Things That Make Me Go Yum!

Beer Bread

2011-11-23T14:42:00.000-08:00

I was flipping through an old Jamie Oliver Naked Chef cookbook and found his section on bread, and since I'm all bread-tastic these days I read through what he had to say. One of the recipes was for beer bread. It was basically a bread recipe with beer instead of water....

Since I had a neat beer in the 'fridge (of course)...that beer is La Fin Du Monde

I decided this would be a good one to use.

I used the recipe found in the previous post and just used beer instead of water and did not add the cheese....I still added the oregano...1) I like the smell and taste and 2) I thought it might add a bit of flavour

It worked out GREAT !

My dough didn't rise much and I waited longer...I'll chalk that up to the fact that we had an 'ass snapping' cold weekend and the dough was not getting any external heat.

In the end it still worked out and had a nice taste...not super beery...

This is the type of bread that would be great as a starter with a flavoured butter, while sipping a beer and waiting for your tray of meats and cheeses.

Next ?

I'm going to make SAUSAGE !

Look at me go !!!

Happy Halloween !

2011-10-31T14:44:00.000-07:00

Saturday baking

2011-10-29T10:45:00.000-07:00

I'm in the process of making the Parmesan Oregano bread again with WHole Wheat flour...right after that I'll make some Onion Bread and then a pizza crust for dinner....look at me go !

Update: BREAD IS AWESOME !

Butcher Blocks

2011-10-28T18:54:00.001-07:00

I've now started making butcher block cutting boards. This one is American Cherry end grain (end grain will be way stronger). This one is roughly 15" x 24". I'd be selling these starting around 45$ depending on size. Leave a comment if you're interested.

Parmesan Oregano Bread

2011-10-23T19:14:00.000-07:00

I took my first crack at making bread today. I decided to make Parmesan Oregano Bread. I found a simple recipe and went with it.

Ingredients
2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C) 2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons white sugar
4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
1.Sprinkle yeast over water in large bowl. Let stand a few minutes, then stir and dissolve yeast. Add sugar and let the mixture get nice and foamy. Then add salt, butter, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, oregano and 3 cups of the flour. Beat at slow speed for 2 minutes. Beat in rest of flour; cover the bowl with a sheet of wax paper and a kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place 45 minutes, or until doubled in volume.
2.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease one round, 2-quart casserole. Set aside.
3.Stir batter down for 1/2 a minute. Turn dough into casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese.
4.Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 55 minutes.

It worked out quite nice. I'll give this a try again once gone then try a more healthy bread with whole wheat flour.

Awesome Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-08-26T09:27:00.000-07:00

I have a nasty habit of finding recipes on the internet, writing them down and then forgetting where I found them....hmmm, maybe I should just put them in my favourites....what a wild concept.
Anyway, I found this recipe for soft chocolate chip cookies....the addition of vanilla pudding had me raise an eyebrow...but I have to say, these were GREAT ! (they didn't last long in the house).

Have a try ! (and if anyone knows where it came from, send me a note so I can give them a shout out)

Ingredients
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.
2.In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3.Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown

Food Fail

2011-08-25T15:02:00.001-07:00

I'm sure this can't be real....can it ?

Breakfast in Whitefish Montana

2011-08-15T13:40:00.001-07:00

The best place in Whitefish for Breakfast. The End.

A mole you say

2011-08-08T14:32:00.000-07:00

So...we've been noticing these mysterious piles of dirt in our small but cute garden for the last few weeks that really had us perplexed until we finally realized that we had a mole...HOW'D THAT GET THERE ????

While they don't eat the vegetation, they sure make a mess of everything creating their underground passages. So now we're trying to figure out the fastest, best and most humane way of getting rid of these buggers...I have found that using strong colorful language and flipping the bird has no effect (although, it may cause the neighbors to call the police if I keep it up)

Any and all advice would be welcome

Food Advertising Fail

2011-08-03T16:15:00.001-07:00

FOOD TRUCKS !

2011-08-02T12:32:00.000-07:00

I've been hearing about all these new gourmet food trucks that have been rolling out in cities around the globe. Not just the greasy burger, dog or mystery meat on a stick, but actual high end cuisine !

And now it looks as though Calgary is helping push this with cutting some red tape to get these restaurants on wheels out and to the masses.

Click HERE to read about it.

Short Break

2011-07-21T14:46:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the short break....it's all busy up in 'ere !

We've been tending our small but cute garden full of carrots, beats, lettuce, strawberries, chives, and other food stuffs...so we hope to have some great 'made at home' veggies and sides with our 'home made' meals.

We're finally getting out to a local farmers market this weekend ( the Millerville Farmers Market ) and I WILL be buying a chunk of elk....it's GREAT !

We have been doing plenty of grilling on the BBQ and I hope to have some dishes to share ASAP.

I hope everyone is having a great summer !

Chicken Caesar Salad

2011-05-25T22:50:00.000-07:00

Great article about the ever boring Chicken Caesar Salad from Chef Writer Michael Ruhlman.

Also, a post for a Chicken-Fried Pork Belly Caesar Salad.

Both worth a read !

Food in Vegas

2011-05-25T14:41:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a weekend in Vegas...and we need a vacation from our vacation (I suppose that's when you know you've done Vegas right). This time around it wasn't all about the 'WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER !'...we wanted to eat somewhere other than buffets and 2$ beer and a hot dog.

One of the places we hit was Todd English PUB (public urban bar). Todd English is a Boston based Chef Restaurateur who has the Olives chain (found at the Bellagio). This place is just what it sounds like...a high end Pub. It's connected to one of the new hotel resorts at city center called Aria (very nice place).

We were hungry and wanted to try as much as possible so we ordered a beer sampler(they have a couple on the menu)

along with Duck Buns and Onion Rings. The duck was nicely cooked within an Asian sweet sticky bun. The plate came with three which was perfect for sharing

. The onion rings almost made me fall out of my chair...THEY WERE HUGE ! Perfectly cooked and had a spicy ranch dressing.

After we finished these two plates of appetizers we were almost done...we keep forgetting that the portion sizes are big...and then what do we do ? Instead of ordering a plate of sliders to share (assuming it would be too much food) I ordered a plate of Dirty Chips. I assumed, since they were hand made potato chips with dressing they would come in a small basket and be perfect for munching on with the remainder of our beer sampler. NOPE...

A massive plate that looked like nachos showed up....needless to say, we didn't put much of a dent in it...

All in all, I'd say the place is worth a visit when you're wandering down the strip and need a snack...just remember that if you plan to share a few appys, it's best to have at least 4 of you there....

St. Lucia Salt Fish & Banana Salad

2011-04-26T15:42:00.001-07:00

We just returned from a fantastic week in St. Lucia and one of the most frequent dishes we saw was a Salt Fish (Cod) and Green Banana salad. It closely resembled a potato salad in it's look and texture. I really liked it, although at each place the taste varied (some bland, some too salty). I will definitely try to make it myself. After a quick search online I found this recipe from http://www.caribbeanweek.ca/ . It's not exactly what we had, but it's close and it'll be what I try first...I'll continue to look for the exact recipe. Enjoy !

St Lucian Style Salt Fish
2lbs salt cod
2 tbsp garlic, chopped
2 tbsp thyme, chopped
4 tbsp onion, sliced
3 tbsp scallions chopped
2 tbsp chadon bene or cilantro chopped
½ cup tomatoes cut in ¼ inch cubed
2 tbsp seasoning peppers (pimento) chopped
½ cup bell peppers cut in ¼ inch cubed
1 tbsp lime juice
4 tbsp vegetable oil
½ tsp hot sauce
Salt to taste

Method:
In a large skillet, boil salt cod three times to remove excessive salt rough chop and set aside.

In large frying pan heat oil to medium heat and sauté herbs and vegetables for 2 minutes, then add salt cod with remaining ingredients and toss for another two minutes, set aside.

15 servings

Sautéed Ripe Plantain
1 large ripe plantain peeled & sliced
4 tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste

Method:
In large frying pan heat oil to medium heat and sauté plantain until golden brown on each side, remove from frying and drain on paper towel, sprinkle with salt to taste.

Beef with Broccoli

2011-04-05T14:43:00.000-07:00

Sweet and Sour Fish - In Squirrel Shape

2011-02-25T10:27:00.000-08:00

I just returned from a business trip to Beijing and while I was there I had the pleasure of eating tons of great food. One of the dishes that stood out was a sweet and sour fish done in a Squirrel Shape. I loved the look and the taste.

I highly recommend this if you see it on a menu.

I am going to try to do it at home and I found this recipe online....maybe next Friday for Gourmet Night !

Attached is a picture of the dish I tucked into.

Here is the recipe:

Sweet and Sour Fish (In the Squirrel Shape)

Ingredients:

1 Whole Fish (Blue cod is the best fish to use for this traditional dish)
2 Cups Pomegranate Juice
1/2 Cup White Vinegar
2 Tbsp Cornflour
2 Capsicums
1 White Onion
2 Celery Sticks
1 Egg
Cornflour
Canola oil for cooking
Pinenuts
Flat Leaf Parsley

Cooking Instructions:

Cut the capsicum, celery and onion into small chunks.
Prepare the sauce by mixing the juice, vinegar and cornflour - stir until is cornflour is dissolved.
Put aside.

Clean and scale the fish.
Carefully cut the head from the fish and then cut across the chin so the head opens out facing the stars.
Butterfly Fillet the Fish being very careful to keep the fillets joined, then cut deep diamond shapes careful not to cut all the way through.

Coat the fish fillets in egg and then completely cover in cornflour - it's very important to rub cornflour into every diamond fold so they separate when cooking.
Also coat the head of the fish.

Heat deep frying canola oil until smoking hot, then drop in the head to cook, hold the fish fillet at the top and tail and hold it into the hot oil in a curve until the shape has started to set then drop the whole thing in to cook. Cook for a couple of minutes then carefully remove and drain. Arrange the head and body on the plate in the squirrel shape.

Stir fry the vegetables until just cooked but still crisp, add the sauce and stir until thick.
Pour over the fish on the plate and garnish with pine nuts and a little flat leaf parsley.

2011 Updates....what's going on ?

2011-02-01T13:51:00.000-08:00

I apologize for the lack of home made"Yummy" things on the blog. With work getting busy again, and the toddler and newb keeping us extremely busy [and sleep deprived], the meals haven't been, shall we say, noteworthy. Not to say they aren't tasty and well prepared, just a lot of the 'same old same old'...which in our case, is just fine with me. (aside: I did make some nice fluffy 'Canadian' Pancakes and some gourmet pork/beef burgers stuffed with goat cheese but just haven't had time to update yet....maybe tonight ?)

For example, we picked up some value/family packs of pork loin and salmon. Easy to cook in different ways and perfect for quick put together meals. Two nights ago we had salt and pepper salmon on a bed of fried veg. Simple...And last night used the remaining salmon for a quick butter garlic salmon pasta (I finished the last bit of that for lunch today). The menu next week ? Probably Pork, Salmon and Pasta again.....

So what to do...

It wasn't a hard decision. We decided that Friday's are now GOURMET NIGHT ! We will take the time to dust off the cook book project and put a bit more effort into what we cook up on Fridays (something other than simple pork loin, salmon or pasta).

I think I will also update with the quick meals since there are probably people out there wondering what they can do..FAST and EASY.

Here's to some interesting dishes coming our way in 2011 !!!!

#MEATEASY - London, UK

2011-01-26T15:32:00.001-08:00

Check out this great post about a place in London, UK called #MEATEASY. It looks like a great place has opened due to an unfortunate event (the dude's Meat Wagon was stolen). They serve what they refer to as American food in London (Burgers, Chili Dogs, Onion Rings, etc, which all look awesome in the pictures)

The bad news ? It's only open until mid March !!!!
Good news/bad news for me...I'll be there on March 16th....will it be open or closed ? Gawd I hope open, this place looks fantastic !

