Summer Days

It has been such a spectacular summer this year, hot and sunny at most days, just the way I like it.  Even though we have been renovating our kitchen, I was able to cook at least once while away on vacation at a cottage on beautiful Fire Island, New York.

I repeated some of my tried recipes: cream corn salad, Singapore chilli shrimp and beef tenderloin, but I also attempted a new one.  One I have been dreaming about.

Water Melon Bisque


A few years ago, I cannot recall where, I was served a bowl of water melon bisque.  It was a warm day and I thought how perfect that was.  Unless you do not like water melon, but how can anyone not like water melon? (Except for my friend Nick)

A few minutes of prepping and then turning on the blender and you have a perfect summer appertizer.

(Photo by Mark)

We were celebrating Canada Day and how festive it was to have a chilled red soup to start our meal!

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/recipes/watermelon-bisque/article647312/

Panzanella


Julius's mother sent me a link to Saveur magazine's website last week and it was full of inspirations.  It also has a section on techniques which is a big plus for the novice in me.

I have never heard of Panzanella but I think I found a new best friend in it.  It was simple and delicious, other than cutting the tomatoes and onions, I tore up basil leaves and Italian country-style bread.  Just like Mamma used to make,  ok maybe not my Mamma, but some other Italian Mamma.

Interestingly,  Julius's mom had the leftover the next day and it turned out to be better when it has sat for a while. "Scrumptious!" was her comment.  The recipe suggests to let it sit for 10 minutes, next time perhaps a few hours will let the ingredients soaks up the dressing for a tastier salad.  And more time to enjoy the gorgeous outdoors.

http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Panzanella-Bread-and-Tomato-Salad?cmpid=enews072312&spPodID=020&spMailingID=4660310&spUserID=MjcxOTk3MDc1NjMS1&spJobID=279258729&spReportId=Mjc5MjU4NzI5S0

Bisque  9/10
Salad 9/10

Summer Barbecue

It was a double celebration of my mother's 65th birthday as well as Father's Day.  I really wanted to make them something special.  But then one can only plan so much, at the end it is the execution that counts.

Oyster with Sea Urchin and Caviar


I was very fortunate to get a copy of Susur Lee's A Culinary Life recently.  The book is full of his ingenious ideas and one I was glad to repeat.  I have been shucking and eating so many oysters in the past weeks, I was thrilled to serve up something so decadent on this special occasion.

Also on this special day, I opened an sea urchin for the first time.  Under the watchful eye of my father and a pair of scissors, I went for it with full gusto. It turns out the shells, albeit spiky, are very crackable like nuts once snipped from the soft spot in the middle.  To get the delicious part, the "roe", I needed to wash off the rest of the insides, which resembled a mini oil spill, all black and slimy.

Then I topped an oyster (Bluepoint and Virginica) with some Uni and a spoonful of caviar.  I used very inexpensive caviar which costs $7.99 at Diana's.

It was mouth watering good! The saltiness of the caviar and the mix of different texture was simply brilliant.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9Kkb3Gfaqg

Planked Seafood Medley with N'awlins Creole Spice Rub


My friend Lee served this at his party and the spiciness was perfect for a summer night.  So I thought why not give it a go?  The spice was easy to prepare and cedar planks were easy to find at the local grocery store. I did marinate the salmon, scallops and shrimps a few hours ahead of time before grilling.

The only excitement was the cedar plank starting to catch fire after a couple minutes, even though I have soaked them in water for hours.  The issue was that I was not familiar with my parents' grill, with flames much closer to the actual grill.  With the garden hose, water mist put out the flames and I repositioned the planks to a higher shelf.  Phew!


The N'awlins spice was just the right amount of spiciness, except for a few seafood pieces that somehow caught more spice than others.  My poor sister had one of those. The smoky flavor from the cedar definitely added more interests.

http://www.flyertown.ca/flyers/longos-experiencemagazine?sf_any=true&flyer_run_id=954&type=1&locale=EN&postal_code=n1G5l5&store_code=25

Stuffed Squids with Prosciutto and Asiago 


This was a lot of work.  It took an hour and a half to prepare and stuff the squids with chopped cooked tentacles, and prosciutto and shredded asiago.  The opening for most of them are so small I had to use the end of a chopstick to tackle the stuffing.  None of that was mentioned in the current issue of Cucina Italiana.

The unfamiliar grill had cooked them a little more well done than my liking but otherwise they were not bad.  I would like to try a different stuffing next time because there are hundreds of variations online!

Oysters 9.5/10
Planked Seafood 8/10
Stuffed Squids 7/10

"Holy CRAB!"

My newest discovery in the city, Diana's Seafood, is my new hot list entry, thanks to my father who introduced it to me.  Oysters galore for less than $2 each.  After last week's visit, I had to go back for more.  And then there were those enticing soft shell crabs...

