), polpette (meatballs) and amaretti (almond cookies) before I could even talk! Still, though, I do have some memories of the first time I tried a dish. I still remember the first time I tried a pizza baked in a wood-burning oven and I can still taste the crispness of that crust!

Food and memory feature prominently in this post and its thanks to my dear Cath of beautiful blog A Blithe Palate. Several months ago, Cath approached me the opportunity to have a sneak peek at Faith Heller Willinger’s soon-to-be published book, Adventures of an Italian Food Lover.

Faith Heller Willinger is a food writer based in Florence, Italy. American by birth, Willinger married a Tuscan man and settled in Italy, although “settled” isn’t probably quite the right term. Fueled by a burgeoning love of food and wine, Willinger began exploring Italian food with a passion that is to be admired. And she saw Italian food in the unique way that only someone who is new to it can see it. Her experiences are documented in a number of books, most notably Eating in Italy.

Adventures of an Italian Food Lover is a difficult book to describe. When I first received a galley copy, I was deeply curious especially after a conversation with Cath who described it as unlike any cookbook she’d ever seen. In fact, to simply call it a cookbook is grossly unfair.

Willinger’s latest work truly is an adventure. Memory-filled narratives introduce each recipe. The pages of the book are graced with the artwork of Willinger’s sister, Suzanne. And the recipes themselves are both recipe and introduction to a new set of friends for the recipes all originate from people that Willinger has met during her food travels.

Imagine that. Imagine compiling a set of recipes from your friends and your family. How special would that be?

This book is so engaging. I read it from cover to cover in three days, something I’ve never done before with a “cookbook”. I have a feeling that if you could see it, you’d probably do the same!

The main reason behind receiving a copy was preparation for a very exciting event that Cath and I will be hosting based on Adventures of an Italian Food Lover. Within the next month or so, a number of bloggers in this community of ours will be receiving a copy of Willinger’s book and they’ll be charged with the task of choosing a recipe and preparing it for whomever they wish. They’re posts on the book will not be a book review, but rather an account of their experience sharing the dish they made.

For myself, as soon as I saw the recipe for Lucia’s Walnut Cake, I was incredibly drawn to it. First of all because it is so unique and unusual in the way that many Italian sweets are. It’s a “cake” made of egg whites, sugar and walnuts. No flour.

But I was also drawn to the recipe because I could imagine sharing it with my paternal grandmother, Pia. I don’t think I’ve ever really spoken much about my Nonna Pia. I met her only a few times in my life although I was fortunate enough to spend several months with her each time. She was the sort of woman that would put us “modern women” to shame.

She had six children, she was a farmer, she cooked over a fire, she had hands that were stronger than any man’s, she could hike into the hills forever and never get tired, she was intelligent and kind, she could protect her family and find a way to survive with next-to-nothing … she was formidable!

But there are two things that I remember most about my grandmother. I remember her beautiful, long grey hair that she would plait and then tie in a knot. And I remember the simple but delicious food she made. In particular I remember her plum jam and the simple cakes that she baked for us to enjoy with our morning coffee. Nothing fancy, just simple, wholesome food.

And for some reason when I saw the recipe for Lucia’s Walnut Cake, I knew that it would be the sort of cake I could share with my Nonna Pia. It’s something delicious out of almost nothing.

I hope that when Adventures of An Italian Food Lover is published in July, you’ll pick up a copy and meet all of Willinger’s charming friends. And I also hope that you’ll stay tuned for the blog event based on the book.

In the meantime, I hope you find a new food adventure every day!

Ciao!

You can read Cath’s post here.

Technorati tags: faith heller willinger, italy, italian food, lucia’s walnut cake

I’d like to thank everyone for all the kind words and comments you’ve left about the redesign of my blog.

This was a big step for me and I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t nervous as to how the new design would be received. There are still a few little issues to be worked out. I want to customize my sidebar a bit further and add some content including the Daring Bakers logo and links, but all in all I’m thrilled!

Now that the redesign is out of the way, it’s time to get back to the serious business of blogging. As many of you know at the beginning of the month I announced that my Flavour of the Month for May 2007 would be the lovely Tea Party by Tracy Stern. A busy schedule and the blog move meant that I haven’t been able to share very much from this book. As a result, this will continue to be the Flavour of the Month for June 2007. There are just too many incredible recipes for me to share with you in the few days left in May.

I have a lot of other news including an account of a wonderful lunch that I had with my own baking heroine, Dorie Greenspan. But until then, I leave you with what is perhaps one of the most recognizeable elements of afternoon tea: tea sandwiches.

There’s something irresistible to me about those perfect, tiny little concoctions that go so well with a cup of tea. I’ve had many variations of tea sandwiches, some good and some not-so-good. Stern has at least a handful of intriguing versions of the perfect tea sandwich. For this post, I decided to focus on two because they both include elements that I love.

The first is the cucumber tea sandwich. I adore cucumbers. During the summer, when it’s just far too hot and humid to cook elaborate meals for dinner (not that we often cook elaborate meals for dinner mind you), the humble tomato and cucumber salad is present on the table almost every night. Especially delicious because the cucumbers are from our very own garden, there’s very little else that I can think of that’s as refreshing as a cucumber.

In Tea Party, Stern has a pretty version of these sandwiches that feature cucumber slices on top of buttered bread garnished with mint leaves. For my version, I decided to forego the mint leaves and make a flavoured butter instead. I bought some lovely chives, which I processed with softened butter in the food processor. I used a scalloped cookie cutter to cut slices of basic white sandwich bread into 2-1/2 inch circles. I spread the chive butter on the rounds of bread and then topped them with thinly sliced cucumber. For a pretty touch I garnished my little sandwiches with chopped chives.

While the greenish tinge to the chive butter might put some people off, I loved the way these little sandwiches looked and I loved the way they tasted even more. The bite of the chives was a nice foil to the freshness of the cucumber.

I chose to try a second tea sandwich from Stern’s book because they featured blue cheese, which I adore. I’m slightly ashamed to admit this but I have been known to polish off huge hunks of blue cheese all by lonesome. I love me my cheese!

Tea Party includes a recipe for Blue Cheese, Walnut, and Pear Tea Sandwiches. While I’m not a huge fan of the pear, I thought I’d give the combination a try. The sandwich begins with a sturdy whole-grain bread that’s spread with a mixture of softened cream cheese and crumbled blue cheese. A sprinkling of chopped walnuts is followed by thin slices of pear. I topped the pear with a second slice of bread, trimmed the ends and cut the sandwiches into rectangles. I garnished with a bit of cheese and a walnut.

These tea sandwiches were delicious! The sweetness of the pear was a perfect match for the tanginess of the blue cheese and the walnut added a nice buttery crunch.

I know I recommend a lot of cookbooks, but if you’re in the market for a cookbook about tea, I highly recommend Stern’s book. These tea sandwiches were delicious and they’re only the tip of the tea iceberg!

Ciao!

Chive Butter

Note: Flavoured butters are so easy to make and they’re a wonderful way to add a twist to a multitude of dishes and foods. I like to make up large batches of flavoured butter, roll the butter into logs and then freeze them. This way I have pretty little butter logs to pull out whenever I entertain. Simply slice the logs into rounds and allow them to soften slightly before serving. This chive butter is excellent in sandwiches. I especially love it spread on corn on the cob!

