General Tso Chicken with Sweet and Sour Sauce and Noodles

"What do you feel like having for dinner?" asks Raul.

"Pizza," replies Drew.

"We still have two thawed chicken breasts from yesterday," notes Raul.

"Bbq?" says Drew hopefully.

"Pho?" counters Raul. "No. Let's save that for winter. Something heartier. A stir fry."

"Sounds delicious," says Drew.

Raul slices the chicken breasts into strips and then rolls them in corn starch and then fries them until they brown. "The corn starch acts as an adherent," he explains. "When I add them to the:

Sweet and Sour Sauce: 
2 tablespoons of rice vinegar, two tablespoons of white sugar 
2 tablespoons of soya sauce, 
2 tablespoons of water 
1 squirt of ketchup
1 teaspoon of hot chili sauce

it will coat them perfectly."

Raul stir fries onion slices, red pepper strips, sliced mushrooms and thawed frozen vegetables (cauliflower, carrot and broccoli). He layers the serving bowls with noodles, the chicken, the stir fried vegetables, pours the sweet and sour sauce on top, and then sprinkles with chopped green onions. "Stir it all together," he suggests to Drew.

Drew does and it is even better than pizza.

Basil Chicken wrapped in Bacon, Greek Potatoes, Peas and Bean Salad

Raul buys bacon on extreme sale and is horrified at how fatty it is, not a bargain at all. It sits in the fridge but has to be used creatively at some point. He thaws some chicken breasts and layers them with a thick layer of basil from the balcony - the season is sadly ending but there is still a large crop growing - and then wraps them in bacon. He bakes them at the same time (350 degrees) as the Greek potatoes from food.com that have become a favourite. The bacon bakes up crispy and the chicken - being wrapped in all that fat - is moist and flavourful. A few grinds of Spicy Garlic and the taste explodes.

"The bacon was a disappointment but the chicken is magnificent," admits Raul.

"Not as great as the pork loin," notes Drew. "But then it was bbq'ed and not baked. That was before we started the blog but it was one of your greatest successes so you should really make it again and we'll document it."

As much as Raul hates to repeat himself, he entertains the idea.

BBQ'ed Steak Sandwich with Nuclear Macaroni Salad

Raul is suffering from either a cold or allergies and rather than further inflict his misery and moans on Drew and the dog, he turns to extreme comfort food: a grilled cheese sandwich (made with processed cheese slices) and Kraft Dinner. "Isn't cheese bad for increasing phlegm," says Drew with concern.

"I don't care," mutters Raul. "It makes me feel better."

Raul isn't able to consume all the Kraft Dinner so he stashes the remains in the fridge for future use. By lunchtime he is feeling hungry and like having something more substantial. There are some eye of round steaks that Drew found on sale in the freezer and Raul thaws them, pounds them and coats them with his favourite spice mix (paprika, Greek oregano, pepper and garlic powder). He caramelizes onions and red peppers, and sends Drew to the Milk Mart for crusty buns. And then he has a moment of inspiration: turning the leftover Kraft Dinner into a salad. He adds chopped celery, red peppers, diced onions and a spoonful of pickle relish, and a dash of black pepper. He stirs in a big helping of Miracle Whip and there is an instant tasty salad.

"How does it taste?" asks Raul. "My taste buds are off."

"It's delicious," reassures Drew. "I'll never be a fan of Kraft Dinner but I do love the camping campy flavour of nuclear salad."

Apple Crisp

It pours rain all day and despite a delicious lunch of pulled pork sandwiches (the leftover pulled pork with the addition of caramelized onions, avocado and some coleslaw) and bean salad (also with avocado chunks added - it was a big avocado) Raul is restless and decides to bake a wholesome treat. He googles many recipes before he finds the apple crisp recipe he thinks has the best potential. Of course he then makes some necessary adjustments . .

