Dear Fellow Bakers and Friends,
Welcome to the February 2025 issue of Betterbaking.com!
Brrrr it’s cold! It’s -15 in Montreal which means it’s excellent baking weather; well, it’s bad for sourdough starters (but I have a solution for that; it’s called a Goldie, a warmer from the folks at Sour House but good for sourdough breads themselves. Nothing is more heart-warming than a fresh boule (or the focaccia recipe in this issue) out of the oven unless it’s the residual heat of the 475 F oven itself. It’s such a strange thing in winter; just as the temperatures sink to frigid the sun makes a big fussy appearance, splitting the cold air with sharp rays of such intense golden light that’s brilliant and bright but hardly (close or) warm enough to erase the chill. It’s so icy and yet the sun seems to be actually smiling down but it’s like those smiles that don’t reach a person’s eyes so you get that weird split of friendly but not-so-much at the same time. Which people? I suppose soap opera actors mostly when they give that glacial end-of-scene-I-don’t-really-mean-it smiles. I digress; let’s move on to baking and life.
Bon Voyage and Welcome Home – an international food tour without leaving the city
I always intend to do my urban adventures when the Montreal weather is more conducive to strolling around and serendipitously discovering finding new bakeries and cafes or Tibetian souvenir shops that have the perfect incense holder. But summer always gets away from me. As it eventuates, I end up spending much of brisk February touring the city for new Instagram resto, bakery, and café suggestions or finally getting to a particular sandwich spot a local Instagram foodie has hyped. I’m a huge sandwich fan and stock up on several during the week from a variety of places, depending on where I happen to be. A shout-out to Boss Mtl (Italian subs), Amir (Shish Taouk Chicken Pitas), Falafel St. Jacques (falafel but better yet: their Moroccan Tuna Pitas or their Sabich Sandwich of red cabbage, hummus, spices, sliced hard-egg and yet more goodies) and Kahwa (they baked each roll fresh to order as you watch it bake). Of course, Portuguese Chicken sandwiches figure in the mix and Montreal has many of those spots, fresh, hot bagels (to have while I’m driving along with a hot coffee) A few weeks ago I spent almost every other day stocking up on ingredients from various food stores. The first destination was Milano in Montreal which is a landmark of a half-a-block long Italian grocery store. There are small-table-sized rounds of Parmesan and avenues of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, not to mention valleys of pasta and a meat counter that sprawls out with umpteen choices of capicollo. You have to know what you want before you take a number because stalling at Milano, which the staff are ok with but other customers will narrow their eyes and sigh, marking you as a food newbie. How can you not know which type of capocollo you prefer? Across the street from Milano grocery is Anatol, one of the most well-stocked spice stores I know and a tonic for those of us who can’t easily get Penzey’s and Spice House spices shipped (!).
A couple of days later I ended up Marche Epicure, ensconced in what was the bowling alley my dad go to with his (renowned Snowdon Deli) pals. If you want over a dozen options in Polish butter, old-school whipped cream layer cakes and tortes, wafer biscuits and sausages this place is a must. I stocked up on butter which is what I also did at Gourmet Laurier in a central part of the city except the butter was organic cultured French butter that is now keeping company with the Polish butter blocks in the freezer. There’s a lot but I will make short work of them!
Gourmet Laurier is decidedly French with some Euro and Italian overtones. This is the place if you want to get silly over fifty mustard choices, preserves and the only place I can find beautiful Damman Freres teas. There’s more old Europe to be found at La Vielle Europe on Montreal’s iconic St. Laurent street and it’s conveniently near the hot sausage-with-sauerkraut on a roll joints. It’s best to have the sandwich before you step into La Vielle Europe (or a smoked meat sandwich from nearby Schwartz’s) lest you go in hungry and buy too many cheeses, expensive cocoas and more spices…..when in fact you already bought spices at Anatol (near Milano). Of course, the people watching is exceptional and I am a shopping cart detective. I love viewing someone else’s food choices and think of what the ingredients will wind up in later. There’s more to around-the-world-in-food foray – I haven’t even started with the Turkish stores, the supermarket sized Middle Eastern stores, the Costco-sized T&T which is an Asian food paradise, the Latinx options or the other Italian must-stop-sandwich, spots for French baguette sandwiches, pizza places such as Well Dunn and Adamo just to name two from about a dozen that are outstanding. Well Dunn Pizza which makes an absolutely ridiculous Detroit Pizza or Tao, a warehouse (but prettier) of a health-food store and the best place for vegan kim chi. And I didn’t even get started on the deli’s, Jewish bakeries and two major outdoor/indoor markets: Atwater and Jean Talon Market.
