Cooking with Fire

So, the other night was my bookclub meeting and we all bring a dish inspired by the book of the month. As I mentioned in an earlier post, this month's pick was Tess of the D'Urbervilles, of which I read the first chapter. But man, that was a good first chapter. It's not that Tess isn't a page turner, it's just that um, I didn't get around to turning the pages. (Hello -- The Bachelor, The City, Criss Angel. There`s never enough time, is there...). So unfortunately, in the first 10 pages, they didn't eat anything, so I wasn't sure what to make.

At the same time, I discovered that my good friend Ryan, co-writer of Entertaining with Booze, which I contested-off at the holidays, had started a blog! And in the blog, he had an excellent post on how to pass off carton soup as your own! My kind of cooking! So I asked him if he had a quick cheat for my bookclub and he posted this recipe for Yorkshire Puddings, which couldn't have been more perfect since Tess is set in England. So I'm sure, somewhere between page 200 and 800 she probably ate a Yorkshire Pudding.

And Ryan swore this not-from-scratch recipe would take me less than 20 minutes. Though, to be honest, I was stil a bit intimidated by it, but I wanted to give it a go. Except, the Rabba did not have Yorkshire Puddings and that's the whole easy-way-out of this recipe, so I had two choices: venture to another grocery store, or not make the recipe. So because it was the day before my "fruit-and-flower"-themed anniversary with my husband and I wanted to also make him turnovers, one of his favourite snacks, as part of his present, but it was something that I'd never attempted before PLUS the dish for book club and I only had 1 hour, I had to sadly forgo the Yorkshire Puddings, but I'm planning to make them when I host because then I can serve them warm. So then the only task will be choosing a Brit-based book. Any suggestions?

So instead, I made this Potato Salad with Haricots Verts, Roquefort and Walnuts, which was SO easy, and really, surely Tess ate a potato during the book, even if she didn't have Roquefort with it.





The only real dilemma was the Mustard Vinaigrette, for which there was no recipe, I'm guessing because you're just supposed to know how to make Mustard Vinaigrette. Oops. And I had to ask the Hubs if haricots verts were really just a snooty way of saying green beans, to which he replied, "In your case, yes." Translation: "You're not going to find haricots verts at the Rabba, so buy some green beans."


Anyway, then I made these fruit turnovers, which were SO easy to make.




In addition to apple, I made cherry and blueberry too (which is TOTALLY cheating because instead of making them from scratch you just use canned pie filling!). But, they're totally gratifying to make because they seriously take 5 minutes of prep and then 20 minutes to bake and they're all golden and gorgeous. I made an icing for the top, too, which looked even prettier. And then I left for bookclub and the Hubs ate the turnovers for his dinner, which was a sign they were a success.


So, all in all, not Yorkshire Puddings, but they did just fine.

Holiday Giveaway!!

So the holiday bake shop is closed this year, because I am on a writing deadline (more on that in the new year!) and, as though reading my little Betty Crocker mind, my agent called the other day to say that she had not received my box of holiday baked goods yet, and that, if I had not baked them I should take off my oven mitts and return to my pink laptop.

So here I am, not baking, while visions of gingerbread men dance through my head. It is sad, because I love to bake, and I got the most adorable Martha Stewart boxes to give away my Christmas cookies...

Seriously. Could these be any cuter?

... but I will not be using them, because I have to learn that I cannot do it all and do it well. So there will be no gingerbread men running around my house. 

But perhaps YOU are not on a writing deadline and are looking for some inspiring new recipes to try out over the holidays! If so, then here's your chance to win a copy of my friend Ryan Jennings and his partner-in-the-kitchen David Steele's latest book, Entertaining with Booze.

Designer Drinks, Fabulous Food and Inspired Ideas for your Next Party

It's the followup to Cooking With Booze, which came out a couple of years ago and which I gave to everyone I knew because it's the perfect hostess, birthday or holiday gift. But now, I'm obsessed with Entertaining with Booze, because it's not just a book full o' recipes. Oh no. It's PARTY-THEMED!! That's right. Ryan and David have devised 31 soiree ideas–from the Spread The Cheese Party (my personal fave) to the It's All About Me evening–complete with menu and signature cocktail recipes. 

