Cranberry sauce only gets its time to shine twice a year. It makes an appearance at Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner, usually still in the shape of the can it came out of. Fans of this seasonal condiment shouldn't limit themselves to those two days, especially when cranberries are available year-round in either fresh or frozen forms. With the recipe below, it is possible to enjoy its tart sweetness anytime you're in the mood for poultry or ham.
Ingredients
475 mL reduced-sodium chicken broth
100 g cranberries
115 g onion, finely chopped
60 g sugar
15 g butter
5.5 g cornstarch mixed with 15 mL water
2.5 g dried sage
2.5 g dried thyme
In a large saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, and let them cook for about 8 minutes, until they turn golden, stirring occasionally.
Add the dried sage and thyme and cook for a minute. Pour in the chicken broth and let it simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes until it has reduced to about 355 mL. Strain the mixture then pour the liquid back into the saucepan.
Put the cranberries and the sugar in the liquid, and boil for about 5 to 8 minutes until the berries burst. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture then let it come to a boil again. Cook until the sauce begins to thicken, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the sauce thicken as it stands. Season with salt and pepper and serve on the meat of your choice.
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Ingredients: Oh Boy Waffles
788 mL milk
120 mL vegetable oil or melted butter
3 eggs, beaten
420 g flour
28 g sugar
25 g baking powder
4 g salt
Preheat your waffle iron.
Mix the wet ingredients together in a bowl. Mix the dry ingredients together in a different bowl.
Combine the contents of the two bowls into one and mix until blended. Ladle the batter into the waffle iron, and cook the waffles until they're golden and crisp. Serve immediately.
Elections have consequences - have your voice heard on September 20th.
Ingredients: Sour cream and onion mashed potatoes
12 potatoes (adjust as needed based on the size of the group — it’s about 1 potato per person)
1 package Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1 small tub sour cream
chives, chopped (to taste)
milk — just enough to whip
Boil the potatoes for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender, but still firm.
Mash the potatoes then mix the remaining ingredients together with them until everything is well blended.
You may be aware that there is a federal election happening in Canada this month. You may have even heard about the misfortune that happened to NDP leader Jagmeet Singh's food truck on his way to a photoshoot before the French-language debate. What you may not have known is how popular Singh's take on poutine really is. Singh introduced this recipe to Canadian votes during the 2019 election, as the perfect combination of his ethnic background and the Quebec delicacy as a way to improve his party's vote tally in la belle province. It didn't work, but the recipe did win over enough supporters that he brought it back again for this political go-around. In case the NDP's food truck doesn't make it to your riding in time for the election, I posted a recipe for it below.
Elections have consequences - have your voice heard on September 20th.
Ingredients: Punjabi Poutine
two to three mid-sized sweet potatoes
1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes or 794 g fresh tomatoes, peeled and diced
1 bag of cheese curds
mild vegetable oil and/or ghee
garlic
ginger
cardamom pods
ground cumin
ground coriander
ground tumeric
cayenne
garam masala
salt
onion
Preheat the oven to 176°C. Cut the sweet potatoes into evenly sized pieces. Cover them with some of the vegetable oil and/or ghee, then spread them out on a baking sheet. When the oven is ready, place the baking sheet in the oven until the sweet potatoes are cooked but not squishy.
Dice the onion, garlic, and ginger as finely as you can. Heat some of the vegetable oil and/or ghee in a frying pan with high sides. Sauté the onion, garlic, and ginger in the pan until the onion is translucent. Season with salt, add the spices, and sauté everything some more.
You will notice that there are no measurements for this recipe, as Singh's approach to seasoning food is to add until he hears his ancestors say that's enough. You will have to use your best judgment on how much is too much.
Add the tomatoes and turn the heat down a bit. Let the tomatoes simmer until they have a sauce-like consistency. When the tomato gravy is close to ready, add the sweet potatoes and let them get used to their new home. A minute or two before serving, add the cheese curds.
The first time I had crème brulée was at my wife's suggestion at the end of a date night meal. I've never been much of a dessert guy, but it's hard not to love the taste of sweet luxurious custard under a layer of caramelized sugar that you have to crack with a spoon to access. When I came across this version of the decadent dessert, I knew I had to try the recipe; when I came across the butane torch you see to the right of this paragraph, I knew I had to try the recipe as soon as possible. Sure, you can get yourself a more professional-looking kitchen torch (it's definitely more powerful than what you can find among the other lighters at the convenience store), but I think Homer would appreciate a simpler way to make a tasty treat.
Ingredients
125 g vanilla ice cream (a great substitute for the cream, milk, sugar, and thickener that is custard)
2 egg yolks
8 -12 g granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 163°C. Melt the vanilla ice cream in a microwave-safe bowl for one minute, then whisk, and let it cool. Whisk in the egg yolks, and pour the mixture into ramekins.
