Hungry Hungry Hilly

Movin On Up

2011-10-15T08:01:00.002-04:00

To my Google Followers - I have moved to http://hungryhungryhilly.wordpress.com/

I will be updating there from here on out.

Head on over to see my fancy new header designed by Kinnon!

Los Angeles

2011-08-25T20:09:00.012-04:00

To be honest I wasn't sure what I was going to think of LA. I had heard that it was smoggy, the driving was bad, it was stinky hot and it was sort of a big tourist trap full of plastic fantastic people. But I do have a few friends who live there, either full of part time, and we had our baseball tickets so off we went.

We had a rough time when we first got there with Dollar Rent A Car, a story I won't go into here. By the time we headed to the accommodations (for the second time that day) we just wanted to eat. On our first trip to the apartment we had passed a place called Tommy's which looked like an average burger joint; the prime selling feature was the large amount of parking and the fact that it was around the corner from our apartment. We decided to pull in and take our chances and we ended up with a winner. Tristan said it was literally the best burger he had ever had. We were actually at the original Tommy's, though they now have a few locations. The original burger is one with chili on top (I opted out), and looks like a heart attack on a plate but it really hit the spot.

After we got settled and had a little rest we headed up to the Griffith Park Observatory. The park and the telescope were really great to visit at night, and we took in the city views. Following that we went to a place that our friend Kris had recommended El Conquistador. The menu was standard Mexican fare but the margaritas were the real star. The atmosphere is also worth the visit.

Another stand out in the fast food arena was Pinks Hot Dogs. We were warned there would be line ups, but we went mid week and at an odd time (around 3pm) so we really didn't have to wait very long. And boy was it worth it. Tristan had the Today Show Dog which featured 2 hot dogs, chili, guac and other assorted toppings, I had the Emeril Lagasse featuring a few spicy items. They have a patio out back where you can eat in the shade, these are not walk and eat dogs.

We had dinner out with friends two nights in the city. The first was with my friend from high school Phil, who works in Pasadena. He recommended a place in Silverlake called The Red Lion Tavern. A solid German tavern the menu featured large portions of authentic fare and a great beer list. The night we were there a man was playing the keyboard and his first song was "I love LA" by Randy Newman. Big points.

On our final day in LA we had two stand out meals. We drove out to Santa Monica and walked along the sand all the way to Venice Beach to take in the scenery. Venice is a trip and while there are tons of small cafes on the board walk one just off the main strip caught my eye, a place called Larry's. The patio was nice, and with a sophisticated menu and quirky cocktails it was a great place to relax. The photo of the pizza seen at the end of the entry is from Larry's

We drove back into the city that night to meet our friend Micheal for dinner. He had made reservations at The Little Door restaurant. The restaurant is noted for being one of the most romantic in the city and for good reason. The primary ceiling in the restaurant is a living one made of incredibly dense vines. Totally beautiful. The food was excellent - but the price point is pretty high. We had been pretty good in LA so we were ok with a bit of splurge.

And that was pretty much LA from a food standpoint, a few things we found helpful:

Had Dollar Rent a Car not screwed up we would have had a GPS (they had run out even though I had reserved one) - I cannot stress how much this would have come in handy. To avoid massive roaming on our smart phones we had to use the wireless at the apartment, Google Map our day and then write it all out by hand before leaving for the day.
If you take in a Dodger Game don't bother with the All You Can Eat - those Dodger Dogs are terrible. Also bring your passport if you want to buy beer and look younger than 60, they don't accept any other out of country ID.
It sounds cheesy but the Star Tour of Homes we did was actually pretty fun. Particularly because then we could both look around without being worried about directions. We did this one and got the kids price, see if you can negotiate for it. Our tour went through more than just the homes and included Rodeo Drive.
Our only really "celebrity sighting" was at The Grove shopping mall in the food court. We were eating at a Cajun restaurant and this guy, was sitting next to us. But every time I read People or US they always have photos of celebs shopping at The Grove, probably a good bet for some kind of sighting.

San Francisco

2011-08-17T16:47:00.008-04:00

Homer and I took a 10 day trip to California and I wanted to share some of the good (and not so good) stuff we ate while we were there and some travel tips. First up was San Francisco!

