• preparation

Scrub mussels under cold running water. Heat wine in a large pot. Add mussels. Cover pot and steam for about 5 minutes, or until mussels are opened.
Strain cooking liquid through cheese cloth. Save. Remove mussels from shells. Reserve for garnish.
In a medium saucepan, add mussel broth, shallots, onion, saffron, parsley and chicken broth. Simmer for 10 minutes. Combine butter and flour to a paste.
Whip in the cooking liquid to thicken. Add cream and seasoning. Add mussels.
Saute scallops in butter and lemon juice until transparent. Dice the scallops and cooking liquid to soup together with mussels.
Heat soup and serve hot.

• preparation

Scrub and debeard mussels. In a large kettle, combine parsley, white wine, and shallots, and bring to a boil. Steam the mussels in the boiling liquid until opened. Drain and save the cooking stock. Remove only top shells of mussels and discard.
Arrange mussels in ovenproof serving casserole. Strain cooking liquid through cheese cloth. Pour in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
In a small saucepan, melt butter, and add flour to make roux. Stir roux in stock and whisk to thicken. Add the saffron. Pour a little sauce into egg yolks. Mix well and stir into remaining sauce.
Heat sauce but do not boil. Season to taste with salt, pepper.
Do not add salt since the mussel stock is salty. Pour sauce over the hot mussels. Serve immediately.

• preparation

1. Make the dough starter: Mix the flour, water, and yeast for the starter in a small mixing bowl. Beat until the batter is smooth and glossy, about 100 strokes.
2. Let the starter sit 1 to 12 hours: Cover the starter and place it out of the way for at least 1 or up to 12 hours. The starter will become increasingly bubbly the longer it sits and will double in bulk. The longer you can let the starter ferment, the better the flavor and structure of your finished English muffins.
3. Whisk together the milk, yeast, and starter: In the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, combine the milk and yeast for the dough. Scrape the starter into the bowl and use a whisk to break it up and dissolve it into the milk. It should become quite frothy.
4. Mix the dough together: Add the sugar, butter, and salt to the bowl and whisk to combine. Add 3 cups of the flour and stir with a stiff spatula until you form a shaggy, floury dough.
5. Knead the dough: With a dough hook on a stand mixer, knead the dough until it comes together in a smooth ball, 5 to 8 minutes. Alternatively, knead by hand against the counter. If the dough is very sticky like bubble gum, add extra flour as needed, but err on the side of caution. The dough is ready when it forms into a smooth ball and springs back when poked; it will feel slightly tacky to the touch, but shouldn't stick to the bowl or your hands.
6. Let the dough rise overnight in the fridge: Transfer the dough to a large bowl lightly filmed with oil. Cover and place in the fridge overnight or for up to 3 days.
→ Quicker English Muffins: You can also let the dough rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours, and then make the muffins immediately. These muffins will have a milder flavor.
7. Divide and shape the muffins: Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Use a pastry scraper to divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece gently against the counter to shape into smooth, round balls.
8. Transfer the muffins to a baking sheet to rise: Scatter cornmeal generously over a baking sheet and arrange the balls on top, spaced a little apart. If you have muffin rings, place them around the balls at this point. Sprinkle the tops of the balls with more cornmeal.
9. Let the muffins rise until puffy: For dough that was refrigerated, this will take 1 1/2 to 2 hours; for room temperature dough, this will take about 1 hour. Depending on the size of your muffin rings, the muffins may not totally fill the rings — that's okay.
10. Warm a skillet: When ready to cook the muffins, warm a large skillet over medium heat. Melt a small pat of butter — enough to just coat the bottom of the pan and prevent sticking.
11. Cook the muffins 5 to 6 minutes on one side: Working in batches, transfer a few of the muffins to the skillet — allow an inch or so of space between muffins and do not crowd the pan. If using rings, transfer the muffins with their rings to the pan. Cook until the bottoms of the muffins are golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes.
12. Flip and cook 5 to 6 minutes on the other side: Flip the muffins and cook the other side until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. If you prefer thinner, less puffy English muffins, you can gently press the tops with the spatula to prevent them from rising too much.
13. Adjust the heat as needed: If your muffins seem to be browning too quickly on the bottoms (or not quickly enough), adjust the heat as needed. (If you find that your muffins are browning too quickly, throw them in the oven at 350°F to finish baking through.)
14. Finish cooking all of the muffins: Transfer cooked muffins to a cooling rack. Continue working in batches until all the muffins have been cooked. Add a small pat of butter to the pan between batches to prevent sticking.
15. Split and serve! Split the English muffins with a fork, spread with butter or jam (or both!), and eat. English muffins will keep for several days in an airtight container on the counter and are fantastic warmed in the toaster oven. Fresh English muffins can also be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and kept frozen for up to 3 months.
Recipe Notes
Vegan English Muffins: Replace the milk in the main dough with water, almond milk, or soy milk. Replace the butter with olive oil.
Crumpets: Increase the milk by 3/4 cup — this will make a looser dough, closer to a batter. Instead of shaping muffins by hand, allow the batter to come to room temperature after refrigeration, then drop generous spoonfuls onto a hot skillet, using English muffin rings as molds. Allow to cook until bubbly (like pancakes), then flip and cook the other side.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or rub in with your fingers. (The largest pieces should be the size of small peas.) With your fingertips, flatten butter pieces into small disks. Add apples and buttermilk, stirring until dough just comes together.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Pat dough into a 6-by-8-inch rectangle, and cut into twelve 2-by-2-inch squares with a floured knife. Place about 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush tops with buttermilk, and sprinkle with raw turbinado sugar and oats. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 22 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool on sheets for 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