Place the ramekins into a cake pan, then pour hot water into the pan, letting the water fill about halfway up the ramekins. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the middle is still jiggly and almost set. Refrigerate for at least two hours.
Spoon the sugar onto each crème brûlée, turning each ramekin to distribute the sugar in an even layer. Use either a kitchen torch or place the crème brûlées under the broiler for about three minutes to brown the sugar, checking to make sure the sugar doesn't burn. Let them cool for at least 10 minutes, then serve.
Contrary to what a recent commercial would have you believe, you don't have to give up beer completely if you've become bored drinking it. With the recipes below, you can make some tasty cocktails for the times when you need more from your beer than for it to be ice cold.
Ingredients: Shandy
1 bottle or can of beer lemonade
Pour half of the beer into a glass.
Fill the glass with lemonade.
As easy to make as it is refreshing to drink, try using a lemon-flavoured soda like 7Up or Sprite for the British version of this cocktail.
Ingredients: Black Velvet:
1 bottle or can of stout 1 bottle of sparkling wine (a dry Champagne would be preferred)
Pour the stout into a champagne or highball glass until the glass is half full.
Top off the rest of the glass with the wine. Stir if desired, or allow the cocktail to sit for about a minute before serving.
Invented in London in 1861 as a way to mourn the death of Prince Albert, this cocktail can be made layered with either the stout on the bottom and champagne on top or with everything blended together.
Ingredients: Michelada
1 bottle or can of Mexican beer (appropriate cervezas to use: Corona, Modelo, Tecate) Clamato or tomato juice your favourite hot sauce Worcestershire sauce soy sauce juice of one lime
Take some salt and sprinkle it on a small plate. Rub a slice of lime around the rim of a glass and then press the rim in the salt.
Fill the glass about a quarter to halfway with either Clamato or tomato juice. Add the lime juice, two splashes of Worcestershire sauce, two splashes of soy sauce, and the hot sauce to taste. Fill the rest of the glass with cold beer.
1 bottle or can of beer
ice cream
candy, chocolate chips, sprinkles, whipped cream (optional)
Scoop one or two scoops of ice cream into a beer mug.
Slowly pour beer into the mug, allowing the foam to rise and then recede before adding more beer.
Top with any of the optional ingredients if you require more sweetness.
Swapping out root beer with regular beer is a great way to make a childhood treat more adult. While making a beer float is as simple as adding your favourite beer to your favourite ice cream, you can create a better float if you consider using flavours that pair well together. Combinations to try include:
To the dismay of foodies and chefs in New Brunswick, it is now illegal to serve raw beef in a restaurant. This means that beef tartare is now off the menu. Beef tartare is made from raw minced beef and is served with onions, capers, and a raw egg yolk on top. Along with the risk of getting salmonella from the egg, the provincial concern focuses on the fact that uncooked meat can contain bacteria that make people sick. While there haven't been any cases of anyone from the Picture Province getting sick from some tartare, health officials are erring on the side of caution after the year and a bit of dealing with a pandemic. However, when fresh meat is used and basic hygienic rules are followed, the risk of bacterial infection is low. With the recipe below, you can find out what New Brunswickers are now missing.
NOTE: IF YOU HAVE A MEDICAL CONDITION THAT PREVENTS YOU FROM INGESTING RAW MEAT OR RAW EGGS, DO NOT EAT THIS DISH.
Ingredients
400 g beef tenderloin or top round
45 mL olive oil
30 g whole-grain mustard
15 mL red wine vinegar
15 g capers, chopped
7 g flat-leaf parley, chopped
5 g Dijon mustard
1 egg yolk
1 shallot, finely chopped
sriracha, to taste (if you can get some sambal oelek, use that)
Place the beef in the freezer for about an hour, until it starts to form ice crystals and gets really firm but not frozen solid; you should still be able to pierce it with the point of a sharp knife. Wash and dry your hands.
Combine the olive oil, mustards, vinegar, and whatever hot sauce you're using in a bowl. Season everything with salt and pepper, and set it aside. Wash and dry your hands.
When the meat is firm enough, take it from the freezer, and slice it thinly against the grain. Cut each slice into fine strips, then dice those strips as finely as you can. Continue chopping the meat with your knife until it has a coarse ground consistency, then place the meat in a mixing bowl.
Add the shallots, egg yolk, chopped parsley, chopped capers, and the dressing from the bowl you set aside to the beef and mix everything delicately until it is well combined. Wash and dry your hands.
Divide the mixture into four equal servings and press each serving into either a burger press, a round cookie cutter or a cleaned tin can open at both ends. Lightly press down on the meat with a fork and then remove whatever you used to mold the dish into shape. Serve cold with fresh endives or toasted croutons.
