Strawberry and Cream Meringue Cake

My friend Nada Rajic and I go way back. When we met, I was in my first year of university and she was the one who invited me to my very first formal dinner party. There was something magical about that evening. It was definitely very different from all the parties I attended in my freshman year of journalism school. The guests were served a three course meal, there were exquisite centerpieces on the table, plenty of wine to go around and lots of stimulating conversations. And then there was the Dessert! A spectacular, airy walnut meringue cake with strawberry and cream filling. It's been many years since that evening at Nada's. Since then I attended dozens of dinner parties and had plenty of mouth-watering sweet endings but I never forgot the cake that Nada served that night. It truly was life changing. It was like that first love or that first kiss that you never forget. Everything that comes after is great but it does not come close to that very first sensual experience. And then you spend your life wondering if you will ever go through anything like this again. 

First your dessert fork breaks up a crispy meringue filled with toasted walnuts, perfumed with essence of almond extract. It is crunchy and airy, nutty and light. Then your fork reaches sweet, ripe strawberries, enveloped by fresh, sweetened cream. It's like digging into a celestial cloud of pleasure. And then comes another layer of that perfect nutty meringue. Again, crispy, airy and delicate. And then as your eyes devour this iconic piece of heaven on your plate, your fork finally snatches a piece and you are ready to put it in your mouth. The contrasts of the cake's consistency create the bite that is impossible to forget. Plump, fleshy berries, soft cream and the crunchy crust. Have I mentioned heaven? Nada was kind enough to share this recipe with me and I couldn't be more grateful. I can go back to that wonderful sweet experience anytime I want and now you can experience it for yourself. But be prepared. You may have to scratch out your favourite dessert from the list of your guilty pleasures. This cake might become "the one." 

Ingredients: 

5 egg whites, 1 cup of sugar, few drops of almond extract, 1 tbsp of flour, 1 cup of chopped toasted walnuts, 1 tsp. cornstarch, 500ml of whipping cream (35%), 2 tsp. powdered sugar, 1 large basket of strawberries, 1/2 tsp. cream tartar (optional). 

Method: 

To make 2 meringue crusts: Beat 5 egg whites with 1 cup of sugar, few drops of almond extract and some cream tartar (optional). 

In a separate bowl mix 1 tbsp. flour with chopped walnuts and 1 tsp. cornstarch. 

Mix your wet and dry ingredients together. 

Grease 2 spring form pans and lightly dust with flour. Divide the batter evenly and bake at 350F for 35-40 min. Turn off the heat and let it dry for another 30 minutes without opening the oven. 

To make the filling: Cut the strawberries in big chunks. Whip your whipping cream with 2 tbsp. powdered sugar until it forms stiff peaks. Fold in the strawberries. 

Assembly: Place one of the meringues on a serving stand and top with berry and cream mixture. Place another meringue on top and dust with powdered sugar. Do not assembly too early in advance to avoid soggy crusts.

Vegetarian Spaghetti with Black Bean and Honey Sauce

Sophia Loren once said, "Everything you see I owe to spaghetti." As an impressionable teenager, I was a big fan of Cinema Italiano and Sophia Loren so I figured, she knew what she is talking about. I ate spaghetti as if it was going out of style. Let's be honest, too much of a good thing may not do wonders for your figure but it makes you happy. It's fun to eat spaghetti. You have to wrap it around your fork, you can slurp it and it has that distinctive texture that everybody loves. And then you add cheese, sauce, some basil and... you feel euphorically satisfied. It is that comfortable feeling that is synonymous with happiness. And as tacky as that sounds, this is where beauty begins! Sophia Lauren knew what she was talking about after all. 

