Dear Reader:
I was looking for something that I had previously worked on in this blog, only to realize that people are still visiting. Please do not think that I'm not interested. I've just lived a few lifetimes since I regularly posted here. When I returned, I realized that this blog represented who I was then and no longer fit well with who I am now.
So I've created a new blog.
I'm so sorry if you thought I had abandoned you, my dear readers. It was never my intention.
The new blog is called Cooking Cacophony, representing some of the chaos that we live with ADHD, parenting in a large family, life in general and the food that ties us all together. Please come and join us there.
Johane
Friday, 16 September, 2011
Thursday, 3 February, 2011
Snowpacolypse? Time for soup...
With all of the snow we've had lately, it got me thinking. We've had nearly a week of notice. We've been able to get ready. We've known approximately how long the storm was going to last. Our parents and grand-parents didn't have that. Is it a wonder that they kept a pot of soup simmering on the stove?
As the snow started falling yesterday, I put a smoked ham in the oven for supper. Today, as the cold hits and there is a lot of heavy work to be done outside, I've got a a lovely split pea soup simering on the stove. Not only does it help warm the house, it will be a comforting meal at the end of the day.
In my dutch oven pot, I poured in about 1 inch of water, placed my ham, scored the fat cap lightly, covered it and placed it in a low and slow oven for the afternoon. By the end, the meat was falling off the bone. There was an extra 1.5 inch of liquid to boot! So we had a wonderfully tender ham with potatoes and steamed brocoli for supper last night. I kept the liquid for the soup today.
This morning, I cooked my yellow split peas in the ham liquid with onions, celery, bell peppers and carrots. Tonight we eat comfort in a bowl.
As the snow started falling yesterday, I put a smoked ham in the oven for supper. Today, as the cold hits and there is a lot of heavy work to be done outside, I've got a a lovely split pea soup simering on the stove. Not only does it help warm the house, it will be a comforting meal at the end of the day.
In my dutch oven pot, I poured in about 1 inch of water, placed my ham, scored the fat cap lightly, covered it and placed it in a low and slow oven for the afternoon. By the end, the meat was falling off the bone. There was an extra 1.5 inch of liquid to boot! So we had a wonderfully tender ham with potatoes and steamed brocoli for supper last night. I kept the liquid for the soup today.
This morning, I cooked my yellow split peas in the ham liquid with onions, celery, bell peppers and carrots. Tonight we eat comfort in a bowl.
Sunday, 16 January, 2011
This week's menu
Well, with everything I've been cooking over the weekend, you can rest assured that I have a plan for suppers this week. Suppers and some lunches too...
Here's the recipe for the Poulet en cocotte:
1 2 kg chicken, cooked and pulled apart
4 med celery stocks, chopped
1 lg spanish onion, chopped
250 ml frozen peas
15 ml fresh thyme (yes, I like thyme especially in cold season for its health benefits, you can safely cut this back to 5 ml)
I'm allergic to carrots, so I leave them out, but you should add 3 med carrots, chopped
1 l chicken stock
1 l milk
50 ml butter
50 ml All-purpose flour
1/2 recipe of pie dough
Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
Nutmeg
1 egg for egg wash
Since I have French onion soup bowls, I like to use these as my cocottes.
Preheat the oven to 190C (375F)
Divide chicken evenly between pots, and a handful of peas into each cocottes.
Sautee the onion, celery and carottes (if you have them), and set them aside.
In a medium sauce pan, make a blond roux with the butter and flour. Add the cold stock, milk and thyme. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Once the mixture has come to a boil, remove from heat and add the sauteed vegetables. Add a light sprinkle of nutmeg to taste.
Cool the sauce to room temperature by placing the pot in a sink filled with 10 cm (just over 3") of cold water, and stir constantly for about 5 minutes. Laddle the sauce over the chicken mixture, leaving 1 cm headroom maximum. Gently tap the pot to settle the sauce in the pot.
Roll out the pie dough to 3 mm (1/8") and cut circles 1.5 cm (3/4") larger than the diameter of the top of your pot. Once the circles are cut, cover the pots, crimp the edges and brush with egg wash.
At this point, you can place the pots on a cookie sheet and store in the refrigerator for up to two days.
When ready to cook, place the pots on a cookie sheet and cook in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes.
Serve hot with an earthy mushroom risotto, or with sweet roasted root vegetables.
If you'll recall, I cooked a brisket, prepared stock and butchered a couple chickens... We've had the brisket as lunch on Sunday, and again yesterday when the kids had a snow day. Last night we had a split roasted chicken with roasted squash.
