Coping With Chocolate-Glazed Cinnamon-Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

Say your cat is deathly ill and you rush it to the vet. Several days, a surgery, and many procedures later, you find out that the bill is going to be to the tune of $1000 dollars. Oh, and it's coming out of your savings for that trip to Italy in 2010.
Do you...

A. Smile, hand over your AMEX and remind yourself that pets are people too. Italy can wait. Like its wine, it only gets better with age.

B. Grind your teeth, curse all things furry under the sun (vets included), but pay the bill anyway.

C. Resort to childish tactics: crying, swearing, arguing, flirting, etc..., and hope that they will lower the bill. (They don't.)

D. Sign the credit card slip, walk out the door, straight into a drug store and fill a basket with chocolate. (Thank goodness it's Valentine's soon and the place is stocked!)

You can probably guess my coping strategy. Yep, "D" lots of chocolate. M & M's (the big bag), Lindt Extra Thins, Nestle chocolate eggs, you name it, I bought it.

Note that all of the numbers above include paying the inflated veterinary bill. Somehow there are no other options. Grrr. Don't get me wrong, we're happy to have our Cassis home again, but had we been a little better informed of certain common complications that can occur in neutered male cats, we may have saved ourselves the stress and money*.

Anyhow, that is the very short version of how I found myself looking for ways to use up lots of chocolate. Having just mixed up a batch of our family favorite chewy oatmeal-raisin cookies with Noah, and watching him top them with M&M's, I decided to melt a some of my Lindt Extra Thins on top as the cookies were cooling on the rack. The results were rather delicious:

The 70% cacao sliver of chocolate melted in the oatmeal cookie's warm hug and created the most tantalizing and perfectly square glaze on the round cookie. The few left on the cooling rack that did not get devoured hardened nicely again, which helped for stacking and storing.


It's fun to watch them melt...Now if you'll excuse me, I've got lots of chocolate to eat.

Cinnamon-Raisin Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Glaze

makes 3 dozen large
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cinnamon
1/4 cup coconut
3 cups oatmeal (not quick or instant)
1 cup raisins
36 Lindt thins, 70% Cacao

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat well, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Combine and add flour, baking soda and salt. Mix in coconut, oatmeal and raisins and stir just to combine.

Drop spoonfuls of dough onto a greased cookie sheet and bake 8-10 minutes until edges start to brown slightly. Tops will still be slightly raw. (I like to under-bake my oatmeal cookies so they are chewy as opposed to crispy.)

Let cool on pan for a minute or so and then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Place a Lindt Thin on the top of each cookie and watch them melt.

Allow cookies to cool completely and wait for the chocolate to harden before transferring cookies to a tin.

* * *

*UPDATE: Attention cat owners! For a detailed look at what happened to Cassis the Cat and, more importantly, how to easily prevent it from happening to your cat, visit my sisters' blog My Mini Zoo. Miranda is well schooled in this area and gives a complete rundown on what every cat owner should know --and what vets don't necessarily want you to know. Seriously, don't go through what we did; educate yourself now!

Cassis sleeping in our bathroom sink. What a wack!

Relaxing with Lemon Cake

Some people put their feet up in from of the TV when they need to relax, others go for a walk or have a warm bath, but not me, I head for the kitchen.

Last week was a particularly busy one around here and to cap it off, I babysat for a friend on Friday afternoon. I had a four-year-old, a three-year-old, a two-year-old and little Mateo, bouncing around the place and my, it was busy! My nerves were a little shot by the time Danny got home from work and so after dinner he graciously bathed both boys and put them to bed while I headed to the kitchen. I was in need of some baking therapy and I had the perfect recipe to try: Lemon-Drenched Lemon Cake from Joy the Baker.


Joy is no stranger to turning to the kitchen after a rough day and she always knows the best remedy for finding your mojo again. I bet she'd make a great girlfriend; she would be the one with a listening ear and a plate of cookies at the end of a long week.

The lemon cake was the ideal way to relax and wrap up the busy week. It is a recipe simple enough to follow with half a brain, as I had that evening, and so fun to put together. My favorite part was rubbing the lemon zest and the sugar together; my hands have never smelled so good!

Danny joined me in the kitchen and did all my dishes. What a sweetie.


Light and tender, tart and moist, you need not ever look for another lemon loaf again.


