mon tablier

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 g...

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 a...

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....

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 ta...

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 slice...

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 fa...

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!...