The take-away here (pardon the pun) is that there’s so much discovery to be found in food in any city. Such forays offer a bit of winter travel without the travel experiences of distance, customs, and duty. And winter is just the time to pep up the palate and the spirit. There’s no better shortcut to this than a full tank of gas, a Tim Horton’s coffee steaming stashed in your coffee holder and a sense of adventure and curiosity. If your city or town doesn’t have the plethora of possibilities Montreal has, then find a new spice or ingredient or stroll the ‘exotic foods’ aisle at your national chain. Figure out what to do with horseradish mustard, or a new cold-cut, another brand of something-or-other, an imported cocoa or a weird and rank cheese. There’s something new, something that will wake you up and reconfigure your thinking. And guess what? You don’t even need a passport.
How could I have forgotten! It’s Valentine’s Day month along with Super Bowl and Mardi Gras. Here’s some suggestions from my BB Recipe archives along with the new recipes of the month below.
With warm wishes from my kitchen to yours,
Marcy Goldman
Master Baker, Author and Publisher
www.Betterbaking.com
est. 1997
FEBRUARY 2025 RECIPES!
Free Recipe Brittany Butter Cookies
https://betterbaking.com/free-recipe/Montreal abounds with French pastry shops and many of them sell this quintessential classic, Bretagne, or Brittany Butter Cookies. They’re simple but rich and have a sweet-salty taste that’s irresistible.
Knafeh Pistachio Brownies
https://betterbaking.com/recipe-items/knafeh-pistachio-brownies/
How do you say Happy Valentine’s Day? Knafeh Brownies! If you follow sweet trends, you’ve surely come across this viral chocolate bar from the Middle East. It’s a sandwich of two thick layers of milk chocolate with a filling of pistachio cream and crunchy knataifi or minced, toasted filo pastry. You can get the molds to make this chocolate bar online or make your own version of this incredible treat by reconfiguring it into a decadent brownie. Costo, Amazon and fine food stores sell the pistachio cream, I used Swiss chocolate as well as Nestle’s Milk Chocolate chips in testing, and I did find knaftafi dough, a shredded pastry but filo dough, more commonly found, work as well. This is a de ultra dessert that is only as delectable to eat as it is delectable to look at.
Sourdough Focaccia
https://betterbaking.com/recipe-items/sourdough-focaccia/
If you love focaccia and usually make it with yeast, (my own recipe for a yeast-based focaccia is in my cookbook, Bread Love and on this website), then you will absolutely adore this sourdough version. It’s easy and there’s very little handling but it makes for a particularly rustic flatbread with a crispy crust that’s addictive. I prefer light or regular olive oil but if you prefer extra virgin olive oil, this is an occasion to use it. For a crisper bottom, you can dust on some semolina on the pan before putting the dough into rise. If you prefer to make this with yeast instead of sourdough, swap in 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast and reduce the flour by 1/3 cup.
Red Velvet Cupcakes – a heart-y cupcake
https://betterbaking.com/recipe-items/red-velvet-cupcakes/
Some recipes from the BB Recipe Archives
Mardi Gras King’s Cake – in honor of Mardi Gras
https://betterbaking.com/recipe-items/mardi-gras-kings-cake/
Wedding for Bella Biscotti- from a romantic film, a beautiful biscotti
https://betterbaking.com/recipe-items/wedding-for-bella-biscotti/
Notting Hill Brownies – tried and true my favorite brownies
https://betterbaking.com/recipe-items/notting-hill-brownies/
Red Velvet Brownies- a heart-y brownie
https://betterbaking.com/recipe-items/red-velvet-fudge-brownies/
Carrot Cake in honor of National Carrot Cake day
https://betterbaking.com/recipe-items/40-karats-carrot-cake/
Strawberry Cheesecake Tollhouse Cookies – a perfect red-and-white Valentine’s Day Cookie
https://betterbaking.com/recipe-items/strawberry-cheesecake-tollhouse-cookies/
Chocolate Chip Crookies – a perfect Valentine’s Day cookie
https://betterbaking.com/recipe-items/le-crookie-or-cookie-croissants/
Stacked Crepe Cake in honor of National Crepe day
https://betterbaking.com/recipe-items/stacked-crepe-cake/
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