Lobster Chili, you’ll be the hit of the tailgate party. MAN FOOD, with a refined twist (and buttery, garlicky, cheesy biscuits).

Ma Nature, sure knows her calendar.  September 1st, right on schedule, the nights began to cool.

Chef B calls from his kitchen “It’s cold, I’m making chili.”
“Not really in the mood for chili actually, too heavy."
“Well, you’ve never had my Lobster Chili...”  he says waiting for me to gasp “LOBSTER CHILI?! Whaaaaaat...?”
And that, my friend, is how he gets me every time.

If you’re new to Food Gypsy you may not be familiar with the comings and goings at the Gypsy Kitchen.  Chef B (Benoit Gelinotte) is the man in my life, a fancy-schmansy professional Chef and our Technical Director at Food Gypsy.  Which means; I run ideas by him and he either smiles and offers advice or his eyes bug out, he shudders and makes faces and gagging noises.

Sometimes, I don’t listen to him, I often later regret that.   After 20+ years in the kitchen, he’s usually right. (Something I’m sure he'll remind me of the time he ‘technically advises’.)

Chef B. at home, in the kitchen.

Once a month we trot down to Chef B's kitchen and he shares one of his favorite recipes with Food Gypsy readers. (for more, click on the Chef B tag in the right sidebar) This is his Lobster Chili, accompanied by Garlic Cheddar Biscuits from my kitchen.

(We have “his & hers” kitchens.)

And his Lobster Chili starts with --- chicken.  Allowing for a meat base that builds the chili flavour and extends your budget.  The lobster we add last, so it doesn't get tough.  The prefect bite has equal parts chicken and lobster in a slightly smokey, rich & spicy tomato, bean stew.

Another way to extend your budget (and save time in the kitchen): canned, frozen lobster.  Real claw & knuckle meat; it’s perfect for chilis and chowders for those of us who don’t have a ready supply of lobster at hand.  We like it because it’s quick and easy. Just as quick; lobster tails often on sale at your local fish counter – though often not as budget friendly.

If you take nothing else away from this post: Fire Roasted Tomatoes.  They’re a new favorite, for a hint of smoke in a tomato sauce.  Add them to a ragu, or use them as a base in a rosé cream sauce.  Beautiful.

 The other ‘secret ingredient’ from Chef B’s kitchen - liquid smoke.  If you have an aversion to additives by all means omit, but if you’re looking for robust flavour, a little dab will do ya’.   In this case, less is more or you will wind-up with smoked chicken instead of subtle smoke in your chili.

The prep time on this meal is less than 40 minutes, then your Lobster Chili can simmer while you do more important stuff (vacuuming, laundry, Facebook) before you add the finishing touches, bake some biscuits and enjoy a bowl of comfort and warmth.

The biscuits are based on my Grandmother’s recipe, which she clipped from a magazine.  It was yellow and tattered when I transcribed it years ago.

A few things I frequently borrow from her Irish heritage; oat cakes and baking powder biscuits.  I’m kind of addicted.  Amped these up because those Red Lobster people keep taunting me with biscuits in their commercials. (They should be banned.)

Great little biscuit trick: the shortening & butter is frozen and grated directly into the dry ingrediants.  This makes the fat easier to blend with the flour.  For fun, whipped up some garlic butter, froze it, cut it into small pieces and placed it on top of the cheddar biscuit dough.  The butter melted into the biscuit, basting them in butter and garlic.

Take that Red Lobster. 

Lobster Chili – Recipe

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours minutes
Makes: 4 to 6 servings (how hungry are you?)

Ingredients:

8 chicken thighs (boneless, skinless) – cut into chunks
1 medium onion – chopped
5 cloves of garlic – diced
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
I cup tomatoes - chopped
1 can flageolet beans
3 stalks green onion, coarsely chopped
1 pound lobster meat – cut into small chunks
1 teaspoon paprika
3 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon chipotle powder
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon Siracha sauce
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, coursely chopped
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil

Method:

1. In a large pot or cocotte, add oil and chicken thighs cut into chunks and sear over medium-high heat stirring frequently (about 5 minutes). Season with salt and pepper. Add onions and cook to transparent.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add spices; cumin, paprika, stir to coat. Cook 2 – 3 minutes. Add garlic and liquid smoke and Siracha, cook for 2 – 3 minutes until garlic is transparent. Add water, to cover and scrape any reside from the sides and bottom into the sauce (that’s the good stuff). Add tomatoes, both canned and fresh. Reduce heat to lowest setting. Cover and allow to simmer until chicken is falling apart. About 90 minutes.
3. To finish: bring heat back up to medium, add green onions, cook 2 – 3 minutes.  Taste for seasoning.  Adjust as needed.  Add can of flageolet beans, cook for 3 – 5 minutes.  Add lobster meat and corriander, cook for 2 – 3 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Serve immediately.

