Quill & Quire
Two recent trends in cooking receive the seasonal treatment in splendid new cookbooks this fall. Since the publication of the 100 Mile Diet in 2007, “locavore” cooking – using only ingredients from local producers – has become a growing phenomenon. Jeff Crump, who is executive chef at the Ancaster Old Mill in southern Ontario, has been ahead of that curve for a while now. As explained in Earth to Table, when Crump met farmer Chris Krucker in 2005, he so admired the quality of organic produce Krucker was growing on his nearby ManoRun Farm that his restaurant committed to buying an annual share of Krucker’s crop under a program called Community Shared Agriculture (CSA). “[CSA programs] bring the farmer crucial capital early in the year,” writes Crump. Such investors are not looking for financial return, but rather a stable supply of naturally produced food. The commitment meant that whatever Krucker harvested was what Crump had to cook with, and this new cookbook is the result of that relationship. Crump and co-author Bettina Schormann, Ancaster’s pastry chef, take us through a year of cooking using primarily ingredients from Krucker’s farm. (They bring in ingredients such as citrus fruit and meats from other sustainable producers.) Divided by season into four chapters, and filled with Edward Pond’s vibrant on-site and studio photography, the book offers the sort of recipes one may not always think to cook at home, but which should be nonetheless easy for anyone with a little kitchen smarts. Spring, for example, brings a simple salad of peas, feta, and mint, and also slow-roasted pork shoulder. Summer offers zucchini and eggplant carpaccio and Korean-style beef ribs. Fall has spot prawns with chanterelles and mile-high pumpkin pie, while winter delivers heartier fare such as rabbit stew and oatmeal molasses bread. Crump also visits other renowned chefs, such as New York’s Dan Barber and England’s Heston Blumenthal, to compare notes on sourcing and using sustainable ingredients. With its anecdotes about working on ManoRun Farm (something Crump insists all his cooks do), tips on everything from foraging to preserving to composting, and Schormann’s story about working to bring rare Canadian Red Fife wheat back from near extinction, Earth to Table forms a welcome addition to the Canadian cookbook canon that should long outlast any current trends. The return to nature may be driven by ecological awareness, but another major cooking trend is being driven by financial awareness. Call it culinary retrenchment. The recession has driven many people out of restaurants altogether and back into their home kitchens, where the cost of feeding the family is almost always substantially lower. Following her 2007 title, Lucy’s Kitchen, Globe and Mail food columnist Lucy Waverman’s latest volume, A Year in Lucy’s Kitchen, offers enough homestyle recipes to meet the needs of just about any home cook. This is not the book you turn to when you want to make that soufflé to impress the boss. Rather, Waverman shows us how to cook simply but well, using ingredients dictated by seasonal availability. To that end, each calendar month gets its own chapter. The winter months offer comfort foods like Sicilian-style pasta with herbs and cauliflower, spinach gratin, and black cod cassoulet. Spring and summer moves to lighter fare, such as creamy cucumber and arugla soup, mango chicken salad, and cherry pie. The fall turns to shellfish, root veggies, and roasts. Throughout, sidebars on special celebrations – from Burns Night to Victoria Day to Hanukkah – provide lively holiday menu ideas. Waverman’s husband – a lawyer by day and oenophile by night – offers tips on matching wine to food. And Rob Fiocca and Jim Norton’s photos round out the volume in mouth-watering style – in fact, a spectacular shot of a mustard-glazed standing rib roast is not to be viewed on an empty stomach. All in all, A Year in Lucy’s Kitchen is the sort of book worth staying home for.
Book Description
One of Canada’s favourite culinary personalities returns with the companion volume to the award-winning Lucy’s Kitchen — an inspirational collection of recipes for every month of the year.
The resurgence of farmers’ markets, along with economic, environmental and health concerns have more and more people cooking for themselves. Now with Lucy’s help you can eat better at home than in any restaurant. Try a family-friendly Victoria Day celebration with Firecracker Chicken Salad and S’mores Squares, entertain foodie friends with a Caribbean Paella and Chocolate Baby Cakes or try a new take on Indian cuisine. From hearty winter braises, through spring salads, summer grills and luscious fall feasts, this book shares the pleasures of the table with family and friends.
The resurgence of farmers’ markets, along with economic, environmental and health concerns have more and more people cooking for themselves. Now with Lucy’s help you can eat better at home than in any restaurant. Try a family-friendly Victoria Day celebration with Firecracker Chicken Salad and S’mores Squares, entertain foodie friends with a Caribbean Paella and Chocolate Baby Cakes or try a new take on Indian cuisine. From hearty winter braises, through spring salads, summer grills and luscious fall feasts, this book shares the pleasures of the table with family and friends.
About the Author
Cordon Bleu–trained Lucy Waverman is a food columnist with the Globe and Mail and Food Editor of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario’s Food & Drink. She is the author of eight cookbooks, including the James Beard–nominated and Cuisine Canada Gold Medal–winner A Matter of Taste (with James Chatto).
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Carrot, Parsnip and Celeriac Stir-fry
SERVES 8
Substitute other vegetables to suit your taste-turnips, rutabaga and sweet potatoes or squash are all good choices.
2 cups celeriac, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups parsnips, peeled and cut in ½- inch pieces
2 cups carrots, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch pieces
3 tbsp butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp chopped chives
COMBINE celeriac, parsnips and carrots in a pot. Cover with cold salted water and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 to 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Drain.
