Our (almost) weekly gatherings have become an end-of-tiring-seven-days highlight. This one in particular was more spectacular due to a wonderful friend visiting.

The request for the night was chicken cordon bleu. Due to my inherent cheapness and my love of modifying stereotypical recipes, I decided on pork instead.

This ‘other white meat’ gets a bad rap from its overly-preserved, loaded with salt, but oh-so-very-good pseudo-derivative – bacon. In fact, pork loin, when trimmed of its fat, is a delicious and tender meat that has more flavor, less fat, and an exponentially higher amount of minerals and nutrients than chicken.

Each of us, in turn, filled, dipped, and rolled our little packages of deliciousness, gingerly placing them seam-down into the baking dish.

While the cordon bleu was baking, we made garlic-infused moray sauce, whisking it to create a thick cheesy-tasting sauce, without cheese.

We also distracted ourselves by playing with my hipster-bicycling glasses. Much less productive than making a delicious sauce, but much more amusing.

Cordon bleu is so ubiquitous that one would assume that it has been around for eons. However, this dish probably originated in Switzerland in the middle of the 19th century, gracing tables throughout Europe before transiting across the Atlantic to North America. We brought it into the 21st century by serving it with the option of adding Siracha Sauce (also affectionately known as ‘Cock Sauce’ due to te rooster on the front of the packaging).

To keep the European tradition going, with the addition of another region — Greece (in the Ancient way). A Swiss dish gracing our interiors for dressing our exteriors in togas — the perfect evening.

Pork Cordon Bleu

6 pork loin slices, each butterflied

12 slices Swiss cheese

12 slices proscuitto

1/2 cup salted butter

2 large onions, diced

6 garlic cloves, minced

6 eggs, whisked

2 cups bread crumbs

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp basil

1 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp ground black pepper

Moray Sauce

1/4 cup salted butter

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbl flour

1 cup milk

1. Heat the 1/2 cup of butter in a large frying pan on the stove, on medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and fry for 3 to 5 minutes, or until browned and caramelized. Drain off the excess butter and reserve it. Remove the onions and garlic and allow to cool.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisk together the oregano, basil, dried parsley, ground black pepper with the breadcrumbs.

3. Place 2 slices of cheese, 2 slices of proscuitto and about 2 tbl of the onion and garlic mixture on a flattened piece of pork. Roll up, with edges tucked in, to make a package. Use a toothpick to attach the end of the roll to the main body.

4. Dip the roll into the egg mixture, thoroughly covering it. Dip immediately into the bread mixture, pressing it in to make a thick coat. Place, seam down. into the baking dish. Repeat with the other 5 pieces. Drizzle the reserved butter over the top — this keeps it from drying out, while adding flavor.

5. Insert the pork pieces into the oven. While baking, Heat the butter for the moray sauce with the garlic on the stove on medium heat. Allow to simmer for 3 to 5 minutes to infuse the liquid with the garlic flavor. Turn the heat to medium-high and add the flour. Fry for 1 minute, or until lightly browned. Add the milk, gradually, while whisking, until smooth and thick. Remove from heat.

6. Bake the pork for 20 to 25 minutes, until browned and golden. Remove and serve with the moray sauce drizzled over top.

Pray. Eat. Enjoy at least one toga party in your lifetime.

There is nothing more pleasing to the eye than fresh vegetables.

Well, looking upon the delightful faces of my friends might rival the colorful skins of fresh veggies.

Especially when those friends turn their faces towards the kitchen, lending helping hands to marring the unblemished skins of foods.

The secret to a good salsa is not only collaboration between those who consume it, but also comes from the thickening properties of tomato paste, which adds body to the dip without detracting from flavor. Some chefs argue that tomato past should be browned slightly in a frying pan on the stove to release the full flavor before it is used . . . but to be quite honest, I am just too lazy. If anyone does end up using this approach, please let me know — I expect it would be delighful, especially if done with garlic and fresh oregano.