The family is looking forward to having a tasty soup tonight - likely a nice white bean soup with a little rosemary... However I think the hit of the week was Tuesday's Poulet en cocotte with mushroom risotto and sauted beans.Here's the recipe for the Poulet en cocotte:
1 2 kg chicken, cooked and pulled apart4 med celery stocks, chopped
1 lg spanish onion, chopped
250 ml frozen peas
15 ml fresh thyme (yes, I like thyme especially in cold season for its health benefits, you can safely cut this back to 5 ml)
I'm allergic to carrots, so I leave them out, but you should add 3 med carrots, chopped
1 l chicken stock
1 l milk
50 ml butter
50 ml All-purpose flour
1/2 recipe of pie dough
Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
Nutmeg
1 egg for egg wash
Since I have French onion soup bowls, I like to use these as my cocottes.
Preheat the oven to 190C (375F)
Divide chicken evenly between pots, and a handful of peas into each cocottes.
Sautee the onion, celery and carottes (if you have them), and set them aside.
In a medium sauce pan, make a blond roux with the butter and flour. Add the cold stock, milk and thyme. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Once the mixture has come to a boil, remove from heat and add the sauteed vegetables. Add a light sprinkle of nutmeg to taste.
Cool the sauce to room temperature by placing the pot in a sink filled with 10 cm (just over 3") of cold water, and stir constantly for about 5 minutes. Laddle the sauce over the chicken mixture, leaving 1 cm headroom maximum. Gently tap the pot to settle the sauce in the pot.
Roll out the pie dough to 3 mm (1/8") and cut circles 1.5 cm (3/4") larger than the diameter of the top of your pot. Once the circles are cut, cover the pots, crimp the edges and brush with egg wash.
At this point, you can place the pots on a cookie sheet and store in the refrigerator for up to two days.
When ready to cook, place the pots on a cookie sheet and cook in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes.
Serve hot with an earthy mushroom risotto, or with sweet roasted root vegetables.
Saturday, 15 January, 2011
Welcome back
Well, it's been a few years since I last posted a blog... Life kind of got away from me and I was just too busy to blog. I was in and out of industry, I moved from one town to another, I met up with an old friend and we fell in love. We were married this past summer, and we moved the same weekend. Yes, my life has been that kind of crazy for a while now, so I'm sure you'll forgive my virtual disappearance.
What brings me back is that things have settled down somewhat and I'm having a lot of fun in the kitchen. For example, right now, I have beautiful roasted chicken stock simmering gently on the stove, and a wonderful beef brisket on a low braise in the oven. Meanwhile for supper we had a really nice rustic cream of brocoli soup, blackened haddock fillets and fresh smashed potatoes.
I hope that you will join me again on my culinary adventures. I will be blogging about new restaurants I've found, talking with the farmers, butchers and other food purveyors, and whatever I can pull together in my own kitchen... See you next time!
What brings me back is that things have settled down somewhat and I'm having a lot of fun in the kitchen. For example, right now, I have beautiful roasted chicken stock simmering gently on the stove, and a wonderful beef brisket on a low braise in the oven. Meanwhile for supper we had a really nice rustic cream of brocoli soup, blackened haddock fillets and fresh smashed potatoes.
I hope that you will join me again on my culinary adventures. I will be blogging about new restaurants I've found, talking with the farmers, butchers and other food purveyors, and whatever I can pull together in my own kitchen... See you next time!
Tuesday, 22 July, 2008
Last night's supper
was simple and elegant and delicious... most of all, cheap!
BBQ lemon and jalapeno chicken
Green salad
Rice
Recipe:
BBQ lemon and jalapeno chicken
chicken parts (I deboned and skinned them myself...)
lemon juice
jalapeno jelly
cilantro
garlic
salt and pepper to taste
oil
Mix everything together except the chicken parts to create a marinade. Pour the marinade over the chicken parts in a plastic bag and let rest for 2 hours minimum.
BBQ over a hot bbq. Serve with peppery salad greens (arugula, nasturtium leaves, red lettuce) and rice.
Delicious! ;)
BBQ lemon and jalapeno chicken
Green salad
Rice
Recipe:
BBQ lemon and jalapeno chicken
chicken parts (I deboned and skinned them myself...)
lemon juice
jalapeno jelly
cilantro
garlic
salt and pepper to taste
oil
Mix everything together except the chicken parts to create a marinade. Pour the marinade over the chicken parts in a plastic bag and let rest for 2 hours minimum.
BBQ over a hot bbq. Serve with peppery salad greens (arugula, nasturtium leaves, red lettuce) and rice.
Delicious! ;)
Friday, 11 July, 2008
As it happens...