Ingredients:
Crisp Topping
1/2 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup oats (Raul substitutes Drew's Mom's granola to add nuts and flavour)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter
Fruit 
6 cups sliced apples
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp lemon juice

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375ºF 

Topping: Combine flour, oats, brown sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture is crumbly. Set aside.

Fruit: Arrange apples in greased 9" (23 cm) square baking dish or 1 1/2 qt (1.5 L) casserole. Sprinkle with sugar, water and lemon juice.

Sprinkle topping evenly over fruit.

Bake in preheated oven for about 40 minutes, or until fruit is tender-crisp.

The apartment fills with a sweet aroma and the dog, already restless from the absence of a long walk because of his aversion to getting wet and his raincoat, paces while he waits. "Do we have to let it cool?" asks Raul.

"A bit," answers Drew. "It's best when it's still warm. Or the next day. Do you want me to run out and get ice cream?"

"In this weather?" says Raul incredulously. "Besides we don't have room in the freezer for another thing. I have an idea."

The freezer is full, partially, because No Frills had a sale on Nestle Drumsticks two weeks ago and Drew stocked up. Then Food Basics had a sale, not as good but still a significant sale, and Drew stocked up further. In his defense it has been great ice cream weather until today, and Raul was enjoying the occasional cone as well. Raul dishes up the apple crisp and then takes a Drumstick and slices it cleanly down the middle. "Not only an instant post-modern scoop of ice cream," he announces proudly, "but also a bit of chocolate and a few more nuts."

Pumpkin Cookies from The Danish Pastry Shop

When Drew was a child one of his favourite treats when visiting his grandparents in Thunder Bay was to eat a marzipan from the Current River Bakery. Drew's Mom is a master baker, so the fact that it was such a treat had more to do with the influence of his cousins who would visit at the same time. When Drew's Mom would travel to Thunder Bay she would always go to the Current River Bakery and bring back marzipans - a nice gesture but not a necessary one as a tray of her brownies or some of her gingerbread men are actually more delicious. Unfortunately on the last few visits, Drew's Mom's return flights have fallen on days when the bakery was closed and purchasing the scrumptious petit fours in advance lead to staleness. A dilemma indeed.

Fortunately The Danish Pastry Shop, 1017 Pape Ave is just down the street from R&D's and they make, though differently shaped (tubular rather than square), magnificent marzipans. Drew agrees to pick some up for his Mom to take back for Drew's sister. That way they will be fresh and at their best having only travelled a short distance.

It is pouring rain but Drew has his orders and sets out. On a Saturday morning The Danish Pastry Shop is busy but people wait patiently while individual orders are packaged and paid for. It is an odd but delightful little shop, selling all kinds of pastries, pies and treats, as well as meat pies and pickled herring imported from Denmark. Drew decides to buy a blueberry danish to eat on the walk back but his eye is also caught by the first of their Halloween treats: pumpkin cookies in the shape of jack o'lanterns. At Christmas the store creates massive magnificent gingerbread houses, for Halloween they go all out with spooky cupcakes and cookies in terrifying shapes and styles.

"What do you think of the cookies?" asks Drew.

"They're delicious," says Raul. "You can tell the difference of a master baker."

"Your cookies are great as well," reassures Drew while remembering the hours Raul spend in the kitchen perfecting Drew's Mom's oatmeal cookie recipe. " They've been doing it for so long that they can probably bake perfectly on auto-pilot. The pumpkin makes them really moist and not as sweet as sugar cookies."

"And we did like that Jamaican pumpkin," muses Raul as he heads for the kitchen.

Pumpkin Alfredo Penne with Chicken

Drew's Mom goes to bed while R&D head out to cover a theatre opening. It is a late night and they are all up at 5am in order to get Drew's Mom to her flight on time. After seeing her off (and a brief nap) R&D are famished. Raul contemplates the contents of the fridge and tries to ascertain what they feel like eating. Something that provides energy for sure. "How about an alfredo pasta?" suggests Raul.

"Sounds delicious," pipes up Drew who is completely distracted by the computer screen as he works on the theatre review. "With pulled pork?"