Garlic Cheddar Biscuit - Recipe

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 to 13 minutes
Makes: 12 to 14 biscuits

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 cup frozen butter
• 1⁄4 cup frozen vegetable shortening
• 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
• 2 cloves garlic – finely minced
• 1/3 cup extra old, sharp cheddar cheese – grated
• ¼ cup green onion – finely sliced
• 1 cup milk

Method:

1. Combine garlic and soft butter in a small bowl with a spoon or spatula until thoroughly mixed. Turn garlic butter onto a piece of plastic wrap, fold plastic wrap over butter.  Flatten butter to approximately ¼ inch thickness and form a square. Freeze butter until hard (about 30 minutes)
2. Preheat the oven to 425*F.  Grease baking sheet with non-stick spray (or line with parchment paper).
3.  Measure flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl, whisk to combine.  Grate the frozen butter and shortening into the flour mixture and work through with fingers until evenly distributed.  Add cheddar and green onion, gently toss to blend with flour. (This mixture can stand at room temperature for up to two hours, covered with a clean cloth.)
4. Gently mix in milk until a loose dough forms, then turn dough onto a floured surface.
5. With hands, gently knead and shape the dough into a ball.  Flatten into a 3/4 to 1-inch thick disk.  Useing a lightly floured, round cutter cut dough into disks. Place disks on baking sheet. Gather up the scraps of dough, and press and cut into biscuits.
6. Remove frozen garlic butter from freezer. Cut into ½ inch square pieces.  Place a square of frozen garlic butter on top of each biscuit before baking.
7. Bake biscuits in the middle of the oven for 10 to 13 minutes, until puffed and golden.
8. Serve warm... with said chili.

Booze Ideas:

Opted for an easy drinking Cotes du Rhone.  In most cases, I avoid red with spicy seafood as it often leaves a metallic aftertaste.  But with a mixed seafood/meat dish and a spice/smoke compliment,  a light red worked well.   More options; Pinot Noir, Gamay, Sangiovese, Grenache or a simple Chianti.

For lovers of hops; try an ice cold Hoegaarden a white, wheat beer with citus-corriander undertones and enough chutzpah to stand up to Chef B's Lobster Chili.

Live.  Love.  Eat... well!

Sometimes it’s the simplest things that strike a chord.

Like this pretty little chicken. I’ll be honest, I didn’t intend to publish this because two ingredients; one of them being “chicken” and the other being “jar o’ sauce” does not a “recipe” make.

After posting this impromptu photo of well... dinner... on my Facebook page, I had several inquiries,  it’s not a recipe per say, but it is solid TECHNIQUE for the grill, and using it you’ll get beautiful results every time.

I love to do four or five Thai Chili Chickens at a time for a party.  So easy.  Serve them hot or cold.

Fell in love with Sweet Chili Chicken traveling though Thailand on a tight budget, it became a daily challenge to eat as well as we could for as little as possible so we had more money to spend on fun stuff like riding elephants and shiny trinkets.  In Chang Mai we found a little hole in the wall called “BBQ Chili Chicken” - imaginative I know.  Their menu?  You guessed it, barbecued chili chicken and your choice of rice or noodles.

Our meal; two chickens, one side of rice, two cokes, a bottle of water and a split of Mekong whiskey --- $7 (including tip).

Can’t beat that.

Now for the home version: one organic chicken, $14. You must cook it yourself and bring your own sauce.  There is no back room for a “massage”.

Little ‘Cue Technique:

With a sharp knife of kitchen shears ‘butterfly’ your chicken by cutting down either side of the spine to remove the back bone so it lays flat. Remove wing tips at ‘elbow” joint.  Brush with olive oil both inside and outside.  Sear meat over high heat, to crisp the skin and seal in the juices.  Approximately 3 – 4 minutes on each side depending on the heat of your grill.

Turn one burner off, the others to medium-high (internal barbecue temperature 400*) and move the chicken to the “off” side. If using charcoal, simply mound charcoal to one side and again, remove chicken from direct heat, to the side.

This off-heat method creates an oven effect in your grill.  The flame is not directly under, but beside the bird, maintaining heat without direct flame.

"The most common mistake most of us make is cooking at too high a heat."  ~ Gypsy 

No?  Just me?  Fine.  Be that way.

Brush surface liberally with Thai Sweet Chili Sauce to glaze. Finish cooking, lid down, turning and glazing as needed. This way the sugar in the glaze doesn’t burn/catch on fire (because that’s annoying) and your fowl stays nice and juicy.

Cooking time 35 – 45 minutes depending on the size of your bird.

Did I make the sauce?  No I did not. I could, but I didn't.  This sauce was a gift from a friend recently returned from Thailand.  Fancy!For those not able to jet to Thailand for sauce; super convenient, Sweet Thai Chili Sauce is available at most super markets.  Shot a couple for you here.

Good food doesn’t have to be complicated... or take two days to make.  It can, but it can also be simple and done start to finish in an hour (including 10 minute beer break).

It’s summer... relax.

Inspiration strikes in the most unlikely of places.  Over the weekend, as we traipsed over the countryside trying to avoid the Royal Couple in their whizzing black sedans and police escort as they went about their royal duties (blocking roads), we found ourselves on the patio of one of our favorite pubs.

Beverages appeared.  Snacks soon followed and in that line up of tapas was a most disappointing chicken satay... which lead us down the slippery slope of "there is no excuse for bad food".

It's true.  A bit of forethought and some flavor was all that was lacking.  This was a phoned in effort.  Thankfully, our server agreed, the kitchen sent out a fresh attempt (while better, still dry and lacking in taste) and the item was deleted from our bill.

On our high horse of "there is no excuse for bad food" we decided to create our own take on a satay salad; packed with bright, Asian flavor - a joint effort in the Gypsy Kitchen with Chef B., him leading the charge on the marinade and my take on direction & interpretation.

A cold vermicelli salad with bright fresh veg, lightly dressed with a lime, rice wine vinaigrette.  Hot chicken satay, moist, pull-apart tender (and totally delicious) finished with a peanut sauce.  Balanced harmony in summer cooking, with a couple of "secret" techniques that make this satay a new favorite.

Chef B. : "Hey I'm just a French guy and I've never been to Asia, but I know that tastes good."

