I want this but I don't have it.  So instead, to make the brioche (for the first time) I tromped over to M&N&A's place to use A's stand mixer.  THANK YOU!  I used this recipe from shesimmers.com because when I bake I really need a recipe.  I recommend you have access to a stand mixer because you need to knead the dough forever. 

 The burgers can be however you like 'em - I like ostrich burgers, but these are pork and beef with caramelized onion and chili monterey jack because ostrich costs $22/lb in Toronto (boo Toronto.)  

Generally though, if I want to make 8 big burgers I use 4 pounds of ground chuck and a $2 package of ground pork, an egg, s&p, worcestershire so much more than normal people would add, cayenne, mustard, and a handful of bread crumnbs.

 

 

This recipe is based on the recipe for "THE BEST EGGPLANT DISH EVER" from Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet. I've added diced tomatoes, basil and shrimp paste, and omitted the dried shrimp, ground pork, and the step during which you make a spice paste as I thought it was unnecessary.

Serve 6

Ingredients

3 dried Thai red chilies

1/4 cup chopped shallots

 2 tablespoon chopped garlic

2 tablespoon shrimp paste

1 teaspoon salt

1 8 ounce can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon ground turmeric (optional)

2 large eggplants sliced 1/4 inch thick

Roughly chopped basil for garnish.

1. Soak chilies in warm water for about 15 minutes, until softened. Drain, reserving water.  Heat oil in skillet that has a tight fitting lid.  Add chilies, shallots, garlic, shrimp paste and salt.  Cook 1 minute, add tomatoes and turmeric.

2. Lower heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Add eggplant, stir, cover tightly and reduce heat to low.

3. Cook, stirring every 5 minutes or so, for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until eggplant is very tender and shapeless. (You can prepare ahead to this point and reheat before serving.) Just before serving, raise the heat, and boil off any excess liquid if necessary; the mixture should not be watery.

4.  Garnish with basil.

 

 

Good news - I finally figured out how to resize photos before uploading.   So, hopefully the lag time on my website will subside.

This is my favourite Asian fish recipe.  You can use any fish but I prefer belly fish if it is available or whole red snapper.

 Serves – 4

Ingredients

·       1 large 20 ounce piece of Belly Fish (Monkfish)

·       2 tbsp chili oil (call me and I will give you some, I have too much)

·       1 or 2 whole chilies (your choice)

·       2 stalks of lemon grass minced

·       6 cloves of garlic minced

·       4 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar if you don't have palm)

·       6 tbsp. warm water

·       6 tbsp. fish sauce

Method:

1.  Combine the warm water, fish sauce and sugar and set aside to allow the sugar to dissolve.

2.  Add the chili oil to a hot cast iron pan, add lemon grass.  Sear the fish on all sides for 1 minute in the chili oil and lemon grass.  Add garlic.  Fry until you can just begin to smell the garlic.

3.   Add the fish sauce mixture and roll the fillet around in it.  Reduce to medium heat and allow the sauce to reduce by half.  Serve immediately.  

Note: you can strain the sauce if you or your guests do not want to chew on fibrous pieces of lemon grass.

 

Serve with coconut rice and the forthcoming eggplant dish (make rice as usual with 1 part rice, 1 part coconut milk, 1 part water, and 1 tsp. turmeric for every cup of rice)

 

 

 

Just before Hallowe'en I saw this recipe on Slashfood and decided to make them despite disliking fondant.

Can't take credit for the idea though, the recipe is here.

Serves: a party

Ingredients

·        2 cups of chopped mushrooms

·        1 tbsp butter

·        1 tbsp olive oil

·        1 tsp salt

·        1 tbsp cracked black pepper

·        1 125 gram log of plain goat cheese

·        ½ cup of table cream

·        Crostini

 

Method:

1.      Cut mushrooms in half, and then slice the halves.

2.      Heat olive oil and butter in a frying pain over medium high heat.  Add mushrooms.  Cook stirring for 15 minutes until golden and crispy.

3.      Add cream and allow it to take on the colour and flavour of the mushrooms.  Turn off heat and add the goat cheese.  Remove from heat. 

4.      Let stand for a minute and then start to stir in the softened goat cheese.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

5.      Smear on toasted baguette.

6.      Mmmmm.

7.      Will keep in fridge for 4 days and can be reheated in microwave on high heat for 7-10 seconds.

A few weeks back, when Gourmet magazine announced its end, I decided to make pizza marguerita based on the Gourmet recipe found here.

