rrrrrribs. rrrrhubarb. rrrraspberrrrrries.
May 10th
Love. Love. Loving the suggestions, folks. Keep ‘em coming. I was thisclose to making the risotto with ricotta from Jamie Oliver’s Italy as suggested by one of my readers (Pascal). That does sounds good and I do have that book.
But instead I decided to tackle RIBS. (Pork ribs)
ribs, membrane removed. Dry rub ready to go.
The dry rub contains coarse salt, paprika, onion powder….hmmm….something else….can’t remember. Some cayenne too.
ribs on the grill
I let the ribs sit with the dry rub in the fridge for a few hours, then brought them to room temp while I prepped the grill. I have a gas grill, which isn’t ideal, but I have had good success with indirect heat slow cooking in the past.
hickory chips
I set the heat nice and low, around 250 degrees, and set up the wood chips, which I had soaked in water beforehand.
Then, I left the scene. I know better than to be lifting the lid and messing with the situation. As one helpful website put it. “If you’re lookin’, you ain’t cookin’”. Preach!
Best part? This little (not so little, actually) bullfrog who must be recently out of winter hibernation decided to hop past and check out the scene. He stayed for about 20 minutes and I got some great shots.
sous-chef de cuisine
A few hours later, after brushing the ribs with a cider vinegar/oil mop every 45 minutes – they were done.
- finished ribs with spicy dipping sauce
Here they are, ready to be gobbled up.
I have to say – they were good. Smoky and tender! A bit too spicy. I overdid the cayenne. They were good, but not great. I’ve never been a big fan of ribs. It’s a lot of work for not much payoff! But it’s one of those challenging food projects. People take their ribs VERY seriously. Many, many websites dedicated to the preparation of ribs, and just as many varying opinions on how to cook them.
Moving on to dessert.
Rhubarb & Raspberry ‘Parfait’.
Sliced up rhubarb and fresh raspberries. Lots of sugar and bit of water.
- sliced rhubarb & raspberries ready to simmer in sugar & water
I let these simmer until they looked like….this….then simmered them some more.
- simmering berries and simmering sugar nearing ‘thread stage’
The pot in the foreground is sugar and water to be used to make a meringuey, whipped cream topping.
The idea was to get the boiling sugar to thread stage, which means that when you drip it into cold water, it forms a long thread (not a ball)
I don’t have a lot of patience for finicky things like this and it took me two tries. The first time I had the temperature too high. The second time, I got it right, and added the syrupy sugar to a mixing bowl containing egg whites beaten to stiff peaks. Then I beat that mixture on high speed until it cooled.
When it was cool, I folded it in to whipping cream that I had whipped with vanilla. Mmm. A sweet, creamy, pouffy cloud of yum!
I let that cool in the fridge while I baked brownies. Then served the whole mess up.
- raspberry rhubarb ‘parfait’
The brownie is barely visible in this pile of deliciousness. I don’t think this is a true parfait, but it’s parfait-ish.
Please send suggestions for letter “S”. The possibilities are endlesssssssss.
In non-food news, please note a couple of new tour dates listed on the right hand side of this page.
Finally, a “Q” meal (and more)
Apr 20th
The last several weeks have just flown by. The last time I blogged it was about two weeks before the big recording weekend. That has come and gone now, and there is now an album’s worth of music that didn’t exist before. It’s like magic!
We recorded 14 songs over the weekend. Long, full, productive days. I do a lot of pre-production to ensure maximum studio time productivity. The more work I do ahead of time, the smoother the sessions go. There is still a fair bit of recording to do. There will be a session with a horn section and some percussion overdubs etc..
There were lots of photographs and video taken and as soon as I get around to it, I will post some highlights.
In the meantime….
After the major recording weekend was done, I put that project on hold and turned all my attention to the two big Toronto shows at the Glenn Gould Studio.
Here are some photos from the Friday night…
Pre-show posing. Dress by Fashion Crimes
What a thrilling couple of nights. We had two sold-out and very enthusiastic crowds. Thank you Toronto!
Now I am focusing all my efforts on the new album.
But….a girl’s she really gotta eat. And a girl, she should eat right.
