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Pantry basics

4/12/2011

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Is there anything worse than being in the mood to create that perfect something to satiate a craving, only to realize you've run out of the one impossible-to-substitute ingredient? Or to come home after a long day at work, peer into your cupboards and think "there's never anything to eat around here?"

Although building up your pantry can seem like an onerous (and expensive!) task if you undertake it all at once, adding one or two items at a time can slowly help you get to the point where all you'll ever need on a whim are fresh produce and specialty items.

Here is a list of my actual pantry contents, with suggestions for specialty items to add over time... I try to buy in bulk stores so that I can control the amount I need. Keep in mind that many seasonings lose their potency within six months once the package is open so it's better to buy less at a time.

Dry goods:
- onions, shallots, garlic, potatoes
- variety of dry beans (chick peas, lentils, white beans) as well as canned.
- canned whole tomatoes plus tomato paste (freeze the paste in ice cube containers and then pop them into a plastic freezer bag - perfect for last minute sauces)
- variety of starches (rice, couscous, bulgur, polenta, etc.)
- canned fish
- coconut milk
- canned artichokes, hearts of palm

Baking:
- all-purpose flour, plus specialty (semolina, buckwheat, whole-wheat, bran, etc,)
- dried fruit & nuts
- baking flour, baking soda, dry yeast
- white sugar, brown sugar
- cocoa powder

Condiments:
- olive oil, vegetable oil, plus specialty (nut oils, asian-style oils)
- white & red wine vinegar plus specialty (balsamic, cider, champagne, rice)
- soy or tamari sauce, hot sauce, fish sauce
- dijon mustard

Seasonings:
- My basics include sea salt, black & white pepper, cayenne, oregano, thyme, bay leaves, cinnamon, basil, cumin, curry blend, cloves, vanilla extract - and in the warmer months, I grow a few fresh herbs, too.
- I frequently use tarragon, lavender, herbes de provence, paprika, dried chilies, chinese five spice, star anise, raz hanout, garam masala - add anything else you love or are curious about!

In the fridge:
- milk, eggs, unsalted butter
- citrus fruit (lime, lemon, grapefruit)
- carrots, leek

In the freezer:
- various stocks (chicken, beef, fish). Great for soups, sauces, risottos, braised dishes, etc.
- tomato paste
- bread crumbs (made from old leftovers), Parmesan cheese and more butter!

There are always a minimum of five or six varieties of dark chocolate hanging around, waiting to be sampled. And, of course, wine is de rigueur! For the cooking, obviously.

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Mayonnaise

4/12/2011

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There is absolutely no comparison to be made between handmade and commercial mayonnaise, and not a week goes by that there isn't some new experimental version of it in my fridge. Contrary to my mayo-is-splitting-blender experiences growing up, I've discovered it's quite simple to make mayo by hand as long as you have a few key tools and ingredients, and just a little paaaatience...

Yield: varies on size of egg yolk to oil ratio, but about 3/4 cup.
Tools: a whisk (I use a silicone covered one which I love for this), and a stainless steel bowl

Ingredients: (should all be room temperature for the best emulsification results)
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1-2 tsp. white wine vinegar (and/or lemon juice)
pinch salt, pinch white pepper
175-200ml good quality vegetable-based oil, include 10-15ml olive oil in total amount if desired
(A medium-sized yolk has the capacity to emulsify about 180ml of oil, hence the variance above)
Optional: herbs, spices, sun-dried tomatoes, lime zest, etc.

Method:
1. Whisk egg yolk in a bowl, with dijon, vinegar, salt, pepper and a bit of lemon juice, if using, until well blended and frothy. If using powdered spice (curry, mustard powder), also add them now.
2. Place your bowl on a non-slip surface (a moist towel), or better yet, use the cook's trick: place your bowl in the rim of a slightly smaller saucepan or pot, with a kitchen towel in between. You want to have both hands free to be able to simultaneously whisk and pour the oil without having to stop to grab onto your whizzing bowl.
3. Pour the oil in a thin stream (almost a dribble) while constantly whisking; keep doing so until your mixture starts to thicken and take on that mayo consistency. Once your ingredients are well-emulsified, you may start to pour the oil a little faster until the desired consistency is achieved.
4. Add finely chopped fresh ingredients as desired (basil leaves and sun-dried tomatoes, capers and olives, etc.) and season to taste (add lemon juice, pepper, salt).

