Le Petit Déjeuner: Belgian-Style Brunch

There’s no mistaking the location of this little cafe on a quiet Sunday. The crowds stretch outside the door, eagerly awaiting for booths to open up as satisfied customers leave with contented smiles and full tummies. Le Petit Déjeuner is definitely the place to be on King East for brunch, and countless others know it, so be prepared. Once inside, the place charms, with high ceilings, exposed brick and walls painted in a kaleidoscope of crayola colours. The seating is comfy with bright green booths and wooden tables crowned by funky red and yellow light fixtures. The staff are warm and welcoming and the menu offers an extensive selection of brunch and breakfast favourites, including six kinds of light and crispy Brussels-style waffles, five types of 'Eggs Benny and Friends', an assortment of crêpes and omelettes, as well as fluffy and delicious eggy fried bread — aka french toast — organic berry granola and plenty of delicious side dishes such as potato rösti, peameal bacon, homemade sausage terrine, fish cakes and bagels with cream cheese. A hidden gem in the St Lawrence Market neighbourhood, Le Petit Déjeuner is also open for lunch during weekdays with family-style roast dinner every Sunday night.

The quaint colourful and comfortably casual interior of Le Petit Déjeuner

Quirky 1950's-style lighting and assortment of flea market finds add a whimsical ambiance 

 An extensive list of coffees, loose leaf teas, hot chocolate, chai and apple cider make a heartwarming start to breakfast or brunch

Three Cheese Omelette with swiss, goat’s and cheddar cheese mixed with fine herbs and served with toast and apple coleslaw

Eggs Benny with pea meal bacon, potato rösti and apple coleslaw

Mixed Fruit Salad

Eggy Fried Bread with caramelized french toast with fresh fruit, maple syrup and chantilly cream

Eggs Benjamin 'Florentine' with house-smoked salmon, spinach, potato rösti and apple coleslaw

www.petitdejeuner.ca

Buttermilk Apple Pancakes
Serves 4
Recipe courtesy chef Johan Maes

1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 large egg
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 Golden Delicious apple, cored and cut into 1/4-inch dice
3 tsp unsalted butter
4 tsp icing sugar
Maple syrup and butter for serving


Line a baking tray with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the egg and buttermilk, then add to the flour mixture along with the apples. Quickly stir to form lumpy batter, being careful not to over mix.

Heat a large, non-stick frying pan over medium heat until hot. Swirl in 1 teaspoon of butter into the pan. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into the pan and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to baking sheet and  keep warm in preheated 275°F oven. Repeat until all the batter is used up, and serve sprinkled with icing sugar and little pots of butter and maple syrup.

Wild Mushroom Tagliatelle with Marsala Cream Sauce

Any recipe that features wild mushrooms gets my attention, and especially if they're combined with cream and a little cognac or Marsala, it becomes a rich and powerful flavour combination that can be the foundation for a host of fabulous dishes. Delicious served over any grilled meat or tossed with pasta, a fine Wild Mushroom & Marsala Cream Sauce is an indispensable part of many cooks culinary arsenal. An earthy combination of assorted wild mushrooms makes the sauce richer and more flavourful - varieties like shiitake, morelles, cremini, oyster, chanterelles, enoki or even shimeji - my new discovery.

Shimeji are attractive speckled brown capped mushrooms, 

that are similar to enokii mushrooms both in texture and flavour

Shimeji mushrooms are the third most popular mushroom in Japan, after shiitake and enoki. They're also called 'beech mushrooms' because they often grow on fallen beech trees, and with a white base and cracked, speckled brown caps, shimeji are attractive little mushrooms. Surprisingly they have no aroma, but once cooked, they have a smooth and crunchy texture like enoki, with a buttery and nutty flavour, and together with some shiitake and cremini mushrooms, became the foundation of my Wild Mushroom Tagliatelle.

A French shallot finely diced and sautéed in butter and olive oil,  

and because it's made with love, it's shaped like a heart!

The sauce starts with minced shallots sautéed in a live butter and olive oil until they become fragrant and translucent. Finely sliced shiitake and cremini mushrooms are then added and seasoned with salt and pepper. Once they've browned sufficiently, the shimeji are added along with some fresh thyme.

Sliced cremini and shiitake mushrooms are added to the shallots

Then shimeji mushrooms and fresh thyme are added

Rich, creamy and completely addictive, 

Boursin was the secret ingredient in my Wild Mushroom Tagliatelle

Add some cream and marsala for fat and flavour

Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano is another essential component to an exceptional Wild Mushroom Cream Sauce, and I used some that I had brought back recently from Emilia-Romagna, both in the sauce as well as in a bowl for garnishing the pasta once it was served.

