I am surprised I don’t make more casseroles. No, really, I am. It just seems like one of the easiest ways to cook: find ingredients, dump/mix with other ingredients, place in oven, done. Maybe because it seems exactly like an easy way out that I haven’t.

Maybe it’s because I have been watching the first season of The Wire but this casserole I made last night is totally ghetto-fabulous and delicious. It is a dieter’s nightmare, all carbtastic and cheesy. But hey, if you don’t eat like this every day, what’s your worry? (Aside from an expanded waistline, of course.)

TTC (aka I’ma-let-you-finish-but-this-here-tater-tot-dish-is-the-greatest-of-all-time)

2 cups shredded cheese (your choice), divided

8 oz. sour cream

1 (14 oz.) can cream of potato soup (I subbed cream of chicken because that other soup doesn’t seem to exist here)

1 (32 oz.) package Tater Tots (frozen)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend 1 cup cheese with the sour cream and soup in a large mixing bowl. Toss in the tots. Spread in a greased 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Top with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes.

My husband really does a deft touch with breakfast. No, really, his pancakes are rockin’ and, better still, consistent. Still, since I planned on making pancakes this morning (which didn’t happen, by the way), I asked for something savory for Saturday. Enter: baked eggs. Goodness me, y’all, I love it when that man surprises me.

The LSC is from the “a little bit of this and a little bit of that” school of cooking; I admire that because I am not.

Point of fact: my husband loves stir-fries. So much that for nearly an entire year in university, variations upon them were all he ate. So making an orange chicken stir-fry was pretty much a win-win proposition.

The only changes I made to this dish was the addition of 3 garlic cloves and the subtraction of a tablespoon of soy sauce. The recipe calls for the low-sodium kind, which is the kind I do not have, so I figured reducing the amount would make it less salty. I was pleased with the end result but the LSC did add more soy sauce to taste, so feel free to do the same if you like.

Orange Chicken and Rice Bowl

adapted from USA Rice Federation

2 tbl. vegetable oil, divided

1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips

2 cups broccoli florets

2 carrots, thinly sliced

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 tbl. grated fresh ginger

3 garlic cloves, minced (optional)

1 (14 oz.) can low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup orange juice

1 tbl. grated orange zest

2 tbl. light soy sauce

2 tbl. cornstarch

3 cups hot cooked rice

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet or wok; stir-fry chicken until lightly browned; remove. In same skillet, heat remaining oil; stir-fry broccoli, carrots, onion, bell peppers, ginger and garlic 4 to 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender-crisp. Take care not to burn the garlic. Combine chicken broth, orange juice and zest, soy sauce and cornstarch in a bowl and stir until smooth. Add to skillet, stirring constantly. Boil 1 to 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in chicken and cook until heated through. Spoon over or toss with hot rice.

Yesterday….well, yesterday was not my best cooking/baking day. I have to remind myself—constantly, it seems—that they can’t all be winners, but man, do I ever take it hard.

For example: this whole-wheat molasses bread. I think the mistake with it was my expectations; I figured that it would be more bready, not so quick-bready.

I mean, it actually turned out okay, it just wasn’t the bread I thought it was going to be. Slathered with jam or clotted cream, though, my husband and I won’t care what it was supposed to be.

Which leads me to this sad sad place I call Taterfail. If you know me, you are aware that certain obsessions, culinary or otherwise, grip me for a mad time and don’t let go. And when I had a recipe for homemade tater tots….I think you can see where this is going.

First off, it is not as easy as it looks on paper.

My food processor worked a treat shredding then chopping said potatoes but things started to go wrong from there. The recipe asks that you mix in the salt with the raw taters and let it sit for about 5 minutes. So you let it sit, tip out collected juices expelled due to the introduction of salt, squeeze the tater bits (by the way, there is no way to make this less messy) and then form. You then freeze the “tots” for about half an hour harden them up and fry. Wait, wait, sorry, after you squeeze the taters of their excess starch and water, you sprinkle them with cornstarch, which theoretically allows them to hold their shape. THEORETICALLY.