Right you are Darling, among the best satay I've ever had... in any country.  Authenticity and intensity.  Never comprise on taste.  The galangal really makes it pop.

Combining garlic, ginger, galangal, lemon grass, lime leaves, a hint of chili, cumin, curry (powder and leaves) and coriander we have a gooey pulp that is base of flavor that will move your pallet throughout the dish.

Marinade, beaten to a pulp!

For the chicken; we take the satay base (aka: goo), mix with a light soy & some oil.  In the peanut sauce, we infuse water with 2 tablespoons of the (reserved) satay base for a continuity of flavor & aroma, and in the dressing, the infused water is added to sesame oil, rice wine vinegar & a touch of soy for an herbal brightness and light acidity for punch.

It's a tasty satay three-way.

And just how, pray tell, do you get that fall-off-the-stick, melt-in-your-mouth tenderness we're going for?  That my friend is technique.  Using dark, skinless, boneless chicken thighs we cut them into chunky, thread-able pieces, placed them between to pieces of plastic wrap and gave them a good with the bottom of a frying pan.

Pounded thighs, bashed spices... violence in the kitchen.

The point here is to gently break the fibers of the meat. No need to go crazy, we worked them for a few seconds each, flattening to about 1/3 of an inch thick. Then dropped the chicken pieces into the marinate and refrigerate for at least 90 minutes, preferably overnight.

The result was a smooth, buttery texture.  This applies equally well in any dish where you want marinated, tender chicken.  (Dark meat has more fat and therefore more flavour than white meat and is a favorite in the Gypsy Kitchen. It's often cheaper too.)

Being summer, I'm moving the cooking outdoors.  I want light, I want cool,  I want simple.  But simple is surprisingly hard to do.  Miss a layer of flavor and you have "boring" - balance is key.

We choose rice vermicelli as a starch base with bright fresh vegetables for a simple clean taste.  Rice pasta cooks in minutes; rinse well, toss with a bit of oil and it will refrigerate for days.  Also travels well if a person were to be heading for the cottage or to a pot luck in the neighbours backyard.

Loved this marinade so much I doubled the recipe and now have scallops soaking for tomorrow. Only limited by your imagination.

Don't let the list of ingredients intimidate you, I broke it down into three sections for ease in preparation, or if you wanted to make teh satay as a stunning appetizer, but basically it's much of the same in different quantities. 

Good ingredients, good technique and a whole lotta' love, and you've got great food.

Let's get cooking... we've not phoning this one in.

Thai Summer Satay Salad

Prep time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoons ginger, sliced
1 tablespoon galangal, sliced
2 fresh, red chilis, sliced
3 lime leaves
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 cup fresh packed coriander leaves
2 generous pinches, dry curry leaves
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon 'light' soy sauce
1 pound (approximately 6) boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1/4 cup peanut butter
3 teaspoons sesame oil
3 teaspoons *marinade infused water (see method)
2 tablespoons coconut milk
1 dash of hot sauce (to taste)
1 dash of light soy sauce (to taste)

1 package rice vermicelli noodles
1 carrot, finely sliced (or shredded)
1/2 a red pepper, finely sliced
1/2 cup fresh snow peas, finely sliced
2 green onions, finely sliced
1/4 cup fresh, chopped coriander
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon *marinade infused water (see method)
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 dash of hot sauce (to taste)
1 dash of light soy sauce (to taste)
chopped, roasted peanuts (to finish)

Method:

1. In food processor combine garlic, galangal, chilis, lime leaves, cumin, curry, coriander & curry leaves. Pulse lightly until mixed to course paste. In this recipe, we went old school with a mortar & pestle to crush the ingredients together until both fragrance and flavor fuse.
2. *Reserve 2 tablespoons marinade 'pulp' in small bowl, add 1/4 cup of water to infuse flavor, let stand 15 - 20 minutes.
   Strain & reserve.
3. Cut thighs into three equal(ish) pieces, and gently 'pound' between two sheets of plastic wrap to approximately 1/3 of an inch thick. Drop into marinade, coat well, refrigerate (turning occasionally) for a minimum of 90 minutes (as long as 24 hours). Remove chicken, rush off excess marinade and thread onto skewers for grilling.
4. Place on hot grill, brush with oil if necessary. Grill for approximately 10 minutes, turn as meat begins to darken and char until cooked.  Remove from grill and serve immediately on dressed salad, with peanut sauce.

Peanut Sauce:

1. In a small bowl, add peanut butter, whisk to breakdown.  Add drizzle of sesame oil, whisk, this will make it looser, smoother.  Add drizzle of marinade infused water, this will encourage it to congeal and thicken.  Repeat, alternating between the oil (fat) & infused water (liquid) until sauce is smooth and harmonious in favour. 
2. Whisk in coconut milk.   Add hot sauce and soy sauce if needed for heat and seasoning balance. 
3. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour.

Gypsy note: Keep in mind this sauce will intensify as it stands, at room temperature.  The heat will be truer, the flavours will bind and it will take on a new character.  Leftovers can store in the fridge for up to a week.

Chilled Vermicelli Salad:

1. In a medium sauce pan bring salted water to a boil, add rice vermicelli, cook (according to package instructions) until translucent (approximately five minutes).  Drain.  Rinse with cold water.  Shake off excess water and chill.
2. In small bowl, combine seseme oil, lime juice, rice wine vinegar, marinade infused water and sugar.  Whisk to blend.  Taste.  Add soy and hot sause as needed.
3. In a large bowl add cold rice vermicelli, sliced carrot, snow peas, red pepper, green onions & coriander.  Toss with vinaigrette.

