I'm going to tell you the secret of why my Thanksgiving was successful, and it has only a little to do with alcohol. It has a lot to do with the secret powers of certain foods...such as Sichuan peppercorns... My whole idea for Thanksgiving was to have 10 friends over and ask … [Read more...] about Thanksgiving: Roasted 12 lb Turkey With Chocolate Sourdough and Dried Fruit Bread Stuffing…Spiked with Sichuan Peppercorns. Enough fusion for you?
Sambar — Take 2 (No, Not Samba. Wrong Continent)
I'm convinced that in Mexico you have to dance salsa when they make salsa, but what if the country of the food and the dance don't match? I'm not so foolish to believe that South Indians dance samba when they make sambar. In fact I'm sure they dance bhangra instead. God, I hope … [Read more...] about Sambar — Take 2 (No, Not Samba. Wrong Continent)
Vanilla Bean Green Gauge Plum Jam
These plums, I believe, are also called "Reine Claude". Claude must have loved them more than the purple ones. I can understand that. See, I bought vanilla beans... I went to Épices de Cru in Jean-Talon market and asked to smell the 7 kinds of vanilla beans they keep in large … [Read more...] about Vanilla Bean Green Gauge Plum Jam
Oven-Dried Tomatoes
So I figured I'd missed the Montreal "sun-drying" opportunity. Fortunately I've been dehydrating like mad and feel very comfortable with my oven door slightly ajar. When I bought expensive tomatoes from my farmer John to make sauce he told me not to make. He said they're too … [Read more...] about Oven-Dried Tomatoes
Honey-Grilled Nectarines
I only had two white nectarines left; I could have cried. They were a little starchy. It's the end of the summer, so there are really no more great white nectarines to be had until next summer. That's so long away. Months and months of cold - mind-numbing, finger-freezing, … [Read more...] about Honey-Grilled Nectarines
“Raw” Zucchini Noodle Pasta With Sun-Dried Tomato Spinach Cashew Sauce
I wanted to make zucchini noodles. It's basically impossible to find Quebec organic zucchini now. The season is over. If you see them it's unnatural, and it reminds me of strawberries in December (not jam), but I bought them anyway because I wanted to make zucchini noodles, and I … [Read more...] about “Raw” Zucchini Noodle Pasta With Sun-Dried Tomato Spinach Cashew Sauce
Amazing Slow-Cooker or Stove-Top Tomato Sauce (With Parmesan or Raw Cashew Cheese)
Sounds a bit Dickensian, doesn't it? "It was the best of dishes, it was the worst of dishes". Here's what happened: I made the most amazing tomato sauce. I'm serious. If you were me and I was you I would marry you for this tomato sauce. Honestly the best tomato sauce I've ever … [Read more...] about Amazing Slow-Cooker or Stove-Top Tomato Sauce (With Parmesan or Raw Cashew Cheese)
Another Chili Sauce (‘Rooster’ Style Sriracha Sauce), But This Time With Mold…Trust Me
THAT was a whole lot of slicing. The recipe didn't say anything about taking the seeds out, but I'm not into chilies for the pain; I'm in it for the flavour, so I stripped those seeds out, piece by piece. It took an age and I think a day later I still had chili pepper on my hands … [Read more...] about Another Chili Sauce (‘Rooster’ Style Sriracha Sauce), But This Time With Mold…Trust Me
The Triumphant Return of the “Free Gazette” Man!
"Have a Gazette! Wipe your windows!" I smiled. He was back... "Make fire!" ...and in fine form, it seemed, which reminds me that it's Hallowe'en, which in turn means that I should be canning every last fruit and vegetable that I can get my hands on before Montreal goes … [Read more...] about The Triumphant Return of the “Free Gazette” Man!
South Indian Sambar: Tamarind, Lentils and Spices
I love making recipes when I don't need to go buy any ingredients. It's only kind of fair because I happen to have a lot of weird ingredients that normal people don't usually stock in their kitchens (chana dal, asafoetida, curry leaves, and even soaked and sieved tamarind in my … [Read more...] about South Indian Sambar: Tamarind, Lentils and Spices