My family loves pasta. Even my 1.5-year-old daughter Sandrine eats pasta with no disputes or mini temper tantrums. Therefore, I always look for new ways to make it. This recipe has some Asian flavours and is probably like no pasta you have ever tried. It is also a vegetarian pasta dish so if you want to introduce a weekly "no meat dinner" policy, this is a good way to do it. Deep, rich black bean and garlic sauce meets the sweetness of honey and acidity of white balsamic vinegar. This is your sauce. As soon as it hits sizzling, roasted vegetables and al-dente pasta, it releases even more of its aromatic properties and essence. To this you add some buttery white beans, crispy snow peas and a handful of cilantro. And there it is - the most satisfying, appetizing, steamy, slurpy goodness in a bowl. I like adding some chopped peanuts over this pasta. It is unusual but it gives your dish even more textural interest and appeal. And at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is happiness. And how you achieve it in your own kitchen is nobody's business but yours. 

Ingredients:

500 gr. spaghetti, 1 zucchini, 1 red bell pepper, 1 small package of cherry tomatoes, hand full of snow peas, 1 can of white beans, Chinese five spice. For the sauce: 3 tbsp. black bean and garlic sauce, 3 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar, 1/2 cup olive oil, 3 tbsp. honey, cilantro.

Method:

Chop up your zucchini, red pepper, cherry tomatoes and arrange in a roasting pan. Drizzle with some olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and sprinkle with Chinese five spice. Bake at 375F for 30 min.

In a bowl whisk black bean and garlic sauce with vinegar, olive oil and honey. 

Once your pasta is al dente, drain it and add roasted vegetables, white beans, snow peas, cilantro and the dressing. Mix and serve.

Salmon, Bacon and Gouda Gratin

Here is the moment of truth. I did not always enjoy cooking. In fact, cooking was the last thing on my mind until I was in my early 20s. I had no interest in hanging around the kitchen as a child or as a teenager. I was in journalism school and I was much more interested in chasing fire trucks (and the firefighters) rather than looking through the cook books in our house. My mom, who raised us on homemade meals, was getting a little worried about my lack of interest in being a domestic goddess. I mean, how was I going to snatch a husband if I cannot make scrambled eggs? And yes, the situation really was that hopeless! But then one Christmas morning the Miracle happened (notice the capital "M")! I woke up and was determined to make a contribution to our Christmas table. I decided to make salmon, bacon and gouda gratin. This was the dish that changed my life. What started out as an attempt to put all the nagging to rest, turned into an obsession. Soon enough I had a kitchen of my own and all I wanted to do was cook. There was something new on the menu every single day and sometimes even multiple dishes. Some of them were great successes and some of them were disasters big enough to set off my fire alarms and even call the firefighters. All in the name of my great, blossoming love affair with food. 

Over the years I mastered the Salmon, Bacon and Gouda Gratin and it still is one of my favourite dishes. Tender salmon poached in white wine, topped with sizzling bacon and stringy cheese that forms a luscious brown crust. Breaking it with a fork is a decadent event on its own. Almost like breaking the hard surface of Crème Brule in order to get to the creamy custard. Your salmon absorbs the delicate flavours of wine, dill and lemon, staying flaky and moist. The smoky and sweet essence of bacon gives the salmon that glorious tasty edge without overpowering it and still letting it be the star ingredient. I like serving it in the baking dish, garnished with some dill and the side of Basmati rice. If you want to go another mile for the ultimate flavour, add some saffron to your rice. It is the world's most expensive spice but it will add a great deal of exotic, mysterious notes of flavour to your creation. Try it at home. This may be the new chapter of your culinary adventures. It certainly was the beginning of mine.

Author Unknown 

Ingredients: 

5 salmon fillets, juice of 1 lemon, 2 tbsp. butter, 100 ml. of white wine, 15 slices of bacon, 1 cup of Gouda cheese, 1 cup of bread crumbs. Some dill.

Method:

Preheat your oven to 375F. Grease your baking dish and arrange your salmon fillets in it. Drizzle with some lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper and add some wine. 

In a skillet fry the bacon till crispy. Washing the bacon with cold water prior to cooking it helps to reduce the shrinkage. Once bacon is fried, let it sit on a paper tower for few minutes and then layer it on the top of your fish. 

