The Real Caesar

Even though I'm not the biggest fan of tableside service, from time to time I get a real craving for a good tableside Caesar salad (minus the show). Despite the hefty price you might pay for one at a restaurant, it's actually a pretty easy thing to make at home, with ingredients you may already have kicking around.

Of course real Caesar dressing has nothing to do with the creamy bottled stuff, and it also has nothing to do with traditional Italian food. It was however invented by an Italian-born Mexican/American restaurateur named Caesar Cardini. Apparently the story goes that the salad was concocted on the fly during a busy service when his restaurant was running short on supplies. I think he was on to something.

Here's what you need:

- 3/4 cups of olive oil

- A splash of Worcestershire sauce

- Teaspoon or so of Dijon mustard

- 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar

- 1-2 cloves of garlic

- 1-3 anchovy fillets as desired (the original recipe may not have contained them)

- The juice of 1 lemon

- Head of romaine lettuce, rinsed and torn coarsely

- 1 egg yolk (coddled if you prefer - boil egg for 1 minute before cracking)

- Grated Parmesan cheese

- Salt and pepper

* In a large wooden (preferably) bowl, grind the anchovy fillets and garlic together with the back of a spoon

* When almost in a paste, add the Dijon, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire, lemon juice, yolk, and mix well with a whisk

* Next, slowly add the oil while whisking so that the mixture doesn't separate

* Season with black pepper and a very small pinch of salt (if needed), and add grated Parmesan

* Add the romaine leaves to the bowl, mix gently with salad spoons, and top with more Parmesan
* For some great homemade croutons, begin by cutting thin slices of a day-old baguette. Let them dry completely on a baking sheet and then rub the pieces with a garlic clove. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and bake until lightly browned

Make your salad right before serving... tableside

GG

The Grilled Cheese's British Relative

During a recent trip to London, I had the pleasure of being invited to the Wolseley restaurant by some good friends. Built in 1921, the building was originally the home of the now defunct Wolseley Motor Company's car showroom. The rich (for lack of a better word) atmosphere, featuring large stone pillars, gold accents, and a grand staircase, really brings to mind the confidence that used to exist in the economy!

This lavishness may ultimately have contributed to Wolseley's downfall, but the space remained occupied by Barclays bank until finally becoming the Wolseley restaurant in 2003.

Despite the surroundings, the sad thing about all of this was that I was mostly just looking forward to finally trying the open-faced British relative of grilled cheese, the Welsh Rarebit... and for pudding no less!

My friend was also kind enough to pass along a recipe, which I think comes from Fergus Henderson. Here's what you need:

- 1 tablespoon of butter

- 1 tbs flour

- 1 tsp mustard powder

- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

- 200ml Guinness

- 2 tbs Worcestershire sauce

- 450g strong grated cheddar cheese

- 4 large pieces of toast

* In a pan, melt the butter and add the flour to make a roux

* Continue to cook on low heat until it starts to brown slightly

* Add the mustard powder, cayenne, Guinness and Worcestershire

* Slowly incorporate the cheese until it is all mixed evenly

* Remove the mixture and let it set in a shallow dish

* You can now spread the mixture on toast and carefully broil it in the oven until brown

Looking for a French offering? Try the croque-monsieur!

GG

The advantages of working full-time

So I recently started a new full-time gig. Despite the obvious bonus of a regular paycheck, I haven't had as much the time as I'd like to experiment with recipes, find new ingredients, and so forth. C'est la vie right?

One unexpected advantage however is that the girl has really stepped up to the plate so to speak in the dinner department. An occasional cook, mostly she's infamous for her specialty of cold pasta sauce on capellini. Originally I thought I was being clever when I challenged her to make 3 consecutive meals in 'pie-form' (basically hoping to secure 3 nights of dinner). Not only did she do it, but she's continued to cook a few times a week... without incitement!

Although it's pretty sweet to come home to a cooked meal once in a while, I fear that if I don't get back in there that I'll soon be writing for her. Here's a streamlined coq au vin she whipped up last week. I know, I don't get it either.

