Kalofagas - Greek Food & Beyond » Cake

You Too Can Be a Cake Star!

Peter Minakis — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 15:19:39 +0000

Go to WWW.cakestar.ca

I grew up and live in the east end of Toronto…Scarborough if you will. People in the east end would never go to the west end..unless it was to pass through or go to the airport. I’m sure folks in the west end never visited the east end and that’s just how it is. Both ends of the city have malls, stores for all our needs and rarely is there a reason to head out to another part of the city. Every city also has specialty stores and unique stores that are worth the ride and if you know Toronto – the traffic.

Sisters Barb & Monja

People go to delis, specialty/ethnic grocers or to stores or services that are recognized for being unique, special – worthy of traveling to. I recently drove from Scarborough (northeast) to the opposite end of the city (southwest) to the Kipling/Lakeshore area to attend the grand opening of Cake Star, a new bakery that’s just opened it’s doors. The business may be new but this family-run operation has years of experience behind it and I want you to get familiar with the folks that make it shine.

The two principles of the company are sisters Barbara and Monja. The sisters grew up around food with dad being a Pastry Chef and mom an artist. Barbara also managed the family’s patisserie for 10 years learing the intricacies of business and pastry. Monja tried her hand at personal training, martial arts and freelance make-up for indy films. She must have inherited her mother’s affinity for art and she gravitated to the magic of cake art. Together, Barb and Monja create all the delicious treats in the store: Barbara handles the creation of the base recipes for cakes, cupcakes, etc and Monja looks after the decorating aspect. Beyond the natural bond that sisters have you can see that Barb & Monja bond well, work well and have fun together!

What will you find at Cake Star? Of course the sisters make cakes for any occasion and for those that want something more risqué, there’s a catalog in the shop with some of the sisters XXX creations that are too racy for this blog (we’re a family blog here). ;) The sisters have become Canada’s own Cake Bosses – a reputation earned from some of their more extravagant and ambitious cake designs – as commissioned by some of their customers looking for a special cake for someone’s birthday, stag/stagette, anniversary. If you have an idea about presented a special and most memorable cake for someone special – Barb and Monja will fulfill your request.

Cake Star is more than just about cakes…there’s a whole window display of cupcakes and each time you enter the store you may find a different flavour, there are macarons – the darling little treats from France. There’s miniature treats on a stick – red velvet cakes, mini tiramisu or rumballs…all with the Cake Star twist. I would travel across the city just for their canolis!

Those in the corporate world may want to call Cake Star to order a cake for a special event, gift(s) for clients or ask them to cater dessert for one of your functions. Remember, they have many years of experience plus there’s depth of wisdom with Ma, Pa and another sister also involved in the family business. I first met the sisters this past summer when they broke a world record for the cake with the most layers! Yeah…they can handle pressure!

It is said that a French woman is not only complemented on the food she cooks but also on where she buys her food – including bakeries/patisseries. If you’re going to take a hostess gift with you – it may as well be the best, non? Wanna be a Cake Star yourself? Barb and Monja are now offering decorating classes and there’s even some dates scheduled for kids!

CakeStar Inc.

3431 Lakeshore Blvd., Etobicoke, ON (at Kipling)

email: cakestar@rocketmail.com

Twitter: @CakeStarGirlz

tel: 416-259-9053

“CakeStar“

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© 2011, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

Bits & Bites With Joanne Weir

Peter Minakis — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 18:55:20 +0000

Today’s post is a new feature for my blog…Bits & Bites.

On occasion, I will feature someone, be they Greek or a Philhellene who loves Greek food.

In each edition of Bits & Bites, I’ll introduce our guest, fire off ten food and drink related questions and give you the heads-up on what’s new with the particular personality.

It’s my pleasure to introduce Joanne Weir, a James Beard Award-Winning cookbook author, a chef and TV personality. Joanne also shines when she shares her cooking wisdom with her students. Cooking wisdom? Yeah…world traveler…relishing, absorbing and sharing sights, smells, cooking methods gained from her many travels.

Of particular interest to myself and those who love Greek food is her cookbook, “From Tapas to Meze”.

I recently fired-off ten questions for Joanne, and she even shares a Christmas recipe for us to try:

Q. You have $10 for a quick lunch…where would you go?

A. Saigon Sandwiches on Larkin! OMG, the best!

Q. What was the last meal you cooked at home?

A. Flatbread with spicy handmade sausage.

Q. What dish for you sums-up Greek cuisine?

A. Tzatziki, I could eat all day long!

Q. Your friends are treating you for a dinner at a restaurant – sky’s the limit…where/what would you choose?

A. Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc with all my family and friends. I love the set menu because I can just sit there and I don’t have to make any decisions. And I would have Joe, my darling husband pick the wines. He knows what I love and again I could just sit back and relax.

Q. Sometimes we have long days and we’re too tired to coo. What would you order for take-out or delivery?

A. Spit-roasted chicken and a green salad. I can make my favourite lemon, garlic and extra-virgin olive oil vinaigrette for the salad?

