a warming steak salad with onion petals
Winter blahs call for colour (and tasty nutrition) on the plate, and “lots of water, and stretching”. I’ll add more birdwatching, and more travel to that list, too. Bring on the New Year !
The aroma of supper roasting is also a convenient way to warm the house until the wood stove kicks in. Last night’s supper challenge? To use up a pint of nearly over ripe cherry tomatoes, some slightly tired spinach and a red onion. With a few glasses of 66 Gilead Distillery’s Vodka (with fresh lemon) to toast my safe return from yet another wintery, 2 -1/2 hr drive from TO, I’m hardly complaining. The steak is thinner than I prefer, but it did come from another local supplier, Gilmour’s Meats in Belleville. Less meat, more veg….I get it.
Cooking up a big batch of roasted sweet potatoes now, means leftovers for no-fuss mashing into enriched soups and sauces later.The tomatoes and spinach from dinner were also perfect in this morning’s omelette.
Warm Steak Salad with Onion Petals and Roasted Sweet Potato
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F . Place sweet potatoes in a pan, prick with a fork, and bake for about 1 hour 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, marinate steak with some Dijon, a clove of minced garlic, a dash of fish sauce & Worcestershire sauce, 2 Tbsp olive oil, and some freshly ground black pepper. Leave at room temperature.
Toss the cherry tomatoes in a small roasting pan with olive oil and sea salt. Place in the oven and roast for 45 minutes, stirring once while cooking.
Quarter the red onion without peeling, remove the core but not the root end, and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Roast for 40 minutes, turning halfway and drizzling with some additional vinegar.
Remove tomatoes from oven, and toss lightly with the spinach while hot, deglazing any caramelized edges on the pan with juices from the tomatoes. Set aside and read the mail.
Turn oven up to 450 degrees F. (You should have about 2o minutes left until the sweet potatoes are hissing, softened and fully cooked).
Preheat a cast iron pan over medium high heat, and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Sear the steak, depending on thickness, for about 3 minutes or until well browned. Turn and place in the oven and continue cooking for about 4 - 5 minutes or until desired doneness. Remove the onions from the oven.
When the steak is cooked, do a swap. Place the onions into the skillet with the steak, and remove the steak to the onion pan. Set steak aside to rest, covered with foil (or with the pan containing the roasted tomatoes and spinach, as I did).
Return the onions to the oven for another 5-8 minutes, scraping the browned bits clinging to the pan and adding a little more vinegar if desired, while heating the dinner plates. When the onions are caramelized and thoroughly softened, discard the skins and root ends, and separate into petals.
By now, the house should be toasty warm, and everything ready to eat.
To serve: cut an “X” in a sweet potato and place on a heated dinner plate with some roasted onion petals. Place some tomatoes and spinach in a pile, and top with some slices of steak. Drizzle with the accumulated juices from the steak.
Welcome home, indeed!
photos Ruth Gangbar
eat your winter veg
There are a few shots I food styled recently with photographer Jim Norton and prop stylist Martine Blackhurst of Rustica. Art Director Vicki Hornsby assigned a fabulous colour palatte to this story, and I love the teal, blues and metallic touches that made these {always} delicious recipes by Jane Rodmell cookbook author, All the Best Fine Foods owner (and long time “Cottage Cooks” contributor) jump right off the page. Pick up the current issue of Cottage Life Magazine to read the whole story, or find some of the recipes featured here.
open drawers # 2 : snack stash
open drawers #2
where: a photography studio, Toronto
what I’d cook for snacks if I was there now: spicy chipotle guacamole or pico de gallo dips (to go with their organic nacho chips) or anything with a few arugala leaves, double-smoked bacon, chorizo sausage or melty cheesey (to top the their crackers or baguette slices). Snacks count in the studio, or else you risk wanting to eat “the prop”s before their time.
The cookies? no explanation….COFFEEEEE
Point of the Day: Pine vodka, barrels, and tart.
Todays rain was the perfect excuse NOT to catch up on yardwork.
Instead, I headed over to 66 Gilead Distillery for an astonishing vodka sampling that included their Canadian Pine Vodka, Whole Wheat Vodka, and Rye Vodka… all made on site. Read the full story about the distillery in the current issue of Grapevine Magazine here.
Next off to meet the barrelmakers who make the casks for 66 Gilead’s upcoming whiskeys, as well as for numerous local wineries. Their unique CHOA barrels (combined cherry, hickery, oak and applewoods ash) recently prompted a Best in Show award to County Cider in Waupoos , for their Barrel-aged Ice Cider , in the 2011 Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition in Grand Rapids Michigan.
