Author: mark

Sausage and Tortellini Soup

Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup

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Course Soup
Cuisine Italian

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb hot Italian sausage casing removed, or mild if preferred
  • 1 medium yellow onion chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 c chicken stock
  • 1 (398 ml) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 (398 ml) can crushed tomatoes * see note below
  • 2 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1 (350 g) package tortellini
  • 2 small zucchini cut in half lengthwise and sliced into half rounds
  • 1 c heavy cream
  • baby spinach two handfuls, but usually I add a whole large container…
  • freshly grated Parmesan for serving
  • crushed red pepper flakes for serving (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Heat a large pot over med-high heat. Add sausage, onion, and garlic and cook, breaking up the meat, until the sausage is browned, about 5 minutes.
  • Stir in chicken stock, tomatoes, and tomato paste until fully blended. Bring to a boil and add salt, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until slightly reduced, about 15 minutes. Stir in tortellini, zucchini, and cream. Cook until the pasta is tender, 3-5 minutes. Add spinach and stir, let sit until wilted.
  • Serve with Parmesan and red pepper flakes, if desired.

Notes

  • I have trouble finding a small can of crushed tomatoes, so I’ve been buying a second can of diced tomatoes and hitting it with an immersion blender.

Cream Liqueurs

Cream Liqueurs

Variations on a theme.
Print Recipe
Course Drinks

Ingredients
  

Irish Cream Liqueur

  • 300 ml sweetened condensed milk (1 can)
  • 375 ml Irish Whiskey
  • 250 ml table cream
  • 15 ml chocolate syrup

Rum Cream Liqueur

  • 300 ml sweetened condensed milk (1 can)
  • 375 ml dark rum
  • 250 ml table cream
  • 25 ml chocolate syrup
  • 10 ml vanilla

Chocolate Mint Liqueur

  • 300 ml sweetened condensed milk (1 can)
  • 250 ml milk
  • 125 ml creme de cacau
  • 125 ml creme de menthe
  • 125 ml vodka
  • 50 ml chocolate syrup
  • 5 ml vanilla
  • 10 ml peppermint extract

Scotch Cream Liqueur

  • 300 ml sweetened condensed milk
  • 375 ml Scotch whisky
  • 250 ml table cream
  • 5 ml instant coffee
  • 25 ml chocolate syrup
  • 5 ml vanilla
  • 5 ml almond extract (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Combine all ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth.
  • Keep refrigerated, and give it a good shake before serving.

Refrigerator Cookies

Mom’s Refrigerator Cookies

Print Recipe
Course Dessert

Ingredients
  

  • 1 c sugar
  • ½ c butter
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1½ c flour
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1½ tsp baking powder

Instructions
 

  • Beat butter until soft. Gradually add sugar, blending until light and creamy.
  • Mix in beaten egg, then add vanilla.
  • Soft together flour, salt, and baking powder, then stir into the batter mixture.
  • When smooth, form into a 2" diameter roll on wax or parchment paper, then wrap securely.
  • Chill the roll for 12 to 24 hours in refrigerator, or keep in freezer.
  • To bake, slice ¼" disks off the end and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake ar 400° for 8-10 minutes.

Notes

Variations:
  • add 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest or cinnamon when adding vanilla
  • when mixing final ingredients, add 1/2 c chopped nuts
  • sprinkle discs with sugar or chopped nuts before baking
  • Butterscotch: Substitute white sugar with 1 1/2c packed brown sugar
  • Chocolate: before rolling dough, melt – then cool – 2oz chocolate and mix into dough.  – add 1Tbsp brandy or rum
 

Funges

Funges

Mushrooms in broth and spices. A 14th Century English recipe.
Print Recipe
Course Side Dish

Ingredients
  

  • 8 leeks sliced into rings and washed, white parts only
  • 6 Tbsp butter divided
  • 1½ lb mushrooms quartered
  • 1 c chicken stock or vegetable stock
  • ½ tsp brown sugar
  • pinch saffron threads
  • ½ tsp fresh ginger minced
  • 3 Tbsp flour
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Melt 3 Tbsp butter in a heavy skillet, and sauté leeks for a few minutes until they begin to wilt. Add mushrooms, and stir to coat.
  • Combine stock, sugar, saffron, and ginger, and pour over the vegetables. Simmer 2 minutes.
  • While vegetables are simmering, melt remaining butter in a small skillet and add flour. Cook until thickened and a golden brown. Add roux to the vegetables, and continue to cook until liquid has thickened slightly and the vegetables are evenly glazed. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Cock-a-leekie Soup

