Jamie Oliver is Not My Boyfriend

Apple Crisp....for One!

2011-10-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

You know what I like?

Simplicity.

In pretty much everything from relationships to camera manuals. That love of simplicity transcends to desserts as well! Now don't get me wrong, I love fancy desserts (I just grow impatient with making them...mainly because I try to start fancy desserts at 2 am in the morning. Yep, don't ask.)

But simple desserts? Ones that can be made in less than 10 minutes AND can be made for one? Well, I'm hooked.

I must have made about 5 of these in the past couple of weeks (don't judge) when I was craving something sweet and autumnal. Especially when apples are in such abundance, this dessert is literally the perfect evening treat with a cup of tea.

Apple Crisp

(for one..or if you are feeling generous..for two!)

1-2 apples (a tart cooking apple is great for this, but any of your favourite variety will do)
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoon quick oats
1 tablespoon butter (I use about 1/2 to 3/4 tbsp and it's fine) cut into smaller squares
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (again..to taste depending on how much you like cinnamon)

Peel & slice apples...layer in the bottom of the bowl you'll be using.
In a separate bowl, mix all the other ingredients.
Put crumbly topping you've just made on top of the apples.
Put in the microwave on high for 2 1/2 minutes
Let cool & eat with cheddar cheese, whipped cream or ice cream as you would any pie!
Enjoy :)

Awwww Drats...and Jamie's Cauliflower Soup

2011-10-25T18:56:00.000-07:00

Okay, so again I've managed to let this blog slide a bit (a lot).I'm going to blame the detox. Can I blame the detox?
Do you want to know about the detox?

Detox. Dr. Joshi's Holistic Detox. I was pretty good for the majority of it, but I will be the first person to tell you that I have absolutely no willpower and if presented with chocolate (or pie, cookies, French bread, etc) I will abandon such detoxes as soon as they are over.

I lost a little bit of weight, but nothing that drinking extra water would have done. I felt good too, but I'm not one of those people who are conscious enough about how their body feels in relation to certain foods/vitamins. Chocolate always makes me feel good. That I know!

So that, in essence was how it all went down. That said, I will be sharing a couple of recipes from that detox that I particularly enjoyed. I'm also going to write a few little mini posts too for some simple recipes that after you do it once, you don't even need a recipe! (I love those, it appeals to my lazy but hungry side)

But for now, Jamie Oliver's Cauliflower Soup!
I made this soup after locating a rather large cauliflower in the back of the fridge and thought, dang..how long has that been in there??? It's always good to have chicken stock/veggie stock on hand (I have made my own in the past, but never hurts to have any in the pantry just in case.)

So, with some Bon Iver on the iPod, I set to work making this soup...I always suggest some sort of music while cooking & Bon Iver just screams a little like winter soup. :)

Jamie Oliver's Cauliflower Soup

(makes 6-8 servings :: from Jamie's Food Revolution cookbook)

* 2 slugs of olive oil
* 1 large chopped carrot
* 2 cloves chopped garlic
* 2 chopped celery stalks
* 1 medium chopped onion
* 1 large head of cauliflower (chopped)
* 1 box of chicken stock (organic)
* handful of grated cheese for each serving
* tsp of mustard for garnish
* salt & pepper to taste

In a pot add olive oil, carrot, garlic, celery, onion & cauliflower.
In a separate pot, bring chicken stock to a boil.
Cook the veggies until they are soft and onions and celery are translucent & almost golden.
Add the boiling stock to the veggies & bring to a boil once again.
Once boiled, simmer veggies & stock for about 10 mins.
Remove from heat and puree.
Serve with a handful of grated cheese & tsp of mustard.
Salt & pepper to taste.

The Post Where I Talk About Doing A Detox...And Then Doing It.

2011-04-10T13:16:00.000-07:00

Okay folks, here it is.
I've started a detox.
Now...before you all start laughing (you KNOW I love my chocolate, butter and salt), I did do the 100 Mile Diet two summers ago and found it really difficult. This detox is actually easier, and although I am only on Day 3, I may just actually continue to eat this way! *Shocking I know!* Maybe because I get more kitchen time this way, maybe because I am enjoying eating things that the rest of my family could care less about eating. Totally possible in both regards.

I do find I need to sort out my portion control still (Joshi's book doesn't mention portions, but just eating healthier overall). Now I have to be honest. There are certain foods that definitely don't sit well with me..digestively speaking. That said, I never have any idea as to how certain foods make me feel long term. I am not one of those people who really know how their body works...everything just sort of does (and for that I'm thankful as I know there are many people who their bodies just don't work properly).

Lately however, I've been breaking out and feeling rather lethargic midday, so I decided to try out this detox and see what happens at the end of 21 days.

The basis of the detox is this:

No red meat
No dairy produce
No fruit - except for bananas
No wheat, gluten or yeast
No alcohol
No biscuits, cakes, doughnuts
No jams or spreads -except for honey
No coffee, decaf coffee or tea - except for herbal teas
No sugar, chocolate or sweets
No artificially produced condiments - ketchup, mustard, vinegar

Sounds like there is a lot that I can't eat, I know...but surprisingly, I've been enjoying exploring what I can eat. I'll give you a sample of my first grocery list:

3 lemons
4 bananas
2 large containers of plain bio yogurt
2 rice milk (I did cheat and buy 1 chocolate rice milk for smoothies)
3 heads of organic romaine lettuce
2 bags of spinach
1 head of cauliflower
1 head of broccoli
1 lb of green beans
1 large piece of ginger
large bunch of cilantro
2 packages of herbal caffeine free teas
1 container of hummous (I will be making it going forward, but wanted something on hand immediately)
1 pkg of rice crackers
organic pumpkin seed butter
salmon strips
tilapia
halibut
turkey

Dr. Joshi Foods I already had in the fridge to use: carrots, homemade chicken stock, garlic, onion, brown rice, spaghetti squash, extra virgin olive oil

I'm currently on Day 3 of this detox and I'm looking forward to seeing what sort of meals I can cook up! The hardest part for me will be when I go to a photoshoot next weekend and will be staying overnight. I plan on taking food with me, but it will still be hard.

Thus far, my actual meals have been really great and I will blog about some of them. I have even looks through some of Jamie's recipes and can easily adapt them to Joshi-approved recipes! This weirdly excites me.

Stay tuned! (I will defo be making some sweet treats once the detox is over too...I have plans!) :)

Easy Artichoke Pasta Salad & Paper Cranes

2011-04-01T13:34:00.000-07:00

Bowtie pasta & origami paper cranes. Sometimes, when your mind is in overdrive, you need something to keep your hands occupied. In my case, pasta salad and a project called 1000 Paper Cranes for Japan on Flickr in order to show support to the people of Japan after the earthquake & tsunami.

The week following the tragedy, I taught ESL classes and Canadian Culture to a group of 15 year old boys who came from Japan 2 days after the tsunami. The experience was phenomenal and the boys definitely uhheld the stoicism of Japan everyday in their classes and in everything they did. They taught me how to fold origami paper cranes and we enjoyed laughing and learning about each other. It was an experience that was unlike anything I`ve ever done and by the end of the classes, it was hard not to cry when saying goodbye.

I still have paper cranes that they made for me that sit on my desk and looking at them bring me back to the simplicity that we all yearn for in life. As the weather gets warmer, pasta salad is that basic classicality of eating. It's that simplicity that we all crave in an otherwise hectic and frustrating world when nothing seems to be going right and you'd much rather wait it out under the covers until spring finally leaks in through the window.

It`s fast, easy, tasty and comfort food all in one. This one, with added artichoke and sun dried tomatoes just gives you that boost of salty, pickled deliciousness. Yep. I'm in love with a pasta salad. Which is good, because my love life is not as exciting.

So I give you pasta salad and paper cranes.
Learn how to fold a paper crane here.

Easy Artichoke Pasta Salad

(Adapted from Sunny Anderson's Food Network Quick Artichoke Salad recipe)

2 cans drained and quartered artichoke hearts
1/2 pound cooked wholewheat bowtie pasta
1/2 cup pitted and thinly sliced black olives
6 finely roughly chopped sun dried tomatoes
3 pieces roasted red peppers, finely chopped
1 small red onion (finely chopped)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 1/2 tablespoon balsalmic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley leaves
cilantro sprigs to garnish
pinch of salt & pepper

Add all to bowl, toss and refridgerate for approx 1 hr until ready to eat!

**Following day, add a little more balsalmic vinegar to taste. Your salad will taste even better after marinating.

Rocky Road Bars

2011-02-06T21:51:00.000-08:00

Is there really something as 'too much' chocolate?

Is there a limit? A threshold, maybe a tipping point?

The correct answer = no. never. never. ever. ever

...but these Rocky Road Bars inspired by the Hummingbird Bakery version come pretty close.

Some people will tell you that chocolate is better than sex.

Ummmmmm...dear future boyfriend, I will never say this to your face.

No matter how good the chocolate is. ;)

Rocky Road Bars

(adapted from the Hummingbird Bakery cookbook)

My version of these bars have less chocolate surrounding them and more of a chocolate coating everything mash up and pressing them altogether in the pan to create a pressed bar.

2 bags of milk chocolate chips
8 regular sized coarsely chopped chocolate bars (gooey is better...I used 4 Snickers and 4 Mars bars)
1 cup of miniature marshmallows (I think I used about a 1 & 3/4 of a cup)
2/3 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots
1 cup Rice Krispie cereal
1 cup malted milk balls (I opted for mini peanut butter chocolate cups)

Line a 9" pan with parchment paper.
Melt 2 bags of chocolate chips in a saucepan
Put all remaining ingredients in a large bowl...ensure it's mixed well
Pour melted chocolate over the ingredients in the bowl and combine until all pieces are coated in chocolate.
Press mixture into lined pan.
Refridgerate.
Slice up into squares and enjoy! :)

I'll be telling you about a couple of my restaurant week in New York experiences this week...namely the opulent Russian Tea Room & Pigalle. Plus I'll touch on Jon's Pizza, Cafe Havana & the Doughnut Plant. Yum!