"No," says Raul. "Too spicy and we're too sleepy. But I have an idea . . ."

He mixes two tablespoons of flour and two tablespoons of butter in an enamel lined cast iron saucepan and cooks them into a roux. He adds a cup of hot milk, whisking constantly, to make a bechamel sauce. Salt and pepper are added and then he stirs in four tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. He brings the bechamel to a boil to thicken before adding a cup of mashed pumpkin (left over from last night's dinner). For colour and vitamins he adds a half cup of frozen peas and slices of last night's leftover bbq'ed chicken. The resulting concoction is mixed with cooked penne pasta and sprinkled with more Parmesan. 

"This is amazing," enthuses Drew. "Classico Alfredo with pumpkin? It's such a unique and subtle flavour, just what I needed when suffering from a lack of sleep but have to concentrate."

"Oh it's just a basic bechamel sauce whipped up from scratch," beams Raul. He must remember to break a sweat next time.

BBQ Chicken with Jamaican Pumpkin, Rice, Bean Salad and Coleslaw

Drew's Mom is stopping over for the evening on her jetsetting way to Thunder Bay to visit her brother and youthful stomping grounds. Raul is feeling the pressure to produce a gourmet but traditional dinner, so while Drew and his mom wander the nearby Danforth and thrift stores - though mainly they are just visiting and catching up - Raul works in the kitchen.

He rubs chicken breasts with his favourite combo of spices - paprika, Greek oregano, pepper and, for Drew's Mom's tastes, just a touch of garlic powder (he omits the usual salt) - and sets it aside to marinate for bbq'ing. He puts brown rice in the rice cooker and is confident having ascertained that brown rice requires a bit more water and some extra cooking time to be perfect and for the grains to not clump. The bean salad and coleslaw are already prepared.

Raul has purchased a large slab of Jamaican pumpkin after the eventual success of Drew's spaghetti squash debacle. Drew's Mom loves squash and this will, hopefully, be a taste treat with a bit of a difference. He slices the squash into inch and a half squares and then tosses them in olive oil and cumin. The pumpkin bakes in a glass baking pan for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Drew's Mom has brought carrot cake so the pressure to bake dessert is lifted. He plans to serve the cake on the Halloween plates that were a gift from Drew's Mom from one of her nostalgia trips to the shopping mecca of Thunder Bay.

The meal is a big success and the pumpkin is flavourful and tastes of the best of autumn and the tropics. Drew's Mom has nothing but praise and Raul is proud and relieved. Now if there was only space for a proper dining room table so that she didn't have to eat on the coffee table . . .

Pulled Pork Sandwiches and Coleslaw

Raul finds pork loin roasts for $1.68 a pound at No Frills, and buys as much as the freezer will hold. He trims the silverskin and fat, and re-packages them for the freezer but can't resist cooking up one. "Pulled pork," he announces. "I've been wanting to try to make pulled pork."

He puts the roast into the pressure cooker, his favourite tool, with a coarsely chopped onion, a carrot, a stalk of celery and enough water to cover the pork loin. He heats it to 12psi and cooks for 30 minutes.

The rest is easy. He sends Drew to the Milk Mart on the corner at 1028 Pape Ave for two of the crusty buns that arrive fresh daily and that the proprietor Emir keeps in a rolling plastic bin at the back. Raul digs into the roast with his bare hands. "You have to pull it apart while it is still hot," says Raul, "to get it to shred properly. The nice thing about a loin is that you don't have to pick out the fat. A shoulder will be cheaper," he adds smugly, "but it is more work and we got this for the same price."

Once the pork is shredded, he browns it in a greased cast iron frying pan and adds a healthy helping of Selections Tequila Lime Habanero Barbecue Sauce that was a birthday gift from Drew's Mom. "Shouldn't you put in some caramelized onions for texture and flavour?" asks Drew.

