Tapanade and Tarama

A Martini conjures up images of elegance for me. Not that I have ever sipped one while wearing a ball gown and being surrounded by men in tuxes but it does somehow give off that illusion (perhaps from old movies). The closest I ever got was sipping one at the Hemmingway Bar in The Ritz, Paris. That WAS a sublime Martini - very dry, ice cold with a twist of lemon and servied with an exquisite tray of hors d'oeuvres. The 22€ price tag was worth it for the experience, ambiance and the sense of being in Paris at The Ritz.

This is not to take away from the cottage Martini experience. Sitting on the deck overlooking the lake, Martini in hand getting ready for the sunset with some of my favourite people and hors d'oeuvers - cucumber with tapenade and radish with tarama. Decadence!!!!


Our preference is a Martini made with Tanquaray or Bombay Sapphire gin. You can substitute vodka for the gin if that is your preference. We also prefer a twist of lemon peel (extracted with a tomato peeler to remove as little of the white pith as possible) to the olive.


Classic Gin Martini
Serves 1

75 mL (2-1/2 oz) Gin

15 mL (1/4 oz) Dry Vermouth

1 twist of lemon peel or 1 large green olive
6 ice cubes

Chill bottle of gin and martini glasses in the freezer. Pour gin and vermouth over ice in a cocktail shaker and shake until combined and very cold. Pour into martini glasses over lemon peel or olive.

Gazpacho with Grilled Shrimp

This is the perfect time of year to make the Spanish specialty of gazpacho, the refreshing chilled tomato based soup made with raw summer vegetables. There are many variations of gazpacho from smooth to chunky, mild to spicy and using different vegetables. How I would love to have a garden to raid for the tastiest ingredients – tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, peppers, green onions and herbs. Failing that, the next best thing would be to shop at a farmers or local market. Fresh ingredients are key to this soup since it is not cooked.


Gazpacho takes a bit of effort and time to prepare due to chopping the vegetables and the couple of hours to properly chill it. If you plan on making the smooth version, the vegetables are rough chopped then processed in a food processor before adding the tomato juice (or in a blender, adding just enough tomato juice to properly blend the ingredients). For a chunky version, chop all vegetables to approximately the same size dice depending on your preference. Or you can process some of the vegetables and blend them with the chopped ones. I prefer the soup to have the finely chopped texture and a little bit of spice.


Gazpacho with Grilled Shrimp
Serves 4-6

GAZPACHO
125 mL (½ cup) finely diced red or yellow onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 green or yellow pepper, finely diced
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely diced
2 tomatoes, finely diced
2 spring onions (scallions), finely chopped
5 mL (1 tsp) honey
Juice of ½ lemon
Juice of 1 lime
15 mL (1 Tbsp) fresh basil, chopped
2.5 mL (½ tsp) ground cumin
60 mL (¼ cup) chopped parsley
30 mL (2 Tbsp) olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper and cayenne, to taste
1 L (4 cups) tomato juice

Combine all gazpacho ingredients in a large bowl or glass pitcher and chill well.

GRILLED SHRIMP
16-18 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Juice of 1 lime
15 mL (1 Tbsp) olive oil
15 mL (1 Tbsp) chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp chile powder

Whisk together limejuice and oil. Mix in cilantro, garlic and chile powder. Thread shrimp on skewers (to facilitate turning during grilling), place on platter; cover with marinade and let sit for at least ½ hour. Grill over medium coals until shrimp are opaque, about one minute per side.

To serve: Ladle gazpacho into individual bowls and top with 3-4 of the grilled shrimp.

Cottage Banana Bread

As small kids, my brother and I got to visit a cottage in Pugwash, Nova Scotia for a few weeks in the summer. Our family did not have a cottage but thanks to our Dad, who is very handy at building things and just happened to help his friends, the owners, transform the cottage from a nice little cabin with outhouse, to a more luxurious place with indoor plumbing and a couple more rooms. This was our introduction to the cottage lifestyle, and the place where we learned about fireflies, tides, not stepping on jellyfish, sailing catamarans and salmon casserole made with potato chips instead of pasta.

In high school in Ontario, we learned that the summer tradition is to get out of the city and go to a cottage on a lake. Many families had cottages, small cabins hidden amongst the trees by a lake. In the good old days, mothers would take the kids to the cottage for the entire summer holiday and the fathers would show up on weekends and the couple of weeks for their annual vacation. A cottage is a step above camping as the structure is more permanent but the idea is still to bring in your supplies (food, water, other beverages, bedding and whatever you need to survive a week or month or two). It was still intended to be somewhat of a wilderness sojourn where there were some hardships to endure (outhouses, no running water, no hot water, mosquitoes, to name a few). Cottages were for casual living, a place where you spent every day in bathing suits, shorts, and t-shirts. Towels were thrown over deck railings to dry in preparation for the next swim. A canoe was the means of transportation to visit the neighbours. Meals were cooked on the barbecue and sundowners were served on the deck for the adults while watching the sunset over the lake. Still my family did not have a cottage, but I did have the pleasure of visiting some friends’ cottages.