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup chives, roughly chopped

Place the butter and the chives in the bowl of a food processor.

Process until the mixture is smooth.

Use the chive butter immediately or refrigerate it until you’re ready to use it. If you’re going to spreading the butter, let it soften again before using.

The chive butter can be frozen for two weeks.

Enjoy!

Technorati tags: tea, tea sandwich, tea party

I certainly hope Jamie Oliver doesn’t mind, but I’ve been cheating on him with Giada De Laurentiis.

Can you blame me?

While I rarely watch her television program, Everyday Italian, I am a fan of her cookbooks. I don’t think anyone would disagree when I say that they very clearly fall into the category of food porn and who can resist a little food porn every now and then?

I thought I’d finally take the chance to pull her second book, Giada’s Family Dinners, off The Overburdened Bookshelf and spend a few weekends enjoying an abundance of comfort food Big Fat Italian Family Style!

Giada’s Family Dinners is divided into chapters that include Soups and Sandwiches, The Italian Grill, Family Feasts and Family-Style Desserts. Being a good Cream Puff, I naturally started with the desserts section as you can clearly see from the Apricot Crostata above.

As one would expect, the cookbook is full of gorgeous full-colour pictures depicting Giada and her family enjoying a lot of good food. While many might find this ever-so-slightly annoying, I actually like the pictures because they remind me of my family.

Minus the designer plates, stain-free linens, and glowing faces of course. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family. But were we invited to Giada’s you know we’d be the slightly embarrassing second cousins. This fact notwithstanding, the photos in this book truly are beautiful and you’d be hard-pressed to resist the urge to run into the kitchen and start cooking based on the pictures alone.

As with all cookbooks, my final opinion rests on the recipes. Say what you want about Giada, her recipes are inviting and they work. Dishes like Tuna and Artichoke Panini, Herbed Cheese Polenta, Garlic and Citrus Chicken, Baked Mashed Potatoes with Parmesan Cheese and Bread Crumbs and Chocolate Ricotta Pudding with Strawberry Sauce will have you salivating as soon as you read the titles. But upon close inspection, the recipes are clearly written and well organized. The instructions are helpful and accurate, without being too long.

Oh. And did I mention the gorgeous pictures?

But the proof, as they say, is in the pudding so I decided to get into the kitchen and start cooking. I tried a number of recipes from this cookbook and was happy with all of them, and particularly impressed by two of them, the first being her lovely Apricot Crostata.

A crostata, in Italy, is akin to a a tart. While in many parts of Italy crostatas can be formal desserts where the pastry is fashioned in a decorative way, Giada’s crostata is more of a free-form tart and is both easy and delicious. As with many of her recipes, she has no problems turning to the tools of the modern kitchen, namely the food processor. After pulling together the crostata dough very quickly in the processor (you can just as easily make it by hand in a bowl), I refrigerated the dough for a bit before rolling it out to an 11-inch round. I opened one of the last jars of the lovely apricot jam my mother and I made last summer and used that as the filling for the tart. After 40 minutes in the oven, I had a beautiful golden tart that was delicious and impressed everyone. The effort for this dessert was minimal and the end result was more than worthwhile.

In this regard, I have to give Giada a lot of credit. Her cookbooks are filled with easy recipes that end with a big pay off when you sit down to enjoy them.

After trying the Apricot Crostata, I decided to try her version of Pasta e Fagioli. I don’t think I know a single Italian family that doesn’t have a traditional recipe for pasta e fagioli. Giada’s version is quite straightforward and calls for canned beans, which certainly saves time (for those of us that don’t want to soak our beans overnight). The resulting soup does not suffer in flavour in any way. As Giada emphasizes over and over, simple fresh ingredients combined with the winning combination of olive oil and Parmigiano Reggiano will take you far!

Eager to try another pasta recipe, my eyes fell on a recipe for baked pasta. The dish is called Farmer’s Pasta but I like to refer to it as the Incredibly Delicious Union of My Favourite Cheeses. This is because the dish features fontina, mozzarella and Parmigiano Reggiano. Oh yes and heavy cream.

Heaven!

While you’ll have to excuse the poor quality of my picture, take my word for it when I say that this was truly delicious. I had several requests for it after making it the first time and it will most definitely become part of our fall and winter repertoire of comfort dishes!

In the department of foods baked with lots of butter, cheese and cream, we enjoyed an incredible Broccoli and Cauliflower Gratin followed by some amazing Chocolate Chip Cookies with Hazelnuts.

But after the Apricot Crostata, the dish that we loved most was a gorgeous Roasted Red Snapper with Parsley Vinaigrette. This one was a winner from the moment I pulled it out of the oven! Unlike some other cookbook authors who focus on Italian cuisine, Giada truly does justice to fish and seafood as all her cookbooks include a lot of recipes that use these ingredients. I love red snapper but find that I don’t eat it as often as I’d like. This recipe has changed that. After rubbing red snapper with olive oil and seasoning with salt, pepper and paprika, the fish is roasted at high heat. While it’s roasting, a delicious vinaigrette of parsley, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, olive oil and salt and pepper is mixed in the blender. Once the fish is out of the oven, drizzle with the vinaigrette and you’ve got a showstopper of a main course. I can’t say enough about how impressed I was by this dish.

End with some Nutella Ravioli and you’ll be smiling as happily as Giada and her family!

I really can’t say anything bad about this cookbook. Every recipe I tried turned out wonderfully and I recommend it highly. While the serving sizes of the recipes are large (remember the book is geared towards large family gatherings), I had no problems whatsoever halving the recipes.

I must give credit where credit is due. This is a well-written, beautifully photographed cookbook that is bound to yield a number of recipes that you’ll love. Buon Appetito!

Ciao!

Apricot Crostata

Adapted from Giada’s Family Dinners by Giada De Laurentiis.

Note:  I used homemade apricot jam for this crostata but feel free to use any jam or preserves that you like. Raspberry and strawberry would be particularly good choices. Be sure to refrigerate the dough before rolling out as it will be much easier to handle.

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2-1/2 tbsp. vanilla sugar (or you can use regular sugar)
• grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1-1/4 sticks (10 tbsp.) cold unsalted butter, cut into tiny pieces
• ice water
• 1 cup apricot jam or preserves
• sliced almonds for garnish
• icing sugar for garnish

1. In the bowl of the food processor, mix together the flour, sugar, lemon zest and salt. Pulse a few times to combine.
2. Add the pieces of butter and pulse again (10 to 15 times), until the mixture looks like coarse oatmeal and the butter has been processed into very tiny pieces.
3. With the mixture running, slowly add in some ice water, a tablespoon at a time. Mix just until the dough comes together in a ball. You’ll likely have to add between three and five tablespoons of ice water.
4. Remove the dough from the food processor and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
5. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Once chilled, remove the dough from the refrigerator and begin rolling it out on a well-floured surface. You want to roll the dough out into a circle that is roughly 11 to 12 inches in diameter.
7. Once your circle of dough has been rolled to the correct size, transfer it to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
8. Spread the jam or preserves over the dough, leaving a two-inch border all the way around. Once the preserves have been distributed over the dough, begin sealing the crostata edges by folding the border up over the jam. Continue until you’ve folded all of the border up and over.
9. Bake the crostata for 35 to 40 minutes, until the edges of the crostata are golden. Remove the crostata from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.
10. Once cool, transfer the crostata to a serving plate. Sprinkle centre with sliced almonds and dust the edges of the crostata with icing sugar.
11. Enjoy!