Here's what you need:

- 1 bottle of red wine (Burgundy)

- 1 medium onion, chopped

- 4 cloves garlic, minced

- A handful of button mushrooms, chopped

- A piece (or 2) of chicken per person - thighs or drumsticks, with skin

- 5 or 6 pieces of bacon, chopped

- All purpose flour

- About 1/2 a liter of chicken stock

- Thyme, parsley (fresh if possible)

- Tablespoon of butter

- Olive oil

- Salt and pepper

* In a plastic bag, marinate the chicken in enough wine to cover the meat. This can be done overnight or even a couple hours before cooking

* In a large pan or dutch over, saute the bacon until crispy, set aside

* In the same pan, cook the chicken skin side down until browned, set aside

* Saute the onion and garlic until translucent, add about a tablespoon of flour and brown lightly

* Deglaze the pan with a good splash of wine, and add pinches of thyme, parsley, salt and pepper

* Once simmering, add the marinating liquid with equal parts chicken stock, return the chicken to the pot, and simmer until the sauce thickens. Like with boeuf bourguignon, if you find that the liquid is evaporating too quickly, reduce the heat or cover the pot

* In a separate pan, saute the button mushrooms with a bit of butter or olive oil and set aside

* Towards the end of cooking, add the mushrooms and bacon to the mix and simmer further

* You'll probably need to simmer for an hour or so, turning the chicken occasionally

Not bad for a Wednesday night!

GG

Mashed Potatoes à la Française

Mentioning Aligot in my last post really got my thinking about it. When people ask me what about French cuisine they should experience, Aligot is definitely right up at the top of the list. It's also one of the dishes that I insist on my visiting friends trying. In the Auvergne region of France, Aligot often prepared in huge pots and sold in town.

So what is Aligot exactly?

It's basically mashed potatoes, but with a delicious twist. These potatoes are pureed with crème fraiche, garlic, and Tomme cheese to become dense, silky, and flavorful. Aligot is the right consistency when it can literally be cut with a knife.

Here's what you need:

- 2 pounds of potatoes, peeled and cut

- 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, mashed or minced finely

- 1/2 a stick of unsalted butter

- 2 cups of crème fraiche - thicker and less sour than sour cream - can be made at home with buttermilk and heavy cream

- Tomme cheese in thin slices, about half of the amount of potatoes - can be substituted for Cantal, or other semi-hard strong cheeses

- 1 cup, approximately, of skim or 1% milk

- Salt and pepper

* Boil the potatoes in salted water until fork tender, drain and return to the pot

* Mash the potatoes on low heat until fluffy with the butter, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste

* Incorporate the crème fraiche and mix evenly

* Raise the heat slightly and add the Tomme, a little at a time, until it's all mixed and melted evenly

* Stir regularly while trying not to break up the cheese strands. If the mix becomes too thick, add milk, a few tablespoons at a time

* The final product will be smooth like mashed potatoes and slightly stringy, serve immediately!

For a traditional Auvergne dish, pair it with sausage, duck confit, or steak, and garnish with parsley or chives.

GG

Risotto - not so hard after all

Risotto is one of those dishes that's considered a good test of your competency in the kitchen. For a while I avoided trying it, assuming it would be either too difficult or not even worth the effort. 

Just last week, an Italian cook I work with showed me his method and I thought, is that it? I finally gave it a go myself and I was happy to have been proven wrong. While I can see where risotto gets its reputation for being a great equalizer, the trick to pulling it off is to just be attentive (read: stir NON STOP).

Here's what you need for about 4 people:

- 250g of short grain rice (Arborio)

- Half a white onion, finely chopped

- 1 clove of garlic, minced

- 200ml of dry white wine

- About a litre of chicken stock, heated and left on the back burner

- 35g (or more if you like) of grated Parmesan

- 35g of butter

- Pepper, olive oil

*Begin by lightly sauteing the onion in a mixture of butter and olive oil, just until the onion is translucent

*Add the garlic and saute for another minute

*Drop the rice into the pan and toast with the onion and garlic for a couple minutes until the rice appears clear

*When toasted, deglaze the pan with the white wine and incorporate it into the rice

*As the wine starts to evaporate, slowly add warm stock, about 2 ladles worth

*Here comes the 'hard part' - As the rice cooks with the stock, you want there to be enough liquid in the pan for the rice to cook, but never too much. Only add more stock as the stock in the pan evaporates. By the time the rice is cooked to al dente, you will have used almost a litre of stock. Expect to use at least 750ml. Throughout this period (about 20 minutes) you will need to stir constantly and gently