Lemon Drenched Lemon Cakes

For the Cakes:
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
2 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 plump, moist vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out and reserved, or 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
6 large eggs, preferably at room temperature
2/3 cups heavy cream
zest of two lemons, finely grated
1 stick, plus 7 Tablespoons (15 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the syrup:
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
juice of two lemons

Making the cakes:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8 1/2-4 1/2-inch loaf pans, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess. Even if the pans are nonstick, it’s a good idea to butter and flour them. Place the pans on an insulated baking sheet or on two regular sheets stacked one on top of the other.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Put the sugar and the lemon zest in a large bowl, working with your fingers, rub them together until the sugar is moist and thoroughly imbued with the fragrance of lemon. Add the vanilla bean seeds and work them into the sugar. If you are using vanilla extract, add it later, after you have added the eggs.
Add the eggs and whisk them into the sugar, beating until they are thoroughly incorporated. Whisk in the extract (if using), then whisk in the cream. Continuing with the whisk, or switching to a large rubber spatula, gently stir in the dry ingredients in 3 or 4 additions; the batter will be smooth and thick. Finish by folding in the melted butter in 2 or 3 additions. Pour the batter into the pans, smoothing with a rubber spatula. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.

As soon as the cake goes into the oven, make the syrup.
After about 30 minutes in the oven, check the cakes for color- if they are browning too quickly, cover them lightly with foil tents.

Making the syrup: Stir the water and sugar together in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar melts, then bring to a boil. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Pour the syrup into a heatproof bowl and let cool.

When the cakes test done, transfer them to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before unmolding them and turning them right side up on the rack. Place the rack over a baking sheet lined with wax paper and, using a thin skewer, cake tester or thin-bladed sharp knife, poke holes all over the cakes. Brush the cakes all over with the syrup, working slowly so that the cakes sop it up. Leave the cakes on the rack to cool to room temperature.

Top Ten Things To Expect When Dining With A Food Blogger

Disclaimer: The following is a tongue-in-cheek and much exaggerated preview of what to expect should you accept a dinner invitation to the home of an avid food blogger. At least, I think it would be like this; certainly at my place things are done with much more consideration for the guest!


Top Ten Things To Expect When Dining With A Food Blogger:

1. You won’t be asked to bring anything except perhaps wine or other beverages.

2. Dinner will be served at 3 in the afternoon because the natural light is better.

3. Once the meal is ready, it will be marched past the set dining room table and out the back door for a photo shoot on the shady deck; it will be served to you approximately fifteen minutes later. If you're lucky.

4. Due to #3, dinner will be cold.

5. There will be one beautifully presented dish - the one being photographed - but any side dishes may look like they were hurriedly slopped together.

6. The dining room has a backdrop and fill lights. (So I don't, but I bet I know someone who does.)

7. You may be asked if you can be photographed while eating, but note that this request is merely a formality and the host will snap away at will no matter what your response. Expect close-ups of your lips, etc.

8. The host may seem lost in thought for the most of the meal -- presumably because he/she is already composing a blog post in his/her head.

9. If there is conversation, it will probably revolve around the food (details on how it was prepared, the chef’s feelings on how it turned out) or the weather (too sunny for photographs or not sunny enough).

10. You'll notice that the cake for dessert has a slice missing from it. That's because the host needed to photograph the layers.


Consider yourself warned. You're welcome.

Update: Don't miss the follow-up to this post "Ten Things I've Learned About Food Bloggers"!

An Indian Film, A New Spice Blend and a Giveaway

This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to the winner, EMILY of Sugar Plum!

I don't write about movies very often on this space simply because it's a food blog, and also since I don't watch very many films. Oh, don't get me wrong, I love movies, but let's just say the the opportunity doesn't present itself very often. On the rare occasion that I find myself with a few hours to myself, I'd much rather spend it in a book store (AHH, the silence!) or perusing the shelves of my favorite gourmet food shops. If a film is released that I think I want to see -i.e. not a summer blockbuster or holiday fluff- I tell myself that I'll just rent it. Famous last words, for Danny and I seldom rent films either! There's always something better to do with our time in the evenings, like play Agricola or...[glancing out the window]...shovel snow. Not More Snow?!
However, I couldn't wait to see Slumdog Millionaire after all that I had heard about it and so when my sister agreed to come hang out with the boys on a lazy Sunday afternoon, Danny and I were out the door as fast as you can say 'popcorn'.
The film does not disappoint and pins you to your seat for an emotional and exhilarating journey to a colorful, yet often brutal India. I loved it, but it certainly tugged on a mother's heart! Upon my return home I hugged my boys a little tighter than usual and cooked a simple dinner in honour of the movie. That's where the spice blend comes in.


