chewingfat

It was -12°C today in Toronto, that’s 10°F for those of you resisting to adopt the metric system. Either way it’s bloody cold. To compensate for this I’ve decided to post one of my favorite things to cook and eat, though I could do without the prep.

The thick mahogany broth, the velvety caramelized onions, the crisp toasted baguette and the sharp gooey cheese work in perfect harmony in this near fool-proof recipe. I’ve tried so many variations of this, but I keep coming back to this one. I’d say it is loosely based on sound advice from Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles Cookbook and a recipe I experienced at Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain in New York last fall.

Ingredients you’ll need: [photo 1]

• 3 red onions
• 3 Vidalias or Sweet Onions
• 3 tablespoons of butter
• White wine – I can’t say how much, though expect to use about 450ml (2 cups) for the soup and likely a glass or two for drinking while your cooking. In short, you’ll need a bottle – yet another reason why you don’t cook with wine you wouldn’t drink.
• 2 liters of stock – Beef stock is preferred. Half beef, half chicken is a nice alternative, or vegetable stock if you want to keep this one vegetarian.
• Bouquet garni – thyme sprigs, bay leaf and parsley
• 1 Baguette
• Splash of Cognac – a fine quality one. I know it’s expensive but you’ll cook with it a lot in small amounts so it will last quite awhile.
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Parsley – picked from stems
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher Salt
• Ground black pepper
• A big hunk of good quality old cheddar – yes, cheddar. While imported Gruyère makes for traditional French Onion Soup, this is a little modification inspired by Bar Americain is a wicked little twist.

  Other stuff you’ll need:

• Large pot
• Oven with a good broiler (a propane torch is a good substitute)
• Ovenproof crocks
• Wooden spoon
• Ladle
• Box of tissues

  Cut the ends off the onions then peel off the first couple of layers. Thinly slice them from end to end. Over medium heat, melt the butter and begin adding a layer of onions – enough so you can no longer see any of the bottom of the pot and sprinkle with a little bit of salt. Add another layer of onions then a dash more salt, do this until you’re out of onions [photo 2]. Resist the urge to stir until the onions REALLY start to caramelize – don’t worry about a little burning. Sweat the onions down for about 20 minutes then you can stir occasionally [photo 3]. This next part takes awhile, open the wine and have a glass, keep it handy because it’s the next ingredient. What you are looking for is a dark mahogany colour. It should take about an hour and requires occasional stirring. Again, don’t fret if it burns a little bit, and don’t worry if it takes more than an hour – just wait for a nice even dark colour [photo 4].

  Once your comfortable with the colour add enough white wine to cover what’s left of the onions and stir. Now is a good time to take the wooden spoon and scrape up all the delicious little bits that have stuck to your pot. Reduce the wine down to a syrup [photo 5]. Add the stock and bouquet garni. Set the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. [photo 6]

  Slice a few rounds off the baguette and brush a little olive oil on them – toast lightly.

  Place the garlic cloves in some tin foil and drizzle them with olive oil. Roast them at 260°C (500°F) until soft to the touch, about 15 minutes. Finely chop the parsley and roasted garlic, incorporate into 100ml of olive oil.

  Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Splash a little cognac in. Ladle the soup into crocks, but leave a little space at the top. Place your toasted baguette round on top of the soup and top with the cheddar. I suggest thin slices that overlap the edge of the crock. That way you get the sticky goodness on the outside of the crock and it prevents the cheese from submerging in the soup. Broil the crocks until cheese is bubbly and golden. Spoon on a little of the garlic, parsley pesto before serving [photo 7].

  
  
  
  
  
  
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Quick, easy and delicious – this is the perfect storm of appetizers.

Ingredients you’ll need: [photo 1]

* 1 beef tenderloin (about 1½ inches thick)

• 1 baguette, sliced into ½ inch rounds (about 8 pieces)
• olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• kosher salt & ground black pepper
• a few sprigs of thyme

  Other stuff you’ll need:

• Pastry Brush
• Cast iron skillet

  Generously brush each baguette round with olive oil. Bake or toast until slightly golden. Rub the garlic onto the tenderloin [photo 2]. Put enough olive oil in the skillet to to cover the surface area of the tenderloin and set the burner to high. Once the oil is nearing it’s smoke point, place the tenderloin into the skillet. When the garlic starts to brown flip it over, remove the browned garlic and reserve (Make sure the garlic doesn’t burn, because there’s no saving it). Do this for the other side as well. Once all the garlic is browned and removed you’ll want to focus on browning the beef – this may take another minute or two a side [photo 3].

  Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the tenderloin until it reaches desired doneness (120˚C – 130˚C for rare). Remove the tenderloin to the cutting board and tent a piece of tin foil over it for about 5 minutes. Thinly slice the beef [photo 4] and place on top of the bread rounds. Garnish with thyme, browned garlic, kosher salt and pepper [photo 5].

