It is, perhaps, the greatest slap in the face of all.

Just as Summer presents you with a dazzling array of berries and fruits, all of them inspiration for your deepest baking desires, Summer also slaps you in the face with heat and humidity.

The very idea of turning the stove on makes me shudder and that’s saying a lot for a committed home baker such as myself.

It’s just not fair.

For a solid two weeks now, to step outside your front door is to be immediately met with a muggy, heavy, moist and stifling Summer kiss. Shudder.

Central air-conditioning be damned. We live in a small, older home and even with central air, as soon as you turn that oven on, our house is a sauna.

So for two weeks, I have been freezing berries like a madwoman, all the while fuming.

Every single time I hear someone say how much they love the Summer and the heat, I’m pretty much casting eye daggers their way.

What is the point of Summer if you cannot bake and use all the beautiful fruits and vegetables around you?

Sitting and stewing has led to many elaborate revenge fantasies. While I’m still working on that machine that will allow us to skip straight from Spring to Fall, I have settled on something a bit more realistic.

Vichyssoise. Zucchini vichyssoise, to be exact.

I was initiatied into the vichyssoise club several years ago during a leisurely lunch at the home of a family friend. It was a hot (of course) summer day and after the appetizers were cleared away, our hostess pulled out a tall, glass jug from the refrigerator.

The jug appeared to be filled with a thick cream, but I soon discovered that it was a cold potato and leek soup known as vichyssoise. Just before serving, our hostess mixed in a healthy dose of cream and then poured the soup into pretty litle cups.

As I had my first taste of vichyssoise I remember thinking, “This is gold. This must become a part of my life on a regular basis.”

Vichyssoise is very easy to make. Cook down some leeks (or onions) and potatoes with chicken stock. Once it’s all cooked, season to taste and then puree and refrigerate. Just before serving, mix in some cream and then serve with snipped chives for a bit of bite.

From Ina Garten’s Barefoot in Paris, I got the idea of making a zucchini vichyssoise.

Perfect. Now I can thwart summer on two fronts. Not only can I enjoy a delicious cold soup, I can also make another dent in the zucchini mountain growing outside our door.

This soup is so refreshing, it almost makes up for the pain of not being able to bake.

As an added “painkiller” and hopefully another salvo aimed at Summer, I’ve been topping the zucchini vichyssoise with … what else … more zucchini.

These fried zucchini strips are a common side dish in our house. It’s a very fast way to use up some zucchini and I have yet to meet the person that can resist them.

So I bide my time. Summer has to end sooner or later. Cooler temperatures will usher in the days of baking once again.

I just hope the freezer holds out.

Ciao!

Zucchini Slivers

2 zucchini, medium-sized
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
corn oil or canola oil, for frying
sea salt, to taste

1. Cut the ends off the zucchini and discard. Slice the zucchini into the finest slivers you can by first cutting the zucchini into long, thin slices and then cutting the slices into long, thin slivers. Set aside.

2. In a large frying pan, pour in enough oil to come about an inch up the side of the pan. Heat the oil over medium-high heat.

3. While the oil is heating, place the flour in a large bowl and in several batches, dredge the zucchini slivers in the oil. Once dredged, shake off the excess flour and place the slivers in a plate.

4. Once the oil is hot, fry the slivers in batches. Do not overcrowd the pan. The slivers will fry for about 4 to 5 minutes, at which time they should be golden. Using tongs, turn the slivers so that they become golden and crunchy on all sides.

5. Once golden, remove the zucchini slivers to a plate lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with sea salt right away.

6. Serve the zucchini while hot.

From about September to March, I could pretty much each potatoes every day.

In fact, I could probably eat them two or three times and day and be perfectly happy.

Spud, I adore you!

It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost a year since I first made this recipe, but that is in fact the case. On New Year’s Eve 2008, I made Pan-Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Pancetta from the December 2008 issue of Food & Wine.

While I didn’t photograph the dish that evening, they were clearly a hit from the beginning and have become one of our favourite ways to prepare potatoes. You can easily halve the recipe and you certainly don’t have to use fingerling potatoes. I often make the dish with Yukon Gold potatoes.

This is my Magazine Mondays submission. As you know, MM is all about getting into the kitchen and finally trying those magazine recipes that you’ve bookmarked. Here’s who’s joining me this week:

Lori of Making it My Own Way Blueberry Crumb Bars from Bon Appétit.

Jennifer of Daydreams of Baking made Macadamia Coconut Meltaways from the November 2009 issue of Women’s Day.

Tia of Buttercream Barbie made Cinnamon-Sugar Pastry Sticks using her favourite all-butter dough from September 2009 issue of Gourmet. Because I missed MM last week, Tia had a second submission which is Oatmeal Honey Bread, also from Gourmet.