Cock-a-leekie Soup

Print Recipe
Cuisine Scottish

Ingredients
  

  • 25 g butter
  • 6 chicken drumsticks
  • 6 leeks washed, cut lengthwise, and chopped
  • 4 rashers bacon chopped
  • 2 litres chicken stock
  • a bouquet of thyme, bay leaf, and parsley
  • 8 prunes
  • fresh parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter.
  • Brown chicken (whole legs, skin on). When browned, add bacon. Fry for 2 minutes, and add leeks.
  • Add stock, bring to boil.
  • Once boiled, reduce to low simmer. Skim surface with spoon to remove chicken residue.
  • Add bouquet of herbs, prunes, and season with salt and pepper.
  • Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
  • After the hour, remove bouquet and chicken. Discard bouquet.
  • Separate the meat from the bones, return to pot.
  • Serve.

Notes

There’s a “funny” story that comes along with this recipe.  I was making a large version of this soup as part of a Baronial Banquet I ran in 2013. I had some friends over to help, and we pre-made 15 gallons of Cock-a-leekie soup in my large brew pot.  We carried it downstairs into the Squamish November cold garage, with the garage door opened a crack, to let it cool overnight.
The next morning, I went to check on it and when I lifted the lid discovered a bulging surface which suddenly let out gasses.  Awful gasses.  I’d neglected to consider my large brew pot was triple-walled, and held in the heat very well.  I poked at the surface and discovered the soup was bubbling.  I’d fermented 15 gallons of cock-a-leekie soup. 

Yorkshire Pudding

Yorkshire Pudding

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Ingredients
  

  • 4 large eggs measured in a jug
  • Equal quantity of milk to eggs
  • Equal quantity of all purpose/plain flour to eggs
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 tbsp lard beef dripping or vegetable oil

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oven to the highest temperature possible, however, do not exceed 450F/230C or the fat may burn.
  • Pour the eggs and milk into a large mixing bowl and add the pinch of salt. Whisk thoroughly with an electric hand beater or hand whisk. Leave to stand for 10 minutes.
  • Gradually sieve the same volume of flour (as the eggs) into the milk and egg mixture, again using an electric hand beater or hand-whisk to create a lump free batter resembling thick cream, if there are any lumps pass the batter through a fine sieve.
  • Leave the batter to rest in the kitchen for a minimum of 30 minutes, longer if possible – up to several hours.
  • Place a pea-sized piece of lard, dripping or ½ tsp vegetable oil into your chosen Yorkshire pudding tin, or a 4 x 2″/5cm hole tin or 12-hole muffin tin and heat in the oven until the fat is smoking. Give the batter another good whisk adding 2 tbsps of cold water and fill a third of each section of the tin with batter and return quickly to the oven.
  • Leave to cook until golden brown approx 20 minutes. Repeat the last step again until all the batter is used up.

Cappuccino Cheesecake

Cappuccino Cheesecake

Print Recipe
Course Dessert

Ingredients
  

crust:

  • 1 1/3 c graham wafer crumbs aprox 24 crackers
  • ¼ c sugar
  • 1/3 c melted butter

filling:

  • 3 pkgs cream cheese softened (250g ea)
  • ½ c sugar
  • ½ c brown sugar
  • 2 T flour
  • 2 t vanilla
  • 3 eggs
  • ¼ c milk
  • 1 T instant coffee

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 450℉.
  • Combine crumbs, sugar, and butter. Press into bottom and halfway up the sides of a 9” springform pan.
  • Beat together cream cheese, sugars, flour, and vanilla until smooth. Add eggs, beating on low speed just until blended. Combine milk and instant coffee, stirring until dissolved, stir into cream cheese mixture. Pour into prepared crust.
  • Bake at 450° for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 250° and bake 45-55 minutes longer.
  • Cool cake on rack, then chill 8 hours or overnight. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate espresso beans.

