Vile Weed

There’s something bittersweet about discovering something new. Bitter because just as I thought my knowledge of Italian ingredients had reached a certain level, I discover something I didn’t even know existed; and sweet because just as I thought my knowledge of Italian ingredients had reached a certain level, I discover something I didn’t even know existed.
Indeed, this was the conundrum realized upon me with a visit to the revered Birri Bros. kiosk at the Jean Talon Market last weekend.
Gazing at all of the vibrant leafy greens, I noticed something that looked like a cross between rapini and cavolo nero.
Spigarello—or spigariello as it’s known in Italy—is a relatively unknown leafy green grown by some local farmers such as the Birri family. Some cultivators consider it to be akin to wild broccoli.
I was told to treat spigarello much the same way I would rapini. Not being a fan of rapini this wasn’t a great incentive to take it home, but I was assured the taste of spigarello was quite different. Well, it wasn’t. It’s just as bitter and the stems are quite fibrous; wonderfully suited to clean out your colon.
If you enjoy bitter, leafy greens you’ll enjoy spigarello. Give me some chicory or Swiss chard any day.

Sautéed Spigarello

Ingredients

1 bunch of spigarello
4 large cloves of garlic
¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil (use the good stuff here)
Kosher salt or fleur de sel
Red pepper flakes
Juice from ¼ lemon (optional)

Directions

-Wash the spigarello thoroughly in cold water. Cut off the stems and discard. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the spigarello. Blanch the greens for 3 minutes; if you want them to keep their bright, green color, drop them in ice water, or, if you don’t care what shade of green they are, just drain them in a colander.
-Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium low heat. Add the whole cloves of garlic to the oil and let them brown slowly. You want to flavour the oil here and not cook the garlic too fast. Once the garlic cloves are golden brown, remove them with a slotted spoon and reserve for later.
-Turn your heat up to medium and add the spigarello, season with the salt and red pepper flakes and sauté for about 5 minutes.
-Turn off the heat, add the reserved garlic, lemon juice and toss it all together. Serve with a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and some more salt if needed.




















Note: You can use this recipe for any leafy green. You can also incorporate the greens with pasta. I find that if you add enough bacon, sausage, and parmigiano cheese to the pasta, the greens are actually not bad.

So Many Berries so Little Time

Fig. 1. One full crate, twelve heaping pints


Local Quebec strawberries are, at this moment, perfect. One of my favourite farmer’s markets had the ruby red, sweet berries on special this week--$12.00 a crate compared to $20.00 (a crate contains 12 pints). Seemed like the perfect excuse to make jam.
Now I know most of you are probably thinking—jam, who has time for that—but before you google something else, let me suggest a different type of jam.





Many cookbooks, from America’s Test Kitchen to Canadian Living, have recipes for fast strawberry jam; all are very similar in ingredients and execution, but, I’ve found one in particular which I like above all others--it comes from Jamie Oliver’s, Jamie at Home. This is a great book for fruit and vegetable lovers, as well as for the avid gardener. It’s filled with beautiful pictures and great advice on how to properly grow a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Oliver inspires and rightfully preaches the benefits and need for proper, honest and real food.
Just to prove that making a quick jam doesn’t entail standing next to a stove all day, I’ve kept a timeline. I also use a large non-stick pan so I don’t have to worry about constant stirring and fruit sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Fig. 2. I could have stared at this bowl all day.

-10:30. After my son’s soccer practice, he and I sat outside in the warm morning sun and cut the stems off ten pints of strawberries. We ate one pint while we worked and kept one for a planned dessert. By the way, getting your kids to help out with kitchen duties is an excellent way to introduce them to proper food. Even if they sometimes don’t want to participate, I strongly advise that you occasionally make them help you. The strawberry moment I had with my son was time that would have found him otherwise sitting in front of the television watching Storm Hawks.
-11:10. Sprinkled the strawberries with sugar and smushed them with my hands. (Yes I washed them well.)
-11:15. Dumped the strawberries in a pan and turned on the heat.
-11:17. I began to mow the front lawn.
-11:26. Checked on the jam, it was just starting to bubble, gave it a stir.
-11:28. I proceeded to mow the back lawn.
-11:38. Gave the jam a stir and skimmed some of the foam off the top.
-11:40. Sat down and read the Montreal Gazette. Stirred and skimed the jam every 5 to 10 minutes.
-12:20. Removed the jam from the heat.
I like to put the jam in 500ml mason jars. It’s important to understand that since the jars are not sealed they will not keep indefinitely; they will keep up to four weeks in the fridge and up to a year in the freezer. If you want to seal the jars they must be placed in a water bath.
The recipe below is adapted from Jamie Oliver’s, Jamie at Home. Because the strawberries are so sweet, I’ve cut the sugar in half—it also allows the toothsome taste of the strawberries to stand out.

