Soul fixing soup

Hi!

I've been away for so long... I'm still kicking though. I'm still eating too! :) I don't know where I'm going with this blog but in the meantime here is a comforting soul-fixing soup to try.

Okay, it won't really fix your soul. That's silly but it will fill you up when you're down and if you have a cold or feeling hungry with little to nothing in the fridge to eat, this will feel good and satisfying. It's more broth than soup with a few extra goodies like egg, Parmesan and garlic added to it. It's like Stracciatella but it's whisked instead of stirred. I used to eat a German-ish version of this (minus the cheese). It's too bastardized for me to call it anything but yummy. :)



The truth is, it's post Halloween here. I swear I don't steal chocolate from the kids but we do have a big bowl left that is full of cheap candy. I'm not really a sweet tooth but somehow I found myself eating about 12 bite size BabyRuth chocolate bars! Maybe more... I don't want to know. Yeah, not my best moment. I figured I should eat something smart to help me forget. It also had to be quick! I had 30 minutes before picking up the girls from school. I needed fuel! I was feeling off and tired and the poison I just binged on wasn't going to make things better. I needed a magic potion. Soup!



The good news is that last week, I made lots of vegetable broth so I had something to tinker with. I also had some canned beef broth to finish and little leftovers of this and that with big flavours. This is barely a recipe. Just good things put together. It only serves one. Just double it up or make more if you have to share. So here is what I used.

1 cup beef broth

1 cup vegetable broth

1 small handful of thin pasta like vermicelli, capellini or spaghettini, in pieces (small pasta works too)

2 garlic cloves, sliced thin or chopped

2 teaspoons tomato paste, pizza or pasta sauce (I used a small leftover of tasty tomato bread soup)

Olive oil to taste (it's probably a good tablespoon but I just drizzle)

1 large egg

Parmesan, grated (a good 1/4 cup)

Black pepper from grinder

Salt (I use Kosher salt and I'm hooked)

Cilantro or parsley finely chopped (I often have a small leftover kept in the freezer for such use).

In a small pot pour in your cups of broth. If it's all vegetable or all beef or chicken, that is fine too. Bring to a boil. Throw in your pasta and cook till it's close to ready (check the package's instructions). Add your garlic a couple of minutes before the pasta is done with a generous drizzle of olive oil. You can do this step first but if you forget like I do, it will make no big difference. I do it for taste. Speaking of taste, stir in your tomato paste or sauce if you have it. Stir it in and taste, if you want more, add more! While the pasta, broth and garlic simmer, quickly whisk your egg and grated Parmesan in what will be your bowl till it forms a runny paste. Grind some pepper, add a few good pinches of salt. Whisk that in and while still gently whisking, add your broth, pasta and garlic concoction. The hot broth will instantly cook the egg. It will be slightly thickened thanks to the starch of the pasta and the egg, Parmesan mixture.

At this point it's ready to eat but you can add finely chopped parsley or cilantro if you have it. It's a way for me to finish small leftovers that I keep in the freezer. I've been known to experiment with what's on hand. In this particular bowl, I added some lime juice and Sriracha with the cilantro. The Parmesan still worked but I have done without cheese many times. 

So there it is, lip-smacking good and ready to eat. Grab a spoon!

A tasty soup 3 ways

I've been fighting a nasty cold for a while. Chills, fatigue, migraine, sore throat, sinus infection, lungs burning, coughing, hacking... Yada yada. It's been progressing for 2 weeks and a few crummy days. Not fast enough. I would like to move on! One positive thing that came from it is this soup I made when I was at the peak of my misery. That day I had to skip a pottery class and if you ask my husband, I was a grizzly bear about it. I was also hungry. I just wanted to curl up with some hot liquid and comfort food rolled into one. I had been obsessing over soup for a while and even though my husband wished I left the room, I wasn't going to lie down until I had some.

An old rutabaga, carrots, 2 celery sticks, onion, garlic, a few handfuls of baby spinach, a couple of potatoes, canned goods like tomatoes and chickpeas and a couple of sausages gave me plenty of options.

