Soba, Cucumber and Mango Make Friends with Some Tasty Tofu

Tofu and soba – they go together like "rama lama lama ka dinga da dinga dong"  

Today's was the post that nearly wasn't. I was planning to do a soba noodle salad but the details of it were yet to come together, particularly what to serve with it. I thought about salmon and trout and scallops. All good options, but things I cook all the time. I wanted to do something a little different. Because I have a baby in tow, I've fallen into a routine of cooking and photographing for the blog a day ahead of time, and I've usually researched and shopped for the recipe at least a couple of days in advance. Not so yesterday. Yesterday, the idea of what to make and how to round out the recipe popped into my head while on a stroll with my little guy, who was refusing to take his morning nap. I thought the fresh (read: frigid) air would help. It did. He conked out, and I end up getting a coffee and hitting the mall. Somewhere between Baby Gap and Old Navy the idea of marinated tofu came to mind. It was the perfect accompaniment. Then I was wondering how to freshen up the soba noodles, and decided on mango and cucumber. Cilantro would be nice. Maybe edamame. Definitely ginger. On the way home, I stopped to pick up what I needed, but Rory was awake and in no mood to spend one more minute out, and certainly not content to hang out at the grocery store. I dashed around managing to remember about half of my mental list. When I got home, I realized I bought the wrong tofu, medium instead of firm. Okay, not a disaster, but I wasn't sure if it would work. 

Then this happened...

Splat! Tofu hits the deck. I can laugh about it now.

And I cursed just a tiny bit. Super-important cooking tip here: actually seal the resealable plastic bag, especially if you plan to turn it upside down. (Also, why are messes such a magnet for cats and babies?) I thought about scrapping the lot. But that seemed a little overly dramatic. While that tofu ended up in the garbage, thankfully, I had just enough left to make this:

Marinated & Baked Tofu

And after that rambling preamble, here's what I have to say about it. It was tasty. Even though I didn't have the right tofu, it held together. I couldn't marinate it for long enough because I was on a tight let's-get-this-thing-done-before-the-baby-wakes-up schedule (nap number two), but it was enough to impart flavour. So I share this recipe with the caveat that I didn't do it perfectly. This recipe is decidedly not triple tested. So what you see here is a little pale, not as imbued with marinade or as golden as it should be. Yours will be better. As for soba or buckwheat noodles, well that was the easy part. They cook quickly and have lots of nutty flavour. Had I remembered my whole list, I would have probably added some cilantro and maybe edamame, but maybe not. Maybe simpler is better. I played with the dressing until it was a good balance of salty, sour and sweet. I find different tamari/soy sauces and miso pastes have different salt levels, so you may need to adjust based on your brand. If you don't have mirin, which is sweet, you can add a touch more sweetness, maybe a bit more vinegar. A quick tip, the tamari/soy sauce in the dressing will darken the mango and cucumber and dull their bright flavours, so this is an eat-right-away versus do-ahead; although the dressing, of course, is made ahead in order to marinate the tofu.

So please accept today's harried and humble offering. I can attest that it makes for a very good, long-overdue lunch eaten standing up by the kitchen sink, but I imagine it will also hold up to somewhat more noble circumstances should you deem it worthy.

Soba Noodle, Cucumber & Mango Salad with Marinated Tofu 

Prep Time: 10 min. | Total Time: 50 min., plus marinade time | Serves: 4

Dressing
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp tamari or light soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp mirin 
1 tbsp agave syrup or 3/4 tbsp honey
2 tsp miso paste
2 tsp grated ginger 
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced, divided
1tsp seeded and finely chopped red finger chili

Tofu
1 pkg firm or extra firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes

Salad
1 mango, peeled and julienned
1/2 English cucumber, julienned 
1 pkg/200 g soba noodles 
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Whisk together ingredients for the dressing, using half the green onions and half the chili, setting aside remaining for later use. Place half the dressing in resealable plastic bag with tofu cubes, seal and place in the refrigerator. Allow to marinate for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. Reserve remaining dressing, refrigerating until needed.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place tofu in a sieve and drain excess marinade. Place tofu on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake for approx. 40 to 45 min. until golden, turning every 10 to 15 min.

