One Whole Clove

Day of the Dead and Pan de Muerto

[Pan de Muerto]

According to a piece written by Carol Wiley Lorente "the Mexican holiday called Dia de los Muertos is a two-day celebration that follows Halloween on November 1 and 2.  It features skulls and skeletons and talk of the spirit world, but it's more like a family reunion than a Halloween trick-or-treat bash.

Day of the Dead rituals date back to the ancient Aztecs, who once a year held festivals to welcome back the spirits of their ancestors.  When the Spanish arrived, the Aztec rituals merged with Roman Catholic theology, and the festivals became part of All Saints Day (November 1) and All Souls Day (November 2). Essentially, the purpose of the holiday is to honour the spirits of ancestors with offerings of food, flowers, religious artifacts, even cigarettes (if you're already dead...) and liquor.  Traditionally the souls of children are honoured on the first day, adults on the second."

After returning from a trip to Mexico,  a little more than six years ago, I vowed to observe the traditions of the ancient Aztecs and Mayans around the same time each year, by making a mole from scratch.   To this, I accomplished one of five food challenges of 2006 I set up for myself in February by creating an artisanal loaf of Pan de Muerto (bread of the dead).  According to About.com "this bread is slightly sweet and used on altars of loved ones during the "Day of the Dead" festivities."  although it is not uncommon for mortals to savor a piece with supper!

Pan de Muerto

(Adapted from Frightfully Festive Halloween Recipes)

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup water
5 cups flour
2 packets dry yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. anise seed
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp. sugar
4 eggs

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, heat butter, milk and water until butter is melted and mixture is very warm but not boiling.  In a large mixing bow, combine 1 cup flour, yeast salt, anise seed and sugar.  But in the warm milk mixture until well combined.  Add eggs and beat in another cup of flour.  Continue adding flour until dough is soft but not sticky.  Knead on a lightly floured surface 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.  Lightly oil a bowl and place dough in it, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk, about 2 hours. 

[It's alive!]

Punch down dough and shape into 1 or 2 loaves resembling skulls or skeletons or round loaves with dough "bones" placed ornamentally around the top.  Let rise 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 370 degrees F.  Bake loaves on a pizza stone or baking sheet until loaf sounds hollow when you tap the bottom.  Remove from oven and paint glaze (recipe follows) while bread is warm.  Cool to room temperature before serving.

Glaze: Place 1/2 sugar, 1/3 cup orange juice and grated zest of 1 orange in a small saucepan.  Boil 2 minutes. Paint on bread with pastry brush.

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Butter Tart Muffins

[Butter Tart Muffins]

Just as maple syrup is synonymous with the province of Quebec, butter tarts are truly a Canadian invention.  While having a butter tart for breakfast may be slightly less naughty than Count Chocula drowned in ganache and extra marshmallows, it is not exactly an orthodox morning choice.  A muffin concealing the evidence however, may just do the trick.

Butter Tart Muffins recipe

(Adapted from: Chatelaine Magazine - January 2001)

1 1/2 cups raisins

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup butter

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla, rum or butterscotch extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1/4 cup corn syrup or maple syrup

Place raisins, sugar, butter, eggs, milk and extract in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring almost constantly, until mixture is hot, slightly thickened and just beginning to bubble, from 4 to 5 minutes.

Cool slightly, uncovered, in the refrigerator while continuing with recipe.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups, coat with cooking spray or use paper liners.

Using a fork, stir flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl until well mixed. Make a well in center of flour mixture and pour in warm raisin mixture, stirring just until combined. Stir in walnuts until evenly mixed. Spoon batter into muffin cups. Bake in center of oven until golden and a cake tester inserted into center of muffin comes out clean, from 15 to 17 minutes.

Remove from oven and immediately pour about 1 teaspoon corn syrup over top of each muffin. Cool muffins in cups for 10 minutes.

Remove muffins to a rack.

Yields 12 muffins.

Great warm. Store muffins in a sealed bag at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, refrigerate or preferably freeze, wrapped in foil.

