Chocolate Salami

Salame di Cioccolato or chocolate salami is the perfect light dessert to serve after a heavy and rich holiday dinner. Not only is the presentation quite adorable, but also the combination of Grand Marnier, dark chocolate, pistachios and crunchy cookies is AMAZING!

The chocolate salami can be prepared up to 2 weeks in advance and frozen. Simply thaw a few minutes before serving.

This dessert is perfect to be served with a nice glass of Port and pieces of firm cheese such as sharp Cheddar, Swiss, Parmesan or Emmental.

Eat.

This video came out about a year ago and it's truly an amazing clip. The "Eat" video is part of 3 short films that were developed by an amazing group of travellers. You should definitely check out "live" (my personal favourite and still gives me goosebumps after watching it way too many times) and "Learn".

That's it for now!

Enjoy!


 
EAT from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

Chicken Shawarma

In Montreal, the snack of choice after a late night of drinking is a delicious shish taouk sandwich. Thanks to the large Lebanese community in Montreal, many restaurant offer this delicious sandwich. A shish taouk is a Montreal-style shawarma sandwich. The term shish taouk is technically inaccurate; it refers to Turkish style skewered chicken. However, in Montreal, a chicken shawarma is generally referred to as a shish taouk.

The combination of delicious grilled chicken, garlic sauce and fresh pita is the perfect remedy to prevent major hangovers the following day.
Boustan is my favourite spot to grab a quick sandwich at 3:00 am.

Shawarma is a middle-eastern dish that consists of small pieces of seasoned beef, lamb, turkey, goat or chicken. The traditional method for making shawarma consists of placing the marinated meat on a spit and slowly roasting it over a flame. While cooking, the meat is shaved off and served with hummus (chickpea seasoned paste), tahini (sesame based sauce), tabbouleh and pickled turnips. The meat can also be wrapped in a pita bread and served as a sandwich.

Tabbouleh Salad

This salad is easy to make and the perfect side dish for any Mediterranean or Middle-Eastern dish. Most recipes for Tabbouleh call for lemon juice but I find that the grapefruit juice really adds a subtle sweetness and freshness to the salad. Tabbouleh is also a great condiment for wraps and sandwiches. 

I prefer couscous for this salad as the grains are smaller but bulgur or quinoa will also work well. 

Hummus

Hummus is such a versatile condiment.  It’s delicious with some flat bread or as a sauce for shawarmas or falafels.  It’s also an incredible spread for sandwiches.

For a more rustic version of this sauce, you can mash up the ingredients with a fork instead of using a food processor.  You can also add other ingredients to season your hummus:  Roasted garlic, a pinch of cayenne pepper, sundried tomatoes, or roasted red peppers, etc.

Bacon Jam

I've read about bacon but never got around to actually taste or prepare it.  Every time I read the delicious ingredients of this jam, my mouth waters.  So finally last weekend, I made a fresh batch and boy, oh boy! was it ever delicious!  It's rich, smoky, salty and sweet... It is a bit time consuming but the end product is worth every minute spent in the kitchen.

You can serve this jam with pancakes, eggs or French toast for brunch. You can also use this jam as a spread for sandwiches (think BLT or grilled cheese!) or to accompany cheese and crackers.

There’s a lot of difference recipes out there and I combined a few of my favorite ones to create this perfect jam. 

Why not prepare a nice jar for your loved ones for the holidays?

Once prepared, this recipe can be stored in an airtight container for up to a month. 

Banana flambé

When I was a child, my mom would make thin crêpes with bananas flambés for dessert.  It was my sister and I's favourite.  It was always exciting to see my mom reach for bananas and the bottle of rum after dinner; we knew we were in for a treat! (don’t worry – this dessert is safe for children.  All alcohol will evaporate when cooked)

What I love about this dessert is that it can be assembled in approximately 10 minutes and takes very little preparation.  It is also very versatile; the banana flambé can be served with vanilla ice cream, crêpes, or on top of graham crackers. 

