Ingredients

• 2 tbsp (30 mL) butter
• 1 small leek, (white and light green parts only), thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) whipping cream 35%
• 1/3 cup (75 mL) milk
• 1/4 tsp (1 mL) each smoked paprika, and salt
• Pinch each cayenne pepper, and black pepper
• 1 steamed lobster, (450 g), shelled and chopped (about 1 cup meat)
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) shredded Gruyère cheese
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) lemon juice
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) dry sherry

Directions

1. In saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; cook leek and garlic, stirring, until leek is softened, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle in flour; cook, stirring constantly to prevent browning, for 2 minutes.
2. Whisk in cream, milk, paprika, salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper; bring to boil, whisking often. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking, until sauce is thick enough to coat back of spoon, about 4 minutes. Whisk in lobster, half of the Gruyère cheese, the lemon juice and sherry; cook, stirring often, until lobster is heated through.
3. Scrape into 2-cup (500 mL) baking dish; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Broil until golden and bubbly, about 4 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp (30 mL) coriander seeds
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) black peppercorns
• 2 tsp (10 mL) coarse salt
• 2 tsp (10 mL) dehydrated minced garlic

Directions

1. In dry skillet, toast coriander seeds and peppercorns over medium heat, shaking pan frequently, until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Let cool.
2. In spice mill or coffee grinder, coarsely grind together coriander seeds, peppercorns and salt. Transfer to small bowl; stir in garlic. (Make-ahead: Store in airtight container for up to 3 months.)

Rubs

Use 2 tbsp rub for every 4 servings boneless (1 lb/ 450 g) or bone-in (1-1/2 lb/ 675 g) meat or poultry, or fish (1 lb/450 g). Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes after rubbing. Or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before grilling.

Ingredients

• 3 lb (1.5 kg) chicken wings
• 2 tbsp (25 mL) each soy sauce and hoisin sauce
• 2 tbsp (25 mL) rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) five-spice powder
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) each salt and pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp (50 mL) liquid honey

Directions

1. Cut tips off chicken wings at joint and discard; cut wings at remaining joint.
2. In large glass bowl, mix together soy sauce, hoisin sauce, vinegar, five-spice powder, oil, salt, pepper and garlic; add wings and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.)
3. Place wings on greased grill rack or in grill basket over medium heat; close lid and grill, turning occasionally, until crisp and juices run clear when chicken is pierced, about 25 minutes. (Make-ahead: Let cool; cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Reheat on grill over medium heat.)
4. Brush all over with honey; grill, covered and turning once, for 3 minutes.

Tip: To bake instead of grill wings, bake on rack on foil-lined rimmed baking sheet in 400ºF (200ºC) oven, turning once, until juices run clear when chicken is pierced, about 35 minutes. Brush with honey; bake for 3 minutes longer.

Ingredients

• 3 lb (1.5 kg) chicken wings
• 1/4 cup (50 mL) Chili Spice Mix (see recipe below)
• Chili tomato sauce:
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup (50 mL) minced onion
• 3/4 cup (175 mL) ketchup or chili sauce
• 2 tbsp (25 mL) fancy molasses
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) cider vinegar
• 1 tsp (5 mL) each dry mustard and hot pepper sauce
• Pinch each cayenne pepper and chili powder

Directions

1. Straighten each chicken wing; push skewer through length from base to tip of wing. Place in large shallow glass dish; rub with Chili Spice Mix to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate, turning occasionally, for up to 24 hours.)
2. Chili Tomato Sauce: Meanwhile, in saucepan, heat vegetable oil over medium heat; cook onion, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until softened.
3. Add ketchup, molasses, cider vinegar, mustard, hot pepper sauce, cayenne pepper and chili powder; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until bubbly. Let sauce cool. (Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.)
4. Place wings on greased grill over medium heat; close lid and cook, turning once, for 10 minutes. Baste with sauce; cook, basting and turning occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until crisp and golden and juices run clear when chicken is pierced.

Chili Spice Mix

1. In small bowl, stir together 3 tbsp (50 mL) chili powder; 2 tbsp (25 mL) each paprika and packed brown sugar; 1 tbsp (15 mL) ground cumin; 1 tsp (5 mL) garlic powder; and 1/2 tsp (2 mL) each salt and pepper.