Ingredients for the jam:
1kg strawberries, hulled, washed and drained. (1kg equals about 3 pints)
150g caster (icing) sugar. (Again, I like to cut this in half-75g-when the strawberries are in season but if you prefer your jam very sweet then add the full amount)


Direction:
Place the strawberries in a wide, stainless steel pan and sprinkle the sugar over top. Scrunch the strawberries up with your hands, really pushing them between your fingers to pulp them up—the mixture will start to look like jam at this point. You want all of the sugar to dissolve in the strawberry juice before you put the pan on the heat and bring it to a boil. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes on a medium heat, and every 5 minutes or so come back to your jam to skim off the foam. Remove from the heat and put to one side. There you have it—beautiful, quintessential strawberry jam!















Fig. 3. Skim off the acrid surface foam; also, make sure you use a non-stick pan.


Note: I don’t like to wash the strawberries in water because it washes away some of the flavour. While I’m cutting off the stems, I simply wipe them gently with a paper towel. Also, Oliver’s jam is on the liquid side, I like mine a little thicker so I let it simmer for about an hour. Ten pints will yield about four 500ml mason jars.

Winter Bulbs, Spring Onions

Fig 1. Onions planted by my grandfather last autumn. 5 months later. presto.


The marvel of spring never ceases to amaze me, even more so this year considering the brutal winter we had here in Montreal. Yet despite the severity of this year’s wintry ordeal, the spring onions and garlic emerged all the same; in fact, the large amount of snow might have helped the spring bloom as the blanket of snow protects the ground from the harsh frost and ice.

While onions are not packed with nutrients, they do contain some potassium and the green tops are a good source of vitamin C. Onions have also been found to be good for your heart due to the compound adenosine, which reduces the risks of clot formation and may also help promote sleep.

Locally grown Quebec spring onions, garlic, garlic ramps and green onions are now available at most farmers’ markets—as well as some of the bigger chains, look in the Quebec grown sections.
When they’re at they’re freshest I like them simply raw in salads or as an accompaniment to grilled meat.


Grilled Lamb with Spring Onions, Vine Cherry Tomatoes and Cilantro.
Serves 4

Ingredients
-4 pieces of Lamb—I like to use the leg of lamb cut in 1” slices by the butcher.
-4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
-3/4 cup of chopped spring onions or green onions
-10 to 12 cherry tomatoes cut in quarters
-1/2 cup of cilantro
-Salt and pepper

Directions
Season lamb with salt, pepper and olive oil and rub it into the meat at least 1 hour before cooking and bring the lamb to room temperature. While your grill is preheating, prepare the onions, tomatoes and cilantro. Lower the heat on the grill to medium and place the lamb on the hot grill—do not move or press down on the meat—let the grill do its work. I like my lamb medium-rare which means six minutes per side.
When lamb is done to your likeness, remove from heat and let it rest with a piece of aluminium foil over it. While your meat is resting, heat a pan with the extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat, add the onions, tomatoes, and cilantro. Don’t let it stew, cook it hot and fast while stirring all the while so it doesn’t stick—about 3 minutes.
Plate the lamb and spoon the onion, tomato, cilantro mixture over top. Sprinkle with salt, freshly ground pepper and drizzle with olive oil.



















Note: You can pretty much use any meat you want including fish; and if for some reason you don’t like cilantro, you can substitute fresh Italian parsley.

