Place steaks in cold water overnight. The next day, pat dry and season
with salt, pepper and paprika. In a skillet, quickly brown steaks with
butter or oil. Remove meat from skillet and set aside. Sauté onion and
garlic until transparent and add remaining ingredients. Place meat in
heavy roast pan and pour onion mixture over it. Cover and cook in a 350F
oven for 2 hours or until meat is tender. Remove spice bag and bay leaves.
Thicken liquid with flour and water. Serve.

Melt or heat bacon fat or oil in cast iron saucepan. Stuff the 2 cloves of
garlic, cut in two, into incisions made in the veal. Place the meat in the
hot fat and brown well on all sides. Don’t rush this as the colour and
flavour of the finished gravy will depend on how well the meat has been
browned. Add the thyme or savory and the bay leaf. Place the potatoes and
onions, whole around the meat. Don’t add any liquid. Cover tightly and cook
over medium heat till meat is tender, about 2 hours. The potatoes and
onions will not break as there is no liquid added. The veal will make its
own gravy. When cooked, remove the meat from the pan to a heated platter.
Place the pan over high heat and stir gently, so as not to break up the
vegetables. When they are well coated with gravy, boil another minutes or
so till the gravy has a nice consistency. This is a complete meal.

“The Home Cook Book , published in Toronto in 1879, included a recipe for
Toronto pie. Although continuing as a family favorite, the name slipped
into disuse during the intervening years. A delicate, hot-milk sponge cake
split and filled with raspberry jam, Toronto Pie belongs in the same
family as Boston cream pie.”
During my 30+ years living in Toronto, I have never heard of this cake.

Grease a 9 inch round layer cake pan and line with wax paper. Combine
scalded milk and butter.

Sift or blend together flour, baking powder and salt. Beat 2 eggs until
very light and fluffy. Gradually beat in granulated sugar and vanilla.

With mixer at high speed beat eggs and sugar for 1 minute. Fold in dry
ingredients and then stir in hot milk mixture. Turn into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated 350F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until cake springs
back when lightly touched.

Cool in pan. When almost cool, loosen edges and remove from pan. Split
into two layers, sandwich together with raspberry jam and sprinkle icing
sugar on top.

Prepare pastry. Roll out thinly on floured surface. Cut into rounds with
4″ round cutter. Fit into medium-sized muffin cups. Combine all
ingredients except raisins; mix well. Put raisins into pastry shells,
dividing evenly. Fill 2/3 full with syrup mixture. Bake on bottom shelf at
425F for 12 to 15 minutes or just until set. DON’T OVER BAKE. Over baking
makes them runnier! Cool on wire rack, then remove from pans.
SERVINGS: 12

La salade de choux de la Mere Superieure

From Mme Benoit, “The Mother Superior at the village convent would prepare
this recipe from special guests. Many people still make this cabbage salad
with sour cream.”

Mix together in a large bowl, grated cabbage, minced onion, salt and
grated apples.
Mix together sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper and thick sour cream.
Refrigerate the salad and dressing for 20 minutes before serving. Then
pour the dressing over the cabbage, mix well, and salt for salt and
vinegar.

Tetes de Violon a l’Ail

The tiny, curled fronds of fern, which have gained a reputation as one of
Canada’s national foods, come in a large part from the Matapedia River
valley. At Auberge La Coulee Douce in Causapcal, Suzanne Couisneau likes
to steam fiddleheads, then season then with garlic sauce.

Shake fresh fiddleheads in a paper bag until brown skins come off;
discard skins. Steam fresh or frozen, unthawed, fiddleheads until just
tender. Meanwhile, heat butter in heavy frying pan and saute garlic and
shallots until softened. Blend in soya sauce, sugar and wine. Add steamed
fiddleheads, turning to coat them well in sauce. Serve at once.
SERVES:4

Mix the brown sugar, flour, butter and cream. Pour the mixture into an
uncooked pie crust, covering the top with woven strips of pastry dough, if
desired.
Bake at 400F for about 30 minutes.

Roll out pastry and fit into 9″ pie plate, trim and flute edges. In bowl,
blend sugar, flour and salt. In separate bowl using electric mixer, beat
eggs and yolk till frothy; beat in milk and vanilla. Stir egg mixture into
sugar mixture till smooth. Bake in 400F oven for 10 minutes; reduce to 350F
and bake for about 35 minutes or till crust is golden brown and filling is
set. Let cool on rack.

Les Frises Vinaigrette et Leurs Pousses Vertes

Strawberries need not be confined to dessert, says Denis Pelletier, chef
at Restaurant Le Mouilin de St. Laurent on Ile d’Orleans. The island is
one of the province’s lushest strawberry-growing areas. The chef suggests
serving this colourful salad with a semi-soft cheese as St. Nectaire.

Make a salad dressing by combining vinegar, oil and water. Add chopped
shallots and pepper to taste. Arrange sliced strawberries in a spiral
formation on the spinach and drizzle with the dressing.

SERVES:6