Television, in the general sense, is disappointing to me.

As a child, it seemed that there was an endless lineup of programs to entertain me. Of course I wasn’t allowed to watch most of them.

But as an adult, with all the freedom in the world to watch whatever I want, I expect quality when I hunker down on the couch and turn on the telly.

Sadly, there is less and less of that. If it weren’t for my beloved hockey games from October to June (really … time to end the Stanley Cup playoffs a tad sooner) and the occasional CBC program that is not-to-be-missed (Hello there, Miss Marple!), I doubt I’d watch any television at all.

Even the Food Network is disappointing these days.

This must explain why I have grappled on to True Blood the way a lost ship yearns for the lighthouse.

Forgive the melodrama. It’s Bill’s fault. Or maybe Eric’s … hmmm …

I’m not afraid to admit it. I like the bloodsuckers and all the raunchy, raucous and hilarious background noise they bring with them in this program.

After baking a batch of red velvet cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, I suddenly thought of the show and was inspired to add a bloody accoutrement.

Fresh strawberry sauce.

This isn’t about the cupcakes or the frosting, really.

This is about the glorious red sauce that had me thinking of Sunday nights and HBO.

True Blood. True telly love.

Ciao!

Cream Puff’s Favourite Strawberry Sauce
My own creation.

1 cup fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and cut into quarters or halves (depending on how big they are)
2 cups water
1 tablespoon sugar (I don’t like sweet strawberry sauce, but you can always add more sugar if you like)
1 tbsp. lemon zest
1 tbsp. lemon juice

Combine all the ingredients in a large skillet or shallow pot.

Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium low.

Let simmer until the strawberries are cooked through and begin to fall apart when pressed with a spoon or fork (about 10 minutes). A lot of the liquid will evaporate but the sauce will still be fairly liquid (don’t let it get too dry or you’ll end up with a gummy strawberry paste - add more water if necessary).

Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Use immediately or refrigerate and use cold. The sauce should keep for several days in the refrigerator.

Note: Feel free to flavour the sauce with vanilla sugar or something stronger … wink wink … nudge nudge.

While I would argue that every season is cookbook season, I don’t think there’s any question that that the lead-up to Christmas is probably one of the most intense times for cookbook authors and publishers.

After all, cookbooks make great gifts.

Ahem. Hint. Hint.

Anyway, it’s usually around this time that friends will begin asking me, “So, if you had to buy someone a cookbook for Christmas, which one would it be?”

This year, there will be a number of cookbooks that I’ll be recommending and the first is today’s feature: à la di stasio by Josée di Stasio.

A television personality from Québec, Josée di Stasio’s book was previously released in French and has now been released in English.

In the cookbook’s opening pages, di Stasio writes that “enjoyment is the key word of this book” and to be honest, I don’t think there’s any better way to state my impression of this cookbook.

I could go into detail about layout and pictures (gorgeous and more gorgeous, respectively). I could go on and on about variety and quality of recipes (extensive and very good, respectively), but truth be told, I’d just be wasting your time.

Here’s what you need to know: this is a book for the entertainer in you. You know the one that wants to spend weekends just hanging around the house preparing really laid-back yet delicious meals. The one that wants to have those dinner parties that are totally effortless and stress-free (yes … those do exist). The one that just wants to be happy in the kitchen. If you recognize any one of those people, then you’ll love this cookbook.

As for the recipes, while I only tried two of them, I loved them both.

One was so easy and and turned out so well that we all just shook our heads and thought, “Why didn’t we think of this?” Pictured above are Ham and Egg Ramekins with the “ramekin” being a slice of bread. Seriously. It took about 10 minutes to pull this breakfast dish together and everyone loved it.

The second recipe I tried was pure indulgence for me: Caramel Spread. After tasting this spread for the first time on toast, we just started eating it by the spoonful. It’s a keeper, for sure.

Well I’ve wasted enough of your time. Go buy the book and start having some fun!

Ciao!

Ham and Egg RamekinsFrom à la di stasio by Josée di Stasio.

Serves 4.

