Aren't we all looking for an excuse to eat more cheese?!

I come from a family of cheese lovers so this addiction has been ingrained in my head since childhood.  Cheese can accent a dish, intensify a dish, or BE a dish.  Sometimes it really is all about the cheese.

While we are all being told that we need to limit the amount of cheese in our diet, this brilliant commercial does the exact opposite!  It's hilarious and I just have to share it with you! 

Grilled Pineapple Skewers

These are the perfect ending to a nice dinner on the grill.  A no-fuss dessert with a surprising kick.  As you take each bite, you get subtle hints of the marinade - the lemon, the ginger, the chili.  Feel free to play around with the marinade to suit your personal tastes!

Ingredients

1 pineapple, skin removed and cut into 1/8's, lengthwise

3/4 cup water (about 175 mL)

1/2 cups sugar (about 100g)

1 in piece of ginger sliced (about 2 1/2 centimeters)

1 lemon, zest and juice

1 hot chili, sliced

Directions

1. Bring all ingredients to a boil then simmer until it is almost the consistency of a syrup, remove from heat and cool.

2. Strain and cover pineapple stick.  Marinate in refrigerator overnight.

3. Before grilling, soak wooden skewers for 20 minutes. 

4. Skewer pineapples lengthwise and cook on grill over medium-high heat until they caramelize on the outside.  Cool and serve.

Pork Dumplings

Pork Sui Mai, or as I like to refer to them, Pork Dumplings, make a great appetizer for entertaining.  They aren't too difficult, you can mix your ingredients a few hours before your guests arrive, they look super cute, and most of all EVERYONE loves them, EVERYONE.  You can easily adapt this recipe to fit your guests tastes or eating restrictions and you can always freeze and save half for another occasion!

We were having a small dinner party and I decided to send out a quick note before planning the menu to check if anyone had any dietary or personal restrictions ... at the end of the day (my own pickiness included) we were at no beef, no peas, nothing from the sea, no uncooked mushrooms, no salads with egg, and no lamb.  Luckily pork dumplings fit the bill for an appetizer.  If you steam them in a bamboo steamer, I suggest just serving them right out of there!

Ingredients

1 lb ground pork (about 500 g)
1 cup cabbage shredded (about 1/8 head) plus a few large leaves line steamer
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro chopped
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp ginger, grated
1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 egg white
1/2 tsp black pepper
50 wonton wrappers

Dipping Sauce:
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/3 cup green onions, minced
1 tsp ginger finely chopped
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup rice vinegar

Directions

1. In large bowl, combine all ingredients down to pepper.  Refrigerate until you prepare the dumplings.

2. For dipping sauce, add oil to sauce pan over medium heat and sautee onions and ginger until soft.  Add soy sauce and rice vinegar and bring to boil, remove from  heat and let cool.

3. Line levels of bamboo steamer with cabbage leaves to prevent sticking.  Alternatively, line whatever you are using to steam with baking paper.

4. Working with one wrapper at a time, place a large tsp of mixture into center, wipe water around the edges with your finger,  and pull all of the sides up and squeeze into a beggar's pouch.  Place on backing sheet dusted with cornflour or place directly on steamer and cover with plastic wrap until ready to steam.  Keep wrappers covered with damp paper towel to keep them from drying out. 

5. Steam for 5-7 minutes until pork is cooked through.  Serve with dipping sauce.

To freeze, place uncooked dumplings on baking sheet in freezer.  Once frozen, transfer to aircontainer placing baking paper or plastic wrap between layers.  Steam directly from a frozen state for 10-12 minutes.

NOT just a movie!

When I mentioned yesterday that I wanted to make fried green tomatoes, I actually heard "That isn't just a movie?"  I was overcome by both shock and pity for any poor individual that has not had the pleasure of experiencing this traditional southern dish.

Was it presumptuous of me to assume that everyone is and should be familar with fried green tomatoes?  Made from firm, green, unripe tomatoes, this dish can be found on menus from local cheap eateries to some of the nicest restaurants in Charleston, SC, arguably the culinary capital of the south.

