Oooooooo-la-la! Grillade française

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Moules Grillées
Asperges Grillées avec sa Sauce Maltaise
Carré d’agneau Pistou avec Vinaigrette aux Poireaux 
Salade de Steak Bistrot
Crème Fouettée et ses Petits Fruits de la Saison

We rose to the challenge of Covid-19 again with a social distanced outdoor lunch under the shelter of my backyard Bamba Shack roof.  Having caught the French cuisine bug at Caroline’s delightful spring picnic in May, I chose French BBQ as our June Epitourist theme.

 

Who knew the French have a passion for BBQ? Apparently masters at the charcoal grill, they insist that nothing but wood charcoal will do, with fruit and nut wood chips or woody branches of herbs like rosemary or lavender contributing a delicate smokey flavour. Sadly, we had to make do with a plain old Canadian gas BBQ. But never mind — the garden was bursting with herbs and local asparagus was at its peak.

 

Laura : Moules Grillées

Mussels are quintessential French bistro, so I knew I wanted to grill them as part of our BBQ theme. I’d never done it before, but it proved to be so easy. If you have a grilling basket, putting them in there makes it a bit easier to get them on and off the grill, but I didn’t have a basket, so I just set them right on the medium-high temperature grill and closed the lid—minutes later the shells were open and they were ready to pop into a bowl and serve with Caroline’s beautiful baguette and a simple garlic-scape aioli made with garlic scapes from my garden. I garnished the dish with some bronze fennel fronds, also from my garden.

I chose Vineland Estates unoaked Chardonnay, as well as a Rhone Valley Ventoux Rosé, to pair with the dish. Chardonnay is a nice match with mussels, but you can’t beat a glass of rosé on a summer’s day.

Caroline : Asperges Grillées et sa Sauce Maltaise

I anticipate Canadian asparagus season. When Kaarina announced that she was happy to continue with a French theme and that it had to be cooked on the Q, I immediately thought of grilled asparagus. There's nothing more French than asparagus with sauce maltaise and what better way to grill these little green soldiers than on the BBQ. 

I must admit that, while researching my dish, I learned something about the French"aise" group of sauces. First comes Hollandaise Sauce which is the mother of the "aise"sauces. Add tarragon and you have Béarnaise Sauce. Or add zest and juice of an orange (preferably a Maltaise orange) and you have Maltaise Sauce. All of them made rich with copious amount of butter and tempered egg yolks. What's not to like. For added dimensions, I sprinkled Maldon sea salt flakes for a bit of crunch and umami. 

Sourdough baguettes were also calling to me. I had yet to try my hand at making them and thought it would be the perfect opportunity. I turned to Chad Robertson's Tartine Bread. I was humbly happy with my first attempt.  In these Covid days and to fit in my oven, I made individual baguettes. Approximately 30 cm in length, their shape was worthy, crust crunchy with a good colour and with a dense and tasty crumb. A perfect vehicule to sop up all those delicious sauces.

Kaarina : Carré d'Agneau Pistou avec Vinaigrette aux Poireaux

I managed to procure a rack of spring lamb from a sheep farming acquaintance in eastern Ontario and set out to frenching it with help from a You Tube video.

I turned to Patricia Wells for inspiration on infusing the lamb with French flavours, choosing a Four Herb Pistou from her Bistro BBQ book for both the marinade and serving sauce.

Makes two cups: Process a half a cup of each — chopped parsley, basil, chives and mint — along with a half a dozen cloves of roughly chopped garlic. With the motor running, add a half a cup of EVOO through the feeder tube. Season with salt and pepper.

The lamb shared the plate with a classic French starter, Poireaux Vinaigrette, leeks in a vinaigrette.

This recipe reminded me of the pure joy to be had from a simple, properly constructed vinaigrette. All you need is Dijon, a good wine vinegar, S&P in a large bowl. The key is in beating it continuously with a large balloon whisk as you slowly drizzle in the oil until the dressing is perfectly emulsified. Smother your steamed leeks with this!

I chose Saint Roch, a lighter bodied blend of Syrah, Grenache and Carignan from Rousillon in the South of France for the lamb although I much preferred Diane’s wine choice, the Gerard Bertrand Languadoc, which is a spicier Syrah blend from neighbouring Languadoc. The bolder classic Bordeaux Argaden does not go amiss either - and it takes you effortlessly into a cheese course.