4 slices of whole wheat bread (trim off crusts)
1 tablespoon softened butter
4 slices Black Forest ham
4 large eggs
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Using a rolling pin, think out your slices of bread as much as possible (don’t go too thin or they’ll rip).

Divide the butter equally among the four slices and spread it on side of each slice.

On the unbuttered side of bread, lay a slice of Black Forest ham.

Carefully transfer the bread and ham to a muffin tin, making sure that the buttered side of the bread is the side that goes into the muffin cup.

Once all your bread and ham slices are in, crack open an egg and carefully drop one egg into each ham and bread cup.

Bake for 20 minutes and check the bread cups. If the egg is cooked, then remove otherwise keep it in the oven for an additional 5 minutes.

Once out of the oven, let rest for a few minutes before carefully popping out the bread ramekins. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

For as long as I can remember, we have always had a garden. My grandparents always had a garden. My aunts and uncle always had a garden. My cousins alway had a garden. My friends and neighbours always had a garden.

Now that the time has come to say goodbye to the garden for another year, like most people, there are certain vegetables and fruits that I will miss more than others. But I will miss none more than my sweet little cherry tomatoes.

I love you guys!!!

While almost all of our other tomato varieties have yielded the last of their fruits, our little cherry tomatoes are still going fairly strong.

So about a week ago I decided to find some way to preserve some of these babies. I did a little searching and came across this recipe.

The base of the tomatoes in oil is a very simple recipe for Oven-Dried Tomatoes. I so enjoyed watching the tomatoes slowly roast and dry in the oven. It made me feel like I was preserving something very special from the summer season. And it was easy! So easy that I wondered why I haven’t done this more often.

The tomatoes in oil have graced our pasta, our pizza and some fabulous panini.

This is my Magazine Mondays recipe for this week. As always, I remind you that if you have a magazine recipe that you’ve finally put to bed, send me a link and I’ll post it in my next Magazine Mondays post. And you don’t have to post your recipe on a Monday. It can be any day of the week.

Have a great week, everyone!

Ciao!

This week I was joined by the my buddy Wandering Coyote of ReTorte with some mouth-watering Braised Beef Ribs!

Here are the recipes I used: Oven-Dried Tomatoes and Dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil.

It’s difficult not to like Nigella Lawson. You’d have to be hard-hearted indeed not to fall prey to the charms of this intelligent, witty and yes - gorgeous - woman. As a television personality, her presence is infectious. Don’t we all wish we could look so good throwing egg shells into the sink?!

I own two of Nigella’s cookbooks and love them both. Simply put, her recipes work. Her Sticky Toffee Pudding (Nigella Bites) is probably one of my family’s favourite desserts. Her Madeira Cake (How to Be a Domestic Goddess) is a quick and reliable treat when you just have to have something sweet with your coffee. And if you can make her Christmas Pavlova (How to Be a Domestic Goddess) and not eat it all in one sitting, you’re a better Cream Puff than me.

I recently had the opportunity to review her most recent cookbook, Feast. Released in paperback in September 2006, Feast follows in the footsteps of Lawson’s previous books. Beautifully photographed and written, Feast is Lawson’s statement to the world that any special occasion is worthy of a food celebration.

The cookbook is divided into many sections that cover every imaginable festivity or important moment that would necessitate a special meal. While the obvious occasions like Thanksgiving and Christmas are there, there are also sections devoted to Breakfast, Valentine’s Day and my personal favourite, the Midnight Feast.

I think that Lawson is an incredible writer and it shows both in the Introduction to the cookbook as well as the introductions to each section. It’s almost impossible to argue with her logic for going all out to prepare the meals of your dreams, whatever the occasion. I found the head notes to her recipes particularly enjoyable, especially the ones that offer a glimpse of her own family life. Nothing helps a reader to identify with a cookbook than a sense of camaraderie with the author.

I think this is Lawson’s greatest success as a cookbook author. She may not be a professional chef, but her recipes are enticing and well-written. And because she doesn’t talk down to her reader, it’s easy to visualize yourself making the recipes. It’s easy to imagine what those dishes will look like on your own table in your own kitchen.

