mon tablier

Happy New Year 2012!

2012-01-07T16:32:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a wonderful New Year 2012! May it be filled with joy, health and many wonderful meals!

Onion and Mustard Quiche

2007-11-18T11:13:00.000-08:00

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 29 cm (11 1/4 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 from rising in the oven). Bake the pie crust for about 15 minutes or until the pie crust is lightly golden in color.

Filling:
3 large white onions, chopped
3 large eggs
1 Tablespoon olive oil
200 mL 35% cream
100 ml milk
100 grams grated comté (or gruyère)
150 grams Dijonnaise mustard (à l'ancienne)
pinch of salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Chop the onions and sauté them in a large skillet with the olive oil. Once the onions are translucent, remove them from the pan and let them cool.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, milk and cheese. Add the mustard and the cheese and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Pour the mixture into a pre-baked pie shell and place in a 350 F (180 C) oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until quiche is golden. Let quiche cool slightly before serving.

Cranberry and Orange Muffins

2007-10-29T12:06:00.000-07:00

This is cranberry season in Quebec and I love those tart little red berries. They inspire me to try all kinds of different recipes! This is an easy and delicious muffin recipe that I tried and everyone at home seems to love. You can taste the tartness of the cranberries as the muffins are not very sweet. They freeze very well too. I found this recipe on the site: cooks.com.

I particularly like to buy fresh cranberries now and freeze them for the coming months.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup soft unsalted butter
1 tablespoon orange zest
3/4 cup orange juice
1 egg
1/2 cup nuts, chopped (optional)
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

Cream butter with sugar and add orange zest.
Mix together flour, baking powder baking soda and salt in a bowl.
Add the egg to the butter mixture and mix well.
Add the flour mixture and orange juice to the mixture alternating.
Add the cranberries and nuts (optional) to the mixture and mix incorporate by hand.
Fill muffin tins 3/4 full and bake in a 350 F oven for about 20 to 25 minutes.
Yields: 12 to 14 regular sized muffins.

Cranberry and Lemon Muffins

2007-10-19T16:50:00.000-07:00

I created this recipe while in my pastrymaking class last week. Our project was to create a muffin recipe. I was happy with the results. I prefered the muffins without the pistachios though.

Another student in my pastrymaking classes, Anlor also has a culinary blog. It can be viewed at:
http://apprentissieres.canalblog.com/. She also has some fabulous photos of what we create in our classes!

Makes about 12 muffins.

180 grams all-purpose flour
6 grams baking powder
3 large eggs
170 grams granulated sugar
150 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 lemons (zest and juice)
150 grams dried cranberries
4 Tablespoons whisky, brandy or cognace
100 grams unsalted pistachios, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven 180 C or 350 F.
Cooking time: 30 to 35 minutes.

Wash the lemons.
Grate the zest of the 2 lemons and squeeze the lemon juice.
Place the whisky, the lemon juice and the dried cranberries in a pot and heat until the mixture boils. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool.
Melt the butter and let it cool.
Mix and strain the baking powder and the flour.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and the sugar together by hand until the mixture doubles in volume and becomes foamy. Add the flour mixutre a little at a time and the melted butter.
Incorporate the lemon zest into the mixture.
Roll the cranberries in some extra flour to coat them lightly and add them delicately into the mixture.
Fill the muffin tins about two thirds full and bake them in a 180 C (350 F) oven for 30 to 35 minutes.

Greek Cheese and Leek Pie

2007-10-08T08:54:00.000-07:00

This is a wonderful leek and cheese pie. It can be eaten warm or cold with a crispy salad on the side. It can also be cut into cubes and served as an entree with drinks.

1 large yellow onion, sliced
60 ml / 4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large leeks, total weight about 450 grams / 1 lb, chopped
115 grams / 4 oz / 1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour
2.5 ml / 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
3 large (US extra large) eggs, lightly beaten
200 grams /7 oz Greek (strained plain) yogurt
300 grams / 11 oz feta cheese, cubed
115 grams /4 oz /1 - 1 1/3 cups freshly grated Gruyère or Parmesan cheese
45-60 ml / 3-4 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill (I used parsley because my boyfriend dislikes dill)
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Serves 4

1. Sauté the onion in the oil until light golden. Add the leeks and cook over a low heat for 10-12 minutes until soft. Cool a little.

2. Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F / Gas 4. Lightly grease a 23 cm / 9 inch round springform cake tin (pan). Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl. Stir in the eggs, then the yougurt and feta cheese, and finally the leed and onion mixture. Set aside 30 ml / 2 Tablespoons of the grated Gruyère or Parmesan and add the rest to the batter, with the dill or parsley. Mix well and season.

3. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface. Sprinkle the reserved cheese over the top and bake for 55-60 minutes until golden. Let the pie cool before removing it from the tin. Serve in wedges and offer some tasty olive oil to be drizzled on top. Garnish with lemon wedges, black olives and radishes.

Normande Apple Pie

2007-09-04T06:51:00.001-07:00

Apple season is in full swing in Quebec and the apples are tart this time of the year. Just the way I like them for an apple pie! I was at Jean Talon market (the largest farmer market in the Montreal region) this weekend and I bought new harvest Quebec apples. This is definitely one of my favorite apple pie recipes. The house just smells divine while this apple pie is baking in the oven. The aromas of apples, cinnamon and vanilla fill the house.

Pâte Sucrée (Sweet Crust):

Ingredients:
112 grams unsalted butter
100 grams icing sugar
25 grams glucose
40 grams egg
250 grams pastry flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:
1. Soften the butter.
2. Cream the butter with the icing sugar and the glucose.
3. Beat the egg and add progressively to the mixture.
4. Sift the pastry flour and add to the mixture.
5. Knead the mixture only until the mixture is homogenous. Do not overwork the mixture.

APPLES:
1 1/2 pounds tart apples, peeled and cored
1/3 cup sugar (I used 1/4 cups sugar)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

CUSTARD:
1 egg
1/3 cup granulated sugar (I used 1/4 cups sugar)
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup heavy cream
4 Tablespoons Calvados or Cognac
Confectioners' sugar

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Prepare the pastry and line the tart pan according to the recipe, baking it for only 12 minutes (or until lightly golden).

Slice the apples into 1/8-inch lengthwise slices. Mix with the sugar and cinnamon and arrange in concentric circles in the tart crust. Bake for 20 minutes, or until apples begin to color. Cool while preparing the custard.

TO MAKE THE CUSTARD, beat the egg and sugar until thick and pale yellow. Add the flour and beat until smooth. Add the cream and the Calvados and beat until smooth.

Pour the mixture over the apples and return tart to the oven. After 10 minutes, sprinkle the top with confectioners' sugar. Continue to bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the custard is set and the top is browned. Serve this tart warm.

aubergines with tomato topping (melitzanes imam bayildi)

2007-09-02T09:02:00.000-07:00

With tomato and eggplant season in full force in Quebec, my greek origins are being awakened. Nothing pleases me more than an eggplant and tomato dish. Here is a wonderful eggplant dish that I recently made. I recommend this dish for someone who really loves eggplants because the vegetable is really prominent!

aubergines with tomato topping

3 medium aubergines (eggplant), total weight about 800 g / 1 3/4 lb
150 ml (2/3 cup) extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
500 g (1 1/4 lb) fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2.5 ml (1/2 teaspoon) each dried oregano and thyme
2.5 ml (1/2 teaspoon) sugar
45 ml (3 tbsp) chopped fresh parsley
15 ml (1 tbsp) tomato purée (paste) diluted in 150 ml (2/3 cup) hot water
salt and ground black pepper

Serves 4

1. Trim the aubergines, then slice them into rounds about 1 cm (1/2 inch) thick. Place in salted water for 1 hour and rinse and pat dry. Heat half the olive oil in a large frying pan and shallow-fry the aubergines in batches, turning them over once, until light golden on both sides. As each batch is cooked, lift the slices out and arrange them side by side in a large roasting dish.

2. Heat the rest of the oil in a saucepan and sauté the onions utnil lightly coloured. Add the garlic and when aromatic, add the tomatoes and a little water. Season, stir in the oregano, thyme and sugar, then cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5. Stir the parsley into the sauce, then pile 15-30 ml/1-2 tbsp of the mixture on each slice of aubergine. Pour the diluted tomato purée into the dish, adding it to a corner, to avoid disturbing the aubergines. Bake the aubergines for 20-25 minutes, basting them once.

4. Serve hot or at room temperature, either accompanied by a salad as a main course or as part of the mezethes for a party.

Carrot and Cumin Tart

2007-08-22T08:12:00.000-07:00

I just love indian food and the aromatic spices that are incorporated in their dishes. This interesting and unusual tart with the addition of roasted cumin seeds gives an Indian twist to a traditional French dish. It is definitely worth a try! I have tried making a lighter version of this recipe, using 10% cream instead of 35% cream, it is just as delicious as its richer version, but you definitely have to cook the filling for at least 20 minutes longer than in the original recipe in order to set the filling.

