I had the good fortune to travel to the Spanish island of Majorca many, many years ago.  I still remember the people and the beaches.  The clearest memory was of the seafood.  We had been travelling through Europe that spring and had arrived back in England where we still had another week of vacation before we flew home.  The time was May and although it had been warm and pleasant in Greece and Italy, Britain was suffering through a late and miserable spring.  Instead of enduring the rain and gloomy skies, we decided to see if we could find an affordable warm spot to spent the dwindling days of our vacation.  We went back to the travel agency that had booked our original tour and trusted them to point us in the right direction.  Our spending money had dwindled as well and upon arrival, we decided that we would find a market and stock up on fruit, cheese and lunch fixings and only dine out once a day.  On our second day we longingly watched people stream into the dining room and inquired about lunch details.  Lo and behold, we were booked into an all-inclusive without even knowing it and were missing out on our three meals per day!  That lunchtime, we were served a cold whole lobster salad and from that moment on, the seafood meals came in a continuous stream.

Friends for 40 years

The same friend that I traveled with that spring. now lives in Toronto and she told me about a paella party that she and her husband had attended.  Supposedly a huge paella caldron was set up in the yard of their friends and they got to watch and participate in the preparation of this famous dish.  It has been years since I’ve enjoyed paella in Winnipeg but understand that both Hermano’s and Bonfire Bistro include it on their menus.

This past weekend, we dined at the home of good, good friends.  She is Italian and an amazing cook.  I know that we would have loved anything that they put in front of us.  To our delight, it was their favourite paella recipe.  She showed me the Anne Lindsay Heartsmart cookbook that her recipe came from but unfortunately it was not one that I had in my Anne Lindsay collection.  I have had the pleasure of meeting and being cooked for by Anne, a very long time ago (about the same time as this European adventure) and I remember the time (and the food) fondly.

I searched on line to try to find the recipe and could not come up with anything.  I found instead this one that looks to be pretty close.  It is from the Epicurious website and is credited to Claudia Roden-The Food of Spain.

Toni’s version did not include squid but did include Italian sausage, chicken and clams.

Kath’s quote: “Do not overcook this dish. Most seafoods…should be simply threatened with heat and then celebrated with joy.” –Jeff Smith

Love-that is all.

Sister #2 had surgery this week and is now recuperating at their home at the lake.  In an attempt to increase her rest time but also give her the excuse for an outing, we have invited them over to our place for dinners this long weekend.  This is easy to achieve since their place is a mere three cottages away with a cut through of the kind neighbours at a 4th house.  At the appointed hour, they (two adults and one beautiful old white lab) mosey on over to assemble in our solarium if the bugs are pesky or el fresco if they have subsided.

I had a couple of pork tenderloins in the freezer and we often prepare them in a brine, the recipe of which was given to us by Sister #3.  But to mix things up a bit, I saw that my gifted copy of “The Kamado Smoker & Grill Cookbook” written by Chris Grove (Ulysses Press)
had a version close to ours but with a Mexican influence.  Since we all travel to Isla Mujeres together, chilies and cilantro is just our “cuppa tea”.

As is often the case when I am cooking at the Beach House, I had to modify a couple of ingredients to make this dinner all come together-some out of necessity and some because of preference.  We prefer wheat tortillas over corn ones and to be specific whole wheat wraps are our favourite.  The recipe book also recommends having Mexican toppings on hand such as Mexican crema and cotija cheese.  For these I substituted Greek yoghurt and feta cheese.  Regular white sugar replaced piloncillo (Mexican sugar) and other than that my recipe list was complete.  Whether you specifically recreate this recipe or not, the pre-amble for this and every recipe in the book is extremely detailed and helpful for your general reference.