From Montréal's spice expert, Philippe de Vienne, comes a special new blend: Route de la Soie or Silk Road Blend. Inspired from his travels to Kashgar and containing only the very best of spices, Silk Road Blend is to the palate what Slumdog Millionaire is to the eyes.
This blend marries the flavors of traditional Chinese, Persian, and Indian cooking. It contains over fourteen spices including Iraninan rose petals, green and white cardamom, casse, fennel, ginger, long pepper, saffron, anise, black pepper, white pepper, cloves, cumin, and rose buds. I used it in perhaps the simplest way possible: a rub for a Cornish game hen that I finished with a drizzle of honey. It was excellent! This dish perfumed the house with its extraordinary bouquet and transported us back to Central Asia.


Since you absolutely must try this blend, I am giving away one can to a lucky winner! Leave a comment before February 1 and your name will be entered to win. To get a second entry, blog about this giveaway and let me know where you have done so. Winners will be announced sometime on Sunday, February 1.
Good luck to everyone!

Silk Road Blend and more of M. de Vienne's spices can be purchased online or at
Olives et Épices
Marché Jean Talon
7070 Henri-Julien etal C-11,
Montréal, Quebec


Roasted Cornish Hens with Silk Road Blend
Serves four.

(You can find Philippe's original recipe here, which I only just discovered! It's in French, but likely far better than mine below! I'll give it a try next time.)

Two Cornish Game hens, rinced and patted dry
1 tablespoon Silk Road Spice Blend
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup butter, melted
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup honey

Grind spice blend until fine and place in a small mixing bowl. Add garlic, salt and melted butter and mix well. Using your hands, rub spice mixture generously all over the hens. Marinade for an hour or two.
Preheat oven to 375F.
Place hens in a roasting pan and then in the oven. Roast for about 45 minutes or until tender and the leg easily pulls away from the carcass. Remove hens from oven and pour honey all over them. Allow to rest for at least five minutes.
To serve: use a sharp carving knife to remove the leg. Slice down the breastbone and remove the breast and wing. Serve a leg and a breast per person.

Foodie Facebook: Michele

A writer and a foodie, Michele has got it going on and I was thrilled when she said yes to this interview. If you haven't yet checked out her blog Fine Furious Life believe me when I say this is the one blog you need to subscribe to in 2009. Get started by catching yourself up with her eventful and entertaining 2008 Year in Review and you'll see what I mean about got it going on. If you're like me and get tired of stalking her blog, you can always catch up with her on the ever-popular Serious Eats.


Name: Michele Humes
Place: Brooklyn, NY
Occupation: Writer


What is your earliest childhood food memory?

Eating three or four lemon popsicles on one sweltering Hong Kong afternoon. My tongue turned bright yellow, and I ran around showing everyone. I've always gone for the tangy desserts over the creamy or chocolatey ones.


What did you eat today?

I have a bad cold today so I'll tell you what I ate yesterday instead. I had a piece of leftover chocolate semifreddo for breakfast, which is typical of the improbable things I eat early in the day, while there's still good light for taking photos for my blog. Then I ordered some regrettable Thai at the office and had a monosodium glutamate attack. To console myself, I had a piece of diner apple pie, also regrettable. When I got home, I felt so guilty about having had pie and semifreddo that I boiled some shelled edamame for dinner.


What will your kids never be allowed to eat?

"Fast food style" items at home. I'd be fine with chicken nuggets in the context of a McDonald's meal, but there's something repellent about the idea of buying and thawing huge frozen bags of the stuff in one's own kitchen. Is this irrational?


What do you always have on hand in your fridge?

Eggs. I am a maniac for poached eggs. There are few things to which I will not add a poached egg. And when the mood takes me, I may even hard-boil one. Also, I get nervous if I don't have peas in the freezer.


What is your beverage of choice?

I drink absurd amounts of seltzer. I thin juices with seltzer. I like bourbon, and I like thin, sharp wines-- Spanish whites and red Burgundy. I don't drink that much Dr. Pepper but I do use Bonne Bell Dr. Pepper lipgloss.


If you could have dinner with anyone in the history of man, who would it be?

Can it be a whole group of us? I'd have the Baron de Montesquieu, Colin Firth in character as Mr. Darcy in the BBC adaptation of 'Pride and Prejudice', Gordon Ramsay, Agatha Christie (specifically so I could ask her where on earth she went when she disappeared for 11 days in 1926), and Anne Boleyn.



OK, it's your last meal ever, what do you have?

Well, it would have to be spread out over several courses, to delay the executioner.