I couldn't bother to fuss over the details. I just washed, peeled, chopped and tossed vegetables in my pot as I went. I worked as fast as my aching body allowed and just went with the flow. It was painfully slow. Some olive oil went in the pot followed by chopped onions, celery, peeled and chopped carrots... I moved like a zombie in the kitchen but it started to smell good. I kept adding things like garlic, potatoes, rutabaga... Each time talking myself into it because it was a pain to peel, chop or cube but I knew it would be worth it. I barely took the time to let the vegetables colour on medium high heat. I just added water, salt, pepper, a bay leaf, brought it to boil, turned it down to a simmer, put the timer on for 45 minutes and considered crashing.

I should explain that this started as a simple vegetable soup. Kind of French (or what my mother would have made). It would have been simple but good with a little knob of butter to stir in my bowl. As the smell stimulated my senses though, I decided to make it more hearty. It went sort of Italian. I added tomatoes (chopped them roughly in a bowl to collect the juice). Chickpeas followed. Garlic, smashed and chopped jumped in. Oregano, a rind of Parmesan... The hardest part was to coax myself into thawing 2 Italian sausages found in the freezer, to fry them furiously in a hot hot pan and to slice them (still half cooked because I couldn't bother to wait). I knew it was worth it the moment I added them and their juices to the soup. Things were looking good! I reset the timer for an other 30 minutes on low. Then I crashed.

When the timer went off, my husband, who held the fort, served the girls a bit of soup but left it on the burner! I can't say how long, maybe a couple of hours but no panic! It was on low heat so this definitely enhanced the flavours by the time I got up to check on it. I simply added an extra cup of water to loosen things up brought back to boil and then simmered for 10-15 minutes. That evening I ate my first batch with a drizzle of olive oil and a ton of grated cheese on top. No parmesan left. All I had was strong white cheddar. It rocked!

The next day I decided to wash and add 2 generous handfuls of baby spinach leaves as I reheated the soup. I added 1 more cup of water and hot pepper flakes. The girls were not going to eat this 2nd round. It tasted even better! More cheese... By lunch time, I was fully bloated and in Heaven. I couldn't wait for the last serving and ended up having it for what was too early for supper. Think more "afternoon snack" :) I skipped the cheese, added some cumin, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, harissa, water and extra salt to soothe my throat. What I ended up with is what you see in the pictures. A nice fragrant soup that went kind of Moroccan. As I was getting ready to eat, the sky cleared up and the sun hit me with it's last warm rays of the day. I moved the bowl to the other side to get the sun on my back. Of course I took 3 more pictures. It was the last bowl. It looked so pretty, warm and inviting. I dived in, scraped it clean, mopped it with bread... So Good. To the last drop. I still sat there 5 minutes later, still feeling sick but so content.








Tasty whatever you want to call it soup

3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped or sliced
2 large carrots, peeled, chopped or sliced
6 cloves of garlic, chopped or sliced (when sick, bring on the garlic)
1 small rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
2-3 potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
8 cups of water or broth of choice (expect to add more later)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Bay leaf
1 can of chickpeas (19 oz)
Can of tomatoes (28 oz)
2 Italian sausages sautéed till brown, then sliced
1 tsp dry oregano
Baby spinach (roughly 2 handfuls)
1 Parmesan rind (optional)
Lots of cheese to grate over your bowl with glee (I used strong white cheddar)
Hot pepper flakes

When I opted for a Moroccan vibe I skipped the cheese and added the spices below to the leftover in my pot before reheating. It was enough for a generous bowl.