Click HERE to go to the post on FOOD STORIES.

New Year Steak, Shot and a Beer by the BBQ Pit Boys

2011-01-01T21:35:00.000-08:00

Paneer Bhurji - Indian Vegetarian Meals

2011-01-01T21:33:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year !

2011-01-01T09:33:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas

2010-12-07T14:26:00.000-08:00

THAI FOOD Beef Panang

2010-12-01T16:04:00.000-08:00

Homemade Pizza Dough

2010-12-01T16:02:00.000-08:00

How to Make French Onion Soup - Food Mob

2010-11-08T09:34:00.000-08:00

Home Made Beer Batter Cod

2010-11-01T20:10:00.000-07:00

I had fish and chips on the brain so I decided to make me some home made beer batter cod...here's what i did.

Get a couple pieces of fresh Cod (roughly a couple lbs)
In a bowl mix 2 eggs, 1 cup of flour
add 1 can of beer (i used some cheap lager i had in the 'fridge...next time i would use a stronger darker beer

add salt and pepper to taste

Get a pot or pan with oil up to temp....drop the fish in the batter...get it all nice a gooey... and slowly lower it into the oil....then watch it bubble in the oily love for a few minutes and watch it puff up in beer batter goodness. (Note: drop a spoon full of batter in the oil first to test the taste...i had to drop a couple in to make sure the salt and pepper was right)
Add some fresh cut baked chips, coleslaw and.....ahhhhh...home made fish and chips.

This is also a very inexpensive and fast meal. Prep time is all of about 10-20 minutes.

Ham & Cheese Toastie - Food Mob Bites

2010-11-01T15:55:00.000-07:00

New York Style Cheesecake Recipe - Sunshine Cheesecake Recipe

2010-10-28T14:58:00.000-07:00

10 Minute Stir Fry! Plus: How to Make Salad Dressing - Food Mob

2010-10-28T14:53:00.000-07:00

Make CLASSIC Eggs Benedict - Food Mob

2010-10-28T14:48:00.000-07:00

More bad news for Ramsay

2010-10-20T10:50:00.000-07:00

Looks like all is not bliss at Gordon Ramsay Holdings. It is now being reported that his Father-in-Law and long time business partner has given up the reigns as CEO of his holding company:

Gordon Ramsay's father-in-law has sparked rumours of a fallout with the fiery star after he stepped down as CEO of the celebrity chef's business empire.

The Hell's Kitchen star has suffered severely in the recent economic downturn and in 2009 was forced to pump $8 million of his own money into his businesses in a last-ditch bid to keep afloat.

The company, Gordon Ramsay Holdings, reported a loss of $6.5 million last year and was dealt another blow in August when U.S. officials sent three outstanding tax bills, with one totalling $484,500.

And the strain has seemingly affected Chris Hutcheson, the father of his wife Tana, who has walked away from his job in charge of his son-in-law's dealings after 12 years.

A statement says, "We can confirm that Chris Hutcheson has left his position as CEO of Gordon Ramsay Holdings Ltd. He retains an interest in the business as a shareholder."

Fried Cabbage

2010-10-19T13:20:00.000-07:00

I just returned [again] from a last minute trip to China, and again, I managed to stuff my face with awesome food. Chicken, Shrimp, Beef, Frog, Noodles, Rice, et al. One of my favourite side dishes is the fried/boiled cabbage....it's a great veg filler !

Here's a quick a simple recipe:

Ingredients
3 slices bacon, chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion
6 cups cabbage, cut into thin wedges
2 tablespoons water
1 pinch white sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Directions
1.Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Remove bacon, and set aside.
2.Cook onion in the hot bacon grease until tender. Add cabbage, and stir in water, sugar, salt, and pepper. Cook until cabbage wilts, about 15 minutes. Stir in bacon. Splash with vinegar before serving.

Update

2010-10-04T15:53:00.000-07:00

It looks like we're finally getting back to a normal grind. The new boy is just over 2 months and we've finished off the summer travel and wedding season.
We should be able to get back to posting (if only we had taken some notes and pictures of the meals over the last 2 months.....)
Now that we're getting into fall, we should be seeing more squash, pumpkin, vegetables, etc in our dishes...and since we're saving for an April wedding in St. Lucia, there won't be too many restaurant reviews on the horizon (it will all be homemade....which is usually better anyway).
Here's to finishing off 2010 with great food !

Beijing = Great Food !

2010-09-14T08:51:00.000-07:00

I just returned from a quick trip to Beijing. While I didn't get to see as much of the city as I would have liked I did get to eat a ton of great food. Here are a few pictures of what I had.

I would highly recommend China for a vacation destination. It is very inexpensive and the sights, sounds and food are amazing !

10 ways to cut food costs

2010-08-19T14:27:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to 10 easy ways to cut food costs.

Click here.

Hiatus

2010-08-09T10:01:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts...just a wee break for the birth of our new son. We'll start posting again very soon.

Stampede Breakfasts

2010-07-05T14:23:00.000-07:00

The best thing that pops up around Calgary during Stampede is the Free Stampede Breakfast. And, the fine people of Stampedebreakfast.com have compiled a nice list of many of the locations so you can plan ahead. Squeeze into the wranglers and strap the food bag on !

Head to their Stampede Breakfast website here.

YAAAAHOOOOO !

Ramsay closes the Devonshire

2010-07-03T10:50:00.000-07:00

The pub downturn has now hit Ramsay. It looks as though the Devonshire was not living up to expectations. so they've bolted the lock. It's too bad. I've been to this pub and it was in a nice quiet area and had a good vibe...even if it was more restaurant than pub. The food was very good (I had a chicken pot pie).

Well, I best get my butt to London to visit his other pubs before they close.

Here's the news from the Telegraph.

At the height of his popularity last year Gordon Ramsay, the colossus of the culinary world, could seemingly do no wrong.

His business empire had expanded across four continents. He was the toast of American prime-time TV. His Midas image was burnished with predictions in the summer that his turnover would exceed £100 million this year, astonishing for a man who opened his first restaurant in 1998. He has a range of Royal Doulton china, is said to be worth £67 million, and has appeared in The Simpsons teaching Homer how to cook. Jamie Oliver and Marco Pierre White, eat your heart out.

First his image was threatened by allegations of a seven-year extramarital affair. Then he failed to file accounts on time to Companies House for the second year running.

The long-awaited accounts for trading in 2007 were finally submitted this week, eight months late. The headline figure showed profits had tripled to £3 million. Ramsay appears to have granted himself a pay rise, taking his salary from £845,630 to £1,117,819. The accounts also showed that Gordon Ramsay Holdings (GRH) is in breach of its banking covenants – promises made to lenders to secure a loan – and owes its suppliers about £5 million. The sheer size of the unpaid bills is reminiscent of Tom Aikens, the Michelin-starred chef, after the companies that ran his restaurants went into administration. Some 160 suppliers, many of them small businesses, found themselves at the end of a queue of creditors.

But GRH suppliers aren't necessarily complaining. Gavin Quinney, a spokesman for Chateau Bauduc vineyard, one of GRH's suppliers, said: "I'd think he owes below £20,000. We've been trading for 20 years and the situation has never been any different in terms of owing us money. We are in constant contact and try to keep the payments within 90 days of the invoice. Every supplier likes to be paid quicker, but his name is exclusive to us and we maximise on that and so cut them some slack when they take a while to pay."

GRH, which owns 25 eateries worldwide, has also renegotiated a £10.5 million loan with the Royal Bank of Scotland. Ramsay and his father-in-law, Chris Hutcheson, GRH's chief executive, have given personal guarantees of £1.6 million and £500,000 to secure bank loans.The truth is that the recession has taken its toll: the days when there were long waiting lists for a table at Ramsay's flagship restaurants, where dinner for two can easily cost £200, are gone.

The heavily hyped Gordon Ramsay at the London in New York, which opened two years ago, has stopped opening at lunchtimes. It now opens for dinner from Tuesday to Saturday. It has only 14 tables. Ramsay's restaurant at the Ritz Carlton in Wicklow, Ireland, stopped serving lunch last month. Verge in Dubai, his first restaurant outside Britain, no longer serves breakfasts or lunches. His Prague restaurant, Maze, has closed down. The Foxtrot Oscar restaurant in Chelsea is opening for lunch only three days a week.

Even the celebrated Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's, where there could be a six-week wait for dinner, has lost some of lustre. An attempt by The Daily Telegraph to book a table early next week produced this response: "We have had a number of cancellations. We could fit you in on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday."

His touch even seems to have deserted him on his extraordinarily successful television shows. Three of the American restaurants "saved" by his advice on Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares have closed.

The full extent of his fall from grace in the US was underlined by the waspish Steve Cuozzo, food critic on the New York Post. "Gordon was once a great chef. Then he became a great businessman. If globe-trotting 'rock star' chefs have become a joke, Ramsay is becoming the ultimate punchline … When one of the world's reigning culinary gods – a household name – can't fill a 14-table room for lunch a few days a week, look out."

But it's not just his restaurants that have come under attack. Even the family image has been under strain. Ramsay, who has been married to Tana for 13 years and has four children, was voted Celebrity Father of the Year in 2006, and the Ramsays were Celebrity Family of the Year in 2007. So his advisers feared the worst when Sarah Symonds unleashed her allegations last November of a seven-year affair. Miss Symonds, dubbed a professional mistress after she wrote a book about previous affairs, sold her story to the News of the World.

The public relations fixer Gary Farrow had been the guardian of the Ramsay image for the past five years as he powered ahead as the most popular celebrity chef on the planet. Farrow, whose clients include Sir Elton John, launched a damage limitation exercise. Ramsay and his wife said nothing and, after Farrow pulled in favours from a few friends in the tabloids, the story went away.

But, only a few weeks later, GRH dumped Farrow. The company could no longer afford his services. It was an expensive decision: a string of stories have followed that have dented Ramsay's image. Only last week it emerged the chef's claims in his autobiography Humble Pie about his early football career at Glasgow Rangers were inflated. Ramsay claimed to have "signed" for the Glasgow giants as a youngster and played three first team games. He has even singled out the Rangers coach Archie Knox for "dumping" him from the club.

No surprise then that Knox was more than obliging when asked about Ramsay. "He must be a very confused individual. I was the manager of Dundee at the time," he said. Ramsay was forced to issue a statement. "Any inaccuracies regarding the details of this period can be explained by the fact that all this occurred nearly 25 years ago." But the halo had slipped again.

In January the Daily Telegraph disclosed that Ramsay had been fined £1,500 for failing to file his accounts on time with Companies House. Questions were again asked when advertisements for his Chiswick gastropub, The Devonshire, and his private dining room, Sloane Street, appeared in the "for sale" section of the website Restaurant Property. They were removed hours later. GRH issued a statement denying it was closing them and saying that the adverts were an administrative error.

Even so, the expansion continues apace. A new restaurant is opening in South Africa in April, with talk of openings in Australia and Florida. The pursuit of celebrity status continues at an even faster rate. Ramsay has been filming in the US for most of the year. His celebrity status has been crucial to driving people to his restaurants. But these days the closest they are likely to get to him is on the television screen.

In fairness, other chefs have struggled too. Antony Worrall Thompson has closed four of his six restaurants and made 60 people redundant. Yet Ramsay is contemptuous of comparisons with Worrall Thompson, who he calls the "squashed Bee Gee".

A year ago he was master of all he surveyed but now the cracks are appearing in Ramsay's empire. Ramsay, who spends far more time in television studios than he does in the kitchens where he earned his 14 Michelin stars, has ignored the advice he gives on his TV shows: "When you start spreading yourself too thinly, you can fail to meet the same standards the second or third time round."