I'd start with a really good, clear, beef consommé, the kind no restaurant serves anymore, with a splash of sherry.

Next, I'd have a little bowl of raw cauliflower florets with a French-style cocktail sauce (mostly mayo with dashes of ketchup and cognac), and a hand-cut steak tartare, the kind that comes with a 10 or 12 condiments so you can season it yourself.

Then I'd have some poor fool remove the skin from two or three whole roast chickens and serve me just the skin, in big, crisp sheets.

After that, a really well-charred steak haché (sounds nicer to call it that than "hamburger patty", doesn't it?), rare on the inside, slathered in globs of English mustard, with grilled asparagus on the side. I really like beef, can you tell?

Finally, a little bowl of full-cream yogurt with honey, and a single diamond of baklava.

Despite recently having quit, my last meal would probably be an appropriate time to start smoking again! I'd have a cigarette or three with my espresso.

(By the way, before I started filling this out, I had insisted to my boyfriend that I wasn't hungry and didn't want to go out for dinner. Now, everything's changed.)


Ed Note: Thanks Michele! I've had a lengthy crush on Mr Darcy myself. Fortunately I own the series on VHS and can reacquaint myself as often as needed. Oh, and I had two poached eggs for lunch today.

DIY: Bagel Tutorial and More History.

How does working from 5AM 'till 10PM, seven days a week, in a remote location, for an entire summer sound? Ten years ago to me, it sounded like a pretty good plan…

Here’s a bit more history for you.

Flashback to 1999 in Northern British Columbia. I’m 19, no serious plans for the summer except slinging food in the mediocre bistro where I am presently employed, wishing to get out of my small town and see some of the world.
I get a phone call from George (same George as in this post but he had since moved to Vancouver) and he has a proposal.

“How would you like to be my sous-chef at a fly-in fishing resort on the BC coast for the summer? Financially, it’s very attractive.”

“What’s the catch?” I ask.

“Well, let's see, the workload is extremely heavy, there is no contact with the outside world except snail mail once in a while, and once you’re in, that’s it, you can’t change your mind.”

“Hmm, sounds like fun." I say. "I can be ready in a few weeks”.

And that’s how I found myself on a small floating fishing lodge in a quiet inlet on the Pacific Ocean, cooking three square meals a day for 35 people, and having some of the best adventures of my teenage years. Although the working hours were long and the nights very short, the benefits almost balanced out the hardships: whale watching, crabbing and fishing, sandy beaches and the sheer beauty of British Columbia's rugged coastline in my backyard.

Life there revolved around one thing: the King Salmon. Clients didn’t pay the big bucks to fly in on a little Otter float plane just to taste my cooking (although luckily for them, it was a big bonus) but for the thrill of reeling in one of these beautiful fish. While they took home anything they caught, we always had plenty of fresh-caught salmon on hand for eating that the staff reeled in. George constructed a smoker and smoked huge fillets of the scarlet fish while I baked the best thing to complement smoked salmon: bagels.


When the guests came in for lunch at 11:30, ravenous from a morning's work in the fresh sea air, they were treated to a decadent lunch of piping hot bagels, home-smoked salmon and the fixings.
No wonder the staff said that that summer had the best food they had ever experienced--probably no one else put the love into their cooking that George and I did, and everyone knows that's what makes the difference!
I made enough money in that eleven week job posting to take the next half-year off and travel and that's just what I did. I bought my first camera-a Pentax- and a one way ticket to....but wait, that is another chapter entirely and not for this post.

My family has been making these bagels for as long as I can remember and to me they are the very best I have ever tasted. While I know they might not be the definition of 'the perfect bagel', to me they are just that, and a whole lot more because I grew up eating them. My boys already love them, so things are going to stay this way for at least another generation.

Aimée's Family Bagel Recipe

(adapted from The Breads of France by Bernard Clayton Jr.)
Makes 16 large bagels

Dough:
3 Cups warm water
4 Tbsps yeast
1/4 cup Sugar
2 Tbsps Salt
7 Cups All-Purpose Flour (approx)

Toppings to taste:
diced onions, poppy, sesame or caraway seeds, etc...

Boiling Water:
2 quarts water
1 Tbsp sugar

Glaze:
1 Egg white
1 Tbsp water
Coarse salt

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, pour water and yeast. Stir to dissolve, and leave for 2-3 minutes until yeast is creamy. Stir in sugar and salt. Add 4 cups of flour, and beat at low speed for 1 minute, then turn to high for 3 minutes. Stop mixer and add balance of flour. Stir with a wooden spoon to make a thick batter. When it becomes difficult to stir, remove from bowl and work with your hands on the counter. Knead dough for about 8 minutes. Dough should be firm - add more flour if sticky.