1/2 tsp cumin
2 pinches cinnamon
1 extra cup of liquid
1 pinch cayenne pepper (or hot pepper flakes)
Harissa to taste (a knob stirred in the liquid)


In oil toss the onion, carrots, celery, cloves of garlic on medium high heat. Cook a few minutes to give colour. Add potatoes, rutabaga 6 cups of water or broth. Stir and scrape bottom. Add tomatoes (roughly chopped with all the juice), the can of drained chickpeas, a bay leaf, oregano, salt and pepper. Meanwhile sauté 2 Italian sausages (if you have them), in a pan till nice and brown on high heat. Remove with tongs and slice. Add them and juices to the pot. You can go ahead and add spinach now or later. It will get thick and hearty. Add extra cups of water if necessary. I added at least 2 more. Let it simmer for at least an hour then let it rest to let the flavours develop. Reheat again if necessary... You decide. If your hungry, eat! :) It will be better the 2nd time. I served it with loads of strong white cheddar grated finely in my bowl. It was amazing. A full meal.

The Moroccan finish
This was done with the last of the leftovers. The one shown in the pictures. It was getting thick. I loosened it up with a ladle of water, threw in a few pinches of cinnamon, some cumin, cayenne pepper and a bit of Harissa. Brought it back to boil then turned heat down to simmer for 10 minutes. The flavours were amazing together an cleared my throat nicely.

I could have eaten this all week but by day 2 and 3 meals later (for 2 people), it was gone.

Peach clafoutis (or flaugnarde)

A sweet creation was in the works a few nights ago.

I'm not someone who craves desserts often but when it hits me I can't let go. We had gone through a few rough weeks and I needed something to bring me comfort on a cold sad night. I won't talk about the sad part but I can say it's been a long winter with too much bad news, sickness and just recently the loss of a dear pet.

As I was rummaging through the freezer for dinner, I found a bag of frozen peach slices. Images of cobbler, pie and upside down cake came to mind. I was left dreaming of warmer days and Summer.

Without hesitation and no real plan, I grabbed the bag. Turns out they weren't very sweet or flavourful so to boost them up, I let them thaw and macerate in a mix of rum, almond extract and sugar. While they soaked up that tasty elixir, I tried to figure out my options. In the end I went with what was familiar. A billowing, vanilla scented peach clafoutis. With rum.

This was much needed and a refreshing change from brownies, junk and fatty addictions.

Clafoutis is a French dessert made of black cherries baked in a custard-like batter which is similar to crêpe batter. It is rustic looking and so simple to make yet I never get tired of the wow factor. You can tell it's ready when the sweet vanilla fragrance permeates the house and when the clafoutis is golden and puffy. As soon as it's out of the oven, the glorious clafoutis deflates and sets around the soften fruits. It is best served lukewarm. If another fruit is substituted (like my peach slices), then it's technically a flaugnarde. My husband loves to butcher that word and since nobody cares about that technical detail, I go with the flow and just call it clafoutis. In the end, I just want it to taste good.

This is my method and there is a million out there. I can't even say if it's authentic but it works for me. I often vary the temperature, baking time, liqueur or extract depending on the fruit, the season, the ripeness and sweetness. I tried orange blossom water, rum, port, kirsch, Grand-Marnier and a few others depending on the fruit and mood. Whichever I choose, I try to not go over 2 tablespoons and I always add vanilla regardless. Sometimes I add ground almonds to the flour (it makes it denser and I love the flavour) or I scatter almond slices on top which offers a nice contrast in taste and texture when toasted. It's also irresistibly pretty. This recipe is heavily adapted from the one in Chef John's Food Wishes. I baked many clafoutis before randomly viewing this video but Chef John's amusing and almost nonchalant explanations sort of stayed with me. His casual approach is beyond simple and whenever my mind gets frazzled, I start doubting myself on quantities and stall so I go see Chef John for a refresher. I like listening to him (I'm easy to entertain) and many of his recipes worked for me so I recommend his site.

Back to what's happening in the pics below... I buttered a 10" wide dish and sprinkled that with sugar as one would do with flour. The peaches were thawed and ready (soft and cool to the touch) so I carefully laid them in the dish in a circular pattern. The syrup that accumulated at the bottom of the bowl was delicious. There was about 1/4 cup. I was going to drink it but decided to add it to the batter instead.

With most fruits, I'll throw them in casually but with peaches or pears, I find that a pretty circular pattern works better. I then sprinkled the peaches with sugar.