Carriage House Cooperage in Wellington also turns out to also be the showroom for re-purposed old wine barrels, as CHC Furniture. It will stay where it is, but Pete Bradford and Marla Cameron will be moving the cooperage part of the business they share, to a converted pig barn at the 66 Gilead Distillery property in Spring 2012. As another County-first tasting room, they have plans to eventually offer tastes of their barrel-aged balsamic vinegars made from 100% county wine. Next year they’ll be producing vinegars using local fresh pressed apple juice, amongst others like local elderberry…aged in their own local wood barrels, naturally. Oh my…
And if all this day wasn’t delicious enough, making dessert insisted itself. So I ended up making a tart and using most of the Northern Spy apples I bought at Picton County Farm Centre.
One of my #1 favourite go-to fruit tart recipes was written by Lucy Waverman for a booklet for “Wines of Ontario”, published in 1997 before Prince Edward County was even on it’s own winemaking map. Originally calling for pears, I substituted it with about 3-1/2 peeled, cored and quartered apples, and it was as delicious as ever.
Caramelizing the apples with sugar and butter in a cast-iron pan for 20 minutes, before baking under a tender pastry lid. Flip pan after baking for 30 minutes.
Half eaten before I was reminded to take a picture…
fishing with Ron
Recently I made a little time to do some “creative work” with Ronald Tsang, a young and talented photographer here in T.O. Remebering the challenges of getting into this business of food photography, it’s great to help enthusiastic, creative people with real talent, like Ron.
I really liked these images, due in part to the gorgeous quality of the fish I bought that morning from one of my favoured local suppliers…Osler Fish at Dupont and Dundas St W. area.
Try persisting and double-clicking these images a few times…it’s worth looking at them enlarged.
sweetbreads by any other name
Aigo Bouido, also known as Garlic Soup Vicki’s Veggies Blue Ribbon-winning Garlic
I’ver been procrastinating for a day or two now for the chore I’m really not looking forward to….cleaning sweetbreads for a recipe we’re photographing this week. I’m sure they’ll be delicious, but alas, they sure look some aweful. Not difficult to buy if you order ahead from your favourite butchers….mine being the best and always fabulous Vince Gasparro Meats at Bloor and Ossington in T.O.
As a piece of inspiration for myself, these are all images I food styled, with photographer James Tse (and prop stylist Catherine McFadyen), for Mark McEwan’s recently launched cookbook, Fabbricca. And yes, these sweetbreads WERE delicious when crisp-fried and served with chanterelles in a Marsala sauce, with a crispy parsley garnish. But Chef Drew Allerby and his crew at the restaurant (why yes, fabulous Fabbrrica) made it easy by bringing them (and most all the preparations, frankly) to the studio kitchen already prepped for the pan, when we worked on the book last year, and also for Mark McEwan’s Great Food at Home, the year earlier. (”Wow”, I get to work with some amazing people).
I shouldn’t be so squimish…offal cuisine is big these days with Jennifer McLagan’s latest cookbook , “Odd Bits” , proving itself another delicious addition to “Bones”, and “Fat”, her other titles. Congratulations to all the hard work it takes to get cookbooks published ! These books are all delicious, and help take away some of my hesitation to tackle the chore. Notice I’m still at my desk though?
Porcetta Roast & Crispy Pig Tails with Polenta
a dash of Xmas
Here are some images that speak of the season at hand, from a feature I styled last December 2010 with James Tse, for the current Holiday issue of Food & Drink, available now in your favourite liquor stores ! That snowy bliss seen through the window was the real deal…at a rustic log cabin cabin setting in Baysville, Ontario. Notice that fabulous antler chandelier ? It was brought to the location by my friend and prop stylist-extraordinaire, Shelly Shnier, and held in place by a grip stand and chains positioned just so, with more than a little engineering from James and his team. Can you see them?
(Here’s the crop that is running on the Food & Drink website …)
Just in case you didn’t already know it, transporting camera gear, props, and food to any location is a big deal in any weather. But add a freak snowstorm, and a few more details I mentioned earlier here…. and you’ve really got your hands full. Suffice to say that we’re all pleased to see the results looking soooo beautiful. It looks enchanting, and it was as much an exercise in grace under pressure as we’ve (or at least I’ve) ever been victorious over (for work, at least).
I’m missing a few food pictures…you’ll just have to flip to “Boxing Day Specials” on page 155. (I also styled “Pop Culture, Weekend Wonders, Thank You, Ginger, At the Ready, In the Pink,and Taking it Slow”.)
Everyone paddled their hardest to beat the fading light on both the days we were there, but here’s another shout-out to assistants Kareen and Ron, who never faded amidst their toughest performance of the year.
