Lex Culinaria

Happy Birthday to Me!

My stellar husband, Cakes, has bought me the best best best present ever. AND it`s Lavender!

The Feed-Your-Soul challenge!!!!

I am extremely lucky to be a person who loves good food and can afford to eat pretty much whatever I want and who has the luxury of sharing plenty of good meals with friends and family. The food nourishes the body, and the communion with loved ones nourishes the soul.

Food is really one of life's great pleasures. The gift of sharing it with friends is too. In many cultures, the way generations of mothers and grandmothers and great grandmothers have demonstrated their deep and abiding love for their husbands and children is through the meals they prepare every day.

It breaks my heart to know that there are some in our community who do not know where their next meal is coming from or when it might occur. These people are our brothers and sisters and our neighbours. It might be the person who delivers packages to your office or who smiles at your child on the street that goes without a meal tonight. It might be that person struggling with an addiction problem or mental health issue that also struggles to keep themselves fed on a regular basis.

A few weeks back I attended the annual Mac & Cheese Luncheon, an extremely popular annual charity fundraiser for the Inner City Agencies Foundation that provide  a broad range of support services for those same people. The luncheon served each year, macaroni and cheese, is a reminder that the people served by the inner city agencies often have little to eat - generic macaroni and cheese is a staple of their diet. I came away from that lunch reminded that it is ordinary people who take on the task of feeding these marginalised souls, and vowed to come up with a plan to pitch in, even if for just one night.

The company I work for has a history of providing significant financial support to worthy causes in our community. But on Friday night, instead of just writing that cheque, 28 of my colleagues and our friends and families spent the evening preparing and serving a meal to 503 beautiful, but forgotten, people at the Mustard Seed Church. The smiles on the faces of those we served were more precious than I can say. The simple act of stopping to refill a juice glass or bring some extra dessert and taking the the time to say hello and ask whether they were enjoying themselves (all things that we wouldn't even notice ourselves) made the most extraordinary difference to these people. 

I'm sure your town or city has at least one similar institution, dedicated to filling the tummies and hearts of those who have been forgotten, or pushed aside by those of us more fortunate.  These organisations feed hungry people 365 nights a year! Mustard Seed feeds 200 to 600 people every night, all week, every month, all year round. Surely one night out of 365 is something each and every one of us can spare.

As someone who loves food and has the luxury of enjoying it with friends and family on a regular basis, I challenge you, fellow food bloggers, to gather your friends and family and use your love of food to inspire you to nourish the bodies and souls of those who are not so fortunate as we are.

Blog Appetit l'édition#02 - petits pois & agneau

Je suis très excité pour participer à cet événement provocant!  Bien que je sois canadien, je ne puis pas écrire dans la langue française très bien.  Je fais des excuses.  J'espère que ma recette en français ne confond pas ou ne trompe pas d'autres participants ou lecteurs.

Cliquez ici pour l'anglais

Je ne pense pas qu'il y a une manière plus merveilleuse de célébrer la nourriture du printemps qu'avec des petits pois et d'agneau. Malheureusement, il est trop tôt ici pour les pois frais. Je suis allé régulièrement au Strathcona Farmer’s Market pendant des semaines maintenant, attendant les premiers pois de la saison, seulement pour être dit qu'ils sont des semaines immobiles loin. Pas même plantées encore! J'ai recouru à employer les meilleurs et les plus doux pois congelés que je pourrais acheter et je pense que le gelato ne se serait pas avéré aussi bien avec les pois frais.

