Thought for Food

1 head savoy cabbage, cored, cleaned, and shredded
1 (2-inch) piece slab bacon, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the gratin dish
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 bunch fresh chives, finely chopped to 1/4 cup
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds baking potatoes, unpeeled and thinly sliced (about 1/8-inch), see Cook's note*
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 cups grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Finely shred the cabbage. Cut the bacon into 1/2-inch chunks. Place a small skillet over medium-low heat and fry the bacon, until crisp. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon butter to bacon fat in frying pan. When it has melted add 1/2 the garlic and give it a quick stir with a wooden spoon to soften. Add the cabbage and coat it with the butter. Slowly let it wilt. Add the bacon. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove from heat and add most of the chives, reserving a little for the garnish.

Generously butter the bottom and sides of an ovenproof casserole dish.
In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, 1 1/2 cups of cream, 1 cup of Parmesan, and the remaining garlic, Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Using your hands, place a layer of potatoes in the casserole dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan and repeat with 2 more layers. Spoon the cabbage mixture on top and spread it out evenly over the potatoes. Top it off with 2 more layers of potato and Parmesan. Pour the remaining 1cup cream over the dish. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.

Cover dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Leave for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh chives.

*Cook's Note: Slice the potatoes immediately before using so they don't turn brown.

[Tyler Florence]

Del.icio.us Tags: Cooking, Recipes, Potatoes

Posted by Ian McKenzie at 07:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup of brewed coffee or espresso
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Frosting
1/2 cup butter
2 tbs. cocoa
1/4 cup milk
1-1/2 cups icing sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 F and lightly grease a baking pan. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and sugar. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, coffee and cocoa. Stir constantly until heated to a boil. Pour boiling mixture over flour and sugar. Add buttermilk, eggs, baking soda and vanilla. Mix well, using a wooden spoon or high-speed mixer. Pour batter into baking pan. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until done in centre.

Meanwhile, prepare the frosting combining butter, cocoa and milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until heated to a boil. Mix in powdered sugar and vanilla and stir until smooth. Pour warm frosting over brownies as soon as they come out of the oven. Cool and cut into squares.

Del.icio.us Tags: Baking, Recipes, Chocolate, Brownies

Posted by Ian McKenzie at 05:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

2 cups grated carrots
juice of one orange
2 tsps vanilla extract
1/4 cups canola oil (or 1/2 cup apple sauce)
1 cup honey
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup unbleached flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Mix the first six ingrediants together in a bowl. Mix the dry ingrediants together in a seperate bowl. Stir chopped walnuts into dry ingrediants.

Add the dry ingredients to the carrot mixture and stir until just mixed.

Pour into a greased and floured 8" square pan and bake at 350 degrees, for 45-50 minutes or until a knife blade inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven, cool slightly and turn out onto a plate.

Del.icio.us Tags: Baking, Recipes, Carrot Cake

Posted by Ian McKenzie at 05:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

1 (2-pound) package frozen white bread dough
6 cups thinly sliced napa (Chinese) cabbage
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 3/4 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1 pound lean ground lamb
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons low-fat sour cream
Cooking spray
1 large egg white, lightly beaten

1. Thaw dough in refrigerator 12 hours.
2. Combine cabbage and salt in a large bowl; toss well. Let stand 1 hour. Drain well. Pat cabbage dry with a paper towel. Return to bowl; set aside.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes. Stir in carrot; cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 8 minutes. Add lamb, cilantro, and garlic; cook, uncovered, over medium-high heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain lamb mixture in a colander; pat dry with paper towels. Add lamb mixture and sour cream to cabbage; toss well.
4. Preheat oven to 350º.
5. Divide dough into 30 equal portions. Working with 1 portion at a time (cover remaining portions to keep dough from drying out), roll into a 4-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons cabbage mixture onto half of circle. Fold dough over filling; press edges together with a fork to seal. Place turnovers on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray, and brush with egg white. Repeat procedure with remaining dough, cabbage mixture, and egg white.
6. Bake at 350º for 25 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.

Technorati Tags: Cooking, Recipes, Lamb, Russian

Posted by Ian McKenzie at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A great French accidental cooking discovery from the early 19th century.

Ingredients:

* 6-8 Granny Smith apples
* 12 Tablespoons butter, cut into 1 tablespoon pieces
* 1 cup sugar

For the pastry:

* 1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
* 6 Tablespoons confectioner's sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 10 Tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
* 1 egg, beaten
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the pastry:
1. Put the flour, sugar and salt in the food processor and pulse to blend. Add butter and pulse until the mixture looks like fine meal.

2. Stir the vanilla into the egg and add to the flour. Pulse a few times, just long enough for the dough to pull together.

3. Dump the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it until it is pliable. Press into a ball, wrap with plastic and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes. Just before using the pastry, roll it out into a 12-inch circle.

For the apples:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°.

2. Core apples preferable with an apple corer. Peel and quarter them.

3. Melt the butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet over med-heat. Remove from heat and sprinkle the sugar evenly over the butter.

4. Tightly pack the apples, upright, around the inside edge of the skillet. They should be nestled tightly against each other. Return the pan to the stove and cook over high heat until the butter and sugar carmelize to a rich brown ~ about 15 minutes.

5. Remove from heat and carefully turn the apples over to the uncooked side with a fork. Return to the heat and cook an additional 5-8 minutes.

6. Remove from heat. Drape the pastry over the apples, tucking the overhang down between the apples and the inside edge of the skillet.

7. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Remove and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

To serve:
Loosen the edges of the pastry with a knife. Invert onto a platter quickly and carefully. Serve warm.

Technorati Tags: Baking, Recipes, Pie, Desserts, Apples, Tarte Tartin

Posted by Ian McKenzie at 11:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)