soupnancy

Although there are lots of interesting recipe ideas scattered throughout My Bits & Bites Post, here is a more personal list of Covid Confinement inspired Recipes – from an old fashioned Recipe Chain Exchange..

Simple ‘back pocket’ (or 'cupboard’) recipes and family favourites came to my inbox from all over the country, which I found fun and heartwarming. The unpretentious kind of stuff you just don’t really get on the hippest food feeds/websites, from apple cobbler to honey fudge and red lentil soup, beet wellington! - perfect for these times. So, let me share a few and their stories, with thanks..

I start with Carolyn’s 'buns' because she’s my 'aunt' and I love the idea of reviving and passing on an old family recipe, a piece of my Newfie heritage. I wasn’t in the habit of making scones because it’s just not a thing here in Québec; in fact, I’d kind of forgotten about them, although I do appreciate a good scone (thinking back to my time in England with clotted cream). Plus, my partner, François claimed to not be a scone fan, I guess his only reference being something chalky from a crappy café. To me, with still enough 'anglaise' in me, it’s ultimate comfort food with a coffee or tea. And they’re quick enough to whip up. François seems to have come around with this recipe, slathering them with maple butter, or typical guy move - more butter! and homemade jam. Like Carolyn, he likes to heat them up for a few seconds in the microwave. I like them plain. At least early in the day, if/or dressed up later..  

Carolyn Rompkey  ‘This was my mother’s recipe . Nancy’s grandfather, my uncle named them “Dottie’s buns”.  Since then they have become”Carolyn’s’ buns”. Hope you enjoy them. They are a family favorite.’

Newfie buns (scones)
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup butter
3 tbl.  sugar
4 tsp  baking powder ( don’t level)
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup milk
1 egg ,stirred  into the milk

Raisins or leave them plain
Cut the butter onto the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or your hands
Add milk mixture to bowl and raisins
Mix with hands until all flour has disappeared. Do not over mix. (Knead it 5-6 times, do not overhandle it!)
Form the dough into a round and place on a floured surface
Pat into a round with your hand to about ½ inch or more. (Don’t use a rolling pin)
Cut each bun without twisting the cutter
Repat and cut . You should have 12-13 medium buns
Bake at 400 for 17 mins or so 

 

Let me follow with one more old Newfie family recipe in the same vein..  As its a similar paste/batter treated differently, with fruit/ jam.. (I guess they didn't have as much to work with back then..) Which is also why I find these recipes more than appropriate now, to show what you can do with the same few ingredients. I love the 'FatBack and Molasses' book!)

From Dorothy Latreille, St Johns Nfld:  ‘Nancy, I am sending you a favourite family recipe called Mom’s apple pudding. A minister called Ivan Jesperson at Wesley United Church in St. John’s (the church that your Grandmother and all of the family attended) had a cookbook published as a fundraiser. Our grandfather George Gillingham and his brothers helped build the church!  The cookbook was called Fat-back and Molasses!  Wednesdays and Fridays were ‘fish days’ just about everyone had fish for dinner on those days for dinner!  Guess it was a way to promote the cod fishery. “When we were young, what we liked best about Friday’s fish dinner was Mom’s apple pudding”….  

This was a recipe Aunt Dot submitted to the cookbook!  

Aunt Dot was the cook and my Mom Rita was the ‘handyperson’ who did everything including the painting of the trim on the windows as well as tarring the roof and bringing up the tar using the ladder and piece of rope!’

*No doubt, In every family, there needs to be at least one cook and handiman/woman! I reckon many people are figuring that out these days.. (my comment)

Mom’s Apple Pudding 

Make apple jam or use a large size tin of apple pie filling, sweeten to taste and place in a casserole dish. The filling or jam must be hot.  Then:

1 ½  cups flour

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup of sugar (I use less then this whenever I make this)

2/3 cup water

3 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt  

Sift dry ingredients together into a bowl, rub in butter well, add water and stir well.  Drop by the spoonful on the hot apples and bake until nicely browned. (You could also use partridgeberry or blueberry jam). After serving, pour a little milk over pudding , if desired.

