the freezers are full

it has been a pretty productive week around here thus far. so much so, that i can barely shut the freezer doors.

last week i had several requests for lobster mac & cheese to return to the blackboard. my brother also changed the tires on my car and requested one as payment - not a bad deal - so i figured it was time to whip some up. this dish is quite an undertaking and i procrastinate as long as possible in between batches. cracking 16lbs of lobster isn't something i want to do everyday... not anymore at least, i used to do 20lbs two or three times a week when i worked at the whalesbone in ottawa - yarf!

so the lobsters are from my neighbour joe. he brought them round to the kitchen door yesterday afternoon - pretty handy.

then i made a leek bechamel sauce with lots of roasted garlic & parmesan cheese. i mixed in the pasta, oven roasted cherry tomatoes, a touch of lemon zest, loads of mozzarella cheese & 10 bags of foxhill cheese curds. here's the finished product:

i made a few of them...

small $12 large $24

for the lobster-averse among us, i've also packaged up some plain mac & cheese. there's the leek bechamel, roasted garlic & all the cheeses, just no roasted tomatoes, lemon & lobster.

small $9 large $18

the other main course i made is braised beef brisket. this will probably be the last braised brisket for quite awhile as i transition things to the bbq for the summer. the beef is from getaway farm and i braised it for 12 hours in red wine with root vegetables & herbs. then when it was almost finished, i added diced pears and tomatoes. it smelled & tasted amazing!

i made a batch of blue cheese gnocchi for the side. i started out with a leek bechamel again, but added sauteed creminis, finely diced celery, basil, parsley & creamy blue cheese. it's served with wilted kale & spinach as well. i'm pretty pleased with this one.

small $10 large $20

ok no time to talk about salads and sweets as i have to go & make them all. just rest assured that there will be lots of both at the market this weekend.

hope to see you there!

last minute blurb

well, this post is a bit late coming but i hope a few of you get a chance to read it before the market tomorrow.

i survived last weekend. it went really well thanks to the help of krista, jenna & femke. i was exhausted but it was worth it. crafters was another great time. everything from the other vendors, the music, the organizers & the decor made it great. that plus the most epic lunch of all time care of the food wolf & jitterbug sodas.

it's called a 'k-dog' with kimchi, bacon, green onions & special sauce. paired with a watermelon-mint soda it was the perfect fuel to get me through the day.

so after last weekend, i decided to take it a bit easier in the kitchen. i made a new batch of seafood chowder (that just went in to the freezer & might not be completely frozen by the time i head to the market). and i also whipped up a new batch of vegan vegetable stew. i haven't made this one is ages but lately have had lots of requests for it. it's tomato based & then packed with veggies: onions, garlic, celery, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, celery root, green beans, zucchini, corn, cherry tomatoes, kale & fresh herbs. when i posted the pic to twitter & instagram the caption was 'just in time for beach season,' this stuff is uber healthy & great if you're working on your beach bod ;)

as for main courses, i have 1 vegan lasagna left, just a couple large chipotle chickens and moroccan meatballs and the four-cheese lasagnas are in short supply. there are lots of shepherd's pies, vegan curries, mushroom udon dishes, chicken parms and sweet & sour meatballs left. and i will actually remember to bring fish cakes with me tomorrow so those will be back on the menu.

ok then there are lots of salads - quinoa, beet, sweet potato & broccoli. they are all pretty much identical to last week.

and since it's mother's day this weekend, i made extra cupcakes. flavours this week are:

vanilla-vanilla

lemon-blueberry

grapefruit

red velvet-raspberry

carrot-maple

banana-peanut butter

chocolate-chocolate

chocolate-mint

paleo chocolate-coconut

tonight was also the SHYM gala (supportive housing for young mothers) through the YWCA and i sent along some spring-y treats in pink in green. hopefully they're being gobbled up as i type this.

oh & if you're in a need of a mother's day gift - why not a little red kitsch'n gift certificate? a night off from cooking sounds like a great gift to me. they're available in any denomination and redeemable at the market, on caterings, deliveries or special orders.

ok, back to the kitchen to finish up some odds & ends before bed. hope to see you all over the weekend.

ps: it's open city tomorrow, make sure to check the map & get in on all the fun downtown - i'm hoping to catch a few things after the market!

the weekend to end all weekends

i can not believe that tomorrow is may 4th. i've been anticipating/dreading this weekend for quite some time now. halifax crafters coupled with the seaport market means it will be a logistical nightmare with double the baking, double the salads, double the table displays... you get the picture. it's a lot of work.

