Father Day Special Meal

Otto Say’s 

Pasta sanza vino e come il cuore sanza amore

Pasta without wine is like a heart without love

Special Meal for Dad on Father Day

Padrón Peppers skewered with Chorizo or Italian sausage

Sautéed shrimps with barbecue butter

Grilled Asparagus

Grilled Peaches and Berries 

Padrón Peppers skewered with Chorizo or Italian sausage

INGREDIENTS

24 Pardon peppers

3 cm thick pieces hot dried chorizo or Italian sausages

Salt

Method

1. Soak 12 wooden skewers for 30 minutes.

2. Heat grill to medium-high.

3. Thread 2 peppers and two pieces sausages  onto each skewer.

3. Grill, turning often, until blistered, about 3 minutes.

4. Sprinkle with sea salt.

Father Day Barbecue Shrimp

Ingredients: ( Servings: 2 to 4 )

Barbecue Butter

454 gr butter
10 ml ground black pepper

2 ml cayenne pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
5 ml salt
3 ml.  Whole dried rosemary leaves finely chopped
4 garlic cloves chopped

3 ml. Worcestershire sauce

3 ml.cayenne pepper

3 ml Tabasco sauce
10 ml water

Shrimp

15 ml olive oil
1 teaspoon olive oil
454 gr 16-20 counts, cleaned, peeled and deveined
75 gr chopped green onion
125ml. dry white wine
sourdough bread, for serving

Method

Barbecue Butter,

1. Soften butter at room temperature.

2.  Place butter in mixing bowl; add pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, salt, rosemary, garlic, Worcestershire, Tabasco, and water.

3. Whip on high speed 3 minutes or until thoroughly blended.

4. Refrigerate.

5. Makes about 500 ml.

For Shrimp

1. Pour olive oil in a hot sauté pan.

2. Add shrimp to the sauté pan and cook on one side for 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Reduce heat to medium, turn shrimp, and add the chopped green onion. Cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Add white wine and cook until reduced to 75 ml.

5. Stir in 250 ml. cold Barbecue Butter (reserve the remainder for another use),

6. Reduce heat to low and cook and stir frequently until shrimp are just done

7. Approximately 1 1/2 minutes. Take care not to overcook the shrimp.

8. Serve immediately in a bowl preheated.

9. Serve on a bed of noodles

Grilled Asparagus

Serves 4

500 gr. fresh asparagus spears, trimmed

25 ml olive oil

Salt and peppers to taste

Method

1.Preheat grill for high heat.

2.Lightly coat the asparagus spears with olive oil.

3.Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4.Grill over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or to desired tenderness.

Grilled Peaches and Berries 

Ingretients ( serve 4 )

4 medium ripe peaches, halved and pitted

275 ml fresh blueberries

30 ml brown sugar

30  ml  butter

15 ml lemon juice

Method

1. Place two peach halves, cut side up, on each of three double thicknesses of heavy-duty foil

2. Top with blueberries, brown sugar, butter and lemon juice.

3. Fold foil around mixture and seal tightly.

4. Grill, covered, over medium-low heat for 18-20 minutes or until tender.

5. Open foil carefully to allow steam to escape. 

Smile and Be Sweet

“The best way to win a friend is to listen and

Smile it only takes a minute” - Otto

Beef and some uses

 Otto Say’s

Pasta sanza vino e come il cuore sanza amore

Pasta without wine is like a heart without love

PASTICCIATA

The robust flavors of Abbruzzo style cooking originated from thrifty “contadini” (peasants) of the Italian countryside who were constrained by economics, but not by ingenuity! What little beef they could afford often came from grass fed oxen or milk cows used as draft animals. As a result, these resourceful cooks devised cooking techniques, using the robust flavours of homemade wine, dried herbs, and home grown vegetables to transform relatively tough cuts of meat into flavorful, robust specialties.

This is family’s recipe for Pasticciata, An Abruzzi province specialty, Pasticciata is made from the eye of beef round, marinated overnight in wine and garlic, then slow cooked with garden vegetables until it melts in your mouth!