Ingredients

• 8 oz Potatoes, cut in even-size pieces
• 3/4 c Frozen green peas
• 2 tb Corn oil
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 ts Cumin seeds
• 1 Piece ginger root, peeled, grated (1/2”)
• 1/2 ts Turmeric
• 1/2 ts Garam Masala
• 1/2 ts Salt
• 2 ts Lemon juice
• 1 c All-purpose flour
• 2 tb Butter
• 2 tb Warm milk
• Vegetable oil for deep frying
• Lime twists (opt)
• Fresh celery leaves (opt)
• Mango Chutney

Directions

1. In a saucepan, boil potatoes in salted water 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain well, return to saucepan and shake over low heat a few moments or until dry. Mash well. Cook peas in boiling salted water 4 minutes. Drain well.
2. Heat oil in a skillet. Add onion, cumin seeds, ginger, turmeric, Garam Masala and salt. Cook gently 5 minutes. Add mashed potatoes and peas, then stir in lemon juice. Mix well, remove from heat and cool.
3. Sift flour into a bowl. Cut in butter finely until mixture resembles bread crumbs. Add milk and mix to form a stiff dough. Divide in 6 equal pieces.
4. Form each piece in a ball and roll each ball on a lightly floured surface to a 6″ circle. Cut each circle in half. Divide filling equally among semicircles of pastry.
5. Dampen edges of pastry, then fold over and seal to form triangles which enclose filling completely. Half fill a deep-fat fryer or saucepan with oil. Heat oil to 375'F. (190’C.) or until a 1/2″ cube of day-old bread browns in 40 seconds. Fry samosa in hot oil, a few at a time, 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Garnish with lime twists and celery leaves, if desired, and serve hot with Mango Chutney.
6. Makes 12 samosa.

Pastry Ingredients

• 3 c Flour
• 1/2 ts Salt
• 4 tb Melted butter
• 1/2 c Yogurt
• 1/4 c Water

Filling Ingredients

• 3 tb Butter
• 1 md Onion, finely chop chopped
• 1 Tart green apple, cored and finely chopped
• 1 Clove garlic, minced
• 2 ts Ground cumin
• 1 ts Turmeric
• 1/2 ts Coriander
• 1 1/2 ts Salt
• 1/8 ts Ground black pepper
• 1/4 ts Crushed dried red peppers
• 1 lb Potatoes, peeled, cooked and riced
• 1/2 c Fresh peas (or thawed frozen), cooked
• 3 To 4 tablespoons yogurt
• Vegetable oil

1. Pastry: Sift flour and salt into bowl. Stir in melted butter, then yogurt, then water. Stir together until blended. Dough will appear dry and lumpy. Roll dough on pastry board and cut into 2 to 3-inch circles. Filling: In a large frying pan, melt butter over moderate heat.
2. Add onion, apple and garlic and saute until just tender. Add the spices, the salt, and the black and red peppers, and sauté, stirring for 5 minutes. Stir in potatoes and peas. Adjust seasoning. Add yogurt. Chill.
3. Assembly: Place 1 tablespoon chilled filling on dough circle. Fold over to form a semicircle. Moisten edges with a little water and pinch to seal. Repeat rolling and filling.
4. Place 2 cups vegetable oil in large frying pan or wok and heat over high heat. Fry pastries 4 or 5 at a time, turning once, until they turn a deep golden brown. Drain on paper tow towels. Serve hot.
5. Makes 25 to 30 past pastries.

From the San Francisco Chronicle, 8/18/88.

A fabulous article on my friend Bryn Rawlyk and the Night Oven Bakery in The StarPhoenix

Bryn Rawlyk starts his day while the rest of the world is sleeping.

He arrives at the bakery by 3 a.m. to build a fire in the brick oven he painstakingly built over the course of seven months. While the fire is heating the oven to a toasty 900 degrees, he forms loaves and pastries for the day.

There’s a problem at the Night Oven Bakery this morning though, which he owns with his wife Beth Cote. After days of non-stop rain, the birch, delivered yesterday, is wet.

Loud indie rock plays in the background. It helps Rawlyk relax as he works to get the fire hot enough to bake the day’s four types of bread.

“Today might be a gong show,” he smiles wryly.

That’s just the way it can go with artisan bread. Everything from the weather to the way the loaves are shaped can affect the final product.

It’s a physically demanding job. Watching Rawlyk stoke the fire is enough to break out in a sweat.

“I like work. It’s engaging,” he says. “We’re not a wholesale bakery. We’re looking to connect customers with the process of bread. Part of that is the baker being engaged.”

A gauge beside the oven’s door tells Rawlyk each section’s temperature. He then moves the fire around to get a uniform heat. When the oven is ready, the top of the nine-foot dome turns white.

“You can’t just throw bread in and take it out. You have to do it in a spiral pattern when you’re loading the bread,” explains Rawlyk.

