Recipe: The Greek burger

For the next burger in the series, we went to Greece.  In many ways, it revolved around the ever popular souvlaki platter, and was no less satisfying.  Considering everything involved, it was a surprisingly light endeavor in the eating, and quite healthy to boot.  In our excitement, we forgot to take a picture - forgive us - but in all likelihood this burger was worth a trip down memory lane in the future and we'll get one then.  The breakdown was as follows.

The Greek burger:

 - bun - thick style pita split horizontally and toasted with garlic butter
 - patty - marinated and grilled chicken breast - olive oil
                                                                          - lemon zest
                                                                          - oregano
                                                                          - thyme
                                                                          - rosemary
 - cheese - feta (toasted onto the chicken in the salamander)
 - greens - shredded spinach
 - sauces - bottom bun - hummus
               - top bun - tzatziki
 - relish - Greek "salsa" - brunoise - red onion
                                                       - tomato
                                                       - red pepper
                                                       - cucumber
                                                       - kalamata olives
                                      - olive oil
                                      - red wine vinegar
                

Product review: Magic Bullet blender

The Magic Bullet.  You've probably seen the infomercials, but is it worth it's salt?  Yes.  I have a natural tendency to be skeptical of infomercial-related products (kind of counter productive isn't it?), but Carla and I were given one way back as a wedding present, and it quickly found it's way into daily use - literally daily use.  

We like to make fruit smoothies to have with our breakfast, and usually made them with an immersion blender.  What made us switch, was the fact that the Bullet was more powerful, faster and the cleanup was a cinch.  You can load up all the ingredients for each person's smoothie right into their drinking cup, then just screw on the blade atachment and press onto the motor to blend.  Then you take the same blade, screw it onto the next cup and repeat.  They even give you some screw-on lids so you can take your cup to go.  Cleanup is restricted to the blade attachment and the cups themselves.  Since everything screws together, spillage is basically impossible.  We've made some pretty sturdy smoothies and never saw it get stuck (ground flax seed really thickens things up).

The Bullet also does a great job as a spice/coffee grinder.  A lot of chefs keep multiple spice grinders in order to keep coffee from tasting like curry and vise-versa - the Magic Bullet is so easy to clean, one unit will take care of you.  For large spice mixes, the capacity is much better too, no more need to grind your spices in several batches.  This particular set has the added appeal of coming with a pitcher attachment for larger jobs.  CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Recipe: The Nacho burger

Madre mio!  Four bad lookin' hombres

For the first of the Ultimate Burger series, Dan and I took a trip down south.  Call it Tex-Mex or Mexican, we wanted those southern flavours combined with a double-shot of texture favorites - the juicy meatiness of a burger (of course) and the crunchy cheesiness of nachos.

We weren't going to be satisfied with simply dressing a burger with the usual nacho-related condiments, we needed to actually build a small portion of nachos right into the burger.  This necessitated  altering the shape of the beast to replicate the common oval shape often associated with nachos.  Changing the shape also let us use a more oblong bun remenicient of the classic Mexican torta.  The patty itself needed a bit of spicing up prior to the shaping.  A certain amount of restraint was needed when applying the varied sauces to avoid sogging out the operation.  The complete breakdown is below, and yes, the burgers were delicious.  Almost surprisingly well balanced and unbelievably tasty.  

The Nacho burger:

 - bun - torta / Portugese (ciabatta will do in a pinch)

 - patty - taco spiced beef - pepper

                                         - garlic

                                         - cumin

                                         - cayenne

                                         - hot smoked paprika

 - greens - shredded iceberg lettuce

 - sauces - bottom bun - guacamole

               - top bun - sour cream

                              - salsa

                              - chipotle aoli

 - nachos - tri-colour tortilla strips (for better eating)

               - diced tomatoes

               - chopped green onion

               - sliced green olives

               - pickled banana peppers

               - nacho cheese - cheddar

                                        - Monterey jack

                                        - mozzarella

             

The Ultimate Burger Series

The Ultimate Burger Series is here!

What?

