The beans still suck!
But on the bright side, I had a pork sannie with fries and a highball for $10.70 including tax. How can you beat that?
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Monday, March 28, 2005
French Leave Marathon
Did you watch the French Leave marathon yesterday? And did you LOVE it?
I love John Burton Race. Who wouldn't want to move to France for a year and learn how to make cheese and bread and try all that fabulous french food?
Other than his family.
I love John Burton Race. Who wouldn't want to move to France for a year and learn how to make cheese and bread and try all that fabulous french food?
Other than his family.
Sunday, March 27, 2005
Easter Dinner
Had dinner with family last night. It was all good. We made Tomatos Rellanos as our contribution.
I got the recipe from either Bon Appetit or Gourmet, but I can't find a link to it right now. Basically you have a smallish tomato for each person, hollow it out, and fill with guacamole. We didn't follow their guacamole recipe, we made our own.
ripe avocados
diced tomato
diced onion
hot sauce
lime juice
salt
We are simple folk and like simple guacamole.
On the way to families house yesterday, we stopped by this Lebanese market we used to go to all the time (but now we live in the 'burbs). For $17 we got an amazing haul of spicy olives, hummus, meat pie, fresh ginger, limes, tomato paste, brown rice, hot sauce, vanilla sugar, and pita bread.
Score!
I got the recipe from either Bon Appetit or Gourmet, but I can't find a link to it right now. Basically you have a smallish tomato for each person, hollow it out, and fill with guacamole. We didn't follow their guacamole recipe, we made our own.
ripe avocados
diced tomato
diced onion
hot sauce
lime juice
salt
We are simple folk and like simple guacamole.
On the way to families house yesterday, we stopped by this Lebanese market we used to go to all the time (but now we live in the 'burbs). For $17 we got an amazing haul of spicy olives, hummus, meat pie, fresh ginger, limes, tomato paste, brown rice, hot sauce, vanilla sugar, and pita bread.
Score!
Thursday, March 24, 2005
Foodstuff
We are enjoying our organic produce. Pretty much all that's left is some apples and oranges. I used the chard in this recipe for Red Chard and spinach Quiche. It was good, but it sure made a lot!
Last night for dessert we had mini angel food cakes with strawberries and whip cream. Yum.
I cooked a roast with yorkies and mashed potatoes the other night, but I over cooked the roast.
We are going to families house for Easter dinner this weekend. We have been asked to bring a veg, and we are leaning towards the good old green bean casserole. But not in that quantity.
I didn't see this recipe on the French's site, but here's a good chicken recipe made with french fried onions:
Brush chicken breast(s) with a nice mustard. Coat with french fried onions. Bake.
In the spring we think we might buy a smoker.
Have you checked Food Porn Watch today?
Last night for dessert we had mini angel food cakes with strawberries and whip cream. Yum.
I cooked a roast with yorkies and mashed potatoes the other night, but I over cooked the roast.
We are going to families house for Easter dinner this weekend. We have been asked to bring a veg, and we are leaning towards the good old green bean casserole. But not in that quantity.
I didn't see this recipe on the French's site, but here's a good chicken recipe made with french fried onions:
Brush chicken breast(s) with a nice mustard. Coat with french fried onions. Bake.
In the spring we think we might buy a smoker.
Have you checked Food Porn Watch today?
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Organic food - delivered to your door!
I got my first order from Organic Express yesterday. They delivered to my office, bless them. Everything looked really good - we got some rainbow chard, green leaf lettuce, blood oranges, regular oranges, pears, apples, pattypan squash, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, grapfruit.... I don't know if there was anything else! It will keep us in produce for a few days, that's for sure...
So I came really close to shutting this blog down and starting a new one. This one seems to be inhabited by little goblins who are determined to make errors I can't fix happen. But in the end, I fixed as much as I could, and will just live with the rest of the problems for now. I just didn't want to abandon some of my old postings. I have edited some posts and deleted quite a few I was not happy with (hey, I'm no writer.). It feels a little better, so we'll see, at least for a while longer.
