Bake Sale Worthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

In politics, you either leave office as a hero or see yourself become the villain. When Jim Watson became mayor for the second time in 2010, he was applauded for his ability to get city council to follow his lead after the chaotic free-for-all that was his predecessor's term. This eventually worked against Ottawa's longest-serving mayor as his influence over the council was so strong, councillors who voted with the mayor were seen as members of a dictatorial Watson Club. Throughout it all, Watson maintained his support among voters by attending and promoting bake sales around the city. This past December, Watson announced he would not be running for re-election in this year's municipal election. In honour of this changing of the guard, I have posted this recipe for a bake sale favourite, chocolate chip cookies. It's a recipe created by Blogger co-founder Meg Hourihan after she asked people to send her cookie recipes after she was tired of using her regular cookie recipe. After receiving over 30 different recipes, she decided to average all of the recipes and make whatever the result. In a sense, the recipe is a lot like voting in this Monday's election - you sift through all the different candidates who all say and promise the same things and hope that whatever is cobbled together forms something that turns out all right. With the cookie, the results were something that people liked; let's hope Ottawa's next mayor is as successful.

 

Ingredients

257 g semi-sweet chocolate chips
245 g flour
169 g light brown sugar
109 g white sugar
87.9 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
58 g unsalted butter, melted
46 g eggs
29.9 g unsalted butter, cold
20 g dark brown sugar
8 g egg yolk
6.08 mL vanilla extract
3.84 mL milk
3.81 g salt
3.63 g baking soda
2.51 mL water

1. Preheat your oven to 178.98°C, or to as close as you can to the temperature. 
2. In a medium bowl, thoroughly whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set the bowl aside once done.
3. In another bowl, using a hand or stand mixer, cream the butters and the sugars until they are incorporated and smooth.
4. Add and mix the egg, the egg yolk, the extract, the water, the milk, and the chocolate chips until all the ingredients are combined. Add the bowl of dry ingredients and blend until everything is fully incorporated.
5. Cover and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 25 minutes.
6. Place parchment paper on one-third of a cookie sheet. Drop the dough using a rounded tablespoon onto the cookie sheet - some cookies will be on the parchment, some won't. This is deliberate. Cook for 13.04 minutes.
   
   Note: This recipe appeared in the first edition of my favourite cookbook, "Cooking for Geeks".

How To Roast a Cauliflower

Need an easy vegetarian dish? Roasting a whole head of cauliflower gives you a dish that works as both a main course and a side. As a dinner table standout, it can't be beaten.

Ingredients

1 cauliflower
80 mL olive oil
60 g grated Parmesan cheese
5 g dried basil
5 g dried parsley
5 g dried thyme
3 cloves garlic, minced
2.5 g sea salt
1.5 g black pepper

1. Preheat your oven to 205°C. Rinse and pat dry the cauliflower. Remove the outer leaves and carefully cut off the woody center of the bottom stalk so that it's flat and the head stays in one piece. 

2. In a box mix the olive oil, the garlic, half of the Parmesan cheese, and the remaining spices and seasonings.

3. Put the cauliflower upside down (core side up) in a Dutch oven. Drizzle half of the sauce over the cauliflower, tilting it to let it drip down the core and all around. Flip the cauliflower over and drizzle the remaining sauce over the top, and use a pastry brush to ensure the cauliflower.

4. Cover the Dutch oven with its lid and bake everything for 35-45 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender and pierces easily with a knife or fork. Remove the lid and sprinkle the top of the cauliflower with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Place the cauliflower under the broiler and broil for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is browned.

Working My Way Through The Works: Gotta Be KD

A popular gimmick for food blogs is to eat and review every item on a restaurant's menu. This blog is no exception. These are the observations I've had while eating my way through the burger menu of The Works, a Canadian burger restaurant with locations across Ottawa and Ontario.

The WORKS (900 Watters Road))
Burger Description:"Kraft Dinner & cheddar"
($19.34)

September 20, 2022

Kraft Dinner is bullshit. The macaroni pie my mom would make for Sunday dinners spoiled KD for me forever. I assume the only reason people eat it is that it's cheap and they don't know how to make a proper cheese sauce. When I finally tried the stuff in the blue and yellow box, I never understood its appeal. I don't care what Barenaked Ladies say, "If I Had A Million Dollars" I wouldn't eat that crap ever again. I will admit, seeing all that orange gooeyness on my burger patty made me hope that I would at least get a lot of cheese flavour in my first bite. But the low expectations I had for this meal were quickly met. It didn't taste any cheesier than if I had ordered a regular cheeseburger. Biting into the hamburger, the macaroni added a weird mouthfeel that I was not a fan off. I tried some of the pasta separately. It was like flavourless orange packing foam. As with actual Kraft Dinner, the only way to eat this was with lots of ketchup. Paying almost $20 for something with Kraft mac and cheese on it is ridiculous - the best part of this lunch was the French fries. I get that it's not practical or realistic to expect something a Sicilian grandmother would have made from a burger joint but even using good-tasting macaroni and cheese seems like a mistake to me as a hamburger topping. This is easily the worse hamburger I've eaten so far from the Works. Recommended only for pregnant women with very specific cravings.

