Pommes Frites with Balsamic Reduction & Lemon Salt

What's your absolute all time most favorite restaurant to go to?? What makes it your favorite? I was thinking about this question while I was deciding what to make for dinner last night. What do I like to eat? Where do I like to eat? Why do I like it so much? Then it occured to me, I love comfort food with a twist - make it a little bit fauncy...

Fauncy = fancy with a posh English accent..

Then it came to me. Fries. Who doesn't love fries? They are one of the quintessential comfort foods out there - at least in the United States, Canada, and France... Why else would they be called "French" fries?? just kidding... you can see why they're called "French" fries here.

So anyway, I thought - French fries! Done up nice and "Bin" style.. Bin 941 is by far, one of my all time favorite restaurants and it's located downtown on Davie Street in Vancouver.

It's Cheeky, quirky, and a little bit "fauncy" tapas style food with an amazing wine list and a great casual, indie chic atmosphere. It's dark in there and I like it! One of the things we ALWAYS have to get is the Pommes Frites (french for potato fries)... But these aren't just any potato fries - these are gourmet, balsamic reduction, gorgeous potato fries. As a tribute to them - I created the following.. Very similar, yet slightly divergent - these little guys take a bit of time to prepare, but are so very crispy, delicious and worth the time... They pack a punch.

Pommes Frites with Balsamic Reduction & Lemon Salt

(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

2 Medium to Large sized Russet Potatoes, peeled and rinsed.

1 Batch Lemon Sea Salt & Fresh Cracked Black Pepper.

1 Batch Good Quality Balsamic Vinegar Reduction

1 L Vegetable Oil for frying.

What to Do:

Using a mandolin on the thinnest setting possible, julienne the potatoes super thin.

 

Once sliced, put in a bowl of cold water and soak for about an hour to allow a lot of the starches to leech out.

Dry well with a tea towel (get all the excess moisture off!) and set aside. 

Heat your oil in a deep wok until it hits about 350 degrees F over medium heat, or until a 1" piece of bread, dropped into the oil, browns in about 50 - 60 seconds. If it browns faster than that turn down your heat - oil can combust if too hot and you don't wanna break out the fire extinguisher!

In handful size batches, drop the potato strings into the oil very carefully using tongs to ensure you don't burn your little fingers. Fry for about 2 minutes or so, remove, and let cool on paper towels while you make your way through the first round.

Once you get through them all, repeat. The second process will allow them to brown and become super crispy. As you remove them from the second wave, you can line a baking sheet with paper towel and keep warm in a 220 degree F oven. 

Once done, plate and top with a generous sprinkling of the lemon salt, a 3 - 4 Tbsp of the balsamic reduction and season with pepper. 

Eat.

P.S. Seriously, where do you LOVE to eat? And Why??

Buns of Brioche

I have a new love... I'm sorry to John, who cares for me so dearly, but I'm infatuated with someone else. I know I'm likely to kick myself after declaring my true feelings publicly - but it has to be done. I just can't keep it inside any longer.

I am in love with... Lady Gaga. Okay, maybe not in love with her, per say, but in love with her music. And she's kind of babe-a-licious herself. I've heard a couple of her songs in the past, and earlier this week - after seeing her Born This Way and Judas videos (warning: they're both rather epic in length) - I decided to download her albums. It's become ridiculous and kind of an obsession. I realize she's pop music and not ordinarily something I would listen to - but she does what she does very well. And before you get all "it's been done before!" - of course it has! Everything has! Her music reminds me a lot of very early Madonna and 20 or so years ago, Madonna did it well too. This generation needs a gender-bending, strong, intelligent, sexy siren that pushes their/our sexual envelopes (speaking of envelopes, check this out) the way Madonna did for us 80's and early 90's children. She's clever, hot, talented, and really, a whole lot of fun.

I dig her. There. I said it. And you know what else I dig? Brioche! (I know, my segways are terrible).

What is brioche you ask? I certainly did! Brioche is a slightly sweet French pastry (bread) that utilizes eggs and butter to make it super flaky, soft, and delicious. Usually an egg wash coating is applied just before cooking to ensure a glossy, brown finish. I adapted this recipe from Pardon My Crumbs.

