A Life, Lived

My Kind of Advent Calendar

I saw this advent calendar at Dennigers this morning and I grabbed one immediately. Other people can have those advent calendars made with mediocre chocolate - I'll take this one!

Baked Feta Pasta

I must have been hidden under a rock because I was unaware of this sensation until recently. This recipe was first shared online by a user from Finland and took the world by storm. So much so that at its height the feta section of the grocery store dairy aisle in many countries was empty. Sure enough, when I went looking for feta this was my experience. in fact, it was three weeks before I was able to find some and even then it was low-quality feta.

This is simple and tasty - likely the reason for its popularity.

The setup on this one is simple, and the resulting flavors could not be more vibrant. Simply toss a few handfuls of cherry tomatoes into a baking dish then drizzle in olive oil and add some freshly cracked black pepper. Give it all a good mix, spread out the tomatoes and then let the star of the show make its debut: a whole entire block of feta cheese. Now add a splash of wine (because everything is better with wine)

After a quick bake in the oven, the cheese is softened and the cherry tomatoes are roasted, and their juices join forces with the wine to make one heck of a flavorful sauce.

Mix it all together, stir in your pasta of choice and get your garnish on with plenty of fresh basil. This is truly a one-dish dinner winner with endless customization.

Because my feta was a lower quality it didn't melt completely leaving globules of cheese that might offend some. It tastes fine but might not be as pretty as some. Apparently if you use a higher quality sheep milk feta this is avoided.

We loved it and will definitely be making it again . . . and again . . .

Baked Feta Pasta

2 cups cherry tomatoes
3 Tablespoons< olive oil, divided
1/2 cup white wine
1 (8-oz.) block feta cheese
12 oz. uncooked pasta of choice
Fresh basil, for serving

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a 13x9-inch baking dish, stir together the cherry tomatoes, 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

Push the tomatoes to the sides of the dish then place the block of feta cheese in the center. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil on top of the feta.

Drizzle the white wine all around the feta then bake until the cheese has softened and the tomatoes are roasted, about 30 minutes.

While the feta is baking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 10 t0 12 minutes. Drain the pasta and set it aside.

Remove the baking dish from the oven and using a large spoon, mash the feta and stir it together with the tomatoes. Drain the pasta then add it to the baking dish, stirring well to combine.

Garnish the pasta with the basil and serve.

Fried Camembert with Cranberry Sauce

Paul and I had a taste of this when we were in Berlin (although the cheese was served with Lingonberry jelly there). I bought some Camembert a few weeks ago with the thought of recreating the dish using the leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving. I finally got around to it last night.

This really surprised me - it was fast and easy to prepare - but if you made it for a crowd people would think you had been busy for days! Everyone needs something like that in the recipe repertoire.

You should definitely serve this with something tart - the cranberry sauce worked well - as the tart jelly serves to counter the rich cheese.

Deep-Fried Camembert and Cranberry Sauce

2 (8 ounce) rounds Camembert cheese
oil for frying
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 cup bread crumbs
1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce

Freeze Camembert cheese for 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Pour flour into a bowl. Beat eggs and milk together in a separate bowl. Pour bread crumbs into a third bowl.

Remove cheese from the freezer and cut each round into 6 wedges. Roll each wedge in flour and dip into the egg-milk mixture. Press each wedge into bread crumbs until evenly coated.

Fry each breaded wedge in the hot oil until bread crumbs are browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer fried cheese to a paper towel-lined plate using a slotted spoon. Serve cranberry sauce on the side.

Cedar-Planked Brie with Cranberry Chutney

The idea of cheese on the grill seems a bit much but if you haven't tried it you should!

Some of the best flavors can be showcased on the grill by combining a few great tasting ingredients. The flavors of cedar, warm brie cheese and grilled bread is one example of this. It appears to be a simple baked cheese with some jelly on top, but the balance of flavors are so wonderful that it becomes something more than just modest baked brie.

While this recipe uses a 'sweetish' cranberry jelly it would also be good with a savoury chutney.

I will not be held accountable for the addictive nature of this appetizer. Remember, not only is it BBQ season, but it’s swimsuit season. Enjoy in moderation.

:-)

 

Cedar-Planked Brie with Cranberry Chutney

2 cups prepared cranberry chutney (I used Trader Joes)
1 cedar plank, soaked in water for 30 minutes
1 wheel of Brie or Camembert cheese, 4 to 6 inches in diameter
Crackers or slices of fresh bread

Prepare your grill for direct grilling, medium-high heat. When the grill is hot, rinse the cedar plank under cold running water and place it on the grate. Close the lid and allow the plank to heat for 4 or 5 minutes or until it starts to crackle.NOTE: don't be alarmed by the crackle - mam and Paul almost jumped out of their skins . . .