Je me suis senti que le thème du menu devrait refléter le goût vert frais du printemps et évoquer des pensées d'herbe, augmentant rapidement par le sol humide, et ce beau frais, l'odeur de la réveiller-terre que vous pouvez seulement éprouver dans une terre couverte par la neige pour au moins une partie de l'année (dans quelques endroits, la majeure partie de l'année!). Afin de rester vrai à la croustillance, propreté, fraîcheur et douceur qui le ressort est environ j'ai disposé:

Agneau croustillant de rôtis de peau

avec

gelée de menthe, de concombre et de vodka

et

le gelato de pois et de gingembre

Le gelato était si bon, mon mari et I tous les deux est allé à la cuisine pour un casse-croûte de minuit. Il était brillant. il était doux et savoureux, et fondu dans une douceur crémeuse sur votre langue. Le gelato et la gelée ont complété la viande salée divinely et je suis tombé amoureux de tous les deux. Par la macération la menthe part en vodka et en ajoutant le mélange légèrement refroidi de gélatine au jus frais de concombre et menthe infusé la vodka, les saveurs est restée vert et frais d'une manière dont ne pourrait pas avoir résultée ils avaient été faits cuire. Le goût était frais et nettoyant et sensible contrairement à l'agneau organique chaud et riche.

J'ajouterai certainement ceci à mon repetoire!

Sans autre retarde, je vous donnent...

Gelée de menthe, de concombre et de vodka

125 ml vodka

60 ml la menthe fraîche étroitement emballée

125 ml jus de concombre

160 ml l'eau bouillante dans laquelle est dissous:

15 gr gélatine

50ml Sucre

Écrasez la menthe part dans le fond d'une tasse en céramique ou en verre et verse la vodka plus de. Laissez se reposer pendant 4 heures, en remuant et en macérant plus loin de temps en temps.

Pois Et Gingembre Gelato

500 ml petits pois (congelés, ou si frais, alors complètement blanchi)

14 ml le gingembre finement râpé

4 feuilles de la menthe

125 ml de l'eau

125 ml sucre

1.5 ml poivre noir criqué

3 ml sel de mer

250 ml (43-45% m.g.) crème

Chauffez l'eau dans la petite casserole sur le fourneau et dissolvez le sucre dans lui. Mettez en purée les pois dans le mélangeur avec le gingembre, menthe part, sale, poivre et eau sucrée.

Fouettez la crème dans une cuvette froide jusqu'à épais et à raide.

Pliez la purée de pois dans la crème et la traitez dans le machine de crême glacée. Si vous pas en utilisant un machine de crême glacée, le mélange de cuillère dans la casserole de pain et le gel jusqu'aux cristaux de glace formez autour des bords et le centre est fermement détrempé par la neige, mais non congelé. Enlevez dans la cuvette effrayante en métal et le fouet avec le mélangeur sur la grande vitesse pour une minute ou deux à cassent vers le haut des cristaux de glace. Revenez à la casserole et gelez. Enlevez du congélateur 10 - 15 minutes avant de servir à dégeler légèrement.

Agneau croustillant de rôtis de peau

Rôtis sans os d'épaule d'agneau

Sel

Poivre

Huile

Clous de girofle d'ail, coupe en 4 cales ou rubans chacun

Poussez les trous dans l'agneau avec un couteau pointu et des rubans d'ail d'insertion dans la viande. Frottez la viande avec du sel et le poivre. Chauffez 2 ou 3 pouces d'huile dans le wok. Cuisez rapidement d'agneau de tous les côtés pendant 60 ou 90 secondes par côté ainsi il est également bruni et croustillant. Enlevez sur la casserole et des rôtis dans un four sec à 400f pendant 13 minutes par 500 grammes. Enlevez du four, couvrez de clinquant et laissez le repos pendant 10 à 15 minutes avant le découpage en tranches.

Blog Appetit edition#02 - peas & lamb

How very exciting to participate in the very impressive, if somewhat daunting Blog Appétit. Although I feel very un-Canadian to admit this –my ability to write in the French language is absolutely appalling! I hope that I didn’t inadvertently give someone terrible and nasty directions in the french version of this post!!