Well…I added the amount of cornstarch called for, mixed it in and grabbed a handful of tater. Now the recipe says to close your hand tight with potato mixture in it and when you release, it should hold together enough to form a tot. And…it sort of did. “Hmm,” says I, “it couldn’t hurt to add a bit more cornstarch, now could it?” OH YES, IT CAN. Add to that, I’ve never deep-fried anything at home in my life, ruined a brand-new candy/fry thermometer whilst heating up a pot of oil, thus blowing out the glass bottom, ruining a large batch of oil…oh, dammit, Ore-Ida, Uncle, Uncle! Wisely, my husband stepped in, decided we could shallow-fry them in a skillet. As you can see, the first batch were “ew.”

Was it worth it, after all the trouble and complications? Not really. The excess cornstarch made the tots taste weird and, well, starchy. I mean, I’m glad I tried but this is a food I’ll gladly leave to pros.

Quick Whole Wheat and Molasses Bread

oil or butter for greasing pan

1 2/3 cups buttermilk or plain yogurt

2 1/2 cups (about 12 oz.) whole wheat flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup molasses

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 8×4-inch or 9×5-inch loaf pan, preferably nonstick.

Mix together dry ingredients. Stir molasses into buttermilk. Stir liquid into dry ingredients (just enough to combine) then pour into loaf pan. Bake until firm and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 45 minutes to an hour. Cool on rack for 15 minutes before removing from pan.

Basic Potato Bites (aka Tater Tots)

3 to 4 large baking potatoes, peeled

1 heaping tsp. salt

1 tbl. granulated onion (optional)

2 to 3 tbl. cornstarch.

vegetable oil, for frying

Shred the potatoes into a large mixing bowl using the shredder attachment on your food processor. You should end up with 4 to 5 cups of potato shreds. Fill the bowl with water and rinse, changing the water 3 or 4 times until the water runs clear. Drain the shreds. Fit your food processor with a blade and pulse the shreds, in small batches, to chop them. Place the chopped bits on a sheet pan in a pile and add the salt and optional onion, and work this seasoning in with your fingers. Spread the bits out on the sheet pan and let rest for 5 minutes. Tip out any juices that have collected in the pan. Squeeze the bits, in handfuls, over the sink to rid them of additional moisture. Spread the cornstarch over the potatoes and work it in with your fingers. A handful of the mixture should hold its shape when squeezed in your hand.

Line a sheet with wax paper. Form the tots with gentle pressure in your hands (you’ll get the hang of it quickly). Line them on the sheet pan. When finished, place the pan in the freezer and freeze for 30 minutes, just until the surface has hardened.

Fry the tots submerged in oil heated to 375 degrees. If they stick to the bottom, let them brown before gently scraping them free with a steel spatula. Remove when golden brown—about 4 minutes.

I was in the mood for curry the other night. And the LSC, well, he’ll always be in the mood for curry as well. We seem to be going through a warm-ish spell up here and while this recipe is perfect for cooler nights, it worked just fine the nights we’re having. Frankly, there’s something lovely and comforting about the smell of all these herbs and spices on the stove.

The only thing I couldn’t find for this recipe were the Kaffir lime leaves. I am told that they are available if you do some judicious searching, so next time I make this, I’ll make a concentrated effort. The ingredients list does look long and daunting, but if you have everything prepped and ready to go, it takes no time at all. Now…go make yourself some curry.

Coconut Curry Chicken Noodle Soup (Curry Mee)

2 tbl. vegetable oil

1 small onion, minced

1 tbl. minced ginger

1 minced lemongrass or pale green cilantro roots

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. dark red chili paste, such as sambal, more for serving

3/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thigh or breast meat, thinly sliced and cut into bite-size pieces

3 tbl. curry powder, preferably Malaysian, Thai or Vietnamese

1/2 tsp. paprika

1 can (14 oz.) unsweetened coconut milk

1/2 cup half-and-half

4 cups chicken stock

1/4 tsp. ground tumeric

2 tbl. fish sauce

1 tbl. sugar, more to taste

about 12 Kaffir lime leaves or curry leaves, fresh or frozen (optional)

8 oz. dried thin rice noodles (bun or vermicelli), or other Asian noodles such as udon or lai fun