Feast has something for everyone. It will satisfy the the carnivore, the vegetarian and the cream puffs (that is, those who crave sweets!) among us. And I warn you, the pictures will make your mouth water.

As I read through the cookbook, I found the recipes to be clear and well-presented. Well-suited to the home cook, the recipes can be easily managed by cooks of all backgrounds and levels of experience. For those with a bit more experience, I think the recipes are generous enough that they invite improvisation and adaptation. After all, what’s better than a cookbook with recipes that inspire you to bigger and better things?

But the final proof, as they say, is in the pudding so it was time to roll up my sleeve and try some of the recipes. The first recipe I tried was Andy’s Fairfield Granola. Lawson got this recipe from Andy Rolleri of The Pantry deli in Fairfield, Connecticut. I’m a bit of a tough judge when it comes to granola recipes as I personally think that I make a mean granola.

I was pleasantly surprised by this granola recipe. It was easy to pull together and the end result was a nutty granola that was crunchy, but not too sweet. The only hiccup in the recipe as far as I was concerned was the use of brown rice syrup or rice malt syrup. I have no idea where to locate those ingredients so I used golden syrup instead(the recipe gives you that option) and I don’t think the granola suffered one bit. I also added dried cherries for colour. Delicious!

Having started with a lovely breakfast, I thought it was time to move directly to dessert. But then I thought that I should at least try one of the savoury recipes in the book. Cream Puff cannot live on dessert alone.

I found myself repeatedly drawn to a recipe for Hot Pepper Relish to be served with melon. This relish is Georgian in origin and can be kept refrigerated for several weeks. While I didn’t want to have it with melon, I was intrigued by the relish as we enjoy spicy condiments with many of the foods we eat.

I made my version of this pepper relish with hot banana peppers and jalapenos (as opposed to red chiles in the original). I also topped my relish off with olive oil after I put it in a glass jar. Without question, this was a huge hit! We ate the entire jar of relish in one sitting on toasted bread rubbed with garlic. It was spicy with a nice vinegary bite. I’ve already gotten requests for seconds.

Having gotten the savoury out of the way (yes … I know … relish isn’t the best representation of savoury but what can I say … I’m a Cream Puff), it was time to go for dessert.

As soon as I saw the photograph of the Baci di Ricotta, piled high on a beautiful stand and covered in icing sugar, I dreamt of making them. Made with ricotta, eggs, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, sugar and vanilla extract, these ricotta fritters were a snap to pull together. The batter comes together in less time than it takes to heat the oil. One of the other attractive points of this recipe is that while you are frying in oil, you’re not frying in a lot of oil, which is nice for those that are intimidated of deep frying.

These fritters were golden on the outside and feather-light on the inside. We gobbled them up warm, drenched in icing sugar which actually melted into the warmish fritters. Heaven!

Having had our dessert appetizer, it was time to get serious. We unbuckled our belts and undid our pant buttons, ready to dig into cheesecake … Chestnut Cheesecake. I have a huge love of chestnuts and find beautifully roasted chestnuts impossible to resist. This particular cheesecake called for chestnut puree which I’d never tried before. My very well stocked supermarket carries a lovely chestnut puree from France. Besides the puree, this is a very straightforward cheesecake. I decided to give my new mini-cheesecake pans a try and was pleased at how beautifully the little cheesecakes turned out. While they would have been quite good on their own, they’re pushed over the top by a rum syrup which compliments the chestnut filling perfectly.

While I would count the Hot Pepper Relish and the Baci di Ricotta as my favourites, all four recipes turned out exceedingly well. And believe me, I’m looking forward to trying many more. Who knew feasting on Nigella could taste so good?!

Ciao!

Hot Pepper Relish

Adapted from Feast by Nigella Lawson.

