Try French Onion Soup for your soul A belly-warming meal idea that will soothe any stomach on a cold January day - recipe: french onion soup

A few years ago, when my parents decided to downsize from their large family home to a townhouse condo, it left me with mixed feelings.

The downside included saying goodbye to our long-term neighbours and to the home where we had created so many wonderful memories.

In addition, I was faced with 25 plus years of mementos and keepsakes that I now had to filter through and store . . . without the benefit of a huge attic! The upside of the move was that Mom was compelled to pass along all sorts of items that she no longer had room for, like a few pieces of good-quality furniture, some décor items and lots of kitchen goodies (too bad her jewelry doesn’t take up closet space — just kidding Mom).

One of my favourite “scores” was the set of French onion soup bowls that my grandmother had bought for my mom many years ago.

French onion soup is just one of those things that tastes better in its own special crock — sort of like how Coquilles St. Jacques tastes better in a scallop shell (Score – I got those too!) What can I say? Some women love clothes, some women love shoes, and some women love soup bowls, scallop shells and tablecloths just a little bit more.

This is my favourite French onion soup recipe.

The winter following my parents big move, David and I invited them over for a belly-warming meal of French onion soup, crusty bread and green salad.

It’s January, so I know that a lot of us are trying to eat a little lighter — this isn’t exactly the lowest calorie soup option out there but it’s still soup, right?

French onion soup
(Serves 6) Ingredients

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 jumbo sweet onions (about two pounds), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup white wine, divided
5 cups beef broth (use the best quality you can — make your own, or buy from a specialty
store or butcher for best results)
1 cup water or chicken stock

For soup crocks
6 slices of day-old baguette
6 ounces of Gruyère cheese, grated (or more, if desired)

Method

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat until frothy.

Add onions and stir to coat in butter.

Add thyme, salt and sugar and stir every few minutes for 20 minutes, then add 1/2 cup of white wine and stir.

Continue cooking for another 20-25 minutes or until onions are very soft and golden brown in colour.

Add flour and cook, continuously stirring for about one minute. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup of wine and stir for another minute.

Pour in broth, water/chicken stock and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 25 minutes.

Preheat broiler.

Put soup crocks in a shallow baking pan.

Divide the soup equally among the crocks and top each with a slice of baguette and an ounce of gruyere.

Broil four to five inches from heat until cheese is melted and bubbly (about one and a half minutes).

dreaming of spending the holidays in italy - recipe: veal tenderloin stuffed with leeks, sausage & chevre

Winter in Italy. That simple three-word phrase sounds just divine. I wish I could say that I was about to fly off to Europe for an extended winter holiday but sadly, this is not so.

However, I can at least try to pretend that I’m in Italy through my culinary adventures. Winter in Italy was the name of a cooking class taught by the very talented Pam McDonald several years ago at Dish Cooking Studio in Toronto.

I was an employee at Dish while working my way through chef’s school and I was fortunate enough to work alongside Chef Pam as her assistant in many classes.

One of my favourite classes featured a delectable Italian menu which included a radicchio & chicory salad with sautéed mushrooms & shaved parmesan; scalloped fennel & potatoes, sautéed rapini with pine nuts & raisins, veal tenderloin stuffed with leek, sausage & chevre and pears with sweet mascarpone cheese.

In addition to sharing valuable tips and tricks for the kitchen, Pam suggested a unique entertaining idea involving fresh rosemary: extra sprigs can be tossed into a wood burning fireplace for a delicious, natural, yet oh-so-frugal aroma!

This veal tenderloin would make for a stunning entrée on Christmas or New Year’s Eve. Buon Appetito!

veal tenderloin stuffed with leeks, sausage & chevre
recipe courtesy of Chef Pam McDonald,
owner of “more than food” cooking school in Toronto
905-637-4907
(serves 8)

ingredients

• 2 (two) tbsp olive oil
• 1½ (one-and-one-half) lb. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
• 3 (three) leeks (white parts and ? green), quartered lengthwise, well-rinsed, dried and sliced
• 6 (six) oz. soft mild chevre
• 1 (one) tbsp fresh thyme, washed and chopped
• salt to taste
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• 3-4 (three to four) lb. veal tenderloin
• 3 (three) cloves garlic
• 1 (one) zest of lemon
• 1 (one) cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 (two) tbsp olive oil

