Food Awakening: Rediscovering What Real Food Tastes Like

The Sweetest Heaven

2011-11-18T22:17:00.003-05:00

I may now be known for sweet puddings, but in the end, I truly am a chocolate guy. And yes, guys can have a weakness for chocolate too. But like a true chocolate connoisseur, it's never something that I eat a lot of. But when I do, I want it to be the most indulgent experience that I can possibly get onto a plate.
Chocolate is fun to learn about. I've read a few books on the history and process involved in chocolate over time, in numerous cultures, and its relation to the history of food. And like coffee and wine, it becomes even more amazing when you start exploring the richness of real chocolate... trust me, you'll never go back to processed junk again.
One of the great things about a real rich dark chocolate is that you just need a few milligrams of it and your sweet craving is satisfied. Much better than indulging in the bucket of ice cream or the bag of cookies.
But when I'm really craving decadence, this is my favourite go-to, and chances are, you might have all the ingredients on-hand.

BRAD'S BREATHTAKING CHOCOLATE LAVA CAKE
(for 4) 8 ounces of 72% dark fair trade organic chocolate; 1 cup unsalted butter; 1/2 cup premium cocoa powder; 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour; 3/4 cup brown sugar; 2 whole eggs; 2 egg yolks; 1 tsp baking powder; pinch salt; whipping cream (optional); vanilla (optional) sugar (optional)
Bring a saucepan of water to a simmer and create a double-broiler by laying a large metal or tempered glass bowl over the pot. Put chopped chocolate and butter into the bowl and stir constantly to melt, until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375F.
With an electric hand or stand mixer, beat eggs and egg yolks on medium-high speed with brown sugar until thickened and pale (about 12-15 minutes). Pour in just a little of the chocolate mixture, whisking briskly but gently, gradually until combined. Then add the rest and combine fully. Sift in the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt and fold the batter together with a wooden spatula until just combined.
Butter 4 ramekins and dust with cocoa. Pour batter evenly among them. Bake for 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, if you like to cut the intensity a little with some whipped cream, pour 1 cup heavy cream into a bowl, and beat on high speed, gradually adding about 1/4 cup of sugar and a splash of vanilla until soft peaks form.
While milk is often the standard beverage with many desserts, for this, I highly recommend a really good quality rich dark red wine. Specifically a Chilean Merlot would be a match made in heaven.

Oh, the things you can do with bacon fat

2011-11-17T20:50:00.004-05:00

I always refer to animal fat as liquid gold. And I avoid throwing it away. The sad part is there is a misconception that animal fat is worse than other fats health-wise. In fact, the opposite is true. Gram for gram, all fats are the same in calories. There are some differences in trans and saturated fats. But the food science consensus is starting to move away from processed fats and oils (especially hydrogenated vegetable oils) and more toward butter and other animal fat, because essentially, they're more naturally recognised and metabolised by the body and are loaded with vitamins and amino acids.
So for those reasons, the fat I pour off the pan when cooking wild boar bacon goes directly into a mason jar for the fridge; not the compost.

BRAD'S FRIED SKILLET CHICKEN AND POTATOES
(for 2) 6 free-range chicken legs; 4 tbsp bacon fat; 1 chorizo sausage diced; 3-4 medium white potatoes cubed; 4 cloves of garlic, peeled; 1/4 cup sour cream; 1/4 cup milk; micro greens or clovers; fresh parsley; Kosher salt; fresh pepper
In a steam pot, cook potatoes and garlic until soft
Brown the chicken on medium-high heat in 2 tbsp of bacon fat, then add sausage, transfer to a pre-heated oven at 425F for about 10-12 minutes or until juices run clear.
Remove the chicken and plate under foil to rest 5 minutes, keeping the empty pan hot.
Toss another 2 tbsp of bacon fat to the pan and toss the potatoes and garlic and quickly mash with a potato masher. Add sour cream and milk and season, stirring quickly with a wooden spoon. Plate up and top with micro-greens and parsley.

What's Better Than Fresh Summer Tomatoes?

2011-11-17T20:10:00.003-05:00

Why, fresh summer tomatoes preserved and opened months later of course!
This was my first summer attempting to preserve vegetables. I quickly realised I was limited owning a ceramic top stove, so can only preserve acidic produce... and thankfully that includes tomatoes, or I wouldn't have tasted the best pasta sauce of my life! If you have access to locally grown vegetables, I highly recommend preserving, as not only does it reduce your costs and ecological strain, but they taste amazing!

BRAD'S SAUSAGE-TOMATO PASTA
(for 4) 400g premium quality spicy sausage sliced (I recommend Balkan or Chorizo); two jars of preserved tomatoes; two medium white onions diced; 5-7 cloves of fresh autumn local garlic sliced; 2/3 cup red wine (your favourite); fresh roughly chopped parsley; fresh torn basil; Kosher salt; fresh pepper; extra-virgin olive oil; package of dried spaghetti or spaghettini; Parmesan

In a heavy skillet, heat oil to a light smoke on medium, sauté onions until translucent. Add sausage (adding a little more oil if necessary) and cook browning on all sides.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add pasta (reduce to medium, stir occasionally).
Add garlic to the sausage mix, keep browning. Deglaze with red wine, raise heat to high, bring to a light boil, then reduce to a simmer until reduced (about 3 minutes), then add tomatoes. Stir well on medium- high heat, then add herbs.
Drain pasta and add it to the tomato mix. Plate up and garnish with Parmesan.

Interview about Recipe to Riches

2011-10-30T10:16:00.003-04:00

Tracey Padmore from 102.3FM in Montreal on Tracey's cuisine with guest Brad Gash, Sweet Pies and Puddings contestant from Recipe to Riches. Enjoy! http://www.divshare.com/download/16076775-f4e

Maple Pudding Chômeur - Brad's Original Recipe

2011-10-27T20:15:00.005-04:00

(pic to come)

Brad’s Detailed Recipe for the Best Maple Pudding Chômeur

2 1/2 cups heavy (35%) cream
2 1/2 cups maple syrup (preferably medium to amber)
3 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup unsalted butter AT ROOM TEMPERATURE (leave out for at least 2 hours)
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
4 eggs AT ROOM TEMPERATURE (leave out for at least 2 hours)
1 ½ cups milk
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp salt

STEP 1: BATTER

In one bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, and set aside.
In another bowl, combine butter and sugar, mixing together with an electric mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment until smooth.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time (be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula frequently).
Add flour mixture and milk, alternating between the two, beating on very low speed just for a few seconds at each addition (ideally, add about ¼ of the mixture at each addition). In the last addition, add the vanilla. [This process will yield a smoother and moister batter.]
Scrape the sides of the bowl and set the batter aside.

PRE-HEAT OVEN TO 375F

STEP 2: SAUCE

In a sauce pan, place the maple syrup over high heat and bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer rapidly for about 10 minutes [This step is crucial in getting the perfect thick sauce. If you like it even thicker, add a tbsp of corn syrup.]
Remove from the heat and slowly pour in the cream, whisking briskly. Return to the heat and bring just to a boil, and pour into a large ceramic or iron casserole or baking dish.
Using a large serving spoon, or an ice cream scoop with a soup spoon, scoop large mounds of the batter into the sauce. [Don’t worry if it looks messy or if the mounds stick together, that’s how it’s supposed to look.]
Bake for 45-50 minutes uncovered. Let stand 2-3 minutes covered.

STEP 3: TO SERVE

Scoop up a piece of the cake and smother it in an extra large spoonful of sauce. Best served hot next to a scoop of real vanilla ice cream.

The best uses for Beets!

2011-10-03T21:50:00.002-04:00

With beet season in full-swing, I'm getting so many from Bryson Farms that the creativity with this under-rated vegetable is booming in my kitchen as of late. Growing up I only ever tasted pickled beets, which I still love, but they have limited usefulness and most often wind up as a side to a savoury dish to add a bit of acidity. But I've been reading all kinds of crazy dishes (even desserts!) that you can use beets in (just google it).

One of my all-time favourites is the maple-beet glazed pork tenderloin (a recipe from Ricardo Larivée). This is truly the best-tasting pork dish you will ever taste in your life!! Even if you're a not a fan of pork, you will make this regularly if you try it once, so I invite you to check out his website: www.ricardocuisine.com.

A bit of important info about pork: Any of my European readers will know that North American factory pork does not taste like pork... it doesn't taste like anything really. But if you can track down the right supplier who raises free-range hogs, you've hit the jackpot. The second problem with pork, and probably people's number 1 reason for not liking it, is that so many people tend to overcook it. Contrary to popular belief, pork (especially tenderloin) is supposed to be enjoyed medium-rare to medium. Beyond this it turns to leather - and anyone who grew up with "pork chop night" in the 90s knows what I'm talking about. But a word of caution, I wouldn't trust standard factory pork producers enough to cook their product to medium rare, so if springing the extra cash for free-range pork is not in the budget (it costs about 4 X that of factory), then it doesn't get on the menu.

But I digress, I'm here to talk about beets. One thing to be ready for is the mess if you're working with a standard red beet. I highly recommend having vinyl gloves on-hand (ah, a pun!). But if you're lucky enough to find heirloom beets you needn't worry, they don't stain your hands.

Of course you can grate raw beets for slaws and salads or put it in Borscht, but I recommend a beet salad like that pictured above, which is made by trimming and washing heirloom (or any) beets and boiling them for about 45 minutes. Let them cool and then the peel will slide off. Slice them and you have salad-ready beets. I like to serve them with autumn greens and a maple-balsamic vinaigrette. This is made by mixing 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar with Kosher salt and pepper, and 1/4 cup amber (late season) maple syrup. Then slowly whisk in 1/2 cup of grapeseed oil. This will keep for about a week in the fridge.

The Best of Beef

2011-10-03T21:23:00.003-04:00

Normally I post pics of finished meals, but I just had to show my readers the amazing quality meat I'm working with. This is supplied by Elevage Cataraqui farm, just 15 minutes north of my house, which supplies seasonal orders of free-range lamb, beef and goat. Raised with such care, you can truly taste this in the meat, and you know as soon as you open it up and smell the raw meat that it's unlike anything you'll ever find in a grocery store. Hormone-free, and organic-fed, these animals are bred for a normal period and you can truly see, taste and smell the difference.

The stewing beef is one of my favourite cuts. And wherever you get your beef, a little side note: when paying for more expensive cuts of beef, you're not paying for greater quality - you're paying for ease of cooking (and thus higher popularity). In truth, the cuts of meat that cost the least very often have the most flavour, as long as they're given proper love and care. With stewing beef, which is often the product of the shoulder, a little care the night before, and slow cooking are truly the secret ingredients to the best beef stew ever.

BRAD'S RED WINE BEEF STEW

(For 4)

500g stewing beef; 3-4 carrots (preferably heirloom if you can find them) sliced 1/2 inch; 2-3 medium white or red potatoes cubed 1 inch; handful of thyme sprigs; 3 tbsp butter; one medium white onion peeled, trimmed and cut into 6-8 wedges; 1/2 cup rich red wine (ideally a Cabernet Sauvignon or Carmenere - I recommend Bontera Cabernet Sauvignon from California or Arbolleda Carmenere from Chile, but whatever you like); water; Kosher salt; fresh pepper; 2 bay leaves; 2 tbsp flour

DAY BEFORE: Pat dry the meat and season generously with Kosher salt. Be sure to massage meat gently with the salt. Lay out on a dish evenly and spread thyme sprigs over the meat. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (Don't discard thyme sprigs,.)

With a heavy roasting skillet or slow cooker pot set over stove-top at medium-high, melt 1/2 the butter to a light smoke and add 1/2 the meat. Stir frequently, really browning the meat on all sides. Remove from the pan, add the rest of the butter and repeat with the rest of the meat. Toss the onions in flour and add to the pan, stirring constantly (add more butter or oil if it looks too dry) until nicely browned. Then deglaze with the wine. Simmer for a minute and remove from the heat. Add the rest of the ingredients including the meat and thyme sprigs and pour water into the pan until it almost covers everything, and place in the slow cooker on low or if you're using a roasting skillet, cover and place in the oven pre-heated at 275. Cook for 6 hours, stirring every other hour. Season to taste. Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves.

Autumn Comfort 5

2011-10-03T20:59:00.002-04:00

While most of us in Canada are certainly getting off easy this autumn with the mild weather, one could say those frosty days are overdue, and I don't know about you, but I'm starting to get those comfort food cravings again.

So at the peak of root vegetable season, soups, chowders and stews are finding their way on my table, and you'll see some of them here in the coming weeks. To start off, here's a simple one that's quick and perfect for a weeknight.

BRAD'S WHITE FISH CHOWDER

(For 4)

400g (or two large fillets) of your favourite firm white fish such as cod, halibut or haddock, cubed into bite-size pieces (TIP: look for sustainably-caught fish where you can); 4 cups chicken or fish stock (homemade is always best, but otherwise try and go for a low-sodium organic); 1/2 cup milk; 3 tbsp butter; one medium-large white onion finely diced; 1/2 bunch of dill frawns roughly chopped; 1 large or 2 medium white potatoes cubed (about an inch); 2-3 large or 3-4 medium carrots sliced (about 1/4 inch); 3-4 cobs of corn (raw, kernels shaved off; or if not available about 1 cup of frozen corn); 1 tbsp flour; sea salt; fresh black pepper

In a small pot or large sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter until almost to a light smoke and add onions, sauté until translucent (TIP: when sautéing onions, immediately season with coarse or sea salt to bring out the best texture.) Then add carrots and potatoes and sauté, stirring until nicely browned. Add the flour and stir, then deglaze the pot with a splash of the chicken stock, stirring to loosen any brown bits off the pan. Pour in the rest of the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer a let cook for about 20 minutes or until vegetables are quite tender. Increase heat to medium-high. Add the fish and continue cooking for 3-4 minutes and then add the milk, corn and dill and simmer 2 minutes more. Season to taste. Like most chowders and stews, this is even better left-over if you make it a day ahead.

Bell Pepper Season!

2011-08-30T20:04:00.003-04:00

One of the great things about August is that it's the in-between growing point where pretty much everything is in season. You can still get the tail end of July strawberries and corn and on top of it blueberries and bell peppers are coming in full swing. So my farmer's Saturday morning deliveries are now including the season's first baby bell peppers in a multitude of colours.

