For my birthday, my mom gave me a copy of The Art of Living According to Joe Beef.  Joe Beef  is one of Montreal’s culinary gems and its book reads like a gastronomical novel – it’s just beautiful in content and images.

One of the recipes I knew I had to immediately try is the BBQ Pulled Pork over Seared Scallops.  Yes, it’s a bit odd in concept.  No, you haven’t made a better dish than this one at home – guaranteed.

I served this dish as a main course but I’ll have it in my back pocket as an amazing starter for upcoming dinner parties.

Pulled Pork Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. paprika
• 1 Tbsp. each salt, pepper, granulated sugar
• One 4-5 pound pork shoulder (sometimes called Boston Butt)
• ¼ cup yellow mustard
• ½ cup water
• 4-5 jumbo scallops per person
• Canola oil for frying
• Sea salt and pepper

Hollandaise Sauce Ingredients:

• 7 egg yolks, at room temperature
• 1 cup butter
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice

World’s Best BBQ Sauce, Ever, heated

Pulled Pork Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, combine the paprika, salt, pepper and sugar.  Slather the pork with the yellow mustard then coat with the spice mixture.  Place pork in a large Dutch oven and add the water.  Put the pork in the oven for five hours.  After the initial five hours, check for doneness every hour, covering the meat with aluminum foil if it becomes dry or overly browned, until it’s cooked for nine hours total.  The meat should be fork tender.
3. Allow meat to cool for 15 minutes then, using two forks, pull it off into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl (can be made a day ahead of serving if refrigerated then warmed in hot BBQ sauce).

Hollandaise Sauce Directions:

1. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter.  Allow to cool for 3 minutes.
2. In a tall container, like a pitcher, add the egg yolks.  Using an immersion blender, add the butter to the yolks in a slow, steady stream until the sauce thickens and is emulsified.
3. Add the cayenne pepper, the salt and the lemon juice.  Keep sauce at room temperature until ready to use.  Makes about ½ cup.

Plating Directions:

1. In a large cast iron or non-stick pan over high heat, add the oil and heat until shimmering hot.  Add the scallops and cook for two minutes on each side.  Remove onto a paper towel.
2. For each scallop you’re using: in a medium bowl, add one tablespoon of pork and two tablespoons of hot BBQ sauce.  Combine meat and sauce well.
3. Add a tablespoon of Hollandaise sauce per scallop on a plate (1-2 for a starter or 4-5 for an entrée).  Top the sauce with a scallop.  Top each scallop with a tablespoon of BBQ-sauced pulled pork.

Notes:  The pulled pork in its state at the end of step 3 of “Pulled Pork Directions” can be used in a multitude of ways when combined with BBQ sauce: pulled pork sandwich, as a topping for pizza, in tacos, etc…

Need some inspiration for a romantic meal this Valentine’s Day (or any old day)?  Here are four, simple-to-make dishes along with wine pairings that are sure to show your loved one(s) how much you care.

• Savory Cheese Tartlets with Blackberries paired with  La Marca Di Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco ($12)
• Cream of Asparagus and Vermont Sharp Cheddar Cheese Soup  paired with  2007 Hirsch Vineyards San Andreas Pinot Noir ($65)
• Boeuf en Croûte (Beef Wellington)  paired with  2006 Stag’s Leap Artemis Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($40)
• Simple Greek Yogurt and Berry Tart  paired with  2008 Heron Hill Late Harvest Vidal Blanc ($18)

BONUS – breakfast:  Strawberry and Nutella-Stuffed Crepes

Whichever dish you decide to prepare for your loved one(s) this Valentine’s Day, I hope your meal is paired with love.

Cheers,

Veronique

I was making prime rib for a small New Year’s Eve party I was hosting and couldn’t see not serving Yorkshire Puddings.  Some past recipes I’d tried failed and I was somewhat intimidated to try again, particularly for a holiday dinner party.  I found the following straight-forward recipe that proved both simple to prepare and delicious.

