Don Genova's Blog

So Much On My Plate - World Feast Stage

This week I previewed the World Feast Stage at the ICA Folkfest in Victoria.  The Stage has really become an important part of Folkfest, and it's a great way to learn about local farmers, food producers, wineries and chefs!

Click here to view the entire World Feast Stage schedule.

Today on the show I previewed the menu of Bill Jones, who appears on stage Saturday, July 1st at 6pm.  He'll present some of the best products in the Cowichan Valley, with his:

Pan-seared and pressed sushi rice with Dungeness crab, avocado and
wasabi greens;

Terrine of Hilary's goat cheese and mushrooms served with Deerholme Farm
greens and a medlar vinaigrette;

Sauteed pasture-raised Lamb and Rocky Creek Blackberry port over a white
bean and vegetable salad.

Bill gave me the recipe for the last dish, and the first time I made it the recipe turned out wonderfully.  The recipe is below, but check out Bill's website, especially the page of events at Deerholme Farm, his painstakingly-restored turn of the century cottage where he now holds cooking classes.  The next one is a barbecue extravaganza with James Barber on July 8th.

Sautéed pasture-raised Lamb and Rocky Creek Blackberry port over a white bean and vegetable salad
Bill Jones Deerholme Farm

Ingredients:
lamb (shoulder chop or leg meat) 1 lb (454 g)
minced garlic 1 Tbsp. (15 mL)
chopped fresh rosemary 1 Tbsp. (15 mL)
cornstarch 2 Tbsp. (30 mL)
olive oil 1Tbsp. (15 mL)
honey 1 Tbsp (15 mL)
blackberry port 2 Tbsp. (30 mL) (optional)

onion, 1 medium, peeled and diced
carrot, peeled and diced
cabbage, chopped 1 cup (250 mL)
red pepper, 1 medium, seeded and chopped
minced garlic 1 Tbsp. (15 mL)
chopped fresh sage 2 Tbsp (30 mL)
cooked white beans 2 cups (500 mL)
crumbled feta cheese 1/2 cup  (125 mL)
olive oil 2 Tbsp. (30 mL)
lemon juice (from 1 whole lemon)

Cut the lamb into thin strips and remove any bones, sinew or excess fat. Place in a mixing bowl and add the garlic and rosemary, stirring well to mix. Add the cornstarch and toss well.

In a frying pan over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and stirfry lamb until golden and crispy. Add the honey and toss to coat. When honey begins to carmalize, add the port and quickly stir to coat. when liquid has almost evaporated, transfer to a plate and set aside until needed. Wash pan and return to the heat.

Add a little more olive oil and saute the onion, carrot, cabbage and red pepper. When the vegetables begin to soften and brown add the garlic and sage. Toss to warm through, then add the white beans to the mix. Toss well, add the olive oil, lemon and feta to the mix and season well with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving plate and top with the cooked lamb mixture.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

So Much On My Plate - Artichokes

I had hoped to recreate Carciofi Alla Guidea, pictured here, which is a deep-fried artichoke I enjoyed in Rome on my recent trip, enjoyed in restaurants in the Jewish ghettoes of Rome.

Somehow my efforts were not quite so beautiful as what you see here.  The recipes I researched had two quite different methods, so if you want to try them you can look at this one at Epicurious, and this one at ItalianMade.com.

There's a great reference page on artichokes here, complete with a little video of trimming the artichoke which doesn't really get into the removing the choke part. The trimmed artichokes pictured here at a Roman market are so young you don't even have to remove the chokes, because they haven't formed yet.

I also braised some artichokes in chicken stock, which came out alright, but nowhere near the big, yet tender and flavourful artichokes we had in Rome.Are you picking up on a theme?  The best artichokes to eat whole, whether braised or deep-fried, are young and fresh.

It's quite a chore to find them here in Canada, at least this time of year.  They're not just piled up for sale on street corners, like they were in Italy!  However, if you still want some artichoke flavour, without having to trim, de-choke and otherwise fuss, try this recipe I adapted from an appetizer I had several years ago at King Pacific Lodge in northwestern BC.  The chef at the time served it after a chilly day out on the boat fishing, so this warm dip was a perfect way to move from outside to inside with a glass of wine before dinner.  Serve on fresh slices of baguette.  The best part about this recipe is that the artichokes come from a can...and you never get any chewy and prickly parts.

