Pan-seared and roasted duck breast in a balsamic honey reduction

Weeknight dinners at our home range from controlled chaos like Iron Chef – i.e. rushing to quickly get home and use ingredients we already have, or desperately hitting the supermarket on the way home while coming up with a recipe on the fly – oddly enough, also like Iron Chef.  Fun, but definitely stressful.

But cooking on the weekends or on vacation days?  A relaxing activity, because I can take the time to not only plan and grocery shop at a leisurely pace, but also use multiple cooking methods if needed.

I took advantage of my time off earlier this week and decided to embark on a culinary adventure: cook something based on what was on sale at the grocery store…and lo and behold, duck breast was on sale.

An easy dish to make

For the record, I have NEVER EVER worked with duck before.  The closest I’ve ever come to cooking duck is reheating it in the microwave (sad but true).  So, with the Chairman’s voice in my head, “With an open heart and an empty stomach”, I cooked duck for the very first time.

One thing I quickly learned about duck is that it is often paired or cooked in something fruity, a little sour and most definitely sweet. I’m guessing the sweet and sour help to cut through the rich flavour of the duck.

I finally settled on a balsamic vinaigrette and honey reduction.

Another thing I learned (especially about duck breast) is that, like beef, the perfect way to cook it is medium rare.

And the third most important thing? Duck tastes great when roasted and or seared. So I decided to do both.

Here are my ingredients and cooking notes.

(And P.S. this turned out waaaaaay better than I could have ever hoped for.  There was even enough for J’s lunch the next day).

INGREDIENTS

-          3 TBSP honey

-          3 TBSP balsamic vinegar        

-          1 TSP ground cinnamon      

-          1 TSP ground cumin         

-          ½ TSP coriander seeds, coarsely ground or crushed  

-          ½ TSP black peppercorns, coarsely ground or

-          1 TSP of olive oil (I used EVOO)

-          2 duck breasts

-          Salt and pepper to taste

COOKING NOTES

-          Preheat the oven to 230°C /450°F.

-          Make sure the duck breast is dry before you begin cooking

-          Make crosshatched incisions in the skin of the breasts

-          Season the duck breast with salt and pepper

-          Heat the oil on a pan (that can eventually go into the oven) over medium-high heat

-          Put the breasts, skin-side down, into the pan and sear for about 2 minutes

-          Flip the breasts over and sear for another minute

-          Flip the breasts over again so that they are skin-side down again

-          Turn the stove off and remove the pan from heat

-          Heat the honey in a saucepan over high-heat, for approximately 2-3 minutes, until it is slightly caramelized

-          Pour in the vinegar and mix well

-          Add the spices, turn the heat to low, letting the sauce reduce for about 4-5 minutes, until it has reached a coating or watery caramel-like consistency

-          Pour the honey sauce over the breasts then cook in the middle of the oven about 7-8 minutes

-          Take the duck breasts out, flip them, and roast for another 2 minutes

-          Take the pan out of the oven, move the breasts over to a plate, cover with aluminum foil and let the meat rest for about 5 minutes

-          Slice the duck breasts, spoon some sauce over the duck and then…#nomnomnom

Peanut butter and banana muffins

Life has been amazing the last several months, but it's also been incredibly busy, leaving less time for things like baking...or rather, experimental baking. I had a few extra hours earlier today and with 2 super ripe bananas originally meant for peanut butter and banana sandwiches, I decided to take it a step further and instead of sandwiches, made muffins.

