Life, On Full

Food Guilt

2012-01-25T10:45:00.000-07:00

Empty Fridge

January is a good time to talk about resolutions, making commitments, and change, don't you think? I am in favour of change and find myself often saying that this is the week to start... workouts, clean eating, being a vegetarian, making the bed... you get the idea.

The problem that I struggle with is the great power that food has over me. Yes, sometimes feelings like happiness and joy are derived from a good food experience for me (quick, call the shrink!). Homemade food, healthy food, restaurant food, new food creations, all excite, inspire and interest me. I am also aware that over-indulgence is bad for my waistline and my health. I like my coffee with cream and sugar. I would rather eat lasagna with garlic bread than steamed broccoli, but hey I like steamed broccoli too! Like most cooks, I prefer butter to almost anything. I am in constant battle with how what I want to eat differs from what I should eat.

Clean Food Filled Fridge

I would like to strive toward a healthier lifestyle, and for me, this must include less meat, more veggies, more local and more care in preparation (aka cooking). Last weekend, I watched the TEDx discussion on Changing the Way we Eat, which motivated me so much. I am also ignited by writers like Michael Pollan and Kris Carr who tout the benefits to your body and the environment of choosing better food. With their powers combined, I am committing myself to a couple of "better for all" strategies; Meatless Mondays, 30 day work out challenge and bring my own lunch to work. To kick it all off, I have started an Herbal Detox that includes a food program free of dairy, gluten and sugar for 12 days.

Brown Rice Pasta & Puttanesca Sauce

Over the next few weeks, I will bring you some original recipes inspired by the changes that I am making. I hope they are interesting, flavourful and help make an easy time for a person like me, who needs variety and BIG flavours to be satisfied. And, so that I can still manage my insatiable need to find food innovation everywhere I go, my overhaul will be subject to change.

I would love to hear your stories of food changes. Have you kept your New Year's resolution?

Happy, Merry, Joyful Christmas!

2011-12-22T10:10:00.000-07:00

Just a short note of thanks to you, lovely people in the wide blogosphere, for reading. Starting this blog in 2011 has been a great source of joy and pride. I love sharing a little bit of whats going on in my world with you, and I hope you have enjoyed coming along with me.

I hope that your holidays are filled with old family recipes, new traditions, and everything that brings you a feeling of fullness! Wishing you, your families and friends all the best this season! I don't know what's next for 2012, but I am sure that it will be a great adventure!

Merry Christmas, from our kitchen, to yours!

An Adventure in Maui's Food Culture; Part Two

2011-12-13T17:12:00.003-07:00

I had a full list of places that I wanted to eat when I arrived to Maui. I had researched the websites, read the magazines, and investigated the top 10 lists. Guess what?! We made it to none of them! Just part of the adventure. In most cases we were pleasantly surprised by what we found as there is a plethora of interesting, write-home-about restaurants. Our food tour of Maui included many exceptional choices and here is our short list...

Banana Pancakes

The Gazebo Restaurant is a little off of the beaten path. Located on the northwestern side of the island near Napili bay, this little gem of a place has a line up waiting to get in the moment they open. Only serving breakfast/brunch from 7:30am til 2:00, you certainly don't want to miss the banana pancakes with pineapple, macadamia nuts and coconut syrup. This dish tastes like a vacation! We visited this restaurant on our first morning, and it was just right. Plentiful, hardy food, right on the water, overlooking the beach. What a welcome!

Crab & Macadamia WonTons

Baked Hawaii

The Hula Grill's Barefoot Bar was another place that we had to try. Watch out, this place is a tourist trap. We embraced our inner tourist though, and joined the throngs of people waiting for a table on the beach. The lounge section of the restaurant is outdoor, with a sand floor, and palapa-style umbrellas. Expensive rum drinks, tiki torches, and live hawaiian guitar are on hand to contribute to your experience. I will admit that being there to watch the perfect sunset almost got me to order a round for the bar... almost. We enjoyed fresh fish sandwiches and great dessert, plus excellent service at this restaurant.

Hula Grill Sunset

Our anniversary dinner was ceremoniously held at I'o restaurant in Lahaina. Very sadly, I forgot the camera on this outing, so we do not have digital proof of how beautiful the food at this restaurant was. Executive Chef James McDonald has put together a menu that offers both luxurious and local flavours, with a keen eye for freshness. The restaurant group actually owns a farm in Upcountry Maui, where they grow much of the produce used in their dishes. Needless to say, this place was worth this trip, but you'll have to check it out for yourself!

Kimchi

Craft Beer & Cocktails

Lastly, and almost not at all, we stopped for lunch on our way to the airport. In Wailea, we came across a really cool place called The Monkey Pod Kitchen. Another restaurant focused on presenting local ingredients at their best in a fresh and delicious way, this restaurant truly surprised us. They offered a great list of micro-brewed, craft beers along side some of the seriously BEST kimchi that I have ever had. Refreshing and spicy, all at the same time. Our meals were simple and flavourful, with careful attention to combining delicate flavours with bold ones. We enjoyed the atmosphere, the service and food so much and were really glad that we stopped!

I have said this so many times since returning to our cold Canadian landscape, "Maui is one of the best places on earth! You should go!". Not only for the interesting food tourism, the choice offered in terms of restaurants or the paradise like setting, but also for the charm and warmth of the people. Thinking about it now causes me pain, because I want to go back. Aloha Maui, and Mahalo.

Mahalo

An Adventure in Maui's Food Culture; Part One

2011-11-17T10:12:00.000-07:00

Paradise is high on my list of vacation priorities and the island of Maui is paradise. It is unlike any other place on earth and we were very fortunate to be able to go there in early October. As I have mentioned in the past, I always combine vacations with exploring the food culture of the places I visit. This is the first of my two part commentary on the food-ventures of our trip.

Maui offers a small number of food tourist places. And being fortunate enough to have several types of climates (temperate, desert, rainforest, etc.), the opportunities for growing are abundant. Many of the farms work together promoting or using one another's products. One of the farmer's told us that they did this so that all of these small farms can grow together. Nice philosophy. Because of limited resources, the island is big on sustainability too. Here is a bit about three of the best places we visited...

Tedeschi Tasting Room

Tedeschi Winery at Ulupalakua Ranch has a great history of being a working farm and royalty meeting place. The grounds are simply breathtaking, with some of the largest non-native species of trees on the island. The wine left something to be desired for true wine lovers, but was a fun and local drink for hot poolside afternoons. Grape, passion fruit and pineapple wines are presented, but even the hosts in the tasting room admit that the winery is more of a hobby and is far from perfected. The shop also offers specialty mustards, sauces and chocolate. Although the visit probably takes an hour, its is well worth the history and fantastic drive up the backside of the Haleakala volcanic crater.

Protea

Lemonade

Ali'i Kula Lavender Farm offers lavender scones & lemonade, plus tours of their impressive lavender & protea gardens. The farm is another example of a hobby that grew into a food-tourist destination. On the slopes of the Haleakala crater as well, the higher altitude of the farm offers welcome respite from the heat of the beaches below, and it was interesting to talk to the expert gardeners about how their plants, herbs and flowers are used.

Surfing Goat Dairy offered us artisan cheeses in a family run dairy. The small cheese shop and lunch counter showcase the award winning cheeses that are cured onsite. The dairy chooses to care for its animals like family, and the cheeses really were excellent. We even bought some to take home with us; a spicy, olive oil cured number called Maui's Secret Sicily. The addition of spices and garlic made this soft chevre a silky, flavourful treat.

Because the island is limited in its resources, and so much of their consumable goods are shipped from overseas, it is wonderful that these artisanal food-tourism spaces are creating an interesting and unique way to experience the island. It's not all Mai Tai's and pineapples on Maui...but there is some of that to round out the experience as well. Stay tuned for more on the restaurants and culture...