Warm Artichoke Spread   

Ingredients:

1 14 oz./398 ml can artichoke hearts...not marinated!
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup pimento-stuffed green olives, chopped into small chunks
1/3 cup parmesan cheese shavings or 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Put the artichokes, lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic into a food processor.  Process until just blended and there are no artichoke chunks left.  Transfer to microwavable bowl, and stir in the green olives, cheese and salt and pepper to taste.  Microwave the spread for a minute or two before serving to warm it up.  (it tastes best warm!)

So Much On My Plate - David Feys

This afternoon on So Much On My Plate, I welcomed David Feys of Victoria's Feys & Hobbs Catering.  He's celebrating his 10th anniversary of the business, and had some long weekend tips on entertaining at the barbecue. His recipe for cedar-planked pork tenderloin is below.

On another note, please join me tomorrow night (Saturday, May 20th) at the Night of Artists event in Victoria.  I'll be your master of ceremonies for the evening, which includes music, food, and of course, art.  Find out more at the Night of Artists website.

Cedar Plank Smoked Turkey Tenderloin with Grilled Potatoes & Rhubarb Chutney        yield: serves 4

Cedar plank cooking on the BBQ is very popular today ~ so for a change, try this low fat, easy to prepare recipe using turkey tenderloin instead of fish! There is no trimming, skin or cutting to prepare the turkey ~ it's ready to go! Adding the grilled potatoes and another grilled vegetable will make it a complete, efficient dinner ~ no running back and forth to the stove to check other menu items!
Try our Rhubarb Chutney with this recipe.


2 Turkey tenderloins
2 tsp. olive oil
1 tbs. Fresh tarragon or other tender herb

fresh ground pepper and sea salt, to taste

1 cedar plank 

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2 medium sized Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed
1 tbs. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 tbs.fresh summer savory, parsley or other tender herb
fresh ground pepper and sea salt, to taste 

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1 green or yellow zucchini
2 tbs. olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 tbs. balsamic vinegar
fresh ground pepper and sea salt, to taste 

Method: 
1.  Soak the cedar plank as directed ~ usually about two hours. When the cedar plank has soaked, prepare the other ingredients. 
2.  Preheat BBQ to medium high heat. 
3.  For the turkey: place tenderloins in a non-reactive dish, add the fresh herb, olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Turn the tenderloins to coat well with the herbs and seasonings. 
4.  Place the prepared tenderloins on the cedar plank and set the plank on preheated BBQ set to medium high heat. Close the cover and allow the turkey to cook for about 12 minutes. Check the turkey occasionally to ensure the plank does not ignite ~ keep a water spray bottle handy just in case. Meanwhile, prepare the potatoes. 
5.  For the potatoes: slice the potatoes about 3/8" thick and toss in medium sized mixing bowl with the garlic, herbs, oil and seasoning. 
6.  Place on other section of the preheated BBQ set to medium heat and cook for about 7 minutes, turn over and finish cooking on the second side. Check for doneness by poking potatoes with a skewer or tip of a pointed knife. They should be tender. 
7.  For the zucchini: slice the zucchini about ½" thick and toss in a medium sized bowl with the olive oil, seasoning, vinegar. Cook for about the last 7 to 10 minutes of total cooking time. 
8.  To check the turkey for doneness ~ it should feel firm and a bit springy at the thickest point. If unsure, cut into it slightly and check that it is white coloured though to the center. The meat will be very juicy. 
9.  Divide vegetables amongst four warmed plates; slice the tenderloin into ½" slices and serve immediately with Rhubarb Chutney on the side! 

So Much On My Plate - Fish Cuscus and Veal Marsala

Today on So Much On My Plate, I shared two recipes I enjoyed in Italy, fish cuscus and veal Marsala.  The veal is very simple to make, and the cuscus can be adapted to your individual tastes by varying the amount of cinnamon or nutmeg, and using whatever kind of seafood you like.  The top picture is a dish of cuscus we had in Catania, on the Eastern Coast of Sicily.  Ironically, I preferred this one to the first one I had, bottom photo, in Trapani, where it is supposed to be 'traditional'. 