I wasn't quite sure exactly what I was doing, but I lucked out and managed to make something yummy. Hopefully my taster agrees too. Here are the ingredients and instructions:

Ingredients

- 1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour (whole wheat flour would probably work too)

- 1/4 cup of granulated sugar

- 2 tsp. baking powder

- 1/4 tsp. baking soda

- 1/2 tsp. salt

- 1/2 cups melted butter

- 2 extremely ripe bananas, mooshed up

- 2 eggs (room temperature)

- 1 cup of whipped peanut butter (I used Kraft Whipped peanut butter)

Directions

- Preheat oven to 350 C

- Combine all dry ingredients (including sugar) into a big mixing bowl

- Combine all wet ingredients into a big mixing bowl

- Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients

- Oil muffin pans (makes 6 jumbo ones or 9 smaller ones)

- Bake 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of the muffin tray you use

- Let muffins rest in pan for 5 minutes

- Remove and place on cooling rack

These turned out really well...the peanut butter really helps keep the moisture in. Enjoy.

A hidden gem: Utopia Cafe

The back seating area at Utopia

A few weeks ago, 2 of my foodie friends (C &S) and I went to Utopia Café , located at 586 College Street West, in Toronto. S promised an evening of amazing nachos and delectable poutine. Lucky for us, he did not disappoint.

Tofu Cream Croquettes

Small and very unassuming, Utopia looks like it would fit perfectly in an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Canadian edition, anyone)? From poutine to burgers to their version of Tex-mex, Utopia boasts a huge menu with lots of variety. Normally, I find big menus don’t always deliver, as most places only have a few dishes they really excel at.  Randomly trying a few dishes (and because S INSISTS that anything and everything he’s ever had has been pure genius), I was pleasantly surprised that Utopia does deliver.

We started the meal off with Tofu Cream Croquettes, crispy panko croquettes of fresh tofu and cream cheese served with a spicy chipotle BBQ sauce.  We ordered (well, I may have demanded) these on a whim, after all, tofu and cream cheese have drastically different textures…which means the croquettes had to be amazing or a complete train wreck. Luckily, they were amazing. The texture was soft and the taste mild, while the bbq sauce added just the right amount of zing.

Veggie Nachos

We then ordered the Veggie Nachos (freshly made corn tortilla chips piled high and topped with a blend of melted cheeses, spicy salsa, jalapeño peppers, white beans, tofu, corn and sour cream) – they didn’t disappoint either. The freshly made chips were definitely the star, and while I’m not a fan of white beans, they were actually quite tasty. Even the texture couldn’t weird me out.

Gourmet Poutine

By this point, we were full (but not FULL), so we pushed our luck and ordered one more dish: the Gourmet Poutine (sautéed mushrooms, goat cheese and veggie gravy). Now, I’m not a fan of goat cheese (or strong cheeses in general), but the cheese was very mild and gave some great flavour and texture contrast (I’m not a food snob at all).  It acted almost like a sour cream.

Let’s just say we made quick work of the poutine and then some.

S swears that everything on the menu is delicious…I cannot wait to go back and help prove him right.

Restaurant rating: Definitely worth an extra hour or two at the gym. 

County General

Cinnamon ketchup

Foodie friends are the best because you get to try new things together and break the dishes apart without fear of judgment (yes, this is actually when the words, "these flavours meld perfectly because of the cumin" actually make sense).

Tonight, lil' bro C and I went to County General (a.k.a Splendido's little sibling) on Queen Street West. Small, unassuming, but incredibly busy, Country General serves up some amazing fare. The menu is inspired by Asian and Southwest flavours, but with familiar comfort foods. C's been quite a few times (they knew him by name at the door!), so we ordered what he recommended.  And MAN, OH, MAN was it good.

Roasted bone marrow

We started off with a series of appetizers: roasted bone marrow, fries (because they were out of sausage poutine), jerk coleslaw and trio of steamed pork buns. (To be fair, the portions were REALLY, REALLY, SMALL).

The jerk coleslaw was good - I think I tasted a hint of curry and other familiar spices - but slightly warm. Great texture and flavours though. Must remember to add coriander and carrots to my own coleslaw.

And fries...how could you go wrong with fries? They were fresh cut, amazingly crispy, but the best part of it all? The homemade ketchup - flavoured with - you'll never guess - cinnamon. I NEVER would've thought cinnamon and ketchup would mix, but it does - and beautifully too.

