October 2011 Store Newsletter

October 2011

www.danashortt.ca

::: what's in our fresh fridge today? -turkey dinner casserole with cranberry stuffing topping $9.98 sm; $19.98 med -lots of fresh quiches (4 varieties) -butternut squash, apple and ginger soup $9.98 per L -bacon, apple, cheddar and caramelized onion quesadilla $9.98 each -chicken, cheddar and salsa quesadilla $9.98 each -tons of ready-to-bake scones $8.98 each or 3 packages for $25.00 -lots of fresh loaves - pumpkin, carrot or banana bread $9.98 each ::: recipe-of-the-month Spanish style chickpea soup with sherry This recipe comes from Chef Lynda Young, a former chef at Dana Shortt Gourmet. This was a popular soup that we featured on our menu several years ago. It's a warm and comforting meal, perfect for this time of year (and perhaps for next week, after a filling turkey dinner....and leftovers!) *note* recipe can be halved Ingredients: 4 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed 3/4 cup olive oil, I use the Australian picual that we sell in the shop 4 yellow onions, peeled and finely diced 4 medium carrots, peeled and diced 4 ribs celery, diced 4 cloves garlic, minced 4 litres chicken or vegetable stock 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped 1 cup heavy, 35% cream 1/2 cup sherry vinegar salt and pepper to taste Method: 1. Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and start to lightly brown, about 10 - 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or so, stirring. 2. Add the chickpeas, stock and half of the thyme. Season well with salt and pepper. 3. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a bare simmer, and cook for approximately 30 minutes. Remove the soup from heat and add remaining olive oil. 4. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup. Stir in the cream, vinegar and the remaining chopped thyme. Taste for salt, pepper and vinegar. Adjust if necessary.

::: thanksgiving features Our store is stocked with gourmet goodies to make your thanksgiving weekend even more delicious! Try our new "thanksgiving dinner casserole" (tender pieces of boneless, skinless turkey breast with assorted root vegetables in a light cream-herb sauce, topped with cranberry stuffing). This was so popular last Christmas that we will now be offering this dish from now until Christmas day (fresh & frozen). We make thanksgiving dinner easy! If you're too tired or running out of time to make everything, consider picking up some of our side dishes to ease the pressure: -mashed rutabaga $5.98 -scalloped potatoes $5.98 sm, $11.98 lrg -sweet potatoes $11.98 lrg -assorted salad dressings $4.98 and up -assorted soups $8.98 and up -cheese & herb scones $8.98 -baking (see below) We didn't forget the sweets! Nibble on our new pumpkin loaf, pumpkin-pie shorTTbread cookies, decorated cupcakes and dessert squares. We also have plenty of fall & halloween candies and chocolates available, such as foil wrapped pumpkins, chocolate leaves, assorted fall chocolate suckers, and more. ::: october's special of the month $13.98 for TWO, ready-to-bake wood fired pizza's, all month long. And that price is including tax! (regular price is $15.98 for two). We offer the following 8 varieties: Four cheese - parmesan, mozzarella, goat, blue & marinated tomato Double smoked fun guy - bacon, portobello and cremini mushrooms, spinach & parmesan Tsunami - hot sausage, provolone, roasted garlic & caramelized onion Sweet & Spicy - sopressata salami, caramelized onion & goat cheese Pepperoni - the best ever! Queen - marinated tomatoes, fresh mozzarella & pesto Beauty - olives, roasted red peppers, roasted garlic, asiago & mozzarella Nutty Pie - nutella & banana (dessert pizza) ::: relish cooking studio class I'm teaching a class at the newly-opened "Relish Cooking Studio" on Thursday, October 20th, 2011. The "cookbook club" class is called "barefoot in the kitchen" because I'm featuring several recipes from Ina Garten's wonderful "Barefoot Contessa" series cookbooks. The class costs $75.00 and additional details can be found online at: www.relishcookingstudio.com

recipe: drunken shrimp sambuca

Have you ever had an appetizer, entrée, dessert or overall restaurant experience that you can’t stop dreaming about?  For me, the restaurant is called the Everyday People Café in Saugatuck-Douglas, Michigan.  We had the good fortune of dining there – twice – while on vacation this summer.

