Crab Spaghettini with Chili

This has been an extremely busy week at our house.

We had a baby on Wednesday morning. Yes, you read that right. We had a baby. Wednesday. Our darling, Jack, arrived safely on his actual due date after a rather brief but arduous delivery. While my husband and I braced ourselves (mentally) for the long sleepless nights and the crying fits, nothing could have prepared us for the intense euphoria and joy of meeting your child for the first time. While it is tiring, it is certainly not without its rewards. Ah parenthood...

Now onto the business at hand...

As frazzled and tired as we are, we have still managed to cobble a couple of meals together. At times it can be a challenge, but I think the key is a well-stocked kitchen and a couple of "go to" recipes that you can quickly put together.

One of our classic standbys is this simple pasta dish. If you have time to boil water, you have time to make this delicious dish. While crab can be a little spendy, if you think about it balanced against one night of ordering in, it's still a pretty cost effective meal and makes an everyday meal slightly special.

Crab Spaghettini with Chili

1 lb pasta - long thinish noodles like spaghettini, spaghetti or linguine

4 tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves, minced finely
1/2 tsp chili flakes
1/2 c grape or cherry tomatoes
1 lb crab meat*
1 large lemon, zested & juiced
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill

parmesan reggiano

1. Boil water & prepare pasta according to package's instructions.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large sauce pan. Once bubbly, saute garlic and chili flakes until garlic is softened. Do not brown. Add tomatoes until softened then add crab meat. Break up crab into loose chunks
3. Once the pasta is al dente, drain immediately and add to a large pasta serving bowl. Set aside at least 1 c of pasta water.
4. Add prepared crab mixture on top of pasta and toss with lemon juice, zest and dill until well coated. Add additional pasta water to loosen if required. Add salt & pepper to taste. Finely grate parmesan on top and serve immediately.

*you can prepare your own crabs, but honestly, I buy the refrigerated picked crab meat. It's delicious and saved me alot of time...

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It's Cold and Wet Outside, Let's Get Gnudi

I woke up to a miserable day in front of me. I drew open my bedroom drapes only to find most of the leaves that hung on the tree in front of our house had fallen overnight and wrapped our car in a soggy auburn blanket. Rain lashed at our windows and the wind howled and shook the remaining leaves from the trees. Today was not a day to venture outside but to hide away from the world with a cozy rustic lunch.

Pumpkins and autumn go hand in hand. When I walk down our street and see all the pumpkins sitting on our neighbors' porches, I think about pumpkin in all its delicious edible forms: pie, soup, ravioli, muffins, risotto, etc. I had have a craving for pumpkin ravioli these days but I was not in the right frame of mind to wring out my own pasta or run out and even pick some up.... today was the day I made a meal out of the contents from my fridge. After a quick perusal, I decided I could make pumpkin gnudi (pronounced: nude-y) instead.

Gnudi is an Italian dish very similar to gnocchi with the exception of one key ingredient: fresh ricotta instead of potato. The difference is all texture: instead of a dense, hearty bite of a gnocchi, a gnudi is a light and pillowy cloud. Think of it as ravioli filling without the pasta exterior. It is delicious and light tasting but is quite filling and satisfying especially on a rainy autumn day.

Pumpkin Gnudi with Brown Butter



Serves 4 as a side or 6 as an appetizer
1 lb fresh ricotta
2 large eggs
1.5c packed pumpkin
1 c freshly grated parmesan* (plus more for garnish)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground sage
1.5c all purpose flour

1/4 c unsalted butter

Mix ricotta with eggs and pumpkin, parmesan, salt, nutmeg, and sage until fully incorporated and batter is a soft orange colour. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. (Keep in mind that you will be cooking this in salted water.)

Add flour bit by bit & stir until batter is firm but not stiff. (You may need to add more flour, if necessary.)

In a pot of boiling salted water, spoon batter into water. Though time-consuming, I usually test the first one for flavour and make any adjustments before I proceed further. With the incorporation of flour, the flavours sometimes fade and only through cooking will you know for sure.

