Wednesday, November 22, 2017

The World's Best Carrot Cake Recipe with Cream-cheese Icing by Chef Bari


Worlds Best Carrot Cake by Chef Bari



Good Morning Foodies,

What's the best dessert to make for the holidays, that your guests will
be talking about for a long time ?

That would be the World’s Best Carrot Cake by Chef Bari, of course !

This cake is by far the worlds best carrot cake with a generous topping
of cream cheese icing (my favourite ) My cake recipe gives a nice
moist fluffy towering piece of wonderfulness your taste buds are
dieting for - not kidding !

It's a prefect dessert for Thanksgiving, Christmas 🎄 New Years ,
birthdays and anniversaries. It's in close competition to my
Cheesecake.

worlds best carrot cake by chef bari



Here's the recipe :

The Golden Rule in Baking is this :

  1. Mix dry ingredients first . 
  2. Mix wet ingredients second. 
  3. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and do NOT over mix.

TIP - Get your ingredients out of the cupboard and grate your carrots
before you begin - 2 cups.
Chop 1 cup of walnuts
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.


START WITH MIXING THE DRY INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups flour ( sifted)
  • 1 teaspoons baking powder (sift)
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda (sift)
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon (sift)

METHOD : 

Mix above ingredients together in a separate bowl for now.
Be sure to mix evenly all the dry ingredients.

NOW - Get out your favourite mixing bowl ( I like my automatic bosch
mixer - I bought it 30 years ago and it's still going strong).

NOTE : You may do it by hand if you can't afford a automatic mixer.

BEGIN MIXING WET INGREDIENTS
Ingredients and Method :

  • 3 eggs
  • 1 3/4 cups sugar
  • Mix to nice and smooth.
  • Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla - mix.
  • Place mixer on slow / low setting.
  • Add 1 cup of canola oil - mix
  • Add 2 cups of your shredded carrots- mix
  • Add 1 cup of shredded coconut- mix
  • Add 1 cup of chopped walnuts
  • Add 1 can ( 8 oz ) crushed drained pineapple - mix evenly.

MIX DRY INGREDIENTS WITH WET INGREDIENTS

  • Spray a 9 X 12 Baking Pan and place cake batter into Pan.


  • Place in Preheated Oven - 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. NOW - turn
    down Oven to 325 degrees F for the next 15 minutes ( Overall
    Cooking Stage is 45 minutes).

    worlds best carrot cake by chef bari


    Take out of oven and do the toothpick test ( Where the toothpick is
    inserted into your cake and it removes clean - as in no batter) If
    you're in a rush ( like I was ) I placed it in the fridge to quickly cool
    down.  YOU must do this before adding the icing - very important!


    CREAM CHEESE ICING :
    Ingredients:
    1 (8oz ) package of Cream Cheese
    4 tablespoons of butter
    2 cups icing sugar


    Method :

    Mix cream cheese and soft butter together until nice and smooth.
    Slowly add in your icing sugar to mix to a nice smooth icing. If it's for
    Christmas 🎄 you can add green or red food colouring if you like.
    Otherwise keep it as is - pearl white.

    TIP : Get out your favourite metal spatula and place it in hot water.
    Place hot water in a container that will submerge the metal spatula.
    YOU could use plastic but metal is by far easier and makes spreading
    the icing a lot easier.

    Take out your COOL DOWN CARROT CAKE and liberally spread on
    a nice thick portion of icing spreading with the spatula as you go. If it
    gets hard to spread, just dip your metal spatula into the hot water
    again, as you go. Spread Cream-Cheese Icing evenly throughout.

    If you're making a birthday cake in a round baking pan, then you
    should double your Cream-Cheese Icing so you can spread the sides
    too. Just another tip for you.

    Ok - now sprinkle the top with chopped walnuts.

    worlds best carrot cake by chef bari


    Voila! Your done. Cut and serve to your guests. They will love you
    forever!

    worlds best carrot cake by chef bari



    I hope you enjoy my detailed recipe of making the World’s Best Carrot
    Cake with Cream Cheese Icing.

