Have you ever had a puffball?

This weekend, as I was strolling through the St Lawrence Market for some seasonal produce my eyes landed on this unusual specimen: a puffball! These large, rounded cream-coloured gems - part of the mushroom family - were my market-find of the day. I had never seen these anywhere before (have you?), but after a little research I knew exactly how I would be serving them.

Puffballs can be cooked much in the same way as regular cremini or button mushroom, although they have more of a soft, spongy, marshmallow-like texture. They reduce a lot when cooked and are best enjoyed warm. Even though I stocked up on heirloom tomatoes, golden beets and wild blueberries for the week, I was most excited about these over-sized cartoon-worthy goodies.With a little white wine, herbs and garlic, they make a perfect side dish. They soak up flavour with ease and plump up when cooked with wine.

Roasted Heirloom Baby Carrots

There's often a misconception that making a healthy meal takes time and is not achievable on any given day of the week. This post is meant as an easy recipe to counter that approach! A couple weeks ago, I was asked what my tips were to eat healthy while saving time and money. My answer was to buy seasonally whenever you can. Seasonal produce is generally more flavourful, affordable and needs little to be turned into a delicious meal. These carrots are the perfect example. I purchased them at the Evergreen Brick Works farmers' market here in Toronto and they made the most perfect lunch. I simply roasted them with olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs and served them alongside a sunny side-up egg and some crusty bread. With a glass of local fall apple cider, it's pretty close to the perfect lunch in my book! These baby carrots are so small and sweet that they barely need to be peeled and are so pretty on a plate with their different shades of oranges, yellows and purple. They're nothing better than a plate that screams autumn to make me happy to put on some boots, a warm scarf and make the best of falling leaves and crisp air.

This dish can be made with many other vegetables: try roasting some baby potatoes the same way or turnips and sweet potato. For quick meals, I like to use baby vegetables, but you can also chop your veggies in bite-size pieces. If you're making this for dinner, add some roasted salmon on top, or a nicely seared piece of chicken breast - or for a lighter meal, try it as I did, with a couple eggs, sunny side-up.

In other recent news, a couple articles I had been working on were published in the Food and Beverage section of National Post this week. I interviewed a few bloggers for the piece - Deeba from Passionate about Baking, Matt from WrightFood and Kevin from Closet Cooking as part of an article on kitchen tools, as well as MacKenzie from Grilled Cheese Social, about her love and passion for the world of toasted bread and melted cheese. You can take a look at the articles here!

 

Parmesan and Herb Mashed Potatoes

With Thanksgiving only days away here in Canada I thought I would post an easy side dish recipe that pairs wonderfully with deliciously moist turkey and sides such as green bean salad or beet puree. I certainly didn't grow up celebrating Thanksgiving (it's obviously not a holiday of any kind in France!) but it's a tradition I have come to embrace since moving to North America. There's a little French touch in all the dishes I like to serve for the big day - and it's been a nice way to bring in a little of my upbringing and culture into the mix.

For this potato puree, I added some fresh herbs and some good quality Parmesan cheese to a classic buttery mashed potato recipe. These few easy additions help turn simple mashed potatoes into something a little more special.

For more of my Fall recipes, take a peak at Canadian Gardening. What will you be serving this Thanksgiving?


Parmesan and Herb Mashed Potatoes

8 large Yukon gold potatoes
2 tablespoons of butter
1/4 to 1/2 cup of milk
1/4 cup of good quality Parmesan shavings
2 tablespoon of finely chopped parsleySalt and freshly cracked black pepper

Peel the potatoes and cut into quarters. Add the potatoes to a stockpot and fill with cold water to cover. Add a couple teaspoons of coarse kosher salt and bring to a boil.

Cook for 12 to 15 minutes or until the potatoes are completely cooked and tender. Drain the potatoes and immediately return to the warm stock pot.

Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until they begin to break down, about 30 seconds. Add the butter and mash vigorously to melt. Add the milk and mash again until the mixture is smooth and silky. If the mixture is too chunky for your liking add a couple more tablespoons of milk.

Once the potatoes have reached the desired consistency, fold in the Parmesan cheese and herbs. Add a couple good pinches of salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Cauliflower with Olives and Herbs

When planning for a meal, a lot of us think of which fish or meat to prepare but don't necessarily give that much thought to what it will be served with. Side dishes, as their name suggests, are often an afterthought and not the protagonist of the meal. While simple salads, pasta and rice are lifesavers during busy workweeks, it's practical to have a few simple, healthy side dishes that you can quickly whip up and that will add to whatever it is that you're serving.

French cooking is pretty brilliant when it comes to tasty side dishes. I grew up eating a variety of delicious side dishes that could almost make a meal on their own. Some of my favourites are garlicky haricots verts, butter-glazed carrots, "poireaux vinaigrette" (velvety soft leeks with dressing), endive salad with Rochefort, walnuts and apple. This cauliflower dish came about after browsing through a couple of Mark Bittman's cookbooks, and I've added it to my list of easy side dishes that turn a meal from ordinary to one filled with colour and flavour.

What are some of your favourite side dishes?

Cauliflower with Olives and Herbs
Serves 4

1 medium-sized cauliflower, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup of nicoise olives, pitted and chopped
1/4 cup of chopped parsley
1/4 cup of bread crumbs
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Olive oil

Add a good drizzle of olive oil to a hot pan on medium heat. Once the oil is warm, add the cauliflower in one layer and leave untouched for 3-4 minutes or until the cauliflower starts to brown. Give the pan a stir and add the olives, parsley and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the bread crumbs and stir until the bread crumbs are golden and toasty. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic-Infused Oil and Goat Cheese

I often get asked where I find my inspiration in the kitchen. A lot of recipes I develop come from dishes I have sampled while traveling and from tasting a delicious meal at a restaurant. Every once in a while, I taste a dish that I know I should try to make at home. This tomato recipe is inspired from one of my favourite restaurants in Montreal, Tapeo. This restaurant serves a myriad of tapas-inspired dishes, all using crisp, simple ingredients. There is one dish that I always order there, the roasted cherry tomatoes - the tomatoes are slowly roasted until soft, and cooked in a garlic-infused oil with herbs and soft, velvety goat cheese.

After living in Montreal for the past few years, I am in the process of packing up the Chocolate Shavings kitchen and moving to Toronto. This recipe is a nice homage to some of the best food I have enjoyed in Montreal. My cooking philosophy has always been that simple ingredients, cooked to perfection make the best meals. This dish exemplifies this and is a wonderful way to use tomatoes in the summertime. I like to serve it alongside a crusty piece of bread and a green salad for lunch, and as a side dish to roasted fish or grilled chicken for dinner. Tomatoes are really one of the best fruits to roast. They release all of their naturally sweet juices and burst with flavor as soon as they are cut open.


Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic-Infused Oil and Goat Cheese
Serves 2

3 tablespoons of olive oil
3 medium-sized cloves of garlic, crushed
5 sprigs of thyme
A dozen vine-ripened cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup of coarsely crumbled soft goat cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Remove the thyme leaves from their stem and finely chop. Reserve.

Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a small saucepan on low heat add the olive oil, thyme and crushed garlic. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes to the saucepan (leaving the stems on) and cook for 5 minutes, on low heat, until the tomatoes just start to soften. Place the tomatoes in a casserole and drizzle with the garlic-infused oil and thyme. Top with the crumbled goat cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the tomatoes are softened. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Tomates Provencales

This dish is the ultimate reminder of the food I grew up eating in France. When baked, tomatoes become incredibly sweet. These are filled with breadcrumbs and herbs which complement the juicy tomato flesh. I like to serve these alongside roast beef, braised lamb or lemon sauteed sole. This dish is best enjoyed when tomatoes are at their peak, and with homemade coarse breadcrumbs... but realistically, you can't always make that happen. They are also delicious with store-bought breadcrumbs, and, in the middle of the winter, it's a nice reminder that spring is just around the corner.