Technorati tags:crostata, apricot crostata, giada de laurentiis

I’ve heard rumours that the Easter Bunny has been seen hopping around our neighbourhood.

Perhaps.

What I do know, is that it’s Good Friday and that means fish and seafood in our household. I’m often asked why it is that we eat fish on Good Friday and to be honest, I don’t know the precise answer although I suspect it has much to do with this being the day that, in the religious context, Jesus was crucified. For as long as I can remember, Fridays were reserved for fish. It was a nice way to end the week, especially in preparation for the very large (and meat-filled) lunch we’d usually have on Sundays.

While we do enjoy our fish on Good Friday, it’s not quite the same as the celebration on Christmas Eve. Good Friday has a more sombre tone to it and the food we eat tends to be simple. Usually, my mother will make a pasta sauce with skate and a few mussels and clams thrown in at the end. But for this Good Friday, I wanted to try something new.

Flipping through Jamie’s Italy, I came across a recipe for spaghetti with shrimp and arugula. The picture made me stop. I love shrimp and pasta and the sight of the two of them with colourful bits of arugula had my mouth watering.

Preparation for the pasta was quite easy. Instead of using dried chili flakes, I decided to use fresh red chile peppers. The recipe calls for sundried tomato puree, which I didn’t have. So I improvised and made my own by soaking a handful of sundried tomatoes in boiling water for about twenty minutes. I drained them and put the softened tomatoes in the bowl of the food processor. I added a few cloves of garlic and processed them until everything was finely chopped. Then, with the processor running, I poured in about a quarter cup of olive oil through the food tube. I ended up with a dark red puree that had a very concentrated tomato taste.

While the spaghetti boiled, I sauteed garlic and the red chile peppers in olive oil. I added the shrimp and then some white wine and the sundried tomato puree. Once the spaghetti was cooked, I added the pasta to the pan with the sauce and shrimp. I added lemon juice and arugula and then mixed until all the spaghetti was coated in the fragrant sauce. Before serving, I sprinkled the spaghetti with a bit of lemon zest for colour and flavour.

What a delicious plate of pasta! On this sombre Good Friday, we had a bit of sunshine inside.

Ciao!

Spaghetti with Shrimp and Arugula

Adapted from Jamie’s Italy by Jamie Oliver.

Note:  I used spaghetti as in the original recipe, but you could try this with any long pasta. While the original recipe indicates that it will serve 4, you could probably stretch it to serve 6.

• 1 lb. spaghetti (I used fresh spaghetti)
• 4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red chile pepper, finely chopped
• 1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 tbsp. sundried tomato puree
• juice and zest of one lemon
• 1 cup arugula leaves, roughly chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook your spaghetti in a large pot of boiling, salted water. Cook according to package directions. While your spaghetti is cooking, prepare the sauce.
2. In a large pan, heat the olive oil and then add the garlic and chile pepper. Saute for about 20 seconds, don’t let the garlic burn.
3. Add the shrimp and cook for about a minute, until the shrimp have turned a pinkish/orange colour on both sides.
4. Add the white wine and the sundried tomato puree. Cook for a few minutes over high heat, until the sauce has reduced a bit.
5. Once the spaghetti is cooked, drain the pasta and then add it to the pan. Add the lemon juice and the arugula and begin mixing the pasta until it is completely coated in sauce and the arugula has begun to wilt.
6. Plate the pasta and sprinkle a bit of lemon zest on top before serving.
7. Enjoy!

Technorati tags:  pasta , spaghetti, shrimp, arugula, jamie oliver

Hello, April!

I see you’ve brought a new Flavour of the Month with you:  Jamie’s Italy. I received a copy of this book to review and as soon as I picked up, I knew I’d like it. Who wouldn’t want to be sitting in Italy with a plate of pasta and a glass of wine?

I never get tired of cookbooks on Italian cuisine. I’m not sure if it’s the promise of Italy that they hold or the fact that the food just looks so good. Either way, I look forward to travelling through Italy with Mr. Jaime Oliver this month.

And while I expect you will bring some flowers, April, that’s fine. I’ve got my pasta e ceci to comfort me!

Ciao!

Pasta e Ceci (Pasta with Chickpeas)

Adapted from Jamie’s Italy by Jamie Oliver.

Note:  Pasta e ceci is one of those recipes that can be adapted to suit any tastes. You can make it as thick our as soupy as you like. Feel free to add whatever herbs you like. If you’ve got fresh rosemary or basil on hand, they are an excellent addition to the soup. This soup will serve 4.

• 2 to 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. hot pepper flakes
• 1 sprig rosemary or 1 tbsp. dried rosemary
• 1-1/2 cups chickpeans (use canned chickpeas that have been drained and rinsed)
• 2-1/2 cups chicken stock or water
• 1 cup dried pasta (I like to use tubetti which is a tiny tubular pasta)
• 3 tbsp. parsley, finely chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• Parmigiano Reggiano to taste

1. In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil with the onion, garlic, carrot, celery, hot pepper flakes and rosemary. Cook over very low heat until the vegetables are soft and translucent (about 10 to 15 minutes). Be careful not to burn the vegetables.
2. Once the vegetables are soft, add the chickpeas and the chicken stock or water. Simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring often.
3. Remove half the chickpeas and place in a bowl. Set aside.
4. With an immersion blender or in a blender or food processor, process the liquid and chickpeas in the stockpot until you have a smooth and creamy mixture.
5. Return the remaining chickpeas to the pot and add the pasta. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Let cook until the pasta is ready (about 10 minutes). If the soup gets too thick, add some water.
7. Once the pasta is done, stir in the parsley and taste again for salt and pepper. Adjust the seasoning accordingly.
8. Serve the pasta e ceci with lots of grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
9. Enjoy!

Technorati tags:  pasta, chickpeas, pasta e ceci, jamie oliver, jamie’s italy

Goodbye March!

You were a busy month. You whizzed right by me with almost no opportunity for me to bake. But it’s time for you to go now. April is knocking at the door and I see she’s bringing flour and eggs and baking pans.

But before you go, March, I wanted to thank you for bringing Beth Hensperger’s Bread for Breakfast with you. What an incredible book! Small, but worth every penny. Every recipe I tried was a pleasure and it’s so obvious that Ms. Hensperger is a lover of bread an an excellent teacher.

I had to try one more recipe, before I could let you take this book from me. Because dried apricots have always reminded me of little gems, I decided to try the Apricot, White Chocolate and Walnut Scones. Sure enough, out of the oven, the tiny pieces of apricot glimmered like jewels, surrounded by melty rings of white chocolate.

How I enjoyed these scones! Diets be damned, I piled them all high with butter and jam and made sure to lick my fingers when I was done.

So long, March. See you next year!

Ciao!

Technorati tags:  scones, dried apricots, beth hensperger, bread for breakfast

I’ve often heard people say that their least favourite months of the year are November and February. Myself, I’ve always had a challenge with March. Granted there are some highlights like my mother’s birthday and the gentle promise of spring, but overall, for me it’s always a bit of a tricky month to get through.

