ham + cheese baguette

It’s no secret that I enjoy the bread Cobs makes. For a chain, they make damned fine bread products. Their pane di casa italian rolls are crispy, light and airy with a hint of chew, and I’m a fan of the new Turkish rolls, with the same consistency of the pane di casa, but a generous smothering of olive oil and seasonings on top.

When I visited the other morning, one of the bakers came barreling out of the back. “Behind!” he shouted to the front clerk, before loading a wire rack laden with French baguettes into the display. He then rang a cowbell hanging above, and yelled “FRENCH BAGGGGUUUETTES!” while the other bakers cheered in the back. Turns out the French baguette is a brand new item at Cobs. It was amazing and it immediately brought me back to the first time my Mom brought my brother and I to continental Europe in the early 1990s.

We were living in England at the time, and caught the ferry over to Bruges, in Belgium for a day trip. The food had a huge influence on me, and I still remember every meal we ate that day. There was a serving of spaghetti bolognese that could have sunk a ship (and indeed sunk me, I was ill after overeating it) and the crispiest most delicious pizza ever eaten at an outdoor cafe on the main square of the town. But the best was a last minute picnic of fresh baguettes and some cheese and meats we found at a small market. God, was it ever delicious.

After I finished day dreaming, I naturally had to get a baguette and desired to fill it with ham and cheese. I swung by the Italian Center and loaded up on meats and cheeses. I wasn’t home two minutes when I was tearing into the meats, cutting cheddar and assembling a delicious rosemary ham and cheese baguette. So simple, so delicious.

All year, I wait for this to happen. For cherries to flood the marketplace. The king? Rainiers. They’re approximately double the price of regular cherries, and a delicious hybrid of Van and Bing varieties. They’re incredible, and I eat them like there is no tomorrow.

And there really isn’t a tomorrow. Friday night at Costco I got the last clam shell of Rainiers. Seems like the season may be coming to an end. Who knows when I’ll get to taste their sweet meaty flesh again, but I’m hoping it’s in a few weeks when I go to Kelowna to visit my brother. BC Cherry says they’ll be in high production when I’m there.

Maybe by then my stomach will have settled down again, and I’ll stop finding pits in weird places.

It’s been a while since I posted an afternoon snack, but here’s a delicious one I can’t get enough of right now: Mediterranean “Grilled Cheese”.

The recipe started off as roasted veggies: a simple mix of zucchini, eggplant and onions in oil. Add to that some fresh herbs, chick peas, super ripe grape tomatoes and some feta cheese, stuff it all in a pita, and it’s delicious.

Even better? Grilling it so the cheese melts and the pita gets crispy. We don’t have a sandwich press in our little apartment, so I improvised, and got two pans hot, pressing the pita between them.

It looks kind of sad and flat in this photo, but trust me: delicious.

Okay, so this is mostly a midnight snack, not an afternoon one. I have shifted to working some late nights at work and getting home after 11pm leaves me feeling a bit nibbly. Since I discovered a pan my mom got me was perfect for making stove top popcorn, I’ve been making it a few times a week.

Add a sprinkle of fleur de sel, crack of pepper and a bit of freshly grated parmesan cheese if it’s around. Mike likes his with olive oil and sometimes Ethiopian berbere spice, but I prefer mine oil and butter-free. (Tip: add the salt/seasoning before you add butter or oil, it actually sticks to the popcorn better. A chef friend shared this with Mike and it does make a difference!)

I recommend the yellow popcorn kernels if you have a choice. The white are supposedly ‘gourmet’ because they are lighter and more delicate, but I found them smaller, harder and less satisfying. The yellow kernels puff up better and are more substantial.

The key is to making good poppo is finding a good pan. The one I use is shallow enough to contain the heat and steam necessary to pop the kernels, and large enough in surface area to keep the kernels in a single layer in the oil while they cook.

Can you see the different popcorn kernels? To use up the leftover white popcorn, I mixed it in with some yellow.

Other afternoon snacks I have enjoyed:

• Long Clawson Whiskey Cheese
• Pattypan Squash
• Crazy White Girl Guacamole

Feeding a crowd can always be a challenge, especially when you do not know what any one else is bringing. Matt & Amy, hosts of the Superbowl 2009 party I attended just said “Bring a dip!” I decided on a modified seven layer dip. One was a classic preparation, the other modified for the vegan and vegetarian attending.

Superbowl Seven Layer Dip

I made two versions of this, the large pan and a smaller version for my vegan friend, Andy. I omitted the mayo/sour cream layer and cheese topping, and added a layer of sauteed garlic and tomatillos for him.

2 cans black beans
1 onion, diced. 1/2 for black beans, save other 1/2 for pico de gallo
1 clove garlic, minced
2 avocados
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tablespoon cumin, 1/2 tablespoon chipotle pepper, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Spice to your liking. If in a hurry, you could use a package of taco seasoning

2 tomatoes, diced
1/2 onion from before
1/2 to a whole jalapeno, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
squirt of lime juice
1/2 cup cilantro

1 can pitted black olives, chopped
1 can pickled jalapenos
10 tomatillos, chopped
1 large bunch green onions, chopped
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
1 bag of your favourite tortilla chips

Warm up black beans in pan with onion and garlic. Heat until beans start to explode, and you can mash it a bit. Spread evenly over an oblong dish or large, round, flat bottomed dish or bowl. I used an 11×14 glass dish.

Mash peeled avocados. Mix with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Spread on top of beans.

Sautee tomatillos in a bit of vegetable oil, until soft. Set aside.

Mix sour cream, mayonnaise and spices. Spread evenly on top of avocado mixture.