Some historical notes of interest about onions:
-Ancient Egyptian tombs are adorned with pictures of onions believing that the circular layers within the onions represented life.
-Roman gladiators would rub onions all over their bodies believing it would make them stronger.
-Christopher Columbus brought onions with him to Haiti in 1492. Although some say that Chris introduced the onion to North America, they were growing wild throughout the Continent and were enjoyed by the Natives in a variety of ways.
-In the middle ages doctors believed onions helped with erections. Medieval viagra--eat up boys.

Sacred "Sangwiches"

For Italians, there are two panini that are coveted above all others. Indeed, possessing one of these majestic “sangwiches” in high school would create quite a predicament: being forced to share, being bribed, or somebody making you an offer you couldn’t refuse were just some of the tight spots the hungry students would find themselves in. One of these is the breaded veal cutlet panini and the other is the meatball panini.
I began to think about this when someone told me that the meatball recipe below made too many meatballs, (as if there were such a thing as too many meatballs) I reminded this poor, deluded fellow that he could freeze them, but here’s another option just in case your freezer is full.












Fig 1. Like we used to say at school, "that's nu bell panino"




Ingredients:
One round Italian “pagniotta” bread
20 slices of provolone cheese
10 to 11 meatballs (depends on the size of the bread) with some of the tomato sauce (see recipe below)
1 cup of pickled vegetables (such as Valli or Aurora)
10 large basil leaves
4 tablespoons of mayonnaise
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar


















Directions:

Cut the bread in half separating the top and bottom. Scoop out some of the soft part of the bread from both pieces being careful not to get too close to the crust. (Use the bread for bread crumbs, or make a nice panzanella salad). Leave a 2 cm rim of bread around both bottom and top parts of the bread. Layer the sliced provolone on the bottom part of the bread. Add as many meatballs as you can fit and drizzle with some of the tomato sauce-not too much or the bread can get soggy. Add the pickled vegetables and the fresh basil over top. In a bowl whisk the mayonnaise and red wine vinegar until combined and spread over the top part of the bread. Wrap the whole thing tightly with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for a few hours (or even overnight) with a weight on top-this step helps keep the meatballs in place when it comes time to cutting the sandwich, there’s nothing more annoying than loose balls. (I use a same-size pan topped with two cans of tomatoes. Be careful not to make it too heavy or the bread can begin to break.) Eat cold or if you prefer it warm, put in a preheated 300 degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes.
Note: You can change anything in this sandwich except the meatballs. I also make it with spicy marinated eggplants and roasted peppers. Use your imagination.

Nonna's Meatballs

I want to thank everyone who called or e-mailed me with regards to my Mother’s Day story in the Montreal Gazette. The accolades are very much appreciated. My grandmother was quite taken back by seeing her picture in the paper and still wonders how much I paid for it. I know there are people who didn’t see the article so in this post I’m reprinting the article exactly as it appeared (except for the material which was cut) with the sincere hope than many of you will give these wonderful meatballs a try.


















Nonna's Meatballs

When I was seven years old, my grandmother had given me the best job I would ever have: I was to tell her if the meatballs were ready. I remember watching the big pot of simmering tomato sauce, with the meatballs bobbing up and down, wondering when I would get to taste another one. It’s no wonder I never wanted to eat sitting at the table, I was way too full from having eaten in the kitchen. To this day, our meagre attempts still don’t rival my grandmother’s tender, flavourful meatballs. I am still blessed to have my grandmother with me. My son, who is eight, has taken over my job; he now works hand in hand with his grandmother as the “official meatball tester.”

This recipe will make 25 to 30 meatballs, so have your whole family over!

Ingredients:
½ kilo of minced beef (medium or lean)
½ kilo of minced pork
½ kilo of minced veal
3 cups of seasoned fresh breadcrumbs (we make our own by putting day old bread, parsley, oregano and salt and pepper in a food processor and pulsing to a rough chop. If the bread is too dry you won’t get the same results.)
½ cup of water
3 eggs
½ cup of grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
Salt and pepper
A pot of homemade tomato sauce, prepared in advance and heated.