    Please support my efforts by purchasing my published cookbook ‘Canadian Recipes of the Great
    White North by Chef Bari’ - my cookbook makes an excellent Christmas gift or any gift, for that matter.

    Thank you for supporting ME - CHEF BARI as I'm retired and every
    little penny real does count. I appreciate it dearly.

    Have a wonderful Thanksgiving America and let's begin the fun holidays!

    "Cooking Up a Storm" CHEF BARI





    Looking for my free Christmas Cookbook ? Look no more - Just CLICK HERE for select treats and sweet recipes for your Christmas holidays by Chef Bari.

    #ChefBari #CarrotCake #CreamCheeseIcing #WorldsBestCarrotCake
    #WorldsBestCakes #Canadian
    #CanadianRecipesoftheGreatWhiteNorth #Canada150 #Baking
    #Chefs #Cookbooks #Christmasbaking #BirthdayCakes
    #AnniversaryCakes #LetsBake #LetsBakewithChefBari

    Thursday, September 14, 2017

    Outdoors and Alone - Chef Bari


    Canadian Great White North Chef Bari

    Good Afternoon Foodies - Today I'm going to talk about the OUTDOORS and the meaning behind Canadian Recipes of the Great White North .

    You may call me an OUTDOOR CHEF simply because I enjoy cooking outdoors within a wilderness setting.

    That's NOT to say I've spent my career outdoors. My career as a CHEF has taken me to some prestigious Private Clubs, high end Golf Courses, restaurants and Resorts from British Columbia to Alberta.

    Talking about the Outdoors -

    Yesterday I caught up on watching the 4th Season of ALONE on History Channel. It certainly brought back memories of my time out in the Great White North (the cold wilderness) and living off the land.
    As you already may know, my published cookbook is called “Canadian Recipes of the Great White North” designed with the Outdoor Theme in the Canadian Rockies and the Okanagan Valley, with Recipes from my hunting experience up in the Chilcotin Region of British Columbia. But, of course there's more to my cookbook, from home cooking, desserts to interactive cute illustrations for the little ones you cherish with love. In fact, my cookbook was published to honour the legacy and memory of my daughter Jenni Michelle Demers who died at such a young age.


    Canadian Recipes of the Great white North


    ALONE - TV Series on History Channel
    Getting back on topic, I’m always amazed as these poor folks from the ALONE TV Series who head into the bush on the farthest northern part of Vancouver Island, hoping to survive longer then their competitors.

    The Winner takes home hard cold cash of $500,000 - nice!

    Oh boy! Is it rough pickings out there! Not only are they tackling the harsh weather, but their food source is slim pickings for sure. With such thick bush it's hard to find suitable berries, wild mushrooms or eatable plants - even in the summer months ! Your only source of food comes from fishing in the cold ocean off Vancouver Island, and that's iffy.
    On land, the wildlife consists of Black Bears, wolves, deer, eagles and cougars ( mountain lions). But the wilderness is so thick, it's hard to find any wildlife, unless it finds you first.

    Meaning, you're NOT the top of the food chain anymore Dorthy !

    In the ocean you have a variety choice of fishes and crustaceans, such as Dungeness crab 🦀. The North Island Explorer gives you a selection of what's out there.

    I think it's best explained by contestant Brooke Whipple, who did a for-fun outdoor commercial (that made me laugh so hard), because how true it really is out in the Canadian wilderness.

    I know - I've been there!

