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!

Now that I am halfway through the first series of cooking classes,I have decided to run a second series starting on July 12th. These classes will be limited to 15 participants and the cost per class will be $50 or all six for $275. They are held at Two If By Sea Cafe in Dartmouth, and will run every Tuesday for 6 weeks, starting at 7pm. You must register for each class ahead of time as the space is limited.

#1: Butchery And Beyond (July 12th):

This class is designed to teach you the basics of butchery. From chickens to lamb, beef to fish, I will show you the easiest way to clean, fillet, portion and cook.

#2: Cheese, Cheese, Glorious Cheese! (July 19th):

In case you didn’t know, I am a cheese fiend! In this class, we will sample many various types of cheeses from different areas.

#3: Gonna “Gnocchi” It Out Of You (July 26th):

We will make gnocchi from scratch. from dough, t0 shaping, to cooking these little pasta. Then maybe a few quick sauces too!

#4: Heat It Up (August 2nd):

An evening of Caribbean inspired food; rice and beans, jerk pork and a few other “spicy” dishes to get your blood boiling.

#5: Baa-Baa Black Sheep (August 9th):

Love lamb? Me too! We’ll cook up some tasty lamb treats from Bill Wood of Wood N Hart Farm in Tatamagouche. Lamb kefta, marinated roasted leg, and some simple side dishes to compliment a great summer meal.

SOLD OUT

#6: Market Inspiration (August 16th):

The last class of the series is a special one! Everyone picks one item from the market, brings it to class and we all incorporate them together for our final meal.

Hope to see many of you at one of my fun, delicious and exciting classes!

Sign up today by sending an email to  renee@feistychef.ca!

A bowl of comfort.

It started off as a typical Sunday here, but low and behold, there must have been something in the water to make children stay awake. Two small children decided that naps weren’t cool, and consequently managed to drive me absolutely nuts and counting the seconds until their bedtimes. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and six o’clock had arrived (an earlier than normal bedtime). I wiped the sweat from my furrowed brow and made my way downstairs to pour myself a well deserved glass of wine. Just as I breathed a sigh of relief, the Douglish popped his head around the corner and asksed the dreaded question “what’s for dinner?”. Giving him a look that could kill in return, I squeaked out “mac n cheese”. Huh? Yes, even the most talented of cooks out there eat this comfort food, and I am by no means any different.

I make my M&C by cooking off my pasta and making a basic Mornay sauce (that’s fancy talk for cheese sauce). Looking into the cheese drawer of my fridge, I pulled out the ‘nubbins’ of a few choice pieces that have gotten lost in the shuffle; Old Growler, Dragons Breath & Mozzarella. In they went to flavour the sauce along with some rosemary and fresh lemon juice and zest. I mixed it with cooked pasta and some peas. I put the saucy pasta into my baking pan and topped it with homemade bread crumbs and another sprinkling of Old Growler. Fifteen minutes in a 400°F oven, and the bubbling concoction smelled so good that it awoke the beasts upstairs momentarily.

Plated and served with a side of arugula and yellow teardrop tomatoes, this quick and easy dinner is the perfect ending to a most hectic day.

Cheesy Sauce

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp flour
• ½ onion; finely chopped
• 1 C milk
• ½ C grated mozzarella
• ¼ C Dragon’s Breath (or any blue cheese)*
• ¼ C Old Growler*
• 1 lemon; zest and juice
• 1 tsp chopped rosemary
• salt & lots of black pepper
• cooked pasta (I did 1/2box of Gemelli)
• 1 C peas (I use frozen and finish in the pasta water before straining)
• ½ C breadcrumbs

Melt the butter and saute the onion until translucent; add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and cook for 3-4 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken. Stir in the cheeses, rosemary & lemon. Season to taste.

Mix the cooked pasta & peas with the sauce and pour into a baking dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs (preferably homemade) and some grated Old Growler. Place into a pre-heated 400°F oven for 15 minutes until bubbling and gooey.

Serves 4.

* These cheeses were purchased at the Seaport Farmers’ Market from That Dutchman, but can be substituted with whatever cheese you have or prefer.

Fig & Prosciutto Salad

So, I’ve been trying to think about something that I could write about on a regular basis. I had a few thoughts about Top Ten Lists. I like it the idea, but I only have so many top tens in my life. I could talk about my kids, but who wants to hear about Zoe’s antics and Philippe’s poopy diapers. How about my Sunday nights? My Sunday night are sacred. It’s the one night out of the week that I usually try and make an effort to make a nice meal for the man in my life. So, without further ado, here it is, my first of hopefully many Sunday Night Dinner posts!

