This past Sunday La Petite Chef took part in a cooking competition and came in first! The name of the comeptition,  Not Your Baba’s Borscht. The Children’s of Chernobyl organized this fundraiser for their sub charity, Dishing for Dzherelo. Dzherelo is a rehabilitation center in Ukraine that works with children of special needs. Ukraine is seriously lacking in government run programs for people with special needs so organizations like this are extremely important. We jumped at the chance to get involved.

What were we going to compete for? The golden beet. By making the best borscht and passing the scrutiny of judges as well as all the audience the winner would take home this trophy and have ample bragging rights to boot.

Competitors were Chef Anthony Rose, Drake Hotel,  Chef Donna Dooher Mildred’s Temple Kitchen, Exec. Sous Chef Jeff Dueck Art Gallery of Ontario and Tatiana Shabotynsky of La Petite Chef.

Everyone had really interesting interpretations, Chef Anthony used smoked brisket, Donna Dooher and her crew used golden beets and Chef Dueck used candy cane beets.We decided on a traditional red borscht with wild mushroom dumplings called Ushka, dill and sour cream swirl and a side crostini topped with pork liver pate.

Lynn Crawford was an amazing host and I have never met anyone with so much energy. Anne Yaramovich and her crew also prepared a mouth watering lunch inspired by the menu at Veselka. Veselka is a Ukrainian restaurant in New York which is famous for it’s borscht. The owner, Tom Birchard was one of the judges. The remaining two judges were Malcolm Jolley of Good Food Revolution and Olga Stanko as the honorary “baba” representative.

The instructions we received were the following;

The Competition:

Each Chef will prepare and serve 253 small portions of their borshch entry.

Each guest, and each judge will receive a taster of your soup anonymously labelled for judging.

The Borshch should be your interpretation of best borshch ever!

The only criteria is that it should contain beets, and it should have some kind of souring agent. 

It need not be authentic, and it can express your preferred style of cuisine.

Judging Criteria:

Presentation   20%

 Taste    50%

Creativity   10%

Novel or impressive use of ingredients  10%

Authenticity   10%

 For a Total of  100 %

For some more info check out:

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/-1578624.htm

http://www.kyivpost.com/news/guide/general/

Highlights:

I like using blogs to research recipes because they are honest. Equipped with step by step photos and readers’ comments it is the safest way to find recipes off the internet. I found them the most useful in my quest for the perfect muffin recipe.

After reading a lot of blogs and  browsing through what felt like hundreds of different websites on the muffin topic I managed to put together a decent list of reliable sources that I thought were on to something. Their suggestions were more or less the same and their products looked good. I plan to use them as guides and will probably try out a few of the recipes. In my opinion, the best sites for muffin recipes are:

The List

http://www.simplebites.net/how-to-make-the-best-muffins/

http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/2006/01/cooking-school-bakery-style-muffins.html

http://www.bakedperfection.com/2009/02/bakery-style-blueberry-muffins.html

http://www.slashfood.com/2006/01/08/tips-for-creating-a-bakery-style-muffin/

http://www.joyofbaking.com/muffins/muffinrecipes.html

http://bakingfix.com/thefix/?p=3343

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/tips-techniques/quick-baking-tip-how-to-get-a-domed-muffin-top-143051

http://www.ilovemuffins.ca

The Conclusion

After completing my online research I concluded the flowing:

1. I need a recipe that uses either sour cream or yogurt

2. I need a recipe that uses a decent amount of baking powder as a leavening agent

3. I need the batter to be very thick

4. I need ingredients to be room temperature

5.  I need to not over mix

6. I need to bake at a higher temperature

7. I need to use butter

 

This will narrow down the recipe pool list a little I think.

 

Online research complete! Next, scour the city for the best muffin and stuff my face with as many candidates as possible.

 

I hate baking sometimes….

I find it incredibly heart breaking when you put a lot of prep work into a product that your certain is going to be amazing and it doesn’t turn out. I get really crushed and seriously second guess any talent I have as a chef.

With baking there is way more anticipation than I can handle, unlike with cooking where  results are usually  a lot faster.  You can see pretty quickly where there might be an error and there’s usually time to readjust, not so with baking. It’s a pretty strict science with a lot of variables from the equipment you use to the temperature of the room.

