Being Small Has Its Advantages - Mini Chicken Pot Pies with a Cajun kick

For the longest time, our society has programmed us to believe that being small was not a good trait, in almost anything.   To go even further, it's being looked down upon.   Unfortunately, many believe that nonsense which is saddening and unhelpful to those who are below the average size.  Bigger does not mean better.  It only means bigger or taller people have more mass structure. The good news is that there are ways to deal with it which require self-discipline and daily self-reminders:

1. Accepting and embracing who you are make you unique
2. Strengthening self-respect prompts respect from others
3. Ridiculing the belief that being short or small is a drawback
4. Learning to laugh at yourself
5. Prioritizing on other things that matter most in your life : your projects, your goals, your dreams (other than wishing to be taller)

By applying the above methods, you'll notice a definite change in your perspective of things in life.   So what if you're being called names and finger-pointed for stretching your muscles a little more than the others to be able to reach out for the cookie jar that's purposely placed on the highest kitchen shelf?  Just get a chair.  Yes, it's more work, but at least you're moving and you are getting that darn cookie jar.  Problem solved.  Nothing else matters more than your well-being and your happiness.


Now you'll ask, 'what does this have anything to do with food?'.  Well, being small can have its advantages.    These mini pot pies can be the perfect appetizers or the original entree that can wow everyone during a holiday dinner party.   Their size makes them practical for a buffet-style dinner for your guests.  They're easy to eat and so fun to prepare.  Invite your guests or your kids to prepare them. Kids love helping out in the kitchen and they have fun cooking when you make a game out of it.


I enjoy making those so much more than making a regular sized chicken pot pie only because it's a different way of making chicken pot pie.  In addition, they're cute.  Who doesn't like biting into canapés or amuse-bouches just before dinner?  They're fun and eye-popping treats that never fail to amaze your guests with 'Ooohs' and 'Aaahs'.  When it comes to cooking, I love being creative and making something a little out of the box for the sake of making my experiments in the kitchen all the more interesting.  The minute I start falling into a routine, I get bored and lose my sense of creativity.


That being said, I hope you will try those for the holidays and I promise that they are treats that you and your guests will love sinking your teeth into.  Adding some cajun spices adds a nice kick to those pies.

Preparation : 15 minutes, Baking time : 10-12 minutes or until crust is golden and flaky

Recipe "au pif":

1/2 kg boneless chicken upper thighs (cut in 2 inch chunks)

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped

1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped

1/2 tsp ground cajun spice (found in any local supermarket)

1 red chili pepper (seeds removed and finely chopped)

2 tbsp flour

3/4 tbsp chicken concentrate with 125 ml boiling water (or 125 ml chicken stock)

pinch of coarse sea salt

pinch of ground black pepper

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 tbsp olive oil or 1/2 tbsp butter

200 gr frozen puff pastry (defrosted) and a bit of flour

1 egg


Preheat oven at 350F

In a hermetic plastic bag, throw in the chicken, salt and pepper, chili, thyme, rosemary, cajun spice and flour

Seal the bag and shake well until the chicken is well coated and seasoned.

In a medium-size sauce pan, heat oliver oil (or I prefer using butter for flavour) on high. Add in the seasoned chicken and give it a good stir for about 2 minutes.

Add boiling water and the chicken concentrate, or simply your choice of chicken stock.

Cover, lower the heat to medium and simmer for about 5 minutes.   Turn off the heat and stir in the frozen peas.  Put lid back on and set aside.

With a rolling pin, flatten the puff pastry about 30 cm by 20 cm, and 1/2 cm thick. Sprinkle flour on your board under and on top of the puff pastry so as to avoid sticking to the board and rolling pin.

Use of one your small ramequins and trace with a pairing knife a circle just about 1/2 cm wider around the ramequin.  Repeat until you run out of dough.

Fill each ramequin 3/4 full with the chicken stew.

Cover each ramequin with the puff pastry.  Dab a little bit of water around the edges and squeeze the dough lightly around the rim.  With a fork, poke the top of the pastry dough to allow steam to go through while the pies are baking.

Pop the chicken pot pies in the oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes or until the crust is golden and flaky.

Serves 4 - 6  people.


share and enjoy!

Custard Apple Soufflé...Worth the Sweat!