This particular Sunday was no different from any other; the were kids acting like crack heads, Doug was wiped from being out late the night before, and me, well, I was just my usual crab nebula-ish self. The dinner on this particular evening was looming overhead. What should I make? What do we have to use? Doug had shown up with a flat of figs for me on Saturday, and I had some prosciutto in the fridge that was screaming to be used. Was a salad in order? Perhaps. We made a quick trip to Pete’s Frootique, and I scored on a big piece of Bleu d’Auvergne cheese that was on sale, as well as a bottle of white wine vinegar that I needed to replace my last one. There were the dregs of a container of walnuts and in the freezer and some pears and greens that I picked up at the market the day before.

The answer was clear. A salad of figs, grilled prosciutto, julienned pears, Bleu d’Auvergne, walnuts and market greens  was on the menu. A simple vinaigrette of honey, olive oil and the white wine vinegar rounded out the dish. I paired the salad with some grilled honey apricot bread and we had a winner of a dinner. Doug was as happy as a pig in shit, and I had manged to make something out of almost nothing.

(Starting with this post, I plan to have my weekly Sunday Night Dinners posted every Monday morning. If you have any suggestion as to what I should make, feel free to send me a note.)

In case you haven’t heard, I have a soft spot for cheese and crackers. Nothing major, but if you ask my better half, he’ll attest to the fact that often enough, my meal of the day will consist only of cheddar cheese and some crackers. Now, I know that this sounds pretty pathetic, but the beauty part of it is that I make my own crackers. Yep, that’s right, I make my own crackers to enjoy with my cheese. It might sound daunting to some, but this recipe couldn’t be easier. I put all my ingredients in my food processor and then roll it out with my Grandmere’s rolling pin (a very treasured Granger family heirloom that has been passed down through many generations). I hope that the next time you decide to indulge in some cheese eating, or even a bowl of tomato soup that deserves a trusty companion, you’ll muster up the time to cook off a batch of these bad boys.

Easy Peasy Crackers

• 3C. all pupose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 C. cold butter; cubbed
• 1C. sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp sugar

Pulse the flour, baking powder, salt and butter in food processor until it becomes a coarse meal. Add in wet ingredients and quickly pulse until the dough comes together. On a floured work surface, roll out the dough until desired thickness and cut into any shape (I like long, narrow triangles).Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and cook in a 350 oven for about 20 minutes.

Click to enlarge.

I once had a co-worker at Les Fougères, who had a four year old boy. He told me a story one day about his son that made me laugh. After hearing this story I hoped that if I ever had kids, mine would do the same. He explained that his family had been invited over to a friend’s place for dinner and that when the main course of pasta came out, his son took one bite, pushed his plate away, turned to the host and said “Your pasta lacks seasoning. I refuse to eat this until the proper amount of salt and pepper is added.” I laughed so hard, and poor Mario was embarrassed by this event, but nonetheless, he was proud that his boy was a “gourmand”.

Along came a “petite gourmande” of my own. My daughter Zoé is all of 19 months, and has been eating solid food for more than a year. Her first foray was like every other baby; bananas, pears, prunes and sweet potatoes, but now and then I’d throw her a curve ball to see how should would react. An asparagus and fiddlehead soup was her first favorite, followed closely by pasta with Taleggio cheese, sundried tomatoes and basil. Yay, my babe was developing a palate more discerning than some adults!

Of course, this wasn’t always true. I have seen a bowl flung against my pale yellow walls after some hard core head shaking. To this day she refuses to eat mango, yet plonk and avocado on her plate and it’s gone within seconds. Cheese is already a major force in her young life; Taleggio is a winner, as is Manchego and Chèvre. I once gave her a dreaded processed cheese slice only to find it stuck suspiciously under her high chair. A few days ago, Zoé decided that the foie gras mousse, that Doug brought back from La Ferme Basque in Quebec, was best served with a sippy cup of local apple cider, and that Serrano ham worked wonders with some steamed asparagus and a side of pears. Saturday mornings are sacred for my family and a definite favourite for Zoé. This is when we make our weekly trip to the Halifax Farmers’ Market. Zoé always opts for a croissant from La Vendéenne and a scoop of gelato from Fox Hill Cheese House. Believe me, this kid knows what she wants!

I had always hoped that my child would to try different things, and give “peas” a chance. Now I can only hope that her brand new baby brother, Philippe, chooses the same path!

Zoé being introduced to her new brother Philippe, while eating of course!

Click to enlarge.

How do I start this post? This is a top secret post, about a cheese that I would consider a “Snuffleupagus” (for the Sesame Street watchers, you know what I mean!). It is a cheese known to few, eaten by many, and produced by no one. Whatever am I talking about? I am talking about a cheese that I recently tried on a trip to “nowhere” given to me by “someone” very special, that was made by a farmer and the milk from his cows. This cheese, that I shall call “cake”, is a cheese that is produced by some of the local farmers from the area that I went to. Now, the reason I am being so darn secretive about this is because this cheese is unpasteurized and therefore illegal in many parts.

