This doesn't seem right: a giant siamese strawberry that's *practically* the size of a 6 year old's head? Okay, a slight exaggeration, but still. CONTINUE READING...
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Attack of the giant strawberry
This doesn't seem right: a giant siamese strawberry that's *practically* the size of a 6 year old's head? Okay, a slight exaggeration, but still. CONTINUE READING...
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
A San Frantastic Workcation
Sometimes work can be fun. In particular, when work takes you to San Francisco!
First on the list—a visit to the Ferry Building where each Saturday they have an incredible farmer's market. The highlight was definitely this strange fruit called Buddah's hand.
The beautiful hallways at The Clift. So Starck.
One night I was lucky enough to get a tour of Palo Alto, attend a lecture at the offices of IDEO and tour the campus of Standford.
Around the corner from the hotel is an incredible breakfast place called Dottie's True Blue Cafe. The routine—line up at 7am so you can get in the door when it opens at 7:30. Don't forget to bring your own coffee, all their creative energy went into the food.
By Saturday morning, I'd had enough of Dottie's coffee so I searched for breakfast options on Yelp. I found The Butler & The Chef, an awesome French bistro
The smolked salmon eggs benedict, fresh squeezed o.j. and a delicious latte. It was so good, I went back the next day so I could line up for 45 minutes to have a breakfast crepe.
Heading to the farmer's market, I walked along the Embarcadaro and right under the Oakland Bay Bridge. Beautiful.
I love my macchiato from Bluebottle Coffee. The only problem... you have to line up for 20 minutes to get one. It's worth the wait.
They have food too! Hello Mr. Waffle.
Random chocolate fountain!
An outdoor indie music fest in the Mission.
A salad that reminds me of Christmas
Beautiful feathery white ribbons of fennel mixed in with paper-thin slips of apple. Pretty to look at, fresh and crisp to cleanse your palate. CONTINUE READING...
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Last night's dinner
Monday, November 16, 2009
addicted
I am seriously addicted to and obsessed with this granola. If you've been following my tweets, or sit next to me at work (yes, you Lionel!) you'll know that I eat my version of olive oil granola every single day with a dollop or two of Liberté Mediterranean-style extra thick, extra fat yogurt with a side of coffee. Friday is my granola supply shopping day, which I usually do with Tomi, who introduced me to brown rice syrup. I think it's the je ne sais quoi ingredient that makes the granola taste like there's crack in it. I substitute brown rice syrup for the brown sugar and maple syrup that the NY Times recipe calls for. This week's granola contains: pepitas, almonds, sunflower seeds, wheat bran, dried cranberries and flax seed. CONTINUE READING...
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Eating what's in my cupboard
A couple of months ago, I decided to run an "experiment" where I had to eat only what was in my cupboards and fridge/freezer. No grocery shopping for special ingredients, or any ingredients for that matter. Once I completely ran out of something, that's when I'd allow myself to go to the store for replenishment. The experiment was supposed to last a week, but it went longer… only because then I sort of got used to not buying groceries and making due with the stuff I had. Also, it kind of became a game for me to see what I could whip up with the odds and ends laying around. I should mention at this point that C was also doing the same experiment at his place so we had double the amount of food since some days he'd cook for both of us. And, I didn't need to buy vegetables since we were getting a weekly delivery from our CSA.
The dinner I made tonight sort of typifies what I would have during the no-grocery days and eating what would be in my fridge and pantry… dried beans, whatever greens would be onhand, and good old eggs. Presto! Navy bean stew with rapini and spinach, potato and eggplant frittata, and a salad with carrots. CONTINUE READING...
Monday, November 9, 2009
Prosecco eats broccoli (and cauliflower)
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Dinner last week
I know this looks like a weird, random mélange of food, which it is. But it's not just about looks, it's the taste that counts: kale chips, carrot sticks, marinated eggplant wedges and last but not least– pommes de terre boulangère. As a sidenote: I never used to think I could be a vegetarian, but this dinner was all vegetable and I was very satiated. The only thing preventing me from becoming a vegetarian (and Jewish): PORK. The meat-love of my life. CONTINUE READING...
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
A Happy Birthday!
What could be better than having a birthday dinner with friends? For me, only a home cooked meal with friends on your birthday. Prosecco and C (C—I'm officially giving you the blog name: Risotto) invited fusilli and I to the villa for an extravagant meal with fine wine, fine dining and even finer company.
To start we had pork lard on fresh toasted bread... yeah, I ate that so fast, no time to take pictures. Next, melon wrapped prosciutto and a delicious frittata. It was tough, but I was careful not to fill up, I could see at least three more courses waiting in the wings.