Meanwhile, cook soba noodles in salted boiling water for approx. 5 min. until al dente. Drain and place in a bowl filled with ice water to stop the cooking process and cool. Drain and place in a large bowl. Add mango, cucumber, reserved green onion and chili and sesame seeds. Toss with reserved dressing. Serve soba salad with tofu, on the side or on top.

Bobotie: A Sexy Take On Shepherd's Pie

Make tonight South African night with Bobotie

When I was in my early twenties, I worked as an associate editor for a lifestyle magazine that featured travel and food stories. This was in the early 2000s, when press junkets were still the norm. (Maybe they still are, but I haven't been on one in a very long time!) My well-connected editor was offered so many of these freebie trips she couldn't attend them all, and I was the lucky recipient of a few of her cast offs. One of the most memorable and fantastic experiences was a 10-day trip to South Africa. 

We toured Pretoria, Jo-burg and Cape Town. We visited Robben Island, Soweto and the Apartheid Museum. We safaried (I rode an elephant!), toured the wineries of the Stellenbosch region, took a cable car to the top of Table Mountain and saw penguins that sounded like donkeys at Cape Point. And we ate fabulous food!

My job on this life-changing trip was to source South African recipes and tell the story of the country through its cuisine. South Africa has a rich culinary heritage and many, many fantastic restaurants. One of the quintessential dishes was Bobotie, which is a national dish of sorts. Spice-filled, meaty and almost creamy, Bobotie is like the sexiest Shepherd's Pie you'll ever eat. I have tried several recipes, but the one I like best ironically comes from the Irish cookbook I told you about a couple of weeks ago. Their recipe is by of Silwood Kitchen School of Cookery in Cape Town, the oldest cooking school in South Africa, so it's pretty legit. 

Bobotie is a true fusion dish with a storied history, much like that of South Africa itself. It is referred to as a Cape-Malay dish and stems from the Dutch colonization of both Indonesia and South Africa in the 17th century and the influence of the food cooked by the Malaysian slaves who were brought there. Like any iconic recipe, there are many, many iterations, but the basic components include ground meat, often lamb, cooked with spices, nuts, dried fruit and sometimes fruit chutney. This mixture is then topped with an egg-and-milk topping and baked. The version here doesn't include dried fruit or chutney, and I think it's one of the more authentic versions I've tasted. If you'd like to add dried fruit, sultanas or chopped dried apricots are typical; I'd say about 1/4 to 1/3 cup. Don't be put off by the amount of different spices – if you've got curry powder, ground ginger and cinnamon, you'll be in good shape. (Although turmeric is a wonderful spice and so good for you – it's worth buying!) A key step I discovered if you use lamb or regular ground beef (vs. lean or extra lean) is to brown it separately first and drain off the fat. The first time I made this dish, I followed the recipe exactly (although it wasn't very detailed; like, no cook times or anything!), and it was very greasy – the method I've added below works like a charm and is also a good tip when making Shepherd's Pie. 

Although not the prettiest dish, it's a warming, comforting meal that has pizzaz. Serve with rice and salad, and you've got (a South African) dinner! 

Bobotie
Prep Time: 15 min. | Total Time: 45 min. | Serves: 4-6
*Adapted from Ballymaloe Cookery Course by Darina Allen

1 lb ground lamb or beef
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2-1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp each ground coriander seed, turmeric and sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/2 tsp lemon zest 
1 tsp seeded, finely chopped red finger chili (optional)
2 tbsp chopped parsley or cilantro 
1 tbsp chopped slivered almonds 
2 slices thick white bread soaked in milk, drained and squeezed dry
1 tbsp red wine vinegar 
salt and pepper to taste

Buttermilk Topping
1 cup buttermilk 
2 eggs 
pinch salt and pepper
2-1/2 tsp turmeric 

Preheat oven to 350ºF. 

