tackling ‘the overwhelm’ one bowl at a time

Tags

Food, Gluten-free, Lentil Soup, Recipes, Vegetarian, Writing

“Ninety percent of writing is simply the pot boiling.  The real work is letting it boil for hours and patiently distilling its essence.” (Camilla Gibb)    

I’m not sure how long my pot has been boiling, or when its

essence will be distilled.  But it’s back on the burner. Writing and thinking happen more at a simmer than a boil in my experience. Low and slow have served me well in my kitchen and at my desk.  

Winter is a good time to find yourself caught in overwhelm’s clutches.  You can seek solace in socially sanctioned hibernation.  You can putter and ponder and warm body and soul with bottomless bowls of soup.  And, when the time is right, you can embrace the renewal offered by winter’s close in principle if not in practice.    

Spring is more of a theoretical category than a lived reality on my side of the Atlantic.  I imagine I’ll be eating this hearty soup for a few more weeks before our not-quite-winter-or-spring finally concedes defeat and I retire it for the summer.  

Until then, may as well keep the pot on a little longer while I continue to distill the essence of my winter work.   

Not Too Spicy Lentil Soup  

adapted from Gordon Ramsay’s Home Cooking

 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 large onion diced

14 oz can of diced tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 and 1/4 cup red lentils

3 and 1/2 cups water

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

 

Heat the olive oil at medium heat in a medium/large pot.

 

Add the diced onion and cook for 4-5 minutes.  

 

Add the spice mix (cumin, coriander, garam masala, ginger & turmeric). Cook for 1 minute.

 

Add the diced tomatoes and cook for 1-2 minutes.

 

Add the lentils and stir well.

 

Add the 3 and 1/2 cups of water and increase heat to bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and bring to a low simmer. Add the salt and pepper.  Let simmer uncovered for 25-30 minutes.  

 

Remove from heat and ladle half of the soup into a blender and blend until smooth. Return the blended soup to the pot and stir to combine.  Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

 

Serve alone or with a dollop of greek yogurt.  

 

 

 

 

 

remembering the great war with a cake recipe & a query

Tags

Baking, Food, Food and War, Food History, Recipes, War Cake

                                       (recipe for War Cake handwritten by my mother)

Today marks …

the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I.

A few months ago I came across a recipe for War Cake written in my mother’s hand and shared with her by my grandmother who was left at home with small children on Cape Breton Island while my grandfather fought in the Second World War. Tonight seemed like the right time to share the recipe and remember those lost and wounded in wars past and present, in places near and far.

When I first glanced at this recipe I was perplexed by the presence (and abundance) of sugar and flour, and was curious how this cake could have been created out of necessity in the context of food rationing. After a little investigation, I quickly learned that what characterizes most variations of War Cake is the absence of milk, eggs and butter. Although sugar was often in short supply, ration stamps could be collected and used to acquire enough sugar to make this sizeable and satisfying cake.

Celebrated for its rich spiced raisin flavour, War Cake continued to be enjoyed long after WWII and it is possible that once ingredients like sugar and dried fruit & nuts were more readily available, the recipe was adapted to reflect changing circumstances.

 

War Cake

recipe handed from my grandmother to my mother

 

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 pound seeded raisins

2 tablespoons shortening

2 cups water

1/2 tsp ginger

1 tsp cloves

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

 

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups flour

 

Optional ingredients:

1 cup mixed red and green cherries OR

1/2 cup nuts and 1/2 cup currants

 

Boil the sugar, raisins, shortening, water, ginger, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg for 5 minutes or longer.

 

Let cool and then add the baking soda, salt and flour.  Cooling the mixture completely may take several hours.  

 

Add optional ingredients if desired.

 

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour in a greased and floured tube pan (or bundt pan).

 

If you have an old family recipe for War Cake or know more about the history of its adaptation, I’d love to hear from you! Please share a comment.

 

(sorta) super natural granola

Tags

Apricots, Breakfast, Cashews, Food, Gluten-free, Granola, Recipes

 

The wonderful thing about curating a small (but growing) collection of cookbooks is knowing that the most delicious discoveries are just a cup of coffee and a page-turn away. There when you need them, and asking nothing more of you than the time and inclination to feed yourself well in body, mind & spirit. 