    BUT for now, here's the script of Brooke’s fun Outdoor Commercial ( she would be great in a real commercial for sure ) :


    BROOKE’S OUTDOOR SCRIPT : STARVATION ISLAND

    EXT : VANCOUVER ISLAND
    BROOKE is wearing a dark coloured soft brown cowgirl hat. A long scarf within a multi-bluish coloured winter jacket, outdoor pants and hiking boots. She pops up on camera ( GoPro) bottom up. Her background is Vancouver Island Forest on the coastline - unfriendly environment.
    CAMERA : CLOSE-UP
                                                             BROOKE
                                   We interrupt this Program to bring you a special announcement…from our Sponsors…
    [ Music kicks in ]
                                                             BROOKE
                                 Are you feeling tubby, chunky, husky… ROUND ? Maybe you're just a little bloated ?
                                                             (Pause)
                                Well! Let me introduce you to the hottest vacation destination… that at least 10 people are talking about!
                                 ( Brooke Flashes 10 fingers in front of camera)
                                                              BROOKE
                                                  (She appears crazy like)
                                   Welcome to Starvation Island! ( hehehe)

    CUT TO : Brooke is in front of a landscape overlooking the cold Northern Pacific Ocean. She reaches out her arms wide and says -
                                                               BROOKE
                                                                (grins)
                                      There's no donut shop here ?!
    CUT TO : Brooke is in the front of Vancouver Island’s forest background.

                                                                BROOKE
                                                              (crazy grin)
                                        There's no taco stand here ?!

    CUT TO : Brooke is now standing on a sandy cove with the cold ocean in the background. She points to her stomach and says -

                                                                BROOKE
                                           And there's nothing in here !
                                 ( meaning her tummy is completely empty!)

    CUT TO : You SEE Brooke hopping across the screen on one foot…
    NOTE : Voice Over - (V.O.) Means she's on screen but her voice is off screen) 

                                                                BROOKE (V.O.)
                                           Side effects may include hopping on one foot…

    CUT TO : (same background) You SEE Brooke laughing uncontrollably…

                                                                BROOKE (V.O.) 
                                            Uncontrollable laughter…

    CUT TO : Brooke is now lying on the sandy shore preforming “Snow Angels”.

                                                                 BROOKE (V.O.) 
                                             Abnormal behaviour…

    CUT TO : Brooke is now sitting on a log pretending to eat an imaginary Corn-on-the-Cob.

                                                                 BROOKE (V.O.) 
                                           And conversations with imaginary food...

                                                                  BROOKE 
                                          Boy! Know what I like about you Corn-on-the-Cob? Is when I bite into you…you pop in my mouth.

    CAMERA : MEDIUM SHOT (3/4)

    CUT TO : Background showcases Vancouver Island beachfront and dense forest.

                                                                   BROOKE 
                                             So com’n on ! What are you waiting for ?! Call and book now! Your Starvation Vacation awaits you!

    CUT TO : Brooke is back, front and centre with the cove in the background. She waves her arms and hands across ( like a salesman)

                                                                  BROOKE 
                                             But wait! There's more! If you book now, we'll give you one week of starvation, absolutely FREE !

    CUT OUT AND BACK : Brooke raises her arms wide to greet you.

                                                                  BROOKE 
                                                          (grins uncontrollably)
                                             We can't wait until you get here !

    CAMERA : HIGH ANGLE SHOT

    Brooke falls to the ground…exhausted.

    FADE OUT :
    (Dramatic Music)

    SHARP CUT : Dramatic BC Landscape showcasing the ruggedness of North Vancouver Island by producers of ALONE on HISTORY CHANNEL.
    (The above script is just from me, with my interpretation from watching the program on screen. )
    OMG ! Brooke hits it right upon the nail - LOL ! So so funny !

    Great Outdoors - Chef Bari
    Chef Bari hunting in the Chilcotin Region of British Columbia


    LOST IN THE WOODS

    What makes it so funny, it's so so true! Years ago, when hunting in the dense forest of the Chilcotin I became lost for over 11 hours, not knowing what was up or down. My compass completely failed. It so happened, I was on top of iron ore, (magnetic) causing the compass to malfunction. In fact, it would spin in many different directions - go figure!
    AND - On top of that there was a rogue male Grizzle Bear 🐻 protecting its territory. Luckily I had my 30-06 Browning Rifle ready for any kind of encounter. Becoming LOST isn't something anyone plans to do, but it happens all the time.
    With me, one mistake lead to another, as my partner decided to head around the mountain, leaving me ALONE. Back then I was just a green whippersnapper ( 18 years old ) who just past his CORE course ( Conservation Outdoor Recreation Education).
    Basically an Outdoor course to enable you to go hunting.

