MORE RECIPES FROM LOUISBOURG, NS Canada

Housewives and housekeeps used the same basic methods you and I use today: baking, frying, roasting and cooking in liquids; namely boiling, simmering and stewing. With the exception that they used very heavy cast-iron cookware, long handled fry pans and the spit with its jack for turning meat, fish and poultry.
In the house we are building I'm seriously considering having one of these:

Kitchen Fireplace Spitjack

I'd never have a cold house again!! Especially in Winter.

1700s Roasting Jack

Heavy cast-iron dutch oven

Clean/Season with oil, a cast iron pan

Long handled frying pan

Most of the French who settled Louisbourg came from the Coastal regions of Normandy, Brittany, southwest Atlantic coast and communities near Bordeaux. Bretons and Normans tended towards rich, creamy sauces and cooking with cider and calvados. While those from the west coast cooked with wine. Adaptions were made when certain foods were no longer available or were more expensive than in their native country. A replacement for wild boar in France, caribou became the option in the 1700s Cape Breton. 

A basic recipe and starter for Stocks and Sauces was Roux, what we know today as a thickener.

Roux
Combine equal portions of Flour and Butter! That's it!!

2 Tbsp Flour
2 Tbsp Butter
Mix flour into melting butter and cook over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to allow it to 'brown' before adding another liquid.

Use to thicken liquids like stock, wine, milk and sauces. 

Reducing Method
Allows the meat, fish or vegetables juices to simmer uncovered until the amount of liquid has reduced. This intensifies taste and provides more body to the sauce. 

I made and used the roux with the Chicken en civet I made and it thickened wonderfully without the 'floury' taste you can sometimes get. 

Try this the next time you are making a sauce and see how it works for you.

Catspaw

CANDIED PEELS * FIRST ATTEMPT

I found two candied peel recipes on the net, both very similar in method. Here's mine in pictures

Wash and peel fruit.

Lemons

 

 

 

Place peels in COLD water and bring to a boil, time at 2 minute intervals and do this 3 times, for a total of 3 blanchings.

Oranges

I used oranges and lemons and kept them separate.


 

Third blanching

After the third blanching, drain well...

Cut off the pith

 





and cut the pith off to about 1/4 inch (its ok to leave a little more on)

Fourth and 5th blanchings

Pour in more cold water and blanch 2 more times @ 2 minute intervals. Doing this removes the bitterness from the peels.

Bring to a boil 4 cups sugar, 2 cups distilled water and 2 tbsp Lemon Juice. 

I doubled this because I had two sets of peels to do.

Clear with an Amber color

 

 

It looks like this until it boils and becomes:



All this looks like a great deal of work, in reality just cutting the peels off the fruit took the most time so far.

All four burners goin' at once...

Pour the syrup over the prepared peels

Simmer for an hour on low heat, uncovered. 



 

Cover and let sit overnight in the syrup.

NEXT DAY  

The peels have taken on a transparency. 

Let drain for a few minutes, saving the syrup

Now we come to the 'gooey' part! 

 

Take each peel and wipe off the syrup with your fingers, then dredge them in sugar...

and set them on a rack. The peels are easier to handle after coating.

And into the oven they go! @ 200 F for about 4 hours to dry ~*~ checking frequently so they don't burn. 

I placed the racks as high above the element as I could to ensure no burning.

After 6 hours drying in oven they were still pliable until removed, when they became hard and chewy.

 

HINDSIGHT

Doing this the first time taught me a few things that I'd do differently the second time. 

• I'd limit the oven time to 4 hours instead of six because that would be all they need ~ my thinking here is that they will be less hard and more chewy with less drying time.
• Of course another option would be to leave them out to dry naturally but that could take 24 hours to complete, longer if the weather is damp and you'd have to have a fairly warm house.
• I'd leave a tiny bit more pith on the peels than the 1/4 inch ~ this affects the end result.