Want to win your very own copy so you can start planning your puppy's first birthday bash? 

I'm giving you a chance to win your very own copy, which Ryan and David will personally dedicate to you, your grandma or your pet turtle. 

I'll be giving away TWO copies of the book. For your first chance to win, send me an email to chantel (at) chantelsimmons.com or leave a message in the comments. For your second chance, head over to my new website, iheartintoronto.com for a sneak peek at Ryan's favourite recipe. Leave a comment, and you'll get another chance to win!

Happy Cocktail-Making!

Gobble, gobble...

It's almost US Thanksgiving and you know what that means...

Run for your lives, turkeys!

This is why you should travel to another country on your own country's holidays. That way you can save the Holiday Animal!

On Canadian Thanksgiving, I tried to do my part by going to Cape Cod. Because it was not American Thanksgiving, there were no turkeys on menus. Instead, we ate more lobsters than I can count. Okay, I'll count anyway...

First: The lobsters in their swimming pool. Swim Lobsters, Swim!

Sadly, they all didn't get away. And thus, they became...

Lobster ravioli.

Lobster Panini.

Whole lobster with lemon and butter.

Stuffed Lobster.

Lobster Newburg.

Lobster Roll.

Actually, I feel a little bit sad about all the lobsters that died on my trip. But, at least I saved the turkeys! In fact, the turkeys were not worried at all. As we were driving back from the Cape in the dark, my friend suddenly screamed and slammed on the breaks.

I thought for sure she'd just seen an axe murderer and we were all going to die. But instead, on the road was a gaggle (a goggle? a herd? a pack?) of turkeys! Look hard... it's dark out.

Turkey crossing.

Eventually, the turkeys moved to the other side of the road, but it just goes to show how peaceful all the animals are when they know they're not about to be eaten. I mean, you wouldn't see this many turkeys flitting about the day before Canadian Thanksgiving in Canada, would you?

So this weekend, if you are American, I strongly encourage you to flee your country and save the turkeys! Eat chickens! Eat pigs! Eat lobsters!

This weekend, we're kidnapping my American sister-in-law and brother-in-law and bringing them to Quebec for the weekend. Where we will eat frogs' legs, escargot and poutine. Save the turkeys!

Is Strata so Seventies?

My stepmom came over for brunch yesterday for Mother's Day. My favourite brunch item is quiche, but I've been making it a lot lately so I decided to mix it up by making this Strata.

When I told one of my girlfriends, she laughed.

"It's really not that different, is it?" I confirmed with worry.

"It's like crustless quiche."

For me, the best thing about quiche is the filling. The pastry's really just a vehicle to hold it all together, isn't it? So what's so bad about crustless quiche?

Of course, my one error (okay I admit it, the first of two) was that the recipe called for "day-old" bread. But if you don't have bread, what do you do? All bread at the grocery store is at least a day old, but it's meant to last until the due date so is it really as "day-old" as it needs to be? I finally settled on a French loaf that felt slightly crustier than I otherwise would've been happy with if I'd wanted baked-fresh-today bread. I figured it would have to do. The other mistake was that even though I'd written down that I had to buy cream, I forgot, so I had to improvise with skim milk I had in the fridge. But that just made it healthy, right?

It turned out just fine (how can a casserole NOT turn out, really? It's not like it has any sort of shape to start with, but whawtever). I loved it (what's not to love about bread and cheese melted together?) and took about 10 minutes to make. AND you can make it the day before and just cook it right before you want to serve it. So why does anyone make quiche instead of strata?

And then it dawned on me.

IS STRATA SO SEVENTIES????

Am I stuck in the wrong era without the right waistline on my apron?

I can't recall the last time Rachel or Martha or Nigella made strata.