    My partner was way more experienced then I, with at least 10 years under his belt. His family had hunted all their lives. But still, he made that one important mistake - Never ever leave your partner ALONE !
    Really…it was just an honest mistake that anyone could have done. He thought it would be ok to meet me around the side of the mountain as we hunted for whitetail deer 🦌.
    No biggie- right ?!
    Well… as it was…one thing lead to another and I was indeed LOST, deep within the Canadian wilderness. I must of taken a left when I should have taken a right - who knows!
    Good thing I knew the basics, like getting a fire started and staying put - right ? Nope ! That didn't happen. When finally admitting to being LOST, I became nervous. Funny thing, even though my training stated,” NEVER EVER PANIC”, it wasn't long before I ran aimlessly through the bush. The thought of being LOST in the dark woods with a rogue Grizzly Bear was certainly NOT my cup-of-tea !
    Strangely enough, I started seeing things…like,”thought for sure I saw a couple of hunters way ahead of me?” Yelling out I ran uncontrollably, with rifle in hand, crashing through the dense bush, trying my best to catch up to my imaginary hunters in red. Suddenly they disappeared! WTH ! ( What-the-Hell ) Once again I YELLED at the top of my voice.
    Nothing.
    It dawned on me right then and there ; my emergency pack was back in the truck - wherever that was ? No food and no way to start a fire 🔥. Lingering in the back of my mind was that Rogue Grizzly we saw that morning. Bears are good stalkers and can smell you 20 miles away. On top of that, it was now early October with its first snow fall of the season. To make things worse, night was creeping up fast.
    I was scared !
    When any hunter is lost in the woods, it's common practice to fire off three rounds into the air. It's a hunters emergency beacon, letting others know you're in trouble.
    That's exactly what I did.
    The shots from my 30-06 Browning ringed in my ears, echoing across the dark forest. I listened to hear any sound, whatsoever. Would there be a human nearby?
    Nothing.
    Only my icy breath and pounding heart. “So quiet for such a big wilderness”, I thought. It was then I decided to sit down and think about my situation. Looking up to my right extended this steep cliff. Any experienced climber would consider it a challenge! To me though, it just meant a precarious task of climbing the slippery rock to the top. I reasoned, it would be the only way to see where I am, by looking across the valley below.
    Night fell.
    I was cold ! Even though my heart was in my throat, I proceeded to climb this massive rock-face. To ensure a firm grip, had no choice but to use my bare hands.
    Inch by inch I crawled.
    After a couple times of just about falling and realizing how high I was, my sore body edged up onto the top of the cliff. Thankful for me, it stopped snowing and the moon overhead, lite the frosty night.
    Thank goodness!
    No more trees 🌲 to crowd my vision. Truly, the valleys below were indeed awe-inspiring, but I didn't have the luxury of admiring the scenery. Way in the distance I could barely see Chilcotin River. All I knew, the Junction Big Horn Sheep Range would have been across the river. Relieved to have a bearing, I started to scan the territory. It wasn't long before my eyes came across a lonesome dirt logging road on the far side of the mountain.
    I signed deep with relief.
    By now, it was a no-brainier to realize there would be a hunting party looking out for me. After all, I went hunting with a party of eight men and I knew they be pretty anxious, looking for me.
    Tired and completely drained of energy, I traced my way down to the dirt road, making sure to stop every few feet, to make damn sure I still see it ! It would be a terrible time to fall and sprain my ankle or break my leg too. After a couple of hours, my sore legs and back reached the road of no return. Having no clue which way to go, I picked my best side - Left.
    An hour went by.
    My body was practically dragging itself, inch by inch. To be sure, I was dehydrated, hungry and cold-to-the-bone. Suddenly I hear the unmistakable sound of an old creaky truck heading my way. Within minutes the head lights were beaming on me, as if I was a deer-in-headlights.
    I was rescued!