Boxwood Cafe

2011-09-27T13:00:00.000-06:00

Sparkling Rosé

Maybe it was the warm September afternoon. Maybe it was the pastoral, park setting with hipsters and children running through the manicured lawn. It could have been the sound of the fountain, or the bubbles in my Punto Rosa sparkling rosé. All of these things married together to create the perfect environment from which to enjoy all of the sustainable, fresh offerings at the Boxwood Cafe.

Husband and I were fresh from a long walk in Fish Creek park on Saturday afternoon. It was, quite literally, the most beautiful autumn day. Yellow leaves were falling through the warm breeze when Husband inevitably asked, "Where should we eat?" Hmmm. As many of you know, this is a really, really difficult question for me to answer. I am often torn between places that I have been, and know that I love and trying something new. I have to take proximity into account, and location, and what I am wearing at the time. I thought about it all the way up Macleod Trail, and finally came up with my choice. "How about Boxwood?" Husband reluctantly agreed (as previously noted, he would rather eat a sandwich) and off we went in search of this tiny concept perched on the corner of Central Memorial park.

Canadian Cheese with Honey Comb

We decided on an early dinner, but they do not serve plates until 5:00pm, only snacks. So we opted for drinks and appies while people watching in the park. Our appetizer was a delectable collection of cheeses, a bleu from Blossom (a Salt Spring Island cow, of course!), ash ripened brie and oka. These were served with what tasted like lemon cured olives and honey comb. I have never eaten honey comb before, but, it spread like sweet butter across my salt & pepper crostini, and was heavenly with each of the cheeses. We also ordered House Made Bread with House Churned Butter. There might be nothing on earth more satisfying than fresh bread. My sandwich starved husband agrees.

Our entrées were very simple and elegant. Steelhead trout and roast chicken with clean, flavourful accompaniments. The sides were served a la carte, and we chose the new potatoes made crisp with butter and flavoured brightly with lovage. We ended our meal with a seasonal berry crisp and french pressed coffee by Phil & Sebastian. All were uncomplicated and classic. You could maybe even make this food at home, if you wanted. Sadly, we don't live in an urban oasis, so the food seemed to be made better by the sweet smells of falling Autumn leaves.

The setting combined with the thoughtful, locally-sourced, simple food truly creates an atmosphere of community. Their website says that they "serve local, seasonal and sustainable food and want to connect more people, more often to real wholesome and delicious lunch, snack and supper." I say, well done Boxwood Cafe, well done.

Burgerthon Restaurant Numero Siete: Alley Burger

2011-09-21T17:01:00.002-06:00

Ok Burgerthoners. This is the big one. The elusive, wildly popular, ALLEY BURGER. For those of you that know me well, or even if you have just been following me on Twitter, Alley Burger has been tops on my must-try burger list for ages. The buzz around town drove me bonkers with all of those tweets and updates about the fabulousness of this sandwich. I lamented not being able to connect my schedule with the Alley Burger's.

The Alley Burger Food Truck

If you don't know, the Alley Burger is an off-shoot of a late night craze started by one of Calgary's best restaurants, Charcut. They lauded fresh, simple ingredients compiled in a burger that they handed out for $5 at their back door, in the alley. They advertised the day and time on their social media pages, and once they were gone, too bad for you. Then the crowds grew to overwhelming proportions, and folks would wait for hours to get one of these burgers.

In response to their followers, and to get on board with another foodie trend, Charcut launched a food truck in Calgary, bearing their signature handle. Now Alley Burger is available several days a week, in various locations across the city. And last week, I was able to get my mitts on one!

The Alley Burger??

Maybe it was the excitement of it all. Maybe it was the countless tweets, reviews, blog entries, and dreams that I had, building this up to be the greatest burger experience of my lifetime...and sadly, maybe inevitably, the burger was lousy. They only serve two burgers from the truck, the Alley and the Whole Truck. Mine was a dry, flavourless, seemingly machine-formed sausage patty, on a pre-purchased bun, with one or two cheese curds and sauce. I was expecting a signature, Charcut worthy Alley Burger of freshly ground, Spragg's Pork, on a house made bun, bountiful with cheese curd. Additionally, and much to my chagrin, the poutine was mediocre at best, with very little flavour, or gravy. The remainder of my group had the Whole Truck Burger (an all beef burger with your choice of toppings) and they said it was just ok. Woe are we.

Poutine

After our lunch encounter, I promptly tweeted my disappointment. Our friends at Alley Burger were quick with a message for me to provide feedback to let them know what I thought, and how they could improve. Grateful for the opportunity, I wrote them back.

I am hopeful for a day that I can go back for a rich, juicy, well-made Alley Burger. Unfortunately, that burger eludes me still.

For an optimistic future, I give the Alley Burger 1 out of 5.

Burgerthon Restaurant Numero Seis: The Bottlehouse

2011-08-23T07:03:00.001-06:00

Burgerthon-ers unite! A new post! I have regrettably and apologetically strayed from finding burgery goodness in the city of Calgary. I have since been set right, and am now questing to complete the Burgerthon Mission set out several months ago.

Our latest visit was to The Bottlehouse in Kensington. Located on the corner of 10th Street and Memorial Drive, this now pub has been several other incarnations of food fare. Hopefully, this one sticks! This brewhouse and all round public gathering spot was one of the first to point me in their burger direction; naming the Street Fighter Burger as one of their best. I have happily obliged.

The Street Fighter

The menu description really doesn't give the Street Fighter Burger credit; "This 6 oz Peruvian street burger is packed with back bacon, a fried egg, Havarti cheese, tortilla strips and a Kalamata mayo." It all sounds tasty enough, but when it comes together, the burger is a flavourful combination of smooth, salty, crisp and meaty. Citing 100% beef, this burger most certainly has the drip factor, and leaves you needing not even one of your well-seasoned french fries. The addition of the fried egg is an unexpected component, and adds texture and fantastic mouth feel.

Smoke B-House Burger

We also tried the Smoke B-House Burger that is a smoky arrangement of cheeses, onion rings, bacon and barbecue sauce. A very classic burger, but tasty and enjoyable nonetheless.

Something that was interesting about the burgers was the use of an onion roll as the bun of choice. The bun for a burger is key, since it has to simultaneously hold all the ingredients together and not be the star of the show. It shouldn't smoosh into nothingness, nor crunch and crackle its way to your mouth. Kudos to the Bottlehouse on a very good bun.

Get out of the way!

The atmosphere of the place was a bit understated. It seemed like the kind of place you could watch a great game, and drink a beer without compromising on food. They had a decent selection of local beer on hand, and the music was fun, if a little loud. We sat out on the patio on a Friday night, and it was a great spot to people watch.

For great burgers in a good room, the Bottlehouse gets a solid 4 burgers out of 5.

Summertime

2011-08-02T20:07:00.000-06:00

A few blogs ago, I mentioned my love, my adoration, my complete and utter eagerness for when the days turn warm. When the scents of blooming flowers fill the air and I can look out over my yarden (yard & garden) to see the fruits and vegetables of our labour. Much to our surprise this year, our Community Garden Plot has really taken-off, and our new varietals of salad greens are huge! Short are these days, but abundant are the verdant hope filled surprises of soon-to-be peas, tomatoes and beans. Take a look at just some of the food our little space in the city will offer up this year...

Tomato Blossoms

Lettuce Harvest

Our Community Garden Plot

Rhubarb

Nasturtiums

Deck Tomatoes

Sunflowers, in a few weeks

Mustard Flowers

Excuse Me, You Have Mustard on Your Camera!