*When the rice finally reaches desired texture, you can add your Parmesan and fold in the butter. The final product should be moist, but with no extra liquid on the plate. If it's a bit dry, add a small amount of stock. You can now incorporate any other ingredients you'd like to include. Season with a little pepper (you probably won't need salt)

Risotto can be a bit heavy as a side dish, so keep portions small or even serve it as the main. Traditionally, if you're doing a seafood risotto, you'd omit the Parmesan. I added a bit of prosciutto and spinach to mine and served it with crab cakes and sauteed asparagus. If you're feeling really hedonistic, try drizzling some truffle oil on the plate or topping it with truffle shavings!

GG

Bolognese sauce for your perfect spaghetti

So now that you can all make perfect pasta, you just need a good meat sauce to go with it, right?

This one comes from home. Every couple months or so, a giant pot appears on the stove and the result is delicious pasta sauce in the freezer for weeks. I'm not really sure where this recipe came from, but it's a pretty convincing traditional bolognese.

Here's what you need:

- 1 large onion, finely chopped

- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

- 3 celery stalks, chopped

- 1 or 2 carrots, thinly sliced

- 2 lbs ground beef

- 1 large tablespoon of tomato paste

- 1 large can crushed tomatoes

- 1 cup red wine

- 1 cup beef stock

- 1 cup of milk (optional)

- Olive oil, salt and pepper

- Thyme, oregano, pinch of cinnamon, bay leaf

- Teaspoon or so of sugar

* In a large pot, heat a tablespoon of olive oil and begin cooking your mirepoix (celery, carrot, onion)

* When the onion becomes translucent, add the garlic and continue to cook

* When the garlic begins to sweat, add your beef, season, and cook until no longer pink

* When cooked, add the tomato paste, can of tomatoes, and mix well

* Deglaze the pot with red wine and add pinches of thyme, oregano, cinnamon, and your bay leaf

* After allowing the wine to reduce slightly, add the beef stock and milk (or water if necessary)

* Add the sugar, seasoning to taste, and simmer for as long as you like! (at least an hour)
* When done, the sauce should be thick and meaty, without a lot of liquid

You can make this days in advance and freeze it if you like. It's also a great sauce for your homemade lasagna!

GG

Summer goat cheese and beet salad

As much as I love my entrecote de boeuf and aligot, the cruel Parisian heat lately has finally and completely annihilated my desire to go anywhere near meat. Terrible. Though as a young lad I would have been more likely to eat an earthworm than a beet, I now think they're great. Anyway, this one comes to me from one of the Eternal Interns, whose mother makes this weekly in the summer. Beets are really popular in France thanks to Napoleon, and they're easy to find pre-cooked and vacuum sealed. This recipe couldn't get easier and it's nice and light. Now it's become one of my lunch time go-to meals.

Here's what you need for 2 or more people:

- 4 beets (the pre-cooked ones are great if you can find them)

- A couple ounces of goat cheese (or however much you'd like to use)

- The equivalent of a bag of mixed greens or arugala

- Olive oil

- Balsamic vinegar

- High quality grain or Dijon mustard (Maille old style is my favorite for this)

- Half a cup or so of walnuts - coarsely chopped

- Tablespoon or so of honey

- Salt and pepper

* Boil the beets in salted water until they're fork tender (or bake if you prefer) the skin will come right off after about 15-20 minutes - cut into bite-sized pieces

* On a baking sheet, spread out the walnuts, drizzle with a little honey, and bake them at 350 for about 10 minutes

* For the dressing, grab a small bowl, whisk a few tablespoons of balsamic with about a tablespoon of mustard, stirring well as you slowly add about an equal portion of olive oil - you'll have to taste it as you go to get the proportions right - then season with salt and pepper

* Spread out your arugula or mixed greens on your serving dish, and simply top with beets, crumbled goat cheese, and toasted walnuts

This is another one of those recipes that's easily customizable. When it cools off I'll have it with a giant steak.

GG

Boeuf Bourguignon

It's been a little while since I've done a recipe, and since recipes are what this thing is supposed to be all about, I guess it's time.