You can do this with any citrus fruit, including grapefruit. Its worth a try to see if you like them and they are wonderful to put into a nice jar with a fancy lid and give as gifts for any occassion. 
Note that they are not a treat that you can sit and eat ten at a time, so they will last when stored in an airtight container. 

HAPPY 2012 CHRISTMAS  

 Catspaw
 
 

HANDS UP ~ ANYONE WHO CAN AFFORD TO THROW OUT FOOD!

What! There's no-one!

I went through my fridge this morning in my usual monthly purge and came across some still recognizable vegetables. 'Soup' ~ they screamed at me! Soup it was.

Presenting -- The vegetables that were crying 'SOUP' ~~~

Ok, so everyone has vegetables that have seen better days lurking in their refrigerator bins but, what the heck do you do with them after they reach this stage? If you are anything like me and are loth to throw anything that is still useable out, you will appreciate this little maneuver to avoid burning a $20 dollar bill !

Because after peeling and discarding what can't be used, these worn out veggies take on another appearance - a usable one.

And the parsnip that you'd likely throw out; take another look:

under the skin is a parsnip begging not to be tossed, but chopped and added to a soup or stew.

So, lets get going here...

Here are my  prepped, seen-better-days vegetables looking pretty good and ready for use.

Saute using spray vegetable oil, spices, garlic, onion and frozen tomato paste (more on that in a later blog).

My helpful husband pouring in the prepared broth; I prepare this in a different way as well, more in a later blog.

Here I've added slightly wilted onion greens 

Presto! Vegetable Soup for dinner on a cold and snowy evening; in from work from the blast of winter! 

Enjoy.

Catspaw

A CANADIAN RECIPE FROM 1738 ~ INTERESTED?

On a lark we went to a Flea Market-Auction this past Sunday, just to take a look at what they had. I found a couple of antique items, gold glass dishes and candle holders, that my mother has; they made me miss her terribly since she is in BC and we are on PEI. Then I perchanced on a very special little cookbook with recipes from the 1700's, out of Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, Canada. In a few blogs I'd like to share with you the recipes I am trying.

Fortification of Louisbourg, Nova Scotia

FYI: Louisbourg was a very busy little seaport and trading center that was first colonized by the french when they came to Canada. From the 14th to the 17th centuries food in France was cooked with plenty of spices and oil but little or no sugar because it was just too expensive. Near the end of the 1700's chefs started introducing lighter styles of preparation where they used a lot less meat with delicate sauces, marinades and sweet dishes to compensate.

Main Street, Louisbourg

By the 1740's new cooking methods like braising, extracting the juices and essences proved to be the beginning of the second period of French cuisine that continued throughout most of the 18th century or the 1700's. After the French Revolution the third period, the world-renowned Haute cuisine began.

Town Square, Louisbourg, Nova Scotia

Although residents kept hens, local supplies of eggs proved insufficient. In 1752, 1504 dozen eggs arrived aboard ship from New England. Eggs weren't eaten at breakfast, rather they were prepared as a course or main dish at noon or at the dinner hour. Egg prices always rose in winter so the 18th century housekeeps worked hard to make the summer supplies last into the cold season, if they could. Eggs were stored in cellars if they weren't too humid or in straw, hay or sawdust-lined casks for the colder months.

"egg white mixed with quicklime, a bit of cement, some pitch and crushed/powered egg shell gives a strong mastic compound to repair broken porcelain."


Quote from Menon, La cuisiniere bourgeoise: 
"On the dish in which you are serving, spread butter to the thickness of a knife blade, on this put pieces of bread cut very thin and also thin slices of gruyere cheese, then 8 or 10 eggs; season with a little salt, nutmeg, pepper; cook in a low oven."

***Remembering that 'low oven' meant more or less away from the hottest part of an open fireplace!***

Here is the Recipe for Eggs a la bourgeoise that I just made for lunch:
1 tbsp Butter
5-6 thin slices Bread, crusts removed
6 thin slices Gruyere Cheese
8-10 Eggs
Pinch of Nutmeg
Salt & Pepper to taste
Butter a pie plate and  

place layer of bread, rolled flat with rolling pin, in the plate. I used multi-grain...

