Hot ‘n’ Sour
Posted by Renee | Filed under Everyday, Favorites, Recipes
Lately these days I have been feeling the need to overly indulge in spicy and sour food; could it be the fact that I have a massive baby in my belly? Maybe? But because of this, I have been making hot and sour soup like it is going out of style at my place. As I explained to my sous chef, Severine, the other night, it takes a few minutes to make and is extremely satisfying! So, Severine Hansen, if you’re reading this, I expect to hear that you’ve made a batch for your fiance! Read the rest of this entry…
My Indian Chutney Choices
Posted by Renee | Filed under Favorites, Tips
Most Sundays during the winter, I wake to darkness and cold here in Halifax and all I can think of is what shall we eat today? Not a Sunday goes by in my house where one of my three favorite sauces does not come out to play.
First, there is the Tamarind chutney; sour and sweet with just a hint of heat. My love affair with tamarind started a few years back when I lived in the British Virgin Islands, and I would shake the tamarind tree in hopes of delicious pods falling to the ground. The only problem is that I am the type of person who always over does things, and inevitably I would end up eating way too many pods and spending way too much time on the “throne”. Of course this didn’t damper my love affair with tamarind, as the next day I would set out to shake that tree some more and deal with the nasty consequences yet again! These days, my tamarind chutney gets put into a number of Lavallée favorites; curry, stews and sauces. I also enjoy it as a simple dipping sauce for samosas or bhaji. Read the rest of this entry…
Tags: chutney, condiments, Indian Grocery, spices
The Perfect Pork Roast
Posted by Renee | Filed under Recipes, Tips
There are a few things in life that I truly enjoy; one of those things is anything that has to do with pigs, pork and pork products. Every Christmas when the Lavallée clan gathers in Shawville, Quebec, my mother calls upon one of the many farmers in the area to slaughter a pig for us for our numerous pork dishes that we make over the holiday season. Ragout De Pattes De Cochon, Tourtiere, Gigot De Porc and Cretons are just a few of the items that can be found at our table, and this year I tackled the “gigot de porc” for Christmas dinner and it was amazing! Here are the steps that I took to prepare this easy and awesome meal! Read the rest of this entry…
Get Your Udon On!
Posted by Renee | Filed under Everyday, Favorites, Tips
Nothing better than a bowl of udon!
About ten years ago, I was invited to my sister-in-laws’ parents house for a traditional Japanese meal. There in the kitchen were several generations of Taira women cooking up a storm! Udon, tempura, gyoza, teriyaki & sushi all being prepared while these women talked and gossiped. It was amazing to see them work together, rhythmically, without any communication about what was going on around them. Peggy had the udon on the go, Toyo was frying up some tempura and Aunt Lil was gossiping about the recent trip to the casino while rolling sushi. I was in culinary heaven! It was then and there that they beckoned me into this kitchen and asked me if I knew what they were doing. My response was vague, telling them that I had eaten and seen most of these things, but had never cooked them myself. Peggy and Toyo simply giggled and Aunt Lil pulled me by the arm and took me over to the stove to explain to me how the udon was made. What an education these three women gave me, and have continued to give me for years after. So, it probably comes as no big surprise that I keep a secret stash of Japanese ingredients on hand at all times; bonito flakes, kombu, nori, tofu, wakame, edamame - you get the picture. Read the rest of this entry…
Tags: dashi, japanese food, kombu, lobster, scallops, seafood, udon
Who Says You Can’t Make Friends With Salad?
Posted by Renee | Filed under Favorites, Recipes
Salade Fougères
Back in the good ‘ol days, I used to work at a restaurant in Chelsea, Quebec, called Les Fougères. At Les Fougères, I got the chance to work alongside Charlie & Jennifer Part; the chef-owners of the restaurant. During the few years that I worked there, I learned many, many things, and have consequently thanked them for shaping my cooking style. One of the items that has never left the menu at Les Fougères, is a salad called “Salade Fougères”. This is a simple yet satisfying salad, and the flavours are out of this world! Yes, I know that I’m talking about a salad, but it has everything a girl like me needs; bacon, cheese and some tangy vinaigrette! Read the rest of this entry…
Tags: goat cheese, Les Fougeres, pancetta, salad
Prickly Perfection
Posted by Renee | Filed under Favorites
My view on sea urchins.
Roll back twenty years to 1989; my first encounter with the prickly sea creature known as sea urchin. I still remember the trepidation I felt as my sister’s boyfriend took it upon himself to order our sushi feed; tuna, salmon, mackerel, eel and uni. Uni? What is this uni? Does this come from the Ottawa Valley? I dare not think so! I still picture the sushi as it came to our table; there it was, an orange hued blob (the only way a fifteen year old could describe it!). The first taste surprised me; salty, slightly sweet and slimy. I also remember thinking that the flavour has a slightly funky aftertaste, one which I cannot describe in this story as I would not want to offend anyone! So, I pretty much gagged on my uni, spit it up and vowed to never, ever try this vile creature again! Read the rest of this entry…
Tags: sea urchin, seafood
The Little Ham’s Big Day
Posted by Renee | Filed under Events
Zoe turns 1!
It is hard for me to believe that I gave birth to “Little Ham” a year ago. So, for Zoe’s first birthday, I had visions of her, a cake and a horrible mess! My baking skills these days are so-so, and seeing as this was her first birthday ever, I wanted something special; a very girly-girl cake with tons of rich icing. While sitting at my desk, pondering my options, I remembered all those delicious cupcakes from Suzie’s Shortbreads that I had eaten during my pregnancy and decided to give them a call to see if they could muster up a very special cake for me. No problem, it would be ready the next day! Yay for Zoe; I only hoped that she would enjoy it.
Now, where would this messy occasion take place? My dining room? Not likely! Where could I go where everyone knew me, Zoe & Doug and not hate us forever for a mess? Well, the natural choice was my second home, The Five Fishermen of course! It was a great evening, being surrounded by my second family and enjoying some of my new stimulus menu, while not having to worry about scraping ooey-gooey chocolate icing off the floor. Doug had the Big Eye Tuna on a quinoa & Terra Beata cranberry salad, while I had the grilled Tatamagouche lamb leg with celery root & beets. Full of food, and all of us covered in chocolate, I could not have imagined celebrating the Little Ham’s birthday in any other place or in any other way.
Click for the full set.
Tags: Five, Five Fishermen Restaurant, lamb, Susie's Shortbreads
Mama’s Pudding Chomeur…Not for the Faint of Heart!
Posted by Renee | Filed under Favorites, Recipes
Gooey Maple Goodness
My mother, bless her big ol’ heart, has a thing about sweets. This lady has been known to sit down in one sitting and eat a whole sugar pie; bit by glorious bit, or even spend an evening dipping some Pontiac Home Bakery bread in a vat of maple syrup (my parents buy it by the gallon!). So, it is of no surprise that my momma makes “Pudding Chomeur”. For those of you who are not familiar with this sickly sweet concoction, it is named “Welfare Pudding” (literal translation) due to the fact that back in the day when money was tight, momma’s and grandma’s used to whip up this dessert as maple syrup was cheaper and more plentiful than sugar. Of course, the recipe has changed over the years, and has been adapted, but it still super duper! Read the rest of this entry…
Tags: Five, Five Fishermen Restaurant, maple syrup, Pontiac Home Bakery
These Flowers Were Not Delivered By FTD
Posted by Renee | Filed under Favorites, Recipes
Zucchini Flowers
Many people who know me, laugh at the fact that I consider myself “semi-Italian”. Neither of my parents are Italian, nor any member of my family for that fact, but my time in Italy has led me to believe that I could be Italian. So, here I was on a Sunday afternoon, after purchasing some gorgeous squash blossoms from Ted Hutten at the Halifax Farmers’ Market the previous day, having visions of myself sitting alongside Garda Lake with a glass of Pinot Grigio and a plate of fried zucchini blossoms. No Garda Lake was to be found in my backyard, nor Pinto Grigio for that matter, but succulent little zucchini blossoms were being fried up on my stove top and dusted lightly with Maldon salt. A plate of these bad boys, a glass of wine and some US Open tennis was the perfect way to end my first week out of “maternity” retirement. I hope that if you encounter these zucchini blossoms next summer, you grab a few handfuls and bring them home to fry up for yourself. Here is my recipe for a super easy batter that not only works for blossoms, but pretty much anything you want. Read the rest of this entry…
Tags: Halifax Farmers Market, Hutten Family Farm, Zucchini Blossoms
10 Kitchen Tools I Can’t Live Without
Posted by Renee | Filed under Favorites
I recently came out of “maternity” retirement to return to my old stomping ground of The Five Fishermen Restaurant in Halifax. Instead of taking it easier, I decided to take on two more restaurants in the company, which means that I have to be organized and resourceful more than ever. Here is a list of my top ten items that are going to make my return so much easier! Read the rest of this entry…
