Lately I have been thinking quite a lot about the food we did when I was the chef at Rosewater for three years. A few days ago I had quite a lengthy conversation with a colleague about going back towards that type of cooking and how I used to approach the menus and individual dishes. One dish that seemed to have a recurring spot on the menu when the weather turned cold was Coq au Vin. Each time the dish appeared there would be a change to it somehow, someway. Maybe it would be the garnish, the cooking method, accompaniments, something.
To understand the process you first must understand the classic dish on itself. Coq au Vin is a braise of chicken that has been marinated in redwine and cooked with lardons(salt pork - cut crossway in strips), mushrooms, garlic. The bird is browned in its own fat, braised until tender and then thickened either with a roux or with blood.
Very much a farmhouse dish to bring it to a fine dining standard, one of the necessary elements is already there, flavour. The next step is to take some creative license to take what is old and make it new again. All the original elements of the dish would be kept with new twists added. The breast would be kept separate from the thigh and drumstick which would be marinated. We might use cornish hen instead of chicken or capon. The mushrooms, garlic and lardons would remain garnish for the finished sauce, sometimes we would add pearl or my preference cippollini onions.
So lets recap our ingredients;
Cornish Hen - broken down into, breast thigh, drumstick. Use the back and wings to make a stock for your sauce.
Sauce - red wine, stock from back and wings of the hen, mire poix, thyme sprigs, sweet butter
Garnish - bacon lardons(thick sliced bacon slice crosswise into matchsticks), mushrooms, cippollini onions, picked thyme
Accompaniments - Yukon potato, butternut squash. At Rosewater we would cut the potato into a cylinder and prepared as a fondant potato. The squash would be slowly cooked in butter to a silky smooth puree and reserved to make a quenelle.
Cooking methods
Breast - roasted and finished in the sauce
Thigh - confit(rendered chicken fat is your best option, but you can use duck fat or even a vegetable oil) and then crisped up on final preparation
Drumstick - braised and reheated in braising jus that is also used as the base for the finished sauce.
Potato - fondant. To make the fondant potatoes at Rosewater the entre metier would first braise the potatoes in stock with onion, leek, celery, carrot, stock and sea salt, black peppercorns, thyme. In a s/s hotel pan the potato would be covered in foil, brought to a boil on top of the stove and then finished in the oven until just becoming tender. The potatoes would then be allowed to cool and rest in the braise for one day. The next day they would be lightly deepfried just to form a skin. Final preparation they would be cooked on the stove in a good amount of butter with a thyme sprig until they had a golden crust with a soft buttery texture inside.
Butternut squash - peeled, seeded, cubed and place in a sauce pan with a good amount of sweet butter and place on a low flame, cover, season with sea salt and allow to slowly cook stirring regularly.
this taking longer than I thought so I am going to finsh on my next post
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Salami, Capicolla, Sausages (Italian Sausage & Sopressata recipe)
This past year I had the opportunity to make my own salumi, capicolla, pancetta, tessa and sausage. I made soppresata, tuscan, genoa, hunters loop, and cacciatore salamis. These were made without the use of nitrates for the most part and the recipes I came up with are actually quite simple. You just need time, patience quality ingredients and a place with a constant temperature and humidity to age your meats. Lucky for me I had the use of a full butcher shop, state of the art aging coolers, but all this isn't necessary. I have many friends who around this time every year put up there own charcuterie.
One of these friends is still extremely old school. His father who is about 75 still picks up 2 pigs every January brings them home in through the trap door in the garage floor to the cantina in the basement where he butchers the hogs and breaks them down. The hind legs for prosciutto, belly for pancetta, loins for lonza, cheeks for guanciale, the head for testa, etc, etc. Oh, did I forget to mention, he brings the pigs home live. It is something his father and the men in his family have done for generations.
Now for some recipes. These are a combination of learning from others, reading and practice.
Italian Sausage
Large hog casings, well rinsed
Ground Pork Shoulder 10lb.
Spice mixture
Sea salt - 80 grams
Butcher grind black pepper - 15 grams
Rubbed Sage - 4 grams
Cayenne - 1 gram
Crushed Chiles - 5 grams
Fresh Garlic - 15 grams (finely chopped)
Wild Fennel Seed - 10 grams
Dextrose - 15 grams
Ice Water - 140 grams
Combine all the salt and spices into one mixture. Add all the ingredients together and mix well. Make a test with a couple of ounces of sausage mixture by cooking a small patty to check the seasoning and adjust to your preference. Let the sausage mix
rest for a couple of hours so the flavours can develop.
You are now ready to stuff your sausages. If you are lucky enough to have an attachment for a kitchen aid use that. If you are not so lucky and do not have any type of sausage stuffer you can use a piping bag with a large tip. Stuff the casings until firm, but not over stuffed. Once you have stuffed the sausages let them hang for 12 to 24 hours before you cook them to; 1 let the flavours fully develop and 2 to let the casings set up.
Notes
-When I prepare my meat I separate all the lean meat and fat to insure the proper ratio of fat. A sausage that is to lean will be dry and so I recommend 20% fat by weight. It is also very important to keep the meat very cold at all times. A good butcher will make sure you get the right ratio of lean to fat and that proper grind.
-I prefer to use Atlantide from Portugal, but any quality sea salt will do. If sea salt is not available to you, Diamond Kosher salt is a reasonable substitute - you may need a little extra in this case.
-Substitute anise seed or regular fennel seed if wild fennel is not available). I also lightly toast my fennel and then grind it slightly in a coffee grinder.
-Dextrose is a simple sugar that is available in health food stores, wine making shops and some bulk stores. Dextrose is not nearly as sweet as regular sugar, so if you are going to substitute regular sugar, use organic cane sugar at about 5-6 grams.
Sopressata
10 lb. ground pork (25% fat by weight)
Spice mixture
sea salt 125 grams
dextrose 45 grams
crushed chiles 20 grams
butcher black pepper 30 grams
2 grams thyme
35 grams fresh garlic, finely chopped
2 grams nutmeg, grated from whole
125 grams spring water
One of these friends is still extremely old school. His father who is about 75 still picks up 2 pigs every January brings them home in through the trap door in the garage floor to the cantina in the basement where he butchers the hogs and breaks them down. The hind legs for prosciutto, belly for pancetta, loins for lonza, cheeks for guanciale, the head for testa, etc, etc. Oh, did I forget to mention, he brings the pigs home live. It is something his father and the men in his family have done for generations.
Now for some recipes. These are a combination of learning from others, reading and practice.
Italian Sausage
Large hog casings, well rinsed
Ground Pork Shoulder 10lb.