In Catania, the couscous was topped with shrimp and fish, and included artichokes, celery, onion, carrots and zucchini.  The fish stock was very powerful.  By contrast, the Trapanese dish was much more simple, with a bowl of cooked couscous presented along with a tureen of lightly spiced tomato broth and shreds of whitefish.  The following recipe is more representative of what we ate in Catania. 

Fish Cuscus  Serves 4

For the stock:
2 pounds fish trim
1/2 pound large shrimp or prawns, shell on
1 large carrot cut into 2 or 3 pieces
1/2 an onion, peeled
4 whole cloves
a few stalks of parsley

Peel the shrimp and reserve them for the final poaching.  Put the shells, along with the fish trim, carrot, onion, cloves and parsley into a large pot and add cold water to cover.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes.  Remove from heat and strain out the solids. 

For the cuscus:
1 cup hot fish stock
1 cup of instant couscous

Put the couscous in a large bowl and pour the hot stock over top.  The couscous will swell and absorb the stock, and be ready to eat in about 5 minutes.  Set aside for the final preparation.

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 carrot, sliced on the diagonal
1 stalk of celery, sliced on the diagonal
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 an onion, sliced
1/2 cup tomato juice or tomato passata (a thick puree of tomato available at Italian grocery stores)
1 cup fish stock
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
salt and pepper
1/2 pound fish fillets, such as red snapper or ling cod, cut into large chunks

In a large pot, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat.  Add in the carrot, celery, onion and garlic.  Stir and fry until the vegetables have started to soften.  Stir in the tomato juice or passata, the fish stock and the spices.  Then add the chunks of fish and the reserved shrimp or prawns.  Simmer until the seafood is just cooked.

To serve, put a ladleful of couscous in each serving bowl.  Then ladle some fish, prawns and liquid on top.  (You can increase the number of servings by adding more fish, more stock and more tomato juice as you make up the final liquid base.)

Veal Scallopine Marsala

This is a very easy dish to make, excellent to throw together for a last-minute dinner party!  You could also use thinly-sliced chicken or turkey breast to make this dish.

Ingredients:

4 thin-sliced veal cutlets, about one quarter-pound each
about half a cup of flour, seasoned to taste with salt and pepper
olive oil
half a cup Marsala wine

Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan on medium high heat.  Dredge the cutlets in the seasoned flour and knock off any excess.  Carefully put the cutlets in the hot oil, and fry, turning once, until both sides are golden.  Pour in the Marsala and continue to cook until almost all the wine has evaporated and you are left with a thick gravy.  Serve immediately with some steamed vegetables such as asparagus.

So Much On My Plate - Chocolate Appreciation 101

Today featured an on-air taste testing of different chocolates from around the world and I told folks how they can make their own chocolate right from the cocoa beans. 

I talked about Poulain chocolate bars, imported from France by the Cadbury corporation, and now distributed in easy to find places such as Shoppers Drug Marts, Save-On Foods and IGA's.  For tasting notes pairing Poulain chocolate with other foods and beverages, click here.

To find out more about making chocolate from cocoa beans to your very own specifications at home, with the cool device pictured here, visit Alchemist John's website, Chocolate Alchemy.

So Much On My Plate - Maple Syrup

This week, So Much On My Plate celebrated maple syrup.  You can use it for so much more than a topping.  I have 4 recipes for you, the first recipe is one I adapted from a dish I learned from a former executive chef at the Fairmont Waterfront, Daryle Nagata.  Last time I heard, he was with the Fairmont in Washington, DC.  This recipe calls for a cedar plank, make sure the cedar you get is untreated cedar.  You don't want to be inhaling creosote or some other preservative as the plank heats up on the barbecue.  Many grocery stores are now selling cedar planks especially made for this purpose.

Maple-Soy Planked Salmon

Ingredients:

One boneless fillet of salmon per person, 4 to 6 ounces each

One cedar plank, 6 inches wide, and long enough to hold the salmon pieces in one layer

Maple syrup

Soya sauce

Freshly ground black pepper

Soak your cedar plank in enough water to cover it for at least half an hour.  I don't give exact amounts for the syrup and soya, since it will vary with the number of fillets you are marinating.  Place the salmon fillets in a zip loc bag large enough to hold the fillets and pour in equal amounts of soya sauce and maple syrup, just enough to coat the surface of the salmon.  You don't have to marinate the salmon long for it to pick up the flavour of the soy and maple.  15-20 minutes is plenty. Turn your barbecue on high, then take your cedar plank out of the water and place in directly on the grill.  Close the lid.  When the plank starts to crackle and smoke, lift the lid and place the salmon fillets skin side down on the plank.  Close the lid.  The salmon is done when it turns opaque and flakes easily.  Don't overcook!  I like my salmon medium rare.  Turn off barbecue, and lift salmon from the cedar with a metal spatula.  Serve immediately.