Pictured first is the window display at Swan Oyster Depot. We were lucky enough to be staying around the corner from this place at an AirBnb Apartment. AirBnb has gotten some bad press lately but we had a great experience. Swan is only open for lunch and there is usually a line but it is totally worth the wait. You can also just buy fresh seafood for take away, but half the fun is sitting at the counter engaging with the staff. We shared some oysters and I had the shrimp cocktail while Homer opted for the clam chowder.

Swan is located on Polk Street which is a sort of up and coming street in Nob Hill. It has some fun restaurants and bars.

One of the places that I knew I had to go to in San Francisco was the Zuni Cafe. We made reservations prior to arriving in town, and I would recommend making one if you want to eat there.

Zuni is known for its Roast Chicken for two, and so of course we ordered it. I can honestly say that it was probably one of the best meals I have ever had. The chicken is on a bed of mustard greens and bread salad. The service at Zuni is also top notch, our waiter was great.

One place that we found while we were in San Francisco was the Magnolia Brewpub. We ended up there for a late lunch after walking through Golden Gate Park. It was totally jammed and mostly with hipsters but the food was really great as was the large selection of brews. That is a picture of Tristan's Duck Crepinette above. Considering the amount and quality of the food the price point is excellent.

Tristan had wanted to try Barney's Gourmet Hamburgers so we ended up there for lunch on the day we were exploring around Union Street. The burgers were pretty decent and the menu has something for everyone.

One place we tried but that didn't live up to the hype was Foreign Cinema. I had read some good things and certainly the patio is gorgeous but the food was so so. I would try their Lazlo Bar next door before shelling out the dough to eat here.

A final food related tip is to have an Irish Coffee at the Buena Vista Cafe, a San Francisco institution. The man making them has been doing so for several years and it was fascinating to watch him work.

A couple of tips and things we found helpful:

We bought a Muni Passport at the airport and used it everyday. While not good for travel on the BART it does work on every city bus, streetcar and cable car line. The fact that it works on the cable car line alone is worth it as a ride each way on one of those things is $6.

San Francisco was quite cold compared to stinky hot Toronto. If you are going, pack things you can layer, footless tights were my life saver. If you go to a baseball game make sure to pack a heavy jacket, I was frozen by the end.

The Ferry Building is a great place to get supplies and dine when visiting Fisherman's Wharf, it is a bit of a walk (or just hope on the streetcar) but really the best option in that neck of the woods. Do NOT eat at any of the crap restaurants in the Pier under any circumstance.

We stayed in Nob/Russian Hill and found it very central to explore all of San Francisco. The neighbourhood is safe and has lots of great places to dine and shop. While I don't metion it above, the Nob Hill Grille was the first meal we ate in San Francisco and if I lived there this would be a great neighbourhood joint.

Next up LA!

In Just Seven Days

2011-07-14T21:37:00.007-04:00

I have a Tumblr now, which I update only somewhat more than this old chestnut.

But this needed a bit of a longer entry.

Last Thursday I had my first ever serious bike accident. Coming home I got caught in the streetcar tracks near Eastern and Greenwood and was shot to the pavement. I didn't have any broken bones, but I did some pretty serious damage to two of my teeth. I have never been more thankful for my helmet.

So on Friday I spent 8 hours with a variety of health care providers. Mainly my dentist. I came out with a temporary fake tooth (a crown as they call it) and a referral for more work. I am in the process of getting a permanent crown on my one tooth but because it cracked so far up I needed to have some gum surgery so that the permanent one could bond to it. I had the surgery (aka the most expensive 45 minutes of my life) and now wait a couple of weeks (months?) and then I get my new fakeish tooth. My left arm is also a little poochy but getting better. And I actually had a really great experience with our health care system, so that says something.

I was going to write a long blog post about soft foods, but I tell you, there are more forums devoted to soft food diets than I anticipated. So you know, Google it.

But I will say that aside from the usual, smoothies, ice cream, mashed potatoes and eggs, I have also enjoyed pita bread (I can tear it into tiny pieces and soak it in dip while shoving it to the back of my mouth), borscht (delicious and cool for summer, just blended up real fine) and french fries. I also intend to enjoy some risotto and lentils in the coming weeks. Soft food isn't so bad really.

Oh, and we are also a member of a CSA so I am tested each week with the ingredients they give us (though if it is lettuce Homer usually has to eat it). This week I made this recipe with Turnip Greens.