Salt to taste

1 cup bean sprouts

3 tbl. chopped cilantro

2 scallions, cut into thin rings

2 shallots, thinly sliced and deep fried in vegetable oil until brown (optional)

Quartered limes for serving

Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add onion, ginger and lemongrass and cook, stirring, until softened, about 10 minutes. Do not brown; reduce heat, if necessary. Add garlic and chili paste and stir until fragrant. Raise heat, add chicken and stir-fry one minute. Add curry powder and paprika and stir to coat. Then add coconut milk, half-and-half, chicken stock, turmeric, fish sauce, sugar and lime or curry leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook rice noodles in boiling water according to package directions (about 4 minutes). Rinse and drain.

Taste broth and adjust seasonings with salt and sugar. Divide noodles into large soup bowls. Bring broth to a boil, then ladle over noodles. Top with bean sprouts, cilantro, scallions and fried shallots, if using. Pass limes and sambal at the table.

NOTE: To make this rich soup more substantial, boiled potatoes are sometimes added to the simmering broth and cooked until very soft.

Oh, how I keep telling myself that not every dish is a winner. Point of fact: this one. Perhaps freshly shelled chestnuts would have made a difference, perhaps not.

Seriously, I was so disappointed in this one.

The LSC and I were back in Montreal this past weekend. There was a comic convention which really was the saddest little con you ever did see. Somehow it was sadder that Lou Ferrigno was there. Still, I got to meet a couple more of my husband’s friends. As a prize for being a good sport, the LSC took me to see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, which we both loved. I must profess I only wanted to see because of Bill Hader, but the bonus of Neil Patrick Harris and Bruce Campbell made it worth more than the price of admission.

In my continuing quest for decent Mexican food up here in the Great White North, we ate at Manana Saturday night. Every time we’ve stayed on the Plateau, we’ve walked by and I’ve been quite intrigued. Doing diligent research at our hotel—Anne Ma Soeur Anne, equally a rocking place but more on that later—the LSC pulled up a taqueria that sounded very promising but after heading towards where it was supposed to be, we discovered that it was no more. As visions of chorizo tacos spiraled away to nothing, we agreed to Manana as a second choice. (It was my first, actually, but never mind.) Manana is admittedly a bit cliche with its bright prints, extremely loud salsa music and Frida Kahlo pictures on the walls (which I loved, so there) but it was warm and cozy. After a long day of seeing the sad nerds with their sad costumes, it was time for booze. And oddly, I wasn’t the one to suggest it!

Ah, fresh strawberry margaritas. My only gripe? They were frozen. Still, they were laden with tequila and sometimes that keeps the bad things at bay.

The spouse had the table d’hote (which essentially means he ordered the fixed price meal) and his starter was this interesting eggplant gratin. I am not entirely sure what this has to do with Mexican cuisine but from what I tasted of it, it was all right. A bit unusual but all right. Actually now that I think about this dish more, the more I am confused by it. Anyone care to shed any potential light on this?

I had the “quesadillas del queso”; that’s an oxymoron, morons (not you, whomever wrote the menu).

And the LSC had some sort of chicken dish whose name we have both forgotten. He liked it well enough but said, “This was okay but I think you could make better Mexican food.” Was that a challenge?

Post-dinner was pints at a favorite microbrasserie, L’amere Boire, a nice stroll to our room and a night’s sleep on the comfiest hotel mattress I have ever encountered. They give you fresh croissants in the morning (the hotel, not the mattress)! Also, our hotel was next to a jazz bar so I got lulled to sleep by “My Baby Just Cares for Me,” a favorite song, so: bonus!

Stir-Fried Shrimp with Chestnuts

1/4 cup peanut or vegetable oil

1/2 cup shelled chestnuts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I used canned and peeled chestnuts)

salt to taste

1 pound shredded cabbage

1 clove garlic, sliced, plus 1 tbl. minced garlic

about 12 large shrimp, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 tbl. minced or grated fresh ginger

2 tbl. soy sauce

1/4 cup chopped scallion

2 tsp. dark sesame oil

Heat a third of the peanut oil in a large skillet. Add chestnuts to pan, along with a pinch of salt, and cook over high heat until they begin to brown and slightly crisp. Remove and set aside.