Traditional Iced Gingerbread Cookies

2010-12-18T20:45:00.000-08:00

I bake late at night.
In quiet.
Peace and quiet from my pretty busy household of people in a constant state of coming & going.
I like this quiet and it makes it somehow a bit more like 'me' time.
I listen to what I want (I actually listened to Christmas music as I baked these) and the lights on the tree are on and the rest of the house is dark, save for the kitchen.
I 'think' I may hum or sing to whatever I have playing.I definitely know when I am singing, but it's the humming that I tend to not realise I do.
I often have a cup of tea or glass of wine, Baileys or some other beverage just to make it all a little bit nicer.
And then it happens...

I get kind of bored of the entire process about half way through.
And it's usually at about 2 or 3 am.

So, if I need to ice anything, I am happy to cover up the goodies until the next day and go from there.
That is perhaps the best part...giving myself that break and then finishing it all later.

These cookies are deliciously gingery and the texture is a cross between a hard cookie and a soft one, which makes them simply perfect for dipping! I like mine a little on the thicker side, but it's all about how much you want to roll them out and how hard you want them.

I definitely need a hand in the 'decorating' part of cookies...in which I also inevitably get bored about halfway through.*L*

Traditional Iced Gingerbread Cookies

(unknown source)

1 cup of softened butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup molasses
2 large egg yolks
4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt

Frosting: 2 large egg whites & 3-4 cups of icing (confectioner's sugar)

Cream butter, sugar, molasses and egg yolks together.
Add rest of ingredients & mix well.
Shape into ball, wrap in plastic and chill (for at least an hour)
Remove from plastic wrap and roll out on a floured surface to a uniform thickness *keeping in mind that these cookies will not get any larger once placed in the oven*
Cut into shapes.
Bake at 350F (175C) for 10-15 minutes
Remove from tray and let cool.
Ice with frosting

TIP: When I lived in Scotland, I didn't have a rolling pin...and found that a wine bottle completely did the trick!

Frosting:

Beat egg whites with spoon
Add icing sugar as needed until it holds shape
Add colouring, put it in a piping bag, etc.
Cover with a damp tea towel is not using immediately

Eat! :)

The Taste of Christmas :: Uber-Peppermint Marshmallows

2010-12-15T19:16:00.000-08:00

Everyone and their brother are making homemade marshmallows these days!

And really, why not?

They are easy, fun, affordable and taste WAY better than anything out there!

Trust me on this...we were the type of family to have marshmallows in our cupboards for years.

Years...from events we couldn't even remember having marshmallows! Last winter? A bonfire in the summer?

Who knew?

My mother would pull them out and we'd see if they were any good.

Ummmmm..yeah, they never were. They were inevitably stale and rock hard and didn't melt at all in hot chocolate.

Sketchy and gross, mom...just throw them out!

That is the fantastic thing about these marshmallows too...they won't last long in the house and they are completely customizable to your taste by using any sort of liquid or extract you'd like.

Coffee, no problem. Pineapple..how tropical! Lemon? Why the heck not?

You know I am making Irish Cream ones next. :)

The possibilities really are endless.

I made super uber-pepperminty ones with swirly pink tops.

Think along the lines of Curiously Strong mints.

My brother claims they'd be "borderline medicinal" without the icing sugar. Everyone's a critic.*rolls my eyes*

True enough, they are really strong, but to make yours much less so, simply use less peppermint extract. No harm, no foul! Making them really pepperminty only meant I just need one *you know or 3* thick marshmallow to get that peppermint kick in my hot chocolate.

I toasted one up for good measure too...pretty awesome.

I won't tell you that this toasting took place over a tealight...but it may have.

Minty, awesome with a crunchy burnt sugar exterior and melted goo inside.

Uber-Peppermint Marshmallows

(Adapted from AllRecipes.com)

1/2 cup water
3 packages of gelatin (approx 3 tbsps of gelatin)
2/3 cup light corn syrup (I used 1/3 cup golden corn syrup & 1/3 cup honey)
1/4 cup water
2 cups white sugar
2 tsps vanilla extract
3 tsps peppermint extract (reduce for a less pepperminty marshmallow..I love them, but my brother claimed them to be "borderline medicinal".)
equal mix of cornstarch & icing (confectioners) sugar for dredging cut marshmallows in.

Line 9x11 pan with plastic wrap & rub with oil. (I used olive oil, but you could also use a spray)
Put 1/2 cup water into a mixing bowl (either for a stand mixer, or one to use with a hand mixer) and sprinkle all 3 packages of gelatin on top and let sit until gelatin thickens completely (approx. 30 mins)
In a saucepan add corn syrup, 1/4 cup water and white sugar. Bring to a boil and allow to hard boil for a minute. (To test without a candy themometer, drop some of the mixture into a glass of cold water...if it hardens as it hits the water, it's ready)
Pour sugar mixture into the gelatin and beat on high speed with stand mixer (I used a hand mixer and it worked just fine) for about 15 minutes until the mixture forms soft peaks and appears fluffy.
Add extracts (you can use any sort of combination you'd like....3 tsps of peppermint made these pretty strong) and beat until combined.
Pour into lined pan using an oiled spatula.
Lightly oil another piece of plastic wrap and press on top of the mixture (oil down)
Let cool for at least 4 hours or overnight
When ready to cut, remove top layer of plastic wrap and flip onto parchment paper that has been sprinkled with the cornstarch & icing sugar mixture. Marshmallow slab should come right out.
Use a pizza cutter or cookie cutters to cut the marshmallow and dredge each piece into starch/icing sugar mix to avoid stickiness.
Store in an airtight container

*to make the pink swirls, simply make lines in red food colouring on top and drag a knife back and through the lines before placing on the final piece of plastic wrap to set.

"Only the pure of heart can make good soup." ~ Beethoven

2010-12-01T20:19:00.000-08:00

I don't think I've ever really made soup from scratch before. (Is that an embarrassing thing to admit?)

Don't get me wrong...I've eaten soup and reheated soup and added things to soup, but I've never quite "made" soup. (Quotes intentional)

It's also not like I don't like soup...in fact, it's pretty safe to say the opposite!

Although at one point in my childhood you'd be hard pressed to even get me near creamed soups of any sort.

Looking back, I realise my dad (who often made us soup on weekends) never properly whisked those powdery packaged soups, so I would inevitably end up with little chunks that suspiciously looked like mushrooms, but were in fact globs of undissolved soup. Ummm...gross.

I am happy to report that I have perfected the creamed soup from a package technique (which likely was a result of my past employment at Tim Hortons for 6 years), but until today I had barely thought about making soup myself...like, from scratch and all.

All I knew this morning was that I had some cauliflower in the fridge that was starting to go off and needed to be used right away and the first thing that came to my mind was...awesome, soup.

Okay, that was more like the second thought that came to mind, right after the thought that if I didn't get on this, cauliflower will seriously start stinking things up in the fridge.

So I pulled out my Ken's Soup Krazy book by Ken Kostick (which I was given back in the days when I worked at an online book retailer) and set about making soup.

Celery & Cauliflower Soup with White Wine

(adapted from Ken Kostick's 'Ken's Soup Krazy')

(serves 6)

2 tbsp olive oil
1 med. chopped onion
2 cups cauliflower florets
1.5 cups of chopped celery
0.5 cups dry white wine
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
0.5 tsp each of dried oregano, basil and chili powder
0.5 tsp sea salt(I used merlot salt to go with the wine theme)
0.5 tsp black pepper
1 bay leaf (whole)
6 cups vegetable stock (I used chicken stock with garlic)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

In a soup pot, heat oil and add onion, cauliflower and celery. Cook until cauliflower is tender.
Add wine and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add all herbs (minus parsley),vinegar, salt & pepper, stock and bring to a boil.
Let simmer for 10 minutes and remove bay leaf.
Garnish soup with fresh parsley
Eat!

(I ended up putting this into the crock pot and mixing with a hand blender so it was more a pureed soup..including the parsley (which I enjoyed better than the unpureed version seen above))

Go forth mes amies and make soup!

I doubt I'm pure of heart, but it was a pretty darn good soup.

The Macallan Whisky Tasting

2010-11-28T18:25:00.000-08:00

Scotch? Whisky? Scotch? Whisky? *
What on earth is this amber coloured liquid that leaves a warm trail down your throat?

Well, my friend Heather and I were lucky to investigate this on November 23rd at the Macallan whisky tasting held at 99Sudbury in Toronto. Macallan and Matchstick partnered up to host a fabulous 2 night, (4 round) event (we were in the first tasting on the first night) in which we had the opportunity to taste 5 of the Macallan's scotches.

The 10 year old, the 12, the 15, the 18 yr old Sherry oak and finally cask strength.
The whiskies were also paired with some fantastic cheeses, olives, nuts, meats and breads...it really was quite the spread. The venue itself was quite swanky and fit the association one tends to make with what a scotch tasting should entail. I have to say the entire evening was just a really well run and organised event.
Each sample was accompanied by an extremely informative powerpoint, including a very funny montage of what was happening during those specific years.

The Macallan Distillery has been around since 1824 (which likely means it was operating much longer before that, but not legally..which is why most scotch distilleries were ran up in the highlands of Scotland...to avoid the taxman we were told with a cheeky wink by the Canadian Macallan representative) and has quickly become not only a premium whisky, but a premium luxury whiskey with a 64 yr old whisky in a Lalique decanter recently auctioned at Sotheby's for $460,000 US (with proceeds going to charity:water too!).

As someone who lived in Scotland for two years, I definitely appreciated the variety of years presented & the flavours present in each whisky. The Canadian spokesperson for Macallan, Marc Laverdiere, was a great speaker and Heather and I had a chat with him after the presentation about female scotch drinkers. He told us that 30% of scotch drinkers are women, which came as a surprise.