What is brioche? It's delicious!

Buns of Brioche

Ingredients:

1 C Warm Water.

4 Tbsp Warm Milk.

3 Tbsp White Sugar.

2 Tsp Dry Active Yeast.

3 1/3 C White All-Purpose Flour.

1 1/2 Tsp Salt.

2 1/2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, room temperature.

2 Egg, room temperature and lightly beaten in 2 separate bowls.

Black and/or White Sesame Seeds (optional).

What to Do:

In a glass measuring cup, combine water, milk, yeast, and sugar. Give it a quick stir and let stand for about 5 - 7 minutes or so, until foamy.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl. whisk flour and salt together. Add the butter and rub between your fingers in bits to make "crumbs". Work through well.

Now, using a dough scraper (I used a spatula), fold in 1 egg and yeast mixture until a dough like consistency forms. Dump it all out onto a well floured counter space and knead it for 8 - 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. If it sticks to the counter (mine didn't), add a little extra flour. Just remember the more flour you add, the heavier and tougher your buns will be!

*To knead: push the dough out with your palms, slightly turning your hand up as you push. Once relatively flat, turn it .25 of a turn, slap it onto the counter, fold it over in half toward you and repeat. This is great work for your upper arms so be prepared!*

 

Now, roll into a ball, and return it to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and/or a tea towel and let the dough rise in a warm location until doubled in size - about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using your dough scraper (or in my case, a filet knife), divide the dough into 8 equal parts. Tear each of those parts in half. Gently roll each piece into a ball and arrange 2 - 3 inches apart on baking sheet. Cover loosely again (you may want to spray this cover with nonstick spray) and let rise again for a further 1 hour.

At the 1 hour mark, pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees F with the rack in the center of the oven. and prepare your egg wash. That is, take the other beaten egg and add 1 to 2 Tbsp of water, and mix well. Then baste each bun with the mixture. Be quick but gently. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake about 13- 15 minutes until golden brown on top. Remove from heat, transfer to a wire rack to cool, and serve.

Eat.

P.S. Don't wait for them to cool to sample one (or two, in my case)! Grab some butter and lather up! Chow down! They. are. delicious. And while your arms might have gotten a work out making this recipe of goodness the rest of you hasn't... But who cares? They're worth it!

Mail Art Monday Indeed!!

Giveaway winners, you are not forgotten!

Finally!! The Canada Post strike is over and I can get the post-card style recipe cards to the winners of the very first Gastronomical Sovereignty giveaway ever. While I certainly don't agree with how the strike has been forced to a close - seriously, Canada?? You passed a bill that forces unionized and legally striking workers back to work?! What is this?? A dictatorship?! - I can't not send mail out of principle. 3 amazing women are awaiting their packages!

Oh! And what packages they are!! kaitlyn @ isavirtue has been gracious enough to put together some incredible paper art envelopes in which to send them... Here's a sneak peek below, but see more here...

A Book Review (finally): Radical Homemakers

A while back I came across a book I thought looked very interesting - see here. It was called Radical Homemakers: Reclaiming Domesticity from a Consumer Culture and it's author, Shannon Hayes. A farmer, an academic, a wife, a mother, a writer, a teacher, and a feminist (I hope!) - Shannon illuminates how particular people (both men and women) in the United States are engaging with and resisting not only the corporate food chain, but consumer culture in general. 

She (in a rather remarkable and accessible way) begins with a little background, a little theory, and a little thought and then balloons those ideas to include her interviews and experiences with 20 different people/families/homes/communities to explicate, in very real steps, how we can live more holistically and communally. 

