Yam Duty

This Christmas my contribution to the dinner was yams.  As I usually did roasted vegetables or a dessert of some sort it was a food adventure to try something new.  I started with a bag full of yams and washed & peeled them.  I chopped them into larger pieces and placed them in a pot of salted water.  I cooked them until soft and then drained the water.  I returned them to the same pot and added butter, cream, pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon.  I mashed them until they were soft and creamy and then transferred them to a casserole dish and topped with large marshmallows cut in half.  They went this way to the in-laws house where we gently broiled them just before serving.  Two thumbs up for this yummy vegetable!

Pie, Pie, Pie

For all those parents out there that watch kids shows over and over and over again, sometimes they can inspire you.  In watching one of my son's favorite show "Word World" there was an episode about pies.  My little 2 year old can now spell pie and it got me thinkg that I should try to make pie.  Not that filling in a jar, pre-made crust kind, good old fashioned fruit pie from scratch.  The search for a good pie crust was on.  I checked a couple of books to no avail and then went straight to Martha, after all she has yet to steer me wrong!  Being my first pie I went for a basic pie crust recipe: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/basic-pie-crust and began my adventure.  The next was to select my filling...  In my freezer was were some wild blackberries left over from my jam experience that were just begging to be baked into a crust of yumminess.  I didn't think I had enough for a pie so I searched and found a recipe for an Apple-Blackberry Pie: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/apple-blackberry-pie-with-fall-leaves-pate-brisee.  If you know me you know that recipes are merely guidelines and although I stuck to the pie crust recipe, the filling was up in the air.  I read the comments and changed the sugar to 3/4 cup and added a little lemon zest to "kick it up a notch".  I can say it was easy but I really think it was touch and go there for a bit.  I had to add a little water to the dough to help it stick a bit and even then I was not sure how it would turn out.  I baked it for an hour and 25 minutes until it was nice and golden and let it cool before serving it a la mode to the family.  SUCCESS, for my first pie ever!  Flaky crust, just the right amount of sweetness and hardly any bubbling over of berry juices.  With a great start to pie making I may set my sights a bit higher next time and try an apple pie with a cheese crust....

For the love of wine!

With my impending birthday, my hubby asked what I would like for my birthday. My immediate response was "nothing" as I really didn't need anything. That quickly changed when I thought more about the tempting email I received a week prior. The email was from my favorite winery Burrowing Owl where they were featuring their fabulous fall harvest package. This was when I had a light bulb moment, what better thing to open on my birthday then a wonderful bottle of wine. As quickly as I had said nothing, I now said Burrowing Owl!

One of the best parts of this province is the variances of weather from one area to the next. We began our drive into Oliver and left Burnaby with cloudy but clear roads. That did not last long and upon passing Hope we saw our first glimpse of winter and as we approached Manning Park it was a snow lover's paradise! A pit stop and some snacks and we were on the road again. The next stop on our list was a little place called Doug's Homestead, where I have been told has the worlds best beef jerky. It's a little shop along the highway just before Hedley but the locals and travelers alike know all about it. Unfortunately this trip was not going to be the trip I got to try it but their pepperoni was a yummy second.

Next on the agenda was a visit to the first aboriginal winery Nk' Mip in Osoyoos.  I was delighted to be there and the attending staff picked up on that and seemed to be just as happy.  Enjoying the Pinot Blanc immensely I was pleasantly surprised by the Chardonnay.  The reds held their own and I experienced a real treat tasting the Merriym (a meritage released only a few days earlier).  Now came the ice wine, and although it was last, it most certainly was not least.  I have never tasted something so wonderful, like liquid honey and peaches in a bottle.  This was a must have for today's trip.  Timing was everything and mine was on!  It happened to be the tree lighting ceremony that late afternoon and there would be S'mores roasted by their patio in the fire pit.  Who could say no, we would have to return later.

Making our way to Oliver we stopped at Silver Sage to taste 7 wines in 15 minutes.  A couple bottles of pinot blanc and peach and apricot desert wine then off to the next stop.      

Was it a left or a right to Tinhorn Creek?  Turned left but it was a right so why not stop at Inniskillin?  Happy to have another great glass of wine!

Inniskillin was a cozy and very welcoming place.  Being such a well known winery I expected a large and showy tasting bar and store.  But to my delight it felt more like visiting an old friend with a very impressive wine library.  With the numerous types of wines they produce I thought it would be fun to try something new to me.  I sampled their Marsanne Rousanne, Chenin Blanc, Sangiovese, Malbec, and my new dinner favorite, Tempranillo!  What a pleasure it was to make this fortunate "wrong" turn and discover Iniskillin's Discovery Series wines. 

We finally made it to Tinhorn Creek in all it's grandeur.  I am a fan of the Oldsfield Merlot and the Kerner Ice Wine and after several tastes and lovely chat with an otherwise bored sales person we were on our way back to Burrowing Owl. 

Time to check-in and unload then back to Nk'Mip for s'mores, you better believe we went back.  This time we meandered through the property and saw the area in it's true evening beauty.  Sipped our hot apple cider, ate s'mores and just relaxed by the fire.  We didn't want to fill up, after all we had a special dinner for two coming up. 