Stacey was my sidekick in this endeavor. As we had a heck o’ a lot of friends to feed, there were copious amounts of chips to make.

And not just any chips — the best kind of nachos. Layering is the secret to good nachos, ensuring that each triangle of corn-based-goodness has an even amount of toppings.

Unfortunately, there was not enough counter space to handle the large amount of chips, so we had to bring our production line to the floor level.

Resulting in (too many) perfectly covered nachos, complete with caramelized mushrooms and onions, chopped red peppers and tomatoes, sliced kalamata olives, mozarella cheese and rinsed black beans. Perfection in a baking dish.

And the perfect reason to gather around with friends.

Chunky Guacamole

2 avocadoes, ripe and diced

1/2 sweet onion, finely diced

1 tomato, chopped

1/2 red pepper, finely choped

1 lime, juiced and half zested

1/2 cup cilantro

1 pinch salt

1/2 tsp cumin

1 pinch coriander

1/2 jalapeno, chopped

1 pinch sugar

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1. Combine all ingredients together in a bowl. Serve right away. If desiring to store for an hour or two, place avocado pit back in bowl and drizzle lime juice all over the top before refrigerating.

Thick Salsa

4 tomatoes, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 tbl. tomato paste

2 tsp. fine sugar

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

2 limes, juiced

1 red pepper, chopped

1/2 sweet onion, finely chopped

1 pinch salt

1/2 jalapeno, minced

1 pinch cumin

1 pinch dried oregano

1. Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl. Allow to sit for 1 hour before serving to allow the flavors to mellow.

One of my favorite things to do is to give free reign of my camera to my delightful friends. Who, in turn, take marvelous photographs. These, I believe (for I do not always know who leaves these memorable images on my little Canon) were taken by Taryn, also affectionately known as T-Rai.

With my trusty side-kicks Michelle and Kelsey, we whipped butter into a frenzy with cheering onlookers.

The secret to these brownies is a thick ganache, adding moisture to the dough.

Though the secondary secret is the cream cheese, which creates pockets similar to cheesecake throughout the sweet treat. These become pseudo blondies (the counterpart to the popular brownie). Created originally in the 1800s, these became the sidekick of housewives everywhere, as they were for children’s lunchboxes — portable because they were smaller than cake and yet twice as rich.

Even more delicious before it is baked (as many fingers discovered).

Cream Cheese Brownies (Adapted from Joy of Baking)

Cream Cheese Mixture

1 container cream cheese, room temp

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg, lightly beaten

Chocolate Mixture

1/2 cup salted butter, softened

1/2 cup dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 cup brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 cup flour

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a round baking dish by covering it in a thin layer of butter. Blend all the ingredients for the cream cheese mixture together until fluffy.

2. Melt the butter and dark chocolate together in a double boiler. Whisk until smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla and eggs. Add the flour and whisk until smooth.

3. Spoon the chocolate mixture and the cream cheese mixture randomly into the prepared baking dish. Level out the mixture and then swirl the mixture together to create a marbled effect with a knife.

4. Insert into the baking dish into the oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted comes out only slightly moist. Chill for 1 hour before serving.

Pray. Eat. Enjoy a Sunday dessert with friends.

Beef wellingtons (which I was calling ‘duke wellingtons’ for a while) were a request left over from the year 2012. And, as such, we couldn’t enter into the new year of 2013 without clearing the slate completely.

And there is no better venue to create these delicious parcels than at these two delightful individual’s abode.

Beef wellingtons generally call for a pate to cover the beef, keeping it moist while adding flavor as it cooks. However, most people esteem pate the same way they do liver — essentially, they don’t. So, an alternative was found to the usual blended meat paste.

Cured pork belly is a cheap and incredibly flavorful ingredient. Using the flavor and fat to fry onions and garlic creates the base for cooking mushrooms — this is all blended together after browning to create an alternative to pate that may appear more palatable to discerning eaters, yet retains enough flavor for the meat to absorb when cooking.

