Pancakes

A typical Canadian weekend breakfast consists of pancakes with maple syrup, bacon, eggs, juice and coffee. It has been a long time since I had a full breakfast and I don't miss it but from time to time I do like to make plain pancakes from scratch.
I used to make these in an electric griddle but since that pan is in Canada and I have not bought a European one, I use either my non-stick or regular frying pan.

Basic Pancakes
Serves 3-4

375 mL (1-1/2 cups) all purpose flour
45 mL (3 Tbsp) sugar
7.5 mL (1-1/2) tsp baking powder
2.5 mL (1/2 tsp) salt
375 mL (1-1/2 cups) milk*
45 mL (3 Tbsp) vegetable oil (or melted butter)
2 large eggs
2.5 mL (1/2 tsp) vanilla extract (optional)

Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Lightly beat eggs in a small bowl; beat in milk, oil and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients; stir to blend. Batter should be lumpy.
Heat a large skillet. Brush with oil. Pour batter onto skillet in 60 mL (¼ cup) measures taking care not to crowd the pan.

* Adjust the amount of milk to achieve the consistency of batter and thickness of pancake that you prefer.

Chile con Carne

Chile con Carne
Serves 6-8

30 mL (2 Tbsp) vegetable oil
1 kg (2 lbs) lean ground beef
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds and membranes discarded, finely chopped
1 red or green pepper, chopped
2 – 425 g (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
60 mL (1/4 cup) tomato paste
430 mL (1-3/4 cups) water
15-30 mL (1-2 Tbsp) ground ancho chile (or other chile powder)
10 mL (2 tsp) dried oregano, crushed
1 mL (1/4 tsp) ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 - 425 g (14.5 oz) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
Sour cream, shredded Cheddar cheese and green onion, for garnish

Heat oil in a Dutch oven, add onions, garlic and peppers; cook, stirring for 5 minutes. Add meat and cook, stirring, until browned all over. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, water, chile powder, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 40-45 minutes, stirring frequently. Add extra water if needed to bring chile to desired consistency. Add beans and cook for 10 minutes longer.
Spoon into bowls and serve hot.

Roasted Tomato Fennel Soup

We are a couple of weeks into the grape harvest here in the Moselle region. Farm machinery is encountered on the roads but luckily here, on the German side at least, they tend to move over to allow people to pass where possible. The road along the Moselle has a lot of turns and twists making it difficult to pass.

The mornings here have been very foggy and cool. So between the fog of the mornings and the major financial crisis, I have been thinking about comfort food in the form of soup. What could be better than vegetable soup to give the vitamins and minerals to survive the day?

I made a pot of Roasted Tomato Fennel soup. Roasting the vegetables give a more robust flavour. The end product looks like carrot soup but I can assure you that it tastes nothing like that. The wonderful anise flavour of the fennel marries well with the tomatoes. For an extra anise flavour you could add a touch of Pernod just before serving.

Oven Roasted Fennel and Tomato Soup
Serves 2

1 fennel bulb, cored and roughly chopped
3 tomatoes, quartered
1 carrot, roughly chopped
500 mL (2 cups) chicken or vegetable stock
Salt
Olive oil
Gremolata*

Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F).
Roughly chop vegetables, place on a baking tray; drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
Oven roast for approx. 10-15 minutes or until vegetables have softened. Place vegetables in a pot, add stock and simmer for 8-10 minutes; blend into a creamy soup.
Serve hot, drizzled with olive oil. Garnish with gremolata.

*Gremolata
15 mL (1 Tbsp) fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, sliced
Lemon peel
Combine the ingredients on a chopping board and mince finely.

petit déjeuner français

The classic petit déjeuner français consists of café, croissant et jus d'orange.  Simple but iconic.  What could be better than sitting on a terrace watching Paris come to life than this?  Avoid the tourist places that charge a fortune unless it is a particularly good people watching location.  

Coffee has many names, styles and prices in Paris:

“espresso” can be a “café normale’, “serré” squeezed for a smaller but stronger amount, “elongé” elongated for a larger amount or “noisette” with a dash of milk.  “decaf” (silent “f”) is decaffeinated espresso.  

“café American” is the typical large North American cup of coffee

“café crème” is usually a mid-sized cup of coffee with steamed milk like a cappuccino and can be ordered as simply “un crème” or a “un grand crème” if you want a larger size.   Sometimes ordering a crème will result in a coffee with a plastic container of creamer and sometimes the English style of a separate jug of heated milk.  

