Vichyssoise
It's that time of year where the evenings can be cold or hot. So, why not have a soup that can be served cold or hot?! Vichyssoise is the perfect dish!This soup is kinda French and kinda American. There's a bit of undecidedness regarding the origin, so let's just call it French-American fusion. Regardless of the source, it's a delicious and smooth preparation made of leeks and potatoes.
Start by coarsely hacking up the white bit of leeks, and an equal portion of peeled potatoes. Add the leek, potato, along with a bit of olive oil and salt, to a large pot and gently sautée. Don't allow colour to develop on the veg - the soup should be a glistening creamy white.
Add enough water to cover the veg and just a bit more. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Continue cooling until the potatoes are soft. Then, transfer the mix to a blender and puree. I like to use the Vitamix because it makes an ultra smooth soup.
For a hot dish, serve it up right away. I garnished it with crushed pistachios and olive oil. For the more traditional soup, refrigerate before serving. The chilled one I garnished with celery leaves and green onion.
Mixed Fruit Pavlova
It's relatively easy to make, with three main components: meringue, whipped cream and fresh fruit. It does take a while, though.
Start with a couple egg whites and a small bit of cream of tartar; whip until foamy. Then add a bit of sugar and vanilla; whip to still peaks. Spread the meringue onto a silicone baking mat. Be sure to make walls around the edge of the meringue to form a shell (ya, know like in the picture). Place it into a preheated 250F oven. Here's the where the waiting starts: turn off the oven and leave the meringue overnight, or for ~8hours. When it's done, it should be crisp and melt away when you bite it.
You can prepare the fruit while the meringue "bakes." Be sure to use flavours that complement each other. Also, the delicate fluffy composition needs the texture of soft fruits like berries and stonefruit. Something like apple wouldn't fit the texture profile.
When the meringue is done, prepare the whipped cream. I went with a light flavour profile to support the already delicate taste: acacia honey and almond. Like the taste of angels dancing on your tongue, they are!
Finally, pile the whipped cream in meringue shell and layer the fruit atop the cream. I also made a blood orange syrup to drizzle over top. Be sure to serve it promptly so the meringue doesn't get soggy.
The Cold Bruer
An amazing new coffeemaker:
The Bruer is the next iteration of cold brew coffee. Its elegance is on par with the Chemex and Aeropress. This glass, metal and silicon coffeemaker drips cold water through coffee grounds over the course of 10-20 hours (depending on how you like your coffee). The resulting flavour is unbelievably smooth and sweet with layers of complexity.
There's an excellent how-to that covers several aspects of the coffee brewing process on the Bruer blog: http://www.bruer.co/blog/
As I learned at Blue Bottle Coffee in San Francisco, cold brew is best served over ice. But, on a chilly day, mixing equal parts cold brew and boiling water to your mug, won't disappoint. It's still a sweet, mellow brew.
You can buy the Bruer here: http://www.bruer.co/ Buy it, but it now! :)
Sun Dried Tomato Hummus
It's an easy and flavourful dish! As the weather gets warmer; easy, light and tasty meals are in demand.
Simply add a healthy portion of sun dried tomatoes to your usual hummus recipe. I add chickpeas (and the tomatoes) to the Vitamix and cover with water - a bit of salt, sesame seeds, onion powder and a glug of olive oil. I also like to add turmeric, garlic and smoked paprika. Start slow and increase the speed to work up to that delicious thick consistency.
Finish with a drizzle of olive oil, a few chick peas and a sprinkle of sesame seed. Enjoy!
Spinach-Spelt pasta Ravioli with Vegan Filling
Happy St. Patrick's Day! This verdant pasta is coloured with fresh-from-the-garden spinach.
I started out by chopping the spinach and olive oil in the food processor. Not really sure how the recipe would turn out, I added egg-white to the mixture and kneaded the dough with the food processor. It turned out better than expected. An eggless, vegan pasta dough should hold up perfectly. Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes. Divide in to two equal portions and roll it out.
The filling's made from: pine nuts, tofu, pumpkin seeds, pistachios, garlic, onion, basil, olive oil, salt, tamari and a squeeze of lemon. Simply add the ingredients to the food processor and blitz. Spoon it or pipe it on to the rolled pasta dough - rice flour keeps the dough from sticking to the counter. Brush water around the dollops of filling to make sealing the pasta easier. Place the top pasta layer over the bottom. Press out the air and cut into individual pieces. I used a handy pasta cutter, but a knife works, too.
Drop into boiling water for ~3 minutes. Serve hot with olive oil, pine nuts and fresh basil.
Wheat Bread [Fresh Ground Flour]
I got a dry ingredient container for my Vitamix and decided to give it a try.
I used red organic wheat and ground it to flour. It's important to sift four that's just been ground since the occasional unground kernel may be hiding amongst the powder.
Plain bread - composed of sugar (molasses), salt, fat (olive oil), water, yeast and this fresh-ground flour - comes together fairly easily. If you measure your ingredients, fresh flour should be added by weight, rather than volumetrically.