Peppers are very versatile and there's a multitude of ways to cook them. You can also preserve them, which is awesome. One of my favourite ways is to stuff them. There are a few ways you can do this. More traditionally they can be stuffed with a mixture of rice, meat, onions, garlic and whatever else you like and then stewed in a broth. If you're like me and like a crispier pepper that can stand on your plate, pre-cook your stuffings and roast them.

BRAD'S BISON-STUFFED PEPPERS

8-10 mini or 4-5 large local bell peppers (variety, but whatever you like); 1 lb free-range bison meat (or any rich ground meat like beef or venison); one yellow onion chopped; 7-8 cloves local garlic finely chopped; Kosher salt and fresh pepper; extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tbsp smoked paprika; 2 large handfulls of a variety of local mushrooms (whatever you can find); Parmesan to garnish.

Cut the bell peppers in half, seed and arrange on a baking sheet brushed lightly with olive oil. Preheat oven to 400. In a cast iron or steel skillet, sauté onions in olive oil until translucent, then add meat. Break down and sauté. Season generously. Add smoked paprika. When meat is about 2 minutes from done add garlic and mushrooms. Stuff peppers generously and bake for about 20 minutes. Garnish with fresh Parmesan to taste. This pairs amazingly with a rich sweet red like Syrah.

If you find small enough peppers they make for great finger foods too!

Ottawa's Steak and Montreal's Seafood

2011-08-24T20:10:00.003-04:00

How lucky am I to be a short distance from an incredible steak house, and one of the best seafood experiences I've ever had.

For my next round of restaurant reviews, I'll start with Ottawa and head over to Montreal and say "hey" to Chuck Hughes - real food guru extraordinaire and definitely my new favourite celebrity chef.

"STEAK", Ottawa, ON
Dress: Semi-casual
Reservations? During events and large groups yes, but otherwise not usually necessary
Price: For complete three course with wine, probably anywhere between $55 to $85 per person

I like that they kept the name simple and to the point. This bar and bistro is one of Ottawa's newest and coolest places. And they cover pretty much every pallet. But my rule of thumb with restaurants is always start with what they take the most pride in. Certainly their fillet mignon is second to none in the restaurant scene - and I've had my share. And their wine selection is one of the best in Ottawa's Byward Market. Great for a fancy evening dinner, or a late night cocktail or wine tasting. And of course the kitchen is open late so there's never a shortage of exquisite munchies, from their fantastic beef tartar, to their best-in-the-world chocolate lava cake (note - order this 30 minutes before you actually want it because they make each one from scratch!). This is definitely an ideal choice for couples or groups that want a trendy, urban and sexy dining experience. If you happen to be there and not in the mood for steak, I highly recommend the lobster ravioli. Generally though, stick to steak, red wine and chocolate, and you'll be dreaming about the dinner you had.

http://www.steakottawa.ca/

"Le Bremner", Montreal QC
Dress: Semi-casual
Reservations? Always. Call as far ahead as possible and only call after 4 pm
Price: Large range - anywhere from $65 to $150 per person on average I would guess, but higher if you go crazy with the bottles of wine ;)

Last year I reviewed Chuck Hughes' incredible restaurant in the Old Port, Garde Manger. I would definitely put Le Bremner as a complete tie with this, because while it has a generally different focus (seafood), it's still clearly a Chuck Hughes restaurant with the earthy coolness, trendiness and downright food euphoria that Garde Manger is known for.

Le Bremner is also in the Old Port. Again, true to Hughes' style, no signage or website. You just have to call way in advance (a few weeks) and look for it. Tip - Reserve your seats at the bar!

The dishes are small enough that they allow you to sample several. We mostly stuck with the seafood theme, and oh... my... God! The spread of chilled marinated and raw oysters (from both BC and PEI), scallops, and lobster altogether combined to be one crazy delicious experience. We asked our servers to walk us through wine pairings, and oh man... bull's eye every single time. The Kimshee snow crab was definitely the highest peak for me in this experience, so I highly recommend it. And talk about creative presentation - ever have a lobster parfait? You can here. And from a distance you wouldn't know but it was a dessert, even complete with the "blackberry" on top that turns out to be a little cluster of caviar.

One surprising note about the dessert menu is that it didn't look like your typical fancy restaurant selection, especially with items like "cookies and milk" and "jelly donuts." I just had to try the donuts. And now I can say that before that evening, I had never tasted donuts... at least it's just as well that I had never. Four giant round crispy glazed donuts filled with a variety of berries and caramel, glazed and covered in powdered sugar... and even a wine pairing to go with that that was eye-poppingly dead on.

If you're looking for 5-star quality and true originality, you'll want to go here.
http://montreal.about.com/od/foodwine/ss/le-bremner-montreal-restaurant-chuck-hughes-seafood-diner.htm

Big News Coming Soon!!

2011-08-23T19:54:00.000-04:00

Stay tuned! Details to come this October!

For the Love of Lamb!

2011-08-23T19:38:00.002-04:00

The great thing about lamb is that even the free-range organic grass fed heritage lambs are shockingly easy to work with.

And the taste! I knew I found a gem when I first opened up a pack of lamb chops from my farmer and the first thing I smelled was clovers.

Here, I won't give a recipe, because it's completely unnecessary... just an approach. I will post some stellar lamb recipes this fall when I get my next year supply from the farm, but for now, the simplest and most delicious way to enjoy heritage lamb.

Plate - season with coarse or Kosher salt - cast iron skillet - melt 2 tbsp unsalted butter on medium until lightly smoking - sear - 2-3 minutes per side - tent under foil for 3 minutes.

Whatever you're serving this with, make it in advance because once you're ready to go with the lamb, it should have your undivided attention. This is for a couple of reasons - a) it cooks fast and b) it would be truly tragic to ruin one of the best quality (and possibly expensive) meats you'll buy. You truly want to enjoy this rare to medium rare, so be cautious. Better to take it off a bit too soon and refire if it's too rare for your taste, than to have an over-cooked chop that you can do nothing to salvage. [Here's a helpful tip - you should be able to tell doneness by touching the meat with your finger. Blue feels like your cheek; rare-medium like your chin; well-done (or ruined) feels very firm.]

This hit my table at least three or four times this past year. I remember the first time I delicately cut into the meet with my knife and tasted that tender, buttery goodness, dropped my utensils and ate the rest like a neanderthal. Why does food always taste better when you eat it with your hands?

Summer Simplicity

2011-08-23T19:18:00.003-04:00

Next to the bright sweet variety of tastes it offers, my favourite thing about summer cooking is the simplicity of the food. After all, on a hot summer day, it's not like we really want to be in a hot kitchen cooking. But if you have the right ingredients on-hand and plan ahead, you can be full and have clean dishes with hours of day light left.

Certainly it helps if you have some pre-cooked chicken on-hand, or meat that cooks quickly like fish or steak. But for me the most important aspect of being prepared for a work week in summer is a fridge stocked with local vegetables. Taking an hour or so once a week can make all the difference and will ensure everything gets eaten.

Right now, I have a local farm that happens to do weekly deliveries, so not only is the veg delicious, bright and nutritious, it's also sustainable. But wherever you get your fresh produce, wash and dry in advance - you'd be amazed how much easier this makes week night meal time.

When you're not interested in spending time in the kitchen or prepping the BBQ, a simple cold or hot salad is always the best way to feed everyone and only have a bowl or a pan to clean. You can even add a simple carb to your salad by mixing together flour, water, oil, herbs, salt and pepper to a dough, roll it out on a floured surface and make little tortillas or naan bread, and either cook it in a dry pan or in the oven on a greased baking sheet (a process that takes 20 minutes from start to finish).

A cold salad is simply a matter of finding your favourite combination of ingredients for a quick dressing (i.e., oil, lemon, salt and pepper), fresh veg and a quick steak, shrimp or some left-over chicken. Personally I love a quick hot salad, for example, a fajita-style salad (sautéed local onions, white peppers, garlic, mushrooms; topped with sprouts with some quick home-made naan bread).

When you have fresh seasonal produce washed and ready to go, it allows for some playfulness and creativity, because you know the veg is that much easier to just toss in.

The Real Shepherd's Pie

2011-08-23T18:44:00.002-04:00

Can you really get any better than meat and potatoes? Sure, if you "Brit" it up a bit and bake the works in a hot, gooey, buttery casserole. This 200 year old classic is certainly one of my favourite autumn comfort foods and is easy as........ ah, you thought I was really gonna go there!

I would hazard to guess that, if you're like most people, and me up until a year ago, you've only ever experienced this with beef, which is truly the classic Shepherd's Pie, but Shepherd's Pie with lamb (or more accurately, mutton pie) will take you from that home comfort experience to the next level. So as my year's supply of free-range organic lamb dwindled this past spring, I decided to work on perfecting one of my childhood favourites.

BRAD'S CLASSIC SHEPHERD'S (MUTTON) PIE

(For 4-5) 1 lb ground free-range lamb; 6-7 medium russet potatoes roughly chopped; 1 1/2 cups green peas (preferably fresh, or the larger frozen peas); one white onion finely chopped; 3-4 medium carrots finely diced; 1/2 cup beef stock; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 3-4 tbsp unsalted butter; tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour; 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese; 2 tsp smoked Paprika; Kosher salt; fresh pepper

Prepare a deep baking dish (preferably 8-10 inch) by greasing with butter. Preheat the oven to 375.

Steam potatoes until tender, set aside. In a cast iron or steel skillet, melt a tbsp of butter and sauté onions and carrots until the onions are soft and add the lamb. Season well. Once the lamb is cooked, add the 3/4 cup of the peas and cook for a minute. Then add the flour and stir. Add the tomato paste. Then add just a splash of the stock and scrape the pan to deglaze. Then add the rest of the stock, bring to a boil and and reduce to a simmer for 5-7 minutes or until you like the consistency (should be the thickness of lava). Stir in 1 tsp of the paprika, and spread the mixture in the baking dish.

In a bowl, mash the hot potatoes by hand with the butter. If they're too stiff, add a splash of milk and even some sour cream for even more flavour. It should be creamy. Stir in a good bit of S&P (to taste) and add the rest of the peas. Spread over the meat mixture and grate fresh Parmesan. Sprinkle over the rest of the paprika.

Bake this off for about 20 minutes. If you like a crispy top, pop the temperature to 475 for the last 5 minutes.

Compliments to the Sea

2011-02-21T20:32:00.004-05:00

There are few things that have an effect on me in the same way as pan fried cod. Served with just the right kind of crispy batter is so tantalising, mouth-watering, and nostalgic to me that this will make its way into heavy rotation during the peak cod season. And it goes awesome with mash potatoes.

BRAD'S TRADITIONAL PANKO PANFRIED COD

(For 4)

4 fresh cod fillets; 2/3 cup all purpose flour seasoned with sea salt and fresh pepper; 1 1/2 cups Japanese panko bread crumbs seasoned with paprika, sea salt and fresh pepper; 2 eggs beaten with a small splash of milk; grapeseed or other vegetable oil; fresh lemon.

Set up for three stations - moving progressively closer to the pan, in dish 1 put the flour, dish 2 put the egg mixture, and dish 3 the panko.

Preheat a heavy skillet on medium with oil. Once hot to a very light smoke, start dredging. Roll the fish first in the flour, then the egg, then press on both sides in the panko making sure it's completely coated. Add to the pan. Be sure not to crowd the pan. If you can only comfortably fit two at a time, do it in batches. As soon as they're done, season with extra sea salt and serve with a fresh cut lemon.

BRAD'S AMAZING DILL MASH POTATOES

3 regular organic Yukon gold (or your favourite) potatoes - or if you feel like it, one Yukon gold and one sweet potato - all peeled and cubed; handful of fresh dill frawns; 1/3 cup 14% local organic sour cream; tablespoon of real mayo; Kosher (or sea) salt and fresh black pepper.

Steam potatoes until soft. Drain off water and return to pan. Add the rest of the ingredients and hand mash - finish off to get a nice texture by stirring quickly with a wooden spoon.

AMAZING side to fish.

Easy Alfredo

2011-02-21T20:18:00.004-05:00

You can make Alfredo sauce your own way - and in less time than it takes to cook the chicken.

BRAD'S CLASSIC CHICKEN ALFREDO

(For 4)

1/2 box fettuccine or your favourite pasta; 2 free-range chicken breasts (preferably bone-in, skin-on); 1/3 cup organic local cream (your choice - anywhere from 10% to 35%, depending on how bold you're feeling); 1/3 cup organic local milk; 2 tbsp organic local butter; 5-7 cloves organic garlic, sliced; Kosher salt and Fresh black pepper; 1/2 bunch fresh Italian parsley chopped; Parmesan to taste.

Roast the chicken in a pre-heated 400 degree oven drizzled in olive oil and seasoned well until 170 degrees at the interior or until juices run clear when pricked (about 35-40 minutes). Let rest 5-10 minutes after it's done before cutting.

Meanwhile, boil pasta in generously salted water.

In a saucepan, heat butter to a light smoke, and add garlic - sauté for about 1-2 minutes. Season generously and then add milk and cream. Whisk and simmer low for about 2-3 minutes. If you like thick alfredo sauce, mix about a tbsp of corn starch with a splash of cold water until dissolved, and whisk that into the simmering sauce.

Toss sliced cooked chicken into sauce.

Drain the pasta and return to the pot. Dump in the sauce mixture and toss. Toss in some parsley and garnish with fresh Parmesan and extra salt and black pepper to taste.

Note - this is not for the waist-watcher ;)

Caesar can be Health Food

2011-02-21T20:00:00.006-05:00

Most people love caesar. But there are two important misconceptions. One is that it's a salad and therefore healthy... if you think that... oh, we need to have a talk. When it comes to restaurant Caesar salad this packs more of a punch for calories and fat than a burger and fries. The second misconception though, among people who know that Caesar is often some nasty stuff, is that this is a given. There are a few culprits: 1) the bacon; 2) the chicken - it's often deep fried, low-quality (or dry and overcooked); 3) the croutons; and 4) the dressing. Well, good news. My Caesar finds ways through those dilemmas and what you get is a healthy, satisfying salad meal.