Ingredients

	675 dry red wine
	250 ml.olive oil
	3 cloves garlic, minced
	3 whole cloves (seasoning)
	4 kg eye of round roast
	500 ml. beef broth
	2 stalks celery, sliced
	1 white onion, sliced
	1 carrot, sliced
675	ml.whole plum tomatoes
	black peppercorns
	Salt
	hot, just cooked pasta

Instructions:

1. Combine wine, garlic, and cloves in stainless steel or glass pan.

2. Add roast. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 24 hours, turning once after 12 hours.

3. Place roast and marinade in roasting pan with tight fitting lid.

4 Add broth, celery, onion, carrot, tomatoes, peppercorns, and salt to taste.

5. Cover; roast at 185 C. for 6 to 8 hours (turn over every couple hours) or until cooked through and tender.

6. Remove from oven; let rest 1 hour. Strain and reserve juices.

6. Serve 6 about 200 gr portion over a bed of pasta. Pour 75 ml. reserved juice over top of meat and serve. Makes about 20 servings.

 Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers.Beef muscle meat can be cut into steak, roasts or short ribs. Some cuts are processed (corned beef or beef jerky), and trimmings, usually mixed with meat from older, leaner cattle, are ground, minced or used in sausages. The blood is used in some varieties of blood sausage. Other parts that are eaten include the oxtail, liver, tongue, tripe from, the  rumen glands (particularly the pancreasand thymus, referred to as sweetbread), the heart, the brain , the liver, the kidneys, and the tender testicles of the bull (known as calf fries, prairie oysters, or Rocky Mountain oysters). Some intestines are cooked and eaten as-is, but are more often cleaned and used as natural sausage casings. The bones are used for making stock, to make soups and sauces.Beef from steers and heifers is very similar, except steers have slightly less fat and more muscle. Depending on economics, the number of heifers kept for breeding varies. Older animals are used for beef when they are past their reproductive prime. The meat from older cows and bulls is usually tougher, so it is frequently used for ground beef, sausages or other processed meat. Cattle raised for beef may be allowed to roam free on grasslands, or may be confined at some stage in pens as part of a large feeding operation called a feedlot , where they are usually fed a ration of grain, protein, roughage and a vitamin/mineral  preblend.
Beef is the third most widely consumed meat in the world, accounting for about 25% of meat production worldwide, after pork and poultry at 38% and 30% respectively. United States (and Canada), Brazil, and the People's Republic of China are the world's three largest consumers of beef. On a per capita basis, Argentines ate the most beef at 64.6 kg per person; people in the US (Canada) ate 40.2 kg, while those in the EU ate 16.9 kg.7 REASONS TO EAT BEEF YOU ARE NOT AWARE OF

Is Beef good for you 
Consider the following?

Studies indicate that, if our ancestors had not eaten red meats, the brain of humans would be 1/4 of its present size! During human evolution, our adaptation to red meat and the vital protein and fats it provides, is one of the KEY reasons behind the rapid growth in our intelligence and brain capacity... without meat we still would be living in the trees eating bananas!

In regions where people have the longest lifespan, the diet is based almost exclusively on meat of ruminant animals and cultured dairy products.

Protein in beef and lamb provides plenty of building blocks for our body, ensuring strong lean muscles and healthy hormones.

Red meat is an excellent source of vital minerals like zinc, iron, and magnesium. In meat, these minerals exist in form that is much easier for the body to absorb compared to the minerals in grains and pulses.

Vitamin B12, which can be obtained ONLY from animal sources and which is abundant in beef, is crucial for a healthy nervous system and blood.

The carnitine in red meat is essential for balanced and steady functioning of the eart.

Beef and lamb fat is rich in linoleic and palmiotelic acids, which have strong anticancer effects and fight viruses and other pathogens.