Add another third of the oil, followed by the cabbage and the slice garlic; cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the cabbage begins to brown. Add about 1/4 cup water and continue cooking for another 3 or 4 minutes, until cabbage has softened.  Remove and set aside.

Add remaining oil to pan, then add shrimp, minced garlic, ginger and a little more salt; cook until shrimp is just pink.

Return chestnuts and cabbage to pan, along with a couple more tablespoons of water and the soy sauce. Cook, scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pan. Add scallions, drizzle with sesame oil and serve.

I don’t know whether I should like being the kind of person who makes scones before leaving town for the weekend. It’s not like there’s a shortage of places to get breakfast nor quicker foods to eat before going on a roadtrip.

And yet somehow I’ll deal. This one comes to you from Smitten Kitchen AND Cook’s Illustrated; enjoy and I’ll be back with something more verbose on Monday.

Dreamy Cream Scones
America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook

2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, preferably a low-protein brand such as Gold Medal or Pillsbury
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup currants (I used dried cranberries, and chopped them into smaller bits)
1 cup heavy cream

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425°F.

2. Place flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in large bowl or work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Whisk together or pulse six times.

3. If making by hand, use two knives, a pastry blender or your fingertips and quickly cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few slightly larger butter lumps. Stir in currants. If using food processor, remove cover and distribute butter evenly over dry ingredients. Cover and pulse 12 times, each pulse lasting 1 second. Add currants and pulse one more time. Transfer dough to large bowl.

4. Stir in heavy cream with a rubber spatula or fork until dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.

5. Transfer dough and all dry, floury bits to countertop and knead dough by hand just until it comes together into a rough, sticky ball, 5 to 10 seconds. Form scones by either a) pressing the dough into an 8-inch cake pan, then turning the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, cutting the dough into 8 wedges with either a knife or bench scraper (the book’s suggestion) or b) patting the dough onto a lightly floured work surface into a 3/4-inch thick circle, cutting pieces with a biscuit cutter, and pressing remaining scraps back into another piece (what I did) and cutting until dough has been used up. (Be warned if you use this latter method, the scones that are made from the remaining scraps will be much lumpier and less pretty, but taste fine. As in, I understand why they suggested the first method.)

6. Place rounds or wedges on ungreased baking sheet and bake until scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Lemon Glaze

from Allrecipes.com

• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon water

Spoon over slightly cooled scones.

If my brain had a sound right now, it might be something in the vicinity of GERBLAHGERBLARG. Some of the LSC’s family have been in town for the past 48 hours so I have had to practice my hostess skills. I think they still need work as I’m not the best guide around Sherbrooke because, well, I don’t get out much. I should probably remedy that.

I made them this super easy dessert though. If you like your cheesecake mixture slightly more sweet, add a big ol’ pinch of granulated or powdered sugar and that should set you to rights.

No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

16 graham crackers squares (8 whole crackers), crushed

1/4 cup ground pecans or walnuts, optional

3 tbl. melted butter

1 8-oz. package cream cheese at room temperature

1 cup ricotta cheese

2 tbl. honey, or to taste

rind of a lemon, freshly grated

pinch of salt

about 1 1/2 cups blueberries (I used raspberries, too)

Combine crushed graham crackers, nuts if using, and melted butter. Press evenly into bottom of an 8- or 9-inch square pan (glass is good) to form a crust about 1/4-inch thick. Put in refrigerator until ready to use.

Using a standing or hand mixer, or a whisk, combine cream cheese, ricotta, honey, lemon rind and salt, and blend until smooth.

Spread cheese mixture carefully and evenly over crust, using a spatula or butter knife to smooth top. Cover with fresh blueberries and chill for at least an hour, or until set. Cut into squares or bars and serve.

After all that effort this weekend, I sort of cheated with dinner last night. The LSC and I buy these really fantastic European sausages but we freeze them to eat as needed. I thawed a pair of white wine and shallot sausages to grill and made this chickpea salad as a side.

I found this amazing goat’s milk mozzarella at the grocery and I have to tell you: it has me hooked. It has the nuttiness, sharpness you associate with goat cheese but is still smooth like mozzarella. None of that rubberiness and such like. I can’t wait to buy more to sub for common mozzarella the next time I make pizza.

