Lemon Curd

Another spread I like is lemon curd. The label states "surprising english flavour." I was assuming that Rule Britannia would play when I opened the jar or with a mere morsel I would be enjoying a lovely picnic in Regent's Park. It did neither! When I think of lemon curd I think of Scotland. Why? I have no idea! Lemon curd is of Great Britain; England, Scotland and Wales, origin. I have tried many curds... Fortnum and Mason's being, by far, the best! This one I place second. I have made my own lemon curd to which I was quite pleased with my first time results. I find it is a great alternative to jam and can be used on a variety of things. Such as crumpets, scones, pancakes, sponge cakes, toast, ice cream and yoghurt. -JW

Herbes de Provence

And here is the infamous Herbes de Provence that seasoned the roast beef on Wednesday night. Silly, but I just had to open the jar and have a good smell before writing this post. Truly this makes me forget about the weather outside! - JW 

Wednesday Roast

Growing up roasts were always on Sunday. Hence the term Sunday Roast. Well last night I brought Sunday Roast to Wednesday night's dinner. It has been awhile since I roasted beef. With much research and crossing referencing multiple recipes all I know is that I wanted it done and slow roasted. Nobody likes it when the main coarse is overdone and tough! The roast was drizzled with olive oil and then very generously smothered with Herbes de Provence. I let the beef marinate with this mixture for about six hours in the refrigerator. Usually Herbes de Provence consists of the following mixed herbs savory, fennel, basil, thyme and lavender. The mixture that I have included garlic and lemon peel. The house smelt wonderful, very fragrant! I roasted the beef at 325º for 2 hours, uncovered with a bit of water in the bottom of the pan. It probably could have used an extra 15 minutes. As I said I wanted it done but not tough.   

In a large foil tray I tossed pre-boiled potatoes and carrots and tossed them in olive oil, salt and pepper. I also added five whole cloves of garlic into the mix. Normal I would add some herbs and balsamic vinegar but omitted them this time. Due to the fact that the beef was encrusted with Herbes de Provence and I was also serving the meal with a curry gravy. Talk about worlds colliding but all the flavours worked so well together. I roasted the potatoes and carrots at 400º for about 30-40 minutes. Occasionally tossing... chuffing them in the foil tray.    

After all the effort this is how it was served pre-gravy. Also added was a side of peas because it just wouldn't feel complete otherwise. - JW

Rainy Day Treat

This afternoon I was in the mood to make a quick treat. Taking a break from the routinely Rice Krispie squares... I decided to make these Golden Graham cereal treats. Think of a squashed down jumbled s'more. They are very sweet! Too sweet for my liking but I think I know some mouths who will jump for joy when they see these. I followed the recipe to the T and found that letting them set in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, as suggested, wasn't enough. I had to put my pan in the freezer. Regardless I am sure they won't be around for too long to worry about. - jw  

Bitter Lemon

Most of us know Schweppes for their Ginger Ale not for their Bitter Lemon. I found this at the Italian Centre Shop. I luv lemons! Their bright colour and zesty flavour. You could drink this on it's own but your taste buds would resent you for it. Mix it with your favourite iced tea for a bit of a kick. You could mix with it to create your own lemonade beverage and to revive your summer cocktail. I really like mixing bitter lemon with gin. It's a wicked combination.  - JW  

At the Market

This morning I managed to head to the Farmers Market early. Before all the hussle and bussle. This is what I filled my basket with. Lots of tasty things to snack, cook and bake with. It certainly is a shoppers delight to walk around, sample and chat with the vendors. And also to buy and support locally is great! Hope you are enjoying your Saturday! - JW

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Friday is here at last! Where did this week go? Last week I made chocolate chip banana bread. Although it's been all eaten this picture is all that remains of the two loaves I made. I used three bananas and used dark brown sugar. I really wish I had used demerara sugar, that is what I prefer. Unfortunately I had none. I used dark brown sugar because I wanted to see what the difference in taste would be between white sugar and brown sugar. I noticed that by using the dark brown sugar the loaf wasn't as sweet and by having the mini chocolate chips it made up for it. I enjoyed the "less sugary" taste and prefer to make my loaves without white sugar. I didn't pack the the dark brown sugar into the measuring cup. I just poured and let it be in it's natural fluffy, tousled state. You may also want to add a cup of chopped nuts, if desired. I didn't. Here is my recipe:

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

--------------------------------------------------

1 1/4 cups of dark brown/demerara sugar *loosely measured, no packing down*

1/2 cup soften butter or margarine

2 large eggs

3-4 very ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 milk or soy milk

1 teaspoon of vanilla

2 1/2 cups unbleached flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon of salt

3/4 cup of mini chocolate chip

Pre heat oven to 350º. Grease the bottoms to two loaf tins. Fully line with parchment paper.