What I love about the guest house at Burrowing Owl is the calm and quite of the area.  Located in the heart of the

vineyard I can easily say there is nothing for miles.  There are no city lights, or traffic sounds, no loud music or sirens to pollute the peaceful ambiance.  Having a break there was beyond relaxing and if we didn't have reservations for 7pm I could have easily gone to sleep.  The ironing board came out and tights made their appearance.  Primping and preening began until we looked like a couple of giddy teenagers playing grown up.  Dinner came in stages and it started with an amouse bouche with a goat cheese and roasted tomato crostini.  Our appetizers followed shortly after and although we selected two that we could share, we could have easily fed another two people.  A selection of meats and cheeses accompanied by fresh made breads and chutney's it was truly a gift of the Okanagan!  We couldn't select anything but the braised short ribs for dinner.  Having been here once before and experienced the savory and melt in your mouth delight there was no question that it would be our entree that evening.  It did not disappoint, and paired with the goat cheese perogy's and seasonal vegetables it was a masterpiece in my mouth!  Dessert was a super sized creme brulee that came and went before I could snap a picture.  Just the right creamy consistency and a sharp crisp on top.  As if this wasn't enough the evening ended with a plate of well wishes and a French Macaroon. 

Granolla, yogurt, cheeses, fresh baked banana bread and muffins galore!  We had to refuel for the long ride home and here was our chance.  It was a weekend we would not soon forget and would have a few bottles of wine to remember it by.  If we were good friends we would share our memories and more importantly our wine at a later. 

Wine Teaser

I just returned from a winter weekend wine extravaganza.  Too tired to tell you all about it yet but I will share my experience soon with the pictures to prove it!

Guatemalan Tostadas

I used these as part of my mid week dinner party and thought I would share this little treasure with you all.  This is something that I learned from my mom and has been in our family for years.  Not much to it but worth every bite.  Begin with some ripe tomatoes, on the vine or larger sized ones work great.  With your cheese grater, grate the tomatoes into a bowl, while you do this you will be left with most of the peel in your hands.  Add a little salt and pepper and a dash of Tabasco and your sauce is ready.  It can be left in the fridge until just before serving.  Now for the the tostada part.  If I had all the time in the world I would make my tortillas from scratch and fry them myself.  However the reality is that time is short and I leave that mess up to the experts.  I get these fried tortillas from El Comal where I buy my corn tortillas from.  To serve these delectable treats, place a tortilla on each plate, spread the tomato sauce in a thin layer and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Simple and delicious!  Have some napkins nearby as no matter how neat an eater you are there are bound to be some stray pieces. 

January 22, 2011: Updated

We had some left over homemade salsa and thought hmmmm, what would it taste like to make tostada's using fresh salsa?  The answer was amazing!!!!

Mid Week Dinner Party

Who says you can't do it all?  I am a firm believer that regardless of how much stuff is going on there is always time for a dinner party.  The key to success is planning and prepping ahead of time.  A little help from your loving mom also makes life a little easier!  The planning started with the menu:

Assorted salami, cheese and crackers on a tray
Guatemalan tostadas
Steamed green beans with browned butter and toasted almonds and pine nuts
Butter lettuce salad with pecans and goat cheese
Baked Salmon with red onions
Steamed Rice
and for dessert:
Homemade Cinnamon-Apple cake!
served with specialty coffee's

Simple things can be done ahead of time, cutting the for the salad, chopping the red onion for the salmon, measuring the rice and putting it in the rice cooker.  Then from the time I got home (5:30pm) to the time my guests arrived 6:30pm dinner was ready, the table was set and the wine was awaiting.  What can be better than great company with a side of great food and wine?

Osso Bucco - Oxtail

Some may cringe at the mere mention of "oxtail" but if you have grown up eating things like tripe, cow's tongue and head cheese then oxtail is just another protein.  One of my favorite dishes is Osso Bucco which my husband makes with veal shanks.  I was feeling adventurous the other day and decided to try this recipe out with a little change, oxtail instead of veal shanks.  Having never made this dish before I perused a few recipes and then decided on my own version.  I followed the main points and as per usual went off on my own tangent.  I chopped, dredged, and seared then had to transfer it to a larger dish to go in the oven.  If you know me I have a tendency to go overboard when it comes to making dinner and it is very often that unexpected guests will find themselves at my table.  This time however I decided that it would be a great idea to have left overs for the following day.  The braising  began and finished with dinner being served promptly at 6pm.  If you have ever cooked oxtail before you will know that longer is better when cooking it.  I however had never actually cooked it myself and from the oven it was pulled much too soon!   The taste was delightful but the texture was a little tough.  I plunked it back in the oven and let it go for another few hours.  The next night's dinner was a dream with the meat tender and falling off the bone.  Now that's how it's done!

Chocolate Layer Cake

Not all cakes were created equal!  It was my brother-in-law's birthday and my idea to celebrate was to make a homemade chocolate layer cake and have the familiy over for coffee and tea. 

I began by getting out my cookbooks and searching through the many amazing looking recipes.  A friend once told me that she bought cookbooks only to look at the photos and referred to it as "food porn".  I cleverly decided on a chocolate layer cake and thought, hmmm I don't have enough pans in the same size but I can just make it in one pan and have 2 layers only?  It was a nice thought!

The recipe seemed simple enough, ingredients I had as a standard in my pantry.  I began and thought it would be great as always....  An hour later and my cake had not risen?  That didn't stop me from making a delicious fudge icing.  Not enough cake to have two layers, that's ok one layer it is!  I iced the cake and sprinkled it with Turtle Crunch sprinkles and set the table. 

Coffee, tea and the table ready, assorted chocolates, cookies and other little treats galore!  Was it love at first bite?  Judging by the looks on the faces around the table I would say not.  It's not that it was terrible but that the texture seemed a little off.  I tried not to laugh and made the most of it, at least we had the company!