Spice mixture
Sea salt - 80 grams
Butcher grind black pepper - 15 grams
Rubbed Sage - 4 grams
Cayenne - 1 gram
Crushed Chiles - 5 grams
Fresh Garlic - 15 grams (finely chopped)
Wild Fennel Seed - 10 grams
Dextrose - 15 grams
Ice Water - 140 grams
Combine all the salt and spices into one mixture. Add all the ingredients together and mix well. Make a test with a couple of ounces of sausage mixture by cooking a small patty to check the seasoning and adjust to your preference. Let the sausage mix
rest for a couple of hours so the flavours can develop.
You are now ready to stuff your sausages. If you are lucky enough to have an attachment for a kitchen aid use that. If you are not so lucky and do not have any type of sausage stuffer you can use a piping bag with a large tip. Stuff the casings until firm, but not over stuffed. Once you have stuffed the sausages let them hang for 12 to 24 hours before you cook them to; 1 let the flavours fully develop and 2 to let the casings set up.
Notes
-When I prepare my meat I separate all the lean meat and fat to insure the proper ratio of fat. A sausage that is to lean will be dry and so I recommend 20% fat by weight. It is also very important to keep the meat very cold at all times. A good butcher will make sure you get the right ratio of lean to fat and that proper grind.
-I prefer to use Atlantide from Portugal, but any quality sea salt will do. If sea salt is not available to you, Diamond Kosher salt is a reasonable substitute - you may need a little extra in this case.
-Substitute anise seed or regular fennel seed if wild fennel is not available). I also lightly toast my fennel and then grind it slightly in a coffee grinder.
-Dextrose is a simple sugar that is available in health food stores, wine making shops and some bulk stores. Dextrose is not nearly as sweet as regular sugar, so if you are going to substitute regular sugar, use organic cane sugar at about 5-6 grams.
Sopressata
10 lb. ground pork (25% fat by weight)
Spice mixture
sea salt 125 grams
dextrose 45 grams
crushed chiles 20 grams
butcher black pepper 30 grams
2 grams thyme
35 grams fresh garlic, finely chopped
2 grams nutmeg, grated from whole
125 grams spring water
This week's menu January 18, 2010
Well a lot of new stuff on the menu this week. Some of it very retro, like chicken tetrazzini and beef stroganoff, the special dinners my mom use to make just to add a little variety from the weekly menu. I think we all experienced that menu although it may vary from home to home. In my house it went something like this. Sunday was roast beef with all the trimmings, Monday - leftovers, Tuesday - fish 'n chips, Wednesday - roast chicken, Thursday - spaghetti bolognese, Friday - pork chops, Saturday - steak. There was also the one vegetable that you didn't like but had to eat I guess hoping that it would grow on you or you would have some sort of epiphany, suddenly thinking brussel sprouts were your absolute favourite. There always was variety and nothing repeated for a week at least. With the changes to the menu this week It is easy to create the same type of menu. Simply choose one of the packages or put your own together. A beautiful braise of pork with apples and bacon one night, stroganoff another, a vegetarian pasta for a lighter supper, bacon wrapped chicken breast with a potato gratin for another night. The combination is up to you, try something you normally wouldn't knowing that everything is made to order and with care and integrity.
If you are skiers heading up north it is easy to find comfort food that will warm you from the inside out and leave you satisfied,
re-energized and ready to go for a few more runs. Chicken and dumplings is the perfect example or the braised pork for dinner and my lunch items are great for a quick hot lunch before going back on the slopes.
Whatever you choose know that each and every dish has been made with care and integrity, heart and soul.
Good Eats 2GO Menu
week of January 18, 2010
Soups & Sauces
Old fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup 10
Double chicken stock, chicken, vegetables, noodles, herbs & sea salt. This hearty
Soup makes the perfect lunchtime meal with some good crusty bread.
Classic Onion Soup 10
A winter classic that just needs the finishing touches, some gruyere cheese
or emmanthaler and toasted croutons to create your own French onion soup.
New England Clam Chowder 12
My chowder is rich and thick loaded with clams and potatoes. Ingredients – bacon, onion, celery, potato, butter, a touch of flour, milk, cream, sea salt, pepper and lots of clams.
Tomato Sauce (1lt) 9
Tomatoes, onion, garlic slowly cooked and gently pureed
Bolognese (1lt.) 16
Meat ragu with red wine & plum tomato slowly cooked in a low oven to develop
the complex rich flavours of a true Bolognese
Lunch
New! Burritos ($6 each, packages of 5) 30
Homemade burritos filled with braised ancho pork, cilantro, salsa
chipotle aioli in a flour tortillas. Will freeze for 6 weeks
Quesadillas ($5 each, packages of 6) 30
Flank Steak, black beans, green onion, jalapeno, salsa & Monterey jack cheese.
Will freeze for 6 weeks
New! White Enchiladas with tomato & green chile (package of 8) 24
Tortillas filled with a marinated chicken mixture. Ready to bake with a
green chile tomato sauce, sweet onion & Monterey Jack cheese
Soups (500ml tub) 5
Choose from a selection of this week’s soups, minimum order of 3 tubs
Vegetarian Chili (500ml tub) 7
A medley of seasonal local vegetables and shell beans slowly cooked with tomatoes
and my own chili powder
Southwest Spicy Chili (500ml tub) 8
Slow cooked ground beef, tomato & white kidney beans highly seasoned
with my own chili powder.
Pasta
Traditional Lasagna 13/26
Layers of hand-made fresh pasta, Bolognese, 3 cheeses & béchamel
New! Fussili 14/24
Prima Vera with roasted butternut squash, cremini mushroom, garlic
Tossed in a rosemary cream
New! Orrichette 15/26
'Little ears' with homemade sausage, rapini, garlic and pepperoncino
tossed with rich tomato sauce
Mains
New! Chicken Tetrazzini 16/29
Poached Chicken tossed with shallots, mushroom & peas in a light parmesan cream.
Served over penne rigate
Chicken Pot Pie 15/25
A traditional potpie with braised chicken & vegetables in a creamy chicken veloutè
My own butter short crust to top it off
New! Chicken & Dumplings 29
Whole Chicken cut in 8, braised in a rich chicken stock with fresh thyme
garlic, carrots, bulb onion, mushrooms, potato dumplings
sea salt & pepper.
New! Bacon Wrapped Sicilian Chicken Breast (package of 4) 29
Sundried tomato, pine nut, herb & sultana stuffed chicken.
wrapped with bacon and slow roasted. Reheat for 15 minutes @ 350 degrees
New! Du Breton Pork Loin Braised with Apples & Bacon 15/27
Loin of Du Breton Pork roasted and braised with local apples
sweet onion, bacon & cider.
New!Beef Stroganoff 19/35
Sautéed beef with mushrooms & onion tossed in a Dijon pommery cream
Served over rustic noodles.
