Salted Caramel Chocolate Cookies

Ok, these may be the yummiest cookies I've had in a while. I think I ate like five of them yesterday, plus enough raw cookie dough for a least another one. SO good!

The cookies are super easy to make, but involve slightly more foresight than many of my other recipes because you need to chill the cookie dough in the fridge for an hour or so before shaping and baking. Also, I don't normally have Rolo on hand in the house (well, probably because I would eat it all!), so I had to buy some before I could make this recipe.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cookies
Adapted from this recipe on sallysbakingaddiction.com
Yield: about 30 cookies
Print recipe

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbsp milk
1/2 cup chocolate chips
30 Rolos
coarse salt

1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.


2. Add egg and vanilla. Scrape down bowl as needed.


3. In a separate bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together. Add to butter and egg mixture and mix just until combined.


4. Add milk and chocolate chips. Mix just until combined.


5. Dough will be thick and sticky. Chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.


6. Preheat oven to 350F.


7. Remove dough from refrigerator. Take 1 large tablespoon of dough and place a Rolo in the center of the dough. Cover with dough so the caramel is securely stuffed inside and round into a ball.


8. Flatten slightly and place on parchment lined baking sheet, about 1 inch apart.


9. Sprinkle each cookie with coarse salt before placing in oven.


10. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Cookies will be very soft and appear underdone.


11. Let cool at least 10 minutes on baking sheet and then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Hummus

Another healthy-eating thing I've been trying is eating raw one day a week. It hasn't been too hard so far - smoothie for breakfast, crudites for lunch, and a salad for dinner, with fruits or nuts as snacks whenever I get hungry. I made hummus to dip the veggies in at lunch, and while it may not be technically raw, it's close enough for me.

Hummus
Adapted from Fresh at Home
Yield: 2-3 servings
Print recipe

1 can chickpeas
2 cloves garlic, roasted
1 tbsp tahini
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water

1. In a blender, puree all ingredients.


2. Add more water if necessary to achieve desired consistency.

Curried Dal

I've been trying to eat healthier recently and part of that is trying to eat more vegetarian meals. I have made a few recipes from a book called Fresh at Home, Everyday Vegetarian Cooking, and it has some tasty vegetarian ideas. I love curry and have made lentil curry before, but I really enjoy this recipe.

This recipe calls for red lentils, but you can also use yellow lentils or white lentils or a combination of the three. Lentils are easy to digest and are low in calories and high in protein and fibre. This dal can be enjoyed as a soup on its own or poured over rice. You could also add more vegetables such as spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, or eggplant.

Curried Dal
Adapted from Fresh at Home
Yield: 4-6 servings
Print recipe

2 tbsp canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp ginger, minced
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup red lentils
4 cups vegetable stock
1 can coconut milk
green onion or cilantro to garnish

1. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat.


2. Add onion, carrot, garlic, and ginger and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.


3. Add spices and cook for 30 seconds.


4. Add lentils, stock, and coconut milk. Simmer for 20 minutes or until lentils are soft.


5. Garnish with green onions and/or cilantro and serve.

Apple Brownie

Wow, I haven't posted on here in way too long!

I've been trying out some new recipes recently and realized that I don't really have a good recipe storage system. I find recipes in all different places - cookbooks, websites, etc. - and I usually change them up a little bit, and then of course the next time I want to make it, I cant remember either where I got it or what changes I made! So I think I will try to get back to posting recipes here. I don't have pictures for everything at this point, but I will take some when I make these things again and then add the pictures.

These apple brownies are super easy to make. The hardest part is peeling and dicing the apple, which is not hard at all. I probably got them into the oven in about 10 minutes. And of course they are super delicious!

Apple Brownie
Adapted from this Martha Stewart recipe
Yield: 1 8x8 square pan, or 9 2.5-inch squares
Print recipe

1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1 firm-sweet apple, peeled, cored, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350F.


2. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment, leaving a slight overhang on all sides.