First mix the flour, baking soda and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.

Mix the sugar and butter in a large bowl. Stir in the eggs until blended. Add bananas, milk and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Then add the flour, baking soda and salt mixture just until moist. Stir in the chocolate chips. Add more chocolate chips if you feel the need to. I threw another handful in just for good luck!

Divide batter between the two pans. Bake 8 inch loaves for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Insert a toothpick into the centre to see if it comes out clean. Because my ovens temperature might be running a bit hotter I checked the loaves after 30 minutes and gave them another 15 minutes and they were done. You could also use one 9 inch loaf pan and bake for about 1 hour or 1 hour and 15 minutes. Still checking after 30 minutes. Again checking with a toothpick.

After you have taken the loaves or loaf out of the oven, let it rest for about 10 minutes. I know this is very hard to do because the smell of freshly baked bread is so intoxicating you will want to dive right in. When the 10 minutes are up. Remove from pans and let cool further on wire racks, letting them cool completely. Sheer torture! If you are like me, you can't wait and you have to slice a nice semi warm piece. Then go ahead! Enjoy! -JW

As promised, I took a picture of my tuna apple salad I made for lunch yesterday. I used a whole wheat pita and added red onion and leafy greens. The recipe called for lemon juice to taste but I felt either pepper or paprika could have been added for more flavour. Apples and tuna make a delicious combination. The pita was fresh and crunchy. Very filling! It kept me going for the rest of the day. -JW

Apples!

We eat, we bake and we cook with apples! I am sure you have savoured the comforting flavour of an apple crisp. Used apple sauce for baking or served it over ice cream. Looked lovingly at a slice of apple pie. Drank apple juice to help aid a flu. I have made an apple chutney, by simmering chopped apples in tea. We also peel, chop, slice and dice apples. Is there anything that we can't do or create with apples? This cookbook Apples, Apples, Apples by Judith Comfort and Kathy Chute; first edition,1986 explains just about everything you need to know about cooking with apples. I say just about everything because in the Appendix there is a list of other books all dedicated to the apple.

It is a pretty informative cookbook with loads of recipes. With helpful hints and pages on measuring and grading apples. The cookbook is divide into eight chapters. They are as follows: 1. All Kinds of Apples, 2. Cooking with Apples, 3. Apples for Breakfast, Brunch and Lunch 4. Apples at Tea, 5. Apples for Dinner, 6. Apples for Dessert, 7. Apples for Keeps and 8. Fun with Apples. Fun with apples... I remember being in grade school and doing a craft project with apples. Using a baked apple for the head of a doll. I say doll but it really looked more like an old lady as the days went on. Mind you the doll didn't last very long and that's a good thing. And yes there is a recipe for the Apple Doll in chapter 8. I don't think I will be making the apple eggnog anytime soon. However the recipe I am going to try is a lunch one. Tuna apple salad in a pita. I also want to make the apple-dill sauce and the bacon apple pie.

I would have done a blog post sooner if Blogger wasn't giving me a more than funny five minutes. Will post a picture of my lunch. Have you had your apple today? - JW

Spanish Rice

The other night Spanish rice was on the menu. A fairly simple meal. I cut up gluten and lactose free sausages into random pieces. One chopped yellow onion. Two chopped and minced cloves of garlic. Olive oil. A large, 796ml tin of crushed tomatoes. A bag of mixed frozen veggies... I was short on time... you can use fresh if you like. You'll need about 3-4 cups of precooked rice and fresh or dried herbs.

Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Add the pieces of sausages. Sauté together for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the veggies. Stirring the onion, sausages and veggies all about. While the veggies are cooking add the fresh or dried herbs. When the veggies are tender and everything is seasoned well, add the rice. Stir together. Then add the can of crushed tomatoes. Stir again to make sure everything gets coated. Add more seasoning... maybe it's best to taste it at this point to see how much seasoning you need to add, if any. It's all personal preference. Simmer on medium heat for about 15 minutes. All the while stirring to prevent sticking.