My favourite was the 18 yr old..smooth, clean and not a hard burn as I sipped it...the cool thing about the 18 yr old is that it has been matured in sherry oak casks from Spain (most oak casks generally come from North America) and has hints of dried fruits, ginger, toffee and vanilla. The terrific thing about Macallan whisky is that there is no artificial caramel colouring involved (most scotches colour their whiskies..which mean they must stay out of sunlight in order to keep well). Those lovely amber tones in the Macallans are completely natural and are a result of their unique casks and fabulous ingredients.

All in all, Heather and I had a fun night out in the city and some great scotch and treats! The next time you are looking for a great gift for that single malt lover in your life, definitely pick up a bottle of the Macallan.

*only whisky made in Scotland can be called scotch ;)

Hello?? Is This Thing On?

2010-11-16T20:30:00.000-08:00

I am so sorry to have neglected you over the spring/summer/fall.

Ugh.

You know when life just gets in the way of doing the things you've been meaning or wanting to do?

Yeah, that's kinda what happened. But, I'm back now and next week I have a whiskey tasting to go to with Macallen Whiskey courtesy of Matchstick.com...so that will be my first 'official' post back!

Until then....these are the things I meant to tell you about...

I drank a lot of tea (David's Tea & ironically enough Gretzky's Green Tea (which I originally bought as a joke because of the ridiculous packaging and it actually turned out to be pretty good!))

Soda bread with currants (which I hate, but made anyway thinking I might have some sort of revelation that I like currants. I still don't)

Had a first date at the Black Bull in Toronto and consequent dates around the neighbourhood...

Drank coffees at the Dark Horse Cafe in Toronto

Found a little chocolate shop and tried out some unique chocolate

Drank nearly a gallon of apple cider

Made hazelnut cupcakes for my *gasp* 36th birthday

Celebrated the World Cup by taste testing a bunch of Walker's World Cup flavoured crisps

Convinced my cousin Kim to eat Vietnamese food

Made curd (seriously people...I made curd!! Keylime curd to be exact and black raspberry curd..black raspberries that I had painstakingly collected myself)...the curd then became swirly tartlets.

Made tons of pasta with very simple toppings (lots of fresh tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil and feta..divine!)

Tried out a few new sushi places
Consumed Irish Stew made with Guinness out on a chilly, albeit summery patio at the Waterfront Pub
Drank various kinds of ciders and ales at C'est What
Planted spaghetti squash...fried up and ate some of the blossoms
Had drinks with friends and dates at various locales in the city..and they were great!
Planted heirloom tomatoes, basil, cilantro, lime basil, sugar snap peas
Drank lots of peach-basil sangria and still did not manage to photograph it

.....and managed to lose 30 pounds doing it all!

Don't Mind the Crumbs...

2010-05-22T22:10:00.000-07:00

Hey all!
Don't mind the crumbs all over this place..I will get it sorted shortly. *ack*
In the meantime...if you have a blog...please please send it along and I can add you to the site.

Also, I actually have a lot to talk about! (I'm sorry, I went through a bit of a dryspell for a while)
So you'll be seeing cupcakes, asparagus, chocolate, 100 mile diet eating, tea, a couple of guest bloggers and so much more. *Whew*

I'm working on some pretty cool features on the site...so you may get little dribs and drabs of updates here and there, but there will be progress! :)

xoxo

Sushi Fail...but yet looked fabulous

2010-05-22T22:01:00.000-07:00

Really, the sushi failed for one reason and one reason only. Nope, I am lying. Two reasons...1. I couldn't find everything I needed at the grocery store to make what I wanted to showcase the fanastic pieces I received from CSN Stores to review and 2. hunger. I was hungry. Hunger does not bode well when making sushi. I did pick up the nori and wasabi and some vinegar, but until I have everything else...it's gotta wait and instead picked up a packaged dealio from the supermarket...which I generally do not recommend.

I will be making sushi at some point on this blog, because I love it and I think I have learned some tricks and tips that I'm looking forward to sharing. I think I will also my friend The Asian Pear to write a little something about sushi making as she's a genius in this area and can whip them up MUCH faster than I! (Not to mention, I'll be able to score some of her tips and tricks too!)

For now though, I'm going to talk a little bit about my experience with CSN Stores.

When I was contacted by CSN Stores about doing a review of items from their stores..and I chose a medium sized sushi plate made of bamboo and an Alessi Lily Bird soy sauce container. (Yep, that little gorgeous bird is a soy sauce container!!! Awesomesauce, no?)

I was pretty skeptical about the items doe to their pretty affordable pricing, but after getting and using both of these, I am blown away. The bamboo tray is absolutely gorgeous (and cleans like a dream!) and the soy sauce container definitely is a statement piece.
I do live in Canada, so shipping is often takes quite a while, but the pretty great service that CSN offers is that they have tracking numbers and update you via email along the way, so I knew at any given point in time (up until it reached the border) as to where my package was. Pretty impressive.

Both parcels were extremely well packaged and even if it had been jostled around in transit, you would never know. With over 200+ CSN Stores (the majority of them even shipping to Canada), I would certainly revisit and check out their items..everything from seasonal decor to shoes to La Cruset cookware. Sweeet!

I am very happy with these items, their customer service system and their shipping and will definitely be checking them out again. :) Thanks Jamie!

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

2010-04-16T11:32:00.000-07:00

Maybe you are like me...I have a tendency to start doing things late at night. Not because I've procrastinated doing them (although that is often the case), but usually because I get these grandious ideas late at night. So when most people are debating what time to set their alarms for the next morning or flossing, I am scouring the cupboards for the makings of...whatever I might be able to make.

Company was coming to visit in the form of relatives the following day and my mom had requested that I might 'make something'. Ever since I ate red velvet cupcakes in London from the Hummingbird Bakery and consequently bought the cookbook this past winter, I knew more of these were in my future...in some form, any form!

Which is why when I was asked to 'make something', I knew what I needed/wanted to do and I set about making this cake....at around midnight. The crumb of the cake is deliciously moist and the cake is not sweet at all (the icing is a bit sweet, but suits the cake perfectly) I made the cakes the night before and made the icing the following morning. It all came together rather well and I would definitely suggest taking this cake to any sort of party. Very impressive and not all that hard to make!

Red Velvet Cake

(Adapted from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook)

8 tbsp of unsalted, room temperature butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder
4 tbsp red food colouring (yep, it'll take about 2 bottles!)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups (plus 4 tbsp) of all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3 tsp of white vinegar
1 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 325deg F
In one bowl, mix the food colouring, vanilla and cocoa powder in a bowl to make a thick paste.
In a bigger bowl (you can use an electric mixer..although I didn't and it turned out fine) mix the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the eggs and beat until well blended.
Add the coloured paste to the butter mixture and combine..taking care to scrape the sides of the bowl so it mixes evenly.
Slowly pour in half the amount of buttermilk and half the amount of flour. Beat until well blended and then repeat the same process of adding the rest of the buttermilk and the flour and beat.
Batter should be smooth and even...the add the salt, baking soda and vinegar.
Beat again to combine.
Meanwhile, grease and flour 3 8-inch pans
Pour the batter into the 3 pans (1/2 way up the side of the pan) and bake for approximately 25 minutes (checking to see if a knife inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean)
Let cakes cool and make the icing.

Cream Cheese Icing

4 2/3rd cups of icing sugar (confectioner's sugar)
6 tbsps of room temperature, unsalted butter
8 oz (1 block) of cold cream cheese

This time I did use a freehand mixer! Beat the icing sugar and the butter together until it is well mixed.
Add the cold cream cheese (I cut in cubes to make it faster and easier to mix) and beat until it is all mixed in,well blended and the icing is light and fluffy.
Taking care not to overbeat as the icing will melt slightly with too much work.

11. Ice between each layer and stack the layers.

12. Then finish icing the sides of the cake.

13. If you are making cupcakes, this recipe will make 24...otherwise, divide all ingredients (including icing) by half for 12 cupcakes.

Serve to family and know that when you sneak into the kitchen later that night to cut a tiny slice to have with tea...it will have already been devoured by someone else with the exact same idea. :(

South St. Burger Company

2010-04-08T14:09:00.000-07:00

I occassionally do reviews of items for BzzAgent.com...and my most recent assignment was to check out the South St. Burger company.

Now I know this franchise has been around for a while, but I've never actually been in! Crazy, I know. I don't know what preconceived notions I had or maybe it's because I was always under the impression that it was pretty expensive...but there is a great reason for that which I am about to explain.

BzzAgent sent me a bunch of buy one, get one free coupons which I dispersed among the families that come into my workplace which is great because there is a South St. Burget Company just down the street from my job.

They also sent me a $10 coupon so I could try it myself first hand.

I never knew before, but what puts South St. Burger apart from the other burger joints is that the patties are made fresh and contain absolutely no hormones, antibiotics, filler or preservatives from cows that are raised on small co-op farms that practice natural and conscientious farming.

Seriously, for someone who is trying to eat better (or at least more consciously) and really pay attention to businesses who are trying at least to save/protect the environment, South St. Burger is really doing a great job as they use local ingredients & support local farms, use LED bulbs in their stores, environmentally friendly cleaning products and recycled paper products and 100% Bullfrog power(green electricity). Pretty impressive.

Not only that...but they have 25 different types of toppings! Everything from wasabi mayo to guacamole. Not to mention that they are partnered up with New York Fries. Delicious!

All the great environmental friendliness aside, I really did enjoy the burger. Sure it was a little more expensive than the local burger place...but the quality definitely was of primary importance.

Simply put..I would certainly recommend South St. Burger for the healthier burger choice!

Longo's 'The Loft' Cooking Demonstrations

2010-03-24T13:25:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had the experience of signing up for a class/lessons/demonstration of anything and being slightly anxious albeit excited about going?