When my oven blew up I figured it was as irritated as I was over the "well-it-was-bound-to-happen-because-it-was-such-a-snobby-over-the-top-unattainable-magazine-promoting-a-lifestyle-foreign-to-us-in-this-economy"  comments made in the wake of the announcement that Gourmet would end.  You DIMWITS - that is exactly what set Gourmet apart from the 20-minute, over-salted and under-inspired casseroles of Bon Appetite, Rachel Ray and Pillsbury 10-minute meals.   

So why did my oven actually blow up?  Well I put it on 500 degrees so the crust would be crispy and that caused the Pyrex glass dish I had the pizza in to explode into a thousand shards of glass.  The worst part is J and I were so hungry, we picked the glass out and tried to eat the pizza.  After a few crunchy bites (and crunchy in the internal evisceration way, not the light, golden crust way) we threw it out, and put the 2nd pizza in on a metal sheet pan.  We seriously need to buy a pizza stone (house warming present anyone??)  I will make you pizza if you get me the one from William Sonoma.



It was delicious and I suggest you try this recipe at home.  I waited about 20 minutes for the dough to rise, and meanwhile I made the sauce so it didn't really feel like waiting for the dough to rise.  The sauce was the best part. 





 

 

Who invited the lesbian-socialist contingent?  I did and it felt like home.  A and C, friends through the gorgeous M and J of Montreal, came over for dinner last night.  I adore them both and hope to become good friends.  C is loud and fun and we can discuss the inadequacies of Canadian social spending until the Macallans takes hold of the better use of our tongues.  A is an artist and the amount of beauty I’ve witnessed just knowing her a short time is remarkable.  From re-imagined bags she’s found on the street, to a wedding quilt made of old family hand-me-downs from both the bride and grooms families, A brings it.  Anyway, last night she brought me an edible bouquet from her garden.  Clapping.

Pumpkins are in season, so I decided to stuff Thai curry inside one and roast it.  I almost always put sweet potato into my Thai curries, so I figured the pumpkin meat would go along well with the curry inside.  This recipe was made vegetarian, but in place of the tofu you could add chicken or beef.

Ingredients:

·        1 gutted pumpkin (clean out seeds and slimy fibres)

·        1 red onion, sliced

·        3 cloves garlic, minced

·        2 tbsp. Thai red curry paste

·        2 tbsp. freshly grated ginger

·        1 Asian eggplant sliced

·        ½ cup firm tofu

·        1 cup sliced mushrooms

·        1 bell pepper (I used orange) sliced

·        1 tomato, seeded

·        2 cups coconut milk

·        1 cup basil 

Method: 

·        Pre-heat oven to 350°.

·        Rub olive oil on the inside and outside of the gutted pumpkin.  Place pumpkin on roasting tray and put it in the oven. 

·        While the pumpkin begins to roast, prepare the curry.  Add 1 tbsp. canola oil and 1 tbsp sesame oil to saucepan.  Add onions.  Cook for 2 minutes.  Add garlic, curry paste, ginger, mushrooms, tofu and bell pepper.  Stir.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Add the coconut milk.  Simmer for 25 minutes until thickened.  Add tomato, cook 5 minutes.  Remove from heat, add basil. 

·        Pour the curry into the pumpkin and roast for another 30 minutes.  Remove and slice open at the table, the curry spills out and clapping ensues.

A kind co-worker complimented me on the website today and that inspired me to get back to it.  When I made the extremely difficult decision to go to law school instead of culinary school, I always said "Well, I can be a lawyer who cooks; I can't be a cook who lawyers."  Turns out, articling does not leave much time for cooking, let alone food photography or web design... but M.B. has been waiting for this recipe and she is one lady you don't want to leave chomping at the bit.

Burrata is an Italian cheese made from buffalo mozzarella and cream.  The outside of the ball is all buffalo mozzarella and the inside is a combination of cheese and cream.  When you cut into it silky mozzarella and cream spills out onto your plate and seriously, nothing is better.

The application for Charlie's Burger (Toronto's secret dining club) asks you to describe your last meal.  I drafted an elaborate response - a full menu amuse bouche to cognac, and then realized I would actually want a very simple meal... and this recipe is that.