I quickly made the batter to which I added the leftover juices. I then gently poured this over the fruits. Some fruits always float to the surface or move around a bit, that is normal and to be expected.

I carefully transferred the dish to a hot oven. Mine was already cranked to 400˚F. After 10 minutes, I lowered the temperature to 350˚F. Why? I'm not sure... I think I doubted myself and most recipes say 350˚F. I let it bake for 45 minutes. Like most baked dishes, I usually go by smell first to see if it's ready and then by looks. It smelled amazing. When I peeked, it was golden and very puffy. It wasn't as brown as my usual clafoutis and I suspect it was because of the lower temperature. It doesn't matter. It was getting late and I couldn't bother to bake it longer. The moment I took it out of the oven it still jiggled a bit (totally normal) and started to deflate (also normal). By the time I set this down and grabbed the camera, the clafoutis was already down by half an inch. As far as I know, a clafoutis always deflates as it sits to cool off (see pics below). I would have been more worried if it didn't! :)

At this point it was still pretty hot but I couldn't resist anymore. I took a big spoonful to taste and mildly burned my tongue. Was it worth it? Yes. It was all I expected from this first bite. A moist and sweet custardy blanket with vapours of vanilla and rum, wrapped around a soft poached fruit. Pure comfort. I even went for a second bite. To really enjoy this though, it has to rest and cool down till it gets lukewarm. It's even great cold the next day but to be honest, I rarely have leftovers. To allow the cooling process, I had to step away. That part is always hard but necessary. Watching an episode of Person of Interest was easy to distract me. So I guess 45 minutes went by. I then grabbed the dish and two spoons. Husband and I agreed to respect each other's sides and we scarfed it down while watching an other episode.

No pictures of cute slice, no sprinkled sugar on top. Just this dish, spoon, my guy and a tv show.

Total satisfaction.

Peach clafoutis

Heavily adapted from Chef John's Food Wishes video recipe 

1/2 tablespoon butter (for greasing)

2/3 cup sugar

3-4 cups peach slices (mine were frozen stiff when measured so it was probably 3 cups when thawed)

2 tablespoons rum

1-2 teaspoons almond extract (went by taste here)

1/2 cup flour

1 1/4 cup milk (in this recipe, 1/4 cup of that milk was replaced with the rum/sugar/peach syrup)

3 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

salt (about 2 pinches)

Thaw peach slices if frozen. This is one of those dishes where you put as much as your dish will allow. If you have too much, eat the rest or set it aside for something else. In a bowl, mix peach slices with rum, almond extract and about 3 tablespoons of sugar. You want the liquid to be pleasantly sweet like syrup. Let that sit for a bit. Mine sat for 2 hours. If your fruits are fresh, ripe and sweet, by all means skip that step. If you have some peach schnapps, feel free to use that instead. My rum almost made me go for cinnamon but I held back. This is all about improvising. I did it to improve the lack of flavour. You might want to try it with a very specific flavour in mind.

When you're ready to start, crank oven to 400˚F.

Grease your dish with butter. I used a flan dish which (10" wide and 1.5" high). Any shallow casserole dish (about 2 quarts) would do. I even tried it in my 9" cast iron pan with success. Sprinkle a tbsp of sugar to coat the bottom but you might need more for the sides. I usually end up using 1 1/2 tbsp. Shake and tap the pan as you move it around to distribute the sugar as much as possible (just like you would do with flour). Add a bit more to the sides if needed. You can return the excess sugar in the bowl you'll use for the batter. Many skip that step but I find it worth it. It doesn't stick (in fact it's super easy to remove a slice of clafoutis when cooled and set) and makes for a nice caramelized crust.

Take your fruits and place one slice at a time in a circular pattern. You could strain them in a bowl first to collect the juice but I just gently shake each slice from it's liquid as I lay it in the dish. When done and satisfied, sprinkle sugar over the fruits. I rarely measure but I'll guess 3tbsp.

