The Gouda Life

I woke a few weeks back to an email from a fellow food blogger, Barb from Profiteroles and Ponytails, informing me she had nominated/awarded me with the Versatile Blogger Award. What a lovely way to wake up. 

Barb’s take on food is refreshing, convivial and it’s tremendously obvious that she adores cooking (and baking, oh her baking!) home-cooked, soul-soothing meals for her husband and the ponytails (a nickname for her adorable daughters). Thank you, Barb, for sharing the love with me. It’s truly an honour. 

So in true Versatile Blogger spirit, I would also like to share the love (before I share some badass cookies with you!) and nominate a few folks I think are truly deserving of the award. 

 

A Heartful Mouthful; Kaitlin and I have become friends in the last little while and I’m so proud to call such an innovative, talented, well spoken woman my friend. She continually impresses and delights with her culinary prowess and kitchen expertise. Her blog is thoughtfully written, fun to read, and delicious to look at. 

It Ain’t Meat Babe; Jennifer’s blog houses such a superb collection of expertly written vegan recipes, but that aside, the stories she tells make you feel like you’ve been friends with her forever. She’s well spoken and an obviously passionate writer. I am so looking forward to reading more of anything and everything she writes. 

Pretty Plate; One look at Jennifer (yes, another Jennifer. Turns out they are a talented bunch) blog and you’ll see why I’m nominating her. Her blog is beautiful to look at, fun to read, and her recipes are delightfully inspired. 

In order to complete my portion of the Versatile Blogger award, I’m not to tell you 7 things about myself that you might not already know. This is a difficult task for me since I’m typically such an open book. But here is my stab at it… 

1. I have a hard time reading books. 
Books and I, we don’t always see eye to eye. Literally. I am easily distracted by shiny things and find myself reading the same sentence umpteen times before finally absorbing what I’ve actually read. It takes a REALLY good read to draw me in. 

2. I didn’t start cooking until I was about 2007/2008. 
I didn’t really grow up in a family that was mad about food. We did have dinner together as a family most night, but the food wasn’t really the spotlight of our meals (not that it wasn’t delicious! Don’t kill me Mom & Dad!), it was about family. And so, food’s entry into my life has been quick and dirty and passionate. 

3. I’m far too easy to please. 
I sometimes joke that I would make a terrible, complacent food-critic as I tend to just like everything. I can tell if something is under-seasoned, over-cooked, or just plain bad…but there is a pretty good chance I’ll happily eat it anyways. I just love food. In all it’s forms. I imagine this is a result of growing up with a father who, upon finding mold on food, would just cut it off and continue eating. Waste not, want not. Right? No? 

4. I’ve lived in Western Canada twice. 
Never for very long, as my dad pokes fun at me often about. I lived in Fernie, BC and Canmore, AB for about 4 months each time. It’s been an escape of mine when things get tough here at home in Ottawa. I haven’t run away in a long time, but if I were going to again, there is a good chance you could find me in the mountains. 

5. I drink a lot of tea. 
Usually before bed. I drink about 2-3 pots of tea to myself most days. I know full well, while drinking it, that I am going to end up paying for it at 3am, but I can’t help myself. The Toasted Walnut tea from David’s Tea is my most favourite and I am never without it for very long. 

6. I am painfully shy.
Despite my loud and chatty exterior, I am really very shy with new people. I tend to overcompensate for it by awkwardly talking non-stop. Going to new events and networking is something that shakes me right to the core. I’m working on it. 

7. I am a homebody through and through.
I enjoy going out at times and often feel disappointed in myself when I miss events and gatherings when I don’t, but I really just love being at home. Give me a bowl of pasta, a glass (bottle) of wine, and a good movie and I am at my happiest. Add my boyfriend and our 2 cats and dog, and I’m in heaven. Home is truly where my heart is. 

There! Done! 

And now… for the GREAT part. The part I’ve been thinking about all week. Double Chocolate Chili Cookies. You hear that? Let me say it louder. DOUBLE.CHOCOLATE.CHILI.COOKIES. For real. That just happened. 



I got this recipe from Elizabeth of Guilty Kitchen. I doubt there is much I have to tell you about since you and everyone you know already know her and her awe-inspiring blog. She consistently gives me something to work towards. Something to keep raising the bar for. Her photos, her writing, her recipes…they are everything I’d someday like to be. 

These cookies are the Johnny Depp of cookies. They are dark, rugged, and deliciously bad. You want to hoard them all to yourself in a dark room and have your way with them. A few times. And then again in an hour. 

….

Oh no. I think I’ve stopped talking about cookies. I’m sorry. I digress. Make these. As soon as you can. They are spicy, but not enough to make you break a sweat. Just enough. Dark, cocoa-y, gooey and a touch salty from the salted caramel dark chocolate I used in them, they are the perfect companion to a BIG, cold glass of milk. 

Double Chocolate Chili Cookies
adapted from Guilty Kitchen

I used a Mexican chili powder that I got at a natural food store and Camino cocoa powder in the cookies. Use what you like best, but try to use the best quality products you can afford. 

1 1/2 cups pastry flour
1 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, \t room temperature
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
7 oz dark chocolate, cut into small chunks
Pre-heat oven to 375. 

Sift the first 6 ingredients into a medium bowl. 



In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream the butter until fluffy. Add the sugars and  cream until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, and scrape down the sides of the bowl after each is mixed. 

