Peanut butter cravings

I have a confession to make and I want all of you to swear you won’t tell my husband Martin about what I’m going to say. Here’s my secret: I sometimes have overwhelming cravings for peanuts. The reason this information is classified as top secret personal beeswax is that my beloved hubby is deathly allergic to peanuts. As a result I feel very guilty about my love for this and all other legumes. It just seems like a betrayal to relish a food that could kill my man. Truthfully, a better spouse would be able to swear peanuts off in the name of loyalty, but, regrettably, peanut butter is stronger than I. The more I forbid myself, the more I crave the stuff. (Apparently it only takes one acre of peanuts to make 30,000 peanut butter sandwiches and some days I think I could eat all 30,000 myself!)

The result of my peanut butter deprivation is deep-seeded guilt mingled with longing. In fact, When Martin is out of town I admit that I succumb to the occasional peanut butter binge followed by intensive, obsessive kitchen cleaning (the next peanut fest can happen in June when he goes diving in Newfoundland!). Likewise, when I travel alone for business, it isn’t the little bottles of booze in the mini bar that I find alluring. No, it’s the cocktail peanuts. I almost always eat them before I check out.

Since misery loves company, I was pleased to discover that I’m not alone. It turns out there’s a support group for people like me. It’s called the Peanut Butter Lover’s Club. And, in NYC (where they have at least one of everything) there’s an all peanut butter restaurant called Peanut Butter & Co. Sandwich Shop.

Is peanut butter your guilty pleasure? Or do crave something even more forbidden? Come on. Don’t be shy. You can tell me.

Canadian comfort food and wine

I’d love to be able to split myself in two (or more) pieces. Besides the instant weight loss benefits, such a talent would allow me to be in two places, eating two different meals at once. Bliss! Since I can’t figure out how to make that plan work, I’ve discovered the next best thing: get someone I trust to go and eat one of the meals for me! Today, you can read about the wonderful eating experience my colleague Rob Heidenreich enjoyed while I was in Ottawa sampling the delectable wares at Beckta:

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Canadian comfort food and wine
by guest blogger Rob Heidenreich

Canadian culinary tradition is alive and well in Beamsville where Malivoire Wine Company’s proprietor Martin Malivoire has initiated a series of themed culinary events designed to showcase his belief that wines are at their best when expertly paired with food.

The first of these events occurred Sunday the 27th of January and featured recipes culled from the traditions of French Canada to create a celebration of “comfort wines for comfort food.” The menu — which featured food chosen by Martin himself and wines selected by Malivoire’s aptly named winemaker Shiraz Mottiar — was rustic and uncomplicated and matched with accessible wines in $20 price range.

First up was Creton, a coarse-textured pork pâté similar to rillettes, served with the winery’s ”Ladybug” rosé. The rich and delicately spiced pork matched well with the dry, clean forward fruit offered up by the wine.

Next, we were served a creamy chowder of cod and potato alongside Malivoire’s 2006 Pinot Gris. In this instance, the wine seemed to do more for the food than the food for the wine. To its credit, the pinot gris was dry and crisp with a refreshing acidity that cut through the richness of the chowder, but any fruit this bottle possessed was unable to stand up to the soup.

The main course was a classic French Canadian comfort food Cipaille (a layered, slowly cooked meat pie) served with Feves au Lard (sweetened baked beans) and a savoury, spiced rhubarb compote (see photo taken by Tim Yao above). This course was perfect cold-weather food; the kind of sweet and hearty meal that warms the belly and brings colour back to chilled cheeks. Two wines were poured to accompany this course: a ’05 Cab/Merlot and the ’05 Gamay. Neither wine disappointed. Without being particularly nuanced, the Cab/Merlot blend exhibited classic vanilla-oak and dark berry Bordeaux flavours and a sweetness that was accentuated by the food.

But the highlight of the meal was found in the Gamay. Described by Mr. Mottiar as “the purest expression of the Beamsville terroir” this wine released a full, complex nose of strawberry, raspberry and vanilla, making for a more substantial wine than one would expect from Gamay grapes. Mr. Mottiar claims that Gamay is the “quintessential Canadian red” and that Malivoire’s example is “the best in Canada and perhaps the world.” While this statement is clearly up for debate, those who are used to Beaujolais-style wines should try this much different expression of the Gamay grape.

Our French Canadian meal ended with maple syrup pie and butter tarts made from a Malivoire-family recipe served with tea and coffee.

The culinary history of Canada is not a long one, but as long as there are people here who are passionate about the quality of the food and wine we’re able to produce, it will be one day. Martin Malivoire and his staff at the winery deserve kudos for offering these events to those willing to make the trip to wine country.

Check out Dana’s romantic dinner from Montreal menu at homemakers.com.

Have a stew-pendous weekend!

There’s something wonderfully comforting about the aroma of a simmering pot of stew on the stove. Beyond the soothing psychological benefits of stewing, simmered dishes can be a lifesaver for busy people since they require very little last minute preparation, often use pantry staples and can be reheated when you need them most.

Almost every culture has a repertoire of stews and, no matter what these recipes contain, almost all of them follow the same blueprint for success. Visit www.toptentable for a basic stew recipe that epitomizes the classic stewing method as well as for a few of my other recipes you can try this weekend and freeze for later.)