Tropical Fruit Salsa

As a mom I am always looking for ways to simplify my life.  On a recent trip to the supermarket I have found a "tropical fruit salsa starter".  What a novel idea, pineapple and mango diced finely with a little recipe printed on the front.  I made my way through the produce section, followed the simple instructions and later that afternoon had a lovely bowl of fresh tropical fruit salsa.  Who says being fabulous has to be difficult?

Cupcakes for all occasions!

Nothing says Halloween like cupcakes!  I think any excuse to make cupcakes is a good one.  Unlike last time, this cupcake frenzy began with picking up a couple extra cupcake tins.  This really makes things much easier when every cupcake recipe seems to make an oddly large number of cupcakes.  I started with Snickerdoodle cupcakes and moved on to Devil's Food cupcakes.  They made the house smell delightful and when topped with green 7 minute icing and turtle crunch I was in the Halloween spirit.  Even good enough to share!

Trader Joe's

On my frequent visits to the US shopping I almost always make a stop at one of my favorite grocery stores Trader Joe's.  What makes it so great?  A plethora of organic and fabulous food and liquor!  Now I unfortunately have not had the opportunity to sample their wines being that I usually only go for a day trip but their food items I can vouch for.  A few items on my must have list:
Saffron
Spicy pecans
Gluten free frozen pancakes (one of my son's favorites)
Bourbon Vanilla
Teriyaki Sauce
It may be better to say that I have yet to not like anything I have bought there with the exception of their Snickerdoodle cookies, sorry there is just no substitute for homemade!

Apple Pie the way it should be!

Many have said that the only way to eat a piece of apple pie is A La Mode.  I would like to dispute this common misconception!  Good old fashioned apple pie should be eaten gently warmed and with some nice cheddar cheese!  Yes, you may think I am strange (I wouldn't say otherwise) but it is delicious and worth a try.  Tell me what you think??

Melazane alla parmigiana

You don't need to be a vegetarian to enjoy the wondrous creations from Mother Nature's (or you local farmer's) garden.  One of my most beloved and elusive veggies is eggplant.  For many years I would never venture to purchase one regardless how tempting that beautiful purple globe is.  Now however I am adventurous in the grocery shopping department.  I had been eyeing this recipe for weeks now so on my last trip to the grocery store I went for it and picked up eggplant!  My tomato sauce is stewing, my eggplant draining and thoughts of eggplant Parmesan are dancing in my head.  It's a very simple concept, good tomato sauce and prepare the eggplant properly and you'll have even those that not fans licking their chops!  I served this with garlic toast and a nice bottle of Australian Cab Sav.  Did we miss the meat? Not in the least, and most went for seconds! 

French Cuisine Part Deux

I know it has been awhile since my last contribution, and reading Foodymom's post has made me feel like a slacker. So here it goes...

Our pretty much impromptu French dinner was a hit as everyone heard. My contribution to the evening was a couple well earned bottles of French wine; red and white, Poulet, chevre chaud, and a nice after dinner coffee or tea with Madeleines and Macaroons. Now that it is written out, that sounds like a lot of food. Good thing I axed the Lemon tart!

I love to bake andI think it has to be one of my passions in life. I enjoy taking everyday basic ingredients, measuring and mixing to create delectable edible pleasure. And my daughter is all about helping me when I told her I was making pink cookies. These strawberry chocolate french macaroons were my very first attempt and were a little too tall, but they tasted so amazing that I went ahead and altered the recipe to make Lemon chocolate ones. They were not pink, but they were even tastier.

Afternoon Snack

When a friend and co-worker said he would bring a treat the following day, I thought to myself hmmmm what could this treat be???? The morning came and went and soon lunch rolled around. As I was on lunch duty I took great pleasure in sharing some salad and meatless beef strips as we had plenty to go around! Lunch too finished and it began to get later..... Nowhere to be found was this treat sharer and we began to wonder, what was this treat? Was there a treat at all?? Could chocolate be involved??? The excitement was unbearable and when we thought we would cave and go to the junk table, lo and behold our treat! Completely un-chocolate related and amazingly sinful! What was this delectable treat, you most certainly would like to know. Served on a wooden cutting board were the most lovely figs topped with a sharp and tasty blue cheese. It was love at first bite, the combination sweet & salty, smooth & textured, this was by far better than chocolate(at least that day)! Thank you to our "treat provider" our afternoon was perfect!

Blackberry Jam Extravaganza

There are many things that I have yet to try but my aunts homemade jam is not one of them. I'll take a jar of their pineapple apricot or strawberry over any store bought specialty item any day! But as time goes on so do the years and my aunts are starting to get tired of making jam and other delights year in and year out. That was my cue to step up and learn. For the last several months I have been talking about wanting to make blackberry jam(my favorite). We are extremely lucky to live in an area where these buds of tastiness are plentiful and often free, that is if you are brave enough to face the thorns. The date was set and this labour day long weekend was it, my chance to get up close and personal with some berries. With the help of a super market and some friends with jars, I collected supplies and was off. Sunday was D-day, or should I say B-day! The picking began in the early afternoon, with a great vastness of blackberry bushes and a kind neighbor who let us pick on their property the buckets and their carriers were on a mission. The mission: fight the thorny, prickly, and often aggressive and violent blackberry bushes for the treasured berries. Some came armed with sneakers and old shirts, others not so prepared came in open toed shoes(a big no no) but the most important thing was that they came! For hours under the sun, amidst the bees and surrounded by the occasional snake we picked. We picked until our our fingers were purple from the berries and the thorn pricks and our legs looked like "Zorro" had been there. In the end we estimated 50lbs of berries took up most of the fridge space. After a day like that it was great to share a turkey dinner with all the trimmings with the family! Thanks!!

