January 2010 Happy holidays, everyone! It's been a terrific year here at Cuisine & Passion and we can't thank you enough for your support. As you've come to know us over the past 18 months, we hope we've been able to meet your needs and expectations. We are grateful for your support and we will do everything we can to ensure it continues. On a more personal note, we have now been back in Canada three years and we congratulate ourselves daily on our decision to choose Orléans as the place we want to live and work. We appreciate the effort people have made to make us feel right at home--we can assure you it's working! No matter what you are celebrating this season, on behalf of our family and the entire staff at Cuisine & Passion, we want to wish you all the best. May the coming year find you healthy and happy. Chefs Chantal Gagné and Marc Miron Don't get stuck in the kitchen this New Year's Eve! Perfect for a New Year's Eve gathering Don't want to spend the entire evening in the kitchen while everyone else is in the living room celebrating? We are offering a complete three-course meal--simply heat and serve--for just $39.50 per person. To allow sufficient time to prepare, we would ask that your orders be in by 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, December 29. New Year's Eve Celebration Menu   Appetizer Grilled vegetable tartlets with herb goat cheese $6.00 per serving   Entrée  Mini Beef Wellington with red wine sauce ~or~ Salmon filet with basil shrimp crust and white wine sauce   Each will be served with French green bean amandine and potato-and-roasted-onion gratin $28.00 per serving   Dessert White chocolate and strawberry tiramisu $6.00 per serving   PLUS Purchase the complete, three-course dinner for just $39.50 and each meal will include:   Amuse gueule Chorizo puff (two pieces per person) Don't be left out! Call 613-845-1090 or email us to order today for pick-up on Thursday, December 31. We'll make sure you get everything you need to ensure a beautiful, successful and stress-free New Year's Eve dinner! Tip of the month: The perfect stock Stock tips ensures a rich broth There is nothing like a hot bowl of soup made from homemade stock to warm the cockles of your heart (whatever the heck a cockle is!) on a cold, winter day. Although making stock seems simple enough--just boil some bones and vegetables and strain off the stock--there's a lot more to it than most at-home chefs realize. The next time you fire up the stock pot, here are a few things to keep in mind. Mirepoix (the aromatics that bring flavour to the stock) should consist of one part celery, one part carrots and two parts onions, all roughly chopped. (HINT: For a brown stock, don't peel the onion before chopping. It will add more colour.) Start with cold water to ensure you are able to wring every last drop of flavour out of your aromatics. (The opposite side of this, of course, is that when you are cooking vegetables for dinner, start with hot water to retain as much flavour as possible.) Don't stir the pot. When you add seasonings, throw them on top of the water and then use your large spoon to gently submerge them. Stirring will leave you with cloudy stock. Did you know you can usually get a second batch of stock--called remouillage--out of the same veal bones and mirepoix? It won't be quite a strong, of course, but it will be entirely usable as a base for stock or soup. Unfortunately, this doesn't work with beef, chicken or turkey. Want to make life easier? We carry veal, chicken, vegetable and turkey stock so you don't have to. Holiday Magic: A passion for giving We are all in this together We are pleased to announce that our Holiday Magic program has sold out. As a result, 80 people in Orléans--a total of 20 families--will be enjoying a full, three-course Christmas dinner from Cuisine & Passion. These are families that otherwise, would have had to visit the food bank to ensure food was on the table for Christmas. It seems hard to believe that in Orléans, one of the wealthiest and most educated communities in Canada, we still have hundreds of families who depend on the food bank and other services provided by the Orléans-Cumberland Community Resource Centre. But they are here. They are our friends and neighbours and we are fortunate to be in a position to help out. But others still need help. If you'd like to make a donation to the food bank, visit them on the web, email them or call 613-837-6492. Thanks, everyone. Wine suggestions for Christmas dinner by Chef Marc Miron A match made in heaven Food and wine were made for each other. Although certain nouvelle beer drinkers may disagree, no other beverage offers anything approaching wine's diversity and ability to complement food. In fact, certain wines--particularly mature ones--show their best only when presented with appropriate foods.   Old-fashioned--and often, ill-conceived--rules shouldn't prevent you from experimenting with different combinations of wine and food. Drink what you like!   