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Archives for March 2017

Grilled Double Cheese Bacon Sandwich

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UrbnSpice Ultimate Recipe Series

When I think of a grilled cheese sandwich, I think of kids. My daughters often tell me that when they were younger grilled cheese sandwiches were one of their most treasured food memories. It was always a hit before or after soccer practices (they played soccer six days a week).  They loved their grilled cheese sandwich fingers and warm cream of tomato soup, which they used as a dip for the crispy batons.  This recipe for Grilled Double Cheese Bacon Sandwich is a classic for little kids and big kids alike.  The addition of crispy bacon elevates the flavour and texture to a whole new level and is comfort food at its best.

The Grilled Double Cheese Bacon Sandwich is caramelized to a golden brown | urbnspice.com

The Grilled Double Cheese Bacon Sandwich is caramelized to a golden brown 

It takes time to make a great grilled cheese sandwich – allow at least 10 minutes with two flips on each side of the sandwich. Ensure you press down on the sandwich with a spatula so that the entire surface of the sandwich makes contact with the pan. The extra effort is worth it – you will be rewarded with a golden crispy crust and a ‘gorpy’ cheesy interior (my definition of ‘gorpy’ is gooey, chewy and tasty).

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Challenging the Art of Sourdough

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The Inspiration of UrbnSpice Series

I have wanted to challenge the art of sourdough from scratch for quite some time. The reason is simple: I have several family members who experience difficulty digesting wheat. Experimenting with recipes is something I have always enjoyed. My curiosity inspired me to develop sourdough bread recipes that would meet the needs of my family.

Spelt Bread | urbnspice.com

For the purpose of this article, I am working with a spelt sourdough starter – it has unusual characteristics but offers interesting opportunities to learn about how those characteristics affect the sourdough process. My background, which includes training in culinary school and working in bakeries, provides me with experience and skills to deal with the preliminaries of starters & a variety of bread

Most of my colleagues will agree that once you have worked with different types of dough, one develops a level of personal satisfaction that is difficult to describe. There is nothing more relaxing to me than standing at a floured baker’s bench kneading the dough in a rhythmic motion, which transforms a weighed amount of dough into a smooth boule, loaf or roll. The aroma and the taste of freshly baked bread is the reward that you keep coming back for. There is nothing like it!

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Make It Your Own Burger

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Urb’n’Spice Ultimate Recipe Series

Burgers are a very personal food and as such, it is my belief that burger recipes should provide the user with the flexibility to Make It Your Own Burger.

The following recipe will provide a number of options; as well I will also elaborate on why I have done what I have done. Enjoy!

Make It Your Own Burger | urbnspice.com

Make It Your Own Burger

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The Ultimate Canadian Maple Butter Tarts

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Urb’n’Spice Ultimate Recipe Series

Is there anything more Canadian than butter tarts made with pure maple syrup? I truly believe you will agree that these Ultimate Canadian Maple Butter Tarts are hard to beat.  Maple is as much a part of the Canadian food scene as poutine, tourtière or Nanaimo Bars.  This particular recipe is also included in an article pertaining specifically to maple for the Culinary Historians of Canada‘s CANADA 150 FOOD BLOG CHALLENGE.  You can read all about it here.

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My Mom always made this family favourite with maple syrup and I have carried on that French Canadian tradition. The filling for this tart recipe is essentially a custard (similar to pecan pie filling or cheesecake). The addition of maple syrup is delightful and oh, so Canadian. While many butter tart purists prefer their baked treats without embellishments, roasted pecans or walnuts and/or raisins are a great addition.

Maple Butter Tartlet with Pecans | urbnspice.com

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Maple – A Timeless Canadian Tradition

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CHC CANADA 150 FOOD BLOG CHALLENGE

Prelude:  I am a proud Canadian. When the Culinary Historians of Canada invited food bloggers to participate in the “CHC Canada 150 Food Blog Challenge”, I knew that I wanted in! What a great way to celebrate and honour Canada’s 150th birthday by featuring a different Canadian dish or discussing a topic which reflects on what it means to be Canadian.  For March, the topic is maple.  For that reason, I am pleased to present:  Maple – A Timeless Canadian Tradition.