Recently, Dan and myself have embarked on a journey to periodically create the cream of the crop in the world of hamburgers.  It would be presumptuous to think we could create the one and only best hamburger ever - that's impossible.  There are too many varied tastes out there (I love blue cheese on a hamburger, others don't) as well as too many delicious ideas to possibly ever fit onto one single burger.  So the journey is more of a challenge to ourselves to pick a theme, then create a ridiculously awesome burger based on that theme.

So far, the themes have begun geographically.  We've picked a country or region of the world and tried to incorporate our favorite flavours and textures from that region into its respective burger.  Themes may branch beyond the regional format as long as the eventual burger end up following some defined theme.  

Breakdowns of the burgers themselves and relevant recipes will wind up here for your enjoyment.  We have a professional kitchen at our disposal and can branch out in almost any direction.  If any of you would like to suggest a theme or ingredient to use, we welcome outside challenges and will post the results of our efforts.

Stay tuned, the Ultimate Burgers are coming!

Recipe: Togarashi puffed rice won-ton (ravioli)

The puffed rice won-ton is not only the most recent use of puffed rice - it's the craziest!  You could almost say it is a culinary maraca - once cooked, you can shake it and hear the puffed rice rattling around inside.  The crunch level is off the charts, and being deep fried then dusted with togarashi, you know it's tasty.  Since it was ultimately part a larger and crazier dish, I will get you started with this.  The preparation for this one is obviously the puffed rice (see the previous post), the rest of the whole dish is soon to come.

You will need:

2 each                 won-ton wrappers

as needed            puffed rice (at least 1-2Tbs per portion)

to taste                togarashi

to taste                kosher salt

as needed            egg wash 

Method:

 - prepare a batch of puffed rice

 - fry off as much rice as you will need and season it with togarashi and salt

 - lay a wonton wrapper on the counter

 - run around the outer edge of the wonton with egg wash

 - lay a pile of puffed rice in the middle of the wonton

 - press another wonton over top and press the edges firmly to seal tight

 - lay into a deep fryer or a generous pan of oil fry until well puffed and golden brown

 - drain on paper towel and season with togarashi and salt

Recipe: Puffed rice (homemade Rice Krispies)

overcook the rice

Puffed rice can be a dramatic addition to an Asian inspired dish.  Why not just use Rice Krispies?  Well, you would then just be using Rice Krispies - no drama there at all.  By making your own, you get a whiter product for a greater visual contrast, and the rice itself has more crispness to it, pure texture.  You also have the satisfaction of knowing exactly everything going into your product and get to choose your own seasoning - togarashi tends to be among the first to come to mind, but you can go any way you want.

Beyond a garnish, a great use for puffed rice is much the same way you might use feuilletine - temper some chocolate, mix in the rice and spread it out in a thin layer as a deliciously crunchy base for a dessert.  As a cereal, why not dig into a bowl? (no togarashi in mine, thanks)  I might be a little more inclined to add it to the mix for the whole grain granola I wrote about back in April.  By the way, this recipe is almost impossible to screw up - over cook the rice, dry it out, then fry it - a snap, a crackle and a big pop.

spread it out to dry

You will need:

250ml / 1C               sushi rice
1250ml / 5C             water (at least)
to taste                      kosher salt
to taste                      seasoning of your choice (togarashi, black sesame, chili, lemon pepper - go nuts)

Method:

 - rinse the rice well under water to get some excess starch out

fully dried

 - add the water to the rice and season lightly
 - bring to a very gentle simmer and let it go for about 20 minutes
 - turn off the heat, cover and let stand for another 20 - 30 minutes
 - drain off any excess water and rinse under cold water so the grains don't stick together
 - spread out on a paper lined sheet pan and dry completely
 - if not using right away, store in a good container (at this stage, the rice keeps a long time)
 - heat some vegetable oil to about 340F / 171C
 - add the rice and fry it until it puffs
 - strain it out, season as desired, and drain on paper towel
 - serve, or store in an airtight container

fried and puffed

Cookbook review: Sous-vide Cuisine by Joan Roca and Salvador Brujes

Sous-vide Cuisine by Joan Roca and Salvador Brujes is the original how-to cookbook for sous-vide cooking (2005).  As an apprentices (our hungry little gang at the hotel), we were so excited by this book, but hindered by the fact that the book was so groundbreaking at the time, you couldn't get your hands on a circulator if your life depended on it.  Not to be left behind, we innovated - we had a vacuum sealer in the butcher shop and by placing a water bath on a low skillet and monitoring it with a probe thermometer, we more or less created a circulator.  