UK Pubs

2010-06-29T15:52:00.000-07:00

If you're going for a trip to the UK and love pubs like I do, a great place to start before you leave is the Good Pub Guide. It's a fantastic resource and will give you great insight into the pubs in the area you will be going. Things are changing dramatically in the UK with regards to pubs I would suggest getting over there sooner than later.

Enjoy !

Choco Chunkies

2010-06-16T19:45:00.000-07:00

Children's Cottage Cookie Book
Choco Chunkies

1 1/2 cups smooth or crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup flour
8 squares semi-sweet chocolate chopped

Preheat oven to 350 f.

In a medium bowl, cream peanut butter and butter. Gradually beat in sugars. Blend in eggs, vanilla and baking soda. Mix in rolled oats and flour. Stir in chocolate chunks.

Drop dough on a greased or lined cookie sheet. Keep dough refrigerated between batches being cooked or it gets crumbly. Bake 9-10 minutes. Allow to cool on tray for a few minutes before transferring to cooling racks.

Makes 4 dozen.

So when I made these I used natural peanut butter, the stuff where the ingredient list is peanuts and that is it along with whole wheat flour which makes me feel better about feeding to my son and eating myself. No ingredients I can't pronounce. The dough was a little crumbly by the end but they still came out nicely, I should have chilled the dough more I guess.

Ground Beef 4 ways - ways to save a buck

2010-06-16T13:25:00.000-07:00

We're always on the look for ways to save when at the grocery store and one easy way is to pick up a value pack or family pack of ground beef. It's up to you whether you buy the regular, lean or super lean (we'll either by regular or lean...regular is cheaper, but you need to drain the fat when you cook it).

This is very inexpensive and you can do much more than just burgers. While these dishes are standard and sort of ground beef common sense, we spice them up by what we add to the dishes. Also, these can all be prepared in advance and put in the freezer so that you have meals ready to go. Here's my list of 4:

Meatballs. I know...simple right?...seems obvious. It's what you mix with them that makes it interesting. Also, what you're eating them with. We cooked up a bunch and flavoured them with different spices. Some went for spaghetti, some for meatball sub sandwiches (these were fantastic...we buttered and broiled some sub buns to crisp them up and then added the meatballs that had heated up in a tomato sauce and then added mozzarella and broiled again to melt and crisp the cheese...these and a side salad, awesome)
Tacos. Again, simple. But it comes down to the spices and don't bother with the prepacked stuff. Go out and buy a few packages of paprika, chili peppers, etc. It's good to have these handy. Try hard shells, soft shells, taco salads, even a taco lasagna !
Lasagna. Too easy. A nice meat lasagna is a great thing to prepare and freeze. We made 3 or 4 using some different ingredients and tossed them in the freezer for those days when you just don't feel like cooking or extra people show up. Use different cheeses, vegetables, etc to change the style.
Chili. Of Course ! Every man out there should know how to make a good chili !

This isn't super inspiring from a food perspective, but if you do the above you will notice a difference in your pocket book and how much time it takes to make super.

Fried Calamari or How to make your house stink like a greasy spoon

2010-06-04T15:36:00.000-07:00

I decided we would give home made calamari a try the other day. Do we pan fry, grill or deep fry ? Hmmmmm. DEEP FRY !

I don't own a deep fryer but I do have oil and I do have a pot. Really, that's all you need...right ?

Anyway, I had some ready to cook calamari in the freezer (I'm not yet ready to grab the fresh stuff and pull the guts and ink sack out) and I hit the interwebs to find a suitable recipe.

I came across what had to be the simplest one. Ingredients were

1 cup flour
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder

I substituted chipotle for the chili and went to town. Immediately when mixing the goodies I thought - that's a hell of a lot of flour and not much in the way of seasoning....

So, I fired up the oil in a pan...heated that be-otch up and thought i would give one a taste test. I dropped the calamari in the mixture and then into the super hot oil. I was surprised how fast it cooked. The recipe said a few minutes...I don't think I had to wait even a full minute (the oil was HOT !)

I tried the calamari (which looked awesome) and as I suspected...couldn't taste any of the seasoning. So I added more and tried another. Same result. So I DUMPED in a ton of paprika and this time added a ton of chili powder (a ton = i have no idea....lots...the flour mixture was dark red by this point)....and, finally, a bit of flavour.

All the while I was perfecting my seasoning mixture, I kinda' didn't adjust the temp on my oil...which is why this post is titled, how to make your house stink....

I started getting the smokey come off the pot....so i kicked it into high gear and cooked up all the squid. Note to self, don't put so much freakin oil in the pot and be sure to have the splash cover on from the beginning, not at the end when you're on your last batch.

We added some fresh chives (from our garden) and the wife made fresh tzatziki. We also had a fresh salad with some shaved Parmesan (we scored a huge block of it from the states on our last trip...it was 8$...a block like that here would run upwards of 30-40$)

I was very impressed with the end result. I'll be sure to try a different/better batter mixture on round two...also, I'll be more aware of the temp and the oil...it's been two days and the main floor of the house still has this greasy spoon smell...like a low end British chippy....

Calgary Greek Festival

2010-05-31T12:10:00.000-07:00

For the last 5 or 6 years...maybe more we have been hitting the Calgary Greek Festival. While I am not Greek and don't really get in to the cultural dance stuff I do love me some souvlaki and loukoumades AKA little bites of honey drenched wonderfulness. This year I am tempted to get the Arni Souvla...lamb cooked on a spit and ordered by the pound. Who doesn't love meat by the pound? I may have to bring along help eating that so I have room for lemon potatoes too. Alas this year I won't be able to wash it down with a Mythos but I am sure I will survive :)

Check out the menu here so you can plan ahead. Yiamas!

Sweet Potato Pancakes

2010-05-25T09:38:00.000-07:00

We are trying to get more vegetables into our toddlers diet and what better way than to 'sneak' them into pancakes !

Here's a quick and easy recipe for Sweet Potato Pancakes that worked out great. If you make more than you can eat, use up the batter and freeze the pancakes. They can be dropped into a toaster and ready to be gobbled up (FYI - our boy loves these!)

Ingredients:
•1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
•3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
•1 teaspoon salt
•1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
•1 1/4 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes
•2 eggs, beaten
•1 1/2 cups milk
•1/4 cup butter, melted
Preparation:
Sift dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Combine remaining ingredients; add to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Drop by tablespoons onto hot greased griddle or skillet and fry, turning once, until browned on both sides.
Makes about 24 pancakes.

Should Fine-Dining be Kid Free ?

2010-05-13T14:01:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting debate. Should kids be banned from fine dining establishments ? Here's an article from CNN on just this topic.

(CNN) -- First, it was babies in bars. Now, children in fine-dining restaurants are feeding a raging debate.

The argument is fueled by new efforts of some Michelin-starred New York restaurants like L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon and Café Boulud to cater to the under-3-year-old crowd.

Not every patron of expensive restaurants desires to share a formal dining experience with young children who may be more interested in playing with their food than savoring it

Some are upset at the parents of the young diners, but others believe that even adults don't always behave in ways that allow customers to enjoy peaceful dining.

More than 100 people -- mostly against the idea of tots at upper-echelon restaurants -- posted their heated comments in response to Shivani Vora's recent New York Times piece, "Fine Dining Where Strollers Don't Invite Sneers."

"People who force their toddlers on others in enclosed public spaces like fine restaurants (and airplanes) are even more selfish than those who insist on talking on cell phones in such places," one Times reader said.

"If you object to 'howls' (based on your ridiculous presumption that all children inevitably howl), let's start by excluding all the adults who are yelling into their cell phones, are drunk and/or obnoxious, etc." another commenter said.

"I'm with the majority -- thanks for this list, because now we know which high-end restaurants we will never set foot in," another said.

World's 50 best restaurants list

That's certainly the customers' standpoint, but what about those manning the stoves and host stands?

Many chefs and restaurateurs with families are teaching their own children to be good restaurant citizens and are making accommodations for kids in their establishments.

Marc Murphy, chef and judge on the Food Network's "Chopped" series, created children's menus at all three of his New York City restaurants so his two children, ages 3 and 5, have dining options on their nights out.

At Landmarc, adult diners can enjoy Murphy's foie gras terrine or roasted marrow bones while their booster-seated offspring have the option of ordering orecchiette (a type of pasta), grilled lamb chops, peanut butter and Nutella sandwiches or petit filet mignon.

Michael Anthony, executive chef of Michelin-starred Gramercy Tavern and a father of three (including a newborn), is even more accommodating.

Chef Colicchio: Don't fear fine dining

"When my own children are in the restaurant, I've sent them soufflé crackers with what looks like little frogs' tongues. I've sent out a beet dressed as a mouse," Anthony told CNN.

Anthony also works with a New York public school, P.S. 41, offering lessons in table manners to first-graders. There are also hands-on cooking activities, a tour and lunch at his restaurant, as well as visits to the Greenmarket, an open-air farmers market -- all experiences geared toward establishing a fundamental understanding of where food comes from.

"They're very impressionable and starting to form their opinions about food. We want to impress upon the kids that food is fun," Anthony said of the program.

Teachers in the program particularly focus on younger diners developing a "restaurant voice," teaching children that restaurants are a busy place and that certain manners differ from when one is out playing tag in the park.

This notion is especially poignant at Gramercy Tavern -- which Anthony will admit is a fine dining establishment -- as there won't be stroller valet any time soon.

"It's not a restaurant adapted to children; it's a group of people who are warm and welcoming," Anthony said.

The haute tots are, after all, children -- with an average attention span of three to five minutes per calendar year of their age. Anthony says he has invited particularly antsy adolescents back into the kitchen to focus their attention after they have created a disturbance.

"As with any performance, practicing before a big event, such as going out to a restaurant, is a good idea," advises Sue Fox in "Etiquette for Dummies" in a chapter on Tips for Children and Teens. "I know of people who dress their kids up, sit them down at the family dining room table and hand out homemade menus to practice eating out."

Mon Ami Gabi - Paris - Las Vegas

2010-04-13T12:26:00.000-07:00

I was in Vegas for the weekend and had an early dinner at Mon Ami Gabi at Paris. I just wanted something light so I went with the Pepper Ahi Tuna Salad. I tried a Blue Moon beer with it. It's a light tasting beer that you add an orange slice to for flavor.

After I ordered I was surprised at the speed at which I was served. The salad came before the beer made it to the table (this was nice since I was by myself and didn't have anything read to keep me busy). The meal was fresh, filling, tasty and just what I was after. The service in the restaurant was prompt, polite and attentive. I would recommend this place on a sunny afternoon. The patio is the best place to enjoy people watching along with the Bellagio fountains.

Crave Cookies & Cupcakes

2010-04-01T22:33:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we were out for a walk and we passed by a storefront I've strolled by numerous times but never went in....well this time was different. Maybe it was the smell, maybe it was the fact that I was hungry, or maybe I just wanted something sweet.

Where you ask ? Crave Cookies & Cupcakes

The selection was great. They had all sorts of different flavours. We at first thought, we'd get one each and a mini for our little guy...but when they asked us we quickly said 'HALF DOZEN !'.

We selected a Lemon Lime Twist, a Crave-o-licious, a Velvet Elvis, a Princess (vanilla), a Dirty Blonde, and of course for me Just Chocolate.

And as you may have already guessed, they didn't stand a chance. The cupcakes were awesome ! the only warning is...they are not cheap....but...they are well worth it once and a while.

I would highly recommend Crave if you need a sweet fix !

Happy Green Beer Day

2010-03-17T10:42:00.000-07:00

Baked Pasta for the Lazy Man

2010-03-09T09:05:00.000-08:00

Here's another quick meal for the lazy guy. Baked Pasta. It really doesn't get any easier.