Debbie of Taste of Sweet has been a busy girl! She made a Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich from Cooking Light, Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps from Cooking Light, and Bulgogi (Korean Beef BBQ) and Shank Kimchi from Cooking Light.

Wandering Coyote of ReTorte made … yes … from Canadian Living … Chicken Noodle Soup.

Nina from Prêt à Gourmet made Cinnamon Rolls from Issue 31 of Fine Cooking.

Allison of Bake Your Heart Out made Pumpkin, Sage, and Browned-Butter Quick Bread from the November 2009 of Martha Stewart Living. She also made Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Maple-Marshmallow Cream from Bon Appétit.

Janie of Panini Girl made a Stuffed Squash from Gourmet.

Patricia from Brownies for Dinner made Brown Sugar Baked Sweet Potatoes and Acorn Squash from Gourmet.

Jamie of Life’s a Feast made Chocolate Meringue Coffee Cake from an old stack of magazine clippings.

Have a great week, everyone!

Ciao!

Dear Zucchini,

I’m sorry to have to do this to you in such a public manner, but you leave me no choice.

I have tried to let you down gently, but you just don’t seem to be getting the message. At first, I thought that if I just ignored you, you’d understand. But you didn’t.

I tried leaving you in the refrigerator, but you insisted. I withheld water, but you kept coming. I even left you for three whole weeks, without any contact, and still you were there.

I don’t know any other way to do this but to send you this letter in the hopes that you will finally hear what I’m saying:

It’s over.

Yes, it’s true, things were great in the beginning. You were so fresh and green, the only plant thriving in a garden of that had, up until that point, been bare.

You were sweet, Zucchini. You were. You were always waiting for me when I got home from work and on weekends, you filled me.

I don’t deny it.

But Zucchini, you’re too much. You don’t know when to stop. You put too much pressure on me. You, I could handle. But then your family started arriving, and your extended family, and your friends … what was I supposed to do with all of you?

Look, I thought that going to Italy for three weeks would be the answer. I thought that during that time, left alone to your own devices (and no water), you’d understand that you couldn’t crowd my space.

How was I supposed to know that it would rain for the entire summer? How was I supposed to know that while the rest of the garden slowly began its inevitable decline, you would still be inviting your zucchini relatives over? How was I supposed to know you’d live so long?

Please don’t take this the wrong way. I will always think you’re beautiful and there will always be a part of me that loves you.

But right now, it’s all about the tomatoes. They’re plump and juicy.

You’re not.

Goodbye, Zucchini. It was fun while it lasted. Call me next summer. Maybe we can hook up again.

Yours truly,

Cream Puff

Ciao!

Zucchini Cakes
A Cream Puff Original

Makes about 20 little cakes.

Note: The never-ending supply of zucchini has forced us to be most inventive when it comes to ways to cook them. This is a recipe that I came up with that’s always a big hit. The success of this recipe depends on three things: 1) You must squeeze as much water out of the grated zucchini as you can; 2) You must flatten the cakes as they fry so that they crisp up nicely; and 3) You must eat these hot; once they’re cold they lose their appeal. Try making them with yellow zucchini as well!

4 medium zucchini, grated
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup water
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
fresh herbs, finely chopped, such as basil, parsley, mint, etc., to taste
additional salt and pepper

Place the grated zucchini in the middle of a clean dishcloth. Roll the dishcloth up and then twist the ends, squeezing out as much of the water from the zucchini as you can.

Place the zucchini in a large bowl. Add the flour, water and eggs and mix until everything is well combined. Add a handful of fresh herbs (use whatever herbs you like and add as much or as little as you like).

Add the salt and pepper and mix.

In a large frying pan, heat an inch or so of olive oil until hot. Drop large spoonfuls of batter into the pan (don’t overcrowd). Very quickly flatten the drops of batter as much as you can. Flattening the cakes will help them to crisp up nicely.

Fry for two or three minutes and then flip the cakes over and fry for another minute or so.

Remove the cakes to a plate lined with paper towels and then season with additional salt and pepper.

Serve hot!

Enjoy!

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!

Because it’s the weekend.

Because it ended up being sunny instead of rainy.

Because I can stay up late tonight reading cookbooks.

Because I can sleep in tomorrow.

Because the beautiful Ontario asparagus have arrived.

Just because.

Ciao!

The picture above is of a delicious asparagus and rice soup that I made. I’ll post the recipe once the first blush of love has passed (i.e., in a few days)!

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.

This isn’t going to be a very lengthy Magazine Mondays post as the Cream Puff is tuckered out! Work is nutty again and I’m beginning to feel like I’m bouncing straight from my bed to my desk and back.