2011-07-25T15:00:00.000-06:00

Stuff, fried

Have you recovered yet? It has been a little over a week since The Calgary Stampede closed it's gates for another year. If you haven't been, it is essentially a ten day party in the city, where things go a little cowboy crazy. Self-respecting business people don jeans and cowboy hats to work, there are beer tents on the corners, and you can find multiple pancake breakfasts every day of the week. The Stampede grounds showcase the world's best rodeo, musical and carnie talent around. Yeehaws and yahoos abound!

Corn Dog

Husband and I went down to the grounds on a food-venture. Carnival fare is an essential food group during the 10 days of Stampede, and while it may be the only time of the year when I will munch on a corn dog, I thought there may be other culinarily interesting things going on, and I wanted to check them out.

The two key terms to remember during Stampede are "fried" and "on-a-stick". Everything tastes better fried, right?! Stampede gives us crispy treats like the Colossal Onion Blossom, Bacon On-A-Stick, Fried Oreos, and Fried Cheesecake. The ultimate combination of fried on-a-stick has to be the luscious corn dog... mustard only please. While photographing my little indulgence, one friendly fellow Stampeder thought it would be wise to tell me that I had inadvertently dipped my camera lens into the mustard! Extreme close up!

Marshmallow

Another treat that I tried this year was a gooey combination of four marshmallows (on-a-stick, of course!) coated in caramel, rolled graham wafer crumbs and cinnamon. Sweet, creamy and delicious, this thing had all the merit of an ice cream sundae without the melt factor. Very smart on a July day in Calgary.

Mac N' Cheese Wedges

By far the best fare of the day went to the Mac n'Cheese Wedges. I had heard about these from several people and the only trick was to find them amongst the chaos. After several texts and bbm's, we finally asked an information booth attendant. She knew exactly where to send us, and we picked up the crunchy little treat. It consisted of something akin to boxed mac and cheese, coated with batter and fried triangular. Odd, but, somehow, quite delicious! And worth the hour we spent wandering around to find it!

The party is over for another year, so, I am putting away my cowboy boots in favour of running shoes. Looking forward to see what next year has to offer!

Comfort Food

2011-07-07T12:25:00.000-06:00

So, it's been awhile. My sincere apologies oh wide blogosphere. But, my reasons for being away have to do with our family suffering a loss of one near and very dear to our hearts.

On the day that we found out, as my family sat together in our stunned grief, I noticed the food. There was food everywhere. My aunt had been sick for a long time, and not knowing what else to do, people sent or brought food. Lasagnas, perogies, cabbage rolls, and cakes; doughnuts, cookies, and the like. It was such comfort to know that people cared about her, and us, so much that they wanted to do something, anything, that they could.

In our hearts, always.

In these days that go on without her, when life keeps moving, not allowing for time to grieve, I think of the lasagna that the funeral home gave. They knew that giving a family one night without the task of making dinner, and just letting them "be" could be a great help.

It's a wonder how food somehow can be comforting. Simple ingredients, cooked together, transfers the love it was made with to the people that need it most.

Charcut Roast House- Mmmm...

2011-06-07T15:31:00.000-06:00

I have to admit that I am a little starstruck. Upon seeing Chef Connie DeSousa at her restaurant Charcut Roast House on Saturday night, I got a little giddy! I feel like I know her after watching her on Top Chef Canada, and reading articles about her in several magazines. I am amazed by her talent and her ease in the kitchen, amazed that she uses recipes from her family, and amazed that she worked with Alice Waters. And there she was, standing in her kitchen, hair in a ponytail, sending out the plates. Then she came out of the kitchen, and started toward our table...

Our Dinner, Presented Family Style

Ok, so she was really just doing her chef-ly duty and greeting her guests, but I was excited to meet her nonetheless. I wanted to tell her how much I admire her, that I think what she is doing with her business is meaningful, that I loved our dinner and to read my blog! Alas, I really only got out a mumbled, "Pleased to meet you, thanks for the amazing time." Boo.

Pig's Head Mortadella

I wanted to tell her that the Mortadella that our server said "could never be taken off the menu because it is so well liked" was flawless. The delicate fennel salad that is served with the cool Buffalo mozzarella and herbs was THE perfect summer appetizer. That the polenta and fiddleheads under the crisp yet tender pork belly were a tremendous trio, and nevermind the moist quarter chicken and asparagus. I wanted to ask how she cures the bacon that was so smoky, salty and wonderful. I wished to say that the kitchen towels as napkins and the mason jars as lighting were whimsical touches alongside the wildflowers adorning the banquette.

Connie, you and your team have done an amazing job and I cannot wait to return.Thank you for what you have done for food in this city. And, for those amazing chocolate chip cookies!

Recipe Share: Carbonara

2011-05-30T21:49:00.000-06:00

I have a confession to make; I love Fettucine Carbonara. I love it when it is made right, with eggs and cheese. I find that a lot of restaurants claim to serve carbonara, but you often end up with a dry version of Alfredo. Not the same! The best Carbonara that I have had in Calgary is at Rea's Italian Cucina. This little, family owned joint in an industrial area of Calgary served this pasta at its most prime. That is, until, last Friday.

Carbonara has always been a dish that frightened me to make myself. What if I ended up with scrambled egg pasta? Well, that didn't happen. Carbonara a la Cheryl was spectacular. We savoured the dish with a crisp Viognier from Santa Rita 120. Talk about a fantastic Friday night!

Carbonara A La Cheryl

1 pkg fresh fettucine, cooked according to package (or make your own, about 250 g)
150 g chopped pancetta
1/2 chopped small white onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup white wine (I used the Viognier that we later drank)
4 eggs
splash of half & half cream
1/2 cup fresh grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup chopped italian flat leaf parsley
1/2 cup chopped, toasted walnuts
olive oil
salt & pepper, plus more cheese to taste

Toasting Walnuts

1) In a large, heavy bottomed pan cook the pancetta until all of the fat is rendered out, and the meat is very crisp. Transfer meat to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
2) If there is about 2 tbsp of pancetta fat left in your pan, use this to sautée your onion and garlic. If not, add enough olive oil and sautée.
3) Cook pasta according to directions. When done, drain, coat with olive oil and set aside.

Finished Product

4) When onion and garlic are translucent, add white wine. Reduce by half.
5) Beat eggs with the half & half and salt & pepper.
6) Add pasta, peas and pancetta to the pan. Stir with tongs until everything is warmed through.
7) Removed from heat, and very slowly add in the egg and cream mixture, tossing constantly (an extra set of hands helps here!).

8) Put back on gentle heat, tossing until the egg coating thickens slightly. Toss in cheese, walnuts and parsley just before serving.

This recipe served the two of us generously, with leftovers.

Dining Out- of Town

2011-05-24T10:12:00.001-06:00

I love to eat. I love to travel. Put the two things together and there can be bliss. Not only do I research restaurants, cafes and hole-in-the-wall eateries ad nauseam, but I love to ask people about their favourite restaurants while I am away from home. Even if people are not foodies, watching them explain why they love a place is always exciting.

I have been fortunate enough to do a little travel in my life, and most recently have visited the cities of Vancouver, Chicago and Phoenix. Each offered its own particular culinary adventure.

Granville Island Cappuccinos

In Vancouver, a health conscious mindset prevails, with people walking, hiking and biking all over the place. It was nice to find that in a lot of the more urban neighbourhoods, the value of a specialty provider was not lost; bakers, butchers, and wine shops abound. These were alongside large and smaller grocery stores, florists and clothing stores. It seems that more culinary respect is garnered by one-off restaurants that have the opportunity to create for a smaller, but keenly interested guest.

