Celebrity Chef
Simon MacCorkindale, Counterstrike, CTV
Talk about commuting: Counter-strike star Simon MacCorkindale lives in England and works in Canada and France. “Going back and forth is the toughest part of the job’ says the 39-year-old actor, who’ll make an extra trip to Toronto this week to attend the Gemini Awards ceremony, where he’s nominated for best series actor, along with costar Christopher Plummer.
MacCorkindale, also an executive production consultant on Counter-strike, says working both sides of the camera leaves him little time to eat regular, healthy meals when he’s on location. “So I have to watch my weight and not let it creep up on me. I have a strict regimen to follow when I find I’m getting heavy. But mostly I just grab meals where I can on location.”
Despite the intercontinental demands, MacCorkindale says he enjoys the work. The main drawback of the series’ far-flung locations is the amount of time he’s separated from his wife, actress Susan George. “When she can, my wife joins me on location,” he says, “but it’s not always possible.”
When he does return home, he shares cooking duties and claims that when men do cook, “they tend to do it rather well, because they don’t usually have to deal with the drudgery of everyday cooking.” So Simon says next time you’re entertaining, try this showy Crab in Phyllo Pastry recipe.
Recipe
Crab In Phyllo Pastry
2 3.6-oz
1 tbsp 2 tbsp 1 tbsp Dash
2 tsp
1/4 cup 6 | cans crab meat, squeezed to drain sour cream finely chopped shallots finely chopped fresh dill Worcestershire sauce Juice of 1/4 lemon chopped fresh parsley Salt and pepper melted butter sheets of phyllo pastry | 2 103-g
15 ml 25 ml 15 ml Dash
10 ml
50 ml 6 |
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Combine the crab, sour cream, shallots, dill, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper in a bowl.
Grease a 2-cup (500-ml) shallow pan.
Tear a phyllo sheet into three pieces to fit the pan.
Place one piece on the bottom of the pan. Brush with butter. Repeat with more phyllo pieces until you have 9 layers, making sure to butter each layer with a pastry brush. (Keep the phyllo covered in a damp tea towel to prevent the pastry from drying out.)
Spread the crab mixture over the last layer of phyllo.
Place and individually butter 9 more layers of phyllo, buttering the last layer as well.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown.
Serves 4.