Ready to give stewing a try? Use these tips to make your next stewing effort a delicious success:

1. Choose less tender cuts of beef such as shoulder, rump, sirloin tip, inside round or chuck.

2. Meat for stewing needs to be well-trimmed of gristle and fat before it’s cut into evenly sized cubes no larger than 2-in (5-cm).

3. Puréed vegetables such as potato, tomato or celeriac can be added to the stew for thickness and to add nutrients and fibre.

4. You need enough liquid to cover the meat entirely but not so much that the meat is lost in the pan.

5. Pan juices should be thick and full-bodied in a good stew. If the meat becomes tender before this happens. Strain off some of the juices, thicken with a little extra flour and cook in a separate saucepan, stirring, until mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Return to stewing pan.

The ultimate comfort food

Moms have been pleasing their families by making scratch mac and cheese for decades. And since the late 1930s when Kraft first started making packaged macaroni and cheese, many moms have served make-do versions on busy nights when they lacked the necessary time to make the real thing. With generations of us having grown up eating these cheesy pots of noodles, macaroni and cheese has become if not the singular dish that epitomizes comfort food, one of the top 10.

I think my version is one of the best — B is your mystery letter for today. Not only is it supremely cheesy and smooth, but this mac and cheese can be customized to suit your own definition of macaroni and cheese. For those who grew up on the packaged stuff, it can be served creamy and slightly fluid from the cooking pot. And, for those who crave the old school, Mom’s kitchen variety, this version can be topped with buttery crumbs and baked until the sauce penetrates the noodles and a golden crust forms. Either way, this mac and cheese is sublimely delicious and iconically orange!

For more classic and inspiring pasta recipes, check out Ruth Daniel’s Presto Pasta Night, a Friday feature in her Once Upon a Feast Blog.

Double Cheddar Mac and Cheese
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

3 cups (750 mL) dry macaroni noodles
2 tbsp (30 mL) butter
1/4 cup (50 mL) very finely chopped or coarsely grated onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp (2 m L) pepper
1/2 tsp (1 mL) nutmeg
1 tbsp (15 mL) all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups (375 mL) milk
1 pkg (250 g) cold pack Cheddar cheese
1 cup (250 mL) shredded aged Cheddar cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil Add the macaroni and cook according to package directions. Drain well.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a deep skillet set over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, pepper and nutmeg. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the onion mixture and blend well. Add a splash of the milk and blend until smooth.

Gradually add remaining milk, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Break up the cold pack cheese and add it a little at a time to the milk mixture until completely incorporated. Gradually add the grated cheese, stirring well between additions. When all the cheese is incorporated into the sauce, remove pan from heat.

Blend the macaroni into the sauce mixture, stirring until evenly coated. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Variation: For baked Mac and Cheese, transfer the macaroni mixture to to a buttered 8-cup (2L) casserole dish. Preheat the oven to 400F (200C). Toss 1 cup (250 mL) fresh bread crumbs with 2 tbsp (30 mL) each melted butter and chopped fresh parsley. Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the casserole. Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until bubbly and browned.

Cook once, eat twice: Double this recipe and freeze one half as a casserole for another time. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking, covered in foil, for about 40 minutes or until heated through. Broil until browned on top.

Text and recipe excerpted from Dana’s Top Ten Table: 200 Fresh Takes on Family-Favorite Meals. Published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. Copyright (c) 2007 by Dana McCauley. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

See me preparing this dish on Daytime Toronto:

The joy of grilled cheese

If you aren’t dieting, the cold, crisp days of January are the perfect time of year to enjoy one of my favorite childhood lunch combinations: cream of tomato soup and grilled cheese. Although I’ve developed many recipes for tomato soup over the years, I’m always content with Campbell’s condensed cream of tomato soup (in fact, the Soup-at-Hand version of that soup is always on reserve in my office in case of soup-related emergencies). I’m more particular about grilled cheese sandwiches though.

My grilled cheese doesn’t have to be fancy but it must be made with real Cheddar and real butter and the bread, if white, has to be crusty and fresh. That said, I usually use whole grain sandwich bread at lunchtime. By the way, A is today’s mystery letter but let’s get back to grilled cheese, shall we? Over the holidays, I sliced a baguette into thin disks and made appetizer-sized grilled cheeses for the kids who attended our Christmas Eve soiree and these two-bite sandwiches were a hit with kids of all ages!

When making a grilled cheese sandwich, please remember that slow and easy wins the race; you can’t rush a good grilled cheese. My preferred method is to keep the heat under a heavy bottomed skillet medium so that the inside of the sandwich becomes molten and the outside doesn’t go beyond golden. If using a panini press, leave a cheese-free border around the edge so that the melted cheese doesn’t ooze out and burn.

I’ve made grilled cheese sandwiches with sliced cheese and with shredded. You can get good results with either but I’ve found that for most home cooks, it’s easier to shred the cheese than to slice it evenly.

Although I always dip my grilled cheese sandwich in ketchup (the soup isn’t tangy enough for me), I can acknowledge that there are other good condiment options such as sun dried tomato pesto, branston pickle and Bengal chutney that can be spread right inside the sandwich before grilling to make a very tasty lunch!