Black Forest Cheesecake

Black Forest Cheesecake

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Ingredients
  

Crust

  • 1⅓ c chocolate wafers crushed
  • ⅓ c butter melted

Filling

  • 1 lb cream cheese softened
  • ⅔ c sour cream
  • ½ c sugar
  • 1 Tbsp Kirsch
  • 1 tsp cherry extract
  • 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate
  • 1 oz unsweetened chocolate
  • 2 large eggs

Cherry Topping

  • 15 oz cherry pie filling 1 can
  • 2 Tbsp cornstarch
  • ¼ c Kirsch

Cream Topping

  • 3 c whipping cream chilled
  • ½ c icing sugar
  • ¼ c Kirsch

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350℉

Crust

  • Mix crust ingredients together and press into a 9" or 10" springform pan. Bake for 5 minutes, remove and let cool

Filling

  • Combine cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, Kirsch, and cherry extract, and beat until smooth.
  • Melt chocolates together over hot water, and add to batter, beating until smooth.
  • Add eggs one at a time, and beat for 5 minutes.
  • Pour batter mixture over crust. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Let sit until cake reaches room temperature, then chill for 2 hours.

Cherry Topping

  • Mix cherry pie filling, cornstarch, and Kirsch together in a large pot, and heat until thickened. Simmer for for 1 minute, then let cool slightly. Spoon over cheesecake, and leave to set.

Cream Topping

  • Beat cream, until thick, add sugar and Kirsch gradually. Dollop cream topping onto cheesecake before serving.

Rum Raisin Cheesecake

Rum Raisin Cheesecake

Print Recipe
Course Dessert

Ingredients
  

Crust

  • ½ c graham cracker crumbs
  • ½ c sugar
  • ½ c butter melted

Filling

  • 2 c water
  • 1 c raisins
  • 2 lb cream cheese
  • ½ c sugar
  • 3 Tbsp white rum
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 egg yolk

Topping

  • 2 c sour cream
  • ¼ c sugar
  • 1 tsp white rum

Instructions
 

  • Combine all crust ingredients until well blended, and press evenly into a 10" springgform pan.
  • Soak raisins in water (or more rum). Soften cream cheese and sugar, mixing until softened. Add rum, vanilla, and salt. Mix well. Add eggs one at a time, and the egg yolk, mixing on low speed until blended through. Drain and add raisin and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes. Remove and let cool.
  • Combine topping ingredients. Spread over cheesecake and chill before serving.

Lens et hordeo

A Dish of Lentils and Barley

A reconstructed medieval recipe, published in 1465, Rome. Used when I cooked Baronial Banquet.
Print Recipe
Course Side Dish

Ingredients
  

Barley, for 160:

  • ⅝ qt olive oil
  • 1⅔ qt onion chopped
  • 13⅓ cloves garlic minced
  • 3⅓ qt barley pearled
  • 1⅔ tsp freshly ground pepper
  • 2⅛ gal vegetable stock
  • 1⅛ Tbsp salt

Barley, for 8:

  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • ½ c onion chopped
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 c barley pearled
  • 1 dash freshly ground pepper
  • ⅝ qt vegetable stock
  • ¼ tsp salt

Lentils, for 160:

  • 7 lbs lentils
  • 3½ gal water
  • 7 onions peeled and halved
  • 7 whole garlic cloves peeled
  • 7 whole bay leaves
  • salt and pepper to taste

Lentils, for 8:

  • ½ lb lentils
  • 1 qt water
  • ½ onion peeled and halved
  • 1 whole garlic clove peeled
  • 1 whole bay leaf
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Add the oil to a deep, oven-proof pan heated to high and fry the onions and garlic until very lightly browned. Add barley and pepper and stir until coated. Add stock and salt and bring to a boil. Quickly place in a baking dish and cover. Bake until barley is tender and stock is absorbed, about 45 minutes. Let stand covered for at least 10 minutes.
  • While barley is baking, wash and pick over lentils. Combine lentils with 8 cups water, whole onion, garlic clove and bay leaf in a large pan. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer, uncovered, until lentils are tender, 20-30 minutes. Drain and let cool. Remove the onion, garlic, and bay leaf.
  • Putting it all together:
  • Combine barley and lentils, mixing well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or room temperature.