  
  
  
  
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WinterCity offers up Soup’s On this weekend (it’s on next weekend too) at Nathan Phillips Square. It starts at Noon and runs to 6:30 both days. Sample free soup and music from around the world.

Azure Restaurant’s Chef de Cuisine, Jonaton Lome cooks up Lobster Chupe on Saturday 4-5pm.

I’m not sure if the recipe is Ruth Fertel’s own but Chef Jess Ostlund will be serving up Ruth’s Chris’ Louisiana Seafood and Sausage Gumbo – This stuff is gold I tell ya.

This was going to be my first video recipe. However, I quickly found out that cooking and filming at same time require more hands than I’ve got. My next thought was to setup a mini tripod (which I don’t have) on my counter to attempt this but I’m not sure I’d get the angles necessary. I really need to do some thinking about this – I’m not sure how my wife would feel about a ceiling rig. In the end I resorted to my digital camera.

A few things to note on the quality of the photos. I opted for longer exposures over flash photography which sometimes resulted in slightly blurry shots – apologies in advance while I work out the bugs.

This recipe is as simple as the title. It should be enough for four servings, but I typically make a ton more and freeze it. It’s awesome to use for lasagna, pizza sauce, or in this case, a simple sauce over pasta. I should note that this sauce certainly has some kick to it. It’s equally good without the spicy ingredients, so feel free to omit.

Ingredients you’ll need: [photo 1]

• 2 cans of whole tomatoes – Not surprisingly, a good red sauce is all about the tomatoes. Don’t waste your effort looking for fresh tomotoes for a red sauce, especially in January. Good canned tomatoes will do the trick. Pastene is what my local guy stocks.
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 jalapeño pepper
• ¼ red onion
• 1 shallot
• 1 stalk celery
• fresh parsley
• 2 ounces olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup red wine
• Kosher salt and black pepper

  Other stuff you’ll need:

  * oven proof sauce pan – I use a cast iron skillet

• wooden spoon
• strainer
• saucepot

  Open the cans of tomatoes and strain them into a saucepot [photo 2]. Get a little rough with them and make sure you stain them of all their liquid. It may take a little bit of time and effort but it’s worth it. Try and remove any excess seeds from the tomatoes – set the tomatoes aside for now. [photo 3]

  Add the brown sugar, red pepper and parsley into the tomato juice [photo 4]. Get the juice simmering and reduce them by about half.

  Dice the onion, shallot and garlic. Slice the jalapeño and combine them in the skillet. Pour in the olive oil and toss. Sprinkle a little salt on top and roast them in the oven at 350˚F until the onion becomes translucent – about 15 minutes. [photo 5]

  Now that your tomatoes have likely sat in a bowl for a few minutes you may notice a little juice at the bottom. just pour it into the juice that simmering. Add the tomatoes to the skillet and set the oven to broil. Keep an eye on these. You want them to brown ever so slightly [photo 6]. Once that happens place the skillet on a low burner and add the red wine – cook for a minute or two. [photo 7]

  Incorporate the goodness from the skillet into the sauce pot and stir. [photo 8]

  By now I’m sure you’ve tasted this a few times, taste it again and add salt and pepper to your liking.

  The rest is up to you, in this case I put it over some rigatoni. [photo 9]

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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I had an idea last night about posting a few videos that cover-off some knife skills. Then I realized that the food network had already done a pretty good job of this (even though it uses Windows Media).

Here are the different skills they cover:

• Brunoise
• Chiffonade
• Chop
• Dice
• Julienne
• Mince
• Sharpen Knives
• Slice

  You can “view them all here”:http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/ck_dm_knife_skills

  If you’re looking for some hands-on schooling check out the Calphalon Culinary Center

I know that writing about ice cream mid-January seems odd, but when I saw this recipe via the Boston Globe who intern got it from a book called Sunday Suppers at Lucques, I just had to post it.

Having recently purchased an ice cream maker, I haven’t had much of a chance to experiment – mostly simple sorbets and traditional ice creams. The guys at Lucques are pretty creative and successful, so I’m sure it rocks. I’ll be experimenting with this at the next dinner party – I’ll follow up on this post with the results.

Ingredients you’ll need

* ½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise

• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ⅔ cup Guinness stout
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons molasses
• 4 egg yolks
• ⅓ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

  Other stuff you’ll need

  * Saucepan

• Whisk
• Metal Mixing Bowls (1 cold)
• Wooden spoon
• Ice cream maker

  # In a medium saucepan, scrape in the vanilla bean seeds. Add the pod, milk, and cream. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let the flavors infuse for 30 minutes.

1. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together the stout and molasses. Bring to a boil and turn off heat.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the yolks, sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk in a few tablespoons of the hot cream mixture, then slowly whisk in another ¼ cup of the cream. Add the remaining cream in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan.
3. Stir the beer mixture into the cream mixture. Cook the custard over medium heat, stirring often with a wooden spoon, for 6 to 8 minutes or until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon.
4. Strain the mixture into a bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Process the custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

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It seems so plain-jane predictable to order lobster while dinning in a Halifax restaurant. However, this is no regular lobster, and it’s no regular restaurant either. This meal actually turned a good vegetarian friend of mine into a meat eater. He and I found ourselves in Halifax on business regualarly, wondering the relatively small downtown area for good eats. Bish, Da Maurizio, Fid, Fiasco and O’Carroll’s are a few we frequented that I keep top-of-mind to recommend to friends who are traveling there.

From the outside O’Carroll’s appears quite normal – A historic brick building close to the harbour. On the inside it is split into two. On the right there is a small bar with a great collection of scotch and a stage that seems to have live music every time I visit. On the left side there is a candlelit dinning room with white linens. It’s surprisingly nice sitting down to dinner with local folk music playing in the background. As for service, Vince is a gracious waiter/host/bartender who seems to remember you, even if it’s been a year since your last visit.

I should mention this isn’t O’Carroll’s recipe, it’s my own. I wouldn’t feel right about just posting a recipe without writing about the inspiration.

Without further ado…
Ingredients you’ll need

• 700-800g (1½ lb) lobsters – Pick them up live from your market, literally. Hold them in your hand and make sure that their shells are nice and firm. You want them very lively, so lively that you fear if the rubber bands give way that your fingers are in jeopardy. If they all look docile, don’t pay more than $10/lb and make a bisque.
• 6 tbsp. butter
• 1 finely-chopped shallot
• 2 cloves chopped garlic
• 3 oz. Irish whiskey
• 2 cups heavy cream
• Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper (to taste)
• ½ cup chopped chives

  Other stuff you’ll need


I usually don’t mention what knife/knives you may need, but I will for this recipe.
• A serious chef’s knife with a good blade, hefty back and some weight – I use a Global but there are many other good brands
• Sauce pan
• Some nerves if you’ve never put a knife through the back of a lobster’s head – remember they’re just bugs

  Place the tip of your knife on the top of the lobster just behind the head and plunge through – Have a swig of that whiskey if you feel you need to boost your courage. Now that that’s out of the way, cut the lobster in half – remove the organs, crack open the claws. Heat the butter and add the garlic and shallots until it’s frothy. Add the lobster shell side up and cook for about 3 minutes, flip it over and cook for another 5 minutes or so, you want it it to be almost done. Add the whiskey and ignite (stand back). When the flames come down add the cream and reduce. Add the salt and pepper to taste. Serve the lobster shell side down and remove the the meat from the claws and place the meat in the body cavity – reserve those shells for a rainy day, they are create for making stock. Pour the sauce over the lobster and garnish with the chives.

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Epicurious sent out an email today with a list of their top cookbooks, likely by best sellers. I couldn’t find a page on their site with the list so I thought I’d recreate it here.

The Silver Spoon
The most influential and successful cookbook in Italy

Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes
The first cookbook from a major new star

Molto Italiano
Simple Italian recipes for cooking at home

Rachael Ray: 365 No Repeats
Get a new 30-minute meal for every day of the year

Sunday Suppers at Lucques: Seasonal Recipes from Market to Table
Recipes from the famed California restaurant

Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing
True food craftsmanship

The Best Recipes in the World
Mark Bittman traveled the world to find the best recipes of home cooks from 44 countries

Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen
Powell recounts how she conquered every recipe in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking and saved her soul

Daisy Cooks! Latin Flavors That Will Rock Your World
Recipes from the PBS television cooking show Daisy Cooks

Mangoes & Curry Leaves
The companion volume to the award-winning Hot Sour Salty Sweet.

A Baker’s Tour
100 delectable recipes for cookies, cakes, breads, and sweet and savory pastries from 39 countries

Artisanal Cooking
Terrance Brennan shares with home cooks his love for the craft of cooking

Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook
The best of baking from Martha Stewart and her unparalleled team at Martha Stewart Living

At Home with Michael Chiarello
Packed with great recipes, gorgeous photographs, and inspiring entertaining ideas

Emeril’s Delmonico
A collection of easy and elegant recipes from the acclaimed restaurant

Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America
The first major Spanish cookbook in two decades from José Andrés, recently named America’s Chef of the Year by Bon Appétit magazine

The BLT Cookbook: America’s Favorite Sandwich

The Best of Gourmet 2004: Featuring the Flavors of Rome

Tea in the East: Tea Habits Along the Tea Route

Belgo Cookbook

Toronto’s 3rd annual Winterlicious kicks off January 27 and runs through February 9. This year there are 126 participating restaurants – some good, some not-so-good. they started taking reservations Jan 12, so browse the list and pick a few places you haven’t been before. All menus are prix fixe and range from $15-$20 for lunch and $25-$35 for dinner.

NYC has something similar going on January 23-27 and January 30–February 3.