I really think we've fallen off the community train - and as she explains in the book - much of that loss can explain our alienated and often painful experiences around money, child rearing, access to food, and general quality of life within a consumer culture. We no longer engage with each other (even within the same home) - instead we consume material goods, images and sounds from separate television screens in separate rooms, mass produced food with whom we have no relationship with the producer who grew it... In essence, we've completely bought into the individualized model of identity that corporations have laid out for us. What do we do to "create" ourselves, outside our purchasing habits? How are we individually and collectively:

Brilliantly, Shannon brings these ideas to light and actually provides real life examples and directions on a variety of levels that reveal how we can re-engage with our selves, each other, and the planet. 

via Craig Sillitoe

Honestly, I think it's a great read. Even if you don't change one thing about your life and how you live it - it's a very interesting take on how we began from a place of connection, gradually (and then violently) moved to a place of estrangement and separation from our real truths and needs, and how we might escape that condition and return to a place of community. It rings true, to me. And in no way does she demand we all move to rural communes, strap on an apron, give our vaginas and breasts up to screaming babies, start growing all our own food, milk our own cows, haul our own hay, and never pick up an i-pod again - instead she suggests we each make changes that will not only make our own lives better, but those around us, in stages and pieces - doing what we can, when and where we can.

I can't think of a better or more socially just request, than that. 

To demonstrate a little of what the book has to offer, I've included some of my favorite quotes below... It's really just a sampling and hopefully a little inspiration to get you to go pick up a copy... If you do, lemme know what you think.

"Radical homemakers are men and women who have chosen to make family, community, social justice, and the health of the planet the governing principles of their lives...[they] use life skills and relationships as a replacement for gold, on the premise that he or she who doesn't need the gold can change the rules" (p. 13).

"Living in a culture of greed has been distracting Americans from a growing sense of anxiety and insecurity" (p. 49).

"Reclaiming the lost knowledge of health maintenance and self-healing is central to those who must life without a health insurance plan...no amount of medical technology will enable us to have healthy humans on a sick planet...The ability to provide ourselves and our loved ones with quality, earth-sustaining, nourishing foods drives many [radical] homemakers to garden extensively, raise grass-fed livestock or pastured poultry where space allows, and to learn ways of preparing and preserving their harvests...Locally produced, organic and nutrient-dense foods are a more reliable [and cheap] guarantee for health than medical insurance" (p. 147).

"We are accustomed to functioning within the extractive economy, whereby all the basic necessities of life are presumed to be exchanged for money...only those people with money are able to have their needs met...In a life serving economy, money is simply a tool to draw upon when another direct exchange [i.e. barter] for something of actual value cannot be worked out" (p. 201).

"The defining principles [of live serving economy behavior] are: including everyone in the economic picture; capitalizing on available resources; minimizing waste; becoming net producers of goods rather than net consumers; bartering; spending money where it matters most; and understanding the concept of 'enough'" (p. 203).

"When I walk into a grocery store, I am so offended by what they're representing...as choices I should make...A food culture is not something that gets sold to people...It arises out of a place, a soil, a climate, a history, a temperament, a collective sense of belonging" (p. 237).

"It all starts with setting aside our fears and mustering our courage to live a life we truly believe in that will help to create a world we can all live in" (p. 248).

Chorizo Bites with Spinach & Almond Pesto

Last weekend when I was at the Market I got some of Terra Nossa Farm's spicy chorizo - so delicious! I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it until I sat down for lunch and turned on the Food Network... "Chuck's Day Off" was on - I'd never really watched it before, but it was actually quite entertaining, quick, simple, and fine. He was cooking a tapas style menu for some lady friends and one of the featured items were these little Chorizo Bites with Arugula Pesto. I was inspired!

In addition to having Shelby's Truffled Wild Mushroom Risotto for dinner that night, I thought: why not start with some chorizo bites?? I didn't have any arugula, so I made the pesto with spinach, nor any walnuts - so I used almonds. Otherwise, I followed his original recipe and it was special!

These little babies work great for tapas style dinner, canapes, or even just a little snack - so simple and full of bursting flavor!

Chorizo Bites with Spinach & Almond Pesto
(printable recipe)

via Chuck's Day Off

Ingredients:

2 Links of Spicy Chorizo, chopped into 1.5" bite size pieces.

Lil Canola Oil.

Glug of Sherry Vinegar.

1/4 C Grated Parmesan or Romano Cheese.
1 Tbsp Smoked Paprika.

1 Batch of Spinach & Almond Pesto.

What to Do:

Heat a medium sized pan over medium heat with a couple Tbsp of the oil.

When hot, toss in the chorizo pieces and cook through, turning every few min to ensure even browning. If there is a lot of fat in it, you may need to drain the pan a bit. You want the chorizo to get nice and crispy/brown on the outside edges - this should take about 5 minutes or less.