Monday morning the hard work began early. After a nice breakfast it was off to rinsing the berries, straining the berries, cooking the berries, straining again the berries, measuring the berries and making the jam.... This paired with sanitizing jars, measuring sugar, stirring constantly and a whole lot of arguing back and forth over what should be done next, took up most of the morning. Once we took a pit stop for lunch and shelled some fresh caught dungeness crab it was back to work. Now came the fun part filling the jars, sterilizing the lids, and my favorite, testing the jam! YAY after all this painstaking labour it was done and delicious. I was not afraid to share the riches and breakfast the following morning at work was bread, butter and yes, you guessed it, homemade blackberry jam! The torch has been passed and it's now my turn to continue the tradition with the years of fresh fruit ahead....

Bon Appetit!

My inspiration for beginning this blog came after watching the movie Julie and Julia. Not only did it make me laugh, it also inspired me to try more recipes including a French dinner. My dear friend FoodyBelle and I have been trying to make this happen for some time now and other things seem to keep taking priority. Well not any more! What a great way to spend the day than to caramelize onions for over 4 hours...... So lets start with the menu:

Soup a l'oignon

Chevre Chaud

Legumes glaces

Poulet valle d'auge

Madeline's & Macaroons

I was to be responsible for the soup and veggies, not a small feat! My morning began with fresh veggie shopping at the market and then on to the onions. In order to get the full sweet flavour of the onions you need to slowly...... cook the onions for for hours stirring every 15 minutes. Is it worth it? I think so, this was easily the best French Onion soup I have had and it's not because I spent the day creating my masterpiece.

My glazed veggies consisted of purple yam, carrots, turnip, rutabaga, and more. However they turned out more steamed than glazed but if flavour is the true decider then we had a winner! I even made the extra effort and showed up on time!

We began the evening with a bang. After all could there be a better way to begin the evening than with a Kir Royale?? I think not! For any of you who don't know what that is, it's a delightful blend of champagne and black currant (cassis) liqueur.

A fabulous night not only the food but the company made it unforgettable. I won't give away all the secrets, I'll let FoodyBelle tell you some tasty details and her story of her first whole chicken adventure! My words of advice, don't be discouraged by a recipe that says 4 hours, it can turn out to be an absolute treasure!

Gourmet Dinner for 1

Choosing what to eat is hard enough when thinking of the family or friends you have to feed. I however find it harder to try and make a dinner for 1 without resorting to popcorn or take out. Today was a great exception! While my husband went out for chicken wings I stayed home and waited for the bbq to warm up. First things first, spinach salad with cherry tomatoes and goat cheese drizzled with a fat free ranch dressing (trying to keep it light). To the bbq went my little seasoned lamb chops with fresh rosemary and I could hardly wait. 4 minutes a side and dinner is served. After enjoing a delightful fresh and lean dinner what could top that? A nice bowl of sweet local blueberries topped with creme fraice and a smidgen of agave syrup, a bowl of pure bliss. Boy will I miss these little bobbles of freshness when summer is over...

Don't judge a cake by it's frosting...

I saw this beautiful, heavenly looking cake online and thought it would make a great birthday cake for my husband's 33rd birthday. It was a simple vanilla cake with an italian meringue icing and I just couldn't resist the shiny, glossy, eat me look about it. Not usually one for the 'plain jane' flavours I added some homemade strawberry preserves a friend gave me to the middle icing layer for some extra oomph. The next morning I sent it to work for e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e in the office to eat...
I texted him later in the day to see how it went and this was his reply... "the icing was really good, the cake was really dry." You know I don't really mind having a baking disaster at home, but a public baking disaster is something else. I guess it is impossible to have a perfect product every time and I have come to accept that. However, this new found acceptance did not stop me from hunting down the most moist cake recipe I could find, baking it in a 35C kitchen and sending it to work with him this morning as an apology for the dry and sawdusty, albeit pretty, cake with the really tasty icing. A big THANKS to the Rebar in Victoria for their Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese-White Chocolate Icing recipe. Today's text reads like this, "cake is very yummy, compliments all around." I know, I am a kitchen perfectionist! Call me crazy, I need the whole cake to taste good, not just the icing.

Too Hot To Cook

I'm sure you have all been there before, you just got home for work, it's way too hot and you're way to tired to put together a meal. So, what do you do? Well if you're me you pack up the stroller and go for a walk to the inconveniently close Panago and order the take out special: a personal pizza and a drink for $6. With the recent healthy lunches at work I was determined to add a little healthy to this improvised meal plan. Next stop the very close Save On Foods, a little arugula, some grape tomatoes, and fresh goat cheese and voila it's a salad to compliment the grilled veggie pizza that was almost ready. For dessert I strolled through the freezer isle and by-passed the ice cream and chose the real fruit Popsicles. The best choices maybe not, but some good choices mixed in there.

Waldorf Salad - Redone!

As a healthy alternative to the often last minute lunch choices at work 3 coworkers and myself take turns making lunch 1 day a week each. Since Thursday's are my days I'm always looking for something yummy to share with the group. Mid-morning usually consists of yogurt parfaits, with fresh fruit and granola. With it being berry season this is always a delightful treat. My choice for tomorrow was a Waldorf salad and in my true fashion I changed it up a bit. I started with fat free Ranch dressing (in place of mayo) and added fresh lemon juice and fresh cracked pepper. In the bowl goes chopped celery, red grapes sliced in half, 1/4 cup walnut pieces, chopped turkey, diced red onion and voila! Low-fat tasty lunch you can serve on a bed of lettuce or baby spinach. Let's hope the ladies like it!