Adapted from a recipe by Regina Varolli.

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk, divided
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• ½ tsp. coarse kosher salt
• ¼ cup liquid beef rendering or vegetable oil

Directions (at least 6 hours prior to serving the puddings):

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with ½ cup of milk, set aside.
2. In another medium bowl, combine the flour and salt together.  Add the egg mixture and whisk vigorously until there are absolutely no lumps left in the batter.
3. Cover the batter with plastic wrap and keep it at room temperature until ready to use (at least 6 hours).

Directions (when ready to serve the Yorkshire puddings):

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Place a 12-muffin tin into the hot oven and heat it until the pan is very hot, about 5 minutes.  Measure out one teaspoon of beef fat (or oil) into each muffin cup and place the pan back in the oven.  Leave the pan in the oven until the fat is literally smoking hot, about 5 minutes.
3. As the fat is heating, whisk the remaining ½ cup cold milk into the batter that’s been sitting out all day.  Whisk in some fresh, coarsely ground black pepper to taste. Put the batter into a vessel that makes it easy to pour.
4. When the fat is smoking, take the muffin tin out of the oven and, working as quickly as possible, pour the batter evenly into the 12 cups.  If the batter doesn’t sizzle as you pour it in the muffin cups, expect your Yorkshire puddings to not rise.
5. Immediately return the pan to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.  Do not open the oven for the first 20 minutes of baking.  The Yorkshire puddings are done when they are dark golden brown and dry to the touch.  The inside of the puddings will be moist.
6. Serve immediately.  Yorkshire puddings don’t wait, so bake them as you need to serve them.

Makes 12 standard muffin-sized puddings.

I got this recipe from the fine folks at Driscoll’s^® and had to share it as it is perfect for holiday entertaining.

Filling Ingredients:

• 5 oz. rindless goat cheese, at room temperature
• 3 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tsp. minced fresh thyme
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp. honey, preferably full flavored, such as chestnut or thyme, warmed

Cream Cheese Dough Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• Pinch of salt
• 7 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, at room temperature, plus more for pans, if needed
• 3 oz. cream cheese, cut into tablespoons, at room temperature

 Directions:

1. Combine flour and salt in a food processor fitted with metal chopping blade and pulse to combine. Add butter and cream cheese and pulse about 10 times, until mixture begins to clump together. Gather up dough and shape into a thick disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled and easy to handle (about 2 hours).
2. Position rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Have ready two 12-cup miniature muffin pans (each cup measuring 1 7/8 inches across the top and 7/8 inches deep), preferably nonstick. If the pans are not nonstick, lightly butter them.
3. Divide dough into 24 equal pieces. Place one piece in each muffin cup.  Using fingers, press dough firmly and evenly up sides to make a pastry shell.  (A wooden tart tamper can help the job go quickly.) Freeze 5 minutes.
4. Mash goat cheese and cream cheese together in a medium bowl until smooth. Add egg, yolk, minced thyme, salt and pepper and whisk until combined. Spoon equal amounts of filling into chilled pastry shells.
5. Bake tartlets until crust is golden brown and filling is puffed (about 25 minutes). Let cool for 10 minutes in pans. Remove tartlets from pans and transfer to a wire cake rack to cool completely.
6. Just before serving, lightly brush tops of tartlets with about 1 tablespoon of honey. Arrange berries on top as desired. Drizzle with the remaining honey. Sprinkle with the thyme leaves and serve.

Servings: 24 tartlets, 8 to 12 servings

It’s getting cooler outside and this type of weather calls for me to fondue.  This past weekend, I hosted a fondue party where I served a cheese fondue as an appetizer that was made using Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar and Victory Headwaters.  Great combination and prepared in a snap.