I was excited to learn that this month’s challenge is maple, a favourite in both sweet and savoury recipes. Even before I began my research for this article, I was very much aware that maple has evolved from its humble beginnings as a natural sweetener. Maple syrup is one of Canada’s quintessential food products.

Skip to Maple Butter Tart Recipe

I sometimes think that we, as Canadians, take maple syrup for granted – it is not just for pancakes and waffles. We have what the rest of the world wishes they could access as easily as we can. Many of my international colleagues have Canadian maple syrup on the top of their shopping list whenever they come to Canada.

Maple Butter Tartlet with Pecans | urbnspice.com

The Ultimate Canadian Maple Butter Tart

Maple Syrup is uniquely Canadian with 80% of the world’s production coming from Canada and 91% of our domestic production originating in Quebec.  My research indicates that in 2015, Canada had an annual maple syrup production of 8,908,000 gallons, generating revenue of $358 million CDN.

Canada’s maple syrup has health benefits that far exceed any other natural sweetener. It has over 60 anti-oxidants and minerals including calcium, copper, manganese, potassium, zinc and sodium, which offer a number of health-related benefits.

Why is maple syrup so timeless in its uses and its benefits? As a chef who works in recipe development on a daily basis, I have noted that the use of maple syrup has evolved into an important lifestyle and culinary movement – essentially the elimination of white and brown sugar and the reintroduction of natural unprocessed sugars such as honey and maple syrup. These ingredients are being substituted for granulated sugar in home kitchens as well as commercial kitchens. Canada’s Maple syrup has specific health benefits, which makes it a superior alternative to sugar. (See the topic Maple Syrup Substitution in Recipes below).

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Savoury Crispy Bacon, Cheese and Green Onion Waffles

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My family is very fond of waffles for breakfast or brunch or dinner. We frequently make and freeze double batches of vanilla bean waffles for my grandchildren. They love them reheated for their breakfast. Unflavoured protein powder is often added to the waffle batter for that extra bit of goodness. I have created Gluten Free and Dairy Free Savoury Crispy Bacon, Cheese and Green Onion Waffles for their parents to enjoy (recipe follows).

Savoury Crispy Bacon, Cheese and Green Onion Waffles | urbnspice.com

Savoury Crispy Bacon, Cheese and Green Onion Waffles

Why make waffles? Why not make a pancake? How are waffles and pancakes different? There are actually several factors that differentiate a waffle from a pancake. Waffle batter has more fat and more eggs than a pancake batter. Typically, when making a waffle batter, softly beaten egg whites are folded into the batter, resulting in a lighter and fluffier product. The thick batter is poured onto a heated iron rather than an open pan or griddle.   A waffle is cooked from the bottom and the top at the same time making a crisp and light yet a sturdy shell.

Pancakes have always been a breakfast favourite, however, waffles with their unique honeycomb appearance and crispy texture are unbeatable when smothered in maple syrup.

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Australian Meat Pies

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Urb’n’Spice Freezer Reserve Series

Have you ever had an Australian Meat Pie?  If you haven’t, you are missing out on one of life’s great pleasures.  We had an opportunity to enjoy several traditional Australian Meat Pies at a ‘footy’ (Aussie Rules Football) while travelling in Australia. Joining the jovial and boisterous (and slightly intoxicated) crowd on the buses to the game was an experience we will never forget.

Aussie Hand Pies | urbnspice.com

Each and every footy fan (even the babies) donned vibrant scarves in the colours of their favourite teams.  The atmosphere was friendly and the excitement was infectious as fans chanted and waved their scarves wildly.

We typically see in North America hot-dog and taco chip vendors walking up and down the stadium steps. In Australia, the meat pie vendors troll the stadium steps at the footy games selling their pies. Australians eat over 270 million pies every year. That is a lot of pies considering their population is 24.3 million.

What exactly is an Australian Meat Pie?  Australian Meat Pies are made of well-seasoned meat packed into pastry shells. They are also commonly known as Aussie Meat Pies. These meat pies could be considered their national fast food.

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