lundi 8 septembre 2014
mardi 24 juin 2014
Simple Beginnings
Buttered half lobster, barley cake, minted pea purée, red scallions
Spring Parfait
Rhubarb foam, strawberries, granola
Trout Mousse
Asparagus, morels, chiffonade of mixed herbs
dimanche 30 mars 2014
Home cooking is back in style this season.
St. Urbain Choucroute Garnie
Authenticity isn't everything. At some point, every dish in the repertoire transcended the authentic nature of its regional history and became something new - perhaps even something classic. Surely mimicry, when it comes to art, should be at first considered a gesture of homage, rather than one of theft. Great art inspires us to make art, the same way money inspires rich people to make more money. Being poor though, brings about its own luxuries, rich in frugality and hopefully comfort food. The Alsatian choucroute garnie is a great example of this. It epitomizes the most comforting of food for the poorest of nights. I imagine the dish in all its rich regional diversity being favoured when the weather is similar to tonight's forecast - windy and cold. I imagine a dark Sunday's walk through town, chin nuzzled deep in scarf, hoping to be greeted at the end of the day by a loving partner in an odorous kitchen. It is good solid comfort food that nourishes with integrity - a fermented vegetable, a preserved meat, a root on the side. It's timeless.
Well, I don't have a ham hock, or any traditional German sausages. I don't have any smoked salt lard, or Alsatian white wine. I have a few of those 'Italian style' sausages you can get just about anywhere in Montreal, some apples, some sauerkraut, one potato, a few leftover mushrooms, an onion, and a little bit of leftover white wine. I can't remember where the wine came from, it must be at least a few month's old, but I think it'll do.
This is a dish best cooked with your shirt off, perhaps a beer in hand (certainly not the vinegar wine you're cooking with). Try not to wince if any frying oil speckles your chest. It will ruin the dish and your integrity.
Get a pan nice and hot, hotter than you usually do, in a little bit of vegetable oil, fry your onion chopped into rustic lengths. Be sure to let it burn just a little bit. You want that exciting moment for an onion to occur, when about half of it seems to be caramelizing and half of it isn't even translucent, when that occurs add your sausages and mushrooms to the pan. I think great big oyster mushrooms - cut once are beautiful for this, but you could use any mushroom.
Mushrooms and apples are not an authentic part of this dish, as you probably know. The thing about mushrooms is that they are the Ultimate 'capital 'U'' comfort food for me. I can't think of many comforting dishes that don't go well with a bit of fried fungi or a last minute glug of truffle oil. Think about all your favourite late night dishes - now think of them on mushrooms- you see?
When parts of your mushrooms are changing colour and your sausages begin to let out some juice, add your apple, roughly chopped. While apples might seem a bit of a sweet twist to a classic dish, I may remind you of today's date. It is March 30th today and so apples as we know them, no longer taste sweet. The chopped apples in this dish, even when caramelized, taste tart and mimic sauerkraut more than fruit.
When you get that sense that it's time to deglaze, do so. Do you know what I mean by that sense? That feeling is so real, isn't it? It's hard to describe. It's almost as though it starts to feel dry in the room. The ingredients in the pan whisper their intention to no longer caramelize and sweat, but burn. They warn you of your contingent failure. That's when you reward them by bathing them in wine.
When everything seems yummy and reduced, add your sauerkraut until it's warm and then season.
I'm a bit of a nerd that way. I really like the idea of eating all that tummy nurturing bacteria raw. I wouldn't cook it. It would be so negligent to throw away all that microscopic prep work. Bacteria is like your home-kitchen commis.
Sprinkle with parsley and serve with lots of freshly ground pepper and mustard.
You can use expensive mustard that comes with a wax seal or you can go my route, ninety nine cent dep dijon. I dare you to taste the difference.
Authenticity isn't everything. At some point, every dish in the repertoire transcended the authentic nature of its regional history and became something new - perhaps even something classic. Surely mimicry, when it comes to art, should be at first considered a gesture of homage, rather than one of theft. Great art inspires us to make art, the same way money inspires rich people to make more money. Being poor though, brings about its own luxuries, rich in frugality and hopefully comfort food. The Alsatian choucroute garnie is a great example of this. It epitomizes the most comforting of food for the poorest of nights. I imagine the dish in all its rich regional diversity being favoured when the weather is similar to tonight's forecast - windy and cold. I imagine a dark Sunday's walk through town, chin nuzzled deep in scarf, hoping to be greeted at the end of the day by a loving partner in an odorous kitchen. It is good solid comfort food that nourishes with integrity - a fermented vegetable, a preserved meat, a root on the side. It's timeless.
Well, I don't have a ham hock, or any traditional German sausages. I don't have any smoked salt lard, or Alsatian white wine. I have a few of those 'Italian style' sausages you can get just about anywhere in Montreal, some apples, some sauerkraut, one potato, a few leftover mushrooms, an onion, and a little bit of leftover white wine. I can't remember where the wine came from, it must be at least a few month's old, but I think it'll do.
This is a dish best cooked with your shirt off, perhaps a beer in hand (certainly not the vinegar wine you're cooking with). Try not to wince if any frying oil speckles your chest. It will ruin the dish and your integrity.
Get a pan nice and hot, hotter than you usually do, in a little bit of vegetable oil, fry your onion chopped into rustic lengths. Be sure to let it burn just a little bit. You want that exciting moment for an onion to occur, when about half of it seems to be caramelizing and half of it isn't even translucent, when that occurs add your sausages and mushrooms to the pan. I think great big oyster mushrooms - cut once are beautiful for this, but you could use any mushroom.
Mushrooms and apples are not an authentic part of this dish, as you probably know. The thing about mushrooms is that they are the Ultimate 'capital 'U'' comfort food for me. I can't think of many comforting dishes that don't go well with a bit of fried fungi or a last minute glug of truffle oil. Think about all your favourite late night dishes - now think of them on mushrooms- you see?
When parts of your mushrooms are changing colour and your sausages begin to let out some juice, add your apple, roughly chopped. While apples might seem a bit of a sweet twist to a classic dish, I may remind you of today's date. It is March 30th today and so apples as we know them, no longer taste sweet. The chopped apples in this dish, even when caramelized, taste tart and mimic sauerkraut more than fruit.
When you get that sense that it's time to deglaze, do so. Do you know what I mean by that sense? That feeling is so real, isn't it? It's hard to describe. It's almost as though it starts to feel dry in the room. The ingredients in the pan whisper their intention to no longer caramelize and sweat, but burn. They warn you of your contingent failure. That's when you reward them by bathing them in wine.
When everything seems yummy and reduced, add your sauerkraut until it's warm and then season.
I'm a bit of a nerd that way. I really like the idea of eating all that tummy nurturing bacteria raw. I wouldn't cook it. It would be so negligent to throw away all that microscopic prep work. Bacteria is like your home-kitchen commis.
Sprinkle with parsley and serve with lots of freshly ground pepper and mustard.
You can use expensive mustard that comes with a wax seal or you can go my route, ninety nine cent dep dijon. I dare you to taste the difference.
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