ATLANTIC LOBSTER CAKES WITH CUCUMBER RELISH  June 25 03
BRITISH COLUMBIA APPLE CRISP PIE
BACON & ONION SWEET ROLLS
BRUSCHETTA OR PAN BREAD DIP
CHICK PEA BURRITOS  June 25 03
COOKING TIP – KEEPING TURKEY MOIST   April 14, 04
DARK SECRETS MELT IN OUR MOUTH RIBS
DARK SECRETS GRIDDLE-BAKED CHEESE QUESADILLAS
DARK SECRETS PLAYFUL PIZZA   December 14, 04
DIZZY GILLESPIE'S HOMINY GRITS
DON'T CRY OVER SLICED ONIONS!    April 14, 04
FAIRY RINGS
GARLIC ROASTED PEPPER DIP
GOURMET ALLEY GARLIC BREAD
HALIFAX & BEYOND CURRIED CHICKEN
HOMEMADE CORN TORTILLAS
JOE'S JAMBALAYA
MAPLE SYRUP RUM BAKED BEANS
PERFECT PEACH AND BLUEBERRY PIE  NEW August 22, 05
PIRI-PIRI GARDEN DIP  July 24, 03
PIRI-PIRI & WILD GARLIC CREAM SAUCE
'ROADSHOW' DARK SECRETS & WILD GARLIC SAUCE
ROAST WHOLE SUCKLING PIG & STUFFING
SIMPLE GLAZED CARROTS  July 9 , 03
SOUTH SEAS CURRIED BEEF
SWEET PIRI-PIRI POTATOES
THE FLYING N CAESAR SALAD    Feb 17, 04
WILD GARLIC SOUR CREAM SALSA
YORKSHIRE PUDDINGS From The DRIFTWOOD ROOM  Feb 17, 04

Fun For Kidz

1. Line 9-inch pie pan with pastry.
2. Arrange sliced apples in pastry shell.
3. Sprinkle sugar over apples.
4. Combine flour, brown sugar & cinnamon, cut in shortening until mixture is crumbly.
5. Sprinkle mixture over apples.
6. Bake in hot oven at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 375 degrees and cook for another 30 minutes.
   

1. Chop 4 large onions finely. Simmer in olive oil in a cast iron skillet.
   
2. Chop a pound or so of slab bacon into cubes and add to onions. Add to the onions and allow to simmer away slowly in the background. Don't be in a hurry. The onions will brown & the bacon will cook thoroughly in their own juices for an hour or so. Stir regularly.
   
3. Cool and drain off the fat.
   
4. When your Sweet Dough is ready for the final kneading, create a 'bowl' with your thumbs into a handful of dough and gently work the edges of the dough around the filling. This is where the 'art' comes in….kids, grandkids and 'big' kids usually have a bit of a competition at this point to compare style & approach.

1. In a large glass bowl, whisk oil, vinegar & mustard together to form a dressing.
   
2. Add chickpeas, shallots, green pepper, celery, parsley & basil. Stir until incorporated. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for one hour.
   
3. Gently warm tortilla shells. Equally spoon mixture into centre of each shell. Top with grated cheddar cheese & roll up.

1. Prepare grits as per package.
2. Fry bacon in a little butter or it's own fat, along with the onion.
3. Empty can of salmon into a bowl.
4. Beat the eggs, then stir into salmon with milk.
5. Optional removal of fat from pan.
6. Pour salmon/milk/eggs mixture into pan with bacon/onion and cook until barely set.
7. Pour over cooked grits & serve.

