One of my favourite creatures.

It is almost here! That one night out of the year where lovemaking is all around us, and what do we need to eat to make it happen? One might call it an “aphrodisiac”, some might call it revolting, but I like to order these by the dozen and slurp them down with reckless abandon. I am of course talking about the ever lovable and super sexy, oyster.

What can I say about these bivalve molluscs? They are quite certainly Mother Nature’s most perfect food; salty, chewy and slippery on the tongue. These slippery little suckers also pack a vitamin rich punch! High in zinc, calcium, Iron and vitamin A and B12. A dozen of these eaten raw, is also the supreme diet food; adding a mere 110 calories to your body.

All healthiness aside, there are a few things you should know about the beloved oyster. Did you know it takes between five and seven years to grow an oyster from spat? (Spat; a baby oyster). Oysters thrive in in plankton rich, well oxygenated salty water, that is why the Maritimes is the perfect place to cultivate them.

What about choosing the perfect oyster? I prefer larger, more meaty oysters, while my husband likes the smaller more delicate ones. Always make sure to buy oysters that are tightly shut. If it is open, it should close when touched and if it doesn’t, then don’t buy or eat it! An old rule about the oyster was that is was best to consume during the months that contained an “R” in their name. Not sure about that shucked oyster that was just brought to your table? If in doubt, don’t eat it, but let me just say that a “bad oyster” can be a extremely foul smell that you could sniff from a mile away. I was known, back in the day, the be the bad girl who would drop the rotten oysters in the compost bin beside the head chefs work station. Needless to say, he put a quick end to that!

How do you store an oyster? Simple rule; do not store them in water! Keep them in the fridge, and store cup-side down, with a damp newspaper over them. Some people say to eat immediately, some say two weeks, and I have even heard of a few months. The longer they sit in your fridge, the drier they will become as they will lose all that precious salty liquor that keeps them juicy and moist.

How to eat them? I am a purist; raw with no adornments. My husband, on the other hand, prefers the Tabasco, lemon and horseradish combination. I always tell people to try one naked before deciding on a topping. A classic French way to eat them is with “mignonette”; it is a red wine vinegar, shallot and black pepper mix. Sharp, pungent and tangy.

Can’t bear the thought of slurping them down? Try to bake them on the half shell. Cooked spinach, bechamel sauce and a little grated Gruyere cheese is a nice combination. As is bacon, apple and heavy cream. Why not throw then in a seafood chowder? How about the classic “Po Boy Sandwich”? It could also be a simple as dipping them in a tempura batter and giving them a quick fry to serve with lemon wedges.

‘Tis the season to celebrate love, so go crazy and get your hands on a few dozen oysters and throw yourself a party! Bottle of bubbly, platter of oysters and your best friend by your side. Can’t go wrong with that combination. Perhaps you aren’t in the mood to shuck? Head out to many of the great restaurants in the city that will do that for you. Press Gang, Five Fishermen Grill and Bistro Le Coq all have amazing oysters on their menus, and some even offer amazing deals during “happy hour”. Go on, get your oysters on this Valentine’s Day.

Simple, quick and always enjoyable.

This isn’t the first time I have written about Udon noodles, and it won’t be the last! My love for these thick, chewy noodles began a long time ago. Udon soup is my go to; my feel good. Now that the New Year is in full swing, and I, like many others, have decided to go meatless for awhile. I have begun to count on such old favorites as this quick and easy soup.

A good broth is needed; whether you make your own dashi broth using Kombu and bonito, or use store bought that you can enrich with some mushroom stock. I do a bit of both. With broth simmering away, noodles should be cooked and placed off to the side, then the secondary players in the soup get into the action. I like to add a handful of dried wakame, some shelled edamame, medium firm tofu and sweetened fried tofu too. Sliced shitake mushrooms, and handful of the cutesy enoki mushrooms and some seafood such as shrimp or scallops. All this goes into the stock, then the noodles go in to just heat through and you have what I like to call the perfect food.

This soup is great the next day too. Heated up, with the addition of a handful of fresh spinach, it makes a great breakfast or lunch. When in doubt, I like to get the noodles out and make a batch of my favorite rescue food.

This meat pie isn't only for the holidays.

Due to popular demand, I am posting this recent column that I wrote for The Chronicle Herald.

