Winter Comes to Manitoba

It happens every year. Winter arrives in Manitoba. Sometimes she comes gusting full force leaving us gasping with the severity of the onslaught. Sometimes she slips in quietly with just a whisper of soft, white snow to announce her presence.

This year was somewhere in between, lots of snow and wind for a couple of days with mid-temperatures ranging from about ten above to thirty below. It doesn't really matter if it's celcius or fahrenheit when it gets that cold.

Christmas rapidly approaches; shopping is almost finished, food is planned. Only eight sleeps until the big day.

It seemed an appropriate time to sample those brandied cherries I bottled back in July. Well, I have to say that next year I will be brandy-bottling every kind of fruit I can get my hands on. The cherries are very good, but even better is what the cherries did to the brandy. It became a soft, not sweet version of i'm not sure what...but very, very good! I suspect that different kinds of alcohol with different fruit might be the answer and I look forward to experimenting with different flavour combinations.

The Brandied Cherries

Back in mid-July when it was so hot that sweat ran off your brow to just think about turning on the oven...I put some cherries, sugar and brandy in a few jars.

Now, at the end of November, I have opened a jar for a taste. My only regret is that I did not do more jars of cherries and a few jars of any other kind of fruit I could think of .

The cherries are fine, quite nice to nibble on. But...the brandy that has been flavoured with cherries for

White Bread

My plan over the cold Manitoba winter is to learn more about making bread. In the past I have managed to do a decent job of turning out sweet rolls and "St. Nicholas" bread for Christmas dinner. Now, I would like to expand my capabilities to include grain and dark breads. This recipe is for a simple white bread that may be a good place to start if you have not made bread often. The newer instant yeasts that are available make the process a lot faster and more fool proof than before. I still "start" my yeast with just the liquid and sugar to check that it is still good, then immediately add the other ingredients and knead the dough. With the instant yeasts you shape the dough as soon as you finish kneading it. There is no second rising process.

Ingredients (for 2 loaves)

2 pkg or 2 Tablespoons yeast

3/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)

2 cups lukewarm milk (scalded then cooled)

3Tablespoons sugar

3 Tablespoons shortening

1 Tablespoon salt

7-8 cups all purpose flour (start with half the amount)

Method:

Dissolve yeast in water with sugar. I wait a 4-5 minutes then add other ingredients including half the flour.

Beat the dough until smooth then incorporate more flour about 1 cup at a time.

Turn dough out on a lightly floured board and knead, adding dustings of flour as you knead. When the dough becomes smooth and not sticky it is probably ready. Also, poke it gently with your finger; the indentation should disappear.

Form into 2 loaves and put into lightly greased bread pans. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and sit in a warmish place away from draughts until double in size. Again, with the newer yeasts this does not take that long, perhaps 45 minutes to an hour.

Bake at 400 to 425 degrees depending on your oven for 25 to 30 minutes. When it is done, it should sound hollow when you tap the top of the loaf with your knuckle.

I brush the tops of the loaves with a bit of butter to achieve a softer finish. If you like it crusty then omit this. Wait until loaves are fully cooled before slicing.

Pumpkin Square - in time for Thanksgiving

 We served this square at a golf course where I used to work. My boss at the time had the recipe but I'm not sure where she got it. It is a very simple and yummy alternative to traditional pumpkin pie. Please follow the method precisely.

 Mix together:

3 eggs

1 can evaporated milk

1 cup white sugar (I think you could use brown or splenda without problems but I haven't tried it)

1 t (teaspoon) cinammon

1 736 ml can of pumpkin puree

Put in greased 9x13" pan

Sprinkle golden cake mix on top (DO NOT MIX IN) I generally double the recipe and use a bigger pan so will use the whole package of cake mix, otherwise you will probably only need half.

Pour 3/4 cup melted butter or margarine over top (DO NOT MIX IN)

Sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts over top.

Bake 35 - 40 minutes at 350 degrees or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Serve either warm or chilled with whipcream

One recipe will give you about 18 smallish servings or 12 huge pieces

It really is an awesome, simple dessert!