Nutrients per muffin, 4.5 g protein, 12. 2 g fat, 47.7 g carb., 1.4 mg iron, 55 mg calcium, 246 mg sodium, 1.5 g fiber, 306 calories

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Canadian Blogging By Post #2

[Cream of Sweet Potato with Maple Soup]

What better way to live the ultimate food blog experience than to give pause to the virtual eating of cyberspace and receive tangible gifts by snail mail. The idea of Canadian Food Blogging by Mail was first conceptualized by Nic at Baking Sheet and later Canadianized, is described by Dispensing Happiness as "food bloggers from all over the world swap[ing] treats and baked good[s], recipes and more, sending care packages to new friends.  Cookies, cakes, jellies, breads, candies, teas and coffees, music, cookbooks, photos...anything you want to share.  Everyone who joins in will be given a swap partner to whom they'll send a package. Fill it with your favorite goodies, your prize-winning cookies, local specialties, whatever you want."

Participants could only benefit from the savy of Canadian Food Blogging By Mail #2's witty host Jasmine of Cardamom Addict.  She has chosen the versatile "seasonal bounty" as this event's theme. 

The international perception of the Canadian climate on the whole, may have us ravaging rugged tundra terrain for a measly harvest of shallow rooted plants.  Nothing could be further from the truth as I hope our posts will prove.  A farmer's market is splendid and varied across the nation.  Here in Quebec, maple products are at the forefront, while I've only heard the most delicious feedback concerning Saskatchewan's Saskatoon berry pie. 

Seasonally speaking, of course, maple syrup, although available year round, is collected in the spring.  Root and vine vegetables, primarily leeks, potatoes, gourds, carrots, beets, turnip, brussel sprouts and parsnips are at their peak come October. 

I have featured the L'Orée du Bois & Formidérable cookbook recipes on several occasions.  The recipes included therein are the ideal representation of Terroirs du Quebec.  One recipe in particular for Cream of Sweet Potato and Maple Soup, guest starring the leek is one of my favourites.  Not only is the recipe totally adaptable in accommodating the simple to the complex palate, it is the perfect model for autumn in Quebec.

If you find the soup to be too healthy tasting, au naturel, allow your imagination to go wild and add some crumbled maple smoked bacon bits, roasted vegetable chips, celery slaw and/or crème fraîche, yum!

Helpful hint before we begin: 1 fluid ounce = 25 milliliters, 25 grams = 1 ounce

Cream of Sweet Potato with Maple Soup

50 g butter

2 garlic cloves

75 g chopped celery

75 g chopped onion

75 g chopped leek

600 g chopped sweet potatoes

2.5 litres chicken stock (I used 2)

25 ml maple syrup

150 ml 35% cream or milk

Heat butter. Add garlic, celery, onions and leek. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and sweet potato. Cook until sweet potato is tender. Purée. Add the maple syrup and the cream and milk.

6 servings

CBBP #2

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Maple Sugar Palmiers

[Maple Sugar Palmier]

With that unmistakable cookie definition, an attractive figure, resembling that of the leaf of a certain tropical tree and a caramelized sugar crust, how could you bypass the dunking capacity of the palmier for a biscotti with every occasion?  The plumage of such a divine treat is precisely the type of confection fit for a bowl of steamy café au lait. 

The palmier gets special Quebec treatment in this recipe, with a fine dusting of maple sugar.

Maple Sugar Palmiers

(Adapted from Epicurious Televison)

1 17 1/4-ounce package frozen puff-pastry sheets (2 pastry sheets), thawed

1 cup maple sugar, more if needed

On a work surface sprinkled with 1/4 cup sugar, place one sheet pastry. Sprinkle top of sheet evenly with 1/4 cup sugar. Using a rolling pin, roll the pastry sheet into a 12-inch square, pressing the sugar into both sides of the pastry

Roll up one edge to middle of pastry sheet. Roll up parallel edge in same manner so that the two rolls are touching; press gently to seal roll. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 30 minutes. Repeat with remaining pastry and sugar. Pastry rolls may be made 2 weeks ahead and frozen

Heat oven to 400°F. Cut chilled pastry roll with a sharp knife crosswise into slices just under 1/4-inch thick. (If roll is frozen, desired number of cookies may be cut frozen and the remaining log frozen again for later use

Place cookies 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Keep remaining pastry well chilled. Bake palmiers in batches in middle of oven until tops are golden brown. Using an offset spatula, turn and continue baking 10 to 12 minutes more. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool.