When it came time to choose the Flavour of the Month, I knew that it would have to be somthing comforting. Almost immediately my eyes fell on Beth Hensperger’s Bread for Breakfast. This charming book has sat on my bookshelf for quite some time, unused and neglected. I took the book down and within a few moment, I knew that I’d found the cookbook that I wanted to focus on in March.

Beth Hensperger is an accomplished writer and cookbook author. She’s probably best known for her cookbook The Bread Bible, which won a James Beard Award. I own several of Hensperger’s cookbooks and have always enjoyed them. While I haven’t tried a lot of recipes, the ones that I have tried have always been successful.

I chose this particular cookbook because it’s full of the sort of recipes I imagine myself enjoying on lazy mornings when I have lots of time to sit and enjoy my coffee. Since March is typically a month where I almost never have the time to do this, I figured I might as well live vicariously through Hensperger’s book.

Unbelievably, it’s already March 12th so I suppose it’s time to get down to business. I’ve mentioned before how I often have trouble eating all the bananas I buy and I found myself in a similar position with some oranges. I’d bought some last week with the intention of enjoying one every day but suddenly found myself with a basket full of uneaten oranges. Flipping through Bread for Breakfast, I found myself drawn to a recipe for Orange Bread. Not only would I be able to use some of the beautiful oranges I bought, but I’d get to knead bread dough, always a blissful experience.

This particular bread is an excellent one, especially for someone who is just starting out baking bread. While the dough can easily be made in a mixer, it can just as easily be made by hand. The ingredients are few (yeast, flour, milk, orange juice and zest, melted butter and egg) and the time it takes to make the bread is relatively short. After letting the yeast bloom for about ten minutes, another ten or fifteen minutes of mixing results in a lovely dough. An initial rise of one and a half hours is followed by the shaping of the dough. The recipe doesn’t require bread pans, you can simply shape the dough into two round loaves. Another forty five minutes of rising time is followed by about forty minutes in the oven.

The end result is two wonderfully fragrant and golden loaves. We especially loved the bread toasted with butter and jam. Because I only tried this recipe once, I won’t post the recipe since I didn’t adapt it in any way, but I’m already looking forward to trying many of the other recipes in Bread for Breakfast.

Work has kept me out of the kitchen for too long. This beautiful Orange Bread was the perfect welcome back!

Ciao!

Technorati tags:  bread, orange

The Flavour of the Month for February 2006

A new month means a new flavour to enjoy. I said farewell to Patricia Wells’ Trattoria and hello to Matt Kramer’s A Passion for Piedmont. I can hardly believe that it’s already been a year since the Olympics in Torino. I had such fun learning about the cuisine of Piedmont (Piemonte), in preparation for the Olympics. During my studies, I came across Matt Kramer’s incredible cookbook. How I wished that I could have discovered it sooner! I’ve decided to mark the one-year anniversary of the Olympics by returning to Piedmont, so to speak, and taking a closer look at Kramer’s cookbook. I hope you’ll join me on this little voyage!

Some Recipes

I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy some more recipes from my fellow bloggers so I just thought I’d share them with you. Give them a try, you’ll love them!

• Ilva’s Sweet Focaccia:  Try it warm from the oven smeared with Nutella!
• Béa’s Gougères: So good!
• Anita’s Cupcakes of Love:  Perfect for Valentine’s Day!
• Nicole’s Farfalle with Pistachio Cream Sauce:  I could eat this pasta forever!
• Maura’s Winemaker’s Grape Cake:  I love you, Maura! One day I’m going to secretly publish a cookbook with all your recipes … oh … wait … did I just say that out loud???

Some News

Here’s all the news that’s fit to print:

• The third annual Menu for Hope was a resounding success! We raised $60,952.12, an incredible accomplishment! I’d like to thank everyone that extended their generosity during the holiday season. I’m happy to say that my fellow Canadian blogger, Sara of I Like to Cook, was the winner of the prize that I donated. Congratulations, Sara!
• In honour of the season, Gabrielle Lichterman, Editor-in-Chief of Four Weeks Magazine, asked me to join a few other bloggers in providing a special recipe for Valentine’s Day. I came up with a luscious Double Chocolate Tiramisu’ for Two. Check it out!
• Last March, I featured a cookbook by Paulette Mitchell as my Cream Puffs in Venice Flavour of the Month. The book is called A Beautiful Bowl of Soup and it was a delightful read. As a bonus, I discovered a number of incredible soups that have become a part of my family’s regular repertoire. I was absolutely thrilled when I received an e-mail from Paulette, on Christmas Day no less, introducing herself. Paulette is an incredibly warm person who is doing exactly what she should be doing:  writing cookbooks. She’s amazing! If you have the chance to look at any of her cookbooks, I highly recommend that you do so. But even better, how about if you had the chance to meet Paulette?! As it turns out, she also travels to Italy and gives guided tours as part of the programs at the wonderful La Divina Cucina cooking school. Paulette will be in Florence, Italy for two weeks in May 2007, where she will be joining Judy Witts Francini. There are still some spaces available for this wonderful opportunity so if any one out there is looking for the chance of a lifetime, this is it! You can read all the details here. I’d like to thank Paulette so much for providing me with this information and for saying hello in the first place!
• A wonderfully charming reader, DM, sent me an e-mail about a program to catalogue all of your cookbooks! It’s called Delicious Library. Check it out. Thanks, DM!
• For all the Nutella lovers out there, don’t forget World Nutella Day. It’s Wednesday February 6th and is being hosted by Sara of Ms. Adventures in Italy and Shelly of At Home in Rome.
• My sweetie Meeta of What’s For Lunch Honey? is hosting Monthly Mingle #7. The theme is Sweet Love and the deadline is February 8th.

I hope your February is full of lots of chocolate and lots of love!

Ciao!

Not with a man.

Not with a Cream Puff.

With a book!

I am working on a review of the cookbook Essence of Chocolate:  Recipes for Baking and Cooking with Fine Chocolate by Robert Steinberg and John Scharffenberger. The review isn’t ready yet, but I just had to tell you about it and give you a sneak peek at one of the incredible recipes that this book holds within its beautiful pages. I know I’m always going on and on about cookbooks, but this one really is a winner.

I leave you with this unbelievable Banana Caramel Cake.

Ciao!

Banana Caramel Cake

Adapted from Essence of Chocolate:  Recipes for Baking and Cooking with Fine Chocolate by Robert Steinberg and John Scharffenberger.

This recipe takes banana cake to a whole new level. While I initially thought it might be too sweet with the sugar, chocolate, bananas and caramel, the cake is instead balanced and spicy with a lovely sweet note. A classic!