I also made a dynamic beet salad, which was a riff on this one, used canned beets, no arugula. It was delicious.

That is the update for now, more CSA findings coming soon.

And kids, remember to wear your helmet.

Easy, Peasy Honey Squeezy

2011-02-13T09:32:00.004-05:00

This winter has been quiet, especially in comparison to last year when I was across the country working on the Olympics. I don't mind though, I like being at home, puttering, going to work, seeing friends. Simple stuff, like going to the library.

Pretty much every Saturday Homer goes to the library, and when I need a new book I go with him. Our local library is small but I always manage to find something, and their cookbook selection is not half bad.

This time I picked up Spoon Fed, the memoir by Kim Severson and Off the Shelf, Cooking from the Pantry by Donna Hay. A co-worker suggested I might like Donna Hay and so far so good. The recipes are dead simple, but one called to me so loudly that shortly after bringing the book home yesterday I ran to the kitchen to get started on it. The recipe was Choc Honey Snaps, and while I didn't have the chocolate and cream for the topping I did have everything for cookies themselves.

I was nervous at first, I don't have a good history with cookie baking but as I watched them work in the oven I knew these would be perfect, one taste confirmed it.

You let these cool on the pan (they are quite chewy and flexible when they come out of the oven), so you need a couple to keep the baking moving along. It also uses nearly a whole bear squeeze bottle of honey. I suppose you could use fancy organic honey, but I used the No Frills bear and they were just fine.

I included the choc topping recipe after in case you wanted to include it, if you were making these as a Valentine's treat you could draw a heart on each one.

Honey Snap (with Chocolate Topping)

From Off the Shelf by Donna Hay, 2001

125g (1/2 Cup) butter

1 Cup honey

1 Teaspoon baking soda

2 Cups all purpose flower

3/4 Cup sugar

Chocolate Topping (Optional)

1/3 Cup cream

250g milk chocolate, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350F. Place the butter and honey in a saucepan over low heat and stir to melt. Add the baking soda and remove from the heat. Place the flour and sugar in a bowl, add the butter mixture and mix to combine. Place tablespoons of the mixture onto parchment lined baking trays. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden. Cool on trays.

To make the chocolate topping, place the cream and chocolate in a saucepan over low heat and stir until smooth. Cool slightly before spooning a heaped teaspoon onto each honey snap. Allow to set. Make approx. 35.

Mea Culpa

2010-12-29T19:37:00.003-05:00

I realize that it has been a while since I updated last. I didn't really think anybody noticed, but then over the holidays I had a few friends ask about the blog and why I didn't update it more. There are a few reasons; busy times, blogger being slow, scrounging for material etc. I am going to try and be better about it, even if it is just once a week and even if it is just for those people I don't get to see very often who use the blog as a way of keeping up.

The above should really be dedicated to its own post, our girls trip to Las Vegas in November. The food was out of this world. We went to Bouchon, which was sort of a dream come true.

Also, I am looking at starting (or maybe transitioning) over to Tumblr, because Blogger really is kind of a drag to use. We'll see.

For now here is an image of us in the sun in Las Vegas. Soon...soon.

To All the Mothers

2010-08-15T09:29:00.006-04:00

That is me and Jonathan St. Pierre, a nice and very sweaty man (I had to crop out poor Jenny who was making a very unfortunate face). I went to my first ever Argos game this past weekend with Jenny, Homer and Ian. After this photo was taken, Jenny had the brilliant idea to go to karaoke at the Fox and Fiddle, since Ian and Homer are sort of karaoke all stars. So in a cab we hopped, off to Bloor and Beverley. We had a couple of beers at the game and let's just say a few more drinks were consumed (maybe some doubles) and Ian, Tristan and Jenny each brought the house down with their respective numbers. We got home at 2:30am. I had people coming over the next afternoon, and had promised food, ouch.

Here is where the title comes from (well sort of, not to imply that all the mothers I know like going out to sing karaoke until all hours). Luckily I had already planned to make the easiest recipe of all time - Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos. These take 15 min to pull together (and that is if you make your own taco seasoning, which I did because I realized it was the one thing I had forgotten to buy). It is also great for working mom's (like the mom whose blog I got it from). Just throw the ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning and bingo-bango.

