Maple-baked Ham with Macaroni and Cheese, and Beans with Cashews

Raul finally has a day off and, after cleaning out the fridge, he happily settles into the kitchen. "We need a larger kitchen," he asserts. "I want all the pans to hang on a wall. Emptying them out of the stove every time I bake something is becoming tedious. Besides it would look great." The perfect marriage of décor and efficiency is one of Raul's goals in life.

"What's for dinner?" asks Drew as fabulous fragrant smells begin to waft out of the kitchen.

"Mac n' cheese and ham. We're going old school today."

Raul boils an entire ham for 30 minutes in four cups of water and a quarter cup of vingear, with a quartered onion, 10 cloves and a bay leaf. This takes out the fat and salt creating a blank canvas. "It becomes a regular 1950s ham instead of a preservative-laden tasting piece of meat," explains Raul. He lets it cool in the broth so that it doesn't become dry. When cooled he scores the ham and drizzles it with maple syrup (courtesy of Drew's Mom who gets it at her summer home up north, this maple syrup is the real deal and tastes incredible) before baking at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

It bakes at the same time as the mac n' cheese which Raul makes using the 1946 Fannie Farmer' Classic Baked Macaroni & Cheese recipe from food.com.

Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) packages macaroni

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

1 cup cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

fresh ground black pepper, to taste

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded good quality

1/2 cup breadcrumbs, buttered

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Cook and drain macaroni according to package directions; set aside.

In a large saucepan melt butter.

Add flour mixed with salt and pepper, using a whisk to stir until well blended.

Pour milk and cream in gradually; stirring constantly.

Bring to boiling point and boil 2 minutes (stirring constantly).

Reduce heat and cook (stirring constantly) 10 minutes.

Add shredded cheddar little by little and simmer an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese melts.

Turn off heat.

Add macaroni to the saucepan and toss to coat with the cheese sauce.

Transfer macaroni to a buttered baking dish.

Sprinkle with breadcrumbs.

Bake 20 minutes until the top is golden brown.

(You can also freeze this recipe in zip-lock bags for later use - once you have mixed the macaroni along with the cheese sauce allow to cool to room temperature before adding to your freezer - I generally pull it out the night before and allow macaroni and cheese to reach room temperature; I then add the macaroni and cheese to a buttered baking dish, sprinkle with bread crumbs and then bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown on top and bubbling.)

Raul follows the directions exactly except that, to accommodate the ham, he bakes the mac n' cheese for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. 

The ham is not as tender as the Filipino Ham but it is sweeter and has a hammier flavour. "Delicious," raves Drew. "And the beans steamed and then garnished with cashews somehow really complements the mac n' cheese." 

"I think the real syrup makes the difference," says Raul. "We must remember to thank your mom."

Pumpkin Ravioli

Raul gets ambitious after watching too much Lidia and decides to make pumpkin ravioli. "There are four kinds of sauces," he muses. "A cream sauce."

"Too rich with pumpkin," pipes in Drew.

"Tomato sauce which just isn't my favourite."

"Does tomato go with pumpkin?"

"Or butter and sage."

"That gets my vote," notes Drew. "But what is the fourth?"

"I forget," shrugs Raul. "My search ended with butter and sage."

Raul takes some frozen cooked pumpkin from the freezer and thaws it. He blends the pumpkin with cream cheese in the mini-food processor and then adds grated Parmesan cheese to thicken and add flavour. The resultant filling has a vivid orange colour and is packed with simple goodness.

He reluctantly admits to cheating slightly by not making the pasta from scratch. Instead he uses wonton wrappers that were purchased on a whim at T&T. Lidia will forgive him if she ever finds out.

A spoonful of filling goes on each individual wrapper and is then folded over and pressed tightly together so that it is completely sealed. The resulting raviolis go into a large pot of boiling water where they remain until they start to float, and then for five minutes more.

In a frying pan he melts butter and just as it begins to brown he adds a large helping of sage. The raviolis are drained, tossed in the butter and sage, and placed in bowls for serving. The crowning touch is a liberal sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese.

"These are amazing," raves Drew. "Sweet and savoury."

"And buttery," notes Raul. "I wonder what the fourth sauce was."