With the recent moves, and the fact that I've been essentially unemployed for the previous six months, and the fact that my rent has nearly tripled, and the fact that my job has me on a summer layoff... I am now penniless. As a single mom, I've been there and done that before. I coped as best I could, and usually managed fairly well. This time, however, I've had to turn to the food bank for help.
I've mentioned it before. Food bank fare can be less than apetizing, or in some cases not paricularly healthy. This time I have to say, I am proud of the donations made by the members of this community.
In my box, I found pasta and pasta sauce. I found canned meats, beans, soups, and crackers and cereal. I found variety of product, not variety of brand name. There was fresh milk, there were fresh eggs. There was even fresh vegetables available... Stuff that the grocery store would throw out was donated to the local food bank, and we could choose amoung lettuce, potatoes, plums, and apples.
I was even asked if there was anything in paricular that I needed. I asked for tomato juice or canned tomatoes and received both! What a blessing!
In these difficult times, where many are struggling to make ends meet, lets remember those that rely regularly on the food bank. Talk to your local grocery stores and restaurants... Maybe they can make fresh donations of produce still good to eat, but not necessarily marketable.
If you need to go to the food bank, know that you are not alone. There are people there from many backgrounds, and with many stories. Most of all, you will find a blessing there.
I know you have all made donations in the past, and I'm positive you will make donations again. From the bottom of my heart, I say thank you.
I've mentioned it before. Food bank fare can be less than apetizing, or in some cases not paricularly healthy. This time I have to say, I am proud of the donations made by the members of this community.
In my box, I found pasta and pasta sauce. I found canned meats, beans, soups, and crackers and cereal. I found variety of product, not variety of brand name. There was fresh milk, there were fresh eggs. There was even fresh vegetables available... Stuff that the grocery store would throw out was donated to the local food bank, and we could choose amoung lettuce, potatoes, plums, and apples.
I was even asked if there was anything in paricular that I needed. I asked for tomato juice or canned tomatoes and received both! What a blessing!
In these difficult times, where many are struggling to make ends meet, lets remember those that rely regularly on the food bank. Talk to your local grocery stores and restaurants... Maybe they can make fresh donations of produce still good to eat, but not necessarily marketable.
If you need to go to the food bank, know that you are not alone. There are people there from many backgrounds, and with many stories. Most of all, you will find a blessing there.
I know you have all made donations in the past, and I'm positive you will make donations again. From the bottom of my heart, I say thank you.
Sunday, 29 June, 2008
Summers here and we moved... twice!
Well summer's here and since I've last posted I got a new job in another town, found an apartement, packed, sent one of my girls to France on a school trip, moved, got sick, called the health departement only to learn that there is a ton of mold in the place, searched for another apartment and moved for a second time in less than three weeks...
I am slowly unpacking the non-essentials, as long as we have clothes, food, and dishes, we are okay. So now I can start exploring my new (old) neighbourhood. New because I've never lived in this neighbourhood before. Old because I've lived in this town before many years ago. I am excited to see so many new restaurants, and ethnic restaurants too! WOW! I'm glad to see many of the old places are still there too. That means my chosen industry is doing well here... I do beleive I have come home...
What makes this place, well, next to heaven? The farmer's market that is half a block away. We can roll out of bed early Saturday morning, get dressed, walk over and buy a danish to eat while we peruse through the other stalls. Local meat, thick cut bacon, fresh farm eggs (which I'll have to get the kids used to...) And fresh vegetables grown within a few kilometers from town. I bought a bag of mixed salad last week, we ate from it over the week, and had the last serving on Friday. Bagged salad from the grocery store wouldn't last so long! Specialty dishes like samosas, and fresh kettle popped popcorn (what a show that is!!!) And fresh baked goods... Local artists selling there wares... Talking with the producers of the product about there goods, sharing recipes and ideas... This has to be a simple taste of heaven. I think I'm going to like it here!
I am slowly unpacking the non-essentials, as long as we have clothes, food, and dishes, we are okay. So now I can start exploring my new (old) neighbourhood. New because I've never lived in this neighbourhood before. Old because I've lived in this town before many years ago. I am excited to see so many new restaurants, and ethnic restaurants too! WOW! I'm glad to see many of the old places are still there too. That means my chosen industry is doing well here... I do beleive I have come home...
What makes this place, well, next to heaven? The farmer's market that is half a block away. We can roll out of bed early Saturday morning, get dressed, walk over and buy a danish to eat while we peruse through the other stalls. Local meat, thick cut bacon, fresh farm eggs (which I'll have to get the kids used to...) And fresh vegetables grown within a few kilometers from town. I bought a bag of mixed salad last week, we ate from it over the week, and had the last serving on Friday. Bagged salad from the grocery store wouldn't last so long! Specialty dishes like samosas, and fresh kettle popped popcorn (what a show that is!!!) And fresh baked goods... Local artists selling there wares... Talking with the producers of the product about there goods, sharing recipes and ideas... This has to be a simple taste of heaven. I think I'm going to like it here!