You can see the full post where I found the recipe here. In it the author links to her preferred recipe for taco seasoning which I ended up using. I thought it was just enough - she would have used a little more. She mentions that you can even put the chicken in frozen, which I have done in the past, it just takes the full 8 hours on low to cook. This time I just put the chicken in uncooked and not frozen and it was done in about 6.

I had three good size chicken breasts and this (along with a small bag of frozen corn, on can of black beans and a small salsa) made enough to feed 4 adults with a TON of leftovers.

Great for lunches the next day, as a topper for salads or over rice.

I link the Friendly Butcher above, a shop new to the Danforth. Friendly as the name implies and helpful. I hope they last longer than the other butcher did.

A final note, you should visit my friend Avery's blog - she talks about our recent Jam making party and how you can host your own!

Email History

2010-07-29T13:19:00.007-04:00

Like so many people of my generation, I have multiple email addresses. Three to be exact. The Oatmeal, has a great comic about what your email address says about you, but then again The Oatmeal has great things in general.

Indeed, my old Hotmail address still exists, though I rarely check it anymore, I keep it around in case it happens to be the only address someone has and they need to get in touch. Though I suppose they could just go one Facebook or Google me as one person did (not that I am famous, but there are not too many Toronto Hilary Green's out there). It is also where I get some e-blasts that I need to get but don't need to look at on a regular basis (CAEA I am looking at your E-Drive here) and where I have an extensive file of great emails from my university years.

Today when I was cleaning out the inbox I took a look in a folder I had labelled "I Like." Two things stuck out at me. I'll give you the sort of melancholy one first. It was an old email from a friend who passed away. For some reason in 2002 I circulated around with our friends that asked what the three songs would be at your funeral. My friend Bryce who passed away a few years later wrote:

Bad as they seem, Hayden
Motion Picture Soundtrack, Radiohead
Ice ice baby, Vanilla Ice... But all funeral attendees would have to replace the word "ice" with "Bryce"

And it made me think of him again.

Then I kept going and found this poem that my friend Kristopher wrote, it would have been when we were all (you know all of us right?) living together. I guess we were writing door poetry in the mornings for each other or something silly like that. And since it has to do with food I thought I would publish here (Kris don't sue me!)

HOT TEA?
maybe this tea won't be hot.
a quick sip tells me it is not.
a burning feeling, then to numb,
to think tea cool, that was dumb
my tongue now feeling thick and hurt,
the roof of my mouth raw and burnt
i slap my thigh in anger and scorn,
why do i do this every morn.

As you can see by the poem above and image below (of Bryce and a lens) both these guys were a little bit silly, if they had ever met they probably would have got on like a house on fire.

It's been too hot again to cook, but here is a link to an easy salad to see you through.

The One Where I Talk about Quinoa

2010-07-13T18:00:00.007-04:00

June was kind of nutty and I didn't cook so much, then July came and with the first of July comes this ones birthday:

And there was some champagne and good times. Then the G20 came and there were some really really bad times.

Then we went to the cottage and had some homemade wings and other delicious foods, and the good times returned. With views like this:

Before we left for the cottage my long awaited oilcloth order came and I got really into crafting and finished this (more on my oilcloth obsession in another post):

Then we went out and around and saw some things like this:

And this past weekend visited, among others, these lovely ladies:

So with all of that running around and eating on the road I thought it best this week to return to some healthy roots.

With that in mind I bring you a quinoa salad. Embarrassingly healthy and though you do have to turn on the oven it can be eaten cold, straight from the fridge, keeping for 3 days. Perfect for summer office lunches.

Curried Quinoa Salad

From the GI Diet Cookbook

Serves 6

*You can add some diced cooked chicken (as I did) or tofu to make this a complete meal.

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

1 tbsp + 1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 cup chopped shallot

1 tsp curry powder (or more if you like it spicy)

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

1/2 cup finely chopped carrot

1/2 red pepper, seeded and chopped

1/4 cup chopped dried apricots

1/4 cup chopped toasted cashews

2 tbsp chopped green onion

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1. In frying pan over medium heat, toast quinoa for 5 minutes or until fragrant and beginning to to pop. In small saucepan, bring 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt to boil. Add toasted quinoa; cover and simmer over medium head for 15 to 20 minutes or until water is absorbed. Scrap quinoa into a large bowl. Let cool.