A brine is a simple solution of salt, sugar, and some type of aromatic.  Just remember this one rule and you will be on your way to making your own brines: use 2 to 5 tables of kosher salt per quart of water and equivalent amount ( or less) of sugar.  ….Add whatever aromatics you like.  If they dissolve in water, then you don’t have to heat your brine first.  But a lot of seasonings (such as black pepper) aren’t water soluble, and you need to heat the brine for 5 minutes to release their essential oils.  Then you need to cool it back down to 40 degrees or below to make it food-safe.  To do that, I put one of those blue freezer packs in a zip-top bag and put it in the brine in the refrigerator until the mixture comes down to temp.

More tips from this excellent reference cookbook:

To get an extra boost of flavour, try grilling citrus ingredients for marinades and cocktails.  Cut them in half and grill direct, cut side down, over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes.

OMGoodness-the refreshing lime taste went to an entirely new level.  A fabulous tip that we will use often.

The tacos were served to rave reviews along side grilled pitty pat yellow squash and sautéed coloured swiss chard. A meal that was huge on flavour, low on fat and best of all -full of protein, nutrients and anti-oxidants to help my amazing sister heal.

I love this new cookbook in my repertoire.  The next step will be acquiring a Kamado Smoker & Grill!  Here’s what the book’s publicist had to say about it:

Designed to do everything from slow smoke at 250 degrees to flash sear at 700 degrees, the kamado-style grill is the most versatile and powerful backyard cooker. Are you ready to become a Kamado Pro?

Introducing “The Kamado Smoker and Grill Cookbook,” the first all-encompassing guide to the wildly popular egg-shaped ceramic cooker currently blowing up the world of barbecue.

This cookbook is organized into 52 tutorials that combine a valuable kamado cooking technique with a delicious recipe that are sure to transform you from casual griller to kamado masterchef!

You’ll learn the steps and secrets to perfectly grilling Cajun Strip Steak, smoking Hickory Smoked Chicken, brick oven baking Wood-Fired Pizza, salt-block grilling Tropical BBQ Tuna, and so much more.

With gorgeous full-color photographs as well as loads of tips and tricks, this is a must-have manual for anyone (like Dad!) looking to spend their summer enjoying tasty barbecue!

Kath’s quote: “Cookery, or the art of preparing good and wholesome food, and of preserving all sorts of alimentary substances in a state fit for human sustenance, or rendering that agreeable to the taste which is essential to the support of life, and of pleasing the palate without injury to the system, is, strictly speaking, a branch of chemistry; but, important as it is both to our enjoyments and our health, it is also one of the latest cultivated branches of the science.”-Frederick Accum (1769-1838)

Love-that is all.

When we arrive at the beach house on a Friday evening, haven accomplished the grocery shopping, packing and helping D load the car, the last thing that I want to do is think about is making supper.  This is when we sometimes grab a U bake pizza or shop at the deli on the way out of town.  But last weekend J1 and J2 made a Crockpot supper of pulled pork and since I have an extra pot at home, I decided to bring it out to leave here permanently.  I assembled the ingredients at about 8 in the morning, plugged it in and got on with my day of work. 

Here’s a beach tip: I plugged in the pot outside and had it sitting on a wooden step (in the shade).  This way, even this small appliance didn’t heat up the house.  The only downside was that I was afraid that the amazing aroma would attract the bears that have been roaming around recently.

I served this with a leftover potato salad and made up a simple green salad when the roadside corn that I was hoping for did not materialize.  Easy, peasy and hardly any dishes!

The key to crockpot chicken is adding moisture to the cooking process without the chicken “stewing” in the liquid.   This can be accomplished with preparing a ledge out for hard veggies for the chicken to sit upon.  If none are available, roll up balls of aluminum foil to raise the chicken from the bottom of the pot.

In addition to rubbing the seasonings directly into the flesh of the bird, surround it with fresh herb leaves.

One last tip: if you have one of the crockpot styles where you can lift the ceramic liner away from the element that heats up, do so and place the chicken in the ceramic pot right under the broiler and allow the skin to crisp up.  Friday night Beach House dinner is done.