I finally tracked down a quince related food product.
Also – I realize that I was referring to quince as a fruit in general as if the plural was the same as the singular. I was thinking like….fish. One fish. Seven fish. One quince. A bushel of quince.
Doesn’t it seem like that kind of word?
But no, I’ve been told that more than one quince is, in fact, quinces. So there you have it.
I won’t be able to get my hands on fresh quinces until they are in season in late summer/fall. But this is the next best thing:
Quince Fruit Spread —->
I gave it a taste, and I like it! It’s fairly neutral. I could be tricked into thinking it was one of several other fruits in this form. Apricot, say… But this does have a bit more of an apple-y taste. It would be perfect on a cracker with a piece of brie.
But for dinner, I wanted to use it as an accompaniment for a…
- Quesadilla
I pan fried two chicken breasts that I had sprinkled with some spices, the dominant one being chili powder. While they were cooking I grated some sharp cheddar and diced some tomato and green onion.
I brushed one side of a whole wheat tortilla with olive oil, flipped it, then filled half of it and stuck it in the good ol’ George Foreman grill.
Served with a simple spinach salad with strawberries. Hmm. I should have saved that for “S”!
And the best part. A dollop (I don’t like that word, but it fits) each of cool sour cream and sweet Quince chutney.
Throw it all on the plate and Bob’s your Uncle. Just kidding! My Uncle’s name is John! Silly.
This was good. The spicy chicken and sharp cheddar worked really nicely with the Quince.
I am now taking suggestions for the letter “R”. Thank you and good day.
My Quest For Quince, and other things…
Mar 15th
My goodness, does anyone know where I can find quince in Toronto right now?
Talk to me! I’m assuming that quince isn’t in season. But I’m not opposed to buying it out of season if I could possibly find it.
It’s not like I’ve searched high and low, but I have made an effort to look for it, and ask for it whenever I buy groceries. No dice.
I refuse to make my “Q” meal until I can find quince. The alphabetical cooking project is a perfect opportunity to try new things. I was a little lazy with “P” (pork and potatoes) so I need to ramp it up just a bit for “Q”. Yes. That….and there aren’t many options for “Q”.
Where is the quince, people? Where is the quince?
In other news….thanks for being excited with me about my new purchase. My lovely Yamaha piano. Loved your emails, tweets and facebook comments. I don’t have it in my possession yet! First, I must sell the grand piano that is currently residing in my workspace. As soon that piano has gone to its new forever home, I will be getting my new baby moved in here. I can’t wait. Especially because I am using a piano for several hours a day right now.
So…if anyone is in the market for a grand piano, I do have one for sale. Just send an email to the address on this contact page for more info if you’re interested.
Recording sessions for my new album start in 12 days. I’ve been working hard writing arrangements. I don’t know if I have any kind of a system for writing, but I have noticed a sort of pattern. I like to start several charts at once. I work on them all at once over a period of time. Shifting from one to the next. Maybe focusing on three a day. Then finally, one day, I finish them all.
Today I finished six charts. They were all pretty close to completion. It’s a matter of putting the final touches on them and calling them done. Mostly, I think it means committing to the idea. Saying…This is the chart. Instead of saying…This is a work in progress.
It doesn’t mean that changes can’t be made. They can and they will. But it means that it’s done and can be handed out to the musicians at the session.
I’m still working the old fashioned way. With score paper and pencil. I think that I need to make an effort to learn a computer notation program for the next album project, but I’m still clinging to that old-school way for some reason.
I love the way hand written scores look. And I love the way hand written parts look.
But hand writing parts is tedious. And, let’s say that I decide at the last minute that the key is wrong. If you are using a computer, you can just hit the ‘transpose’ button and you are good to go. But in my case, I would need to redo everything in the new key. Some people hire a copyist, which I’m not oppose to, but I like to copy the parts myself because that’s where I find all my mistakes.
This is probably really boring for you. I’m just thinking out loud here. In any case, I am still torn. But I think a computer would make things faster. I have to bite the bullet eventually. But not right NOW. It wouldn’t make any sense to try to learn a new program right in the middle of this project. That would be a recipe for serious frustration.