1. Dip baked rings in the liqueur.
2. Fill each ring with whipped cream.
3. Sprinkle with the chopped green gelatine.

1½ tablespoon vegetable oil
Celery, Onions,Green Pepper, Mushrooms
Large Tablespoon Peanut Butter
Pickling Spice - (less bay leaves and peppercorns) ground up ¼ cup or less
curry to taste (2 to 3 tablespoons)
Salt (to taste)
¼ cup coconut
1 can consume (condensed)
1 large can - whole tomatoes
Add cut up chicken

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TO TASTE

fenugreek
cinnamon
ginger
allspice
red pepper
cloves

Coat the bottom of a Dutch Oven with cooking oil, saute celery and onions and add green pepper. Add the tomatoes, condensed soup, peanut butter, spices, coconut and chicken. Simmer until cooked and serve over plain steamed rice.

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When I was younger, a lot younger, my parents supplemented their income by renting out rooms in our house. This was in the 60's, at the height of the Civil Rights movement in the United States. I grew up in Halifax, and there were racial tensions in Halifax. Slurs, jokes, innuendo's and racial attitudes were the norm. The people who boarded with us were treated as family. They shared our house. We watched television together, they ate with us, and were included in all aspects of our family life. My parents were very open mined, and our borders included an East Indian and a Jamaican. It was in this environment that our East Indian border taught me how to make this Curried Chicken.

                   ~ Paul Carreau

Not only did Paul offer a time-proven recipe, but a lesson in sharing, learning & enjoying. Our thanks!

2 cups masa harina
¼ tsp salt
1 to 1 ¼ cups warm water

1. In a medium bowl, stir masa harina & salt together, along with enough water to make a thick, firm, but still soft dough.
2. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Divide dough into 12 equal balls.
   
4. One at a time, roll or press a ball into a tortilla roughly 6 inches in diameter.
5. Place tortilla on hot skillet & cook until it begins to turn golden & it's edges curl ( 1 to 1 ½ minutes per side).
6. Transfer into a napkin or paper towel lined basket as you cook the others.

1. Cover the beans with 12 cups cold water & let soak overnight.
   
2. In the morning, pour the whole thing in a large saucepan.
   
3. Add 1 teaspoon soda and more cold water to cover the beans if necessary.
4. Bring to a boil, uncovered, then boil until some of the skins come off when you blow on the beans.
5. Line a bean pot with the sliced pork, then pour in the beans and their water.
6. Roll the onion in the dry mustard until all of the mustard sticks to it, then bury it in the middle of the beans.
   
7. Pour the maple syrup and course salt on top.
   
8. Bake 4 - 5 hours in the oven at 325 degrees.
9. In the last hour of cooking, cover the beans with the whole apples, placed as close together as possible.
10. Cream together the sugar and butter, then spread the mixture on top of the apples. (This forms a most delicious topping when the beans are baked.)
11. Pour the rum on top just before serving.

Madame Benoit says: This is one of my family recipes. I have never seen the apple cover in any cookbook, and have no idea where my mother got the idea-maybe it was her own. These are very, very good beans. (Madame Benoit is a pioneering expert in Canadian cookery)

PERFECT PEACH AND BLUEBERRY PIE August 22, 05

Peaches! My number-one favorite summer fruit. One thing that’s great about peaches is how versatile they are. For example, peach salsa seasoned with lime juice, jalapenos and cilantro is a perfect match with grilled fish or chicken breasts, and peach chutney tastes superb with barbequed meats. Peaches are also a delicious substitute for pineapple with baked ham. But, I think that most of us really love peaches in desserts. Here is a pie I know you’ll love.

Prepare crust as per the instructions below.

To skin peaches, in a large heatproof bowl, pour boiling water over the peaches. Let stand for 30 seconds. Drain and cover with cold water. After several seconds, the skins should begin to slip off the peaches very easily. Using a sharp knife, cut into 3/8” slices.

In another bowl, combine sliced peaches, flour, salt and 1cup sugar. Stir to combine and add sour cream. Set aside.

Line 9” flan pan or shallow pie plate with bottom crust and pour in peaches. Scatter blueberries over filling. In a small bowl combine ¼ tsp. cinnamon with 1 tbsp. white sugar. Stir well. Sprinkle over top of filling. Cover filling with lattice crust. In a small bowl, whisk egg together with water. Using a pastry brush, glaze pastry and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake in 425-degree oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, lower heat to 350 degrees and bake for 35 minutes.

