Monday, May 27, 2013

Bacon caramel cover chocolate with Maison Cote smoked alderwood sea salt


Makes 80 1-inch caramels
Ingredients
1 cup light syrup
2 cups sugar
3/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup of cook dry bacon bites (remove as much bacon fat as you could)
2 cups heavy cream
1½ teaspoons pure ground vanilla beans, 1 bean 1/2  ground in a coffee or spice grinders, or 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla powder or vanilla paste
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks, softened
one block of dark or milk chocolate 
Maison Cote Alderwood smoked sea salt as finishing touch 

1. Line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil and grease the foil. Combine the light corn syrup, sugar, and salt in a heavy 3-quart saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, until the mixture begins to simmer around the edges. Wash the sugar and syrup from the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water. Cover and cook for about 3 minutes. (Meanwhile, rinse the spatula or spoon before using it again later.) Uncover the pan and wash down the sides once more. Attach a candy thermometer to the pan, without letting it touch the bottom of the pan, and cook, uncovered (without stirring) until the mixture reaches 305°F. Meanwhile, combine the cream and ground vanilla beans in a small saucepan and heat until tiny bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Turn off the heat and cover the pan to keep the cream hot.
2. When the sugar mixture reaches 305°F add the cook bacon bite, turn off the heat and stir in the butter chunks. Gradually stir in the hot cream; it will bubble up and steam dramatically, so be careful. Turn the burner back on and adjust it so that the mixture boils energetically but not violently. Stir until any thickened syrup at the bottom of the pan is dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, to about 245°F. Then cook, stirring constantly, to 260F for soft, chewy caramels or 265F for firmer chewy caramels.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract, if using. Pour the caramel into the lined pan. Let set for 4 to 5 hours, or overnight until firm.
4. Lift the pan liner from the pan and invert the sheet of caramel onto a sheet of parchment paper. Peel off the liner. Cut the caramels with an oiled knife, dip in a melt bark or milk chocolate let cool off on a parchment paper or silicone sheet, sprinkle some Maison Cote alderwood smoked sea salt. Wrap each caramel individually in wax paper or cellophane.
Enjoy 

Friday, May 24, 2013

Granville Island, public market summer season







As Farmers season is fast approaching they will have priority on Foods artisans & crafters. This summer will probably be a very hard time for lots of us, Since La Baguette et L'echalotte take 4 vendor space in the public market. Since the fire at their bakery they occupied 4 vendors spot at the public Market as they where supposed to be there only for two week, then winter, now spring and following the rumor mill of Granville Island they might go back to there building only in September. It will be a very though season for vendors on Granville Island
Sometime the bad luck of one business just send more bad luck to others one

Roasted and steam Veggies blend with my left over chow mien fusion meal from yesterday

Roasted Bell Pepper Purchase at the Kitsilano farmers Market 
Steam Zucc, yam, potatoes, turnips, garlic, couple cashew and Violin head (crosse de fougere like when I was kid in Quebec)  
all blend and trough with my Chow mien fusion left over from yesterday 
so good and so easy 

Chocolate hazelnut spread recipe

The Gourmandise School Logo
 The Gourmandise School  
of
 Sweets and Savories
    

housemade nutella
Dear Chocolate and Hazelnuts,

How I love thee.  Let me count the ways.  Your creamy nuttiness delight my tastebuds.  Your smooth texture and hint of sweetness keep me coming back for more.  

Chocolate hazelnut spread; you are the dressing for our vessels; from brioche to crackers and macarons and on a croissant and in our oatmeal (that's right) and oh- on just about anything.  You rock my world.  


Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
You can use any sort of chocolate you like. I enjoy this spread on the sweeter side, so I'll usually make this with milk chocolate.

1 cup sugar
3 cups blanched hazelnuts
3 Tbsps hazelnut oil (optional)
8 ounces chocolate, melted
3 Tbsps cocoa powder

1. Place sugar and hazelnuts in a large sautee pan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring the entire time, until hazelnuts are evenly coated in melted sugar.
2. Once the sugar has melted and enveloped the nuts, pour them out onto a cookie sheet or large piece of parchment paper.  Let them cool for 10-15 minutes.
3. Process the nuts in a food processor until they form a very liquid paste.  This may take up to 5 minutes.  Pour in oil, if using.
4. Pour the hazelnut into the melted chocolate.  Stir in the cocoa powder.