Diane : Salade de Steak Bistrot

Sensationel!

 

When the theme was named I did some quick research before settling on French Bistro Steak, a triple-tested recipe I found online from Canadian Living. Dijon, thyme and tarragon vinaigrette poured over grilled steak and lightly roasted vegetables, with soft-boiled egg on the side. Ease-y! What surprised me was the lack of a marinade, something I always assumed was essential for this cut of meat. A little more poking around revealed there is a school of thought to marinade proteins after you grill, because the moisture and sugar in most marinades can actually cause a protein to simultaneously steam and burn without ever truly searing.
 

I also brought a selection of Italian cheeses. Why? "Leftovers" from our February visit to Eataly. We were so stuffed at our February feast we couldn't manage another bite; of course, I didn't really save them, I don't have that much self control! So I pre-ordered from Alex Cheese Farms, doing my best to match our Eataly selections. Over the phone, I would name the cheese and then he would describe what was on hand. Oh, how I wanted to taste! He laughed and explained they weren't offering counter tastings in the store either. When I asked him to pre-cut into one ounce portions so I could minimize food handling, he gladly complied. On the plate: bosco tartufo with truffle (sheep and cow), montasio (cow), taleggio (buffalo), and pecorino moliterno (sheep and goat).

Whipped Cream
and Seasonal Petits Fruits

 

 

Pique-nique français

Caroline

Pique-nique printanier français or French picnic was the theme for our May lunch. It was up to each and everyone to create their garden picnic look. Tables were set out on the patio allowing for proper SD. Everyone was asked to bring:

1. Tablecloth, napkin 

2. Place setting: cutlery and all necessary dishes and glasses

3. Prepared French spring picnic (up to each individual to put together a menu)

4. Menu must contain egg as an ingredient

We patiently waited for spring to warm up and jumped at the first sunny and warm day to set our date. 

My pique-nique consisted of smoked salmon, grilled asparagus crêpes with a twist on béarnaise sauce (tasty and butter free!) and a side salad dressed with a traditional French vinaigrette and poached egg. 

Diane

Being somewhat pressed for time I ended up curating my plate to create a classic French meal with ingredients from my favourite grocery store, McKewans. Grilled salmon on top of salad niçoise with a Normandy camembert, and fizzy lemonade on the side. I packed everything into a cooler so it was wonderfully chilled when served.

I so look forward to time together and the time to savour each other's company. This month's get together was definitely fun, but I really did want a taste off my Epi's plates as the food looked absolutely delicious! Now I will simply have to make their recipes at home.

Kaarina

 

 

Pan Bagnat — the famous Provençal tuna sandwich — is tough to improve on as picnic fare, French or otherwise. It travels well, can be made the day before, and is bursting with the bold flavours of the south of France.

For me, however, the most delicious part of this bring-your-own-everything social-distancing picnic was simply the getting together with good friends and spending a sunny afternoon chatting about food and wine, gardening, books and boats. That was the real tonic for our souls. Sitting 10 feet apart at our separate bistro tables, we were able to put behind us for a few happy hours two months of self isolation.

Now — where was I? Pan Bagnat. Mine started with the best baguette in Toronto, which is baked by the Cliffside Hearth at 3047 Kingston Rd. in the Scarborough Bluffs. I followed — quite religiously, I might add — Patricia Wells directions from her Bistro Cooking cookbook, although there are many, many versions of Pan Bagnat online.

Slice the baguette lengthwise, and brush both sides generously with garlic oil (6 cloves minced into quarter cup olive oil.) Stir 2 tbsp of capers into a can of undrained tuna. Spread the tuna on one half of the baguette, then layer on sliced onion, tomatoes, egg and strips of red pepper. Pile on rinsed and dried anchovy fillets (yes, the whole can) and top with a half a cup of roasted red pepper confit (recipe follows) and the second half of the baguette.

Wrap the baguette tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate and place a heavy weight on top for at least four hours, even overnight. I used a cutting board and a cast iron frying pan. This pushes all the yummy juices into the bread. It’s a bit messy to eat, as sandwiches go, so be prepared with lots of napkins.