In a large skillet, cook lamb on medium-high heat until beginning to brown and juices are released, approx. 3 to 5 min. Remove lamb to a sieve placed over a bowl to allow excess fat to drain; discard fat. Rinse and dry skillet. Return skillet to heat and add oil. Cook onions over medium heat until translucent, approx. 3 min. Add lamb back to skillet and continue to cook until browned, approx. 2 to 3 min. Add spices and stir to incorporate, cooking for approx. 1 min. Add garlic, zest, chili, herbs and almonds and stir, cooking for approx. 1 min. Add bread and vinegar, stirring and breaking up bread to incorporate, approx. 1 min. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside. 

Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl whisk together the ingredients for the buttermilk topping. Strain mixture through a sieve into another bowl, using a spatula to push the mixture through. 

Place meat mixture into a shallow baking dish, pressing down to flatten with spatula. Pour buttermilk mixture evenly overtop. Bake until topping is set and golden, approx. 25 min.

Gluten-Free Twist on Tabouleh

Swap in quinoa for a gluten-free twist on tabouleh

Growing up, my family lived in Saudi Arabia. We were there for 10 years, which was a pretty life-changing experience for all of us. One of the best ways it influenced my brother, sister and me was through our early exposure to an entirely different food culture. Middle Eastern cuisine is wonderfully complex and flavourful – well-spiced but not spicy. I love the balance of earthy, sweet and sour flavours, with spices such as cumin, turmeric, allspice and sumac and the frequent use of lemons, dried fruit and yogurt or labneh.

One of the recipes I make most frequently from those days is also one of the simplest: tabouleh or parsley and bulgar wheat salad. There was something about the tabouleh I had in Saudi that is never the same here – there are regional differences in the parsley to bulgar wheat ratios and in Saudi the tabouleh was more parsley-centric. I follow a recipe from an old book by Tess Mallos, first published in the late '70s, called "The Complete Middle East Cook Book," which offers both options. It's a comprehensive and fascinating book – she covers regional cuisine ranging from Greece, Cyprus and Turkey to Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq to the Gulf States, Afghanistan and Armenia. While some dishes are a tad too authentic for my taste, such as lamb brains (I'm an adventurous eater, but, no) many are more approachable, like chick peas with spinach, barbecued fish with dates and saffron rice. 

Now here comes my twist: quinoa. When I floated the idea to my husband (who also grew up in Saudi) about trying tabouleh with quinoa instead of bulgar, he was pretty skeptical – as in don't mess with my tabouleh skeptical. Like any good wife, I ignored him and tried it anyway. I really enjoyed the nuttiness it added, plus, while bulgar or cracked wheat is a whole grain, quinoa offers more protein and it's a great gluten-free option. If you want to opt for the traditional tabouleh, go for it, I've included the directions for bulgar also. And let me know if you'd like more Middle Eastern recipes!

Quinoa Tabouleh

adapted from "The Complete Middle East Cookbook" by Tess Mallos

Prep Time: 15 min. | Total Time: 20 min. | Serves: 4 

3 to 4 cups chopped flat leaf parsley (washed, dried and stems removed)

1/2 cup sliced green onions

1/4 cup chopped mint

2 tomatoes seeded and chopped or 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, quartered

1 cup cooked quinoa or 1/4 cup fine bulgar wheat, soaked

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Add first five ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Pour dressing over ingredients and stir to mix.  

How to cook quinoa: Place 1/2 cup quinoa in a fine mesh sieve and rinse with cold water to remove bitterness; drain. Place in a medium pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium-low, simmering for approx. 20 min., until quinoa has almost doubled in size, kernels have burst and it is softened but still chewy. Spread onto a paper-towel lined baking sheet to cool and dry. 