FLAKEY PASTRY

This is my standard recipe for flaky piecrust. I’ve been using it for years. There are really three secrets to beautiful flaky piecrust – use ice cold ingredients, handle the dough as little as possible, and let it rest in the refrigerator before filling and baking – a step that allows the pastry to relax and flake beautifully when hit with the heat of the hot oven.

In large bowl combine flour and salt; mix well. Using a pastry blender cut in shortening and butter until they resemble the size of small peas. Using a fork, mix in about 4-5 tbsp. ice water. Continue to add water, 1 tbsp. at a time, until the mixture feels slightly moist and begins to stick together. With your hands, gather up dough into two balls. On lightly floured surface, roll first ball into a 9” circle. Transfer to pie plate. Roll out the second ball into a 9” circle; fold in four. Refrigerate both top and bottom crust for at least 20 minutes – this is very important.

To assemble pie, pour filling into prepared pie shell. Unfold top crust. With pastry or pizza cutter, cut into strips about 3/8” to ½” wide. Place strips on top of prepared pie in a lattice pattern. Seal edges, trim and glaze crust with egg wash. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Lower heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 35 minutes.

~ Another treat by C.J. Katz www.savourlife.ca With peaches & blueberries coming in fresh from the farms, it was a natural. Also liked CJ’s thoughts on peaches & her crust tips. Of course, this is a real hit with her family.

PIRI-PIRI GARDEN DIP  July 24, 03

Very easy to create and play with. Sour Cream (or mix in 50% mayonnaise, or yogurt), add Piri-Piri to taste. Add fresh garden herbs, such as chives, parsley, dill, green onions, a pinch of thyme or oregano. Mix and let it chill in the fridge for one hour before serving. Great for chips, or those fresh veggies out of the garden.

PIRI-PIRI & WILD GARLIC CREAM SAUCE

1. The volume you need depends on what you are using this sauce with. Simmer the butter in a wok, or skillet.
   
2. Add four parts Piri-Piri Wing & Seafood Sauce and one part Wild Garlic Original Hot Sauce, gently stir and allow to simmer. (More simmering = more flavour.)
   
3. Add cream until you have a wonderful rich sauce.
   
4. Simmer shrimp, turkey, chicken, or seafood in your sauce, pour over rice, pasta, etc., serve by itself, or toss your fresh cooked pasta with the cream sauce.
   
5. Sprinkle some fresh Italian parsley over the top (and/or your favorite cheese). Keep plenty of fresh bread on hand.

Options: you can replace the whipping cream with coconut milk, or a combo of sour cream & yogurt. (You Pepperheads have embraced this so much, that it is now an official 'Family Fave' recipe.)

'ROADSHOW' DARK SECRETS & WILD GARLIC SAUCE

Dark Secrets BBQ Sauce             Wild Garlic Original Hot Sauce

Blend one part Wild Garlic Hot Sauce to four parts Dark Secrets BBQ Sauce for extra zing & that wonderful Wild Garlic taste. At our Pepperheads Canada 'Tasting Is Believing' Roadshows, we have been slow cooking pork, beef, elk, buffalo, or chicken in this flavourful sauce. The natural juices from the meat blend in nicely when using a slow cooker. When marinating, we always suggest a sealed plastic bag, so that your sauce will go further. You can baste a little more when it's on the barbecue. If you want more 'heat', simply add Dark Secrets 'Simmering Heat' Hot Sauce to your desired level.
For a special treat, try one of the exotic steaks that are available at specialty shops. Marinade with a squeeze of fresh lime (Key Lime if available) & serve with sweet potatoes, mashed with butter and Piri-Piri Wing & Seafood Sauce.