The Spice of Life!

When my husband suggested going out for dinner for our 5th anniversary I said sure (no cooking for me). When he suggested Jambo Grill I said "absolutely" with extreme enthusiasm. This fabulous Indian/African restaurant could be missed if you didn't know it was there and you would never have the chance at the taste sensation it holds. Not much to look at, nothing fancy but what it lacks in glamour it more than makes up for in the food they serve. The taste of pili pili wings is spicy but with such a depth of flavours it makes regular chicken wings taste like sloppy seconds in comparison. I deviated from my regular beef skewers and opted for a goat curry that would knock your socks off! This seemingly small bowl felt like it was bottomless and the smell was only topped by the complex flavours and perfectly cooked meat. The naan bread is fresh, hot and light as air, the way real naan should be. If you can't decide between the regular, garlic or spicy naan, my pick is the regular as the food has more than enough flavours you don't want to miss any of them. My guilty pleasure is the never ending cup of Indian chai to which I add sugar (normally I don't add sugar to my tea). It's subtle spice is instantly relaxing and something I look forward to on all my visits. Now if the delicious food wasn't enough to keep you going the friendly and cheerful owner would be. In a time when people are too busy to even take care of their own businesses it is a refreshing sight to see an owner so involved in his restaurant and taking the time to greet his customers and offer that personal touch that seems to be lacking more and more. Can't wait to try the Butter Paneer next time!

If you want to check out their website: http://www.jambogrill.ca/

Wedding shower madness!

In preparation for a dear friend's wedding shower I began my research. This included taking great pleasure perusing my recipe books for inspiration and inspiration I found! Truth be told my perusing stopped at my new Martha Stewart cupcake recipe book and I got the much anticipated chance to try more recipes! My gigantic cupcake pan got it's use again and took centre stage with a beautiful coconut cupcake with a 7 minute icing and gently decorated with ribboned coconut. Quite a delight even after the calamity of trying to cut it. This was not the only show stopper but surrounding this monster of a cupcake were little delightful oreo cheesecakes. Diabetics beware as my table was in danger of inducing a sugar coma... Though the cupcakes were the main attraction they were not to be out done by the goat cheese crisps and mini croissant sandwiches beside the fantastic sandwich torte! Thank goodness for the many recliners in my living room where we took refuge from the food.... All in all a good time was had by all!

Cupcakes continued...

Thank you Foodybelle for the Martha Stewart cupcake recipe book! To go with it another friend gave me a giant cupcake pan. The two together are a dangerous combination, where to start? The first attempt came at the request of my husband; devil's food cake with creamy peanut butter icing. Can you top this? Only with truffle crunch sprinkles! This was the perfect accompaniment to an evening with friends while watching True Blood. More to come....

Better luck next time!

For a family gathering we recently chose The Fish House in Stanley Park to celebrate. I am all for going out especially when the evening was an adult only affair! In my lifetime living in the lower mainland I have never had the opportunity to go there and was looking forward to it. In usual FoodyMom style I checked out the menu ahead of time and planned what I would like to enjoy. They do many things well and some not so well.... The evening began with some of our party not paying attention and going to the wrong restaurant. By the time they arrived and we ordered our appetizers I was famished. To my great dismay the appetizer I chose was sold out (at 6:45pm) and we settled on a few others. They have adopted a few things from The Cannery (one of our favorite restaurants for many years until they had to close their doors due to zoning......) the lobster oil and balsamic vinegar with the fresh bread on the table. When our appetizers arrived they were impressive and quickly disappeared! That however was the only quick thing that evening. It seems the service although pleasant was scarce and we didn't even get our dinner order in until after the appy's vanished. When the dinner arrived I could not complain about mine and quite enjoyed the Salmon Wellington. The rest of the party did not however enjoy their meals the same way. Some dishes were cold and others over cooked. All in all the company and the wine were the best parts. Now most people would just walk away and never return. I however believe in sharing my opinion as a consumer and a foody which is exactly what I did. I wrote them an email to express my satisfaction with respect to some items and dissatisfaction with others. I can say that I am pleased at their response. They accept accountability for the the things they can change and took my comments to heart. They offered us a chance to return and my husband and I will. Hopefully next time I will have only good things to share!

Martha Cupcake Mania

What would you do if you bought a beautiful cookbook for your friend's (FoodyMom) housewarming present? (Shhhhh...don't tell her.) Wouldn't you want to try it out; give it a test run to make sure that it was worthy of your favorite baking/cooking buddy? I am glad we all agree on this point, because that is what I did...

With all of these retro coloured cupcake shops popping up and reality TV cupcake shows airing, it is hard to avoid the newest baking trend. My children are suckers for the pastel colours and candy toppings, however at almost $4 per cupcake, I am likely to go bankrupt if I gave into their every cupcake whim (and mine too).

To take matters into my own hands, I tried a Martha Stewart Cupcake recipe last night out of her Cupcakes cookbook. She makes it look oh so easy to piece together those intricate icing decorations that top her desserts. Of course, I know how to pipe out buttercream roses and perform delicate pastry work with meringue and dark chocolate to make cute little gnome-like mushrooms just by looking at the picture... (insert drip, drip, and more drips of sarcasm here).

In the end I chose an Applesauce-Spiced cupcake recipe with a basic swirled icing topping that even the most novice at-home-baker could perform and still be proud of the finished product. And I must admit, that if I could reach it, I would give myself a few large pats on my back for my efforts. I just hope the family agrees. (You do realize, there is no chocolate in this recipe!) For my next cupcake effort, I might actually try to be a little more adventurous with my decorations, but I think sprinkling cinnamon on top of icing was just the right amount of effort for this girl for her first try.