In a bowl, whisk your flour, rest of the sugar and a pinch of salt. Next is the milk. Sometimes I go all milk (or mix with cream) but if I have a nice sweet syrup from the fruit I'm using, I'll use that instead (it's usually between 1/4 to 1/2 cup) and I top that with milk to make 1 1/4 cup. It's okay if you end up with a bit more (I once went as far as 1 1/2 cup). Hope I'm not confusing but when I cook or bake I just do that. It's like alchemy with food! I play with things, take notes and hope for the best. :)

Gently pour that batter over your fruits in the dish. I usually pour it slowly in a big wide circle till everything is covered. Some will move, it's okay. Some will float, it's okay too. Carefully bring this to your hot oven (without spilling or creating a tidal wave of batter) and close the door. Exhale. Set the timer for 40 minutes and move on.

After 40 minutes, you can open the door and take a peak or you can rely on your nose. I usually wait for the aromas of vanilla and pancake to waft through the rest of the house. Then I take a look. Sometimes I leave it for an extra 5-10 minutes to give it more colour. Sometimes that sneak peek costs me to see the glorious golden mound to deflate but such is the life of a clafoutis. Remove from the oven, smell, smile and sprinkle sugar on top if you wish. I often don't bother.

Now walk away. This is not a dessert that gets eaten hot or too warm.

You want this to cool and set. About 30-40 minutes. If you cut this too early (we've all been guilty), it won't hold as well. It also needs to rest so that the flavours between the poached fruits and sweet vanilla batter get to mingle and mellow. Please try to wait but I'll understand if you can't. A light dusting of icing sugar can make it pretty (if no sugar was sprinkled on top when hot). some serve this with cream or ice cream... Honestly, I never tried.

Just grab a spoon and scoop right out of the dish with a loved one. Or act civilized, slice and serve.

Mad woman at the stove with a brain on neutral and an unwanted pound of ground pork

There are times when you feel like you're all thumbs. When deep down you know that for sanity's sake it would be best if you stayed out of the kitchen and dialled a number for pizza. If frustrations build up and your mind goes in neutral, you can start feeling useless in a hurry as people around you get tired, grumpy and hungry (yourself included). My neighbour has a good word for that: "hangry". When that happens, I usually let it go and embrace grilled cheese night, eggs and toast, cream of wheat with apple sauce or buttered noodles. Even better if Marc takes over! It happens... Right? I can usually shrug it off, knowing that I will helm the kitchen when I get to be myself again.

Sometimes though, this invisible pressure keeps pushing and common sense just flies out the window. Then anxiety takes over and things get dumb real fast. Like 2 nights ago when this pic was taken by my 4 year old. I can feel the fog in this photo. I was tired and struggling a bit. Okay, a lot. Depression but nothing serious. Marc was entertaining the girls but offered to go to the store for something easy. It would have spared me a few brain cells as I was obviously struggling and cursing with one stupid move after an other but I was stubborn. Even though he offered more than once, my pride held on like a pit bull and I decided to stick to my guns. Or in this case, my pots and pans.

I grabbed what I thought was 1 pound of beef but suddenly realized it was pork. My plan was simple. Patties, simply seasoned, quickly fried in barely any fat and finished with a knob of butter under the grill. For sides, white rice and buttered carrots cooked in just enough water that would evaporate into a sweet syrupy liquid by serving time. I know this stuff by heart. There is no recipe. It's just manipulation of a few ingredients on high or low heat till you know it's just right for consumption. My brain didn't want to think but I still wanted comfort. Well, all went to hell when pork showed up as an impostor. I should have treated this meat the same way but I'm not a fan of pork patties. I can cook pork or sausage meat with confidence into a luscious sauce for pasta but we already had that 2 nights before and mac 'n' cheese not too long before that... Not an option. I was out of ingredients for that anyway. I'm also pretty good with pork chops, pork roast or tenderloin but this was ground pork. Extra lean. With ground pork, I can master a pretty decent tourtière and I like to mix it with beef and veal for some seriously tasty meatballs. All things I take pride in and love but there was no time for that. Also, I didn't care. Or maybe I cared too much and didn't want to do a half-assed job? Whatever it was, I felt stuck. Seriously I should have tossed that in the fridge and go with grilled cheese. The next option was asian flavours but I had little to nothing for that and I wanted the girls to eat, not whine. I considered greek but I was out of lemons, cucumbers, tomatoes... *Sigh*

