Vegetable Samosas with Cilantro Chutney
From street vendors in India to chic cocktail hors d'oeuvres here, potato-filled pastries are fantastic. Whether fried or baked, they're best freshly made, but for convenience sake, you can freeze them.
From street vendors in India to chic cocktail hors d'oeuvres here, potato-filled pastries are fantastic. Whether fried or baked, they're best freshly made, but for convenience sake, you can freeze them.
I love Vietnamese food and have fond memories of bonding with my mother over hot bowls of pho and crisp fresh rolls. Banh mi, my favourite dish, is stuffed with aromatic grilled meat, savoury condiments and crunchy pickles. The crowning touch of this sandwich is the beautifully crisp Vietnamese roll, which you can buy in many Asian supermarkets. If you can't find one, substitute a crusty sub roll. – Irene Fong, Food specialist
Chef Gail McCully of Port Alberni, B.C., created this dish, which was the winner of the 2009 Master Garlic Chef cook-off. Port Alberni, the salmon capital of the world, has since adopted this delicious prosciutto-wrapped salmon as the official recipe of the Alberni Valley. Opt for wild-caught salmon if possible for our adaptation of the recipe.
Moist, almond-flavoured sponge with a tangy layer of jam and soft, buttery pastry makes this traditional tart a wonderful treat served warm or cold.
Some say the Bakewell tart (or pudding, to give it its original name) was created by accident when, in 1820, a cook poured egg mixture on top of jam, making a tart instead of a pudding. However, other sources say it hails from a 15th-century dish called "flathon," which was either a rich custard over a candied-fruit base, or made with ground almonds, sugar and spice. In its birthplace, Bakewell, you'll still find it sold under the name "pudding."
The key to this recipe is to end up with a sauce that is thicker than water and contains big flavors though not so much as to overpower the mussels. Thus, the reduced wine adds flavor not more liquid; similarly the heavy cream instead of half & half or milk. The final trick that prevents this from being too thick is adding the mussels and covering the pan. As they cook, the mussels release their juices and this keeps the sauce at the correct consistency and intensifies the flavours, once you perform the final stir. The combination of ocean air with smokiness and oak transcends the sublime. (Excellent with Caesar salad and more of the same wine used for cooking.)
Whole fresh sage leaves tucked under the skin show through when the skin turns translucent, golden and crisp. Because of its intensity, dried sage is best for the Sage Butter.
This focaccia dough is moist and a bit difficult to handle at first. It needs a long kneading (easiest in a stand mixer) and a rise overnight in the refrigerator to come together in texture and flavour. To prevent the dough from taking on any fridge odours, place the covered bowl in a plastic bag. Whole spelt flour gives a wonderful and subtle nutty boost to the flavour of the white flour; you could replace it with whole wheat flour, if you prefer. To prepare the chipotle peppers, soak them in boiling water until softened, about 15 minutes. Remove stems; split and seed.
When it's time for réveillon (a special feast on Christmas Eve in Quebec), this is the pie that welcomes everyone to the table. The super-flaky crust is loaded to the brim with a subtly seasoned meat filling.