I think I need a cupcake...

Blueberries in Season

Berry season out here in the Vancouver area is absolutely wonderful time of year. Choices of local farms to pick your own berries abound (I love Krauseberry Farms) and you also have the option to go organic, Formosa Nursery in Pitt Meadows. If you are too lazy or don't want to hurt your back, the farms usually give you the option to pay a little more and you can purchase already picked berries.

Now the conundrum is, what to do with the buckets of berries once you have them home? I try not to over pick, but the sight of juicy, ripe, succulent berries always gets the better of me. My kids suffer from the same syndrome...

Here is what I did...

Being obsessed with everything French, I am trying my inexperienced hand at reproducing some popular french desserts at home. I recently discovered a dessert called a Galette; they are types of flat, round or freeform crusty cakes that can have a variety of different fillings. Since I have a plethora of blueberries that I have to free some fridge space of and some frozen blackberries, they will be the chosen flavour of my very first galette.

I discovered a recipe on Cooking Light that included cornmeal in the dough of the crust, and I have to say after making this, I could eat this crust just on its own. It added a little bit of wonderful to the texture of the dessert.

Using fresh ingredients is the key, but if it is off season, frozen berries do work as well.

Pastry-

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 7 3/4 ounces)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/3 cup fat-free buttermilk

Filling-

• 4 cups blueberries
• 2 cups blackberries
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons fat-free milk
• 1 large egg white
• 1 1/2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

To prepare pastry, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients (through salt) in a food processor; pulse two times. Add butter to flour mixture; pulse 4 to 5 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. With processor on, slowly add buttermilk through food chute; process just until dough forms a ball. Gently press dough into a 4-inch circle on plastic wrap; cover. Chill 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Unwrap and place dough on a sheet of parchment paper. Place a piece of plastic wrap over dough before rolling to avoid sticking to your pin. Roll dough into a 15-inch circle and place dough and parchment on a baking sheet.

To prepare filling, combine berries and next 3 ingredients (through juice) in a medium bowl; toss gently to coat. Arrange berry mixture in center of dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold edges of dough toward center, pressing gently to seal (dough will only partially cover berry mixture).

Combine fat-free milk and egg white in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Brush dough with milk mixture; sprinkle turbinado sugar evenly over dough. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until pastry is golden brown. Let stand 30 minutes; cut into wedges.

This dessert oozes not only berry juice, but rustic charm and amazing flavour. This recipe will become a staple in my household and I am so excited to try a different fruit. Maybe apple/marscapone, apricot/almond, pear/blueberry... the possibilites are endless.

Here is a little hint; it is a very easy dessert to make, but believe me, I won't be divulging that little secret to my guests any time soon.

Match Made in Heaven

I wish I could say I was one of those healthy women who only drink green tea and water all day long. Alas, although I do enjoy a tea with my sushi, I can't bring myself to drink it on a regular basis, because I am deeply in love with another...coffee! And behind every good cup of coffee, is a great piece of biscotti. My family can attest to the fact that I am baking biscotti on a weekly basis. Usually I hear complaints and protest because I bake with my favorite ingredient, crystallized ginger. This time to appease the masses, I swapped my usual recipe for a double chocolate one. It is so easy and much cheaper than buying it in a coffee shop and tastier too. I even brought some to work with me for my own coffee break.

I enjoy the control I have over the baking process. Most biscotti (I should say all) is double baked to achieve that hard, 'almost break your teeth trying to take a bite' consistency. However, my children do not appreciate the dunking quality this gives the cookie, so I only double bake for half the time to keep the biscotti soft for them.

You can modify this basic recipe to change the flavour to whatever your fancy desires.

2 cups flour (if you want a chocolate base use 1 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup cocoa)
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Mix dry ingredients into large bowl and add flavours (ie. 2 tbsp minced crystallized ginger & 3/4 cup white chocolate - or use the cocoa/flour mix above and add 1/2 cup chocolate chips... the possibilities are endless)

Mix together wet ingredients below and add to dry in the bowl.
2 eggs
1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla extract (I prefer to use real vanilla)

The dough will be dry and crumbly, but turn it out onto the counter and work with it to form a log (as pic shown above). Move log to baking pan topped with parchment paper. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Put on rack to cool for 15-20 minutes. Cut into 3/4 inch sections and place upright on baking sheet. Bake at 350 for another 15 minutes or so (depends how hard you want the cookie). By arranging the biscotti upright, you don't have to flip them half way through the double bake process.
Eat, dunk, love with your coffee.

Chocolate Bundt Cake

Can you say YUM? Everyone at my table sure can. I had to give this recipe a try and found that my brother's belated birthday dinner was the perfect opportunity. It's a chocolate bundt cake with a chocolate glaze. As always Martha Stewart does not disappoint when it comes to a source for good recipes. Love you Martha! For those of you who want to give this deliciously sinful treat a go, here's the link:
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/chocolate-bundt-cake

Strawberry Fields

There is nothing better than going to a farm and procuring your own food. My husband and I took our two kids to Krauseberry Farms in Langley, BC for an afternoon outing to pick our own strawberries and enjoy some fresh air. The only complaint of the day came from my back....ouch. I don't think I could do that for a living. But the local produce was well worth the pain.