So I came really close to shutting this blog down and starting a new one. This one seems to be inhabited by little goblins who are determined to make errors I can't fix happen. But in the end, I fixed as much as I could, and will just live with the rest of the problems for now. I just didn't want to abandon some of my old postings. I have edited some posts and deleted quite a few I was not happy with (hey, I'm no writer.). It feels a little better, so we'll see, at least for a while longer.
Sunday, March 13, 2005
Monday, March 07, 2005
Iron Chef Ameria - Feenie vs Morimoto
I'm not a fan of Iron Chef America, but we had to watch when we heard that Rob Feenie would be on.
It was a really great show, and Rob won it. We were a little surprised, but he deserved to win. CTV news has this article, and here's an entry from a blog that gives you a bit of a peek into how Iron Chef happens.
It was a really great show, and Rob won it. We were a little surprised, but he deserved to win. CTV news has this article, and here's an entry from a blog that gives you a bit of a peek into how Iron Chef happens.
Friday, February 25, 2005
Big T's BBQ
Here is a write up on Big T's BBQ.
I love barbecue.
There are very few bbq restaurants around here, but Big T's has opened a shop on MacLeod Trail. A couple of weeks ago, some work guys and myself went over for lunch. The place is very nice, lots of wood and decorated with some blues memorabilia. When we pulled up you could smell the wood from the smoker. Heaven!
I was trying to decide between the brisket sandwich and the pulled pork sandwich. Someone spotted the Big T's platter. For $40 you get a platter with brisket, pulled pork, ribs, half a chicken, rib ends and andouille sausage with slaw, beans, fries and cornbread. We got that. And some deep fried pickles to start.
It was good, certainly enough for the 4 of us, it might have even fed 5 or 6. 4 things I wasn't crazy about:
1. Service. I know I complain about this a lot, but I used to be a waitress. I know how to do it. It was not busy enough to justify that slow of service.
2. The beans were god-awful. Terrible. I can't believe they even served them.
3. The sauces. Except for the mustard sauce, they need work.
4. The rib ends. They did not taste good.
But, definitely worth it, and definitely somewhere to go back to.
And so I did. The next weekend Scott and I went for lunch. Everyday day they have a lunch special. You can have the brisket or pork sandwich with one side for $6. Good deal. I got the brisket with hushpuppies, Scott had the pork with mashed potatos. The brisket was nice and tender, with a very faint smoky flavor. The hushpuppies were out of this world! So nice and soft in the middle and crunchy on the outside, and served with a side of honey for dipping. The pork sannie was so good - nicely cooked and served with slaw in the bun. I had told Scott not to get the beans as they were so terrible last time, but his came with a small bowl. They were marginally better than the first time I'd been there. A really nice lunch, although I wouldn't have minded if both meats had more of a stronger smokey taste.
I asked if they had a website; they don't but they gave me a menu to take home. I can't wait to go back again. Scott has his eye on the catfish po boy, and I want more hushpuppies!
I love barbecue.
There are very few bbq restaurants around here, but Big T's has opened a shop on MacLeod Trail. A couple of weeks ago, some work guys and myself went over for lunch. The place is very nice, lots of wood and decorated with some blues memorabilia. When we pulled up you could smell the wood from the smoker. Heaven!
I was trying to decide between the brisket sandwich and the pulled pork sandwich. Someone spotted the Big T's platter. For $40 you get a platter with brisket, pulled pork, ribs, half a chicken, rib ends and andouille sausage with slaw, beans, fries and cornbread. We got that. And some deep fried pickles to start.
It was good, certainly enough for the 4 of us, it might have even fed 5 or 6. 4 things I wasn't crazy about:
1. Service. I know I complain about this a lot, but I used to be a waitress. I know how to do it. It was not busy enough to justify that slow of service.
2. The beans were god-awful. Terrible. I can't believe they even served them.
3. The sauces. Except for the mustard sauce, they need work.
4. The rib ends. They did not taste good.
But, definitely worth it, and definitely somewhere to go back to.
