OUT OF THE ORDINARY OCTOBER
by Ania Janaszak of Ania’s Catering
This is that time of year when Thanksgiving is around the corner and I should be writing about
Turkey and so on. However, it has been a strange year from the weather side of things and as I
write this article, it is hot and sunny with no tinge of fall beyond the slightly cooler evenings and
just the hint of color coming to the trees. These late days of September seem to be the summer
we missed and the garden and my meal preferences are way out of wack on timing. Tomatoes are
just getting ripe and my quinces don’t have the slightest gold yet. In case those tomatoes don’t
ripen this year here is a good pickle recipe
Green Tomato Pickles
Use about 6 lbs small green tomatoes. Peel and drop into 3 pints water and 1/3 cup salt. Cook
until tender but not soft. Drain well. Boil 4 cups white sugar in 3 cups white wine vinegar and 1
cup water with 2 tbsp pickling spice in a bag. Pour over drained tomatoes and let stand over
night. In the morning pour vinegar off and boil it with spices until it is a thick syrup. Put
tomatoes in canning jars and pour over them the cooled syrup. Tighten the lids and bring water
to a boil as per instructions on the canning lids.
It was a good year for sports fisherman and I have had the pleasure of preparing some especially
fine spring salmon. Shrimp and sidestripe were also available at good prices and I want to share
one of my favorite salmon recipes. I served it to a great realtor and his friends the other day in
that palace of his perched on Brechin hill and understand it went over very well.
SALMON WELLINGTON
1/2 pound shrimp or sidestrip
1 cup cream cheese
2 tsp lemon juice
½ cup crumbled smoked salmon
4 tbsp dry sherry
4 tbsp minced green onion
4 tsp dried dill weed
1 tsp salt and white pepper
a few shots of tabasco sauce
your favorite pastry recipe (enough for two pies)
2 lbs salmon fillet without the skin
1 egg beaten
Mix first 9 ingredients. Roll out pastry on large, floured board as for pie thickness. Imagine you
are making an omelet - putting the cream cheese mixture in an oval shape on one side of the
rolled-out pastry. The mixture should be about ½ to 3/4 inch thick. Lay the salmon fillets, which
should be about 1 ½ inch thick, over the cream cheese mixture. Take the bare half of the pastry
and pull gently over the salmon and pinch the bottom edges to make a tight seal. Flip the whole
works over carefully onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush with egg and prick the top to
allow steam to escape. I like to make pastry shapes for decoration as you can see by the photo.
Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes and then lower to 375 for another 30 minutes or so. It
should be golden. Serve with the following white sauce drizzled over each serving.
White Wine Sauce
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup whipping cream
2 tsp dried dill
2 tsp lemon juice
½ salt
½ white pepper
4 tbsp of minced red bell pepper
combine all ingredients in a small skillet over medium high heat. Bring to boil until sauce starts
to thicken to preference.
This year I will be preparing the gourmet meal for the Athena Awards and I am very excited and
honored to be asked to take this on. The festivities on October 22nd will be at the Cavallotti
Lodge at 2060 Wellington Road and promises to be a real gala evening. Tickets are available so
don’t miss this one! The theme is going to be favorite meals of this century’s decades. From
Oysters Rockefeller and champagne in the 1900s to Polenta, Rosemary chicken and martinis in
the 1990s. Remember this award ceremony will be the last of the century and I know Monika
Ulrich and the rest of the planning team are putting some amazing effort and ideas together.
I have recently become acquainted with an excellent Italian dessert and admit that I look for any
opportunity to make it. The recipe comes from the Vicenzovo the company that makes the lady
finger biscuits used as base to Tiramisu. It is so good I have nothing to add other than possibly a
shot of rum as suggested by Lucy from Italfood.
14 oz vicenzovo
14 oz mascarpone cheese
4 eggs (separated)
4 oz sugar
2 cups expresso
1 oz cocoa powder
Separate the eggs, beat the egg yolks and sugar together into smooth creamy consistency, add the
mascarpone and fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites. Soak the Vicenzovo with the coffee. Line
the bottom of an oblong mold or pan with half the Vicenzovo and spread over half the cream
mixture. Cover with remaining Vicenzovo and the rest of the cream mixture. Sprinkle cocoa on
the top. Chill until serving.