• 8 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half
• 1 celery stick, cut into 2 or 3 pieces
• 2 banana peppers, cut lengthwise and the seeds removed
• 2 jalapeno peppers, cut lengthwise and the seeds removed
• 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed
• 1/2 cup parsley, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1. Place all the ingredients, except the parsley, vinegar, salt and olive oil, in the bowl of a food processor and process until everything is finely chopped.
2. Add the parsley, vinegar and salt, and pulse 4 or 5 times. Taste the relish and adjust the seasoning according to your own tastes.
3. Place the relish in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 8 to 10 hours.
4. Remove the relish from the refrigerator and spoon into a fine-mesh sieve. Let the relish sit in the sieve for 5 minutes to allow some of the excess liquid to drain.
5. Spoon the relish into a sterilized glass jar, leaving an inch at the top of the jar. Pour the olive oil in, a bit at a time, allowing the olive oil to seep down into the relish.
6. Store the relish in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks.
7. Enjoy!

Technorati tags:  nigella lawson, feast, granola, relish, peppers, cheesecake, chestnuts

People mark the passage of the seasons in many ways. In winter some look for the groundhog’s shadow to determine how much longer the season will last. In spring, the lengthening days are welcomed by those who long for summer’s heat. And some wait anxiously for the leaves to change colour so that they can declare the arrival of the fall. In the house of Cream Puff, you know fall is on its way when it’s time to "do the tomatoes".

At the beginning of each September, a call is sent out by the matriarch of every Italian family. The call goes out far and wide and it is a signal to communicate with other family members and decide the all-important date. That is, the date that everyone will gather at an appointed place, aprons in hand, in order to prepare tomato sauce for the coming year. Those of us who are immigrants or children of immigrants have found our own unique way of describing the event. We call it:  "doing the tomatoes".

I will ask my friend, "So when are you doing the tomatoes?"

And she will reply, "We’re probably doing them next Sunday. And you?"

I’m quite certain that this is horrible grammar but it’s one of the expressions that we’ve adopted as Italian Canadians. It doesn’t matter what part of Italy your family came from. When someone tells you they’re doing the tomatoes, you know exactly what they mean.

Tomato day is always a Saturday. For the last four years, the makeshift tomato sauce factory is set up at our house, in the garage. Together with other family members, we turn our humble little property into the site of big-time tomato sauce production.

The day begins very early with the washing the tomatoes, usually done by the older women in the family. Efficiently, they wash every tomato that will eventually be processed. When you consider that we will typically go through five bushels of tomatoes for each family that’s part of the group … well … that’s a lot of tomatoes!

The next step in this very long day is the cutting of the tomatoes. I’m sure that every family has developed its own system in this regard. In our family, we put the bushels of tomatoes in the middle of a large circle of chairs. Those of us that are younger (usually young women) sit around the bushels and begin cutting the tomatoes by removing the stem end, slicing the tomato in half and giving it the very slightest squeeze to break up the inside. We do not squeeze out all the seeds or the juice; just the very slightest of squeezes and then the tomatoes are deposited into a huge bin.

Cutting the tomatoes is one of the glory jobs on tomato day. Once you’re handed a knife, usually by an older woman in the family, you have graduated to a position of high rank in the Tomato Army. Being handed a knife means that you are entrusted with one of the key duties of tomato day:  tomato inspection. For those of us that cut the tomatoes must be responsible for ensuring that a rotten tomato does not make its nasty way into the bin of cut tomatoes, waiting to be cooked.

When you are initially handed the knife, an older person will still occasionally eye you. This is to keep you on your toes and ensure that you are paying attention. But deep down, they know and you know that you are ready.

Prior to being handed a knife, you fill whatever role the adults give you. In a way, you become a jack-of-all-trades. Before I was given the honour of cutting tomatoes, I washed dirty utensils, I made sure that the driveway was clean of tomato bits, I fetched whatever items were needed, I answered the phone, I set the table before lunch, I washed the dishes after lunch, and … I made espresso.

Ah, yes. Go make some espresso. Throughout tomato day, young people will often be sent to go make some espresso. When I first started to do this I was excited because I knew that I was edging ever closer to cutting the tomatoes. After a few years of this, however, I became very annoyed and even petulant. I hated making coffee for the adults and then having to bring it to them. I hated it so much that I would often break one of the cardinal rules of doing the tomatoes:  don’t ever complain.