2. Meanwhile, in a non-stick frying pan, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium-high eat; cook shallot for 3 minutes or until softened. Stir in curry powder and cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining oil, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper and pour over quinoa. Stir in reserved shallot mixture, carrot, red pepper, apricots, cashews, green onion and parsley.

Beans, Beans the Musical Fruit....

2010-05-18T19:12:00.003-04:00

On Sunday we finally came out of the little cold snap we had been experiencing this May. This guy and his glare tells you how I feel about cold snaps. Dislike.

Needless to say when I was grocery shopping this weekend my mind was not on grilling and outdoor dining. It was on comfort food, which is why in the middle of May you are getting a chili recipe. I blogged earlier about vegetarian chili, both are equally tasty but this one is healthier (no re-fried beans and the added bonus of soy protein).

The recipe is from Eat, Shrink and Be Merry, I've adapted it to use my favourite beans and a flavoured soy ground round. I only bought the flavoured kind because it was on sale, but I think the extra spices add a little extra kick to the mix.

If by the time you read this you are firing up the grill perhaps you could use this to make a veggie chili dog or as part of veggie nacho dip.

Or you could just file it until fall....

Spicy Veggie Chili

Adapted from Eat, Shrink and Be Merry

1 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 cup chopped red onions

1 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 cup chopped celery

2 tsp minced garlic

1 pkg Yves Meatless Ground Taco Stuffers (also called Tex-Mex Ground Round) 340g

1 1/2 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can (19oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (19oz) lentils, drained and rinsed

1 can tomato sauce (14 oz)

1 cup vegetable broth

1/2 tbsp Splenda Brown Sugar**

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Light Sour Cream (for serving)

** if using regular brown sugar use 1 tbsp.

1. Heat olive oil in a large, non-stick, pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, green pepper, celery, and garlic. Cook and stir until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

2. Add ground round, chili powder, cumin, oregano, coriander, red pepper flakes, and cinnamon. Mix well and cook for 1 more minute. Add tomatoes, beans, tomato sauce, broth, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and serve with Sour Cream.

On Compromise

2010-05-03T20:12:00.007-04:00

One of the biggest parts of any relationship is the aspect of compromise. I don't mean the big compromise, I mean the little everyday ones we do with all of the people in our lives. Everything from the way the toilet paper hangs to the kind of coffee in the office. Compromise keeps everyone playing nicely, and at some point if we are all doing it right everyone gets what they want.

One compromise I have made with Homer is the love of chicken wings and of the Habs. I never really liked chicken wings, something about eating meat off a bone doesn't appeal to me, it is the same reason I am not a rib lover. This is sort of odd since as a child I once tried to eat a chicken bone, but that is a story for another time.

But Homer loves chicken wings, and he loves a restaurant called Wild Wings which has over 100 flavours of chicken wings (including Creamy Suicide and Rush Hour). Over the past year we have been there a few times, he even celebrated his 30th birthday there. And now, while they are not my meal of choice, I have come to appreciate the humble wing.

The Habs were a bit easier for me to get into (they require no extra calorie intake). And with playoff season here, TSN and Hockey Night in Canada are a regular fixture in our entertainment roster. Since we don't have cable when the games are on TSN we need to go a bar to watch them. This is all well and good as long as pace myself in the food and drink department, reminding myself that the playoffs come but once a year.

This round of games is on CBC which comes in crystal clear on our HD antenna so we can dine and view in the comfort of our own home. I wanted to make it a bit more festive so I whipped up some healthier chicken "wings" this weekend. At 56 calories a wing you can afford to have a few.

In honour of our friends at Wild Wings I'll name them Hal Gill. Enjoy!

Boneless Chicken "Wings"

*Hal Gill Flavour

Adapted from Eat, Shrink and Be Merry

12 large boneless, skinless lean chicken thighs (Blue Menu by Presidents Choice has these)

1/3 cup barbecue sauce (can be low cal)

2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp liquid honey

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp roasted garlic puree

1 tsp chili powder

5 dashes Sriracha Chili Sauce

1 tsp cornstarch

*Note if your barbecue sauce is already sweetened you may want to reduce the amount of liquid honey to 1 tbsp.