The roasted bone marrow came with some toasted cheese bread - the marrow had strong, comforting beefy flavours, but it definitely needed the bread to cut through the fat.

Pork buns from heaven

But my favourite appetizer of all? The steamed pork buns. When I first saw it on the menu, I assumed it was similar to Chinese pork buns...but not at all. The buns are actually topped with different things: avocado chutney, kim chi and green apple slaw (I got to try the first two). But no matter the topping, the unifying theme was the pork belly that sat on each bun - which, but the way, were amazingly soft...but back to the pork belly. All I can say is: O.M.G. Never have I had such amazing pork belly. Perfect flavour, soft texture and amazing smoky flavour. I could've sat and ate another plate all by myself.

But there were still main dishes to be had. C ordered "The Verga", a sandwich served on pan fried sourdough bread, topped with scamorza affumicata, grilled poached pear, rosemary and house smoked bacon. All I can say is: mmmmmm. The poached pear balanced the cheese, and the salt from the smoked bacon balanced the sweetness of the pear. Had I not had a belly full of appetizers, I would have appreciated this dish more. As things stood, I was already full by the time our mains came.

Buttermilk chicken sandwich

I ordered the fried chicken thigh sandwich, which consists of buttermilk chicken, avocado chutney, coriander and green onion served on a milk bun. The bun was heaven and the avocado chutney brought a freshness to what otherwise would've been a very heavy dish (as things stood, I could only eat half of dinner...C stepped up and finished the rest).

But still...what an incredible dinner of comfort food. And through it all, I had nursed a drink called the "Intemperate Lass": Jim Beam, Martini Bianco, Campari Fielding Sparkling Riesling topped with a slice of orange zest. Very good, if a little on the strong side.

Food is amazing, but I also had good company, both of which when combined, made for good times and a truly remarkable dinner.

Restaurant rating: Definitely worth an extra hour or two at the gym.

The secret is in the pasta water...

I love watching other people cook. Why? Because I ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS learning something new. For example, a while back, J, his boyfriend K, and I had a seafood boil (and yes, I'll get to this in another post). The seafood boil was incredible, but the leftovers - the water that was left behind from the boil was something else entirely. Not only was it flavoured from the herb and seasonings, it was also infused with the seafood we cooked in it (lobster, little neck clams and shrimp).

The flavour was so incredible it seemed a waste to throw the water out. So we froze it. And then we decided to cook pasta in it.

And let's just say that if I have a choice, I will ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, cook pasta in flavoured water. Why? Because as you are cooking the pasta, you are giving it flavour. And the water you cook it in can be anything - water from vegetables (lazy person's vegetable stock), store-bought soup stock, whatever. My point is that I realized the water you cook the pasta in can be just as important as the final sauce you put on it.

In this case, the flavours came from pickling spices (mustard seed, coriander, bay leaves, dill seed, fenugreek, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, red pepper, black pepper, cloves, soy, cottonseed oil,  and ground cayenne pepper).

After cooking the pasta to al dente (after all, what other way is there to cook it?), throw it into the sauce you've prepared.

In our case, it was minced garlic, cooked in olive oil with pancetta, cherry tomatoes, salt, pepper and topped with fresh basil. Mmmmm...

I have to admit, the first time I had this pasta, it was as a student. I observed and managed to recreate something that wasn't too shabby. Except I added shrimp.  Here's exactly what I did:

Ingredients

For cooking the pasta
- Soup stock
- Pasta (preferably something that is shaped to hold onto the water...I chose something with pockets)
- Teaspoon of oil (preferably olive oil)

For topping the pasta
- Olive oil
- Pancetta
- Minced garlic (as much or as little as you like)
- Pinch of salt and pepper (you won't need much since the pasta is already flavoured, and the pancetta is inherently salty)
- Cherry/grape tomatoes (halved)
- Uncooked shrimp (shelled and de-veined)
- Fresh basil leaves (chopped)

Instructions
For cooking the pasta
- Bring your stock to a boil
- Add the pasta and the oil (the oil keeps the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot)
- Bring back to a boil
- Let it simmer for about 8 minutes - STIR CONSTANTLY!