Meatloaf 14/22
Lean meatloaf made with ground sirloin and smothered in mushroom gravy.
Sheppard’s Pie 15/26
Lean ground beef slow cooked with aromatic vegetables and topped with Yukon mash.
Southwest Spicy Chili (1lt tub) 15
Slow cooked ground beef, tomato & shell beans highly seasoned
with my own chili powder.
Sides
Yukon mash 10
Hand whipped Yukon potato with Stirling creamery butter, Hewitt’s cream & sea salt
Yukon Potato Gratin 10
Layers of Yukon potato with red onion, thyme and cream
Sweet Potato Puree 10
Hand mashed sweet potato whipped with maple syrup & vanilla
Honey roasted Butternut Squash 10
Slow roasted butternut squash tossed with olive oil, honey, garlic, rosemary,
sea salt, black pepper
Steamed Jasmine Rice 5
Kids Menu
Mac ‘n Cheese 13
Rustic maccheroni tossed in a 3 cheese sauce & topped with parmigiano crust
If you are skiers heading up north it is easy to find comfort food that will warm you from the inside out and leave you satisfied,
re-energized and ready to go for a few more runs. Chicken and dumplings is the perfect example or the braised pork for dinner and my lunch items are great for a quick hot lunch before going back on the slopes.
Whatever you choose know that each and every dish has been made with care and integrity, heart and soul.
Good Eats 2GO Menu
week of January 18, 2010
Soups & Sauces
Old fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup 10
Double chicken stock, chicken, vegetables, noodles, herbs & sea salt. This hearty
Soup makes the perfect lunchtime meal with some good crusty bread.
Classic Onion Soup 10
A winter classic that just needs the finishing touches, some gruyere cheese
or emmanthaler and toasted croutons to create your own French onion soup.
New England Clam Chowder 12
My chowder is rich and thick loaded with clams and potatoes. Ingredients – bacon, onion, celery, potato, butter, a touch of flour, milk, cream, sea salt, pepper and lots of clams.
Tomato Sauce (1lt) 9
Tomatoes, onion, garlic slowly cooked and gently pureed
Bolognese (1lt.) 16
Meat ragu with red wine & plum tomato slowly cooked in a low oven to develop
the complex rich flavours of a true Bolognese
Lunch
New! Burritos ($6 each, packages of 5) 30
Homemade burritos filled with braised ancho pork, cilantro, salsa
chipotle aioli in a flour tortillas. Will freeze for 6 weeks
Quesadillas ($5 each, packages of 6) 30
Flank Steak, black beans, green onion, jalapeno, salsa & Monterey jack cheese.
Will freeze for 6 weeks
New! White Enchiladas with tomato & green chile (package of 8) 24
Tortillas filled with a marinated chicken mixture. Ready to bake with a
green chile tomato sauce, sweet onion & Monterey Jack cheese
Soups (500ml tub) 5
Choose from a selection of this week’s soups, minimum order of 3 tubs
Vegetarian Chili (500ml tub) 7
A medley of seasonal local vegetables and shell beans slowly cooked with tomatoes
and my own chili powder
Southwest Spicy Chili (500ml tub) 8
Slow cooked ground beef, tomato & white kidney beans highly seasoned
with my own chili powder.
Pasta
Traditional Lasagna 13/26
Layers of hand-made fresh pasta, Bolognese, 3 cheeses & béchamel
New! Fussili 14/24
Prima Vera with roasted butternut squash, cremini mushroom, garlic
Tossed in a rosemary cream
New! Orrichette 15/26
'Little ears' with homemade sausage, rapini, garlic and pepperoncino
tossed with rich tomato sauce
Mains
New! Chicken Tetrazzini 16/29
Poached Chicken tossed with shallots, mushroom & peas in a light parmesan cream.
Served over penne rigate
Chicken Pot Pie 15/25
A traditional potpie with braised chicken & vegetables in a creamy chicken veloutè
My own butter short crust to top it off
New! Chicken & Dumplings 29
Whole Chicken cut in 8, braised in a rich chicken stock with fresh thyme
garlic, carrots, bulb onion, mushrooms, potato dumplings
sea salt & pepper.
New! Bacon Wrapped Sicilian Chicken Breast (package of 4) 29
Sundried tomato, pine nut, herb & sultana stuffed chicken.
wrapped with bacon and slow roasted. Reheat for 15 minutes @ 350 degrees
New! Du Breton Pork Loin Braised with Apples & Bacon 15/27
Loin of Du Breton Pork roasted and braised with local apples
sweet onion, bacon & cider.
New!Beef Stroganoff 19/35
Sautéed beef with mushrooms & onion tossed in a Dijon pommery cream
Served over rustic noodles.
Meatloaf 14/22
Lean meatloaf made with ground sirloin and smothered in mushroom gravy.
Sheppard’s Pie 15/26
Lean ground beef slow cooked with aromatic vegetables and topped with Yukon mash.
Southwest Spicy Chili (1lt tub) 15
Slow cooked ground beef, tomato & shell beans highly seasoned
with my own chili powder.
Sides
Yukon mash 10
Hand whipped Yukon potato with Stirling creamery butter, Hewitt’s cream & sea salt
Yukon Potato Gratin 10
Layers of Yukon potato with red onion, thyme and cream
Sweet Potato Puree 10
Hand mashed sweet potato whipped with maple syrup & vanilla
Honey roasted Butternut Squash 10
Slow roasted butternut squash tossed with olive oil, honey, garlic, rosemary,
sea salt, black pepper
Steamed Jasmine Rice 5
Kids Menu
Mac ‘n Cheese 13
Rustic maccheroni tossed in a 3 cheese sauce & topped with parmigiano crust
Monday, January 11, 2010
This weeks menu January 11, 2010
When looking over the menu to see what I wanted to change this week I looked at cooking one-pan wonders and have added a couple of classic dishes one steeped in Canadiana and the other a classic Tuscan braise. When I was growing up my mom would switch up roast chicken night with chicken and dumplings when the mood struck. The difference between my chicken dish and mom's is that I make my dumplings out of potato, hers were flour. I prepare a proper braise, my moms - in the crock pot. The other dish with its origins in Tuscany is Arista al Latte, pork cooked in milk. When my wife and I lived in Europe we spent quite a bit of time in Tuscany and in particular Florence as our base. We lived in a little pensione right by the Duomo where every night at about 2:00 in the morning some drunk guy would play the guitar for the rest of the night, once I heard him play sober, he was better drunk. The advantage to where we lived was twofold, we were within walking distance of a street called Via Faenza that had 2 great restaurants on it. One was a seafood place with an incredible anti pasto bar and the other I can't remember the name but it used to serve this pork roast/braise that was absolutely incredible and was served with potatoes and very well cooked vegetables. A bottle of local white wine and all was good in the world. Finish the night with a walk down to Gelateria Il Gran Duca for gelato and then an espresso, perfect.