Shape the loaf; score it in whatever fashion makes you happy, and let raise. Bake at 350F until it's golden brown.
I know I'm horrible about posting recipes. But, bread is one of those amazing baking things that is resilient. Jump in and give it a try!
Here's a basic recipe:
- 1 Cup Water
- 2½ Cups Flour
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Teaspoons Yeast
- 1 Tablespoon Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Keep in mind that this a very basic recipe and needs adjustments depending on the nature of the ingredients.
Happy Pancake Day, 2014! Gluten Free Edition
Celebrating Pancake day with gluten free buckwheat pancakes!
Easy to make with: buckwheat flour, egg whites, soy milk, olive oil, vanilla, salt and baking powder.
They're not mile-high fluffy, but they are hearty and rich. Swimming in pure maple syrup, they're a classic delight.
Pan-seared Polenta with Chèvre and Thyme
Polenta has a reputation of blandness. It's a well earned reputation, so you have to build flavour into the dish.
First, bring salted water to a boil. You can also use veg stock to provide more taste. Polenta varies in terms of firmness. Since this will be fried, this dish needs enough cornmeal so that it's not porridge.
Slowly add the cornmeal to the boiling water while stirring. Or, if you're crazy enough to try to hold a camera and take photos while cooking, you'll need to whisk the mixture to remove the lumps. Boil for about a minute or two, until it's thick and begins to "blurp." Then allow to cool and set firm.
Once cooled, remove from the pan and slice into workable chunks. (It helps to wet the knife before cutting.) Sear both sides of the polenta in olive oil.
Garnish and serve with flavourful pairings. I chose the creamy sharpness of goat cheese; the also tangy, yet sweet, aged balsamic; savoury, bright tomatoes and the mildly pungent thyme.
This can easily be made vegan by substituting or omitting the chèvre. Mixed olives would be an ideal alternate.
Bulgar? Bulgar!
One of the most simple and tasty foods I sampled in Turkey: Bulgar. It's a type of wheat that's been parboiled and dried. There are several ways to prepare it, but my favourite dish was a simple vegetable and bulgar casserole.
It's fairly easy to make and it's delicious. Start an assortment of veg. I used carrots, onions, peppers and sauteed them for just a bit of colour. Then puree them with a can of stewed tomatoes. Add seasoning: salt or soy sauce - something to give it a good savour.
I rinsed the bulgar and added the wheat to the veg puree and simmered the mixture until thickened. It's ready when the wheat is tender - like brown rice.
This is a perfect dish for chilly evenings and is full of vegetables, fibre and energy.
Gold and Chocolate Covered Strawberries!
Yes, this is an over-the-top dessert. But it's a fun splurge for Valentine's Day.
These are actually fairly easy to make. You just need chocolate and fresh strawberries. To make it awesome, you'll need GOLD! You can find it on the Amazon:
First, you'll need a double boiler. Or, if you haven't got one, use a heat-proof bowl over a pan of simmering water.
Choose any chocolate you like, but keep in mind, there are differences. I chose a vegan and gluten free dark chocolate. If you use candy-melts, you needn't worry about tempering the chocolate. Also, if you want a softer paste-like chocolate, you can skip tempering as well. ***
Wash and dry the strawberries and dip them in that magnificent cocoa puddle. Be sure to place them on a nonstick surface to cool: parchment paper or a silicon mat.
When you're done with the strawberries, take the remaining chocolate and stir in a bit of almond/soy milk. This will make the ganache. Place the ganache in a piping bag and pipe any desired decorations or patterns.
Then, the magic. While the ganache is still soft, delicately add the the gold.
Let them cool and enjoy! Admit it, if your sweetheart served you with gold-adorned, chocolate-covered strawberries it'd be a winning endeavour.
*** What is tempering? That's a medium-long story. For details, check out the "How To Cook That" video on chocolate tempering: While you're there, Subscribe!
Blood Orange Scones
The perfect thing for a weekend breakfast: Scones! And, I have a recipe, for once:
I made this using the biscuit ratio recipe: 1 part fat:3 parts flour:2 parts liquid. I used: unrefined coconut oil (100g), a mix of spelt flour & shredded coconut (300g), almond milk with a smidgen of blood-orange juice (200ml). To complete the mix, add a bit of sugar (50g), salt (.5t), orange zest and baking powder (1T).
Be sure to cut the fat into the dry ingredients and then mix in the liquid - but, don't over mix! Then, form the dough onto a parchment lined pan. Or, they can be cut like traditional scones.
They're delicious on their own, but they're amazing with a marmalade syrup. It's easy to make with equal portions of sugar, orange juice and zest. Boil to ~225F for a thick syrup.
Tropical smoothie - with a twist!
I found myself with a dozen blood oranges. Although their flavour is very traditionally orange, their colour is is the novelty. I worked these oranges into several culinary preparations. The first, was a delicious tropical smoothie.
I started with some classic tropical flavours: banana, orange and pineapple. I added almond milk and a bit of ice.
