A Pair Of Gourmands

Comfort Food

He says:

The other day Kristin and I were looking for a place to eat a quick bite, but nothing pretentious, just home-cooked food.

We had seen the Cherry Pit Restaurant while driving in Westbank, but had never been inside. We walked in the restaurant around 11:15am and the place was packed with families, couples and single customers. We sat down and less than a minute later our server showed up asking if we wanted coffee, holding the pot in her hand. A few minutes later we placed our food order: a club house sandwich and a Denver sandwich. Sometimes, I just crave meals that require no long name and no fancy garnishes. When our food showed up, it was exactly what I was hoping for, a non-pretentious meal made with good ingredients and also at a reasonable price.

She says:

Comfort food is something for which we all have our own ideas simple foods connected to good memories and forever imprinted in our minds. The comforting part is when we can reach in and recreate them to warm our souls at a later date.

My Mom was just visiting, so we had lots of conversations of times gone by, which inevitably involved comfort food. With Thanksgiving just past, we talked of favourite holiday dishes but most of the memories were about simple things like grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup, or apple pancakes. The semantics of the discussion was whether or not one should have cheddar cheese or processed cheese in the sandwich, and whether the pancakes were better remembered for Sunday breakfast or winter school day lunches. (You have to remember, I was brought up in the era when you walked home for lunch and your Mom was there to give it to you.)

Interestingly enough, a Denver sandwich was another thing that she would sometimes make, and that is why it struck my fancy that day we went to the Cherry Pit. As soon as I bit into it, I could see the kitchen of my childhood, and remember fall days when that might have been lunch. I could smell the leaves on the ground and the last of the marigold blossoms, and I could hear the wind whistling in my ears, remembering the brisk walk back to school.
It put a smile on my face, even though it made me think, “Boy, I’m getting older if I have those stories about how tough I was as a kid, walking to school on a cold day!”

So, in between the gourmet meals and the rush of everyday life, take a breath and store away the memory of your favourite comfort foods. Write them down so your kids can make them when they grow up and move away, on a day when they are missing home and the way life used to be in the good old days.

Chef Martin’s Tip 34 - Ganache 101

If you don’t know what ganache is by now, you have been missing one of life’s greatest treats, believed to have been invented in 1850.

The basic recipe is equal parts chocolate and cream:
Bring to a boil 500ml of whipped cream (33% minimum) and poor over 500 g of chopped Belgian Callebaut Chocolate

White, milk or dark chocolate, the better the chocolate you use, the better the result you get.

A general guideline for making ganache:
To make a coating: 1 part cream to 3 parts chocolate.
To make a truffle filling: 1 part cream to 2 parts chocolate.
To make a light filling: 1 part cream to 1 part chocolate.

Cook your favorite cheesecake and pour some coating ganache all over the top. Let it set, then add some roasted sliced almonds on top.

So, now that you are in the know, make good use of this recipe and you will always have successful desserts.

“No matter what happens in the kitchen, never apologize.”
(Julia Child, 1912-2004)

The Chef in Stead - Website For Previous Chef Tips For comments or questions, you can reach Martin at 250-712-4440 or Email.

These are the stores where I shop, go visit them and tell them I sent you...

Hooked on Seafood, 1951 Harvey Ave, Kelowna 860-2541
Discover Wines, 2080 C Springfield Rd, Kelowna 868-3990
Matterhorn Bakery, 103 - 3640 Gosset Rd, Westbank 768-3302
L&D Meat, 103 - 2365 Gordon St, Kelowna 717-1997
Quality Greens, 3717 A Old Okanagan, Westbank 707-1420
Valoroso Italian Market, 1467 Sutherland Rd, Kelowna 860-3631
Kitchen Niche, Orchard Park mall, Kelowna 860-3637

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.