Gypsy Note: to be honest I reverse engineered this vinaigrette - tossing the noodles in sesame oil, adding the liquid/acid and sugar (etc) then tasting, until it was spot on.  I call this "winging it".  It's fun. So long as you have approximately 1/3 oil to 2/3 acid, you're good.

To plate: start with a portion of vermicelli salad, two to three satay sticks, a generous dash of peanut sause and finish with chopped peanuts.  Serve immediately.  Do not pass go, this is too good to waste, and even better the second day.

Go forth.  Make good food.

Extra chilis... for the brave.

Bollywood Week continues here at Food Gypsy with some spicy dishes from India, from my kitchen to yours.

Every once in a while I like to throw myself a little kitchen challenge to shake things up a bit.  My Bollywood menu was somewhat of an Iron Chef challenge, using the same ingredient --- mango --- in the appetizer, the entree and the dessert.

Let's face it, I'll never be on Iron Chef America, not in this lifetime, but I love to take one ingredient (or flavour) and weave it throughout a meal.  It pushes me to think about a savory ingredient and move it into something sweet or, vice versa.

With mango I chose to push it from sweet and spicy with a hot mango dip with some light onion pakoras to start, then move it to savoury and spicy with the Mango Chicken Curry, and finally ending with sweet and cold for dessert with a mango sorbet with candied ginger and a ginger infused rum and spicy pistachios.

The Vino:  A nice Cave Spring Riesling (from Ontario no less) for a solid balance with a strong, spicy meal.  Other suggestions from Foodie Gypsies include "a sparkling red" from Astrid DesLandes or "an Alsace, a Gewurztraminer or a good hoppy beer" compliments of Graham D. Duff.  Excellent options my little Foodies.  Thank you.

Or that was the plan. It was a good plan.  Things were going perfectly (to plan) until the cook derailed with a nasty stomach flu, shortly following the appetizer, that leveled her for three days.  Dinner was delayed a day then enjoyed by others while the usual 'cast iron' status of this Gypsy gut returned.

We never did get to dessert.  That gorgeous organic mango sorbet is still left sitting in the freezer.  I think I'll make it into a smoothie with the THREE containers of strawberries I bought yesterday (3 for 1 - I HAD to buy three, it's a rule.)  You have to laugh, that's life.  These things happen.

This recipe has been tweaked over a couple of sessions of Indian cooking, finally finding the right balance.  It is a milder curry, bright with colour and texture, with a complex spice balance.

Gypsy Tip: Often your best bet for spices are your local health food stores. In my downtown Ottawa neighbourhood, the aptly named Herb & Spice Shop (375 Bank Street, Ottawa, ON) is a treasure trove of fresh spices, many available in bulk.  (Because who wants to buy $10 bucks worth of curry leaves when you only need 4 leaves?)

The 'kasoori methi' was tricky to find.  But I did find it, at the Indian Grocery Store (675 Sommerset St, West, Ottawa) along with anything else my heart desires for authentic Indian Cuisine and plenty of well intentioned advice from the nice lady who pointed me in the right direction.

"Oh, you want fenugreek leaves."

"No, I want kasoori methi" I say with my little piece of paper handy for pronunciation purposes.

She shrugs.  "Same thing." I must have looked crest fallen, she smiled and asked  "What you making?"

So I filled her in on my plans and held up bags of things in my little cart and she appeared genuinely impressed that was not using a sauce out of a jar, so she gifted me with some Mango Curry Chicken wisdom.

"Usually an  Indian Chicken Curry is made from onion and tomato masala but with Mango Curry we use raw mango, also known as kacha aam (kairi) in Hindi, instead of tomatoes."

I love learning new things. Both sweet and acidic, I can see why mango would substitute well for tomato.

Sometimes simple recipes such as this one, can turn out to be true show stoppers, with very little effort.

So don't try too hard.

Mango Curry Chicken Recipe

Ease of Preparation: Easy
Time: 90 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 kg (3pounds) chicken (skinless, on the bone, cut into small pieces)
• 2 Onions, thinly sliced
• 1 Teaspoon ginger, finely minced (or paste)
• 1 Teaspoon garlic, finely minced (or paste)
• 2 Tablespoons oil
• 3-4 Whole cloves
• 1/2 inch cinnamon stick
• 2 Whole green cardamom seeds
• 2 - 4  Green chilies, chopped (spice to taste)
• 2 Teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 Teaspoon red chili powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 Small raw mango (peeled and chopped)
• 2 - 3 Sweet (yellow/red) peppers, sliced
• 2 Cups Okra, cut into 2 inch pieces, steamed separately
• 3-4 Curry leaves
• 1 Tablespoon kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat oil in non stick cooking pan and crackle the cloves, cardamoms and cinnamon. Next, saute the onions till light brown. Add the ginger garlic paste and cook for another 30 seconds.
2. Add all the dry masala powders, chicken and mango. Stir and cook on high for 3-4 minutes.
3. Add peppers and stir to coat.
4. Add 1-2 cups water (to cover ingredients), salt, curry leaves and kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves) and stir.
5. Transfer to oven-safe pot, cover, reduce heat and cook  (about 40 minutes), or place, covered in preheated 350* oven and cook (about 30 - 40 minutes)  and cook until chicken becomes soft and tender.
6. Five minutes prior to the end of cooking time place cut okra in microwave safe bowl with very little water, cover and lightly steam, 2 - 3 minutes.  Then drain any liquid and reserve  (Little fluid prevents the okra from becoming slimy and maintains its colour)
7. Remove curry from heat, stir in okra, steamed separately, and let stand covered, for 10 minutes

Garnish with chopped fresh coriander leaves.  Serve hot with roti/naan or rice and enjoy!  Also pictured, Lamb Vindaloo and Sultan's Rice - both recipes available here.

