Livingston Cooks

CLEANING A CAST IRON SKILLET

2009-06-28T06:11:00.000-07:00

Cast iron skillets are a standard in many home and restaurant kitchens. In my last post I discussed a few of the benefits of cast iron skillets. They hold and radiate a lot of heat for browning, they can be transferred into the oven for finishing a dish or for one pan cooking, and they will remain non-stick if they are perpetually seasoned.

Perpetually seasoned? What does that mean?! Let's find out.

This is my skillet after I cooked my mushrooms for the Wing Steaks. As you can see (despite the blurry photo for which I appologize) the pan is quite oily. That's a good thing when it comes to skillets. Actually, I could easily fry an egg in this skillet at this point and it would come off the iron just as easily as it would go on. But that's for another day.

What we want to do with this skillet now is remove the excess oil and the bits of food. We want to clean it without removing all of the oil and we want it to be sterile as well. There are two ways we can do this.

The first way is to add some salt into the skillet along with a little oil. A paste is created for cleaning. The salt acts as a sterilizer as well as an abrasive to remove any bits of food that may have stuck to the surface of the pan. I generally reheat my pan to a moderate heat, add the salt and oil and scrub is a little with a paper towel. Then I wipe the salt out of the pan with a clean paper towel and finish the surface off with a wipe of clean oil. The pan is then clean and oiled and ready to be put away.

The second way I clean my skillet is how I will show you here. Because I used the skillet for mushrooms rather than for meat or fish, I feel this option is safe for cleaning in this case.

Here's how I do it.

First I run the skillet under warm water. I use a scrubby to remove anything that may be clinging to the surface of the skillet. The most important this to remember her is this: DO NOT USE SOAP TO CLEAN A SEASONED SKILLET. NOT EVER! Just a little water and a scrubby will do.

Here you can see that the pan is clean. You can also see that there is still a film of oil on it. That is what we want at this stage.

Here the skillet is returned to the burner and is allowed to heat up to a moderate heat. This will allow the pan to thoroughly dry, will kill any bacteria and will allow the pores of the iron to open up for reseasoning.

A little oil is poured into the skillet and is allowed to heat. This will season the pan nicely which will protect the pan from rusting and will keep it non-stick.

The hot oil is wiped liberally over the surface of the skillet with a clean paper towel and is allowed to cool. Then the skillet can be put away until it is needed again.

WING STEAK WITH MUSHROOMS PART TWO

2009-06-26T18:52:00.000-07:00

Okay, we have the Wing Steak grilled to perfection at this point, and you can refer back to my last post to see how that was done. But I want to serve the steak with a nice mound of sauteed mushrooms and onions on top. And that is really simple to do provided you have one essential ingredient. Heat.

Browning anything in a pan requires enough heat to quickly sear whatever it is you are cooking. For instance, how many times have you ever started out a pork chop or a breast of chicken in a frying pan only to have it come out of the pan with no color whatsoever. Usually the chop or chicken ends up simmering in their own juices instead of browning, right?

Yeah...I know.

The reason for this is a lack of heat. In order to properly brown anything in a pan you need a smoking hot pan. Most of the time the average home range isn't capable of producing enough heat to sear anything. They have no guts.

If I want to brown anything - especially meat - I use a large cast iron pan to do it. This is because cast iron pans are made of thick, heavy steel and they absorb and hold a lot of heat. This steel gets nice and hot and transfers well to whatever you are cooking. Thinner pans hold less heat and transfer less heat as a result.

The other nice thing about a cast iron pan is that it can be put into the oven to finish a dish without having to worry about a handle melting. That's a great feature for braising meats or for finishing a one pan, two step dish.

So, mushrooms taste best when they have a little color on them. This is especially true when served with beef. And, as you might expect, I like to use a cast iron pan at home when I brown them.

Here the cast iron pan is set on the burner. You can see that the pan is lightly coated in oil. This is because the pan is seasoned well. What that means is that a film of oil has developed on the surface of the pan over time and has been maintained after each use. This ensures a non-stick surface.

I have used a lot of pans as a chef. I have used cheap pans that have been great and cheap pans that have been garbage; I have used expensive pans that have been great and expensive pans that have been garbage, but the most important thing to remember with pans is to use each pan for specific things.

This cast iron pan is used for frying. I say frying rather than sauteing because in order to saute, you must jump or flip the food. Nobody flips cast iron. It's just too heavy! So...I fry.

I turn the heat on under the pan and allow the iron to get really hot. This takes a bit of time because it is a thick chunk of steel. I allow 10 to 15 minutes for it to get hot. Yeah...I'm not kidding...I allow that long for the pan to heat. It isn't dangerous to do so. It won't melt, it won't explode and it won't catch on fire. There isn't anything in it. Trust me!

Once the pan is nice and hot, I add some oil for frying. Here I use a little olive oil. Once th eoil is added to the pan I allow it to get hot.

The oil is hitting the smoking point. An oil's smoking point is the temperature at which is begins to smoke. Kind of obvious, huh? This olive oil is an high end extra virgin olive oil and has a smoking point of 375 degrees. So, that is about how hot the oil is after being in the pan for about a minute. The pan, however, is much hotter than that.

I add the sliced mushrooms and julienne of white onion to the hot fat. I allow the mushrooms to brown. I stir periodically. Pretty simple stuff really. Just stir once in a while and allow even browning.

When they are browned enough, I season them with sea salt, cracked black pepper and fresh rosemary. Done deal!

And on the steak they go.

WING STEAK WITH MUSHROOMS

2009-06-25T18:19:00.000-07:00

I think steak and mushrooms is about as basic as it gets. I grew up eating this perfect combination of beef and fungi and have always loved the simple goodness of the one with the other. I honestly can't think of a better match between two foods.

That being said, there are, of course, certain things to consider when attempting to bring the simple into the arena of the gods. It isn't a difficult thing to take a simple dish to a higher level than the ordinary; it just takes a little planning and a little know how.

My mom was a good cook. Actually, she was a really good cook and I have a lot of respect for her ability considering that she was a novice. She was a mom, and she cooked for her family out of necessity and with love. But she learned to cook recipe by recipe and perfected her repertoire over many years of repetition. I sometimes think she could have been a great culinarian had she had a bit of formal training because she had a feel for food.

I bring up my mother for two reasons. First, she passed away a couple of years ago and I really miss her sometimes. Second, she made steak and fried mushrooms often when I was growing up and I think my liking for the combination stems from that fact somewhat.

When I say that a simple dish such as this can be taken to a higher level than ordinary, I simpley mean that if the proper technique is employed for every phase of preparation, the dish can be perfect.

So, how do we make this simple dish perfect? Let's have a closer look!

Here I have two Wing Steaks marinating in a little extra virgin olive oil, freshly chopped rosemary, minced garlic and some freshly milled black pepper. It's a simple and perfect combination for adding a slow, aromatic boost to meats before they hit the grill, the pan or the oven.

These Wing Steaks caught my eye in the grocery store for two reasons. First, I had never seen a Wing Steak before and therefore had never cooked one. Yes...this is true. I had never used this cut before in any restaurant I had cheffed in. It isn't that common here in Canada on restaurant menus so I had never ordered it in. And I have never seen it in the grocery store before either. The second reason this steak caught my eye is because it is a close cousin to the Rib Steak which is my favorite steak of all. So, I simply had to give this cut a try to see if it was good.

I have to say that the Wing Steaks were quite reasonable. They were $7.00 each. Now...I'm still getting accustomed to the difference in meat prices in Ontario as compared to British Columbia, but this was a deal in my experience so I was quite happy at the price.

These steaks are tender cuts. Usually we think of the tender cuts being Beef Tenderloin (fillet), New York Striploin and Rib Steaks. The Ribeye - my ultimate favorite steak - is the Rib Steak with the bone removed.

Another tender steak is the Sirloin, however it isn't truly a "tender cut" and is classed as a semi-tender cut because it can be somewhat chewy. But it is still a nice, flavorful steak.

But let's get back to the Wing Steak!

I prepare a nice bed of coals for the steak in the usual manner as set out in earlier posts. I allow it to burn down a bit and even out for good fast heat for grilling. Yes! I will be grilling these steaks rather than barbecuing them so I want a fast and furious heat.

Remember that barbecuing consists of slow cooking with indirect heat and smoke and grilling consists of fast cooking over direct high heat. The two are very different.

The coals are white hot and the iron is smokin'! . It's time for the steaks!

Psssss! Down they go to be instantly seared. The flame licks up and threatens to burn the steaks on the surface before they are cooked to medium rare in the center. Yikes! What to do?!?! Well...I close the air flow to the fire which in turn cools the flame. I also close the lid to further restrict the air supply and to trap the smoke inside the barbecue. And remember, smoke equals flavor!

Here's an unusual perspective - I took this shot of the action beneath the steaks. It sure looks hot and smokey, huh?

Here the steaks are cooked medium and are brushed with whole butter and are seasoned with sea salt.

Pretty nice, huh? And believe me...they were tasty too!!

The steaks are loaded up with browned mushrooms, onions and rosemary. My next post will deal with the mushrooms for this dish and how to use a cast iron skillet to get them really browned properly. I will also share how to clean a cast iron skillet to keep it seasoned properly. You'll never need another non-stick pan again!

Bon Appetit!

SCRATCHING THE SURFACE - PIT SMOKING 101!

2009-06-12T04:37:00.000-07:00

Okay...here's the first attempt at cooking on the new barbecue. A few nights ago I burned some coals in the smoker box just for the fun of it and I'm ready to dive in now. Just for the sake of keeping things easy, I have decided to smoke some side ribs and some chicken thighs. I have chosen Hickory chips as my wood for smoking and have dusted the meat with a Greek style spice rub.

I decided to use briquettes rather than raw wood charcoal. I like the way briquettes burn and the flavor they give. So, I have mounded the coal in a nice stack in the smoker box and have opened up the damper full. This will allow maximum air flow to help the coals get really hot.

By mounding the coals for lighting, the coals will retain the heat in the middle of the mound and will transfer the heat from one coal to the next better than if they were spread out evenly. When the coals are evenly lit, they will be spread out to form a nice bed of even heat for cooking over

The coals are lit with lighter fluid and are allowed to catch. The fluid is allowed to burn off by letting the coals catch for a while after lighting.

Here you can see that the outer edges of the coals have turned white from the middle out to the outer edges of the mound. The heat is transferring from the center outwards.

Now the coals have lit thoroughly and can be spread out into an even bed for cooking over.

Here some Hickory chips are soaking in water to be used for smoking on the barbecue. The chips are soaked for 30 minutes and then drained well.

The chips are drained in a strainer and allowed to drip dry. They will be added to the fife every 20 minutes throughout the smoking process. In this case, smoking will take about two hours.

The temperature of the barbecue - the main barbecue, that is - should reach between 200 and 225 degrees for slow smoking. I am still a little shy of that target temperature here.

The ribs and chicken are rubbed down with Greek seasoning. That's mostly oregano, garlic and lemon if you didn't know.

The temperature looks good. It's time to place the meat on the grill in the main barbecue and let the smoking begin!

You can see the smoke billowing out of the smoke stack just after the meat is added. The majority of smoke comes from the handful of chips I added to the fire just after I added the meat.

The stack is still open.

Now I close the stack to retain the smoke. It's the smoke which will add the flavor to the meat so I want to keep as much smoke from escaping as I can. In two hours I will have nicely smoked ribs and chicken. A bit of waiting, yes...but the flavor is well worth the effort.

THE NEW PIT SMOKER

2009-06-11T19:36:00.000-07:00

This is the new barbecue. I assembled it in about one hour with absolutely no trouble whatsoever. The assembly was a snap actually and the most difficult part of the job was holding the smoke box in place while getting the bolts in place. Not a big problem really.

Above is the main part if the barbecue. That is where all grilling will be done and when the smoking of meats will take place. It's a good sized grill too and can hold a lot of food.

This is the smoke box waiting to be mounted to the side of the barbecue. Grilling on a small scale can be done in the smoke box (say, for two or three people) and the fire for smoking will be built in it as well.
Here's a shot of the smoke stack. The stack allows for smoke and heat control during slow smoking.

And there she is waiting to be put into action. I plan to learn as much as I can about smoking this summer and I can't wait to try a brisket and pulled pork in it. Keep an eye out for those and other great summer barbecuing tips.

SWITCHING IT UP

2009-05-14T20:18:00.000-07:00

You'll remember my posts last summer concerning barbecuing. If you don't, follow this link to one of my barbecuing posts in which I discuss heat and smoke control: http://livingstoncooks.blogspot.com/2008/08/bbq-chicken-101.html This is important and relevant to what I am about to discuss.

I own a state-of-the-art barbecue. It is a stainless steel monolith that has given me endless hours of happy grilling and has produced much great food for many friends and loved ones. I love this barbecue. Actually, I traded my decorating services for this rig to a man who owns a barbecue store in British Columbia where I use to live. It was a $1700.00 win fall for me. It was a good trade.

The barbecue is the Enviro Bistro 4500. She bangs! It has 3 burners plus one long back burner for indirect heat during spit roasting. It is nice and big for pumping out the food for a lot of guests. And it gets hot fast. As I said earlier...I love this grill.

I've had a dilemma for quite some time however. You see, where I live now there is no natural gas hookup. And, I don't want to convert the Enviro over to propane just yet. So, I've been cooking on a shitty little barbecue over hot coals for the past two summers. But I'll tell you...the food has tasted much better on that shitty little barbecue than on the Enviro! And that has led to a change in my thinking.