While the pasta is cooking...
For the sauce/topping
- In a pan, heat the olive oil until it sizzles
- Toss in the minced garlic (keep it moving so it doesn't burn)
- Turn the heat to medium and cook for 1-2 minutes
- Throw in the pancetta and cook for 2-3 minutes
- Add the shrimp and cook until it just turns pink (about 2-3 minutes)
- Add in the cherry tomatoes
- Cook for another 2 minutes
- Drain pasta and add to pan
- Toss and remove from heat
- Top with fresh basil leaves

Serve and enjoy (trust me, this is amazing).

George's Tastee Foods (mmmm....a meatlover's post...)

Note: apologies to my vegetarian friends.

I love meat. I can’t help it. I blame my Dad (sorry, Faja Man) for this, since Mom doesn’t really eat meat.  Seafood is great, but until recently (say, the last 5 years), neither me nor Dad have been able to get through a meal on seafood and veggies alone. Seafood at home? Add a fried egg. Chicken? A little bit better. Pork? Now we’re starting to talk.  But the ultimate meal for this meatlover and her Dad?  Beef. 

*drool*

Stir-fried beef with broccoli (it makes the broccoli eatable), sloppy Joes, burgers, roast beef…mmmm…there’s just something amazing about that beefy flavour.

Over the years, I’ve learned that different cuts of meat have a different concentration of flavour. Tenderloin is delicate and responds well to sauces. Blade roasts and chuck have a lot of connective tissue - which when you cook slowly, melts and produces a LOT of flavour (as the Food Network chefs say, fat = flavour). Brisket is a tougher cut of meet, but again, also flavourful. Bones are awesome for soups and stocks – especially ox tail. 

Not only do I find the taste of ox tail comforting, it reminds me of when I was a kid. Growing up, my Popo (maternal grandmother) used to make ox tail soup all the time. Sometimes it was tomato-based, but more often than not, there was a healthy handful of Chinese herbs added to the mix.  Either way, I loved it. Why? Because the taste is rich, warm and entirely delicious.

I’ve tried making ox tail at home – in soups, similar to what Popo made – or as a dish on its own. The rich beefy flavour of ox tail holds up to so many herbs and spices. It is a tougher cut of meat, so for home cooks like me, this means braising and breaking out the slow-cooker (which, btw sucks energy like there’s no tomorrow). But the taste is SO worth it.

(You can get ox tail at Chinese supermarkets like T&T – beware the weekend rush though. Actually, if you go on the weekend, it’s entirely at your own peril).

However, there are times where I’m just plain lazy (I have been known to have popcorn mashed into plain yogurt for dinner…a lazy person’s take on cereal and yogurt). And yes, though it is rare (not many places serve ox tail), there are alternatives.

Ox tail on rice (Photo credit: JL)

I recently came across George’s Tastee Foods (I visited the store in Richmond Hill, at 9021 Leslie Street). And yes, they serve ox tail over rice (and other yummy things like beef and vegetable patties, but this post is all about the beef). And yes, it is delicious. The beefy flavour is awesome and the gravy that it’s served with? Mmmmm….perfect with the rice, but also amazing with all kinds of bread. The Faja Man and I are fans.

It’s a simple dish, but oftentimes, simple things are the best.  And yes, it DOES satisfy the meet craving. 

(Note: Oddly enough, I don’t eat lamb.)

Restaurant rating: Definitely worth an extra hour or two at the gym.

Apple cinnamon cookies

I stumbled across a recipe that tried to re-create Mrs. Fields' cinnamon sugar cookies. Two words: epic fail.

Not only was the recipe dry and horrible, the cookie turned out like a rock. Not one to admit defeat (or maybe I'm just stubborn like my Dad), I gave it another shot, but dramatically changed the recipe.

