Scallops From Away-Curried Scallops

After experimenting in Caker Land, it is time to get back to meals that require a little more effort and that produce much tastier results. I think more nutritious, also. Ah, the complicated recipe. Yes, there was a head of broccoli in that casserole, but it just felt wrong to be prepping for, making and eating it. The empty jar of Cheez Whiz was carefully placed into the recycling bin this week leaving space in the fridge for fresh cheese. Perhaps we'll crack open the Caker book on the post's anniversary. I do enjoy the CakerCooking blog, though. I like the tongue-firmly-planted-in-cheek style.

I was in the grocery store beginning of the month and someone reminded their partner to go and get the Cheez Whiz. "Don't do it!" the brain screamed. "Go to the cheese counter and see what you can do with that!" Great line from Mother with Albert Brooks. Mom has a hunk of fossilized cheese she's keeping in the freezer. "I can tell from the gross weight I'm not going to like it," John says to her as she slices off a piece with the electric knife.

Try this for a month. Break out of the cheese rut and buy a different cheese each week. Just a few ounces, that's all I ask. A blue, a brie, a goat, a cheddar. Go Canadian. I'm trying to do the 100 mile thing but it is challenging. Obviously I'm buying bananas that have travelled great distances. Short of staging a raid on the Gage Park tropical greenhouse, I have to let the guilt go on the banana front. Likewise with the avocado. I was mortified to find last week's blackberries came from Mexico. I didn't realize. Remember years ago when we debated about South African oranges and Chilean wine? Politics went deep. See what democracy has done? Now it's just a matter of how far it's travelled to your doorstep. (Side note on wine-if you think it's Canadian, check again. Is it 100% local grape or a mix bag of imported grape that is merely cellered locally? Yes, by all means buy the Italian, French or Australian but make sure the local stuff is local.)

This is Frederick. As you can see, Frederick likes his food. He also likes a drop of wine. Frederick is never without his tasting spoon, but he broke it recently in a fit of kitchen pique. Someone put chicken nuggets in his oven and he wasn't best pleased. Frederick is a coq au vin kind of guy. He likes his game bird-pheasant, partridge and quail.

Frederick has connections. The scallops in this recipe came hand delivered from Nova Scotia waters. When I was presented with them, I had about four cents on hand. I have not forgotten about the IOU.

A complicated recipe this is not. This is very simple but very satisfying dish and if you don't have Frederick's connections, some chicken or shrimp will work very well.

1 TBSP butter
2 leeks, sliced
sprinkle of nutmeg
1/3 C chicken stock
1/4 C 35% cream
sea salt
12 scallops or to taste depending on size
curry powder~either the "yellow" stuff, Tandoori, your own blend or try Patak's paste; the choice is yours

Saute leeks in butter; add stock; sweat for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with nutmeg.
Add cream.
Simmer 'til thickened.

Pat scallops dry.
Sprinkle with a little sea salt.
Give the scallops a massage with the powder or paste.
Pan fry in butter, 5 minutes a side.

Serve on leeks with a side of rice.
Serves 2; just. Increase portions accordingly.
Great smell in the kitchen and very tasty. Putting it into steady rotation.

Homage to Cakers-Discovering the Inner Caker

For Sale: disguise; used once to purchase Cheez Whiz, Campbell's soup and Dream Whip topping.

This past September holiday Monday, I was introduced to the Caker Blog by Brian Francis. Francis is a writer by trade (I recommend Fruit) and collector of cookbooks-Caker cookbooks. I have had the pleasure of listening to Francis talk about his day job previously on CBC but, never on food. He blogs on Caker cooking at the following link:

http://www.cakercooking.com/

Thoroughly enjoyed the October 15th post. Check it out.

Francis shared his enthusiasm for Caker cookbooks with Ms. Rogers and The Next Chapter audience. We’ve heard the term Food Porn used many times with respect to the glossy publications available on the open market. Francis’ collection comes from church socials, school fundraising ventures and community initiatives. They are often plain and spiral bound with few photos or illustrations.

Self identifying as a Caker-some useful tips. If you answer yes to the following questions, then you may be a Caker.

Do you have a jar of Cheez Whiz by the toaster? Do you stockpile commercially prepared tomato sauce? Is your whipped cream stored in the freezer or does it come from a pouch? Do you often combine a vegetable, chicken, rice & Campbell’s Soup in a casserole dish?

(please click on the FAQ section of Francis' blog for more on Caker id)

Emphasis on convenience food. Hailing from the British cooking tradition of the chip butty, I understand the appeal of Caker food. (However, I will say that the UK is no longer the culinary nightmare it once was.)

I was reminded of a Caker cookbook lurking on the family shelf. Cooking Secrets from the West Flamboro Presbyterian Church.

Went rummaging for it this past Thanksgiving weekend. The usual suspects-casseroles and squares. Tinned soup and Dream Whip figuring prominently.

Selected Broccoli& Rice Casserole and Green Cake and I offer them up to the Caker World. I must say I felt very self conscious at the checkout with my Dream Whip, Cheez Whiz and Ritz crackers in hand.

