Chefs’ Tips and Tricks

CHEF’S TIPS & TRICKS Say Cheese!

BY KEANE STRAUB PHOTOS BY DONG KIM

Perhaps one of the longest, continuous love affairs in gastronomy is that between humans and cheese. For more than 7,000 years we’ve been creating wheels and blocks and logs and balls of this dairy product. Old or young, hard or soft, ripened or fresh; any way you melt, slice, dice, shred, or crumble it, the varieties available and the uses for cheese are limited only by imagination.

This time of year, we’re all about comfort foods – the cheesier the better. We asked Alberta chefs for their fromage-forward faves, and we’re excited to share them with you this month, from smooth burrata and stone fruits, to a familiar Italian dish with some downunder flair.

The menu at Edmonton’s Dalla Tavola Zenari is rooted in approachable Italian comfort food, something that inspires Chef Elisa Zenari. “Food in my mind is about sharing love and it doesn't have to be complicated,” she adds. It’s a concept that goes back to the Italian tradition of cucina povera – peasant cooking. “Uplifting inexpensive cuts of meat or using simple ingredients and making them shine is everything to me.”

And of all the ingredients a chef can use in a dish, for Chef Elisa there is one that stands out from the rest: “Cheese is gold!” Whether you’re adding to a dish to elevate it, or making it the star of the show, she encourages exploration, and notes that the possibilities are endless.

To help you get started, Chef Elisa shares her recipe for Gorgonzola Cream Sauce, perfectly suited to enrobe tender bites of gnocchi. “It’s an easy dish that any home cook can handle, and the base can be used in so many applications.” The rice flour makes this sauce gluten-free, but it can be substituted for all-purpose flour if one prefers – be sure to cook it with the butter in step one for 2 to 3 minutes. Gorgonzola Cream for Gnocchi

Serves 4-6

1 Tbs salted butter 1 tsp minced garlic 1 cup green onion 2 Tbs (30 mL) white wine 4 cups (1 L) whipping cream 1 Tbs rice flour 1 Tbs (15 mL) water To taste salt 1 Tbs (15 mL) liquid vegetable broth 100 g Gorgonzola cheese 1. On low to medium heat, melt butter and sauté garlic for 1 minute, then add green onion. Cook for about 3 minutes, then add white wine. Allow half of the wine to cook away (about 3 minutes). 2. Add whipping cream and raise the heat to medium stirring constantly. 3. Add rice flour to water, stir until smooth then add slowly to the pot while stirring. It is important to do this before the cream becomes too hot or it will not blend properly (it will form lumps). 4. Add salt and vegetable stock and bring the sauce to boil. Allow to boil gently for a few minutes stirring constantly, reduce heat. 5. Add gorgonzola, or your favourite melting cheese, let melt, take off heat and enjoy!

For Chef Eugene Hicks of Calgary’s Shoe and Canoe, inspiration comes from a childhood spent cooking with his mother. Having a vegetable garden at home meant Chef Hicks became accustomed to using fresh produce, and when the family moved to the Okanagan, his passion for food grew.

“Good food takes time and patience,” says Chef Hicks, and some of his favourites are cassoulet and braised dishes, “ones that create aroma, and warm the kitchen. Not only do you taste but you enjoy the dish with all the senses.”

When using cheese in his dishes, Chef Hicks is all about trying new things: “Different flavours come out whether it is melted into a sauce or crumbled on top to finish.” The simple act of letting cheese come to room temperature can result in different flavours and textures too.

The recipe he shares here is infused with his past experiences, from his aunt who would bring loaves of sourdough all the way from San Francisco, to eating stone fruits warmed by the Okanagan sun.