This is why I have struggled with muffins all my life and have been trying to bury this fact in a dark corner of my mind. Well no more I say, I am going to face my fears and  create the perfect muffin even if it takes me 200 tries, I vow to myself and to anyone else that cares I will figure out how to make the perfect muffin and share it with the world.

In order to do this I need to determine what makes a perfect muffin (thoughts here are appreciated so don’t be shy).

I have concluded that a perfect muffin for me is composed of the following.

Perfect Muffin Compostition

-More or less even colour of beautiful golden brown

- Well shaped top that  rises about 1 inch from the top of the muffin tin at it’s center

- Sides cascade down in a uniform slope to form a ”mushroom” like shape

- Top should be a little crispier with interesting toppping (oats, crumble, nuts)

- The body of the muffin and center of the top is light and soft

- Should stay soft all day long

- Not overly sweet

- More than one ingredient (eg. apple + pecan, banana + walnut)

 

Those are the conditions I am trying to meet, nay, going to meet. Positive thinking is half the battle.

The Plan

First and foremost my plan of attack is to do preliminary research i.e. eat a lot of muffins in the city and see if my perfect muffin is out there somewhere.  I can then use that as my golden standard and use it as a real life comparison.

Second, hit the books/internet. I will  do research on the web, read food magazines and cook books to find anything that is written about muffins. See what secrets I can uncover.

Third, start muffin trials documenting each version like a mad scientist

Fourth, create the perfect muffin and gloat a lot then go to the gym.

 

Onwards I go…

Want a classy summer cocktail party? Start by serving your guests a platter of fresh shucked oysters and sparkling wine. On a hot summer day, the cool and refreshing taste of oysters can instantly transport you and make you  feel as though  you are sitting by the sea with the sound of the waves crashing and salt water spray in your hair.

Oysters and bubbly have the perception of being lavish treats but in reality they are very economical. Oysters cost approximately $1.00  a piece, sometimes less. You don’t need to cook anything just shuck them. This can be a little tricky at first but once you are comfortable with finding the “hinge” its really not that hard.

Setting up an oyster bar can be a lot of fun too.  Prepare  a few toppings in advance,  make sure you have a garbage handy and cocktail napkins, crush some ice and present the oysters, hire a chef to do the shucking if there’s more than 24 oysters and voila! Oyster Bar!

Oyster Bar Essentials

Toppings:

Freshly grated horseradish (jarred is OK )

Lemon/Lime wedges

Tabasco or other hot sauce

Cocktail Sauce

Fresh Ground Pepper

Mignonette Sauce  (1/2 cup Red wine vinegar, 2 tbs finely minced shallot, 1 tbs course ground pepper, pinch of salt)

 

Supplies:

Oyster Shucker

Garbage Can

Cocktail napkins

Small Plates

Serving bowls/ spoons/ forms for serving toppings

Crushed ice to place oysters over

Large shallow bowl for crushed ice + shucked oysters

 

Suggested Accompaniments:

Sparkling wine

Fresh bread + butter

Shoe string fries + garlic aioli

Cocktail shrimp

 

Decor Ideas:

Scattered sea shells

Vases filled with whole lemons

 How to Shuck An Oyster 101

Equipment:

 

 

Step one: Scrub the oysters well under cold water, and lay them on a plate of crushed ice

Step two: Place the oyster, bumpy side down, on a folded kitchen towel.

 

 Step three: Align the top of the shucker knife to the hinge of the oyster 

Step four: Fold towel over to secure oyster

Step five: Hold the oyster steady with one hand, and gently push knife into hinge until you feel the knife slide in slightly   

Step six: Twist knife until hinge pops open

Step seven:  Insert knife all the way, running it along the upper half of the shell  

Step eight: Lift up upper half of shell, scraping off any attached flesh.  Run the knife underneath the oyster to detach the muscle.  

Step nine: Carefully place on crushed ice, discard top shell.

*Be sure to reserve as much of the liquid, also known as oyster liquer, as possible.

Some Oyster Facts:

Like wine, oysters owe much of their flavor to environment in which they grow. Oysters are influenced by their surroundings and develop to be salty or sweet, with notes of cucumber, melon, herbs, flint or copper.

Canadian oysters are farmed in British Columbia,Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The two main types of oysters farmed in Canada are Eastern and Pacific. Some of the best-known and “bar” favourite oysters are the Malpeque from Prince Edward Island and the Kusshi from British Columbia.