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen

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Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Chocolate Glaze and Pumpkin-Chocolate Truffle Centre

I dedicate myself to the versatile cucurbita cucurbitaceae this weekend as we Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving on Sunday, October 8th and Monday, October 9th.  And since everything is coming up gourds, I devoted my latest ramblings to pumpkins of posts past with an additional Action de Grâce 2006 recipe for my Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Chocolate Glaze and Pumpkin Chocolate Truffle Centre rounding up the list of 6. Enjoy this Thanksgiving Canada!

Pumpkin Spice Lamb Burgers, September 04, 2005

Quinoa Spicy Pumpkin, Apple and Dried Fruit Timbale, September 26, 2005

Gnocchi with Toasted Pumpkin Seed Pesto, October 1, 2005

Pumpkin Bread, October 10, 2005

Pumpkin Risotto and Pumpkin Arancini, October 31, 2005

Pumpkin Chocolate Truffles

 

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 cups cream

1 pound dark chocolate, finely chopped

1 ounce butter, room temperature

Truffles

In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine pumpkin, brown sugar and spices. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until mixture reduces by half and pumpkin looks dry. Set aside. In a medium saucepan over high heat, add cream. When cream boils, take off heat. In a heatproof medium bowl, add chocolate and hot cream. Let the mixture sit for a minute, then slowly begin to stir, starting in the center of the bowl and working outwards. Once the chocolate and cream are evenly mixed, add pumpkin mixture and whisk to combine. Add the butter. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled.

On a parchment lined cookie sheet, scoop mixture into medium to large sized balls using ann ice cream scoop. Place in refrigerator for 1 hour, or until chilled.

Pumpkin Bundt Cake

3 cup flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoons Soda

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup light brown sugar; packed

16 oz pureed pumpkin (canned or fresh)

1 cup oil

Glaze:

1 tablespoon butter

1 oz unsweetened chocolate

1 dash salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk; or as needed

Cake

Sift the flour, baking powder, soda, pumpkin pie

spice and salt together; set aside. Beat the eggs until

flothy; add the sugars. Beat until very thick. Stir in the

pumpkin and oil, until smooth. Blend flour mixture

thoroughly into the creamed mixture. To assemble, ayer 1/2 the cake batter

into a greased and floured 10" bundt pan.  Lay truffles side by side upon the first batter, around   the bundt pan.  Top with remaining cake batter.  Bake in preheated 350 degrees F oven for

about one hour or until cake tester inserted near the

center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing

from the pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Drizzle the

glaze over the cake.

 

Chocolate Glaze
 

Melt the butter and chocolate, in a

small saucepan over low heat; stir in salt and vanilla. Add

the confectioners' sugar with enough milk to make the glaze

thin enough to drizzle over the cake.

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[Mini Pumpkin Bundt Cakes with Chocolate Glaze and Pumpkin Chocolate Truffle Centre]

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Oktoberfest Bison and Pork Sausage with Blanche de Chambly

   
[Blanche de Chambly and Bison with Pork Sausage]

On this, the last day of Oktoberfest, the ultimate two week German keg party, I opted not for a dark bitter as is customary in Munich but a white Quebec beer by the name of Blanche de Chambly.  Blanche de Chambly was created in 1992 by Quebec's Unibroue, a microbrewery founded in 1992 by André Dion and Serge Racine.  One of 17 featured beers, Blanche de Chambly is refermented in the bottle.  An "interesting blend of unmalted Quebec wheat and pale barely malt to which spices and natural aromatics are added."

Our local grocer has conjured up the spirit of the two century old German tradition here in Quebec.  Not one to avoid festivities, I bought  two links of bison and pork sausage.

Traditionally, it is suggested that red wines are best served with red  and game meats while whites are reserved for lighter fare such as fish, poultry or vegetarian entrees.  If I was to take this same advice and apply it to beer, La Terrible, another Unibroue creation, might have proven the most obvious accompaniment to grilled meats, I must confess as is true with white wine, I have never been a dark ale girl.

"Quebec-style Oktoberfest in 4 steps!
When planning your next party, let Munich traditions from the world’s biggest beer festival be your inspiration. Everyone is sure to have fun dancing, singing, eating and, of course, drinking beer!

Here are a few steps to follow. For maximum togetherness, remember to place all food in the centre of your table and let guests serve themselves.

1. Prepare sausage
European sausage is always an Oktoberfest star attraction sure to steal the spotlight!
Available in a host of flavours, it can be served in a variety of ways.