Mark Twain called it "the most delicious fruit known to men". The Custard Apple, also known as, Cherimoya in the Andes is a fruit that is often mistaken as an artichoke because of its scaled green skin. Many 'Tweeple', have guessed correctly about the fruit, giving it numerous names used in their culture, and others thought it was Durian fruit! As you can see, this exotic fruit is not yet well known to everyone, but it remains one that continues to be discovered because of its sweet and delectable taste. It's great in drinks, gelatos and cakes. They can be purchased at any local Asian grocery store or any fruit and vegetable market. I haven't seen them in regular supermarkets. You can ask for custard apples, sugar apples or Cherimoyas. They are seasonal and available between the Fall and early Winter.

The fruit is fleshy and soft, sweet, white in color, with a sherbet-like texture, which gives it its secondary name, custard apple. Some characterize the flavor as a blend of banana, pineapple, papaya, peach, and strawberry. I would compare it more closely to a very ripe pear with a creamy texture.

I also enjoy eating it on its own with a spoon.

For the pleasure of it, I made these fabulous soufflés and this time they turned out really phenomenal! Since the custard apples have a similar texture as that of a very ripe pear, I lined the ramequins with grated chocolated. Divine....
The house smelled heavenly as these little gems were baking and rising in the oven.

And here they are again, hangin' in there but still standin' after 2 full minutes!!

Preparation : 30 minutes (45 minutes first time around), Cooking time : 15-20 minutesRecipe « au pif » (GR recipe with a twist) :
1 Custard apple
1 ripe banana (peeled and cut in huge pieces)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
150 ml milk
100 ml cream
3 fresh eggs (separate yolk from egg white – put aside)
3 tbps granulated sugar (1/2 the amount if using raw cane sugar)
1 tbsp flour
½ tbsp corn starch

Preheat oven at 370F

Making the custard :Heat sauce pan on medium-high and pour in the milk and cream. Wait about 2-3 minutes for the milk and cream to boil.

In a mixing bowl, whisk vigorously 3 egg yolks and the sugar until you’ve reached a smooth mixture.

Whisk in the flour and corn starch into the egg and sugar mix. This is to thicken the pastry cream, giving it body.

Take the hot milk and cream and add only a splash into the egg mixture (so as not to cook the eggs). Whisk vigorously until you reach a nice and smooth texture. Then, add the rest of milk and cream mixture and continue whisking for about 30 seconds. Put the pan back on the heat and pour the egg and milk/cream mixture to the pan to cook it out. Whisk vigorously, making sure you get all the corners in the pan so that your custard doesn’t become lumpy. You should obtain a nice, thick and creamy custard.

Soufflé filling:
Cut the apple custard in half and scoop out all the flesh, seeds and juices, putting them into a sieve to get all the juice off the seed.

Blend the apple custard, banana and squeeze of lemon juice.

Add in the apple custard/banana mix to the pastry cream and mix until well incorporated.

The nice thing about this soufflé recipe is that the flavoured custard can be prepared and refrigerated 2-3 days before preparing the final mix and baking it for yourself or your guests.

Preparing the ramequins (4 large or 6 small):
* important tip : make sure that your soufflé does not stick to the ramequins so as to allow it to rise evenly, nice and high*
Grease the ramequins with softened butter with a pastry brush.
Line the ramequins with either sugar or granulated chocolate.

Refrigerate the greased and lined ramequins in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes so as to let the butter solidify and set.

In a mixing bowl, add a drop of lemon juice to the egg white and whisk with electric mixer.
Add ½ the amount of sugar, then gradually add the rest of the sugar to the egg white until you reached a meringue texture.

Add 1/3 of the meringue to the pastry cream and whisk vigorously for a few seconds to remove any lumps.
Add the remaining 2/3 of the meringue to the pastry cream and gently fold the meringue and evenly mix the meringue until you’ve reached a silky and smooth texture.


*Important tips for filling the ramequins successfully*
Fill the ramequins only half-full with a ladle. Bang the ramequins on a kitchen cloth (folded in four), on the counter, so that the mixture hits the bottom of the ramequins and the soufflé mixture hits all the corners of the ramequins. This will allow the soufflé to rise evenly. Repeat with all ramequins.

Now fill all ramequins right at the very top with the remaining mixture. Remove any excess of the mixture with a knife and wiping it off with one clean sweep so that you have a nice even and straigh top.