And in case anyone is asking what I’d like from Santa, why yes, one of those Hudson Bay blankets would do quite smartly. Now THAT’S Canadian (even though they’re made in the U.K by a fine company called Hainsworth , who also makes everything from snooker and pool table cloths to firefighter fabrics, so it’s fine by me).
Just for fun, check these out…One Blanket Ten Designers. These coats are amongst ten originals designs for “a little something special” to help celebrate that Winter Olymics in style. These are designed by (left to right) by Smythe, Harricana, and Comrags. Enjoy the days ahead, and stay cool warm…and try to remember the reason for the season, and keep it real.
the point of the day: peeled and zested
I carry this little pouch in my tool box, stuffed with a handful of zesters and peelers that I use often…plus a few rarely used butter curlers and melon ballers.
These work in a range of applications, like for removing citrus zest in different thicknesses for garnishes. The peelers are also terrific for making ribbons of cucumber, slivers of fresh coconut, curls of Parmesan or chocolate…and yet another way to get the zest off of citrus.I don’t think there’s ever a day when I don’t use these tools in the studio for food photography. Here are some samples(easy to tell which ones were shot by the pros, eh?…) of food styling I’ve done using these go-to items from my “kit”. But let’s say it loud…. they’re also incredibly handy in the kitchen at home for a quick and easy way to boost how things taste (and look) on your dinner plate.
…..pre-threaded on a bamboo skewer so it doesn’t split on the metal cocktail pick
LCBO Food & Drink: photo James Tse
(utterly delicious….Poached Salmon with Green Tea Soba Noodles with Cucumber Salad)
County Grapevine: photo Jim Norton
LCBO Food & Drink: photo Mark Burstyn
County Grapevine: photo Derek Cooper
It’s approaching my 100th post. Incredible.
I’m still struggling with figuring out sizing images and controlling the layout. Help is hopefully on it’s way, and also for figuring out how to include receiving comments from you.
Feel free to let me know any queries you have about food styling, unless you’re a robot {read:get lost}
ruth at ruthscanteen dot com
I think I’m the one with all the questions when it comes to living between two worlds, city and country, and making it work. Thank-you for reading about it here on my blog. And yes…it’s almost time to think about what’s for lunch…..
point of the day: thanks Carl!
As I close down the Nook for another rental season, I’m reflecting on the fascinating guests I’ve had this year. And thankful, too, for friends I’ve bartered cottage time for their amazing artwork. Most recently, that would be illustrator Carl Wiens. (I’ll tell you soon about Wendy Trusler, her Voices at Hand exhibition in Picton etc, and the astounding wooden burl carving we exchanged…)
Carl’s award winning Harvestin.ca design is fabulous, and I was so pleased to have him design my logo. His retro series documenting Birdhouse City captures Picton Ontario’s real-life folk-art birdpark.The birdhouses at Birdhouse City are whimsical replicas of actual local buildings, and they’re located in this park on the edge of town.
OnEarth magazine (amongst others like the New York Times) feature his illustrations,like this one about growing bamboo bicycle frames. I like visiting the backyard rink building post on his blog; the more current Retrobots are incredible fun. I chose a print of Swimmer 2 to have as my own, as it reminds me of swimming at the Nook, with Glenora and Lake on the Mountain in the background. See more of Carl’s diverse portfolio here. It’s always a treat to see what he’s up to, including the Prince Edward County Comix Jam held the last Wednesday of every month at the Acoustic Grill.
Marked in ink on my calender, is his upcoming show is on from Nov 26-Jan 3 at the Oeno Gallery, located at Huff Estates Winery,in Prince Edward County.
whats for lunch: thali
I was so pleased to find the food as delicious as the exhuerance of the decor, at South Indian Dosa Mahal 416-516-7701, located at 1262 Bloor St W, closed Sundays and Holidays.
Celebrating it’s 25th Anniversary in business, the colour here is PINK PINK PINK! which I actually LOVED on yet another grey afternoon.
They specialize in South Indian cuisine and offer vegetarian, non-vegetarian, vegan and meat cuisine.
Meat and vegetable Thali platter had the customary chapati and papadam,basmati rice,, lime pickle, cauliflower, tomato and tamarind-simmered chutney, goat curry, aloo gobi (spiced potatoes), carrot and cucumber raita yougurt. Served on a customary sectional tray for $8.50…all amidst a parade of pink sari’s mounted on the walls, red heart banners,plus the coziness of a gas fireplace (?)…all at Bloor and Lansdowne! Crazy 3-D placemats, too. Next time I’ll try their Dosa pancake…( Dosa how-to video here.).
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