Baked Apples With A Twist

The Classic

Baked apples are a favourite dessert choice during the winter months. First of all, it's an excuse to keep your oven going a bit longer. The house is always that much warmer for it. Secondly, apples are relatively easy to come by no matter the time of year, at not too great a cost. Infused with some warm winter spices, baked in sugar, rum, and butter, they are a soul-warming treat. But after a long grey winter all I can think about is the coming spring, so I've decided to inject my winter treat with a little reminder that grey is not forever, that the sun will be here soon.

The Twist

A splash of orange juice and a hint of zest take these apples to a whole new level. A hint of star anise brings me to exotic climes. Orange infused whip cream ties it all together.

This is inspired by a recipe over at http://vegeyum.wordpress.com/2007/12/05/bakedapples/

• 3 - Medium sized apples, I used granny smith
• 1 - Orange, juice and zest
  
• 1 Tbsp - Rum
  
• 1/2 Cup - Raisins
• 2 Tbsp - Unsalted butter
  
• 9 - Pepper corns
• 1 to 6 - Cloves, as desired
  
• 3 - Whole star anise
• 1/4 Cup - Brown Sugar
• 1/4 Cup - White sugar
• 1/4 tsp - salt
• 1/2 Cup - Walnuts, roughly chopped and toasted
  
• 1/3 Cup - Heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 375° F (unless you are using a Romertopf; then start it in a cold oven and turn heat to 425 ° F)
   
   
2. Juice orange. Reserve 1 Tbsp of juice. Mix the rest with zest and rum. Soak raisins in mixture for 30 mins.
   
   
3. Core apples and put in a baking pan. I used my Romertopf clay-baker. Pour orange-rum mixture over and around apples, holding back the raisins. Fill the apples with raisins, butter, and brown sugar. Top each apple with a whole star anise. Place pepper corns and cloves in bottom of pan with orange-rum mixture. Put baking pan in oven for 30-45 mins. Test for doneness by poking apples with a fork.
   
   
4. While apples are baking, mix sugar and salt and put in a heavy pan. Heat pan on medium-high heat. Do not stir. Once sugar begins to melt, stir mixture with a fork until it is fully melted and begins to turn a golden hue. Toss walnuts into pan and remove from heat. Quickly stir to coat walnuts, then pour walnuts onto a piece of parchment. Separate the walnuts before they stick together.
   
   
5. Whip cream with reserved orange juice, zest, and sweeten as desired.
   
   
6. Place cooked apples on a plate. Pour juices from the bottom of the baking pan over the apples, reserving the peppercorns. Remove the star anise from each apple, give the apple a dollop of whip cream, and replace the star anise. Garnish the plate with the peppercorns and scatter candied walnuts about. A twist of orange adds a final flourish!

Neo-Carbonara

The Prelude

So, being a non-meat-eater, I've spent countless hours drooling over the photos of pasta carbonara on various food-blogs, with no hope in sight. It's that damn pancetta; it makes the dish but no matter how you slice it, it's meat. I had settled on having to just live with my over-active salivary gland and suck it up (no pun intended). It seemed that life might just go on being carbonara-less. And then....

The Light Goes On

'Wait a sec, what about last night's salmon?' says Eiji. 'Maybe I could do carbonara with a twist. And since salmon isn't exactly conventional, screw it, I'm going with whole-wheat pasta. A modern day, truly healthy version of that Italian classic.'

'Hang on, healthy?' says Ai. 'What, are you gonna use soy milk instead of cream?!'

Eiji: 'You won't trick me that easily. Everyone knows that real carbonara isn't made with cream. It's the eggs that make it so thick and rich. It's all in your cooking technique. You have to make sure the eggs don't fully cook. And, now they are saying that eggs aren't even bad for you. So ha!'

Ai: 'And even I will concede that a little cheese never hurt anyone.'

Eiji: 'We'll call it.........neo-carbonara."

Ai: 'Let's give it a French twist. Car-bonne-ara. Ha ha!'

[Silence]

Eiji:'Uh, ya. Lame.'