Parmigiano-Reggiano from the Dumani familiy's 'caseificio' 

in Emilia-Romagna, which found it's way back from our recent trip to Italy!

Tagliatelle with Wild Mushroom & Marsala Cream Sauce with Boursin

Serves 2

3 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

1 french shallot, peeled and minced

8 oz crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced

8 oz shiitake mushroom, thinly sliced

8 oz shimeji mushrooms, ends trimmed

1 cup 10% cream

1/4 cup Marsala, or to taste

6 sprigs fresh thyme

3 tbsp Boursin - Garlic & Fine Herbs

1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Kosher salt and black pepper

12 oz dried Tagliatelle pasta

Maldon salt for garnish

In a large skillet, heat the butter and oil over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted, add the shallot and sauté for about 8-10 minutes, until the onion is translucent and tender. Add the sliced cremini and shiitake mushrooms and sauté 3-4 minutes, until the mushrooms are lightly browned. Then add the shimeji mushrooms and sauté for about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add a glug of marsala and cook for 3-4 minutes allowing the mixture to reduce. Then stir in the heavy cream, boursin and thyme. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the mushroom sauce for 10 minutes or so, stirring frequently. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Bring a large pot of water to boil and once bubbling, add the noodles and cooked according to the instructions on the package. Once done, add the pasta to the sauce and toss to coat. Add a handful of Parmigiano to the sauce and stir to combine. If the sauce is too thick, add some hot pasta water. Serve in warmed dinner bowls and garnish with some sprig of fresh thyme, a grind of black pepper and a sprinkle of Maldon salt.

Pan Seared Tilefish with Wild Mushrooms & Asparagus

Few fish in the ocean are as delectable as fresh tilefish. Often called 'poorman’s lobster,' tilefish is lean, mild and mouth-wateringly delicious. One of the best techniques for cooking firm white fleshed fish is pan-searing. Cooked for exactly the right amount of time, searing locks in moisture and flavour, and as the flesh turns opaque and starts to flake, it's done. Tilefish doesn't fall apart like some other white fish and stays exceptionally firm and moist, with the skin crisping up beautifully in the hot pan. This fragrant and aromatic dish compliments the fish’s delicate flavour with woodsy shiitake and cremini mushrooms, fresh green asparagus and sweet yellow onions, bathed in a rich and buttery chicken stock reduction and finished with a flurry of chives or micro greens. Grouper, halibut, sea bass or black cod would make good substitutes if you can't find tilefish, but it's is an exceptionally rich and voluptuous fish, and well worth the search.



Pan Seared Tilefish with Wild Mushrooms, Asparagus & Onions
Serves 2

2 6 oz fresh tilefish fillets, scaled with skin on 
4 small new potatoes, boiled and cut in half
1/2 lb asparagus, trimmed and sliced diagonally into 2-inch pieces
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
1 cup cremini mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
2 small yellow onions, peeled and julienned
3 tbsp olive oil
5 tbsp butter 
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 bunch chives, chopped


Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Stir in one tablespoon of butter, reduce the heat to low and cook until the mushrooms are lightly browned and the pan is dry, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, transfer to a medium saucepan and set on low heat to keep warm.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the skillet. Add the onions and cook over medium-low heat, stirring a few times until lightly browned for about 8 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper then add to the mushrooms. In the same skillet, quickly sauté the asparagus spears over high heat for two minutes.  Then add to the mushrooms with the new potatoes together with the chicken stock. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until the vegetables are warmed through, seasoning with salt and pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Season the tilefish fillets with salt and pepper and sear, skin side down, until the skin is browned and crisp, about 3 minutes. Turn the fillets over, and cook another minute until the fish is just cooked through.

Stir in half of the chopped chives into the vegetables and stir to combine.To serve, divide the vegetable mixture among 2 pre-warmed plates and set a tilefish fillet on top. Garnish with the remaining chives and serve at once.

A St Paddy's Day Feast: Irish Bangers & Colcannon

With visions of Savannah dancing in my head, I came across this fabulous recipe from Chef Michael Semancik of 700 Drayton at The Mansion on Forsyth Park, where we plan on dining during an upcoming trip to 'the belle of the south' in a few months. With an enviable reputation for low country cuisine, I hadn't realized that Savannah takes St Patrick's Day very seriously, with a grand parade that marches through town starting and ending at gorgeous Forsyth Park, where the acclaimed restaurant overlooks. “I think we’re probably the closest to the parade route,” explains Chef Michael Semancik. “It basically starts behind us with the setup and kind of wraps around the hotel”. He prepares for an Irish breakfast of Guinness-Braised Bangers and Bacon which starts at 6:30am and finishes up with a thematic dinner that will feature an Irish Boil with Corned Beef and Cabbage in addition to a luscious Lamb and Guinness Stew. 




