Eat at our house -- Nov. 18, 2009
Dorothy Eedy Last week three members and a friend motored up to Formosa to attend the baptism of my youngest granddaughter, Larisa.
You might ask, “where is Formosa?” I did when I first heard the name. It is north of Clifford and east of Walkerton. Then you might ask, “Where is Clifford?”
It was several years ago when I first heard the name Clifford, at the time my youngest son lived and worked in Fergus, and he bought a large old house in Clifford. They rented it out at first helping to pay the mortgage but now they have begun to use it as a weekend retreat.
Living in busy downtown Toronto, the two younger kids love the freedom of small town Clifford. It is quite a huge, lovely old house that needs a ton of ITC, and they have furnished the place very tastefully on furniture bought at auctions and garage sales. It is amazing to see lovely mahogany end tables and coffee tables that they have picked up for $6 to $8 and other treasures, once someone's pride and joy. Young couples furnishing a house, this is the way to go if you want to stay solvent.
Back to Formosa. The Immaculate Conception Church, sitting up high off the highway is an extremely impressive site and comes with an amazing fascinating story.
The original church, a small log building, was built by German settlers and the service was held in the German language. This was in 1861 and later the parishioners decided they needed a larger church.
The architect Joseph Connolly, who also designed the lovely church that dominates the Guelph skyline, was engaged to design the Formosa church.
In 1875, using Guelph stone, and all labour by parishioners, as time and money permitted, they built the outside walls encasing the little church inside.
When the outside walls were finished they dismantled the wooden church and took it out the front door. The inside is beautifully adorned and the condition has been kept up, and just recently recarpeted and re-roofed in copper, and an alter erected to the Devine Mercy.
It is certainly one of Canada's heritage buildings and we hope will always be preserved. I could go on and on about the history of this church but time and space doesn't allow. Take time to visit yourself; we travel outside our country to visit great buildings and here is one in our own backyard.
Now back to Clifford where my daughter-in-law's huge Ecuadorean family, our small group, and many friends and neighbours filled the house bringing huge quantities of food and good cheer. The Ecuadoreans sure know how to celebrate, and meeting strangers is certainly a heady experience. One dear elderly neighbour who along with her husband have been wonderful friends to my son and his family, came a sat with me. As usual, we discussed our children and she told me, when I asked, that her kids were all doing fine and went on to tell about the eldest son who’s some sort of a doctor (her words), well known in his field and travels the world discussing his work in stem cell research.
How do I go into talking about recipes after hearing his story.
But I had to tell you my story on finally getting up the courage to make beef bourguignon. This recipe appeared in the Saturday Toronto Star three weeks ago and it intrigued me. As son Strom and Jennette were coming for visit before they take off again for Costa Rica for four months I thought I'd greet them when they arrived with this fabulous meal. Corky Mintz, a long time friend of Sara Polley, served it to her before he put it in his column, which he is writing each Saturday.
This is his adapted version from a Julia Child recipe. Baking time up to three hours. Serve with crusty bread or potatoes.
2 pieces bacon, diced
1 small yellow onion, peeled, finely chopped
1 small carrot, peeled, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled finely chopped
1 pound (450g) lean stewing beef (chuck) cut into 1-inch pieces, patted dry
!/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup red wine
3 sprigs thyme
1 1/2 cups beef stock
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
12 pearl onions,peeled (hard to find)I substituted scallions
1/2 cup button mushrooms, sliced
In large saucepan on high heat, fry bacon until lightly crisp, about seven minutes. Transfer to casserole, lower heat in pan to medium. Using fat from bacon, cook yellow onion, carrot and garlic for about five minutes. Transfer to casserole. Raise heat in pan to high, add beef and brown in batches sprinkle with salt pepper and pinch of flour for each batch, about five minutes per batch, transfer each batch as cooked to casserole.
Add wine. Cook, stirring up browned bits. Transfer to casserole. Add thyme and one cup beef stock to casserole, liquid should cover meat. Cover and cook 2-1/2 hours to three hours until meat is tender and liquid has thickened to a sauce.
Meanwhile for onions, melt tablespoon of butter in saucepan over medium heat, add onions, cook for five minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup stock, reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. For mushrooms, heat one teaspoon butter, add mushrooms, cook until browned, about 10 minutes.
Remove thyme, garnish with pearl onions and mushrooms. Makes three to four servings. I used regular salt, and add more meat and another carrot to make slightly enlarged quantity.