In addition to the wonderful complexity of flavors, this tart is colorful and beautiful! There are thin layer of colorful orange carrots that are sprinkled with the bright green of spring onion layers. Enjoy this beautiful tart with a lovely green salad.

Carrot and Cumin 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 from rising in the oven).
Bake the pie crust for about 15 minutes or until the pie crust is lightly golden in color.

Filling:
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
5 or 6 green (spring) onions, white and tender green parts, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3-4 cups (12-16 oz / 375-500 grams) thinly sliced, peeled carrots
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 large or extra-large whole eggs, plus 1 large or extra-large egg yolk
1 1/3 cups (11 fl oz / 340 mL) heavy (double) cream or 10% cream
Pinch of fresh grated nutmeg or ground mace
1 1/2 cups (6 oz /185 grams) shredded Gruyère, Emmenthaler, or Jarlsberg cheese

To make the filling, heat a large, heavy frying pan over medium heat until it is hot but not smoking. Add the butter. When it begins to foam, add the green onions and sauté until wilted, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.

Bring a saucepan three-fourths full of water to a boil. Add salt to taste, the sugar, and the carrots and parboil until half cooked and bright orange, 1-2 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.

In a small frying pan over medium heat, toast the cumin seeds until they are fragrant and take on a little color, 2-3 minutes. Pour onto a plate and let cool.

In a bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolk, cream, and nutmeg until blended, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 375 F (180 C). Place a baking sheet on the rack below to catch any drips.

Sprinkle half of the cheese evenly over the bottom of the cooled pastry crust. Arrange as many of the carrot slices into the crust as will fit tightly, sprinkling them with the cumin and green onions as you add them. Pour the cream mixture over the carrots, filling the tart pan almost to the rim. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.

Bake until the top is golden brown and the filling is set, 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 10 minutes. If using a tart pan with a removable bottom, place the pan on your outstretched palm and let the ring fall away, then slide the tart onto a serving plate.

Makes 4-6 servings

Spinach Tart (Tarte sux Épinards)

2007-08-20T05:27:00.000-07:00

Pate Brisé (Flaky Pie Crust):
411 grams pastry flour, sifted
a pinch of salt
200 grams of salted butter
2 large egg yolks
7 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 yolks and the cold water. Add to the dry mixture. Incorporate the eggs 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.

Filling:
450 grams fresh or frozen spinach
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 or 3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 large eggs, beaten
225 grams ricotta
55 grams frreshly grated Parmesan cheese
a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 375 Farhenheit. For the filling drain the spinach to remove excess water. In a large skillet with a heavy based bottom, heat the olive oil and fry the onions until soft and transparent (about 5 minutes) stirring often. Add the spinach and the garlic and cook for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove the skillet from the heat and let the mixture cool. Once the mixture is cool, add the beaten eggs, the ricotta and the parmesan cheese. Salt and pepper to taste and ad some freshly grated nutmeg.

2. Lightly grease a 23 cm pie plate. Roll out 2 circles with the pastry dough. Place one of the circles in the pie plate leaving some of the dough hanging over the pie plate. Add the filling and spread evenly in the pastry crust.

3. Cut the second pie crust circle into 5 mm strips. Place the strips on top of the filling creating an 'X' pattern. Press with your fingers around the tart to adhere the strips to the bottom pie crust. Remove the excess pie crust. With a pastry brush put some beaten egg on top of the strips of pie crust. Cook the tart in a preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until the pie crust is golden. Leave the tart cool on a grill and serve with a salad.

Cake Aux Olives Noires et Vertes (Olive Cake)

2007-08-06T17:08:00.000-07:00

While I was in Paris, a good friend of mine Bénédicte made an olive cake for me. It was to die for! I had never tasted one before and it was absolutely delicious. She shared her recipe with me and I made it for the first time this weekend. I miss her, and this cake reminds me of her... I suppose this has become a "comfort food" for me, but I need to have a glass of red wine with it. A little ritual that I enjoyed with her. Cheers to my good friend Bénédicte!