Making espresso came to symbolize the very apex of kitchen drudgery. I felt used. I felt down-trodden. Until, that is, I figured out what was really going on.

When my grandparents got older and it became more difficult for them to help, I was finally granted the honour of tomato-cutting. And on that day, I came to understand the way of things. While someone else went to "make some espresso", a discussion ensued between some family members. But this was not a typical tomato day discussion about the quality of the tomatoes or whether or not the sauce was too liquidy.

Oh, no.

This was gossip. Good gossip. In one mind-blowing moment, my family’s charming and wholesome facade was shattered. I learned about affairs, betrayals, stolen land, love triangles, revenge … I’m telling you … it made The Sopranos look like a cartoon show for toddlers.

How glad I was to finally be cutting tomatoes!

But back to the main story. After the tomatoes have been cut, they are dumped into huge cauldrons with enough water to begin cooking them. We do not cook them all the way through, however, we do allow the water to come to the boil. Heating the tomatoes in this way makes them easier to process. This work is always done by the women in the family. Armed with enormous wooden spoons, they watch over the cut tomatoes with all the wisdom and experience that they’ve earned through the years. To their credit, they are precise and efficient beyond belief. The women in my family rock … and no tomato is ever burnt!

Once the tomatoes are heated, it’s time to process them. Until a few years ago, we processed our tomatoes in a hand-cranked machine. As children, we would beg to be allowed to turn the crank. This lasted for a few minutes until it began to feel that our arms would fall off. Happily, we modernized and splurged on a huge tomato processor that crushes the tomatoes while separating the seeds and the skins. A worthwhile investment, this machine allows us to process tomatoes at a much faster rate. Plus no one ends up feeling like they’re arms are going to fall off.

Once all the tomatoes have passed through the processor, the resulting tomato puree is boiled in huge pots. As soon as the puree, or sauce, comes to a rolling boil, we salt the sauce and let it come to the boil again. At this point, we are ready for the greatest job of them all:  filling the tomato jars.

As with the washing of the tomatoes, this job is usually reserved for older family members. Once again, no one argues with their right to fill the jars. They’ve earned it. Prior to filling the jars, basil leaves are stuffed inside each one. This basil will flavour the sauce once the jars have been sealed.

In the old days, the filled jars would be processed in a water bath in order to seal them properly. Once again modern technology has allowed for improvements to this process. Because we can sterilize and heat jars in the dishwasher, we simply pour our hot sauce into hot jars, put on the lid and turn the jars upside down. They seal perfectly without any need for a water bath.

The jars are then covered with a blanket and left for several days to cool completely. Once cool, they are stored in the cold cellar where they will nourish the family in the year to come.

In recent years, some family members have wondered about the necessity of doing the tomatoes. High quality tomato purees are readily available in supermarkets and they really are good. They’re inexpensive as well. But in the end, these thoughts go nowhere because no one is willing to give up doing the tomatoes.

In our hectic lives, doing the tomatoes is one of the very few traditions left over from our Italian roots that we still practice. Very few people make sausages or cure meats at home any more. Hardly anyone makes home made pasta and even with the recent renewal of interest in baking, I don’t know a lot of people who bake at home on a regular basis.

Doing the tomatoes is the one thing we still hold on to. It’s always a special day; one where we know we’re continuing a long and storied tradition. In the end, it’s so comforting. It’s comforting to be with your family. It’s comforting to be using your hands to prepare food that will sustain you through the year to come.

So if you’re ever in the Toronto area at the beginning of September, let Cream Puff know. We can always use some extra hands. And if, at a certain point during the day, we send you to go and make some espresso, don’t worry. Your time will come.

Ciao!

Technorati tags:  tomatoes, canning, tomato sauce

Ladies and gentlemen, I have been challenged! The gauntlet has been thrown down by none other than the brilliant photographer and fantastic cook Meeta of What’s For Lunch Honey?.

Not only did Meeta organize an event with sixty plus participants, she took the time out of her schedule to send me a postcard. And a postcard of her own making no less! Meeta sent me this lovely picture of blueberries and red currants and on the back she challenged me to create something using those two ingredients.