Buy only live oysters: their shells must be closed, heavy and engorged with water. If a shell is half-open, knock it against a hard surface—a live oyster will close.

For even more flavourful oysters, open them 15 minutes before tasting.

Don’t forget the candles…

This sounds like a no brainer but I’m not talking about everyday candle lighting with your basic tea lights, I mean really putting thought into your candles, having lots and going big.

I catered a party this summer where interior designer Andrika Lawren(www.andrikalawren.com) was a guest and also helped with the set up. She did a great job with simple but wow worthy candle lighting.

Flowers are fine but they were all around the garden anyways. The best was that as the sun went down the candles when from pretty and warm to something really special and created  such a beautiful atmosphere.

Andrika used large glass candle holders some of which were about 3 ft tall, these also created a lot of interesting dimension and gave it a very urban feel.

Budget Friendly Ideas

Want to emulate the same idea but don’t want to break the bank? Hit your local Ikea and Dollerama to stock up on vases and candles.

This Ikea Vasen will do the trick. It’s the perfect price at $1.99 and runs  about 7 inches tall   .

 

Their  thick white candles candles start at $1.99 and some have a nice light scent.

 

http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/00017133/

Happy Hosting!

- La Petite Chef

 

It’s a popular theme. Paris, I see it a lot for birthdays, bachlorettes and bridal showers. Perhaps it’s the “city of love” idea or the fabulous french couture and lest we forget the food, that makes this such an easy go to. How does one bring that feeling of that certain “je ne se quois” to their living room or backyard?

 

Here are a few ideas:

1.Start with a french inspired menu!

Ofcourse the food has to be the focal point and believe me if the French have anything say in this they would ask that you include 2 things cheese and wine. Do not go to your local Metro or Loblaws for this, you must partake in the whole experience to do this this right. Find a local cheese shop and start there. They will let you sample the cheeses, guide you in how much you should buy and give you the low down on the regions where they are from so that you can let you guests know. That is how the french approach cheese, It’s a ritual, slapping a wheel of brie on a cutting board does not cut it. Look for interesting textures, shapes and colours and don’t forget about the baguettes! Our favourite fromagerie is the cheese boutique in Toronto www.cheeseboutique.com

For the mains, our favourite combinations have been:

Steak Frites with roasted Garlic aioli and Frisee salad

Croque Monsieur  + Side Salad

French Onion Soup, Escargot, Coq au Vin

Beef Bourgignon

Check out our online menu for more French inspired foods.

Decor- It’s all about the little details

I loved the little touches Andrika Lawren (www.andrikalawren.com) and the host used for a french inspired bachlorette they were throwing:

Une Bicyclette: Equipped with picnic essentails and a french flag

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tico Food 

 My personal favorite, fried plantains. I love the caramelized version which was the most common way of serving them. Sweet, savory, succulent, and highly addictive. I couldn’t get enough, meals wouldn’t feel complete without them. I had them with grilled meat, with ice cream, with gallo pinto. I had them for breakfast or just on their own as salty plantain chips. Of all the dishes I tried, fried plantains are probably what I will miss the most since they are hard to come by in my neighborhood.

 

Gallo Pinto + Pulled Pork

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fresh is the Best

Fresh salsa was a must with most meals and came in many different forms from the traditional tomato, onion, cilantro version, to pineapple, papaya, chilis and mango. Avocados made an appearance often as did potatoes, onions and squash. There were several varieties of squash that we don’t normally see here but are common in Mesoamerica like chayote and zapallo. The fruit was outstanding as it was simply picked and served. Fresh orange and guava juice were a morning ritual that I wish I could transport home with me.   

 Eating Local, no problem

Costa Rica is still an agricultural country, with more than one fourth of its population working in this sector. Consequently many items on the menu come from local farms, gardens, and plantations. The coastline provides and abundance of fish like Grouper and Red Snapper. Becoming a locavore is piece of cake here while in Toronto it requires far more of an active effort. I am jealous.

Coffee Culture

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One can not experience Costa Rican cuisine without experiencing the coffee. Coffee production is huge to Costa Rica. It is their number one export and they take it seriously. F.Y.I there are few things better than trying freshly roasted and brewed coffee straight from the plantation. Jealous again.

