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Friends Food Fun

FFF EP – 45: Coconut Shrimp

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httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o8EXKWM1Fg

[Editor’s cautionary preamble. Um … at times I don’t know if we were doing a cooking show in this episode or something a lot more naughty. There were fingers being licked (and pronounced “the best-tasting fingers in the world” TM) and alone-time was sought with … shrimp. What?!?!? ::breathes a huge sigh of relief:: Okay, so this is STILL a cooking show blog … and not the other … uh … thing. In that case, let us return to our customary welcome.]

It is I, Helenka, your fearless advocate of gustatory creativity (aka I eat weird but really tasty food and think you should, too). From the opening bit of silliness above (where I simply had to express myself), you can tell that Brian chose shrimp as the major ingredient for this recipe. And the other amazing collaborator was coconut. Add them together and you get – TA-DA – Coconut Shrimp! Served with a sprightly and colourful side salad. And, well, two additional coconuts (namely Brian and me, but then I gather you’ve already figured that one out a long time ago).

You heard us mention that, in the olden days, we were surprised, intrigued and satisfied with the PC brand of frozen coconut shrimp discovered by Brian. I can still remember the first time Brian made them for me … and was filled with glee, because I’d never eaten the dish. But that was before we figured we could imitate or ::gasps:: even go beyond the original recipe. And this was certainly a terrific example of it. Brian joked (though it’s really true) that this dish would be suitable to serve all-year round (thank you, Brian, because I love to cultivate versatile dishes), as long as the sides were seasonal. Ours was the summer version, served with the salad that I got to … um … play with as I helped assemble the colourful ingredients. But the shrimp could be served alongside pasta mixed with petits pois and diced red peppers, or subtle cilantro-lime rice with sliced green onions, or hearty baked harvest vegetables with walnuts, if you wanted to serve them during the colder weather months.

Helenka’s Nostalgic Meanderings:
Yes, I’m going back to my Polish roots that had absolutely nothing to do with coconuts. But, after my father returned from some R&R in Florida where he’d been sent by his company (by himself which was So. Not. Fair), he brought me three prezzies: a bright beach towel, a shell charm bracelet and … a coconut. Mind you, I wasn’t too impressed with it. First of all, trying to crack the shell was really hard (ow, did I really write that?), I didn’t like the coconut milk (or what I thought was milk) nor the chunks of the flesh itself. But, hey, I was about 12 and still enmeshed in a semi-sheltered culinary bubble ranging from Polish dishes at home … all the way to Polish dishes at my best friend’s house. Wow! The distance was about two blocks. At that point, I hadn’t yet been introduced to Anglo-Canadian school cafeteria fare or even been out for a pizza! Can you believe it?

So, it was a relief to get all growed-up and discover shredded coconut and coconut milk. And how wonderful it was as a gateway ingredient to many new and hitherto unexplored cuisines.

So, I thought all there was to a coconut was its meat and milk. Well, I was wrong. Here I learned that the liquid inside a fresh coconut is actually “coconut water”, something that can be drunk to balance electrolytes (take that, commercial sports drinks) and, since sterile when extracted from a fresh coconut, it had even been used in medical emergency battlefield situations as an IV solution! There is an actual process that must be followed to extract/create milk. Though you’ll have to excuse me if I don’t use the outer shell of one in the shower as a body polisher; I’ll stick to my little, commercial bath scrubber. But, really, all parts of the coconut can be repurposed in an amazing number of ways.

Before we go, we wanted to tell you about our (separate) Thanksgiving celebrations. Brian had his on Saturday with one of his sisters. But let him tell you in his own words. Here’s Brian:
First, we spent the day shopping at a local mall (we are both really good shoppers, though I seem to have more restraint, lol), then came home to Cornish Hens with a bread stuffing and roasted root vegetables. I stuffed the hens the night before (smart, eh?), then the next day put them in the oven and set the timer to start the cooking process so that they would be done by the time we got back (love that feature of my oven). I made my own stuffing which was a recipe handed down to me by some Italian friends (who also introduced me to Cornish hens as a replacement for turkey). The stuffing consists of bread cut into tiny pieces (no crusts, thank you), celery, green onions and carrots (all cut into very tiny pieces), before being sautéed in olive oil. You can add shallots and/or garlic, too. Season to taste and then let cool; stuff the hens and bind them tightly so that the stuffing doesn’t escape. Roast at 350F for about 1.5 or 2 hours. The meat literally falls off the bone and the bones fall apart too, lol. For the veggies, I used an assortment of thinly-sliced root ones, roasted in my oven for about 20-30 minutes at 375F.