Makes four servings. I sliced my quarter sandwich into one-inch slices at the table to facilitate eating.

A favourite rose, La Fage Miraflors from Roussillon, is a perfect match but you can’t go wrong with any dry rose from Provence.

Red Pepper Confit

Paraphrased from Bistro Cooking
by Patricia Wells
- 2 to 5 oz hot peppers (depending on the peppers and your tolerance for heat) cut into strips or 1 tsp hot pepper flakes
- 5 large red bell peppers, cut into thick strips
- 2 heads garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 400F. Layer everything into a shallow roasting dish. Cover with foil and bake for 45 to 60 min. Remove foil and bake for another 45 minutes. Serve as side dish or spoon into a jar and refrigerate to use as a condiment.

For more picnic fare, stir Red Pepper Confit into fusilli at room temperature for a no-fuss pasta salad. For cocktail hour, pile on baguette rounds and top with anchovies. For a garden brunch, dress up a cheese omelette.

Vegetarian

A salad worthy of an impressionist painting!

Diane

My turn to choose the theme! Since I’m always on the look out for healthy alternatives to meat-based meals, I picked Vegetarian.

We are packing more into our Epitourist get-togethers. Our lunch was preceded by a day of foodie excursions to Aloette and Eataly. Sunday’s courses felt relaxed and restorative in contrast to the previous day’s pace.

When Diet for a Small Planet was published in 1971 it was a radical book that chronicled the harmful environmental impacts of meat production and its compounding effects on food distribution across the globe. Today the trend toward plant-based diets is also supported by people with concerns for the ethical treatment of animals and those who want to improve their own personal health. Change often takes time. When Canada revamped the Food Guide in 2019, the government still faced a strong lobby from meat and dairy interests threatened by the move away from animal proteins.

Today there are so many cookbooks and advocates for plant-based meals it’s hard to choose a definitive source: Michael Pollan, Jamie Oliver, Dr. Michael Greger, Angela Liddon… the list continues to grow.

Our own Epitourist menu was a wonderful mix of colour, comfort, simplicity and elegance. Didn’t miss the meat whatsoever!

Menu

Starter | Laura

Muhammara roasted red pepper dip with focaccia and goat chevre 

paired with Prosecco

Salad Course | Kaarina

Five-Spice Peach and Raspberry Salad

paired with Riesling

Main | Diane

Russian Carrot Pie  

paired with Golden Milk

Main | Caro

Steamed celeriac and mushroom pudding with Madeira sauce

paired with Madeira

Dessert | Laura

Lemon Pudding Cake

Digestif | Diane

Pousse-Café / selection of  liqueurs

Muhammara roasted red pepper dip ❦ Laura

Syrian Muhammara Dip

I was last to announce what I would make for our vegetarian feast. As often happens at these long lunches, we get so enthusiastic about what we want to make that we end up with way too much food. The others had already proposed hearty courses, so I thought an appetizer dip would be fitting. But I didn’t want to make a run-of-the mill hummus or cream-cheese based dip. Ottolenghi never fails to offer interesting flavour combinations. I chose his Muhammara/roasted red pepper dip. Muhammara dip comes from Syrian cuisine. I loved the idea of combining red peppers with pomegranate molasses, walnuts, and aleppo pepper. Diane has gas burners, so charring the peppers was easy on her stovetop. The resulting dip was spectacular. We served it with some foccacia and flatbread crackers purchased during our Eataly outing. 

Five-Spice Peach and Raspberry Salad ❦ Kaarina

A true chef d'œuvre!

Thinking outside the pot, I looked for fresh raw colour and bite to add to our menu. I didn’t need to look far. If anyone knows how to pull together a great vegetarian spread, it’s Ottolenghi and I had been reading and cooking from both Jerusalem and Simple this winter. I settled on Five-Spice Peach and Raspberry Salad from Simple:

In a large bowl, whisk together

1-1/2 tbsp. cider vinegar

1 tsp maple syrup

1/4 tsp Chinese 5-spice powder

1 tbsp olive oil

1 shallot, thinly sliced (1/4 cup)

1/4 tsp salt

Just before serving, add

3-1/2 oz raspberries

3 firm peaches, not too ripe, cut into 1/4 inch wedges

2 cups watercress

2 cups radicchio, cut into 3/4 inch slices.