BRAD'S CHICKEN CAESAR

(for 2)

1/2 head of romaine; chicken meat (your choice; about 4-6 oz); 1/2 a day-old baguette or your favourite bread cubed; 4 strips bacon; fresh Parmesan

Dressing: 1 free-range egg yolk; tbsp finely chopped capers; juice of a lemon; 1/3 cup olive oil; 1/2 tsp anchovy paste; S&P.

For dressing - whisk egg yolk, and whisk in capers, anchovy paste and lemon juice - season well. Slowly pour in olive oil, whisking vigorously. Let sit while you make the rest of the salad.

In a heavy skillet, sauté bacon, draining off the grease until crisp. Remove it from the pan. Sauté the bread cubes in the same pan until crisp and golden (add extra olive oil if necessary). Season well.

This is a great use for left-over chicken, but if you're making fresh chicken for this, I recommend bone in, skin-on (roast at 400 degrees with olive oil, S&P for 35 minutes or until 170 degrees / when juice runs clear), or if you prefer, boneless skinless (same, only for 25 minutes).

Roughly chop, wash and dry the lettuce. Toss everything together in a big bowl when you're ready to serve. Grate fresh Parmesan over each serving and generous amount of fresh black pepper.

Autumn Comfort 4

2010-10-05T11:23:00.002-04:00

There's something about autumn that makes us crave rich savoury or sweet comfort foods. Remnant instincts for eating rich foods before winter from our early ancestors aside, there's something about autumn comfort foods that make us feel almost euphoric when the temperature plummets, the frost starts showing up and everything gets a whole lot more orange.

My favourite berry, or fruit for that matter, is blueberry. So much so that I store this up in August-September so that I'll have enough in the freezer to at least get me through to mid-winter. Great for smoothies, pies, yogurt snacks, vinaigrette, or anything else you can think of. Try waking up to this treat one cold autumn Sunday morning.

BRAD'S BLUEBERRY FRENCH TOAST WITH CUSTARD

(For 4)
French Toast: 8 slices of thick white bread; 4 free-run eggs; 1/2 cup milk; tbsp vanilla extract; tbsp sugar; tsp ground cinnamon; pinch salt; 2 tbsp butter; splash grapeseed oil
Custard: 3/4 cup heavy cream; 3/4 cup milk; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 4 free-run egg yolks; 1/4 cup sugar
Fresh or frozen blueberries

To make custard, pour half the cream, all the milk and vanilla in a sauce pan. Place on medium-high heat but just to a light simmer (do not boil) and then remove from heat. While you're waiting, in a bowl, whisk the remaining cream with the egg yolks and sugar until silky smooth. Drop just a dribble of the hot milk into the yolk mixture while whisking - this evens out the temperature so you don't wind up with scrambled eggs. Slowly continue adding the hot milk whisking continuously, and then pour all the mixture back into the sauce pan and cook over medium heat until it thickens and covers the back of a wooden spoon (will take 7-10 minutes). Set aside and keep warm.

Pre-heat oven to 350. For the french toast, pour all the batter ingredients in a wide dish and soak the toast about one minute per side. In a cast iron skillet, melt butter with a splash of grapeseed or other light vegetable oil and cook toast about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a pyrex dish and finish cooking in the oven about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour the blueberries in a saucepan and drizzle with a splash of maple syrup - bring to a gentle simmer.

Plate up with custard over the french toast topped with blueberries. Then get ready and go for a hike to burn off some of the 1000 calories you just ate ;)

Autumn Comfort 3

2010-10-05T11:08:00.002-04:00

No matter how much I like to be creative with food, just as often, I like to fall back to what I grew up with - the food that warmed my soul as a kid. Of the thousand uses for left-over chicken, this is by far my favourite.

CLASSIC HOT CHICKEN SANDWICH AND HOMEFRIES

Left-over chicken sliced; fresh bread (your favourite); russet potatoes peeled and wedged into homefries; pan drippings from chicken; chicken stock; tbsp corn starch; tbsp water; Kosher salt; fresh pepper

What makes this dish even more special is that you get to use up the pan drippings from your chicken. Of course, if you make gravy with your roast chicken, just make extra for this little treat. But if not, keep the drippings in a tight container in the fridge. When ready, skim the fat off the top and you have a perfect homemade gravy mix. As always, I advise making stock with your chicken bones (see recipe posted a while ago) and use for soups and anything else (like gravy). Simply put your drippings and stock (however much you'll need) in a sauce pan and bring to a gentle boil. Meanwhile mix corn starch and water in a cup, and when the gravy is boiling, whisk it in and reduce to a simmer. If you like it thicker, repeat this until you get the thickness you want. Let simmer very gently for at least 10 minutes.

For the perfect traditional homefries, you want fresh clean canola oil heated in a deep-frier at 385 degrees. Cook for about 12-14 minutes, tossing every 3 minutes or so. Let drain for a minute and then dump the fries on a paper towel and season to taste.

My favourite way to set this up is to put the chicken on one slice of bread and smother it in gravy, then add the second slice of bread and smother that one - and then a bit extra for the homefries. If you have leftover stuffing, peas or root vegetables on hand, these also make great sides.

Autumn Comfort 2

2010-10-05T10:50:00.002-04:00

Here's a spin on one of your favourite childhood comfort classics.

BRAD'S SPAGHETTI SQUASH AND MEATBALLS

(For 4)

Meatballs: 500g free-run ground meat (whatever you feel like - mix more than one type if you're so inclined); 1/2 bunch flat-leaf Italian parsley (finely chopped); palmful of Kosher salt; fresh black pepper; 1/2-3/4 cup breadcrumbs; one free-run egg; 2 tsp smoked paprika

Sauce: 6 fresh vine tomatoes; 1/2 cup tomato paste; tbsp Kosher salt; 1/4 bunch finely chopped fresh oregano; handful fresh finely chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley; fresh black pepper

Spaghetti: One spaghetti squash; tbsp butter

Cut the squash in half length-wise, scoop out seeds, and bake flesh-side down in a 375 degree pre-heated oven for about 35-40 minutes, or until the flesh is tender. Let cool slightly.

Blits the tomatoes in a food processor and pour in a saucepan with the rest of the sauce ingredients; bring to a boil; reduce and let simmer until you're ready to serve up.

Mix the meatball ingredients in a large bowl and form meatballs. In a cast iron skillet with olive oil, fry the meatballs on all sides until nicely browned. Place in the simmering sauce to let them finish cooking.

For the spaghetti squash, simply scrape out the flesh using a fork width-wise. The flesh will come out just like spaghetti strands.

The joys of spaghetti and meatballs without all the empty carbs of pasta :)

Autumn Comfort 1

2010-10-05T10:24:00.005-04:00

If you miss the BBQ burgers of summer time, I can do you one better. This is my autumn comfort version of everyone's favourite summer time indulgence, and you don't even have to stand outside over the BBQ (unless you really want to). My friends get a little crazy when I say I'm making these and they tend to draw crowds, and believe me, you'll know why once you try them.

BRAD'S BISON BURGERS AND SWEET POTATO FRIES

(For 4)

500g ground free-range bison meat; 1/2 - 3/4 cup bread crumbs; 1 red onion finely chopped; 2 tsp smoked paprika; 2 tsp chile powder; 1/2 tbsp Kosher salt; 1/2 tbsp fresh black pepper; 2 tsp seasoned orange salt; 1 free-run egg; your favourite hamburger rolls; local blue cheese; 8 strips free-run bacon; fresh sliced tomatoes; fresh spinach leaves; your favourite bbq sauce; tbsp butter; splash of grapeseed or other light vegetable oil

Pan-fry bacon on medium-low until crisp and set aside. In the same pan, sauté onions until soft and almost carmilised - let cool. Combine meat, seasonings, onions and bread crumbs in a large bowl and mix - add egg and with your hands form the burger mould. If it feels too wet, add more crumbs; too dry, add some vegetable oil. Form patties by hand - about 3/4 inch thick. (This is also a great make-ahead - will keep in the refrigerator for up to a day.)

In a cast-iron skillet, melt butter with a splash of oil over medium heat. Once lightly smoking, cook the patties about 3-4 minutes per side. Top burgers with blue cheese, bacon, sauce, and veg. Amazing served with salad or fries (see below).

BRAD'S SWEET POTATO FRIES

3 sweet potatoes washed; olive oil; kosher salt; fresh black pepper; smoked paprika; dried oregano

This one is super-easy. Cut the potatoes into wedges - about 1/2 inch thick. Toss the potato in seasonings (however much or little as you think you'll like) and olive oil. Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for about 35-40 minutes, turning occasionally until crispy and tender. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Finishing Off The Farm Fresh Summer Vegetables

2010-09-08T20:24:00.003-04:00

I discovered this past summer that one of the best ways to enjoy the peak of farm fresh vegetable season is gazpacho. Like all soups, this is extremely versatile and forgiving, but from the various approaches I've taken to it, this one topped the list.

BRAD'S GAZPACHO

(For 4)

Three juicy ripe tomatoes quartered; one red bell pepper quartered and seeded; one red onion sliced; one cucumber peeled and cut into chunks; 2 cups tomato juice; 1/2 cup water; 1/4 cup olive oil; tbsp apple cider vinegar; 1/2 bunch fresh dill; juice of a lemon; S&P

Place all ingredients except S&P in a food processor and blitz until there are no chunks. Season to taste. That's it.

Refrigerate this for a while. It's best if you make it a day ahead, but still good if it's left for a few hours. Serve alongside some chicken or steak, or just with some fresh baked baguette with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. One last chance before you have to wait until next summer!

First Restaurant Review

2010-09-08T19:41:00.002-04:00

Okay, by no means am I suggesting I'm in any qualified to give restaurant reviews, but hey, in a sense we're all qualified because we all eat and we know what we like. After two years of opening up a culinary journey for myself, I've travelled from coast to coast and sampled from some incredible restaurants.

Before I begin review entries (positive ones only here), I'll start by naming my top 3 EVER. I can't say these are in any particular order, so I'll just go from west to east.

BRAD'S TOP 3 FAVOURITE RESTAURANTS IN CANADA

BON ROUGE RESTAURANT AND BISTRO (Victoria, BC)

I can't remember a time when I visited a city, and actually went to the same restaurant a second time because it was so good and I was utterly convinced that nothing else would ever measure up. Victoria is known for great restaurants, and all my dining experiences there were good, but this one absolutely blew my mind from start to finish.

This is a Parisian-inspired bistro with an incredible seasonal menu.

I saw a number of different plates, but my menu on night 1 was a crispy duck confit leg served on a white bean stew with red wine jus and fig jam. Night 2 was smoked blackened cod topped with figs, cherries and butter and served over mushroom risotto.

This was one of those dining experiences where I actually became high from the food - like some blissful euphoric daze of heavenly eating. Given that we had gone a second night in a row and sent so many compliments to the kitchen, the owner and executive chef actually came out to meet us. We chatted and he told us his culinary journey from his upbringing to his training to his aspirations for the restaurant.

If you find yourself in Victoria, GO HERE.
http://www.bonrouge.ca/

PIZ'ZA-ZA (Gatineau, QC)

Where has this pizza been all my life?! And who says pizza can't be a fancy candle-lit dinner with an incredible wine selection?

This is one of the National Capital Region's best-kept secrets. Constantly full, impossible to get a table more than 15 minutes after it opens, and an absolutely incredible ambiance. And did I mention the best pizza that I've ever had anywhere? I would be so bold as to say you've never had pizza until you've had this... unless you've had it from an authentic pizzeria in Italy. The crust is amazing, and what's truly special is that none of the pizzas are conventional. My favourite is the Paysanne with fresh tomato sauce, prosciutto, mushrooms, dried figs, and provolone. But they're all amazing and they have an over-the-top delicious selection of salads and desserts and the wine selection is one of the best in the region... even surpassing the more stuffy fancy restaurants in the region.

http://www.pizzaza.ca/restaurants/wine_cellars.php

GARDE-MANGER (Montreal, QC)

If you can find it, and if you can get a reservation (call six weeks in advance), you're set for one of the most amazing dining experiences Montreal has to offer.

This is the restaurant of renowned celebrity chef Chuck Hughes - you can check out his TV show, "Chuck's Day Off" on Food Network. This restaurant is cool, trendy, hip and absolutely stupendous in its rustic ambiance and stellar unique and truly originally delicious food.

No signage, no website, no ads, no paper menu. You just have to find it... that weird little pink lit box in the Old Port, where when you open up the little door you find a loud bustling restaurant full of people.

I started my first experience off with the lobster bisque poutine... yes, in the city known world-wide for its amazing poutine, this, one of Chuck Hughes' signature dishes, is a crispy bed of perfect fries topped with fresh cheese curds, chunks of lobster meat, and smothered with gravy... aka lobster bisque. I followed this up with tastings of blackened cod on perogies with carrot purée and bacon scallops with a crab salad exploding out of the shell of a crispy potato... did I forget to mention these were the best scallops I've ever tasted in my life?! And then of course I finished it off with Chuck's signature deep-fried Mars bar with ice cream - which lasted, I don't know, about 8 seconds.

This place is an adventure. If you live in Montreal or plan on going, call a good month or more in advance, and enjoy this spectacular culinary bliss.

http://www.pagesjaunes.ca/bus/Quebec/Montreal/Restaurant-Garde-Manger-Inc/2820256.html?adid=&tabSelect=&dymList=&origWhat=true&how=onlyonefound

So Much Better Than Benny

2010-09-08T19:12:00.002-04:00

Now that that's out of the way and you know the truth about eggs (see below), time to experiment with delicious ways to enjoy that rich savory flavour. As I said several entries ago, the best way to taste the true flavour of a high quality egg is to poach it. No need to fry it in butter, no need for a Benedict sauce.

My favourite is to make little toasts. This can be done a thousand ways depending on what you like, but this is the most popular in my kitchen.

BRAD'S POACHED EGGS ON PROSCIUTTO TOASTS WITH SUNFLOWER SPROUTS

(For 2)

4 free-run eggs; 4 tsp & 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 4 toasts (baguette or your favourite); 4 slices prosciutto; 4 handfuls sunflower sprouts; olive oil; Kosher salt; fresh pepper

There is only a few seconds between a perfectly poached egg and a hard rubbery ball with no flavour, so as I always say, poach your eggs when everything else is done.