What is tourtière? That is a question that was asked to me before the holidays by a group of lovely ladies at “Our Thyme Cafe” in Dartmouth. I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with these ladies, cooking and talking and showing them how to make my “famous” tourtière. Many of the women had never heard of such a thing. A pie made of meat? With spices? One woman in particular almost fell over in shock when she saw me add my mix of ultra-secret spices. Her disdain was quite apparent, and she kept repeating over and over again how crazy my recipe sounded. Guess what? In the end, she was the first to try it, and the one who took most of the tourtière home.

But is tourtière all about the meat mix and spices? Hardly. Those are but two components that make up such a perfect pie. To me, the most important part, is that of the crust. Yes, good ‘ol crust. Flaky and light. What makes the perfect pastry? Nimble little hands and love.

Some people use butter, which I think is great, but for my flaky pastry I like to use lard. What is lard you might ask? Well, it’s the fat from my favorite animal, the pig. Not only do I use lard in my pastry, but the fatty goodness also makes my baked beans with salt pork outta this world. Not feeling the love for the lard? Shortening would probably work almost as well.

Pastry aside, the meat component is pretty important too. Some people swear by just beef or pork. But I like to use a mix of pork and veal; equal parts of each. Lamb works well in the land of meat pies, and I have even seen it done with chicken. Whatever your preference may be, the most important thing is that you are actually making it from scratch.

Oh the spices; I feel like this is my biggest secret. Should I divulge? Nah. How about just using a blend that you can buy? Despite the fact that I do have my own personal blend, I picked up a small container of the “Tourtière De Charlevoix” spice mix from the ever dappper, Costas Halavrezos at the Brewery Market to use in a batch of tourtière. The mix that he sells, courtesy of Montreal based company, Epices De Cru, contains mace, cloves, sage, bay leaves and a few other gems.

If you want your house to smell extra holiday-ish this year, I suggest whipping up a batch of tourtière. Your stomach will thank you for it!

Lavallée Tourtiere

Makes enough for 2 pies

2lbs (900g) ground pork
2lbs (900g) ground veal
1 onion; small dice
2 cloves garlic; minced
Salt and pepper
3 bay leaves
1 Tbsp (15ml) ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp (15ml) ground cloves
1 Tbsp (15ml) ground allspice
1 Tbsp (15ml) savory
½ Tbsp (7ml) ground mace
2 potatoes; scrubbed and grated (skin on)

In a thick bottom pot, brown the onion and garlic in a little bit of oil; cook for 2 minutes and add the meat. Brown and add the spices and salt and pepper. Taste for seasoning. You may need to add more depending on your personal preference. Cover the meat with boiling water and let simmer for 2 hours; stirring occasionally. After the 2 hours, add the grated potato and cook another 5 minutes. Cool down and skim off any excess fat before using. This mix also makes a great Sheppard’s Pie too.

Pie Crust

• 1 C lard
• 2 C AP flour
• Salt
• 1/3 C cold water

Mix the flour, lard and salt together by hand; rubbing and breaking the lard into the flour until pea size. Gradually add in the water and mix very gently until it comes together: DO NOT OVERWORK. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. This makes 2 double crusts.

2012 - Here I come.

It’s the New Year. We all have lists of things we loved, things we hated, and for me, it will be what I hope to see happen in 2012. Remember folks, these are just my opinions, so don’t get angry.

Bacon

Here is a product that most of us love, but poor bacon has been turned into something other than that salty meat we eat in the  morning. This past year, and for a few years actually, it has been bacon overload! Enough I say. Let bacon be bacon and choose to be eaten plainly and simply beside some eggs, in a club sandwich or a ceasar salad. Please don’t turn him into jam, put him in a chocolate bar or hidden in a cake. Hasn’t he been ridiculed enough already?

Cauliflower

My favorite vegetable! Underused, made fun of, and left to be eaten as a pureed soup. Cauliflower is King! He is mighty and tasty and can stand up to anything. Give him a chance; he is well worth the effort. Roasted with cumin seeds and chili then doused in a tahini-lemon sauce is pretty damn good. Pureed with obscene amounts of butter and cream and he is better than any fancy puree you may find in top restaurants. He lives forever in the fridge, and is even pretty yummy late at night dipped into tzaztiki. Cauliflower, you will reign in 2012!