Mushroom & Onion Beef Stew

Last weekend I saw the first snowflakes in Toronto.  We have been lucky this year and fall was quite warm but as Christmas approaches, I look forward to snowy days.  There's nothing better than this comforting mushroom & onion beef stew to warm up on very cold days.

For a larger crowd I prefer using a chuck roast but for a quick weekday meal, I opt for the stewing beef cubes.  My mother use to make this recipe and would always serve it with fluffy mash potatoes and green beans.  As the beef slowly cooks, the amazing flavours of this dish will fill your kitchen with the irresistible aromas.

The best part of this recipe is that you can prepare it ahead of time and freeze it.  Simply thaw the ingredients, pop in the slow cooker and add water.

Julia Child's French Onion Soup

PBS brought us so many wonderful shows: Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers, Painting with Bob Ross (don’t laugh, I use to love watching him paint! The man can paint threes in 2 seconds and the man made the woosh woosh sound effects as he painted them! Pure magic) and of course Julia Child’s cooking show. Up until a few years ago I simply knew of Julia Child, but it wasn’t until my friend V gave me Mastering the Art of French Cooking that I truly appreciated her and started preparing some her recipes.

French Onion soup is a quintessential part of French cooking. You could eat the onion flavoured brown liquid in a can OR you could make a large batch of the soup below and swoon when you savour it.  

Liver Pate

BIG ANNOUNCEMENTS: Mr.C is taking me to Paris for my 30th Birthday! 

Since he surprised me with this incredible birthday gift, the only thing I can think about is French food: flaky croissants, delicious French onion soup, mountains and mountains of cheese, and of course liver pâté.

Now, I don’t actually like liver to look like liver on my plate. What I mean by this is that I don’t like the sight, color or texture of chicken livers but once they are cooked, seasoned and then puréed into a light, delicious pâté, I can’t stop myself from eating it.

I finally got over my fear of cooking liver and tried a recipe for liver pâté. I always thought liver pâté was difficult to prepare but I was very surprised how easy it is to make.

Small Lemon Meringue Shots

My great grandmother, grand-maman Prudentienne, use to make this incredible lemon Meringue pie.  The crust was buttery and sweet, the lemon filling dense, tangy and creamy and the meringue light as a feather.  For Mr. C’s birthday I decided to adapt her recipe and layer the ingredients of the lemon meringue in tall shot glasses instead of a pie shell.  A bit of a twist on a beloved classic!

Brandy & Shallot Sauce

I first tasted this sauce a couple of years ago. My mom made her incredible roast beef for Christmas dinner and she prepared this Brandy & Shallot sauce to go along with it. The sauce is rich and full of butter (which surely explains why it is so delicious) and quickly became my go-to sauce to serve with red meat. It’s very versatile and you can pour it on steaks, roasts or beef wellingtons.

The sauce can be prepared the day before serving and refrigerated.

Cream of Chicken and Mushroom Soup

I usually make a large batch of chicken noodle soup but this time around I wanted to change things up a bit.

This cream of chicken is easy to prepare and of course incredibly delicious and comforting.  And as with all with my soup and cream recipes, you can freeze leftovers for later.

Spicy Cheddar Cheese Crackers

Every morning I like to read various cooking blogs to find new inspiration to create recipes. A blog I read religiously is Joy the Baker. Not only is she wonderfully witty and lovely but her recipes are always simple and incredibly delicious. I would strongly recommend you bookmark her blog in your favorites. 

A couple of weeks ago Joy posted a recipe homemade cheddar crackers and I had to try them. They are incredibly easy to make and OH SO YUMMY! Much better than anything that will ever come out of a box!

This recipe yields a lot of crackers so I would recommend you freeze half of the dough for future use. Simply thaw in the refrigerator before using.

I made tiny little stars to sprinkle on top of soup (similar to goldfish crackers but a million times better…) and larger crackers to snack on.

