Spiced Holiday Applesauce & Canning

This recipe includes canning your applesauce. Please before you attempt to can, refer to a trusted source. I referred to Bernardin’s website- they are a trusted company that sells canning supplies and recipes, etc. I also referred to the website simplycanning.ca, I found them to be a bit more accessible than the Bernardin website; I also felt the Bernardin website was constantly trying to sell their products at every step of the process.

I used 5 McIntosh Apples to get 2 pints, but you can use as much as you want and can use any type of apple, given your taste preferences.  You can also add sugar and spices to your preference. In this sauce, I used almond extract, cinnamon sticks (I placed them right into the jars before filling), all spice, cloves, and of course, sugar. Don’t be afraid to taste as you go along. The spices that were placed into the applesauce gives more complex flavours than just your regular sweet applesauce. It becomes savory (mainly due to the all spice) and has a natural tartness from the apples- some were a bit green, contributing to the tartness. The color was a nice brown and I mashed and strained it by hand to get a smooth consistency.

Ingredients:

Prep Time: 30 mins  Cook Time: 1 1/2 hrs  *including canning process

Apples

Cinnamon Sticks/ Ground Cinnamon

Almond Extract

Cloves

All Spice

Granulated Sugar

Water

Lemon Juice

1.  Start boiling water in your canner, once boiled, add your jars into the canner.  Bernardin says to cover the jars completely in the boiling water, while simplycanning.ca says you don’t need to submerge them in boiling water.  I decided to go with Bernardin’s instructions on this because it’s a notable source, and there is very high chance of contamination and botulism when canning.  Be sure to keep all surfaces, tools, handling ares clean!  Do not solely use this site for canning information- refer to trusted sources before attempting canning.  I kept the water boiling and the jars in the water until ready to fill.  You must keep your jars hot at all times.  Fill a pan with water and your lids and seals; keep those hot at all times as well.  I also left them in the hot water and pan until ready to use.

                                   

2. Peel, core, and slice your apples; you don’t have to peel them at the beginning, if you have red skins, it’ll give your applesauce and nice pink hue. I peeled them right at the beginning because I wanted to keep it that nice light brown colour. Throw your slices in a bowl with some water and lemon juice to keep them from browning.

3.  Next add them to a pan or pot with some water to keep your apples from scorching. Once soft and tender, you can either run your slices through a food mill, or do it by hand. At this stage, the peels, if you have kept them on will start to come off during the milling process. I don’t have an automatic mill, so I did it by hand.

4.  Next I boiled my applesauce and added sugar and spices to taste.  Now you’re ready to fill your jars.

5.  Remove your jars with a jar lifter.  You can buy kits that contain all the materials you’ll need to properly can.  It is helpful to also have a canning funnel, this should come in a canning kit, too.  I added two cinnamon sticks to each jar before filling with my applesauce.  Give the appropriate 1/2 inch head space.  Remove air bubbles by inserting a bubble remover and running it along the sides of the jar- this should also be included in a kit.

6.  Next, lower your jars into the canner of boiling water and ensure that it stays boiling throughout the processing time.  Make sure you adjust the time for altitude, charts are provided at both simplycanning.ca and Bernardin.  My applesauce only had to process for 20 minutes, because it processes for more than 10 minutes, you do not need to sterilize your jars- both the food and jars will sterilize while processing.

7.  Set your jars on either a wooden surface or lay thick towels on your countertop.  Keep them separate from one another as they need to cool, and keep undisturbed for 24 hours.  Remember to always label and date your jars.  Store in a cool, dry, dark place and try to eat them within the year.

Recipe developed by la Nu Chef, 2015

Soufflé Omelette

Hey followers!

I want my first posted recipe to be one of my favourite recipes to cook, taught to me by my dad, this one tends to take some practice.  I have been successfully cooking this since the age of 11 (not to toot my own horn), so it can come to anyone with practice, I promise.  This recipe is all about the technique, so for this one, it’ll be a plain omelette.  Omelettes are a personal food, I find, everyone likes their different toppings and fillings, cheeses, etc. (Be sure to cook veggies and meat first for this one).  So don’t be afraid to get creative!

Ingredients:

Prep. Time: 30 mins   Cook Time: 45 mins

Eggs

Water

Salt

Traditionally, omelettes will have milk or cream whisked right into the eggs before cooking and sometimes during; the Soufflé Omelette uses no milk nor any cream, the techniques used in the making of this recipe are the attributes that give this omelette both its flavour and texture.  Soufflé Omelettes are extremely fluffy, and very filling.