Toss and serve.

What made this salad visually extra spectacular was the rosy radicchio we found in the produce section at Eataly, which was on our Epitourist winter tour of downtown Toronto the day before. The rosy leaves were so beautiful I couldn’t bring myself to tear them, so I tucked them in whole amongst the watercres and peaches. This loose leaf radicchio is less bitter than the tightly packed leaves of a standard radicchio but the watercress along with the shallot had enough bite to balance the sweetness of the fruit.

Wine can be a challenge with salads. What to pair? The peach? The bitter greens? Or the sherry vinegar dressing? Cave Springs off dry Riesling did the job brilliantly.. 

Russian Carrot Pie ❦ Diane

A very creative pairing!

Oh how I loved Molly Katzen’s Enchanted Broccoli Forest cookbook! Hand written, with simple instructions and whimsical illustrations, it inspired me to make some of my first vegetarian meals. Published in 1974, it may be dated when compared with some of today’s titles, but it still brings a smile to my face. I thought the Epitourists would enjoy Russian Carrot Pie, and they did, although next time, I would cut back a bit on the dill.

Delightful!

For this course, instead of pairing with wine I chose a concoction of coconut milk, oat milk, turmeric, ginger and cinnamon. The decision to serve Golden Milk was made on colour alone, but happily the taste nicely complemented the flavours in the pie.

Steamed celeriac and mushroom pudding with Madeira sauce  

❦ Caroline

Savoury Pudding!

  
I turned to Dani Valent’s In the Mix — Great Thermomix Recipes for Diane’s vegetarian theme. Australian based cook, Valent sourced recipes from chefs and bloggers far and wide to put together this beautiful cookbook. Steamed Celeriac and Mushroom Puddings, is British chef Madalene Bonvini-Hamel’s creation. Completely vegetarian, it is elegant, comforting and deliciously savoury.
 
Filling

50 g butter
70 g mushrooms
salt and pepper to taste
20 g flour
1/2 onion, peeled and diced
1 clove of garlic
1/2 stalk of celery, cut into 1 cm dice
1 small carrot, peeled and coarsely grated
250 g celeriac cut into 1 cm dice
30 g Madeira
150 g vegetable stock
1 tbs chopped parsley
1 tbs chopped chives

Melt 25 g butter in a frying pan. Cook mushrooms with a little salt and pepper for 8 minutes at medium-high temperature. Set aside. Melt remaining butter, add onion, garlic, celery, carrot, celeriac and flour. Cook 10 minutes on medium-high until nicely caramelized. Add the Madeira. Cook for 4 minutes. Add the stock and cook on medium heat to reduce for 5 minutes. Return the mushrooms. Stir in parsley and chives. Adjust seasoning. Allow to cool on a cookie sheet.

Pastry

300 g flour
15 g baking powder
150 g frozen butter
salt and pepper to taste
100 g chilled water

Mix flour, baking powder, butter, salt and pepper. Add the chilled water. Gently knead. Lightly oil 6 ramekins. On a slightly floured surface, roll the pastry to about 4 mm thick. Line the ramekins with the pastry. Spoon the cooled celeriac filling into each ramekin, filling it to the top, dampen pastry rim with cold water and seal each pudding with a pastry lid. Make a team hole in the centre of the lid. Pour 1 litre of water into a pot. Set steaming basket in. Place the pudding ramekins on basket. Cook for 60 minutes on medium-high. Make sure that there’s sufficient water at all times. Keep a kettle of boiling water handy to top up.

Madeira Sauce

50 g dried mushrooms
30 g olive oil
1 sprig of thyme, leaves only
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic
1 shallot
100 g madeira
500 g vegetable stock
100 g 35% cream
50 g butter

Pulverize the dried mushroom in a food processor. Add the olive oil, thyme, garlic and onion and chop. Transfer the mixture to a frying pan. Add bay leaf and cook on medium-high for 5 minutes. Add the Madeira and cook for 3 minutes. Add vegetable stock and continue to cook until stock has reduced by half. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve. Discard solids. Pour sauce into saucepan along with cream. Heat for 3 minute until it just begins to boil. Taste and adjust seasoning. Before serving, add the butter and whisk.


Lemon Souffle Pudding ❦ Laura

Because I can never resist making something as a sweet end to the meal, I chose to make a simple lemon souffle pudding. This is an old family recipe from the mother of Jason, my neighbour on Wolfe Island. He always makes it for impromptu neighbourhood potluck get togethers.

Digestif ❦ Diane

Lovely colours of a pousse-café

I came across Pousse-café when I was searching for a digestif to finish our meal. Literally "coffee-pusher" in French, it is an alcoholic beverage consumed after the coffee course. Pousse-café has now evolved to mean a layered drink composed of different  liqueurs.

I thought this would be a fun twist and an appropriate reminder that although people sometimes equate vegetarian with healthy and virtuous, it’s not always the case.

Besides, I have a cupboard full of different liqueurs to experiment. The heaviest liqueur is poured first on the bottom, and so on. We had the most success with a trio of grenadine, chartreuse and then Cointreau. Use a bar spoon and steady hand to pour the liqueur. Choose liqueurs that are actually palatable if you intend to drink your creation.

Vietnamese

 Menu

Fresh Spring Rolls

Bánh Xèo Vietnamese Crepes

Cà tím nướng mỡ hành Grilled Eggplant

Ka Cho Tofu Braised in Caramel Sauce

Cá Chiên Sea Bass with Green Papaya Salad and Ginger Lime Dressing

Pho Vietnamese Hotpot 

Báhn Flan Crème Caramel

Wine Pairings: Clean Slate Riesling Mosel, Pierre Sparr Gerwurztraminer Reserve 2017, Thirty Bench Riesling, Domaine Wachau Riesling

Laura

The Epitourists have occasionally experimented with Middle Eastern flavours, but we mostly stay within the comfort zone of Western cuisine. This month we decided to expand to the Far East with a Vietnamese theme. The fresh flavours and bright colours seemed a fitting antidote to a rather grey January in Ontario. 

For some inspiration, Diane, Kaarina and Caroline visited a Vietnamese restaurant in Toronto. They intended to go to top-rated Pho Hung but it was the week after Christmas, and they were closed. So they ended up at Saigon Lotus, a vegan Vietnamese restaurant.

This month the feast was held at my house on Wolfe Island. Fortunately there is a really good Asian grocery store in nearby Kingston, so I was able to find everything I needed for my dishes. I chose to make fresh spring rolls. There are so many recipes for these rolls, but the common element is assorted shredded fresh vegetables wrapped in soft rice paper wrappers. Sometimes shrimp is added, but I chose to keep them just a colourful assortment of veggies including green and red cabbage, red pepper. cucumber, green onion, carrot, Thai basil, cilantro, and mint. The dipping sauce Nuoc Cham, a very simple yet versatile staple of the cuisine.

Springrolls, Braised Tofu and Crème Caramel à la Kim Thuy

I also made Ka Cho, tofu braised in caramel sauce. It sounds strange, but the simple process of caramelizing sugar, adding water and soy sauce turns tofu into a savoury, nuanced dish. 

There aren’t a lot of Vietnamese desserts, but báhn flan, or crème caramel, is popular. It came as an import from France but has become a staple dessert all over Vietnam. There are so many recipes available for this dessert. I used the recipe in award-winning fiction writer Kim Thuy’s Secrets from My Vietnamese Kitchen. 

Caroline

Unfamiliar territory... What to make? My quest lead me to Jn Cooking Channel on YouTube. Informative, organized and clear this website proved to be a perfect springboard to Vietnamese food whats and hows.

The idea of making crêpes Vietnamese style or bánh xèo appealed to me because it is somewhat familiar, well the crêpe part is. The batter consists of rice and tapioca flour, coconut cream, turmeric, canola oil and beer. Traditional fillings are pork belly, shrimp and soya beans. A traditional
Nước Chấm or fish sauce based dipping sauce gives this dish great zing with its bird's eye chili.  The videos I came across never covered the "how to eat" this crispy delight. A quick search brought me to this short clip from Noodlies: 

The fun in Asian cuisine is the sampling of many dish. A recent visit to Saigon Lotus, a Toronto Vietnamese restaurant, had me tasting an eggplant dish that wowed me away. Served along side some jasmine rice, this grilled eggplant or Cà tím nướng mỡ hành is sure to delight!