This new one comes from un ami Parisien, but this dish is as old and classically French as it gets. Like French onion soup, it's another example of peasant food that's gone gourmet. This may not be the ideal recipe for the 30 degree weather we're seeing in Paris, but hey, a craving's a craving. It's also a perfect 1 pot dish when for example, you're in a little French apartment with a single hot plate.

Here's what you need:

- 1.5 kg of stewing beef, in 2 inch cubes

- 1 bottle of red wine, preferably Burgundy

- Half a liter of beef stock (probably won't use it all)

- 3 carrots, in rounds or chunks

- About the same amount of button mushrooms, sliced

- 1 large onion and 3 cloves of garlic, chopped

- 1 cup of flour

- Olive and canola oils

- Tablespoon of butter

- A bouquet garni - a couple sprigs of thyme, bay leaves, and sage, tied with butcher's twine

- Parsley or chive, chopped, for garnish
- Diced bacon, tomato paste, celery - optional additions

* Put the beef in a freezer bag and shake with seasoned flour

* In a large pot, brown the beef on all sides in canola oil and set aside

* Reduce the heat, add a little olive oil to the pot and begin browning the onions and garlic

* Drop in a tablespoon of butter, a tablespoon of flour, and keep cooking

* Once they begin to brown, deglaze the pot with a quarter bottle of wine

* Reduce slightly and return the beef to the pot

* Add more wine and stock (about 2/3 and 1/3) until the beef is just covered in liquid

* Drop in your bouquet garni, cover the pot, and simmer on low heat - don't boil!

* You may need to simmer for over an hour. It's important to cover the pot so you don't lose too much liquid

* When the beef is almost fork tender, add the carrots and continue to simmer

* Right before the end of cooking, add the mushrooms, simmer further, remove your bouquet garni, and serve!

Delicious in any weather

GG

Wanted: Good Hummus, $$$ Reward

Detective Case Journal #24601 

Yesterday, Jimmy 'The Snake' Skibowski got handed 25-life thanks to my big lead. The station was pretty quiet so Sarge gave me the day, and for once I decided to take it.

Now I've never been one to relax for all that long, so I went over to Mel's diner to grab a bite with the boys.

Mel's been losing it since his old lady left. He started making this hummus platter and Susie gave us one to try. After one bite I nearly drank my weight in water. It was dry, grainy, and just not good eats. Good thing it was on the house. You could also build a house out of it.

This got me sleuthing for good hummus; one that was everything I wanted it to be - garlicky, smooth, good chickpea flavor, and just the right moisture content.

Me Va Me's. What made theirs so good? I got the owner into interrogation on unpaid parking tickets but he wasn't talking. One thing was clear, he had a soft spot for the joint. After a little carefully placed flattery, he finally slipped up. The secret, as I suspected, was all in the blender.

- 1 large can of chickpeas (approx. 2 cups, retain the liquid)

- Juice of 1 lemon

- 3 or 4 cloves of garlic (roasted, if you like)

- 1/4 - 1/3 cup of tahini

- 1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream

- Sea salt to taste

- Olive oil

- Paprika

* In a blender, combine the lemon juice and tahini until smooth and frothy

* Add the garlic cloves, pinch of salt and continue to blend

* Add the chickpeas, about 1/3 at a time - try to get as few skins in as possible

* Drizzle with a couple tablespoons of olive oil, add the sour cream, and continue to blend

* If the hummus is dry, add a little bit of the chickpea liquid/oil until the consistency is smooth and moist

* Sprinkle with paprika and drizzle with olive oil for serving

I could now get my first good night's sleep in a month, knowing that I had done my part to help get bad hummus off the streets and the good stuff into the recipe books, where it belongs. Sorry Mel, stick to the liver and onions.

The Proletarian Gourmand

Nothing satisfies the soul quite like a bowl of hearty soup. And what better suited for this purpose than say an onion soup? The oldest recipes for onion soups transport us back to a plebeian dwelling. The definition of 'poor food', even the cruelest of feudal lords would probably have allowed a few onions to be allocated to his serfs after a long, thankless fortnight of toiling.

