Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Football Food superBOWL






The table is set! The division champions will chow down against each other in the Football Food superBOWL this Sunday afternoon. The winner of the Snack Division, with 50% of the votes, Chicken Wings beat Nachos & Salsa and Chip & Dip handily. Meanwhile in the Meat Division - Ribs beat out Pulled Pork to make it to the big meal.

So here's the matchup- What is your favourite Football food- Chicken Wings or Ribs? Tell your friends and be sure to vote.



Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Football Food Playoffs

Once and for all, here on Stu's Cooking Club, the debate will be settled- what is the ultimate gameday food? Much like the NFL Playoffs, we'll have eliminations leading up to the big day- February 1st- Superbowl Sunday.

Until Sunday Jan 25th you'll be able to vote in the division championships. At 4:30pm the winner of each division will be determined. The division winners will then do ultimate battle to determine what's in your superBOWL. You get to vote for your favourite in each division so unlike the Canadian federal election, you're actually encouraged to vote twice.

Snack Division
Chicken Wings
Potato skins
Chip & Dip
Nachos & Salsa

Meat Division
Burgers
Chili
Ribs
Pulled pork

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Montreal Culinary Event Not to be Missed

Some of the best restaurants in the Old Port will be offering Prix Fixe menus at drastically reduced prices from January 12-31. I took advantage of Happening Gourmand last year and tried Méchant Boeuf for the first time. It was great. I've already reserved two restaurants for this year. Check out the press release below.


Second Annual Happening Gourmand Features $17, $22 or $27
Prix-Fixe Menus at Eight Old Montreal Restaurants

MONTREAL, QC, January 7, 2009 – Back by popular demand, the second
annual Happening Gourmand will run January 12 to 31, 2009. Inspired by
New York’s famed Restaurant Week, Happening Gourmand offers restaurant goers the chance to enjoy $17, $22 or $27 prix-fixe dinners at eight diverse
establishments throughout Old Montreal. Additional details and restaurant
menus are available at www.happeninggourmand.com.

“Response to the first Happening Gourmand was so overwhelming, we
decided to extend the second edition by an extra week,” said Dimitri
Antonopoulos, Vice President of Marketing, Hotels and Restaurant
Development for the Antonopoulos Group. “And as guests save more than 40
per cent off the bill, now is the perfect time to explore some of Old Montreal’s
exceptional trendy and fine dining options.”

For three weeks in January, diners may take advantage of $17 dinner menus
at Galianos, Narcisse Bistro + Bar à vin, and Suite 701; $22 menus at
Méchant Boeuf Bar & Brasserie, Modavie Restaurant Wine Bar and the
Restaurant du Vieux-Port Steakhouse; and $27 menus at Aix Cuisine du
Terroir and Verses Restaurant.

The tempting three-course menus will showcase the specialties of each
restaurant—from Roasted Quebec Duck Breast or Beef Bavette with Bordelais
Sauce to Striped Bass with Lemon Sauce or Deer Spare Rib with Barley
Risotto. Menus will feature a choice of at least two entrées, three main
courses and two desserts. Beverages, taxes and gratuities are extra.

Reservations are strongly recommended. Paid parking is accessible near all
participating restaurants, with valet parking available at Aix Cuisine du
Terroir, Méchant Boeuf, Narcisse, the Restaurant du Vieux-Port Steakhouse,
Suite 701 and Verses upon request. For additional restaurant contact details
or menus, please visit www.happeninggourmand.com.

Sunday, January 04, 2009

Gluten-Free Pizza

I have a few friends that are allergic to gluten and so had to post when I saw this recipe on another blog. It seems like you need a lot of special ingredients but I know my gluten-averse friends would probably do just about anything to get some good pizza right about now. Here's the link but if ever it doesn't work the details are below.


INGREDIENTS

For tomato sauce
  • 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes with added purée
  • 4 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

For pizza crust
  • 3/4 cup tapioca flour
  • 1/2 cup white rice flour*
  • 1/3 cup chickpea flour
  • 1/3 cup sorghum flour
  • 1 teaspoon xanthum gum
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast, from 1 (1/4-ounce) package
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
  • 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

For topping (of course you can do what you want here. Please be creative.- Stu)
  • 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, coarsely grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 1/4 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated (about 1 tablespoon)
  • 4 large fresh basil leaves, roughly torn
*Be sure to use white rice flour; brown will result in gritty pizza dough.

Special equipment:
  • Special equipment: pizza stone or heavy baking sheet, baking peel or heavy baking sheet, parchment paper

Preparation

Make tomato sauce
In a 4-quart nonreactive saucepan over very low heat, stir together tomatoes and oil. Bring to simmer, cover partially, and continue simmering, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced to 1 cup, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in sugar, salt, and oregano, cover. Keep warm or refrigerate, covered, up to 5 days.

Make pizza crust
In bowl of electric mixer, whisk together tapioca flour, white rice flour, chickpea flour, sorghum flour, xanthum gum, and salt.

In small saucepan over moderate heat, stir together milk and 1/4 cup water and heat until warm but not hot to the touch, about 1 minute (the mixture should register between 105°F and 115° F on candy thermometer). Stir in yeast and sugar. Add milk–yeast mixture, egg whites, and 2 tablespoons oil to dry ingredients and, using paddle attachment, beat at medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until dough is very smooth and very thick, about 5 minutes.

Remove racks from oven, set pizza stone or heavy upturned baking sheet on bottom of oven, and preheat to 400°F. (Preheat at least 45 minutes if using pizza stone or 20 minutes if using baking sheet.) (My pizza stone stays on the racks and requires that you don't preheat the oven- Stu)

Have ready two 12-inch squares parchment paper. Scrape half of dough onto each square and form each half into a ball. Coat each ball with 2 teaspoons oil, then use oiled fingertips to pat and stretch each ball into 9-inch-diameter round, 1/4 inch thick, with a 1/2-inch-thick border. Loosely cover rounds with plastic wrap and let rise in warm draft-free place until each pizza is about 10 inches in diameter, about 20 minutes.

Using baking peel, transfer 1 crust with parchment to preheated pizza stone and bake until top is puffed and firm and underside is crisp, 5 to 10 minutes. Using baking peel and discarding parchment paper, transfer baked crust to rack to cool. Bake second crust in same manner. (Baked crusts can be made ahead and frozen, wrapped in plastic wrap, up to 1 month. Thaw in 350°F oven until hot, 4 to 5 minutes, before topping and broiling.)

Top and broil pizzas
Preheat broiler. Transfer baked crusts to 2 large baking sheets. Brush 1 teaspoon olive oil over each crust. Spread each with sauce, leaving 1/2-inch border bare, then sprinkle each with mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Drizzle remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil over pizzas.

Broil pizzas about 4 inches from heat, rotating as needed for even browning, until cheese is bubbling and browned in places and crust is golden brown, 4 to 8 minutes. Scatter with basil, slice, and serve immediately.(Enjoy gluten-free pizza heaven!- Stu)