• preparation

In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix to combine.
In a separate medium mixing bowl, mix buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until blended. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and whisk everything together by hand until just moistened.
While whisking, gradually add melted butter and stir until incorporated. The mixture will still be slightly lumpy. Do not overmix.

Heat a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, or a griddle between 325-350˚F.
Add 2 Tbsp oil. Preheat the oven to 200˚F. for the cooked pancakes.

Add about 1/4 cup or a 2 oz ice cream scoop full of batter to the skillet for each pancake and cook about 3 minutes per side. Flip once the pancakes are golden brown on the first side and you see bubbles forming and popping on the surface.
Transfer pancakes to a baking sheet and keep warm in a 200˚F oven for up to 45 minutes or until ready to serve.

• preparation

Bake the potatoes using your favorite method and be sure to allow some time for them to cool down before the scooping.

Take the “top” of the potato to mean lengthwise and not the small end.
Scoop out the potatoes and blend well with the butter, sour cream, chives, bacon, and salt and pepper.

Beat lightly and spoon back into the shells. Make a hollow in the top of each potato and into this drop a raw egg.

Sprinkle lavishly with grated Cheddar cheese, and place in a 350°F oven long enough to cook the eggs and melt the cheese. Makes a delicious breakfast or supper dish.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the butter and combine mixture until crumbly. Add fresh blueberries.
Whisk together eggs, buttermilk or yogurt,milk, lemon rind and juice; drizzle over dry ingredients, tossing with a fork until mixture clumps together. Turn out onto floured surface. With floured hands, form into ball, kneading about 8 times.
Place on parchment paper-lined lightly floured baking sheet. Pat into 3/4-inch thick circle; cut into 8 wedges. Do not separate.
Glaze: Brush with lemon juice; sprinkle with sugar.
Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden. Serve warm with Wild Blueberry Preserves and Devon Cream.
Variation. Blueberry Scones:
Gently toss 1 cup fresh blueberries with dry ingredients just before adding egg mixture. Increase lemon rind to 1 tablespoon.
Adapted from Canadian Living Magazine

• preparation

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
2. Combine brown sugar, honey and canola oil in a small sauce pan over medium heat.
3. Cook, stirring often until sugar is dissolved.
4. Pour brown sugar mixture over oats and add cinnamon and salt. Stir until oats are evenly coated.
5. Spread granola mixture over a cookie sheet (sprayed with oil) and press mixture down.
6. Place in oven and bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15-20 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before breaking apart and into pieces.
8. Store in an air tight container.