Return dough to clean, greased bowl. Cover it tightly with plastic film and allow to rise for 1 hour. During the rising period, prepare water in a large 4-1/2 litre pot. Bring to a boil, and add sugar (the sugar will give the bagels a nice sheen when the come out of the water). Cover and leave simmer on low. Grease 2 baking sheets with oil and sprinkle generously with cornmeal. Whisk together water and egg white for glaze and set aside. Prepare toppings of choice and reserve.
Preheat oven to 450F.



Shaping!
Turn dough onto work surface and punch down. With a sharp knife, divide the dough into 16 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball as shown on video above. Allow to rest for 3-4 minutes.



With your thumb, press deep into the center of the ball, and tear open a hole with the fingers. Watch the video above for a complete demonstration on the shaping. Place formed bagels together on the work surface, cover with a towel and leave until dough is slightly raised - about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, bring your water to a low boil. Gently lift bagels, one at a time, and lower into the hot water. Do not do more than 2 or 3 at a time. Cook for about 30 seconds, then flip them over in the water using a slotted spoon, and cook for another 15 seconds. Lift out with the slotted spoon, and place on your baking sheet. Repeat with all the bagels. Brush with egg glaze and dress them up with the topping of your choice and a sprinkling of coarse salt before popping them in the oven.


Bake for about 30 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Keep an eye on them so that the bottoms don't burn. Remove from oven, cool on a rack and enjoy!
These bagels freeze beautifully and toast up well for a perfect breakfast.

Carrot , Leek & Apple Soup with Garlic Croutons

The challenge of creating a spectacular-or at least edible-dish out of fridge odds and ends is one that I have always relished. I believe it to be a sign of a good cook: creative, resourceful and an independent thinker rather than just open a cookbook. I have to say I'm pretty good at visualizing how ingredients can come together for a potential meal-probably thanks to all the practice I got making 'staff meal' when I worked in a professional kitchen. No, we didn't tuck into a lamb chop from the menu when we were hungry or munch on foie gras pâté and croutons, we ate a family-style meal together every night just before service that was prepared by one of the chef de parties.
I should have kept a log of the random items that were held on the shelf designated for staff eating. It was not uncommon to have to put together a meal for fourteen using some or all of the following:

several litres of razor clam juice
60 or so scrawny quail legs
reject fresh pasta dough (presumably tough as nails)
soft/slimy cucumbers (tomatoes, peppers, spinach)
a jar of picked quail eggs
giant tub of dijon
mounds and mounds of venison scraps
a litre or more of beet purée

and so on and so fourth.
What I made was generally decided for me; it depended on how much time I could take away from my usual lengthy list of prep work. One has to think "is it really in my best interest to clean all the venison, grind it, make a bolognaise and a spinach béchamel, and roll the pasta for a lasagna?"
As popular as I would have been with my fellow chefs had I done so (comfort food rocks when night after night all you plate is ultra-finicky fine cuisine) the more realistic scenario was probably me tossing the quail legs in a speedy marinade before roasting them and serving with a pot of rice.


All that said, I recently made a memorable soup from my fridge scraps after a vigorous clean turned up some withering vegetables. There's hardly a better time to clean out the refrigerator than after the holidays (after a power outage is pretty ideal, too) and it's a New Year to boot, so if you haven't done it yet, get in there and toss those mouldy brussel sprouts and stale fruitcake. Be sure to wear gloves, though, it may be worse than you think; as it was in my case.

As I was making the soup, I took the time to scribble down what I was doing in loose recipe form in case I wanted to blog about it. Of course, I have no idea where that piece of paper/napkin/envelope is now, so I'm going to try and remember what I did because it's worth repeating.

Carrot, leek and apple: not a new combination by any means, but a trio that I had wasting away in my vegetable drawer; add a liter of homemade chicken stock in the freezer that needed to give way to three vital incoming pints of Hagen Daaz (good things come in threes), and voilà, soup! For fun, toss in some whole-wheat garlic croutons for crunch and bacon because--well, bacon needs no explanation, really.