What I have been doing on the Enviro is grilling, not barbecuing. There is a huge difference between the two. Grilling is cooking over high heat quickly. Barbecuing is cooking over low heat slowly. And, there is the smoke.

Barbecuing involves slowly smoking meat over an indirect wood or coal fed fire that releases smoke and flavors the meat as a result. The smoke flavor cannot be achieved by gas grills because no smoke is generated by gas.

So...here is our new barbecue. It is the CHAR-GRILLER Super Pro.

It is know in the barbecue world as a "pit smoker." That's kind of like pit fighter or pit bull, huh? Sounds sort of tough, right? "Hey dude, whatcha doin'?" "Ahhh...just throwing some meat down on my pit smoker...you?"

Anyway, it sort of looks like two barbecues in one, right? Well it is and it isn't. The big can on the left is the barbecue. You can load it up with coals and cook on it no problem. But when you want to slow smoke something, you build your fire on the fire box and leave the big cannister cool. The fire box is the little can on the right.

I'm going to get into this in more depth in future posts. Actually I think quite a few of my next posts will deal with the smoking aspect of barbecuing. It should be interesting.

As a chef I appreciate the skill that goes into producing great tasting food. I have to admit, however, that I'm in new territory here. I am not a pro barbecuer. I am learning a new skill on this one. But I am very excited and confident that I will do my homework and be producing some great meals in no time.

Future dishes will include slow smoked ribs and chicken, brisket, pulled pork and salmon for sure.

Well...it'll be fun. Ya'll take care now.

THE BEST HOT SANDWICHES EVER!!

2009-05-14T19:39:00.000-07:00

I remember a long time ago (probable at least 25 years ago) I use to eat hot veal sandwiches with roasted peppers from this Italian deli. I can't even remember where it was now. But a couple of my friends and I use to get really high and go racing on our motorcycles along the highway and we'd always end up at this deli with the munchies and we'd chow down on a major veal sandwich. That was a lot of fun!

Anyway, living in British Columbia in smaller towns for the past fifteen years I haven't seen hide nor hair of a hot veal sandwich (actually there were a lot of my favorites missing in the small towns but the mountains, clean air and stress-free living made up for it!) and I was wanting one in a sort of passive way for quite some time.

Well...Lola decided to take me to a small Italian sandwich shop the other day for a hot veal sandwich and all I can say is, "Oh yeah."

California Sandwich makes kick-ass Italian sandwiches! They have it down to a science, really. And they should because they have been at it since the late 1960's. According to the old math, that's like...40 plus years. That's a lotta sandaweechs Pisano!

And the cool thing is that it is a family business. They seem to have everyone in the family working in one location or another.

So, I go in for my sandwich and I order it just the way I did years ago, with roasted peppers and mushrooms. I wait about five minutes and they bring me a sandwich as big as my head. They're fast! You place your order and badda-bing-badda-boom, your eatin' it! But besides the speed factor, that's the first thing that gets you - the size. Then...the flavor takes you by the cajones. and drives the point home. This is a great fricken sandwich!!

California Sandwich claims to be Toronto's favorite Italian sandwich shop. I can't really say because I haven't eaten at any other Italian sandwich shop in Toronto. But I know this. I don't have to. I love this place!

California has a simple menu. A breaded veal sandwich which is to die for and a few others. They serve a breaded chicken sandwich which I tried. It was very nice but I prefer the veal. I think I'm just veal deprived after not having it for so long. And there are a few others...including meatball.

Anyway, I had to tell you all about it. Everyone knows anyway. I think I'm the last to find out.

Here's the link to CALIFORNIA SANDWICHES: http://californiasandwiches.ca/home.htm

Lola and I plan to take my kids for their first experience at California this weekend. I'll be taking pictures of the food and adding it into this post right after. So be patient, pictures are coming!!

In the meantime, check out the link to their website and make plans to try this place for yourself.

Ciao for now!

THE BEST BBQ IN TORONTO?

2009-02-26T14:33:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted on my blog in over three months now. Where the hell did three months go anyway? It slipped by fast! Anyway, I figured it was high time that I got back in the saddle again and I just hope I haven't lost anyone along the way by such a long lul in posting.

I've been a chef for quite a few years and most of my experience has been on the finer dining side of things. I say that because I in my earlier days I was a bit of a snob when it came to food and I have since come to appreciate all food for what it is. So in my reference to the finer side of dining, I guess I inadvertently acknowledge that which is not finer. But as I say, I have come to appreciate all food.

Lately, I've been watching a show on The FOOD Network called "Diners, Drive Ins and Dives." The show, hosted by Guy Fieri, revolves around food that is served up in some of the best diners in the United States.

The food that is featured on the show is pretty simple in comparison to what you would expect to find in high end restaurants. You'll see dishes like meatloaf, pot roast, braised short ribs, burgers, ribs, chicken...you know...DINER FOOD! Simple, home-style cooking. But the places featured do it the best, and what I like about the show is that it shows how these places have refined their systems and their recipes over the years and how the consistency of what they do has made them successful. And a lot of the time it's the lined up out the door kind of successful.

I think it was Anthony Bourdin who said, "Anyone can grill a steak, but it takes real skill to braise the shit out of a tough piece of meat and transform it into a masterpiece." It was something like that anyway. But he's right, and that's why I have become interested in home-style cooking lately. There is a lot of skill required to prepare the simplest of dishes properly no matter how commonplace.

As you may remember from my summer posts, I enjoy barbecuing. (Who doesn't besides the "barbecuing is carcinogenic" whiners, right?) And because I have such a fondness for good barbecue, I have to take notice when I see someone who has mastered the art and made a successful business out of it. Such a place is Phil's Original BBQ on College Street.

I have been passing Phil's Original BBQ for a year now ever since I moved to Toronto from BC. I never really thought it looked like much from the outside, but for some reason I always thought I would like to eat there some day. I finally took the opportunity a couple of weeks ago on the spur of the moment after work on a Friday evening.

First of all...the place was packed! I was surprised at how busy it was. I also couldn't help noticing that the smell of smoke filled the room and there was a pretty loud murmer of people talking and laughing as they enjoyed their food. Talk about an attack on the senses!

The decor is pretty cool, but to me something felt out of place about it. It wasn't what I'd choose for a BBQ joint, but then again, who the hell am I? I did like the fact that place was tidy and clean. That's a good quality when food is the product being sold in my book!

I ordered the combo plate which consisted of 1/4 chicken, some brisken and a few ribs. It came with baked beans and cole slaw. Nothing fancy here!

All I can say is, "Wow!" This was really exceptional grub! The beans were so good that I couldn't believe it. Seriously. No, really. Now, I'm no bean expert, but the flavor in these beans blew me away because I wasn't expecting them to be that good. The smokiness...the sweetness and the tanginess worked together like a dance in my mouth. I think it was the Tango!

Next up was the brisket. I'm not even going to go there because it was...too good! It was mind blasting!

The ribs...well...they were almost as good as the brisket in my book and to date are the best ribs I have ever eaten in a restaurant.

The chicken way okay. I found it to be the least impressive but it was still really well prepared and tasty.

The big thing at Phil's is the fact that they smoke all of their meats before they are finished on the grill with their signiture sauces. The smoke is intense in the flavor of everything I had and is really what makes barbecue what it is. Without the smoke, your just grilling kid!

Anyway, Phil's seems to have the reputation of being the best Barbecue in Toronto. I can't argue with that because it's the only barbecue I have had here. It may even be the only real barbecue I have had anywhere. But best in Toronto or not, Phil's is killer good and you have to try it if you have the chance.

Here is a link to Phil's Original BBQ: http://www.philsoriginalbbq.com/

BLACK COD WITH TOMATO AND BASIL RELISH

2008-11-13T13:04:00.000-08:00

Here's a nice chunk of black cod that I have seared quickly in a hot pan and have topped it off with a butter crumb crust with a little added garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest and olive oil. I flashed that under the broiler for about 5 minutes to finish the cooking process and then I topped it off with a tomato and basil relish into which I added olive oil, lemon garlic, ,minced shallot and sea salt. The fish was served on a nice salad of fennel and red onion julienne. This was outstanding!

PUMPKIN PIE

2008-11-12T12:05:00.000-08:00

A few weeks back I was watching The Food Network with great interest. There was a pie baking competition on that featured six of America's top pie makers going head to head to win a $10,000 prize for making the best pies. They were all amateurs, but most of them had won titles in previous competitions. I was interested to see what amazing pies would be turned out by these experienced pie aficionados because I myself enjoy a good slice of pie now and again.

Well...I was sorely disappointed!

The skill level of these competitors was much lower than I had anticipated. Granted, the pressure was on these baker to make 3 different pies during the show and that ain't easy. I give them all credit for doing it. But several of them struggled to make a basic pie crust! One woman even admitted to not knowing how to make a short crust and she made all of her pies with a granolaesque crumb crust! Hilarious!

I would think that having the basic skills to make a top and bottom crust with a fruit filling in the middle that can be turned out of a pie plate and still resemble a slice of pie is necessary before lining up to compete in a nationally televised competition to do so. Maybe it's just me...I dunno.

Anyway, the competition was entertaining just for the fact that it was fun to watch these bakers flounder their way through the show. The sure winner didn't win. The rookie who had never competed before took first prize. Cool twist!

When I was in George Brown College serving my two years in Culinary Management, one of my favorite classes was baking. One of my favorite classes in baking was the day I learned how to properly make a pie. Before that class, I could make a decent pie, but I sure had trouble doing it. My teacher smoothed out the process for me and enlightened me to the fact that technique is key in pie production.

Here I have made a pumpkin pie with a crumble tipping. This is a simple one crust pie. Nothing is easier to make. My kids asked me to make this for them for Halloween so I did, and I showed my daughter how to make a crust on the counter and how to get it into a pie plate for filling and baking. Indeed, there is a technique to it.

The good news is that I'm going to photograph "Pie Making 101" and I'm going to post it here on Livingston Cooks. The bad news is that I am not including that in this particular post. Call me sadistic, I know...but those of you who are interested will have to be patient!

Anyway.......

This is the pie. A single crusted pumpkin pie with a crumble topping which includes chopped pecans.

Here's a sexy close up shot which shows off the topping, the filling and the crust.

Just look at those pecan chunks!

And the crust looks nice and flaky!

Super close up.

Mmmm!

The pie turns out nicely...

...and the flaky crust holds the filling as well as holding its integrity.

This was a good pie! I will update this post with the recipe soon. But right now I have to tidy up before Lola gets home. Yikes!!

Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Crumble Topping

Ingredients:

1 pastry (9-inch size) for single-crust pie

Filling:

1 3/4 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 1/4 cup evaporated milk
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 tablespoon salt

Topping:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons all-vegetable shortening
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup pecan, chopped

Method:

1. For filling, combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly.
2. For topping, mix all ingredients into a coarse meal and set aside until needed.
3. Pour filling into prepared 9" pie shell (preferably deed dish).
4. Sprinkle topping evenly over the top of the filling.
5. Bake in a preheated oven set at 350 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes.

DULCE DE LECHE CHEESECAKE

2008-11-12T10:06:00.000-08:00

This is the other cheesecake I made for the fund-raising event. It is a Dulce de Leche Cheesecake. Dulce de Leche is a thick, rich caramel made by reducing and caramelizing sweetened condensed milk. Thus, this cheesecake is caramel flavored.

You will see here that the method for making this cheesecake is exactly the same as for the pumpkin cheesecake except for the flavoring of caramel which is added as opposed to pumpkin and spice. Also, you will notice that flour is used in this recipe rather than corn starch.

The method of whipping the cheese, creaming the cheese with sugar and then mixing in the eggs is the same for this batter. In fact, it's good to recognize that all cheesecake batters follow the same basic method as this. What comes after in terms of adding flavorings to the basic batter is where there's a fork in the road, but before that, cheesecakes batters are pretty much the same.

In baking you will see similarities when preparing batters, doughs and pastes. The more experience you gain, the easier these similarities are to see. because you will recognize patterns . For instance, mixing all wet ingredients together...combining all dry ingredients...and then adding dry to wet is pretty much the way things go for all baking. This is true for cookie doughs and pastes, cake batters and bread doughs. Creaming butter with sugar or eggs is another similarity as well. Make 10 batches of different cookies and you will see the pattern is the same for all cookies. The same applies for cheesecakes.

So...lets move on to see how this cheesecake is prepared, baked and decorated for the fund-raiser!

The cream cheese is whipped in a mixer with the paddle attachment to soften it up. If you have not got a mixer, use an elextric hand mixer or a wooden spoon. Another thing you may want to do if you are doing this by hand is warm the cheese to room temperature by leaving it on the counter for a few hours prior to mixing. Trust me, you'll be glad you did!

The flour, sugar and vanilla extract are added and incorporated thoroughly with the mixer.

The eggs are added and blended in thoroughly.

Now the batter is divided equally into two separate bowl. One half will be flavored with the caramel and the other will not.

The caramel is added to one half of the batter and is stirred in completely with a whisk.

Here you see the two batters. One is flavored and the other isn't. Not too hard, huh?

The unflavored batter is poured over the prebaked and cooled crumb crust.

I add a few dollups of caramel over top.

I pour the flavored batter over top carefully.

I give it a swirl with the tip of a knife to make it look...well...fancy?

This is a close up of the surface of the cake after is has been baked. Wait a minute, it could be a close up of the surface of the moon. Isn't the moon made of cheese?