Tuesday, 15 April, 2008
Not strictly food related...
...but funny anyway.
My adolescent, angry about having been 'pestered' by her younger sisters at supper time, declares forcefully an hour before bedtime:
'I'm going to bed! And it's not my decision!'
My adolescent, angry about having been 'pestered' by her younger sisters at supper time, declares forcefully an hour before bedtime:
'I'm going to bed! And it's not my decision!'
Monday, 14 April, 2008
Cooking like a peasant and eating like a Queen
This is such a simple soup, and with just a few special ingredients it is transformed into high class fair. It has a very fancy name of course, Pottage Soissonais, what it really is though is a white bean soup.
Pottage Soissonais
(serves 12 as a soup course, 6 as a meal)
3 cups white navy beans
18 cups liquid, seperated in 6 cup water, 6 cup water, and 6 cup strong broth measures
3 cups mirepoix (mix of onions, carrots and celery, ratio of 2:1:1)
1 tbsp dry thyme, rubbed
1 tbsp dry oregano, rubbed
2 bay leaves
2 whole garlic cloves
*Where possible, use freshest ingredients possible, but dry ingredients work well in winter.
Clean and soak the beans in the first 6 cups of water as directed on the package.
Once the beans have been soaked, pre-cook the beans in the second 6 cups of water with the remaining ingredients, until the beans are soft. Add more water if necessary.
Once the beans are cooked and most of the water absorbed, add the broth. Bring to a boil. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if desired. Once the soup is prepared, remove the bay leaves and blend thouroughly with a hand blender, or in batches in a regular blender.
Now here are the 2 optional ingredients that take this regular soup from everyday fair to wow.
1/4 tsp pesto
a few drops of cream
Once you serve the soup into bowls, gently drop the pesto in the center, and drop an odd number of cream around the pesto. Take a sharp knife or a toothpick and drag it through the drops of cream to create little hearts. With only 3, 5, or even 7 drops of cream per bowl, this is a very healthy and luxuriously delicious soup. Once served at the table, stir the hot soup and enjoy.
Pottage Soissonais
(serves 12 as a soup course, 6 as a meal)
3 cups white navy beans
18 cups liquid, seperated in 6 cup water, 6 cup water, and 6 cup strong broth measures
3 cups mirepoix (mix of onions, carrots and celery, ratio of 2:1:1)
1 tbsp dry thyme, rubbed
1 tbsp dry oregano, rubbed
2 bay leaves
2 whole garlic cloves
*Where possible, use freshest ingredients possible, but dry ingredients work well in winter.
Clean and soak the beans in the first 6 cups of water as directed on the package.
Once the beans have been soaked, pre-cook the beans in the second 6 cups of water with the remaining ingredients, until the beans are soft. Add more water if necessary.
Once the beans are cooked and most of the water absorbed, add the broth. Bring to a boil. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if desired. Once the soup is prepared, remove the bay leaves and blend thouroughly with a hand blender, or in batches in a regular blender.
Now here are the 2 optional ingredients that take this regular soup from everyday fair to wow.
1/4 tsp pesto
a few drops of cream
Once you serve the soup into bowls, gently drop the pesto in the center, and drop an odd number of cream around the pesto. Take a sharp knife or a toothpick and drag it through the drops of cream to create little hearts. With only 3, 5, or even 7 drops of cream per bowl, this is a very healthy and luxuriously delicious soup. Once served at the table, stir the hot soup and enjoy.
Friday, 11 January, 2008
Food, food and more food!
During the holidays I had so much food! Each bite was delicious and much appreciated if I do say so myself. Between the "Six-pâte", the tourtières, the turkey, the dressing, the potatoes, the homemade preserves, the peanut-butter fudge, the "sucre à la crème", the vegetables, the salads and so much... so much more!
Certainly, spending time with family was the most special time of the holidays. Not only do we get to share food, we get to share stories and love and time together. And the gifts don't hurt either. ;)
As you can surely appreciate, it's taking me a bit of time to get back on track. Slowly I'm getting there. I hope you had Christmas this season, and I wish you all a blessed new year.
Certainly, spending time with family was the most special time of the holidays. Not only do we get to share food, we get to share stories and love and time together. And the gifts don't hurt either. ;)
As you can surely appreciate, it's taking me a bit of time to get back on track. Slowly I'm getting there. I hope you had Christmas this season, and I wish you all a blessed new year.
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