1 out of 5 stars

The Need To Know Classic That Is: Chicken Parmesan

Whether you call it chicken parmesan or chicken parmigiana, one thing is for certain - it is not an Italian dish. Its inspiration, the combination of parmigiana di melanzane, a dish using fried eggplant slices and tomato sauce, and a cotoletta, a breaded veal cutlet normally served without sauce or cheese, can be found on any Italian menu. As immigrants from Italy started to settle in the U.S. in the 1950s, the combination of breaded chicken breast covered in tomato sauce and cheese began appearing in restaurants and homes. With the recipe below, you will have a dish that is great on its own, used in a sandwich or with a side of, or on top of pasta. 

Ingredients

2 large boneless chicken breasts
450 g mozzarella, parmesan, or provolone cheese, sliced thick
226 g panko bread crumbs
6 eggs, beaten
extra virgin olive oil
your favourite tomato sauce

1. Preheat your oven's broiler. Put the bread crumbs in a large bowl next to the bowl your beaten eggs are in.
2. Butterfly the chicken breast, then pound it as thin as you can with a meat tenderizer (covering the meat in plastic wrap, and slamming your heaviest pan on it will also work) on a flat surface.
3. Dip the chicken into the egg, then into the panko. Press down on the bread crumbs, making sure the breast is completely covered. Repeat and place the meat on a plate for 15 -20 minutes. Do the same process for the other piece of chicken.
4. Heat up 2.5 mL of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat - don't let the oil get too hot. Fry each chicken breast separately on one side for 5-7 minutes or until the edges turn a dark golden brown. As it cooks, baste the top of the meat with some of the oil in the pan. Flip the chicken breast when its bottom is sufficiently browned, and fry the other side.
5. While the chicken cooks spread some tomato sauce on a baking sheet. When the meat is ready, place it on the sauce, then add more sauce down the middle of the chicken breast. Top the meat with the cheese.
6. Place the baking sheet in the oven and broil everything for about 5 minutes until the cheese is well browned and bubbling.

How to Make a Better Crudité Than Dr. Oz

There are many doctors who I trust more than Mehmet Oz. Doctors Dre, Kevorkian, and Octopus are three just off the top of my head. Along with selling medicines and treatments that only help his bank account, we can now add food suggestions to the list of questionable things that Dr. Oz has said. Recently, the former TV host released a campaign video in an attempt to appear more relatable to voters in his run for a seat on the U.S. Senate. He may have missed the mark with this one.

If you're like me, this is the first time you've heard raw vegetables served with a dip called a crudité (pronounced crew-dee-tay) - I guess when it's comprised of more than carrots and celery sticks, it gets a fancier name. I don't usually follow these types of elections, but I don't think he's going to get many votes with this approach, especially when he has no idea what he's talking about. If you want to know how to make a proper vegetable platter to go with your charcuterie board, ignore what Oprah's favourite quack says, and follow the steps below. Leave all the food advice to his daughter the wellness expert, at least she's written a cookbook.

• Include at least four types of vegetables other than carrots and celery. It's always best to use what is in season, so consider visiting your local farmer's market over the supermarket; when making your choice, the more vibrant the colours, the better.
• Vegetables such as asparagus, green beans, and snap peas should be slightly cooked or blanched, to make them easier to eat. 
• Prepare a large pot of boiling salted water, and fill a large bowl with ice water.
• Remove the tough bottoms of the asparagus stalks and the strings from the green beans and snap peas.
• Start with one vegetable at a time, and lower it into the boiling water. Stir and let cook for 1 minute.
• Remove the vegetable from the boiling water and immediately plunge it into the ice bath to stop the cooking process and maintain the vibrant green colour it now has. Continue with the additional vegetables that you want to cook.
• Once all the vegetables are blanched, store them in separate containers until you are ready to assemble your crudité.
  
• When arranging your platter place a sheet of parchment paper between the vegetables and whatever serving tray you plan to use. Add your dip bowls first, then start placing your green vegetables around them, then add the more colorful produce for a better presentation. Small lettuces such as endive or radicchio can be separated and placed accordingly.
• Depending on how many different vegetables you have and how many people you are serving, go with at least 2-3 different dips. Don't use salsa or guacamole. I suggest a spicy hummus, a cheese spread, either a French onion or Ranch-style dip, or this recipe for an all-purpose dip from a guy who knows more about food than Dr. Oz.

