My Caper Crab Cake Creation (My 4 C's)

I can count on my fingers and toes how many times I have been asked to put a crab cake on one of my menus. I had them on my menu at the Five Fishermen for quite a long time, and after feeling blase about these bad boys, I decided to turn over a new leaf and create a new "cake". My salt cod cakes were smashing and went very well with my salsa verde, but over and over again, I would get the request for crab cakes. "Crab cakes?!" I would yell, and tell the server that there was no way in hell that I was going to give in to the customers. I know, they are always right, but they needed to broaden their horizons! So, after a few weeks of hair pulling and nail biting, I relinquished my salt cod cakes, and those crabby concoctions made their way back onto my menu.

On a recent trip to Cape Breton, our host, Duper, was very excited to tell me that his father had some Snow Crab and was eagerly awaiting my arrival so I could whip up a batch of somethin'-somethin'. Oh no, my nemesis, the crab cake was suggested. Okay, I like Duper and his wife, Katrina, and I was smitten by his father, Billy, so I put my feelings aside and whipped them up a batch of my super-duper (get it, Duper) crab cakes. I called them my 4 C's (My Caper Crab Cake Creation). Here is the recipe for my 4 C's, and I only hope that you get crab as fresh and delicious as I got, courtesy of one Billy MacDonald and his brother Harold.

My caper Crab Cakes

• 1 lbs picked over crab meat; strained of any liquid
• 1 lbs new potatoes; boiled
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• zest of 3 lemons
• salt and pepper

Boil the potatoes with their skins. Once cooked, roughly mash and let cool slightly. Add all the other ingredients and mix by hand. Taste for seasoning. Shape into cakes (I use a small ice cream scoop), and fry up in a pan with a little oil until golden brown.

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A Tourist In My Own Town

I have been living in Halifax for almost four years, and you would think that I would've done the "tourist" thing by now, but alas, I have not. On a sunny Saturday afternoon, Doug, Zoe & I decided to take in Halifax, through the eyes of a "tourist". Off we went to catch the ferry over to Halifax; a trip I usually take when I am on my way to work, not with my family in tow! We landed on solid ground and the first thing in my mind that I wanted to do was eat, but Doug suggested that we work up an appetite. We walked along the boardwalk and took in the Busker Festival; a fun thing to do with a 10 month old. We checked out the boats that were docked, and walked towards Bishop's Landing. Once we got to Bishop's Landing, I decided that we would hit up Bishop's Cellar to grab a few bottles of wine for our dinner that night. Luckily for us, Alanna McIntyre was working. She is a local sommelier with whom I've done a couple of events. She suggested a few wines for us; Spanish, Italian & Nova Scotian. With the bottom of Zoe's stroller full of wine, my constant hunger pangs started to get the best of me. Big decisions were ahead; where to eat? I was curious to try out the Grill At CUT (as I had been upstairs already), but the crisp white table clothes scared me a little as I had visions of Zoe and her famous "messes" getting us banned from the restaurant forever; so we decided to save it for a Zoe-free day. We made are way to Argyle Street and stopped in at The Carleton for their famous "frites and aioli". I must admit, these crispy little critters are addictive and very good! Doug barely managed to get his hands on any, as he was too afraid of getting his fingers bitten off. I washed down my frites with a pint of beer. Seeing as Doug didn't get anything to eat, it was his turn to pick a place; so off we went to Little Fish to get some much needed oysters. Seated on the patio at Little Fish, Doug quickly ordered his "usual" (a dozen oysters; preferably Black Points, Eel Lakes & St. Simon). I was amazed at how fast he managed to slurp these down and order another dozen! Well, I guess I deserved it for not being a willing participant with the frites. While Doug ate, I drank some Tideview Cider and people-watched. I find the Little Fish patio the perfect place to people-watch and do it at least once a week. Zoe sat quietly eating her Old Growler cheese and managed to entertain us when needed. Once Doug had gotten his fix, it was time to let the lil' ham stretch her legs, so we strolled down the Grand Parade and sat on the grass while Zoe crawled around and roared at the passers-bys. With our bellies full, and visions of Halifax from a different view on this sunny Saturday, we hoped back on the ferry and headed home to relax and enjoy our wine purchases and put the lil' ham to bed.

Peas, Glorious Peas!