don't get me wrong though, i'm really excited to be at halifax crafters again. it was such a nice change to be there for the christmas show. ckdu will be there all weekend taking care of the tunes. the food wolf will be set up outside - i'm pretty amped to try their grub. and the array of crafters is pretty epic - i sense a shopping spree in my near future. don't forget, it's in the olympic centre on the corner of cunard & hunter (just before windsor). it's open from 10am-5pm both saturday & sunday. oh and admission is FREE so come by!

as for my table at the market, my friends jenna (yes, another jenna) and femke will be holding down the fort on saturday and krista will be taking care of business on sunday. don't be alarmed when it's an unfamiliar face, all the food is the same. also, please be patient. i wrote some crib notes with descriptions of every menu item for them - but there are FORTY FOUR menu items!!! also, i'll have the credit card stuff with me at crafters so i won't be able to accept plastic payment at the seaport this weekend (unless you're there really early in the morning when i'm there setting up the table), sorry for any inconvenience.

i'm also catering a reception for ~40 on sunday for some of my best customers. thankfully i can drop the food off early in the morning so it fits in with the rest of this wacky weekend. it'll be a couple of cakes, cupcakes, rolls, sweet potato salad & baked ham.

yup that's three hams! i slow roasted them in a mustard glaze for 6 hours last night, they'll probably get another couple of hours today. they smelled ridiculous & it was quite the upper body workout getting that roaster in & out of the oven.

as for market cooking, this week i made another batch of beef shepherd's pies. it seems like i just made some, but this one is definitely my best seller and really a staple on my menu. as always the beef is from getaway farm. it's in a tangy sauce which is predominantly my homemade bbq sauce - a maple bourbon & chipotle lime combo. the veggies are peas, carrots, corn, onions, celery & mushrooms and the whole lot gets topped off with cheddar-green onion mashed potatoes.

small $10 large $20

this week also felt quite springlike & my bbq came out of hibernation. it's that time of year again when thoughts turn to slow smoking & high heat grilling. so, i made a new flavour of bbq sauce. it's caramelized onion, mustard & beer, featuring garrison's irish red beer.

this sauce is more tangy than sweet and will work particularly well with beef. there's a touch of horseradish and the spices are reminiscent of montreal steak spice.

250ml - $5   500ml - $7.50

there's also a fresh batch of carrot, apple, ginger soup to round out my soup selection. it's both vegan & gluten-free. it's seasoned with cardamom, star anise and a touch of lime & coconut. this one is very light and refreshing.

500ml - $7

there are 5 varieties of salads this week. the sweet potato will be in short supply because most is heading to the gig on sunday. the other flavours are beet, quinoa, baby potato & broccoli.

beet: wheatberries, balsamic, asian pear, raddichio, arugula, goat cheese

quinoa: asparagus, cherry tomatoes, olives, garlic, fresh herbs, citrus

new potato: green beans, celery, radishes, dijon dressing, dill, parsley

broccoli: bacon, almonds, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, red onion, red pepper

the sweet selection is virtually identical to last week.

ok, time to go show this prep who's boss! hope to see you all over the weekend :)

friday again?!?!

yikes, it feels like i was just at the market. hard to believe i'm headed back there bright and early tomorrow. this week was another crazy one in the kitchen. 

next weekend is halifax crafters at the olympic centre. i will be there and will have friends manning (or wo-manning i should say) my table at the seaport. this means double the baking & double the salads. i've been planning accordingly & cooking like crazy so i don't have to make any new main courses & hopefully soups next week. i'll be busy enough.

this week was a vegan sort of week around here. i have customers who buy the vegan curry EVERY week. last week i ran out - shock, horror, dismay. so a fresh batch of that was my #1 priority. it also gave me my first opportunity to bust in to the spices brought direct from delhi by a loyal customer & friend.

what a difference fresh spices make! i'm really stoked on this batch. the veggies are potatoes, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, green beans, chick peas & tomatoes with lots of garlic, ginger, lime, coconut milk & cilantro. it comes with a side of basmati rice & quinoa mixed together. comme ca:

small $9 large $18

the second main course this week is a new concoction. it's based on the miso mushroom soup that i make from time to time. i started off by making a mushroom stock with dried shiitakes and the trim off a bunch of fresh mushrooms. then it got ramped up with garlic, ginger, soy, miso, lime, peanuts & chillies. i used udon noodles as the base and the veggies are bok choy, nappa cabbage, bean sprouts, carrots, celery & shiitake mushrooms. it's finished off with fried tofu, red chillies and a healthy dose of cilantro.

