Family affair

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This article was published 11/10/2017 (3203 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s been at least two days since most of us enjoyed Thanksgiving dinners.

You might even be able to tighten your belt buckle again.

And while eating that much food every weekend might not be advisable, it might be fun to keep the momentum going on the fun of a weekly family supper event. You can draw inspiration for meal ideas from Best of Bridge Sunday Suppers (Robert Rose, $29.95), the latest instalment in the iconic cookbook series.

The Best of Bridge series has been handed over to a new trio of foodies: Elizabeth Chorney-Booth, a Calgary-based magazine and newspaper writer; Sue Duncan out of the Okanagan Valley; and Julie Van Rosendaal, a writer and Calgary CBC Radio regular.

Two of the three authors, Chorney-Booth and Duncan, will be visiting McNally Robinson Booksellers at Grant Park on Monday at 12:30 p.m., an event Chorney-Booth is looking forward to.

“I think people, especially in the Prairie provinces, hold Best of Bridge near and dear to their heart,” she says.

“It’s nice to get so much support from people that have been following the brand for so long.”

While keeping all the original charm and format of the series, this latest edition gives the reader/cook a sense that the baton has truly been passed. The recipes have a more contemporary feel and the humour is just a wee bit edgier. Chorney-Booth says these were always key characteristics of the series.

“Brand-wise, what appealed to cooks was that those ladies’ personalities came through, and that’s what we went for in this book as well,” she says.

“We don’t want to pretend that we’re them… we’re us and that’s why it was important from the get-go when Julie was approached by Robert Rose to do this that she was doing it with people who are her real-life friends.”

She says that this cookbook is the one the three of them have really wanted to do.

“I often don’t have time to do this kind of cooking, but I like to show people I care about them by cooking for them, and I think that’s a common theme for a lot of people.

“When you become so busy that you don’t have time to do that — to put your phones away, turn off the TV, sit down and really talk to the people you love over food — I think that’s something a lot of people are feel they are missing and want.”

Chorney-Booth says she sees the “family table” style of cooking and serving making a comeback.

“I’ve seen, trendwise, a shift in both home cooking and in restaurants — that idea of sitting around, passing around food with your family and friends, that sort of — I don’t want to say more old-fashioned take on cooking — but it’s not just about getting food on the table as quickly as possible then eating it and then going on to the next thing.

“Dinner is actually an event; it’s an appointment; it’s a time when you get together with the people you love and eat food that someone has put a lot of care into.”

The recipes in this edition aren’t all what you might think of as traditional Sunday suppers. The authors have included contenders such as pizzas and burgers, pastas, small cuts of meats and even some curry recipes.

“There are things like rack of lamb and prime rib and roasts, and that’s what most people commonly think of as Sunday suppers — of course it doesn’t have to be Sunday, just any day where you have time — when you can put a piece of meat in the oven and let it roast for several hours,” she says.

There is also an acknowledgement that for some families, depending on their stage of life, even one day a week dedicated to cooking is difficult, so there are meals that take less time to prepare, but that are inviting enough and still special enough to bring kith and kin to the kitchen table — and maybe even use a cloth napkin.

“Maybe people do only have an hour or 45 minutes to get their dinner together, even on a Sunday, or they don’t have a lot of money to pay for a big prime rib or an expensive cut of meat,” she says.

“We wanted it to be accessible to cooks of all levels and people of all income levels, so that there is something in this book to inspire them to put together a meal for the people they love,” she says.

Chorney-Booth says the philosophy is just to get people cooking and enjoying the process.

“That’s the other idea behind Sunday Suppers, too. Sure, the concept of the Sunday supper is largely about getting together around the table to enjoy eating, but I also think it’s fun for the cook to be able to take a little bit of extra time to prepare a meal that takes a little longer than 15 or 20 minutes, to take some time to enjoy the cooking process, to watch it unfold and to figure it out and to learn more about cooking as they go.”

These recipes are courtesy of Best of Bridge Sunday Suppers by Best of Bridge. Try the more traditional ham for a Sunday supper or the unexpected salmon burgers. There is a bonus recipe, cumin-roasted brussels sprouts, for Winnipeg Free Press e-subscribers at www.winnipegfreepress.ca.