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces medium-bodied beer (half a bottle)
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 16 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• Pinch of grated nutmeg

Preparation:

1. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan set over medium-high heat, combine the beer and Worcestershire sauce.  In a small dish, combine the mustard and flour to form a paste.  Add the paste to the beer mixture, whisking vigorously to fully incorporate.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium.
2. Add the cheese to the beer mixture by the handful, allowing the cheese to melt before adding more, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat to medium-low, add nutmeg and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is smooth.  Keep on low until ready to serve, then pour the cheese into a warm fondue pot.
3. Serve with crusty bread cubes and baby potatoes that have been par boiled.

Makes 6 appetizer-size servings.

Notes: Can’t find Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar?  No sweat – use any other sharp cheddar.  The fun part of cheese fondue is that you can vary the cheese and the liquid you use.  Gruyere and white wine would be amazing.

Last night, I had some friends over for fondue night.  We don’t fondue as often as we should because when we do, it’s a great time.  There’s no better way to stretch out a meal than to fondue.

I served a cheese fondue made using Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar from Vermont and Victory Headwaters.  Sharp cheese and beer – winning!  For dinner, I typically do a fondue pot with beefy, wine broth for shrimp, chicken and cheese cubes and a pot with hot oil for beef tenderloin.  The dinner fondues are served with three dipping sauces, this time: Sriracha and maple mayo, a Dijon mustard and tarragon mayo and a garlic mayo.  Just a fun concept and please ping me if you’d like fondue tips.

Today is football day at our home and we usually take it super easy on Sunday afternoons.  This means that I typically make dinner in the morning so we can just eat in front of the television later.  Today, I made my Grandma’s amazing meat sauce that we’ll eat with spaghetti.  I double the sauce recipe as it freezes beautifully.

Hope you’re having as great a weekend as I’m having!

Cheers,

Veronique

Every summer, I go to Maine for a long weekend.  I’ve done this since the year I was born, and my parents did this with their families growing up.  It’s what we Quebecois do in the summer – drive to the nearest beach, get some sun and eat seafood.

This summer when I drove up to Maine, I had three foodie goals in mind in the spirit of traditions: beach pizza, boardwalk fries and a lobster roll.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to make it to the lobster roll shack and have had this craving ever since.

While at the grocery store Saturday, I saw New England-style hot dog buns with the top split.  In Quebec, where I grew up, all the hot dogs are top split, but after moving to the USA in the late 80s, I quickly discovered that hot dogs are mostly side split with crust on all around.  When I saw the New England-style buns, I just knew I’d be taking advantage of them by filling them with decadent lobster salad.  Here’s how simple and quick it is to make lobster rolls.

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup chopped celery
• 4 Tbsps. good quality mayonnaise
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 heavy pinch each, salt and pepper
• 2 small lobster tails, cooked and roughly chopped
• 2 New England-style hot dog buns
• 2 tsps. room-temperature butter

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the celery, mayo, lemon juice and salt and pepper.  Add the lobster meat and gently coat the meat with the mayo mixture using a fork.
2. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  While the skillet is heating up, butter the crustless sides of each hot dog bun.  Add the buns to the hot skillet and grill each buttered side to a deep golden brown.  Remove from the skillet and open up each bun.
3. Divide the lobster salad into two portions.  Scoop each portion into a bun and pack in tightly using the back of the fork.

Makes two lobster rolls.

Notes:  Cooked lobster tails can be found in the seafood section of your local grocery store.  If you can’t find cooked lobster tails and don’t feel like cooking some, you could replace with canned lobster meat or even with lump crab meat.

Those of you who follow my blog have read about the tasting menu dinners I sometimes host at my home.  This weekend, I decided to do a four-course fish and seafood tasting menu dinner for two featuring some fresh produce and herbs from my garden.

Here are the dishes I served:

Lump Crab & Yellow Tomato Coulis Shooter

Course #1:  Yellow Tomato Coulis and Lump Crab Shooter

I have beautiful yellow tomatoes ripening in my yard that I absolutely love.  They are sweet and fresh and simply delicious.  For this easy starter, I pureed a couple medium yellow tomatoes with excellent olive oil, a few basil leaves, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper in a food processor.  I served about ¼ cup of this golden elixir in a shot glass topped with a tablespoon of lump crab meat and a tiny basil leaf.