3. In a mixing bowl, combine butter, sugar, and egg and whisk until pale, about 2 minutes.


4. Add walnuts and apples and mix slightly.


5. In a small bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to mixture and stir in just until combined.


6. Scrape batter into pan and bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.


7. Cool completely.

Caramels with Himalayan Pink Sea Salt

I have wanted to make caramels for a long time. When I was visiting Toronto, my mom had left me a book with a recipe for caramels and thye didn't look too hard. So as soon as I got home, one of the first things I made was the caramels.

They took a long time (about an hour) because I had the stove on pretty low, but I think cooking it slowly yielded a great result. The caramels were the perfect texture - soft and chewy - and a beautiful caramel colour. A sprinkling of Himalayan pink sea salt on top added a lot to the taste as well.

I also individually wrapped each square in wax paper, so they were very cute and easy to give away. The only thing I'm not sure about is the storage temperature - some of them peeled away easily from the wax, but other ones stuck a little bit.

Future caramel ideas - flavoured caramels, like lavender or raspberry, chocolate caramels, or chocolate-covered caramels. Mmmm.

Caramels with Pink Sea Salt
Adapted from Miette
Yield: 64 1-inch squares
Print recipe

1 1/2 cup whipping cream
1 1/4 cup whole milk
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup corn syrup
3 tbsp water
Himalayan sea salt, for sprinkling

1. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment, leaving a slight overhang on all sides.


2. In a medium pot, combine cream, milk, sugar, brown sugar, salt, butter, corn syrup, and water.


3. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pot.


4. Place over medium-low heat and cook, whisking occasionally, until the mixture 246F, 45-60 minutes.


5. Once mixture reaches the correct temperature, remove from heat and pour into prepared pan.


6. Let cool for 15 minutes and then sprinkle with sea salt.


7. Let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate pan for 30-90 minutes, until set.


8. Lift caramel out of pan using parchment paper handles. Place on waxed paper on top of a cutting board.


9. Measure 1-inch intervals and then cut the caramel into 1-inch squares.


10. Wrap each caramel in a square of waxed paper and twist both ends. Store in an airtight container for up to 10 days.

Turkish Lentil Soup

A lot has changed since the last time I posted. I quit Hawksworth. I got into the pastry program at VCC and I start classes on Monday. We were supposed to take a trip to France, but ended up in Turkey and Croatia instead. We had a wonderful time exploring countries we didn't know much about and of course eating some local cuisine. My favourite new food that we found in Turkey was lentil soup. It's thick and filling and a little bit spicy - so delicious. I found a recipe and I think it's a pretty good first attempt at recreating the Turkish version.

Turkish Lentil Soup
Adapted from this recipe on wholefoodsmarket.com
Yield: 4-6 servings
Print recipe

2 tbsp butter
1 large onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup red lentils
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
salt and pepper, to taste

1. In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat.


2. Add onion, carrot, and garlic, and sweat with a pinch of salt until onions are translucent, 8 to 10 minutes.


3. Add tomato paste, cumin and cayenne. Stir to combine.


4. Add lentils, broth, and water, and bring to a boil.


5. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are tender and lentils begin to fall apart, about 25 minutes.


6. Remove pot from heat and use an immersion blender to blend soup until it is creamy but not completely puréed.


7. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve with a lemon wedge to garnish, if desired.

Smores

I wanted to make a second thing for A to bring to his work function, thinking I would try out a new cookie recipe. But I was working at the hockey game yesterday and the pastry girl had made marshmallows, and I decided that's what I wanted to do. I told her my plan and she suggested that I made smores instead. Brilliant. So I made a basic graham cracker crust, covered it with ganache, and then placed the marshmallows on top. If I had a torch, I would probably try brulee-ing the tops of the marshmallow to give it that toasted taste. Delicious.

Marshmallow
Adapted from this recipe on cookingforengineers.com
Yield: 1 9x13 pan or 36 1.5x2.25 inch bars
Print recipe

icing sugar, for dusting
3 tbsp gelatin
1/2 cup water
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Prepare a 9x13 glass dish by greasing it with butter and sifting icing sugar over the bottom and sides of pan.


2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine gelatin and 1/2 cup water. Let bloom for 10 minutes.


3. In the meantime, in a pot, combine sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water.


4. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil. Allow to boil until temperature passes 250F.