The main course was followed by a really good store-bought chocolate cake for dessert. How good, you ask? Well, does two pieces give you a good idea? The rest of the weekend was spent with another friend of mine and we got to enjoy the great summer-like weather. Now … back to Helenka!

[I’m back, I’m back. Yay!] First of all, celebrating Thanksgiving Day is something I learned to do when I grew up, as it wasn’t a part of my traditional Polish childhood. I faintly remember … something, but it wasn’t gobbler-related. This year, I waited until the day itself (aka Monday), but just about everything else was as non-traditional as possible. Well, with the exception of including sweet potatoes. And … um … pumpkin pie (store-bought but very light) with whipped cream. But let me tell you about the sweet potatoes. I only stayed up until 4:30 a.m., trying to find just the right recipe. Even though there were some scrumptious-sounding ones that incorporated sliced apples (and often onion chunks) in a bake, I went for simple Baked Sweet Potatoes with Oregano. After first soaking in cold water, then draining, I mixed huge chunks with olive oil, freshly ground salt and pepper and a generous amount of oregano. Then I baked them on a foil-lined pan at 400F for an hour. Yes, they were very crisp on the outside but melt-in-your-mouth tender on the inside (also, the aroma during baking was so tantalizing). The rest of the impromptu meal had Angus beef sliders and German sauerkraut.

But wait. That wasn’t the only non-traditional thing. As the weather was simply amazing (warm and sunny with a lilting wind), we carried the food out to the picnic table overlooking the lake. I even adorned the table with deccies nearly 20 years old. Really, to be able to sit outside the second weekend of October – in Eastern Canada – without having to bundle up is pretty much miraculous. And it gave us an extra reason to be thankful. Well, until Tuesday morning rolled in with its chill and bitter wind (thereby dashing my hopes of having a relaxing walk along my lake). But, hey, mid-October, ya takes what ya gits. And be happy for it, too.

Until next time, have yourselves a great week and don’t forget to have fun with your food, too!

Enjoy!
B&H =;)

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Please note: We prepare, taste and review the recipes in the cookbook. However, in an effort to respect copyright, we are not able to reproduce the actual printed recipes here. If you do have the book, please follow along with us.

Friends Food Fun

FFF EP – 43 Chili Glazed Salmon

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httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-n96vhqeVE

Hello, Culinary Playmates:

It is I, Helenka, your fearless advocate of gustatory creativity (aka I eat weird but really tasty food and think you should, too). It seems as if Brian and I didn’t have enough chili sauce in the last episode (Chili Mango Chicken), so we decided to have some more. A lot more. Hmmm. Is that another Teletubbies moment, or just simple recognition of something that tastes very good? Well, whatever the motive, this was an excellent recipe to make. I also have this opportunity to correct a misconception from my notes last time (when I was bemoaning the fact that I couldn’t eat salmon from Lake Ontario in a counter-argument to locavore cuisine). I met someone on the boardwalk bridge in front of my castle over the weekend and learned that our wee lagoon is stocked annually with baby salmon and other varieties of fish. So, indeed, there are salmon in Lake Ontario, though not to a commercial level. [::glances over at Brian with a wistful look:: Oh, Brian, will you catch me a salmon? Please? Brian merely rolls his eyes.]

Mind you, in addition to creating this really easy salmon dish (accompanied by broccoli with parmesan), Brian and I certainly did get up to some antics, enjoying a wee drink (or was it five!) of Bailey’s Irish Cream that had been previously chilled in the freezer. I even communed with the floor (very briefly). Well, as we did remind our viewers, we like to mix SF in … occasionally … so perhaps we’d lost our inertial dampeners at that moment. [Note to self: Self, keep baffling the audience with Memories of McKay. Rodney, that is!]