And so I did. The next weekend Scott and I went for lunch. Everyday day they have a lunch special. You can have the brisket or pork sandwich with one side for $6. Good deal. I got the brisket with hushpuppies, Scott had the pork with mashed potatos. The brisket was nice and tender, with a very faint smoky flavor. The hushpuppies were out of this world! So nice and soft in the middle and crunchy on the outside, and served with a side of honey for dipping. The pork sannie was so good - nicely cooked and served with slaw in the bun. I had told Scott not to get the beans as they were so terrible last time, but his came with a small bowl. They were marginally better than the first time I'd been there. A really nice lunch, although I wouldn't have minded if both meats had more of a stronger smokey taste.
I asked if they had a website; they don't but they gave me a menu to take home. I can't wait to go back again. Scott has his eye on the catfish po boy, and I want more hushpuppies!
Sunday, February 20, 2005
Vietnamese Lunch
Today Scott and I went and did some errands. When we were almost done, Scott said he wished he could have a Vietnamese sub for lunch. (See earlier post called Our Food Day to read about the best Vietnamese sub shop in the world.) There were 2 Vietnamese restaurants in the area we were in, and one was open. So we had lunch at Shawnessy Vietnamese Restuarant.
We split a chicken satay sub and a number 11 - bbq pork, spring rolls and rice vermacelli. Service was awful. There seemed to be lots of people working in the place, but not much getting done. Our food came at different times, so we had eaten half of the #11 before the sub came to the table. What's up with that? We weren't the only table that happened to though. Anyways, food was pretty good, sub wasn't quite as good as the one from Trung Nguyen, but nice. #11 was good, lots of mint mixed in with the lettuce and sprouts, but the pork could have been better. Scott and I have made a pact that the next time we go for Vietnamese, we will both have something we've never tried before. Scarey!
We split a chicken satay sub and a number 11 - bbq pork, spring rolls and rice vermacelli. Service was awful. There seemed to be lots of people working in the place, but not much getting done. Our food came at different times, so we had eaten half of the #11 before the sub came to the table. What's up with that? We weren't the only table that happened to though. Anyways, food was pretty good, sub wasn't quite as good as the one from Trung Nguyen, but nice. #11 was good, lots of mint mixed in with the lettuce and sprouts, but the pork could have been better. Scott and I have made a pact that the next time we go for Vietnamese, we will both have something we've never tried before. Scarey!
Friday, February 18, 2005
3 links
I Love Bitter Waitress. When I was a waitress, I never waited on anyone famous, but when I was in high school, I had a friend that served Charlie Sheen at Burger King.
I couldn't eat whale meat. Could you?
Bourdain vs Pepain. Tony takes it, naturally.
I couldn't eat whale meat. Could you?
Bourdain vs Pepain. Tony takes it, naturally.
Monday, February 14, 2005
Monday, February 07, 2005
Chantico Hot Chocolate
A couple of weeks ago, I was at my desk, working away, when my boss came in my office waving around the Real Life section of that days Calgary Herald. There was an article called "Hot Chocolate, a hot trend for 2005" and it talked about the new Chantico hot chocolate from Starbucks. He immediately sent a co-worker to go and get us all one.
Hoo boy. You haven't had anything like that before!
Starbucks calls it drinking chocolate. It tastes just like a melted chocolate bar of the best quality. Rich rich rich. You absolutely must be a chocoholic to drink this. The cup is small - 6 ounces. The price is not small - I think it's about 3 bucks or so. The downside? 390 calories and 21 grams of fat!
Hoo boy. You haven't had anything like that before!
Starbucks calls it drinking chocolate. It tastes just like a melted chocolate bar of the best quality. Rich rich rich. You absolutely must be a chocoholic to drink this. The cup is small - 6 ounces. The price is not small - I think it's about 3 bucks or so. The downside? 390 calories and 21 grams of fat!