For today’s MM submission, I give you the glorious brussels sprout. I didn’t grow up eating brussels sprouts, in fact I probably tasted them for the first time about ten years ago. But I was hooked as soon as I tried them and simply don’t understand why they’re not the preferred vegetable of more people.

Last year, a good friend invited me over for dinner and one of the dishes she served was Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Lemon and Pistachios from the February 2008 issue of Bon Appétit.

I took one bite of those luscious brussels sprouts leaves drenched in lemon with all these lovely bright pistachios amongst them and I was hooked! Not only is this a fast option for dinner, but it’s delicious with a capital D to the E to the L to the I to the C to the I to the O to the U to the S!

I strongly urge you to try this dish. The Cream Puff has spoken.

As always, I’m joined by a number of other bloggers who have looked at their magazine pile and challenged it to slim down:

My dear Wandering Coyote of ReTorte is sending us Paprika Roast Chicken with Sweet Onion from the February 2009 issue of Gourmet magazine.

Angela at A Spoonful of Sugar has prepared burgers and fries that would rival any diner’s. The recipe is from Irresistible magazine.

Mandi of Red Dirt Mummy participates in her first Magazine Mondays with Baked Chicken Cannelloni from the August 2008 issue of Australian Table.

My sweet Jenny of All Things Edible made some yummy Cinnamon Buns from the February 2007 issue of Fine Cooking.

The lovely Joanne of Frutto della Passione (whom I missed seeing when she was in Toronto) made Fritole Ricche in honour of Carnevale.

So there you have it! Look how many magazines were cleared out in the name of Magazine Mondays! Remember, you don’t have to post your recipe on a Monday to participate. But if you have posted a magazine recipe, just send me the link and I’ll post it!

Have a wonderful week, everyone!

Ciao!

I like to go on and on about my coworkers because they really are wonderful people. The occasional bad day at work is always mitigated by their warmth, friendliness and humour.

The fact that many of them are fabulous cooks and bakers also helps.

One particular coworker is dear to my heart (for many reasons) because of the wonderful stories she has of growing up in a close-knit family where food was at the heart of it all.

On one occasion, we happened to be talking about food traditions and she mentioned her mother’s cabbage rolls.

I am somewhat of a cabbage roll fiend in that I love them and love to hear about them. Strangely, though, we rarely make them in my family. My grandmother would make them from time to time but it’s not a dish in my mother’s repertoire and for some reason, I’ve just never stepped up to the plate (no pun intended) and tried them myself.

Well one thing led to another and before you know it my coworker and I had booked a day for me to travel to her home where she would enlighten me with her family’s recipe for cabbage rolls.

At this point, I feel that I should have paragraphs to share with you about the glory of cabbage rolls and what a life-changing event this was but the fact of the matter is that it was an enjoyable day spent with a lovely friend making comforting cabbage rolls. And that’s about it. I could say more, but that would be like adding too much filling to a cabbage roll: unnecessary.

Instead, I give you a photo journal of the process.

Cabbage Rolls 101

We started off by gathering all the ingredients, which included cabbage, rice, butter, cooked ground meat, onions and eggs (hard to see in the picture but they’re there).

We got to work by adding the eggs to the cooled filling mixture and onions.

In goes the uncooked rice.

With our filling done, we got to work by carefully coring the cabbage.

The cabbage then took a dip in a pot of simmering water.

As the leaves began to soften, we gently separated them from the core.

The separated leaves were transferred to a baking tray to cool and drain.

We carefully removed the top of the thick stem at the base of the cabbage leaves (the part attached to the core.)

We began filling the rolls by placing some of the filling in the top part of the cabbage leaf.

The roll begins by first rolling the uppermost part of the leaf over the filling.

After completing a roll the edges of the leaf are tucked in.

The end result is a tightly rolled, neat looking cabbage roll that’s placed in a baking dish to wait for all its little friends.

All our rolls in a row!

We topped the rolls with tomato sauce and seasoning.

Our rolls went into the oven (covered with foil wrap), where the liquid was absorbed until the rolls were nice and tender and ready to be served.

I want to extend the warmest of thanks to my dear friend and coworker and by extension her mom and sisters who offered much advice and many tips!

Ciao!

Cabbage Rolls
Recipe courtesy of a dear coworker.

Makes between 36 and 40 cabbage rolls.

1 lb ground beef
½ lb ground veal
½ lb ground pork
salt and pepper to taste
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large eggs
½ cup long grain rice, uncooked
1 to 2 small heads green cabbage (depending on how many cabbage rolls you want to make)
1 16 oz can crushed tomatoes
water (if the tomatoes are not enough to cover your rolls, you can add water)
½ tsp. oregano*

*You can use oregano, basil, paprika, chili pepper or any other spices that you like in the quantity you like.