You will need:

1 ball of Burrata (about $20-30 in Canada so this is not a cheap treat)
8 small tomatoes on the vine
1 cup of basil leaves
2 tbsp. really good quality balsamic
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (if you ever say EVOO to me I will never speak to you again)
cracked black pepper
sea salt
and toasted baguette

Method:

Turn on the over to 200.  Place tomatoes on a baking tray lined with parchment.  Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar.  Roast for an hour.  Remove - try to keep the tomatoes attached to the vine for presentation.  Slide burrata onto a plate and slice into it.  Arrange the tomatoes atop the cheese, drizzle with balsamic, and add salt and pepper.  Tear basil and toss on top of the cheese and tomatoes.  Drain the olive oil from the baking tray over the whole thing.  Serve with bread. 

Thank you J for the photo.

J (my main squeeze) and I came across an attractive – though lack lustre - red snapper recipe earlier this year in one of the many food magazines we (I) continue to buy and dislike for all the ads and repetition (exception is Cook’s Illustrated.)  We decided to try something like it and came up with a simple but aesthetically pleasing recipe.

 

Ingredients:

• 5-6 olives (can be omitted – I thought they were unnecessary)
• 1 fennel bulb (unless you are cooking for one M. Bolohan)
• ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley
• 4 fingerling potatoes
• 1 lemon
• Juice from a different lemon
• 1 whole red snapper (get the fish monger to scale it)
• 1 onion – your choice
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 link chorizo (spicy! Or don’t bother making this recipe)
• 18 littleneck clams
• 1 cup white wine
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Cracked black pepper
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tsp. cayenne
• 1 tbsp. salt if omitting olives, 1 tsp salt if using olives (I used smoked salt)

 

Method

• Pre-heat oven to 375º.
• Line a casserole dish with tin foil.
• Cut olives in half (discard pit), slice fennel into thin strips, coarsely chop parsley, quarter potatoes, dice onion, mince garlic, slice chorizo on diagonal, rinse clams.  Place all of those items in casserole dish.
• Slice 1 lemon into rounds, cut those in half to form half-moons.
• Rinse red snapper. Check for gunk in its mouth.
• Make four slices ¼ inch apart along the filet on either side of the fish.  Slide one half-moon lemon slice into each slit.  Repeat on the other side.  Set the fish aside.
• Combine white wine, olive oil, smoked paprika, salt and cayenne.  Pour ¾ of this mixture over the ingredients in the casserole dish.  Toss. 
• Lay the snapper atop the vegetables, chorizo and clams.
• Pour the remaining wine/olive oil mixture over the fish. 
• Liberally apply cracked black pepper.
• Seal with more tin foil.  Place in oven for 30 minutes.
• Remove top foil layer. Serve with fresh lemon wedges, bread and salad.
• Sprinkle with fresh parsley immediately prior to serving.  An extra drizzle of good quality olive oil is nice too.

 

 Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 7 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/3 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon five spice
• 2 cups local blueberries

Method

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Using 2 knives (or a pastry blender), cut in butter until largest pieces are the size of small peas.  Or for slightly less flakey scones place the dry ingredients with the butter cubes into a food processor and pulse until butter had been cut into the flour. 
• Add blueberries to dry ingredients.
• Whisk eggs, cream, vanilla and five spice.  Add this to the dry ingredients and mix until the dough has just come together.
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface.  Pat down until it is 1 inch thick, cut out round or triangular scones.
• Brush tops with cream, and sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake scones on middle rack until golden brown, 18 minutes. 

 

My mother’s friend, Sara McCain, sent me a collection of cookbooks.  She guided me to a recipe for polenta cake with berries in a book called “Cold Spaghetti at Midnight.” The recipe below is based on that recipe with a few modifications for both taste and texture. Sara had warned me that the original cake tends to sink in the middle after it is removed from the oven.  By decreasing the temperature and baking it for an hour and a half I was able to avoid the same results.  Cooked just a little longer, the cake sets completely in the center and can support the nice crust that has developed on the top without allowing it to sink in.  Sara, thank you very much for sending me those lovely cookbooks and for pointing me towards this incredible recipe.