I digress to illustrate the impact this book had at the time, and even though sous-vide cooking has really moved along in the years since, it remains a powerful, relevant and educational volume on the cooking style.  With the greatest emphasis being on food safety and the quality of the end product, you can be assured that the book can be used for years to come and never go out of style.  When you are already cooking the perfect filet mignon, you can dress the plate up any way you like to suit the style of your guests, the meat doesn't ever need to change at all.  That said, the dishes in the book are not left wanting - Chefs Roca and Brujes are both El Bulli alumini (among others) - and the food is always centre stage on the plate and stunningly beautiful.  Throughout the book you will find informative essays charts laying out proteins, cooking temperatures, cooking times, and finishing techniques when it comes to service time.

If you are looking at books to educate yourself on sous-vide cooking, or maybe are intrigued by the historical position of this book, Chefs Roca and Brujes won't disappoint - CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Recipe: Garlic herb butter

This recipe for garlic herb butter is good for many uses because the garlic in it has already been cooked and therefore not too aggressive.  In addition to garlic bread, you may want to use it to finish a sauce or even put it out as a table butter.  The olive oil and lemon serve two purposes - they add a nice flavour dimension and they give the finished butter a helping hand when softening up after coming out of the fridge.  As I never keep salted butter around, we'll use unsalted here - this is nice since we can control how salty the butter is and even choose the salt we want to use.  A smoked salt is great here, but you may want to grind it a bit finer since many smoked salts are made from the chunkier Maldon variety.

You will need:

454g / 1lb                  unsalted butter (room temperature)

10 sprigs                    thyme

1/2 bunch                  parsley

1 sprig (small)           tarragon

5 leaves                     basil

10 cloves                   roasted or poached garlic

30ml / 2Tbs               extra virgin olive oil

10ml / 2tsp                fresh squeezed lemon juice

to taste                      kosher salt

Method:

 - separate the leaves of all the herbs from their stems and chop fine

 - mash and chop the roast garlic to a paste

 - put the butter in a mixer with a paddle and mix to soften (a bowl and wooden spoon will work too)

 - slowly drizzle in the olive oil and mix until it is fully incorporated

 - add the lemon juice and mix in

 - add the roast garlic and herbs and mix well

 - season with salt

 - store in the fridge until use if not using right away

Recipe: Beef stock clarification for consomme - traditional technique

This recipe is the clarification I used with the smoked beef stock (check the earlier post) to make the consomme element of a modern style French onion soup.  It will work with any good beef stock because it has the elements necessary for creating a good consomme - it has the protein necessary to clarify the stock, and it has the additional meat and vegetables and aromatics to take flavour of a good starting stock to a full flavoured specialty broth.  As for the caramelized onion, it's easiest to just caramelize a bunch, measure out what you need and use the rest for something else.

This recipe is designed to clarify 1.5L (1.5qt) of stock and should yield a good 1L (1qt) of finished soup.  To clarify more, simply multiply accordingly and follow the same process.  The loss of volume is partly due to reduction in the cooking process and the fact that you can't force the straining of a consomme without sacrificing the clarity you worked hard for - it's the cost of doing business, but I think you'll find it's worth it when you want to serve the best.