Put on your sparkly bracelets, dance to your favourite Hindi beat and break out the Kama Sutra.  What?  It's Indian...

Happy cooking Foodie Gypsies.

It’s called a peasant’s dish. 

 A one dish meal made from a bit pf chicken, a couple of links of sausage, whatever seafood you have on hand, an onion, a couple of tomatoes, a pepper or two, Cajun spice and a couple of cups of rice in one big pot on the back of the stove.  

It’s made with what you’ve got.
It’s made to feed a hungry brood on the Bayou.  Jambalaya goes a long way.   

In an all too brief trip to New Orleans some years ago, I developed a deep fondness for its people and their food.  Funny.  Kind.  Believers in cream, butter, pork fat, spice and great music.   

I’m glad to see New Orleans tourism recovering and the people of the city below sea level bouncing back once again.  On my life list is a return to New Orleans for Mardi Gras for one big party.   

But we can celebrate Mardi Gras anywhere!  Literally translating to ‘Fat Tuesday’, it is the feast before the sacrifice, the party before the purge.  The indulgence before Lent, 40 days of fasting and self-denial.  Personally, I’m fond of any festival that involves feasting and debauchery.  Followed by penance.   

Thought we would do a little Cajun tribute on Food Gypsy with a simple menu that includes a spicy Jambalaya and classic Beignets for some Louisiana heat and a bit of sugar.  No matter where in the world you may be.   

First up, a little Gypsy Jambalaya followed by Ben's Beignets de Carnival.   

Jambalaya is good, home cookin’ from Louisiana’s Cajun culture and among my favourite rice dishes.   

Made right it’s spicy, coated in rich tomato-based sauce, it should slide or 'slump' just slightly when presented on a plate or in a bowl, that's true south.   

Many use a “Cajun Spice” readily available in most supermarkets but as I avoid additives and preservatives whenever possible, this Gypsy recipe uses cayenne, paprika, chili and just a touch of thyme. It is after all influenced by the French.   

The French love their thyme.   

This is the first time I’ve paid very close attention to technique while cooking Jambalaya.  Searing and braising meats, checking liquid levels for the rice to ensure proper humidity and doneness, and adding tender shrimp just ten minutes prior to the end to ensure they were pink and perfect.   

It was a personal best.

It began with... sausage shopping.  Nothing says “I really like you” like your best guy (and Food Gypsy Technical Advisor, Chef Benoit) taking you sausage shopping. 

 Ottawa’s premier sausage house, The Sausage Kitchen on the Byward Market was out of Andouille sausage, the traditional favourite in Jambalaya.  A spicy smoke cured sausage, it’s what gives the dish its signature hint of smokiness that is so essential.  

In cuisine, there are no problems, only solutions.  So instead of the Andouille, Ben suggests a combination of Cajun Sausage and Hungarian Smoked Czabai.

The Czabai is a cooked smoked sausage unlike the smoke cured Andouille, so it requires no precooking, but the Cajun is an uncooked, herbed spicy sausage, rich and full of flavour.  With the combination of the two we were able to achieve combination of spice and smoke.  

 Sausage solutions.  That’s my kind of guy.   

I’m good with a poor man’s meal.  I can stretch a penny so far I can turn that sucker into copper wire and knit a stinking sweater.  I've had practice.   

Jambalaya is comfort food, it's one pot purity, it's love.

Spicy, Saucy Jambalaya Recipe

Ease of Preparation: Easy
Time: 2 hours
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

  Method: 

1. Combine spices (cayenne, paprika, chilli, thyme and salt) in large bowl.
2. Roll chicken pieces in spice mixture to lightly coat, remove and set aside.
3. Add shrimp to remaining spice mixture, toss to coat and set aside, chilled.
4. In large oven proof pot, heat 2 tablespoons of oil, then add seasoned chicken to sear the outside and seal in juices. Remove and let stand.
5. In same pot, add sausage and lightly sear. Remove and let stand. (If spices are burnt on the bottom of the pot, quickly rinse and remove all traces of burnt spice, this will help to avoid any unwanted bitterness. Never cook in a burnt pot.)
6. Return pot to heat and add 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add onions, peppers and tomatoes and sweat over medium heat until onions are transparent and peppers are tender.
7. Add butter, mix to coat.
8. Add chicken and sausage, submerge in vegetables and liquid, and cook, covered in preheated, 350* oven for 10 -15 minutes (or until vegetables are cooked & soft).
9. Remove from oven, add rice, stir into dish, coating well.
10. Add chicken stock and water and salt to taste. Cook covered in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.
11. Remove from oven.  Check humidity levels and doneness of rice, and add additional stock or water if needed.  Add shrimp. Place back in oven, covered, and cook for 10 minutes or until rice is fully transparent and tender.
12. Remove from oven.  Let rest, without heat - covered - for 10 – 20 minutes.   

The rest period at the end of the cooking cycle allows all those bubbling juices to be absorbed by the rice and makes the difference between a good jambalaya and a GREAT jambalaya.   

This recipe is listed as easy, because it’s not technically difficult, but it is just a dish that requires a few extra steps in technique to execute it well, every time.   

Gypsy note: If you are not a lover of heat, reduce both the cayenne and chilli powder (paprika has little heat, it's mild and smokey). This dish has heat, it's supposed to, it's Cajun. I would give this a solid three out of five on the Gypsy heat-o-meter that's why it's called 'spicy'.   