5. Turn mixer on at low speed, and drizzle in hot sugar.


6. Once all syrup is mixed in, turn mixer to medium-high speed, and add salt.


7. Continue mixing for 8 to 10 minutes. Once volume of marshmallow has stopped increasing, add vanilla or other flavouring (I also added almond extract).


8. Pour marshmallow into prepared pan. Use a buttered rubber spatula to spread mixture.


9. Let marshmallow cool and set for 4 hours or overnight.


10. Turn out onto a cutting board dusted with icing sugar. Using a pizza wheel, section the marshmallows into desired shapes. Dredge each piece in icing sugar.


11. Store in airtight container.

Ginger Cake

I made this ginger cake last week. I was looking through the Joy of Cooking for new recipes and was captured by the description of this cake: "Some of the best cooks we know sweat by versions of this cake. The large quantity of fresh ginger (don't be afraid) and the absence of other spices produces a sophisticated cake." The recipe called for 1/2 cup of ginger, but I found it a bit too ginger-y. I made it again today, for A to bring to a work function tomorrow, and reduced the ginger to 1/3 cup, and I think it turned out much better. It is a really easy cake to make, and I think the description calling it "sophisticated" is perfect.

Ginger Cake
Adapted from Joy of Cooking
Yield: 1 8x8 square pan, or 9 2.5-inch squares
Print recipe

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup honey
1 egg
1/3 cup finely minced ginger
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350F.


2. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment, leaving a slight overhang on all sides.


3. In a small pot, combine butter and water and heat until butter is melted.


4. In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, molasses, honey, and egg. Add ginger and whisk to combine.


5. Whisk butter mixture into molasses mixture.


6. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to molasses mixture and stir in just until smooth.


7. Scrape batter into pan and bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. 


8. Cool completely.

Fromage Frais

I had a really fun weekend making fromage frais. My mom bought me a cheesemaking book and I've been looking forward to trying some recipes from it for a while. We spent Saturday shopping for rennet, a coagulant, and for the bacterial culture, which we ended up finding at Les Amis du Fromage, which we had never been to before, but were impressed by - we'll definitely go back to buy cheese another time.

The recipe was really easy - it only took about 10 minutes to do. The milk had to sit out at room temperature for about 12 hours, so Sunday morning before work, I drained it into cheesecloth. It wasn't really like the ricotta or paneer I had made before, where the curds separate visibly from the whey. I poured the entire pot into the cheesecloth, and it seemed very watery. I wasn't quite sure how it was going to turn out, but I was really excited to come home from work to find it had set up perfectly. I was happy.

I haven't quite had time to figure out what to do with it yet because on Monday I got really sick. I'll post some pictures once I make something with the cheese. But I will definitely be making more cheese in the future, maybe some goat's cheese, if I can find goat's milk, and feta one day soon too.

Fromage Frais
From 200 Easy Homemade Cheese Recipes
Yield: 1L
Print recipe

4L whole milk
1/4 tsp aroma or mesophilic culture
2 drops liquid rennet
kosher salt

1. In a large pot, warm milk over medium heat to 77F (25C), stirring gently to prevent scorching. Remove from heat.


2. Sprinkle culture over surface of milk and let stand about 5 minutes to rehydrate.


3. Using a skimmer and an up-and-down motion, gently draw culture down into milk without breaking surface of milk.


4. Dilute rennet in 1 tablespoon of cool water. 


5. Add diluted rennet to milk. Using same up-and-down motion, draw rennet down into milk until well blended.


6. Cover and let set at room temperature in a draft-free location for 12 hours.


7. Using a skimmer, ladle curd into a cloth-lined colander and let drain. The draining will take several hours, depending on how firm you want your final product to be.


8. Remove cheese from cloth and place in a bowl. Weigh cheese, then add 1% of the weight in salt.


9. Store in the coldest part of the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Broccoli, Cheddar, and Quinoa Soup

My mom bought me a book of quinoa recipes that I have been excited to try. I finally made a couple of things last night, but the only one of the three that I liked was this soup. You don't really even notice the quinoa in the soup, so it's a super easy way to add nutrition to a meal. And with the weather cooling down, the soup is a perfect way to keep warm.