small $9 large $18

this week i also made a gigantic batch of baked beans, so i'll be able to have a fish cakes & baked beans back on the menu. here's a complete listing of current meals:

beef shepherd's pie       small $10 large $20

braised beef & mushroom pie with red wine & puff pastry   large $22

moroccan beef meatballs with harissa quinoa     small $10 large $20

sweet & sour pork meatballs with pineapple, peppers & basmati     small $10 large $20

chicken pot pie with bacon, root veggies & puff pastry   large $20

chipotle chicken with black bean & corn succotash, rice & pepperjack   small $10 large $20

chicken parmigiana with roasted red peppers, spinach & fettucine  small $10 large $20

fish cakes & baked beans (enough to serve two)  $15

vegetarian lasagna with four cheeses & loads of veggies  small $10 large $20

vegan lasagna with tofu, kale, nutritional yeast & loads of veggies  large $20

and then the two new vegan dishes this week

i think it's getting a little out of hand! when i started this business i thought i would have MAX three options a week. oh how times have changed.

here's the current soup selection:

curried butternut squash

beet, parsnip & pear

white bean, lemon & kale

roasted red pepper, tomato, sweet potato & chipotle

indian-spiced cream of cauliflower

baked beans

vegan chili

chicken stew

beef stew

seafood chowder

i also had time to finish a batch of bbq sauce this week. so maple bourbon is back. i think heading in to bbq season i'll start making more flavours. i'm keen on a garrison beer & caramelized onion flavour... we'll see how prep goes next week.

then for sweets, i think i budgeted enough eggs so i'll have gluten-free cupcakes. spicy chocolate brownies are also back as well as mint oreo cheesecakes - it's been since forever for those ones! and these are just in addition to the usual smorgasbord.

also, i have a catering immediately after the market tomorrow night so i'll hopefully be leaving at 4pm sharp so please come a little earlier.

thanks a bunch & see you over the weekend.

ps: don't forget cupcake happy hour from 2-4pm on sunday :)

not enough days

so, i'm pretty certain that there needs to be 8 days in a week instead of 7. i'm not sure who i need to talk to about this, but it would certainly make things a lot less hectic around here.

this week has been one of the most insane since i started this business. on monday, there was an order of cupcakes for a friend's arbonne event at the hub. and then a delivery of gluten-free desserts to bramoso pizzeria - that's right my sweets are always on the menu there! then i was gearing up for the market with two new main courses. then i catered the public engagement session at the market last night - nothing too insane, dips, veggies, cupcakes and cookies for 100 people.

then i woke up really early this morning to make toasted coconut cupcakes filled with coconut custard & topped with chocolate buttercream. a neighbour picked them up at 6:45(!!!) to head in to the dal faculty club for an event this evening.

and there's still 2 more special orders, 2 more deliveries to make & 2 more days at the market before i can chill out. dear monday, i can't wait until we're reunited.

okee dokee, enough griping & back to what's important - the food!

this week was a pasta sort of week. i've had a lot of requests lately to make vegetarian lasagna. i have a vegan one on the menu but the vegetarians are craving the ooey, gooey gratification of melted cheese. this one is loaded up with parmesan, asiago, ricotta & mozzarella. the tomato sauce is packed with lots of hearty vegetables & parmesan. then it's layered with ricotta, swiss chard, kale, herbs & garlic.

then it's topped with more sauce, fresh tomatoes, mozzarella & asiago.

these ones were an epic undertaking.

small $10 large $20

the second main course is still in production. it's something i've made in the past & is back by popular demand - chicken parmigiana. i used boneless, skinless chicken breasts from shani's farm; marinated them in buttermilk, herbs & garlic; breaded them with a panko-parmesan mixture & roasted them in the oven. they're smothered in a non-traditional marinara sauce complete with roasted red peppers, spinach, herbs & a splash of balsamic. then topped with mozzarella, parmesan & asiago cheese & served with fettuccine. since i'm not finished yet, i don't have any current photos but here's what they looked like last time.

cheese-tastic!

small $10 large $20

the salads will be beet, broccoli, quinoa & sweet potato this week. the quinoa will be the version with radishes & asparagus. the rest will be the usual. if you ever have any ideas or suggestions please let me know - i'm getting so bored making these every week!