Reduce the heat to medium-low and place the cheese on the plank, and then close the lid and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, possibly longer.

Open the lid and scoop a generous portion of cranberry chutney onto the warming cheese, close the lid and cook until the cheese is puffing out but not burst. Transfer the cheese on the plank to a metal or glass plate, and serve immediately with crackers (or fresh bread).

Pear Chutney Bruschetta with Pecans and Blue Cheese

Wow. Another month has flown by. Once again it is time to gather with the gang for the Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club organized by Val from More Than Burnt Toast.

This month's theme was selected by Sandi. Her theme is 'It’s Thyme for Turkey' in honour of US Thanksgiving. It was my 'free pass' month so that I could bring whatever I wanted to the meal! I decided upon these fall appetizers.

We LOVED them. The sweet-tangy chutney paired beautifully with pungent blue cheese and toasty pecans! Making the chutney ahead of time makes the assembling and serving very easy - perfect for Thanksgiving.

Pear Chutney Bruschetta with Pecans and Blue Cheese

2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1 1/2 cups finely chopped peeled Anjou, Bartlett, or Bosc pear
1/2 cup pear nectar
1/4 cup finely chopped dried apricots
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
4 ounces French bread baguette, cut diagonally into 16 thin slices and toasted
8 teaspoons chopped pecans, toasted
8 teaspoons crumbled blue cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots, and sauté for 2 minutes or until soft. Add pear and next 6 ingredients (through cinnamon); bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook 20 minutes or until pear is tender and mixture is thick. Cool to room temperature. Discard cinnamon stick.

Spoon about 1 1/2 tablespoons chutney over each baguette slice; top each with 1/2 teaspoon pecans and 1/2 teaspoon cheese. Sprinkle evenly with chopped chives and thyme.

Visiting Rawson Brook Farm

Across the bucolic landscape of Monterey, and a little off the beaten track, lies Rawson Brook Farm. This small family-run farm, with its low-fenced paddocks and unassuming barn and outbuildings, is the birthplace of Monterey Chevre.

Owned by Susan Sellew, Rawson Brook Farms received their license to produce cheese for sale in 1984 and has been making Monterey Chevre ever since.

When I was doing some reading about the Great Barrington area one of the food products that was mentioned time and again was Monterey Chevre - in fact some writers claimed that it is the best chevre made in North America. Monterey Chevre is a fresh, soft, and smooth goat cheese. Besides the mild, plain chevre, Rawson Brook Farm also makes various flavorful varieties like thyme and olive oil chevre.

I e-mailed Susan and asked if we could pop by for a visit. She invited us by and we spent an enjoyable few hours visiting the farm.

Rawson Brook Farm is currently home to about 50 goats: mostly females, a few breeding males, and over a dozen kids. Sellew's goats are American and French Alpines. The goats are milked twice each day using milking machines. Each goat averages one gallon of milk per day and it takes about one gallon of milk to produce one pound of cheese.

You can tell that these aren't just 'goats' - they are members of the family! Each one bears a collar with a name plate - every goat has their own name.

(This one is clearly named after my sister who we have long thought of as an old goat! *smile*)

The farm produces about 150 pounds of chevre a day during peak production season. Each year, the farm begins producing cheese in the middle of March and it continues through to the first week of January.

The farm is a lovely place to walk around exploring the gardens and visiting with the goats.  Dogs are not allowed and children must be kept at bay! An honor system for paying for the cheese means that cash is the only way to pay, so be sure to bring plenty of it as you'll want to leave with enough cheese to see you through! The cheese is "very" freezable so this makes the option of purchasing a lot possible.

We enjoyed visiting the baby goats which had been born that spring. I guess after 7 months they weren't still babies at all. Generally close to 100 are born each year (goats usually give birth to twins or triplets in case you're trying to figure out the math!). Most of these are sold to other farmers but every year Susan keeps a dozen or so to continue to build the herd. They were still in a separate pen and extremely playful.

We also got to visit with Misty, the farm cat. Part Maine Coon cat, Misty was friendly and looking for attention. Susan let us in on a secret though - when it came to mousing Misty clearly required some remediation!

If you're in the Berkshires you should try and pay a visit to this farm. It harkens back to what food production should be - small-scale, natural, with the animals being treated with respect and dignity. The package becomes complete when you add in the beautiful setting and that amazing chevre!