How to soak bulgar: Place 1/4 cup fine bulgar wheat in a bowl and cover with cold water. Allow to sit for 30 min.; drain. Spread onto a paper-towl lined baking sheet to dry.

A note on the salt in this recipe. The original calls for a whopping 1-1/2 tsp of salt, which is just way too salty to be enjoyable. For this recipe, I've reduced to 1/2 tsp, but of course check the flavour of the dressing and adjust according to your taste buds. 

Mushroom Soup That's Magic

Make this crazy-good mushroom soup and you can go all "soup nazi" on everyone

This weekend, we had a glut of cremini mushrooms in the fridge. Ian had been on a lasagna-making blitz, with the intent of trying out a new mushroom lasagna recipe as well as his go-to meatball recipe. But after simmering a tomato sauce for hours, rolling dozens of mini meatballs and assembling and baking three large pans of the stuff, our freezer was jammed and he was over it. 

So then we were left wondering what to do with all those mushrooms. Inspiration really does  come from the most unexpected places. We caught a rerun of "The Soup Nazi" episode of Seinfeld. ("No soup for you!" Hilarious. It never gets old.) Soup seemed like great idea. It usually does. If I had to choose to eat only one kind of food for the rest of my life, it would be a duke out between soup and pasta. Soup might win. 

This homemade mushroom soup is an epiphany, if I do say so myself. It has a deeply umami, true mushroom flavour that cannot be compared to the canned variety. I prefer the meatiness of creminis, but you can use white button mushrooms, too. The real key flavour-wise is adding dried mushrooms and the stock made from reconstituting them. I had porcini on hand but it could be mixed dried mushrooms. And I'd say the cream at the end is a must for that silky luxuriousness that brings everything together. If you choose to not add cream (because why?), you may need a little more stock to achieve the right consistency, once the mushrooms are blended. 

When you make this soup, you have permission to get all "soup nazi" on your family and friends. Get them to form a tidy, quiet line while you ladle it out. Have them clean the kitchen for you afterwards. Shout "no soup for you!" if they don't comply. They'll think you've lost it. It'll be fun! 

Cream of Mushroom Soup 
Prep Time: 10 min. | Total Time: 40 min. | Makes: approx. 5 cups

1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms
1 cup hot water
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 medium onion, diced
pinch each salt, pepper and cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
8 cups (580 g) roughly chopped cremini mushrooms
2 tbsp brandy (optional)
1 tbsp all purpose flour 
3 cups chicken or veal stock
salt to taste
1/2 cup heavy or whipping cream

Pour hot water over dried porcini mushrooms and allow to steep and plump for approx. 10 to 15 min. 

Meanwhile, in a large soup or stock pot, melt butter over medium to medium-low heat and cook onion until soft and translucent, approx. 5 min. Add salt, pepper and cayenne and continue to cook for 1 to 2 more min. Add garlic and thyme and cook 1 to 2 more min. Add mushrooms and cook until softened and all the liquid has released from the mushrooms and has evaporated, stirring frequently, approx. 7 min. Add brandy and cook for 1 to 2 min more. Add flour and stir to ensure it's incorporated, cook 1 to 2 min more. 

Strain and reserve the mushroom stock created by steeping the dried mushrooms. Roughly chop mushrooms and add to pot. Add mushroom and chicken stocks to pot, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 min. 

Taste and season as necessary. Remove from heat. Using an immersion or stand blender, blend until smooth. Return to pot and add cream, stirring on a low heat until incorporated.  