Directions:
Put all of the meat in a very large bowl. (A salad bowl works well here). In a smaller bowl, combine the water and the breadcrumbs. With your fingers, work the bread crumbs until they become mushy, the bread should look like oatmeal (If you find the bread to be dry, add a bit more water.)
Add the breadcrumb mush to the meat and incorporate. Add the eggs, cheese, salt and pepper and mix it all thoroughly with your hands. The hands are also an important ingredient, they add the love necessary to make these meatballs taste the way they should.
Form into meatballs somewhere between the size of a golf ball and a tennis ball.


Add the raw meatballs to the simmering tomato sauce, after 45 minutes find a meatball tester and eat with a big bowl of pasta. (Note: do not stir the sauce as soon as the meatballs are added- they are still too soft and will loose their shape if stirred. Let the sauce return to a simmer and wait fifteen minutes before stirring carefully.)
Meatballs also freeze very well. If you don’t want to cook all of them, freeze them by placing the meatballs on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer-once the meatballs are frozen transfer to a freezer bag. They keep about one month in a ziplock, and six months (and more) vacuum-packed.

Do You Know Your Farmer?

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Author and farming advocate Margaret Webb was at Bon Appetit Cookbooks on Tuesday, May 6th to speak about her new book, Apples to Oysters: A Food Lover’s Guide to Canadian Farms. In her book, Webb takes the reader on a cross-country visit to eleven Canadian farms and introduces us to eleven very distinctive, extraordinary and passionate farmers, or as Webb calls them “chefs of the soil.”
Webb brought up many interesting questions, such as why we import apples from the U.S and Chile when we have in abundance here in Ontario and in the B.C. Okanagan; and more importantly, why don’t we hold our farmers in higher regards?
I’m well aware that the cynic and pragmatist in all of us knows the answers to these questions, (question #1: because people want cheap apples, and question #2: Farmers? What farmers?) but Webb’s approach is one of intimacy rather than an attempt at bringing down the giant industrial agricultural monster which supplies the many supermarkets at every corner of the suburban world. She simply gets to know her farmers, and that’s something, according to Webb, all of us should do. Everyone from Rachel Ray to Jamie Oliver are telling us that as savvy foodies, we should all get to know our butchers, fishmongers and cheese purveyors; so why not our farmers?
The fresh vegetable season is almost upon us so don’t be afraid to ask where the zucchini, lettuce, or garlic comes from. Farmer’s markets are obviously the ideal place to get to know a farmer, but in the name of research and to show you that such questions can and should be asked anywhere, I went to the Loblaws closest to my house where a very young man (or was he a boy?) stared at me for a while with his mouth agape when I asked him where the apples were from. Instead of speaking he started looking around no doubt for somebody to rescue him from this overly-curious man. To be fair some of the produce at Loblaws had the place of origin indicated, but not all.
I decided to leave and headed for an I.G.A. not far away. All of the produce was labeled with the country of origin (most of the vegetables are from the U.S.A., except for the bell peppers which were from Holland and the garlic which is now imported in mass quantities from China.) I asked a smartly dressed man if he could recommend any local vegetables, instead of running away, he rightly told me that it’s still too early in the season but they soon would have a whole section dedicated to local produce, some from small farms and some from the industrial farms. He then suggested a locally grown greenhouse tomato from a small producer in Mirabel called, Les Serres Stephane Bertrand, and poceeded to give me several information cards (see fig.2) that he thought might help with my vegetable curiosity. Needless to say I left impressed.















Fig.2. Vegetable information cards from I.G.A.



Those of you who have experienced the marvel of a perfect vegetable grown from pure, uncontaminated, fresh manure ejected from that happy, grass-grazing bovine will know that such vegetables do not require much preparation and handling. The tomatoes I bought at I.G.A., while not the best I’ve ever had, certainly stood on their own. Remember, quick recipes should be fast by the nature of their ingredients and not because of harried attitudes. The better the ingredients, the less you need to do with them.

















Tomato and Orange Salad
Serves 2 to 3

2 large tomatoes
1 orange
20 basil leaves
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Good Quality Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:
Slice tomatoes and orange and arrange in a plate with the basil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle generously with good quality first cold pressed extra-virgin olive oil. (The regular olive oil in the big rectangular tin won't work here. Go buy the good stuff!)
Have some bread around to absorb the expensive olive oil you just bought.

