We had the privilege of catering the wedding of David and Colin – two wonderful men who were great to work with. We loved the venue – Peace Arch Park and its symbolic significance for this American and Canadian union – and the weather couldn’t have been better!

The Rustic Gourmet made sure we had a full plate of  food and a drink in our hands the entire evening, which allowed us the quality time to visit and chat with guests at our wedding.

~ Colin Evans-Carlson

Days are getting longer and the happy sounds of birds are in the air. Spring is definitely on its way. In anticipation, I have been directly sowing peas into the ground and have started some beans and herbs indoors. My garlic is several inches tall and I gave it a good topdressing of compost. Garlic is best planted in the fall, just like spring bulbs.

I’m sure everyone has been thinking about which seeds to purchase for their gardens. I won’t go into how to plant seeds or what to plant. All that information is on the back of the seed packets. I will say that vegetables require six to eight hours of sunlight daily, so plan your spot with this in mind.

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Slice the eggplant about ½ inches thick. You can grill, fry or bake the eggplant.  I prefer to sauté with a nice splash of good quality olive oil.  When the slices are evenly browned transfer them to a plate with some paper towel to soak up any excess oil.  Repeat till all the eggplant is cooked adding oil if necessary.

In a small bowl, combine ½ cup of ricotta cheese, 2 eggs lightly beaten, ½ cup of cream or milk, ½ cup of grated parmesan cheese, lemon zest, salt and freshly ground pepper.

In a large shallow baking dish or 4 small ones layer the eggplant with the ricotta mixture and some homemade marinara sauce.  Add some fresh basil leaves in each layer and finish with a generous amount of parmesan cheese and some breadcrumbs.

Bake on a baking sheet for 10 minutes at 425degrees and then another 20 minutes at 375°.

Serve with a fresh green salad and some homemade crusty bread to soak up the sauce left in your plate.

Buon appetito!

Ingredients

One bunch of Asparagus (you can replace the asparagus with any other vegetables)
1 small onion and 3 cloves of fresh garlic
1 cup white wine
1 Tbs vegetable stock concentrate
30gr Olive oil
350gr Arborio rice
800gr hot water
Fresh parsley
30gr parmesan cheese.

Instructions

1. Break off the woody part of the asparagus and put tips aside.
2. Chop the parsley on speed 7 for 15 seconds and set aside.
3. Grate the cheese for 20 seconds on speed 7 and set aside.
4. Put in the onion, garlic and asparagus (except the tips) and chop for 10 seconds on speed 6.
5. Add the oil and sauté for 5 minutes 100°, speed 1.
6. Put the butterfly on the blades.
7. Add the rice and toast 2 minutes 100°, speed soft, adding the wine after the 1 minute.
8. Add the water, stock and the tips and cook for 15 minutes 100°, speed 1.
9. Add the chopped parsley and parmesan cheese a few minutes before the rice is finished cooking.
10. Taste for salt and doneness. If the rice is not ready, cook a few more minutes. If it starts to be dry add some hot liquid.

• Nice piece of beef-cut along the grain of the meat into strips
• Broccoli cut into florets
• Green onion
• 30g Cornstarch or flour
• 4-6 cloves of garlic
• 1 big chunk of ginger
• 40g grape seed oil and 20g sesame oil
• 30g rice vinegar
• 40g soy sauce
• 15g hoisin
• 30g honey or syrup

Instructions

Coat beef strips with the flour.  Weigh the vinegar, sesame oil, soy, hoisin and honey into a bowl.   Drop green onion in the TM bowl with blades running on speed 7 then set aside.  Drop garlic and ginger into TM bowl with blades running on speed 7 for 5 seconds.  Add 20g grape seed oil and sauté for 3 minutes on Varoma till the temperature gage reaches Varoma.   Add the broccoli and stir fry for 4 minutes/Varoma/reverse/soft then Set aside.  Add 20g of grape seed oil and reheat bowl to Varoma.  When hot shake the excess flour off the meat and stir fry for 4 minutes adding the sauce half way through.

• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• 1 onion
• 2 stalks of celery
• 400g peas
• 400g shrimp
• 20g olive oil
• 30g butter
• Fresh parsley and basil
• Chilli flakes, salt and pepper
• Penne pasta
• Parmesan cheese
• 1 can of good quality tomatoes

Instructions

Drop the parsley and basil into the bowl with the blade running on speed 7/2 seconds and then set aside. Chop the parmesan cheese for a few seconds on speed 9 and set aside.  Put garlic, celery and onion in the TM bowl and chop speed 7/5 seconds.  Add olive oil and butter and sauté 3 minutes/100°/speed 2.  Put butterfly onto the blades.  Add the peas, shrimp and tomatoes and cook 10 minutes/100°/speed 2.  Add parsley, basil, salt, pepper and chilli flakes and cook another 5 minutes/100°/speed 2.