"There was an onion in the pressure cooker," says Raul. "The flavour should already be infused into the meat. And, no. It does not need any wasabi."

Raul plates the sandwiches in two different ways. He has his serving of coleslaw beside his sandwich, but he puts the coleslaw right into Drew's sandwich. For texture.

The pulled pork is delicious and Drew is happy with the crunch of the coleslaw that complements the flavour perfectly. "There is tons left," muses Raul. "Burritos? Stuffed buns? Fritattas? With baked beans? The possibilities are endless . . ."

Drew wipes a dribble of bbq sauce off his chin and nods that he is happy with any possibility.

Outside Round Roast with Corn Bread

Raul finds a bargain but very tasty looking outside round roast at Food Basics. $5.32 for a lump of a roast that will make several meals. He decides to make a traditional pot roast dinner crossed with Julia Child's legendary Boeuf Bourguignon. The roast is rolled in flour and then browned on the bbq. "It has to be browned," notes Raul, "or it will just be boiled meat. The browning keeps the juices in. This cut has very little fat in it, partly why it was so cheap, but that also makes it better for us, so it will need to be cooked carefully to make it fall apart just from just the pressure of a fork."

The roast goes into the pressure cooker with a coarsely chopped onion, two carrots and one stalk of celery. This is doused in two cups of stock and a cup of red wine. He brings it to a boil, locks on the lid and cooks for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile he bakes three large quartered potatoes, carrots and parsnips in a half cup of oil, two cups of water, salt, pepper and oregano at 375 degrees for an hour.

The corn bread recipe comes from Food.com:

Southern Pride Sweet Corn Bread

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/4 cup honey

2 eggs

1/2 cup butter ( softened)

1 cup milk

1 cup water

2 cups white cornmeal (for less gritty) or 2 cups yellow cornmeal ( I use white)

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan with shortening.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Mix sugar, butter, eggs, milk, honey and water together in a large bowl.

Mix dry ingredients together in a separate bowl: cornmeal, flour,baking powder, and salt.

While stirring, add dry ingredients to sugar, egg, and milk mixture and mix thoroughly.

Mixture will be slightly lumpy.

Pour into greased rectangular pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Serve with butter.

Raul bakes the corn bread in an oiled cast iron frying pan and puts it in the oven alongside the potatoes and vegetables. All the jus from the roast is strained then boiled until it is reduced by about half and, voila! gravy. As Raul ladles the gravy onto the roast and vegetables on the plate, he explains, "The chef at the convention centre I worked at, taught me that. He said to just save all the juice and keep reducing it to get the most meaty flavour. He used it on the prime rib."

The roast may not be as expensive as prime rib but it is primo tasting. The bite of the wine in the gravy contrasts nicely with the sweetness of the corn bread and not a drop goes to waste - it also turns out to be perfect for absorbing the luscious liquid. "It's not as tender as I would like," notes Raul. "But by the time it sits over night and we re-heat it, it will be melt in your mouth."

Grilled Garlic Chicken on Penne Alfredo with Peas and Bacon

"This does not go on the blog," says Raul. "I used Alfredo sauce from Classico. From a jar."

"Just the sauce from the jar?" prompts Drew.

"Well no," admits Raul. "I simmered it with the leftover roasted garlic from the spaghetti squash that you didn't take enough time to pry out. And I added crispy bacon for flavour and peas for colour and vitamins. And put Parmesan cheese on top."

"And the chicken?" asks Drew. "What did you rub it with?"

"I used paprika," says Raul, "and some of that Dean Jacob's Spicy Garlic that your mother gave us." Drew's mom had found the adjustable grinder line of Dean Jacob's spices for her summer home where her spice choices are limited as she is far from her massive spice drawer. The Spicy Garlic was her favourite but the grinder clogged from moisture and she ultimately found it frustrating. Raul took the grinder apart, cleaned it and, aside from occasional maintenance, it is now working fine. Drew is puzzled when he tries to google a webpage for Dean Jacob's spices - there are lots of places offering them for sale but not a site for the manufacturer. Or at least that he can find.