You will need:

1.5L / 1.5qt             beef stock

200g / 7oz               extra lean ground beef (shank, neck, or shoulder)
3                              egg whites
60g / 2oz                 caramelized onion
30g / 1oz                 leek (white part only)
30g / 1oz                 mushrooms
20g / .7oz                celery
20g / .7oz                carrot
2 cloves                   garlic
1                              bay leaf
2 sprigs                    thyme
10                            whole peppercorns
pinch                       kosher salt

Method:

 - caramelize a bunch of onion in minimal fat and measure out 60g (2oz) then let cool
 - wash the leek and mushrooms well and peel the carrot
 - rough chop all the vegetables, then put in a food chopper and mince together
 - add the egg white to the vegetables and mix well
 - add the vegetable mix and the herbs, peppercorns and pinch of salt to the lean ground meat
 - mix with your hands until well incorporated
 - place in a suitable stockpot (you want more vertical height than width)
 - add the stock to the clarification a little at a time to loosen it up evenly
 - when all the stock is added, turn the heat on low - medium
 - as the stock heats up, gently stir to make sure no meat is sticking to the bottom of the pot
 - when the "raft" starts to form and rise to the top, stop stirring
 - poke a "vent" hole in the middle of the raft to allow the stock to bubble through once it starts to simmer
 - gently simmer and monitor the clarity by looking at the stock coming through the vent
 - when the stock seems absolutely clear, line a vine mesh sieve with cheesecloth and place over another pot
 - carefully ladle the stock through the vent and strain through the cheesecloth
 - when you can't ladle any more, move the sieve to another pot and carefully pour the remainder of the contents in and let drain completely
 - if the contents of the second pot are as clear as the first, feel free put them together, otherwise keep the clear stock clear and use the other elsewhere
 - adjust the seasoning with kosher salt if necessary
 - cool the finished consomme
 - store in the fridge until use

Recipe: Brandy snaps / Ginger snaps

Brandy snaps rolled into tubes or cones and filled with a delicious cream are a real treat, but often people feel like they've crossed a line after having one.  I like to use the recipe to make tasty garnishes.  As little wafers, they have such a perfect crispness to them with a zest of lemon and just the right hint of brandy.  They are also known as ginger snaps, but I found I liked them better without the ginger and letting the brandy and lemon do the talking.  Of course you can still make the traditional filled brandy snap confections, just use a larger amount of the base mixture than you would for the wafers (think two or three grapes instead of one) and be ready to roll fast before they crisp up out of the oven.

A couple tricks help this recipe come together well.  Before adding the flour, make sure to let the mixture cool down so it re-emulsifies when you stir it, but don't try to rush it by putting it in the fridge - the butter in the mixture next to the sides of the bowl will harden too fast and resist mixing.  If you must, put the mix in a bit of water without ice and gently stir it on the counter top until it thickens up.  When cooking, don't use the fan if you have a convection oven, and keep the temperature low so the snaps colour evenly and really evaporate out any moisture.

You will need:

125g / 4.4oz           unsalted butter

125ml / 1/2C          sugar

125g / 4.4oz           corn syrup

15ml / 1Tbs            lemon juice

15ml / 1Tbs            brandy

250ml / 1C             flour

5ml / 1tsp               ginger (optional)

 - put the butter, sugar, corn syrup, lemon juice and brandy in a small sauce pan and melt together

 - let the mixture cool naturally at room temperature (or gently cool over a bowl of water)

 - sift the flour and ginger together

 - once the sugar mixture is thick again, transfer to a mixture with a paddle or use a wooden spoon to mix in the ginger and flour

 - at this point you can bake the snaps or store the mix in the fridge till later

 - preheat the oven to 325F / 163C

 - for garnish wafers, take grape-sized lumps and space them out on a cookie sheet lined with paper or silicone

 - for the larger dessert snaps, double (or triple) the size of the lumps and leave lots of space for them to spread out

 - bake for 5 minutes, check the colour, rotate and repeat until you have a nice and even golden brown

 - remove from oven

 - if shaping, let cool slightly (or wear latex gloves) and quickly form around your molds

 - if making wafers, just let cool  completely on the tray and they will come out nice and flat

 - store in an airtight container at room temperature until use

Recipe: Smoked beef stock

This recipe for beef stock is full of flavour and ready to go for a number of applications.  I've clarified it and used it as a consomme for a deconstructed French onion soup, but it also makes an excellent base in braises.  Smoking some of the ingredients for a stock isn't always recommended, but I find with beef stock, that in the end, the hint of smoke is almost always welcome.  If you aren't sure if you want that element, the recipe is still great on it's own, just roast the onion and leek along with the carrot.