 

Moving West: Sweet and Elegant, Simple enough..

From Anita Stewart, Elora Ontario : http://fooddaycanada.ca/ 

Honey Fudge 

OAC’s Bee Lab (a.k.a. Townsend House)is the oldest school for apiarists in North

America. This fudge tastes like buttered honey and is easy to make. The only special

equipment needed is a good candy thermometer. The results are worth it. 

2 cups (500 mL) granulated sugar

1/3 cup (75 mL) OAC liquid honey

½ cup (125 mL) milk or half & half cream

¼ cup (125 mL) unsalted butter

1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla

In a heavy saucepan, stir together the sugar, honey and cream. Place over low-

medium heat stirring to dissolve the sugar. Attach the candy thermometer ensuring

the bulb does not touch the bottom of the pan but is immersed in the liquid.

Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Do not stir till the mixture reaches 240’F.

Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. With a wooden spoon, beat

constantly till the mixture cools and thickens slightly. Pour into a well-buttered 8 or

9” glass pan. Cool for 10 – 15 minutes, score slightly with a sharp knife. Allow to

finish cooling. Cover and refrigerate if not serving right away.

*Adapted from The Farmers Market Cookbook (General Publishing 1984) by Anita

Stewart, Food Laureate and Jo Marie Powers, Professor Emeritus

 

Pulla (Finnish Sweet Bread)

This recipe comes from the Finnish community of Sointula on Malcolm Island in north coastal B.C.  The Finns settled there to build a 'place of harmony' in the early part of the last century. Tuula Lewis, one of the community's beloved matriarchs, often provided many loaves of this delicious sweet bread for the local museum. When I visited the museum, before I was even allowed into the collection of Malcolm Island memorabilia, I had to have a thick slice of this fabulous cardamom-scented bread, spread with butter and wild blackberry jam…a cup of tea was also de rigeur.

For me this is a festive bread, one that is baked at both Easter and Christmas...and with luck, lots of times in between. 

If you are using Instant Yeast, the method will change slightly.  See Insert Below:

The yeast puff:

×  ¼ cup (60 mL) warm water

×  1 tsp (5 mL) granulated sugar

×  1 package / 1 tbsp (15 mL) active dry yeast 

The Dough:

×  1 cups (250 mL) granulated sugar

×  2 cups (500 mL) very hot water

×  ½ cup (125 mL) warmed table cream (18%)

×  2 eggs, well beaten

×  1 tbsp (15 mL) ground cardamom

×  2 tsps (10 mL) salt

×  ½ cup (125 mL) melted butter

×  6 – 7 cups (1.5 – 1.75 L) all purpose or bread flour 

Egg wash made with 1 beaten egg and 2 tbsps (30 mL) water, whisked together

In a small bowl, stir the water and 1 tsp (5 mL) sugar together till sugar is dissolved; sprinkle with yeast. Let puff for 5 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, dissolve the sugar into the very hot water. Whisk in the cream, the beaten eggs, cardamom and the salt.   Add the yeast mixture, stirring to combine. Add the melted butter, combining thoroughly.

Add the flour, a cupful at a time to ensuring that it is well blended after each addition. As you add the flour beat well.

(FOR INSTANT YEAST: Into a large bowl measure the sugar and then add all the wet ingredients whisking to ensure that the sugar is dissolved.  Stir in two cups (500 mL) of the flour to make a slurry.  Whisk in 1 tbsp (15 mL) instant yeast, another cupful or two of flour and then add the cardamom and salt.  Continue beating till the all the flour is incorporated.

When the dough is dense and stiff, turn out onto a well floured board and knead in any remaining flour. Knead for 5 – 7 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. If the kitchen is warm, simply cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let rise until doubled. Otherwise transfer it to a well oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 ½ to 2 hours or till doubled.

Punch down and divide into four. Roll each piece of dough into a flat rectangle, about 10” (25 cm) long. Make two lengthwise cuts to within 1 “ (2.5 cm) of the end of the rectangle. Braid the dough, pinching the loose ends tightly. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let rise a second time for about 50 to 60 minutes.  Brush with egg wash and bake in a preheated 350’F oven for 25 – 30 minutes.