"And isn't one of the points of this blog to describe how you, oh so valiantly and stylishly, turn ordinary and inexpensive foodstuffs into gourmet meals that are delicious, nutritious and cheap?" reminds Drew. "All while being hampered by a rather small kitchen, the dog underfoot and my interference?"

Raul shrugs and tastes the final result while Drew rebelliously takes a photo. "It's very garlicky," says Raul. "But delicious. The bacon makes it a little salty."

"And bottled sauces are always a little salty," notes Drew. "How hard is it to make an Alfredo sauce from scratch?"

"Not at all," says Raul as the wheels begin to turn in his head. "It's just a Bechamel sauce."

Drew smiles, sensing a new blog entry in the future and returns to eating.

Pork Satay with Rice and Coleslaw

It is an overwhelmingly hot and humid day, very uncharacteristic of September, so the pork chops that Raul has thawed will not work as chops. And Drew's dream of dirty mashed potatoes is utterly inappropriate. Raul trims all the fat and bones off the pork chops, chops them into cubes and then rubs them with his favourite bbq combination of Greek oregano, paprika, salt, black pepper and garlic powder. They sit for a few hours and then are skewered.

The rest is simplicity: rice and the last of Drew's sister's coleslaw.

Drew offers to make a peanut dipping sauce while Raul grills the pork but, considering the heat, Raul digs in the fridge and finds an unopened jar of Thai Kitchen Peanut Satay Sauce. Dinner will be less gourmet and more convenience. Maybe less gourmet but all delicious.

"Watch the photo!" warns Raul. "I put the sauce off to the side because it has slopped around in the ramekin. We can NOT put that on the blog!"

"Too late," says Drew who is eager to eat. "It looks lovely otherwise but I want to taste." Fortunately the taste is not sloppy in the least but a perfect summer meal - light, slightly spicy and with contrasting textures. The skewers are unskewed and the sauce dribbled over and while the visual is messy, the meal is magnificent.

Mrs D's Everlasting Coleslaw

Drew grew up on Mazinaw lake in the wilderness near Bon Echo Park. In the summer there was a marina, grocery store, craft shop and take-out restaurant that was about a half mile away by either car, foot or boat. It was run by the Douglas family and walking up for ice cream after dinner was a treat, especially after Drew's niece and nephew were born. Drew's sister worked at the marina in the summers of her youth - years before the arrival of the niece and nephew - and the Douglas family became friends. Mrs Douglas, always known as Mrs D because she was the jovial matriarch of the entire lake's summer population, is also a renowned cook and her coleslaw recipe was a summer staple for Drew's mom.

It is the recipe that Drew's sister made for a dinner during one of Drew's visits and the leftovers that were used in Raul's Spaghetti Squash, Chicken and Coleslaw with Guyanese Chow Mein Noodles but is delicious on its own or as a side. Drew sends his sister an email and she forwards one from Drew's mom promptly.

Makes16 servings - keeps for 8 days in the refrigerator
1 lg cabbage, shredded (Drew's sister substituted red cabbage for more colour)
1 lg Spanish onion, finely shredded
4 carrots, shredded
Combine vegetables in lg bowl
Combine the following and heat to boiling.
Cool. Pour over vegetables.
1/2 c white vinegar
1/2 c b sugar
1/2 c salad oil
1 t salt
1 t dry mustard
Let stand, stirring occasionally for 8 hours.
Store covered in refrigerator.

Like the summer, this coleslaw isn't really 'everlasting' but eight days isn't bad. Raul intends to use it all up well before that deadline so that he can make a batch of his own.

