Summary

These wonderful menus will help you bring Bonnie Stern's style and warmth to your own table. Brimming with enthusiasm, knowledge and a love of food and people,Friday Night Dinnersis simply Bonnie's best book yet. There's no better way to start the weekend than having family and friends over for Friday night dinner. With this essential cookbook, Bonnie Stern will show you how to welcome the weekend with ease, warmth and flair. Taking inspiration from long-time family traditions and from her many travels, Bonnie's menus reflect her own relaxed entertaining style and trademark approach - easy-to-follow recipes and lots of make-ahead tips, variations, helpful hints and serving suggestions. And Bonnie's personal stories will inspire you to create some Friday night dinner memories of your own. Color photos taken at Bonnie's home by her son, Mark Rupert, showcase menus for every season and occasion - holidays and barbecues, fast suppers and fabulous feasts - and Bonnie makes sure you can make fantastic meals and still enjoy the food and fun with everyone else. With over 170 delicious recipes, you'll want to use this book every day of the week. From the Hardcover edition.

Author Biography

Bonnie Stern is one of Canada’s most popular and beloved food personalities. For over thirty years, she has operated the Bonnie Stern School of Cooking and is the author of twelve bestselling cookbooks. She has hosted two national television shows and currently writes a weekly column for the National Post.

From the Hardcover edition.

Contents

acknowledgments viii
introduction

comfort dinner
italian dinner
thanksgiving
rosh hashanah
israeli dinner
100-mile diet dinner
nostalgia dinner
middle eastern dinner
south african dinner
vegetarian dinner
fast food italian
diner dinner
fast food family
indian dinner
standing-up dinner
passover
dinner with chuck
asian dinner
fast food fish
greek dinner
australian dinner
graduation dinner
dinner with the kids
barbecue dinner
al fresco dinner

index

introduction

Supplemental Materials

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

Excerpts

100-Mile Diet Dinner

Serves 8

Although I always buy local meat and poultry, and I try to buy local produce as much as possible, I had no idea what I was in for when I agreed to host James MacKinnon and Alisa Smith (authors ofThe 100-Mile Diet: A Year of Local Eating) at my book club. We take a lot for granted when we use rice, sugar, olive oil and lemons, for example. In the end even James and Alisa found it hard to believe that we had cooked the entire dinner with local ingredients (though I have to admit we extended the range to 150 miles at times).

It was an eye-opening exercise. We managed to chase down local canola and soybean oil, learned that the largest salt mine in the world is in Goderich, and found a great flour mill in Arva – all close to Toronto.

The challenges of eating locally vary depending on where you live. Everyone has to make compromises, and don’t forget, “almost” all local is good, too.

My biggest tip for cooking locally? Keep your ingredient lists short. Or have a 100-mile potluck dinner, so everyone can share the fun and aggravation!

Except for the kale, which should be sauteed just before serving, this entire menu can be prepared ahead.

Smoked Trout Spread

In southern Ontario, trout is the only local fish that is commercially available year round, although fresh whitefish, pike, perch and pickerel are also sometimes sold (Rick Blackwood of Mike’s in Toronto’s St. Lawrence Market is a great source of information about local fish).

We made our own mayonnaise using local oil, but you could use yogurt, instead.

Serve this with bread or crackers.

8 oz (250g) smoked trout, bones and skin removed
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 tbsp (25mL) chopped fresh chives
2 tbsp (25mL) chopped fresh dill
1⁄2 cup (125mL) mayonnaise or yogurt, approx.
Salt to taste
Apple cider vinegar to taste
Sprigs fresh dill or chives for garnish

1. In a food processor, combine trout, celery, chives, dill and 1⁄4 cup (50mL) mayonnaise. Process on/off until mixture just holds together, adding more mayonnaise if necessary. Add salt and/or apple cider vinegar to taste.

2. Serve garnished with fresh dill.

Makes about 1 1⁄2 cups (375 ml)

Mayonnaise
In a food processor, combine 2 egg yolks, 1 tbsp (15mL) apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp (5mL) dry mustard and 1⁄2 tsp (2mL) salt. With machine running, very slowly add 1 1⁄4 cups (300mL) vegetable oil through feed tube. (You can also do this in a bowl with a whisk, adding the oil drop by drop at first and graduating to a thin stream.)

Makes about 1 1⁄2 cups (375mL).

Braised Lamb Shanks with Wine and Herbs

Although this recipe contains tons of garlic, the long cooking time makes it unexpectedly mild and sweet. You can serve the lamb shanks on the bone or remove the meat in chunks (to avoid scaring guests with what looks like a huge hunk of meat).

Peel fresh tomatoes by cutting out the core, cutting a cross on the bottom and blanching for 20 seconds in boiling water. Cool under cold water and remove the skins, or use a soft skin peeler.

8 lamb shanks, trimmed
1 tbsp (15mL) salt
2 tbsp (25mL) vegetable oil
3 onions, coarsely chopped
12 cloves garlic, peeled
2 cups (500mL) dry red wine
2 lb (1kg) fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped, or 128-oz (796mL) can plum tomatoes, with juices
1 tbsp (15mL) fresh thyme, or 1⁄2 tsp (2mL) dried
2 tbsp (25mL) coarsely chopped fresh parsley, optional

1. Pat lamb dry and sprinkle with salt.

2. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown lamb well on all sides, in batches if necessary (this will take about 10 to 15 minutes). Remove from pan.

3. Add onions and garlic to pan and cook for a few minutes. Add wine, bring to a boil and

Excerpted from Friday Night Dinners by Bonnie Stern
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.