Millet

Little perfect grains of crunchiness. Often forgotten due to that girl named “quinoa”, but for me, there is no competition. Cooked with earthy mushrooms and served over spinach, your delicate flavor caresses me. On your own with olive oil and salt and pepper, or thrown into a soup to give it strength. You and I will have a torrid love affair in 2012 and may even invite cauliflower into our mix.

Return To The Past

Who remembers the 70′s? I do. The colorful cookbooks with elaborate spreads, crazy looking food, but tasty. Who doesn’t like Beef Wellington or Lobster Thermidor? I might stay clear of the “chaud-froid” on chicken breasts, but a honest version of Chicken Cordon Blue or Kiev is nothing to snicker at. How about a Waldorf Salad? A Ceasar salad; pure and simple with just a handful of ingredients? I don’t know about you, but a potluck that includes some kickin’ meatballs, a lasagna, and a good loaf of garlic bread sounds pretty tempting to me.

Chemistry On My Plate

If I wanted to eat out of a test tube or beaker, or have scent waft my way as I eat, I’d pop in a Glade plug-in and get out my kid’s chemistry set.

Asian Fusion

Seriously, this is 2012. Do I even need to mention this? Yes, apparently the memo never reached some people. FYI…it died along with Tex-Mex back in 1993.

Allspice

Ooh you sassy lady! Spicy, yet understated. I love adding allspice in place of pepper whenever I can. It brings brightness to my hummus and works wonders on top of rum punch, Bajan style!

Sea Urchin

I know it is in abundance in sushi places, but here in Nova Scotia we have tons of the stuff…everywhere! I love it. The smell is almost rose-water-esque, with a sweet and salty taste. People are afraid of the texture, but if you’re willing to eat brains, then….Why is it not on more menus? It doesn’t have to be a main course, but just a taste, a tease of the spiny creature. (FYI…I still have a sea urchin stinger stuck in my finger circa 2008!).

OK, so some are good, and some are bad. But after all is said and done, all that makes me happy is being able to enjoy food, any way it comes at me, in 2012. Happy New Year!

A luxurious New Year's Eve snack.

I am going to assume that most of you are probably feeling that the holidays are over now that Christmas has come and gone, but the best holiday is about to come; New Years’ Eve!

Ah New Years’ Eve; drinks, friends and fine food. Are you perhaps heading out to a 10 course dinner at one of the local restaurants? Or maybe heading to a party? This year, I am not working in a kitchen (praise the Lord!), but I am heading over to a friend’s place to make a stupendous New Years’ dinner.

What will I be offering this crowd? It isn’t Foie Gras or even cheese, I am going to make my special Goose Liver Parfait. Buttery, rich and smooth as silk, this parfait is a party and crowd pleaser.

My parfait starts with fresh goose livers that I get from Mike Oulton Meats out in Martock. Ruby red and plump, these little suckers get put in a super hot pan with garlic, lemon zest and a lil’ lemon juice until just browned. A sprinkling of salt and pepper and into the food processor where they meet there fate with equal amounts of cold, salted butter. Process the lot until smooth and season to taste. Voila! So simple, yet so decadent. The only way to muck this recipe is to overcook your livers; if you do so, you will end up with a grainy, murky brown mess.

What do I serve with this perfect parfait? I love sparkling wine! The crispness and bubbles cut through the fatty goodness. Which sparkling? Why, there are so many to choose from, but when in Rome….we do as the Romans do! I am planning on stocking up on some amazing Nova Scotian sparklers from Benjamin Bridge, L’Acadie Vineyards, Domaine Grand Pré and Blomidon Estate Winery. Each of these local wineries produces some pretty spectacular sparkling wines for all tastes and budgets.

We have parfait, we have sparkling wine, but what about an accompaniment? I like toasted baguette or fruit and nut crisps, but a chutney or jam is a must. I was lucky enough to receive a jar of fantastical peach chutney from my friend Alexis this year; the spices she put in her chutney are a perfect match to the goose livers. Another winner comes from local producer, Pat’s Preserves. His “Raspberry Jalapeno” jam is awesome! The sweetness and hint of heat pretty wicked with the parfait.

If you are heading out to a party or just staying at home, try making a batch of this parfait to enjoy while ringing in 2012. Happy New Year!