Serves: 8 modestly

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup softened unsalted butter
• 2 ½ cups white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons vanilla
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup polenta (yellow cornmeal)
• ½ cup unsweetened coconut
• ½ cup slivered almonds
• 3 cups mixes berries (I use blackberries, raspberries and blueberries)
• 1 pint whipping cream

Method:

• Pre-heat oven to 300º oven.
• Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  If your butter is not softened and you do not have time to wait, throw the butter in the microwave for 7 seconds.  This will soften it without melting it.
• Beat in eggs and 1 ½ tbsp. vanilla.
• Add in flour, cornmeal, coconut and almonds.  Mix until well combined. 
• Grease a 9”circular pan with butter and then dust with flour.  This will prevent sticking.  Spread the batter in the pan.  Bake for 1.5 hours – top should be crispy and center should be set (check by inserting a knife tip into center – remove and if it has batter on the tip the cake needs more time.)
• While the cake is baking, whip the cream in a metal bowl.  Add ½ tbsp. vanilla and, if you prefer sweet cream, 2 tbsp. white sugar.  In my opinion, the cake is sweet enough without adding sugar to the cream.
• When the cake has cooled completely, run a knife around the edges to loosen it from the pan.  Tip it out onto a footed cake tray.
• Spread whipped cream atop the cake, and arrange berries on top of the cream.  Can be prepared a few hours in advance, but no more than 3.
• Optional substitutes:  replace almonds with pine nuts / omit coconut / change berries for tropical fruit like mango, kiwi and passion fruit / or serve cake with coffee without cream or berries.

 

My friend Orsolya made something like this for a dinner party a month ago and it was delicious.  I don't have her recipe, so I guessed.

Serves 8 as an hors d'oeuvre

Ingredients:

• 2 cups shelled soy beans
• 1/2 cup feta
• 1/2 torn mint leaves
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tbsp cracked black pepper
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• juice of half a lemon
• 1 baguette

Method:

• In a food processor combine all ingredients except olive oil.  Pulse until well blended.  While the machine is running, add olive oil in a slow steady stream.  Puree to desired consistency - I like it a little chunky. Set aside.
• Slice baguette and toast under broiler.  Brush with olive oil and top each slice with a tablespoon of the spread.
• Garnish with mint leaves.

 

 

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 Granny Smith or Gala apples
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• ¾ cup whole milk
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ tsp. salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

Method:

• Melt 2 tbsp. butter, set aside to cool.
• Peel and core apples, and slice into thin rounds or half-moons. 
• Whisk eggs and milk in a bowl until blended, add 2 tbsp. cooled melted butter.  Whisk in ½ cup sugar, vanilla extract and salt.  Whisk in flour.  Set aside.
• Preheat broiler.
• On the stovetop, heat a large, oven-proof skillet (I use cast iron) over medium-high heat, add 2 tbsp. butter, and when just melted add the batter to the pan. Swirl pan to evenly distribute the batter. 
• Quickly arrange the apples over the batter.  Allow to cook for 5 minutes. 
• Remove from stove top, and sprinkle with remaining 2 tbsp. butter and brown sugar. 
• Set under broiler and broil until the top has set and the sugar and butter has started to caramelize.  About 4 minutes.  Watch it carefully. 
• Remove from broiler.  Slide a long spatula underneath the pancake to loosen.  Slide the pancake onto a serving dish and serve immediately.

 

Serves: 10-15 as a side

Ingredients:

• 1 pound bag orzo pasta
• 12 sundried tomatoes, dry – not packed in oil.
• 2 cups of feta
• 1 cup raw almonds
• 2 cloves garlic
• ½ cup of olive oil
• ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

• Place sundried tomatoes in warm water to soften.  Drain after 10 minutes.  This is unnecessary if you are using sundried tomatoes packed in oil.  If that is the case, just drain off the excess oil.
• Place almonds on a baking sheet and toast in a 300º for 10 minutes.
• Boil water, add salt, add orzo, cook through (8-10 minutes).  Drain well.  Toss with 1 tbsp. olive oil, and set aside.
• In a food processor, combine almonds, feta, sundried tomatoes, garlic and vinegar.  Pulse 10 times to coarsely chop everything. 
• Turn on the food processor and slowly add the oil.  Add additional olive oil if the mix does not come together into a pesto like consistency.  Add salt and pepper and additional vinegar to taste.
• Mix with orzo, and refrigerate over night.  Enjoy at a picnic or barbecue.

