It’s summer, so we have time off and more occasions to leisurely prepare meals. If you’re looking for inspiration on what to prepare, the five Canadian cookbooks reviewed below will provide many tasty ideas. They’re available at bookstores and online retailers.
Made in Quebec
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd., $39.99
When reading this book, I thought the author, Julian Armstrong, must be very proud of this achievement. It’s a glorious representation of the foods of her home province, filled with easy-to-follow recipes folks around Canada will enjoy preparing, too. The book’s photographs and design are also feasts for the eyes; it’s no wonder it’s been short-listed for a Taste Canada 2015 food-writing award. The book is seasonally divided and I guarantee those who buy it will be cooking from it year-round. Who would not want to prepare dishes such as curried lobster apple soup, breast of duckling with shallots and balsamic sauce, tourtière du Saguenay and maple cheesecake?
Honey
TouchWood Editions, 26.95
If your honey usage is limited to sweetening tea, that will change when you have a copy of this well-crafted book. Chef Angelo Prosperi-Porta demonstrates honey’s sweet possibilities in eight chapters of recipes. They include breads, little bites, side dishes, main dishes, desserts and preserves, with yummy recipes such as honey fig bread, slow-roasted honey-brined pork shoulder and olive oil and honey ice cream. This book also provides a hive of information about honey, such as the types available, substituting honey for sugar, and its medicinal uses
My New Roots
Appetite by Random house, $29.95
If I judged this book by its cover, I would rule it was a sign of good things come. The food looks stylish, flavourful and nutritious, and that theme carries on throughout this book by blogger Sarah Britton. Its subtitle is “Inspired Plant-Based Recipes for Every Season” and that is what this book delivers. Ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds are used in an eclectic array of recipes you don’t have to be vegetarian to enjoy, such as sparkling mint melonade, quinoa risotto with grilled scapes and arugula, and chai spice upside-down plum cake. This book also has a section called essential techniques, where you’ll learn how to cook dried legumes and make nut and seed butters.
The Ocean Wise Cookbook 2
Whitecap Books, $34.95
This beautiful, photo-rich, 376-page cookbook is a sequel to the Ocean Wise Cookbook published in 2010. It has more than 100 new recipes by Canadian chefs that were compiled and edited by Jane Mundy and feature a sustainable seafood choice in accordance with Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise program (oceanwise.ca). The book guides you on preparing all kinds of seafood, such as halibut, tuna, octopus, clams and salmon, fresh-water fish such as perch and pickerel, and even seaweed. Some of the dishes you’ll want to try include rainbow trout ceviche, kafir lime and ginger sablefish, and guajillo spot prawns.
Blissful: Raw Food Recipes from Café Bliss ($30)
This 118-page book was self-published. The downside of that is that without a publicist it’s hard to get your work noticed. In fact, this book by Heather Cunliffe, owner of Victoria’s Café Bliss, came out in 2012, but I only learned about it this year. I’m glad I did because, although it lacks the polished look of the other books noted today, you will forget all about that when sampling its ultra-flavourful recipes. They include raw and nutritious creations such as longevity latte, sesame miso full of green, almond hummus, luscious lemon squares and bliss kiss, raw chocolate truffles. This book defines bliss as “perfect happiness,” a state some of you may feel when trying Cunliffe’s recipes. You can buy this book at Café Bliss, 556 Pandora Ave, and on the restaurant’s website cafebliss.ca, Munro’s Books and at chapters.indigo.ca.
Gâteau aux Fraises (Strawberry-season cake)
This recipe is from Made in Quebec (HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.). Author Julian Armstrong says the recipe came from Micheline Mongrain-Dontigny, who lives in the village of St-Irénée. Mongrain-Dontigny says fresh strawberries are a must for this cake.
Makes: Eight servings
Topping
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/3 cup cold butter, diced
Cake
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
4 Tbsp melted butter
2 cups thickly sliced fresh strawberries
Place the oven rack in the centre position. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Butter a 20- or 23-centimetre square cake pan.
For the topping, in a mixing bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and coconut.
Sprinkle with diced butter and blend in with a pastry blender. Alternatively, pulse in a food processor, then return to bowl.
For cake, in another bowl, use a fork to blend flour with sugar, baking powder and salt. Break eggs into a measuring cup, add milk and melted butter, and whisk with a fork.
