I love pudding cakes. You take all the wonderful things about cake, heat it up and let the icing soak through the cake, giving a higher icing:cake ratio. You can't mess up the consistency of the icing since it's liquid, but it can turn into a gooey, caramel-y sauce when all you … [Read more...] about 100% Successful Pouding Chomeur
“It’s a Jambalaya-laya”: Spicy Lamb Sausage and Chicken
When I lived in Newfoundland my family billeted a choir from Louisiana. Two girls came to stay with us for a few weeks and as a thank-you, the choir threw a big Mardi Gras party for all the host families. That meant tons and tons of food that I'd never seen before. I'd heard of … [Read more...] about “It’s a Jambalaya-laya”: Spicy Lamb Sausage and Chicken
Candy Garlic and Salt-Roasted Zucchini With Deep-Fried Onions: Tiau
What the heck is a tiau? Nobody seems to know. I googled and googled, and then gave up and asked people, and still I have no satisfactory response. Chefs are always coming up with elaborate names for dishes, but I'm sure this one has a history. It's from Josée di Stasio's "A la … [Read more...] about Candy Garlic and Salt-Roasted Zucchini With Deep-Fried Onions: Tiau
One-Ingredient Ice Cream
Know those cookbooks that are called "5-Ingredient Dinners!"? It's the exclamation market that really does it for me - I don't get how people can get so excited by cream of mushroom soup, because inevitably Campbell's is called in to play in these poor excuses for well-rounded … [Read more...] about One-Ingredient Ice Cream
A New Farmers’ Market: Almost “Raw” Banana Cream Pie
You might think I'd be getting farmers' market-ed out by this point. How can I keep up my frenetic pace of purchasing fresh produce? Well, it's not like I buy a week's worth of groceries everywhere I go. I buy one or two items, and only what I need for specific recipes I have … [Read more...] about A New Farmers’ Market: Almost “Raw” Banana Cream Pie
The Peppermaster: Blueberry Miso Vinaigrette
I sampled every single maple- and dairy-free vinegar and sauce at the Peppermaster tent in the Plateau Farmers' Market. That's about 20 different condiments. Afterward, everything burned, and I hadn't liked any of the hot sauces at all, "peppermaster" though he self-proclaimedly … [Read more...] about The Peppermaster: Blueberry Miso Vinaigrette
Refried Beans: “Southwest Slow-Cooking”
How can you slow-cook refried beans? I have a cookbook I never use. Everyone has those, I know, but for me to own a cookbook and never use it there has to be something wrong with it. This one looks so beautiful. I had such high-hopes for it when I got it, but nothing that I've … [Read more...] about Refried Beans: “Southwest Slow-Cooking”
An Experience In Life: Tamale Pie With Chili-Cornmeal Crust
We all have those days, the ones when what should go perfectly smoothly turns into a disaster. I co-host a podcast on Midnight Poutine. It's kind of the highlight of my week. Probably better even than co-hosting the Friday Morning Show After on CKUT Radio (I have some audio … [Read more...] about An Experience In Life: Tamale Pie With Chili-Cornmeal Crust
Vietnamese Hmong Spicy Eggplant
I found a new, wonderful website. It's not new, but it's new to me: VietWorldKitchen. I was reading about pho', but then I saw this recipe, and it basically made my day. Maybe it was a slow day, but, oh, how I love eggplant. I didn't have any scallions or cilantro, and I only … [Read more...] about Vietnamese Hmong Spicy Eggplant
Finally! Home-Made Noodles in Home-Made Broth
There's something so comforting about noodle soup. I've ranted more than enough about the wonders of pho', the layer of fat, making the rich broth, browning or not browning bones, the hours of simmering, the straining, and the intensifying of flavour. I've also talked enough … [Read more...] about Finally! Home-Made Noodles in Home-Made Broth