Broccoli, Cheddar, and Quinoa Soup
Adapted from Quinoa 365
Yield: 4-6 servings
Print recipe

3 cups broccoli florets
1 tbsp butter
1 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup quinoa
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
salt and pepper, to taste

1. In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat.


2. Add onion and saute until soft, about 10 minutes.


3. Add broccoli, quinoa, and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes.


4. Puree with a hand blender or food processor.


5. Add cream and season with salt and pepper.


6. While soup is hot, stir in cheese until just melted. Serve immediately.

Potato Salad

I've been meaning to post this recipe for a long time now. I made this summery potato salad a few times over the bbq season. You can add any vegetables you like, but I used red nugget potatoes, yellow and green beans, tomatoes, and baby carrots. Blanch all the vegetables separately (besides the tomatoes of course) and cut into bite-sized pieces before combining.



Potato Salad Dressing
Yield: 1 1/2 cups
Print recipe

1 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp prepared pesto
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
fresh dill, to taste
fresh parsley, chopped, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste

1. In a bowl, combine all ingredients.


2. Toss with vegetables.

Back in the Kitchen

It's been a while since I posted anything on here. It's definitely been a strange few weeks.

I started at Hawksworth a few weeks ago, and it was incredibly exciting. Every day, I was learning something new, tasting delicious food, and just soaking in everything about opening a restaurant. The days were really long, and I would come home exhausted, but really happy.

I was working nights for the first two weeks, and I eventually got assigned to be the assistant for the hot appetizer station at dinner. There was some great food on that station, like scallops in house-made XO sauce and sweetbreads cooked in bacon fat and maple syrup, so I was looking forward to learning all those dishes. But somehow things would never quite work out and I would end up helping with some other job or station, so it was a little bit frustrating at times, feeling like I wasn't really learning the station I was assigned to and thus not really feeling like I was doing a good job.

I was still really enjoying the whole experience, until the second night of soft openings when Chef Hawksworth talked to me and told me that I was going to not be working for a few weeks. I had been assigned to be one of the breakfast cooks and to save on labour costs, the restaurant wasn't going to serve breakfast until closer to the hotel opening, scheduled for some point later in the summer. It was a bit of a blow. I had always kind of expected to be assigned to breakfast, but I had gotten so used to working at night and with the team at night, who are pretty amazing cooks, and the prospect of not working for a few weeks had me a little disappointed.

It ended up working out not so badly. I worked a number of Canucks playoff games, which are always a lot of fun, and I went to bartending school on my days off, which was something I had been thinking about doing anyway. I also got more used to the idea of breakfast and the perks that went along with that - getting my own station instead of being someone's assistant and thus getting to actually cook instead of doing prep all day, and also getting to enjoy the summer at little bit since I'd be done work in the early afternoon.

So yesterday was my first day back in the Hawksworth kitchen after three and a half weeks away. It felt really good to be back. And things are pretty exciting - we're learning the breakfast menu and experimenting with new recipes. It also feels good to actually be working. It's strange how different life is when you don't have a job - free time is great, but having less of it makes you appreciate it more I guess. The only downside is starting work at 5am. I am definitely not used to that yet. I probably won't really ever be used to it.

We have our first brunch service this weekend, nothing next week, brunch again next weekend, and then we are open for breakfast every day starting next Monday. I'm looking forward to all of it.

Mexican Wedding Cakes

These are my new favourite cookies. They are buttery and crumbly and really easy to make.


Mexican Wedding Cakes
Adapted from this Martha Stewart recipe
Yield: 3 dozen
Print recipe

1 1/2 cup pecans
1 1/2 cup flour
3/8 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, cut into small cubes
1 cup icing sugar

1. In a food processor, combine pecans, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal.


2. Add butter and pulse until a dough forms.


3. Shape dough into a disc and wrap tightly in plastic. Refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.


4. Preheat oven to 325F.


5. Remove dough from refrigerator. Pinch off about 1 tbsp of dough and roll into balls. Place on parchment lined baking sheet, about 1 inch apart.


