Who Says You Can't Make Friends With Salad?

Back in the good 'ol days, I used to work at a restaurant in Chelsea, Quebec, called Les Fougères. At Les Fougères, I got the chance to work alongside Charlie & Jennifer Part; the chef-owners of the restaurant. During the few years that I worked there, I learned many, many things, and have consequently thanked them for shaping my cooking style. One of the items that has never left the menu at Les Fougères, is a salad called "Salade Fougères". This is a simple yet satisfying salad, and the flavours are out of this world! Yes, I know that I'm talking about a salad, but it has everything a girl like me needs; bacon, cheese and some tangy vinaigrette!

Recently, I was dead tired and exhausted when I came home from work (as per usual these days), and was not in any mood to toil over my stove. What would Doug & I have for dinner? He, of course, always suggests salad, and I, of course, always squawk at the very idea! "No! No greens for me!" But on this fateful evening, I had no energy to fight, so I dug deep into our fridge and found some ingredients that would hopefully satisfy my hunger. Okay, no double-smoked bacon for lardons, but I found some pancetta (still a fatty pork product), some curly endive (not mesclun mix, but heartier and more zippy), and a log of goat cheese. Next for the dressing; dijon, red wine vinegar, olive oil and salt & pepper. Ahhh, all necessary ingredients, for my version of this wonderful salad.

I started by crisping the pancetta in the oven (making sure to keep the excess fat to drizzle on top of my finished salad). I then washed and dried the endive and crumbled the goat's cheese. Finally, I gave the vinaigrette a quick whisk and tossed all of the components together. These simple steps produced a very sexy salad reminiscent of the "Salade Fougères" I so often crave.

If you ever get a chance to make it to beautiful Chelsea, Quebec, I strongly suggest making a stop at Les Fougères for some exquisite cooking, a mind-blowing wine list, and a Salade Fougères!

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musee quai branly

Mama's Pudding Chomeur

My mother, bless her big ol' heart, has a thing about sweets. This lady has been known to sit down in one sitting and eat a whole sugar pie; bit by glorious bit, or even spend an evening dipping some Pontiac Home Bakery bread in a vat of maple syrup (my parents buy it by the gallon!).  So, it is of no surprise that my momma makes "Pudding Chomeur". For those of you who are not familiar with this sickly sweet concoction, it is named "Welfare Pudding" (literal translation) due to the fact that back in the day when money was tight, momma's and grandma's used to whip up this dessert as maple syrup was cheaper and more plentiful than sugar. Of course, the recipe has changed over the years, and has been adapted, but it still super duper! I have been known to use my momma's recipe on quite a few occasions, and have decided to put it on my new Harvest Stimulus Menu at the Five Fishermen. This dessert is always a big hit, and we are serving it with Dafydd's Buttermilk Ice Cream....yum! Whenever I am feeling down and out, or need a bowl of comfort, I usually whip up a batch, and I hope that you do too.

Pudding Chomeur A La Lavallée

the liquid

• 1 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup Maple Syrup
• 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp flour

Mix all the ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Pour into a deep cake pan or pudding pan.

THE Cake

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup milk
• pinch of salt
• splash of vanilla

Cream the butter and sugar together; add the eggs one at a time. Add flour and baking powder, then milk, vanilla and salt. Pour batter over the liquid and bake in a 375F oven for 30-40 minutes.

These Flowers Were Not Delivered By FTD

Many people who know me, laugh at the fact that I consider myself "semi-Italian". Neither of my parents are Italian, nor any member of my family for that fact, but my time in Italy has led me to believe that I could be Italian. So, here I was on a Sunday afternoon, after purchasing some gorgeous squash blossoms from Ted Hutten at the Halifax Farmers' Market the previous day, having visions of myself sitting alongside Garda Lake with a glass of Pinot Grigio and a plate of fried zucchini blossoms. No Garda Lake was to be found in my backyard, nor Pinto Grigio for that matter, but succulent little zucchini blossoms were being fried up on my stove top and dusted lightly with Maldon salt. A plate of these bad boys, a glass of wine and some US Open tennis was the perfect way to end my first week out of "maternity" retirement. I hope that if you encounter these zucchini blossoms next summer, you grab a few handfuls and bring them home to fry up for yourself. Here is my recipe for a super easy batter that not only works for blossoms, but pretty much anything you want.

1-2-3 Batter

• 1 egg white; whisked until frothy
• 3/4 c flour
• 1/2 can Soda water; give or take
• pinch of salt

Whisk the egg white until frothy and add the flour. Add enough soda water to reach the consistency that you prefer (I like runny for zucchini blossoms, but thicker for larger vegetables or fish).

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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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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!

If You're Fond Of Sand Dunes & Salty Air

I have been living on the East coast for about six years. One of the best things about living here is waking up to the smell of the salt in the air on a misty morning. It makes me think of sand dunes, waves and believe it or not, clams! I recently had the pleasure of being invited to Pictou by my friend, Nick, who also happens to be a fish supplier. His father, Paul, aka "Chip", happens to be the mastermind behind the Black Point clams and oysters that I am so very fond of. So off we set on a rainy Friday afternoon to spend the weekend on the Northumberland Shore with this "fishy" family. I had visions of me in a bikini with a snorkel and a mesh bag, diving in the warm, salty water; clams, oysters and bay scallops a bounty! To my dismay, Mother Nature decided to rain on my parade, and instead I was only able to walk down to the water's edge and hand pick these beauties out of baskets. Oh well, at least they were in the water, and I didn't have to scare anybody with the sight of me in a bikini and snorkel! Luckily enough when the weather let up, Paul and his wife took us on their boat and gave us a tour of one of their nearby "bottom leases". It was amazing for us to see all that went into the production of these delicious mollusks.

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My favorite recipe for the Black Point clams is to simply grill them until they open and then toss them with a little "salsa verde" or depending on the time of year, "nasturtium butter". Seeing as the nasturtiums are bountiful in my yard right now, I'll pass along my recipe for the butter. Enjoy.

Nasturtium Butter

• 1 lb salted & softened butter
• 2 cups nasturtium flowers
• 1 cup nasturtium leaves
• 3 lemons; zest and juice of two
• 1/4 cup cracked black pepper

In a food processor, soften the butter. Once very soft, add the rest of the ingredients. Make sure not to process too much or you will end up with "green" paste instead of the "speckled" effect.