• preparation

Brush bread with melted butter on both sides and cut a hole about 2 1/2 inches in diameter, in the center of bread slice.
Put the bread in a large skillet over medium heat, break an egg into the hole, and cook until done, turning once. You may also fry the cut out piece of bread at the same time.
This recipe is a children's favorite.

• preparation

Mash banana coarsely with a fork. Stir in orange juice concentrate; then spread over 2 slices of bread and top with the remaining 2 slices of bread, forming 2 sandwiches.
In a pie plate, whisk together egg whites and milk; add sandwiches and soak for about 20 seconds. Turn sandwiches over and soak sandwiches for 20 seconds longer. Transfer to a plate. Stir together yogurt and maple syrup or honey. Set aside.

In a nonstick skillet, melt 1/2 teaspoon butter over low heat. With a metal spatula, place the sandwiches in the pan, and cook until the underside is browned. Lift the sandwiches and add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon butter. Turn over and cook until browned.
Serve with sweetened yogurt. Double or triple this recipe depending on the size of your gathering.

• preparation

Soak the cod in cold water for 12 hours. Drain and poach, starting with fresh cold water. Simmer for 15 minutes or until fish becomes flaky. Drain and flake the fish. Combine with the remaining ingredients.
Shape into patties, allowing two per person.
Deep fry at 375 F (190 C) until brown. Arrange on a serving platter and serve hot.
Note: use any leftover fresh or salted codfish for this recipe. Serve with a sauce.

• preparation

Clean and wash mussels under cold running water and debeard.
Heat the butter in a kettle. Add shallots and cook for 5 minutes. Add half of the parsley, pepper, wine, and mussels.
Cover and steam until mussels open.
Serve in soup bowls with the strained cooking liquid. Sprinkle with remaining chopped parsley.

• preparation

Bake the potatoes using your favorite method and be sure to allow some time for them to cool down before the scooping.

Take the “top” of the potato to mean lengthwise and not the small end.
Scoop out the potatoes and blend well with the butter, sour cream, chives, bacon, and salt and pepper.

Beat lightly and spoon back into the shells. Make a hollow in the top of each potato and into this drop a raw egg.

Sprinkle lavishly with grated Cheddar cheese, and place in a 350°F oven long enough to cook the eggs and melt the cheese. Makes a delicious breakfast or supper dish.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or rub in with your fingers. (The largest pieces should be the size of small peas.) With your fingertips, flatten butter pieces into small disks. Add apples and buttermilk, stirring until dough just comes together.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Pat dough into a 6-by-8-inch rectangle, and cut into twelve 2-by-2-inch squares with a floured knife. Place about 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush tops with buttermilk, and sprinkle with raw turbinado sugar and oats. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 22 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool on sheets for 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix creme fraiche or sour cream, shallots, dill and one tablespoon lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Season mixture with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. (Mixture can be prepared a day ahead. Keep chilled.)
Peel and finely grate potatoes. Wash potatoes under cold water. Drain well. Toss potatoes with 2 tablespoons butter in bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat. Add remaining butter. Spoon 1/2 cups of grated potatoes in the skillet to make four round galettes.
Using a metal spatula, press and flatten potatoes into pancakes. Cook 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook until bottom is golden, about 4 minutes. Invert galette with a metal spatula. Cook until bottom is golden, about 4 minutes.
Transfer pan to oven; cook until galettes are crisp, about 10 minutes.
PRESENTATION
Place galettes on warm plates. Spread with creme fraiche. Top with salmon. Drizzle with a squeeze of lemon juice on each plate. Season with pepper. Garnish with caviar, (optional) and chives.

• preparation

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
2. Combine brown sugar, honey and canola oil in a small sauce pan over medium heat.
3. Cook, stirring often until sugar is dissolved.
4. Pour brown sugar mixture over oats and add cinnamon and salt. Stir until oats are evenly coated.
5. Spread granola mixture over a cookie sheet (sprayed with oil) and press mixture down.
6. Place in oven and bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15-20 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before breaking apart and into pieces.
8. Store in an air tight container.