Serve in a bowl or on a plate with a dollop of sour cream and green onions. If you are feeling artistic poke a few corn chips on top. The garnishes are endless... cheese, black olives, corn and beans. Also except for the cheese, the black olives, corn and beans could be added to the dish as well. Cornbread would go nicely but I find this dish very filling so it's best just to serve it as is! - JW

Easter Brunch

This Easter Sunday I decided to do a bit of a different brunch. I served devilled eggs, ham, stuffed olives with feta and sun-dried tomatoes, toast, cereal and rounds of bucks fizz. It was a nice savoury brunch. A nice change from the usual pancakes. Well I thought with all the chocolate to be had, it's best to go more on the savoury side. Happy Sunday! - JW

Bara brith

Bara brith pronounced barrah breeth, is a traditional Welsh treat. It can be known as speckled bread. Also it is similar to the Irish barmbrack. To me it is like fruitcake because it is traditionally made with raisins, currants and candied peel. Last year I made quite a few Bara brith. Most of them being around Christmas time. I even made a few loaves with rum. Quite tasty! However this time I left out the rum. The raisins, currants and candied peel got a good soak in steeped Twinings Earl Grey tea for over twenty-four hours. Six hours is the minimum. I also added a few extra touches like an icing sugar drizzle and fresh orange zest on top. For you next gathering or holiday you may want to consider making a Bara brith. Even though it is a bit of a process still it is an easy tea cake to make. The recipe I use is as follows:

Bara brith

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10ml (2tsp) good quality loose tea *note: you can also use tea bags

375ml (1 1/2 cups) boiling water

50ml (1/4 cup) currants

75ml (1/3 cup) raisins

75ml (1/3 cup) mixed candied peel

175ml (3/4 cup) whole wheat flour

175 ml (3/4 cup) unbleached self-rising flour *note: I used unbleached white flour

5ml (1tsp) baking powder

5ml (1tsp) pumpkin spice mix

50ml (1/4 cup) brown sugar

1 beaten egg

Brew tea for six minutes in boiling water and pour into a bowl over fruit. Cover with a clean towel and let stand overnight or for at least six hours.

Heat oven to 160ºC (325ºF) Grease a bread loaf pan and line with wax paper. I use parchment paper, I find it works best.

Add the beaten egg to the fruit and tea mixture. Sift flours, baking powder, and spice into a bowl and add the sugar. Now for the fun part... Add the soaked dried fruit, tea and beaten egg mixture; then stir gently until throughly mixed. Add a little hot water if the mixture is too dry. I have never had a problem with the mixture being too dry.

Place mixture in bread loaf pan and spread evenly. Make a dessert spoon sized hollow in the centre to prevent cracking when the bread rises. Honestly I have never done this and my loaves have turned out fine. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until the loaf is firm, with a browned top. Test by piercing with a metal skewer, or knife which should come out almost dry when bread is cooked. Cover with foil for the last 10 minutes of baking if colour becomes too dark. I check my loaf as it bakes and have never had to cover it. That being said I take it out of the oven 10 minutes early. Leave to rest in the pan for 10 minutes; then turn out onto a wire rack.

When cold, put in an airtight tin for two days to bring the flavours out. 

CT Fine Bistro Beer Night

Last night I attended CT Fine Bistro's Beer Night. I am more of a wine drinker and yes they do Wine Nights as well. I thought why not expand my palette. CT's warm atmosphere and European flair made this a most memorable and entertaining night. Live jazz music was provided by Alberta Trio and a representative from Mill St. Micro Brewery was on hand to talk about each selected lager and ale for the evening. My favourites were the Original Organic Lager and the Lemon Tea Beer. The Tankhouse Ale had an aromatic flavour and was paired with the Beef Tatar. The Belgian Wit I don't quite remember so the flavour could have been more subtle. Or the fact that it was paired with the Dill Pickle Soup could have been the reason. The Coffee Porter was the least of my favourites. It looked a lot like Guinness and had that rich texture but I found the coffee flavour very robust. It seemed to overpowered this beverage therefore I couldn't see drinking much of it. I have featured a few photos for your sampling but recommend making a reservation, click here, at CT Fine Bistro for either their Beer Night or Wine Night or any night! - JW

Lemon Tea Beer

by Mill St. Micro Brewery

was served with the main coarse of

Chicken, Shrimp and William Potatoes

the menu for the evening was as follows:

Coffee Porter

by Mill St. Micro Brewery

was served with dessert

a Raspberry Mousse Torte

99% Cocoa

Over the weekend I decided to try some 99% cocoa. I wholeheartedly tried one square and quickly came to the realization that this isn't like any other chocolate I have tried. The texture was somewhat smooth. The taste slightly bitter and strong. One wafer thin square is all your need. On the package it said *dark* but I think intense is another key word that should have been used. This kind of chocolate would be good with coffee or possibly a very good red wine. -JW