Soft Shell Crab Sandwich


My experience with soft shell crabs has always been in Japanese cuisine, I never thought I would actually cook them one day.  The fresh ones only come once a year while they have molted the hard shells and the new shells are still soft and completely edible.  They are in season now, so lucky me and not so lucky for the poor crabs.

These cute little crabs look oh so innocent sitting on a bed of ice at the store.  I bought them unknowing of what is in store for me.  First of all, they turn out to be very much alive. An excellent web video showed me how to "clean" them, what really happened was I had to terminate them just before cooking.  There was some minor squealing, from me, as I trimmed off the eyes and the apron when its legs started to move.  It was a dirty job, but someone's got to do it.

Back to the good part, Lidia's dressing was remarkably simple since I toasted the garlic instead of roasting them in the oven.  We were hungry.  Even though during that time, 18 oysters were shucked and consumed.  We had Kumamoto, Virginica and Shigoku.  Virginica was added to our new favourite - crisp and meaty.  The Shigoku, not so much, just too fishy.

Cooking the flour-and-cayenne pepper-dusted soft shell crabs was so easy! 5 minutes over medium heat and they were ready.  I was light-handed on the dusting this time but a touch more flour will probably give it more punch.  Final score: 9/10

I think I have gone to seafood heaven! Two weeks in a row and two incredible brunches, I am a happy man.

http://www.dianasseafood.com/
http://video.about.com/fishcooking/Clean-and-Cook-Soft-Shelled-Crabs.htm
http://www.lidiasitaly.com/recipes/detail/1127

Mollusks

One thing I noticed ever since I started cooking: other than learning about food, I am also learning many new words.  Like mollusks, which I usually clump into the shellfish category.  They might live in the sea but they are definitely not shellfish!


Sautéed Whelks with Aioli

While I was cleaning up the kitchen cabinet, I found a newspaper clipping from August, 2010. It was the article on whelks and a recipe.  I remember at the time I thought I should save that just in case I wanted to make it one day.

Well, that day has arrived.  At T&T, there was an abundant supply of whelks.  At my next visit I need to find out if they are seasonal.  The preparation was fairly simple.  I put 1 tablespoon instead of the recommended half of garlic in making the aioli because it was a bit weak.  If you like whelks, this is another perfect summer salad.  Otherwise the snail-like texture may make you say, "Ah! Interesting.....would you like some of mine?" And that was Julius's reaction.


The aioli was so delicious, it must have a place in many dishes that await me to try.  I mean who can say no to a bright yellow sauce? 

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/chefs-recipe-sauted-whelks-with-aioli/article1668646/


Clams in Cartoccio


Another simple recipe that required perhaps 30 minutes preparation time.  Until I tried to start our barbecue, when I realized we are out of propane!!  At least we had electricity for the oven.  It took a few try but a combined cooking time of about 20 minutes at 425 degrees, most of the clams welcomed us with their open shells.

The sauce was very flavourable and I decided to pour each packet over a bed of linguini.  It was perfect!

http://www.marthastewart.com/332783/clams-in-cartoccio

Whelks 8.5/10
Clams 8/10

Lobster Two Ways

My visit to T&T last night was to confirm that they have Manila clams and whelks that I had great plans for this weekend. As I was browsing through my favourite Asian supermarket with all the neatly stacked merchandise and exotic items, I realized I simply love being there.

As all my friends know, I am a deal seeker.  Also, my mother always said if I were to wear glasses instead of contact lenses, I would stop seeing at the extreme corners of my eyes.  Am I glad I was wearing my contact lenses because out of the corner of my eyes, I saw in the open fridge packages of some lobster pieces. They were $3.00 each, and the pieces are from some gigantic lobster and I am not kidding. Each claw was bigger than my hand.  Of course I bought 4 of them, not sure what I was going to do with them yet at the time.

I went home that night and cooked two packages according to Rick Stein, 15 minutes in heavily salted water. A reduced lobster broth was made too for what you will read about next.

Lobster Salad

Today was a record breaking day of heat here in Toronto.  And what a perfect day that I planned for a Lobster Salad.  I used half of the cooked lobster, the chunkier pieces, and also some shrimps along with the lobster broth, and made the best summer salad yet.  While sipping our Rosé wine, we almost felt like we were back in south of France.  Or was it just the amount of butter that we were consuming?

The fresh Boston lettuce leaves from Whole Foods, with roots still attached when purchased, were so fresh and crisp.  It was heaven.

http://www.chow.com/recipes/29307-lobster-salad

Lobster Cakes

"What else can I do with the lobster meat?", I thought to myself last night.  I flipped through Rick Stein's cookbook and saw a recipe for crab cakes.  I have never made any but I did not see why lobster meat would not work.  Another adventure!