Thankfully, I was making it for my stepmom and dad, who are always so appreciative (or rather, shocked) when I manage to cook something that's edible. They LOVED it. Although they did refer to it as Frittata not Strata, which really IS a crustless quiche (without the crusty bread cubes). I wasn't sure if they were trying to make me feel like I hadn't made a Seventies Strata or if they believed it was a Frittata and I KNOW Frittata's still relatively in this decade. Either way I went along with it and pretended it was even healthier without the added carbs that were actually inside.

What's your take on strata? And what did you do for Mother's Day?

Aunt Jemima by any other name...

This weekend I made apple butter in my brand new crock pot. I really can't understand why Chantal (this is the person I blame for  non-sensical, evil or stupid actions) never wanted a crock pot before now. Also, is it more cool-ical to call it a crock pot or a slow cooker? I'm  not sure. I'm asking. Please tell me. Because really, the last thing I want to do is sound like I'm 82 when what I'm trying to pretend is that I do not have to be an organized housewife en apron to use a crock pot/slow cooker and can in fact wear stilettos and sip white wine (not a spritzer) while having a crafternoon in the kitchen. But calling it by the uncool name really just ruins that all, doesn't it? At the Mexicalarosa wedding, I went to a hen party. A what? I know. Apparently a hen party is to the senior set what a bachelorette party is to those under 40. My question is this: are we the hens or is the bride? 

Anyway, I think I'll call it a crock cooker. So I made apple butter. Just call me Aunt Jemima. Did Aunt Jemima make apple butter, or was she strictly a maple syrup kind of gal? Surely she couldn't make syrup every day of the year. Maybe she had a food porn show on the side. I asked one of my friends, who confirmed that's likely true. Maybe she was the Nigella of her day. I am not the Nigella of my kitchen, but the apple butter did turn out, though it only made 3 jars, which seems like a lot of work for such a little amount, but maybe that makes it more special, like a diamond. The recipe said it would take about 10 hours. It took me about 20. I like to think it was a labour of love. Maybe I'm just a slow cooker. 

Shawat's Happening with Shawarma...

I know you've been wondering...what's going on in Shawarma-land. Well I'll tell you. 

A. Lot. 

First, remember this place?

Well, it went out of business.

Now, remember this place?

It went out of business too. (Apparently people don't want to have to choose between shawarma and pizza once they get to the restaurant. It's like, they're at home watching The Two Coreys* and they think, hmmm, what do I want to eat? Shawarma or pizza? Then they decide, shawarma. They head out. They think the decision is done. They're happy with the decision. Then, they get to the shawarma place and they see the sign: Shawarma or pizza? And then they get very very mad because they have already made their decision and now it's being thrown back in their faces.) 

Then there's this place.




Not only did it go out of business, but so did the entire block. I was walking by and I saw the dollar store (that really isn't a dollar store because it sells suitcases and other random items like used phones with paint on them that don't work for more than a dollar) was closed. Then the Popeye's was closed. The Felix and Norton cookie shop. The Fast Money Cash Now Before You Get Your Paycheque place. When I saw the Harvey's was also closed though, I knew something was up. Which is when I realized a condo was going in. But then I read the sign on the Falafel House door that said they'd moved RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET. I turned around and voila!

I saw this place.



This was the one that I thought was totally lying about being the original Falafel House when it mysteriously popped up last fall. Turns out it's the same place.

Which wasn't the case for Red & White Shawarma House.



Turns out there were two shawarma places with the name Red & White within a block. With very different signs. And, apparently, very different owners, because one day when we went back to the above Red & White, the sign no longer said "Red & White."

Instead, it said "& Ite".

The owner had painted over the letters "Red" and "Wh" with white paint. I would've taken a picture to show you, but I didn't get the chance, because a few weeks ago, he painted over the rest of the sign and told us he wasn't really in love with the name "& Ite" after all.

So for now, it's the very tasty nameless shawarma shop.

See...? I told you there were a lot of changes going down. But there's a reason: A few weeks ago, the Rabba launched a shawarma bar INSIDE THE STORE.

That's right. Fresh shawarmas AND fresh-made fries while you wait. Plus a chocolate bar and can of pop. All for SIX NINETY FIVE.

$6.95? It's like the price of a latte. And it's the best shawarma in the city right now.  