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

from “Food Synergy” by Elaine Magee (Rodale)

1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 cucumber, unpeeled, scrubbed clean and finely chopped

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 1/2 tsp. finely chopped Italian parsley

2 tbl. finely chopped fresh basil

4 oz. fresh mozzarella, finely chopped or cubed

1 tbl. olive oil

2 tbl. balsamic vinegar

1/4 tsp. salt

In a medium serving bowl, combine the chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, onion, garlic, parsley, basil and mozzarella. Drizzle with oil and vinegar and sprinkle with salt; then toss all ingredients to combine. Cover the bowl and refrigerate at least 1 hour to let the flavors blend.

This has been one heck of a cooking weekend.

I mean, it’s not on the level of nuts my kitchen is sure to become once the holidays roll around, but still we managed to make a nice bit of food. I figured after one of my slightly successful attempts at gumbo the other day that I would tackle a jambalaya next. (Can red beans and rice be too far behind?) Y’see, I forget how long jambalaya takes—a little over two hours by my reckoning—so I timed dinner a bit poorly last night. We ate around 7:30, which is about an hour later than I like to eat. I try to have dinner on the table fairly early as full tummies upset a good night’s sleep, something which is more and more precious to me lately.

This version that I’ve made is made with boneless pork ribs—something not easily found here. I still maintain that if we had gone to our butcher this would have been easily done. Instead, the LSC got to get down and gory with two racks of pork ribs. As for the flavor…I think it was okay. There are definite smokiness to it but all in all, I think would have preferred a sausage jambalaya. Or maybe using beef short ribs. Whatever the case, this makes A LOT of food. Seriously, freeze the leftovers or you may be eating this for at least a week.

The LSC made dessert; a bread pudding with a raspberry sauce. Would you believe that this is the first time I’ve had bread pudding? It smelled marvelous, all cinnamon and custardy, with the tang of berry sauce on top. Aside from it not taking a very pretty picture (”It looks like brains,” I opined much to my husband’s chagrin), it tasted lovely and I may definitely have to try bread pudding again.

I don’t want to jinx it but I have to tell you something: I think I have finally been able to make perfect pancakes. No, really! Don’t tell anyone lest the curse resume itself upon me. I mean, I’ve had fair to “meh” success with one of my favorite foods, often leaving it to my husband, mom and other professionals but I have felt the sting of not being able to make my own pancakes. Thanks to Deb over at Smitten Kitchen, I’m feeling confident.

I couldn’t begin to tell you how pleased I was when these actually looked like proper pancakes.

Listen, I know how odd cottage cheese sounds in a pancake but you’ve got to trust me. You won’t even know it’s there. And when you add the levity of whipped egg whites to the batter, you’ll be amazed.

Short-Rib Jambalaya

adapted from “Eula Mae’s Cajun Kitchen” by Eula Mae Dore’ and Marcelle R. Bienvenu

1 tbl. vegetable oil

2 lbs. boneless country-style pork ribs, cut into 2-inch pieces

3 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp. Tabasco

1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions

1/2 cup chopped celery

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1 cup seeded and chopped green bell pepper

3/4 cup seeded and chopped canned tomatoes

4 cups chicken broth

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions, green and white parts

2 1/2 cups long-grain white rice

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Season the ribs with 2 teaspoons of salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and 1 teaspoon of Tabasco. Cook, covered, until well-brown on all sides, about 45 minutes. Be careful when turning the meat as the hot oil can splatter.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the ribs to a bowl and drain off all but 3 tablespoons of the fat in the pot. Add the onions and saute, scraping the brown bits off the bottom, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the celery and garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add the bell peppers and saute for 3 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and ribs to the pot and cook, covered, over medium-low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour in the broth and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes longer. Stir in the parsley, green onions, rice, the remaining salt, black pepper and Tabasco. Bring to a boil and cook, covered, over low heat until most of the liquid has absorbed, 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Season to taste with more salt and pepper.