Chefs Matt Balmer and Michael Beld have both been honoured with the “Best Chef” of Michigan award.  Their food is over-the-top and everything I tried was a winner.  We all had a heck of a time deciding what to order, because everything on the menu sounded so delicious.  Good thing I’m from a family that not only allows but encourages sharing.

My two favourites from the menu are their “sea salt roasted beet salad” with a warm goat cheese croquette, walnut vinaigrette and frisee; and their “drunken shrimp sambuca” with garlic, shallot, sun-dried tomatoes and cream on puff pastry.  To die for – I’m quite honestly salivating as I type this.

I complimented the owner upon leaving the restaurant and mentioned that I’d be contacting “Bon Appetit” magazine to see if they could obtain the beet salad recipe for their R.S.V.P. column.  The owner encouraged me to do so, and then mentioned that the drunken shrimp sambuca recipe was available on line.  I strongly encourage you to try this recipe – you will not be disappointed!

Drunken Shrimp Sambuca

yields: 2 appetizer-sized portions (recipe doubles easily)

ingredients

§         2 (two), 5” x 5” (five inch by five inch) puff pastry squares

§         2 (two) tablespoons butter

§         2 (two) tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

§         6 (six) large shrimp, peeled and de-veined, tails on (16-20 count is best)

§         flour for dredging, as needed

§         1 1/2 (one and one half) tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and slivered

§         2 (two) tablespoons shallots, minced

§         2 (two) teaspoons garlic, minced

§         a couple pinches of salt and pepper

§         ½ (one-half) ounce vermouth, for deglazing

§         1 (one) ounce sambuca

§         1/3 (one-third) cup heavy 35% cream

§         2 (two) tablespoons fresh chopped basil

method

1.      Place puff pastry squares on a baking sheet and bake at 350° F until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

2.      Dredge shrimp in flour. Heat butter and olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat until bubbly but not brown. Add shrimp to butter-oil mixture and cook shrimps on each side for about 2 minutes or until golden. Add garlic and shallots to the pan and cook for one minute. 

3.      Add sun-dried tomatoes and sauté for 1 minute.  Deglaze with dry vermouth and reduce slightly.  Carefully add Sambuca and flambé.

4.      When flame dies down, add cream and basil.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Cook for another minute or two, to reduce slightly and to allow the flavours to mingle.

5.      Place each puff pastry square on a large plate and pour some of the sauce on the plate for decoration.  Then place 3 shrimp and half of the remaining sauce in the center of each puff pastry square.  Garnish with fresh basil and serve.

recipe: 'to die for' caprese-style brie

The title of any recipe that starts with 'to die for' certainly grabs my attention. Such was the case with this recipe for 'to die for' Caprese-style Brie. I picked up the recipe at a charitable fundraiser cooking event that I attended in the spring, and I finally got around to testing the recipe. 

This appetizer is killer– and let’s be honest, you can never have enough recipes featuring brie! I tested the dish at work and the staff loved it. We had enough to share with several of our customers as well – and two of them asked if they could buy it on the spot!

This is a perfect appetizer to serve in September, when tomatoes are in season and taste their best. Another bonus – you don’t have to turn on the oven! 

'to die for' caprese-style brie

ingredients

• 8 (eight) ripe roma tomatoes, diced and seeded
• 1 (one) pound double cream brie, rinds removed and sliced into small cubes
• 2/3 (two-thirds) cup extra virgin olive oil (I used the Portuguese Arbequina that we sell in my shop)
• 1/3 (one-third) cup of fresh pesto
• 3 (three) cloves garlic (or more, if you like garlic) finely chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

method

• Combine all ingredients and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours or prepare overnight, refrigerate and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours before serving.
• Serve with slices of baguette, crostini or crusty bread.

note: recipe halves easily.

recipe: kerry joy's pumpkin loaf

I can’t believe that my little boy is about to start pre-school!  Time really does fly when you’re having fun.  I’m sure that John will love his new school.  He’s excited to learn to speak French, and is also looking forward to the upcoming baking classes and science experiments.