Goose Liver Parfait

Makes about 2 cups

• 1lbs (450g) fresh goose livers (you can substitute chicken or duck too)
• 1lbs (450g) salted, cold butter; cubed
• 2 cloves garlic; minced
• 1 lemon; zest and juice
• Salt and pepper

In a hot pan, add a small amount of the butter and melt. Add the livers and sear on each side. They should cook for about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, lemon zest and seasoning. Cook until still pink inside. Do not overcook! PLace livers in food processor and start processing with the butter; adding a few pieces at a time. Process until all the butter is gone and the parfait is smooth. Add the lemon juice and more seasoning if needed. Pour into a bowl or container and place in the fridge. I like to pour clarified butter over the parfait once it is chilled to seal in the parfait so that it will keep longer and keep the color true. This will keep in your fridge for about 2 weeks.

Salty, creamy and crunchy. What more could you want?

What makes me happy? A bottle of red wine and a big ol’ piece of cheese? Perhaps. But when the wind is whipping at the windowsill and the snow is coming down, nothing makes me happier than the perfect grilled cheese sandwich.

I am a purist; I like to keep things in my kitchen simple. The same holds true with my grilled cheese creations. Great bread, Canadian cheese, butter and maybe even a slice of locally cured ham. During the recent holidays, when my belly was about to burst from over-alcholization and roasted goose, I decided to take make a quick lunch for the troops.

The grilled cheese components included extra Old Cheddar from Mapledale Cheese in Ontario, apple-walnut bread from Boulangerie La Vendeenne, Westphalia ham from Roselane Farm and… mayo. Yep, mayonaise. I recently came across a cool trick in a CHOW recipe about how mayo won’t burn the bread like butter. I was skeptical about this tip, but I had to give it a try.

With meat and cheese neatly tucked between the bread, I spread some mayo on both sides of the bread and placed the sandwich onto a medium heat  non-stick pan to slowly brown, crisp and melt.

The result was pure bliss – salty, creamy and crunchy with not a burnt bit in sight! My holiday snack was as I would say, outta sight!

What could be more Nova Scotian?

What is the most beloved soup in Nova Scotia? The answer is easy. Chowder. Be it lobster or clam or fish or seafood, chowder is warm, comforting and soothing. What could be better during this holiday season.

Chowder; it comes in many forms. Perhaps it is all clams or a mix of white fish. There may be a few shrimp lurking in the bowl or even an oyster. It can be cream based, tomato based or even a broth, but anyway you like to eat or cook it, this soup is a staple on most menus in restaurants and home kitchens in the province.

I am a very anal person when it comes to making my chowder. I have several rules that I apply, and I know that many people will disagree with me, but hey, that’s just how I like it.

Rule #1 of the Lavallée Chowder: No “pink” fish. So Mr. Salmon, you and your friends Char and Trout will have to find another bowl to play in.

Rule #2 of the Lavallée Chowder: No cream. Listen, just cause I weigh 105lbs doesn’t mean I can wave around a carton of 35% cream an use it liberally in my cooking; it’s gotta be 2% milk for this lil’ lady.

Rule #3 of the Lavallée Chowder: Carrots belong in a stew, not in my velvety white chowder. I do not want these orange floaties discoloring my soup.

So, how many disagree? Probably quite a few, but how many of you will try my recipe and perhaps change your minds? Hopefully more. Mine is a mix of clams, smoked fish, smoked oysters and haddock. Sometimes when I am feeling crazy, I’ll even put in a few cold water shrimp!

This holiday season, try impressing your guests with a chowder. Duper MacDonald, this one is for you! Enjoy.

The Chowder of Chowders

Serves 6 adults

• 8 slices of bacon; roughly chopped
• 1 onion; chopped
• 1 leek; chopped
• 3 ribs of celery; chopped
• 3 potatoes; washed and chopped (I keep the skin on)
• 1C (250ml)  corn(fresh or frozen)
• 3C (750ml) chicken stock
• 1C (250ml) white wine
• 2 C (500ml)  2% milk
• 1 can clams (add the juice too!)
• 3 tins  smoked oysters
• 1lb (450g) haddock (or any fish you like)
• 200g smoked halibut or haddock
• 1C (250ml)  cold water shrimp
• 1tbsp (15ml) chopped tarragon
• salt and pepper

In a large pot, cook off the bacon with a little oil and add the onion, leek, celery and potato. Sweat for 5 minutes. Deglaze with the white wine and cook another 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and the liquid from the clams and cook for 1/2 hour until the vegetables are soft. Add in the smoked fish (cut up) and the white fish. Cook for another 10 minutes and then add the remaining ingredients and heat through. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with fresh dill.