Cook some pasta (any kind). This typically takes about 9 minutes....if you're searching the internet for recipes you really should know how to cook the stuff ;-)
Grab a big baking dish

Put a base layer of your favourite sauce

Add a layer of pasta

Add a layer of grated cheese (in this case we used mozzarella)

Continue until you reach the top of the bowl

Put the dish in the oven until the cheese on top is nice a cooked

Remove and serve (add some Parmesan & Pepper if you like)

Serve with a simple side salad or mixed greens

This only takes about 20-25 minutes and little to no effort or clean up time.

Enjoy !

Grolsch

2010-03-08T12:52:00.000-08:00

My usual first choice when out at the pub is a local brew called Grasshopper. But when I travel I like to try whatever is local or found at the local pubs. And if I'm lucky and find one I really like I'll try to see if it's available at home. Today, you can pretty much find any beer if you're in a large enough city.

On one of my original 'man-cation' trips to the UK a friend bought me a pint of Grolsch. I wasn't sure about it. It sounded like something I would say when i drank 12 pints of it, or at least the noise i would make...after drinking 12 pints of it. But i was pleasantly surprised. By no means is this a high brow beer and I have received the side eye from some of my UK pals when I now order it (I give them the side eye back when they order Budweiser or Fosters...I mean COME ON....you live in the land of pints and you're drinking that swill ?)

It's a light tasting beer, a bit watery, that has a slight skunky smell. It's a bit stronger than a Grasshopper taste wise, but this is the type of beer that is good when sitting at a patio on a hot afternoon.

It's a bit pricey here, going somewhere in the neighborhood of 13$ for a 6-pack, but I'd say if you're looking to try something other than the usual and don't mind paying a bit more give this a go.

Easy Shrimp Salad for lazy men like me

2010-03-03T08:03:00.000-08:00

My wife is a fantastic cook, and i enjoy doing my part in the kitchen as well. But, sometimes I'm just super lazy and don't have the energy to boil water let alone peel a carrot. So what to do ? A frozen pizza ? Hot Dog ? Order in ? Bother the wife to cook me something ? Nah...All of these, while good suggestions, are not a part of my new, I need to eat better and save some cash, mantra (along with the - don't bother your pregnant wife with stupid requests if you know what's good for you). So, here's a super simple thing to do for guys like me who just need something to eat and have zero energy or drive to make something out of a cookbook and also are trying to reduce spending cash and their spare tires - while maintaining good relations with the mother of your children.....

Pull out a bag or container of mixed green salad (I assume everyone trying to be healthy has this in their 'fridge....)
Chop a couple mushrooms and toss in...this will take seconds (wash them first) or don't add anything if you don't feel like 'chopping'
Pull out of your freezer a bag of diveined shrimp (I just tossed mine into the sink and threw hot water on them to defrost and then peeled them and pulled the tails off...this of course was borderline too much work but I went through with it anyway)
Toss the shrimp into a heated non stick pan with a bit of butter
Cook until pink
add a dash of oyster sauce
toss onto the salad

DONE!

This could be even easier if the shrimp didn't have to get peeled or if they were already cooked.

Pancreatic Cancer linked to Soda ?

2010-02-22T19:55:00.000-08:00

If you need another reason not to drink the stuff, it looks as though they have found a link between Pancreatic Cancer and drinking Soda. It looks as though drinking 2 or more sodas a week can result in a 87% increase in the chance of developing Pancreatic Cancer....yikes. I now think twice before ordering the Biggie/Super Size at the theater.

Click HERE for the link.

I'm so weak

2010-02-11T13:35:00.000-08:00

I am incredibly weak when it comes to a few things. One being chocolate and the other cookies. God help me when you mash them together. Every time I go to the grocery store I purposely avoid the cookie isle. This usually keeps these evil things out of our pantry. BUT....every now and then I find myself standing directly in front of them. What's even worse is when they are on sale or there's some sort of point add on.

This is what happened two days ago. It was like I blacked out and when I came to I was standing right in front of the fudgem goodness. And, low and behold, a sale/point add on......well of course I had to buy them....and not just one....THREE !!!

These things never stand a chance in our house. We all (and I mean all of us) devour these things like we're a bunch of starving rats.....even if these things had legs they wouldn't get far. I think I'd give an Olympic sprinter a run for his money when we're dashing for the last one.

Evil evil evil.

Let's just say....the bag was opened on Tuesday night....and it's already gone (and we all feel shame)

Denver

2010-02-09T10:26:00.000-08:00

I just did a quick trip to Denver for work and here's a quick summary.

We were booked in at the W ALoft in Broomfield (up in the NW of Denver, only a few miles to Boulder...it's a starwood hotel so I get points...yay points). These hotels are like W Lite. They're trying to be hip without the hefty price tag. (W's can be pricey....I've stayed in the Atlanta W a couple times and the bill at the end is usually eyebrow raising) The staff was good and the hotel was clean and comfortable. The only downside about this place is there is NOTHING near it. You need a car. It's in a new development and I would assume things are moving slow due to the current economic conditions. There is one restaurant, Proto Pizza , within walking distance. It's a quaint place that makes wood fired pizzas. It was pretty good...a little pricey. Their service was very attentive and friendly. I would recommend this chain.

We went for dinner at a couple places. The first was the Bonefish Grill. I'm always leery of seafood inland, but this place came highly recommended. It didn't disappoint. I had some starter bacon wrapped scallops, fried calamari and for the main I had lemon butter Rainbow Trout. All well prepared and tasty. I topped off the evening with a Creme Brule that was the size of my head.

The next night we went to one of Ted Turner's places called Ted's Montana Grill that specializes in Bison. I have found in the past that Bison can be very dry since it's a very lean meat. I'm not sure what they did at Ted's but my Bison Tenderloin was awesome. I had it with some Salt & Pepper Onion Rings and Butter Broccoli. I'm not sure that I like supporting Ted Turner, but this place had great food and good service.

We also grabbed a lunch at a Mexican place called Qdoba. This is a 'fast food' burrito sort of place. The burritos were huge and full of flavour. If you're looking for something spicy, filling and quick this is the place to go to.

All in all it was a productive trip. I didn't see much of Denver this time around (pretty much sat in a board room or my hotel room most of the time). But I did get to eat some good food.

Sushi for the pregnant

2010-02-01T20:56:00.001-08:00

I had been really wanting some California Rolls recently or really just Japanese food in general. Unfortunately we are also trying to cut back on unnecessary expenses which includes $50.00 sushi lunches. We decided to try making some homemade rolls. I had done this once or twice many years ago and haven't really thought to try it since. I will admit, making rice is not my forte. I manage to ruin it nearly every time...even in the rice cooker. Needless to say, I put my husband in charge of the rice and he rocked it.
The sushi rice recipe we used I pulled out of our Martin Yan's Asia cook book. This is a cook book we've had for a few years that I never seem to use. It's actually signed by Mr Yan Can himself when we met him at a book signing and demonstration at The Stampede. He was pretty entertaining to watch for the 15 minutes.

Sushi Rice

2 cups medium grain rice
2 cups cold water
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon mirin (cooking rice wine)
3/4 tbsp salt

1) Place rice in a bowl and add enough cold water to cover and wash rice well by rubbing between your hands, drain. Repeat twice. Pour into mesh strainer and let stand for 15 minutes.

2) Place rice and 2 cups of water in to a 2-3 quart pot. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Let simmer for twenty minutes then turn off the heat and let stand covered for 10 minutes

3)In a small pan heat vinegar, sugar, mirin and salt until dissolved*

4)Turn cooked rice in to a large wooden or plastic bowl. Pour vinegar mixture over rice. Fold liquid in with a rice paddle. At the same time fan the rice to bring out he luster of the grains. Continue folding and fanning until rice absorbs all liquid. Cover with a damp cloth and let stand until ready to use. (Fanning and folding at the same time is easier said than done so recruit a helper here to fan while you fold.)

Makes 4 cups.

*Because I didn't feel like buying a large bottle of the vinegar and the rice wine I notice a bottle at the store of "Sushi Rice Seasoning". It is basically every thing in one. For 2 cups of uncooked rice use 5 tablespoons of this liquid instead, or as the package directs.

As for the fillings, you can use really what ever you want. We happen to live in a land locked province so fresh sushi grade fish isn't really available/in our budget. Besides as the title states, I am currently up the duff so chowing down on raw fish is frowned upon. Remember fresher the better and only buy from a reputable fish monger, sushi is not the time for side-of-the-road- 100-Big-Shrimp-9.99-next-right guy

I bought one can of crab meat. You can use pollack too but why? We had a bag of frozen shrimp that I poached a bunch off some for our sorry excuse at nigiri sushi and some for a roll. All the recipes for crab I saw online basically just said to add some mayo to the crab and mush it up so that is what I did, just enough to make a nice and spreadable crab salad of sorts. The shrimp, after poaching in salted water until cooked (1-2 minutes) I just rough chopped, squirted in some mayo and added some sesame seeds and a bit of wasabi. I was going for a spicy sesame shrimp roll. Next time I think I would add a bit of sesame oil too to this but I really like the taste of sesame. I had some avocado but it was woefully under ripe so I julienned some red bell pepper to add some colour and crunch.

The fun part...the assembling and rolling! A few tips, use saran wrap on the sushi mat and keep a dish of water handy for your hands-the rice is STICKY!

Place the nori down on the saran wrapped roll and spread about 1 cup of rice covering the nori evenly. I did it a little different with each roll trying to get the "right" amount. I am not sure I ever found it but I do think you should go all the way to the side closest to you and almost all the way to the side further...not really as pictured but that worked too. I also think I could have used a little less rice than pictured. Put your filling down. Try to picture what it will look like sliced.

I agonized over explaining how to roll but then remembered this is the interwebs, I can link you up!

Slice use as much pickled ginger, soy sauce and wasabi as you like and enjoy!

BBQ on the brain

2010-01-28T09:31:00.001-08:00

I seem to be having cravings for BBQ. It's possibly because my body knows it's a good 2 - 3 months until I can fire up the outdoor BBQ and have at er!

One of my favourite BBQ sauces is Bull's-eye from Kraft. Even though I tend to stick to the Original, I do plan to try some of their other flavours.

I can't wait for ribs, chicken, steak......Spring can't get here fast enough.

Sad day in Calgary - Wildwood has closed

2010-01-25T13:49:00.001-08:00

As you may know, Wildwood was one of our favourite places to eat in Calgary see previous post here.
I've just learned that Wildwood has closed its doors. I'm not sure what the reason for closing was (economy, staff, just time to close and move on). I am hoping that they open up in a new location as I thought their food was fantastic.

I will never eat at Nelie's again

2010-01-21T13:28:00.001-08:00

There's a restaurant chain in Calgary that we used to enjoy going to and in our past form (pre-child, living downtown) we used to frequent almost every weekend. I was quite offended and disgusted to find out that these restaurants have had health citations for almost 10 years without any resolution or correction. Now, they have finally been fined.

Also what really bugs we is that the owner is playing the victim...she was on the news going on about how hard it is to be a single mom and to find good staff etc (like this excuses her for serving me food with mouse shit in it)...well dummy, then don't expand your cafes to the point where you can't control them...Also she said " I guess this is a wake up call"...WTF? some of these citations date back 10 years !!! wake up call ?!?!? AND SHE JUST NOW TOOK A FOOD SAFETY COURSE ????I don't buy her excuses for one minute. I've always heard she was a flake, but this takes the cake (mouse turd cake in her case). Sorry lady, I will never go to your cafe again...EVER !

Here's the article from CBC:

The owner of a popular breakfast chain in Calgary has been fined more than $60,000 for health code violations that span 12 years.

Roxanne Taylor-King pleaded guilty to 43 charges under the Public Health Act at five of her six Nellie's restaurants across Calgary, resulting in a fine of $61,870 handed down on Friday.