Carrot, Leek and Apple Soup
(All measurements are estimates. Feel free to change up the recipe to suit yourself)

Peel four large carrots and chop into 1-inch rounds. Remove outer leaves from a large leek and discard. Wash the leek well and chop roughly. In a large pot, melt 3 tablespoons butter and add carrots and leek. Cook over medium heat until the vegetables start to soften and their color brightens.
Peel two apples (I used Granny Smith), core, chop and add to the pot. Add about 4 cups of chicken stock or water (enough to cover the carrot mixture by an inch or so), a bay leaf and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover pot and simmer until carrots are tender. Remove pot from heat and discard bay leaf.
In a blender, puree soup until silky smooth. Season with salt and pepper and thin with a little cream to desired consistency.

For Croutons:
Cube several slices of bread into 1 centimeter cubes. Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan. When it is very hot, add the cubed bread and a clove of peeled, smashed garlic. Toss gently to coat bread with oil and cook until brown and crispy. The oil will be all absorbed. Salt generously, remove from pan and cool on a paper towel. Discard garlic.

Orange Madeleines and a Holiday Relapse Recap

I seem to be having a hard time saying goodbye to the holiday season and here we are almost two weeks into January. Valentine's decorations are up in store fronts and my neighbor tossed her Christmas tree a long time ago (like on Boxing Day); everyone seems to be moving on except moi.

I'm not a sentimentalist, it's not like I am hanging onto decorations or playing carols over and over (dear me, I've had quite enough of those thank you), it's more of that relaxed, unmotivated feeling that comes from no real schedule to speak of and too many late nights.
Quite honestly, I blame the cozy zen mornings I've been having with the little ones, snowed in with a real Winter Wonderland outside, reading the new books they got for Christmas and munching on the remains of the stolen and panettone. I don't have to head back to school like some of my friends and I have no job to report to at 9AM that will shake me out of my White Christmas reverie, so what's to prevent me from extending the holiday cheer a little longer?

One such relaxed morning was spent looking back at the photos from the past month and in doing so I realized I had a few food related shots that I could potentially share. A photo recap of sorts--or a relapse back into winter holidays, call it what you like.
So indulge me this one last jingle and then I promise I'll eat the remaining lonely gingerbread man left in the freezer and move on with my life.


We enjoyed these madeleines fresh out of the oven on Christmas morning. The batter is a cinch to whip up the night before and all you have to do in the morning is bake them while you are brewing the coffee.


Orange Madeleines Makes 2 dozen
Adapted from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook

1/2 cup unsalted butter, plus more for pan
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
1/2 cup ground almonds
1/2 cup plus 2 T sugar
2 Tablespoons finely grated orange zest
1 vanilla bean, halved & scraped
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Set aside to cool. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, ground almonds, and sugar; set aside. Add the orange zest to the cooled butter, stir to combine.
In a large bowl, combine the eggs, vanilla bean seeds and salt and mix until frothy. Whisk in reserved flour mixture to combine. With a whisk, fold in the butter mixture. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter two 12-mould madeleine pans, and dust with flour. With two small spoons, spoon batter into moulds, filling about halfway. Bake, rotating pans if needed, until the edges are a light brown and tops spring back gently when pressed, 12-14 minutes.

Immediately invert madeleines onto a wire rack to cool. Serve warm.

WFD? Lemon, Chicken & Leek Pot Pies

What's For Dinner? Individual Chicken Leek Pot Pies with Lemon and Tarragon.

It's feels natural to jump on the comfort food bandwagon in January. Enough with the holiday finger food, the bowls of nuts, and elaborate dinner parties; what we need now is a one-pot meal to sink our fork into and forget about how dang cold it is outside. I think you'll find this updated pot pie pretty satisfying.

Although I've been making variations on this dish for my family for a while, I might never have posted the recipe if it wasn't requested by an old friend of mine. OK, maybe 'request' isn't the right word, it was more like an order. In fact I believe her exact comment in response to this post was:

"I want your chicken leek pot pie recipe. I don't like baking, but I like cooking so lets get on with the real food!"

Yes madam! Well, she did used to boss me around something fierce back in the day, so it comes naturally to her. I guess some things never change, eh?
So here you go, Kelly, I've done my part. You better make these now to feed all those bambinos of yours. Trust me, they will thank you for it.


I usually make these in massive batches as they freeze and re-heat wonderfully.
(edit 1) Since we sometimes need 'heat & serve' instant meals (little children's tummies don't understand waiting), I bake these as I normally would for a dinner, then cool them down, wrap them well and freeze for a later date. I re-heat them in the oven to keep the pastry crisp.
(edit 2) I find blanching my garlic alleviates some of the not so fun side effects while maintaining the full flavor that we love around here. However, this is not scientifically proven, just an opinion. I don't do it often, perhaps just when I want to serve the dish to 10-month-old Mateo.