As of today, I have about four charts to finish. I’m on track.
But right now I’m done for the night. I’m going to eat some all-dressed chips and watch Mythbusters.
My big purchase…
Mar 3rd
I just know that you have ALL been waiting with bated breath….
I told you on Twitter that I made a major purchase. Well, here she is…
Our first kiss. It is a love that is pure and true.
a beautiful Yamaha G3
Inspiration!
This lovely grand piano is my big exciting purchase. Thanks to Marc Rogers for capturing these iPhone pics! These were some quick snaps taken today that don’t TOTALLY do her justice. Once I get her home I’ll stage some proper photographs with better lighting. But trust me – she is lovely. A 1966 Yamaha G3
After giving you guys a teaser on Twitter, I was very amused by all the guesses….(another dog! Playstation 3, a new car, house) and some of you guessed it exactly. A piano.
Today was a pretty good day all around. Not only did I seal the deal on my new beautiful piano, but I also attended the 2010 Juno Award Press Conference this morning and received a nomination for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year for “Haven’t We Met?”.
After the nominations were announced, my publicist guided me through the press line…ET Canada, CBC, 680, 1010, Globe & Mail, Toronto Sun, etc, etc, etc…. It was a nice party. A good way to start the day.
I’m sharing the category with:
Michael Kaeshammer – Lovelight
Carol Welsman – I Like Men
Diana Krall – Quiet Nights
Ranee Lee – Lives Upstairs
I love this bunch! This is a talented, hard working and dedicated group of musicians. I’m happy to be in their company.
the problem with options
Mar 2nd
*annual blog disclaimer*
Please note that this blog is very much a casual thing. I am a very busy girl and frankly, I don’t have time to re-read and edit these entries. I always aim for a typo-free, fairly literate entry, but I can’t make any promises. But if you see a glaring typo, please do let me know…
Also, I’m still figuring this new Wordpress format out. Any tips?
*************************************************
On this day…..There is such a thing as Too Many Choices.
This is an issue for me right now. Some of you may have been following my “cooking through the alphabet” project. It seems that between Christmas and a new recording project, I seem to have lost my way, or as the CBC website blogger put it….Kind of a Julie and Julia thing, but apparently she’s stalled at “P.”
I guess I am stalled. And I’m trying to figure out why. There are the obvious reasons – a busy life, a new project. But also, I think that sometimes… the more options I have, the harder it is for me to make a decision.
I liked the letters that posed a challenge. Like “K” and “H”. And I know that “Q” is just around the corner…..
P is just…..too easy in a way. I had my mind set on Parsnip and Potato Pancakes with Parsley and Paprika. But somehow I just haven’t gotten around to committing to making them. Although I adore the alliteration I guess my heart just wasn’t in that dish. I just kept putting it off.
Then I was going to do Personal Pan Pizzas, with Pepperoni, Parmesan and Peppers. But that never ‘Panned’ out. Hahahaha. Sigh.
Then my friend Reg suggested Paella, and I was right confused. Too Many Choices!
All of a sudden it’s like that perfectionist thing. If I can’t do it perfectly, I won’t do it at all. Maybe I was trying to be too crafty, clever and complicated. See, with the alliteration again?
That is, of course, totally ridiculous. I don’t need to be too fancy or prove anything to anyone. I’m just cooking my way through the damn alphabet. It’s not rocket science.
So tonight I’m keeping it very simple and satisfying with some family favourites. And it doesn’t get any simpler or more satisfying than…
Potatoes.
I love potatoes. I could eat them, and probably do, in some form, every day.
We have an abundance of potatoes right now. I keep forgetting that we have bags of them, and when I’m at the grocery store I buy another bag, just in case. Potatoes and jars of salsa, for some reason. We aren’t in any danger of running out of salsa.
Tonight I’m doing the potatoes in a way that makes my stepsons stop in their tracks on their way through the kitchen.
Em, are you making scalloped potatoes?
Yes, yes I am.
Thank you SO much *hug* *hug*
See, how can you not want to feed people when you get a reaction such as that? Food = love.
Here are my sliced potatoes simmering in cream, chicken stock, nutmeg and a bay leaf.