You will need:

3kg / 6.6lbs             beef stock bones (knuckle, neck or shank are best)

5L / 5qt                   cold water (approximately)

3                              medium sized red onions

250ml / 1C             washed and chopped onions

1                              large carrot

2                              leek

1                              celery stalk

2 sprigs                   thyme

2 sprigs                   parsley (or a few stems)

3                              bay leaves

6 cloves                   roasted garlic (or confit)

1 sprig                     rosemary

5ml / 1tsp                black peppercorns

15ml / 1Tbs             tomato paste

pinch                       kosher salt

dash                         Worchestershire sauce

as needed                vegetable oil

Method:

 - set the oven to 350F / 177C

 - roast the beef bones to a deep brown colour and set aside

 - chop and toss the carrot and celery with a little oil and roast in the oven

 - Once the carrot and celery start to brown, mix in the tomato paste and brown

 - wash the leek, trim the dark green off and slice the onion

 - smoke the onion and leek in a smoker for about an hour

 - allow all the smoked and roasted items to cool down

 - place the bones in a stockpot and cover with cold water

 - slowly bring up to a simmer 

 - skim the impurities off the top

 - add all the vegetables and aromatics

 - allow to simmer for 8 to 10 hours

 - strain through a mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth

 - cool, then use as needed

 - if desired, re-cover the stock bones and vegetables with cold water and make a remouillage

Recipe: Spiced carrot orange soup

This is a good soup to serve as the season starts to cool off.  A bit of spice to warm you up and a beautiful colour to let you know fall is coming.  I always like how the orange flavour plays off the carrot.  I resisted the urge to put ginger in it, but of course you can - the best way is to peel and smash a chunk and let it simmer with the soup, then when if at some point you are happy with the flavour, just take it out rather than puree it in with the rest.  If you are vegan, you don't need to add any cream, I just find that it really helps the flavours to come together nicely.  I like to garnish with fresh black pepper, but save it to the end to keep the colour of the soup clean.  This recipe will make between 3 and 4 litres (quarts) depending how thick you like your puree soups.

You will need:

1500g / 53oz                  carrots (about 12 good sized ones)
2                                     white onions

get some colour on the onions and garlic

4 cloves                          garlic
500ml / 2C                     vegetable stock or water
500ml / 2C                     fresh squeezed orange juice
125ml / 1/2C                  cream
30ml / 2Tbs                    honey
5ml / 1tsp                       coriander
5ml / 1tsp                       cumin
2.5ml / 1/2tsp                 cayenne
2.5ml / 1/2tsp                 hot smoked paprika
2.5ml / 1/2tsp                 ground cardamom
to taste                            kosher salt
as needed                        vegetable oil

barely colour the carrots

as needed                        water (for the puree)

Method:

 - peel and chop the carrots
 - dice the onion and sweat really well in some oil about medium heat
 - chop the garlic and add to the onion
 - turn up the heat give the onion and garlic some colour, then bring the heat back down to medium
 - add a bit more oil if needed and add the spices to toast in the oil

ready to puree

 - add the carrots and sweat really well
 - turn the heat up again just until the carrots want to take on some colour
 - deglaze with the orange juice
 - add the vegetable stock (or water) and cook
 - when the carrots are very soft, add the cream and honey
 - add any more water you may need to help puree the soup
 - season with salt
 - puree really well in a bar blender and pass through a fine mesh sieve
 - double check the seasoning  - make any small adjustments
 - serve, or cool and store in the fridge

Yum!