Risotto made an excellent, well... risotto. The incredible colour is from the beets.
Another favorite — Osso bucco. 
I hope I get this right... chocolate peanut butter bacon pie, with candied bacon on top. Insane? Yes. Delicous? If you like choco-peanut-bacon pie... YES! This wins for the most unusual dessert I've ever had.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Thanks Giving
Our Thanks Giving tradition is to avoid tradition... no turkey, no stuffing, just Canada's Wonderland and spicy snacks. After maxing out our adrenaline by riding the Behemoth we stopped in at Linda, for Mieng Kum and Crispy Duck.
Mieng Kum is a great example of how a few simple ingredients come together to create something incredible. I can never remember the name of leaf used to create this little pocket of fire, but you pile on chopped lime rind, shallots, peanuts, coconut, chilies, candied shrimp, something like an oyster sauce, and then pop the whole thing in your mouth. I can't describe the flavour, you'll just have to try it for yourself, but be warned... it's a mouth surprise, and the heat isn't for everyone. Have a beer close by!
If you can't make it up to Don Mills Mall, head over to their location on Gould, above the Salad King.
So Long Speedy Burger
Seems like every weekend, when I get back to the hood, there's something new opening up, closing down or being demolished. On Saturday we were fueling up at our local, F'Coffee, enjoying coffee and breakfast sandwiches, while across the street Speedy Burger was being torn down. I won't miss SB or the rest of the strip mall, but I'm not looking forward to the new condo either. Slowly, all the local colour is bleeding out of the hood and being replaced with a lot of gray. If Jilly's goes, I won't be far behind.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Going to New York for Dinner
I don't need much prompting to jump on a plane, let alone one headed for New York. So, when Manchego suggested we go to NYC for the weekend, it seemed like a plan. Except that it was Thursday, and last minute flights are hard to come by these days... especially on Porter. I checked for flights, just to see how insane the price would be, and I was shocked to find flights for $95. It was clearly a sign... except to Manchego who bailed and decided to spend the weekend relaxing. Lame.
We didn't make it to the High Line on our last trip, so after breakfast we walked up to the Meat Packing District to check it out. It was the highlight of the trip for me. I love public spaces, and this is an incredible example of how cities can reclaim, and adapt abandoned land. The HL passes under two buildings, the one shown here is the new hotel The Standard. Swank.
After walking most of the afternoon, we stopped into Fatty Crab for a PBR tall boy and a Chupacabra. 
Chili Crabs are the specialty of the house, and normally that's what I would order, but after watching our neighbour eating them, I decided I really didn't want to get up to my elbows in sauce. Instead we ordered pickled watermelon and crispy pork. It may not look appetizing in this shot, but the hot/cold, salty/sweet, crunchy/soft contrast of the ingredients was a magical mouth tour.
After first dinner, we headed to the patio at Pastis to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather and watch the outfits stream by. An hour into the fabulous people parade, we decided to see where they were all going. Lesson learned—follow the outfits to fun. We ended up down the street at The Standard Beer Garden, under the high line. It's an open air patio, with two bars and ping-pong tables! There's nothing better than watching drunk ping-pong, which should be called "where's the ball?" Because usually the ball was floating around the floor between fashionable footwear.
For second dinner we headed to Macau Trading Co., a not-so-secret restaurant, behind an unassuming metal grate, marked only by a red lantern. Despite the elaborate interior design, which usually makes up for a weak menu, the food and drinks were on equal footing. It was too dark to take pictures, and almost too loud to talk in the downstairs room, but not too dark for drinks. I had the delicious Mr. Ho, and Fusilli ordered the Dr. Funk. The Macanese /Portuguese menu was full of small snacks, and each dish we ordered was better than the last. Olive oil poached octopus with potatoes and fennel, chicken dumplings in chili oil and mushroom & truffle croquettes.
There's only one breakfast in NYC that's worth traveling 70 blocks, and lining up for 20 minutes when you're feeling hung-over. Barney Greengrass.
The sun was out, and it felt like summer, so after breakfast we headed through Central Park towards the Whitney museum to see the Georgia O'Keefe exhibit. I've been through the park many times, but I've never walked through the Ramble. At certain points, the city pokes dramatically through the trees, highlighting how amazing it was to be standing on a bridge over a stream in the middle of the city.
The Ramble just gets better the further you explore. I was completely lost at this point, but who cares when you've just had breakfast at the Sturgeon King and your only job that day is to make it to your next meal. Welcome to the magic forest.
In an effort to cram as much into two days as possible, we got last minute tickets to the Sufjan Stevens concert at the Bowery Ballroom. I think I would have enjoyed the concert more if my feet weren't so tired.