I spent last week at my friend Anne’s cottage on Pike Lake, near Perth, Ontario. We stocked up on supplies at Foodsmith’sin Perth on our way in. This cottage has running hot and cold water, an indoor toilet, a full kitchen, 3 bedrooms, and now new windows. I enjoyed gourmet cuisine using fresh local ingredients (no grilled hot dogs for us) while enjoying the lovely scenery. Ontario is experiencing the same changeable weather that we are having in Western Europe this summer so I did not get in swimming but I did enjoy the sundowners on the deck served with canapés.

Another tradition of cottage life is baking and Anne made banana bread and fruit muffins for us to enjoy at breakfast.

Here is Anne's Banana Bread recipe:


Canadian Cottage Banana Bread

440 mL (1-3/4 cup) all-purpose flour, sifted
12 mL (2-1/4 tsp) double acting baking powder
2.5 mL (½ tsp) salt
80 mL (1/3 cup) butter
160 mL (2/3 cup) sugar
4 mL (¾ tsp) grated lemon rind
1-2 beaten eggs
250 mL (1 cup) ripe banana pulp
60 mL (¼ cup) sour cream (crème fraiche)
125 mL (½ cup) chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Blend butter, sugar and lemon rind until creamy. Add sifted ingredients to creamed batter a third at a time and beat until smooth after each addition. Fold in sour cream and nuts. Place batter in a greased 11 cm x 22 cm (8-1/2” x 4-1/2”) loaf tin. Bake for about 1 hour or until done. Cool before slicing.

Spicy Calamari Salad

Calamari or kalamari (squid) was one of my favourite dishes from the Greek restaurants on the Danforth in Toronto. Calamari is cut into rings, lightly battered and quickly deep fried then served with tzatziki and lemon wedges. Done properly these are crispy and light - not greasy or rubbery. I rarely deep fry anything so it is a treat to find good fried calamari to eat when I go out.

When I get fresh calamari, I like to make this Spicy Calamari Salad instead. Cleaning the squid is not for the squeamish. It is not difficult to do but it is messy. First the head is separated from the body, the skin layer removed, the insides cleaned out and the spine removed. For this recipe, the squid tubes are cut open which makes the cleaning process a little easier. The tricks to avoid tough calamari are to score the inside of the tubes to break up the membranes and to stir fry quickly in small batches over high heat. I don't mind eating the tentacle part. To prepare it remove the tentacles from the beak just above the eyes and cut off the extra long tentacle.

The star anise adds a nice hint of licorice flavour that works well with the chilli sauce. If you are in México, ask for star anise as "anis estrella" at the pharmacy.

Spicy Calamari Salad
Makes 4-6 servings

500 g (1 lb) medium calamari, cleaned
10 mL (2 tsp) freshly grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2.5 mL (½ tsp) cayenne pepper
15 mL (1 Tbsp) chopped coriander leaves
2.5 mL (½ tsp) five spice powder
2 star anise, crushed
60 mL (¼ cup) mild sweet chilli sauce
30 mL (2 Tbsp) olive oil
500 mL (2 cups) mesclun mix (mixed baby salad leaves)

DRESSING:
60 mL (1/4 cup) olive oil
15 mL (1 Tbsp) red wine vinegar
10 mL (2 tsp) sugar
10 mL (2 tsp) lime juice

Cut calamari tubes open, score shallow diagonal slashes in criss-cross pattern on the inside surface; cut into 2 cm x 6 cm (3/4” x 2-1/2”) pieces. Combine ginger, garlic, cayenne pepper, coriander, five spice powder, anise and sauce in bowl; add calamari and mix well. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.

Heat oil in wok or pan, add calamari in batches and stir-fry over high heat about 1 minute or until calamari is opaque and tender.

Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well to mix.
Serve warm calamari over salad leaves drizzled with dressing.

Vichyssoise

The past few days have been so hot here that it makes thinking about cooking and eating difficult. It got me thinking about Vichyssoise. I love the sound of the name. Somehow the name Leek and Potato Soup does not have the same cachet. It is a lovely thick creamy cold soup that seemed perfect for cooling off.

One of my old favourite restaurants near my apartment in Paris (sadly is has been taken over by new management and no longer serves the same food) had it on the menu but for a twist added mussels. I quite liked that idea and tried it with the Vichyssoise I made this weekend.

Vichyssoise can also be served hot.

With mussels

... and without

Vichyssoise
Serves 4

30 g (2 Tbsp) butter
3 large leeks, white parts only, finely chopped
150 g (5 oz) potatoes, diced
1 L (4 cups) chicken stock
Salt & pepper to taste
125 mL (1/2 cup) crème fraîche or sour cream
60 mL (1/4 cup) 35% cream, whipped
15 mL (1 Tbsp) chives, chopped

Melt butter in a large pot; add the leeks, cover with baking paper and cook without colouring, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes or just until tender. Add potatoes and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and continue cooking for 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour the soup into a blender or food processor and purée. Pour into a large bowl and mix in the crème fraîche or sour cream. Let cool and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Pour into chilled bowls and serve cold. Garnish the soup with a dollop of whipped cream and the chopped chives.