Grilled Eggplant with Jasmine Rice

Kaarina

There was no red snapper to be had that Thursday morning just as I was heading to Wolfe Island for the Epitourist’s Vietnamese cook off. My plan was to deep fry a whole snapper and pile green papaya salad and ginger lime dressing on top for a dramatic presentation a.k.a. Cá Chiên.

The theatricals had to be scratched and  Plan B went into effect. Instead of snapper I scored superbly fresh Black Sea Bass at Diana’s Seafood on Lawrence St. E. A firm white fish with delicate flavour from the northeast Atlantic. No cause for complaint. As the fish is simply dipped in egg and potato starch and dunked in boiling canola oil for two minutes, any Vietnamese flavouring needed to come from the sauce and/or the accompaniments. Green papaya — which is simply a raw papaya, available along with green mangoes in Asian green grocers, isn’t exactly flavourful. Enter Nuoc Mam Cham — the workhorse of great Vietnamese flavours.
Nuoc Mam Cham flavours scores of Vietnamese dishes. We used it as a dipping sauce for the fresh roll, with the shrimp and pork filled Vietnamese crepes, as a dressing for the green papaya salad and a sauce for the deep fried Black Sea Bass.

Black Sea Bass with Green Papaya Salad

Nuoc Mam Cham
In a pot over medium heat, bring a quarter cup fish sauce, quarter cup rice vinegar, 2 tbsp sugar and half cup water to just short of boiling. Set aside to cool. Add 2 cloves of minced garlic, one minced bird's eye chili and 2 tbsp lime juice, and stir to combine. Make a day ahead (or not) and refrigerate for up to two weeks.

Diane

Years ago, when I first arrived  in Toronto, there had been such a glowing review of a Vietnamese restaurant's hot pot, I just had to make a visit. Delicious broth kept so hot, diners could essentially cook their own meal at the table by spearing meat and veg and poaching in the golden liquid. Once cooked to satisfaction, wrapping the tasty bits as contents inside a lettuce leaf and dressing with a light sauce. After the wraps are enjoyed, a delicious soup to finish the meal.

One of my favourite Asian markets is closing the end of January so I had to find another. Sunny Supermarket  is just a short drive away and had the lemongrass, oyster mushrooms, quail eggs and raw beef. For the broth itself I picked up the best quality beef bones I could find at St. Lawrence market.

I bookmarked an authentic pho recipe, packed up the ingredients, and travelled with Kaarina to Wolfe Island.

Bone broth is so full of goodness — all that collagen is being touted as better than botox, a cellulite reducer, great for arthritis and healing for the digestive tract. Three hours in the Instant Pot brought all the little pearls to the surface.

As the soup was the last course of the night, we were able to make use of all the other veg that was prepped and still left over: carrots, cabbage, red and yellow peppers, enoki mushrooms, bean sprouts, fresh coriander, mint, thai basil.

Hot Pho!

Salt Fat Acid Heat | Four Elements | Four Epitourists

Mastering the elements of good cooking!

This is not "your typical cookbook". Colourful charts and whimsical illustrations (rather than photographs to free the reader from the idea that there's only one perfect image for every dish!). The hows and whys content truly reflect Samin's energetic and creative self!

Menu

Pasta alla Puttanesca

Salad of Roasted Beet, Preserved Lemon and Tahini-Yogurt
—with Smoked Mackerel

Maiale al Latte with Roasted Squash, Sage and Hazelnut Panzanella

Amalfi Lemon Tart

Theme cocktail: Caesars!

The four elements celebrated!

Kaarina | SALT

Samin's Pasta alla Puttanesca

I settled on Samin’s own recipe for Pasta alla Puttanesca to showcase layering of salt in a dish. This Italian classic features salt in several guises — anchovies, capers, olives and (optional) parmigiana — each delicious in small doses. All together, all at once, they make a big statement. Huge umami delicious, salty statement.