MukTuk and The Toronto Symphony (in Inuvik)

Inuvik, North West Territories must have seemed the last bastion of wilderness remaining in Canada. Anyone who was anyone wanted to visit; royalty, prime ministers past and present, artists, writers and musicians all came to Inuvik, "Land of the Midnight Sun".

One year the Toronto Symphony came to town. They performed at local schools and auditoriums, did their best to experience the authentic north and a lucky few even managed to try the "blanket toss".

Before they climbed on board their plane to return to Toronto, the local people wanted to show their hospitality by sharing the bounty of the north with a somewhat traditional feast.

The menu featured such delicacies as arctic char, muscox, reindeer, caribou, moose meat and bannock. However, it was two other dishes from the menu that stand out in my mind. A friend of mine was a young head chef of the hotel where the dinner was to be held. He enlisted my help as I had been in the north longer and was perhaps a bit more familiar with local fare.

No traditional meal from the coastal region would be complete without muktuk or whale meat. Muktuk in its raw form has a thick blanket of white, rubbery fat covering the rather thin layer of meat. Traditionally the fat would have been eaten to help the human body fend off the cold. In these more modern times, some are reluctant to indulge in this aspect of the delicacy. So, we trimmed off most of the fat and proceeded to boil the muktuk untill it was tender. I cannot begin to describe the smell of cooking muktuk. No offense intended to the Inuit, but it is very nasty-smelling stuff. Served in chilled, thin slices it appeared quite innocuous looking.

To go along with the caribou, muscox and other wild meats I went to the bush and gathered wild cranberries. I had intended them as a garnish, cooked only slightly with sugar to give them a high sheen. They were actually extremely bitter.

The feast was laid out buffet-style with small signs indicating the contents of each dish. The wise locals barely touched the cranberries or muktuk but our brave Toronto Symphony were undaunted by bitterness or strong smell. They ate with gusto and relish and expressed their delight with everything.

I can only imagine what it must have been like on the long flight to Toronto with limited bathroom facilities.

Note: The Symphony continued their relationship with the people of Inuvik supporting the youth with musical instruments and teaching.

"THERE'S A BEAR IN MY KITCHEN"

One of the cooking jobs I had early in my career was at a place called Sheep Creek, located in Northern Yukon National Park, Canada. At one time there had been a small gold mining operation on the creek which flowed  into the Firth River. You could still find the remains of sluicing troughs and if you had a bit of patience you might find a bit of gold dust remaining in the creek. At some point the miners fled perhaps for easier pickings and left behind a scary but usable air-strip and the remains of a crash just to give you something to think about when you flew in rolling toward the edge of the cliff hoping the plane, a twin engine otter, would stop in time. The whole Firth River Valley was a very beautiful, uninhabited place of rolling hills, low mountains and a glacier-fed river and creek.

Not far from the Alaskan border, there was a poaching problem with hunters flying in and killing wolves etc. from the air. There was also a medium sized dall sheep flock living in the hills and mountains that warranted protection. The Canadian Parks Service decided to build a park headquarters to deter the poaching and establish a visible presence in the area.

This was a remote, fly-in location with just a couple of trailers, one of which served as the camp kitchen and general hang-out. My job was to cook for a small construction and helicopter crew, usually not more than 6 to 8 guys. The coffee pot was always on and it didn't take long, however, for word to spread that the food and hospitality was good and it was a great opportunity to escape from telephones, faxes,etc. This was before our current range of never-to-be-out-of-touch-technology. We also had a few visitors who were enjoying the white water rafting experience on the Firth River and at one point a CBC film crew filming a show for David Suzuki. Even though we were quite remote with only a two-way radio for communication with the town office, it was never dull. If we lacked for visitors we were usually able to round up enough players for a good game of cards in the evening. I personally enjoyed going for walks in the evening although much mosquito protection was needed.

The summer was very enjoyable and when I prepared the camp kitchen for the winter, I washed walls, and every available surface well in an attempt to remove any lingering food odors. We closed up camp and did not return until late the following spring.