Chicago Skating

In Chicago, we found the choices to be overwhelming. There are new concepts, world renowned chefs, vintage rooms, fixtures of American cuisine and more. I love every moment of it. We ended up eating in the park, with a skating rink out front. The most perfect moment with cityscape, snow falling and pinot noir...

Giant Salad in Phoenix

In Phoenix, it was go big, or go home! Out in the suburbs, I didn't have the opportunity to try some of the places that I've read or heard about. But there were Burgerthon worthy burger joints, giant portion sizes, and more selection than you could shake a cactus at. With a strong Mexican influence, there were many fresh flavours to choose from.

I am planning a surprise food feature in a few months to an exotic destination. I hope to bring you all of the culinary delights, secrets and specialties of that special place, on location!

Creating for Those we Love

2011-05-10T09:19:00.002-06:00

Brunch on Mother's Day. Sounds cliché right? It is. In spite of that, I like to host a brunch every couple of years. It beats making reservations, eating buffet food, and dealing with the throngs of people. Plus, for our family, that seems to get larger by the moment, an intimate brunch was the perfect way to celebrate all that is MOM.

My challenge this year was to create a menu that was entirely gluten-free, but that all of my guests would enjoy. I had to present it in a way that would make our mothers feel honoured, and feed the dads well. Luckily, I picked up a few grocery items, and inspiration from a new store that opened recently called the Gluten-Free Marketplace. This store provided me some brunch favourites in GF form like English muffins and graham cracker crumbs. They even have perogies! (I understand that this is not a brunch food unless it is Christmas morning at my parents house, but hooray for GF perogies nonetheless!).

Our menu consisted of favourites with a twist. Like the Roasted Red Pepper Eggs Benedict with Pesto and Shrimp, or Proscuitto Wrapped Asparagus with Smoky Mustard sauce. But, the knock-out favourite dish of the morning was the Strawberry Melon Gazpacho that I served as a starter course. Check out the recipe from Whole Foods. I added fresh mint leaves and S&P to create this remarkably refreshing cold soup.

Surrounded by beautiful food we created a small moment in our sometimes chaotic world. And, while that day we celebrated how grateful we are for Mothers, we understood that we were in essence celebrating the great importance of sharing our time with the people we love.

Waiting, Impatiently!

2011-04-27T21:42:00.000-06:00

Tomato Baby

For those of you that are not familiar, Calgary has been having a rather difficult time moving away from Winter and into Spring. 17 degrees over a few days has not even melted all of the snow, and I am feeling a little grey.

My only glimmer of hope is the seeds that I planted about two weeks ago. Purchased from Seedy Saturday and Casey's Heirloom Tomatoes of Airdrie, these little "babies", as I like to call them, are slowly starting to pop up and show signs of season changing. It is so exciting to watch and nurture the little seedlings into food. I also can't wait to try out some of the other interesting varietals that I picked up too; Red Giant mustard greens, purple basil and the Royal Chantenay Carrots. I have no idea what to do with some of them, but my plot at our community garden will be full of new things to experiment with.

Basil Babies!

I started some nasturtium seedlings that I hope will become colour on my deck and in my salads. And, just to spite this slowly arriving season, I am going to toss a packet of black & white poppy seeds out into the garden tonight too. I can't wait for flowers, and vegetables and all of the joys of growing.

What's growing in your neck of the woods? Do you have a recipe for Mustard Greens?! Happy Spring to All!

Burgerthon Restaurant Numero Cinco: Five Guys Burgers & Fries

2011-04-19T13:59:00.000-06:00

Two Patties!

Our next stop on our Burgerthon adventure took us all the way out to Airdrie. Five Guys Burger & Fries just recently opened there and has been getting a lot of buzz. We tried to visit their Deerfoot Meadows location another week, but found the line up to be a little too long! Must be a good sign!

Leftover Cajun Fries

On the Friday night that we visited, the Five Guys in Airdrie was super busy too. A long line and full dining room showed promise. We ordered a Little Cheeseburger, a Cheeseburger and large Cajun fries. A couple of notes; All burgers are two patties but a "little" burger equals one patty. It is not a kids burger, or smaller than the regular burgers. No where on the menu board is this noted, so consider yourself informed! Also, their large fries are gigantic. Seriously. One order would easily serve 4 people. Five guys serves fresh beef in their hand formed patties, and you can top the burger any way you like with no additional charge. This is a nice touch! The burgers themselves were well seasoned, and have an authentic flame broiled flavour. The white sesame bun held up well to the toppings. There was even, dare I say, pretty substantially satisfying Drip Factor with these burgers!

All of that being said, Five Guys gives you your order not on a tray, but in a greasy brown paper bag. I think they want you to leave! The atmosphere of the rooms is fairly downscale, with plain white walls, self-important signage, uncomfortable furniture and loud music. I have been in fast food restaurants that have nicer space. All of that being said, it was busy. I wonder if it will stay that way after its initial novelty wears off?

One other note that may deter you or your family from heading to Five Guys is their use of peanut oil for fries, and service of in-shell peanuts in the restaurant (in a box for the taking, on top of the garbage can???). I found it fairly odd that there is a potentially serious allergen present in a place where you might not expect it to be.

Husband and I do not suffer from peanut allergies, and we understand that this concept of "fast casual" is popular. For the burger, we would return, but we would take it out to a picnic spot and enjoy far from the restaurant. Burgerthon rating, 3 out of 5.

Treasures

2011-04-14T20:10:00.001-06:00

I have a treasure. It's a cookbook, and it belonged to my beloved Grandmother. It is quirky and completely retro in design and content. From Good Housekeeping in 1963, it has spattered pages and notes in the margin, showing use and love. When Grandma passed, my mom had the foresight to give this to me, although I hadn't quite realized my love of all things culinary. I can still smell her kitchen when I look at the pages.

Grandma & Her Cookbook

The recipes are actually a little bit comical now, and the tips for entertaining, directed at woman, are archaic, but I still love it. I enjoy flipping through and being reminded of an era where serving tiny, canned wieners in a sauce was considered high-brow entertaining. I rarely saw Grandma use a recipe (clearly, I inherited this from her), but her kitchen was always welcoming. Anyone could drop in for tea unexpectedly, or get in the door at 10:30 at night after a long drive, and she would pull out roasting pans full of perogies, cabbage rolls, turkey and ham. She made bread, jams, pickles and one thing that I wish I could get my hands on again; sweet relish. There is nothing quite like her sweet relish on fresh white bread with ham. It was impossible not to munch on something in her kitchen. When I was little, my snack after running in from the garden or playing in the basement was to grab a couple cold perogies from the roaster in the fridge. Marvelous! I can still hear her saying in Ukrainian, "Eat! Eat!"

Cookbooks have a way of connecting us to a different time, or memory or area of the world. Besides the retro book of my Grandmother's, I have a few other's that I treasure;

1. Mossey River Book- a community cookbook from the area that my family is from in Manitoba. It is full of family favourites, including recipes contributed by my Grandma, aunt and other relatives.

2. In the Green Kitchen by Alice Waters- Alice is the goddess of the Slow Food movement. This book makes me drool and desperately want to live in Berkeley, California.

3. Jamie at Home by Jamie Oliver- Have you seen the show? Full of from-the- garden recipes that are not fussy, and always delicious.

4. Williams Sonoma Complete Entertaining & Williams Sonoma Simple Classics- These two books have the best pictures! They alone inspire me to entertain more often and with more elegance.

5. LCBO Food & Drink 2009 Holiday- Ok, so this is not a cookbook, it's a magazine of luscious, decadent recipes and wine pairings. I stole it from someone's desk, and I'm not giving it back.