Q. What’s your current favourite ingredient?

A. Rugosa Squash

Q. Is there a holiday recipe that you love and think that everyone should try this year?

A. Cranberry Upside-Down Cake….want the recipe?

Q. Do you have a favourite drink or beverage?

A. Guess the answer to the question…I just wrote a book called Tequila. Maybe because today is cold and rainy, I would have the Buenas Dias! It’s a must!!!!

Q. What’s your favourite store for grocery/food shopping?

A. I’m a farmer’s market and CSA box kinda’ gal. I also go to Whole Foods.

Q. What would your last meal be?

A. Pizza Margherita from da Michele in Naples, Italy.

Q. Joanne, anything else you would like to share…what’s coming up?

A. I am being given a special achievement Tasty Award in the â€œoutstanding passionâ€ category!!!Â Also check out my weeklong hands-on classes.Â My first Â (and already sold out) class will be to the wine countries of South Australia in March.Â My other classes fall 2010 will be to Tuscany and Provence!Â Also look into my classes at my SF studio kitchen where I also shoot my TV show www.joanneweir.com.Â Follow me on twitter (joaneweir1) and facebook.

CRANBERRY UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE (by Joanne Weir)

topping:

4 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 lb. cranberries

cake:

1 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 yolks

1 teaspoon plus a few drops vanilla

1/2 cup milk

2 egg whites

cream of tartar

garnish:

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Butter a 9″ cake pan.Â Melt the 2 ounces butter and brown sugar in the bottom of the cake pan.Â Place the cranberries in the cake pan on top of the melted butter and sugar.

Preheat oven to 350^oF.

Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together.Â Cream the 1/2 cup butter and sugar together in a bowl.Â Add the yolks to the creamed mixture, one at a time, beating well after each addition.Â Add 1 teaspoon vanilla.Â Mix well.Â Add the milk alternately with the dry ingredients to the above batter, folding well after each addition.Â Beat the egg whites to soft peaks.Â Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until the peaks hold their shape.Â Fold the whites into the cake batter.Â Spread the batter over the fruit and bake for approximately 1 hour.Â Test to see that it is done by inserting a skewer or a toothpick into the center of the cake and making sure that it comes out clean.

After the cake has cooled for at least 15 minutes, run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen it.Â Turn the cake over onto a serving platter and let it sit another 5 minutes.Â At this time, remove the pan.Â Serve slices of cake with softly whipped cream flavored with powdered sugar and vanilla.

Serves 8 to 10

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or atÂ http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

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© 2009, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

Ricardo’s Spiced Pear Cake

Peter Minakis — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:52:37 +0000

Up here in Canada, we have our own franchise of The Food Network…are you ready for the name? Food Network Canada.

Us Canadians get to view a diet of American produced shows, some cooking shows from the UK and Down Under and then we round things out with the Canadian produced shows.

One of the Canadian cooking/TV personas is Ricardo Larivee, from Montreal, Quebec where French is the more dominant language. Ricardo’s first language is French and it’s evident when you hear him on the show but who gives a flying-F when the language of food is what matters.

The show is titled “Ricardo and Friends” and in each episode he entertains and lays out a full menu that ends up being enjoyed by his latest entourage of guests. Interspersed in the show are visits by Ricardo to local suppliers like farms, shops and other sources of inspiration for his dishes.

I’ve tried a few of Ricardo’s dishes and they turn out just fine. You’d think in this day and age that everyone would actually test-out and proof a recipe. A tried, tested and true recipe is paramount and Ricardo’s dishes deliver.

Which brings me to the focus of today’s post, Ricardo’s Spiced Pear Cake. Like all food, the dish should catch your eye…I fell in love with this dish when I saw the cross-section of the cake with the pear embedded in it.

The aroma of this cake will warm your kitchen and remind you of mulled spices.

The taste is well, simply satiating. Perfect for an afternoon tea or coffee and those with a seasoned palate will be able to pick out the spices in this easy to make cake that will surely have your guests asking for the recipe.

GO ON…make the cake, share it and enjoy over a coffee with friends. In my opinion, this is a make-ahead cake. Bake it the day before, allow to cool for an hour, DO line the loaf pan with parchment and lift out the cake it.

Transfer to a cooling rack and once cooled, cover overnight. Since the poached pears are denser than the cake, be careful transferring to your serving plate (you don’t want your pears to fall through).

I slid the cake off the parchment and onto the platter, dusted with icing sugar and cinnamon and carefully sliced the cake, giving each person a piece with an exposed pear slice for presentation.

Is it coffee time?

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Pumpkin Bread

Peter Minakis — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:43:31 +0000

It’s October 31st, Halloween and I’m excited about attending a party this evening. It’s one of the few occasions that adults can let loose and be kids again.

Pumpkins are everywhere, in the market, in front of peoples’ homes and of course, in the kitchen.

Earlier this month us Canadians celebrated Thanksgiving and I made a pumpkin pie. I’ve bought ready-made pies from the supermarket but I wanted to try my hand at the real-deal.