All covered with cheeeeese - ready for the oven.
For our Protein…….
Pork.
Tenderloin, that is…
I did a simple rub of dijon mustard, dried thyme, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Seared the outside in a pan and then finished it off in the oven and sliced it up. Very simple and very delicious and a family favourite….
Searing the pork.
- Sliced up to serve.
Ha! Ok. I’m not stalled anymore. Now….Q…..
As mentioned earlier, I’m waist deep in a new album project. I am so darn excited about this one. And speaking of Too Many Choices, this is the “problem” I’m running into when picking repertoire. I think that I’ve settled on all the tunes and then something else fabulous comes along that gets my attention and the list keeps growing. But isn’t that a great problem to have? At some point I’m going to have to commit to my choices. I’m going in to the studio in a month. The countdown is officially on.
One final bit of news. I made a rather large purchase today. I’m very excited and will post a photo tomorrow. ; )
Loving l’Astral in Montréal…
Feb 15th
On Saturday night we played to a sold out crowd at the beautiful L’Astral in Montréal. I love this venue… and what an audience! They were fantastic. And the band was in fine form as well. Both on stage and off – dressing room laughing fits? – check.
As I said to the audience, I didn’t have to make too many changes to my set list in honour of Sainte-Valentine. Are there any songs that AREN’T about LOVE? Maybe just O Pato (The Duck) which I can’t possibly leave out of the set. It is officially, the most requested song. I haven’t grown tired of singing it yet. Maybe I never will. There are just some songs like that.
I did bring one song out of the archives. Like A Lover. It is the title track of my album that came out in 2005, and I sang it live, in show after show for three years straight. It is truly a beautiful song. Lovely poetic, romantic lyrics, and an interesting and challenging melody. It is a hard song to grow tired of. But after one concert a few years ago, I just thought – I’m putting this one away for a while.
The best thing about doing that is when you decide to pull that song out after a long haitus, it feels all fresh and new, yet so familiar, and you remember why you loved it so much in the first place. But because you’ve had some time away, maybe you sing it a bit differently, and hear it a bit differently. So…Like a Lover is back in rotation for now.
If you were there on Saturday and have some pictures, please feel free to post them on the Facebook Fan Page. There is a spot for fan photos. I’d love to see them!
After the show, and after schlepping over to the hotel with our stuff, we went out for the obligatory ‘post-performance poutine’. This is a must, when in Québec….
Of course, I rarely ORDER poutine. I like to pretend that I’m going to eat something somewhat healthy. But I can guarantee that one of the guys (at least) will order one. Then it’s….“hey can I try some of that? I just want one bite“….. I don’t ORDER it, but I most definitely EAT it. The perfect post performance indulgence. Mmmm.
Well, now I am back home and it is Family Day! Yes – Family Day! Did you know that this existed? Well, it’s a regular work day for me – meaning I’ll be sitting at the piano, writing charts. It just means that everyone else is home too. Which is just fine with me. I like an audience!
Now, if only D would get up and make me my Family Day morning latte already…
update!
Feb 8th
Hey there!
After, let’s see…..almost 7 years (!) on Blogger, I am moving house to this fancy new Wordpress site. This is the place! This is where the blog updates will be. This is where the action is. This is where the tour schedule will be posted.
Right now I am hard at work on a new recording project. This summer, we will launch a brand new website that will reflect the new album! But for the next few months, this is home.
What can I tell you about the new project….?
And no, I’m not talking about the ‘alphabetical cooking project’. But on that note, I have not given up! I seem to have stalled at the letter “P”. Mostly because of lack of time. Lately I’ve been in a pattern of roasting a chicken, then making stock, then chicken soup and living off of that for days. Not a bad routine.
But as soon as I have a minute to plan some more finicky meals, I’m going to jump right back in.
Back to the REAL project though. I’d like to keep you in the loop as I move forward with this process. Right now I’m in the very beginning stages of writing arrangements. Most of the songs have been selected. I’ve been sitting at the piano, pencil in hand, score paper by my side (old school!) working out some ideas. We’ll be starting rehearsals this week, and the plan is to go into the studio at the end of March!
So, stay tuned!
xox
ecb