Spring is finally here, so you will start to see asparagus in the local markets or if you are lucky in  your garden. I love asparagus in risotto or a savoury pie, but it is also wonderful as a side dish. You can steam it in your Thermomix for 4 minutes (remember to bring the water to temperature before     adding the Varoma on top) Serve with a simple vinaigrette of dijon mustard, olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper. To make the vinaigrette put the ingredients in the Thermomix and blend for 1 minute on speed 6 or whisk vigorously in a bowl till it becomes creamy. You can grill the asparagus and then dress them simply with lemon juice, olive oil and parmesan cheese or you can bake them in a dish with olive oil, salt and pepper just till tender and then give them a drizzle of balsamic vinegar before putting them on the table. Try them all and let me know which is your favourite. Just remember not to over cook. You want to retain the vibrant colour and a bit of crunch!

• Do go out of your way to get the barley malt syrup, it makes a difference

• Don’t be intimidated by the length of the recipe.

• If you mix the dough one evening then boil/bake the bagels the next day, the process is quite short and simple

• Try Reinhart’s formula for swapping out some of the white flour for whole wheat

Makes 6 to 8 bagels

Let’s clear something up right away: New York City isn’t the only place in the world to get decent, authentic bagels. The truth is, you can make bagels that are just as good at home, no matter where you live. They’re one of the simplest breads to make, requiring only flour, water, salt, yeast, and malt—and one secret ingredient: time (in the form of long, slow, cold fermentation). Any decent bagel shop knows this and uses an overnight method to stretch out the fermentation process, releasing all sorts of subtle flavors trapped in the flour. While bagel shops often use a type of high-protein flour not available to home cooks to achieve that distinctively chewy texture, regular, unbleached bread flour can also do the trick. The real key is to use a much lower percentage of water than is used for baguettes and other European hearth breads, producing a stiff dough that can stand up to a dunking in boiling water before going into the oven. More than any ingredient or other aspect of the method, this boiling step is what defines the uniqueness of the bagel.

That said, bagels do usually feature one other distinctive ingredient: barley malt. While this may seem like an exotic, hard-to-find product, it’s actually commonly available at most supermarkets, usually labeled “barley malt syrup.” If you can’t find it, simply substitute an equal amount of honey. Your bagels might not have that malty flavor, but they’ll still be better than almost any bagel you can buy.

One final note: If you like bagels but don’t want to set up the boiling operation for just six of them, feel free to double the size of the batch and bake enough to freeze for future use.

Dough

1 tablespoon (0.75 oz / 21 g) barley malt syrup, honey, or rice syrup, or 1 teaspoon (0.25 oz / 7 g) diastatic malt powder

1 teaspoon (0.11 oz / 3 g) instant yeast

11/2 teaspoons (0.37 oz / 10.5 g) salt, or 21/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (9 oz / 255 g) lukewarm water (about 95°F or 35°C)

31/2 cups (16 oz / 454 g) unbleached bread flour

Poaching Liquid

2 to 3 quarts (64 to 96 oz / 181 to 272 g) water

11/2 tablespoons (1 oz / 28.5 g) barley malt syrup or honey (optional)

1 tablespoon (0.5 oz / 14 g) baking soda

1 teaspoon (0.25 oz / 7 g) salt, or 11/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt

Do Ahead

To make the dough, stir the malt syrup, yeast, and salt into the lukewarm water. Place the flour into a mixing bowl and pour in the malt syrup mixture. If using a mixer, use the dough hook and mix on the lowest speed for 3 minutes. If mixing by hand, use a large, sturdy spoon and stir for about 3 minutes, until well blended. The dough should form a stiff, coarse ball, and the flour should be fully hydrated; if it isn’t, stir in a little more water. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.

Resume mixing with the dough hook on the lowest speed for another 3 minutes or transfer to a very lightly floured work surface and knead by hand for about 3 minutes to smooth out the dough and develop the gluten. The dough should be stiff yet supple, with a satiny, barely tacky feel. If the dough seems too soft or overly tacky, mix or knead in a little more flour.

Place the dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise at room temperature for 1 hour.

When you’re ready to shape the bagels, prepare a sheet pan by lining it with parchment paper or a silicone mat, then misting it with spray oil or lightly coating it with oil. Divide the dough into 6 to 8 equal pieces. (A typical bagel is about 4 ounces or 113 grams before baking, but you can make them smaller. If you make more than 6 bagels, you may need to prepare 2 sheet pans.) Form each piece into a loose ball by rolling it on a clean, dry work surface with a cupped hand. (Don’t use any flour on the work surface. If the dough slides around and won’t ball up, wipe the surface with a damp paper towel and try again; the slight bit of moisture will provide enough traction for the dough to form into a ball.) There are two methods to shape the balls into bagels.