An Afternoon of Wine and Cheese at Stratus Winery

A few weeks ago I received an e-mail from one of our favourite wineries in Niagara making us aware of a special event they werehosting - 'Cheese Boutique @ Stratus'. 'Hmmmm - an afternoon of wine and cheese - what's not to love about that?

I checked with Paolo and he was game so I went online and ordered tickets.

I've written about Stratus before and mentioned the Cheese Boutique in a few posts but I should expand upon that a bit. The Cheese Boutique has been providing Toronto with fine cheeses for more than 40 years. The 'shop' is now under the watchful eyes of son Afrim who was made a chevalier by Confrérie des Chevaliers du Taste Fromage de France in 2007.

At the Cheese Boutique prosciutto hangs from the ceiling, truffles are flown in every Wednesday, foie gras sits under lock and key, beef is dry aged 60 days, there are olive oils from 80 different terroirs and jams made from green walnuts, the best artisanal breads of the city, not to mention the chocolate boutique, pastry temptations and daily handpicked produce - but it is for the cheese that one must really come here. This is a place where "best before" dates do not apply. Taking something good and making it great is a constant philosophy of Cheese Boutique.

Do you see why this wine and cheese pairing excited us?

We decided to combine the tasting with some shopping over the border so it was an early morning indeed.

We arrived at Stratus we quickly munched down the sandwiches that we had picked up for lunch and headed inside. If there had been any doubt that we were in the right place the famous cheese boutique car parked in front of the winery would have cleared that up immediately.

When we checked in we were quickly hustled out onto the lovely terrace overlooking the vineyard where we discovered that the winery had decided to offer a tour of the vineyard and wine making facility for those who were interested. A glass of wine was offered so we could sip while we walked and listened. What is not to love about that?

I was surprised to see that the grapes were still on the vines since I knew by the various twitter feeds I follow that many other wineries had been harvesting for weeks. Our guide explained that Stratus would start their harvest and crush on Monday. One of the interesting things about the facility is that they tend to leave their grapes on the vines longer than any other winery in Niagara to ensure maximum ripeness and flavour.

After wandering the vineyard we moved into the LEED certified wine making facility where we saw that everything was cleaned and ready for the crush to start. It was interesting to learn about their wine making and compare it to others we know about. Stratus tends to be less machine driven than most - it's a hands on operation where they try to limit mechanical intervention so as to not introduce harshness into the juice.

Now that we were 'experts' on the winery and their unique processes we went back out to the terrace to start our tasting the fruits of their labours. They had a Chardonnay for us to try - and you could tell immediately that their winermaker was from the Loire valley! This wasn't one of those cloying, heavily oaked Chards from California . . . the type where I get a headache after one sip. This was a lovely wine indeed.

We 'met' Afrim and he told us about the Cheese Boutique and some of the things that made them one of the best purveyors of cheese on the planet (no, I am not exaggerating, on any given day you can find more than 1500 types of cheeses there - many which are not available anywhere outside of their local area where they were produced). We were amazed to hear that they have cheeses that are produced just for them.

The first cheese was brilliantly paired with the Chardonnay - we knew immediately that we were in for a wonderful afternoon!

We moved back into the wine making facility where a giant table was set up. At each spot was a piece of used wine barrel stave on which was set out five cheese samples as well as five glasses of wine. Afrim had also brought along a treat - some marcona almonds from Spain which we've had before but from the ohhs and ahhs of the crowd I think were new for many, as well as some of the wonderful breads that they bake daily at the Cheese Boutique.

For the next 2 hours we nibbled, sipped, and learned more about the fine world of wine and cheese.

In short, it was a brilliant way to spend the afternoon!

Funny story - as we were leaving the staff from the Cheese Boutique were handing out business cards so folks would know where they were located. When it was my turn he looked at me and said 'you've been in the store before, I know you know here we are!' Hmmm . . . I wonder if I buy too much cheese? *smile*

The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen

I've mentioned before that San Francisco is one of the world's great food cities IMHO (or not so humble, opinion). Access to high quality ingredients, willingness to take chances with said ingredients, yet at the same time being respectful of the ingredients means that you can eat many a good meal in the city. Couple that with a very cosmopolitan atmosphere and on any given day you can eat around the world, as it were.

I've also mentioned that I was travelling with a colleague who thinks of food as fuel and has the palate of a 100 year old.  I crave variety in my meals. I like some flavour and heat with my food. While I enjoy fried things as much as the next person (really, what human doesn't?) I am also cognizent of the fact that my pants are tight and as I close in on 50 it is harder and harder to reign in my expanding waistline. Finally, I don't really enjoy mush.

Selecting restaurants was a challenge.

