The Ultimate Burger

Another first for me - making my own burger patty from scratch. This simple recipe calls for two meats: ground beef short ribs and ground veal. The short ribs gives the burger the rich fatty goodness, while the veal adds a velvety texture. The result is simply a deep, juicy and delicious beefy flavour.

Ingredients:

20 oz. (1-1/4 lb. or 600 g) ground boneless beef short ribs
20 oz. (1-1/4 lb. or 600 g) ground veal
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp red wine (the bolder the flavour, the better)
1 egg (optional)
Salt and fresh black pepper

Procedure:

Ask your butcher to debone and grind short rib meat. Advise the butcher not to trim off too much of the fat, as it adds a lot of flavour. Note that deboned meat is about two-thirds the weight of bone-in — handy to know especially when increasing batch size.

Break up the two meats onto a platter, mixing the varieties, in a single layer. Don't overmix at this point or meat will toughen. Set aside.

In small bowl, blend mustard and wine. If desired, beat an egg into this mixture (this will help the patties keep their shape). Drizzle wine mixture over meat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. With as little mixing as possible, combine all ingredients.

Form eight 3/4" thick patties (or 6 if you want a thicker burger), packing mixture together tightly. Cover and chill for at least one hour or overnight (allowing patties to "set" in the refrigerator also helps them retain their shape) before barbecueing or pan frying.

Source: House and Home Magazine

Cappuccino Cheesecake with Roasted Pineapple

This happens to be the first cheesecake I've ever made, and it also happens to a personal recipe from Dufflet Rosenberg, owner of the renowned (and my favorite) Toronto bakery Dufflet. Combines two of my favorite things, dark coffee and fresh juicy pineapple. Super rich and moist and absolutely delicious.

Ingredients:

Cheesecake

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup sugar

6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup strong brewed coffee, at room temperature

1 1/2 tsp unflavoured gelatin

8 oz creme fraiche

2/3 cup sour cream

6 oz cream cheese, room temperature

3 egg whites

3/ cup sugar

Roasted Pineapple

1 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and chopped into 1/2" pieces

1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed

2/3 cup pineapple juice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 360 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8 1/2 springform pan (bottom upside down, lip up).

In a medium bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar and melted butter. Press mixture firmly into the bottom and partly up the sides of the pan. Bake until lightly browned, about 10 min.

Pour coffee into a small saucepan; sprinkle with gelatin and let stand to soften, about 5 minutes. Warm coffee mixture over medium heat until gelatin has completely dissolved, about 2 min. Cool to room temperature.

Combine creme fraiche, sour cream and cream cheese in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until smooth. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in 3/4 cup sugar and whip until stiff and glossy.

Fold coffee mixture into the creme fraiche mixture. In 2 or 3 additions, fold beaten egg whites into coffee and creme fraiche mixture. Pour into baked graham cracker crust. Gently tap sides of pan to smooth the top. Cover and chill until firm in freezer, at least 3 hours.

To make roasted pineapple, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place pineapple pieces in a single layer in a large glass or ceramic baking dish.

In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, pineapple juices and cinnamon, and pour over pineapple pieces. Roast pineapple, stirring every 10 min, until tender and lightly browned, about 30-40 min.

To serve, remove sides of pan, cut cake into wedges and top with warm or room temperature roasted pineapple.

Source: House and Home Magazine, May 2010

The Black Hoof

char·cu·te·rie: a delicatessen specializing in dressed meats and meat dishes

I've wanted to visit this popular and highly praised restaurant for a while now. I never heard of a charcuterie and was intrigued to find out. I never ventured out to that part of Dundas West, it's a very conspicuous place for such a restaurant. But sometimes the best restaurants are located in the most untrendy locations. A very trendy thing to do, indeed.

We arrived early before 6, hoping to squeeze in there and get a table quickly. Much to our surprise, it was almost empty. Hint: go on a Monday and early, because it's not a big place and but it will fill up fast.

The drink menu was good and some original cocktails. But I'll just get started with the food. Good variety of meats, cured and fresh. Generous portions at reasonable prices. Innovative pairings. But mostly, it was just delicious and decandant!

We started with the small charcuterie platter. If you want a good starter dish, order the small because you won't be able to finish the rest of your meal with anything more! It was the most beautiful variety of horse sausage, foie gras mousse, venison brasaola, duck prosciutto and a rainbow of pork products like pancetta, salami and chorizo. All prepared in-house with the exception of the pancetta.

For the main course, we chose the the lamb parppadelle, marinated calamari salad, and cow tongue on brioche. Great variety, each one so different in taste and textures. I love lamb so really enjoyed the tender shredded lamb, marinated and tossed with the savory smooth parppadelle. My favorite had to be the cow tongue on brioche sandwich. Tender razor-thin slices of cow tongue nestled between slices of toasted brioche. Both of those dishes had generous portions and very satisfying.

Overall, I recommend the Black Hoof to the serious gourmet carnivore in you. Looking forward to my next visit!

The Black Hoof

928 Dundas Street West

(416) 551-8854

9/10 rating

Better Than Sex Brownies

This sinfully decadent brownie calls for three kinds of chocolate. So worth it!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
2 oz. bitter-sweet chocolate
1 cup white sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

Procedure:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease an 8" x 8" square pan.

In a medium-sized saucepan, melt together over low heat the unsalted butter, and the semi-sweet, unsweetened, and bitter-sweet chocolate. Stir constantly to prevent the chocolate from scorching.

When just melted, remove from heat. Stir in the sugar.

Beat in the eggs one at a time.

Stir in the vanilla.

Gently stir the flour and baking powder.

Pour into the pan.

Bake for 21 minutes. (The brownies should be slightly underdone, since they continue to cook after they've been removed from the pan.)

Cool on a wire rack in the pan. Cut into squares.

Store in an airtight container up to three days, if they last that long.

Source: Cookbook author Mairlyn Smith