HEAT butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add vegetables and stir-fry for 5 minutes, or until browned and heated through. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with chives.
Halibut with Spiced Moroccan Sauce
SERVES 4
The combination of spices and colours makes this a real taste treat and feast for the eyes. I make it with fresh tomatoes in summer and good-quality canned tomatoes in other seasons.
1⁄4 cup chopped fresh coriander
1⁄4 cup chopped parsley
2 tsp chopped garlic
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
Pinch cayenne
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1⁄4 cup lemon juice
1⁄2 cup white wine
2⁄3 cup chopped fresh or canned tomatoes
4 halibut fillets (about 6 oz/175 g each)
1⁄2 cup cracked green olives
PREHEAT oven to 425°F.
CHOP coriander, parsley and garlic in a food processor. Add oil, cumin, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper and puree. Add lemon juice and combine. Reserve 2 tbsp spice mixture.
COMBINE wine, tomatoes and remaining spice mixture in a baking dish. Place halibut in baking dish in a single layer, skin-side down. Spread reserved spice mixture over fish.
BAKE for 15 minutes. Add olives and continue to bake for 5 minutes, or until white juices appear on fish. Serve fish with sauce.
Spicy Green Beans
SERVES 4
The deep-frying changes the texture of the beans and makes them as addictive as French fries, and a perfect foil for the fish. This dish can be prepared ahead and then quickly stir-fried to reheat before serving. You can also spread the deep-fried beans on a baking sheet and reheat them at 400°F for 5 minutes.
Sauce 2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine or dry sherry
2 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp hot Asian chili sauce, or to taste
1⁄4 cup finely chopped shallots
2 tsp finely chopped gingerroot
2 tsp finely chopped garlic
2 cups vegetable oil
2 lb (1 kg) green beans, trimmed
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Salt
MIX together soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, sesame oil and chili sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.
COMBINE shallots, ginger and garlic in a separate small bowl and set aside.
HEAT a wok or deep skillet over high heat. Add vegetable oil. Heat to about 350°F, or until a cube of bread browns in 15 seconds.
ADD beans in batches and fry for about 5 to 6 minutes, or until crisp and wrinkled. Place a strainer over a bowl and carefully transfer beans to strainer with a slotted spoon as they are ready. Let sit to drip until cool.
REMOVE all but 2 tbsp oil from wok. Add shallot mixture and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add beans and sauce and stir-fry for 1 minute, or until beans are coated with sauce and heated through. Drizzle with vinegar and season with salt.
SERVES 8
Substitute other vegetables to suit your taste-turnips, rutabaga and sweet potatoes or squash are all good choices.
2 cups celeriac, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups parsnips, peeled and cut in ½- inch pieces
2 cups carrots, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch pieces
3 tbsp butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp chopped chives
COMBINE celeriac, parsnips and carrots in a pot. Cover with cold salted water and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 to 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Drain.
HEAT butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add vegetables and stir-fry for 5 minutes, or until browned and heated through. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with chives.
Halibut with Spiced Moroccan Sauce
SERVES 4
The combination of spices and colours makes this a real taste treat and feast for the eyes. I make it with fresh tomatoes in summer and good-quality canned tomatoes in other seasons.
1⁄4 cup chopped fresh coriander
1⁄4 cup chopped parsley
2 tsp chopped garlic
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
Pinch cayenne
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1⁄4 cup lemon juice
1⁄2 cup white wine
2⁄3 cup chopped fresh or canned tomatoes
4 halibut fillets (about 6 oz/175 g each)
1⁄2 cup cracked green olives
PREHEAT oven to 425°F.
CHOP coriander, parsley and garlic in a food processor. Add oil, cumin, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper and puree. Add lemon juice and combine. Reserve 2 tbsp spice mixture.
COMBINE wine, tomatoes and remaining spice mixture in a baking dish. Place halibut in baking dish in a single layer, skin-side down. Spread reserved spice mixture over fish.
BAKE for 15 minutes. Add olives and continue to bake for 5 minutes, or until white juices appear on fish. Serve fish with sauce.
Spicy Green Beans
SERVES 4
The deep-frying changes the texture of the beans and makes them as addictive as French fries, and a perfect foil for the fish. This dish can be prepared ahead and then quickly stir-fried to reheat before serving. You can also spread the deep-fried beans on a baking sheet and reheat them at 400°F for 5 minutes.
Sauce 2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine or dry sherry
2 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp hot Asian chili sauce, or to taste
1⁄4 cup finely chopped shallots
2 tsp finely chopped gingerroot
2 tsp finely chopped garlic
2 cups vegetable oil
2 lb (1 kg) green beans, trimmed
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Salt
MIX together soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, sesame oil and chili sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.
COMBINE shallots, ginger and garlic in a separate small bowl and set aside.
HEAT a wok or deep skillet over high heat. Add vegetable oil. Heat to about 350°F, or until a cube of bread browns in 15 seconds.
ADD beans in batches and fry for about 5 to 6 minutes, or until crisp and wrinkled. Place a strainer over a bowl and carefully transfer beans to strainer with a slotted spoon as they are ready. Let sit to drip until cool.
REMOVE all but 2 tbsp oil from wok. Add shallot mixture and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add beans and sauce and stir-fry for 1 minute, or until beans are coated with sauce and heated through. Drizzle with vinegar and season with salt.