What to wear, what to bring, who will be there?
I think that's a pretty normal occurance for most people and I definitely get a bit nervous walking into a room full of people that I have never met before..which is certainly what was about to transpire as I climbed the stair's to 'The Loft'.

The Loft, based in Longo's grocery store is a self-contained kitchen set above the shop floor complete with a fully functioning demonstration kitchen (video screens for you to see what is happening on the counters and a giant mirror above the stovetop) and large seating area.

I opened the doors and entered the area and was welcomed by host (Nicol Mentis) for the evening, the chef (Chef Robert) and two other 'students'. So far, everyone was pleasantly chatting and I got myself settled to join in.

~Chef Robert & the view of the stove from the mirror above the table~

I was fortunate to sit next to Mac, who talked to me about the other Loft classes her & her husband had taken. She also mentioned that they were the host's inlaws! It definitely says something about your relationship with your inlaws when they come to support your classes...they clearly know a good thing when they taste it!

I enjoyed chatting with them immensely and they definitely made me feel more relaxed and welcome. I was very ready to enjoy the evening and some other people came in who also knew Nicol. It made for a very cozy and relaxed first time.

You may recall that I made Canadian Maple Mousse a little while ago, well this recipe was featured in the same Longo's Experience magazine as the recipes that we enjoyed in the demonstration. (And with MUCH less ease than me cooking it up myself!)

Timing has always been my problem with preparing a meal, and Chef Robert made everything look so much easier and pretty freeform, which is always great! He spoke about timing and proper techniques of cooking and when to add certain ingredients, all the while, the kitchen filled up with delicious aromas that seriously made me wish I had remembered to eat lunch!

~Scallops & Shrimp in Pernod Cream Sauce~

Soon we were eating, and all the questions fell by the wayside as we devoured everything...it was all so delicious and fresh and so very unlike anything I would even attempt at home, but it was great to see how easy it would be to do!

~Rack of Lamb with Curry Sauce on a bed of Saffron Rice and Cumin Scented Chickpeas~

I have to say that my experience at the Longo's Loft was both fun and educational.I learned a lot of little tips and tricks and ate a fantastically gourmet meal that would cost you an arm and a leg in a fancy restaurant.

The host, Nicol was incredibly helpful and threw out questions and brought around the spices being used for everyone to smell and examine, helped tidy up and in general pull everything together so it was easy for both the Chef and us to gel. Chef Robert was great with answering any questions and spoke about everything from the restaurant industry in general to the best way to wash herbs, cook rice and french your rack of lamb..lots and lots of useful tips!

It seems to me that the Loft classes would be a terrific date night or get together with your foodie friends or a great gift to give!

~Dessert: Bread Pudding with dried cranberries in a Jack Daniel's sauce~

I am definitely signing up for a couple more in April, so if anyone wants to come along, please let me know!

Raw Food Movement :: Desserts

2010-03-21T20:30:00.000-07:00

It's funny, but as I'm writing this, I'm partially watching a zombie movie called Dead Snow about Norwegian medical students that stumble upon Nazi zombies while on a ski vacation. I cannot make this stuff up! Also, definitely one of the goriest movies I've possibly ever seen. Now would be a good time to tell you about the raw vegan nanaimo bar I tried.

I'm doing this for you Heather.*LOL*
I made a joke about becoming a 'rawist' (a person who avoids any foods that have been cooked, heated or processed, preferring to consume only raw organic fruit, nuts and vegetables and grain.) after Heather told me she switched from vegetarian to vegan during our excursion at the St. Lawrence Market.

I'm impressed by the commitment this takes because I don't think there is ANY way I could do it personally. Especially because I love dairy, eggs, honey! I can imagine that it's equally hard to eat anything but a salad anywhere you go (but that is my limited exposure I'm sure) but I'll bug Heather about it to find more information.
Soooo...in order to try something out from the raw food movement, I decided to try a raw vegan nanaimo bar from our local health food grocery store.

Although I don't have the recipe for this exact, I do believe it is VERY similar to this recipe.
Definitely more expensive than making the regular version *ingredients would be crazy expensive* and 3" x 5" bar cost me $6.99 CDN.

Tastewise, it wasn't as sweet as I was expecting, nor was it as 'faux' as I thought it might be.
The texture though (in the middle layer) was definitely not as firm as I would have liked, but I did like the texture and consistency of the bottom layer which although was a little too moist and crumbly, did taste like the real deal.

All in all, I guess if you couldn't/wouldn't have the real thing, then this would be a great treat for your rawist, vegan friends and in terms of more conscious eating, then this is something to consider.

Not to worry, the next posting will be filled with fat and sugar and salt and much less zombie. *teasing grins*

Eating More Naturally

2010-03-13T09:17:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to eat more 'naturally' lately. Using less processed foods and more 'whole foods'. Originally it was my goal to bake something for this blog using sprouted grains....and it still is, but I don't know when. Soooooo, instead I will tell you everything I've learned about sprouted grains.

It all started when I read the Essential Eating: Sprouted Baking Cookbook by Janie Quinn.

I was intrigued because the tag line read: with whole grain flours that digest as vegetables.

WHAT??

How is that even possible I thought to myself (immediately set out on finding answers on the internet) and OMG, what on earth would it taste like?? *remembering mine & Heather's experience at the St. Lawrence Market*

Flipping through the book, I saw a recipe for a cherry tart which looked right up my alley! Well, once into the book, I realised it was more or less a promo tool into buying THEIR flour. Which is fine...I can adapt and use other flour..well, it was due back to the library and I never wrote the recipe down. *doh* Which means, I need to take it out from the library again because I think I will attempt it this summer.

But I digress, we were talking about healthy eating you and I. Now I am not talking about special occassion eating (or "Hurray, it's Tuesday!" eating..of which I am quite susceptible) but about general choices throughout the week for overall better health.

I am making the start with swapping out my white bread (I detest whole wheat bread. No reason why except that I hate the taste and yet I ADORE anything with lots of seeds/nuts in it as long as there is more 'grain' than whole wheat) for sprouted grain bread.

So a little bit about sprouted grain bread..here is what StoneMill Bakery has to say about sprouted grains.

I am in the process of trying out a bunch of different brands of sprouted grain breads. Last week I tried StoneMill's Sprouted Grains: 3 Grains & Oatmeal and it was delicious! However, when I looked for it at the store again, it wasn't available. So I headed to the freezer section for something made ONLY with sprouted grains and no flour and found Silver Hills brand.

Both companies are Canadian and are very 'green' thinking and use best environmental practices and are interested in sustainability. StoneMill is Ontario-based and Silver Hills is located in British Columbia.

So this week I've been enjoying Silver Hill's 'The Big 16'..which is made up of 16 (!!) types of sprouted grains! In fact, here's the complete ingredient list:

Organic whole sprouted wheat*

water

organic evaporated cane juice*

vital wheat gluten

organic oat flake topping*

organic flax seeds*

yeast

sea salt

organic sunflower seeds*

organic millet*

organic whole sprouted triticale*

organic whole sprouted rye*

organic whole sprouted barley*

organic buckwheat*

organic whole corn*

citric acid

organic whole brown rice*

organic whole sprouted spelt*

organic whole sprouted kamut® khorasan wheat*

organic sesame seeds*

organic whole amaranth*

organic whole quinoa*

*Certified Organic

Pretty impressive...and pretty tasty! So far, this healthy living thing doesn't seem so dire.

Besides, I'll definitely still enjoy making sweet treats, I'll just have to give more of them away.
:)

Canadian Maple Mousse

2010-03-08T16:11:00.000-08:00

Can you believe I am unable to convince anyone to join me on a trip to the Sugar Bush for the annual 'sugaring off'?

It's true. My friends are weird.

Okay, it could be that this is something that reeks of elementary school trips, but I am still romanced with the idea of loving winter while it is still here, and maple syrup festivals are definitely one way to get out there and enjoy the season.

I'm going with the notion that my friends are weird. ;)

Regardless, I may just have to go by myself. I'm cool with that and in order to feel better about going by myself, I made this Canadian Maple Mousse before the Olympic gold medal men's hockey game. Yep...everything tastes a little sweeter with maple, even 14 gold medals! ;)

But whew, talk about exhausting!

But, I am back in the swing of things...trying new products (new to me anyway) that I hope to introduce on this blog and gathering up a variety of recipes that I hope to feed you all with!

Speaking of recipes, I scoured my local Value Village this past weekend and picked up the River Cafe Cookbook for only $2.99. I was pretty impressed with myself as the recipes in it look really seasonal for summer and very fresh..not to mention that the authors Rose Gray & Ruth Rogers were in fact one of Jamie Oliver's first employers!!!
Total score!

I digress...back to the sweet stuff.

Normally in our house, we would not even fathom the idea of using the maple syrup in cans (preferring a MUCH darker version that we buy from our 'syrup supplier' who bootlegs us syrup in old whiskey bottles), but this can was sooo pretty and we are on the verge of a syrup delivery..so I picked up this can.

Please note that this recipe is not to be made with faux maple syrup or maple flavoured syrups..only the real deal will do.

candied almonds

hot maple syrup & egg yolks

Canadian Maple Mousse

(adapted from Longo's Experience Magazine : spring 2010)

1/2 cup nuts (pecan is recommended, but I used almonds and loved them!)
1 cup pure maple syrup (IMPORTANT: No maple flavoured syrup)
4 egg yolks
1 pkg (7g) of unflavoured gelatin
1 1/2 cups whipping cream

Bring maple syrup & almonds to a boil.
Strain nuts from the syrup and place on parchment lined baking sheet
Put the baking sheet into the oven set at 350F for approx 8-10 minutes.
When time is up, remove from oven and set aside to cool.
While the nuts are in the oven, in a larger bowl whisk egg yolks and pour in the hot maple syrup until well mixed.
Remove 1/4 cup of whipping cream and sprinkle it with gelatin. Heat this in a microwave for 45 seconds and stir to dissolve gelatin completely.
Whisk this gelatin/whipping cream mixture into the maple syrup mixture and set aside.
Whisk occasionally for approximately an hour until the mixture resembles consistency of egg whites.
Whip the remaining cream and stir 1/4 of the whipped cream into the maple syrup mixture.
Fold in the remaining cream and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Remove from the fridge when ready to serve and put into parfait glasses and top with the mapled nuts.