The following recipes were chosen from a review of recipes available from various maple syrup producer websites, but all of them were tested in the PacificPalate.com test kitchen with good results.

Maple Corn Bread

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups (325 ml) sifted all-purpose flour
4 tsp (20 ml) baking powder
1/2 tsp (2 ml) salt
2/3 cup (150 ml) cornmeal
2/3 cup (150 ml) milk
1/3 cup (75 ml) maple syrup
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup (50 ml) butter, melted
1/4 cup (50 ml) maple syrup
1/2 cup (125 ml) walnuts, coarsely chopped

Heat oven to 375°F. Grease 9 inch square cake pan. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir in cornmeal with fork. Combine milk, 1/3 cup (75 ml) maple syrup, butter, and eggs; add to dry ingredients. Stir in just until blended. Spoon into pan and smooth. Drizzle remaining 1/4 cup (50 ml) maple syrup over batter. Sprinkle with walnuts. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Maple Chicken

Ingredients:
2 lb (1 kg) chicken pieces
1/3 cup (75 ml) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (50 ml) vegetable oil
1/2 cup (125 ml) maple syrup
2 Tbsp (30 ml) cider vinegar
2 Tbsp (30 ml) sherry
2 Tbsp (30 ml) soya sauce
2 tsp (10 ml) ground ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp (2 ml) pepper
1/4 tsp (1 ml) paprika

Coat chicken pieces well with flour. In large nonstick fry pan, add vegetable oil. Cook for 5 minutes, browning well, turn often. Arrange in 9" x 12" baking dish. In small bowl, mix together maple syrup, vinegar, sherry, soya sauce, ginger, garlic, pepper and paprika. Pour over chicken evenly. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes to 1 hour, turning once during baking. Cover with foil, if browning too quickly. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley.

Caramelized Maple Popcorn

Ingredients:
½ cup popping corn
½ cup butter or margarine
¼ cup maple syrup
1 cup brown sugar
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp vanilla extract

Pop enough corn to make 10 – 12 cups. Place popped corn in a buttered mixing bowl and set aside. In a small saucepan melt butter then mix in syrup, brown sugar and salt. Boil for five minutes without stirring. Remove from heat then stir in baking soda and vanilla extract. Pour mixture over popcorn and mix well. Turn into large casserole dish or roasting pan and bake in 250F oven for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.  Cool.

So Much On My Plate - Fish recipes

Hi everyone...I have decided to give up red meat for Lent.  That means eating more fish.  The recipes I talked about today are below, but if you want more information about eating sustainable seafood, check out the Ocean Wise program.

Now the recipes:

Salmon Fillets Steamed with Black Bean Sauce - Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 salmon steaks, or 2 boneless, skinless fillets, about 200g each

1 large clove garlic, chopped
3 green onions, diced small
1 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin strips
2 tbsp. salted black beans, rinsed and chopped (available in Asian grocery stores)
½ tsp ground chili pepper paste

1 tbsp. peanut or vegetable oil
1/8 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup dry sherry or sake or chicken stock
chopped cilantro for garnish

Prepare a wok for steaming.  If you don’t have a bamboo steamer, arrange 4 chopsticks across the bottom of the wok in a pattern that will support a heatproof bowl or casserole dish.  Fill the wok with water just to the bottom of the chopsticks, or to where the bottom of your bamboo steamer will rest.  Bring to a boil while you prepare the sauce.

Put the salmon in the bowl or dish.   Heat the peanut oil over high heat in a fry pan.  When it is almost smoking, add in the green onions, ginger, garlic, black beans and chili paste.  Stir and fry until fragrant and the ginger and garlic have softened a bit.  Add the soy sauce and sherry and simmer for 30 seconds. Pour over the salmon and put the bowl  on the chopsticks or into the bamboo steamer.  Cover the bowl with the wok lid, or the lid from your steamer.  Steam for about 10 minutes or until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.  Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve immediately.