For the cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. cloves
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 3 large eggs
• 1-1/4 cups vegetable oil (or canola oil as in the original recipe)
• 1-3/4 cups sugar
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• 3 oz. chocolate (I used a 65% chocolate), broken into small pieces (size of chips)
• 3 ripe bananas, diced

For the caramel:

• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. whole milk
• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1. Butter and flour a tube pan or a bundt pan that can hold 12 cups.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Sift together the dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt and baking soda).
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the eggs, oil and sugar. With the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure that the sugar has been incorporated.
6. Add the vanilla extract and mix for another 30 seconds.
7. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients a bit at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl every now and then to ensure everything is incorporated.
8. Once the dry ingredients have been added, remove the bowl from the stand mixer and add the pecans, chocolate and bananas. Gently fold them in with a spatula or a wooden spoon. Don’t over mix.
9. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 50 minutes and then test the cake to see if it’s done by poking a toothpick or cake tester into the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done. If not, bake the cake for another 5 to 10 minutes. In my oven, this cake took 55 minutes.
10. About 5 to 10 minutes before the cake is done, make the caramel by combining all the ingredients in a small pan. Bring to the boil and stir occasionally to ensure that it doesn’t burn. Let it boil for about 5 minutes and then turn off the heat.
11. Once the cake is out of the oven, poke holes all over the cake with a skewer. Immediately pour the caramel over the cake, stopping every now and then to let the caramel sink in. If the caramel pools in spots, poke more holes to allow it to sink in.
12. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack. Once it’s cool, loosen the cake from the sides of the pan and then unmold it onto a plate.
13. Enjoy!

Note:  This cake will easily serve 10 to 12. Because I let the cake cool, I had no problems unmolding it. If you unmold it while it’s warm, be careful as it may stick.

Technorati tags:  banana, banana cake, chocolate

It’s difficult not to like Nigella Lawson. You’d have to be hard-hearted indeed not to fall prey to the charms of this intelligent, witty and yes - gorgeous - woman. As a television personality, her presence is infectious. Don’t we all wish we could look so good throwing egg shells into the sink?!

I own two of Nigella’s cookbooks and love them both. Simply put, her recipes work. Her Sticky Toffee Pudding (Nigella Bites) is probably one of my family’s favourite desserts. Her Madeira Cake (How to Be a Domestic Goddess) is a quick and reliable treat when you just have to have something sweet with your coffee. And if you can make her Christmas Pavlova (How to Be a Domestic Goddess) and not eat it all in one sitting, you’re a better Cream Puff than me.

I recently had the opportunity to review her most recent cookbook, Feast. Released in paperback in September 2006, Feast follows in the footsteps of Lawson’s previous books. Beautifully photographed and written, Feast is Lawson’s statement to the world that any special occasion is worthy of a food celebration.

The cookbook is divided into many sections that cover every imaginable festivity or important moment that would necessitate a special meal. While the obvious occasions like Thanksgiving and Christmas are there, there are also sections devoted to Breakfast, Valentine’s Day and my personal favourite, the Midnight Feast.

I think that Lawson is an incredible writer and it shows both in the Introduction to the cookbook as well as the introductions to each section. It’s almost impossible to argue with her logic for going all out to prepare the meals of your dreams, whatever the occasion. I found the head notes to her recipes particularly enjoyable, especially the ones that offer a glimpse of her own family life. Nothing helps a reader to identify with a cookbook than a sense of camaraderie with the author.

I think this is Lawson’s greatest success as a cookbook author. She may not be a professional chef, but her recipes are enticing and well-written. And because she doesn’t talk down to her reader, it’s easy to visualize yourself making the recipes. It’s easy to imagine what those dishes will look like on your own table in your own kitchen.

Feast has something for everyone. It will satisfy the the carnivore, the vegetarian and the cream puffs (that is, those who crave sweets!) among us. And I warn you, the pictures will make your mouth water.

As I read through the cookbook, I found the recipes to be clear and well-presented. Well-suited to the home cook, the recipes can be easily managed by cooks of all backgrounds and levels of experience. For those with a bit more experience, I think the recipes are generous enough that they invite improvisation and adaptation. After all, what’s better than a cookbook with recipes that inspire you to bigger and better things?

But the final proof, as they say, is in the pudding so it was time to roll up my sleeve and try some of the recipes. The first recipe I tried was Andy’s Fairfield Granola. Lawson got this recipe from Andy Rolleri of The Pantry deli in Fairfield, Connecticut. I’m a bit of a tough judge when it comes to granola recipes as I personally think that I make a mean granola.

I was pleasantly surprised by this granola recipe. It was easy to pull together and the end result was a nutty granola that was crunchy, but not too sweet. The only hiccup in the recipe as far as I was concerned was the use of brown rice syrup or rice malt syrup. I have no idea where to locate those ingredients so I used golden syrup instead(the recipe gives you that option) and I don’t think the granola suffered one bit. I also added dried cherries for colour. Delicious!

Having started with a lovely breakfast, I thought it was time to move directly to dessert. But then I thought that I should at least try one of the savoury recipes in the book. Cream Puff cannot live on dessert alone.

I found myself repeatedly drawn to a recipe for Hot Pepper Relish to be served with melon. This relish is Georgian in origin and can be kept refrigerated for several weeks. While I didn’t want to have it with melon, I was intrigued by the relish as we enjoy spicy condiments with many of the foods we eat.

I made my version of this pepper relish with hot banana peppers and jalapenos (as opposed to red chiles in the original). I also topped my relish off with olive oil after I put it in a glass jar. Without question, this was a huge hit! We ate the entire jar of relish in one sitting on toasted bread rubbed with garlic. It was spicy with a nice vinegary bite. I’ve already gotten requests for seconds.

Having gotten the savoury out of the way (yes … I know … relish isn’t the best representation of savoury but what can I say … I’m a Cream Puff), it was time to go for dessert.

As soon as I saw the photograph of the Baci di Ricotta, piled high on a beautiful stand and covered in icing sugar, I dreamt of making them. Made with ricotta, eggs, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, sugar and vanilla extract, these ricotta fritters were a snap to pull together. The batter comes together in less time than it takes to heat the oil. One of the other attractive points of this recipe is that while you are frying in oil, you’re not frying in a lot of oil, which is nice for those that are intimidated of deep frying.

These fritters were golden on the outside and feather-light on the inside. We gobbled them up warm, drenched in icing sugar which actually melted into the warmish fritters. Heaven!

Having had our dessert appetizer, it was time to get serious. We unbuckled our belts and undid our pant buttons, ready to dig into cheesecake … Chestnut Cheesecake. I have a huge love of chestnuts and find beautifully roasted chestnuts impossible to resist. This particular cheesecake called for chestnut puree which I’d never tried before. My very well stocked supermarket carries a lovely chestnut puree from France. Besides the puree, this is a very straightforward cheesecake. I decided to give my new mini-cheesecake pans a try and was pleased at how beautifully the little cheesecakes turned out. While they would have been quite good on their own, they’re pushed over the top by a rum syrup which compliments the chestnut filling perfectly.

While I would count the Hot Pepper Relish and the Baci di Ricotta as my favourites, all four recipes turned out exceedingly well. And believe me, I’m looking forward to trying many more. Who knew feasting on Nigella could taste so good?!

Ciao!

Hot Pepper Relish

Adapted from Feast by Nigella Lawson.