This is the type of experience my menu can offer, cooking steeped with heart and soul, comfortable rustic healthy food. Food you really can't find elsewhere, you can find other potpies, stews, braises, soups, ethnic dishes, but not like mine. Thirty years of cooking have allowed me to gain the experience to build flavour while using my intuition with cooking to make it somehow better. I invite you to take a trip to Tuscany this week or a trip back in time to the family dinner table.
Good Eating,
David
Good Eats 2GO Menu
week of January 11, 2010
Soups & Sauces
Old fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup 10
Double chicken stock, chicken, vegetables, noodles, herbs & sea salt. This hearty
Soup makes the perfect lunchtime meal with some good crusty bread.
Classic Onion Soup 10
A winter classic that just needs the finishing touches, some gruyere cheese
or emmanthaler and toasted croutons to create your own French onion soup.
New England Clam Chowder 12
My chowder is rich and thick loaded with clams and potatoes. Ingredients – bacon, onion, celery, potato, butter, a touch of flour, milk, cream, sea salt, pepper and lots of clams.
Tomato Sauce (1lt) 9
Tomatoes, onion, garlic slowly cooked and gently pureed
Bolognese (1lt.) 16
Meat ragu with red wine & plum tomato slowly cooked in a low oven to develop
the complex rich flavours of a true Bolognese
Lunch
Burritos ($6 each, packages of 5) 30
Homemade burritos filled with marinated chicken, rice, guacamole, salsa, chipotle aioli
in a flour tortillas. Will freeze for 6 weeks
Quesadillas ($5 each, packages of 6) 30
Flank Steak, black beans, green onion, jalapeno, salsa & Monterey jack cheese.
Will freeze for 6 weeks
Red Chile Enchiladas (package of 8) 24
Tortillas filled with a marinated chicken mixture. Ready to bake with a
green chile tomato sauce & Monterey Jack cheese
Soups (500ml tub) 5
Choose from a selection of this week’s soups, minimum order of 3 tubs
Vegetarian Chili (500ml tub) 7
A medley of seasonal local vegetables and shell beans slowly cooked with tomatoes
and my own chili powder
Southwest Spicy Chili (500ml tub) 8
Slow cooked ground beef, tomato & white kidney beans highly seasoned
with my own chili powder.
Pasta
Traditional Lasagna 13/26
Layers of hand-made fresh pasta, Bolognese, 3 cheeses & béchamel
New! Fussili 14/24
Corkscrew pasta tossed with roasted chicken breast, mushrooms
Herbs tossed with white wine cream sauce
Orrichette 15/26
'Little ears' with homemade sausage, rapini, garlic and pepperoncino
tossed with rich tomato sauce
Mains
Chicken, Broccoli, Cheddar Casserole 16/29
Pan roasted chicken breast, steamed broccoli, chicken veloutÈ & lemony mayo
A touch of madras curry powder & cheddar cheese
Chicken Pot Pie 15/25
A traditional potpie with braised chicken & vegetables in a creamy chicken veloutè
My own butter short crust to top it off
New! Chicken & Dumplings 28
Whole Chicken cut in 8, braised in a rich chicken stock with fresh thyme
garlic, carrots, bulb onion, mushrooms, potato dumplings
sea salt & pepper.
Du Breton Pork Loin Braised with Fennel & Onions 15/27
A classic Italian braise of pork loin slowly braised with fennel, red onion, garlic
White wine & milk
Steak & Mushroom Pie 17/29
beef with mushrooms, onion & pancetta slowly braised in a red wine sauce
topped with a butter short crust.
New! Braised Short Ribs 18/34
Short Ribs braised in a red wine jus with, carrots, parsley root, parsnip and potato.
This dish is the epitome of a one-pan wonder, a complete dinner for 2 or 4. Enjoy one
of the most popular dishes in high-end restaurants now that braising is back in vogue
in the comfort of your own home.
Meatloaf 14/22
Lean meatloaf made with ground sirloin and smothered in mushroom gravy.
Sheppard’s Pie 15/26
Lean ground beef slow cooked with aromatic vegetables and topped with Yukon mash.
Southwest Spicy Chili (1lt tub) 15
Slow cooked ground beef, tomato & shell beans highly seasoned
with my own chili powder.
Cabbage Rolls (12 rolls) 28
Tender savoy cabbage leaves stuffed with a mixture of ground pork, rice
onion, tomato and spices gently cooked in a rich tomato sauce
Sides
Yukon mash 10
Hand whipped Yukon potato with Stirling creamery butter, Hewitt’s cream & sea salt
Yukon Potato Gratin 10
Layers of Yukon potato with red onion, thyme and cream
Sweet Potato Puree 10
Hand mashed sweet potato whipped with maple syrup & vanilla
Honey roasted Butternut Squash 10
Slow roasted butternut squash tossed with olive oil, honey, garlic, rosemary,
sea salt, black pepper
Steamed Jasmine Rice 5
Kids Menu
Chicken Fingers (800g) 19
Lightly breaded and pan fried strips of grain fed chicken breast simply seasoned
with sea salt & pepper
Mac ‘n Cheese 13
Rustic maccheroni tossed in a 3 cheese sauce & topped with parmigiano crust
This is the type of experience my menu can offer, cooking steeped with heart and soul, comfortable rustic healthy food. Food you really can't find elsewhere, you can find other potpies, stews, braises, soups, ethnic dishes, but not like mine. Thirty years of cooking have allowed me to gain the experience to build flavour while using my intuition with cooking to make it somehow better. I invite you to take a trip to Tuscany this week or a trip back in time to the family dinner table.
Good Eating,
David
Good Eats 2GO Menu
week of January 11, 2010
Soups & Sauces
Old fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup 10
Double chicken stock, chicken, vegetables, noodles, herbs & sea salt. This hearty
Soup makes the perfect lunchtime meal with some good crusty bread.
Classic Onion Soup 10
A winter classic that just needs the finishing touches, some gruyere cheese
or emmanthaler and toasted croutons to create your own French onion soup.
New England Clam Chowder 12
My chowder is rich and thick loaded with clams and potatoes. Ingredients – bacon, onion, celery, potato, butter, a touch of flour, milk, cream, sea salt, pepper and lots of clams.
Tomato Sauce (1lt) 9
Tomatoes, onion, garlic slowly cooked and gently pureed
Bolognese (1lt.) 16
Meat ragu with red wine & plum tomato slowly cooked in a low oven to develop
the complex rich flavours of a true Bolognese
Lunch
Burritos ($6 each, packages of 5) 30
Homemade burritos filled with marinated chicken, rice, guacamole, salsa, chipotle aioli
in a flour tortillas. Will freeze for 6 weeks
Quesadillas ($5 each, packages of 6) 30
Flank Steak, black beans, green onion, jalapeno, salsa & Monterey jack cheese.