Recipe: Fruit marshmallow (strawberry)

coulis and gelatin

This is a quick variation on the marshmallow very similar to the regular one in the previous post.  Assuming that you don't make your coulis with any fats, any fruit will do (providing the coulis is cooked out, even those fruits that don't play nice with gelatin).  Again, it is nice to know that the flavouring is all natural.  What's more, many other recipes for fruit marshmallows are a lot more gelatin based in order to get more fruit colour, but if you try to torch them they melt.  These marshmallows are paler in colour, but the flavour is nice and they will torch - they will soften of course, but you can get the caramelization and toasted effect quite nicely.

whip the whites and coulis together

You will need:

3                           egg whites

5 sheets                gelatin

80ml / 1/3C          sugar

60ml / 1/4C          fruit coulis (strawberry)

Method:

 - hydrate the gelatin and drain

 - warm up the coulis, add the sugar, melt in the gelatin and set aside to cool to just above room temperature

 - whip the egg whites to medium firm peak

fill the mold

 - add the gelatin/coulis mix

 - whip until cool

 - line a tray or mold with plastic wrap

 - fill the tray or mold

 - allow to set completely 

 - cut desired shapes

 - torch

 - enjoy

Recipe: Marshmallows

sugar and melted gelatin

There's something inherently fun about making your own marshmallows.  You can choose your own shapes, either by cutting them or setting them in a specific mold.  It's also nice knowing everything that went into them.

You will need:

3                       egg whites

5 sheets            gelatin

whip the whites

125ml / 1/2C    sugar

60ml / 1/4C      water

5ml / 1tsp         vanilla

Method:

 - hydrate the gelatin and drain

 - bring the water to a simmer

 - melt in the gelatin, add the sugar and vanilla and set aside to cool to just above room temperature

 - whip the whites to a medium firm peak in a mixer

add syrup and whip til cool

 - slow down the mixer and while running, pour in the gelatin syrup

 - speed the mixer up again and whip until cool

 - line a mold or tray with plastic wrap

 - fill the mold or try

 - let set completely

 - cut as desired

 - torch and enjoy

enjoy

prepare the mold

fill and set

Recipe: Chocolate whipped ganache

Whipped ganache is a light way to incorporate chocolate into a dessert and is extremely versatile.  Other recipes use a common one to one ratio of chocolate to cream with the intent that it can be used the same way as a buttercream.  To this end, these recipes work well, but the mixture is very temperature sensitive, making proper timing an element of success.  This recipe is not intended to be so firm and works well as an inner layer on a cake, a cupcake topping, an individual chocolate tart filling, and many other things - think of it as a very sturdy chocolate chantilly.  What I like about this recipe is that once the mix is made, you can store it in the fridge and whip it whenever you like.  As with other whipped ganaches (and whipped cream), avoid over-whipping as it will split and go grainy on you.

You will need:

112g / 4oz                cream (part 1)

28g / 1oz                  glucose / invert sugar                    

125g /4.4oz              dark chocolate (67%)

225g / 8oz                cream (part 2)

Method:

 - in a small sauce pan, warm up the cream and glucose / invert sugar

 - chop the chocolate small and set in a bowl

 - pour the hot cream onto the chocolate and stir to emulsify

 - let cool to room temperature - stirring occasionally

 - gradually stir in the second part of the cream

 - store in the fridge and let cool completely (overnight is best)

 - whip as you would a chantilly until firm

 - use 

Cookbook review: Cocktail Cuisine by Tony Botella

Cocktail Cuisine by Tony Botella is a super low impact way to bring a big impact to your next cocktail party - huh?  What I mean is that the dishes in the book are visually striking, the flavours are clear and concise, yet most of the recipes involve only a handful of ingredients - how much food can you fit on a spoon or a stick anyway?  

The beauty in these dishes is that the nature of the food style necessitates not only simplicity, but careful consideration of the flavours involved and loving execution of the preparation to get the maximum effect from each ingredient.  Indeed, working through a selection of dishes from this book would be a great way to sharpen your everyday cooking skills and an exercise in resisting the urge to overthink a dish.

Chef Botella gives an extensive range of dishes to fit almost any style of event.  Foie bonbons, confit escargot, truffled yougurt, roast chicken "popsicles" and more.  The photos in the "Glasses" section should be enough to make you want to try your hand at it.

