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Showing posts from May, 2007

Tarte Jardiniere (Fruit Tart)

Pastry Cream: Ingredients: 250 grams milk 50 grams granulated sugar 50 grams eggs 23 grams cornstarch 13 grams unsalted butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Method: 1 Place the milk and half of the granulated sugar in a casserole and bring to a boil. 2. In a bowl, beat the eggs with the remaining half of the sugar. Add the cornstarch and the vanilla extract and mix. 3. As soon as the milk begins to boil, add a little of the boiling milk to the egg mixture and whisk together. 4. Add the egg mixture to the remaining milk in the pot and whip together. 5. Put the mixture on the heat element again and at medium heat bring the mixture to the boiling point while whisking the mixture continuously with a whip. The mixture should thicken. 6. Take the pastry cream off the heat element and add the butter. 7. Place the cream in a shallow dish and place a pice of saran wrap on the cream. 8. Refrigerate the cream. Pate Sucrée (Sweet Crust): Ingredients: 56 grams unsalted butter 50 grams icing sugar 13 g

Bubble and Squeak

Although this is a hearty dish that is great for autumn and winter days, I had a craving for this giant potato and cabbage patty! It is delicious and rather strange that I had a craving for this dish on such a hot and humid day. I like to serve this dish for brunch. It is delicious and filling. Bubble and Squeak: Ingredients: 500 grams potatoes, with the skin on 70 grams of salted butter salt and pepper to taste 225 grams of green cabbage 3 -4 tablespoons of water 4 tablespoons of olive oil or sunflower oil 1 large onion, finely diced Cook the potatoes in a pot of boiling salted water for 25 minutes or until they are tender. Drain, peel and cut the potatoes into cubes. Place the potatoes in a bowl with 55 grams of the butter and mash everything together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cut the cabbage into fine slices and place in a large deep skillet with a heavy bottom with the remainder of the butter and the water. Cover the skillet and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, shaking the s

Birthdays

I met with my uncle today to celebrate his birthday. I baked him his favorite cake and we enjoyed it with a steaming cup of Turkish coffee. His favorite treat and I like it too! This is a recipe that a wonderful woman that I worked with gave me. She gave me the recipe with a large slice of the cake that she made. It is just scrumptious. It is really halfway between a pound cake and a cheese cake. CREAM CHEESE POUND CAKE: Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter or margarine, softened 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened 3 cups granulated sugar 6 large eggs 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla zest of 1 lemon juice of 1 lemon 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt Confectioner's sugar (optional) Preheat oven to 325 Farenheit. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan or 12-cup bundt pan. Beat butter and cream cheese together in mixing bowl until well blended. Add sugar to mixture and cream until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after eadh addition. Blend in van

Brownies with Hazelnuts

After a hard day planting and gardening, a plate of brownies and a cup of tea is truly the comfort food that hit the spot! My herbs and flower have been planted and are ready to grow and flourish each sunny day of the summer season. I am looking forward to the batches of pesto that I will make at the end of the summer season, but in the meantime I have a wicked sweet tooth to calm! These goeey treats certainly calmed my sugar and chocolate craving. Brownies with Hazelnuts: Ingredients: 1 cup (250 mL) unsalted butter 1 cup (250 mL)cocoa powder 1 3/4 (425 mL) cups granulated sugar 4 large eggs, at room temperature 2 teaspoons (10 mL) vanilla extract 1 1/4 cups (300 mL) all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon (5 mL) baking powder 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) salt 2/3 cup (150 mL) hazelnuts, toasted (walnuts could be substituted) Preheat oven to 350 Farenheit (180 Celsius) and grease a 9 by 9 inch baking pan. Toast hazelnuts for approx 7 to minutes in a 350 Farenheit oven (180 Celsius). Melt butter and pour i

Lazy Sunday

This morning I woke up to fresh brioche and a steaming cup of coffee. This is my description of nirvana! There is a great little artisanal bakery not too far from my home, it is called Mr. Pinchot (4354 Brébeuf Street, Montreal, Quebec) . They make the most wonderful brioches and waffles stuffed with various fresh fruit. It is definitely worht a trip if you are ever in Montreal.

Saturday night is Pizza Night

Well, tonight is Saturday night and a long weekend in Montreal too. I spent the day shopping for my internship. I did not find exactly what I wanted, but I saw many things that were fun and interesting. It was a beautiful sunny day and the traditional weekend for planting in the city. I have a balcony that I adorn with flowers and various herbs for the summer months in the city. I just love to cut my fresh herbs for my dishes just outside my kitchen window. Well, I will not be in my own kitchen to enjoy that for 2 months of this summer, but I will nonetheless plant some wonderful herbs and flowers so that my boyfriend and my cat can enjoy while I am away. All of these thoughts of herbs and plants has given me a craving for my homemade pizza. My pizza sauce is actually packed with garlic and herbs. It is so good that I use it as a quick base to pasta dishes too. The pizza sauce was a recipe that was given to me by my good friend Sandra when I visited her for her wedding in Vancouver a f

Onion Tart

Pate Brisé (Flaky Pie Crust): Ingredients: 236 grams pastry flour, sifted a pinch of salt 115 grams of salted butter 1 extra large egg yolk 4 tablespoons cold water Lightly grease a 23 cm (9 inch) pie plate. Sift the pastry flour and the salt together. Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the dry mixture. Incorporate the butter into the flour with your hands until the butter is well incorporated into the flour. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and the cold water. Add to the dry mixture. Incorporate the egg and water mixture to the dry mixture with your hands until a dough forms. Do not over mix as this will create a tough pie crust. If the dough is difficult to handle right away cover the dough and cool for 15 minutes in the fridge. Preheat oven to 180 Celsius (350 Farenheit). Roll out the pie crust to fit the pie plate. With a fork prick the pie dough and add some pie weights or dry beans to the pie plate before pre-baking the crust (this is to prevent the pie crust

Pain d'épices (Gingerbread)

It is so nice to have the time to make something that I love in my kitchen. During the semester I made it a point to try to practice what we were learning in my classes rather than making what I really felt like eating. I love this in the morning spread with salted butter and beside a cup of steaming coffee. It is really delicious. My boyfriend introduced me to the French version of this gingerbread. I have tried several recipes the past few years, but up to now, this is the best recipe that I have found. Try it and let me know what you think! Pain d'épices: Ingredients: 300 grams honey 100 grams unsalted butter 250 grams all-purpose flour 10 grams baking powder 50 grams almond powder 10 grams sodium bicarbonate 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ginger 1/2 teaspoon green aniseed, crushed 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg pinch of salt 2 large eggs 1. Preheat oven to 170 Celsius (340 Farenheit). Grease a loaf pan (25 cm long x 7 cm high). 2. Place the honey and the butter in a medium size

First day of summer vacation

I am very happy that I am almost finished my culinary arts studies. Today is my first day of summer break and I am getting prepared for my internship in Paris! I am really looking forward to working at the Lido on the avenue de Champs-Elysées for the summer! In the meantime, I am contacting my friends and family before I leave. Last night I had a craving for some "Financiers". They are delicious little almond cakes, I do not have the right molds, but I decided to use some mini-muffin tins to bake these wonderful little cakes. They are easy to make and scrumptious for breakfast or tea. I have translated the recipe for anyone that wishes to try them. Financiers: Ingredients: 40 grams all-purpose flour 40 grams almond powder 110 grams icing sugar 4 egg whites (120 grams) pinch of salt 60 grams of unsalted butter 1 Tablespoon Grand Marnier or other Orange liquer Instructions: 1. In a bowl mix together and sift the flour, powdered almonds and icing sugar. 2. Whip the butter until