The cooking process also allows for socializing time.

Layering phyllo — binding it together using melted butter — creates a flaky pastry that is less inclined to become soggy as it cooks, and browns beautifully on the outside. This light texture offsets the heaviness of a delicious and thick steak.

The steaks are seared on the outside until only lightly browned, then covered in the ‘pate’ mixture. Then, they are placed on the prepared phyllo to create neat little individualized packages.

And topped by chutney after they are cooked (my little BC rememberance) to add a slight sweet flavor.

The perfect meal to make with friends. Everyone enjoys their own personalized package in a shared environment, creating and dining together. The best way to check the last 2012 ‘to do’ item off the list.

Individual Beef Wellington with Mushroom Pate

Mushroom Pate

1/2 cup pork belly, finely chopped

1 large onion, diced

8 garlic cloves, chopped

2 cups mushrooms, chopped

2 tbl fresh tarragon

Phyllo (See this recipe for preparation)

1 package phyllo pastry

1 cup butter, melted

6 2-inch thick small steaks

Chutney (optional)

1. Heat the pork belly at medium-high heat in a deep bottomed frying pan on the stove. Add onion, garlic, mushrooms and tarragon and fry for 5 to 8 minutes, or until brown and caramelized. Remove from heat and let cool. Blend until a coarse consistency. Set aside.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare the phyllo according to the directions. Set aside.

3. Heat 1/8 cup of the butter in the deep bottomed frying pan on medium-high heat. Add the steaks and fry for 2 minutes on each side until dark brown all over.

4. Cover each steak completely with the mushroom pate. Place on one end of the prepared phyllo and roll up into a package, folding the sides into the middle halfway through. Place on a baking sheet, seam side down. Brush butter over the entire ‘package’.

5. Insert into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes for medium-rare and 25/30 mins for well-done. Remove and serve with a drizzle of chutney.

Pray. Eat. Enjoy the start of a new year.

Vancouver. Will I never stop loving your slightly damp and rainy demeanor? Your way of making light soft when meandering your streets? The people who reside in you, who are quick with a hello and slow with a harsh word. Just as there is beauty in Vancouver’s physical nature, there is also an allure in its food. A mishmash of cuisines results in innovative dishes, such as a traditional British pie with tropical coconut butter. 

The amalgamation of flavors results in a delightful dish that has flaky pastry with a sweet flavor and a delightfully creamy interior. 

The result was a delightfully freezable meal. Each one taken out and eaten alongside a salad. Perfect for a mother who gets home late from work. Vegetarian Tofu Pot Pies

1 block extra-firm tofu, diced

1/4 cup coconut butter

1 pinch salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 large carrots, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

1 cup new potatoes, chopped

1 tsp oregano

2 tsp basil

2 tbl flour

1 1/2 cup milk (you can use cream too for a more delicious treat!)

Salt, to taste

Pastry

4 cups flour

1 tsp basil

2 tsp parsley

1 tsp salt

1 cup coconut butter

4-6 tbl ice water

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat the coconut oil in a deep-bottomed frying pan on medium-high heat. Toss the diced tofu in the salt and black pepper, then add it to the hot oil (it is hot and ready when a drop of water sizzles when thrown in).

2. Pan fry the tofu for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring continuously, until the pieces are browned on all sides.

3. Remove the tofu with a slotted spoon, keeping as much of the oil as you can in the frying pan. Add in the onion to the still hot oil and caramelize for 3 to 5 minutes, or until brown. Add in the rest of the vegetables, as well as the oregano and basil. Continue to fry for another 2 to 3 minutes or until the veggies are soft and sweating.