Peas, those little green beauties that were the bane of my existence as a small child. My mother tried everything; hiding them in a Shepard's pie, in a beef ragout and even dousing them in honey. Nothing worked for me until I grew my very own peas and was able to pluck them off myself and eat them out of the pod. Peas have been in season here for a while, but seeing as every weekend has been spent away from my kitchen, it wasn't until last night when my husband showed up with a bag of fresh snap peas from Noggins Corner Farm in the Annapolis Valley, that I was able to get my fix. I have many favorite ways to eat these bad boys; sauteed with pancetta, with mint and cream, or quickly blanched and tossed in a salad. A few summers ago, I had the pleasure of cooking for Leo Ricci, who happens to work for Lungarotti Winery in Torgiano, Italy. Here is the recipe for the clam and pea risotto that I prepared for him and paired with their white wine, Torre Di Giano; needless to say, it was a major hit!

Risotto of Fresh Peas and Clams

• 3 cups fresh peas
• 3 lbs clams; I prefer the local Black Point clams
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves; minced
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 l fish stock
• 1/2 cup green onion; finely chopped
• 1 bag arborio or carnaroli rice
• 3 tbsp mint; chopped
• 2 tbsp tarragon; minced
• 3 lemons; zest
• 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano

Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a pot and add half the garlic. Cook for 1 minute and add the clams and 1/2 the wine. Cover with a tight fitting lid and cook until all the clams open. Any unopened clams ca be discarded. Strain, using a colander over a bowl so that you can collect the liquid. Leave to cool and take the clams from their shells. Take the liquid and pass through a coffee filter or fine sieve to remove any dirt or grit. Put clams in the liquid and save.

Blanch the peas in salted water until tender. Heat the stock to a simmer. Heat remaining olive oil in a large saucepan and add the green onions. Cook gently until they start to soften. When soft, add the rest of the garlic and rice. Stir to coat all the grains of rice and add the wine. Cook and stir and start adding the stock, one ladle at a time until it gets absorbed by the rice. Continue stirring and adding liquid until the rice is almost cooked; about 15 to 20 minutes. At the last minute, add the peas and clams and the clam liquid and cook for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add the herbs, cheese and lemon zest.

How Do You Do, Callaloo?

I spent some time working in the British Virgin Islands, and had the pleasure of working with a man we called "Pont". Pont was in charge of making soups and such on Peter Island, and one of his many specialities was Callaloo soup. Once a month he would whip up a batch, and I would secretly snatch a litre or two to bring home with me to enjoy in the comfort of my home; sitting on my deck on the ocean (yes, you read correctly; I LIVED on the ocean!). A few years later while shopping at the Halifax Farmers' Market, I came across a farmer (Hutton Family Farm) that grew callaloo, and I immediately bought some and ran home to try and re-create Pont's spicy and silky soup. If you cannot find callaloo, you can substitute spinach or kale. FYI...I also like to douse my finished soup with some Matouk's Hot Sauce to give me that extra ring of fire.

Callaloo Soup

• 1 onion; chopped
• 2 cloves garlic; chopped
• 1 1" piece ginger; minced
• 1 sweet potato; peeled and diced
• 1 Scotch Bonnet pepper or 2 Jalapenos; minced
• 6 slices smoked bacon or 1 nice piece of salted pork
• 4 cups callaloo or spinach/kale; chopped with stems
• 3 cups water or chicken broth
• 2 limes; juiced
• 1 cup chopped coriander
• 2 tbsp allspice
• 1 tbsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp coriander seed
• salt & pepper
• 2 cups okra

In a heavy bottomed pot, saute the onion with the garlic in a bit of olive oil, bacon, hot peppers and ginger. Add the sweet potato and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the spices and cook for another minute. Add the water or stock and bring to a boil. Add the chopped callaloo and okra. Cook for 15 minutes and add the lime juice, fresh coriander and season to taste. Cook until the sweet potatoes are soft and put in a blender and puree. Please be careful when blending hot liquids (instructions here). Season to taste and add more hot sauce if you can handle it!

Get 'Er "India"

Ok, so here's the deal. When I lived in Toronto many moons ago, and felt down and out, I would call upon a little Indian restaurant on Gerrard Street called "The BBQ Hut". I would order copious amounts of spicy Indian food and drown my sorrows in it. Many plates later, and some serious ring of fire, I would wander about my end of the city and think how lucky I was that I had all this at my fingertips. Obviously, there is something in Indian food that turns my pessimism into optimism. I wonder, is it the cumin seed or perhaps the tamarind? Nope, it is just the big plate of Palak Paneer!

In light of the horrible stretch of weather we were experiencing last week, I thought it was only appropriate to put together an Indian feast to lift our spirits. Here is my recipe for "optimism".