Another first for John (and for me) will be a packed lunch, as his wonderful current daycare provides hot lunches.  I’m racking my brain to come up with delicious and healthy meals, snacks and treats that travel well and don’t require heating.

Fortunately, John is a really good eater.  He likes a wide variety of foods – but prefers to eat them separately, as opposed to being blended together in something like a casserole or stew.  I’m guessing that his lunches will consist of some chopped cold meat or cheese, crackers or bread, a few options of fresh fruit and vegetables and of course, some sort of treat.

John loves this moist pumpkin loaf, which is a recipe that was given to me by David’s cousin Kerry from Thunder Bay.  She made a couple loaves this summer when we were over for a play date, and they quickly vanished!

Kerry Joy’s Pumpkin Loaf

makes three loaves

ingredients

§         5 (five) cups all-purpose flour

§         4½ (four-and-a-half) cups sugar

§         1 (one) tablespoon baking soda

§         1½ (one-and-a-half) teaspoons nutmeg

§         1 (one) tablespoon cinnamon

§         2¼ (two-and-a-quarter) teaspoons salt

§         6 (six) eggs

§         1½ (one-and-a-half) cups Crisco shortening

§         3 (three) cups of pumpkin

method

1.      Preheat oven to 375 F.

2.      In a large bowl, sift dry ingredients together (flour, sugar, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt).

3.      In a separate bowl, using a stand mixer or hand-held beaters, blend eggs, shortening, and pumpkin together.

4.      Gently add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and stir to combine (do not over-mix).

5.      Pour batter into 3 (three) greased (or parchment-lined) loaf pans and bake for 1 (one) to 1½ (one-and-a-half) hours (note:  time will vary depending on your oven).

Recipe: Tina Robert's Green Beans

I was recently interviewed on 570 AM radio’s “The Food Show” hosted by local food correspondent Andrew Coppolino.  Andrew remarked that we are now into the height of summer – and the height of the harvest – which is always exciting for food aficionados.   I couldn’t agree more.

So much is in season these days:  tomatoes, peaches, green beans, blueberries, corn, eggplant, peppers… the list goes on and on.  Speaking of which, I’m lucky enough to live about two minutes away from Herrle’s Farm Market– a summer institution, if you ask me.  

I remember driving out there with my Dad when I was little, when they still sold the corn from their garage.  Those trips seemed to take forever – partially due to my age, and also because for the most part, residential Waterloo hadn’t yet expanded as far as Ira Needles Blvd.

My good friend and fellow “foodie” Tina Roberts recently shared her amazing bean salad recipe with me.  In June, I added an extra virgin olive oil, specialty oil and balsamic vinegar tasting bar to the shop and Tina has been “playing around” with some of these new oils, including our delicious roasted-almond oil.  If you don’t have almond oil, you can substitute a different nut oil, such as walnut, or use sesame oil instead.

Keep having fun in the kitchen, Tina!

Tina Robert’s Green bean salad with toasted almond vinaigrette & soy-glazed almonds

ingredients for almonds

§         1/4 (one-quarter) cup slivered almonds

§         1 (one) tablespoon soy sauce

method for almonds

1.      Heat almonds in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat until lightly toasted; about 5 minutes.

2.      Turn heat to medium high, add soy sauce and stir continually until almonds are coated and soy has evaporated; remove from heat and let cool.

ingredients for green beans

§         1 (one) pound green beans, trimmed, cut in half, and steamed until tender but still crisp (about 5 minutes)

§         2 (two) green onions, minced

§         1/4 (one-quarter) cup minced fresh cilantro

method for green beans

1.  Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.

ingredients for vinaigrette

§         2 (two) tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar

§         1 (one) teaspoon soy sauce

§         1/4 (one-quarter) teaspoon Dijon mustard

§         1 (one) clove garlic, pressed

§         fresh ground black pepper & kosher salt to taste

§         1 (one) tablespoon roasted almond oil

method for vinaigrette

1.  Whisk together vinegar, soy sauce, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper until combined; whisk in oil.