Top with thin layer of cheese; I used mozz & cheddar mixed and shredded it, about one cup...
  
before breaking 5 eggs over the cheese.
  

Nutmeg, salt and pepper

Here is a close up of the way it will look after all ingredients are added...

see the cheese underneath the eggs?

 Cook in a pre-heated 300 F oven for 25 to 30 minutes, longer for firmer eggs; I did 40 minutes and it came out like this:

eggs were firm; food was simple, tasty and very easy to make

Not a huge fan of eggs myself, I really enjoyed this dish, although it 'looked' dubious at first, it tasted wonderful. Clean up was a snap, only one dish was used.

Try this yourself and comment on how it went, I'd love to hear how you liked it.
 
Enjoy an egg dish that was popular 200 years ago!
Bon a...

 Catspaw

The More Unusual, The Better ~ I Say!

Its Christmas baking time AGAIN!  Question:  Are you going for the old favorites and the traditional baked wonders from your kitchen or this year, would you like to try something more festive and different?

How 'bout making some Bark!  Yes, you heard right, I did say BARK!!

Ok, so I'm crusin' the web and I come across a curious thing called Candy Cane Bark, sounds interesting so far; I check it out and find a recipe that is ~~ completely confusing!!! 
Its on the Better Homes and Gardens site and coming from the US where they have different names for chocolate, apparently. I mean, 'chopped chocolate-flavor candy coating' and 'chopped vanilla-flavor candy coating' when what is meant is chocolate chips and white chocolate chips is just.... shake your head, you know what I mean!?

Officially a 'Candy Coating' is a general term used for a variety of products like white chocolate, almond bark, confectioner's or ??summer coating?? Seriously! I would have been scratching my head for months over that one. Its usually available to purchase in 1 or 2 pound packages or in blocks in places like the Bulk Store. I am assuming it can also be dipping chocolate pieces. Its a special type of chocolate because it doesn't involve 'tempering', a process used to prevent real chocolate from developing speckles and grey streaks as it hardens.

Well, after I got that one figured out I went to take a look at the recipes and the different varieties of Bark make for a very simple and very pretty Christmas treat, ornament, showpiece and snack. 

Examples:
   Candy Cane Bark!
  Candy Crunch White Bark!

  Santa's Delight Peppermint Bark

  Lemon Drop Bark!

THE OFFICIAL VERSION -- Candy coating is a general term used for a variety of products. It's sometimes called white chocolate, almond bark, confectioner's coating, or summer coating and is available in 2-pound packages and in blocks or round disks wherever candy-making supplies are sold. The coating comes in vanilla, chocolate, and butterscotch flavors.It's used for candy dipping because it doesn't require "tempering," which is a process candy makers use to prevent real chocolate from developing speckles or gray streaks as it hardens.

THE OFFICIAL VERSION -- Candy coating is a general term used for a variety of products. It's sometimes called white chocolate, almond bark, confectioner's coating, or summer coating and is available in 2-pound packages and in blocks or round disks wherever candy-making supplies are sold. The coating comes in vanilla, chocolate, and butterscotch flavors.It's used for candy dipping because it doesn't require "tempering," which is a process candy makers use to prevent real chocolate from developing speckles or gray streaks as it hardens.

If I may; 

Candy Cane Bark      Recipe from

"A wonderful Christmas gift from the kitchen, this chocolate and peppermint candy is simply delicious. For easy cleanup, line the baking sheet with foil." (quote)

Servings: Makes 1-1/4 pounds.