Broccoli Casserole (Submitted by Dorothy Hanes)

Saute 2 pkg frozen broccoli or 1 fresh head.

Cook 1- 12 oz pkg long grain or wild rice mix.

Combine ½ lb jar Cheese Whiz and 2 cans mushroom soup.

Mix everything together and pour into buttered casserole dish.

Sprinkle buttered bread crumbs over mixture (breadcrumb notes a bit vague here; go with your instincts).

Bake 350 C for 1 hour. (Option to add diced chicken or tuna)

I give you my casserole...



Francis spoke of the challenges in maintaining his blog given the nature of the finished
product. It is very often colourless and formless (as above) and sometimes the taste is a bit suspect.

Would definitely flesh it out with the chicken. It needs something to cut the strength of all that soup concentrate and Cheez Whiz! Thank goodness for the broccoli and brown rice. Almost have to add a starch side.

(Editor's note: it aged well; mellowed out after 24 hrs courtesy of the microwave and the chicken breast)

Green Cake (Submitted by Jean Betzner)

[I think cake is a misnomer here]

Layer 1

1 CUP Ritz cracker crumbs, ½ CUP shredded coconut and ¼ CUP melted butter. Press into 8x8 pan.

Layer 2

Combine 4 oz cream cheese, ¼CUP icing sugar, 1 half of prepared envelope of Dream Whip

Layer 3

1 pkg pistachio pudding mix and 1 ¼ CUP milk. Spread over crumb base.

Cover with remaining Dream Whip.

The publication of these recipes is not meant to poke fun at anyone (except perhaps my efforts); it is simply the nature of the cookbooks and their reflection on the culture at the time. Enjoy!

Must re-christen Green Cake. Any suggestions?

Post Script
Frederick refused to participate in this little adventure.  Took one look at the jar of Cheez Whiz, quietly put down his spoon, took off his apron and hat and walked out the door. Muttered something about heading East for some real food.

Mexspagnol Night-Drawing Inspiration from The Sauce Book

After perusing The Sauce Book by Paul Gayler (that's not my hand in the upper right of the picture) I was inspired to tackle salsa and chicken mole.

Aiming for a Mexican night, I wound up with a hybrid EuroMex menu with the following:

~Thyme infused tequila cocktail
~Olive tapenade on goats cheese
~Cod and salsa
~Chicken mole w/ rice
~Baked peaches with fresh cream

What to pair with this? A Grigio? Riesling? Gewurztraminer? Zinfandel? Like Indian cooking, pairing is tricky. Went with a VQA~Strewn ~Two Vines (Riesling/Gewurztraminer.) Just enough sweetness to balance the salsa and mole. Enough Riesling to accommodate the tapenade and fish. In fact, if there was any left, the wine could probably have carried through to dessert in a pinch. Prefer at least a Late Harvest at this stage, though.

Thyme for Tequila

Boil 1 CUP water and sugar with zest of 1/2 lemon and 6 sprigs of thyme. Simmer 10 mins.
Strain and cool.

For each serving: 2 oz tequila, 1 oz lemon juice, 1 1/2 oz syrup. Pour over ice, add soda water.

Tapenade

~

1 CUP black olives (after pitting)

1 clove garlic

juice of one lemon

5 anchovy filets

olive oil to blend

~

Pit olives; mince garlic; chop in blender; drizzle with olive oil; add anchovies; mince; add lemon juice; sea salt and black pepper to taste. Tres simple.

A word about crackers. Always go with an unseasoned water cracker. Don't insult the toppings.
My choice is Carr's.
Top your cracker with a little goat's cheese and tapenade.

Fish

First and last purchase of Bream. Although I shouldn't give up quite so easily. I naively thought the fishmonger had cleaned (ie deboned, beheaded, gutted) the fish. Not so. Gills are tough. After making a rough attempt at filleting the beast, all I was left with was stock base.

Went with cod. Love cod. Don't overcook the fish-any fish. Cod filet is fairly thick and I would give it about 7 minutes a side. Poach or pan fry in a little butter.

Salsa

Turning to the Gayler, went with a hybrid salsa/salsa verde.

~

2 serrano chiles

1 jalapeno

6 tomatillos/or any tomato

1 small onion (red/white/yellow)

2 garlic cloves

2 handfuls cilantro/coriander

pinch salt

pinch ground cumin

~

Roast peppers and tomatoes in a dry fry pan 'til blistered.
Mince garlic, tomatillos, onion, peppers, ground cumin, olive oil, black pepper

Grind your own cumin. Why would you treat the coffee shop to the aroma of freshly ground beans when you can grind at home? Likewise with any herb or spice. Cumin gives off a wonderful aroma. If desired, dry roast the seeds in a frying pan then grind.

Obtain a mortar and pestle.

Mole

At this stage I threw in a cheat. While out in the middle of nowhere recently, I came across a kitchen supply store that always seems to thrive in the middle of nowhere. Spied a mole sauce and picked up a bottle. Fry up chicken, onions and garlic and simmer in sauce. Allow 30 minutes.