Have a delicious day!
Clémence and Hadley 

Water melon and Balsamic vinegar



Water melon cube and balsamic reduction+ a Veuve Clicot


Have some time is a recipe to make your own
2 cup of balsamic vinegar, 1/2 cup of brown sugar

Mix balsamic vinegar with brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolved. bring to a boil, reduce heat to low simmer until glaze is reduce by half (20 min + or -) the glaze should coat the back of a spoon, pour into a sterilize hot jar let cool of store in refrigerator.
Tips 
Add strawberry, raspberry, figs, peach, cayenne, chipotle, basil...so many combinations Go crazy  







Thursday, May 23, 2013

Lazy cooking tonight Chow mein fusion

Ok let find some inspiration 
with some fusion food today
Chow Mein and fragrant Thai aromatic  
not sure if I go Vegetarian or with Chicken 

Las Vegas 36 celcius and sunny every day

I just get back from a quick trip to las Vegas last Friday 
I am so lucky as I reconnect with my a best friend from College 
After 30 years we pick up where we left.
Life have left bad but more good things to our two life's
I am so lucky,  the connection is still there, we had a wonderful time 
I will not post any pictures of my Friend as she work in a high rank Job at the Government 
As this is private time ( let me assure you she is not Pamela Walen, we paid from our pocket and she is not a tories) we talk and talk, eat and walk, beach our self at the pool.  I am so happy my good friend is back into my life.
Thank-you Internet


This is one of our two bedroom Suite at the MGM Signature 
Where I alway stay when in town 
 Common Living room and Balcony 32 floor
 Kitchen where I cook for her and I 
 A necessity at 36 C water, water and more water
 I prep a storm so we could have all the time for us to talk about those last 30 years


I pick her up at terminal 3 from Toronto 




Next day after couples hours at the pool a little snack Champagne,  melon cube and balsamic reduction


View from the balcony 


 View from the pool where we just lounge and play pancake

Hong Kong Peninsula Cooking Academy, So much fun

When I was in Hong kong last month, I really enjoy my class at the Peninsula Hotel 
Do yourself a favor after shopping on Nathan or Canton Road, at the Stanley, the Ladies or Temple Street night market. 
treat yourself at the Peninsula hotel Cooking Academy and savor your labour 
Schedule of Hong Kong class 

http://www.peninsula.com/Hong_Kong/en/Enticements/Peninsula_Academy/default.aspxThe Peninsula Rolls Royce

I do have some great pictures from this Class but I was ask by the Peninsula to whold on them till they relaunch the new program
So I will

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Vanilla Caramel recipe


Makes 80 1-inch caramels
Ingredients
1 cup light syrup
2 cups sugar
3/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 cups heavy cream
1½ teaspoons pure ground vanilla beans, 1 bean 1/2  ground in a coffee or spice grinders, or 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla powder or vanilla paste
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks, softened
1. Line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil and grease the foil. Combine the light corn syrup, sugar, and salt in a heavy 3-quart saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, until the mixture begins to simmer around the edges. Wash the sugar and syrup from the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water. Cover and cook for about 3 minutes. (Meanwhile, rinse the spatula or spoon before using it again later.) Uncover the pan and wash down the sides once more. Attach a candy thermometer to the pan, without letting it touch the bottom of the pan, and cook, uncovered (without stirring) until the mixture reaches 305°F. Meanwhile, combine the cream and ground vanilla beans in a small saucepan and heat until tiny bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Turn off the heat and cover the pan to keep the cream hot.
2. When the sugar mixture reaches 305°F, turn off the heat and stir in the butter chunks. Gradually stir in the hot cream; it will bubble up and steam dramatically, so be careful. Turn the burner back on and adjust it so that the mixture boils energetically but not violently. Stir until any thickened syrup at the bottom of the pan is dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, to about 245°F. Then cook, stirring constantly, to 260F for soft, chewy caramels or 265F for firmer chewy caramels.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract, if using. Pour the caramel into the lined pan. Let set for 4 to 5 hours, or overnight until firm.
4. Lift the pan liner from the pan and invert the sheet of caramel onto a sheet of parchment paper. Peel off the liner. Cut the caramels with an oiled knife. Wrap each caramel individually in wax paper or cellophane.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Strawberry Pistachio Breakfast Bars

The Gourmandise School Logo
 The Gourmandise School  
of
 Sweets and Savories
    

strawberrypistachiobars
So a strawberry walks into a bar... 
The strawberries have been coming into their own the last few weeks; our favorite varieties are all in it together.  We've been canning with Seascapes and Chandlers and baking with Albions, trolling the farmers market and tasting the samples from Gloria's, Harry's Berries.