Spaghetti Squash, Chicken and Coleslaw with Guyanese Chow Mein Noodles

There is still more spaghetti squash to be consumed so Raul decides, uncharacteristically, to improvise. He dry rubs two chicken breasts with paprika, Greek oregano, garlic powder, black pepper and salt, and sets them aside. He chops some green onions and carrots, and thaws a handful of frozen chopped vegetables. The chow mein noodles, imported from Guyana, are from the Danforth Variety & Fruit Market and are infused with turmeric for extra oomph. The noodles are boiled and stir-fried with the vegetables while the chicken breasts grill on the bbq. A dash of Nuku Cham (misspelled or mistranslated on the bottle R&D use - it is actually called Nuoc Cham) Vietnamese Salad Sauce in the stir fry, a handful of spaghetti squash for calorie light bulk and a sprinkling of Drew's sister's leftover coleslaw to add some vivid colour and the base is ready for the chicken. Raul chops the chicken into bite-sized pieces and layers on top.

"I wanted to play with different temperatures," says Raul of the way the cool squash and crunchy coleslaw contrast with the hot chow mein which is tasty and bursting with subtle flavour.

"Hmmm," says Drew. "A different explanation from my lukewarm spaghetti squash . . ."

Spaghetti Squash Bread

There is a mountain of spaghetti squash left over from Drew's brave attempt at cooking a main course, and Raul is determined to conquer his baking setbacks, so Raul sets out to make spaghetti squash bread. His banana bread is, usually, perfection itself but he is convinced the oven has it in for him as the last few attempts at cakes have had full flavour but an unusual texture. He begins searching to find a recipe and finds a fun, and similar to R&D's, blog twizzlingwhimsies where Emily in Tucson documents her cooking, thrift store shopping adventures and life in the desert. Off-Broadview is far from a desert but Raul does make a nasty, almost funny, crack comparing the two environments.

Emily's recipe seems simple enough and sounds perfect. Raul makes only minimal adjustments by making only large loaf in a glass Pyrex dish lined with parchment. Using the glass dish meant reducing the temperature by 25 degrees and baking it for an hour and 20 minutes.

Ingredients (for two loaves):
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3 tsp ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
1 cup canola oil
2 cups white sugar
3 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups cooked spaghetti squash

Directions:
Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch loaf pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in the squash until well incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake for 45 to an hour, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean (it actually took me closer to an hour, but I started checking it at 40 minutes).
Cool in pans on rack for about 20 minutes. Remove bread from pans, and completely cool.
Slice and serve with a pat of butter.

Determined to avoid any texture problems, Raul performs an old-fashioned skewer test (several times) until the skewer comes out completely clean.

The bread is moist and just slightly sweet. It didn't even need butter and was perfect as a snack and even better the next morning. The curse of the recalcitrant oven has been broken!  "I told you that kitchen witch of yours was not powerful enough," says Raul triumphantly. "As soon as I found that traditional Portuguese cock statue at Value Village - that's a just as potent a tradition - I knew it would solve our baking problems." Whether a refinement of Raul's skills or some form of Portuguese/Value Village voodoo, Drew is just relieved that from now on textures will be flawless.

Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Garlic, Basil and Pasta

Drew runs to Food Basics to pick up some basics and notices a precarious pile of delicious looking spaghetti squash. This particular Basics always has acorn and butternut squash but very rarely the spaghetti variety. On impulse he picks one out and adds it to the basics. Raul has spent all day continuing to perfect his oatmeal cookies - Drew, and the dog, would argue that they are already perfect but he is a perfectionist - so Drew decides to cook dinner. How difficult can spaghetti squash be?

Drew pre-heats the oven to 375 degrees and slice two stigmatic slices into the top of the squash to vent the steam and prevent a potential explosion. A thin layer of oil in a glass baking dish keeps the squash from sticking and into the oven it goes. He has soaked the garlic baker (wrapping in tin foil is just as effective but the moist clay does give the cloves an extra softness) for an hour in a dish of water. He slices the head off a clove of garlic and, being careful to pick out any sizable bits of the top portion and use them as well, puts a large chunk of butter on top of the flat surface created. The lid goes on and the garlic joins the squash in the oven where they both bake for an hour. The house fills with a sweet odour but Raul insists it is leftover from the cookies.