In a separate bowl mix your cheese and your breadcrumbs and layer the mixture on the top of your fish and bacon. 

Cut butter into small pieces and sprinkle over the contents of your baking dish. 

Bake for 20 min then switch to broil for another minute.

Raspberry Macaroons

Your teeth sink into a crispy shell of a small round meringue and there is a pleasant surprise when you realize that on the inside it is actually soft and chewy. Then your tongue gets a taste of invigorating raspberry jam nestled in the middle of your macaroon. It's sweet and tangy. It is that ideal bite that reminds you of carefree days of your childhood. Eating freshly picked raspberries with your muddy hands or having a peanut butter and jam sandwich after playing outside in the sun. Remember how good that raspberry tasted as it caressed your curious tongue and how tasty that sandwich was because you were hungry? What happened to tasting something for the very first time and really being in the moment? Appreciating all the nuances of textures, flavours and aromas? What happened to taking time to enjoy food? Macaroon is that distinct combination of flavours and textures that could be the beginning of your new relationship with food. The relationship that is more satisfying, more nourishing and more sensual than you ever thought your relationship with food could be. 

I have been looking for a good macaroon recipe for a while and then when I found this one in the Food and Wine magazine, I knew this was the recipe I have been looking for. It makes a batch of the most luscious sweet treats that are actually quite simple to make. I recommend keeping it in the fridge and then letting it sit at the room temperature for 5 minutes before consumption. Meanwhile, make yourself a cup of your favourite tea, inhale its comforting aroma, find a spot where no one will bother you and sink your teeth into that wonderful meringue. Taste the raspberry jam and get carried away by memories and sensations that make you happy and carefree. Just like you were as a kid, running barefoot, picking raspberries and eating them from your muddy hands. No worries, no judgments and no rush. Just pure flavour and satisfaction.  

Recipe Courtesy: Food And Wine Magazine 

Ingredients:

1 cup confectioners' sugar, 1 cup almond flour, 3 large egg whites, at room temperature, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons water, 2 or 3 drops red food coloring, 1/2 cup raspberry jam.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400° and position racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large, wide bowl, using a large rubber spatula or a handheld electric mixer, mix the confectioners' sugar and the almond flour with 1 of the egg whites until evenly moistened.

In a small saucepan, combine the granulated sugar with the water and bring to a boil; using a moistened pastry brush, wash down any crystals on the side of the pan. Cook over high heat until the syrup reaches 240° on a candy thermometer.

In another large bowl, using clean, dry beaters, beat the remaining 2 egg whites at medium-high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer at high speed, carefully drizzle the hot sugar syrup over the whites and beat until firm and glossy. Beat in the food coloring until the meringue is bright pink.

Stir one-fourth of the meringue into the almond mixture. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the remaining meringue. Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a plain 1/2-inch tip; pipe onto the prepared baking sheets in 1 1/2-inch mounds, 1 inch apart. Tap the sheets and let dry for 15 minutes.

Transfer the meringues to the oven and immediately turn off the heat. Bake the meringues for 5 minutes. Turn the oven on to 400° again and bake the meringues for 8 minutes, until they are puffed and the tops are firm and glossy. Transfer the baking sheets to racks and let cool completely. Peel the meringues off of the parchment paper.

Spoon the jam into a small pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch tip. Alternatively, use a plastic bag and snip off a corner. Pipe the preserves onto the flat sides of half of the meringues. Top with the remaining meringues and serve.

Chicken Sandwich with Jerk and Honey

Living in Toronto means being exposed to all kinds of culinary disciplines. I was fortunate to cook with many chefs and cooks of different cultural backgrounds and they taught me so much about their gastronomic heritages they brought from home. I have also been blessed with incredibly curious taste buds and have never ever turned down anything that I was offered to try. Although my culinary training 

was strictly based on French cookery, I find myself being tremendously influenced by other cuisines that I have been exposed to over the years of adventurous eating. 