Notes on the oil:
Be sure to use the best possible oil as it makes a huge difference in the taste; peanut oil tastes the most neutral, but is more expensive than canola or sunflower, although there's not a huge difference in price if you buy organic/first-press types. Mayo made with 100% olive oil is too strong for my taste, so I generally just use a bit to enhance the overall flavour.


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Pâte brisée (pastry dough)

4/12/2011

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Everyone's got their own way of doing this, from my mom to my instructors in school to each celebrity chef - here's mine! I use this for quiche, galettes and even empanadas. You can add ground almonds (excellent with fruit tarts), dried herbs, and citrus zest to liven things up.

Yield: one quiche/galette shell, or about 2 dozen empanadas.

Ingredients:
60g cold butter, cut into small chunks
125g all-purpose flour
1 whole egg
1-2 tbsp. cold water
pinch fine sea salt
for sweet pastry: 25g white sugar

Method:
1. Blend flour, salt and sugar, if using.
2. Mix in butter with fingertips until a coarse, grainy consistency is achieved (this is know as "sabler la pâte" in French)
3. In separate bowl, blend whole egg with 1 tbsp. cold water.
4. Gently blend into flour/butter mix with fingers until a ball forms. You don't want to over knead as this will melt the butter packets and result in a tough dough.
5. Shape into a disk, wrap and refrigerate overnight (although in a pinch, an hour or so is better than nothing).
6. When ready for use, remove from fridge, roll into desired shape and blind-bake (use pie-weights or rice) at 325F until golden (anywhere from 20-30 minutes).

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Welcome, new readers!

4/12/2011

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Welcome to the recipe and tips portion of the quicuisine site. Here you'll find a ever-growing selection of our favourites, from recipes to ideas to tips and how-to-posts. Please share, experiment and have fun!

Looking forward to hearing from you! Et bon appétit !

In no particular order, here are a few helpful tips before you begin exploring and experimenting:
  1. Most baking recipes are posted in grams as measuring by weight is more precise than by volume; for anyone interested in baking regularly, I suggest investing in a kitchen scale.
  2. All recipes are tried, tested and true! Feel free to pass along, but give appropriate credit when using someone else's recipe.
  3. Mise-en-place, mise-en-place, mise-en-place! I cannot emphasize enough how much more efficient - not to mention pleasant - it is to cook when your work space is organized. It almost felt silly to me at first, like I was pretending to be on a cooking show with all my little ingredient bowls laid out in front of me, but now it's second nature - and if my mise-en-place is poor, I inevitably forget to do something in the process!

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Dark chocolate chip cookies

4/12/2011

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These are deliciously dark and tender and can keep for several days in a closed tin - although they rarely last that long! A classic recipe adapted from my culinary school days...

Preheat oven to 350F.
Yield: about 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
70g unsalted butter
70g brown sugar
50g white sugar
1 medium egg
1 tsp. vanilla
90g all-purpose flour (you may substitute pastry flour)
20g powdered cocoa (I love the duBarry 70%, but Fry's will do the trick!)
1g fine sea salt
1g baking soda
150g chopped dark chocolate (use the best quality you can as it really makes a difference in the finished product)
optional: 50-75g chopped nuts (roast whole nuts first - just pop them in as the oven is warming up)

Method:
1. Cream butter and both sugars; add in egg and vanilla
2. Sift together dry ingredients and fold in to butter/sugar mixture.
3. Add in chocolate pieces and nuts if using (make sure to let nuts cool first)
4. Spoon onto parchment-covered baking tray (I use a 30 metal portion scoop - equivalent to a 1oz. portion)
4. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 or until edges are firm - no longer! They will look under-cooked because of all the chocolate chunks, but will cool to perfection.





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    About me

    Cook, explorer, teacher.
    I love to share my food experiences with others and hope to convert a few neophytes in the process.

    Les recettes sont généralement disponibles uniquement en anglais, mais je serai ravie de vous répondre en français !


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