Today, it's not uncommon to spend 8 euros on a bowl of French onion soup in Paris. To put that into perspective, that's the rough equivalent of the yearly combined income of every single Roman peasant - after heavy taxes of course. Though in Paris you're bound to get bourgeois ingredients with surroundings (almost) fit for Henry VIII, the idea hasn't really changed. This one came to me by pigeon from a friend in France, and I attempted it last week with fair success. Sorry, no measurements in Troy weight...

Here's what you need to feed 6-8 legionaries:

- 6 cups of cooking onions, sliced lengthwise

- 2 tablespoons of oil with a higher smoke point + olive oil for drizzling

- A good dollop of butter 

- 6 cups of beef stock (hut-made if you can)

- 4 tablespoons of flour

- 1 tablespoon of sugar

- Gruyere cheese (3/4 of a pound)

- Parmesan, for garnish

- A bay leaf and a sprig of thyme

- Salt and pepper

- 1 cup dry white wine (Alsace)

- A couple tablespoons of cognac

- 8 or so flat slices of baguette

* Heat a pan with cooking oil and butter, add the onions and cook covered and low until tender

* Raise the heat, add sugar, season with salt, and cook the onions until caramelized - the last two steps will take an hour, don't burn it!

* Once they're brown, add the flour and a bit more butter, mixing evenly

* Add a cup of the stock to deglaze, and scrape the pan

* Transfer to a large pot (Le Creuset), add the rest of the stock, bay leaf, thyme, season with pepper and simmer for half an hour

* Lay the bread on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and bake at 350 until hard as rock - don't burn it!

* Remove the sprig and bay leaf, stir in some Gruyere, add the cognac, and simmer for another minute

* Now you can transfer the soup to oven-ready ramekins, or keep it in the pot and make a vat of it!

* Layer with bread and cover with the rest of the cheese - exposed bread will burn

* Bake at 350 for another half an hour and then broil to brown

* Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with Parmesan, and distribute!

If you burn anything, the livestock won't even eat it - if all is good, it's fair trade for a king's ransom

GG

Arroz a la Mexicana

When it comes to Mexican cuisine, the rest of North America suffers from a very unfortunate condition - 'ignorancia'.

This condition manifests itself in its host through many symptoms; the primary one being the inexplicable tendency to believe that all Mexican food should be wrapped, folded, and/or covered in cheddar. Blame whoever/whatever you want, whether it's the fast food industry or a protectionist government. The point is, in Toronto alone, I've been to a few really good traditional Mexican spots. Why this hasn't really translated to the public psyche is beyond me. Anyway, I'm definitely no Francisco Madero, I'm just going to share a recipe.

My good friend's mom just got back from a Quinceañera in Tulancingo, and she brought this recipe for me. The traditional way to cook this is in a barro, but a heavy pot will do just fine.

 

Here's what you need:

- 1 1/2 cups of arroz (rinsed and cleaned)

- 3 or 4 seeded and diced tomatoes (keep some juice, or 800 ml can of diced is fine too)

- Cooking oil with a high smoke point, like canola (no extra virgin olive oil)

- 1 medium-sized cooking onion

- 2 cloves of garlic

- 1 cup of peas (or mixed veg)

- A sprig of fresh cilantro (if you love it)

- Salt, black pepper, and chili flakes (or chiles if you like it hotter)

* Put the rice into a large mixing bowl and cover it with near-boiling water for 10 minutes

* In a blender, puree the tomatoes, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, cilantro, and chiles 

* Drain the rice and add it directly to a pan on medium heat

* Add enough oil to bring it almost to the level of the rice - it looks like a ton but it will be drained

* Cook the rice until it's golden brown, stirring minimally to avoid burning

* Drain the oil, and add the rice, puree, and veggies to your trusty barro

* Add about a cup of water and simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid is gone

The cure for ignorancia? An afternoon on Wikipedia and a trip to Mexico (Club Med is not Mexico). 

GG

Be a Good Kid, Eat Your Meatloaf

The best home cooked meals I didn't have at home, I had at my grandmother's. There are two dishes in particular that we'd have on a Friday night that I still request when I get the chance. One is glazed chicken, the recipe for which has never been disclosed, and the other is meatloaf. 

There's no shortage of meatloaf recipes out there, and this one isn't shocking, but it's the favorite. Grandma likes to keep up with all things modern, so there's no pre-war kitchenware in sight - no retro stove that takes 30 minutes to warm up but gets as hot as Venus, and no 10-pound baking pan. It must be how she does it. As a retired program developer for TVO with a masters of education, she was no leave it to beaver housewife, but I still have visions of her adding secret ingredients when I leave the kitchen.