1. First, we are going to thoroughly separate our eggs. Keep a bowl for yolks and a bowl for whites. Try to put the yolks in a metal bowl.  You’ll find that there is a small little white tendril that hangs off the yolk of an egg.  Delicately hold the yolk in your hand, and with your thumb and forefinger on the opposite hand, gently pull off this little tendril, and reserve it with your egg whites.  Any mixed yolks and whites will completely ruin the integrity of this dish.  Be very careful when separating.
2. Once your eggs are successfully separated, get a small pot and fill with water, bring to a boil. While waiting for your water to boil, start mixing your egg whites, I like to use a stand mixer.  Throw in a pinch of salt into your egg whites, this helps them to stiffen.  Mix until they are firm, yet soft peaks.  I like to then put my whites in the fridge to keep them from falling due to heat or sitting.
3. Once the water is boiling, whisk egg yolks constantly, over the pot.  Be sure to keep eggs from cooking too quickly, do not stop whisking, you want to cook the yolks until they become ribbony.  In order to ensure this, I place the bowl in steam and remove, then place back in, remove, and continue to do this until desired thickness and cooking is achieved.  Remember: do not stop whisking, or else the yolks will not become ribbony, and will overcook.
4. When yolks are finished, get egg pan and turn heat to low, low- medium. Once hot, add a bit of oil or butter, enough to cover the bottom and sides-  I find butter tends to burn easily, so I prefer to use vegetable oil.  Gently fold yolks into whites.  Once the yolks and whites are folded together completely, slowly and gently add to pan.  Cover.
5. It generally takes about 40 mins. to cook an omelette of 2 eggs completely.  You are not going to flip these eggs, let them cook slowly and through the bottom.  Keep heat low.  The eggs will get darker in colour as they cook, and will stiffen.  Near end of cooking, add any and all toppings that you desire.  Veggies and meats need to cooked before adding.  Continue to cook, if cheese or fillings are being used, wait until warm or melted, etc. then fold over, if not, wait until it is rich in colour and is almost done, then fold and continue to cook, to ensure it is fully cooked, and to ensure it is completely warm.  Note:  A Soufflé Omelette does not have to be folded.  You can leave it open if so desired.

This recipe has been created by La Nu Chef and her father, whose name and identity is not be released publicly without direct consent, as with the identity and name of La Nu Chef herself.

Copyright September, 2015.

Hello World!!…..(Again)

Hey Kiddos!

It’s been a while to say the least.  Have no fear, though, ’cause La Nu Chef is back! 😉 As some of you may have noticed, my blog is a little more up to date, but so am I! As promised from last summer, I am officially a student in Culinary Management at George Brown! I also made the leap, and my partner and I have (finally!) moved to Toronto.

I am now working at Jawny Bakers Restaurant in East York, where I am a Line Cook, and also like my dad has always said “once a Chef, always a Dishwasher” haha.  This is probably the hardest restaurant job I have ever had, and have been working in the industry since high school.

From revamping my blog, I hope to gain some new followers, but also get my loyal followers already, to become excited again about my reviews, recipes, and posts!  I also hope to hear from you guys more! Don’t be afraid to comment with recipe ideas, or restaurants you want to see reviewed- cause if you’re excited about a restaurant, I want to be, too! I wanted my blog to be used as an avenue of food creativity, and I want you guys to enlighten me as much as I hope to enlighten you.

For now, I’ll leave with an excerpt from No Reservations by my favourite eater (not favourite Chef), Anthony Bourdain, that I personally feel to be so true and that I value, as an aspiring Chef.

“When someone feeds you, they’re saying something, they are telling you something about themselves. If you can’t hear a voice, or if the voice is confused, chances are, you’re eating at a “big box” faux- fusion restaurant- or a chain or a hotel- where the menu and recipes were arrived at long ago by consensus or committee. But when you can hear a whisper in your ear with every plate that arrives at your table, or tortilla wrapped personally by your host, and placed directly in your hands, a bowl of pho, handed to you with a silent grin, then you feel… part of something… privy to a secret language, an ongoing worldwide dialogue that’s been going on since the very beginning.”  – Anthony Bourdain, No Reservations, p 263, 267

With Love Always,

La Nu Chef (The Naked Chef)

Bourdain, Anthony. “Chefs.” No Reservations. New York: Bloomsbury, 2007. 263+. Print.

