Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Veggie Pot Pies



Delicious, hearty & robust - vegetables have what it takes to make some of the most flavourful and satisfying pot pies. And if you have your doubts, remember that most everything tastes even more amazing topped with some form of pastry.

Let Chef-instructor Val Andrews take you through the steps of creating these one-dish wonders: Wild Rice and Mushroom Ragout Pot Pie with Flaky Pastry, Smokey Black Bean Stew with Corn Biscuit Topping, Wine-Braised Root Vegetable & Lentil Pot Pie with Potato Topping, Dilly Artichoke Potato and Green Bean Pot Pie in Phyllo.

Vegetarian Pot Pies is a hands-on class - for herbivores & omnivores alike - this Saturday, January 29 at 2 pm. Call us at 403-265-6066 to register.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Sunday Supper on Monday Night


Sunday Suppers at Lucques has long been one of our favourite books here at The Cookbook Co. and we're very excited to be featuring it in our next installment of the Monday Night Book Club. Susan Goin is a product of Alice Waters and Chez Panisse, her restaurant in L.A. has quickly become one of the most beloved American restaurants. Filled with seasonal recipes using the best quality ingredients in unusual ways, this book will have you craving Sunday Suppers every night of the week.

Roasted Beet Salad with Fried Chickpeas, Nyons Olives, and Ricotta Salata

Mussels and Clams with Vermouth, Canellini Beans, and Cavolo Nero

Grilled Duck Breasts with Creme Fraiche, Roasted Grapes and Potato-Bacon Gratin

Jessica's Favorite Meyer Lemon Tart with a layer of Chocolate


Join Gail Norton and Matthew Altizer on Monday January 24th, for an exciting evening of food, conversation, and a couple glasses of wine. Tickets $65.00 per person and space is limited so give us a call 403-265-6066 and sign up!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Pomegranate Molasses

Pomegranate molasses is one of those ingredients which can be used in almost any application. It can add a burst of flavour when rubbed over a leg of lamb, it's delicious drizzled over fresh summer strawberries, and can provide a deep, almost mysterious flavour in a stew. In Turkey and parts of the middle east, there are many different varieties of pomegranate molasses, some of which are more sweet and used as cordials, and others with more of a savoury flavour for tagines and salads. One of my favourite ways to enjoy pomegranate molasses is to make it from fresh pomegranates, it has a much more complex fruity flavour, and a gorgeously bright ruby colour.


Making pomegranate molasses is dead simple once you've managed to get the juice out of the fruit, it doesn't really require much more than an ability to boil water, so all you have to do is master the art of seeing a pomegranate. The easiest way to juice a pomegranate is to cut it into quarters and tap the outside of the fruit with a wooden spoon, letting the seeds rain down into your waiting bowl. Make sure to remove all of the white bitter membrane before you push the seeds through a potato ricer into a non reactive saucepan. One pomegranate will make about 1 tablespoon of molasses. Taste the juice for acidity and sweetness, and add lemon juice and/or sugar if necessary. At this point you can add any number of ingredients to make an infused pomegranate syrup. lemon zest, a cardamon pod, saffron threads or even dried rose petals. Cook the mixture over medium high and reduce until the bubbles start to get smaller as the mixture thickens. Pour the mixture into a glass jar or a ramekin, and let it cool completely before covering and storing it in the fridge.
 

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