I prepared them a few hours ahead and I have to say they were looking mighty fine. With half the lobster meat ($3.00!!!), I ended up with 5 well-sized pieces.  Not a bad deal right?

But then I had to cook them.  It was a better record than the quenelles but 3 medallions survived.  2 somewhat broke into unsightly pieces.  However, they were all delicious!

If anyone has tips on how not to break them during the frying, I would love to know.  Again, the tarragon butter sauce with tomatoes was a very nice side compliment.  Next time I will probably add some sautéed onions and red pepper flakes to give the cakes a little more kick.

http://www.fabulousfoods.com/recipes/rick-stein-s-maryland-crab-cakes-with-tarragon-and-butter-sauce

Lobster Salad 8.5/10
Lobster Cakes 7.5/10

Tomorrow I will be shucking oysters for lunch.  More seafood this weekend, I cannot wait!

Izakaya Revisited

Historically, Izakaya in Japan is an establishment where Japanese men have a few, or too many, drinks after work with their colleagues.  Tapas-styled dishes are served probably to help soak up the alcohol so that they can find their way home to their wives and family.

Since we were hosting a small gathering to celebrate the relocation to Toronto of our dear friends James and Mark, what would be a better hors d'oeuvres to serve at a cocktail party then another dish from my Izakaya cookbook (Mark Robinson)? My guests would eventually need to find their way home too after all.

Sliced Duck Breast with Ponzu Sauce


2 boneless Duck Breasts with skin
1 tsp Olive oil
Ponzu sauce
2 Leeks
salt and pepper
shredded diakon radish
sriracha hot sauce or pepper paste


1. Pre heat oven at 400 degrees. Trim any silver off flesh side and pierce skin at several places.  Rub entire breast with salt and pepper.  In a frying pan heat olive oil to hot over medium heat.  Add duck, skin side down, sear till fat is rendered and skin golden crispy brown.
2. Transfer duck to roasting pan, fat side up and roast for 4 minutes for medium rare, 5 for medium.
3. While hot, marinate in ponzu sauce for 3 hours.
4. Grill leeks with medium flame until outside is a bit charred and the inside is soft.  When cool,remove outer layer and cut into bite size pieces.
5. Cut duck breasts diagonally slices and fold over leek, with a dab of rsiracha hot sauce.  Garnish with daikon radish.

Ponzu sauce is a Japanese citrus-based sauce, yellowish in colour.  I do have to confess there is a recipe for making the sauce from scratch but the Japanese grocery store, where I could source some specific ingredients,  is not as conveniently located as my refrigerator. There was ample ponzu sauce left over from the night of the tuna tartare.

The process was fairly simple, the frying of the duck took a little longer than expected, about 20 to 25 minutes. While the leeks had to be cut into smaller portions than planned because I was running out, definitely need 3 leeks for 2 breasts.

The first taste test was, how would I put it, underwhelming perhaps.  However, the breast slices were cut well and were medium rare.  Just before serving to the guests, my friend Dimitri and I were scoring it about 7  out of ten.

Cocktails and champagne brought me a better final score: the tartness of the ponzu-soaked meat worked wonderfully with the drinks.  I cannot wait to try another recipe from this cookbook!

Final score 7.5/10

My Trouble with Terrine

I have been trying various recipes for a few months and it was time to fail miserably in one.  

I have never even heard of the word terrine until an episode of  Top Chef Canada. How hard could that be really? I thought to myself. A forcemeat similar to pâté, according to Wikipedia.  I can be forceful, at times.

Prosciutto-wrapped Chicken & Leek Terrine

Since I do not own a food processor, I was able to find one recipe that does not require grinding of the meat.  The recipe does say it is for a keen cook.  Now that was the first warning sign.  The other one was that I was not able to find gelatine leaves at any grocery stores.  I found gelatine powder.

My grand mistake was not pouring enough of the gelatine-added chiken stock in each layer of the terrine.  It was looking great until I started the slicing.  Everything started to fall apart.  And there was Julius, Christina and her girls, and Lily and and Liam all ready for a great Sunday brunch.  I served something that resembled a leftover from days before.  It did not taste bad but definitely not appetizing.  There was one slice that somewhat survived for the photo.

The spiced pears turned out alright I suppose.  I will not be making this again anytime soon.

The brunch was saved by bagels and various store bought spreads.  I was thankful that was NOT Mother's day brunch.  For Mother's day brunch I made a simple yet delicious Pancetta and Egg salad to bring to Lily's, a Nigella Lawson's recipe.  Dinner with my mother was Roast Squabs, Crab and Shrimp Seafood Broth, Singapore Chile Shrimps and Foil-baked Mushrooms.  All repeated recipes from previous more successful adventures.

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/10214/prosciuttowrapped-chicken-and-leek-terrine

Score: 4.5/10