“cappuccino” is not like the Italian version but one with a hint of chocolate and whipped cream.

“café au lait” is a large bowl of coffee with steamed milk.  Some places will bring you a “crème” and others a large bowl of café au lait at a price of up to €19.   My conclusion is that this is what Parisians drink at home for breakfast on the weekend when time permits and not something to order out.    

Sitting or standing at the bar is less expensive than sitting at a table.  Sitting on the terrace often incurs an extra premium but often worth it for people watching.  Unlike in Canada or the US there is not a time limit on tables and often it is more of a challenge to be able to get “l’addition” to pay and leave.

Tarte aux tomates

This weekend I decided to make a Tarte aux tomates (tomato pie).  To keep it easy and quick, I used store bought puff pastry.  While I have made my own puff pastry, it does take time and effort to go through the many steps to incorporate the butter to make the flaky layers.  

I rolled out the pastry into my quiche pan and brushed it with Dijon mustard, then added a layer of thinly sliced tomatoes and chèvre.  Topped it off with chopped fresh basil leaves and popped it into the preheated oven (200°C / 400°F) for 30 minutes.  

Ready for the oven: 

Out of the oven and ready to be served:

Clam Chowder

Clam chowder is one of my favourite soups.  My preference has always been for New England style with cream over Manhattan style with tomatoes.  I have read recently that there is also a clear version of chowder made with broth that I hope to try out one day.

In Canada, I made Clam Chowder with tiny canned clams but in Paris, I bought clams on the shell and steamed them open before adding to the chowder.    In Luxembourg, I found cans of palourds, the larger clams, at the grocery store so decided to give them a try.  

A plate of "palourds et crevettes" from Normandy cooked and garnished with a lemon slice in a tasty starter course.   

Clam Chowder

Serves 2

1 slice of smoked bacon
1 small onion, chopped
1 carrot, diced
250 g (1/2 lb) potatoes, thinly sliced or diced
15 mL (1 Tbsp) butter
375 mL (1-1/2 cups) milk
Approx. 250 g (8 oz) tinned whole clams
Freshly ground black pepper
Cayenne pepper

Cook bacon in a large skillet. Add butter, onion and carrot and cook until onion is softened. Add potato and liquid from the clams; cover and simmer until potato is softened (about 15 minutes). Add water if the pan starts to dry out. Add milk and clams; simmer, stirring occasionally, until chowder is heated through. Ladle into bowls and season with pepper and cayenne. Serve immediately.

Verrine de carpaccio de saumon

Verrines or single servings in small glasses have been around for a few years but are now beginning to hit mainstream.  I think it started as an interesting way to serve appetizers or desserts.  I have been intrigued by them since first seeing them served at a vernissage or art opening for one of my favourite French artists, Daniele Fuchs, in Versailles.  There were tables laid out with rows of Chinese soup spoons each filled with a mouthful of smoked salmon or devilled egg and little glasses of dessert type goodies.  Since then I have been searching for appropriate sized glasses and the right number of dinner guests to try out some combinations.  

I think the "keep it simple" principle works best.  These are small quantities we are taking about presented in artistic ways, if possible.  It is an ideal way to present a cold summer soup starter.  Or trios of desserts (a little sample of each).  The downside is having lots of glasses or spoons to wash but a small price to pay for art I think.  

In this example, I have just used salmon carpaccio mixed with lemon juice, scallions, olive oil, pepper, lemon zest and cilantro served in tiny vodka glasses and spoons.  The salmon could be replaced by smoked salmon.  This could also be served in layers alternated with chopped tomatoes or avocados. 

The limit is really your imagination.  

  

Penne and Peppers

I found a brightly coloured multi pack of peppers at the Auchan supermarket in Luxembourg and decided to give them a try in 

this quick and easy pasta dish.
The recipe can be varied by:
Replacing penne with fusilli (farfalle or bowtie) pasta.
Replacing fresh peppers with roasted peppers
Using different coloured peppers
Adding tomatoes
Adding parsley or chile peppers

In future, I will stick with regular red, yellow and green peppers. These exotically coloured ones lacked in flavour and texture for this dish.

Penne with a Trio of Peppers
Serves 4

400 g (14 oz) penne
30 mL (2 Tbsp) olive oil
1 red or yellow onion, sliced in strips
1 each red, green and yellow peppers, seeded and cut in strips*
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cook penne in a large pot of boiling water for 8-10 minutes or until al dente. Drain.
While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add onion, garlic and peppers and sauté for 10 minutes or until tender.
Add pasta to the peppers and stir to mix. Season with salt and pepper; sprinkle with Parmesan and serve immediately.