 

This granola bridges the seasonal gap between winter & spring with just enough warmth to offer comfort in the final throes of winter and just enough citrus to warrant thoughts of spring. Inspired by Heidi Swanson’s recipe in Super Natural Every Day, the essence of this granola’s goodness lies in its maple-butter-orange infused toasted oats. The original recipe calls for currants, coconut and a more generous hand with the walnuts.  I opted for cashews and apricots and was not disappointed. 

 

 

 

 

Granola with Walnuts, Cashews, Apricots & Orange Zest

adapted from Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson

 

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup whole cashews

2 clementines (zest)

1/4 cup of butter

1/4 cup maple syrup

 

Place rolled oats, walnuts, cashews and orange zest in a medium bowl and mix. 

 

Put butter and maple syrup in a small pot and melt on low heat until the butter has melted and been fully combined with the syrup.

 

Pour the butter and maple syrup mixture over the oats and nuts. Stir until all of the oats and nuts are covered. 

 

Spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

 

Bake at 225 degrees for approximately 1 hour or until granola is lightly browned and toasted.  

 

Let cool and then add as many diced dried apricots as you like.

 

Store in a sealed container in the cupboard.

 

Best served with a spoonful of greek yogurt and the promise of spring … 

 

 

“we have a surprise and it’s a cake!” flourless chocolate cake & child-free chocolate labour

Tags

Baking, Child Labour, Chocolate, Cocoa Production, Flourless Chocolate Cake, Food, Gluten-free, Recipes

Thought I would revisit my love of chocolate by (re)sharing my recipe for flourless chocolate cake. This inaugural post on Cooklore remains one of my favourites  and was originally posted in July 2012. 

Before jumping straight to the good stuff, I’d like to draw your attention to some links highlighting the darker side of chocolate – child labour. NGO’s have been fighting for ethically sourced cocoa for years. Read about The Good Chocolate Guide and the demand for Canadian chocolate companies to voluntarily implement safer labour conditions here. 

Wishing you warm hands & even warmer hearts. I am off to the restaurant to serve couples willing to brave the elements and meet our winter storm in its most recent incarnation …

“We have a surprise and it’s a cake!”

 

When I was three years old and my mother was feeling unwell in the early stages of her pregnancy with my sister, I spent weekday afternoons at my grandparents’ house while my father was at work.  My grandmother and I passed many of these afternoons in the kitchen.  We baked cookies, cakes, and loaves and often had a surprise for my father when he came to take me home after work.  Our creations were rarely surprises as I was often overcome with the desire to announce our efforts as soon as my Dad came through the door.  He never failed to act surprised and I learned from an early age that food was something to be celebrated.

In the kitchen with my grandmother

(picture taken by my father)

 

 

I no longer bake most of the treats that I came to love in my grandmother’s kitchen.  Taste preferences and dietary needs often shift as we grow older, but her early lessons continue to shape my cooking and eating by reminding me that food demands time, care and attention.  My grandmother taught me that sometimes simple food is just what you need and that a well-timed culinary surprise can bring delight to others.

Although it is unlikely that my grandmother would recognize many of the ingredients that stock my gluten-free, mostly vegetarian kitchen, I like to think that she would feel at home here making a cup of tea and wondering what we might have for dessert.

Flourless chocolate cake would certainly be on the menu.

Flourless Chocolate Cake  (serves 8) – Gluten and lactose free

 

This cake is rich and moist like a brownie.  I experimented with this recipe several times before achieving the texture and flavor I desired.  A small slice with a cup of coffee or glass of red wine goes a long way.

 

2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate

1/2 cup canola oil

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1/2 cup cocoa powder

 

Melt chocolate and oil over low heat using double boiler method to ensure the chocolate does not burn.

 

Remove from heat and place in mixing bowl.  Add sugar and eggs and mix well before adding cocoa powder.

 

Pour evenly into lightly oiled round cake pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until a light crust forms over the top of the cake.

 

Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring it to a cake rack or serving plate.

 

 

 

traditional oatcakes (gluten-free!)

Tags

Baking, Food, Gluten-free, Oatcakes, Oatmeal, Recipes

A lover of all things oatmeal, I spent many winter afternoons squirrelled away in the library eating oatcakes and drinking (pseudo) cappuccinos during my years as an undergraduate student in New Brunswick. These oatcakes remind me of those cosy study sessions, when (almost) everything I learned seemed new, challenging and important. Now, many years later, I prefer to pair them with coffee of the non-pseudo variety or a bowl of creamy homemade soup.