Burrata with Roasted Stone Fruit and Dukkah, and Sour Dough Toast Points

Serves 3-4 people

1 – 250-300 g burrata 5 apricots 4 peaches 2 nectarines 175 g brown sugar 5 cardamom pods 1 lime, zest and juice 1 vanilla pod (split in half) 1 sourdough loaf To taste salt and pepper Olive oil Dukkah

½ cup hazelnuts 3 Tbs almonds 4 Tbs white sesame seed 3 Tbs pistachios 1 Tbs fennel seeds 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp coriander ½ tsp cayenne pepper 1 tsp kosher salt

In a pan on medium heat toast the whole spices and nuts without any oil in the pan until all are slightly toasted and fragrant. Allow to cool then blend in a food processer. Add remaining ingredients.

1. Heat oven to 400 F. Place the burrata on the counter so that it can come to room temperature. 2. In a food processer blend sugar, cardamon pods, lime juice and zest, and vanilla bean from the pod until well combined. 3. Remove the stones from the fruit by making cuts to section into quarters, then remove the flesh from the stone. Place fruit in a bowl and add the sugar mixture. Mix until fruit is coated. 4. Place in a baking dish and roast for 20 minutes or until fruit has softened but not collapsed, so it’s just started to juice, and sugar has caramelized. Once roasted set aside. 5. Slice the sourdough loaf into 6 mm slices then cut each piece in half on a diagonal. Place on a lined pan then drizzle olive oil over them and season with salt and pepper. Toast in the oven for 6 minutes or until golden. 6. Place the roasted stone fruit to cover the bottom of your dish. Place the room temperature burrata on top. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the burrata then sprinkle the Dukkah spice on top. Place the toast point around the edge of the dish or place on the side.

As Executive Chef at Lina’s Cucina in Calgary, Christopher Hyde’s inspiration comes from his travels and experiences abroad, and it’s his love for all things Italian that challenges him. “It drives me to be more creative, but stay humble in the history of a dish and its traditions.”

A self-proclaimed lover of all things pasta, Chef Hyde takes pride in the handmade varieties available at Lina’s, and is in pursuit of perfection when it comes to the process. “After years of practice I still find myself learning about new pastas and new and different techniques in making it.”

Chef Hyde’s Cacio e Pepe – literally cheese and pepper – is taken to another level with his addition of Vegemite, a nod to his childhood in Australia. If you think you know vegemite (and you’re not sure if you want to get reacquainted), Chef Hyde says, “If it's balanced out with the right amount of cheese and butter, it can add a wonderful umami flavour to the dish.”

“Never cheap out on good quality cheese,” he adds. Starting with the best ingredients helps set your dish apart. And, keep things simple. “Often the simplest of dishes are the best - they’re showcasing the ingredients.” Vegemite Cacio e Pepe

Serves 4

114 g unsalted butter 22 g Vegemite ½ cup (124 mL) water 96 g ground Pecorino Romano, set aside an additional 20 g extra for finishing 40 g ground Parmigiano 65 g ricotta cheese 1 tsp coarse black pepper (freshly cracked is always better)

1. Melt butter with Vegemite and water. Do not boil, just until all the vegemite and butter are melted. Whisk to combine if need be. 2. Using a vitamix or blender, place the ground pecorino, parmesan, and ricotta into the container first and then pour over the hot liquid. Make sure the lid is on. 3. Turn the vitamix or blender on to full and blitz until completely smooth, pour the mix into a medium sized bowl and whisk in the toasted black pepper until well incorporated. Cover and set the bowl aside. Cooking your pasta:

I usually like to use 150 g-200 g of pasta per person depending on how hungry you are.

1. In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Stir in desired amount of salt until dissolved. 2. Add the pasta to the water, stir a few times to prevent the noodles from sticking together. Cook according to package directions, stirring occasionally, until al dente or softer depending on desired texture. 3. Using a strainer, remove the pasta and shake off any excess water from the pasta and place into the bowl of sauce, toss the pasta in the sauce or stir in with a wooden spoon or spatula till the pasta is well coated. Serve the pasta in a bowl with the reserved ground pecorino and sprinkle over top, finally, use a pepper grinder and crack a bit more coarse pepper over the pasta to finish. Enjoy!

Keane Straub has travelled from Tofino to Charlottetown, sampling the different flavours Canada offers. The passion people have for their craft and culture inspires Keane to tell their stories.