I created a border of leaf-shaped cookies and then warmed some caramel and poured it into the center. The caramel firmed up as it cooled so it stayed right where I wanted it - in the center of the cake. I thought the cookies were a perfect shape for a cake that was made in Autumn. I found them at the grocery store.

This is the first time I made this cake and I didn't get to taste it. I hear it was very good however, so take is on good authority that you will like it if you make it. Please notice that I did things a little differently when it came time to pour my batters into the cake pan. This is not my recipe and I decided to play around with it a bit. The recipe is 100% acurate so follow it up until the time you pour batters. Follw the pictures at that point if you want to duplicate my version.

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

Filling:

3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese (24 oz. total)
1 cup superfine granulated sugar
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 eggs
1/3 cup whole milk
1/2 cup Dulce de leche (sold in most grocery stores)

Method:

1. Preheat oven temperature to 325°F.

2. With an electric mixer beat cream cheese, sugar and flour together until well mixed and smooth. Add vanilla and beat until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat until smooth. Add milk and mix until well blended.

3. Divide the cheesecake batter in half and pour into two bowls. Add Dulce de Leche sauce to one half of the batter and stir until well combined.

4. Pour plain batter over crust. Top with Dulce de leche batter by placing rounded spoonfuls over the cheesecake batter and gently swirl into plain batter with the tip of knife or spatula.

5. Bake in preheated 325°F (160°C) oven for 45-55 minutes or until center is almost set. Remove from oven and gently run metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cheesecake (this helps prevent cracking). Let cool 20-25 minutes before covering and placing in the refrigerator. Refrigerate 4 to 6 hours or overnight before serving. If desired, serve each slice drizzled with a little bit of dulce de leche sauce, or pass around a bowl of dulce de leche sauce for guest's to help themselves.

Makes 16 servings. (Yeah right! In a perfect world!!!)

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

2008-11-07T16:59:00.001-08:00

This recipe has already been posted on LIVINGSTON COOKS but I was asked to bake a couple of cheesecakes for a fund raising event and I thought I would bake a pumpkin cheesecake and post it here again. I baked two cheesecakes for the fund raiser - the pumpkin and the dulce de leche - but I knew the pumpkin would be the most popular of the two. The other recipe will follow this one in a day or two.

First the cream cheese must be softened for mixing with the other ingredients. I like to beat the hell out of it in the mixer until it's soft and fluffy. The paddle works best for this.

There ya go! Soft and fluffy just like I wanted it. Now we're ready to move ahead!

Now I add the brown and white sugar. Again, I will beat the hell out of this mixture until everything is light and fluffy!

There you have it...a light and fluffy cream of cheese and sugar. It looks light, creamy and smooth. This is exactly what you are looking for at this stage of the game!

Now I add the eggs, and again, I whip them in until incorporated thoroughly. At this point we have pretty much everything (and I say pretty much everything) to make athis cheesecake a go, but let's take a closer look at the chemestry involved here.

When it comes to making cheesecake, there is a lot going on in the process and we should understand how the process works. There are several factors at work that add volume and density to a cheesecake. The cream cheese is the backbone of the cake. There is no flour being used here yet we end up with a dense cake; that is mainly because of the cheese. But the eggs play a role in the solidification process too. The eggs coagulate during baking and this firms things up. And the corn starch (used to thicken sauces and such) also plays a role in solidification; as the batter gets hot, the corn starch thickens. And lastly, the cheese firms up during the chilling of the cake.

When the eggs are incorporated, the pumpkin, corn starch and spices are added and blended into the batter.

Everything is blended thoroughly.

The batter is poured into the spring form pan over top of the cooled graham crumb crust and is baked in the oven.

Here is the finished product decorated with a sour cream glaze and a pecan border.

Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake

Crust:

1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
6 Tbsp melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all ingredients. Press firmly into the bottom of a 10" spring form pan.
Bake for 10 minutes and cool thoroughly.

Filling:

1 1/2 lbs cream cheese
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
2 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp corn starch
1 Tbsp bourbon

Beat cream cheese, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time and whip until thoroughly incorporated.
Beat in pumpkin, spices, milk, bourbon and corn starch until smooth.
Pour over crust in spring form pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes or until set.

Topping:

2 cups sour cream
1 Tbsp white granulated sugar
1 Tbsp bourbon

CHEESE CAKE CRUMB CRUST

2008-11-06T18:09:00.000-08:00

First you have to melt some butter. I have melted one pound here. I won't need it all for the crust, but I am going to be making some stuffing for a chicken so I'll need some melted butter later on anyway, so...what the hell!

I brush a little butter onto the edges of my spring form pan before I use the butter for anything else.

Then I cut some parchment paper strips to line the pan. These are just a little wider than the height of the pan.

The butter brushed onto the sides of the pan helps the paper to stick o the sides of the pan. Why the parchment paper you ask? Well...without it the cheese cake will develop large cracks on top caused by the cake shrinking after baking. Without the paper, the batter stick to the inside of the pan and when the cake trys to shrink it cannot pull away from the pan which results in large cracks in the cake.

Pour graham cracker crumbs into a large mixing bowl.

Add sugar.

Drizzle with melted butter.

When the mixture will pack together when squeezed in your hand, no more butter is needed.

Pour crumb mixture into the spring form pan.

Tamp crumbs down firmly to make a crust. I use a flat bottomed glass or ramekin for this.

Bake @ 325 degrees for 10 minutes and cool.

SEAFOOD LINGUINE PART TWO - THE SAUCE

2008-10-19T09:43:00.000-07:00

Fresh tarragon is the herb of the day for this seafood linguine. A little licorice flavor is perfect with the seafood and works especially well with the mussels and the cream sauce.

The tarragon is chopped and set aside until needed.

Tomato will be used as a garnish in the pasta...

...and one tomato is diced and set aside until needed.

One of the aromatics is leek...

...and a julienne is fitting for this pasta.

Shallot is another aromatic...

...and again, a julienne is perfect for this dish.

Minced garlic - another aromatic - is added to a little extra virgin olive oil until needed.

Flat leaf parsley...

...is roughly chopped and will garnish the dish.

A carrot...

...and this mandolin...

...make julienne...

...simple!

Here are all of the garnishes for the pasta.

The seafood for this pasta consists of salmon, scallops, shrimp and mussels.

There's a juicy little mama!

Ooooh! Looky, looky!

You can just see how impatient the mussels are to get into the pot!

A little butter sizzling in a hot pot. What a beautiful thing!

The garlic and shallots sacrifice themselves to flavor the dish and to fill the kitchen with a pleasing smell. Thanks guys!

A splash of Dr. Loosen Riesling to cool things down and to get things boiling at the same time. Hmmm...is that an oxymoron?

Let's get this party started! The seafood is next into the pot for a quick steam before the cream is added to reduce.

It's a sauna in there!

The cream cools things down for a moment, but things will heat up again really soon!

The fish is half cooked and the cream will come to a simmer and will finish off the cooking process.

Time to season with a little lemon, salt and white pepper.

Squeeze!

The garnish is all added to the pot.

Then the pasta. The pasta is added to the sauce and is reheated in the pan. This is the proper way to prepare pasta so please refer to the previous post entitled "SEAFOOD LINGUINE PART ONE - COOKING THE LINGUINE" for instructions on how to properly cook pasta.

Once the pasta is hot and the vegetable garnish has softened, add some really nice parmesan cheese.

Then...you plate it up!

Action shot: A big toothy grin by one of the mussels!

Action shot: A piece of salmon looking a little overwhelmed. I recall her saying, "Oh my god...I can't believe I'm actually part of this!"

Action shot: A scallop looking rather conceited as though the entire success of the dish hinges on his being there or not. Ahhh...whatever!

SEAFOOD LINGUINE PART ONE - COOKING THE LINGUINE

2008-10-19T07:18:00.000-07:00

Okay, this may seem a little basic but I never know who is looking in at my blog or what level of knowledge they have about cooking so I thought I would go through the process for cooking pasta properly. Is there a proper way to cook pasta? Well...if you want pasta that isn't sticky, chewy or mushy, yes there is.

"El dente" is the term given to pasta that is still slightly firm after it is cooked. It isn't chewy or hard at all, just a little firm. Pasta that is cooked past el dente is on the soft and mushy side. Not only that, it loses flavor when it is overcooked.

How do you know when your pasta is el dente? Well...you taste it periodically throughout the cooking process to "feel" the level of doneness. When it feels cooked and it had a nice bite, it's ready. After you do this a few times when you cook pasta you will gain a sense of when your pasta is ready.

Here's the process for cooking dried linguine:

Fill a large pot with cold water. Add some salt and a little oil to the water. The salt is to add flavor to the pasta as it cooks and the oil is to prevent the pot from boiling over. That last point is one of contention. The truth is that you really don't need oil in the water at all, but I still do it out of habit. How stupid is that?!

Turn the burner on high, cover the pot with a lid and bring the water to a hard boil.

Add the linguine to the water.

Be sure the linguine is totally submersed in the water and give it a stir to ensure that none of it is sticking together in clumps. After a few moments stir the pasts again to prevent clumping.

Here is how the pasta looks at about the half way mark. Notice that it is soft. Is it done yet? Let's take a closer look!

True, the pasta is softer than when it went into the pot, but that doesn't mean it's cooked. Notice the yellow color and the waxy appearance. This pasts is still way too firm to eat and it would taste starchy and chewy. Better leave it in for a while longer!

Now look at the pasta. It is softer, lighter in color and slick looking. It's ready!

Strain the pasta in a large colander. DO NOT RUN COLD WATER OVER IT!!! Allow the water to run off the pasta without washing with cold water. If you rinse the pasts you will wash away the surface starch and the sauce will not stick the it. The only time you rinse pasta as if you are making pasta salad.

Transfer the pasta to a shallow tray and spread it out evenly to air cool. Drizzle some olive oil over the top of it and toss lightly. Move the pasta around in the tray periodically to allow the hot pasta on the bottom to be cooled by the air as well.

Now the pasta is ready to be added to hot sauce or to be refrigerated for future use.

THE BASIC KNIFE SET

2008-10-19T04:38:00.000-07:00

I had a reader ask me about knives the other day and I decided that it might be a good idea to go over what knives belong in the kitchen of a serious cook. When I say "serious" I'm not referring to the chef, the amateur chef, the gourmet or anyone as serious as that. I am referring to anyone who is passionate about cooking and who wants to learn how to cook serious food. And when you have that mindset, you need the tools to do the job. Knives are the most basic of kitchen tools.

Below is a paring knife. The term "paring" refers to cleaning and preparing, or reducing in size. When it comes to cooking, this usually refers to fruits and vegetables, right? Yes it does. We clean, peel and cut fruits and vegetables into various shapes and sizes in order to either cook them or to eat them raw. This is when a small knife comes in handy, so a paring knife is definitely an essential knife in the kitchen.

Below is a turning knife. It is also known as a bird's beak paring knife. This is the type of paring knife I prefer personally because I like the action of the curved blade over the action of the straight one on a regular paring knife. And considering that most fruits and vegetables are either round or tubular in shape, the hooked blade works better. Just imagine peeling a small round beet with a straight blade and then imagine doing the same with a curved blade. I think it's obvious which task would be easier.

If you ever plan on cooking fish in your kitchen then a fillet knife will be on the essential list. It is irreplaceable when it comes time to remove the skin from a fish fillet or when you fillet a fish. Its value is in the thin, flexible blade which makes it easier to perform these tasks.

This is a boning knife. A boning knife is used for removing bones from various cuts of meat. A boning knife is larger than a paring knife, shorter than a fillet knife and much smaller than a French knife. The boning knife has a stiff blade with a curved tip which makes it easier to make the tiny cuts necessary to remove the flesh from bone. Imagine removing the rib and wing joints of a bone-in breast of chicken if you wanted to prepare a stuffed, boneless breast of chicken. What kind of knife would you use to get into those tiny nooks and crannys? Well...this is the one.

Here is a bread knife. If you ever buy or make fresh bread you need a bread knife. But a bread knife (otherwise known as a saw knife) has uses other than cutting bread. This knife is valuable for sawing thin slices of bread, cake, pastry and large fruits like melon. Personally I prefer a very long blade and I prefer the cheaper ones to the shorter, more expensive one in this picture.

Now we have the workhorse of the kitchen. This is the French knife. The French knife is a stiff, 10" knife that is used for pretty much all cutting after the paring process in completed. It is used for cutting meats, cheeses, fruits and vegetables into all sizes and shapes. Large dice, medium dice, small dice, paysenne, brunoise, julienne; whatever the cut, the French knife is the right tool for the job!

The blade of all French knives are slightly curved as you can see. This allows for the rocking action when a proper slicing motion is employed. The proper motion for cutting with a French knife is that of the drive shafts on an old steam engine. It is a rocking forward and back while lifting and dropping the back of the knife to make your cut. Actually, the tip of the knife doesn't ever have to leave the cutting board to cut properly.

Is a French knife used to chop? You bet it is! Chopping rough cut vegetables as for a stock or chopping down herbs before finely cutting them are jobs for the French knife.

Every kitchen must have a French knife!

The knife above is a good knife because it is made of good steel. That is what you look for in a knife. The steel must be hard and it must hold an edge. The Victoria Knox above is fairly inexpensive and will last the average cook a lifetime. It is comfortable in the hand and the plastic handle is sanitary and dishwasher safe.

You will notice the heel of the blade ends cleanly at the handle. I like this feature in a knife and I will explain this further below.

