PANETTONE MILANESE

Last night I was watching Food Networks “Best Thing I Ever Ate: Christmas Special.” This show is a bit different than the typical Food Network shows as it has the chefs telling us where they like to eat and the best thing they ever ate (each episode changes it could be chocolate dish, appetizer, eggs etc). So last night was the Christmas special and Giada de Laurentiis, Food Network’s Italian beauty was talking about her Christmas staple – panettone. Panettone is a traditional Christmas & New Year sweet bread loaf that originated in Milan. It is enjoyed in Italy, Malta, Brazil, Switzerland, and South America, and is one of the symbols of the city of Milan. It truly is a Christmas dinner staple. Giada regaled us of what panettone meant to her, but she also told us that instead of making this difficult cake she likes to head to Emporio Rulli in California for this “blissful” dessert.

According to Rulli, their panettone recipe is a century old recipe handed down to Chef Rulli during his apprenticeship in Italy. The knowledge and technique needed to make this 16th century leavened cake from Milan has been passed down from panettone maestri to their apprentices for generations! The cake is made up of fine wheat flour, creamery butter, egg yolks, golden raisins and Italian candied orange peels. There is a 50% butter to flour ration, it is soft, flakey, butter and delicious! The cake is about 12-15cm high, and when removed from the oven is hung upside to ensure that it doesn’t collapse! The “proofing process” ensures that this cake maintains its distinctive fluffy characteristics! (Proofing process means letting the dough rise high enough in order to get the height on the cake. The whole process takes 5 hours!!)

This yummy Italian dessert is one that our neighbours have given us every year at Christmas and something I always look forward too. Perfect with a cup of coffee or espresso, or even turned into a bread pudding, panettone is a wonderful Christmas dessert!

photo credit: google images

OH CANADA!

    HAPPY CANADA DAY!! 

What a great day to celebrate our amazing country! This includes celebrating the wonderful flavours that our country has to offer! From coast to coast, we are so lucky in the food, restaurants and creations that our country provides us. From local fresh fish on the east coast, to maple syrup shacks in Quebec, we have it all!

Celebrate Canada today and whip up something fantastic with any of the great products produced in Canada. Eat and cook local today - try out some new farmers markets and taste those great summer berries. Or make a classic Canadian dish - using bacon or maple syrup of course!

Enjoy Canada Day and the all the food we Canadians love!

Here is a recipe by Chef Michael Smith for Canada Day: Canadian Fruit Celebration Crisp

Ingredients: Serves 6 to 8

- 2 to 3 pounds of your favourite berries (see Variations below)
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- ½ cup (of all purpose flour
- 2 cups of brown or white sugar
- 1 more cup of all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of nutmeg
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) of butter, melted

Directions:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F
- Toss the berries with the cinnamon, ½ cup of flour and 1 cup of sugar, then spread it evenly into a 9 by 5-inch baking pan 2 inches deep.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together 1 cup of flour, remaining 1 cup of sugar and nutmeg. Drizzle in the melted butter and stir until well blended with the dry ingredients.
- Scatter this topping evenly over the top of the fruit. Bake until fruit juices are bubbling around the edges, the fruit is tender and the top is golden brown, about 1 hour.

Variations:

There are many ways to add your own ideas to a fruit crisp. Try apples, peaches, pears, plums or rhubarb. Even chunks of come-from-away mango, banana or pineapple bake into a memorable crisp. You may use one fruit or try different combinations of fruit. You may also try stirring in raisins or your favourite nuts. You can modify the topping with whole wheat flour and vegetable oil instead of white flour and butter. You can use your favourite baking spice instead of cinnamon or nutmeg. Cardamom is always a treat!

ENJOY!


photo credit: globeandmail.com & foodtv.ca

MACAROON? MACARON?

Two similar words, two completely different things! Macaron is not the wrong spelling for the word macaroon, as many people so often think! They are in fact are two different desserts. How silly two things with only a one letter difference for the name. Anyways let me enlighten you into the world of these delicious bakery treats.

They both are based from egg whites and sugar (forming meringue). However for macaroons shredded coconut is added into the mix. This batter is then spooned onto a cookie sheet in little stacks and baked until crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle. They are often dipped in chocolate and just delightful!

Macarons are a bit trickier and require some baking finesse. One the egg whites and sugar for the meringue, powdered sugar and ground almonds are folded in. The mixture is the piped (using a piping bag) into exact rounds and baked. The cookies are then paired with a flavoured filling to make a little elegant sandwich. (Almonds are not the only flavouring used for macarons) They are crunchy, chewy and creamy all at the same time. These little delights originated in France but now have become a Canadian phenomenon. Every bakery and patisserie seems to be creating these little morsels, with many new and exciting flavours. If you are in Toronto - check out Patachou for some yummy macarons!

Learn more about macarons and the "elegance of Paris" with the cookbook "I Love Macarons" by renowed Japanese pastry-maker Hisako Ogita. This cookbook is excellent as it gives you idiot-proof illustrated step-by-step instructions. The benefit to this cookbook - all of these colourful and delectable little pastries will soon be filling your kitchen (and belly)!!

photo credit: google images

PAVLOVA

Pavlova is one of my ultimate favourite deserts to make. It is so easy, and the meringue is a real crowd pleaser. Pavlova is a meringue cake - light and fluffy and there is a longstanding debate about the origin of the cake. It was either invented in New Zealand or Australia but the name Pavlova was chosen in honor of Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova. (She toured both New Zealand and Australia in 1926)

I usually make this at Christmas as a desert when all my high-school girlfriends come over for dinner, and they love it! I made it last night for a dinner party and it was a huge success. The only thing with meringues is that they are somewhat temperamental - so don't try to make them on a rainy day because you wont end up with the stiff peaks you need. Here is the recipe - SO EASY!

Pavlova

Ingredients:
- 4 egg whites
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch or cream of tartar
- 1 pack of raspberries
- 4 kiwis
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 1 half pint whipping cream (250ml)

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F 
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper 
- Separate egg yolks and egg whites (it is easier to do this when the eggs are cold)
- In the bowl of your electric mixer (Kitchen Aid Mixers work very well) beat the egg whites on medium - high speed until they hold soft peaks
- Slowly add in the sugar, a tablespoon at a time and continue to beat until the meringue hold stiff peaks and is somewhat glossy looing
- Make sure the meringue is smooth not gritty (if it feel gritty the sugar is not dissolved so keep beating until the meringue feels smooth)
- With a spatula fold in vinegar and cornstarch until combined
- On your parchment paper draw a large circle, and fill in with meringue (make sure the edges of the meringue are higher than the center)
- Bake for 1 hr or until golden brown

To assemble: 

- Whip the whipping cream and add in vanilla and 2tbsp sugar for flavor
- Place whipping cream a top the meringue (do this right before you are ready to serve, otherwise the meringue will be soggy)
- Sprinkle raspberries and kiwi over the top (you can really use any fruit you like)
- Serve immediately