Bread Pudding with Raspberry Sauce

from “150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes” by Judith Finlayson

6 cups stale bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

3 tbl. melted butter

4 eggs

3/4 cup granulated sugar

4 cups milk

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Raspberry Sauce:

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup water

2 cups raspberries, thawed if frozen

1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

In prepared stoneware (i.e., your slow cooker), combine bread and melted butter. Toss to mix thoroughly.

In a large bowl, beat eggs. Mix in sugar, milk, cinnamon and vanilla. Pour over bread cubes. Cover and cook on High for 4 hours, until top is golden-brown.

To make Raspberry Sauce: in a saucepan, combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minute or until sugar is thoroughly dissolved and mixture is becoming syrupy. Add raspberries. Return to a boil and cook until raspberries fall apart when crushed with a wooden spoon. (This will take several minutes, depending on the size of your pot.) Remove from heat and stir in balsamic vinegar. If you prefer a smooth sauce, puree in a food processor.

Spoon pudding into individual bowls and top with sauce.

Cottage Cheese Pancakes
Adapted from The Joy of Cooking

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or pinch of ground nutmeg (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk
1 cup full-fat or low-fat cottage cheese
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cups finely chopped walnuts (optional)
1/3 cup dried currants, plumped (optional)

2 large egg whites

Lightly butter, oil, or spray your griddle–nonstick works best with these, if you have them–if needed, and preheat it over medium heat. If you are using an electric griddle, preheat it to 350 degrees F. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F if you do not plan to serve the pancakes hot off the griddle.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon or nutmeg and salt together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, cottage cheese, butter, egg yolks and vanilla.

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and gently whisk them together, mixing just until combined. Stir in the walnuts and/or currants, if using them.

Beat the two egg whites until they are stiff but not dry and fold them into the batter.

The batter will be thick and bubbly – similar to cake batter. Spoon 1/3 cup batter onto the griddle for each pancake, nudging the batter into rounds. These are thick and might take a little longer to cook than most other pancakes. Cook until the top of each pancake is starting to dry around the edges – you will get a few bubbles here and there – then turn and cook until the underside is lightly browned. These will keep in a 200 degrees F oven while you finish making the rest, but they are best served immediately, when they are at their lightest and puffiest.

Leah (another American transplant) and I sometimes play the “What you can’t get here in Quebec that we could get back home” game. Bulk sausage, certain kinds of chili beans, black-eyed peas (though I finally spied some canned ones a while ago), collards, catfish, andouille; seriously, we live in a place where red velvet cake is considered a novelty.

And now I can okra to this list—though I’ve been told there are certain places you can buy it frozen. Of course, okra is an integral part of gumbo, my personal feelings towards it aside (only palatable in gumbo).

I used an medium-sized eggplant in place of the okra, which I didn’t need for its thickening powers as I can make a pretty good roux. I used kielbasa in place of andouille. Served as it supposed to–a mound of rice in the bowl with the gumbo surrounding it—it made for a nice taste of New Orleans, a city very dear to my heart.

Sausage-and-Shrimp Gumbo

adapted from “Eula Mae’s Cajun Kitchen” by Eula Mae Dore’ and Marcelle R. Bienvenu

2 tbl. vegetable oil (I used canola oil because that’s what I had)

1 pound andouille smoked sausage , cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices (chorizo or kielbasa may be substituted)

2 tbl. flour

1/2 cup chopped yellow onions

1/2 cup seeded and chopped green bell pepper

1 clove garlic, minced (I used five because I heart garlic)

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups sliced fresh okra or 1 (10-oz.) package frozen sliced okra, thawed (I used a medium eggplant cut into medium dice)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. cayenne, plus more to taste

1/2 tsp. Tabasco

2 bay leaves

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions, green parts only

cooked long-grain white rice (optional)

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring frequently, until brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a bowl.

In the same skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the roux is light brown, about 2 minutes. Add the onions, bell peppers and garlic and cook, scraping the brown bits from the bottom, until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the broth and bring to a boil. Add the sausage, okra, salt, cayenne, Tabasco and bay leaves. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low, stir in the shrimp and green onions and simmer just until the shrimp turn pink, about 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and season to taste with more salt and cayenne. Serve in soup bowls, over hot rice if you choose.