I used pumpkin puree (store bought) and made this delicious, easy to make pie, complete with an “in your face” drawing to boot! However, this post isn’t about pumpkin pie but the pumpkin loaf that was made with the leftover puree (recipe to come).

Lori of The Recipe Girl shared her pumpkin loaf and through sheer good timing and fate, her recipe landed on my lap. Lori’s site has a good array of sweet and savory dishes and she often goes beyond her comfort zone and cooks up theme nights focusing on different ethnic cuisines.

Lori’s pumpkin loaf is easy and it’s a wonderful accompaniment to a coffee or just as a plain, slightly decadent snack. It’s moist, it’s quick, it tastes great and if you use mini-loaf forms like I did, great for little gifts.

Lori’s original recipe calls for 45 minutes for baking but my loaf pans were probably the equivalent of 2 muffins and a bit. My pumpkin loaves took a mere 25 minutes. Just be careful with your baking times if using smaller forms.

I just got a big pumpkin from some family friends and I will be surely making more pumpkin bread, some sweet and savory pies from the Greek side things where pumpkin and homemade phyllo meet.

See you next month tomorrow.

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Melomakarona Cheesecake

Peter Minakis — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 15:12:44 +0000

Here in Toronto, I visit our Greektown (locally known as The Danforth) at least once a month. One of the reasons I head down there is to pick up the monthly edition of Gastronomos (included in Kathermerini).

Gastronomos keeps me posted on new developments in Greek cookery and the issue is always good for resurrectingÂ an old classic or updating one for comtemporary tastes.

Each month, a cooking focus is conducted on a Greek classic and four or five “twists” are applied using the dish’s base ingredients. The Christmas issue offered twists on Melomakarona.

Melomakarona are a traditional honey and walnut cookie that are spiced with cinnamon and cloves and finally dunked in a syrup. They last a long time and on occasion, some remain after the holidays.

The idea of using Melomakarona came from Greece’s famous pastry chef, Stelios Paliaros. I was smitten with this notion of using up leftover Melomakarona as a base for a cheesecake.

I used a basic recipe for a baked cheesecake where half the amount of cream cheese was used and the richness of the cheesecake wasn’t compromised.

This recipe is also an answer to Greek homemakers who seem to always be stuck using Digestive or Petit Beurre cookies as a cheesecake base. For some reason, graham cracker cookies are hard to find in Greece. My question is, why not use Melomakarona cookies for a cheesecake base?

For those living outside of Greece, one can always make a batch of Melomekarona and if you’re concerned about their availablity, most Greek bakeries sell them all year ’round.

Making this Melomakarona cheesecake did not go without debate. Us Greeks are a passionate folk and my mom and I had long debated whether this cheesecake would work or not.

The excuse to make this cheesecale was set…my mom’s hometown friends were over for dinner. The purpose for the recipe was to use up leftover Melomakarona from Christmas. The result…a table-full of pleasantly surprised and delighted Greek-Canadian immigrants who adored the Cheesecake with a Melomakarona base.

Melomakarona Cheesecake

9 in. springform pan

Crust

1/4 stick of unsalted butter, melted

1 1/3 cups of ground Melomakarona cookies

Filling

2 8oz. bricks of cream cheese, softened

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 pint of Greek yogurt

zest of 1 orange

splash of vanilla extract

coarsely ground walnuts

ground cinnamon to taste

Pre-heated 325F

In a food processor, add your Melomakarona cookies and pulse into a medium ground. Add into a mixing bowl and add your melted butter and mix until the crumbs are entirely coated by the butter.
Lightly coat the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan and place your ground Melomakarona crumbs on the bottom and press the cookie crumbs down using the bottom of a measuring cup or a smoothglass bottom. Place in the fridge so that the crust sets.
For the filling, add your softened cream cheese in a bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer on low speed for a minute (until smooth and no lumps). Add the eggs, one at a time and contineue to beat slowly. Add the sugar gradually and beat until creamy, for another minute or two.
Add the Greek yogurt, orange zest and vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters on occasion until the batter is well-mixed but not overbeaten. Pour the cream cheese filling into the crust-lined springform pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
Place the springform on a large piece of aluminum foil and fold the sides up around it. Place the cake in a roasting pan and carefully pour boiling water into the roasting pan (about halfway up the the cake). Bake for 60 to 75 minutes (middle rack) or until the cheesecake just slightly jiggles. Allow to cool in pan to room temperature.
Cover and place in the fridge for at least four hours before serving. Loosen the springform pan and carefully remove the cheesecake and place on a serving plate.
Drizzle some honey or simple syrup (from making candied orange peel). Grind some walnuts in a food processor with some cinnamon and sprinkle on top of the cheesecake. Serve a dollop or rosette of whipped cream and top with a candied orange peel.
Use a sharp knife dipped in a glass of hot water when slicing each wedge of cake.

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© 2009 – 2011, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.