Citations handed out by health inspectors date back to February 1998 include notices for mouse droppings in food in the kitchen, said Rob O'Neill, a lawyer for Alberta Health Services.

Officials also found that perishable foods were being stored on the floor, not being kept at a proper temperature, or not being handled safely by staff.

Other violations listed utensils and equipment not being cleaned and sanitized properly, and the lack of soap or paper towels in kitchen areas.

Provincial court Judge Barbara Veldhuis said Taylor-King had been given far more opportunities to clean up her restaurants than she deserved.

Officials with Alberta Health Services admitted their own high staff turnover with inspectors led to delays in prosecuting the charges.

Nellie's locations cited:

Nellie's on 4th - 2308 Fourth St. S.W.
Nellie's on 90th - 209-2515 90th Ave. S.W.
Nellie's Kitchen - 738B-17th Ave. S.W.
Nellie's on Kensington - 104-1414 Kensington Rd.
Nellie's Cosmic Café - 1001 17th Ave. S.W.
Violations found at the Nellie's in Marda Loop were satisfactorily cleaned up, according to AHS reports.
Taylor-King said the height of Calgary's boom also meant high staff turnover for her restaurants and an inability to hire tradespeople to complete necessary renovations.

However, she pointed out that she has fixed several problems since prosecution began, such as personally passing a food safety handling course.

Outside of court, Taylor-King told reporters she would be working to keep all six of her restaurants up to provincial standards.

"I am sure it will be a wake-up call for a lot of people and it will definitely be a wake-up call for me," she said.

O'Neill said that any more violations at the restaurants will likely result in their closure

The violations at Nellie's were no worse than others found in other establishments, he added

Shrimp Salad

2010-01-19T12:48:00.000-08:00

I was looking for something light for dinner tonight and I had suggested a shrimp salad so I thought I would look around and find a recipe to try. Here's one from my wife's favourite chef, the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 lemon cut into quarters
4 pounds large shrimp in the shell (16 to 20 shrimp per pound)
2 cups good mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons white wine or white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons minced fresh dill
1 cup minced red onion (1 onion)
3 cups minced celery (6 stalks)

Directions
Bring 5 quarts of water, 3 tablespoons salt, and the lemon to a boil in a large saucepan. Add half the shrimp and reduce the heat to medium. Cook uncovered for only 3 minutes or until the shrimp are barely cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl of cold water. Bring the water back to a boil and repeat with the remaining shrimp. Let cool; then peel, and devein the shrimp.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, wine or vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and dill. Combine with the peeled shrimp. Add the red onion and celery and check the seasonings. Serve or cover and refrigerate for a few hours

Beef Stirfry

2010-01-17T13:16:00.001-08:00

We had a couple pieces of Sirloin and we were feeling kind of lazy so we did a quick stir fry. We used this as an opportunity to do a fridge clean out (really, there's no need to let things go bad in your fridge, you should always look for an opportunity to use up what you have and this is a great way to do it).

Here's what we did.

We seasoned the sirloin with salt, pepper, cut into thin strips and cooked it until rare in a wok style pan

I cut up 4 carrots, a head of broccoli, some button mushrooms and an onion

Once the steak was at rare, we added the veggies.

Once the veggies were almost cooked we added oyster sauce

Very simple. Very tasty. Pour this over a bed of rice and in 25 minutes from start to finish you have yourself a great meal !

Results of the Spicy Breaded Chicken

2010-01-08T10:06:00.000-08:00

Last night I finally got to make the Spicy Bread Chicken Wings . I think everything went very well. It's a very simple recipe that's easy to put together and has great results. We made a few modifications and I have a couple comments for when I do them again.

We split the full wings and tossed out the tips (this just makes the wings easier to eat and easier to dip if you want to add a ranch or blue cheese)

My wife doesn't like things as spicy as I do so we halved the cayenne pepper. To be honest, for future batches I may increase the recipe amount. The small amount we used was lost in the other flavours. The next time I may double the amount to see how that works (I may also add some Tabasco sauce to the mustard...I'll try and let you know)

I would add salt and pepper to taste

These are highly recommended for snacks while watching 'the big game'. Thanks again to the SimplyRecipes blog.

Bacon and Eggs can do anything !

2010-01-07T20:53:00.000-08:00

Is there nothing bacon and eggs can't do ? Taken from Mail Online

The traditional English breakfast is not normally associated with good health.
But scientists have found that eating a plate of bacon and eggs could help pregnant women boost the intelligence of their unborn child.
Women are usually given a list of foods to avoid during pregnancy and it is well documented that a pregnant woman's diet can affect her unborn baby.

Scientists have found that eating a plate of bacon and eggs could help pregnant women boost the intelligence of their unborn child
But the new study suggests that a chemical in pork products and eggs can help the baby's growing brain to develop.
Scientists at the University of North Carolina have discovered that the micronutrient, called choline, is vital in helping babies in the womb develop parts of their brains linked to memory and recall.

In a study of the effects of choline on the brains of baby mice, those fed small doses of choline while in the womb had genetic differences to those given large amounts.
Dr Gerald Weissmann, editor-in-chief of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology journal, which published the research told The Telegraph: 'We may never be able to call bacon a health food with a straight face, but [similar studies] are already making us rethink what we consider healthy and unhealthy.'
Other foods that contain a high level of the nutrient include liver, milk, chicken and nuts.
Previous studies have suggested that large doses

Now, I think we have to be smart about what this says....it doesn't say run out and eat Bacon and Eggs for every meal...to me, it's like the health benefits of red wine. All in moderation. So, a couple eggs with a couple rashes of bacon on a Saturday morning should be just right (I'm no Doctor and I'm not pregnant nor am I a woman, so, I could drown myself in bacon...that's just how much I love the stuff)

Sweet Chipotle Wing Glaze

2010-01-05T22:14:00.000-08:00

The wings have been put off to Thursday so I figured I'd find one more recipe (I'll do 2 different styles). This one came from RecipeZaar

Ingredients
1/2 cup brown sugar corn syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
5-10 dashes Tabasco chipotle pepper sauce
Directions
1Combine all ingredients.
2Heat in microwave for 1 minute This is to melt the sugar and meld all the flavors.
3Cool. If you pour the glaze warm it tends to be thin and doesn't really adhere as well.
4Pour over cooked wings and toss

Spicy Breaded Chicken Wings

2010-01-04T16:41:00.000-08:00

Here's a recipe for chicken wings I plan to try out tomorrow night (I'll let you know what happens). It comes from the SimplyRecipes Blog. looks great !

Spicy Breaded Chicken Wings Recipe

Ingredients
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp canola or grapeseed oil
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs* or panko
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
3 pounds chicken wings (12-14), wing tips cut off and discarded or saved for stock
*To make bread crumbs, take 2 or 3 slices of white sandwich bread, cut into 1-inch pieces, pulse in a food processor or blender until crumbly.

Method
1 Preheat oven to 450°F. Oil the rack of a broiler pan.

2 In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the Dijon, oil, vinegar, dry mustard, and cayenne. In another bowl toss together the Parmesan and bread crumbs. Working one at time, coat the chicken wings with the mustard mixture, rubbing the mixture in well. Then press the wings, thick skin side down, into the bread crumb mixture. Place the wings on the prepared rack and broiler pan, crumb side up.

3 Bake wings in oven for 30 minutes, or until they are cooked through and golden brown.

Can be served warm or at room temperature. Can make ahead one day, chill, and reheat in 400°F until coating is crispy.

Just a quick clarification.....quick post to start the year !

2010-01-04T10:43:00.000-08:00

Just to clarify...this blog was originally started by my wife who is a trained cook/chef. I on the other hand...am not (I just enjoy food and eating...I do enjoy cooking, but I'm much more of a simpleton...but getting better).
From time to time we both update this blog...I'm sure you'll be able to tell who's doing which post.

Here's to new food adventures for 2010 !

And a quick update,

Since I can't get enough turkey we started the new year with.....a roast turkey dinner. It was great. It consisted of my wife's turkey and my butter/sour cream mashed potatoes, Broccoli with the cheese sauce in the previous post, carrots and peas (our boy LOVES peas) and stuffing.....mmmmm...I should have taken a picture (I was too busy gorging myself).

Up coming in the next week or so will be Ribs, Taco's, Lasagna, Turkey sandwiches and pot pies and a couple reviews of some local places.

Thanks for reading !

Clean out the 'fridge Quesadilla

2009-12-30T19:02:00.000-08:00

This evening was a 'clean out the 'fridge' night. We had a few spicy sausages that we had to eat up and we didn't want to eat them as is. My first thought was TACO...but we also have ground beef to get rid of so that will be later this week. I looked in the 'fridge and saw some whole wheat tortillas and voila...QUESADILLAS !

Here's what I did:

got the sausages going in a pan
grated some cheddar cheese (I had ha;f a package so I grated the whole thing...the left over will be used in the tacos)
pulled out 1 yellow onion, 1 green pepper and a bunch of button mushrooms, chopped them got them going in a pan. I added some cracked pepper, salt, and some dried herbs
once the sausage was done I took them off the heat and cut them up into thin pieces
on one tortilla i placed the sausage pieces randomly, then added the onion, green pepper and mushroom and topped it with cheese.
add the second tortilla and straight into a heated pan
once the side was crispy flip
once that side was crispy, it was placed on a cutting board and cut into 8 pieces

Add a touch of sour cream and mmm mmm mmm...a filling clean out the 'fridge dinner !

(so filling in fact, the leftovers are for lunch tomorrow)

Mornay Sauce (cheese sauce)

2009-12-28T20:14:00.000-08:00

I wanted to make a side dish with a cheese sauce so I figured, why not return to the Robuchon Book for the recipe. To do the sauce I first had to create a white roux, then a bechamel sauce and finally the mornay sauce (none of which I have ever done before).

For the White Roux I did the following:

4 Tablespoons Butter
6 Tablespoons Flour

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter, taking care not to let it brown. Dump the flour in all at once and use a whisk to mix it completely with the butter so that there are no lumps. Stir the mixture continuously for 2 to 3 minutes. It should whiten, foam, and look as though it is boiling, but it should not actually bubble. Remove saucepan from heat and allow to cool.

( I'm not sure about the 'foam and looking as though it's boiling....I just mixed it until it was all one consistency and it looked right)

Next was the Bechamel Sauce:

White Roux
1 quart of milk
Salt
Cayenne Pepper
Whole Nutmeg to grate

Bring the milt to a boil and pour it over the roux. Whisk the mixture into a sleek, lump free sauce. Bring to a bubble and cook for 10 minutes at most, stirring and maintaining a very gentle simmer. Season with a pinch of salt, a dash of cayenne, and if you wish, a few gratings of nutmeg
a cooked baschamel sauce may be passed through a fine strainer to remove any lumps that may have formed.

(We added a bit more than a pinch of salt and a dash of cayenne....we did not add nutmeg)

Now onto the Mornay Sauce:

Bechamel sauce
4 egg yolks
1 cup of grated Gruyere cheese

Bring the Bechamel sauce to a boil in a saucepan over low heat, stirring with a spatula. Whisk the egg yolks to break them up. On very low heat, stirring constantly, pour the egg yolks slowly into the bechamel. Add the grated cheese and stir until completely melted.

( we did not add the eggs...we used Cheddar cheese and used 2 cups. We also added a few shakes of Parmesan cheese)

Holiday Chocolates - Turtles & Ferrero Rocher

2009-12-22T15:11:00.001-08:00

The Holidays arrive and so do the chocolates. I don't think I consume as much chocolate in the 11 months leading up to Christmas as I do over the 2 weeks at the end of December. And of course, I have my favourites.

They are Turtles and Ferrero Rocher. Both I could eat until I burst. And once the clock has struck 12 on Jan 1st, I shun them for another 11 months.