We're just *slightly* obsessed with cookbooks and food blogs here, and one of our very favorites issmittenkitchen.com.  The recipes work fabulously well and photos entice our testers (and tasters).  We saw this on Pinterest and followed it back to the blog, tweaking it until is what worthy of our three pack of berries.  

Strawberry Pistachio Breakfast Bars
Adapted from Smittenkitchen.com

Bottom and top layers:
1-1/2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup finely chopped pistachios (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
6 ounces (1-1/2 sticks) cold butter, a little colder than room temp. and cut into small pieces

1. In a large bowl, stir your dry ingredients together.
2. Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut in the cold butter until solid crumbs form.  You can also do this in the food processor.  You'll know this mixture is ready when it clumps some in your hands.
3.  Set aside a little over a cup of the mixture.  Press into a 13x9 pan, or two 8x8" pans lined with parchment paper.  I like to press it down with the bottom of a measuring cup.
4. Bake at 365 until lightly golden (about 15 minutes).

Filling:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp lemon zest
2 Tbsps flour
2 Tbsps melted butter
1-1/2 lbs. fresh strawberries, chopped in quarters
3 Tbsps fresh lemon juice 

1. Mix the brown sugar, lemon zest and flour in a medium bowl.
2. Add your strawberries, lemon juice and melted butter.  Toss together.
3. Spread onto baked crust.  Sprinkle remaining crust over the fruit.
4. Bake at 350 for another 30-40 minutes.

Friday, May 10, 2013

Back to work from Whistler to Vancouver

On My Way back from Whistler 





 I wonder why I still Harvest fresh herbs as they never sale 
 I will be on Granville Island Public Market this week end till Sunday evening  
9 Am to 7 PM 
Plus Stone Soup this Saturday at Britannia Center  
12 to 17 Hour

Pan Pacific Whistler "Go Sea to Sky, fly in fly out" Package

Pan Pacific WhistlerThis Summer Go Sea to Sky

 
Fly-in/Fly-out Luxury Package
Fly-In / Fly-Out Luxury PackageThis spring we are pleased to announce a new luxury adventure approach to a two day getaway to Whistler. Take-off from Vancouver's beautiful inner harbour and then take in the majestic scenery of the coast mountains as you travel to Whistler in style. Enjoy views of Garibaldi Provincial Park, lush meadows, alpine lakes and much more.
Once you arrive in Whistler our PanEarth hybrid shuttle will whisk you to your Upper Floor One Bedroom suite at Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre.
Your getaway will continue to unfold with a lunch at Dubh Linn Gate Pub, your choice of a delicious dinner with one of our dining partners, and a morning or afternoon biking the Valley trails. Relax poolside enjoying the mountain views, or in the hot tubs and sauna. Treat yourself and a special someone with this unique and stress-free luxurious package.

Info 

A taste of Lion Paul Bocuse's protege in Hong Kong

Unfortunately I had such of a busy schedule in Hong Kong I did not have time to go to try this wonderful gastronomic experience  My Friend Yu was able to have the Lunch menu and really enjoy it  Next year maybe at my next trip to Asia  as May is French May Hong Kong, Big Event for French Culture, theatre, music, dance, gastronomy, fashion...

PAUL BOCUSE’S PROTÉGÉ GILLES REINHARDT AT H ONE
From 25 April to 4 May, Gilles Reinhardt, the Executive Chef of Bocuse’s three Michelin stars restaurant L’Auberge du Pont de Collonges, will be showcasing a splendid array of classic dishes from his legendary mentor at H one.








Thursday, May 9, 2013

Lunch in Taipei so with 3 of my best HK friends, so good

Taipei have it own cuisine even if it is influence is Chinese they really have their own flavour 
Wonderful lunch with 3 of my best Hong Kong friends