But, speaking of … memories, Brian and I have a whole bunch of them. Or had. What memories? Well, the President’s Choice Memories of sauce collection. We began buying them up avidly when they were first introduced onto the grocery shelves. In fact, for a while, I believe I had more Memories sauces than food in the fridge (probably battling for supremacy with the umpteen jars of olives and pickles). It was almost as if we could close our eyes, get spun around until dizzy, then point to a spot on a globe. And there would be a sauce for it. We each had our own faves. Brian always liked grilling shrimp (mmmmmm, lots and lots of shrimp) with the Thai sauce while I believe I made ribs a few times with the Patagonia sauce, for an unusual taste sensation. But it was no wonder they were so popular. They were very tasty and affordable. Check out some of the various flavours here: Unfortunately, a number of them have been retired over the years (and we miss them a lot).

Since those early days, we’ve both grown more confident, becoming more creative in food prep, with sauces being an easy way to experiment. If you’re putting unknown ingredients together, start out with small quantities of each item, adjusting the proportions to suit your taste. I’m sure you’re already more than aware of my hand-waving during tasting as I try to describe the layered nuances of various sensations on my tongue and and what lingers after I have swallowed. You may find that one ingredient is dominant when the sauce is still in its raw state, but will recede into the background after it has been cooked. And that’s all a part of the experimentation: to have fun and to surprise yourselves. Hey, we do that all the time. If that weren’t the case, we would not have learned that we like to over-garlic a lot of dishes (or, as in this case, over-ginger). So, don’t be afraid to try out strong flavour combinations. If you goof, you don’t necessarily have to throw out your experiment. You may be able to save it and intrigue unsuspecting guests who may not be aware that the spoonful of honey, or wine, or hazelnut oil was an afterthought. You’ll have averted a culinary collapse and learned that you can indeed overcome a variety of obstacles. [Speaking of obstacles, I may have already mentioned this … waaaay back … but I was making … er … trying to make crème brulée for a special dinner for Brian. But the stupid dish refused to become firm. Though I was on the verge of feeling frantic, I simply turned to my freezer, removed the always-chilling bowl of my ice-cream maker and turned the potential disaster into a supremely luscious, creamy vanilla ice cream (that included the essence of a Bourbon vanilla bean pod). I also felt vindicated, years later, when I read a semi-professional cooking magazine that compared different recipes for crème brulée and learned that there are a number of ways the finished product could be sabotaged. But, alas, I didn’t know that at the time. As I’ve said … cooking is a learning experience that never stops.]

In any case, go ahead and try things out. See if your tastebuds compare to your friends’, or are there subtle or wildly diverging differences. If there are, could it be related to where you grew up and what you ate as a child. ::giggles:: Considering Brian’s childhood when compared to mine, sometimes I wonder how we could possibly have anything in common. But that’s the wonder of food. Sometimes all it takes is an open mind (and an open mouth)!

Well, that’s a wrap for our second fall episode for 2011. Until next time, have yourselves a great week and don’t forget to have fun with your food, too!

Enjoy!
B&H =;)

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Please note: We prepare, taste and review the recipes in the cookbook. However, in an effort to respect copyright, we are not able to reproduce the actual printed recipes here. If you do have the book, please follow along with us.

Special Videos

SP Artichoke Dip

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httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYAzrcUMLpA

Hey Foodies!

It is I, your food editor (secretly, it is moi – Brian posing as the evil food editor of this blog). This week I found a video in which I made an artichoke dip for a competition at work. Although I did not win this one, it is still a very good dip for crackers.

Seeing as Summer is also just around the corner, both Helenka and I found it was just TOOOOO hot to blog so we leave you with this special.

See you soon!

Enjoy
B&H =:)

Friends Food Fun

FFF EP 39 – PORK CHOP WITH BALSAMIC GLAZE

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httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PMbhHGZUA4

Hello, Culinary Playmates:

It is I, Helenka, your fearless advocate of gustatory creativity (aka I eat weird but really tasty food and think you should, too).

