Whitecapettes Waiting for the Torch

 

Today the Olympic Torch made its way through North Vancouver. The Whitecapettes and I went down to the route, which was less than a block from our office! There was lots of excitement and cheering when the torch finally went by...

 

Olympic Torch

 

Too bad Miga, Quatchi and Sumi weren't there to escort the flame!

Like most of the country, I’m bummed by the prognosis of our marmot meteorologists. This morning, the three most famous groundhogs (Punxsutawney Phil, Shubenacadie Sam, and Wiarton Willie) all saw their shadows, meaning at least six more weeks of winter. Some in Vancouver might be excited about the thought of actually having real honest-to-goodness snow come February 12, when the world comes to town to frolic in our supposed frozen tundra. To us non-athletes though, six more weeks of winter just means six more weeks of heavy jackets and long underwear (again, unless you’re in Vancouver where it means umbrellas and soggy socks).

What better way to enjoy being stuck inside on a cold day than with a hearty stew! Try this one from Michael Smith’s The Best of Chef at Home:


Classic Chicken Stew
one 4 lb (1.8 kg) roasting chicken
1 stick (1/2 cup/125 mL) of butter
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup (125 mL) of all-purpose flour
2 cups (500 mL) of chicken broth
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
a handful of sliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon (5 mL) of minced fresh thyme or rosemary
2 or 3 bay leaves
a sprinkle or two of sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup (125 mL) of heavy cream (35%) or sour cream
2 or 3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup (250 mL) of frozen peas

Cut chicken into 10 pieces (2 thighs, 2 drums, 2 wings and 4 breast pieces).

 

Place a large heavy saucepan over medium heat and toss in the butter. Add a single layer of chicken pieces and patiently brown them until they’re caramelized on all sides. Remove from the pan and rest on a plate. Repeat with any remaining chicken. By cooking the chicken in batches you avoid cooling the pan below the high heat needed for caramelization.

 

When the chicken is browned, add the onions to the fat and juices remaining in the pan. Sauté until golden brown and caramelized. Add the garlic and sauté a few moments longer. Stir in the flour and then whisk in the chicken broth. Bring to a simmer whisking constantly until thickened.

 

Add the vegetables, fresh herbs and reserved chicken and any juices from the resting plate. Season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking over medium heat until the stew returns to a simmer, then turn the heat down to low, just enough to maintain the simmer.

 

Cover tightly and continue cooking for 30 minutes or so.

 

Stir in the cream, green onions and peas. Taste and add additional salt and pepper, if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate for 2 or 3 days then reheat when needed.

Freestyle Variations:
For some exotic flavour, add 1 tablespoon (15 mL) or so of curry powder along with the chicken broth. For some Mediterranean flavour, omit the flour and replace the chicken broth with one 28 oz (796 mL) can of whole tomatoes. Stir in lots of fresh or dried oregano to finish.

In exactly 15 short days, Vancouver will welcome in the world for the Winter Olympic Games, where everyone will enjoy two weeks of sport, culture, music and of course, Vancouver’s exquisite cuisine.

One of the restaurants, Quattro, with locations in North Vancouver, Whistler and Kitsilano will be hopping with hungry tourists. The Quattro restaurants are known for their delicious family-style Italian cuisine that comes from the heart, and with their cookbook Mangia with Quattro, by owner Antonio Corsi, with Partick Corsi and Tanis Tssiserev, published by Whitecap this past fall, its hearty dishes will keep you warm during the chilly Games.

If you want to try a taste of Vancouver during this exciting time, here is one of the most popular dishes from the book!

Spaghetti in Parchment Paper
Spaghetti al Cartoccio

Serves 6–8

1 lb spaghetti
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed, stuck with a toothpick for easy removal
2–3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
3 Tbsp finely chopped Italian parsley
3 cups tomato sauce
1 tsp chili flakes
6 Roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded, cut in 1/2-inch dice (1 1/2 cups tomato concasse)
1/2 cup sliced black olives
12 fresh basil leaves, torn

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti until al dente (package directions minus 2 minutes). Drain the spaghetti and set it aside.
In a clean large saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil and sauté the garlic until it’s golden brown. Remove it from the pan, discard and add the anchovies. Cook them until they’ve dissolved.
Stir in the Italian parsley. Don’t be shocked when it sizzles! Add the tomato sauce and chili pepper flakes and cook them for 3 minutes on high heat. Add the tomato concasse, olives and reserved spaghetti.
Cook the sauce and pasta for 3 minutes to combine the flavours and to reduce the sauce slightly. Cool for 5 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Pour the spaghetti and sauce on the prepared baking sheet and top it with the basil leaves. Bring the paper edges together, fold them and twist the ends to create a sealed package.
Bake for 10 minutes until the paper is golden brown. Transfer the package to a large platter and open it at the table.

The countdown that began years ago is down to its final days. In exactly 21 days, the 2010 Winter Olympic Games will begin in Vancouver and the city is buzzing with excitement as we prepare to open our doors to the world.

Some of our local Whitecap authors will be participating in “The World Needs More Canada” events at various Chapters and Indigo locations around Vancouver. See below for a list of times and dates, and grab an autographed copy of their book-and maybe some wine and appetizer samples!


C Food by Robert Clark and Harry Kambolis

Jan 24, 2010: 2pm at the Chapters on Robson

Jan 31, 2010:  2pm at the Chapters on Granville

Feb 7, 2010: 2pm at the Indigo Marine Drive


The Wineries of B.C. by John Schreiner

Jan 24, 2010: 2pm at the Indigo Marine Drive

Jan 31, 2010: 2pm at the Chapters on Robson

Feb 7, 2010: 2pm at the Chapters on Granville

I saw Julie and Julia this past weekend, a cute chick flick starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. Meryl Streep stars as the beloved cooking goddess Julia Child and Amy Adams portrays a funny character searching for herself while cooking every recipe from Julia Child’s cookbook and blogging about it. It’s a hilarious movie, with funny little cooking snafus that pop up which every one of us can relate to-especially for us here in the cookbook and food world!

Recently, Chef Michael Smith, author of the bestselling cookbook The Best of Chef at Home made us aware of a fan that was cooking every recipe from his book, then blogging about it. I thought this was so cool I had to check it out:
http://genepp.mycookingblog.com/

If anyone has an interesting story about cooking a recipe from one of our Whitecap Books, or even better a picture of a finished dish send it over! We would love to see it.