Continue to add gnudis, being careful not to overcrowd the pot. Resist against making large drops into the water. (I found the larger the gnudi, the longer the cooking time and it is certainly possible that the gnudi is not fully cooked, resulting in a floury, pasty taste.) The gnudi takes only several minutes to cook (allow it to float to the top and allow for another two minutes or so.) Drain well.

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat until it butter turns into a nutty brown colour. Carefully add drained gnudi to the pan and toss gently. Cook for another five minutes until crisp on the outside.

Garnish with parmesan shavings and serve immediately.

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My Birthday Meal

Birthdays only roll around once a year and regardless of how you choose to celebrate it, I believe on the day of your birth you should have a special meal. It doesn't have to be at restaurant and it doesn't have to be fancy, but it should be something special.

For my birthday this year, I had a real longing for mac and cheese, not the instant, out of the box kind but the al dente pasta smothered in a sharp but creamy cheese sauce with a crusty, crisp exterior. I have been craving it for months but couldn't really justify the calories except on this day. Since it was a birthday meal, I decided to go all out by creating something rather splendid, full fat flavour to be enjoyed hungrily without a moment’s regret. A meal that I could recall throughout the rest of the year and think to myself, "Now, that was dinner!" It had to be a version of macaroni and cheese that was not just indulgent but also exquisite.

The "something" I added to this mac and cheese for my birthday meal was lobster. It isn't something I get to eat very often and its inclusion really brings something special to this humble dish. If you don't want to use lobster, I think this would work well with lump crab meat, or bay scallops. (Or no seafood at all! It's still delicious!)

There are two secrets to a good mac and cheese. The first key to success is using the right cheese for this dish… I pondered what might pair well with lobster, and I thought a nice sharp white cheddar might fare well, and perhaps some nuttiness from a Gruyere topped with some Reggiano Parmesan.

The second key is just the right amount of time in the oven to deliver a creamy, smooth interior with a crunchy, crisp exterior. To achieve this, sprinkle with panko flakes (beautiful Japanese breadcrumbs)on top and bake in a large shallow pan for maximum crust. A fifteen minute bake finished with a little broiler time yields this is perfect balance. But if you prefer a firmer mac and cheese, you could leave it in the oven for a little while longer.


Lobster Mac n' Cheese

200 grams small pasta - such as shells or macaroni

4 tbsp butter
4 tbsp all-purpose flour
4 c whole milk
2 c shredded 2 year old Cheddar
2 c shredded Gruyere
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
pinch paprika
1.5 tbsp finely chopped dill
salt & pepper

2 lbs lobster
1 tbsp butter

1/2 c panko
1/2 c grated Reggiano Parmesan

1. Heat water for pasta. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat water for lobster. Once boiling, add lobster. Cook for a minute until the shell turns bright red. Pull lobsters out and dunk in an ice water bath. Once cool enough to handle, remove meat. Chop roughly into bite size pieces and set aside. The lobster will still be uncooked - which is fine as it will continue to cook in the oven.
3. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium high heat. Sprinkle flour over melted butter and whisk. Allow flour to cook, turn down heat to avoid burning, if necessary. Add 1 c of milk and whisk well. When fully incorporated and thickened, add a second cup. Repeat with the remaining two cups.
4. Once milk is fully incorporated, add 1 c of cheese at a time. Continue to whisk until all the cheese is melted and fully incorporated. Add nutmeg & paprika (use freshly grated nutmeg if you can), and salt & pepper to taste.
5. Add pasta to water and stir. Cook until about 2 or 3 minutes away from being al dente. (It continues to cook in the oven so we want this nearly cooked not perfectly cooked.) Drain and return pasta to pot. In the same pot which is now off heat, stir in lobster chunks and dill. Pour sauce on top and stir to mix.
6. In a large buttered casserole dish, add the pasta and lobster mixture. Sprinkle panko and Parmesan on top.
7. Bake in oven for fifteen minutes. Move to the top rack and brown top.
8. Allow the casserole to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.
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A Different Salad for Summer