Do you sometimes shy away from an unfamiliar recipe when presented with a list of ingredients resembling a shopping list, have no fear.  Need a couple unique ideas to jazz up your menu?  They're here.  CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Recipe: Brown butter malted beer pie dough / Blackberry pie

After our great blackberry picking excursion the other day, I couldn't wait to make a pie.  We had actually missed the season last year while traveling, so I wanted to make it extra tasty for the wait.  I wanted to do a beer crust and we had a bottle of stout on hand - perfect.  Then I noticed the jar of Horlick's malt mix in the cupboard and knew it would go with the beer.  As I checked on the beer in the fridge, I saw some brown butter I had stashed away - it looked so lonely.  After some rough calculations, I came up with a plan of attack and got to it. 

The result is delicious - a nicely crisp and coloured crust full of flavour with no single element taking over - a great complement to the big flavour that the blackberries bring.  As you might guess, the raw dough is a bit darker than a regular pie crust, but it bakes up nice, colours evenly and looks about as nutritious as you might hope a pie to look.  I was unsure about how the dough was going to behave in the oven, so I waited until it was pretty much done to glaze it, and just went with a simple melted butter and granulated sugar (coarse sugar would stand out more visually, but I didn't have any on hand).  You could eggwash, but the crust doesn't really need the extra colour.

You will need:

For the crust:

114g / 4oz                   cold brown butter

114g / 4oz                   cold unsalted butter (plus more for the pan and glaze)

330g / 11.5oz (2C)      all purpose flour 

70g / 2.5oz (1/2C)       malt powder (Horlick's)

125ml / 1/2C               cold stout beer

5ml / 1tsp                    granulated sugar

pinch                           kosher salt

For the filling:

as desired                    blackberries

as needed                    sugar (how sweet are the berries?)

as needed                    flour

Method:

 - grate the butter and brown butter on a large tooth cheese grater,  then tuck in the freezer

 - mix the flour, malt powder, sugar and salt together

 - mix in the frozen grated butter with the dry

 - add the beer and mix until just combined (by hand is ok)

 - divide the dough into two and form two discs 

 - rest the dough in the fridge for half an hour

 - butter the pie plate and put in the fridge

 - wash and drain the blackberries (if you haven't already)

 - preheat the oven to 350F / 177C

 - take the dough out and roll the bottom crust

 - lay the crust in the pie plate and press in

 - toss the blackberries with sugar and flour, then fill the crust

 - roll out the top crust

 - cut some vent holes

 - lay the crust over the pie and pinch the edges of the top and bottom crust together

 - trim away any excess crust

 - place on the middle rack in the oven for 50 - 60 minutes - rotating as needed

- when the crust looks good and you can see the filling is bubbling, melt the butter

 - brush the pie with the butter and sprinkle with sugar

 - return to the oven for another 5 minutes

 - remove and cool on a rack

 - dig in

Recipe: Cherry vinaigrette

This is a nice dressing making use of the summer bounty, but if you freeze some cherries, it's flavour is solid enough to take you into fall.  It goes well with good and sturdy greens - spinach, arugula, romaine (it's not just for Caesar salad).  It even goes well with some meaty appetizers like game birds or drizzled over pate or a plate of charcuterie.

You will need:

250ml / 1C             cherries (pitted and halved)

60ml / 1/4C            dark rum

30ml / 2Tbs            raspberry vinegar

30ml / 2Tbs            red wine vinegar

60ml / 1/4C            water

30ml / 2Tbs            fresh squeezed lemon juice

500ml / 2C             grapeseeed oil

to taste                    kosher salt

to taste                    black pepper

to taste                    honey

Method:

 - put the rum in a sauce pan and burn off the alcohol
 - put the rum, cherries, vinegars and lemon juice in a blender and puree smooth
 - add the water to thin it out a bit
 - with the blender running, slowly add the oil
 - season with salt, pepper, and honey, then blend to incorporate
 - store in the fridge until use

Blackberry time!

It's finally one of my favorite times of year - Blackberry season!  Living in Vancouver, blackberries are plentiful in most of our parks and waiting to be picked, you just need to catch that perfect window between late August and early September as the prime time can be as short as two weeks.  Somewhere along the line, I even made the decision that blackberries are the one food I never buy - I wait and watch (the anticipation makes them even more delicious).  After a couple cautionary samples, if the time is right, we head out to our favorite patch and pick our fill.  If time allows and the scratches are healed,  we head to another patch another day and repeat.

