Easter Baked Canadian Ham Shank

Easter Ham Dinner When I put a column together it sometimes comes with the memory of the first time I was exposed to the food item and its recipe as so in this instance. It was the early fifties and at five years old my father a hotel chef handed me my first set of cooking whites complete with cloth bag hat and apron. Actually this was a form of day care during my childhood years. While I got set up to peel some potatoes my dad was cleaning the fish he got that morning and was also receiving the daily hotel staples from the different suppliers. First to arrive was the JM...

Curry Coconut Cod Bowl.

Cod Rice Bowl. In this dish, a nice 200 gram atlantic cod filet is gently poached in this vibrant sauce that highlights bold flavors of Sharwood’s mild curry powder, minced garlic, and toasted fennel piquant mustard seeds and coriander. Adding some canned coconut milk perfectly tempers the spice of the sauce, which is readily absorbed by a bed of jasmine rice. 200 Grams Atlantic cod fillets 1¾ cups full coconut milk ½ cup jasmine Rice ½ lb of tasty tomatoes 1 juice of one Lime 2 cloves garlic minced 4 oz Sweet Peppers 1½ tsps. brown & yellow mustard seeds. 1...

Iron Skillet Pan Fired Walleye

Iron Skillet Pan Fired Walleye. Ice fishing is a great way to just enjoy a nice winter activity and if you’re lucky the rewards end up being mighty tasty. At the K/O lodge in Deep River I used this recipe using the Dipot Brand package of seasoned flour mix or make your own custom mix which I like even better. Take the filets and pour over a goodly amount of tabasco sauce or your favourite hot sauce and let sit for at least15 minutes to half an hour. Now take the filet and with a paper towel blot and dry the filet removing any of the marinating liquid. The filets...

Duck Duck!

Duck Duck! Cooking duck takes several rehearsals to make it perfect. Once you become involved in the ways to both sauté and and bake confit style, your final duck dinner will be perfecto. The breast portion is the one that I flavour with a good cherry brandy and with simple salt and pepper scored skin pan sauté to medium rare with crispy skin in duck fat. The leg portion was baked in it’s own fats. Made a fava bean and mashed potato smear, with some wilted spinach and butter fried wild mushroom. A duck confit that’s sure to please even the pickiest eaters!...

Smoked Salmon and Prawn Party Shooters.

Here is a tasty appetizer Smoked Salmon or Spot Prawn Shooters. In a stainless or glass bowl make a salsa. 1/2 cup each of diced 1/4”cubes of nectarine or peach, avocado mango and papaya. ½ a cup of fine chopped cilantro.   ½ cup chopped green onion 1 tbs. of chopped garlic, ginger and shallot. 1/4 cup of fine chopped pistachios or cashews.   Add one deseeded and fine chopped red jalapeno pepper. Use a red sweet bell pepper in place of if required. Add 2oz. of some Vodka.   Add fresh squeezed juice with pulp from 1 orange, 1 lemon and 1 lime. Add 1 tbs. of extra virgin...

Red Hot & Blue Vegetarian Boogie

Red Hot & Blue Vegetarian Boogie!     Red Hot & Blue was the first restaurant as an executive chef that I got to be part of the design team during the inception both in front and back of the house. I created the initial theme menus along with the kitchen design and conception. This flag ship restaurant was a tribute to musicians and their music. The owners with strong roots in the music industry built the restaurant in a Toronto Yonge Street office tower which was home to twenty five hundred workers. The restaurant sat 350 people and had an express pasta...