Saturday, January 29, 2005
Our food day
Today was a good day for food.
Our first stop today was at Lina's Italian Market (2202 Centre St NE). We love Lina's but don't go there much since we moved to suburbia. We loaded up on supplies like cheeses, Italian bread crumbs, saffron, and risotto. We also got some goat cheese flavored with star anise and pepper, some serano ham, and some pastries we did not care for at all. But if you don't try, you never know.
Then we went downtown to Chinatown. We went to the Golden Dragon Bakery for some ham and green onion buns, to Can Fung Market (215 1 St SE) for dried noodles, curry sauce, wonton wrappers and fried onions. And a stop at Chuen May Food (227 1 St SE) for some frozen dim sum - pork spring rolls, chicken dumplings, and crab claws stuffed with crab, prawns and pork.
We were in a bit of a hurry, since all these stores are a long way from home. But when we were at Chuen May, Scott noticed a Vietnamese Sub shop next door that had a line up out the door. And the line just kept getting longer! Neither of us had ever had a Vietnamese sub before, and it looked like we wouldn't today either, as we had no time to wait. But on our way to our last stop, we came across Trung Nguyen Vietnamese Submarine (#10-132 3 Ave SE), a very cute and teeny shop. We decided to split a sub before heading home. Scott grabbed one of the 3 tables, and I ordered a Satay Chicken sub and a root beer from the very charming man running the register. After confirming with me twice that I did not have a peanut allergy, he asked me if I wanted my sub "loaded" with carrot, cilantro, cucumber, hot peppers and onions. Sounded good to me! The tab for the sub and pop? $5.50! After a less than 5 minute wait, our sub was brought to our table. After our host re-arranged our purchases, and made sure that we had no peanut allergy (why would someone with a peanut allergy order satay in the first place?), we were left alone to eat what was probably the BEST sub I have ever had in my life. The bread was crusty and warm, the chicken was tender and coated in a spicy satay sauce. The addition of the carrot, onion, cuke, and hot peppers was SO good. We wolfed that sub down in no time flat, and it was not a small sub. As you should always do when you have an amazing meal, we made sure to thank the (husband/wife? co-workers?) before leaving and tell them how great the food was.
Sometimes it's nice to get a reminder that great food does not need to be fancy or expensive to be wonderful.
Our first stop today was at Lina's Italian Market (2202 Centre St NE). We love Lina's but don't go there much since we moved to suburbia. We loaded up on supplies like cheeses, Italian bread crumbs, saffron, and risotto. We also got some goat cheese flavored with star anise and pepper, some serano ham, and some pastries we did not care for at all. But if you don't try, you never know.
Then we went downtown to Chinatown. We went to the Golden Dragon Bakery for some ham and green onion buns, to Can Fung Market (215 1 St SE) for dried noodles, curry sauce, wonton wrappers and fried onions. And a stop at Chuen May Food (227 1 St SE) for some frozen dim sum - pork spring rolls, chicken dumplings, and crab claws stuffed with crab, prawns and pork.
We were in a bit of a hurry, since all these stores are a long way from home. But when we were at Chuen May, Scott noticed a Vietnamese Sub shop next door that had a line up out the door. And the line just kept getting longer! Neither of us had ever had a Vietnamese sub before, and it looked like we wouldn't today either, as we had no time to wait. But on our way to our last stop, we came across Trung Nguyen Vietnamese Submarine (#10-132 3 Ave SE), a very cute and teeny shop. We decided to split a sub before heading home. Scott grabbed one of the 3 tables, and I ordered a Satay Chicken sub and a root beer from the very charming man running the register. After confirming with me twice that I did not have a peanut allergy, he asked me if I wanted my sub "loaded" with carrot, cilantro, cucumber, hot peppers and onions. Sounded good to me! The tab for the sub and pop? $5.50! After a less than 5 minute wait, our sub was brought to our table. After our host re-arranged our purchases, and made sure that we had no peanut allergy (why would someone with a peanut allergy order satay in the first place?), we were left alone to eat what was probably the BEST sub I have ever had in my life. The bread was crusty and warm, the chicken was tender and coated in a spicy satay sauce. The addition of the carrot, onion, cuke, and hot peppers was SO good. We wolfed that sub down in no time flat, and it was not a small sub. As you should always do when you have an amazing meal, we made sure to thank the (husband/wife? co-workers?) before leaving and tell them how great the food was.