Some of these books are kept not in my kitchen, but on my bedside table. I will randomly pick one up for inspiration or a walk down memory lane (better than any paperback!). What are your favourite cookbooks and how do they round out your kitchen adventures?

French Fling

2011-04-10T18:43:00.000-06:00

It's nearly Spring, right? While it may not quite feel like it here in Calgary, one of the surefire ways to make our greyish brown days a little more interesting is with wine! I was lucky enough through the generosity of fabulous friends to score a ticket to the French Fling at Willow Park. We celebrated several French wines, alongside delicious cheese, pâté and baguette.

Some of the Goodies that I picked up

The distributors and reps were all very knowledgable, and some had fantastic stories about the old family vineyards where they produce their wines. If you don't know a lot about wine, or even if you do, I would highly recommend that you attend one of these events. So much better than a larger scale event held at a cold conference centre because these people are actually interested in teaching, and telling stories. Stories that bring you closer to your bottle while sharing it with your friends. Wine speaks to a tradition of patience, of caring for vines, earth and grapes, of aging and waiting. I love that wines are nurtured into something brought to tables all over the world, shared over meals, between friends and family. And, in this age of instant gratification, there is certainly something to be said for that.

Fantastically French!

Among several others, one of the goodies that I was lucky enough to pick up was from a small family vineyard in southwest France...100% Malbec (Malbec from France!?) that is a gem; Domaine La Berangeraie Cuvée Maurin Cahors 2007. For $12.49 a bottle a Willow Park, this wine is a steal of a deal, and such a surprise. If you are interested, here is some their story, awards and information. The wine is organic and low sulphite too!

We tried wines from $10 to over $100, some great, some not. We had a great time, and learned a lot. My generous friends are soon headed to the Rhone valley of France, and may just have a chance to speak directly to some of these vintners, and maybe to see, smell and feel all of the aspects that make these wines delicious. I wonder if they would be generous enough to take me with them?

Burgerthon Restaurant Numero Cuatro: Fatburger

2011-04-03T20:36:00.001-06:00

Good day Burger lovers! Today's creation comes to you from the sunny south of Calgary, as the Burgerthon's visit our next restaurant, Fatburger.

Fatburger has been in Calgary for a few years, and can be found in the Deerfoot Meadows or 32nd Avenue. Fatburger offers up a diner style atmosphere, in a chain honoured by Californians and celebrities alike. It claims to be 'the last great hamburger stand' so we decided to check them out.

The California Burger

The first thing that we noticed while waiting for our Backyard BBQ and California burgers was all the yelling. From one corner of the busy grill, a team member yells something (things that sounded like "Cheesy Fatburger!" "Thank you!" and "Strawberry Shake!"), and then in unison, the other team members yell it back. The enthusiasm contributes to an animated and entertaining atmosphere. Our burgers arrived piping hot, on a very soft, white bun. Husband's Backyard BBQ included bacon, pepper jack cheese, BBQ sauce and an onion ring, with lettuce, tomato & mayo. My California burger was simple, with bacon, pepper jack, guacamole, lettuce, tomato and mayo. The first thing we noticed when our baskets arrived at our table was the overall expanse of the burgers awaiting us; these burgers are large. One of Fatburger's claims is that they use fresh, not frozen, patties- a very nice claim to make. In spite of that, for me, the courser grind of the meat left me feeling a little bit underwhelmed. I felt that the patty itself lacked flavour, and would have benefitted from additional seasoning. I also had to remove some of my bacon, because it was not crisp enough (Ok fine, here is a truth about me: I am not a fan of bacon fat. My apologies to all you Baconists out there). Husband found his overall burger to be flavourful, but agreed that it was probably from the addition of the sauce and the onion ring.

Fatburger is a busy, buzzing, burger joint, and I think it speaks to a level of burgers just beneath gourmet, that doesn't leave you feeling broke or dissatisfied. I would have liked a higher quality of meat with more flavour. However, they serve a variety of burgers, including chicken, turkey and veggie, and have a vast array of available toppings. You can even get a pretty good milkshake, so, for all of these reasons, Fatburger earns a score of 3 out of 5.

Burgerthon Restaurant Numero Tres: Notable

2011-03-30T19:04:00.014-06:00

The smell of braising meat, baking bread, bubbling cheese... these are what greeted us as we entered Notable on a snowy Saturday afternoon. The kinds of smells that made our hungry bellies growl and our mouthes water! Notable invited me (via twitter) to come and try their new Burger of the Month, so naturally, we showed up!

Notable is the kind of restaurant that is so talkable, its ridiculous. It is in Bowness, kind of dodgey, but trying. It is all well thought out food, by renowned chef Michael Noble. And it is busy. Really busy. Make a reservation if you go!

Alberta Pork Burger with Calabrese Salami & Fontina

Now for the burger; This month's was Alberta raised pork, with Calabrese spices, Calabrese salami and melted fontina cheese, all on a house-made potato bun. This burger was truly a thing of beauty. In fact, we came up with a new Burgerthon measuring yardstick in it's honour- the Drip Factor. If a burger is so juicy, and filled with fresh ingredients, that your hands get a little sloppy eating it, it has sufficient drip factor. This burger had it. The pork was cooked to perfection showing a little bit of pink. The salami and spices were well conceived, with some heat and some smoke, and all of this was brought together by the melted fontina. Their potato bun was almost like brioche; it stood up to the burger, and contributed nicely to the overall flavour. I must also mention the tomato. Here in Calgary, during the Winter (October to July) its hard to find a ripe, flavourful, not-dismally-coloured tomato. If anyone from Notable wants to let me know how they found such a great burger tomato, I would love to know! All of this goodness is served with Notable's house-cut french fries. If you can get there for the month of April, go. Actually, go now.

For the room, it is a mixture of east and west coast, taking influences right from nature. Nothing is too matchy-matchy, but it all works in cohesion. Great play list (we heard Van Morrison again!) and a friendly team.

For their use of Alberta pork in a burger worthy of drip factor status AND serving it all in a beautiful room, Notable gets the highest Burgerthon rating to date, 4.5 out of 5.

Stilton Cheesecake

I also wanted to mention, even though it has nothing to do with the burger, the wonder of their Stilton Cheesecake. We ordered this for dessert, even though Husband was a little leery due to a disliking blue cheese disorder. The cake is creamy and smooth, with just a hint of blue cheese flavour on the very back of the palate. It has a bruléed top, and it served with a tart rhubarb compote. It was wonderfully refreshing, not too sweet, and quite a surprise at the end of our meal. I would like one right now. Thanks Notable!

Recipe Share: Sunday Potato Soup

2011-03-22T18:04:00.009-06:00

Purple Sunday Potato Soup

I would like to share my Sunday Potato Soup recipe. It's one of my husband's very favourite recipes and certainly takes the chill from a Winter (or Spring, in Calgary's case!) day. This recipe can be adapted to suit many different tastes, and dietary requirements. I like it because it gives the feel of a rich and hearty cream soup without any of the flour or dairy. The basic recipe is vegetarian, gluten and dairy free. You can choose to finish the soup with ingredients that are not, but it's up to you. My pictures show the soup being made with those delicious Lund's Organic carrots (mentioned a few posts back) which are also purple! We ended up with Purple Sunday Potato Soup, but trust me, it tasted just as wonderful!