I also decided to add apple juice - which worked out well. Here is my recipe - apologies for not having pictures of the final product - for some reason, my brain froze both times I made it and I completely forgot to take pictures!

Ingredients

Cookies
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 1 cup dark brown sugar; packed
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter; soft (just below room temperature)
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2-3 table spoons of apple juice

Sprinkling
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Directions
- Preheat oven to 300~F
- In a small bowl, mix sprinkling ingredients together - set aside
- In a medium bowl sift flour, soda and salt - set aside
- In a large bowl blend sugars with an electric mixer at medium speed
- Add the butter and mix until light, but not fluffy
- Add eggs and vanilla extract and apple juice
- Mix at medium speed until light, but not fluffy
- Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined
- Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll each ball in cinnamon-sugar topping (or, if you're lazy like me, use a cookie-dough scoop, press flat with a fork and then sprinkle the topping over it )
- Place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper, approximately 2 inches apart
- Bake in the lower-third of the rack, for approximately 15 minutes (flip halfway through for even cooking)
- Transfer cookies with a spatula to a wire rack

Marking: November 1, 2012

...in exactly 9 months, my ban on chips will be lifted. I seriously plan on throwing a potato chip / Cheetos / Ringalos / onion rings party. It shall be glorious.

The problem with people who care...

...is that sometimes they do things to torture you. It's no secret that I've given up potato chips (and by extension, Cheetos, Ringalos and other yummy treats) for a year. It'll be exactly 3 months on February 1.

So far, it's been easy. Why?

Because people - like my colleagues at work - tend to be considerate of the fact that I have given up something amazing for a year. They applaud my willpower and cheer me on. They also sometimes feel guilty about the fact that they are eating chips right in front of me.  Believe me - I appreciate this thoughtfulness.

Enter J (who has been a bit of a tornado in my life), who also loves chips and Cheetos. And who, not too long ago, was torturing me with a FRESH bag of Cheetos. Not only was there savouring, there was also a description of how yummy those sticks of cheesy orangy goodness are. And how they melt in your mouth.

Like a pesky fly buzzing in my ear.

So what did I do in retaliation? I had a hunk of cheese, a plum, spaghetti and a piece of chocolate (okay, 2 pieces of chocolate). Come to think of it, in order to curb my craving for Cheetos (which J offered to share not out of love, but out of pure enjoyment of watching me suffer), I consumed waaaaay more calories than I would've had I actually eaten the damn things.

As I write this, I can hear the crinkling of the packaging, as he consumes yet another piece of buttery goodness.

*Sigh*...T-9 months to go...maybe I should invest in a flyswatter.

Tired...of food???

It happened again. Every New Year, I take a sabbatical from my KitchenAid - and cooking - in general. Why? Because of the holidays. And of all the stress I impose on myself.

Over the holidays, my baking goes into overdrive. I'm not a huge fan of shopping for gifts, and from a personal stand point, I usually enjoy homemade gifts more than store bought ones. Homemade gifts require time and effort. I theorize that most people feel the same way, which is why for Christmas, I gave everyone a box of homemade cookies, each box with 4 different types of cookies. Multiply 16 cookies times 25 boxes (and of course enough for dessert for Christmas Eve dinner), and you're talking about nearly 600 cookies.  And this was before Christmas Eve. (And doesn't include the cookies I do in trial runs!)

My Father was born on Christmas Eve, and tradition dictates a massive party for anywhere between 30-45 people every year. I love cooking, but there's only so much oven space at my place and my parents' place. Using ovens at both places, that still only covers the roast and the turkey, never mind the fixings. Long story longer, I was very tight on time. My condo literally became Kitchen Stadium. And while dinner takes place on the 24th, I start cooking at least 2 days before.

This year, there were cookies, and birthday cakes and about 10 other sides I can't remember. Was I tired? Yes. But did love every minute of it? Hell yeah.

But do I need a break? Definitely.

At least until the end of January.