Both of these tasty treats have got to be the most addictive things outside of jelly beans, popcorn and crack. Even though I try, I cannot have just 1. Even sticking to 2 is near impossible. I find, it's just easier to ensure neither are within 30 feet of me or my house. Because if they are, they might as well just be dropped in my lap. And don't even think of taking the last one....that's a good way to lose fingers and/or get a broken arm.

That's just a warning to anyone who stops by our place and has the same cravings I do....be very careful....even though they are on a tray and look to be an offering for anyone who wanders by...they're not.....they're all mine....

A few Beers

2009-12-21T13:21:00.000-08:00

At the work Christmas party this past weekend I had the opportunity to try a few new beers.

The first was the Erdinger Weissbier. This is a nice cloudy Bavarian wheat beer at 5.3% that has a very light flavour. Citrus works very well with this. I enjoyed this one and can see myself tucking into again in the future.

The second was the Blanche De Chambly. From Canadian Unibroue , another wheat beer at 5%, again a very light flavour that works well with Citrus.

The third was the Duvel . This is a Golden Ale from Belgium. A stronger beer at 9% but it doesn't have the bite of most strong beers. It's an easy drinking beer with a slight fruit flavour.

I would recommend any of these to someone who is tired of the usual during the holiday season.

Captain Morgans Dimwitted Nephew ?

2009-12-21T09:50:00.000-08:00

I came across this Rum when I was in the UK on my last trip. I can't say it was the best I've ever had but it certainly wasn't the worst. I don't think the back shelf Rum's need to worry...but the lower end ones should be concerned. This stuff was being sold cheap...it had that distinct "I'm not an expensive Rum" taste but it didn't make me gag when I knocked it back with Coke.

Guilty Pleasures - Fast Food

2009-12-17T08:47:00.000-08:00

I'm as guilty as the next when it comes to food that's bad for you. I'll talk smack about all the nasty bits that are inside a chicken nugget, but I'll gleefully chomp them down when they are smothered in individual pre-packaged processed BBQ sauce. I'll swear off the stuff when I watch something like 'Super Size Me' or see hordes of overweight people packed in line at KFC, but eventually, the craving gets the best of me and I'll be one of the masses moving slowly through the cattle rails to the till where you hear the familiar phrase "coke with that?".

Why is this stuff sooooo addictive? I have visions of the Simpson's episode when all the characters where chasing after the final Rib-Wich and the rich German gives up his car for the coveted treat only to look blankly after it's finished and state " I have the buyers remorse". This is how I feel after each gorging. I'm sure many will agree, when you get the fast food call, you'd step over your own mother to get your hands on the [insert nasty food-thing here] and once it's greasy bulk slides into your stomach and you feel the uneasy twitchings of your body saying 'WTF IS THAT?!?!?" you immediately feel like you should should have a steel brush shower, go to confession and/or run to the nearest toilet to cry the blues and ask God 'why am I so weak?'

I have tried to cut this 'stuff' out but to date have been unsuccessful. I have, however, limited my visits as well as tried to focus on the ones that aren't as bad (or at least, they seem like they aren't as bad). Places like Subway & Edo Japan, seem, to be a bit better so I'll choose these over Mc D's or Wendy's (I haven't been to an A&W for years...I can honestly say, I can't remember the last time).

I suppose a little guilty pleasure every now and then isn't the end of the world. I'll re-evaluate when I get out of breath walking to the girl taking my order.

French Onion Soup

2009-12-01T20:30:00.000-08:00

To celebrate the fact that I love onions and to stay on theme, we decided to dust off the cook book project and make my favourite soup. French Onion Soup. For a little history, French Onion Soup originated in Lyon, but somewhere along the line it became a popular late-night supper in Les Halles, the old central food market in Paris.

We used the Robuchon book for this recipe. It's as follows:

2 pounds of onions
10 table spoons of butter
2 quarts chicken broth
1/2 pound country bread
salt
pepper
3 cups freshly grated cheese

Peel onions, slice into thin rounds. Melt Butter in a soup pot and add the onions, stirring to coat well with butter. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes until they are slightly golden brown.
add broth. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes over low heat, stirring from time to time.
Preheat broiler. When hot lightly toast bread on both sides. Remove the bread but leave the broiler on.
Blend the soup to get onions broken up. Season to taste. Fill oven proof bowls with soup.
Top each soup with slice of toast and cover with grated cheese. Give each soup a twist of pepper and put under broiler for 3-4 minutes, long enough to crisp the cheese but not burn.

here's what we changed

We used a combination of Swiss and mozzarella cheese. We used yellow and red onions. We used Beef broth instead of chicken. We did not blend the soup (we left the larger chunks of onion). We did season the soup (the beef broth had enough). We used French Bread.

We were very happy with the end result and we made enough to freeze in packages for soup in the future.

If you'd like to purchase the Robuchon book (it's fantastic) click on the amazon link on the right where it shows cookbooks etc.

Enjoy !

Health benefits of Onions

2009-11-30T10:08:00.000-08:00

Even though they make me stink and cry, I love onions. Fried, broiled, BBQ'd, green, yellow, red, white, you name it, I love it. And, not only are they tasty, they're very good for you. Here's what Winston Craig has to say about them:

What would life be like without onions? The onion has been used as an ingredient in various dishes for thousands of years by many cultures around the world. World onion production is steadily increasing so that onion is now the second most important horticultural crop after tomatoes.

There are many different varieties of onion, red, yellow, white, and green, each with their own unique flavor, from very strong to mildly sweet. Onions can be eaten raw, cooked, fried, dried or roasted. They are commonly used to flavor dips, salads, soups, spreads, stir-fry and other dishes.

Onions (Allium cepa) belong to the lily family, the same family as garlic, leeks, chives, scallions and shallots.There are over 600 species of Allium, distributed all over Europe, North America, Northern Africa and Asia. The plants can be used as ornamentals, vegetables, spices, or as medicine. There are over 120 different documented uses of the Alliums.

Onion and other Allium vegetables are characterized by their rich content of thiosulfinates, sulfides, sulfoxides, and other odoriferous sulfur compounds. The cysteine sulfoxides are primarily responsible for the onion flavor and produce the eye-irritating compounds that induce lacrimation. The thiosulfinates exhibit antimicrobial properties. Onion is effective against many bacteria including Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella, and E. coli. Onion is not as potent as garlic since the sulfur compounds in onion are only about one-quarter the level found in garlic.
The Value of Onions
Onions have a variety of medicinal effects. Early American settlers used wild onions to treat colds, coughs, and asthma, and to repel insects. In Chinese medicine, onions have been used to treat angina, coughs, bacterial infections, and breathing problems.

The World Health Organization (WHO) supports the use of onions for the treatment of poor appetite and to prevent atherosclerosis. In addition, onion extracts are recognized by WHO for providing relief in the treatment of coughs and colds, asthma and bronchitis. Onions are known to decrease bronchial spasms. An onion extract was found to decrease allergy-induced bronchial constriction in asthma patients.

Onions are a very rich source of fructo-oligosaccharides. These oligomers stimulate the growth of healthy bifidobacteria and suppress the growth of potentially harmful bacteria in the colon. In addition, they can reduce the risk of tumors developing in the colon.
Cardiovascular Help
Onions contain a number of sulfides similar to those found in garlic which may lower blood lipids and blood pressure. In India, communities that never consumed onions or garlic had blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels substantially higher, and blood clotting times shorter, than the communities that ate liberal amounts of garlic and onions. Onions are a rich source of flavonoids, substances known to provide protection against cardiovascular disease. Onions are also natural anticlotting agents since they possess substances with fibrinolytic activity and can suppress platelet-clumping. The anticlotting effect of onions closely correlates with their sulfur content.
Cancer Prevention
Onion extracts, rich in a variety of sulfides, provide some protection against tumor growth. In central Georgia where Vidalia onions are grown, mortality rates from stomach cancer are about one-half the average level for the United States. Studies in Greece have shown a high consumption of onions, garlic and other allium herbs to be protective against stomach cancer.

Chinese with the highest intake of onions, garlic, and other Allium vegetables have a risk of stomach cancer 40 percent less than those with the lowest intake. Elderly Dutch men and women with the highest onion consumption (at least one-half onion/day) had one-half the level of stomach cancer compared with those consuming no onions at all.

Western Yellow, New York Bold, and Northern Red onions have the richest concentration of flavonoids and phenolics, providing them with the greatest antioxidant and anti-proliferative activity of 10 onions tested. The mild-tasting Western White and Vidalia onions had the lowest antioxidant content and lowest anti-proliferative activity. The consumer trend to increasingly purchase the less pungent, milder onion varieties may not be the best, since the onions with a stronger flavor and higher astringency appear to have superior health-promoting properties.
Use and Safety
Onions have a universal appeal. They are safely consumed by most people. However, consuming large quantities of onions can lead to stomach distress and gastrointestinal irritation that may result in nausea and diarrhea. There are no known interactions with drugs except that they can potentiate the action of anticoagulants.
Conclusion
Onions, and other Allium species, are highly valued herbs possessing culinary and medicinal value. Some of their beneficial properties are seen after long-term usage. Onion may be a useful herb for the prevention of cardiovascular disease, especially since they diminish the risk of blood clots. Onion also protects against stomach and other cancers, as well as protecting against certain infections. Onion can improve lung function, especially in asthmatics. The more pungent varieties of onion appear to possess the greatest concentration of health-promoting phytochemicals.

Pubs Spared in Queen's Speach

2009-11-18T09:46:00.000-08:00

Taken from The Publican http://www.thepublican.com/

Industry spared in Queen's Speech
18 November, 2009

By John Dunne

Pubs avoid facing any new measures

The industry can breath a sigh of relief after being spared any new shake-up in the Queen's Speech.

Measures to steer Britian out of recession and to keep a tight rein on bankers' excesses were among the key policy proposals announced.

That contrasts with last year when licensees were in the firing line.

They were hit with the Policing and Crime Bill - which is now law and includes the controversial mandatory code of practice.

Mark Hastings of the British Beer & Pub Association said: "The fact that the pub industry has not been mentioned this time round is a blessing. The fact that there has been no increase in the legislative or regulatory burden in the pub sector is a good thing.

"Of course as a lobby we are always still looking for legislation that can assist the pub sector."

Why are the best things in life bad for you ?

2009-11-18T09:11:00.000-08:00

Oh my beloved bacon, why do you hate me ? There's no surprise...I LOVES me some bacon. I could eat it all day and night. I have been told that I possess the very rare bacon gene. It creates an uncontrollable urge to gorge on bacon. Something this tasty can't be bad...right? Outside of the obvious...the fatty salty goodness, there's the heart stopping cholesterol badness...and did I say fatty goodness ? There's the other nasty bit. The link to Nitrates and Cancer. I'm not suggesting a mob gather and we run and burn down the deli and cured meats department at the local grocery store. No. It's more a "read the label" kind of thing. Here's some info from http://www.realsimple.com/

What they are: Nitrates and nitrites are chemical compounds found in many foods, including some salts. Salt containing nitrates has been favored for preserving meat because it maintains color and flavor while inhibiting bacterial growth.

Why they're unhealthy: Nitrates have been linked to infant methemoglobinemia, a deficiency of oxygen in the blood. Also, nitrate can interact with the amines in protein to form nitrosamines, which have been linked to cancer in lab animals.

What's being done: The USDA now requires bacon processors to add antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, which have been proven to inhibit nitrosamine formation. But if you're still worried, you can limit your intake by sticking with nitrate-free bacon products, having your bacon with a glass of antioxidant-rich orange juice, and not overcooking your strips. Studies have shown that well-done bacon contains more nitrosamines

Not to worry stomach...this won't put me off bacon...just have to find the nitrate free stuff.