6. Bake about 20 minutes or until the cookies are just golden at the edges.


7. Cool for 5 minutes on sheets, and then cool completely on racks.


8. Roll cooled cookies in icing sugar twice to coat thoroughly.

Chocolate Mint Cookies

Today was my first official day at Hawksworth. Basically, it was just a safety orientation because the hotel is still a construction zone. We actually had to wear hard hats throughout the session, and we got scolded from some of the construction guys for not having steel-toed shoes. We got to see the kitchen, which is looking good. Lots of nice, new equipment. The pans are all Le Creuset, pretty and blue. The team is really young, and I know a couple of people, which is a bit of a relief. We get to start in the kitchen tomorrow, testing recipes and whatnot, while they assess our skill sets to figure out where we'll work when the restaurant opens. I wasn't too excited before because I was so nervous, but now that I've seen the kitchen and the people and the menu, I'm definitely starting to get into it more.

Anyway, I had most of the day off, so I figured I should do some cooking at home. I haven't been baking too much and I kind of had a craving for something sweet, so I started looking up some cookie recipes. I was thinking about the Brussels cookies from Pepperidge Farm that I used to eat when I was a kid (there were mint Brussels back then), and decided I wanted chocolate mint cookies. No one seems to have any recipes to replicate the Brussels cookies, so a quick google search on chocolate mint cookies took me to Oprah's recipe for her version of the Girl Guide chocolate mint cookies, which I also love. Perfect.

They have a very similar taste to the Girl Guide cookies, but I didn't coat them in chocolate (too lazy), so it's missing a bit of charm. They also spread a lot more than I anticipated, so perhaps next time, I would make the log a little bit smaller, probably more like 1 inch.


Chocolate Mint Cookies
Adapted from this Oprah recipe
Yield: 3 dozen
Print recipe

3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
5/8 cup sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, cut into small cubes
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp peppermint extract

1. Combine flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in bowl of food processor or stand mixer. Mix to combine.


2. Add butter. Mix until butter is combined. Mixture will not come together.


3. Add the egg yolk, vanilla, and peppermint and mix until dough comes together.


4. Remove dough from bowl and shape into a 1-inch wide log.


5. Wrap in parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.


6. Preheat oven to 350F.


7. Remove dough from refrigerator. Cut into 1/4-inch discs and place on parchment lined baking sheet, about 1 inch apart.


8. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until the cookies are light golden brown at the edges. Cool completely on racks.


9. Can also be coated in tempered chocolate.

Spinach and Tomatoes with Paneer

My mom was in town for a visit and of course we did some Indian cooking while she was here. One night, we made a vegetarian dinner that included spinach and tomatoes with paneer. We used an updated paneer recipe from Vij's second book, and it is actually a lot better in both texture and taste than the recipe I previously posted.

Spinach and Tomatoes with Paneer
Adapted from Vij's At Home
Yield: 4-6 servings, as a side dish
Print recipe

1/3 cup vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3/4 can diced tomatoes, liquid removed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp ground cumin
1/2 tbsp ground coriander
5 cloves
1 tsp cayenne pepper
10 oz paneer, cut into bite-size cubes
3 bunches fresh spinach, chopped into 1-inch pieces

1. In a large pot, heat oil on medium heat for 1 minute.


2. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds.


3. Stir in tomatoes.


4. Add salt, turmeric, cumin, coriander, cloves, and cayenne. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the oil glistens on top.


5. Stir in paneer and spinach and mix well.


6. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until spinach is wilted.

Paneer
Adapted from Vij's At Home
Yield: 10 oz
Print recipe

1/2 cup water
2L whole milk
1/4 cup white vinegar

1. Place water in a large heavy-bottomed pan.


2. Slowly add milk.


3. Turn the heat to medium and bring the milk to a boil. This will probably take about 20 to 30 minutes.


4. As the milk nears the boiling point, watch it very carefully with vinegar in hand.


5. The milk will start to rise in the pot. Once it has risen 3 inches, turn off the heat.


6. Swirl in the vinegar (do not stir in). The milk will stop rising, and solids will begin to separate from the liquid. Allow mixture to sit for 10 minutes until the liquid is completely separated from the solids.