I did spot one that I was sure would be a hit - the American Grilled Cheese Kitchen located in SOMA about three or four blocks south of the convention centre. Brought to the city by a seven-time winner of the World Grilled Cheese Invitational this place is devoted to simplicity—buttery, caramelized bread, with an oozy, melted center. By house rules, each sandwich must be at least 60% cheese. Finally a rule imposed by someone else that I can live with!

Who doesn't LOVE a grilled cheese? Crisply fried buttered bread. Gooey, melted cheese. MMMMM

My colleague loves grilled cheese sandwiches. In fact, when we travelled to Sonoma for 'Jerry's Day of Fun in the Wineries', we stopped in at the famed Girl and the Fig where she ordered the grilled cheese sandwich served with tomato confit and matchstick fries and declared it 'wonderful'.

Everyone raves about The American Grileld Cheese Kitchen on the internet (those who do not rave about it complain about the lines, lack of seating, or 'why pay money for something I can make at home' - which fits nicely in Jerry's 'most stupid thing to criticise a restaurant for' category). Heck, even Lady Gaga had made a point of stopping in earlier in the week when she was in the Bay Area for two concerts. I knew of all the restaurants I had selected that this would be my colleague's favourite. I thought it would be a perfect spot to head to for lunch during the conference.

Imagine, if you will, my shock when we met up for dinner one night and we were discussing our afternoon adventures, and she indicated that she and her sister had walked there for a late lunch. 'What did you order?' I asked.

'Nothing. It looked weird. There was nothing to order.'

Yes, they had walked to the restaurant from the hotel, looked at the menu, and turned around to walk back to the hotel.

Now this was curious. Could the Wall Street Journal, Food and Wine, Sunset, San Francisco Chronicle, and 100s of Yelpers, facebook users, tweeters, and bloggers be addled? Had the restaurant changed hands?

I had to see for myself.

The first thing I checked out was the route. To walk there from the conference I'd have to go under the highway. Now where I'm from walking under the highway can be an iffy proposition. I consulted with my bus map and noticed that bus # 30 picked up right beside the convention centre and would drop me off right by the restaurant.

As soon as the keynote speaker on Monday was done I raced to the bus stop and was soon on the bus heading off on my investigation of what had gone wrong for my colleague. Unfortunately because of an unscheduled 'bathroom break' for the bus driver I and the rest of the passengers were ejcted from the bus just past the CalTran station and forced to walk the rest of the way.

The area around South Park was lovely. Monday was the first day with full sun in more than a week and people were taking advantage of it by eating their lunches in the park. I smelled the delicious scent of grilled cheese before I saw the restaurant. I was early (i.e. before the lunch crowd) so I had no trouble ordering and securing a table outside in the sun. Because this was an 'investigation' and not really lunch I was forced to order TWO sandwiches so I was able to compare. I ordered a beer because  . . . well, just because.

The menu is simple. In fact, it is just seven sandwiches deep. Your options include a basic three-cheese Mousetrap and a spicy Jalapeño Popper, made with bacon and apricot-jalapeño relish. But I had heard that the Piglet—your basic ham and cheese, if your basic ham and cheese had been tastefully slathered with apple mustard and rosemary butter - was the sandwich to order. I selected a Piglet and a Mousetrap.

 

These, ladies and gents, were freaking amazing sandwiches. The bread perfectly crisp and buttery. The cheese delicious. Melted. Gooey. The artisan cured ham on the Piglet was amazing - delicately smoked, thickly sliced but not too thick to over power the wonderful tillamook sharp cheddar.

On the way back to the convention centre for my last session of the conference (a screening of the incredible documentary 'the Race to Nowhere') I couldn't help but ponder the disconnect between theperfect grilled cheese sandwiches I had just experienced and the experience of my grilled-cheese lusting colleague, who having walked all the way to the restaurant, left without ordering anything as everything, in her opinion,  looked weird.

I think I figured it out - first it was the walk. It wasn't a short walk. It had been raining when she went. Some of the walk in SOMA can be a tad sketchy. By the time one had gotten there it is conceivable that there might have been a bit of disquiet. Hell, let's be honest - I would have been whining and looking for a cab.

Then it was the menu. Had the menu merely said 'grilled cheese' she would have ordered and been fine. Because it said things like Havarti or Monterey Jack (both cheeses she had never eaten before and worried her) she wasn't sure. Had the cheddar been called cheddar instead of Tillamook sharp cheddar - what is Tillamook? SHARP? Had the piglet merely said - 'grilled ham and cheese' - she might have been fine.