The first method is to poke a hole through the center of the ball to create a donut shape. Holding the dough with both thumbs in the hole, rotate the dough with your hands, gradually stretching it to create a hole about 2 inches in diameter.

The second method, preferred by professional bagel makers, is to use both hands (and a fair amount of pressure) to roll the ball into a rope about 8 inches long on a clean, dry work surface. (Again, wipe the surface with a damp towel, if necessary, to create sufficient friction on the work surface.) Taper the rope slightly at each end and moisten the last inch or so of the ends. Place one end of the dough in the palm of your hand and wrap the rope around your hand to complete the circle, going between your thumb and forefinger and then all the way around. The ends should overlap by about 2 inches. Squeeze the overlapping ends together by closing your hand, then press the seam into the work surface, rolling it back and forth a few times to seal. Remove the dough from your hand, squeezing it to even out the thickness if need be and creating a hole of about 2 inches in diameter.

Place each shaped bagel on the prepared sheet pan, then mist with spray oil or brush with a light coating of oil. Cover the entire pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for up to 2 days. (You can also proof the full piece of dough in the oiled bowl overnight and then shape the bagels on baking day, 60 to 90 minutes before boiling and baking them, or as soon as they pass the float test.)

On Baking Day

Remove the bagels from the refrigerator 60 to 90 minutes before you plan to bake them, and if you plan to top them with dried onion or garlic, rehydrate those ingredients (see the variations on page 78). Immediately check whether the bagels are ready for baking using the “float test”: Place one of the bagels in a small bowl of cold water. If it sinks and doesn’t float back to the surface, shake it off, return it to the pan, and wait for another 15 to 20 minutes, then test it again. When one bagel passes the float test, they’re all ready to be boiled. If they pass the float test before you are ready to boil and bake them, return them to the refrigerator so they don’t overproof. About 30 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C) and gather and prepare your garnishes (seeds, onions, garlic, and so on).

To make the poaching liquid, fill a pot with 2 to 3 quarts (64 to 96 oz / 181 to 272 g) of water, making sure the water is at least 4 inches deep. Cover, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain at a simmer. Stir in the malt syrup, baking soda, and salt.

Gently lower each bagel into the simmering poaching liquid, adding as many as will comfortably fit in the pot. They should all float to the surface within 15 seconds. After 1 minute, use a slotted spoon to turn each bagel over. Poach for another 30 to 60 seconds, then use the slotted spoon to transfer it back to the pan, domed side up. (It’s important that the parchment paper be lightly oiled, or the paper will glue itself to the dough as the bagels bake.) Sprinkle on a generous amount of whatever toppings you like as soon as the bagels come out of the water (except cinnamon sugar; see the variation on page 78 for details).

Transfer the pan of bagels to the oven, then lower the oven heat to 450°F (232°C).

Bake for 8 minutes, then rotate the pan and check the underside of the bagels. If they’re getting too dark, place another pan under the baking sheet. (Doubling the pan will insulate the first baking sheet.) Bake for another 8 to 12 minutes, until the bagels are a golden brown.

Cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing or serving.

Variations

You can replace any amount of the bread flour with an equal amount of whole grain flour (by weight), such as wheat or rye. If you do so, increase the water in the dough by 1 tablespoon (0.5 oz / 14 g) for every 2 ounces (56.5 g) of whole grain flour you substitute.

Top your bagels with any combination of the following garnishes: poppy seeds, sesame seeds, coarse salt, or rehydrated dried onions or garlic. (Soak dried onions or garlic in water to cover for at least 1 hour before applying.) The toppings will stick even better if you first brush the top of each bagel with an egg white wash made by whisking 1 egg white with 1 tablespoon (0.5 oz / 14 g) of water. If using coarse salt as a garnish, remember that a little goes a long way.

For raisin bagels, mix in 11/3 cups (8 oz / 227 g) of raisins during the final 2 minutes of mixing and, if you like cinnamon, stir 1/2 teaspoon (0.14 oz / 4 g) of ground cinnamon into the flour before you start mixing. When the bagels come out of the oven, brush the tops with melted butter and dip the top into a bed of cinnamon sugar to give it a very tasty cinnamon crust. You can make cinnamon sugar by whisking 2 tablespoons (1.6 oz / 44 g) of ground cinnamon into 1/2 cup (4 oz / 113 g) of granulated sugar.

Health effects of chocolate include both positive and negative effects. While chocolate is regularly eaten for pleasure, there are potential beneficial health effects of eating chocolate. Cocoa or dark chocolate benefits the circulatory system. Other beneficial effects suggested include anticancer, brain stimulator, cough prevention and antidiarrheal effects. An aphrodisiac effect is yet unproven, however…

A study reported by the BBC indicated that melting chocolate in one’s mouth produced an increase in brain activity and heart rate that was more intense than that associated with passionate kissing, and also lasted four times as long fter the activity had ended!

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