Go... cook with love.

This... is not my hat. Happy Mardi Gras!

Grandma's remedy, nature's medicine... a good chicken soup!

It's cold and flu season; sniffles and sore throats and sick days.

Some nasty little bug bit me hard this weekend which meant cough syrup and pajama time.  Nothing quite so sexy as a fever.  Oh yea, I'm hot Baby!  *cough, cough, cough*  

Time for a big bowl of nature's remedy... chicken soup.  

Ingredients such as garlic and pepper have excellent healing properties for respiratory ailments, they work in much same way as modern cough medicines, thinning mucus and making breathing easier.  

Yes... I said 'mucus'.  

In fact, some science guys and gals have done actual research on this topic, among them... Dr. Irwin Ziment, M.D., pulmonary specialist and professor at the UCLA School for Medicine, says chicken soup contains drug-like agents similar to those in modern cold medicines. For example, amino acids released from chicken during cooking chemically resembles the drug acetylcysteine, prescribed for bronchitis and other respiratory problems.  

I like him but I'm pretty sure my Grandmother could have taken him in an arm wrestle.  

You don't mess with a woman when her name is 'Jessie Jones'.  That was my Grandma.  Tough as nails.  Wrung the neck of a of a goose, milked the goats, handled an axe and a chainsaw all before breakfast.  

If she were here right now she'd have me tucked in bed, a mustard plaster on my chest, a wool sock wrapped around my throat, an ancient humidifier humming in the corner loaded with eucalyptus oil, a Hot Rum Toddie in one hand, a big bowl of soup precariously balanced on a pillow and an aspirin on stand by.  

She'd say "Eat, this then drink that, take this aspirin and get some rest!"  

Then she'd turn and yell at my Grandfather who was sneaking cookies in the kitchen "FRANK! Those are for tomorrow!"  Ears like a dog that woman.   

Science be damned, good food is good food and good food is nature's medicine.  That's why I choose as natural a product as I can and go organic as much as possible.  Truth be told, I'm rarely sick but when I am...  

The clear chicken broth is high in antioxidants, packed with protine yet easy to swallow and loaded with nutrition.  The aspirin works on pain, inflammation and any trace of a fever. 

The mustard plaster and steaming eucalyptus broke up congestion.  No idea what the wool sock was for... luck maybe.  Or perhaps her and the other Grandmas had some kind of bet going.  

"I'll bet you your pickle recipe I can get my granddaughter to wear a wool sock around her neck..."  

It seems to me Grandma had a lot of pickle recipes. 

Booze (of course), is the international grandmother sleep-aid.  To this day I'm sure she used to drug me so she and Grandad could get up to no good.  Trust me when I say there was no getting up from Grandma's Hot Rum Toddies!  

Today I'm skipping the mustard plaster because I don't think it works with Dion.  I steamed up the bathroom earlier with a hot bath and yup, you guessed it, eucalyptus and other essential oils.  Had a big bowl of steaming hot chicken soup and before bed, just for the sake of nostalgia, I'll have a little toddie with dark rum to wash down the acetaminophen.  

But the wool socks are staying on the feet Gram!  

Now... "Eat, this then drink that, take this aspirin and get some rest!"  

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

 Stay healthy.  Be happy!

Chicken Soup Recipe

• Ease of Preparation: Easy
• Time: 90 minutes – 2 hours
• Serves: 4

Ingredients - Stock

• 1/2 Roasting chicken, quartered
• 1 Carrot, peeled, quartered
• 1 Onion, peeled, quartered
• 1 Parsnip, peeled, haved
• 1 Piece celery, quartered
• 2 Garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 Piece leek (green) quartered
• 2 Bay leaves
• 2 Sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 – 4 Parsley stems
• 12 Whole black peppercorns

Ingredients - Soup

• 3 - 4 Carrots, peeled & chopped
• 8 Ounces green beans, chopped
• 1 Piece leek (white), chopped fine
• 1/2 Cup frozen peas
• 1 Green onion, chopped, fine
• 1 Stem of parsley – top only, chopped fine
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• Salt & pepper to taste

 Method

1. Place chicken into a large soup pot.
2. Add the carrots, onions, celery, garlic, leek, bay leaves, thyme, parsley and peppercorns and cover completely with cold water.
3. Bring to a boil then reduce temperature and simmer gently for 1 hour – 90 minutes, removing film from top of broth as needed.
4. Strain broth and reserve, discard cooked vegetables and reserve chicken.
5. Once the meat has cooled, gently remove from the bones, cut as needed and return to the pot with the broth.
6. Bring the broth back to a simmer and add carrots and leek.
7. Simmer for a few minutes and add green beans and peas.
8. Simmer for a few minutes then finish with butter, green onion and parsley.
9. Adjust seasoning and... serve.

A good chicken stock has "magical healing powers"... well that and rum!

... fowl, in bondage... a finished chicken, with bows...

It's mighty close to Christmas.  Time to defrost that bird, stuff it full of deliciousness and bang that baby in the oven.

Nothing more annoying than your turkey/chicken/goose/ duck falling apart in the oven, stuffing all over the place... soaking up all those lovely juices that could be used in your sauce.  A tightly bundled bird will help keep the meat contained, the juices in the meat and the stuffing where it should be. 

Recently learned how to (better) truss a bird while studying cuisine and it might be one of the best lessons so far.  I love a tightly trussed fowl.  All you need is a trussing needle and a piece of butcher's cotton string and a bit of patience. 

