Cafe Maplethorpe Blog :: PEI Restaurant

I received an interesting birthday present from my husband.

It was a subscription to Sirius Satellite Radio. But I am starting to wonder if he bought the present for himself or for me.

See, because I am a chef I spend most of my time in the kitchen. One of the things I miss about the USA is ‘A Prairie Home Companion.’ PHC is a radio show hosted by Garrison Keillor and broadcast across the USA on National Public Radio every Saturday night. I have been listening for years, maybe decades. Saturday evenings would always find me near a radio, listening to the show. Until we moved to Canada, that is.

The show is broadcast while I am preparing the Saturday evening supper. I can listen to it on the Internet, but the kitchen is no place for a laptop, so I usually miss the Saturday night broadcast and try to listen later in the week. I find this difficult and frankly, it just isn’t the same. And the idea of downloading a podcast of the show and listening on an I-Pod while jogging or something is downright depressing.

So I mentioned once–only ONCE–to hubby that it would be nice to be able to hear Garrison’ Keillor’s show in the kitchen on Saturday nights while I am working. That was it…just thinking out loud. Who knew he would be listening?

So on my birthday some weeks later there was no gift. “It’s coming,” Jim said convincingly. “You are really going to like it.” Time went by. Then last Friday Jim came home from town all excited carrying a little box. Sirius Satellite Radio! The best gift EVER. The solution to my longing for my favorite radio show. Happiness would reign in the kitchen on Saturday nights.

But first there was an antenna to install and wires to string around the cabinet tops and shelves. We needed speakers. We needed a place for the tiny controller. Jim was having a great time on a ladder figuring all this out while Shirley and I were trying to work underneath.

Finally installed, Jim turned it to his favorite station, Las Vegas Traffic. Being half deaf, he turned it up LOUD. I gave it a good ten minutes before  I protested mildly about his choice of stations. He turned it to Patriot Radio, the crazy ranting of the Tea Baggers just before election day. No thanks. Next station to catch his eye…Willie Nelson Radio. All Willie, all the time. I could see that this wasn’t going to work out–bad radio, volume too loud, Jim hanging around while we were trying to work. No, no, no.

With a few harsh words I banished Jim from the kitchen and turned the stupid thing off.

A few days later, alone, I took a look at the available stations. There is some nice stuff. A station that only plays music from the 1940′s and reminds me of home growing up where my dad would play phonograph records of the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and he and mom would sometimes dance in the living room. I tried to listen to the BBC but couldn’t understand much of the show that was on. I didn’t realize how much I missed those nut-jobs on Car Talk until I heard the show again. And on Saturday night during the supper service I was able to listen to A Prairie Home Companion right in my Maritime kitchen, sang along to some sweet gospel music and got caught up on the news from Lake Woebegone.

Shirley muttered that she would sooner listen to Willie Nelson but I didn’t pay much attention. You either get it or you don’t. It is a pretty good birthday present if I can keep my husband out of the kitchen and away from the dial.

As I have mentioned before, having been raised an American, I tend to evaluate most things by the measure of “how we did it in the USA.” Can’t help it. Now that I have lived in Canada for several years, though, it is becoming easier to conclude that one way, either the Canadian or American, works best for me, depending on the issue.

As for Veteran’s Day, or Remembrance Day as it is called here, Canada does it better. Way better. The stores are closed. The schools are closed. The radio and Canadian television have special programming for the day. It is truly a national day for remembering those who served and reflecting on their sacrifice.

So, I’ll retire my poppy for 2010 at the senataph at 11:00 am. And I’ll think about my father who served in WWII, my husband’s father who also served, and those we know who have served or are still serving–including a son in active duty.

Thank you all.

Remembrance Day Poppy

It is early November and it has been raining for days here on Prince Edward Island. Unseasonably warm as well. Despite the weather, the Christmas craft fairs are starting to pop up all over and the stores couldn’t get rid of the Halloween junk fast enough to make way for the Christmas decorations. Here at the restaurant we are regularly booking Christmas parties and so, ready or not, we begin our holiday baking.

One of the most popular desserts at Maplethorpe is our Sticky Date Pudding.

We serve it year ’round, but it seems like a great Christmas stand-in for fruit cake or the fabled “Christmas Pudding” Mrs. Bob Cratchit so fussed over in Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol.  Our Sticky Date Pudding is glorious and also gluten-free, but yours can be made with plain white or whole wheat flour if you prefer.

Ingredients:

500 g dates (or 2 cups packed)

2 cups water

2 tablespoons butter, room temperature

3 eggs

1/4 cup molasses

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 and 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup flour (gluten-free blend, white, whole wheat, etc.)

Method:

The dates and water go into a sauce pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the dates have absorbed all the water. Be careful not to scorch or burn it. I usually get a good boil going for a few minutes then turn off the heat and let the dates absorb the water. This takes a bit longer than boiling and stirring until the water is completely absorbed, but there is less chance of burning and I don’t have to stand at the stove for 20 minutes.

Whichever method you choose, let the mixture cool completely before proceeding.

I really like the Golden Boy dates from Costco. They come in a two-pack of 1-kg blocks and a half block is perfect for 1 recipe–just cut the block in half and break it up before putting it in the sauce pan.

Once the plumped dates are cool, put them in the bowl of a mixer and add all the other ingredients. Just dump everything in. Easy, eh? (Don’t tell anyone!) Mix with the paddle attachment for not more than 2 minutes-it will be well mixed by then. The batter will be very wet and maybe a bit lumpy from a few large chunks of dates.

Now you have to decide how you want to bake them.

silicon mold for baking

We use a silicon mold (affectionately called ‘the C Cup’) and this recipe makes exactly 12. You could use 6-ounce ramekins and the recipe will yield about 6. Or you can put it in a 2-quart casserole dish-or a pudding mold, if you have one-and cut slices or wedges out of the pan. Whatever you choose, grease it or spray with cooking spray before transferring the batter.

Bake at 325* (F), 25 minutes for the 12-serving mold, 35 minutes for 6 oz. ramekins and slightly longer for a larger pan. The pudding is ready when it is is firm to the touch but you are still able to make a dent with a finger poke. Cool completely before removing from the pan.

Serve Like a Pastry Chef

We serve our Sticky Date Pudding warmed slightly (40 seconds in the microwave) atop a disc of vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce and a bit of whipped cream on top. You’ll get rave reviews! But of course if you don’t want to bother, just come down to Cafe Maplethorpe and let us serve you a warm pudding and a cup of tea. Or call and order a 6-pack of already cooked individual Sticky Date Puddings to reheat and serve in your home. Happy Holidays!

Cafe Maplethorpe's Sticky Date Pudding

My world lost a great guy on this day in 1993.

Still miss you, Dad.