This knife I prefer to the Victoria Knox above. The brand I am unfamiliar with but the shape of the blade is excellent. It is nicely rounded for proper cutting action and the blade ends cleanly at the handle. Notice where the blade eases into the handle. It is nicely curved at the heel and that gives more comfort to the hand when cutting. The handle is molded nylon and is riveted to the steel tang inside. The "tang" is the part of the blade that forms the handle. A full tang runs the full length of the handle rather than ending part way through. This feature provides strength and balance. Your grandchildren will be using this knife long after you are gone.

This is a Henckle French Knife. We have all seen these. I have one and I hate it. It's a great knife, but I find it heavy and clunky. It has all of the features of the knife above except the shape of the blade isn't as rounded and the blade ends in a big lump at the heel. I personally dislike this feature in the design of the knife. Over time a hollow is formed in the blade from sharpening and the heel must be ground down to take it out. A blade with a hollow will not cut properly as part of the blade does not make contact with the cutting board. That is a tool that cannot do its job.

GOULASH - A PAPRIKA OVERLOAD!

2008-10-15T16:48:00.000-07:00

Goulash is like Borscht; everyone makes it differently. But no matter how it's made, the main ingredients definitely have to be present in this rich Hungarian beef stew or it isn't Goulash. And although it can be served many different ways, serving it the old way - over noodles - is my favorite. That may not fly well with today's low carb, high protein mindset, but who cares? Sometimes you just have to be honest with yourself and give in to the fact that you need to enjoy certain things once in a while. And besides, tomorrow is another day.

This dish was originally made by Hungarian cattlemen out in the field and was a simple combination of tough cuts of beef simmered in a stock enriched with onions, garlic, vegetables and a lot of paprika. The Goulash or "Gulyas" was cooked for several hours until tender. The stew was thickened by the natural collagen present in the tough muscle used to make the stew and was converted to geletin as it simmered.

Here is my somewhat quicker version which is served here (by request) with whipped potatoes rather than the traditional noodles.

The emince of beef is mixed with a light coating of oil and is seasoned with freshly milled pepper and salt. It is allowed to marinate for a few minutes as a pan is heated for searing the beef.

A pan is heated to a very high heat for searing the beef.

The beef is seared to a medium brown.

Yellow onion, garlic and red peppers are added.

The onions and peppers are sauteed in with the beef until they begin to get tender.

Paprika is added. How much paprika? LOTS!

Everything is cooked out over a medium temperature until the peppers are nice and soft and the Goulash begins to resemble a stew in consistency.

Beef stock is added. The stew is simmered down and red wine vinegar is added to balance out the flavors. A final seasoning with salt and pepper finishes it off.

A bit of sour cream takes it to that special place where we go when we want to indulge ourselves.

Ah yes, Goulash!

CLEANING AN EYE OF THE ROUND

2008-10-15T04:22:00.000-07:00

This is an eye of the round roast. Eye of the round is a cheaper cut of beef because it is tougher than more expensive cuts. Typically, eye of the round has to be tenderized and roasted no more than medium-rare in order to have any semblance of tenderness. Also, this is a good braising roast. I found this one on sale for a great price and thought I'd buy it to make goulash with.

As you can see there is a fat cap on the surface of the roast. This is perfectly fine, and leaving it there is fine if I were going to roast or braise the meat. But I want to cut the roast into thin strips known as "emince" in French cooking. So, I will remove the fat cap and clean the roast of connective tissue in order to prepare it for cutting.

You will also notice a "Y" shaped strand of connective tissue running through the roast. This can be removed because it is tough as well.

By inserting a boning knife under the fat cap and cutting along the length of the roast, the fat cap can be removed in long thin strips.

When you reach the end of the roast....

...insert the knife where you began and cut in the other direction.

By applying pressure to the fat cap behind the knife you will be able to force the knife along just under the fat cap and minimize the loss of any meat.

Continue to cut...

...and clean...

...and cut...

...and clean...

...until all of the fat cap is removed.

At this point the roast is ready for me to cut into an emince for the goulash.

This is the finished product, beef emince, ready to be made into goulash. Notice that emince is nothing more than thin, bite-sized strips of meat.

The post following this one will be where I show one method of making goulash.

ROOT VEGETABLES CELEBRATED

2008-10-14T20:49:00.000-07:00

Root vegetables are under-appreciated. Root vegetables are kind of like the geeks you see whenever you go into a bar. You know...the ones who are uncool, poorly dressed and have absolutely no chance of picking up chicks because they are so uninteresting.? Yeah, unlike the flashier vegetables like asparagus, rapini, bok choy and purple cauliflower, the roots ain't very hip!

But I prefer to think of root vegetables more like the two-by-fours you pass by at the building center because you want to look at the sparkly bathroom fixtures. And that's cool, but without the two-by-fours, you have no walls, and you would be peeing out behind a bush rather than in your cozy bathroom. So, bad analogy aside, roots are the practical members of the vegetable family and like the two-by-fours we use to build houses, they are the flavor builders in cooking.

This is a simple root vegetable soup I make in the early fall. I like to add in a touch of curry to compliment the sweetness of the roots and then finish it with just a little cream to add a bit of richness. Coconut milk could easily be added as well and would be a great flavor with the curry.

First the roots are diced in uniform pieces. This ensures that all of the vegetables will cook Here I have diced rutabaga, yams, parsnips and carrots. I also dice butternut squash and chop leek which will both be added later in the cooking process.

In a large pot I melt some butter

When the butter stops sizzling, the roots are added to the pot to be sauteed.

When the vegetables have been sauteed for a few minutes, I dust them with curry powder. and a bit of white pepper.

While sauteeing the roots, I cut the butternut squash and leeks.

Chicken stock is added to the pot. I add enough to cover all of the roots completely. This is allowed to come to a simmer over a medium-high heat and is then reduced to medium for a slow simmer. The soup is allowed to cook until the vegetables are tender. I like to keep the vegetables el dente.

When the vegetables have cooked long enough, I add the squash and leeks. I allow them to cook until tender.

The soup is seasoned with salt, sugar and a touch of white wine vinegar. Cream is added to finish the soup off.

Chopped flat leaf parsley is added as a garnish just before serving.

This soup is satisfying. The curry adds a smooth background flavor to this soup that works well with the yam and the sweetness of the roots. The cream adds richness to the broth and picks up on the richness of of the yams and parsnips.

If you are a vegetarian you can swap the chicken stock for vegetable stock and omit the cream. If you like purees, you could easily run this soup through the blender and it would work well. Personally, I like this soup just the way it is.

ASS KICKING RIESLING!

2008-10-14T20:20:00.000-07:00

Okay...this is a good one! I know I ranted about Angel's Gate 2006 Riesling a little while ago (and I absolutely love it) but I believe we have a serious rival here in the 2007 "Dr.L" Loosen Brothers Riesling from Germany. It is fan-tastic!

This wine has the same intensity as the Angel's Gate as well as the same complexity. There's nothing subtle about this wine because it packs a punch with a full boquet of fruit followed by a pleasing snap of acid on the finish with just the right level of sweetness as a counter.

Green apple, pear and melon are evident and there is slight carbonation to add crispness. It is a sweet Riesling, so if you opt for a dry version of this variety, you may want to pass this beautiful wine by. That would be a shame however because this wine can be enjoyed for exactly what it is, a sweet Riesling.

At $15.00 a crack you can't go wrong with this wine. I prefer my whites nice and cold because it accentuates the crispness. That's exactly how I enjoyed this kick ass Riesling which I have added to my list of favorites!!

ROASTED FIVE ONION SOUP

2008-09-14T11:16:00.000-07:00

Onion soup is one of those soups that most people like. I have served it as a soup of the day in many restaurants and have found it to be a good seller, and while there are as many different variation as there are chefs, I like a nice roasted onion soup the best. And the good news is that it's easy to make.

I like to use a variety of onions to make this soup. Here I have red onion, white onion, yellow onion shallot and garlic. The ratio of the mix isn't that important really, just as long as the majority isn't garlic. If it was, you would be making roasted garlic soup - which is fine - but it isn't what I have set out to do here, so keep that in mind!

Toss the mixed onions in a bit of olive oil and roast them in a pan in the oven at 375 degrees until golden brown.

Place the roasted onions in a sauce pot, add some chicken stock, sliced potato, thyme, white wine, white wine vinegar sugar and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until potatoes are soft.

Transfer everything over to a blender and puree until smooth.

Return soup to the pot and bring back to a simmer. Season with salt, pepper and sherry to taste. Add a little more vinegar if desired also.

Stir until mixed thoroughly and serve. This soup is great with blue cheese croutons and some cold white wine!

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES - THE NEIMAN MARCUS URBAN LEGEND

2008-09-10T03:38:00.000-07:00

I remember when I first got a computer and signed onto the Internet. I knew absolutely nothing about surfing the Net or emailing at all, but at the same time, I needed a quick education because I was writing a weekly cooking column for "The Voice" and had to submit my columns by email. Wow...that seems like a million years ago!

It wasn't long after first logging on that I began to receive junk emails. One of the first was an email that was circulating that had a chocolate chip cookie recipe attached. The story was that the author of the email had gone into Neiman Marcus to have a coffee and a couple of chocolate chip cookies. He was so impressed with the cookies that he asked for the recipe when he went to the cashier to pay. Apparently, the cashier told him it would cost him "two-fifty" for the recipe to which he agreed and the fee was added to his credit card.

The story then told how the credit card statement arrived the following month and he was dinged two hundred and fifty dollars for the recipe rather than the two dollars and fifty cents he thought he was going to be charged. Apparently he called Neiman Marcus to negotiate the bill and was told there would be no price reduction.

That's where things got nasty.

The perturbed patron decided to write out the recipe - and the story - and sent it out over the Internet. Everyone who received the recipe forwarded it to two friends...and so on...and so on... and so on. Needless to say, it went everywhere!

Anyway, I have since learned that this is an Urban Myth and that it never actually happened. Perhaps not, but it was a pretty good story and it showed a lot of us that the Internet could be used in a bad way.

I've held on to this recipe for about twelve years but have never made it because I already have a great recipe I absolutely love. The other day I decided to have a "bake-a-thon" so I could stockpile some goodies for when my kiddies come to stay with me and I thought I would give the "Neiman Marcus" cookies a try. I wanted to compare it to the chocolate chip cookie recipe I have used for years.

This is a good cookie recipe, but I found that balling it out as recommended in the recipe was a bad idea; the cookies didn't flatten out and remained half domed in shape. Not a desirable shape for a cookie in my opinion! I decided to roll the dough into logs (my preferred method), chilled it and then cut off pucks before baking. I also dropped the baking temperature for a longer, slower baking time. I tend to do that with most cookies.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar

4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

4 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

5 cups blended oatmeal*

1 8 ounce Hershey bar (grated)
24 ounces chocolate chips
3 cups chopped nuts (your choice)

Method:

Measure oatmeal and blend in a blender to a fine powder. *Note: Measure 5 cups of blended oatmeal after blending to a powder. Do not measure 5 cups of oats and then blend to a powder. There is a definite difference in volume!
Cream butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.
Add eggs and vanilla extract to creamed sugars. Mix thoroughly.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt thoroughly.
Add blended oatmeal to dry ingredients above and mix thoroughly.
Add creamed sugars to the dry ingredients above and mix thoroughly.
Add chocolate chips, chopped nuts and grated chocolate to the mixture above.
Roll into balls and place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes @ 375 degrees.

Well...that's the original recipe, but I made a couple of changes as stated above. I baked my cookies @ 325 degrees for about 15 minutes and I cut them into pucks from a log shaped roll that I chilled in the fridge for a while.

Here are all of the juicy ingredients. Oooh, look at that chocolate!

Here the oats are poured into the blender and are buzzed up to a powder. Be sure to add a little at a time otherwise you won't be able to blend all of the oats fine enough all at once!!

Voila - the blended oatmeal. Now I measured 5 cups as required!

Here's an action shot of Lola chopping pecans for the cookies. Please pay no mind to her index finger pointed along the back of the knife. Sheesh...I still have work to do!

Creaming the butter....

...adding the sugars...

..."whip it good!"

Add the eggs and vanilla extract.

Combine all dry ingredients except the oats.

Add the oats and blend thoroughly.

Add the chocolate and the nuts.

Mix well.

Add the wet to the dry.

Mix thoroughly!

Roll the dough into logs, wrap and chill for about an hour.

Cut the dough into 3/4 inch pucks and bake @ 325 for about 15 minutes. Because all ovens heat differently, please check your first batch at about the 10 minute mark and determine your baking tome. Remember to bake cookies in the middle rack of the oven. Remember also that you can always bake them longer...but you can never unbake them.

Cookies should be moist and chewy and golden on the bottom - not brown or black!

As mentioned...a slower heat and a bit of patience...

...makes for a pretty nice cookie!!

I recommend this recipe with the modifications I have made. Balling the cookie out results in a dome shaped cookie. This is due to the fact that there is a high ratio of dry ingredients to fat. Pucking them out as I did results in a flat cookie that is still moist and chewy.

If you want to see how I roll out cookie dough into logs to make cookie production easier, follow this link: http://livingstoncooks.blogspot.com/2007/10/whos-your-daddy.html.

You will also see a great recipe for the chewiest sugar cookies ever being made by my children.