Buffalo Bites

Buffalo Bites have all of the amazing taste of traditional Buffalo Chicken Wings but none of the mess.  Frankly, there is no way to eat chicken wings without having sauce on your hand, mouth and chin (or if you're like me, the sauce will magically appear on my forehead, in my hair and very often on my clothes.  Very classy indeed...)

You can also prepare the chicken meatballs ahead of time and freeze them. Simply reheat with the sauce on game day or before your cocktail party!

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

I have to admit I’m not a big fan of soft drinks. I find them too sweet and truth be told I would much rather eat my calories than drink them. When a good friend of mine revealed that the secret ingredient of her amazing pulled pork recipe was cola soft drink, it tickled my curiosity and I had to try it. The result is surprisingly delicious and easy to prepare.

You can also substitute the cola for root beer if you prefer hints of cinnamon and cloves.

All leftover pork can be frozen.

Creamy Coleslaw

This is a quick and easy recipe you can make during busy weeknights.  Because I don't have much time to cook on week nights (and because I'm lazy), I like to make a large batch of coleslaw as a side dish.

I prefer to buy some pre-washed and chopped bags of cabbage or shredded broccoli and carrots (as I mentioned, I'm lazy).  Add a few ingredients and voila! a fresh salad to serve with your main dish.

Chili con Carne

This recipe is perfect to serve on Sunday afternoon or to share with friends while watching an exciting game on TV.  Unfortunately hockey fans will not be cheering for their favourite team this year because of the lockout.  Being a huge Habs fan myself, I'm a bit sad that the hockey season was cancelled;  watching a good Canadiens game always makes me feel like I'm back in home in Montreal.

I like to serve the chili topped with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and chopped green onions.  Tortilla chips and garlic bread are also a great side for this dish.

Although this recipe calls for a can of tomato soup, you can substitute this ingredient with a can of diced tomatoes.  I personally like the creaminess and flavour the soup bring to the chilli.

I prefer to use a slow cooker for the chili but you can also cook it on your stove top.  I find the longer it simmers, the better the chili!

Refrigerated Garlic & Dill Pickles

Two methods can be used to pickle vegetables:  refrigerator pickling and processed pickling.
 

When you make refrigerator pickles, you place your vegetables into clean jars with spices and pour over hot pickling liquid.  Once these pickles have cooled down to room temperature, they are stored in the refrigerator for preservation. This method is suitable for smaller batches to preserve and the pickles must be stored in the refrigerator at all times.

Preserved pickles uses a similar method as the refrigerator pickles:  vegetables and spices are packed into clean glass jars and are then filled with a vinegar-based pickling liquid.  Air bubbles are released by tapping the jars and then lids and rings are attached.  The final step, the processing, consists of boiling the sealed jars for a certain amount time. Once processed, these pickles will have a shelf life of about a year.  Once unsealed, the jars must be stored in the refrigerator.

Keep in mind that the ratio of water to vinegar of this recipe is necessary to prevent the growth of toxic bacteria.  While you can't change this proportion, you can safely double this recipe.

You may notice that the garlic may turn blue or green in the jar.  This is normal; the garlic is simply reacting to the acid of the vinegar.

Your dill pickles will be ready to enjoy after a few days!

Pate Chinois

It was a cold and rainy weekend here in Toronto.  The kind of weather that makes you want to stay home with a big blanket and watch movies all day. It was the perfect day for comfort food.  

When I crave comforting food, I always choose classic recipes from home.  Paté chinois is a popular recipe from Quebec and is very similar to a Shepherd's Pie.  The origins of this dish are said to come from New England where the locals would prepare a dish called China Pie and would consist of meat, corn and potatoes.  The recipe was later imported to Quebec where French Canadian translated the name to Paté Chinois.

This dish is very easy to assemble, requires little time in the kitchen and a good way to use  leftover mashed potatoes.  

Guinness Braised Beef Short Ribs

Short ribs are tougher than the longer beef back ribs but once they are braised, they will fall off the bone and melt in your mouth.  