1. Preheat oven to 400. Line a 9x13 inch baking dish with foil, spray with cooking spray and set aside.

2. Cut each thigh in half and place cut pieces in a single layer in prepared baking pan. Fold or roll them up to a bit so they resemble the shape of a chicken wing. They should just fit in the pan (3 rows of 8 "wings").

3.Whisk together all remaining ingredients. Spoon sauce evenly over chicken pieces.

4. Bake, uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and sauce is bubbly.

Serve!

Below a not so great iPhone photo of the "wings" in action.

The Little Things

2010-04-25T14:27:00.003-04:00

Lately I have been feeling a little overwhelmed. Lots of changes are happening all around me, and I have been feel pressure to make some changes myself, and by gosh those changes better be the right ones.

If I had a dollar for the number of times I have been asked "What do you want?" or "What happens next for you?" in the last few months, I would be able to not have to worry about the answers to those questions. I would be able to sit by my hot tub and veg with a bottle of champagne.

Despite my mounting number of grey hairs I still don't feel like an adult or someone who needs to make important life decisions.

We babysat my co-workers daughter this past week and it dawned on my that I hadn't babysat since I was in my early teens. It felt a bit strange and I realized how little our house is equipped for children; not that it needs to be I guess. It also became apparent that I wasn't sure what kids liked to eat. Mostly she wanted the cookies, I relented with one only to have a chocolaty hand smear on my pants a moment later. Sadly, they weren't even homemade.

I remember a Friends episode where Monica talked about wanting to be the mom who made the perfect chocolate chip cookies. I think about that whenever the thought of children crosses my mind. I am terrible at making cookies and I am not sure why. My muffins can rival any bakeries, my cakes are generally tasty, I make a mean crumble, but successful cookies have always eluded me.

A few weeks ago after I finished making a particularly disappointing set of chocolate cookies I made silent promise to stop trying to make cookies for a while. One batch of muffins in the last three weeks, that is it. When I came across the below recipe I had a renewed sense of hope. No they are not cookies, but they are a sort of cookie bar. They are really easy (I assume something that is good if you are a mom) and quick and they keep for a week.

I'm not sure what is next for me or even what the right next step is. But I can now make a really good cookie bar. It's the little things that count.

Salted Toffee-Chocolate Squares

Adapted from Everyday Food May 2010

Makes 24 squares

13 graham crackers

1 bag of toffee bits (8oz or a little less)

1 1/2 cups finely chopped peanuts

1/2 cup sugar (yes the real stuff)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

3/4 cup chocolate chips

3/4 tsp coarse salt

1. Preheat over to 350. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place graham crackers in a single layer on sheet, edges touching. Sprinkle toffee bits and peanuts over the graham crackers.

2. In a small saucepan, bring sugar and butter to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat and cook at a rapid simmer, swirling pan occasionally, until mixture is syrupy, 2 minutes. Immediately pour over graham crackers. Bake until sugar topping is bubbling, 12 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle chocolate and salt over graham crackers. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut into 2 inch squares. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. (Store in an air tight container, up to 1 week)

Food iPhone Apps

2010-04-22T14:18:00.002-04:00

Oh hi.

Lately I have been totally obsessed with adding food apps to my iPhone. I am sucker for the low low prices and convenience of having a cookbook in my pocket.

While I am by no means a technical genius, I thought I might weigh in on the three I have purchased.

#1 Martha's Everyday Food App
Price: $0.99 - Bargoon!

As a present a few months ago Homer bought me a subscription to Everyday Food and I love the magazine dearly. Small enough to fit in my purse, simple recipes, and a focus on budget shopping in addition to food trends.

The app is great for simple recipes. They have short ingredient lists and a limited number of steps, making it perfect for weeknight meals. Like all the recipes in the magazine the nutritional information is included at the end of the recipe, a god send for those of us concerned with such things.

While the stores function of the app does not work well for Canadian customers, I do enjoy the grocery list feature where you can add the ingredients for the recipe to a shopping list, and then customize the list for your shopping trip. I actually found the shopping list function easier to use than an app I bought specifically for that purpose. You can share the list via email, which I have never tried but it seems handy.

There so many recipes in the app, I don't know how you would ever go through them all. You can customize your search by main ingredient, meal/course, method and holiday/season. At $0.99 you really can't go wrong with this one.