Toss your sprouts in a tbsp of apple cider vinegar and about a tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle with a bit of S&P. Set aside.

If you like your prosciutto a little crispy like me, lay it on a small baking sheet in a toaster oven and broil for about 45 to 60 seconds per side. If you don't have a toaster oven, just put them on a pan with a small drop of oil and fry on medium-high for about 45 seconds per side. Set aside.

Put your toasts a toaster oven or oven and keep warm when done.

Pour hot water into a large sauce pan and cover and bring to a gentle boil. While you're waiting for it to come to a boil, crack all your eggs into ramekins or small bowls. Be sure to be careful not to break the yokes. If there are casualties, place them in the fridge for something else - these do not make for good poached eggs. (TIP: The best way to crack an egg if you're using large eggs is gently against a flat surface (never the edge of a bowl). If you're working with small eggs or brittle shells, tap with a butter knife.)

Pour a tsp of vinegar in each bowl and swirl. When the water is gently boiling, quickly roll the eggs in, keeping them apart using a slotted spoon and gently nudging the egg whites over the yokes to make a ball. Quickly turn the heat to low and partly cover. They usually take about 2-3 minutes, but best to pick up the first egg you dropped and gently nudge the yoke - you're looking for a yolk very elastic and soft but the white somewhat solid. Quickly take them out and lay on a paper towel.

Drizzle the toasts with olive oil and lay the prosciutto on top. Place eggs on the prosciutto with a pinch of salt and a crack of pepper. Then top with sprouts.

Tastes Like Eggs

2010-08-15T17:01:00.002-04:00

Like eating with the seasons, eating what's not genetically modified and eating animal-based food that's raised and handled in accordance with nature and slaughtered humanely, understanding the facts about eggs and egg production has entailed much research.

In my quest to find 100% organic free-range meat, I stumbled on a farm not 20km north of my home that raises seasonal lamb, beef and goat; as well as laying hens. But first, a little background.

Floating toward more ecologically sustainable and healthier foods I started reading labels very carefully, paying attention to every detail of where it came from and how it was procured. I quickly learned, however, that like the "organic" label in the late 90s, the free-range label has almost virtually unregulated, allowing pretty much any factory "farm" to label the dubious claim on packaging. And this goes without mentioning ecological sustainability of foods, especially wild-caught sea food.

Until regulations are clearer, grocers and farmers will continue to make these dubious claims and thus a lot of vigilance is required on the part of anyone wanting to eat ethically. Fortunately there are a few simple rules to keep in mind that will help you learn what to expect; although be ready to be disappointed on occasion as you won't know until you try.

I mentioned in a previous entry how to spot a real free-range chicken; although you won't know until you taste it. The same rule applies with meat in general. Free range meat essentially has more colour and much more flavour. But if you're not sure, the best thing to do is track down the farmer. Ha! Not so easy. If you get your meat from a grocery store it likely comes from Ontario, Alberta or the US and probably nowhere near you. Nor would they ever let you visit or respond candidly to your questions. If you can find a local farmer, I suggest setting up a seasonal order of meat so that you know where it's coming from, how the animals are treated, and all this can be verified with your own eyes. The farmer that I'm now ordering from is willing to give full tours so I saw with my own two eyes the wide-open fields several acres in size where livestock can literally run, bond with their peers, raise their young, and play. I pet the lambs and even lended a hand in herding a cow that was fearful of crossing a small cliff to get to where the rest of the cattle were. I even met the layer hens, hanging out with the farmhouse cat, and who would, shockingly, approach you clucking friendly and even let you handle them.

I also learned a lot.

Suffice it to say, if you're interested in learning more and don't have a free-range organic farm close by, I recommend some bedtime reading: Michael Pollan's "In Defense of Food" (http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/In-Defense-Of-Food-Michael-Pollan/9781594201455-item.html?pticket=pjn3avyz2zh3bwzl4qkzl4ryRJJF8I20%2f2HWWCXsXs0yOc8wEIE%3d) and Jonathan Foer's "Eating Animals" (http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/search?keywords=eating%20animals&pageSize=10).

The bottom line is that ethical eating takes work, dedication and sometimes tough decisions. But I'm of the mind that dedicating my efforts to it and eventually passing it down will push the market further in the right direction, and certainly improvement can be seen all across the food industry (except the poultry industry where it is steadily getting worse).

So on that note, free range eggs. How do you know? Sadly, after you crack it open. But here's a few hints:

1) It is rare if not unheard of the find a truly free-range egg producer in a grocery store. The free-range labelling is absolute hogwash. The free-range term can be used for example, simply when the hen is not confined to a wired cage. If six thousand hens have only a few hundred square feet, which incidentally is covered in three inches of shit (thus they avoid leaving their perch anyway), then this passes the legal definition of free-range. You need to find a specialty distributor (occasionally whole food stores) or go directly to the farmer.

2) Free-range eggs will never be uniform in size or colour. The low-tech operations and low output of an actual free-range farm makes size sorting inefficient so all shapes and sizes are packaged together.

3) If it's a large-scale company or brand name, it cannot be free-range.

4) And this is one of the most crucial - like meat the free range egg is much darker and has much more flavour. Simple rule, free range yolk is orange, factory is pale yellow.

Now you know.

A Meal of Super Foods

2010-04-09T20:43:00.004-04:00

Give your body what it wants! This improvised treat is so packed with nature's goodness that your body will be thanking you for days. Omega-3-packed salmon, folic acid-packed dandelion, and complex carb-packed wild rice. This is proof that a health kick is probably the best thing that can ever happen to you.

BRAD'S WILD SALMON WITH LEMON AND DILL WITH LOCAL DANDELION SALAD AND WILD RICE

(for 2) 2 wild salmon steaks; fresh lemon slices; fresh dill; 2-3 tbsp butter; splash olive oil; Kosher salt and fresh pepper

Bunch fresh local dandelion (in season now!!); extra virgin olive oil; Kosher salt and fresh pepper; big handful pine nuts

Wild rice with butter

Cook rice with about 2 tbsp of butter (normally takes about 45-50 minutes).

In a cast iron skillet heated to medium, melt butter and add olive oil. Preheat oven to 350. Season salmon steaks. When oil is smoking add salmon and sear for about 3 minutes, and then flip to sear the other side for 3 minutes and top with lemon slices and dill. Transfer to the oven and cook for about 10 minutes.

Toss salad ingredients together.

Let salmon sit for 4-5 minutes and then plate up.

You Can be Bad

2010-04-09T20:17:00.006-04:00

The way I look at dessert is, if you take the time and make it yourself, you've truly earned it. It's so much more gratifying to indulge your sweet tooth this way than to tear open the drum stick.

Of course, those of you that know me know that may favourite things in the world include dark chocolate, maple syrup, and ice cream. So why not throw them all together with some caramelised bananas?!

The caramelised banana split is an idea I got from an episode of The F Word so credit goes to Gordon Ramsay for this, but essentially you simply cut a banana length-wise and then sprinkle the wet side with coarse sugar generously. And then, just like a crème brulée, you torch it. Of course, unlike me who likes to toss around cash on kitchen gadgets, most people don't have a food torch, so this can also be done by laying the sugared bananas on a baking sheet, and putting it in the oven on the highest rack on broil for about 3-4 minutes - watch closely; yank them out as soon as you see them bubbling rapidly. With this method of course, you need to let them cool or you're ice cream will melt too fast.

Topping a banana split is all you. I usually just grab whatever's in my baking cupboard, which almost always includes some dark chocolate. Just like coffee, the way to go with chocolate, no matter what you're making, is organic fair trade. You will absolutely taste the difference good clean soil makes to cocoa bean, even when it's melted over ice cream.

The trick to melting chocolate is a gentle melting process, and something to keep it from hardening from the shock of the cold ice cream. To do this, place a metal or glass bowl over a saucepan of water (make sure the water doesn't touch the boil) and lay the chocolate (roughly chopped) in the bowl and bring to a gentle boil. When the chocolate starts to melt, add about 1/2 tbsp of corn syrup and whisk until liquidy.

And of course, to add my special touch I added a maple-cream sauce... don't ask - essentially it was botched maple fudge (I forgot to whip the cream) but it turned into an absolutely amazing sauce instead.

This is intensely delicious and downright orgasmic. Indulge!

Tastes Like Chicken

2010-04-09T19:52:00.003-04:00

Chicken - the bland poultry that needs to be intensely flavoured or immersed in fat to taste good... oh man how we've been misled.

The fact is, chicken, when reared properly, is as flavourful as steak! That is to say it carries intense flavour with no sauces or special seasonings or deep frying needed. I've said it before - happy meat is tasty meat - when you raise livestock that can roam about and without growth hormone or antibiotic, you'd be amazed at the result. These chickens cost about double that of a factory farm chicken, but they can provide a full six to eight meals and the carcass provides for an amazing stock.

I've already discussed the many reasons for investing in better food, even if it means cutting costs elsewhere, but there are many reasons I would recommend this. There is of course the obvious humane and environmental motivation for buying free run meat. Ethics aside, the stress of the confined space in wire cages causes an over-abundance of adrenaline production, which can cause spikes in blood toxins... not to mention factory chickens live ankle-deep in their own shit. It is for these reasons that I will either starve to death or become vegetarian before I eat another factory chicken.

Interesting experiment - The chicken stock recipe referenced a few entries below... For those of you that have made stock with a factory chicken, you'll know about the yellow foam that appears as soon as the water comes to a boil. Quite simply, you grab a wooden spoon and skim this off a few times and it's eventually gone. But I've often wondered what it is. The first time I made stock using a free-run bird, I placed the lid down, raised the heat to max, waited for the steam and when I popped the lid off to skim off the scum... no scum. Ha! And in the 10 batches of stock ever since... no scum. Think about that - still hungry for that fryer? You know the yellow foam that washes up on the banks of a polluted pond or river? Conceptually, I think there's a commonality here. And I'm not about to dip a cup into the edge of that river and take a big slurp.

So! All that to say, try this once - you'll never go back.

BRAD'S FREE-RUN CHICKEN WITH LOCAL ROOT VEG

Free-run organic chicken; olive oil; Kosher salt and fresh pepper; local carrots and blue potatoes chopped; and celery chopped; 8-10 thyme sprigs; 2-3 bay leaves

Lay vegetables in a ceramic dish, drizzle with olive oil, season and toss. Layer thyme and bay over the veg. Lay a metal wire rack over the dish, pat the chicken dry with paper towels and rub with S&P and lay on the rack. Roast at 375 for about 90 minutes, tossing veg occasionally. Internal temperature should be 170-175. You will not believe what you taste!

The Balkans know how to Live

2010-04-09T19:23:00.003-04:00

One of the key things the food of my English and Irish ancestors and the food of south-eastern Europeans have in common is cabbage, cabbage and more cabbage. Personally I find it tastes like sweaty socks and so for a while I thought maybe I just won't like southeastern European food, what with all the cabbage and pickling and raw onion... that is until I visited Balkan Foods store in Montreal. The smell of smoked meat was almost overpowering. This is home to the world's best cheese spread, called Kajmak, imported from Serbia as well as an endless array of preserves from various parts of former Yugoslavia. The sandwich board outside displays a mouthwatering temptation of smoked sausages sautéed with bell peppers on a bun sitting on a pile of raw onion... the raw onion I could do without. Being the average height for a northwestern European Canadian, I rarely feel short, but when you stand in a room of Serbian men averaging about 6'7 speaking in a gruff Slavic tongue it can certainly be intimidating... but they were super-nice, and I walked away with a bag full of goodies, wrapped tightly in multiple layers of plastic so as not to stink up my car with the smell of smoked meat.

With my first crack at Balkan smoked sausage I decided to make one of my all time favourites - similar to what they put in the bun, only over Jazmin rice - not very Balkan, but hey - it works. Once again, simplicity at its finest!

BALKAN-STYLE SAUSAGE AND PEPPERS

Essentially, I made this very similar to the way I make most sausage and pepper dishes, only this time let more of the flavours talk instead of caramelising to death. To make this authentic and to make the flavours "pop", quite simply - more garlic, more onions. For each 2 servings, slice one 12-inch sausage into 3/4 inch slices. Heat a cast-iron skillet on medium-high and coat the bottom in olive oil and toss in the sausage (in judging how much oil to put in, look at the sausage inside - the more white speckles, the less oil you'll need, but from my experience with smoked sausage, much of the fat has been rendered off, so chances are you'll need more than less.)

Toss in a whole white onion roughly chopped and 1/2 each of a red and yellow bell pepper cut into strips. Fry and season with salt and pepper gradually. About 2 minutes before you're ready to take it up, toss in about 7-8 cloves of chopped garlic. Serve it however you like - on a bun, over rice, or even on its own.

Укусно!

The New Sunday Morning Favourite

2010-03-05T23:35:00.002-05:00

I had always been tempted to try quail eggs. Of course the size of them always scared me from wanting to crack them on to a hot pan for fear I would inevitably crack the yoke, so as a first step I tried out this little experiment that turned out stellar and has now made my regular Sunday morning rotation.

BRAD'S QUAIL EGG SALAD AND PEROGIES

(For 2) 16 free-range quail eggs; one bunch local watercress; juice of half lemon; big splash olive oil; kosher salt and fresh pepper; 8 perogies (your favourite); 1/2 local onion finely chopped; 4 strips free-range bacon cut into one-inch pieces.

Fry the bacon on low heat until crisp, set aside and keep warm. Raise the heat and sauté onion for a few seconds, season and add the perogies. Cook about 4 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, bring a small pot of water with the eggs to a gentle boil for 2 minutes and then drain. Peel off the shells (run them under cool water so they're safe to handle; then tap them on a hard surface; run your nail from top to bottom and then peel gently. Wash and trim the watercress and toss with lemon juice, olive oil and S&P. Add quail eggs over the top. Layer bacon and onion on the plate and top with perogies. Serve with local sour cream if you like.

February's Treat of the Month

2010-03-05T23:19:00.004-05:00

It will amaze you just how incredible all poultry is when it's raised the right way. This is a mouth-watering favourite of mine, and is absolutely simple.