It was immediately obvious that we had company in early spring. The smallish window that was located above the stove was crashed in, the remains of the frame bent and twisted.  Upon entering the trailer we discovered a rather large dent in the top of the stove. The remains of a bottle of mazzola oil was tipped on its side. When we went outside we were able to follow a trail of both bear scat and bits of a plastic bowl that had obviously retained food odors. I still have a rather clear picture imagining the bear strolling along the river bank perhaps unhappy at such meager pickings to satisfy his growing hunger after a winter of fasting. The local grizzly had come to call.

We were fortunate. Usually when a bear gets into a cabin or cottage they do not necessarily use the same entrance as an exit. They are also well-known for being quite destructive while inside. This one just drank the cooking oil and left. I think it was probably a pretty good cleanse after the long winter.

We were fortunate to often the see the big grizzlies although they rarely came near the camp when we were present. We were always careful with garbage, food preparation and storage so as not to attract them. They were likely as happy to avoid us as we were them.

Note: One of the delicacies of this region was fresh-caught Arctic Char. Char is similar to salmon with perhaps a milder taste depending on the size. We particularly enjoyed it stuffed, wrapped in foil and barbequed.
 

A new take on Cauliflower Bake

 1 head cauliflower, cleaned and cut into florets and cooked (bring to a boil then simmer until fork tender then drain)
 1/2 cup butter or margarine or to taste
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese or to taste
Leftover red pepper and green onion, about 1/2 cup of each

My version of Cauliflower Bake is a simple vegetarian dish that combines cooked cauliflower with some melted butter or margarine, bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. This time I had some left over chopped red pepper and green onion that I wanted to use up so I just added it. I sprayed a glass pyrex dish with canola oil, covered it with tin foil and heated it in the oven for about 20 minutes while the chicken breasts were finishing cooking.

The pepper and green onion dresses the dish up nicely. One suggestion is to not put too much red pepper as the taste will overpower the other flavours.


Note: Traditional Cauliflower polonaise is similar to this recipe except that the butter is slightly browned and the bread crumbs are then added to the browned butter. Some recipes call for chopped hard boiled eggs.

You could serve this with:
Shake and Bake Chicken Breast
Potatoes mashed with sour cream or baked potato (maybe twice baked)
Cauliflower Bake
Green Peas
A bit of sliced tomato for additional colour
Top it off with some low-cal soy ice-cream for dessert

Egg Baskets

This is a quick and easy breakfast, lunch or lite supper idea. I served two per person.

sliced bread - 2 per person
eggs, one per bread slice
red pepper, chopped
green onion, chopped
cheese, crumbled or grated

Cut the crusts off bread slices. Flatten the bread slices with a rolling pin. Butter lightly on both sides.
I sprayed the muffin tin with canola oil to be extra certain they don't stick. Insert the bread slice into the muffin tin folding the edges slightly to make it fit.

Next I sprinkled some chopped red pepper and green onions and crumbled cheese (whatever kind you have or like) into the bottom of the cups. Crack an egg into each cup. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 12 to 15 minutes depending on how soft you want the yolk.


 Note: Substitutions: scrambled eggs in place of a whole egg.
Try chopped ham, crumbled cooked bacon, cooked sausage or whatever choice you like as filling

Pork Casserole/Stew

Languishing in the freezer were four or five pork butt steaks. I wasn't certain what I wanted to do with them in order to feed 8 or 9 people. After some thought I decided on a sort of pork stew. I partially defrosted the steaks but left them partially frozen, enough to make cutting them easier. I cubed the pork trimming off some of the excess fat. Then I tossed the pieces in flour that had been seasoned lightly with a steak seasoning. Next fried the meat in a heavy bottomed stainless steel pot in a bit of hot oil. While the meat was cooking a bit I chopped 2 onions, 4 or 5 carrots, 4 celery stalks and one medium turnip. When the meat was partially browned I added the vegetables and sauteed the mixture for a few more minutes. Then I added 2 cans of Campbell's french onion soup and 2 cans of Campbell's wild mushroom soup and 4 cans of water. I heated the mixture until it was hot then dumped the whole thing in a roaster pan, covered it snugly with tin foil and put it in a 350 degree oven for about 1 hour then 325 degrees for a second hour.