You want to choose the meatiest short ribs and make sure that the meat is beautifully marbled with fat for tenderness.  Boneless ribs are also available but they are usually more expensive and they lack the flavour that comes from the bone.

I like to prepare this dish using a dark ale such as Guinness but any dark beer or stout would work great as well.  

You can sear the ribs and chop the vegetables ahead of time and freeze all the ingredients below in a large resealable bag.  Simply thaw the bag before cooking in the slow cooker.

Cajun Almond Crusted Chicken Fingers

I remember coming back from elementary school for lunch and my mom serving us warm and delicious chicken fingers.  As I watched the Flinstones on TV, I would devour them;  they were my favourite lunch as a kid (along with peanut butter sandwiches and gooey grilled cheese).  Twenty years later, I still love them :)

My friend P gave me this recipe.  She's an excellent cook and a big follower of the Paleo diet.  In order to cut down on carbs, the chicken fillets are coated with a mix of almond meal and spices instead of the traditional bread crumbs or flour-base batter.

I prefer to coat the chicken using the good old “shake and bake” method in a plastic bag.  You can also place the almond meal in a shallow dish and dip the chicken in the dry mixture.  

These filets are very versatile.  I like to prepare large batches of this recipe and freeze the filets.  You can serve them as finger food at parties with various dipping sauces:  Garlic Aioli, Honey Mustard or BBQ sauce or as a sandwich with fresh lettuce, juicy tomato, crispy bacon on a warm ciabatta bun.

Clafouti aux Framboises

I found this recipe a few years ago on the Martha Stewart website.  I was alone at home for the weekend and I was craving something sweet.  The weather outside was horrible and didn’t feel like going outside to buy ingredients; whatever was in my refrigerator and pantry would have to do. What I love about this recipe is that it yields only 2 portions (or 1 wonderfully huge portion for me!) and most of the ingredients are staples that you will likely find in your cupboards. 

As for the raspberries, you can substitute them for pieces of peach, other berries, apples, plums or the traditional cherries. 

As a side note, this dessert should really be called a flaugnarde as only the cherry version of this sweet treat can bare the name of clafouti.  But let’s not get technical; clafouti sounds better anyway.

Wonton Soup - Made from Scratch!

This is a new recipe I tried recently and I LOVE it!  I wanted to make homemade wonton soup for a long time but never got around to it.  The dumplings are a bit time consuming to make but once they are prepared and frozen, you can assemble the soup in a few minutes!  This was originally a recipe of pork gyozas that I tweaked to recreate the delicious taste of the wonton soup. 

My version of this soup is made out of pork but you can also substitute the meat for shrimp.

As for the size of the dumplings, I prefer the small ones.  They require less time to heat up compared to the larger ones.  The small wonton dumplings should be about the size of a tortellini pasta.

Apple & Pear Crumble Pie

Some scents will make my mouth water instantly:  fresh warm bread, bacon or onions frying in a hot skillet and of course apple pie!

A warm apple pie is my favourite dessert to finish off a Thanksgiving dinner.  The crumble on top of the pie and the pears is a nice change from the traditional apple pie.

When baking a pie, I prefer to use Spartan, Northern Spy or MacIntosh apples.  As for the pears, you want to make sure that they are just right: not too soft and not too firm.  The best pear varietals to use are Bartlett and Bosc.

Make sure to bake your pie at least 6 hours before serving.  I prefer to bake mine the day prior and reheat it before serving.  

To reheat the pie, heat up the oven to 300°F.  Once the oven has reached that temperature, insert the pie and close the stove.  The pie should be at the perfect temperature for serving 10 to 15 minutes later!

Bacon & Leek Stuffing

I love traditional dishes but once in a while I like to change things up.  I usually stuff the turkey with my grandmother’s recipe but this year I decided to try a stuffing recipe in “What to Cook & How to Cook it” by Jane Hornby.  Instead of stuffing a turkey, I will be serving these individual parcels of stuffing goodness.  You can make the stuffing parcels in advance and freeze them.  On Thanksgiving day, simply thaw them in the refrigerator and cook as directed.