The Beauty of Irish Soda Bread

Easy, Satisfying & Rustically Beautiful Irish Soda Bread

I will always have a soft spot for Ireland. I love its emerald countryside, the warm, witty people, and the incredible, soulful food. But I love it all the more because Ireland is where my husband asked me to marry him. It was June 2009, and we had travelled to Ireland for the wedding of our dear friends Eoin and Lisa. After the wedding, we drove around Ireland for a few days, stopping one night at Ballymaloe Country House, outside of Cork. It's quite a famous spot, run by Darina Allen, a well-known food celeb in the U.K. (A tangental but funny story: during our extremely quaint countryside dinner there, several SUVs pulled up and out popped Jay-Z and Nelly! Weird, eh?) Down the road is Ballymaloe Cookery School, which has extensive gardens and a farm. Ian and I spent the following morning pottering about there. It was completely idyllic, full of vegetable patches and beautiful flower gardens. At one point we came upon a charming tiny house lined with sea shells – I was awed by its prettiness. Ian says I had a look on my face that said, "now?" As in, "Will you propose now? This place is perfect." I don't recall having that expectation at all, but he'd left the ring in the car so it had to wait. 

Later that day we drove on to our next stop, Waterford Castle, now a hotel and restaurant. When we got there, Ian immediately wanted to go for a drink and a walk. This was when I knew something was up. He was agitated. He downed his drink and mine within minutes and immediately launched us onto our "scenic" promenade. Trouble was, it wasn't so scenic that day. As it goes with Ireland, there'd been a lot of rain, so the path was quite swampy forcing us to walk single file, and it was distractingly buggy. He was clearly looking for the best spot to pop the question, but it wasn't presenting itself, so we finished the walk and went back to the room. The tension was mounting! The proposal happened later that evening, outside the castle before dinner, with a beautiful sunset in the background. It was perfect! So you can see why Ireland will always be special to me.

Okay, that was a lot of back story to get to the point, which is: one of my favourite cookbooks is Darina Allen's. It's a thick compendium of recipes, with lots of great technique information. I always reference it when I'm cooking a roast or making something classic like hollandaise. It was the only place to turn to when looking for something to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, and this most honest of Irish recipes, Soda Bread, seemed the right one to share. It's quick, it's easy – really truly. You have to trust in the simplicity of the recipe because you're going to keep wondering, is it that easy? Did I get it right? It is and you did. And making it provides you with this gratifying knowledge: I baked bread. The bread is dense and chewy and rustic. It's ideal for dunking in a soup or stew. I also sliced it thin and toasted it, slathering it with butter and a pinch of salt. So simple. So perfect. So Irish. Happy St. Patty's Day!

Irish Soda Bread
*adapted from Darina Allen's "Ballymaloe Cookery Course"
3-1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking soda
1-3/4 cups buttermilk 

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Sieve dry ingredients into a medium bowl. Make a well in the centre. Pour buttermilk into well. Using one hand, with fingers stiff and outstretched like a claw, stir mixture in a circular movement from the centre to the outside of the bowl in ever-increasing circles, until dough comes together. Dough should be soft and not too wet or sticky. 

Turn dough out onto floured surface. Wash and dry hands. Pat dough into a round ball. Cut a deep cross into the loaf and prick the four corners.  

Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 min. then reduce heat to 400ºF and bake for 30 min. more. To test bread doneness, tap the bottom of the loaf; it should make a hollow sound. Place on a cooling rack. Eat within one to two days.

Creamy, Dreamy Baked Risotto

Baked Risotto with Prosciutto & Peas

A nice slice 

Once upon a time, if you came to my house for dinner, you ate risotto. I learned to make risotto, really good risotto, before it was trendy, before it was in every magazine and on every cooking show. Before it was being tweaked, tinkered with and short-cutted to the point that it no longer resembled risotto. I've made risottos with butternut squash (a favourite), salmon, lemon and peas. I've made arancini with the leftovers. The first dinner I cooked for my husband was a mushroom risotto – my piece de resistance. Taking this as a challenge, he made a chicken risotto, which he claimed was far superior. We have a small, simmering rivalry in the kitchen, you see.

And then we kind of stopped making risotto. I guess we overdid it? Who knows. But it's been a long time. 