4. Add the tofu back into the pan. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the ingredients in the pan and toss so they are evenly coated. Turn the heat down to medium and pour in the milk, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes thick, after about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

5. Mix the ingredients for the pastry together. Press 1/2 the mixture into a muffin tin. Roll out the rest of the pastry on a lightly floured surface. Cut them into rounds which are slightly larger than the top of the tin.

6. Evenly distribute the tofu mixture between the muffin tins. Press the rounds on top, sealing them with the bottom. Insert into the oven.

7.Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the mixture inside bubbles and browns on the top.

Elephant garlic. One of the best ways to describe these massive cloves that often are as large as a whole head. They literally dwarf all other ingredients in this recipe, except for the fish.

However, it is one of the main ingredients in traditional pesto sauce. However, while the sauce that everyone knows and loves usually contains basil leaves, pine nuts, olive oil and parmesan cheese, the word literally means to ‘pound’ or ‘crush’, leading to the texture that perfectly coats pasta and is not simply relegated to the world of the basil herb.

I opted for mint leaves instead of basil. The sweetness of elephant garlic offsets the sharp taste of the mint, and olive oil brings it all together into a paste.

The provision of this beautiful, fresh piece of fish called for a simple topping. This is physical evidence of why living in a small coastal town is so great — my mother’s massage therapist dropped this off as a late Christmas present, just because. Personally, I think it was one of the best things I received all Christmas and symbolized what I dearly adore so much about the culture of my hometown.

And it was an easy dish to make while I whirled around the kitchen like a dervish to make my mother a stockpile of her favorite cookie for the year to come.

All in all, this dish takes under 30 minutes. A little slice and dice, blending, and poaching results in a tender fish that is complimented by its sauce, not overpowered. A different take on this would be to make the pesto, combine it with an equal amount of mayo, spread it over the fish and cook it in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes at 350, or until it flakes with a fork. Either way, its delicious (especially when served alongside roasted new potatoes).

Poached Ling Cod with Mint Pesto Sauce

1 1lb fresh ling cod fillet (this can also be a tilapia, halibut, or other white fish fillet — just make sure its fresh!)

1 tbl grapeseed oil

4 shallots, sliced

1/4 cup white wine

1 pinch salt

1 tsp coarse ground black pepper

Pesto

1 cup fresh mint leaves

1 lemon, juiced

1 elephant garlic clove

1 pinch salt (or to taste)

1 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1. Heat the grapeseed oil in a deep bottomed frying pan on medium-high heat. Add the shallots and caramelize for 2 to 5 minutes, or until browned.

2. Deglaze the pot with whit wine. Add the ling cod. Cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until cooked through, and flipping halfway through.

3. While the fish is cooking, blend all the ingredients for the pesto together until the desired consistency.

4. Remove the fish and serve right away, with the pesto drizzled on top.

Pray. Eat. Enjoy the gifts of a small town, even those given in plain brown paper.

The days after Christmas still show the holdiay’s  lingering effects on our lives through culinary means. Hot chicken sandwiches become the standard lunch, and the stuffing the base for delightful soups and stews. In this way, we can continue to celebrate the day that was over too fast.

Or prepare for the one to follow.

Making Christmas cake in the very end of December allows the countdown to begin for the year after.

Thick, moist, and overly sweet, the best kind of Christmas cake is one that has been able to sit for a year, mellowing its tastes, and occasionally being fed by flavor-adding rum.

It is that aging process that probably caused the constant holiday ridicule of the cake. Some wouldn’t ‘feed’ it enough alcohol, and it would turn into a dry rock that I am sure poor people used to use as a weapon. Any sketchy people in dark alleys when delivering home-made delicious goods, just throw a Christmas cake at their head?

Beginning as plum porridge, this delightful, traditionally English cake became exponentially more delicious as the centuries progress.  While originally used as a bland gruel to coat the stomach after fasting, dried fruit, honey and spices became a staple. ‘Feeding’ them became more common around the 16th century, in Scotland. These cakes have been around for centuries (well, the recipe has, though some might think that the cakes have been — some say that the only things that would survive a nuclear holocaust are cockroaches and Christmas cake), and I am proud to introduce my own recipe for what looks to be a Christmas tradition for years to come.

