Kitchen Diary

For now just some pictures, comment when  I’ve got a little more time.
Organic pork shoulder, belly fat, sage, caramelized onions and apple sausage mix.

Chilling outside. This was just the first batch. We made many, many sausages that day. Cold weather is perfect, as heat, even just warmth, can ruin a good sausage mix. The colder [...]

The first batch of sauerkraut turned out to be a success. Like, a holy crap this is delicious kind of a success, which is nice when it happens. However, after feeding everybody who came over for our pre-Christmas party with braised kraut and assorted pork products the once so full pot was empty. Today I [...]

Yesterday we had our annual Christmas party. All in all thirty people needed to be fed. It is snowing in Toronto, so something hearty and warming was needed.
I still had half a crock of sauerkraut in the basement, so Choucroute Garnie à l’Alsacienne seemed like a good idea. There are many recipes out there, and [...]

Small white beans, cooked in chicken and beef broth with carrots, celery, red onions and rosemary. A handful of diced smoked pork belly, a spoonful of smoked paprika. A perfect winter lunch.

…is not just to use chicken. The lady who runs the Polish farm store put me onto this: when making chicken soup in addition to the oldest, toughest soup chicken you can find, add a handful of beef bones. I’ve never looked back.
It doesn’t make the soup taste of beef, it enhances the chicken flavour [...]

What can Is say? After three weeks of tasting, agonising (did I slice it too thick, hey is that mold, why is this getting soggy, why doesn’t it stay submerged) the sauerkraut is pretty much ready to eat.
And it’s fantastic. Sour, crunchy, full of flavour with an intensity that’s completely lacking in the pasteurised, store [...]