Gluten-free for those able to digest oats, these savoury biscuits are a fabulous alternative to bread and would be lovely served with a dollop of jam. 

Oatcakes (makes approximately 24 oatcakes)

adapted from Rachel Allen

4 cups rolled oats plus a handful to sprinkle when rolling out dough

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

6 tablespoons softened butter

150 ml boiling water (more or less to achieve desired dough consistency – let your hands guide you!)

 

Put the rolled oats, salt, baking soda and cream of tartar in a blender or food processor and blitz until your oats achieve a fineness similar to flour but with some larger pieces of oats remaining.

 

Add extra virgin olive oil and butter and blitz again until mostly combined. 

 

Empty blender contents into a medium mixing bowl and slowly add just enough boiling water to work mixture into a rough dough with a large spoon and then your hands. 

 

Roll dough out to desired thickness on top of parchment paper covered with a light dusting of rolled oats. Cut with a round biscuit cutter or a drinking glass, and place on ungreased baking sheets. 

 

Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 20 minutes. 

 

 

oatmeal & apple muffins with almond butter

Tags

Baking, Breakfast, Food, Gluten-free, Muffins, Oatmeal Apple Muffins, Oatmeal Muffins, Quinoa

 

 

 

My new favourite breakfast muffin …

Smooth and satisfying, these muffins are a fabulous combination of healthful and delicious ingredients for the gluten-free and gluten-loving alike. 

The original recipe calls for both millet and quinoa flour, but quinoa flour is a great stand alone flour in muffins and loaves, so there’s no reason to muck around with more than one flour here.  I also swapped out tahini paste for almond butter since apples, oats and almonds are such a classic breakfast pairing. Cream of tartar and baking soda instead of baking powder ensure that your muffins remain gluten-free without relying on the guarantee of a baking powder manufacturer.

I’ve been enjoying McIntosh apples fresh from the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia, and recommend using the most flavourful apples you can get your hands on!  

 

oatmeal & apple muffins (approximately 8 muffins)

adapted from La Tartine Gourmande by Beatrice Peltre

 

2 large eggs

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 Tbsp almond butter (chunky)

2 Tbsp butter (softened)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup quinoa flour

1/2 cup rolled oats, and extra for topping

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

3/4 tsp baking soda

2 medium apples (grated)

 

Cream together brown sugar and eggs in a medium mixing bowl.

Add the almond butter, softened butter, and vanilla.  Mix well.

 

In a smaller mixing bowl, combine the quinoa flour, rolled oats, salt, cream of tartar and baking soda.

 

Combine wet and dry ingredients, and mix until just combined.

Add the grated apple and stir. 

 

Pour batter evenly into lightly greased muffin tins and sprinkle tops with rolled oats. 

 

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

featured recipe – cape breton molasses cookies

Tags

Atlantic Canada, Baking, Cape Breton Island, Cookies, Food, Food History, Gluten-free Molasses Cookies, Local Food, Molasses, Molasses Cookies, Moose Hunters, Nova Scotia, Recipes

More often than not, it is my recipe for Cape Breton Molasses Cookies that brings readers to my blog. I adore molasses and I am delighted that these traditional Cape Breton cookies, known locally as Moose Hunters, continue to interest home cooks and bakers! Molasses has a fascinating (and sometimes troublesome) history in Atlantic Canada, and for many islanders – Cape Bretoners & Newfoundlanders alike – tastes like home. I grew up eating molasses as an option at breakfast, lunch and dinner; on homemade pancakes, thickly sliced bread, and in Moose Hunters, Ginger Cookies, and beef stew with doughboys. For a hearty, satisfying, iron-rich cookie look no further. Moose Hunters are a must for molasses lovers.

If Cape Breton Molasses Cookies brought you to Cooklore, welcome! I hope you enjoy my family’s traditional Moose Hunters, or my recently adapted gluten-free version.

For recipes and more on the history of molasses, see my original post with the traditional recipe (pictured above & handwritten by my mother) here. And for those eating gluten-free, see my gluten-free recipe made with quinoa flour here.

happy moose hunting!