Then a few weeks ago I was watching Giada De Laurentiis cook this recipe, her Nonna's baked risotto. It looked so interesting, so comforting, so authentic. I had to try it! And I'm so glad I did. I am newly inspired by risotto!

Now this is nothing like a steaming, silky bowl of rich creamy risotto. It's more similar to a baked pasta. The rice still retains its bite but it melds with the other ingredients, forming a cohesive wedge when sliced. To us, this is the perfect side dish. Creamy, comforting and flavourful, but low-key, not asserting itself over the meal. We served it with a punchy veal piccata which was the perfect counterpoint. And boy would kids love this!

It's a simple recipe but somewhat step heavy, a Sunday afternoon versus a Tuesday night dish. I had two challenges with it to give you the heads up about in case you run into the same problems. One, that my springform pan was 10" instead of 9", meaning mine was less dense; I should have reduced the cooking time by 10 minutes or so – it was just a smidge dry. Two, you wrap the whole springform pan in foil and cook it in a water bath and my foil wrapping sprung a leak. I thought this would be disastrous – it wasn't – but the bottom and sides lacked the crispness they would have had. It's really, really important to wrap this baby up well with no seams for the water to trickle in. 

I can't wait to try this again, play with the flavours and see what else I can come up with. So if you come to my house for dinner, this might just be on the menu. 

Getting it all together – a few key steps 

Baked Risotto with Prosciutto & Peas
*adapted from Giada De Laurentiis 

2 cups marinara sauce
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
4 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
4 eggs, at room temperature, beaten
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs or panko 

Bechamel 
3 tbsp unsalted butter 
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1-1/4 cup milk, at room temperature
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350ºF with rack in middle of oven. Prepare a 9" springform pan by greasing with butter on the bottom and sides; wrap the outside with a large piece of foil so there are no gaps or seams.

Place rice and marinara sauce in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce to medium/medium-low, simmering for 6 min. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, prepare bechamel sauce by melting butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour and whisk until smooth, 1 to 2 min. Gradually add the milk, whisking to prevent lumps. Simmer over medium-low heat, whisking, until the sauce is thick and smooth, approx. 6 min. Stir in salt and nutmeg. 

In a large bowl, gently mix together rice mixture, bechamel sauce, 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, prosciutto and peas until well incorporated. Slowly mix in eggs, salt and pepper until incorporated. 

Pour mixture into prepared springform pan, cover with foil. Place in a roasting pan. Fill roasting pan with hot water until it comes halfway up sides of springform pan, ensuring no water gets inside foil wrapping. Bake 1 hr.

Remove foil cover and sprinkle with breadcrumbs and remaining Parmigiano Reggiano. Turn oven to broil (500ºF). Broil for approx. 2 to 3 min. until top is golden. Remove from pans from oven; remove springform pan from foil onto a plate or serving dish. Allow to cool 15 min. Loosen edges with a knife or metal spatula; remove sides of pan. Cut into wedges to serve. 

Dangerously Decadent Chocolate Mousse

Live Dangerously: Classic Chocolate Mousse 

When I was about five or six, my parents took me out to restaurants quite a bit. In Toronto in the early '80s, French food was seriously in vogue, and at one of these early dining experiences, possibly the same night my father tricked me into eating rabbit, I had chocolate mousse. It was magic. More chocolate-y than any chocolate I'd had. Light as air, melting and bubbly on my tongue. Luscious, luxurious – words I didn't know at the time. All I knew was that I was in love. And I still am. 

But for some reason, I have hesitated to make it at home. Whether I was worried I wouldn't have my Ratatouille-moment, or I was just plain intimidated by the lengthiness of the recipes I found, I don't know, but I am here to tell you something: Making chocolate mousse is dead easy. 