COUNTRY CORN BREAD

2008-09-09T17:21:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe for cornbread that we used at The Caledon Inn when I worked there many years ago. We used this bread as the base for Eggs Benedict rather than the traditional English muffin. "Eggs Caledon" was the house Eggs Benny and it consisted of a grilled cornbread base, grilled peameal bacon, grilled asparagus, a poached egg and Sauce Hollandaise. It was a perfect dish because the saltiness of the bacon was countered by the sweetness of the bread and the zest of the hollandaise.

At that time in my cooking career (I was just starting out) I was in charge of baking the cornbread every Sunday morning for brunch. I had a strung baking ability and the chef put me in charge of that task. I don't think he really enjoyed baking anyway. Anyway...I have always loved this cornbread and I make it often at home. It is great as is or garnished with diced red pepper and Jalapeno.

Here are the ingredients. Notice the buttermilk in the background. Buttermilk is used to add flavor and, more importantly, moisture to baked goods. Cornbread can tend to be a bit on the dry side (who are we kidding...it can choke a horse) and the buttermilk adds plenty of moisture to this recipe.

The cornmeal is allowed to soak in the buttermilk for about 15 minutes. This allows the cornmeal to soften.

The dry ingredients are combined...

...and mixed thoroughly.

The eggs are added and mixed in thoroughly.

The melted butter is added and stirred in thoroughly.

The batter is poured into greased and floured loaf pans and the loafs are baked at 325 for an hour.

And presto! The loafs are ready!

There's a nice, golden loaf hot out of the oven and all it needs is to be sliced and slathered with sweet butter! Ooooh yeah!

Cornmeal Bread (yields 3 loafs)

Ingredients:

4 cups cornmeal
4 cups buttermilk

6 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
2 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
9 eggs
2 1/4 cups butter

Method:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 3 loaf mans and set aside until needed.
Combine cornmeal and buttermilk in a large bowl and let set for 15 minutes.
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Mix well.
Melt butter in microwave or on stove top and set aside until needed.
Pour cornmeal/buttermilk mixture into the large bowl with the combined dry ingredients. Stir well until thoroughly combined.
Add eggs and mix thoroughly
Add melted butter and mix thoroughly.
Divide batter in equal amounts into loaf pans
Place loaf pans on middle rack of oven and bake for approximately one hour. After one hour, test doneness with a wooden skewer by inserting it into the center of one loaf. If skewer comes out wet, bake longer and test again until the skewer comes out dry.
Allow to partially cool before eating.

GAZPACHO SHOOTERS

2008-09-01T11:40:00.000-07:00

Super quick and easy Gazpacho shooters are a great treat to serve for gatherings where you are serving hors douvres and nibblers. I was roasting some peppers for another dish and decided to add the juices left in the roasting pan into the Gazpacho.

I just added the ingredients straight into this Mexican pitcher and chilled it down in the fridge. One dish cooking at its best!

First I add in the pepper juices.

Then prepare the rest of the ingredients. I used tomato, scallion, cucumber,roasted red pepper, garlic, shallot, V8 Juice, olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, cumin, lime juice, cilantro, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.

Here I show the finely diced tomato, cucumber, roasted red pepper and scallion.

Add all of the ingredients into the pitcher and chill. It's that easy!

Serve in shooter glasses with a little sour cream, lime wedged and chopped chives. Slam dunk...it was a hit!

Gaspacho is a great vegetarian option for your guests and can be spiked with a drizzle of Tequilla, Vodka or Gin to make it a bit more sassy!

APPLE CRISP FOR MY CHILDREN

2008-08-27T19:23:00.000-07:00

This post is primarily for my kids to look in on whenever they want to make apple crisp. It's one of their favorite desserts and they love the way I make it. To be honest, I don't have a recipe, just a process so I made this one for them and tracked the amounts. Well, kinda!

Peel and core 16 Granny Smith apples. Use Grannys because they stay firm and hold their shape after being baked unlike many other apples.

Slice apples into bite sized wedges into a mixing bowl.

Add 2 cups brown sugar, 1 cup flour, 1 tbsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp vanilla extract and the juice of one lemon. Mix thoroughly.

Add one cup of raisins and mix thoroughly.

Transfer apple mixture to a baking dish. I used a 12" x 12" pan.

For the crumble topping, combine 2 cups of quick cooking oats with 1 cup of flour. Mix well. Add 1 tsp cinnamon and a pinch of salt and mix well again. Add 1/2 lb of soft butter and knead into the dry mixture well.

Spread crumble mixture evenly over the apples in the pan and bake @ 350 degrees for about one hour.

Serve with French vanilla ice cream or Creme Anglaise.

A WEDDING TASTING......

2008-08-26T03:09:00.000-07:00

Last week I did a wedding tasting for a bride whose wedding I catered a couple of days ago. Here are the plates

This is a salad of tropical fruits which includes banana, mango, papaya and kiwi. A creamy dressing made of coconut milk was served over top with toasted coconut as a garnish. Simple, light and refreshing for a summer wedding with an Island theme.

Steak was on the menu as a man course so we gave them a chili and sea salt rub and basted them with lime juice on the grill.

Salmon baked in phylo pastry is served with black bean and corn salsa and is sauced with citrus beurre blanc.

Seared breast of chicken is served with coconut rundown, a sauce which is made of coconut milk, cream and other ingredients and is reduced to a sweet cream sauce.

And dessert consisted of chocolate torte with mango sorbet.

PELEE ISLAND WINERY - GEWURZTRAMINER RESERVE

2008-08-15T03:04:00.000-07:00

I have been drinking Pelee Island Gewurztraminer for months now, so I guess I must like it, huh? Well...I do because I find it to be a nice, fruity Gewurztraminer that is sweet enough and has just the right amount of zing on the end to make my mouth go "Wow!"

I like that!!

Pelee is the first Ontario wine I tried when I moved back to Toronto from the Okanagan, so it kind of has a special place in my heart. Isn't that nice? The fact is that I find it to be reasonably priced, highly enjoyable and an excellent wine for daily drinking.

Here I have tried the 2006 Reserve which I find just a little smoother than the regular Gewurztraminer. It is a nice fruity wine (just how I like them) with a hint of lychee and spice (as it should) and was easy to drink. The cost was under $15.00 at the LCBO.

I hope to visit this winery one day; it looks fantastic and I have got to see Pelee Island. Here's a link to Pelee's website: http://www.peleeisland.com/

If you haven't tried Pelee Island, get on it!

A GREAT WINE - FETZER VINEYARDS MERLOT

2008-08-15T02:42:00.000-07:00

Well...I must say...it sure is nice when you find a wine that does it for you. And, for us, this is such a one!! FETZER VINEYARDS Merlot is simply fantastic and I highly recommend it to everyone.

This is a medium bodied wine with rich fruity flavors and a low tannin level. It is very smooth with plum and cherry notes. For me this is the perfect combination for my personal tastes. Actually, I have been drinking a lot of red Zinfandels lately and this Merlot has me thinking I may go off my Zin binge.

This wine is available @ the LCBO for $15.00 and I think it's nice for the price!!

FETZER is a California winery that has a pretty good selection of wines. For me the Merlot is a first, although Lola assures me we had the FETZER Zinfandel which we didn't care for. I can't remember.

Here is a link to FETZER'S web page: http://www.fetzer.com/fetzer/home.aspx

GAUCHO'S REVISITED

2008-08-14T03:13:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have those nights when you come home after work and before you know it it's 8pm and you still haven't eaten and you don't feel like cooking? We all do. Last night was such an evening for us. Because we wanted to eat somewhere close by, we decided to hit Gaucho's because we know the food is good and that we would be happy afterwards.

I did a write up on Gaucho's a while ago, but I decided to take a few shots of the food we had last night. Here's a link to the write up I did on LIVINGSTON COOKS:

http://livingstoncooks.blogspot.com/2008/03/gaucho-bbq-restaurant.html

Above is the Picanha. What that is is marinated steak that is grilled. Gaucho's serves Picanha with sausage, rice, beans, fried manioc (flour) and cassava. It's a good portion of food if you're hungry and it costs a paltry $15.00!

Another shot of the same plate. Can you say, "Picanha?"

This is the crisp fried cassava which is served in place of fried potatoes. It is very goooood!

This is the manioc. It is a fried flour which is milled from....manioc! It's buttery and good!

Pepper, onion and tomato relish.

This is the spit roasted chicken served with fries.

Lola's favorite carrot salad made with pineapple and coconut.

These are the fries! Keep your eyes on your fries!!As usual, dinner was good and we were happy as usual. Thanks guys!!

CHRISTIAN MOUEIX MERLOT

2008-08-14T03:11:00.000-07:00

We tried this Merlot last night by Christian Moueix. It is a French Merlot from Bordeaux. My first impression of the wine was that it was so-so. It didn't grab me at first sip, which is how I judge a wine. I don't want to have to think about it because after all it's just wine, right? But after a few sips (and perhaps a bit of time to open up in the glass) it tasted better. After a bite of some great Irish blue cheese, it tasted even better still.

I found this wine to be a little light in body, dry and peppery on the finish. My personal preference is to shy away from peppery wines, so I won't let that taint my perception of the wine. The fruit was more subtle than I like as well, but again, I like a fruitier tasting wine.

I did think that the wine was easy drinking and smooth and that I would like to try it again. I would recommend trying this Merlot.

Toronto life said of this wine: " This is a well-made Bordeaux merlot. A bit reserved but correct plum, cherry, spice and a herbal, tobacco scent. Mid-weight with good acidity and youthful, dry tannin."

Christian Moueix 2005 Merlot sells for $15.00 at the LCBO.

BBQ CHICKEN 101

2008-08-13T03:16:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I know, barbeque chicken...BIG DEAL! And you're right, it isn't a big deal. In fact, I seldom make barbecue chicken; I prefer other ways to finish chicken off on the grill other than with BBQ sauce. BUT...good barbecue isn't that simple and I've written about that here before on Livingston Cooks. I wanted to go through the process again here with the simplest and most recognizable of grilled foods: BBQ'd Chicken.

As you will remember, I now prefer charcoal to gas. I have a killer gas barbecue that I never use. It has to be re-jetted, but that's beside the point; the food cooked over coals tastes about 100 times better than over a gas flame. And as you may recall, I have a small coal barbecue that I use that cost about 100 times less than the mammoth stainless steel one that sits idle. If I had it to do all over again, I would get a really good coal barbecue, but my plan is to rejet the gas barbecue and use it for spit cooking and roasting larger cuts of meat and continue to use my little one for the smaller ones.

Well...enough blathering about that for now.

When grilling over coals, the first thing you must do is stack the coals in a mound. This helps them to stay all snuggly and warm together until they have officially lit. That is, they need to be piled together to contain heat until they are burning hot enough to cook over. To start the coals, douse with igniting fuel and light. POOF...you have just lit your hair on fire!

Here the coals have been stacked and ignited. The edges are white and you can see a nice glow in the center of the pile of coals. At this point the heat above the coals is warm enough to warm your hands over, but useless to cook over. If you stuck your finger into the coals, however, your eyes would definitely water! So, uhh...don't be doing that!!

Here you get a closer look at the hot center of the coals. This is where the work is being done in getting the temperature up for cooking. The fire spreads to all of the other coals and when they are white, they are ready to cook over.

The coals are pretty hot at this point and if you were to hold your hand over them for more than 30 seconds, you would have yourself a pretty crispy stump left in its place. These coals are ready to be spread out into a bed for cooking.

The coals are spread out evenly and the grill is placed over them to warm up. Now we're ready to cook the chicken.

Chicken thighs - bone in and skin on - are my choice for the night. I like dark meat and I think the thigh is the juiciest part of the chicken. The important thing to remember when grilling chicken is to COOK IT OVER A LOW HEAT. This is because chicken has to be well done and it is prone to flair ups which will burn the outside to a crisp while leaving the inside raw. I'll get to that in more detail in a moment, but here is a guideline for grilling meats:

Steaks and chops - cook over the hottest flame possible. This includes beef, lamb and pork. A hot flame will enable you to serve a rare steak that is sizzling and browned on the exterior.
Fish - medium to very high flame. Fish is delicate so it's important to oil it up before it hits the grill, but depending how delicate the fish is, you should try to move it as little as possible.
Chicken and fowl - small cuts like thighs, legs and breasts are best cooked over a low flame. Whole birds are cooked over a medium to low flame also. A rotisserie is needed for roasting whole birds unless you roast it on the cold side of a larger barbecue.

I season the chicken with a little olive oil, sea salt, crushed dried chipotle chile and paprika. Now the chicken is ready for the grill!!

PSSSSSS!!! That's the sound a hot grill should make when meat is placed on top of it. A hot grill will not allow meat to stick to it. If there is one thing you ever learn about cooking meat on a grill is should be to get it hot enough prior to putting meat on it.

After the chicken hits the grill, I close the lid as well as the bottom vent. This will cool the fire off so I can cook the chicken without setting it aflame. When I put my chicken on the hot grill, it immediately began to flame up. The fire was too hot. But I wanted to brown the chicken quickly and reduce the heat for a slow cook so I had to put the brakes on the heat. This is easier to do with gas by just turning a knob, but by reducing airflow feeding the coals, you can manipulate the flame as easily.

The other advantage to closing the lid - and really the most import and reason - is to trap in all of the smoke so the smoky flavor is imparted to the meat. That's the real reason why coals are superior to gas. It's the smoke that makes the difference!!!!

As you can see, the smoke is just blasting out of the top vent. This is because the flame is still quite hot.