Sometimes recipes that you love happen by accident. This week's summer salad is a good example of one. Usually, I have a good sense of what I am going to make before I even step into my kitchen. But several weeks ago, I thought I might make a salad for dinner. In my mind, it was going to be a simple green salad with celery, peppers and tomatoes. Then my husband reminded me that our contractor was going to be arriving the following week which means we needed to purge our clutter.(We are "lowering our basement." I know that concept may sound strange for most people but in our neighborhood in Toronto where the tiniest houses sell for a mint, a way of extending your living space when you can't add an addition to your house is to dig down your basement floor to create enough head space. This gives you an additional floor of livable space. If this sounds expensive, you're quite right, it is, but it is cheaper than moving. Unfortunately, we will be working for quite a while to pay this off. But we hope in the end, it will be worth it.)

That little impetus gave me some thoughts to see what was in our pantry and there I saw it, Israeli couscous, in a gleaming mason jar. I had been thinking about using it and I thought I might try it as sort of a "light" pasta salad in that there would be more vegetables with just a highlight of starch.

The result is a clean, fresh tasting salad with the flavours of summer: tomatoes, peppers, and celery. It's juicy and crisp and feels like the type of salad you want to eat when the days are long and it is too humid to cook dinner. Even leftovers are delicious, it stays crisp even overnight and the couscous continues to absorb the flavours of the gardineria and the marinated mushrooms.

In fact, this “recipe” is so simple that I hesitate to call it that. It is really a couple of ingredients we had in the fridge tossed together. This recipe would work well for a picnic or a potluck where you might have limited access to refrigeration, easily doubles or triples to feed crowds and is easy to transport.

Israeli couscous is often mistaken for a grain, but in reality, it is actually quite similar to pasta. If you can't find Israeli couscous, you could use the more common finer-grained couscous or try a small pasta such as orzo. Israeli couscous can be found near the grains, rice section of your grocery store.


Israeli Couscous Salad


1/2 c Israeli Couscous

1/2 yellow / orange pepper
3 stalks celery, trimmed

1/2c marinated mushrooms*
1/2c gardinieria*

2 medium sized tomatoes

1. Cook Israeli Couscous per package's instructions in plenty of water until al dente. Drain couscous.

2. Meanwhile, chop pepper and celery into uniform medium-sized chunks. Add to a large bowl, toss with marinated mushrooms & gardinieria including some of the marinade. Add the warm couscous and toss well. Leave for at least 30 minutes (for best flavour).

3. Slice up tomatoes and add to salad when ready to serve.

*You can purchase marinated mushrooms and gardinieria (a delicious mixed vegetable pickle usually includes cauliflower, carrots, celery and hot peppers.) Both are so easy to make, but in a pinch we buy it. Alternatively, you could lightly pickle fresh vegetables by cutting up bite size pieces of your favourite vegetables - carrots, celery, cauliflower - tossing them in a boiling mixture of distilled white vinegar for up to 5 minutes. Strain and cool. Save some of the pickling liquid to toss with the couscous.
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What To Do With.... Moroccan Preserved Lemons

Happy new year! I don’t know about you, but I think I misspent some of my Christmas vacation. To start, I ate way too much, I watched a Tori & Dean: In Love Season 2 marathon (oddly addictive) and then, feeling pangs of guilt, I rushed to a crowded gym this week sweating out the sins of the last two weeks. Good bye, chocolate truffle cake! Adios, Tori & Dean! So long, foie gras! Hello, spinning class!

The new year is an appropriate time to make a brand new start, to wipe the slate clean and to do things a little differently this year, so I hope you don’t mind if I share my resolutions with you this year.

Exercise regularly. Say four times a week would be great. Five is even better.
Be organized so I can pack a lunch at least four times a week. When I pack my own lunch, I make better choices about my diet than when I am a slave to my growling belly.
Reduce stress by putting things in perspective. I don’t need to be at the beck and call of every urgent email or phone call. It’s about prioritizing what’s important and having the fortitude to say, “no.” (Sounds oddly easy, but I find this hard.)
Making time for friends and family. (This is a no-brainer.)