I made some this morning in 45 minutes while my baby was sleeping. A pretty bold move: nothing tempts the nap gods to punish you more than embarking on something that requires your full focus and attention. You remember Juliette Binoche in Chocolat? I was the exact opposite. The water had been turned off in our building. My kitchen was a disaster. I was under-the-gun to get it all done before Rory awoke. Basically, I had no business even attempting this. But I did it. And it was spectacular!

Before I ever got to the cooking stage, I did my research. This is what I found: whether cook books or blogs, attributed or not, all roads lead to Julia Child. Her Mousselline au Chocolat from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" is the foundation of all the best chocolate mousse recipes I referenced. I've further edited and simplified in the recipe below, but in case it still looks too difficult, here's a quick breakdown:

You melt together chocolate, butter (a lot of butter) and coffee. You whisk together egg yolks, sugar and a liqueur of your choice over heat and then over cold. You blend these two mixtures together. You whisk egg whites with a pinch of salt and some sugar until they are glossy but not stiff and fold them into the chocolate mixture. You pour into a pretty vessel and chill. Easy, right? 

It's all about the chocolate.... 

Great chocolate mousse unsurprisingly starts with great chocolate. Does it have to be a fancy brand? Not really. But it also can't be that bag of chocolate chips that's been sitting in your freezer for a year. I consulted Harold McGee's "McGee On Food & Cooking" to read up on the subject. (If you're not familiar with Harold McGee, he's like the Bill Nye of food.) It comes down to the cocoa solids and their varying moisture content dependent on the percentage in the chocolate. So regardless of the recipe, use the percentage/type of chocolate recommended or expect to be sad-face disappointed. Same goes for a recipe that calls for milk chocolate; don't go messing with dark in there and necessarily expect great results. Chocolate mousse recipes call for dark chocolate with between 60 and 70% cocoa. I used a 70% that I ordered online – Cacao Barry Saint Domingue Origine, which comes in small discs for easy measuring and melting. I wanted this mousse to be incredible, so to me it was worth splurging a little. 

And was it ever worth it. Let me tell you friends, I had a moment with that chocolate mousse this morning. And now that I know how easy it is, I'm looking forward to many more.

Classic Chocolate Mousse 
*adapted from Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking"
Prep Time: 15 min. | Total Time: 45 min. | Chill Time: 3 to 4 hr.

1-1/4 cups (170 g/6 oz) chopped dark chocolate (60 to 70% cocoa)
3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup strong coffee 
4 large eggs, separated 
2/3 cup plus 1 tbsp super fine sugar, divided  
2 tbsp Grand Marnier liqueur (or liqueur of your choice)
1 tbsp cold water
pinch salt 
1/2 tsp vanilla extract 

In a medium-sized bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water, melt together chocolate, butter and coffee, stirring until combined. Remove bowl from heat; set aside.

Fill a large bowl halfway with ice water and set aside. 

In another medium-sized bowl set over the same pot of simmering water, whisk together egg yolks, 2/3 cup sugar, liqueur, and water for approx. 3 min. until the sugar has melted, mixture has thickened, become paler and is the consistency of a runny mayonnaise. Remove the bowl from the heat and place inside the bowl of ice water, ensuring water doesn't get into the egg mixture. Continue to whisk until slightly thickened and cooled, approx. 2 to 3 more min. Remove bowl from ice water and add chocolate mixture to the egg mixture, stirring to combine. 

Whisk egg whites with salt until frothy and just beginning to stiffen. Add 1 tbsp sugar and whisk until thick and glossy but not stiff; add vanilla and whisk just until combined. 

Fold one-third of the whisked egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Fold the remaining until incorporated, being careful not to over mix. Pour mousse mixture into ramekins, tea cups or a vessel of your choice. Chill for approx. 3 to 4 hours until firm.   

Get Stuffed with Savoury Pancakes

Ultimate breakfast for dinner: Maple-Bacon, Cheddar & Chive Pancakes

In my last post, I promised you chocolate. 

