I have two recipes for mango chicken. This is not my favourite, but it let me work on the insane task of chopping vegetables and meat into properly-sized pieces. This stands in opposition to my slice-and-dice method that usually wins out for meals that are cooked in a wok. It's … [Read more...] about Mango Chicken: “Simply Thai Cooking” by Wandee Young and Byron Ayanoglu
Loire Restaurant
Loire Restaurant 119 Harbord Street Toronto, ON ●●●●●●●●☺○○ 8 1/2 out of 10 French I've been cooking a lot from Josée di Stasio's ode to modern French/Québecois recipes and food traditions, "A la di Stasio" recently. I've also been fortunate to eat at some of Montreal's French … [Read more...] about Loire Restaurant
Rice for Mango Chicken
Put your hand in a bowl of rice grains and stir. Follow the rules. Carefully move the grains around with your chilled fingers until the water is milky. Drain it. Add more water and stir again. I do it all six times. No skimping. What reason do I have to rush? There's comfort in … [Read more...] about Rice for Mango Chicken
From Montreal With Love, Sweet Conclusions: Grapes Soaked in Port
Back when I was living in a shack in Northern Ontario, I met a Québecoise who told me about the wonder of frozen grapes. Simply pop some grapes in the freezer for a few hours or a few weeks (they don't get any MORE frozen...) and enjoy the pleasure of biting into the best … [Read more...] about From Montreal With Love, Sweet Conclusions: Grapes Soaked in Port
From Montreal With Love: Duck Confit, Part 3
Duck Confit on Salad with Thyme-Roasted Celeriac Ingredients: 8 duck legs 1 kg fat 1/3 cup kosher salt 1 tablespoon black peppercorns 2 bay leaves, crushed 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped Sprigs of fresh thyme It's true, it took me weeks of planning to find a large quantity … [Read more...] about From Montreal With Love: Duck Confit, Part 3
Duck Confit, Part 2: Artichokes a la Provencale
The table was set, the black olive tapenade was made, and the next step was to prepare the Artichokes a la Provencale. Apparently people from Provence drink a lot of dry vermouth. I'd actually never made fresh artichokes before, and I wasn't quite prepared for how prickly they … [Read more...] about Duck Confit, Part 2: Artichokes a la Provencale
Duck Confit, Part 1: Black Olive Tapenade
Here we go... The hors d'oeuvre for the great duck confit dinner was to be a black olive tapenade. Josée di Stasio's cookbook "A la di Stasio" offered only a handful of hors d'oeuvres options, and my first choice, Chicken Liver Mousse with Figs would have been too heavy since … [Read more...] about Duck Confit, Part 1: Black Olive Tapenade
Something was gonna get a-rendered…
Turns out I didn't have enough duck fat after all. Who knew 800mL wouldn't be enough? Certainly not Chef Rob Feenie, whose Gold Medal Plates cooking competition 1st prize-winning recipe I half-used for the duck confit. It only called for 2 cups of the stuff...thank goodness I … [Read more...] about Something was gonna get a-rendered…
Jhinga Aur Ghia (Shrimp with Zucchini): Madhur Jaffrey’s “Indian Cooking”
This was the last dish I prepared as part of the huge Indian meal I made for friends last week. This whole meal looked like this: (plus the yogurt and tomato relish), and here's everything put together into one rainbow of a plate: Chicken curry, yogurt, tomato relish, split … [Read more...] about Jhinga Aur Ghia (Shrimp with Zucchini): Madhur Jaffrey’s “Indian Cooking”
The Joy of Yam Saag
Yam Saag Potato Saag Okay, so I've done at least two other saag posts. Maybe three...it's getting excessive, I know. ...but I really, really love saag. I've made simple spinach saag, aloo saag with regular potatoes, a version with jerusalem artichokes or sunchokes (by … [Read more...] about The Joy of Yam Saag