Here's what you need:

- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup of ketchup
- 3/4 cup of lukewarm water
- 2 slices of day-old bread, crumbed, with top crusts removed
- 1 package Lipton's onion soup mix (because she was a busy lady afterall)
- 2 pounds ground beef, chuck or sirloin

* In a large bowl, beat the eggs, and add the ketchup and water
* Stir in the onion soup mix with the day-old bread
* Mix in the ground beef, get the hands in there!
* Move the mixture to the meatloaf pan, making sure it's evenly spread but not too compressed
* Top with a little more ketchup and bake at 350 for an hour (give or take)

Serve with potatoes and asparagus, and even though we never called it this, what you've got is Shabbat dinner at Bubbie's.

I have a really tough time not experimenting with a simple recipe, but good is good. Was mine as good as hers? Depends who you ask.

GG

Godly Greek Salad

My good friend Erik of The One-Look DonnyBrook has a pretty traditional Greek family. Every time I'm at his house, he insists that I not insult him by not having something to eat. I usually oblige.

This staple is usually featured with his meals, especially in the summertime. I love Greek food because it embodies the point that something doesn't have to be complex to be great; and that good, fresh ingredients make a good dish.

Anyway, for 2 to 3 servings, here's what you need:

- 1 large tomato, cut into wedges

- 1/2 of a cucumber cut into rounds (peeled, optional)

- A handful of whole Kalamata olives

- Generous amount of good GREEK feta (upon Erik's insistence), crumbled or cubed

- 1/2 of a red onion, thinly sliced

- Extra virgin olive oil to dress

- Salt, pepper, and oregano (fresh or dried)

- Possible additions are minced garlic, slices of green capsicum, and a drizzle of lemon juice

* The chopped tomato and cucumber are plated first, followed by the onion, feta, olives, seasoning, and oil

* The salad is typically mixed at the table, prior to serving

* Finish it up with some fresh bread for sopping

GG

Caribbean Heat

So hopefully I'm not being over optimistic by saying we're finally seeing the beginnings of spring. I decided this week that featuring a recipe from the Caribbean would encourage the sun to stick around. My bank account tells me that a trip to Jamaica isn't in the cards for this season, but this got me half way there. Here's some soul food from a good friend. Ackee and Saltfish is a, if not THE, Jamaican national dish. Rightfully so.

Here's what you need:

- 1 tin of ackee fruit, drained (your country may not import the fresh fruit)

- 1 tin or package of saltfish - for packaged saltfish, soak the fish in water overnight to remove the salt. If still salty, boil in water for 20 minutes. Break the fish into canned tuna-sized chunks, careful to remove any bones 

- 1 onion and 3 cloves of garlic, diced

- 1 tomato, seeded and diced

- Black pepper and thyme (1 tsp. dried or 1 sprig)

- Vegetable or peanut oil

- Jamaican hot sauce

* Start by lightly cooking the onion and thyme in a tablespoon or so of oil

* Add the seeded tomato and saute lightly - the inner meat of the tomato adds too much liquid to this

* Add the diced garlic and continue to cook

* Season with black pepper and cook for another minute

* At this point you're ready to add the saltfish and saute further

* Add the drained ackee fruit, being careful to stir gently as to not break up the fruit

* Season further with black pepper and hot sauce to taste

GG

Pasta Carbonara

In 2009 in Paris, I was teaching English with Kiela Consulting - a little shameless promotion there. My students worked for large newspapers, radio stations, magazines, and international corporations.  Needless to say I met a lot of people who I learned from as much as I taught.

One of my beginner students was Italian but moved to Paris to work for TV M6. To make learning the language as easy as possible, I decided to scrap the textbook for the most part and use daily situations for vocabulary and grammar. One day I thought to use recipes, and she gave me this little gem. It's a classic basic recipe with no surprises, but the goodness lies in doing it right.