• preparation

1. Mix millet, quinoa, amaranth, 1 cup oats, 1 cup buttermilk, and 1/2 cup water in a small bowl. Allow the sticky mixture to rest 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil an 8"-diameter cast-iron skillet or cake pan.
In a large mixing bowl, mix whole wheat flour, ground flaxseed, salt, baking soda, and 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, soft butter, molasses, 1 1/4 cups buttermilk, remaining 1 Tbsp. oil AND the prepared oat mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon until dough is smooth, homogenous, and still slightly sticky.

3. Form dough into a ball and place in prepared pan. Brush with buttermilk; top with more oats and sunflower seeds. Cut a large X into the top and bake until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of loaf registers 190°F, about 1 hour or longer. Let cool in pan.

• preparation

In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix to combine.
In a separate medium mixing bowl, mix buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until blended. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and whisk everything together by hand until just moistened.
While whisking, gradually add melted butter and stir until incorporated. The mixture will still be slightly lumpy. Do not overmix.

Heat a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, or a griddle between 325-350˚F.
Add 2 Tbsp oil. Preheat the oven to 200˚F. for the cooked pancakes.

Add about 1/4 cup or a 2 oz ice cream scoop full of batter to the skillet for each pancake and cook about 3 minutes per side. Flip once the pancakes are golden brown on the first side and you see bubbles forming and popping on the surface.
Transfer pancakes to a baking sheet and keep warm in a 200˚F oven for up to 45 minutes or until ready to serve.