I was motivated to make this dish when I noticed some overcrowding on my tomato plant and had to pick a few unripe tomatoes if I wanted to make a bit more room.

I did a pretty basic rendition, and topped them with a warm corn salsa.  If I had a food processor here, I probably would have made some kind of red pepper coulis to serve them over.  As a last minute decision, I threw in some panko breadcrumbs to my flour/cornmeal mixture to give them some extra crunch! 

Fried Green Tomatoes

with Sweet Corn Salsa

Ingredients

4 green tomatoes

1/2 cup flour

2 eggs

1 tbsp milk

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 cup cormeal

1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

vegetable oil, for frying

Corn salsa

2 ears of corn, cooked, kernels removed

1/2 red pepper finely chopped

1/4 onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp basil, sliced

1 tbsp EVOO

1 tsp balsmic vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

Directions

1. Slice tomatoes about 1/4 inch thick and place between kitchen towels to absorb all moisture.

2. For corn salsa, combine all ingredients and let sit while you prepare tomatoes.

3. To prepare 'frying station', get 3 bowls.  Pour 1/2 cup of flour in the first bowl.  In the second, beat the eggs and milk.  In the third combine, 1/2 cup flour, cornmeal, panko, salt, and peppers.  Pat tomatoes dry, and going one slice at a time, coat in flour, dredge in eat mixure, and coat in breadcrumb mixure and place on rack.

4. Let the tomatoes sit for about 10 minutes.  In the meantime, in a large saucepan, pour in vegetable oil until you have about 1/8 inch.  Heat at medium heat so the tomatoes may soften without the crust browning too quickly.  Cook for 3 or 4 minutes on each side until golden brown and place back on rack.

5. Place 2 or 3 slices on a plate, top with corn salsa and serve.

Delicious southern treat!

My First Harvest!

Here they come... can't wait to sink my teeth into these beauties!

CAUTION: Dessert Addiction Alert

I introduce to you... Pavlova

I can understand why both Australia and New Zealand have been staking claims to this dessert for decades, it's simple but incredible.  Since my first time whipping this together, it has been a staple in the household.  Actually, scratch that.  After 2 failed attempts due to texture issues (1st - my eggs were not whipped enough, and 2nd - the TINIEST bit of yolk got in and foiled the whole recipe), it has been a staple since my third go at it.

Basically, it is meringue topped with whipped cream and fruit.  Nowadays, there are hundreds of variations but my favorites are the more classic and when available I love to top it with strawberries and passionfruit pulp.  I often do a double-decker with alternating layers of meringue and cream. 

Although the issue regarding origin will probably never be resolved, there is agreement that the dessert was named after Anna Pavlova, a Russian ballet dancer from the '20's, who's dancing was described as 'light and airy'.  Thank you Anna for inspiring the creation of one of my favorite indulgences.  Here's my 'go-to' recipe:

Ingredients

4 eggwhites
pinch of salt
1 cup caster sugar *
2 tsp cornstarch (cornflour)
1 tsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (vanilla essence)
Whipped cream, to serve (homemade is a must!)
Fruit, to serve

* Although more difficult to find in the States, this is non-negotiable, you MUST use caster sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 C).  Line a baking tray with baking paper.  Draw a circle if you are looking for a precise size or shape.

2. In a clean, dry bowl with a pinch of salt, whip egg white until light and fluffy and soft peaks form.

3. Gradually add sugar, whipping between additions until firm and glossy.

 4. Fold in cornstarch, vinegar, and vanilla extract.

5. Mound onto baking sheet and shape into a circle with a spatula. 

(I have 2 mounds as I wanted 2 layers)

6. Bake for 1 - 1½ hours until just crisp on the outside. Allow to cool completely and top with whipped cream and fruit.

As a mentioned before, it's not a difficult recipe but quite particular.  Do not move to the next step until you are reached the desired consistency.  You can make the base a few days ahead and store in an airtight container until you are ready to serve.

It's a fun dessert to play around with, different toppings, sizes, minis, etc. Try it once and you'll be hooked!