Will freeze for 6 weeks
Red Chile Enchiladas (package of 8) 24
Tortillas filled with a marinated chicken mixture. Ready to bake with a
green chile tomato sauce & Monterey Jack cheese
Soups (500ml tub) 5
Choose from a selection of this week’s soups, minimum order of 3 tubs
Vegetarian Chili (500ml tub) 7
A medley of seasonal local vegetables and shell beans slowly cooked with tomatoes
and my own chili powder
Southwest Spicy Chili (500ml tub) 8
Slow cooked ground beef, tomato & white kidney beans highly seasoned
with my own chili powder.
Pasta
Traditional Lasagna 13/26
Layers of hand-made fresh pasta, Bolognese, 3 cheeses & béchamel
New! Fussili 14/24
Corkscrew pasta tossed with roasted chicken breast, mushrooms
Herbs tossed with white wine cream sauce
Orrichette 15/26
'Little ears' with homemade sausage, rapini, garlic and pepperoncino
tossed with rich tomato sauce
Mains
Chicken, Broccoli, Cheddar Casserole 16/29
Pan roasted chicken breast, steamed broccoli, chicken veloutÈ & lemony mayo
A touch of madras curry powder & cheddar cheese
Chicken Pot Pie 15/25
A traditional potpie with braised chicken & vegetables in a creamy chicken veloutè
My own butter short crust to top it off
New! Chicken & Dumplings 28
Whole Chicken cut in 8, braised in a rich chicken stock with fresh thyme
garlic, carrots, bulb onion, mushrooms, potato dumplings
sea salt & pepper.
Du Breton Pork Loin Braised with Fennel & Onions 15/27
A classic Italian braise of pork loin slowly braised with fennel, red onion, garlic
White wine & milk
Steak & Mushroom Pie 17/29
beef with mushrooms, onion & pancetta slowly braised in a red wine sauce
topped with a butter short crust.
New! Braised Short Ribs 18/34
Short Ribs braised in a red wine jus with, carrots, parsley root, parsnip and potato.
This dish is the epitome of a one-pan wonder, a complete dinner for 2 or 4. Enjoy one
of the most popular dishes in high-end restaurants now that braising is back in vogue
in the comfort of your own home.
Meatloaf 14/22
Lean meatloaf made with ground sirloin and smothered in mushroom gravy.
Sheppard’s Pie 15/26
Lean ground beef slow cooked with aromatic vegetables and topped with Yukon mash.
Southwest Spicy Chili (1lt tub) 15
Slow cooked ground beef, tomato & shell beans highly seasoned
with my own chili powder.
Cabbage Rolls (12 rolls) 28
Tender savoy cabbage leaves stuffed with a mixture of ground pork, rice
onion, tomato and spices gently cooked in a rich tomato sauce
Sides
Yukon mash 10
Hand whipped Yukon potato with Stirling creamery butter, Hewitt’s cream & sea salt
Yukon Potato Gratin 10
Layers of Yukon potato with red onion, thyme and cream
Sweet Potato Puree 10
Hand mashed sweet potato whipped with maple syrup & vanilla
Honey roasted Butternut Squash 10
Slow roasted butternut squash tossed with olive oil, honey, garlic, rosemary,
sea salt, black pepper
Steamed Jasmine Rice 5
Kids Menu
Chicken Fingers (800g) 19
Lightly breaded and pan fried strips of grain fed chicken breast simply seasoned
with sea salt & pepper
Mac ‘n Cheese 13
Rustic maccheroni tossed in a 3 cheese sauce & topped with parmigiano crust
Fish 'n Chips who's got the best
Ever since I was a kid Tuesday night meant it was Fish 'n Chips for dinner. Those days are gone now and Fish 'n Chips is more of a treat to have once in a while. Since I moved to the city nearly 20 years ago I have eaten at a good number of Chippies. Although there are a number of very good shops in the city, the one that always brings me back to the point this is the only place I go -
British Style Fish and Chips 73 Coxwell avenue (416) 698-7778
The best fish 'n chips in the city bar none, great batter and chips, large portion. You can have a choice of halibut, haddock or cod.
Honorable mentions
Sun Crisp fish and chips, 2047 Weston rd. (416) 244-6663
great fish and chips, but not my end of town
Art's Fish and chips, 1500 6th line, Oakville (905) 844-9209
great fish and chips, probably the best in Oakville.
Len Duckworth's, 2638 Danforth avenue (416) 699-5865
not as good as British, but okay
Where I won't go for fish and chips
Chippy's - overrated and just not all that good
To make at home, next time gotta go
British Style Fish and Chips 73 Coxwell avenue (416) 698-7778
The best fish 'n chips in the city bar none, great batter and chips, large portion. You can have a choice of halibut, haddock or cod.
Honorable mentions
Sun Crisp fish and chips, 2047 Weston rd. (416) 244-6663
great fish and chips, but not my end of town
Art's Fish and chips, 1500 6th line, Oakville (905) 844-9209
great fish and chips, probably the best in Oakville.
Len Duckworth's, 2638 Danforth avenue (416) 699-5865
not as good as British, but okay
Where I won't go for fish and chips
Chippy's - overrated and just not all that good
To make at home, next time gotta go
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Growing up a grilled cheese sandwich meant 2 slices of white bread buttered on the outside and a process cheese slice on the inside cooked in the fry pan and served with ketchup. We then graduated to real cheddar as I got older and for everyday lunch that is what I make at home for the kids all be it on better bread. There is a whole different level of grilled cheese now and that is what I am talking about here. All it takes is a little imagination and some prep time.
What you need
panini grill, if you don't have a panini grill a cast iron pan or heavy bottom frying pan will work
preheat the panini grill to just above medium
s/s mixing bowl
3 Cheese Grilled Cheese
Cheeses
- 4-6 slices caccia cavalo
- 1 ball fiore di latt, sliced into 6
- provolone piccante.
- Ciabatta bun
- truffle butter
Truffle butter ingredients
1/2 lb soft butter
1 shallot very finely minced
1 small clove garlic very finely minced
1tsp white truffle oil
1/2 lemon juiced
3 sprigs parsley, very finely chopped
sea salt and black pepper to taste
In a s/s mixing bowl add all the ingredients to the soft butter and beat together with a whisk. Adjust the seasoning to taste with S & P. This recipe is an approximation and may require some tweaking, but will be a good starting point.