A list of places I like to eat at in Calgary

2009-11-16T15:42:00.000-08:00

Here is a sample (off the top of my head) of places we like to eat at (in no particular order).

Wildwood Grill (see previous post)
Manies Pizzaria and Greek Cuisine (great lunch special)
Viet Nam Restaurant (the one at 227 12th Ave SE Upstairs)
British Fish & Chippy (#233, 2335-162 Ave SW Bridlewood)
Dragon Pearl Restaurant ( http://www.dragonpearl.com/ ) BEST Chinese in town
Murrieta's Bar & Grill ( http://www.murrietas.ca/ )
Nellies (any of their locations)
Thai Tai (any of their locations...great Vietnamese Subs)
Inglewood Pizza ( http://www.inglewoodpizza.ca/ )
Rose & Crown Pub (not just good beer, but good food ! ) http://www.roseandcrowncalgary.ca/
Pulcinella (great pizza) http://www.pulcinella.ca/
Redwater Grille ( http://www.redwatergrille.com/ )
Hana Sushi (1803 4th Street SW)
Kings Restaurant (any of their locations...BEST Wor Wanton in the city)

This is just a sample...many more out there

Wildwood Grill & Brewing Company - Calgary

2009-11-13T12:32:00.000-08:00

One of my favourite places to dine out is the Wildwood Grill & Brewing Company. It's located on 4th street south in the Calgary Downtown, and in my opinion is one of the best places to showcase local (Alberta) ingredients.

The dining room on the main level has an open kitchen and is rustic and very cozy, while the brew pub downstairs is very casual and welcoming.

I have sampled a number of dishes on the menu (every one being fantastic) with some of my favourites being the Duck Springrolls, Bison Tartare & the Elk Loin Medallions.

Not only have we dined upstairs, our company has had the last two Christmas parties in the downstairs pub. Both parties were top notch. From the service to the food. It's nice to go out to eat where everyone hosting, serving and cooking has a passion for the food & beer and takes the time to do things right.

I would highly recommend trying the Wildwood on your next outing !

www.wildwoodgrill.ca

Nov 11 - Lest we forget

2009-11-11T10:04:00.001-08:00

Great British Pub Food

2009-10-13T15:55:00.000-07:00

It's no big shock that I'm a fan of Gordon Ramsay. As a matter of fact, I'll be curling up tonight to catch Hell's Kitchen on the tube. I have a couple of Ramsay's books and while I think they're pretty good, I still find that I'm not interested in 100% of what he's written up.

The other day I was in Chapters and flipped through a copy of his Great British Pub Food. I immediately thought "mmmmmm". Again, there's no shock I LOVE English Pub Food. I say English Pub Food since our local Pub Food consists usually of deep fried wings, nacho's, chicken fingers and other greasy tid-bits. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy hitting a local and scarfing down a plate of hot wings with the best of them. But when I think GOOD Pub Food I think English Pub Food. Things like, Pot Pies, Beef Stews, Proper Fish and Chips.

I intend to pick this up as a Santa gift for my stocking this year and get started ASAP. This should give our Dismal Cook Book Project a shot in the arm.

searching the book I came across this persons adventure through the book. Enjoy !

http://ramsayspubfoodathome.com/

Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival

2009-09-22T14:56:00.000-07:00

Coming Soon: Oct 15th thru 17th

Rocky Mountain Food & Wine Festival.

http://www.rockymountainwine.com/calgary.html

When not to deep fry......

2009-09-22T14:29:00.000-07:00

I have to be honest. I love deep fried food. Fish & Chips. Wantons. Chicken Fingers. Tempura. I could go on.
BUT, there are all sorts of foods that should never be dipped in the bubbling fat, like cake for instance...I don't think any sane person would do this. However, in my travels I've come across some deep fried oddities, and I'm not talking about bugs (funny how these things always seem to show up at fun fairs, outdoor carnivals and circus'. Is eating this strange stuff the reason the fat lady has a beard or the truth behind the mysterious dog-boy?). For example, who's bright idea was it to deep fry a peperoni stick ?? They're already tasty and bad for you in their natural form, let alone deep fried. I'm sure some might liken this to a corn dog, but I disagree. Also, what Einstein decided a Mars bar would be the 'be all end all' when it was deep fried ?? I've also seen Deep Fried Ice Cream, Oreo's and dough. YES dough...isn't that a doughnut ? Apparently not.
Now, I consider myself adventurous, so at some point I'm sure I'll throw back a deep fried peperoni stick...but I think it will be a cold day in hell before a deep fried Mars bar ever crosses these lips.
What are your thoughts ? To Deep Fry or Not to Deep Fry ? That is the question.....

Millarville Farmers' Market

2009-09-04T11:19:00.001-07:00

Not too far of a drive from our home is the town of Millarville. They hold the title of Largest Farmers' Market in Southern Alberta. We like to get out there a few times every summer and last weekend was the first time we made it this year. I love the fresh produce and the Hutterites can be counted on for good cheese and maybe a few pies.

We like to try something new once in a while and last week we bought some farm raised elk from E & L Ranching. We opted for a package that came with 2 New York Elk steak, 5 Elk Burgers and 6 Elk wieners. The prices were fair. I am not usually one for hot dogs but the Elk wieners could make me change my mind. They tasted so good, not processed and not really fatty. The burgers have been a nice change in the usual BBQ fair and we are going to have the last of them tonight. The steaks though, wow, fantastic. I was worried that they would be dry or gamy tasting and they were neither. We kept them simple with a little oil and some salt and pepper, grilled them to about medium rare and dug in.

I highly recommend checking out the elk people if you see them at another Farmers' Market or if you see them out in Millarville. You can reach them at efalk@xplornet.com or 403 224 2396 to make your own package up. 1/4, 1/2 and whole carcasses are also available.

Oh and if you go, bring your own bags, bring a toonie for parking and if it rained recently where your rubber boots!

Mussels with Bacon

2009-09-01T09:09:00.000-07:00

Last night I had a hankerin' for some seafood. I swung by the grocery store on the way home and picked up 2 lbs of medium sized Atlantic Mussels and some fresh French Bread.

We didn't use a specific recipe and just went with what we had in the 'fridge (it's too bad, 'cause I thought we had some cider for the sauce but I was out of luck).

Here's what we did:

- Cut up approx. 5 strips of bacon into small cubes and get this frying in a large pan.

- when the bacon is about 75% done, add chopped onion

- when the onion is about 80% add fine shopped garlic

- Add fresh thyme and a small dash of chili flakes

(I would wait to add salt and pepper at the end since the bacon will add a fair amount of salt to the dish)

- now that these ingredients are good to go, add the mussels (pre-cleaned)

- add a splash of flavour and cover the pan (in our case I wanted to add cider but didn't have any so I went with a white wine we had in the 'fridge) - be careful with the amount as the mussels hold water and it will start to release once the shells open - you want these to steam not boil.

- Mussels don't take long to cook so keep an eye on them

- After they're cooked, remove the mussels into another bowl or pan, reduce the remaining liquid, season for taste (the bacon should add a fair amount of salt so you may not need to add any extra)

- pour over mussels and enjoy

I could eat mussels every day. I think the next version we will use a strong stout for the broth.

enjoy

Field Trip: Filipino Bakery

2009-08-24T21:03:00.000-07:00

So there is a new Filipino bakery and grocery store that opened near our house recently. I have meant to go in but never got around to it. Today I took my son for a walk and checked it out.
They don't carry fresh produce or meat but they do have a pretty big selection of imported packaged snacks and a freezer section full of whole fish and hunks of coconut and leaves. I didn't give the freezer section a thorough look but I intend to next time. There was a lot of interesting looking things and I tried out the pea pod snacks. They are a little salty but tasty and were a hit with the toddler but not so much the husband. I would get them again.

Next time I had that way I will try the corn variety and one of the purple ube cake packs. I love things that are naturally purple.

The coconut jam caught my eye but I don't know what to do with it and I am afraid of how sweet it will be. And if anyone knows what to do with salted tamarind, let me know because it looked like something fun to play with. :)

Since this place is a bakery I tried out some coconut buns. They were really sweet but a sweet coconut taste that I personally love. The bun part was soft and fresh and the coconut filling was sticky and gooey. I think these will become a go to treat for me. Next time I want to try the BBQ beef or BBQ pork buns or maybe a Red Bean bun if I am feeling adventurous.

So, any suggestions on things I should look for next time I am in there?

I can't remember the exact name of this place and google isn't being my friend so I will update and add the name once I track it down.

Breakfast Bacon Egg Cups

2009-08-23T08:53:00.000-07:00

I was surfing around looking for something simple to make for breakfast and I came across these Bacon Egg Cups. It's a very simple and tasty recipe. Silly me, i didn't bookmark the site and I'm not sure what it is. I found it through links on this site and others. If you know who's site this came from, please let me know so I can send them a shout out >thanks<. Also, sorry for the bad picture. I'd already eaten one and couldn't find my camera so I used my phone.....eesh.

- grease a muffin pan

- cut small circle pieces of bread using a cookie cutter or glass

- pre-cook some bacon (not completely as it will be going in the oven)

- break egg into a bowl and pour away half the egg white ( I used the egg whites for another dish)

- place bacon in the muffin tin

- add the bread (push to bottom)

- pour in the yoke and half egg white

- put in the oven at 385F for roughly 8-9 min (until egg white is done and/or until yoke is cooked to your liking)

-Add cracked pepper to the top

These little guys are very easy and tasty. I would try it again and sprinkle some goat cheese on the top.

BLT's

2009-08-20T19:21:00.001-07:00

The other night we treated ourselves to a simple dinner of BLT's with a side of Peaches and Cream corn. There is nothing like a tasty BLT.

Ours were made with a few slices of thick bacon, green leaf lettuce from the garden, a few slices of a nice ripe tomato, goat cheese all seasoned with salt and pepper on a fresh thick Ciabatta bun. Best BLT ever !

We topped it off with a side of peaches and cream corn.

I could eat these every day !

Cookbook Project - Ramsay's Salmon

2009-08-19T19:54:00.000-07:00

Tonight I embarked on my first journey into our cookbook project. I went with a dish from Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food book. That being, Salmon with Mediterranean Flavours.

SOURCE: Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food - Page 180 - Salmon with Mediterranean Flavours

Ingredients [serves 4]

4 skinned salmon fillets, about 200g each

1/4 cup [50ml] sun-dried tomatoes in oil, halved if large Handful of basil leaves
1/4 cup [50ml] pitted black olives
3 large garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
Sea salt and black pepper
Olive oil, to drizzle

Heat the oven to 200C/400F. Place the salmon fillets on a board, skinned side down. use an apple corer to make 6 small holes in each fillet.
Flatten the sun-dried tomatoes and place on a basil leaf, an olive and a sliver of garlic on each one. Roll up and use to stuff the holes on the salmon. Season with salt and pepper.
Place the salmon fillets on a lightly oiled baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 6-8 minutes until medium rare - the thickest part will feel slightly springy when pressed. Transfer to warm plates and serve [he has a tomato salad that goes with it in the book that we did not do. We did a side salad from our garden]

Our thoughts:

The idea of the book is that each of the meals is an easy recipe that can be made quickly so that people eat fresh home cooked meals every night instead of ordering pizza, etc. It is true, this is an easy recipe to follow and the prep time is minimal. The cooking time he recommends (6 to 8 minutes for medium rare) may work well in a commercial oven, in a home oven with hot spots and varying thickness of Salmon, you'll need to check. We cooked ours for 11minutes and it was under medium rare so we put it in for an additional 4 minutes. It ended up medium but that's ok for us. You'll need to gauge according to your own oven and your preference for salmon.