This photo was taken before these tomatoes went in the oven... and once cooked they disappeared before I had time to shoot them!
Tomates Provencales
Serves 2-4

3 large plump tomatoes, halved
3 garlic cloves, crushed and finely diced
1/2 cup of breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

Preheat your oven to 375F. Lay out the tomatoes seed side up, in a large oven-proof baking dish. Scoop out some of the seeds to make more room for the breadcrumbs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, garlic and parsley. Using a small spoon, fill the tomatoes with the breadcrumbs mixture. Drizzle with some olive oil and bake for 30 minutes or until the tomatoes are softened and the breadcrumbs are golden brown. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Roasted Cauliflower

My last few posts have been on the sweet side: after Lemon Cupcakes with Chocolate Icing, Chocolate Fondants with Salted Caramel Sauce and Tiramisu, I thought it might be time to present you with something to eat before all of those treats! This roasted cauliflower recipe is not mine, nor was it made by me but I just had to post it. Mr. O has been cooking wonderful little snacks for me to have around the house while I've been working on a few projects. Although I work around the realm of food, somedays I am just writing away and don't have as much time as I'd want to frolic in the kitchen and try new things. I opened the fridge a couple days ago and this wonderful batch of roasted cauliflower was just calling my name. It's a wonderfully healthy and satisfying way to enjoy cauliflower - a vegetable that I haven't been using nearly as much as I should. It also makes a wonderful side dish to a nicely pan-seared piece of fish and works beautifully to top a simple citrus and nut salad. You will have to wait a little to get the recipe (until Oliver gets back and tells me his secret!) , which, from what I understand, is a tweaked version of Jamie Oliver's recipe.

It really has been a busy couple weeks in this household! Between hosting the Daring Bakers (I can't wait to see everyone's results!), an ever-increasing amount of submissions to go through on Tastespotting, a few exciting food projects in the works, some recipe development, photo shoots and some night classes to attend..as well as a small move to London (for a month in the summer for an exciting food project I can't reveal right away) there hasn't been enough hours in the day. If you live in London and have some suggestions for good food spots, local markets, specialty stores or any cool local activities, I'm all ears!

Roasted Cauliflower:
2 heads of cauliflower
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon of whole coriander seeds
2 teaspoons of cumin seeds
2 teaspoons of black mustard seeds
1/4 cup of powdered almonds

Boil a large pot of water and add a generous quantity of salt. Heat your oven to 450 degrees farenheit. Using a frying pan without oil, dry-fry the spices for 1-2minutes, add them to a grinder and grind to a powder. Meanwhile, cut the cauliflower in half, and then into florets. Add them to the water for 5-6 minutes, and drain. Spread the cauliflower out onto a baking sheet, and allow to airdry for several hours. Alternately, dry in a 100-200 degree oven for 10 minutes or so. In a big bowl, mix the cauliflower with the spices and pour the oil and powdered almonds.

Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes until it becomes nicely golden brown and even crispy.

Thanksgiving Side Dish Ideas

I'm taking a little break from my apple frenzy to bring you a few side dish ideas for Thanksgiving. Us Canadians (let's just say I'm Canadian for the sake of this conversation) will be celebrating Thanksgiving this coming Monday. I've been working on holiday side dishes since the early days of September (ah, the joys of being a food writer!) so safe to say that I've been feeling the holiday spirit for a little while now.

Here's a small selection of the results - some traditional, some a little less so, so take your pick! What's your favorite holiday dish?