• 8 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half
• 1 celery stick, cut into 2 or 3 pieces
• 2 banana peppers, cut lengthwise and the seeds removed
• 2 jalapeno peppers, cut lengthwise and the seeds removed
• 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed
• 1/2 cup parsley, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1. Place all the ingredients, except the parsley, vinegar, salt and olive oil, in the bowl of a food processor and process until everything is finely chopped.
2. Add the parsley, vinegar and salt, and pulse 4 or 5 times. Taste the relish and adjust the seasoning according to your own tastes.
3. Place the relish in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 8 to 10 hours.
4. Remove the relish from the refrigerator and spoon into a fine-mesh sieve. Let the relish sit in the sieve for 5 minutes to allow some of the excess liquid to drain.
5. Spoon the relish into a sterilized glass jar, leaving an inch at the top of the jar. Pour the olive oil in, a bit at a time, allowing the olive oil to seep down into the relish.
6. Store the relish in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks.
7. Enjoy!

Technorati tags:  nigella lawson, feast, granola, relish, peppers, cheesecake, chestnuts

Forgive me.

I know the title of this post must seem unbelievably lame. But I can’t help it. It’s all my warm, fuzzy brain can muster after eating this delicious rice dish and then sinking back onto the couch, under my favourite blanket in the world, in our cozy little living room in our cozy little house. Outside, winter rages.

Well … okay … maybe not rages, but it’s definitely winter. It’s snowy and cold and all the things that winter should be.

But in here it’s warm and fuzzy, thanks in good part to a dish that was made for a night just like this:  baked rice.

I’ve been thinking about rice a lot lately. Just a few weeks ago I was pondering the relaxing qualities of making risotto. It’s practically a recipe for virtue and meditation. Think about it. Cooking the tiniest grains of rice, slowly slowly slowly. Pouring in ladle fulls of hot broth, one ladle at a time, slowly slowly slowly. Waiting for the little grains to swell, almost to bursting, slowly slowly slowly.

No wonder everyone loves risotto!

But imagine if you could make a risotto, but not have to stir it all the time. Imagine that you could put all the ingredients together, pop it into a warm oven, and then curl up on the couch for some well-deserved beauty sleep?

"But my rice would burn!" you exclaim.

Not so.

For the aroma of this dish will pull you out of your slumber as soon as it’s ready. It’s that irresistible!

I have Patricia Wells to thank for this rice dish. Looking through her cookbook, Trattoria, I came across this recipe and remembered having baked rice often when I was much younger. But we don’t seem to eat rice as much these days. After work dinners tend to be quick and Sundays, especially in winter, seem to be reserved for more elaborate dishes often featuring fresh pasta.

Those poor little grains of rice get so lonely.

But Ms. Wells has helped me to rediscover them. Her recipe for baked rice with tomato sauce and pecorino (sheep’s milk cheese) seemed like just the thing. So I mixed it all up, put it into one of my prettiest baking dishes, popped it in our little oven and then snuggled up on the couch for a nap.

And all the while it baked, slowly slowly slowly.

And in the end, it was yummy yummy yummy.

Ciao!

Baked Rice with Tomato and Pecorino Romano

Inspired by Patricia Wells’ Trattoria.

• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 2 cups chicken stock (you can use water if you don’t have stock, but be sure to season the rice well before putting it in the oven if you do use water)
• 1 cup cooked tomato sauce
• 1 cup Pecorino Romano, freshly grated (Pecorino Romano is an Italian sheep’s milk cheese)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 to 3 tbsp. Parmigiano Reggiano
• 2 to 3 tbsp. parsley, finely chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large pan, heat the olive oil and then add the rice.
3. Stir the rice for about a minute, until it is coated in oil.
4. Add the chicken stock and tomato sauce and cook over medium high heat until the mixture comes to a simmer. (If you’ve used water, you may want to add a bit of salt or pepper.)
5. Let simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Add half the Pecorino Romano and stir.
7. Pour the rice mixture into a large baking dish (mine is oval and roughly 12 inches by 6 inches). Sprinkle with the remaining Pecorino Romano. If your dish has a lid, cover it or cover the dish with aluminum foil.
8. Bake in the centre of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes. After about 30 minutes, check on your rice just to be sure that it hasn’t dried out. When the rice is done, it will be creamy, but not soup or too dry.
9. When the rice is done, take it out of the oven and let it cool for a minute or two. Sprinkle with the Parmigiano Reggiano and the parsley and then serve.
10. Enjoy!

Note:  This dish will serve 3 to 4 people.

Technorati tags:  rice, baked rice, tomato sauce, pecorino romano

What exactly is schmecks?

I was pondering this very question shortly after reading an e-mail from Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Sensual Gourmet asking me if I’d be interested in reading and reviewing a cookbook by the eminent Canadian writer, Edna Staebler. The cookbook in question happens to be called Food That Really Schmecks.

Born in 1906 in Kitchener, Ontario, Edna Staebler spent her life devoting herself to the pursuit of writing and journalism. Her work appeared in publications like Maclean’s, Chatelaine and Reader’s Digest, to name just a few. A recognized author, Ms. Staebler was awarded the Order of Canada in 1996, the culmination of a lifetime of achievement.

She is perhaps best know, however, for a series of cookbooks that she wrote detailing the cooking and way-of-life of Ontario’s Mennonite community. Her cookbooks, more than just a record of recipes, are a record of a time that seems long-gone now. Her skills as a keeper and teller of recipes are matched only by her skills as a teller of stories.

The charm of Staebler’s cookbooks are the anecdotes that she shares. Each recipe is introduced with a description that sketches out a time, a place and a dish. Her presentation is simple and straightforward, honest and strong, and Canadian to the core.

Perhaps the best quality of Food That Really Schmecks is the food itself. There is no haute cuisine or molecular gastronomy to be found here. Rather, there is the good, hearty and simple food of good, hearty and simple people. It’s the epitome of comfort food in all it’s stick-to-your-ribs glory.

That is not to say that some of the recipes aren’t a bit strange-sounding. But that in and of itself lends the book even more charm. I mean who wouldn’t want to find out exactly what Seven-Cent Pudding is? And I for one would love to be served a piece of Compromise Cake.

Before receiving my copy of this cookbook, I had only heard of Edna Staebler once or twice. I knew very little about her and I had never seen one of her cookbooks. But after having read Food That Really Schmecks and tried a recipe or two, I could see why Ms. Staebler was so admired and loved. She is like the dear aunt that we all know and love. The one with all the common sense and experience. The one who can tell a great story and make a great dinner. The one who is smart and wise.

Jasmine had the opportunity to meet Ms. Staebler prior to her passing on September 12, 2006. I’m so happy that Jasmine had the chance to do so, as well as the chance to tell others about this lovely woman. I think we’re all the richer for it.

As for my initial question about the word schmecks, I did a bit of searching and found that while there is no precise meaning, it’s often used as a way of saying something is tasty or yummy or good.

If that’s the case, then Food That Really Schmecks really does schmeck!

Ciao!

Cheddar Cherry Rolls

Adapted from Food That Really Schmecks by Edna Staebler.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 5 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 4 tbsp. cold butter
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped dried cherries

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Cut the butter into tiny pieces and add to the flour mixture.
4. With a pastry cutter or with your fingers, mix the butter into the flour until it resembles a coarse mixture.
5. Slowly add the milk, gathering the flour into a ball. As soon as it forms a ball of dough, stop adding milk (you may not have to add it all).
6. Transfer the dough to a well-floured surface and roll the dough out until it’s about half an inch thick.
7. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese and dried cherries over the dough. Beginning at the edge closest to you, roll the dough up like a jelly roll.
8. Cut the roll into one-inch rounds and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
9. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the rounds are golden.
10. Serve warm.
11. Enjoy!