Makes 4 braids.

*Recipe is from Anita Stewart's CANADA: The Food, The Recipes, The Stories (Harper Collins Canada 2008/2014) 

 

Going Savoury..

This recipe comes from Shawna Gardham in BC :

Shawna Gardham,  Executive Director, Chefs' Table Society www.chefstablesociety.com

If you are like me, you have dried lentils and beans in your cupboard that have been neglected for ages. So here is a recipe to help..  

Red Lentil Soup – 6 servings

1 cup red lentils, soaked overnight and drained

6 cups water or chicken broth

2 medium onions grated

2 carrots grated

1 tsp paprika

salt to taste

2 tbsp butter

2 cups tomato juice or 2 tbsp tomato pasted diluted in ½ cup cold water

Dressing

1 tbsp butter

½ tbsp paprika

Place lentils, water or broth, onions, carrots, paprika and salt into a saucepan. Cook until lentils are tender.

Remove from heat and press through a sieve or blend in a food processor or in a blender. (I like to use a hand blender right in the pot).

If you used the food processer or sieve put the liquid back in the saucepan.

Add butter and tomato paste and bring to a boil.

The consistency of the soup should be creamy.

Dressing – melt butter in a pan, add ½ tbsp paprika, stir and trickle over the soup.

 

From Joy Shinn : Beet Wellington  This is a vegan recipe I make for my daughters. I've been making a lot lately for some reason - but despite it's name and list of ingredients, it's pretty easy and flexible with ingredients.   (Ingredients below with measures, but for the most part, not essential to have exact amounts) Bake the beets in oven to fully cook. Unpeeled, in foil or not. Good to have beets equalish size. 4 or 5 depending how big. While cooking finely dice the onions or shallots or leeks (whatever you have)/garlic & mushrooms -and fry in pan until nicely browned. If you have some spinach, fresh or frozen throw in pan until just warmed. Season with rosemary, or thyme, salt, pepper.  If  have panko you can add 1/4-1/2 cup to this. Also throw in some chopped walnuts (or pecans in lieu).  Then set aside and have a sip of wine. When beets are cooked, slip of skins and chop off ugly ends if haven't already.  Take your puff pastry sheet and lay flat on pan (to save hauling it over later). On the left long edge, spread some  vegan cheese, or Boursin, feta or similar (optional) and then lay out 2/3 of the mushroom mixture on top. Arrange the beets on top of this (touching). Then add the remaining 1/3 mushroom mix on top of the beets. Likely it will fall between the beets but that's ok. If you have balsamic reduction you can drizzle 1-2 tbsp over the top of the beets, or just plain balsamic.  Then cover the beets+ with the other side of the puff pastry and crimp the edges. That's it other than bake in oven mainly to warm the inside and cook puff pastry as everything else is cooked. Have more wine while you wait! Of course, you can sub the veg for other things you have like zucchini, squash, etc or apples. Most goes well with beets. INGREDIENTS ·         ½ cup walnuts ·         4 medium-large (the same size!) beetroots ·         ·         2 shallots, finely diced ·         4 garlic cloves, finely diced ·         1 lb chestnut mushrooms / cremini ·         500 g / 1 lb (weight assumes leaves only) spinach ·         salt and pepper ·         3 tsp dried rosemary ·         ·         Boursin/feta/similar cheese (optional) ·         puff pastry (one sheet)   From Susan Vardy: I’ve attached a couple of muffin recipes that we really enjoy.  The Christmas Morning Muffin Recipe – I’ve been making every year since Christmas morning 1985 - I have a little note on the recipe!  I’ve also made them with blueberries and a local berry here in Newfoundland called partridgeberries.   I try to keep cranberries in my freezer- it’s one of our go to recipes.  The other cheese  yogourt muffin  recipe we enjoy as well- I don’t make the apple butter very often though.

 

Here are a couple of my own :

Buckwheat crepes (and/or Fried cheese)

Chef Nancy Hinton, Les Jardins Sauvages

I love buckwheat and we live right next to a mill, so that explains it as a back-pocket recipe for me. Plus it’s versatile in that you can just make crepes, straight up or stuffed, either savoury or sweet. Or use the batter to coat and fry cheese, which has been one of my classics for years.