The Revolution is Nigh

So I settled on a healthy carbonara and was it ever fantastic. I feel light and healthy after eating it to boot.

• Quarter size bundle of whole wheat spaghetti noodles
• Salt for pasta water
  
• 1 - Clove garlic
• 1 Tbsp - Olive oil
  
• 1/2 Cup - Cooked salmon, crumbled
• 1 or 2 - Organic, grade A eggs
  
• 1/3 Cup - Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
• Fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 Cup - leftover pasta water
  
• 2 Tbsp - Finely chopped parsley
• More cheese for garnish

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Meanwhile, heat a large heavy pan on medium heat.
   
   
2. Whisk together the eggs, parmigiano, and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Finely chop garlic. Set aside.
   
   
4. Finely chop parsley. Set aside.
   
   
5. Add pasta to boiling water. Stir at first to prevent the noodles from sticking to the bottom.
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. While pasta is cooking, add oil and garlic to pan. Stir to prevent garlic from burning.
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. About half-way through cooking pasta, crank the heat of the garlic up to medium-high and add the salmon. Stir constantly. The salmon should get nice and crispy.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
8. When pasta is al dente, ladle about 1/2 cup of the pasta water into the pan; quickly add the noodles to the pan. Add the parsley. Stir to coat the noodles.
   
   
   
   
   
   
9. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and remove from heat. Stir constantly until just before the eggs coagulate. You will know it is time to stop the cooking when the mixture becomes thick and creamy.
   
   
   
   
   
   
10. Plate the pasta. Garnish with more grated parmigiano.
    
    
    

NOTE: A word of warning. Undercooked eggs pose a risk of salmonella poisoning. Be sure to use well refrigerated, fresh, organic, Grade A eggs. Always inform people you are serving them undercooked eggs, as people with weak immune systems may be more susceptible to food-borne illnesses.

And there you have it. You've just made a dish that tastes rich, creamy, and artery coating but is in fact quite healthy and light.

Speaking of healthy and light, I must sign off to go be exactly the opposite. I have a batch of Fleur de Sel Caramels setting as a I type. I believe they should be just about ready to eat. Expect details soon!

Here is the printer friendly version of the recipe:

• Quarter size bundle of whole wheat spaghetti noodles
• Salt for pasta water
  
• 1 - Clove garlic
• 1 Tbsp - Olive oil
  
• 1/2 Cup - Cooked salmon, crumbled
• 1 or 2 - Organic, grade A eggs
  
• 1/3 Cup - Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
• Fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 Cup - leftover pasta water
  
• 2 Tbsp - Finely chopped parsley
• More cheese for garnish

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Meanwhile, heat a large heavy pan on medium heat.
   
   
2. Whisk together the eggs, parmigiano, and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
   
   
3. Finely chop garlic. Set aside.
   
   
4. Finely chop parsley. Set aside.
   
   
5. Add pasta to boiling water. Stir at first to prevent the noodles from sticking to the bottom.
   
   
6. While pasta is cooking, add oil and garlic to pan. Stir to prevent garlic from burning.
   
   
7. About half-way through cooking pasta, crank the heat of the garlic up to medium-high and add the salmon. Stir constantly. The salmon should get nice and crispy.
   
   
8. When pasta is al dente, ladle about 1/2 cup of the pasta water into the pan; quickly add the noodles to the pan. Add the parsley. Stir to coat the noodles.
   
   
9. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and remove from heat. Stir constantly until just before the eggs coagulate. You will know it is time to stop the cooking when the mixture becomes thick and creamy.
   
   
10. Plate the pasta. Garnish with more grated parmigiano.

Latte Art Compilation I

Seeing as how I've been pouring rosettas for the better part of two years now, I figured it was about time to show some of them off. Since my new phone has a decent camera built into it, I now have quick access to a camera while I'm behind the bar (just don't tell the customers that their drinks were getting cold so that I could frame a decent shot).

Here are some of my favourites. Forgive the inevitable blur that comes with iphone pics, c'est la vie. These may seem like standard latte art at first glance but each has a unique quality. Read the captions for explanations.

An asymmetrical rosetta? Not just. It's in a 6oz cappuccino cup.