Which could prove to be more trouble for the remaining shawarma houses. Unless, they start serving this...


People may not want to choose between pizza and shawarma, but if you put them together...

* I just want to say, what is happening to our world when The Two Coreys is airing on A&E??

I am making banana cream pie...

I'm not sure if banana cream pie is a summery dessert or what, but I am making it in the middle of winter anyway. It's sunny and cheery yellow and also full of carbs, so it seems perfect for winter.

The trouble with banana cream pie is that a few months ago I tasted one that a friend made and it was amazing but she's a real foodie and as we were devouring it, she told us that it took like 12 hours to make. I couldn't really comprehend this. Twelve hours? Surely she was exaggerating. But it seemed really worth it, so when I was thinking of a dessert to make for our dinner guests this Friday, I thought why not banana cream pie? Which would be fine if I'd ever only had cheap banana cream pie, but because I tasted the most amazing 12-hour dream cream pie, I cannot settle for the alternative. Also the Hubs tasted it, so anything I make will be in comparison to that pie and he will not understand that I didn't want to spend 12 hours making the pie.

But when I started looking for recipes, they all seemed way too easy. Prep times of 15 minutes. And then I realized why: they all used Jell-O vanilla or banana pudding and Cool Whip. All of which I'm pretty sure are not "from scratch" ingredients and aren't going to taste like it either. But I couldn't find a recipe that didn't call for premade pudding or Cool Whip topping. Wasn't there a happy medium between 15 minutes and 12 hours? And then I found Emeril's recipe.

His banana cream pie is famous, and he's been serving it in his restaurant for years. The recipe looks easy enough until in every section you realize that you have to skip down to the bottom to make the recipe for that part. Like:

Fill the graham cracker crumb crust* with pastry cream* then top with whipped cream* and drizzle with caramel sauce* and chocolate sauce* and top with chocolate shavings.

* Each of the asterisks then point to another recipe for these steps.

And every step takes like 4 hours. Because first you make the crust and then you cook it. And then you make the pastry cream (which I discovered is custard but I think Americans don't call it custard because custard to them is ice cream. It's all very confusing).

More confusing are the parts Emeril just assumes I will understand. Such as "Cook out the cornstarch until the mixture thickens."

Thickens to what? How thick is thick?

And I was supposed to use a vanilla bean, which seems easy but where exactly does one buy a vanilla bean? So I just added extra pure vanilla extract, which is really not the answer, but it will have to do.

And it called for Heavy Cream. Do you know there's no such thing as Heavy Cream in the dairy section of the Rabba? There's table cream and whipping cream and half and half cream. I opted for table cream though I think I should've gotten whipping cream because I guess I'm supposed to use the leftover cream for the topping so now I'll have to buy whipping cream anyway because you can't whip table cream can you? Why didn't it just say Whipping Cream?

The recipe is rated Expert. At first I was like "It's not that hard," but I'm guessing a general understanding of the above terms might be why it's rated Expert. Like, maybe I'm supposed to not only know that pastry cream is custard but that Heavy Cream is Whipping Cream. So really it's just a test of my American baking terminology.

So far I've made the crust and the custard. I was supposed to put the custard through a fine mesh, but the only thing close to mesh I own is a J.Lo bra and a bee-zapper and I was pretty sure neither of those are going to work, so I skipped that step and have now whispered sweet nothings and wrapped the custard and put it in the fridge and am waiting another four hours in the hopes that it does something magical, though I'm not sure what.

The one recipe it didn't provide was chocolate shavings, so I assume I don't have to make the chocolate, but I'm not sure: can you buy chocolate shavings or are you supposed to buy a piece of chocolate and shave it yourself? I'm assuming the latter, but what kind of chocolate? Milk or semi-sweet? Surely not a Jersey Milk or a Wunderbar.

As for the caramel and chocolate sauces, I'm no fool. I'm going to Pusateri's tomorrow to buy both.

Sometimes 90210 doesn't know EVERYTHING...