To make your sandwich
- Cut the ciabatta bun as a chapon (this means to trim off the top part of the bun and then slice the bun in half (horizontally). Cutting the bun like this gives you a soft grilled top and a crisp crunchy bottom.
- Layer the cheese - caccia cavalo followed by fiore di latte, and topped with provolone piccante.
- butter the top slice, on the outside and put in the panini press.
press until golden brown and the cheese is nicely melted.
If you are a big fan of truffle oil you can put a few drops of oil on each layer of cheese.
If you do not have a panini grill and are using a fry pan, use 2 thick cut slices of good quality bread and butter both slices with truffle butter.
Tip - fiore di latte and bocconini cheese tend to be very bland, to improve the cheeses flavour make a solution of warm water and sea salt. Allow the cheese to soak and soften slightly in the salt water.
Grilled Cheese & Bacon
This is an absolutely incredible sandwich, but requires some prep and time. Prepare the braised pork hocks at least 1 day ahead.
Ingredients
Ciabatta bun
Gruyere cheese, buy the real gruyere (sliced)
Old white cheddar (sliced)
Braised smoked pork hock, picked
Bechamel sauce
Braised Pork Hock
2 pork hocks cut in 3 slices each. Ask your butcher to knock these through the band saw for you. (like osso bucco)
2 onions, peeled and quartered
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 stock carrot, peeled and chopped
1 sprig of thyme
1 bay leaf, fresh if you have
A few black peppercorns
1 clove
2lt Chicken stock, brought to a simmer
1 cup White wine (a Riesling works very nicely)
2 oz. sunflower oil
Heat your oil in a heavy bottom rondo or large dutch oven. Lightly brown the pork hock and retrieve from the pan. Add your onions & carrot, and brown, then add the celery, thyme, bay leaf, black peppercorns, clove. Add the pork hocks back to the rondo, deglaze with the white wine and reduce by half. Add your chicken stock, bring to a simmer and taste. Adjust the seasoning keeping in mind that the hocks are salted and the braising liquid will reduce. Braise uncovered at 325 degrees until starting to fall off the bone. After you have taken the braise out of the oven allow it to cool for 1 hour. Using a slotted spoon lift the pork hocks out of the braising liquid and into a clean container. A 4 inch deep rectangle will work well. After you have removed all the hocks, strain the braising liquid and discard the veg and herbs. Pour the strained stock over your pork hocks and allow to cool completely and then refridgerate overnight. Remove the pork hock from the braising liquid and pick the meat off the bone. Reserve the braising liquid for another use - it is great in a split pea soup.
Bechamel
1/2lt milk
1/2 onion sliced
3 tbsp unsalted butter
5 tbsp flour
1 bay leaf
1 clove
Melt the butter of medium low heat. Add the onion and sweat until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour creating a roux. Do not let the onion or roux brown.
In a separate pan heat the milk with the clove and bay leaf and steep for 15 minutes.
Slowly incorporate the hot milk into the roux whisking as you add to keep the sauce smooth. Let the sauce cook out for 20 minutes. I remove the bay leaf and clove, but blend in the onion with a hand blender. Season with sea salt, white pepper, nutmeg. Always grate nutmeg from whole. Remove from the pot and allow to cool.
To make the Sandwich
Cut the ciabatta as a chapon, like in the previous sandwich.
Open the ciabatta, on one side put a couple of slices of gruyere, on the other side a couple of slices of old white cheddar. For the middle of the sandwich mix together a generous amount of the picked pork hock with some of the bechamel. Press until golden brown, the cheese is melted and the bechamel/pork hock mixture is heated through.
Note - if you make this sandwich to thick it will not cook through properly and the bread will burn by the time it is cooked through.
This is a challenging sandwich that takes some time and work, but it is the best 'grilled cheese and bacon' sandwich going.
Good Eating,
David
What you need
panini grill, if you don't have a panini grill a cast iron pan or heavy bottom frying pan will work
preheat the panini grill to just above medium
s/s mixing bowl
3 Cheese Grilled Cheese
Cheeses
- 4-6 slices caccia cavalo
- 1 ball fiore di latt, sliced into 6
- provolone piccante.
- Ciabatta bun
- truffle butter
Truffle butter ingredients
1/2 lb soft butter
1 shallot very finely minced
1 small clove garlic very finely minced
1tsp white truffle oil
1/2 lemon juiced
3 sprigs parsley, very finely chopped
sea salt and black pepper to taste
In a s/s mixing bowl add all the ingredients to the soft butter and beat together with a whisk. Adjust the seasoning to taste with S & P. This recipe is an approximation and may require some tweaking, but will be a good starting point.
To make your sandwich
- Cut the ciabatta bun as a chapon (this means to trim off the top part of the bun and then slice the bun in half (horizontally). Cutting the bun like this gives you a soft grilled top and a crisp crunchy bottom.
- Layer the cheese - caccia cavalo followed by fiore di latte, and topped with provolone piccante.
- butter the top slice, on the outside and put in the panini press.
press until golden brown and the cheese is nicely melted.
If you are a big fan of truffle oil you can put a few drops of oil on each layer of cheese.
If you do not have a panini grill and are using a fry pan, use 2 thick cut slices of good quality bread and butter both slices with truffle butter.
Tip - fiore di latte and bocconini cheese tend to be very bland, to improve the cheeses flavour make a solution of warm water and sea salt. Allow the cheese to soak and soften slightly in the salt water.
Grilled Cheese & Bacon
This is an absolutely incredible sandwich, but requires some prep and time. Prepare the braised pork hocks at least 1 day ahead.
Ingredients
Ciabatta bun
Gruyere cheese, buy the real gruyere (sliced)
Old white cheddar (sliced)
Braised smoked pork hock, picked
Bechamel sauce
Braised Pork Hock
2 pork hocks cut in 3 slices each. Ask your butcher to knock these through the band saw for you. (like osso bucco)
2 onions, peeled and quartered
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 stock carrot, peeled and chopped
1 sprig of thyme
1 bay leaf, fresh if you have
A few black peppercorns
1 clove
2lt Chicken stock, brought to a simmer
1 cup White wine (a Riesling works very nicely)
2 oz. sunflower oil
Heat your oil in a heavy bottom rondo or large dutch oven. Lightly brown the pork hock and retrieve from the pan. Add your onions & carrot, and brown, then add the celery, thyme, bay leaf, black peppercorns, clove. Add the pork hocks back to the rondo, deglaze with the white wine and reduce by half. Add your chicken stock, bring to a simmer and taste. Adjust the seasoning keeping in mind that the hocks are salted and the braising liquid will reduce. Braise uncovered at 325 degrees until starting to fall off the bone. After you have taken the braise out of the oven allow it to cool for 1 hour. Using a slotted spoon lift the pork hocks out of the braising liquid and into a clean container. A 4 inch deep rectangle will work well. After you have removed all the hocks, strain the braising liquid and discard the veg and herbs. Pour the strained stock over your pork hocks and allow to cool completely and then refridgerate overnight. Remove the pork hock from the braising liquid and pick the meat off the bone. Reserve the braising liquid for another use - it is great in a split pea soup.