Scallop Crudo

Course #2:  Scallop Crudo

I love crudo (“raw” in Italian) dishes in the summer.  In essence, crudo dishes feature raw fish or seafood ‘cured’ in citrus juice, olive oil, salt and sometimes vinegar.  For those who are not fans of raw fish or seafood, this preparation allows the seafood or fish to cook in the acidic liquid, so give it a try!

I sliced large scallops thinly then cured the slices in a combination of orange and lime juices, a splash of red wine vinegar, sea salt, top quality olive oil, thinly sliced Thai chilies and fresh cilantro leaves.  Absolutely fabulous!

Lobster Tail Risotto

Course #3:  Lobster Tail Risotto

Risotto is uber popular at my home, so knew I had to prepare it for this special meal.  I grilled a 10-ounce lobster tails for 5 minutes, then removed from the shell and sliced carefully.  I made risotto with tons of butter, olive oil, elephant garlic and yellow onion, and then topped the luscious concoction with the lobster tail slices.  Not a bad dish!

Fish Three Ways

Course #4:  Fish Three Ways

I love the idea of serving three fish dishes on one plate. I opted for cod, salmon and yellow fin tuna – pale white to deep red fish.  The cod was marinated in sesame oil, miso and ponzu then lightly sautéed and served over steam soy beans.  The salmon was Dijon mustard and maple syrup-glazed and grilled on a cedar plank then served over leftover glaze.  The tuna was marinated for a short while in steak sauce then grilled to medium rare and served over Taboule salad.  Great flavor and visual contrasts!

Doing this type of meal for two people or six people isn’t difficult.  One needs to make a list of the dishes and accompaniments to be served, make as many of the dishes in advance (or at least prep the dishes) as possible and know what you’ll plate everything on!

Let me know if you try your own tasting menu dinner – cheers!

Veronique

Gnocchi with Butternut Squash

Need some inspiration for a romantic meal this Valentine’s Day (or any old day)?  Thought I’d share some of the recipes I’ve made recently that have earned me rave reviews.

5 recipes to treat your Valentine to:

1. Gnocchi with Butternut Squash and Bacon in Sage and Danish Blue Cheese Sauce
2. Porcini Mushroom and Lobster Macaroni and Cheese
3. Ragu alla Bolognese (Bolognese Sauce)
4. Grilled Salmon in Grape Leaves
5. Red Velvet Cake with Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

Whichever dish you decide to prepare for your loved one(s) this Valentine’s Day, I hope your meal is paired with love.

Veronique

Simple to prepare and tastes like a million bucks – this soup has it all.  Perfect first course on a cold winter night or when hosting guests who are vegetarians.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 medium Spanish onion, finely chopped
• 3 celery ribs, finely chopped
• 3 leeks, white and light green parts chopped
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
• 2 tbsp dry vermouth (optional)
• 32 ounce container vegetable broth
• 1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. In a heavy saucepan, sauté the onion, celery and leek in the oil for 5 minutes over medium heat.
2. Add oregano, salt and pepper and cook for 2 additional minutes – vegetables should be soft a lightly browned.
3. Add the vermouth and the vegetable broth and simmer partially covered for 45 minutes over medium-low heat.
4. Add the cream and warm for 2 minutes.
5. Working in 2 batches, add the soup to a blender and puree until smooth, about 1 minute.  ***Be sure to remove the small venting cap from the blender to allow steam to come out and place a kitchen towel to cover the opening.  Return the pureed soup to a clean saucepan and gently heat for 2 minutes.
6. To serve, ladle soup into bowls.

Serves 6 as a starter or 4 as a main course.

Note: Dress the soup with a light drizzle of heavy cream for an elegant touch.