Lame? Yes. I was simply at the end of my wits and supplies. The fridge was close to empty. Same for the pantry. It was pretty much meat and potatoes without the potatoes. I had rice, onions, celery and carrots. Usually I thrive on that. Stretching the last goods for a small feast. A great base for risotto, soup, sauce, stews... Anything! Not this time. I just wanted 'simple' and to move on but that pork threw me off!! My pride was hurt. I was annoyed. The more I looked at links or books for ideas the worse I felt. After a while I shut all my books, my laptop, grabbed a glass of water and just closed my eyes for 5 minutes.

Pork patties (a lengthy description of an improvised recipe from a frazzled mind)

I started. Thawed the meat that was still frozen. In the microwave. Oh how I loath the microwave. Bad start. I got distracted somehow (kid or cat) and some parts of the meat got cooked through. I cursed. Marc heard me and felt brave enough to say "I guess we're having pizza". I said nothing, which was pretty much a silent "NO!" I gave a piece of cooked meat to the cat and moved on. I dumped the meat with all it's liquid in a bowl and stepped outside for a second breather. Smart move. It was pleasant and balmy. I went to check on my herbs in the garden to inspire me and fair enough touching the sage made me think of garlic, pork, apples and potatoes. I had no apples or 'taters but close enough! I grabbed a few leaves of fresh sage. Washed them, patted them dry and chopped. Tossed that in my big granite mortar with 2 big cloves of garlic, the last spoonful of my olive oil and 2 generous pinches of salt. Crushing that to a paste with the heavy pestle was very satisfying and the smells were just enough to help me stick around to see what was going to happen next. I scooped that fragrant paste and transferred it in the bowl with the meat.

I took an onion next, chopped it up and threw it in a pan with a pat of butter on medium heat till soft and coloured. While they were cooking, I took 2 slices of whole wheat bread and turned them into crumbs in the food processor. Before adding the crumbs to the meat, I tossed them in the big mortar to soak up the last micro bits of sage and garlic goodies that were left behind. With a rubber spatula, I scraped it around to get it all fragrant and into the bowl of pork it went. That moment felt so good. I still wasn't sure what I was doing. To that, I added the onions and the leftover fat which wasn't much. I also added some buttermilk just because I happened to have some (about 3 tbsp). I broke an egg in there and whipped it a bit then mixed everything gently.

My pan was still hot on medium heat. I needed more fat though. I didn't want to use my butter or some precious artisan olive oil from friends of the family in Portugal so I decided to be bad and used bacon fat! :) I smiled with defiance. The fat came from some seriously good local bacon Marc had purchased the day before. It was a tablespoon or less. We'll just say it was less and move along. I let that heat up and quickly scooped some of that pork mixture with my hand. The amount was filling my palm nicely. It was really soft and fragile so I moved quickly and gently flattened it in my hand with the tip of my fingers then flipped that in the pan. It was the perfect size. Thickness of my fingers, size of my palm but in an oval sort of shape. I did 4 like that and fried them fast without touching till a crust was set. That made them easier to flip over. Then I seared the other side quickly. I suddenly decided I was going to finish them in the oven and cranked the oven to 375˚f. I transferred the 4 patties in a small square metal pan I usually use for brownies and cooked 2 more. 6 in all.

