IN MY KITCHEN …. BUTTERMILK BISCUITS AND SOUL

I warm my soul  in my kitchen.     Cooking replenishes my soul  when the events of my world leave me feeling sad,  exhausted and drained.   I cook and bake when I’m happy.   It is pleasure to  cook for my family and friends.    My kitchen is the heart and soul of our  home.    We prepare food because we must eat.   True.   When we bake  we  add more to the table.   More of ourselves,  more soul.   We fill our home with the fragrance of baking.   Making luscious cakes, rich brownies, flaky pies we indulge our selves, and we indulge  those we cook for.

My  grandchildren, Kate and Andrew,  indulge their family and friends  when they bake biscuits, served with honey, to accompany a roast chicken.  A lovely idea I have taken to heart.  Golden, crisp roast chicken served with mounds of delicate, flaky biscuits and sweet honey.  A delicious alternative to the ubiquitous bakery baguette.

I recommend you make these frequently.   Repetition will make you a better cook, and it is so very, very good for the soul.    It should take just twenty minutes or so from start to finish to make biscuits.

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour,     1 tsp salt,     4 tsp baking powder,     1 tsp baking soda,      3/4 cup cold butter or good quality hard margarine,     1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450degrees F  Makes about 16 biscuits

Mix your dry ingredients then cut in the butter or margarine.  You may use a food processor for this.   Don’t over process you want some tiny lumps of butter to remain.  This makes your biscuits flaky.

Dump the flour mixture into a large mixing bowl, and make a hole in the middle of the flour.  Add the buttermilk and mix using the handle end of a wooden spoon.  This little trick stops you from over mixing your dough.  Mix just until  the flour mixture starts to come together. Then still in the bowl knead it lightly six or seven times gathering it into a large rough ball as you do this.   Put this rough mixture onto a lightly floured board and pat the dough to the thickness of about 1/2 inch.  Cut with a biscuit cutter and place on an ungreased baking sheet about one inch apart.   Gather the left over scraps together to form rough biscuits.  Don’t press or kneads these pieces, it will toughen them.   These rough biscuits my husband chooses first.   Bake 15 minutes.

Serve immediately!   Slather on butter and honey and indulge with your lovely roast chicken.

Chefs notes:  You can do some prep ahead of time.  Mix the flour mixture and butter and store  in the fridge until needed.  Then all you have to do is just add the buttermilk and bake.

 

THE CREATIVE WAY TO WRAP FOR CHRISTMAS …. with fabric!

Next week my brother and I are traveling to our hometown, Prince Albert.   It’s a surprise visit for my sister Mona.  On December 2nd Mona turns Eighty.    Hard to believe because this amazing woman is so active.  Twice weekly she does aqua exercises at the local pool.  Several times a week she plays a mean game of bridge.  Summers at Waskesui  she and her husband (who is 87 years old) paddle their canoe on that beautiful lake.  Mona maintains a gorgeous, big garden.    Mona is always on the move.

If I’m traveling to Prince Albert I will come bearing gifts.  Tonight I am wrapping them in fabric.  My version of furoshiki.    There’s both December  birthday gifts and Christmas gifts,  so I rooted  through my fabric bins to find anything red.   Fabric is like paper and unlike paper it is also a useful gift in itself.  You know my saying,recycle,  reinvent, reuse but never repent.

This is a clever way to make your gifts as beautiful on the outside as on the inside.  I pick up fabric remnants at fabric stores and thrift shops.  If you live in Toronto,  Queen Street West is the mother lode for sewers and a fabulous place to find the funky fabrics to wrap gifts.

Use an upholstery needle to baste the fabric in place, or tie the fabric in the traditional Japanese way.

I used l6 inch fabric sample squares to wrap these gifts.  The edges were already serged.   If you don’t have a sewing machine you can “pink” the edges or just leave them to the fray a little.  Check thrift shops and charity stores for beautiful silk scarves.  They make elegant gift wrapping.  Linen tea  towels and vintage damask napkins are great to wrap up gifts from the kitchen.    Make your own ribbon, too.  Cut narrow strips of fabric and deliberately fray the edges.  Listen to your favorite Christmas CD’s and start creating.

A BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN DECTECTIVE NOVEL

Books are a major part of my life .  Have been since the day I first learned to read those silly Dick and Jane books in grade one.  I vividly remember how insulted I felt reading the simplistic words.  “See Jane run.  Run Jane run. “    It wasn’t how it was supposed to be.  That couldn’t be reading.  I got over that.    And I finally did learn to read real books and it was how I always knew it would be, magic.

The magic has never changed.  Books surround me.  I escape into books.  I travel, meet amazing people.  I lead other lives.  How can you not believe in magic when a book can accomplish this.

All this is leading up to a book I am reading.  I’ve curled up in front of the fire.  The snow is falling and I am in the fictional village of Three Pines, Quebec.    I am reading Louise Penny’s Dead Cold.      It’s  a beautifully written detective novel with fascinating and beautifully sketched characters.    The protagonist is Chief Inspector Armand Gamache.    Unlike most lead characters in detective novels he is not a hard, jaded, tough cop.  This is a man it would be a pleasure to meet.

Louise Penny is a Canadian writer and she knows Canadian winters.   She is a sensitive, thoughtful writer.  When she writes about Three Pines you are living in that fairy tale village.

Even if you can’t read her consecutively (her first book is Still Life) pick up any of her books.  You won’t be disappointed, and may even want to move Three Pines.

CHRISTMAS ESSENCE …. A NATURAL FRAGRANCE FOR YOUR HOME

It snowed most of today.   It’s calm and quiet.   The snow has gently  covered the farm fields  and changed shrubs and trees into pristine, shimmering art.   It’s  time to start thinking about  decking the halls.   Or listening to Richard Burton reading  Dylan Thomas ‘s A Child’s Christmas in Wales.     A gentle beginning of this frequently hectic  season.  No shopping in the malls.   No parties.    Simply enjoying the snow and the day.

This Christmas Essence  will give your home a lovely spicy perfume.

Chop the peel of an orange and a lemon.  Break up a good-sized stick of cinnamon, two  bay leaves and add everything in a small pot.  Add 2-3 cups of water and simmer.   (watch don’t let it boil dry)  Your house will smell like Christmas.

PASTA E FAGIOLI ….. PERFECT SOUP FOR A COLD WINTER DAY

This was the view from my kitchen window the other day. It is unusual.  Snow!    We look West to the Fraser River, and  I frequently see ships going up and down the river.   They seem  to be sailing  through the fields.   Today we shivered through the coldest day  ever for November 23rd.   The perfect soup for this frigid day ,  Pasta e Fagioli.    My go- to reference book for Italian home cooking is The Silver Spoon.   This enormous volume was a birthday gift from my grandchildren.  I combined a couple of recipe for this Italian soup – which has as many variations as there are cooks.  It’s chock full of pasta, beans and vegetables, making it a hearty one-dish meal.  Perfect for the coldest November day ever.

PASTA E FAGIOLI  Yields 16 cups: serves eight.

8 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch wide strips,     3 medium onions, finely chopped,     3 medium cloves garlic, minced,       1/2 tsp. dried rosemary,   a generous sprinkle of red pepper flakes

2 quarts low salt chicken broth preferably home made,     two l1 1/2 oz cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained,     a 14 1/2 oz can  whole pealed canned tomatoes(break up the tomatoes),     4 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced,     2 medium celery ribs with leaves, thinly sliced crosswise,

1 slender 3 inch cinnamon stick,     kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (be generous), 1 cup of small dry pasta),     a generous splash of red-wine vinegar (or more to taste),     grated or shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano for garnish

In a 6 quart (or larger ) Dutch oven or stock pot, over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until partially crisp, about 7 minutes.  With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate and put aside (you’ll use the bacon at the very end of the recipe).