Now get out there and enjoy the rest of whatever weather you may be having! :)

Grapples

2010-03-03T22:43:00.000-08:00

I'm the type of gal that marketing people love...because packaging jumps off the shelf at me.
So, it's no surprise that while I was out shopping, I came across this package in the fruit section.

Okay, so honestly, my first thought was 'Holy crap, what a waste of packaging material for APPLES! Ridiculous.'

Then I took a closer look...

It wasn't an Apple...it was a Grapple. (pronounced Grape -L)

Oh yeah...an apple that tastes like a grape! Sooooooo bizarre!
Anyway, they priced out at 4 for $4.99, but for something as unusual as this (not to mention the joke potential) it was worth it.

The texture is like an apple, but you can read the process here as to how they get that concord grape flavour in these Fuji or Washington Extra Fancy Gala apples.

I just wonder how much foods like this will confuse kids...I mean, they already have no recollections as to what vinyl records are!

Daydreaming About Housewares & Sushi

2010-03-01T09:51:00.000-08:00

Besides watching the Olympics this weekend, I spent a lot of substantial time daydreaming about owning the cutest, most fabulous house or cottage. I spent far too much time thinking about home bars and accent pillows, beautiful kitchen appliances, chandeliers and natural lighting.

The ironic thing is that I don't feel guilty about it at all!
I feel inspired, fresh and motivated!
Soooooo motivated that I've signed up for a cooking demonstration on how to make sushi!

Okay, so I've made sushi before...and trust me, it wasn't pretty.
It tasted pretty good, but the california rolls turned out to be almost as big as cookies and were trying very hard to break away from the nori wrappers and scatter themselves over the plate.
Not very pretty at all.

This time when I make sushi, things will be very different. Not only will my sushi taste great *fingers crossed*, but it's also going to look great on a plate!

CSN has graciously offered me a couple of items from their wide ranging variety of products & brands in their 200+ stores to review and due to my upcoming sushi class, I've decided that reviewing sushi items is definitely the most appropriate! CSN is quite the setup...they have literally everything from bar stools to chandeliers to awesome modern home accents. Pretty much everything I was daydreaming about all weekend!

Alongside all the info I'll be giving you about making sushi, the demonstration and the photos (of which there will be lots), I'll also be reviewing these two items in the upcoming month and letting you know what I thought about them and CSN.

Alessi LilyBird Soy Sauce Container by Stefano Giovannoni

The Alessi Lily Bird Soy Sauce container..how cute is this? (And will hopefully stop me from dripping soy sauce all over the counter) This container is actually part of a collaboration between the National Museum of Taiwan and Alessi designer & architect Giovannoni.

Totally Bamboo Sushi Plate

I'll also be reviewing the Totally Bamboo Sushi Plate which is totally awesome, ecologically responsible, fair trade friendly and both lightweight AND durable.

No doubt that CSN will be making my sushi making a lot prettier...at least on a plate!
Thanks!

Tomato Thai Hummous? Humus? Humous? Delicious!

2010-02-19T22:15:00.000-08:00

Awwww snap. Hummous, humus, hummus, humous, no matter how you spell it (and there are tons of various ways), this chick pea mashup is delicious!

Perfect for afternoons spent contemplating calling that guy you've really wanted to ask out, or watching the olympics (that ski-cross sport looks insane!) or just doing some catching up on your reading. Okay, well that's what I found it perfect for...but I know you'll find lots of other times to enjoy it too!

You heard it right, today it's all about the tomato thai hummous.

The simple and beautiful thing about hummous is that as long as you have some chick peas, you can make a really fast spread for sandwiches or as a dip for veggies or toasted pita bread. The perfect snack at any point during the day!
Traditionally hummous has tahini (a sesame seed paste) in it, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic... but this is the beauty of this recipe as you can add or omit as you like.

No really, you can add anything you'd like...from plain yogurt to make it creamier to other spices, make it saltier or spicer. The only reallyy key ingredients are the chick peas and the garlic. (It's a good thing I'm calling this guy and not meeting face to face!)
No harm, no foul. This is truly a foolproof recipe, I promise you, but everything is to taste, so in regards to spices add a little if you are unsure and gradually add more until you are comfortable with the taste.

Now go forth and blend...and try not to breathe on anyone who isn't sharing with you. ;)

Tomato Thai Hummous

1 can drained chick peas (save some of the water in case the mix is too thick for your taste)
6-7 cherry tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
juice from 1 lime
1 tbsp olive oil (I substituted the chick pea water for this)
1 tbsp Thai seasoning blend (I used McCormicks)
fresh ground pepper
generous pinch of salt
(You can also add one small red chopped and seeded chili for some extra spice)

Toss is all in a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth and creamy.
Chill for a couple of hours to let all the flavours blend, but you can enjoy right away if you choose.
Serve with cut up veggies or wedges of toasted pita bread.

Now go call that man...you know you wanna.

Purple Carrots, Macarons & The St. Lawrence Market

2010-02-15T10:07:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I hit the St. Lawrence Market in Toronto with my friend Heather. I was on a mission for a few items...namely macarons from Lemon Tree Patisserie (which I had read about over at chowhound.com), some yummy bread and maybe keep an eye out for some fun coloured vegetables and some other random goodies that might find their way into my hungry hands!

It never disappoints and it's clearly a place I could spend a long time at! The next time I will certainly get some more goodies, but for now...we're talking about purple carrots and macarons!

According to Carrot Museum.com, multi-coloured carrots were actually the norm until Dutch growers cultivated only the orange variety. I really enjoyed the golden yellow ones, they were a little bit sweeter than the orange ones and definitely not as woody as the purple ones.

Because I'm generally not a fan of cooked carrots, I still have one purple carrot left. I think it's too woody to eat raw...does anyone have any suggestions on what I can do with one purple carrot??

Heather in the last year has been a vegan and we found a little cafe with lots of vegan/raw goodies, including a muffin which was 'interesting' according to both Heather and myself. Essentially it was eating a warm little ball of grain and grated carrots.

Yep.
I could never be vegan.

I was all about the eggs and refined sugar as I tracked down Lemon Tree Patisserie for macarons.

Lots of food bloggers have been speaking about macarons lately (and over the past couple of years) and although I was won over by the elegant male servers in pinstripe suits and white gloves in Laduree while in Paris, I wasn't terribly impressed by the macarons (which I think was entirely my fault as I waited HOURS to eat them).

I think I had let my macarons get a little too warm and the centres actually soaked into the meringue part! Eeps. Not to mention that I did choose some of the more 'interesting' flavours (Muget ~ Lily of the Valley and Cassis Violet ~ Violet Blackcurrant) rather than go for the simple and more common flavours.

This past weekend, I had to purchase some macarons at the market and Lemon Tree Patisserie's flavours were very interesting!

Mango, Chocolate Banana & Lavender.

Lavender was absolutely my favourite. The mango was pretty tasty too. However, I was a little disappointed at the lack of chocolate flavour of the chocolate banana. That said, Kelly uses all natural ingredients and that is impressive.

The meringues were crunchy on the outside and terrifically chewy on the inside and the fillings were deliciously thick and buttery. Mmmmmm..buttery. I know that Lemon Tree is at the market every Saturday morning, so be sure to check it out!

Read about making macarons and all the terrific flavours at these wonderful blogs!

Bakerella ~ Macarons!
Mad Baker ~ Macarons
David Lebovitz ~ Making French Macarons: Instructions & Recipes
Ms. Adventures in Italy ~ Laduree Macarons & Finding the Perfect Macaron Recipe

Other yummy things I purchased at the market were some creamy red beet humus from Uncle George's Sprouts and some artisanal garlic bread from StoneMill.

Next time, I'll take more money..and more photos! :)

Delicious.

Restaurant Review:: Pizzeria Libretto (Toronto)

2010-02-09T20:38:00.000-08:00

Pizzeria Libretto
221 Ossington Ave
Toronto, ON

Hours
Daily 12-11
Sundays 11-4

I was supposed to be there at 1:30pm to meet up with Toronto area bloggers Ginger & Asian Pear. My friend Heather and I arrived there at 2:10 pm. Pizzeria Libretto is one helluva walk/subway/streetcar ride away...from everything except Little Portugal.

Pizzeria Libretto's big draw is that they claim to the only Naples style pizza in Toronto. What this means is that it follows a strict set of guidelines set out by the Verace Pizza Napoletana Association as set out by the Italian Government and the European Union. Yes, the EU is working hard at preserving culinary heritage and that is pretty cool. (How do I get a job in that department?)

Admittedly, I had checked out their website the night before, so I knew quite a bit about their pizza and their wood burning oven that it's cooked in (90 seconds at 900 degrees!) and their environmental policies..which I have to say are pretty impressive. I like the fact that they try to use local ingredients (albeit a tougher thing to do in Canadian winters) whenever possible.

Immediately being greeted by a gorgeous man at the entrance was definitely a bonus, if not a little awkward as I was rather flustered at being so late and thrown off by his attentiveness and the fact that I was still adjusting to the darker interior. (Okay, it was his good looks...did I mention he was gorgeous?) He invited me to head into the restaurant and search for the rest of my party. I have never met the other girls face to face, but I knew them when I entered the small, but cozy seating area. It was pretty busy and I would have loved to head closer to the back to catch a view of the oven itself, I get a little intimidated by a. good looking men and b. looking lost to said handsome men. Everyone seemed to be busy chatting,watching tv, running in and out of the kitchen.