Having spent the last 30 years searching for ways to reduce my salt intake, drawing Salt as my assignment was a challenge. Yes, of course I agree that salt is essential in good cooking, the basic seasoning for pretty much everything. But little goes a long way. I experimented for a month, following Samin’s directions but never quite got the knack of it. I found her approach with salt way too heavy handed and will return to using the salt grinder, shaker and a measuring spoon.

There’s nothing subtle about Pasta alla Puttanesca, so a bold wine is in order. California’s Seven Deadly Zins was up to the task. A rustic Primotivo from Puglia would be equally appropriate.

California's Seven Deadly Zins Old Vine Zinfandel!

Caroline | ACID

"Acid is salt's alter ego. While salt enhances flavours, acid balances them." 

Roasted beets with preserved lemon and tahini-yogurt from our beloved Ottolenghi's Simple (and he's on my menu two nights this week)! The preserved lemon and tahini-yogurt blanket the roasted beets with layers of acidity. As per the chef's recommendation, I serve this with a smoked mackerel. Wine pairings are Sancerre -- Henri Bourgeois Les Baronnes and a Mailly Exception Blanche Grand Cru Brut Champagne 2007! After all, Christmas is just around the corner. The acid component of the salad pair well with the Sancerre and highlight the wines butteriness. The Champagne takes the smoked mackerel to heaven! Interesting exercise in pairing.

Roasted beets with preserved lemon and tahini-yogurt

Diane

Michael Pollan, one of my favourite food writers, wrote the introduction to the book Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, and revealed Samin gave him some cooking lessons after she attended his class on food writing. His observations on sauteing an onion: "...there was an intricate evolution unfolding in that pan as the rectangles of onion went from crisply acidic to clean and sweet to faintly smokey as they caramelized and then bittered slightly as they browned. Samin showed me how half a dozen distinct flavours could be teased from that humble ingredient, all depending on how you managed principle number four, heat."  

That insight motivated me to buy a copy of Samin's book and choose the element of Heat for the Epitourist feast. 

At the end of every one of her Heat classes, Samin shares a finished braise with her students. The book dedicates more than a few pages on classic braises and stews from around the world, however the dish I ended up preparing was a braise of pork in milk: Maiale al Latte, as it seemed we were trending to Italian flavours. Slow cooked over two and a half hours, the aromas wafting from the oven created a wonderful background to festivities.

Maiale al Latte!

Laura

I really enjoyed this month’s theme, which diverted from our usual focus on regional cuisine. All four of us really enjoyed Samin Nostrat’s Netflix series and wanted to delve more into the themes and recipes.

I was tasked with exploring fat. In her book, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat Samin writes, “Fat adds its own unique flavor to a dish, and it can amplify the other flavors in a recipe. Simply put, fat makes food delicious—and one of the most important things any cook can learn is how to harness its magic.” I wanted to explore this idea by detouring from the obvious meat fat. I chose to make a salad and focus on using butter instead of oil in the dressing.  I wanted to make a hearty salad that would reflect the season as well as working well as a side dish, so I chose her Roasted Squash, Sage and Hazelnut Panzanella. Browning the butter adds another element to the flavour of the fat, and it stands up well to the bold flavours in the salad. The recipe for the croutons and vinaigrette is here https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/warm-winter-panzanella-d-is-for-dinner-1.4983972. You’ll have to borrow or buy the book for the rest of the recipe. Failing that, just roast squash in the oven, sauté chopped kale in olive oil with some onion and garlic, toast some chopped hazelnuts and fry some sage leaves. Then put the salad together using the method in the link above.

Roasted Squash, Sage and Hazelnut Panzanella

Caroline

As this was a sleepover dinner, dessert was in order. I stick to my assigned element and opt for an Amalfi Lemon Tart from Oliver's Jamie Cooks Italy. The crust calls for 1/3 cup of Greco di Tufo white wine. It is a new wine for us. And as Jamie suggests: "If you're feeling the Italian vibe, a little slice for breakfast with a black coffee is a real treat." And so, the next day for breakfast, a little tart was enjoyed with an expresso and a tasting of the Greco di Tufo.