Add the onions to the pot, sprinkle with a little salt,  and cook, scraping up any of the lovely browned bacon bits and stirring occasionally until softened.  Add the garlic,  rosemary and a good sprinkle of red pepper flakes and cook for a few minutes more.

Add the chicken broth, chickpeas, tomatoes and their juices, carrots, celery, cinnamon stick, 3/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp freshly ground  pepper and l cup water.  Bring to a boil and high heat, skim any foam as necessary.  Reduce the heat and simmer stirring occasionally, until the carrots and celery  are very tender, about 30 minutes.    This soup simmering away on your kitchen stove will chase away those cold weather blues.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions and drain.  Don’t be tempted to just add the pasta to the soup.  Uncooked pasta will absorb to much of the liquid.

Discard the cinnamon stick and add the pasta.  Stir in the bacon and vinegar.  Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more vinegar.  Taste your soup.  If you feel it is lacking a depth of flavour it probably needs a little more salt and pepper.

Serve garnished with Parmigian-Reggiano.

Your can store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.  Or, freeze your soup for up to 3 months.

Where have all the flower gone???  It’s winter here in the lower Mainland.  Brrrr.

CRANBERRY MUFFINS … a Christmas morning treat

This is a lovely treat for Christmas morning.   Not too sweet but with a lovely burst of cranberry flavour.  The muffins would be delicious with ham, bacon or sausages.   Muffins freeze well so do some baking ahead and enjoy while you’re opening your Christmas stockings.

Makes l8 small muffins – or 12 large

Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C.  Lightly grease your muffin tins with butter and use  paper liners to make it easier to remove these  delicate and light muffins.

Have all your ingredients at room temperature.

Scant 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour,     2 tsp baking powder,     1/2 tsp salt,     1/4 cup sugar

4 tbsp(2 oz) unsalted butter, melted,     2 eggs lightly beaten,     3/4 cup milk,     1 1/4 cups fresh cranberries (thawed if frozen) ,     and to finish 1 /34 oz/50 g Parmesan cheese freshly grated .

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.  Stir in the sugar.  Combine the butter, eggs, and milk in a separate bowl, then pour into the bowl of dry ingredients.  Stir just until all of the ingredients are evenly combined, then stir in the cranberries.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared  muffin cups.  Sprinkle the finely grated Parmesan cheese over the top.  bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until risen and golden.

Remove the muffins from the oven and let cool slightly in the pans.  Put the muffins on a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Cook’s Note:  For a sweeter alternative, replace the Parmesan cheese with brown sugar.

This recipe can be easily doubled.  Why not!!!

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP … CURRY STYLE

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH CURRY CONDIMENTS   … SERVES 4 TO 6

I have a pantry filled with all kinds of squash.   This cold, rainy November day called for soup with an exotic flavour.  Roasting the vegetables before making the soup brings out the flavour and sweetness in the squash, apples, and onions.  I served this soup for lunch the other day.  It is so good everyone had two servings.  Be bold and use the Thai Red Curry Paste.

Preheat the oven for 425 degrees F.

In a very large baking pan  put 3-4 pounds  butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into one inch cubes.  Add 2 yellow onions coarsely chopped, two apples cubed  (any kind but I like to use my son-in-law Micheal’s  favorite apple Honey Crisps).  Sprinkle generously with 3 tablespoons good olive oil, kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper.  Toss the vegetables to coat with oil.  Roast for 35 to 45 minutes, until very tender.  Towards the end of your cooking time add 3-4 cloves of garlic.  You want to add the garlic part way through the roasting as they burn easily.

When the vegetables are done puree in  a deep stock pot.  Use a hand-held immersion blender.  Or, you use your food processor or a food mill.

Heat 2 -3 cups of homemade chicken stock.    Add l teaspoon (more or less) good curry powder, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, 1 or 2 teaspoons of Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste, and one can(400 ml) coconut milk   and enough chicken stock to make a thick soup.  Season with salt and pepper and serve hot with a selection of condiments.

CONDIMENTS:

sautéed sliced bananas,      raisins plumped briefly in hot chicken stock,      salted cashews toasted and chopped, shredded coconut lightly toasted,     scallions, trimmed and sliced diagonally.