• preparation

1. Make the dough starter: Mix the flour, water, and yeast for the starter in a small mixing bowl. Beat until the batter is smooth and glossy, about 100 strokes.
2. Let the starter sit 1 to 12 hours: Cover the starter and place it out of the way for at least 1 or up to 12 hours. The starter will become increasingly bubbly the longer it sits and will double in bulk. The longer you can let the starter ferment, the better the flavor and structure of your finished English muffins.
3. Whisk together the milk, yeast, and starter: In the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, combine the milk and yeast for the dough. Scrape the starter into the bowl and use a whisk to break it up and dissolve it into the milk. It should become quite frothy.
4. Mix the dough together: Add the sugar, butter, and salt to the bowl and whisk to combine. Add 3 cups of the flour and stir with a stiff spatula until you form a shaggy, floury dough.
5. Knead the dough: With a dough hook on a stand mixer, knead the dough until it comes together in a smooth ball, 5 to 8 minutes. Alternatively, knead by hand against the counter. If the dough is very sticky like bubble gum, add extra flour as needed, but err on the side of caution. The dough is ready when it forms into a smooth ball and springs back when poked; it will feel slightly tacky to the touch, but shouldn't stick to the bowl or your hands.
6. Let the dough rise overnight in the fridge: Transfer the dough to a large bowl lightly filmed with oil. Cover and place in the fridge overnight or for up to 3 days.
→ Quicker English Muffins: You can also let the dough rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours, and then make the muffins immediately. These muffins will have a milder flavor.
7. Divide and shape the muffins: Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Use a pastry scraper to divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece gently against the counter to shape into smooth, round balls.
8. Transfer the muffins to a baking sheet to rise: Scatter cornmeal generously over a baking sheet and arrange the balls on top, spaced a little apart. If you have muffin rings, place them around the balls at this point. Sprinkle the tops of the balls with more cornmeal.
9. Let the muffins rise until puffy: For dough that was refrigerated, this will take 1 1/2 to 2 hours; for room temperature dough, this will take about 1 hour. Depending on the size of your muffin rings, the muffins may not totally fill the rings — that's okay.
10. Warm a skillet: When ready to cook the muffins, warm a large skillet over medium heat. Melt a small pat of butter — enough to just coat the bottom of the pan and prevent sticking.
11. Cook the muffins 5 to 6 minutes on one side: Working in batches, transfer a few of the muffins to the skillet — allow an inch or so of space between muffins and do not crowd the pan. If using rings, transfer the muffins with their rings to the pan. Cook until the bottoms of the muffins are golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes.
12. Flip and cook 5 to 6 minutes on the other side: Flip the muffins and cook the other side until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. If you prefer thinner, less puffy English muffins, you can gently press the tops with the spatula to prevent them from rising too much.
13. Adjust the heat as needed: If your muffins seem to be browning too quickly on the bottoms (or not quickly enough), adjust the heat as needed. (If you find that your muffins are browning too quickly, throw them in the oven at 350°F to finish baking through.)
14. Finish cooking all of the muffins: Transfer cooked muffins to a cooling rack. Continue working in batches until all the muffins have been cooked. Add a small pat of butter to the pan between batches to prevent sticking.
15. Split and serve! Split the English muffins with a fork, spread with butter or jam (or both!), and eat. English muffins will keep for several days in an airtight container on the counter and are fantastic warmed in the toaster oven. Fresh English muffins can also be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and kept frozen for up to 3 months.
Recipe Notes
Vegan English Muffins: Replace the milk in the main dough with water, almond milk, or soy milk. Replace the butter with olive oil.
Crumpets: Increase the milk by 3/4 cup — this will make a looser dough, closer to a batter. Instead of shaping muffins by hand, allow the batter to come to room temperature after refrigeration, then drop generous spoonfuls onto a hot skillet, using English muffin rings as molds. Allow to cook until bubbly (like pancakes), then flip and cook the other side.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the butter and combine mixture until crumbly. Add fresh blueberries.
Whisk together eggs, buttermilk or yogurt,milk, lemon rind and juice; drizzle over dry ingredients, tossing with a fork until mixture clumps together. Turn out onto floured surface. With floured hands, form into ball, kneading about 8 times.
Place on parchment paper-lined lightly floured baking sheet. Pat into 3/4-inch thick circle; cut into 8 wedges. Do not separate.
Glaze: Brush with lemon juice; sprinkle with sugar.
Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden. Serve warm with Wild Blueberry Preserves and Devon Cream.
Variation. Blueberry Scones:
Gently toss 1 cup fresh blueberries with dry ingredients just before adding egg mixture. Increase lemon rind to 1 tablespoon.
Adapted from Canadian Living Magazine

• preparation

Mash banana coarsely with a fork. Stir in orange juice concentrate; then spread over 2 slices of bread and top with the remaining 2 slices of bread, forming 2 sandwiches.
In a pie plate, whisk together egg whites and milk; add sandwiches and soak for about 20 seconds. Turn sandwiches over and soak sandwiches for 20 seconds longer. Transfer to a plate. Stir together yogurt and maple syrup or honey. Set aside.

In a nonstick skillet, melt 1/2 teaspoon butter over low heat. With a metal spatula, place the sandwiches in the pan, and cook until the underside is browned. Lift the sandwiches and add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon butter. Turn over and cook until browned.
Serve with sweetened yogurt. Double or triple this recipe depending on the size of your gathering.

• preparation

Brush bread with melted butter on both sides and cut a hole about 2 1/2 inches in diameter, in the center of bread slice.
Put the bread in a large skillet over medium heat, break an egg into the hole, and cook until done, turning once. You may also fry the cut out piece of bread at the same time.
This recipe is a children's favorite.

• preparation

Drain your soaked Cashews, if they are still in liquid. Add the Cashews, Lemon Juice, Vinegar, Nutritional Yeast, Dijon Mustard, and Salt to a high-speed blender.
Add 1/4 cup of Filtered Water if you are using the Cashew Mayo immediately in a recipe
Add 1/3 cup of Filtered Water if you are planning on using the Mayo over time (ex: Sandwiches)
Blend all ingredients together for 60 seconds, then transfer to a glass jar or sealable container.
Store in the fridge for up to 10 days.