8+ portions

1 cup                                       buckwheat flour *or substitute half regular flour and another nutty flavourful flour of choice ..

1/3 cup                                    AP flour

3                                              eggs

¾ cup                                       milk

2Tbsp                                       melted butter (+ s.q to cook crepes).

Pinch                                       salt

Pinch                                       sugar if so desired

Water                                      s.q.(to desired consistency)

(s.q.=sufficient quantity)

Optional :                                A semi-firm ripened cheese that melts well ex. swiss/gruyere, cheddar, gouda style – cut into 2cm thick  squares/pieces (50-60g ea)..

Make crepe batter by mixing dry ingredients together and wet ingredients separately (eggs and milk), then slowly mixing the wet into the dry while whisking, until smooth. Whisk in the melted butter. Let the batter rest for 30min at room temperature or longer in the fridge.

When ready to cook, adjust the consistency with some water. (up to about 1/2cup, like the flow of cream for a thin crepe).

If you’re frying cheese, keep the batter on the thick side, you probably won’t want to add much water.  Lightly coat cheese pieces in flour then dip in batter and fry like a pancake.

Cook your crepes (or crepe coated cheese) in butter on medium-high heat to start, lowering heat when necessary, flipping when nicely set and coloured, a minute or two per crepe. For fried cheese, leave a minute more on low heat until cheese is warm/starting to melt. (Or you can finish/ reheat later in oven).

To serve, you can go savoury or sweet: Stuff or top your crepes with ham, eggs, cheese, tomato, cooked spinach or mushrooms etc, a dash of maple syrup, or with fruit and ricotta, jam.. I like to layer them in a vegetable ‘lasagne’ too.

If frying cheese, serve with pickles or on a salad with a punchy vinaigrette, or again with fruit preserves like cloudberry jam..

Use up any extra batter to make crepes for the freezer! Wrapped well, they freeze nicely/keep well.

 

Dorie Greenspan’s  Apple Custard Cake

A grand dame of the sweet kitchen, Dorie Greenspan refers to this cake/pudding as ‘custardy apple squares’, one of her back-pocket recipes, and it has become one of mine. It’s not too sweet, the kind of thing that can serve as breakfast, a snack or dessert. I like it plain and cold/room temperature, François likes it warm with (whipped cream/ice cream) .

https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/12/custardy-apple-squares-from-baking-chez-moi-dorie-greenspan.html

 

 

I grew up with hard tack. Not many people here in Quebec have ever heard of it.

Photos..

It’s a dried bread biscuit from Newfoundland sold in chunks in paper bags. Once a staple for fishermen or folks in far-away regions when fresh bread wasn’t always available, food was scarce and you needed to stretch a meal..

My parents are from Newfoundland, my Mom from St-Johns and my Dad from Deer Lake, now well integrated Quebeckers, fluent in French with their cute accents, francophone grandchildren and all. They are the best, but when I was growing up, I hardly thought so. As a young one in Quebec city with innate survival skills, I hardly wanted to let on that I was Anglophone, let alone ‘a Newfie’.  Already aware that we stood out like sore thumbs, the last thing I figured I needed was Newfie jokes. My mom made her own brown bread and composted, sent us to school with peanut butter sandwiches in recycled milk bags, I wore hand-me-downs and said chesterfield when my friends said sofa; it was a struggle to not to feel embarrassed next to my ‘fancy’ friends.

Nonetheless, I always knew my Newfie grandfather was cool, he hunted and fished and told good stories flecked with colourful expressions we barely understood that sounded so neat. We loved hearing tales about our ancestors in Newfoundland, both families pioneers (be it exploring the arctic or in civil engineering).  As an adult, obviously  that heritage is something I embrace, so it’s high time I pay attention to the culinary side too.  I hear about exciting things happening on the dining scene, but for now, I’m more interested in the old school ..