For easy reference this recipe is also to the right.  Enjoy

 

FRENCH CHICKEN FRICASSEE IN WHITE WINE SAUCE – cooking with the generosity of spirit.

GENEROSITY  OF SPIRIT   – THE ENTERTAINING SECRET

The true  secret to entertaining  is generosity.   Generosity of your time, your thoughts,  the food you prepare.    When you cook for people, don’t be meager.  Be hospitable:  cook lovely, rich meals that are meant for special occasions, and serve an abundance of food carefully prepared.   This is not the time to serve processed food.  We  know ready-prepared dips, salads, desserts are available, but whether you are entertaining your friends or feeding your family   there really is no acceptable time to use processed food,  food your prepare in your kitchen allows you to control salt and fat content and eliminate additives.

This recipe is easy to prepare for your family, but rich enough to make it the perfect dish for your next dinner party.  It is  typical French cooking home style.  Serve it in wide bowls over noodles or rice.

FRENCH CHICKEN FRICASSEE IN WHITE WINE SAUCE  – serves four to six

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

8 to 10 chicken thighs

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2  – 3 fat cloves of garlic finely chopped

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 medium carrot finely chopped

1/2 rib of celery finely chopped

2 oz. prosciutto finely chopped (if prosciutto is not available use country ham from your deli)

1 generous cup dry white wine

l  generous cup of home-made or low salt chicken broth

a generous 1/2 cup of whipping cream

Melt the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook in the skillet skin side down to brown it and render the far from the skin, about 15 minutes.  Turn the chicken over and cook on the bone side for about 5 minutes.

Remove and reserve the chicken.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pan.  Add the garlic, onion, carrot, celery and prosciutto or ham and saute until the onion is translucent.  Don’t hurry this.  Allow this vegetable mixture to slowly braise.

Now add the wine and chicken broth to the pan .    Savour the wonderful aroma as it combines with the vegetables.  Simmer to reduce the liquid a small amount.  Put the chicken back into the pan, skin side up.  Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover the skillet and simmer the chicken slowly in the sauce until cooked , about 25 – 30 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the pan and keep it warm in the oven.  Turn the heat to high, add the cream and bring the liquid to a boil.  Reduce the volume of liquid by about half, about 5 minutes (6-7 minutes if you want a thicker sauce).  If you get carried away and reduce the sauce too much just add a little more cream and wine.    Serve the chicken nestled in the delicious white wine sauce.  Serve yourself a glass of wine.  You deserve it.

 

WHITEFISH PROVENCALE … ROXY’S BISTRO STYLE

Yesterday I received a note from a blog reader in Quebec.   She needed a good recipe for consomme with roasted bone marrow.  I searched through my recipe file  and found the recipe.  It was one we  made in our little French bistro, but the recipe produced gallons of consumme.    Patricia, this will take some work.  I’ll post it when I have it reduced to a manageable size for a home kitchen.

I do have a  delicious sauce recipe that was a particular favorite of  Chef  Husband.   Squid Provencale was one of the most   popular appetizers  in  our restaurant.    Tiny, tender  squid  simmered  briefly in this Provencale sauce.  It was served with our own crusty bread .

This recipe for the sauce for Squid Provencal is my  favourite way to add simple, bright Mediterranean flavour to any firm, meaty whitefish.  This dish is spectacular enough for a special occasion but easy enough for a quick weeknight dinner.  It is also an easy recipe to adapt if you are cooking for one or two people.  Left over  sauce is equally delicious tossed with linguine.  It keeps well for a couple of days in the refrigerator.

This method is excellent for any whitefish:  halibut, hake, haddock, sole, cod, flounder or tilapia.