Kath’s quote: “One of the faults which a cook should most seriously guard against, is bad temper….It is in the power of the cook to do much for the comfort and prosperity of the family….Never let the family have reason to say — ‘The cook is always cross!’”-Sarah Josepha Hale, ‘The Good Housekeeper’ (1839)

Love-that is all.

I often try to get a supper made sometime during the day on a Friday.  This way we can sit right down to the dinner table as soon as we arrive and unload the car at the beach house.  Today is coolish with a threat of rain and so I thought that a “stick to your bones” meal was in order.  As you my readers know-I love eggplant but not all the fat and calories that go into an authentic recipe.  If you look closely at the “meat” of the plant, it appears very spongy and it is that attribute that invites the veggie to soak up all the oil in this dish.  So, here’s my solution:

I get out my Mom’s mandolin and strum a melody.  Nope.  I get out my Mom’s mandolin and adjust the blade to the widest gap for the thickest cut.  Even at this thickness, the eggplant is thinner than I could ever slice it with a knife.  Then I dip the slices into a egg whisked with 1 T of water.  Next I press the slices into a combination of 1 part parmesan cheese to 2 parts bread crumbs.  With the parmesan right in the coating, it adds a pleasant saltiness without using salt and that nutty taste of parmesan without using a great quantity.  Even though I always have fresh parmesan in the fridge, I use a shaker variety for this recipe for best results.

Another note about cooking with eggplant: authentic Italian cooks will recommend that you salt the slices and then let them sit to purge their water and bitterness.  I don’t follow this step.  I like the plumpness of the slices and I think that slightly pungent taste is what makes the eggplant so unusual and delicious.

Next I cover a heavy baking sheet with foil (to speed up clean up) and liberally spray with a canola oil spray product.  I place the breaded slices upon the tray, spray again and then place them under the broil for a couple of minutes, watching constantly.  When golden brown, flip the slices over to the second side and spray again and then repeat the broiling procedure.

Once all the slices have been prepared in this manner, prepare a tomato sauce or use your favourite store-bought variety.  Here’s my favourite from scratch one:

Place a ladle or two of sauce in the bottom of the pan that you might use to make lasagna.  Start to layer the eggplant slices over the bottom of the pan.  If you wish place a layer of thinly sliced mozzarella over each.  I adjust the mandolin onto the thinnest setting and use it again to slice the cheese.  Repeat layers until all slices are used.  Pour the rest of the sauce over all.  Bake at 375 degrees until cheese melts and the sauce bubbles.  Likely 30-40 minutes.  In one corner of the pan, you can eliminate the cheese slices for an even lower fat and calorie dish.  I am taking some Italian sausages to grill and will likely make a whole wheat spaghetti to accompany.  Voila tonight’s supper is done and it is hearty and nutritious.

Kath’s quote: “How can people say they don’t eat eggplant when God loves the color and the French love the name? I don’t understand.”-Jeff Smith

Love-that is all.

I was given a very thoughtful gift this Christmas.  It was a basket of Manitoba food products.  The one that I was most excited about was the organic wild rice from Horseshoe Lake.  The lake is located in an isolated area in central Eastern Manitoba in the pre-Cambrian shield.  We used to holiday at Nutimik Lake in the Whiteshell, so the rugged rocky landscape and the pristine lakes are familiar to me.  I learned that the company has been a family run business for over 50 years and that owner Gus Carlson built one of the very first Manitoba wild rice processing plants.

Wild rice is low in calories and fat, and high in protein and natural fibre.  It also contains a wide variety of minerals and vitamins such as riboflavin and niacin.  I decided to punch up the protein even more by adding quinoa to the recipe and was very happy with the results.  The texture of the rice and therefore the cake is firm and chewy and the rice retains a nutty quality.  When mixed with celery, green onions and minced ginger the result is a complex combination of flavours.  If you think that the ginger might be too much of a surprise, try switching in out with lots of chopped garlic.

Kath’s quote: “rice is the best, the most nutritive and unquestionably the most widespread staple in the world.” –Escoffier

Love-that is all.