I know, it's totally hard to believe that Brandon and Kelly and especially Donna don't know everything, but here's proof: Yesterday, Mariah* was on Ellen and they were talking turkey and Ellen said that Portia was going to learn how to make a turkey and Mariah said that she's afraid to learn how to cook a turkey because one of her friends wanted to cook a turkey and was watching a rerun of 90210 where they cooked a turkey and they didn't take the bag of gunk out fron inside** and so neither did Mariah's friend...



Oh those crazy Walsh kids. Also, was this the episode where Kelly was totally mad at Dylan because he wanted to go to the Walshes for Thanksgiving and she totally did not and they got in a fight and Brenda suddenly turned into Brendy-two-shoes and was all like, "I'll have more potatoes. Thanks!" I can't remember who cooked the turkey that time.

*How fabulous is Mariah? She was wearing the shortest, skintightiest dress ever and she was taking the tiniest steps ever (so her skintightiest dress wouldn't ride up, duh). I think it may be time for a Glitter movie weekend.

**If you take the gunk*** out and you have a cat, you have to immediately throw it in the garbage and seal it or your cat will try to eat it. Which is totally disgusting.

***The gunk is actually the giblets, gizzard, neck, heart and liver. Or some variation. Double disgusting.

Gobble gobble.

Ladies who lunch...

I thought I hated couscous salad.

When I was a mini-chantel, my mom went through a couscous phase (which followed a tabbouleh phase). It put me off both for years. But this summer it seems like every magazine I read has a recipe for Couscous Salad, and they all look so tasty that I wondered whether I should try it again.

In the midst of considering this, I went to do a TV interview for my book. While sitting in the green room, I met this super funny, smart and savvy chef, caterer and spokesperson for Dominion named Jenna Wilson. So I asked her if Couscous Salad was making a comeback. She told me it was, because it's such an easy salad for summer BBBQs and get togethers. Easy? Maybe easy for her -- a trained chef -- but for me? Not likely. I didn't want to believe her but she seemed so genuine and knowledgeable and inspiring that when I got home from the interview I decided to attempt the salad. The result? It was one of the easiest salads I've ever made and it was so tasty that I ate it for three days straight! Plus, you don't actually need a recipe. You can just add whatever ingredients you like. Note: I also realized that it wasn't the couscous I disliked, but the parsley and coriander that is usually in it (which is also in tabbouleh and which I omitted from my recipe). It only took me 15 years to figure it out.

Then, the day after I made the couscous, I received an email from Jenna, offering to cater a lunch for me and my coworkers! I had made a lunch date with a girlfriend and freelancer for Friday afternoon, so instead of meeting at our usual - Spring Rolls - we took Jenna up on her offer and had a catered lunch on my patio in the sun.

On the morning of the lunch date, the meal arrived by delivery, perfectly presented on white square plates, wrapped, with condiments, so that all I had to do was pour the cocktails, set out the silverware and sit back. Jenna even included adorable menus on her letterhead so we could follow along with the meal. Here's what she served up:

Baby Arugula/Toasted Walnuts/Port Poached Apples/Walnut Vinaigrette...




Seared Rainbow Trout with Peruvian Blue Potatoes (so cute!)
Ontario Asparagus, Oven Roasted Grape Tomato and Roasted Fennel Slaw...





Fresh fruit platter with cherries, blueberries, raspeberries, strawberries and melon...





Everything was so pretty yet so flavourful that we just felt like we were living someone else's life -- like, say, the life of a woman who doesn't have to work and gets to eat a three-course meal for lunch that includes blue potatoes! The best part of all, though, was that it was so relaxed and that I didn't have to spend hours in the kitchen cooking. (And, that when we were finished, I slipped the dirty dishes in the dishwasher then left them with my concierge the following day and Jenna's driver picked them up!).

If you're thinking, "But I LIKE to cook..." (I can't really relate)... Jenna's got you covered: in addition to catering, she teaches super fun all-girls cooking classes out of her studio. The next one is on July 21 at 2 pm and the theme is Outdoor Eats (aka Picnics). And yes, there will be cocktails while you're cooking!

To get on Jenna's mailing list for more course updates and catering options, email her at the_jennalicious@hotmail.com.