Remove from the heat and de-glaze the pan with a little sherry vinegar. Toss well.

Plate by putting the chorizo bites onto a surface and top with a dollop of the pesto, a pinch of smoked paprika, followed by a bit of cheese. If desired, spear with a toothpick.

Eat.

Spinach & Almond Pesto

You know how I know for sure that Spring has slowly and gradually creeped into Summer? The crows. Those blasted, angry, noisy crows! Now, I love animals as much as the next person - perhaps even more. Especially cute fuzzy or furry ones. But I have an intense hatred for crows. Before you get all uppity, let me tell you why...

Last year, when John and I still lived up near the University of Victoria, I was leisurely meandering home from school... Backpack in hand, minding my own business, generally loving the new Summer sun and the way it beat down over my flip-flop clad little toes. The ocean breeze was rustling the leaves in the trees and I felt good. Relaxed. Calm. Happy, in the most exquisite sense. And then it all came crashing down around me.

I felt a charge of air above my head, rearanging my hair into a nesty mess over my face. What the hell?? I looked up - nothing there. Weird. And then again - Woosh! WTF??! I looked up - there, sort of hovering above me was this giant, big, black crow. Stupid bird, I thought. What are you doing? Assuming the little guy was confused I waved my hand above my head and continued down the path. And then it happened. Suddenly there was this loud, piercing, unimaginably horrifying "CAW" "CAW" "CAW"! The leaves in the trees held their breath, cars rerouted their direction, and the sun shuddered behind a cloud. The bird wound up into the sky as high as his wings would take him and then.... dive bombed me. Sharp tallons, pointed beak, massive wings flapping about my head, "CAW" "CAW" "CAW"... He chased me down the street, repeatedly taking aim and viciously bombing my head - I think he was after my eyes.

via critterzone

Confused and terrified, I bumbled into the house, recounted my story to John, and tried really hard not to cry. Taking that same route over the next week, I realized, this wasn't a one time occurrence. In fact, this little fucker later chased me through on coming traffic, into bus shelters, and instilled such a deep fear in me I even tried calling animal control. There was nothing they could do. This was a yearly "issue" that just had to take it's course - the babies were being born. They were nesting. So that's what happened! Their babies must have been near by and I was seen as a threat! But why me??? And why did they seem to recognize me even though I tried donning disguises, changing travel routes, and/or riding my bike (a quicker get away)....?! I'm the last person that would want to hurt their babies. Stupid, ugly crows.

Enough about the past. Let's get to the present. Last week as I walked down fifth street, I wasn't exactly attacked, but I was followed, glared at, and certainly "CAW"'d at by a couple of birds. I struggled not to panic and bolt. As I passed this guy on the street, he so kindly whispered "they're going to get you!" Asshole.  This morning, as I innocently tried to harvest a couple strawberries from the garden for John and my breakfast I was circled and harassed by the same birds. They won't leave me alone! I don't know what to do but I am actually and sincerely, traumatized. I have a(n) (ir)rational fear of the little buggers now and they only seem to grow in size every year. I hate crows. I. Hate. Crows.

So, that's how I know Spring has crawled into Summer. But enough about them - it's making me stressed out. You know how else I know that it's coming to be Summer? I start making pesto. Actually, this is the first time I've ever made it and I got the inspiration from Glutton for Nourishment - the same lovely blogger who also inspired this. Luckily, my pesto worked out much better than that.

You can sub pretty much any green and/or nut, depending what you have on hand. Pesto is traditionally made with basil and pine nuts - however, I had some spinach on hand from our CSA box via Saanich Organics and some almonds because I put them on salad all the time. But use whatever you have! Experiment! See what flavors you can come up with!

Spinach & Almond Pesto

(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

3 - 4 C Fresh Spinach, washed and dried.

1/4 C Toasted Almonds, roughly chopped.

1/4 - 1/2 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil, depending on how liquidy you want it.

1/4 C Grated Parmesan or Grana Padano Cheese.

2 Garlic Cloves, peeled.

Kosher Salt & Fresh Cracked Black Pepper.

What to Do:

Chuck it all in a food processor, save for the oil. 