Create a little ridge. Run the tip of your thumb around the edges of the ramequin. Repat with all ramequins. The ridge stops the soufflé from hanging over the side as it starts to rise.

Pop the ramequins into the oven for about 15-20 minutes. Watch them rise!

After 15-20 minutes, your soufflés must have ‘love handles’ which is a sign of a perfect soufflé.

Sprinkle a little bit of icing sugar over the soufflés. Soufflés won’t stay up very long, so serve them immediately, nice and warm.

Serves 6.

Share and enjoy!

Mango and Passion Fruit Soufflé

The kodak moment was gone as I realized that I had forgotten to prepare my camera before this beautiful soufflé started to slowly sag away....

I am back from my enjoyable, yet restful, trip from Boston and happy to be able to cook again in my own kitchen.

This evening, I made a second attempt to make a dessert soufflé flavoured with juicy mango and passion fruit.

The first time I made it back in May, I was so nervous from hearing over the years how difficult it is to make a soufflé. Turns out that it isn't very hard. Mind you, the first time I made it, the recipe I chose from a French cookbook my uncle gave me last summer, sounded sooo complicated that I had to go back and forth from the book to my working station making sure that I had the ingredients and the steps down to a tee.

The second time around, the ingredients and steps were more easily remembered. In fact, logic was the key element which helped me understand how to prepare, and what makes a soufflé rise.

The recipe may sound extremely long, and I only wished I had made a video on this, as it is much worth the sweat and effort. Afterwards, it becomes almost a breeze.


Preparation : 30 minutes (45 minutes first time around), Cooking time : 15-20 minutes
Recipe « au pif » :2 passion fruits (granadilla of the same family can also be used if passion fruit can't be found)
1 ripe mango (peeled, pitted, cubed)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
150 ml milk
100 ml cream
3 fresh eggs (separate yolk from egg white – put aside)
3 tbps granulated sugar (1/2 the amount if using raw cane sugar)
1 tbsp flour
½ tbsp corn starch

Preheat oven at 400F

Making the custard :Heat sauce pan on medium-high and pour in the milk and cream. Wait about 2-3 minutes for the milk and cream to boil.

In a mixing bowl, whisk vigorously 3 egg yolks and the sugar until you’ve reached a smooth mixture.

Whisk in the flour and corn starch into the egg and sugar mix. This is to thicken the pastry cream, giving it body.

Take the hot milk and cream and add only a splash into the egg mixture (so as not to cook the eggs). Whisk vigorously until you reach a nice and smooth texture. Then, add the rest of milk and cream mixture and continue whisking for about 30 seconds. Put the pan back on the heat and pour the egg and milk/cream mixture to the pan to cook it out. Whisk vigorously, making sure you get all the corners in the pan so that your custard doesn’t become lumpy. You should obtain a nice, thick and creamy custard.

Soufflé filling:Cut the passion fruit in half and scoop out al the flesh, seeds and juices, putting them into a sieve to get all the juice off the seed.

Blend the passion fruit juice, mango and lemon juice.

Add in the passion fruit/mango mix to the pastry cream and mix until well incorporated.


The nice thing about this soufflé recipe is that the flavoured custard can be prepared and refrigerated 2-3 days before preparing the final mix and baking it for you or your guests.

Preparing the ramequins (4 large or 6 small):* important tip : make sure that your soufflé does not stick to the ramequins so as to allow it to rise evenly, nice and high*
Grease the ramequins with softened butter with a pastry brush.
Line the ramequins with either sugar or granulated chocolate.

Refrigerate the greased and lined ramequins in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes so as to let the butter solidify and set.

In a mixing bowl, add a drop of lemon juice to the egg white and whisk with electric mixer.
Add ½ the amount of sugar, then gradually add the rest of the sugar to the egg white until you reached a meringue texture.

Add 1/3 of the meringue to the pastry cream and whisk vigorously for a few seconds to remove any lumps.
Add the remaining 2/3 of the meringue to the pastry cream and gently fold the meringue and evenly mix the meringue until you’ve reached a silky and smooth texture.


*Important tips for filling the ramequins successfully*Fill the ramequins only half-full with a ladle. Bang the ramequins on a kitchen cloth (folded in four), on the counter, so that the mixture hits the bottom of the ramequins and the soufflé mixture hits all the corners of the ramequins. This will allow the soufflé to rise evenly. Repeat with all ramequins.