method

• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sausage and sauté, breaking up the meat with a fork, until the meat begins to lose its pink colour. Add the leeks and cook until the leeks are tender and the meat begins to brown, approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low and stir in the chevre, breaking it into small pieces. Cook until the chevre melts. Season the stuffing with thyme, salt and pepper.
• Remove the silverskin and any excess fat from the tenderloin. Slice the tenderloin down the middle and open as you would a book. Place the tenderloin between two pieces of plastic wrap. Pound the meat gently until approximately ¾ (three-quarters) to 1 (one) inch in thickness. Place stuffing on one tenderloin and cover with another tenderloin. Secure by tying with kitchen string. Repeat with remaining tenderloin.
• Mince the parsley, garlic and lemon zest in a food processor. Drizzle in olive oil. Pat this mixture over the top of the veal. Place on lined pan and roast uncovered for 40 minutes at 450° F.
  

brussel sprouts for the holidays - recipe 1: red & green salad - recipe 2: shredded brussels sprouts with bacon and nuts

Tis the season for potlucks, parties and paunches. I’m kidding about the paunches but seriously, if a girl isn’t careful… Which brings me to my point: as much as I love cheese, chocolate and cheese (I love cheese so much that I had to mention it twice), I think that most of us appreciate a few healthy yet delicious menu items, especially at this time of the year.

My Mom has been making this delicious salad for years and its red and green appearance is perfect for holiday entertaining. I didn’t care for it as a kid – Brussels sprouts, cabbage and blue cheese just didn’t appeal to me, but I have certainly grown to love it. This recipe doubles and/or triples easily if you’re feeding a crowd.

red & green salad
from “Pure and Simple” by Marian Burros, 1978
(serves 6)

ingredients

• 3 (three) tablespoons olive oil
• 2 (two) tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1½ (one-and-one-half) tablespoons Dijon mustard
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 (one) large clove garlic, pressed
• ¼ (one-quarter) small head red cabbage, coarsely shredded
• 10 (ten) raw Brussels sprouts, very thinly sliced
• 1/3 (one-third) cup blue cheese, crumbled
• 2 (two) tablespoons chopped green onion

method

• Mix together oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper and garlic.
  Beat or shake to blend well (dressing can be made ahead).
• Gently stir dressing into cabbage and Brussels sprouts just before serving, along with cheese and green onion.

dana’s tip

If you’re not a fan of blue cheese or cabbage but are willing to give Brussels sprouts a try, consider making this delicious shredded Brussels sprouts recipe which was featured in the LCBO “Food and Drink” magazine a number of years ago. Shredding the Brussels sprouts and cooking them for a short amount of time disguises them – not only in appearance but in taste (they aren’t nearly as strong in flavour as traditional steamed sprouts). I often substitute the pine nuts for whatever I have in my cupboard – think almonds, pecans or walnuts, and I leave out the bacon and nuts altogether if I want to save some calories. As will be the case in January!

shredded brussels sprouts with bacon and nuts
(serves 8)

ingredients

• 1½ lbs. (750 g) Brussels sprouts
• ¼ cup (50 mL) olive oil
• 6 slices prosciutto or pancetta or regular bacon, chopped
• ¾ cup (175 mL) pine nuts
• salt and freshly ground pepper

method

• Remove root end and core from Brussels sprouts, cut in half and thinly slice.
• Heat oil in skillet on medium-high heat. Add bacon. Sauté until beginning to crisp. Add sprouts and sauté for 3 minutes. Cover pan and cook 2 minutes longer or until sprouts are crisp-tender and bright green.
• Toss in pine nuts, sauté 1 minute and season with salt and pepper.

the perfect hostess gift - recipe: grand marnier pecan christmas cake

Sometime between Labour Day and Halloween, I start thinking seriously about what my hostess gift will be for the upcoming holiday season.

It has to be edible and it can’t take too much time to prepare, because this is by far the busiest season for me at the store. I have a ritual of sorts – I dig out my boxes (and boxes) of holiday cookbooks and magazines to see if I can drum up any new inspiration.

I dog ear several of the pages and always ask my husband David for his opinion. We’ve been together for 10 years so you think I’d know better than to ask him, because his response is always the same, “Sure, sounds good to me.” To which I reply something along the lines of: “But what do you think, do you like the idea?” To which he replies: “Sorry honey, I just can’t get too excited about this sort of stuff.”

Fair enough. Truth be told, a good part of the fun is the first step — looking through the various recipes and “dreaming” about what I might create and how I will present it. In all honesty, I’d say about half the time I’m successful in actually making the particular item, and the other half of the time, I end up giving gourmet gifts from my store.

Here’s a delicious fruitcake recipe that I plan on making this year (the key word being “plan”).