Beet and Potato Puree
Serves 4

10 small yukon gold potatoes
10 cooked and drained canned beets
2 tablespoons of soft butter
¼ cup of heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Boil the potatoes until soft, drain and mash.
Add the roughly chopped beets to a pan with 2 tablespoons of water and cook until the beets are soft (about 5-6 minutes). Remove from the heat and mash using the back of a spoon. Mix the beets and potatoes until the mixture is homogeneous. Transfer the mixture to a pot on medium low heat. Add the softened butter, heavy cream and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Once the puree is velvety and warm, remove from the heat and serve.

Lightened Sweet Potato Casserole
Serves 4
3 large sweet potatoes
A pinch of nutmeg
A pinch of cinnamon
2 tablespoon of softened butter
¼ cup and 1 tablespoon of whole milk
¼ cup and 1 tablespoon of packed brown sugar
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400F. Using a fork, prick the skin of the sweet potatoes, set on a baking sheet and bake for 45 min-1 hour or until soft. Remove from the oven, and peel once the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle. Reduce the heat to 350 F.

Place the sweet potato flesh in a bowl, and mash with the back of a spoon. Stir in the softened butter, the sugar and the milk. Add the nutmeg, cinnamon and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Place the sweet potato mixture in individual ramekins or a casserole dish. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the top of the mixture is golden.

Green Bean Salad with Roasted Almonds and Shallot Dressing
Serves 4

1 pound of green beans
¼ cup of slithered almonds
2 shallots, finely sliced
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and a drizzle to cook the shallots
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Cook the green beans in a big pot of salted boiling water. The water should be as salty as sea water. Remove from the heat as soon as the beans are tender. Place them immediately in a big bowl of salted ice cold water with ice cubes to ensure that the cooking process stops and that the beans maintain their vibrant green color. Once the beans are completely cold, pat them dry using a kitchen towel.
Place a pan on medium heat, and add the slithered almonds. Stir frequently until the almonds are golden brown. Remove from the heat and place in a small bowl to cool down.
Place a pan on medium low heat and add a good drizzle of olive oil. Place the finely sliced shallots in the pan and cook, stirring often, until the shallots are soft and translucent (about 10 minutes). Remove from the heat and reserve.
In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil and lemon juice and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Add the shallots and stir. Spoon the vinaigrette over the green beans, and sprinkle with the roasted almonds.

Cold Soba Noodle Salad with Red Peppers, Peas and Scallions

A nice cold noodle salad ranks pretty high on my list of perfect summer food. It's an easy salad to put together, and it can be prepared several hours before serving. I've been pretty busy lately with several projects and in those times the go-to meals are always the ones I turn to. This salad is versatile (you could use different peppers, mango, slithers of cucumber or grilled chicken if you don't have red pepper or peas) and you could also serve it warm. I served it with a medium rare sliced steak which made for a really nice meal.

For me, summer is all about traveling and eating great food with great company. With those ideals in mind, I am headed to San Francisco very soon. San Francisco would probably be the one place on the West Coast that I could picture myself living in. Being quite fair skinned and not the best camper when it's really warm, San Francisco was the perfect choice for a birthday celebration trip. I will be making the - in my opinion mandatory - trip to Alice Walters' Chez Panisse and have a list of restaurants, bakeries and taco joints I can't wait to try out. Life is good!

Cold Soba Noodle Salad with Red Peppers, Peas and Scallions
Recipe (serves 4)

2 teaspoons of low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon of fish sauce
Buckweat soba noodles for 4
1/2 cup of cooked peas
1 small red pepper, finely diced
2 large scallions, finely minced
1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds
Canola oil

In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and fish sauce. Reserve.

Cook the noodles according to package instructions. Drain, and lightly drizzle with some canola oil to prevent the noodles from sticking. Reserve and let cool.

Transfer the cold noodles to your serving bowl. Add the diced red peppers, scallions, peas and sesame seeds. Dress with the soy marinade and stir. Serve cold or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Prosciutto-wrapped Asparagus

Often times, the most simple recipes turn out to be the ones you want to make over and over again because they are so delicious. This recipe fits this category perfectly. Having recently purchased a barbecue, I have been grilling a lot and discovering the joys of outdoor cooking (on a balcony that is). Grilled asparagus is fast and delicious, and it took minutes to put this whole recipe together. Please feel free to share your favorite grilling recipes here, I would love to know what has been making your best-recipe list this summer!