Tonight we planned to put the strawberries to good use and made Old Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake for dessert. What a hit! After a dinner of halibut, roasted yams, and BBQ corn, out came the scones baked earlier in the day and we topped them with a strawberry marinade, fresh vanilla whip cream and mint from my garden. Of course my ever so picky daughter Madeline decided it wasn't her kind of dessert and opted out. My son and husband finished off her helping; crazy kid! The not so crazy adults paired our meal with a 2007 Burrowing Owl Chardonnay. Wish I could eat like this every night...Oh yeah, I can!

Check out the recipe and give it a whirl.

Arroz con Pollo (Chicken Rice)

I'm not usually a chicken fan but this dish is one of the most staple dishes in my family. Everyone has a different way of making it and each of us usually take something out while we eat it. I learned to make this from my mom and she learned from my grandma. My aunt's and cousin's make it as well and we even share it with our friends. I don't believe in recipes that you hide from people after all if it's good why not let others try it too, they may even come up with something better. Here is my "secret" recipe:

Shopping List:

boneless & skinless chicken thighs

2 cups jasmine long grain rice

2 tbsp achiote paste

1 tbsp Italian Seasoning

1 tsp dehydrated garlic

2 cups frozen mixed veggies

1 cup raisins

1 jar green olives, pitted

Potato Chips (thick cut plain ones are best)

Getting started:

put the chicken in a large pot cover with water, add Italian seasoning, dehydrated garlic, salt and pepper, cook on med high for approximately 40 mins or until cooked through.

separate chicken from liquid but save for later. Shred chicken by hand and put aside.

Making the rice:

In a large non-stick deep dish pan or a large pot heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil and the achiote paste until melted. Add the rinsed rice and toast rice at med high heat for about 5 mins stirring constantly. Add veggies, raisins and olives, salt & pepper to taste and stir until mixed. Pour in the liquid used to cook the chicken and add the shredded chicken. Reduce heat to medium and cover. Cook until liquid is absorbed and rice cooked (approx 20 mins)

Remove from heat and serve with potato chips, we like to use them to scoop the rice!

Apple Cinnamon Cake

It is always great to share with a friend and when a friend shares with you. Whether it be a bite of their sandwich, a great pair of boots or a super not so secret recipe. Thanks to FoodyBelle for sharing this cake recipe that will wow anyone who tries it. Simple to make you can find this on the Cooking Light website: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=222502
It even won the blue ribbon at my company bake off. Try it out and share your thoughts.

Quinoa the super (yummy) grain!

Many have not heard of this super grain, but when you do you will be glad you did! It's uncommon to hear words like protien, animo acids, and loaded with vitamins and minerals when discussing a grain but this is the case when you are talking about Quinoa. Do not let the health factor deter you from this wonderfully healthy food, it tastes great as well. You can make it like rice and use chicken broth instead of water to complement your meal or if you are feeling adventurous try this great salad:

While at home on my mat leave I became a fan of Chef at Home on FoodTv. I took Michael Smith's advise and made this recipe my own with a few little changes.

To begin cook two cups of quinoa(I used a mix of red and white quinoa for colour) in the rice cooker with 4 cups of chicken broth. Make this ahead of time as you want it cool to put your salad together.

In a bowl combine:

cooled cooked quinoa

2 grated carrots

1/2 bunch chopped flat leaf (Italian) parsley

1 bunch chopped green onions

2 diced small red peppers

1/2 diced cucumber

zest of one lemon

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Serve and enjoy!

It's amazingly simple and delicious to boot. I like a bit of spice in my food and a little fresh chopped jalepeno pepper for some heat.

Newest Addition

Having known each other for more than 20 years, it was an honour to be invited to the FoodyLadies blog and to join our forces to explore and go forth on edible adventures together.

As a very busy mom (I think we all are!) in a fast paced world that is overwrought with fast food restaurants and quick, easy packaged food options, it is hard not to fall into the pitfalls of convenience. My personal goal is to feed my family real food made from scratch and to include them in the process as much as possible. To show them where their food comes from and to instill an appreciation for healthy tasty homemade meals.

Yesterday morning I was digging through my baking dishes and I came across a Madeline pan that I had purchased at Williams Sonoma years ago. I bought it after I came back from Paris in 2007 thinking I would recreate the gastronomic magic in a cookie. It took me until 2010 to use it (sometimes life just gets in the way). I found a fantastic recipe with a hint of lemon zest and my 3 year old son helped me bake my Parisian magic. However, my daughter, ironically named Madeline, wanted nothing to do with them since they contained no chocolate.

Here is the recipe from Bon Appetit Magazine (Jan 2000) if you would like to try to recreate your own Paris memories.

Madelines-
2 large eggs, 2/3 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel, 1 pinch salt, 1 cup flour, 10 tbsp melted butter, powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 375. Using mixer, beat eggs and sugar until blended. Beat in vanilla, peel and salt. Add flour; beat until blended. Gradually add melted butter in steady stream until combined.
Grease Madeline pan, add batter. Bake until fluffy and brown (10-16 mins). I just kept a steady eye on them. Remove, cool and dust with powdered sugar.

ENJOY! You can see by the picture which cookie the kids liked best.

Chili con Veggie Protein

Who says all good meals need meat. My slow cooker got a work out and it was a of the veggie variety yesterday. I used to enjoy this recipe long after I had begun eating meat again and missed not being able to make it because of the tomato content. I am happy to be able to try it out again after all these years. Here is my "secret":

Before you start I have a very large family size crock pot so I use large cans of beans. If you have a smaller one just adjust quantities below.