1. In a large sauté pan, cook the meat over medium heat until browned (there should be no pink visible in the meat). Season the meat with salt and pepper to taste. Drain the meat (it release some juice during cooking) and place in a large bowl to cool slightly.

2. Wipe out the sauté pan and add a few tablespoons of olive oil. Cook the onions on low heat until they are soft and translucent. Let the onions cool and then add to the cooked meat.

3. Add the minced garlic, eggs, uncooked rice and any spices that you’re using to the meat and onion mixture. Mix thoroughly and set aside to cool.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two baking dishes (13 x 9-inch or whatever size you have).

5. In a large pot, bring a few inches of water to a boil.

6. Core the cabbage as best you can, being careful not to damage the leaves.

7. Carefully place the cored cabbage in the boiling water. Let the cabbage sit in the boiling water for a few minutes and then, using a sharp knife and a set of tongs, gently cut away each leaf and let it fall in the water as you cut it from the core. (The consistency of the cabbage shouldn’t be too soft or too stiff, but somewhere in between so that you can easily roll the leaves when stuffing them).

8. Once the leaves fall into the water, remove them to a large cookie sheet lined with paper towel to drain.

9. When cabbage has cooled slightly, take a paring knife and remove the thick spine on each cabbage leaf (this is the part of the cabbage leaf that was attached to the core).

10. Place the cabbage leaf flat on a plate or on the counter and put approximately one tablespoon of the meat filling in the centre of the leaf leaf and roll once, forming a tight fold over the filling. Tuck in the sides and then roll the leaf the rest of the way. Place seam side down in a baking dish (we used two 9 x 13-inch pyrex baking dishes).

11. Once all of the rolls have been formed and placed in the dish, cover with the crushed tomatoes and sprinkle on the spices of your choice and bake at 350 degrees F. for approximately 30 minutes. The cabbage rolls are done once most of the liquid has been absorbed and they feel soft when pierced with a fork.

12. Let the cabbage rolls cool slightly before serving.

13. Enjoy!

A few weeks ago, as I began hearing about people’s plans for Father’s Day, it occurred to me that ever since my father passed away in 2001, we’ve been spending Father’s Day in our own special way.

Now neither Father’s Day nor Mother’s Day were ever huge days in my family. My father always said that every day should be Mother’s Day and every day should be Father’s Day so while my parents always appreciated our little gifts and well wishes, they instilled in us the belief that honouring your parents is something you should do all the time.

I guess that’s why Father’s Day has never been a particularly tough day for us. It’s not that we don’t think about him, it’s just that we spend the day the way we always spent it even when he was alive: together enjoying a nice meal.

When I received the June issue of Gourmet magazine, I came across a feature by Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez called “Sear Delight”. The entire menu is prepared on the grill and is also Italian-themed. This being Italian June, I thought that I might take it upon myself to prepare the entire menu!

So for this edition of Magazine Mondays, I give you the following treats:

Grilled Pancetta-Wrapped Asparagus

Love pancetta. Love asparagus. Enough said.

Caramelized-Onion and Gorgonzola Grilled Pizza

This was my first time preparing a grilled pizza and I loved it. I was amazed at how quickly it cooked. I was so afraid that the ingredients would spill over, though, that I was a bit ungenerous. Next time I’ll be piling on that gorgonzola dolce for sure!

Grilled Veal Chops with Arugula and Basil Salad

We grill veal chops all the time but this is the first time that we pounded the meat so thinkly. They were so tender! And the arugula and basil salad was a nice touch although I had to augment it with romaine lettuce as our arugula is just coming in so there wasn’t enough for a full salad.

Grilled Baby Artichokes with Caper-Mint Sauce

Prepping the artichokes was a total pain in the butt, however, it was worth it. These were the hit of the day and that caper-mint sauce had us all licking our fingers.

Acini di Pepe Pasta with Garlic and Olives

Some of us liked this pasta salad with the couscous-like acini di pepe and some of us didn’t. I loved it. It was garlicky and spicy but if I make it again I might add in some herbs for more of a flavour impact.

Stracciatella Tortoni Cake with Espresso Fudge Sauce

Hello, Tortoni! This was a cross between an ice cream cake and heaven. I loved it so much that I’ve already decided I’m making it for a big family BBQ that we’re having in a few weeks. And that sauce … oh, that sauce!!!

Have a great week, everyone!

Ciao!

Look who else is taking part in Magazine Mondays: Liliana of My Cookbook Addiction made Maple Sugar Ragamuffins. Wandering Coyote of Retorte comes in with two delicious entries: Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake and Coconut Blondies.

If you have some magazine piles you need to thin out then start cooking and baking and send me a link to your Magazine Mondays post!

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!