Chicken, Leek and Lemon Pot Pies

About 4 cups cooked, shredded chicken (I prefer dark meat and usually use thighs)
8 cloves of garlic, peeled and de-germed
3 leeks
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup white wine (Optional)
1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon or 1 tsp dry (thyme is good, too)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1/4 cup whipping cream
Salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup green peas, defrosted if frozen
1 recipe pie crust or 450g puff pastry (my lazy way out, although in the photos I used my usual pie dough.)
1 egg, beaten with a pinch of salt


Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
Place garlic in cold water, bring to boil, and boil for a minute or so. Drain and roughly chop. Reserve.
Cut very dark green leaves from leeks and discard. Wash leeks well and slice into 1/2-inch (1-cm) sections (I use about 2/3 of the leek)
Heat butter in skillet on medium heat. Add leeks and garlic and sauté for about 3 minutes or until leeks soften. Stir in flour and cook until pale gold, about 4 minutes, adding more butter if needed. Stir in chicken stock, white wine if using, tarragon, lemon juice and rind. Bring to boil. Add cream, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until thick and glossy. Season well with salt and pepper.
Stir in green peas and chicken. Place in a 6-cup baking dish or individual baking dishes. Roll out pastry 1/4-inch (5-mm) thick to cover top of dish. Cut a steam hole, decorate with any extra pastry cut in shapes, if desired. Brush with egg.
Bake pies on middle shelf of oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until pastry is golden and mixture bubbles. I usually set my baking dish or dishes on a cookie sheet as I inevitably get one that overflows.

Happy New Year and a look back at 2008

Happy New Year!!!

Here's wishing everyone a very happy and healthy 2009!

The year 2008 flew by so fast, and yet looking back, so much happened! We've smoothly adapted to a rounded out family of four and all the excitement, noise and action that brings. It's been fun!
I haven't kept much of a journal since the babies came along but this blog has been a wonderful substitute and helps me document events even though it's food-focused. Brew yourself a coffee and join me as we take a quick look back at some of the highlights of 2008 at Under the High Chair...

In January I was eight months pregnant and eating everything in sight. I was craving comfort food such as French Onion Soup and Chili, but it was my Lemon Ricotta Pancakes that caused a bit of a ruckus and can safely be called my sexiest flapjacks to date. A recipe for Focaccia came with a story describing how I got my start in the culinary world. Who would have guessed that one night behind the stoves in a gourmet kitchen would change my life forever?


February brought plenty of excitement as we anticipated the arrival of our second baby. One of the highlights of the month was a pregnancy photo shoot with the ever amazing and talented Tim and Angela Chin and a lunch of Berbere roasted guinea hens. Featuring tender gnocchi and my favorite new spice blend, this might have been the best meal of the month--or maybe it was just hormones! Severe back pain kept me from cooking as much as I would have liked in February, but I did share seven things you never knew about me and surprised a few of you.
Finally, on the 29th, Leap Year, little Mateo Jules joined us and captured our hearts forever.


I narrowly survived the hospital 'food' during those early March days. I was planning to blog about the traumatizing experience (the food, not childbirth) but fortunately I managed to block it completely out of my memory and move forward. We weathered this cold month snug inside our house, made a few toasts to the latest arrival, and bonded as a new family. I shared my top ten kitchen items, but cooking was minimal. Potty training, however, was in full swing.



April brought promises of spring with young asparagus in the markets and I made a dead-easy and most memorable tart. We saw some personality start to emerge from the littlest member and took our family for a true Québecois family spring outing: Cabane à Sucre or 'Sugar Shack'. Here we filled up on split pea soup, pork every way, pancakes, and maple syrup and saw how the 'tire d'erable' was made. A session of rolling home style meatballs got me reminiscing a few years back back to an evening I worked with Rocco diSpirito. If you didn't realize he has an ego the size of Texas, you will be enlightened after reading my account of the evening.



May brought showers in more ways than one. Every weekend I attended either a baby shower or a wedding shower and I think I made enough desserts to satiate every lady present. That month I blogged about a pretty Strawberry Galette, a decadent Chocolate Chai Cheesecake, and a Lemon Mascarpone Layer Cake, but that was just a few of the sweets that my kitchen turned out. I also combined Cajun spices, oregano, lobster and butter to make my favorite pasta dish of the year: Seafood Creole Tagliatelle. May also brought the first of the garden updates as my little kitchen plot started to grow.