Latte art? Nope. It's hot chocolate art.




My first proper rosetta in a 3oz espresso cup.




A tiny, 2.5oz ?, espresso cup.




More hot chocolate art.

Enough ego stroking for now. More to come.

A day of news: new Le Creuset, new orange oil, new knife skills, new clay baker

Le Creuset

While walking around the other evening after work, I was struck by a spontaneous urge to purchase a Le Creuset cast iron pot. I popped into CookShop at City Square here in Vancouver. Enter a flashy new, bright orange, and hopefully lifetime, fixture in my kitchen. (I also picked up a small Romertopf clay baker, so look forward to experiments in clay pot cooking).

What a beauty....

I want to start preparing more slow-cooked, one-pot meals; to focus on subtle, drawn out flavour development. The melding of flavours as the ingredients simmer on ultra-low heat for hours, filling the kitchen with the smell of hearty, comfort food really excites me. The Le Creuset seemed like the perfect choice. The heat distribution is amazing, and the temperature stays SO consistent.

I spent my first afternoon with my Le Creuset cooking up a Moroccan style veggie stew. I was too wrapped up in the excitement of having a new pot to take pictures or record my recipe, but it was roughly as follows.

• 4 - Yams, potatoes, or other root vegetables; 1cm cubes
  
• 1 - Large red onion
• 3 - Cloves garlic
• 1 - Stalk celery
• 1 - Pepper (yellow, or red)
• 2 Tbsp - Extra virgin olive oil
  
• 1 Tbsp - Cumin seeds, toasted and ground
  
• 1 Tbsp - Coriander seeds, toasted and ground
  
• 1 tsp - Curry powder
• 1/4 tsp - Cayenne
• 8 - Dried figs, coarsely chopped
• 1 Cup - Walnuts, coarsely chopped
  
• 1 - Cinnamon stick
• 2 Cups - Red lentils (rinsed)
  
• Approx. 4 Cups - Vegetable stock
• 2 Tbsp - Peanut butter
  
• Salt and coarsely ground pepper to taste
• Optional: pan fry a cubed portobello mushroom and toss in near the end.
  

1. Toss the root vegetable of choice (a squash could be used instead) in olive oil, salt, and pepper and bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes at 400° F.
   
   
2. Chop onions in a small dice and sautee with half of the oil. Careful not to burn the oil. I found that the Le Creuset needed a much lower temperature after the metal was initially heated than I was used to with a conventional sautee pan; I had it on medium-low.
   
   
3. Season onions with salt and ground pepper; finely chop the garlic and add to onions once they are tender (5-10 mins), stirring occasionally.
   
   
4. After 2-3 minutes, before the garlic browns too much, add: cumin, coriander, curry, and cayenne. NOTE: before adding the spices, if your pan seems too dry, add the remainder of the olive oil. Increase the heat slightly and fry the spices for two minutes (if they begin to smoke, your pan is too hot).
   
   
5. Add the celery, red or yellow pepper, figs, walnuts and lentils. Stir until coated with spice mixture.
   
   
6. Add cinnamon stick and vegetable stock (enough to cover plus one inch) and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook covered until lentils are plump, about 20 minutes. Then uncover and allow to reduce until desired consistency is achieved. (If after the 20 min your stew is too thick, you can add more soup stock. Alternately, if you prefer a soupier dish, add more stock to start with.)
   
   
7. Whisk in peanut butter, stir in baked root veggies and serve with couscous.
   
   
8. Garnish with an ornately cut fig and a cinnamon stick.
   

The dish was delicious, but could have used a touch more cumin. I would also like to experiment with adding toasted and ground cardamom. I served it with couscous and banana cakes with I made by frying together chopped banana, walnuts, figs, cardamom, salt and pepper. Once cooled the mixture formed into patties which I placed over the couscous. I ladled the stew beside this.

Orange Oil and Knife Skills

So, before making my stew, I had fantasized about salmon for dinner. I've been eating like a bit of a monk all week ("...raw veggies and fruit, meet Eiji") so by the time Saturday rolled around, I was craving protein like you wouldn't believe.