At the one hour mark Drew puts water on to boil for the spaghettini. It will be ready in 15 minutes which should be time to assemble the other ingredients. The squash appears soft and ready so Drew slices it in half and begins picking out the seeds. That is his fatal error. Pulling out the seeds is tedious and not an accurate process. Separating the strands is no more fun, however he perseveres and fills a bowl with strands of squash. A slab of butter, the roasted garlic and some black pepper is added and all stirred together. He drains and adds the spaghettini.

Fresh basil leaves - about a loosely packed cup's worth - from the balcony are added, tossed until they begin to wilt and then plated. A sprinkling of Parmesan cheese is the finishing touch. Raul eats his entire bowl and his only complaint is that, "the timing was off. It took so long to separate the squash strands that my meal was only lukewarm." Heading into the kitchen he discovers the source of the problem. "You fed me pulp! There is tons of squash left here." Turns out that Drew could have scooped out all the centre and then crumbled the remains into spaghetti-like strands. Raul takes over and comes up with a mountain of perfectly formed filaments.

"Well we can have squash again tomorrow," enthuses Drew. "It was delicious and the roasted garlic was sweet and tasty."

"And I'll look after the timing," suggests Raul. "Have a cookie."

Huevos Florentine

Raul is back in the Off-Broadview apartment on the Upper East Side with the dog while Drew gets Drew's Mom settled in her winter home. While up north Drew's Mom had heard of a delicious-sounding breakfast dish from a friend. She is eager to try it but there is no real recipe. No real recipe never daunts Drew who proceeds to put one together. "It sounds much like the Huevos Fagiole that I concocted," says Drew. "We'll figure it out. What do you have in the fridge?"

Drew pre-heats a cast iron skillet and gets a mixture of olive oil and a bit of butter (for flavour) bubbling. He chops up a small onion, three large mushrooms and two cloves of garlic. The tosses them in the oil and then lowers the temperature so that the onions will caramelize instead of burning. When the onions have begun to brown he adds six chopped baby tomatoes and waits for the mixture to blend and bubble. Pepper and Mrs Dash are enough seasoning, though that may just be because Drew's Mom does not have any wasabi. He cranks the heat to medium and throws in three large handfuls of baby spinach. As soon as it begins to wilt - spinach cannot cook long before turning bitter - he makes two little nests and drops in eggs. Of course one yolk breaks but visually it is still not quite the omelette it could be with just a quick stir.

Drew manages to plate the Huevos Florentine without breaking the other yolks. He puts ketchup on the table just in case but it turns out not to be necessary. "Delicious," raves Drew's Mom who is a relentless booster of any of Drew's endeavours and would have to fall to the ground choking before admitting that anything he cooks is not extraordinary.

"It is ok," agrees Drew. "We just need to add some green or red pepper next time."

"Or whatever is in the fridge," laughs Drew's Mom. "It's a shame that Raul has missed this. We'll have to make it on your next visit."

Patty-Pan or Flying Saucer Squash

It is time for Drew's Mom to return to civilization from her summer home. R&D trek north to pick her up and to enjoy one last bbq in the wilderness - it is, alas, too cold for a last dip in the lake for 2013. Drew's Mom has been dropping tantalizing hints via email about a mysterious find at the Sharbot Lake Farmers' Market. It is indeed a jaw-dropper.

"It looks like a ghost," says Drew. "Perfect for Halloween!"

"It is a very pale Blinky, Pinky, Inky or Clyde," laughs Raul. "What kind of whatever is it? And how do we cook it?"

"According to the woman at the market it is a 'patty-pan zucchini,'" explains Drew's Mom. "I've never seen anything like it. She said to just rub it with olive oil and put it on the grill. She said to bake it for 20 minutes and then let it cool a bit so that the rind hardens again. Then you slice it in half and put on butter, salt and pepper. I think it sounds . . . delicious."