Sprinkle a layer of chopped black olives over the top. Sprinkle jalapenos, and tomatillos. Spread pico de gallo, followed by a layer of chopped green onion over the mix.

Shred cheese and layer it on top.

Use tortilla chips for dipping.

First layer: black beans with garlic, jalapenos and onions. Fried until they start to burst and you can mash them.

Avocado layer.

Sour cream, mayo and spice layer. The recipe called for jar mayonnaise and a packet of taco seasoning. Instead, Mike whipped up some homemade mayo spiked with cumin. I also added chipotle spice, smoked salt, pepper and cayenne to the blend.

Mike making the mayo. Doing it by hand is an arduous procedure. I love our hand blender: I can puree soups and Mike can make mayo in a snap.

The recipe was based on one by Michel Roux, a curry mayonnaise I believe.

Note to self: buy more olives next time. This sparse layer looked kind of sad so I added…

Canned jalapenos. Spicy!

Pico de gallo, cilantro and green onions on top. Cheese would also be a nice addition, but I left it out. I served it with tortilla chips.

This recipe was definitely a keeper. It was a bit of work, but the tex-mex flavours were a favourite, and homemade dips are always better. I will probably try to make my own refried black beans next time.

It must be avocado season, because I noticed that both Safeway and Costco had bumper crops this week, priced quite reasonably.

I grabbed a few that were soft to the touch (patience is a virtue, but not one of mine. I like my avocados ripe) and whipped up some guacamole to snack on.

My recipe is pretty simple, and quite close to Mexican cuisine God Rick Bayless’ “Simple Guacamole” Basically: be a confident cook, have good avocados and good tortilla chips.

The fixin’s for good guac

Crazy White Girl Guacamole

• 2 medium avocados (if they are not soft, stuff them in a paper bag with bananas for a day or two)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 to a whole jalapeno pepper, minced
• 1/2 red onion, diced finely
• juice of 1/2 a lime
• 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• handful of cilantro, coarsely chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Cut avocados in half, circling around the stone. Jab tip of knife into stone and twist to pop out. Cube avocado in it’s skin, then pop out into a bowl. Coarsely mash with a fork, pouring lime juice on top. Add all other ingredients, mixing. Season to taste.

Easy, right? Basically, just know your tastes in guacamole. I sometimes add more lime or jalapeno. Occasionally, in goes green onion or radish, sometimes a bit of cumin. I usually do it chunky-style.

It is best to eat it all as soon as possible, as the avocado oxidizes quickly, even with the help of the lime acidity. Covering with Saran Wrap, pressing down into the guac and storing in an air tight container will help contain the browning. Also, it’s not bad for you, it just don’t look pretty. Spread it on a sandwich or something if it bothers you.

Mike and I devoured our snack with some Que Pasa brand organic corn chips. They are low in salt, so I find them easier to eat; the corners of my mouth don’t hurt as much after eating. I bought these at Costco, but you can also buy them at Sobeys Urban Fresh. Sooooo goooood.

Baby petit pan squash

Costco is really ramping it up with gourmet food items. Online, you can order aged balsamic vinegars and fine olive oils from their “fine foods” section. In store, I’ve recently found moderately priced treats like chanterelle mushrooms (which I used in a mushroom tart) and now, baby petit pan (aka pattypan) squash.

The tiny tender squash are extremely beautiful in their bright yellow and green skins, and several people around me commented on them while waiting in line. I hope they weren’t just admiring, but went and bought some of these delicious and somewhat exotic vegetables.

Pattypan squash have a delicate scalloped edge, edible stem and resemble small flowers. They are well suited for serving as a nice looking but easy to make side dish that will impress dinner guests. After a horrible experience dining at Edmonton’s La Ronde restaurant, I realized how easy it is to fuck that up though. I was thrilled to see the expensive squash on my plate as a seasonal vegetable, but was dismayed when it was undercooked and bitter. Gross.

I simply steamed mine for about 6 minutes, tossed them in a bit of butter and sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, cracked pepper and some Maldon salt. They are sweet and buttery, like tiny courgettes, with a bit of an al dente bite. I cannot stop popping them in my mouth. The perfect afternoon snack!

Costco: not just for hot dogs anymore.

Pattypan squash: $7.99 for a two pack (750g) at Costco

Whiskey cheddar with rosemary garlic crackers

As is my custom, on the days I work I often stop in at Sobeys on Jasper Avenue on my way home to pick up some fresh fruit or veg, or interesting treats.

On a recent visit, after Mike requested I get some cheese, I went with something really unusual and different: Long Clawson mature cheddar with malt whiskey cheese. I thought it might be lightly flavoured with a hint of whiskey, or perhaps be covered in a whiskey flavoured rind. What we got was whiskey with a hint of cheese.

The texture was very crumbly and very soft; sort of like feta. Perhaps you can see its flakiness in the photo. You don’t so much as eat it as you do let it melt in your mouth. The whiskey scent was strong, and the taste was overwhelming. I really enjoy cheese, and found that the taste of the liquor lingered from start to finish – there was not much cheese to be had.

I couldn’t find much about the production of this cheese, but I feel like instead of being quickly dipped, the whiskey either played a part in the production of the cheese, or the cheese was allowed to soak in the whiskey.

Mike had his in a grilled cheese sandwich, which he declared a bit “too much” and “alcoholic.” I had mine with some roasted garlic and rosemary “Wisecrackers”. Just a slice or two and it was enough. This cheese might be better suited to beer tastings, fondues or holiday cheese boards for its novelty.

Will not buy again.

Long Clawson whiskey cheddar cheese: $2.89 / 100g at Sobeys