Halibut Cheeks in an Eggplant, Bell Pepper and Shitaake Mushroom Sauce - Serves 4

Japanese cooking master Tojo impressed me with this dish many years ago and I have tried to recreate it to the best of my ability.  You could also mix in a little bit of miso paste with the sauce mixture and cut back on the oyster sauce to change the flavour a bit.  If you can’t find halibut cheeks, any chunks of halibut or similar firm, white-fleshed fish would do as well.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. peanut or vegetable oil
1 inch of fresh ginger, julienned
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 green onions, sliced on a bias
1 long Japanese eggplant, quartered lengthwise, then cut into 1 inch slices
1 red bell pepper, halved, seeded and cut into slices
½ pound Shiitake or button mushrooms, stemmed and cut in half
1/8 cup oyster sauce
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup sherry, sake or dry white wine
½ cup chicken stock
1 pound halibut cheeks, cut into large chunks if necessary
sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds and chopped cilantro for garnish

Heat the peanut oil over medium high heat in a large frying pan.  Add in the ginger, garlic, and green onions and sauté until fragrant.  Then add the eggplant, bell pepper and mushrooms.  Stir and fry until the mushrooms start to soften.  Mix together the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sherry and chicken stock and pour over the vegetables.  Bring to a simmer; then nestle the halibut cheek chunks into the mixture.  Cover and simmer until the fish is just cooked through.  Ladle into bowls and drizzle with a few drops of sesame oil, a sprinkle of sesame seeds and the chopped cilantro.  Enjoy!

The seafood and vegetables I used for testing these recipes is courtesy of Capers, so far the only retail outlet to join the Ocean Wise program.  Good on ya!

Correction!

My bad, as they say...  In a Breakfast Cereal recipe posted from my stories about the resurgence of Slow Cookers, there was an incorrect amount posted for the first ingredient.  It should read 1 and a 1/2 cups of steel cut oats, not 1/2 cups.  My apologies to anyone who tried the recipe and had it end up quite soupy! 

Please try it again as it really is quite delicious.  Thanks to two eagle-eyed blog-spotters for questioning the recipe, which has now been corrected on the site.

So Much On My Plate - Beef Cheeks

When I read an article about beef cheeks in the Toronto Star food section a few weeks ago, I couldn't resist tracking down a source of them on Vancouver Island and checking them out.  I simply called my nearest butcher shop, Cowichan Valley Meats in Duncan and put in an order.  When I found out they would only cost $2 a pound, I said put me down for 10 pounds!  When the order arrived last week, there were almost 13 pounds in the bag.  Of course I said I would take them all, much to the amusement of both the woman at the meat counter and at the till, who both asked me what my intentions were with the cheeks!

I explained that I had never cooked them before, but I intended to braise them for a while, since they need to be tenderized. The only snag in preparation is that you need to trim the silverskin off the cheeks, but if you paid the butcher a little more per pound they would probably do it for you. I adapted two recipes for beef short ribs, one that braises them in a wine and vegetable reduction, resulting in a thick sauce finished with chocolate, rosemary and chipotle chiles in adobo sauce. 

The other recipe is easier, as you simple simmer the cheeks in a soya sauce/water/star anise/garlic mixture, then grill the cheeks after they've been tenderized to give them a nice caramelized finish.

We had four friends over for dinner and put both recipes to the test.  While the grilled cheeks were received favourably, the most praise was reserved for those that had stewed in the rich wine sauce...and I still have about 5 pounds of cheeks left in the freezer for future experimentation!

Here are the recipes, which could be used with beef short ribs as well.  I found that the beef cheeks in general had less fat than short ribs, which is why the grilled versions turned out a little dry.  Let me know how these turn out if you try them!

Braised and Grilled Beef Cheeks

Adapted from a beef short rib recipe by Mark Bittman, columnist for the New York Times

Yield: 4 servings
Total time: At least 2 1/2 hours

Ingredients:
3 pounds beef cheeks, trimmed of fat and silverskin
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
5 thin slices of ginger
5 whole star anise
4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon rice or white wine vinegar

1. Combine the beef cheeks, soy sauce water, ginger, star anise and garlic in a heavy-bottomed pot. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil; cover and turn the heat so that the mixture simmers gently. Cook, turning the cheeks about every 30 minutes, until the cheeks are tender, about 2 hours.

