It's All In The Bean

I just love vanilla! The scent it spreads in the air, the flavour it imparts to baked goods, desserts and even savoury dishes. I think it’s kind of comforting somehow. When I smell it, I think of home, but I’m not sure why. Is it because I associate it with my mother’s (and father’s) baking? Is it because I think of a kitchen when I smell it, which is the most comfortable place in the world for me? Who knows? I wonder if that’s why they use it to scent some baby toys? To give that comforting feeling to children. Even my kitchen and bathroom hand soap is vanilla scented! My hands smell like vanilla! I love it!

One thing I know is that it’s a flavour I don’t want to do without. When I use it in desserts, I always put double the amount called for in the recipe. I like to put extra vanilla in chocolaty desserts because it goes so well with chocolate and the same with coffee sauces. Or simply in coffee, or even a glass of milk!  Have you ever added vanilla to the milk you add to your morning cereal? Give it a try if you haven’t. Or how about your oatmeal?  

Vanilla is even a welcome addition to some savoury items. Lobster is one of them. We used to feature a lobster dish with a vanilla butter sauce at the Explorer Hotel that was actually quite nice. Paring it with rosemary also creates a nice flavour combination. But you have to be careful when using it in a savoury preparation. Use it sparingly so you just get a hint of vanilla, otherwise it overpowers the main ingredient. You want the vanilla to just compliment the other ingredients in the dish.

My cupboards usually contain vanilla in at least 3 different forms. I always have a whole bean or two for those special items that need the little specks of seeds and deep flavour of real vanilla, like ice cream, crème brulee or crème Anglaise. A friend of mine has been known to bring me a bunch of beans from a shop he visits in Montreal. Since I can’t use them all at once, I put them in a tall skinny jar and cover them with vodka. The vanilla flavour infuses the vodka which can be used in some preparations but more important, the beans seem to suck in the vodka, making them plump and juicy. Simply cut them open and squeeze out the vanilla beans and syrup into what ever you are making. Of course I always put the left over shell of the bean in my sugar jar so that it becomes infused with vanilla and adds to the applications I use the sugar in.

I also have a small jar of Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste that I picked up at my favourite Kitchener food shop, Vincenzo’s. It’s a bit pricey but a great addition to my spice shelves. And if for some reason I run out of vanilla in these forms, there’s always that old back-up bottle of vanilla extract! It will do in a pinch…I guess.

So next time you’re baking, making a dessert, or trying to think of an exotic flavour to use, don’t be afraid to add an extra splash of vanilla. Perhaps you too will find the scent and flavour comforting, and reminiscent of warm kitchens and of home.

 

Mark's Best Oatmeal

2/3 cup milk

1/3 cup quick cooking oats

1 tbsp dried cranberries

1 tbsp pecans, chopped          

1 tbsp dried banana

1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste

1 tbsp  maple syrup

• Mix the milk and oatmeal in a small pot.
• Add the pecans, cranberries and dried bananas
• Bring to a simmer and cook gently for about 3 minutes.
• Pour into a bowl and top with maple syrup.