Blend it up! Use a high-powered blender to ensure no chunks.
Garnish with sweeetened coconut and serve. A tasty and healthy way to experience the tropics - even if you're stuck in the dead of winter.
Barbecue Potato Crisps
So, the sports are going to sport soon... apparently in a bowl. I don't understand sports-games, but apparently the event requires snacks. This recipe is straight from one of Byron Talbott's videos. Watch it, and while you're there, Subscribe!
Byron also provides measurements... and I'm still trying to learn how those measury things work.
The basic steps are:
- thinly slice the potatoes - I used a food processor
- mix up that magic spice mix - smoky paprika, onion powder, garlic and salt
- fry them - I used peanut oil
- when they're starting to brown slightly, remove them and drain on kitchen roll.
- season them right away
- when they're cooled, dig in!
Experiment with the thickness of the potato slices. Paper thin chips are like pointy clouds that shatter on your tongue whereas thicker chips have a sturdy, hearty crunch.
Cake with Raspberry and Orange
It looks like an underbaked cannelé. That's because I tried making cannelés in a silicone "pan" and it was a disaster. So, I whipped up a plain vanilla-orange sponge cake and baked it in the same mould.
Other than cake baking, it's fairly simple to prepare:
- zest a bit of lemon
- segment the oranges
- strain raspberries with melted apricot (or apple) jam
All that's left to do is pile that deliciousness on a plate.
Ripples in the Chemex
I. Love. Coffee. It took a while to capture this, but it's a still slice of that magic time when that delightful brew develops.
Ginger-Chili Mung Beans with Coconut Black Rice
Richly flavourful, this dish packs lots of energy and fibre. Although mung beans are generally available at most Asian grocers, they're not the most common legume. They are, however, a delicious base for this curry-like recipe.
Start by rinsing the beans and adding equal portions of mung bean and water to a large saucepan and set on the heat. Salt the water gently - season it, but remember that it will need to be adjusted near the end of the cooking process, so don't go wild with the salt. While waiting for the beans to start boiling, prepare the curry. Ginger is the dominant flavour. To round out the curry flavour profile, you'll need a bit of garlic, chili pepper(s) and a medium tomato. Place these ingredients in a blender with a can of coconut milk. Blend until smooth.
Once the beans have started boiling, add the curry to the pan. Return the mix to a boil before reducing the heat to a simmer.
While the curried beans are simmering away, prepare the rice as directed by the packaging. Simply, add a bit of salt and a half-handful of shredded unsweetened coconut when the rice starts cooking. So easy! There are a couple different types of black rice. I used Forbidden Rice for this meal.
When the beans are tender, they're done cooking. Be sure to season with salt according to your taste.
Tarte Poire [Gluten free and Vegan Pear tarte]
A tasty sweet that's gluten free and vegan.
I started with the walnut-oat pastry dough that I typically use for crackers and pie crust. Roll, cut and place in a spring-form pan. I pre-baked the crust at 375F for ~20 minuted. In the mean time, I prepared the filling: equal parts water and cashews, nutritional yeast, salt, brown sugar and vanilla. Then, peel and slice the pears.
Fill the pans with the custardy mixture and arrange the pears. Resume baking for another 20 minutes. Allow them to cool and brush with pastry glaze - strained apricot jam. Complete the dish with raspberries and sliced almonds.
It's got a good taste, but it's really heavy. I think it would take on a new, lighter dimension by replacing some water with a bit of raw pear in the custard.
Curried Brussels Sprouts with Ginger Coconut Rice
A quick and easy way to make sprouts delicious.
First, halve the sprouts and remove the scruffy outer leaves. Then, mix coconut milk, curry powder and salt. This imparts a spicy richness to the dish. Pour the mix over the Brussles sprouts and arrange on a baking tray. Make it easy to tidy up by lining the tray with parchment paper. I like to put these cabbage-wannabes in a cold oven and preheat to 400F - this cooks them quickly and browns the sprouts.
Serve with ginger coconut rice. Simply add ginger, unsweetened coconut flake and a smidgen of coconut milk to rice and prepare as normal.
Happy 2014 and a quote from Saul Bass
Happy 2014! Two years ago, jLAmode started as a two-year-commitment personal blog. It quickly grew into an artistic endeavour. It's a stout challenge to create something new every week, but it's been a very edifying process. Recently, I found this quote by Saul Bass - an icon in the design world - and it defines the essence of jLAmode: "I want to make beautiful things, even if nobody cares."
The things we create are extensions of our soul. This makes artists particularly vulnerable - we present, not our works for critique, but fragments of our souls. This in mind, it's easy to expect everyone to notice, eagerly anticipate and, invariably, swoon over each new thing we make.
The reality is, everyone is busy making their own thing. And often, since beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder, the things we esteem so greatly attract little interest of others. I think Saul Bass was well acquainted with this scenario; I think it inspired his statement. For really, even if nobody cares about the beautiful things we create, it doesn't stop them from being beautiful things.
Happy New Year from jLAmode.
Make beautiful things.
j