Irish Bangers with Cocannon & Guinness Gravy
Serves 4-6
Recipe courtesy Chef Michael Semancik, 700 Drayton, Savannah

1 lb potatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 lb bacon, cut into 1 inch slices
Pepper to taste
1 tbsp butter
1/4 small head cabbage, thinly sliced
4 green onions, sliced
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp oil
1 lb Irish or English bangers
1 large onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tsp thyme, chopped
2 tbsp flour
1 bottle Guinness
2 tbsp mustard
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp sour cream
Milk to taste


Bring some water to boil, add the potatoes and simmer until fork tender, about 20-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large pan over medium heat until it renders, about 3-5 minutes. Season with pepper, add the butter and cook until it foams, about a minute. Add the cabbage, mix to coat and let cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the green onions, cook for 5 minutes, season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Heat the oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add the sausage and cook until golden brown, about 2-4 minutes per side, and set them aside.

Add the onions and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and saute until fragrant, about a minute. Sprinkle in the flour and let it cook for a few minutes. Add the Guinness, mustard and Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar along with the sausage and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the sausage and continue to simmer to reduce by half about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the butter, sour cream and milk into the colcannon until you get your favorite mashed potatoes consistency. Divide the colcannon between 4 plates, top with sausages and cover in gravy.




Lamb & Guiness Stew
Serves 8-10
Recipe courtesy Chef Michael Semancik, 700 Drayton, Savannah

1/2 lb smoked sliced bacon, diced
6 lb boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 large yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 cup water
4 cups homemade beef stock or use canned
2 tsp sugar
4 cups carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 large yellow onions, peeled and sliced
3 lb potatoes, peeled, quartered, and cut into ½-inch pieces
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup dark lager, Guinness or New Castle recommended
Chopped parsley, for garnish


Using a large frying pan, sauté the bacon. Reserve the fat and the bacon.

In a large mixing bowl, place the lamb, salt, pepper and flour. Toss to coat the meat evenly.

Reheat the frying pan. In batches, toss the meat in the flour to coat evenly, then brown in the reserved bacon fat. If you run out of fat, use a little oil. Transfer the browned meat to a 10-quart stove top casserole, leaving about 1/4 cup of fat in the frying pan. Add the garlic and yellow onion to the pan and sauté until the onion begins to colour a bit. Deglaze the frying pan with 1/2 cup of water and add the garlic-onion mixture to the casserole, along with the reserved bacon pieces, beef stock and sugar. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, or until tender.

Add the carrots, onions, potatoes, rosemary, bay leaf and lager to the pot and simmer, covered, for about another 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Check for salt and pepper before serving. Top with the parsley garnish before serving.

Broccoli, Onion & Bacon Frittata with Cheddar

The frittata is an Italian dish that makes good use of whatever ingredients you have on hand. A well-made frittata is one of the world’s most perfect foods. It’s cheap, quick-cooking, and an efficient vehicle for leftovers — not to mention equally delicious at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Similar to an omelette or crustless quiche, the frittata has many variations and can be enriched with ingredients such as meats, cheeses, vegetables or pasta. This light and fluffy Broccoli, Onion and Bacon Frittata with Cheddar was easy and delicious, taking advantage of a lonely head of broccoli, bacon, onion, roasted red pepper and large eggs that were on hand and were calling out to be made into a quick dinner. Any kind of cheese could be used, and if I had any mushrooms, they would have added too. Using a non-stick pan is the secret to the perfect frittata, and customizing it to your favourite ingredients makes it an ideal lazy dinner.

Frittata ingredients all whisked together in a mixing bowl

Poured into a non-stick pan and topped with sliced tomatoes

Cooked on the stove for 30 minutes then baked for 25 minutes at 350°F

Serve with a nice cold wine like this delicious 2013 Pinot Grigio from Venezia

A small Greek salad was a nice side dish to the frittata

Broccoli, Onion & Bacon Frittata with Cheddar

Serves 4

7 large eggs

6 slices of bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1 head of broccoli, broken into small florets

1 small onion, finely diced

1/4 cup roasted red pepper, diced

2 cups grated cheddar

2 small hot house tomatoes, sliced

salt and pepper to taste

Sauté bacon in a non-stick pan over medium high heat until lightly crisp, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the cooked bacon and drain on paper towel, reserving the fat in the pan. Add the chopped onion and sauté in the bacon fat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli florets to the onion and continue to cook for another 3 minutes, then remove from the heat and spoon into a bowl to let cool.

