Banana-Fig Bread · Tuesday August 28, 2007 by colin newell
One of the best companions to a good hot cup of coffee is a slice of sweet bread. And one of the best recipes come tried and true from old standards that have been adapted through time. And how I have adapted this recipe was with the addition of fresh locally grown figs my wife brought home one day! Voila! New recipe. The basic banana bread recipe comes from one of my Aussie cook books – my wife has the whole series. Add a comment if you can remember. This simple banana bread (with a twist) is the perfect concoction for nearly black bananas where the fruit flies fear to tread.
In a mixer bowl add:
3 or 4 ripe bananas
1/2 cup melted butter
Cream the two ingredients with your mixer on low.
1 cup brown, white or raw sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
2 eggs, gradually added to running blender
2 – ripe figs. Cut them in halves and squeeze in the fruit.
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 cups of white flour
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Power mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, eggs, figs and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking sodas and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4×8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out dry. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.
The figs give a tangy sweetness to the bread that leaves ordinary banana bread in the dust!
Comment [3]
Stages - small plates big taste in Fernwood, Victoria · Monday August 13, 2007 by colin newell
If you are a foodie in Victoria, B.C. Canada it will come as no surprise to you that this city has something for everyone.
Thai, Italian, Indian, Japanese, Western, Chinese, Fusion.
You name it, it’s here.
Stages small plates wine bar has given us something entirely new – good food in small quantities and a healthy selection of regional wines.
Imagine being able to pick from some of the areas best fresh food, all locally sourced ingredients, an international selection of fine cheeses and wines from places like the golden mile of Osoyoos in the Okanagan.
My wife and I visited Stages for the first time this evening – shortly after opening time… so we were the first to be seated. Stages on Gladstone in historic Fernwood, Victoria has a very hip and open feeling. High ceilings and an airy and informal setting that takes advantage of the classic brick work, Stages earns top marks in letting the consumer relax and get down to the business of eating some interesting bites.
We picked a couple of glasses of red wine from the golden mile region in Osoyoos, B.C.
Food selection included chilpotle-lime mussels and a lango bread with goat cheese, tomato and artichoke hearts. A basket of artisan bread helped us take advantage of the wonderful broth that enveloped perfectly prepared mussels.
Stages in Fernwood has an eclectic menu that encourages repeat visits – better yet, a group of 4 to 6 people. That way, you can order more and share.
We will be returning soon! With friends…
Stage is at 1307 Gladstone Avenue, Victoria.
Open seven days a week from 5 p.m. until midnight, and at 4:30 during Belfry matinees.
The restaurant can be reached at 250-388-4222.
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Espresso Beer Pork Ribs · Sunday July 22, 2007 by colin newell
Here is a wonderful summer recipe that my wife and I cook up this time of year.
2 whole racks pork side ribs, each cut in 2 or 4
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper
1 1/2 cups barbeque sauce
2 Tbsp. honey, or to taste
2 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lime juice
2 bottles Guinness® Beer
1 Tbsp. instant espresso powder
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Trim ribs of excess fat. Combine the spices, herbs, sugar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle and rub mixture all over the ribs. Set ribs in a roasting pan.
Pour in the beer. Cover and bake 90 minutes, or until ribs are tender. When almost there, place the barbecue sauce, espresso powder, honey, and lime juice in a pot and whisk to combine. Simmer over medium heat 10 minutes. Heat a barbeque or indoor grill to medium heat. Remove ribs from the pan and grill until nicely coloured. Baste with barbeque sauce. Cook just until sauce heats through and then serve.
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Insane Espresso-Ginger Snaps · Wednesday July 4, 2007 by colin newell
Looking for a sweet cookie that will leave your pancreas begging for mercy? Check out my Ginger-snap recipe – They have a well defined ginger bite, a warm dark sugar tone with just a hint of coffee.
click on image at right for larger view
They are great warm from the oven with a giant mug of dark sumatra coffee – or Earl Grey tea. The choice is yours.
This recipe appears to have made about 2 dozen cookies but results will vary.
1 Cup brown or demerara sugar
3/4 Cup soft butter
1 Egg
1/4 Cup Molasses
2 Cups Flour
2 tsp. Baking Powder.
1 tsp Ground Ginger
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp. Ground Cloves
1/2 tsp. instant espresso powder
1/2 tsp salt
DIRECTIONS
Cream together the sugar & margarine.
Add the egg & mix together well.
Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well together.
Roll into small balls (about 1 in. diameter), then roll in sugar to coat.
Put on cookie sheet & bake at 350 F for 6 or 7 to 9 mins. Cookies will flatten out somewhat as they cook. Cookies are golden brown when cooked.
Enjoy and enjoy. And remember, the longer they cook the snappier they get.
Colin Newell lives and works in Victoria and finds the time to enjoy the simple things – like home baked goodies with piping hot coffee!
Island's Best series - The Crow and Gate · Monday July 2, 2007 by colin newell
In 1972
something truly magical happened. No, it was not the year I was born. If only.The Government of British Columbia introduced changes to the beverage industry to allow neighborhood pubs in the Province.
Click the image at right for an enlarged view
Like the specialty coffee revolution (currently well underway in Canada) the arrival of the Pub on the Canadian dining scene would forever change the fabric of the eating out experience.
So let’s celebrate shall we? Please raise a glass to one of Canada’s finest pubs (and I have visited a few); The Crow and Gate Pub in Cedar, British Columbia – a few KM south of Nanaimo.
The C&G is somewhat unique in that it is located kind of in the middle of no where. Well, countryside is not exactly in the middle of no where. Close perhaps. It is a bit of a drive for the average Island resident. From Victoria, it is about one and 1/2 hours at the posted speed limit – just under 100 km. Do yourself a favor. Take the Island Highway straight up along the East Coast of the Island, past Duncan, Chemainus and Ladysmith and turn off at the Cedar road exit. Do not panic – it is probably about 12 km down a series of country roads and there are signs everywhere. The Crow & Gate pub is at 2313 Yellow Point Rd., Cedar, B.C.
The Crow & Gate is a very solid copy of an English pub. It is not a Pub Style restaurant by any stretch. It is a Pub. Keep this in mind if you are a family with children. You must be 19 years of age or older if you wish to partake of the food and drink here.
The Food – Everything is made fresh at the Crow & Gate. Nothing comes out of a can. Typical English favorites include Steak & Mushroom, Steak & Kidney Pie, Ploughman’s Lunch, Fried Oysters, Scotch Egg, Melton Mowbray and the like. If you do not like English food at its very best, you are not going to like this stuff. I do and the quality is superlative.
The Drink – The Crow & Gate does not serve watered down American Beer. This is the real deal folks; Kilkenny, Smithwicks, Guinness and a wide selection of local and regional artisan beers are on tap. The beer and the food are the perfect compliment to each other.
My meal – In the photo above, I ordered the Steak and Mushroom Pie. It is, as always, the best I have ever tasted. Perfect pastry surround a wonderful beef stew filling with just the right amount of beef gravy. Each meal comes with a serving of side green salad and potato salad. Pate is an option if you are eating with someone who has ordered a Ploughmans. The Pate here is incredible.
Summary – If you like food and drink (and who doesn’t?) and are visiting Vancouver Island, the Crow & Gate Pub is a must do while you are here. No exception.
In a continuing series on Island food and drink, Colin Newell critiques the best of the best among Island establishments.
