Did I mention that we went out the night that much of the Montreal area was hit with a tornado like storm? It rained for about an hour where we were and then cleared up so we ran out of the cottage before Mother Nature could change her mind. The restaurant was not a large place but it was nearly filled when we arrival. We were seated next to an open window which gave the occasional relief from the heat since the restaurant had lost power an hour or so before our arrival. The brave chef continued to toll away until the power was finally restored somewhere around our dessert course. Having worked in several kitchens, I know that you have to be ready for anything but my hat goes off to the poor souls working that hot July night. It must have been a billion degrees and with no lights, they were still able to put out some amazing dishes. Part of the reason that we picked the spot was that it boasted market cuisine. We were not disappointed. From the tomato and mozzarella salad with basil ice cream to the roast chicken with a summer cassoulet to the maple apple fritters we were delighted at every course. If the pictures do it no justice, blame the lack of light. The food was outstanding and I definitely plan a return trip! Check out what they are serving now and how to get a reservation at
http://www.seblartisanculinaire.com/
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There are days when all of my powers of food preparation vanish from my brain. I stare at the refrigerator, filled with ingredients, and think where is dinner in all of that? How can it be full and we have nothing to eat? Why didn't I start thinking about dinner an hour ago???? It was a day like that I first made carrot soup. This soup involves no chopping of onion and celery in to fine little cubes. No cream or garnish of basil or dill. But it is orange and goes well with a Montreal style bagel. I do add an occasional extra if my brain happens to start functioning again by the end of the preparation. Simple Carrot Soup
serves about 4 (depending on how much you thin it out at the end) 1 cup of carrots (baby or otherwise) water to cover Boil the carrots until soft in unsalted water about 15-20 minutes. Place the carrots in a blender with 1/2 of cup of the cooking water to start. Blend and slowly add more water until it reaches a smooth consistency. DO NOT add all the water at once otherwise the carrots will never blend completely smooth. Or they may just not in your lifetime. When smooth, season with salt. Additions - blend with the carrots 1 Tbs of Coconut oil 1 Tbs of Crystallized ginger 1 Tbs Chopped Basil or Dill I started a work out challenge in April and part of the deal was that we had to eat a mostly paleo diet. I am all for trying out new ways of eating since it requires new recipes. I had a great time drinking different smoothies for breakfast and tried really hard to herald in spring with a variety of salads for lunch. One of my favorite finds of the last week was Cauliflower Fried "Rice." My coach gave me a great recipe but I, of course, changed it just a little.... Cauliflower Fried "rice"For 2-3 servings
1 cup broccoli florets 1 cup zucchini, chopped 3/4 cup snow peas, chopped 1/2 cup carrots chopped 1/2 cup onions 2 cups cauliflower, finely chopped (I used a cuisinart) 1 Tbsp garlic, chopped 1 Tbsp ginger, chopped 1 Tbsp coconut oil (or a blend of sesame and coconut) 1 Tbsp soy sauce Saute the ingredients in the oil starting with the carrots and onions. after 3-4 minutes add the broccoli, snow peas, and zucchini, cook for another 3-4 minutes. Add the Garlic and ginger saute for 2-3 minutes or until frangrant. Finally, add the cauliflower and the soy sauce. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes to keep the cauliflower crunchy or longer for softer cauliflower. Garnish with sesame seeds or herbs of your choice and enjoy! We love being invited for dinner, though with two chefs in the house sometimes people are a little intimidated. To show our huge appreciation for a meal out of the house we prepared this lovely little dessert for our last hosts. A brief description would be four layers of sweetened puff pastry stuffed with lemony cream and berries. But that in no way describes how lovely it tasted. It is the kind of dessert that is as changeable as the seasons and presents very well.
I've decided to take the approach of adding more value to the food that I cook for my family. With that in mind, I was eyeing a new cookbook last weekend called Spilling the Beans and my lovely mother was kind enough to buy it for me. Once I got the book home, I do as I usually do and go through it listing recipes to try on a sheet of paper that I will leave in the front cover of the book. Needless to say the list for this book was quite extensive. From black bean tacos to Spaghetti with garlic, chickpeas and kale, my tally reached almost 20 recipes that I have to try. The lucky first recipe was for Sticky buns but I ended up using the dough to make Easter Bread for brunch. The dough was really soft and lovely to work with. Not to mention the fact that it had significantly less fat than traditional sticky bun dough and it was ready in what seemed like record time. I did make two substitutions, I took out the milk and butter and replaced them with coconut milk and coconut oil. The above braided loaf used half the dough and the rest I used for cinnamon rolls. YUM! The next recipe I made was in preparation for a cooking course this weekend on quick lunches. It wasn't on my original list but as I read the book again it peaked my interest. So for your lunchtime enjoyment, I present the recipe, with my adjustments listed below. So far I really recommend the book as well. I bought it from Chapters. New School Tuna Melts 1 cup of canned white beans, rinsed and drained 1 clove garlic 2-4 Tbsp. olive oil 2 Tbsp. lemon juice 6 oz. canned tuna, drained 1 stalk celery, finely chopped 2 Tbsp. fresh basil or parsley, or a combination of both 4 slices of grainy bread 1 cup of shredded cheese, any type you prefer In a medium bowl combine beans, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice and mash roughly with a fork. Flake in tuna, then add celery, herbs, salt, and pepper. Toast bread, then top each with the bean mixture, spreading it to the edges. Scatter grated cheese on top and broil for 1-2 minutes until the cheese melts. Do not forget it under the broiler!! My variation - I, of course, did not have regular canned tuna just some lemon dill that I have been avoiding for a couple months. So I used the lemon dill tuna in place of the tuna and herbs, I reduced the lemon juice to 1 Tbsp and the olive oil to 1 Tbsp.
Enjoy the recipe and I would love to hear about your variations! {M} |
{M} on CookingI've been cooking for as long as I can remember. But there is something wonderful about finding a new recipe, tasting something new or something prepared in a new way, or just enjoying food with friends that has made it central to my life. Archives
August 2013
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