Best practices, check the bird, inside and out.  Remove any reaming pinfeathers and extra fat.  Clip the wing tips at the fist joint, they're only going to burn.  Then tuck them back under the bird (like sun tanning)  secured under the first sting before you tie it tight. 

A picture says a thousand words, so let's walk you through this with a professional... in these shots we are trussing a duck... no worries, pretty much the same thing...

Once you've tied up your bird... it's time to roast. 

There's a great deal of conflicting advice out there as to the best practice when roasting.  It's not difficult, but if you've never cooked a whole turkey before in can be a bit intimadating so keep things simple.  Roasting in three easy steps:

• Prepare your fowl (rack or roast).   Season with salt and pepper, liberally inside and out (the inside part is easier pre-stuffing & trussing.  I know that seems obvious but just in case you haven't had coffee and the kids are manic after a face full of candy, worth mentioning.)  Add herbs or additional flavor then brush the skin with oil, some prefer olive oil, personally I prefer corn oil with turkey, olive oil with lamb and beef and butter with chicken.  (Recently experimented with truffle oil... now think that goes with EVERYTHING!)  When roasting place meat on a rack or on a bed of sliced vegetables to keep it up, off the bottom of the pan.

• Start on high heat.  One of the best tricks I ever learned from Jamie Oliver... preheat your oven to 450* place your meat in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes, until it is beginning to brown. Then reduce your temperature to 300* /350*.  The larger the piece, the lower the temperature.  Baste with juices regularly to help keep it moist and juicy.  How long?  No idea depends on the size of the piece you're roasting.  As my Chef Instructors at Le Cordon Bleu would say "until it's done". 

• Check the temperature.  Particularly when it comes to any kind of bird... nobody wants undercooked turkey on Christmas day so break out the meat thermometer and check at the thickest part (thigh for a fowl) the desired internal temperature is 185*.  Peirce the thigh and make sure all the juices run clear then rest your meat - for at least 20 minutes before carving. 

Little Gypsy tip:  to keep that breast meat nice and juicy, position your bird 'head down' when resting, this will direct the juices into the breast which tends to be drier as a general rule.

From there Dear Reader, you're on your own.  Carve and plate and be sure to freshen up just a touch before ringing that dinner bell, the cook should look as good as the meal. 

Grab your glass of wine on the way out of the kitchen, as Julia would say... 

"One for the dish... one for the cook!" 

I might recommend a grape or two... with turkey I stick to the Pinots...

If you prefer red... Pinot Noir... it's lighter in tannins so will not overwhelm the meal but has enough body and power to bring a bit of balance. 

If you prefer whites... Pinot Gris... personally not a big fan of Chardonnay, that would be most people's obvious choice with turkey, I opt for something dry with a strong fruit backing and no oak. 

Just a thought.  Have fun, it's your holiday!

Right... I'm  off to practice my Italian in my first ever REAL ITALIAN Christmas eve, which is all about seafood.  (I'm pretty sure there will be wine with that!)  Tomorrow, there may be turkey.  Merry Christmas Foodie Gypsies.  Thank you for reading.  Really.  Thank you! 

"May your day be merry and briiiiiiiight and my all your Christmases... be whiiiiiite." 

On this little “life from scratch” journey Mexico was... rest.  Belize was... recreation.  And Cuba?  Rebellion?  Revolution?  Nope.  Resolution. 

Resolved... to find the food that fuels its lovely people, the food that sustains its pulsating beat, I was determined to find... FOOD!       

By day three in Havana I had to ask “Where do people shop?”  Translation: "I’m just a nice girl from Canada, please direct me to your grocery store."        

I’m used to stumbling into them, food in the streets and fruit on every corner and fish at the local dock... like every other corner of the Caribbean... but food was much harder to find on the streets of Havana.  Like everything else in Cuba, food is highly regulated.  There are limitations and regulations on everything from how many seats a restaurant can have to how much any one farmer is allowed to sell and... where.          

Restaurants were hit and miss.  Street food was limited - sandwiches mostly but on beautiful Cuban bread.  Cuban bread reminds me of European bread, light and flavourful with great body and a thin, crisp crust.  Turns hard as a rock after a day or two.    There's pizza... ever have a tuna pizza, with mayo? No?  Hmmm.  Think tuna melt... had to try it, right?!       

One of my best finds was this amazing little bakery about five blocks from La Floridita on Calle Obispo, the pastry was light and sweet with a heavy Spanish influence.    And everywhere there is flavoured ice... and rum.  There is always plenty of rum.  Good rum, no GREAT rum.  At the "Revolution Museum" you can have a drink at the bar... what could be more appropriate than a Cuba Libre?!  Yup... had to.       

Where were we?   Right.  Take me to your food... woman can only live on rum for so long.  People fish over the seawall, but were is the fish?       

This... is what taxi drivers are for!  “Take me to your market!”  Ernesto obliges!        

First stop, in New Havana a market for the locals... fresh meat... fresh fruit... fresh veg... fresh herbs and flowers.  The market is a frame with a roof, and a small side building - all the vendors huddle in the shade on this particular 30* day.  Open from 7A to 1P... get it while it’s fresh before the flies do.        

Meat is kept on ice, in coolers.  Fruit and vegetable are picked in season and ripe... eat it, cook it... now.  In Cuba (and most Caribbean countries), the food is cooked to death, so I had no issue with eating anything, once I found it.        

Next stop... Old Havana.  An old warehouse, and Farmer’s Market.  The roof is half blown away and the walls look like they may collapse at many minute but inside you can get what you need.        

