Trussing the bird

My husband laughs at me every time I truss a bird. He says it is because trussing is useless and doesn't do anything (he read that somewhere so now he is the authority) but I think it's because I don't eat meat. So really he is laughing at me manhandeling the fleshy pink rump of a bird and bindings it wings to its chest.

For the trussing I thought I would use Thomas Keller's instruction on 'How to' from his book Ad Hoc At Home. I slipped, twisted and tied, but my bird just did not look like his. So I flipped, bound and tightened again. Still did not look like his. I even got the aid of my three year old, who is an expert in 'reading' pictures.

But alas, I decided to try a new tactic, follow more instructions. This time from my very faithful and dependable mentor- Mark Bittman (he doesn't know this). Somehow his instructions make sense to me and... ta da, my bird looked like this.

Meanwhile on the couch I had another bird baking.


images by me.

'ad hoc' Cream of Cauliflower Soup & Crispy Chanterelles

• 2 heads cauliflower
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup coarsley chopped onion
• 3/4 cup coarsely chopped leeks- white and light green parts only
• 1/4 teaspoon your favourite curry powder (Keller has a recipe for one in his book, but we used our own)
• Kosher salt
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups heavey cream
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup coarsely chopped chanterelles
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• splash (1 teaspoon) white vinegar
• extra virgin olive oil
• additional butter
• neutral oil
• fresh ground black pepper

Clean cauliflower and discard leaves, reserve about 2 cups of neatly trimmed florets about the size of large marbles. Chop remaining cauliflower and stems into 1 inch pieces so that they will cook at approximately the same time (about 8 cups).

Melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a large saucepan, add onions, leeks, curry, and cauliflower, season with salt, cover with parchment paper lid* and cook, stirring occasionally until almost tender.

After about 20 mins, discard lid, add milk, cream, and water, increase heat to med-high and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 30 mins, skimming off foam from time to to time.

Working in batches transfer to a Vita-Mix (which Keller uses) or a high powered blender or use an immersion blender and puree until smooth (what I used). If using a blender remember to cool and be wary of the steam. Check seasoning and add more slat salt if needed. Transfer back to large sauce pan and keep warm if eating right away- soup will keep in the fridge for a couple of days.


For reserved florets, bring medium sauce pan of salted water and vinegar to boil. Cook florets until tender, 4-6 mins. Drain. Melt remaining butter in a frying pan and sauté florets until they are speckled with rich browns and golds.


For the Chanterelles. Re-use frying pan that you used for florets, add more butter and a bit of neutral oil to prevent butter from burning, saute chopped chanterelles until crispy, not blackened.


* parchment paper lid, prepare a square of parchment paper by folding into a triangle with tip being the centre of your paper like you are making a snowflake design. Cut the tip so that when you open it up there will be a hole the size of about  a quarter. With paper still folded cut rounded corners on the edge of your 'lid' . Use your sauce pan as a guide for size. Apparently the lid slows evaporation, prevents caramelization and the small hole releases excess steam.
I found the lid really did help, none of my onion, leek mixture stuck the bottom and everything got soft with out getting over cooked.

When all is said and done put soup into bowls, top with cauliflower florets and crispy chanterelles and freshly ground pepper. I wrote the recipe as I cooked it and found that mine was under-seasoned, so check salt each step! I will make this again and again and maybe even try the beet chips. 


**cream of cauliflower soup with red beet chips can be found in 'ad hoc at home' page 127


photo by me.

birthday blunder

I just had a birthday and thanks to Facebook there was no way my husband was forgetting (not that he ever has, I would never let him). What to get me is usually met with panic, frustration and sheer terror. I am a 'little' hard to shop for and as my birthday falls a mere week before christmas. I insist that he does not combine gifts, but this year that is exactly what he said he was going to do. Gasp, an eleven year rule broken just like that. But as luck or karma would have it, "it's more expensive" present didn't have an appropriate delivery by date so he had to alter his strategy and break up the gift giving into two segments.


My gift was Thomas Keller's ad hoc at home: family-style recipes cookbook. Something my husband knew I would appreciate, would spend hours pouring through looking for tips, tricks and inspiration. 'ad hoc' is collection of recipes based on Keller's food from the restaurant of the same name. The philosophy is to use fresh in season produce for family style meals, one four course menu each day.  'ad hoc' is in good company with the French Laundry, Per Se  and Bouchon (my second favourite restaurant). True to the family-style nature both my husband and I can share this book. He was even the first to make a recipe from it, giving me another invaluable gift, mummy time.


I don't know if ad hoc at home was ever part of the original intent but here it is now in my collection. I may not ever get the "it's more expensive" present, I'll have to wait and see how Christmas plays out, but this simple thoughtful gift will get a prominent place amongst my other cookbooks. Already it is getting stains and spills and all the other tell tale signs that a book is well loved. 

For dinner last night my husband made chanterelle mushrooms: with pea shoots as a bed for seared Qualicum Beach scallops and a buttery fat laden pommes anna. 


*as a note, Keller suggests Pan-Roasted Halibut from his book. However, we are consciously eating seafood that does not have a high environmental impact on our fisheries and though Halibut on the pacific coast is a safe choice if we don't know where it comes from, we avoided it all together.


photos by me.