Dark Christmas Cake

2 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 pinch allspice

1 pinch cloves

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 pinch salt

3/4 cup molasses

1 cup butter

1 cup dark brown sugar, packed

2 tsp vanilla

4 eggs

1/2 cup milk

2 cups candied citrus peel

1 cup currents

1 cup muscat raisins

3/4 cup candied ginger, diced

1 cup mixed candied fruit

1 3/4 cups walnut pieces

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two small rectangular baking dishes or one large dish with parchment paper.  Whisk together the flour, baking powder, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and salt.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the molasses, egg and vanilla. Beat until smooth and creamy. Add the milk and whisk until all combined.

3. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour the molasses mixture in to the middle. Mix together until just combined. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

4. Pour into the prepared pans. Run a knife through to remove any bubbles. Cover with foil.

5. Insert the dishes in to the oven. Bake for 1 hour and 45  minutes to 2 hours, or until a toothpick inserted in to the middle comes out clean, but slightly sticky.

6. Remove and let cool completely.  Wrap in plastic wrap or foil and insert into the freezer. Remove 2 weeks before serving and pierce all over with a fork, and baste the cake with rum every 2 days until plating.

Pray. Eat. Enjoy preparing for next years celebration 360 days in advance.

Christmas.

Full of the meaningful, and the wacky, gifting.

And the gifts that come from a labor of love.

And those that will be hung every year following.

The gifts of the earth are also celebrated in the evening meal.

However, the individual red pearls of pomegranate seeds are hard to pull out of their wrapping, so I enlisted some help from the Pom company.

Simmered with cranberries, these small bursts of flavor become a rich sauce, both in flavor and texture.

The arils burst when heated, releasing their flavors. This fruit has been used in medicine, cooking, and cultural symbolism since ancient times. Found in the tombs of pharaohs and still used in Catholic Greek ceremonies, the sweet juice of the fruit also  reduces blood pressure and has high levels of antioxidents. A gift to your body on Christmas day.

Mixed in with a standard rice dressing, this jewelled sauce also becomes the container for a roasting chicken, keeping in moisture while providing flavor, inside and out.

A holiday dish in its colors.

And a holiday dish in its taste.

Using the sauce also equates to a delightful gravy, adding sweetness that is normally absent.

And becomes a dish loved by all. WIth the soft glow of candlelight playing across it. The perfect end to an annually perfect day.

Inducing food comas all ’round.

Cranberry-Pomegranate Roast Chicken with Rice Stuffing

2 pomegranates

2 cups fresh cranberries

1 cup pomegranate juice

1 cup sugar

1 onion, quartered and separated

4 garlic cloves, sliced

1 3-lb free-range roasting chicken

Rice Stuffing

1. Put the pomegranates, cranberries, juice and sugar in a medium saucepan. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the arils and berries have popped. Remove from heat and press through a sieve to remove all the seeds. Blend until smooth in a blender.

2. Add 4 tbls of the pomegranate mixture to the stuffing. Mix thoroughly.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Rinse the inside and outside of the bird and pat it dry with a paper towel. Insert the stuffing in to the cavity of the chicken, and place any extra in a cooking dish.

4. Separate the skin from the meat on the top of the chicken (over the breasts) and spoon in some of the pomegranate mixture. Make two small slits in the top of the drumsticks, and spoon in the pomegranate mixture.

5. Place the bird in a baking dish, breast side up. Cover the outside of the chicken with the pomegranate mixture, and place the slices of onion over it.

6. Insert the dish, covered, in the oven. Bake for 1 3/4 to 2 hours, covered, or until the temp reads 180 degrees Fahrenheit on a meat thermometer. Turn the temp to 400 degrees and cook for another 10 minutes, or until it is evenly browned.