Being a bit of an amateur food photographer, I knew some things were going to be tough. I had on the wrong lens for the distance at which we were sitting and the lighting left a lot to be desired (although absolutely perfect for dates!)..but let's be honest, that's not a problem for most people..just for my camera :)

Heather and I ordered just after Ginger and Asian Pear, I felt a bit rushed looking over the menu, but that was entirely our fault for being late...so I just randomly picked something as the waiter hovered about saying if we ordered quickly, our food should come at the same time. Heather over the past year has switched it up from being vegetarian to vegan (So sorry Heather!!) so her order was a bit tougher, only garlic and tomatoes. I ordered the salami pizza ($16) which came with salami, mozzarella & tomato topping as well as roasted red peppers and very sparse basil leaves (ie. 3). Our pizzas came quickly...one would assume so as they only spend 90 seconds in the oven!

I was a little surprised at the VERY hard time I had cutting the pizza! So much so, that I abandonned the entire crust and only ate the inside. Even that was pretty rough and seemed to take me forever. It made the dining experience kind of frustrating actually, like I had been given the dullest knife in the place. The taste of the pizza was so-so and the ingredients were fresh although very sparse. I had forgotten there were roasted red peppers even on my pizza until I saw maybe 4 thinly sliced pieces at the direct centre of the pie.

To be brutally honest, the pizza I made the other week had more taste and flavour than Pizzeria Libretto's Salami pizza.

I really wanted to love this place, I did. Hot waiters, good looking foodie people chatting and eating fast pizza, environmentally friendly business operations and fresh ingredients. Seriously. What was not to love? While I appreciate that this is a different 'style and technique' of creating pizza in Toronto, I can't help but feel that they are missing something. Hey, at least the company was good! :)

I think maybe if I went back a second time (I probably won't), I'd have to check out their other menu offerings (Or at least convince one of the waiters to peruse the menu with me a bit longer!) as I've heard the bruschetta is pretty good.

Feel free to check out other diner's photos of Pizzeria Libretto on Flickr here.

The Post Where I Talk About Chocolate & Mitch Hedberg

2010-02-05T14:47:00.000-08:00

I saw this wino, he was eating grapes. I was like, "Dude, you have to wait."

~ Mitch Hedberg (1968-2005)

Remember that post where I told you that I truly believed that coffee and wine made everything better? Well, I clearly had a momentary lapse of insanity, because chocolate should have most definitely made it to the same list!

I think if I was to throw a dinner party, I would play Iron Chef (against myself and with more than an hour to spare) and select one item on which I'd base my entire menu. Regardless of the 'mystery item', I would most definitely include coffee, chocolate and wine in the event. That is just a given...and a heads up if I ever do host a dinner party in the near future.

Grapes were on sale this week at the local grocers....and I was curious as to how many grape 'recipes' exist out there. There were quite a few, but as soon as I saw Michel Richard's White Chocolate Grapes, I was hooked. Chocolate AND grapes. I'm in!

The first time I made these, I scoured the house for a bag of white Chippits. Ummm..yeah, have you ever seen a bloom on white chocolate before? They were SO far gone, that I improvised.

My Definition of Improvise:: A subtle and acceptable form of cheating

I pulled the bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips from the cupboard and used those instead.

Who would ever know that they were 'supposed' to be covered in white chocolate according to the recipe? To tell you the truth, I liked both the white chocolate and the semi-sweet version...so I say, make them both and see which you prefer. (Consensus in the house was that the white chocolate was better.)

There are a few ways to enjoy these, but the most entertaining way to be honest was listening to comedian Mitch Hedberg on my iPod and lounging on the couch. Mitch Hedberg just had this way of delivering a joke (generally all one-liners) that was dry, witty and made you think. He was certainly not on this earth long enough. Check him out on YouTube and have a giggle.

Now onto the recipe....

Michel Richard's White Chocolate Grapes

(Adapted from Food & Wine.com)

4 ounces white chocolate, chopped (2 large Lindt white chocolate bars)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound red or green grapes, cleaned & off the stem (dry well)
2 tbsp of icing sugar (confectioners sugar)

Wash and dry the grapes and remove from the stem and put them in a bowl
In a separate microwave-safe bowl, add the oil and the chopped up chocolate (in the image above I only used 1 bar of Lindt white chocolate, but I should have used 2 or even 3 for a more even coverage.
Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with parchment.
Put the bowl in the microwave and check on it every 20-30 seconds until the chocolate is melted.
Stir until smooth and let cool briefly.
Pour the chocolate over the grapes in the first bowl and fold (a spatula works best) so that every grape is coated.
You can sift the icing sugar over the grapes until they are separated (I skipped this altogether, but would have done so if it was a for a fancy party)
Spread the grapes out on the baking sheet and refrigerate.

(If you click on the link under the recipe title, it will take you directly to this recipe on the Food & Wine website, which will also provide you with an orange curd meant for dipping your grapes into. I was all about chocolate and sugar and how quick I could enjoy them rather than thinking about curd on this day...but maybe one of these days I'll try it!)

Pizza Love

2010-02-01T12:46:00.000-08:00

Did you have pizza this weekend?
Come on...'fess up! You come home, you are tired, you are hungry, there's a great movie you've been waiting to watch (or an entire season of Dexter to catch up on) and all you want to do is climb into some jammies, dive under a blanket and order in some pizza.

I don't blame you at all. In fact, I'm going to join you..move over and share that blanket please!
I think though, that if I am convincing enough (or charming enough at least), I can sway you to make pizza with me instead!

I know what you are thinking...why should I make pizza when I can buy a perfectly great one from the local delivery place and not have to touch anything in the kitchen? But I'll tell you what, this pizza is not only saving your hard earned cash (although, you are more than welcome to go nuts with fantastic toppings), but is healthier and can be made even faster than restaurant pizza. It's true I tell you!

The key thing to do is to stop and pick up some fresh dough (not frozen) from your local grocer (Yeah, I know. This will be the hardest part, so make a note of it earlier in the day...besides, you can have it sit in your fridge for a few days if you change your mind!). Most grocery stores these days have pizza dough at the ready. Just ask one of the employees and they'll be able to help out! Once you get to the premade dough, you have more choices to make..white, wholewheat, multigrain and sometimes even other savoury 'artisan' doughs! (For example, our local grocery store makes garlic & rosemary dough as well as roasted red pepper & basil dough. Yum!)

(I'm a bit partial to the garlic one, so I tend to purchase this I'm in the mood to make pizza...and hello, it's only $2.29 CDN!)

Come, let me show you how we're going to do this.
We're gonna make a white pizza. White pizza simply means without tomato sauce.
Without tomato sauce, you really need to use ingredients that will shine and be very flavourful.

The combinations really are endless at this point, but I will tell you that tomato and feta pizza is perhaps one of the most delicious combos you can get...and simple!

Cut up all the ingredients you are going to use on your pizza and tidy up as you go (I promise, it'll only be a knife and a cutting board! Pretty simple!)
Once that is done, spread your dough out on a well oiled pan..or use a pizza stone (these really are a timesaver and if you have pizza on a regular basis, you need one) You can either spread out the pizza to fit the pan or you can create little mini heart pizzas like I did here which are great if you are prepping for a romantic evening, sending them off to school with your little ones, or are a bit of a hopeless romantic like I am. :)
Once the dough is spread out, put a decent lug of olive oil on top of the dough and rub in with your fingers. (This will help keep the dough moist) Then let it rise for about half an hour.
After the dough has risen, flatten it again and layer your ingredients. I used ripe tomatoes, cubes of feta, a sprinkling of coarse salt and freshly ground pepper on top.
Set your oven to about 500F (generally premade dough has directions on the bag..you'll want to follow these for the best result) and place your pizza on the medium rack. Generally you are going to have this in the oven for about 15 minutes. (Again, if there are directions on the bag, be sure to follow them)
Remove from the oven and serve with your own dipping sauce! I like a zesty Italian or Greek salad dressing with this.

Simple, affordable and kinda romantic for those nights in! :)

Salmon Tikka with Cucumber Yogurt

2010-01-27T12:14:00.000-08:00

Oh Jamie, you devilishly handsome and fabulous chef.You've gone and done it again... dinner perfection. *swoon*

Yep, I swooned. Both in awe of Jamie and this recipe. I was a little skeptical on how this would turn out to be honest as I've never had tikka with anything else but chicken, but I really should not have worried..it's delicious and you can spice it as much or as little as you'd like. Gotta love that! The recipe is fabulously simple to half if you deserve something special and you're on your own too. Sometimes cooking for one can be a bit of a drag, but it really is nice to treat yourself to something yummy too!

Heck yeah, don't we all deserve something special once in a while? You know, on like a Wednesday or a Thursday paired with a glass of wine (or 3?). This simple salmon recipe is pretty much guaranteed to fight off any winter blahs and is quick to make, so even if you are rushing out someplace, as long as you have 15 minutes (and a killer outfit already picked out)..you're good to go!

Jamie's Quick Salmon Tikka with Cucumber Yogurt

(from Jamie's Food Revolution)

2 naan bread (or pita-style flatbread)
1/2 a cucumber
1 finely chopped and seeded red chile (I omitted)
1 lemon
sea salt & fresh ground pepper
some sprigs of fresh cilantro
2 - 7 oz deboned,scaled but skin on salmon
1 heaping tbsp of tandoori or mild curry paste
olive oil

Preheat the over to 225F and put naan in the oven to warm.
Cut the cucumber in half and scrape out seeds. Chop and place in bowl (saving a few pieces for garnish)
In same bowl, squeeze the juice from half a lemon, add yogurt, half the chile and pinches of both salt and pepper.
Stir to combine.
Prepare your salmon by slicing each fillet lengthways into 1/2 inch-wide slices.
Spoon the paste on top of the salmon and spread with the back of the spoon (If you need more paste, use a new spoon to take from the jar.)
Put your frying pan on high and once hot add some olive oil.
Add the salmon to the pan and cook for 1.5 minutes on each side until cooked through completely.
Meanwhile, grab a naan from the oven and put on plate. Top with the cucumber yogurt and salmon. Garnish with the remainder of the red chile, cucumber and cilantro. Squeeze a little more lemon and enjoy!