Note: Add some sliced fresh mozzarella cheese (such as fior di latte, mozzarella di buffalo, or fresh boconccini) and it becomes an Insalata Caprese. I sometimes like to add some lemon zest and a drizzle of good balsamic vinegar for some contrast and tanginess.

Marche Gourmand Laval

Food lovers in Laval can now rejoice. The tides of culinary inferiority between islands are slowly changing. Along with our farmer's market, Marche 440--which is located on the 440 service road next to Club Price, foodies now have another haven to obsess over.

The Marche Gourmand is located at, 2888 avenue du Cosmodome, and is part of the obscenely over-developed Centropolis complexe. I decided to pay the new market a visit upon hearing that a Premiere Moison had finally opened. During my last visit, the market offered more boarded up locals with "overture bientot" signs than vendors displaying their fares.

I always like to approach a market the same way. There is something very gratifying in playing the role of casual observer. Walking about with an attitude of unobstrusiveness as I take it all in. I let the market seduce me.

The first shop upon entering is Premiere Moisson, and it is the largest I've ever been in. Is it me or do they seem to be selling all manners of victuals? The selection in here is daunting, from their impressive breads, cakes, pies, and pates to a wide selection of prepared sandwiches and salads, which patrons seemed to be enjoying in the seated section. Also available, a wide array of prepared sauces and French classics such as Confit de Canard and Beef Bourguignon. (I'm not a fan of prepared food but The Hungry Italian will try everything once without bias. If anyone has tried any of these ready-to-go meals I would love to know what they're like.) I couldn't leave without buying something, and one look at the sugar pies made my legs feel weak. So three small pies and a ficelle later my market adventure continued.








Fig. 3 Inside Premiere Moisson

Fig.4 Maple Syrup, apricot, and pecan pies from Promiere Moison. All good, especially the maple syrup, the crust is reminiscent of a brown sugar shortbread and added a nice contrast to the soft filling. Also beautiful is the packaging, although some might say excessive.

Walking past a large Boucherie, with several butchers enticing passer-by's to covet their meat, I suppressed the carnivore in me and welcomed the herbivore. Next stop, Fruiterie 440, prices are good but the quality can sometimes leave something to be desired. The selection, however, is impressive; I bought some kale and was on my way. There's something sublime about eating kale. It's as though with every bite your life is slightly prolonged, and like the invincible inhabitants of Crete you too can live to the ripe age of 101.

Out of the fruiterie and into La Maison du Fromage; An impressive cheese shop with a staggering choice of cheese. The staff was very helpful and know their way around un-pasteurized French cheese and Italian cow's milk cheese equally. I was taken by surprise when I asked for smoked provolone and was immediately answered with "how much would you like?" Unlike the more readily available smoked gouda and gruyere, smoked provolone, (made from whole cow's milk), has a mild sharpness (which comes from the sourness of whole unadulterated cow's milk), and it is also sweeter than its Dutch and Swiss counterparts. This is not an easy cheese to find; needless to say, I happily bought some of this smoky goodness, as well as some grana padano, and continued on.








Fig.5 Cacciocavallo, Gorganzola, and the elusive smoked provolone



My next stop was La Fournee des Sucreries de L'Erable. The Maple Syrup pie I tasted here was the best I've ever had. The filling just seemed to dissolve on the tongue, and didn't have that "my teeth are hurting" level of sweetness or grainy texture which often comes with pies containing too much sugar. I purchased a couple of pet de soeur and the biggest macaroon I've ever seen and kept walking.

Bonbons & Cie is a small candy shop specializing in all manners of hard to find bonbons. Browsing in this shop brought back memories of the after school depanneur haunts of old.




Fig.6. The still- popular ring pop and the renamed, Popeye's "candysticks". I showed my son how to roll the box in his shoulder sleeve so he would look like a "Greaser".

Walking past a pizza place and an Eastern European charcuterie,(where I tasted a very nice smoked Kielbasa) the aroma in the air led me to Creperie Oasis Gourmand. I surrendered to the smell and shared a Nutella crepe with my son.