Sunday Potato Soup

3 tbsp olive oil
1 c. chopped white onion
1 c. chopped celery

The Stars of the Show

1 tbsp chopped garlic
2 c. chopped baby red potatoes
1 c. chopped, peeled carrots
1 c. frozen cauliflower
2 tbsp white wine, or red/white wine vinegar
3 cups vegetable stock or water
2 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp each cayenne pepper, nutmeg, oregano
3 bay leaves
salt & pepper to taste
chopped green scallions

Deglazing with Vinegar

1) In a large stock pot, cook the onion, celery and garlic along with the olive oil until translucent and slight browning occurs at the bottom of the pot.
2) Deglaze the pot with the wine or vinegar, picking up the the bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon.
3) Add the potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, stock and seasonings.
4) Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer for at least one hour, up to two.
5) When thoroughly cooked, remove the bay leaves and use an immersion blender to blend to your desired consistency. I usually just leave a few larger pieces.
6) Serve hot, topped with scallions.

Add in the Goodness

Optionally, this soup is also great topped with:
- grated cheddar cheese
- dollop of sour cream, plain yogurt or créme fraiche
- bacon bits
- chopped cilantro
- croutons

Enjoy on your next chilly Sunday!

Ode to the Mixer & Other Loves

2011-03-20T14:56:00.002-06:00

I am not a baker. I do not pretend to know the elaborate technique of a pastry chef. I admire from a far the intricate beauty of the glossy little cakes and petits fours in bakeries and patisseries. I look on longingly, as chefs and friends, create, with ease, the most beautiful desserts. But that is not me. I do not measure or weigh my ingredients. The science and precision of it all is lost on my inner drama queen, that cannot follow a recipe, nevermind ensure that I am using the right kind of flour.

My Mixer

Enter the Kitchenaid mixer. I have wanted one forever. As a child, I watched Martha Stewart create some fabulous thing or another with hers. Light as air meringue in moments, cake batter in a jif, no fuss, no muss. I figured that this must be the secret to her perfect creations (not a team of editors, test kitchens and general perfection makers). I finally was given one for my wedding (best gift ever! Thanks again Mom & Sister!) and then left it in its box for two months. I was intimidated by it! Now, I really had to make things that were amazing. I couldn't be a from-a-box cake baker anymore. What would Martha say?

I did all my Christmas baking with the mixer that year. That got me comfortable with the speeds and exactly when to drop in the flour, and how much to put in at time (without covering yourself and your kitchen in flour completely). And now I can make pastry, and even, yep, wait for it, MERINGUE! The miracle of two measly egg whites whipped into a delicious frenzy. My pies and cakes have turned out each time. The cookies have been perfect. Mostly, I am in love with it!

I am still not a baker. I don't have the patience or the precision, and it is unlikely that I ever will. But with a little help from my friend the Kitchenaid, I am a few pie crusts, meringues, and cake batters closer.

Other things in my kitchen that I feel much love for, worthy of upcoming Odes...

1) My 7" J.A. Henckels Santoku Knife

2) My White Marble Mortar & Pestle

3) My giant non-stick Bialetti Pan with Glass Lid

4) My hand me down Sunbeam Breadmaker

5) My Breville Juicer
6) My hand me down, and now cracked due to husband dropping it, Flame coloured Le Creuset oval French oven.

Do you have items in your kitchen that you cannot live without? Or that help you on your quest to become a better baker or cook? I can't wait to hear your feedback!

Burgerthon Restaurant Numero Dos: LoungeBurger

2011-03-14T22:37:00.004-06:00

Lots of positive feedback from all of you out there on the Burgerthon, thanks! Keep it coming!

Our next burger joint on the list is LoungeBurger. Hubby and I went there this past Saturday afternoon, a little after the lunch rush. For those of you that don't know, LoungeBurger is just off of Macleod Trail, right near the Saddledome. This proximity makes it a pretty perfect hang out before or after a hockey game. In fact, I was pleased to see some of the team at LoungeBurger wearing their jerseys and t-shirts to support our hockey team (although THAT is another subject entirely!).

AAA Beef & Southwest Flavours

On to the matter at hand... We both chose to order their AAA Beef Burger, which they offer in three variations. Husband chose the Southwest version, which is a combination of guacamole, chipotle ranch, pepper bacon, jalapeno jack cheese and fresh jalapenos. I chose their blue cheese and caramelized pear offering. Sadly, we both felt that the beef was not memorable and would not stand on its own without the merit of the other fresh toppings and great baking. I am of the opinion that if you are marketing your restaurant to the burger connoisseur, then your basic beef burger should be outstanding.

AAA Beef, Blue Cheese, Pear

I would be happy to give them another chance because they offer so many other choices, including a trio of Alberta game sliders that sounded amazing. I also appreciated the variation of burgers available, including two of the all-important veggie burger. They offer several types of fries to pair with your burger choice, including cajun curly fries, that are quite delicious. To top it all off, their selection of additional Fry Dippers are tremendous. I tried the Tandoori Aioli and found it to be delectable with my crispy, skinny fries.

LoungeBurger has a great location among several hip condo buildings, and the proximity to the Saddledome is amazing. Their room reflects a dark, loungey feeling, without a lot of adornment or art. The music was a good mix of classics (even, Van Morrison, who should be played with regularity everywhere). I would like to go again at the peak of a busy evening to see if the vibe changes. For now, LoungeBurger gets a hopeful 2 out of 5.

Burgerthon Restaurant Numero Uno: South Street Burger Co.

2011-03-08T19:06:00.011-07:00

I was pleasantly surprised at the positive feedback that the start of Burgerthon garnered! Clearly, a great burger is close to a lot of peoples hearts and mouths.

Our first restaurant and foray into Burgerthon was to South Street Burger Co. in Cross Iron Mills Mall, near Balzac. Their burgers were voted best burger by voters at the Fan 960 Radio. Friends of mine also recommended it, so my husband and I were excited to check them out.

South Street Burger Co.

South Street is a sister brand to New York Fries, and they serve those delicious fries alongside your burger, should you choose order them. The Alberta South Street's other claim to fame is that their beef is from Spring Creek Ranch, raised without hormones or additional antibiotics. Always a positive in my books. AND South Street just won a sustainable design award for doing good and being environmentally conscious.

All of that being said, and it is a lot, their burger was juicy, chargrilled and seasoned very well. The best part? Topping choices are diverse, and cater to a pure burger lover (aka, my husband; ketchup, mustard, relish) or a gourmet (dijon horseradish, goat cheese, garlic mayo, even guacamole). Their menu is simple; Plain burger, cheeseburger, veggie burger and chicken burger. Top 'em how you want 'em, choose side and a drink, or not. Simple, clean and pure. The space was a bit themey, with tongue-in-cheek photos adorning the walls. Good experience all around though, and the other patrons of the place seemed to agree. We went later on a Saturday afternoon, and the place buzzed with burgery goodness.

I also really appreciate burger places, or any restaurant, for that matter, that don't forget that vegetarians can also be looking for a great burger experience. We didn't order one, but next time we will. Having a choice of veggie burger on the menu says to me that although South Street is extremely proud of their beef, they are proud of being inclusive too. And all of the other great things that being vegetarian can mean... I digress.

Burgerthon Contestant Number One, South Street Burger Co. put up some great precedent for the others on the list. Burgerthon Rating: Four out of Five!

Feedback from some great people on Twitter pointed me to trying burgers from The Broken City as well as The Bottlehouse in Calgary, I will be adding these to our list for Burgerthon followers!

The Burgerthon

2011-03-06T09:53:00.003-07:00

Is this the perfect burger?

My husband is a burger guy. Seriously. We can be at a world class restaurant, with mouth-watering selections tempting us, and he, undoubtedly, unceremoniously, and much to my chagrin, orders the burger. I used to be annoyed by it; Why could he not open his palate to new flavors, new experiences? I have since changed my tune, and decided to join him on his sandwich choosing adventure. Because a burger can be so many things, and offer countless amazing flavor nuances, I have challenged myself to a burger-o-rama. Or at least maybe just an adventure into Calgary's culinary offering on the subject. Here is my list of potential challengers, as gathered by friends, colleagues, tweets, and Google...