Bechamel
1/2lt milk
1/2 onion sliced
3 tbsp unsalted butter
5 tbsp flour
1 bay leaf
1 clove
Melt the butter of medium low heat. Add the onion and sweat until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour creating a roux. Do not let the onion or roux brown.
In a separate pan heat the milk with the clove and bay leaf and steep for 15 minutes.
Slowly incorporate the hot milk into the roux whisking as you add to keep the sauce smooth. Let the sauce cook out for 20 minutes. I remove the bay leaf and clove, but blend in the onion with a hand blender. Season with sea salt, white pepper, nutmeg. Always grate nutmeg from whole. Remove from the pot and allow to cool.
To make the Sandwich
Cut the ciabatta as a chapon, like in the previous sandwich.
Open the ciabatta, on one side put a couple of slices of gruyere, on the other side a couple of slices of old white cheddar. For the middle of the sandwich mix together a generous amount of the picked pork hock with some of the bechamel. Press until golden brown, the cheese is melted and the bechamel/pork hock mixture is heated through.
Note - if you make this sandwich to thick it will not cook through properly and the bread will burn by the time it is cooked through.
This is a challenging sandwich that takes some time and work, but it is the best 'grilled cheese and bacon' sandwich going.
Good Eating,
David
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Braising
Braising correctly takes patience, practice and having a knack for it doesn't hurt. No matter what you are going to braise be it chicken, beef, veal, lamb, goat the principles are all the same.
What you need;
a heavy bottomed pot, cast iron works great as does stainless steel and enamel coated cast iron.
wooden spoon, tongs
a good low oven (I braise between 275 and 325 degrees)
Ingredients
Lets assume you are using beef
wine, red or white depending on what you are cookin
mire poix - celery, carrots, onions. Additions can be parsnip, parsley root, fennel, garlic, tomato
fresh herbs - thyme, rosemary being 2 of the most common
sea salt or diamond brand kosher salt, black pepper.
stock - it is vital to have a good stock. Try to keep a good chicken stock on hand at all times, it is the most versatile and will not over power any of your braises. The best case scenario for your braise is to have the correct stock available. The better quality your stock the better your braise will be.
Patience - you can't be in a hurry, toss the beef with a little oil and salt and pepper, you can season liberally knowing that your stock has not been seasoned. Brown the beef well in small batches, retrieving it as it is done. When all the beef has been browned add the mire poix without the celery. Celery will release its water and you will not be able to caramelize your veg. When the veg has been caramelized add the beef back to your pot and deglaze with wine for the first time.
Now this is where it gets technical, on the first deglaze reduce the wine to what I affectionately refer to as goo on the bottom of the pan. At this point you are straddling the line between perfect and burnt. Deglaze the pan a second time and repeat this process, reducing the wine 75%. At this point add your hot stock and bring to a simmer. Adjust your seasoning remembering that the braising liquid will reduce quite a bit.
Take your now simmering braise and put it in the oven, uncovered. Because the braise is uncovered you will have to check it every 1/2 hour, turning and stirring it as needed. Once the braise is tender, anywhere from 2 to 6 hours remove it from the oven and allow it to cool. Let the braise rest for 24 to 48 hours before you use it. Take all the mirepoix out of your braise, these veggies have nothing left to give as all there flavour and goodness is in your braise. When you reheat your braise reduce the braising liquid to 1 create a sauce and 2 to intensify flavour. You have to be careful and aware during this step because you can still burn and ruin your braise. Once you have reduced your braising liquid and reheated your braise adjust your seasoning and finish it with a knob of butter to add yet more flavour.
What you need;
a heavy bottomed pot, cast iron works great as does stainless steel and enamel coated cast iron.
wooden spoon, tongs
a good low oven (I braise between 275 and 325 degrees)
Ingredients
Lets assume you are using beef
wine, red or white depending on what you are cookin
mire poix - celery, carrots, onions. Additions can be parsnip, parsley root, fennel, garlic, tomato
fresh herbs - thyme, rosemary being 2 of the most common
sea salt or diamond brand kosher salt, black pepper.
stock - it is vital to have a good stock. Try to keep a good chicken stock on hand at all times, it is the most versatile and will not over power any of your braises. The best case scenario for your braise is to have the correct stock available. The better quality your stock the better your braise will be.
Patience - you can't be in a hurry, toss the beef with a little oil and salt and pepper, you can season liberally knowing that your stock has not been seasoned. Brown the beef well in small batches, retrieving it as it is done. When all the beef has been browned add the mire poix without the celery. Celery will release its water and you will not be able to caramelize your veg. When the veg has been caramelized add the beef back to your pot and deglaze with wine for the first time.
Now this is where it gets technical, on the first deglaze reduce the wine to what I affectionately refer to as goo on the bottom of the pan. At this point you are straddling the line between perfect and burnt. Deglaze the pan a second time and repeat this process, reducing the wine 75%. At this point add your hot stock and bring to a simmer. Adjust your seasoning remembering that the braising liquid will reduce quite a bit.
Take your now simmering braise and put it in the oven, uncovered. Because the braise is uncovered you will have to check it every 1/2 hour, turning and stirring it as needed. Once the braise is tender, anywhere from 2 to 6 hours remove it from the oven and allow it to cool. Let the braise rest for 24 to 48 hours before you use it. Take all the mirepoix out of your braise, these veggies have nothing left to give as all there flavour and goodness is in your braise. When you reheat your braise reduce the braising liquid to 1 create a sauce and 2 to intensify flavour. You have to be careful and aware during this step because you can still burn and ruin your braise. Once you have reduced your braising liquid and reheated your braise adjust your seasoning and finish it with a knob of butter to add yet more flavour.
Monday, January 4, 2010
How to order from Good Eats 2go
1.4.2010
When you have decided what you would like to order scroll down to the email icon and click on it.
This will require you to put your name and email address in the appropriate boxes. In the friends email box type goodeats2go@rogers.com. In the message box send me a short email about the items you would like to order, a delivery address and contact number. You will receive a confirmation email requesting a convenient delivery time. Please be aware of minimum $50.00 order.