Flipping through the spiral bound ‘The Treasury of NFLD dishes’, I felt a warmth, like with many old community cookbooks from Quebec/Canada.  Objectively, the recipes seem quite boring, rustic or quaint, yet many dishes struck a chord with me because they reminded me of my childhood, which was a good one. Although I was very critical of much of what my Mom made (being a fussy contrarious brat), her chicken soup, stuffing, stew dumplings and  molasses cookies evoke fond memories.

Sharing these food memories with François over the years, a mixed/pure-laine francophone Quebecker and curious gourmand, he couldn’t help but wonder about this hard tack stuff. I told him that I remember it tasting kind of like soda crackers which he adores (one of the few industrial foods in our pantry, he crumbles up handfuls into his soup?!) But no, these are Hard biscuits (as in hard like wood) that need to be soaked to add to a dish, not normally eaten as is.. Yet as kids, we used to crawl into the cupboard next to the Grand Prix milk (yuck) and pick out a piece each to gnaw on, when there was no more cereal or other accessible snacks, I guess.

So, it was on the agenda. I had to make some Brewis for François (and for me), which is what you call a hard tack dish, typically made with salt fish.  The traditional recipes tell you to soak the hard bread in cold water overnight. Then you soak your salt cod in cold water overnight. The next day, you change the fish water and cook in fresh water gently until done. Clean and flake. The hard tack is supposed to be brought to a near boil in its soaking water and turned off (so warmed through). Then you mix the two together and sauce with scrunchions (fried pork fat bits somewhere between lardons and oreilles de crisses).

I got the precious bag by the mail from my mom via Aunt Carolyn.  I don’t recall any French on the label when I was young, nor was there any mention of ‘low fat’ then, ha. Three ingredients: Flour, water, salt.

François went straight for a piece, didn’t seem to know what to make of it, but went on to nibble on it for an entire period of a Mtl Canadians hockey game. (Hard tack is good for stress, it seems).

I was eager to cook it for him! I thought I should go trad first, but c’mon that recipe is kind of dismal, calling out for a riff.  I had to dress it up, and impress François with this novel  Newfie thing. Being a chef, naturally, I used what was on hand and went from there for my brewis creation.

We get free fish heads from our fishmonger friends so often, we always have halibut cheek meat or some kind of fish stewing, so that was a good starting point.  I added shallots, lardons, ramps, tomatoes (from Lussier), corn and swiss chard from our freezer, crinkleroot(wild horseradish), a touch of white wine and cream.  I added the soaked, reheated hard tack in pieces and it turned into a beautiful hash. That stuff soaks up a surprising load of liquid, so I was happy that I kept it separate first (being inexperienced with this kind of dish but experienced as a cook). Afraid it would amount to a big mound of mush, I hadn’t used enough water at first, having to add some to properly rehydrate, controlling the two before mixing. Anyhow, now I know I can liberally soak and add it all to the fish. It turned out great, accompanied by a salad of wild spring greens..  And François really enjoyed it. He thought it tasted like Gaspésie.

 

Final verdict:  Yes! For me, maybe not for you.

The hard tack does not dissolve into mush, keeping texture while thickening and boosting a one pot dish, kind of like cooked potatoes or dry bread stuffing or salad and it has a kind of bland but comforting taste, perfect to accompany a punchy, saucy protein.  So, another starch option among the rice, polenta, pasta, potatoes and company.  I might prefer rice or a fresh slice of bread with my meal, but I will definitely finish my bag of dried biscuits, try other versions of brewis and have some fun.  Do I think others should order some up? No, not necessarily. I could easily do without in my kitchen, but perhaps it will become a pantry staple just so I can whip up the occasional brewis.  I love the idea of preserves and a stocked larder in general, feeling like I’m ready for anything, always able to make a hearty fine meal at home no matter what storm or disaster might hit.. I also love ingredients with a story.  

Especially in this case, it’s a with a nod to my Newfie heritage with respect and thanks,  and a desire to share stories and mix cultures that makes me want to carry on this bizarre dry bread tradition.  Next up, maybe some moose brewis for my Grampy.

Photos: Hard tack and my halibut head brewis, François eating with appetite