The only question … would Cream Puff choose to accept the challenge?

I’ve already made a few pies with blueberries and red currants so that was out of the question. Almost immediately, I thought of some sort of fruit sauce that I could pour over a slice of pound cake or maybe a bowl of vanilla ice cream. I did some searching on Epicurious for ideas and found a recipe for Summer’s Best Blueberry Sauce that put me on the road to my end result:  Blueberry and Red Currant Sauce.

The photo in the recipe for Summer’s Best Blueberry Sauce was ingrained in my mind so I decided to try my sauce over some freshly made waffles smothered in butter. Glorious!

Meeta, I hope I have fulfilled the challenge to your liking.

This post will self-destruct in five seconds …

Ciao!

Blueberry and Red Currant Sauce

Inspired by this recipe from www.epicurious.com.

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3 cups water
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 cups blueberries
• 1 cup red currants
• a small piece of lemon rind

1. Combine the sugar, cornstarch, water and lemon juice in a heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil, stirring often to ensure that the sugar dissolves and that there are no lumps.
2. Once the sugar has dissolved (3 to 5 minutes), add the blueberries, currants and lemon rind.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil again, stirring often.
4. Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer slowly until the mixture has reduced by at least one-third. You can reduce it further if you want a really thick sauce.
5. Taste the sauce and adjust according to your own tastes (more sugar or lemon juice if you want it).
6. Turn off the heat. Strain the sauce through a sieve to remove the skins and any seeds. Let it cool and then pour into an airtight container and refrigerate.
7. The sauce can be served directly from the refrigerator (you may have to shake the container a bit to mix it up) or you can reheat it. It will keep for a week or so.
8. Enjoy.

Technorati tags:  blueberries, red currants, waffles

Every season has its colours. For me, winter is silver and white. Spring is yellow and green. And my favourite season of all, autumn, is pure blazing gold.

But what are the colours of summer?

They’re the blues of the wildest blueberries and the deepest purple of eggplant. They’re the orange-red of ripened tomatoes and the dark, speckled green of zucchini. They’re the shiny blackness of blackberries and the blushing yellow of apricots.

But most of all, the colour of summer is the shocking, ruby red of raspberry and red currant jam. The two berries clasp each other in this concoction to form a vibrant colour that is not easy to forget. Not too sweet with a lovely hint of tartness, enjoy this on buttered toast. Or do as I do and eat it right out of the jar with a spoon.

How beautiful to be able to taste the colour of summer!

Ciao!

Raspberry and Red Currant Jam

Adapted from The Berry Bible by Janie Hibler.

• 3 cups red currants, fresh or frozen (if using frozen, be sure to thaw them and use the juice as well)
• 1-1/2 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen (if using frozen, be sure to thaw them and use the juice as well)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons unsalted butter

1. This recipe will yield 16 ounces of jam so be sure to wash and thoroughly dry either two eight-ounce jars or four four-ounce jars. Be sure to have the lids ready as well.
2. In a large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups of red currants with 1 cup of raspberries. Crush with a potato masher or with the bottom of a cup.
3. Once crushed, push the fruit through a sieve to remove all of the seeds.
4. In a large pot or skillet, combine the seedless crushed fruit, the remaining fresh fruit, the sugar and the lemon juice. Let the mixture stand for 2 hours.
5. Turn the heat on to high, add the butter and bring the fruit mixture to a boil. Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes. Be sure to stir often to prevent scorching. The jam will thicken and you will know it’s ready when you drag a spoon across the bottom of the pan and are able to see the track left by the spoon.
6. Carefully spoon the jam into the prepared jars and seal them.
7. Process the jars in a water bath for 10 minutes.
8. Remove the jars and let cool completely.
9. Enjoy!

Note:  When processing jars in a water bath, be sure that the water comes at least an inch above the top of the jars. Once the jars have been removed from the water, test the seal by pressing down on the lid. If the lid pops back up in the centre, then the jars have not sealed properly and you’ll have to reseal it.  This jam will keep for months stored in a cool location.

Technorati tags: jam, raspberries, red currants