* Peppers can be grilled, peeled and seeded prior to slicing and adding to the onions. This will give the dish a slightly smoky flavour and the peppers will be easier to digest.

Red & Green Tomato Salsa

When I was about 8 years old we lived in Liverpool, Nova Scotia in a large house with a barn and gardens. In the summer we picked raspberries from a patch in our yard – we would go out with empty apple juice cans tied with string around our necks. We ate our fill of raspberries. My mother made jars and jars of raspberry jam with the bounty of the wonderful red berries.
At the end of the summer we had vines of green tomatoes. No one expected green tomatoes. After waiting to see if they would ripen to red, my father decided that they must have been a green variety rather than red ones that did not ripen. Undaunted, Dad harvested them and made Green Tomato Chutney. We had no recipe for it so he did what Dads do and improvised. I can’t say that I remember what it was like just that he made it.
Fried Green Tomatoes came to our attention in the wonderful movie of the same name. It is a southern US specialty that came about from the abundance of tomatoes and the need to pick some tomatoes early to prune the vines. In the southern US green tomatoes are available through out the summer, in the northern US and Canada they tend to be late ripening tomatoes left on the vine at the end of the summer and not a culinary treat.
A couple of weeks ago, I was in Ouistreham and saw green tomatoes at the Marché. I bought a few to give them a try. Green tomatoes have a firmer texture more like young green peppers and a tarter taste than fresh ripe red tomatoes.
The green tomatoes reminded me of tomatillos, a green fruit covered with a husk used in Mexican cuisine. They are of the tomato family although not the same thing as green unripe tomatoes. I thought I would combine the red and green tomatoes to make a salsa that took advantage of the differences.


Red & Green Tomato Salsa
Makes 500 mL (2 cups)

1 chile, roasted, seeded and peeled, finely chopped*
2 medium ripe red tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
2 medium green tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
15 mL (1 Tbsp) freshly squeezed limejuice
15 mL (1 Tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil
Fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Fleur de sel and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix. Let stand 30 minutes for flavours to blend. Taste and adjust seasoning as required.

*Amount of chile to use will vary depending on the type and heat of the chile and how hot you like the salsa.

Summer Borscht

The high natural sugar content (higher even that carrots and corn) has placed beets in the forbidden category for many diets. However, upon further study, it seems that these earthy, good for you tasting beets are really good for you AND your diet as they can help cleanse toxins from the kidneys, gall bladder and liver. This is in addition to their potassium, vitamins A and C, magnesium, riboflavin, iron, copper, calcium and zinc content. Beets are a good source of fibre and contain antioxidant properties. The diet angle is that an overtaxed liver can cause a person to gain weight, especially around the middle, so anything you can do to assist your liver with the elimination of the toxins will help with losing weight. It is recommended to drink three to eight ounces of fresh beet juice each day. Maximum benefit is derived from drinking it in the morning, mixed with other milder tasting juices such as carrot, cucumber, celery, lemon or apple juices combined with freshly juiced ginger root.

My first introduction to borscht or beet soup was at Ratner’s Deli in Manhattan about 25 years ago. I am not sure that I tried it there but it made an impression on me so I bought their cookbook and made it myself. There are two versions of the borscht - one for summer and a heartier one for winter. I make the summer version and have tasted a winter version made by one of my friends.
Take care when working with beets as the juice can stain your hands, clothes, countertops, etc.

Summer Borscht
Serves 6-8

6 medium beets
500 mL (2 cups) chicken stock
30 mL (2 Tbsp) sherry or red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
30-45 mL (2-3 Tbsp) dill pickle juice
60 mL (1/4 cup) sugar, or to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
Crème fraiche or sour cream
Several sprigs of fresh dill, chopped

Rinse beets and cut stems approximately 8-10 cm (3-4”) from beet. Place beets in a deep pot, cover with water, bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 50 minutes, or until beets are tender.
Remove beets and set aside to cool. Reserve approximately 1-1/2 litre (6 cups) of cooking liquid. Peel beets and dice into bite-size pieces.
Return beets and beet broth to the pan; heat over medium low heat. Add chicken stock, vinegar, lemon juice and dill pickle juice, sugar, salt and pepper. Stir until sugar has dissolved and borscht is heated through. Serve warm or cooled to room temperature, garnished with a dollop of sour cream and chopped dill.