Here’s hoping that we all keep the resolutions that help us become more fulfilled and happier people. Cheers.

Now onto business…

I have a rather large jar of preserved lemons taking up space in fridge right now. I have used exactly two tiny lemons and I suspect there are approximately another twelve or thirteen to go. Without focused intervention, this jar will languish in my fridge for years.

Apparently, preserved lemons, in the Moroccan style, are very easy to make. I googled it and found loads of really easy recipes. But they require 30 days of undisturbed brining time. If you can put lemons in a jar, you can make preserved lemons. Who knew! (I didn’t have the foresight to make these little darlings; I bought them at St. Lawrence Market.)

Preserved lemons are wonderful. They are mouth-puckering tart with a deliciously salty bite and our jar, in particular, a faint hint of heat from the red hot chili pepper wedged between lemons. Pickling turned the entire fruit into an edible delight, skins and all.

I had been meaning to buy preserved lemons ever since I first saw them at the Jean Talon Market in Montreal. (If you have never been, do go to the market! It’s a sight especially at the peak of the season.) Preserved lemons are a Moroccan staple and they may be discovered in the middle-eastern spice/grocery stores sometimes in massive apothecary jars bathing in a very salty brine. I have always given them a pass because I never felt inspired enough to buy them (as in, “I must buy this now!” inspired.)

But then inspiration struck while I browsed the food section at Williams-Sonoma last week. I was minding my own business when I a gleaming glass jar caught my attention: Artichoke and Lemon Sauce for pasta. Well... The jar was a bit spendy for my budget, but I decided that this could easily be made at home. I chopped up the preserved lemon and the pasta dish turned out quite well. Now, I have a nearly full jar of preserved lemons. So here is what to do with… Preserved lemons.

Artichoke & Preserved Lemon Linguine
1 can artichoke hearts (not marinated)
1 lb linguine
1 small preserved lemon – finely diced
1 small red onion – finely diced
juice from 1 lemon
1 c white wine (I used a Riesling but you could also use vegetable broth)
1 tsp celery salt
1 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
salt & pepper to taste
3 tablespoons butter

Cook pasta according to package instructions.
Melt butter in a large saucepan, add onions and cook until onions until they soften.
Add can of artichokes hearts, breaking up some of the hearts with a wooden spoon, but leaving it rather chunky. Add white wine, lemon juice, Old Bay, celery salt and preserved lemon. Cook until sauce thickens.
Drain pasta well and pour into a large bowl. (Reserving a cup of pasta water to loosen the pasta.) Pour artichoke mixture of the pasta and toss. Aim for evenly coated noodles and loosen with reserved pasta water as necessary. (Be judicious here, you probably won’t need it all!) Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.

1 Minute Avocado & Tomato Salad
Add 4 quartered compari tomatoes with ½ small avocado that has been diced, and about a teaspoon of chopped preserved lemon. Toss and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.


Couscous
Toss hot couscous with chopped preserved lemon, and toasted pine nuts and chopped parsley.

Caper and Preserved Lemon Relish
One part chopped preserved lemon, one part capers, a squeeze of lemon juice and a splash of olive oil. Serve over broiled fish or chicken.

As an add-in to:
Chickpea Stew
Chicken and Olive Tagine
Beef meatballs (kofte)

As a substitute for lemon and lemon zest:
Pistou
Honey and lemon martini (oh yum)
On top of yogurt and blueberries (with a drizzle of maple syrup)

What To Do With... Anchovies

Okay, so maybe you were hoping for another ingredient... maybe, pine nuts or something a little more fashionable, but it's anchovies this week. Don't stop reading okay? Just hear me out.

Anchovies do have a bad rap. They are too often maligned with noses upturned at the mere mention of this salty, humble ingredient. But why? Sure, they are not the most attractive things, and sure, they are incredibly salty and also a bit fishy, but who says you have to eat them out of the can? Maybe anchovies were never meant to be in a starring role, but I think they make a great supporting cast member. Think of anchovies as Rob Schneider to a main ingredient's Adam Sandler. So maybe you weren't supposed to have an anchovy sandwich, but just maybe anchovies are supposed to be a great sidekick.