Without a concrete recipe or even identification of what sort of vegetable, animal or mineral this pale blob is, Raul is skeptical. Drew searches online and discovers that it is also called "flying saucer squash" and that there are many ways to cook it. A nutty flavour is promised and as all three are fans of squash, the saucer's fate is sealed. And the decision, two to one, is made to follow the farmer market vendor's instructions, "Vague as they are," mutters Raul under his breath.

Drew slathers the spooky squash with olive oil and hands it over to Raul who hesitantly transfers it to the grill.

When the milky white colour is striated with grill marks the squash is suddenly much less alien and much more appetizing. Raul times carefully but there is really no way to know if the squash is done or not other than guesswork. Raul pokes it with his finger and the skin gives a little. He shrugs, "I think it's done."

Drew takes the squash and covers it with an inverted glass bowl so that the heat and moisture are preserved. While the corn and pork loin are bbq'ing the squash steams. "ETA?" asks Drew who is grateful to have a mission.

"About five minutes," says Raul.

Drew takes a large knife and cleanly slices the saucer top off. There are, thankfully, no little green corpses but there are some unexpected seeds. Drew cleans out the seeds and membranes which fortuitously leaves little pockets for the butter. A few solid slabs of butter, a dash of salt and a few hefty grinds of black pepper and Drew judges the alien dish as fit for human consumption.

The lid does not really go back on in a way that is visually appealing so Raul cuts the squash into smaller pieces and everyone digs in. The flavour is extremely mild and the nuttiness is more like a hint or an accent.

"Is it cooked enough," asks Drew. "It's more vegetably and less squashy."

"I can put it on for a few more minutes," offers Raul.

"No," says Drew, "I think I like this texture. It is just a little bland."

"It would be perfect if baked with a tomato sauce," remarks Drew's Mom who is already scheming and planning. "It would be so entertaining to make one for your nephew."

"Or even better use a pesto," suggests Drew, "he'd love to cut into aliens."

"I just might," says Drew's Mom.

BBQ Pork Loin with Green Pea Pesto Shells

The night before Raul sets a pork loin from the packed freezer out to thaw. Early the next morning Raul rubs the loin with Chinese Five Spice, garlic powder, paprika and pepper. It marinates all day. Come bbq time Raul is trying to decide on vegetable accompaniments and, as there is a massive amount of basil on the balcony, "What do you think of pesto?"

"Sounds delicious," says Drew.

"What kind of pasta? Penne? Shells?"

"Or fusilli," suggests Drew. "Something with lots of surfaces for the pesto to cling to."

"Linguine it is," announces Raul. "Damn. We don't seem to have any linguine."

"That's bizarre," says Drew smugly. "There is an entire cupboard full of pasta of every shape, size and variety known to man. There's even some coloured outer space pasta left from last Halloween. Let's compromise on shells." The vegetable question has yet to be addressed but Drew has a brilliant idea. "How about frozen peas and corn mixed into the pesto?"

"Corn?"

"Corn. Don't you like corn?"

"Yes but the colours will be off," explains Raul. "We do also eat with our eyes."

Peas alone it is.

Raul picks a huge handful - about a cup when packed - of basil. After washing thoroughly and patting dry he puts it into the mini-processor. He adds a half cup of cashews, a teaspoon of chopped garlic, a dribble of olive oil, two tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and - in a stroke of brilliance to rival the original suggestion - a half cup of frozen peas. All is blended into a vividly green paste. He tosses the pasta shells with the pesto and spoons the results onto plates beside the bbq'ed pork. It is indeed a visual feast.

"Eat now," warns Raul. "The peas were cold so the pesto and pasta are already lukewarm. Next time I'll thaw them first. I still want them raw for all the nutrients."

Lukewarm maybe but bursting with flavour. "The last pork loin was sort of sweet," remarks Drew, "but this one has a simple spicy taste that enhances the meat and balances perfectly with the rich pesto. My eyes and taste buds are delighted!"