It’s rich and sinful but worth the calories. The recipe comes from my mother and it’s been years since she made it — which is giving me an extra push to make it because she is sure to receive one!

grand marnier pecan christmas cake

ingredients

• 1 lb. golden seedless raisins
• 1 lb. pecan pieces
• 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 lb. butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 6 eggs, separated
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon warm water
• 1/4 cup Grand Marnier

method

• Preheat oven to 250 F.
• Butter the inside of a 10-inch, 12-cup tube pan.
• Sprinkle liberally with flour and shake out excess. Combine raisins and pecans in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with all of the flour and salt. Toss with your hands until blended. Set aside.
• Place butter in the bowl of an electric stand mixer.
• Start beating and gradually add sugar. Cream mixture well and add the egg yolks one at a time, beating constantly.
• Blend the soda and water together and add it to the butter-egg mixture. Beat in the Grand Marnier. Pour this mixture into the nut mixture and blend together with your hands. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold them in with the hands. Continue folding until whites are not apparent.
• Spoon and scrape mixture into prepared pan smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake for two to 2 1/2 hours. Remove from pan shortly after it is baked.
• Wrap and store in the fridge at least 10 days. It also freezes well.

the best chocolate chip cookie recipe - recipe: kelly's chocolate chip cookies

"Kelly baking?” That’s what my little guy John asked me last weekend when I told him that we were going to visit our good friends Kelly and Marc, and their children Avery and Callum, for a Halloween party.

Even John, at just two-and-a-half, knows when to expect good eats.

David and I met Kelly just over a year ago, and it didn’t take long for us to realize that she’s an incredible and generous baker. In the short time that we’ve known her, she’s treated us to a heap of goodies.

We’ve been fortunate enough to sample many of her creations including her mouthwatering muffins, cupcakes, vanilla cake with cream cheese icing, lemon bars, and last but not least, her fantastic chocolate chip cookies.

Rest assured that this is not just any old chocolate chip cookie recipe. This is, by far, the best chocolate chip cookie that I’ve ever tried, hands down.

A few nights ago, Kelly dropped off a batch and a new Curious George video for John. She stopped by the shop today and I managed to work up the courage to ask her for the recipe (and permission to share it with all of you!).

I’m so pleased that Kelly said yes, as many wouldn’t dare to share an amazing “signature recipe” such as this one.

Trust me — add this cookie to your holiday baking repertoire or at the least, cut out the recipe for a rainy day in the future. These are amazing with a glass of milk or for a decadent treat, try them with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge sauce.

kelly’s chocolate chip cookies

makes 16 jumbo cookies or about 32 regular sized cookies

ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cooled, melted butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract 1 whole egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips Method Preheat the oven to 325F.

method

• Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
• Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon.
• Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about three inches apart.
• Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

an adult halloween treat - recipe: pumpkin gnocchi with walnut sage cream sauce

Although I'd never describe myself as a pack rat, I’ve noticed that I have a hard time parting with certain things: any “artwork” made by my son John, greeting cards, and, to nobody’s surprise, recipes.

I’ve collected an astonishing number of recipes over the years. I have about 15 binders, each sorted by course or theme (soups, salads, entrees, food as gift, Mediterranean and so forth), a file folder system for recipes from magazine clippings or the newspaper, a “sacred” recipe journal which is used only for family or cherished recipes, a box of recipes from the cooking classes that I’ve taught over the years, and a large bin for recipes that have yet to be filed.

And as I’m typing this I realize that I haven’t yet described my system for my food shop and catering recipes. Don’t worry, I won’t.

Every so often, I thumb through the various recipes for inspiration. I recently reviewed my “Fall/Halloween” binder (I’m not crazy, just organized, right?) and a couple recipes jumped out at me.

The first was “scary” Halloween spiders — these will be a fun snack for John to enjoy on Oct. 31. The second was pumpkin gnocchi with walnut cream sauce.

While at chef school at George Brown College, I took full advantage of their amazing magazine collection, and must have photocopied at least 300 recipes. This is one of those recipes, and I can’t believe that it’s taken me almost 10 years to make it because it sounds so delicious.

I’ve adapted the recipe, using a combination of pumpkin, russet and sweet potato, adding garlic, shallots and sage to the cream sauce and a touch of gorgonzola to finish.

Feel free to omit the gorgonzola if you don’t like blue cheese — but don’t tell me because then I will think you’re crazy.