I close the top vent which also cools the flame further. It also traps in more smoke. Think of this little barbecue as a smoker as well as a grill. I can't stress enough the difference in flavor smoke makes (and perhaps I'm beating it to death) but airflow = smoke control which = flavor.

You can see that the flame is much cooler now as I have opened the top vent and only a small amount of smoke is blowing out of the top. This is a nice slow fire for slow cooking chicken and it provides enough smoke as well.

The chicken is about half done here and you can see it is golden brown. I continue to cook it out until it is about 3/4 done before applying BBQ sauce. Adding BBQ sauce too early will make the sauce burn. This is because BBQ sauce is sugar based and the sugars will caramelize and burn is added too early.

A liberal amount of sauce is added. The lid is closed and the sauce is allowed to "set up" or become sticky. Whay we want to do is dry out the sauce a bit and help it stick to the chicken.

The sauce is becoming sticky and I can now flip it over, brush with sauce and repeat the process.

The chicken is done. The sauce is sticky and sweet.

Lola made a beautiful salad of mixed baby greens tossed lightly with hazelnut oil, toasted hazelnuts, dried cranberries, Irish blue cheese, sea salt and a sprinkle of love. It was a nice light salad and I loved the oil!

She steamed off some corn and made a compound butter with lime juice, lime zest, cilantro, minced garlic and a bit of habanero pepper flakes. The butter was mixed with the other ingredients and allowed to chill before being spread over the hot corn. Very nice indeed!

There you have it, barbecued chicken. A I said before, it is easy...but but there are varying degrees of skill on the barbecue and it takes a little work to master cooking and smoking over an open flame. I am still learning myself and I am totally stoked on grilling, so take heart and get excited!!

I HAVE MOVED ON

2008-08-08T03:09:00.001-07:00

I thought it may be a good idea to announce that I have resigned my position as Executive Chef of Eaton Hall. I left about 6 weeks ago but didn't think it worth the time to post an entry about it here on Livingston Cooks. But today I realized that there are still some brides and grooms who look in on Livingston Cooks who have weddings coming up at Eaton Hall and I don't want them to continue to think that I am still in charge of the kitchen. That wouldn't be fair to anyone.

While I was at Eaton Hall, I met some good people...

...had a few laughs...

...and cooked some great food. The rest will remain a mystery.

I am returning to Eaton Hall to put out one final wedding banquet at the end of this month. I wrote a custom menu for one couple that I feel I must return to execute. I don't want to leave this couple high and dry on their wedding day. I'll be sure to take pictures and post them here on Livingston Cooks. I'm doing an Island theme.

Adios Amigos!

MEAT SAUCE MY WAY

2008-07-30T20:10:00.000-07:00

My children are...well...I love them to death, and when they ask me to make them something that they love, I try to oblige. As with most children, spaghetti with meat sauce is high on the favorite list and my kids asked me to make it for them recently.

I know, I know...it isn't exactly the most interesting meal in the world, but I honestly believe it is one of the most comforting meals we can eat. I guess it appeals to our memories of childhood, I don't know. Anyway, I was asked the other day what meal I would ask for if it was to be my last. I think this would be it. But then a pig out on wine and cheese followed by a butt load of chocolate just might be it too. Hopefully I'll never have to choose.

One thing I know about meat sauce is that everyone has their own way of making it and they generally like it the way they make it. So, with that in mind, I won't go on about how good my sauce is. I like mine the way I make it and that's all that matters to me. I'll just share it here for those of you who may like to have a go at it.

This is not a traditional Bolognese sauce. Traditionally, Bolognese is a ragout which is a sauce of beef, pancetta, onions, garlic, tomato, broth, wine and herbs. But the recipe is somewhat like Borscht - everyone has their own version. What this is is a meat sauce which is bulked up with sausage. The ingredients are ground pork, sweet Italian sausage, red wine, balsamic vinegar, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, carrot, zucchini, oregano, anise, salt and sugar.

This is the Italian sausage. I like a sweet sausage for the kids, but personally...I prefer a hot sausage for myself.

A Pelee Island Merlot is the wine I chose for the sauce.

The sausage is cut into 1 inch lengths.

A heavy bottomed pot is ideal for slow cooking a tomato based sauce.

Brown the sausage....

...add the ground pork...

...when the sausage and pork are browned...

...splash in some wine. Simmer this out for a few moments while you enjoy a few sips of some wine.

Add in some grated carrot and zucchini...

...and some minced onion and garlic.

Cook all these ingredients out for about 20 minutes over a high heat.

Add crushed tomatoes...

...and give everything a stir. Reduce the heat to medium.

Add sugar, salt, anise and oregano.

Add balsamic vinegar and stir everything together.

Reduce heat to low and cook out for about one hour.

Add tomato paste.

Cook the sauce for another 20 minutes to 30 minutes and it's done. Serve with linguine, garlic bread and Caesar salad.

TORONTO JAZZ FESTIVAL 2008

2008-07-30T09:21:00.000-07:00

We went to the Toronto Jazz Festival in the Beaches the other day. I don't have a lot to say about it other than that the music was great and that it was fun. Next year I'll definitely return and spend more time there than I had this year.

Kaitlin and Garret (my kids) joined us there and Garret got bored of the music pretty quickly. I don't think it's a venue for children, unless they are fans of live music. But Kaitlin liked the music because she is musical herself. She sings and had spent the last few years in her school jazz band learning the saxaphone and the flute.

There were several bands playing - about 20 - and they were all awesome. The Latin bands were my favorite, but that's because I love Latin music. I will say though that I watched a lot of passers by start dancing when they were in the Latin section. It's infectious!!

Here are a few pictures, although they aren't the greatest. I wanted to get more shots of the "street food" but I was pressed for time. Maybe next year.

ANTIPASTO

2008-07-29T14:44:00.001-07:00

It doesn't take much to throw together a quick antipasto, and there's nothing better with a little wine and some good company. Antipasto can be as informal as you want it to be and keeping it simple best.

A few assorted olives...

...a bit of cheese...

...a little roasted garlic...

...some marinated mushrooms...

...some more fromage...

...a little sausage and a little fresh crusty bread and you're happening!

CAFE TASTE - A GREAT OASIS FOR WINE AND CHEESE

2008-07-19T08:42:00.000-07:00

Lola and I tried to go out for a nice dinner the other night and it seemed like it just wasn't meant to be. We wanted to go to one restaurant in particular but found that it was closed for a private party when we arrived.

We walked up and down Queen Street looking for something nice, but didn't happen upon anything that sparked our interest. When we did find one that looked interesting (we'll try it soon) we found they didn't take Interac. We looked up and down that area of Queen and couldn't find an Interac machine that worked! Grrrrrrr!

All of this walking around wasted about an hour or so and as we passed the original restaurant we wanted to go to, we found it had opened up to the public again so we decided to go there for dinner.

As we were walking home along Queen Street, we were passing other restaurants looking in at the staff as most of them were closing up and reading menus posted on windows. We were passing one place - Cafe Taste - and a waiter standing in the door asked us to come in to see the patio in the back. We went in and decided to have a look.

Cafe Taste is a wine and cheese bar that offers over 30 wines by the glass and up to 30 cheeses. We came in at the close of the night after there had been a wine event, but there were still a few people lingering on the patio sipping wine over quiet conversation by candle light. Lola and I ordered a glass of ice wine each and had a sampling of two cheeses. It was a nice way to end a what started out as a not so perfect evening.

The best thing about the night was that we discovered Cafe Taste; we want to go back soon for a night of wine and cheese. Cafe Taste not only offers a vast array of wine and cheese for sampling, but they are proud of the fact that they search for local products to offer their guests.

While we were enjoying our ice wine, we were brought a really nice blue cheese that paired well with it. I also wanted some goats cheese which was supplied without a problem.

As a wine and cheese lover, I want to go back to Cafe Taste to bust a gut one night. I think it will be a a night of sensual pleasure and fun!! And if you're a wine and cheese lover...you should check it out too. You may find a new favorite.

Here's a link to the Cafe Taste web page: http://www.cafetaste.ca/

Cafe Taste 1330 Queen St West (@ Brock St.) 416.536.7748 cafetaste@rogers.com

CRABLESS CRAB CAKES

2008-07-16T02:58:00.000-07:00

Do you ever get those cravings sometimes that just don't go away until you satisfy them? You know...the "I gotta eat that or else I'll die" cravings? Well, the other day I had a craving for crab cakes something fierce and I just had to make some. I think it was the crab cake recipe Lola had hanging on the fridge that did it to me; it's been there since January and I've been looking at it ever since. Anyway, the situation finally came to a head and I had to do something about it. I had to make some crab cakes!

Unfortunately for me, I shopped for all of the ingredients I needed to make crab cakes before discovering that the store had no crab. Can you believe it...no crab! So, I decided to combine shrimps and salmon in place of the crab meat. Improvise when necessary I say!

Here, some white shrimp, shallots, garlic, scallions and parsley are ready to be minced for the cakes.

The shrimps are minced roughly...

...and combined with the other ingredients.

The salmon fillet awaiting mincing.

The minced salmon added to the rest of the ingredients fleshes out the shrimp. Any other fish can be used as well.

A bit of grated potato adds filler to the cakes . I also added some chopped cilantro, cayenne pepper, Old Bay Seasoning and lemon juice.

Stir it all up....

...add some mayonnaise....

...stir it again....

...add bread crumbs to dry it out a bit...

...ball it out the same as you would for hamburger patties...

...press it down and VOILA...fish cakes ready for the pan! The cakes are fried in olive oil and butter until golden, flipped and fried on the other side until golden. I finished them in the oven for five minutes to ensure they were cooked through. These babies are big!

Lola made a really nice salsa/salad of charred corn, pepper, avocado, jalapeno, olive oil, lime juice and cilantro to go with the cakes.

Up close and personal.

The cakes with chile chipotle mayo!

In your face!

Done deal! And this is soooooooo goooooood!

Give it a try!!

THE PERFECT STEAK

2008-07-15T18:21:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of opinions on how to grill the perfect steak. I have mine too. But no matter what the thought on the matter is, it's the final product that wins the argument. So, here I will lay out my version of the perfect steak and you can decide for yourself.

First of all, we have to decode on the perfect cut. Some like the New York Striploin or the Fillet the best, but I like the Ribeye. I like this cut because of the fat content present in the rib. It makes for a jucier steak than all the others at the end of the day in my opinion. But if you're looking to grill a great steak, choose from one of these three cuts if you want something tender.

As you can see, this rib steak is well marbled. That is, it has a good amount of fat within the muscle which will disolve during cooking and add moisture to the steak. Yeah...fat is desirable sometimes!

So...there's a juicy little mama waiting for someone to come along and set her free. I think I can handle it!

First I like to make a marinade of rosemary, shallots, garlic and olive oil to soak the steak in before grilling. This combination adds flavor to the steak by infusing it with the aromatic shallots and garlic and the oils in the rosemary permeate the surface of the meat with savory perfume. The olive oil coats the steak and helps to sear the surface during grilling as well as adding flavor.

Here are the three ingredients - shallots, garlic and rosemary - minced and ready to use as a marinade.

The steak is coated in olive oil.......

....and the aromatics are sprinkled over both sides. The steak is then allowed to soak up the flavors for a few hours.

Now what I like to do is prepare a baste for when I grill the steak. This particular baste is one I like because it's simple and it adds a decent amount of flavor the the steak as it sizzles over a bed of hot coals. This is a mixture of red wine, balsamic vinegar, shallot, garlic, rosemary and olive oil. I also add sugar to the mix to assist in the caramelization process.

I just allow this baste to "come together" for an hour or two before I lite the coals. This allows a bit of time for a glass or two of wine too.

As the steak is cooking over the coals, I just baste it with the mixture and allow it to caramelize on the surface of the meat. There are many bastes you can make to add flavor to your steaks and chops and you can purchase a lot of different ones in the grocery store. Just remember that the function of a baste is to cook onto the surface whatever it is that you're cooking and that continuous basting is essential.

Here, the finished product is served with a few sauted Shitake mushrooms and a simple spinach salad. The steak is so large that nothing much else is needed to satisfy even the hungriest person on your list.

So...some would say I'm wrong, but I think this is a pretty good way to grill steaks. The ingredients may not suit the taste of every individual, but the process is what is most important. Play around a little...do some research...and above all...have fun!!!

Happy grilling!!!!!

RISOTTO WITH ROCCO

2008-07-09T03:04:00.001-07:00

Rocco's Plum Tomato Trattoria is a restaurant we found quite by accident. It is a place we have been passing again and again as we go to and fro grocery shopping, and because the sign looked so interesting combined with the fact that it just looked like it served up some decent Italian grub, we decided to stop into this restaurant one evening after shopping. We were glad we did.

Rocco's is really casual and even the decor reflects that. It has a rustic theme which is reflected in the wooden floors, tables and chairs as well as in the wooden art work which hangs on the walls. The carvings are magnificent and intricate, not to mention huge. And tile mosaics adorn the walls and ceilings.

The menu and sign out front are designed with the same hand-painted theme.

Some of the wooden carvings and tile mosaics.

Another very cool carving.

The candles on the tables provide a relaxing atmosphere.

First thing's first...VINO!

Complimentary olives, breads and oil/balsamic dip.

Caesar Salad. Actually...I rarely order Caesar when I go out because most are nothing exceptional (and I prefer my own) but I was in the mood for one when I was at Rocco's. It was good.

I had the Seafood Risotto. Here you see it is served in a tomato cream. It was very rich and satisfying as a good risotto should be. It was packed with flavor too. Very tasty!!