    CONCLUSION:
    To this day, no matter if I'm on a hour hike or a day in the bush by myself, I make damn sure to pack along an emergency kit, with things like a emergency cover blanket, tools to make a fire, bear spray, bear bangers, trail mix bars and beef jerky, water, water tablets, a spare set of clothing, including a few pair of socks, knife, flares, fishing hooks w/floats and weights, snares, small axe and small bush saw.

    And just as important : 

    If going ALONE - let family members know where you're going and when you plan to be back.
    Going with someone else ? Stick together - never venture off by yourself.
    Over all living off the land in the Wild Canadian North can be bring unexpected turns. What I've learned from my experience is to be prepared.
    On the TV Series ALONE it's been said, most of the contestants miss their families. For me I feel more ALONE in the city then Outdoors.

    My Tricks for Survival: 

    • When it comes to getting food, if the fishing is good - keep fishing !Don't stop ! 
    • Forging on land ? Collect as much as you can. Watch wildlife patterns with trails. 
    • Collecting food is a full time job outdoors.
    • Set up a WARM shelter with makeshift fireplace as quickly as you can. 
    • Keep WARM at all times. 
    • You have the Spring and Summer to collect as much food as you can find. When it gets cold ( Fall to Winter) the source of food drops considerably. Fishing won't be productive. 
    • Is it constantly wet ? Need a fire ? Always look under deadfall for dry material to burn, even in the Winter months. 
    • Never let your fire burn out. 
    • Always pitch shelter on higher elevation to prevent from flooding.

    Contestants Brooke and her husband Dave Whipple ( both from Alaska) made the best shelter. They made a comfortable WARM cabin with a makeshift fireplace. It's exactly how I would do too. Unfortunately they didn't win due to the food supply, but their shelter was perfectly done.
    The winners were two brothers from Toronto, Jim and Ted Baird. It was indeed touch and go but they did prevail.
    As a CHEF I instinctively case out the land I'm hiking to see what I can forge, just in case I find myself in SURVIVAL MODE.
    Living off the land isn't a picnic - YOU MUST BE PREPARED.
    By Chef Bari
    PS I hope you enjoyed my true story. Please support my efforts by purchasing my cookbook : Canadian Recipes of the Great White North 
    NOTE : I no longer hunt as I don't need the meat for my table. Hunting to me wasn't ever about the thrill or the trophy. It was strictly to put food on the table for my family
    Also, check out my recipes HERE  

    I love to have my own TV Series — My Cookbook says it all 

    Wednesday, April 26, 2017

    Bacon and Corn Chowder by Chef Bari




    Comfort food has always been the heart of any family.  Bacon and Corn Chowder is indeed an enjoyable hearty Soup with a rich source of vegetables. 

    So - let's get cooking by Chef Bari "Cook'n Up a Storm" 

    BACON and CORN CHOWDER by CHEF BARI 

    Yield : 4-6 guests 

    TIP ONE : The trick to cutting your veggies is to make sure they are all evenly cut to the same size ( think about getting each veggie on your soup spoon ) except the onions which are a finer cut. 


    Ingredients

    1/2 Sweet White Onion - fine cut (diced) 
    1/4 - 1/2 lb Bacon - small cut ( I personally enjoy the added taste of the bacon so I make sure I add 1/2 lb of bacon

    3 medium size Carrots - small cut
    2 Celery Stalks - small cut 
    1 1/2 cups of Corn 🌽 
    2 medium-sized Red skinned Potatoes - medium cut 
    Roux - explained further down this recipe
    1 litre of Chicken Stock or Vegetable Stock - I prefer Chicken Stock myself. 
    2 1/2 cups of milk or half/half  - I use milk just for the calories, but if you're going to impress your guests step up to a creamy solution ( NOT 33% cream - too rich) I always think of calories, as in a healthier way to make my soups. 
    A pinch of fresh nutmeg or ground - just a pinch! It's an overpowering spice! 
    Salt and Pepper to taste 