Cake Aux Olives Noires et Vertes

For 8 persons

Ingredients:
200 grams all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
8 tablespoons of milk
75 grams melted butter
150 grams grated gruyère cheese
100 grams pitted black olives, sliced
100 grams pitted green olives, sliced
5 grams baking powder
4 or 5 branches fresh thyme

Preparation and baking time: 1 hour and 10 minutes

Place the flour in a large bowl. Add and mix in the following order, the eggs, milk, the melted butter, the grated gruyère and the baking powder.
Mix well and add the sliced green and black olives and the thyme.
Pour the batter in a greased loaf pan.
Cook for 45 - 55 minutes in a 350 F (180 C) oven.

Clafoutis Aux Cerises

2007-08-05T14:06:00.001-07:00

Clafoutis with fresh cherries is one of my boyfriend's favorite dishes. Summer is not the same without at least one clafoutis each season. We really love it. The bigger and juicier the cherries, the better the clafoutis! Yesterday was the first clafoutis of the summer. It was also the first weekend of the summer that we spent together.

My internship in Paris was completed this week and I have returned home to Montreal. My internship was just fabulous! I met so many wonderful professionals and made many friends the two months that I have been gone. I really had a wonderful time and was priviledged to meet such lovely individuals. As you have noted, the month of July did not contain any entries on my blog! I was so incredibly busy trying to visit, taste and see as much as possible before my two months were over. What an adventure it has been!

I have taken a lot of notes and photos along the way and I am only beginning to reflect on all the things that I learned and observed in the famous "city of lights".

Clafoutis Aux Cerises:

Serves 8

Ingredients:
120 g (4 oz) butter
570 g (1 1/4 lbs) fresh cherries
225 g (8 oz) milk
Pinch of salt
120 g (4 oz) granulated sugar
4 large eggs, beaten
225 g (8 oz) all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
3 Tablespoons cognac or brandy (optional)

Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F / Gas Mark 4. Using a quarter of the butter, grease a large ovenproof dish. Spread the cherries in the bottom of the dish. Bring the milk to the boil in a saucepan, add the salt and allow to cool slightly.

Melt the remaining butter, and mix in the sugar, eggs and the flour. If you wish to add the vanilla extract and the cognac or brandy, do so now. Pour the milk into the mixture, mix well and pour the batter over the cherries in the dish. Bake in a moderate oven for about 50 minutes. Serve warm with cream.

Speculoos

2007-06-29T15:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I just love Speculoos, those spicy cinnamony little biscuits that are so delicious! I always wanted to know how to make these fabulous Belgiun biscuits. I asked at the Lido, and Laurent, the cook for the kitchen staff told me he makes these wonderful treats! He told me that he would make me a batch before I completed my internship and today was my lucky day.

His speculoos were just scrumptious and he was kind enough to share his recipe with me!

Here is a photo of Laurent busy at work making some wonderful speculoos for everyone.

Speculoos:

Ingredients:
1 KG brown sugar
850 GR flour
250 GR butter, creamed
100 ml water
1 teaspoon baking powder

Mix all of the ingredients together until you obtain a thick dough.
Roll out the dough to a thickness of 5 mm with a rolling pin.
Cut out the biscuits in rectangular shapes and place on a buttered baking sheet or non-sheet paper.
Bake in a 350 F (180 C) oven for 5 to 10 minutes.
Let the cookies cool before enjoying (if you can wait that long!).....
BONNE APPETIT!!!!!!!!

What a wonderful dessert I enjoyed that day with a cup of tea!

Sable Breton

2007-06-22T16:35:00.000-07:00

Sable Breton:

Ingredients:
240 grams egg yolks
480 grams granulated sugar
480 grams half-salted butter
675 grams all-purpose flour
45 grams baking pwoder

Place sugrar and butter in the bolw of a mixed and with a paddle attachment cream them together until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Once the mixutre is well creamed together, add the egg yolks and mix well.

Add the sifted flour and baking powder to the mixture and mix until homogenous. DO NOT OVERMIX.

Place the dough on a baking sheet covered with silicone paper. Cover the dough with saran wrap and put it in the fridge overnight.

The next day, roll out the dough to 5 mm thickness. Cut the dough into squares and bake in a 350 F oven until crisp and golden.

Stohrer - One of the oldest pastry shops in Paris

2007-06-20T16:17:00.000-07:00

I have been in Paris for my internship since the 1st of June and I am living in the Montorgueuil area. My friend Claude, who is my next door neighbor in Montreal and has been here for the last 4 months gave me a tour and history lesson of the area where I live. He brought me to Stohrer, one of the oldest pastry shops in Paris, which happens to be a 2 minute walk from my studio. I had admired their pastries and croquembouche in their window display, but I was not aware of the history of this boutique. I found their web site on the internet and their dishes look fabulous! ( http://www.stohrer.fr/ ) Their pastries and prepared dishes look amazingly delicious, but I haven't had the opportunity to taste one of their dishes yet. I am in Paris after all, so much to see, so much to taste and so much to drink..... Oooh laaa laaa!