One last meal before a quick nap and an eaaaaarly flight home.
Pasta and Frisse Salad at Balthazar.
Galette, a.k.a. a rustic topless pie
Monday, October 5, 2009
(dis)comfort food
The days are getting shorter and chillier so the thought of oxtail ragu and semolina gnocchi really appealed to me. I slow-cooked the ragu for almost 3 hours while the semolina gnocchi chilled in the fridge. The final result was a rich, hearty ragu that definitely offered a comfort aspect– initially. But in the end, the meal ended up being so rich and heavy (from the semolina), that I conked out and actually got sick. I won't go into any further details but let's just say that I'm sort of over the whole thick, stewy, saucy thing for the time being. On the plus side, C made me a very nice Aperol Sprizz as an aperitif. The dinner started off with so much potential, alas it did not end the same way. :-( CONTINUE READING...
Thursday, October 1, 2009
The Publican
Two days of awesome food, capped off with a visit to The Publican. You have to love a restaurant with paintings of pigs on the walls.
Cheap and delicious
The Sunday price fix menu, and three pedicures.
Heirloom tomato salad
Squid and sausage pizza!!! The best pizza I've ever had, hands down!
Yes, that's two fried eggs on french fries... I think it's called "Awesome Fries" on the menu
I was on the verge of exploding, and then the next course arrived.
Dessert
Chicago Gourmet
Last weekend we went to Chicago to visit Cupcake, and sample food & wine at the excellent Chicago Gourmet. I knew we were in for a good time when they handed me a wine glass on the way in. From that point, until we left at five hours later, it was non stop tasting and "tasting".
Great location—Millenium Park
I looks like a burger, but it's an itty bitty bite sized steak
Scallop and corn salsa
Braised short ribs (like butta)
Waiting for the delicious... the lines were short and fast
More meaty goodness. Note to the organizers, more veggies next year please
At this point we couldn't stop eating, I had to eat it... they gave it to me!
This was the only thing I didn't like... it was a panna cotta of weirdness. If it were on a menu it would be called "Mouth Surprise"
Not sure what this was. I see some meat and other things.
This was dessert part 1
This was what happened when the green dessert jumped off my plate, landed face first and slid down my shirt. Alcohol had nothing to do with this incident.
Nice view. I could hang out here every weekend eating and drinking
The best thing the day after a gourmet bender—Mimosa's and mexican breakfast
Side of bacon, side of heaven
Dessert cupcakes
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Uninspired
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Corn Roast and Clams
We couldn't get enough of Gilead Cafe this weekend. After the burger brunch, we spent the afternoon walking around town, killing time, until the corn roast started. Around 5 we headed back to sample some corn, clams and Ontario wine. The highlights — deep fried clams on fries with tartar sauce... and the peach crumble with enough whipped cream to make Herb Alpert jealous.
Gilead Café. It was all about the cheeseburger.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Summer Salad
I had to add this picture from our burger brunch. Yes the burger is wicked good, but the summer salad is the perfect accessory to any cheese burger. Nothing softens the guilt of eating a cheese burger like a delicious salad. It's all about the balance.
Francesca's Forno– don't go.
After a too-fast jaunt through Chicago's Renegade Craft Fair and before the next morning's half marathon, it was time to carb load at nearby Francesca's Forno. Although I'd read many great reviews of this place online as well as a personal recommendation by my sister, I'm sorry to report that the food was awful. One word: SALTY. Too much salt is the worst cooking crime according to Nigella Lawson, and I couldn't agree more. On the other hand, my cousin said she hated her meal for the exact opposite reason– not enough salt or seasoning. I wish I'd been at Terroni instead. CONTINUE READING...
Friday, September 18, 2009
Goodbye Summer, Hello Lög
Last weekend we had our final taste of summer, with a trip to a friend's cottage on Lake Muskoka. To end the season we decided to make our favorite camp fire meal — lög. I don't think that's actually the name, or the correct spelling, but it's what we've come to call a crazed method for cooking a huge piece of beef tenderloin in the fire. I have to give full credit to Andreas for introducing us to this unusual way of cooking... it really is a show stopper.
First make a stuffing for the tenderloin. In this case, carrots, shallots and mustard. Butterfly the tenderloin, and then spread the cooked and cooled stuffing in the middle. Wrap the tenderloin in two layers of cheese cloth, truss, and then soak the entire thing in a bottle of red wine. While it's soaking, get the fire ready and wait until you have a good bed of hot coals to cook on. When the fire is ready, drop the lög on top. It's always a guess how long the lög should cook, so turn it occasionally to ensure one side doesn't get too burnt. The moisture from the wine, and the double layer of cheese cloth should keep it from charring the tenderloin. In the end you'll have a smokey and delicious piece of beef.