Make-Ahead Turkey with Gravy

I know this post is long but don’t be intimidated by its length; It is by no mean an indicator of the level of difficulty of this recipe.  I simply detailed each step as much as possible to render the roasting process easier.

I’m a big fan of roasting my turkey the day (or even a couple of days) before Thanksgiving dinner.  Not only is it hassle-free on Thanksgiving day but I find the taste to be even better once the turkey is reheated.  You may even cook your turkey a week or two prior and freeze it.  Make sure you allow sufficient time to thaw the turkey before reheating it for Thanksgiving dinner.

The steps below are for a Make-Ahead turkey but you can follow the same steps if you choose to roast your turkey on Thanksgiving Day.

For the stuffing, I’ve decided to try something new this year.  Instead of stuffing the turkey, I will be making little stuffing parcels (recipe available tomorrow).  If you wish to stuff your turkey, make sure you allow at least an extra 30 minute of cooking time.

Cheese Platter and Sweet & Spicy Candied Pecans

Cheese platters are my favourite mostly because I ADORE cheese but also because they are so easy to assemble.  For my Thanksgiving dinner I will be serving this cheese platter as my appetizer.  

Crab Cakes with Secret Sauce

These crab cakes are easy to prepare and this recipe can be doubled or tripled if you wish to make more cakes to freeze.  Make sure you cook the crab cakes before freezing them.  To heat up, cook the thawed cakes for 10 minutes in the oven at 350°F.

If you’ve never worked with crabmeat you can purchase pre-packaged chunks of crabmeat at your grocery store of fish market; Any grade of crabmeat will work for this recipe but I prefer to use claw crabmeat; it’s the least expensive option and most flavourful grade.  If you choose frozen crabmeat, make sure to fully thaw it before you make the cakes.

Guacamole!

It's finally the weekend!  On Fridays, I like to prepare a big batch of Margaritas and some delicious guacamole with tortilla chips.  

This recipe is also the perfect side dish for beef fajitas or a dip for vegetables.  The avocado flesh will start browning as soon as it's scooped out.  The lime juice and adding one of the pits to the guacamole before serving will slow down the oxidation.  Although the browning may not look as appetizing as the beautiful green color of the avocado flesh, the taste will remain the same for at least the first 24 to 48 hours.

Coq au Vin

Although the official first day of fall is two weeks away, I feel like summer is over after Labour day.  I start noticing how the days have become shorter, mornings are bit cooler and all I want to do is curl up on the couch and read a good book.

When it comes to cooking, I’m always excited to revisit recipes I put aside during summer.  During the warmer months, I prefer lighter recipes such as grilled meats on the BBQ and crisp salads with fresh ingredients from the market.  As autumn approaches, I crave those hardy dishes that warm you up when it’s cold outside.

My favorite dish for fall is my mom’s Coq au Vin.  This was one of the first “go-to” recipe I added to my repertoire.   It’s very easy to make and I personally find that although you can prepare this dish and eat it right away, it is much better when frozen and eaten on a later day.  I’m not sure why that is it but I like to believe that something magical happens in the freezer when I shut the door and the Coq au Vin comes out even more delicious!

Coq au vin is originally a dish from the Burgundy region of France.  The traditional version of this recipe consists of poultry, red wine, lardons (thin pieces of bacon), pearl onions and mushrooms.  I substituted the pearl onions for chopped ones mostly because I hate to peel pearl onions but feel free to use them if you have you prefer their taste.

Hello!

Hello!  I’m La Gourmande; a Montréalaise living in Toronto.  I grew up in a French Canadian family where food always played a pivotal role.  Eating and enjoying food was always the main focus of all family gatherings as well as every day life.  I never trained as a professional chef but I share a passion for cooking and baking.