Now fill all ramequins right at the very top with the remaining mixture. Remove any excess of the mixture with a knife and wiping it off with one clean sweep so that you have a nice even and straigh top.

Create a little ridge. Run the tip of your thumb around the edges of the ramequin. Repat with all ramequins. The ridge stops the soufflé from hanging over the side as it starts to rise.

Pop the ramequins into the oven for about 15-20 minutes. Watch them rise!

After 15-20 minutes, your soufflés must have ‘love handles’ which is a sign of a perfect soufflé.

Sprinkle a little bit of icing sugar over the soufflés. Soufflés won’t stay up very long, so serve them immediately, nice and warm.
Share and enjoy!

Afternoon Tea at Maître Chocolatier - a rejuvenating experience

I'm so tired, I'm so tired, I'm so tired......
I need a nice break....
It's been such a busy summer since July that I've been neglecting my blog so much. The lack of inspiration was not the cause but more rather busy-ness and being pure brain dead. I have so many recipes to share with you but couldn't find the energy to write or even edit my pictures. Finally, I'm finding some time to write about this great get-away salon de thé, Le Maître Chocolatier located in the heart of downtown Montreal. It was the first week of August and my friend Anne and I decided to escape from the hectic work life for one small afternoon to nibble on delicate finger foods and sip on fine aromatic herbal teas.
The experience was quite relaxing. We were however a little bit more critical especially after having tried the tea salon at le St-James in old Montreal about 2 years ago. The decor at Le Maître Chocolatier was cozy but a sense privacy was left to be desired.
However, the finger foods were more abundant and tastier than what was offered as Le St-James. The service was also very cordial at Le Maïtre Chocolatier compared to Le St-James, where service could have been a little warmer.
The selection of teas at Le Maître Chocolatier was wider We both adored one unique flavour, anise. It was fantastic with heavy cream, just like Chai tea is delicious with whole milk.
I do recommend the place if you are looking for a small and very welcoming tea salon for a pleasant afternoon with your friend or signficant other.
Fortunately, my friend had her mobile phone which takes excellent pictures and I'd like to share some with you. I just couldn't believe how great these mobile phone photos turned out. Thanks Anne!
Enjoy.

mini cucumber and salmon rillette sandwiches

mini pastries, scones and macarons for the sweet tooth

A great selection of homemade jams, marmalades and heavy cream for the scones

Discovering Food from the Balkans

I meant to write about my culinary experience on Albanian food for a while now, but found myself busy reading a lot of interesting books lately. Finally, I'm making time to write about interesting foods I tasted last December. During the Christmas holidays, we usually eat a lot of delicious foods and end up stuffing ourselves like we have no care in the world. This past holiday, I decided that we would attend most of the dinner parties we've been invited to, but that I'd also eat moderately. Indeed, this year was different. I listened to my body and stopped eating whenever I couldn't take it anymore. But it was different in a way that I ate less in quantity, but more in variety. Each dinner party was of different ethnic background : Vietnamese, French, Creole and Albanian. The latter was one I never had during the holidays, but it was the most interesting one because it was unfamiliar to me. My friend Marsela and her husband Artan had prepared an oustanding dinner from the Balkan region - Albanian and Turkish. It was so good that I had to try everything that was on the table.....along with a few short breaks to make room for more. We ended this fabulous meal with an interesting and flavourful dessert called kadaif, a very sweet Turkish dessert that ressembles Baklava, with a sweet syrup and nuts (first photo on this post).

Albanian food is also very similar to Greek food which consists of olives, olive oil, rice, fish, seafood, lots of cheeses. The most interesting dish I tasted was minced beef, seasoned with interesting spices and then baked in cute clay dishes. It seems that the clay makes a difference in the taste of the meat. If baked in a regular baking dish, the beef would have a slightly different flavour. It was good and there was plenty of it that I couldn't finish it.

Minced beef baked in clay dishes

Cheeses and pork sausages

Homemade seafood rice platter - loved it!

Russian salad made of potatoes, mayo, veggies and eggs .

Healthy salad to wash everything down :)

All I can say is that I left the place with a happy and very full belly.