Lola had the Orange Roughy with a side of risotto The Roughy comes topped with shrimps in a creamy tarragon sauce. I had this dish my first time at Rocco's and can attest to the fact that it is very tasty. Above is the side of tomato risotto.

Here, a very blurry picture of the Roughy topped with shrimps. Sorry the shot is so blurry but it's the only one I had. The wine must have gone straight to the camera!

So, Rocco's is a good place to go for a relaxed atmosphere and some comfort food. They make pizzas, which look amazing, and a variety of pastas and mains as well. I recommend it for sure

ROCCO'S PLUM TOMATO TRATTORIA
156 THE QUEENSWAY, ETOBICOKE,

SMOKING ON THE PATIO

2008-06-18T13:32:00.000-07:00

Summer awakens a primal urge in most of us to eat foods that are slowly grilled over an open flame; the urge seems to quicken when we begin to catch the smoky, mouthwatering scent of choice cuts of meat charring close by as neighbors take part in the summer ritual. Yes, summer is barbeque season.

Personally, I barbeque all year around; I don't think good food should be weather dependent. Actually, unless it's snowing or raining hard...why not barbeque all year around?

The barbeque below is the one I have been using for the past few years. I love this barbeque! Actually, when I was contracting in British Columbia I did a small job for a customer who owns a barbeque store. We ended up swapping my services for this barbeque. At the time, this Enviro sold for just under $1800.00. It has three burners plus a rear burner for rotisserie. I also had him install one side burner.

As great as this barbeque is, I really like the flavor of meat and vegetables cooked over coals. The flavor that coals deliver via the smoke created during the burning process is superior to that delivered on a gas barbeque. The little barbeque below cost just $20.00 and food tastes better cooked on it than on the $1800.00 barbeque. The only drawback is the waiting time involved in allowing the coals to burn down to a nice bed of even heat that is perfect for cooking over. But, patience is a virtue as they say, and it give me time to sit down and have a glass of wine before manning the grill!

As you can see in the photo above, the smoke produced is immediate upon lighting the coals. Here, I have just lit the coals and have allowed the fire to burn down (burning off the lighter fluid) and there is a small burn going. There isn't enough heat to cook over at this point. By shutting the lid and fully opening the damper, I allow the coals to breath and this increases the heat.

Here the fire has picked up steam and the heat is pretty much ready for cooking over. The smoke produced is what will flavor the meat and vegetables. The charring from the direct heat will obviously flavor the food as well.

Another cool, smokey action shot!

Now you see that I have closed the top vent which keeps most of the smoke IN the barbeque. I have left the bottom damper open wide to feed the fire however. If I closed both...the fire would cool down too much for what I want to grill, but it would be great for slow cooking.

Beef tenderloin slow roasting over the coals. This is a large section of tenderloin which requires a lower heat than, say, steaks. So I close the damper half way and close the top vent half way and allow for a slow smoke.

The tenderloin gets a nice charred exterior - naturally smoked flavor - and remains juicy inside.

I like to baste meats on the grill as they cook with infused olive oil (wine, olive oil, garlic, herbs) which adds flavor and helps th char the surface of the meat.

YUM!

Above, dry spiced ribs sizzle along side some Portugese sausage and corn. These are cooked over a high heat.

Scallions getting a tan!

A squeeze of fresh lime over dry ribs sends the flavor to skyrocketing to etheral heights.

Close up on the corn.

The corn gets lime too.

Look at those ribs!!

There you have it. The finished product ready to devour!

VEGGIES ON THE QUE

2008-05-28T13:55:00.000-07:00

A little olive oil....

...some anise...

...some sea salt...

...some cracked black pepper...

...some lemon juice...

...and a smoky BBQ...

...and you're all set for some awesome grilled veggies!!

BOUILLAIBAISSE: THE PRETENTIOUS LITTLE SEAFOOD STEW

2008-05-28T12:51:00.000-07:00

Actually, it isn't really all that pretentious. It just sounds fancier than it actually is. If you strip Bouillaibaisse down to it's bare essentials, it's just a variety of seafood cooked out in a tomato broth. Add some vegetables and a potato to it and you have a complete meal. That's it! Pretty simple, huh?

Last week my son, Garret turned 10 and we celebrated his birthday at my house by spoiling him as usual. He asked me to make a lobster dinner for him, so I did. This was his first lobster dinner. It turned out that he didn't like lobster. Expensive mistake I know, but I want my kids to experience the things that grab them and I'll comply with their wishes whenever I can.

Anyway, I had the shells of three lobsters left over from the dinner that I used to make a stock for a Boiullaibaisse. As you can see from the photo below, I threw the shells in a pot with some onion, garlic, celery, carrot, anise, paprika, white wine, lemons and water. I cooked this out until the perfume permeated the house and the stock was quite flavorful.

I must apologize for not taking as many shots of the process as I normally would, but I was enjoying some wine at the time and I managed to get side tracked.

I added some crushed tomatoes to the stock as well as some sea salt and pepper to season. I cooked this out for a while and then strained the stock into another pot. I returned it to the burner and brought it back to the boil.

After the stock hit the boil, I added carrots, potato and leek. I cooked this out until the potato and carrots were tender. Then I added the seafood.

As you can see, I added prawns, scallops, salmon, talapia and mussels. I cooked the stew out a little longer until the seafood was just cooked and then I served it immediately.

As you can see, there is a ton of seafood swimming in a rich, flavorful tomato and anise scented broth.

This type of seafood stew can be made with any variety of seafood you happen to fancy. I added what I like. And you don't need to start with lobster shells either. You can start with fish stock and tomatoes, or for that matter, straight tomato juice with aromatics and fish boned added to flavor it. The important thing to remember is that you must have the stock to a point where you are satisfied with the intensity of flavor it has before you add the seafood because the seafood is cooked just briefly and won't infuse much flavor into the broth.

By adding a crust of bread and perhaps a salad, you have a meal fit for a king, or even a seafood loving birthday boy!!

I love you Garret!!! Happy Birthday!! XOXOXOXOXO. I love you Kaitlin also!!!!!!!!!

A DANCING BULL INSPIRES AN ARTIST...

2008-05-18T09:40:00.000-07:00

This is the Dancing Bull Zinfandel label. Perhaps nothing really all that spectacular to most, but I have a fondness for bulls - especially the ones that fight for their lives in the ring. I route for the bulls to win in these unbalanced contests because the odds are definitely against them. When a matador gets gored, I think he deserves it. It counts as payback for his past "victories" against opponents that have been set up to lose so that he will look brave. And it also proves the old adage that says, "no matter how overwhelmingly the odds are in your favor, never underestimate your opponent!"

But this little label inspired Lola - my girlfriend - to paint a picture for our living room that has nothing to do with fighting. She did this for me because she knows I love bulls and because I have an interest in Latin culture and music.

I think she did a great job capturing the image and the spirit of El Toro, who dances, what I say, is most likely the Mambo.

Significant only to us, this picture means so much.

I sometimes feel as though I am like a bull and that's why I identify with him rather than with the matadore. It is truly better to be the matador because he and his team mates get so much glory. But the bull has such pride, determination and strength, and yet he stands alone. And, the bull fights honestly and in plain view, while the matador is deceptive, relying on others to wear the bull down for him before he can make an impressive kill with his hidden weapon.

Were it not for deception and the aid of others, the bull would always win the fight, for the matador is outmatched in strength, character and will. It's sad that the bull doesn't even realize how unfair the fight is for him as he enters the ring. He just lets his heart take him and he fights with passion and without fear. But...unfairness is the way of the world sometimes, isn't it? That's why I always cheer the underdog!

Toro!

AND FOR THE RECORD...I'M DEAD AGAINST BULLFIGHTING!

STEVE TREDWELL - MY MENTOR

2008-05-16T07:13:00.000-07:00

Here's the chef I apprenticed under - Steven Treadwell. Even though that was a lifetime ago, I still have many fond memories of working with him. He is a great chef and was a good mentor to me.

Chef Treadwell has his own restaurant now. Treadwell has been up and running for three years and chef tells me that things are going well for him. This month Steven appears on the cover of Food Service and Hospitality Magazine.

Here's wishing Chef continued success and many thanks for his role in my own successes as a chef.

Cheers!!

LORD OF THE RINGS!

2008-05-16T06:39:00.000-07:00

Here, I show the method used to make a ring of pomme gaufrettes. This is a potato I developed at another competition when I wanted a starch that would contain a fricassee of Chantrell mushrooms. This ring came to mind. I have never seen it anywhere else so I claim it as my own creation born out of necessity, however, somewhere I may have a comrade who has made this delicate potato ring as well. Regardless, it's a real showy spud.

Here I set the depth of the cut on the mandolin. The cut is a lattice chip potato that is classically known as "gaufrette."

Fine craft wire is used to hold overlapping gaufrettes tightly around a ring (in this case a tuna can) in preparation for deep frying.

The chips are laid over the can in an overlapping pattern. It is important to poke a hole in the side of the can and insert the end of the wire into the hole before this process otherwise the chips will fall when the can is rotated.

One by one, the chips are laid in place and held in place with the wire. Once the ring is complete, the wire is twisted tight to hold the gaufrettes in place.

The ring is fried for a few moments until the starches in the potato binds the chips together.

The ring is then removed from the can and is returned to the fryer free-form to finish cooking the inside of the ring. And that's all there is to it.

CHEF CONFERENCE - TEAM SHOTS

2008-05-16T05:47:00.000-07:00

Team 4 at the Chef's Conference - Chef Mark Livingston, Chef Brian Messenger and Chef Marcello Marano.

Marcello and I discussing...

and discussing....

and discussing.

Brian discussing.

Whew, that's a lot of discussing!!

A BRONZE MEDAL

2008-05-15T01:55:00.000-07:00

Dorky hat, huh?

Last week I was required to participate in a little cooking contest with 28 other chefs. We worked in teams of three. My team took the bronze medal. Considering what the judges said, and what the guests said about our dish at the reception afterwards, I know we had the best tasting dish that day. But as with many things...there's more to it than that.

Anyway, congrats to all the chefs that competed. They all worked hard!

A GREAT RIESLING!

2008-05-01T02:16:00.000-07:00

As you know, I'm a fan of German varietals. What can I say, I like the sweet whites! Anyway, here is an awesome Riesling I just stumbled on. Angel's Gate from Ontario.

This is super fruity and it has a nice acidity to balance out the sweetness. Notes of citrus jump out at you on the finish. This is a winner!!

A COOKING DEMO IN THE WORKS!

2008-04-29T09:05:00.001-07:00

I have recently embarked on a new mission; putting together a cooking demo to submit to The Food Network. Yep, that's right...I'm hoping for a cooking show! I can't give too many details right now as to the name and concept of the show, but it won't be long until I can share that here. At this point, all of the shooting is done, the film is being edited and sound and graphics are being added. I can't wait to see the final product!!

This is Istvan Dugalin. He is not only the man behind the camera(s), but he is the creative director and, well, everything in between. Were it not for Istvan, this project would not be possible. Thank you Istvan!!

This is the set at Eaton Hall. Were it not for Eaton Hall, this project would not be possible either.

As I say, I will be able to share with you the nature of the project as well as footage right here @ Livingston Cooks very soon. Keep your eye out for upcoming news!

VEAL STOCK 101

2008-04-29T08:03:00.000-07:00

For most non-professional cooks, stock production is a bit of a mystery. Once the veil is removed, however, stocks are pretty simple. Just think of making a stock in the same way as you would in making a cup of tea. Both are infusions where flavor is extracted by adding water to something which contains flavors that are locked away. Water is the means of releasing those flavors.

As far as stocks are concerned, bones are used to add flavor to the water, unless a vegetable stock is being produced in which case vegetables alone would be used. In any case, bones are usually roasted until browned and then roasted vegetables are added. Everything is thrown into a pot with water, wine and herbs and allowed to cook for a few hours at a slow simmer.

When the stock is ready, it is poured off of the bones and is ready to use. Think of that as though removing the tea bag from the tea. It isn't really rocket science!

Here we have raw veal bones in a roasting pan ready for the oven.

Here, the bones are about half way roasted. They are golden brown and full of flavor as the sugars have caramelized and are waiting to be infused into liquid.

Some tomato paste is smeared over the bones and will brown in the oven to add additional flavor.

The bones are ready for the stock pot!

That's one BIG stock pot!!

The bones in the stock pot waiting to be simmered off.

Mirepoix freshly cut! This is a blend of onion, carrot, celery, leek and garlic; the classic French vegetable blend used for so many things in French cooking.

The mirepoix is roasted and ready for the stock pot!

The mirepoix is added to the bones in the stock pot and everything is covered with water and wine. It is allowed to cook at a very low simmer for 12 - 16 hours!

The stock is poured off and is run through a strainer.

Straining the stock!

The finished stock. In this case I added a fresh mirepoix and more wine (3 bottles) and reduced this down to a demi glace. However, at this point the stock can be used for broths and soups.

Here you see the stock (on the left) with fresh mirepoix which will simmer down for about 12 hours to become a super-concentrated demi for fine pan sauces. The reboil (on the right) has a fresh mirepoix plus all of the bones that were boiled for the stock. I will simmer this over night again and extract every last bit of flavor out of it for a remouillage, or, a second boil. This will be reduced also and used to enhance other sauces.

VEGETABLE PUREES - SOUPS TO THINK ABOUT!