Once well smashed up, slowly drizzle in olive oil while motor is running. 

Serve over pasta (see above), on toasts, pizza, with eggs, or anything else you wanna put it on.

Eat.

Galette Disaster 101

When you're cookin, things always go according to plan...

That's a blatant lie. Things regularly get royally ef'd the crap up. I haven't really included much of that on the blog, thus far. But I figure I maybe ought to. Those of us on food blogs sure like to show off our successes - but what about the little bits that make us human? Or at least, not perfect cooks.

There is no such thing as a perfect cook. In fact, I take pride in not being perfect.

Again, that's a blatant lie. I strive for perfection all the time. Irritatingly so. I'm not good with personal failure, and I have very high standards for myself in the kitchen - especially when others are experiencing my food. And in life, for that matter. I really need to relax a little bit, and give myself a little more wiggle room.. And thus, Galette Disaster 101.

Galette Disaster 101 - What Not to Do

Ingredients:

4 Large Peaches, roughly chopped.

3 Nectarines, roughly chopped. 

A Package of Filo Pastry, thawed.

1/4 C Butter, melted + 2 Tsp for dotting.

1/4 C Finely Ground Toasted Almonds.

1/4 C Brown Sugar.

1 Tsp Ground All-Spice.

2 Tbsp Local, Organic Honey.
Juice of Half a Lemon.

What to Do:

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 9" X 9" removable bottom cake pan with parchment paper.

Then, line the pan with the filo so the edges drape casually and haphazardly over the sides. Baste well with melted butter.

In a bowl, mix together the rest of the ingredients sans blotting butter.

Dump mixture into the filo "crust" and dot with blotting butter.

Place pan on a baking sheet (to catch butter drips) and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes until filo is golden brown. Remove from heat and let sit 10 minutes to cool.  Remove the bottom and lift the sides off the pan. Oh wait, you can't. The drapped filo is all over the place and essentially attached to the pan itself.

Break off excess filo from the sides and remove the sides of the pan. It comes off. But then filo hasn't browned or hardened at the bottom and it crumbles to the floor and all over the counter.

Taste a peach. It's crunchy. Shouldn't be. But you didn't cut the fruit into thin enough slices and thus they didn't cook.

The almonds are grainy. Didn't work so well, did it?

Throw in the trash, wipe up the counter, broom the floor, and wash the butter off of everything with hot soapy water. Dry dishes. Put away. Open up a bottle of wine and pout on the couch.

Take a nap.

P.S. To see the inspiration for this atrocity of a recipe - and how it's done correctly - check out Glutton for Nourishment.

Project Gardener: Progress thus far...

Just a little somethin' somethin' to show you how far the plants have come... The season finally feels like it's starting to get underway. I know my garden is a little less than perfect (see the grass growing in between the plants), but with the past few days being filled with a bit of glorious sunshine, things are getting there. Plants are starting to grow!

PS. Is it just me, or does my face look a little scary?

This post is linked up with Mike & Molly's Show & Tell.

Guest Post @ Details

Good morning lovelies!! It's the start of another week for me - and the start of something else as well! In case you haven't heard, Juliette over @ Details is doing a special Garden to Kitchen series where she is asking fellow bloggers and non-bloggers alike to contribute to a growing collection of seasonal recipes that encourage happy eating.

But who is Juliette, do you say? She's kind of awesome, and I know you don't need to ask. But in case you're beautiful selves haven't heard, she's this incredible 21 year old Dutch woman, currently living in Italy. Her blog is a treasure trove of inspiration including music, photography, food, and even languages... She's taking pleasure in "the details", if you will.. 

You can view my post by clicking here. It's the first time I've been asked to contribute to someone else's blog - and it sure was fun! I love the idea of connecting across distances over issues and topics that mean something to people. Like food! I hope you enjoy my recipe - it's for a local, seasonal, organic anti-pasti platter. Not really a lot of in-depth cooking, but some basic stuff that can really showcase what your local producers have to offer.