Notes:

If you forget to soak your Cashews ahead of time, you can either:
pour hot water over them and let sit for 30 minutes, or microwave them in water for 3 minutes and let sit until soft.

• preparation

Wash cauliflower and cook in boiling water until done.
Cool, drain and cut into small pieces.
Place in a salad bowl. Combine remaining ingredients and mix with cauliflower. Marinate for 1 hour in refrigerator.

• preparation

In a large bowl, stir flour, cereal, baking powder, baking soda and seasonings.
In a separate bowl, beat eggs thoroughly. Stir in carrots, buttermilk, brown sugar and oil.
Add to dry ingredients just until moistened. Stir in raisins. Spoon into greased muffin cups 3/4 full and bake at 400 degrees F. for 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer muffins on a rack to cool.

• preparation

Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl, and line the strainer with cheesecloth.
Add the tomato water ingredients to a blender or food processor, and pulse until pulpy or finely chopped. (You may need to cut the tomatoes or in large chunks to get it next to the blade. If you do, make sure to pour any extra juice in with them!)
Pour the mixture into the prepared strainer, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or up to a day.
Tip: for clear tomato water, don’t press or stir the pulp.
Keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

A favorite application for Tomato Water is, by far, the Farmers Market cocktail. It's like a wine-based Bloody Mary, and it might be my favorite libation ever.
Mix 5 ounces California Pinot Noir,Gamay, Cinsault, Grenache, Counoise
with 3 ounces tomato water. Add
Dash of sea salt, and Ice. Garnish with: tomato + basil + fresh mozzarella on toothpick
*make a “Spicy Farmers Market” by adding 3 slices of fresh jalapeno or serrano pepper.




how to make tomato water and wine bloody mary

A favorite application for Tomato Water is, by far, the Farmers Market cocktail. It's like a wine-based Bloody Mary, and it might be my favorite libation ever.


You can double this recipe if you have a bowl + strainer big enough. You can add fresh herbs or peppers or even an onion. It's your tomato goodness, after all. Once you try it, I'm pretty sure you'll be making it again.

You can also use the water to make a more traditional Bloody Mary with vodka, use it in vinaigrette + salad dressing for knockout flavor, or use it in place of vegetable stock.
You can make Tomato Sorbet. You can even drink it by itself, which is what I often do. Sometimes with a little ice and a squeeze of lemon or a splash of club soda. Sometimes straight - no chaser.

You can double this recipe if you have a bowl + strainer big enough. You can add fresh herbs or peppers or even an onion. It's your tomato goodness, after all. Once you try it, I'm pretty sure you'll be making it again.


NOTES
Use the remaining solids for pasta, salsa, soups or smoothies.
Store refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 3 days. Recipe can be doubled.

• preparation

Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).

Start by rehydrating the dried porcini mushrooms. Place them in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let them soak for about 20 minutes or until they are soft. Drain and chop them coarsely.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic, sauté until they become translucent.

Add the fresh mushrooms and rehydrated porcini mushrooms to the skillet. Cook them until they release their moisture and start to brown. This should take about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a separate saucepan, heat the heavy cream and milk over low heat. Once it's warm, add half of the grated Parmesan and half of the grated Gruyere cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted and the mixture is smooth. Season with a bit of salt and pepper.

If you want to add a layer of potatoes, arrange the thinly sliced potatoes in a greased baking dish first. Then layer the mushroom mixture on top.

Pour the cheese sauce over the mushrooms and potatoes (if using).

Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan and Gruyere cheese on top of the gratin.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the gratin is bubbling.

Garnish with fresh thyme leaves if desired and serve your delicious gratin aux porcini hot.

• preparation

Heat oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add celery and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Add shallots and garlic; sauté until shallots are tender. Transfer mixture to large bowl.
Mix in all remaining ingredients except beef broth. Add enough broth to moisten stuffing.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Set aside about half of the stuffing to fill crown roast of pork cavity. Transfer remaining stuffing to loaf pan large enough to hold stuffing. Cover with foil. Bake stuffing in pan alongside roast during last 1 hour of cooking until thermometer inserted into center registers 155 °F, about 1 hour.
Invert stuffing in pan onto platter. Slice stuffing and serve with roast.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, combine rhubarb, brown sugar, butter, flour and cinnamon.
Spoon into a buttered medium casserole dish.