The process begins with the grain delivered by farmers to the Night Oven’s back door. Ancient heritage Red Fife wheat comes from Marc Loiselle, an organic farmer near Vonda.

Rawlyk is almost finished building a large stone mill for the wheat. For now, a smaller mill is used for the wheat and other grains (rye, barley, spelt, kamut).

The dough is fermented at least 12 hours, before Rawlyk hand shapes each loaf. He sticks to the most basic ingredients in his artisan bread.

“That’s my interpretation — if you’re not using things to condition the dough and you’re not using things to speed up the process — the bread comes out as the flour, water, salt and the environment will determine,” he explains.

In a society where goods are expected around the clock, artisan bread’s unpredictability puts some off. It’s a one-man show at the Night Oven. Rawlyk will hire help in the future so the bread will be ready when the doors open at 7:30 a.m. For now though, it’s just him.

“People get really angry when I don’t have bread on time,” he says with a chuckle.

But then there are the majority, who appreciate what he’s doing and are willing to wait until 9 a.m. for the first loaf.

Best bakery in Saskatoon.  If you haven’t visited, you are missing out.

I discovered this recipe at The Burger Barn in Strasbourg, Saskatchewan and it has since become a favourite every time we pass through.

Ingredients

• 8 -10 ounces whole white mushrooms
• 3/4 cup flour
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

Directions

1. Heat the oil in the deep fryer to 375 degrees.
2. Wash the mushrooms and remove most of the stem.
3. Pat mushrooms dry with a paper towel.
4. Coat mushrooms with flour, lightly tap to remove excess flour.
5. Dip in eggs.
6. Coat with bread crumbs.
7. Set on a rack for a few minutes, so batter sets/dries.
8. Deep fry mushrooms in batches for approximately 3- 4 minutes or until golden brown.
9. Drain on paper towels and serve.

Ingredients

• Oil
• 1 Envelope Onion Soup Mix
• 1 Cup Unbleached All-purpose Flour
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1/2 Cup beer
• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
• Use any of the following to equal 4 to 5 cups—broccoli florets, cauliflower’s, sliced mushrooms, sliced zucchini or chilled spears of mozzarella cheese.

Directions

1. In deep fat fryer, heat oil to 375 degrees F. Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat golden onion recipe soup mix, flour, baking powder, eggs, mustard and beer until smooth and well blended. Let batter stand 10 minutes.
2. Dip vegetables into bater, then carefully drop into hot oil.
3. Fry, turning once, until golden brown; drain on paper towels. Serve warm.
4. Makes about 4 cups 

Ingredients

• 1 bag tortilla chips
• 1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
• 1 lb ground beef, browned and drained on paper towels (optional)
• 1/2 lb chorizo sausage, browned and drained on paper towels (optional)
• 1 cup cooked chicken (optional)
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 3 tablespoons taco sauce
• 1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 sliced ripe olives
• 1/4 cup scallion
• 1/2 cup shredded lettuce
• 1 can jalapeno, sliced (to your taste)
• 1/2 cup guacamole
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup salsa (spicy)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine refried beans,browned beef, chorizo, chicken,tomato sauce, and taco sauce set aside.
3. Layer chips out on a oven safe pan (I use a cookie sheet),Layer meat mixture on chips.
4. Layer on cheeses, olives and green onions.
5. Heat till cheese is melted.
6. Then top with remaining ingredients and serve.

From Time Magazine

With the sale of Red Lobster, Darden Restaurants said its remaining restaurant chains, including Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse and a growing roster of upscale brands, could now focus on reeling in their “core customers.” Darden CEO Clarence Otis Jr. offered a clue as to who those core customers might be. Hint: they’re “more financially secure.”

“At Olive Garden,” he explained during a recent investor call, “we had 11% more visits last year, fiscal 2013, from guests with household income over $100,000 than we did five years earlier.” And that was small potatoes compared with LongHorn Steakhouse, which wrangled 50% growth out of the same income bracket.

“In contrast,” Otis said, “Red Lobster traffic from this income demographic was flat.”

Ingredients

• 1 pk Pizza crust mix (or make your own)
• 3/4 c Crab meat
• 3/4 c Tiny shrimp
• 1/2 c Crushed pineapple
• 5 Mushrooms -- sliced
• 4 1/4 oz Canned sliced black olives
• 1/4 c Diced green pepper
• 1 c Mozzarella cheese, grated
• 1 c White cheddar cheese grated

Directions

1. Spread pizza dough on to a pizza pan. Top with crab, shrimp, pineapple, mushrooms, olives, green pepper, mozzarella and cheddar cheese. 
2. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes.