Last year, I was disappointed when I didn’t get to go with Santa on his big night to sample the cookies of the world. This year, to correct that, Santa invited me to visit him at the North Pole.
My journey began at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald in Edmonton, where the “polar express” coach took me through the misty landscape. I can still feel the excitement when the conductor announced “we are almost there.”
I pressed my face against the cold window and soon saw the “cabin” surrounded by snow covered mountains and I knew we had arrived! Then there was the sign: ‘Welcome to Christmas in November at Jasper Park Lodge!’
Christmas in November is like an all inclusive getaway where the Jasper Park Lodge replicates the magical place up north. Here, but Santa employs celebrities and some on-site elves to share tips trends to help with Christmas entertaining, cooking, and decorating.
My first session was with Chef Derek Ingraham, one of the youngest executive chefs with Fairmont Hotel’s resorts. While he demonstrated how to prepare a duck (watch for a future article on this), Ingraham talked about Fairmont’s lifestyles plus menus, available chain-wide, which focuses on providing gluten-free, and heart-healthy options, as well as choices for diabetics and those who are lactose intolerant.
To emphasize that diet-restrained food doesn’t mean tasteless and bland, Ingraham created a lip smacking Squash Soup with Miso and Ginger. With so much flavour and texture, I have to admit, this was my all-time favourite item during my three-day stay at the resort.
Next up was Chef Michael Smith of Prince Edward Island. Smith is best known for his Food Network shows Chef Abroad, Chef at Home and Chef at Large and currently working from his latest cookbook Chef Michael Smith’s Kitchen.
Smith’s class was all about balance and having fun in the kitchen. “It should be a fun friendly place. No stress, no rules,” he said. Michael demonstrated his recipe Leftover Roast Chicken Broth with a Few Extra things Thrown In.
According to Smith, leftovers from a chicken dinner are another meal waiting to happen and the best opportunities to try freestyling your own flavours. Simply simmer the picked-over remains in a richly flavourful broth, then toss in a few kitchen staples and the results will taste like you meant to make soup all along.
Smith’s blue box staple for soups, stews and chili is fresh green spinach. He tosses in a few leaves into the bottom of the bowl before pouring his soup. “It not only gives a big burst of green but it also cools off the soup.”
Another Food Network celebrity present at the event was, Anna Olson, host of Sugar and Fresh on Food Network Canada. With her husband Michael Olson, Anna shared some Christmas baking recipes. For Anna, Christmas baking involves inviting her mother over, where they do all the baking in one day.
Using her pastry making background, Anna explained how to create a tender melt-in-your-mouth pie crust. While Anna finished off the crust with a gingerbread cream filling, Michael Olson whipped up a hors d’oeuvre that used a Blinis; a classic Russian mini pancake that can be used as a base.
No more crostini or cucumber appetizer base for me! Blinis were originally designed to hold Beluga caviar, but Michael piped on a smoked trout mousse.
The Olsons also did an allergy sensitive baking session where they shared treats, from Anna’s new cookbook Back to Baking, that factor in issues such as lactose intolerance, gluten intolerance, egg allergies, or low-fat/low sugar priorities.
Sandwiched between the two television celebrity chefs was Julie Van Rosendaal, the charming and funny Calgary-based food blogger extraordinaire (dinnerwithjulie.com). Her session focused on delicious and healthy holiday treats.
Healthy isn’t usually what one would couple with holiday food, but after tasting her overnight sticky cinnamon buns made from white beans, from her cook book Spilling the Beans, I am convinced miracles do happen!
To experience Christmas in November, check out my slide show online at www.reddeeradvocate.com.
Squash Soup with Miso & Ginger
1 onion, diced
2 cups buttercup squash (or any winter squash)peeled and diced
2 inches ginger peeled, grated – save the juice from grating
3 tsp miso paste
1 Tbsp grape seed oil
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1 ea tart granny smith apple
In a rondeux (a heavy metal pan shaped like a large casserole), sauté the onions until soft. Lower the heat, add the ginger and squash, sweat until the squash is soft on the outside (approximately 3 minutes). Add enough vegetable stock to cover the squash and bring to a boil.
Lower the heat to a simmer and cover. Cook until the squash is soft. Purée in a blender with miso paste and ginger juice. Remove from the blender and pass through a fine sieve, check seasoning and flavour. Cool in a cold bain marie (water bath pot).
Soak the dried apricots; remove from the warm water and dice small. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a small pan with grape seed oil; once toasted coarsely chop the seeds. Peel and dice the apple.
Plating: Mix the diced apples and apricots together and place 2 tablespoons of the mix in the center of the bowl. Pour the hot soup in the bowl and garnish with the chopped pumpkin seeds. The garnish provides a sweet and sour flavour along with the crunch of pumpkin seeds. This goes excellent with the velvety squash soup.
Anna’s Lovely Lemon Squares (dairy and egg free)
Base
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup icing sugar
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup dairy-free margarine
Filling
8 oz silken or soft tofu
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp dairy-free margarine
1/4 cup almond/soy milk
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square pan and line with parchment paper so that the paper comes up the sides of the pan. Stir 1 cup of the flour, the sugar and lemon zest to blend. Cut in the margarine (or shortening or coconut oil) until a rough crumbly texture, then stir in the remaining 1/3 cup of flour and press into the prepared pan. Bake the base for about 20 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. While cooling, prepare the filling. In a food processor, purée the tofu, margarine (or shortening or coconut oil) and the sugar until smooth. Add the soy or almond milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, cornstarch and baking powder and pulse until smooth. Pour the batter over the crust (it is alright if the crust is still warm) and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the squares show signs of bubbles at the edges and are set but with a little jiggle to it. Cool the pan to room temperature, and then chill completely before slicing into squares.
Anna’s Chocolate Cake (dairy and egg free)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chilled almond/soy milk
6 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Frosting
1/2 cup dairy-free margarine
3 Tbsp packed dark brown
sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa
2 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted
3 - 4 Tbsp almond/soy milk
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper, then dust the sides with flour, tapping out any excess. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the almond or soymilk, oil, vinegar and vanilla.
Make a well in the flour and pour in the liquids, mixing well. Beat the batter for a minute until it is smooth, and then divide it between the 2 cake pans. Bake the cakes for 25 to 30 minutes, until a tester inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
For the frosting, beat the margarine with the brown sugar and vanilla until smooth. Beat in the cocoa powder, and then beat in half of the icing sugar. Add 3 Tbsp of the almond or soy milk, then beat in the remaining icing sugar, adding the remaining 1 Tbsp of almond or soy milk at the end to make the icing a spreadable consistency. Ice the cake as desired.
Blinis with Smoked Trout Mousse
Makes 5 to 6 dozen blinis
3/4 tsp instant dry yeast
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups 2% milk, room temp
2 Tbsp buckwheat flour
2 large eggs, separated
dash salt
2 Tbsp whipping cream
Mousse
1/2 pound smoked trout (or smoked salmon)
1 each 8 oz package cream cheese, room temp
1/3 cup whipping cream
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill,
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Dill sprigs, for garnish
Stir yeast, 2 Tbsp flour and 1 cup milk to combine, cover and let rest at room temperature for 20 minutes. Stir in remaining ½ cup flour, buckwheat flour, egg yolks and salt until evenly blended. Whip whites to soft peaks and set aside.
Whip cream to soft peaks and fold into flour mixture. Fold in whipped whites in 2 additions and immediately cook blinis. Lightly grease a griddle over medium heat.
Drop batter by teaspoonfuls onto griddle and cook for 2 minutes. Gently flip blinis over and cook 1 minute more.
Remove to a plate and repeat with remaining batter. Wrap and store blinis at room temperature until ready to serve. Smoked Trout Mousse In a food processor, pulse smoked trout and cream cheese, scraping bowl often. Add cream and lemon juice and pulse until smooth. Scrape mousse into a bowl and stir in chives, dill and pepper. Chill until ready to serve. To assemble, pipe mousse onto blinis and garnish with a small dill sprig.
Julie Van Rosendaal’s Overnight sticky cinnamon buns
Makes 2 dozen buns
Dough
1 Tbsp active dry yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
2 cups white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup milk, warmed
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 e large eggs
4 1/2-5 cups all-purpose flour,plus extra if needed
1 tsp salt
Filling
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
Goo
(double if you love goo)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup honey, golden or maple syrup
1/4 cup water
To make the dough, put 1 cup of warm water into a large bowl and add the yeast and a big pinch of sugar; let it sit for 5 minutes, until it gets foamy.
Meanwhile, purée the beans with the milk, butter and eggs in a food processor, pulsing until well-blended and smooth. Add to the yeastmixture along with about 3 cups of flour and the salt; stir.
Add the remaining flour a half cup at a time until you have a soft, sticky dough; turn out onto a floured surface and knead until it’s soft,smooth and elastic. Return it to the bowl, cover with a tea towel and let rest for about an hour, until doubled in size.
On a lightly floured counter top, divide the dough in half and roll each piece into a roughly 14-inch square. Brush each piece with butter and sprinkle each with 1/2 cup (125 mL) brown sugar and a shake of cinnamon. Roll each piece of dough up jelly-roll style.
Using a sharp serrated knife or dental floss, cut it crosswise in half. Cut each half in half, and then each quarter in thirds. Get out two 9x13-inch pans or muffin tins, or one of each and spray them with nonstick spray.
Stir together the goo ingredients and divide between the bottoms of your prepared pans, or put a small spoonful into the bottom of each muffin tin. Divide the slices of cinnamon bun among your pans, placing four rows of three in a 9x13-inch pan, or dropping one into each muffin tin.
Cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and let rise for another half hour, while you preheat the oven to 350ºF. If you want to make them ahead to be ready in the morning, pop them into the fridge, which will slow the rise.
Madhu Badoni is a Red Deer-based freelance food writer. She can be reached at madhubadoni@gmail.com. Watch for Madhu’s Masala-Mix blog on www.reddeeradvocate.com