Fig.7 Fresh crepes "Parisienne"



Walking past a Kitchen supply shop, which housed an impressive variety of "old school" pasta making tools, a Saucissier, and a shop specializing in oils and vinegar, I came face to face with a store I was already familiar with, just not in Laval. Along with the Marche Jean-Talon, Laval now has a proper fresh pasta shop with Pastificio Sacchetto. I've bought pasta from Pastificio before and have always been satisfied, and the prices are comparable with other fine pasta shops in St. Leonard, R.D.P., and St Michel.


I left the store giddy and satisfied with a kilogram of gnoccetti, half a kilo of spaghettini and some decadent Panna from parmelat which no self-respecting kitchen should be without.







Fig 9 Mushroom ravioli


Coming to the end of my market journey, I spot a chocolate shop called, I Love Chocolat.com. The shop had a nice variety of handmade chocolate and the owner, Annie Roggero, was very gracious with her information. She informed me that all of her dark chocolate is Belgian and 75% pure. Her milk chocolate is an above average 45% pure, and that she also has a line of sugar free chocolate which she developed for her diabetic mother. I tasted some of her milk chocolate, which wasn't as creamy as I was accustomed to, but had a much deeper cocoa flavour to it. I drifted out of the store with chocolate melting in my mouth.








Fig 10, Tea's from around the world meet chocolates made in Montreal


It was time for a coffee break to ponder supper. I opted for some take home sushi given the amount of chocolate I had consumed on this market discovery.

People sometimes ask me why I go to the trouble of writing something like this when I don't get anything out of it. It's difficult to make people understand that the satisfaction comes not only in the writing, but in the sharing; a selfless quality I believe all food lovers possess. My sincere hope is that some of you reading this article will side-step the time-convenience of a supermarket frozen pizza and instead find your own market such as this one and have your own adventure. Buy all of the ingredients fresh, whether it be for a pizza, a pasta alla vongole, or even a simple grilled cheese, take them to your kitchen and create proper food.
It has always been my contention that there's nothing convenient about ready made prepared foods. In the end it is your health which matters most, and there's nothing convenient about destroying your body.

It's up to us Laval residents to help out the little guys; Galen Weston Jr. has enough money. Take your family and explore the Marche Gourmand.


Le Marche Gourmand:

Premiere Moisson, 450-682-1800

Bonbon & Cie, 514-953-5207

Boucherie La Superieure 450-686-8889 -
Other location: 7500 boul. Les Galeries-d'Anjou 514-355-2640 in Les Halles Anjou

Pizza Gourmande, 450-688-3544

La Maison du Fromage, 450-973-2743

Charcuterie Balkani, 450-680-1626
-Other location: 7070 Henri Julien, 514-807-1626, Marche Jean-Talon

La Boutique de L'Olivier, 450-681-6003

Olive & Olive, 450-687-8222
-Other locations: 1389 Laurier est Montreal 514-526-8989
428b ave Victoria Saint-Lambert 450-923-2424
Marche Jean-Talon 514-271-0001

Cuisine-Promax, 450-682-0947

Le Petit Coin d'Europe, 450-686-0492

La Fournee des Sucreries de l'Erable 450-686-7718
-Other locations: Marche Jean-Talon 514-279-7830
6423 rue d'iberville, Rosemont, 514-727-8085
4492 rue Granier, 514-524-4464 Plateau Mont-Royal


Pastificio Sacchetto, 450-686-9222
-Other Location: 7070 Henri-Julien, 514-274-4443, Marche Jean-Talon http://www.pastificio.ca/

I Love Chocolate.com, 450-963-7402http://www.ilovechocolat.com/
-Other locations: Choco Style 1093 Legendre est, Montreal

Un Amour des Thes, 514-605-7448
-Other locations: 1224 Bernard Ouest, Outremont
5612 Monkland, Montreal

Le Marais, 450-688-9993

Sushiman, 450-687-1212

Creperie Oasis Gourmand

Fruterie 440

Poissonnerie Odessa (to open in two weeks)