#2 How to Cook Everything

Price: $1.99 (currently, but I understand this is a limited time offer)

I had sort of mixed feelings when I read How to Cook Everything. For some reason I felt like I was being talked down to, but I am not sure why. The app really does contain a lot of information found in Bittman's book but for a fraction of the cost.

There is a lot of text in the app (as there in the book), along with lots of tips and reference information (such as which knives you should own and properties of different ingredients). It is all good stuff but I don't know that I will spend the time reading all the information unless I am waiting somewhere with nothing to do. Perhaps for the iPad this app might be more useful.

You can either search for recipes by Key Ingredient, Cooking Technique, Flavour or Recipe Type (Fast, Make Ahead, Vegetarian, Essential), and you can see Bittman's Picks, Quick Dinners, Most Popular or a Featured Recipe upon opening the app.

Like Everyday Food it has the ability to export the ingredients to a shopping list and the functionality is essentially the same.

What I don't necessarily like about the recipes is having to "turn the page" from one step the next. With Everyday Food it comes as one long list, so when you are cooking it means you are touching the screen less, and therefore less chance of a messy iPhone.

A good buy for someone who does not own the book or another general reference cooking guide, but less user friendly than Everyday Food.

#3 Jamie Oliver 20 Minute Meals

Price: $4.99 (though when I bought it when it first came out it was $7.99!)

This was one of the first food apps out there (that I am aware of), and my goodness is it pretty! The reason for the higher price is, I believe, due to the video content on the app. Many of the videos seem to be culled from Jamie's 20 minute Meal podcast as do the recipes.

The number of recipes on the app is much less than Everyday Food and How to Cook Everything. They are organized by Cooking Technique/Ingredient (eg. Easy Pasta, Tasty Stir-Fries and Classic Meat).

There is some difficulty with the conversions, and there are cases where I found neither Metric nor US imperial helpful. I think he expects you to have a kitchen scale (which I sadly do not). Many of the recipes can be customized to 2 or 4 people, a function that neither of the two previous app has. But like How to Cook Everything you are constantly scrolling through the steps, though each step includes a photo of how it should look (handy for novice cooks). You can also have the option to have Jamie's voice on while cooking, which is cute for the first time, but then if you have to scroll back and forth fast becomes a little annoying.

Like the other two apps there is a shopping list function, which is easily customizable.

The recipes in the app are all quick, with some unique flavours, but some of the ingredients can be difficult to find at your run of the mill Loblaws.

I would say if you don't already own any of Jamie Oliver's books this app is a great buy. But with 3 of his cookbooks lining my shelves, I'll turn back to those before coming back to the app.

So, That Happened

2010-03-02T11:59:00.004-05:00

Hey look it's Jimmy Fallon's shoulder! (to the right) and The Roots.

That was intense, could I have blogged each and everyday? Maybe. Though I was limited to using my phone most of the time, which is why the previous ones were so short.

Summary? The days were longish and with odd hours, I met some nice people (Jimmy Fallon), I met some rude people (Feist), I took illegal photos of medals but never held one, I ate poutine and I drank more Diet Coke than you should probably consume in a lifetime.

I am on a break right now for a week staying with my friend Oliver in Vancouver until going back up to work the Paralympics, which I think will be an experience unto itself. When I left Whistler yesterday the streets had already cleared out and they were taking down a bunch of the satellite stages they had set up for the games.

We had no events on the last official day of the games (February 28) and so I watched the hockey game with Oliver and friends in his condo, which was conveniently located by the village stage where Blue Rodeo was to have a free concert following the game. They also showed the game on the two giant screens flanking the stage.

After we watched the storybook ending we decided we really should see the medals ceremony in the square with all the people. As we walked down we saw the thousands (?) of people jammed in the square, hanging out of windows and sitting on rooftops. Just as we approached a little space opened up front row and we ducked in. It was a miracle as though the crowd parted just for us.

And so we the national anthem along with the crowd and hooted and cheered. Then Blue Rodeo took the stage, and played what was probably the most receptive and heart felt concert I have ever witnessed. For the encore they did "Lost Together" and the entire crowd sang along. It was amazing and wonderful, it made everything come together and the long (and sometimes boring) days worthwhile. The moment made me remember why I did this crazy nutty thing.

On to the next!