Here's what you need:

- Spaghetti (I like capellini because it's a bit thinner)

- A few strips of bacon, cut into bite-sized pieces (depending on how much pasta you want to make)

- One egg per serving

- Fresh grated parmesan cheese (parmigiano-reggiano)

- Salt, pepper, and 2 minced cloves of garlic per serving

- Parsley, if you like

* Cook the pasta in salted water until just shy of al dente - when you drain the pasta, conserve a bit of the starchy cooking liquid, this is important

* Saute the bacon until crispy and drain it, but leave a bit of the oil in the pan

* Add the garlic to the pan and cook it just until it sweats a bit, then season it with salt and pepper

* Return the bacon to the pan, add the pasta, and saute for a minute

* Take the pan off the heat and mix in the egg until it thickens, but you don't want to actually cook it

* Add the parmesan (as much as you want and then add more!) and season it all again with salt and pepper

* The cooking water comes in here - if the pasta is getting too sticky to work with, just add a little at a time

* Now you're ready to serve it, garnished with a little parsley and more parmesan

Delicious AND nutritious.

GG

Tuna Casserole

Ok, so since I mentioned my mom's tuna casserole, let's start with that.

Tuna casserole is just about as North American as it gets. I'm not exactly sure where my mother got this recipe, but I know that any brunch at my house featured one. For me, this is one of the dishes that I definitely start to miss if I haven't had it in a while, and it will always remind me of home.

Anyway, here's what you need:

- 1 box of Kraft Dinner, cheese and all (any recipe featuring KD is good in my books)

- 3 cups of any other noodles, I like half and half of egg yolk noodles and rotini

- 1/2 cup of milk

- 2 tbs of butter or margarine

- 1 can of chunk white tuna packed in water

- 1 79g can of french fried onions

- 1/3 of a 283g brick of cheddar cheese, grated

- 1 can of cream of mushroom soup

* Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil

* Boil all the noodles until 'al dente'

* Drain the noodles and return them to the pot

* Add the milk, butter or margarine, Kraft Dinner cheese mix, grated cheddar, drained tuna, cream of mushroom soup, and about 3/4 of the can of french fried onions

* Fold it all in carefully so you don't break up all the noodles

* Spread the mix into a casserole dish, sprinkle the remaining french fried onions on top, and if you like you can put a couple dabs of butter or margarine on top for browning

* Bake it uncovered at 350 for 30-35 minutes

The great thing about this recipe is how basic it is. You can really add/modify anything you want. Of course light cheese, light cream of mushroom soup, and skim milk are options if that's your thing, but don't use whole wheat noodles, they don't really work here. You can use chicken, salmon, different cheeses, vegetables, noodles, etc. If you're looking to add some green to the plate, just a word of caution that frozen vegetables add too much liquid when cooking and broccoli tends to burn in the oven. If you try this recipe at home let me know how you like it, and if you don't, you must have done something wrong!

GG

The Global Gourmand

Greetings to my myriad of followers!

I guess we’ll start with the obvious introduction. I was born and raised in Toronto, Canada and grew up in a pretty multicultural neighborhood. My folks are 2nd and 3rd generation Canadians of European Jewish descent, but I had a secular, typically Canadian childhood.

Most of my friends growing up were either 1st or 2nd generation immigrants from just about anywhere. Having good friends of wide backgrounds exposed me to new cultures, customs, and most notably, cuisines. Being a food lover, I’ve always had strong attachments to my family's brand of 'soul food' - a strange medley of classic Jewish and North American food. While there were several dishes from my childhood that I’ll always love, too often ketchup, hot sauce, and salt and pepper were used in our kitchen as spices.

That being said, sharing meals with my Chinese, Japanese, Jamaican, Indian, and Greek friends (just a sample there), quickly showed me that soul food isn’t necessarily defined by a certain recipe for tuna casserole (one of my family keepers), but the feelings and memories that go along with this food. When we think of home cooking we think of home. It’s warm, comfortable, and familiar; even if the beef doesn’t have much flavor and the pasta is slightly overcooked. I’m currently living in Paris and a few thousand miles away from home and my mom’s meatloaf. Even though French food is just about as good as it gets, you still can’t help but miss home from time to time.

These thoughts inspired me to start this thing. My mission is to collect and attempt real, tried and true family recipes from all over the globe and document them all here for you to try. I’m looking for any input I can get here people, so if you’ve got a good family recipe that you want to share, send it to me here along with the stories that go along with it!

GG