The Canadian Beef Grading Agency

The Canadian Beef Grading Agency (CBGA) is a private, non-profit corporation which has been accredited by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to deliver grading services for beef in Canada. The grade standards are set by the Federal Government based on recommendations from the Industry/Government Consultative Committee on Beef Grading. The factors used in grade assessment are directly related to the tenderness, juiciness, consumer acceptability, and yield of a carcass.

Cattle are graded in plants at what is known as the grading station. Once the carcass sides are chilled (24-48 hours after slaughter),

                                                                     Grades Requirements

Grade	% Maturity (Age)	% Muscling	% Rib Eye Muscle	% Marbling	% Fat Colour and Texture	% Fat Measure
CANADA PRIME	Youthful	Good to excellent with some deficiencies	Firm, bright red	Slightly abundant	Firm, white or amber	2 mm or more
CANADA A, AA, AAA	Youthful	Good to excellent with some deficiencies	Firm, bright red	A – trace AA – slight AAA – small	Firm, white or amber	2 mm or more
B1	Youthful	Good to excellent with some deficiencies	Firm, bright red	Devoid	Firm, white or amber	Less than 2 mm
B2	Youthful	Deficient to excellent	Bright red	No requirement	Yellow	No requirement
B3	Youthful	Deficient to good	Bright red	No requirement	White or amber	No requirement
B4	Youthful	Deficient to excellent	Dark red	No requirement	No requirement	No requirement
D1	Mature	Excellent	No requirement	No requirement	Firm, white or amber	Less than 15 mm
D2	Mature	Medium to excellent	No requirement	No requirement	White to yellow	Less than 15 mm
D3	Mature	Deficient	No requirement	No requirement	No requirement	Less than 15 mm
D4	Mature	Deficient to excellent	No requirement	No requirement	No requirement	15 mm or more
E	Youthful or mature	Pronounced masculinity

Chunk Meat uses: chuck contains a lot of connective tissue, including collagen, which partially melts during cooking. Meat from the chuck is usually used for stewing, slow cooking, braising, or pot roasting.

Breast of beef: in a waste no meat value can be used

Beef shank: is the leg of the animal, and is extremely tough and full of connective tissue. (Note also that each side of beef has two shanks, one in the forequarter and one in the hindquarter.) Beef shank is used in making the luxurious Italian dish osso buco.

Prime rib (Rack) is one of the most luxurious, succulent beef roasts you can have. It's basically a tender, juicy beef rib roast, usually prepared with the bone in, which is called a standing rib roast. The boneless version is called a rib-eye roast. 

Loin:  is a cut of beef that comes from the back of the steer or heifer. It contains part of the spine and includes the top loin and the tenderloin. This cut yields types of steak including porterhouse, strip steak (Kansas City Strip, New York Strip), and T-bone (a cut also containing partial meat from the tenderloin). The T-bone is a cut that contains less of the tenderloin than does the porterhouse. It is defined as “a portion of the hindquarter of beef immediately behind the ribs that is usually cut into steaks."

Leg of Beef: leg portion of a steer or heifer. Due to the constant use of this muscle by the animal it tends to be tough, dry, and sinewy, so is best when cooked for a long time in moist heat. It is an ideal cut to use for beef bourguignon. As it is very lean, it is widely used to prepare very low-fat ground. Due to its lack of sales, it is not often seen in shops. Although, if found in retail, it is very cheap and a low-cost ingredient for beef stock. Beef shank is a common ingredient in soups.

Smile and Be Sweet

“The best way to win a friend is to listen and

Smile it only takes a minute” - Otto

Everything About Cooking

Victoria Day Menu Outdoors

Otto Say’s 

Pasta sanza vino e come il cuore sanza amore

Pasta without wine is like a heart without love

Country Pancakes

Antipasto Sausage Skewers

Barbecued Bananas

In 2014 the Victoria Day holiday is on Monday, May 19.

Victoria Day is a Canadian statutory holiday celebrated on the Monday proceeding May 25 in every province and territory. It honours Queen Victoria's birthday.