Ingredients: All-Purpose Dip

480 g mayonnaise
15 g drained capers in brine
22.5 mL caper brine
5 large cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
32 g loosely packed, roughly chopped parsley, stems removed
24 g loosely packed, roughly chopped dill, stems removed
juice of a medium-sized lemon
black pepper, freshly ground if possible

1. Combine the garlic, mayonnaise, capers, brine, and lemon juice in a blender or food processor. Give everything a good pulse to roughly blend it all together.
2. Put in the herbs and blend everything for a second or two.
3. Add pepper to taste and mix everything until it has a smooth, creamy consistency.
4. Taste again, then add more capers, caper brine, or lemon juice if it needs more.
   
   This will last in your fridge for 4-5 days.

Better Than Ribfest Ribs

If you want to enjoy some ribs during the summer, there's no reason to wait until the various rib fests start popping up. As it turns out, all those vendors you assumed were coming to town from the U.S. to let you sample their grilled meats are all owned by the same Canadian company.  The only thing that makes any of the food taste different from each other is the sauce they use on the meat and sell to customers. They all use the same cuts of meat and they all cook the meat in the same way - whatever regional style they claim to be using, they're not. None of those trophies displayed mean anything; any first-place awards should be taken with a large serving of salt. Even the southern accents you hear from the people working the grill are fake. If you want to avoid the artificially long lineups (once vendors have people waiting for food, they work slower to build the line to build a buzz) try the recipe below. When it comes to BBQ ribs, slow-and-low beats fast-and-fake every time.

Ingredients

2 racks baby back pork ribs
180 mL apple juice
60 mL apple cider vinegar
30 g light brown sugar
15 g cayenne pepper
10 g smoked paprika (optional)
7.5 g salt
5 g granulated garlic
5 g dried minced onion
5 g ground mustard
2.5 g black pepper
your favorite BBQ sauce

1.  Turn all the burners on your gas grill to low. Leave the grill covered and let the temperature rise to 150°C.
2. Remove the silverskin off the back of the ribs by sliding a table knife under the membrane anywhere along the rack. Lift and loosen it with the knife until you can grab it with a paper towel, then pull it off the ribs. This will allow the seasoning to get to the meat giving it more flavour.
3. Mix all the dry spices together in a small bowl. Rub the spice blend over both sides of the ribs.
4. Pour the apple juice and the apple cider vinegar into a large foil pan. Place the ribs in the pan and cover them tightly with aluminum foil. Place the pan on the grill, cover and close the grill, and let the ribs cook for 60-90 minutes.
• This can also be done by placing the foil-wrapped ribs in an oven preheated to 121°C for 2 hours.
5. When the internal temperature of the meat reads between 73-76°C, carefully bring the foil pan inside. Remove the ribs and transfer them to a large baking sheet, then slather each side of the ribs with your favorite sauce.
6. Increase the heat on each burner of your gas grill to medium/high. Grill each rack for about 5-7 minutes per side, adding more sauce as needed. You will know when the ribs are done when the ribs start to slightly char.
7. Let the ribs rest for 5 minutes before slicing and eating.

Legends of Canadian Pastry: The Saskatoon Berry Pie

The Sweet Canada: Domestic stamps series

If you haven't heard of Saskatoon berries, it's probably because of the part of Canada you live in. Also known as serviceberries, the Saskatoon berry (Amelanchier alnifolia) is a deciduous native shrub that grows not just in Saskatchewan as you would expect if you know your geography, but also in parts of western Ontario, British Columbia, and the Yukon. Like the city it's named after, the sweet, fleshy fruits take their name from a Cree word, and were used by both Aboriginal people and early colonizers. With a lifespan of 30 to 50 years, saskatoons are hardy plants that can survive winter temperatures of up to -50 to -60º Celsius. The berries are a good source of antioxidants, have similar nutritional properties to other dark-coloured berries, and can be used in jams, syrups, and pie fillings. Gas prices may keep you from heading out to this year's Saskatoon Berry Festival but the recipe below will allow you to enjoy this legendary Canadian pastry any time you please.

Note: Blueberries can be substituted for Saskatoon berries, but actually saskatoons can be ordered frozen online, just remember to thaw them before use.

Ingredients

1 9 inch/23 cm. pre-made pie crust
(If you have a favourite homemade pie crust recipe, feel free to use it; if you need one, here's a good recipe.)
760 g fresh Saskatoon berries
150 g white sugar
25 g all-purpose flour
15 g butter
60 mL water
30 mL lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius.
2. In a large saucepan, simmer berries in the water for 10 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice with berries. Combine the sugar and flour together in a medium bowl, then stir into the berry mixture. 
3. Pour mixture into either a pre-made pie crust or a pastry-lined 9-inch pie pan. Dot with butter. Top the pie with more crust, then seal and flute (crimp) the edges.
4. Bake the pie in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 175°C and bake for an additional 35 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown.