Canadian French Fries Hold The Ketchup!

My parents and I spent anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks a year in Canada for the first 15 years of my life. We formed many friendships while there and got to experience a wide range of food from many different provinces. While visiting areas of Quebec we noticed that everywhere we went they served an item called; "Poutine", it is a very popular snack food there. Poutine is actually a plate of French fries but don't go reaching for the ketchup, these fries are served with cheese curds and hot gravy. May not sound good, it doesn't actually look good but boy it sure tastes good and that's what matters most. The only downfall that I have found making them in the states is the cheese curds I have to use. In Canada they are known for their fresh cheese curd, which are very buttery and salty. Here I rely on the packaged brands in the dairy case which are fine just a bit bland in comparison. The curd actually adds that saltiness we like with our fries, I haven't tried this yet but I was thinking that feta cheese might also work well with this given that it too is quite salty.

Poutine

1 portion of crinkle-cut French fries (any brand)

1 cup heated chicken or beef gravy

1 small bag of curd cheese

Bake or deep fry French fries as indicated on the package.
Spread out evenly on a plate and add curd cheese (as much as desired). Once gravy is steaming hot, pour over cheese and French fries.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Photo/JoeShablotnik/Flickr

Let's Do The Twist

There is something so comforting about the smell of warm yeasty dough proofing in the kitchen. I remember when kneading dough was our daily way of muscle building. You did not need free weights back then, just a good deal of elbow grease and the pleasure derived from making something from scratch to serve to family and friends. This is a recipe the kids will have fun rolling up their sleeves for; let them twist their pretzels into whatever shapes that they like. They will still taste wonderful no matter what the shape and there will be plenty of smiles to go around for such a special time shared.


Soft Pretzels

1 pkg. dry yeast
1 1/4 c. warm water
2 tsp. salt
4-5 c. unsifted white flour
Approx. 1 tbsp. soft butter
4 tsp. baking soda
kosher salt

Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. When foamy add rest of water. Mix 4 cups flour and salt in large bowl. Add dissolved yeast. Add enough flour to make a stiff dough. Knead 10 minutes or until dough feels elastic. Knead dough into a ball, place in a bowl and spread with butter. Cover with a dish towel. Let rise in warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. Pinch off small ball of dough and roll between your hands to form a coil 20 inches long and 1/4 inch in diameter.
Form into a pretzel, wetting ends and pinching them together firmly. Form rest of dough the same way. Put baking soda in 4 cups of water in a pot and bring to a boil. Drop one pretzel at a time into boiling water and let boil 1 minute or until it floats. Remove and drain. Place drained pretzels on greased cookie sheet. Spread with coarse salt. Bake at 475 degrees for about 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Food For The Fussy and Not so Fussy

When dealing with a fussy eater it is always a pleasure when you hit on something that they truly enjoy. It only ceases to be a pleasure when that is all they request to eat every day for a week. Luckily the rest of us liked this recipe as well because I ended up making it three days in a row. Even though this makes a good size batch and reheats well for leftovers, we are hard pressed to ever have any leftovers since everyone seems to go for seconds and sometimes thirds. So I can say with some certainty that this is a dish that your family will truly enjoy.

Easy Chicken and Dumplings

8 boneless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1 small can of chicken broth

1 can of chicken gravy
1 cup of canned or frozen peas
Carrots, optional

Dumplings (recipe below)

Cut chicken into small pieces and combine with rest of ingredients in a saucepan. Heat to boiling point; turn down heat and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add dumplings and cook as recipe directs.

DUMPLINGS:

2 c. Bisquick

2/3 c. milk (fresh or canned)

2 Tablespoons of melted butter

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Drop by spoonfuls on boiling chicken mixture. Cook 10 minutes uncovered and 10 minutes covered.

Makes 10 to 12 dumplings.

I like to serve mine over mashed potatoes, talk about the ultimate comfort food!

Panko Shrimp Is A Sure Bet!

Family and friends threw me a surprise birthday bash yesterday at a nearby gaming and casino establishment for a day of fun. Before the actual gambling commenced we enjoyed a leisurely early dinner at their vineyard buffet. As with all buffets the selection was overwhelming. While all of us enjoyed most everything that we tried one dish stuck out as the agreeable favorite, their panko crumb fried shrimp. It was delicious, my grandmother could not stop talking about them and actually had seconds. The Japanese panko crumbs make all the difference in this recipe. The crumbs create the perfect crispness which gives a great textural contrast to the tenderness of the shrimp.

Panko Fried Shrimp

Fresh large or jumbo shrimp

2 eggs, beaten

Panko Crumbs

Cooking oil

salt

Peel, de-head, de-vein and wash the shrimp in cold water. Lightly salt them. Put well stirred eggs into a bowl. Dip the shrimp in the eggs. Drain the excess egg off for a few seconds and place them in Panko crumbs. Make sure they are well covered with the meal.
For best results refrigerate the battered shrimp for about an hour.
Deep fry at 350 degrees until they rise to the top, 1-1/2 - 3 minutes or until golden brown.

Photo/palebear/flickr

Why Fondon't When You Can Fondue!

Good Living is an act of intelligence,by which we choose things which have an agreeable taste rather than those which do not.

Brillat-Savarin


Everything I eat should contain either garlic or chocolate, but rarely both...... although the thought of garlic dipped in dark chocolate is beginning to peak my creative taste buds as I write this. I may just have to give it a try, in all honesty just how bad could it be.

There is a funny quote that says;" Forget love-- I'd rather fall in chocolate"!!! But I say;" Remember love....and fall in the chocolate together"! Whether you skinny dip, chunky dunk or slowly wade in the chocolate pool just enjoy your time together, happy valentine's day.

Dark Chocolate Plunge

8 ounces of really good unsweetened dark chocolate (if you choose to use an already sweetened variety of chocolate just omit the sugar in this recipe).
1 c. light cream

1 c. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Combine chocolate and cream in medium saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Add sugar and continue cooking until slightly thickened. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Pour into fondue pot or chafing dish. Serve warm with fondue dippers.

FONDUE DIPPERS:
In advance, prepare: angel food cake, strawberries, pineapple chunks, banana slices, marshmallows, biscotti, pretzels, potato chips.....the list is endless.

This Salad Is Just Right!

We are now two thirds of the way into our winter, longing ever more impatiently for the arrival of spring and its promise of warmer days ahead. We are all so desperate to warm and sooth our now freezing souls that we crave all of our foods to be warm.....even our salads! Well if you think about it, isn't it counter productive to have a nice hot bowl of soup accompanied by an ice cold salad? Well it sure is if it is 6 degrees outside and your bones feel like icicles.
This is a very traditional version of a wilted spinach salad, use this as your foundation to add your own personal touches such as;" hard boiled eggs, mushrooms, artichokes" whatever warms your heart.

Wilted Spinach Salad

1 lb. raw spinach
1 med. red onion, thinly sliced
8 slices bacon
1/3 c. cider vinegar
1 tbsp. (dry) prepared mustard
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. pepper

To 1 lb. well washed and dried raw spinach, (broken up and larger stems removed) add 1 medium onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings, cover and chill in refrigerator.
For dressing: cut up 8 slices bacon into bite size pieces and sauté until crisp. Add remaining ingredients and heat the dressing until it is bubbling. Just before serving, pour hot dressing over salad tossing gently to wilt greens.

Ryner12/flickr

Little Pasta, Big Meal

As with many Italian American children I often enjoyed pasta for breakfast. The breakfast consisted of Pastina (little Pasta), butter, sugar and an egg stirred in. It had to be one of my favorite breakfast treats growing up. Over the years I still use Pastina mainly in soups but here is a recipe that can be used as a comforting dinner or altered a little to become a delicious breakfast that any child or adult would greatly enjoy.



Pastina with Egg and Cheese

1/2 cup Pastina (any brand of tiny soup pasta)
2 eggs
1 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Boil water and cook pastina according to directions. Drain and add butter. Beat eggs and pour in. Slowly cook over low heat to cook egg add cheese, stir and serve warm (Can also use egg substitute) makes a great dinner dish.
For breakfast, omit cheese and add milk, may use sugar if you would like to add a little sweetness to your day.

Photo/kendiala/flickr