Brandied Chocolate Strawberries

 

Perfect for when you’ve promised dessert but have no time to bake.  This recipe takes about 5 minutes to make.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb organic strawberries
• 1 cup chocolate chips (milk, dark, semisweet – doesn’t matter but try to get good quality)
• 1/4^th cup brandy
• 1/4^th cup heavy cream
• Parchment paper
• 1 tsp. unsalted butter
  

Method:

• If you are using organic strawberries, I recommend you don’t wash them because no matter how well you dry the strawberries, if they are wet the chocolate won’t stick.  I never wash mine. If you find that unappetizing, wash and dry the strawberries thoroughly and allow to sit out for an hour before dipping.
• Place parchment paper on cookie tray.  Grease parchment paper with 1 tsp. butter.  Or if you don’t mind the chocolate sticking to the parchment skip the butter and later instruct your eaters to scrap up the extra chocolate with a spoon.
• In a microwave safe dish combine chocolate, brandy and cream.  Heat for 45 seconds. 
• Remove and stir with a fork.  The chips will not be completely melted when you first remove the dish, but the dish will retain heat from the microwave and the remaining chocolate will melt as you stir.
• Grasp strawberries by stem and dip into chocolate. Swirl the fruit around until it is well covered.  Lift out of chocolate and allow to drip for a few moments.
• Place on parchment.  Once you have dipped all the strawberries refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

I don't have a lot of time to work on Grain of Salt right now because I am studying for the Ontario Bar, but I thought I would post a link to a great article on bring-you-own-wine nights at restaurants in Toronto.  Some have no corkage fee, and some have reduced corkage fees.  

• Table 17: No corkage fee Sunday and Monday (BYOB Sunday and Monday only). 782 Queen St. E. (at Saulter St.), 416-519-1851.
• Paese: No corkage fee Sunday to Friday for first bottle; regular charge $25. 3827 Bathurst St. (at Wilson), 416-631-6585.
• Cava: No corkage fee Sunday, regular charge $30. 1560 Yonge St. (at Heath St. E.), 416-979-9918
• Centro: No corkage fee Monday to Wednesday; regular charge $35. 2472 Yonge St. (at Castlefield Ave.), 416-483-2211.
• Nota Bene: No corkage fee after 9 p.m.; regular charge $40. 180 Queen St. W. (at Simcoe St.), 416-977-6400.
• Crush Wine Bar: Corkage $1 on Mondays; regular charge $25. 455 King St. W. (at Spadina), 416-977-1234.
• Lee: Corkage $1 Monday to Wednesday; regular charge $30. 603 King St. W. (at Portland St.), 416-504-7867.
• Madeline’s: Corkage $1 Monday to Wednesday; regular charge $30. 601 King St. W. (at Portland St.), 416-603-2205.
• Starfish: Corkage $20. 100 Adelaide St. E. (at Jarvis St.), 416-366-7827.
• Gamelle: Corkage $25. 468 College St. (at Markham St.), 416-923-6254.
• Vertical: Corkage $25. 100 King St. W. (at Bay), First Canadian Place, 416-214-2252.
• Splendido: Corkage $30. 88 Harbord St. (at Spadina), 416-929-7788.

 

Check it out:

 Bring Your Own Toronto

 

Two of my favourite things.  I added the fire shrimp and the roasted habanero peppers just to make it a meal (thought I actually just gave someone else all the shrimp and peppers and ate corncakes with collards for lunch.)  Oh yeah, and the whole meal cost $11.00 CND.

Serves: 4 as a main course

Corncakes

Ingredients:

o      ¾ of a cup of fine cornmeal

o      ½ cup wheat flour

o      1 tsp. baking soda

o      ½ tsp. salt

o      1 tsp. cayenne

o      ½ cup of corn kernels (I used canned)

o      1 diced habanero pepper, seeds removed

o      1 egg

o      1 cup buttermilk

o      1 tbsp melted butter (cooled)

o      2 tbsp canola oil for frying

Method

• Mix dry ingredients.
• Mix wet ingredients plus corn and habanero separately.
• If you don’t have buttermilk, just add 1 tbsp lemon juice to a cup of milk and let sit for 5 minutes.
• Combine dry and wet in a few swift strokes – don’t over-mix.
• Heat 2 tbsp canola oil in a pan over medium high heat (preferably you grandmother’s cast iron fry pan)
• Ladle 1/3^rd cup of mixture into hot oil.  Fry 1 minute each side.
• Set on paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Collards – you don’t need a recipe!  Just buy a bunch, cut the stems out, chop the leaves, and sauté in a hot pan with 1 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp white vinegar, and minced garlic.