Victoria Day is also commonly referred to as the "May two-four weekend" or the May long weekend and it marks the unofficial start of the cottage season where cases of beer are consumed by hard working Canadians. That's what I heard anyway. Or maybe it's called May two-four because May 24, 1819 is Queen Victoria's birthday .

The following are recipes just for the 24 week-end a true Canadian celebration and don’t forget we celebrate with BEER

Country Pancakes  ( 6 to 8  )

Ingredients

250 gr. all purpose flour
250 gr. whole-wheat flour
250 gr. rolled oats
49 ml.  baking powder
5 ml.  Freshly ground nutmeg
3 ml.teaspoon salt
500 ml. milk
60 ml. oil
2 eggs
5 ml. vanilla

Method

1. Whisk together the flours, oats, baking powder, nutmeg and salt. In a separate bowl whisk together the wet ingredients. Using a wooden spoon, stir the dry mix into the wet ingredients just to combine.
2. Preheat your griddle or a large skillet over medium high heat.
3. Spoon the batter onto the preheated surface. Small pancakes cook faster and are easier to flip but if you’re a deft hand, feel free to make them bigger. Watch for bubbles to break the surface, then flip and finish. Serve St Joe’s Island Maple Syrup

4 Maybe served with Canadian Back, or regular bacon, or ham or any other meats sausages or whatever you chose

  

Antipasto Sausage Skewers ( Make 8 )

Ingredients

36 mL olive oil

60 mL red wine vinegar

2 mL) Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

1 pinch salt

1 pinch pepper

½ eggplant or 250 ml.

1/2 sweet red pepper

1/2 sweet yellow pepper

1/2 small red onion

16 cherry tomatoes

8 Italian sausages, (about 1 lb/500 g)

170 mL marinated artichoke hearts, drained

Method

In large bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper.

Cut eggplant in half lengthwise; cut crosswise into 1 cm thick pieces and add to bowl. Cut red and yellow peppers and onion into 2.5 cm pieces; add to bowl. Add tomatoes; toss to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prick sausages with fork. Boil covered on medium  until no longer pink inside, 5 to  10 minutes. Cut into quarters.

Onto 16 metal or soaked wooden skewers, alternately thread sausage, eggplant, red and yellow peppers, onion, tomatoes and artichoke hearts. (Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.)

Place skewers on greased grill over medium-high heat; close lid and grill, turning once, until browned and vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.

Serve true Canadian Beer

Apple Butter Ribs (Serves 8)

Ingredients

3 kg pork back ribs or pork side ribs

Apple Butter Marinade:

250 mL apple butter

120 mL apple cider or apple juice

60 mL cider vinegar

30 mL Dijon mustard

10 mL crumbled dried sage

5 mL salt

Method

Pour enough water into shallow roasting pan to come scant 2 cm up side. Cut ribs into 2-rib portions; place, meaty side up, in single layer in water. Cover and steam-roast 160°C oven until meat is tender, 75 to 90 minutes. Transfer to large glass baking dish, discarding cooking liquid.

Apple Butter Marinade: In bowl, whisk together apple butter, apple cider, vinegar, and mustard, sage and salt. Remove 100 mL and reserve for basting on grill. Brush remaining marinade all over ribs. Cover and refrigerate ribs and reserved marinade for 4 hours, turning and brushing ribs with marinade in dish at least once. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.)

Place ribs on greased grill over medium-high heat; brush with any marinade left in dish. Close lid and grill, turning at least once and basting with reserved marinade, until browned and glossy, 10 to 15 minutes

Again should be served with True Canadian Beer

Barbecued Bananas (serves 8)

39 ml  lemon juice

250 g  brown soft sugar

15 ml ground cinnamon

vanilla ice cream, to serve

Preheat barbecue for low heat.

Halve each of the bananas lengthwise, then widthwise. Sprinkle bananas with lemon juice. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll banana pieces in sugar/cinnamon mixture until well coated.