2.  Toss vinaigrette with bean mixture and stir in almonds.

a dessert fit for a prime minister recipe: death by chocolate pate with raspberry splash

Sure, working in the food industry can be challenging (I’m asked this all the time) but let me assure you that there are also some advantages. One perk is called the “Fancy Food Show” – North America’s largest specialty food & beverage convention which showcases over 180,000 food products sampled by over 2,000 vendors.

Instead of NYC where this show usually takes place, this July it was held in Washington, D.C. To get there, my husband and I made the 9+ drive down on our own. So, no “Bob the Builder”, “Little People” or “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” dvds were viewed en route. The show is great opportunity for brokers, buyers and retailers like me to sample new and interesting food products to sell in our stores.

In addition to hundreds of delicious samples and a few amazing dinners out, I had the opportunity to meet several food “celebrities”. Iron Chef Cat Cora was at the show, introducing her new line of private label products. I had the opportunity to meet David of “David’s Chocolate Signatures”, Dufflet Rosenburg of Dufflets, a.k.a the “Queen of Cake” as well as Lesley Stowe, owner of Lesley Stowe Fine Foods in Vancouver.

Many of my customers will recognize the name Lesley Stowe, because we sell a ton of her signature raincoast crisp crackers at the store. Lesley had a catering business and much-loved gourmet food shop in Vancouver for many years.

In 2006 she decided to close the doors to the retail store and focus solely on the raincoast crisps. She wrote a cookbook a few years back, filled with tried and true recipes from her shop and catering business. One of my favourites is the “death by chocolate pate with raspberry splash”. I phoned Lesley after the food show and asked if she would allow me to share the recipe with my readers, and she graciously agreed.

I learned that this recipe was a LSFF signature dessert for years – they even sold it to high end restaurants that didn’t have their own pastry chef’s, such as Bishop’s. Death by Chocolate even had the honour of being Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau’s favourite dessert, as he often ordered more than one piece when he was at Bishop’s!

Death by Chocolate Pate with Raspberry Splash (serves 16)

ingredients for pate

• 15 (fifteen) ounces best-quality bittersweet chocolate
  (Valrhona or Callebaut work well)
• 1 (one) cup heavy cream
• 4 (four) tablespoons butter
• 4 (four) egg yolks
• ½ (one-half) cup icing sugar
• 6 (six) tablespoons Cointreau or Grand Marnier
• cocoa powder for dusting, as required

ingredients for raspberry splash

• 10 (ten) ounces frozen raspberries
• 3 (three) tablespoons berry sugar
• 1 (one) teaspoon fresh lemon juice

directions for raspberry splash

• In a food processor, purée the raspberries, berry sugar and lemon juice. Pass the sauce through a sieve to remove the seeds.

directions for pate

• Line a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
• Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place in the top of a double boiler; add the cream and butter. Melt over medium heat, stirring until completely smooth. Remove from heat and let cool for 1 minute, continuing to stir.
• Whisk in the eggs yolks. Sift the icing sugar into the chocolate mixture, whisking constantly. Whisk in the Cointreau until smooth. Pour into the prepared pan. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours to set or overnight.
• Unmould the cake, removing paper. Dust the top with cocoa powder. Drizzle a large spoonful of Raspberry Splash on each plate. Using a hot, wet knife, slice cake and place on plates.

Recipe: Yukiko’s Warm Chickpea Salad

I love the summer evenings where you can sit outside, well into the night, without a sweater.  Too often it gets chilly once the sun goes down, so when it stays hot all night, I want to take advantage of it.

I recently met up with my friend Lisa, an old roommate from my days at the University of Guelph.  We were both in the Hotel & Food Administration Program and she is most definitely still a “foodie”.  We met up on the patio at the Hometown Eatery (formerly Yukiko’s) and shared lots of laughs and memories over a glass of wine and their delicious warm chickpea salad.

I actually have the recipe for this incredible salad, because my friend Tina had managed to obtain the recipe from Judy (the chef/owner of Yukiko’s) for a birthday cookbook that she wrote a couple of years ago.  I emailed Judy last week, to see if she would allow me to share this recipe with all of you – and she graciously agreed.  In fact, Judy wrote “I am more than happy to share this recipe.  If anyone has the motivation & enthusiasm to cook/bake, I try to support them in their culinary adventure any way I can”.  Thanks Judy.