In your slow cooker add 4 cans of your favorite beans, drained and rinsed. I used red kidney, black, pinto and chick peas.
Add sliced mushrooms, chopped celery, and if you like some chopped onion.
1 cup dried textured veggie protein ( looks like dehydrated ground beef and can be found at Galloways and other health food stores.
1 can chopped green chilies (not that spicy but add flavour)
Seasoning: two tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, fresh cracked pepper, 1 1/2 tsp dehydrated garlic (or fresh), 1 tsp sea salt and if you like it extra spicy throw in a couple of dehydrated red Thai chilies.
Add two cans of whole plum tomatoes crushed gently with your hands
Turn it on high for 4 hours or low for 7 hours
When serving add a dollop of sour cream on top of your bowl or sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Trust me, no one will miss the meat!

The remains of a Cupcake

What is the downside to a cupcake? Not much, unless you're calorie counting that is. So on a dreary supposed summer day with a little boy that didn't want to nap I decided it was time for a road trip. By road trip I mean getting in the car and driving across town to the closest "Cupcakes" bakery. I stopped along the way to pick up a friend and extend the drive since of course by this time I had a snoring little boy in the car seat. On our way to "Cupcakes" we discovered that the road ahead was closed for a festival and after a short attempt to find parking we moved on to plan B, a different cupcakes shop called Big City Cupcakes on 4th. Upon first entering the store I was not instantly impressed, the decor was cold and basic and the selection not quite as extensive as I was hoping. I made my choice of a New York Cheesecake cupcake and it was placed in a plain white paper bag with a business card taped to the front of it. So far this was turning out to be a big city disappointment. I went on my way and upon returning home I finally got a chance to try it. Not having the great little boxes that Starbucks uses for their cupcakes, my cute little cupcake was a bit mushed. I took a bite not expecting much and a big WOW, disappointment it was NOT! The cake portion was moist and tasty and the cream cheese icing complemented it nicely. The balance of icing to cake was a perfect combination and I instantly devoured the entire thing. This is when I remembered that I should have taken a picture to share so instead I took a picture of what was left.....the wrapper! Don't be fooled by first impressions, it was love at first bite for me with these cupcakes.

July 1, 2010: I went back and this time I took a picture before we munched!

Foody Baby, or NOT!

For someone who loves good food it amazes me that my son is not a natural foody. He's a vegetarian by choice and throws up if you try to give him any kind of meat other than fish. He loves tofu, cereal, bread, congee and applesauce. I can get him to eat yogurt as long as there aren't any fruit bits, funny though for grandpa it doesn't matter if there are fruit bits in his yogurt....? hmmmm? I tried the organic veggie purees, homemade, store bought and discovered that if there is any chewing involved my son will have nothing to do with it, but if its mush it's acceptable. I believe he's being lazy and not wanting to chew unless it's crackers or cheese toast. For all those chocolate lovers there, not to worry my little man will throw up on cue if any chocolate makes it into his mouth.... So what do I do? I keep trying! Today we went to dim sum and to my complete surprise he had rice rolls, bean curd and almost an entire sticky rice (minus the meat). Some days can be brilliant and certainly make up for all the others.

Where to get it?

I am constantly on a search for something new. It could be Sambal Oelek chilie sauce or Cassava Chips. Here are a few of the places I can always count on to find something different:

Gourmet Warehouse, 1340 Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC
Specialty items, spices, kitchen gadgets/hardware and the only place I can find to get a true "Brown Betty" teapot

Galloways Specialty Foods, 7860 Alderbridge Way, Richmond, BC
Grains, flours, beans, cereals, and many more bulk items

Rice World, Garden City Road, Richmond, BC
Don't let the name fool you, there is a great deal more than just rice here. A wide variety of Asian food items.

Meinhardt Fine Foods, 3002 South Granville Street, Vancouver, BC
A little pricey but worth it for those hard to find items.

Celtic Treasure Chest British Imports, 5639 Dunbar Street, Vancouver, BC
Looking for Marks & Spencer tea or crisps then this is your stop, check out the deli and bakery items too!

The Patty Shop, 4019 Macdonald, Vancouver, BC
Jamaican patty's at their best but bring cash, sorry no debit!

I have come across many more and will keep adding to the list. Stay tuned!

Lunch with a friend

Many people shy away from a vegetarian meal and as my mom would say, she was not completely full unless she had meat in her meal. I think this couldn't be furthest from the truth and with a little imagination you can have a wonderful healthy and meat free lunch. My friend came over to help me after my recent move and I took the opportunity to make a lovely salad. My question is always do you like this.... on your salad and it was great to have someone say sure, anyway you want to make it! I had some artisan greens I picked up at Costco and added arugula, carrots, celery, cherry tomatoes, sliced almonds, and to top it off drizzled it with lemon juice and basil infused grapeseed oil. Now we can't be totally healthy, where would the fun in that be. I severed the salad with Lemon Chili Cassava chips. For those of you who haven't tasted cassava, it closely resembles potatoes and makes for great crunchy chips. You can find them at specialty food stores or Punjabi markets. Happy shopping!

What's in a Pantry?

In our recent move we upgraded our two bedroom 880sq ft condo for a 3 bedroom 1350sq ft condo with a WALK IN PANTRY!!! What mysterious treasures can I fill it with? Easy, all of them. I plethora of spices from Turkish Oregano to Chinese five spice. Fish sauce, thai curry paste, rice wine vinegar and Ovaltine just to name a few more. My friend asked me how I came to have so many pantry items, was it a recipe that needed it or did I simply wander through the spice isle and think "that sounds interesting, I wonder what I can make with it". My response, both! After all you never know when you're going to need ground polenta or carnaroli rice. A true foody lives here->