Once they were in my square dish (4 at the bottom with 2 on top), I threw a generous spoonful of flour in the frying pan and tossed that around for 2 minutes. Once cooked, brown and stuck to the bottom of the pan, I gradually added a cup of chicken broth that had to go. It could have been water, apple juice, port, milk or cooking liquids from the carrots. I stirred that flour with a wooden spoon to loosen it and turned it into a paste over medium heat as I kept adding broth in a thin stream. Each time I kept adding, the paste loosened into something promising. I kept stretching that till the broth was gone. It made a nice thin gravy that would thicken just a tad more in the oven. I seasoned with salt, pepper and tasted... Yup, good. Light at the end of the tunnel! I poured that sauce over the patties and in the hot oven it went. I had no aluminum foil and worried that the patties on top, would dry up so I simply laid a cookie sheet on top as an improvised lid. Cooked that for 10-12 minutes... Relief.

There it was, a pleasant meal. VICTORY! As I called the family to come to the table, I took a pic in case it was a stroke of genius. It wasn't but it sure was tasty and comforting! The vibe at the table was good. There was no struggle with the girls who were chirping away. All ate happily (myself included). Marc who helped, thanked me for the efforts that my frazzled brain barely managed. A glass of port was serenely enjoyed as a reward. A silent toast to a good ending.

I feel like myself again and ready to helm the kitchen. Well, at least until Thanksgiving.

Lindsey Bareham's roasted tomatoes

I LOVE pasta but never took macaroni and cheese seriously or cared enough to make one until I discovered a cool little cookbook titled: Supper Won't Take Long: Favourite Recipes from the "Evening Standard".

17 years ago, I randomly picked this paperback at the bookstore. I was just really drawn by the cover. I mean look at it! Juicy roasted tomatoes, all glistening red and nestled on top of a generous pesto layer on *gasp* ... is that puff pastry!? YES PLEASE! A few quick reads of the recipes and ingredients was all I needed to buy this book in a flash. It was 1997. Jamie Oliver as The Naked Chef wasn't even a sensation yet. Same for Nigella Lawson. The only British cooks I knew of were an odd duo called The Two Fat Ladies (which were awesome by the way and a real torture to watch on an empty stomach). Needless to say, I had never heard of Lindsey Bareham. I wasn't familiar with British food writing and it's quirky, charming terms. In fact, silly French me assumed she was American. I even thought that maybe The evening Standard was from New York! :)

The more I read though, the more I noticed the subtle differences that clearly made this "European fare". It reminded me of French food, the way my mother cooks and that brought me comfort. I fell in love with the vocabulary, her enthusiasm and seductive descriptions in each intro for each recipe. Her love for seasonal food is very clear in her stories and the recipes are simple enough. I carried that book around everywhere. On road trips, to work and even kept it by my bedside. It's in pieces now but I still love it and use it often. I guess I should get some tape to fix it before I lose a precious page. I tried so many recipes and I can't remember being disappointed. It's easy comfort food without being ordinary and makes pleasing meals for 2 or a family of 4. Lindsey is so casual in her approach that you can't help but feel relax before starting. A bit like when you indulge in a glass of wine just as you start on supper. So yeah, I recommend the book. It cost me $16.99 at the time. Worth every penny I spontaneously spent on it! Including the scotch tape I'm going to buy to repair it.

One of the first recipes I tried is: Onion Macaroni Cheese with Roast Tomatoes.

Great for a picnic. Breadcrumbs were added to this version for contrast.

Now this particular recipe might not sound very European but it still felt delightfully different. Her
description: "...Any fat tubular lengths of pasta will do, or you could use large shells or circular noodles. The cheese sauce is perked up with masses of chives and English mustard, then mixed with buttery strands of soft onion and just-tender chunks of leek. When everything is cooked and mixed together it's eaten as it is, risotto-style, dusted with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a sharply dressed tomato salad on the side. However, it's more Monday nightish poured into a shallow baking dish, topped with grated Parmesan and popped into a hot oven until the top turns brown and crusty..."

Is it weird to be charmed by this? Because I really am! Her intro sold me and I made the dish with the side of roasted tomatoes that she later explains in her recipe. It stayed with me and it's on rotation in our house (especially when it gets colder). Great as a picnic too as you can see below.