This recipe was born in my kitchen on a chilly winter evening. I was craving something hearty, flavourful and soulful. And this dish hit the spot masterfully. I labeled it "my emergency TLC sandwich". Crispy buttered bread sweetened by a touch of honey to balance out perfectly cooked chicken, spiced with jerk sauce. Warm flavours of allspice, Scotch bonnet peppers, cloves, nutmeg, ginger and garlic - all traditionally used to make Jamaican Jerk sauce, caress your tongue with surprisingly sensual bites. It's that sweet torture for your taste palettes. It is spicy yet not overpowering so you can enjoy every single bite. I like to finish this dish in the oven, wrapped in foil paper because it helps to crisp up your bread and for all the flavours in the sandwich to marry together and reach their full tasty potential. Unwrapping it is like opening a present sent to you with love. It is fragrant, satisfying and filled with happiness... 

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 4 buns of your choice (I prefer Kaiser rolls), 1 bell pepper, some butter, 3 tbsp honey, 2 tsp. Jerk sauce (mild or hot, your choice), 2 tsp. lime juice, 1 tomato, sliced, 2 tbsp. chopped parsley, 4 sheets of foil paper. 

Method:

Season your chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Sear in a frying pan for 5 min on each side. Preheat the oven to F400 and bake for 10 minutes. Let it sit for 10 minutes and then cut up in strips. 

In the frying pan where you seared the chicken, add julienned bell pepper and sauté for few minutes. To that add your chicken, jerk sauce, 2 tbsp. honey and some lime juice. Finish with some parsley. Turn off the heat.

Cut your bread rolls open and add some butter and a touch of honey to both sides of your bun. Add your chicken/bell pepper mixture and a slice of tomato. Top with the top part of the bun and wrap it tightly in foil paper. 

When ready to eat, preheat your oven to F450 and bake in foil for 10 minutes. Can be made the night before.

Tomato Napoleon Tutorial

Football Sunday Chicken Wings

My husband Victor loves football. He starts talking about his football Sunday early on Saturday, he impatiently waits for the first game to start (almost as impatiently as kids wait for Christmas), he talks about all the players as if they were his buddies and as soon as the first game starts, he turns up the volume of our TV set to the max. Therefore, Sundays are all about football in our household. Football is not my favourite sport, but I love tailgating food and it's not an uncommon occurrence for us to have a little tailgating party of our own. Chicken wings are definitely at the top of my favourite comfort foods list. It's satisfying, saucy and I love the fact that I can eat them with my hands. There is something so liberating about not having to use any utensils. Maybe it just brings out that wild side that we are taught to suppress when we are taught to eat with forks and knives?

My chicken wings recipe has earned quite the reputation. My family loves it, my friends love it and most importantly, Victor loves it. It makes crunchy, crispy wings and a devilishly good sauce that is sweet, tangy, spicy and buttery. It coats every wing enveloping it in luscious, sizzling, savoury lava of flavour. Intense aromas of hot sauce, balsamic vinegar, herbes de Provence, honey, mixed with refreshing lime juice, glistened with rich butter, create that unmistakable signature taste that will beat any restaurant that is known to make "the best wings in town." It will delicately tease and play with all of your senses, leaving them satisfied and excited. Serve your chicken wings with something else that you can eat with your hands. Like French fries. Just to intensify the satisfying practice of eating with hands. Get messy, enjoy the company and have a healthful salad on Monday. In other words, live a little. It's worth it.

Ingredients:

1 pound of small split chicken wings. 1/2 cup of your favourite hot sauce, 1/2 cup of butter, 1 tsp. Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp. honey, 2 tbsp. brown sugar, 1 tbsp lime juice, 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar, 1/2 tsp. liquid smoke (optional), a pinch of chilli flakes, a pinch of herbes de provence.

Method:

Mix all the ingredients (except chicken wings) in a small pot and let it simmer for about 15 minutes.

Toss wings in some flour and bake at 400F for 40 min. Turn them once.

When wings are done, pour sauce over them and let sit for 10 minutes.