Note:  This recipe is based on a recipe for Cheese Rolls found on p. 187 in Food That Really Schmecks. We enjoy eating cheese with dried fruit so I decided to pair cheddar with dried cherries for my version. This recipe will yield 8 to 10 rolls.

Technorati tags:  edna staebler, food that really schmecks, cheddar, cherries

The nominees for the 2006 Food Blog Awards have been released and to my great surprise, I have been nominated for the Best Food Blog - Writing category!

When I started this blog in December 2005, I did it so that I could have a place to share my passion for baking and cooking. And I also did it so that I could use some of those cookbooks that keep appearing on The Overburdened Bookshelf.

I have no idea how they get there.

Really.

As I celebrated a year of blogging, I was thinking about how lucky I’ve been to first and foremost have met so many wonderful people, a few of whom I’ve been able to meet in person. Add to that the fact that I’ve tried so many new recipes and learned so much … well … I thought I couldn’t possibly be more fortunate.

But to be nominated, and then to make the top five in a category with such talented and worthy writers, well it’s just too much! From the bottom of my heart I thank you!

And I also urge you to go and vote. The polls are open until January 9th. There are so many talented nominees and the choice will be difficult. But please do cast your ballot for your favourites!

I’m so happy after this good news that I can share this beautiful cake with all of you. This is an orange and lemon cake from Patricia Wells’ book, Trattoria. For those of you that aren’t familiar with Patricia Wells, she’s a prolific writer who has been a food critic and restaurant reviewer. She is a highly decorated cookbook author who counts a Julia Child/IACP Award and a James Beard Foundation Award among her accomplishments. Besides Trattoria, she has written numerous cookbooks including several all the food of Provence. As if that’s not brilliant enough, Patricia teaches cooking classes in Paris! My dream is to be able to attend on of those classes one day.

One day!

Patricia’s books have an ease to them that is inviting and appealing to a home cook like myself. It’s easy to feel yourself in an Italian trattoria or in a Provencal kitchen while flipping through one of her books. Her recipes are clear and authentic, and I don’t think I’ve ever been disappointed.

I received Trattoria as a Christmas gift in 2005, and I realized recently that I had yet to really take an in depth look at the book. While on my trip in December, as the time to leave neared, I found myself beginning to yearn for the simple yet robust food of home. I enjoyed all that I ate while in Europe (believe me I did), but I was ready to come back to some good solid pasta! Without much hesitation, I chose Trattoria to be the Flavour of the Month for January 2007 as it contained so many of the soul-nourishing recipes I seem to be  yearning for these days. Now while I would normally begin my exploration of a Flavour of the Month at the beginning of the book, I found myself drawn to the section on Desserts.

Me? Drawn to desserts? Shocking, isn’t it?!

One particular sweet kept tempting me and it took the form of Patricia’s Fragrant Orange and Lemon Cake (Torta di Arancio e Limone). There are no photographs in Trattoria, yet the description of this cake, so full of zest and citrus juice, had me envisioning what the final product would look like even before I tried it. I could already smell the heady aroma of this cake coming out of the oven. And something about the combination of orange and lemon, at this time of year, just felt so right. Besides the fact that it hasn’t been the coldest of winters (yet), it feels so virtuous to be eating a cake full of vitamin-packed citrus. Why it practically cancels out all the butter!

I said practically.

Beyond the health benefits of this cake (minimal though they may be), I love filling the kitchen with oranges and lemons, especially around the holidays. They lend such a festive air to the table so baking this cake made me feel like the best part of the holidays … the part where you bake and rest and enjoy time with your friends and family … could continue even though the holidays themselves are over.

I wish you all a wonderful January and I hope that if you have the chance, you will try this lovely cake and that it will warm your kitchens wherever you are.

Ciao!

Orange and Lemon Cake

Adapted from Patricia Wells’ Trattoria.

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 tbsp. grated lemon zest
• 2 tbsp. grated orange zest
• juice of 1 lemon
• juice of 1 orange
• a few drops of orange oil (optional)
• 3/4 cup milk (preferably whole)
• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup vanilla sugar
• 3/4 cup sugar (if you don’t have vanilla sugar, just use 1-1/2 cups regular granulated sugar)
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature
• icing sugar for dusting

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and butter and flour a 9- or 10-inch cake pan or springform pan. If you use a 9-inch pan, make sure it has sides that are at least 3 inches high or your cake batter may overflow.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Once sifted, add the orange and lemon zests and mix well. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, using the paddle attachment on medium speed, combine the butter and sugar and mix for 2 to 3 minutes until the butter is light in colour and appears fluffy.
4. Combine the lemon juice, orange juice and milk and stir.
5. Add the eggs to the butter/sugar mixture, one at a time, on medium speed, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
6. Begin adding the dry ingredients, in three additions, and then alternating with the milk/juice mixture. You should begin with the dry ingredients and end with the dry ingredients.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes to an hour. Check the cake after 50 minutes by inserting a toothpick or cake tester into the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done. If not, continue baking the cake. In my oven the cake took an hour so the baking time may vary based on your oven.
8. Once done, remove the cake from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, unmold the cake and dust with icing sugar before serving.
9. Enjoy!

Note:  The original recipe calls for 1-1/2 cups of vanilla sugar, but that would have completely exhausted my supply so I cut that down to a 3/4 cup of vanilla sugar and then used a 3/4 cup of regular granulated sugar. You can use 1-1/2 cups of regular granulated sugar and add vanilla extract for the vanilla flavour. If you want to make your own vanilla sugar, simply take a few pods of vanilla and place them in a container. Cover the pods with sugar and leave them for a week or two so that the sugar absorbs the aroma of the vanilla. Each time you use some sugar, be sure to replenish the supply in the jar. And any time you use a vanilla pod, don’t throw it away. Dry it off and then add it to your jar of sugar.

I also used orange oil in this recipe because I love the intense orange flavour that it imparts. You do not have to use orange oil. The zest and juice is fine.

Technorati tags:  food blog awards, patricia wells, oranges, lemons, cake

When Lisa of La Mia Cucina and I get to talking, you just know there will be some baking happening.

Ah, yes. It’s good to have blog friends!

After the fun we had with our pretzel cross-posts, we decided to try another cross-post for the holidays. We wanted to bake something that was traditionally Italian and well-suited for enjoying with friends. After a few late-night e-mails, we decided on biscotti.

As many of you know, biscotti are a typically dry Italian cookie. The name of the cookie literally means "cooked twice" due to the fact that biscotti are usually baked twice. Homemade biscotti are a pure treat. They’re easy to make and they last a long time so you can enjoy them with your milk and coffee throughout the week.

I absolutely do not buy biscotti in coffee shops. For starters, they are almost always overpriced. Even if you use nuts, making biscotti at home is always more economical and you’ll find the results to be much better. Which brings me to my next point about most coffee shop biscotti … they’re usually not very good. If you try making biscotti at home, you’ll see that yours are much better!

After deciding to make biscotti, Lisa suggested that we invite a few other bloggers along for the cross-post. After the pretzel experiment, Peabody, Brilynn and Helene all expressed interest in a cross-post. We decided to try a recipe from Dorie Greenspan’s recently released Baking:  From My Home to Yours.