Chicken and Bacon on Pumpkin Penne

For some reason the day is a rush and Raul has to churn out a dinner quickly. Fortunately there is Jamaican pumpkin left and Raul purées it and stirs it into a Bechamel sauce.

The result is a beautiful bright colour and the taste is just as vivid. For protein, Raul broils a chicken breast. And for flavour: some crispy bacon strips.

A hearty and healthy meal exploding with taste in a matter of minutes. "The only real time it took was in boiling the pasta," says Raul. "And isn't that pumpkin versatile? A great investment. And there is a little bit left . . ."

At the delicious Delicious Food Show

Raul is not at his best in the morning and rising at 6am to head out into the cold and dark does not bring out the best in him. But nothing - absolutely nothing - keeps him from rushing to the Delicious Food Show to not only peruse all the fantastic foodie fantasies on display but to see Martha Stewart herself. They meet up with Drew's boss Sean who is an accomplished chef and an enthusiastic foodie.

First up is a collection of food trucks, parked in a circle indoors, that are part of a fundraising project for Mount Sinai Hospital. Not only can one dine on Buster's Sea Cove's lobster rolls and key lime pie but a portion of the proceeds goes to a good cause. Calories and no guilt.

Soda Stream flaunts it's flavours mojito and margarita and for the Delicious Food Show, though unfortunately not until later in the day - it is extremely early in the morning, they are adding alcohol. All dutifully taste the pink grapefruit flavour and it is refreshing and lives up to the company's motto of "We love bubbles." Also loving bubbles are the Dairy Farmers of Canada who are pairing cheeses with beers. The Ivanhoe Horseradish Cheddar doesn't need to be paired with anything, the gentle kick it provides just after chewing is taste treat enough.

Substantial and time-appropriate noshes are found at the Piller's booth where a gluten-free breakfast sandwich is actually delicious. Appropriate because Piller's is the sponsor of the "Naturally Delicious" section of the Delicious Food Show. Chef Steve, clad in tight black shorts and clogs, gleefully hands out half sandwiches and we gleefully gobble them down. He notes that the ham, while having no chemical additives, is spiced and flavoured because, "You all need a bit of garlic to get you going in the morning."

The "Naturally Delicious" section is a bit disturbing because of the relentless fear of gluten, Drew wonders if across the street at Screemers there is a gluten creature that jumps out and terrifies anyone who dares to eat. This fear hits its peak at The Tea Emporium which proudly trumpets gluten-free tea. They are also offering special tea cocktails, alas we only try a Jasmine Flower Mocktail that is delicious but would have benefited from a dash of spirits to quell Drew's now overwhelming conviction that he will be glutenized out of existence. He is fascinated though by the concept of muddling and watching the mocktail-maker brandish a big wooden stick to smash up citrus is a combination of the culinary and linguistic arts that amuses him immensely. Raul, of course, is already an accomplished muddler.

Some of the healthy foods are quite tasty with Vicky's Artisan Flatbreads getting an enthusiastic thumbs up and the pumpkin and protein powder drink from Vega is a smooth autumny concoction that tastes so sinfully good it shouldn't be healthy. Also a fabulous fluid is the 100% Pure Wild Blueberry Juice from Van Dyk's by Nature. Drew's mom insists that everyone should eat a half cup of blueberries a day in order to ward off all ills. This juice makes it a breeze and they also offer all sorts of intriguing recipes including a Wild Blueberry Chutney that is supposed to be best when paired with seared Nova Scotia scallops.

Special mention has to go to the Kale Kickers from benourished and their relentlessly charming and enthusiastic representative. It takes real skill and handsome charisma to get Drew to put a withered looking green sprig in his mouth first thing in the morning. That it was tastier than a potato chip or popcorn was a pleasant surprise and it is the one item that Drew forced Raul, who remember is not a morning person (especially when it comes to food), to try. Drew's favourite is the Spicy Lime while Raul lauds the Sour Cream & Onion Ring.

Enough healthy eating. Drew digs into a steak and bacon Kanga's Aussie Meat Pie and the juicy gravy-laden goodness and buttery crunchy crust is hearty enough to scare off any gluten goblins. Following it with a chocolatey Tim-Hortons-has-never-achieved-this confection from Jelly Modern Donuts is the, pun intended, icing on the cake. And the ones that are crowned with candy corn are hilarious, nostalgic and succulent.