1. South Street Burger Co. (voted best burger by the Fan 960, and my first foray into the challenge. More on that later this week...).
2. Five Guys Burgers and Fries
3. Charcut (they have this really cool secret called "alley burger," check it out. AND Charcut's Chef Connie DeSousa will compete for top honors in Top Chef Canada on the Food Network. Deliciously awesome!).
4. NoTable
5. Boogie's Burgers
6. LoungeBurger
7. Buchanon's
8. FatBurger
9. Tommy Burger Bar
10. Open Range (I have been to this fantastic restaurant many times, so this won't be a new experience, only the burger).

I do not have any specific rules. Just a tasty offering that takes into account the big three indicators; Quality Canadian meat, excellent bun, variety of toppings. Plus a little on the room and accompaniments, of course. In the interest of not gaining 30lbs in this process, I will report back to you within the next few months. If you would like to join me on my quest for a perfect burger in Calgary, send me a note! Likewise if you have a burger secret that you want me to try!

Happy Burgerthon to all!

P.S. Just after I posted this challenge, I found out about a contest to attend the eatwriteretreat food blogger conference in Washington, D.C. How perfectly things sometimes come together?!!

Recipe Share: Roasted Lund's Carrots

2011-03-03T18:00:00.025-07:00

Mix it up!

From my last post on eating real food, and disparaging those bullet shaped carrots, I wanted to post a fantastic recipe for Roasted Carrots. When I can, I buy my carrots from Lund's Organic Farm. These can be picked up from the Kingsland Farmers' Market in Calgary. Right now, they have beautiful bags of multi-colored carrots (purple, white, orange and yellow) that taste so good! Check out all of the reasons why they are so tasty here (caution: you may also not want to buy conventional carrots anymore!).

Here is a recipe that is my own, however, I add the caveat that I have a lot of inspiration from my favs like Jamie Oliver, and America's Test Kitchen. The addition of the vinegars really gives the carrots just a hint of acid that combines nicely with the sweetness in the carrots.

Roasted Carrots

Even the compost is pretty!

10 carrots, multi-varietal if possible, peeled, washed and sliced
4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp fresh, or 1 1/2 tsp dry, thyme
1 tsp dry tarragon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Toss all ingredients together. Roast for about an hour at 350 degrees. Before serving, top with two pats of unsalted butter, and sprinkle with a bit more sea salt. Or try these variations:

- Top with truffled salt instead of sea salt before serving
- Add maple sugar to the seasoned carrots before roasting
- Replace the balsamic vinegar with 2 tbsp of honey or maple syrup
- Replace the cinnamon with cracked red chili peppers for some heat
- Replace the thyme & tarragon with a good 'herbes de provence' blend
- Add toasted, chopped pecans or walnuts to the carrots before serving

Lund's Organic Carrots

This is perfect alongside a Sunday roast dinner with family, but are yummy as leftovers too. These carrots look amazing as crudités as well. If you try this recipe or know of another great one, I'd love to know what you think!

Eat Food!

2011-02-26T10:32:00.006-07:00

Bullet Shaped Carrots

Looking for blog inspiration this week, I was struck by a fantastic article in the Calgary Herald, written by my friend and dietician Andrea Holwegner. In it, Andrea writes about how in many families, children are not aware of where their food comes from. While this strikes me as a little sad (re: her line about tiny bullet shaped carrots), I know that it is also quite true. I was lucky enough to have parents and grandparents that taught me about farming and gardening at a young age. However, I can see how that might not be a part of the conversation these days. How do we eat actual nutritious food (i.e. whole, organic, locally grown) without compromising taste or desire to eat it? My friends that are parents can attest to the difficulty of getting their kids to eat anything remotely related to vegetables and resorting to "hiding" them in food that kids will eat (i.e. pureed squash or cauliflower in mac and cheese), never-mind teaching them about how that squash gets into their fridge.

Garden Fresh

My mother-in-law has a very cool tradition with her grandkids at Easter that is both fun for them, and mildly educational. She will purchase a bunch of carrots with the green tops still attached (harder and harder to find, I am told), and bury them in her garden. Then the kids head out Easter morning, and "pick" the carrots for the Easter Bunny. While the ground is likely still frozen in April in Calgary, this tradition teaches the kids that carrots grow in dirt and opens the floor for conversation around the topic. The possible distraction from all of those chocolate eggs present during Easter doesn't hurt either.

I am interested in your tips to get your spouse, children, parents, to eat more real food? OR, how you educate yourself on the topic? AND, where you buy your real food from?

One last note; My very favorite food author (or my "food-boyfriend", as my husband calls him) Michael Pollan has 7 poignant words of wisdom: Eat food, not too much, mostly plants. Sounds good to me, pass it on.

A Case of The Februarys

2011-02-19T09:45:00.000-07:00

Sunshine! Lime Green Salad Varietal Tomatoes From Casey's

February is not my favorite month. I dream of sunshine and often suffer from that "getaway" feeling. You know, where if you don't getaway to somewhere else, you might tell your colleagues, friends and family to get away from you... Anyway, Spring & Summer here in Calgary are short, and I like to harness some of that delicious brightness by growing some of my own veggies. I started with just a little tomato pot here and there, then moved to a 2' x 5' box, and now I have rented a garden plot from my Community Garden. Last year we had a plethora of potatoes, swiss chard, lettuces, carrots, and kale. It was amazing what that little plot produced for us. To augment the garden supply of veggies, I also lovingly tended to heirloom tomatoes that I started from seed. My seeds came from a fantastic community seed event called Seedy Saturday, and Casey's Heirloom Tomatoes of Airdrie. My unique tomatoes were so beautiful and interesting, and truly tasted amazing. They were perfect in salads, bruschetta, and even just on their own with a little Himalayan pink sea salt.

A friend recently gave me a cookbook that was compiled by some of her friends and family, and the community of Nelson, BC. (Check it out if you are ever there; Seasonings: A Year of Local Flavour in Words and Recipes). In it, there was a wonderful ode to tomatoes, written by Antonia Banyard. Here is just an excerpt...

JD's Special C-Tex Varietal From Casey's

"You have flushed with new colours. The light bounces off your curves. The lines on your skin darken from white to yellow to orange. Your smells are so familiar, I could find you with my eyes closed. I know every blemish and wrinkle, every scar. Some of you are misshapen or maturing too quickly. I will keep all of you. I will wait until you ripen. I will take you all in."

Can you smell that terrific, oh-so-Summer scent of those tomatoes yet? I can't wait for Seedy Saturday to get started on growing some new varietals.

Pass the Bearnaise! Recipe Share

2011-02-13T10:00:00.002-07:00

Recently, we were invited to a cook-off dinner party. Before you start imagining Kitchen Stadium or Top Chef style blow-outs, this was a good-natured, friendly competition between friends, about culinary training, and the general enjoyment of cooking beautiful meals. We were all winners for being involved.

The party started with Prosecco (something all parties should start with, in my opinion), and we enjoyed a feast highlighted by Saganaki, private reserve olive tapenade, Spanakopita done with HAND-MADE (!?!) phyllo pastry, secret recipe chicken curry, perfectly done beef tenderloin, and what might possibly be the world's best béarnaise sauce. This meal was the definition of decadence. We even had the luxury of a sommelier in our midst!

Besides these culinary masterpieces, we were also treated to great conversation with new friends, and old. While it can sometimes be difficult to schedule time for socialization, dinner parties are a perfect excuse. You have to eat! If your evening is topped off by an animated discussion about wine that smelled like garlic sausage (you could have served it with sauerkraut and mustard!), then a good time is sure to be had. Gratitude to all involved.