7. Line a fine-mesh sieve with triple-layered cheesecloth and place it in the sink.


8. Strain the milk mixture through the cheesecloth, leaving the paneer in the sieve for about 15 minutes to drain completely.


9. Using your hands, gather the edges of the cheesecloth, bringing them together above the paneer. Enclose paneer tightly in the cheesecloth by twisting the gathered edges against the paneer to seal out any air. Tie the gathered ends into a double knot.


10. Place wrapped paneer on a large plate with a weight on top to flatten the paneer to about 2 inches thick, pressing out any remaining water. Allow paneer to sit for 1 hour.


11. Unwrap paneer and place on clean plate. With a large sharp knife, cut paneer as desired.


12. Can be used right away or can be kept, uncut and tightly sealed, in plastic wrap or resealable plastic bag, refrigerated for up to 4 days.

P.S. Happy Birthday D!
P.P.S I start at Hawksworth tomorrow - SO nervous!

Ricotta

At Raincity Grill, one of the first things I learned was that you can make ricotta. And that it's super easy.

We made paneer at home a while back and it's actually very similar. Basically, all you do is take some whole milk and buttermilk, warm it up until the milk solids separate, and then strain. It turns out more dry than the ricotta you can buy in the store (though apparently you can control the consistency of the cheese by the length of time you drain it - for a drier ricotta drain for 15 minutes or more, for a ricotta that is a bit creamier, drain for less). It's also somewhat bland so you need to season it with salt for savoury applications, but I think it's really fun to make, and tasty too.

I used the cheese in a spinach and ricotta cannelloni, but I wasn't very happy with how it turned out, so I'll perfect the cannelloni recipe before I post it.

Ricotta
Yield: 500mL
Print recipe

2L whole milk
2 cups buttermilk

1. Place milk and buttermilk in a large heavy-bottomed pan.


2. Turn the heat to medium. After 10 to 15 minutes, the solids will start to separate from the liquid.




3. Once the mixture reaches 175F, turn off the heat.


4. Line a fine-mesh sieve with triple-layered cheesecloth and place it in the sink.


5. Strain the milk mixture through the cheesecloth, leaving the ricotta in the sieve for about 15 to 20 minutes to drain completely.




6. Season to taste. Can be used right away or can be kept, in an airtight container, refrigerated for up to 4 days.

Rabbit with Mustard

When we were at Cioffi's the other day, we also bought a whole rabbit. I think I've eaten rabbit once before, in Quebec, when I was younger, but I didn't really remember it, so I was excited to try it again, and cook it myself.

I opened up the package, slightly surprised to find a whole rabbit, so I had to butcher the rabbit myself. I didn't really have any idea what I was doing, but I managed to cut it into six reasonable pieces, four legs and two loins. I braised the meat, and while the sauce was really delicious, the meat ended up somewhat tough. I don't know exactly how it's supposed to be, but I think it could definitely be more moist. I'll have to try it again.


Rabbit with Mustard
Adapted from Joy of Cooking
Yield: 2 servings
Print recipe

1 rabbit, cut into 6-8 pieces
1/3 cup dijon mustard
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup onion or shallot, chopped
1 cup white wine
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tbsp chopped chives
1 tbsp lemon juice

1. Mix the dijon mustard and thyme leaves in a small bowl.


2. Generously brush it over each piece of rabbit. Season with salt and pepper.


3. In a large pot with a lid, heat oil over medium heat.


4. Add the rabbit pieces and lightly brown on both sides.


5. Remove meat and reduce heat to medium-low.


6. Add the onions or shallots to the pan and cook until lightly browned, 1 or 2 minutes.


7. Add wine, stock, and cream. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.


8. Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes.


9. Return rabbit to pan, cover, and cook gently until tender but still moist, about 45 minutes.


10. Remove rabbit from sauce, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce until sauce is reduced to about 2 cups.


11. Add parsley, chives, and lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Brioche

I've always wanted to make brioche. It's a rich, egg-y, delicious bread, and perfect for French toast.