Taco Farm- 8 Erb St W, Waterloo, Ontario

I wanted to make my first review a special one, and I totally think this restaurant is grade- A special!
Taco Farm is a fresh restaurant with a fresh take on tacos. Literally, it’s like Fresh with a P H!! Admittedly it doesn’t have the best location, it’s off of King St in a little nook, but the moment you walk in, the atmosphere is totally where the ‘Fresh’ comes in. The walls have some crazy commissioned graffiti, and there’s old film classics playing on multiple television sets around the dining area. While they do play music overhead it’s nice to get in a little bit of an old goodie while waiting for the next song to play. They have an open kitchen that stretches the length of the dining room, and also serves as a bar. You can actually sit at the bar, sipping your tequila, and simultaneously watch your tacos become assembled – which is easy to do because they offer over 40 types of tequila alone!!
Let’s get down to the food. The menu is smaller, which is better because everything looks and sounds so good, it’s already hard enough to decide. Each table is given fresh tortilla chips made in-house with homemade salsa delivered immediately upon ordering. The corn chips were fantastic! They were still warm and crispy when they were given to myself and my partner. The salsa, while delicious, was not without fault- it should have sat for a day or so. Salsa is a food that is usually better the day after preparation because sitting gives it time to let all the spices and aromatics meld together. Because the spice palettes are so sophisticated they need time to activate. The salsa we received, while it tasted amazing, was a little lacking. The spices needed were there, just they had not quite set off yet, compromising its complex flavours. But over anything, I’d rather be served a too- fresh salsa than out of a jar.
The tacos are ordered on an individual basis, which makes it easier to order as much as you think will fill you (and you can always order more!), it also lets you try a variety of their selection. The food was delivered to our table within ten minutes- they manage to prep everything beforehand and so with each order all that’s to be done is assembling the tacos.  The tacos are all soft shell and everything, is made right there in the restaurant with fresh, local ingredients.   All the ‘fixins’ tasted absolutely perfect and are LOADED on the shell. I found its easier to eat as a fork and knife taco, seeing as my partner, who did the ol’ fold over, lost just about everything after taking his first bite. I found, however, after the taco sits on your plate, the heat of the fillings and the coolness of the tray it’s served on, causes the shell to peel apart as it gets soggy. The other problem I encountered, was portioning in comparison to pricing. I, for instance, had one frijole which cost $4; this at first sounds like a bargain, but the tacos themselves are about the size of your palm.   It’s relatively expensive for the size, but due to the fresh, local ingredients, and all the manpower it takes to make the food in- house, it’s understandable. They do try to offer deals for the hungry customer by offering a ‘Build Your Own Taco Platter’ at $17 or $31 for two.
Taco Farm also offers variety to retail in their restaurant. From the flavour- enhancing sauces set right on the table to T- shirts to tortillas.
This restaurant, I believe is totally franchise-able, the decor, being a collaboration of retro and urban paradise, offers a little something to everybody, and the food is fantastic, but also easy to make.  It’s all made earlier that day or day before and for the most part all that needs to be done to order is assembly.  As added bonuses, their food is completely gluten- free, and they support local farms and farmers (hence the name).  The wait staff was great, attentive and overall helpful, however the dining area could have been a little cleaner.  Its only pitfalls were that of price and portioning.

I give this little diamond in the bustling rough 8/10 skeptic spoons!

Don’t be afraid to give me a shout and weigh in with your thoughts on Taco Farm!

With Love Always,

La Nu Chef (The Naked Chef)

Hello World!

Welcome to my food blog! I’m going to be posting everything food related, focusing mainly on local restaurant reviews. When I move, the restaurant reviews move too!! Along with reviews I’ll be sharing original recipes with everything from sophisticated recipes to those when all you have in the house is noodles (that’s an exaggeration).  I am an aspiring chef and will be attending culinary school in the fall. Don’t let that spoil it for you, though, because I do know more about food than the average bear!

My history with food starts with my Dad. He, being a chef, taught me how to cook from a young age- my very first ever dish being scrambled eggs at the age of 5! 🙂 Being able to use the stove alone at 9 years old, I was already on my journey to food love and appreciation! Always a chef at heart.

I hope you all enjoy the ride along with me through culinary school to career!

Always with Love,

La Nu Chef (The Naked Chef)