The “cake” cheese that was brought over for Doug & I to sample was something that I didn’t even know existed in those parts. A very nice man heard that I was around and thought that I, being a cheese maniac, would appreciate some of his local “cake”. Well, here he came bearing several samples of aged “cake”; which included a two week old, a one month old, a three month and my favorite, the six month old. The youngest of the “cake” had a Pecorino-type flavor to it. It was dry, and had a crumbly texture, but also had a distinct salty and earthy quality. As the “cake” ages, it becomes drier and the saltiness gives way to a nutty, almost smokey flavor. When we ate our second piece, we realized that you could also taste the grass that the cows had eaten.  The six month, as I was told, was only appreciated by a few,  and I am happy to say that Doug and I fit that category! The mystery man left us with a very generous piece of the “cake” and explained to us the aging process of letting it air dry for a few weeks, then putting it in a zip-loc to be  left in the fridge for an undetermined amount of time. I know that making unpasteurized cheese is supposed to be “evil” due to certain dangerous bacterias, but it was nice to see that this old cheese making tradition still takes place in rural “nowhere”.  All I can say to sum up this “cake” is move over Parmigiano-Reggiano, there is a new cheese on the block!

The Sunday Night Special

I am a creature of habit; old habits die hard in my household.  Sunday night has always been that one night of the week that I find most peculiar; kinda sad, kinda boring.  The one thing that Sunday has also always been is pasta night!  Growing up, Sunday night meant spaghetti with homemade meat sauce, caesar salad, baguette and red wine (yes, even as a child I was permitted a juice glass of an Italian red!).  Now, as a wife and mother, I’ve kept up the Lavallee tradition of a bowl of pasta, red wine and bread, though the Lavallee meat sauce is a rare and coveted occurrence here.  I have an old standby these days, olive oil, garlic, tons of chilies, fresh tomatoes, peas and whatever herbs and cheese we have floating about.  This pasta takes only minutes to make; while your pasta cooks, you make the sauce, so you are guaranteed dinner in about ten minutes. Quicker than take out!  I hope you will take this recipe and make it your own by adding some of your favorite ingredients!  Buon appetito a tutti!

The Sunday Night Special

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves; sliced
• 1 heaping tbsp red chili flakes (or 2 if you’re like me)
• 3 tomatoes; roughly chopped
• 8 asparagus (this is what I had on this particular night)
• 1 cup frozen peas (I add them to the cooking pasta before I strain it!)
• 1 handful fresh herbs; basil, flat leaf parsley, oregano, etc
• zest of 1 lemon
• salt & pepper
• 1 cup Taleggio (again, we had a piece in the fridge)
• 3 cups cooked pasta of your choice

While the pasta is cooking, I heat up a pan with the oil and add the garlic and chilies; cook for 30 seconds until you smell the garlic.  Next, I add the asparagus & tomatoes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add 1/2 the chopped herbs and the lemon zest.  Just before straining the cooked pasta, add your peas to the water to cook.  Add the strained pasta and peas to the saucepan and add the cheese and the remainder of the herbs.

This makes enough for two hungry people with enough for lunch the next day!

FYI….We have the new habit of using That Dutchman’s “Old Growler” these days instead of the pricier Parmigiano-Reggiano.  I find it works just as well, if not better! Click here for my top ten favorite cheeses.

Can you smell it?

There is something primal about the smell of a charcoal fire.  Over at my house, we have a great old school Weber that we absolutely adore!  I was so happy when a foggy, rainy Tuesday actually ended up being the most glorious and sunny day so far this spring .  We decided to spark up that bad boy bbq, and grill us some food!  Doug & I have recently made a pact to be “vegetarian” for awhile, but this was the day that we had to temporarily cease and desist; and out came the Sweet Williams chorizo sausages that had been staring at me from the freezer for the past few weeks. These would be our protein, along with some grilled radicchio and eggplant that was later tossed with Cosman & Whidden honey and extra virgin olive oil.  Sweet potato grilled whole in its skin, some yellow peppers and of course grilled baguette rubbed with garlic, Maldon Salt and more olive oil would take up all the room on the grill.  This was all served alongside an impromptu cheese plate (assembled by Douglah) which included some Dragon’s Breath, Old Growler and Oka. The entire “grill-up” was paired with Propeller Pale Ale.  As the sun set on us in our backyard, we looked at each other and said,

We really must do this more often!

1. Taleggio (Italy)
2. Murazzano (Italy)
3. Pecorino Sardo (Italy)
4. Fougerous (France)
5. Le Sieur De Duplessis (New Brunswick)
6. Robiola (Italy)
7. Old Growler (Nova Scotia)
8. Bleu Benedictin (Quebec)
9. Pied De Vent (Iles De La Madeleine)
10. Manchego (Spain)