7. Remove and cover for 15 minutes before serving.

Pray. Eat. Enjoy not only the gifts that others give, but those of the earth as well.

Christmas morn. The loveliest of mornings. There is usually a gentle drizzle outside, the sweet smell of pine needles slowly grows as the Christmas lights begin to warm the banches and we all slowly roll out of bed to cup our hands around warm mugs of coffee, only removing the tight grasp to tun on the burning log on channel 4.

We are not the hurried family, which rips open its gifts, leaving a haze of flying paper. Rather, we do things slowly, savoring each action (mom usually keeps every scrap of paper, and I find myself receiving gifts year after year in the same tired, wrinkly and well-loved red wrapping paper with santas dancing across its surface). Breakfast too, becomes a slow affair, with gradual preparation. Just like opening gifts slowly is a means of  highlighting the joyful lead up to this day, the best French toast is cooked slowly, making a pseudo-custard out of the egg soaked bread, while browning the surface.

Christmas also seems to be the perfect time for candied fruit. It seems to be in everything. Literally, everything — from cakes to pies.

Or in an egg-based bread:  stollen. This is one of the most traditional European breads to become popular here in North America. Also called ‘Christstollen’, this German recipe is symbolic in and of itself. Of course, this is based in the Christian tradition, as the loaves were first created in the 1300s. Each piece of candied fruit added was considered a precious gift, such as those given to Christ when he was born, carried upon the humped back of a camel (hence why the loaves themselves have bumps).

The secret to a superb French toast to is cook it long and slow, using a sweet egg  bread such as Challah or Stollen. It also helps to nave a sous chef around, watching the precious mouthfuls to ensure they don’t dry out in a warming oven.

Of course, the best means of making a phenomenal French toast is to serve it on Christmas, with love and family gathered around to enjoy it.

Stollen French Toast

12 slices Stollen bread (lightly toasted or one day stale)

6 eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 cup whole milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 pinch nutmeg

3 tbl melted butter, salted (plus 1 tbl. for frying)

2 tbl. white sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Blend together the eggs, whole milk, vanilla, nutmeg, melted butter and white sugar until frothy.

3. Melt the remaining tbl of butter in a deep bottomed frying pan on medium. Dip and press each piece of bread into the egg mixture, on both sides, saturating it completely. Gently place it in the preheated frying pan. Repeat with the other pieces of bread (going in rounds if there are too many pieces) making a layer 1-piece deep in the pan. Set a lid on top and cook for 5 minutes on each side, until they are browned.

4. Keep pieces warm in the oven until serving.

Pray. Eat. Enjoy the simple pleasure that comes from a slow Christmas morning.

Just through physical proximity to my hometown, I had the incredible urge to use ingredients that I grew up with: miso, from the Vancouver influence; ginger, from my Australian roots; and salmon, from living on the West Coast.

Blend the first two together, with a few other fresh ingredients, and you have a marvelous and adaptable sauce.

Enough to become both the topping for salmon, as well as for salad. Blend a small amount with a neutral salad oil and a touch more vinegar for a delicious salad dressing that is perfect for any fresh greens served alongside the fish.

Miso Ginger Glazed Salmon

1 1 to 2 lb fresh salmon fillet

1/4 cup light miso paste

1/4 cup candied ginger, chopped

1/8 cup soy sauce

1/8 cup rice wine vinegar

1/8 cup sesame oil

1 tbl brown sugar

2 garlic cloves, minced

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking dish with tinfoil (makes clean-up easier).

2. Blend together the miso, ginger, soy, vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar and garlic cloves until smooth. Place the fish in the lined baking dish and cover with the sauce. Allow to sit for 30 minutes.

3. Insert the fish into the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until done (a fork easily passes through the fillet).

4. Remove and serve over basmati and with stir-fried vegetables.

Pray. Eat. Enjoy a fishy food coma.