• European Homestyle Beer Sausage. Pork sausage with a strong beer flavour and a touch or cardamom
• European Homestyle Oktoberfest Sausage. Slightly spicy pork sausage flavoured with roasted onions, black pepper and cayenne pepper
• European Homestyle Boar and Pork Sausage. Spicy boar and pork sausage flavoured with sage and parsley
• European Homestyle Bison and Pork Sausage. Bison and pork sausage flavoured with pepper, nutmeg and a subtle hint of coriander
• European Homestyle Venison and Pork Sausage. Venison and pork sausage with a mild flavour of garlic, onion and savoury

Dare to be different!
For gourmet sandwiches, place one of the following combinations in mini European baguettes:

• Sausage topped with hot mustard and sauerkraut
• Sausage, plain or herb goat cheese, marinated grilled red pepper, store-bought marinated mushrooms and red onion
• Sausage, Dijon mustard, honey, Brie cheese and fresh basil leaves
• Sausage, cream cheese, sliced black olives and sundried tomatoes

Prepare an au gratin dish by alternating layers of potatoes, onions and sliced cooked sausages. For a gourmet touch, add slices of firm Emmenthal-type cheese such as Appenzeller. Or just serve sausages with sauerkraut—and beer!

For a tasting
Offer your guests five types of sausages (e.g., Oktoberfest, honey, beer, and green peppercorn sausages) served with various mustards. To make the culinary adventure easier for guests, identify sausage varieties on serving dishes.

How many sausages?
Plan on 2 to 3 sausages per person.

2. Break out the beer!
The perfect accompaniment to sausage, beer should have a place of honour on your table!

How much beer?
Plan on 2 to 3 beers per person.

The art of serving beer!
Hold the glass at a 45° angle and pour beer gently, gradually pulling the bottle away from the glass as it fills up. When you have poured half the beer, bring the glass to a 90° angle and continue pouring into the centre of the glass. This will help form a perfect 3 to 4 centimetre head of foam. Remember that a head of foam is essential to releasing the beer’s aromas.

At what temperature should beer be served?
The ideal serving temperature is 6°C to 8°C. If served too cold, the taste will be altered and the beer will withhold much of its flavour.

3. Prepare side dishes
Don’t forget the side dishes before or during the meal! The most important are sauerkraut, potatoes, cheese and the quintessential German bread—pumpernickel. Take out the sauerkraut and season with cumin to taste. Prepare cabbage or potato salad, which is often served with traditional sausage (Bratwurst). Cheese accompanied by raw onion rings lightly drizzled with oil and vinegar is also a feature of German cuisine. Try it with Appenzeller firm cheese, which also goes great with pretzels, pickles and olives. The sophisticated and slightly sweet flavour of Oktoberfest mustard is ideal for making vegetable dip. Combine equal quantities of plain yogurt and light mayonnaise with green onions, mustard and freshly ground black pepper. For an original presentation, use the inside of a pumpernickel round loaf as a dip bowl!

Create bite-size treats by placing the following toppings on pieces of pumpernickel bread:

A few ideas with Brie
One slice of green peppercorn Brie, a piece of smoked salmon and lemon zest (and/or a sprig of fresh dill) One slice of green peppercorn Brie, canned pineapple cubes and walnut pieces Pumpernickel bread spread with Oktoberfest mustard and topped with a quartered slice of Alpina German salami and a piece of green peppercorn Brie.

4. Don’t forget the music!
Music is the centrepiece of the beer festival, so get young and old into the spirit of dancing and singing with your favourite tunes. Around a campfire, it makes for a memorable night!

Gourmet tips
Because they come in a variety of flavours, sausages go great with a host of different dishes. Use your cooked sausage leftovers to jazz up the following:

European-style omelette
For a breakfast like no other, add your cooked sausage leftovers to an omelette. Give it a European touch by adding onions, diced potatoes, grated Emmenthal cheese and fresh parsley.

Stuffed chicken breasts
Remove the casing from your cooked sausages. Crumble and combine with chopped fresh parsley. Make an incision in the middle of your chicken breasts and stuff with the mixture. Add pieces of sundried tomato, olives, mushrooms or cheese, etc. to taste. Bake to perfection!

Sausage fajitas
Garnish tortillas with sliced cooked sausage, onions and sautéed peppers. Add grated cheese and brown in a skillet. Serve with sour cream and salsa."

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