Bon Voyage Dinner Party - to Vietnam

Every year in January, my parents host a Bon Voyage dinner party before their departure for a 3 month escape from the harsh winters of Montreal to a warm and comfortable stay in the tropics of southeast Asia, specifically Vietnam. In Asia, they rediscover their roots and heritage from their travels in many Asian countries to explore and taste exotic foods that sometime bring back childhood memories. No one from our family stayed in Vietnam. Like my parents, most of my relatives have moved to Europe during the Vietnam war. In France, my parents attended university and made many friends who shared a common history - Vietnam. Once my parents and their friends obtained their university degrees, they all went their separate ways. Some moved to neighbouring countries, like Switzerland, Belgium...but stayed in Europe. Whereas my parents were the most adventurous ones, they decided to go to the land of opportunities - North America. Back then, in the 70s, Canada and the US were economically booming with a high employment rate. Because of my parents' French background and language, Montreal seemed to be the best choice for the family. So, on a plane we were, my parents, my brother and our nanny!...on our way to Canada.

Our nanny, who was French, was very attached to our family and was also curious to visit Canada. She loved Vietnamese food and ate almost everything that my mother could offer her, except for the very hot red chilli peppers. She would literally turn beet red and cough everything out! Nevertheless, she enjoyed eating with us and watching us eat. You probably noticed in restaurants when Asians eat, we often won't have a conversation while eating in a large group. We'd be quiet, or so to speak, and focus on slurping our noodles, or look at the next piece of food to pick from the center of the table. If we speak, it would be to blurt things out while waiting to be served or once finished eating. As my friend from LA would say, we love good "grub".

So this past weekend, we had Vietnamese food galore which my mother prepared. I didn't have to help out! Which was great because I felt incredibly lazy and tired from all the dinner parties during the holidays. When my mother cooks for the family, she cooks her best stuff : imperial rolls, vermicelli soups, mango and papaya salad.....and lots of fish dipping sauce.

Batch of imperial rolls (the best ones are made with rice paper)

I'm sure during their stay in Vietnam, they'll be sending us photos of their latest food trek in beautiful and colourful outdoor markets which I won't miss sharing with you all.

Rice vermicelli with minced pork and mushrooms

For now, I hope you enjoy these photos of some of the food served at my parents'.

Roasted spicy chicken wings

Have a great one.

The Importance of Presenting Food

I recently met fellow blogger Kim Vallee and, as always, we exchanged great ideas on how to help people and make the world a better place.....kidding. We did actually have ideas that would touch that area, in a more artsy and less political way, by talking about our own experiences on the Art of Receiving.

My last post was very much about my enjoyment of receiving guests. It's a great experience which I got from dining out with friends. My family loves throwing dinner parties for at least 40 to 60 people once a month. They love huge pot-luck dinner parties where everyone brings a home cooked dish or a catered one, and puts on his/her fancy pants for the occasion. They end the evening with dancing and lots, lots, lots of karaoke. You might say that it's typical Asian, but I can also tell you that it's very popular in the social community I grew up in. I used to also throw big parties in my high school days when my mom would help me out with the cooking. Now, I have to admit that I was and never have been a fan of big crowds. I find them too impersonal and more of a show. So when I moved out years ago, I would go out to more intimate dinners with a few friends (no more than 10 people). Intimate dinner parties are pleasant and more interesting. You engage into interesting conversations and actually hear what the other has to say.

What I enjoy most from a quiet dinner with friends are : 1) the discussions and 2) the food!

Food is more inviting when it's presented in a way that represents you. For example, I love coziness and warmth, so I would use candles, plants, flowers and colourful tableware to greet my guests.

The presentation of this North African Berbère bread is very easy to execute. This bread can be found in any local markets which sell international spices and foods. It can also be prepared with different fragrances and herbs, making it uniquely savoury. With a simple wooden bowl, bought at HomeSense, and a napkin from the 1$ store, your bread is all set to be served to your guests. It's also important to warm your bread, as you know that everyone loves warm and crisp bread. In a restaurant, you probably noticed that everyone will go to the warm breads, in no time, and comment on how nice and savoury they are. Although it's a very simple thing to do, sometimes the little things do matter the most.

Preparation time : 5 minutes, Cooking time: 5-7 minutes

Recipe "au pif":Pick 6-8 slices of bread of your choice (In this picture, chose a North African Berbère bread)

Preheat oven at 200F
Drizzle a little bit of olive oil
Heat bread for about 5-7 minutes

Or you can also grill the bread if you decide to use flat breads, if you have an indoor grill.

Serve warm with your meals.

Serves 6-8 people.

Share and enjoy!