We've started to buy whole salmons, frozen at sea, right off the boat down at the Granville Island docks. Wow, is that fish ever fresh and delicious. We keep it in the freezer and use a hacksaw to take off whatever we need for our meal. As I'd been moving furniture all day (don't ask) in a seriously protein deprived state, I was in no mood to start sawing out one portion of fish so I just took the whole damn thing, or at least what was left of it, out of the freezer and set it a'thawing.

A nice hunk of Coho

Meanwhile, as the fish lay thawing my stomach began to grumble so I decided to forgo the salmon for a quick and simple stew (see above). Having polished off my stew and some absolutely decadent baked apples (made in the new Romertopf, I'll post about these later) I remembered that I still had a thawed salmon on my hands. I could have thrown it in the fridge at this point but it had already been at room temperature and I didn't want it to start going bad. It's a lot tastier when cooked fresh(ly thawed).

Now, in times past I would simply buy salmon fillets from the market, but I've entered the age of DIY; it's more exciting. However, I hadn't, up until now, taken the opportunity to learn the proper technique of filleting a fish. I would usually hack it down one side of the spine and then clumsily pull/rip/cut at some of the bones until I was left with a sloppy mess. This time I decided that patience, being the virtue that it is, would be required (despite my tendency towards impulse). I took the time to Google "how to fillet a fish" and spent a few minutes reading and deciphering diagrams. Armed with my new knowledge and a sharp but inappropriately large and clumsy knife, I undertook the deed....

Truth be told, I was fairly pleased with the results and remain quite proud of my two fillets. They did get a little roughed up in my attempt to skin them with such a large blade, but they were a definite improvement on my previous messes.

My very first fillets!

My standard salmon recipe usually involves some sort of soy/ginger/citrus glaze and a broiler. This usually results in a succulent, caramelized (or more likely Maillard reacted) piece of fish. However, when using the broiler, it is easy to overcook the fish, or likewise, to burn it on the outside while leaving the inside slightly undercooked. After you get to know your oven you can usually avoid this, however, the stove top gives you more immediate access to your piece of cooking fish, and so I decided to experiment and see how my Le Creuset stood up to a fillet of coho.

I decided not to venture in a completely new direction, but to change only one variable at a time; having decided on a new cooking method I would keep my recipe almost unchanged and see if I could taste a difference between the stove-top and the broiler. I did decide to make one addition to my recipe. I received a three pack of citrus oils as a gift this past Christmas: orange, lemon, and lime. So far I've only played with orange (in dark chocolate truffles; soooo good) and decided to continue working with it since the only citrus fruits I had on hand were oranges.

Essence of orange...

I compiled the rest of my ingredients and the cooking began. (I know, the honey is crap but it's all I had kicking around the pantry so I'll use it up before investing in some better stuff. Also, the recipe includes brown sugar which I neglected to photograph.)

• 1 Tbsp - Olive oil
• Canola oil for cooking fish (olive oil will burn)
  
• 2 - Cloves garlic
• 1 Tbsp - Grated ginger
• 1 Orange, zested and juiced
• 1/2 tsp - Chili flakes
• optional: 1/4 tsp of orange oil
  
• 4 Tbsp - Soy sauce
• 1/4 Cup - Water
  
• 1 generous Tbsp - Honey
• 1 tsp - Hoisin sauce
• 1 Tbsp - Dijon mustard
• 1/4 Cup - Brown sugar
• 2 - medium size salmon fillets
• salt and pepper

1. Finely chop the garlic and fry in oil on low heat. (Note: this sauce can be prepared without cooking, just whisk the ingredients together. However, since the cooking time for the fish is relatively short, I prefer to cook the garlic and ginger in advance so that the flavours soften a little and infuse the liquid.)
   
   
   
   
   
2. Cook the garlic until it becomes soft, both in texture and aroma; about 5 mins.
   
   
3. Add the ginger, orange zest and chili flakes. Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Slowly whisk in the soy sauce, orange juice, and water; turn up heat to medium. Bring sauce to a simmer.
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Stir in the honey and hoisin sauce and remove from heat.
   