I made some tea biscuits and served the stew in a bowl ladled over a boiled potato. I think it turned out very well. The meat was very tender and the dish had good flavour. Next time I would increase the carrots for a bit more colour.


Note: You could substitute just about any other cut of pork in this recipe.
For 4 servings I would cut the recipe in half
This would be a good slow cooker recipe 
Pork...The Other White Meat 

Pickled Beans

This summer I grew a few pots of vegetables outside my door. A small garden with green, yellow and purple beans, 3 kinds of tomatoes, peppers, red, yellow and purple potatoes and some swiss chard and a variety of onions. I like container garden mostly because I don't have a lot of time for weeding. The biggest challenge to pot gardening is keeping up with watering especially in very hot weather. We did have a lot of hot weather this summer but fortunately we also had a lot of rain.

So, I decided to do something different with the beans. Other years I have frozen them or made mustard beans. This year I decided to make pickled or dilled beans.

I processed them the same as I would dill pickles:

1. Wash the jars and put them in a 200 degree oven for 20 minutes to sterilize them.

2. Wash and top and tail the beans.

3. Make the brine with 1 quart vinegar to 2 quarts water and 3/4 cup of pickling salt.

 4. For this recipe I added an 1/8 teaspoon celery seed and 1 large teaspoon of pickling spice to each 500 ml (pint) jar. I did not have garlic for the first batch but got some for the second batch.

5. When the jars were sterile I took them one at a time from the oven and put 1 dill head and 1 garlic clove per jar then filled them with an assortment of the colored beans then filled the jars with the hot brine leaving 1/2 inch of head space.
6. Wipe the rims and put the sterile (in a pot of simmering water) lids on the jar and finger tighten the rings.

7. Water bath for 15 minutes if you prefer although I do not usually do this for brined foodstuffs. As the jars begin to cool you should hear each lid pop. This indicates a good seal and if you check the appearance of the lid it should be concave (slightly indented). If they have not sealed you will need to reprocess them.

Note: Most government recommendations in both Canada and USA advise pressure canning everything.

Turkey Drumsticks

While wandering though the aisles of the local grocery store today I noticed, in the meat cooler, turkey drumsticks. Two in a package for around $2.60. I'm thinking it's a pretty good deal but I'm not sure just how I'm going to cook them. When I got home I searched a few recipes online but didn't see anything that caught my fancy. After some thought I decided to baste them with pesto.

I washed the breasts and dried them off a bit. What this really means is that I shook the excess water off. I trimmed the loose skin off then put them onto a pie plate and slathered a heaping tablespoon of bottled (store bought) pesto all over them. I put just enough water in the pan to wet the bottom and covered the whole thing snugly with tin foil. Into the oven for about 2 hours at 325 degrees F. I did not uncover them the whole time and in fact forgot they were in the oven until I could smell them.  I took them out and carefully removed the tin foil and set them to rest for 10 or 15 minutes. I had already eaten dinner so I just sampled them. Gotta say that they are more than good, in fact kind of awesome. They turned out very moist, tender and juicy with a very gentle hint of the pesto. I think if you do not have pesto you could use a salad dressing or BQ sauce and it would be fine. 

It could be eaten torn with some rice or noodles or a traditional style turkey dinner or served cold with  a chunk of dark bread, pickles and potato salad if it's too hot to cook.

Kitchen Tips For People Who Never Wanted To Cook or Thought They Could or Would

I have worked for many years in a variety of kitchens and these are a few simple tips that might help your fingers stay attached to your hands and cause you less stress.

1. Put a damp cloth under your cutting board so it doesn't slide around while you are using it. Learn how to use knives correctly and use the right knife for each task.

2. Keep your knives sharp. A dull knife is far more dangerous than a sharp one. If you don't know how to do it yourself most butchers will do it for you for a nominal charge.

