It's a tough job I have testing recipes everyday! Well okay not really but somedays it can be. There are days that I just feel like making grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner but I can't because I have to test the new duck recipe for Monday night's class (and it's Sunday and I've run out of time!). But last night was sheer heaven! After the kids went to bed I tried a new Gingery Panko Crusted Salmon and it was wonderful but what really blew my socks off was a recipe from the most recent Gourmet magazine; Apple Puree with Crisp Apple Skin and Spiced Syrup. Gorgeous! The recipe was adapted from Claude Colliot, well known Parisian chef who is now operating a high-end catering business and cooking classes. What I like about Claude is that he uses everyday ingredients and each dish usually only has about 3 or 4 ingredients. Recipes a home chef can duplicate quite easily. This apple recipe peeked my curiosity because it had these exact qualities - ingredients I had on hand and only 4 of them. Actually I didn't have star anise so I substituted 1 tsp of allspice and it worked out beautifully. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Oh and by the way...tonight I really do have to get going on that duck recipe!

Apple Puree with Crisp Apple Skin and Spiced Syrup
Adapted from Claude Colliot
Serves 4
Active Time: 20 minutes Start To Finsh: 2hr (includes chilling)
Cooks Note: Puree, syrup and apple skins can be made 3 days ahead. Puree and syrup can be chilled separately, covered, and skins can be kept, layers separated by wax paper, in an air tight container.

1 cup plus 2 tsp sugar
4 Gala apples (left unpeeled), quartered and cored
1 whole star anise or 1 tsp pieces (I substituted 1 tsp allspice)
1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

1. Spread 1 cup sugar in an even layer in a 10-inch heavy skillet. Arrange apples, cut sides down, on sugar, then cover and cook over low heat, stirring sugar occasionally to ensure that it liquefies evenly (without caramelizing) and turning apples once (to other cut side), until apples are very soft, 30-40 minutes.
2. Transfer apples with a slotted spoon to a plate to cool. Add anise (or allspice) to syrup in skillet and simmer 2 minutes, then transfer syrup to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Discard anise if using.
3. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchement paper.
4. When apples are cool enough to handle, gently remove flesh from apple skins with a thin-edged spoon, leaving skins intact. Put apple flesh in a bowl with butter and mash with a fork until pureed. Chill until cold, about 1 hour.
5. Put apple skins on lined baking sheet, then sprinkle both sides of skins with remaining 2 tsp sugar. Bake until almost crisp and just caramelized, about 10-12 minutes. Transfer skins on sheet to a rack to cool. (Skins will continue to crisp as they cool).
6. Using 2 spoons, form a quenelle (egg-shaped mound) of chilled puree on each of 4 plates. Drizzle plates with syrup, then top with crisp apple skin.

Having spent the summer at the cottage, our garden at home has been looking a bit pathetic lately due to lack of water, neglect and energy (sounds like me on some days!). So we decided to stay down from the cottage this weekend and throw ourselves back into it to prepare for the upcoming winter. It was a glorious day for garden work and we managed to get everything done but come 6pm the family was hungry and I was too tired to cook. I suggested we pop out to a new restaurant in town (Via Mia) that I was assured was kid-friendly. We had the 17 month old, 5 year old and 8 year old neighbour with us so we cleaned ourselves off and headed out. The kids were delighted to find a Bambinos menu and quickly zeroed in on the pasta with butter and cheese - even at this age they know that as long as the ingredients are fresh - the simplest preparation can sometimes be the best! I went for a good class of Chianti and a tri coloured ravioli while hubby had the spicy sausage penne. Everyone's choice was a hit and plates were quickly emptied. In between mouthfuls, my neighbour's child was eyeing the dessert menu and remarked that he'd like to try the Speedometer ice-cream but he thought the $5 cost was too high! After determining he meant the Spumoni ice-cream we told him we'd splurge on him and order his choice. While waiting for dessert the 5 and 8 year old wanted to know why ice cream would cost $5 a bowl. So not to shrug them off I went about explaining the costs associated with running a restaurant. It turned into a great time killer and learning experience for them as we looked around the room to see what could be added into our cost. I explained costs associated with the actual food, the chef, the dishwasher, the server, the building and all the way down to the actual bowl it came in. They were amazed at all the things that had to be paid for before they could sit down to that bowl of ice cream they were now slurping down! As the owner (whom I know well) approached our table to thank us for our patronage - the 8 year old shouted out..."Hey Mike, I'd pay a million dollars for this Speedometer ice cream but if I bring my own bowl and get my mom to wash it can I get it for free?" Ah, from the mouth of babes! They might have been a bit young to understand it all but was a fun way to finish off a great Saturday - that and the Chianti!

Because of my line of work (but more because I'm addicted to them) I read and subscribe to a great many food magazines, follow certain websites and food blogs. Often I catch up on my reading early in the morning as I'm making breakfast, packing lunches and doing the prep for that night's dinner. Dinner? Yep! Often dinner before my morning coffee! With 2 small boys, a busy husband and a business to run, dinner can get lost in the shuffle and when it comes time to the witching hour (5pm-7pm in our house), if dinner isn't ready at the right time then this mother can find herself amongst 3 cranky boys! Anyways, this morning as I was wadding through raisin toast, orange segments, drinking my instant coffee (blah - don't even ask why!) and blanching the dinner vegetables I was scanning the latest online edition of Canadian Living. There I found once again a validation on why I was slicing leeks and fennel so early in the morning over a cup of weak brown sludge. Dr. Joey Shulman's article entitled The Benefits of Family Meals speaks to the lost art of the family meal. Like Dr. Joey I too remember sitting down as a family most nights and discussing the days events and eating food we helped cook with my mother. We might have done it with a scowl on our face as we heard our friends playing in the street but we did it anyways. And looking back I'm so glad we did.

In my own family, I know we don't sit down everynight together but we do make a point of sitting down at least 3-4 nights a week as a family. It may mean that my husband and I have to rearrange the rest of our daily meals to make sure our appetites are ready for a 6pm meal but it's a small sacrifice for us in order to gain wonderful benefits. Like listening to our 5 year old wax poetic about his first month at school as a "full day boy" complete with stories on how Sam's mom packs more interesting lunches because he gets gummy bears everyday! Or how we have noticed it seems like overnight our 17 month old has mastered the art of feeding himself with a spoon (okay so there's still more yogurt in his hair then in his stomach but he's doing it himself!). For those 30 precious minutes or so, there is no tv, no radio, no electronic toys that make way too much noise and most importantly there is no arguing! I love it!
Now maybe things will be forced to change a bit once afterschool programs enter into our lives more but for now it's something that I will continue to hold dear to. Think about the last time you had a family meal together that wasn't on a Sunday and maybe you might find yourself chopping leeks and fennel at 7am tomorrow morning! If you do, just make sure your coffee is at least freshly brewed!

Back from a summer at the cottage with my two boys where our food focus was on simple, fresh food with little fuss. Lots of bbqs, simple salads and not an oven or stove in sight. Great way to experience all that Northern Ontario farmers have to offer during this season! Pure and simple!

Alas, it's time to come back to reality and get back into the swing of cooking, entertaining, teaching and luckily I get to do this on a regular basis. As the owner of The Cook's Companion I get the chance to interact with clients from all walks of life that are just as passionate about food as I am. Sometimes however in my 3 hour classes there just isn't enough time to discuss all that's going on in the food world and how it affects our lives. That's why I've started this blog in the hope to converse with foodies, share recipes, ideas and new inspirations.

So join me in what should be a on-going recipe for success!