Add half the dry ingredients and mix on lowest speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix again until fully incorporated.

Stir in the chocolate chunks using a sturdy spoon, the batter is quite thick.



At this point you can do one of three things;
1. place the dough in the fridge for 12-24 hours. This helps produce a thicker, chewier cookie.
2. Place batter in the freezer for 1 hour. This isn’t as effective as the fridge method, but it’s what I did and I was happy with the results. 
3. Bake right away. The cookies might be a little on the flat side, but I’m sure they’ll still be delicious.

When you’re ready to bake, roll the dough into golf-ball sized portions and place on a baking sheet.

Bake for 15-17 minutes being very careful not to burn, because they will. Quickly.

Let cool for 10-15 minutes, pour a big glass of milk or tea, and enjoy!  

I decided I didn’t need them all, so decided I would gift a few. Not because I’m nice, but mostly because I’m looking out for my own ass. Literally. 

I haven’t been taking as much time to write lately. Of course, all the normal things that life brings with it tend to stand in the way, but this time it’s something different.

Writers block. My head, knock on it as hard as I may, will not answer. Sometimes I wonder if it’s taken a vacation somewhere wonderful and left me behind to fend for myself. How terribly rude that would be. I have an arsenal of photos and recipes to share but when I sit down, excited to share them with you, I just can’t muster anything. There’s been a lot of “I like to eat…” and “This tastes good…”. And really, you deserve more than that. Especially when I’m sure, or at least semi-sure, I can provide you with something more entertaining than single syllable, unimaginative description of what graced my plate last night.



This morning, rather than laying the guilt trip I’ve been giving myself on any longer, I made a life-sized pot of peppermint tea, set up a nice comfy spot on the couch beside a sleepy black cat, and started to read anything food related that I could. While I certainly was inspired to write, it wasn’t really condusive to what I wanted to talk about. So here I sit, spilling my brainless guts out to you in hope that I’ll eventually get back onto a topic that will lead me to the recipe I want to share today.

However, since that’s not happening and I’m sure I could yammer on all day about how writing isn’t always the easiest of tasks, and how blog writing can be a lot of pressure sometimes, and how I’m sure if I listen hard enough I could hear the crickets who have inhabited my brain, I’ll jump right into the meat it. Which is not the most exact way to describe it, since today I’m talking chili. A meat-less, but still seemingly meaty, chili that’s packed with so many flavours, textures and colours that it makes the addition of meat completely unnecessary. I top mine with a dollop of cinnamon-spiked yogurt for added earthiness and something to tame the spice. 

I also just happened upon a bottle of Muskoka Brewery’s dark Harvest Ale on my way home from work last night. So intead of using the stock I had, I opted for that instead. It gave it a bit more depth and earthiness with just a touch of bitterness. I loved the way it pairs with the smokey flavours. 



Vegetarian Chili with Cinnamon Spiked Yogurt
adapted from 101cookbooks Pierce St Vegetarian Chili

This chili is so easily adaptable to both your personal tastes and whatever you happen to have in your pantry. Don’t like beer? Add stock or water. Don’t like chickpeas? Add black beans. Do what makes your mouth happiest. Afterall, if chili doesn’t make you happy, you’re not doing it right.

I thought I had a can of chipotle peppers at home but it turns out I was wrong. I’m going to call for them anyhow, but in a pinch, a tbsp or two of smoked paprika adds a nice smokey kick.

1 large yellow onion, diced
olive oil
2 shallots, diced or sliced thin
8 cloves of garlic, rough chopped
1-2 tablespoons of ginger, peeled and grated
2 jalapenos peppers, seed and ribs removed and diced fine
2 tsp ground cumin
2-4 tbsp chili power (depending on how much spice you like)
1-2 chipotle peppers (from a can with adobo or dried and rehydrated), chopped
sea salt
1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 750ml (26oz) bottle of favourite dark ale
water
1 can chickpeas
2 cups lentils (I used brown, you can use your favourite or a mixture)
1/3 cup potted barley
1/3 cup bulgur
1 large sweet potato, cut into small cubes
1 cup plain greek yogurt
1 tsp good quality ground cinnamon

Topping options; fresh chopped cilantro, reserved jalapeno, minced red onion, feta cheese, olive oil

Sweat the onions and shallots in some olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once they’ve become translucent, add the garlic, ginger, jalapeno, cumin, chili powder and chipotle peppers. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until everything is very fragrant. Add the can of tomatoes and the beer. Give everything a good stir. At this point, have a taste of the liquid mixture. Add salt to taste and more spices if it’s not hot enough for you.





Bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the chickpeas, lentils, barley and bulgur. Turn heat down to a simmer and let cook for 15-20 minutes. At this point, carefully have another taste for seasoning. Adjust to your liking. Add the cubed sweet potato. If the mixture is becoming too thick, add water 1 cup at a time too thin it out. Cover again and let simmer for another 20-30 minutes.



While cooking, mix yogurt and cinnamon in a small bowl. Refridgerate until ready to serve.

Spoon chili into big bowls and top with yogurt and whatever else your heart desires.



Take a bite and feel your mouth turn up in a toothy grin only a big bowl of chili can provide.



That’s the bite, right there, that makes me supremely happy. Messy, unattractive, spicy and perfect. 

And of course, it tastes even better the next day. I am mowing through bowl #3 in 24 hours.