Indeed, there are many delicious uses for this flavour enhancer; just give it a try.

Some classic preparations of anchovies include:

1. Ceasar salad: mashed into the dressing, its form is indiscernible but its presence is unmistakeable.
2. Spaghetti puttanesca : add 3 or 4 anchovy fillets into your next tomato sauce, add sliced black olives, 1 can of flaked tuna and warm thoroughly. The anchovies melt away leaving a rich taste of the ocean.
3. Jannssen’s Temptation : this is ridiculously delicious and simple to make. It’s basically scalloped potatoes with a layer of onions and anchovies. Bake until golden and bubbly.
4. Bagna Cauda: Warmed dip of olive oil, butter, anchovies, garlic, parsley, chilli flakes for dipping raw (carrots, celery or radishes) or cooked vegetables (such as baby potatoes, baby corn or artichokes)

With the holiday season upon us, don't waste your money on insipid preservative-laden commercial tapenades. Make this sweet and salty tapenade instead:

5. Fig and olive tapenade : In a food processor, whiz up 1/4c capers, 1 c of pitted black olives, 1/4 c olive oil, 1/4c balsamic vinegar, 10 dried black mission figs roughly chopped, 4 anchovy fillets, 1/4c red onion – until chopped finely. Serve with cheese and crackers.


(Fig olive tapenade a top of triple creme pictured above. Sinful but delicious.)

6. Sauteed rapini and chilli flakes : sauté 2 cloves of garlic (minced), 1 pinch of chilli flakes, and 3 anchovy fillets. Add half bunch of chopped rapini and sauté until rapini is bright green and wilted slightly.
7. Steamed asparagus with lemon caper and anchovy butter – toss steamed asparagus with a mixture made of the zest and juice of one lemon, 1 tbsp capers drained, 2 anchovies finely minced, and 1 tbsp butter.

If you’re feeling particularly brave:

8. Smear it on hot toast instead of butter.
9. Add to pizza
10. Add to pesto

There see? That wasn't so bad. You can do it! Anchovies are a great second fiddle.

Just Add Heat...

Brimming full of holiday spirit this weekend, we decided to buy our Christmas tree this morning. We lugged it home leaving in our wake, a trail of discarded needles. We re-arranged our living room and set our majestic and perfectly symmetrical fraser fir in a nice corner of the living room. Then we hung a wreath outside our door, put up our Christmas lights at the front of the house, decorated the tree and hung our stockings. We are ready for the holidays.

I fought it for a little while, in fact, all through the fall... but now our heater is humming along keeping us warm in the evenings, the Christmas decorations are up, and our CSA is bringing us winter vegetables to keep our bellies full. All the signs are here - and slowly, but surely, winter vegetables have now become regular guests at dinner.

Admittedly, I do miss tomatoes warmed by the summer sun, and the delicate crispness of tender leafy shoots. Summer vegetables are lush and light, they are meant to stave off little pangs of mid-day hunger but they don’t provide sustenance the way their winter counterparts do. Winter vegetables are hearty, and transform into dishes that fortifies, and strengthens the body and the soul through the cold weather.

Whereas I enjoy most of summer’s jewels eaten out of hand, winter vegetables often require a little more attention. These earthy, hearty vegetables release their flavours with a little warm coaxing. Imagine beets roasted until sweet and yielding, steamy rutabagas (swedes) mashed with buttery carrots, brussels sprouts braised in white wine, and crispy potatoes quarters. Among these is the versatile and highly accessible cabbage. I love the range of flavours that the cabbage possesses: savoury and sweet when cooked; crispy and crunchy when raw; tart and tangy when pickled and tucked in a Rueben sandwich; and soft and sweet with a savoury beef filling inside as a cabbage roll.