BRAD'S ROAST QUAIL WITH BROCCOLI AND SQUASH

Whole free-range quail per person; organic butternut squash; organic head of broccoli; 4 tbsp local butter; kosher salt; fresh pepper; thyme sprigs; olive oil

Melt a tbsp of butter with a generous amount of olive oil in a cast iron skillet on medium-high and sear the quails (no more than three at a time) on all sides until golden. Remove them from the pan. Add the squash and cook for 6-7 minutes. Pre-heat oven to 400. Add broccoli, season and cook for a moment (add oil if needed). Then return the quails to the pan breast-side up and add the remaining butter to the pan. As it melts, spoon it into the cavity of the quails. Season generously and lay 5-10 sprigs of thyme over everything. Transfer to the oven and cook for 35-40 minutes or until internal temperature of quails is 170. Goes great with a glass of pinot noir.

The Mission

2010-02-16T20:24:00.005-05:00

As mentioned before, the mission for this blog for 2010 is more local, more seasonal. And so far this mission has been an overwhelming success, even moreso than I would have estimated.

Specifically, the mission is to ensure that in winter, not less than 60% of my food consumed is local, what's not local is at the very least organic and fair trade, and meat is 100% free-range and where possible, organic. Sound ambitious? Sound expensive?

Well, I'm happy to report that this has been an overwhelming success so far this winter. And for the first 6 weeks of the year, my grocery bill has actually DROPPED by about 12%. The reason? Full use of food to the max. Nothing goes to waste and meals are planned for all seven days of the week, and groceries bought once.

This started off as a bit of a challenge, mainly because doing this requires a trip to three different specialty stores.

For me, it's important to know where my food comes from and how it's procured. And while I haven't experienced an increase in costs, it would be worth it and this would not deter me. And for that matter, if I had to, I would cut costs elsewhere. Afterall, we pay for tv, internet, phones, cars, clothes... perhaps the last place we should be "bargain hunting" is with food... you get what you pay for. And if you don't want the genetic mutant produce, better be a little more selective - I'm really doubtful that a lemon should be the same size as a Florida orange.

The other added bonus is that I simply feel amazing. Despite a grueling winter I feel I've never been healthier. I sleep better and I feel less sluggish. I guess this should come as no surprise.

So throughout the year I will share some of my favourite gems; see some of my top picks for January below.

And it's on to week 7...

Canadian Farmers, Canadian Growers

2010-02-16T20:02:00.003-05:00

When you make friends with your local butcher and start eating meat from happy animals you realise just how much flavour there is in food. This is a 100% local, 100% organic, free range, stylish dinner that will keep your dinner guests returning.

BRAD'S BISON STEAK WITH BEET RELISH & WATERCRESS-POTATO SALAD

Bison: 5 oz Bison steak per person; red wine; S&P

Salad: blue potatoes quartered; bunch watercress; thyme; 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil; 1/4 cup sour cream; 2 tbsp sherry vinnegar; tbsp horseradish; S&P

Relish (make ahead): 5 beets trimmed; 1/4 horseradish; 2/3 cup brown rice vinnegar; 1/4 cup fine sugar; tsp salt

The relish is a great make-ahead that when placed in a mason jar will last for months. Simply boil the beets for about an hour in salted water. Using a damp cloth, slide the peels off and let cool. Grate them into a bowl with the horseradish. Meanwhile, bring the rest of the ingredients to a boil in a saucepan and pour over the beet mix and toss. Let cool, refrigerate for at least 6 hours - even better if made a few days in advance.

This potato salad is without a doubt, the best you'll ever have. Par-boil the potatoes until fork-tender and then roast them off with a big drizzle of olive oil and a few thyme sprigs at 450 degrees until very tender (about 10-15 minutes). Whisk together the dressing ingredients. To serve, layer large handfuls of watercress over the potatoes and then drizzle the dressing and add extra kosher salt and fresh pepper to taste.

Bison steak is simple and fast, and the most amazing steak you'll ever have. Season steaks. In a cast-iron skillet, melt a knob of butter per steak and add a big splash of olive oil. When smoking, add the steak. Sear 3-4 minutes on each side, then remove from the pan and let rest covered about 5-7 minutes. Just before serving, reheat the pan on medium-high until smoking again and add a large splash of red wine (stand back!) and stir rapidly for about 2 minutes then remove from heat. Quickly plate the steak and then pour over the sauce.

You Can Eat Seasonal Salads in Winter!

2010-02-16T19:50:00.004-05:00

Local and seasonal in Canada is possible, if you know where to go and what to look for. Remember, the best and healthiest salads are the ones made with the richer and darker leaf vegetables - you're not missing anything by axing the Romaine or Iceberg.

BRAD'S WINTER SALAD

Dressing: Tbsp each of Sherry Vinnegar and Brown Rice Vinnegar; Tbsp grain mustard; finely minced local shallot; scant cup extra virgin olive oil; S&P

Salad: Raddichio and Endive shredded; 1/2 bunch chopped chives; handful crumbled local blue cheese; big handful crushed walnuts

One of the best investments you can make is mason jars; especially if for pickling or dressings. The above dressing is a great make-ahead and holds for about 10-12 days.

The key with a great dressing is to let the shallot sit in the vinnegar for at least 15 minutes to set the flavours meld. Then whisk the rest of the ingredients except the oil; and then steadily add the oil whisking in a stream.

The salad above is served alongside an herb-stuffed pork tenderloin and potato salad.

TIP: For potato salad, use local new or red potatoes, which you can find pretty much year-round, and instead of mayo, use your local dairy producer's brand of sour cream (if it's liquid, it's not actually sour cream).

To Warm You Through the Dead of Winter

2010-02-16T19:34:00.002-05:00

This is an outstanding pot that I cook up on a Sunday afternoon that will get me through a busy week. And in sub-zero temperatures, it's just what the body needs.

BRAD'S GUINNESS, MAPLE, SMOKED PORK BEAN POT

1 cup each of dried white, black and kidney beans; 5-6 ounces of smoked pork ribs; can of Guinness; 1/4 cup maple syrup; 1/4 cup molasses; 1/2 cup chicken stock; one onion finely chopped; 3-4 cloves garlic peeled and chopped; big dash cayenne; finely chopped hot pepper (your favourite); S&P to taste

Soak beans in a large bowl of water for at least 12 hours.

Pour boiling water over the hot pepper and strain. Set aside.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, boil beans for about 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In the large pot, sauté onion until soft, then add garlic; sauté for a minute, then add hot pepper.

Add the remaining ingredients, simmer and cover simmering for about 3 hours.

Supreme Winter Breakfast

2010-02-16T19:23:00.002-05:00

There's something about the flavour combinations of cinnamon, nutmeg and maple syrup that warm the soul in winter. On a Saturday morning before heading out to the cross-country ski trails, this is an excellent way to start off.

CINNAMON AND NUTMEG FRENCH TOAST

(For 2)
4 free-range eggs; 1/2 cup milk; 1/4 cup brown sugar; big splash apple cider; big dashes of nutmeg and cinnamon; 6 pieces of egg bread, a couple days old

Preheat 375. Mix all the ingredients except the bread in a bowl, and then pour into a large dish. Soak the bread in the batter for about 7-8 minutes. Then turn and soak the other side for about 5 minutes. Lay flat onto a well-greased baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes; turn and bake 10 minutes more. Great with a side of free range bacon, real maple syrup and some apple cider.

A Year of Food for Thought

2010-01-07T18:47:00.003-05:00

Since two years ago, I resolved to abandon pre-packaged foods and take-aways and I've never been healthier.

As a result I lost 34 pounds and spend far less on food. Eating real foods, buying from local producers, and preparing your own food are not elitist or luxuries. I'm living proof that investment pays off. And the adage that eating healthy is expensive - false. As I said, my grocery bill went down about 20% once I abandoned the grocery store ails. That it's too time-consuming - false. Most weeknights I've prepared a dinner, eaten, and cleaned up all before 6pm, leaving a full evening at my leisure.

I'll continue to blog throughout 2010. I hope these recipes and my tips if nothing else, have at least inspired my readers.

Of course I do have my inspirations, so I'll raise my glass to Ricardo Larrivée, Jaime Oliver, Gordon Ramsay, and Jeff Crump and Bettina Schormann for enlightening my culinary visions and providing so much inspiration over the past year for this amateur.

My new mission for the new year - more local, more seasonal - keep checking back to see how my new challenge is going.

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas Indeed!

2010-01-07T18:17:00.003-05:00

A summary of all that's great about family, friends, home cooking... that's one of my favourite parts of Christmas.

So I'll share my take on Christmas dinner (or Thanksgiving or New Years, why not.)

BRAD'S CHRISTMAS TURKEY DINNER

Whole turkey; large container or picnic cooler; 2 cups dark brown sugar; 2 cups salt; ice packs

Stuffing: 1/3 loaf whole grain bread at least a few days old; two grated carrots; two large palmfuls savoury; palmful of kosher salt; generous amount of black pepper

Peas Pudding: 1 1/2 cups yellow split peas; cheese cloth; 2 tbsp salt or salt pork or beef riblet; 4 tbsp unsalted butter

Fried Potatoes: Large white local potatoes cut in half length-wise; 2 tbsp butter per 4 halves; olive oil; kosher salt; fresh black pepper

Fixin's: Sliced carrots and green peas; cranberry sauce; gravy (see below)

Like chicken, turkey all too often suffers the abuse of over-cooking. A meat thermometer is a very wise investment, as turkey doneness is difficult to gage without cutting it open. Also, as much as possible, buy a fresh local turkey - order in advance. Free range is clearly the best choice - a happy turkey is a tasty turkey.

The key to a super-moist meat and crispy skin is brining. So the night before, take a huge container like a picnic cooler and fill with about 5-6 litres of cold water (depending on the size of your turkey and the size of your container - you want it to cover the turkey completely). Whisk in brown sugar and salt and place the turkey in with about 3-4 ice packs over night.

Combine all stuffing ingredients in a food processor. TIP: Don't over-stuff your turkey - the heat won't reach the underlay of the breast meat and it will be undercooked. Leave at least an inch of room between the top of the stuffing and the bottom of the breast.

Rinse of the turkey and pat it dry with paper towels. Lay it on the cooking rack and stuff it. (You can also cook your stuffing separately in a pot with a bit of chicken or turkey stock.) Season the turkey generously. Cook at 350 for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours, depending on the size - the butcher will tell you; if you bought it at a store it will be written on the package. After about an hour, start basting it every 30 minutes or so.

About 60 minutes before you plan to take out the turkey, prepare potatoes. Boil them in water until quite tender, then set them aside until the turkey is out of the oven.

About 45 minutes before you plan to take out the turkey, prepare peas pudding. Cut a large square of cheese cloth and lay in the peas and tie it into a sac. Place in boiling generously salted water for about 45 minutes (you'll want to reduce the heat to a high simmer so it doesn't boil over - make sure the sac is completely covered). Once done, turn out of the sac into a bowl, add butter, stir and season to taste.

Boil or steam side veggies as you like. Keep the water for gravy.

Once the turkey is done, take it out and cover it in foil. You'll want it to sit for at least 20 minutes before carving.

Meanwhile, extract your pan drippings and pour into a large clear cup or mason jar. Give it a minute for the fat to float to the top then skim off and discard. Pour it into a sauce pan, add a big splash of veggie water. Season well and add chicken bouillon (optional). Mix two tbsp corn starch with equal amount of cold water and then stir that into the gravy. Bring to a boil and let simmer until ready to serve.

About 5 minutes before plating, preheat a pan with butter and a splash of olive oil and once smoking lightly lay in the potatoes flesh-side down (no more than 4 halves at a time) and fry for about 3 minutes or until golden brown. Flip and season generously, remove from heat.

Plate up, and enjoy! Seasons greetings!

Different Take on a Comfort Food Classic

2010-01-07T17:58:00.003-05:00

Corned beef hash was a main staple growing up. A favourite that prepared the old way I probably couldn't stomach today. But I'm all about turning those old comfort foods into something great, but still quick, cheap and non-pretentious.

BRAD'S CORNED BEEF HASH

2 diced potatoes; pound of corned beef; 2 tbsp butter; olive oil; 1 red onion; 1 red bell pepper; pinch fresh grated nutmeg; pinch paprika (preferably Hungarian); 4 eggs; kosher salt; fresh black pepper; fresh parsley

Steam or boil the potatoes until soft.

In a large frying pan or skillet, melt butter with a splash of olive oil and sauté onion for about 3 minutes and then add peppers and sauté another 2 or three minutes. Mix in the cooked potatoes, corned beef (cubed or flaked, your choice), nutmeg and paprika. Season with Kosher salt and fresh pepper and toss around. Press the mix down a bit, reduce the heat to medium-low. Once it starts to crust a bit on the bottom, stir it, and then do this again after a few minutes.

Make four holes and crack the eggs into each. Cover the pan and cook until the whites are firm but the yolk is still soft and creamy. Garnish with parsley.

Top O' The Morning Part III

2010-01-07T17:25:00.003-05:00

Waffles are one of the most fun things to make and are a definite crowd-pleaser. A small waffle iron is definitely a wise investment; especially if you like waffles and you take a moment to read the ingredients list on a box of Eggos.

BRAD'S CINNAMON WAFFLES

2 cups all-purpose non-bleached flour; 2 tsp baking powder; tsp baking soda; pinch salt; 2 tsp cinnamon; 2 cups buttermilk; 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted; 2 eggs separated; vegetable oil

Sift the dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix the buttermilk, melted butter, and egg yolks together. With an electric mixer, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet. Whisk until combined, then gently fold in the egg whites. Let sit.

Preheat the waffle iron. Brush with vegetable oil. Ladle the waffle mix onto the iron (about 1/3 cup per waffle) and gently close the cover. Let cook for about 3-4 minutes or until there's very little steam. Gently remove and keep warm while you make the batch.

Best served with maple syrup, and if you really want to jazz it up add some banana or apple slices, slivered almonds, or even some whipped cream.

These can be made ahead and refrigerated for a few days or frozen for a few months - just toast them like you would toast.

Yes, You Can Make Homefries without a Deep Fryer

2010-01-07T17:11:00.002-05:00

Don't have a deep fryer? Don't want to eat deep fried food? No problem.

Okay. So I won't claim that these taste the same as chip-wagon or fish n' chips - style home fries, but I'd dare to say they're just as good and some might say better.