If you've never taken part in this yearly tradition, it's a great way to spend a sunny day in the park and come away with free food.  This year, we even saw an apple tree growing out of the middle of a blackberry bush - how's that for intimidating fruit picking?  (we were focused on the berries, but helped a dad get a good pie's worth for his kids with minimal lacerations).  Here's a few tips to get the most out of your picking party.

Location:

- the wilder the better.  Blackberry bushes are a gnarly beast and the more groomed a park is, the less berries will be there.  Shoreline areas and nature preserves are great.  Anywhere nature is allowed to run amok, blackberries will be thriving.

- pick a bush with lots of sun exposure. The best ones are often shielded by a leaf, but they need the warmth to bring out the sweetness.

Equipment:

- old pants and a long sleeve shirt that are ok to get some stains and prick - holes.  I break this rule constantly, but accept the scratches as a necessary evil.  The best berries are always high or deep in the bush.  They may be free, but there's still a price to pay - pants and a long sleeve shirt are like a coupon.

- ice cream buckets or plastic bags.  Buckets are the best as they don't leak, but bags are better if you are moving from bush to bush on a bike.  Bags are also good for tucking in a pocket if you happen to be going to a park where you aren't sure if there will be berries, if they will be ripe, or you may only have a couple minutes for picking.  Buckets are for when you mean business and you know the timing is perfect - less squishing of ripe berries and no juice leakage.

- two good sized sticks.  In a good wild park, you can find them easily enough among driftwood or forest scraps.  When all the easily reachable berries are picked, lay the sticks across the thorns in an "X" or "T" formation and step on the top stick to press the thorns down an clear a path.

- sunscreen.  You picked a sunny bush remember?

Technique:

- pick the ripe ones.  If you found a good bush, there's plenty for everyone, so be selective and get the sweet ones (sour berries make for sour pie)- the others will be ripe tomorrow for the next pickers.  The good blackberries are a bit soft to the touch, shiny, and come away from the bush easily - better test one to be sure.  This is important early in the season.  Don't go out and pick a bush silly just because the berries are black, if they aren't ripe yet, all you did was thin out the crop - wait for it.

- pick above the waist.  File this along with "don't eat yellow snow".  Dogs, animals and merry park-goers may have been by earlier to water the bush.  These branches are the ones you usually end up stepping down on anyway, so no loss.

- wash the berries when you get home before cooking or eating. This washes out he little "hairs" on the berries and any of the little bugs that hitched a ride home in your bucket.

Recipe: Ketchup

Making your own ketchup is a good way to make use of the end of tomato season or just a nice way to add a personal touch to the spread at a barbeque.  It's one of those things that is cooked over a long enough period of time that you can monitor the flavour and make adjustments until you have it just the way you like it.

You will need:

24                       ripe roma tomatoes (or 2 796ml / 28oz cans peeled tomatoes)
1/2                     Walla-Walla onion (assuming it's a large one)
3 cloves              garlic
175ml / 6fl oz     apple cider vinegar
175ml / 6fl oz     white sugar
70ml / 2.5fl oz    honey
as needed            vegetable oil
to taste                kosher salt

Method:

 - start a pot of water on to boil (unless you are using canned)
 - score the bottoms of the tomatoes (cut a small "x")
 - blanch the tomatoes a few at a time for 30 seconds each, then transfer to ice water
 - when you see the skins starting to peel away naturally, remove from the water and peel them
 - over a bowl covered with a strainer, open up the tomatoes and scrape the seeds out, saving the juice
 - discard the seeds
 - roughly chop the tomatoes
 - roughly chop the garlic and onion
 - slowly sweat the garlic and onion in a large saute pan until very soft (try not to colour)
 - add the tomatoes and briefly saute
 - deglaze with the vinegar
 - add the sugar and honey
 - let the mix stew down and thicken up
 - season with salt, add any more vinegar or sugar if you like it more acidic or sweet
 - once it has the consistency of a pasta sauce, tranfer to a blender and puree smooth
 - let cool, then store in the fridge until use