This would be a great grown-up meal to enjoy on Oct. 31. Don’t be afraid if you’ve never made gnocchi before. Even though you’ve likely only ordered it in a restaurant, it’s not at all hard to make at home.

pumpkin gnocchi with walnut sage cream sauce
recipe adapted from Bon Appetit magazine

ingredients

• 1 10-ounce russet potato, to yield about 1 cup mashed russet
• 1 14-ounce sweet potato, to yield about 1 1/3 cups mashed sweet potato
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree from can or pumpkin
• 1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 -2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream (35 per cent)
• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and finely ground in cuisinart
• 3-4 tablespoons of fresh sage, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• finely grated parmesan
• cheese or gorgonzola to finish

method (for gnocchi)

• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.
• Cook sweet potato and russet potato in microwave until soft, about 8 minutes. Let cool slightly and remove and discard potato skins. Place peeled potatoes into a large bowl, add pumpkin. Mash with potato masher or wooden spoon until smooth. Add parmesan cheese, egg, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
• Add 1 1/2 cups of flour to the potato mixture, stirring with a spoon until incorporated. Knead dough, adding more flour as necessary, until mixture forms a smooth but slightly sticky dough.
• Note: I used 1 1/2 cups of flour in total, and used the remaining 1/2 cup for dusting.
• Cut dough in 6 pieces. Form one piece of dough into a 1/2 inch thick rope on a lightly floured surface.
• Cut rope into 1/2 inch pieces. Repeat with remaining 5 pieces of dough. Gently press fork tines into each piece of gnocchi to make ridges on one side (like the ridges on peanut butter cookies). Transfer gnocchi to baking sheets.
• Add one-third of gnocchi to a pasta pot of well salted boiling water and stir. Cook until they float to the surface, about 3-5 minutes. Remove gnocchi with a slotted spoon to transfer to a bowl or dish off the heat. Cook all gnocchi in the same manner.

method (for sauce)

• Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat until foamy.
• Add shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
• Add cream, cook for 3-4 minutes until frothy and slightly thickened. Add ground walnuts, sage and salt and pepper to taste.
• Add gnocchi to sauce and stir to combine. Divide amongst six plate, if serving as a main course, or eight if serving as a first course, and top with parmesan and/or gorgonzola cheese.

scary halloween spider snacks

ingredients

• peanut butter
• round crackers
• pretzel sticks
• chocolate chips or raisins

method

• spread some peanut butter onto a round cracker
• fan 4 pretzel rods on each side of cracker for the legs
• top with another round cracker
• spread a bit more peanut butter on the top cracker and use 2 chocolate chips or raisins for the eyes

a milk substitute for soup - dairy free creamy leak & potato soup - recipe: dairy free creamy leak & potato soup

Yes, you read the recipe’s title correctly. And yes, it is possible to make a delicious, creamy soup that is also dairy-free. Here’s the trick — cashew cream.

Have you heard of it? In a nutshell (pardon the pun) this “cream” is made by soaking raw cashews in water overnight, and then blitzing them in a food processor, blender or “vita-mix” until a thick, cream-like mixture is obtained.

Cashew cream is no stranger to vegans, who abstain from consuming all animal product. This miracle ingredient was made popular by the talented vegan chef, Tal Ronnen.

It is easy to change its consistency. If you want a thick cream, add less water; if you’d rather have a thin cream, add more. Thick cream is great in desserts, and as a substitute for cheese in ravioli and mac and cheese, while thin cream in perfect in soups and sauces.

Chef Ronnen refers to it as “the magic ingredient that makes it easy to live without dairy.” I’m surprised at the number of people that I’ve run into lately that either cannot eat dairy (allergies and intolerances, nursing mom’s whose babies react to it, vegans) or who are trying to avoid it (vegetarians who are trying to cut back on dairy, people who have suffered from heart attacks or other health issues and are watching their saturated animal fat intake).

And to those of you without these restrictions, cheers to a creamy, decadent, guilt-free soup!

Speaking of soup, please consider stopping by the shop this Friday, Oct. 15, from 10 a. m. to 6 p. m. for our second annual fall fundraiser. Dana Shortt Gourmet is located at 55 Erb St. E., in Uptown Waterloo (across the street from the “old” LCBO store).

This year, we are featuring a “soup sale” fundraiser to raise money for National Service Dogs (NSD). We’ll have a wide selection of soups, fresh baguettes and crackers on sale and 100 per cent of the profits from the items sold will go to NSD.

National Service Dogs is a local charity that is committed to enriching the quality of life and enhancing the independence of children and families living with autism and special needs by providing them with specially trained Labrador and golden retrievers.

