Bourbon Maple Mustard

Who knew that bourbon in Canada  is rye whiskey?  I learned something new... This mustard, made with maple syrup is delicious- great bourbon (really rye) flavour twinned with that greatest Canadian sweetener, maple syrup.  I have yet to meet someone who doesn't love this combination.

This is great as part of a cheese board, right beside the meats or as a topping for sandwiches, burgers  or sausages.  Be sure to age it about one or two months before opening the jar.  Your patience will be rewarded.

Yield: Approximately three cups (3 x 250ml jars)

Ingredients
1 cup      Canadian Club Rye*
1/2 cup   filtered water
1 cup      brown mustard seeds
1/2 cup   cider vinegar
6 tbsp     dry mustard powder (ground yellow mustard seed)
1/2 cup   maple syrup (or substitute honey or brown sugar)
1 tsp salt

Directions:
Combine the rye, water and mustard seed in one litre canning jar (or a small bowl).  Mix to wet all seeds, and then allow to steep until nearly all of the liquid is absorbed, about four hours, or overnight.

Prepare the canner and the jars/lids.

Transfer the steeped seeds to the bowl of a blender (Vitamix is perfect for this job) or a food processor; process until smooth, or leave grainy, as you prefer. Add vinegar, mustard powder, maple syrup, and salt and process briefly to mix. Transfer to a medium saucepan.

Over medium heat, stirring constantly, bring mustard to a boil; continue on a low boil until it reduces to your desired thickness, remembering that it will thicken further upon cooling (I cooked mine for about ten minutes). Taste and adjust seasonings (add additional water if you need to tinker with the flavor and the mustard is getting too thick).

Fill hot jars to a generous 1/4-inch headspace (more like 1/2-inch), tamping down the mustard into the jar. Thoroughly bubble by passing the handle of a wooden spoon along the edges and middle of the jar. Wipe rims, affix lids and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Allow to rest for five minutes in the hot water prior to removing from the canner. Store in a cool, dark spot for up to one year.

* For a milder bourbon/rye flavour, you can substitute 1/2 cup of water for 1/2 cup of rye.
I suggest you let this set for about two months after processing to give the flavours time to develop.

Caramelized Banana Bread

There are always frozen very ripe bananas in my freezer- ready for a quick banana bread.  The caramelized bananas topping this bread are well worth the additional step, adding another level of goodness. "Bake from Scratch" is my new favourite baking bible and this recipe is a great example of easy to follow instructions and delicious results.  Visit their website for online ideas.

Caramelized Banana Bread from Bake from Scratch

Makes one loaf

Oatmeal Banana Bread -

I have a great banana bread recipe, but I wanted to make it even healthier- so I added toasted oatmeal, maple syrup instead of sugar, and fresh blueberries.  Alton Brown's recipe introduced me to toasting oatmeal and I added my riffs... Enjoy!

Tortilla española - great for tapas, dinner, brunch. It's just plain great!

My wonderful Venezuelan friend Aymara sang the praises of the famous tortilla espanola.  My thanks to her for introducing me to this wonderful national dish of Spain.  It seems there are dozens of versions out there.  My recipe is a collage of many recipes and suggestions.

I used less olive oil than usually suggested.  I cooked the potatoes slowly in the oil, making sure to move the slices, ensuring they remain separate and do not brown too much.  I cooked them "half way" to ensure the potatoes remain intact when the dish is served.

To serve four as a main course or many more as an hors d'oeuvre.

Cauliflower Steaks with sauteed mushrooms and Poached Egg

Lately, I've been reading great things about cauliflower steaks, something new to my repertoire.  For a vegetarian, this is an intriguing use for cauliflower.  My recipe is based on one from Anne Burrell.  Well worth a try.



Forty minutes in the ovens transforms the cauliflower into a soft and silky vegetable.  There's new flavour in there!  Then, you add a couple of generous spoonfulls of mushroom ragoût and top with a beautiful poached egg! Heaven!


To serve four