 

Salmon Burgers

You can serve these with all the usual burger trimmings or branch out and add a big dollop of tzatziki (see page 261). The patties will be a little fragile — we suggest eating them over a plate.

 

Vegetable oil

1 shallot, finely chopped

500 g (1 lb) skinless salmon fillet

60 ml (1/4 cup) panko

15 ml (1 tbsp) finely chopped fresh dill

15 ml (1 tbsp) rinsed capers, patted dry and chopped

1 large egg yolk

5 ml (1 tsp) Dijon mustard

5 ml (1 tsp) lemon juice

Salt and black pepper to taste

Buns and typical burger fixings

 

In a small saucepan, heat a drizzle of oil over medium-low heat. Sauté shallot until softened and browned, about 5 minutes. Let cool. Cut salmon into very fine pieces (see tip, below) and place in a medium bowl. Stir in cooled shallots, panko, dill, capers, egg yolk, mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Form into four 2-cm (3/4-inch) thick patties. Let patties stand for 5 minutes.

In a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet, heat a skiff of oil over medium-low heat. Using a spatula, carefully slide patties into pan. Cook until golden on the underside, about 4 minutes, then carefully flip patties over and cook until the other side is browned and the patties are cooked through, about 4 minutes. Makes 4 burgers.

Tip: To cut the fish into small enough pieces, first slice the fillet into thin ribbons (about 3 mm or 1/8 inch), then slice a few ribbons at a time into smaller pieces. Pieces should be smaller than 0.5 cm (1/4 inch) square in order for the patties to hold together when cooked.

 

Anne’s Baked Ham with Pears

Julie’s sister makes this spectacular-looking baked ham for special occasions. It was originally a Martha Stewart recipe, but this streamlined version has become a family tradition. The pears are quartered lengthwise and roasted alongside the ham, making for a dramatic presentation (and a delicious side dish).

 

3 to 4 kg (6 to 9 lb) fully cooked ham, with or without bone

500 ml (2 cups) apple cider

250 ml (1 cup) liquid honey, divided

3 Bosc pears, quartered lengthwise and cored (leave the skin and stems)

1 cinnamon stick

500 ml (2 cup) fresh or frozen cranberries

125 ml (1/2 cup) packed brown sugar

5 ml (1 tsp) ground ginger

Black pepper to taste

 

Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Place ham in a large roasting pan and pour cider and half the honey over top. Bake for 1 hour, basting with pan juices once or twice. Scatter pears and cinnamon around the ham. Bake for 45 minutes, basting once or twice. Sprinkle cranberries over pears and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until pears are tender and cranberries begin to burst. Remove from oven and, using a slotted spoon, transfer fruit to a shallow bowl; cover with foil and set aside. Return the ham to the oven.

Ladle pan juices into a medium saucepan. Stir in brown sugar, ginger and the remaining honey; bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until glaze is syrupy and has reduced by half. Pour glaze over ham and bake until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the ham registers 165 F (74 C). Remove from oven and brush ham with glaze. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes before carving. Pour pan juices over pears and cranberries and serve with the ham. Serves 10 to 12, with leftovers.

 

Cumin-Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Sprouts are the new cool thing on restaurant menus everywhere. If you have a fancy flaky salt in the house, the extra crunch goes beautifully here (but no need to go buy some — table salt is just fine, too).

 

10 ml (2 tsp) cumin seeds

1 kg (2 lbs) brussels sprouts

3 large shallots, cut in half and thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

60 ml (1/4 cup) vegetable oil (approx.)

Salt and black pepper to taste

 

Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C). In a small saucepan, toast cumin seeds over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes or until fragrant. Spread seeds out on a plate and let cool, then lightly crush in a mortar and pestle (see tip, below).

Trim sprouts and cut in half through the stem end. Place in a large bowl and add crushed cumin seeds, shallots, garlic, oil, salt and pepper. Toss until sprouts are well coated, adding a little more oil if needed. Spread sprouts out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast, stirring once or twice, for 25 to 30 minutes or until tender and well-browned in places.

Serves 6 to 8.

Tip: If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, place the toasted cumin seeds between two layers of parchment paper on a cutting board and roll over them with a rolling pin or a wine bottle. (The parchment will ensure your next pastry won’t be cumin-flavored.)

Twitter: @WendyKinginWpg