Lightly oil the barbecue's cooking grate. Arrange bananas on grate, and cook for 3 minutes per side. Serve in a bowl with a scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with a sprinkling of remaining cinnamon/sugar mixture.

Smile and Be Sweet

“The best way to win a friend is to listen and

Smile it only takes a minute” - Otto

Mothers Day menu

Otto Say’s

Pasta sanza vino e come il cuore sanza amore

Pasta without wine is like a heart without love

Mango Salsa with chips or crackers

Pork Tenderloin with Rhubarb-Currant Chutney

Salt Roasted Potatoes

Asparagus with Lemon and Butter

Strawberry and Prosecco Fizz with Lemon Sorbet

               Mango Salsa with chips or crackers

Mango Salsa with chips or crackers

1 mongo peeled seeded and chopped

75 ml finely chopped red bell pepper

2 green onions chopped

 30 ml chopped cilantro

1 fresh jalapeno chopped fine

30 ml lime juice

15 ml. lemon juice

Method

In a medium bowl, mix mango, red bell pepper, green onion, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, and lemon juice. Cover, and allow sitting at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve with chips or crackers

Pork Tenderloin with Rhubarb-Currant Chutney (serves 6)

.

Ingredients

200 gr (packed) dark brown sugar

75 ml apple cider vinegar

35 ml water

15 ml minced peeled fresh ginger

8 ml grated lemon peel

1 cinnamon stick

500 gr small cubes fresh rhubarb

125 gr dried currants

 1kg (2 pieces) pork tenderloins

20 ml vegetable oil

Method

1. Bring first 6 ingredients to boil in heavy medium saucepan over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.

2. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Add rhubarb and currants; bring to boil.

3. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently until rhubarb is tender, about 5 minutes.

4. Season with salt.

5. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Rub pork with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill pork about 15 to 20 minutes. Using tongs, transfer pork to cutting board; let pork rest 10 minutes. Cut pork into11/2 to 2 cm.thick slices.

6. Serve with Chutney

Salt Roasted Potatoes (Serves 6)

Ingredients

125 ml. olive oil

8 ml. salt

2 kg small white or Yukon Gold potatoes scrubbed well

Method

1.Preheat oven to 200 C.

2. Stir together oil and salt in a baking dish

3. Add potatoes and rub with oil mixture to coat.

4. Roast potatoes in middle of oven until tender when pierced with a sharp paring knife, 30 to 35 minutes.

Asparagus with Lemon and Butter (serves 6)

Ingredients

11/2 kg. Medium to large asparagus, trimmed

30 ml butter

15 ml. fresh lemon juice

3 ml. salt

2 ml. black pepper

Method

1. Peel lower half to two thirds of each asparagus stalk with a vegetable peeler.

2. Cook asparagus 6 liters of boiling salted water, uncovered, until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

3. Drain well in a colander, then return to pot and toss with butter, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Strawberry and Prosecco Fizz with Lemon Sorbet (Serves 8)

Ingredients

1 liter strawberries, divided75 gr. plus 60 gr cup sugar750 ml. lemon sorbet1 - 750-ml bottle chilled Prosecco or Champagne

Method

1. Half strawberries; cut berries in half. Puree berries and 75 gr. sugar in processor until very smooth. Transfer berry puree to small bowl and chill well, at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours.

2. Place half of berry puree and half of lemon sorbet in processor. Slowly add 1/3 Prosecco; blend until mixture is thick and slushy.

3. Transfer to medium bowl. Repeat with remaining berry mixture, sorbet, and Prosecco. Freeze at least 2 hours.

4. Place Champagne stopper on remaining Prosecco and refrigerate

5. Remaining berries; quarter lengthwise. Mix berries with sugar in large bowl; chill 1 to 2 hours.

6. Spoon sorbet mixture into 8 parfait glasses. Top with remaining Prosecco and sugared strawberries.

Smile and Be Sweet

“The best way to win a friend is to listen and

Smile it only takes a minute” - Otto