We chose Dorie’s Chocolate Biscotti recipe as the starting point. The only rule was that there were no rules. We were all free to adapt the recipe however we saw fit.

For my biscotti, I decided to reduce the amount of almonds and add toffee bits. Also, instead of using chopped bittersweet chocolate, I used semisweet chocolate chips. And to finish off my biscotti, I bathed them in lots of melted white chocolate. (I’m not sure there’s anything more fun than drizzling chocolate over stuff!)

The biscotti were delicious! Not too hard and not too soft, they hit just the right note of sweetness between the chocolate and the toffee bits.

And now that you’ve read about my biscotti, please go and visit Lisa, Helene, Peabody and Brilynn to see the adaptations they came up with. They had me drooling!

Ciao!

Chocolate Toffee Biscotti

Adapted from Baking:  From My  Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp. instant espresso powder
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 stick (6 tbsp.) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup almonds, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup toffee bits
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 4 ounces white chocolate (for garnish)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, instant espresso powder, baking soda and baking powder.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on high speed until fluffy (about 2 minutes).
4. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix for another 2 minutes.
5. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients.
6. As soon as the dry ingredients have been incorporated into the batter, remove the bowl from the machine and add the almonds, toffee bits and chocolate chips. You can use a wooden spin to stir them into the dough, but I prefer to use my hands.
7. Once you’ve incorporated all the ingredients, divide the dough in half and roll each half into a log about 12 inches long.
8. Carefully transfer the logs to the parchment-lined baking sheet. With your hand, flatten each log so that it’s roughly an inch high and about 2 inches wide.
9. Bake the logs for 25 minutes. The logs will spread a bit and may even crack a bit, but don’t worry.
10. After 25 minutes, remove the logs from the oven and let them cool for 30 minutes.
11. Using a serrated knife, carefully slice the logs into biscotti. Each biscotto should be about three-quarters of an inch wide. Transfer the biscotti back to the baking sheet and stand them upright.
12. Once you’ve sliced the logs into biscotti, return the biscotti to the oven for 10 minutes.
13. Once the biscotti are done, place them on a wire rack to cool.
14. When the biscotti are completely cooled, melt the white chocolate over a double boiler. Using a whisk or a fork, drizzle the melted chocolate all over the tops of the biscotti. Let the chocolate set before serving the biscotti.
15. Enjoy!

Note:  You should get anywhere from 20 to 24 biscotti (depending on how wide the slices are). Store the biscotti in an airtight container for up to a week.

Technorati tags:  biscotti, chocolate, almonds, toffee bits, dorie greenspan

When I bid adieu to the October 2006 Flavour of the Month, I promised that you’d be seeing Tish Boyle’s book on this blog again and again. So far, I’ve tried about a third of the recipes from the book and they have all been winners. To be sure, some were more winning than others like the chiffon cake, for example. This book hasn’t let me down yet!

Last week, I found myself staring at a basket full of too ripe bananas and it made me think of a quote from Tish’s book about "banana management." She talks about how she’ll buy bananas, but never seems to use them up fast enough. I can relate. I always have the best intentions when buying bananas, but no matter what, I always end up with at least three or four that are far too ripe to eat.

Thank goodness for banana bread! Like most people, I have a favourite banana bread recipe, but I decided to try a banana cake recipe from Tish’s book. It’s a very standard recipe, most likely similar to many of the countless other recipes out there. But instead of baking this in a cake pan, I decided to go the mini cupcake route. You know sometimes I think it doesn’t matter what you bake, put it in a mini cupcake pan and people will fall all over it. They’re just so cute!

Fortunately this banana cake was delicious as was the frosting, which is an adaptation of a cream cheese frosting from The Cake Book. I topped it all off with a sprinkling of freshly grated nutmeg on the top of each cupcake.

Perhaps I have a future in banana management after all!

Ciao!

Mini Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Adapted from The Cake Book by Tish Boyle.

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cake and pastry flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp. honey (preferably light honey)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt (full fat)
• 2 or 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (you can toast them if you like but I don’t)

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. If using a mini muffin tray, either line the tray with paper liners or butter the mini muffin tray if not using paper liners. Alternatively, you can use mini paper cups as I did. If using paper cups, arrange the paper cups on a cookie sheet. (You will need 35 to 40 paper cups for this recipe.)
3. In a bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, the cake and pastry flour, the baking powder, the baking soda, the cinnamon and the salt. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, on low speed, mix the butter with the paddle attachment until it’s smooth.
5. Add the granulated sugar, the honey and the brown sugar and mix on medium speed until fully incorporated and creamy (2 to 3 minutes).
6. Add the eggs and the vanilla extract and mix for another 2 to 3 minutes (scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally).
7. Add the sour cream and mashed bananas and mix on low speed until combined (about a minute or so).
8. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. Don’t over mix.
9. Once combined, remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the nuts.
10. With a tablespoon, spoon the butter into the mini muffin tray or into the paper cups. (You may want to try doing this with a piping bag if you have one on hand.)
11. Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes and then test for doneness by inserting a cake tester into the centre of one of the cupcakes. If it comes out clean, they’re done. If not, bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes and test again. In my oven, these took about 25 minutes, but I suggest you check after 20 minutes as ovens vary.
12. Once done, remove the cupcakes from the oven and let cook completely on a wire rack. If you used a mini muffin tray, once the cupcakes are cool you can remove them from the tray.
13. Dust with icing sugar and serve or top with Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows).

Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 package cream cheese (8 ounces), softened
• 1/2 cup butter (4 tbsp.), softened
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup icing sugar, sifted (keep some extra icing sugar on hand in case you need it)
• nutmeg (for sprinkling)

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, with the paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese and butter on low speed until smooth (about 1 minute).
2. Add the vanilla extract, the cinnamon and the salt and mix on low speed until combined (about 1 minute).
3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then add the icing sugar. Mix on low speed at first, just until combined. Increase the speed to medium and mix for at least 2 minutes. The cream cheese frosting should be light and fluffy. If it’s not thick enough, add a bit more sifted icing sugar.
4. Once ready, use the frosting immediately. You can either dollop the frosting onto the cupcakes with a spoon, or you can use a piping bag to pipe the icing on the cupcakes.
5. Once you’ve frosted all the cupcakes, top each with just a tiny bit of nutmeg. Don’t use too much because nutmeg can be overpowering.
6. Enjoy!

Note:  I used mini paper cups and got about 40 cupcakes. You can store the frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a day. Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to a month. The cream cheese frosting should be used immediately. I love the flavour of bananas and honey so I always add some to my banana bread. You can omit the honey if you like.

Technorati tags:  bananas, mini cupcakes, tish boyle, the cake book

After the success that I had with Dorie’s Buttery Jam Cookies, I decided that I would try one more recipe from her cookbook, Baking:  From My Home to Yours, for the Cookbook Spotlight that I was invited to participate in by Sara of I Like to Cook.

Instead of randomly choosing a recipe, I decided to make something that I was craving. So this past Sunday, I looked out the window at the chilly fall weather and thought one thing:  apples. I didn’t particularly care what form they came in, but I wanted hot, cinnamony apples to comfort me.

I checked the cookbook index and was immediately drawn to to the recipe for Flaky Apple Turnovers. While