Macarons Rose au Framboise et Mascarpone (Pink Macaroons with Raspberries and Mascarpone)

2007-06-19T16:01:00.000-07:00

This wonderful, deliciously light recipe belongs to Nicola. We made these macaroons at the Lido together. All I can say is that they not only look great, but they are also to die for!!

Pink Macaroons:

Ingredients:
520 grams of powdered almonds
800 grams icing sugar
40 grams of egg whites
400 grams of beaten egg whites
160 grams of granulated sugar
Red food coloring

Mix the icing sugar and the powdered almonds together in a large bowl. Sift the sugar and the almonds together in a large bowl. Place the 40 grams of egg whites on one side of the bowl containing the almonds and icing sugar.

Beat the 400 grams of egg whites with the red food coloring until they are stiff. Once the egg whites are stiff, add the granulated sugar and beat together until they are very stiff and the granulated sugar has dissolved.

With spatula, delicately add the meringue. Then beat the mixture very quickly so that it falls a bit. The mixture has to be brilliant, liquidy, but resist a bit.

With a pastry bag, and a 9 mm plain attachment create small circles.

Let the circles dry on the plaque for aprox. 20 minutes or until a crust develops.

Place the macaroons in a 150 - 160 Celsius oven for aprox. 10 minutes.

Raspbrerry and Mascarpone Filling:

Ingredients
Fresh or frozen raspberries
40 grams of icing sugar
200 grams of mascarpone cheese

Mix and whip together. Whip until the mixture becomes stiff. Put the mixutre in a pastry bag with a 9 mm plain attachment. Squeeze out some of the mixture on the middle of one macaroon and place another macaroon on top and press down lightly.
This filling is enough for aprox. 40 macaroon pairs.

Brioche at the Lido

2007-06-15T16:17:00.000-07:00

Well, my stage is 2 weeks over and I am enjoying it very much. I have been working with 4 pastry chefs and I have been learning a lot. I am learning how to make brioches and today I finished my first perfect batch! They were round, buttery and delicious! Nicola has been teaching me how to perfect the brioche and he is a wonderful and patient pastry chef.

Here is the recipe for Brioche that he has shared with me.

BRIOCHE

Ingredients:
1500 grams flour (T45)
30 grams salt
225 grams granulated sugar
60 grams fresh yeast
21 large eggs
1050 grams unsalted butter
a bit of milk

Place the flour in the mixing bowl of the beater. Add the salt, the sugar and the yeast in different parts of the bowl on the flour. They should not come into contact.

Add the dough attachment. Add the eggs all at once. Once the mixture is homogenous, add a bit of milk and mix. The dough should be soft, sticky but resist at the same time.

Increase the speed of the beater to about 5 or 6. Once the dough unsticks from the sides of the bowl of the mixer, add the butter in pieces. Mix well until the dough is homogenous. Stop the mixer and remove the dough hook.

Incorporate air into the dough in the bowl with your hands in an under and over action. Put a clean dish towl over the bowl and let the dough rise for about an hour to an hour and a half.

Once the dough has risen, place some flour on a surface and place the dough on top. Incorporate air in the dough once again with your hands in an under and over action. Place some flour at the bottom of a stainless steel rectangular shallow dish and place the brioche dough in the dish. Add some flour on top of the brioche dough. Place a tea towel over the container to cover the dough. Place the dough immediately in the freezer to prevent it from rising. Once the dough becomes hard, remove it from the freezer and put it in the fridge overnight.

The next morning, cut the dough into 300 gram pieces and roll out into a long rope. Cut the rope shapes in half and then divide each half into 5 pieces. (Each piece should weigh 30 grams). Roll each 30 gram piece into a ball shape and place on a silicone paper on a baking sheet. With a pastry brush apply an egg wash on each brioche. Let the brioche rise and apply a second coat of egg wash delicately on the brioche. Place in an 175 Ceslius oven for 20 to 22 minutes or until golden brown.
Enjoy.

The brioche can be stored in the freezer without any saran wrap over them.

Tarte Jardiniere (Fruit Tart)

2007-05-28T10:03:00.001-07:00

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 grams glucose
20 grams egg
125 grams pastry flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:
1. Soften the butter.