This week's menu
January 4, 2010
Below you will find my first menu for 2010. There are a number of changes to the menu, but it still is stocked with favourites. The lunch section is new and I will try it out for a few weeks to see how it goes. Also not included are packages and gift certificates that are available. To find out more just email me and I will send you all the pertinent information.Take into account that I do not produce any food until you place your order, nor do I keep product on hand at the present in anticipation of orders. What this does for you is ensure that the food you receive is cooked to order as it were and is prepared no earlier than 1 day previous to delivery. I hope that you will find something to your liking and look forward to hearing from you. To place an order simply fill out the order form with all pertinent information and email it to me.
Good Eats 2GO Menu
week of January 4, 2010
Soups & Sauces
Old fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup 10
Double chicken stock, chicken, vegetables, noodles, herbs & sea salt
Butternut Squash Soup 10
A winter classic Butternut squash slowly roasted with celery, carrots, onion
granny apple & spices. Finished with a rich chicken stock, sea salt & pepper.
New England Clam Chowder 12
My chowder is rich and thick loaded with clams and potatoes. Ingredients – bacon, onion, celery, potato, butter, a touch of flour, milk, cream, sea salt, pepper and lots of clams.
Tomato Sauce (1lt) 9
Tomatoes, onion, garlic slowly cooked and gently pureed
Bolognese (1lt.) 16
Meat ragu with red wine & plum tomato slowly cooked in a low oven to develop
the complex rich flavours of a true Bolognese
Lunch
Burritos ($5 each, packages of 6) 30
homemade burritos filled with beef, rice, guacamole, salsa, chipotle aioli
in a flour tortillas. Will freeze for 6 weeks
Quesadillas ($5 each, packages of 6) 30
Chicken, black beans, green onion, salsa & Monterey jack cheese. Will freeze for 6 weeks
Red Chile Enchiladas (package of 8) 24
Tortillas filled with a marinated chicken mixture. Ready to bake with a
green chile tomato sauce & Monterey Jack cheese
Soups (500ml tub) 5
Choose from a selection of this week’s soups, minimum order of 3 tubs
Vegetarian Chili (500ml tub) 7
A medley of seasona local vegetables and shell beans slowly cooked with tomatoes
and my own chili powder
Southwest Spicy Chili (500ml tub) 8
Slow cooked ground beef, tomato & white kidney beans highly seasoned
with my own chili powder.
Pasta
Traditional Lasagna 13/26
Layers of fresh pasta, bolognese, 3 cheeses & bechamel
Fussili 14/24
Cork screw pasta tossed with homemade Italian sausage, slow roasted tomato
mushrooms tossed with tomato basil sauce
Orrichette 15/26
'Little ears' with homemade sausage, rapini, garlic and pepperoncino
tossed with rich tomato sauce
Mains
Chicken, Broccoli, Cheddar Casserole 16/29
Pan roasted chicken breast, steamed broccoli, chicken veloutÈ & lemony mayo
A touch of madras curry powder & cheddar cheese
Chicken Pot Pie 15/25
A traditional pot pie with braised chicken & vegetables in a creamy chicken veloutè
My own butter short crust to top it off
Coq au Vin 28
Whole Chicken cut in 8, braised in red wine & chicken stock with fresh thyme
garlic, carrots, pancetta, bulb onion, mushrooms, sea salt & pepper.
Thai Chicken Curry 16/29
Tender pieces of chicken breast slowly cooked in a coconut scented green curry
with lemongrass & ginger. Add a side of steamed Jasmine rice.
Steak & Mushroom Pie 17/29
beef with mushrooms, onion & pancetta slowly braised in a red wine sauce
topped with a butter short crust.
Meatloaf 14/22
Lean meatloaf made with ground sirloin and smothered in mushroom gravy.
Sheppards Pie 15/26
Lean ground beef slow cooked with aromatic vegetables and topped with Yukon mash.
Lanchashire Hot Pot 17/29
A traditional English stew my Gran use to make over the hearth every week.
Simply put it is a beef stew covered with a layer of sliced potatoes and slowly braised for 4 hours.
Southwest Spicy Chili (1lt tub) 15
Slow cooked ground beef, tomato & shell beans highly seasoned
with my own chili powder.
Cabbage Rolls (12 rolls) 28
Tender savoy cabbage leaves stuffed with a mixture of ground pork, rice
onion, tomato and spices gently cooked in a rich tomato sauce
Kids Menu
Chicken Fingers (800g) 19
Lightly breaded and pan fried strips of grain fed chicken breast simply seasoned
with sea salt & pepper
Mac ‘n Cheese 13
Rustic maccheroni tossed in a 3 cheese sauce & topped with parmigiano crust
It's a New Year, time to start talking food again - Bread
January 4, 2010
Since Christmas I have been thinking about my prepared foods business and wondering how to move forward, more importantly how I want to move forward. The first step is starting this blog and to stop procrastinating about it. Step 1 complete.
Now onto the business of Bread, in particular making your own. I have been baking my own bread in different forms on and off for about 20 years. When I was younger it was all about sourdough, and as Anthony Bourdain so eloquently put it, "feeding the bitch." You need a starter for any sourdough and depending who you talk to that is begun with grapes or potatoes, but you can build a starter with simply flour and water. The problem with making your own starter is twofold, first it takes about 2 weeks to develop a starter and 2nd unless you are dedicated to it, your starter will die. For those that would like to make their own sourdough I will find one of my old feeding schedules, a simple one and post it at a later date.
Today I make bread almost daily, partly because I got tired of paying for something I could do myself and because now I just keep it simple. I have a few base recipes that I use that are quick, simple and produce a good loaf of bread. It's not the sourdough I used to make, but maybe I'll get back to that later.
Simple Bread Recipe 1
6-7 cups unbleached flour, use a good quality flour
1 1/2 tablespoons yeast (dry active)
1 1/2 tablespoons sea salt, use a good quality salt
1 tablespoon honey
3 cups slightly warm water
mix the water, yeast, honey & salt together, allow the yeast to dissolve.
stir in the flour until incorporated, but do not knead the dough.
let the dough rise, covered (about 2hrs.). Once the dough has risen, you are ready to bake. Cut the dough to size, this recipe will give you approx. 4 500g loaves, but you can cut the dough any size you want. Baking time will have to be adjusted, a little longer for a bigger loaf and a little less time for a smaller loaf. The dough will last in the fridge for a few days. For best results use a baking stone, but it is only recommended not necessary. I do use a baking stone, but a baking sheet will work.
-preheat your oven to 400 degrees, add a water bath to the bottom of the oven to create steam.
- you need flour for dusting
-take your cut piece of dough (500g), dust it with flour and shape it into a ball.
score the dough and leave it to rise, you can bake after about 40 minutes, but I leave mine longer. While the dough is resting make sure there is enough flour so it will not stick to your board.
- take the dough from your board and place it on your baking surface and bake for approx. 30 minutes
- once your loaf is baked remove it from the oven and let it rest for at least 30 minutes before cutting into it.
Good eating,
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