It seems I had gone too far in my selection and missed an important food rule: 'nothing out of the ordinary'. The sandwiches ARE out of the ordinary; deliciously out of the ordinary. If you like food that is well made, delicious, and out of the ordinary - come here. If you prefer food that is not stay home, open up a package of white Wonder 'bread', slather on some butter, throw on two slices of Kraft cheese product (but unwrap the cellophane first) and make your own.

Twice Baked Maytag Blue Cheese Soufflé

Yesterday you read about the best thing that I ate all of last year.

I must confess to being sad on the flight home form Vegas. It had nothing to do with the results of our gambling as our wallets were a tad fatter than when we arrived (of course, all of our shopping was on Visa LOL) Instead I was sad because I had eaten the best.damn.thing.ever. and it was a 4 hour flight from home. That was a long stretch for a soufflé . . . even for me.

So I did what any self-respecting foodie would do - when I got home I turned to the card catalogue for the cooking library known as the internet - google - and searched for the recipe.

Sure enough, in an April 2008 ABC report on View by the Bay I scored! I printed it off and immediately added this course to our New Year's Day feast.

I had never made a soufflé before - worried perhaps that it would be too challenging for me. I need not have worried for the recipe is well written and the steps easy to execute. Now, in fairness, it isn't a short romp through the kitchen - you have to be methodical, working your way through each step. Patient.

If you want nothing but a quick romp through the kitchen buy a microwave and a frozen meal in a tray.

I'm not normally patient at all but when there is a food payoff at the other end I can manage.

I knew from my Vegas taste that this was payoff indeed!

I also whipped up a pear and ginger compote with Moscato Di Asti wine - providing for the perfect blue cheese and pear combination that I adore.

Twice Baked Maytag Blue Cheese Soufflé

By Chef Bradley Ogden

Makes six 4-ounce soufflés

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup cold milk
5 ounces Maytag Blue Cheese, crumbled - room temperature
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Extra flour, for molds
1 tablespoon butter, for molds
Parchment paper
3/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. If using a convection oven, preheat to 250 degrees. Butter and dust six 4-ounce soufflé molds.

In a 1-quart stainless steel saucepan, add the 2 tablespoons of butter and place over a moderate heat to melt the butter. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon. Cook for 6 minutes, stirring often. Incorporate the cold milk, whisking very slowly to make a thick cream sauce. Once the milk is added, continue to for 10 minutes over a slow heat. Pour the cream sauce into an electric mixing bowl. Add the crumbled Maytag Blue Cheese, using the whisk attachment. Turn the machine on low to blend in the sauce and cheese.

Let the mixture cool slightly, turn to a high speed and add one egg yolk at a time. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the mixture to another bowl and let cool completely. Whip the egg whites to soft peaks and fold into the cheese. Fill molds to the top with the mixture. Bake in a water bath at 300 degrees for 40 minutes; until lightly brown on top. Remove from the oven; let cool almost completely. Unmold onto buttered parchment paper, with browned top side up. Refrigerate until needed.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pour ¾ cup of heavy cream into a non corrosive 10-inch sauté pan. Add the soufflés, top side up, and place over a high heat. Bring liquid to one boil then place in the oven and bake for 8 minutes or until the soufflés have absorbed most of the cream. Remove from the oven. With a metal spatula gently remove the soufflés from the sauté pan. Serve with the Mache salad. Garnish with toasted walnuts and crumbled Maytag Blue Cheese

Vegetale al Formaggio (Vegetables with Gorgonzola Dip)

'Tis the season for entertaining - the season when no one gives a fig about added calories.

Have I got a brilliant dip for you!

It is quick to make, tastes incredible, and has a gazillion calories in each serving; food for the gods.

We first tasted this a few years ago during a cooking class given by local chef extradonaire Emily Richards. We LOVED it but for some reason we never got around to making it for ourselves.

We decided that it was the perfect addition to the menu for mom's recent birthday party. I was happy that it tasted every bit as good as we remembered.

This recipe is based upon one from Lombardy - an alpine region of Italy renowned for its flavourful cheeses, fresh vegetables, and meats. Celery is a favourite dipper but carrots, fennel, and blanched green beans are also delicious to use.

Vegetale al Formaggio (Vegetables with Gorgonzola Dip)

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1/2 gorgonzola cheese
1/3 cup whipping cream
salt
pepper

In a food processor pulse together the mascarpone, gorgonzola, and whipping cream until smooth. NOTE: if your gorgonzola is semi-soft you may need to add more cream to make a proper dipping consistency.

Season with salt and epper to taste.

Scrape into a serving bowl.

Serve with vegetables for dipping.