With regards to the 'Mediterranean flavours', they taste very good. However, all the flavour is concentrated in the areas of the basil, etc. The salmon in the other areas did not really pick up the flavours. I think I would try this a bit different. I would try the same ingredients but as follows:

- Rough chop the olives, sun dried tomatoes and basil

- use roasted garlic or fine chopped garlic

- mix the above together and spread on top of the salmon

- then bake

I'm going to try it this way and see what happens.

More on the Huckleberry Pancake

2009-08-13T21:09:00.000-07:00

I don't think the pancake got enough credit below. It was possibly the best thing I have ever eaten for breakfast in my life. We lucked in to showing up during Huckleberry Days and the Hucks were on sale everywhere in delicious concoctions in cluding the pancakes. It was a little crispy and a little bit fluffy and all delicious. The huckleberry butter was perfection. So if you find yourself in White Fish Montana and have a hankering to eat at a bowling alley The Pin & Cue is the place for you.

Huckleberry Days

Lunch at Divino

2009-08-13T20:52:00.001-07:00

I arrived home from a brief trip out of town around 1:00pm and being a bit hungry decided to head downtown for a bite. I wandered up and down Stephen Avenue Mall unsure of what I was after and decided to stop at Divino.

I was greeted at the door quickly and since the dinner rush was over I grabbed a seat near the front window and faced the street. The server was prompt and pleasant.

I only needed a light meal so I focused on their appetizers. I went with the mussels & frites. (I was told by the server that this would be more than enough for lunch).

The mussels arrived piled high and where perfectly cooked and huge. They didn't last long on the plate. I used the bread provided to sop up the remaining sauce. The pomme frites were a bit under cooked...kind of soggy.

I still had some room when I was finished so I went straight for the creme brulee. It was fantastic.

All in all a great lunch experience. Divino is highly recommended.

Breakfast in Whitefish Montana

2009-08-13T09:06:00.001-07:00

We decided to take a weekend trip down to Whitefish Montana for some shopping and to get away. In the morning after our first night we hit my favourite haunt for a good hearty breakfast. The place is The Pin and Cue. Don't let the exterior or the fact that this is a bowling alley fool you. You will get excellent service and a great breakfast for a reasonable price every time.

This time, I had the chicken fried steak with sausage gravy, sunny side up eggs, brown toast and diced potatoes. Always a great way to start the day (especially if you had one too many the night before). The Mrs. had bacon, scramlbed eggs and brown toast. The icing on the cake for her was the special. HUCKLEBERRY Pancakes with HUCKLEBERRY butter. I thought she was going to jump out of the booth in glee when she saw this.

As always, the food was great and the service exceptional. I didn't get a chance to taste the pancake and butter, but judging by how fast they disappeared and the smile on the Mrs. face, I'd have to say these were top notch.

If ever you're in Whitefish Montana, check out the Pin & Cue. You won't be disappointed.

No Fail BBQ Chicken

2009-07-24T19:15:00.000-07:00

I had some chicken breasts that I wanted to BBQ up to use in some wraps I planned on making for a picnic on Saturday. This is just a loose recipe so feel free to change anything up to suit your personal tastes.

Take one pkg of chicken-any cut will do. Marinate it in your favourite flavourings. I used garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper and fresh thyme. Let it marinate for a few hours in the fridge or overnight.

Preheat your BBQ and put the chicken on. Let it cook a few minutes and flip to get those great BBQ char marks. Have your favourite BBQ sauce on hand but you will see later you don't really need it. Now is the time to close the lid and walk away. Go unload the dishwasher, get your toddler ready for bed, watch Jeopardy and clean up some toys. Maybe start some laundry while you are at it. The key to this recipe is to completely forget your chicken, for say an hour.

That should be enough time. Do you smell that? Your chicken should be totally burned to a crisp. Black right through. You know it is done when there is smoke billowing out of your BBQ and the chicken looks like charcoal. Mmmm. Like I said before, the BBQ sauce wasn't really needed as you may choose to forget the chicken just before it is time to put it on.

Enjoy!

Guinness Pork Ribs

2009-07-22T09:48:00.000-07:00

When I returned from my vacation I wanted to do something to salute the 'black stuff' beverage from the emerald isle. I had a few racks of pork ribs and thought, what better than Guinness Marinated BBQ Ribs. Here's what I did:

I seasoned the pork ribs with sea salt and pepper and placed them in a roasting pan
I rough chopped 1 yellow onion and 5 cloves of garlic and tossed into the pan
3 full bottles of Guinness were added so the meat was thoroughly covered
The ribs were in the fridge for 2 days (soaking up the good stuff)
The BBQ was ready and the ribs were on medium heat until crispy
2 of the racks I added a bit more seasoning, 2 racks I added some BBQ sauce

The ribs turned out great ! The Guinness flavour wasn't super strong, but it was there in the background.

Be careful when you BBQ these as they can burn easily, especially when the BBQ sauce is added.

A fresh green salad and roasted potatoes finished off the meal.

The Cook Book Project

2009-07-21T21:12:00.000-07:00

So The Cook Book Project. We have stacks of cook books that we hardly ever use. We have decided to try our hand at cooking a new recipe out of each and every book between now and Christmas. So that is it in a nut shell. We will try to blog 3 new recipes a week. Looking forward to trying new recipes!

Cookbook Project: Blueberry Crumb Cake

2009-07-20T20:10:00.000-07:00

Source: Martha Stewart Living 2002 Annual Recipes

Classic Crumb Cake with Blueberries

Cake:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

10 tbsp butter-room temperature plus more for greasing the pan

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 cup sour cream

2 cups blueberries

Crumb topping:

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

12 tablespoons butter-room temperature

1 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 350f. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl; set aside. Grease a 9 inch round pan with butter; set aside.

Cake: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. About 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time until well combined. Add vanilla and then the reserved flour mixture. Mix until just blended. Stir in 2 cups of the blueberries. Don't over mix. Spoon into the greased pan. Sprinkle with the crumb topping.

Crumb topping: Mix the cinnamon, salt, brown sugar, flour together. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or two butter knives or your hands until you get a crumb consistency. Toss in the cup of blueberries. Sprinkle the crumbs in to the batter.

Martha's Recipe says to bake for 50-60 minutes in a 9 inch cake pan. Testing the middle to be sure that a toothpick in the centre comes out clean. In my experience it took closer to 85 minutes until the toothpick came out clean. So definitely double check if it is cooked through do not count on the timing on this one!

Our thoughts on this one is that it is good. Really nice taste and consistency. I would make it again but I would add a little lemon zest and a table spoon or so of fresh lemon juice.

Seafood - Howth, Ireland

2009-07-17T10:36:00.001-07:00

During my brief visit to Ireland, we left the hustle and bustle of Dublin's Temple bar for the coastal town of Howth and their seafood. We strolled up the pier taking in the sights and smells from the restaurants and cafes. It was a difficult decision as each place had a unique look and menu. We settled on the Oar House http://www.oarhouse.ie/ .

The menu looked fantastic, and the smells coming from the kitchen were amazing. I wasn't feeling over adventurous so I figured I'd stick to the tried and true (it would also give me something to compare against).

We ordered the Calamari to start. Then for a starter I had the steamed mussels and my friend had the Chowder. For mains we both had the fish and chips.

The crispy Calamari came on a nice white rectangle plate, neatly presented, with two dipping sauces. It was perfectly cooked and the sauces (plumb and tatziki) complemented nicely.

Next, a large bowl of chowder and a huge plate of steamed mussels. I was a bit surprised as I ordered the tapas size (I wonder what the large bowl looks like). The mussels were fantastic. I assume the chowder was too since it didn't last long.

Lastly was the fish and chips. These again, were presented cleanly on a square wood plate and were perfectly cooked and I must say, came with the best mushy peas I have ever had.

All in all, a great dining experience. The service was exceptional and a nice treat on a lazy afternoon.

The Oar House is highly recommended if you ever get to Howth.

(my only minor complaint was a server grabbed our bread after the starter so neither of us had any to get the last bits of mussel sauce or chowder...oh well...I guess we could have just asked for more ;-) )

Dublin

2009-06-30T14:49:00.000-07:00

Hello All BDH here.
I'll be heading over to Dublin next Wednesday and love recommendations for places to eat great food and sip tasty pints. I'll be sure to update with all of the places we get to.

Beer Can Chicken in the Rain

2009-06-22T20:04:00.000-07:00

With the new BBQ we got one of those beer can chicken stands. Being a beer fan, cooking a chicken like this always kind of intrigued me. So I picked up a whole chicken and tried my hand at my first beer can chicken.

It was pretty straightforward and I think it will be easy to adapt to any flavourings. I used one 355ml can of beer. It wasn't my favourite beer but it was the only canned beer we had in the house. I poured the top quarter in to a pie plate and stuffed some fresh thyme (from my garden) in to the can. Wrestling the chicken on to the stand was easier said than done. I think my chicken was a boy and had small hips. :) I seasoned the oustide with salt and pepper.

Pre heat your BBQ and you will probably have to take out the top wrack so you can still close the lid. The only directions on my stand were to not let the drip tray get dry so I kept some water handy to pour in there if the beer I had already poured in evaporated.
I checked it a few times and rotated it so it would brown evenly, make sure you have some tongs ready to do this. I basted it with the drip pan, which did get dry so I added the water. It took a little over an hour. You want the temperature taken at the thigh to read 180f and the juices to run clear. Obviously a bigger chicken will take longer and I had my temperature jacked up because it started to rain the minute I put the chicken on.

It was neat to see the steam coming out through the top of the chicken. I can't say that the beer flavour came through but it was definately juicy. Maybe next time I will try brining it before hand or use a more flavourful beer. I remember a recipe I saw once doing this but with a can of coke instead of beer. I don't know if I will try that one, maybe a can of gingerale.

I roasted some beets and sweet potato too while I was at it, but those will be for tomorrow in a salad I think.

It's BBQ Time !

2009-05-27T09:10:00.000-07:00

Nice weather has arrived [for now] and with that, starts the season of the BBQ. We finally finished the deck and no deck is complete without a natural gas powered grill to satisfy your carnivorous cravings !

Since our summer [or lack there of] is brief, we intend to use the new toy as much as possible. And we're off to a good start. There is nothing like sitting outside, having a tasty beverage and letting your mouth water to the smells of the food being prepared.

The maiden voyage was the duo of burgers and smokies. The burgers were a combination of lean ground beef and ground pork, with shredded onion garlic and seasoning. Grilled to perfection they were placed on whole wheat buns, a generous slice of old cheddar and the usual suspects (green leaf lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, mayo, mustard, ketchup et al).

The next night we enjoyed a BBQ'd Pork Loin. Simply seasoned and grilled for about 15-20 minutes, with a side dish of sliced potatoes with onion and red pepper (these were on the BBQ first since they took longer than the pork).

As the days go on, I'm sure we'll become much more adventurous and we'll let you know about our successes....and failures (hoping there aren't too many of those)....

Sharing the Blog Love

2009-05-26T21:44:00.000-07:00

A big shout out and thanks to blogger http://betterthanboogers.blogspot.com/
who has given us the One Lovely Blog Award !

This is the first acknowledgement we've received and it makes us feel great that people out there in the interwebs are reading our musings. We'll continue to try and entertain !

As per the previous, it's time for us to share the love. Here are the rules:

Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who granted the award, and his or her blog link
Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you've newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for the award.

and here are the chosen ones:

http://adventuresinbabyfood.blogspot.com/

http://www.tinnedtomatoes.com/

http://rumbleinthekitchen.blogspot.com/

http://www.vintagevictuals.com/

http://disfordinner.blogspot.com/

http://passionateeater.blogspot.com/

http://oishiifood.blogspot.com/

http://eatlikeagirl.com/

http://mommara.blogspot.com/

http://goodthingscatered.blogspot.com/

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/

http://aglimpseoflondon.blogspot.com/