Never fear, chocolate is on its way. I'm just waiting for a special delivery before I can start testing. Fingers crossed for Thursday!

In the meantime, I offer you this: a savoury-sweet pancake recipe (with bacon!) that's perfect for dinner, or brunch or anywhere in between. Today is Shrove or "Pancake" Tuesday, after all. Pancake Tuesday doesn't have much of a presence in Canada, but in the U.K., everyone eats thin crepe-like pancakes smothered in sugar and lemon juice as a last hurrah before Lent, because, well, if you're going to stuff your face with something, it may as well be pancakes. (At this point, I could tell you about the time when I was a little girl and ate one of those bigger-than-your face, whipped cream and chocolate-slathered creations and was immediately sick, but why go there?) These pancakes are what the Brits would call American pancakes, although with the addition of cheddar, maple and bacon, I'd say they're decidedly Canadian. 

The bacon here is pretty special and a recipe in its own right. It's inspired by an old Gourmet recipe, which I've both simplified and doctored up. In these pancakes, the bacon is the dominant flavour note, adding salt, sweet and spice. The method also ensures it's both crisp and non-greasy. Feel free to make extra. It'll make a rocking BLT, jazz up any pasta and it's perfect for absent-minded nibbling while you're flipping pancakes.

Another key technique to these pancakes is adding the cheese and chives to the batter before cooking. I referenced several recipes that instructed you to add the cheese on top of the pancakes while they cooked – for me, this was a major stick-to-the-pan, burnt-cheese fail. After some experimentation, I discovered that mixing the cheese into the batter instead works perfectly. If you want to make your batter ahead, you can, just add the cheese and chives right before cooking. The bacon on the other hand is best added on top while the pancake is cooking so it stays crisp and makes for a prettier presentation. Another quick note: There are pancakes of a similar ilk that use green onions. I prefer the subtlety of chives, both in terms of flavour and mouthfeel (in other words, I don't like to bite on big chunks of green onion). Okay. Enough technicalities. Make these, stuff your face and be happy. By the way, I hope you're not giving chocolate up for Lent! 

Maple-Bacon, Cheddar & Chive Pancakes 
Prep Time: 10 min. | Total Time: 40 min. | Makes: 10 pancakes
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1-1/4 cups buttermilk
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 egg
1/2 cup finely grated cheddar cheese
1 tbsp finely sliced chives
1 cup chopped, cooked Spiced Maple-Bacon (recipe below) 

In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, melted butter and egg. Whisk flour mixture into buttermilk mixture until just smooth, without over-mixing. (You can make the batter the night ahead up until this point and refrigerate; bring to room temperature before cooking.) Stir in cheese and chives. 

In a large non-stick skillet, heat a knob of butter over medium heat, until foaming (you can use canola oil or bacon fat if you prefer). Using a 1/4 cup measure, pour batter into pan, ensuring space is left between pancakes (cook in batches if necessary); sprinkle with approx. 1 tbsp bacon pieces. Cook until bubbles appear at edges and on top, approx. 2 min. Using spatula, carefully flip pancakes and cook until browned, approx. two min. more. Transfer to a platter and keep in a 200ºF oven until ready to serve. Top with remaining bacon pieces and maple syrup if desired. 

Spiced Maple-Bacon
Prep Time: 5 min. | Total Time: 30 min. | Makes: 1 cup chopped bacon
8 slices streaky bacon
1 tsp pure maple syrup
1 pinch each black pepper and cayenne pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Place a cooling rack on top of a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Layer bacon strips vertically on top of cooling rack, without overlapping. Bake bacon for 20 to 30 min. on middle rack (it should be browned and crisp but still pliable). Remove baking sheet from oven; blot bacon with paper towel. Brush bacon slices with maple syrup and sprinkle with peppers. Return bacon to oven for 2 min. more. Remove bacon and place syrup side up on a paper towel lined plate. Allow to cool slightly and cut into small pieces.