Palak Paneer A La Lavallée

• 1 onion; finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes; chopped
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 3 chilies
• 1" ginger; minced
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• salt & pepper
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 bunch fresh coriander; roughly chopped
• 1 can pureed spinach
• 1 block Paneer cheese; cut into chunks

In a skillet, add some oil (about 3 tsp) and heat. On medium heat, add onion and ginger. Cook until translucent and add all the spices. Cook for one minute until fragrant. Add tomatoes and peas. Cook for five minutes and add the spinach.  Cook for another 10 minutes and add the paneer and fresh coriander. Cook another 10 minutes and check for seasoning.

Serve with your other favourite Indian dishes, basmati rice, and papdums.

Many of the above ingredients can be found at the stores mentioned in this story: Saturday Food Round-Up

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Chef Boyardee's Got Nothing On Me!

I am a creature of habit; old habits die hard in my household.  Sunday night has always been that one night of the week that I find most peculiar; kinda sad, kinda boring.  The one thing that Sunday has also always been is pasta night!  Growing up, Sunday night meant spaghetti with homemade meat sauce, caesar salad, baguette and red wine (yes, even as a child I was permitted a juice glass of an Italian red!).  Now, as a wife and mother, I've kept up the Lavallee tradition of a bowl of pasta, red wine and bread, though the Lavallee meat sauce is a rare and coveted occurrence here.  I have an old standby these days, olive oil, garlic, tons of chilies, fresh tomatoes, peas and whatever herbs and cheese we have floating about.  This pasta takes only minutes to make; while your pasta cooks, you make the sauce, so you are guaranteed dinner in about ten minutes. Quicker than take out!  I hope you will take this recipe and make it your own by adding some of your favorite ingredients!  Buon appetito a tutti!

The Sunday Night Special

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves; sliced
• 1 heaping tbsp red chili flakes (or 2 if you're like me)
• 3 tomatoes; roughly chopped
• 8 asparagus (this is what I had on this particular night)
• 1 cup frozen peas (I add them to the cooking pasta before I strain it!)
• 1 handful fresh herbs; basil, flat leaf parsley, oregano, etc
• zest of 1 lemon
• salt & pepper
• 1 cup Taleggio (again, we had a piece in the fridge)
• 3 cups cooked pasta of your choice

While the pasta is cooking, I heat up a pan with the oil and add the garlic and chilies; cook for 30 seconds until you smell the garlic.  Next, I add the asparagus & tomatoes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add 1/2 the chopped herbs and the lemon zest.  Just before straining the cooked pasta, add your peas to the water to cook.  Add the strained pasta and peas to the saucepan and add the cheese and the remainder of the herbs.

This makes enough for two hungry people with enough for lunch the next day!

FYI....We have the new habit of using That Dutchman's "Old Growler" these days instead of the pricier Parmigiano-Reggiano.  I find it works just as well, if not better! Click here for my top ten favorite cheeses.

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Cool As A "Sea" Cucumber

A lovely lady named Jennifer Reynolds gave me a few bags of cleaned Sea Cucumber last Sunday when we were both finishing up at the Catch Seafood Festival.  Jennifer had spent some of the weekend cooking up this mysterious creature of the sea, and kindly offered me some to take home and experiment with.  My first thought was to treat it like conch and make a stew, but I opted to make a soup with the sea cucumber that incorporated some of my favorite pantry items; coriander, garlic, limes and chilies.

Doug and I sat down to our steaming bowls of sea cucumber soup and were pleasantly surprised by the taste and texture.  I hope that if anyone out there can get their grubby lil' paws on any of this plankton eating creature, that they do so and experiment with it as I did today!  It has a sweet flavor similar to a clam, but without the saltiness and has the texture of one of my favorite foods, tripe (specifically honeycomb tripe). The following is the recipe that I came up with that stars the sea cucumber in the leading role.

Sea Cucumber Soup

• 1 onion chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic; sliced
• 1 scotch bonnet chili; minced (optional for heat lovers)
• 2 red peppers; diced
• 2 plum tomatoes; diced
• 1 cup chopped coriander - stems included
• 2 potatoes; diced
• 3 cups broth (chicken/fish/vegetable)
• 3 limes; zest and juice
• 2 cups cleaned sea cucumber
• salt & pepper to taste

Sweat the onion, garlic, chili and peppers in olive oil until translucent.  Add the sea cucumber and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the remainder of the ingredients and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender.  Finish with a little more fresh coriander a squeeze of lime and some Matouk's hot sauce (if you can handle it!)

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