2008-04-28T10:57:00.000-07:00

I had a customer ask me to make a roasted red pepper and asparagus bisque the other day. What is a bisque, you say? Well, the classic definition is "a thick, creamy, highly-seasoned soup of French origin, classically of pureed crustaceans." However, a vegetable bisque is not made of crustaceans. It is simply a thickened puree of vegetable. Why then is it called a bisque? I guess it sounds much more elegant than "cream of vegetable." Regardless of the terminology, I was asked to produce the roasted red pepper and asparagus bisque so I obliged.

Now, in my opinion, the flavor of the roasted red peppers would have overpowered the subtle flavor of the asparagus. Asparagus has a mild flavor in comparison to red capsicums. So, I elected to make two separate soups and serve them in the same bowl.

Furthermore, I decided to take the flavors in two different yet complimentary directions. The red pepper soup was sweetened with a little sugar in order to enhance the sweetness of the peppers, and the asparagus soup was lifted with a little lemon juice to give it a bit of acidity.

All of this analysis is hot air I suppose, but I wanted the two soups to have a taste very distinct from one another. This was important considering that they were being served in the same bowl, and spoon for spoon, they had to be distinct and complimentary. Not only did the tastes have to be complimentary, the colors had to be complimentary as well. Green and orange are complimentary colors on the color wheel so they were perfect for one another. You see...interior design principles at work in the kitchen!!

In dealing with the asparagus soup, it was important to remember that the chlorophyl is destroyed by heat. This means that if you overheat a soup (or vegetable for that matter) that is green, it will lose its brilliant color. So in order to dazzle the eye with a nice flash of green, the soup was heated until the asparagus was just el dente and then it was pureed immediately and cooled rapidly in an ice bath. As you can see, the color is good!

Both soups were thickened only with the vegetables and aromatics they were made with; there were no thickeners used. I wanted the simple, clean flavors of the vegetables to shine through with as little competition as possible. Also, thickeners tend to "muddy" things up a bit. So, the soups were pureed in a high speed blender until super smooth and frothy and the consistencies were adjusted with stock. Then they were seasoned and finished with a bit of whipping cream.

So, in cooking these soups, I kept things simple really. The vegetables speak for themselves and were treated with respect for their unique characteristics and flavors. A lot of talk about something so elementary, but the basics are the building blocks of fine cooking and what can be more basic than making soups from fresh vegetables? Peeling potatoes I suppose!

CORNED BEEF - A FAVORITE COMFORT FOOD

2008-04-28T09:24:00.000-07:00

Living in small-town British Columbia for 15 years had very few drawbacks for me. I love the small-town life. And the two places where I lived in BC, Squamish and The Okanagan, had everything I needed close by. But not everything I wanted was available.

One of my favorite comfort foods is corned beef on rye. In all the time I lived in BC, I didn't have one corned beef sandwich. That's fifteen years without corned beef!! Now, It wasn't because corned beef wasn't available. It was. But they don't make corned beef sandwiches in the areas I lived they way I remember having them in Toronto; warm and piled a mile high. And that's the only way to eat corned beef! It has to be served on rye bread with yellow mustard, coleslaw and a pickle too. Everyone knows that!

So, the other night Lola decided to bring dinner home. I didn't know what she was bringing; it was a surprise. She walked in with a single brown bag and I could smell a familiar smell coming from within it. I wouldn't let her open the bag until I guessed the smell. It registered in my mind instantly, but it took a moment for the light to go on. DING! Corned beef!

I have to say...eating that sandwich was pretty amazing. It was just a corned beef sandwich, yes, but it was also a connection. It was a connection to the past and to something I enjoyed a long time ago. It was also a connection to my dad because he was the one who usually took me for corned beef at Shopsey's when I was a kid. He's dead now, so it was a nice memory for me.

Anyway, I looked on Chowhound for the best corned beef places in Toronto after that. That opened the door for the "experts" to tell me that we can't get good corned beef in Canada and that I'd have to go to New York for the real deal. "Yadda, yadda, quack, quack, quack." Whatever! I was quite happy with Lola's find, and she found it just for me and that made it taste even better.

She did a little research on the Net and found The Corned Beef House at 303 Adelaide West. The sandwich was perfect and I can't say as I've ever had better, New York or not! I'm looking forward to going in to have a sandwich and a cold beer in the restaurant soon rather than taking it to go. I'm also looking forward to trying some of their other menu items. Here's a link to The Corned Beef House's web site: http://cornedbeefhouse.com/

One thing I know: I'm going to introduce my kids to a big, fat corned beef sandwich at The Corned Beef House soon and I hope it will become a favorite of theirs. It's so simple yet so perfect!

LULA LOUNGE KICKS ASS!

2008-04-08T07:25:00.000-07:00

Lula Lounge is a new find for me. I'm sure a billion people already know about Lula...and it's already their favorite place...but it's new to me and I just have to spread the word about how awesome it is!

If you've read a few of my posts on "Livingston Cooks", perused the archives, and perhaps checked out my links, you'll see that I have a bit of a passion for all things Latin. Yeah...it's true, I'm a Latin-o-holic! Hey...is that even a word?

Anyway, for me it all started with falling in love with Latin Music and Mexican food. The Margaritas kind of closed the deal too. I thought Latin dance was the final nail in the coffin, but then the love of Jazz combined with Latin music came along and Latin Jazz slapped me in the face. There's no turning back for me now. I'm a goner!

So, I moved to Toronto a couple of months ago and found I live around the corner from Lula Lounge. I first saw it when I was at the Brazilian Bakery across the street eating a luscious custard tart. I popped my head in that day and saw there was a smokin' Conga class underway. "Hmmmm...Conga classes would be cool," I thought. I also decided to check out the live Latin as well sometime in the future.

After that day, I heard a lot about Lula. Lula seems to be the Canadian headquarters for all things Salsa. Yep...Lula is the authority on Latin music in Canada. I hear "Lula, Lula, Lula" all day long on 91.1 Jazz FM. And 91.1 is second only to one Jazz station in North America and they definitely know where to find top quality Jazz, so Lula has a golden reputation in the Jazz community of Toronto because of the live Latin Jazz element found there.

We finally went to Lula for the first time just the other night. It was awesome! Lula offers a three course dinner, free Salsa lesson and live Latin music. The night we went, Cafe Cubano (a twelve man Salsa band) was playing. All I can say is , "Wow! These guys were smokin' and they were having as much fun as everyone on the dance floor (which they filled by the way).

Well...that's all I have to say on the matter. Lula Lounge kicks some serious ass, and that's all there is to it!

1585 Dundas St. W. (west of Dufferin) 416 588 0307

info@lula.ca

The Boys of Cafe Cubano

http://www.lulalounge.ca/
http://www.lulalounge.ca/
http://www.lulalounge.ca/

Lula's Funkadelic Facebook Page

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Toronto-ON/Lula-Lounge/7242797420

CAIPIRINHA - ALMOST A MARGARITA

2008-04-07T08:16:00.001-07:00

There's something about lime that I love. I think it's the freshest, most alive taste there is, and the very smell of it transports me to a sandy beach somewhere putting me in a festive mood prime for hot Latin music rife with congas, sassy trumpets and sexy Salsa rhythms. Hey, it's a recipe for excitement, and I'm always ready for a cold lime cocktail and some cheeky Latin jazz!

With that in mind, you might suspect that I'm a Margarita man. Well...you're right if you do. A good margarita is the absolute king of cocktails in my book. But there is a close cousin to the Margarita that has my attention lately. It's know as the Brazilian Caipirinha.

The Caipirinha is made of crushed limes, sugar, and cachaca. Cachaca is a rum based liquor made in Brazil and the is the national drink. Here is a step-by-step on how to make Caipirinha at home from the folks at Gaucho BBQ.

First you need the Pitu Cachaca and a whole bunch of limes.

Slicey, slicey!

Kerplunk!

Pulverize the little suckers!

Add Cachaca...

...and sugar.

Kick it with some lime bar mix!!

Shakey, shakey!

Wakey, wakey!!! Ahhhhhhhh!

For more information on Cachaca, check out this Wiki link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cacha%C3%A7a

GRAPE JUICE - A WINE BLOG!

2008-03-31T15:48:00.001-07:00

"Grape Juice, A Wine Blog" about all things wine. I love this blog! Here's a link, so when you have time, drop in on Erin and Michelle for some very informative reading.

http://www.grape-juice.ca/
http://www.grape-juice.ca/
http://www.grape-juice.ca/
http://www.grape-juice.ca/
http://www.grape-juice.ca/

Cheers!

GAUCHO BBQ RESTAURANT

2008-03-28T06:35:00.000-07:00

Okay...I really like this place and I have no reason to pump it other than that fact alone. GAUCHO BBQ RESTAURANT was first introduced to me about 2 hours after I arrived in Toronto eight weeks ago. I had driven half way across Canada, through white-out blizzards, over the mountains, through the prairies, through the desolation of western Ontario, through the crazy-busy hiways of Toronto...and I was hungry and exhausted. I just wanted to sit down, eat something and have a couple of drinks. Gaucho's was the closest place to my new home, so...off we went.

When I first walked in I wanted to find something more upscale because I wanted to sink into a soft chair and chill for a while, but I decided to make Gaucho's the spot for the night and I'm happy I did.

Because I'm a chef, I'm not easily impressed with food. I'm not a snob or anything, but I work with food and I rarely get impressed. I do, however, appreciate quality in food whether it be in the form of uber high-end cuisine or just a slice of pizza. Good is good, straight up!

Gaucho's is a Brazilian barbeque restaurant that served up some pretty traditional Brazillian grub. The meats (chicken, ribs, pork, steaks) are all prepared by either roasting or grilling and attention is given to quality and freshness. Sauces are made in house as well and several choices are available to customers as to how meats can be grilled or finished off.

The sides are pretty straight forward, home-cut fries, pomme paresienne, rice, salads and beans round out the list. One salad I particularly like is the carrot, pineapple and coconut slaw; it is cool and refreshing. I have taken this salad, in fact, and serve it from time to time at Eaton Hall. So, if you go to Gaucho's...definitely try it!

Food is prepared for take out or to eat in at Gaucho's. The plate presentations are nicely done and offer a variety of flavors and textures.

One of the best things about Gaucho's is the Caipirinha, a traditional cocktail made of crushed limes, cachaca and sugar. It's sort of like a Brazilian Margarita. I guess I'm a sucker for them because I love Margaritas.

Gaucho's is located at 1745 Dundas Street at the corner of Dundas and Lansdown. They deliver too if you're not in the mood for venturing out! The phone number is 416-588-1007.

Adios Amigos!! For now, that is...........

MY FRIEND........

2008-03-26T16:44:00.001-07:00

This is Gail Riddall who is, perhaps, one of the truest friends I have ever had. She has never seen my face, but she has connected with me on a very deep level through a transitional period in my life. Gail is blind...but she sees more than most people I have ever met.

I worked for Gail and her husband Rick as a contractor in Penticton, British Columbia. While I was there, in their home, I became their friend. We share a love of food, wine and thought. Sometimes you never know who you're talking to until the talking is done.

Anyway, Gail is a lover of music and she is a singer. Just before I left BC, she was working on her first CD. It is called, "Ms. Gail Sings."

Gail may be just another face in the crowd to some, but in BC...the crowd is much thinner.

Go Gail go! You go too Rick!

This one's for you!

Marko

BABOOM!

2008-03-26T16:22:00.000-07:00

The first of many in "The Big Smoke."

WEDDING SAMPLERS @ EATON HALL

2008-03-25T23:16:00.000-07:00

These are a few of the plates from our banquet packages at Eaton Hall. In descending order there is butternut squash ravioli in shitaki broth with sage fritter, wild mushroom agnolotti with leek cream and sundried tomatoes, grilled New York striploin steak with mushroom ragout and stuffed cornish hen with red wine reduction.

Oh, and yes...I was cooking.

CLEANING OUT THE FRIDGE

2008-03-25T22:42:00.001-07:00

The other night at home I had to make dinner and I didn't really feel like making anything that took a lot of time so I looked in the fridge to see what I could turn into a quick meal. I found some nice portabello mushrooms and a couple of bunches of rapinni. That was all I needed to get started.

I stemmed the mushrooms and drizzled the underside of them with some extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled them with sea salt. Then I smeared them with some chili garlic paste. I found a container of sundried tomato paste that was almost empty, so I smeared them with that too.

After they were seasoned and smeared, I needed a chunky stuffing to top them with. I had some tomatoes and the last dregs of a roll of goat's cheese. That was perfect! I diced the tomato and spread it over the mushrooms and seasoned again with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Then I crumbled the Chevre over the top.

Now I reached for the last little bit of the bread crumbs I had in the cupboard and I rained them over the tomato and cheese filled caps. A quick drizzle of olive oil and away they were to the oven for a quick tan under the broiler!

Next I blanched off the rapinni and then sauted it in a bit of sweet butter and garlic.

I topped the rapinni off with the broiled mushroom caps and it made for a nice, light dinner. It was super quick and super easy! Oh...and super good!!

Good on ya!

EASTER BRUNCH AT EATON HALL.........

2008-03-24T14:49:00.000-07:00

The Glass Lounge

The Great Hall

Table Settings In The East Dining Room

Ready To Rumble!

Dauphinoise Assembly

Eddie Massaging The Hams

Anna's Fruit Platter

A Few Sweets

And A Few More

Salad Table

Antipasti

Ed ready to go!

The Tanning Salon!

A new record...300 guests!