For topping:
Combine the topping ingredients in a bowl. Sprinkle evenly over rhubarb mixture.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Test center to make sure rhubarb is cooked.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 375 F - 190°C .
Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl. Rub in butter using fingertips until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar. Add egg yolks and enough lemon juice to bring ingredients together to form a dough.
Knead dough gently on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Halve, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes. Roll out one pastry half between 2 sheets of baking paper until 1/4 inch or less, 3-5mm thick. Using a 2 1/2 inch (6.5cm) fluted round cutter, cut out 12 rounds, reserving leftover pastry. Place rounds into one of the prepared pans. Spoon 2 teaspoons of fruit mince into each. Repeat with second pastry half and fruit mince.
Re-roll scraps of pastry and cut into small stars. Top each pie with a star. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with extra sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Leave to cool completely in pans. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Make the mince fruit in advance.
In a large pan, dissolve the sugar in the brandy, rum or ruby port over a gentle heat. Add the chopped cranberries and stir. Add the cinnamon, ginger and cloves, currants, raisins, dried cranberries and the zest and juice of the clementine. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 20 minutes, or until the fruit has broken down and has absorbed most of the liquid in the pan.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little. Add the brandy, almond extract, vanilla extract and honey and stir well with a wooden spoon to mash the mixture down into a paste.

• preparation

Combine first 3 ingredients in processor; add 3 tablespoons sugar and process until blended.
Add butter and cream cheese and process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolks; process just until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; flatten into rectangle. Wrap in plastic; chill 30 minutes.
Butter 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish.
Combine peaches, blueberries, raspberies, tapioca and sugar in large bowl; toss to coat. Let stand 45 minutes, tossing occasionally.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Transfer fruit to prepared dish. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 14 by 10-inch rectangle.
Using cookie cutters, cut out a few decorative shapes in dough. Transfer dough rectangle to top of fruit and sides of dish.
Arrange cutouts around edge of cobbler.
Place on baking sheet. Bake until crust is golden , fruit is tender and juices are bubbling and thick, about 1 hour. Cool slightly.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, combine baking apples, Graham cracker crumbs,
dark brown sugar, cinnamon, and orange juice.
Arrange as a mount in a buttered baking dish.
Topping:
Combine Graham cracker crumbs, bread crumbs, dark brown sugar,
melted butter, and vanilla. Spread over apples.
Bake 40 to 50 minutes. Test center for doneness.
Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine rhubarb, sugar, flour, and cinnamon.
Place in a greased 9-inch by 2-inch deep in a baking dish.
Bake uncovered for 15 minutes.
Topping:
In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Add butter and milk stirring just to form a dough.
Drop tablespoons of dough on top of rhubarb.
Bake at 400 F for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream if desired.

• preparation

For rhubarb mousse:
Soften gelatin in water. Set aside for 5 minutes.
Heat over low heat to dissolve.
In a mixing bowl, combine the gelatin with the rhubarb puree.
Fold in the whipped cream.

For lemon mousse:

Soften gelatin in water. Set aside for 5 minutes. Heat over low heat to dissolve. In a mixing bowl, combine the lemon rind, juice and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add gelatin. Cool mixture but do not set.
Beat the cream with the sugar until stiff. Fold into the lemon mixture.
Beat egg whites and cream of tartar to a stiff peak. Fold into the lemon mousse.

For the rhubarb purée:

In a heavy medium saucepan, combine rhubarb and sugar. Cover mixture and let stand for 2 hours or more.
Cook rhubarb over low heat for about 30 minutes. Stir in strawberries.
Cool completely. Cover puree and chill until ready to serve.

To assemble:
alternate layers of rhubarb and lemon mousse in parfait glasses, wine glasses, or glass serving bowl. Refrigerate before serving.