2. Cream the butter with the icing sugar and the glucose.

3. Beat the egg and add progressively to the mixture.

4. Sift the pastry flour and add to the mixture.

5. Knead the mixture only until the mixture is homogenous. Do not overwork the mixture.

Bubble and Squeak

2007-05-24T19:23:00.000-07:00

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 skillet once in awhile, or until the cabbage is tender.

In a bowl, mix the cabbage with the mashed potatoes. Add salt and pepper, if needed.

In a nonstik pan, add a little bit of oil and heat. Add the onions and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Once the onions are tender add the mixture of cabbage and potatoes to the pan and with the back of the wooden spoon flatten the mixture. Let the mixture cook for 15 minutes on medium heat or until the bottom part of the mixture turns golden. Turn out the mixture to a flat plate, add the remainder of the oil to the pan and return it to the pan on the uncooked side. Let the other side of the bubble and squeak turn golden (about 10 minutes). Once the second side is golden, turn the bubble and squeak onto a large plate, cut and serve.

Birthdays

2007-05-23T18:13:00.000-07:00

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 vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice. Sift flour and salt together; blend into creamed mixture.
Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted one inch from edge comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes; turn out onto wire rack and cool completely. Dust with confectioner's sugar, if desired.
Makes 12 to 15 servings.

Brownies with Hazelnuts

2007-05-22T07:59:00.001-07:00

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 into a larger bowl. Sift cocoa into butter and stir in. Stir in sugar. Add eggs to mixture, blending well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt (do not sift). Add to cocoa mixture and blend. Stir in hazelnuts. Pour into pan and bake for 35 minutes, until firm.

The beginning of my herb garden this season....

Lazy Sunday

2007-05-20T07:22:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-19T16:11:00.000-07:00

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 few years back. She made the most amazing pizza for me when I visited her and I can still remember the delicious treats she made for me. She is quite an amazing cook I must say. I just love this pizza with a glass of 2 of red wine and a good movie.

Pizza Dough (made in my bread maker):

Ingredients:
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspons salt
2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Place all ingredients in the bread maker in the order of the recipe above making sure to place the salt and the active dry yeast in the opposite ends of the container in the bread maker. Select the dough setting of your bread maker.

Pizza Sauce:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
1 head of garlic, minced
1 large can of diced tomated
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
1/4 cup minced fresh oregano
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Combine and mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Can be stored in the refrigerator for aprox. 3 weeks.

Preheat oven to 450 - 500 Farenheit. Open the dough in a greased pizza pan. Add the pizza sauce and garnish with whatever toppings and cheese you fancy. Cook for 15-20 minutes. Cut and enjoy with a glass of wine and a few friends!

Onion Tart

2007-05-17T17:46:00.001-07:00

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 from rising in the oven). Bake the pie crust for about 15 minutes or until the pie crust is lightly golden in color.

Filling:
25 grams salted butter or 2 Tablespoons olive oil
7 medium white onions
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. To make filling melt the butter or heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add onions, cook over medium high heat for 30 minutes, stirring often, until soft and golden. Leave to cool.

2. Whisk together eggs and sour cream. Spread mustard over base of pastry, then onions over mustard. Pour in egg mixture, sprinkle with parmesan. Bake for 35 minutes, until set and golden.

Serve with a salad and enjoy!

Pain d'épices (Gingerbread)

2007-05-16T16:47:00.000-07:00

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 sized saucepan and heat it up to the boiling point. As soon as the mixture begins to boil take it off the heat.

3. Mix the flour and the baking powder together and sift. Add the almond powder, the sodium bicarbonate, the spices and the salt together. Mix well. Make a hole in the middle of the dry mixture and pour the hot honey mixture in. Mix well with a wooden spoon. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each egg.

4. Cook in a 170 Celsius (340 Farenheit) oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes in the oven, cover the cake with a piece of aluminum foil and lower the oven temperature to 150 Celsius (300 Farenheit). Continue to cook the cake for another 40 minutes or until done. Let the cake cool and enjoy.

First day of summer vacation

2007-05-15T08:27:00.000-07:00

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 it is creamy. Whisk together the egg whites and the salt until lightly foamy. Incorporate the egg whites to the dry mixture above. Add the creamed butter and the Grand Marnier or other Orange liquer. Let the mixture sit for 20 minutes.

3. Preheat your oven to 200 Celsius (400 Farenheit). Grease some mini muffin tins or "financier" tins. Bake the mini muffins for 10 to 12 minutes and the traditional "financier" tins for 15 to 20 minutes.

Enjoy!