The money raised this Friday at our fundraiser will be used to help a sweet little girl named Tessa.

For more information on National Service Dogs, visit www.nsd.on.ca

dairy free creamy leak & potato soup
serves six

ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large leeks, sliced (about 3 cups)
• 4 cloves of garlic, sliced 1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 cup celery, diced
• 8 cups vegetable stock (you could use chicken stock as well)
• 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 cup cashew cream, see recipe below

method

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
• Saute leeks, onions, garlic and celery until just golden brown, about eight to 10 minutes.
• Add potatoes and vegetable stock to the pot.
• Bring to a boil; then simmer until potatoes are soft and cooked (about 25 – 30 minutes).
• Add cashew cream, season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Puree soup in blender (or using a hand blender) until creamy and smooth.

Tal Ronnen’s cashew cream

• makes about 2 1/4 cups thick cream or 3 1/2 cups regular cream
  prep time: 10 minutes, plus soaking overnight.
  note: extra cashew cream freezes well.
• For more information on cashew cream, visit: http://www.talronnen.com/recipes/cashew-cream/

ingredients

• 2 cups of raw cashews (not cashew pieces, which are often dry), rinsed very well under cold water.

method

• Put the cashews in a bowl and add cold water to cover them. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.
• Drain the cashews and rinse under cold water. Place them in a blender with enough fresh cold water to cover them by one inch.
• Blend on high for several minutes until very smooth. If you’re not using a professional high-speed blender such as a Vita-Mix, which creates an ultra-smooth cream, strain the cashew cream through a fine-mesh sieve.
• To make thick cashew cream, which some of the recipes in this book call for, simply reduce the amount of water when they are placed in the blender, so that the water just slightly covers the cashews.

a tapenade tribute to zia - recipe: zia maria's olive tapenade

David and I recently received an invitation to his incredibly sweet, Zia (Aunt) Maria’s 75th birthday party. Unfortunately, the party was over a thousand kilometres away in Thunder Bay.

However, along with the invitation, Maria’s daughter, Gabriella, sent some great photos and a request that those who could not attend the celebration share a memory or two of Zia.

It will come as no surprise to the regular readers of my column that most of my memories involve food! Maria is an amazing cook — I’ve written about her before — and we definitely bonded over our love of the kitchen.

Maria has an “old-school” cold room. Growing up, our family’s cold cellar was mainly used for pop, beer, canned goods and perhaps a few jars of pickles or chili sauce that someone had made for us.

I think that my jaw literally dropped when I walked into Zia’s cold room for the first time. It was full of large jugs of homemade wine, vinegars, jams, preserved vegetables, fruit, tomato sauce, hanging prosciutto and the like. I was in heaven — in fact, no trip to Thunder Bay is complete without a walk through what I like to call the “food shrine”.

I have many special memories of Zia and our time together but there are two that stand out in my mind — the first is the day last summer, when she met John for the first time. We spent the day in her backyard.

She has the vegetable garden of my dreams! We watched John run around and stuff himself with her freshly harvested raspberries and peas.

The second memory goes back a few years, to when Zia and I spent the day in her kitchen together. We used her second kitchen, located in the basement of her house. Zia and I spent the day preserving jars of food.

We made a few different items, but the one that brought the biggest smile to my husband David’s face was Zia Maria’s famous olive tapenade. We can never leave Thunder Bay without at least one jar of it, and I was thrilled to have the recipe in my hands after our day together.

This tapenade is great on crackers, flatbread or a sandwich. One of David’s favourite snacks is a fried egg on a toasted sesame seed bagel (ideally from City Cafe) topped with this tapenade and a splash of hot sauce.

zia maria's olive tapenade

ingredients

• one 375-ml jar of pitted black olives
• one 375-ml jar of pitted green olives
• one 14-oz can of artichoke hearts in water, well drained
• one 375-ml jar of roasted red peppers, well drained
• 1/2 tin of anchovies in oil
  (use a couple tablespoons of anchovy paste if you're a bit leery)
• two or three cloves of garlic
• peeled fresh parsley, to taste (I use about half a cup)
• fresh basil, to taste (I use about half a cup)

method

• Add all ingredients into the bowl of a cusinart and mix/pulse to desired texture (pulse longer for a smooth texture, shorter for a chunky texture).
• This will keep for a few weeks in the fridge.
• Serve a la David on bagels, or spread onto baguette slices, top with some goat cheese or mozzarella and bake in a 350F oven until hot and cheese is melted. Also good on pasta — just add some olive oil to thin it out a bit.