I’m sure you will love this salad – it’s healthy, delicious and full of flavour.  I will admit that I add a little more feta cheese than the recipe calls for though!

Yukiko’s Warm Chickpea Salad

makes 2 generous servings

ingredients

§         2 (two) cups canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained

§         2 (two) tablespoons olive oil

§         2 (two) tablespoons white wine vinegar

§         1 (one) tablespoon minced garlic

§         2-3 (two to three) mint leaves, chopped

§         1/3 (one-third) cup thinly sliced sundried tomatoes

§         hot pepper flakes or thinly sliced pickled hot peppers, to taste

§         1 (one) teaspoon olive oil

§         a splash of white wine (a couple of tablespoons)

§         2 (two) cups baby spinach

§         ½ (one-half) cup crumbled feta cheese

§         3 (three) tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

§         1 (one) green onion, finely chopped

§         10 (ten) kalamata olives

§         salt and pepper to taste

method

1.      Combine the chickpeas, 2 (two) tablespoons of oil, vinegar, garlic, mint, sundried tomatoes and hot pepper flakes or peppers in a glass or ceramic dish.  Let sit for about 10 (ten) minutes while you assemble and chop the remaining ingredients.

2.      Heat one teaspoon of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.

3.      Add the chickpea mixture and cook for a minute or two until the liquid evaporates.  Add the white wine and spinach leaves and stir until the spinach just begins to wilt.  Remove from the heat and add remaining ingredients.

Serve warm with foccacia bread, a glass of wine and a cherished friend.

Recipe: Marinated Flank Steak

Is it just me or is June a ridiculously busy month for everyone?  I wasn’t so overwhelmed that didn’t cook at home at all, just nothing that I would classify as “gourmet”.  Rather, I stuck to simple, straightforward, easy-to-prepare meals.  So, I thought I’d share with you some of my more recent “go-to” meals when time and/or creativity are lacking. 

1.      Grilled sausages, roasted broccoli and fingerling smashed potatoes.  Simply grill the sausages, baste with bbq sauce and serve with Dijon mustard for dipping, if desired.  Cut a crown of  broccoli into small florets, toss with olive oil, salt & pepper and roast in a 425 F oven for about 15-20 minutes or until crisp tender and the tips are slightly browned.  For the potatoes, wash baby red or white potatoes (leave skin on), throw into a pot filled with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat.  Once you can pierce the potatoes easily with a fork, drain them into a colander and then throw them back into the pot.  Mash them (leave the skins on) and add a tablespoon or two of butter, about a 1/3 cup of milk, a heaping tablespoon of horseradish and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Lately I’ve been adding add a bit of garlic olive oil instead of the milk.

2.      Baked sweet potatoes with chickpeas and roasted vegetables.  Microwave or bake sweet potatoes and top with chickpeas or another bean of your choice, and lots of roasted veggies (recent concoctions included sautéed garlic scapes, broccoli and zucchini).  Top with a large dollop of hummus or guacamole or a little bit of both.  I have to admit, this is not a “David dinner” (because there is no meat, of course).  Actually, I find that David (and I would guess most men in general) are happiest when they’re presented with a mix of meat, starch and veggies.  So while I eat a lot of vegetarian fare, I still cook meat for David on most nights.

3.      Marinated Flank Steak with baked potatoes and roasted vegetables.  When I cook something vegetarian like the preceding recipe, I make extra of the veggies and potatoes and then add some meat to prepare a dinner for David.  Below is an easy and delicious flank steak marinade that my family has been making for years.

marinated flank steak

ingredients

§         3 (three) pounds flank steak

§         ¾ (three-quarters) cup oil

§         ¼ (one-quarter) cup soya sauce

§         ¼ (one-quarter) cup brown sugar

§         2 (two) tablespoons vinegar

§         1 (one) clove garlic, minced

§         a handful of chopped green onions

§         1½ (one-and-a-half) teaspoons ginger

method

1.      Mix marinade ingredients together.  Score the steak, then marinate in a ziplock bag for 24-48 hours.

2.      Grill.