When I travel, I miss my kitchen. When I'm in my kitchen, I feel like travelling. Go figure.

I just got back from touring with my band, and realized I've barely cooked anything in the last three months. We spent most of the summer in the studio at all hours, and the rest of the time was spent organizing and booking. In all honesty, I'm not really sure what I've been living on for the last few months. Coffee, peanut butter toast, mixed greens, poached eggs with spinach, apples, almonds and hot dogs mostly. It's a mildly embarrassing admission.

By the time we got home last week, I was aching to eat something that I made with my very own hands, so I made a big batch of bison shepherd's pie, which mysteriously disappeared overnight (hmmm)... comfort food has a way of doing that in most houses... ours is no exception.

I've made some soup, and a stir fry or two, but I really haven't made anything racy in a ridiculously long time. Even longer since I blogged about it.

I managed to pick up a nice duck for $12 last night and decided I would do something interesting. I'd been thinking about brining and Thanksgiving and what have you and then realized I've never brined a duck. I also came across a recipe for tea smoked duck with blueberry sauce yesterday, but it seemed like way more effort than I am currently willing to make.

So at this very moment there is a duck submerged in a bunch of salted brine spiked with Earl Gray tea, sake, garlic, ginger and vanilla sitting in my fridge. I have a Greek recipe for duck breast with pomegranate that I've been meaning to try for ages, but going off on a tangent as I usually do instead of actually making it, I've been thinking of slathering the duck with a pomegranate molasses glaze, but then again I have an amazing jar of apple butter sitting in my fridge. This is going to be a tough decision, but luckily I don't have to make it until tomorrow night.

To an Oatcake, and Other Boo-urns Eats!

On James Grieve, Laird of Boghead, Tarbolton
Here lies Boghead amang the dead
In hopes to get salvation;
But if such as he in Heav’n may be,
Then welcome, hail! damnation.

Robbie Burns did not love my ancestors well, and possibly quite rightly so. I hear tell we were a bunch of intensely opinionated shit disturbers. (Go figure.) But nonetheless, I still love Robbie Burns Day and a good ol’ haggis munch complete with neeps and tatties. (There’s got to be a dirty joke in there … Uh, yeah.)

I don’t have to make a haggis this year. My lovely friends Bronwyn and Gareth are providing that, but this is my culinary invention for the day: Innes and Gunn Beer Cheese with Orange Onion Marmalade served on Rosemary Oatcakes. Not quite as indulgent as scotch eggs, but still ridiculously tasty. Hope you like it!

Substitute any good quality Scottish beer if you can’t find Innes and Gunn. Mac’s Strong would be great! If I could get my hands on some Alba Scot’s Pine Ale from Craigmill, I would’ve been all over that. I think the piney flavour would pair beautifully with the rosemary and orange.

Both these spreads get better with age. You can serve them right away but a night or two in the fridge will really do them justice.

And, yeah, I know, where’s the recipe for the oatcakes? I’m just making up a basic traditional Scottish oatcake recipe with a couple teaspoons of minced rosemary and a bit of garlic powder added to them. (Made with butter, lard or bacon grease but never shortening! Eww!) You can also buy pretty decent packaged ones in a pinch.

Suggested soundtrack while cooking: The Vaselines, Boards of Canada, Nazareth, Arab Strap, Belle and Sebastian, Donovan, Eugenius, The Beta Band, Franz Ferdinand, Bis, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Mark Knopfler, Life Without Buildings, The Bay City Rollers, and if you’ve really done your research, throw a little AC/DC in for good measure…

Innes and Gunn Beer Cheese
1 lb good quality aged cheddar, cubed or grated
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp dried mustard
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup Innes and Gunn Triple Matured Oak Aged Beer

In a food processor, blend first five ingredients until fairly well combined.
Add beer and blend until smooth. Serve in a bowl with a smearing implement of your choice. I think a quaigh and sgian dubh might be overkill, but hey, if you’re feeling racy...


Orange Onion Marmalade
2 onions, halved and sliced
1 Tbsp canola oil, or other unflavored oil
2 – 3 Tbsp Innes and Gunn Triple Matured Oak Aged Beer
½ to 1 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely minced
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp orange marmalade
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
fresh ground pepper

In a medium sized pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, rosemary and a bit of the salt. When onions begin to brown slightly or stick to the bottom of the pot, stir in the beer and then turn to medium low. Continue to stir onions occasionally until they become soft and golden brown. Add a little water and/or beer whenever they begin to stick to the bottom of the pot. (If you have any left at this point. Oops. Guilty.)

As they begin to soften taste them to see if they need more salt. They probably will. You want the onion mixture to be fairly well salted to stand up to the sweetness in the marmalade you’ll be adding to them, but don’t worry, if you don’t get it quite right you can fiddle with it at the end.

Once the onions are golden, stir in the Worchestershire, marmalade, garlic and balsamic vinegar and stir until combined. (Why am I adding the garlic now, you ask? There’s raw garlic in that beer cheese and I want the garlic flavour in my marmalade to stand up and balance with it. Cooking it with the onions would have made it shy.) Let the marmalade simmer for a couple of minutes and taste to see how that salt balance is. You might want to check your vinegar balance too. (All balsamic vinegars are not created equal.) If it’s a hint too bitter or vinegary for you liking add a pinch of sugar and simmer for a little longer; if it’s lacking that nice punch add a hint more vinegar.

Remove from heat and season with fresh ground pepper. Let cool before serving. (If you store this in the fridge, let it come to room temperature before serving. It will taste way better with the cheese.)