1. Make enough stuffing to fill the pig. Use cubed toasted bread moistened with pork stock, season with finely chopped parsley, fine chopped onions and celery, melted butter, salt and pepper, sage and finely chopped saute'ed bacon. Stuffing should be strongly flavoured.
2. Take a 15-20 pound suckling pig. Clean well. (Don't forget to scrape ears & nostrils well).
3. Wash pig, changing water several times.
4. Fill the pig with stuffing, sew the opening shut and place a corn cob in the mouth to keep it open.
5. Place on a rack in the kneeling position and place rack in a pan and pour some pork stock in the bottom of pan.
6. Brush melted margarine or butter over the pig and sprinkle with salt, pepper, sage and thyme.
7. Cook at 325 degrees for 4-5 hours, basting about every 20 minutes.
8. When the pig is done, remove the corn cob and replace with a shiny red apple and put cherries in the eye sockets.
   For a very festive BBQ, roast your pig in a pit. It will set the mood for your next party

SIMPLE GLAZED CARROTS

Roast your carrots in butter and a tablespoon or less of Dark Secrets BBQ Sauce. Great in the oven, sautéed slowly on the stove, or wrapped in tinfoil and BBQued. A sweet treat for the whole family.

SOUTH SEAS CURRIED BEEF

1 ½ lbs. beef tenderloin, round, or chuck (cubed)
1 medium onion (diced) 1 tsp. oil
1 clove garlic (minced….or add Wild Garlic Hot Sauce)
28 oz. can of tomatoes (or fresh tomatoes)
½ cup raisins ½ tsp. ginger
¼ tsp. cinnamon 2 tsp. curry powder
whole clove (I.E. 10)

1. Brown beef, onion & garlic in oil.
2. Add remaining ingredients, cover & simmer for at least 2 hours.

Serve with rice. Serves 5-6.
~ Dale Strand (Edmonton) Dale took the time to write this up & bring it back to share online. The tradition continues through his daughter.

Sweet Potatoes (don't let them sell you yams)
Butter        Piri-Piri Wing & Seafood Sauce

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
   
2. Enough sweet potatoes to serve the desired number of guests. These puppies are very easy to prepare; simply pop them in the oven, cook in the oven until soft, slice open and scoop out the flesh of the potatoes, then mash them with butter and add Piri-Piri Wing & Seafood Sauce to your taste (trust your tastebuds). For a variation, add a bit of Wild Garlic, or mix wit'Sweaty Onions'.

Another recipe that has become a 'keeper' with Pepperheads families. We took home a 2004 Golden Chile Award in Fort Worth with this one. Glad you enjoy it so much!

Romaine lettuce, washed, torn into large pieces
1-2 cloves of garlic – check with your guests
4 fillets of anchovy – again check with guests

1. Prepare all ingredients in advance and put the final product together at the very last minute.
2. Thus, wash, dry and tear romaine lettuce. Have 3-4 cups for each serving.
3. Cut the lemon in half.
4. If using a coddled egg, poach for no longer than 1 minute.
5. Sauté cubes of bread in butter and minced garlic.
6. Grate parmesan.
7. Check with guests as to the strength of Caesar preferred. Then in a large bowl, mash garlic cloves, anchovies, salt, pepper, mustard and sauces with a bit of the oil until a smooth paste forms.
8. Add the vinegar and lemon juice. Watch for lemon seeds – they don't belong. Cover the lemon with a small piece of cheesecloth, if need be.
9. Keep beating vigorously with a fork as each addition is made.
10. Add the egg, either raw or lightly coddled.
11. Slowly add the remaining oil, beating vigorously. At this stage, the dressing should begin to thicken and turn creamy. Dip a piece of lettuce into the dressing and make a taste test. Adjust seasonings, if necessary.
12. Add romaine pieces to the dressing and toss well so that all lettuce pieces are coated and shining.
13. Top with croutons and grated parmesan.
14. Toss once more briefly and serve at once. Serves 2.