BRAD'S HERBED HOMEFRIES

(For 4)

Two thin-skinned local new potatoes; 5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed (not chopped); 6-8 thyme sprigs; extra virgin olive oil; kosher salt; black pepper

Two keys to great home fries are the right potato, and par-boiling or steaming. Get Canadian-grown and preferably as local as possible fresh potatoes - you will notice a difference from the genetic mutant American potatoes.

Wash potatoes and chop into fries about a square centimetre thick. Boil a large pot of water and either steam the potatoes in a steamer or par-boil them until fork-tender, about 10-12 minutes. Let them sit for a moment to dry. Preheat oven to 425. Drizzel a thin layer of olive oil on a baking sheet and spread out the fries. Drizzle more olive oil over the top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Scatter the garlic and thyme about. Roast until golden and crispy, about 15-18 minutes.

The Meaning of Comfort Food... Right Here

2009-11-12T20:10:00.002-05:00

If you're looking for a guilt-free dessert, you won't find it here. But this all-natural homemade treat is something that I consider more than deserving of a place at a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner table.

BRAD' S PUMPKIN-SPICED GINGERBREAD

BREAD: 1 1/4 cups brown sugar; 1/2 cup vegetable oil; 1/2 cup water; 2 eggs; 1/2 can pumpkin purée (NOT pie filling); tsp each of ginger, cloves, cinnamon and all spice; 1 3/4 cup unbleached white flour; tbsp Brandy; tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp baking powder; pinch of salt
SPICED WHIP CREAM: 1/2 cup heavy 35% cream; 1/4 tsp vanilla; 1/4 cup fine sugar; tsp Brandy; 1/2 tsp each of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and all spice.

Preheat 350. In a bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Then beat wet ingredients with a whisk and fold to combine with dry. Pour into a greased and floured bread pan and bake for about 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
While you're waiting, whip the cream on high speed, gradually adding sugar and add vanilla, Brandy and spices at the last few seconds, until stiff peaks form.

Tip bread out of the pan and let the bread cool for about 10 minutes. Slice and top with whip cream.

Did I Say Comfort Food?

2009-11-12T19:59:00.005-05:00

Oh baby! I need a moment.... okay.

This is so good, and soooo easy.

BRAD'S LEFT-OVER CHICKEN DINNER POT PIE

2-3 cups left over root vegetables; 2-3 cups left over chicken, cubed; package of puff pastry or pre-made pie crust; melted butter; can cream of chicken soup (undiluted) or a cup of left-over gravy; 1/3 cup milk; few handfuls green peas (fresh or frozen); fresh pepper; ground thyme

Roll out a pie crust dusting with flour (if using puff pastry; otherwise lay one pit shell in a pie plate) and put one shell in a greased and floured pie plate. Preheat 400 and bake for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Pour the filling in the pie and lay the second part over the top, squeezing it around the edges to mould to the bottom shell. Brush generously with butter. Poke a few holes in the top to let out steam. Bake for about 30 minutes. If the top of your crust is not brown and crispy, pop it to 475 for about 3 or 4 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes.

Guys Night - Habs Game!

2009-11-12T19:50:00.003-05:00

Meaty, spicy, hearty - and goes great with beer... Canadian beer only!

BRAD'S SAUSAGE MEATBALL-BEAN STEW

1 lb ground spicy sausage; can chick peas; can kidney beans; can chopped tomatoes; thyme sprigs; 3-4 sliced garlic cloves; kosher salt and fresh pepper

Make meatballs out of the sausage (use breadcrumbs and egg if you wish, but it's not necessary) and pan fry in olive oil until nicely browned on all sides. Add the garlic and cook for a moment or two. Add beans and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer; cover partially and let simmer for about 12-15 minutes. Season to taste. Great with a medium or dark ale or beer or stout... and of course with crusty bread drizzled with olive oil and salt.

Classic Warmth for the Soul

2009-11-12T19:37:00.002-05:00

Now this is my supreme comfort food... not to mention a great way to use that gorgeous homemade stock (see below).

BRAD'S PEA SOUP

4-5 cups chicken stock; 2 large new potatoes cubed; 2 parsnips chopped; 2-3 carrots chopped; about 3 cups split dry green peas; 1/2 - 3/4 lb grilling ham or left over glazed ham; kosher salt; fresh pepper; thyme sprigs; bay leaf.

This recipe takes the same base as the chicken stock and then ramps it up to a new level. This will turn out best if you soak the peas. Cover them completely in water, preferably before you leave in the morning - they'll be perfect when you get home.

Boil all the ingredients except the peas and ham in the broth (add water if necessary) for about 10 minutes and then add the peas. Simmer for about 25-30 minutes. Remove bay leaf and thyme. Purée in batches (about 3-4 ladles per batch for about 20-30 seconds medium speed). Return soup to the pot and add the ham and simmer for about 5 minutes. Season to taste.

Goes great with a Pinot Grigio and some toasted baguette drizzled with olive oil and kosher salt.

Using Every Scrap

2009-11-12T18:46:00.006-05:00

Don't throw away those bones! When it comes to soup, there's nothing on earth better than your own stock. Quite simply, make a habit of keeping the bones from a chicken (or any other bird). That includes the legs and wings. You've never tasted stock until you've tasted your own. This is the simplest thing in the world, and best of all, not only does it taste better than store-bought, but you also get to control what goes in it - especially the sodium.

BRAD'S CLASSIC CHICKEN (POULTRY) STOCK

Chicken carcas and bones; 2-3 large carrots roughly chopped; 2 celery stocks roughly chopped; 1/2 large onion quartered; one parsnip roughly chopped; 8-10 whole peppercorns; 1-2 bay leaves; 5-6 thyme sprigs; water

Combine the carcas and bones in a large pot with the vegetables and cover with water. Add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer for about 3 hours. Let cool. Strain and discard the solid material. Store to make soups - refrigerate for 3 or 4 days or freeze for a few months.

The Other Side of Pizza

2009-11-12T18:29:00.003-05:00

This is where the pizza experience gets intense. See my earlier entry on my feelings about the greatness of homemade pizza. I like to think of a dough as a canvas - go nuts. This is an experiment that received an incredible reception.

BRAD'S CHICKEN-MUSHROOM-ARTICHOKE PIZZA

DOUGH: 1 3/4 cups flour; 2 tsp quick yeast; dashes of sugar, kosher salt and garlic powder; 1/3 cup water; 1/4 cup milk; 2 tbsp olive oil

TOPPINGS: white parts of 1/3 bunch of scallions; olive oil; 10-12 mushrooms sliced; 2 sliced garlic cloves; sliced cooked chicken breast; can of artichoke hearts (drained) chopped; 1/4 cup Parmesan; kosher salt and fresh pepper; thyme sprigs

For the dough, combine dry ingredients, and then warm the wet ingredients in a cup in the microwave til luke warm (about 40 seconds), then add to the dry. Stir and then knead for about 5 minutes. Cover and let stand for about 20 minutes. Knead again for a minute and flatten onto a pizza sheet or stone and cover again for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, sauté the scallions and mushrooms in oil for a minute or two and then add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Remove from heat. Once the dough is ready (should be nicely risen), pre-heat the oven 450; brush the dough with olive oil and arrange the chicken and the sautéed mixture on top and then arrange the artichoke hearts and sprinkle with Parmesan. Drizze with a bit more oil and bake for about 12-15 minutes.

Classic Rustic Italian Supreme

2009-09-15T20:15:00.002-04:00

The best Italian dishes are those made with love and simplicity. This is a 30-minute weeknight favourite of mine that's so incredible I crave it frequently.

CLASSIC WHITE WINE CHICKEN FETTUCCINE

Tbsp butter; 2 chicken breasts (bl, sl) cut in half length-wise; 1 thinly sliced carrot; 9-10 sliced mushrooms; 1/3 cup chicken broth; 1/3 cup white wine; fettuccine

As they say, cook with the wine you would actually drink. Good advice. My favourite for this dish is definitely Jackson-Triggs Pinot Grigio - smooth, buttery, sweet and perfect for chicken pasta.

Melt the butter with a splash of olive oil until hot and cook the chicken (soft-side down) for about five minutes, then flip it and add the rest of the ingredients (meanwhile, boil fettuccine). Bring it to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for about 15 minutes. Serve over fettuccine and garnish with dried parsley and fresh black pepper.

Move Over, Quaker!

2009-09-15T19:55:00.003-04:00

If these aren't the best granola bars you've ever tasted, I'll eat the Tupperware container you've stored them in!

This is so easy you'll never buy store-bought granola bars again. I've experimented with this a bit over the past few months and have finally found the best combination of what I love most. But the nice thing about granola is that it's all you. There are some basics in terms of texture, but generally, it's how you like it. Here's mine.

BRAD'S PEANUT BUTTER-BANANA-ALMOND GRANOLA BARS

2 cups rolled oats; 1 cup whole almonds; big handful unsweetened coconut; 1/2 cup raisins; 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds; 1 cup peanut butter; 1/2 cup brown sugar; whole ripe banana mashed; 1/2 tbsp vanilla; tsp cinnamon; 1/2 tsp nutmeg; big pinch of salt; one egg

Line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper and preheat 350. Toss the oats, almonds, coconut, raisins, and pumpkin seeds together in a bowl. In a pot over medium-low heat, stir PB, brown sugar banana, cinnamon and nutmeg until melted and smooth. Pour the mixture over the dry ingredients and mix in with the egg. Pour into the pan and press it down to make it even and bake for about 30 minutes. Let it cool completely and then refrigerate it for at least a few hours before cutting it into bars (lift out of the pan before cutting using the parchment paper).

20 Minutes and Very Little Effort Can Get You This

2009-09-15T19:40:00.003-04:00

If you like to eat well on weeknights like I do, make friends with shellfish and canned tomatoes. Shrimp, for example, only takes about 5-6 minutes to cook from raw, or 2-3 minutes to heat when pre-cooked, frozen and thawed. One key thing about frozen seafood (and pretty much all meat) is the thawing process. When you look at a package and it says "For best results thaw in the refrigerator overnight" they ain't kidding. When meat, especially fish, is frozen, small ice particles form between the meat fibres. If exposed to room temperature, or worse still, the defrost feature on your microwave the ice particles burst quickly, tearing the meat fibres, and thus making the meat tough. So when it comes to thawing, I always advocate following package directions.

The great thing about canned tomatoes, other than the fact that you don't have to worry about them rotting up your counter, is that they're picked and canned when they're ripe, thus when they have the highest nutrition content from the soil, unlike fresh tomatoes, which are picked with they're still green and left to ripen via oxygen on the way to your grocer. Always good to have a few of these on-hand, of course accompanied by a few cans of tomato paste.

SPICY SHRIMP-TOMATO STEW

3 tbsp olive oil; 2 shallots chopped; 2 cloves garlic chopped; 1/2 red (or your favourite) Chile, ribs and seeds out and chopped; 1 bay leaf; 1 sprig thyme; 1 14oz can diced tomatoes; 1 tbsp tomato paste; two big handfuls cooked de-veined peel-off tail-off shrimp; 1/2 cup white wine or chicken stock; S&P; dried basil; Parmesan

Heat olive oil to light smoke and add shallots and chile, sauté for a few seconds and add garlic. Just when you notice the garlic starting to brown, add the tomatoes and tomato paste and stir. Then add the wine or chicken stock (or half and half) and toss in the bay leaf and thyme, bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat and let it simmer gently for about 10 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook for about 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat. Season to taste and garnish with dried basil and Parmesan.

Fun and Not-so-Fancy

2009-09-15T19:21:00.002-04:00

The crêpe can be the vehicle for anything tasty you want to whip up. It's perfect for sweet or savoury, takes no time at all and you always have these ingredients on-hand. With the exception of the maybe not-so-surprising chocolate ice cream, this is my favourite crêpe filling.

CREPE STUFFED WITH SHRIMP AND SPINACH

Crêpes: 2-3 egg whites; 1/3 cup flour; 1/2 cup milk

Filling: Tbsp butter; garlic clove minced; 2 chopped green onions; package of thawed frozen minced spinach (or about two cups of fresh packed spinach); 7-8 sliced white mushrooms; zest and juice of half a lemon; small handful of flour; 1 cup milk; 1/2 lb cooked shrimp (de-veined; peel and tail off); handful chopped cilantro; S&P

Whisk your egg whites until foamy and then beat in the flour and gradually beat in the milk. Heat a lightly-oiled pan to medium and add about 1/4 cup of the batter, swirling quickly to spread over the pan. Cook for about a minute or two until the bottom is lightly browned and then flip and brown on the other side. Set aside and keep warm. Repeat until you have all the crêpes you want, re-oiling the pan each time.

When you're ready, melt the butter with a splash of olive oil and toss in the green onion, spinach and mushrooms. Cook until onion starts to brown and then add the lemon zest and garlic. Quickly stir in the flour and immediately start adding the milk, stirring it in gradually. The mixture should become thick and creamy. Then add the shrimp, cilantro and lemon juice, season with S&P and cook for about 2-3 minutes.

For each crêpe, lay about 3 spoonfuls of filling and wrap (securing with a toothpick if needed) and top it off with the remaining filling.

Sunday Dinner on a weeknight

2009-07-28T20:41:00.003-04:00

Who says you can't enjoy the greatness of Sunday dinner on a Tuesday night?

BRAD'S ONE-POT CORNISH HEN, ROOT VEGETABLE AND GRAVY DINNER

Cornish hen; one large chopped sweet potato; one medium chopped white potato; two large chopped carrots; two large chopped stalks of celery; 2 crushed cloves of garlic (just popped, not chopped) chicken broth; tbsp corn starch

In a small roasting plan, place all the vegetables on the bottom and lay the hen over the top. Season the works generously with coarse salt and fresh pepper. Cook 375 for about an hour and 15 minutes, adding a big splash of chicken stock about half way through.

Remove everything from the pot, and while the chicken is resting (10 minutes) place the liquid in a clear glass measuring cup and let sit for a minute to let the fat surface to the top and then skim off. Pour it back into the pan and add a bit more stock if needed and bring to a boil. Mix corn starch with a splash of water and add to the liquid, season to taste. Serve with the gravy over everything!

Can't go Wrong on a Classic

2009-07-28T20:18:00.003-04:00

This is another fast and simple favourite of mine, which works both as a quick meal in a hurry, and equally well for entertaining.