    Optional : Half cup of grated cheddar



    TIP TWO :  The bottom of pot you do use must have a thick bottom to ensure evenly cooking throughout. The wider your Pot the better.  Remember- THICK BOTTOM - See my photo for example.  Reason is, a thin cheaply-made sauce pan or brazier pot will burn any cream soup. Never cheap out on your pots and pans.  Costco usually has good quality pots and pans for a reasonable cost. ( Promoting Costco I should get paid - I wish !) 

    Procedure/ Method: 

    TIP THREE :  Take each of your Carrots and Potatoes, precook each separately in the microwave for 2 minutes.  Set to the side.

    NEXT : Place bacon in deep heavy skillet you plan making your soup. Sauté your bacon on medium heat, stirring evenly throughout. Let bacon cook until done.  Remove only half of the Bacon drippings from your pan - do NOT remove all of it. It adds a whole bunch of flavour! 

    Don't worry - it will be used to making the roux. ( ROUX explained further down this recipe) 

    Half way cooking your bacon, add finely chopped onions. Keep stirring and cook until bacon is done. 

    Set heat to medium-low.

    NOW - Add Celery, Stir and Cook ( a couple of minutes is all you need here)  Add Carrots and Potatoes into the mix. Stir evenly throughout.



    TIP NUMBER FOUR :  Add a 1/4 cup water to deglaze the bottom of your pan. This procedure not only removes anything from sticking but it collects all the flavours of the ingredients. Bring to a quick boil and then reduce heat back to medium-low.

    ADD corn 🌽 You can use canned, fresh or frozen corn.  Believe it or not, frozen corn is actually the best quality  due to using fresh corn and flash freezing method. The best quality is used by distributors. 

    Stir Corn evenly throughout.  Add pinch of fresh or grounded nutmeg here.  Cook for a good 4 minutes to get every morsel taste of corn flavour. Keep stirring! 

    WARM UP MILK AND CHICKEN STOCK (separately) - 1 minute 20  seconds in microwave, EACH !  Set to the side.







    MAKING THE ROUX 

    Roux is a fancy French name for combining flour, butter and/or oil together. The combination are equal to the other. 

    4 tablespoons of Canola or Vegetable Oil
    1 teaspoon of butter 
    5 tablespoons of Flour ( reason it's 5 tablespoons is to account for the bacon dripping already in your pan) 
    A dash of salt and pepper.  If you have white pepper- better, but not necessary. 

    METHOD: 

    Add oil and butter to pan until butter is completely melted. YES - all the veggies and other ingredients are still in the pan. Stir evenly throughout. Now add flour and mix throughout evenly, keep stirring from this point on.  In other words don't leave your soup to text your friends or see what's on TV.  Keep your full attention to your soup. 
    Cook and stir for a good 3 minutes. 

    NOW - TIP NUMBER FIVE :  Remove pan from heat and stir in Chicken stock first using wooden spoon.  Stir throughout until well mixed. 
    ADD MILK -  Do the same. Mix evenly throughout. 
    NOW - add back to LOW heat on stove and cook and STIR evenly throughout.  This is NOT the time to text your friends.  All attention on your soup creation.  Let cook for 15 minutes more, keep stirring.  I know it's boring but the end result of your cream soup will be well worth it!  

    Your Soup consistency should be a creamy smooth ( not too thick but not too think either) kind of chowder soup. Add shredded cheddar if you like.

    VOLIA !  Your ready to serve this amazing tasty Chowder Soup to your guests.  A heart piece of French Bread 🥖 adds to this wonderful soup. 

    I hope you enjoy my recipe and please support my efforts by purchasing my cookbook : Canadian Recipes of the Great White North by Chef Bari . 

    Thank you,  

    Chef Bari