Preparation and cooking should take about 17 minutes and serves 2.

Haggis, Neeps & Tatties :: Celebrating Robbie Burns Day

2010-01-25T09:00:00.000-08:00

Living in Scotland for 2 years definitely gave me an appreciation for Scottish cuisine (and men in kilts).

Okay, stop laughing.

I'm not talking about fried Mars bars (I only had one once and it was pretty good*LOL*) but rather Haggis. Yes, that strange and often discussed 'food' that generally accompanies looks of horror on the faces of the unadventurous. Haggis.

In fact, in the pink kitchen (this requires a longer story at some point..but I had a hot pink kitchen in Scotland), we began to serve it to every guest who came across the pond to visit, even hosting a Burns supper on January 25th and inviting all the Canadians and Scots we knew! When in Rome, right? The great thing about haggis though is that it is very often misunderstood and is actually VERY tasty!

My friend Christine perhaps summed it up perfectly when she said.."Oh, it's like a spiced version of meatloaf". Spot.on.the.money.

I mean, sure it's ummm...exotic and has apparently been banned in the US since 1989 due to all the interesting parts contained within? We can buy it here in Canada, so I had no clue about this ban.

Here's a recipe..minus all the cooking directions (and to be honest, it's MUCH easier to buy a premade haggis to cook...apparently now Americans will be able to as well!!!)

1 sheep's stomach or ox secum, cleaned and thoroughly, scalded, turned inside out and soaked overnight in cold salted water
heart and lungs of one lamb
450g/1lb beef or lamb trimmings, fat and lean
2 onions, finely chopped
225g/8oz oatmeal
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ground dried coriander
1 tsp mace
1 tsp nutmeg
Water, enough to cook the haggis
Stock from lungs and trimmings

Haggis is always, always, always plated with neeps (turnip) and tatties (potatoes)...both mashed, and a wee dram of whiskey. Perfection.

On Burns night (celebration of the Scottish poet Robert Burns birthday) pomp and circumstance are definitely part of the perfect evening and Haggis is the centre of the celebration. The haggis is 'played' in with bagpipes and everyone applaudes before reciting the Selkirk Grace and then addressing the Haggis with Burns own 'Address to a Haggis'.

(I find that saying it aloud helps in understanding it!)

Address to a Haggis

(Robert Burns)

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o the puddin'-race!
Aboon them a' ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy of a grace
As lang's my arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o need,
While thro your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.

His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An cut you up wi ready slight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like onie ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin, rich!

Then, horn for horn, they stretch an strive:
Deil tak the hindmost, on they drive,
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve
Are bent like drums;
The auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
'Bethankit' hums.

Is there that owre his French ragout,
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi perfect sconner,
Looks down wi sneering, scornfu view
On sic a dinner?

Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
As feckless as a wither'd rash,
His spindle shank a guid whip-lash,
His nieve a nit:
Thro bloody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!

But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread,
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He'll make it whissle;
An legs an arms, an heads will sned,
Like taps o thrissle.

Ye Pow'rs, wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies:
But, if ye wish her gratefu prayer,
Gie her a Haggis!

Then a whiskey toast is drank to the Haggis and dinner begins.

Happy Burns Day!

Dr. Pepper Thumbprint Cookies

2010-01-24T14:33:00.000-08:00

I'll admit it. I love Dr. Pepper. I enjoy pop in general, but there is something about Dr. Pepper that sets me all alight. After scouring the internet for cookies that possibly may be able to incorporate my love of Dr. Pepper, I found this recipe. I was excited, intrigued and fascinated.

Would these cookies live up to my expectation of Dr. Peppery goodness?

Ummmmmm....no.

In fact it's safe to say that I can't even make out the teeny tiniest hint of the Dr. in these cookies.
However, they were delicious, so I will forgive them and instead drink a Dr. Pepper WITH them. That counts!

I hope you all had a good weekend! Be sure to head over to feminine wiles & urban survival 101 to enter my contest for a copy of Wreck This Journal!

Oh....and I promise, next week...no cookies! :)

Dr. Pepper Thumbprint Cookies

(adapted from recipe on the Dr. Pepper Facebook discussion)

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cup oats
2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup Dr. Pepper
Any sort of jam (I used homemade strawberry, raspberry and elderberry)

Preheat oven to 375F
Cream sugar,butter, egg, vanilla and Dr. Pepper in one bowl.
In a separate bowl, mix oats, flour, salt and baking soda.
Add wet ingredients to dry and combine until blended.
Remove small amount and roll between palms to create balls.
Lightly flatten and create indent with your thumb in the tops of the cookies.
Drop small spoonful of jam into the indent.
Bake cookies for 12-15 minutes.

Dry Soda: Vanilla Bean

2010-01-21T14:14:00.000-08:00

In my group of friends, I'm kind of known as the girl to go to if you want to find out any information about new products! So I figured I'd share this knowledge with you too! This habit of mine to pick something 'new' all the time has definitely led me down some strange and unique paths...not all of them delicious.

But some are certainly worth the attempt and Dry Soda's Vanilla Bean was definitely worth it.

Dry Soda Co. certainly has some of the most inventive flavours on the market: Rhubarb, Juniper Berry, Cucumber, Kumquat, Lemongrass, Lavender and Vanilla Bean.

The very light vanilla flavour was the perfect pick-me-up to my afternoon workday! But maybe next time I'll try the Seattle Strawberry cocktail they suggest as it would be terrific for a sunny Saturday afternoon when the strawberries are in season.

The best thing about Dry Soda is that their products are all natural, which let's face it..in today's world of frankenfoods and processing, natural is a terrific thing! Not to mention that it's only 60 calories!

I have to say though..it is served best ice cold.

Ingredients: Purified carbonated water, cane sugar, natural extracts and phosphoric acid.
Yes, that's it!!! :)

Taste: Like perrier with a light vanilla flavour. Neither cloying or too sweet..just light and simple. I didn't pair this up with a meal, but I did find it a treat in itself in the afternoon.

Design: I am a complete sucker for packaging and these bottles are simple, gorgeous and very classy. In fact, I have seen a few people use these bottles as simple vases for single stemmed flowers.

Price: The price at my local organic grocer was $1.99 Canadian..which really is like purchasing a 591 mL bottle of regular pop from any convenience store.

Overall Rating (Out of 5): 4.5/5 : I enjoy sparkling waters, and this was right up my alley..especially considering it reminded me of baking and even gave me an idea for a recipe this weekend!!

Also, tomorrow over at feminine wiles & urban survival 101, I'll be introducing a giveaway for Keri Smith's book: Wreck This Journal. Please drop in to visit!

Double Lemon Delights & Led Zeppelin

2010-01-18T12:03:00.000-08:00

I think I can safely say...that cookies and music go well together.

I don't think it may be an obvious connection at first, but I bet once you think about all the cookies (and other baked goods!) out there in the world, you can find an equally delicious piece of music to go along with it!

Try these delicious combinations...

Chocolate Chip & Indigo Girls' Closer to Fine

Rolled Pirouettes & Charles Trenet's Boum!

Oatmeal Raisin & John Denver's Rocky Mountain High

Peanut Butter & Smokey Robinson's Tracks of My Tears

Ginger Snaps & Ray Lamontagne's Jolene

Oreos & The Jackson 5's Who's Loving You

and now....

Double Lemon Delights & Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven

Oh yes. I said it. Led Zeppelin & Lemons.

Lemon Cookies and really any Led Zeppelin tune works out to a pretty tasty combination.

I'll let you in on a little secret, I'm not a huge fan of many lemon cookies (or lemon meringue pies..yuck) or anything with rind...but these take the cake! They have loads of real lemon flavour (none of that artificial junk) and are a big, shortbread-y delicious slice of lemon-y goodness (and I like my zest really fine). In fact, I may have to say that these are probably one of my favourites.

Double Lemon Delights

(makes approx 12 -4" cookies)

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup softened butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp grated lemon peel (save 1 tbsp for the icing)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup icing sugar
4-5 tsp lemon juice

Set aside 1 tbsp of lemon peel, icing sugar and lemon juice for the icing.
Preheat oven to 375F
Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg, one tbsp lemon rind and vanilla. Continue to beat until blended.
Combine flour, salt and baking powder in a separate bowl. Add flour mixure to wet mixture and combine until blended
Roll balls of dough (approx 1/4 cup amount of dough) and flatten until about 3" in diameter on an ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle a little sugar on top of the unbaked cookie.
Bake for 12-15 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes and transfer to racks or parchment to cool completely.
Combine the lemon juice, icing sugar and 1 tbsp lemon rind in a small bowl and drizzle over the cool cookies. Let the icing set.
Eat and enjoy while listening to your favourite tune!

Banana & Cinnamon Oatmeal

2010-01-15T22:23:00.000-08:00

It's still winter.
Brilliant observation, I know.

It's still cold enough that in the morning, putting one exploratory foot out from under the covers is enough to send one's foot right back under to rub vigorously against one's leg...at least for as long as time will allow.

Sometimes, it's encroaching 11 am. Yep, sometimes that happens. Especially when you are a bit of a nightowl as I am and the mornings are chilly and grey.

It's on those mornings, that I bring my iPod under the covers, switch out the ear buds for giant air traffic controller-type dealios and listen to folky-pop music like the Weepies before I make an exagerated movement to throw the covers off dramatically and get my act together!