   
6. Whisk in the dijon until the mixture has come together. Set aside.
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. Heat a heavy pan, I used my Le Creuset, on a high heat and then turn down to medium-high. Add canola oil.
   
   
8. While the pan is heating, rub the salt, pepper, and brown sugar into the side of the fillets that will be facing up when served.
   
   
   
   
   
   
9. Once the oil is very hot, place the fillets, sugared side down, into the pan. Be careful for oil splashes. Cook for 2-3 mins.
   
   
   
   
   
   
10. Pour the sauce into the pan and gently flip the fish. Place a lid on the pan and allow to cook for 4-7 mins. Remove fish from pan. If cut open at this point, the fish will be ever so slightly raw just at the centre. Don't worry, it will continue to cook once removed from the heat. IMPORTANT: Do not wait until the fish looks cooked through before removing from the pan. It will continue to cook as it cools.
    
    
    
    
    
    
11. Garnish with orange peel and mint or parsley. Pour a spoonful of the sauce over the fish and around the plate.

Since I'd already eaten dinner, and it was 11pm, I quickly plated the salmon for a photo op. Ordinarily, if I had a whole meal prepared, I would plate the pieces of fish individually along with the accompaniments. However, it would be perfectly acceptable to serve the fish on a platter, as below, for a more informal, feast-style meal. Also, I didn't want to waste any mint or parsley since the fish was destined for the fridge, so the pictures below are lacking any colour contrast. Note: I was quite tired at this point and looking forward to bed, so I didn't bother, but it would be a good idea to strain the sauce to remove the chunks of fish, garlic, and ginger before spooning it onto the plate.

Final Thoughts

I did say I was tired and ready for bed. Don't think for one second though that I neglected to taste the fish. I actually ended up polishing off a whole piece before nipping out of the kitchen. Let me say this: HOLY TENDER! The fish had a whole different texture than when broiled. It didn't have that nice crispy crust on the top, but it was soft and creamy all the way through.

As for the orange oil, I'm not sure how much it contributed to the dish. I'd have to cook two versions side by side, one with the orange oil, one without. Don't get me wrong, there were brilliant orange flavours coming through in every mouthful, but it's hard to say whether they were due to the zest and juice, or partly due to the oil. Whatever the case, it was an absolutely spectacular variation of my old soy/ginger/citrus standby.

Oh yeah, does that Le Creuset ever clean up easy. No scrubbing needed at all!



Here is a print-version of the cooking instructions without images:

1. Finely chop the garlic and fry in oil on low heat. (Note: this sauce can be prepared without cooking, just whisk the ingredients together. However, since the cooking time for the fish is relatively short, I prefer to cook the garlic and ginger in advance so that the flavours soften a little and infuse the liquid.)
   
   
2. Cook the garlic until it becomes soft, both in texture and aroma; about 5 mins.
   
   
3. Add the ginger, orange zest and chili flakes. Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes.
   
   
4. Slowly whisk in the soy sauce, orange juice, and water; turn up heat to medium. Bring sauce to a simmer.
   
   
5. Stir in the honey and hoisin sauce and remove from heat.
   
   
6. Whisk in the dijon until the mixture has come together. Set aside.
   
   
7. Heat a heavy pan, I used my Le Creuset, on a high heat and then turn down to medium-high. Add canola oil.
   
   
8. While the pan is heating, rub the salt, pepper, and brown sugar into the side of the fillets that will be facing up when served.
   
   
9. Once the oil is very hot, place the fillets, sugared side down, into the pan. Be careful for oil splashes. Cook for 2-3 mins.
   
   
10. Pour the sauce into the pan and gently flip the fish. Place a lid on the pan and allow to cook for 4-7 mins. Remove the fish from the pan. If cut open at this point, the fish will be ever so slightly raw just at the centre. Don't worry, it will continue to cook once removed from the heat. IMPORTANT: Do not wait until the fish looks cooked through before removing from the pan. It will continue to cook as it cools.
    
    
11. Garnish with orange peel and mint or parsley. Pour a spoonful of the sauce over the fish and around the plate.