I should mention a little something here, before I sign off... I got the charcuterie meats from a restaurant in Fernwood Village called Stage Small Plates Wine Bar. It's a beautiful little room, stuffed with excellent wines and delicious small plates. I've been there a million times and thanks to George's quick, efficient and courteous organizing (I didn't exactly give them a ton of notice), I'll be going back regularly. Moreover, they cure their meats in house, and according to the chef who so graciously put together my platter, most of the meat comes from the island. I am very thankful to their entire team and I am looking forward to seeing them again soon.

Now, go see my post and give Juliette a great big hello - she's friendly & won't bite. At least, I don't think she will...

A Margarita Monday!

I wasn't going to do a blog post today. My day today is supposed to be filled with small house details that I've been neglecting as a result of my obsessive and compulsive blogging habits - checking up on bloglovin, reading new posts, finding new blogs, entering my own updates, etc... It's becoming unhealthy, actually... At night I'm even dreaming about blogs - new entries, possible new recipes, the wonderful people that have come into my life via various blogging communities thus far. It's ridiculous.

 
So yes. I wasn't going to do a blog post today. But here I am anyway, typing away even as my book, Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" is calling to me from my bed.. And yes, napping is considered a small house detail.

So, to make it quick - for lunch today I decided to chow down on some of my homemade guacamole with a side of whole wheat pita crisps. But it needed something. What did it need, you ask? 

Oh. It needed tequila. 

I thought to myself, why not have a margarita on Monday?? It's my day off, it's beautiful outside, and I'm damn well eating guacamole! Margarita, YES!

A Margarita Monday

Ingredients:

10 Limes for juice.

1/2 C Limeonade

 5 Handfuls of Ice.

6 - 8 Ounces Tequila (try to get something better than Olmeca).

3 Ounces Orange Flavoured Liquor.

2 -3 Tsp Local, Organic Honey.

Salt to rim (Rough Sea Salt works great and isn't too over-powering).

What to Do:

Chuck all of the above into a blender except for the salt. Puree till slushy. You may need to edit the amount of ice to suit the consistency you prefer. Or, omit the blender and serve over ice instead.

Take a slice of lime, cut a slit in the flesh, and trace the rim of a glass with it. Dump your salt on a plate and gently place the limed rim in the salt. 

Fill with "juice", garnish with a slice of lime, and drink up!

Ow Ow! Margarita Monday!

Giveaway Winners!

It's official!! We have a winner!! (Well, we have 3, actually)... Before I get to announcing their names though I would like to state that while hosting a blog giveaway was a whole lot of fun for me - I got to craft and be creative, I got to meet some new and super exciting people, and I learned a whole lot about the "hows" and "do's" and "dont's" of hosting a giveaway - it was a lot more work than I expected it to be (and money! - crafting ain't cheap, yo!). That being said, I'm glad I did it and am currently in the process of perhaps planning another giveaway in due time. 

Speaking of giveaways - check out the loot I received yesterday! As it turns out, having a wonderful friend graduate and taking care of puppies and feeding people pay off!:

The 2 bunches of flowers were c/o Krista - happy graduation honey!!! And thanks for the flowers (and beer)! The jars of marinated peppers and home-made ketchup were gifted by her lovely mother - they're probably one of the very best gifts I've ever received... Who doesn't love free food that's obviously been packed and packaged with love? The Chardonnay, card, and chocolate (which you actually can't see) was via Kendra for looking after Minnie - see here. And the Stormy Bay wine was from Shane - he always brings wine when he comes over - obviously, he's always welcome :) 

It just goes to show that when you give, people give back. I'm very grateful for all my friends (and the presents they bring me - haha)... Thank you everyone - you are all so beautiful and amazing!!

Now, all this talk of giving makes me think I ought to tell you who won the first ever, Gastronomical Sovereignty giveaway, right? Okay! Here it is. And the winners are.....

Jaqueline @ Expanding Experiences,

ElfRenne @ Elf Renee

and

Pastry Queen

These 3 lovely ladies are now officially the proud owners of one set of 10 recipe style post-cards gifted in something beautiful - hand-made with love (a bit of tedious frustration), and the hope that they will connect with those they care about via food and the need for more localized and organic communities. I hope these cards bring you closer to those in your life and generate a discussion for you about food and the ways we engage with it and each other.

Front

Back

I'll be contacting each of these women via their websites and/or email to get their mailing details. Congratulations and thank you so much to everyone who participated!!!