CLASSIC SAUSAGE AND BELL PEPPERS

4-5 chopped hot Italian sausages; bell pepper chopped into 1/4 inch strips; 1/2 chopped red onion; 3 minced cloves garlic; coarse salt and fresh pepper; olive oil

Sausage is a tough one to find quality and great flavour. Let's face it, Maple Leaf and, chances are, your local grocer just don't cut it. I suggest going directly to a butcher and describing the way you like your sausage and they will tell you what you're looking for and cut you off some fresh links.

Heat the olive oil to a light smoke and start cooking the sausage, adding the onion after two or three minutes. (Meanwhile, prepare rice for the side, if using). Then add peppers and sauté over medium heat until sausages are cooked through and starting to char and peppers and onions are very soft and starting to char. Then add garlic and sauté about a minute or two. Season to taste and serve with Jasmine rice.

In a Hurry?

2009-07-28T19:51:00.002-04:00

If you're in a mad-dash and need to have cooked and eaten in less than 20-30 minutes, here's one for which you might want to keep ingredients on-hand.

ANCHOVY-PARSLEY PASTA

150-200 grams of your favourite thin pasta (spaghetti or spaghettini); fresh pepper; olive oil; sliced clove of garlic; can of marinaded anchovies chopped; handful of fresh parsley chopped; Parmesean

Boil pasta in salted water (TIP: When boiling water, for speed, efficiency and less electricity use, run your tap water until hot and bring your water to a boil with the cover on; although cook your pasta with the cover off). Heat a big splash of olive oil in a large pan and then add the garlic, sauté for about 60 seconds and then add the anchovies and sauté for about 30 seconds. Drain the pasta, add it to the pan and toss with parsley and fresh pepper. Sprinkle each serving with a bit of olive oil and Parmesean... That was fast.

Side Comment

2009-07-28T19:30:00.002-04:00

As an avid animal-lover and an advocate of humane animal treatment (and monthly donor to both the World Wildlife Fund and the World Society for the Protection of Animals), I can in all sincerity say that I'm absolutely appalled by the EU's decision to move towards banning the import of seal products.

As a meat-eater in a society of 98% meat-eaters, I understand where my food comes from and it's important for people to realise the steps to getting it to your grocer. Slaughter of an animal is at best a horrid and gruesomely unpleasant sight, but we eat meat and that's how meat is rendered. The regular meat market is comprised mainly of farm-raised livestock kept in tiny cages, unable to thrive in their natural way, pumped up with hormones, and living in their own filth and feces. The EU has no objection to such practices, and to boot, allows the production, promotion, and sale of veal (calf forced to sit stationary by short chain until slaughter) and foie gras (force-fed duck or goose to tenderise liver). Due to a lengthy and despicably corrupt campaign of lies and manipulation by the FFAW and PETA, the EU has caved in a grotesque display of hypocrisy.

The debate about whether seals in the annual seal hunt are killed in a humane way is a long and divisive one and one that will continue indefinitely. But there's no denying that seals are not killed in a way any less humanely than any other mass-produced farm animal. And add to that, they live in the wild until their death - as we advocate for free range, hormone-free animals... well, how much more free range and organic can you get?

There are humane ways to raise and slaughter livestock and the EU has done nothing to push regulation on that front. I'm sure the fact that most of these animals aren't cute and cuddly looking, and the fact that so many Europeans don't want to give up their foie gras and veal (as opposed to seal, which is not quite as wide spread a choice of meat there) doesn't really help their cause for humane treatment.

So I would say this - It's a hypocritical and ultimately unfair choice to advocate protecting seals from inhumane killing, and at the same time not objecting to the treatment of other animals via an equally aggressive economic boycott campaign, and we're certainly not seeing that. My advice - buy organic, free range when possible and inform people on the issue. No one wants to see an animal unnecessarily harmed before it becomes meat, but numerous studies have shown that there's little more that could be done to kill seals in a more humane way and there's no more suffering on the ice than on the killing floor of the slaughter house.

A Taste of India on the Grill

2009-07-28T19:06:00.004-04:00

Indian has to be by far my favourite type of international flavour. This one's super-easy and delicious and satisfies both the cravings for firing up the grill and getting your fix of Indian-inspired cuisine.

BRAD'S BBQ CHICKEN TIKKA

2 chicken breasts (bls, sls); 1/2 cup plain yogurt (8-10%); 2 tbsp tikka masala; 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro; minced garlic clove; juice of a lime

When I said easy I meant it. Stir the yogurt with the tikka masala, cilantro, garlic and lime and coat the chicken, cover and marinade in the fridge for about an hour or two.

TIP: When buying yogurt for cooking, or even for regular snacking for that matter, don't be too worried about reaching for lower fat content. The benefits of eating yogurt are at their best when you eat real yogurt that's gone through natural processes and there's no reason your yogurt should contain anything you can't pronouce. My advice - stay away from any yogurt that's less than 2.5% as these have a lot that you don't want in your body - you'd be better off with the extra fat... not to mention low-fat yogurt is horrid tasting.

Prep and oil grill and bbq about 6-8 minutes in each side until chicken is 170-175. Let rest and serve with naan bread and salad. Salad in the pic above is raw cucumber and cooked asparagus in a simple yogurt-cilantro-mint-lime dressing.

Creamy and Delectable

2009-07-28T18:48:00.002-04:00

When you're in the mood for a savoury treat, risotto makes the best base for pretty much anything you can think of. I would bet that most often the best bet is a shellfish of some sort; mainly scallops and/or shrimp. While rich in protein, a meal like this is certainly heavy on the calories and fat, but hey, you have to treat yourself... you can't be good all the time.

BRAD'S CREAMY RISOTTO WITH SHRIMP

1 cup Aroborrio rice; 2 3/4 cups hot chicken stock; 1 cup wild mushrooms quartered; 1/2 finely chopped red onion; 2 cloves minced garlic; 300-400 grams of medium uncooked shrimp (deveined, peeled, tail off); coarse salt and fresh pepper; 2 tbsp unsalted butter; olive oil; Parmesean; white wine

The two keys to a good risotto are patience (i.e., not walking away from the pan), and hot stock.

Bring the chicken stock to a steam in a sauce pan next to a large grill pan or wok. Melt butter in the pan with a small splash of olive oil (just until light smoke) and then sauté the onion until very soft, seasoning with a bit of salt. Add the rice and stir to cover in oil (add a little more if necessary) and then add a large laddle of the stock. With a wooden spoon, stir constantly. Stir until stock reduces and then add another large laddle and repeat until stock is almost used up and rice is tender (TIP: if rice is still firm, finish the process off using hot water so it doesn't become too salty from too much stock). Add mushrooms, garlic, shrimp and a splash of white wine, and continue stirring while adding liquid until shrimp are cooked and liquid is absorbed. The risotto should have the texture of molten lava - if it's stands like oatmeal, add more liquid and stir. At the end, add a large handful of Parmesean cheese and some fresh pepper. Serve immediately.

Bâton Rouge Doesn't Come Close

2009-06-23T10:12:00.007-04:00

Smoking meat with woodchips is one of the best things you can do in summer. When it comes to pork, the bbq smoker is its best friend because it intensely flavours the meat and makes it super-tender and delicious.

BRAD'S HICKORY-SMOKED BACK RIBS

Full Rack pork back ribs; dry rub; olive oil; juice of two lemons; S&P; bbq sauce; hickory wood chips

First thing's first - the dry rub. You can pick this up in any supermarket, but like everything, I recommend taking the time to make your own. Make a big jar of it and it's good for about a year. This is all a matter of personal taste, but your basics are chili powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, coarse salt, black pepper, dried thyme, dried oregano, and ground bay leaf. Find the right combination and experiment. If you like the sweeter rubs, use brown sugar too.

Part two - the ribs. What's important here is to get the best cut possible, because a lousy cut is always going to result in a not-so-good bbq. By far your best choice here is a smooth uniform rack of pork back. Side ribs are good for kettle-cooked ribs but just don't cut it for smoking.
The trickiest part is before marinading, you need to strip off the membrane underlay of the ribs, otherwise they won't cook properly and will be difficult to eat. You can get a butcher to do this, but most often you're buying these pre-packaged, so here's a super-simple way to handle it. Lay the ribs meat-side down and take a sharp pointed metal object like a temperature gage or a metal skewer and slide it under the membrane of the first rib farthest to the left. Then lift it up until it tears and you have a little piece of membrane to grip onto. Here's the important part - don't attempt to pull it off with your hand or cut it off with a knife - it won't work. Take a dry cloth and grip the membrane and then slowly pull it to the right all the way down the ribs - it should all come off in one go... if you miss a bit repeat with those areas. After a bit of practice this becomes no chore at all. At this point it takes me about 20 seconds.

You can marinade ribs many ways. The most basic is simply to pour in the juice of two lemons and about and equal amount of olive oil, season and rub it all into the meat. You can also go the apple cider route. Cover and refrigerate an hour or two. Once that's sat a while, then rub on your dry rub and cover and marinade again for another hour.

Meanwhile, Part 3 - the smoker. You can pick up a bag of wood chips at any grocery store in the bbq section, or at any department store. For a rack of ribs you'll need two or three smoke pouches. For this, simply soak three big handfuls of chips in a bowl of water for about 30 minutes. To make the smoker pouch, take a sheet of foil (about 12 X 15"), place a handful of soaked chips in the middle, take the two long ends up over the chips and fold them over twice, then do the same with the short ends to make a pouch. Poke 5-6 holes in the top and one underneath.

When you're ready to start the cooking, preheat one side of the bbq on high (the side closest to the tank) with one smoker pouch directly over the flame. Let it heat cover-down for about 10 or 15 minutes or until smoke starts coming out of the pouch, then place the ribs on the cool side. Turn the heat down to medium. If you have a surface thermometer, the rib side should be no more than 275-300 on the surface. Add another smoker pouch about every 45 minutes to an hour (you'll need to jump the flame on high each time to get it to smoke, then reduce heat).

Part 4 - The Sauce. Again, personal taste is all that really counts here, and to be honest, a store-bought high-quality sauce like Bulls Eye tends to do the trick. For this, a hickory flavour is your best bet. I have made my own bbq sauces and they're good too. Your basics here are ketchup, tomato paste, chili powder, brown sugar and spices. But if you're going that route, I recommend googling a recipe and see what strikes your fancy.

About 20-30 minutes before you're going to serve, brush on the sauce.

Once you take them off, cover with foil and let rest for at least 10-15 minutes.

Pic above, served with grilled eggplant and zucchini.

Hot, Spicy, Quick Italian Meal

2009-06-23T09:57:00.003-04:00

A fantastic Italian meal in 25 minutes - from prep to plate.

SPICY SAUSAGE PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS

For 4

10-12 oz spicy Italian sausage; olive oil; tbsp butter; 2 chopped garlic cloves; Frank's Red Hot; sesame oil; 2-3 dashes red pepper flakes; 1/2 bunch asparagus cut in one-inch pieces; 1/3 chopped red pepper; coarse salt and fresh pepper; Parmesan cheese; penne or other short pasta

Prep pasta for boiling and brown sausages on all sides, drain grease - set aside sausage. Add a splash of olive oil and the butter to the pan and add asparagus and peppers. Cook for about 6-7 minutes then add 5-6 dashes of Frank's, 2 dashes sesame oil, and red pepper flakes. Put the sausages back in the pan and add garlic. Cook another 4-5 minutes seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Toss with hot pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Colourful, Quick Summer Salad

2009-06-23T09:37:00.002-04:00

If you're like me, sometimes on a hot day a hot side dish of rice or potato just doesn't work.

This is quick, easy and delicious and allows you to focus your energy on what's important - the main.

When it comes to salad it's really important to learn to make it not just for the sake of having your vegetables - you should really enjoy it. This starts with making your own dressing, which actually usually only takes two or three minutes - about the same amount of time it takes to peel the sticky label off a bottle of the fatty, overly-salted, chemically-preserved, nasty store-bought goup.

For a basic salad like the one above, you're looking at just a few essentials - things you likely have on hand anyhow.

STRAWBERRY-MANGO SUMMER SALAD

Dressing: Juice and rind of a large (or two small) lemon; olive oil (a little more than the amount of lemon juice); three or four big pinches coarse salt; five or six turns fresh black pepper; 1/2 tbsp sugar

Salad: Green-leaf lettuce (your favourite); a chopped mango; 10-15 sliced fresh strawberries; 5-6 sliced button mushrooms; half of a chopped bell pepper (red, yellow or orange)

Combine dressing ingredients. Tip - Lemon rind actually contains more lemon flavour than the juice itself, so this really gives an awesome kick to your dressing. After you zest off the rind, to get all the juice out of your lemon, roll it with your weight on it on a flat surface, then cut it in half and sqeeze (using the zester or your hand to catch the seeds). Use a hand juicer or a big wooden spoon to get the last of the juice out. Whisk all the ingredients and set aside.

A lot of people seem to have trouble with mango but once you get the hang of it it's quite easy. Peel the entire mango first with a vegetable peeler. Stand it vertically and then cut thin chunks downward all the way around until you find the flat husk. Then cut the flesh on the sides parallel to the husk. Toss all the ingredients together and add the dressing just before serving.

Oh Baby!

2009-05-28T19:26:00.002-04:00

This has to be my favourite meal of all time. And I'm ready to share it!

No premable here, it needs no explanation.

BRAD'S BBQ BEER CAN CHICKEN (WITH SWEET-WHITE POTATO MASH & ASPARAGUS)

Whole fresh chicken; can of beer or ginger ale (half full); 2/3 cup of your favourite BBQ sauce; 5-10 big splashes of Frank's Red Hot; DRY RUB: two large palmfuls Clubhouse Montreal Chicken Spice; small palmful coarse salt; small palmful fresh cracked pepper; big dashes cayenne pepper; small palmful dried thyme leaves

Prep BBQ and preheat at 400. VERY IMPORTANT! If you don't have a metal apparatus specially made for this make sure you place a metal bowl beneath the grate where the chicken is going to sit to catch grease - otherwise you'll have a frightful mess and a scoarched chicken... the apparatus, however, is a wise investment, only costs about $5-10 and is available everywhere.

