One Whole Clove

Dim Sum

[Steamed fresh prawn dumpling or Ha-gau/Har Gow]

As odd as it may seem, if I have been tasked with appeasing my French Canadian family's taste buds, I need not coat their palates with the warmth of velvety rich French sauces to assure I have satiated their appetite.  Relief and relaxation for myself and my wallet alike, come steamed and oftentimes fried in one of many towering baskets offered at a traditional Dim Sum lunch service.

Between 11 A.M. and 2 P.M. the trolley patrols tiny restaurant aisles, offering glimpses of wrapped rice noodle treasures to the deep fried won ton variety.  Well established restaurants will often provide a cheater's menu of item illustrations supported by a brief ingredient count and applicable cooking method.  The daredevil among us may be tempted to order the chicken feet.  Generally, we are inclined to linger over a few favourites. 

Before decisions are made, I arrange for a refreshing start with a cucumber salad.  There is nothing like the full dress of sweetened rice wine vinegar, Thai chilies and whole garlic cloves to adorn my cucumber spears and the Lazy Susan.  it is quite exciting to share several dishes at once with your party, discussing each serving's  texture and essence with ardor.  One word of caution, chopsticks are a dangerous weapon when expressing one's flavor opinion.  It's all commonplace French Canadian conversation until someone loses an eye.

[Steamed rice roll with shrimp]

[Sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaf or Nor My Gai, filled with glutinous rice, Chinese sausage in a soy, sesame sauce]

[Barbecued pork]

[Ginger Squid, my absolute favourite]

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One Whole Clove's Birthday

One Whole Clove Turns 1 Today

[Read All About It]

It hasn't been all cupcake icing or champagne bubbles and yet this bittersweet odyssey has seen One Whole Clove mushroom from it's humble, dirt beginnings. 

I guess I can only promise, the narrative will continue to progress just as this author will persevere through inspiration. 

Thank-you all for reading and please continue visit me at One Whole Clove!

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Prawns with Pernod

We had a most distinguished guest for supper Friday evening.  Paul Ricard's Apéritif Anisé, Pastis de Marseille provided a most impressive sequel to our main entrée:

Prawns with Pernod

(inspired by the pages of Cooking Light)

1 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup minced shallots

2 tablespoons Pernod (licorice-flavored liqueur)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine

2 tablespoons minced fresh or 2 teaspoons dried parsley

1 tablespoon minced fresh or 1 teaspoon dried tarragon

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

32 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 1 1/2 pounds)

Cooking spray

1 cup minced seeded tomato

8 (1-ounce) slices French bread, toasted

 

Combine wine and shallots in a small saucepan; bring to a boil, and cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 15 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in the Pernod and the next 6 ingredients (Pernod through garlic).

Preheat broiler.

 

Arrange the shrimp in a single layer on a jellyroll pan coated with cooking spray, and pour the Pernod mixture over shrimp. Broil 5 minutes or until shrimp are done. Sprinkle shrimp with tomato, and serve with French bread.

 

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 4 shrimp and 1 bread slice)

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EoMEoTE #17

What Are They Doing Now: Ex-Child "Actress" Makes A Groovy Eggs on Toast Recipe

I must admit, when Jeanne of Cooksister e-mailed me an invite to participate in this month's EoMEoTE (End of the Month Eggs on Toast Extravaganza) #17 I relinquished the urge, at first.  Already three days late, the prerequisites for this event were unfeasible.  Jeanne had managed to up the stakes from her last  preschool prose proving a precondition even more daunting than quiche set to punk music.

This month's End of the Month Eggs On Toast Extravaganza # 17 is tabloid headlines, yikes!

At first, the writer within me suddenly became vigilant.  Unidentified fried egg objects orbited my cranium.  But in the end, it was the semi-truth I wished to convey.

I searched the black and whites for illumination, steamy scandal political faux pas and although the newspapers were full of such, I had yet to make a direct link to my delicious recipe for bacon, frittata (eggs), lettuce and tomato garlic bread panini roll.

Never one to give up easily, I was inclined to create a different type of periodical propaganda.  What if the cook and subject of the featured headline were one and the same?  I was on a lead.

In 1987, I myself, dear reader, was quaintly involved in the hometown weekly.  To the horror of my nine year old dignity, my tabloid headline read "Young, Good-Looking and Smart" (you can imagine the school yard taunt from here).  Chastised for month's, the paper referred to my penchant for fame and fortune in small town Quebec.  You see, I had Hollywood stars in my eyes and for some reason the locals felt the story worthy enough to spread across second page (the local paper only contained 6). I am quoted as saying "I can just see it now, Hollywood, in big capital letters on the hill and moi walking around in furs (to the horror of PETA) and loaded with gold."

After only minor stardom of the regional kind and a bit part on Mr. Belvedere, I withdrew from the limelight amicably, preferring the solace in perfecting one Bacon, Egg, Lettuce and Tomato Garlic Bread Panini Roll. 

Remembering, my infamous voice classes, I so named the sandwich:

B.E.L.T.-It-Out Garlic Bread Panini Roll

(who knows, this child star may open a B.E.L.T.-It-Out chain someday)

10 large eggs
3/4 cup grated medium cheddar
1/4 cup chopped chives
5 slices of bacon, cooked until crisp, drained on paper towels and crumbled
1 tbsp. reserved bacon fat
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Lettuce
6 Panini rolls split
3 tbsp. butter
2 cloves garlic, smashed

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy.  Stir in 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cheese along with the herbs, bacon, salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Heat reserved bacon fat in a 10-inch oven proof skillet over medium heat.  Add egg mixture.  Reduce heat to medium-low; cook two minutes, drawing eggs away from sides of skillet with a wooden spoon into centre, rotating pan, so uncooked eggs flow under.  Continue cooking until eggs are just starting to set, about 2 minutes more.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Transfer skillet to oven; bake until top of frittata is just set and lightly golden, about 10-12 minutes. 

Place butter and garlic cloves, still intact but smashed to release flavour, in a small pot.  When butter has melted, remove garlic cloves and brush "garlic butter" on split rolls.  Grill or broil until golden.

Cut frittata into 6 slices. 

Layer lettuce and 1 frittata slice on each bottom half of panini roll.  Top with second half and serve.

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Ginger-Rhubarb Parfaits

The last of the rhubarb days are upon us and as I oversee the weatherbeaten leaves of my little perennial patch, I cannot help but feel nostalgic.  I have been most fortunate as it's bounty as provided for a few terrific desserts. 

The heat has embraced us internationally or so it may seem, these past few weeks.  Skeptical as most may be, the effects of global warming have reached Quebec, many of us homeless as our igloos have long since melted into cold waterways before the streets of Montreal.  It is comparably unimaginable to fathom the idea of preheating an oven under the sun's intensity.

Our alternative is ice cream.

Ginger-Rhubarb Parfaits

(Adpated from Cooking Light)

3 cups chopped fresh or 1 (12-ounce) bag frozen chopped rhubarb, thawed
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger

2 cups vanilla nonfat frozen yogurt

Fresh mint sprigs (optional)

Slivered crystallized ginger (optional)

 

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a medium saucepan, and stir well. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 4 minutes or until rhubarb is tender.

Place rhubarb mixture in food processor, and process until smooth; chill. Layer with the frozen yogurt in parfait glasses. Garnish with mint and crystallized ginger, if desired.

 

Yield: 4 servings

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