I'd like to share with you the Best Simple Béarnaise sauce recipe, brought to you by one of our fantastic chef's, that would like to remain anonymous. His wife says he will usually do the "Béarnaise Walk" around the table about half way through the meal, just to be sure you have had enough. Is there such thing as enough?

Best Simple Béarnaise

4 tbsp fresh tarragon
3 egg fresh yolks
1 cup chicken stock
1 lb unsalted butter
salt & pepper to taste
cold water, if necessary

1. Roughly chop fresh tarragon, and crush it gently with a mortar & pestle.

2. Combine tarragon, egg yolks, chicken stock in saucepan over very low heat, whisking vigorously and constantly until thickened and warm.

3. Slowly add butter by spoonfuls, still whisking constantly.

4. Add salt & pepper to taste.

4. If sauce is too thick for your liking, remove from heat and thin with small amounts of very cold water. Serves 4 people very generously, and is good on almost everything.

Recipe Share: Potato, Cheese & Onion Tart

2011-02-09T20:00:00.004-07:00

A few blogs ago, I mentioned in passing, a potato tart. I would like to share this recipe with you, in case you like to impress your friends and family with your culinary masterpieces. This recipe first impressed me in Vancouver over brunch with our very good friends. It might have been the experience, or the smell of the melted Gruyere, but this is one of the best things I have ever tasted. For you purists, don't balk at the use of ready to bake puff pastry or frozen hash browns. They are just time savers, make your own if you want. This recipe is being shared with you, from a beautiful Kitsilano kitchen...

2 (9 1/2 by 9-inch) sheets puff pastry, thawed
1 1/2 cups of shredded Gruyere cheese
4 cups frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
6 slices bacon, chopped
3 shallots, peeled and sliced thin
1teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup créme fraiche or sour cream
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place puff pastry on baking sheet and press sheets together at the short ends. Brush perimeter with water and fold over to create 3/4-inch border. Poke interior with fork and make horizontal cuts around outer perimeter. Tops with 1 cup cheese and bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, pat potatoes dry with paper towels. Cook bacon in large non-stick skillet over med-high heat until crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towel lined plate. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat. Add shallots and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Stir in potatoes, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until lightly browned, 4-6 minutes. Stir in bacon.

3. Combine créme fraiche and tarragon in small bowl. Top parbaked pastry with potato mixture. Cover with remaining cheese and dollops of créme fraiche mixture. Bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Serves 4 people generously.

It really IS good to be close!

2011-02-07T19:00:00.002-07:00

Kendall-Jackson Pinot Noir

I'd like to take a moment to write about the importance of good, neighborhood restaurants. The kind that you can go to on a Tuesday or a date-night Friday, and you are always satisfied with the outcome. Near my house, that restaurant is now Stonehill Restaurant & Tavern. We have several choices around; standard Italian, good Vietnamese, dim sum, chains and fast food. But, when Stonehill finally opened, for me, there was a warm glow and choir music surrounding the place. It meant that I no longer had to compromise on experience for food, or wine for price or any of the other concessions that I make when I want to stay close to home. Here is my review of our most recent experience...

Spicy Pork Tacos

We were there to celebrate and without a reservation, and still were welcomed with excellent service, and beautiful cozy booth, and the well-thought-out wine list. A note about wine lists from someone like me, that thinks a $6 house wine cannot possibly be good; I like it when places list their glasses separately from their bottles, I like glass choices besides merlot and cabernet sauvignon, and I REALLY like the Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Pinot Noir. A good wines-by-the-glass list to me says, "Hey, try a few different things!" and "It's ok that your husband doesn't like wine enough to drink a whole bottle with you!" (Yes, I am personifying the wine list, it only really speaks to me after a bottle or two. I digress...). We shared the Spicy Pork Tacos for an appetizer. These are a treat of spicy pulled pork, cilantro and pineapple salsa in tiny little taco shells. For dinner, my Fettuccine with Lamb Ragout and Wild Mushrooms was, simply put, amazing. It was earthy, rich, and even decadent, if you can say that about meat. My husband's Forno Roasted Chicken was a spectacular feast, plated high and served with a well-made, flavourful reduction, and beautiful unique vegetables. Service was great, music was fun, and there was a happy hum to the whole room that said the other guests were having a similar experience to ours. Have I mentioned the wine tower in the middle of the place? Pretty cool, since there is an elevator running up the middle of it. All of this within walking distance to my house.

Forno Roasted Chicken

I know that some of you live in places where a good meal, I mean a really good meal, is always close at hand. But, for those of you living in the 'burbs like me, where greasy, theme based restaurants abound, it is certainly a pleasant surprise to indulge in something so good, so close to home.

First Coffee, Then Life

2011-02-02T20:05:00.000-07:00

This morning, on my way to my day, I sat holding my freshly brewed, deliciously sweet, satisfying and completely blissful cup of coffee. I lovingly looked down on it wondering how anyone could live without this promise that anything could happen... Ok, ok, I understand that I might be placing a little too much emphasis on a cup of coffee. But it did get me thinking about rituals, and how we use these daily, or weekly or seasonal rituals to create positive bubbles in our life, and how often these bubbles are centered on food & drink.

Besides my necessary daily coffee (or NDC, just ask my husband how necessary that coffee actually is), I often look to create ritual bubbles in a Sunday dinner, or a celebration or habitual seasonal gathering (read: Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas). I must always have some delicious, comforting culinary element to bring it all together. Skating parties must have hot chocolate and cookies. Dinner parties must have appetizers, wine and dessert. Christmas must have an endless array of homemade and purchased (sacrilege!) baking. I think that it gives us something to fawn over, to talk about, a start to a conversation or an end to a long day on your feet. Even if a guest cannot grasp the delicious intricacies of a well-made potato and onion tart with tarragon créme fraiche, or revel in the joy of cracking through the crisp sugar on a créme brûlée, there is still, inevitably, a kind of warmth in the moment; a sense of togetherness in the ritual bubble. And, regardless of what else may be permeating life in general (family feud or fallen soufflé), at least we can sit down to something satiating.

I would like to know where you find inspiration for your ritual bubble. Do you have favorite traditions, recipes or other comments? What is your NDC?

Just think, all of this commentary stemmed from just one little, perfect, steaming cup of coffee :)

What's for Dinner?

2011-01-31T20:50:00.000-07:00

So, I have decided to start this blog. I decided that I should write about something that I think I know about... my passion, FOOD! And all things associated with where to get it, how to enjoy it, what my thoughts are when it comes to our social commentary on the topic...

My posts and point of view are coming from the city I live in, Calgary. So let's get to it...

My husband came home tonight with the perennial, mundane, vagueness that is the question, "What should we have for supper?" If you are like me, you are not a person that plans meals in advance, that has recipes and grocery lists set out for each weekday. I choose my meals like I choose most things, totally arbitrarily! I have to have lightening strike me with a delicious idea. I want everything to be as amazing and simple as tomato and garlic bruschetta on artisan bread with a great chianti. Alas, this didn't happen on this freezing cold, Monday evening. What to do?

We did something that we do about once a month, ordered Swiss Chalet! Ok, so I know what you are thinking... how can a self-proclaimed foodie possibly stoop to the level of pre-roasted, unimaginative chicken and sauce? I will say that there is a little bit of perfection in food that arrives to your door in less than 20 minutes, piping hot, in a throwback to TV dinner tray. In addition, there are no dishes to clean up, a real plus in my books!

My first blog entry is a short ode to idealism and compromise in the empty fridge that is a brisk Monday night. What is your compromise when you are not struck by a Jamie Oliver-esque flash of brilliance?