3. Never put sharp knives in a sink full of water. You may forget they are there or someone else might come along and be unaware of them. Nasty and preventable accident.

4. Knives will stay sharp longer if you:

a) don't put them in the dishwasher

b) don't scrape the blade across the cutting board. Turn the knife over and use the back of the blade if you want to use it to scrape/move food off the board.

c) use a cutting board

d) store knives where they do not bang and scrape against each other or other hard objects

5. If you use certain items (diced onions, chopped carrots, celery) prepare enough at one time to last several days and store in plastic containers or bags.  It will save you a lot of time when you are cooking.

6. Be organized. Store tools and food items in their same place. It saves time and frustration not to have to search every time you want something.

7. Label and date food items stored in fridge and freezer. When in doubt throw it out.

8. Good condiments can make a plain meal a lot more interesting.

9. You can always add more...but you generally can't take it out once it's in there. 

10. Use recipes at first but learn to trust your instincts. Be creative.

Brilliant Food Tips and Cooking Tricks: 5,000 Ingenious Kitchen Hints, Secrets, Shortcuts, and Solutions

Tips Cooks Love: Over 500 Tips, Techniques, and Shortcuts That Will Make You a Better Cook!

Kohlrabi

I should not have complained about the heat. 'Cause it's gone. Tonite the temp is supposed to be 8 degrees (Celsius). Not sure what that is Fahrenheit but I know that it's cold for August. A few days ago we were sweltering and now for the past two days its been windy and cold. Ugh! But enough about the weather or this blog will turn into a weather blog instead of a food blog.

Today, I cooked another of my organic-type purchases, Kohlrabi. I am told there are several types; this one was a pale green  and even lighter green on the inside. It's easy to cook. Peel it with a sharp vegetable peeler and cut it into small chunks or slices. Bring it to a boil in very lightly salted water and simmer as you would a potato. It is done when fork-tender. I just put a little butter and pepper on it. The taste is similar to a very mild turnip although its ancestry is the wild cabbage which is also the origin of the common cabbage, broccoli etc.

It would nicely accompany a pork or roast beef dish. Also a nice vegetarian addition. I would think this could be added to any full-tasting soup such as beef vegetable but maybe a bit too strong in a chicken based soup. Again, a welcome addition to a vegetarian soup.

If you would like a lot more info try this link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kohlrabi

Today I Ate An Apple

I ate an apple today. That's not to say that I have never eaten an apple before in my life. But this was a real apple. I went to a farmer's market in a nearby town. It was rainy with a chilly wind blowing in off the river. I talked to a farmer about organic meat  and looked at crafts and honey, cookies and freshly baked bread. Finally I came to one of the produce vendors. I bought some corn on the cob, tomatoes and noticed some green apples in a bin. I asked the seller if her produce was organic and she replied that she could not strictly call it organic because she wore bug spray when she worked in the garden. I bought some apples too.

While I was working on cooking and freezing some of the corn on the cob (which by the way was delicious) I thought I might try one of the apples. The first thing I noticed when I bit into it was that the skin wasn't waxy. I chewed the first bite and OMG it actually tasted like an apple. It smelled like an apple too. I realized that I have probably not eaten an apple like that since I was a kid and we used to ride our horses under the apple trees and reach up to pluck a piece of fruit and eat it right there.

I hope I am not too preachy about this. I have to admit that it is only recently that I have come to the realization that I am fed-up with food that doesn't taste like what it is supposed to be and is also laced with pesticides, fertilizers and who knows what. So for me, it is my intention to be more mindful of what I eat. I want to know where it has come from, how the animals were treated and what has been put on it or into it. Don't we deserve the real thing? 

Bare Fruit 100% Organic Bake-Dried Apples, Fuji, 1 Pound Bags (Pack of 2) 

A few pics from a Potluck Dinner

Last summer we had a couple of really good dinners with a group of seniors I work with. One of the dinners was a "Bring Your Own Steak or Whatever" and the other one was a good old country pot-luck supper.