Oh and incidentally this was the longest I have ever gone without cooking, I made one dish the entire time I was there. A Barefoot Contessa rice recipe that I hope to write about in the future.

But for now....

Opening Day

2010-02-14T12:45:00.003-05:00

The Iphone took that photo, not bad eh?

I have to get better at carrying my real camera around with me to snap better photos. I snapped one on the Iphone of John Furlong watching the medals ceremony from backstage. He seems like a very nice guy. He was chatting and dancing to drums with the volunteers backstage.

Our opening ceremonies happened last night and went off very well. Our cauldron lighting was great! It involved a torch runner throwing his torch into the air and a rocket seeming to come from top and shoot across the audience to light the giant (really giant) torch replica at the back of the house (causing it's flame to light). Some great pyro.

We only had two ceremonies because Alpine was cancelled so I was running my butt off getting the IOC/IF presenters to the stage. Seeing the athletes backstage with the medals was pretty great.

We also had All American Rejects last night, and there were a big hit with what seemed to be a largely young crowd. It wasn't as packed as it could have been, but it also poured rain all day and the tickets were free (so there was no cost associated with not going).

The Rejects were nice guys, the lead singer is a bit of a character but they were professional and on time so what more can you ask?

Today we have Estelle and I have heard she is a handful, wish me luck!

Sad Start

2010-02-12T20:44:00.000-05:00

Location:Village Stroll,Whistler,Canada

Peak to Peak

2010-02-09T15:49:00.001-05:00

My view for lunch today.

Location:Whistler,Canada

Day Off

2010-02-09T13:03:00.002-05:00

Today is another day off due to the venue needing to have a security sweep. All the venues have to do this in order to make sure that none of the workers left anything "suspicious" on site before the ceremonies begin. There are tons of RCMP in town right now, which is interesting.

Yesterday was a long one (1pm-11pm) as we finished Q to Q and had an evening rehearsal with the drummers, announcers, medal/flower bearers and stand-ins for the athletes, IOC and IF (the people who hang the medals on the athletes). It was basically a blocking rehearsal, not much for the ASMs to do but wrangle volunteers.

I have to wear a com and a radio for this show, and it is fascinating to listen to the PSM call cues. I keep thinking its too bad CAEA are so against anything non-union because my job would be an excellent opportunity for an apprentice SM. I love it when the PSM calls pyro FIRE! and cryo FIRE! She has to call it over an over again and she always sounds so excited.

We are back to work tomorrow for two days (rehearsal with PYRO!!!) and our host and dancers will be on site after tomorrow. The host is Hank from Corner Gas, which is pretty hilarious, I get to wrangle him alot.

Needless to say it is all coming together!

Gone

2010-02-06T14:43:00.000-05:00

Had a nice solo lunch at Gone Village eatery in Whistler today. Great cafe and they are cheaper than Brick Street.

Great soup and sandwich list.

And then

2010-02-05T21:58:00.001-05:00

As we were leaving dinner the torch went by. We ran right beside it since there were no barricades. It was pretty cool.

Food

2010-02-05T21:21:00.000-05:00

I have to say our staff eats are pretty good. Also all the free diet coke I can drink.

Snow!

2010-02-05T12:29:00.000-05:00

Usually I can see the mountains from my room, not today!

Should make rehearsal interesting!

The New Digs

2010-02-04T10:45:00.000-05:00

Moved in to my condo yesterday and found I had been moved to the bunk room. No worries the bed is comfy and the rest of the condo is sweet! Hot tub! Giant kitchen and living room and 2 bathrooms. It is about 5-10 minutes by bus to our venue.

Don't know how our wireless Internet in the condo works, will hopefully figure that out after training today.

Location:Squamish-Lillooet D,Canada

Squamish

2010-02-03T17:05:00.001-05:00

At a little stop in Squamish. Many of the volunteers here are being housed on a cruise ship called the Mona Lisa.

They basically live at the shipping yard. Scenic but also a bit creepy.

Location:Squamish-Lillooet D,Canada

First Day on the West Coast

2010-02-03T12:45:00.001-05:00

After a nice night out with Stephanie and Hazel last night I treated myself to breakfast at the Bread Garden.

It is so warm here I ate outside! Today I travel to Whistler and will update from the road.

Location:Bute St,Vancouver,Canada