2. Remove the cheeks from the pot and strain the sauce. If time allows, refrigerate both, separately; skim the fat from the top of the sauce. Preheat a charcoal or gas grill or the broiler; the rack should be 4 to 6 inches from the heat source, and the fire hot.

3. Grill or broil the cheeks until nicely browned all over, sprinkling them with salt and pepper and turning as necessary; total cooking time will be about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, reheat the sauce gently; season it with salt and pepper, then add the vinegar.

Braised Beef Cheeks with Chocolate, Rosemary and Chipotle Pepper

This recipe was adapted from a January 2006 Bon Appetit recipe for beef short ribs. 

1/4 cup diced pancetta (Italian bacon) or regular bacon
4 pounds cleaned beef cheeks
olive oil as needed
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped peeled carrots
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups dry red wine
3 cups low-salt chicken broth or beef broth
2 cups chopped drained canned diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 very large fresh thyme sprig
1 bay leaf

3 tablespoons shaved or grated bittersweet chocolate
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 (or more to taste) chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped (these are available in most Latin American grocery shops.  You could substitute Chipotle Tabasco sauce to taste)

Heat heavy large pot over medium heat. Add pancetta and bacon and sauté until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle  with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown ribs in drippings in pot over medium-high heat until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. (if the pancetta and cheeks don’t release enough fat, add some olive oil to the pot to brown the remaining cheeks) Transfer to a plate. Add onions and next 4 ingredients to pot. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add wine. Boil uncovered until liquid is reduced by half, scraping up browned bits, about 5 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and pancetta. Return ribs to pot, cover partially, and simmer 1  hour. Uncover and simmer until rib meat is tender, stirring occasionally, about another hour longer.

Transfer cheeks to plate; discard bay leaf. Spoon fat from surface of sauce. At this point you may want to puree the sauce; I used my portable wand to do it. Add chocolate, cocoa powder, rosemary and chipotle pepper or Tabasco; stir until chocolate melts. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return ribs to pot. Simmer to rewarm, about 5 minutes.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

So Much On My Plate - Valentine's Day

Keep it simple, keep it easy:  When you are making dinner for Valentine's Day, don't sweat it!  You want to have time to spend with your loved one, not spend time in the kitchen...

For appetizers: By some high-quality crackers like Lesley Stowe's Raincoast Crisps and serve them with your favourite antipastis.  Perhaps some duck pate, eggplant spread, some Italian salamis and mild cheeses like provolone and gouda, nothing too heavy before dinner.

Main Course:  Fast and simple means a veal or turkey scallopini.  Pound a nice veal cutlet so it's quite thin.  Or if you can't find turkey scallopini, ask your butcher to cut you some from a fresh turkey breast, which are more readily available at most grocery stores.  Season some flour with salt and pepper, and dredge the meat in the flour.  Heat a fry pan over high heat and add a thin sheen of olive oil.  Quickly fry the scallopini...this should take no more than 2 minutes on each side, until nicely browned.  When it comes out of the pan, squeeze some fresh lemon juice and serve.

Serve with what?  Ah, before you get the scallopini in the pan, take some mushrooms, whatever type you can get, and slice.  In a hot frypan, mix equal amounts of butter and olive oil together, then throw in the mushrooms.  Stir and fry until the mushrooms start to release some of their juices.  Season with salt and pepper, stir some more, then lower heat to medium and stir in some whipping cream.  The mushrooms will absorb the cream and create a rich, delicious mixture.

To cut the richness a bit, take a bunch of red chard.  Cut off the tough stems, rinse the leaves and cut into small pieces, about an inch or two square.  In a fry pan, heat some olive oil.  Add some chopped garlic and a couple of ounces of chopped bacon, pancetta or prosciutto.  When the bacon is crisped, stir in the chard so that it gets coated with the fat in the pan.  As it starts to wilt, reduce heat to medium and cover.  When the chard is tender, add salt and pepper, and a splash of balsamic vinegar.  Serve with warm mushrooms and hot scallopini.

Dessert:  Take 250 mls of whipping cream and heat until just about boiling in a small pot.  Remove from heat and whisk in 250 grams of chopped, dark chocolate until it melts.  That's it!  Pour into a nice bowl and serve with chunks of pineapple, banana, strawberry, whatever strikes your fancy. 

Happy Valentine's Day!