Sometimes it's nice to get a reminder that great food does not need to be fancy or expensive to be wonderful.
Thursday, January 27, 2005
Lobster dinner
This was Scott's lobster dinner at Joe's Crab Shack in San Francisco. Doesn't it look good?
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Recent meals
I made a potato, onion and mushroom gratin from one of Martha's cookbook, except that we had no mushrooms. So it was just a potato and onion gratin. It could have been great; it is a lower calorie/fat version of a gratin as it has no milk or cream or butter. But I made a mistake. The recipe calls for thyme. Scott and I have recently decided that we don't care that much for thyme. But instead of just easing up on the thyme, I eased up on all the seasonings, leaving it quite bland. But I'll make it again for sure.
We had Black Bean Chili from Delia's webiste the other night. I have never cooked chili in the oven before, or made chile with steak. I've always used ground beef. This was pretty good, but Scott didn't think it tasted very chili like. More like a tomato based stew. But it's true, it doesn't have the usual chili spices in it, like, CHILI POWDER!
Another meal we had was from Nigella's book Forever Summer, a butterflied lemon and rosemary chicken. We cut the backbone out of the chicken and marinated it overnight with onion, olive oil, lemons and rosemary. Then we roasted it and ate it with roasted blue potatos and brussel sprouts. It was pretty good, although the chicken was not as lemon-y as I expected from an overnight marinade.
When the weather warms up some more, I am going to cook a butterflied chicken on the bbq. Did anyone see the episode of Cook Like a Chef on Food Network when the chef deboned the chicken but left it whole and intact?
Tonight I made Sunday Night Chicken Noodle from Nigella Lawsons website as well as one of her cookbooks. Eh. It NEEDED something. Maybe some ginger, or hot sauce, or something. I think I'll make it again, but there will be changes made. Also, I used big fat noodles; next time I'll use a skinnier type.
We had Black Bean Chili from Delia's webiste the other night. I have never cooked chili in the oven before, or made chile with steak. I've always used ground beef. This was pretty good, but Scott didn't think it tasted very chili like. More like a tomato based stew. But it's true, it doesn't have the usual chili spices in it, like, CHILI POWDER!
Another meal we had was from Nigella's book Forever Summer, a butterflied lemon and rosemary chicken. We cut the backbone out of the chicken and marinated it overnight with onion, olive oil, lemons and rosemary. Then we roasted it and ate it with roasted blue potatos and brussel sprouts. It was pretty good, although the chicken was not as lemon-y as I expected from an overnight marinade.
When the weather warms up some more, I am going to cook a butterflied chicken on the bbq. Did anyone see the episode of Cook Like a Chef on Food Network when the chef deboned the chicken but left it whole and intact?
Tonight I made Sunday Night Chicken Noodle from Nigella Lawsons website as well as one of her cookbooks. Eh. It NEEDED something. Maybe some ginger, or hot sauce, or something. I think I'll make it again, but there will be changes made. Also, I used big fat noodles; next time I'll use a skinnier type.
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Thursday, January 20, 2005
Bouchon cookbook
I have the best husband ever. I got this amazing cookbook for Christmas. I am spoiled!
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Buendnerfleisch
Is the very red meat at the bottom of the plate. For those of you (like me) who have never had it before, it is air-dried beef. And it is good.
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Hoisin Pork
From Bobby Flay.
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 Tb rice wine vinegar
2 Tb soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 1/2 to 2 lb pork tenderloin.
Mix all ingrediants together except pork. Slice pork into medallions and pound thin with mallet. Marinate pork 4 hours to overnight. Cook on a griddle pan or on a bbq.
