Put a smile on her face
A lovely start and finish to a Mother’s Day meal, Karen Barnaby writes.
I’m part of the generation that ate dinner with my family, at a table, and with the TV off.
My maternal grandmother did a lot of the cooking, mostly simple things — shepherd’s pie, roast chicken, Swiss steak, baked fish, iceberg-lettuce salads, potatoes, carrots and green vegetables. Sometimes there was liver, which I ate with plenty of ketchup.
When my mother cooked, the food was more exciting and there was the occasional lasagna, pineapple chicken, chili, stir-fried chicken with almonds, or spaghetti and meatballs.
She loved cooking, trying out new recipes, and excelled at baking.
I learned the basics from these two women and became a kitchen devotee at an early age. Cooking came naturally to me and I eagerly learned how to make an omelette, bake bread and roll meatballs that were all the same size.
I am extremely grateful for all of this.
As I evolved into a seeker of new and interesting foods, I took my mother with me on the journey and introduced her to things that were unimaginable while sitting around the childhood dinner table: quiche, dim sum, cheesecake that was not baked to death, and cheeses that were a little more exotic than cheddar, were some of the first things.
As I branched out, so did she into Middle Eastern, then Italian, then Thai food.
I taught her how to make tabbouleh, spring rolls and risotto. Brie and Cambozola became her favourite cheeses.
I’m giving you something to begin with and something to end with. The middle can be brunch, lunch or dinner.
Both are rich dishes, so I would lean toward a simple frittata — zucchini and tomato for example — with a side of marinated beets and cucumbers.
Or, a large and colourful salad with spinach, and roasted squash, pomegranate arils and avocado. Salmon or halibut fillet with asparagus and multi-coloured cherry tomatoes would be a delicious middle as well.
I would serve my mother the halibut, because it’s a real treat. We would laugh our way through the meal and when it came to dessert, she would marvel at the apple roses and wonder how they were made.
After we were finished eating, I would go to the kitchen and come back with a cutting board, knife, vegetable peeler and an apple. She would look up at me with a great big smile on her beautiful face.
APPLE ROSE CHEESECAKES
Makes: 12 cakes
The cakes are easiest to remove if made in a silicone muffin pan. If not, spray the pan with nonstick spray.
For the crust:
1/2 cup (125 mL) firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup (250 mL) quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup (125 mL) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (125 mL) finely chopped walnuts or pecans 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) baking soda 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) cinnamon 1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) sea salt
1/2 cup (125 mL) unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
About 9 oz (250 g) cream cheese, at room temperature 1/4 cup (60 mL) sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp (5 mL) pure vanilla extract 3 large, cooking apples
4 tbsp (60 mL) unsalted butter 2 tbsp (30 mL) sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
Icing sugar for dusting
1. Heat oven to 350 F (175 C). Combine the dry ingredients for the crust and mix until well combined. Add the butter and with your hands, combine the ingredients thoroughly.
2. Divide the mixture evenly into a 12-cup (3 L) non-stick or silicone muffin pan. Press down firmly to form a crust. Bake for 10 minutes and cool on a rack. While the crusts are baking, make the filling. Whisk the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla. Beat until well combined. Slice the apples in half lengthwise and core. With a mandolin, sharp knife or vegetable peeler, slice the apple halves crosswise thinly into flexible slices that won’t break when rolled up gently into a tube shape. Lay out 6 slices, slightly overlapping, lengthwise. Roll up to form the centre of the rose. Repeat to make 12 centres.
3. Evenly divide the cheese mixture over the crusts. Place
1 rose centre in the middle of the cheese mixture. Starting from the outside of the muffin cup, tuck in apple slices, peel side up, in a concentric ring to meet with the centre, forming a rose shape. Repeat for the remainder. Melt the butter and mix with the sugar and lemon juice. Brush the apple slices with the mixture.
4. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool for 1 hour in the pan before removing. If made in a silicone pan, remove the cakes by pressing upward on the pans from the bottom. In a metal tin, carefully run a thin bladed knife around the edge and gently pry out the cakes. Serve at room temperature or chilled, dusted with icing sugar.
For a great presentation, use brie that comes in a wooden box. Serve with fresh baguette or crackers. You can substitute Camembert for the brie.
Serves: 4 to 6
1 12 oz (350 g) whole, round
■ brie cheese
2 tbsp (30 mL) unsalted butter 3/4 lb (375 g) mushrooms, cut into 1/4-inch (0.6 cm) slices 4 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 cup (125 mL) dry red wine 1/4 tsp (1 mL) sea salt
1/2 cup (125 mL) whipping cream
1. Place the brie in the freezer to make slicing easier while preparing the rest of the ingredients. Remove the brie from freezer, discard wrapping and carefully slice the rind off the top or bottom, whichever side is the flattest. Place the brie back in the box or a heatproof container that holds it snugly. If you’re using the box, tie a string around it in case the melting brie breaks through.
2. Heat the oven to 400 F (200 C). Melt butter over medium heat in a large frying pan. Add the mushrooms and thyme. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms brown. Add the wine and cook until it evaporates. Add the cream and salt; reduce until thick.
3. Spoon the mushrooms on top of the brie and bake for 10-15 minutes until the brie is melted. Serve immediately.