In this episode, Brian surprised me (do you get the impression that surprising me is one of his fave hobbies … and ::sighs:: so easy?) with the second volume of the Cook This Not That book that has given us so much pleasure over the past year. And this recipe was another hit. As I watched the episode again, I wondered just what I would write about in the notes. After all, we’ve done two pork episodes … plus ribs (and I already provided an assortment of substitutes for the meat and even the fruit when we unveiled Episode 29: Pork Chop With Grilled Peach and Nectarine). So it would be highly redundant for me to repeat myself. Not to mention bo-ring. And I’m sure you already know how Brian and I are both allergic to that word!

And then I thought of the look on my face (not to mention the true barometer of my reaction: just how much arm-waving was involved, lol) when describing the elegantly-nuanced glaze in which the boldness of the balsamic was “tempered” through honey and a bit of butter. So glaze ingredients are where I intend to obsess. Uh … wait. Focus, I meant focus!

Instead of using balsamic vinegar, what about a flavoured one. I remember the amazing tarragon vinegar I used to cook with all the time decades ago. [Helenka wanders over to the kitchen to check out what’s on the rack on the counter.] Apart from the standard white wine, red wine and malt varieties, I’ve got champagne/blueberry, raspberry, cranberry, plain balsamic as well as black maple magic balsamic on hand (and am on the verge of panicking because I appear to be out of rosemary – so where are MY kitchen pixies when I need them). Vinegars, even the gourmet ones, are an extremely affordable route to enhancing the cooking experience and elevating the flavour and aroma of many recipes.

Another easy route to creating a unique glaze is to go through your liquor cabinet [Brian pipes in – Umm you mean there is something left hehe]. Even if you’re not a drinker, there are so many ways alcohol can transform a dish.
* I’ve got a bottle of Ouzo that I haven’t touched in years. So I’m thinking I really should get some lamb or pork, give it a kiss of Ouzo, fennel and oregano and then broil it. I’ll just pretend I’m Liv Ullmann in 40 Carats when I’m eating it. And drinking Ouzo, too!
* Of course, there’s always the traditional grilled steak, perhaps with crushed peppercorns, that is finished off with a splash of brandy and flambéed.
* I’m staring at the bottle of honey mead (a gift from a long time ago) and wondering if I could baste a lobster tail and then broil it, giving it a SNAP of vibrancy with lime wedges. [Of course, I’ve already regaled you with the sumptuous, scrumptious lobster tail dish I made Brian years ago that involved exuberant amounts of brandy, sherry and whisky. Lobster? Oh, it was somewhere in there, too!]
* I’m looking through my fave LCBO resource where I see a yummy glaze made from bourbon, citrus marmalade, honey and dry mustard.

Another resource that was not as developed years ago is prepared salad dressings (when the shelves had nothing but French, Italian, Thousand Island – is that one a Canadian idiosyncrasy – and Russian, in a gesture of bold abandonment for the times). Even though they’re intended to be poured over greens, there’s no reason why you can’t get a few and use them as marinades and glazes. Just be sure to buy the kinds that have no additives. Even an extravagant purchase will still be affordable. And there’s no reason why you can’t doctor it up further after you’ve brought it home. I’m thinking of adding more sesame seeds to an Asian sesame dressing. For one thing, if you’re broiling or grilling, the heat will transform the taste of the seed (or nut), making it truly unforgettable.

The final ingredient – whose excellence as a tool for refinement cannot be denied – is butter. Brian didn’t use a lot of it, but it finished off the glaze in a way that nothing else could have. It’s the unique texture and taste. I’m constantly reminded of how Brian added just a bit to his French pot roast. [Speaking of which, it’s time to nag Brian to make it again, pleeeeeeeeease. [Brian pipes in again – Oh quit your whining already jsksdsdfjkl fjklasdfj thisdjksldfjklsd fjklsdjfjfj ff fjkfldjslll thisi is fsjdklf fjfjfdksthis … oops she just realized I was typing gibberish so I’d better stop now! ] Especially if the glaze you’re making does not have any fat in it, there’s nothing to prevent you from incorporating a silky swirl of real butter. After all, I’m still rolling my tongue around phantom taste sensations. So … if it’s so vivid that it can evoke those reactions in me, it just has to be amazing! But, as always, don’t just take my word for it. Go. Try. And soar!

Until next time, have yourselves a great week and don’t forget to have fun with your food, too!