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until well combined. Season with salt and  pepper to taste. Once the onion-broccoli mixture has cooled down, add to the eggs along with the bacon, red pepper and grated cheddar. Pour the mixture into the non-stick pan and top with sliced tomatoes. Cook the frittata uncovered on the stove top on medium for about 20-30 minutes until the bottom and sides become firm — the top will still be jiggly. Then place the frittata uncovered in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden brown and cooked through. 

Penne Arrabbiata with Sausage, Peppers & Basil

This hearty pasta sauce is a robust variation of the classic Italian Penne all'arrabbiata, a spicy Roman sauce of garlic, tomatoes, basil and red chiles cooked in olive oil. Penne Arrabbiata literally translates as angry pasta due to the abundance of chile peppers, but I also like to add chopped onions, hot Italian sausages, peppers and crushed fennel seeds which makes the sauce even angrier. Traditionally, penne rigate is used for this dish, which are small, ridged tubes of pasta cut diagonally at the ends, but ziti also works just as well. Quick and easy to make, this full flavoured Penne Arrabbiata with Italian sausage, peppers and basil is delicious with a traditional grating of pecorino, but is also quite fabulous with fresh ricotta and a little lemon zest.




Penne Arrabbiata with Italian Sausage, Peppers & Basil
Serves 6-8

2 lb Penne Rigate 
2 lb hot Italian sausage
3 tbsp olive oil
3 sweet red bell peppers, cleaned and thinly sliced
1 cup finely chopped yellow onions
1 cup red wine
1 cup of water
4 cups homemade or good quality tomato sauce
6 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
1 tbsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp red chiles, crushed
salt and pepper
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup freshly grated Pecorino or Ricotta
thyme sprigs or lemon zest for garnish


Pierce the sausages all over with the tines of a fork and place in a large pot with 1/2-inch of water and simmer over medium heat, for about 20 minutes. Eventually the water will run dry and the sausages will begin to fry in their own fat. Turn them occasionally and cook for another 10 minutes, or until they're well browned. Remove them from the pot and drain on paper towel.

Pour the fat out of the pot, then set over low heat. Add the olive oil and onions and cook, covered, for 25 minutes. Add the peppers and raise the heat to medium, and cook uncovered for 5 more minutes, stirring often. Add the wine, tomato sauce, water, oregano and season with salt, pepper and red chiles to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the sausages into 1/2-inch thick rounds. Once the sauce has simmered 30 minutes, add the sausages and fennel seeds and simmer, uncovered for another 20 minutes. 

While the sauce is cooking, bring water to boil in a large pot. Add salt and add the penne rigate or ziti, and cook until tender but firm. Drain and set aside. Add the basil and chopped garlic to the sauce and simmer another 5 minutes. Serve immediately over the hot pasta and garnish with fresh grated pecorino or ricotta, and garnish with sprigs of thyme.

Spaghettini al Pomodoro e Basilico

What better way to celebrate the full flavours of spring than with pasta bathed in homemade tomato sauce spiked with an aromatic punch of fresh basil. I love to find ways of using our homemade 'Mamma Styles' tomato sauce that we make each autumn, and this recipe is one of the more delicious ways to enjoy the fruits of our labour. Topped with a sprig of fresh basil and a generous sprinkle of grated pecorino, there's no better way to ward off the last vestiges of winter, and open our culinary hearts to spring.




Spaghettini al Pomodoro e Basilico
Serves 4

1 package dried Spaghettini pasta
4 cups quality Tomato Sauce, preferably homemade like 'Mamma Styles'
1/4 cup red wine
1 bunch fresh basil, washed and dried
1 cup grated Pecorino


Start to boil water in a large pot. Place the tomato sauce and wine in a small saucepan over medium heat, and gently simmer until warmed through. Cover and keep warm. 

Add the dried pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente, according to the manufacturer's instructions. While the pasta is cooking, julienne about 10 basil leaves and select 4 attractive sprigs for garnish. Drain the spaghettini into a colander, reserving 1 cup of pasta water, return the pasta to the pot and toss with the tomato sauce and chopped basil. Spoon a tablespoon or two of pasta water to the sauce and gently mix to combine. 

Serve the pasta as large nests in pre-warmed dinner bowls: using a large fork, twirl a portion of spaghettini and cradle in a large spoon or small bowl until it forms a nest-like shape, then place in each serving bowl. Garnish each 'nidi' with a sprig of basil and serve immediately with a bowl of grate pecorino on the side.