i've also been promising new flavours of bbq sauce for weeks, alas i have still not gotten around to making any. once the 8-day week comes in to effect maybe i'll have time ;)

the sweets are also the usual suspects. i just ran out of eggs though, so i don't think i'll have any gluten-free cupcakes tomorrow, but everything else will be there. i also made a little tweak to the goat's milk fudge. it had cow butter in it before, but i've noticed that a lot of the people interested in it have cow dairy allergies. so...

i got me some goat butter from planet organic - unfortunately rancher acres doesn't make it. it doesn't taste much 'goatier' but i did notice it has an even creamier texture now. i am so addicted to the stuff it's ridiculous!

ok back to the grind. see you all over the weekend.

ps: they ripped out the main staircase at the market & moved the information desk to right beside me - maybe now everyone will stop asking me where the bathroom is.

balls!

this week i picked up 20 pounds of meat from getaway farm & got to work making mountains of meatballs. there's either pork or beef & both new main course options are gluten & dairy free... and low-sodium in case you missed yesterday's blog post!

i started off with moroccan beef meatballs. they're filled with garlic, fresh herbs, sumac & cumin. they're bathed in a piquant tomato sauce with olives, dates, fennel seed, ginger, roasted red peppers, zucchini & kale. the side dish is harissa quinoa with toasted almonds, green onions & lemon. there's a lot going on with this one.

small $10 large $20

then i got to work on sweet & sour pork meatballs. i've made these once before & they sold like crazy! hopefully lightening strikes twice. so the balls themselves are based on a vietnamese banh mi - so lots of garlic, ginger, coriander, lime, chillies & a touch of chinese 5-spice.

the sauce is tomato based sweet & sour with a touch of tamari and thickened with cornstarch to keep it gluten-free. it's bright & colourful with bell peppers, carrots, celery & pineapple. then it's paired with basmati rice and a few green onions.

small $10 large $20

this week i also made a batch of hearty chicken stew with shani's farm chicken. it's packed with veggies too - potatoes, parsnips, turnips, celery root, carrots, celery, peas & herbs. the base is homemade, overnight chicken stock so it's loaded with flavour.

$7 for 500ml

the salad varieties this week will be beet, broccoli, sweet potato & regular potato. there won't be any ground-breaking changes, but there will be plenty of vegan & gluten-free options.

the sweets will also be the same this week. oh & a quick note on goat's milk fudge - it's made with goat milk but there is also cow butter in it, just so anyone with allergies is aware. hopefully this week i can get my hands on some goat butter and do a test run with that for next week.

ok time to boogie, i have two special order cakes added to my prep list today acckkkkkkk!

see you over the weekend... hopefully this storm is just weather network propaganda but i am happy my snow tires are still on.

a little healthier

as a chef, getting the seasoning right is kind of a big deal. i have only ever worked in restaurants where there were no salt & pepper shakers on the table and it was an affront to the kitchen to ask for them. i'm accustomed to tasting things over & over as i cook, adjusting along the way until it's just right.

that's changing.

don't worry, i'll still be tasting everything, but reaching for more citrus or spices or herbs instead of the salt to get things right. it's official, little red kitsch'n is going low-sodium.

i started doing biweekly deliveries of meals to a gentleman on a reduced sodium diet. enough food for lunch & dinner everyday, so i'm taking it pretty seriously. i like to think that my food was never 'salty' but i certainly never shied away from it either. diamond crystal kosher salt & i go way back but we're having a bit of a breakup.

the way i figure it, i'm not cooking in a restaurant anymore. people are enjoying my food in the comfort of their own homes & can add salt at their own discretion. everyone's palate is a little bit different... and these days it seems everyone's dietary restrictions are a little bit different. i guess this change makes my food more accessible to some without alienating any.

i would never in a million years use a knorr product or store-bought stock with are salt havens. the fact that everything i make is from scratch has always helped reduce the sodium in my meals, but now i'm making the conscious effort to not reach for the salt. it's a challenge & it's forcing me to be more creative. like when i cook vegan, i have to be more inventive & thoughtful because i can't just rely on cream or butter to make it taste delicious. i'm finding the same goes for salt.

so if you notice a bit of a difference in the taste of my food, that's why. we also build up a tolerance to salt in food. hopefully, we'll all ween ourselves off of it & not even miss it. but for now, i won't be offended if you add a little salt.