Both presented  great evenings filled with good food, conversation and company. One guest brought an amazing array of fresh vegetables from their garden, yellow and green beans, freshly dug new potatoes and tomatoes that actually tasted like tomatoes. A couple of the ladies had a practiced hand at baking turning out fresh pies and blueberry cake.

Scones/Tea Biscuits

This is one of the simplest recipes for biscuits or scones

Combine:

 3 cups flour

2T Baking Powder

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 t salt

Blend in (with pastry cutter, 2 knives or your hands)

1/2 cup margarine, butter or some kind of fat (i've even used bacon grease)

If you want to add some kind of cheese, cooked crumbled bacon, cooked chopped onions or whatever, this is the time to do it. About 1/2 to 1 cup should do it.

Add milk to moisten.  Remember, you can add more but you can't take it out once it's in there.  If you want drop biscuits add more milk. If you are going to lightly knead the dough, a little less. Don't over mix, it will make the biscuits tough. Just make the dry stuff wet.

Either drop large tablespoon fulls onto pan or roll out and cut with a glass or cutter and place on ungreased baking sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, i think that's about 180 Celsius for about 15 minutes until lightly browned on top and bottom. Remove from pan onto paper towel or cooling rack. Good served with butter or margarine.

Note: T is tablespoon, t is teaspoon
You can use half wholewheat or multi-grain flour. Biscuits will likely be a bit heavier 

Too Hot To Cook Today

August in Manitoba usually has the feel of fall beginning to arrive. And yes, the geese have begun to gather for their annual flight south. But...it's hot, really hot. It's so hot that the tomato plants in my potted garden are hanging over the sides of the pots gasping for water even though it rained  last night and they were hand-watered this morning.

When you step out of the apartment building the heat smacks you in the face like a hot, wet dish-rag that somebody left sitting on the top of the stove. I'd like to complain about it but when you live in a place where the north winter wind often brings temperatures in the minus thirties and forties, you don't. I just think of what it is like when the vehicles won't start because it's so cold and the oil is so thick that the engines won't turn over.

Hopefully we won't have to deal with that for a while.

We really can't complain too much here in Manitoba, Canada. It seems the weather is strange all over the world.

Reindeer Round-up, Tuk, N.W.T

One of the first places I cooked for a bunch of people was at the annual reindeer round-up near Tuktoyaktuk, North West Territories. Every June the Nasogaluak family who owned the reindeer herd at that time, would bring in a crew to an old abandoned dew line station on the Beaufort Sea east of Tuktoyaktyuk. The area is Arctic tundra at its finest, no trees but hills and hummocks that could turn an ankle with ease. Later, in June this same barren, muddy tundra would be covered with paintbox coloured flowers with names I did not know.

 For the  2 weeks the crew with the important assistance of helicopter and 3 wheelers would round up about 10,000 reindeer and bring them into a series of corrals to cut off their horns. The horns would be shipped fresh to primarily Asian countries where they were used medicinally.

 My job was to cook for a crew of about 25 to 40 people who pretty much worked around the clock when the reindeer were in the pens. The old dew line base was a primitive facility with  no running water or electricity. I had only a small stove whose oven door would not close properly and a coleman camp cooker.

It was here that I learned to make dried meat, reindeer stew and perfected my bannock making. The crew did not want or expect fancy food, just large quantities of hot, filling fare and endless pots of coffee and tea. What a blast it was!!

There is nothing like the site of several thousand reindeer coming toward you over the tundra.

Brandied Cherries

A couple of weeks ago I made for the first time, Brandied Cherries. Pretty simple really. Cherries, sugar and brandy. The brandy was acquired at duty-free during a hockey trip to the USA and the cherries purchased at a good price at the local town grocery store. I washed the cherries well. Who knows whats on them these days? Then, did the usual things for sterilizing canning jars. Next, put the cherries, sugar and brandy into the jars, wiped and sealed them. Then into the  water bath. I did this even though recipes said that process was unnecessary due to the brandy but I wanted to be certain.
I am very much looking forward to trying them sometime around Christmas although they should be ready before that. I will take some pics of them in the next couple of days and post them here.