WHITEFISH PROVENCALE    serves 4

a splash of extra virgin olive oil

4 fresh halibut or other whitefish fillets, 5 to 6 oz (150 to 175 g) each

a sprinkle or two of sea salt and freshly ground pepper

4 large ripe local tomatoes (if they are truly flavorful) or one 28 ounce (796 ml) can of whole tomatoes Italian if possible

1 large onion, finely minced

4 large cloves of garlic, finely minced

a sprinkle of red pepper flakes

1/2 cup (125 ml) of capers, drained,    1/2 cup (125 ml) of pitted kalamata olives roughly chopped,      1/2 cup (125 ml) of pitted green olives roughly chopped

2 tablespoons (30 ml) of balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon (15 ml) of minced fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of dried

Preheat a large, heavy skillet over medium heat.  Add a splash of olive oil and saute the onions and garlic with a sprinkle of sea salt and red pepper flakes, until they are translucent.  Add the tomatoes, capers, olives, vinegar and oregano.  Bring the mixture to a vigorous simmer,  and cook about  ten or fifteen minutes or until the sauce is reduced and thickened.  Remove the sauce from the pan and set aside.  I like to put my sauce in a small saucepan on a low heat to keep it warm.  Rinse out your skillet and dry.

Preheat your skillet over medium-high heat.  Add another splash of olive oil, enough to cover the bottom of the pan with a thin film.

Pat the halibut fillets dry with a piece of paper towel and then lightly season them with salt and pepper.

Carefully place the fillets in the hot oil and sear on both sides, patiently browning them until they are golden brown and beautiful.  They don’t have to cook all the way through at this point.

Remove the fillets from the pan and add your tomato mixture.  Bring it to a vigorous simmer, then return the fish to the pan and lower the heat a bit.  Nestle the fillets into the tomato mixture and continue cooking until they are cooked through, JUST A FEW MINUTES LONGER.  Serve the fish with several generous [spoonfuls of the tomato mixture.

Sometimes I add a head of chopped fennel to this dish,   and substitute the zest and juice of a lemon for the balsamic vinegar.  Enjoy!!

SWEET POTATO CHICKPEA CURRY

Our November skies are gray, and at times the rain is relentless.  We call it our monsoon season.  This is when you want something spicy simmering away on the stove, filling the kitchen with exotic fragrance.

This is one of our  most favorite dishes, a brightly flavoured bowl of half stew, half soup, and all flavour.  Its spicy aromas are so tasty and addictive you’ll never notice it doesn’t include meat.  Serve  this dish over Basmati rice.

SWEET POTATO CHICKPEA CURRY

This is a generous recipe and serves 6 to 8.   If there’s just two of you  still  make the full amount  as it is an excellent dish the next day).  We all love leftovers.   This is a very quick and easy recipe to make.  I can’t say enough good things about this recipe.  You’ll be proud to serve it to family and friends.

a splash of vegetable oil,    1 large onion medium dice,    3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped,    a sprinkle of red pepper flakes,      a generous knob of ginger grated,    1 tsp (5 ml) of Thai Curry paste (yellow if the mildest, red is a bit spicier and green is the spiciest).

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes,      one 19 oz (540 ml) can of chickpeas,      one 14 oz (398 ml) can of coconut milk (if you wish there’ s low fat available),      1 cup (250 ml) orange juice,      1/2 cup (125 ml) of peanut butter or any other nut butter,       a good sprinkle or two of sea salt for the onions,       1 cup (250 ml) or so of frozen tiny  green pea,       several handfuls of baby spinach and a bunch of chopped cilantro (this can be omitted for non cilantro lovers).

Add a splash or two of vegetable oil to a stockpot over medium-high heat.  (You need the large pot because of the volume of this recipe.)  Toss in the onion, a sprinkle or two of sea salt,   the red pepper flakes,   and garlic and saute until they’re translucent, about 3-4 minutes.      Grate the ginger into the pan with a Microplane grater or standard box grater, and add the Thai curry paste.  Continue cooking until the spices are heated through and fragrant, another few minutes.

Add the sweet potatoes, chickpeas, coconut milk, orange juice, peanut butter.  Bring to a simmer, lower the heat and continue simmering until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.  Stir in the peas, spinach and cilantro.  Serve over rice.