Spicy Garlic Chutney

Spicy garlic chutney is meant to knock your socks off. I used Anaheim peppers which are mildly hot; you can decide on the level of spiciness by using hotter peppers such as Serrano peppers. If you're really masochistic, habanero or scotch bonnets would work as well. On the other hand, if you're like me and can't handle spicy food, you could use green bell peppers instead. 

This Indian chutney is a great condiment for subtly flavored dishes such as fish en papillote, meat, Indian potato cutlets, basmati rice and dahl or even a piece of toast. It's also very healthy for you due to the large quantity of fresh garlic. We make this chutney very often, as it stores well in the refrigerator. The only no-no would be to serve it during a romantic dinner !!

How to Make Kimchi

Kimchi is a Korean pickled dish made of vegetables. It's absolutely delicious and goes with almost every meal. Aunt Elise, maman's sister visiting from Vietnam, taught me how to make a simple version of kimchi. It doesn't have the red color traditionally associated with kimchi, but there are actually several varieties, like this one, that have little or no red chili. What can I say, I'm kind of a wimp when it comes to spicy food.

We only used Napa cabbage, very simple seasoning and a good bit patience. It takes a few days for the cabbage to ferment, and then it's ready to enjoy.

You usually eat kimchi as a condiment with another dish, and my favorite "partner" is Cơm Gà Siu Siu. It's boiled chicken in a caramelized-onion broth. Serve the pieces of chicken with jasmine rice (cooked in the same chicken broth as well, I'll post the recipe soon), nước mắm (fish sauce in Vietnamese) and kimchi on the side. Lulu, on the other hand, just likes eating it by itself. However you decide to use it, homemade kimchi is definitely worth the effort.

Purple Potato Gratin with Salmon Mousseline and Beurre Blanc

I bought Peruvian purple fingerling potatoes at the Farmers' market. Purple potatoes have a subtle grainy texture and I thought they'd pair perfectly with salmon mousseline.

Beurre blanc sounds like a sophisticated element in a French dish, but it's really just a white wine butter sauce. It's quite common in France and is often paired with poached fish and steamed vegetables. I think that it complements the crunchy potatoes and velvety salmon mousseline quite well. I finished each dish with a dollop of crème fraîche, some fresh dill and a couple of pink peppercorns. It's a feast for the eyes as well your taste buds.

Thanksgiving Cranberry Sauce with Kumquat and Jalapeno

We make cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving every year, and every year at the end of the meal there's a bowl full of cranberry sauce left-over. It's not that we don't like cranberries; they have a great flavor that I make user of in stuffing, cakes and drinks. Cranberry sauce, though, is a bit one-dimensional, so I've been on a quest to come up with a version that is more food than Thanksgiving table ornament.

After several trials, I think I've come up with some small additions to a traditional cranberry sauce recipe that really give it new life. I added roasted and chopped jalapeños for a little heat, kumquat zest for a touch of citrus, and brown sugar to mellow out the sweetness with hints of caramel. I knew I was on to something because Lulu was eating it all by itself!

If you're like me and the idea of cranberry sauce has been more appealing than the reality, I can tell you that with a few simple modifications you may actually come to enjoy some cranberry sauce with your turkey.

Vegetarian Gravy for Thanksgiving

I personally love homemade turkey gravy with all the caramelized bits and drippings of the roasted turkey, so I was a bit skeptical when Lulu asked me to try his vegetarian miso gravy recipe. I couldn't believe that it would have the complexity of flavors that are present in traditional giblet gravy, but to my surprise, it was absolutely delicious. 

Miso is fermented soy bean paste, and it imparts a strong, earthy flavor to the gravy. For additional flavor I added fried onions and chili flakes. Butter and a touch of heavy cream created a rich texture.

Even if you don't have a gaggle of vegetarians in your house as I do, it's worth trying out this recipe.