Jamie & I made breakfast this morning, although I really did all the work. (At least that's what I'm telling myself...and anyone else that will listen.) This is the second recipe I've made out of Jamie's Food Revolution (Ministry of Food in the UK)

To be honest, I've never followed a recipe for oatmeal before. It does seem a little ridiculous, but then again, I did explain that I am a horrible follower of rules. Growing up, my mom would occassionally make oatmeal, but we usually passed it up for toast and cold cereal. Eventually I decided to try it and started making it myself, but then it was always those little microwavable/add boiling water-type packages and I never quite believed that this was the best way oatmeal (outside of oatmeal cookies) was ever going to taste.

My love affair with oatmeal was short and non-commital.

This morning though, under my shroud of blankets and well harmonized tunes, I was tempted to resume my quick oat romance and this recipe of Jamie's was the one that was going to rekindle the flame.

Faster than I thought it would be, it was delicious and creamy and not bad of a kisser for our first time together. I know it's early in the relationship process again, but so far...I'm liking it.

Jamie Oliver's Banana & Cinnamon Oatmeal

(Jamie's Food Revolution // Ministry of Food)

(Recipe is for 4 people, my adaptations are in red for 1 person)

2 cups quick cook oats (not instant) (1/2 cup)
3 cups milk or water (3/4 cup)
pinch of sea salt (same)
2 ripe bananas (half a banana)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (same)
2 tbsp poppy seeds (I would have used flax, but I couldn't find them, so I omitted altogether)
honey or maple syrup to taste (same)
handful of toasted & sliced almonds or shredded coconut (same)

Add oats, milk/water and salt to a saucepan on medium heat.
Simmer for 5-6 minutes, stirring often.
2 minutes before oatmeal is ready, add all the other ingredients. (I saved my maple syrup for after the oatmeal was in my bowl)
If your oatmeal is too thick, add more milk/water until it's the consistency you enjoy.
Remove from heat and enjoy :)

Good morning!

Earl Grey Tea Cookies

2010-01-12T16:36:00.001-08:00

Psst..kid. Wanna cookie? Yes? Come on, I know you do!

How can anyone say no to a cookie? A simple, harmless cookie. One will definitely not break your new years resolution to lose weight. I promise. 6 cookies however..well, I can't guarantee anything! I guess it's a good thing that my resolution wasn't to avoid cookies!

I pulled this recipe out of Martha Stewart's Cookies. I adore Martha (don't worry Jamie, I love you more) and she definitely has some easy cookies that really do look fancy! These cookies would be perfect for a bridal shower or springtime scrapbooking afternoon, their shortbread-y texture and flavour are delicate and just plain lovely.
Definitely not meant for the Stanley Cup finals, but then again, who am I to judge?! ;)

Earl Grey Tea Cookies

(Adapted from Martha Stewart's Cookies)

2 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp finely ground earl grey tea (between 6-8 teabags..I used vanilla earl grey tea)
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter at room temperature
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 tbsp finely grated orange zest (I used lemon zest)
(I added 2 tbsp of water because it seemed it wasn't blending/sticking together enough)

Directions

Mix butter, orange zest and icing sugar with mixer until light and fluffy (approx. 3 mins)
Whisk flour, salt and tea in a separate bowl until blended.
Add the flour mix slowly into the butter mixture until all combined.
Divide dough in half. Shape into logs and roll in parchment paper. (For Martha Stewart accuracy, force rolled log into empty paper towel roll... I'm not that fussy)
Put rolls in the freezer until firm
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Remove log and slice into 1/4" thick pieces.
Place on cookie sheet & bake for 13-15 minutes.

Enjoy with...you got it, tea! :)

Ques(adilla) of the Mondays

2010-01-11T17:11:00.000-08:00

Quesadillas, the darling of the lunch crowd.

This is my ridiculously lazy go-to Monday lunch choice (or you know Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday...) Occassionally it's my dinner choice too, but then it's generally paired with a mojito or two. More about mojitos later! ;)

Relatively low in calories, fast and easy to make and relatively inexpensive quesadillas make even the most mundane of Mondays enjoyable.

Ques(adilla) of the Mondays

1 Tortilla wrap (I used a large multigrain wrap)

Mild salsa (I'm a bit of a wuss in the spice department, use whatever you have in the fridge)

Some shredded cheddar

Thin slices of avocado

Place all ingredients on one half of the wrap.

Fold the wrap in half and either place in a sandwich maker/grill or on a pan.

Cook until the edges brown and the cheese has melted.

Remove and cut into wedges.

Serve with more salsa, guacamole and sour cream.

Easy peasy, I know! Serve alongside soup or salad for a stunner of a lunch, which is pretty much guaranteed to take away your case of the Mondays.

I doodled in my copy of Keri Smith's Wreck This Journal while I waited for the sandwich maker (I'll be giving away a copy of this shortly on my other blog..more info soon!) The page instructions were: Cover this Page with Circles.

This week, I'll be offering up a couple more recipes (even a Jamie one!) and a couple of reviews, so please come back to say hi and share with me what's on your menu this week! :)

Sunset Cake = Overbaked

2010-01-10T17:56:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!

Hope you had a good weekend filled with coffee, good food, great music, finished chores and maybe a walk or two.

Weekends really are the days to savour all that is right with the world, are they not?

Tonight I attempted this recipe for Magic Chocolate Cake...in a mug!

Pretty hard to believe huh? I thought so too, but I figured I would 'bake the cake' and go for a walk while it cooled so I could ice it.

Therein could have been the problem.

Time.

I think I overbaked the sucker...and I was probably supposed to eat it right away,but I am a stickler for icing. At 2 1/2 minutes, my cake looked and fairly decent, albeit very dense. I had cut the cake into two because it was HUGE, placed it on a plate and went out for a walk in the back field.

The walk was great and I mixed up a basic icing and iced the two cakes. Let's just say that I took two bites to photograph.*shrugs* Way too dense & dry but a decent flavour (I had sprinkled semi-sweet chocolate chips in the batter as well).

Please tell me if you made/make this and let me know how yours turned out! :)

Happy Birthday Elvis..We're Making French Toast!

2010-01-08T16:06:00.000-08:00

In case you didn't know...today was Elvis Presley's birthday!
I've always been a fan of Elvis...and don't knock me here, but I am a sucker for those old 50's style musicals!

I remember one summer when I was growing up (I was probably 16 or so) one of those movie network channels had an Elvis movie on every Saturday morning. I'd get up early, wake up my youngest brother (he'd be 7) and I'd make breakfast for us both, either cereal or peanut butter on toast and I'd drag him downstairs to watch whatever Elvis movie was on. It was great and something we did together which was fun. Not to mention it kept us quiet until everyone else was awake!

In honour of Elvis' special day, I decided I had better make something that reflected both the joy of childhood memories and something Elvis would have loved.

Guy Fieri of Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives stopped by the Blue Moon Cafe to make this fun French Toast! (Adapted from the Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives cookbook)

Cap'n Crunch French Toast

Serves 4-5

3/4 cup heavy cream
3 large eggs
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3.5 cups of Cap'n Crunch cereal
8-10 thick slices of bread

Butter ...for frying

Topping

1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups assorted fruit

Whisk together cream, sugar, eggs and vanilla.
Crush up the cereal until it's broken up to resemble cracker meal....place in a shallow dish.
Dip bread into the wet mixture until soft, but not soggy and press the bread into the cereal mix on both sides, coating evenly.
Heat a griddle just over medium heat..add butter as needed and fry the bread until it is caramelized on both sides. Approx 7 mins altogether.
Whip all the topping ingredients together (except the fruit) with a hand mixer and put on top of the french toast..serve with fruit.

Yum...enjoy! Happy Birthday Elvis...wherever you are. ;)

10 Things You'll Learn About Me

2010-01-07T21:44:00.000-08:00

Hi!
Welcome!

Because this is a new blog *as in yesterday* I want to welcome you all! I am pretty sure most of you came from Joy The Baker (OMG, ain't that girl something?!) and now I know I definitely must dig up some of my favourite and best recipes...and will try equally to share the failures (of which there have been many...trust me on this).

I figure so we can get to know each other a bit better, I'm going to share some tidbits of info you will learn/witness about me over the course of your visit!

Let's Begin....

1. I love to photograph people enjoying food

2. I also like to photograph people eating things that they would rather not...

3. I believe that you should always try the local cuisine.

4. Conveyor belt sushi is a brilliant concept!

5. Pad Thai at the Rivoli is my go-to/must have meal in Toronto...thus far ;)

6. I have never tried fried green tomatoes, but I am fascinated with them, and it has nothing to do with the movie of the same name.

7. I will try anything once...and have. (I am also a sucker for packaging)

8. Coffee makes everything infinitely better. Hmmmm...wine does that too.

9. I get too excited about seeing the outcome of things, that I have a tendency to skip directions (I once killed/almost killed an entire colony of Sea Monkeys)...occassionally, this also transfers to my cooking. The directions part, not the Sea Monkeys.

10. I watch far too much of the Food Network.

So, that's me! When I'm not seeing Jamie Oliver, I'll be over at feminine wiles & urban survival 101 with all sorts of randomness. Come visit! You can also ask me absolutely anything here...

Thanks again Joy for mentioning this little blog and welcome everyone! :)

Savoury Cheddar-Chive Bread

2010-01-06T14:09:00.000-08:00

I made bread.
Yep. True story. Me...baking bread!
A savoury bread even!

I got the recipe from Dorie Greenspan over at Serious Eats.

The bread is cheesy (I think I added far too much cheese as I'm not great with measuring things like cheese and chocolate, preferring to believe that more is ultimately better)...but because I used some very hard cheese we had lying around in the fridge (like a peccorino variety), I cubed this up and threw it in as well.

The recipe was good, albeit more like a loaf than a bread. I chopped up some of the fresh garlic chives & parsley from the herb garden this past summer (that garden has served me well this year, and I think I'll do it again this next season, but I will definitely add cilantro that has already been started) that we brought indoors and consumed this bread with a pumpkin beef soup mix I had in the cupboard.

Perfect lunch for a wintry day!