I will be following up with my scratch version of mole and here is the recipe for the diehards. Cut yourselves some slack every once in a while-you've shopped, you've prepared the beverage, the tapenade, the salsa, the dessert so it's OK to open a bottle of something occasionally.

~

2 dried ancho chiles

2 dried pasilla chiles or dried pepper flakes

3 cups chicken stock

2 corn tortillas

1 TBSP lard

1 onion

1/2 TSP dried oregano

2 garlic cloves-crushed

14 oz can tomatoes

1/2 CUP raisins-soak in warm water to plump

2 1/2 oz dark chocolate-aim for 75-90%

2 TBSP peanut butter

1 TBSP white wine vinegar

1TSP sugar

1/2 TSP ground cloves

1 TSP coriander seeds

1 TBSP sesame seeds-toast these

pinch of ground anise

pinch of salt

~

(so the mortar will come in handy, no?)

Fry chiles, soak for 30 mins. Boil 1 CUP of stock, add tortillas. Let stand.
Heat half lard/oil, cook onion, oregano and garlic.
Chop chiles and add to onions.
Add tortilla stock. Boil
Add everything else EXCEPT stock.
Puree.
Put everything back in the pan and add rest of stock.
Simmer for 20 minutes or so.

Peaches

Depending on where you are, peaches may be in scarce supply at this point.

I was fortunate to get local. Following up with my poached pears for the Fall but do keep the peach recipe in mind for next season. Tinned fruit will do in a pinch. Reduce cooking time.

~

50 g ameretti-crushed

1 TBSP caster sugar

1 yolk

1 oz butter

~

Blend above 'til paste like consistency.

Pit peaches, fill with paste.

Bake 350C for 20 mins.

Serve with mascarpone or 35% cream.

(Visuals don't do the dish justice.)

A word about cream.

Cream does not come from the freezer section.

It does not come out of a red can.

For a South of the border touch, drizzle with Cajeta Sauce.

~

3 CUP goat or sheep's milk

1/3 CUP sugar

1 CUP whipping cream

1 stick cinnamon

3 TBSP unsalted butter, chopped

~

Put everything but butter to boil.

Take out cinnamon and simmer for 2 hours.

Take off heat and whisk butter.

Serve warm or cold.



Enjoy.

 

 

Post Script

Of course, Frederick has had a long love affair with Mexico since he first travelled there in '79.  The quest for the perfect chili pepper.  He would never condone opening a jar of mole.

The Morel of the Story Is...

The humble take-out pizza box sat empty after a late night working dinner-something must be done.

It is time to give serious consideration to opening up your wallet and indulging in a few ounces of this delightful fungus.

Many of us are a slave to the white button mushroom and even go the length to wash the life out of it. But what of the other earthly delights on your grocer's shelf? (And what of the alternatives to your supermarket shelf?)

The morel was a key component in last weekend's dinner. A sublime creation.
Tarragon crusted scallops, borscht, chicken with brandied morel sauce, finishing with a smooth chocolate pot.

More about the chocolate pot later.

The morel can run $15/oz. One has the choice of dried or fresh. Most reputable farmers markets will carry good sized, fresh product. Dried mushrooms are perfectly respectable contrary to opinion. This is not a "pot noodle" but a concentration of flavour. Soaked dried morels for twenty minutes to half an hour.

Saute butter, garlic, sliced mushroom; add full cream; soy sauce, and brandy-if inclined. Simmer 'til thickened.

The morel texture is not compromised even after a saute and simmer. Adds a earthiness to any sauce or stew. Try it in barley risotto. Yes- try thinking outside the box -substitute the arborio for barley.

Worth every penny-skip the mass market take out coffee for a couple of days. You won't miss a thing.  Do your research, throw on your apron and experiment.
 
The button mushroom is not going away; it will forgive you.

Post Script
Frederick vacationing.  Off hand picking morels.  Something he insists on.

Pass the tarragon, please. Tarragon Sauce & Crusted Scallops

Day four of take out burgers and subs?
No justification for this.
Instead take ten minutes to poach some chicken and prepare tarragon sauce OR enjoy a tarragon crusted scallop or two.


Sauce

Boil up 1 cup bouillon from scratch[if time permits], from a box or from a cube. (We've all read the cookbooks, we know scratch is best, but save it for when you have time.)

Add 1/2 cup creme fraiche; simmer 'til thickened. Adjust quantity as needed.
Add 1/4 cup chopped fresh tarragon.
Simmer for a couple of minutes.
Season with fresh ground black pepper, if desired. Yes, get yourselves a pepper mill! 
 

Serve with a simple side- rice, orzo, etc.

Tarragon Crusted Scallops

Saute: 1 tbsp butter, 1 clove garlic.
Add 1/4 cup chopped tarragon.
Add 1/4 cup bread crumbs. (bonus points if you grate the bread yourself)
Saute further 5 minutes.

Can cool for future use.

Sear scallops.
Top with bread crumb mixture.
Finish in a 400C oven for 5 minutes.

Post Script
Frederick says he's going to try and get some local scallops for the next recipe.  Says you can taste the difference.