Although it is hard to generalize about the relationship between wine and food, there are still some guidelines worth observing that permit all the flexibility and originality you could hope for.   For starters, don't pick a wine that mimics the food--a contrast is more likely to find success. If you have spicy food, for example, try a sweeter or even a more full-bodied fruity wine; if you are having something rich, try something more acidic. Generally, wines that come from a single variety of grape--or cepage--are usually the easiest to pair.   To eventually get the best pairings, keep track of your tastings. Using simple words, write down the characteristics of the grape variety, paying attention to the aroma and the subtle flavours you get from the wine. After many trials and bottles, you can really start to have fun!    To get you started, here are a couple of superb wines that will work beautifully with a traditional Christmas turkey dinner.   STORM BAY PINOT NOIR 2005 (RED) - a 750mL bottle of this Australian Pinot will run around $24 at the LCBO (#90225). The discriminating palate will taste red cherry and crisp white pepper notes.   EQUIFERA CHARDONNAY VQA (WHITE) - a 750mL bottle of this Canadian jewel will cost under $15 at the LCBO (#135155). This crisp white wine will offer green apple and pineapple overtones. [This article was originally published in NOW EMC, Orléans edition. If you have any questions or issues you'd like addressed in Chef Marc's bi-weekly columns, send us an email. We'd love to hear from you.] Looking for last-minute gift ideas? We've got you covered! You can find lots of last-minute gift ideas right here at Cuisine & Passion. From house-made jams, sauces and cookies to premium pastas, cheeses, oils and vinegars, we can help you find the perfect gift for the food lover on your list. And for your chef friends, how about cookbooks, dishes for entertaining or a variety of kitchen utensils? Still can't decide? We also have gift certificates available in any amount that can be used for purchasing goods or taking cooking classes. Why not drop in to have a look around? Featured recipe: Tiramisu by Chef Chantal Gagné         Among the world's simplest dessert recipes Surprisingly, there are no records of tiramisu being served prior to 1983. Over the last two decades or so, the Italian dish has become quite popular in North America. There is also some debate over its origins. Some say it was created in Treviso, Italy, while others say it was born in the city of Siena. No matter where it started, when you make it at home, you'll be glad where it ended up: in your belly!   Ingredients 225 mL strong, black coffee 150 mL brandy* 250 g savoiardi (ladyfinger cookies) 2 eggs 500 g Mascarpone cheese 75 g icing sugar 25 g cocoa powder *For something a little different, instead of brandy, use Baileys or rum or anything else you might put in your coffee. Method Lay half the biscuits in a serving dish and soak them with half the coffee and brandy. Set aside. Separate the eggs. Mix egg yolks with cheese and icing sugar. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until you get soft peaks. Fold the egg whites into the cheese mixture. Pour half the cheese mixture over the first layer of biscuits. Shake cocoa powder over the cheese mixture. Add another layer of biscuits and then cheese. Finish with a dash more cocoa powder. Chill for at least two hours before serving. Enjoy! Featured cheese: La Baluchon Some chili jam, some wine and you're all set La Baluchon is a semi-soft, washed-rind cheese made from organic raw milk from Fromagerie F.X. Pichet in Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade, Quebec. With a mild, slightly earthy aroma and a delicate flavour of butter and cream, it works well in salads or soups, fondues and béchamel sauces, dishes served au gratin, and on pizzas and in pasta dishes.   La Baluchon, 2009 Champion in the category of Organic Cheese at the Canadian Cheese Grand Prix. Price: $46.00/kg Hors d'oeuvres for New Year's Eve Launch the New Year with our tasty finger foods Here's the choice: You can spend two days in the kitchen preparing an array of goodies to serve to your guests on New Year's Eve. Or, you can drop by the Cuisine & Passion and pick up everything you need. Then, just heat and serve. WARNING: You may become the New Year's Eve destination of choice if you serve these little beauties at your party this year. Choose from among these great options: fish cakes crab cakes mini quiches chicken satay on skewers marinated curry beef satay (limited quantity) chorizo puffs curry puffs Buy them frozen now and preparation will be a snap on the 31st! Give the gift of fine cuisine this holiday season Available in any amount, a gift certificate from Cuisine & Passion is a great way to celebrate the holidays. Call us at 613-845-1090 or email us today for more information. Visit us today at 2297 St. Joseph Blvd. in Orléans (beside Jumbo Video) and we will help you make that certain someone feel extra special!