A Lovely Pair

A couple weeks before Christmas I had the pleasure of catering a 4 course dinner for some friends of mine who were married in the fall.  They wanted to show their appreciation to their loved ones for all their efforts and support by hosting an intimate dinner.  I was given carte blanche by this wonderful couple...a chef's dream come true.  I offered them a few options for each course and this is what they chose:

Gourmet Cheeses - English Stilton with Balsamic Glaze and Iced Celery Curls

Parmesan Reggianno with Truffle Honey

Triple Creme Brie with Strawberry Black Pepper Preserve

Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup with Pepper Bacon Salsa

Green Tea and Lime Meringue Mousse with Demi-Dried Blueberries and Candied Lime

Espresso-crusted Beef Tenderloin with Chili Chocolate Sauce

Truffle Infused Mashed Potatoes

Bundled Vegetables 

Caramel Dipped Poached Pear with Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta and Raspberry Coulis

I had so much fun planning and executing this menu.  The opportunity to create such an experience for dear friends doesn't present itself often.  After dinner my friend Kate said she felt the same happy fullness as if she'd just eaten Christmas dinner.  A meal by many deemed untouchable.  The high I get from someone eating food I've prepared and then seeing that look of sheer enjoyment is addictive.  My wish is that you too can find such passion in life.  At times, I find it difficult to call "work".   

School Yule

I've been remiss in my blogging.  My sincere apologies.  The holidays tripped me up, as they often do.  I find the entire month of December to be a whirlwind and my routine goes out the window.  I'm relatively new to the blogging scene and am still trying to find my groove.  Enough with excuses.

My daughter's preschool hosted their annual Pancake Breakfast with Santa fundraiser the first weekend in December.  I am proud to say that I hold the title of Vice-President of the Board of Directors for the school.  I was the kitchen manager for the event, a familiar position for me.  I also volunteered to make a yule log decorated with meringue mushrooms for the live cake auction.  I found out later that week that it ended up being a birthday cake for the Board's President.  Apparently her sister bought it for her.  She told me it was "very yummy".  It's always nice to get positive feedback when you least expect it.  

    We were pleased to have had a fantastic turn out at the breakfast and managed to raise a record amount of money for the school, as compared to recent years.  Gold stars for everyone!                   

Praising The Gluten-Free Goddess

Last month my Aunt and Uncle celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary.  A feat in itself that I fear less and less of the population will experience.  My cousin and her spouse hosted a lovely luncheon for 40 of her parents closest friends and family.  Naturally, I offered to contribute in a culinary manner.  My aunt has a gluten intolerance so she maintains a gluten-free diet.  I was asked to bring gluten-free cupcakes.  Knowing me, I refused to just whip together any ordinary cupcake.  Baking is a science, chemistry to be exact and science doesn't adhere to willy-nilly measurements and weights.  Everyday in my Introduction to Baking class at culinary school our classically trained German pastry chef instructor, who held a striking resemblance to the actor Gene Hackman, would say to us.  "Repeat after me...I am not a baker."  And my entire class would recite back in unison.  So, since I am not a baker nor a scientist, I rely on recipes of true bakers and pastry chefs to guide me to successful results.
Unfortunately, many gluten-free products I've tasted that are available through national grocery chains aren't very flavourful or possess the same texture as their gluten-present counterparts.  All in all, I'm betting they make good hockey pucks.
That being said, I wanted to ensure that the gluten-free cupcakes I presented were so good that guests would have no sense that they were gluten-free.  When such a situation arises, I say "Why not ask an expert?"  I consulted the Gluten-Free Goddess.
http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com
A blogger who has devoted much of her time to creating wonderful looking and tasting gluten-free recipes.  After perusing her cupcake selection I chose to make the Chocolate Cupcakes with Coffee Icing and the Orange Creme Cupcakes.  My uncle loves coffee and chocolate and my aunt likes citrus flavours.  So of course, I wanted to make each of them their own personal cupcake.
I'm pleased to report that the cupcakes were a complete success!  Hallelujah!  
 

Chili Cook-Off

On the last weekend of September, we attended our town's annual chili cook-off.  For a small fee you are given a keepsake mug with spoon to taste each chili and a ballot to cast your vote for the top three.  Fifteen local businesses took part in the competition this year.  It was a beautiful autumn day, which really helped to bring out the more than 1500 participants.  The main street was closed off and each competitor had a booth set up with their version of "great chili".

As for the "great chili", I can attest that choosing the top three was a simple task.  Many of the chilies served weren't up to my standards and lacked in depth of flavour.  My favourite was made by a local Mexican restaurant.  Fantastic taste and the perfect amount of heat.  It was served with a garnish of  fresh cilantro salsa which complimented it very well.  As I ate this chili, I instantly thought..."Bingo!  We've got a winner!"  Incidentally, they won the People's Choice Award.

Our town's annual chili cook-off is truly a wonderful street festival and illustrates the sense of community that is still vibrant in small town Ontario.  All in all, we had an amazing afternoon enjoying good food on one of the last few days of warm weather before Mother Nature wraps us in her autumn cloak and readies us for the gales of November.    

Tastes Like Summer....

Home canning is a method of preserving food that has been around for centuries and became a necessity for many families during war times.  Nowadays, it seems to be somewhat of a dying art as it is possible to purchase almost any type of preserved or fresh food imaginable at your local grocer, no matter the season.  In this fast paced on-demand society, I get true pleasure from traditional slow foods.  Simple recipes that showcase the natural taste and depth of its ingredients always survive the test of time.  Such is the case with homemade preserves.  As with all scratch-made foods you know exactly what you're eating.         

This past weekend a dear friend and I did some canning.  My friend hadn't gone through the process of preserving before and although her culinary skills are above average it was my suggestion to her, as to anyone else, to have an experienced hand steer her down the path of success.  I must say, that preserving foods is rather labour intensive.  But when using fresh, local ingredients the pay-off is well worth every minute spent toiling.  Nothing compares to opening a jar of preserved local peaches in the dead of winter and have the taste of summer dance across your palate.  I get excited just thinking about it.  

I love giving preserves as hostess gifts instead of the now standard, bottle of wine.  A handmade present created with love and attention far surpasses that of anything mass-produced.  The recipient's reaction is always that of genuine appreciation. 

I challenge you, my fellow epicureans to try your hand at the time-honoured craft of preserving.  If not only to broaden your culinary horizons but also to discover and appreciate cooking methods of our heritage.  You won't be disappointed.