Recipe:
Asparagus
Good quality thinly sliced prosciutto
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Lemon juice

Turn on your barbecue (or indoor grill) to medium heat. Drizzle a little olive oil on the asparagus and season with salt and pepper. Grill for about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, and wrap the prosciutto around the stems as soon as the asparagus is cold enough to handle. Wrap the prosciutto tightly to ensure that it will stick to the asparagus. Grill for an additional 2-4 minutes depending on how cooked you want the asparagus and how crispy you want the prosciutto. Drizzle with a little lemon juice, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Lemongrass Pork Riblets

My most recent cook-book purchase (on the advice of fellow food-blogger Holybasil) is Andrea Nguyen's superb 'Into the Vietnamese Kitchen.' It's one of those rare cookbooks that you can read almost like a novel. She details the ordeals of her family leaving Saigon in 1975 and establishing a new life on the West Coast, and she talks about how her mom persisted in preserving and recreating authentic meals despite the limited American grocery supply. I like this book so much because it really underscores the crucial role that food plays in the maintenance of cultural heritages, especially in expat communities.

My paternal family also fled from Saigon, probably a few short months after Andrea's, and I grew up in a thoroughly Canadian culture. I don't speak the language, and I've never been to Vietnam. Food, and the family rituals that surround it, remain as my strongest link to my cultural inheritance and I've learned to treasure that.

These little riblets are a real treat and they were really fun to make. The key ingredient is lemongrass, a long-stalk, husk-like vegetable that has all the aroma and freshness of lemon without the acidity. A medium-sized bunch set me back 99 cents at the local asian market. The other secret ingredient is a wonderful caramel sauce called Nuoc Mau, that Andrea Nguyen explains how to make both in her book and on her blog here. In a pinch though, honey will work just as well. The riblets are marinated for 24 hours and then roasted in the oven. They weren't quite as tender as I thought they'd be (I think I will try adapting this recipe by braising them beforehand) but they were packed with flavour. A warning though: they are really messy to eat!



Recipe
1 rack of spareribs or babyback ribs, cut lengthwise into 2 inch pieces
1 cucumber, to serve

For the marinade
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 large shallot, chopped
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 tablespoons of honey or Caramel Sauce
1 tablespoon of fish sauce (nuoc mam)
2 tablespoons of canola oil
2 lemongrass stalks, trimmed and minced

To prepare the ribs, carefully peel off the tough white membrane along the back of the ribs. This will take a bit of force, so be careful. Cut between the bones into individual riblets.

For the marinade, mix the garlic, shallot, lemongrass and oil and blend them in a mortar and pestle or small processor. Add to a large bowl. Add in the brown sugar, black pepper, soy sauce, caramel sauce and fish sauce and mix. Add the riblets and, using your hands, coat the meat in the marinade, cover with plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge overnight.

30-45 minutes before cooking, take the bowl out of the fridge to let the meat get to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit and put a rack on the top shelf of the oven. Arrange the riblets on a foil-lined baking sheet with the meat side up. Reserve the marinade. Cook for about 7 minutes, remove from the oven and quickly brush with the marinade. Put them back in the oven for another 5-7 minutes depending on how big they are. Serve with sliced cucumber, some small chiles and some soy sauce for dipping. And, of course, a hefty supply of paper towels to clean up afterwards!

Potato Bread with Rosemary, Pancetta and Walnuts

This month's Daring Bakers entry was a savoury, but challenging, treat: Potato Bread. Having never attempted bread before, I was a little apprehensive about taking on this challenge. There are so many things that can go wrong with bread-making! You're constantly asking yourself questions: Is the water too hot for the yeast? Too cold? Has the dough been kneaded too much? Too little? Is there too much flour? Nonetheless, the trick is to plow on and to trust your instincts and hope for the best! In this case, the recipe was quite easy to follow and it turned out really well.