A great early Caesar salad that at least one of the Chefs had their first Caesar experience with. Jean Hoare outgrew the Driftwood Room and in 1966, she bought an old NATO supply depot at the Claresholm RCAF base. The base eventually became a small local airstrip and it was not unusual for private panes to fly in for a meal. In 1972, the ‘Flying N' was picked as one of Canada's 10 best restaurants. Jean Hoare's “ Best Little Cookbook in the West” has gone on to become a collector's item. The number of families from Alberta and beyond that shared memorable meals created by Jean and her caring staff, obliged us to add her story and two of her recipes in our Family Faves section. Be sure to check out “Yorkshire Puddings from the Driftwood Room” for an earlier recipe and the first part of the story. Legendary.

WILD GARLIC SOUR CREAM SALSA

• 1 container Sour Cream (apron. 375 ml)
• 2 - 3 tablespoons Wild Garlic Salsa
  
• Fresh chives
  
• Fresh green onions
  
• Green pepper

Dice green onions, chop part of the green pepper into small pieces.
Mix with sour cream & Wild Garlic Salsa (to taste).
Sprinkle fresh chives on top for garnish.

YORKSHIRE PUDDINGS From The DRIFTWOOD ROOM
“No self respecting roast of beef should appear without Yorkshire Puddings, those light crunchy hollow puffs just made for holding lots of rich brown gravy. Originally they were made in one large pan, the one that had been sitting under the roast catching the drips as the meat turned on the spit. Nowadays, they are most often made in individual pans, but there's no rule saying you can't use a flat pan as in the days of yore.” ~ Jean Hoare

1. Have both the eggs and the milk at room temperature. Use 2 eggs if they're large, 3 if they're small.
2. Beat eggs with an egg whip until they're light and frothy. Add flour and milk.
3. Don't add the salt just yet – check the drippings first. If they have lots of salt, then cut down on the quantity used in the Yorkshire Puddings.
4. Beat eggs, flour and milk until the batter resembles thick cream.
5. Let stand for several hours, if possible, but the world won't fall apart if you let it stand a few minutes only.
6. Just before pouring it into the pan, add the 2 tbsp. hot roast drippings and give the mixture another good beating.
7. Pour some more of the drippings and brown juice from the roast into muffin tins or a large 9” by 13” (3.5L) pan.. Either way, there should be about ¼” (1 cm) drippings in the bottom of the container.
8. Put the pan into the hot oven to get both the pan and the drippings as hot as possible.
9. Carefully pour the batter into the smoking hot fat, and return to 450 degrees oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Yorkshire Puddings made in a flat pan will puff up in strange peaks like mountain ranges. Those in the muffin tins will form hollow cups, rising above the pans to about double their original size.
10. Serve immediately, but if that's not possible, leave the puddings in a 350 degrees oven until needed, no more than 10 minutes.

In 1956, Jean Hoare decided to open a restaurant in her big old ranch house nestled in the foothills of Southern Alberta ranching country. It was off the beaten track and the well was prone to going dry. The closest town, Claresholm, was 8 miles away, and that was where they hauled water from…up to three times a night. But, the food rivaled the setting and the reputation of the Driftwood Room grew for the next 10 years. This was ‘down home' in spades! (To find out about what happened next, see: The Flying N Caesar Salad.)

Fun For The Kidz

The Chefs at Pepperheads Canada believe that it's never too early to start having a little fun in the kitchen! So, we pulled a little bit of fun from our vault of cookbooks. Simply click on one of the recipes listed below & you can print them off a colorful recipe that will inspire them to join you while you pursue one of your favorite pastimes ~ playing in the kitchen.

ANGEL PUFFS

... Click for printer friendly version

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RAGGEDY ANNS

.... Click for printer friendly version

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JEWEL COOKIES

.... Click for printer friendly version

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SNOWMAN COOKIES

.... Click for printer friendly version

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CHOCOLATE SILLIES

.... Click for printer friendly version

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SHAGGY DOGS

.... Click for printer friendly version

Dark Secrets Playful Pizza

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