Enjoy!
B&H =;)

Please note: We prepare, taste and review the recipes in the cookbook. However, in an effort to respect copyright, we are not able to reproduce the actual printed recipes here. If you do have the book, please follow along with us.

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Friends Food Fun

FFF – EP 37 HAVE-IT-YOUR-WAY GOURMET GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH

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httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYS3QebNIX8

Greetings, Earthlings!

It is I, Helenka, ultimate ruler of the uni— ::reacts to sudden poke from Brian:: What? Oh, sorry. Wrong blog. Let’s try this one more time.

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Hello, Culinary Playmates:

Are you ready to go on another adventure with us? Fabulous. Because Brian decided we’d had so much fun with our decadently divine cheese tasting (Episode #32) that we should do it again by inventing our own grilled cheese sammidges – where I got to play with all the potential ingredients (and I did, I so did).

Now, if this were a typical blog entry, I would talk about what we made during the filmed episode and only later on provide variations. But I can’t do that this time … because the entire episode was one giant variation. And that was exhilarating for me! Come to think of it, I believe that’s one of Brian’s devious devices to get an unscripted and unpredictable reaction from me on camera. ::sighs:: And it works.

As I mentioned during the filming, here was another dish that I had been deprived of while growing up, with the one prominent exception in my adult life. I find it fascinating to see how we can intertwine a food with a memory of a happy occasion. Though it’s been at least 36 years, I can still remember the crisp but sunny day, the meandering walk through Rosedale on my way to my friend’s place, being offered that most humble combination, aka a grilled cheese sandwich, and finally watching The African Queen for the first time. Do you have any significant memories of happy events or important people in your lives that are inextricably meshed with a particular food? See for yourselves how many you can pair together.

To recap, here were my two exquisite creations:
#1
Danish Blue cheese
Saint André cream cheese
Stone baked Rosemary Ham
Asian Pear
#2
Balderson 6-year old Cheddar cheese
Mont Gleason cheese
Bacon
Caramelized Onions
Fuji Apple
Honey Dijon Mustard

Anyway, back to the important lesson from this episode. Even if you did grow up with the standard version of a grilled cheese sandwich (two slices of bread spread with butter or marge with a slice of cheddar in between), there is absolutely NO reason for you not to create your own unique masterpieces!

Variations:
If you’re stumped for ideas, just think about some of the cold sandwiches you’ve eaten of which cheese is a part … and translate them into a grilled version.
Like:
-Rare roast beef and Brie
-Reuben (corned beef, sauerkraut and Swiss)

Or, if you want to, you can think of a grilled cheese sandwich as an unusual type of pocket pizza. Any traditional (or weird) combo will work beautifully.
Try:
-Hawaiian (ham, pineapple and mozzarella)
-Vegetarian (mushroom, roasted red pepper and asiago)

Don’t be afraid to mix two cheeses (or go on a spree with three!). Get out the tomato or onion relishes that you normally use only during hot dog/hamburger season. See what other condiments are lurking at the back of your cupboard. Mix fruit with veggies. We did it with our salads before, so why not with this comfort food.

Or turn this into a simple yet decadent breakfast or dessert sandwich. You heard me wishing we’d had fresh figs. That’s only one possibility. There are so many other firm-fleshed fruits (peaches or nectarines, apricots, strawberries) that would be sensational with goat cheese. Cut the sandwich into four pretty triangles, sprinkle with a little powdered sugar and drizzle with maple syrup and … ohhhhh … um … where was I?

Any of the ideas we’ve presented for the French toast or pancake episodes could be adapted for use here as well, as long as the fruit is fairly sturdy. And just remember that the cheese needs to have body as well. That’s why I would not recommend a deli-style cream cheese alone, as its consistency would be too thin to withstand the heat of the oven unless paired with a firmer cheese.

So, please remember that, just because a grilled cheese sandwich used to be a fairly boring and traditional staple, you can play with it to your heart’s content. Because playing with your food is one of those unexpected (and often whispered) privileges of being a grownup. And more people, other than Teppan chefs who juggle food for entertainment, should be able to do so. Cheers to that!

Until next time, have yourselves a great week and don’t forget to have fun with your food, too!

Enjoy!
B&H =;)