Happy husband 

Since then I've simplified by skipping the onions and the leeks. They are seriously awesome in there but not always in harmony with children. In the photo above, the mac 'n' cheese is a different one that had to suit that particular day but the one thing I never changed is the roasted tomatoes from her recipe. That addition which is actually a side dish, always, ALWAYS comes with our macaroni and cheese regardless of the version I chose to cook. Our girls don't care for the tomato part yet but Marc and I just can't get enough of that jammy, tangy, red goodness that we get to squish on top of our noodles each time. It's a great contrast to the rich, creamy cheesy sauce and adds extra moisture if on that day, the casserole turned a little dry *ahem* like above. It's a winner! The only other things that could accompany a dish like that is red wine (obviously), a nice green salad and maybe crusty bread to mop the sauces in your plate. :)

Easy to carry in a brownie pan with saran wrap for a picnic take out. 

I'm really here for the roasted tomatoes that come along with her recipe. They rock. Without them, I wouldn't bother posting about this. If they're in season, it will be amazing. If they're not in season (think Canadian grocery stores in winter), this will bring them back to life big time! If they're canned, well, you'll still come up with a decent version. It's the way they melt and jam with the heat, the salt, pepper, sugar and olive oil. Everything just intensifies. Then those juices mingle with the mac 'n' cheese sauce... The tangy with the creamy. A real pleasure. It's a party in your plate really. Sometimes I like to have a simple green salad at the same time so that the dressing gets to mingle too. That's when your bread is a serious tool to mop up all the juices. Not too much though. Just enough to clean the plate. I feel my waistband expanding just writing this! I often simplify and leave out the salad and the bread for mopping but I can't bother to make macaroni and cheese if I don't have those tomatoes to party with. It's that simple and it's been like this for 17 years.

On a side note, those tomatoes are also great with eggs and sausages. Think Hobbit! Also great with crusty bread and butter and a piece of cheese... I bet a roasted chicken wouldn't say no to them either. Anyways! I could go on! Someone shut me up. Try them! Hope you like them.

Roasted tomatoes (to go with any macaroni and cheese)

Adapted from Lindsey Bareham's Supper Won't Take Long: Favourite Recipes from the Evening Standard

4 tomatoes or more

A few pinches of sugar
4 tsp olive oil (I'm guessing here, I figure about 1/2 tsp for each half)

salt and freshly ground black pepper (a generous dose on tomatoes is good here)

Additions:
dried oregano (if you feel like it)

garlic powder (if you wish)
red pepper flakes (if you dare)

Turn the oven to 400˚f. Wash and cut your tomatoes in half across their circumference. Take the cores out if you wish. Rub top and bottom with olive oil or just drizzle oil over them and rub the excess on their bottom. Do what you feel like, just know that a little extra olive oil is a good thing here! As you do this place them, cut side up, in a tray or pan that can go in a hot oven. I often use a square brownie pan that seems to fit just right. I even used cheap aluminum plates (careful though, juices burn fast in that so a splash of water might be required). Season with salt and pepper. We enjoy a generous dose of freshly ground pepper on tomatoes, it really works. Add a small pinch of sugar on each half. Now don't go crazy and sugar them up like cookies! This is a light gesture. You just want a little to brighten them up with the hot temperature. Raise your arm and hand as you do this. Your sprinkling will be more even.

Additions: I often add a sprinkle of garlic powder and dried oregano. It really adds an other layer of flavours that seeps into the tomatoes but it doesn't dominate. Now you can go fresh obviously but it becomes something else. Try it one way or the other. Just remember that the focus is on the tomatoes! Same with the red pepper flakes. I don't add this often, just when I want to kick it up a notch. If I do, I go easy on the freshly ground pepper. It's all about balance and what you're in the mood for.

Pop in the oven for about 35 minutes or till it looks good. Serves 4 people with 2 halves each.

Tip: You can place them at the top and switch them to the low shelf once the macaroni and cheese is ready to go in. If your pan gets a bit too hot and dry and the running juices burn down, add a splash of water. If you're running out of time but want colour and a few crispy edges switch to the broiler for a few minutes. This recipe is easy to double, triple... We never seem to make enough.