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 Tb rice wine vinegar
2 Tb soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 1/2 to 2 lb pork tenderloin.
Mix all ingrediants together except pork. Slice pork into medallions and pound thin with mallet. Marinate pork 4 hours to overnight. Cook on a griddle pan or on a bbq.
Monday, January 03, 2005
The story of Christmas
Well, apart from the cold that my mom gave me and Scott, we had a great time. We were all thoroughly spoiled.
Did the crab cakes for dinner on Christmas Eve, along with some fresh Malpeque oysters for Scott and my dad. My parents brought some pate and a really good mango chipolte sauce. We put the sauce on pita crisps with some cream cheese.
Christmas morning, we had the breakfast rolls with fruit and yogurt.
Lunch we had snacks - more pita crisps, pate, antipasto, pepper jelly and cream cheese on crackers, and some really great sausage from Granville Island Market in Vancouver.
Dinner, we had turkey with all the trimmings. One problem - NO FRESH BRUSSEL SPROUTS! I went to all the stores in our area on Christmas Eve, and they were all out. We had frozen ones, but they were awful. Tortuga cake for dessert.
Boxing day breakfast- bagels and cream cheese, and used our new toaster.
Lunch - see lunch from yesterday, with the addition of some wild boar sausage that Spud got in his stocking from Granville.
Dinner - Tenderloin steaks (cooked on the new BBQ, which is mighty fine) with potatos, chop salad, and carrots. The last of the rum cake for dessert.
The next day - toast and fruit for breakfast.
Lunch - homemade french onion soup with brandy and toasted baguette.
Dinner - Hoisin Pork tenderloin (I'll post the recipe later) with asparagus and more chop salad. No dessert as we went out looking at Christmas lights and didn't get home until 8.
Nothing super after that until the New Year. We stayed home on new years eve. I was too sick to eat (ha!), but Scott had a feast of mussels steamed in beer, garlic and hot chiles. We had the chateaubriand (that we were supposed to have on the 31st) with bernaise sauce and potatos on the 2nd when I felt better.
Now that all the fun is over, it's time to give the bank account a rest, and clean out the pantry of all the chips, chocolate and the like. It's a new start.
Did the crab cakes for dinner on Christmas Eve, along with some fresh Malpeque oysters for Scott and my dad. My parents brought some pate and a really good mango chipolte sauce. We put the sauce on pita crisps with some cream cheese.
Christmas morning, we had the breakfast rolls with fruit and yogurt.
Lunch we had snacks - more pita crisps, pate, antipasto, pepper jelly and cream cheese on crackers, and some really great sausage from Granville Island Market in Vancouver.
Dinner, we had turkey with all the trimmings. One problem - NO FRESH BRUSSEL SPROUTS! I went to all the stores in our area on Christmas Eve, and they were all out. We had frozen ones, but they were awful. Tortuga cake for dessert.
Boxing day breakfast- bagels and cream cheese, and used our new toaster.
Lunch - see lunch from yesterday, with the addition of some wild boar sausage that Spud got in his stocking from Granville.
Dinner - Tenderloin steaks (cooked on the new BBQ, which is mighty fine) with potatos, chop salad, and carrots. The last of the rum cake for dessert.
The next day - toast and fruit for breakfast.
Lunch - homemade french onion soup with brandy and toasted baguette.
Dinner - Hoisin Pork tenderloin (I'll post the recipe later) with asparagus and more chop salad. No dessert as we went out looking at Christmas lights and didn't get home until 8.
Nothing super after that until the New Year. We stayed home on new years eve. I was too sick to eat (ha!), but Scott had a feast of mussels steamed in beer, garlic and hot chiles. We had the chateaubriand (that we were supposed to have on the 31st) with bernaise sauce and potatos on the 2nd when I felt better.
Now that all the fun is over, it's time to give the bank account a rest, and clean out the pantry of all the chips, chocolate and the like. It's a new start.
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