Mix the dry rub ingredients together and place the chicken on the apparatus, metal guards in the cavity (or directly over the beer can into the cavity if you don't have one). Rub with the dry spice covering every bit of the skin completely (make sure you get under the wings and in every crevas). Place on the BBQ, cover down for about an hour, checking frequently. Mix the sauce ingredients together and brush over the chicken. Continue cooking for another 20 minutes or so or until the chicken is 165-170 at the breast and 170-175 at the thigh. Let it sit for 10 minutes before cutting into it... I assure you it will be the juiciest, tastiest, most tender chicken you've ever had.

SWEET-WHITE POTATO MASH

(For 3-4) 2 sweet potatoes; 3-4 medium white potatoes; 2 tbsp butter; big dash coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper; small splash milk

Peel and cube potatoes, and steam in a steam pot until very soft. Let them sit for 2-3 minutes and then place in a food processor with butter, salt, pepper and milk and blend on low until puréed. If you don't have a food processor, just do this with a masher.

If you're into the asparagus, marinade in olive oil, coarse salt and pepper for about 10-20 minutes and then roast in the oven at 425 for about 10-12 minutes, turning frequently. Then drizzle with a bit of lemon juice before serving.

Ah, summertime eats!

You Want Some of This?!

2009-05-28T19:08:00.002-04:00

Who doesn't love chicken wings? Seriously.

Let's face it, the wing is the tastiest part of the chicken meat and cooked at high heat and tossed with the right kind of sticky-spicy sauce, they're the ultimate crowd-pleaser. The kicker though is that traditional style is deep fried. But what if you're trying to avoid deep fried foods, or simply don't have a deep fryer? Well, I've learned a few tricks that can mimic the deep frying texture, and you would never know the difference. I've also perfected this with french fries, but more on that in another post.

Traditional restaurant-style wings are so delicious because they're tossed in a basic dry mix (usually some variation of flour, salt, cornmeal, cornflake crumbs, etc.), deep fried and then the second they come out of the oil, tossed in a sauce and voila. Here's Brad's way:

BRAD'S ULTIMATE BBQ CHICKEN WINGS

(16-20) Split wings or drummets; SAUCE: 3/4 cup chicken & rib BBQ sauce; 1/4 cup Frank's Red Hot; big splash ketchup; big dashes of chile powder, cayenne pepper and coarse salt; BATTER: 1/2 cup flour; 1/2 cup corn flake crumbs; salt; oil

Mix the batter ingredients (except the oil) in a bowl. Pour big splashes of oil over the wings. Prepare a baking dish, preheat 400, and toss the wings in the batter (about 4 at a time) and layer on the dish. Bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the sauce ingredients together, prepare your side if you're making one, and prep the BBQ and preheat 400. Oil the grill. Brush wings all over with the sauce and BBQ turning every 4-5 minutes for about 15-18 minutes. Check the largest wing to make sure there's no pink at the bone.

So decadent, so delicious. Great with a salad. Salad in the pic above is orange bell pepper, romaine, cremini mushroom, feta with a basic lemon (zest and juice), olive oil, S&P dressing.

Warmth for the Heart on a Rainy Day

2009-05-28T18:55:00.002-04:00

Until last year I was never really a soup person. But then I discovered the purée method to soup making and it's now on the menu every week. This is also a great way to make creamed soups without actually using cream, thus cutting your heart a break it will certainly thank you for. The secret is root vegetables. Potato, carrot, and parsnip make for the best textures; whatever else you add will create the flavours. This is a winter/spring medley I've developed a particular fondness for.

POTATO-LEAK SOUP

2 tbsp butter; small chopped red onion; large chopped leak; 3 cubed white potatoes; S&P; 4-5 cups chicken stock; 2-3 bay leaves; 5-6 sprigs of thyme; juice of half a lemon

The easiest recipes in the world are soups and they're also the most forgiving, so this is really your moment to experiment. Sauté the red onion and stock in butter (with a splash of olive oil) until soft, add potatoes. Season and stir. Add chicken stock and lay bay leaves and thyme on the top. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer; cover and simmer for about 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are very soft. Have a large heat-safe bowl on-hand. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaves. In batches of about three ladles at a time, puree the soup in a blender for about 20-25 seconds per batch at medium speed and pour into the bowl. Once all the soup is puréed, return to the pot and add lemon juice and some dried or fresh cilantro to garnish.

Top o' the Morning Part 2

2009-05-12T19:13:00.003-04:00

Here's the perfect weekend breakfast or brunch - bright, beautiful, and perfect for summer.

CREPE BOWLS WITH FRESH FRUIT, YOGURT AND MAPLE SYRUP

For 4-5 crepe bowls: 1 1/2 cups flour; pinch salt; 2 egg whites; 3/4 cup milk; 2/3 cup orange juice; plain yogurt (at least 8%... or crème frais if you're feeling naughty); pure maple syrup; fresh seasonal berries (your favourite) (about 1/2 cup per bowl); Ramikins or small oven-safe bowls

As you probably know, a crepe is nothing more than a thin, non-rising pancake used as a base for something sweet or savoury. They're easy to wrap but they're so much more fun this way.

To make the crepes, sift together the flour and salt and then pour in the milk, juice and egg whites. Whisk until smooth and bubbly. Using a measuring cup, on a small-medium lighly-oiled pan pour just enough batter to cover most of the bottom and then swirl to cover the pan evenly. Cook for a minute or two and then flip. Set aside and repeat until you've made all the crepes you want.

Preheat 400. Using a large baking sheet, invert ramikins or small oven-safe bowls and drape the crepes over them, tucking them to the edges as much as possible. Bake off for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour a small splash of orange juice in a sauce pan on medium and blanch the fresh berries for 2-3 minutes (unless you prefer just to use the fresh berries as they are, then don't bother).

Once the crepe bowls have cooled, peel them off and lay them right-side up. Scoop about 1/2 cup of berries in each (straining off juice if you've blanched them). Dollop with big spoonfulls of the yogurt and top with maple syrup (sliced or slivered almonds add a nice touch too).

Really fantastic along side breakfast sausages.

Top o the Morning!

2009-05-12T18:58:00.003-04:00

Until recently I never really understood the whole "poached eggs" thing... probably because I never had them the right way. As an old fan of eggs fried in residual bacon grease, this was indeed an experiment. But I've never gone back because done right, these eggs have more flavour than frying them in bacon ever could.

BRAD'S CIDER-POACHED EGGS WITH PEROGIES, ONION AND BACON

In case you're wondering, no, I don't go through the trouble of making my own perogies from scratch... yet ;) Frozen is fine for now.

The best way for me is to chop a few strips of bacon and fry it up with half an onion. Then drain the pan and fry the perogies.

For poached eggs, it's a little more tricky. Crack the eggs into small bowls first to make sure the yolks aren't broken (and there's nothing wrong with the egg) and so that they can go in the water at exactly the same time. Into each small bowl, pour in a splash of cider vinegar. Bring a small pot of water to a gentle boil and pour in a splash of cider vinegar there too. Gently drop in the eggs (the rim of the bowl or ramikin should touch the water to prevent the yolks from breaking); cover and reduce the heat to minimum.

At this point you want everything else to be ready to go, including your favourite buttered toast because there's only a 20 second margin between the perfect poached eggs and hard yolks which are flavourless and rubbery. Using a slotted spoon, every minute or so lift one of the eggs out and carefully nudge the yolk with your finger or a spoon. As soon as it's slightly firm but elastic take it out and let it sit for a moment to dry, then lay on the toast with a sprinkle of coarse salt and fresh pepper. The whites should be firm and the yolk should be thick creamy-runny.

...the perfect Sunday brunch.

The Best Pizza you'll Ever Have

2009-05-10T21:39:00.003-04:00

The pizza has become another one of those "fast" foods taken for granted and stagnated into a "same-old-same-old" of high-sodium, cheap pepperoni, excessive cheese, doughy glop. But like many Friday night favourites, this can be whatever you want it to be and is far more fun to make than waiting 45 minutes for the delivery guy and shelling out $20. Once you've picked your style of dough and sauce and made them work, the best toppings are whatever you like most. For me, I like to play with textures and spices... never shy away from the unconventional. This has become a signature favourite of everyone's who's ever had it.

BRAD'S CHICKEN-PESTO PIZZA

DOUGH: 2 cups flour; 2 tsp yeast; big dashes of sugar, salt, dried basil, dried oregano, and garlic powder; 1/3 cup warm water; 1/4 cup warm milk; 2 tbsp olive oil

SAUCE: Half can diced tomato; half can tomato paste; 2 cloves chopped garlic; 1/2 chopped red onion; big handful dried oregano; small handful dried basil; coarse salt and pepper

TOPPINGS: It's all you here, but I go for 1 bell pepper; 6-7 mushrooms; 1 large or two small chicken breasts or cup of leftover chicken; 1/4 cup pesto; bocconcini cheese (pearls); Parmesan cheese

When it comes to pizza dough there seems to be a split of people of like thick and chewy and people who like thin and crispy. I fall into the latter. But the difference is only slight. A thin crispy dough simply takes a little more liquid/less flour and a little less time rising on the pan.

For the crust, combine the dry ingredients then add the wet. Kneed into a ball and cover 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, sauté your toppings and cook chicken (if using) (TIP: if you're cooking chicken to go on pizza, only cook it to about 155; it will continue to cook when you bake the pizza, and thus overcook if it's already cooked through, drying it out).

For the sauce, puree the tomatoes. Sauté the onions in a saucepan until soft, then stir in the pureed tomatoes, paste, and seasonings. Then add the garlic. Keep on a low simmer until ready to top.

Flatten the pizza crust onto a pizza pan (if you have a pizza stone, even better - use cornmeal), cover 30 minutes.

Preheat 475. Top with sauce and toppings. Then dollop pesto and sprinkle cheeses. Bake 10-12 minutes.

No More Over-Priced Store-Bought Bread

2009-05-10T21:25:00.002-04:00

To all those who say making your own bread is too much work, I say nonsense... and the breadmaker is highly over-rated. This can be easily done on a weekday and requires very little effort and allows you to be as creative as you like. When it comes to grain breads this is really your chance to make it the way you want, so go nuts.

BRAD'S MULTIGRAIN BREAD

2 cups white flour; 2 cups whole wheat flour; 1 cup grain mix/muesli; 1/2 tsp yeast; 1 1/2 tsp salt; 1 cup warm milk; 1 1/4 cups warm water; 1 beatten egg

The premise is simple. Get the flour/yeast/liquid proportions right, and then it's yours to experiment. Simply sift the flours into a large bowl and add the yeast, salt and grain mix. For this it's really about finding your favourite mix. Mine is a muesli mix with a lot of grains and seeds and I add rolled oats, raisins or dried cranberries.

Add the liquid ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until you have a well-incorporated dough ball (no need to kneed). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it for about 10-12 hours. (Perfect for overnight on a weekend or during the workday to finish when you get home.)

Toss in a big handful of flour and pull out onto a cutting board (flour any sticky parts) and roll it into the shape of your loaf pan. If you don't have a loaf pan just roll it onto a baking sheet in the shape you want. Cover it again and leave it for another hour or two.

Preheat 375. Remove plastic and sprinkle the top with oats (or whatever else you like) and bake for about 40-45 minutes. Toasted with peanut butter and honey gives you the best pick-me-up in the morning.

Weeknight Decadence

2009-05-10T20:45:00.003-04:00

The bacon rasher has to be one of the most versatile ingredients for flavour and body, and is especially great in pea soups (I'll post that one later). But this little experiment to have it as the protein in a pasta dish was a fantastic choice. Quick, simple, delicious.

BACON, MUSHROOM, PEAS - LINGUINI

2-3 large bacon rashers; 1/2 red onion chopped; 4oz mushrooms chopped; 2 servings linguini; handful chopped fresh parsley; 1/2 cup peas; 3/4 cup evaporated milk; dash cornstarch; big handful Parmesan cheese

Boil salted water and add linguini. Trim and chop the rashers and sauté in a hot pan 5 minutes and then add the onion and cook until soft and lightly browned. Add mushrooms and sauté another 4-5 minutes.

Add to the bacon mix the parsley, peas and evaporated milk. Mix the cornstarch in a small splash of water and then add that to the mix to thicken. Season.

Splash some olive oil over the cooked linguini before serving. Serve the sauce over the linguini and top with Parmesan.

No More Abused and Dried-Out Chicken Breasts

2009-05-10T18:41:00.003-04:00

The chicken breast has to be one of the most abused cuts of meat. All too often it's expected to stand on its own, roasted to a stringy rubber with a sloppy attempt to moisten it with a goupy sauce... shame. Personally I'm an advocate of bone-in, skin-on. Let's face it, when it comes to chicken, that's where the flavour is, but there are exceptions. Pasta is obviously one, but done just the right way, the boneless-skinless chicken breast can be a flavourful, tender treat. Quite simply the trick (and the same goes for beef) is to sear and then bake off. The other trick is to be extra careful not to overcook. This kind of chicken works best with a medium-high temperature - around 350-400. When there's no bone you only have to cook it to absolutely no higher than 170 - then take it out and let it sit for 5 minutes - it will reach 180 left at room temperature and will be super-tender.

The one in the picture above is one of my favourite concoctions.

SPINACH, SWISS, PROSCIUTTO - STUFFED CHICKEN

Two chicken breasts (bl, sk); coarse salt and fresh pepper; palm-full of flour; two slices prosciutto; two small palm-fulls grated Swiss cheese; 1/2 cup fresh or frozen chopped spinach (squeeze moisture out if using frozen); tbsp flour; splash vegetable oil; 1/2 cup chicken broth or white wine; splash of milk or cream; 1/2 tbsp flour.

Preheat - 350. Cut a pocket in the chicken breasts and season the inside. Roll each slice of prosciutto in cheese and stuff in the pockets, and then stuff in the spinach. Season the outside. Roll in flour and sear on medium heat for about 60-90 seconds on each side and then place in the oven (8-9 minutes).

Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk chicken broth, 1/2 tbsp flour, and splash of milk or cream. While letting the chicken rest, reheat the pan and pour in the mixture, stirring - it will quickly turn in to a thick cream sauce. Season and pour over chicken. Serve with salad.

If you're interested in the salad in the pic above, it's a roasted bell pepper, feta, sundried tomato salad with cucumber and a balsamic-lemon vinaigrette.