Prep Time: 25 mins

Total Time: 55 mins

Related Categories: Candy, Chocolate Candy, Christmas Candy

• 6  ounces chopped chocolate-flavor candy coating (Chocolate chips or dipping chocolate)
• 3  ounces chopped milk chocolate bar
• 6  ounces chopped vanilla-flavor candy coating (White Chocolate chips or dipping chocolate)
• 3  ounces chopped white chocolate baking squares
• 1/4  cup crushed peppermint candy canes

Line a large baking sheet with foil. In a small, heavy saucepan melt chocolate-flavor candy coating and milk chocolate bar stirring over low heat until smooth. Pour onto baking sheet and spread into a 10x8-inch rectangle; set aside.

In another small, heavy saucepan, melt vanilla-flavor candy coating and white chocolate baking squares, stirring over low heat until smooth.

Slowly pour white mixture over chocolate mixture on baking sheet. With a thin spatula swirl white mixture into chocolate mixture. Shake baking sheet gently for even thickness.

Sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Chill 30 minutes or until firm. Use foil to lift candy from baking sheet; break candy into pieces. Makes 1-1/4 pounds. 

To Store

Layer pieces between waxed paper in an airtight container and cover. Store in refrigerator up to 3 days. Serve at room temperature. 

If you're wondering what this will do to your diet:

Nutrition information ~~ Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet Per serving: Calories 55, Total Fat 3 g, Saturated Fat 2 g, Cholesterol 2 mg, Carbohydrate 6 g, Fiber 0 g, Protein 1 g. Daily Values: Vitamin C 0%, Calcium 0%, Iron 0%. (quote)

I will post the other recipes soon. Tis the Season to enjoy or at least the month until January's new diet starts! 

Catspaw

Thinking Of Some Changes...

Here's a thought I am currently toying with: 

My husband had a suggestion from the son of the owner of the dairy he works on...  Have a different daily theme. 

A good idea but not one that would make too much of a difference in my blogs so I thought I'd modify it a little and do weekly themes. 

One week devoted to stories, the next week inclined to poetry, the week following given to stray or barn cats and so on. Certainly it would give more of a focus and direction to my blog. There are dozens of different types of content available for an idea like this, from cat trees to cat collars but I want to include more exclusive or unusual content as well. The net is littered with recipes and cat/kitten care so I want to canvass other content like stories and advice from my readers and visitors if any of you are interested in sharing. Unusual pictures, etc.

Given this change in my blogging habits, you can expect a new blog topic to be posted every Sunday. This means there will be two blogs from now on, on Sundays.

For anyone who has a story or picture, a poem or a website to share, please send it to my email address at catspaw04@gmail.com. It will be greatly appreciated and you can find this address on the top right side panel of my blog from now on to contact me directly. 

Here's to creating a different type of blog with fresh new and unusual content! With your help, we can do it together. I look forward to hearing from you, my readers and visitors. Please keep in mind that all content I receive will be carefully presented and no personal information will be shared unless authorized by the reader or visitor who shared it. 

Catspaw

*~~* Future Plans for the Cat Collar With Bell Blog *~~*

The 'Over the Horizon' Future of My Blog

Originally my blog was intended to share different aspects of living with cats, as pets, as friends and as companions. To share with my readers and visitors cat stories, pictures and products; links, poems, videos; the humor and the pitfalls; recipes. Helping articles, commentary, information and... something more. The something more was to be encouragement, bravery to face life's tougher moments and situations, inspiration and spiritual mews. So far I think I'm doing fairly well though its taken a bit of time to find my way...


I'm looking at expanding on these aspects and adding to them as I grow into my blog so you can expect the occasional writing that has little to do with my topic and I hope you will forgive the diversion as I explore 'something more' along the way. Please be advised that I would never post a blog concerning something or about a product that I don't, myself, believe in; nor would I offer a link or ad that would mislead my faithful readers and visitors. 


The future of my blog is to become an expert in the eyes of my readers/visitors and become known for my love and respect of all animals. To share the knowledge and occasionally, the wisdom of what I have learned over my lifetime. This will include the occasional 'somethings more'. If there is a topic, subject or idea that you have that you'd like to see expanded on my blog, please let me know by leaving a comment.


Catspaw