sushi

Sushi Rice
makes about 35 sushi pieces

3 cups sushi rice
3 1/2 cups water
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/3 to 1/2 cup rice vinegar (depending on how pickled you like your rice)
For sushi:
nori (seaweed) sheets
vegetables and seafood: avocado, carrot, cucumber, crab, salmon, etc.
pickled ginger, wasabi paste, and soy sauce, for topping

Rinse the rice, then add to water, cover, and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat, and let simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring often. Separately, heat together the sugar, salt, and vinegar, and stir to dissolve the sugar and salt. When the rice has absorbed all the water, remove from heat, add vinegar mixture and stir. Use for making sushi.
To roll sushi, you can follow these instructions:
http://www.stashtea.com/swinstru.htm
I also recommend putting saran wrap between the bamboo mat and the nori, so that you can refrigerate the sushi in rolls to make it easier to cut.

nanaimo bars

Nanaimo Bars
makes about 3 dozen

First layer:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
5 tbsp cocoa
1 egg
1 3/4 cups chocolate graham wafer crumbs
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup ground almonds
Second layer:
1/2 cup butter
3 tbsp cream
2 tbsp vanilla custard powder
2 cups icing sugar
Third layer:
4 oz chocolate
2 tbsp butter

First layer: Place butter, sugar and cocoa in a double boiler. Stir until melted. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat and stir in graham wafer crumbs, coconut and almonds. Press firmly into an ungreased 8 inch pan. Chill.
Second layer: Cream together butter, cream, and custard powder in bowl. Gradually beat in icing sugar until light and fluffy. Spread over first layer. Chill.
Third layer: Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Stir to combine. Cool to just above room temperature. Spread evenly over second layer with spatula. Chill. Cut into bars.

spiced chocolate fondue

Spiced Chocolate Fondue
serves 4-6

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup milk
3 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp cardamom pods
1 tsp whole cloves
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1/2 lb bittersweet chocolate, chopped

In a small saucepan, combine the cream with milk and spices and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let steep for 20 minutes.
Strain the cream into a bowl and rinse the saucepan. Return the cream to a boil and then add the chocolate. Stir until melted. Transfer into the fondue bowl and serve with apples, bananas, oranges, cookies, gingerbread, etc.
Recipe from Gourmet Magazine December 2005, "Spiced Chocolate Fondue".
Also for Mutti's birthday.

fig onion balsamic salad

Fig Onion Balsamic Salad
serves 4

6 figs, cut into quarters
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
8 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp mustard
1 tsp powdered garlic
salt and pepper to taste
5 tbsp nuts, like pecans, almonds, or hazelnuts
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp sugar
5 tbsp goat cheese, crumbled
mixed salad

Marinate the figs with 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar and 6 tbsp olive oil for 2 hours.
Roast the nuts and caramelize the onions. Mix with salad and goat cheese. To make the sauce, drain the figs, and mix the liquid with the remaining balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and add the mustard, garlic, salt and pepper. Serve.
Altered from this week's Go@home section in The Hamilton Spectator.

For Mutti's birthday.

pasteis de nata (portuguese custard tarts)

Pasteis de Nata
makes 12

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
10 tbsp chilled butter, cut into small cubes
7 tbsp cold water
Custard:
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup sugar
6 egg yolks

Make the pastry: in the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, salt and sugar to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the flour resembles coarse, uneven cornmeal. Drizzle the water in, and pulse. Roll out the dough and chill for at least an hour.
Preheat oven to 350 F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough and cut into 12 circles, which you then ease into a 12-cup nonstick muffin tin. Place in the freezer for 5 minutes. Remove any trim or overhang, and line with cupcake papers. Fill with dried beans, and bake in preheated oven for about 10 minutes to set.
Make the custard: dissolve the cornstarch in about 1/4 cup of the cream. Add the remaining cream and sugar, and stir until the mixture is smooth and the sugar dissolves. In a separate bowl, blend the yolks until smooth. Add the yolks to the cream mixture stirring gently to combine.
Pour the mixture into the partially baked pastry cups, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake at 350 F until the edges of the custard are puffed and the middle is still jiggly, about 25 minutes. Cool in the tin.
Best eaten the same day.

And what to do with the egg whites? Meringues, maybe? (Recipe below)
(At Dan's.)


And there were many salads, graciously provided by Dan.

On the seesaw.

cinnamon rice

Cinnamon Rice
serves 3 to 4

1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup long-grain white rice
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt

Cook onion, garlic, cumin, and cinnamon in the oil in a saucepan over medium heat until onion softens, about 3 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring, until grains become slightly translucent, about 2 minutes.
Add borth, sugar, pepper, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand about 5 minutes before serving.
Modified from "Cinnamon-Spiced Rice", Gourmet Magazine.

crème caramel

Crème Caramel
serves 10-12

1 1/4 cups sugar
4 tbsp water
2 tsp vanilla essence
1 2/3 cups milk
1 cup whipping cream
5 eggs
2 egg yolks

Put 7/8 cup of the sugar in a small saucepan with the water. Bring to a boil over high heat, swirling to dissolve the sugar. Boil, without stirring, until the syrup turns a dark caramel colour (about 4-5 minutes). Be careful to ensure it does not burn.
Immediately pour the caramel into individual ramekins, swirling each one to coat a large portion of it with caramel. (Caramel hardens quickly; with any left over, pour onto wax paper to create a web which can later be used to decorate the dessert.) Place the ramekins in a roasting tin.
Preheat the oven to 160 C/325 F. In a saucepan, mix together the vanilla, milk, and cream and bring to boil over medium high heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, cover, and let cool for about 15 minutes.
In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and egg yolks with the remaining sugar for about 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy. (What to do with those two left over egg whites? I recommend meringues, below.)
Boil water.
Strain the hot milk as you mix it in to avoid adding any of the film.
Pour into the ramekins, fill the tin with boiling water, and pop in the oven.
Bake for about 30 minutes. Remove from the tin, cool about 30 minutes, then chill for at least 3 hours.
To turn out, run a sharp knife alongside the edge of the dish to loosen, then invert onto a plate. Allow the caramel to run down the dessert. Serve.
Credits to "Crème Caramel", Desserts.

meringues

Meringues
makes about 20

2 egg whites, preferably at room temperature
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
pinch of salt
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 225 F.
Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until they are foamy. Add the cream of tartar and salt to the whites. With the electric mixer set on high speed, beat the whites until they stand in soft peaks.
Very slowly, beat in the sugar. Continue beating until the whites stand in stiff peaks. Add the vanilla, and beat until just blended.
Drop the mixture by tablespoonfuls, or pipe it, onto wax paper, then place in the oven. Bake the meringues for about 40 minutes. Let cool slightly before removing from wax paper.