Green Coffee

It was really great to see that Costa Rica is really transforming they way they produce coffee. They are very conscious of the environmental factors incurred by coffee production on their land and are trying to ensure that coffee production is made in the most natural way possible.

Shade plantations have been gaining popularity despite the fact that critics believed farmers would never agree to losing some of their yields in exchange for a better environment.  They plant banana trees with the coffee plants to create natural shade as well as serving as habitats for diverse populations of tropical forest species. In addition, farmers are starting to use the excess pulp to fertilize their fields instead of dumping it in the rivers. We hope to see this continue so that we can keep drinking that amazing coffee.

Costa Rica I miss you…

This hot chocolate taste like Heaven. Real Heaven. Everyone should try this, like today, or better yet, right now. You’ll thank us. That’s all I need to say about this recipe.

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk

1/3 heavy cream

1/4 cup sugar

5 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped(make sure it’s the best you can find. It makes a difference!) 

1 Cup whipped cream for garnish (marshmallows can be used for an “An American hot chocolate in Paris”)

Cocoa powder for dusting

 

Method

Simmer the milk, cream and sugar together until just boiling. Stir in the chocolate until melted. Don’t let it boil. Serve warm in warm mugs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Chocolate covered bacon has been a recent food trend over the past year or so that at first seemed shocking and bizarre but  if you think about it, really isn’t all that  crazy to understand. Chocolate and salt work really, really well together, like yin and yang. It makes sense to drizzle chocolate over something high in salt because it balances it out. Not only the salt, but velvety chocolate compliments crisp textures  like pretzels, potato chips and yes, even bacon.

Using chocolate with savoury items is nothing new to Latin American cultures. Dishes like chicken mole  use chilis and chocolate to add extra depth.

Essentially anything that is salty and crispy will work will with a  coating of chocolate. The trick to doing it right is to use small amounts, use good quality chocolate and stay on the dark side. Cheap milk chocolate just won’t do justice. There’s is no question that chocolate covered bacon should be eaten sparingly. It is decadent and over the top but in very small quantities that’s a good thing. Less is definitely more.

If you are looking to entertain and want to do something different and fun, start off with a platter of chocolate covered salty snacks but make sure to pair them with same sort of “palate cleanser” something like tart green grapes work nicely. Side note:  Guinness beer pairs wonderfully with chocolate too.

What I like about using these as an appetizer is that they are playful but decadent all at the same time. I think if you plan to celebrate Valentines day  you  don’t have to settle for the overdone box of chocolates. Be creative and have fun!!

Chocolate Covered Bacon + Potato Chips:

Makes 12 pieces:

Ingredients

12 Bacon strips

3 Cups Regular Potato Chips

6 oz dark chocolate

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 350

2. Cover a oven sheet pan with aluminum foil

3. Place strips of bacon on foil, spacing them evenly apart and ensuring they don’t over lap

4. Bake the bacon in oven for 15 min-20 min till crispy

5. Meanwhile, fill a small pot half way with water, place on stove and bring to a simmer

6.  Place a bowl that is heat resistant, on top of the pot

7. Add your chocolate to the bowl and let it melt, stir occasionally

8. When bacon is ready, remove to paper towels and gently pat with paper towel removing to dry the bacon out

9. When chocolate is fully melted, dip you bacon half way then let is cool completely on a wire rack or a clean oven tray

10. Repeat with potato chips

11. Serve with a side of grapes, roasted cashews and pair with a premium beer of your choice

 

Overall, La Petite Chef hates February.  Very few things happen that are interesting in this month.  Catering is usually very slow as people recover from the holidays and the weather is certainly depressing. The only thing remotely interesting for food and entertainment in February is Valentine’s day and the Super Bowl.   

Valentines’ day wins out this year since over Christmas I got a very generous gift from a wonderful woman I know. It was a giant piece of Belgian chocolate that had been smuggled from Europe by a friend of hers. It looked like a piece that had been broken off a very giant chocolate door. My spirits were instantly lifted when I saw it.  I could now look forward to playing with a multitude of chocolate recipes geared for Valentines.  We’ve posted some of our favourite recipes- French hot chocolate and chocolate covered bacon + potato chips. Enjoy!

p.s. Thank you Lynn!!

Happy Hosting!