Prepping the fire
Toss the lög on the fire!
Monte guarding the lög
Lög is almost ready!
Shhhh, the Lög is resting
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Intelligentsia
I've been called "unclassy" regarding my coffee choices in the past, but this one won't be one of them. Intelligentsia Coffee in Chicago this past weekend… what can I say? The best Americano I've ever had. Seriously.
A very nice barista (I think his name was Curtis) at the Millenium Park coffee bar gave us a lovely explanation and demo of how they brew their coffee and these machines are crazy, I've never seen these before! To give the simple breakdown of it all:Machines are calibrated every single morning.
Only coffee which has been roasted within the week is brewed.
The machine works like a reverse French press with a metal filter to retain the oils in the coffee.
Coffee is brewed in 45 seconds.
And that's the secret to a smooth, deep, bite-free coffee. Wow.
Caprese salad by guest blogger Bo
i've been fortunate to live with a roomy that appreciates all things fresh and good to eat! i've not only been able to taste test almost everything that leaves her kitchen but been the keen observer of her methods for cooking and baking in the kitchen! i've seen her raise her little balcony garden, starting with just a humble garden of herbs last year to a garden that this year included tomatoes! she picked a ripe tomato for me last week, which later became my dinner the following day- a classic salad- sliced tomato, mozzerella, fresh basil that was drizzled with olive oil, balsamic vinaigarette and fresh ground pepper.
please note that 1) i often eat popcorn + wine for dinner 2) i don't cook 3) i tend to husband duties in the household such as cleaning up after dinner, loading the dishwasher and network administration of our internet, which is why i thought this was significant enough to post.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Madras Pantry
Bored with our breakfast options in the hood, we decided to ride out to the wild west on Saturday for something different. I'm not sure I'm ready to change my breakfast routine after trying the Jerk Chicken Dosa, but it certainly was an interesting change from granola or eggs. The mango lassi I ordered was the highlight for me, thick like a milkshake, mixed with ice cubes so it stayed super cold the whole time. Nummy.
Haddock with Corn & Tomato Salsa
There's a great seafood store called T&J on the way home from work, so I stopped in recently to see what was fresh. On that day it was the haddock that caught my eye. I had already decided I was going to make a recent recipe from Bitten,Pan-Roasted Corn & Tomato Salsa and the Haddock seemed like a good play mate. I made a dry rub for the haddock from cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper and tossed it on the BBQ. It was totally tex-mex, but it worked.
One thing to note about the corn salsa recipe. The instructions call for the corn to be added to the bacon and onion after they've cooked for a few minutes. Don't do it. In fact, don't even add the onion to the bacon. Cook the bacon to your preference, take it out of the pan, reserving the fat to cook the onion and corn. If you add the corn to the bacon it gets all soggy. The only thing worse than a recipe with no bacon, is one with soggy bacon.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Is September the new June?
Excuse me, but why am I getting strawberries in September? I don't get it. Nothing but leaves all summer and now you decide to show up? I'm so confused. CONTINUE READING...
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Crazy about crostata (aka fruit pizza)
Anyone who knows me knows that I can become a tad OCD about certain foods. My latest obsession is this wholewheat biscuit base crostata. It's not your traditional Italian crostata but it is way easier. Take any biscuit recipe, flatten out the dough and top with your favourite fruit (+ cinnamon + nutmeg + brown sugar). I've been doing peaches lately but am excited to try apples or pears sliced thin on the mandoline. A dollop of whipped cream on the side would make it perfection.
Tomatoes become sauce
Monday, September 7, 2009
Caponata
If you've been following my tweets, I've been eating a lot of Caponata these days. It's a super easy way to cook up a lot of vegetables and soooo savoury. Just chop up a bunch of vegetables (we usually use potatoes, eggplant, zucchini, onion and assorted peppers from the CSA box) and throw into a pot or wok of hot olive oil and cook down until the vegetables get nice and tender. A sprinkling of salt is all you really need to season it since all the flavour comes from the vegetables. You can eat this alone as a main or on the side with just about anything (we had it with some other sautéed greens this time). And guess what? It tastes even better the next day. Enjoy! CONTINUE READING...
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
happy summer dinner
Oh, a fond memory of a dinner from 2 weeks ago when the night air was still warm…
Lamb chops marinated in white wine and herbs overnight, roasted with potatoes. A fresh and pretty strawberry and romaine salad to cleanse the palate. Summer, I miss you already! CONTINUE READING...
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