I don’t think there is a more wonderful way to celebrate the food of spring than with lamb and petits pois. Alas, it is too early here for fresh peas. I have been lurking around the Strathcona Farmer’s Market for weeks now, waiting for the first spring peas, only to be told that they are still weeks away.. not even planted yet! I sheepishly resorted to using the best and sweetest frozen peas I could buy and I do think that the gelato would not have turned out as well with fresh peas, even if they were well blanched.

I felt the theme of the menu should reflect the fresh green tastes of spring and evoke thoughts of grass, shooting up through damp soil, and that lovely fresh, awakening-earth smell that you can only experience in a land blanketed by snow for at least part of the year (in some places, most of the year!). In order to remain true to the crispness, cleanness, freshness and sweetness that spring is about I prepared:

Crispy skin roast lamb

with

mint, cucumber and vodka jelly

and

minted pea and ginger gelato

The gelato was so good, both my husband and I snuck into the kitchen for a late night bowlful all on its own, well after dinner. It was mystifyingly brilliant. It was sweet, without being desert-y and creamy-smooth when rolled around on your tongue. Both the gelato and the jelly complemented the salty seared meat divinely and I fell in love with both. By macerating the mint leaves in vodka and by adding the slightly cooled gelatine mixture to the fresh cucumber juice and mint-infused vodka, the flavours remained delicate, green and fresh in a way that couldn’t have worked had either the mint or the cucumber been heated. The taste was fresh and cleansing and delicate in contrast to the warm, rich organic lamb.

I will definitely be adding this to my repetoire!

Without further delay, I give you…

Mint, cucumber and vodka jelly

½ cup vodka

¼ cup tightly packed fresh mint leaves

½ cup cucumber juice

½ cup plus 2 Tbsp boiling water into which is dissolved:

15 grams gelatine and

3 ½  Tablespoons sugar

Crush the mint leaves in the bottom of a ceramic or glass cup and pour the vodka over. Let sit for 4 hours, stirring and further macerating occasionally.

Pea & Ginger Gelato

2 cups sweet green peas (frozen, or if fresh, then thoroughly blanched)

2 teaspoons finely grated ginger

4 medium mint leaves

½ cup water

¼ sugar

¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper

¾ teaspoon sea salt

1 cup heavy (43-45% m.f.) cream

Heat water in small pan on stove and dissolve sugar into it. Puree peas in blender along with ginger, mint leaves, salt, pepper and sugary water.

Whip cream in a cold bowl until thick and stiff.

Fold pea puree into cream and process in ice cream maker. If you’re not using an ice cream maker, spoon mixture into loaf pan and freeze until ice crystals form around edges and centre is firmly slushy, but not frozen. Remove to chilled metal bowl and whip with mixer on high speed for a minute or two to break up ice crystals. Return to pan and freeze. Remove from freezer 10 – 15 minutes before serving to thaw slightly.

Crispy skin roast lamb

Boneless lamb shoulder roast

Salt

Pepper

Oil

Garlic cloves, cut into 4 wedges or slivers each

Poke holes in lamb with a sharp knife and insert garlic slivers into meat. Rub meat with salt and pepper. Set aside. Heat 2 or 3 inches of oil in wok until just about smoking. Quickly deep fry lamb roast on all sides for 60 or 90 seconds per side so it is evenly browned and crispy. Remove to roasting rack over pan and roast in a dry oven at 400f for 13 minutes per 500 grams. Remove to counter, cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes or longer if your roast is larger.

Yes. I'm still alive.

I have been so wrapped up in work and the new house we just bought and all sorts of other things and I realised today I have not blogged for almost 2 whole weeks AND I missed EoTMEoTE AND Paper Chef! Wow. I have been so busy these last few weeks that everything has suffered. Especially my cooking and my blog(s). I resolve not to do this again!

I can promise you something excellent (and bilingual, although my French is horribly pathetic) come the 19th.... and possibly something good tomorrow. I'm on a bit of a sorbet and gelato kick lately so expect something on that theme....

Until tomorrow cher readers.