Crunchy, spicy and delicious.

Have you ever ordered a Caesar or Bloody Mary and had the pleasure of having it served with a spicy bean? These gorgeous pickled beans are what my dreams are made of; spicy, crunchy and salty. What more could I ask for?

It wasn’t until a friend of mine, Alexis Kelsall, and her blog ” Domestic Bliss” inspired me, that I decided to get crackin’ and create a few jars of these ‘blissful’ beans myself. Alexis has been a canning machine this past summer and fall, and this is one of her prize pickle recipes.

If you aren’t into pickling, and you are slightly anxious about spending hours in the kitchen toiling over jars and hot pots, then this recipe is for you. It’s simple, fast and most effective.

Alexis only uses chili flakes for the heat in her recipe, but I adapted it a wee bit by also adding in some pickled scotch bonnet peppers that I had picked up on a late spring trip to Barbados. This extra touch makes for beans with the perfect amount of spiciness for this hot mama.

If beans aren’t your thing, this recipe also works well with carrots. I even have big plans on trying it with beets later on this fall. Give the recipe a shot and let me know what you think.

Spicy Beans

• 4 cups white vinegar
• 3 tablespoons coarse salt
• 5 sprigs of fresh dill
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 5 teaspoons (or more) crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 pounds crisp beans, ends trimmed

Directions

Dilly goodness.

There is something very meditative about pickling. In my world of poopy diapers and tantrums, the thought of spending an uninterrupted afternoon where my biggest challenge is getting the wee cucumbers into the cumbersome jars, is a dream.

I recently had someone say to me “the best pickle will always be the homemade pickle”, so I vowed to make my own this year.

Making your own pickles is by no means rocket science, but if done properly, can become a hot commodity amongst people you know. I recently made a batch where I ended up with 20, 500ml jars, and I have already eaten 2 and given away 4 (I made them last week!). If I continue on this path, I shall have no more by the end of this month! So, I am going to make another batch, keep them hidden, and pray that they turn out just as good as the first!

If you have a 3 hour break in your day and want some exciting fun? Make some dill pickles.

Dilly Pickles

• 7lbs baby cucumbers; washed
• 3 heads garlic; cloves peeled & kept whole
• 1 bunch dill about to seed

Brine:

• 19 C water
• 5 1/2 C white vinegar
• 1 C coarse salt

Sterilize the jars and tops and set aside. Make the brine by combining the ingredients and bringing to a boil; set aside. Place the washed cucumbers in the jars, making sure to get as many shoved in their as humanly possible. Don’t be scared to use a little muscle. Add 3 cloves of garlic and a few sprigs of the dill to each jar. Cover with the brine, seal and process in simmering water for 13-15 minutes.

Makes approximately 20 x 500ml jars.

We ate our first jar after a week and they were great. If have more will power than us, you could probably leave them for little longer to maximize the flavour. Enjoy. And remember, you will always be loved if you show up with a jar of homemade pickles.

Ain't no party like a pickling party.

Fresh and Delicious

It seems that as my days get busier and the weather gets hotter, it is a huge challenge for me to whip up a meal. We all have things we have as “go-to’s”, and my go-to is always a simple cold noodle salad.

I know that many of us may not keep such ingredients in the pantry, but for me, rice noodles, fish sauce and sambal olek are always floating around. And in the fridge, you will always find cilantro, carrots, cucumbers and a piece of meat.

On this particular day, as the temperature rose and the humidity became almost unbearable, I made my go-to salad and enjoyed it immensely. The crunch of the carrots and cucumber with the salty peanuts, the spicy vinaigrette, and the tender slices of striploin, filled the void on this day.

I started by soaking the rice noodles in warm water while I julienned my vegetables and chopped my cilantro. A vinaigrette of lime juice, ginger, fish sauce, sambal olek and sesame oil awaited the noodles and vegetables. To finish the dish off, I topped the noodles with some thinly sliced striploin steak from the night before and a sprinkling of chopped peanuts.

In less than ten minutes I had a delicious and fresh dinner that would also be great as leftovers for lunch the next day. Quick, simple and fresh; it’s that easy.