On Prince Edward Island spring is in full swing. It always comes a bit later here but when it arrives we appreciate it that much more. The return of green! And that’s not the only colour, with spring comes the years best mud, Gabe is in heaven mixing up puddles and pies and staining his arms to the elbows with our distinctive red earth. I get to play too; I spent the last few days planting our new herb garden. It’s beautiful and hopefully will provide years of flavour. But best of all are the lobsters! The fleet is in the water after a winter resting on land. We had our first feed over the weekend. 20 friends, 50 lobsters and two cases of beer is a great party formula!
Spring is also production season. For the last five years the trucks have rolled into town every April to set up for
Chef at Home. We are blessed with an amazing team of creative pros so the energy is a lot of fun to be around. Were about halfway done shooting 26 more episodes, season six will air in the fall of 2009. Season five is on its way this fall along with our new series
Chef Abroad. I spent the winter spanning the globe with my team and we found some amazing culinary adventures. I cooked south of the equator in Botswana, north of the Arctic Circle in Sweden and somewhere in the Atlantic on an aircraft carrier. We’re editing now and the footage looks amazing! I can’t wait to share it this fall!
For now though I’m happy to share a few sneak peek recipes. In Puerto Vallarta, Mexico we shot a story at a high-end gourmet foodie festival. While we were there we met chefs from all over the world, their flavours were amazing but when I got home all I could think about was the street food we had for lunch every day. We stumbled onto this little side street stand that made the best fish tacos ever. We ended up eating there every day! When I got home I pulled out my recipe and tweaked it a bit.
The other day on the
Chef at Home set I was playing around with one of our favourite side dishes Aloo Gobi, a very tasty curried potato cauliflower dish that’s very common in India and very simple to make. I freestyled a version that used sweet potatoes instead of the regular potatoes that are normally used. I think the new dish is even better! I also managed to successfully combine my three favourite dessert flavours – caramel, chocolate and vanilla – into a decadent sauce that will turn a simple bowl of ice cream into a special occasion. You have to try it!
If you’re going to be in the Toronto area,
mark your calendar for Saturday, August 16th and please join us for the
second annual “Evening at the Chefs Table”. This amazing fundraiser is
held in the historic Distillery District to benefit the Children’s
Emergency Foundation, a national charity that I am proud to be the
spokesperson for. We’re helping to feed 70,000 kids a week across
Canada. All of Food Networks Canadian hosts will be there, hosting
stations so come on out and meet your favourites. Bring your camera!
Full details are available at
www.thecef.orgAnd if you’d like
to join me for the gourmet trip of a lifetime, book off September 12th
through the 19th. I’m leading an amazing foodie tour to Ireland that
will feature first class flavours, farms, farmers markets, chefs,
restaurants, resorts, whiskey, golf and even a lord, lady and their
palace! The full details are truly amazing and available at
www.exclusivetravels.com Also please join me on Prince Edward
Island for this years Fall Flavours Festival. From September 30th
through October 5th we have a huge lineup of festivals and events
showcasing the incredible flavours that make PEI a world class culinary
destination. Farm tours, local artists, special dinners, cooking
classes, chefs galore and lots, lots more. Come for a few days or the
whole week for one of Canada’s biggest and best culinary festivals.
Full details are at
www.fallflavours.ca
Fish tacos are a street food staple throughout the coastal regions of Mexico. They are often made with a piece of batter-fried fish crammed into a soft taco but this version is a bit simpler, it shows off the flavours of the grill. You may also simply roast the fish in the oven. Either way, a tasty treat and a great way to get fish on the table…
Serves 4 to 6
4 six-ounce salmon filets
1/2 cup ketchup
1 lime, zested and juiced
3 or 4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp of your favourite hot sauce
Salt to taste
8 soft flour or corn tortillas, medium sized
A few handfuls of thinly sliced cabbage
1 cup or so of your favourite salsa
Preheat your grill to its highest setting or your oven to 450°. Slice the salmon filets in half lengthwise. Whisk the ketchup, lime, garlic, oregano, cumin, hot sauce and salt together in a bowl then add the fish, tossing it well to coat it with the marinade.
Grill the fish or place it in an oven proof baking dish and roast until it is cooked through, about 12 to 15 minutes.
Lay a tortilla on your work surface and add a small pile of cabbage. Lay a piece of salmon over it and top with some salsa. Fold each side in and then roll and wrap it up into a fat log. Repeat for each tortilla. Enjoy!
This is one of our all time favourite vegetable side dishes. It’s very tasty and deceptively simple; it’s really just potatoes and cauliflower cooked with curry spices. It’s the sort of thing that you’ll master the first time you try it!
Serves 4 to 6
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp cumin seeds
2 onions, peeled and cut into large chunks
2 Tbsp curry powder
1 green chili pepper, sliced thinly
1 head cauliflower, cut into large florets
2 sweet potatoes, washed and cut into large chunks
Salt to taste
Preheat a large sauté pan over medium heat for a few minutes, then add the oil and butter. When the butter sizzles and begins to brown, add the cumin seeds and stir for a few moments, toasting until they are very aromatic.
Add the onions, curry powder, chili and stir well. Continue to cook and stir until onions soften a bit. Add the cauliflower, sweet potato, and a splash of water. Season lightly with salt. Cover with a tight fitting lid and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
This is the most decadent dessert sauce I have ever tasted. It’s the perfect combination of the two best flavours in the world of dessert with a touch of vanilla splashed in for good measure!
Makes 3 cups or so
1 cup of water
2 cups white sugar
2 cups of cream
8 ounces of dark chocolate
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Pour the water into a saucepot. Pour the sugar into a small, tight pile in the middle of the water. Begin heating over a high heat but don’t stir! Stirring may lead to gritty sugar. Without stirring the water and sugar will quickly dissolve together and form simple syrup. As the heat increases the syrup will begin simmering and steaming.
The water will gradually evaporate leaving behind pure melted sugar syrup. Once the water is gone the syrup’s temperature can begin to rise. It takes some time but eventually you’ll see the first hint of pale golden colour, when you do begin gently swirling the pan to keep the colour even.
When the caramel is a deep golden brown, quickly and carefully add the cream. This will drop the caramel’s temperature out of the sugar browning range and keep it from burning. Whisk until the sauce is smooth, then remove from the heat. Add the chocolate and vanilla and continue whisking until smooth. Refrigerate until the sauce firms up a bit.