Brioche
Adapted from Joy of Cooking
Yield: 1 loaf
Print recipe

2 1/4 tsp dry active yeast
1/3 cup whole milk, warmed to 105F-115F
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp whole milk
1 tsp salt
1 3/4 cup bread flour
3/4 cup butter, softened

1. Combine the yeast and warm milk in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let stand until yeast is dissolved, about 5 minutes.


2. Add the all-purpose flour, eggs, sugar, remaining milk, and salt. Mix on low speed.


3. Gradually stir in the bread flour. Mix until all ingredients are blended.


4. Knead with the dough hook on low to medium speed for 7 to 10 minutes until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl.


5. Add butter and knead vigorously until butter is completely incorporated and the dough is once again smooth.


6. Transfer dough to a buttered bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place (75F-80F) until doubled in volume, about 90 minutes.


7. Punch the dough down, knead briefly, and refrigerate, covered, for 4 to 12 hours.


8. Divide the dough into four equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and let rest for 10 minutes.


9. Stand the balls in a buttered loaf pan so they are touching.


10. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, and dough fills the pan, about 1 hour.


11. Preheat the oven to 375F.


12. Bake until golden brown and a knife inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 30 minutes.


13. Let cool slightly, then move loaf to a rack to cool completely.

Osso Bucco

We had the best dinner last night. We found this new butcher, Cioffi's, and they have the most amazing selection - whole ducks, rendered duck fat, foie gras, any cut of veal or beef or pork - basically a cook's dream. We bought some veal shanks to make osso bucco, which I served with saffron risotto. I wish I took a picture of the meal because it was probably the best one I've made in a while.

Osso Bucco
Adapted from Joy of Cooking
Yield: 2 servings
Print recipe

2 veal shanks
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup carrots, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, mashed
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup parsley stems
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp lemon zest

1. Preheat oven to 325F.


2. Pat dry shanks and season with salt and pepper.


3. In a Dutch oven with a lid, heat oil over medium-high heat.


4. Add the shanks and brown well on both sides.


5. Remove shanks and add carrots, celery, onion, garlic, bay leaves, parsley, and thyme. Cook until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.


6. Return shanks to pan. Add wine and stock. The liquid should reach about halfway up the shanks.


7. Increase the heat to high, bring to a boil, cover with a lid, then place in the oven.


8. Braise for one hour. Turn shanks over. Add more chicken stock if needed to keep liquid level halfway up shanks.


9. Braise for another hour or until the meat is tender is offers no resistance when pierced with a knife.


10. Meanwhile, prepare the gremolata by mixing together the parsley, garlic, and lemon zest.


11. When veal is cooked, add the gremolata and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Fish and Chips

Done school. It was rough for a few days, but I'm finally more relaxed, and motivated to start cooking again. First dish up - fish and chips.

We used cod, which I think I don't really like, so the fish wasn't my favourite part of the meal. But I LOVED the chips with the tartar sauce.


Beer Batter
Yield: 6-8 pieces of fish
Print recipe

1/2 tsp yeast
2 tbsp warm water
1/2 bottle room-temperature beer
2/3 cup flour

1. In a bowl, combine the yeast and water. Let sit for about 5 minutes until the yeast is dissolved.


2. Add the beer and flour. Whisk to combine.


3. Let rest in a warm place for about 30 minutes before using.

Tartar Sauce
Yield: 1 cup
Print recipe

1 egg yolk
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp capers, chopped
1/4 cup gherkins, chopped
1 tbsp chives, chopped
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp worcestershire sauce

1. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, mustard, and vinegar.


2. Using a hand blender, slowly drizzle in the oil. If the mayonnaise gets too thick, add a little bit of water.


3. Fold in the remaining ingredients and season to taste.

Wedge Chips
Yield: 2-3 servings
Print recipe

5 russet potatoes
oil for frying
salt, to taste

1. Peel potatoes and cut each potato into six wedges.


2. Rinse wedges. Place in simmering water. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until just tender. Cool.


3. Preheat oil to 360F. Carefully place half the wedges into the oil. Fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes.


4. Season with salt immediately. Keep warm in the oven while frying the second batch.