Growing up in Regina means you have to manage expectations, but things are changing. I never thought I'd see a Grey Cup game in the Queen City and we're hosting for the third time this year. And I never, ever thought Regina would host the Juno Awards but here they are, this week, at the Agridome. Wow. What a time we live in.
I don't have tickets to the big show, but I'm holding out hope that Gordon Downie or Bruce Cockburn or Kathleen Edwards or Leonard Cohen will be craving a good baguette this week and someone will mention Orange Boot and they'll call us and I'll bring them baguettes and they'll love it and Leonard will say they're better than in Paris and Bruce will tell about the time he made flatbreads in a rocket oven while in the Ecuador rainforest and Kathleen will be all awesome and Gord will say something I don't really understand but I'll think it's really deep and then they'll sign my apron and, and...oh man, I gotta sit down.
Whether or not you are going to the Big Shue, you are an Orange Boot Bootnik, so right there you deserve The Good Stuff. Here's an easy way to make some eats that rival the best Back Stage Buffet.
Open Face B-B-BLT's #
(Inspired by Leslie Mackie of Macrina Bakery in Seattle)
You will need:
- a wicked good baguette
- your favourite thick sliced bacon, like from Butcher Boy meats or your uncle's smokehouse
- some organic baby greens
- 2-3 roma tomatoes, sliced
- 6-10 fresh basil leaves
- garlic aioli (see below)
Here's what you do:
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Make the aioli by whisking together 2 egg yolks, 1 tsp chopped garlic, 1 tbsp dijon mustard. Then slowly add 1 cup olive oil, whisking all the while, until you have a creamy, spreadable mayo-like sauce.
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Fry the bacon and drain. Keep it warm.
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Cut the baguette on the bias into 1cm slices. If you like, put the slices on a pan and bake at 375F for 10 minutes or until toasty.
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Build your BLT's thusly:
- spread the aioli on the bread
- add a slice of bacon
- add a slice of tomato
- add some salt and pepper, then a basil leaf
- hide the basil with salad greens
- finish with a nice piece of lettuce to act as the 'top' of your open face sandwich.
Eat 'em up! Marvel at what that hint of garlic and hidden basil leaf does to the overall flavour. And enjoy the show!
Photo by cdrummbks