Fire Shirmp

Ingredients

o      30 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

o      1 tbsp olive oil or chilli oil if you have it

o      2 tbsp chilli flakes

o      4 cloves minced garlic

o      4 habanero peppers

Method

o      Heat oil in pan on high, fry the habanero peppers for 5 minutes, turning to brown each side.

o      Once peppers are browned, add chilli flakes, garlic and shrimp.  Cook until shrimp are pink.  Try not to overcook, but don’t feel bad if you do – almost everyone does.  Takes less than a minute of cooking time.  Serve over corncakes and collards.

 

The use of smoked paprika in this guacamole makes all the difference.

Serves: 4 as an appetizer

Ingredients:

• Two ripe avocados, cut into bite-sized chunks
• The zest of two limes
• The juice of two limes
• ¼ cup of chopped cilantro leaves (remove stems)
• ½ cup of grape tomatoes
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• A quarter of a red, yellow or orange bell pepper, diced
• Two cloves of garlic, minced
  
• ½ a hot pepper, seeds removed, then diced (omit or add more to taste)
• ¼ teaspoon smoked salt (or table salt)
• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper

 

Method:

• Place grape tomatoes in a baking dish or tray, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and roll them around in it.  Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked black pepper.
• Roast grape tomatoes in a 275º oven for 25 minutes.  While tomatoes are roasting proceed with remaining steps.
• Zest limes before you cut them to juice them.   Juice limes.
• Dice bell pepper and hot pepper (remove the seeds first!!!)
• Mince garlic.
• Chop cilantro leaves.
• Cut avocado into chunks.
• In a bowl combine avocado, lime juice, lime zest, cilantro, bell pepper, garlic, hot pepper, smoked salt, paprika, and cracked black pepper.  Mix gently so the guacamole remains chunky.
• When the tomatoes have roasted, add them right away and incorporate them with a gently stir.
• The result is a very chunky and not at all smooth guacamole.  If eaten right away the tomatoes are still a little warm. Yum.

 

 

 

The inspiration for this pressed sandwich comes from the Muffuletta Sandwich, but I omitted the olive salad.  I like olives but I think stuffing a sandwich with olive salad would overpower all the other ingredients and that doesn’t really appeal to me.  This recipe is for a large sandwich stuffed with ingredients that won’t make it soggy and won’t spoil.  It is perfect for a picnic because you can just cut it into small pieces once you get there.

This sandwich needs to be made a day ahead of time.  The recipe appears to be long and involved, but it actually only takes about half an hour of hands-on time, plus an overnight of pressing time. Don’t be intimidated by the furniture moving this recipe requires – it is so worth it.

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

• 1 large ciabatta, boule, or baton (or any dome shaped bread that is wider than it is tall)
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 3 tbsp. grainy mustard
• 20 slices of any Italian deli meat (I used calabrese salami, Genoa salami, and prosciutto)
• 10-15 slices of provolone, havarti, or buffalo mozzarella
• 2 cups baby arugula
• 1 cup fresh torn basil leaves
• 2 cups mix of sautéed onions and mushrooms (thinly slice each, cook over medium heat in oil until soft and brown.)
• 1 cup pesto
  

Method

• Slice bread horizontally, favouring the top to leave an edge around the bottom of the loaf.  Lift off top.  Remove some of the inside bread, but not much – just enough to give you space to layer the ingredients inside.
• Smear the bottom with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and mustard. 
• Layer meat along bottom, layer cheese next, then layer arugula and basil, last layer the sautéed onions and mushrooms (drain well before layering them into the sandwich.)
• Thickly smear the top with pesto (store bought works fine, or homemade.)
• Place top on sandwich and wrap tightly with plastic wrap.  Wrap it twice; making sure every corner is sealed.
• Place sandwich on the floor on top of a tea towel.
• Flip a side table on its back and lower the tabletop onto the bread.  Weigh down the side table with massive books.  Make sure the bread is centered under the weights.  Leave it overnight in a cool place.
• Next morning, remove weights and bring the sandwich to the picnic wrapped as is.  It is essential bring a knife and cutting board.
• The longer this sandwich sits the better it gets.  The heat from the day will warm the oil and crisp the bread.  Nothing in here will spoil in a 24 hour period, so don’t worry about refrigeration.

 

 

I used my Barrister and Solicitor Exam study materials to press the sandwich for Sarah’s Birthday.

 

 

Sarah eating the pressed sandwich on Ward’s Island, May 23^rd, 2009.

 

 

A year ago Jamie made a version of this sandwich for a picnic at Summer Stage, New York, July 2008.

 

Jamie’s Muffuletta, July 2008.

 

 

The effect of eating a muffuletta.