Roquefort Sauce & CarChick.ca

My friend, Lynda Sydney, a talented freelance copywriter working in Toronto, recently started her CarChick.ca blog to share her love of cars and driving with other like minded women. This is an informative and fun blog that covers driving and car care tips, service secrets, auto reviews, fun facts and more.
I was honoured that Lynda asked me to write an article related to driving in Paris and you can read my guest posting about when I got my little Peugeot here.

This was one of Lynda's favourite sauces to serve over grilled steak when she was in Paris.

Roquefort Sauce
Serves 4

15 mL (1 Tbsp) butter
1 clove garlic, crushed
2.5 mL (1/2 tsp) black pepper, crushed
5 mL (1 tsp) fond de veau (veal stock powder)
80 mL (1/3 cup) white wine
60 mL (¼ cup) Roquefort cheese
80 mL (1/3 cup) whipping cream (35%)

Sauté garlic in butter until softened by not coloured. Add veal stock and wine; simmer until sauce is reduced by half. Add whipping cream and warm through. Add Roquefort a little at a time and stir to blend. The sauce is ready when it coats the back of a metal spoon.

Pour over grilled steaks and serve with a bottle of Reserva Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile Concha.

Scottish Fish & Chips

I spent the last week in Scotland visiting my family and didn't get much chance to cook but did

get to sample many different Scottish specialties. My family thinks the best fish and chips come from a "chippy" or chip shop that specializes in fish and chips rather than other types of restaurants.

On Tuesday, we went to the Pavillion Cafe* in Troon for our fish supper. The restaurant / chippy was recently renovated and the decor is basic and very clean. The place does a brisk business both inside and for take out so everything is very fresh.

This was one of the best fish & chips that I have tasted. The fish batter was light and crispy and neither the fish nor the chips were greasy. As you can see, I have dressed the chips Canadian style with ketchup rather than with the traditional brown sauce or vinegar.

* Pavillion Cafe
27 Templehill, Troon, Ayrshire KA10 6BQ
Telephone: +44 (0)1292 311766

Summer Salad

This weekend brought back a return to summer with its sunshine and warm temperatures. Just the sort of weather that makes you think about serving simple salads and eating outside.

By coincidence or design I found that I had everything I needed to make this salad - peaches were plentiful in the store so I picked up a few, mint is overtaking our garden, yellow and red peppers in the fridge and mozzarella was on sale last week too so I had a couple of balls left over.

Summer Salad
Serves 4

500 mL (2 cups) mixed salad greens
2 sprigs mint, chopped
4 ripe peaches, peeled and torn or cut into chunks
2 balls fresh mozzarella, torn into chunks
½ roasted red and yellow peppers, sliced

VINAIGRETTE:
30 mL (2 Tbsp) olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Arrange salad greens and chopped mint on a platter; scatter peaches, mozzarella and roasted peppers on top. Shake together vinaigrette ingredients and drizzle over the salad.

Kung Pao Chicken

The keys to making Chinese food are to have fresh ingredients and to prepare them (i.e. measuring and chopping) in advance of heating the wok. The stir-fry method of cooking is quick and requires your full attention to stir and to be aware of when each step is complete and ready for the next ingredient to be added.

I bought my 1st wok when I lived in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in the early 1980's and along with it a Chinese cooking class book that served as my "how to" guide on stir frying. I still have the book but it is packed away with my things in Paris. I bought a new smaller wok recently but I prefer my old one and look forward to being able to use it again. The old one is a classic rounded bottom one meant for use over gas stoves and the new one is a smaller flat bottom one for use over electric elements.

This weekend I was craving some kung pao chicken and decided to give it a try. It was spicy and tasty but not quite the same as I remember from years ago.

Kung Pao Shrimp
Serves 4

30 mL (2Tbsp) of chile garlic sauce
30 mL (2Tbsp) of oyster sauce
10 mL (2 tsp) of rice vinegar
2 chicken breasts, cut into 2.5 cm (1”) cubes
1 fresh chile pepper, thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium white onion, diced
½ red bell pepper, chopped
½ green bell pepper, chopped
125 mL (½ cup) of cashew nuts, roasted
30 mL (2 Tbsp) of peanut or vegetable oil
2 medium green onions, finely chopped
Sprigs of coriander, chopped, for garnish

Mix chile garlic sauce, oyster sauce and rice vinegar; set aside.
Heat oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic and sauté until light brown (about 3 minutes). Add cashews, chile pepper, red and green peppers and onion. Stir-fry until onion starts to become translucent (about 4 minutes). Add chicken, stirring occasionally, until browned. Add chile garlic sauce mixture, stirring to combine; stir-fry until chicken is cooked through, about 3-5 minutes. Garnish with green onions and cilantro before serving.

Petit-déjeuner français 2

As Henri commented on my October 3rd blog posting, tartine is also a part of le petit déjeuner français. Here is a photo of the 'perfect' version I enjoyed in the Paris sunshine.