June was another fury of good eating! I was immensely proud of my original creation of a Warm Salad of Lobster, Green Grapes and Bacon, served with Poached Rhubarb and Fiddleheads. It was the perfect summer dish, although I'm sure I lost a few readers over my 'how to dismember a lobster' video. I shared a recipe for a Maple Glazed Pork Chop and ranted far too long over our chaotic mealtime around here. Many of you responded in a kind and understanding way, which helped me through that rough patch. Thank you!
I was the matron of honor in a friend's wedding and also decorated the cake for the event. This required some juggling, especially with a four-month-old baby, but I learned that I can get dressed up in under two minutes. After another afternoon on the town and an extensive tasting effort, I gave you Montreal's Best Cupcake Part 2. You're welcome! Finally, I celebrated Canada Day by creating my ultimate favorite appetizer, Foie Gras Sushi, which featured regional ingredients such as ice wine and foie gras. It's pictured below as well as the lobster salad.



In July my parents flew in from British Columbia for a visit and the great eating continued. I was often away from my stoves (and computer) as I dragged my parents all over town and country so they could sample food at some of my favorite hangouts. As my dad is an avid jazz fan, we frequented the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal. I'll never forget one particular late night concert where Mateo was lulled to sleep in my arms at a free outdoor show with Chris Botti's trumpet.
Still, there were some memorable pulled pork sandwiches that I blogged about and another wedding cake, so the month wasn't a total vacation!
In July we got our share of amusement park food during a few trips to the zoo and Park Safari. We discovered that unless you call Dippin' Dots a culinary sensation (and some do), the highlight of these outings is the animals, not the food. Trust me.


August was hot, dang hot, but these raspberry ice cream sandwiches helped keep us cool. The editors at Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine decided they liked my blog and named Under the High Chair 'best food blog' in their August issues 'Sites to Surf'. In response, I proceed to spill my guts to my readers and show off some photos of my boys, my daily inspirations.
The scent of fresh summer peaches at the market drove me so crazy that I bought bags and bags of them and for a whole week we consumed nothing but insanely good peach cobbler.
Oh, and I turned 30. I had one evening of mourning my twenties and then I was over it.



In September I listed my Top 10 Camping Foods from our end-of-summer family camp-out and we celebrated birthdays. Under the High Chair turned two and I invited everyone for a virtual dinner party which was well attended. Also Noah celebrated his third birthday and blew out the candles on a Banana Chocolate-Chip Cake with Maple Frosting.
This month I was in the kitchen making jam in preparation for my Jam, Jelly & Preserve Swap and our cat, Cassis, made an appearance on the blog. Hello Kitty!





In October an innocent post about everyday breakfast here at UtHC (hot oatmeal) generated one of the most enthusiastic responses to date; I suspect this was because I brought up the touchy issue of weight.... I harvested my garden, well, what I could see of it, as the weeds unfortunately reigned supreme in it this summer. (Watch out, weeds; next summer, it is ON!)
Thanksgiving was a production that inspired a mini blog series that just kept getting better and better: Sweet Onion Rolls, Turkey & Co, Side Dishes, and Desserts. For the first time, cooking took a backseat to photography as I played around with my early Christmas present from Danny: a Canon EOS Rebel XSi with a 28mm f/1.8 lens (nicknamed the 'sexy lens'). We attended back-to-back weddings and went apple picking several times so we could keep with our addiction to this Tonka Bean Apple Cake.


After an inspiring outing to a local pumpkin patch in November, I brought you a series of pumpkin recipe including brownies, muffins, cake and fudge and had fun playing around with the colorful squash. I also welcomed about twenty-five people to my first ever Jam Swap and stocked my pantry with two dozen varieties of decadent homemade jam. The exchange was a huge success and is sure to become an annual event.


December kicked off a baking session to be remembered and one of the busiest months of the year. Noah and I bonded over a snowflake cookie decorating session (favors for my mother-in-law's Christmas wedding). We kept the ovens hot and hardly left the kitchen as we turned out our traditional holiday gingerbread and baked dozens of cookies for my annual swap.
I had an epiphany about chocolate cake and tossed out an old standby recipe for a new Sour Cream Chocolate Cake. Another new recipe added to my repertoire was for traditional Panettone.

Then, in a flurry of snow and brisk winds, the holidays were upon us! Kicking off with a family wedding and finishing with a memorable New Years Eve, they flew by, as we sandwiched Christmas and nearly a week of parties in between.

So you'd better believe that I'm taking it easy today! There's still plenty of leftover party food to graze on and I've got nothing more ambitious planned than getting dressed. Hmm, too bad we finished the champagne last night!

Happy 2009 Everyone!