So when I laid my eyes on the frilly, crinkled curls of the savoy cabbage, I said, "Come to mama!" I knew I had to have this brassica. Round and substantial, its leaves tightly layered, verdant and bright with pale veins stretching out from its core. Oh the possibilities – I thought a braising, or a sautéing would be in order for tonight’s supper.

Savoy Cabbage with Sausage and Pasta




½ head of savoy cabbage cored
1 lb merguez sausage, removed from casings into thumb-sized pieces*
3 garlic cloves minced
15 small white mushrooms sliced
1/4c white wine (or vegetable broth)
1/2c light cream
1/2c parsley chopped
pinch of salt

1 lb spaghetti

parmesan
black pepper

1. Cook pasta according to directions to al dente.
2. Slice cabbage into thin strips.
3. While pasta cooks, cook sausage meat over medium heat until it browns. Drain fat and set aside. In the same pan, add garlic and sauté for a minute. Then add mushrooms, and cook until mushrooms soften. Add the cabbage, and white wine and cover pan to allow cabbage to cook down slightly. (Should take about 5-10 minutes)
4. When most of the liquid has evaporated, add cream, sausage and parsley and turn on high to reduce. Stir to fully incorporate.
5. Drain and plate spaghetti. Top with the cabbage and sausage mixture.
6. Grate parmesan on top and add a few grindings of pepper on top.
7. Serve.

*If you don’t have merguez, any savoury sausage will do. We eat a lot of turkey sausage at home. If not, substitute 1 lb of ground meat (lamb for merguez), add a generous pinch of red pepper, salt, pepper and toasted fennel seeds.

Farmer's Market Summer Vegetable Pasta

At the height of summer (ok ok - I have been negligent to post), the tables at the farmers markets overflowing with an abundance of gorgeous ripe, fragrant produce. Thursday is the night we head to the farmer's market which is around the corner from the depot where we pick up our CSA (Community Sponsored Agriculture) half share allotment. We always catch the tail end of the market and sometimes some of the farmers are packing up. But I love going anyway. There are always a small handful of vendors who wait for the stragglers like me. The market closest to our foos is situated on the edge of a park and children's playground. Every week, swarms of tiny children covered in face paint descend upon the park, laughing, running, falling down and sometimes crying under the watchful eyes of their parents.

I love markets, particularly at the height of the season when the tomatoes, corn and basil shine. In fact, it's hard to keep me away. Some girls like shoe shopping, I like food shopping. I love looking at the long rectangular tables abundant with fresh vegetables everywhere glistening and fragrant of the earth and the possibility of what could be for dinner that night.

As we walked home, I thought about how I could put a meal together that would be simple and quick but would allow the natural fresh flavours of this week's harvest to shine through. This little gem is what I came up with...

1 lb cesarecce pasta (or other short pasta like gemelli)
3 tbsp unsalted butter
4 large cloves of garlic, minced (lots I know - but I love it)
1 onion
2 zucchinis
25 cherry tomatoes
1 small red chilli – deseeded, finely sliced
2 handfuls of flat leaf parsley and curly parsley
salt & pepper to taste




To save time in the kitchen, prepare your vegetables as the water for your pasta boils. You will need to prepare your vegetables in the following order:
Mince garlic
Thinly slice onion
De-seed chilli and finely slice (it can be very hot so be careful and wash your hands thoroughly)
Dice zucchinis
Halve cherry tomatoes
Chop herbs

1. Bring water to a boil, generously salt, add pasta. Stir briefly to prevent sticking. Cook to package instructions (8-10 minutes)
2. As the pasta cooks, this is the time to finishing preparing the vegetables. Work quickly. Melt butter in a large pre-heated pan. The pan should not be too hot because you want the butter to melt gently until its slightly foamy and not sizzling. Add garlic, onions and chili and stir until translucent. Add diced zucchini and stir until it softens slightly. Add herbs to pan. Stir to incorporate.
3. Just before the pasta is al dente, scoop pasta out with a slotted spoon into the pan.
4. Mix the pasta with the vegetables, add a small amount of the pasta water if you need to loosen
5. Serve!!