We made a couple variations on the recipe: we made different little rolls each stuffed with a combination of walnuts and pancetta and rosemary. We cooked the pancetta first and then added it to the dough - it gave the bread a great salty taste. I also made some flavoured butter (rosemary, lemon and salt) which made it even easier to enjoy a bread-only dinner..!



Ingredients:

4 medium to large floury (baking) potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks.
Tanna Note: For the beginner bread baker I suggest no more than 8 ounces of potato; for the more advanced no more than 16 ounces. The variety of potatoes you might want to use would include Idaho, Russet & Yukon gold, there are others.

4 cups(950 ml) water, reserve cooking water
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
6 ½ cups to 8 ½ cups (1 kg to 1350g) unbleached all-purpose
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (130g) whole wheat flour

Making the Dough (Directions will be for making by hand):

Put the potatoes and 4 cups water in a sauce pan and bring to boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt and cook, half covered, until the potatoes are very tender.

Drain the potatoes, SAVE THE POTATO WATER, and mash the potatoes well. Tanna Note: I have a food mill I will run my potatoes through to mash them.

Measure out 3 cups(750ml) of the reserved potato water. Add extra water if needed to make 3 cups. Place the water and mashed potatoes in the bowl you plan to mix the bread dough in. Let cool to lukewarm (70-80°F/21 - 29°C) – stir well before testing the temperature – it should feel barely warm to your hand. You should be able to submerge you hand in the mix and not be uncomfortable.

Add yeast to 2 cups all-purpose flour and whisk. Add yeast and flour to the cooled mashed potatoes & water and mix well. Allow to rest/sit 5 minutes.

Note about Adding Yeast: If using Active Dry Yeast or Fresh yeast, mix & stir yeast into cooled water and mashed potatoes & water and let stand 5 minutes. Then add 2 cups of flour to the yeast mix and allow to rest several minutes. If using Instant Dry Yeast, add yeast to 2 cups all-purpose flour and whisk. Add yeast and flour to the cooled mashed potatoes & water and mix well. Allow to rest/sit 5 minutes.

Sprinkle in the remaining 1 tablespoon salt and the softened butter; mix well. Add the 1 cup whole wheat flour, stir briefly.

Add 2 cups of the unbleached all-purpose flour and stir until all the flour has been incorporated.

Turn the dough out onto a generously floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, incorporating flour as needed to prevent sticking. The dough will be very sticky to begin with, but as it takes up more flour from the kneading surface, it will become easier to handle; use a dough scraper to keep your surface clean. The kneaded dough will still be very soft. Place the dough in a large clean bowl or your rising container of choice, cover with plastic wrap or lid, and let rise about 2 hours or until doubled in volume.

Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead gently several minutes. It will be moist and a little sticky.


Divide the dough into 2 unequal pieces in a proportion of one-third and two-thirds (one will be twice as large as the other). Place the smaller piece to one side and cover loosely.

To make rolls:
Butter a 13 x 9 inch sheet cake pan or a shallow cake pan. Use the larger part of the dough to make 6-7 equal pieces. Shape each into a ball under the palm of your floured hand and place on the baking sheet, leaving 1/2 inch between the balls. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about 35 minutes, until puffy and almost doubled.

Baking the bread:
Preheat the oven to 450°(230°C) for 10 minutes and then turn the oven down to 375°F (190 °C) for the remaining time.

Bake rolls until golden, about 30 minutes and let all the rolls cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Rolls can be served warm or at room temperature.

Transfer the rolls to a rack when done to cool. When the loaf or loaves have baked for the specified time, remove from the pans and place back on the stone, tiles or baking sheet for another 5 to 10 minutes. The corners should be firm when pinched and the bread should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.