Stacks of papaya and pineapple.  Bags of beans and rice.  Herbs for cooking and for medicine.  Right next door... the meat.  Still running around.  Now that’s fresh!        

Cuba made me realize, like never before, just how spoiled I am.  Spoiled by choice and selection.  Spoiled by convenience in a consumer driven economy.  We are so very, very spoiled.       

Gypsy confession: I don’t want to kill my own chicken.  Don’t get me wrong, I grew up on a farm.  I’ve done that stuff... pulled calves, plucked chickens, ate stakes that had a name on them... all part of life.  My grandmother always said "if you give something a good life it passes that life on to you."        

I am grateful to the pig... for bacon, but I like that bacon in a brown wrapper.       

Thank you... for bacon.

In Cuba, there is no such thing as a MacDonald’s or Wendy’s or a jar of pasta sauce or a frozen pizza .  You have two choices:  slow food or no food.  I'm down with that, but think about it...  how many different kinds of frozen pizza are there are your local super market?  Did a little recognisance on this, popped out in the middle of writing this (back in my comfortable life) to the local grocery store and counted.        

Seven different brands and...  78 different frozen pizzas to choose from.         

Feeling... spoiled yet?        

The markets, a colourful day of Cuban resolution.  Seeing, smelling, tasting... FRESH Cuba!      

Ernesto... our guide for a week in Havana, old and new... thank you!

Mexico has become a jumping off place for me, in and out and constantly on the move, it is also a place where I discover I'm hungry.  It creeps up on me, and... BAM... I'm starved!  Three minutes ago it was just fine but now I need food, fast.  This section on "Mexican Quickies" is a tribute to all the wonderful little places in the Yucatan that fed me... fast and cheap.    

Pollo D' Juanita, on a Gral. Lazaro Cardenas, between Ave Ninos Heroes and Rojo Gomez, in Puerto Morelos, Mexico; you see signs everywhere for the little mom & pop BBQ chicken joints in Mexico, “Pollo BBQ” and an arrow, which you (loosely) follow.  They appear out of nowhere, move and change, open and close – all the time.     

Is there a sign on the shop?  Sometimes.  Sometimes there is a sandwich board outside and sometimes there's not.  The only sign inside is a piece of constuction paper, written with felt pen behind a wooden counter on the right, it lists what they do, and sometimes don’t have.      

I've come across this phenomenon several times in Mexico, you ask for something on the menu... “No, sorry, not today”... so you pick something else.     Three days later figuring you might get lucky you go back and ask for that same item, still listed on the menu, “No, sorry, not today”.  My theory is: they never have it and they never will.  But, it got you through the door.  Clever.)    

On the left three large refrigerators hum, chilling waiting beverages and large tubs of food with tight lids.   Straight ahead is another counter and behind that a kitchen; two slow cookers, a four burner stove, one oven, a sink and a prep board.  The grill is outside, 8’ x 4’ it’s fired up twice a week, early in the morning, burning sweet, smoky wood.    The town dogs circle when the matron of the business loads the hot grill up with fresh chicken, I think they too are a intimidated by the glare of the woman behind the grill, all four-foot-eight of her.  Juanita means business.     

I could easily live off barbecued chicken.   In fact, I often do.  In and out of Puerto Morelos, Mexico for about a month; they know me now at Pollo D' Juanita.  Such a bargain, 80 Pesos and you’ve got a full chicken, rice, black beans, coleslaw and salsa.  When I’m holed-up, writing, this one take-out is four meals.  For that I will endure all suspcious looks, the occasional sneer and rolling of the eyes Juanita sends in my direction so long as there's good, cheap, chicken at the end of the transaction.  Nod and smile.  I am afterall Canadain, one must be polite.

Tamales are not usually on the menu, but on one happy ‘chicken run’, I open the door to find the formidable Juanita and her daughter, Gleacelda making tamales.   Despite my lack of language skills, I manage to convey a desire to learn /watch how to make tomales with camera in hand.  

Or as much as they are willing to share.    In Mexico, every cook has her own tamale recipe, her own sauce, her own masa mix, her own flavours.  I certainly did not get any family secrets out of Juantia (who bore holes though me with her icy stare), but Gleacelda galdly gave me a few moments of instruction in her (pretty darn good) English.  I kept up with my extraordinarily bad tourista Spanish/action charades:  

“This is leaf.”  Banana leaf – check    

“You put Masa.”  Masa dough mixture, like ground corn porridge.  OK.    

“Sauce.”   Tomatillo sauce?  No... Tomato sauce...oh.  No hints.  Spices?  Nope.  Smells like garlic, sweet onion, cumin, tomatoes.     

“Pollo.” Chicken spiced with Annatto seed, slightly sweet and peppery, Annatto is used in a number of rubs and roasting recipes in Mexico.      

“And...”  Topped with tomatoes and... arugula?  No.  Herb.   Epazote.  Another Mexican discovery for this Gypsy; strong and distinct, good for the tummy.  Use in small quantities.   

“Fold.  Fold....”  Fold the leaf to keep the juices in, placing the empty part of the husk under so that it rests against the side of the tamale with a seam.    

“...and... “ she fumbles with the tie, Juanita, who’s been watching the whole time steps in for the save, deftly slips the piece of corn husk tie round and (shooting me a death stare), turns on her heel and leaves.  All tied up in a nice little bundle, the perfect tamale.  Waiting to be steamed (45 minutes to an hour, you know they’re ready when they separate easily from the banana leaf) and served.     

Thinking I might be getting a heads up on tomorrow’s menu items I ask “Can I buy tamales... tomorrow?”     

“No, sorry, not for sale.”    

No.  Of course not.