Cookaholics Bulletin Board

Starting another thread so as to not keep taking over Felicita's weeknight book thread.

I own a number of CL publications and get their magazine and weekly emails. Thought this might be a nice place to note our findings from there.

I'm going to make the stuffed pork tenderloin from The Complete Canadian Living Cookbook (http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Cana ... DHWYA3OLE1) as per Carey's suggestion for a belated Christmas dinner, also serving a ham alongside since I have no idea how many people are coming.

EYB lists 47 titles for CL but NONE are indexed

I know. It's irritating. I found a lot of my cookbooks aren't indexed. I applied for indexing quite a while ago, but no bites.

As for other recipes, the calvados apple cake is delicious and super easy. I'm pretty sure I got the recipe online. Their whole wheat oatmeal cookies are also a standard in my house.

Carey, is the name of that recipe "Calvados Apple Cake"? I'd love to try it but didn't see anything come up with that name when I googled it along with "Canadian Living Magazine."

Thanks!

Emilie

Carey, I made this with 4 tenderloins (I had them frozen in packages of 2 so that just worked better) and omitted the mushrooms. Was very very good and as you said, looked fabulous. Served with roasted green beans, ham (I didn't know how many people were coming), a layered salad (brought by one sil), twice baked potatoes (other sil) and glazed carrots. Many raves all around, thanks for pointing that recipe out to me!

Jean,

You're welcome. I'm glad it turned out. I've always liked it (and the fact that it looks harder to make than it is, which is a bonus).

Emilie,

My apologies. I had filed the cake recipe I liked in my Canadian Living recipes file, but it's actually from Gourmet:

Apple Walnut Upside-Down Cake with Calvados Caramel Sauce
Courtesy Gourmet Magazine

For topping:
3 to 3 1/2 Golden Delicious apples (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

For cake batter:
1/2 Golden Delicious apple
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh gingerroot
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream

Accompaniments:
Calvados caramel sauce (recipe follows)
Whipped cream

Make topping: Peel, core, and quarter apples.
In a well seasoned 10 1/4 by 2-inch cast iron skillet melt butter over moderately low heat just until melted (butter should not separate). Stir in sugar until combined well. Arrange apple quarters decoratively, cut sides up, in skillet and sprinkle walnuts evenly between apples. Cook mixture, undisturbed, 25 to 35 minutes, or until the apples are tender in centers and sugar is a golden caramel.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Make cake batter while topping is cooking: Peel apple and chop fine.
In a bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
In another bowl with an electric mixture beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and gingerroot and add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in sour cream and with mixer on low speed beat in flour mixture gradually until just combined. Fold chopped apple into batter.
Remove skillet from heat and spoon batter evenly over topping. With a metal spatula spread batter (being careful not to disturb topping), leaving a 1/4-inch border of cooked apples uncovered. If using a non-stick stick skillet with a plastic handle, wrap handle in a double thickness of foil. Put skillet in a shallow baking pan and bake cake in middle of oven 25 to 35 minutes, or until a tester comes out with crumbs adhering and cake is golden brown. Cool cake in skillet on a rack 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around edge of skillet and carefully invert cake onto a plate.
Serve cake warm or at room temperature with caramel sauce and whipped cream.

For Calvados caramel sauce:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons Calvados or other apple brandy
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

In a dry heavy saucepan (about 2 quarts) cook sugar over moderate heat, stirring with a fork, until melted and cook without stirring, swirling pan, until a golden caramel. Remove pan from heat and carefully add water and brandy down side of pan (caramel will bubble and steam). Return pan to heat and simmer, stirring, until caramel is dissolved. Stir in butter. Sauce may be made 3 days ahead and chilled, covered. Reheat sauce to warm before serving.

Makes about 1 1/4 cups.

I have to admit though, that since this recipe is so easy I'm prone to using store bought caramel sauce (President's choice Butterscotch is my favourite) rather than making my own. So, so lazy, I know!

Thanks, Carey,
This looks great

Ok, I have dual slow cookers going. (It's not that weird to have two, right?). Am trying out a few recipes from the Canadian Living Slow Cooker cookbook. Chicken in mushroom sauce and Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic. (Bought a pack of chicken thighs at Costco, so am still in stock the freezer mode). Both smell good so far....

I'm a little unsure of the 40 cloves recipe. It seems almost too simple (chicken, garlic, chicken broth, herbs...that's it. Thickened with flour at the end.). I love CI's recipe, so hopefully this one holds its own in comparison. The mushroom one uses condensed milk instead of cream, and looks tasty already. Both apparently freeze well. Will report back.

Both recipes ended up needing to be salvaged, which is both odd and disappointing for Canadaian Living recipes. First, 4 hours on low seems way too long for bone-in chicken thighs. They turned out a bit overdone and kinda dry. At least there's sauce for both recipes.

The chicken in creamy mushroom sauce turned out ok in the end, but it called for 2% evaporated milk which separated and curdled in the slow cooker. It came back together after I put it through the blender (not called for in the recipe), but that added an extra step and a fair bit of mess. If I make it again, I'd probably just do it stovetop for the length of simmer time that thighs take.

The 40 cloves of garlic one I probably won't make again. Definitely not as good as CI's version.

Actually, I'm thinking that the slow cooker just isn't great for chicken. Beef braises always turn out ok, but the chicken ones seem to suffer for it.

Country Captain Chicken from Cook's Country has always worked well for me. So has their Slow-Cooker Cassoulet -- it's not the real deal but it does turn out beautifully done chicken thighs. They are done in a hobo packet on top of the beans and pork.