BLISTERED CAULIFLOWER

Poor, neglected and rejected cauliflower -    steamed or boiled into tasteless mush that no amount of cheese sauce can rescue.  Is it any wonder so many people are cauliflower haters.  This recipe is pure magic.  Roasted at a high temperature caramelized florets of cauliflower becomes intensely sweet nutty morsels that are highly addictive, and incredibly versatile.  BLISTERED CAULIFLOWER as a side dish shines.  Add it to a salad – bravo! Toss it with pasta – bellissimo!

(For the recipe simply click on  BLISTERED CAULIFLOWER and travel to my food blog MRS. BUTTERFINGERS.  I promise you, you won’t be disappointed.

WITTY PIGEON PLACE CARDS

A flock of witty French pigeons discuss the menu.

Olive Tapanade  for an appetizer

plump green and dark olives

fragrant rosemary, sage and thyme.

Something robust,

Italian

Porchetta

pork roasted crusty brown with fennel and garlic.

Dessert

The pure alchemy of crème brûlée’

To amuse

witty pigeon place cards.

Place cards for fun.

To amuse especially  the youngest guest at dinner.

I down-loaded this charming idea from countryliving.com/pigeoncards.  Printed them on coloured cardstock to compliment my French plates.

I thought these birds are so sweet I’ll trace them onto patterned cardstock (found at a craft store) to match these plates.

For an all white theme I traced the sweet birds onto pages from an old book then distressed the edges a little.

How easy is this.  Your pattern and a bone folder (or soup spoon) and one can create their own flock of pigeon place cards.

(You’ll find the recipes for Olive Tapanade and créme brûlée  on my food blog Mrs.Butterfingers.Simply click on the recipe names.    The porchetta recipe – that is yet to be posted.)

FLAPPER PIE . . . CUSTARD PIE

FLAPPER PIE is a dessert creation unique to the Canadian Prairies.    It was in every housewife’s cooking repertoire.  For several very good reasons.  One – it was easy to make with a never fail graham cracker crumb crust.  Second – twelve months of the year you had the ingredients in your kitchen.  And last of all – this nursery food with just a few ingredients – was adored by all who had the good fortune to enjoy it for dessert. When I first made flapper pie I used an egg beater to whip the egg whites.  It was  a physical workout.    Then I acquired a Sunbeam MixMaster.  I was in cooking heaven.  I could whip up one of these delicious pies faster than you could drink a pot of tea.  Flapper Pie did have one draw-back.  It didn’t keep well.  Sadly you were forced to consume it all  the day you made it.  That said if you could not accomplish this feat – sodden   crust and all it was still not bad the next day.

For the recipe click on the highlighted Flapper Pie and it will take you to Mrs. Butterfingers

HOW TO COOK PERFECT CREME BRULEE

How can a dessert made with just eggs, cream, milk and sugar be so utterly beguiling.

A dessert that seduces you with every spoonful.

Pure sensual pleasure in every mouthful.

Silky custard fragrant with vanilla collides with the bitter sweet flavour of burnt sugar and captivates you for ever.

It is pure alchemy.

It  brings grown men to their knees.

This recipe for crème brûlée  was always on the menu at our restaurant, Roxy’s Bistro.    We made it five days a week for seven years.  Do the math.  Repetition makes perfect, and I perfected this recipe so it is right every time.   This recipe is perfect for six generous servings, but if you are having a large dinner party it doubles beautifully and serves twelve.

(For the recipe simply click on crème brûlée in the above paragraph)

EASY SWEET PICKLES

 

 

 

EASY SWEET PICKLES is a divine pickle recipe you can almost eat-right-away.  It’s perfect when you have a craving for a sweet/sour flavor.  It gives a wonderful lift to your favorite deli meat sandwich.  It is positively addictive on a grilled hamburger.  Add it to chopped salads.   Plus the jars look so beautiful  in your refrigerator.    It only takes 15 minutes to make.  It’s ready to go in eight hours, and it will last, refrigerated, for up to 5 days.

VEGETARIAN EGGPLANT SWEET POTATO PIZZA

Saturday night in our home means pizza and a movie.    The heavenly aroma of baking pizza drifts through the kitchen.  We pour a robust glass of red wine and  put this absolutely outstanding pizza together.    We have probably made several thousand pizzas in our time.  (We owned the award winning  artisan Vancouver pizzeria PASSIONATE PIZZA).  Of all the pizzas we made VEGETARIAN EGGPLANT SWEET POTATO PIZZA is hands down our favorite creation.    The sweet potatoes add texture and sweet undertones, and the eggplant is so tender and delicious it melts in your mouth.

BASIC TOMATO SAUCE . . . the little black dress of Italian sauces

This the tomato sauce you want tucked away in your refrigerator.  It will keep for up to one week.  Or stash it in your freezer where it will keep for six months.  Like the little dress that can take you anywhere  this BASIC  TOMATO  SAUCE  is wonderfully versatile.  Use it on pizza, toss it with pasta,  use it when preparing antipasto or brunch dishes.  The best part is it contains just a few ingredients and cooks in about 30-40 minutes.    Remember, too long cooking of your tomato sauce turns it a tad acidic.

BANANA COCOA COFFEE CAKE

This quick-and-easy to make BANANA COCOA COFFEE CAKE  is deliciously moist and extremely rich tasting.   Make it for Easter Brunch  and you won’t be  nibbling the ears off the chocolate bunnies.  It keeps well under a cake dome and when you add a scoop of chocolate ice cream it makes a delicious dessert.

SUNSHINE LEMON BUTTERMILK CAKE

This is the perfect dessert to serve with your Easter Dinner.  It’s quick and simple to make.  It requires just two bowls (no mixer required), and you can dress it up in any number of ways.  Serve it with your favorite ice cream or whipping cream, fresh fruit or your favorite home-made preserves.

You can make this delicious cake up to two days in advance; store at room temperature, tightly wrapped SUNSHINE LEMON BUTTERMILK CAKE is a lovely cake for young cooks to make (with adult supervision).

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE COOKIES

You are never going to forgive me for making these cookies and sharing the recipe.  Of all the cookies I have made I give  these MEXICAN CHOCOLATE COOKIES the highest rating.  The unusual combination of bittersweet chocolate  mellows the heat of black and red pepper and creates a cookie with a flavour that is out of this world.  The cookie is both crisp and chewy.   For a final ying and yang flavour your sprinkle a little Malden salt over the little darlings.  If the salt seems a little daring dust your cookies with a little powdered sugar.  Bet you can’t eat just one !!

Dear Mrs. Butterfingers,

You made it sound impossible to live without tasting a few from your Mexican Chocolate delights. That being the case, I feel it only fair that you consider filling your linen lined basket with these yin and yang specialties,  flying throughout the night, while stopping to enter  the  homes of others through open windows, key holes, balconies, or whatever suits for I am loathe to think of such a delivery occurring differently in our fantasy land.  Let it be your magical mystery tour.

I wonder what one leaves to treat the the cookie faerie…….  I expect you would be drawn to bits of french ephemera, exotic spices , rich fabrics and books of poetry. If I knew you were taking flight, samples of each could be  found in a basket that awaits return to you. Enter as you will but I shall be waiting, even if in the arms of Morpheus for I know the faerie often enters under the cover of night.

Your beloved hot chocolate Biscuit.