Easter Brunch.......

Hi. Remember me? I used to be really good about blogging almost everything I make. I still take pics of what I cook, but sometimes life gets in the way. I started a new job baking 3 days a week. I still have my other job cooking for the Seniors. I was really sick 2 weeks ago and then I went to FL for 9 days. I'm back now, ready to blog.

Robin really loves Hot Cross buns, but she said she's never had a really fresh one( she always has to toast them). I remedied that, by whipping up this recipe. I searched online, but then went to my massive cookbook collection and pulled out a bread machine cookbook. I really have no qualms about making dough in the machine, especially when I'm making 3 other things too. I decided on this recipe because it used skim milk( I didnt want to go out and buy whole milk) and I had everything on hand. Actually, I take that back. The recipe called for dried currants and dried apricots. I had the latter, not the former. I did have a mix of dried fruits(breakfast blend) by Sunsweet. It contained dates, 2 different raisins and prunes so I used that. It worked out well. The dough was super simple using AP flour, brown sugar, mace( I used a shake of pumpkin pie spice) eggs, butter, milk, yeast and salt. When the dough cycle is finished, you dump out the dough and knead in the dried fruits. After forming into rolls, you let rise again, slash the top and bake. After they were in the oven for about 5 min, I realized I forgot to slash the crosses into the top( Hey, I'm Jewish, I dont often make crosses). I hoped it would still work and it was fine. I just mixed up the glaze( powdered sugar, milk and vanilla or Fiori Di Sicillia). I let them cool for a few minutes then made the crosses by drizzling them on with a spoon. It worked out pretty well. Everyone loved them!! On my way back to Canada from the airport( in Detroit) last week, I stopped at Nino Salvaggio's
and picked up some Vermont Butter and Cheese Company Cultered Butter. It was divine on these.

I also made a smoked salmon, mushroom and asparagus quiche( The crust is Pate Brise, I subbed 1/4c. of WW flour in place of some of the AP flour)and roasted fingerling potatoes. I love these potatoes. I picked up a bag at our local grocery store( PC Brand) for 1.50. I'm always stunned when I can find gourmet stuff in our small town.

I didnt get a picture of the fabulous yogurt granola parfaits I made. I used Liberte organic vanilla yogurt. OMG, that stuff is TOO DIE FOR!! Robin said it was like eating heavy cream. I normally always look at labels( and prices) at the grocery store, but for some odd reason( subconciously maybe I didnt want to know) I didnt. I was shocked to see it had 15g of fat for 175g serving. It was also 4.79 for 750g. When I made the parfaits, I used probably 2 heaping tablespoons of the yogurt so I didnt feel too guilty. I also used some blackberries( from Mexico) and some semi tasteless strawberries from Cali. I really can't wait until we have Ontario strawberries. Those rock and last year I made a killer jam with them.

No big meal tonight. I'm going to have some blintzes my mom made for me and I schlepped back from Florida!!

An Untraditional Easter Dinner......

I knew that I would be in no shape to cook today. I worked Thurs-Saturday preparing for a wedding. Yesterday was the actual wedding and I'm always exhausted when I get home. Standing on my feet and serving chicken cordon bleu with a choice of mushroom sauce or chipotle cream sauce ( and asking each person what they want and then explaining over and over what chipotle is) wears me out, not to mention the loading and unloading at the actual wedding site. Anyway, I cooked a bunch of things last Wednesday in preparation for today.

I did throw this foccacia dough together yesterday morning. This is the best damn foccacia I've ever made. The recipe comes from August 2004 of Fine Cooking and its Peter Reinhart's recipe( Bread Bakers Apprentice). It's a very wet dough that spends the night in the fridge for a long slow rise. The next day, you dump it on a parchment lined pan, dimple it and add more olive oil. Then it rises again for a few hours until its ready for the oven. It was so flavorful from the long overnight rise. My MIL couldnt stop eating it.





Back to Wednesday, I made 2 lasagnas. My MIL stays away from marinara sauce, so I made her a smaller lasagna with bechemal. I used the bechemal sauce from the latest issue of Cook's Illustrated. For Robin and I, I made a big batch of homeade marinara using San Marzano tomatoes that Robins friend brought us back from an Italian market in Windsor, ON. I used some bechemal on the bottom as well. Both lasagnas are spinach and mushroom.


I also made some hot fudge sauce . I loved this hot fudge, it will be my go to recipe from now on. I had bought some Hershey's single origin choc. bars that were reduced and they were perfect for this recipe. I threw together and ice cream pie using a ready made keebler crust and bryers light heath bar ice cream.

I also made a blueberry/raspberry pie for my MIL. I used the pillsbury crust and I swear I'll never do that again. I HATE the smell of them. They stink while they are baking( I know its the lard in the crust). Next time, I'll stick to the pate brise recipe that I normally use.