Pour egg mixture into dry ingredients and beat well. Pour batter into the prepared cake pan. Cover batter with half the strawberries, then sprinkle with half the topping. Repeat with remaining strawberries and topping.
Bake for 30 minutes or just until a cake tester inserted in the centre comes out clean. Serve warm or cooled from the pan.
Strawberry Chia Jam
This recipe is from My New Roots (Appetite by Random House). Author Sarah Britton says this jam is based on real fruit, natural sweeteners and chia seeds — the miracle food that turns liquid into thick jelly, just what jam should be.
Makes: about two cups
1 lb ripe strawberries
1 Tbsp pure maple syrup or raw honey
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 vanilla bean,split lengthwise, seeds scraped out and reserved
• pinch of fine sea salt
3 Tbsp chia seeds
Wash and cut the tops off the strawberries. Put the berries in a food processor, add the maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla bean seeds and salt, and blend on the highest setting until smooth.
With the food processor running, slowly pour in the chia seeds and process until fully incorporated, 5 to 10 seconds.
Scrape the jam into a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid, and store it in the refrigerator until gelled, 15 to 20 minutes. You can keep the leftovers in the fridge for up to one week.
Carrot Coconut Curry
This recipe is from Blissful: Raw Food Recipes from Café Bliss. Author Heather Cunliffe says after she performed a demo of this simple and delicious soup at a raw foods event people have been asking for the recipe ever since.
Makes: Four servings
3 1/2 cups chopped carrot
4 Tbsp miso
4 Tbsp coconut cream
1 Tbsp fresh turmeric or 1 tsp dried turmeric powder
2 tsp fresh ginger
1 Tbsp curry powder
2 Tbsp lime juice
4 cups hot water
• dried shredded coconut or chopped cilantro, for garnish
Place all ingredients in a blender, except garnish, and blend until smooth.
Garnish servings of the soup with dried shredded coconut or cilantro.
Melati
This recipe comes from Honey (TouchWood Editions). Author Angelo Prosperi-Porta says melati are similar to doughnuts. The dough for these should be a little firmer than bread dough.
Makes: about 30 melati
3 large eggs
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup white wine
Grated zest of 1 lemon
3 cups all-purpose flour, more if needed
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp table salt
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
About 1 1/2 cups honey, for dipping
In a bowl, whisk the eggs, olive oil, and sugar until the mixture is pale yellow and doubled in volume. Beat in the white wine and lemon zest.
In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour into the eggs to form a soft uniform dough that will hold its shape when deep-fried.
Pour the oil into a heavy-bottomed pot to about two inches deep, and heat to between 360 F and 375 F. Place the honey into a heatproof bowl and warm over a pot of hot water kept on low heat.
Test the consistency of the batter by frying one melati. Dip a soup spoon in water, and form a ball of dough about the size of a walnut. (Or use an ice cream scoop.) Carefully drop the dough into the hot oil using a second spoon to release the dough. If the batter is not firm enough, stir in sifted flour, 1 to 2 Tbsp at a time.
Once you have the right consistency, fry the rest of the dough without overcrowding. When the balls are golden brown, remove from oil and drain on paper towels.
Dip the warm melati in the honey, and then stack onto a plate. These are best enjoyed warm
Mussels with Guinness and Horseradish Cream
This recipe is from the Ocean Wise Cookbook 2 (Whitecap Books). Author Jane Mundy while most mussels recipes call for wine, beer lends a heartier flavour. Even if you aren’t a Guinness lover, the combination of these ingredients could change your mind.
Makes: Four to six servings
4 lb mussels
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup minced shallots
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 (355 mL) bottle Guinness
3/4 cup whipping cream
1 tsp honey
1 tsp grated fresh horseradish or prepared horseradish
2 Tbsp butter
salt and black pepper
Scrub and debeard the mussels just before you are ready to cook. Discard mussels that have broken shells or aren’t shut when tapped. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat and sauté shallots until soft, about three minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients except the butter and stir well. Add the mussels, coating them with the sauce. Cover the pot and cook over high heat for another few minutes. Stir the mussels and remove opened ones with tongs and transfer to a warm bowl. Repeat the process until all the mussels are opened. Discard any that aren’t open.
Boil the sauce gently until reduced by half. Turn the heat to simmer and whisk in the butter. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and pour the sauce over the mussels.
Eric Akis is the author of The Great Rotisserie Chicken Cookbook (Appetite by Random House). His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.