Raul's favourite finds include Hot Bunzz Street Cuizine because of the brilliant concept of combining a vegetable, a meat and a dessert into one tasty package and The Pie Guyz who have a Tandoori Chicken Pot Pie that is absolutely tantalizing. He is also fascinated with Cedarlane Culinary's Sous Vide Supreme. He is sure that room could be made in the kitchen for one more appliance, especially one that would dramatically change R&D's eating habits for the better. He stares wistfully again and again and repeats repeatedly that Christmas is coming.

Martha Stewart's Q&A is inspiring and, exhausted and with full bellies, R&D head for the exit. But first they stop to sample, on Sean's recommendation, Sabra's Roasted Pine Nut Hummus. It is exquisite. And on sale: there are bargains as well as samples at the Delicious Food Show. Sean buys himself two containers and gifts R&D with two. While Sean and Raul discuss how best to make homemade crisps for dipping, Drew waddles back to the Sabra booth to sample the guacamole. Best to be fortified for the ride home.

The Delicious Food Show runs until Sun, Oct 27 at the Better Living Centre, Exhibition Place. deliciousfoodshow.com

Baked Brie

"What would you like for dinner?" asks Raul. "I really have nothing in mind but it is a stormy cold afternoon and time for a treat."

"How be I cook?" asks Drew. "That would give you a break."

"But not a treat," mutters Raul before suggesting, "Why don't you bake that Brie that you bought spontaneously because it was on sale? Otherwise it will expire."

"Easily done," says Drew. Drew first baked a Brie when he hosted his first pre-Christmas Christmas dinner  in what was then a new apartment and he lived there alone except for the dog. Pre-Christmas Christmas was a tradition between Drew and his friends Nancy and Candace. Family obligations meant that a celebration together was hard to co-ordinate so they, for many years, held the dining, drinking and gift exchange well in advance. The first few years were at restaurants but then Candace offered to cook one year (seared steaks, her "famous" Caeser salad and double-baked potatoes) and Nancy the next (crab legs, Candace's "famous" Caeser salad and trifle). Drew figured it was his turn and despite the skeptical cries of protest insisted on cooking the entire dinner himself. Very calculatingly he prepared five dishes figuring at least two would turn out. Surprisingly all five were delicious and it became a legendary five course feast. The baked Brie was the first course.

Baked Brie looks fancy and tastes delicious but Drew's method is simplicity itself, especially after his niece and nephew gifted him with a proper Brie baking dish. Of course he does cheat and instead of making a pastry just buys a roll of Poppin' Fresh Croissant dough.

Raul sits in the rocking chair by the kitchen and struggles not to interfere while Drew peels and chops an apple into little pieces. The apple came from a forlorn Boy Scout struggling to sell his quota in front of No Frills. Drew had breezed obliviously by with a polite "Thank you but not right now" but Raul stopped and traded a toonie for an apple. "It reminds me of when my boys were fundraising," he mused.

"And you made his day," admitted Drew who was feeling particularly like a callous heel at that point. Making a great baked Brie will not make up for that but will make him feel better.

The apple pieces are squirted with lime before being coated with cinnamon and a dash of brown sugar. There should also be chopped pecans but there are none in the cupboard so Drew substitutes a handful of cashews that R&D bought two flats of when they were on sale at Food Basics for a price that was practically a steal. The wheel of Brie is sliced in half and then comes the tricky part. Getting the dough out of the tube is always a messy process. "Perhaps if you didn't smash it so heavily against the counter," suggests Raul from the safety of his rocking chair. But the dough is already oozing out of the broken casing and Drew tears it apart and lines the baking dish, bottom and sides, with a layer of dough. The bottom half of the Brie is popped in, the filling layered in, the top half of the Brie placed on top, and the result is covered in dough. The entire concoction goes into the oven at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

"Delicious," enthuses Raul as he spreads the results on a slice of crusty bread. "But rich and filling."

"That's the cashews," says Drew. "The pecans aren't as oily. It really is more of an appetizer than a main course. If there were six of us eating this it would be a perfect prelude but for the two of us . . ."

"It is a bit much," agrees Raul. "But I would like another helping please."